The Letting Go

by The Rainbow Writers

Copyright © 2003

rainbowwriters@hotmail.com

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Faith, Giles, Dawn and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Joss Whedon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the authors. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the authors for permission to reproduce this story on any other fanfiction site.
Distribution: The Rainbow Writer's Homepage: /members.tripod.com/rainbowwriters/
Mystic Muse: /mysticmuse.net
Feedback: All feedback is welcome.
Author's Note: This story is set a little over eight years from the current time place of the series in season five, (with the premise that Glory has been defeated, without the loss of any of the gang or any severe trauma to them i.e. Tough Love didn't happen in this storyline). It is a severely traumatic story, which has come about in an attempt to deal with the topic of loss and the variety of emotional responses that evolve from these life-changing experiences.
Pairing: Willow/Tara

Part Nine

"Newsflash, Giles!" Faith slammed her hand into the heavy bag with the Watcher hanging back at the door. "Willow is on oxygen and Tara almost got her head crushed in. Add to that the fact that Dawn got the shit scared out of her, Jack had her hand smashed, and you are left with only one fact. In the game of life, right now we are sucking hind tit."

"As ever, Faith, your terminology is expressive." The older man shook his head and turned away from the dark Slayer. "I don't like the fact that Willow and Tara got hurt any more than you do, but we are limited in our options of ways to deal with this particular problem."

"Yeah well, this particular problem is starting to more than piss me off – in the 'I'm going to take things into my own hands' way." Faith jumped up to snap a kick into the bag. "Cause even if I can't take her yet, I'm going to make a definite dent in her minion population."

"Killing mindless devoted minions is not a suitable slayer pastime, Faith. I thought you had changed." He sighed.

"Oh well, then, watcher man." Faith turned her eyes anger. "What do you suggest? Sit here with my thumb up my ass and read?"

"Sunnydale still has the usual Hellmouth issues, Faith – they always need looking after." He argued, meeting the hotheaded woman's anger.

"Giles, killing vampires and upstart demons is like breathing. It's easy. Necessary, but not something that keeps my attention." Faith shook her head. "And Slayers on the long side of twenty don't much need reminding of the 'sacred duty' thing."

"Slayers never forget their sacred duty." Giles agreed, though his voice held a slightly strange tone. "I understand that the way we are being forced to handle this, is not the way you would naturally deal with this kind of threat, but whether we like it or not, Faith, Willow is the only one who can begin the spell to rid the world of this monstrosity."

"Fine." Faith shook out her arms. "But have you found a way to make me the one who finishes it?" She asked him point blank.

"I have come up with some interesting ideas that I am following up with careful research." The Englishman replied, glancing towards a small stack of books.

"E-lab-or-a-tion." The dark Slayer prompted him.

"When I have secure details you will know." He briefly glanced at the dark haired woman. "How is Tara?" He asked, dropping his voice a little at the sensitive issue.

"Hey, how would you be if someone tried to rip your head off?" Angry with herself more than anything for not being there, she did a back flip and hit the bag with a double kick that made it rattle on its chain.

"Faith, the fact that Tara was injured is not your fault." He observed.

"Giles, don't even bother, okay?" She shook her head and put a hand out to steady the bag as she took a deep breath. "What is or what isn't my fault is for me to decide. I'm going on patrol." In a swift move she grabbed her jacket and headed for the front door.

"You can't watch over her forever, that I do know." Giles called after the retreating woman.

"Lookie here, watcher boy!" Faith turned back, stalking right up nose to nose with him. "My watch didn't result in Buffy dying. On my watch Tara was pulled from a burning building. On my watch a half dozen minions went down. On my watch everyone is alive, which living in a Hellmouth is a plus any night. So don't talk to me about what I can or can not do."

"Faith, I am aware that Buffy asked you to watch over Tara when she was younger. I questioned her judgment even then, but that was when she was here to tackle the rest of a slayer's duty. She's not here to do that now, so it's down to you. All I am saying, Faith, is that you can't afford to make this personal." Giles seemed to be oblivious to Faith's growing anger.

"Oh Giles, Giles, Giles." The dark Slayer reached up and slapped his cheek. A condescending movement that she repeated three times as she said his name, her hand falling just hard enough to sting. "You never were a very good Watcher, were you? See, the only way we're going to win this is if I make it personal and right now Anezka has broken the biggest rule, so she'll pay Faith's way."

"She is an abomination Faith, and she must pay. I am not denying that." He took a slightly surprised step backwards. "I am merely reminding you that sometimes innocents suffer and there is nothing we can do about it. The end goal must always be the focus. If Tara had been killed in this recent attack the end goal would still be the same and we would go about it in exactly the same way, I just need to know you understand that."

"The only thing you said that was right there, Giles, is that the end goal is the same, the bitch is going to die." Faith took a step back, knowing if she didn't bail now then she was going to do the older man some serious damage. "She's going to die for killing Buffy, she's going to die for hurting Tara, and she's even going to die for being a bad ass fallen angel. I don't care why I kill her, Giles, I don't care how I kill her, but she's gonna die – and soon."

With her final words, the dark Slayer turned and in a few quick steps was out into the night air. The small bell on the door announced her departure.

Jack sat on the back porch looking up at the silent stars above, holding sentry on the world. For a moment she felt small, felt cold and felt very insignificant in the scheme of things. Here she was, just one woman – even worse, just one human among a few billion beneath the stars and fearful of what the morning would bring.

The warmth of the sleeping body that curled into her was the only thing that made it all worth it. The one thing that put all the feelings into perspective, with one simple emotion: love. She'd never in her life loved anything or anyone as much as she loved Dawn Summers.

'Did you know this would be all along?' She looked the stars above, wondering to herself just how many secrets they kept, how many hidden things they'd borne witness to on their watch.

She laughed to herself lightly as she realized it was three o'clock in the morning, and here she was trying to get answers from the stars. She hugged the body in her arms a little tighter, knowing here in the silence one true fact.

Love was going to get them through this. It had to.

Tara listened attentively to Willow's shallow but regular breathing, trying to block out the monitor that kept constant vigil over her lover. The pain in her own head wasn't as overwhelming as it once had been, and for the first time in a few days she didn't actually feel the earth spinning whenever she closed her eyes. She actually felt strangely safe snuggled up with the vulnerable witch. It was a feeling she used to have all the time, before she had made the decision to leave. The feeling that there was nothing and no one they could not beat together. Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay, unbeatable monster fighters – that's what she, they, had believed.

