THE POWER OF THREE
PART TWELVE
By DragonWriter17
Rating: PG-13 through Part 10, R after that (for language)
Disclaimer: All of the materials borrowed from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to Joss Whedon and to the entities and companies associated with their creation. I have borrowed them for creative and entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been or ever shall be received for the writing below. No copyright infringement is intended.
My Website: http://www.oocities.org/dragonwriter17/
Feedback: Yes, but only if it’s of the non-flamey variety: DragonWriter17@aol.com
Distribution: The Mystic Muse, Near Her Always (If you are interested in posting my story on your site, please contact me first for permission.)
Spoilers: The end of BtVS Season 4’s “Wild At Heart” and beyond.
Pairings: Willow/Buffy/Tara
Author’s Notes: I have kept to the BtVS/Angel canon in some ways, borrowing directly from aired episodes; however, I have also made significant changes: deleting certain storylines, moving some, changing others, as well as adding some completely original plots. You may want to read my stand-alone story “Out Of Shadow Into Light,” which tells my version of Tara’s life prior to her arrival in Sunnydale; it is the backstory for Tara for this series.
Number of Chapters: 13
Complete: 1-12
Series Summary: After Oz leaves Sunnydale, Willow turns to best friend, Buffy, and new friend, Tara, for comfort, resulting in a remarkable new relationship for all three. Amidst the daily dangers of life on the Hellmouth, the three women forge bravely ahead, unaware that their relationship has been predestined.
Chapter Summary: : While stuck in the Wishverse, Buffy and Tara deal with their feelings for each other. The White Hats’ plan to defeat the Master does not go as expected. Back in “real” Sunnydale, Willow resorts to questionable methods in her search for a way to bring Buffy and Tara back.
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PART ONE PART TWO PART THREE PART FOUR PART FIVE
PART SIX PART SEVEN PART EIGHT PART NINE
PART TEN PART ELEVEN PART TWELVE PART THIRTEEN
PART TWELVE A
When Tara’s tears had subsided, Buffy released her arms, and Tara backed away a bit. She didn’t get far, though, before Buffy kissed her warmly. When she pulled out of the kiss, Buffy brushed a lock of Tara’s hair off her face and looked into Tara’s eyes. She wanted Tara, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but she didn’t know if Tara felt the same. She waited, allowing Tara to make the next move.
Tara returned Buffy’s gaze. She knew that Buffy wanted her, and she knew that she felt the same desire for the Slayer. But she worried about Willow, what she would think. When Tara thought of Willow, she frowned and looked away, pained by their separation. More than anything, Tara wanted to feel connected. She looked back at Buffy, who now shared her frown. Tara smiled and touched Buffy’s cheek. Then she leaned in, kissed Buffy back, and let their mutual desire take over.
* * *
As Faith walked down the hallway, she shrugged her shoulders, trying unsuccessfully to release the tension in her upper body. When she got to Buffy and Tara’s room, she stopped. She rested her hands against both sides of the jamb and leaned in to listen.
“Just couldn’t believe it, could you?”
Faith jumped at the voice, angry with herself for letting someone sneak up on her.
“Just couldn’t believe that Buffy would prefer Tara over you,” Vamp Willow continued.
“Shut up,” Faith said, stepping away from the doorway and turning to face the vampire.
“Oh, god…Buffy!” Tara cried out through the bedroom door.
Hearing Tara’s cry of passion, Vamp Willow smirked. “Well, I guess that settles that, doesn’t it?”
Faith didn’t answer; she simply glared.
Vamp Willow moved closer to Faith, easing into her personal space, pinning her against the wall. Vamp Willow dragged her finger down Faith’s arm.
“Buffy’s not gonna be here after tomorrow,” the vampire said in a sultry voice. “Why waste time with her anyway?”
Faith was breathing hard. She made no move to get away.
Vamp Willow touched Faith’s cheek and brushed her fingertips along the Slayer’s jaw line. Then, ever so slowly, she trailed her fingers down Faith’s neck and chest.
“Stop it,” Faith said as the vampire approached her cleavage.
“Make me,” Vamp Willow replied.
Then Faith did just that. She grabbed Vamp Willow’s wrists, twisted them behind her back, and slammed her against the opposite wall. Vamp Willow looked surprised at first, but then she just smiled. She started to make a smartass comment, but found her words cut off when Faith kissed her hard. Vamp Willow kissed her back. Faith released Willow’s wrists, and the two immediately tangled into a heated embrace, stumbling along the wall until they finally fell against the door to Vamp Willow’s room. Still kissing and groping, they opened the door and went inside.
Once the door was shut again, Faith found herself slammed against it, her wrists held behind her back in a reversal of how Faith had held Vamp Willow earlier. Vamp Willow held the Slayer firmly in place and raked her eyes along her body, grinning seductively. Then she leaned in and nuzzled her way to Faith’s neck. She began planting soft kisses along her neck. When the kisses became gentle nips, Faith began panting and squirming. Vamp Willow smiled to herself, released Faith’s arms, and backed a step away.
With her chest heaving, Faith stood in place at the door for a moment. Then she straightened and regained her breath. She locked eyes with Vamp Willow and moved in her direction, backing her towards the bed. When she had forced the vampire to the edge of the mattress, she stopped. Faith eyed the redhead hungrily. Then she shoved the vampire onto the bed.
As the Slayer leapt upon her, Vamp Willow grinned to herself. It’s going to be a long night, she thought. A gloriously long night. Let the games begin!
* * *
The next morning, when Buffy woke up, she found Tara already awake and staring at her wistfully. Buffy sent Tara a smile.
“Mornin’,” Tara said, returning Buffy’s smile. “Sleep good?”
“Mmmm…sleep good,” Buffy grunted in her Cave-Slayer voice. “Buffy like sleep.” Buffy scooted over and nuzzled into Tara’s hair at the crook of her neck. “Mmmm…Buffy like Tara.”
When Buffy growled and nipped Tara on her neck, she sent the blonde witch into a fit of giggles, which only fueled the Slayer into planting similar bites elsewhere. Soon, the two of them were in complete hysterics. After a time, they fell back onto the bed together, exhausted from laughing so hard.
“That was fun,” Buffy said with big grin.
“Yes, it was,” Tara agreed happily. “A good way to start a hard day.”
“Speaking of hard days,” Buffy said with reluctance, “I guess we’d better get up and start ours.”
“I guess so.”
When Buffy started to rise, Tara grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“Buffy?” Tara said.
