Chapter 2

Buffy and Warren ran as fast as they could into the woods, but his bad leg slowed them down to what felt like a crawl. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulder for support, but even then he just couldn't keep up. Finally he collapsed to the ground and gasped for air.

"We've got to keep moving," Buffy said as she glared down at him. "I don't know how long Spike and Tara can hold her off."

"Should've thought of that before," Warren said between breaths and scowled as well as he could. "Don't know what her problem is anyway."

"You killed her girlfriend today when you tried to kill me." Buffy said as she absently rubbed at the almost healed scar above her left elbow.

Warren shrugged. "Casualties of war." Then he leered at her. "What about you're two sex toys? I heard on the news I got them, too."

Buffy kicked him in the side of the chest just hard enough to bruise a rib. "Don't you even think about saying that again."

"Why not?" Warren started to giggle, then moaned and grabbed his side. "I saw what the three of you did in the Magic Box. We all did. Made Sparky's day too." Buffy gritted her teeth together, but knew she couldn't hurt him anymore if they were going to keep running.

Warren just smirked as pushed himself up with his good hand. "I have to hand it to you though, the three of you went at it like pros." He leered at her black leather pants and tight blouse that she'd put on when they stopped at Spike's. "Too bad we forgot to take the tape with us when we bugged out."

Buffy turned and punched a tree hard enough to crack the bark. When she turned back she was much calmer. "I love them. They love me. That's all you need to know." She said as she pulled him up. "And if you can talk you can run."

Warren ran, but looked confused. "Why?"

"Are we helping you?" Buffy finished the question for him. "I'm not. I'm helping Willow. That and I want to see you spend the rest of your life as some big butch guy's bitch."

"Where?" Warren asked as his face grew redder and redder. The pace Buffy was setting would've tired an athlete, which Warren wasn't even on his best of days. Buffy knew it and sped up just a little bit more. If she had to she'd drag him.

"Somewhere we can hide. With any luck it'll still have weapons and maybe even a few supplies for Tara."

Warren didn't ask any more questions, he was too busy trying to breath. It was a good thing too, Buffy was this close to deciding he didn't need a jaw to run. Then they finally broke through the woods and into the overgrown back yard of a large art deco style mansion.

"Wow," Warren said when he finally caught his breath. "Wish we'd known about this place."

Buffy didn't answer, but her stomach tightened as she led him into the mansion. Some of the best and worst events in her life had taken place here and she'd never thought she'd be back. No one, not even other demons had ever moved in. The fact that it was Angelus' assured that. At least that was what she thought until she got into the living room.

"Amy," Buffy whispered as they hobbled over to where Amy laid. She was lying stretched out on a twin bed and had what looked the world's largest collection of flowers surrounding her. Her hands were joined over her stomach and held a red rose to her heart. Her eyes were closed and she looked like all she needed was a kiss to wake up. "She's waiting for her princess charming." Buffy looked around the room and saw dozens of books and magic supplies and knew they were in the exact wrong spot.

"You?" Willow repeated as she stared at Tara. "I love you."

"Have a funny enough way of showing it."

The black in Willow's eyes faded to her normal green as she consciously avoided looking at Spike. "I'm sorry about what… I just freaked."

Tara shook her head. "You're say that like it fixes everything, but it doesn't. And you're not. You never change."

"It's never enough for you, is it?" Willow all but howled in frustration. "I'm the one who saved you from Glory. Made your brain go tick tock again."

"So you could play around with it later. I want to know, how many times did you violate me? Just once, twice? Or was it every single time I said I didn't like what you were doing."

A shadow of regret passed over Willow's face as her eyes went black again. "Just twice." Then she sighed and told the simple truth. "I still love you."

"I know," Tara answered, just as truthfully as they stared at each other from across the clearing.

Willow winced, then nodded.

Lightning flashed from her fingertips and flew at Tara. "I won't let you stop me."

