Four's A Family
by ABFan
Chapter 2
[reviews]
Tara shrugged. "I don't know, it's not like there's a chart available to measure recovery time according to the different injuries." Tara bit her lip and looked up at her friend with sad eyes, "I'm sorry, Xander. I just wish this would end. Just wish we could settle down without worrying about who's out to get us all the time."
Xander nodded knowingly, they all wished that to one degree or another, but surely it had to be more difficult for Buffy and therefore for Willow, Tara, and Joy as well. Buffy, no matter what, would always be a target and by proxy so would her family and friends.
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Tara kept up a constant vigil over her lover and while the nurses granted the witch some leeway with visiting Buffy after hours, Xander was forced to leave when the visiting hours ended at 9 PM. Through the helpful staff of the hospital and the understanding management at the hotel, they managed to get Xander to stay in their room at the Holiday Inn while Tara was set up with a room at the hospital's Mont Sinai hotel, which was just across the street from her lover. Still, Tara spent very little time there, opting instead to pace the halls, rest in the waiting room, or take periodic visits to Buffy's room.
Xander, however, was racking up an incredible phone bill at the hotel by keeping in almost constant touch with everyone back in Sunnydale. The laptop the girls left in the room was open and he had a private chat room running where he could talk to everyone whenever he wasn't on the phone with them. He was restless as the early morning hours crept across Manhattan and in any other circumstances he would have found the view quite breathtaking. With a heavy hearted sigh he pushed himself off the bed and went to gaze out of the window, pushing the curtain away from the large window and looked down seven stories with a gulp. He took in the constant movement, even at the early hour of 3 AM, people bustling around the streets, traffic vying for the road, the twinkling lights that gleamed off almost every building and yet all he could think about was his friends.
With a sad shake of his head, Xander turned from the window allowing the curtains to fall back into place. He looked at the computer screen and noticed that though the private chat room had people in it, no one was talking. He was just about to force himself back into bed when a message appeared in the room.
DawnMister: Xander?
Xander pulled the laptop onto the bed and laid down in front of it and started to type, hoping that even if there was no news yet on either side, they could at least keep each other company on this lonely night.
XanMan: I'm hear, Dawnie, what's up?
DawnMister: Giles just arrived. Anya went to pick him up from the airport. They should be back pretty soon.
XanMan: Thanks, Dawn. Can you have him call me at the hotel when he's in?
DawnMister: Sure thing. Heaven forbid he actually get on this 'infernal contraption,' huh?
Xander chuckled and gave the screen in front of him a sad smile, glad to see that Dawn was trying to be brave through this.
XanMan: What are you still doing up? Shouldn't you be all with the snugglies by now?
DawnMister: Freddie's here, we've taken up camp at the Magic Box. What'd you call it? Norad?
XanMan: LOL Yeah. Glad to hear someone was paying attention.
DawnMister: Oh hey, they just walked in. Giles is going to call you in a minute. Hang on.
XanMan: Okay
DawnMister: Okay, he says Anya filled him in on what she knows so far and he has some information about the Council. He's going to take a minute to catch his breath, something about Anya's driving, and then he'll call, okay?
XanMan: Sure thing. Get some sleep Dawnie.
DawnMister: I will. Call if you hear anything, no matter what time.
XanMan: Will do.
DawnMister: Night
XanMan: Night.
Xander put the laptop back up on the small table that sat against the wall and then returned to the bed, sitting on the edge, staring hard at the phone. When it finally did ring Xander jumped, lost so deep into his trance to will the device to ring that it startled him when it finally did. He snatches up quickly, "Hello?"
"Xander, it's Giles," the distinct English voice comes over the line.
Xander smirked, knowing that after so many years if he didn't know Giles' voice there would be a problem, but he pushed it aside quickly and got right down to business. "Dawn said you have some news about the Council?"
"Ah, yes. It appears that the email my friend sent was tracked and changed to purposefully lead the girls to the wrong location. Unfortunately, that can lead us to believe that they know we're onto them and will go to great lengths to ensure that they are not located."
"So, what you're saying is, it was a set up and we have no way to know where Will and Joy are?" Xander, in all this skills, managed to once again cut Giles' abundant words down to a concise statement.
"Ah, yes, that would be exactly what I'm saying."
"Great," Xander muttered. "So what do we do now?" The young man asked, hoping the wise older man would have an answer for them.
"Right now I think it's best if everyone gets some sleep. In the morning I will contact the hospital and will make arrangements to have Buffy transferred out here as soon as possible."
"What about Will and Joy?"
"I'm not sure, Xander. I don't believe the Council would hurt them, but we need to research and try to find where they could have taken the girls. If they're not in England and not in New York, I'm not sure where they could be."
Xander slumped forward, deflated. "Okay, Giles. I'll call you in the morning with the contact information for the hospital."
"Sleep well, Xander," Giles' voice turned tender.
"I'll try. Giles," Xander took a deep breath as a heavy weariness filled his body, "thanks for coming."
"Any time," the Englishman informed before hanging up.
Xander's limbs felt like lead weights as he dropped the phone back onto the receiver and crawled under the covers.