Slowly she rubbed her hand back and forth across Willow's stomach over the hospital sheets and thought about how good it felt to feel that safe once again.

"I love you." She whispered to her sleeping lover as she thought about everything that had changed since she had felt this way. For the first time since Willow had arrived at the doorstep Tara actually thought about the news the redhead had brought with her.

Buffy was dead. Buffy Anne Summers, Vampire Slayer, stunningly attractive young woman, was gone, leaving a legacy that none could ever live up to. The idea that she was gone seemed incomprehensible.

'What would you think of this?' She asked the Slayer silently as she stroked the stiff cotton again. 'Your best friend and the awkward shy witch back together again, though not out of trouble I hasten to add.' She smiled. 'I'm going to stay with her this time, Buffy, I swear.' She silently vowed. 'She's my everything.'

Without thinking, Tara placed a light kiss on the hacker's cheek.

"Hummm, I love you Tara." Willow's sleepy voice mumbled the words through a hoarse dry voice.

"I think I have to go back to my room." Tara glanced at the large clock up on the wall.

"What? No." Willow held on a bit tighter. "No go, need snuggles. Snuggles heal little Willow lungs and Tarebear head."

"Oh sweetie." Tara's fragile resolve melted a little more at her lover's words. She may be eight years older, but at times she sounded like the student that had stolen her heart from the first Wiccan meeting. "It's getting late."

"I know, love." Willow opened her eyes slowly and looked deep into Tara's. "I just don't want you to go. I don't mean to make it harder." She apologized softly.

"It's hard to make something nearly impossible harder." Tara admitted, holding the hacker's eyes. "I hope you're not sorry I came down." She added, suddenly needing reassuring.

"No, no. Never." Willow shook her head. "It was worth it for ten seconds, worth it just to hold your hand, just to see your eyes." She squeezed the witch tight. "How about I try to get portable and get to you?"

"I think it's best if you take things at the pace your doctor sets." Tara underlined gently. "As soon as I get the all clear and get out of here I can come and visit whenever I like. Hey, who knows – you might be out soon." She gave her lover a hopeful smile.

"We'll be cuddled up together soon. Lots of nice never ending cuddles." Willow kissed the blonde's cheek.

"I think I can fit that in." Tara grinned. "Though will we have to watch what we do in front of Dawnie?"

"Have you seen her and Jack?" Willow giggled, feeling about twenty again, carefree and uninhibited. "Maybe no whipped cream for you, Missy."

"Oh don't take my whipped cream, you vixen." Tara laughed softly.

"Only if you're a good girl." Willow winked at her. "And we might need to get a mini fridge in the bedroom, just for our special treats."

Tara chuckled softly as the door opened and the young nurse looked around it.

"I hope the giggling isn't anything that shouldn't be happening." She raised an eyebrow, smiling brightly.

"Just telling jokes." Willow piped up, seeing the slight shade of pink that her lover turned. "Does she really have to go?"

"Yes, she really has to go. She shouldn't actually have left her bed." Suka raised an eyebrow. "Should you have, Miss Maclay?"

Tara lost her smile and looked down at the plain white cotton beneath her hand.

"It was better than Miss Rosenberg going to Miss. Maclay's room, yes?" Willow put her hand over the one on her stomach to make her lover feel better.

"Miss Rosenberg cannot get out of her bed." Suka stepped inside and closed the door behind her. "I thought you middle-aged lesbians had gotten over the whole 'head over heels in love with- can't be away from' thing. I mean come on, just how long have you two been together?"

"We've been together for a week, after being apart for eight years." Willow looked at her lover, focusing on her first joyous words rather than her last ones. "And we're not middle aged, I'm only twenty eight."

"Sorry." Suka smiled. "My girlfriend is twenty six so I guess you're not middle aged." She gave the pair a warm smile. "Eight years apart – that's tough." She mused as she moved over to help Tara get down from the bed.

"Take care, darling." Willow kissed Tara's cheek one last time before the nurse moved the tired witch into a wheelchair. "I love you."

"I love you, Will." Tara waved as Suka turned the chair slowly and pushed it to the door.

"I'll get her safely back to her bed and then come and get you dosed up for the night." The dark haired nurse explained, glancing over her shoulder at the redhead.

"Thank you Suka." Willow waved at her lover.

The young nurse pushed the wheelchair down the nearly empty corridors towards Tara's room.

"Now Miss Maclay, I hope you won't contradict me when I tell your duty nurse that I only just found you in Miss Rosenberg's room." She spoke softly as they made a slow steady progress.

"You can tell her whatever makes it easier for you Suka, thank you so much for letting me stay with Willow this evening. You have no idea how hard it is to be apart from her." The blonde replied, gently massaging her temple with her hand as she tried to focus on the fact that their journey was nearly over.

"Well I would like to say that it was purely professional, but the real fact is that I just couldn't bear to be the one who kept you two apart." Suka smiled brightly. "And Heather, my girlfriend, would revoke my hopeless romantic status if I told her I didn't do everything I could to help you two steal a few private moments."

Tara smiled despite the intense pain in her head.

"Have you been together long?" She inquired softly.

"We just had our first anniversary." The nurse smiled a little wider. "She works in pediatrics."

"Oh, a medical household?" Tara nodded as they moved ever closer to her room. "How is Willow doing?" She asked seriously.

"Now Miss Maclay, I am not a doctor so anything I say is completely uninformed." Suka's voice went softer. "She is a very lucky woman, who needs to be taken care of with extra special kid gloves and who needs a loving voice to remind her to keep up her oxygen and medication schedule."

"I think I can do that." Tara gave a weak smile. "Thank you for being so good to her."

"She's a lovely patient." The nurse made the final turn coming to the nurses' station in the cranial trauma unit. "I believe Miss Maclay belongs to you." She announced, seeing the instantly relieved look on the head nurse's face.

"Miss Maclay, we've been worried. Did you get disoriented and lost?" The older nurse moved around the partition to take control of the wheelchair. "Thank you."

"I'm fine." Tara shook her head as the other nurse took the handles.

"We'll let your doctor be the judge of that." The middle aged woman nodded again to Suka before pushing Tara towards her room. The blonde witch strained a little to wave at the young nurse before sitting back in the wheelchair relieved to be heading back to bed.

"It's not dry." Dawn frowned and scowled and then stamped her sneaker on the floor. "Damn it. Giles, isn't there a spell we can cast to make this dry?" She pressed her fingers against the still tacky paint on the hall wall. "We said we'd be at the hospital in an hour." She frowned deeper.

