FF: Rewrite Season 6, part 14 - B/F-W/T - R

["carrkjar" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Rewrite Season 6, part 14
Lonely In Your Nightmare

Author: Frau Hunter Ash 

Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Acknowledgments: Note: Plot collaborated on by Hunter Ash and Dark 
Gremlin 
Suggestions from many people and many boards. A special "thank you" 
to them.

Another special "Thank You" to Joan the English Chick 
(pisces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) for her transcripts.  

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, 
Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. No harm intended.  
The character of Maggie Doyle belongs to whoever created ER and I'm 
just borrowing the absent character.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship 
between people of the same and opposite gender. If this offends or 
is illegal for you, then please leave. Come back when you are older, 
have an open mind, moved, or changed your laws. 

Spoilers: In my universe here, Season 6 is happening again! Starting 
with Bargaining and taking off from there. Things will be different 
here.  

Rating: R (US) 15 (UK) MA (Aus) Pairings: W/T, X/An, B/?

Summary: Tara is back but Willow and Ripper are bent on revenge. Can 
the gang stop them before they fall into darkness?  

* * *

Buffy crawled in the back seat of the car and held out her arms as 
Xander and Anya helped a semi-conscious Tara in and then Faith.  

Dawn and Anya crowded into the front seat of Xander's car as he 
started it.

Buffy looked past Tara to Faith, her eyes unreadable.

"What, B?" Faith asked softly.

"You knew they'd probably kill you," Buffy said softly.

"Yeah, I thought I might have a chance to get Tara out during the 
struggle," Faith nodded.  

"You barely met Tara, why?" Buffy asked softly.

"I needed to do something right," Faith almost whispered. "She's 
important to Willow and you guys."

"Faith?" Buffy asked softly, leaning over Tara to get closer to 
Faith, to look her in the eyes. "Are we starting over here?"

"You believe I wanna change?" Faith asked softly, tears filling her 
eyes.

"I think you've already changed," Buffy smiled, reaching out to touch 
Faith's cheek. "Give me a chance to prove I've changed and that I'm 
not an unforgiving bitch?"

Dawn looked back with a smirk. "About time!"

"Shut up, runt!" Buffy smiled, blushing a bright red.  

"How do we find Willow?" Anya demanded. "And Riley is following us."

"There's no way the Xan Mobile can lose him," Xander muttered.

"We'll deal with him later," Buffy growled. "I don't think Sam will 
let him take Tara from us."

"Again, how do we find Willow?" Anya demanded.

"Turn west," Tara muttered.

"Tara?" Buffy squeaked hopefully as Tara slowly raised her head from 
the back of the seat and opened her eyes. "Oh God, your eyes are 
kinda purple."

"She's hungry," Anya explained simply. "It's like she's part demon 
now."

"How f**king ironic is that?" Xander demanded.

"Xander! Language!" Buffy snapped, glancing at Dawn.

"Well it is!" Xander complained. "She was terrified all her life 
because her twisted family told her she was half demon. We prove she 
isn't and now we help make her half demon. Twisted!"

"I'm alive and we can get Willow back," Tara said softly. "I'll deal 
with whatever this is later."

"Which way is West? It's dark!" Xander complained.

"Turn left," Faith muttered and shrugged when Buffy questioned the 
dark Slayer with her eyes.

"Have they found Ethan and Spike?" Buffy asked softly.

"Not yet," Tara shook her head. "We've got to hurry though, Willow 
is totally shut off and I can't read Giles at all."

"He's not Giles anymore," Buffy muttered. "What do we do about this 
hunger thing?"

"Psychic vampires feed through strong emotions or through touch," 
Anya suggested.

"We can do this, B," Faith said softly.

"Both of us?" Buffy asked, a frown on her face.

"It won't be as draining if it's both of us," Faith pointed out.

"You were snacked on by a vampire and ripped your hands apart, you're 
not up to this," Buffy growled.

"Tara, you're the one that needs this," Faith said softly, taking one 
of Tara's hands into hers.

Buffy frowned but took the other hand.  

