Chapter One Hundred and Twenty Two

Presents

A/N Flashback segment is taken from New Sunnydale CH5, link available on profile page.

*Flashback* San Francisco, the world without shrimp 2005

Willow fiddled with her thumbs as she stood outside the door, the skin on the inside of her palm was a scabbed mess now, her anxious picking the result of a long journey. Her hair had grown long in the time she'd been in between dimensions, her dress something a classic witch would've worn in the 15th century. Her fingernails had three white marks upon them, for the three lies she had told in her life. Each something that had lead her to her current position, each one had ensured Tara hadn't lived to see her 22nd birthday.

San Francisco, the world without shrimp - November 2005

"Hey Tara, what happened to her?" Willow asked after her other dimension alter-ego had left the building. "She seemed... broken."

"She was broken Will," Tara replied, tip-toeing around the real issue. She wasn't sure how much Willow was able to handle the truth. She paused and hesitated and stumbled over her words. She eventually stopped pacing and sat down at their breakfast bar. "You know that afternoon at the coven that Esmerelda started talking about time and dimensions. That there were other dimensions." Willow nodded and sat beside her, taking her hand. "Well, she was right, there are other dimensions. Willow - the other Willow - was from a dimension where I-"

"Well I got that much, she talked funny." Willow interrupted laughing, but her smile faded when Tara didn't reciprocate. "Wait, dimension where you what?"

"Will are you sure you want-"

"I'm not going to break. I can handle whatever it is. We can handle it together," she gave Tara's hand a squeeze.

"Ok," She turned seriously and looked into Willow's eyes. " She came from a place where she had to live without me. She came from a place where I had-" she said the next part quietly, "died."

"Oh," Willow muttered. "Her aura was dark Tare, like dark-me dark. Which obviously she probably was. She lost you- or well, her version of you. I don't know how she- how I could have, could ever live through that. Please don't die on me, I really wouldn't be able to handle that." Tara chuckled and Willow let out a breath of relief. "The way she talked. She was so forgiving and patient, she was a grown up. Not really like me at all. Is that who I am without you? Does it take losing you to make me into a mature woman, because that can't be right? Was I going down such a wrong path?"

"You know I can't answer any of those questions." Tara replied as Willow sat in stunned contemplation. She nodded, let her fingers cross over to Tara's palm and draw concentric circles. Her head was spinning. In one corner, there was a boxer ready to defend Tara from anything, and in the other corner was the dark version of herself. Was she slowly destroying everything she cared about?

"Oh, this came in the mail today, I just remembered." Tara piped up, handing over a small brown envelope. The handwriting was scruffy and boyish, she ripped open the seal with glee. It read:

Dear Willow,

Hope you and Tara are well. Hope all of you are well really. I should've just called you but when I was in Tibet the first time I wrote you dozens of letter. I never sent them, but I wrote so many that I had to start giving them to other people so I could get over the temptation. Letters have become my thing I suppose.

I'll try to be brief, as you know, I'm a man of few words. I got married Will. I met the most wonderful woman. We met in the monastery, she's a wolf too. I hope you don't mind too much. Her name is Bay, well Bayanna but I call her Bay. She's from Bangladesh and for months we couldn't speak the same language, I just sort of stared at her, and played my guitar.

The reason this was worthy of a letter and not just a phone call is because we have a son. I'm a father. I can't believe it. We named the baby Keldon and he is very quiet. We're not sure if he's going to be a wolf or a musician. I just wanted to tell you I'm happy Willow.

Best wishes, Oz

After Tara had read over the words the letter was placed back on the counter. "Well that's great news!" Willow tried to sound excited. But in truth there was something melancholy in her heart. There was lots to be happy and grateful for, but there were so many unanswered questions.

"Yeah, it's great that he's settled down." Tara replied, with a genuine sweet smile on her face. This meant Oz wasn't coming back. Even though it had been so long a part of her still niggled away in the back of her brain, a part that told her Willow was just biding her time until Oz came back. It was dumb but now it was gone.

New Sunnydale, the world without shrimp - December 2005

Christmas dinner was being served by Anya this year who was graciously entertaining her guests with the various myths and legends the holidays proposed. She was wearing an apron and oven gloves as she deposited a plate of potatoes in the centre of the table. "Anybody for some yams, I have them warming in the oven?" She asked, there was a round of yeses and smiles which followed and she left for the kitchen.

Dawn and Leo were making eyes at each other across the table. Buffy having made sure they weren't sitting together, she wasn't entirely sure if they were already having sex but if she could prevent it she was going to. Leo was spending the holidays with Dawn because his mom had just been sent on a mission to Peru and wasn't around to roast a turkey.

"Tastes great An," Xander called from the table then elbowed Willow.

"Oi, oh yes very nice Anya." She chimed in, making sure she put on her best smile. Xander had tried to debrief them about Anya's cooking before the day itself. She had tried her best.