"Dawn, paint naturally takes time." The watcher shook his head wiping his hands. "As long as neither of them lean on it, it will be fine."

"I don't want it to be fine, I want it to be perfect." The young woman snapped.

"Sunny, it's okay." Jack laughed as she looked at the fresh wet wall. "It will be perfect, and besides they are just going to be glad to be home."

"You doubled checked the oxygen equipment we picked up yesterday didn't you?" Dawn looked at Jack and rested her hand lightly on the other woman's stomach.

"Double and triple checked!" Jack saluted.

"You're making fun of me." Dawn pouted gently as Giles chuckled softly and moved off towards the kitchen shaking his head with a happy smile.

"No, I'm trying to make you see its okay." Jack put her arms around the ones that encircled her. "It's perfect, cause they're safe."

"Yes, they're safe, they're together, they're safe and they're coming home." Dawn took a few deep breaths.

"Safe, together and coming home safely together." Jack twirled and hugged her tightly. "Don't worry Sunny, we won this round."

"Where's Faith." Dawn stopped mid-giggle and looked around.

"Downstairs training." Jack listened for a minute barely picking up the faint sound of a fist hitting the heavy bag.

"She was supposed to be mending the fence. Did she mend the fence already?" Dawn pulled free of Jack's arms and ran to look out of the newly glazed front door.

"Look, its perfect, you can barely see the solder points." Jack pointed out.

"I'm panicking, aren't I?" Dawn sighed softly and turned to smile at her lover.

"You're beautiful and wonderful." Jack nodded as she spoke the soft words.

"We can beat this Jack, I know we can." Dawn hugged her girlfriend tightly.

"We are so going to kick this angel's butt." Jack hugged her back.

"How long till we go?" She grinned up at Jack.

"Forty-five minutes." Jack looked over to the clock.

"What shall we do?" Dawn slipped her hand down and closed it around Jack's.

"Well if Giles wasn't in the kitchen then..." Jack leaned down and kissed her lightly.

"The oxygen, we should check that, it's upstairs…" Dawn winked.

"Yeah, yeah." Jack pulled her along towards the stairs.

Willow reached up above her head and pulled the thick curtain back a little more to increase the warm early morning sunlight that streamed into the room. She tried to ignore the constant din of the oxygen machine next to the bed as she brought her arm back down over the blonde that was still asleep next to her.

With a yawn she reached up and pulled off her mask, hooking it over the headboard before reaching out and turning off the machine. She smiled to herself as the room drifted into silence again.

"No hum." Tara's eyes snapped open and her hand flayed out across her lover towards the bulky machine.

"Love, it's fine, it's fine." Willow was pinned flat under her movement. "I turned it off. I'm awake."

"Oh, Goddess. Sorry, honey." Tara pulled back and dropped back into her place. Her body had instantly attuned to the noisy background hum as a good thing, its absence instantly snapping her out of even the deepest sleeps. "How are you?" She checked nervously.

"I'm great, I had a wonderful night's sleep." Willow kissed the blonde's forehead. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine." Tara inched closer and went to rest her head on the hacker's chest. She stopped with her head just millimeters above her lover's pajamas.

"Love I'm not going to break." The redhead raised her hand, gently guiding it into blonde and urging her to put her head down.

"But not on your chest." Tara moved slightly so that her head rested instead on her shoulder.

"Baby, it's okay. The alarm didn't even go off at all last night." Willow snuggled down holding the blonde close. One hand ran through her hair while the other ran over the blonde's flannel clad back. "I am 100% fine to cuddle."

"No it didn't." The other woman agreed, making small noises of contentment under her breath. "But that doesn't mean you're better." She added softly.

"Yes, but it means that I'm getting better." Willow's hand slipped under the blonde's top to smooth against soft skin. "And getting better means cuddle time."

"Don't you want breakfast?" The witch asked. "The hospital said regular meals." She reminded, unable to stop the slight shiver that her lover's touch caused.

"We usually don't eat until about eight thirty." The left side of Willow's mouth curled into a smile. "It's only seven now, so we have an hour and a half till regular meal time." She began to make small circles with her fingertips.

"Vixen." Tara arched and breathed a little faster. "You're getting better Will, let's not push it. You've been home three days."

"I know I've been home three days, and I've been a very good Willow for three days." Willow's fingertips circled higher up the blonde's spine. "I've had all my meds, all my oxygen and three regular meals and two snacks per day. I think I have earned a treat."

"I'll go get you an Aero." The blonde shivered harder and let her breath catch in her throat.

"I don't want an Aero." Willow purred bending down a little and kissing the blonde's forehead again, her fingers trailing up and down her girlfriend's warm back. "I want a different treat."

"Name it and I'll see what I can do." Tara replied, putting in a last ditch attempt to control her body's reaction to Willow's teasing.

"You don't know?" The hacker teased, her fingers playing with the edge of Tara's cotton bottoms. "Well, it's even yummier than an Aero bar."

"Yummier than goodly chocolate?" Tara looked at her lover and gave her best 'you can't be serious' look.

"Oh yes, far yummier. The yummiest thing on earth." Willow answered seriously, her fingertips making long strokes up and down.

"Oh I'm not sure about that, I can name lots of yummy things." Tara decided to retaliate by moving her hands to the loose ties on Willow's linen pajama bottoms.

"Can you now?" Willow felt herself shiver a little as she felt her lover's hands move. "Name your top five yummy things then." Her fingertips strayed over the blonde's side.

"Number one, Willow ears." The blonde reached up and kissed Willow's left ear lobe. "Number two…" She reached one hand round and took one of Willow's hands in hers and brought it up to her lips. "Willow fingers." She closed her lips around a digit and sucked it lightly, take a slow breath in as she did it. "Three, Willow neck." She reached up and sucked lightly on her lover's neck.

"Oh my." Willow breathed out slowly, feeling a shot of warm pleasure wave through her body.

"Four, Willow breasts." Boldly the blonde pressed her lips over the thin cotton covering Willow's perfect breasts. "Are you sure you want to know my top choice?" She repeatedly kissed the cream material making her chosen spot wetter and wetter.

"Who's the vixen now?" Willow smiled, her body arching into the blonde's exploration.

"Have I ever pretended to be innocent?" Tara quizzed between kissing and gentle sucking.

"You have never pretended to be anything." The redhead underlined, her explorative hand dragging Tara's top up. "And I love you as a vixen." She groaned out the words as Tara's mouth effectively melted away the barrier between her flesh and her lover's lips.

