THE POWER OF THREE
PART NINE
By DragonWriter17
 

Rating: PG-13 through Part 10, R after that

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: The relationship between Willow, Tara, and Buffy moves to new levels.  The Scoobies take their investigation of Buffy’s prophetic dream to the Hellmouth itself.  Lindsey shares his knowledge of who the three are.
 

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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 NINE

As Willow and Tara made up and out on the roof of Tara’s dorm, Buffy sat on the couch with her mother in their home on Revello Drive.  Popcorn bowls, soda cans, and pizza boxes littered the coffee table in front of them.  Joyce Summers sat on the edge of her seat, entranced by the videotape playing on the TV. 

Buffy tried to pay attention to the sappy musical, but found her thoughts always returning to Willow.  Buffy knew that Willow was planning to talk with Tara tonight, and she was worried about the outcome.

What if Tara says no? Buffy thought. Willow will be devastated.

Wait a minute, Buffy countered.  Shouldn’t I be hoping Tara will say no?  I mean, that way I wouldn’t have to share.

Buffy considered the question carefully.

It would be simpler if Tara said no, Buffy admitted, knowing that the prospects of successfully maintaining a three-way relationship weren’t good.

Buffy shifted uncomfortably in her seat.  The very idea of Tara’s refusal just didn’t set well.  She didn’t know why, but something felt right about this insane course of action that the three of them were taking…that is, if Tara agreed.

Buffy frowned.  She hated not knowing how things were going back on campus.  She looked over at the phone, wondering if she should call.  Immediately after she had decided not to, Buffy felt her heart constrict in pain.  She groaned and put her hand on her chest.

Joyce noticed the reaction and immediately became concerned.  She knew her daughter had remarkable recuperative powers, but she still worried, especially after this last incident.

“Honey, are you okay?” Joyce asked.  “What is it?”

“Oh…ummm…nothing,” Buffy answered.  “A little heartburn is all...from the pizza.”  Buffy felt herself flush, as if the room were suddenly getting too warm.  “Ugh.  Remind me never to get pineapple and sausage on the same pizza.”

Joyce laughed, relieved that there was nothing to worry about.  “Want me to get you something from the medicine cabinet?”

“No, that’s okay,” Buffy said, rising to her feet.  “I’ll get it.”

Buffy went up the stairs to the bathroom.  She turned on the cold water and splashed some on her face.  Then she patted her face dry with a towel.  As she replaced the towel, she felt a fire rush through her body.  She swayed on her feet and had to steady herself with a hand on the wall.  

“Oh, god…” she mumbled as she was hit by a deluge of images and sensations.  Hands roaming…clothes flying…bodies arching…and, curiously, stars.

When the ride was finally over, she straightened back up.  She pulled the towel from the rack again and wiped the sweat from her face.

“I guess things went well,” she said to her reflection in the mirror, not doubting for a moment the origin of her strange sensations.  She wondered how it was possible that she could sense Willow and Tara from so far away.  She shook her head.  She didn’t want to waste energy thinking about it.

“Now I need a cold shower,” Buffy said.  Then she shrugged.  “Oh well.”

Buffy left the bathroom and headed back downstairs, hoping that Willow and Tara didn’t give a repeat performance before her mother went to bed.

*     *     *

The next morning, Buffy was sitting at her desk studying for a test she had that day when Willow returned to the room.

“Hey,” Buffy said, standing up to greet her roommate.

“Buffy,” Willow said with a huge smile as she came straight over and wrapped the Slayer in a warm hug, kissing her soundly.

“Things went well, I presume,” Buffy said, although she already knew they had.

“Yes,” Willow said, smiling again.  “Things went very well.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” Buffy teased.

“Stop,” Willow said, swatting Buffy playfully as she pulled away and started gathering her books for class.

“So, Tara was…okay with…you know, both of us…?” Buffy asked.

“It took some convincing, but yeah, she’s okay with it,” Willow replied.

“So, how’s this gonna work with the three of us?” Buffy inquired.

“Well, I’m not sure exactly,” Willow answered.  “I guess we’ll just play it by ear.  I’ll have to make a special effort to spend time with Tara, though.  I mean, between rooming together and going to Scooby meetings,  I see you all the time.  I don’t want Tara to feel left out, like she’s a third wheel or something, you know?”

