Red Moon Rising by Frau Hunter Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. The X-files characters and show all belong to Chris Carter, Fox and possibly others. No copyright infringement was intended and suing me will not make you any money! The storyline, however, is the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

Summary: Oz is back and causes havoc when he demands Willow join him as his mate. Buffy, Willow and Tara have other ideas.

Willow grinned when she booted up her computer and checked her email. Seeing the name Grayfox in her Inbox gave the young witch some hope and she quickly clicked the email open.

There were only four more days to the full moon and the first test of whether Buffy Summers, the Slayer of vampires and demons, was infected with lycanthropy and would turn into a werewolf. Willow quickly called up the email and read through it impatiently.

Xander and Anya were both smiling as they entered the Summers' home and found Willow looking almost as healthy as she was before being mauled by Oz. Before stabbing herself through the heart with a silver dagger to prevent Oz from infecting her.

"How goes it, Willow?" Anya smiled. "We are here to transport you to medical personnel for your medical experiments."

"For being so old, how is it you never caught on to modern speech?" Willow asked the former Vengeance Demon.

"Demons mostly speak in ancient dead languages and find modern English offensive," Anya explained but Willow merely shook her head with an amused look.

"Let's go, gotta get those stitches out and check your heart and all that good stuff," Xander insisted.

When Tara and Buffy got home they found Willow napping on her bed and Anya and Xander watching a video movie on the TV.

"I'm going to check on Willow," Tara announced while Buffy headed for the kitchen for her own soda to join her other two friends. It was Friday night and they all knew she'd be heading out on Slayer duties shortly after sunset and she wanted to grab some quiet time with her friends first.

"Okay, if she's awake, tell her not to come down unless she's up to it," Buffy called after the blonde witch.

In a few moments Buffy launched herself over the back of the sofa and landed beside Xander who immediately took advantage of the situation and wrapped his arms around Anya and Buffy's shoulders with a grin.

"Hey, I like Michael Myers," Xander protested. "Jamie Lee Curtis is cute. And this is followed by a Friday the 13th marathon."

"Jamie Lee Curtis is more cute than I am?" Anya demanded, a pout appearing on her face.

"Of course not, no-one is more cute than my Anya," he quickly reassured his girlfriend and began kissing the former demon.

"Oh give me a break, guys!" Buffy protested after a few moments as the kiss became very heated between the two.

"Jealous?" Anya questioned. "Which of us would she be jealous over? I always thought she might want you for an orgasm buddy but since she now gets hot and bothered over females would it be me she wants for an orgasm buddy?"

"Whoa!" Xander shouted, leaping to his feet and looking down at the two women. "No, no way! Scary visual!"

Buffy grinned, "Scary visual or fantasy visual?" she questioned the young man and both of them laughed when he began to blush a bright red and stammered.

"Oh I don't think so," the Slayer declared. "My house, no picking on home tenant rule!"

"The exception that we've been dying to know what's going on with the three of you and everyone has kept quiet. Answers, woman!"

"I concur with the exception!" Anya piped in. "I'm dying to know when the three of you will become orgasm buddies and will that mean a large bed or revolving doors?"

"What? Aren't those the questions everyone wants to know?" Anya asked innocently.

"God!" Buffy muttered. "Okay, fine! No, none of us have done 'it'! We haven't made any plans specifically to do 'it,' and if we do, I won't be telling you!"

"What are you waiting for?" Anya asked. "Waiting only causes frustration. Frustration can be enjoyable but not for very long. You all want each other enough that it sends out energy waves whenever any of you are near each other."

"I don't know, really," Buffy admitted, some of the potential anger at discussing a delicate subject abating. "Maybe we're waiting to see if I get furry this full moon," she answered with a touch of bitterness in her voice.

"Buffy, you know it's possible that you're not infected," Xander said, sitting down between the women again.

"Willow has been working very hard on the computer searching for something new," Anya said hopefully.