"So what's your top five?" Tara didn't stop her oral onslaught but quizzed her lover gently.

"Tara lips…" Willow breathed her fingers twirling in blonde hair. "Tara hands…" She as Tara did grasped the mentioned object and brought it up to her lips kissing it. "Tara back." She ran her other hand down the full length. "Tara breasts and Tara's…" She moaned and never finished.

"Are you sure you're up to this, baby?" Tara briefly stopped her affections.

"Love, I am so sure." The redhead moaned again lightly. "Please…" She pulled the blonde closer to her, bending down and kissing her forehead, the first patch of flesh she could reach.

Tara tilted her head up and caught Willow's lips the second time the hacker reached for something to kiss moving her hand to continue caressing the now erect flesh that her lips left.

As Willow felt her lips hit her lover's she moved feverishly into the kiss. The last three days since they'd arrived home had been about healing, about just being together. This moment was about living, it was about the future and the promises that it held.

With strong but gentle hands she guided Tara's form up over her, making their kiss less strained. Her hand passed back down to caress the blonde's thigh.

Tara made sure that her weight rested on her knees and hands as she shifted them to either side of Willow's head. She brought her mouth down again on her lover's before moving her mouth around to kiss the redhead's chin and throat, nuzzling in close to the other woman's ear.

"Oh darling." Willow whispered, feeling her lover move. As Tara's knees rested at either side of her hips she dropped both hands down and kneaded them into her lover's thighs.

"Willow." Tara gasped as she pushed her hips lower against her lover as Willow's short fingernails pressed into her skin through the cotton. She moved her mouth back along the redhead's jaw line, back to her mouth.

"Tara." She whispered her lover's name as she melted into the urgent kiss. Her hands slipped under the hem of the blonde's cotton shorts pushing them up so that her hand slid over the swell of her backside. "Is your head okay for this?" She asked, worried suddenly as they moved against one another in an unconscious rhythm.

"I… don't… care." Tara pressed her body harder and pulled her mouth away from Willow's focusing instead on the movement of her lower body.

"Oh darling." Willow couldn't even question further as the world focused down to pulsing contact between. Her hands pulled the blonde even closer, fitting their hips together as her fingers slid up completely under the blonde's shorts.

Tara focused in on the feelings of heady pleasure racing through her as she moved against her beloved. The hands squeezing her cheeks in rhythm made her moan occasionally as they increased their pace slightly.

With the increase in pace, Willow's hands moved on automatic, slipping around her lover's hip and across her inner thigh, to fully slip between their bodies during a brief parting. She received an instant invitation of moisture and heat. As their hips pressed together, she toyed her fingertips into damp curls.

"Oh yessss." Tara moaned moving her body a little so that Willow could place her hand with more accuracy. She hit the hacker with another urgent kiss.

Willow couldn't even find the voice to answer as she breathed hot and fast through her nose while kissing the blonde deeply. As Tara's body moved for her, she slipped her fingertips inside slightly, letting their body movements rock them back and forth.

Tara arched her back in pleasure. Letting her eyes flicker closed, she pulled her mouth away from Willow's and let the hacker watch the complete fulfillment on her face as she moved against Willow's fingers, feeling herself relax for her.

"You are so beautiful." Willow memorized the ecstasy on her lover's face as she moved her fingers within silky warmth. Tara made a vaguely objectionable noise but didn't let the smile that lit up her face fade for even an instant as she felt Willow begin to explore her more. "You are…" The redhead repeated slowly moving her fingers but with a growing pressing pressure. "Beautiful."

"Hmmm ohhh." Tara gave up the urge to reply and instead let her body fully experience all Willow was giving her, and in return she allowed her body to show Willow exactly what she was making her feel.

"Beautiful." Willow repeated the single word, her fingertips moving a bit faster as they pressed.

"We… didn't… ohhhhhhhhh." Tara gasped as she felt her insides quickly begin to spasm around Willow's fingers. "Cast."

"Hold on, love." Willow could hear the worry in her lover's voice and she slowed her fingers slightly. "Invictus of silence, I call you to us, lover's two, entwined in heart and mind, bring solitude to our love, bring only calls of passion to our own ears, bring peace to the world around us." She cast the spell quickly. "All cast." She stated with a deep breath even though she knew Tara had heard her speak it, and with her final words her fingers quickened their pace again.

Tara's cry of passion was loud and more than expressive as she pushed harder against her lover's talented fingers.

"Beautiful." Willow hung onto the word as she slid her fingers to follow the contours of the blonde's body. Her fingertips sliding over layers of swollen flesh, tracing down into the shallow of hidden areas and back forward again.

Tara let herself buck against Willow's hand, moving her body harder down, bringing her mouth back to cover Willow with hot passionate kisses.

"I love you." Willow whispered the words as her fingers were forced closer and finally into the blonde's needy body. Though muscles constricted around her fingers, the slick environment let the crush of their hips continue her movements.

Tara drew in a tight breath as she felt Willow slide inside and then let the breath become an even pant as they moved together in fluid unison.

Willow moaned at the feeling of her lover, and in response to the dull pressured push against her own arousal. She felt her fingers slipping deep as their movements became less choreographed and more wanton.

"Oh my Willow." Tara reached to move the hair away from where it had fallen over her face. She then traced her fingertips carefully over the redhead's hairline. "I love you." She breathed as her insides flexed around the smaller woman's nimble digits.

"Always yours." Willow reassured her as her fingers strained within rings of muscles to continue the motion between them. "Always."

"Yes… always." The blonde lifted a little and shifted her leg, making sure she didn't move Willow's hand, though the redhead made a distinct effort not to stop her movements. Tara then shifted one of her legs and eased it between Willow's, making sure none of her weight shifted onto the still fragile woman.

Feeling the more intense and distinct pressure, Willow gave a low moan her body pushing down into the contact, her legs wrapping around Tara's to encourage more pressure.

"I'm not going to break love." Willow whispered hoarsely as Tara's knee rocked into her again and again. With her hand she pulled down on her lover's hip, urging the blonde to stop wasting precious energy holding her weight aloft and concentrate on their combined pleasure.

"You're sure?" Tara dipped her body low for a moment, letting Willow feel the level of pressure her body weight would add to her body, which, even though it was longing to touch Willow and press against her, could not bypass the underlined rule of protecting and harboring her lover.

"I am." Willow panted, pulling the blonde down completely, needing to feel the contact. "Please." She added the plea pushing herself harder against Tara's leg.

"Oh baby." Tara gracefully let herself drop onto her lover's body, their bodies meshing instantly, working together, the intensity of feeling doubling on contact.

