As Buffy and Vhesthine get closer to Mikes, a pillar of light streaks up into the sky from across the road, and Buffy chuckles. "I guess we know we didn't meet each other then."
Vhesthine huffs, "I didn't realise it was so late when this happened, Willow called me sometime around seven or eight."
"Come on, I need something to eat, and all my stuff's inside."
As they enter the workshop, Andrew looks up from where they've almost got all the equipment checked and re-calibrated after the earlier emergency stop, "They're back!"
Soon enough, John and Andrew are crowding around Buffy and Vhesthine, while Aglomal and Surkos are lingering nearby to find out if anything interesting happened. True to his species, Ir'in is still plodding away on his own work.
John demands, "Well, how's Willow? Will we need to walk on eggshells around the boss for a few weeks?"
Buffy smiles, "We managed to help her a little before I got the boss to take care of her, so she'll be back when she gets back."
Everyone heaves a sigh of relief, especially the demons, Aglomal grunts, "That's good, I don't have to prepare my wives for my potential death."
Buffy looks surprised, "Wives? How do you survive on the kittens you earn?"
Vhesthine hisses, "Buffy, that's a very personal question."
Aglomal tilts his head in a way that mean's 'it's ok' for his species, "We do not eat Kittens, we use them for trade. Though sometimes they are a nice delicacy. My wives make art, and so I work to get away from the demands of housework."
Buffy nods even though she's not sure of what that means in human terms.
The two of them are about to head upstairs when John looks around, "Where's Roselyn?"
Vhesthine shifts uncomfortably, while Buffy just rips the bandage off, "She got caught up in the cleansing ritual I did on Vhesthine when it went wrong, so we don't know when she came back, or even if she's come back yet. I was apparently sleeping outside when I was found sometime after sunset, so it's probable she woke up at the same time."
Andrew asks, "What, did you time travel?"
Surkos groans, "Don't start, otherwise it will end up like talking to a Rwasundi demon until they think you're trying to insult them and try to kill you."
Buffy frowns, "Eternalism isn't that hard to understand. I mean, sure there are Archimedeans who have spent centuries discussing the finer points of it. However, we all learnt and understood the basics before I was 19."
Vhesthine gives Buffy a very quick exchange, "Buffy dear, humans don't have the ability to learn the way you did."
Andrew and John both gasp, "You're not human?"
Aglomal groans, "What? Like it wasn't obvious? Come on you two, have you ever seen any human pick up metal working as fast as Buffy has? Or, how about the way she sometimes has to think for a second before she reacts to what you say."
Buffy coughs uncomfortably, "Right, I'm going upstairs to raid my snack supply. You can ask me about my humanity another day."
Once upstairs, Vhesthine phones Roselyn while Buffy is raiding her snack supply.
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Roselyn groans as she rolls over in the bed when the phone goes, "Hello?"
There's clear relief in Vhesthine's voice as she says, "You're alive, that's great."
Roselyn groans again, "I am, though it was a close run thing. Tanzar hadn't fed, and you know what they're like."
Roselyn can hear the smile in Vhesthine's voice as she says, "Not personally, no."
"Yeah, well. Hunger, sex, and violence are so closely linked in their species that their mates need to know how to turn it away from hunger."
"I don't understand why you're still with him."
Roselyn smiles, "He's got a wonderful personality when he's fed, and, well, I'm a masochist. So, sex and violence get's very confused in my mind." Vhesthine hums in understanding, "While you're on the phone. I won't be in for a few days as I can't feel my legs yet. Though I can still wiggle my toes, so it's not too bad."
"You do remember that we don't do sick pay."
Roselyn looks up at the ceiling as she falls onto her back, "I remember, but I couldn't lift a teacup, let alone my work. Tanzar's gone hunting, so I'm not going to starve. Even if I might wish I could when he shares his kill with me."
"Look, if you can get into the workshop tomorrow, Buffy can heal you right up."
"Wow, you're being awfully kind considering I'm human."
"To use a human phrase, Buffy has been good for me. In more than one way."
"Hmm, don't go forgetting the bitch queen sex goddess thing you had going on though. As we need that for some of our customers."
"Don't worry, I haven't."
Roselyn's silent for a few seconds, and when the phone isn't hung up, she ventures, "Vhesthine, Razial said I couldn't learn magic. But he could turn me into a succubus."