Spike let his knee rest against Buffy's as he bit his lip. He had insisted on coming just to prove he was actually part of the family. Even if that did mean he'd had to drive down by himself after nightfall. Buffy slapped him away then gestured towards Dawn. She sure as hell wasn't going to indulge herself whilst trying to keep her sister away from her own boyfriend. It would be too hypocritical. Instead she focussed on the plate in front of her and shovelled some unpeeled carrot ends into her mouth.

The food wasn't terrible. Tara thought, it really wasn't. So why was she feeling slightly queasy? She wasn't allergic to anything, not that she was aware of. Not in this dimension anyway. Her stomach felt angry. As if in response to her thoughts, Willow looked at her and shook her head, her hand going to her mouth as she excused herself to the bathroom. It wasn't five minutes before Dawn did the same. Tara's phone buzzed as she took a sip of water. Don't eat anything ive been sick. toilet looks like swamp. Texts from Willow were never particularly detailed.

Anya was still faffing around the kitchen whilst the drama continued. Buffy rose from the table and went after Dawn, Leo looked rather perplexed by the whole spectacle until he too felt like vomiting. Xander sat at the table and tried to pretend nothing was happening, he looked up at Spike and nodded before failing to start up a conversation. How does one conjure up small talk to a vampire sipping warmed pig's blood through a straw?

"Here we go," Anya said. Xander was thanking several gods that the bowl of potatoes had made it to the table before she noticed everyone had up and left. "Sweetie?" Xander squirmed. He got up out of his chair and put his hands on her shoulders. "Where did everybody go?"

"I think Willow went to the bathroom, and then Dawn went to the bathroom and everyone kinda followed." Spike raised an eyebrow and slurped the last of his blood. "I'll go find out what the matter is."

"Ok," Anya replied a little sadly and slumped into a chair.

"I'm watching you two," Xander said, staring at Spike for a moment before walking out of the room and down the hall. "Hey you guys ok?" He said to Tara who was standing outside the bathroom, her back against the wall. The door was open and Willow was crouched over the toilet bowl. "You good Will?"

"Mm no" Willow responded, the words mumbling out and echoing around the bowl.

"Are you alright baby?" Tara said, rubbing her back. Willow lifted her head out of the bowl, Tara gasped. There was a large green boil protruding from Willow's cheek. The edges were flared and red, she could see it was sore.

"Anyaaa!" Xander called down the hall dramatically, and the blonde came running. "Can you call Giles, I think we're going to need him for this?"

Anya took a step closer to Willow and examined the boil. "Oh no don't disturb his stupid Watcher mission, that's a T'rakh virus. Xander go and get me the Norae root from the pantry." Xander took off down the hallway, as Dawn came down the stairs. Buffy had her arms around her shoulders, a small reddish boil forming on her chin. "Is it all of you?" She asked Tara who nodded her head, rubbing her stomach.

When Xander came back from the pantry with a purplish root in his hands, Anya turned to him unsympathetically. "What did you do?" Her voice was stern as she folded her arms.

"No-nothing An. I-I only made the gravy. But I was putting away the salamander eyes and I spilled some of the liquid onto the ... leaf. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Xander stumbled out.

"You idiot." She exclaimed. Kissing him on the cheek and playfully slapping his arm, she directed everybody back into the kitchen where Spike was sitting very bewildered by the turn of events.

Willow sat sheepishly on a chair in the kitchen, a cup of cloudy liquid in front her. Anya had crushed some of the Norae root into her water and the taste wasn't pleasant. Everyone was crowded around her, Tara and Dawn looking much less pale and boil-less. She was the only one left who hadn't taken the antidote. The boil on her cheek was squishy and starting to leak, she had to keep a napkin tight to her skin. "Come on Will, it doesn't taste too bad I promise," Dawn piped up. Resting a supportive hand on the redhead's shoulder.

Willow swallowed her pride and pinched her nose between her fingers. Lifting the cup up to her mouth, she downed the liquid and shuddered as it slugged down her throat. It was a thick paste-like substance. Despite Dawn's claims, it tasted disgusting. "YOU LIED!" She cried out, pulling the cloth away from her cheek and letting Anya wash away the boil. The smell was like a mountain of dirty socks. Willow professed loudly that she would need a dozen showers to get rid of it, Tara surmised that the cold she was currently getting over, didn't help her mood. Willow could get stroppy when she was ill.

"It was necessary. Otherwise Tara would leave you here instead of taking you home." Dawn replied laughing, Leo was behind her smiling. Buffy had changed her mind about him, he could stick around. Even if she didn't trust the other watchers. There were things she hadn't forgiven them for.

Willow felt better almost instantly, her complexion returned to normal as she hugged Tara and thanked Anya for her help. Anya beamed, glad to be helpful and glad that her dinner had gone well. Or well enough. And she was very glad everyone had liked her food. "Is it time for presents?"