"Sweet Goddess." Willow whispered back closing her eyes as they moved together fully as one. Her mind filled with the sensory flares of pressure, warmth, wetness and love. The linen that covered her both offered little barrier between them and her skin was alight with flames of rising passion.

"You feel so good." Tara slid her hand up and down the soft linen on Willow's thigh.

"You feel so good too baby." Willow agreed, her body slowly rising and lowering against her lover's movement as her hand moved at a faster steadier pace within the blonde.

"Remember to breathe." Tara gently teased as she slid her hand slightly inward to press lightly against hot damp linen.

"Breathing." Willow tried to make the word sound controlled and steady but in her attempt she only underlined the hoarseness in her voice and the slight wheeze in her intake of air. "Promise to hook back up to the mask when we're all done." She smiled her body still rocking against the blonde.

"Oh sweetie, maybe we shouldn't?" Tara began to pull back off the redhead.

"NO, no, no I meant that as a good thing." Willow pulled her back down desperately. "Don't feel like I need it but if I do I'll have some. Please, baby." She begged for the blonde to not stop.

"Hey after all this rest you've had we might both need it." Tara said trying find light in the uncomfortable truth. She once again lowered herself against Willow's body.

"I promise not to wear you out." Willow smirked beginning to move her hand again as Tara's body settled into place above her.

"Not even if I beg?" She wrinkled her nose in a grin before drawing her concentration fully back to making love to her beloved.

Faith was bored. She was too bored to train, too bored to kill useless vampires and too bored to even drink she realized as she saw the half-empty warm beer on the coffee table. Shifting her feet on the coffee table, she flipped oblivious through the channels on the television. Realizing after a moment she'd actually stopped on golf, she was forced to laugh at herself as she flipped again.

'I am fucking bored.' She thought as she stopped on MTV for a few moments to watch a video before changing the channel again.

The large lettering spelling out 'News Flash' and the accompanying music on the local channel made her stop her mindless flipping. Slipping her boots down to sit flat on the ground, she leaned forward attentively as a middle-aged man announced the details. She watched his lips move so carefully over the words: murder, bloody, horrific, details to follow. She waited for the report to end, the screen going back to a detergent commercial before she shut off the television. Her boredom instantly ended as she moved to find the others.

"Willow, we got action!" She took the steps upstairs two at a time towards the second floor. "Where's Red?" She found the bedroom door open and Tara lying down on the bed reading.

"The bathroom, what's wrong Faith?" Tara struggled a little and sat up abandoning her thick hard cover novel.

"Bitchface just went after another trophy." Faith leaned against the doorframe.

"Anezka?" Tara whispered.

"Who else do I call Bitchface?" The dark Slayer questioned. "We have a 'demonic bloody scene over on Fourth Street'." She quoted the newscaster.

"I'll get my boots." Tara swung around and eased off the bed.

"What's going on?" Willow emerged from the bathroom, still drying her hands in a small thick purple towel as she pushed by the dark Slayer into her room.

"Nothing sweetie." Tara looked over to Willow as she quickly did up her laces.

"Nothing at all." Faith shook her head at Tara's move. "Cause I'm just being nice and telling you both where I'm going. You both stay here."

"Going where?" Willow questioned feeling out of the loop as she watched the struggle between them.

"I'll take Jack with me." Faith added hoping to appease the blonde.

"Jack and Dawn are having a picnic Faith, leave them." Tara was over by the dresser pulling on a sweater.

"Someone tell me what's going on?" Willow crossed her arms over her chest.

"Anezka's gone hunting again." Faith looked at the hacker, giving the shortest answer possible.

"What's going on is you're laying down love." Tara flashed Faith an angry stare as their sentences collided. "You have happy oxygen therapy time."

"Would you tell Blondie you're both going to lay down?" The dark Slayer addressed Willow pointing to the bed. "Look someone has to do fieldwork and someone has to comb the net for all the info shit." She smiled at the glare the blonde was giving her. "I do fieldwork, I'll be back soon." She winked and turned.

"Faith don't you dare." Tara turned and quickly moving over to kiss Willow's cheek,

"I'm going too." Willow hugged her cardigan around her. "I need to see the scene." She watched Tara reach the door.

"No love." Tara stopped and shook her head softly. "Net research sweetie." She added as she hurried through the hall.

"Hey running is not fair!" The hacker called after them as she made up her mind and pulled on a pair of clogs.

"Tara, go take care of Red." Faith was in the kitchen pulling on her jacket when the blonde caught up with her.

"I need to go." Tara pulled a long blue scarf off the hooks and wrapped it around her neck.

"Then we all go." Willow appeared on the stairs, moving down them carefully. Though she was healing, she still knew she had to let her lungs rest if she was ever going to be up to par again to kill the angel.

"No, Willow honey no." Tara turned towards the stairs, frowning deeply. She had hoped she'd been convincing enough to keep her lover upstairs. She hurried back up the few stairs Willow still had to manage.

"Look, would the two of you stop arguing the inevitable." Faith looked at both of them. "I go, you stay. Good puppies."

"Sweetie please, stay here." She cupped Willow's cheeks.

"Baby, I need to see..." The hacker's eyes and voice were soft. "For the spell."

"Love you've seen enough, I can look for spell things." Tara was adamant. "I have to go, I've not seen this yet, I need to before the spell."

"Okay, we are not arguing this now." Faith turned feeling bile rise in her throat as the whole spell issue entered the conversation.

"No we're not arguing Faith, you and I are going." Tara kissed Willow's forehead. "I love you." She whispered releasing her lover's cheeks from her cool hands.

"I love you too." Willow answered giving up the argument. Tara smiled and then hurried back down the steps to Faith's side.

"Lets go." She looked into unhappy dark brown eyes.

"I so don't like this." Faith grabbed the car keys and headed out.

"This isn't going to be easy." Tara carefully let her seat belt retract as she looked out at the mass of flashing lights and assorted police and paramedics. Faith had pulled the jeep to the curb a short distance down the road behind a news truck. "How are we going to get close enough?" She looked at the yellow guarded tape that cordoned off the area from the horde of onlookers and thrill seekers.

"Easy." Faith reached across her lap and into the glove compartment. She pulled out two black leather cases. "Agent Rosenberg and Agent Giles." She grinned. "Red let me in on her little secret."

"And I am who?" Tara shook her head as Faith tossed her one.

"Go with Rosenberg." Faith flipped the badge into the belt at her waist. "And remember to act like you own it."