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It took some manipulation and lots of arrangements, but the hospital released the care of Buffy over to Giles and the trio were scheduled for a medical flight back to California by the end of the day. With some contacts he still retained, Giles managed to get a private set up at the Summers house so that they could keep a close eye on Buffy. If she managed to make a rapid recovery due to her slayer healing they did not want to deal with any hospital officials as a result.
Dawn paced anxiously up and down the large airport waiting area for arriving flights while Giles, the epitome of calm stood stoically with his arms crossed over his chest. Freddie leaned up against the wall next to Giles, watching his girlfriend frantically wear a track into the floor. Anya remained at the house to make sure everything was set up for Buffy when she returned. A clicking, clanking sound reached their ears and everyone was instantly on their feet rushing to the exit as they watched Tara, Xander, and some assistances pushing a stretcher down the hall.
Dawn gasped but fought back the tears that threatened while Freddie came up and wrapped a firm arm around her in support. Giles gave Tara and then Xander a comforting hug before taking up pace next to the stretcher and if anyone noticed the brief instant where tears sparkled in his eyes, no one commented. "There's a van waiting out front to bring her to the house," Giles informed one of the assistants who just nodded.
With Buffy safely secured into the van the assistants left to catch the returning flight while everyone else piled in and Giles carefully maneuvered the vehicle through Sunnydale traffic. Everyone let out a collective breath as soon as he turned onto Revello Drive and they saw Anya waiting anxiously at the front door. Giles pulled the van as far up the driveway as he could and then he and Xander pulled the stretcher out, lifting it up over the steps. The living room had been transformed from a familiar and comfortable gathering place to something akin to a hospital room, machines and supplies spread throughout.
Once the men transferred Buffy to the bed they were quickly pushed aside as Dawn and Tara took up permanent positions on opposites of Buffy, each taking a hand. Soft whispers of warm endearments wafted up to the other Scoobies who slowly backed out of the room to collect themselves in the kitchen while a nurse began to hook Buffy up to the monitors and make sure she was settled in properly.
Xander started digging through the fridge for drinks while Giles removed his glasses and began to clean them. Freddie sat at the table with Anya as he looked around, feeling somewhat out of place in all this.
"So what's the what," Xander asked.
"Now we wait," Giles informed wearily. "Buffy will retain consciousness in her own time and when she does we'll be there for her."
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And thus they waited. Hours melded into days as Dawn and Tara kept constant watch over Buffy, moving her arms and legs to keep the circulation going. Periodic checks from a private nurse. Around the clock research into where Willow and Joy could be. The Scoobies filled the void, always keeping busy with one thing or another and a somber air filled the house, each one lost in their private thoughts.
Reports came in to Giles that the girls were being held in many different states and cities across the country and even some instances where they were tracked to other countries, but none of the reports turned out fruitful. With each failed attempt Giles dug further into his resources, calling on every friend and even some whose loyalties were questionable. He had people across the globe with talents ranging from sciences to illegal maneuvers searching high and low for Willow and Joy.
The phone rang and Xander answered it shocked to hear the familiar voice on the other end of the line. "Xander? Is that you?"
"Riley?" Xander asked.
"Yeah, hey, can you put Giles on for me?" The voice crackled.
"Hang on," Xander held out the phone, "Giles, it's for you."
Giles walked over and took the phone, "This is Giles."
"Giles, hey, it's Riley. I don't have a lot of time, but we got a message here that something happened by you guys. What's going on? How can we help?"
"Ahh, so wonderful to hear from you. Actually, we're in the middle of a man hunt of sorts and I'm sure your expertise in the matter may be quite helpful."
"Sure, who are we after?" Riley's voice started to break up a bit.
"Willow and Joy," Giles answered concisely.
"What? I'm sorry, Giles, the line must be breaking up. I thought you said we were tracking down Willow and Joy?"
"No mistake, Riley. The Council has kidnapped them and we've been unsuccessful thus far in locating them. Buffy was injured in her attempt to track them down."
"Oh god, is she okay?"
"She's alive, but it's not good, Riley, I'm sorry." Giles knew that though the soldier was happily married to a lovely woman that he still cared a great deal for Buffy.
"Giles, take down this number. Tell the man there that you're sending this for me and I'll get a team on the search immediately. Send me everything you have so we don't waste time searching where you've already looked."
Giles grabbed a pen off the table and wrote down the number Riley listed off to him. "I'll have one of the kids send you the information as soon as we get it together into something manageable. Thank you again, Riley."
"No need, Giles. I have to go, but don't worry, we'll find Willow and Joy." Riley assured.
Giles hung up the phone and couldn't keep a hopeful smile from dancing across his lips, which Xander was quick to catch. "We have soldier boys helping now?"
Giles nodded and slowly made his way back to the chair where he was reading up on some material and cast a glance at the bed in the corner of the room. Tara sat in a chair, her head resting on the bed, eyes closed, her hand idly stroking lazy circles along Buffy's arm. Giles closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose praying that this would soon enough.
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"Buffy?" Tara's voice drifted through and caught everyone's attention instantly.
Giles pushed up from his chair and nearly collided with Xander as they moved to the bed. "Tara?" Giles questioned when he saw that Buffy seemed to be in the same state as she had been all week.
"She's coming back," Tara whispered, afraid that if she spoke any louder it would break the moment and they'd lose Buffy again. "Buffy? Sweetie, come back to us," Tara soothed, brushing strands of hair from the Slayer's forehead.
