Author's Notes: boris yeltsin: The answer is in the notes on Chapter Four. Kendra versus Buffy would be more of a saber tooth tiger fight.

Dirty Tube Socks: I didn't anticipate a lot of scenes with them, but I like putting them in when they fit. There are some things Xander is better for than Buffy or Willow. And I'm very much looking forward to "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered".

TazFlan93: Glad you're enjoying and I hope I can keep the updates coming.

Chapter Nine: Gig, Part Two

Now that they knew the purpose of the ritual, there was little they could do until Buffy was found. Giles insisted that the girls go get something to eat to prepare themselves for the perilous day ahead. Neither girl had ever arrived early enough to have the breakfast the school offered, and when they saw the quality of the food offerings they agreed that they hadn't been missing anything. Tara tried to get their minds off the assassins and Drusilla's eminent restoration by bringing up something that had been confusing her since she woke Willow.

"So, if you have frog fear, w-why do you have a stuffed one?" Tara asked, remembering Willow toying with it while worrying about Xander and 'Ampata'.

"Oh." Willow said looking sheepish. "It's, kind of an immersion therapy thing. My mom tried to help me get over it by showing me a documentary about amphibians when I was little, but that just gave me nightmares about poison dart frogs sneaking up on me and rubbing their neurotoxins all over my skin."

She shuddered, brushing her arms as if they really were covered in tiny tropical killers.

"Kermit the frog's about the level of exposure I can handle." Willow's natural instinct was to look away in embarrassment, but there was no mocking in Tara's expression. "So yeah, horses and frogs scare me. I can be kind of a baby."

"I don't think you're a baby at all Will." Tara said sincerely. "Maybe you have an animal phobia or two, but you're brave enough to fight real monsters. You're the bravest person I've ever known."

A blush accompanied by a rush of prickling almost as intense as when they touched came over Willow.

When this is over, when we're all safe, Willow thought, finally making up her mind, I'm telling her how I feel.

The girls finished up their breakfast and headed back to the library to overhear Giles, Buffy and some unknown black girl arguing. The Watcher was pacing as he tried to defuse the situation.

"Buffy, please. There's obviously some misunderstanding."

"Hey." Willow greeted, unsure of what was going on.

She and Tara were both glad to see Buffy safe, but before the blonde Slayer could return the greeting the other girl stepped forth, glaring at them hostilely. Her curly hair was pulled in a tight ponytail, almost as tight as her nerves seemed to be.

"Identify yourself!" She demanded, coming off as attempting to protect Buffy and Giles from intruders.

"Back off, Pink Ranger!" Buffy snapped. The mystery girl looked back at the Slayer. "These are my friends."

"Friends?" The girl asked, seeming confused.

"Yeah. As in people you hang with? Amigos?" Buffy said in frustration.

"I don't understand."

Buffy shook her head and took a seat.

"You try." She said to Giles. "I'm tapped."

"Kendra, there are a few people, civilians, if you like, who know Buffy's identity." He explained patiently. "Willow and Tara are two of them. And they also um, spend time together… socially."

"And you allow this, sir?" Kendra said incredulously.

"Well, for one thing they're both practicing witches, so the magical support comes in handy." He offered.

Tara's heart started racing in a panic. Who on Earth was Kendra that Giles was outing them as magic users before they'd even been introduced? She regretted not having emphasized to him how dangerous it would be for her and her mother if word got out about them being witches. Even Dawn had understood the seriousness of keeping that secret.

"You are both spellcasters?" The new girl sized them both up. "Where are you registered?"

"R-registered?" Tara said nearly trembling. You were supposed to register somewhere to practice magic? Her mother had never told her anything like that.

"With one of the regulatory agencies that oversees spellcasters." Kendra said more slowly. "Only registered casters can be hired by the Watcher's Council to perform magic on behalf of the Slayer. There are several international agencies. Are you registered with a local one from the United States, or the state of California?"

Willow was surprised to learn there was a magical bureaucracy given it wasn't discussed on any of the Neo-Pagan websites she had been frequenting. She supposed it was a different crowd than the one the Watchers apparently had business dealings with. Willow took Tara by the arm, putting herself between her and Kendra to try and give Tara some reassurance.

Tara was reassured, but could also feel goosebumps forming where Willow was gently rubbing her arm. She was glad her sleeve was keeping those hidden.

"Well Giles doesn't pay us, so um, no violations there." Willow said as she brought Tara with her to sit near Buffy and released her arm. "Also um, guys, what's going on here?"

"Apparently, there's been a really big mix-up." Buffy said, anger rippling through her voice.

"It seems somehow that another Slayer has been sent to Sunnydale." Giles explained.

"I-is that even possible? Two Slayers at the same time?" Tara asked.