Tara nodded and took it pushing open the door to step the short distance down to the grass. She flicked the scarf back over her shoulder and tried to restrain any feelings of impending fear. Without missing a step Faith moved out of the jeep and strode right up through the crowd to the barricade.

"Sorry Miss, no entry." A young rookie barred her way with a stern look.

"Agent Giles and Rosenberg, FBI." She motioned to the badge on her hip as she moved her coat aside and then pointed back at her partner. "I suggest you don't impede our investigation." Tara moved up beside Faith and nodded at the young man.

"Go on then." He pulled the yellow tape up for them. Tara bit back the urge to thank him as she ducked under the tape deciding FBI agents probably didn't do that.

Faith ignored the flashing cameras, yelled questions and groups of blue uniformed officers as they crossed the well-manicured lawn. A small garden full of tulips bordered the gray concrete of the three stairs that led to the front door. It was a small but quaint suburban bungalow, with common red bricks and a gray shingled roof. Again she flashed her badge as she passed an officer at the front door.

Tara did likewise as they filed past and into the house. The first thing that struck her was how ordinary the house was, full of the usual household clutter. The hall wall sporting framed diplomas and photographs of teenage children in graduation robes. An area near the closet holding piled shoes and boots, while the open living room off to the side was well kept and pleasant.

"Fuck that is bad." An older man filed past them in a hurry a handkerchief over his mouth.

Tara watched him pass feeling her stomach tighten a little as they proceeded down the ordinary hall passing a small display cabinet and a tall hat stand swelled with coats. The cream and muted soft green wallpaper seeming so out of place at a murder scene.

"You sure you want do this?" Faith asked under her breath as they turned a corner and arrived in the small crowded hall that led to the back bedroom.

"I have to." Tara whispered pulling up close behind the dark Slayer.

"Fucking hell." Faith grimaced as the crowd in the doorway seemed to part for them and the scene came into view.

The room was oddly bare and stripped of all furniture. The reason soon came clear as Faith noticed the shredded remains of the bed mattress and broken bits of wooden side tables that stuck out of the pushed in closet doors. The walls held the faint stains of long hanging pictures in the light rose paint, though whatever had been there was now part of the litter. One black and white photograph of a wedding couple smiled up in mock from the floor, a large tear splitting between the pair. As the dark Slayer's look panned the room she noticed the large side bay window were misted in blood, and as she focused on the back wall she realized the cause.

His partially naked body hung against the rose paint on the large wall. His head had been pushed back into the drywall a few inches leaving only his chin hanging back out dislocated and gapping open. His shoulders were also visibly dislocated as the skin of his bare torso stretched to accommodate his hands that were pinned with large railroad spikes out far from his body. His bare chest was sliced again and again with the crosses, the wounds deep and open. His perfectly pressed dress pants were soaked with blood but the carefully tended crease still ran down the front of them to lead to polished dress shoes that sat flat on the floor within mixing pools of blood and chunks of flesh that gathered on the hardwood floor.

"The person who did this was one sick mother f…" A plainclothes officer that stood just in front of Faith and Tara turned as he heard them enter. He stopped his line so as not to cause offence, though it struck him how insane his stopping had been considering the scene before them.

"Fucker." Faith finished for him, nodding to tell him to rest easy. "What do we know?" She grabbed a pair of sterile gloves out of his back pocket and put them on.

"You FBI?" He nodded to Faith.

"Special investigations unit. I'm Giles this is Rosenberg." She motioned to Tara.

"Dana." Tara said the first name that came into her numb mind.

"So what do we got boys?" Faith took a few careful steps closer, not touching any of the evidence.

"Fifty eight year old university professor, Herman Hawley. No known enemies, married with three adult children. Two out of state, one in L.A." The man read off his small note pad. "Wife's in the back room. Uninjured but pretty fucked up."

"Anyone locate his brain?" Faith carefully moved up to the wall. She was very glad she hadn't finished her beer as she moved one of the spotlights to get a better view.

"Nope, that'd be missing." He shook his head and watched 'Dana' watching her partner.

"Sloppy job." Faith looked at Tara.

"His wife's alive?" Tara pushed frowning slightly at the information and at the Slayer.

"Yep, they have her in the back room." The detective repeated.

"We'll talk to her in a minute." Faith bent down, bobbing on her knees. "Can I have an evidence bag please?"

"She's not making too much sense. They're sending some one to take her to the hospital." The detective clicked his fingers at a nearby colleague who handed him one.

"And tweezers." Faith commented as he passed the requested items over. "Think the lab might be interested in this Dana?" Faith used the sterile instrument to pull a small fluffy white feather out of the cuff of his perfectly pressed trousers. Tara bent down briefly beside the dark Slayer.

"Yes." She pushed up again and then turned to look around the room the only thing that stood out was a book laying face down against the wall. "Could I have some gloves please." She asked forcing her voice to be steady. A pair was given over immediately as the others watched them work. "And your pen, please." She added smiling at an older detective who immediately handed it to her. Carefully Tara flipped the cover of the book closed using the pen and read the title.

"Any signs of forced entry?" Faith questioned, sealing up the feather.

"No, apparently the wife just let them in, poor bitch." A voice answered her from the onlookers.

"Yeah we all might hope our wives have more fucking sense." Faith agreed with him as she looked over the corpse more.

"F...Giles." Tara called from her place at the other wall.

"Yeah?" She moved over to where Tara was.

"He was reading a book on the phenomena of Angels." The blonde tapped the pen against the book cover.

"I think we better talk to his wife." Faith looked up and one of the officers pointed her in the right direction.

"Thank you." Tara held out the pen as she walked passed the officer who had given it eagerly over. She pulled off the gloves as they walked into the hall.

"It's her, isn't it?" Tara whispered to Faith. "Is this like the monk?" She added as they moved slowly through the house.

"Yep, she's got something dark on the go." Faith opened the door to the kitchen, where a few officers lingered and an older white haired woman sat at the table sobbing. "This is a bit more planned, the monk was just messy."

"Agents Rosenberg and Giles, if we could have a moment." Tara flashed her badge this time hoping she could pull it off. The group nodded and exited leaving them with the dead man's wife.

Faith stepped over to the side of the kitchen near the sink, letting Tara take the lead. In the bad cop, good cop world no one could expect her to be the good cop.

"Mrs. Hawley." Tara approached the table and pulled out a chair, easing herself down on it. "My name is Dana Rosenberg, I need to ask you about the attack." She threw a quick glance over her shoulder at Faith hoping she was managing to say and do the right things. She wished now she'd watched more cop shows.

