Prologue

Willow and Tara were working on a spell in the main lounge hall of the dorm,
just working on the words and phrasing. It was dark out and the moon cast a
glow that wasn't well seen in the brightly lit room. The room was empty, all
the parties being held in other dorms for a change. No one had gone past them
in at least an hour.

Willow was looking it over for any glitches, anything that would make it
backfire or not work at all when Tara, all of a sudden, started to look
around.
____________

Someone was watching them from the outer doors, circling from outside;
looking in through the glass doors and windows. Tara's head darted around and
it sunk lower into the bushes surrounding the windows, hiding from it's view.

____________

"What?" Willow asked her. "What is it?"

"I don't know. It feels like." She paused. "I don't know. It's powerful."
Willow joined her in her search as Tara started t get up, looking around from
her spot.

"Another witch?"

"I don't... I don't think so."

"Demon?" she asked, getting up herself.

"I don't think so. It's... It's powerful. That's all I can feel."

_____________

The person scooted in their kneeling form back, leaving the window and it's
pray behind for another time.

______________

Tara looked at Willow then back to one of the windows. She walked over and
peeked out, looking within the bushes and the surroundings till she looked to
the outer bounders as far as the glare of the light from the glass would let
her see.

"That was strange."

"Yeah, well this is Sunnydale. Strange is kinda expected." Tara turned back
and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Do you think you know what it was?"

"I could just feel the power going through and around it. Where ever it was."

"You couldn't center it?" Willow walked over to where Tara was standing and
looked out too.

"It was like it was projecting it's energy." Willow looked at her confused.
"Some forms can project it's powers outward, it confuses it's prey and
distracts it in different directions so they don't know where it's going to
attack from."

"Attack?" Willow repeated with fear. "Prey?"

"I've been reading up on demons. That is probably the place to place 'pray'
and 'attack'."

"But you said it wasn't a demon."

"I don't think it was. But I... I don't know. It could have been."

"I better tell Buffy, Giles or Spike might know what's in town to waver the
energy and she may be needed to kill it."

"Maybe the Initiative too. I mean, Riley might find it and not know--"

"How to fight it. Right. I'll give Riley word too." Tara's face dropped.

"I guess you're gonna want to go do that now." Willow looked up at her.

"Yeah, just in case. You know, so it doesn't hurt anyone."

"Oh! I understand. I just... I was having fun. I enjoy when we spend time
together."

"Oh, I know. But, I'll see you later." She packed her bag which was on the
cough and the notebook fell. Standing, Willow walked past and to the dorm
stairs. "Later Tara!" She said, waving behind her.

"Later!" Tara picked up her bag and saw the notebook on the ground. Picking
it up, Tara looked it over, Willow's hand writing, and curled her arms around
it, hugging it to her chest. "Later." She repeated,  whispering her sorrow at
the loss of Willow.

_____________________
 

Chapter One

"So she didn't know what it was?" Buffy asked. She was on her bed, her
attention stuck on the notebook on her lap and the pencil she had following
her reading.

"No, Willow answered from across from her on her own bed. "She said she was
sure it wasn't a demon. But it was powerful." Her attention was also
elsewhere.  Her's was stuck in a demonology/spell book she'd borrowed from
Giles who had the whole complete library in his home.

"Well, at least you guys aren't hurt. I mean, it didn't attack you." Buffy
said, looking up for a minute before returning back to her notes for psych
class.

"Thanks for the though." Willow stated dryly. "So did you talk to Giles about
it? I mean, did he have any ideas?" She hadn't asked Giles about it and asked
Buffy to. She just happened to have a demonology/spell book in her care and
thought it was worth a shot.

"Yeah. He said he'd look into it." She looked up again. "Which we know means
sleepless nights of research and many cups of tea." She finished, rolling her
eyes like she was trying to remember an answer to something.

"Yeah, but, book guy, so he might know where to look." She stood and walked
to her computer desk, book still in arms.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, sparing a glance up as her friend walked
away. Her attention then went back to the notebook.

"I think I can look up some of this stuff on the net. little keys and stuff."
She started to type and hit the enter soundly, turning in her chair to Buffy.
"Cordelia sent me a demon database, so tell Giles it he ever doesn't want to
look in the books he can use my lap top."

"How is Cordelia?" Buffy asked, setting the notebook on the bed and reaching
over her bed to her bag, pulling out a binder. She then removed some sheets
of paper and set them on the binder. "I don't think I've talked to her
sense..." Buffy trailed off at the memory.

"Good. She said Welsey's now working with the group. But I guess he's not
really like the watcher wannabe he was."

"Why is it I highly doubt that?" Willow turning her seat at the sound of the
Internet connection and laughed lightly at Buffy's comment.

"Well, a lot of reasons."

"I just don't get it though. The Council refused to help Angel when he was
dying, but they send a watcher to hi aid?"

"No, not really. If what Cordy said was true, The Council fired him. So
that's why he's been working with Angel. Plus, it just happened that he was
following a demon at lead to one of Angel's cases."

"So Angel actually lets him work there?"

"Yeah, I guess he's okay with it. And Cordy and him have gotten to be really
close friends." Buffy shot a look to Willow at the comment of 'close
friends'. Willow didn't even have to look to know that she'd given her a
distressed look. "Calm down. I said 'friends'. He's not interested in her and
she isn't in him."