"I know, everyone has been doing their best and dancing around the subject," Buffy nodded. "It's just getting to me. It's only four more nights until the full moon and we still haven't figured out if it's worse because it's a blue moon on Halloween."

"That Halloween, Samhain as they call it, is one of the most powerful nights," Buffy explained. "Having a full moon on that night makes it even more special and powerful. They don't think much about the blue moon thing because they run on a 13 month calendar, following the moons rather than the Julian calendar."

"Wow! You sound like a college student or something there, Buff!" he teased and winced when she punched him on the bicep, lightly.

"They don't know what it means to possibly be a werewolf for the first time on a full moon on Halloween," she continued.

"I agree," Buffy grinned. "Speaking of which, I'm going to say hi to her before I head out on patrol."

"You want company tonight?" Xander asked. "Your mom called and said that she and Giles are coming here in about an hour. We could go with you."

"Sure. The plan is not to leave me alone between now and the full moon, isn't it?" Buffy asked and knew she was right when Xander's eyes shifted away from hers. "Giles is afraid Oz will show up and pull me into his pack before Halloween."

"He said it might be a risk," Xander admitted. "If Spike is right and you are a furry type now, then Oz might have control over you as the Alpha male of the pack."

"I am so gonna hurt Oz!" Buffy declared once again and both Anya and Xander nodded vigorously in agreement. "I'll be right down."

Buffy found Tara holding a sniffling Willow and the Slayer immediately went to the witch's side, stretching out on the bed.

"She's worried about her scars, about the full moon, and about…about…uh," Tara stammered.

"Sex," Willow mumbled, her head buried in Tara's arms and hair. "I'm worried about sex."

"Well, let's take those one at a time," Buffy decided. "I know the scars seem pretty massive and ugly but we're using the vitamin E on the healing wounds and the doctors said they wouldn't be that bad in a couple of years."

"Buffy, I have a damned Y incision down my chest," Willow protested. "How can you guys want to see that!"

"Because it'll now be part of you," Tara said gently. "Willow, it's only scars, war wounds."

"We certainly won't think you're any less sexy! That's a promise!" Buffy grinned. "Now, second one. What was that? Oh yeah, full moon. Well, we can't do much about it for another few days. Then we'll know if you have to lock me up or drug me silly three nights every month."

"I went through that with Oz, I don't know if I could bear watching you go through it," Willow whispered.

"We may not have a choice," Buffy said bluntly. "Giles is planning on having someone with me all the time between now and then so Oz can't get his claws on me or any of us. We just have to wait and you continue your computer stuff."

"It's just so damned hard!" Willow sat up between the two women, slamming her fist on the bed. "I can barely type one handed, my other hand hurts and itches and I'm not finding answers!" she complained.

"I know, we'll just keep working," Tara promised, sitting up and wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulder and Buffy did the same on the other side.

"Besides that I've never done it with a woman?" Willow grinned and blushed at the same time. "Technically I haven't been with a guy either."

"Me either, so I guess we either have Xander rent us a bad porn movie, check out the Gay and Lesbian section at the bookstore, or we do whatever feels right," Buffy suggested and laughed as both witches blushed.

"I vote for the exploration method, preferably by Braille," Buffy whispered and leaned in to nibble on Willow's earlobe. She felt the witch shiver and heard her moan. "I'll take that as a vote for yes," the Slayer whispered and found her lips suddenly occupied with Tara's lips. Buffy felt herself moan and shiver.

"Oh boy," Willow muttered. "You two are going to drive me insane! I want both of you."

"Well, as intriguing an invitation that is, I need to go and do duty to God, country and Corps, or something like that," Buffy grinned and stood up from the bed.

"She saw Full Metal Jacket too many times," Willow grinned. "God, the United States and the US Marine Corps; duty and honor first and foremost."

"You bet!" Buffy grinned and leaned down to kiss first Tara and then Willow. "I'll be back, don't wait up and don't worry."