“Yeah?” Buffy asked, turning to face Tara.
“I don’t regret last night. I just wanted you to know that.”
“I don’t either,” Buffy answered, kissing Tara soundly. Then she pulled away and shrugged. “I don’t have a clue what I’m gonna say to Willow when we get back, but…”
“Let’s not worry about that now,” Tara advised. “We’ll figure it out when we get there. And we will get there.”
“Count on it,” Buffy affirmed.
* * *
Faith awoke slowly, feeling momentarily confused about where she was. Then she felt a cool hand on her hip and a face snuggled into her back. Faith froze in place.
Oh, shit! she thought.
She closed her eyes in a tight frown and let out a long rueful sigh. She opened her eyes and gently began extricating herself from Vamp Willow’s embrace. The vampire didn’t rouse; instead, she simply turned over on her other side and faced away from Faith. The dark-haired Slayer eased from under the covers and out of the bed. Then she quickly retrieved her scattered clothes, donned them, and slipped out of the room.
* * *
A little later, Vamp Willow turned over, fully expecting to find a warm Slayer body next to her. When she didn’t, she opened her eyes and leaned up on her elbow. She touched the now-empty-and-cold space in her bed. Her face crinkled into a unhappy pout.
* * *
After putting on her clothes, Vamp Willow tramped downstairs. Buffy and Giles and several of the other White Hats were in the living room. Vamp Willow slipped past them and into the kitchen. She found Faith standing beside the refrigerator, finishing off a bottle of juice. Vamp Willow snuggled up behind Faith and wrapped her arms about the Slayer.
“Mornin’,” Vamp Willow cooed in Faith’s ear before taking a nibble on her ear lobe.
“Stop it!” Faith said sharply as she shoved the redhead away from her.
“What’s wrong with you?” Vamp Willow said in voice mixed with annoyance and hurt.
Faith didn’t answer; she just folded her arms tightly across her chest and looked away.
“You can’t just act like nothing happened!” Vamp Willow accused.
“Nothing did happen, okay?” Faith insisted in a hot but hushed voice. “Last night was a mistake, so as far as I’m concerned, it did not happen!” she continued, pointing her finger at the redhead. After a moment, she re-crossed her arms. “I told you—you Vampire, me Slayer, end of story.”
Vamp Willow’s face furrowed in pain and fury. “Fine!” she said through a clenched jaw before storming from the room.
Faith dropped her arms and hung her head. Then she ran both hands through her long dark hair and looked at the doorway with a frown.
* * *
Vamp Willow stomped back upstairs and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She felt a sob rise in her throat and tears roll down her cheeks. She roared in response and sank her fist into the stone wall. After a moment, she pulled her fist out of the crater in the wall. She looked at her scraped and bloody knuckles.
Suddenly, the door opened, and Tara rushed in, having been drawn by the noise. Vamp Willow jumped in surprise and instantly put her bloody hand behind her back. Tara took in the scene then settled on the tear-stained face of the vampire.
“What?” Vamp Willow demanded when Tara’s gaze became too much.
“Are you okay?” Tara asked.
“I’m fine,” Vamp Willow replied in fake nonchalance. “Why?”
Tara glanced at the hole in the wall then back at the redhead. She tilted her head and said in a soft voice, “You’re crying.”
“I am not!” Vamp Willow denied vehemently. “Vampires do not cry!” The vampire folded her arms tightly across her chest.
Tara immediately noticed Vamp Willow’s bleeding hand. “You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing,” Vamp Willow insisted.
“Let me see,” the blonde ordered.
Vamp Willow sighed but held out her hand. Tara looked at the injured hand for a moment, then guided the vampire to the small bench across from the vanity. Tara rummaged through the medicine cabinet and got out some supplies. She started cleaning the scrapes.
“I don’t know why you’re bothering,” Vamp Willow said. “It’ll be healed in no time.”
“Humor me, okay?” Tara said as she began applying some antiseptic. “Why don’t you tell me what’s got you upset enough to punish a poor defenseless wall?”
“It was nothing.”
Tara lifted an unbelieving eyebrow in Vamp Willow’s direction. The vampire crumbled under its power.
“It’s just…I haven’t been myself lately,” Vamp Willow said. “I am a vampire. I have a demon where a soul used to be, so I’m supposed to be evil, right? So why am I living with the White Hats, doing good deeds?”
“Survival,” Tara supplied. “With a price on your head, you--”
“No, see, that’s the thing. If it was just survival, I would’ve hightailed it out of Sunnydale, left the country, done something, anything other than work with the White Hats,” Vamp Willow explained. “But noooo…here I am, fighting the good fight, killing my own kind, fighting side by side with the Slayer, actually giving a damn if she lives or dies, actually caring what she thinks of me.”
Vamp Willow paused for a moment then continued in a disgusted voice. “I’m not supposed to be doing any of this.” She wiped her face harshly. “I mean, there’s no crying among vampires!” Vamp Willow lifted her hands in frustration. “This is not natural. I’m sick. That’s all there is to it, I must be sick. Ever since I got back from--” Vamp Willow stopped her rant. “That’s it,” she said. “She did this.”
“Who? Did what?” Tara asked.
“That fuzzy-sweatered goody-two-shoes version of myself in your Sunnydale,” Vamp Willow replied. “She did this to me. She cast some kind of spell on me. Right before they sent me back. She said ‘good luck, try not to kill people.’ Shit!”
“Ummm, that doesn’t sound like a spell,” Tara said, “so I don’t think Willow did anything to you.”
“Then why do I feel this way?” the vampire asked, looking as if she were going to cry again, her newly-treated hand on her chest.
Tara moved to Vamp Willow and touched the vampire’s hand. “I think that--”
Tara’s words were cut off when Buffy burst into the bathroom.
“There you are,” Buffy said to Vamp Willow. “I’ve been--”
Buffy stopped when she realized that Tara was also in the room. Tara pulled away from the redhead. Buffy looked at Tara and then at Vamp Willow. Buffy’s face hardened.
“We need you downstairs,” she said coldly. “It’s time to make the call.”
Vamp Willow cast a glance back at Tara and then exited, leaving Buffy and Tara alone.
Buffy crossed her arms. “What’s going on?”
“She was upset, we were talking.”
“Oh, the poor little vampire was upset. So you were, what? Comforting her?”
“Yes! Just because she’s a vampire doesn’t mean she doesn’t have feelings. She does,” Tara said. “You of all people should understand that.”
