Willow shut the door behind her and dropped her coat on the floor. She headed for the bathroom and toed off her boots before climbing onto the counter. Leaning closer to the mirror, she traced the outlines of her features in the reflective surface. The gentle arch of her brow lead to the smooth slope of her cheek. Her finger slid over the red lips then the delicate angle of her jaw. She stared at the reflection so long that the features no longer seemed her own. A lock of red hair slipped forward and bisected her face. Shifting her focus from the mirror to her hair, Willow's hand reached for the scissors lying beside her.
"Don't," Spike said quietly. He took the shears from her fingers. He set them beside the sink and picked up her hair brush. Pulling the strands of hair from her grasp, he turned on the tap and soaked the brush. He began sliding the bristles through her long hair. He continued until her hair was finally damp. Picking up the scissors he trimmed the ends until they lay smooth against her back.
Spike opened a drawer and removed a box of hair fasteners. He combed out sections of her fiery hair and started braiding.
"Why do you do it?" she asked.
"Cuz last time you cut your hair you hated it and didn't stop bitching about it until it grew back. The braids keep it out of your way," he said as he finished one plait and fastened an elastic band around the end.
Willow twisted the end of the braid around her finger. "No. Why do you stay with me? I say terrible things to make you leave and you keep coming back. Why?"
For once he was glad he didn't have a reflection for her to see. "Nothing better to do." He started on a new section.
"For eighty years?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder.
Spike just shrugged and turned her head forward. He twisted the strands of hair between his nimble fingers. Spike continued his work silently while Willow sat quietly staring at the mirror. When he was finished, she had thirteen braids to keep her hair off her face. Spike swept the hair off the floor and dumped it into the waste basket.
Willow turned around and dangled her legs off the counter. She watched him carefully. Spike was never one to show his thoughts. She honestly wanted to know why he stayed with her. "Tell me," she said quietly.
He looked at her. She wasn't usually this inquisitive. "What happened today?"
She dropped her gaze to the cheep vinyl flooring. "I saw Cordelia today. We talked. Had a run in with a Watcher. Had some lunch. Came home," she said with a shrug.
"Wait, you saw Cordelia? Why?"
She shook her head in confusion. "Don't know. I woke up and felt a need to talk to her. I called her and we met in the park."
Spike leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "What did you talk about?"
"You mostly." She looked up at him. He kept his expression neutral. She wasn't quite ready to bare her soul to him just yet. She hopped off the counter and walked into the bedroom. Picking up the remote she clicked on the television. She stretched out on the bed.
Spike followed her. "What about the Watcher? Is he still alive?" he asked. He remembered what happened to the last Watcher they had following her.
"Yes, he's still alive. Said the Council had a ban on me."
"So he was watching Cordelia?"
She shrugged. "I guess. I don't think she knows the Council had Watchers following us around recording our every battle. Writing in their little books the history of the Gathering. I just wish they would get a new hobby and leave us alone. I wonder what their going to do when it's over."
"Maybe they'll make a Time Live series out of it," Spike suggested.
Willow laughed. "Or maybe they'll sell the rights to it and make a TV show about it."
"Yeah, and they'll make a show about the Slayer, too," he laughed.
Willow scrunched up her nose. "Who would want to watch a show like that?" she asked.
"Sure as hell not me," he said.
****
Angel opened the door. He gave the man in front of him a quick once over. "Can I help you?"
"Yes, I'm looking for Cordelia Chase," he said.
"May I ask who you are?" Angel asked. The stranger reminded him of someone.
"I'm Evan. Evan Giles," he introduced himself. He held out his hand.
Angel stared at him for a moment before opening the door wider. "Delia!" he yelled over his shoulder.
Evan dropped his hand and entered the apartment. He looked around the room. It was just how he pictured it. There was an elegant emptiness to it.
Cordelia walked into the room. She paused a moment as she looked at the stranger. She shook off the feeling of déjà vu. "Hi."
"Delia, this is Evan Giles," he said.
"Giles?" she asked.
Evan smiled at the tall brunette. "Yes. Rupert was my uncle."
"I thought you looked familiar," she said without thinking. "I mean my mother used to know..."
"I'm a Watcher, Miss Chase. Your Watcher in fact. I know you knew my uncle," Evan said.
"My Watcher?"
"Maybe we could sit down. This may take a while to explain," he said.
Angel moved closer to his girlfriend and motioned Evan towards the living room. "Immortals have Watchers like the Slayer?" he asked.