"Close your eyes," Anya instructed from the front seat. "Tara, just 
reach out like a psychic or astral journey thing. Connect with their 
energy lines and draw it in."

Buffy and Faith both felt their bodies jerk as Tara connected with 
them. Unlike the way it felt with Dracula or other creatures they 
had ever felt, Tara's touch and connection was loving and gentle. It 
was also arousing.

* * *

Ethan turned and muttered a quick incantation and made several 
gestures before he slammed the door shut on the third abandoned 
building they had hidden in for two days.

"Damn it! We're supposed to be hunting them!" Spike complained.

"Shut up, Spike," Ethan grumbled. "When it's dark, you can go your 
way and I'll go mine."

"No more grand plans for revenge?" Spike smirked.

"You're going to have two pissed off Slayers, an ex-vengeance demon, 
an Initiative Strike Team and two very, very powerful and totally out 
of control sorcerers after you? What do you think you'd like to do?" 
Ethan taunted.  

"You wanted Giles back as the sorcerer," Spike pointed out.

"I didn't expect him to team up with the red-haired brat!" Ethan 
growled. "She's guiding him!"

"Alright, at sunset and we go our separate ways!" Spike 
agreed. "After that, we don't run into each other, right?"

"Not if I can help it," Ethan snapped.

* * *

Willow glared when Ripper stopped the car. "Which way, luv?"

The witch hesitated and then pointed to the left. "That way!"

Ripper grinned evilly and turned the car at the intersection.

"Ethan is mine," Ripper growled.

Willow's black eyes flashed for a moment and then she nodded.

"How dangerous are you, Ripper?" Willow demanded.

"I can take on Ethan," Ripper growled. "More than a match for 
anything except you."

"Good, as long as we're clear on that," Willow muttered. "I am going 
to kill Spike very, very slowly for touching her!"

"Understood," Ripper grinned.  

"You and Ethan were lovers?" Willow asked, her voice curious.

"Yes, and enemies most of our lives," Ripper nodded. "He wants me 
back in his bed or my head on a pike."

"Which do you want?" Willow asked, apparently without judgment.

"His head on a platter!" Ripper growled. "He hurt my friends, Ethan 
should have remembered that was a breaking point."

"Stop!" Willow ordered and opened the car door. "That house over 
there. The one that looks like where Freddy Krueger lives. Be 
careful, it's warded."

"No worries, luv," Ripper grinned, lifting an axe out of the back 
seat. "I'm prepared for magic and physical."

"Good," Willow nodded, reaching for the crossbow.  

"Hey, can we join in?" Faith smirked as she stepped out of the 
shadows of one of the trees. Buffy stepped into the light on 
Willow's right.

"If you're here to help us kill Ethan, Spike and whoever might be 
helping them," Willow said calmly, her eyes still magick black.

"You know we can't let you kill Ethan or any human helping him," 
Buffy said calmly.  

"No!" Willow shouted. "What I know is that Spike killed Tara and 
probably raped her! What I know is that Ethan took my magic and 
drained me like a damned battery! He didn't care if I was sane or not 
when he was done! That's as bad as being raped! He was inside of me! 
They die, Buffy! I don't give a damn about your Slayer ethics!"

"Will, I can't let you cross that line, no matter how justified it 
seems," Buffy said firmly.

"Move aside, Buffy," Ripper growled, his hands tightening around the 
axe handle.  

"Don't force this, Giles," Buffy begged. "Xander and the others are 
circling around to trap Ethan and Spike. We kill Spike like the 
vampire he is and Riley can take Ethan back into custody."

"Time to grow up, Buffy," Ripper snapped. "He escaped once! Ethan'll 
do it again! He helped kill Tara! It's only dark magic that saved 
her! He ruined Faith's chance at freedom and you want him to live?"

"No," Buffy shook her head. "I don't want him to live but I have to 
live with myself and my friends. Slayers and Slayer friends don't 
kill humans."

"Get over it," Ripper growled. "What do you think happened to Dr. 
Ben?" 