Tara took a half step back as a shield formed in front of her. The lightning crawled across the invisible barrier, looking for even the smallest opening but finding none. "I won't let you kill him." Tara replied and threw her arm forward. A blue, almost liquid blob shot out of her hand and wrapped itself around Willow.

Willow waved her hand, breaking the stasis spell before it could complete itself. "I thought you didn't like magic anymore."

Tara shook her head. "Magic was never the problem. It's all in how you use it." Roots shot out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Willow, cocooning her inside.

"I'll use it any way I have to to save Amy," Willow said as the vines died and turned to dust. Then she blinked and spread the aging spell to the trees that surrounded Tara. The trunks turned to dust and the unsupported canopy collapsed.

Tara raised her arms up and caught the trees while they were still high overhead, but she bent down like she was supporting the weight on her shoulders. Finally she twisted and the trees fell harmlessly around her. "Amy's just an excuse. Everything's just an excuse for you to do what you want to." The ground beneath Willow became quicksand and started to pull the witch down.

"Like you don't want power," Willow said as she mud became stone and she stepped out. "I saw the need in you ever since your family visited. You're just too afraid to admit it." The stone became glass that shattered under Willow's heel and flew at Tara.

The shards became butterflies and fluttered away. "This isn't a-about me."

Willow grinned. "Sure it is, honey. It's all about you. You hate me because I'm willing to use what I know, while you try to hide it." Willow settled to the ground, the magic forgotten. "I know about everything you try to hide. Even how you hate your mother."

"I-I don't…" Tara said and the glow in her eyes dimmed.

"She's the one who left you alone. She had the power to stop your father, but she just took it because she thought power was evil." Tara's mouth moved, but no sound came out. "And you hated her for giving in. That's why you let her die."

"I- I didn't…"

Willow walked forward, and Tara tried to back away, but tripped over a tree branch and fell to the ground. Willow loomed over her, her face in shadows. "You could have saved her, but you just let her die because you hated her for teaching you to hate yourself."

"I LOVED MY MOMMY!" Tara screamed as she jumped up and slammed into Willow, driven by hate and magic. The two of them tumbled end over end until they stopped with Willow on the bottom and Tara kneeling over her, her hand raised for one last conjuring.

Willow grinned up as she touched the four bloody gouges Tara had torn into her cheek. "See? Doesn't the power feel so good? Why fight it? Why fight me?"

Tara looked down at Willow, then reeled back in horror at what she'd been about to do. "I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt you…"

"Well, that's just too bad," Willow said and leaned up suddenly to kiss Tara. It was as passionate as any of their kisses had ever been and left Tara even more off balance when Willow finally pulled away. "You know what I learned these last six years? Why black magic is so much stronger than white?" Tara just shook her head, more to clear it than anything else. "Because black magic cheats." Willow shoved her fingers into the muddy ground

Tara barely felt the threadlike snake that erupted from the ground and wormed its way up her leg and under her skirt. She tried to grab it as it wrapped around her thigh, but it squirmed through her fingers and bit down into her secret spot, the one that only Willow and Spike knew about. She stiffened as its magical venom burned through her body, increasing the feeling a thousand times over. She opened her mouth to scream in the agony and the ecstasy, but nothing came out.

Willow rolled Tara's slack body off to the side and sat up. She sat up and looked down at her ex, the blond Wicca was staring up at the moon with vacant eyes while a small trail of drool ran down the side of her mouth.

"Sorry baby," Willow murmured as she kissed Tara's forehead and stood up. Tara didn't even blink.

Willow looked around the clearing. She knew Tara wouldn't be getting up any time soon. Neither would Spike, his face had more in common with hamburger than anything demon or human. Then she realized who was missing. "Oh, come on," Willow whispered and kicked at the ground in frustration. "Does she have to make everything so difficult?" With that Willow vanished.

"We have to go," Warren said.

His voice pulled Buffy out of her reverie. She look up from Amy and snapped, "Shut up."