Evan sat on the couch while Cordelia sat the arm chair. He noticed that Angel leaned against the chair to protect her. "Not quite like the Slayer. Usually Immortal Watchers aren't hands on. We tend to simply observe. The Slayer requires more training to do her job. Because Immortals aren't really out to save the world the Council felt that passive observation would be better."
"So you're historians?" Angel asked.
"Yes."
"So why are you here?" Cordy asked. Angel squeezed her shoulder.
"It has to do with your friend," Evan answered.
"Willow?" Angel asked.
"If you want to call her that. The Council has a few rules regarding The Phoenix. The number one rule is not to let her know you've seen her." He could see the confusion in their faces. "She found out about us twelve years after she died. She wasn't very happy about it. She caused four very good Watchers to leave the Council. Well, her and her companion. I believe he's your childe."
"Yes, Spike is my childe," Angel said. He wasn't sure he liked the Council knowing so much about him or his childe.
"Anyway, about forty years ago the Council had one of their best Watchers following her. Marcus was very discrete. He followed her for about three years before she caught him. He returned to the council in pieces."
Cordy gasped at the news. She reached up and clutched Angel's hand. This didn't sound like something Willow would do.
"Don't look so surprised. The Willow Rosenberg you knew no longer exists. The Phoenix is a very ruthless woman. She has killed and not just for the Quickening," Evan said. He opened his satchel and removed a heavy book. "This is the history of The Phoenix." He held the book out to them.
Angel stepped forward to take it from him. "Why?"
Evan sighed. He knew he had to explain, but wasn't sure how to go about it. "I've been watching you for ten years. I like you. Both of you. You fight the good fight, Angel. Cordelia, you fight when you need to and don't go looking for trouble. The Phoenix is trouble. Big trouble. I know you were her friend, but you can't trust her," he warned.
Cordelia's eyes narrowed. She pushed herself to her feet. "I don't like people I don't know telling me what to do. I don't even like people I _do_ know telling what to do. If you've been watching me for as long as you say you have, you'd know that."
Evan quickly got to his feet and started to back away from the angry Immortal. He nearly tripped over the end table. "Please understand, I only have your best interest at heart," he stuttered.
Cordy continued to stalk him. Angel stood and moved to open the door. "And I think in your best interest you should leave before Delia finds her sword," Angel said.
Evan left in a hurry.
Cordelia dropped down on the couch. "I don't care if he is Giles' nephew. I don't like him. Who does he think he is coming in here to warn me away from Willow?" she asked.
Angel sat beside her. He stared at the book on the coffee table. "Delia," he said.
She turned on him. "Don't you start telling me what to do," she said.
He held up his hands in surrender. "I would never do that. But even Willow said she'd changed into something she didn't recognize anymore. That's what you told me," he reasoned.
Cordelia relaxed a bit. "Maybe she wants to change." She stared at the book. "Why else would she want to talk to me?"
"I don't know," Angel answered as he pulled her into his arms.
Part 6
Cordelia turned another page in the heavy volume. She shook her head sadly as she read. "Angel, I just can't believe that the Willow I went to high school with did all these horrible things," she said.
Angel stroked her chestnut hair as he took the book from her. "It's definitely out of character for the Willow we used to know and love."
She pulled away from his soothing hands. "Out of character? Angel, this is a Dr. Jekel/Mr. Hyde complex," she exclaimed. She got to her feet and began pacing. "And I want to know what happened between 2003 and 2011. What happened to those eight years? Huh? I mean they've got a basic bio for the beginning of her life. Then they have notes extracted from Giles' diaries from 1997 to 2003. Then a big fat nothing for eight years until this Watcher spots her in Rio."
He watched her pace the length of the living room. Her hands fluttered erratically as she tried to find answers. He agreed with her that it didn't seem possible that the sweet shy red head who told him she wasn't allowed to have boys in her room could have possibly killed a Watcher and sent him back to the Council in small be-ribboned packages. Something definitely happened during those missing years. He rose to his feet and walked to the closet to grab their coats. He handed Cordelia her jacket.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To get some answers," he replied as he pulled open the door. He stopped short as his childe lowered the hand he was going to use for knocking. "Spike."
"Peaches," Spike said. He glanced at their coats in hand. "Going somewhere?" He reached a hand out beside him and received a tug on his arm for the trouble. "Can we come in?" he asked.
"Sure," Angel said. The blonde vampire stepped over the threshold followed by a reluctant Willow. Cordy took both of their jackets and tossed them into the closet.
