The Power of Three by DragonWriter17

Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All of the materials borrowed from Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel belong to Joss Whedon and to the entities and companies associated with their creation. I have borrowed them for creative and entertainment purposes only. No compensation has been or ever shall be received for the writing below. No copyright infringement is intended.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse: http://mysticmuse.net
Cyber Lair: http://www.dragonwriter17.net/
If you are interested in posting my story on your site, please contact me first for permission.
Feedback: Yes, but only if it's of the non-flamey variety.
Spoilers: The end of Season 4's "Wild At Heart" and beyond.
Author's Notes: I have kept to the BtVS/Angel canon in some ways, borrowing directly from aired episodes; however, I have also made significant changes: deleting certain storylines, moving some, changing others, as well as adding some completely original plots.
Pairing: Willow/Buffy/Tara

Summary: After Oz leaves Sunnydale, Willow turns to best friend, Buffy, and new friend, Tara, for comfort, resulting in a remarkable new relationship for all three. Amidst the daily dangers of life on the Hellmouth, the three women forge bravely ahead, unaware that their relationship has been predestined.

Tara frowned in confusion when she saw the female figure in the alley. The woman looked like Willow, but she certainly wasn't dressed like Willow.

"She means you're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy," Vamp Willow replied. Then, vamping out, she said, "And I'm not Glinda."

With tears streaming down her face, Willow looked all around the Grotto, hoping for some sign of Buffy and Tara. There was none. Her two girlfriends were gone, zapped away to God knows where. Willow got to her feet and ran for the nearest pay phone.

She rummaged in her pockets and pulled out some change. With her hands shaking, she put in the proper coins and punched in Giles' number. The phone rang once, and Willow waited anxiously. Then it rang twice, still no answer.

"Giles! You've got to come! They're g-g-gone, j-j-just disappeared and � " Willow said in a rush, her voice beginning to choke.

"Willow? Slow down!" Giles commanded his distraught caller. "Just calm down, breathe." When Willow had calmed herself somewhat, Giles continued. "Now, tell me what's happened."

The instant Vamp Willow revealed her demonic visage, Buffy leapt into action. In less than a second, she closed the space between herself and the vampire and went into attack mode. She executed a series of punches, which Vamp Willow easily deflected or countered. On Buffy's last punch, Vamp Willow caught Buffy's fist and used it to pull Buffy closer. Then the vampire landed a head butt which sent Buffy stumbling back.

Vamp Willow grinned and moved in on Buffy, but found the Slayer now recovered. Buffy punched Vamp Willow's face once then twice, then she planted a high kick right under her chin, sending her to the ground flat on her back.

Buffy jumped on top of Vamp Willow and straddled her, immobilizing her legs. She pulled a stake from her jacket and raised it.

Buffy brought the stake down hard, intending to bury it in the dazed vampire's heart. Right before the tip of the stake could penetrate Vamp Willow's chest, Buffy's arm was halted in place by a steely grip.

Buffy looked up to see who had stopped her. She was greeted by the sly smile of a gorgeous brunette.

"You are good," the dark-eyed Slayer commented. "But are you as good as me?"

Buffy answered with an elbow to the face. Faith released Buffy's arm, and the fight was on. It was SlayerFest 2000, this time with Slayer vs. Slayer. In a flurry of punches and kicks and twists and ducks, the two Slayers were going all out. At one point, Buffy left an opening, and Faith took advantage, landing a sharp jab to Buffy's mouth, splitting her lip.

Faith grinned at her score, but Buffy knocked the smirk off her face with a quick comeback. Landing punch after punch, Buffy beat Faith back. Then with a final huge uppercut, Buffy sent Faith flying into a bunch of boxes stacked against the wall.

When she saw Buffy heading for stunned Slayer, Vamp Willow charged Buffy once again. However, before the vampire could make contact with Buffy, she was slammed with an invisible force that sent her flying into the brick wall and then down into the pile of boxes with Faith.

Buffy looked back at Tara, who was lowering her arm from the magical burst she had just sent against Vamp Willow. As Tara joined her, Buffy turned her eyes back to their attackers. A dazed but determined Faith was already climbing out of the pile of boxes.

"I'm fine," Buffy said, wiping her bloody lip and keeping her eyes on Faith. "Nothing a little more ass-kicking won't cure."

Buffy turned around slowly and saw Giles coming towards her. Her mouth dropped open when she realized how very different this Giles was. His wheelchair was the first thing she noticed as he wheeled up to her. When he got closer, she saw how haggard he looked. A scar running down his left cheek spoke of the battles he'd been through here in Wishverse Sunnydale. He wasn't alone. Close behind him were six other White Hats, five men and a raven-haired waif, who crossed her arms and grinned when she saw Buffy.

Buffy cut her eyes at Faith and Vamp Willow, who emerged from the boxes and joined the group behind Giles. Then she turned back to the former Watcher before her.

"Giles," Buffy said, trying not to show her dismay at the older man's condition.

"Buffy," Giles said in a calming voice, "I know you're confused at the moment, but I promise you, we mean you no harm." Giles glanced at Tara as the blonde witch moved closer to Buffy. "E-E-Either of you."

Buffy straightened and crossed her arms tightly. "Why have you brought us here?" she demanded.

Before Giles could explain further, a huge gang of vampires came rushing down the alley and attacked the White Hats. Buffy turned to Tara.

Tara nodded, grabbed the handles behind the wheelchair, and shoved it into a nearby alcove, all amidst the protests of the paralyzed Watcher. When one of the vampires tried to enter the alcove, he slammed into an invisible wall. Unable to access the leader of the White Hats, the vampire turned to the others.

Buffy had already dusted two of the vampires and was fending off another when she ventured a glance in Faith's direction. True to form, the dark Slayer was wreaking havoc on the undead. What surprised Buffy the most was seeing Vamp Willow fighting at Faith's side, doing loads of damage herself. Seeing the human fighters among the White Hats struggling against the larger portion of the vampire gang, Buffy turned her attention back to her current foe and vanquished him as quickly as possible. Then she dove into the fray.

As Faith and Vamp Willow finished off their attackers, their eyes were involuntarily drawn to Buffy. They stood watching wide-eyed as Buffy took on six vampires at once, whirling and twisting and kicking almost faster than the eye could see.

"Holy shit," Faith and Vamp Willow said simultaneously as they watched Buffy break up the group of vampires attacking the last three human White Hats standing. Faith and Vamp Willow shook themselves out of their awe-struck reverie and joined the blonde Slayer in the fight.

At one point, Buffy lost her stake. Faith yelled the Slayer's name. When Buffy looked her way, Faith tossed her a stake. Buffy caught it easily and dusted the vampires charging her. Within minutes, the gang of vampires was decimated, and the final survivor was running for his life.

Buffy and Faith were breathing hard from the fight. Even Vamp Willow looked exhausted. The three humans who were still on their feet immediately ran to check on the three who were down. Tara emerged from the alcove with Giles.

"Buffy!" Giles called out as he rolled to Buffy's location. "Are you all right?"

"Giles," one of the male White Hats said, interrupting. "We got three down, including Rachel. We need to get them to the hospital now."

"Rachel?" Giles said worriedly. Then he quickly sobered. "All right, you three do that," he instructed. "We'll see Buffy and ummm..." Giles looked questioningly at the blonde woman who had rushed him to safety, realizing that he didn't know her name.

The male White Hat nodded and quickly returned to his work with the injured. Faith stepped forward and said, "We'll get the vans." Then she and Vamp Willow left the alley.

Within a few minutes, the van carrying the injured was headed for the hospital, and the van carrying Buffy, Tara, Giles, Faith, and Vamp Willow was on its way to the headquarters of the White Hats, Angel's former Mansion.

The surviving vampire dashed through the Bronze and burst into the Master's office suite in the back. The Master looked up in annoyed surprise.

"Jamis," the Master said in a cold voice, "you'd better have a good reason for � "

"Master, forgive me please," Jamis pleaded, dropping to his knees. "But I have news."

The Master closed in on his minion until he was face to face with the younger vampire. "It'd better be good news..." the Master said with sarcastic cheer.

Jamis swallowed hard. "Y-Y-You were right, the White Hats were up to something. We attacked them, like you said, but..." Jamis froze.

"Don't tell me you let the Watcher-on-Wheels and his Slayerette beat you?" the Master said, standing and turning his back to his minion.

"Th-Th-That's just it," Jamis stammered. "There wasn't just one Slayer. There was another one there. They called her Buffy."

As Xander and Anya and Willow stood nearby, Giles paced back and forth across the spot where Willow had seen Buffy and Tara disappear into the portal.

"Yes," Willow replied. "It grabbed Buffy first and started dragging her in. When Tara tried to hold Buffy back, it pulled her in, too."

"But that doesn't make any sense," Xander said. "Who would want to make Buffy disappear into some portal? Oh, wait...how about every...evil...thing in Sunnydale?"

Willow wrapped her arms around herself and said in a small, frightened voice, "Giles, what are we gonna do? We have to find them."

Giles stepped closer to the redhead and rested his hand on her shoulder. "We will," he assured her.

As the Willow and the rest of the Scoobies left the scene of Buffy and Tara's disappearance, Lindsey stepped from his hiding place. After giving them a moment to move ahead, he silently followed, keeping a safe distance away.

On the way to the mansion, Faith and Vamp Willow sat in the cab while the others rode in the back with the wheelchair-bound Giles. Vamp Willow looked over at Faith in the driver's seat and smiled. She scooted across the bench seat until she was right next to the Slayer. She ran her finger down Faith's arm.

"Thanks for the save back there," Vamp Willow said in a sultry voice. "How can I ever repay you?"

Faith felt her body flush. She swallowed, cleared her throat, and kept her eyes on the road.

"Just doin' my job," she said in a matter-of-fact tone that was still huskier than she would've liked.

Vamp Willow stared at Faith for a moment, but Faith never met her gaze. Vamp Willow chuckled and then returned to a face-front position.

"Okay, time to talk," she said abruptly. "How did you bring us here? What exactly is it that you want us to do? And why the hell do you have the evil undead in your midst?"

Vamp Willow shrugged and said, "At least someone around here thinks I'm still evil."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Vamp Willow cooed, moving closer to the dark-haired Slayer.

Faith rolled her eyes, realizing that her attempt to redraw the line between herself and the vampire had failed completely.

"That's actually...quite a long story and � " Giles began until Faith interrupted him.

"The Master got pissed at her, sentenced her to death, she asked for asylum with us, which we gave her � against our better judgment � in exchange for information and help against her former boss."

"Yes, well, why don't we all sit down, a-a-and I'll answer the rest of your questions," Giles replied.

Giles led Buffy and Tara to the living room. He rolled into position with his back to the fireplace and gestured for Buffy and Tara to sit, and they took their places on the sofa, Buffy on the end and Tara in the middle. Faith dropped into the chair that faced the other end of the sofa. When Vamp Willow moved in Faith's direction, Faith glared at the vampire. Vamp Willow rolled her eyes and plopped onto the sofa next to Tara.

Vamp Willow turned her eyes to the blonde next to her. She hadn't had a chance to look at the witch closely when they were in the alley, but now, here in the light of the Mansion, the vampire could see what she'd been missing. She stared unashamedly and lifted her eyebrow in appreciation.

Tara could feel the vampire's eyes on her, and it was totally freaking her out. With every fiber of her being, she fought the urge to leap from her seat and run screaming from the room. She ventured a glance in the vampire's direction. She met sparkling green eyes in a pale face framed by shiny red hair and creased by a sexy smirk. Tara smiled politely but quickly and turned her eyes back to Buffy.

"Okay, we're all seated," Buffy said impatiently. "Now...why did you bring us to Bizarro Sunnydale?"

"Yeah, we're in Anyanka's Brave New World, home of Vampire Willow," Buffy replied sarcastically.

"I thought you destroyed Anyanka's necklace and reversed the wish she granted to Cordelia," Buffy commented.

"My sentiments exactly," Giles said. "I don't know what happened, I just know that your Sunnydale and our Sunnydale somehow continue to co-exist."

"Okay, this is making my head hurt more than it already is," Buffy said. "So, enough about the where, I wanna know about the why, as in why you called us here."

"Well, actually we meant to bring only you here, Buffy," Giles explained. "We never meant to bring Tara."

"That's not true, Faith," Giles responded. "You are the Slayer, but this is the Master we're talking about. We need all the help we can get. We need Buffy's experience."

"What's he up to here that's so terrible that you have to rip me from my own reality?" Buffy asked.

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at the ceiling. "Why does it always have to be the Hellmouth?" Then she looked back at Giles. "I thought he already did that here. You know, when he rose and I wasn't here to stop him?"

"Yes, he did," Giles agreed. "But he was unable to keep it open for very long due to the fact that he started the ritual too early."

Giles nodded. "When he attempted the ritual in 1937, he became trapped in the ensuing earthquake, and the ritual was never finished. When he rose, the ritual was finally completed. But because part of the ritual took place sixty years ago, it just didn't work � at least not for long. The Hellmouth remained open for about a week, and many demons did come through before it closed again." Giles chuckled ruefully. "We really had our hands full for a while."

"He wanted to wait until the apex of the period of vulnerability for the Hellmouth, when the doorway was at its weakest point."

"I don't get it, though," Buffy complained. "Why is the Master and all the other wannabes so interested in opening the Hellmouth anyway? They're just gonna let the next dimension's demon population come in and get in the way."

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple," Giles explained. "What the Master wants is to become the Dominus Ostiorum."