Buffy dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry. You’re right,” she said. “I just saw you touching her, and…I’m sorry. I guess I just got jealous.”
Tara smirked and moved to Buffy, touching her arm until Buffy met her gaze.
“You don’t have anything to worry about,” Tara assured the Slayer.
Tara kissed Buffy, and she returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around the blonde witch and pulling her close. After a few moments, they separated.
Breathlessly, Tara said, “We’d better get downstairs.”
“Yeah right,” Buffy reluctantly agreed.
* * *
Buffy and Tara went downstairs to the living room, where Vamp Willow, Faith, Giles, and several other White Hats were waiting. Vamp Willow stood near Giles by the fireplace, but Faith sat propped in the seat at the bay window. Once Buffy and Tara joined him, Giles handed Vamp Willow a cell phone.
“Here goes,” Vamp Willow said with a shrug. She punched in a number and waited.
After one ring, the Master answered. “Yes?”
“It’s me,” Vamp Willow said. “We need to talk.”
“Now what could you and I possibly have to talk about?” the Master said in a snide voice.
“I want back in.”
“I’m sure you do--what with a price on your head and all,” the Master said sarcastically. Then his voice hardened, and he said menacingly, “I don’t retract death sentences.”
“Not even if I can give you the White Hats?” Vamp Willow said. After a pause, she continued, “’Cause I can give you all of them, including the Slayers, in one fell swoop.”
“Go on.”
“Not over the phone,” Vamp Willow said. “I don’t want to risk being found out by the White Hats. Can we meet?”
The Master paused then said in a command, “One hour, here at the Bronze.”
“Will you call off your dogs long enough for me to--”
“No.”
“But if I can’t--”
“Your problem, not mine,” the Master said before hanging up.
Vamp Willow pulled the phone away and looked at it. Then she folded it up and handed it back to Giles.
“What did he say?” Giles asked.
“He’s willing to listen,” Vamp Willow replied. “He wants to meet. At the Bronze.”
“Yes!” Buffy crowed. “I knew he’d take the bait!”
“But he didn’t agree to safe passage, did he?” Tara asked.
“No, he didn’t,” Vamp Willow said. “No big surprise there.”
“Well, we need to come up with something then,” Faith said, joining the group. “Some way to get Willow in and out of there safely.”
“Since when do you care?” Vamp Willow said, crossing her arms.
“I don’t,” Faith said. Then she corrected herself. “I mean, I do…care…about the plan, about getting the Master.”
“Buffy, if we send Willow in there, the Master will kill her,” Tara objected.
“I don’t think so,” Buffy disagreed. “Once she tells him what she has to offer—the Slayers on a platter—he’s going to let her go because she’s the only way to get what he wants.”
“Willow,” Giles addressed the vampire, “we can’t force you to go in there, but--”
“I’ll go,” Vamp Willow said. “Buffy’s right. He won’t do anything if he thinks I can give him the Slayers. It’s the only way.”
“But…” Faith started to say something but couldn’t finish.
“We could do a protection spell,” Tara offered, “in case things turn bad?”
“No. He might pick up on it,” Vamp Willow replied. “He’s testing me, so I’ll just have to call his bluff.”
“What if it’s not a bluff?”
“Then I guess you guys better be working on Plan B,” Vamp Willow said, walking away. “If I’m not back by tonight, you can assume that I’m filling up an ashtray at the Bronze.”
Vamp Willow turned and headed for the basement where the tunnel access was. Faith watched her go for a moment and then followed her. Tara frowned as she watched Faith leave. Buffy turned to Giles.
“Are you sure we can trust her?” she asked the wheelchair-bound leader.
“She’s proven herself many times over these last few months,” Giles responded.
“Yeah, but what’s to prevent her from accepting the Master’s offer if he really does take her back?”
“We can trust her,” Tara interjected. “I know it.”
* * *
Faith followed Vamp Willow into the basement. When Vamp Willow got to the trap door that led to the tunnels, Faith called out to her.
“Willow!”
The vampire turned around. “What?” she said in an annoyed voice.
“I-I-I just wanted to say…be careful,” Faith said.
“If I were being careful, I wouldn’t be going alone into the lair of the vampire who wants me dead,” Vamp Willow said. “’Sides, it’s not like you--”
Faith cut her off with a desperate kiss. When she pulled away, she rested her hand against Vamp Willow’s cheek. “Come back, okay?”
Vamp Willow frowned in confusion then smiled. “Count on it,” she said before slipping through the trap door.
* * *
Vamp Willow slowly and cautiously made her way through the sewers towards the Bronze. When she reached the last junction, she went to turn into the last tunnel. She stopped when she found a cadre of the Master’s minions waiting for her. She considered an immediate retreat but forced herself to stand her ground. Vamp Willow pulled herself tall and walked towards them.
“I’m here to see the Master,” she said firmly.
“We know,” the closest minion said.
Before Vamp Willow could react, the Master’s minions were on her.
* * *
When Vamp Willow pried open her swollen and bruised eyes, she found herself hanging from her wrists, from chains suspended from the ceiling of the Master’s office in the back of the Bronze. Her shirt was in tatters, and her leather pants were ripped and torn in several places. As she shakily lifted her chin and focused on her surroundings, she made out the Master several feet away from her. He stood rod straight, with his hands clasped behind him. When he saw that she was awake, he stepped closer.
“Now that you’re in the proper frame of mind, let’s have our little talk,” the Master said snidely. Then he held up a box of matches and shook it. “The first topic…” he announced as he pulled out a match and struck it, “…factories I no longer have.”
Vamp Willow steeled
herself as the burning match grew closer and closer to her face.
PART TWELVE B
Hours later, Giles and the others waited anxiously for Vamp Willow to return from the Bronze. As Buffy and Tara sat together on the couch, Faith paced near the bay window. Riley and a couple of the other White Hat leaders stood near Giles by the fireplace.
Faith stomped to a halt and put her hands on her hips. “I’m goin’ down there.”
“No, we can’t risk blowing her cover,” Buffy replied.
“I’m goin’, B, and you can’t stop me,” Faith stated firmly.
“All right,” Buffy said, holding up her hands. “I’ll go with you. But…we’ll go only halfway…just to see, okay?”
Faith nodded in agreement. Then Buffy accompanied Faith to the basement.
* * *
Faith and Buffy crawled through the trap door and headed into the tunnels. Faith took point, leading Buffy along the underground path to the Bronze. Past the first junction, Faith suddenly froze.