Neutrally, Vhesthine says, "I see. Dawn's coming in tomorrow. Talk to her about her experiences during your break."
That's when the click brr comes, and Roselyn says, "I guess she didn't want to talk about that."
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After Buffy and Vhesthine leave work, Vhesthine drives round to the Penshaw's to pick Dawn up.
Vhesthine smiles up at Mrs Penshaw as she opens the door, "Good evening, I hope Dawn wasn't any trouble."
Mrs Penshaw smiles, "It was no trouble, though I can see why you've been feeding her before she gets here. The poor girl must be going through a growth spurt."
From inside the house comes a cry of "Vhesthine!" and Mrs Penshaw laughs.
Vhesthine smiles, "Yes, she's reached that age. Thank you for feeding her."
Mrs Penshaw waves her hand, "It was no problem, I let her choose the spices for the burrito's. She picked an odd, but fragrant combination. I think everyone agreed that it was the nicest smelling meal we've had, even if she used too much chilli, and the flavour balance was off."
Vhesthine steps back to brace herself as Dawn launches into her and hugs her, "Vhesthine, you came."
Vhesthine smiles as she deftly turns the attempted feeding into air kisses on the cheeks, "The car's unlocked, I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Aww, but I…" Dawn trails off as Vhesthine smiles up at Janice in the doorway.
"Dawn, say goodbye to your friend."
Reluctantly, Dawn lets go and gives Janice a similar hug, "Thanks for inviting me over."
Mrs Penshaw chuckles good naturedly, "Dawn seems to be so much happier since you turned up. Don't you listen to the likes of that Miss Kroeger from social services. If your relationship with Miss Summers can take a girl as lost as Dawn was, and help her blossom into this, then you must be doing something right."
Vhesthine smiles, "Thank you. I need to get trouble here home as she has an early day tomorrow."
Mrs Penshaw smiles, "Don't let me keep you, as I'd still be talking at midnight. Have a good evening yourself, what's left of it anyway."
Once she gets in the car, Dawn almost launches herself across the divider to grab her, and Vhesthine snaps, "Seat belt Dawn. You can wait a couple more minutes."
Dawn whines, "But I'm so hungry."
Vhesthine puts her own seat belt on, "I know you are Dawn. But your friend is still watching, now wave to them and take your seat."
Dawn pouts as she waves out the window and reluctantly takes her seat. Vhesthine waves too before she starts the car and the internal light switches off.
Less than a minute later, she pulls over around the corner and looks at Dawn in the darkness, "Dawn, I'm going to give you a little bit to tide you over. For more, you'll need to wait until we get home."
Dawn nods eagerly, "I understand."
As they both lean over, and Vhesthine feeds Dawn a little. Dawn squirms on the seat and moans loudly. Pulling back, Vhesthine looks at Dawn critically, "Dawn, how long has that been happening?"
Dawn looks down at the armrest and mumbles, "About a week."
"Dawn, why didn't you tell us?"
"Because I didn't want you to stop feeding me, and send me hunting."
Vhesthine starts the car and begins the drive home, "Dawn, we wouldn't do that to you. All it means is that you're becoming a juvenile succubus. It changes the way I'm going to treat you slightly, as you need to start learning restraint. Especially as your instinct to feed rather than be fed is going to start getting stronger. If we were living in a commune, I'd also be starting to bring home the occasional prey, so that you could practice feeding in a safe place. Don't forget that we are a communal species. It's why so many of us choose to serve powerful humans."
"Buffy said that I have to become human again."
"I know she did, she spoke to me first. I understand why she's doing it, as we can't protect you the way we could if this was a commune. But I believe she told you that you could work to become a succubus again."
Dawn nods morosely, "Yeah, I know. But even if tonight sucked, I think I still prefer being a succubus over being human. I can smell how much Buffy loves me, same with you and Tara. School has been a lot less confusing since I started going as a succubus. I feel more confident and attractive too. What's not to like?"
Vhesthine sighs, "Having to rely on having compatible humans around. Needing to kill humans to survive until you learn sufficient self-control. Being alone in both the demon and human worlds. Being seen purely as a creature of lust and seduction. There are many reasons why someone would choose not to be a succubus."
Dawn frowns as they pull into the driveway, "What do you mean by being alone?"