Giles smiled at Tara, impressed by her accurate translation. "Yes, that's right," he confirmed. "The Hellmouth isn't connected to just the next demon dimension over. It's connected to, or rather it can be connected to, any demon dimension out there. The Dominus Ostiorum can manipulate the Hellmouth, control where it opens and what is allowed through. And most significantly, anything coming through would be subservient to the Dominus Ostiorum."

"So he'd have a willing and able demon army at his beck and call," Buffy said. When Giles nodded, she added in a worried voice, "Damn!"

With books surrounding them, the Scoobies minus two sat in Giles' apartment, looking up all references to portals, dimensional travel, teleporting, and the like.

Suddenly, Willow slammed her current book shut. "This is useless," she complained. "All of these spells deal with the caster opening a portal for himself to go through. It doesn't say anything about sending an attack portal after someone else."

Xander looked just as frustrated. "Even if we can figure out how to yank them back, we still don't know where they are. I mean, there's hundreds of these dimensions, right?"

"Oh, thousands," Anya said matter-of-factly, "maybe even hundreds of thousands. There are hell dimensions, heavenly planes, alternate realities, you name it."

"Oh! I know what we could do!" Anya said excitedly. "Willow and I could do the Supplication of Eryishon again and � "

"No," Willow interrupted. "I don't think painting Buffy and Tara's image on a plate is going to bring them back. Besides, look what happened the last time you tried that."

"Hey, it wasn't my fault your evil self got zapped to Sunnydale!" Anya said defensively. "You're the one who wigged out in the middle of the spell."

"Yeah, after seeing the hellish reality you created, Anyanka!" Willow answered hotly.

"Willow! Anya!" Giles shouted to get their attention. "This isn't helping! So, stick your nose in a book, and stop bickering."

Buffy thought about the matter for a moment, then remembered the situation back at home. Whatever was coming through the Hellmouth in her Sunnydale might be doing exactly what the Master was doing here. Buffy stood suddenly.

"Look, you have got to send me home!" Buffy said in an outraged voice. "I've got my own impending Hellmouth apocalypse going on. I don't have time to solve yours too!"

"Time isn't an issue," Giles insisted. "When we send you back, you'll arrive only moments after you left, so your world is in no danger whatsoever."

Giles tilted his head in reluctant acknowledgement that Buffy's point was entirely possible. "We won't force you to stay, Buffy, but...we really need your help. If the Master succeeds in his mission, then our world is lost."

Buffy walked a few feet way, her brow heavily creased as she considered what to do. After a few moments, she turned back to Giles.

"No!" Tara objected, joining Buffy where she stood. "I'm not leaving you here alone."

"What's not fair is you trying to speak for me!" Tara replied angrily. "You're not the boss of me."

Tara reached out and touched Buffy's arm. After a moment, Buffy looked up and met Tara's eyes.

"When the portal grabbed you, you told me not to let go, and I said I wouldn't. So I'm not. I'm not leaving here without you," Tara told Buffy. Then she smiled and added, "Besides, you couldn't send me home now anyway, could you, Mr. Giles?"

"Rachel...their witch," Tara explained. "She's one of those in the hospital, isn't she?"

Buffy threw up her arms in defeat. "Well, since we're stuck here, we might as well help out. I'm assuming that since you went to all the trouble to call me here you have a plan of some kind?"

"We do indeed," Giles said. "But I'd rather wait to discuss it. I need to get all of our team leaders together for it. I suggest you get something to eat and rest � you can take Rachel's room since she won't be using it for the moment � and I'll call you when we're ready."

Buffy nodded her agreement. Then Giles and Faith and Vamp Willow left the room to set up a meeting with the leaders of the White Hats.

When the others had left, Buffy and Tara returned to the sofa and sat down, both of them deep in thought about the situation they now faced. Buffy soon became too antsy to remain seated. So she rose, walked to the big bay window, and looked outside. When that failed to hold her attention, she paced nearby.

Giles leaned back in his chair and tilted his head back to stretch the muscles in his neck. After rotating his head several times, he leaned forward again and turned his eyes to the book before him. A sudden "aha" caught his attention, and he looked up.

"I think I may have something," Willow said. "It's a nether realm spell. According to this, there's a ritual...a passage to the nether realm. If you can get there, you can see lots of different things, the realities behind the purely visible world."

"But does it allow you to see into other dimensions?" Giles asked, joining her and taking the book from her hand.

"It doesn't say," Willow admitted. "But it could work. And right now, it's all we've come up with."

"From what I know of the nether realm, it exists beyond the physical world," Giles said. "Accessing it will be somewhat like...ummm...astral projection. It's very intense. You'd need an anchor, someone to keep you on this plane."

"I'll do it," Anya offered. "Willow and I have cast together before. And despite her momentary freak, we did work some very serious mojo."

Giles looked at Willow expectantly. Willow thought for a moment, then shrugged in compliance. "What do we need?" she asked.

After finishing their talk with Giles, Faith and Vamp Willow came back to the living room. They paused at the edge of the room and glanced at their two visitors. Then Faith headed for Buffy. Vamp Willow watched Faith saunter over to the other Slayer.

Faith moved to the bay window and leaned against the wall where she could get a good look at the pacing Buffy.

"The first time I faced the Master, he killed me," Buffy explained. "He bit me, and then he drowned me. I was actually dead for a minute or so, but I was revived with CPR."

When Buffy grinned in return, Faith moved closer, clearly entering Buffy's personal space.

"You know, I gotta admit, I wasn't too keen on bringin' in another Slayer," Faith said before running her eyes along Buffy's body. "But now that you're here, I can certainly appreciate the concept." Faith lifted her face and looked into Buffy's eyes.

Buffy felt the familiar tug of attraction that she had felt more than a year ago when she had met her Faith for the first time. She swallowed but didn't move away.

Vamp Willow returned to her former position on the sofa next to Tara. She folded her right leg under her so that she could sit sideways and face the blonde witch. Once again, Tara smiled politely, but she didn't stay facing the vampire.

"That was some pretty impressive magic out there tonight," Vamp Willow commented.

"Oh...ummm...th-th-thanks," Tara replied, making eye contact for only a second before dropping her head and hiding nervously behind her hair.

"You know," Vamp Willow said in sly voice as she scooted closer to Tara, "if you happen to get stuck here for a while, maybe you could teach me some magic." Vamp Willow leaned over to whisper in Tara's ear. "I'm a very quick study."

Tara's fear finally got the better of her, and she practically jumped from her seat. She backed away from the sofa.

"I...ummm...n-n-need to use the bathroom," Tara said lamely before heading down the hallway that led from the living room.

Buffy felt a stab of fear break through her mesmerized state. She tore her eyes from Faith and looked in Tara's direction. She watched as Tara rose suddenly and then quickly left the room. Without another glance at her fellow Slayer, Buffy strode purposefully over to the sofa.

Faith put her hand on her hip and stood with her mouth open, clearly shocked that something had managed to draw Buffy away from her.

"Nothing," Vamp Willow insisted as she stood to face her accuser. "We were just talking."

Buffy glared at the vampire, not believing a word of her story. Then she left, following in Tara's footsteps.

Once Buffy had gone, Vamp Willow plopped back down on the sofa, settling into a pouty slouch. At the window, Faith shook her head in continued disbelief at Buffy's departure. Then she joined the redheaded vampire on the couch.

After a few moments of mutual pouting, Vamp Willow perked up, getting a mischievous glint in her eyes. She scooted closer to the dark-haired Slayer next to her. Once again, she ran her finger down Faith's arm.

"I'm having a terrible night," Vamp Willow complained in a petulant voice. Then she leaned over to purr in Faith's ear. "Wanna make it better?"

"It'd be fun," Vamp Willow said in a sing-songy voice that indeed promised hours of fun.

Faith looked over at the vampire next to her. Her heart raced as a stream of images began going through her mind. With a final effort, she pulled herself together and cleared her throat.

"We've been over this before," Faith said firmly. "Me Slayer, You Vampire. Never the twain shall meet."

"But I'm a good vampire now," Vamp Willow chirped cheerfully. "I'm a White Hat!"

"Only because you'd be dead if you weren't," Faith replied bluntly before taking her leave.

Vamp Willow scowled and folded her arms tightly across her chest. Then she sank back into the sofa.

As Xander and Giles watched from a distance, Anya and Willow were mid-ritual in a glowing circle. Anya sat with her legs crossed and her eyes closed. Sweat was on her brow, and her chest heaved as she struggled to breathe. Willow lay on her back, writhing, also breathing heavily, clearly agitated.

Suddenly, Willow sat up straight and gasped for air. The glow of the circle immediately went out. Anya fell forward slightly, weakened from the strain of the spell. Xander and Giles ran to the circle to check on the girls.

Anya shrugged uncertainly and looked at Willow, who shook her head sadly. The four of them were silent for a moment. Willow looked as if she were about to cry. Unable to stand seeing his best friend so distraught, Xander rattled his brain trying to think of something, anything, that might work. Finally, an idea emerged.

"Oh! Oh!" he said, waving his hands emphatically. "Anya, why don't you contact D'Hoffryn? He's big with the reality shifting, right? So, maybe he could look around for Buffy and Tara?"

"I can see," Anya offered, "but the last time I tried, he wasn't returning my chants." Anya rose from the chair. "Okay, let's go," she ordered Xander.

"Since I don't have his talisman, I'll have to do it the old-fashioned way," Anya explained. "Humble supplication to the Lord of Arashmahar, made at the grave of one who received a vengeance well wrought and well deserved."

Later, in the dining room, Buffy and Tara sat at the long table with plates of sandwiches and chips before them. Buffy was quickly devouring her meal, but Tara merely picked at hers.

"You know, food works better if it actually ends up in your stomach," Buffy said teasingly.

Tara made a small smile before confessing, "I just don't have much of an appetite."

"It's just...Willow," Tara said. Then she corrected herself, "Vamp Willow, I mean."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Buffy replied. "When I first met her, I was like�Ewww, this is freakin' me out. I mean, she's Willow, but she's not, you know?"

Buffy looked at Tara and readied herself to deny the statement. But she couldn't.

"Yeah, that too," Buffy said, shrugging. "It's like meeting her for the first time all over again. I can feel that Slayer connection. And she's just oozing that charm and sex appeal of hers. But this time it's..."

Buffy looked at Tara with surprise. After a moment, she asked, "How do you do that?"

"Anyway," Buffy said, returning to the topic, "I'll just have to set Faith straight. No pun intended."

"I-I-I think Vamp Willow is coming on to me, too," Tara said, "and frankly, it's scaring me."

"Yeah, but the someone I'm seeing is her�well, not her exactly, but her other self," Tara replied. "I kinda think she'd take that as an encouragement, not a deterrent."

"Well, then I'll follow up my statement by beatin' the crap out of her," Buffy offered.

Tara thought for a moment and then smiled her quirky little half-smile. "Well, I do have one thought�"

Giles and Willow continued to research while anxiously awaiting the results of Anya's attempt to contact her former boss. When the phone rang, they both jumped.

"Oh...well...I'm sorry to hear that," Giles said. He shook his head at Willow to indicate that Anya had not been successful.

"Listen, Giles," Xander said, "Anya's kinda wiped out. Between the neither-nor spell and the beg-o-rama, she's just exhausted. I'm gonna take her home."

"I understand completely," Giles said. "Get some rest, and check with me tomorrow."

Giles hung up the phone and turned to Willow. He walked over and sat beside her on the couch.

Willow held her head down and stared at her hands. Without lifting her gaze, she said quietly, "We're not going to find them, are we?"

"What about this 'bond' you were telling me about that the three of you seem to share?" Giles asked. "Do you think you could use it to contact them?"

"I tried earlier at the Grotto before you arrived," Willow stated. "It didn't work."

"Perhaps if you had assistance, it might," Giles suggested. "With my energy and will added to the mix, it might work."

Willow looked thoughtful, then nodded in agreement. She smiled gratefully at the former Watcher. "Thanks, Giles."

Moments later, Willow and Giles sat opposite each other in much the same fashion as she and Anya had. They joined hands and began to meditate. Willow focused her mind on Buffy and Tara, mentally reaching out for them like a woman in a dark room, searching for the pull-cord to an overhead light, moving her hands before her, hoping to find what she was looking for.

Everywhere Willow turned, there was nothing, no sign of her lovers. Just when Willow was about to give up hope, she felt something: a hint of a connection, like a tiny thread hanging from a nylon cord.

In her mind, Willow reached forward and to the sides, then forward again. She felt the connective cord brush the back of her arm, and she desperately tried to grab it, fumbling as it passed through her fingers.

Back in the dining room of the Mansion, Buffy and Tara gathered up their dishes and headed for the kitchen.

"Okay, we've got a plan," Buffy said as they passed through the doorway. "If things get dicey with Faith and Vamp Willow, we know what to do."

"Right," Tara agreed as they moved towards the sink. "We'll � " Tara stopped in place, nearly dropping her plate. "Did you feel that?"

"It's gone," Willow said, letting go of Giles' hands. Tears began filling her eyes. "It didn't work."

"It didn't work, Giles!" Willow said in a angry and frustrated voice. "It's never going to work! I was probably just imagining things anyway. I wanted to contact them so badly that I � " Willow's voice became choked. After a few moments of silence, she rose to her feet and said, "I'm going home now."

"No, I'm just gonna walk," Willow said. "I think the fresh air will do me good."

Willow didn't get very far from Giles' apartment before despair overtook her. She stumbled to the curb and sat down, her body shaking with sobs.