Nothing in People of Extraordinary Power had indicated that could happen. Neither had anything Tara had ever heard from Giles or Buffy. There was only ever one chosen one at a time, as far back as anyone could remember. But Giles must have had some reason to believe Kendra was who she claimed to be if she was here with them in the library, learning their private information. At least Tara hoped.

"Not to my knowledge. Um… the new Slayer is only called after the previous Slayer has died."

Buffy looked at Giles dourly and Willow realized at the same time he did what must have happened. None of them had ever anticipated this, but it all fit.

"Good lord. You were dead Buffy."

"I was only gone for a minute." She said dismissively.

"Clearly it doesn't matter how long you were gone." Giles said, astounded by the revelation. This was unparalleled in history and would certainly lead to a flurry of research and discussion by the Watchers Council. "You were physically dead, thus causing the activation of the next Slayer."

Kendra stepped forward and spoke with the same surprise Tara was feeling.

"She died?

"Just a little." Buffy said, again trying to minimize the magnitude of what had happened to her last spring. The less she dwelled on it the better in her book.

"She drowned. She was revived." Giles said as Tara and Kendra looked at the blonde in amazement. Willow had told Tara numerous tales of their sophomore adventures, but that detail had never come up.

"So there really are two of them." Willow said with a little awe. She was impressed that the world had managed to get itself two protectors by an act of CPR.

"It would seem so." Giles said, joining his charges in sitting. "This is completely unprecedented. I'm quite flummoxed."

"What's the flum? It's a mistake. She shouldn't be here. She goes home." Buffy turned to Kendra. "Look, no offense, I don't mean this personally, but I'm not dead and, frankly, having you around creeps me out just a little bit."

"I cannot just leave." The new Slayer protested. "I was sent here for a reason. Mr. Zabuto said all the signs indicate that a very dark power's about to rise in Sunnydale."

Buffy stood up into a challenging stance.

"And what's your great plan for fighting this dark power? You just going to attack people randomly till you find a bad one?"

"Of course not." Kendra said coolly.

Tara couldn't help but think how different and how similar the two Slayers were. Buffy's energy was wild and burning hot, fueled by her temper and passionate protectiveness. Kendra was just as intense, but more rigid and directed. It was difficult to determine just what drove her with how guarded she was.

"Then why the hell did you attack me?" Buffy demanded.

"I thought you were a vampire." Kendra answered.

The blonde made a grunt of disbelief.

"A swing and a miss for the rookie." She went to stand by Willow and Tara.

"I had good reason to tink you were." Kendra explained. "Did I not see you kissing a vampire?"

"Buffy would never do that!" Willow protested, getting out of her seat to stand in solidarity with Buffy.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth she remembered Angel and realized they were technically inaccurate.

"Oh… except for sometimes you do that." She said to Buffy in a quieter voice. "But only with Angel." She continued at her initial volume, still trying to defend Buffy in front of Kendra. Willow looked at the smaller Slayer, wondering if there had been other undead rendezvous Buffy hadn't told her about. Weirder things had happened in Sunnydale. "Right?"

"Yes. Right."

Willow sat down with Tara again, having made her point. Buffy glared back at Kendra.

"Look, you saw me with Angel and he is a vampire, but he's good."

"Angel? You mean Angelus?" Kendra said in alarm. "I've read about him. He is a monster."

"No no no." Giles interjected. "He's good now."

"Really." Willow agreed and she and Tara both nodded.

"He had a curse." Buffy explained.

"He has a what?"

Kendra seemed to be keeping up with all the information being thrown her way, but only just. Tara had to admit it was a lot to take in at once. She'd had much longer to learn the same amount herself, and without such an irritated Buffy on the other end of the conversations.

"You know what, just trust me on this one, okay? He's on the home team now."

Buffy's patience had been thin enough at the start, now it was fraying to near the snapping point.

"I cannot believe you." Kendra said sharply. "He looked to me just like another animal when I..."

She trailed off, seeming to remember something important. Her predecessor marched over to her, biting back her rage.

"When you what? What did you do to him?" Buffy asked, close to seething.

"I…"

Even through Kendra's tough shell Tara could feel that Buffy's anger was rattling her.

"What did you do?" Buffy demanded more firmly.

The younger Slayer composed herself.

"I confined him where he would be struck by the sun come the morning." Buffy tried to grab Kendra and she blocked, dropping into a defensive stance. "If you want to save him I suggest we go now. It is already two hours past sunrise."

Buffy didn't hesitate even a second before taking Kendra's arm and charging out the library door, only asking for directions once they were already on the move.

Giles and the witches exchanged nervous glances. They were all worried about Angel and unsure of what to make of Kendra after their tense first meeting. Giles decided he could best be of use contacting her Watcher Sam Zabuto. Tara took the opportunity to fill in the gaps of her knowledge of Buffy's past.