“There she is!” Faith cried out before rushing several feet away, with Buffy right on her heels.
Vamp Willow was face down on the tunnel floor. Her clothes were ripped and streaked in blood, and the ground behind her was lined with marks as if she had dragged and pushed herself for quite some way. Faith and Buffy knelt on each side of her, then Faith gently rolled Vamp Willow over. As her head lolled to the side, a series of burns was revealed, beginning at her cheek and trailing down her neck.
“Goddamn!” Faith cursed under her breath.
Buffy frowned and clenched her jaw. “Come on, let’s get her topside,” she said.
* * *
When Faith and Buffy came through the living room from the basement, Tara and the others quickly joined the Slayers. Their eyes widened when they saw Vamp Willow’s condition.
“Oh god…” Tara whispered.
“Dear lord!” Giles said.
“What happened?” Riley asked.
“We don’t know,” Buffy said, “but it looks like the Master roughed her up pretty bad.”
“Well, she’s not dust, so no biggee, right?” Riley said.
“No biggee?” Buffy asked Riley. Then she turned to Faith. “Get Willow upstairs.”
Faith started up the steps, and Tara followed after her.
Buffy turned back to Riley and glared.
“What?” Riley said defensively. “She’s a vampire. She’ll heal, so no harm done.”
Buffy stepped closer to Riley. “Vampire healing or not, she still feels. She just went through hours of torture so that we’d have a chance at nailing the Master. Would you have done that?”
Riley opened his mouth, but didn’t speak.
Buffy shook her head and then dashed up the stairs.
* * *
Once upstairs and in Vamp Willow’s room, Faith carefully laid the unconscious vampire on the bed and arranged her as comfortably as she could. Buffy and Tara shortly followed, carrying a first-aid kit, a bowl of warm water, and a cloth. While the Slayers watched with twin frowns, Tara began cleaning Vamp Willow’s head and neck. Her face was bruised and swollen, cut in several places where the skin had split from powerful blows. Where the line of burns marked her face, the skin was cracked and blackened.
When Tara was done with Vamp Willow’s head, she sent Buffy after some fresh water. Then she and Faith started removing what was left of Vamp Willow’s clothing. When they opened her shirt, they both stopped in place. Tara’s mouth fell open, and so did Faith’s, but the dark-haired Slayer quickly closed hers and clenched her jaw tightly. Vamp Willow’s chest and torso were covered in burns just like those on her face. Where there weren’t burns, there were bruises and welts, and where there weren’t bruises and welts, there were punctures, cuts, and gashes.
“I’m gonna kill that fuckin’ bastard!” Faith said in a dangerous voice.
Tara cleared her throat and said, “Help me lift her up.”
Together the two of them lifted Vamp Willow up and peeled her shirt from her wounded shoulders and back. In a similar fashion, they removed the rest of her clothing. When Buffy returned with more water and fresh cloths, the three of them started cleaning the vampire’s body as best they could. A little later, while Buffy and Tara finished up, Faith held Vamp Willow’s hand. She gently touched her raw knuckles, then she ran her fingers along her wrist where the shackles had left dark welts.
“She’s going to need blood and lots of it,” Buffy stated, handing her cloth to Tara, who put it inside the bowl with her own and then set it all aside.
“She’s got some over here,” Faith said as she rose and headed for the other side of the room, where a microwave sat atop a mini-fridge.
She pulled a bag of blood out of the fridge, emptied its contents into a cup, and heated it in the microwave. Then she grabbed a straw and brought the cup over to the bed. She dipped the straw into the blood and smeared some on the vampire’s lips. When that brought no response, Buffy pried open the vampire’s mouth so that Faith could dribble a few drops on her tongue. Once again, Vamp Willow did not respond.
“It’s not working,” Faith said worriedly. “What are we gonna do?”
Buffy shrugged uncertainly, but Tara said, “I…ummm…I have an idea.” When the other two looked at her, she continued, “But…you’re not gonna like it.”
“What?” Faith asked.
“Slayer blood,” Tara answered. “It’s more potent than animal blood or even ordinary human blood. It’s more likely that she’ll respond to it and feed, a-a-and it would probably help her heal faster.”
“Tara’s right,” Buffy said to Faith. “When Angel was hurt, he had to feed on me to get better.” When Faith looked aghast at the thought, Buffy shook her head and added, “Don’t worry. I’ll do it. Like I said, I’ve done this bef--”
“No,” Faith interrupted. “No, I’ll…ummm…I’ll do it.”
When Buffy nodded in acquiescence, Faith pulled a knife from her boot and neatly sliced her own wrist, her face showing only the smallest hint of a wince. Then she placed her bleeding wrist against Vamp Willow’s mouth. At first, the vampire didn’t respond, but after a few moments, she moved her head and began to suck. Faith smiled in relief and looked at Buffy and Tara, who sat across from her.
In the second it took for Buffy and Tara to return Faith’s smile, Vamp Willow morphed into her demon face, reared up, and sank her fangs into Faith’s neck, pinning the Slayer's arms at her sides. Tara leapt to her feet and lifted her hand to cast a separation spell, but Buffy stopped her.
“No, not yet,” Buffy said firmly, “but be ready.”
Faith tried to struggle against the ravenous vampire, but by the time she had overcome her shock, Vamp Willow had drained a significant portion of her blood.
“Oh, god…” Faith said as the vampire fed, her voice a mixture of fear and desire. She felt herself begin to lose consciousness but was powerless to stop it.
When Buffy saw Faith’s body go limp and her eyes close, she cried to Tara, “Now!” Tara sent a powerful magical blast against Vamp Willow, separating her from Faith and sending her off the bed and onto the floor. Faith immediately fell back on the bed, unconscious. While Tara moved to Faith and placed a bandage on her neck to stop the bleeding, Buffy vaulted over the bed and placed herself between Faith and the vampire. Vamp Willow rose almost as quickly as she went down, growling in Buffy’s direction, the demon within her clearly upset at its meal being interrupted. Buffy made no move against her; instead, she held her hand in front of herself in a cautious gesture.
Vamp Willow growled at Buffy again and then glanced at the bed behind her. When the redheaded vampire saw Faith being tended to by Tara, a strange look of surprise came over the demon’s face. She immediately de-vamped and backed away, her shocked expression now one of horror.
“No…no…” she said, wiping her mouth and looking at the blood on her hand.