Vhesthine turns in her seat to face Dawn, "Dawn, I am superhumanly strong, but amongst other demon species, I am so weak I have to use weapons. Humans are prey to me, and so much weaker than me too. My only strength amongst demons is my above average talent for magic. Something that I only had the opportunity to learn properly after I came to the human world. I can't have a meaningful relationship with non-succubae because if I lose control once, I will either kill them, or they will kill me in retaliation."
"But what about Buffy?"
"Do you know why I fed Buffy the first time?"
Dawn shakes her head, "I think you've told me before, but I don't remember."
Dawn shrinks back from the intensity in Vhesthine's gaze and voice as she says, "She had never smelt of lust around me. Not once. At the time, she stunk of anger and fear, and I was afraid that if I didn't do something she would kill me. So I used the only ability I have to affect someone's emotions. I fed her some of my essence."
Dawn looks down at her hands to avoid Vhesthine's eyes, "But being a succubus feels so good and right."
Vhesthine deliberately relaxes back into her seat, "It is. And there's nothing wrong with feeling like that. But you need to understand that Buffy is unique, and very much not human. Oh her body is very much human if you ignore the Slayer thing. But her mind and soul? They're not human. Did you know I've accidentally drained her twice, and the only thing she said about it was to complain about how hard it is to sneak home naked?"
"Why would she need to sneak home nak…ed… Ew, I did not need to know that. No, nope, nine."
Vhesthine chuckles and strokes the back of her hand down Dawn's cheek, "Dawn, if you remain a succubus, you will learn far more about the in's and out's of sex with humans than your human upbringing would ever be comfortable with. You will be watching me seduce a victim, have sex with them, and feed lightly. Then I'll be watching you do the same thing, and giving you tips. Granted, this wouldn't be for a few years yet, and you'd be learning to start and stop feeding the same way we feed you to start with. Also remember that only a month ago you were asking to come and watch me hunt."
Dawn loses control of her human form as she brings her wings over her head in embarrassment. Vhesthine gently strokes one of the fingers of a wing, "This is another reason why we would be doing just that. You cannot lose control of your human form, ever. As an adult succubus you need to be able to sleep as a human, and feed as a human. You must learn how to appear weaker than you are, so that Demons will treat you like a human. At the same time you must learn to be as vicious as the worst of them, to use every opportunity to kill your opponent before they can bring their greater strength to bear. You also need to learn what demons to steer clear of even with all of that, because they will either enslave you, and feed you only enough to live while they slake their carnal urges on your body."
Dawn peers over her wing, "Vhesthine, you're scaring me."
Vhesthine nods, "Good, because you haven't grown up knowing these things. At the hairdressers and spa, I hear human women occasionally talking in hushed voices about the conversations they've had to have with their daughters. About places they shouldn't visit, on how to spot a predator, where to hit a man to give them time to run, the dangers of drinking too much, or leaving their drink unattended. Every single one of them sounds as hurt as I feel having to tell you this. I wish you didn't need to know this stuff, that I could let you grow up as a woman or succubus without fear that your ignorance wouldn't get you hurt or killed later in life. I think all mothers and matriarchs do. Anyway, we should get inside, and then I can feed you a bit more."
Dawn nods, "But I'm still so hungry."
"I know, but I need to hunt as something happened and it's like I've only had one moderate meal in at least a week."
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Buffy gets to the Doublemeat Burger Palace just before it closes for the night, it been a weekday.
As she walks up to the counter, she can see Tara standing there disconsolately, "Hey Tara."
Tara looks up from her thousand yard stare, "Oh, hey Buffy. What can I get you?"
"Can I have two medley meals and four medley burgers to go please?"
Tara looks behind her, "Uh, we've shut down the grills and fryer already, I can do four medley burgers, and we have one portion of fries. We still have a portion of nuggets, one classic burger, and one cheese burger."
Buffy smiles, "I'll take all of those then. Are you alright?"
Tara nods, "I'm fine, I've just been on the till for the last hour while everyone else cleans down their stations before leaving. Manny's going to close the store in a few minutes, and then I'm cleaning down the service counter and the public areas of the restaurant."
Buffy smiles, "Don't forget you can cheat, and use up some of your void energy."
Tara smiles, "Not out here I can't, security cameras."
Buffy shrugs, "Do the toilets first."
Tara hands over the paper bag with Buffy's order, "I'll think about it. Enjoy your meal, and don't forget the seating area is closed now."
Buffy nods, "Thank you, I'm going to swing round to the south cemetery first, so that I can bin my rubbish when I cross back to the north side."
