Welcome to My Nightmare by Frau Hunter Ash

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only knows who else. 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: Willow is healed physically from the after-effects of detoxifying from the black magic Dracula forced on her and dealing with guilt for giving into Dracula along with Xander and Buffy. Now the gang wants to get out of town for some R&R. Can you say "Road Trip?"

Willow murmured noises of pleasure when she woke up two hours later to Buffy's familiar lips nuzzling her neck. The red head enjoyed the feeling of Tara in her arms and Buffy behind her. Willow smiled as she opened her eyes and saw a sleepy Tara begin smiling.

"Hey," Willow smiled back as Buffy's hands roamed over her ribs and then over to Tara's.

"You guys always ask me that too," Willow quipped. "I remember the trance and changing…"

Willow's eyes widened as memories began to flood over her and her smile became a grin. "Wolf! I remember being a wolf and seeing you both in the woods!"

"Nope, it was real," Buffy grinned and nodded. "We saw two gray wolves and a red wolf and then we found you in the circle, changed back to human."

"Wow! Oh wow!" Willow grinned and jumped up off the bed and turned to face her lovers. "I did it! The wolf is so cool!"

Tara wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulders as they watched Willow almost bouncing off the RV walls.

Willow turned at the sound of the door opening and grinned as Xander stuck his head in the door.

"Is everyone decent?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrow suggestively and then yelped when Willow leaped into his arms.

"Hey! You've got Buffy and Tara, no stealing my fiancée!" Anya protested outside.

Buffy and Tara laughed, following Willow's path outside as she released Xander and hugged Anya tightly.

Tara caught Buffy's eyes and the Slayer nodded towards Willow and the blonde witch moved to walk alongside her lover. Buffy distracted Xander and Anya, keeping them back a little ways.

Buffy knew that Tara was explaining what Luke, Phillip and Thena told them about Willow.

Willow's enthusiasm was a little more subdued when the group entered the diner and Buffy wasn't surprised. The Slayer moved up behind her mate and hugged her quickly.

"Don't worry, you'll have complete control soon," Buffy whispered and Willow nodded.

"It won't be, Phillip said that the full moon won't be as hard and the werewolf won't rage anymore," Buffy said, trying to reassure her mate and the witch nodded as they crowded around a large table.

The Elders were gathered along with the young teachers and encouraged the young travelers to sit and eat.

The conversation around the table over dinner consisted of small talk about the town and various types of Weres. Then the talk turned to Willow's training of the day and what she could expect in the future.

"So, eventually Willow will be able to change when she wants but it won't be into an evil werewolf like Oz?" Xander asked between bites of his steak.

"Yes, if she keeps concentrating and doing the visual journeys we show her," Thena nodded.

"I can't believe she changed into a full wolf!" Xander grinned. "Sounds like a good thing."

"It is," Phillip nodded. "Willow's inner wolf is a gentle creature and she met and accepted it as part of herself today. When she changes on full moons it'll be different now."

"It'll still be painful for a long time," Luke advised. "But she won't be as vicious and dangerous."

"No," Robert Stockwell advised. "Until she can totally control the change, especially on full moons, she should be locked up. The wolf is closest to the surface on the moon and the human is almost unconscious. It could still be dangerous to others than her mates."

"I'd still feel better if you chained or locked me up," Willow said softly. "It was horrible knowing I had killed someone!"

"Yes," Willow nodded. "I didn't know the details. I couldn't remember what I did as a werewolf. I woke up in the sewers covered in blood and I wasn't hurt."

"Yeah," Buffy nodded as Willow blushed and lowered her head. Tara wrapped an arm around the red haired witch's shoulders. "She ran away from us and we went bananas."

"We understand that," Pietr nodded. "That's why we offer training to any were that hasn't crossed over into evil."

"Are there other groups like you?" Buffy asked and Tara sensed the Slayer's muscles tensing from nerves. "We know our friend fell in with an evil group."