“Oh, of course, I understand,” Buffy said.

“And I’d like for us to do some things together, all three of us,” Willow added.

“A-A-All three of us?” Buffy asked nervously.  “W-W-What kinds of things?”  Buffy couldn’t help her thoughts from jumping to the obvious sexual possibilities.

“Going out for coffee, hanging out at the Bronze, going to dinner and a movie, that kind of thing,” Willow answered.

“Oh!” Buffy said in surprised relief. “That kind of thing.  I can do that.”

“What did you think I meant?” Willow asked.

In response, Buffy merely raised her eyebrows suggestively and cut her eyes towards the bed.

“Oh!” Willow replied, finally getting it and blushing a deep red to prove it.  “Ah…yeow-well…I-I-I hadn’t even…gotten that far yet…I mean, I don’t even know if we’ll ever…not that I wouldn’t want to, ‘cause I might, I don’t know, I’ve never, well, I mean, you and I haven’t even…Shutting up now.”

Buffy just laughed at Willow’s blushing babble-fest.  Then she walked over and kissed the redhead.  “You are so cute when you’re nervous,” Buffy said, rubbing noses with Willow.  When Willow smiled, Buffy asked, “Will I see you today?”

“Sure,” Willow said.  “I was hoping we could get together tonight, just you and me?”

“I’d like that,” Buffy said.

“Then consider it a date,” Willow said with a grin.

*     *     *

As the moon and stars shone brightly in the sky above, Willow and Buffy walked hand-in-hand down the tree-lined sidewalk of Revello Drive.  In their unlinked hands, they each held an ice cream cone.

“Mmmm…cookie dough,” Buffy murmured in delight before attacking her cone once again.  “This was a good idea,” she mumbled through a mouthful of ice cream.

“Mmm-hmm,” Willow agreed, working busily on the edges of her own cone, trying to stave off the inevitable melting.  “Definitely,” she said after swallowing her latest lick of sugary goodness.

“You missed a spot,” Buffy said, bringing them to a halt on the sidewalk and pointing in the direction of Willow’s ice cream cone.

“Where?” Willow asked, examining her cone from all angles.

“Right here,” Buffy said with a smirk as she moved in and licked a small spot of ice cream off Willow’s chin.  “Mmmm…sweet.”

Willow grinned and kissed Buffy, tangling her free hand in the Slayer’s hair so that she could pull Buffy closer.

When they moved apart, Buffy said, “Mmmm…sweeter.”

Willow blushed at the compliment.  She pulled her hand from Buffy’s hair, caressed Buffy’s cheek, and smiled.  Then she dropped her hand to link it with Buffy’s once again, and the two of them started back down the sidewalk.

*     *     *

By the time the two roommates had finished their ice cream cones, they had arrived at Buffy’s house.  Buffy unlocked the front door and held it open for Willow.  Once Willow was safely inside, Buffy locked the door and turned off the porch light.

“When’s your mom coming back from the art show?” Willow asked as she moved into the living room and sat on the couch.

“Late tomorrow,” Buffy answered, taking a seat next to Willow.  “She’s already made some great finds, she said.”  Buffy picked up the remote.  “You wanna watch some TV?”

Willow shook her head, then snuggled up close to Buffy, finding her place tucked against Buffy’s shoulder.  “Mmmm…this is all I need, right here,” she said contentedly.

Buffy wrapped her arm around the redhead and hugged her warmly, leaning her cheek on Willow’s hair.  She sighed happily.  She couldn’t believe how quickly her life had changed in just a matter of days.  She’d gone from the blackest pit of despair to the stereotypical heaven on earth.  She didn’t understand it all—whatever this was that she and Willow and Tara shared—but she knew it was real, and she was determined to do whatever it took to make it work.

“Will?” Buffy asked softly.

“Hmm?” Willow murmured.

“Tell me more about this connection you have with me.”

Willow pulled back slightly so that she could look at Buffy while she answered.  “Well, like I said before, I could just feel it when you were hurt, and Tara helped me focus on it enough to find you.”

“Is that the only time it’s happened?” Buffy inquired.

“Ummm…no,” Willow replied.  “I felt it after I left to go see Tara.  You know, the day you got out of the hospital?”

“Oh, yeah,” Buffy said, remembering how she had totally lost it that afternoon.