Spike slipped his duster from his shoulders and handed it to Cordelia. "Thanks, ducks," he said with a cheeky grin.
Her hazel eyes glared at him for a moment before switching to Willow. "Can I take your coat, Willow?"
Not used to that name, Willow wandered around the elegant room. She touched knick-knacks and fresh cut flowers Cordy had scattered around the room.
"Red," Spike said as he dropped onto the couch.
"What?" she asked as she picked up a framed photograph. It was old, a memory from a time long past. Five teenagers smiled joyfully into the camera.
"Your coat," Spike prompted.
"Oh." She set the frame on the mantel and shrugged the linen trench coat from her shoulders.
Cordy stared in awe of the artwork on her back. "Wow! I knew The Phoenix had a tattoo, but that is amazing," she whispered as she took the coat. It almost slipped through her fingers before she remembered the heavy sword hidden inside. She draped the coat over an easy chair.
"Thanks," Willow said.
Spike rested his foot against the coffee table. He noticed the leather bound book and, being the nosey vampire he is, picked it up. Skimming the title page, he laughed. "Do you have the rest of the Time-Life series?" he asked.
Angel gave him a confused look. He never did understand his childe's humor.
Willow moved across the room to look at what Spike found so amusing. She took the book from his hands. "Willow Rosenberg: The Phoenix," she read off the title page. She looked at Angel and Cordelia. "Where did you get this?"
"Evan Giles gave it to us," Angel explained.
"That little prick," she muttered as she dropped the book back on the table. "Did he warn you to stay away from me, too?"
"Yes," Angel said as he carefully watched the red head. She reminded him of Faith for some reason. Maybe it was the leather pants and skimpy halter-top or perhaps it was the wild look in her black rimmed eyes. Maybe it was just the desperate need for love he could see just below the hardened exterior.
"Let's go, Red," Spike said as he got to his feet. He wasn't going to let anyone hurt his Red again. If they believed that bastard over their history together, then she was better of without them.
Cordy realized they were going to leave. She couldn't let that happen. "Hey! Wait a minute. Since when have you ever known me to do something just because someone told me to," Cordy protested.
The blonde vampire looked to Willow for direction. It was her call; she was the one who wanted to come here in the first place. She shrugged her bare shoulders and sat on the couch. Spike returned to his casual position on the couch, including the foot on the table, which he knew his sire hated.
"How did you die, Cordy?" Willow asked.
"I was shot," Cordy said. She tugged the low neckline of her top down. On her left breast, just over her heart, was a small scar.
"Such a nice and easy way to die," Willow said wistfully. She raised her hands and unfastened the three-inch wide leather collar around her throat. Tilting her chin up, she showed them the jagged scar that ran from ear to ear. "My scar isn't quite as pretty."
Cordy gasped at the ugly mark marring her slender neck. "What happened?' she asked.
Before answering, Willow replaced the leather band. "Aponix." She looked at Cordy and Angel who were still standing. "You might want to sit down. This could take a while."
Spike placed his hand on her knee. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked. She'd kept her secrets for eighty years. He didn't understand the sudden need for her to bare her soul.
Hesitantly, she covered his hand with her own. He could feel the slight tremor in her fingers. "I don't want to loose you," she said quietly. She swallowed hard against the emotions in her throat. "Maybe if I just tell you everything, I'll stop trying to push you away."
He turned his hand over and squeezed hers firmly. His blue eyes started intently into her green ones. He tried to convey the love he felt for her, but could not yet voice.
Cordy and Angel sat in the love seat watching them. They weren't sure about their part in Willow's desire to reveal the truth, but she used to be their friend and they were willing to do whatever it took to help her.
The red head took a deep breath and reached for the book on the table. "I take it you read this," she said. She flipped open the cover and scanned the table of contents. "1981 to 1996. Vital Statistic Records. 1997 to 2003. The Slayer Watcher Diaries of Rupert Giles," she read. "Good old Giles. Kept his diaries even after he left the Council," she said with a smile. "Let's see what else they have in here. 2011 to 2020. The Immortal Watcher Diaries of Edmund Klein. Good old Edmund. I actually kind of liked him. 2012 to 2015: IWD of Sarah Andreason."
"She was a bitch," Spike grumbled.
"Which one was she?" Willow asked.
"She's the one who wanted to shag me," Spike said with a look of disgust.
"Oh, yeah. I didn't like her." She scanned through the following years. "2039 to 2040? Albert Smyth. I don't remember him."
Spike leaned forward to glance at the name. He took the book from her and turned to the correct chapter. He skimmed through the pages. "Oh. That was when we were in New Zealand."
