A/N: This replaces S7E3 "Same Time, Same Place" it will involve some of the same elements but also is vastly different.
Keeping Willow Planted
(Summers Residence)
"Ugh I'm getting tired of this!" Dawn growled as she flopped down on the couch next to Tara and Buffy.
"Whatsa matter Dawn?" Buffy asked while cuddling with her girlfriend.
Dawn smiled at the two, "Nothing new, just tired of waiting for Willow to make up her mind. I know she needs time to figure things out on her own, but I didn't think someone so smart could be so ignorant in a situation like this. I don't know if I'll last until she gets her shit together, I might explode."
"Well, have you thought about making the first move instead of waiting for her?" Tara asked.
"Do you think I should?" Dawn asked back hopefully.
Buffy and Tara shared a look then turned back to Dawn smiling, "I think you might need to for your own good. I think Willow is ready, but worried about what I might do if I knew she wanted to date you. Go for it sis."
Dawn smiled and then stood from the couch, "Thanks guys. You know Buffy, being with Tara is really good for you, you've become rather insightful. It's Saturday, so you guys don't have any classes at the dojo right?"
"Nope our Saturdays are free." Buffy answered.
"Good we should do something today, Xander, Anya, and Willow too. Maybe a barbeque or a picnic you know get out of town for the day. In the mean-time I'm gonna make breakfast. I invited Xander and Anya over, hope that's ok."
"What did you talk to Willow about that time you visited her at the coven?" Tara asked once Dawn was in the other room.
"I'd originally planned to talk to her about Dawn, but seeing how well she was doing I didn't want to distract her so instead I apologized that we didn't do more to try and help her, for being so focused on myself that I neglected our friendship. I reassured her that she'd have a home after she was done there. Other than that I got her caught up on what everyone was doing here." Was Buffy's answer.
Xander and Anya came in as Dawn was setting the table and Xander immediately started talking, "Guys I think we might have a problem. I stopped by the school on the way over here to make sure the site hadn't been broken into and I found a body, not our typical "barbecue fork exsanguination" incident either. The guy had been skinned and his blood drained." As he finished talking a dirty, bloody, wobbly Willow walked through the back door and passed out.
"What happened Willow?" Xander asked as she came to on the couch.
"I don't know. I remember going to bed last night, but this morning I woke up at the construction site." Willow answered everyone's faces paled and Dawn quickly ran off to the bathroom to be sick. "What's the matter guys?" Anya quickly and surprisingly delicately relayed the details of Xander's finding to Willow. She started panicking, "But I didn't…I mean I don't remember, but I didn't…I would never…oh Goddess did?" Willow was nearly in tears at the thought that she may be responsible for killing the guy.
"We don't know Wills." Buffy replied, but Willow caught a look on Anya's face.
"What Anya? I know you know something, please tell me." Willow pleaded with the ex-demon.
Anya sighed before answering, her 1200 years of knowledge and experience was very useful at times. "Well nothing for sure, there are several types of demons that are classified as skin eaters, but it could also be a spell, heavy black magic from a powerful witch or warlock. You have more than enough power to have done it Willow," When the redheads face fell she added, "But then again Tara also has just enough power, and I believe Dawnie might as well."
"Okay let's start researching skin eating and blood drinking demons, look for one that do both, but it could have been two working together as well. Tara is there a way to tell if Willow did it?" Buffy started giving orders.
Xander and Anya went to the Magic Box While Tara nodded to Buffy's question. The blonde witch looked to Willow for permission before placing her hands on the red haired woman's head. "I can't see anything, someone's blocking me. It's a very evil presence. Dawn you try."
The witch in training placed her hands on Willow and closed her eyes. After several moments of concentration she recoiled with a hiss of disgust, "Rack!" She spat the dark warlock's name.
"I think it's time we pay him a visit." Buffy said.
Dawn turned to her sister, "No you take Willow to the shop there's still a demon or demons that need finding. Tara and I will handle this. Rack will be dealt with." Tara nodded as the two stood.
Willow grabbed Dawn's wrist before they left, "Did you see if I had anything to do with it?" She pleaded reminding Dawn of a scared child.
The young woman's heart broke for the red head, "I'm sorry Willow, but I promise Tara and I will find out."