Buffy blinked several times as Faith looked at her curiously.  

"I wasn't around, we let him go and then I died," Buffy said softly.

"Giles couldn't chance it," Ripper smirked, moving closer to 
Buffy. "I put a knife in that young man's back and severed his 
spinal cord without an ounce of guilt."

"No," Buffy whimpered, almost shrinking back. "Giles wouldn't, you 
wouldn't."

"Easily," Ripper smirked.

"But that means&." Buffy stammered. "Faith went to prison for killing 
someone accidentally."

"I killed the host for a Hell God that was intent on destroying the 
world," Ripper countered. "You should have done the same."

Buffy looked confused and Willow stepped forward.

"Move aside, Buffy," Willow said firmly. "Let us work justice."

"This isn't justice, it's revenge," Faith growled.

"So what? Same ends," Willow snapped. "Move!"

"Not happening, Red," Faith said firmly. "Tara will kill me if I let 
you cross that ethical line."

"Willow," Joyce's voice called to them as the Spirit stepped out of 
the shadows on the porch of the old abandoned house. "Ethan and 
Spike are already gone. They got away again."

"No!" Willow screamed and Ripper cursed and everything went into slow 
motion.

The red-haired witch turned and snapped her hands out in front of 
her, catching Sam by surprise with an electric like energy bolt that 
threw the commando flying back ten feet into a car, stunned.

"Damnit! Sam!" Riley shouted, drawing his Glock pistol.

Faith and Buffy rushed forward to grab Giles and Willow but the 
sorcerer waved his hand and an invisible shield sent both Slayers 
down to the grass when they hit it. Giles leaped forward just as 
Riley fired at Willow.

"No!" Willow screamed again as Giles fell at her feet. The witch 
quickly bent down and rolled Giles over on his back and screamed at 
the sight of the blood on the ex-Watcher's chest.

Willow held her hands over Giles and chanted.  

Buffy watched her friend bending over her surrogate father with a 
whimper. The blonde Slayer reached out and found Faith's willing 
hand as Willow chanted and rocked gently.

"Shouldn't we call an ambulance?" Xander asked softly as he and Anya 
ran up and took in the scene.  

"Where's Tara and Dawn?" Buffy asked almost in a whisper.

"Still in the car, just like you ordered," Xander reassured her as 
they watched Willow work.

Willow fell forward over Giles and let Buffy and Faith pull her back, 
the witch falling in the blonde Slayer's arms.  

Faith quickly checked out Giles. The Slayer wasn't really surprised 
when she ripped Giles' shirt open and found there wasn't even a 
wound. Just a spent and smashed bullet lying on his chest. Faith 
picked it up with a stunned expression. She hadn't been expecting 
that.

She glanced over at Riley as he held Sam, the female soldier 
beginning to regain consciousness. He still gripped the pistol in 
his hand and had tears streaming down his face as he held his wife.  
He would occasionally look their direction. He fumbled with the gun 
as blood began to seep from the bandages around his wrists. Sam had 
done a good job bandaging them but Faith knew he should have gone to 
the hospital.

"Buffy?" Willow asked softly.

"Right here, Will," Buffy said gently. "I'll always catch you."

Faith felt a frown spread across her face. It was very clear how 
much Buffy cared for Willow and that it ran both ways. What the main 
question for the dark Slayer now was where did she and Tara fit into 
it.

"Tara?" Willow asked softly as she clung to the blonde Slayer.

"She's alive, just changed a little," Buffy admitted.

"I know," Willow nodded. "She's here, isn't she?"

"Yes," Buffy nodded.

"She didn't see me like that, did she?" Willow whimpered and Faith 
smiled. Willow sounded so small and frail, nothing like the terror 
that could tear down a house with a single gesture they had faced 
minutes before.

"No, Will," Buffy whispered. "She didn't see Dark Side Willow."

"What the hell did you do to Sam?" Riley shouted and stood up as Sam 
sat against the car and shook her head.

"Back off, Riley!" Buffy yelled as Willow growled, her eyes beginning 
to darken.  