“It’s okay,” Buffy said reassuringly. “It’s okay. She’s gonna be fine.”
“No…I…” Vamp Willow said in a choked voice, continuing to retreat until she finally hit the wall and slid to the floor.
Buffy slowly neared the distraught vampire and then knelt in front of her. She took her hand and squeezed it. When Vamp Willow met her gaze, Buffy was surprised to see tears in her eyes.
“She offered herself…willingly…to help heal you,” Buffy explained.
Vamp Willow stared in disbelief. “What?”
“We tried to give you regular blood, a-a-and you weren’t responding,” Buffy continued. “Slayer blood was the only thing we knew would help.”
“But, I could’ve--” Vamp Willow objected.
“That’s why we were here,” Buffy told her, “to make sure that didn’t happen.” Then the blonde Slayer turned to Tara. “I’m gonna go scrape up some food for Faith. She’s gonna need it.”
After Buffy left the room, Tara finished taping a new bandage to Faith’s neck and then did the same for her wrist. When she was done, she looked at Vamp Willow and found her sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Tara frowned, but turned her attention back to Faith. She drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to draw energy from the earth and air around her. When she had gathered enough, she started sending it into Faith’s body.
Vamp Willow lifted her head from her knees. When she saw Tara busy concentrating, she quietly rose and put on a tank top and some boxers. She watched Tara for a few moments, then eased closer to the bed.
“W-W-What are you doing to her?” Vamp Willow asked timidly, causing Tara to open her eyes.
“Sending her energy,” Tara replied. “It should help her heal more quickly.”
“But she’s gonna be okay, right?”
Tara smiled reassuringly. “Yes, she’ll be just fine,” Tara said. “But I-I-I think it would help i-i-if you sat with her.”
Vamp Willow sat on the bed next to Faith and took her hand. Within moments, Faith began to rouse, and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Vamp Willow, she smiled faintly.
“Hey,” Faith whispered.
“Hey yourself,” Vamp Willow replied in an unsteady voice.
When the two just stared at one another and didn’t say more, Tara rose from the bed. “I’m gonna go see if Buffy needs help with the food,” she told them. “I’ll be right back.”
Faith and Vamp Willow didn’t acknowledge her statement, but Tara didn’t take it personally. When she reached the doorway, she paused and looked back at the bed. She focused her inner eye and took a peek at the auras of the Slayer and the Vampire. After a few seconds, her face broke into a huge grin, then she slipped out of the room.
* * *
After Tara left the room, Faith struggled to sit up. Still holding the Slayer’s hand, Vamp Willow helped her up. Once Faith was in an upright position, Vamp Willow kept her free hand at the Slayer’s back to steady her.
Faith shook her head dizzily. “Shit, I feel like somebody ran over me with a truck.”
Vamp Willow dropped her gaze and mumbled, “Sorry.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that,” Faith answered. She waited until the redhead met her eyes. “What I did, I did ’cause I wanted to, okay?” Faith said firmly. When the vampire reluctantly nodded, Faith turned sideways and looked at Vamp Willow’s face and neck. “I see it worked. You’re already healing up.”
The bruising and swelling on Vamp Willow’s face were indeed diminished, as were the burn marks. Vamp Willow shrugged.
“Yeah, well, you got good blood,” she said with a wry grin. “Thanks for sharing.”
Faith returned her grin, but it quickly disappeared. She reached out and touched the fading bruises on Vamp Willow’s face and then the burns on her neck. Vamp Willow closed her eyes, her forehead creasing in remembered pain.
“I’m sorry,” Faith said softly.
Vamp Willow opened her eyes. “For what?” she asked, puzzled.
“For sending you in there.”
“You didn’t send me in there,” the vampire corrected her, turning sideways to match Faith’s position. “I sent myself.”
“Why? You could’ve said no.”
“I told you, it was the only way.”
“To do what?”
Vamp Willow thought for a moment and then said, “To be free.”
Faith let that sink in, then she pulled her hand away and dropped her gaze. After a long pause, she forced herself to speak. “When the Master’s dead, what will you do?”
Vamp Willow watched the dark-haired Slayer as she continued staring at her own lap, wringing her hands slightly. The vampire’s eyes brightened as a smirk spread across her face.
“Oh...” the vampire replied in an amused voice, “kill a few demons, help the helpless, shag a certain Slayer...” Faith’s head instantly shot up. When Faith looked at her incredulously, Vamp Willow leaned in until they were nose to nose. Then she added, “Repeat daily.” Before Faith could even begin to smile, Vamp Willow captured her lips in a hot kiss.
* * *
Buffy and Tara came down the hallway towards Vamp Willow’s room. Buffy carried a tray of snacks while Tara carried a couple of bottles of juice.
“Are you sure?” Buffy asked in a disbelieving voice. “Faith and Vamp Willow have a thing for each other?”
“I’m positive,” Tara replied.
“Then why were they coming so hard after us?”
Tara shrugged. “Maybe they were just fighting it, you know?”
Buffy shook her head as Tara reached for the door knob. “I don’t know, Tara,” Buffy said in a lowered voice as Tara opened the door and Buffy entered ahead of her. “I think I’m gonna need just a little more…oh, good golly!”
Buffy ducked her head, and Tara peered around her to see what was up. She only just caught a glimpse of Faith and Vamp Willow mid-makeout before the Vampire and Slayer turned their glaring eyes towards their observers.
“Oh, s-s-sorry,” Tara stuttered nervously before setting the juice on the tray and taking it from Buffy’s hands. She quickly set the tray on the floor. “We…ummm…we’ll just be going now,” Tara said as she backed both herself and Buffy out of the room, slamming the door tightly.
“I stand corrected,” Buffy mumbled as they both leaned against the door.
They looked at each other and grinned widely. Then they linked arms and walked away, giggling to themselves.
PART TWELVE C
About an hour after they were interrupted, Faith and Vamp Willow came downstairs to join the group. When they entered the living room holding hands, all eyes turned their way. Buffy and Tara grinned at the sight, but Giles and the other White Hat leaders did an obvious double-take and then stared in shock.
Faith glared back. “What?” she said defensively.
No one dared say a word. Vamp Willow smiled, clearly pleased with the Slayer’s actions. When the others averted their gaze, the two of them walked to sofa and sat down. Once they were seated, Faith put her arm around Vamp Willow.
“Willow, I-I-I…uhhh…you’re…ummm…feeling better, I see?” Giles said in an embarrassed stumble.