She tried to think back to that trip and failed to remember that particular Watcher. With a shrug she took the book back and scanned through the remaining dates until they ended abruptly with Marcus in 2066. The volume included a large cross-referencing index with other Immortals and Buffy Summers, Vampire Slayer. A large section was dedicated to the personal histories of Angel(us) and Spike a.k.a. William the Bloody. *Those cross-referencing fools,* she mused. She closed the book and pushed it away.
"It's missing eight years between 2003 and 2011," Cordy said. Idly she wondered if her own book was as thick as Willow's.
"I'm sure it's missing a hell of a lot more that that," Willow said. "It always took the Council a while to find us. I think they just filled in the blanks where they could. If it wasn't for Giles' Watcher Diaries, I'm sure they would have a lot more gaps."
"What happened in those eight years, Willow?" Angel asked. He knew that is where her problems started.
Willow sat back on the couch. "It started before that," she said. "But I'm sure the Council didn't know the connection so they didn't included it in my life story. It's probably in the Book of Buffy." She knew they were waiting patiently for her to start her tale, but she was going to tell the story of those hellish years in her own way and in her own time.
Part 7
"It was the first week of summer break before our senior year. Riley finally got Spike dechipped so he took off who knows where. Probably on some major killing spree to make up for lost time," Willow said. "Buffy and Riley went to Mexico for a week. Xander and Anya spent most of that time looking for an apartment so they could move out of his parents basement. And who knows what Giles does in his free time."
"What about you? What were you doing?" Angel asked. He found it hard to believe that everyone left Willow alone for the summer.
"Someone had to take over the Slaying duties while Buffy was gone. You know what it's like if the Hellmouth isn't maintained," she said with a shrug.
"All by yourself?" Cordelia asked.
"It was only for a week. And I had Tara with me."
Spike growled at the blonde witch's name. He never cared for her. *Bloody wussy little thing,* he thought.
"Anyway, we were on patrol one night...
~*~*~*~
Sunnydale, CA
2002
"When did you say Buffy gets back?" Tara asked as they made a pass through the cemetery.
"In three days. Don't tell me your sick of patrolling with me already," Willow said with a smile.
"Oh, no. Not the being with you part," Tara clarified. "But the patroling part is just so dangerous. Are you sure Buffy and Riley can't do it when they get back?"
Just as Willow opened her mouth to answer, a vampire lunged out from behind a tree. "Duck!" Tara fell to the ground and Willow pulled out her squirt gun. Pulling the trigger a couple of times, she sprayed holy water into the vamp's face. When he reached up to claw at his burning skin, she thrust her stake into his heart.
Once the dust settled, she helped Tara to her feet. "As I was going to say, maintenance is easier than having to tackle the boil over," she said.
"Oh," she muttered as she brushed dirt from her clothes. "But what if a bigger problem comes up before she gets back?"
Willow slapped her hand over Tara's mouth. "Never say things like that. This is the Hellmouth. You'll jinx us."
The blonde nodded her agreement as Willow removed her hand. "Sorry," she mumbled.
The two coeds finished their relatively quiet patrol in a couple hours. "Why don't you head back home? I'm just going to give Giles a report on tonight's patrol," Willow said when she noticed Tara hiding a yawn behind her hand.
"Are you sure? Cause I can go with you."
"Naw. I'm fine. Shouldn't take me long, anyway," she insisted. They kissed and headed in opposite directions.
Tara walked for a few blocks before she felt sure no one was following her. Quickly she changed directions and headed for an abandoned warehouse down by the waterfront.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Master?" she called as she walked through the empty building.
"Yes?" a deep voice said from behind her.
Tara turned and faced him. She kept her eyes lowered respectively. "The Slayer will not return until Friday. All is ready for our plan."
"My plan," he corrected.
"Yes, Master. Your plan."
"Does she suspect?"
"No, Master." Tara hesitated for a moment. "Master?"
"Yes?"
"I can still have her power if all goes well, right?" she asked.
"Did I not say so?" he asked.
"Yes, Master," she replied meekly.
"Then it must be. Just make sure she is here tomorrow night and you will be rewarded. Fail me and you will be punished," he warned.
She bowed to him and left the warehouse. Running through the streets of Sunnydale to make it back before Willow, Tara prayed everything would go according to plan. She knew to fail Aponix would mean her death. A very slow and painful death.
****
Tara checked her watch. She had to get Willow to the warehouse soon. "Maybe we should check the waterfront. We haven't patrolled there yet," she suggested.