"I'm taking her in, Buffy!" Riley shouted.

Faith quickly stood up between Giles, Willow and Buffy.

"Back off, Captain America!" Faith snapped.  

"She almost killed Sam!" he shouted angrily.  

"Willow snapped out of it, alright?" Buffy yelled. "Look, no black 
eyes!"

"She could go back in a heartbeat!" Riley growled, trying to hold 
onto his gun.

"That's not Willow and you know it!" Buffy said wearily. "Why do you 
think she's crying now? Seeing you shoot Giles and healing him 
brought her back."

Giles sat up slowly and felt his chest, his face puzzled.

"I was shot?" he muttered.

"Willow saved you, G-Man," Faith said absently as she watched Riley's 
enraged face debate what he should do.

"Go back to the hotel, Riley," Buffy snapped as she held the sobbing 
Willow. "Can't you see Willow's back? She's fine!"

"What I see is someone that has access to a lot of magickal power and 
she'll do it again!" Riley snapped.

"Don't make me hurt you," Faith growled and Riley hesitated.

"She is a danger and it's my job to eliminate or neutralize that kind 
of danger," the soldier snarled. "It should be your job too! Or are 
you forgetting there's a prison cell waiting for you?"

"Drop dead, Riley," Xander growled. "We almost lost Tara, we aren't 
letting you take Willow."

"Don't worry, we won't separate them," Riley growled.

Faith yelled and snap kicked the soldier in the chest and followed 
through by grabbing the pistol out of his hand but dropped it herself 
because of her own injured wrists and hands. The dark Slayer 
growled, frustrated. Rapid Slayer healing wasn't working fast enough 
for the impatient warrior.

"Take Willow and Tara home, B," Faith snapped. "Xander and I will 
see that Sam and her jerk of a husband get back to the hotel."

* * *

"Bloody hell!" Spike complained as he pulled twigs and leaves from 
his hair and jacket. "Crawling around like a frickin' squirrel or 
something!"

"Just be thankful my alarm spell warned us in time to get out," Ethan 
growled, touching a trail of blood on his cheek where a sharp branch 
had caught him in the dark.

"The only thing I'll be thankful for will be when I'm done with you, 
mate!" Spike snapped. "Enough of playing around, either we go 
straight there, take them out and kill them already or we're done!"

"Oh rack off already," Ethan grumbled. "I'm tired of you too! Always 
with the threats and no action!"

"What?" Spike hissed, vamping out but Ethan was unimpressed.

"Moping around like a love sick puppy dog!" Ethan smirked. "Trying 
to sex the Slayer up instead of killing her? You're pathetic!"

"Pathetic?" Spike howled in rage and tackled Ethan to the ground.  

Ethan countered with a heat spell that set Spike rolling of him with 
a shout, the sorcerer's clothes smoldering.  

The irate sorcerer stood up and looked down at a glaring Spike.

"Pathetic!" Ethan snapped. "You can't kill the Slayer, you can't 
shag her properly to keep her, and you can't even force yourself on 
her without being taken down by a teenager!"

Spike tried to growl but failed and reverted to human face.

Ethan smirked at the vampire. "Dye your hair and change your name, 
Spike. William the Bloody has been whipped in all manner by a 
Slayer. You'll be the laughing stock of the demon community."

Spike leaped to his feet with a growl. "I'm the only vampire to bag 
two Slayers in my career!"

"So what? Dracula killed more than that and this Slayer killed him!" 
Ethan laughed in Spike's face. "You can't even get close enough to 
kiss her now, let alone kill her!"

Spike sputtered, trying to come up with a good comeback in his 
defense, the problem was, Ethan was striking home with each word.

"Go find a deep hole to crawl into and leave town tomorrow night, 
Spike," Ethan said, his voice filled with revulsion. "You're done 
here. Again."

Spike stood looking at his boots as the sorcerer walked off into the 
dark.

* * *

Willow had surprised Buffy by asking to ride in the other car, still 
crying and unable to face Tara yet. Faith then surprised Buffy 
further by asking to hold Willow on the way home while Buffy kept an 
eye on Tara and Dawn.