Not long after Tara and Buffy had finished their meal, the team leaders of the White Hats began to arrive. Giles invited everyone into the dining room, where he and Buffy took their places at the head of the table. Tara sat beside Buffy on Giles' right, and Faith sat beside Giles on the other side. Vamp Willow, however, stood alone, leaning against the doorway to the kitchen.

When the last leader, clad in green army fatigues, entered the Mansion's dining room, Buffy immediately recognized him.

"Yes, when we learned of the organization's existence, we asked for their help," Giles answered. "We've been working together ever since."

Riley took his place at the opposite end of the table, amiably greeting those around him. Once he was seated, Giles knocked on the table to get everyone's attention. When the room was quiet, Giles addressed the group.

"First of all, thank you for coming on such short notice," Giles began. "I'm happy to report that Rachel's plan was successful, and I'd like to introduce Buffy Summers."

"She has agreed to help, and � " Giles started to say before being interrupted.

"Yes, well, there's the catch," Giles answered. "After Rachel conducted the ritual and brought Buffy here, we were attacked by a gang of the Master's minions. Rachel was one of those injured in the fight. She's in the hospital, in critical condition."

The team leaders began whispering among themselves, expressing worry and concern.

"Luckily," Giles interjected, "when Buffy was summoned, someone came with her." Giles gestured at Tara. "Her name is Tara, and she's a witch, and � "

"And a powerful one at that," Faith added. "Just ask Red back there. Tara here knocked her right on her ass."

"Let's get back to the task at hand, if you don't mind," Giles said. "I'd like to turn the meeting over to Riley, who will present the details of our plan. Riley?"

When Riley was done making his presentation, he turned his eyes to Buffy, who was leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, looking completely unimpressed. She sat up straight and then put her arms on the table.

"Why face the Master on his own turf?" Buffy asked as she stood to address the group. "That's where he'll be his strongest." She left her place at the table and walked behind Tara to stand near the doorway to the kitchen. "We need to get him on our turf. We need to set a trap."

"A special kind of trap," Buffy said, "with some very special bait." Buffy stepped aside to reveal Vamp Willow behind her.

Vamp Willow instantly made the connection. "Oh, no, you don't!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at Buffy and the group. "You are not turning me over to the Master!"

"Don't worry," Buffy assured the vampire. "He wouldn't fall for that anyway. He's too smart for that. No, you're not going to be the bait. You're going to be the trap.

With the details of their new plan hammered out, the meeting of the White Hats broke up. Tara ended up back in the living room, talking with one of the team leaders as Buffy finalized a few things with Riley and Giles in the dining room. Vamp Willow stood in the doorway to the living room, watching Faith hovering around Buffy, clearly waiting to get her fellow Slayer alone. Vamp Willow rolled her eyes and headed into the living room.

"Excellent plan," Faith said sincerely. "I gotta admit, G-man did the right thing bringing you here. I coulda never come up with something like that."

"Don't sell yourself short," Buffy replied. "And don't praise me yet. We don't even know if this plan is gonna work."

Faith moved closer, once again entering Buffy's personal space. "Now that the plan's all set," she said in a husky voice, "what d'ya say you and me go do a little warm-up...my room...upstairs?"

Buffy froze for a moment, then stepped back. "Sorry, I can't," Buffy replied firmly. "I have a girlfriend." Buffy tilted her head in Tara's direction.

Faith waved her hand in dismissal. "Whatever," she said bluntly as she walked into the kitchen.

After heading into the living room, Vamp Willow went immediately to the sofa, where Tara was now sitting alone. She plopped down right next to Tara instead of sitting a more respectable distance away. Tara nervously shifted a few inches over.

"You don't have to be, I won't hurt you," Vamp Willow assured her. Then she grinned and added, "Not unless you want me to."

Tara stared in alarm at the vampire version of her girlfriend. But then something caught her attention. She focused her inner eye on the redhead, not quite understanding what she was seeing. Her concentration was broken when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Buffy standing beside her at the end of the sofa.

"Honey," Buffy said pointedly, "they've got a place fixed up where we can sleep. You ready for bed?"

Buffy held out her hand. Tara took it and rose to her feet. As the two women walked away, Buffy put her arm around Tara's waist and glared a warning back at Vamp Willow.

The vampire just rolled her eyes and got up from the couch. "Whatever," she said to herself.

As she turned to leave the room, she saw Faith grab her jacket and stomp out the front door. Vamp Willow grinned and quietly followed her.

Buffy and Tara were still holding hands as they entered the bedroom of the White Hats' injured witch. Once inside, they both heaved a sigh of relief. Buffy touched Tara's arm and looked into her eyes.

"Yeah, thanks," Tara replied. "You know, w-w-when you first told me about Vamp Willow, I was sort of i-i-intrigued�like in a fun f-f-fantasy kind of way�but now..."

"Yeah, hers is�n-n-not like other vampires," Tara said. "It's still dark and m-m-mostly evil, but there's this layer of light in there that shouldn't be. It's hard to explain."

Buffy thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you think she has a soul? I mean, it is possible, Angel was a vampire, and he had a soul."

"I'm not sure. It doesn't seem quite big enough or strong enough to be a soul." Tara shrugged. "I don't know what it is. Anyway, s-s-soul or not, she was creeping me out, so thank you for saving me."

"You're very welcome, but remember, you're saving me too," Buffy said. "Having Faith flirt with me is like someone waving a cigarette in front of a chain smoker who's quit. They know it's bad for them and they really deep down don't want it at all because they've got a much better life now that they've quit, but there's this one part of them that just craves it."

"If I'd ended up here a week ago, before Willow and I�yes, I would be. But now I'm just annoyed by it. Having you here helps." Buffy took Tara's hand again. "You remind me of what I � what we � have waiting for us back home. And I won't let anything here mess that up."

Tara smiled in relief. Then she dropped her gaze, pulled her hand free, and stepped back.

"We'll...ummm�I mean, while we're here, we'll have to�keep up the pretense, you know, that we're�together. A-A-Are you okay with that?"

Buffy looked nervous for moment, then answered in what she hoped was a confident voice. "Oh, sure�I can handle it if you can, I mean, how hard can it be, right? We've already held hands in front of them."

They both nodded enthusiastically before glancing away. After a few moments of feet-shuffling, Buffy asked, "What about kissing?"

"Well�" Buffy said knowingly, tilting her head towards the bed, "if we're...you know�then they'd pretty much expect us to�ummm�kiss."

"Well, we can't j-j-just do it impromptu-like!" Tara exclaimed in a terrified voice. "That w-w-would be a dead giveaway!"

"First k-k-kisses can be a little awkward, you know...till you get used to each other? Especially if there's an audience."

"Oh, god, you're right. What do we do?" Buffy said anxiously. Then she finally declared, "We'll just have to not kiss."

Tara's brow creased with worry as she considered the situation. After a moment, her face lightened, and she made a suggestion. "We could�ummm�practice first."

"Look if this is just too much, w-w-we just won't do it, we can just l-l-let them wonder."

"No, no," Buffy insisted, "we need the kiss, and it has to be convincing. I don't wanna be wasting energy fending off unrequited Slayer lust, and I don't want you worried about being seduced by Vamp Willow."

Buffy and Tara stood in awkward silence, casting glances about the room and at each other. Then Buffy finally spoke.

Buffy made the first move, stepping towards Tara. The two women took a few moments to get situated in each other's arms. Then they looked into each other's eyes and tried in vain to stay calm.

Oh, god, I'm going to kiss Buffy! Willow is going to kill me! Tara thought as Buffy pulled her closer. Okay, okay, just breathe, breathe, and don't �

Oh, god, I'm going to kiss Tara! I'm going to kiss my girlfriend's other girlfriend! Buffy thought as she leaned in towards Tara's face. Oh, god�get a grip and just �

Before Tara and Buffy could even complete their thoughts, they kissed. And for just a moment, Willow was forgotten as the two women focused only on each other. The kiss went longer and deeper than either of them had intended. When they pulled away, they were both breathing hard.

After a long pause, Buffy smiled to herself and then said to Tara, "You know�if we really want to do this right, we should really do it more than once." Buffy lifted her eyes.

Tara's mouth slowly curved into a mischievous smile. "Well, the term 'practice' does imply multiple repetitions."

"And they do say that practice makes perfect," Buffy added, grinning slyly as she moved back into Tara's arms.

One kiss soon became several, each one becoming longer and deeper and more passionate than the one before. By the time they had to stop for air, both of them were extremely aroused.

Buffy abruptly separated them. "What are we doing?" she exclaimed. "We're not supposed to be feeling anything here! We've got girlfriends back home! Well, technically, one girlfriend, the same girlfriend, but that's not the point! The point is�ummm�I don't know what my point is."

Buffy opened her mouth to deny it, but found she couldn't. "I�uhhh�I guess I do," Buffy said with a shrug. "Sorry. Didn't mean to." Then she waved her hand in the air in a dismissive gesture. "Ehhh, it's probably just some of that Slayer lust kickin' in."

"No, it's okay," Tara replied. "I-I-I think I have feelings for you, too, so it can't be just a Slayer thing."

Buffy straightened and threw her shoulders back proudly. "Well, unless you cater to the notion that Slayers are irresistibly attractive."

Tara curled her lips into that sexy half-smirk of hers and said without the least bit of shyness, "I'm beginning to."

As Vamp Willow watched unseen from a distance, Faith kicked the unlucky fledgling into the side of the mausoleum, stunning him. Then she began to pummel him. When he finally slipped to the ground, unconscious, Faith staked him.

This was the third vampire Faith had slain since leaving the Mansion. She had thought that a little slaying would loosen her up, but it had only made her more tense. Her Slayer lust had kicked into full overdrive.

She sighed and shook her head. "Don't think about the evil bloodsucking fiend," she told herself. "Focus on anything but the evil redheaded bloodsucking fiend."

Faith sighed again, slumping in defeat. She moaned and grumbled to herself, then headed back towards the Mansion.

Her vampire senses allowed her to hear Faith's every word, and Vamp Willow grinned widely. Then, chuckling to herself, she moved to follow Faith home.

Buffy entered the bedroom, having just finished her shower. She found Tara already dressed in her borrowed night shirt and sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting nervously for her.

Buffy smiled at how thoughtful and selfless Tara was. Buffy went over to her and touched her cheek.

"I'll take this side," Buffy said, pointing out the side that was closer to the door. "If that's okay with you."

Tara pulled back the covers and got in. She lay on her side, facing Buffy. When Buffy finished getting ready for bed, she turned out the overhead light and got into bed. The room was still lit by the moonlight coming in the window. Buffy lay on her side facing Tara. After a moment of silence, Buffy reached out and touched Tara's arm.

Tara sighed deeply. "I don't know. This is the first time I've slowed down enough to even think about it. How about you?"

"Ehhh, just another day on the job in Sunnydale," Buffy said before correcting herself. "Well, in one Sunnydale anyway." Buffy was silent for a moment. Then she added in a quiet voice, "I miss Willow."

"Yeah, me too," Tara said. "She's probably freaking out, wondering what's happened to us. I mean, in her world, we've just disappeared." Tara paused and then said in a choked voice, "Oh, Willow�"

Tara began to cry, her worries and fears finally taking their toll. Buffy pulled Tara into her arms and stroked her back soothingly.

Willow cried for quite a long time before her tears finally subsided. When the last hiccupy sob left her, she drew in a deep breath and then slowly let it out. Once she felt ready, she rose to her feet. She turned and stepped back onto the sidewalk.

Before Willow could do anything, Spike grabbed her by the arms and sank his fangs deeply into her neck. She struggled against him, but soon her eyelids grew heavy. Then her eyes rolled back in her head, and she went limp in Spike's arms as he continued to feed.

When Tara's tears had subsided, Buffy released her arms, and Tara backed away a bit. She didn't get far, though, before Buffy kissed her warmly. When she pulled out of the kiss, Buffy brushed a lock of Tara's hair off her face and looked into Tara's eyes. She wanted Tara, there was no doubt in her mind about that, but she didn't know if Tara felt the same. She waited, allowing Tara to make the next move.

Tara returned Buffy's gaze. She knew that Buffy wanted her, and she knew that she felt the same desire for the Slayer. But she worried about Willow, what she would think. When Tara thought of Willow, she frowned and looked away, pained by their separation. More than anything, Tara wanted to feel connected. She looked back at Buffy, who now shared her frown. Tara smiled and touched Buffy's cheek. Then she leaned in, kissed Buffy back, and let their mutual desire take over.

As Faith walked down the hallway, she shrugged her shoulders, trying unsuccessfully to release the tension in her upper body. When she got to Buffy and Tara's room, she stopped. She rested her hands against both sides of the jamb and leaned in to listen.

Faith jumped at the voice, angry with herself for letting someone sneak up on her.

"Just couldn't believe that Buffy would prefer Tara over you," Vamp Willow continued.

"Shut up," Faith said, stepping away from the doorway and turning to face the vampire.

Hearing Tara's cry of passion, Vamp Willow smirked. "Well, I guess that settles that, doesn't it?"

Vamp Willow moved closer to Faith, easing into her personal space, pinning her against the wall. Vamp Willow dragged her finger down Faith's arm.

"Buffy's not gonna be here after tomorrow," the vampire said in a sultry voice. "Why waste time with her anyway?"

Vamp Willow touched Faith's cheek and brushed her fingertips along the Slayer's jaw line. Then, ever so slowly, she trailed her fingers down Faith's neck and chest.

