Dance Of The Salamander

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-


Darth Pacula- Welcome fellow refugee from the cruel domination of real life!

In this chapter Xander and Andrew are kind of reverse each other. Xander's been reminded of his limitations and recognizes where those limits have changed. Andrew on the other hand is that example of good old "I know what I'm doing" that keeps ERs and morgues in business.

I'm glad to see you like the small bits because they're just so fun to write!

Thanks for stopping by after being savaged at work Paul


Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Thirteen






“Sword or axe?” Buffy mused. “Axe or sword?”

“And I got rolling eyes because I took a couple of practice swings in the store,” Anya said with a frown.

“This is important,” Buffy sniffed.

“But after this it’s going to be ‘broadsword or short sword’ then after half an hour we’ll end up bringing two or three of each cutting implement anyway,” Anya retorted.

“Why don’t I pull my tools out of my trunk and take a selection of muscle powered instruments of mayhem?” Xander suggested quickly.

“Excellent suggestion,” Giles agreed. “We need to get out there with as much sunlight as possible just in case.”

“Can we take the crossbow?” Dawn asked innocently as Xander hurried off.

“Yes, we can,” Buffy replied firmly. “No, you’re not going to so much as touch it.”

“The hole was really small and the picture looks better there any way,” Dawn complained.

“If there hadn’t been a stud there it would have ended up in the kitchen!” Buffy snapped.

“Well maybe if I knew more about your stuff-”

“This isn’t like you borrowing my sweaters!” Buffy almost shouted. “These are weapons!”

“That is enough!” Tara did shout. Everyone looked at the witch and gaped. Tara did not wilt under their stares but seemed to grow calmer. “We are all worried and under some stress here. Rehashing old arguments and letting ourselves get lost in the details costs us every time we go up against a real bad person or thing. We don’t know what we’re going to meet out there so let’s go prepared. Buffy, take a variety of weapons. Dawn, you and I have a strong bond. We need you to be the guide for Giles and Xander because we can’t all fit into one car. Xander needs to drive because he and Willow know Sunnydale the best. Giles needs to go with Xander because with his knowledge he’ll be able to read the ground I think you call it.”

“Yes,” Giles nodded. “That makes sense.”

“Buffy should come with us and be a reserve just in case something does jump out at us,” Tara continued. “Even if it’s magical I’d bet on the Slayer to at least hold her own and buy time or kick it’s butt. Anya’s experience will be invaluable, and I’d like to have her near us to consult with in case we need that experience.”

“Quite reasonable,” Betty said evenly.

“I know we keep taking up your time, Betty,” Tara began.

“Oh, we’re coming along,” Betty insisted. “I want to know about this new source of power.”

“And maybe see if you can beat your personal best too,” Bruce added.

“I doubt we’ll need to vaporize titanium,” Betty shrugged.

“We have got to get you to come to the lab,” Willow said eagerly. “Have you ever worked with carbon compounds?”

“The basics,” Betty replied brightly.

“Honeyyy,” Tara and Bruce said together in a soft warning voice.

“Later,” Betty whispered. Willow nodded eagerly.

“Buff, where can I put these?” Xander said as he staggered in dragging two large plastic cases on wheels.

“Those are your tool boxes?” Dawn asked.

“The power tools,” Xander replied. “The hand tools are in the back seat.”

“I thought everything was powered,” Willow said quizzically.

“I like having the basics just in case,” Xander replied. “Once you’ve learned on hand tools first you can use anything. Besides, that antique carpenter’s axe Anya got me for Christmas is useful.”

“Really?” Anya asked softly.

“Yeah,” Xander replied carefully. “Some of the lumber we’re getting is awful and needs trimming. It’s also a reminder to build true and solid, like it’s going to last.”

For a long moment Anya and Xander fell silent and the others waited hopefully. Finally Giles picked up his coat.

“Hand tools and philosophy,” Giles mused. “You must show me this artifact. I believe you’re traveling with us Dawn.”

“Right!” the teen said grabbing her own jacket.

Buffy and Anya each picked up their weapons, in the case of the Slayer it was a duffel full of edged things, and headed for the Jeep. Willow held back slightly with Tara.

“Was that you?” Willow asked quietly. “I mean the whole talking between Xander and Anya without evisceration descriptions from her and a real ugly scene altogether.”

“I think it’s me and us both,” Tara explained. “I’m not sure how this grounding is working, but I’m hoping.”


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“I don’t understand,” Cordelia said once again.

“Kind of beats me too,” Angel said standing in the courtyard of the old hotel. “I’ve been wishing for this day and now that it’s here...”

The former vampire looked up into the sunny sky and closed his eyes. He stepped slowly out into the full sun and felt the gentle heat on his face. Cordelia’s hand slipping into his was even warmer.

“Do you think it’s like...like Wes says?” the slim brunette asked gently. “Willow’s witch friend changed everything?”

“I think I was wrong,” a softly coarse English voice said.

“You’re ruining the moment,” Angel said with reserved anger.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Wesley said as he sat down on a chipped stone seat. “No witch could have changed so much on her own. There is, or perhaps was, a new seer of great power.”

“Power enough to change ancient scrolls?” Angel asked.

“Blank them out actually,” Wes replied evenly. “Lilah was quite specific. Wolfram and Hart were in a panic about losing their prophecies, at least they were before they imploded.”

“Sleeping with the enemy?” Angel snapped, shrugging off Cordelia’s restraining arm.

“That is none of your business,” the Englishman sniffed.

“And if I make it my busi-ooofff!”

Wesley stepped back from the gasping former vampire. Cordelia saw the pale, unshaven former Watcher slip a small black cylinder into his pocket.

“You’re human, Angel,” Wesley said in a surprisingly kind voice. “What if that had been a pistol? You’ve got to think for God’s sake. You breathe now and your breath can be knocked out of you.”

“Why did you come here?” Fred asked from the doorway.

“I’m heading north to Sunnydale,” Wes replied. “Giles is a bit tied up in the fallout of all this and someone needs to warn him.”

“About what?” Gunn asked behind Fred.

“Wolfram and Hart aren’t going to let bygones be bygones,” Wesley replied. “Several demon’s believe the seer has burned out. I’d like to get a second and possibly third opinion.”

“Why?” Angel asked warily.

“Things have changed,” Wes said with a sigh. “I was hoping to get some answers about how long those changes are going to last and if there’s something even bigger in the works. Besides, I want to see Giles as a shopkeeper.”


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“What the Hell is wrong with me?” Anya sighed from the front seat of the Jeep. “Is this part of the whole witch holding onto thing?”

“I don’t know,” Tara replied quickly. “What’s wrong?”

“I should be planning how to feed Xander Harris to whatever baddie we’re going out to face,” Anya grumbled. “Instead I kind of understand how frightening a abusive father can be.”

“Yeah,” Tara said in a very small voice.

“And I can see how he would freak and get protective but-but-but damn I want to kick him into the next county too!” Anya said with a frown at the car ahead. “He’s got brown eyes and Burns had blue eyes to start with.”

“Holy shit!” Buffy said suddenly. “You’re right!”

“I mean, did he really want to marry me?”


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“Xander, a bit more to the right,” Dawn said looking in the direction.

“Right,” Xander said listlessly. “We’ll take Miller Road.”

“You seem to be only partly with us,” Giles said. “Which is disturbing as these Californians insist on driving on the wrong side of the road.”

“It’s just...” Xander shrugged.

“Xander, you messed up with Anya,” Dawn said surely.

“He was a demon!” Xander protested.

“He had blue eyes,” Dawn said before she thought. “Yours are brown.”

“Damn...” Xander looked back over his shoulder at Dawn. “You’re right.”

“Please watch where we’re hurtling at breakneck speed,” Giles said tightly.

“I did want to marry her,” Xander asked suddenly and bitterly. “Why did she have to sleep with Spike?”


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“Xander did try to talk to you,” Buffy said quietly.

“I know, I know,” Anya said bitterly. “I was played like a damn violin.”

“Of course you didn’t help things out sleeping with Spike,” Willow said suddenly.

“I was drunk!” Anya snapped. “And angry. Damn it, I should have hit D’Hoffryn in his crotch! I rutted with that conceited, peroxided cold thing! What the fuck was I thinking?”

“Yeah,” Willow said smugly.

“Hey, it happens,” Buffy said with a wince.


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“She didn’t sleep with Spike,” Dawn protested. “She was drunk and she fucked him.”

“Dawn!” both men almost shouted in horror.

“What do you think goes on in high school?” Dawn said petulantly. “I know stuff, it’s not like I’m being a slut personally.”

“And you had better not be!” Xander snapped.

“Young lady...” Giles started angrily.

“What?” Dawn said defiantly. “You’ll show up from Merry Olde England?”

For a long moment everything outside their glares were forgotten as Dawn met Giles’s eyes.

“We’ve missed you,” Xander finally said.


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“It happens?” Willow asked with shock. “I mean...Spike? Eww!”

“Tell me about it,” Anya agreed.

“I think we need-” Willow started with a very worried voice.

“A girls’ night in!” Tara said suddenly.

“Chick flicks and ice cream?” Willow asked in a confused tone.

“Yeah!” Buffy agreed.

“I’ll bring some DVDs!” Anya added brightly.

“The Long Kiss Goodnight is not a chick flick!” Willow said firmly.

“It qualifies!” Anya protested. “It has self-discovery, true love...”

“Great explosions and good knife scenes,” Buffy added. “I vote yes!”

“It does have true love,” Tara pointed out. “And I really like the the bit where Samuel L. Jackson just lays there on his back on the highway after...”

“Fine!” Willow said with a pout. “But I’m going to be physics girl through the whole movie.”

“And this is different how?” Anya asked.

Willow kneed the seat in front of her. “Hey!” Anya squeaked.

“Willow Rosenberg, behave yourself!” Buffy demanded.

Willow looked at Tara and smiled evilly. Then she bobbed her head. On the third beat she and Tara called out “Are we there yet?”


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The man in the well cut suit twirled his drink and looked at the strangely clear image in the sphere.

“Are we sure about this?” the well dressed man asked his companion.

“Sure?” the tattooed wizard grumbled. “Of course not.”

“Then how are we going to eliminate them?” the nervous man demanded. “The firm is very concerned.”

“We’re watching the remnant of an ancient evil,” the wizard explained carefully. You had to be clear with lawyers he’d found. “The evil is currently consuming a local. The opposition is dedicated to eliminating evil. They’ll be there.”

“The ‘opposition’ is a Slayer, and her Watcher, and two unknown witches,” the lawyer almost hissed.

“There are two other presences we detected as well,” the wizard chuckled. “Don’t forget to worry about them.”

“They could be anything!” the lawyer said looking around quickly. Nothing in the sleek corporate jet attacked him. “Are you sure this is the only way to exploit the link to the seer?”

“The link is very tenuous,” the mage sighed. “I’m not even sure our trap will release enough blood energy to track down the prophet.”

“Or prophetess,” the lawyer said quickly.

“How politically incorrect of me,” the wizard said dryly. “Thank you.”

“I realize you don’t get out of the sacrificial wing much but it wouldn’t hurt to read the Human Resources e-mails,” the lawyer said primly.

“There are cars coming into view now,” the mage said looking more intently at the small crystal ball in his hand. “I’m seeing a...rather unremarkable man and a young woman with the underlaying faded markings of a demon of some sort. That’s odd. I think I need a new ball.”

The lawyer gestured for the comely young lady in the tasteful uniform. As she bent over he whispered “How long until we get there?”

“We’ll be landing in an hour,” she said politely. “Would you like another drink?”

“Make it a double,” the lawyer requested weakly.


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The wind from the Pacific seemed cleaner than any Willow had ever known as she got out of the car. The distant haze of clouds, the salt air and the cry of the gulls as they wheeled lazily above were a poem and Tara taking her hand in the midst of it all made it a living song. Then they walked up a small shelf of crumbling stone and wind blown grass that formed a mound and the song turned somber. There, like a bowsprit of a damned ship, a blackened timber jutted up with a scorched and twisted carved nude adorning the darkened wood. The woman might have been beautiful but whoever the artist had been he had carved her hair hiding her face. In Willow’s mind it became a fitting figurehead for a ship from burning seas. Then she could have sworn the figure moved. Perhaps it was a gull’s shadow or a trick of the light but Willow tightened her hold on Tara’s hand and stopped suddenly.

The whole group stopped and looked warily at the scene before them. Suddenly the soft wind and gulls were competing with a raucous electronic noise. Xander slapped at his pocket and inexpertly pulled out a cell phone in a battered leather case.

“Yeah?” he said hastily. “Wes?”

Threat went through everyone’s subconscious. As one the group stepped back.

“I smell blood,” Buffy said shifting a sword in her hand.

“Trouble,” Xander said reaching under his jacket and freeing the old axe.


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Betty, Bruce-DON”T ANSWER! Tara thought quickly. See if this leads anywhere but DO NOT risk yourselves!


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“Bloody Hell,” a voice sneered near the tattooed wizard. “Why is every bloody herd of boofheads gotta have some dark and mysterious name like the ‘Brotherhood of the Obsidian Scorpion’? Now if I were running some darkish bunch I’d call it ‘Skippy’ or ‘The Rose Club’.

“Who dares challenge me?” the wizard said with a sweep of his hand trailing sparks.

“We do,” a cold female voice replied. Then two incandescent figures materialized.

“Oh SHI-” The wizard managed to get out before the scent of burned pork filled the cabin. The lawyer looked at the glowing ash in the seat next to him and fainted.

“Sorry love,” Bruce said gently. “I don’t like evil bastards swearing around you.”

“I know, my chivalrous champion,” Betty sighed.

“Well, he’s no fun,” Bruce grumbled looking at the passed out man. “He fell right over.”

“What the HELL is going here?” the flight attendant demanded as she burst into the cabin.

“Uh oh!” Bruce said quickly. “Angry staff!”

“We were just leaving,” Betty said as she and her mate vanished with a bright pop. The young woman glared at the limp figure. Reluctantly she bent down and felt for a pulse. She found one and sighed.

“Passed out junior partners, human combustion, airsick vampires, handsy Bolroj demons, this free travel gig sucks,” she muttered. She shrugged and poured a beer over the smoking remains of the wizard, then grabbed a small vacuum and began to clean up the mess.


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“We’ll be there as soon as we’re finished,” Giles said into the cell. Behind him Dawn peered at the old wreckage in front of them. She watched with muted jealousy as Buffy moved around the site. Suddenly Buffy froze.

“There’s something in there,” Buffy said. “Something that used to be someone. He looks kind of freeze dried.”

“Careful,” Giles said trying to see what she was looking at. “It may be part of the trap.”

“Probably not,” Bruce said popping into view. “Some black magic wizzie from Wolfram and Hart was tied to it.”

“Was?” Tara asked with an unhappy tone.

“Yes,” Betty said flatly. “For all their tattoos and pretension the Brotherhood of the Obsidian Scorpion are excellent killers.”

“Pretension’s kind of obvious,” Willow agreed. “Killers, huh?”

“Traps are their speciality,” Giles said grimly.

“Let’s see who this used to be,” Xander said stepping forward.

“Careful!” Tara barked. “There’s unstable magic in there. It’s losing the cohesion the trap gave it.”

“Let’s see if we can get them out with some levitation,” Willow suggested.

Tara nodded and joined hands with Willow. They carefully touched the body with their power.

...help...me...

“He’s alive!” Willow gasped in horror.

Buffy and Xander leapt forward. Only Dawn saw Anya’s look of worry, but Xander held back, ready to assist Buffy but not following her onto the burned timbers. Buffy stopped on the edge and felt her stomach tighten. Below her on the timber itself an almost husked figure was impaled with the skin tight over the bones. The clothes looked like they belonged to a man twice the size of the almost corpse hanging on the charred wood. Buffy looked back and gestured for Xander. She gave him a hand up onto the unstable pile and waited for him to swallow a couple of times.

...hurts...

“That’s-that’s Wells’ little brother,” Willow said. “The one that was running around with Warren and Jonathan.”

“I’m not leaving anyone like that,” Buffy said angrily. “Not even that twit. Xander, can you chop that thing he’s stuck on?”

Xander looked at the thin, jagged piece that stuck out from the main brace. He nodded.

“You’re sure?” Buffy demanded.

“If this wreck we’re on doesn’t give way, I don’t throw up, and that thing doesn’t turn out to be fang or something,” Xander said unevenly.

“Perfect,” Buffy nodded. “One, two, three!”

Xander’s swing was desperation strong and cleaved through the wood that held Andrew. Buffy levered him up and away and what was left of Andrew landed in front of Dawn. The Slayer and Xander leapt away as the nude with the writhing hair over her face moved.

“Please understand,” she said distantly.


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“Please understand Xander,” she said softly. “You’re too important.”

“Forget it!” Xander snapped. “I’m not eating spiders for anybody ever again!”


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“Please understand Rupert,” she said urgently. “You’re too wise to be wasted here.”

“And too wise to listen to you,” Giles replied dryly.


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“Please understand Dawn,” she said gently. “I know your potential.”

“For what?” Dawn snorted looking at Andrew’s now still body. “A quick meal?”


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“Please understand Slayer,” she said hopefully. “You’re my only chance to redeem the wrongs done in my name.”

“Guess you’re screwed then,” Buffy shrugged.


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“Please understand Bruce,” she said with emphasis on the name.

“Nice try,” Bruce said with a grin as his sphere turned white.


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“Please understand Tara,” she said haughtily. “You could be so much more.”

“I like being a lesbian Scooby witch and Art History Major,” Tara replied innocently.


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“Please understand Betty,” she said desperately. “Bruce isn’t safe.”

“What?” Betty said suddenly attentive.

“The witch,” the voice said more strongly. “What do you know of her?”

The salamander hesitated, then gave off a shower of sparks.

“I know enough, you supernatural strumpet!”


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“Please understand Willow,” she said desperately. “What if it had been Tara?”

“What?” Willow said suddenly shocked.

“Could you have brought her back?” the voice asked very gently. “Or would you be lost, never again to hold her, to know her touch. You need to protect her.”

“Protect her,” Willow said as she imagined Tara pale and lifeless. The image suddenly became clear down to the tang of blood in the air.

“You must protect her,” the voice insisted. “Others will come for her.” Dark shapes hinted at looming dangers. “I can help you.”

“I-I-I...”

“Honey?” Tara said from far away.

“Damn!” Willow snarled. “She’s good!”

“Yes she is,” Betty growled.

“Not really,” Dawn shrugged. Betty and Willow glared at her. “Oh, right! Absolutely skanky bitch queen, that’s her.”

“Better,” muttered Willow.

“What?” Anya asked angrily as she gripped her bat. “You all got a tempting offer and she blew past me? Oh! Of course! Xander, what do you call it when you point and hit it the way you’re pointing.”

“Calling your shot,” Xander replied as Anya stepped up. “Wait!”

“An, there’s nothing out there but Hawaii,” Tara pointed out as Anya pointed out to the west.

“I was thinking of China,” Anya replied.

“I AM POWERFUL BEYOND YOUR UNDERSTANDING!” echoed over the beach.

“Bluff and bullshit!” Anya shouted as she swung.

The hair of the figure parted at that moment to show an arachnid’s mandibles, but these were dull and flaking before Anya’s bat slammed into them. They broke off but the bat was lodged in the creature’s head. The nude exploded into violent twitching as Anya tried to pull her Louisville slugger free. Xander leapt forward and instead of pulling her back grabbed the bat. Between them they pulled it free quickly with Xander ending up with the shaped hickory in his hands.

“She does have insights,” Willow admitted to Tara. “Next we work on impulse control. And movie selection.”

“It’s a Varshak,” Anya said proudly as the creature quivered into stillness. “They don’t even really count as demons. They’re like the Sirens, only they can’t carry a tune in a bucket with those mandibles so they use a weak psychic force to lure in victims. Usually they turn anxieties into fears.”

“This is the first one I’ve ever seen,” Giles said peering at the creature.

Then in front of them all Xander knelt and presented the bat to Anya handle first over his arm.

“Your sidearm, milady,” he said.

Anya just looked at him for a moment, and then smiled faintly as she took the bat.

“Would you mind if we took over at this point?” Tara asked.

“Go ahead and play through,” Anya said easily.

“The magic is coming apart more swiftly now,” Willow said looking into the nether realms.

“We shouldn’t let it go,” Tara said firmly.

“The magic is still unstable,” Willow said thoughtfully.

“Like a magic land mine?” Dawn asked.

“Dawn,” Buffy sighed.

“No, she’s right,” Willow said thoughtfully. “It’s kind of like a hidden explosive.”

“Deflagration!” Dawn said excitedly.

“Gobsmacked,” Bruce muttered with a lopsided grin. “Should have thought of that.”

“De-what?” Xander asked.

“Deflagration,” Betty said. “Burn out the mines instead of picking them up or detonating them. It’s a new theory involving the use of fire. How did you know about it?”

“We’ve got a Cambodian exchange student this year,” Dawn explained. “He’s doing some research for his village. We’re going to have a car wash and stuff to get them a computer and a generator.”

“That may be promising,” Tara said carefully. “But this isn’t a bomb, it’s magic.”

“And salamanders are?” Dawn asked smugly.

“Magic, fire, and magic fire,” Anya replied.

“True, but we need to know what to burn and how,” Betty conceded.

“Everyone, please stay back for moment and, um...” Tara stopped and frowned.

“The witches are gonna pull a magic recce,” Bruce interjected.

“Wrecky?” Buffy asked.

“Reconnaissance,” Betty interpreted.

“Spying out,” Willow added.

“I know what a recon is,” Buffy said. “I’m just not fluent in Ozzie.”

“She said it right,” Bruce said happily. “I must be rubbing off on her.”

“No,” Dawn said with an evil grin. “She’s currently hot for Hugh Jackman. Actually Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.”

“The revenge of the little sister,” Tara said with a smile.

“Any way,” Willow said loudly. “We have work to do and since we’re all Tara’s grounding right now let’s be nice and calm for at least a minute, okay?”

There was a chorus of affirmative noises and the group became still. Willow reached out for Tara’s hand and nodded to the salamanders. In a heartbeat all four of them passed the physical world and were looking at the slowly dissolving magic around what now was clearly an old burned out building buried in the earth. The dark magic was slipping slowly apart, hesitating along the buried structure.

*Probably an old and very nasty kind of temple with self important people in silly robes bossing people around and saying things like ‘I am the Keeper Of The Truth’ and really all they were were bad actors who didn’t know enough about magic and demons to realize they were just demon food and the cloaks just made them higher in fiber-*

*Quite so, Miss Rosenberg,* Betty interrupted.

*And the magic is sticking to the old dark practices out a kind of morphic memory,* Tara concluded. *Wait a second...* With that Tara drifted slowly to the edge of the old building. Willow was about to call out a warning when her lover drifted to a graceful stop. *There’s something here,* she said. *There’s a line to this too, only it’s a light one that’s so faint you have to be almost on it to see the line.*

Willow drifted closer, trying to copy Tara’s grace. There they found an old crucifix buried in the ground.

*Here’s something,* Bruce said from another side of the structure.

Willow and the others drifted over to where an old bronze statue was buried on another side.

*I think that’s a Tibetan style of art,* Tara thought.

*Yes,* Betty said with a small grin. *It’s Tara, Green Tara I believe. The Mahayana Buddhists hold that she protects humans on their crossing of the ocean of existence. Her compassion is great.*

*And here’s an old scroll of Rama,* Bruce said nostalgically across from the statue. *One of our Indian lads always carried one with him. Lost him in Burma...sorry, old war.*

Willow felt herself called to the last wall of the rectangular building across from the old crucifix. There she looked down and saw a bundle. She did not touch it but rather looked into the past to see tefillin lovingly wrapped in the tallit, the prayer shawl that was in front of her now. Grief and resolve warred in old emotions. She had sat shiv’a and now they had to stop this new horror-

*Willow?* Tara asked.

*It’s a prayer shawl,* Willow said softly in this almost place. *Someone placed it here with the other things. They were supposed to stop whatever was here.*

*It’s an old battlefield, only the fight was a mystical one,* Tara said looking around. *The old battle’s echoes are what’s making this place unstable.*

*I have a plan for that,* Betty said.

*The Old Temple Of Jemethra ploy, eh?* Bruce asked excitedly.

*Without the feral flaming demon elephants, I hope,* Betty said with a shudder.

*Now there’s a story I want to miss,* Willow said with a grimace.

*What about this connection?* Tara asked returning to the old scarred cross.