The blonde Slayer had agreed. She was puzzled but crawled into the 
jeep with Tara, Dawn, and reluctantly started the car.  

Giles was elected to drive Xander's car while Faith held Willow.

"I can't face her!" Willow sobbed, clinging to Faith. "Bad, bad Jedi 
Force!"

"I know," Faith said softly, holding Willow tightly. "But you didn't 
cross that line, Red. You came back."

"You stopped me!" Willow whimpered. "I was going to kill him, I was 
willing to kill a human being."

"Willow, being willing to kill a human doesn't make you evil," Faith 
said calmly. "It's whether you do or not that decides if you're good 
or bad. You used that energy to save Giles instead of taking a life. 
That puts you on the side of the good guys."

"It hurts!" Willow admitted.  

"It hurts worse if you cross that line," Faith whispered and Willow 
sat up and looked the other woman in the eyes, tears still streaming 
down her face.

"How did you live with it?" Willow asked.

"I didn't, remember? I went a little nuts and tried to ignore it, 
live with, or die with it," Faith said softly.  

"Tara won't forgive me! Using magick like that!" Willow whined, 
falling into Faith's arms again.

"Yes, she will," Faith said firmly. "You saved her life and Giles' 
and you didn't kill."

"I&I&did bad stuff to get the magic back," Willow whispered.  

"Did you kill anyone?" Willow shook her head and Faith smiled, 
stroking Willow's red hair. "Then we'll work it out. I don't know 
what happened in that spell thing but I can feel your emotions, 
that's how Tara found you guys"

"We're connected now," Willow nodded. "The spell brought you into 
the connection too."

"What does that mean, Red?" Faith asked softly.

"Don't know really," Willow muttered. "Means that we'll be able to 
sense what the others are feeling, we'll know when someone's in 
danger."

"What about other emotions?" Faith asked with a frown.  

"I don't know, I'm new to this too," Willow complained.  

"Tara will forgive you," Faith said gently as Willow cried softly.

"No, she won't," the redhead shook her head in disbelief. "Bad stuff 
and was gonna do bad stuff."

"If Buffy can forgive me for everything, then Tara will forgive you 
for losing it tonight," Faith said firmly. "You were pushed over the 
edge, Red. I'd probably kill anyone who hurt Buffy."

"You two are on again, aren't you?" Willow asked softly.

Faith pulled back in surprise. "You knew?"

"You two were either fighting or best buds," Willow managed to 
smirk. "Didn't take a genius and you more than hinted at it!"

"Yeah, well, I hurt her badly," Faith grumbled. "B says that she 
forgives me."

"Then she does," Willow shrugged.

"I tried to kill her best friend, I almost killed her boyfriend and 
tried to help conquer the world," Faith said ruefully. "If she can 
forgive that, Tara can forgive your desire for revenge."

"Maybe," Willow said reluctantly.

"Trust me, she loves you more than life," Faith nodded. "You're the 
reason she hung on so long."

"Maybe Riley's right," Willow mumbled. "I turned to dark magic for 
revenge."

"And you regret it and you didn't use it," Faith pointed out. "I 
kept on the straight and narrow, you will too."

"Don't let them take us, Faith," Willow whimpered. "What they did to 
Oz was horrible."

"No one's taking you, Red," Faith said firmly, bending down to 
lightly kiss Willow's lips but sat back abruptly, stunned by her own 
behavior.

Willow nodded, seeming to ignore Faith's kiss.  

Giles pulled up in front of the Summers' house without a word. Faith 
was a little worried at his silence but was more focused on the 
emotionally overwrought Willow. The dark Slayer opened the door and 
wrapped her arms around Willow as the girl continued to cling to 
her.  

They had beaten Buffy and Tara home and Faith pleased. She helped 
Willow into the house upstairs into the room she shared with Tara.

"Now stay there and wait for Tara," Faith ordered as Willow curled up 
around a pillow. "She's going to be scared to death that you're 
going to reject her."