(Rack's Headquarters)
Dawn and Tara literally blew the door down. Simultaneously they cast two spells before Rack could react to the sudden intrusion. "Contrinxerit! Tacete!" Their spells instantly bound and silenced the dangerous and powerful warlock, respectively.
Tara turned to Dawn, "Okay this next spell I will have to do myself, it is dark because it goes against the subjects will, makes them a slave temporarily, but it will make him tell us the truth." She placed her hand on Rack's forehead and began chanting, "Justitia in nomine respondere crimina."
"What did you kill that man?" Tara asked
"No," Rack answered, "You both are dead women walking you know that? You aren't powerful enough to hold me for long."
Ignoring his threats Dawn asked the next question, "Did you make Willow kill him?"
"No, I just gave her a magical buzz and set her free. She was my best customer you know, I wanted her back."
"You didn't try to frame her for the killing?"
"No, but I can imagine the look on her face when she found out about the body."
"I think that's all we're getting out of him Dawnie, let's go."
"Why leave? You can't run far enough to get away from me!"
"You're right." Dawn said flatly as she quickly drew a short sword she had hidden on herself and before Tara could stop her she cleanly decapitated the black magic dealer.
"You shouldn't have done that Dawn. He deserved…"
"Nothing!" Dawn cut her off, "He would never have reformed and would have been a nuisance like Ethan Rayne except Ethan isn't as powerful or as evil. Rack would have continued to destroy lives. I'll accept any punishment or penance or whatever you guys or the coven decides to give me, but I don't regret what I did."
"I admit you probably did the right thing, but it's not my place to judge and I don't think the rest of the gang will disagree. We will need to inform the coven, but our reputation for fighting evil and his reputation for black magic will most likely have you cleared of any wrong doing. The only problem is he was technically human, but then again so are you."
"Quite right child." They heard a voice behind them. They turned to see the head of the Devon coven enter the room, "I am Abigail, Willow informed me of the situation and of where the two of you were going. Tara is right Dawn, however the investigation is already complete. We were preparing a team to come after Rack, but you have done our job for us. Most likely you will receive a commendation. Rack was responsible for the corruption of so many witches and warlocks, having him gone will give the magical realm a bit of a rest. I will make sure his body is disposed of and this…lair is searched for rare items then destroyed. Our coven is in your debt if you ever need anything let us know. Go back to your friends, we'll deal with the rest here."
(The Magic Box)
They were met by the gang when they got to Anya's shop. They relayed the story of what happened. Willow was relieved that she had nothing to do with the man's death.
"Are you gonna be okay Dawn?" Buffy asked, worried about what her sister would go through with the knowledge that she had killed a human, no matter how evil he was.
"I think so…it's starting to catch up to me that he was human, barely, but what Abigail said helped. I promise not to keep it bottled up, if I need to talk, I'll find one of you."
Anya spoke up, "Actually Dawn if you need someone to talk to your best bet would probably be me or Spike, or you could call Angel. They went through the grief of getting their souls back, I went through a lot of things talking to both Giles and Angel about my vengeance demon days, if you need anything I'll be here for you."
Dawn smiled at the ex-demon and gave her a soft slightly sad smile, "Thanks Anya, I might take you up on that. How are we on finding the demon or demons?"
"Well we've ruled out a few, but it's slow going with these books, and hard to find anything online." Buffy answered.
Dawn borrowed Willows laptop and with a few keystrokes had three list on screen; demons who drank blood, demons who ate skin, and demons who did both. The Sboobies were all amazed by how quickly Dawn had worked. "Cordelia told me about this website, demons demons demons dot com. She's embarrassed Wesley a few times by finding something he was stumped on." She answered their unasked question.
"Nice work sis! Now we just have to narrow it down."
Anya looked at the lists, "Xander baby, can you recall if the man appeared pained of anything like that?"
Xander looked thoughtful for a moment, "No if I had to guess I'd say he looked…peaceful."
Anya nodded, "Start with this one." She pointed to a name and Dawn clicked on it. "That's what I thought. The Gnarl, there is only ever one it eats skin and drinks blood. It's talons have a paralyzing venom so it can enjoy it's meal. Crap! It likes to live in caves."
"Damn!" Said Willow, "Around here that knowledge is about as helpful as saying, likes to breathe air."
"Well we better get going, we'll do two teams; Dawn you're with me, Willow you go with Xander, Tara and Anya, you guys stay close by to jump in and help whichever team needs you. Sound good?"