"Right!" Willow said sarcastically. "It's Friday night so we can stay up and worry all we want."

"Hey," Buffy suddenly grew serious. "I… I just want to say… I love you both."

Xander yelped as a vampire got a little close with a swipe of its claws and the young man was forced to jump back into Anya. The former Vengeance demon grabbed her boyfriend's shirt and spun him around her and let the momentum of the vampire carry him right into her stake. She coughed and began dusting herself off a moment later as Xander regained his balance. Anya turned to face Xander and checked on him.

He was about to compliment his girlfriend on her moves when he reached out and pushed Anya's head down, roughly. Before she could complain, she felt Xander reach over her and she was covered in dust once more.

The couple clung to each other and turned to lean against a tomb and look for Buffy.

It had been a rough night of slaying, for some reason the few days before Halloween seemed to bring every undead thing out of its hiding place and Buffy was having a hard time keeping up with the traffic in the graveyard. She had already killed seven vampires and two demons while Xander and Anya had killed another four vampires.

They found Buffy sparring with three vampires who were obviously experienced and holding their own. One got a good grip on the Slayer's arms, intending to hold her still while the other two either ripped her limbs off or fed on her. Buffy instead kicked up with her feet and caught one of them under the chin and sent him flying backwards. Then she used the downward momentum from the jump to slide her leg between the legs of the vampire holding her, pulling him forward and loosening his grip. It was enough for her to reach up, grab his head and pull him over her shoulder onto the ground. He was staked before he finished yelling in surprise.

The other vampire got a good right hand blow to Buffy's eye and sent the Slayer to the ground. Before he could leap on her, she swept his legs out from under him, rolled over beside the vampire and followed through with a stake in his heart.

The third vampire, still clutching his broken jaw, decided to leave the area before Buffy could get to her feet.

Xander and Anya helped Buffy to her feet as all them quickly scanned each other for major wounds or bites.

"That is going to be a shiner!" Xander declared, focusing a flashlight on Buffy's eye and the cut just under it.

"Yup, feels like it," Buffy agreed. "I'm tired, guys," she declared, brushing the dirt off her jacket. "I'm going to check in with Giles, why don't you head on home?"

"No, Giles and your mother said that we weren't to leave you alone," Anya responded.

"Look, I'll be fine!" Buffy smiled. "Its 4a.m. in the morning, everyone has either run in terror or has been well fed by now and gone beddy-bye."

"Okay, let's go then," Buffy sighed. "We'll wait until morning to call Giles, I just remembered he and my mom had a date for tonight and it is 4 a.m."

"You mean Giles and your Mom?" Xander grinned. "That could be some scary visuals in my head!"

"Oh man!" Xander groaned. "I forgot about that time you could read minds and caught that they had sex."

"Wasn't just sex, it was sex on a police car!" Buffy clarified as Anya giggled. "Twice!"

"We'll walk you to your door and crash on your sofa for a couple of hours, if you don't mind," Xander suggested as they walked along the deserted streets of Sunnydale.

Buffy found Willow asleep with her laptop on her lap and Tara curled up next to the redhead. As much as they had been anxious for the Slayer's return, lack of sleep and Willow's medication had caught up with both of them.

Buffy knew that Tara hadn't been sleeping much since Buffy had returned to regular slaying duties. The blonde witch would wait with Willow for Buffy's nightly return, or she would sit with Willow and wake the red-haired witch from her nightmares. Then she'd get up and go through a day of classes and start the routine again that night.

Buffy smiled and leaned down and kissed Tara lightly on the lips and felt a familiar peace come over her. The Slayer then gently moved Willow's laptop to the nightstand and kissed the redhead.

Buffy smiled at Willow's rabbit pajamas and Tara's pink ones. "You two are adorable," she whispered and moved to her own room and let some of the night's activities catch up with her.