"You shut up," Warren snapped back. "This is all you're fault, you know. If you'd just let me handle April and Katrina last year…"

"What? Katrina'd still be alive?" Buffy asked, Warren recoiled away and his hand touched the faint scar by his left eye. "Willow told me about what you did to her. You really have a problem with strong women, don't you?"

"She was just jealous," Warren said as he looked away. "She tinkered around with model monorails while I was building androids. She just couldn't deal."

"So you crushed the back of her skull in."

"She deserved it," Warren all but screamed as his patience ran out. "You all deserve it."

"You're a monster," Buffy said and felt the guilt of what she'd done vanish.

Warren just grinned. "Maybe, but I'm not the monster we're worried about, am I? We're worried about your oh so stable friend. And this'll be the first place she checks."

Buffy wanted to kill him right there, but she knew he was right. So she turned her back on Amy and threw his arm over her shoulder. They didn't get two steps before Willow appeared in front of them.

Willow cocked an eyebrow. "I haveta admit. I didn't think you'd be this helpful, Buffy."

"Not intentional. Where's Spike and Tara?"

"Around."

Buffy felt her stomach tighten again. "As in alive around or dead around?"

"They'll be fine. Eventually."

"Like Xander and Anya?" Buffy asked as she let Warren go

The shadows on Willow's face grew. "I did the best I could, do you think it was easy…" Then she sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Are you going to stand there all day? I have rituals to perform. Dark gods to envoke. Takes time."

"How do you know Amy isn't in heaven?"

"She isn't. Trust me."

"Sure. Cause you guessed so well last time."

"That's what all this is about, isn't it? You're still all pissed that I brought you back. That's why you hate me."

"I don't hate you. You're my best friend," Buffy said.

"Didn't your mom teach you not to tell lies?" Willow scolded. "Let me tell you about Willow. She's a loser. Loser in middle, high and college. And you know why? Because she let everyone just walk all over her in the hopes that they'd be her friend. In the beginning because of her brain, later because of her power."

"You're not a loser," Buffy protested.

Willow giggled in her best impression of the Joker. "Please. The only reason you ever hung out with me was to use me. Well, guess what? I'm tired of being the sidekick."

"You're my best friend."

"Sure. That's why you went running to Xander and Anya. You've hated me since I pulled you out of your precious heaven. You self-centered bitch. And after that you hated me because I'm so much stronger than you are. I tried to help out. Amy and I went out every night to cover for you while you got back on your feet. How was I supposed to know you'd rather be on you're back?"

Buffy shook away the tears that threatened to run down her face. "This isn't you, Willow. It's the magic, you have to stop."

Willow took a half step towards Buffy. "Why don't you just admit it. The only reason you want me to stop is because you can't stand to be second best."

"That's not true. It's warping you. Why can't you see that?"

"Why can't you see that what you're doing with Xander and Anya is wrong. And I can see plenty," she said and as a barrier spell formed around the doors and windows, locking in Warren who was almost back to the front door.

"Amy wouldn't want you to do this, Willow. She wouldn't want you to kill so she could live."

"And how would you know?"

"I just do."

"Right, because Buffy Summers is known for her smarts."

"You think you're so special? You think that you're the Slayer just because you killed a few demons? I'm going to show you what a Slayer really is," Buffy snapped as she launched her attack on Willow. Her body flowed from style to style as she let loose dozens of kicks, punches and even head butts on Willow. Giles would've been proud, she'd never fought so well against anyone.

Willow blocked most of the opening punches, but then one of Buffy's kicks hit her in the side of the head. That threw her off just enough for Buffy to land two more punches and Willow fell backwards onto the ground.

Buffy looked down at Willow, "We don't have to do this, Will. I don't want to hurt you."

"It's always about what you want, isn't it?" Willow asked as she wiped her bloody lip. "'I'm the chosen one, the only one that matters. You even revel in your suffering, like it matters so much more. I think its time you found out what suffering was."