“A-A-And I think I’m getting the same thing with Tara,” Willow added. “Last night when I went to her room, she wasn’t there, and I didn’t know where she’d gone.  I could just sense that she was nearby.  So I followed my feelings like I did with you.  I found her on the roof of her dorm.”

When Buffy heard the reference to the roof, she started to giggle.  Willow looked at Buffy funny, then smiled, then joined her in her laughter. 

“What?” Willow asked, wondering what the joke was.

“You were on the roof!” Buffy said to herself, still chuckling. “That explains the stars.”

“Buffy, what are you talking about?” Willow asked in total confusion.

“I’ve been having feelings too,” Buffy explained, “like yours.  Shared experiences, shall we say.  Mine came last night.”  Buffy waggled her eyebrows at Willow.

Willow continued to look lost until it finally sank in.  “Oh!” Willow said, blushing furiously.  “You mean, you could…”

“Ohhh, yeaahhh,” Buffy confirmed. 

Willow squeaked once then buried her face on Buffy’s shoulder in embarrassment.

“I was right here watching videos with my mom when it hit me,” Buffy continued.  “I had to give some lame excuse about heartburn and go to the bathroom.”

Willow burst into laughter and lifted her head to look at Buffy once again.  Now it was Buffy’s turn to be embarrassed.

“It’s not funny,” Buffy said, trying not to laugh herself.  “We were watching ‘The Sound of Music’ for goodness’ sake!  Can you imagine me explaining my Sally-in-the-diner-like reaction in the middle of ‘Do-Re-Mi’?”

Willow clutched her stomach and fell over into Buffy’s lap, now in complete and total hysterics.  Buffy began to laugh, too, as she milked the scene for even more humor.

“I can just see it now,” Buffy continued between giggles.  “Julie Andrews singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’ and me crying ‘do me, do me!’ ”

“Oh, god, stop, please,” Willow begged, holding her sides.

Buffy smiled at her girlfriend and stroked her back as the redhead fought to get her giggle-fit under control.  Finally, Willow sat up, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Oh, god,” Willow groaned.  “I haven’t laughed that hard in, I don’t know how long.  Owww, I think I’m gonna be sore!”

“That’s what you get, you little vixen, you and Tara!” Buffy chided before suddenly changing gears.  “Hey, do you think it works both ways?”

“What do you mean?” Willow asked.

“Well, if I could feel what you and Tara were doing,” Buffy said slyly, “do you think that she could feel what we were doing?”  Buffy waggled her eyebrows suggestively once again.

“Oooo…who’s the vixen now?” Willow said, moving in to plant a heated kiss on Buffy’s lips.

As Willow began to shift into a more comfortable position, she found herself suddenly flipped onto her back, sitting in Buffy’s lap, held firmly in place by the strong arm of the Slayer.  Mmmm…girlfriend with Slayer strength, Willow thought to herself, I’m marking that one in the plus column.  Then all her thoughts stopped as Buffy gently pushed Willow’s hair out of her face and looked deeply into her eyes.

After a long stare, Buffy’s gaze drifted from Willow’s eyes to the rest of her face.  She studied each feature as if memorizing it.  She brushed her fingertips along Willow’s cheek and jaw line, ending up at the witch’s lips.  God, she’s beautiful, Buffy thought.  Buffy leaned down and captured Willow’s lips.

As their embrace intensified, Buffy felt Willow reach behind her neck, pulling her closer, seeking to deepen the kiss.  Buffy gladly obliged.  Soon, the two best friends were entwined in an active tangle of limbs, with naughty little rewritten remnants of ‘The Sound of Music’ echoing in the back of their minds.

*     *     *

Tara was just about asleep when the second heat wave hit her. 

“Oh, goddess,” she cried.  “Not again!”

Tara threw off the covers and gripped the fitting sheet tightly in her fists.  She groaned involuntarily as images and feelings of mutual pleasure flooded her mind.  Fingers, tongues, and breasts…oh my!

What is it with the musicals? Tara wondered as another groan was forced from her throat.

Thank goodness I don’t have a roommate, Tara thought gratefully.

*     *     *

Buffy hurried down the carpeted aisle and then joined Willow and Tara on a pew about halfway down the length of the church.  She leaned over to the two witches.

