I just wanted to thank everyone for their wonderful comments. So glad to give you all a new story that you're not only enjoying, but excited about. I've been trying my best to make sure there wouldn't be any timeline mistakes (very hard since it's a time travel fic) as well as no unrealistic storyline ties. Well, at least not unrealistic for the Buffyverse.

Thanks for the positive comments. Laragh thanks again for being my soundboard buddy!

I just have all these different plans in my head to not only give both W/T their rightful happy end, but also to give them and the scoobies an expansive journey filled with opportunities and re bonding. There's also lots of angst. Life can suck, but…. Also, regular scooby antics….. cheers.

Chapter 9~

It was late morning when the clean up crew came back from their assignment. The apartment was silent from outside the door, so Buffy had signaled for everyone to be quiet before Xander opened it. Faith was asleep. Instead of the completely unconscious form that didn't move, she was curled under a blanket and a slight snore could be heard. Somehow, it made Buffy chuckle knowing that Faith snored.

Buffy moved to the spare room, finding Tara's head laid on the edge of the bed just to the side of Willow and she still held her hand in a firm grip. The dry streaks on her face signaling to the Slayer that she had been crying more. Before she could move out of the room, blue eyes startled her by fluttering open, slowly landing on her hazel ones, "Buffy?"

Dawn's voice was low and a bit raspy from coming to, but Buffy heard it loud and clear. She immediately went to her sister's side, grabbing the bottle of water from beside her. She guessed Tara had lovingly thought to bring it in for when Dawn had awoken. She opened it quickly before looking to Dawn to make sure she even wanted the water.

Dawn nodded slightly, and then winced at the pain that the slight movement brought. Buffy, very carefully, lifted her sister's head a little, before tipping the bottle. After a few gulps, Dawn gave the signal to stop, Buffy laid her head back down gently. The Slayer didn't really know what to say, how to start. She also knew Dawn was in pain and probably still exhausted, so she stuck with something easy, "How are you feeling?"

"Ow," came her clumsy reply, before becoming serious, "You're here, Buffy. I'm so happy you're here." Dawn gasped out.

Buffy realized quickly that Dawn had not seen Tara or even Willow, having woken in the dark, too much in pain to move, "You don't remember Xander's spare room?" she spoke softly and gave an encouraging smile as Dawn's eyes moved to take in the room with light from the open doorway.

"I didn't mean leaving me alone in a room, Buffy. You're alive. You're next to me," her baby blues were sparkling with unshed tears.

"You're right, I'm here now, and we wouldn't leave you alone like this, Dawn. Tara's been here for you and Willow the whole time," Buffy, too, had to try hard not to cry.

"What?!" Dawn yelled immediately sitting up and regretting the decision after bolts of pain made way through her body. Though she didn't know it yet, every bruise and cut she'd gotten in the last years, every inch she grew, every last headache, muscle cramp, and sprained anything; they were all still catching up with her and trying to heal at lightening pace. Eight years of injuries and growth needed some time. Dawn was finding this out first hand as she cried out in pain. If Buffy hadn't been there, she'd have rolled onto the floor.

Giles came rushing in to check on the noise, the cry from the room had been loud enough to wake Faith. Tara's head popped up in panic at the same time, her eyes slightly red from falling asleep crying.

"Buffy, what on earth? Are you alright?" Giles asked, looking towards Tara's startled expression before taking in Dawn's upright positon next to Buffy, "Dawn. Goodness. You're awake."

"Whoa, there Dawn. Careful. You're past body has to catch up with your future body. You're feeling eight years of ouch," Buffy sat down on the bed and lovingly pushed her hand through the hair that had fallen from the ponytail, leaning Dawn's head gently against her shoulder. The comfort was worth the extra pain of the slight movement as Dawn took deep breaths against her sister's shoulder. Her eyes closed to keep the dizziness at bay.

Tara was now sitting up straight, worried about the painful cry Dawn had released, "A-are you ok, Dawnie?"

Dawn's mind was whirling. She heard Giles, was being embraced by Buffy. Things she had, at least, been somewhat prepared for in the short time during the battle and again in the small bit of consciousness she had achieved under the tree. She remembered then, the carving, the picture. Tara was alive. Willow had not only brought them back all the way to Sunnydale, but before the war even started. She registered that Tara was talking to her; she had to focus, and breathe. Her every word painfully strained as she tried to keep herself from crying, "Um, just got ahead of myself. I think I'll just chill on my comfortable, sister shaped pillow for a minute. Is that really you, Tara?"

Tara's heart was breaking for Dawn, and overwhelmed with how much it seemed that she was missed by the young woman. Her mind quickly detoured back to her earlier conversation with Faith. She had put aside yet another comment the Dark Slayer had made, 'before they lost you'. It was clear to her, and probably all of the current time scoobies, that they had all died. For Buffy, a third time. Even clearer that she, and from Faith's surprise this morning, Anya, were earlier deaths. Not within the confines of the three years the exhausted women believed they would travel back.