*Probably an old family heirloom used to to break the power of this temple’s master,* Betty replied. *Tara, you’re supported by family so you take this side. When we begin to burn, you’ll have to contain the magic fragments and stop the link to protect those whose ancestors placed this here.*

*And I’m taking the other side?* Willow asked. *Being a Jewish magic wrangler over here.*

*It seems right,* Betty nodded. *Be vigilant, the ancient evil may not be as dead as we think after the wizard’s spell. Can you do this, girls?*

*Yes,* they both replied as one.


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There was a pop in the air over the hill and Bruce hung in the shifting light of the afternoon.

“I’d suggest you cover your eyes,” the salamander smiled. “Fire in the hole!”


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Both witches called up a soft bubble of power that they shrank along the edges of the buried ruin. The fragments of old black magic were contained and began to be hauled back into the center of the old temple.

*Now, Tara,* Betty said as she and Bruce took on forms of fire that had no corollary in the normal world. Tara touched the faded line with a gentle warm expression of power. For a second she could see a small form sleeping in a hospital bed with a large stuffed panda held tight. Then the line was gone and Tara was concentrating on her shared web of power. The salamanders raced along it and formed their own web of fire. Suddenly the timbers of the ruin formed into a clumsy skeleton, but before it could even swing it was consumed in a whirl of flame both beautiful and destructive.

*Return and get away!* Betty suddenly called out. *The surface is unstable!*


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Buffy stepped back from the intense light of the fire in front of her. The timbers seemed to come alive and then burst into flame with a scream. Then Tara and Willow both shook themselves awake from their trances.

“This whole area’s be undermined-” Willow began.

“Get off the mound!” Tara screamed as she grabbed her partner and they both began to run towards the cars.

Xander grabbed Anya’s hand and began to run. Dawn moved faster than Buffy had seen in months. Giles waited for the Slayer to pass and Buffy knew she had to let him or they would be squabbling until it was too late. Behind them there was a groan as the old structure under the mound collapsed.

*Damn!* Betty said suddenly.

*Bloody icewater!* Bruce exclaimed in a voice that made Willow think of doppler shift.

“They’re in trouble and fading!” Willow yelled.

Without thinking she found Tara’s hand and together the witches called up their net again and visualized the salamanders. There was a pull far away on the stretched and fading spell. Both witches pulled with all their combined magical might and the now smoking tumbled-down mound exploded in sparks as two tiny comets sailed into the sky.

“Yoo hooo!” Bruce called out as the two salamanders drifted back down. “That was a rip snorter of a ride! You two are aces!”

“Thank you,” Betty said more calmly. “That last bit of magic was more fireproof than I thought.”

“We didn’t do much again,” Buffy sighed.

“My dear girl,” Betty said in a lecturing tone. “Your family stabilized Tara, who was instrumental in containing the evil magic, spotting the keys I used for my spell of cleansing flame, and helped pull not one but two elemental creatures out of a collapsing pseudo-reality.”

“No one makes this journey alone,” Tara said more gently. “And I wouldn’t ever want to try.” Then she gave a lopsided grin. “Right now I’d really like to make a journey for something cold and I really can’t do that without you guys.”

“Why not?” Dawn asked.

“You have the car keys,” Tara laughed. Then she blushed. “And, um...I kind of forgot my purse.”

“Hey, I’m supposed to be distracted girl,” Willow grinned.

“As long as I’m needed for the important things,” Buffy laughed. “Does anyone know if the ice cream place takes VISA?”






To Be Continued

[WillowRulez]

What an update! Andrew was kinda scary.
Sometimes I read Buffy when you wrote Betty... and then I think: Wait a sec... did BUFFY just say something smart? Guess that's only me
I love long updates! So thank you for this one.

[mole]

Great update, Jixer.

“No one makes this journey alone,” Tara said more gently

Isn't that the truth? Lovely depiction of how important family, chosen family that is, can be in this life.

Tara's empathy seems to be rubbing off on the Scoobies, now that they are grounding her.

Looking forward to more,
Michelle

[wintersdreamer]

As wonderful as ever,

Thank you Jixer

[Darth Pacula]

G'day, Jixer.

Well, chapter 13 has come and gone, with no sign of bad luck. Unless you count me being sick since Tuesday. Whatever, I'm used to it.

I loved the little armament themed discussion at the start, especially this little bit:

“The hole was really small and the picture looks better there any way,” Dawn complained.

The extended scooby interactions were fun to read, as was that little revelation about the difference in eye colors. It did take me a bit to figure out what the heck they were talking about, but I guess I'm just slow today.

“Oh SHI-” The wizard managed to get out before the scent of burned pork filled the cabin. The lawyer looked at the glowing ash in the seat next to him and fainted.

Hey, I though human flesh was supposed to taste like chicken? But it smells like pork? And how disturbed am I to ask that question?

The ending was great too. It was a very Buffy-ish (the show, not the character) point for a break. I'd write more, but I feel kinda knackered.

Cheers,
Paul.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-


Safely arriving at the end of another work stretch I bask in the warmth of Kitten feedback.

WillowRulez- Yes, Andrew met a bad end, but when you open the barbed wire gate and elude the guard leopards to push the button marked 'Do Not Push-We Really Mean It!!' bad things can happen.

Sorry about the Betty/Buffy confusion. Is it me or was Buffy brighter before the bad seasons?

The big update is a sign it kind of got away from the writer. Sorry it took a while to get it bludgeoned into shape.

mole- The family theme is just bringing back the basics. Yes, the empathy is one of the side effects of grounding Tara, and if it reminds the Scoobies of what and who they are to each other so much the better. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long, Michelle.

wintersdreamer- I have two great muses and a wonderful proof reader. It makes writing a joy.

Darth Pacula- Oh ech! I hope it's a mid-week only bout of igilliness.

The reference to which cuisine we smell like (cooked at least) is usually pork. All I know is after working on burn traumas I usually don't eat meat period for a bit.

I have to admit the eye color bit was pointed out to me by one of those continuity nit-pickers, but then it made huge sense for the story.

As for where to end that's always been a tough call. This time it worked for the most part. Take care, Paul!


Thanks to everyone for the feedback


Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Fourteen








Willow looked up from her hot fudge sundae at the sound of the Magic Box’s bell. For a moment she was jarred by the sight of Angel in the golden light of the late afternoon. Then the image of a hard-eyed Wesley and the rest of the people she’d met once that terrible night just a year ago against the backdrop of the familiar shop made her wary. A young teen with the look of a predator about him made her ready a bit of power. Beside her Tara sat up straighter and Willow could feel the tension. Buffy stood up and crossed her arms, the gesture reminding Willow of the confrontation with Tara’s family.

“Hey,” was all the Slayer said to her former beau.

“Hey,” Angel said back, his own wariness doing nothing to ease Willow’s.

“Kind of out of your territory,” Buffy said neutrally.

“Some things aren’t for phone calls,” Wesley said carefully. “And that would be supposing I would ever get a call back.”

“Things have been busy,” Giles said from the counter.

“Yes, what with running a business and changing the patterns of magic for the region,” Wes replied, openly looking about the shop. “I must say this shop has a nice feel to it and reasonable prices.”

“It helps with the repeat business,” Anya said brightly.

“A hundred and fifty for this?” Gunn asked with real horror as he looked at a statue of a fairy. “What did it cost? Five bucks?”

“Hey!” Anya said quickly. “Mark up keeps retail afloat. And it isn’t that much of a mark up!”

“Maybe I should take up this business,” Gunn said shaking his head.

“If you finish that with it beats working I’m going to-” Anya stopped as an older man entered. “Good morning, Mr. Anderson!” Anya said suddenly bright. “Your order is in.”

Willow found herself smiling as the older man acted as if a baker’s dozen of people in the shop with only two doing anything close to the purpose of the establishment was quite normal, but then again she reasoned he was a Sunnydale native. After he had left, resisting the impulse buy some of the new line of incense Anya was hoping would prove popular, the scene seemed to unfreeze.

“The real reason we’re here is for answers,” Wesley said. “I’m afraid we brought a lot of questions.”

“Is one of those about the new power in Sunnydale and tribute?” Anya asked pointedly as she gave Tara a ‘told you so’ look.

“Yes, actually,” Wesley replied with a hint of surprise.

“I knew it,” Anya sighed. “Another lost opportunity.”

“No tribute,” Tara said in reply with a crooked smile.

“Witches,” Anya muttered as she shook her head. Willow noticed the young teen with them had looked at Tara quizzically when Anya had declared her a witch.

“What about all the vampires going poof and the old guy here suddenly having a heartbeat?” Gunn asked as he looked along the shelves. “Not to mention Cordelia all of a sudden just being a regular babe.”

“I’m not sure how the vampires were destroyed,” Tara said looking down.

“I have a theory, well, actually a hypothesis since it hasn’t been tested and confirmed,” Willow started.

“They’re usually pretty much on the money,” Cordelia said looking to Fred and Gunn.

“Is it about interconnected fields of magic?” Fred asked eagerly.

“Exactly!” Willow replied enthusiastically. “Tara’s an Earth witch, so she called on the power in the Earth like never before, but the ground around here is like, you know, full of magic left over from a hundred years of Hellmouth, not to mention the Master, the Mayor, and dozens of other really powerful bad guys. Then there was the outside stuff looking for the power Tara was going through which must have been your Wolfram and Hart-”

“They aren’t my Wolfram and Hart,” Angel said with a frown.

“So the power already in play from Sunnydale overloaded the input from Wolfram and Hart?” Fred asked.

“Yeah!” Willow replied warmly. “I think it formed a feedback loop that literally ate up all the stored power of the magic law firm. Everyone who did business with them must have left some magical residue-”

“Or been connected with the fine print,” Wes mused.

“Contracts would be really efficient conduits of power,” Willow said.

“And nearly every magical being in California used Wolfram and Hart because they understood magic and wouldn’t call the authorities if your case was somewhat unusual,” Wes nodded.

“But what happened to all that power?” Cordelia asked. “I had some and it felt huge, like I’d never know how to use all of it.”

“Tara grounded it out on the Hellmouth,” Willow said proudly. “It kind of imploded and filled up with a lava plug.”

“The Hellmouth is gone?” Angel said after a couple of attempts.

“Not even a ripple,” Buffy said with a small smile.

“What about the vampires?” Gunn asked. “Not all of the bloodsuckers had contracts with the other bloodsuckers.”

“We’ve been fighting them for years,” Tara said softly.

“So you just swept them up along with all the rest of the bad magic?” Gunn asked in an impressed tone.

“At least the local ones,” Tara said softly.

“Reports indicate all vampires are more unstable at present,” Giles added. “At least the ones that weren’t within a thousand miles of Sunnydale.”

“You had time to talk to Travers?” Wes asked archly.

“He left an e-mail on one of my accounts,” Willow explained.

“I don’t know if more frightened by the amount of power that has been unleashed or that the old boy actually knows how to use a computer,” Wes said shaking his head.

“Why worry about the power?” Dawn asked. “Nothing bad happened.”

“Nothing bad has happened yet,” Wes replied coldly. “Willow and Tara have now been noticed by a very dangerous organization. One that may try to eliminate what it views as dangers.”

“They did send that Obsidian Scorpion guy,” Buffy agreed.

“They sent out an adept of the Brotherhood of the Obsidian Scorpion?”
Angel gasped. “Since you’re alive you must have beat him. How did you do it? Reversal of poison? Harmonic reflection of the killing spell?”

“We had help,” Willow said trying to look nonchalant.

“So Wolfram and Hart are bad news,” Buffy said evenly. “We add them to the list.”

“Can you kill humans, Buffy?” Wes asked calmly. The Slayer shrugged. “Willow?”

What if it had been Tara? coursed through Willow’s mind.

“Honey?” Tara asked with a soft touch on Willow’s back.

“Let’s not find out,” Willow said meeting the young Englishman’s eyes. One the edge of the group the youngster looked at her with respect.

“Yes,” Giles agreed levelly.

“What about the seer?” Angel asked. “Wolfram and Hart are going to be after them first. No offense, but a prophet that powerful is going to be their number one priority. Any connection between you and this unknown mystic?”

“I th-think there was a line to the crucifix at the temple,” Tara said hesitantly. “But any connection is gone after the fire.”

“It must have been a damned hot fire,” Wesley said warily.

“It was,” Betty said bursting into view with a shower of false sparks.

“A salamander?” Wesley gasped as he took a step backward.

“Whoa!” Angel yelled leaping backwards. Then he slapped his palm to his forehead. “Sorry, just a leftover habit.”

“A habit of the recently un-undead,” Gunn explained.

“How did that happen, anyway?” Willow asked. “I mean there were scrolls and stuff saying how your future was full of dark warrior-I mean dark warrior like Batman-fights and struggles against evil and eventually you’d be human but here you are and you’re really human or you’ve got the world’s best sunscreen.”

“I was hoping you’d tell me,” Angel said. “Isn’t this part of your girlfriend’s spell?”

“Her name is Tara,” Willow said coldly.

“It was kind of more like a barely controlled wild ride than a spell there for most of it,” Tara said with a shrug. “I think you were part of the seer’s rewriting of history.”

Angel shook his head and smiled. “I wish I could say thank you.”


===========================================================


“Excellent work, Dr. Watson!” Georgia’s mentor said as he passed her in the hallway.

“Sir?” she asked.

“The girl with the drawings,” he said brightly. “I’ve just seen her latest artwork. Very positive imagery.”

At that moment his pager went off and he looked down. “Damn!” he muttered and hurried off. Georgia watched him go, then turned toward the family room of the pediatric wing. There she saw Lucinda drawing while her mother watched. She entered and Lucinda looked up from her work with a smile. The girl held up the drawing.

“A butterfly drying in the sun,” Georgia said with a smile. “And that’s his cocoon on the branch.”

“It’s going to be a Blue Morpho,” Lucinda explained. “They live in the rain forest. I just need to add the brown.”

“It’s beautiful,” Dr. Watson said softly.

“You haven’t looked at the last drawing yet, have you?” Lucinda asked seriously.

“No, not yet,” Georgia admitted.

“Good,” the girl said with a nod. “Wait until I go home.”


===========================================================


“So there is no connection to the seer?” Wesley asked pointedly.

“If they’re a seer anymore without the connection,” Tara replied.

“And you think the connection was destroyed because the object this prophet was tied to has been burned by a salamander’s fire?” Wes asking looking sidelong at Betty.

“No,” Betty said in an exasperated tone, “You’re too clever for me. You’ve found me out. I’m saving it for my diabolical plan to control the world’s breakfast cereals.”

“It is the most important meal of the day,” Dawn added. The boy seemed to notice Dawn for the first time and it didn’t look Platonic. Willow fixed him with her best glare. He didn’t notice.

“Quite so,” Giles agreed.

“I just think Wolfram and Hart will think this is very tidy,” Wes explained.

“Real life does that sometimes,” Anya said from the counter.

“These people plot their trips to the loo,” Angel said. “That and they’re desperate to replace their lost prophecies. They won’t buy that Tara has no connection.”

“The Watchers will be, well, watching as well,” Wes added.

“Great,” Buffy almost snarled. “Conspiracy theory fans in suits.”

“We dealt with the Watchers before,” Willow said hopefully.

“They didn’t hire demon enforcers by the ton,” Angel pointed out. “Wolfram and Hart have done that before. Literally.”

“Where’s their seat of power?” Betty asked politely.

“London,” Wesley replied.

“New York,” Angel answered at the same time.

I may have a plan, girls, the witches heard Betty say.

“We’ll deal with it,” Willow said suddenly more confident. “What about the vampire thing? And-and what about the other vampires, the ones outside California? Oh!” Willow turned to Cordelia. “What did you mean you had power?”

“I mean I had power,” Cordelia bristled.

Without saying anything Tara and Angel reached out at the same time and lightly touched their respective partners’ backs. Giles saw Buffy give a very slight shrug and the ghost of a sigh. He moved to stand behind her, just to her left. The Slayer seemed to relax a fraction.


===========================================================


Buffy’s thoughts never quite got to words but for an eternal second she felt as if she was completely alone. Then she knew Giles was behind her. That drove the feeling back. She relaxed and knew where all the people that were her family were and that they were safe. The feeling faded further.

But it never completely went away.


===========================================================


“What kind of power?” Willow asked, more curious now than she would have admitted.

“It’s...it’s a long story,” Cordelia said looking away briefly.

“Honey, are we going at this correctly?” Tara asked calmly. “Don’t we need to organize the questions and our data?”

“Why?” Buffy asked with a small grin. “Screaming and running around like angsty lunatics while not really communicating has worked so well in the past.”

“Good Lord, what’s next?” Giles asked. “Rational thought? Actual exchange of ideas and reasoning?”

“I did bring a couple of CDs,” Fred said reaching into her bag. “I copied the notes Wesley made and took down most of Angel’s stories, not that he’s the easiest source to work with, and I managed to index a few things.”

“What format?” Willow asked eagerly.


===========================================================


Buffy threw a high, fast flurry of blows almost at full strength against the hapless dummies and bags in the training room. She stopped and let her arms shake lightly for a few moments as she controlled her breathing and heart rate.

“Hey,” Angel said softly.

“Hey back,” Buffy replied. “You know, with a pulse you’re not nearly as quiet and sneaky.”

“Heard me coming?” Angel asked uneasily.

“Only from the door,” Buffy smiled faintly as she turned to face him.

“You kind of took off there,” Angel said with concern in his voice.

“I’m not all that useful in the magic planning,” Buffy said with a small shrug. “Will and Tara are good at witch stuff. Giles and Wes are bright and if they don’t kill each other they should be helpful. That girl of yours and the tall black guy aren’t bad.”

“Fred’s smart,” Angel agreed. “And Gunn’s been doing this for a while.”

“Who’s the kid?” she asked easily.

“My son,” Angel said flatly.

Buffy felt the world tilt slightly at those two words. “Long story?” she asked after a moment.

“About as long as the one about Cordie and me,” Angel said meeting her eyes.

“Kind of figured that one,” Buffy said with a soft sadness. “Look, you don’t owe me any explanation.”

“Yes, I do,” Angel insisted. “All of a sudden I’m human and...and this isn’t the way it supposed to be.” Angel flopped down on the couch and put his head in his hands. “My son hates me, I just figured out I love Cordie, and I feel like a bastard for not loving you the way I used to.”

“Outside of that your life is a bowl of cherries,” Buffy said sitting next to him on the couch.

“Sounds like it’s going around,” the former vampire said truly looking at her.

“Really long story,” Buffy said. “Who goes first?”


===========================================================


Tara sat back and realized she had once again gotten into her familiar looking over Willow’s shoulder pose while the group at the table had been brainstorming. The almost audible snaps in her neck reminded her of her previous vows to never get into that position again. She looked toward the workout room. There was no danger there, but pain and regret swirled in a tangle with nostalgia and an odd calm came through her link with Buffy.

“How are they doing?” Cordelia asked softly. Tara heard the concern with the slightest hint of jealousy in the brunette’s words. The witch looked at Cordelia innocently.

“They’re talking,” Tara replied.

“No doubt,” Cordelia said pointedly.

“Ask them,” Tara said with a bit more heat.

“Sorry,” Cordelia said quickly. “It’s just that he’s been going through an emotional earthquake since your spell went wonky and made both of us human.”

“And you’re worried,” Tara said meeting her eyes. “Because you love him, even if he’s changed.”

“Yeah,” Cordelia admitted easily.

Suddenly from the other side of the door came laughter followed by a shift in Buffy’s aura that felt like an old hurt being eased. The nostalgia remained, too sweet to be real, but her calm seemed to be more pronounced. She felt a much softer echo in the aura next to hers.

“I think they’ll be all right,” Tara said gently.


===========================================================


He waited until she was done talking to Cordelia and then stalked carefully up behind the witch.

“Can I help you?” came out of no where.

Conner whirled and realized he’d made an error that could have been fatal. He’d forgotten there were other dangers and let his vision tunnel to his objective. Admittedly the dark haired man leaning casually near the sword rack didn’t look dangerous but Connor could read people like few others. This man, he thought he’d heard the name Xander, was ready for trouble but not ready to attack. Connor was sure he could take him.

“How?” the teen asked carefully balancing himself.

“I can introduce you to Tara, or you can keep going like you were and end up turned into a lizard,” Xander explained.

“She can do that?” Connor asked with a bit of worry.

“Probably,” Xander answered with a wry grin. “Hey, Tara?”

The witch turned and Connor found himself looking into blue eyes and feeling safe.


===========================================================


Tara turned at the sound of Xander’s words and saw him leading the young man who had been hanging around the edges of the store most of the afternoon. She looked into the boy’s aura by reflex and was jolted by the confusion that reigned in his being. She felt herself reaching out with a touch of reassurance before she thought. The boy’s eyes lost their hard edge.

“Are you a witch?” he asked bluntly.

“Usually we introduce ourselves first,” Xander said softly.

“Oh,” the boy said with a puzzled frown. “Sorry. There’s so many humans here I guess that makes sense. I’m Steven, or Connor if you listen to him.”

Tara felt more than saw the uncertainty being masked with a sullen bravado, but the jerk of the boy’s chin in the direction of the workout room was eloquent enough that even Xander raised his eyebrows.

“What can I do for you, Steven?” Tara asked carefully.

“Can you tell me the truth with magic?” he asked in a rush. “I mean the real truth, the whole truth, with nothing held back.”

“Yes,” Tara said evenly. “But only if you’re strong enough.”

“I need to know what’s real,” the boy said more softly. “I need to know what my name really is.”


===========================================================


“Anya, do you really have something like the Orb of Thesulah?” Willow asked as she leaned on the doorway to the office.

“More than I can ever sell,” Anya said looking up from the day’s receipts. “Not to mention the half dozen Great Orbs of Thesulah taking up space in my storeroom.”

“Great Orbs?” Willow asked.

“Oh yeah,” Anya replied with a frown. “Do you know how much valuable space half a dozen things the size of a basketball take up? Not to mention they’re absolutely useless without a-”

“Translation of the rituals of the undead,” Willow finished.

“No,” Anya said with a puzzled tone. “Who told you that? Probably some human with an axe to grind. Take it from an ex-demon, you just need a lot of power, a holy object, and a definite focus. Some ritual words do help the lights really flash but what you need most is power. Why do you want to know? Angel already has a soul and now he’s human to boot.”

“Tara wants it,” Willow said evasively.


===========================================================


“What do you want?” Buffy asked suddenly appearing beside Tara.

“W-What do you mean?” the witch asked.

“For dinner,” Buffy explained pulling out a small piece of paper and a mechanical pencil. “Please tell me genuine strip mall Mexican. That skinny chick loves tacos.”

“They’re great!” Connor said with enthusiasm. “Can you get me some?”

“Sure,” Buffy said. “What kind?”

“A couple of those Soft Taco Supremes,” the teen said quickly. “Oh! And a couple of the Chili Cheese Burritos.”

“Anything else?” Buffy asked with a small smile.

“Some nachos,” Connor replied with a genuine smile.

“Okayyy,” Buffy said turning to Tara. “And you, Miss Witch?”

“Do they have a salad?” Tara asked. “I’m kind of stalled on meat.”

“I’ll wing it,” Buffy said. “But you’re going to finish it and a carton of milk, understood?”

“Yes,” Tara agreed meekly. The Slayer turned away and Tara turned her attention back to Connor. “If you want to do this spell, you’re going to have to trust me.”

“Is it dangerous?” he asked stubbornly.

“No,” Tara said sadly. “But you’ll just be an observer. Once it starts you’ll have to see the whole truth. You won’t be able to look away.”

“I have to know,” the youngster said firmly looking at Angel across the room. “I’m ready.”


===========================================================


“Oi, Will,” Bruce said in a hoarse whisper. “My girl’s a bit worried.”


===========================================================


“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Betty said with a ripple of purple flame.

“He won’t be dangerous,” Tara replied.

“All young males his age are dangerous,” Betty said looking over Tara’s shoulder. “Usually to themselves. That’s not what worries me. You’ve been through quite a bit and you’re tired.”

“I’ll be fine,” Tara insisted.

“At least let me get Willow,” Betty insisted.

“No,” Tara said stifling a yawn. “Please. She needs a rest.”

“And you don’t?” Willow said stepping into the room.

“It’s just a truth spell,” Tara said quickly.

“Okay,” Willow said with a tight smile. “Go ahead and call up the ‘tell me true’ enchantment.”

“Um,” Tara responded. “I was thinking something a bit more, ah...”

“Involved?” Willow asked too politely. “Demanding? Draining?”

“Addison’s Invocation of Past Viewing,” Tara admitted.

“Is that a powerful spell?” Connor asked.