The Slayer moaned as she started to take off her jacket and discovered some new places that were going to be bruised in the morning and then healed by the next night. There were advantages of having a Slayer's healing abilities but it still hurt. Buffy got her jacket off and spun rapidly on her heels when she sensed someone behind.

"Oh God, Wills!" she hissed. "I almost decked you! Say something! Don't sneak up on me."

"I'm sorry, Buff," Willow said softly, wiping the sleep out of her eyes with her one good hand. "I didn't want to wake the others."

"What are you doing up?" Buffy asked, sitting the redhead down on her bed and checking the hacker's pulse.

"I'm fine," Willow reassured her. "I just had this feeling that you were hurt and needed me."

"Wills, I'm fine, really," Buffy said firmly. "Just a little bruised, might even get a black eye out of it but nothing major. Honest."

"Uh…Wills, go back to bed," Buffy suggested. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed myself."

Buffy's eyes darted around the room s if she was looking for a quick exit. Willow's eyes widened.

"Wills, please," Buffy whispered, her fist clenched next to her. "Go back to bed."

"What this? That I want you, that I want to make love to you?" Willow asked softly, running her hand along Buffy's jawline. Her green eyes caught Buffy's soft whimper and how the Slayer closed her eyes, fighting the feelings. "I've been dreaming about us, Buffy. I'm so scared but I want it."

"Wills, okay," Buffy began, jumping to her feet and moving to stand in front of her dresser. "I want this; you don't know how bad I want you. You and Tara, both."

"We talked about working through this and just going with whatever happens," Buffy continued. "What we haven't talked about is Slayer lust."

"What about it? From that Fan Fiction I read on Xena sites, it's pretty common after a battle," Willow grinned.

"Xena Fan Fiction, you mean…" Buffy stammered. "People writing stuff about Xena and Gabrielle? Together? Wow. I have got to figure out that computer thing."

"Yeah," Buffy continued, coming back to the topic. "From what Giles said about Slayers, it's very common. What you and I didn't talk about was how rough it can get."

"It's like…fire racing through my blood. Every nerve is alive and over-aware," Buffy's voice dropped to a lower octave and her eyes grew distant. "My hands shake and I hear this roaring in my ears. Everything is centered around this ache, this need!"

Buffy closed her eyes and clenched her fists tightly; unaware that she was trembling and unaware that Willow had noticed.

"Wills, please," she whispered, keeping her eyes closed, knowing that if she looked into those green eyes she'd be lost to the arousal racking her body. "Go to bed, I'll take a shower and go to bed, we'll talk about it in the morning."

"Buffy, I need this to happen," Willow whispered, leaning into the Slayer and resting her head on Buffy's shoulder.

"Not tonight, please! I don't want to hurt you," Buffy pleaded, her arms going around Willow's neck and back. "What about that heart rate thing. Slayer Lust can get wild and rough. Faith almost killed Xander one night."

"I am scared of sex and what it might do to my heart but the doctors said it would be fine whenever I was ready and to listen to my body," Willow whispered and lightly nipped at the Slayer's neck. Buffy moaned and felt her knees almost collapse. "I'm listening to my body, Buffy," Willow continued whispering and nibbling, moving up to Buffy's earlobe and then in for a long and passionate kiss that left them both breathless. "I'm listening to your body and I'm listening to my heart, Buff."

"No," the hacker said firmly, running her one good hand through Buffy's hair. "I want this before the full moon."

"There is a possibility of Oz getting his claws on you; I want us together before that can happen. I want us mated," Willow explained.

"Mated? Like in wolves and mates?" Buffy whispered and felt her control slipping even further as the hacker pressed her body against the Slayer, including a leg between hers. Hip to hip, Buffy's center exploded into fire when Willow's leg pressed against her. "Oh God, Will, I can't lose control with you."

"I'm not that fragile," Willow grinned and bit Buffy's lower lip and moved back to the Slayer's neck.

Her hands had other ideas, though, and they moved under Willow's pajama top and Buffy shuddered along with Willow when she touched the hacker's soft skin.