Everyone stood still for long moments, holding their collective breathes. Giles was about to write off the incident as some common medical event but the moment he opened his mouth a distinctly female moan came out. He snapped his mouth shut and squinted his eyes at Buffy's prone form.
"That's it, baby, come back to us. You're safe now, come back," Tara kept whispering.
Dawn was almost beside herself. She thought she heard Buffy when Tara did, but after waiting long moments she started to give up hope. Now she was sure everyone had heard the moan and that she wasn't making this up in her head as wishful thinking. "Hey, Buffy, it's me Dawn. If you wake up I promise you can boss me around all you want," the young woman offered as a tear slipped down her cheek.
Freddie came up behind her and pressed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. With the hand that wasn't gripping Buffy desperately, Dawn reached up and gripped Freddie's, patting it gently in a silent appreciation of his gesture.
Slowly, almost achingly so, Buffy's eyes started to open. It took her a few tries while her eyes adjusted to being used again and she was silently grateful for the dim lighting around the room. "Wh..." her voice cracked out weakly and she tried to lick her lips.
In a split second everyone was suddenly bounding around the room nearly plowing each other over trying to get Buffy a simple glass of water. Buffy flinched, a bit frightened by the flurry of movement, which came across as blurred streaks in her vision.
Someone handed Tara a glass of water with a straw sticking out of it. The witch took it and turned to the Slayer. "Buffy," her voice was soft and soothing and Buffy immediately reacted to it, latching on to the one calm thing around her. "Try to take a few sips of this, okay?" Tara moved the straw forward and used her other hand to raise Buffy's head.
Buffy managed to get some of the liquid in her mouth but when she started to cough Tara pulled the glass away, barely noticing someone taking it from her. The witch pulled a tissue from the table next to her and started to wipe Buffy's chin. "Why can't I move? Where am I?" Buffy asked, her voice still incredibly hoarse despite the water, as it too needed to remember how to be used.
"You're at home, Buffy. You had an accident and were hurt." Tara tried to explain as gently as she could around the large lump forming in her throat. She fought valiantly against the tears that wanted to spill forth as she looked upon her weakened lover.
"Who..." Buffy's voice broke and she took a moment to collect herself and tried again. "Who are you?"
Tara had to look away as her stomach lurched painfully, flipping and flopping inside of her. She bit back the cry that was pushing up from her throat. Thankfully Dawn came to the rescue. "Buffy," she beckoned and waited until the Slayer turned to face her. "I'm Dawn. We're sisters," Dawn choked a bit on her own tears.
"I'm sorry. I don't... I don't remember," Buffy admitted. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut not wanting to see the hurt expressions or deal with the pain she could feel creeping through her body. "I'm tired." She announced, refusing to look at the group around her.
"It's okay, Buffy, just rest. We're here if you need us," Tara offered and slid her hand from Buffy's. She watched silently, knowing everyone's eyes were shifting from Buffy to her, but she ignored them. Once she was sure the Slayer had fallen back to sleep, Tara stood. "Excuse me," she announced and quickly walked from the room.
Everyone exchanged nervous glances, wondering if they should let the Witch have some time to herself and deal with this or if at least one of them should go talk to her. It was somehow silently agreed that Tara should have her moment alone and if she didn't return after a while someone would go to her.
The evening passed in sad silence, shifts being set up to care for Buffy, the nurse facility informed of Buffy's change in condition, and arrangements made to have her looked at to gauge when her physical therapy should begin.
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"Commander!" A gruff voice called out from across the field as he ran to his commanding officer.
Riley turned from his conversation with Sam and three other soldiers, "Yes, Soldier?"
"Commander," he repeated as he stopped in front of Riley, "We have a solid track on your friends, sir."
Riley and Sam immediately gave the solider their undivided attention. "Details, Soldier," Riley ordered.
"Sir, we tracked them to...." A helicopter flew low overhead, cutting off the rest of the man's words and everyone's eyes drifted skyward to watch the approaching machine.
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"What? Are you sure?" Giles' voice rose to combat the static over the line.
"Yes, we're en route as we speak," Riley's voice crackled and broke.
"When will you arrive?"
"We should touch down in another two hours. I have to go, we're losing the signal." Riley responded.
"Safe flight," Giles offered before the line went dead. He turned and all eyes were on him. "Ah, that was Riley," he reiterated the obvious. "It appears they've finally obtained a solid lead on where Willow and Joy are."
"Great, where? Let's go?" Xander stood up, bouncing on the balls of his feet ready to take off.
"We're not going anywhere, Xander." Giles started.
"What are you talking about?" Xander's voice rose.
"Giles, if they know where Willow and Joy I want to be there," Tara voiced her opinion as she stepped forward.
"You already are," Giles sighed.
"What?" Everyone echoed.
"Stupid," Giles cursed himself. "The bloody bastards hide the girls in plain sight."
Tara rushed forward and stared hard at the Englishman, "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying they've been in Sunnydale the whole time," Giles answered sadly.
"What? I mean, how could that be?" Xander tried to wrap is mind around the fact that Willow and Joy were right under their noses the whole time.