“It’s a very powerful spell,” Willow said looking Tara in the eyes. “It’s a lock-in spell as well. You won’t be able to look away. And it’s very, very demanding.”

“He needs to know the truth about his family,” Tara said meeting Willow’s gaze.

And that’s how he got you to agree to this hare-brained spell, Willow thought to herself. The one thing you’ll never be able to deny anyone, my love.

“All right,” Willow said. “We had better get started. Betty, could you make sure we aren’t disturbed?”

“Yes,” Betty agreed with a sigh. “I don’t suppose either of you would like to do this after a night’s sleep and a bit of yoga?”

“Sorry,” Tara said gently.

“Thought so,” Betty said shaking her head.


===========================================================


“I know it’s old fashioned,” Angel said as he pushed into the store with his hands full. “But I’ve been thinking about an inn with a small farm around it.”

“A bed and breakfast and crops and tractors place?” Buffy asked as she juggled the sacks of hot food.

“Draft horses,” Angel said firmly. “No tractors.”

Before Buffy could reply there was a shrieked “NO!” from the back room.

“That’s Connor!” Angel yelled. He dropped the food and darted for the door to the training room.

“HOLD!” Betty snapped as a sheet of flame sprang up.

Angel froze, centuries of caution stopping him for a moment. The others came running as well.

“No one goes into the gymnasium until the Truth spell is complete,” she said firmly.

“Truth spell?” Giles asked quickly. “Which one?”

“Addison’s Invocation,” Betty replied.

“That’s unbreakable,” Wes explained.

“Not if you want the subject to be sane,” Betty agreed.

“NO!” came through the door.

Angel leapt forward towards the flames. Buffy grabbed him and held him back. His backward strike glanced off her shoulder with no effect.

“You can’t help him,” Betty said with a gentle sorrow. “He must finish this journey.”

“It may be for the best,” Cordelia said taking Angel’s hand.

“But-but I’m his father,” Angel almost sobbed.

“And you want to protect him from everything,” Giles said with a quiet strength. “He’s safe, Angel. Willow and Tara won’t injure him or let him injure himself.”

Angel just looked at the flame wreathed door with an agonized gaze. The minutes swept by with a glacial slowness. Finally the door opened and the flames stopped. Willow was framed in the doorway for an instant. She stepped out and almost closed the door behind her. Angel moved forward but the red haired witch put her hand on his chest. Only then did they all see the exhaustion in the witch’s face.

“It’s over,” she sighed. “He’s physically okay.”

“Physically?” Angel demanded.

“Tara’s taking care of him right now,” Willow replied. “We need to stay here for a bit until he’s ready to move.

“Why?” Angel asked as he pushed open the door.

He stopped and stared. All of them caught a brief glimpse. Sprawled in a heap the boy was shaking with silent sobs. Tara knelt beside him, holding his head and singing softly. Willow pushed Angel and the others back gently with magic.

“Now is not a good time,” Willow said wearily. “But Angel...”

“What?”

“Connor knows who his father is.”





To Be Continued

[WillowRulez]

Cool update! Very different approach with Connor. Like that Tara and Willow made him see, I think he deserves that. He never really believed Angel after all.
Oh and WAS Buffy brighter earlier on? I am not sure. But Xander definitely was... S1 is on TV here again and I watched some eps and noticed he usually had the useful suggestions and insight. Shocking!
Can't wait for the next installment!

[Darth Pacula]

G'day, Jixer.

Well, Angel Inc are properly added to the mix now, but they aren't quite meshing, are they. Too much time and water under the bridge has passed between these two sets of people for them to feel completely comfortable together.

“Whoa!” Angel yelled leaping backwards. Then he slapped his palm to his forehead. “Sorry, just a leftover habit.”

Perhaps someone should point out to Angel that while humans aren't quite as vulnerable to fire, they still burn quite handily. So I think a measure of caution isn't uncalled for.

That little aside with Buffy was nice, if melancholy. Given her track record of car wreck relationships, combined with the likelihood of an early demise (given her calling) it's to be expected that sense of loneliness wouldn't completely fade.

“Why?” Buffy asked with a small grin. “Screaming and running around like angsty lunatics while not really communicating has worked so well in the past.”

“Good Lord, what’s next?” Giles asked. “Rational thought? Actual exchange of ideas and reasoning?”

Brilliant!

Here's hoping that knowing the truth actually helps Connor, rather than sending him off the deep end, something that he was all too prone to doing on the show. Still, with Tara to help him, maybe Connor can finally find some measure of peace.

Nice update, mate.

Cheers,
Paul.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

A brief respite of basking in Kitten feedback before the real in real life crests. All I need is two of me for the next week.

WillowRulez- There was definitely a downward trend in the characters' cognitive abilities in the last seasons. Fortunately they do buff up nicely with a clean rag a bit of elbow grease.

Connor on the other hand never really had a chance. Fortunately with Willow and Tara there's so much more that can be done with him. Wonder why other writers who got paid never thought of that?

Darth Pacula- It's odd that when writing the reworked canon stuff Kitten writers seem to do repairs on the fly for the other BtVS characters as well. Buffy's loneliness and Angel's readjustments to the living world feel right to me for the story. Connor's history just seemed to resonate with Tara and fortunately we have Pens to see what might have been, not just with the truth, but with someone who how much truth could hurt and yet make you free.


Thanks to everyone for their time with my story and especially those who left their words. Feedback is addictive!

Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Fifteen






Willow sat with her knees hunched up, her arm around them as the person next to her had done. She felt the warm weight of them leaning gently into her. Willow also felt the beginning of a very numb rump from sitting for so long. Across from her she saw Tara reach out again and take Connor’s hands in her own.

“He lied to me,” the teen said softly.

Willow felt more than heard the rawness that had been there the first dozen times he had screamed those words was still there, but the hurt was fading into a bearable if still throbbing ache in the boy’s heart.

“And your father lied to you,” Connor said looking into Tara’s eyes.

“Yes,” Tara said gently.

At least they’ve both stopped crying, Willow thought thankfully.


“Do they all lie?” Connor asked tightly. “I mean all fathers?”

“No,” Tara said with a sad smile.

“Can you show me his father?” Connor asked quickly. “I mean Angel’s father.”

“I could,” Tara said thoughtfully. “But I’m not sure you’d understand the context of his time.”

“You could ask Angel about him,” Willow suggested. “But you’d have to trust him.”

Connor was still and silent for what seemed like hours. Then without letting go of Tara’s hand he nodded.

“I will.”


===========================================================


“Giles, what do you think Will’s frame of mind is right now?” Buffy asked as she gathered her things for patrol.

“Why do you ask?” Giles asked as he gripped his teacup.

“Damn,” Buffy smiled weakly. “You are tired. Single syllable answers and everything. Let’s get you to bed.”

“What about your question?” Giles asked stretching as he stood up from the kitchen table.

“I think I’m going to be up for a while,” Buffy replied. “I’ll work on it.”


===========================================================


“You need to get some sleep,” Cordelia mumbled as Angel pulled the covers up over her.

“In a bit,” Angel replied as Cordelia’s eyes closed. Then he sat down in the nondescript hotel room chair and tried to collect his scattered thoughts in the dim light.

Another adjustment, he thought. It’s a lot darker at night with human eyes.

The rest of thoughts were far more difficult to control. They kept coming back to Connor and the image of his son crying in the arms of a woman Angel had barely met.

A witch, he remembered worriedly. Is she dangerous? Yes, she has magic-

The knock on the door seemed loud in the stillness of the hotel room. Angel glanced at Cordelia but the young woman slept deeply. Too deeply flashed across Angel’s mind. He almost shook away the thought but he was almost sure something magical was going on. He opened the door before he realized he had nothing but his human self to protect Cordelia.

“We look that bad?” Willow asked tiredly.

“No,” Angel said quickly, feeling suddenly sheepish. He held up a finger to his lips.

“She’s in a quiet bubble,” Willow explained. “Just don’t turn on a light.”

“Is Connor all right?” Angel asked in a rush.

“As all right as he can get for now,” Willow sighed. “Angel, he has a question, and it’s very important to him.”

“What is it?” Angel asked.

“He wants to know about your father,” Willow replied.

“God, no...not that,” Angel said turning pale. “I can’t.”

“Bad?” Willow asked with a wince.

“I was Angelus,” Angel rasped.

“How about before?” Willow asked.

“Before that I was just a wastrel and a rake.”

“We’re not talking about you,” Willow said carefully. “We’re talking about your father and your son. A son who doesn’t have much faith in any father right now.”

“Okay,” Angel said reluctantly. “I get it. I just thought I was going to have more time, and get to practice with things like the infield fly rule and the whole birds and bees talk.”

“He’ll probably need that too,” Willow said with a small smile.


===========================================================


Buffy Summers moved down the sidewalk with an easy gait that was not quite a run. She felt the night around her and on the edge of her eldritch senses in the darkness was a cold, hard presence that made her bare her teeth happily. She was turning toward the feeling when she caught an all too human sound. Voices. And though she could not yet hear the words with her sensitive ears she could tell there was pain in one of the voices with her heart. In a few dozen steps she could tell it was Angel and the younger subdued voice was Connor. She was closer when she could tell without knowing how that they were alone but being watched. Buffy slowed down.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Hey,” Willow replied with a distracted frown.

“Magic?” Buffy asked.

“Giving them some space and privacy but I’m picking up something bad,” Willow explained.

Buffy drew nearer and saw Tara sitting on the pavement, her head on her legs.

“You need to get her home,” Buffy said gently smiling. “You can’t save the world on four hours of sleep.”

“This is kind of important,” Willow said with an apologetic tone.

“Okay,” Buffy said nodding. “But after this you get some sleep. Both of you. And..and Will, I need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” Willow said. “Can it wait?”

“It’s been waiting,” Buffy sighed. “But yeah. Oh, can you boost the silent spell? I get the feeling this is some olden moldy.”

“Oh great,” Willow shook her head. “All ‘I am the great and ancient hunter of the night with this compulsion to spout off about how great and dangerous I am’. You’d think they’d try some new material once in a while.”

“Maybe this one has been through sensitivity training,” Buffy said turning back towards the way she’d come.

“I am Tarsallus!” a hooded figure sneered. “Look upon me Slayer and see your death!” With those words he flung back his hood and showed a face that was almost bear-like.

“Nope,” Buffy shrugged.

“You want me to fry him?” Willow asked.

“You’re doing to much,” Buffy said kindly. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“No trouble,” Willow assured her. “Unless you need that whole catharsis thing.”

“Stand aside and let me have the shell of Angelus!” the old vampire snarled when he was twenty paces from them. “I have travelled across the globe for this!”

“He’s having some important family time,” Buffy replied as her hand became a blur. The vampire looked stunned. He looked down at the stake protruding from his chest. Then he fell apart into a dusty column that spread out in the gentle breeze.

“Wow!” Willow gasped.

“I think the whole catharsis thing might be part of my problem,” Buffy said as she retrieved her stake. “You know, hiding something underneath the activity, not dealing with the underlaying issues.”

“And that was really neat!” Willow teased.

“I do take pride in my work,” Buffy agreed.

“How long have you been able to do that?” Willow asked.

“About a month,” Buffy answered. “I finally got a perfectly balanced stake.”

“Didn’t Giles always said throwing your stake was a circus move?” Willow asked with a frown.

“It took care of that clown,” Buffy shrugged. “Up until now I’ve been hip deep in vamps. Just my luck I get my spiff new move down right before they dry up and blow away locally.”

“Sorry to interfere with your idiom,” Tara said sleepily.

“It happens,” Buffy said with a sad smile. “Oh...”

Both witches looked towards the two figures on the bench. Angel was leaned forward, his face buried in his hands. Unsurely Connor was reaching out. The boy stopped twice, but on the third time he touched his father’s shoulder gently and held on as he looked at Angel with a mixture of uncertainty and worry.

Willow turned back to look at Buffy. She saw the Slayer nod and smile as Buffy brushed away a tear.


===========================================================


Buffy let herself in by the back door at the house on Revello Drive. She smiled at the sight of Willow nodding over a cup of tea. The redhead looked up when Buffy locked the door.

“Hey,” Willow yawned.

“They got back fine,” Buffy said fighting her own yawn. “Peppermint tea isn’t the best thing to keep you awake way past your bedtime.”

“It’s good for acid tummys,” Willow explained.

“Your question’s got you in knots,” Buffy said sitting next to her friend.

“Yeah,” Willow said sleepily. “Tara wanted me to ask you to help us.”

“Me?” Buffy asked.

“Yeah,” Willow said as she yawned. “You know her best of all of us.

“Who?” Buffy asked knowing they were going to ask about Faith.

“Drusilla,” Willow replied. “Tara needs to give her back her soul.”

For a long moment Buffy was still then she shook her head. “I only know her as an enemy,” the Slayer said unhappily. “I know somebody who knows her much better.”

“Angel,” Willow said with a frown. “I’d forgotten.”

“But he’s so vulnerable right now,” Buffy said with a worried tone.

“Let’s wait until morning,” Willow said. “It’s been a long day.”


===========================================================


Morning took on a sombre tone as Giles shuffled into the kitchen. As he watched the hot water come to a boil his thoughts careened lazily.

What do I do now? Why didn’t I pack a bag? Can I get a decent teapot online? Why does the sun have to be so bright? Will those lawyers come after us with wraiths or with writs? I hope it’s wraiths. How did the fiends of Hell get into the business of making couches?

Giles lifted his arm to the accompaniment of a percussive concerto as his bones protested the movement.

“Bad couch night?” Dawn asked.

“Yes,” Giles replied. “Isn’t today a school day?”

“Nope,” Dawn grinned. “Now it’s ‘possible environmental terrorism’ because of the mercury.”

“This is going to take a while,” Giles sighed.

“Brewing tea?”

“No,” Giles replied. “Well, that too. There’s been so much change.”

“For the better,” Dawn said brightly.

“Mostly,” Giles agreed.

“Willow’s back,” Dawn said holding up her spoon. “Even better Willow and Tara are back together. Buffy’s in a better mood even if she’s still bossy. Angel’s human. Cordelia’s human, or at least as human as she ever was. Anya’s human and pissed off at Xander but she’s at least yelling at him. Xander’s actually acting like a man. Wes isn’t a prudish jerk anymore. And you’re here!”

“I’m glad I’m on your list,” Giles said with an honest smile.

“What list?” Buffy grumbled as she shuffled into the kitchen.

“Giles is on my list of things that are better around here now,” Dawn explained with a perky tone.

“Agreed,” Buffy grumbled. “Hmm. Bright smile, early morning. Must be another Sunnydale school cancellation. Tell me we’re not out of coffee.”

“We have some of Willow’s super secret stash,” Dawn said evilly.

“I want caffeine, not heartburn,” Buffy groused. Even as she complained she touched Giles gently on the back and smiled at him. “Are you doing okay?”

“You’re couch is trying to induce bad posture,” Giles said with a wry smile.

“We’ll have it killed later,” Buffy promised. “Preferably with fire. You’ll get to throw out the first match.”

“I look forward to the day.”

“What day?” Tara mumbled as she scuffed into the kitchen blinking against the brightness.

“Couch Burning Day,” Buffy replied.

“My neck and it’s memories of the chesterfield of doom thanks you,” Tara said. “Where’s the coffee?”

“Coming up,” Buffy replied. “I think there’s enough left for reasonable coffee drinkers.”

“That doesn’t smell like my coffee,” Willow said with a scowl from the doorway a moment later.

“That’s because we don’t need to study for six hours straight,” Tara yawned. “How about some toast, love?”

With that suggestion two slices of bread floated out of the package towards the toaster. The kitchen grew silent.

“H-H-Hold,” Tara stammered as color drained from her face. The bread fell onto the counter.

“Tara,” Giles said softly after a moment. “You didn’t use a spell, did you?”

“N-N-N-” Tara stuttered.

“It’s okay, baby,” Willow said embracing Tara. “It’s okay.”

“Spontaneous magical manifestation,” Giles said thoughtfully. “Rare, but not unheard of in areas with high magical fields.”

“I thought the magic had been mostly sucked down the Hellmouth,” Buffy said looking at the bread with a frown.

“The foci, products, and users of various spells were removed from this plane,” Giles explained. “But the magic can’t be removed from one area as the air could not be removed. It may be displaced but it will come back very quickly. Of course, it should be fairly evenly distributed.”

“Wrong element,” Willow said suddenly. “Not air, Giles. Water.”

“Why water?” the older man asked curiously.

“Waves,” Willow said quickly. “Imagine ripples from a stone, only this one was a boulder, and it went into the pond with other rocks.”

“Multiple foci for the variations in the magic fields,” Giles nodded.

“H-How big will the waves get?” Tara asked quickly.

“How far away did the vampires disappear?” Buffy asked Giles.

“The first reports indicate a thousand miles,” Giles said quietly. “But reports of weakened vampires are coming in from around the world.”

“Those are big waves,” Dawn said softly.


===========================================================


Lilah Morgan looked at the clock on her mantle piece and then the phone on her table. The pile of papers in front of her kept showing the same numbers no matter how she arranged them. Her mother’s care would run out in a year.

“Pardon me,” said a cultured feminine voice. “May we have a word with you, Miss Morgan?”

“Which side are you on?” Lilah asked flatly.

“We’re salamanders,” Betty said materializing in front of Lilah.

“We’re?” Lilah said looking quickly around.

“Yes,” Betty said politely. “My associate is reporting to a senior member of our group. As I said, we’re salamanders, so you may infer what you will about our motives.”

“On all three sides at once?” the lawyer guessed aloud.

“It’s interesting that you should use that number, Miss Morgan,” Betty said as coldly as a salamander could. “Your company’s interest in Miss Maclay happens to run counter to ours.”

“I’ll tell the auditors they send to sack me that,” Lilah promised.

“Ah yes, auditors,” Betty nodded. “I’m afraid we’ve already dispatched one. I believe a representative from the New York office is looking for you in something of a panic since he was with the aforementioned deceased auditor.”

“It’s not good to lose your auditor,” Lilah said with a grim smile.

“No,” Betty smiled. “Nor is it good to meddle in certain affairs.”

“Such as mine,” a lyrical tenor voice said.

Lilah turned around and saw a young almost human-looking man with red cat’s eyes and bright red hair.

“Who and what are you?” Lilah asked in a nonplussed tone. “And why is it so bad to mess with your affairs?”

“Because after a brief hint of a thousand degrees you are crunchy and good with ketchup,” the young man smiled with the merest hint of flame.

“A dragon with a sense of humor,” Lilah smiled. “Great. Just great.”

“Jaded a bit, aren’t you?” the dragon said in a kindly tone.

“It’s been a bad week,” Lilah replied.

“I understand,” the dragon nodded. “I am...let’s say Reginald, and I think my agents are correct in their assessment. You’ll do nicely.”

“And why am going to cooperate?” Lilah asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Mutual benefit,” Reginald smiled with too many teeth. “I need a mouthpiece, and you want to live past your employers.”

“And my fee?” Lilah asked meeting the dragon’s eyes.

The dragon laughed merrily with only the barest slip in his human guise. He smiled genuinely this time. “Commensurate with the risks, Miss Morgan, commensurate with the risks.”


===========================================================


“How do you choose?” Connor asked looking at the display.

“Well, for me, the cruller with chocolate is a favorite,” Angel replied. “But since we’re bringing donuts for everyone I’d choose a mix, heavily weighted towards chocolate.”

“Heavily weighted is right,” Cordelia said. “You’ve got a human metabolism now, Angel.”

“What does that mean?” Connor asked quickly.

“It means the more senior of our group needs to start watching the sugar and starch intake,” Cordelia explained with a pointed look at Angel.

“But not the youngest, right?” Connor asked with a grin.

“Not for now,” Cordelia sighed enviously.

“Great!” Connor said as he grabbed three pastries including a chocolate iced cruller from the display. “This is so going to beat lizard for breakfast!”

“Put it in the bag!” Cordelia demanded. “And you at least have to have some milk with that!”

“Sure!” Connor said brightly. “A quart or a gallon?”


===========================================================


“Just why are we getting a hundred paper cups?” Buffy said as she and Willow left another store that morning.

“They’re part of my experiment to measure what’s happening with Tara’s power,” Willow explained.

“You’re worried about her,” Buffy said gently.

“Kind of shows, huh?” Willow admitted.

“Will, when did you know you could love Tara?” Buffy asked in a rush.

“I don’t know,” Willow said with a soft frown. “I knew I really loved her on the worst day of my life. I hope Glory burns forever.”

“Agreed,” Buffy nodded. “But was there some eureka moment when you said ‘hey, girls!’ and knew what you wanted?”

“No,” Willow said thoughtfully. “But it sounds like you might have had one.”

“I don’t know Will,” Buffy said softly. “I still get a wriggly when I see some hot guy, but now I was just looking at the brunette ahead of us and wondering if she was, well...nice. Somebody who’d understand me. Somebody who’d be there for me.”

“And you want to know...”

“Am I gay, or bi, or whatever?”

“I don’t know if any labels fit you, Buffy,” Willow said seriously. “And I don’t think labels are important for a Slayer. “

“Because it’s really a short term job description,” Buffy said flatly.

“Yes,” Willow agreed honestly. “But only partly. You’re always living on the edge and it’s scary to let yourself love somebody. Maybe now you’re thinking you might be able to love and you also just figured out you might be able to love, you know, anybody, and it’s love that’s the important word there. That’s such a big word and there’s a lot of different kinds of love without genders even coming into it. I’m not really an expert; I only know two kinds.”

“Yeah,” Buffy said in a teasing voice. “I know exactly what you are. You’re a friend and you’re definitely a Tarasexual.”

“Damn right!” Willow grinned.


===========================================================


The training room at the Magic Box was now full of people milling around two tables. The mostly empty box of donuts and the various paper coffee and tea containers were moved as Dawn and Connor arranged small paper cups of water around the edges of both tables. Willow followed and measured the distance between the cups. Then the redhead looked at Giles who read the office thermometer.

“Seventy degrees,” Giles said.

“All right,” Willow said turning to the assembled groups. “What we’re going to be doing is observing the reaction of the water to Tara and the light, if any, that the quartz in her hand gives out. Everybody have their watches and pads?”

“And this tells us how wonky the magic is?” Gunn asked peering at the water on his side of the table.

“The magic in the region is reflecting in it’s primary source manipulator,” Wes replied. “Therefore Miss Maclay should be able to influence the temperature of the water causing ice or the emanation of light in the visible spectrum from the quartz. Hopefully the results will be able to show a predictable pattern of power fluctuations. The rest of you will be looking for secondary manifestations of magic.”

“I’m a wonky magic measuring witch,” Tara said with a forced lightness. “Trying to figure out what the frilly heck happened and what’s going to happen.”

“I’m glad we have a translator,” Gunn said with a smile for Tara.

“I understood it,” Willow said primly. “Okay Tara, just like we discussed.”

Tara nodded and began to walk slowly around the table with her left hand over the cups of water while thinking of the coldest day she could remember. In her other hand a quartz crystal Willow had tuned to Tara was held about waist high. Willow stood by, waiting with a reserve of magic just in case the experiment went wrong in some unforeseen way. Behind her Giles followed with a light meter and Wes with a digital thermometer linked to Willow’s laptop and a caliper. Willow had decided that they would be more impartial observers. Buffy had grinned at that announcement in a way that made Willow blush just slightly.

Now Willow was watching Tara on several planes at once, her laptop in front of her ready for the data. Tara’s hand was bringing a chill to the water according to the readings. Suddenly the thermometer was blank and she saw Wes measuring two marks on the side of the cup. The next cup had more ice and the crystal was beginning to glow...


===========================================================


The full board of the the New York branch of Wolfram and Hart leaned against the elegant oak table or stood stretching near it as the last of the wait staff removed yet another take out meal. The door closed behind them as the senior wizard gestured. There was an unearthly snap to the lock. He turned back to his colleagues but before any of them could speak his eldritch senses snapped with danger.

“Thank you,” a booming tenor voice said as a flame haired young male who looked almost human entered through the glass. On either side the wizard saw flaming spheres on the dragon’s flanks. The young woman striding in front of them was the Lilah Morgan. He recognized her from the files in front of him.

“Miss Morgan,” he said carefully. “Lord dragon, salamanders.”

The other members pulled back slightly as the dragon lost a good deal of fine detail in the human guise.

“Hi ho!” the dragon boomed.

“Charmed,” one sphere said in a neutral feminine voice.

“G’day, you poxy bastards,” the other chimed in a thick Australian accent.

“Why are you here?” one of the lawyers managed to get out in a reasonably level tone.

“To discuss a matter you’ve blundered into, old boy,” the dragon replied easily.