Then Faith did just that. She grabbed Vamp Willow's wrists, twisted them behind her back, and slammed her against the opposite wall. Vamp Willow looked surprised at first, but then she just smiled. She started to make a smartass comment, but found her words cut off when Faith kissed her hard. Vamp Willow kissed her back. Faith released Willow's wrists, and the two immediately tangled into a heated embrace, stumbling along the wall until they finally fell against the door to Vamp Willow's room. Still kissing and groping, they opened the door and went inside.

Once the door was shut again, Faith found herself slammed against it, her wrists held behind her back in a reversal of how Faith had held Vamp Willow earlier. Vamp Willow held the Slayer firmly in place and raked her eyes along her body, grinning seductively. Then she leaned in and nuzzled her way to Faith's neck. She began planting soft kisses along her neck. When the kisses became gentle nips, Faith began panting and squirming. Vamp Willow smiled to herself, released Faith's arms, and backed a step away.

With her chest heaving, Faith stood in place at the door for a moment. Then she straightened and regained her breath. She locked eyes with Vamp Willow and moved in her direction, backing her towards the bed. When she had forced the vampire to the edge of the mattress, she stopped. Faith eyed the redhead hungrily. Then she shoved the vampire onto the bed.

As the Slayer leapt upon her, Vamp Willow grinned to herself. It's going to be a long night, she thought. A gloriously long night. Let the games begin!

The next morning, when Buffy woke up, she found Tara already awake and staring at her wistfully. Buffy sent Tara a smile.

"Mmmm�sleep good," Buffy grunted in her Cave-Slayer voice. "Buffy like sleep." Buffy scooted over and nuzzled into Tara's hair at the crook of her neck. "Mmmm�Buffy like Tara."

When Buffy growled and nipped Tara on her neck, she sent the blonde witch into a fit of giggles, which only fueled the Slayer into planting similar bites elsewhere. Soon, the two of them were in complete hysterics. After a time, they fell back onto the bed together, exhausted from laughing so hard.

"Speaking of hard days," Buffy said with reluctance, "I guess we'd better get up and start ours."

"I don't either," Buffy answered, kissing Tara soundly. Then she pulled away and shrugged. "I don't have a clue what I'm gonna say to Willow when we get back, but�"

"Let's not worry about that now," Tara advised. "We'll figure it out when we get there. And we will get there."

Faith awoke slowly, feeling momentarily confused about where she was. Then she felt a cool hand on her hip and a face snuggled into her back. Faith froze in place.

She closed her eyes in a tight frown and let out a long rueful sigh. She opened her eyes and gently began extricating herself from Vamp Willow's embrace. The vampire didn't rouse; instead, she simply turned over on her other side and faced away from Faith. The dark-haired Slayer eased from under the covers and out of the bed. Then she quickly retrieved her scattered clothes, donned them, and slipped out of the room.

A little later, Vamp Willow turned over, fully expecting to find a warm Slayer body next to her. When she didn't, she opened her eyes and leaned up on her elbow. She touched the now-empty-and-cold space in her bed. Her face crinkled into an unhappy pout.

After putting on her clothes, Vamp Willow tramped downstairs. Buffy and Giles and several of the other White Hats were in the living room. Vamp Willow slipped past them and into the kitchen. She found Faith standing beside the refrigerator, finishing off a bottle of juice. Vamp Willow snuggled up behind Faith and wrapped her arms about the Slayer.

"Mornin'," Vamp Willow cooed in Faith's ear before taking a nibble on her ear lobe.

"What's wrong with you?" Vamp Willow said in voice mixed with annoyance and hurt.

Faith didn't answer; she just folded her arms tightly across her chest and looked away.

"Nothing did happen, okay?" Faith insisted in a hot but hushed voice. "Last night was a mistake, so as far as I'm concerned, it did not happen!" she continued, pointing her finger at the redhead. After a moment, she re-crossed her arms. "I told you � you Vampire, me Slayer, end of story."

Vamp Willow's face furrowed in pain and fury. "Fine!" she said through a clenched jaw before storming from the room.

Faith dropped her arms and hung her head. Then she ran both hands through her long dark hair and looked at the doorway with a frown.

Vamp Willow stomped back upstairs and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She felt a sob rise in her throat and tears roll down her cheeks. She roared in response and sank her fist into the stone wall. After a moment, she pulled her fist out of the crater in the wall. She looked at her scraped and bloody knuckles.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Tara rushed in, having been drawn by the noise. Vamp Willow jumped in surprise and instantly put her bloody hand behind her back. Tara took in the scene then settled on the tear-stained face of the vampire.

Tara glanced at the hole in the wall then back at the redhead. She tilted her head and said in a soft voice, "You're crying."

"I am not!" Vamp Willow denied vehemently. "Vampires do not cry!" The vampire folded her arms tightly across her chest.

Vamp Willow sighed but held out her hand. Tara looked at the injured hand for a moment, then guided the vampire to the small bench across from the vanity. Tara rummaged through the medicine cabinet and got out some supplies. She started cleaning the scrapes.

"I don't know why you're bothering," Vamp Willow said. "It'll be healed in no time."

"Humor me, okay?" Tara said as she began applying some antiseptic. "Why don't you tell me what's got you upset enough to punish a poor defenseless wall?"

Tara lifted an unbelieving eyebrow in Vamp Willow's direction. The vampire crumbled under its power.

"It's just�I haven't been myself lately," Vamp Willow said. "I am a vampire. I have a demon where a soul used to be, so I'm supposed to be evil, right? So why am I living with the White Hats, doing good deeds?"

"No, see, that's the thing. If it was just survival, I would've hightailed it out of Sunnydale, left the country, done something, anything other than work with the White Hats," Vamp Willow explained. "But noooo�here I am, fighting the good fight, killing my own kind, fighting side by side with the Slayer, actually giving a damn if she lives or dies, actually caring what she thinks of me."

Vamp Willow paused for a moment then continued in a disgusted voice. "I'm not supposed to be doing any of this." She wiped her face harshly. "I mean, there's no crying among vampires!" Vamp Willow lifted her hands in frustration. "This is not natural. I'm sick. That's all there is to it, I must be sick. Ever since I got back from � " Vamp Willow stopped her rant. "That's it," the vampire said. "She did this."

"That fuzzy-sweatered goody-two-shoes version of myself in your Sunnydale," Vamp Willow replied. "She did this to me. She cast some kind of spell on me. Right before they sent me back. She said 'good luck, try not to kill people.' Shit!"

"Ummm, that doesn't sound like a spell," Tara said, "so I don't think Willow did anything to you."

"Then why do I feel this way?" the vampire asked, looking as if she were going to cry again, her newly-treated hand on her chest.

Buffy stopped when she realized that Tara was also in the room. Tara pulled away from the redhead. Buffy looked at Tara and then at Vamp Willow. Buffy's face hardened.

Vamp Willow cast a glance back at Tara and then exited, leaving Buffy and Tara alone.

"Yes! Just because she's a vampire doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings. She does," Tara said. "You of all people should understand that."

Buffy dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry. You're right," she said. "I just saw you touching her, and�I'm sorry. I guess I just got jealous."

Tara kissed Buffy, and she returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around the blonde witch and pulling her close. After a few moments, they separated.

Buffy and Tara went downstairs to the living room, where Vamp Willow, Faith, Giles, and several other White Hats were waiting. Vamp Willow stood near Giles by the fireplace, but Faith sat propped in the seat at the bay window. Once Buffy and Tara joined him, Giles handed Vamp Willow a cell phone.

"Now what could you and I possibly have to talk about?" the Master said in a snide voice.

"I'm sure you do � what with a price on your head and all," the Master said sarcastically. Then his voice hardened, and he said menacingly, "I don't retract death sentences."

"Not even if I can give you the White Hats?" Vamp Willow said. After a pause, she continued, "'Cause I can give you all of them, including the Slayers, in one fell swoop."

"Not over the phone," Vamp Willow said. "I don't want to risk being found out by the White Hats. Can we meet?"

Vamp Willow pulled the phone away and looked at it. Then she folded it up and handed it back to Giles.

"He's willing to listen," Vamp Willow replied. "He wants to meet. At the Bronze."

"Well, we need to come up with something then," Faith said, joining the group. "Some way to get Willow in and out of there safely."

"I don't," Faith said. Then she corrected herself. "I mean, I do�care�about the plan, about getting the Master."

"I don't think so," Buffy disagreed. "Once she tells him what she has to offer � the Slayers on a platter � he's going to let her go because she's the only way to get what he wants."

"Willow," Giles addressed the vampire, "we can't force you to go in there, but � "

"I'll go," Vamp Willow said. "Buffy's right. He won't do anything if he thinks I can give him the Slayers. It's the only way."

"No. He might pick up on it," Vamp Willow replied. "He's testing me, so I'll just have to call his bluff."

"Then I guess you guys better be working on Plan B," Vamp Willow said, walking away. "If I'm not back by tonight, you can assume that I'm filling up an ashtray at the Bronze."

Vamp Willow turned and headed for the basement where the tunnel access was. Faith watched her go for a moment and then followed her. Tara frowned as she watched Faith leave. Buffy turned to Giles.

"Yeah, but what's to prevent her from accepting the Master's offer if he really does take her back?"

Faith followed Vamp Willow into the basement. When Vamp Willow got to the trap door that led to the tunnels, Faith called out to her.

"If I were being careful, I wouldn't be going alone into the lair of the vampire who wants me dead," Vamp Willow said. "'Sides, it's not like you � "

Faith cut her off with a desperate kiss. When she pulled away, she rested her hand against Vamp Willow's cheek. "Come back, okay?"

Vamp Willow frowned in confusion then smiled. "Count on it," she said before slipping through the trap door.

Vamp Willow slowly and cautiously made her way through the sewers towards the Bronze. When she reached the last junction, she went to turn into the last tunnel. She stopped when she found a cadre of the Master's minions waiting for her. She considered an immediate retreat but forced herself to stand her ground. Vamp Willow pulled herself tall and walked towards them.

When Vamp Willow pried open her swollen and bruised eyes, she found herself hanging from her wrists, from chains suspended from the ceiling of the Master's office in the back of the Bronze. Her shirt was in tatters, and her leather pants were torn in several places. As she shakily lifted her chin and focused on her surroundings, she made out the Master several feet away from her. He stood rod straight, with his hands clasped behind him. When he saw that she was awake, he stepped closer.

"Now that you're in the proper frame of mind, let's have our little talk," the Master said snidely. Then he held up a box of matches and shook it. "The first topic�" he announced as he pulled out a match and struck it, "�factories I no longer have."

Vamp Willow steeled herself as the burning match grew closer and closer to her face.

Hours later, Giles and the others waited anxiously for Vamp Willow to return from the Bronze. As Buffy and Tara sat together on the couch, Faith paced near the bay window. Riley and a couple of the other White Hat leaders stood near Giles by the fireplace.

"All right," Buffy said, holding up her hands. "I'll go with you. But�we'll go only halfway�just to see, okay?"

Faith and Buffy crawled through the trap door and headed into the tunnels. Faith took point, leading Buffy along the underground path to the Bronze. Past the first junction, Faith suddenly froze.

"There she is!" Faith cried out before rushing several feet away, with Buffy right on her heels.

Vamp Willow was face down on the tunnel floor. Her clothes were ripped and streaked in blood, and the ground behind her was lined with marks as if she had dragged and pushed herself for quite some way. Faith and Buffy knelt on each side of her, then Faith gently rolled Vamp Willow over. As her head lolled to the side, a series of burns was revealed, beginning at her cheek and trailing down her neck.

When Faith and Buffy came through the living room from the basement, Tara and the others quickly joined the Slayers. Their eyes widened when they saw Vamp Willow's condition.

"We don't know," Buffy said, "but it looks like the Master roughed her up pretty bad."

"No biggee?" Buffy asked Riley. Then she turned to Faith. "Get Willow upstairs."

"What?" Riley said defensively. "She's a vampire. She'll heal, so no harm done."

Buffy stepped closer to Riley. "Vampire healing or not, she still feels. She just went through hours of torture so that we'd have a chance at nailing the Master. Would you have done that?"

Once upstairs and in Vamp Willow's room, Faith carefully laid the unconscious vampire on the bed and arranged her as comfortably as she could. Buffy and Tara shortly followed, carrying a first-aid kit, a bowl of warm water, and a cloth. While the Slayers watched with twin frowns, Tara began cleaning Vamp Willow's head and neck. Her face was bruised and swollen, cut in several places where the skin had split from powerful blows. Where the line of burns marked her face, the skin was cracked and blackened.

When Tara was done with Vamp Willow's head, she sent Buffy after some fresh water. Then she and Faith started removing what was left of Vamp Willow's clothing. When they opened her shirt, they both stopped in place. Tara's mouth fell open, and so did Faith's, but the dark-haired Slayer quickly closed hers and clenched her jaw tightly. Vamp Willow's chest and torso were covered in burns just like those on her face. Where there weren't burns, there were bruises and welts, and where there weren't bruises and welts, there were punctures, cuts, and gashes.

Together the two of them lifted Vamp Willow up and peeled her shirt from her wounded shoulders and back. In a similar fashion, they removed the rest of her clothing. When Buffy returned with more water and fresh cloths, the three of them started cleaning the vampire's body as best they could. A little later, while Buffy and Tara finished up, Faith held Vamp Willow's hand. She gently touched her raw knuckles, then she ran her fingers along her wrist where the shackles had left dark welts.