"Yeah, well. I guess it's really not my business to be jealous. I mean, I
moved on with Riley. The only thing that gets me is he left me cause he
couldn't have a relationship."

"Which he's not." Willow interjected

"And I thought I should have been over him by now." Willow turned in her
chair to face Buffy and sighed as she saw Buffy looking over at her.

"No one expects you to ever get over him. You two had a greater love than
Romeo and Juliet than- than Cleopatra and Mark Anthony or even Bo and Hope.
Star-crossed lovers that were destined to doom."

"But Bo and Hope are going to be together. Bo found Hope..."

"Okay, bad example. I was going to say Marlena and John but they got married.
But you know what I mean." There was a beep on the computer and she turned to
it, clicking on the mouse as she scanned down the web page.

"Yeah, well I'm just worries that I never will. I know Riley will never be an
Angel. That's a definite obvious, but still. What if I'm never really truly
happy again. I mean, Angel made me happy. Riley ... well, if keeps my mind
off of Angel as best anyone really could. Well, besides you, no offense."

"None taken."

"But still. What does it take for me to get over him?"

"Once again, no one thinks you will. It's not that we don't want you to cause
we really do. We want you to be happy, really, but if you don't make it there
then that's fine too. Just, take time." She stopped Buffy before she could
say anything. "*More time*. I know, it's been a while but when you love
someone. I mean truly love someone, it won't just go away. Speaking from my
own person experience."

"I'm sorry Will, I did think about how much this reflects on you." Willow hit
'enter' on the keyboard and while the next page loaded she look back over.

"I know. I think I'm finally letting go. But I do know it takes all the time.
And a lot of ice cream."

"Oh yeah."

"And a lot of friends."

"And we weren't there. We just whined about your mourning and wouldn't
listen. We really don't deserve you."

"Well, no, but I still love you." Willow laughed. She clicked something on
the screen and the printer started up.

"So, what yea find?" Buffy asked, getting up from her seat on her bed and
walking to the tiny little fridge by her desk. She opened the door and pulled
out a Diet Coke.

"Um, just some things on warlocks and suck, steel witch's powers, hunt them,
blah, blah. Nothing we usually don't see."

"Warlocks? That sounds like something from 'Charmed'."

"You fight forces of darkness every night -- sometimes the day -- and you're
questioning something that they show on TV?"

"Okay, good point." The print finished and she picked it up.

"I'm gonna go to Tara's, see if she knows anything more. Show her what I
found. Um, are you going to be here when I get back?"

"I don't know. I might go to Giles'."

"Not, Riley's?" She slowly questioned.

"I don't think it be best, the whole 'everyone in the Initiative lives there'
thing could be a big problem. And with thinking that he and Faith ... well,
not really on the terms to see him right now."

"I'll give him bad luck for a day or something if you want."

"We'll talk about that later." Willow grabbed her bag and grabbed her keys,
heading for the door.

"We'll, I'll see you later then."

"Bye Wills." With the final departing terms, Willow left through the door.
________________

Chapter Two

Tara was in her room. Not only did she have a bad feeling about this whole
'thing' thing. But she also wasn't sure if she was going to find anything
out. She didn't have much information.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. Standing, Tara walked
to the door and answered it. Before she could even see who it was, she was
rushed by a very bulky figure that slammed her back into the room, tossing
the door shut behind it. Tara looked up and saw the figure better.

A man, tall and very muscular in a bulky sort of way, dark hair and wearing
(you guessed it) dark black cloths stood tall and strait in front of Tara
within a little distance.

Tara started to crawl, moving for her bed stand as the man walked towards
her. She whimpered and pulled herself up. She went to run past him to get to
the door and he took hold of her by the arms, twisting her around and holding
her in his arms, her back to him.

Tara tried to levitate something to her or at him. He dodged the vase and
threw her to the ground, hitting the wall against her back and head. She was
disoriented by the fall and her feet were stuck in place as he headed towards
her. Pulling out a stone, the next thing that went to go at him was dropped
like the force on it lost it's grip.

"Loose something?" The man asked.

"Who are you?" Tara harshly asked, her throat dry from fright.

"You're end." He answered simply. Tara's gaze was stuck on the stone in his
hand, slightly large, maybe the size of a shot glass, it started to glow and
Tara felt dizzy. Soon her vision was swaying and she started to loose
consciousness.

"Well, that was certainly easier than expected. Hope you're little friend is
as well."

"Not likely." Willow spat as she pulled the stone from the man's hand. He
turned and backhanded her, sending her flying to the ground. Stalking towards
her, Willow looked over to see the stone on the ground. As she reached of it,
the man just waved his hand to move her away and She slid across the floor.
Picking it up, the man dusted the stone off and looked at Willow.

"That wasn't a smart move, witch... I'll make this one hurt." He rose the
stone up once again but as the dizzy spell hit Willow, she through her hand
out and he flew across the room himself. Focusing again she pushed him away
with the invisible power towards the door and out it, slamming the door after
he was out.

She expected to hear banging on the door as she got up but it never came.
Hurrying to the fallen fellow witch, Willow scooped Tara up, setting her head
on her lap.

"Oh Goddess, Tara. Please be okay." She felt for a pulse.

None.

Willow started to cry, not only because of the fallen friend, but also of how
close she was to it being herself.
 

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