The wizard looked at the sphere of fire with the antipodean accent. There was a rumor he’d heard about calling a salamander. Something about an old Monty Python skit about philosophy...


===========================================================


There was a loud snap as one of the paper cups froze solid. The crystal in Tara’s hand became incredibly bright as Tara seemed to stumble, blinded by the light...


===========================================================


“Good day to you too, BRUCE!” roared the wizard “I command thee to-”

A bright light roared from the sphere and smashed into the wizard sending him backward in a clumsy roll. All the humans flinched and turned away from the sudden brightness but only Lilah turned in such a way as to see the brief astonished look on Reginald’s face.

Not the dragon’s doing then, she thought quickly So who’s calling the shots?

“You thought our senior partner would leave us unshielded?” the female salamander asked drolly. “He’s a dragon. Do try to remember that.”

“Going to have to boost that spell,” Reginald said with a frown. “You’re not incinerated.”

“My apologies, noble sir,” the wizard groaned from the floor.

“Yes, quite.”


===========================================================


“Where did the magic go?” Willow asked as Tara moved her hand over the next cup and only made a skein of ice.

“The protective spell on the salamanders,” Tara said uncertainly. “I think.”

“Wow,” Willow muttered as the next cup was above room temperature, the one after that half frozen.


===========================================================


“Now, down to business,” Lilah said brusquely.

“Lawyers,” the dragon muttered.

“She is billing by the hour, your grace,” the female sphere pointed out.

“Very well,” the dragon sighed. “My name, for these purposes, is Reginald. I’d accept Reggie, old boy, or Sir R2R but only if it’s in a good rap.”

“Thank you, Reginald,” the senior lawyer said carefully.

“No prob,” Reggie said with a wave of a red hand. “Three things. One, you’ve screwed up my chance at a seer of great power with your stupid plots and upset a little game I was winning out California way. You’re going to stay off that coast until the game is over. Two, since now I’m down to half a dozen pieces on the board y’all are going to lay off my gray queen, the witch Tara Maclay and her pets. Last, I’m going to need a connection to you bozos so I’m elevating Lilah Morgan to sub-pawn level for the next couple of...centuries?”

“Decades, sir,” the male salamander replied softly.

“Right, right!” the dragon nodded. “Decades. It’s a short game. In that time your only connection to me will be through her. You break my sub-pawn, I and the other players stop and deal with the interference delay. Capiche?”

“Yes,” the gray-haired lawyer said politely. “But Miss Morgan is still under contract-”

“I’m buying it out,” Reginald said flatly. “Get it. Now.”

“It could take some time-”

“Shall I send my junior associates to look for it?” the dragon asked with a grin as the salamanders gave off sparks. “They get so warm when they’re curious.”

“BringmetheMorganfileNOW!” the senior lawyer barked into the intercom.

A moment later a harried looking young man entered the room with an old fashioned buff folder. The lawyer handed it to Lilah. She handed it to Reginald. The dragon flipped out a long ruby claw from his hand. The folder smoked when the claw opened it. The papers flew out and hovered in front of the dragon. He nodded after a moment.

“Very thorough,” he said. “Colleagues, this one and all other copies.”

“Ah, just a moment,” the older lawyer said quickly as the salamanders became white hot. “I’d like to call Records.”

“Please hurry,” Reginald said petulantly as the man muttered into the intercom. “My school of tiger sharks need guidance against his zombie surfers and who knows what she’s doing with her movie studio ‘technical advisers’.”

A minute later the same young man arrived now looking out of breath with another file like the first. The dragon smiled as he opened the second file and the papers took their place next to the others. “Is that all of them?”

“Yes, Reginald,” the lawyer nodded.

“Would you please?” the dragon said gesturing at the papers.

The salamanders flared and the papers screamed as they turned into ash. The lawyers all leaned back and tried not to be obvious as they wiped away their sweat.

‘Well,” Reginald said brightly. “Miss Morgan is mine, stay off the left coast, keep your mitts off my game-piece Tara Maclay and her entourage...I think that’s everything.”

“And our payment?”

“And what about our junior member who was with the late wizard?” another lawyer asked.

“Oh, bother,” Reginald sighed. “I’ll be forgetting the names of my Hellhounds next. Fetch him, would you Bruce?”

“Yes sir!”

There was a tiny thunderclap in the room. A second later the young lawyer appeared in front of the group with his suit faintly singed and the bar glass in his hand burning with a low blue flame. He managed to squeak softly.

“Miss Morgan’s weight in gold, I think should be recompense enough,” Reginald said rubbing his hands together. He gestured and a hollow, life-sized figure of the woman in burnished gold appeared.

“Acceptable,” the senior man said. The rest of the group nodded at his wisdom.

“Cheerio then,” Reginald said and snapped his fingers.


===========================================================


Willow looked at the data as Tara sat down. Everyone finished writing and looked at Willow.

“Okay, let’s start with this side of the room,” she said. “Fred?”

“At three minutes and six seconds I saw a bat,” she said. “It looked like a fox and had some kind of fruit in it’s paws. It disappeared at three minutes fifteen seconds.”

“Fruit bat with fruit,” Willow said typing it into her computer. “Gunn?”

“I heard classical music and saw a teen-aged asian looking girl playing a violin in what looked like a recording booth,” he said. “That was at two minutes even. Lasted about five seconds.”

“Mozart I think,” Tara said.

“Concerto Number two in D,” Wes sighed. “Virginia loved it. I should know the artist.”

“We’ll look it up later,” Willow said politely. “Dawn?”

“The blue butterflies at two minutes and thirty seconds,” the girl replied. “They were pretty.”

“Blue Mountain Swallowtail,” Angel said with a sigh. “I saw them in Australia in the twenties.”

“Nineteen or eighteen?” Xander asked sweetly.

“Nineteen,” Angel said with a glare. “I lost a bet and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“What kind of bet?” Connor asked eagerly.

“What part of ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ do I have to explain to you?” Angel snapped.

“You brought it up,” Connor insisted.

“The teen years,” Buffy said wistfully looking at Dawn. “Fun for nobody.”

“Can we get back to the experiment?” Willow said in a no nonsense tone.

“Yeah,” Angel said quickly. “What she said.”

“Connor?” Willow asked.

“What?” the young man said, then he looked away from Dawn and down at his pad. “Oh, right. There was this animal that looked like a Parvod Demon only it had two horns and four legs. It was huge! I mean food for a week big!”

“Food for a week?” Cordelia asked. “Must have been a rhino or an elephant.”

“It looked like this,” Connor said. “Oh! The air had a dry scent.”

“Wow,” Dawn said with a smile. “That’s a great drawing of a rhinoceros.”

“May I see?” Tara asked. Connor looked down and handed it to her shyly. Tara nodded. “That’s very good considering you only saw it for..?”

“Three heartbeats,” Connor replied smiling at her praise.

“Three seconds give or take,” Buffy said listening for a second.

“Okay,” Willow said entering the data. “Cordelia?”

“A Gucci bag on a deck chair at four minutes even for maybe four seconds,” Cordelia said looking at her notes. “It was blue and from a couple of seasons ago. The deck chair had some lettering on it.” She showed it to Angel.

“Unterwalden,” he said.

“That’s a steamer on Lake Lucerne in Switzerland,” Giles said looking up.

“Switzerland,” Willow said with a small frown. “Angel?”

“Dodger Stadium, bleacher seats,” Angel shrugged.

“You can go to day games now!” Gunn said with a smile.

“Yeah!” Angel said brightly.

“Wear sunscreen,” Willow said before looking at Xander.

“Woods,” Xander said apologetically. “Huge old ones, but not Redwoods. At, um, about one minute thirty for just a couple of seconds.”

“Anya?” Willow asked.

“Ocean,” Anya said. “At three minutes forty seconds, for just a couple of seconds. It was night.”

“Hmmm,” the redhead frowned. “Buffy?”

“I’m not sure,” Buffy said evasively.

“Just try,” Willow said gently.

“Okay,” Buffy agreed reluctantly. “It was kind of hazy but I saw demons and things from about the time we started this. They faded out and then got a bit clearer about the times everyone else saw stuff.”

“Oh,” Willow said with a tone that all the Scoobies knew meant something unhappy had just flashed into Willow’s ever-churning mind.

“Honey?” Tara asked softly.

“I need more data,” Willow said quickly. “I don’t want to throw out a hypothesis without more data.”

“More data?” Cordelia asked pointedly.

“I need to talk to Betty and Bruce,” Willow said.

“Well that sounds like a cue,” Betty said appearing in the group. “I was coming with good news including one of my best dramatic reviews ever.”

“Save it,” Buffy said looking at Willow. “I’ve got a hunch we’re going to need it.”

“This is the data I got from an experiment trying to track the high and low points of Tara’s power from outside influences,” Willow said turning around the laptop.

“Oh look, love,” Bruce said appearing behind his mate. “Somebody else uses different colored fonts too.”

“Yes, dear,” Betty said distractedly. “Most interesting. Your hypothesis?”

“You’re elemental creatures,” Willow said with a forced calm. “Could you please observe the dimensional interface before I influence your observations?”

“Tall order,” Bruce said with a frown. “How would we do that, love?”

“I’ll stay here and you visit as many dimensions as you can in one minute,” Betty said. “I’ll watch from here as a reference point.”

“Sure,” Bruce said stretching his body. “Oh, is this why the old wizard went ass over teakettle?”

“I think so,” Tara replied. “It’s been kind of scary.”

“Right,” Bruce said with a bright grin. “We’ll get your answers. Back in a minute.”

The minute took a long time as it passed in silence. Then Bruce popped back into their dimension with a few sparks. He was visibly panting. “Kind of choppy in some unexpected spots,” he said tiredly. Betty turned to Willow and took a breath.

“Has Tara exhibited any spontaneous displays of magic power without using a spell today?” she asked gravely.

“That’s what started all this,” Willow replied.

“I should have thought of this,” Betty sighed. “I apologize.”

“You got your lover back,” Tara said gently. “That kind of makes you forgetful.”

“Yes,” Betty nodded. “Very well, Miss Rosenberg, let me report.”

“Please do,” Willow said pulling around her laptop.

“In the time Bruce moved between dimensions I observed no less than ten unstable interface waves. While one could be followed, the next had little or no obvious relationship to the interval or power of the next except that when they came together they amplified each others power at the point of intersection near their only common reference, Earth.

“Like ripples?” Xander asked.

“Like a ripple pattern in a pond in a hailstorm,” Betty explained. “Only much more dynamic where the ripples touch.”

“And the ripples are coming here?” Tara asked tightly.

“Yeah,” Willow said flatly. “The observations we saw are linked to where on Earth the local magic waves comes from.”

“Buffy’s weren’t of the Earth,” Giles said thoughtfully. “She’s the one of us besides you two and the salamanders most tied to magic because she’s a Slayer.”

“Which made me look in a new place,” Willow added. “For the not local waves.”

“The Hellmouth was a gateway to many dimensions,” Giles said with a frown. “So it’s ripples come from outside our dimension. Should have thought of that.”

“And they’re totally random?” Tara asked in a small voice. “There’s no way to tell if they’re going to get worse?”

Willow took Tara in her arms and hugged her.

“None,” Betty replied softly.




To Be Continued

[WillowRulez]

Dibs! Brb to to give fb
Ohboy... this is getting more and more intense. Am not sure what to make of the bit with the dragon yet. I really think Angel and Connor should talk.
What else can I say? Awesome update

[Darth Pacula]

G'day, Jixer.

Well, it looks like Connor and Angel have broken some ground on the whole reconciliation front, which is a good thing. Otherwise there might be more patricide attempts, and I imagine Angel's a fair sight easier to kill now.

about the 'Chesterfield of Doom'. It doesn't seem like anyone is going to miss it. Since that's where Buffy found her Mom dead, I'm surprised they didn't get rid of it earlier, what with bad associations and whatnot.

Spontaneous magical manifestation huh? That can't be good, especially since it sounds like what happened to Willow when Amy dosed her.

The mention of three sides is interesting, albeit worrying when it comes to the salamanders. I'm guessing you've got Good, Evil and Neutral, and if the salamanders and their dragon superior are Neutral as I suspect, it casts doubts on their reliability.

“Because after a brief hint of a thousand degrees you are crunchy and good with ketchup,” the young man smiled with the merest hint of flame.

I love that line!

“G’day, you poxy bastards,” the other chimed in a thick Australian accent.

That sounds like something I would say!

So Reggie's pulled off something that Wes never could, and secured Lilah's freedom from Wolfram & Hart? Good for her!

Hey! What's losing a bet got to do with going to Australia? Unless you're talking when we were still a penal colony, which is definitely not in the 1920's.

No idea what to make of the ripples though. Can't be good though.

Cheers,
Paul.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-


Real life is calling and due to the fact that those colored pieces of paper seem to be unduly necessary I fear I must go to work. But first I stop to breathe in deeply Kitten feedback.

WillowRulez- It's yellow jersey time! Reggie will be back shortly and things (hopefully) will be clarified. Angel and Connor have begun to talk, and about important things like donuts. More may come because there's still that infield fly rule discussion to be had.

Darth Pacula- Just figured the davenport of despair (Warren Zevon flashback) had reached the breaking point.

The thing to remember about salamanders is their reputation as tricky beings to deal with. Dragons on the other hand come with a veritable mythology mostly centered around their ability to smash things flat and then melt the scrap. Wes was unable to free Lilah, but then he didn't have two salamanders nor a personal flame that could vaporize iron.

As for bets there was an age when usually young men would make silly wagers and then have to follow up on them or it wouldn't be cricket. So off they went on their adventures wearing evening dress in the bush or something equally silly.

The ripples though and their power interacting with Tara are worrisome. Sudden power spikes and magic can be a bad thing. Lighting a candle for instance could become very hazardous. We'll just have to see how those things work out.


Thanks for everyone who stopped by for the story,

Jixer

[AntigoneUnbound]

Ah, Messr. le Jixer... I'm so sorry to have been so remiss for so long, and could I use the word "so" a few more times within any given sentence? I don't think...so.

As ever, you weave such intricate plots, pulling in a multitude of characters from both canon and your own creative mind. I took lots of notes as I read all the updates. I know I won't be able to capture/comment on every singe thing that struck me (OW!) but I do hope to convey a sense of my appreciation for this story.

Right after the epic battle, when the Hellmouth had closed and just about 57,523 different wild things had occurred, there were so many wonderful scenes of twosomes. And I think, Why not threesomes? No, wait, that's not what I thought. What I noticed was that in just about every one of these duets, one person asked the other: Are you OK? Again and again the refrain came, and it made me realize how much easier it is for this group to inquire about others' well-being than to speak about their own. I don't know if you were doing that consciously, but it was really well done.

Oh, I loved the image, on that night, of Willow knowing that she would be unable to sleep--because there was too much to feel. That was just beautiful, and captured the incredible "I'm alive--I'm really alive" element of it all.

Tara's dreams and her brushes with all that power--so evocative, Jixer. Willow is no saint, nor is she immune to temptation. It's fascinating to see glimpses into her "darker" (by which I mean, more selfish and small-minded) side...'cuz heaven knows we all have one.

OK, I was a little confused, I admit, by Buffy at the tower. Did she let herself fall? Or was this in her imagination? Or was I stoned? (Always a possibility.)

I was fascinated by Ira's role in all of this. In him, you capture so well that elusive bigotry of the ostensibly enlightened person. I have feelings about ten miles deep about classism, and certainly the assumptions made about rural denizens, so I loved that whole exchange. God, Willow's truth spell that had him speaking such awful, sneering things behind his veneer of appropriate terminology. I'm not sure how much he even realized the depth of his own bigotry. Excellent work.

As always, I love how you show the Scoobies. Dawn's suggestion that highlighting the "Did It For Love" element might get them on Oprah just cracked me up. Oh, and how much do I love Anya? Her response to Giles' "Did he say anything?" was just classic. She gives the entire litany, verbatim, ending with the most gratifying part: "Not my face! Not my face!" And her observation that SoCal was a "good butt" region just delighted me. Oh, there are just all sorts of touches that I adored, including Betty whispering conspiratorially to Willow, geek to geek. Heh...Oh, but her plan to control the world's breakfast cereal--dammit, Betty, you brilliant, evil soul!

And to continue the love-fest: I was thrilled to the very depths of my soul to see that the element which bound them all together, which served to unite them in such a powerful spell was...coffee. Yes! It should be! Coffee should be the substance that binds all of us together! Let's all go have some now!

I have to give props for Tara for busting out the alpha girl, barking orders because that's what needed to happen and she trusted her power to do it. She is so hot when she's commanding...

The Magic Box scene, and its fall-out, were just extremely well done. I love that all the actors were present on stage at the same time. That rarely happens, actually, and it's fascinating to watch it unfold. Things have changed, haven't they? People are capable of changing; we have to be, or we die.

Jixer, I know I only touched on parts of this but I hope it's clear how much I'm enjoying catching up on all of this. I can't wait to see where it goes from here.

Mary

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

Sorry that was so long Kittens. I'm afraid I've had to give up entirely on the notion that Real Life will ever play fair. On the good side, no one burst into flames. Always a positive thing. So in that optimistic frame of mind I finally get around to responding to-

AntigoneUnbound- Welcome back. Mary! I hope real life is treating with the kindness due a Kitten. The whole after the Hellmouth fire sale actually came together when I discarded the cardboard cutouts that had replaced the characters in Season 6. In asking about each other they were were showing what mattered most to them. They might be bruised, bewildered and shaken but they are still the odd collection of strangers that have against all odds become family.

Willow's reactions to being alive are drawn from a few too many close brushes with sudden mortality. Tara's reactions were too disturbingly easy to imagine for there is more temptation in the world than we realize.

Buffy didn't exactly fall. It was more my salute to the wonderful way the first season Buffy met Angel in the perfect handstand to a light leap. I just think that someone so kinesthetically gifted would find joy expressing their gift in many ways. Sorry, you were not stoned.

Ira here is a depressingly common image. I too have found people of every political stripe dismissive about the 'yokels'. My reaction is usually something along the lines of "Okay, before you put the non-fat milk in your skinny mocha go out and get up at four in the morning and deal with fifty head of Holsteins so you can have that blue milk."

Have I said how much I love writing the Scoobies? They are wonderful writer's foils. What sort of idiot would break such tools?

Coffee was a given as I live in Oregon. If you are not a barista one will be provided for you.

And now I must end this and get the update posted.

Thank you all for your patience!


Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Sixteen





Buffy looked around the room. Willow and Tara were clinging together and looking so frightened it made her heart ache. Wes and Giles looked serious and thoughtful, Angel had taken Cordelia’s hand and laid his other arm across Connor’s shoulders. Dawn was looking at the witches like her heart would break. Gunn was frowning but next to him the slim girl she only knew as Fred had a worried look. Xander’s expression made the Slayer worry. He was angry and looking away. Anya frowned thoughtfully.

“Ripples,” Anya said evenly. “They fade after the splash.”

“Right!” Xander almost shouted. “After shocks, ripples, they all get weaker after the-the-”

“Initial impulse,” Fred interjected.

“What she said,” Xander agreed with a desperate hope Buffy needed no special powers to hear in his voice.

They’re our happy ending, Buffy thought. We need them together and safe.

“True,” Betty said slowly.

“After effects from a major spell can take years to work out,” Giles said carefully.

“So we have a project,” Xander said with a too casual shrug.

“And a starting point,” Fred said pulling out her pad and beginning to write furiously.

“Before we go all tangent like,” Buffy said firmly. “Let’s try to keep with this whole planning thing, just for a change.”

“Agreed,” Wesley nodded.

“But rushing blindly into danger is our idiom,” Angel said with a crooked smile. “It’s what we do.”

“Then it’s time we got a better agent,” Cordelia replied. “Who’s doing what?”

Buffy as about to spout orders when she stopped and looked at Giles and then Betty.

“I for one would like to get the ideas of our most experienced people first,” Buffy said calmly. “Giles? Betty? Any suggestions?”

“Yes,” Betty said quickly. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Giles, I believe there is something we need to do immediately to stabilize the situation with Miss Maclay.”

“Very well,” Giles nodded. “A reinforcement of the grounding spell?”

“I was thinking a reinforcement with specialization,” Betty replied.

“Not if it’s going to hurt anyone,” Tara said firmly.

“Losing you would hurt a lot more,” Dawn said just as firmly.

“Exactly,” Xander replied.

“Ditto,” Anya said folding her arms across her chest.

“Quite so,” Giles added.

“You’re just going to have to take our protection,” Buffy said. “So there.”

“You’re out-voted, love,” Willow said with a wide smile as she put her arm across Tara’s shoulders.

“Okay,” Tara said in a small but happily relieved tone.

“What do we do?” Buffy asked.

“Be yourselves,” Betty replied. “Miss Rosenberg, I’m going to need a hand.”

“Okay,” Willow answered.

“Hold out your hand, please,” Betty said as the sphere around the salamander began to glow with a soft blue flame.

“Like-”

-this? Willow said as she looked out of the sphere at her own body. Okay, just a bit weirded out here!

Sorry, Betty said gently. But this is going to take an actual touch since you have touched all of them.

Oh, Willow said softly as she looked at Betty. The shimmering scales were iridescent beyond the flame that leapt from the creature. Then Willow looked into Betty’s eyes and for the briefest of seconds knew the power of fire.

I understand...Willow said distantly as there was the faintest hot touch on her palm.

“Understand what?” Tara asked with a tilt to her head.

“Salamanders,” Willow said shaking her head briefly. “Their power is so seductive. That’s why everybody wants to control one.”

“Almost everybody,” Tara said with a knowing smile. “You don’t.”

Willow realized with a start that her lover was right. She had no desire for the dancing, roiling power that was at the center of the living elemental fire that was a salamander.

“I’ve been burned before,” Willow said softly.

“That’s it?” Dawn asked with a hint of disappointment. “I don’t feel anything.”

“Then I’ve done my job fairly well,” Betty said with a workman-like pride.

“And here comes a great bastard of a test,” Bruce said looking up.

“Are you sure?” Anya asked. “All I feel is a tingle.”

“I feel it too,” Buffy said.

“Whoa!” Xander said as the others in the room looked at the two women with wide eyes.

“Teeth,” Dawn said hesitantly. “And your eyes glowed.”

“Then it was gone,” Connor said peering at Anya’s face intently.

“That was the result of a mix of spells if I’m not mistaken,” Giles said. “How does the new grounding work?”

“Reverse polarity of the aura,” Betty said with badly hidden pride.

“But that’s impossible!” Willow blurted out.

“I have picked up a couple of tricks over the years,” the salamander replied smugly.

“We’ve gotta keep up our good reputation as tricky somehow,” Bruce grinned. “And nobody’s better at that than my girl.”

“That would be quite a nasty surprise,” Wes said with lean smile.

“But-” Willow began, then she frowned. “That’s changing the rules.”

“Yes it is,” Betty agreed.

“So I’m getting all the Marxist spells?” Anya asked with a hint of real horror.

“We’re like metaphysical resistors,” Willow added.

“More or less,” Giles said. “How long are these echoes being held?”

“Very briefly,” Betty explained. “The ground is very good. I doubt there will be only the briefest of effects.”

“Who’s the ground?” Tara asked worriedly.

“I am,” Betty replied. “Now Mr. Giles and I need to make our recommendations.”


===========================================================


Tara watched the tiny flare of light ripple across Betty’s sphere. The salamander didn’t seem to notice. Betty was intent on the planning group. Fred and Willow were working through a pile of books and consulting their laptops as Giles and Wesley made notes from their own stacks of books. Cordelia and Gunn were preparing to return to Los Angeles where they were going to spread the word about what had happened just days ago. Angel and Connor were staying and Buffy had joined them in basic drills in the practice room. Dawn was helping Anya in the Magic Box since the store was one of the places people looking for answers would come. So far there had been a steady trickle of people including a few that had the ragged look to their auras of Rack’s addict-victims.

Tara had been using minimal levels of hedge magic soothing this last group. She had ‘accidently’ overheard them and suggested a simple but effective combination of herbs and grounding exercises. Most had taken it, but there were a few still looking for the quick, powerful jolt of power to make up for what ever was lacking in other places in their lives. Now the shop was quiet and Tara had nothing to do.

Spike looked at her, worn and defeated.

“Promises?” Tara asked looking at him closely.

“Yeah,” Spike said calmly. “I want one too.”

“W-W-What do you want?” Tara asked warily.

“After you get your girl back I want you an’ her to do the same mojo Red did to Angel for Dru,” Spike said meeting Tara’s eyes. “I want you to give her a chance to stay out of here.”