"I can't believe s-she drowned…" Tara said, unbidden images of her friend submerged and choking coming to her mind's eye. "That's awful. How did she come back?"

"Xander saved her with CPR." Willow said. "Angel couldn't because vampires don't breathe. I guess flat lining for a few seconds is still enough to trigger the next Slayer."

Willow had an idle wonder if there was a way of inducing temporary death and raising some kind of Slayer army one girl at a time, but let it go. That was way too gruesome.

Tara was more curious about the metaphysical implications of the whole death and revival scenario. She knew that death happened in stages, and a Slayer could probably survive in respiratory arrest longer than an average human before suffering full brain death. But whatever force called Slayers apparently didn't need the current Slayer to meet total death before activating the next. That in thousands of years this two Slayer situation had never happened before seemed odd if that was the case.

Or not so odd, Tara thought as she recalled a passage from her book. "Forsaking friends and family." Other Slayers might not have had a Xander there to save them. She felt a pang of sadness for Kendra. For all of Kendra's seriousness she seemed no older than her or Buffy, and had been utterly surprised that Buffy was 'allowed' friends. What kind of life must she have led to arrive at that mindset?

Tara paused a few moments before asking her next question.

"How did she… I mean, it must have been some kind of monster, to keep her underwater like that?"

"The Master." Willow said, and Tara didn't need any more explanation.

Buffy had told Tara about her final confrontation with the elder vampire and her later smashing of his bones, but had left out her short loss of life. That was one thing the blondes had in common; one girl may have been outgoing and the other shy, but they both kept the most sensitive things to themselves out of fear. Tara supposed that was true of everyone in the end.

…

It wasn't long before the Slayers returned. They hadn't found Angel, but Willy the loose tongued bar owner had told them the vampire was lying low to recover from his injuries and sunlight exposure. Giles filled them in on his news from Sam Zabuto as he and the four girls walked the grounds of the school. He and Kendra were walking in front followed by Buffy, with Tara and Willow timidly bringing up the rear.

"Kendra, I've conferred with your Watcher, Mr. Zabuto. And we both agree that until this matter with Spike and Drusilla has been resolved that you two should work together."

"Oh, that'll be a treat." Buffy said sarcastically.

"So you believe that Spike is attempting to revive this Drusilla to health." Kendra asked the Watcher, ignoring Buffy's annoyance.

"Yes, well, I fear that's the dark power that your Watcher referred to." Giles was keeping to business as well, which only irritated his student further. "You see, Drusilla's not only evil. She's also quite mad. And if she was restored to her full health, well, then there's absolutely no telling what she might do."

"Then we will stop Spike." Kendra stated confidently.

"Ooh, good plan! Let's go! Charge!" Buffy interjected again.

Giles was growing weary of her moodiness.

"Buffy…"

"It's a little more complicated John Wayne." Buffy continued.

"Yes, I'm afraid it is." Giles agreed. "Spike has also called out the Order of Taraka to keep Buffy out of the way."

"The assassins? I read of them in the writings of Dramius." Kendra said in recognition.

Tara was intrigued. It seemed the other Slayer took it upon herself to do more than just practice fighting. She didn't fault Buffy for her style, but given a choice between reading and training her body Tara would pick reading any time.

"Oh really? Which volume?" Giles seemed intrigued too.

"I believe it was six, sir."

"Um, how do you know all this?" Buffy asked.

"From my studies." Kendra answered.

"So obviously you have a lot of free time." Buffy accused.

"I study because it is required. The Slayer Handbook insists on it."

Giles laughed, amazed that someone had managed to corral a teenage girl into reading and following a rulebook.

"There's a S-slayer handbook?" Tara asked in surprise and further increased interest.

Willow was also fascinated. If such a thing existed she simply had to get her hands on a copy. It would make her a much better helper and maybe even teach her how to keep from getting into trouble when the things that went bump came prowling around. She was sure Buffy didn't like having to save her so often from being held hostage or cornered by a monster.

"Handbook? What handbook? How come I don't have a handbook?" Buffy asked frantically.

"Is there a T-shirt too? 'Cause that would be cool." Willow asked. "We could all wear matching shirts that say 'Assistant Slayer" or something,"Willow said in a lower volume to Tara, causing her to grin. "Or maybe jackets."

"After meeting you Buffy, I realized that the handbook would be of no use in your case." Giles explained. He still remembered her reaction the first time he'd presented the Vampyr book to her. It would easier to get blood from a stone.

"What do you mean 'of no use in my case'?" Buffy asked, hurt by her mentor's slight. "What's wrong with my case?"

He didn't bother to reply.

"Kendra, perhaps you could show me the part in Dramius 6 whereit refers to the Order of Taraka. I could never get through that book, it was bit stodgy."