Giles walked over and slid onto the couch, pulling his glasses from his weary face and rubbed his tired eyes. "They had us searching everywhere else all over the world and the whole time they never left town. I really don't know how many more ways I can explain this," he started to snap, exhaustion filling his body.
"Okay, so we just grab some weapons and kick in the door, much in the way of John Wayne?" Xander tried.
"Riley and Sam are on their way with some back up. He said they should land in about two hours. Once they arrive we'll discuss the best plan of action and..."
"Giles, I understand your views on this, really I do," Tara tried diplomatically, "but I want my baby and lover back and I'm really not in the mood to plan out a huge battle only to find out they've slipped away in the night while we were sitting on our asses. So when Riley and Sam get here I'm grabbing that ax and I'm walking out of that door," Tara pointed to the two items. "In the mean time, I'm going to sit with my other lover who has absolutely no idea who I am and pray that she will at least remember her daughter." Tara spun on her heals and stormed out of the room leaving behind a group of shocked friends.
"She's pissed," Anya announced succinctly.
"I agree with her though," Xander added.
Giles knew he was outnumbered and just let his head fall back against the couch, praying that no one else would get hurt in the process. Praying that Willow and Joy were still safe.
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Anya, Tara, Giles, Sam, and a soldier were piled in Giles' car while Riley and three other soldiers rode with Xander. The cars raced through town curving down towards the woods until they reached the old caves. Giles pulled to a stop on the side of the road and looked over to Sam. "It'll be okay, Giles." Sam gave the older man a warm smile before climbing from the car.
"All weapons on stun. This is a no-kill mission, soldiers." Riley was informing his men as Sam and the other soldier joined them.
"We're dealing with humans here," Sam chimed in.
Giles couldn't help but release a relieved breath when he heard them. It didn't do much to quell the fear he had, but Sam had informed him of a basic plan that was developed on the flight over. At least they wouldn't be charging in blindly.
Tara was fidgeting anxiously, while Anya tried to comfort her with awkward pats on her shoulder. "Can we go?" She finally asked.
"Sorry, Tara, just trying to make sure this goes does as smoothly as possible," Sam offered an understanding smile..
"Lock and load," Riley announced and his team fell in behind him, the Scoobies taking up positions behind the soliders.
They trekked through the woods, crouching behind trees and boulders as they slowly but steadily made their way towards the caves. They could see the red glow of someone smoking from inside the cave and knew they'd just hit the jackpot. Riley made a bunch of hand signals and his team responded instantly, while the confused Scoobies stayed crounged next to him and Sam.
"Baker team in position, over."
"Charlie team in position, over."
Riley looked to Sam and then the group behind him and nodded. "Engage," he announced. Two men skulked forward and there was a quick grunt followed by a thud and the man in the front of the cave was down. Everyone moved forward, quickly and silently. They wove their way through the inner workings of the cave, the skill of trained soldiers allowed them to easily disarm the stray men who they came across. "Target down," kept crackling over the ear pieces the Initiative members wore.
"I thought they'd have more security," Xander whispered to no one in particular.
They entered an opening into the center of the cave and suddenly hordes or military and plain-clothes guards were swarming the area. Riley looked back and gave Xander a stern look. The young man just shrugged. Riley pulled his team back and looked to Giles. "With this many guards our best bet is to go in charging before they realize we're here. We can keep them occupied while you guys go in to get Willow and Joy," Riley explained their very limited options.
Giles frowned and sighed deeply but nodded. "Be careful you two." He offered.
"You too," Sam answered before they turned back to the center of the cave. "Baker, Charlie, prepare to engage."
"Roger that," the voice whispered back.
Sam nodded to Riley. "Move in," he announced.
Suddenly flashes of light, smoke, and chaos erupted everywhere. Riley, Sam, and their team rushed into the room and began to take down guards before they could realize what was happening. The Council's team recovered quickly and began to fight back, not afraid to use real bullets. Giles ushered the Scoobies along the wall.
"Head's down!" he shouted over the commotion.
If it wasn't such a deadly situation Xander would have given Giles a look that just screamed 'Duh!' but as it was, they were busy dodging bullets and pawing their way through the haze of smoke. They came to a large door and Giles was about to fret over how they were going to get past the security device without the pass-key and code when Tara raised her hand and a small shockwave hit the keypad. It sparked and fizzled, and the others stood almost shocked for a moment, especially when Tara didn't give it more than a cursory glance and kept walking towards the door.
"Tara! Watch out," Xander cried out as he made his way through the door next just in time to see three guards raise their guns at the blonde.
Tara turned and nothing happened. The guards didn't move, the guns didn't fire, and Xander stepped out into the hall to see Tara with a look of intense concentration written on her face. "Get the guns, knock them out," Tara grunted, straining to talk against the effort it was taking to freeze the guards.
Xander hesitated for a moment before he rushed forward, that part of him that was still G.I. Joe-man taking over. He grabbed the guns from the three guards and smashed the butts of them against the back of the men's skulls, knocking them unconscious. The oddest part was that even though they were unconscious, they remained standing, and it was only until Tara saw the last one slump that she finally released the spell. The men crumpled to the floor in a boneless heap and Tara had to lean against the wall, her breathing ragged.
While Xander searched the guards for weapons or anything they could use, Giles rushed forward and put a hand on the blonde witch to help support her. "Tara, are you all right?" His voice was tinged, not just with concern, but respect and perhaps even a touch of fear.