"I've always known," Buffy said calmly. "You're the only one who thinks it's something new." She threw a punch at Willow's face and watched as it passed right through. She pulled her hand back in shock.

The illusion grinned at her. "See, that's always been you're problem, Buffy. You always thought brawn meant so much…"

The image vanished and Willow's voice restarted behind her. "But I think we both know brains are better." Buffy spun around and saw the untouched Willow standing behind her. Willow's smile matched her illusions. "Now, I thought you were going to show me what a Slayer really was."

"Stop playing around and just kill her already!" Warren howled at Buffy in frustration as he turned from the blocked door.

Buffy tried to ignore him. "I don't want to kill you, Willow."

"Fine, then I will," Warren said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pistol again. He had just enough time to aim when Willow's eyes flashed and the pistol exploded. He fell to the ground screaming as he clutched his bleeding hand.

"You still had it?" Willow snarled and a ball of fire appeared in her hand. "Burn," she said and brought her arm back.

Buffy kicked Willow just as Willow launched the fire, throwing off her aim. "NO!" Willow shouted as the spell flew and hit Amy's bed of flowers. It erupted in mystical flames and Sleeping Beauty's bed became her funeral pyre.

"What did you do?" Willow hissed as she turned to face Buffy. "I saved yours but you wouldn't let me… You worthless little whore." Buffy took a step back, and Warren launched himself onto Willow's back.

"Kill her!" He shouted as he tried to choke Willow with his good arm. Before Buffy could react he flew off Willow's back like a startled bird and slammed into the ceiling. Then Willow let him go and he fell the ten feet back to the hard stone floor. The double impact was almost too much, but somehow he stayed conscious. So he was awake when the skin on his hand started to peel back. Buffy turned away and tried not to sink to the floor while she listened to the slow slurp behind her as Warren screamed and screamed.

"Bored now," Willow finally said and Warren's body burst into flames. He got out one last scream before he vanished.

Willow turned and snapped her fingers at Buffy. Then it was like the air had become a hammer and Buffy went flying across the room and into the far wall.

Buffy shook her head and tried to pick herself up, but the vines that grew along the wall pulled free and snaked around her arms and legs. Then they pulled back until she was hanging a foot off the ground, her arms spread and her legs tied together. She tried to pull herself loose, but the smooth vines grew dozens of thorns that dug into her skin

Buffy still pulled with all she had until the vines were slick with her blood, but she was pinned. Willow finally stopped in front of Buffy and admired her artwork. "What do you think? I'm hoping the NEA'll give me a grant."

"It's not too late," Buffy murmured as she pulled on the vines one last time, but they were too tight and she couldn't get any leverage.

Willow ignored her. Instead she walked up and started unbuttoning Buffy's blouse. "Remember last year when we were fighting Glory and I had to steal Tara's essence back?" She undid the last button and pulled the blouse open with an almost hypnotic slowness. Then she ran her hands over Buffy's tight stomach from the belt of the pants to just below the bottom of Buffy's black bra. Buffy struggled again for all the good it did her. "Did I ever tell you that when I did I tasted Glory's power? It tasted like ashes dipped in honey. And you know what? Ever since then I've wondered something. I've wondered what a Slayer tastes like."

With that Willow pulled her hands back and buried her fingers into Buffy's stomach, right above her hips. Buffy screamed as she felt the fingers move inside her. A pure white light burst around the holes the ten invaders made in her body. She struggled again even though she felt the strength being drained out of her.

It felt like hours had passed when Willow finally pulled away. Buffy collapsed and hung lifelessly in the vines. Willow licked a finger and sighed. "Minty, but no where near as filling as I'd hoped. Oh well." She grabbed Buffy's chin and lifted her up so she could see into Buffy's eyes. "You said you were in heaven? Then its past time you visited hell." Buffy eyes widened as the world collapsed into the black void that was Willow's soul.

The last thing she heard was Willow saying, "One down."