Buffy, Willow, and Tara pulled ahead of Kendra and Giles as they chatted.

"It was difficult. All those footnotes." The Watcher and Slayer shared a laugh.

"Hello and welcome to Planet Pocket Protector." Buffy grumbled.

"Oh, uh Buffy." Giles said as if remembering her presence. "Principal Snyder was snooping round after you."

She knew what that meant.

"Ew… career fair."

"Best make an appearance, I think." He suggested.

"Right." Buffy sighed.

"Buffy's a student here?" Kendra asked in surprise.

"Yes." Giles confirmed.

"Right." Kendra's tone was almost mocking. After taking so much abuse from Buffy it seemed she was ready to dish out some snark of her own. "Of course. And I imagine she's a cheerleader as well."

"Oh, no, she had to give up her cheerleading." The librarian said without a trace of irony. "It was quite an amusing story actually…" He realized he was getting off topic and led the newer Slayer away to more productive pursuits. "Let's go and find that book, shall we?"

"Get a load of the she-Giles." Buffy said as they left.

"Creepy." Willow agreed supportively. She didn't actually have a problem with Kendra as a person, but she could tell Buffy was feeling left out and jealous.

She regretted responding so reflexively when she saw Tara tense up and look down.

"I mean, not like liking books is creepy, just you know, creepy how they were talking and walking, and getting along with each other…" Willow said in a rush. Tara didn't perk up much.

"I bet Giles wishes I was more of a book geek." Buffy said sadly before she also noticed Tara staring at the ground uncomfortably.

Tara knew Buffy and Willow hadn't meant to insult her, but she also knew she was the biggest book geek of the lot by far. It was something that set her apart from other teens, but it wasn't often Buffy or Xander made her feel bad about it. Let alone Willow.

"Sorry, but I see the way he is with you." Buffy said to her. "And now he's got someone who can read tiny Watcher handwriting and Slay. How am I supposed to compete with that?"

"It's actually really awesome the way you can do that, by the way, when we're in research mode and all." Willow added. She saw a smile coming to Tara's face and returned it in relief that her slight had been forgiven.

"Thanks." Tara said softly to Willow before turning to Buffy. "Y-you don't need to compete with her Buffy. O-or me. I know me and Giles get along, but you're the one who's special to him."

"She's right Buffy, no one could replace you." Willow agreed, switching her focus to cheering up her other friend. "You'll always be Giles' favorite."

"I wonder." Buffy said contemplatively.

"Of course you will. You're his Slayer. The real Slayer."

Willow was usually the one on the receiving end of pep talks between her and Buffy, but she was always ready to reciprocate.

"No… I wonder if it would be so bad, being replaced." Buffy clarified.

"You mean, like, letting Kendra take over?" Willow asked.

"Maybe. Maybe after this thing with Spike and the assassins is over I could say 'Kendra, you slay. I'm going to Disneyland.'"

"But, not forever, right?"

For some reason Willow was afraid of Buffy retiring to a normal teenage life. Part of Willow was afraid that without any slaying to help her with, Buffy wouldn't see any reason to keep a nerd like her around, let alone as her best friend.

"No. Disneyland would probably get boring after a few months. But I could do other stuff. Career day stuff. Maybe I could even have a normal life."

The prospect gave Buffy more hope than she could remember feeling in years.

Tara had to agree with her.

"I think that sounds great."

The Scooby life had its excitements, but she'd rather see her friend live a long time than have to face down demons every night for the rest of her life. The Watchers probably wouldn't let Buffy enter a full retirement yet, but perhaps things could at least be split between her and Kendra. Every super powered person helping could only lighten the load for all of them.

…

The girls walked through the halls towards their career day seminars.

"My tests say that I should look into law enforcement, duh, and environmental design." Buffy said.

"Environmental design, like landscaping?" Tara questioned.

"I checked the shrub box. But landscaping was yesterday, so law enforcement it is."

They came to the center of a cluster of tables. Buffy saw a short boy with a small mustache looking their way. She double checked the angle of his gaze to see which of them he was looking at.

Awesome, someone's digging Willow, Buffy thought happily.

"Will, don't look, okay?" That of course prompted the redhead to look. "No, don't look. That guy over there is totally checking you out."

Tara squirmed. Buffy was of course oblivious to her discomfort.

"Oh that's Oz." Willow said dismissively. "He's expressing computer nerd solidarity."

The boy in question got up and started walking.

"Really? Then why is he on his way over here right now?" Buffy teased. Willow was suddenly nervous. "Told you."

Before either of the witches could object the Slayer was leading Tara away to leave Oz and Willow alone.

Tara and Buffy watched the two talk about computers and their ambitions for the future. They couldn't hear much, but it seemed like the two were hitting it off.