“Did I miss anything?” Buffy asked.

“Nah, same ole, same ole,” Willow answered with a bored look.  “Hell-fire, brimstone, damnation, apocalypse, yadda, yadda, yadda…”

“You missed his singing, though,” Tara said with a smile.  “It was very good.”

Buffy turned towards the pulpit.  There, in the full vestments of the priesthood, was Giles, who was giving an impassioned reading from the Book of Revelation.

“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!” Giles recited. “It has become a dwelling place of demons, a haunt of every foul spirit…a haunt of every foul and hateful beast…Alas, alas, the great city, Babylon, the mighty city!  For in one hour, your judgment has come…For in one hour, all this…has been laid waste!”

Buffy rolled her eyes, tuning out the dramatic reading.  Then she began to stare at the stained glass window behind Giles.  It featured a shield, blood red in color, triangular in shape with its apex pointed down, divided into quadrants by a white cross.  In the center of the shield were three gold rings linked together.  Buffy tilted her head, contemplating the meaning of the symbols.

Suddenly, it was time for communion.  Buffy, Willow, and Tara rose from their pew and joined the line moving towards the front of the church.  When the three women reached the communion rail, they knelt side by side: Buffy then Willow then Tara. 

Accompanied by an acolyte who carried the elements, Giles stood before Tara first.  He picked up a communion wafer from the tray and dipped it into the wine-filled cup.  He held it before Tara’s eyes.

“Believe in the Blessed Three,” Giles intoned as he placed the wafer on Tara’s tongue.

Then he moved to Willow, repeating his previous preparations.  He held the wine-stained wafer before Willow.

“Trust in the Holy Trinity,” Giles said, placing the wafer in Willow’s mouth.

Then he stepped to his right to stand before Buffy.  Once again, he retrieved a wafer, dipped it, and held it up.

“For by Love are we saved,” Giles said with a smile as he placed the wafer on Buffy’s tongue.

Buffy smiled back then rose from her kneeling position.  When she turned to go back to her pew, she found herself no longer in the church.  She was alone and in the old high school, standing at the Hellmouth.  She watched in fear as something began to emerge from the crevice.  She backed away…then abruptly woke in her own bed.

Buffy was breathing hard, the terror from her dream still lingering.  She looked to her left and saw Willow next to her, lying on her back, sleeping soundly, her right hand touching the red hair at her temple.  Buffy smiled and felt her breathing return to normal.  She curled up next to Willow, resting her head on Willow’s shoulder and draping her arm across her stomach.  When Willow unconsciously wrapped her right arm around Buffy, the Slayer sighed happily and fell fast asleep.

*     *     *

Buffy and Willow woke up at exactly the same time, when an annoying buzz came blaring from the clock-radio on the night stand.  Buffy groaned and rolled away from the sound, wrapping her pillow around her head.  Willow grinned at Buffy’s reaction then reached over and shut off the alarm.  Willow crawled behind Buffy and spoke under the pillow by Buffy’s ear.

“Buuuuu…ffffffy,” Willow called out with syrupy-sweetness, “it’s time to get uuuuuppppp.”

“Don’ wanna,” Buffy whined from under her pillow.

“But we’re meeting Tara for breakfast, remember?” Willow reminded as she pulled the pillow off Buffy’s head.

Buffy just groaned and rolled back towards Willow, burying herself in Willow’s chest.

“Don’t you wanna see if our little experiment last night worked?” Willow teased.

Buffy’s eyes shot open.  She pulled back so that she could see Willow’s face.  An evil glint appeared in Buffy’s eyes, and she grinned mischievously.  Then the witch and the Slayer began to chuckle.

*     *     *

Lindsey angrily shut off the beeping alarm.  He draped his arm over his eyes and groaned.  After a moment, he sighed and dragged himself out of the bed.  As he stumbled towards the kitchenette, he noticed that Zephenia’s bedroom door was open.  He began preparations to make coffee.

“Zephenia, what do you want for breakfast today?” Lindsey called.

There was no answer.

“Zephenia?” Lindsey called again, this time with a little more worry in his voice.

When he didn’t get a response, he ran into the seer’s bedroom and searched it thoroughly.  He did the same for the bathroom and the living room and even for his own room.  Zephenia was nowhere to be found.

