Author's Note: I did not notice how short this was till I went to upload this chapter. It probably should have just been tacked on to the end of Villains instead of going ahead and adding this to its own chapter.

Chapter 160: Two to Go

"She's a warlock now," Dawn said as everyone looked at her.

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked. "How can Willow be a warlock."

"I don't know," Dawn replied. "But blinking is after all a warlock power. No witch has ever had it that we know of."

"Which means," Buffy said. "Willow had to of somehow copied a warlock's power or stole it from a warlock. Regardless, you heard what she said. One down."

"So we're thinking two to go," Anya said. "Jonathan. And, whatsisface, the other guy."

"Andrew," Phoebe said.

"Both of them are just sitting in the county jail without a clue Willow's coming," Dawn said.

":You don't think she's gonna kill them too? She wouldn't," Xander said. "There's no good reason."

"Dawn was right, Willow is a warlock now," Piper said. "There maybe a way of turning her back to the witch we know. But till then she's evil, not the Willow we know and love."

"We need to get to the jail," Buffy said. "Before Willow does."

"Blinking," Anya said. "Is not the fastest of teleport powers. Demon teleporting powers are faster."

"Which means," Dawn said. "We should be able get there before Willow. Since Buffy and mine are the witch version of the demon teleportation power."

"It is possible," Anya said.

"To be on the safe side," Piper said. "Anya go on ahead. Keep Willow from them if you can. We'll be there momentarily." She looked to Buffy, Phoebe and Dawn. "Dawn I need you to take me back to the manor. We're going to brew a potion and hope like heck it works the next time we see, Willow."

"Another binding potion," Dawn wondered. "Or a power stripping potion?"

"One of each, we'll try the binding potion first and if that doesn't then we strip her powers," Piper said. "Buffy, you go with Phoebe and Xander. Stall her as long as you can."

Buffy nodded as she grabbed Phoebe and Xander and flamed out.

Piper took Dawn's hand and then they shimmered out.

Buffy flamed into the Magic Box and dropped off Phoebe and Xander before flaming out. She flamed in next to Anya.

"Warren shot Dawn. Warren shot Tara. Dawn's alive," Anya was explaining to Jonathan and Andrew. "Tara's dead. Willow found out and she went for the payback. With interest."

"Wh-what about Warren?" Andrew asked.

"He's dead." Buffy said.

"Ripped him apart and bloodied up the forest doing it," Anya added. "Now she's coming here and you two are next."

"Oh my God..." Andrew said. "Warren."

"I'm getting you out of here," Buffy said. "Anya meet me at the Magic Box."

Anya nodded as she flashed out.

"Take my hands," Buffy said.

"But we didn't do anything..." Andrew said.

"Now!" Buffy said as a guard came down the hall. They took her hands and she flamed out and into the Magic Box.

"Thanks, Anya. For getting here so fast. It's a big help," Xander said.

"And once again, we find Xander Harris needing the big help," Anya said.

"Whatever. So? Can you still sense Willow?" Xander asked. "Knowing her location'd be a real comfort right about now."

"No she can't," Buffy said as Anya looked at her. "Sorry, still getting used to this new power. I'm a telepath."

"Oh," Anya said. "She's right, I can't. And that means whatever she's feeling, it's gone way beyond simple vengeance."

"Did I mention the me needing comfort?" Xander asked.

"Whatever we've got here, better grab it fast," Phoebe said. "This is going to be one of the first places Willow would think to look for us."

"Then what are we doing here?" Andrew asked as they glared at him. You know - I could summon a demon to kill her."

"And I could smack you so hard your eyeballs switch sockets," Xander replied.

"No one is getting killed. Sit down," Buffy said. "We've got to find something that will stop Willow."

"She drained the place," Xander as he held up a blank book. "Took everything."

"Not everything," Anya said as she walked behind the counter and pulled a book out of a hidden drawer.

"What is it?" Phoebe asked.

"Book of protection spells. Anti-Magic," Anya said.

"Protection spells," Phoebe said as she looked to Buffy. "There are no such thing."

"Apparently there is," Buffy said.

"Think you can work this stuff?" Xander asked as he looked at Buffy and Phoebe who moved beside Anya.

"Text is intact," Phoebe said. "I think that is Sumerian though."

"Dawn is the only one I know of that can read Sumerian," Buffy said. "I'm going to call Paige. Have her call Leo and give him Celia. Then she will go to the manor and help Piper with the potions and Dawn then will be freed to come here to read the book."

Buffy walked into the training room and dialed her cell. "Paige, it's Buffy. I need you to call Leo. Tell him I need him to watch Celia. Then I need you to orb to the manor, help Piper with couple potion, one binding and one stripping. And I need Dawn to shimmer here."

Ten minutes later Dawn shimmered in and Anya handed her the book.

"Good news, I can read this," Dawn said. "Thank you, Giles."

"Giles was the one that got you learning Sumerian?" Buffy asked as Dawn nodded. "Remind me to thank him sometime."

"But this isn't Sumerian," Dawn said. "It's Babylonian. Which thankfully I can read also."

"Buffy," Phoebe said as she looked at the empty books. "I don't think this is how Willow got powerful. It started her on the route but it wasn't the end result."

"You think, Rack," Buffy asked.

"I believe that is a safe bet," Phoebe said.

"Which means she may not be a Warlock, she maybe simply addicted again. Because that was Rack's thing," Buffy said. "He converted a witch by getting them addicted to magic."

"Or she killed him and stole his powers," Phoebe said.

Buffy sighed. "Maybe."

Just then Willow burst through the front door of the Magic Box. Buffy flamed in front of her. "You need to back down and think a minute, Will," she said. "You need help."

"Doing fine on my own, thanks," Willow said.

"I know what you want to do, Willow, but listen to me: the forces inside you are incredibly powerful. They're strong, but you're stronger. Just remember—you're still Willow."

"Let me tell you something about Willow: she's a loser. And she always has been. Everyone picked on Willow in junior high, high school, up until college with her stupid mousy ways and now—Willow's a junkie."

"We can help," Phoebe said as she moved beside Buffy.

"The only thing Willow was ever good for ..." Willow said. "—the only thing going for me—were those moments—just moments—when Tara would look at me and I was wonderful. And that will never happen again."

"Are you sure about that."

Willow, Buffy, Xander, Anya, Jonathan, Andrew, Phoebe and Dawn turned and looked at the training room door where Tara stood.

"T-Tara?" Willow stuttered.

"But you're …" Anya said.

"Dead," Tara finished for Anya. "Yes. But as Buffy, Dawn and Phoebe know it doesn't always end there."

"You were made a Whitelighter," Buffy said.

Tara nodded. "Willow's to be in fact."

"Won't that …" Dawn said remembering Piper and Leo's relationship before the Elder's allowed them to date and eventually get married.

"No," Tara said knowing what Dawn was thinking. She walked toward Willow and smiled. "Because we are not forbidden. Come back to love, Willow. Come to back to me."

"B-Baby," Willow stuttered as her lip quivered.

"Release the magicks that you have stolen," Tara said. "Release the warlock magic that you took from Rack. Be my Willow again, that sweet redhead I love."

Willow began to cry as Tara folded her into an embrace. As they all watched Willow's hair returned to its natural shade of red.

"I'm here, Willow, forever," Tara whispered to her lover. "I love you."