"Why?" Willow asked, totally puzzled.

"Red, she's something like part demon now," Faith pointed out. "She 
needs energy to survive like a vampire needs blood. Tara is freaking 
out that you're going to reject her!"

"I'd never reject her, it's not her fault!" Willow protested, sitting 
up.

"Then why are you worried?" Faith countered with a smirk leaving 
Willow with a frown.

Faith frowned when she reached the bottom of the stairs and didn't 
see Giles. A quick run through the kitchen told the dark Slayer what 
she already knew, he wasn't there. Faith opened the front door just 
as Buffy drove up with Tara and Dawn.

Tara got out of the car slowly, almost timidly. Dawn grabbed her 
hand and pulled the witch towards the house as Buffy followed.

"Giles is gone, isn't he?" Buffy asked wearily as she approached the 
other Slayer.

"Yeah," Faith nodded, moving back inside.

"You don't do half bad with that cast now," Buffy smirked. "Even 
without crutches."

"Where did Giles go?" Faith demanded.

"After Ethan, I'm not sure if he's Giles or Ripper," Buffy sighed 
heavily as Dawn led Tara up the stairs.

"What do we do about it?" Faith snapped.

"Faith, neither one of us could stop Giles now," Buffy said, sitting 
down on the sofa. "I want to stay here and make sure Willow and Tara 
are okay."

Dawn came back down the stairs slowly, looking worried.

"Are they okay?" Faith asked quickly.

"I don't know," Dawn said softly, crossing the space to sit next to 
Buffy. The blonde Slayer wrapped an arm around her sisters' 
shoulders. "Willow wouldn't look up, she was all huddled in herself, 
wringing her hands and crying. Tara wouldn't move until I pushed her 
in the door. Last I saw, they were crying and holding each other."

"That's better than silence," Faith opted, trying to smile.

"Where's Giles?" Dawn asked softly. 

"Out hunting," Buffy said sadly.

"For Ethan still?" Dawn asked with a frown and Buffy nodded.

"We have to stop him!" the young girl protested and Faith nodded, 
glaring at Buffy for not moving to stop her Watcher and surrogate 
father from crossing the line no Watcher or Slayer should.  

"Yeah but I'm more worried about protecting Willow and Tara from 
Riley right now," Buffy explained. "I can fix that, I'm not sure I 
can stop Giles without one of us getting hurt. Neither of us could 
live with that."

"Riley?" Faith asked, her face matching Dawn's frown.

"I know him, he'll be here in a few minutes despite Xander, Anya and 
Sam trying to stop him," Buffy said ruefully.

* * *

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Willow stammered. "I'm sorry, baby!"

"Will!" Tara said firmly after holding a nearly hysterical Willow for 
several minutes. "Stop it and talk to me! I-I can't d-do this 
without you!"

Willow hiccupped and tried to stop crying. Tara had never seen her 
lover looking so vulnerable as she did right then.

"Tara," Willow whimpered. "I left you! You almost died and I left you 
to do bad things!"

"W-Willow," Tara said softly, gently stroking her lover's hair. "I 
know and I-I might yell at you about it later. R-right now, I just 
want my W-Willow."

Willow moaned as Tara pulled her closer.

"I love you, Willow," Tara said softly. "I held on for you. Please 
connect with me again."  

Willow tentatively held her hands up and Tara did the same, 
interlacing their fingers together, palm to palm. Just as they had 
first done during the terror of running from The Gentlemen.

Willow's head snapped back as she felt her energy joining once again 
with Tara's. The red-haired witch felt the subtle changes that her 
lover had gone through to stay alive and come back to her. Changes 
that would affect them, Buffy, Faith and Dawn if they kept the close 
connection alive between all of them. She could feel the love that 
each of them shared for each other and felt new tears staining her 
cheeks, knowing they were mirrored on Tara's face.

Willow was surprised at the depth of love that Faith felt for Buffy 
and the growing affection and devotion to the other Scooby members, 
including Tara and Willow. No longer viewing the reformed Slayer 
with suspicion, Willow opened her heart and felt herself connecting 
with Faith as well and knew Tara was connecting along with her.