Lindsey hurriedly put on his clothes.  “Zephenia, when I find you, I’m gonna kill you!”

As soon as he was dressed, Lindsey rushed from the hotel room to search for his missing seer.

*     *     *

At the UC Sunnydale dining hall, Willow and Buffy started in on their breakfast.  A few minutes later Tara joined them. 

“Hey, baby,” Willow said sweetly, getting up to greet the blonde witch.

As soon as Tara put down her tray, Willow pulled her into a warm, long hug.  When they separated, Willow kissed Tara earnestly. 

Buffy watched the exchange with interest, wondering why she wasn’t turning into the green-eyed monster, insane with jealousy.  What am I feeling? she asked herself.  She looked away to consider the issue for a moment. Happy, I guess, she thought finally, happy that Willow’s happy.  She looked back up at the two witches, who were now taking their seats.

“I missed you,” Willow said sweetly.

“I somehow doubt that,” Tara said, rolling her eyes and grinning.

“Now, I don’t know why you would say such a thing,” Willow replied teasingly. “You make it sound like I was up to naughty things last night.”

Buffy stifled a chuckle at Willow’s tone.

“Oh, I know you were,” Tara said.

“And how would you know that?” Willow asked. “You wouldn’t have…sensed it by some chance, would you?”

“Sensed it?” Tara asked, at first confused then realizing.  “Oh my god…you knew!”

Willow and Buffy both burst into laughter as Tara looked at them in amused shock.

“You two little hussies!” Tara continued.  “You knew I could feel what you were doing!”  Tara tore off two pieces from her toast and threw them at Willow and Buffy as they continued to laugh.

“You’re just lucky I don’t have a roommate,” Tara threatened, “because if I’d had to explain myself to a roommate, you two would be toads right now.”

“Now, now,” Willow chided, “Wiccan ideals say ‘harm none.’ ”

“I’m feeling a sudden temptation to backslide,” Tara said.

“It’s only fair,” Buffy said, “after what you two put me through the other night.”

“You mean…you could…?” Tara asked.

“Yep,” Buffy replied.

“Huh,” Tara said, drifting off into deep thought on the matter.

“What?” Willow asked Tara.

“I-I-It’s just…it’s…well…weird, don’t you think?” Tara asked shyly, “That we have this connection?”

“We live in Sunnydale,” Buffy said. “Weird is par for the course.”

“I don’t think it’s weird at all,” Willow said.  “I think it’s neat.  And in my opinion it just proves that what we have is something very special.” 

To emphasize her last comment, Willow grabbed the hand of each of her girlfriends and squeezed.  Buffy and Tara returned the gesture and smiled first at Willow and then at each other.  Buffy and Tara locked eyes for a moment, sending a silent message to each other: This is special, so we can do this—we can make this work.  They nodded in response.

Willow released her girlfriends’ hands, and the three of them went back to eating their breakfast.

“I have a question,” Willow stated, “for both of you.”

Buffy and Tara stopped eating and turned their attention to Willow.

“I think we should tell the others about us,” Willow said.  Then she waited expectantly.

“Was that the question? ‘Cause it sounded like a statement to me,” Buffy teased.

“I agree,” Tara said, winking at Buffy.  “It was clearly a statement, a prime example of the declarative sentence.”

Willow glared at her girlfriends.  “Ooooo-kkkaaay, let me rephrase: ‘Do you…agree with me… about telling the others…about our relationship?’ ”

Buffy and Tara looked at each other. 

“Much better,” Buffy said to Tara.

“Yes, she’s beginning to grasp the concept of the interrogative form,” Tara said to Buffy.

“You guys!” Willow whined, as Buffy and Tara began to giggle.

“Okay, okay,” Buffy relented. “About your question.”

Buffy and Tara both became serious.  Buffy was the first to speak. 

“I know the gang will freak a little,” she said, “I mean, you’ve only just told them about Tara, and now you’re adding me to the mix…it’ll be weird for them, for all of us, but…” Buffy paused and looked down at her hands.  Then she added in a quiet voice, “I don’t want to have to pretend around them.”

Willow touched Buffy’s hand until she looked up and met Willow’s eyes.  “I don’t want to either,” Willow said.  Then Willow turned to Tara.  “Tara?” she asked.

“They’re your friends, Willow,” Tara said, hanging her head.