Once again shoving down her own thoughts and emotions for the moment, she gave Dawn as strong a voice as she could manage, "I'm here, sweetie. We all are. Xander and Anya are just in the living room with Faith, and Melody. Though, M-melody hasn't woken up yet. Willow's even been right beside you this whole time." She hoped she wasn't lying about Xander and Anya. She had assumed they returned with Buffy and Giles.

At this, Dawn's heart filled with both relief and sadness. Tara didn't know how true it was that Willow hadn't left her side. She gave a painful chuckle, still trying to not cry, "Oh God. No board games. Anya tries to sell her children in 'The Game of Life'."

Giles expression changed from his gentle concern to a horrified confusion as Anya could be heard complaining again, this time just outside the door, "What's wrong with that? There were lots of women I knew in my vengeance years that couldn't have babies! They'd have loved to buy a child. Plus, they were plastic pieces that looked nothing like children anyway."

"Would anyone hold it against me for saying I actually missed 'Anya speak'?" Dawn questioned, tears finally broke through and were sliding down her face, "And even more, Tara saying 'Sweetie'."

Everyone inside the room smiled sadly, as Buffy decided to answer, "No, Dawn. We won't hold it against you," she said before turning her voice to a whisper that even Tara barely heard, "Though we may have to check for brain damage because of the Anya comment." Buffy glanced at Tara wearing a sad smirk. Her hand was softly combing through loose strands of Dawn's hair, trying to soothe her sister, while also attempting to hold in her own feelings and questions. This wasn't a good time for that.

Xander and Anya were just outside the door listening to things unfold. They didn't want to overwhelm Dawn, so Xander took Anya's hand and they moved toward the kitchen, starting the process of lunch for everyone. Of course, this meant pulling take out menus from a drawer and deciding where to order from.

Faith had somehow made her way up on shaky legs and to the doorway where all the commotion was. Startling Giles, she checked on Dawn, "You cool, D?" Tara and Buffy joined Giles, turning to look at her in surprise. She was leaning heavily against the wooden doorframe, nothing but concern in her eyes, "What? My emotional stupidity ain't as bad as it use to be. I care about Red and D just like everyone else here."

"I think it was more so the standing and w-walking, Faith. You look like you're about to fall over," Tara filled in, at least, her reason for the look she had given to the dark Slayer.

Dawn slowly backed her forehead from her sister's shoulder, wincing as her head gave an extra hard throb, "Ouch. I'm good, Faith. Just full of that old fashioned scooby 'beat to a pulp' feeling. Are you ok?"

"Five by Five, D. Feelin' the burn myself, but it's coolin'," Faith gave Dawn a wink and a smirk, "We get to re experience all our sick battle scars and throw downs at super speed. Ain't it grand?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow at her, obviously not happy, as she tried to lay herself back down with Buffy's aid. She was still crying a bit, though more from being overwhelmed with happiness that her family was back. She caught Tara's loving smile as the witch went into 'mom' mode, "You need to rest, Dawnie."

"Yeah, we'll be moving all of you to the house soon. Just had to do some clean up," Buffy filled in, covering Dawn back up, "You get to be back in your own room."

At this, Dawn's eyes widened, "Wow." She was going to be back in the room she hadn't seen in, like, six years. In her mother's house, "Wait, what are we gonna do about high school? I'm a little old to look like a high school student anymore."

Buffy's eyes went wide at all the issues this particular point was going to raise, but before a full blown Summers girls panic could start, Tara intervened again, "It's not important r-right now. We can claim you're sick for a few days, then we have the weekend and next week is Thanksgiving. You're off most the week anyway. We will figure it out."

"T's right, we'll get ya straight. B can probably just pick up your homework or whatever. At least you only gotta figure out school. What the fuck do I tell the cops?" Faith let out a chuckle, "I just went out for a party, prison got cramped. I ended up in a time warp."

At this Dawn chuckled, and Faith gave a proud smirk at getting the younger woman to smile a bit again.

Buffy watched the entire interaction, confused and a little jealous. She didn't like that Faith had any kind of relationship with Dawn, especially after the danger her darker counterpart had put her mother and sister through in the past. Even before Faith went to prison, Dawn thought she was the coolest, and it bugged Buffy to no end.

She understood on a logical level that Faith and Dawn now had years together that she didn't know about, and possibly wasn't a part of. She also knew that Dawn was probably alive, on some level, because of the dark Slayer. It didn't stop her from feeling anger at the situation or the obvious new comradery the two shared, "Well, let's just get you guys feeling better first. We'll figure out later. Like Tara said, we can buy some time. Faith, let's get you back to the chair before you fall over."