"You and Tara are my life, Buffy," Willow countered as her hand went down the front of Buffy's button blouse and ran over the already aroused nipples of the Slayer.

Buffy felt the final strand of control evaporate under the hacker's teeth and hand and growled in return. Instead of backing off or squeaking in surprise, Willow met her growl with lips and a tongue that demanded entrance. Buffy growled again and her hands went to the front of Willow's pajamas and ripped it open, sending buttons flying.

Willow's head snapped back as she gasped, inviting the Slayer to continue, breaking off the kiss with a moan.

Buffy was more than willing to continue and dropped her head to Willow's neck and began nibbling and exploring the redhead in her arms with both lips and hands. Willow cried out as her knees went weak as Buffy's hands found her breasts.

The Slayer growled and lifted Willow off her feet and the hacker instinctively and playfully wrapped her legs around Buffy's hips. Buffy easily carried Willow to her bed and fell onto the bed with the hacker, never releasing her hold on Willow's neck. The hacker used her legs to hold and pull the Slayer even closer.

Willow thought she would explode before they even really got started when Buffy's head went to her nipples and began teasing them endlessly, first one then the other, alternating teeth and hand.

"Buffy!" Willow cried out, trying to keep her voice down and failing as her hips jerked in response. "Goddess, don't stop!"

The Slayer growled deep in her throat and sat up between Willow's legs and stood up quickly, pulling the witch's pajama bottoms with her. Willow sat up and watched Buffy rip her own shirt off and kick off her boots. A moment later and the Slayer's jeans were piled on the floor.

"Gods, Buffy, you're beautiful," Willow whispered and then laughed when Buffy practically leaped on her. The delighted laugh was cut short by Buffy's lips and demanding tongue, which Willow met with equal passion.

Buffy's head arched back when Willow's teeth latched onto her neck and the hacker's hand began exploring Buffy's breasts. The Slayer's leg went between Willow's and she brought her thigh up against Willow's sex and the witch gasped.

"Wills," she whispered breathlessly, trembling all over from trying to hold back and not hurt the woman she was in love with.

"Goddess, I love you!" Willow responded and pulled Buffy up and latched onto the Slayer's nipple with her teeth and the other with her hand.

Buffy cried out, bracing herself with her hands on either side of the witch and bucked against Willow. "Oh my God, Wills, yes!"

When Willow's hand went lower and began to dance in the Slayers blonde hair, she lost any control she had left. The witch's fingers went lower and discovered how wet and aroused Buffy was and both moaned at the contact.

"Feels so wonderful!" Willow whispered. She yelped in surprise when Buffy growled and almost ripped her own body away from Willow to return her lips and teeth to the hacker's nipples. She then began kissing, licking and lightly nipping her way down Willow's ribs and lower.

The computer hacker thought she was going to squirm off the bed. She was so aroused and had never felt anything like that with Oz. She also was cursing the cast on her arm once again. Willow wanted both hands free to touch Buffy and could only use one.

Buffy moaned as she crawled between Willow's legs, encouraging the redhead to move wider for her and brought Willow's legs up.

Willow looked down into Buffy's blue eyes and whimpered at the look of absolute arousal and intensity on the Slayer's face.

Buffy thought she would collapse right then as she caught Willow's scent and with the knowledge that she was no longer held back by relationships, or jeans. Her tongue began exploring Willow's sexual area and the witch cried out and bucked on the bed at the first touch. Buffy grinned and placed one arm across Willow's abdomen, trying to hold the hacker close enough so Buffy could continue this wonderful experience.

Hearing Willow cry out again took Buffy another level higher and let more of the Slayer frenzy free.

"Buffy!" Willow cried out, her voice becoming harsh as her hand gripped the bedspread under her.

The Slayer ran her tongue as far inside the witch as she could and moaned with the pleasure it was giving Willow. Buffy was certain that she would never get enough of Willow after this, the connection was so intense and nothing like she had experienced with Angel or Riley.