The red head hesitated. "I don't know. It's pretty dangerous down there. And I don't just mean vampires."
"We could just take a quick run through. That way Buffy will know we did a through job while she was gone," the blonde said.
Willow knew that Tara was still trying to fit into the Scooby Gang even after three years of working with them. "I guess. If it gets too dangerous, we run."
"Of course."
They made their way to the docks and started a quick survey of the area. It seemed surprisingly deserted to Willow. She had the feeling someone was watching her, following her. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw nothing, but the usual cargo crates waiting on the docks. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck began to stand on end.
Halting in front of one of the warehouses, she glanced around. "I think we should leave," she said.
Tara grabbed her hand to prevent her from leaving. "No, wait," she whispered. She peered into the darkness. "I think I see something." Clutching her cross in one hand and a stake in the other, Tara took off behind the building.
"No! Tara, don't.." Willow called after her. *Damn it* she thought as she followed her girlfriend through the shadows. She lost her among the crates lining the wharf. "Tara?" she whispered loudly. Now she was getting pissed. "Tara!" she called a little louder. *It's not as if the vampires can't hear my heart throbbing in my throat. They probably smell fear as well,* she thought as she crept slowly forward.
That prickly sensation at the back of her neck returned full force. Her fingers tightened around the plastic grip of her holy water gun. A sound behind her caused her to glance over her shoulder. Nothing. Turning to continue looking for Tara, Willow came face to chest with a demon. *An ugly demon at that.*
With a shriek, she took a couple of steps back. His long fingers curled around her neck. She felt one of his needle-like claws pierce the base of her neck and every muscle in her body froze.
The demon started into her terrorized face as he beckoned behind him. He stroked one scaly finger against Willow's cheek. "You will do nicely," he rumbled.
Her green eyes widened as she saw Tara over his shoulder. *Run, Tara! Run, damn it!* she screamed silently.
Tara moved closer. Her blue eyes shifted between the demon and Willow. She took a few hesitant steps forward. "I did what you asked, Master," she said quietly.
*Nooo!* Tara's betrayal cut through her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes.
Part 8
Los Angeles 2087
"Tara betrayed you?" Cordelia asked in shock.
Willow nodded. "It turned out that that's why she hooked up with me in the first place. She could feel the power inside me. The night the Gentlemen came to town proved to her that I had a lot of power and she wanted it for herself. She purposely messed up most of my spells so I would think I was a failure and not grow stronger."
Spike squeezed her hand. "And everyone said I was evil," he said. "At least I was honest about my intentions." Willow gave him a knowing look. "Most of the time," he added with a shrug.
"What happened next?" Angel asked.
"Aponix took me inside the warehouse and chained me up...
~*~*~*~
Sunnydale 2002
Willow hung suspended from the iron shackles around her wrists. She watched the seven foot demon walk circles around her. "Who are you? What do you want?" she asked hoarsely.
His smile showed off his row of sharp pointed teeth. "I am Aponix. But you can call me Master. As to what I want. I want you. And I have you." He reached out and stroked her cheek with one long finger.
The red head jerked away from his scaly touch. "What do you want with me?"
"You will be my new plaything. My last toy got broken," he sighed. "I only hope you last longer."
Willow shuttered at the implications. "I have friends. They'll come for me," she threatened.
He laughed at her. "Ah, yes. The Slayer and her boy toy who are out of the country and the other two humans. I know all about them. They can try and take you away, but first they have to find you, my dear." He gestured for Tara to step closer. "My faithful servant here will make sure that doesn't happen."
Willow glared at the blonde. "Bitch!" she said softly, but with all her hatred.
Tara just shrugged. It didn't matter what Willow thought of her as long as she got the red head's powers.
"Go," Aponix ordered. Tara left the docks and headed for the Watcher's apartment.
****
Tara pounded frantically on the apartment door until Giles answered. "Mr. Giles, thank the goddess you're here," she said in a rush.
"Tara, what is it? What's wrong? Where's Willow?" he asked. The young witch was obviously upset over something.
"It's Willow. She's missing."
Giles pulled the girl inside. "What do you mean Willow's missing?"
"We were patrolling around campus. She thought she saw something and told me to wait for her. I wanted to go with her, but she said it would only take a second. I waited for about ten minutes and when she didn't come back I went to look for her," she said near tears. "I didn't know what happened. I couldn't find her. I just know something terrible happened to her," she said before throwing herself into his arms sobbing.