"It's about time Willow met a guy who wasn't Xander or a killer demon-robot." Buffy said with a little smirk. Her smirk faded when she noticed Tara's lack of enthusiasm for the hook up. "What? You getting a bad vibe off him?"

They had all been caught off guard by lovers who only looked human before, and if Oz's aura was wonky Buffy was willing to take him down then and there.

"N-no, he seems l-like a good guy…"

Tara could hear Oz mentioning learning to play E flat diminished ninth. So he was a musician. And cute, from what she could tell. And totally into the girl Tara was in love with. She knew it was inevitable that eventually Willow would meet someone, but seeing it unfold in front of her still hurt.

"I-it's good, for them." Tara turned away and looked for the graphic design station. "I-I better get to my seminar."

Buffy frowned, unsure of what to make of Tara's behavior. She decided to let it go until later and went to sign up at the law enforcement table. A police officer with her hair pulled back in a braid held up a clipboard once the students were assembled.

"All right, listen up, and answer when I call your name." The woman began. "Buffy Summers?"

Buffy raised her hand nonchalantly, and before even a second had passed the officer pulled out her gun and tried to fire on Buffy. The Slayer grabbed the woman's hands and pushed the gun's muzzle away, causing the first shot to hit the ceiling. Around them kids began to shriek and scatter. Buffy dropped the officer to the ground but she got up, aiming with her backup gun. She popped a second shot and Buffy turned her attention to her classmates.

"Get down!" She called out.

"Look out!" Oz yelled.

He dove and shoved Willow out of the path of the gun, taking the third bullet in his right shoulder. Tara rushed over to them as a fourth shot blew the top off a model skeleton skull. She and Willow helped Oz sit up as he tried to apply pressure to the wound. Everything was happening so fast. Tara's only thought was that Willow's life had been in danger, and that the man in front of her had saved her.

Tara wanted desperately to magic the bullet out, but lacking that level of power or knowledge settled for slowing the bleeding and numbing the pain. She whispered chants as she held Oz's shoulder in her hand, unsure if it was working. He had been pretty stoic about his injury to begin with.

Willow was disoriented and didn't even realize what Tara was doing until Buffy came over to check on them. At some point Kendra had returned and was chasing the assassin out of the school.

"He's… he's shot!" Willow exclaimed to Buffy. "Are you okay?" She asked Oz, Tara still focusing on relieving his pain.

"Yeah… I'm shot, you know. Wow! It's odd." He looked at Tara curiously, unable to make out what language she was muttering. He wondered if she was praying. "And… not as painful as I expected."

Oz and Tara's eyes met, and she wondered if he could see what she was. Before that worry could go too far Kendra returned.

"She's gone." Kendra said tightly.

Their classmate Jonathan brought himself out of the shock of being held hostage at knife point to ask the apparently most knowledgeable people in the room what was going on.

"W-was that a demonstration?"

The four girls exchanged glances. Buffy was unsure if it was safer to lie to him or to warn him that they had been in real danger in case the assassin came back.

"I don't know. I guess she just went postal, happens to a lot of civil servants." Buffy improvised.

Normally Willow would chime in with back up, but she was too concerned with her injured savior to come up with anything.

"W-we need to call an ambulance." Tara said, knowing she couldn't keep up her spell indefinitely.

"I'll go." Willow said standing up swiftly. She mouthed 'thank you' to Tara before hurrying off. Jonathan shook his head and walked off in another direction.

"We must report to the Watcher." Kendra said to Buffy's frustration.

"I know that." Buffy looked at Tara and Oz. "You sure you're going to be okay?"

"Think so." The musician said.

"I-I'll stay with him." Tara said firmly.

Buffy nodded and the Slayers headed for the library.

Oz and Tara sat in silence as they waited for the paramedics to arrive, and even as Oz was loaded into the ambulance they shared their gratitude without words. Neither of them liked to use them too much anyway.

…

Buffy sat on the library counter while Willow bandaged her knee. She had come away more or less unscathed from her latest encounter.

"She was definitely one of the Taraka gang Giles, and way gun happy." Buffy told her Watcher.

"This, um… Oz chappie, he's all right?" Giles asked Tara.

"The paramedic said it wasn't deep, h-he should be fine." She answered, watching Willow's face brighten at her news.

"Thank goodness."

Willow was used to Buffy risking her life for her, but a normal, squishy boy? She had never expected that, and she felt responsible.

Xander and Cordelia came in to everyone's relief, having been missing since Giles' early morning phone call. They looked shaken. Kendra began to approach them and Buffy could sense she was about to start another hostile confrontation.

"Down girl!" The shorter Slayer barked.

"Who sponsored career day today?" Xander asked, he and Cordy both having been witness to the carnage the assassin had left in the hallway. "The British soccer fan association?"

"We had a rather violent visit from the Order of Taraka." Giles said coming around the counter to them.