She ran her fingers along Willow's lips as her tongue danced around the witch's clit, teasing the already frantic hacker into a frenzy. Buffy glanced up and saw the flushed look, closed eyes and the hacker thrashing her head from side to side and was amazed that she was able to do that for her Willow.

Willow bit her lower lip, trying to stifle a cry when Buffy entered her with one finger and ran her tongue over the witch's clit.

Despite Buffy's worries that Willow was indeed fragile, she quickly discovered that Willow was making a nice recovery when the hacker began thrusting against her finger, demanding more vocally and physically. Buffy added another finger and felt her own body jerk of its own accord. The Slayer cried out loudly as Willow thrust against her fingers and Buffy felt it in her own body and somewhere in the back of her mind, Buffy realized she had connected with Willow's arousal and was riding the same waves.

Buffy cried out and growled, a primal need overwhelming her and moved up along Willow's body and found the witch's lips and tongue more than ready to meet hers as her fingers continued thrusting into the redhead.

Buffy's head moved to the witch's neck once more and bit down hard as she thrust deeper and harder and ran her thumb over Willow's clit.

Willow screamed Buffy's name and Buffy cried out at the same time while biting the witch. Buffy moaned and tried to hold on as Willow's body thrashed, jerked and nearly took them both off the bed. Buffy held her fingers inside and wondered at the feel of Willow's muscles contracting around her fingers. Marveling at the way the witch's muscles drew her in tighter and seemed to hang on as waves of pleasure hit both of them.

Willow collapsed back onto the bed, breathing heavily and Buffy felt Willow's muscles relax slightly and withdrew with a whimper that matched Willow's at the loss of the contact.

Buffy pulled the witch into her arms and let her own body calm its trembling and slow her heart rate down. The Slayer quickly checked Willow's pulse and found it very rapid but slowing down.

The Slayer leaned up on one elbow and looked down at the panting Willow and smiled. She gently moved a lock of red hair from the hacker's sweating forehead and leaned down to tenderly kiss her.

Willow opened her eyes slowly after the kiss and smiled widely. She wrapped her one good arm around the Slayer's neck for another kiss.

"Goddess, Buffy," she whispered, snuggling into Buffy's arms as the Slayer smiled and wrapped her arms around her Willow. "That was incredible!"

"You okay? I was a little rough," Buffy asked, her voice sounding younger with her concern.

"Most definitely!" Willow grinned and then winced slightly as her hand went to her neck. "I think you may have drawn blood but I'll be fine."

"No big deal, I half expected it if the connection was as intense as I thought it was," Willow mumbled.

"If we weren't imagining the connection between us, between the three of us," Willow muttered, trying to explain. "I thought the sex would be more intense than any of us expected. I knew with a Slayer that it could be rough."

"No discussing Riley, Angel or Oz in our bed," Willow growled and Buffy grinned.

"We don't know if you're a wolf or not, if you are then I think it wouldn't be a surprise," Willow said sleepily. She snapped her eyes open and shook her head. "Damnit, I want to make love to you."

"Shhh," Buffy said with a tender smile. "Tomorrow is Saturday, no school. Attack me in the morning."

"If you are a wolf, you just marked me as yours," Willow mumbled, drifting into sleep as she left a worried Slayer behind.

Xander and Anya both were more quiet than usual the next morning as Tara prepared a large breakfast for everyone.

They didn't mention that Joyce Summers hadn't come home at all the night before and that Buffy and Willow still weren't downstairs either.

Xander and Anya talked about the slaying duties the night before and how it seemed that Halloween seemed to draw all the undead out of their crypts and Tara agreed. She explained that Samhain was an ancient Celtic holiday and how it was believed that the veil between the realms of darkness, the spiritual side, and the physical realm was thin. During this time the deities of the nether regions could cross into the earthly realm.