Tara blinked. The blue eyed witch shook her head and went to Anya. Anya looked up from her catalog and raised an eyebrow.

“What do you need?” Anya asked with a sigh.

“How much would an Orb of Thesulah cost?” Tara asked hesitantly.

“Which size?” Anya asked. “I can give you a great deal on one of those huge ones. The bloody things are white elephants. Did I just say bloody?”

“Yeah,” Dawn answered with a grin.

“Damn it, Giles is rubbing off on me,” Anya snapped.

“You missed him,” Dawn said.

“Did not!” Anya said glaring at the working group. Then she sighed softly. “Okay, maybe a little. A really small little. What about the Orb, Tara?”

“I think I want a one vampire sized one,” Tara said with a small thoughtful frown. “I’ll need to check Willow’s spell database.”

“Okay,” Anya said. “Tell you what, you can have one of the small ones as a sample.”

“Um, are they valuable?” Tara asked.

“They’re great paperweights for the New Age crowd,” Anya replied. “Dawn, they’re on the second shelf of the first row downstairs.”

“The basement?” Dawn asked with distaste. “Eww!”

“There’s nothing spooky down there now after Tara’s magic shenanigans,” Anya replied curtly.

“There’s spiders,” Dawn said unhappily as she headed for the stairs.

“Thanks,” Tara called after the descending teen. Then she looked at Anya. “Thanks Anya.”

“You’re responsible for a twenty percent increase in business this morning,” Anya said brightly. “It doesn’t make up for not getting tribute, but it is less messy.”

Tara looked up at the chime of the bell over the door. The chubby man’s aura showed little if any magic but a distinct artistic flair. Tara left the counter as Anya greeted her customer. The witch wandered over to the table and hesitated. Willow and Betty looked up at her at the same time.

“May I talk to you?” Tara asked gently. “Um, both of you?”

“Sure, honey,” Willow said closing her book and stretching.

“A break sounds like a good idea,” Giles said looking at his watch. “My goodness.”

“Time flies when you’re sitting in hard chairs,” Wes complained as he stood up stiffly.

“Um, where’s the girl’s room?” Fred asked with a hint of urgency.

“There’s a tiny one next to the office but the one in the practice room is much nicer,” Willow replied.

As the group at the table broke up for a moment Willow and Betty hesitated. Tara looked at Betty first.

“How is being the ground working?” Tara asked with badly disguised worry.

“I’m quite all right, Tara,” Betty said with a soft smile. “You might try worrying a bit more about yourself and take a break.”

“I think that’s good advice,” Willow added quickly.

“I will,” Tara said with a smile. “I promise. But before I can really rest I need to know a couple of things. Betty, can I do magic without affecting the group?”

“Hmm,” Betty frowned thoughtfully. “Yes, but with the caveat that it’s not earth based magic.”

“Not even slightly until that cursed mercury gets cleaned up,” Willow said resolutely.

“Okay,” Tara agreed. “Love, can you give me a copy of that spell you used for Angel’s soul?”

“Well, it’s not earth based magic,” Willow answered. “But it is deep and old. Not that I worry but don’t do anything, and I mean anything without me.”

“I promise,” Tara said with a smile at the protectiveness radiating off the redhead.

“Am I getting big with the butch?” Willow asked in a whisper accompanied with a slight blush.

“Very,” Tara said softly with bright eyes.

Willow concentrated on her laptop for a moment and pulled up the spell. She printed out a single page. As Willow handed it to Tara the witch’s blue eyes widened in surprise. Willow felt a surge of power grow in her partner as Tara looked at the paper. The ink pooled and then returned to the page, now accompanied by something that almost looked like music.

“Shaped notes,” Betty said with surprise.

“I heard about those on NPR,” Willow said looking at Tara.

“I-I learned to sing them...a long time ago,” Tara said blinking. Then she looked at Betty. “You know this music?”

“Anybody who could come up with a thespian dragon on short notice and bluff Wolfram and Hart out of their socks has probably seen quite a bit,” Willow replied for the salamander.

“A thespian dragon?” Tara asked quickly. “You mean a dragon on stage, in greasepaint and costume, playing to an audience?”

“Mostly comedies and light opera,” Betty nodded. “Oh, I’m sorry. I explained this to the research and planning group while you were helping that unfortunate young woman going through magic withdrawal.”

“Okay,” Tara replied uncertainly as she blinked away the image of a dragon doing Gilbert and Sullivan. “Why did the spell change?”

“You were looking at it and trying to make sense of it?” Willlow suggested hesitantly.

“I can’t change things like that,” Tara answered.

“You used to be unable to change things like that,” Betty said gently. “You are not now what you were.”

“But you’re still you,” Willow added quickly taking Tara’s hand. “And I’m still your girlfriend, so don’t get any ideas, missy.”

“Very big with the butch,” Tara smiled as she squeezed back. “I-I need to know myself better if I’m going to do this spell. It feels powerful.”

“That is wise,” Betty nodded. “What path are you going to take?”

“I’m going home.”


===========================================================


Buffy was leading Angel and Connor in Draw Bow to Shoot Tiger when the door opened to the practice room. The Slayer could tell it was Cordelia and Buffy noted that the former cheerleader was moving much more quietly and surely than Cordelia had before she left Sunnydale. Without missing a move in the long form Buffy brought the session to a close and felt the tension in herself and her students even out at relaxed alertness.

“Thank you,” Angel said with a quiet sincerity. “That was...good.”

“Still the wordsmith,” Cordelia teased with a gentle smile.

“Ready to go?” Angel asked returning her smile.

“Gunn’s stuffing things into the car now,” the brunette replied. “Come say goodbye.”

“If you insist,” Angel sighed theatrically.

Buffy watched them leave with only the faintest twinge. She was beginning to stretch when Connor cleared his throat.

“Yes, he was the love of my life,” Buffy replied with more ease than she realized. “But that was my last life.”

“I can’t quite believe this world,” Connor said. “It’s like being back in Quortoth part of the time and then it’s like being in paradise and then it gets weird, really weird in this Sunnydale place. I’m not sure I really understand anything that’s going on around here.”

“Most of us don’t,” Buffy told him with a smile. “But we get by.”

“How?”

“Friends and family.”

“I don’t understand about friends and family,” Connor sighed. “I just figured out who my father really was let alone what a friend is.”

“Stick with me for a while,” Buffy said easily. “I think I can help. I’ve been lucky there.”


===========================================================


“Are you sure you don’t want Willow to come along?” Dawn asked for the third time in as many blocks.

“This needs to be done without an outside influence,” Tara explained again. “Even if it’s someone you’re...close to. Especially if you’re as close as Willow and I. Besides, you’ll do fine.”

“Will there be magic lights and those neat wisps of sparkly mist?” Dawn asked eagerly.

“I don’t know,” Tara shrugged as they turned down the sidewalk to the Summers house. “I don’t think there were any when I did this last time, but that was a while ago.”

“How long?” Dawn asked guilelessy.

“Just after I met Willow,” Tara said distantly.

There was something about the redhead with the green eyes, Tara remembered. Magic and much more attracted Tara’s attention and questions had risen in response. She’d set the alarm clock and then taken the doll’s eye crystal in her hand. Her eyes had barely closed before she found herself tumbling along interior paths. It had taken her almost until the end of the hour to realize what her head, heart, and power were telling her...

“Hey,Tara,” Dawn asked “Is the trip down memory lane that good?”

“What?” Tara said recognizing the living room they were standing in.

“You were way distracted and smiling,” Dawn said knowingly. “Ususally that means you’re thinking about me being in the basement with theTV on real loud.”

“Dawn Summers!” Tara gasped. “I-I was just recalling the, um, spell and ritual from the last time I did this.”

“Of course,” Dawn said in a passable imitation of Giles.

“When did they say school was going to start?” Tara asked.

“Now that’s mean!” Dawn answered with a toss of her head.

“Truce?” Tara asked lightly.

“I never could stay angry with my elders,” Dawn replied. “Truce.”

“I’m not sure how long this will take,” Tara said looking around the room. “I’m just going to sit in the recliner and concentrate. I used an alarm clock last time but I’ll feel better having someone watching over me.”

“Speaking of watching over you,” Dawn said quickly. “We need to go to the kitchen first.”

“Why?” Tara asked.

“Because you’re having a glass of water and an aspirin before you start,” Dawn said counting off with her fingers. “That’s from Willow. First there’s going to to be a quick toasted cheesed sandwich and a glass of juice. That’s from Anya, Buffy and Giles. Xander probably would have said the same thing if he wasn’t down at city hall.”

“Okay,” Tara agreed with a smile. “But let’s make that two sandwiches for us.”

“Deal!”


===========================================================


“Hey,” Willow said softly as Angel stood in a patch of sunshine form the front window of the Magic Box.

“You just can’t know how good this feels,” Angel sighed.

“Actually, I can,” Willow said standing next to him. “I never thought I’d be happily hanging around in a patch of sunlight without an SPF of at least 30.”

“Being without a body can do that to you, I guess,” Angel agreed. “What’s on your mind, Willow?”

“It’s kind of from me being without a body,” Willow said shivering in the warm light. “Tara-Tara did some stuff and, well, she killed Spike.”

“She staked Spike?” Angel asked. “She seems so, you know, nice.”

“He hurt Buffy,” Willow said flatly. Angle looked at her for a quiet moment.

“Good for Tara,” he finally said.

“Yeah, but then after he was dead he got to her through this really powerful book of magic,” Willow said with more fright in her voice than she realized. “Tara said he called her to Hell and Spike could have done anything, only he goes and asks her to do the spell I did to change you back from Angelus...”

“For Dru,” Angel said softly as his face showed an old pain. “So she could avoid his fate.”

“Yeah,” Willow replied gently.

“You’ll need an Orb of Thesulah,” Angel began.

“Anya’s got a lot of them,” Willow told him.

“A lot of Orbs of Thesulah?” Angel asked with a frown. “How can anybody but a powerful mage use them?”

“They’re big with the wannabes,” Willow explained. “For them the Orbs are just paperweights that glow with eldritch lights. They look cool next to the ancient sacred objects made in Taiwan.”

“Hanging around a magic store with Anya has turned you into a cynic,” Angel smiled weakly.

“You have no idea,” Willow said shaking her head.

“You’ll need a focus too,” Angle said quietly. “I’m going to go out on a limb and guess you’d like to use the bastard that made her what she is today.” Silence grew for a long moment full of wretched, ugly memories. Willow could see the inner struggle that tore at the former vampire. She needed no power to know his pain, nor the faint echoes of her own as she recalled a bespelled Tara coming to their bed. Willow put away her memory without dismissing it as Angel met her eyes. Willow read his answer on his face.

“When do we start?” he asked raggedly.


===========================================================


“Mr. Harris, I understand that your people are not working at this time,” the city official began.

“And we won’t have much chance of earning the bonuses we were promised for early completion,” Xander complained.

“But, as per the contract, we are getting paid by the building fund of the City of Sunnydale’s School Budget,” Xander’s union representative interjected.

“Well, um, the fund did budget some overages,” the official replied glumly.

“What about hazard pay for the dangerous chemical spill?” The union rep asked suddenly.

“The clean up is now going more quickly and should be complete in less than a week,” the administrator answered more brightly.

“I thought there were problems with the stuff,” Xander said carefully.

“What kind of problems?” the official asked pointedly.

“How should I know?” Xander snapped. “I’m a carpenter, not a chemist!”

So you know about the curse, probably because you got your job from a guy who wanted to be a giant snake, Xander added in his mind. Careful Xan, this is still Sunnydale.

“There were some errors in acquiring the right equipment,” the official said more calmly. “Things are better now. The State inspector said schools could open tomorrow.”

“Thank God,” the union rep muttered. “My kids are driving me crazy.”

“When can we get back to work?” Xander asked evenly.

“The California Department of Toxic Substances will have to clear the site,” the official said hiding behind the comforting shield of a high bureaucracy. “But we’re anticipating next week. I hope you can accept the paid vacation instead of the bonuses.”

“Doesn’t look like we have much of a choice,” the rep said with a glower.


===========================================================


Tara settled herself into the recliner and realized she faced a far greater challenge than she had anticipated. She had a pleasantly full tummy, the house was cozily warm, and the chair was very comfortable. It would take most of her discipline just to keep from napping. On the couch Dawn yawned.

“Don’t,” Tara began before she had to stifle her own yawn.

“I’m awake!” Dawn said blinking.

“Try to stay that way,” Tara grinned.

“Okayyy,” Dawn said with a bad ingenue’s eye flutter.

“I think an hour should be enough,” Tara said more seriously. Dawn just nodded.

Tara closed her eyes and let herself relax while she imagined walking down a path in the first light of the day.

The air was crisp and the leaves crackled as she walked on them. Tara had rarely seen a fall day so dry and beautiful. Nearby there were words being spoken. She could see Giles leading the research group. Here he wrote on a blackboard as the others all sat in overstuffed chairs next to piles of books. Then something rustled in the leaves. Tara turned, not afraid but curious. Buffy slipped through the trees, springing lightly from branch to branch before she disappeared. Tara continued down the trail.

In a small clearing a beautiful woman of a certain age danced with a ruggedly handsome young man. Near them a vaguely Dawn-shaped form of green energy listened to a boy band and fed out small tendrils of energy to the dancers. Tara’s mouth was dry. She barely remembered seeing Dawn this way after Glory had stolen her mind. Tara was about to hurry on when a small wren with blue eyes perched on the willow branch in front of her. Tara stopped and listened.

“You’re stronger now,” the small bird sang. “Stronger now. Stronger now.”

Tara nodded and the bird gave a flip of it’s tail and flew into the trees. Tara began to walk again until she turned the trail and saw her mother scolding a fourteen year old girl. “By God you’ll remember this!”

“Yes, I do,” Tara said coldly.

Her mother turned and glared at the adult Tara. “Power is the answer, girl!” she snarled.

Tara gestured and saw her mother wrapped in glowing bands of raw power and lifted from the ground.

“Not always,” Tara replied calmly. The bands disappeared and Tara’s mother looked at her with a scowl. “Why did you let me go?”

“Because I love you,” Tara said suddenly blinking away tears. “I always will, and now I have to let you go.”

Tara didn’t flinch as her mother’s hand reached for her with a predator’s quickness. Tara just shook her head as the hand passed through and her mother began to fade.

“Remember me,” her mother pleaded softly.

“Always, Momma,” Tara said as the image turned to the faintest of outlines. “Love you.”

“Love you...” came a distant, fading whisper.

Tara looked around but the teenaged version of herself was gone. “I’ll remember you too.” she said softly. Then the wren’s song filled the trees.

“Follow, follow, follow!”

Tara hurried after the bird. The woods became forest and ahead Tara could hear a clamor. She hurried through the tugging branches and undergrowth until she nearly stumbled out onto a low cliff. Below here there was a clearing and an ugly stone frame in the ground from which vampires flowed out like pus from a wound, past the open doors laying flat on the ground. In front of the ravenous torrent Buffy stood alone, a whirlwind of combat finally killed by an enormous trio of vampires. Then Faith leapt up from the green grass and took Buffy’s place until she was overwhelmed in turn.

Then Dawn strode forward.

“No!” Tara roared and hurled her magic into the gaping wound. The vampires slowed but still came until Tara was drained past standing. Helplessly she watched Dawn fight. Suddenly Willow and Tara stood by Dawn along with the other Scoobies and Angel’s people. For a moment Tara could almost hope but then with a sudden wave of the all of them were buried by the hungry undead. Tara blinked away the image as she tried to find some scintilla of power to save Willow.

“Magic alone won’t change this,” she finally croaked aloud.

The image vanished into a cold mist. Below Tara could hear the sounds of a hammer on steel, but along with the ringing blows there were all too human screams of pure anguish. Beside her the wren landed and then shivered. Tara looked at it. In the fog along with the hellish forging came the caws of crows.

“Stay here,” Tara told the wren. Then she went forward. The mist became cold and thick. Only the sounds of the hammer and the screams guided the witch. Suddenly a black shape was in front of her, cawing and slashing with it’s beak.

“Intruder!” it croaked.

“Silence!” Tara hissed and gestured.

A band of power closed the crow’s beak and another tied it to a tree. It struggled to free itself as the air became full of flapping noises.

“Here! Here! Here!” came a high pitched call from the cold. “Follow me, Tara Laura Macay!”

“But my name’s not...” Tara began, then she was silent. The wren’s calls and the crows harsh voices faded away with only the occasional wet thump of a body hitting a tree in the fog followed by an offended squawk. Tara moved as quietly as she could towards the screams. Finally there was a low building with a deadly orange glow pouring out the open double doors. Tara looked inside and felt her gorge rise. On the anvil the upper half of a dark haired young woman was being hammered on, the lower half of her was a large iron key. Dead bodies that had been torn asunder were hanging on crude hooks around the forge.

Tara moved to see the vile blacksmith’s face and only hushed her dismay at the last moment. In front of her Angel wielded the hammer, his face a transport of cruel joy with each scream. As Tara watched in horror he bent low and slowly, slowly bit her. “You’re going to be my finest creation, Drusilla,” Angel said after the woman’s screams stopped. For a moment she lay on the anvil pale and marred with the faintest mottling. Tara turned away as the woman’s body glowed with unearthly fire and finished becoming the iron key.

“Tara...” Dawn called from the edge of the fog.

Tara turned toward the sound. Somewhere an alarm rang. Worry filled Tara’s heart. She knew that alarm...

“TARA!” Dawn screamed. “COME BACK!”

Tara felt Dawn pulling her arm and opened her eyes. All around the room dense bands of bright smoke whirled in tiny cyclones lit by mage-lights of all sizes. The kitchen smoke alarm was squalling its warning at the highest pitch.

“Silentium,” Tara said softly to the rampaging power as she cupped her hands.

The smoke and light flowed into Tara’s open hands. Dawn sagged to her knees and coughed softly. Tara gestured and the alarm became silent. Dawn coughed again.

“Are you okay?” Tara asked struggling to her feet.

“If I ever smoke, shoot me,” Dawn wheezed.

“I’m sorry!” Tara said as she knelt next to the teen.

“What in the bloody blue blazes was that?!?” Betty bellowed as she flared into the room.

“Is everyone okay?” Tara asked quickly.

“They will be,” Betty said giving off false sparks in her worry. “You said you were going on an interior journey, not riding a black hole!”

“Bad?” Tara winced.

“Good Lord, child!” Betty said as she shivered. “I have no idea what echo led to this-”

“You’re supposed to have her protected!” Dawn said with a real flash of anger.

“Yes,” Betty said calmly. “This one seemed intent on going to Tara. You managed to ride it out. God alone knows how.”

“Easy,” Tara said with a weak smile. “Oh!”

“What?” Betty asked intently.

“The spell to summon and bind vampires,” Tara explained. “That must have been part of it.”

“I hope that makes sense,” Betty said.

“It does with what I saw,” Tara said surely.

“Does it explain how you managed to use it without any damage?” Betty asked carefully.

“I’m more powerful than I was,” Tara said confidently. “A little bird told me.”

“And your friends!” Dawn said looking at Tara with her hands on her hips.

“And me!” Willow said as she stepped out of a gossamer ball of hot light. “Are you okay?”

“I am now,” Tara said as Willow grasped her lover and hugged her.

“So you finally get it?” Bruce asked as he flipped next to Betty.

“I’m a bit slow sometimes,” Tara admitted. “But I know it in my bones now. And I know what we have to do next.”

“We?” Dawn asked pointedly.

“We,” Tara replied.


===========================================================


“Acck!” Spike coughed. “I think I ate a bug!”

“Wrens are good insect controls,” the angel replied.

“So is this how it’s going to be?” Spike asked flexing his shoulders and wincing. “Thumb-sized bird one second, good looking if slightly mussed bloke the next?”

“No.”

“Thank goodness.”

“I doubt if it will be that easy from now on.”

“Can I say bollocks here?”

“If you want to spend more time in this place.”

“Argh!”





To Be Continued

[spells42]

Hi Jixer
Nice update. Love this story. Your powerful and empowered Tara is hot, and the effect of their connection with Tara on the Scoobies is a lovely idea. Also liking the strong bond between W&T in this.

Spike as a wren? lol!

I'm looking forward to reading this to its conclusion.
Anne

[WillowRulez]

“Can I say bollocks here?”
“If you want to spend more time in this place.”

Hehe. Great update! I particularly liked the bit when Buffy told Connor that Angel used to be the love of her life, just not in this life. Kinda deep for Buffy, I like it when she does that
I wonder what Dru will be like with a soul... cant wait!

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

Just a quick note before the fun-filled work stretch. I'm just glad I won't be working ER over the Fourth of July weekend.

spells42- Your words are too kind. Tara as the guide and the binding of the group feels right for this story, as it should have been (and is at least in Pens). Willow and Tara's bond has been tempered by a lot and should be strong. That's another thing Pens gets right.

Wrens are among my favorite birds, so Spike was kind of in trouble from the start!

The story is heading toward home, and I hope you enjoy the trip.

WillowRulez- At least Spike's bright enough to ask the question before he blurts out the word!

I too liked Buffy a lot more when she was allowed to be insightful and smart. So since it's my tiny bit of fiction I'm going to polishing up the ancillary characters too. Some how they arrived a bit tarnished from the factory.

I hope my version of Dru won't disappoint.


Now I must be off to bed. Thank you all for stopping by,

Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Seventeen






Gold filled the Summers kitchen as the evening lounged closer and the daylight left in no particular hurry. Tara was leaning forward, listening to Anya’s description of the Orbs of Thesulah from the former demon’s point of view. Willow tried not to blink. The golden light on Tara’s face and hair were breathtaking, and the blue-eyed witch’s blouse was more open in the warmth than usual.

“Your eyes are going to dry out,” Buffy said softly with grin.

“You know how to ruin a moment,” Willow said tersely. Then Tara leaned forward just a slight bit more and smiled very slightly. Any remarks vanished as Willow gulped very quietly.

“Not this one,” Buffy said knowing Willow wouldn’t hear.


===========================================================


“Well that stunned her,” Anya grinned.

“Hmm?” Tara asked.

“Nothing,” Anya said quickly. “I was just going to add that if the spell turned itself into music you need to rehearse, but that might alert any magic users. Music and magic can be tricky and powerful.”

“What would you suggest?” Tara asked intently.

“Surround a mostly soundproofed room with magic shields,” Anya said seriously. “Have the tricky lizards help you. You’ve got some major juice there. And not just there.”

“Oh?” Tara asked looking slightly worried.

“I’ve heard from some of Sunnydale’s more esoteric citizens that your little trip down Power Lane relocated some very bad customers,” Anya confided. “Clem said that right now you were the bee’s knees to most of the demons in town.”

“How will that work out?” Tara asked.

“Like it does everywhere,” Anya shrugged. “A few will remember. The rest will be all ‘what have you done for us lately’ before the month is out.”

“That’s okay,” Tara said with relief.

“Don’t worry, no testimonial dinners,” Anya assured the witch. Anya looked up. “Xander’s here,” she announced neutrally.

A moment later Xander came in the back door. His tie was loose and the carpenter accepted a soda from Dawn.

“What did City Hall say?” Giles asked.

“School starts tomorrow,” Xander said looking at Dawn. “Sorry.”

“It was fun while it lasted,” Dawn replied.

“What about the mercury?” Willow asked.

“At least some of them know it was cursed,” Xander replied. “I’m guessing that’s been taken care of because they’re saying the state has to give the word now for work to restart.”

“Between the lava dome and the mercury it could take a while,” Wes added. “There must be at least two agencies involved, perhaps three.”

“And each bureaucracy will insist on it’s own people doing a report,” Willow nodded. “Our tax dollars at work.”

“Will Tara be able to use the local earth yet?” Dawn asked eagerly.

“No,” Willow answered firmly.

“Honey,” Tara started.

“Not until it’s been declared safe by the State of California, two salamanders, a Watcher, a witch, and maybe that actor dragon,” Willow said resolutely.

“And the witch would be you, I assume,” Buffy interjected.

“Yeah,” Willow replied. “I’m getting a soil testing kit tomorrow.”

“Get some bracken too,” Anya added.

“Perhaps with some borage,” Fred added.

“You practice?” Willow asked cautiously.

“No, but I do the data entry,” Fred admitted shyly.

“Not to mention being a go-to research girl,” Angle added.

At that moment Angel’s cell rang. He grappled with the phone until Dawn reached out and flipped open the device.

“Thanks,” Angel muttered. “You’re in and safe? Good. What?” Angel looked at Tara. “She wants to talk to you.”

“Me?” Tara asked uneasily as she took the phone.