Tara smiles, "I'll see you when I get home then."
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Buffy hums happily when she gets past the northeast cemetery, and into the woods. The large amount of food having restored most of the reserves she fed Vhesthine earlier.
As she's walking along the ridge of the woods, three cloaked figures appear out of nowhere and start screaming at her. Their skin showing clear ridges, while their eyes were pearlescent black.
Unimpressed, Buffy puts her hands on her hips, "Look, I'm sorry I don't speak your language. I do speak plenty of others, though the only language on this world that I know is English."
The one in front of her raises it's arms threateningly, so Buffy shakes her head, "Look, I'm here for the same reason you are. If you want a fight, I want a fight. If you want to kill me, I want to kill you."
While she's talking a young woman runs screaming in between them, before collapsing to one side. As if that's a trigger, the three demons start to attack Buffy. Only for Spike to jump on the back of the one on the left.
With her right hand, Buffy draws her dagger at the same time as she lowers her left hand, "Spike, would you just get out of here. You almost got yourself killed."
As she dodges to one side of a badly telegraphed punch, she has to throw herself backwards as Spike throws a quick jab at the place one of the demons was a second before hand.
Stabbing out, Buffy catches one of the demons in the shoulder, "Spike, I mean it!"
Confused, Spike replies, "Mean what?"
Stabbing out with her dagger, the demon she's facing moves to one side, and she hears a scream from the civilian as her dagger neatly goes through the demons cloak.
Cursing, Buffy raises her left hand, and Spike lets go of the demon he's fighting only to get hit in the back, "Right fine, I'm going."
Buffy rolls her eyes as she activates void snare, and the three demons are pulled together. Quickly dispatching each one with her dagger, she ignores Spike as he curses her for almost stabbing her.
As whatever effect they're causing ends, Spike whirls around at Buffy, "What the hell was that?"
Buffy turns back to him, "That, using words you might understand, was time fuckery as bad as any I've experienced or caused when fighting Protea, or as Protea depending. At least they weren't reversing time as well. That was annoying when I had to face that, as I had to make her suffer acausal damage."
"You lost me after time fuckery love, I want to know why you almost stabbed me."
"Spike, I didn't almost stab you, I had to abort a dodge when you tried to attack a demon that had already moved. Same as the civilian ran through the fight, probably because she didn't know it had moved there. Now, which way did she go?"
"Why are you asking me?"
"Because I was too busy fighting the demons and also keeping you alive. Why did you even jump in? I almost had them handled."
Spike runs after her as Buffy heads down the hill, "You're having a go at me for trying to help you?"
"Yes I'm having a go at you. Because of you, that fight lasted far longer than it had to, and a civilian may be dead."
"Why are you blaming me for that?"
Buffy crouches down beside a young woman that's lying motionless on the floor while activating Mending Soul, she then touches the young woman before briefly glowing golden, "Because, rather than help me find her, you've been confronting me. You prevented me from using my beam attack, and your involvement actively made the fight last longer. Also, this person is dead. But there's no blood, so she wasn't stabbed and bled out."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Buffy ignores him as she pulls out her cell phone and dials 911.
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Before the fight takes place, in a nearby black van, Jonathan puts down his didgeridoo tiredly, "It's done, I've sent them after Buffy."
Warren smiles, "Great, Andrew, you're up."
Jonathan frowns as Andrew transforms into a slightly familiar young woman, "Andrew, what are you doing?"
"Making Buffy think she killed her."
Jonathan jumps out of the back door of the van and looks back at the two of them aghast, "You're using me to help you cover up a murder? Nope, nadda, not happening, I'm out. You are not pitting me against her, or her fucking boss."
Andrew looks back at Warren, "What are we going to do?"
Warren looks at Andrew, "First of all, you have to catch up with them and make Buffy think she hit you. Then we can think about Jonathan once that's done and she's found the body."
A few minutes later, Andrew clambers back into the van holding her side, "She stabbed me, she fucking stabbed me!"
As Andrew releases the transformation spell, the stab wound slowly disappears, and Warren sneers, "Oh shut up you big baby."
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Closing her phone and putting it away, Buffy stands up and cleans her dagger off with a Doublemeat napkin, "What were you doing here anyway?"
Spike scoffs, "What, a guy can't hang around near his home now?"
Buffy puts her hands on her hips and stares at him, "Spike, this is you we're talking about. You've been stalking me since October."