Xander almost jumped out of his seat at the scream from upstairs. Both of them looked at Tara and were surprised when she merely shrugged.

Tara smiled. "No, I knew where Willow was going last night before we fell asleep."

"Yes," Tara said shyly. "We could both feel Buffy's…how she is after a hard night of slaying…how she…."

"You mean how she wants to rip someone's clothes off and have multiple orgasms?"

"Anya!" Xander yelled and wondered if there was enough room under the table for him.

Tara merely laughed softly. "Yeah, that's it exactly. We could tell it was hitting Buffy hard last night when all of you walked in. We both agreed for Willow to approach Buffy last night."

"Hopefully she still wants me and Willow, both," a voice responded from the stairs.

The three Scooby gang members looked over and saw Buffy standing at the bottom of the stairs. The Slayer was toweling her hair dry and walking slowly into the dining area. Xander and Anya suddenly decided that what they were eating was very fascinating as Tara and Buffy looked at each other.

They couldn't read Tara's expression from under their eyebrows but Buffy looked about as vulnerable as Xander had ever seen her.

Tara stood up slowly and walked to the Slayer and gently took the towel from Buffy and drew the Slayer into her arms, erasing any doubt in anyone's mind as Buffy melted into the taller woman's arms.

Buffy almost broke into tears from relief; she knew she was head over heels in love with Willow and the night and morning of sex had only confirmed it. She also knew she was falling just as deeply in love with Tara. She clung to the tall witch tightly.

"Go grab some breakfast, I'm going to check on Willow," Tara order the Slayer and Buffy nodded, choked up too much to speak.

Tara found Willow unwrapping the plastic from around her cast and trying to dry herself off with one hand. The red-haired witch realized that Tara was standing in the doorway of the bathroom and began blushing.

Tara smiled gently and moved into the bathroom and shut the door. She gently took the towel from her fellow witch and began toweling Willow down. The blonde witch simply wrapped the towel around Willow and then wrapped her arms around the smaller witch when Willow hugged her tightly.

Tara stroked the red hair below her chin softly. "Yes, my love," Tara said softly. "We are more than okay."

After a moment Tara leaned her forehead against Willow's as they struggled to breathe.

"We'd better stop now or that towel is going to disappear," Tara teased and Willow turned bright red again.

Tara raised Willow's head to one side as she took in the massive bruising and slight cut on Willow's neck.

"I love you too," Tara responded and handed the redhead her shirt. "It obviously went well," she teased and Willow blushed right on cue.

"I'm glad it did," Tara said softly and held Willow tightly for a moment and then helped the witch into a pair of sweat pants.

"Good, I still want to attack you," Willow grinned, leaning on Tara as she guided her feet into her slippers.

"Willow, you're not planning anything dangerous are you?" Tara questioned, suddenly serious.

"You've been hovering over that computer for days and you haven't said a word about the research," Tara began, sitting down on Willow's bed while the hacker dropped her pajamas into a laundry basket. "I have the feeling you had last night planned and was wondering if…if it might…if it's connected to something you're planning."

"I admitted to Buffy that I wanted last night to happen before the full moon," Willow said.

"Because if she is a werewolf, I want to claim her before Oz can get to her!" Willow growled, slamming her fist down on the bed. "I want her to be mates with me and you, it might counter any control he can have over her as alpha wolf."

"Let's get you some breakfast and then you can tell me the details," Tara suggested.

Willow was finding it difficult. The Scooby Gang and Joyce Summers weren't leaving her alone for more than a few minutes at time. Getting the things she needed together wasn't easy. Fortunately, Anya had been willing to grab a couple of the items from the Magic Box without asking questions when Willow had explained it was for a tracker spell.

With three nights left until the full moon, she was getting nervous and knew that the rest of the gang were starting to feel the tension. Especially Buffy.

Willow came down the stairs to find Xander up against the wall, his feet totally off the floor and Anya yelling for Buffy to put her boyfriend down. Tara came running out of the kitchen and skidded to a halt at the sight of a very red Xander and an obviously angry Slayer.