“But I want them to be your friends, too, Tara,” Willow said, touching Tara’s hand.

“If we’re going to be friends, then we shouldn’t pretend,” Tara said softly.  “W-W-We shouldn’t keep s-s-secrets.”  Unless you have to, Tara added in her mind.

It was only after Willow gave Tara’s hand a grateful squeeze that Tara lifted her eyes.  Willow was smiling, her eyes bright with joy.

“Okay then, it’s a plan,” Willow said.  “The next time we get together, we tell the gang about us.”

“Speaking of getting the gang together,” Buffy interjected, “we need to.  And not just because of us.”

“What’s up?” Willow asked.

“I had another dream,” Buffy said ominously.  “Last night.”

“You mean, one of your special Slayer dreams?” Willow asked.

“Yes,” Buffy said. “I think a Scoobies meeting is in order.  Are you guys free this afternoon?”

Willow and Tara both nodded.

“Good,” Buffy replied. “I’ll call Giles and the others and set it up.”

Buffy rose from her seat and picked up her tray.  Willow and Tara did the same.  As the three women made their way towards the garbage can, Tara cleared her throat.

“Ummm…I have a question, too,” Tara said, emptying her tray and setting it aside.

“What?” Willow asked, as she and Buffy began emptying their trays.

“Do-re-mi?” Tara asked pointedly.

Willow and Buffy both dropped their trays, sending them clattering to the floor.  They blushed and then looked at Tara.  Tara gave them one of her patented half-smirks and raised her eyebrow expectantly.

*     *     *

Having searched the entire hotel, Lindsey was quickly losing patience.  He stood outside the hotel with his hands on his hips watching his driver return from checking the back parking lot.  Lindsey cursed when he saw his driver shake his head.

He knew that, given her unusual demeanor, Zephenia was a likely prospect for police pickup.  She was the type that would be taken to the psych ward for “observation.”

Lindsey motioned his driver towards the limo and, once inside, instructed him to head to the local hospital.

*     *     *

Barefoot and still in her night gown, Zephenia lay on her back on the stone floor of the ruined high school library, near the glowing fissure of the Hellmouth.  Her withered hands were drawn up against her chest as the old seer giggled to herself. 

When her giggling ceased, she turned over onto her side and reached out her hand to touch the air above the crevice’s opening.  Zephenia seemed to draw energy from the action.  Her eyes rolled back in her head, and a grin spread across her face.  Shortly, she flopped back over and began giggling once again.

“He comes,” she croaked between cackles.  “He comes.”

*     *     *

Once again, the Scoobies were gathered at Giles’ apartment.  This time, Tara was with them, sitting on Willow’s right while Buffy sat at Willow’s left.  The gang listened intently as Buffy described her latest dream.

“I-I was a priest?” Giles asked in astonishment.  “Catholic?  Anglican?”

“Like I would know,” Buffy replied.  “My family is very non-religious-like, i-i-in an un-atheistic sort of way, of course.”

“And I was with you in a Christian church?” Willow inquired.  When Buffy nodded, Willow shuddered.  “Oh, my father would be so disappointed.”

“You did look really bored, though,” Buffy offered.

Willow shrugged and nodded, looking somewhat consoled by that thought.

“But what does it all mean?” Xander wondered out loud.  “I for one am deeply concerned about any verses from Revelation appearing in one of Buffy’s prophetic dreams.  It simply does not bode well.”

“The ‘Babylon’ reference clearly refers to Sunnydale,” Giles stated.  “Its location on the Hellmouth would certainly make it a ‘dwelling place of demons’.”

“Well, it’s not the demons that are already here that I’m worried about,” Anya said.  “It’s whatever—or whoever—is in on its way here.  That’s two dreams in a row that feature some new Big Bad emerging from the Hellmouth.”

“We should check it out,” Buffy announced and then looked to Giles for confirmation.

“Agreed,” Giles replied.

Xander stood and went to Giles’ weapons chest.  “Okay, folks, step right up,” he called out.  “I’ve got something for everybody.”  When Buffy approached, he grinned and said, “What’s your pleasure, little lady?  A cross-bow or a nice shiny sword perhaps?”

“Hey, everybody?” Willow said, getting the gang’s attention.  “Can we wait on the weapons dispersal for a minute?” 