Spike invades Buffy's space, "And it's obviously worked. I knew you wanted me, and look at what you did earlier. Didn't you say I tasted of whiskey?"
"Spike, I was high on magic, and you really believe that I wanted it?"
"Well, with the way you kept going, even after little Spike gave up on me."
Buffy laughs, "Oh, Spike, as if you could ever be more than a happy meal on legs. Especially without a soul so we don't have to be careful. A little bit of bouncy bouncy and you're ready to pop, and slurp down like a cheap drink from a liquor store."
Spike grabs her roughly and presses his mouth to her lips, before leaning back and saying, "Like you're not asking for it, dressed like that. What happened to your jeans? Too confining for you?"
Buffy pushes him away roughly, "The police will be here soon."
Spike laughs, "At night, in the woods? It will be at least 30 minutes, if they don't wait until daybreak. So, no need to be shy."
Buffy narrows her eyes angrily, "Is that so?"
Spike nods, "Plenty of time for a quicky."
Buffy give a smile that has no hint of love, lust, or desire in it, "If you're sure."
Spike leans back and undoes his fly, "What do you think love?"
Buffy's smile turns cruel, "I think you asked for this." Then she kisses him and feeds him a wisp of essence, with the accompanying moan from Spike. Taking Little Spike in her hand, she carefully alternates between trying to feed, and feeding Spike small amounts of essence until he twitches and she's able to drink long and deeply of his essence.
Once she's unable to draw anymore out of him, she gives him a satisfied smile and stands up, "You're right, there was plenty of time for a quicky."
As she walks over to her purse, Spike calls after her, "Buffy, I can't move, you have to help me out here!"
Reaching into her purse, Buffy pulls out the crumpled carboard cup that held her second sprite, that she was going to throw away at home. After putting her hand inside to open it up again, she uses her dagger to slice open her forearm, and allow half a cup of blood to pool in the bottom of the paper cup. The straw and plastic lid complete the container, and she chucks it on the floor near Spike.
Turning to walk away, she looks over her shoulder, "There you go Spike, and don't say I never give you anything. Oh, and you were delicious."
Spike shouts after her, "See, I knew you liked me!"
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Once Manny locks the doors, he turns back to Tara, and in his monotone says, "Thank you for staying. I'm going to clean up the Grinder and then do some work in the office. I'll call you once I'm finished."
Tara nods, before making her way to get the cleaning supplies, and head into the toilets. Deciding to start with the mens, Tara gags as she opens the door. A muttered spell clears the air so that she can breath without trying to choke. Walking in, she turns around to look at the back of the door, to see that the sheet that's supposed to be replaced every week is not only full, but has been for at least a month. Bracing herself, she casts cleaning spells at the floor, walls, and ceiling, to reveal white tiles under the yellow of cigarette smoke that coated every surface. As she makes her way past the single sink, that has limescale caking the plug hole, the asthmatic electric hand dryer, and the metal urinal that takes up half of the wall opposite the cubicles; she discovers the first of the two cubicles, with swollen cigarette butts floating in the water. Investigating the second cubicle reveals it to be full of paper and a brown substance she really doesn't want to concentrate on.
Deciding that, despite her misgivings, Buffy was probably right to suggest using magic. Tara moves to the centre of the room and starts to sketch out a sigil with magic while chanting a spell for purity, cleanliness, and a general purging of bad energies. As she finishes the spell, she leaves the mens and walks into the women's while the spell does its job.
In the women's the situation seems better on the surface, the place doesn't stink and the walls and floor look clean, until she realises that the yellow colour running around the top of the walls, and the ceiling, isn't a design choice, it's just as high as whoever did this job before her could reach. Checking the back of the door, she can see this toilet was last cleaned two weeks ago.
Frowning, she stares at the second sheet of paper below the cleaning sign off. Then it dawns on her that it's the name that appears on many of the sanitary bins, and they haven't been for around a month, where prior to that, they came every week. Swallowing hard, Tara decides to forgo looking in the cubicles and straight to using magic to clean and purify the toilets. With both spells doing their work, Tara begins practicing pulling the void around her.
Half an hour later, both spells have finished, and Tara is starting to get concerned that Manny hasn't come to find her. Making her way out of the toilets, she heads towards the back and is about to call out when she hears something clattering. Looking behind her, she realises that her only way out of the store is either through the locked doors, or it's through the back doors.