“You,” Cordelia said with a hint of exasperation. “Tara, I’m putting you on speaker phone, okay?”

“O-Okay,” Tara agreed reluctantly.

Suddenly there was a cacophony of voices along with clicks, whistles, and bleats. “Quiet!” Gunn roared in the background. Grumbling became silence. “Go ahead, Cordie.”

“This is Tara Maclay,” Cordelia began.

“How do we know that?” a voice almost shrieked. “If this isn’t an invasion why can’t you show us your mage?”

“Is she too dreadful to look at?” another voice burbled.

“Think of the children!” something wept with bass sniffles.

“This is what I came back to,” Cordelia sighed. “Lorne is on his fifth Seabreeze and we’re out of cranberry juice.”

“Let me ask Betty something,” Tara asked.

“What is this Betty person?” the shrieker demanded. “Some horrific demon?”

Betty gestured with her tail and a bubble of silence enveloped the cell. “Panic,” the salamander muttered. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

“Can you get Tara there like Bruce brought me home?” Willow asked. “Only make it big and impressive, so they’ll listen.”

“Easily,” Betty nodded.

“Actually,” Tara smiled. “I have a better idea.”


===========================================================


“Cordelia?” Tara asked over the speaker. “Could you move to the side?”

“Sure,” Cordelia replied stepping to her left. “How’s that?”

“Fine,” Tara said simply appearing out of thin air. She raised a hand to her waist and waved. “Um, hi. I’m Tara Maclay.”

The witch looked around the foyer of what must have been a nice hotel at on time. The long desk was to her back where a demon with little horns, green skin and eyes that were both red and bloodshot leaned unsteadily. In a half circle in front of her there was an amazing array of beings looking at her like they were awaiting the next part of the grand finale. Silently they looked at each other as they came to realize the young woman in comfortable shoes in front of them was all they were going to get. One that looked like a sea anemone with six large eyes turned to a horned demon next to it.

“This is the witch that closed the Hellmouth?” it asked with a Brooklyn accent.

“Um, yes,” Tara interjected. Then she took a deep breath. “There was this evil mage who had a powerful spell book and he killed my lover’s body but captured her essence. I used a copy of his grimoire to destroy the spell, the two spell books shorted out, I got my lover back and I had to put the energy somewhere. I guess Wolfram and Hart sort of tried to tap the power and instead it sucked them in. Oh, I got my love back and I had help from my friend who’s the vampire Slayer up in Sunnydale.”

“And?” a furred short demon in a three piece suit demanded.

“Um, I do have his horrible headache that comes and goes,” Tara admitted. Then she looked down and her voice got softer. “I’m very sorry if I’ve upset anyone. I-I d-d-didn’t mean to. I just had to get my love back. It’s not like I’ll ever find anyone like them again.”

“Oh, don’t say that,” a creature that looked like a warthog crossed with a bear. “You’re a very nice looking girl.”

“But you should stand up straight,” the anemone added.

“A-HEM!” the suited demon interrupted with a glare.

“Oh, don’t be so full of yourself, Horace,” a demon with the cute little horns said from behind the desk. “Even without the help of vodka and healthy fruit juices I can read that aura. Ladies and Gentlemen - and Horace - I have the honor to present Miss Tara Maclay, an Earth path witch.”

“You’re drunk,” Horace sniffed.

“And you’re an ass,” Lorne replied.

“Okay!” Cordelia almost shouted. “You’ve all seen the great and powerful Tara. Now will you believe me?”

“Maybe we panicked a little,” the anemone agreed reluctantly.

“Things got very scary,” Tara said quickly. “I know I was scared s-s-spitless. I can’t imagine how frightening it must have been down here.”

“It’s LA,” the warthog-bear shrugged. “You get used to it.”

The rest of the group agreed in a wide variation on the theme of the nonchalant shrug.

“Now will you please go home and let me get some sleep?” Cordelia said with her hands on her hips.

“Very well,” Horace grumbled. “Goodnight, Miss Maclay.”

“Goodnight, sir,” Tara said politely.

“Goodnight,” Lorne said brightly. “Oh, I think I’d better walk home.”

“I think you need to spend the night upstairs,” Gunn said catching the demon before he slid down to the floor. Tara turned and tried to help but Gunn was quicker. She looked back to the lobby and was surprised to see the last of the demons slipping out the door. Tara looked at Cordelia with a puzzled frown.

“That was quick,” Tara observed.

“They live most of their lives avoiding people,” Cordelia replied. “They’re good at slipping away silently. Sort of a survival trait.”

“I can slip away,” Lorne said in a loud whisper. “Wanna see?”

“I think you should slip into bed,” Cordelia said taking the other side of the demon. “Come on, Gunn. Tara, can you see yourself out?”

“Sure,” Tara nodded. “My ride is waiting.”

“Oh!” Cordelia said quickly. “Remind Angel to wear sunscreen! At least SPF 30.”

“SPF 30,” Tara nodded. “Got it. I have to go.”

Cordelia didn’t turn around to watch Tara step into a bubble of sparks. She was struggling even with Gunn taking most of the weight to keep Lorne upright.

“Couch?” the tall young man asked with a grunt.

“Right!” Cordelia agreed heading for the nearer office.


===========================================================


“I must say you approach was right,” Betty said for the brief trip back to Sunnydale. “The stutter was a nice touch.”

“It w-wasn’t a touch,” Tara said weakly. “I hate speaking in front of people! I just want to go home.”

“There and done,” Betty said as the kitchen sprang into view.

“How did it go?” Angel asked worriedly.

“Everything is okay,” Tara replied. “Except for the demon who’s going to have a hangover tomorrow.”

“But Cordelia’s fine?” Angel asked.

“Yes,” Tara said firmly but gently.

“Guys, we need to get food going here,” Buffy said. “I’m afraid it’s going to have to be sandwiches for now.”

“Can we make our own?” Connor asked eagerly.

“Some meat and cheese must be left for others,” Buffy replied sternly.

“Do we get to go on patrol with you tonight?” Connor asked with the same eagerness.

“We’ll see,” Buffy replied looking past the boy to Angel.

“We need to do some research,” Willow said taking Tara’s hand. “And I have to catch up on spoiling my cat.”

“Do you want an escort?” Bruce asked.

“If a gallant can be found to escort us home,” Willow said with a curtsey.

“How about a cheeky bastard instead?” Bruce leered.

“Sure!” Willow laughed. “How do you get the eyebrows of flame to do that?”

“Practice,” Betty sighed. “Just be glad he hasn’t got his ukulele.”

“Damn, you’re right!” Bruce said smacking his forehead. “I plumb forgot! Look, if you’re going to be doing a sung spell, maybe I can accompany you. I know dozens of songs! Most of them are even clean. I’m sure we can find a good match for the spell on the old uke.”

“This is going to be a cappella,” Tara said quickly.

“Too bad,” Bruce said with a shrug. “Oh well. Let’s get you home, shall we?”


===========================================================


The Great Portal opened and to her joy the ginger-haired mother stepped into the room. She liked this pattern. She looked up at the ginger and complained bitterly about being left for hours. The ginger-haired one bent down and picked her up. She purred and marked her tall mother.


===========================================================


“I think that’s cat for where the hell have you been?” Willow said as Miss Kitty stopped rubbing her head against Willow’s chin and meowed again. Willow’s hand trembled on the cat with the buzz of a purr underneath the warm silky fur. “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. You know, I forgot how soft she is.”

“It looks like you’re going to have plenty of reminders,” Tara grinned as Miss Kitty snared Willow’s hand in her paws and sniffed it vigorously. Then the cat began to wash the hand.

“I think I’m not quite up to her standards,” Willow observed.

“Everything’s better covered with cat spit,” Tara grinned. “Just ask her.”

Willow tried to pull away her hand. “Okay, claws mean stop moving. I get it.”

“Does it hurt?” Tara asked as Willow seemed to shiver.

“No,” the redhead replied. “Well the pins do, a little. It’s just really intense with the softness and the warmth and rough tongue all at once.”

“I’ll rescue you,” Tara said reaching for the cat.

“Be careful,” Willow said as Miss Kitty fastened onto Willow’s top.

“I know five of the six ends of a cat are pointy,” Tara grinned.

Miss Kitty meowed unhappily at Tara and then rubbed her head on the blue-eyed witch’s blouse.

“I’m lucky she shares,” Willow smiled. “Since I know that’s her ‘this is mine’ rub.”

“Don’t let her know but you always have first dibs,” Tara said softly.

“Really?” Willow asked innocently.

“Really,” Tara answered with a voice suddenly gentle and yet rough.

“Even when we should be doing research?” Willow asked stepping close to Tara.

“Yeah,” Tara managed to get out.

“Good,” Willow said. Then she lowered her head and rubbed it softly along the top of Tara’s shoulder until she brushed her lips gently along Tara’s neck and jaw. “Mine.” she said as Tara just whimpered softly. Willow closed her mouth over Tara’s and pushed her with a gentle urgency onto the bed.


===========================================================


She knew what those smells meant. There was a long languid nap coming on the warmed bed. Miss Kitty sat down and began to wash her tail.


===========================================================


Buffy walked through the graveyard with less than her usual grace. Tension was taking it’s toll. Angel stumbled slightly in the dark again. Buffy flowed into a defensive stance even though she knew nothing was there. Then she relaxed but not before Angel shook his head.

“I want pavement,” he said with a forced lightness.

“And better light,” Connor said quickly.

“Don’t push it,” Angel warned.

“This isn’t working,” Buffy said flatly.

“I’ve been doing this for-” Angel began.

“About three days,” Buffy said evenly. “As a human. With human night vision, reactions and strength.”

“Very human,” a voice agreed from the darkness.

A large rough form loomed into the pale moonlight. It grinned with too many teeth and flexed an improbably bulky set of muscles.

“Do you mind?” Buffy snapped. “This is a private conversation.”

“It’s your last one,” the demon chuckled.

“Dibs!” Connor shouted.

The demon turned to the boy and laughed. Connor frowned and brought up his hand in a fluid motion. The stake launcher on his wrist twanged in the night air as it launched its wooden missile at the demon. With a deceptive grace the demon batted away the projectile but suddenly let out an offended groan as Connor kicked him in the crotch. The angry demon made a grab for him but the boy simply took the offered wrist and gave it a twist, followed by a kick to the closest demon knee. The demon bellowed and struggled to its feet, fur bristling and rage in its eyes. Buffy maneuvered to support the teen and lost track of Angel.

“Duck!” Angel yelled.

Both Buffy and Connor dropped as another demon identical to the first hurtled into the light with its claws rending the air where Connor had been. Angel leapt out, grabbed the new demon’s thick arm and literally threw himself on the elbow joint. The second demon’s howl of pain split the night as the first raised its foot over Connor. Buffy moved as quickly as she could and the sound of the first demon’s spine being broken with three blows came out as one long muffled wet snap. She looked up to see Connor on one arm and Angel on the other of the second demon, levering the large creature over forward at the waist. Together they brought their legs up and then down on the back of the shaggy head. The crack was more muffled but the demon fell quivering and did not get up again.

“Phadasiche demons always travel in...” Angel gasped for breath and grabbed his shoulder.

“Pairs?” Buffy asked easily.

“Yeah,” Angel agreed through clenched teeth.

“We need to get you home,” Buffy said firmly.

“Give me a minute,” Angel grimaced.

“Weeks,” Buffy corrected. “Humans heal in weeks when it comes to shoulders. Ask Giles.”

“I’ll be okay!” Angel insisted.

“You’re a very bad combination!” Buffy replied with some heat. “Between being a guy and being an ex-vampire you’re just full of tough guy self delusions that are going to get you killed!”

Angel glared at her but said nothing. Connor just looked uncomfortable as he glanced back and forth between them. Angel stood up straight and pulled back his shoulders. Buffy sighed and looked up. Then with inhuman speed she brought her stake to the edge of Angel’s throat. His block had all the speed, force and coordination of a three week old kitten.

“I didn’t know those demon guys travelled in pairs,” Buffy said calmly. “That’s just one reason I need you around. Cordelia would kill me if you got yourself killed is another.”

Then she looked at Connor with just her eyes and then she met Angel’s. Angel’s troubled look let the Slayer know he had gotten her unspoken point of her message.

“When you learn your new body you’re going to be a match for anything,” Buffy said truthfully. “You’ve got centuries of experience to build on.”

“As long as I don’t get stupid,” Angel agreed quietly. Then he grinned. “Not getting stupid is going to be the hard part, you know.”

“Yeah,” Connor agreed quickly.

“Kids these days,” Buffy sighed. “Shall I beat him for you?”

“Nah,” Angel grinned evilly. “Just take over his training until I’m better.”

“You got it.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?” Connor asked quickly.

“No!” both adults said quickly.

“And now it’s time for your first lesson,” Buffy smiled sweetly. “When fighting demons leaves dead demon bodies it’s our civic duty to keep our streets clean. That means you’re going to haul these guys to the woods.”

“What are you going to do?” Connor asked eyeing the large carcasses.

“Supervise.”


===========================================================


Alarm bells were going off all over the place and the books were being to panic. Willow tried to calm them but suddenly a thesaurus broke free and was heading toward Tara. Willow called out Tara’s name but the blonde witch was sitting curled up in a ball and crying...

Tara was crying...

“Tara?” Willow rasped as her dream faded away.

“Willow?” Tara moaned as she twitched in her own dreams. “Willow! WILLOW! NO!!”

“Tara!” Willow called out. Tara’s blue eyes opened, but now they were streaked with red

“You’re not dead?” Tara sobbed.

“No, no, no,” Willow crooned as she gathered Tara’s hands and kissed them. “I’m here, honey. “I’m alive. You saved me, remember?”

“Yes,” Tara said closing her eyes. “S-S-Sorry. S-S-Stupid-”

“No!” Willow said in a fierce whisper. “You’re not stupid or bad, love. It’s...this is going to be rough.”

“I’m scared,” Tara said in a small voice.

“Me too,” Willow replied gently. “You know what’s getting me through this?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. I’ve got a witch on my side. What could be better?”

“Having my witch,” Tara said nestling into Willow’s arms. “She’s the best.”

They laid together for long minutes but Willow could tell that Tara wasn’t sleeping. Willow began to absentmindedly twirl Tara’s hair around. Tara smiled.

“You can’t sleep either?” she asked.

“No,” Willow sighed.

“Mmmrr,” Miss Kitty grumbled as she slipped off the bed.

“And that makes it unanimous,” Tara said. “Let’s look at the spell, but just look.”

“We’re too jangled to dare try anything,” Willow agreed. “If either one of us feels uncomfortable we stop until we get some back up from the salamanders or Giles.”

“Yes!” Tara nodded emphatically. Then she grinned. “This would be one of those learning curve moments, wouldn’t it?”

“I guess so,” Willow grinned back.


===========================================================


Lucinda yawned and couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. Her mother leaned over and lifted the covers a bit more. Then the woman took the computer printout of a picture of a thin German Shepherd cross.

“We need to put Nellie’s picture away, honey.”

“Okay,” Lucinda answered. “Just eighteen more days.”

“If your white cell count is up,” her mother said firmly. “If not Uncle Bill will fatten her up a bit more.”

“Okay,” Lucinda said sleepily. Then she pulled Ollie close and drifted off to sleep.


===========================================================


Buffy stood silently outside her home and listened to the night. I could get used to the quiet, she thought. Even at the edge of her extraordinary senses she knew there was nothing in Sunnydale that needed her attention. But the more ancient knowledge the Slayer carried with her whispered an added ‘not yet’. Buffy went in and up to bed. She didn’t remember getting into bed but she remembered what woke her up for quite a while.

He was big and strong, one of the last vampires on earth, and he was killing her on this foreign street that was so unlike her home. Nearby there were three piles of dust that had been vampires once. That explained his anger she thought. Whatever it was she was hurt and had been just a bit too slow to stop his last strike. All she needed was a few more seconds.

‘You’re good,” he snarled as he broke her neck. “Maybe the best ever. But even you couldn’t finish us all by yourself.”

Buffy stared into the darkness for a long moment. She touched her neck and heard again the sounds of her bones breaking. The Slayer got up and moved as quietly as she could to stop just inside Dawn’s room, but it was Buffy who looked down at the sleeping girl. Suddenly Dawn opened her eyes. She blinked at her sister and then held out a hand to Buffy.

“Bad dream?” Dawn asked sleepily.

“Yeah,” Buffy replied softly as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

“Wanna talk about it?”

“I don’t need to talk,” Buffy said with a sad grin. “I’ve kind of made up my mind about something.”

“What?” Dawn asked with a bit more attention.

“I’m not doing the Slayer thing alone,” Buffy sighed. “The only reason I made it as far as I did was because I had back-up and family around me. I-I need help.”

“Knew that,” Dawn teased. Then she sat up and hugged Buffy tightly. “Thanks for not doing it alone, even if it means you can’t use the William Tell Overture as your theme music anymore.”

“You’re welcome,” Buffy said with a relieved smile. Then she looked at the clothes Dawn had laid out for school. “But not to that top.”

“Janice and I already made our big going back outfit decisions,” Dawn complained.

“And Janice’s mom is going to let her wear that sheer cropped tee?” Buffy asked pointedly as she took a slightly more conservative blouse out of the closet. “There,” Buffy said draping it over the chair. “Stylish and still too damn revealing but barely acceptable.”

Dawn just sighed with the sigh of downtrodden teenagers everywhere dealing with an out of touch generation.

“G’night,” Buffy said more gently.

“Night,” Dawn yawned.


===========================================================


Wesley Wyndam-Pryce sipped his coffee and looked across the table at Giles. The older man was huddled over his tea with a thoughtful frown on his face. Wesley’s smile was small and bitter but genuine.

“At least you look the part,” Wes said.

“I’m sorry,” Giles said looking up from the depths of his tea. “What part?”

“The wise counselor,” Wes replied. “I believe that’s why both the witches and the Slayer want to see us.”

“True,” Giles nodded sagely. “Especially if you gloss over leaving a very vulnerable young woman when she needed me most, trusting a racist bunch of blood path witches, and trying to trick a witch riding the largest wave of released evil magic anyone’s ever heard of.”

“You are more wise,” Wes answered as his smile became a silent snarl at an old memory. “You didn’t get your throat cut by a vengeful bitch, trust a bunch of gimmicked portents, and turn over a child to a madman.”

“My least favorite way to learn is from my mistakes,” Giles observed dryly. “I shall learn from your errors to avoid them in the future. Feel free to do the same.”

“No one lives long enough to make all the mistakes,” Betty added with old pain in her voice. “Good morning gentlemen.”

“Good morning, ma’am” both men said standing up as Betty fully materialized.

“Thank you,” Betty said with a smile. “Please be seated. It’s so nice to find good manners these days.”

“And thank you for not suggesting we give up proper behavior,” Giles replied.

“Never,” Betty said. “But I must ask us all to put away old hurts but not their lessons. We must be strong for the young ones.”

“Agreed,” Angel said with restrained politeness from the door. “Gentlemen, lady.”

“Angel,” both men said neutrally.

“I understand this is may uncomfortable, gentlemen,” Betty said levelly. “Each of us has a history that burns low and smoky. But we must let there more light than heat now. If you have anything new to add to the matters at hand please share them. Shall I begin?”

“Please,” Giles nodded.

“Several of my kind have said there is an exodus of the more easily frightened and the cautious dimensional travelers from this world,” Betty said. “They all say change is coming and they do not know which kind. Until the embers of that fire die down they will wait and see.”

“The Council of Watchers has been in contact,” Giles said with a forced calm. “Several ancient sources that have survived the recent seer’s changes speak of the beginning of the end. The majority of the Council believes that evil is going to swamp the world. Others, and Travers is among them, believe that this may turn out to be something good and have authorized me to act on the Council’s behalf and to use what ever resources I deem fit.”

“Within what parameters?” Wesley asked politely.

“There were none given,” Giles said with his surprise even now showing.

“My goodness, that’s unprecedented,” Wesley exclaimed softly.

“My news isn’t much different,” Angel said. “There’s a run on divination of all kinds but there are even fewer answers than usual. The one thing everyone agrees on is there is a witch now that has the potential to become a Power in her own right.”

“The magical community is looking for answers to the question of the new witch,” Wesley reported. “Evidently overnight the rumors of a well meaning Earth witch have made it from a few demons to the old line mages. My source says they are cautiously confident they can influence such a person.”

“I doubt we have to worry about Tara,” Giles said easily.

“Tara is not the only new witch to power,” Betty observed. “Willow has been reborn. Does she seem the same to you who knew her before?”

“No,” Giles answered thoughtfully. “She’s very much like herself, but more mature and...happier does not quite fit.”

“She’s knowing the wild, cruel joy of being alive,” Angel said.

“Correct and very well put,” Giles nodded.

“I stole it from a novel by Frederick Forsyth,” Angel shrugged with a guilty smile.

“Stole what?” Buffy asked as she entered the kitchen.

“Quotations to make me look wise,” Angel explained.

“Giles has done that for years,” Buffy said with a smile as she looked at Giles. “The wise part is coming up with the right quotation.”

“Duly noted,” Angel answered. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m the oldest Slayer on record because I’m not alone,” Buffy said carefully. “But lately I’m losing my team. Anya’s got a business to run. Xander’s working a real job now. Even Willow and Tara are iffy. They’ll follow me if I ask, but that means them putting their education on hold and believe me I know how hard it is to go back to school. Then there’s the fact that both of them have been through a lot and it’s changed them. They need to get their balance before they can really be the witches they should be and the people they need to be.”

“What about Dawn?” Giles asked.

“Don’t tell her but she’s getting up to the point of leaving the nest,” Buffy said in a way that no one doubted her wonder or her worry. “I want to stay home, go on patrol on the streets I know, and keep an eye on her but something’s, I don’t know...changed. I’m going to need to travel far and light.”

“Did you have a Slayer dream?” Wesley asked.

“Yeah,” Buffy answered. “More textured than usual. I knew some things but I don’t know how. And I was dying because I was alone.”

“There is someone who would be good to have along,” Angel said with caution in his voice.

“I believe I know who you’re speaking about,” Wesley said just as carefully. “I’m not sure my input is unbiased enough.”

“Please tell me this is some ultra-secret ancient but wise warrior,” Buffy said hopefully.

“No,” Giles said leaning back in his chair. “I believe they’re speaking about Faith.”

“I understand you never got along with her,” Wesley said carefully.

“No,” Buffy said thoughtfully. “But then I didn’t really want to either.”

“There is supposed to be only one Slayer at a time,” Giles observed.

“Would you be able to work with this Faith now?” Betty asked.

“I’m alive,” Buffy said with a small smile. “I’d like to stay that way. Don’t take this the wrong way, Betty, but I’d like to live long enough to be a fireman.”

“Firefighter,” Angel corrected. Then he grimaced. “Sorry, I’ve been in LA too long.”

“Probably,” Buffy grinned. Then she frowned. “There’s a problem with Faith, though. Isn’t she in jail?”

“Prison,” Angel said flatly. “Frontera, but they don’t call it that anymore. Biggest women’s prison in the country.”

“Second problem,” Buffy said uncomfortably. “Would she want to fight with me, I mean on the same side?”

“She’s changed,” Angel said surely.

“Yeah, but I didn’t bring out the best in her,” Buffy replied.

“Why not ask her?” Betty inquired.

“Would you mind doing the honors?” Giles asked Betty.

“Back in a minute,” Betty said


===========================================================


Sweat rolled off Faith’s nose as she reached the midway point in her workout. The drops fell on a carefully folded small towel so they didn’t hit the book open on the floor.

“Pardon me, Miss Lehane,” a cultured voice said politely. “I would usually not enter without permission but as vampires need permission also to enter I thought it best to apologize afterwards in this instance.”

“You, excuse me, are you from Wolfram and Hart?” Faith asked still going through her workout.

“No,” the voice replied. “I was present at the event that destroyed the Los Angeles offices of those vipers in Gucci.”

“Where are you?” Faith demanded.

“Oh, quite sorry.”

Faith didn’t break her routine but her eyes widened as a beautifully colored lizard appeared over her book in some sort of ball filled with flame.

“My name is Betty.”

“Nice trick, Betty,” Faith offered. “Who sent you?”

“Buffy Summers,” the fire lizard replied.

Faith stopped and sat down on the floor. “What does she want?”

“To know if you would be willing to be her comrade in arms,” Betty said diplomatically.

“Why?” Faith asked quickly. “Is she hurt? Is she in trouble?”

“I take it you too have had Slayer dreams,” Betty observed gently.

“You know about Slayers, huh?”

