"You think there's another me wandering around and it's my power concentrated." Xander summed up what Tara had just told him. "And you have evidence that Buffy, Giles and Willow are under a memory spell, one that's made them forget everything I've done to help with the Slaying."
"Yes, we discovered the memory spell after I told them Willow had told me how you led the students in the battle against the Mayor and built the bomb used to kill him. Willow didn't remember telling me that."
"And Buffy thinks it started back during the Jhe thing, when she decided I should be fray adjacent. In fact it wasn't until the battle against the Mayor that she was willing to let me help again. When I got back from my road trip I thought things would go back the way they'd been before. Instead it's been months of struggle to get them to include me."
"Because the spell makes them forget what you can do and have done." Tara finished.
"Okay, but I've got a problem with that explanation."
"Like what?"
"How did Willow remember I'd helped at graduation and then forget about it if this all started a year ago when the Jhe's were trying to end the world?"
"Spells degrade, Xander, they need to be recast or fed more power to keep them going."
"Okay, that makes sense. But Tara, as far as I know, I don't have any power, anything to be split off from me."
"The demon that attacked Buffy thought you were protecting her, the demon believed you had power." Tara reminded him. "And someone cast a spell on Willow and the others to make them forget everything you've contributed to Buffy's Calling. Whoever that someone is, they believe you have something that makes you a problem for them. Just because you don't know what that is, doesn't make it any less real."
"Huh, and here I thought my superpower was being a demon magnet and screwing up my relationships."
Tara put her hand on his arm. "The fears you believe cost you your relationship with Cordelia are very real, Xander, you and I both know that. Our conversations have helped us both begin to face those fears. I wouldn't have the relationship Willow and I are building if you hadn't helped me begin to deal with them."
Xander gently touched her hand. "If I'd been willing to talk to Cordelia more about them the Fluke would never have happened." Reminding her of his belief that the incident with Willow had been because of his fears. "And even though she was talking to me by the time we graduated, she still left Sunnydale without telling me or giving me contact information. Obviously she can't forgive me and I'm having a hard time forgiving myself. And than there's Faith, I still don't know what happened there, but I know she was hurting and needing help and I tried to help her. And I liked her too and that got so messed up."
"Can you leave work, come with me to the Magic Box so we can try to figure this out?"
"Yeah, Saturday's only a half day anyway. I get off in an hour, you mind waiting?"
"I'm your bodyguard until this is solved." Smiled at him.
"Than I'm in safe hands." He grinned back. "You'll have to stay outside the construction zone, over here and out of the way."
"I don't mind, I can see everything from here." She assured him as he returned to work.
Meanwhile Whitelighter Xander and Faith had arrived at the Magic Box, the viewing pool had showed them that that was where they'd find Buffy and the others.
"Stay behind me." He told her.
"And have them think I've got a knife held to your back? They don't trust me and think they have good reason. It might be best if we walk in together."
"Alright, unless I go in alone and try to explain things first."
"No, I'm not hiding." Faith insisted. "We go in together."
"You're as stubborn as your counterpart." Whitelighter Xander said fondly. "'Course, whenever I point that out to her, she reminds me that I'm just as stubborn. Alright, together." He agreed and the two of them headed for the front entrance. "Something's happened." Whitelighter Xander pointed at the front door, which was clearly damaged. "Someone may be hurt." He moved more quickly and Faith stayed with him. The two entered and the three people sitting at the table looked up and saw them standing at the door. The figure in the containment circle howled.
Both groups did a double take, Whitelighter Xander and Faith registering a second Buffy in the containment circle and the three sitting at the table registering Faith. Two things happened, Willow snarled in fury and gathered Magic to her and before anyone could stop her, used telekinesis to throw one of Giles' display knives at her.
The second thing was Whitelighter Xander responding by grabbing Faith, orbing across the room and materializing behind Willow. He released Faith and grabbed Willow. "Okay, calm down so we can talk!"
"What are you doing with that murderous skank?!" Willow hissed, struggling in the tight embrace. "And why isn't she still in a coma?! And how did you do that? Is that the power we've forgotten you have?"
He'd forgotten how much Willow could talk on a single breath of air, but than she'd been dead for years back home. "Calm down and I'll explain everything and don't you dare attack her again, Willow. She's not responsible for what you think she did and I can prove it."
Willow stopped struggling and Whitelighter Xander carefully let her go. "Explain." She demanded and Whitelighter Xander began telling them everything he knew about it.