"She's going to need blood and lots of it," Buffy stated, handing her cloth to Tara, who put it inside the bowl with her own and then set it all aside.

"She's got some over here," Faith said as she rose and headed for the other side of the room, where a microwave sat atop a mini-fridge.

She pulled a bag of blood out of the fridge, emptied its contents into a cup, and heated it in the microwave. Then she grabbed a straw and brought the cup over to the bed. She dipped the straw into the blood and smeared some on the vampire's lips. When that brought no response, Buffy pried open the vampire's mouth so that Faith could dribble a few drops on her tongue. Once again, Vamp Willow did not respond.

Buffy shrugged uncertainly, but Tara said, "I�ummm�I have an idea." When the other two looked at her, she continued, "But�you're not gonna like it."

"Slayer blood," Tara answered. "It's more potent than animal blood or even ordinary human blood. It's more likely that she'll respond to it and feed, a-a-and it would probably help her heal faster."

"Tara's right," Buffy said to Faith. "When Angel was hurt, he had to feed on me to get better." When Faith looked aghast at the thought, Buffy shook her head and added, "Don't worry. I'll do it. Like I said, I've done this bef � "

When Buffy nodded in acquiescence, Faith pulled a knife from her boot and neatly sliced her own wrist, her face showing only the smallest hint of a wince. Then she placed her bleeding wrist against Vamp Willow's mouth. At first, the vampire didn't respond, but after a few moments, she moved her head and began to suck. Faith smiled in relief and looked at Buffy and Tara, who sat across from her.

In the second it took for Buffy and Tara to return Faith's smile, Vamp Willow morphed into her demon face, reared up, and sank her fangs into Faith's neck, pinning the Slayer's arms at her sides. Tara leapt to her feet and lifted her hand to cast a separation spell, but Buffy stopped her.

Faith tried to struggle against the ravenous vampire, but by the time she had overcome her shock, Vamp Willow had drained a significant portion of her blood.

"Oh, god�" Faith said as the vampire fed, her voice a mixture of fear and desire. She felt herself begin to lose consciousness but was powerless to stop it.

When Buffy saw Faith's body go limp and her eyes close, she cried to Tara, "Now!" Tara sent a powerful magical blast against Vamp Willow, separating her from Faith and sending her off the bed and onto the floor. Faith immediately fell back on the bed, unconscious. While Tara moved to Faith and placed a bandage on her neck to stop the bleeding, Buffy vaulted over the bed and placed herself between Faith and the vampire. Vamp Willow rose almost as quickly as she went down, growling in Buffy's direction, the demon within her clearly upset at its meal being interrupted. Buffy made no move against her; instead, she held her hand in front of herself in a cautious gesture.

Vamp Willow growled at Buffy again and then glanced at the bed behind her. When the redheaded vampire saw Faith being tended to by Tara, a strange look of surprise came over the demon's face. She immediately de-vamped and backed away, her shocked expression now one of horror.

"No�I�" Vamp Willow said in a choked voice, continuing to retreat until she finally hit the wall and slid to the floor.

Buffy slowly neared the distraught vampire and then knelt in front of her. She took her hand and squeezed it. When Vamp Willow met her gaze, Buffy was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

"We tried to give you regular blood, a-a-and you weren't responding," Buffy continued. "Slayer blood was the only thing we knew would help."

"That's why we were here," Buffy told her, "to make sure that didn't happen." Then the blonde Slayer turned to Tara. "I'm gonna go scrape up some food for Faith. She's gonna need it."

After Buffy left the room, Tara finished taping a new bandage to Faith's neck and then did the same for her wrist. When she was done, she looked at Vamp Willow and found her sitting with her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting on her knees. Tara frowned, but turned her attention back to Faith. She drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and began to draw energy from the earth and air around her. When she had gathered enough, she started sending it into Faith's body.

Vamp Willow lifted her head from her knees. When she saw Tara busy concentrating, she quietly rose and put on a tank top and some boxers. She watched Tara for a few moments, then eased closer to the bed.

"W-W-What are you doing to her?" Vamp Willow asked timidly, causing Tara to open her eyes.

Tara smiled reassuringly. "Yes, she'll be just fine," Tara said. "But I-I-I think it would help i-i-if you sat with her."

Vamp Willow sat on the bed next to Faith and took her hand. Within moments, Faith began to rouse, and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Vamp Willow, she smiled faintly.

When the two just stared at one another and didn't say more, Tara rose from the bed. "I'm gonna go see if Buffy needs help with the food," she told them. "I'll be right back."

Faith and Vamp Willow didn't acknowledge her statement, but Tara didn't take it personally. When she reached the doorway, she paused and looked back at the bed. She focused her inner eye and took a peek at the auras of the Slayer and the Vampire. After a few seconds, her face broke into a huge grin, then she slipped out of the room.

After Tara left the room, Faith struggled to sit up. Still holding the Slayer's hand, Vamp Willow helped her up. Once Faith was in an upright position, Vamp Willow kept her free hand at the Slayer's back to steady her.

Faith shook her head dizzily. "Shit, I feel like somebody ran over me with a truck."

"Hey, I didn't mean it like that," Faith answered. She waited until the redhead met her eyes. "What I did, I did 'cause I wanted to, okay?" Faith said firmly. When the vampire reluctantly nodded, Faith turned sideways and looked at Vamp Willow's face and neck. "I see it worked. You're already healing up."

The bruising and swelling on Vamp Willow's face were indeed diminished, as were the burn marks. Vamp Willow shrugged.

"Yeah, well, you got good blood," she said with a wry grin. "Thanks for sharing."

Faith returned her grin, but it quickly disappeared. She reached out and touched the fading bruises on Vamp Willow's face and then the burns on her neck. Vamp Willow closed her eyes, her forehead creasing in remembered pain.

"You didn't send me in there," the vampire corrected her, turning sideways to match Faith's position. "I sent myself."

Faith let that sink in, then she pulled her hand away and dropped her gaze. After a long pause, she forced herself to speak. "When the Master's dead, what will you do?"

Vamp Willow watched the dark-haired Slayer as she continued staring at her own lap, wringing her hands slightly. The vampire's eyes brightened as a smirk spread across her face.

"Oh..." the vampire replied in an amused voice, "kill a few demons, help the helpless, shag a certain Slayer..." Faith's head instantly shot up. When Faith looked at her incredulously, Vamp Willow leaned in until they were nose to nose. Then she added, "Repeat daily." Before Faith could even begin to smile, Vamp Willow captured her lips in a hot kiss.

Buffy and Tara came down the hallway towards Vamp Willow's room. Buffy carried a tray of snacks while Tara carried a couple of bottles of juice.

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked in a disbelieving voice. "Faith and Vamp Willow have a thing for each other?"

Buffy shook her head as Tara reached for the door knob. "I don't know, Tara," Buffy said in a lowered voice as Tara opened the door and Buffy entered ahead of her. "I think I'm gonna need just a little more�oh, good golly!"

Buffy ducked her head, and Tara peered around her to see what was up. She only just caught a glimpse of Faith and Vamp Willow mid-makeout before the Vampire and Slayer turned their glaring eyes towards their observers.

"Oh, s-s-sorry," Tara stuttered nervously before setting the juice on the tray and taking it from Buffy's hands. She quickly set the tray on the floor. "We�ummm�we'll just be going now," Tara said as she backed both herself and Buffy out of the room, slamming the door tightly.

They looked at each other and grinned widely. Then they linked arms and walked away, giggling to themselves.

About an hour after they were interrupted, Faith and Vamp Willow came downstairs to join the group. When they entered the living room holding hands, all eyes turned their way. Buffy and Tara grinned at the sight, but Giles and the other White Hat leaders did an obvious double-take and then stared in shock.

No one dared say a word. Vamp Willow smiled, clearly pleased with the Slayer's actions. When the others averted their gaze, the two of them walked to sofa and sat down. Once they were seated, Faith put her arm around Vamp Willow.

"Willow, I-I-I�uhhh�you're�ummm�feeling better, I see?" Giles said in an embarrassed stumble.

"I assume, since you're still with us, that the plan was a success?" Giles inquired.

"Oh, yeah," she confirmed. "Once he got all that revenge and punishment crap out of his system, he was ready to listen. And he took the bait � hook, line, and sinker."

"I told him to be ready shortly after sunset, then I'd call him when the deed was done," she answered.

Giles nodded at Riley, who left with his team leaders. Then Giles rolled his chair over to the sofa. "Willow," Giles said sincerely, "you took a huge risk and suffered much on our behalf. Thank you."

Giles smiled, knowing that there was much more to the vampire's motivation than simple self-preservation.

Back in normal Sunnydale, the Initiative's research team, now set up at the condemned school's library, monitored the readings from the Hellmouth. When the energy emissions began to rise significantly, the head scientist put in a call to base.

"Yes," he replied. "The readings have changed dramatically in the last hour. Energy emissions are up thirty percent from our original marks."

"Hmmm," Walsh said, thinking for a moment. "Take standard precautions, and when the emissions have doubled, or if anything unusual occurs, call me."

As the armed Initiative soldiers paced nervously outside the old high school, Lindsey placed a call to L.A.

When the Senior Partner of Wolfram and Hart answered, Lindsey said, "There's been a development at the Hellmouth."

"Giles!" Xander cried in a panicked voice as he burst into Giles' apartment. "Willow never made it back to campus last night!"

"I've been calling all day, but there was no answer at her dorm room," Xander said frantically. "I've checked everywhere: Tara's room, her parents' house, Buffy's house. I even called her teachers, and Willow hasn't been in class all day."

"She was�upset when she left here last night," Giles explained. "I offered to drive her, but she refused. She said the walk would do her good."

Willow groggily opened her eyes. When she did so, she found herself on her back, beside a stone wall, staring up at a cobweb-covered stone ceiling that was softly lit by the light from several lanterns. She went to push herself up from the floor of the crypt and was surprised to discover a shackle on her left wrist. She grabbed the chain connecting the manacle to the wall and pulled herself to a sitting position, swaying dizzily for a moment.

When her head had cleared, she remembered what had happened the night before. She reached for her neck and felt the bite marks. "Oh god," she whimpered.

"It's about time you woke up," a voice called from the shadows. When Willow jerked her head up to look, the voice continued, "I was beginning to think maybe I'd drained you too much."

"Spike!" Willow exclaimed in fear when she saw the bleach-blond vampire heading her way.

"That's right. The Big Bad is back, and I'm ready to finish what I started," Spike said, standing ominously over Willow. "I'm gonna dangle you on a hook and reel in a Slayer."

Willow dropped her head and began to cry. "You're too late," she said in a choked voice. "She's gone."

"What?!! What do you mean she's gone?" Spike asked in alarm as he knelt in front of Willow. "The Slayer's gone? Buffy's gone?"

Anger suddenly filled Spike's eyes. "What happened? Who did it? I'm gonna kill 'em! Tell me who did it!"

Willow looked at Spike as if he'd gone crazy. Her expression changed to fright when Spike grabbed her by her shirt and yanked her up until they were nose to nose.

Spike glared at Willow and then thrust her back against the wall. He stood and walked off. "I don't�'care'," he said defensively. "I'm just�pissed that someone else killed her before I did, that's all."

"She's not dead," Willow said, grimacing from the collision against the wall. "At least I don't think so. She might as well be, though."

"She got sucked into a portal," Willow explained. "Her and Tara both." Willow sighed deeply, her breath catching a little. "I don't know where they are or how to get them back. I've tried everything I can think of, but they're just�gone."

Willow started to cry again, but Spike peered into the darkness, thinking hard. "A portal," he said. "That just means that she's in another dimension. All we have to do is figure out which one."

Suddenly, Spike knelt beside Willow once again, grabbing her wrists and pinning her with his gaze. Willow didn't flinch or cower. She was resigned to her fate and was determined to face it bravely. She was surprised when Spike lifted her left arm and unlocked the manacle that kept her chained to the wall.

Willow rubbed her left wrist then pushed herself to her feet, using the wall to steady herself. "Why are you helping me?"

"I'm not," Spike answered. "I'm helping myself. If the Slayer's going to leave this world, it's going to be at my hand, got it?"

After materializing through a run-down apartment door, Willow stepped wide-eyed into an equally run-down living room, which was filled with ratty furniture: some old chairs, an ugly sofa, some tables and lamps. A girl and a guy sat in separate places, fidgeting nervously, clearly waiting.

"Home of that warlock I told you about," Spike replied. "It's cloaked. It moves around a lot too. Keeps Rack out of trouble."

Willow stopped when she heard the door on the other side of the room open. Rack came out and looked at Spike and Willow. He was tall and lanky, with black stringy hair and an amulet around his neck. A long scar ran down his face, and his eyes pointed in different directions.

Rack ignored them and walked directly to Willow. "I believe these two are next," he said.

Spike narrowed his eyes, and Willow looked worriedly in Spike's direction. But when Rack gestured for them to accompany him into the next room, both of them accepted.

Once inside the other room, Rack immediately began to circle Willow, rubbing his hands together, emitting magical sparks from them as he did so.

"Oh," Rack said with delight, moving closer to Willow, "this one's givin' off vibes."

"No, no, I mean you have power," Rack explained. "It's just coming off you in waves."

"That's why we came," Spike interjected. "We need to find someone who got zapped to another dimension."

Rack smiled again and stepped forward, holding out his hand toward Willow's chest. Willow automatically stepped back.

"Just relax," Rack said in a reassuring voice. "I'm not gonna hurt you. You gotta give a little to get a little, right?"

