A/N I forgot that I promised everyone this. Thanks to Lazarus163 for reminding me about it! Hope you all enjoy!

Willow looked around Buffy's room at the Gilbert house and sighed. She found herself alone once again. It wasn't a problem, really. She was well past that fear of being alone. She knew what she wanted and if people didn't understand that because they had petty jealousy issues because Buffy was way more powerful and meant a lot more to Willow, then….

The red headed witch sighed. She really wished that she could talk to Buffy right now. But Buffy wasn't taking any phone calls. Not since Carol Lockwood had been killed. Damon said all she did was sit and stare. Willow had offered to come out, but Damon asked her to stay and keep an eye on Elena.

Willow walked over to the dresser and looked at the picture of Buffy and Damon. They really did make an amazing couple. She was happy that her best friend had finally found someone that made her light up. Angel had been her first love, but it had been a scary and painful one. Scott had been that quintessential fleeting high school romance. Riley was supposed to have been the grown up relationship, but he'd spent more time trying to keep up and compete with Buffy than actually be her boyfriend. Spike had been…. Well, Buffy's moment of insanity if you asked Willow. But really, he'd turned out to be a decent guy, so it had been beneficial to Spike at least.

Damon, though, he was the best of all of them all rolled into one. He accepted Buffy for who she was and didn't expect her to change and supported her choices. Though he was still insecure about their relationship. It was so obvious to Willow that Buffy was crazy about Damon in a way that she'd never been with any of her other boyfriends. If only she could make Damon realize that.

Willow was about to start working on a spell to help Damon out when her phone rang. It was Bonnie. "How was your session with Professor Creepy?" Willow asked.

"It was great till he was kidnapped by Kol." Bonnie said.

"Kol? Why would he kidnap Shane?"

"It probably has something to do with the cure. I tried calling Elena and Caroline, but they're not answering. Is Stefan around?"

"No. He hasn't been around all day." Willow sighed. "You keep trying them, I'll see if I can find anyone."

"What about calling Buffy?"

"She's busy with Jeremy. I'd rather not bother her if it's not an emergency."

"And if it is?"

"Then I can handle it." Willow hung up. She looked around the room and decided she needed to run to the Salvatore house. She had all of her magic items there. Plus, if Stefan was there, she'd have vampire backup if something was wrong.

Willow walked into the school carefully and looked around her. Stefan had managed to send her a message saying that Rebekah had taken them hostage and they were holed up at the school. Bonnie had called and said that she'd done a locater spell and it said that Shane was at the school. Willow had decided that Bonnie needed to stay home.

Of course, Bonnie hadn't listened. Willow heard her voice coming from a classroom down the hall. "Who's everyone? I came to find Shane."

"Did you do a GPS magic locator spell or something?" Another voice asked. "Rebekah told me that you were a witch."

"Rebekah?! What the hell is going on?"

"Rebekah has Stefan, Elena, and Caroline compelled. She's getting them to actually tell the truth for a change." Willow made her way towards the classroom. "What?"

"Shane can't be compelled. Ok? She'll probably torture him to find out what he knows."

"What are you looking for?"

"The question is," Willow said, walking into the room. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed to help." Bonnie said.

"You needed to let me handle it. There are two Originals here and you're not powerful enough to take them on."

"And you are?" The other girl asked.

"Who are you?"

"I'm April Young."

"Oh, the pastor's daughter that…." Willow stopped, not wanting to hurt the girl. "You should go home."

"She knows all about us." Bonnie said.

"Good for her." Willow looked at Bonnie still digging around the classroom. "What are you doing, Bonnie?"

"I need salt."

"Why?" Willow stopped April as she tried to hand a jar of salt to Bonnie.

Bonnie held up a pendant made of bone. "If this pendant will connect me to Shane, then I can do a protection spell."

"You need to stop. Both of you stay right here and let me deal with this." Willow headed to the door and shut it. She turned and held her hand over the doorknob as Bonnie walked over and tried to open the door. Willow sealed the door with magic, locking the two girls inside.

She walked away from the classroom and headed down the hallway, looking for the others. From a closet a little ways away, Kol was yelling, "Where is the cure!? Where is the cure?"

"You're human. Why do you want it anyway?" Rebekah asked.

"That's the beauty of it. You can have it. I just want Silas." Shane gasped.

"No. What do you know about Silas?"

"He's the world's first immortal being who just happens to be imprisoned with the cure. I want to free him."

"No!"

Willow threw out her hand and the door flew open. Rebekah and Kol both looked completely startled and Kol let Shane go for a moment. "What are you doing here?" Rebekah demanded.

"Saving my friends from you." Willow held her hands up and Rebekah and Kol slammed against the wall, unable to move.

Shane stood up. "Willow?"

"You need to go." Willow said. She felt her eyes turning white. Everything became so much clearer when she was using this magic. She imagined it was how Buffy saw the world with her heightened eyesight. She saw the bulge in Kol's jacket pocket and walked over to him. "That belongs to Buffy." She took the white oak stake out of his pocket and stuck it into hers.

"What are you?" Kol asked.

"Your worst nightmare." Willow looked at Rebekah. "What did you do to the others?"

"Why would I tell you?" Rebekah asked.

"Because I could rip you limb from limb and put you back together like a Picasso painting without even lifting a finger?"

"A bit graphic for the sidekick."

"I'm not the sidekick. If you haven't noticed, Buffy's not here. I'm the hero today. What did you do to the others?" Suddenly screams rang out and Willow recognized Elena's voice. She pushed one of her hands out and felt the air thicken as it started to crush Rebekah. "What did you do!?"

"I made Tyler turn and compelled Stefan, Elena, and Caroline not to use their vampire speed." Rebekah choked out.