Once Buffy and Xander had returned to their seats, Willow continued. 

“I…ummm…I have something to tell you all, and it’s not going to be easy for me, so please bear with me,” Willow said.

“Will, you’ve already done the whole ‘coming out’ thing, remember?” Xander reminded his best friend.  “We know about you and Tara, and we’re cool with it,” he added, flashing a smile at Tara, who smiled gratefully in return.

“Oh, I know,” Willow said, “but this is new.  It’s not about Tara.  Well, actually, it is about Tara, but not just Tara, there’s a lot more to it than that, and--”

“She’s not a vampire, is she?” Anya asked.

“What?” Tara interjected, alarmed.

“No!” Willow denied instantly.  “For the last time, I am not dating a vampire!”

“But you are dating a Vampire Slayer,” Buffy said cheerfully, then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth.  She looked at Willow and apologized with her eyes.

Willow just shrugged, as if to say, ‘Oh well.’  Then she turned back to the group.  Giles, Anya, and Xander were all frozen in place, staring at Willow in disbelief. 

Anya was the first to move; she merely raised her eyebrows and looked at the three women thoughtfully, as if considering the possibilities. 

Giles was next; he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Dear Lord,” he murmured.

When Xander finally emerged from his frozen state, he looked at Tara first, then Buffy, then back to Willow.  “But I thought that you were--”  He tilted his head at Tara.

“I am,” Willow confirmed.

“But you’re also with--”  He tilted his head at Buffy this time.

“Yes,” Willow said.

Xander moved closer and whispered conspiratorially to Willow alone, “Do they know?”

Willow laughed.  “Of course, they know.  They’re sitting right here.”

“Right…sorry,” Xander said, shaking his head.  “My brain is fried from the Jerry Springer-like similarities.”  Xander turned to Buffy suddenly.  “And since when are you--”

“Since none of your business,” Buffy replied.

“So have you had sex yet?” Anya asked curiously.  “You know, all three of you together?”

Willow, Tara, and Buffy stared at Anya in embarrassed shock, but the former-demon simply sat patiently awaiting their answer.  When they didn’t speak, she continued.

“I’ve often thought of a ménage `a trois, but not with three women, of course, ‘cause hey, I am not a lesbian.  Which is a good thing apparently since there are plenty of those around at the moment.”

“Leaving now,” Willow said in a mortified voice as she rose and headed for the door.  Tara and Buffy quickly followed.

“Yes, let’s,” Giles agreed, hurrying for the door.

Xander turned to his girlfriend and looked at her exasperatedly.

“What?” she asked with a sincerely confused shrug.

*     *     *

Lindsey looked down into the ruined library and saw Zephenia on the floor near the crevice. 

“Zephenia!” Lindsey shouted angrily. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

When Zephenia showed no signs of having heard him, Lindsey moved quickly through the rubble until he was at her side.  He went to speak again, but then paused to watch the ancient seer.

Zephenia lay on her side, touching the glowing air above the opening of the fissure.

“He comes,” she said in awe, for once not repeating herself.

Lindsey squatted across from Zephenia so that he could see her face.  “Who’s coming?” he asked gently.

Zephenia met Lindsey’s eyes.  “N’Faius.”  Then she smiled.

Lindsey turned his eyes from the seer to the glowing Hellmouth.  He felt a cold chill come over him, and he could not prevent himself from shivering.

Then he rose quickly and took Zephenia’s hand.  Once he had pulled her to her feet, he began to usher her out of the ruined library.

“Come on, I need to get you out of here,” he said.

*     *     *

Just as Lindsey and Zephenia came out of the entrance to the old high school, they bumped into Buffy and the Scoobies.  Lindsey held Zephenia’s arm tightly and backed away.

“Oh…ummm…hi,” Lindsey said. “You scared me.  I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be around this place.”

“Neither were we,” Buffy said, narrowing her eyes in suspicion at Lindsey.

Zephenia stared openly at Buffy and the others, cutting her eyes from Buffy to Willow and then to Tara.

“What are you doing here?” Buffy asked while she crossed her arms authoritatively.

“My dear old grandmother here unfortunately has Alzheimer’s,” Lindsey explained.

Zephenia began to point mutely at the woman in front of her.  Lindsey pulled her hand down.