Willow gave Spike another concerned look, but he simply shrugged, indicating that she should go along with Rack for the moment. Willow turned back to the warlock.

Rack eased closer. "That's right," he said, "I'm just gonna take a little tour."

He put his hand over Willow's chest but didn't touch her. Instantly, a bolt of magic burst from his hand and entered Willow's body. Willow gasped and closed her eyes, feeling the drug-like effect of Rack's entrance. Rack closed his eyes too, as the energy exchange became even more intense. Soon, both were breathing heavily. Willow's face wore an expression of ecstasy, her chest heaving as she swayed unsteadily on her feet.

Suddenly, the connection was severed as Spike thrust between them, shoving Rack away from Willow and sending them both to the floor. "That's enough!" Spike yelled.

Willow writhed on the floor and touched her chest dreamily, still in the throes of Rack's spell. After a moment, she came back to herself. Her eyes fluttered open, and she looked at her chest in disgust. She scrambled to her feet and flashed angry eyes in Rack's direction.

Rack held up his hands to interrupt the vampire. "I said, 'I can't help you'," Rack clarified. "But I know someone who can. His name's Doc."

After Rack had given them the information they needed to find his contact, Willow and Spike headed for the door. Before Willow got there, Rack grabbed Willow's arm and stopped her. She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. He leaned over and whispered in her ear.

"You taste�like strawberries," Rack said in a husky voice. Then he released Willow's arm and stepped away, a sick smile on his face.

Spike and Willow walked through an overgrown yard to a very old and very dilapidated house. They went up the steps and knocked on the door.

Within seconds, a voice called from behind the door. "Just a minute, I'm coming." Shortly, the door was opened, and a small elderly man stood inside the doorway. He was dressed in a bathrobe and wore thick glasses. "Hello, can I help you?"

"We hope so," Spike answered. "We need to locate someone who was zapped to another dimension. Heard you were the one to ask."

Doc shook his head in a chiding motion. "You shouldn't mess with Rack. He's a very unsavory person."

Doc looked the two of them over but settled on Spike. "Well, I don't normally let vampires inside my house, but I suppose I can make an exception. Since you're accompanied by this lovely lady." Doc then smiled cordially at Willow, who smiled uneasily in return. "Come in," Doc said, gesturing for them to enter.

Once Willow and Spike were inside, Doc walked ahead of them, a scaly green tail emerging from underneath his robe. Willow looked at Spike worriedly, but Spike just shrugged. Doc led them into a large den with a fireplace. The room was filled with books and papers and magical talismans. When Doc reached the hearth, he turned and faced his guests.

"So a friend of yours has disappeared into another dimension, you say?" Doc asked.

"Two friends, actually," Willow supplied. "A portal opened next to them. It started pulling one of them inside. The other tried to keep it from taking her, but then both of them got yanked inside. We want to find them so that we can bring them back."

"Hmmm," Doc said thoughtfully as he moved to a large table piled with books. He sorted through several stacks before pulling out one particular volume. He opened it and set it on the table, then leaned over, turning pages rapidly. "Aha!" he cried, stopping on a page and pointing to it.

"It's a specialized locator spell that should work between dimensions," Willow explained. "And next to it is a retrieval spell. He's right, it's just what we need."

"A sacrifice?" Doc supplied. "You didn't think a spell of this magnitude would be free, did you?"

Willow frowned at Doc. Then she said, "I'll�uhhh�need to copy this down so I can � "

Doc slipped a bookmark between the pages, closed the book, and pushed it towards Willow. "Take it with you. I trust you to return it when you're done."

Willow handed the book to Spike and reached into her pocket for the money she intended to use to pay Doc.

"No, no. Keep your money," he said amiably. Then he stuck out his hand for a friendly shake.

"Thank you," Willow said, pulling her hand from her pocket. She took the old man's hand. She was surprised by the strength of his grasp. She smiled and shook his hand, trying desperately to fight off the fear he was creating in her.

Willow nodded and pulled her hand back. She gave the smiling Doc one final look before she and Spike left the house.

Back in the Wishverse, the Master and his small army of minions arrived at the Mansion shortly after sunset. When the Master approached the front door, Vamp Willow opened it immediately. She bowed lightly. When she straightened, she smiled.

The Master walked through the front door, grinning when he realized that he was free to enter without the invitation of any humans living there.

Vamp Willow led the Master past the living room, where several White Hats lay on the floor, unmoving. Tara was sprawled on the sofa, a spilled drink on the floor beside her. Next to the sofa, Giles sat slumped in his wheelchair, his hands limp on the blanket covering his legs. Vamp Willow continued into the dining room. Around the large dining table were numerous bodies, either leaning over onto the table or lying on the floor, having fallen from their chairs.

The Master turned to Vamp Willow, who stood with her hands behind her back, awaiting the elder vampire's ruling. "Poison?" he asked.

Vamp Willow shrugged. "Mmmm�most of them. Just to incapacitate them, of course. No sense wasting all those meals," she said, with an evil glint in her eye. Then she pulled her hand from behind her back and held up a taser. "A few of them, though, took a less relaxing path to unconsciousness. Those soldier boys have the funnest toys."

She led the Master back to the living room and around the staircase to a small alcove behind the stairs. There, on the floor and leaning against the wall were Buffy and Faith. Like the others, they too were unconscious, their arms limp at their sides. Their wrists were encased in heavy manacles, the long chains looped around the thick stone spindles of the staircase.

As the Master grinned, Faith regained consciousness. When she saw the Master standing before her, she tried to rush him, but was stopped by her chains and fell to her knees. It was then that she saw Vamp Willow standing beside the ancient vampire. The redhead had her arms crossed, and a smirk was on her face.

"What I should have done a long time ago," Vamp Willow replied, a look of disgust on her face. Then she walked over to Faith and punched her hard in the face, knocking her back out.

The Master joined Vamp Willow as she stood over the dark-haired Slayer. The Master nudged Faith with his foot, revealing the wound at her neck.

"Well, yeah," Vamp Willow admitted. "Hey, I had to do something about the face," she justified, pointing to her half-healed face.

The Master glared, then began to chuckle. After a hearty laugh, the Master clapped Vamp Willow on the shoulder. After turning his back on the Slayers, he faced Willow and took her hand in his.

Suddenly, the Master yanked Vamp Willow closer, squeezing her hand until she was forced to kneel before him. "Don't�fail me�again," the Master said threateningly.

Vamp Willow grimaced then gritted her teeth and met the Master's eyes. "Don't worry," she told him. "From this moment on, you'll never have to deal with my failure again."

When Vamp Willow smiled at the Master, he narrowed his eyes, a suspicious look spreading over his face. He instantly thrust Vamp Willow away from him and turned back to the Slayers. Buffy and Faith were now standing, holding their unlocked chains in their hands.

"Psych!" the Slayers said simultaneously before throwing down their chains and attacking the Master.

When Buffy, Faith, and Vamp Willow moved against the Master, the remaining White Hats leapt from their posed positions and attacked the minions.

Riley and his Initiative soldiers immobilized the vampires with tasers then staked them. When their tasers failed, the soldiers went hand to hand.

In the living room, Tara used her magic to shield Giles while he shot bolts from the crossbow he had hidden beneath the blanket covering his legs.

Back in the alcove, Buffy and Faith lay stunned on the floor, trying to clear the stars from their heads. The Master held Vamp Willow in his grip, his hands wrapped around her throat. As she struggled to loosen his fingers, he lifted her off the ground and began slamming her against the wall.

Faith was the first Slayer to come to. When she saw the dazed Vamp Willow in the hands of the Master, she jumped to her feet, grabbed one of the chains used earlier, and looped it around his neck. She pulled it tight and then kicked the back of the Master's legs, sending him to his knees. He released Vamp Willow in order to focus on the chain around his neck. Vamp Willow fell limply to the floor.

Nearby, Buffy regained consciousness and rose unsteadily to her feet. She watched as Faith increased her hold on the Master. Not allowing the tension to lessen, Faith shimmied up her grip by wrapping the chain around her fists. With one final powerful jerk, she ripped the chain through the Master's neck, decapitating him and turning him to dust. Buffy heaved a sigh of relief and fell back against the wall to rest.

Faith fell forward onto her knees, breathing hard. After she got her breath back, she unwrapped the chain from her fists and crawled to where Vamp Willow lay, unmoving, on the floor. Faith leaned over the vampire and gently touched her face.

Within moments, Vamp Willow began to rouse, and her eyes fluttered open. When she saw Faith, she smiled faintly.

When she saw that the other two were okay, Buffy stood and then headed for the living room. She was nearly run down by Tara, who was running towards the alcove. When she realized who she'd run into, Tara pulled the blonde Slayer into her arms and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Tara exclaimed. "I was so worried when I didn't see you come out."

Buffy eagerly returned Tara's embrace. "I'm fine. A little beat up, but none the worse for wear."

A few moments later, Buffy and Tara walked arm and arm into the living room. They expected to find exuberant faces; what they got was frowns and averted gazes. Buffy and Tara looked anxiously about the room.

"No, no, not stuck," Giles added, "just delayed. We'll simply have to find another witch who can cast the spell again. It won't get you back at the same time you left, but it will get you back."

"Oh, I'm sure you could," Giles said, "but if you do the ritual, you'd be unable to accompany Buffy. The spell doesn't allow the caster to be transported."

"Buffy, I think I should do the ritual," Tara countered. "I could at least get you home."

"No, it's not. It can't be," Buffy said. "We'll find another way." Buffy paused and then looked Tara in the eyes. "When we first arrived here, you refused to go home without me. If you couldn't do it then, how do expect me to do it now?"

Tara didn't drop her gaze. She just softly said, "Because you're needed." Tara took a deep breath. "Our Sunnydale needs you. Something very bad is gonna come through the Hellmouth any day now. What's gonna happen if you're not there to meet it?"

"We'll find another witch to send me back later," Tara continued. "Or you can get Willow to try and bring me back."

"Wait a minute," Faith interrupted. "Your Willow's a witch?" When both Tara and Buffy nodded, Faith went on. "Well, she must've had some kind of natural talent for it, right? Wouldn't that mean that our Willow has it, too? Couldn't you teach Red here how to do the spell?"

"What if you helped Willow, Giles? You've done magic before," Buffy suggested. Then she turned to Tara. "If Willow and Giles can hold down this end, could you hold down the other on the fly?"

Tara thought for a moment. "It might work, but it would be risky." Tara looked at Vamp Willow.

Back in regular Sunnydale, in the alley behind the magic shop, Willow watched nervously as Spike worked on the locked back door. When he had broken it open, the two of them entered the closed shop.

After coming through the storage area in the back, they entered the main part of the store. Willow went immediately behind the counter while Spike turned on the lights. Willow opened the book she had gotten from Doc and scanned the page once again.

"According to this, we should do the locator spell first, completely separate from the retrieval spell," Willow said. She turned and began searching the drawers and cubby-holes behind the counter.

"No," Willow countered. "The location is stored in a crystal, which we'll then use in the retrieval spell." Willow bent down to search the lower shelves.

In her hand lay a multi-faceted yellow crystal about the size of a tangerine. Spike reached out and took it from her.

"That and a few other things," Willow said, returning to search for the remaining items needed for the spell.

Meanwhile in the Wishverse, Tara and Buffy finalized their plans to attempt the ritual that would send them back home. When their preparations were complete, the two were ready to make their goodbyes. They shook hands with Riley and a few of his Initiative team before moving over to Faith and Vamp Willow.

As the four of them headed in Giles' direction, the Slayers paired off and took the lead.

"Faith," Buffy said as they crossed the room, "no matter what happens, always remember: in this reality, you killed the Master. Here, you're the Slayer. You can be more than just a fighter, you can be a leader. Believe that."

Faith looked at Buffy uncertainly. Then she smiled and nodded, clapping Buffy on the shoulder. "I'll do my best."

A few yards back, Tara and Vamp Willow followed, not speaking at first. Finally, Tara broke the silence.

"Ummm, Willow?" Tara said, touching the vampire's arm, causing her to stop and face her.

"Yeah," Vamp Willow answered, drawing out the word, concern very evident in her voice.

"When Willow cast the spell that brought you to our world, I think your essences got a little mixed up in the process. I know this is gonna sound kinda crazy, but I think you got part of her soul."

"Well, no, not exactly�a piece of a soul maybe," Tara tried to explain. "Think of it like a seed. It's tiny and buried under dark earth, but given time, it will grow. It's already growing, in fact."

"How do you know?" Vamp Willow asked, a vulnerable, nearly pained look on her face.

Vamp Willow glanced down at Tara's hand and then back up at Tara's face, an expression of wonder in her eyes.

Back in regular Sunnydale, Willow finished her preparations for the locator spell. When she had everything ready, she turned to Spike.

"Now remember, this could take a while," she warned. "So no matter what happens, don't break the circle."

Once Spike had nodded his assent, Willow stepped through the gap in the circle of salt she'd laid out on the floor of the magic shop. Once within the circle, she sealed the gap and sat down with her back to the north, her book to her left and her supplies to her right.

She sprinkled a concoction of herbs about her, chanting in a Nordic tongue of some kind. After that, she picked up a charcoal stick and began to draw on the floor. She first drew a large Y, with the stem of the Y pointing towards herself.

"With this mark, my will be known," Willow intoned in English as she continued drawing.

At the end of each stroke of the Y, she added a triangle, connecting it by its apex so that the base was on the outside edge of the diagram.