With the exit of the Slayers, Dawn, who was now slightly elevated instead of lying flat, slowly glanced over to Willow. Then she let her eyes land on Tara, "You guys seem to know a good bit of what's going on already. Did Faith fill you in?"

"Anya was able to tell us what was happening to you guys, Faith just filled us…. I m-mean me, in on a little bit of why. Everyone else was cleaning your house. The spell caused a surge, breaking all the l-lightbulbs," Tara knew Dawn wouldn't just drop off back to sleep. She was going to ask questions, so it was best to answer a couple before insisting she rest. Older or not, Tara guessed that she would still be just as stubborn as she was as a teenager. Surviving a war definitely wouldn't change that. She maybe even more stubborn then before.

Dawn still couldn't believe Tara was here, talking to her. Her eyes went sad, as she looked back down to Willow's still unconscious form, "Do you know…? I mean, did Anya or Faith…?" She couldn't get the words out, her eyes once again releasing sad tears. In her confusion and daze after the spell, she had forgotten the biggest complication and why it was vetoed. Now facing Willow with more clarity, she remembered all too well.

"Yes. W-willow's in a c-coma. Anya had that p-particular d-detail," Tara took a deep breath. She needed to be strong for Dawn, "Um.. Faith has been quite vocal about her anger t-towards the situation though. Definitely isn't a secret. She also said s-something…" She shook her head, now wasn't the time to cave into her worry and fear, Dawn needed rest.

Dawn knew better though, and being older now, knew that she might be able to get Tara to open up, "What did she say, Tara? It's alright, you know. I'm not a kid. In fact, I'm officially older than you. Respect your elders." She smirked, though it didn't reach her eyes. She suspected Faith may have said something about Tara's death, or the incidents after. Not an easy conversation, and one that should be told by Willow, except Willow couldn't tell it.

Tara raised an eyebrow and gave the scolding look she always got when Dawn didn't want to do her homework, "You were just worried about high school. Respect your elders, my ass."

"Come on, Tara. I know something is bothering you, other than the obvious time travel thing," Dawn scrunched her eyebrows, "What did Faith say?"

Tara locked sapphire to baby blue, somehow seeing the growth Dawn had gone through, "She, um, said Willow was in a b-bad place for awhile? That she wasn't W-willow? She also m-mentioned her being s-stabbed, her h-heart s-stopping, and y-you s-saving her with something I t-taught you. She wouldn't tell me m-much. Plus she's exhausted. So are you."

"She wasn't there," Dawn involuntarily shuttered. Dark Willow seemed like a horrid nightmare now, compared to the Willow currently next to her, "At least not for the first thing you mentioned. I…." She sighed, "I wanna tell you, Tara. I do, but I also really don't. She wasn't herself, and it shouldn't define who she's become, and all that she's done before it and since. I forgave her. I still love her. She's still Willow to me, and the circumstances that led to all of those events…" Dawn couldn't continue, not right now.

Tara gave her an understanding smile and brought back 'momma Tara', "It's alright, sweetie. You need some rest. Especially since we'll be moving you all soon. Now close your eyes, get some sleep."

-x-

Tara exit the room not long after their chat, giving Dawn no excuse not to fall asleep. The rest of the gang was at the table each digging into Chinese takeout. Faith was even partaking in a small plate someone must have brought to her chair. She sat down with everyone at the table, giving them all a tight smile, "I had to get tough on Dawnie. She wouldn't go to sleep."

"Oh, momma Tara resolve face. Only face that contends with Willow's resolve face," Buffy stated before grabbing for another container.

Xander nodded, "Not for the weak of heart to disobey," he said through a mouth full of food, "or the strong of heart. Even Buffy can hardly say no to you two when you use it."

They all gave a half hearted chuckle before falling into an awkward silence, unsure of what to discuss. It didn't seem appropriate to talk about the possible why's for the situation, as Faith was awake and listening in.

They were each very interested in their own plate when a very familiar voice disrupted the quiet, and while almost none of them knew why, the energy in the room seemed to become negatively charged. Buffy and Faith's Slayer senses were at full throttle as Willow, herself, stood by the balcony door, "Well, isn't this just peachy and keen? Everyone's just sittin' here like nothin' happened. Buffy! Look at you, with the whole aliveness! Just can't seem to get rid of you. You pesky Slayer," she wiggled a finger towards Buffy, before turning her now black eyes towards Tara, "And baby, what am I supposed to do, now? You didn't even give me a chance to REALLY show you what I'm capable of."

While the group at the table was stunned into silence, Faith immediately jumped up, ready for her seemingly millionth round of 'Fuck with their heads', "Get the fuck out of here!"

-x-