“Miss, I know about a great deal.”

“I’d expect that with the whole floating fire thing.”

“Yes,” Betty agreed. “And your evasion tells me you are struggling with many issues. If I may be so bold as to ask a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Is serving a sentence in this place the best way for you to pay what you owe?”

“At least you know I owe something,” Faith said softly.

“I took a look at the transcripts of your trial on the way over, such as it was,” Betty said. “I’m sure you’ve met enough jail-house lawyers to know that your attorney was a disaster with a briefcase and you could easily win on appeal.”

“Yeah,” Faith agreed with a shrug.

“But you accept the punishment.”

“I killed innocents,” Faith said as flatly as she could.

Betty just nodded for a moment, overcome by the pain in the girl’s voice.

A girl, Betty mused. A girl trying to become a woman in the worst possible place.

“I understand,” Betty nodded sadly. “As for your other questions Miss Summers is in good health, but things are changing.”

“I felt something a couple of nights ago,” Faith said suddenly. “Then it felt, I don’t know, cleaner some how. I heard about Wolfram and Hart and a tornado in LA. Are Angel and his people okay?”

“He’s having some trouble adjusting to being human again,” Betty replied. “But otherwise he’s fine.” Betty stopped as Faith’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times and her eyes stayed open wide. “Do get the words out, dear. You look like a stranded carp.”

“He’s human?” Faith gasped.

“He’s human, Wolfram and Hart are out of the field of law as it pertains to California at least, and Miss Summers is alive.”

“Yeah,” Faith said with a frown. “Angel told me about how that happened. Too weird, but I don’t blame Red for wanting B back.”

“Oh?” Betty asked hoping the brunette would open up a bit more.

“Yeah,” Faith said. “I figured what Angel told me was what B told him in the first place. I figured out for myself Red was telling herself what she wanted to believe. I know how that works.”

Betty just nodded. Finally Faith looked into Betty’s eyes.

“Does Buffy really need me?” Faith asked intently.

“I believe she saw her own death because she fought alone,” Betty replied.

Faith leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. She was quiet but Betty knew there was a furious debate going on in the silence. Finally Faith stood up.

“I’m in,” she said calmly. “Get me out.”

“Very well,” Betty replied.

“But no violence!” Faith added quickly.

“Agreed,” Betty smiled. “No injured innocents.”


===========================================================


Tara and Willow arrived at the Summers house half an hour later to find Buffy sitting at the computer typing very carefully.

“What are you looking up?” Willow asked.

“Nothing,” Buffy said without breaking her conversation. “I’m writing a letter of resignation. A Slayer’s life is too short to work at the Doublemeat Palace.”

“We’ll help any way we can,” Tara said in a worried voice.

“I’ve already got a sugar daddy,” Buffy finally grinned. Then Buffy looked at her best friend. “Will, I’ve got news you’re not gonna like.”

“You need us to watch your back in some new town?” Willow asked.

“Is the Hellmouth back somewhere new?” Tara asked with a audible wince.

“No, nothing like that,” Buffy said quickly. “Whatever Tara did to the Hellmouth it’s run off and hid. Bruce thinks it’s entirely off Earth and found, according to him, neither hide nor hair of the rum bastard.”

“You need sitters for Dawn at the next concert?” Willow guessed.

“Worse,” Buffy sighed. “Will, Tara, you both are heading into your last year of college, your powers are going to need time to work on where things with teeth won’t bite you and I think I’m going to be traveling soon.”

“So we take a year off college and see the world,” Willow insisted. “We’re
Scoobies, remember?”

“Yeah,” Buffy said softly. “Listen, I’ve got to go to work and give my notice. Just think about it, okay?”

“Sure,” Willow said positive the matter was closed.

“We will,” Tara answered meeting Buffy’s eyes.

“The people passing themselves off as wise counsel are hanging out in the backyard,” Buffy said giving Willow and then Tara a quick hug. “Gotta go!”

The witches went through the house to find Wesley, Giles and Angel sitting on the back porch. Betty was sitting in a cup of Orange Pekoe nibbling on a single M&M. Both young women smiled at her.

“What kind of example is this decadence?” Willow asked theatrically.

“I’d say the best kind,” Betty laughed. “Take your pleasure where you may, you do not know what comes your way. That’s especially true for tea and chocolate.”

“Oooh,” Willow said with wide eyes. “They are wise.”

“Bring on the questions,” Angel said with a sweep of his hand.

“First, did you remember to put on sun screen with at least SPF 30?” Tara demanded.

“Yes,” Angel replied. “I figured Cordie would pass that along. I’m wearing that goop.”

“Next question,” Willow said in suddenly serious tone. “How do we do a music based spell using a live focus, a holy object and an Orb of Thesulah without using up the focus?”

“Yeah,” Angel added. “I’d like to avoid that too.”

“I believe a sound-proofed room is needed,” Giles said. “And of course, magical shielding.”

“I’d suggest a double shield,” Wesley added. “One to hold the sound and spell in, one to hold out interference.”

“With a small vacuum in between to make sure no sound travels from shield to shield,” Betty finished.

“That sounds very workable,” Willow nodded. “Tara takes piano lessons in the afternoons in the music building and the rooms in the old part of the building are sound proof.”

“What about the new rooms?” Giles asked.

“Electric pianos and earphones,” Tara answered.

“Good tone, abysmal cover,” Giles sighed.

“Where’s Connor?” Tara asked looking about.

“Bruce is showing him the library and then the beach,” Betty answered. “He’s dealt with confused young human males before. At least now there’s no bullets and bombs.”

“That’s two questions,” Wesley observed as Tara absentmindedly chewed her lip. “What is the other?”

“W-What happens to the vampire when the spell is done?” Tara asked cautiously.

“Vampires are a binding of human and demon,” Angel said after a long breath. “They have memories of the human but not the soul, not the real one. The spell, at least the curse version the Gypsies used, well that makes you remember the human inside. The demon’s still there, still the life force so to speak...but the human memories are in control and memories are what make you who you are. At least that’s what I think it all means. All I know is I would have rather eaten rats in a sewer for years rather than take another human life.”

“You’re sure of that?” Giles asked carefully.

“Know it from experience,” Angel shrugged.

“Is there some place that you could have gone for help?” Tara asked with a shudder.

“There’s wild stories,” Angel said. “In reality I was a bastard before I died. I didn’t think there was any chance for me.”

“There is a whispered about place,” Wesley said calmly. “A monastery, perhaps one in the south of Italy. The rumor is that there is a vampire there who is a monk. He’s supposed to be the only one of eight vampires who ever tried to reform to have survived.”

“Yeah, I heard that one,” Angel said with a sardonic grin. “I’ve also heard a half dozen locusts pureed in a blender is a sure-fire hang over cure.”

“I believe the upshot is we don’t know,” Giles interrupted. “But on the plus side the only vampire I’ve ever actually encountered who survived the process is breathing what passes for air in the bright California sunlight today.”

Willow looked at Angel and smiled wanly. “Looks like you can add beacon of hope to your resume’.”

“Cool,” Angel said with a surprised smile.

“But that beacon’s going to be fiery red if we don’t get inside,” Tara added.

“But it feels so good,” Angel said lifting his head.

“I know,” Willow said taking his hand and Tara’s. “I know.”


===========================================================


Dawn came home to find a coolly lit sphere sitting on the dining room table along with Willow’s old silver Magen David, on a chain that Tara had bought for her. Dawn didn’t touch anything but rather went to the kitchen.

“Hey, responsible adults!” she said. “You’re exposing an innocent child to occult forces. Want to get the glowy rock off the dining room table so I can do my homework without getting all tempted?”

“Coming,” Willow said as she pulled on her light denim jacket. “We’re going out for a bit. Tell your sister we’ll pick up something and meet her back here.”

“Who am I tormenting then?” Dawn asked looking at Giles.

“Me,” Giles replied. “Wesley is needed back in Los Angeles to work on a project for Buffy, Angel and Betty are needed for Willow and Tara’s project, and Bruce is still out with Connor at the library.”

“Of course,” Dawn replied.


===========================================================


“Wow!” Connor whispered. “This is great!”

Bruce nodded as the teenager clutched the headphones to his ears. The librarian smiled at the young man’s enjoyment of the library’s small music listening space.

“This sounds like the city.” Connor said softly. “Bruce, is there more of this Gershwin?”

“Yeah,” Bruce replied. “And more of the jazz.”

“Do you think I’ll ever get the songs?”

“Songs need a common metaphorical image or shared experience,” Bruce explained. “The more you live and learn, the more they’ll speak to you.”

“Are there songs about...girls?”


===========================================================


Willow watched Tara sing. Inside the shielded room the words and notes were almost visible. Again Tara began to cast to the time of the music. Again the spell slipped away. Willow could feel the frustration building in her partner. Suddenly Willow rolled her eyes.

“Of course, you doofus!” Willow snarled.

“Honey, don’t talk that way about my girl,” Tara warned.

“I should have seen this though,” Willow said. “I know what’s missing.”

“What?” Tara asked looking at the Orb and the six pointed star on the piano.

“This,” Willow said taking Tara’s hand. “Try it now.”

“How about if I hold the Orb and the Star of David?” Angel asked.

“Go ahead,” Tara said. “Betty, we’re ready.”

“One more time,” the salamander sighed.

Tara began to sing.


===========================================================


The middle-aged man who walked the perimeter of the fence was tired. This was his third job, but being a night watchman for a closed factory meant his children would have a roof over their heads and books for school. So he walked, looking for something out of the ordinary and praying he would not find anything but more fence. Some ancient sense made him stop and look behind him. A woman stood in the moonlight with a doll. She smiled at him in a way that made him wish he had something more than a flashlight and a radio with weak batteries as she glided forward.

The woman stopped and swayed. The man began to back away. Then the dark haired frightening woman fell to her knees and screamed words in English that he did not understand with pain that needed no translation.

He turned and ran.


===========================================================


Willow and Tara looked beyond the walls in front of them, but Angel didn’t notice. Everything he had done to Drusilla flashed before his eyes and he barely made it to the waste can before he threw up. He didn’t see Willow and Tara lift their hands together, nor did he see that their eyes had become burnished gold.


===========================================================


Drusilla crawled across the broken pavement, her tear filled eyes locked on the goal of the broken wooden pallet and it’s jagged boards. She hoped it would hurt because such an evil thing deserved nothing less.

No a gentle voice said softly. Hope...


===========================================================


In the music room Tara and Willow slumped onto the bench, then leaned on the piano. Betty appeared, her flames uneven and her sphere wobbly.

“Wha’ happen?” she managed to slur.

Wordlessly Willow and Tara raised their still clasped hands. Betty shook herself for a few seconds then she took a deep breath.

“Connected,” Tara got out after a couple of tries.

“Oh my.”


===========================================================


Drusilla stopped and picked herself up. She stood unsteadily in the moonlight.

“Despair is a sin,” she said to the night. “I will do my best to not fall again. Thank you.”


===========================================================





To Be Continued

[Darth Pacula]

Sorry for missing an update, but I ... well, I could make up some fascinating excuse but the truth is ... I was just lazy. Sorry, mate.

You've worked in some nice examples of Scooby banter in the last couple of updates, like the:

“But rushing blindly into danger is our idiom,” Angel said with a crooked smile. “It’s what we do.”

I can just about hear the cast saying something like that, so bravo!

So that whole bit with the dragon was a smokescreen? The dragon was an actor? Interesting. Not sure if we should be trusting the Salamanders. Sure, I like them, but they're not showing all of their cards, methinks.

Is it just me, or is Tara's dream indicating that Dru is going to be the key to averting some new future apocalypse?

The interlude with the demons in LA was fun, particularly the way you described the demons, and with Lorne getting tanked.

Now we have Faith in the mix too! Woo, with a side order of hoo! And possibly Dru as well, now that she's soul gal and all. But while she's got a soul, she still seems ... how to put this? Mad as a cut snake?

Nice work, Jixer!

Cheers,
Paul.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

Oh boy! I get to work this weekend! Yippee Skippee! Okay, may that's too much positive mental outlook.

Darth Pacula- Oh my goodness, laziness? Who would have imagined

The salamanders do have a reputation for being tricky, and no one ever shows all their cards.

Drusilla's future is based on her past (that is her human past) and why Angelus was so interested in her. There will be a hint in the next update. And yes, she's still not wound as tightly as she could be. Who knows how that will manifest itself?

Crowds in big cities tend to be the same. The one in the hotel lobby was just a touch more eclectic.

Faith is my wife's suggestion. If everyone else is getting a polish she wanted Faith to get one too which crystalized theses last chapters.


Thanks for stopping by,

Jixer

[WillowRulez]

What an update!
Enjoyed the image of Miss Kitty cleaning Will's hands - very cute.
I also liked your new 'couples': Betty & Faith and Bruce & Connor. Connor's childlike reaction about music was very heart-warming.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-


It's too hot outside, so I retreat to the cool oasis of Kitten feedback.

And for a treat imagine W&T at an oasis

WillowRulez- As a person who has been owned by several cats I understand about those rough tongues. Besides, I'm a sucker for MKF scenes.

The salamanders seemed to be good matches for those characters. In many ways Connor is like a very young child. This world is almost entirely unknown to him, and he had no other humans to interact with besides Holtz. Fortunately here at Pens any character can get some body and paint work done to make them as good as new, or even better.


Off to deal with the evil laundry monster. Thank you for taking time with my story!

Jixer

[jixer]

Chapter Eighteen







Buffy Summers opened the door and almost danced into the house. She stepped lightly towards the kitchen but stopped in her tracks as she looked at the tableau around the dining room. Dawn was rubbing Willow’s neck as Tara clutched a cup of coffee like it was a lifeline. Giles had just poured Angel a stiff measure of amber liquid. Betty was being supported by a jet of blue fire from Bruce as she did what looked like salamander yoga. Connor was in the corner looking shaken.

“Did the spell fail?” Buffy asked cautiously.

“N-No,” Tara said with a shiver. “It worked really, really well. I think.”

“This is what happened last time, Will?” Buffy asked looking at her best friend.

“Uh-uh,” Willow replied without opening her eyes. “Then it was like I was out of myself for a few seconds and there was more power than I’d ever have using me. Imagine licking a nine volt battery like we did for the Anatomy Overview in Walsh’s class.”

“Okay,” Buffy frowned. “Creepy but memorable. It made my tongue wriggle.”

“That was the first time,” Willow explained. “This was like taking a bath with a 220 volt line.”

“Big mojo?” Buffy asked worriedly.

“It swamped my shields and tossed me about like a cork in the North Atlantic,” Betty said. “My tail is quite stiff.”

“Which is a crime against all things decent,” Bruce added.

“It made me remember,” Angel said hoarsely. “Remember the things I did to make her the way she was.”

“Things you couldn’t do now,” Connor said hesitantly.

Angel just shivered and clutched his drink.

“Giles?” Buffy asked.

“I’m only speculating,” Giles said leaning forward. “But it seems that Jenny’s ancestors found or copied an ancient, power spell or rite and used a derivative of that for their curse. When Tara was wondering about how to approach the spell the ancient form seems to have found a way to express itself more closely to the original.”

“And boy did it ever express itself,” Tara shuddered. “I-I don’t want to touch that again for a century or two. Maybe three. It was almost as bad as being between the copies of The True Path Of Magic.”

“Black magic?” Betty and Giles asked almost as one.

“N-No,” Tara answered. “It wasn’t black magic.”

“Then what could it have been?” Bruce wondered.

“Power,” Tara replied.

“With a capitol ‘P’ and lots of ‘ow’,” Willow finished.

“Which rhymes with now which is when you should be going to bed,” Buffy insisted. “Even if it is just past nine.”

“Yes, it is,” Dawn remarked looking at her sister. “Why are you home?”

“Bad day at the Doublemeat Palace,” Buffy grinned. “The manager fired me.”

“Please try to keep the tears to a minimum,” Dawn grinned back.

“Tara, Willow, a quick question please,” Giles asked. “How is your magic a this moment?”

Tara and Willow looked inward and then at each other.

“It’s all there but it’s, you know, still and peaceful,” Willow said softly.

Tara opened her hands and above the table a morning light hit a pond in a meadow. Dragonflies began to lift and dance in the breeze as birdsong swelled throughout the room. Willow took Tara’s hand and everyone could feel the gentle breezes and catch the scents of a warm spring day. An eagle’s cry split the air. All of them looked up into a sky of blue with drifting soft clouds to see the lazy pirouettes of the great raptor. For a second all of them felt the freedom of his flight. A cloud drifted through the vision and the dining room was the same, but in the air a hint of spring remained.

“It’s good,” Tara smiled.


===========================================================


Faith picked up her book and opened it to her bookmark. She flipped the page to Chapter Thirteen and froze as she read the title.

Chapter Thirteen: Not At Home

Faith closed the book and looked around the cell as the last word slipped past her defenses. There was a tiny shelf with a dozen books on it. A dictionary, a thesaurus, half a dozen battered textbooks, and her most treasured possessions: a battered paperback boxed set of J.R.R. Tolkien and a fifty year old history book both given to her by Angel. Beyond that her cell was neat and spare with little to mark it as hers.

“Where is home?” she asked herself softly.

Boston? No, that had been a place to escape from after her Watcher died. Before that it was where her mother drank and rutted. Not Boston. Sunnydale? Faith found she couldn’t think about that town without a pain she couldn’t understand. Here? A tiny cell locked away on the highest security watch was at least familiar. She rolled over, The Hobbit forgotten for the moment, and stared at the wall.

Down the corridor someone began to curse and then scream in rage. Faith picked up her book and entered the dragon’s mountain lair. It was almost like coming home.


===========================================================


“Where in the hell did we find this idiot?” Lilah Morgan wondered.

“So I take it Faith’s defense was not conducted by Wolfram and Hart?” Wesley asked casually.

“Good God no,” Lilah said flipping through the trial transcripts. “Just her incarceration.”

“Oh?” Wesley asked lifting himself onto his elbow.

“She was an asset,” Lilah explained. “One they didn’t know how to use. You don’t get a Vampire Slayer everyday.”

“Did you agree?” Wes asked.

“No,” Lilah said shaking her head as she read. “I thought we should kill her from a long way away, especially after Angel got to her.”

“Quite sensible,” Wesley agreed.

“Don’t get too agreeable or I’ll tell you to get your clothes on and go home,” the attorney said pulling the sheet up over her breasts.

“You’re a cold-hearted bitch who charges by the hour,” Wes replied.

Lilah just gave a predatory grin and returned to her reading.


===========================================================


“Hi,” Xander said softly as Anya locked up the Magic Box.

“Hello,” Anya said formally.

“Walk you home?” he asked finally meeting her eyes.

“Very well,” Anya replied. “But know this, Xander Harris; this is only a walk, nothing more. Capice?”

“Yeah,” Xander said with a nod.

“Let’s go,” Anya said turning on her heel.

Xander hurried to keep up and was halfway to Anya’s apartment before he spoke.

“Anya, I screwed up and I don’t blame you for hating my guts,” he blurted out.

“Good,” Anya said coldly.

“What you don’t know is-is...”

“What?” Anya snapped turning around to face him.

“I tried...I went to your place,” Xander said with his shoulders slumping. “I-I saw Tara and she tried to talk to me but I went out and looked for you everywhere I could think of.”

“Did you lose your deposit on your tux?” She asked.

“Ah, yeah,” he winced. “I forgot the schedule you made and I had to add a cleaning fee too.”

“Idiot!” Anya tiredly snapped. I’m glad it cost you money! It serves you right! Why am I not saying this out loud? Anya looked Xander in the eye and saw real, unmasked pain. She felt a growing surge of emotions that she didn’t want to feel.

“Come on,” she said turning away. “We’re supposed to be walking to my apartment.”

“R-Right,” Xander agreed in a confused tone as Anya started down the street at a brisk walk.

“There will be a mutual exchange of empty pleasantries at the door and you will leave, understand?” she said in a way that made it no question at all. “There will be no kissing of any kind.”

“Yes,” Xander agreed.

“Why are you agreeing?!?” Anya whirled on him. “Don’t you want to sneak in a stolen kiss, Xander Harris? Are you saying I’m not worth kissing?!?”

Xander hesitated for a second and then kissed her as hard as he could. Then he stepped back.

“Better,” Anya said. Then she slapped him. “But I said no kissing.”

“Right,” Xander said rubbing his cheek.

“Take me home.”


===========================================================


Tara sat down on the bed and looked at Willow. The redhead was as unsettled as she was. Tara shook her head gently.

“I think that was...big,” Tara said trying to find words to describe their experience with the spell.

“Cosmic big,” Willow agreed. “I mean forces of good and evil at the the most basic level and there are things undreamt of in your philosophy kind of cosmic big.”

“I felt so small,” Tara said.

“If that was what the original spell was like I can see why they changed it,” Willow said sitting beside Tara. “I’m still trying to fit my head around it.”

At that moment the phone rang and Dawn made her usual rush to answer. A moment later the teenager bellowed up the stairs “Tara! It’s for you! It’s Anya!” Tara tiredly picked up the phone.

“Hello,” she said politely.

“He kissed me!” Anya blurted out.

“What?” Tara asked with a frown.

“Xander!” Anya answered hotly. “He showed up and got all sad eyed and walked me home. I let him, and he got all apologetic and then he wasn’t going to, I mean really! Then he does kiss me and I wanted to-to-I don’t know what I wanted to do!”

Just at that second a soft beep indicated another call on the same line.

“How can I pour out my troubled and very valid feelings when you have just one phone line?” Anya demanded to know. “You need a cell phone, Tara! I’ll check out the prices and deals tomorrow. Answer the other silly call. It’s probably for Dawn.”

“Right,” Tara agreed thankfully. She pushed the button.

“Hello?” Xander asked frantically.

“Hi, Xander,” Tara said hopefully.

“I’m sorry to bother you two but I’ve got to talk to Will now!” he pleaded. “I kissed her!”

“Here she is,” Tara said with a small smile.

“What?” Willow asked in a whisper.

“Cosmic but much more local,” Tara replied.

“Xander?” Willow asked looking at her girlfriend with confusion.

“I kissed her, Will!” Xander said hurriedly. “I wasn’t going to, I was just going to talk but it was like she wanted me to but then she slapped only, only-I don’t know! What’s going on? Did I miss a signal?”

The soft beep on the line sounded again.

“Will, this is not the time to be playing phone tag! You need a phone of your own. We need to get you a cell. You’d better let Dawn’s friend through, just tell her this is important.”

“Right,” Willow said cupping the phone. She looked at Tara.

“I think we need to go and handle this face to face,” Tara said with a crooked grin.

“Yeah,” Willow agreed. “I’m thinking cosmic big might be easier.”

“No doubt love,” Tara chuckled. “No doubt.”


===========================================================


“Watch here for a while, love,” Betty said distantly.

“What’s wrong, lass?” Bruce asked with a gentle nuzzle.

“I need to know something,” she answered. “I’m taking the Path.”

“Watch your step,” Bruce said with a gentle tone. “And keep out of the gift shop.”

“Impudent pup!” Betty grinned. “Love you.”

“Love you,” Bruce echoed as Betty slipped out of her sphere.

Betty took a step and slipped between the worlds. Magic rippled through this place and Betty rode it, sifting the scents on the turbulent currents of uncertainty and power. Finally she caught an echo of the power that had used the witches and overcome her shields. She turned into the current and followed. In an eddy of mana she found herself slipping into a cool place of still and calm. She looked around in the almost light as joyful laughter joined the calm. A child of about four years old, entirely made of flame stood up from nothing and smiled at her.

“Welcome, Keeper of the Sacred Flame and Thrice Oathbound,” the child sang politely.

Betty was a salamander, she could not be fooled by fire. The fact that this being had chosen flame to manifest here meant Betty could look as deeply into their flame as she choose. Her gaze became a bow of her head and lifting of her tail in respect.

“You were the one who wrote the spell?” she asked politely.

“Twas a blessing long ago,” the child that was not explained. “Men changed it to suit their desires.”

“Tara and Willow come closer to the truth,” Betty observed. “Will they be safe?”

“True to your Second Oath you remain, daughter of fire,” the child smiled happily. “No, they are not safe. Magic isn’t safe, but you know that. As long as they remain true to themselves the danger shall be such that they can face and win through.”

“How deeply does this burn?” Betty asked with some trepidation.

“From the lowest embers to the highest flame,” the child answered suddenly serious. “Great will the dangers be, for the reward is great.”

“Thank you,” Betty bowed again.

The child sprang up and leapt into another plane with a laughter like bells in summer.