Willow sighed and snapped her fingers. She teleported to the gym where Caroline was trying to dodge wolf-Tyler. Even though she was a little light headed from the teleport, Willow clapped her hands loudly. The magic she forced into it made it sound like a thunder crack. Tyler suddenly spasmed, dropping to the ground as his bones started to break.

"What did you do!?" Caroline cried. "And where did you come from."

"I forced him to turn." Willow said as Tyler began to change back into his human form. "Where are Elena and Stefan?"

"I don't know. We split up."

"Make sure he's ok. I've never needed to use that spell. I learned it as a just in case a long time ago when I was dating a werewolf."

"You dated a werewolf?"

"Yeah. I'm going to go find Elena and Stefan." Willow turned and walked out. No more using that teleport for a while. She heard Bonnie crying for help and Stefan and Elena were outside of the classroom trying to get in. Willow ran over to them and peered through the window. April was bleeding on the floor and Bonnie was holding her.

"We can't get in." Elena said, yanking on the door again.

"I locked it." Willow said. She grabbed the handle and the spell fell off the door. "Bonnie, what's going on?"

"She needs help." Bonnie said.

"What happened?"

"I did a protection spell, but it accidentally linked Shane to April."

"And you couldn't control it?" Elena asked.

"I didn't know I was doing it! Usually, I feel pain or I bleed, but this time, I felt more power."

"That's called black magic." Willow snapped. "That's what expression is."

"It can't be. Shane would never…."

"Stefan, heal April before she dies. Bonnie…."

"I'm sorry." Bonnie stood up. "I didn't know what I was doing."

"Do not use that magic again."

"But…."

"Bonnie, you are going down a very dangerous path. One that could get you killed. You don't have the kind of power that you think you do. Magic is a drug. If you don't use it right, it will consume you. It's taken me years to get myself under control and able to wield magic properly." Bonnie just stood there glaring at Willow.

"Bonnie, get out of the school." Stefan said, helping April to her feet. "Just be careful. Tyler's out there, and he turned."

"He's not turned anymore." Willow said. "I forced him to change back. But you should definitely leave, Bonnie, before I decide to bind your powers." Bonnie rushed out with a still terrified April. "Are you guys ok?"

"Yes." Elena said as Stefan said, "No."

Elena looked at him. "Stefan, we have to talk about this. Please."

"Talk about what? Huh? How many more ways is there for you to rip my heart out?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, Stefan. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't want that. I honestly don't know what I want right now."

The door opened and Rebekah strode in. "Why are my least favorite people always the most durable?"

"Leave her out of this. This is between me and you." Stefan snapped at Rebekah.

"You're still protecting her. Must I rip your bleeding heart from your chest and show you the scar tissue that is Elena Gilbert?" Rebekah looked at Elena. "There's a solution to all your problems, you know. I could compel him. Erase every memory he has of you, every day you spent together, every kiss, every lie, every ounce of pain…. I could take away every bit of love he has for you. Give you both a clean slate. Just say the word and I'll make you and all that misery you caused him disappear."

"Are you looking to become a Picasso painting?" Willow snapped.

"You didn't tell me to leave."

"I guess the message wasn't clear enough."

"Guess not."

"Do it." Stefan said.

"Excuse me?" Willow and Rebekah said.

"Erase it all, every memory."

"Stefan? No!" Elena said.

"Are you crazy?" Willow asked. "What's wrong with you?"

"I said do it." Stefan said, ignoring them.

Rebekah laughed at him. "No. It'd be far too easy. I refuse to make you forget her the way Klaus made you forget me." She glanced at Elena. "But at least you know how he really feels. Consider your eternity of pain my revenge, Stefan. I've used you for all you're worth, so now, you're free to go." Rebekah turned and flounced out.

Stefan started to leave as well and Elena went after him. "Stefan, wait."

Willow stopped her. "Elena, let him be."

"But…."

"He needs time, ok? He's been through a lot since you became a vampire. I don't know what happened in there, but it obviously came to a head with him. Just give him some space." Willow wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders. "Come on. Let's get you home."

Elena sat in the living room staring out the window. Willow was sitting at the table writing in her journal. She refused to call it her book of shadows or her spell book because that wasn't it. It was more like a medical journal but with magical terminology instead of medical. It had started out as Tara's idea to keep journals. She'd said keeping track of everything magical they'd done was important to growing as a witch. Every spell they'd ever done had been recorded. Even if it was something they'd done before, each time a spell was different somehow. Magic was funny that way.

"Hey Buffy." Elena said. Willow looked up and realized that Elena was on her phone. "Not really. Rebekah kind of kidnapped us today. We're all ok. Willow saved us, but that wasn't until after I told Stefan I wasn't in love with him anymore. It's not about Damon. I promise. So much has happened over the last year and seeing him as the Ripper…. Especially when he almost drove me off Wickery Bridge himself just to prove a point to Klaus…. It changed my feelings for him. I still love him. I always will. I'm just not…. In love with him anymore. You get what I'm saying, right?" She paused. "He asked Rebekah to erase me from his memories. She didn't. She wanted to make him suffer." She paused again, looking sad for a moment as Buffy said something to her. "How's Jeremy? Thanks for looking out for him. Listen…. I really miss you guys. Can I come up for a visit? Just a quick one. After everything that happened today…. I need to get away for a little bit." There was a long pause and Elena looked over at Willow hopefully. Finally her face brightened. "I will. Thank you! I'll see you soon." Elena hung up and looked back over at Willow.

"Let me guess, you can only come if I agree to go with you." Willow said, setting down her pen.

Elena nodded. "Please, Willow?"

"Ok. Get your stuff. I'm not even close to tired. We'll head up there now."

"Thank you!" Elena quickly hugged her before using her vamp speed to rush upstairs.