“Much,” she replied, giving Faith a grateful look.
“I assume, since you’re still with us, that the plan was a success?” Giles inquired.
“Oh, yeah,” she confirmed. “Once he got all that revenge and punishment crap out of his system, he was ready to listen. And he took the bait—hook, line, and sinker.”
“What’s our timeline?” Riley asked.
“I told him to be ready shortly after sunset, then I’d call him when the deed was done,” she answered.
“We’ve got a couple of hours then,” Riley noted. “I’ll spread the word.”
Giles nodded at Riley, who left with his team leaders. Then Giles rolled his chair over to the sofa. “Willow,” Giles said sincerely, “you took a huge risk and suffered much on our behalf. Thank you.”
Vamp Willow shrugged and said, “Just savin’ my own skin.”
Giles smiled, knowing that there was much more to the vampire’s motivation than simple self-preservation.
* * *
Back in normal Sunnydale, the Initiative’s research team, now set up at the condemned school’s library, monitored the readings from the Hellmouth. When the energy emissions began to rise significantly, the head scientist put in a call to base.
“Professor Walsh?” the scientist said when the phone was answered.
“You have a report for me?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied. “The readings have changed dramatically in the last hour. Energy emissions are up thirty percent from our original marks.”
“Hmmm,” Walsh said, thinking for a moment. “Take standard precautions, and when the emissions have doubled, or if anything unusual occurs, call me.”
* * *
As the armed Initiative soldiers paced nervously outside the old high school, Lindsey placed a call to L.A.
When the Senior Partner of Wolfram and Hart answered, Lindsey said, “There’s been a development at the Hellmouth.”
* * *
“Giles!” Xander cried in a panicked voice as he burst into Giles’ apartment. “Willow never made it back to campus last night!”
“What?”
“I’ve been calling all day, but there was no answer at her dorm room,” Xander said frantically. “I’ve checked everywhere: Tara’s room, her parents’ house, Buffy’s house. I even called her teachers, and Willow hasn’t been in class all day.”
“Damn!” Giles said, cursing himself.
“What is it?”
“She was…upset when she left here last night,” Giles explained. “I offered to drive her, but she refused. She said the walk would do her good.”
“We’d better search,” Xander said.
“Let’s go,” Giles replied.
* * *
Willow groggily opened her eyes. When she did so, she found herself on her back, beside a stone wall, staring up at a cobweb-covered stone ceiling that was softly lit by the light from several lanterns. She went to push herself up from the floor of the crypt and was surprised to discover a shackle on her left wrist. She grabbed the chain connecting the manacle to the wall and pulled herself to a sitting position, swaying dizzily for a moment.
When her head had cleared, she remembered what had happened the night before. She reached for her neck and felt the bite marks. “Oh god,” she whimpered.
“It’s about time you woke up,” a voice called from the shadows. When Willow jerked her head up to look, the voice continued, “I was beginning to think maybe I’d drained you too much.”
“Spike!” Willow exclaimed in fear when she saw the bleach-blond vampire heading her way.
“That’s right. The Big Bad is back, and I’m ready to finish what I started,” Spike said, standing ominously over Willow. “I’m gonna dangle you on a hook and reel in a Slayer.”
Willow dropped her head and began to cry. “You’re too late,” she said in a choked voice. “She’s gone.”
“What?!! What do you mean she’s gone?” Spike asked in alarm as he knelt in front of Willow. “The Slayer’s gone? Buffy’s gone?”
“Her and Tara both,” Willow replied despondently.
Anger suddenly filled Spike’s eyes. “What happened? Who did it? I’m gonna kill ‘em! Tell me who did it!”
Willow looked at Spike as if he’d gone crazy. Her expression changed to fright when Spike grabbed her by her shirt and yanked her up until they were nose to nose.
“Tell me,” Spike said in a dangerous voice.
Willow’s fear gave way to angry hopelessness. “Why do you care?” she taunted.
Spike glared at Willow and then thrust her back against the wall. He stood and walked off. “I don’t…‘care’,” he said defensively. “I’m just…pissed that someone else killed her before I did, that’s all.”
“She’s not dead,” Willow said, grimacing from the collision against the wall. “At least I don’t think so. She might as well be, though.”
“What do you mean?” the vampire asked, turning back around.
“She got sucked into a portal,” Willow explained. “Her and Tara both.” Willow sighed deeply, her breath catching a little. “I don’t know where they are or how to get them back. I’ve tried everything I can think of, but they’re just…gone.”
Willow started to cry again, but Spike peered into the darkness, thinking hard. “A portal,” he said. “That just means that she’s in another dimension. All we have to do is figure out which one.”
Willow overcame her tears long enough to utter sarcastically, “Well, duh.”
Suddenly, Spike knelt beside Willow once again, grabbing her wrists and pinning her with his gaze. Willow didn’t flinch or cower. She was resigned to her fate and was determined to face it bravely. She was surprised when Spike lifted her left arm and unlocked the manacle that kept her chained to the wall.
“What are you doing?” Willow asked in a confused voice.
“Helping you get Buffy back,” he replied as he stood. “Oh, and Tina too.”
“Tara,” Willow corrected.
“Whatever.”
Willow rubbed her left wrist then pushed herself to her feet, using the wall to steady herself. “Why are you helping me?”
“I’m not,” Spike answered. “I’m helping myself. If the Slayer’s going to leave this world, it’s going to be at my hand, got it?”
Willow eyed Spike suspiciously then asked, “What did you have in mind?”
* * *
After materializing through a run-down apartment door, Willow stepped wide-eyed into an equally run-down living room, which was filled with ratty furniture: some old chairs, an ugly sofa, some tables and lamps. A girl and a guy sat in separate places, fidgeting nervously, clearly waiting.
“What is this place?” Willow asked.
“Home of that warlock I told you about,” Spike replied. “It’s cloaked. It moves around a lot too. Keeps Rack out of trouble.”
“This Rack, he’s--”
Willow stopped when she heard the door on the other side of the room open. Rack came out and looked at Spike and Willow. He was tall and lanky, with black stringy hair and an amulet around his neck. A long scar ran down his face, and his eyes pointed in different directions.
The guy and girl who had been waiting rushed anxiously to Rack’s side.
“Rack, Rack,” the girl pleaded, “it’s my turn.”
“No, man, you said I was up,” the guy said.
“Bull, I’ve been here for hours!” the girl objected.
Rack ignored them and walked directly to Willow. “I believe these two are next,” he said.