"You wanna talk Order of Taraka? We just met the king freak of the…" Xander's thought was forgotten when he noticed there was a new and unknown person in the room with them. "Hello!"

"Oh, forgive me. Xander, Cordelia, this is Kendra." Giles introduced them. "It's rather complicated but she is also a Slayer."

Cordelia didn't have the fortitude to process the news, having already had one of the longest days of her life.

"Hi, nice to meet you." She briefly greeted Kendra, still creeped out by her encounter with the bug man and other… complications.

"A Slayer, huh?" Xander looked at Buffy teasingly. "I knew this 'I'm the only one, I'm the only one' thing was just an attention getter."

Buffy hopped down off the counter.

"Just say hello, Xander."

The boy addressed the newcomer.

"Welcome. So, you're a Slayer, huh? I like that in a woman." He joked.

"I hope… I tank you… I mean, sir, um… I will be of service."

Tara raised an eyebrow. This was an unexpected side of Kendra, awkward and shy. It was actually kind of amusing watching a girl who could snap Xander in half struggling to talk to him.

"Great! Good. It's good to be a giver." Xander said, unsure of how to respond.

"Xander, this assassin you encountered, what did he look like?" Giles asked, bringing them back to the task at hand.

Before Xander could answer Cordelia found a worm left over from the attack at Buffy's house and tossed it down on the book she had opened.

"Oh! Oh! Oh my god! I'm showering!" She ran off to scour herself in the girl's locker room.

Xander pointed at the worm, unsurprised by Cordy's freak out.

"Like that."

"You and bug people Xander. What's up with that?" Buffy asked, prompting Tara to remember a story Willow had told her about a substitute teacher who had turned out be a giant insect.

"No, this dude was completely different than praying mantis lady. He was a man of bugs, not a man who was a bug." Xander closed the biology book, crushing the worm.

"The important thing is everybody's all right. Still it's quite apparent that we're under serious attack." Giles reminded them.

"These Taraka are definitely serious." Buffy agreed. She looked at Kendra. She had new respect for her after seeing her fight the gunwoman. "Fortunately for me, so is Kendra."

"And I fear the worst is yet to come." Giles said gravely. "I've discovered the remaining keys to Drusilla's cure. The ritual requires the presence of her sire and it must take place in a church on the night of the new moon."

"But th-that's tonight." Tara said shakily.

"Exactly! And I'm sure the assassins were sent here to kill Buffy before she could put a stop to things." Giles said.

"They need Drusilla's sire. You mean the vamp that made her?" Buffy asked, her tone taking on new seriousness.

"Yes." The Watcher confirmed.

"Buffy, what is it?" Willow asked. There was some deep emotion running through her best friend she had never seen before.

"Angel. He's Drusilla's sire." Buffy explained.

She hadn't revealed that information to the gang before now, knowing that it would at the very least give Xander more reasons to dislike the souled vampire. She wasn't wrong.

"Man that guy got major neck in his day!"

Willow smacked him, knowing how upset Buffy already was over the situation. This was no time for Xander's petty jealousies.

"Will this ritual kill him?" Buffy asked, knowing the likely answer. Magic that powerful was rarely pretty.

"Yes, I'm afraid it will." Giles said sadly.

"We need to find this church. We need to find where this ritual is gonna take place." The Slayer was in full on leadership mode.

"Agreed. We have to work quickly, we have five hours before sundown." Rupert said with a glance at the clock.

"Don't worry, Buffy. We'll save Angel." Willow reassured her. She, Tara, and even Cordelia felt he deserved as much help as they could give him with all the times he'd saved them. Xander still didn't trust him, but would go along with what Buffy wanted.

Kendra had other ideas.

"Angel? But our priority is to stop Drusilla."

"Angel's our friend." Xander said. "Except I don't like him."

Buffy confronted the taller Slayer.

"Look, you've got your priorities, and I've got mine. Right now they mesh. So are you gonna help me, or are you gonna get out of my way?"

Kendra just shrugged.

"I'm with you."

"Good. 'Cause I've had it." Buffy asserted as she walked around the room. "Spike is going down. You can attack me, you can send assassins after me- that's fine. But nobody messes with my boyfriend."

…

A couple hours passed and it was getting close to closing time for Dawn's school. Tara knew she'd have to make good on her offer to take Dawn home with her for the evening.

Willow was sad they'd be entering research mode without her, but was glad her crush and her best friend's little sister would be out of harm's way. Enough people had been hurt and traumatized for one day.

Dawn pretended to be mad at Buffy for pawning her off on someone else for the night, but Tara could sense that beneath that she was worried for her sister. For all that Dawn played at hating her, Tara knew Buffy was her hero and Dawn was always scared of losing her.