Having been around the scoobie gang for far too long, Tara casts around for something she could use as a weapon, until her eyes settle on the knife they use for slicing the tomatoes, lettuce, and onions. Cautiously making her way through the door between the kitchen and the back areas of the restaurant, she's surprised when something sprays her in the face.
Spinning around, she woosily leans against the doorframe. As she does, the old lady from earlier smiles at her as a snake head slithers out of the top of her skull, "Oh my, I have a double treat tonight. And you're so young and tender."
Tara slowly lifts the knife as the lady casually reaches down and takes it from her, "Don't worry, it's just the poison slowly paralysing you. Normally, I like my meals to marinade in Doublemeat Burgers for a couple of weeks, but I can't pass it up when one drops into my lap now can I."
Tara raises her hand and begins the chant for a spell to immobilise the demon, when its snakelike head darts out and rips out her throat. As Tara slowly collapses to floor, the demon wags its finger, "Uh huh, no magic. Now look what you've made me do, so much more cleaning up. I usually prefer to drink your blood first before I start to eat you."
As Tara falls to her side, her vision greying due to blood loss, she spots the knife on the floor behind the demon. Using her oldest magical skill, she pulls the blade towards her with telekinesis and slams it into the things neck, nearly completely severing it from the body. As it thrashes around in its death throes, Tara's last thought is, 'at least I took you with me!'
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Tara gasps as she wakes up in her bed at Buffy's house, her hands flying to her throat. Eyes wide with panic, she falls out of the bed and staggers through the door into the hall, where Vhesthine finds her as she walks out of Buffy's bedroom, naked.
"Tara, you're home?"
With wild eyes, Tara gasps, "Snake lady, throat, I died."
From inside the bedroom, Buffy calls, "It's ok Tara, you just died. I'm just coming."
A couple of minutes later, Tara is being held by both Buffy and Vhesthine on their bed as she chokes out the story of her last 5 minutes. As she finishes, Buffy looks up at Vhesthine, "Would giving her essence help her the way it did me?"
Vhesthine nods, "It should do, I'll do it."
Tara is barely able to understand what's happening through her distress and panic, so when the taste of something indescribable, followed by a feeling of warmth usually associated with Willow floods through her body, she's entirely unprepared for it.
Touching her lips, she looks at Vhesthine in wonder, "What was that?"
Buffy draws her attention by saying, "Worry about that later. Vhesthine, grab your cell phone and call 911, you were driving to pick Tara up from work when she ran in front of you. It's taken this long to calm her down enough to understand her, then hand over the phone to Tara. Tara, you're sure it's dead?"
Tara nods trying to come to terms with her sudden change in emotions, "I-I am."
While Vhesthine's talking on the phone, Tara can feel the brief emotional high already starting to recede, and she starts to shake from the effects of adrenaline and cortisol in her body. By the time the phone is passed to her, she doesn't need to fake the quaver in her voice, "Hello?... Yes, Tara McLay. I started at Doublemeat Burger Palace today… I-I'd just finished cleaning the toilets… I don't know what I saw, but I threw one of the knives at it and ran… I-I live with her… 1630 Revello Drive… Oh goddess, I'm going to be sick." Vhesthine calmly hands Tara a towel to vomit onto, while Buffy strokes her hair.
Vhesthine speaks into the phone, "This is Vhesthine, I've just pulled over, and Tara is leaning out of the door… Buffy and I visited earlier when she told us she was working late… Yes, her manager was supposed to be there too… I'll bring her by in the next couple of days… Thank you I'll let her know… Goodbye."
Once she hangs up, Vhesthine sags onto the bed next to Tara and Buffy, "Tara, you did well tonight. Nothing that you knew then could have allowed you to do any better than you did. And you made sure that that thing couldn't kill anymore innocents."
Buffy hugs Tara from behind, "Let's go downstairs and make you a hot chocolate while I put the towel on to wash. We won't leave you alone tonight, or tomorrow if you need us."
Tara bursts into tears and Vhesthine grabs the corners of the towel as Tara turns to hug Buffy and cry into her shoulder.
Over the next hour, either Buffy or Vhesthine are holding her while she cries and sips her hot chocolate. Then, somehow, she ends up in her bed sandwiched between both of them, and using one of Vhesthine's wings as a blanket.
[An: for reference, this is the temporal ability of Protea in game wiki/Temporal_Anchor and some of the in-game theories of time wiki/Theories_of_Time]