Tara closed her eyes and tried to focus, the job was not yet done. She took a deep breath and opened them while nodding at the Watcher. "We have to keep going."
The Englishman had hoped to get Tara away from here but he knew there was no way she'd ever sit back and wait when it came to her child and lover. Additionally, Giles mused that they probably wouldn't have ogtten this far this fast or might have even been captured already if it wasn't for the witch he was now helping down the halls.
While Riley, Sam, and their crew drew the main fire and most of the attention, the Scoobies wove their way through the maze of the caves, keeping to the shadows whenever possible until they reached another dead end blocked by another door. All eyes turned to Tara, perhaps expecting the blonde to have already fried the device and gone charging onward like she had before, but she was drained. She reached out her hand her muscles tight, her limb shaking with the exertion and just as the device popped and fizzled like the last one, Tara fell to her knees breathhng like she ran a marathon.
Giles immediately grabbed Tara, helping her soften her decsent. "Go on ahead, I'll watch her here," Giles instructed.
"What if we come to another door?" Anya asked.
The Watcher sighed and then looked up to the kids, "Go as far as you can, if you're blocked then come back. Watch your backs," he said, his attention going back to Tara who was fighting to keep her eyes opened.
Xander and Anya rushed through the door and down the halls in their trek to locate Willow and Joy.
"They'll need me," Tara stated softly.
"You need to rest," he gently admonished.
"Willow and Joy," the blonde took a breath that was very close to a yawn, "they'll be behind the doors."
Giles took off his glasses and pinched his nose. He had hoped Xander and Anya would be able to complete the rescue without needing Tara's magick again, but that was quickly not becoming the case. "Tara, why are you so drained? I thought..."
Tara shook her head slowly, "The spell for the new baby, the stress, everything with Buffy, and that freeze spell really has been draining me. If I rest just a bit more I can go and get the doors," she informed.
The fact that Tara was drained concerned Giles, but now that he realized the full extent to which Tara had been pushing herself and her powers he was now growing more concerned that she held more magick than anyone even knew about. He knew that, after all these years she had the discipline to control her skills, but he couldn't help but worry about just how much power truly laid within the seemingly shy blonde. He realized that he'd been staring and Tara's blue eyes were watching him closely. He cleared his throat and gave her a half-hearted smile, "Ah, do you think that you can stand well enough now?"
Tara took a moment to run a mental inventory of her strength and then nodded. Taking his proffered hand, she pulled herself up, needing just a second to steady herself before pushing onward. It didn't take them long to catch up with Xander and Anya and as soon as Tara saw the pair standing in front of a sealed door she forced her legs to carry her faster. She looked up and saw Willow's broad and relieved smile through the small window.
"I tried to hit the pad with a spell but it just bounced off," Anya informed, stepping back with Xander's hand in her own.
Tara frowned as she eyed the blinking device that was keeping her from Willow and Joy. She looked up and locked eyes with Willow, "Can you use a spell?" she asked. Willow frowned and shook her head while pointing to her ear.
"It's soundproof," Xander filled in.
Tara groaned and then tried to use hand motions to signal her intent to her lover. She pointed to herself then to Willow and back again. Willow nodded that she understood that Tara wanted them to do something together. Tara waved her hand and sent up a little burst of sparkles and Willow again nodded that she understood they'd try to do a spell together. Lastly Tara pointed to the device and Willow tried to move enough to see what Tara was pointing to and then nodded again.
They each took a step back from the door followed by a deep breath before they both closed their eyes. The witches started with something low-level and it kept bouncing off a magick ward so the witches kept increasing the strength of the spell. Tara, however, already drained from her earlier spells, started to wan and Willow could feel the pull as more of the spell started to rest against her. Anya pushed forward and grabbed Tara's hand, closing her eyes to focus her own energies into the witch. Tara gave her a hand a quick squeeze and the power started to come back, but she couldn't give it any further boosts. Giles took up the blonde's other hand and Willow could feel the sudden surge, but more so, they all felt the cracks in the ward. The four of them poured the last bit of strength they could muster and the ward shattered along with the device.
Xander caught Anya as she slumped and Giles was barely able to hold himself and Tara up. Willow flew through the door and grabbed her lover, covering almost every inch of the woman's face with small kisses. "Oh, Tara, I missed you so much, baby."
"Always... find... you," Tara answered as her eyes started to roll back, but she fought to stay conscious.
"Willow, where's Joy?" Giles asked, breaking into the moment.
"They took her from me as soon as we got here," Willow answered with a growl as she tried to support her lover's weight.
"I suggest we move on, she has to be close by and I don't think Tara can handle much more," the Watcher informed.
Everyone nodded and moved through the halls, already knowing the rooms behind them were empty. Xander, being the only one not drained, pressed on ahead to scout out the rooms while the others took their own pace. He called out, "She's down here!"
Perhaps there is something within a mother, perhaps it was a blessing from the Goddess, but Tara found new strength in Xander's words and got her legs to move faster. She looked in and notice Joy was surrounded by toys, puzzles, games, stuffed animals, and anything else a child could ever dream of. She sent a silent thank you to the goddess that Joy wasn't harmed and seemed to have been treated well.