===========================================================


The Gates of Blood reeked of despair, even more so than the rest of the infernal landscape. Tending the lowest steps a ragged demon lowered his head as more senior monsters strode by and inflicted pain with light hearts and a prideful expertise. After they were gone an even more tattered demon sighed.

“Are you sure?” he whined.

“You got any better place to be?” growled a third.

“Fools we were,” sobbed a fourth. “This is our only chance.”

“But we’ve waited so long,” the second demon whined again.

“Enough!” hissed the first demon, their leader. “Keep your heads down and be vigilant. We won’t get a second chance.”

Then he turned back to his task and scraped some blood and offal over the stones that made the paving to the gate. A line of minor demons slumped ready to step through the portal that bled with blood taken, taken in so many ways. Those in line were not powerful. No powerful demon would take the journey though the Gates of Blood.

No powerful demon would risk passing through the Gates, melding himself to some random human memories to to become a vampire.


===========================================================


Drusilla strode through the back streets of the rundown port, her attention entirely in front of her. She concentrated on the scents of low tide and cooking fish, of spices and cigarettes. Anything to drown out the beating of so many hearts pumping warm rich blood all around her. Finally she caught the scent of fear and hope mixed and followed it to the oily docks near the shore. A small knot of humanity crowded together and waited by what looked like a barely functioning fishing boat. Suddenly two rough hands grabbed her. Drusilla was almost overcome by the odor of rage and lust those hands carried. She whirled and lifted her assailant over her head.

“Fool!” she bellowed. “Do you not know the wages of sin are death?”

With that she let her evil face come through. She opened her mouth and snapped hard on the air close to the struggling man’s neck. He whimpered and added to the odors of the port. Drusilla shuddered as she fought to return her face to her human guise. Finally she screamed in pain and forced herself to look human again as an urgent lust of blood and fear almost overcame her. Then she tossed her would be attacker to the side and glared at him.

“Go and thank God!” she growled.

The man scuttled away, calling on every name of every deity he could remember.

“You, vampire,” another man in a watch cap demanded. “What do you want?”

“Passage,” she replied curtly. “I can pay.”

“Very well,” he grumbled. “Make sure you don’t eat the passengers until I collect my fee.”


===========================================================


Tara leaned back and sipped her mocha. Sometimes the Espresso Pump could have it’s own magic, like tonight. A student with whom she had a nodding acquaintance played a light Bach guitar piece that helped her think about her long talk with Anya. She smiled as she felt Willow come closer and take the seat next to her.

“Magic,” Tara said softly as Willow’s hand found hers.

“Habit,” Willow grinned.

“How is Xander?” Tara asked.

“Confused but a bit hopeful,” Willow said after sipping her drink. “Is there hope?”

“Some,” Tara replied thoughtfully. “She’s tired of somebody else’s idea of success. She said she’s done with doing what somebody else thinks is best for either a twenty something woman or a thousand year old demon for too long.”

“She’s right,” Willow nodded. “Maybe Anya needs some time alone. We could watch the Magic Box for her after all this is done.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Tara agreed. Then she looked at her lover and smiled. “You’re a lot happier now.”

“Nothing like getting a new custom body from a salamander to change your outlook,” Willow said with a smile. “This may wear off but darn it, it’s good to be alive and sipping mocha’s with my girl and listening to other people’s problems and trying to figure out just how big the cosmic bigness is we touched while listening to guitar music. Everything I thought I wanted before seems so trite.”

“Don’t over do it,” Tara warned with a quirky grin.

“How could I over do it?” Willow asked.

“You said everything,” Tara explained. Then she lifted her cup and put her tongue into the mocha, curling up the last of the creme.

“Maybe not everything,” Willow agreed with reddening cheeks.

“Good.”


===========================================================


Connor walked along the dark paths of the cemetery and tried to figure out what the jumbled feelings he couldn’t give a name to might mean. He was wondering what Dawn’s school must be like and whether she thought he was handsome. Holtz had told him so but Holtz was a lying madman. Part of him longed for the deadly certainty of Quor’toth and part of him wanted to see everything pictured in the books in the library.

“AWWARGHow oh no umph!” A creature sort of snarled as it leapt out and tripped over a low gravestone.

Connor began to whirl into a defensive position but found himself staring at the thing on the ground. It sat up but a collection of horns rolled away. The creature lifted it’s hands and felt for the horns. “Where’s my head?” it asked. Gradually a woebegone demon sat up in a bundle of old leather and cloth rubbing his drooping ears. He looked at the Slayer sheepishly.

“Sorry,” he said. “I think I went overboard with the horns.”

“It’s okay, Clem,” Buffy answered helping him up. “I don’t think our young knight here was ready anyway.”

Connor just blushed and looked down.

“Yes,” Bruce sighed becoming visible. “That was a test.”

“Wow!” Clem said looking at the salamander. “An honor, sir.”

“Oh, just call me Bruce,” Bruce said as a reflex before he slapped his head. Clem suddenly had a look of horror. “Oh, no worries, mate,” Bruce said hurriedly. “Got me a witch spell that’s good as gold.”

“Oh thank goodness,” Clem said relaxing so hard he almost deflated. “I figured it was going to be one or the other of us what with your name and all. I was going to bet the farm on you.”

“Tain’t a bother, chum,” Bruce said easily. “Sorry the test turned out to be such a rum go.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Clem said stepping out of his homemade disguise. “It never hurts to help. Oops, I’ve got get going. I’m watching ‘Pride And Prejudice’ with Sophie.”

“Good night, Clem,” Buffy said as he hurried off. “Thanks.”

“That was a friend of yours?” Connor asked looking after the demon.

“Clem?” Buffy asked thoughtfully. “Yeah, I suppose he is. Just don’t play poker with him.”

“What are you going to do to me?” Connor asked straightening up and looking forward.

“Send you home,” Buffy answered. “Believe me, I’ve done this when I was distracted and should have been concentrating on things that could bite. You can get killed that way.”

“You will get killed that way,” Bruce said in a harder voice. “And I for one have buried too many lads.”

“But I can fight!” Connor blurted out. “It’s all I’m good at!” Then he dropped his eyes. Buffy placed her hand under his chin and lifted gently until their eyes met.

“No, it’s not,” Buffy said with a restrained anger. “You’re human, Connor, and a teenager. You’re not even close to understanding how much you can do yet. You’ll be years learning what you’re good at and you’ll still get surprised. Don’t let the pain of a pair of old enemies burn you.”

“Are you talking about Holtz or my vampire parents?” Connor asked angrily.

“You came into this world in a weird way,” Buffy replied still meeting his eyes. “You’re a one in a billion long shot, just like everybody else!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Connor demanded.

“It means life doesn’t come with instructions and it’s not fair,” Buffy replied evenly. “You’ve got a father who loves you. Mine’s five thousand miles away and still hasn’t replied about my mother’s death. You’re new and you don’t know much about anything around here, but you can read and you have teachers and family. You’re not small and all alone with no one around who speaks your language or even looks like you. You can fight and you’re strong. Guess what? Not everybody can even walk here let alone move like a cat. So don’t give me this ‘I’m only good at fighting’ shit or the ‘I’ve got weird parents’ sob story because by God everybody who’s ever been sixteen has weird, horrible parents. Got it?”

“Did you?” Connor asked still angry.

“I ran away from home about then,” Buffy said flatly. “My mother couldn’t handle me being the Slayer.”

Connor just looked at her and blinked for a few moments. “What-what happened?” he asked hesitantly.

“I finally went back to her,” Buffy said softly. “I haven’t seen my father since.”

“When did she die?” Connor asked matching Buffy’s soft tones.

“Year and a half ago,” Buffy said closing her eyes. “I found her. Couldn’t save her. She was already gone.” Then Buffy looked out over the cemetery’s long rows of old grief. “There’s nothing out here tonight, which is a good thing because right now I’m not up to this either. Let’s go home.”

“Sounds good,” Bruce agreed.

The three headed back and Bruce took a position behind the two humans. He listened as Connor asked Buffy questions about friends, families and what music meant to her. After they arrived at 1630 Revello Bruce excused himself and called up a cube of white hot flame. After a moment the flame’s pitch changed slightly.

“Bruce?” his mothers asked as one from the flame.

“Hi Mums,” he replied. “I’m fine, just a quick call to say thanks and I’m all right.”

“Where are you calling from?” his younger mother asked.

“California,” he answered. “Yes, I’ll send postcards.”

“You’re okay?” his older mother asked worriedly.

“Same old, same old,” Bruce said lazily.

“What are you thanking us for?” his younger mother asked.

“Everything,” he replied. “Love you. Gotta go.”

“Love you,” both called out. Then his older mother cleared her throat. “You know, grandchildren would be a nice thank you present.”


===========================================================


Tara rolled very carefully out of bed and picked up her robe, or rather tried to for an unexpected weight was on it. Several minutes of gentle maneuvering later a cat glared at her with one eye and went back to sleep. Willow grumbled without opening her eyes.

“Pee for me, will you?”

“I’ll try honey,” Tara promised. A moment later she was in the dorm’s bathroom wondering just what day it was.

A moment later Willow shuffled in muttering about tyrannical bladders. Tara was smiling as the morning took on a normal feeling.


===========================================================


In the Summers house the phone shattered Giles’ dream of a lecture about the history of amulets being delivered on a tropical beach. He fumbled for the phone. A few moments later a sleepy eyed Buffy padded down the stairs to find him writing on a legal pad with Betty over his shoulder and nodding.

“What’s up?” Buffy asked as she slowed down on her way to coffee.

“It seems the Council of Watchers was making plans to get Faith out of prison before Tara’s spell,” Giles explained. “Most of them are sure they’ll need her for the coming apocalypse. Travers thinks she’ll be needed for some more useful purpose.”

“End of the school year is always big with apocalypse action,” Buffy said. “But usually I’ve got to go through the strange dreams and the mystical oracle guessing game. This year there was just a busted wedding and some annoying nerds and my best friend getting wiggy with magic and then killed...”

Buffy’s words drifted to silence as the room started to get very small as her breath came in rapid gasps. Giles stood up and took her in his arms until her breathing slowed down. Buffy clung to him for a long moment.

“This year sucked,” she said in a small voice.


===========================================================


Wesley rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. He looked into the mirror there and examined his red, very slowly healing wound. The sound of knocking seemed slightly out of place coming from the mirror.

“Yes?”

“I beg your pardon,” Betty said poking her head out of the reflective surface. “Sorry interrupt your ablutions but could you give this to Ms. Morgan?” Wes took the slightly hot manila folder as it appeared above the sink. “It’s a list of people in places that have the ability to expedite Faith’s retrial. I’m sure Ms. Morgan can make careful use of it. Please emphasize the ‘careful’.”

“Of course,” Wes agreed.

“Are you going to be much longer?” Lilah asked lazily from the bedroom.


===========================================================


Faith was just finishing a rather bland breakfast of soggy bread, jelly and brown tarry stuff which might have been peanut butter years ago when Betty coughed politely.

“C’mon in,” Faith said. “I’d have saved you something if you’d told me you were coming.”

“Shouldn’t you be in a dining facility?” Betty asked as she entered.

“We’re in lockdown,” Faith shrugged. “Any news?”

“We’re moving through channels as swiftly as we can,” Betty said. “Is this lockdown procedure followed by a search?”

“It will be,” Faith nodded.

“Would you like something protected until it’s over?” Betty asked.

“You’ve been in stir?” Faith asked in a puzzled voice.

“No,” Betty replied. “But I’ve gotten some people out after careful observation.”

“I bet you’re a good observer,” Faith grinned. Then she looked at her books. “Could you take care of them until I get out?”

“I will guard them like they were my own,” Betty said solemnly. “Oh, who is really in charge around here?”

“Deputy Warden Browne,” Faith said with a grimace. “I’m pretty sure Wolfram and Hart have - had their hooks in her.”

“Thank you,” Betty nodded. “I must be on my way.”

“Thanks,” Faith said as the books were surrounded by a glowing halo of light and followed Betty into thin air.


===========================================================


Deputy Warden Browne grumbled as her phone rang with the special buzz. She picked it up reluctantly.

“What?” she snapped.

“Release Faith Lehane to lowest security and place her on Trustee status pending a transfer to Los Angeles Jail for retrial,” a cultured voice said. “You’ll get the paperwork in about three business days.”

“Who is this?” Browne demanded.

A wall of fire surrounded the Deputy Warden. A face from a nightmare snarled into being. “WE ARE THE SERVANTS OF THE ONE WHO DESTROYED HER ADVERSARIES!” the face sneered with a breath of flames. “SHE WHO TOSSED THEM INTO HELL WITHOUT REMORSE, WITHOUT PITY, WITHOUT EFFORT! THAT’S WHO WE ARE YOU STUPID BLOUSY COW! NOW GET CRACKING OR YOU’RE NEXT!”


===========================================================


“Chew the scenery much?” Betty sighed. “I do recall using the word subtle.”

“Everybody’s a critic,” the dragon sniffed. “And there isn’t even a trailer on this job for me to storm off to.”

“You poor dear.”


===========================================================


Charles Gunn slumped into a chair and sipped at his coffee. Cordelia glanced at him and yawned.

“Anything?” she asked.

“Not even a peep,” Gunn sighed. “No one’s talking and no one’s especially seen, heard of, or especially taken any money from Wolfram and Hart or any vampire. Ever. And Tara’s little peace envoy thing caught on pretty good so she’s not exactly a scary threat.”

“After vaporizing every vamp for a thousand miles?” Cordelia asked with disbelief.

“She’s a nice girl,” Gunn smiled tiredly. “That kind of comes across.”

Both of them looked up as the door opened and two men in suits entered. Had they been wearing their uniforms it wouldn’t have been any plainer that they were LAPD.

“What can we do for you?” Gunn asked carefully.

“I’m Detective Jameson, this is Detective Ramirez,” the older cop said professionally as he held out his badge and ID. “Do you recognize this man?”

Gunn and Cordelia looked at the picture of Holtz with two puncture wounds in his neck. Cordelia looked up at the lead detective.

“His name is Holtz,” Cordelia said in her best ‘I should be blonde’ voice. “I don’t know where he lives, but he vanished about a month ago. He kept coming here and talking about vampires and stuff. His skin looks horrible. He didn’t look that bad before. Was he homeless or a druggie?”

“Yeah,” Gunn added. “He was spooky crazy. He had these scary eyes. He was running around with some whacked out dudes and this crazy white chick. They were all about vampires and evil spirits and shit.”

“Was he their leader?” Ramirez asked.

“I think so,” Gunn replied.

“Did he ever threaten Mr. Angel?” Jameson asked evenly.

“They didn’t get along,” Gunn answered before Cordelia. “Holtz was a grunge act. Blamed Angel for all sorts of weird shit.”

“Where is Mr. Angel now?” Jameson asked.

“He’s been up in Sunnydale with some friends for a couple of days,” Cordelia answered sadly. “He and his son are trying to patch things up. His mother’s dead and Angel and Connor have never really been close.”

“A couple of days?” Ramirez asked opening his notebook.

“Yeah,” Gunn nodded. “We came back to keep the office open.”

“Could we get his address in Sunnydale?” Jameson asked politely.


===========================================================


Fred was just considering getting out of the bath when the phone rang. With an unladylike oath she scrambled for the phone and tried to wrap a towel around herself.


===========================================================


Angel was just putting the ‘Please Clean’ sign on the motel room door when Fred rushed up with her hair still damp and barely dressed. Connor looked behind her for what was chasing her.

“Trouble?” Angel asked without a lot of hope. His heart sank when Fred looked at Connor with a questioning look.


===========================================================


“What do you think?” Willow asked as she stepped away from the closet. “How about the white one?”

Tara looked at Willow’s choice in blouses and saw Willow fall to the floor, her white blouse red around the obscene hole.

“TARA!” Willow cried out in fear.

Tara looked at Willow and saw the redhead’s fear wasn’t for herself, but for Tara.

“You w-w-w...white w-when...”

“Honey, I’m sorry!” Willow said as she wrapped her arms around Tara. Willow took her lover’s hand and guided it to her chest. “I’m here. Heart beat, warm skin, boobies. See?”

“Yes,” Tara said shakily as she nuzzled Willow’s neck. “I’m sorry. I-I...”

“I’m skipping white in my wardrobe for a while,” Willow said gently. Tara looked down. Willow could feel the next words forming. “And if you tell me you’re being stupid, Tara Maclay, I’ll spank you. Or not spank you, whichever is worse.”

Tara’s small smile was just returning before the phone rang.


===========================================================


Willow and Tara arrived hand in hand at the Magic Box. Giles was looking over some notes at the table with Fred, Anya was glancing through a catalog and Angel was sitting slumped on the incline stairs to the now empty upper bookcases. Tara looked at the training room door and tried not to get swamped by the emotions churning behind it. Willow turned and met her eyes.

“I can feel it from here,” Willow said with a wince. “Are you sure you’re up to this, baby?”

“I’ll be okay,” Tara said softly. “You’re nearby.”

Willow watched her go over to the door and knock lightly before entering. Only then did Willow go to the counter. Anya looked up from her catalog of displays.

“Hey,” Willow said quickly. “Tara and I were talking and we were wondering if after all of this stuff settles down you’d like to take some a break and get some time just for you. We’d run the store while you were gone.”

Anya looked thoughtful for a moment as Willow hoped she hadn’t been offensive. The witch was going over her words for the second time before Anya nodded.

“I’d like that,” Anya said. “Thank you. Now you’d better get over to the brooding one. See if you can lighten him up a bit.”

“He puts a downer on the store,” Willow agreed.

“You’re beginning to understand retail,” Anya said with an impressed tone.


===========================================================


“I want to hate him!” Connor snarled through his tears. His face was red from scrubbing away the offending tears. “I do hate him! Why am I crying?”

“Same reason I’d cry if my father died,” Tara said.

“Or mine,” Buffy agreed. “He’s part of your past, your family.”

“But he wasn’t my father!” Connor almost howled. “He was just a lying bastard who used me! Even his death is a lie! He’s trying to fuck over my dad! There are no vampires here anymore, are there?”

“First, language,” Buffy said firmly. “Second, Tara, can you confirm there are no vampires in LA?”

Tara closed her eyes and looked for the familiar auras of death and feeding. She found one and pulled back to reference it. Her eyes opened with surprise. She was sensing farther and clearer than ever before.

“The nearest one is in Nevada,” Tara said. “He’s hiding in a drainage pipe.”

“See?” Connor asked angrily.

“He lied,” Tara said evenly. “He used you. He hurt you. But you’re going to cry, Connor. Like it or not for most of your life he’s been the closest person to you. You looked up to him, trusted him, grew up under his care. He’s as close as a father would be. You know my story.”

“Yeah,” Connor said more calmly.

“If something happened to my father, even after what he did to me, to my mother,” Tara shivered. “I’d cry. He’s the one who taught me how to ride a bicycle, who took me to school, who put my drawings of him on the fridge. I’d remember that part.”

“I hate this,” Connor mumbled as he looked down.

Buffy slipped an arm around the boy’s shoulders and pulled him close.

“You’ll make it,” she promised fiercely. “You’ve got family, you’ve got friends.”

“Damn straight,” Bruce added from his sphere.

“Even if they are an odd bunch of friends,” Tara added lightly. Then she looked back to the door with a start.


===========================================================


“So Holtz is dead, the cops are coming, and Connor’s having a rough time,” Willow said rubbing her temples.

“Can’t you do some magic to get him past this?” Angel asked Willow.

“What do you mean?” Willow asked stiffly.

“Change his memories-”

“NO!”

“Willow,” Giles said calmly. “Let him down. Gently, please.”

Willow slowed her breathing and looked at the former vampire curled into a ball surrounded by angry flames, all floating two meters off the floor. Then the briefest touch of strength and love calmed Willow’s mind.


===========================================================


Anya looked over and was about to say something when she thought better of it and simply wrote ‘get sprinkler system, check on fire insurance’ on her catalog.


===========================================================


“Be still,” Willow said firmly and the flames vanished. “Come down.”

“Okay, what the Hell was that all about?” Angel asked shakily.

“I touched memories before,” Willow said calmly. “Do you want to know the cost?”

With that she called forth a bubble. Connor was looking at an older Angel. “What have you done to me?” Connor shrieked in the bubble. “I thought you loved me, trusted me. It’s all a lie, isn’t it? Isn’t it?!?” Connor stormed away before Angel could respond. Angel saw himself age alone, his friends driven off. Willow collapsed the bubble.

“Was it that bad?” Angel asked looking at Giles.

“No,” Giles answered. “It’s much too neat. You miss the refusal to trust, the emptiness that fills up with bitter anger, the loneliness that Connor would be feeling never being able to trust again.”

“I just want what’s best for him,” Angel said dejectedly.

“He’s going to get hurt, Angel,” Giles said with a hint of sadness. “Part of growing up, I’m afraid. The best thing you can do is be there. The next best is to be consistent and the kind of person you want him to be.”


===========================================================


“What’s going to happen with the police?” Connor asked flatly. “Are they going to arrest my dad?”

“No,” Tara said with a sudden smile. “I think I’ve got an answer.”


===========================================================


The fishing boat was surprisingly fast for such a rusty craft. It cut swiftly through the sultry Mediterranean night on it’s way north. One of the advantages of being a vampire is rarely being too hot. Dusilla stood out under the stars not because of heat but rather to see the stars. The vampire could hear the human cargo sneaking onto the deck for a quick breath of diesel filled cooler air. She heard a different heartbeat come close.

“What about her?” it asked. “The thing?”

“See if she wants a meal from the unsalable ones before you toss them overboard,” the captain replied. “Other than that leave her alone.”

“But I’m not hungry,” Drusilla said in a little girl voice suddenly behind them. “And I’m looking forward to playing with my new toys on shore. On shore, captain. I’m sure you understand.”

Before he could answer the captain’s jaw screamed in pain as two delicate fingers found the notches of his jaw and lifted him with ease of a wolf taking a mouse. The seaman beside him swung at the slim vampire but found his hand caught in cold fingers with the strength of iron. The vampire took just two steps but then they were all on the stern.

“There’s three bad fishies out there,” Drusilla confided. “Nasty fishies who bite warm things I like to bite. Would you like to meet them?”

Both men grunted their reluctance to bother fish at such a late hour. Drusilla gave a child-like frown. “I’m bored.” she said petulantly. “Get me and my food to shore. I want to play.”


===========================================================


The second mate was startled to see the captain scramble into the chart house and slam the door.

“How far to the coast?” he demanded grabbing the chart.

“Ten hours,” the mate said looking out the window.

“Not the rendezvous!” barked the captain. “The closest land!”

“Six hours, maybe seven at this speed.”

“Make it faster!” the captain ordered. “Burn out this scow’s engines if you have to! I want us there before dawn!”

“But-”

“DO IT!”


===========================================================


A little girl popped her head out of the old fishing boat’s hold and saw a pretty lady. She crept out and took a breath of air that didn’t stink of rotted fish and thirty other people’s sweat. The woman turned to her without moving, the girl was sure about that. She was just suddenly looking down at her with sad eyes.

“Get out of sight, little one,” the woman said gently. “There are monsters out here tonight.”






To Be Continued

[WillowRulez]

Tara opened her hands and above the table a morning light hit a pond in a meadow. Dragonflies began to lift and dance in the breeze as birdsong swelled throughout the room. Willow took Tara’s hand and everyone could feel the gentle breezes and catch the scents of a warm spring day. An eagle’s cry split the air. All of them looked up into a sky of blue with drifting soft clouds to see the lazy pirouettes of the great raptor. For a second all of them felt the freedom of his flight. A cloud drifted through the vision and the dining room was the same, but in the air a hint of spring remained.

Beautiful image.
The bit with Anya & Xander calling Tara & Willow reminded me of Harry & Sally. Very cute!
Oh, and Clem & Sophie?

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-

Oh the choices! Rejoice that the clouds have vanquished the heat or worry about my tomato plants? At least there is Kitten feedback, which is always a good thing.

WillowRulez- Thank you. I went over that scene right up until posting. To quote Heather Alexander's Storyteller 'I need to know magic's still there'.

I wonder if Alexander Graham Bell knew how much his invention would mean to screenwriters, detective stories, and romance? Speaking as someone who did the whole long distance romance thing I'd have to say, '"Thanks."

Clem's basically polite, well read, and when I write him he likes Jane Austen and other authors. Demons like him are hard to find!

Thank you for stopping by here,

Jixer

[bluebird]

wooo hooo!!!

excellent update.. always happy to see Faith get involved in fics.

hmmm... can't work out where your taking us but I'm looking forward to the ride, it's been very, very much of the good so far!!

keep it up


bluebird