"Buffy!" Willow yelled and the Slayer blinked and dropped her friend. Xander landed heavily on his backside as he slid down the wall. Anya was beside him instantly, checking that he was breathing okay and in one piece.

Willow ran forward and grabbed Buffy as the Slayer turned and went to her knees. "Buffy! What happened?"

"I don't know," Buffy whispered, beginning to cry. Tara moved into the room and joined Willow in holding the distraught Slayer.

"Xander made a reference to a female dog or something like that and Buffy turning furry and Buffy went berserk and nearly killed my boyfriend!"

Tara placed a restraining hand on Willow's shoulder as the red-haired witch's muscles tightened, preparing to launch herself at her friend.

The former demon nodded and helped the young man to his feet and they headed for the door just as Joyce and Giles opened the door.

The two adults noticed Xander's ruffled condition, Buffy on her knees being held by Tara and Willow and the distressed looks on both the witches' faces and frowned.

"We're leaving Mrs. Joyce, we'll talk to you later for patrol tonight," Anya said quickly and rushed Xander past the two older people.

Buffy suddenly struggled out of Tara and Willow's arms and dashed out the front door as everyone yelled for her.

The blonde witch quickly ran out the door after the Slayer while Giles and Joyce turned to Willow for explanations. Both adults noticed the bruising on Willow's neck at the same time.

Giles stepped forward and lifted Willow's head to one side. "I hope that's not a vampire bite."

"You let Buffy bite you?" Giles' voice was low but intense. "You know she might be infected! A bite could infect you!" his voice began to rise to a shout. "How could you be so careless?" he demanded.

"Giles!" Willow snapped, startling the scholar and Watcher. "I choose last night to happen when she was in the middle of Slayer Lust. I knew the risks and I accept them."

"Oh my God," Giles muttered. "You're hoping that if she is a werewolf that you just mated with her."

"Giles, what are you talking about?" Joyce asked. "We're talking about my daughter, damnit!"

"If Buffy is a werewolf," Giles stammered. "Well, they act a lot like their wolf counterparts. Wolves mate for life. If they're part of a pack then only the alpha male and female mate. Willow is hoping that if Oz does get a hold of Buffy and draw her into the pack then her mating with Willow might over-ride his control."

"Even more serious, I'm afraid," Giles explained. "Especially if Buffy is a werewolf and she just bit Willow!"

"Not enough, Giles," Willow said calmly. "Didn't even draw blood, just enough to mark me as hers."

"You've certainly grown up haven't you?" he said softly. "Don't ever doubt your strength and courage again."

"Serious and possibly deadly," he said softly. "But you just got a daughter-in-law. Two before the weekend is over if I'm guessing correctly."

"Thank God, I don't want to deal with two of you as werewolves, let alone three!"

"We're connected to her, Willow more so now, shouldn't be hard," Tara said firmly.

"We've been dreaming about each other and we both knew what kind of energy Buffy was going through last night when she came home from slaying," Willow said softly.

"What? It's not like you're going to report to the Watcher Council," Willow snapped.

"Damnit! I can't do my job to protect all of you if you don't tell me everything!" Giles countered.

Giles nodded and stepped back as Tara moved behind Willow and placed her hands on the red-haired witch's shoulders, lending her strength, energy, and focus as Willow began chanting under her breath and closed her eyes.

A few moments later and a light blue streak of energy, much like neon gas, led from the house and down the street.

"Willow, you and Joyce stay here," Giles ordered. "I don't want you near the woods. Odds are Oz and his pack are either there or in the graveyard."

"No, I think she's upset and running off some energy. It may be an unconscious thing though," he explained. "As it gets closer to the full moon, if she is one of his pack, the call to join him might get stronger."

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Red Moon Rising

By Frau Hunter Ash

Carrkjar@yahoo.com