"Another pad," Anya groaned.
"With another ward," Willow filled in, sensing the magicks surrounding the door. She should have expected that the Council would use magick wards against her and Joy to stop them from just breaking through the door. "Where's Buffy? Can't she just kick the door in?"
Tara's eyes watered and she squeezed her lover's hand. "Willow..."
Willow looked into her lover's eyes and immediately became frantic, "Tara? What is it? What's wrong? Where's Buffy? What's happened to her?" Her questions spilled forth in a frantic blur.
"She's been injured. She and Dawn are back at the house. Willow, do you think you can handle the ward on your own?" Giles filled in. He knew that most of his own powers were taxed and could guess Anya's were as well. It was no secret that Tara was already pushed beyond her limits.
Willow frowned, but turned her attention to the door and ran her hand through the air, testing the strength of the spell. "It's stronger than the other one. I can try." Everyone stepped away from Willow as she began to concentrate.
Joy looked up and noticed her mother's outside the door thanks to the larger observation windows surrounding her. She ran to the window and started to pound on the glass, tears falling freeling. Tara crumpled to the ground and pressed her hand up against one of the windows, Joy matching the move on her side. "Willow," Tara cried.
Willow cracked an eye open and noticed the scene. Suddenly, the air around them all crackled and charged sending Xander, Anya, and Giles a few more steps back. A low-grade buzzing started to ring in everyone's ears and a wind began to gust around them as Willow's emotions fueled her magicks like gasoline fed a fire.
"Willow!" Giles called out over the malee trying to warn her, get her to bring down the power level before it hurt her or someone else.
Willow ignored him, but she knew the risks that a full unleashing of her power would bring to her lover, friends, and daughter. Her eyes narrowed and her hand shot up, a concentracted blast hit the shield, the two conflicting forces making the ward become visible. The others watched with slack-jaws as Willow carefully and skillfully worked her own magicks into the ward and started to pull it open like a rescuer pulling away the rumble of a collapsed building. The shield buckled and with one more burst of power Willow took out the security pad.
The door clicked open and Tara rushed into the room, throwing her arms around her daughter, hugging and kissing her; their tears mingling. Willow took a moment to quell the forces within her and to thank the goddess for granting her not only the power but the focus to wield it. As she felt the excess energies safely drain from her Willow pulled her lover and daughter into a group hug.
Giles gave them a brief moment before he cleared his throat. "We really should be getting on. Riley and the others will only be able to handle the Council for so long and Tara really needs to rest."
Willow looked up, a strong version of her resolve face slamming into place. She reached down and pulled Joy up into her arms, her other arm wrapped around Tara's waist. "Let's go," she declared and moved from the room, back down the hall.
As the group came back up to the main area the bullets were still flying but they could see a lot of the Council's men were already down and soldiers were starting to close in. "Is there any other way through?" Willow called out over the fighting. Giles shook his head sadly. Willow nodded and closed her eyes for a moment, asking the goddess to please protect her family once more. She felt the surge run through her but also felt it extend further than she even had before.
"Willow?"
"Mama?"
Tara and Joy both asked at the same time, feeling the power flood through the redhead first. "Stay close," she informed looking over her shoulders to Giles, Xander, and Anya to include them as well. "Move." She rushed forward and the others followed close behind, ducking low. Willow passed Joy to Tara and kept on step ahead of her friends. A stray bullet flew at them and Willow turned towards it, blocking out Tara's outcry. "Keep moving," Willow instructed as the bullet bounced off the invisible shield around them.
Stunned, but knowing that whatever power Willow had tapped into wouldn't last much longer, Giles started to pull the others along. 'We are most certinly going to have a discussion about this when we get home,' Giles demanded within his mind.
'Rest first, yelling later,' Willow's voice echoed in response.
Giles nearly stumbled at the sudden, but soft voice of the hacker in his head. He shook his head to clear it of thoughts, including Willow's voice, and pushed the others into the tunnel they came into the cave through. "Riley!" he shouted to the soldier he could see crouched nearby.
Riley looked up and signaled that he understood. His focus immediately went back to the fight to make sure the others were covered while their fled.
Once outside Willow dropped the shields, once more thanking the goddess and knowing that she would have to do some extra and special prayers to show her true gratitude once they got home and were safe. Giles ushered everyone to the car and peeled out, rushing away from the scene.
"What about Riley and Sam?" Xander asked.
"They're more than capable. It would do no good for us to linger about and remain targets." Giles answered a little more curtly than he intended, but now that they were away from the physical danger his body was still buzzing only to now have the extra concern of realizing that Willow and Tara were far stronger than anyone, perhaps even themselves, were aware of. Additionally, he feared for Willow's unborn child. He couldn't help but wonder and worry about the child's well-being after Willow channeled the amount of power she just handled.
Thankfully Sunnydale was small so the trip home was considerably short. The car sat at the curb, but no one moved. "Willow," he started but stopped, unsure how to explain the sight that she was about to see as soon as they walked into the house.
"Joy is asleep, I can take her upstairs and try to explain things to her tomorrow," Tara informed, quessing Giles' concerns. She turned to her lover. "Willow, when we went looking for you, Buffy was hurt. She..." tears sprang back into her eyes at the thought of their broken and battered lover who didn't even know their names.