They all nodded, grabbed weapons and left Dawn hesitated before setting down the sword she had used to kill Rack, instead picking up an axe. They got to the caves on the outskirts of Sunnydale and began their search. Buffy and Dawn were the ones to find him, he was a scrawny, with sharp teeth, green and yellow wrinkled skin and long sharp claws. They started to fight him, but he was quick and managed to cut Dawn. Willow, Xander, Anya, and Tara arrived at that moment.
Willow saw Dawn had been hurt and instantly reacted using magic to push Dawn out of the cave, but she miscalculated and pushed everyone else out as well and caused a cave in which blocked the entrance, leaving her alone with Gnarl. She was unable to react before Gnarl cut her. She soon collapsed to the floor, paralyzed.
"They were here. Here they were. And there they went. Gone, all gone, what a pretty song. They sealed you in with me. I love a gifty. Can't wait to unwrap it." Said Gnarl as he began cutting strips from Willow's skin to feed on.
Outside the cave the other Scoobies were working frantically to get back in the cave after leaning Dawn against a nearby tree and leaving Anya to guard her, but even with Buffy's slayer strength and Tara's magic it took nearly half an hour until they had cleared a path large enough for Buffy to get through.
Once back inside she started fighting Gnarl again, he cut her, but she still managed to keep fighting until her legs finally gave out. Thinking he had won Gnarl crawled over top of Buffy to examine his prize. As he did Buffy gouged his eyes out with her thumbs, killing him and instantly releasing herself as well as Dawn and Willow from the paralysis.
Xander and Anya split make sure Willow and the others get home okay before going home themselves. Dawn and Tara bandage Willows many wounds where Gnarl removed strips of her skin on her abdomen arms and legs.
(Summers Residence)
The next morning Dawn goes in to check on Willow who is meditating and using Earth magic to help her wounds heal faster. "Hey Willow, how are you feeling?" Dawn asked as she sat on the bed near her friend.
"Morning Dawnie. I'm doing alright just trying to speed up the healing process." Willow answered with a smile.
"Willow, how come you pushed us all out of the cave last night?"
"Well…when I saw that you'd been hurt I just reacted…I only meant to move just you, but my emotions were so high…cause I was scared of losing you that the magic was a bit stronger than it needed to be."
"I'm glad that you're okay and not that I'm ungrateful, but next time maybe kill the demon first, unless you plan on following us out."
"Don't worry Dawn I'll remember that lesson." They both laughed a little. "Dawn why did you kill Rack yesterday? I could have told you the coven was planning to stop him." Willow asked.
"I did it Will and I'd do it again too, even if I knew the coven's plans. I decided he was going to die before Tara and I even left the house. I wasn't going to let him touch you again. And yes, I killed a human, but I'm not the only one we know who has there's Anya, Spike, Angel, don't tell Buffy, but Giles killed Ben after the Glory was beaten down, it was the only way to truly defeat her and Giles knew she couldn't do it. I have all these people to help me work through the issues that will arise from this, and as weird as some of them might be, they all got through it or are working through it okay. Hell with the reports we're getting from Angel my best bet might be to take a trip to LA and talk to Faith. No matter how I feel when the full realization hits me I did it to keep you safe, and I will never regret that Willow. I love you. You know that right?"
"Of course Dawn, I love you too."
"No Willow I mean I love you."
"Dawn…I…" Willow was at a loss at Dawn's confession.
"You don't have to say anything. I just couldn't go any longer without letting you know." Dawn kissed Willow on the forehead. "You should get some more rest until you've healed. I'll bring you up something to eat in a bit and check your bandages." Dawn added as she left the room.
"She loves me?" Willow asked out loud to the empty room. That's what she said, now how do you really feel about her. You don't wanna go down this road with the wrong intention Rosenberg, you could lose more than one friend if you aren't sure. She thought.
Down in the kitchen Tara and Buffy were faced with a nervous Dawn, "OhmyGodohmyGodohmyGod…" She kept repeating.
Buffy grabbed her shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Dawn! "Oh my God" what?"
"I just told Willow I love her." Dawn answered still shocked at her own admission.
Buffy and Tara shared a smile, "Way to go sweetie! Tara praised. "That's what's called "making the first move"."