Chapter 17: Thoughts in Time

A/N: If this chapter doesn't convince you that I'm evil, I don't know what will.

Challenge: partially to answer a forum request/challenge by DeepBlueJoy for a story with a 'person of color' as a main character – who doesn't die immediately.

Warning: uber-suspense alert!

Thanks to my beta: zigpal.

Disclaimer: BtVS and AtS characters belong to Joss Whedon / Mutant Enemy. I claim no rights to any copyrighted material. Please do not copy or take this story without my permission.

Summers home

Backyard (Buffy)

Buffy was so focused on Warren's face that she didn't even see the gun until it was too late. If she survived, she'd really have to remember that sometimes the bad guys cheated and used guns against her.

She was going to at least try to push Wes out of the way, but he was already moving; he must have seen something before her. Gee, that was embarrassing that the Watcher was moving before her. Another thing to talk about with Wes later if she didn't die.

There were probably other things going through her mind, but she couldn't concentrate on them when she felt the bullet punch into her.

So strange that something that weighed less than an ounce – if she remembered Riley's rambling on about weapons with Xander correctly – could hurt so much.

Buffy fell to the ground, hearing Wes call her name in alarm, but she just closed her eyes to fight the pain.

Summers home

Buffy's room (Tara)

Tara had let Buffy think she stayed asleep when the Slayer moved her to the bed; partially because she was tired and didn't want to open her eyes, and partially because she didn't want Buffy to feel to guilty about needing her presence in the room during the night. The only magick Tara had done during the night was soundproofing the room so that Willow wouldn't be disturbed if Buffy cried out.

She heard voices downstairs, but could tell that one of them was a guy, so that meant Willow wasn't up yet.

As she lay there, curled up with the pillows, Tara reconsidered her decision to get back together with Willow for what felt like the hundredth time. She couldn't honestly say that she trusted the redhead not to use magick on her if they had a fight again, and if she couldn't trust Willow, could they really get back to where they were before? Was love enough?

Not that it was a good thing that Buffy was almost raped last night, but again, if she were honest with herself, Tara was relieved that she didn't have to decide whether to make love with Willow. Actually, without trust, it wouldn't be making love, but having sex. Tara didn't want to settle for sex, and she hoped that Willow wouldn't either.

The question that plagued her was whether Willow would understand that they had to slow down until Tara felt she could trust her again. Unfortunately, the impression she gave Willow the previous night would indicate that she was ready for that step – and she really wasn't. Oh, her body was…very much so, but her heart was still trying to heal from Willow's- well, as harsh as it sounded, betrayal would be the right term for it.

Hearing the kitchen door open and close, Tara got up and looked out the window to see Buffy having breakfast with a man she didn't recognize. The Slayer seemed to be listening to the man without interruption or emotion, so either she was quietly fuming or she was reserving judgment…or she just didn't care one way or the other about what he was saying to her.

Tara went to clean up and get changed, then looked back out the window several minutes later. Buffy had moved so she could embrace the man. Huh, guess she did care. Taking a sip of water from her cup, the blonde Wicca turned around to go downstairs. Maybe everyone would like some pancakes for breakfast today.

She only took a couple steps away from the window before she was startled by the sound of yelling, quickly followed by gunshots coming from outside. What just happened?

Summers home

Willow's room (Willow)

Willow sat in her bed for several minutes after she woke up, looking around her room. If she didn't try to wake up more, she could almost imagine Tara's things mixed up in her own. She sighed happily; even without sleeping together last night, she was thrilled that Tara stayed at the house.

A nasty part of her brain – the part that craved power, first from hacking, then from magick – snarled a question, 'Why is it that Tara is allowed to use magick to help Buffy get through the night and not me?' The larger part of her brain, heart and conscience told the power-hungry part to shut up. She just got Tara back and she wasn't going to do anything to jeopardize their relationship again if she could help it.

She practically bounced to the bathroom to get dressed and cleaned up. Things were going perfectly between her and Tara. The redheaded Wicca finally got to the point where she knew – way deep down – that what she did to her girlfriend was horrible. It was…it was like the love spell that Xander made Amy do back in high school, only worse. They both stole free will from the victims of the spells. Remembering how violated she felt after the love spell wore off, Willow couldn't believe that she would do anything similar to somebody she loved.

Thank the goddess that Tara was so sweet and forgiving! Willow expected to have to do a heck of a lot more groveling to get back into her sweetie's good graces.

Suddenly she frowned. Had it been too easy? Life on the Hellmouth taught her how to be a cynic. From Pollyanna to…somebody really cynical, that was Willow now. When you were happy, something had to come along and ruin it. Buffy lost Angel and Riley; Xander lost Cordy and Anya; she lost Oz…was she going to lose Tara? There almost seemed to be a trend going with the Scoobies' love lives. And not a very good one.

Rinsing the toothpaste out of her mouth, Willow had the urgent need to see Tara…like immediately. Faster than immediately. She quickly spit and wiped her mouth.

No sooner had she stepped into the hallway than she heard three sounds that made her want to throw up: gunshots, glass breaking and Tara crying out.

She ran to Buffy's room, threw open the door and almost fainted when she saw Tara on the floor. "Tara!" Willow cried out, unable to move from the doorway.

A/N: We should probably go check on Dawn or Angel, right? Or maybe see what Giles is up to.