Curious, Willow extended her psychic senses and felt Dawn's hopeful 
energy and the young woman's absolute trust and love for all of them, 
even a touch of it remaining for Spike. Willow felt Dawn's energy 
wrapping around hers and Tara's and smiled at the joy radiating from 
the young girl.

Willow hesitated, trying to move past the other energy her psychic 
tendrils reached for.

* Show me * Tara's voice said calmly in Willow's head.  

* No, it's nothing * Willow answered.

* Show me * Tara's voice insisted.

* I'm with you! I'm your girl! * Willow snapped.

* Show me * Tara said for the third and magical time.

Willow felt Tara's energy brush past hers, taking the lead and 
seeking out the blonde Slayer.

* No! * Willow shouted in Tara's head.

* You already know we're connected with her, what won't you face? * 
Tara demanded, still in the frustratingly calm voice.

* Nothing! * Willow growled but found her energy following Tara's as 
it danced around the overwhelmed Slayer.

Willow could feel Buffy's worry for all of them, it was almost 
weighing her friend into mental exhaustion. The witch knew Buffy was 
close to an edge and moved forward, wanting to wrap Buffy in a safe 
cocoon, to protect her Protector from the terrors facing the group.

The red-haired witch felt Buffy welcoming Tara's energy with a sense 
of relief and vague hope. Willow tried to draw back but felt drawn 
to Buffy's energy, especially now that it was merged with Tara's. * 
No, can't do this! * she protested as Buffy lowered her mental 
shields and pulled Willow in.

Willow's body jerked and Tara tightened her grip on her lover's 
fingers.

The hacker witch tried to turn away from the naked emotions that 
Buffy showed no one, not even herself. Willow felt her own heart and 
soul opening, places she had kept closed from even Tara and herself.  
Willow whimpered as that energy came forth and met with Buffy's and 
began to merge.

Willow cried out from her position on the bed as she felt the love 
and desire radiating from her best friend and found it answered 
inside of her, Tara, and Faith.

"Please, no more, too much," she whispered hoarsely.  

Tara drew the individual energies back, closing the shields on each 
person before drawing back until it was just her and Willow again.

"I knew, Will," Tara said softly, not releasing Willow's hands. "I 
knew you loved Buffy all this time but I know that you love me and I 
trust that."

Willow struggled to pull away from Tara, tears streaming down her 
face again.

"No, I love you! I loved Oz!" Willow protested.

"Willow!" Tara said sharply, stopping Willow's struggles. "It's 
alright! I know you love me!"

"What does this mean?" Willow whispered, moving forward into Tara's 
arms as the blonde witch finally released her hands.

"It means that we're connected, the five of us," Tara said softly, 
laying back on the bed and taking Willow with her. "What we do with 
that energy, we have to figure out."

"It feels like what we have," Willow frowned. "Does that mean&.we&the 
five of us&.snuggles? I mean, what about Dawn? No snuggles there!"

Tara smiled and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around Willow.

"Only what we make of it and no 'snuggling' Dawn," she said 
softly. "We've seen and felt things that normally takes couples 
years to see and feel. We'll figure it all out later."

"Sleepy now," Willow agreed, snuggling into Tara's arms. "I did bad 
things, baby."

"I know, lover," Tara said softly. "I can feel him but you're not his 
and you used that energy to save me and Giles. You don't have to go 
back."

"Don't wanna," Willow nodded. "Bad Jedi stuff."

Tara smiled. She felt different and knew her body had changed 
because of the vampirism and the spell to save her soul and life but 
it felt like things might be okay with Willow in her arms.

She knew they'd figure out how Buffy, Faith and Dawn fit into 
things. Especially Dawn, the underage sister of her best friend.  
That was going to require a different dynamic than the attraction she 
felt from Faith and Buffy along with the desire and love from Willow.

Tara knew when Riley's special military vehicle pulled up in front of 
the house but chose to ignore it as Willow slept peacefully.