Next, she placed a small pink candle inside each of the two charcoal triangles at the top of the Y. She put the yellow crystal in the triangle before herself.

"For Buffy," Willow said, lighting the candle on her left. "For Tara," she added, lighting the candle on her right.

With the candles burning brightly, Willow placed her fingertips on the yellow crystal and began speaking in a clear and firm voice. As Spike looked on, she returned to speaking in the Nordic language for multiple lines. Then she paused and took a deep breath.

"May that which was lost be found again!" she commanded in English. "Reveal! Reveal!"

At once, a wave of golden energy burst from the floor as if shooting through tiny pores in the tiles. As soon as it struck her body, Willow jerked and stiffened as if she were being electrocuted. As the witch's body shuddered under the power of the spell, Spike watched with concern but made no move toward the circle.

In the Wishverse, in the alley where Buffy and Tara had originally appeared, Giles and Vamp Willow sat in a circle drawn in chalk on the concrete. Sans wheelchair, Giles sat at the north, while Vamp Willow sat at the south. Outside the circle, Buffy sat at the east, and Tara sat at the west. Nearby, Faith and Riley and a few of the other White Hats stood watching nervously.

As Buffy and Tara meditated, lending their energies to the proceedings, Giles and Vamp Willow conducted a revised version of the ritual that Rachel would have done. When they reached the pinnacle of the spell, the former Watcher and the reformed vampire joined hands, causing a blue light to emanate from the circle.

Buffy and Tara rose to their feet, and Tara joined Buffy on the eastern side of the circle. They moved a few feet away and stood face to face, latching their arms tightly around one another. They kissed deeply but briefly, then turned their eyes back to the circle.

The blue light rose above Giles and Vamp Willow and formed a small bubble, which floated above their heads. After pulsing and growing in size, the bubble fell in on itself and then streamed toward Buffy and Tara. The stream split to pass around the couple, then rejoined several yards away, coalescing into a large swirling portal.

Buffy and Tara stared at the portal, its cold wind whipping around them. They glanced back at the circle as the force of the portal grew stronger.

Tara met Buffy's eyes and yelled over the sound of the portal. "No matter what happens, don't let go!"

Before Tara could grin back, the portal shot out a tendril, captured the two of them, and yanked them inside.

Within seconds, Buffy and Tara found themselves floating in the ether. It was cold and dark, with patches of swirling light both in the distance and nearby. As they flew slowly through the in-between, Tara concentrated on maintaining her end of the spell. Buffy could tell that Tara was laboring.

Vamp Willow grimaced as she struggled to keep the spell together. Giles was sweating and breathing hard.

In the magic shop, Willow's face twisted in pain as the energy continued to swirl around her.

"I-I-I felt something, a connection," she forced out. "But now it's gone!" Willow nearly doubled over as the force of the spell racked her body. "I can't�hold on�much longer�"

In the Wishverse, the portal suddenly disappeared in a flash. Both Vamp Willow and Giles fell backward onto the ground. Faith and Riley broke the circle and knelt beside the exhausted casters.

In the in-between, Tara jerked and cried out, then leaned her forehead against Buffy's.

Willow's face began to crumble as she feared that she would have to end the ritual. She hung her head, breathing hard. Just when she reached her breaking point, her head popped up.

As Tara kissed Buffy soundly, the pair began to accelerate, moving at a lightning speed through the ether.

Faith gripped Vamp Willow's arms tightly and pulled her to a sitting position. Then she looked right in her eyes.

In the magic shop, a blue portal exploded behind Spike, sending him flying into the opposite wall. As the spell was broken, Willow heaved forward, falling face down on the floor. As Willow gasped for air, Buffy and Tara tumbled through the portal and landed in a heap.

Vamp Willow was unable to answer. But as Riley helped the paralyzed Watcher raise up, Giles answered for her.

Willow groggily lifted her head and pushed herself up. When her eyes were able to focus again, she saw Buffy and Tara slowly untangling themselves.

Willow crawled to her girlfriends and wrapped them into a joyful but tearful hug.

"I found you," Willow answered, squeezing them tightly once again. "I will always find you."

When they finished hugging, they separated, and Willow kissed each one soundly. Then she repeated the process several times until they fell into giggles.

"I missed you too," Willow replied, gazing deeply into their eyes. "I love you, both of you, so much."

While Willow was looking at Buffy, Tara glanced at Willow's neck. She stared in horror at the twin punctures and the bloody bruise around them.

When she saw Tara pointing at the bite mark, Willow waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, that was just � "

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed in alarm, when she saw the blonde vampire standing behind Willow.

Buffy rose to her feet, pulling the other two with her and then pushing them behind her. They kept their hands on Buffy's shoulders as the three of them faced Spike. The vampire stood before them with a look of utter shock on his face.

"I'm gonna kill you for real this time!" Buffy threatened as she began to move from the group to attack Spike. She stopped when Willow pulled her back.

Spike seemed unfazed by Buffy's earlier threat. He remained in complete and total disbelief. He gestured at the three of them and opened his mouth, but nothing came out at first. He tried again.

"You mean�the three of you�are�?" Spike let his question trail off as he stared at each one in the group. Then he threw his hands up and rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell!" he grumbled loudly as he turned on his heel and stomped from the room.

With identical looks of surprise, the three women watched the vampire storm out. When the shock had worn off, Buffy asked, "What was that all about?"

"Who cares?" Willow asked, pulling her girlfriends into another tight hug. "You're back, and that's all that matters."

At Giles' apartment, the entire Scooby gang gathered for a happy reunion and a trading of stories. Willow explained what had happened after Buffy and Tara had disappeared � the things they had tried to get them back, the attack by Spike, and his surprising decision to help bring Buffy back. Buffy and Tara related the events that occurred in the alternate reality of Anyanka's Wishverse � the White Hats and their war with the Master, their eventual success against him, and the spell that eventually got them home.

At one point, Willow stopped them. "Now let me get this straight," she said. "My doppelganger and Faith? Together?" Willow looked shocked, then shuddered at the thought.

"Come on, Will, it's perfect," Xander teased. "It's two homicidal maniacs in love. It's a match made in heaven."

"They weren't homicidal maniacs," Buffy said. "They were good. They were on the right side in their world."

"Tell me more about this ritual the Master was to finish," Giles interjected, getting the discussion back on track. "The Council records are sparse at best on the details of the his plan to open the Hellmouth. This recent fragment sheds some light on the matter, but�"

"Well, the other Giles did have a document that described a Dominus Ostiorum," Buffy replied.

Buffy put the tip of her index finger on the end of her nose and pointed at Giles.

"Yes, he told us that the Hellmouth isn't connected to just the next demon dimension over," Tara explained. "It can be connected to any demon dimension out there. And the Dominus Ostiorum can totally control where the Hellmouth opens and what's allowed through."

"The best part, though," Buffy added sarcastically, "is that anything that passes through the Hellmouth is subservient to the one who opened it."

"Wait!" Xander interjected. "Does this Domino's Osteoporosis work both ways? I mean, is the Big Bad that's threatening to crash our party trying to do on his side what the Master tried on this side?"

"If the timetables between the other Sunnydale and here are the same, we've got about a day to figure out how to stop the Hellmouth from opening," Tara noted.

Giles pulled off his glasses and massaged his forehead. "If only I had the document that my counterpart was referencing�"

"Yeah," Buffy said disappointedly. "If only we'd thought to make a copy to bring with us," she said sadly. Then she handed a stack of sheets over to Giles. When he looked up in surprise, she said with a teasing grin, "See what you can make of it?"

Giles' face burst into a big smile, and he instantly put his glasses back on and grabbed the sheets excitedly.

"It's in Latin, and we didn't have time to translate," Buffy added. "What with helping take down the Master and all."

"Well, since the British man is going to be busy with the translatin', I say we head for the Bronze and get busy with the dancin' !" Xander suggested. "If the world's gonna end tomorrow, I say we celebrate while we can."

"Me three," Willow added. "How about a rain check on the dancing and a date with waffles in the morning?"

After leaving Giles' apartment, Willow walked snuggled between her two girlfriends. As the threesome slowly and awkwardly proceeded down the sidewalk, Tara let out a giggle.

"As much as I like this arrangement," Tara said, "it does make for slow progress."

When the hand-holding trio reached the intersection, Buffy tried to turn left down the street which would take them to the university, but Willow pulled her back.

"To my parents' house," Willow stated. "It's closer. Plus, my parents are still out of town, so we'll have it all to ourselves." Besides, they have a king-sized bed, she thought with glee.

Once the three were inside the Rosenberg home, Willow stood with her back toward the dining room and motioned in the direction of the kitchen.

After they went up the stairs, Willow led them to her parents' master bedroom. Buffy and Tara sat on the edge of the king-sized bed. Willow dug through the drawers of her parents' dresser until she found a couple of large old t-shirts that belonged to her father.

"I don't know about you guys, but I need a shower first," Willow said. "I've still got crypt dust and vampire spit on me," she added with a laugh.

"I'll use the bathroom in the hall, but you guys can use the master bath," Willow said. "Everything you need is in there. The way my parents travel, they've built up quite a supply of mini-soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and don't forget, those handy shoe-polishing cloths, a must-have in anyone's travel kit."

Buffy and Tara chuckled, and Willow slipped out of the room. Once she was gone, Buffy and Tara looked at each other nervously.

A little later, when she had finished her shower, Willow returned to the master bedroom. She found a freshly-showered Tara and Buffy sitting on the end of the bed, holding hands, clearly in a deep discussion.

"I know, I know," Buffy replied, "but can't we just tell her in the morning, o-o-or later, like after the impending apocalypse?"

Buffy and Tara jumped at Willow's question and instantly released their hands. Neither would meet Willow's gaze.

"What is it?" Willow asked worriedly, sitting across from them on the small bench before her mother's makeup table.

Buffy and Tara finally looked up. They glanced at Willow and then at each other and then back at Willow.

"Something happened while we were away," Buffy began, "something we didn't mention at Giles' apartment."

"Oh, come on, spit it out," Willow prompted. "How bad can it be? I mean, what did you do, sleep together or something?"

Buffy and Tara gave a horrified expression then ducked their heads, suddenly finding their own hands to be the most interesting things in the room.

When Willow realized the truth, her eyes widened in shock, and her mouth fell open. She slowly stood and walked away, keeping her back to her girlfriends.

Buffy and Tara exchanged pained looks and stood, but didn't move in Willow's direction.

For the longest time, Willow made no response. Eventually, she turned and walked back to her girlfriends, her eyes downcast.

"Woo-hoo!" the redhead exclaimed as she leapt on her girlfriends and tackled them onto the bed. As she knelt over them, she kissed both of them right and proper and then sat on her heels with a very satisfied look on her face.

Willow shook her head. "No, don't you see? Now we're a full triangle and not just a caret." Willow grinned happily.

"Here, let me show you," Willow said, backing off the bed and pulling Buffy and Tara back to a sitting position.

Willow walked to her mother's makeup table and picked out a lipstick. She opened it and drew three dots on the mirror. She labeled the one on the top with a W and the two on the bottom with B and T.

"See this is what we were," she lectured, drawing a line connecting W to B and another connecting W to T. "It's a caret � an insert symbol."

Then she drew a line connecting B to T. "And this is us now," she said with smirk as she closed the lipstick tube with a click. She pointed to the completed triangle. "Ta da!"

Buffy's mind immediately flashed to her Slayer dreams. First, she saw Willow in the ruined high school library holding up her painting of the triangle. Next, she saw Tara standing beside the glowing Hellmouth as she placed her palm on Buffy's chest and said, "Follow your heart." Finally, Buffy was in the church, kneeling at the communion rail with Willow and Tara to her right. She watched as Giles served them, pronouncing as he did so, "Believe in the Blessed Three�Trust in the Holy Trinity�For by Love are we saved." The last image was that of the stained glass behind the altar: a shield, blood red in color, triangular in shape with its apex pointed down, divided into quadrants by a white cross, in its center three gold rings linked together.

Willow and Tara noticed Buffy's zoned-out expression, and when she jerked out of her reverie, they jumped in response.

Buffy shook her head to clear it. "Just remembering something," she answered, "about my dreams."

Buffy went on to remind them of the details of her Slayer dreams. When she was done, let out a deep breath.

"I think there's more to us than just your everyday, run-of-the-mill unconventional relationship," Buffy stated. "I hate to be clich�d, but I think we were meant to be."

"I hate to be the one to say 'I told you so'," Willow said with an unrepentant smirk, "but I told you so!"

Buffy and Tara laughed indulgently, then Tara sobered and said, "W-W-We should talk to Giles about this."

"We can talk to Giles tomorrow," Willow said firmly. "But right now, I need a big dose of snuggle-time with my girlfriends."

Buffy and Tara readily agreed, and the three of them turned out the lights and crawled in the king-sized bed. They arranged themselves into a Willow sandwich, with Buffy on her left and Tara on her right. With quickly murmured I-love-you's, the threesome settled into a warm and comfortable snuggle. Within seconds, they were all asleep.

When the early morning light sifted through the blinds on the bedroom windows, Willow gradually roused. She did a few slow-motion blinks before finally becoming fully awake. When she glanced to her left and right, she found two wide-eyed and grinning faces staring at her.

"I missed you too. At least you two had each other," Willow replied. "I had�Spike," she added with a grimace.

"No!" Willow quickly denied. "There was no�having of any kind between me and Spike," she insisted. "He sucked my blood, and that was it."