Anya figured that her ability to blurt out information without blundering through it would come in handy at the moment. She actually had to prepare herself for saying the words, as she knew how hard it would be to say and for Willow to hear it, but she also knew that Tara and Giles would never get around to it and everyone needed to get some serious rest. "She has amnesia and is paralyzed. We don't know if her slayer powers will heal her completely or not."
"What?" Willow called out in a starled voice.
"Ahn!" Xander admonished.
Tara looked up and gave the ex-demon a weak but grateful smile as she held Joy close.
"Well then, I guess there's no sense in dawddling any longer," Giles let out in a huff as he got out of the car.
Willow sat in shock, her eyes locked with the front window of their home somehow knowing that's exactly where Buffy was. "Oh, Buffy," she let out in a weak whisper.
Tara took the redhead's hand in her own and gave it a comforting squeeze as the others got out of the car. "She'll be okay, just give it time."
Willow pulled up the last ounces of resolve and gave her lover a quick kiss before pulling herself from the car. She walked around and helped Tara out and then squared her shoulders as she turned toward the house. Each step seemed like a mile but she was finally at the door. Tara moved in and quickly went up the stairs to tuck Joy in for the night as Willow took slow steps into the foyer and slowly turned to face the living room.
She took in the sight of Dawn sitting next to her sister, the young woman looking drawn and exhausted. Buffy was neatly tucked in bed, eyes closed and resting, and the blonde looked to be at peace. It was only the machines and tubes and the bhealing bruises tinged with yellow that told Willow that Buffy wasn't just sleeping and would wake up to ravage her lover any minute. Willow slumped against the doorframe, her hand covering her quivering mouth as the tears dripped steadily down her cheeks, over her trembling fingers to be absorbed by the area rug beneath her. "Oh, Buffy," she whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The group spent a somber hour back at the Summers house welcoming back Willow but split up for the night as everyone agreed that rest was the top priority right now and that they'd reconvene in the morning to go over what Willow knew about the Council and why they were taken. Anya and Xander had taken their son home, Dawn and Freddie were sleeping in each other's arms upstairs, Giles had opted to pass out back at the Magic Box, and Riley and Sam met up with their team at a safe-house located somewhere in town.
Tara walked into the living room carrying two cups of herbal tea. She handed Willow her cup while sitting down on the couch beside her lover, tucking her feet up underneath herself. Willow scooted over to nestle close, craving the warmth of her beloved. Her green eyes left Buffy's prone form for only a second to look up at the blue loving gaze and give Tara a grateful smile before returning to her other lover. "How are we going to explain this to Joy?" she whispered, exhaustion and heartache clear in her broken voice.
Tara let out a long breath, casting a glance to Buffy before returning her attention back to the redhead beside her. She ran her hand slowly through the fire-colored hair knowing it was one of the few things that would sooth her love. "The best way we can. We just have to be honest and have hope," the blonde witch answered solemnly.
Willow took a slow sip of her nearly forgotten tea hoping that the warm liquid would somehow take away the chill she felt deep within. "Joy is her daughter, she has another daughter on the way, how can someone forget that?" Willow asked, her eyes moving to Tara's as they pleaded with her silently.
"Daughter?" the soft question easily reached them in the otherwise silent house even though it was barely more than a whisper.
"Buffy?" Tara called gently, leaning forward to put her cooling tea on the table in front of them, Willow moving quickly to do the same as both witches moved towards the Slayer. "Are you okay?" she asked upon reaching the blonde who kept her eyes closed.
"I have a daughter?" the question came out slow and haltingly, heavy eyelids fighting their way open to reveal slightly unfocused blue eyes that held so many more questions and fear. They took in the sight of the redhead beside her and Buffy cast a glance towards Tara. "Who is she?"
Willow fought the lurch that her body tried to make and she had to look away to hide the tears Tara knew were sure to be there.
"That's Willow, she's a very close friend of yours. You've known her since your sophomore year of high school," Tara explained, her voice comforting and never reproachful.
"I..." Buffy started and Willow, slightly more in control, turned back to face the blonde. "I'm sorry... I don't... I don't remember."
"Shhh, it's okay, Buffy. We'll get through this together. We always do," Willow promised with a gentle squeeze of Buffy's hand and a smile that tried to be reassuring.
Buffy studied the redhead for a moment, trying to force her mind to unlock and remember who she was. It was almost as though a memory was perched on the edge of her brain, taunting her but still refusing to come out from hiding. Her strength quickly waning, Buffy took a deep breath and looked away. "Daughter?" she asked again.
"Yes," Tara's voice hitched as emotions flooded through her. "You have a very beautiful daughter named Joy, after your mother Joyce. And she certainly has your stubborn personality," Tara quipped through the ache in her heart, hoping to get a smile from her lover.
Buffy could see the effort and gave the blonde a token smile that barely moved her lips, her mind reeling at having a daughter yet she couldn't pull up any images to her mind's eye. Broken flashes, garbled words, and ghostly laughter pounded through her head as the memories of Joy demanded release, but it soon became too much and the Slayer moaned, squeezing her eyes shut.
Tara reacted quickly, running a motherly hand over Buffy's hair, "Shhh, take it easy, Buffy. This'll take time, don't force it."