Surprised, Giles pattered her back in reassurance. "There, there. Willow is a very resourceful young woman. We'll find her," he said as he extracted himself. He set Tara on the couch and picked up the phone.
*You're not going to find her if I have anything to do about it,* Tara thought as she watched Giles dial a number.
"Riley. Is Buffy there?" he asked.
"Giles, it's one in the morning," Buffy whined as she came on the line.
"Sorry about that, Buffy, but Willow's missing."
"What?! Are you sure?"
"Tara's here. She said they were on patrol and Willow went to check out something, but never came back," Giles explained.
"And that little bitch let Wills go off alone?"
"Buffy," the Watcher warned. While he had the same reaction, he wasn't about to let his Slayer know that.
"Sorry, Giles. How long has she been missing?"
He pulled the phone away. "How long ago was this, Tara?"
The witch checked her watch and tried to calculate a good length of time. "About two hours."
"Two hours!?" he exclaimed. "Why did you wait so long to come get me?"
*Ooops!* "I...I...I searched around campus to see if I could find her," she ad-libbed.
*Stupid, git,* he cursed to himself. "Buffy," he said returning to the phone.
"I heard. Listen. Riley and I are going to catch the first flight out. Riley's going to call Graham and ask him to help. Don't forget to call Xander. Maybe his Rambo training will kick in."
"I was going to do that next."
"We'll get there ASAP, Giles."
Giles dialed Xander's number and barely uttered "Willow's missing" before the boy said he was on his way and hung up.
The Watcher pulled out a couple of maps, one of the city and one of the UC Sunnydale campus. Both maps were divided into quadrants courtesy of Riley and the Initiative. While the military group ceased to exist two years ago, Buffy and the gang of Slayerettes found the military quadrants made patrol easier.
Tara's eyes widened as the maps were unfolded in front of her. She'd never seen these.
"Where did you see Willow last?" Giles asked, handing her the campus map.
She turned it this way and that as if she were trying to orientate herself. In reality, she was trying to think of a remote area Willow could have disappeared from. "Uhm."
"Do you not remember?"
"No. I mean yes I remember. I'm just bad at reading maps," she said. *When I have Willow's powers, I am so going to turn you into a toadstool.* She spotted a sparsely populated area of campus. "Here," she said pointing to the spot.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. We were outside Headly Hall."
The phone rang. "Hello," Giles answered.
"Mr. Giles?"
"Yes."
"It's Graham. Riley just called me. He said Willow is missing."
"Yes. Tara said they were patrolling campus sector G27J."
"Gamma twenty-seven Juliet? Are you sure?" Graham asked.
"Yes, she said they were by Headly Hall," he said. He looked to Tara for confirmation. She nodded. "Yes, Headly Hall."
Graham paused. "Is Tara with you now?"
"Yes."
"Mr. Giles, I want you to give yes or no answers."
"Okay."
"When did she say Willow disappeared?"
"About two hours ago."
"That's impossible. First of all Riley told Willow I would patrol the outer campus. Second, I was out by Headly a couple of hours ago. I didn't see anything," Graham said as he started gathering his gear.
Giles tried to keep his expression neutral. "Okay."
"Does Willow still have her transmitter?" he asked as he dug through a drawer for the locator.
"I believe so."
"Do you think Willow told Tara about it?"
"Not to my knowledge."
"Okay. I'm going to see if I can locate Willow. Keep your eye on Tara and I'll be in contact."
"Thank you, Graham." The Watcher hung up the phone just as Xander and Anya rushed in the apartment.
"Giles, what happened? What's going on?" Xander asked.
"Graham just called. He's going to check out the sector where Willow disappeared," Giles explained.
Tara got a little nervous. "I didn't say she disappeared from that area. It's just the last place I saw her."
"I think Graham understands that. He'll just start the search from there," Giles said. He pulled Xander aside to talk privately. "Graham doesn't trust Tara," he whispered. "Why don't you take Tara back to the dorms and keep her company," he suggested a little louder. "Buffy and Riley are on their way here. Graham will call if he finds anything."
Xander wanted to go out and find Willow, but he trusted Graham's instinct. If the ex-commando thought something was fishy, it was good enough for him. Graham had saved Xander's life more times than he cared to admit. "Come on, Tara. Anya and I will drive you home," he said.
"You...you...you don't have to do that," Tara stuttered. She needed to get back to the warehouse.
"Don't worry about it. Come on. We can do some drive bys on the way,"
he said. She did look nervous, but he couldn't tell if it was from concern
or guilt.