Tara giggled at the redhead then grew serious. "Even though Buffy and I were together, we never stopped thinking of you."

Buffy raised an impish brow at Willow. "In fact, we thought a lot about what we were going to do with you once we got home," the Slayer said as she began trailing her index finger down Willow's chest and stomach.

A seated Initiative scientist poured over a set of readings scrolling by on his computer screen. Another researcher stood looking over his shoulder.

"Mmm�not yet, Stan," the other replied. "Let's wait until the figures are at � "

The researcher who was standing stopped when he felt the earth tremble beneath his feet. A low rumble, like that of distant thunder, accompanied the tremor. The two scientists looked at one another and then at the others in the room. Another tremor quickly followed.

"Make the call!" Jack ordered Stan. "Marks, Stein! Check the cameras, get the video going!"

Two other white-coated researchers jumped to the task of activating the various video cameras mounted throughout the room. They struggled to keep the cameras locked in position as the small quakes continued to shake the ground.

"Yes, ma'am," Stan said into his radio mic. "We've got video feed coming�now!" he added when Marks and Stein gave the thumbs up.

"Captain!" Jack bellowed to the highest ranked soldier in the room. "Get your men in here, pronto!"

A bright light began emanating from the crevice. With each tremor, the light became brighter.

"There appears to be something emerging," Stan reported into his mic as he stared at the Hellmouth.

Outside the condemned school, Lindsey fought to stay on his feet as he observed the Initiative soldiers guarding the entrance. When he saw the guards suddenly leave their posts and enter the school, Lindsey tried to follow. But the earth lurched, and Lindsey was thrown to the ground.

When the quake lulled for a moment between tremors, Lindsey got to his feet and ran for the entrance.

Willow, Tara, and Buffy didn't notice the rumblings of the earthquake. They were caught in a quake of their own, a triple-strength love orgy that rocked and rolled until their bodies were covered in sweat.

Buffy was in the center this time. They'd all taken turns in the middle of the sandwich at one time or another, but now Buffy was the focus.

As Willow and Tara brought the Slayer closer and closer to her climax, they felt a similar sensation rise in them. With their mental shields down, each of them was experiencing fully what the others were feeling. So, when Buffy cried out and came, they did the same. After their simultaneous scream of ecstasy, the Three fell out on the bed, totally exhausted.

Tara's chest heaved as she labored to regain her breath. Finally, in a gasping voice, she said, "Oh god, that was � "

After a moment, Willow said, "You know, I think I finally understand that phrase 'I felt the earth move'."

"Ummm, guys," Tara said nervously as she sat up in the bed, which was beginning to shake once again from the force of the tremors. "I think the earth really is moving!"

The quake immediately picked back up, sending the whole house into a violent shudder.

As the earthquake became stronger and stronger, the three jumped out of bed and threw on their clothes, dodging the shifting furniture and falling objects.

"We must've gotten our figures wrong," Buffy yelled over the sound of the quake. "It's happening now! Come on!"

On stumbling legs across buckling pavement, Buffy and Willow and Tara ran for the old high school.

When the worst of the quake was over, the scientists and soldiers stared at the area beside the Hellmouth. There, kneeling on one knee, was a huge figure with his back to them.

His skin was as black as tar and had steam oozing eerily from it. When the creature straightened, his back and shoulders rippled with muscles. He stood, revealing powerful legs as thick as columns. He wore only a heavy chain-mail skirt, which was held about his waist by a wide leather belt. Strong arms flexed next to his sides, and he clenched his clawed hands into tight fists. Suddenly, the figure turned around.

Multiple horns protruded from his forehead and cheeks, and his eyes glowed red. He had large nostrils which moved in and out as he breathed. He sounded like a bull about to charge. When he opened his mouth, his sharp teeth glinted like steel.

The researchers and technicians scampered behind the soldiers, who moved into place before creature. They drew their weapons and trained them on him.

In the Initiative compound, Riley and his team were rushing to don their gear. Nearby,

On the screen, a bleeding but basically unfazed N'Faius gestured towards his attackers, magically ripping their guns from their hands. Then he grabbed the nearest soldier and thrust his clawed hand into the man's chest. Energy burst from the contact with the demon lord's hand, and the man began to shrivel as the life-force was sucked out of him. When the soldier's body was nothing but a shell, N'Faius withdrew his hand. In it lay the bloody heart of the dead man. The demon lord brought the heart to his mouth and quickly consumed it.

Professor Walsh turned from her monitors and met Riley's eyes. "Take him down, Agent Finn," she said coldly.

Lindsey scrambled down the hallway of the condemned school. As he tried to enter the library, he bounced off an invisible force field.

He got as close as he could and looked into the library. Aghast, he watched as N'Faius picked off the trapped soldiers and researchers one by one.

Outside the old high school, Buffy and Willow and Tara raced to a halt when they saw Giles and Xander waiting outside, each with a bag of weapons beside him.

At that moment, an Initiative transport screeched to a stop, and Riley and his heavily-armed team piled out.

"That Big Bad you thought might be coming up out of the Hellmouth?" Riley answered. "He's here. He calls himself N'Faius, and he's slaughtering our research team, so�"

"Riley, wait," Buffy said, stopping him in place. "If this N'Faius is as bad as you say, you can't just rush in there. If you do, you'll get slaughtered, too."

"We need a plan," Buffy said. When she saw Lindsey fleeing the high school, she added, "And I think I see one right now."

"Oh, look," Buffy said sarcastically as she dragged Lindsey back to the group. "It's the man who lost his granny."

As Buffy and the other Scoobies crossed their arms and glared at Lindsey, he glanced about uneasily. But then he straightened and looked Buffy in the eyes.

"Don't worry, I plan to," Buffy replied, "just as soon as you tell me what you know."

"Buffy�" Riley said impatiently, glancing at his soldiers and then the entrance.

"She's right," Lindsey said. "Now that N'Faius is here, there's only one way to stop him."

"The Power of Three?" Willow said as she and Tara moved to flank Buffy, each touching her on the arm.

"You know about the vulnerability of the Hellmouth and the special Guardian?" Lindsey prompted.

"The special Guardian is the Power of Three," Lindsey said before looking directly at Buffy and Willow and Tara. "It's you," he told them.

"The Hellmouth is the source of N'Faius's power," Lindsey hurried on. "If you can close the Hellmouth � "

"Ewww!" Willow exclaimed. "You don't mean that we have to�you know�right on top of the Hellmouth?!"

Lindsey started to speak, but Tara interrupted. "No, no, it's a Joining of our minds, isn't it? Of our wills?"

"Yes," Lindsey answered, "but�that's assuming that you've already actually�done the 'you know' part�"

"You haven't done it yet, have you?" Xander eagerly asked, anticipating a front-row seat at the required Joining.

Buffy crossed her arms and glared at Xander. "Not that it's anybody's business, but yes, we have," Buffy confirmed.

"Damn!" Xander exclaimed disappointedly. "I mean, Yay!" he quickly corrected, a sheepish expression on his face.

"Good," Buffy said. Then she punched Lindsey hard in the face. He crumpled to the ground. Buffy picked up one of the weapons bags and said, "Giles, Xander, get him away from here, and leave the Hellmouth to us. When it closes, this whole place may come down."

As Giles and Xander began dragging Lindsey away from the school, Buffy turned to her ex-boyfriend.

"Riley, I'll need you and your team to keep N'Faius busy so that we can deal with the Hellmouth. Can you do that?"

Riley stared at her hard for a moment and then nodded. "Done," he said. Riley motioned his men towards the front entrance of the school. Once the Initiative team was in, Buffy and Willow and Tara quickly followed.

When the group reached the ruined library, Riley and his team immediately entered, the force field now gone as N'Faius finished off the last of the trapped humans. Buffy and Willow and Tara waited outside until Riley and his men had pushed N'Faius from the entrance. Then the trio slipped inside.

Trying not to call attention to themselves, the Three crept around the perimeter, dodging bullets and flying debris. When they got to the Hellmouth, they found it glowing with an intense light. At Tara's instructions, Buffy set down her weapons bag, and the three of them positioned themselves right next to the crevice. Then they joined hands, forming a small triangle.

"Easy for you to say," Buffy replied, glancing back at the busy battle behind her.

"Trust Riley to do his job, Buffy," Willow said. "You can't help him. We need you."

Buffy turned back to face her lovers. She met their eyes and let out a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this."

The Three closed their eyes and began to meditate. Soon they were breathing in synch, and they felt their Power building.

Buffy felt something nudging at her mind. Then she heard Tara say, "Now open your shields. We must be One." Slowly, Buffy let the walls in her mind crumble, and she felt Tara and Willow Joining their minds with hers.

Suddenly, their bodies jerked as a massive surge of energy entered them. They swayed under its power for a moment, then they steadied themselves and straightened. As One, they opened their eyes, which now glowed with a golden light.

Buffy and Tara released their hands, and the Three moved to look down into the crevice of the Hellmouth. Then they spoke as One.

Immediately, a sound like the screams of a thousand injured animals came roaring from the pit, accompanied by a wind of hurricane strength. The Three were unaffected. They simply watched as the intense light emanating from the Hellmouth vanished.

Just as quickly, the golden light in their eyes also disappeared, and they were themselves once again. They looked up from the now-closed Hellmouth just in time to see N'Faius whip around towards them.

Riley and the few surviving members of his team trained their taser rifles on the demon lord. "Now!" Riley commanded.

N'Faius was hit with multiple simultaneous taser blasts. Without the power of the Hellmouth, N'Faius felt every one of them. He screamed in agony and fell to his knees.

Buffy looked at Willow and Tara. "Excuse me, you two," she said in her Slayer voice, "but it's time for a major take-down."

Buffy reached into her weapons bag and pulled out an axe. She strode resolutely toward the weakened N'Faius. When Riley saw her coming, he motioned to his men to cease fire.

When the taser blasts had ended, Buffy reared back with the axe. With one swift swing of the axe, Buffy beheaded N'Faius, sending his head flying off. With his head gone, N'Faius's body dropped to the ground in a thunderous fall. Buffy moved closer and stood over the demon lord's headless body.

The next day, the Scoobies met at the Summers home for a clean-up party. Once the house was returned to a semblance of its pre-earthquake status, Joyce cooked supper, and the gang enjoyed a fun and relaxing night with friends and family.

As the last of the dessert was eaten, the conversation returned to recent events.

"Yeah, it's not like we could keep him prisoner," Willow said. "Besides, he did help us defeat N'Faius."

"I don't trust him," Buffy said with suspicion in her voice. "Angel said this Wolfram and Hart place is bad news. Lindsey said he didn't have anything to do with the rising of N'Faius, but I'm not so sure."

"Yes, it makes sense," Giles added. "If this law firm is nothing but a front for some kind of evil operation, then they would want to keep an eye on any new powers emerging in the area, especially one as formidable as the Power of Three."

"But, Giles�what does all this 'Power of Three' business mean?" Buffy asked. "What powers do we have? How do we access them? Now that the Hellmouth is closed, will our powers disappear? For that matter, is the Hellmouth going to even stay closed? Or do we have some kind of � "

Giles stopped Buffy's question-rant by raising his hand. After a pause, he said simply, "I don't know. We'll just have to see."

"I don't like this one bit," Joyce said. "Isn't it enough that Buffy has to be the Slayer? Now she � and Willow and Tara too � have to be some kind of special guardian for this, this Hellmouth?"

"It's frustrating, I know," Giles said in a reassuring voice. "I wish we had more information, but we don't. That means we'll have to do things the old-fashioned way."

"Yes, well, I was thinking more of the scientific method," the ex-Watcher replied. "Buffy and Willow and Tara will need to practice using their new powers and experiment with them, learning what they can do and what they can't do."

" 'Scientific method' sounds better, Xan," Willow quipped. "It makes it sound like we actually know what we're doing."

When the dishes were washed and put away, the Scoobies began making their good-nights. Xander and Anya and Giles were the first to leave. When Buffy and Tara and Willow tried to slip away as well, Joyce stopped them in their tracks.

"Not so fast!" she called to the Three just as they were about to close the front door behind them.

Buffy cringed then slumped and led her girlfriends back inside and shut the door. Although Buffy knew her mother would ultimately be supportive, the Slayer still dreaded having "the talk," especially now that she and Tara had made their relationship with Willow a true threesome.

The Three stood dutifully before Joyce, but were finding it difficult to meet her eyes. Joyce had to suppress her smirk at their behavior.

"Don't worry, this won't take long," she assured them. "I just have one question." Joyce paused, causing the Three to shift nervously in place. When they finished fidgeting and finally returned her gaze, she asked, "Do you love each other�really love each other?"

The Three glanced at each other then smiled broadly before turning back to Joyce.

Joyce smiled. "That's all I need to know," she said. "The rest we'll figure out as we go."

Buffy's eyes became moistened with tears, and she leapt forward to hug her mother tightly. Soon Joyce invited Willow and Tara into the hug as well. For Buffy and Willow and Tara, this night would be one of the happiest moments of their lives.

With Buffy and Willow back from the Wishverse, the Three have some happy times, which are complicated when Tara receives a surprise visit from her family.

Displeased that Willow and Buffy and Tara have Joined and have come into their full power, the Senior Partners of Wolfram and Hart hire a special assassin to cripple the Power of Three.

While recovering from the aftermath of the assassin's attack, Tara and Buffy and Willow receive news that could pull them closer together or tear them apart.

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The Power of Three

by DragonWriter17

Copyright � 2004

DragonWriter17@aol.com