"Water?" Buffy asked, refusing to open her eyes knowing that she'd see the pair above her filled with pain and for some reason the pain inside her head was easier to deal than the flips her stomach did when she looked into the blue and green sets of her 'friends' and saw the pain there. It was not something she ever wanted to see in those eyes even though she couldn't really remember who these women were.
Willow moved quickly to pour some water into a cup sitting on the bedside table and held the straw up to Buffy's lips. Tara lifted Buffy's head gently and the blonde sucked greedily at the refreshing liquid and then pulled away. "Any more?" Willow questioned.
Buffy shook her head slowly and finally opened her eyes to look at Tara. "Where's the father?"
The question tore through Tara's heart and soul more effectively than weapon could have. She pushed walls up around the hurt and went to explain but every time she found an answer she realized it would only hold until the morning and that once Joy and Buffy 'met' the story would fail. How could they explain it to Buffy when Joy called all three a version of 'mom' or that Buffy's daughter carried Tara's last name. Normally that wouldn't be a problem since it would be unlikely that Buffy would have come across any legal documents that stated the fact, but Joy was on a recent kick where she went around and proudly announced her full name, phone number, and address, albeit with some assistance. Buffy was bound to pick up on the difference in last names soon enough. The only option would be the full and honest truth, especially with their newest addition on the way, but was Buffy really ready to handle the fact that she was in a three-way lesbian relationship and that Joy and the new child was a result of that relationship?
"Tara?" Willow's gentle voice prodded the blonde witch from her thoughts. The redhead left the ball in Tara's court since Buffy seemed more comfortable with the blonde at the moment. Even though that stung, the hacker supposed it was only natural since she wasn't around when Buffy first woke and she couldn't help but wonder how they were going to explain that on top of everything else.
"Sorry, um," Tara blinked a few times and then looked down to Buffy and gave her a warm smile, "I think it's very late and everyone is very tired. Why don't you rest and we'll try to explain everything to you tomorrow?" Tara asked, referring to Willow and herself. She hoped the blonde, who was practically famous for her stubborn behavior - and thankfully so since that was probably the one trait that kept her from getting killed most nights - wouldn't rear up and demand further answers.
Her silent prayer was answered when Buffy let her eyes drift and she nodded slowly. It had taken a great deal of effort to keep her eyes open and she wasn't really sure she wanted to know the answer just yet anyway. "Yeah... tired," Buffy answered.
Tara brushed some hair from Buffy's cheek and squeezed her hand gently, "Rest well, Buffy."
Willow started to lean over to kiss her lover, something she'd done every night over almost three years. For over a thousand nights she'd press her lips to ones of the Slayer and whispers terms of endearments and wishes for peaceful sleep and now the woman beside her was a stranger. "Let us know if you need anything," Willow offered and quickly turned away from the Slayer and went for the stairs.
Tara waited a moment more to make sure Buffy was okay and noticed that the blonde was already drifting into sleep and her breathing was evening out. She sent a silent prayer to the goddess to keep Buffy safe in her dreams before rushing to her other lover, catching up with her on the second floor. "Baby?" she questioned the woman who stopped outside their bedroom.
Willow turned with tears streaking down her face and collapsed to the floor. Tara rushed forward, barely catching her lover in time to soften the impact as they both went to the floor. Willow clung desperately to the shirt Tara wore and her body jolted with sobs. Tara pressed and held Willow close, rocking her gently, "Are you okay?" she asked to make sure that nothing was wrong with the baby.
"Oh, just peachy," came Willow's sharp retort quickly followed by an apology. "I just... I just don't know if I can go in there and lay in our bed knowing that she's downstairs instead of lying next to us. When I was with the Council... each night... each night I dreamt of getting home so I could curl up in the arms of you two and know that everything was going to be all right," Willow barely managed to choke out through her tears. "And now..." she couldn't finish.
"Shhh, baby, I know. It was so lonely every night without you and it broke my heart to know she was just downstairs, right here in the same house, but that I was nothing more than a stranger to her," Tara offered her understanding and her own copious amounts of tears.
Willow pulled back slightly and locked her eyes with the watery ones in front of her and leaned forward, kissing the full lips she missed so much. The kiss was desperate, a need to reassure herself and Tara that they were once again together in each other's arms. They pulled away, leaning forehead-to-forehead, "Tell me... tell me that I'll wake up and all this has been one long nightmare. That when I open my eyes in the morning Buffy and you will be there holding me tightly and Joy will be jumping on the bed demanding funny shaped pancakes. Tell me, please Tara, tell me."
"Oh, sweetie," Tara's voice broke reflecting the breaking of her heart at Willow's frantic pleas. "I wish it were just a dream... just a nightmare."
The lover's held each other, offering comfort and allowing each other to let the pain out, before finally helping each other to stand up. Hesitantly they made their way into the bedroom, closing the door with a hushed click.
A path of tears ran from the corner of Buffy's tightly closed eyes mingling with her hair and it frustrated her that she couldn't raise her hands to wipe them away. If her own heart wasn't breaking over the words that drifted to her she probably would have wondered how it was that she could hear the muted voices of the women up the stairs so well. Instead, her own heart ached for the strangers that obviously loved her very much and knew that there was more between the three of them than a basic friendship.