Eileen was happy to have company, and had to calm down Dawn's excitement over meeting an even more experienced witch. Tara shook her head apologetically as her mother cast a disapproving look at her; Dawn just had a way of finding out things. She and Willow had both promised Buffy there would be absolutely no witchcraft lessons for her sister until she was much, much older, if ever.

Donald and Donny were thankfully not too concerned with Dawn's presence. Babysitting was a respectable enough use of Tara's time in her father's eyes. Dawn was of course careful to not let on she knew about magic in front of them, as Tara trusted her to be. If Dawn was a good enough actor to keep all of Buffy's secrets from Mrs. Summers as long as she had she could fool the Maclay men for one night.

Tara had just finished making dinner when they got a phone call. Donald handed the phone over to her with a scowl.

"It's some girl named Willow."

"Oh, w-we're in a study group together." She turned around and cupped her hand around the receiver to muffle her voice to the others in the room. "Hello, Willow?"

"Tara, Kendra just came back from Willy's. Willy's leading Buffy to the church where they're going to kill Angel. I'm scared Tara, those assassins, it took her and Kendra just to drive off the one assassin, and they've got Spike and the bug guy too! She needs back up, and I don't want you to be in danger either but there's strength in numbers and you're such a good witch, so please…"

"I-I'll come Will," Tara said as soothingly as she could with her own fear for Buffy's safety rising, "Where's the church?"

Eileen and Donald both watched her, and once Willow was done giving her directions she put her hand over the receiver.

"Um, Xander n-needs help with a big social studies project. He totally forgot when it was due and we might need to pull an all-nighter. Is it okay if I go?"

"Yeah, that Xander, he needs all the help he can get with homework." Dawn added.

Tara smiled at her gratefully, hoping she wouldn't feel too abandoned being left with her mother while she went to go help Dawn's big sister save the day.

"Fine. But you call if you're going to be out any later than ten." Donald said gruffly.

"Yes sir." Tara agreed. She made a quick trip to her room and stuffed a few easy to use on the fly spell components in her school bag. "I-I'll be careful." She said with a wave to Dawn and Eileen as she left.

…

Tara wasn't the only one who had brought supplies to the church showdown. Xander had a plan to take down Norman the worm man that relied on a large can of adhesive. Giles had brought a crossbow, and apparently Kendra had decided to stick to her fists and stakes after an incident with the crossbow's unfamiliar trigger mechanism. Tara kept making Willow practice the fire incantation she had used on the mummy so they could use it against the vampires.

"Just take my hand when we get them in our sights, okay?" Tara asked Willow, looking into her green eyes.

Willow didn't need extra encouragement. She'd take any excuse to take Tara's hand.

And if we're all safe tomorrow, then maybe it won't have to be for a spell. Willow hoped.

They weren't a moment too soon arriving at the abandoned church. Drusilla and Angel were tied together and pierced through the hands with the unsheathed blade of the du Lac Cross. They could hear Spike saying the name Patrice, who turned out to be the cop assassin. Buffy was being held still by one of Spike's vampire lackeys while Patrice pulled out a gun to shoot her. Before any of them had time to fear for their friend's life Kendra sprang into action to rescue her.

She somersaulted her way in and kicked the assassin and vampire away from Buffy, causing a domino effect that left several of their foes on the floor. Giles sent a crossbow bolt into another vampire as Tara and Willow prepared their energy for the spell. Meanwhile Xander called out to Norman, who slowly smiled and followed him and Cordelia out the door.

The witches entwined their hands looking straight ahead at their target, the vampire who was pulling himself to him feet after being knocked over by Kendra.

"Ignis ignesco!"

The spell's heat seared them from the inside out, and both were left breathless as a large sphere of flame shot from their out stretched palms. It wasn't strong enough to incinerate the vampire completely, but he wasn't going to be biting anyone for a while. Willow looked at Tara, not having let go of her hand. She was still panting and despite their touching fingers she felt an urge to be nearer. The sound of Buffy's voice reminded her this wasn't the time or place. Not yet.

"Switch!" Buffy called out to her fellow Slayer. Kendra traded opponents with her and Spike was now facing Buffy.

"I'd rather be fighting you anyway." The vampire said with a dark grin.

"Mutual." Buffy said, eager to settle things once and for all.

They brawled for a while until Buffy knocked him away with a good blow. Spike saw Willy trying to sneak out and grabbed him, giving Buffy a chance to go to Angel. Drusilla called to her lover for help and Willy was spared as Spike rushed to her aid.

Patrice swung her arm blades, slicing Kendra's shirt.

"That's me favorite shirt!" Kendra exclaimed, showing more passion than she had ever let herself in battle. "That's me only shirt!"

Spike must have gotten fed up with the way the fight was going, because rather than joining back in the melee he picked up a torch and tossed it, igniting an inferno.