"He just screamed and screamed and screamed." Mrs. Hawley clutched the handkerchief in her hand tighter. "Then it was silent, so silent."

"The officers informed us that you opened the door, Mrs. Hawley. Is that correct?" Tara's face contorted, it was so hard to witness this much pain and suffering.

"Yes, yes." She looked up finally meeting Tara with sad lost eyes. "It was just a woman, just a small woman. How could she do this? How? They don't believe me, but it was just her."

"We'll find her, we'll find her and stop her." Tara met the sad eyes and made a soft vow.

"Herman was such a quiet man, his life was his books. I don't know why she would do this."

Mrs. Hawley shook her head, her eyes glazing again.

"I'm sure he was a very good man." Tara had to look away again.

"Wearing wings of god, why would anyone be that disgusting?" The older woman spat the words through her tears.

"Sorry?" Tara turned back

"Wings of God, on her back." The woman ranted. "Herman started to recite a text and she laughed at him, told me I would find my own river of flame to burn in."

"Mrs. Hawley, this is important. When you opened the door, she didn't have wings, did she?" Tara pushed up off the chair and moved to Faith's side.

"Wings of God when she saw Herman, when he recited the chant to her." She began to sob again.

"You know what this means, don't you?" Tara went pale and stared at Faith.

"She's walking around with us like a person." Faith turned and squeezed her eyes shut. "She's fucking watching us and we didn't even know it."

"Oh God." Tara held Faith's arm for support.

"What did she look like?" Faith turned on the woman.

"Please Mrs. Hawley, if you could tell us." Tara encouraged.

"Small, so small." The woman cried on. "Dark hair and dark eyes, dark evil eyes of the devil." She looked up clutching the table. "All clean and white clothes, crisp and sterile." She babbled on. "Smelling like my mother did before she died. Smelled that horrible smell that clean smell that says..." She sobbed loudly. "Herman's going to die now."

"What smell?" Faith pushed her a bit angry.

"The smell of death." She met the Slayer's eyes angrily. "The smell of hospitals."

Faith was about to question her more when a small knock came on the door.

"Agents, one of our patrols found this on the back fence." The detective held up a small bag, within it the slightly bloodstained white nametag had its pin bent back out of place. In dark thick lettering spelled out 'Suka Robinson RN'. "Seems we got a lead, or maybe another victim."

Tara backed away from the pair, the seemingly crazy woman's words just solidifying in her head. She looked, unfocused, at the door and at the bag the young man held out. Her blue eyes slowly centering, focusing on the black letters.

Without stopping to think, because she couldn't think, Tara pushed passed the young officer and ran, just ran. She felt the ground beneath her change from thick carpet to wooden flooring to concrete then to grass.

"Thanks, we're going to call this in and get another team down here." Faith nodded at him and raced out after the blonde. She bit her tongue as she raced out after Tara. Catching her in the front of the house forcibly made her stop.

"Get in the car." She barked under her breath and led Tara by the arm towards the vehicle.

"I... I…" Tara's breath was rapid and shallow as Faith dragged her towards the car.

"We can't get arrested." Faith underlined, nodding at another officer as she released her grip slightly but still guided Tara in the right direction. "I know what's going on in your head, Tara, but come on."

Together somehow the two made it to the jeep, and without stopping to question Faith just pulled the vehicle away from the curb and tore off.

"Fucking son a bitch!" Faith waited until they were around a few corners and far away from the site before she slammed her hand into the steering wheel. "She's been playing us right from the beginning."

"Faith please, please stop the car." Tara asked her voice shaking, as was her whole body. The dark Slayer took a moment to respond before she pulled into a parking lot.

"We're going back to the house, we're picking everyone up and we're going somewhere safe." Faith turned the car off her breathing deep and slow. "Then I'm going to go kill Bitchface. There – I have a plan."

Tara pushed the car door open and clambered out dropping down on her knees on the cold tarmac.

"Tara?" Faith realized the blonde was leaving and she moved quickly to unbuckle herself and move around the car. "Tara?" She moved down with her.

"Suka Robinson was Willow's nurse." The blonde shook violently.

"What?" Faith felt her body go cold.

"At t-t-t-the hospital." Tara choked out the information.

"Back in the car." The Slayer's hands went to pull her up. "Car now, we have to get back." A sudden fact becoming clear to the dark Slayer. So far Willow was the only 'righteous' person who had to their knowledge survived attack. Willow was the one person who could kill the angel. Faith knew enough about torture and timing to know Anezka was playing a very deadly game.

"No." Tara pushed Faith's hands away suddenly and scrambled to her feet.

"Yes, Tara." Faith rose with her. "We have to get back to Red."

"No! No!" Tara shouted and suddenly she ran back down the street.

"Tara!" Faith ran after her. "We don't have time for this." She caught up and grabbed the blonde.

"Get off me!" Tara screeched at her desperately.

"Tara, what the fuck are you doing?" Faith held her tight. "Red is at home. That's where we're going."

"Let me go, I'm going to find her, I'm going to stop this." The blonde fought against Faith's grip.

"Tara what the fuck are you going to do?" Faith barked pushing her up against a wall. "You don't have the spell, you can't do the spell, she'll split you open like rotten fruit." She held the blonde as softly in place as she could without having her run.

"I'm going to..." Tara's wild blue eyes looked at Faith, her breathing close to hyperventilation. "I'm…"

"Calm down and think." Faith urged her with soft eyes. "We have to think, it's the only way we're going to beat her." The Slayer could hardly believe her own words. "She's watching us Tara, she's getting to know us, how we react, how we live. We have to think or she's going to slit our throats before we even know she's there."

"I want to hurt her, I want to hurt her so much." Tara leaned against the Slayer instead of fighting against her. "Haven't you ever wanted to make someone hurt, for something they've done?" She asked, sobbing.

"Tara, I know exactly how that feels." Faith took a staggered breath as the memory left her. "Let me take care of this."

"No, Faith." Tara forced herself to calm down evening out her breathing. "We do this together." She looked at the dark Slayer.

"Right now we have to get back to Willow." Faith nodded, just needing to appease Tara for now. "Let's go."

Willow had moved into the study, easily firing up all of her equipment and beginning to send tracks for any information on the new killing. The details so far were sketchy and nothing was remotely concrete. The sheer anticipation of it made the hacker's heart beat a little faster in worry. She had seen the other scenes, and it wasn't something she'd wanted the blonde to ever see. When she heard the front door open she moved as best as she could out into the hall.