Spike narrowed his eyes, and Willow looked worriedly in Spike’s direction. But when Rack gestured for them to accompany him into the next room, both of them accepted.
Once inside the other room, Rack immediately began to circle Willow, rubbing his hands together, emitting magical sparks from them as he did so.
“We need to--” Spike began before being silenced by a gesture from Rack.
“Oh,” Rack said with delight, moving closer to Willow, “this one’s givin’ off vibes.”
“Sorry,” Willow said nervously. “I don’t mean to…vibe at you.”
“No, no, I mean you have power,” Rack explained. “It’s just coming off you in waves.”
Willow hung her head. “Must not be much. I can’t even find Buffy and Tara.”
“That’s why we came,” Spike interjected. “We need to find someone who got zapped to another dimension.”
“Is that so?” Rack asked, not taking his eyes off Willow.
Willow lifted her head. “Can you help?”
Rack smiled deviously. “Maybe. What’s in it for me?”
“Oh! Money, we have money,” Willow said.
Rack merely shook his head. “No, not money.”
“Well…what do you want then?”
Rack smiled again and stepped forward, holding out his hand toward Willow’s chest. Willow automatically stepped back.
“Just relax,” Rack said in a reassuring voice. “I’m not gonna hurt you. You gotta give a little to get a little, right?”
Willow gave Spike another concerned look, but he simply shrugged, indicating that she should go along with Rack for the moment. Willow turned back to the warlock.
Rack eased closer. “That’s right,” he said, “I’m just gonna take a little tour.”
He put his hand over Willow’s chest but didn’t touch her. Instantly, a bolt of magic burst from his hand and entered Willow’s body. Willow gasped and closed her eyes, feeling the drug-like effect of Rack’s entrance. Rack closed his eyes too, as the energy exchange became even more intense. Soon, both were breathing heavily. Willow’s face wore an expression of ecstasy, her chest heaving as she swayed unsteadily on her feet.
Suddenly, the connection was severed as Spike thrust between them, shoving Rack away from Willow and sending them both to the floor. “That’s enough!” Spike yelled.
Rack merely laughed, still giddy from his Willow high.
Willow writhed on the floor and touched her chest dreamily, still in the throes of Rack’s spell. After a moment, she came back to herself. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at her chest in disgust. She scrambled to her feet and flashed angry eyes in Rack’s direction.
Rack got to his feet, still laughing.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Spike said, grabbing Willow’s arm.
“No! He owes us!” Willow said, pushing Spike’s hand off her arm.
“Mmmm…such fire,” Rack said with a smile.
“Tell me how to find Buffy and Tara!”
“I can’t help you,” Rack replied.
“You bloody welcher!” Spike said.
Rack held up his hands to interrupt the vampire. “I said, ‘I can’t help you’,” Rack clarified. “But I know someone who can. His name’s Doc.”
“Tell me,” Willow said firmly.
After Rack had given them the information they needed to find his contact, Willow and Spike headed for the door. Before Willow got there, Rack grabbed Willow’s arm and stopped her. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.
“You taste…like strawberries,” Rack said in a husky voice. Then he released Willow’s arm and stepped away, a sick smile on his face.
Spike glared at Rack and then led Willow from the room.
* * *
Spike and Willow walked through an overgrown yard to a very old and very dilapidated house. They went up the steps and knocked on the door.
Within seconds, a voice called from behind the door. “Just a minute, I’m coming.” Shortly, the door was opened, and a small elderly man stood inside the doorway. He was dressed in a bathrobe and wore thick glasses. “Hello, can I help you?”
“We hope so,” Spike answered. “We need to locate someone who was zapped to another dimension. Heard you were the one to ask.”
“Yes, Rack sent us,” Willow added.
Doc shook his head in a chiding motion. “You shouldn’t mess with Rack. He’s a very unsavory person.”
“Yeah, we noticed. Look, can you help us or not?” Spike prodded.
Doc looked the two of them over but settled on Spike. “Well, I don’t normally let vampires inside my house, but I suppose I can make an exception. Since you’re accompanied by this lovely lady.” Doc then smiled cordially at Willow, who smiled uneasily in return. “Come in,” Doc said, gesturing for them to enter.
Once Willow and Spike were inside, Doc walked ahead of them, a scaly green tail emerging from underneath his robe. Willow looked at Spike worriedly, but Spike just shrugged. Doc led them into a large den with a fireplace. The room was filled with books and papers and magical talismans. When Doc reached the hearth, he turned and faced his guests.
“So a friend of yours has disappeared into another dimension, you say?” Doc asked.
“Two friends, actually,” Willow supplied. “A portal opened next to them. It started pulling one of them inside. The other tried to keep it from taking her, but then both of them got yanked inside. We want to find them so that we can bring them back.”
“Hmmm,” Doc said thoughtfully as he moved to a large table piled with books. He sorted through several stacks before pulling out one particular volume. He opened it and set it on the table, then leaned over, turning pages rapidly. “Aha!” he cried, stopping on a page and pointing to it.
“What is it?” Willow asked.
“Just what you need,” Doc said, handing the volume to her.
Willow examined the page intently.
“What is it?” Spike asked, looking over Willow’s shoulder.
“It’s a specialized locator spell that should work between dimensions,” Willow explained. “And next to it is a retrieval spell. He’s right, it’s just what we need.”
“What’s the catch?” Spike asked suspiciously.
“No catch,” Doc answered innocently.
“Wait,” Willow said, “this retrieval spell…it requires a…ummm…”
“A sacrifice?” Doc supplied. “You didn’t think a spell of this magnitude would be free, did you?”
Willow frowned at Doc. Then she said, “I’ll…uhhh…need to copy this down so I can--”
Doc slipped a bookmark between the pages, closed the book, and pushed it towards Willow. “Take it with you. I trust you to return it when you’re done.”
Willow handed the book to Spike and reached into her pocket for the money she intended to use to pay Doc.
“No, no. Keep your money,” he said amiably. Then he stuck out his hand for a friendly shake.
“Thank you,” Willow said, pulling her hand from her pocket. She took the old man’s hand. She was surprised by the strength of his grasp. She smiled and shook his hand, trying desperately to fight off the fear he was creating in her.
“You let me know how it goes, okay?” Doc said.
Willow nodded and pulled her hand back. She gave the smiling Doc one final look before she and Spike left the house.