"Look out!" Giles called as the Scoobies scrambled back from the flames.

Tara held onto Willow, wishing she knew how to put out fires as well as she could make them. Buffy and Angel were still on the far side of the fire from them. They watched as Spike untied and picked up his lover to carry her to safety.

"Sorry baby, got to go. Hope that was enough." He said, leaving Angel to fall to the floor.

Buffy crawled over to Angel. She wasn't going to let Spike get away that easily. She picked up the thurible and launched it at him, the force slamming him into the organ. It fell down crushing the vampiric couple beneath its weight.

"I'm good." Buffy said, glad of her accurate shot.

The church continued to collapse, and the gang could only look on as Buffy attended to the weakened Angel. Kendra charged through the fire to them.

"Let's get him out." She said helping Buffy get him to his feet.

…

Buffy saw Angel back to his apartment before coming to pick up Dawn, who Eileen assured her hadn't been a burden. Tara was still buzzed from the spell she'd cast with Willow, but exhausted at the same time. She crashed into sleep, and hours later was wrenched awake by the sound of deep coughing. She went to the bathroom to find her mother hunched over the sink, her father standing behind her.

"Mom?" She caught sight of the fluid coming from her mother. It was red. "Oh my god."

"We're going to the hospital." Donald declared, and in less than a minute the Maclays were on the road to Sunnydale General.

Tara wanted to stay until her mother was good to come home, but Eileen insisted that she not miss school. Donny and Tara shared a rare moment of connection, both wishing they didn't have to leave. The teen witch figured with career week winding down she'd be able to sneak out early to check in.

…

Willow had been trying to calm the fluttering in her stomach without much success for the whole morning. She wanted to start her planned conversation casually, and wait for a moment when she and Tara found themselves alone naturally. Other days such a moment always seemed to come, but for some reason today wasn't offering up one up.

Tara was too preoccupied to notice the change in Willow, and around eleven she took a bathroom break that was a cover for her leaving school.

Hey Tara, Willow thought, going over her latest conversation draft in her head as she looked around for the girl in question. I've been thinking for a while that, you and I could try going out together. To see if you'd like to be girlfriends, in addition to girls who are friends. If you want to.

Before Willow could find any sign of Tara she found Oz picking up a box of animal crackers from a vending machine. As much as she wanted to talk to Tara, she still had to square things with the brave boy.

"Oh hey." Oz said as he saw her. "Animal cracker?" He offered.

"No thank you." Willow declined. "How's your arm?" His right arm was in a sling.

"Suddenly painless."

Willow hadn't been expecting that. She was taken aback.

"Must be that same thing your blonde friend did yesterday." Oz continued.

"Tara." She told Oz. "Yeah, she's… special. You can still play the guitar okay?"

"Well not well, but not worse."

He opened the pack of crackers as they walked. Willow helped him pull some out, still keeping an eye out for Tara.

"You know, I never really thanked you."

"Ooh, no, please don't." Oz protested. "I don't do thanks. I go all red, have to bail. It's not pretty."

"Well then, forget… that thing." Willow agreed. "Especially with the part where I kind of owe you my life."

"Oh, look! Monkey. And he has a little hat… and little pants."

Oz was purposely trying to steer the conversation from going anywhere too serious. He knew his own feelings were already deeper than they should be from having only talked to the girl twice before, and that he should be keeping it casual. He held up the cracker monkey for Willow.

"Yeah, I see."

"The monkey's the only cookie animal that gets to wear clothes. You know that?" An amused smile grew on Willow's face. Oz was kind of funny. "You have the sweetest smile I've ever seen."

Willow found her normal babbling mode of talking stalled. Boys didn't talk to her like that. Maybe Buffy had been right about him checking her out. It was a nice feeling, but it just reminded her that still hadn't talked to Tara. She and Oz chatted about nothing much at all as they walked, Willow glad about possibly making a new friend, but worried about where the other friend she had made this year had gotten to.

…

A message came over the hospital's PA system as Tara went to check in at the front desk.

"Code blue in ICU, paging Dr. Mehta. Repeat, code blue."

"I-I'm here to see my mother, Eileen Maclay." Tara told the receptionist. The woman typed in the name.

"It says your mother was transferred to room 8 in the ICU half an hour ago." She handed Tara a visitor's badge. "You'll have to buzz in with the nurse's desk there."

The girl sprinted to the unit, but it was a long ways away from the entrance. She was lucky enough to catch another family going through the ICU's doors when she got there. Donny and her father were standing outside room 8 when she arrived. Her brother's eyes were red and Donald's face looked like stone. She pushed past them to get into the room.

"Mom!"

"…time of death, 11:38 AM."

Tara felt herself being held back from her mother's bed by a nurse. She tried to reach out with her magic to touch her mother's. But she was gone.