“She has a tendency to wander off to the strangest places,” he said to Buffy.  Then he turned to Zephenia.  “Isn’t that right, Grandma?”  Lindsey turned back to Buffy and the others.  “I’d better get her home.  She’s been gone all day.”

As Lindsey led the seer away, she resisted his efforts and continued to point towards Buffy, but Lindsey managed to drag her away.  Buffy watched the pair until they were out of sight.  Then she turned back to the entrance to the high school.

“Come on, we’ve got a Hellmouth to check out,” the Slayer said.

*     *     *

In the depths of the old library, Buffy and the others found the Hellmouth exactly as she had seen it in her dreams: glowing and vibrating.  Buffy and Willow and Giles stood right next to the fissure, examining it in detail.  Xander, Anya, and Tara stood nearby.  Tara had her arms wrapped tightly across her chest.  She shifted nervously on her feet, her eyes darting from side to side.

Willow ran her hand through the glowing air above the crevice.  She frowned and pulled her hand back.  She turned to Tara.

“Tara, come here,” Willow said. “Come feel this.”

Tara shook her head and backed away.  “No…no,” she said with terror in her voice.

Buffy looked up when she heard Tara’s voice.

“Baby, what is it?” Willow asked, concerned, as she moved towards Tara.

“No!” Tara screamed as she turned and fled, scrambling over the rubble and out of the library.

*     *     *

Outside the high school, Willow and Buffy finally caught up with Tara.  When Buffy grabbed Tara’s arm to stop her, Tara whipped around and socked Buffy with a burst of magic, sending the Slayer flying back several feet.

“Oh, god!” Tara exclaimed, realizing what she had done.  Her knees buckled, and she fell crying to the crumbling sidewalk.  “I’m s-s-sorry…”

Willow wrapped her arms around Tara and looked in Buffy’s direction.   Buffy was sitting on the grass, shaking her head to clear the stars away.  Willow turned back to Tara.  The blonde witch was trembling violently and sobbing.

“Tara, baby, are you okay?” Willow asked.

Tara just closed her eyes and shook her head.  Then she felt Buffy take her hand.  Tara reluctantly opened her eyes.

“I’m so s-s-sorry,” Tara said to Buffy. “I didn’t mean--”

“It’s okay,” Buffy said, giving the witch’s hand a squeeze. “I’m fine.  You didn’t hurt me.  But that is quite a punch you’re packin’!”  Buffy said, smiling reassuringly.  Then Buffy sobered and looked at Tara intently.  “Tara, you need to tell us what happened in there.  We know you sensed something.  What was it?”

Tara’s face twisted in remembered terror.  She closed her eyes again and shook her head as if to quell her fear.  Then she opened her eyes and met Buffy’s and Willow’s gaze.

“Evil,” Tara said simply.  “Just evil.  The most evil thing I’ve ever--”

Tara shuddered involuntarily, and both Willow and Buffy moved to comfort the upset woman.  Willow hugged her more tightly and kissed her on the temple while Buffy gently touched her cheek and wiped away her tears.

*     *     *

A distance away, Lindsey watched the three women kneeling in front of the old high school.  He gripped Zephenia tightly, his hand held firmly over her mouth to keep her silent.  She struggled against his hold, pointing in the direction of the school’s entrance.

Lindsey changed his position so that he had his back to the three women.  He kept his hand over Zephenia’s mouth as she pointed more fervently over Lindsey’s shoulder.  Lindsey forced the seer to look at him.

“Quietly,” he ordered.  When Zephenia tore her eyes from him and back to the three, he shook her.  “Quietly,” he repeated.

When Zephenia finally calmed down, Lindsey removed his hand from the old woman’s mouth.

“The Three,” she whispered, pointing once again at Buffy and Willow and Tara.

“They’re the Three?” Lindsey asked incredulously, turning to look at the trio.

“The Three,” Zephenia stated matter-of-factly, straightening up as Lindsey loosened his grip.

Lindsey stared open-mouthed as the three women rose to their feet and then were joined by their friends who had just emerged from the high school.  Lindsey shut his mouth and tugged Zephenia’s arm, leading her towards the waiting limo.

Once safely inside the limo, Lindsey pulled out his cell phone and dialed the office.

“Yes?” answered the Senior Partner.

“I know who the Three are,” Lindsey said dramatically.

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