PART TWELVE D
Back in the Wishverse, the Master and his small army of minions arrived at the Mansion shortly after sunset. When the Master approached the front door, Vamp Willow opened it immediately. She bowed lightly. When she straightened, she smiled.
“Master,” she said politely, “you and your minions are welcome in my home.”
The Master walked through the front door, grinning when he realized that he was free to enter without the invitation of any humans living there.
Vamp Willow led the Master past the living room, where several White Hats lay on the floor, unmoving. Tara was sprawled on the sofa, a spilled drink on the floor beside her. Next to the sofa, Giles sat slumped in his wheelchair, his hands limp on the blanket covering his legs. Vamp Willow continued into the dining room. Around the large dining table were numerous bodies, either leaning over onto the table or lying on the floor, having fallen from their chairs.
The Master turned to Vamp Willow, who stood with her hands behind her back, awaiting the elder vampire’s ruling. “Poison?” he asked.
Vamp Willow shrugged. “Mmmm…most of them. Just to incapacitate them, of course. No sense wasting all those meals,” she said, with an evil glint in her eye. Then she pulled her hand from behind her back and held up a taser. “A few of them, though, took a less relaxing path to unconsciousness. Those soldier boys have the funnest toys.”
The Master smiled then asked, “And where are my Slayers?”
Vamp Willow gestured grandly. “Right this way.”
She led the Master back to the living room and around the staircase to a small alcove behind the stairs. There, on the floor and leaning against the wall were Buffy and Faith. Like the others, they too were unconscious, their arms limp at their sides. Their wrists were encased in heavy manacles, the long chains looped around the thick stone spindles of the staircase.
As the Master grinned, Faith regained consciousness. When she saw the Master standing before her, she tried to rush him, but was stopped by her chains and fell to her knees. It was then that she saw Vamp Willow standing beside the ancient vampire. The redhead had her arms crossed, and a smirk was on her face.
“Willow! What have you done?” Faith cried.
“What I should have done a long time ago,” Vamp Willow replied, a look of disgust on her face. Then she walked over to Faith and punched her hard in the face, knocking her back out.
The Master joined Vamp Willow as she stood over the dark-haired Slayer. The Master nudged Faith with his foot, revealing the wound at her neck.
“You have fed on this one,” he complained.
“Well, yeah,” Vamp Willow admitted. “Hey, I had to do something about the face,” she justified, pointing to her half-healed face.
The Master glared, then began to chuckle. After a hearty laugh, the Master clapped Vamp Willow on the shoulder. After turning his back on the Slayers, he faced Willow and took her hand in his.
“You have done well, Willow,” he said. “It’s good to have you back.”
“It’s good to be back,” she said with a smile, shaking the Master’s hand.
Suddenly, the Master yanked Vamp Willow closer, squeezing her hand until she was forced to kneel before him. “Don’t…fail me…again,” the Master said threateningly.
Vamp Willow grimaced then gritted her teeth and met the Master’s eyes. “Don’t worry,” she told him. “From this moment on, you’ll never have to deal with my failure again.”
When Vamp Willow smiled at the Master, he narrowed his eyes, a suspicious look spreading over his face. He instantly thrust Vamp Willow away from him and turned back to the Slayers. Buffy and Faith were now standing, holding their unlocked chains in their hands.
“Psych!” the Slayers said simultaneously before throwing down their chains and attacking the Master.
* * *
When Buffy, Faith, and Vamp Willow moved against the Master, the remaining White Hats leapt from their posed positions and attacked the minions.
Riley and his Initiative soldiers immobilized the vampires with tasers then staked them. When their tasers failed, the soldiers went hand to hand.
In the living room, Tara used her magic to shield Giles while he shot bolts from the crossbow he had hidden beneath the blanket covering his legs.
The Master’s minions were being systematically mowed down.
* * *
Back in the alcove, Buffy and Faith lay stunned on the floor, trying to clear the stars from their heads. The Master held Vamp Willow in his grip, his hands wrapped around her throat. As she struggled to loosen his fingers, he lifted her off the ground and began slamming her against the wall.
“How dare you raise your hand against me!” he roared.
Faith was the first Slayer to come to. When she saw the dazed Vamp Willow in the hands of the Master, she jumped to her feet, grabbed one of the chains used earlier, and looped it around his neck. She pulled it tight and then kicked the back of the Master’s legs, sending him to his knees. He released Vamp Willow in order to focus on the chain around his neck. Vamp Willow fell limply to the floor.
Nearby, Buffy regained consciousness and rose unsteadily to her feet. She watched as Faith increased her hold on the Master. Not allowing the tension to lessen, Faith shimmied up her grip by wrapping the chain around her fists. With one final powerful jerk, she ripped the chain through the Master’s neck, decapitating him and turning him to dust. Buffy heaved a sigh of relief and fell back against the wall to rest.
Faith fell forward onto her knees, breathing hard. After she got her breath back, she unwrapped the chain from her fists and crawled to where Vamp Willow lay, unmoving, on the floor. Faith leaned over the vampire and gently touched her face.
“Willow?” Faith said softly.
Within moments, Vamp Willow began to rouse, and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Faith, she smiled faintly.
“Hey,” she said in a barely audible whisper.
“Hey yourself,” Faith replied. “Are you okay?”
Vamp Willow nodded then croaked, “It’s a good thing I don’t have to breathe.”
Faith laughed and then kissed the redhead soundly before helping her sit up.
When she saw that the other two were okay, Buffy stood and then headed for the living room. She was nearly run down by Tara, who was running towards the alcove. When she realized who she’d run into, Tara pulled the blonde Slayer into her arms and hugged her tightly.
“Oh, thank goodness!” Tara exclaimed. “I was so worried when I didn’t see you come out.”
Buffy eagerly returned Tara’s embrace. “I’m fine. A little beat up, but none the worse for wear.”
When the two women pulled apart, they kissed quickly but warmly.
“The minions?” Buffy asked.
“History,” Tara replied. “What about the Master?”
Buffy grinned. “Dusted by this dimension’s very own Slayer.”
* * *
A few moments later, Buffy and Tara walked arm and arm into the living room. They expected to find exuberant faces; what they got was frowns and averted gazes. Buffy and Tara looked anxiously about the room.
Buffy found Giles’ eyes. “What is it? What’s happened?”
“I just received word from the hospital,” Giles stated. “Rachel’s dead.”
Buffy and Tara
exchanged distraught looks.
TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART THIRTEEN…
(Okay, I lied. After Part 11, I thought I could finish it in one more part.)