"What happened?" She saw Tara's tear stained cheeks. "Oh baby, are you okay?" She moved open armed to the blonde, looking to Faith for answers. Tara closed her arms around the redhead and leaned against her.

"She's added a brain to her collection." Faith grumbled, not sure how or even if she should be the one to tell the witch everything they'd seen and learned. "Where are Jack and Dawn?" She questioned, knowing one thing. They were getting the hell to a safer location ASAP.

"Right here." Dawn appeared in the door, pulling off her crash helmet and shaking out her long hair.

"What's going on?" Jack saw Faith's state of tension.

"We need to talk, all of us." Tara looked up and pulled slightly out of the way of her lover's arms.

"In the living room then. I have news too." Willow waved Dawn and Jack to follow as they all filed in. She settled down on the big couch, waiting for Tara to join her. Jack hovered near one of the chairs as Dawn sat down, and Faith stayed standing by the window.

"We found out a lot." Tara began forcing herself to talk calmly. "But none of it is going to be easy to hear, I think we need Giles to be here. Faith?" She looked at the dark woman hoping she'd make the quick call.

"Yeah I'll get him." Faith moved off to phone the watcher.

"There isn't much information online yet." Willow held her lover's hand as the dark Slayer went across the hall into the study. "But I finally got a call back from that Professor, the one who studies Angels." The hacker looked at Dawn. "He's going to courier me copies of those texts we were looking for." She announced the good news to her.

"Oh yeah, Hunky Herman coughed up huh." Dawn smiled.

"Darling?" The blonde pressed her hand on the hacker's arm not realizing quite how tight her grip was.

"Yes love?" Willow smiled at Dawn and then turned to her lover.

"Are you talking about P-Professor Hawley?" Tara tried to clarify.

"Yes, he phoned about ten minutes after you and Faith left." Willow looked at her feeling like she was missing something.

"No he didn't." She shook her head as Faith entered to hear the unthinkable twist.

"Yes, yes he did. darling." Willow nodded. "Love, are you all right? You've gone very white."

"No he didn't." Tara tried to sort her turning mind. "He couldn't have."

"Why not?" Willow felt her stomach drop as Tara held tighter to her arm.

"He was the stiff, Red." Faith hung in the doorway before moving into the room.

"What?" Dawn was the first to respond. "Professor Hawley is dead?"

"Happened about three hours ago." Tara nodded, frowning apologetically.

"Oh my Goddess, who killed him?" She asked, unable to believe it.

"Anezka." Faith answered angrily.

"No, no." Willow's voice shook as she figured out what they were saying. "He phoned me. I was talking to him."

"He couldn't have." Tara released her grip slightly and rubbed Willow's arm instead.

"Then who..." Willow coughed lightly as her lungs felt tight. "Who called me?"

"Anezka, it was the fucking angel, wasn't it?" The tight angry voice was Jack's, the tall girl's hand was gripped in a tight fist at her side.

"We've learned that she can take the persona, the form of those she's killed." Faith filled in, meeting her anger.

"Fuck." Jack slammed the fist into the cushion.

"That's why we're packing up and moving somewhere safer as soon as Giles gets here."

Faith outlined for them all.

"She..." Willow felt her insides constrict.

"We can go to Halifax." Tara suggested.

"She won't know we've gone there." Dawn jumped in. "I told Jack that's where we should go."

"I can't run." Willow shook her head and eased herself up to sit straighter.

"It's not running." Tara objected. "It's regrouping, its buying time until were ready."

"We'll get you all tickets on the next flight." Willow looked out the window at the sky.

"Fuck Red, stop the kamikaze shit." Faith snapped angrily. "She ripped his fucking brain out. You think we're going to leave you here to take her on by yourself?"

"We should take her out." Jack released the chair and moved round to Faith. "You and I." She looked into dark brown eyes. "Get the others to safety." She spoke calmly.

"Jack!" Dawn stood up her voice shaky.

"Wait." Willow turned holding up her hand. "How did you know she could change forms?" She looked between Tara and Faith. Tara looked away, shivering slightly.

"You know your nurse at the hospital?" Faith looked down ashamed.

"Suka?" Willow watched them both carefully.

"Yeah well, from what we can figure out she killed the Professor." Faith filled in.

"Oh." Willow took a staggered breath. "She wants us to run." She leaned back, making the small conclusion.

"She wants us to run, but I say we don't. We should stand and fight." Jack stood firm.

"Jack, shut up for a minute." Faith snapped at her. The tall young woman opened her mouth to speak but didn't. Seconds later the doorbell rang.

"Stay here." Faith moved back carefully to the front door, looking out the small window.

"Come in." She opened the door for the watcher and checked that no one else was around.

She closed and locked the door before moving back through to the living room with him.

"I saw the news." He sat down, nodding to everyone. "I take it that's why I am here."

"You're here cause we've found out that she can change forms." Faith tried to fill him in. "And that she's stalking Willow."

"Stalking Willow?" The watcher looked up alarmed.

"She phoned me as the murdered man while Faith and Tara went to the scene." Willow looked at him her face pale.

"This is an alarming revelation." He scratched his head lightly.

"It is." Willow agreed softy, coughing again.

"Darling, try to keep calm." Tara eyed Willow worriedly.

"I just need to even out." Willow shuffled over slightly to sit closer to the blonde.

"Giles, what do we do?" Dawn looked at the older man scared and worried.

"Yeah come on Giles, you're the one with the answers – answer." Jack added her weight to Dawn's words.

"Well, as unexpected as this latest turn is, I don't see that it affects our long term plan or goal." The watcher replied simply.

"I have to get close enough to kill her." Willow breathed out, the words catching in her throat. "Honey..." She put her hand on Tara's leg. "My..."

"Baby." Tara frowned, she had long ago tuned out of what was happening on the room and looked only at Willow who staggered, her breathing uneven as she tried to keep herself in control of her lungs.

"Inhaler." She managed.

"Maybe we need to get you upstairs." Tara frowned deeper. She looked at Faith but the Slayer seemed pretty zoned out.

"Just a..." Willow coughed a little. "Oxygen and..." She coughed again. "Be fine."

"Yeah, come on Red." Faith finally clued back in, closing the front curtains.

"I could get the portable." Dawn jumped up worried.

"I've got it." Jack moved before anyone easing the hacker straight into her arms and hurrying through to the hall taking the steps two at a time.

"Jacqui..." Willow couldn't help but smile as she was swooped away. "I could..." She coughed. "Have walked."

Continued...