"We know of one settlement like ours," Layton said slowly. "They were known as the Colony. It was founded by a doctor who was trying to teach the same thing we do. Unfortunately he brought together a lot of weres who liked the hunt and it didn't matter if it was human, cow or deer."

"They tried to bring in a news reporter and her husband into the pack without asking," Lucille said as she cleared the table. "It turned out badly. The reporter and a friend killed most of the weres and the others scattered, thankfully."

"Nope, her husband had already joined the pack, her best friend was killed and she was bitten," Luke added. "She changed on air to prove the existence of werewolves and was killed by her friend."

"No," Luke nodded. "They thought it was a publicity stunt by the station. We know there are packs around the country that are like us and others that are evil."

"I wish he had found you," Willow said softly, tears in her voice. "They took a kind and gentle musician and turned him into an evil killer."

Buffy winced at the memory of Oz trying to rape and infect Willow when he returned to Sunnydale.

"There's always a danger of giving into the rage," Stefn Wulfsson advised. "The wolf is angry because it's confused."

"It wants to be free and the human body restricts it, along with the human mind," Rowan added.

"We offer to teach them a better way," Luke explained. "If they refuse, we escort them out of town and give them a friendly warning not to return."

"There are herbs and spells that Weres are susceptible to," Pietr added. "They probably used those on your friend and brought out the rage. By staying with them, the spell they had cast on him continued and he became evil."

"It is possible," Thena nodded. "With the right combinations of drugs and magick, almost anyone could be turned."

"Well, it's a week to the next full moon," Tara said thoughtfully. "Can we stay that long?"

The small group looked around among themselves, each asking the question silently. Finally, Xander nodded and the others joined in while Willow looked hopeful.

"Sure," Xander said. "I don't see why not. Anya and I are surfing the web looking for ideas for the wedding. I think we can keep busy when I'm not working with the construction thing."

Helki started working with Tara and Willow in the mornings on repairing Willow's magickal abilities until the older woman was satisfied that the red haired witch was regaining control. The days seemed to pass quickly with Buffy working out with several of the townspeople, their werewolf strength giving the Slayer a new level to work at that was usually reserved for full out fighting.

Xander and Anya found themselves mingling with the people easily as well. Anya, after getting a little bored, worked with the librarian arranging and suggesting books for the town and Xander took on a temporary job with some of the men working at rebuilding a small fabric store. The young man discovered that he liked working with his hands and tools and had a knack for picking up the different skills.

By day four, Buffy had joined him and the two friends found they were tired at the end of the day but it felt good as they could see real progress in their work.

Tara and Willow were both tired as well but it was more a mental tired from working on the magick. Willow concentrated on connecting with the inner wolf and how to control the rage that came with the confused animal.

On day six of being in Lupercalia, Willow found the Elder Council waiting for her as she approached the Church.

"Time to decide what to do with me tomorrow night?" she asked calmly as she approached the small group.

"Yes, young one," Stefn nodded. "We don't have any cubs who aren't in control. The choices are locking you in the jail…"

"That's about all it gets used for," Luke grinned. "Don't even get any drunks through here."

"The other choice is letting you change with several experienced weres and see how you react," Maggie finished.

"I've seen three werewolves before coming here and I killed them because they were hurting someone or about to kill Tara," she said thoughtfully.

"You all have more experience with this than I do," Willow smiled shyly. "What do you suggest?"

Willow pondered the options, her training, and her instincts. Her eyes were shining brightly when she looked up again.

Buffy and Tara tried to ignore the worry they were picking up from Willow as they sat around tables in the Church dining hall with other humans and older werewolves who didn't want to go out roaming the woods.

The Scooby gang members were surprised to see a number of human adults and children among the older people. Lucille smiled as the young adults sat down to join a game of PictionaryÔ with a couple of the children.

"Can you imagine bringing your girlfriend or boyfriend home to meet these families?" she joked.

"They aren't Weres?" Xander asked, seeing a good mixture of men, women and children of all ages.

"Must be hard approaching your girlfriend or boyfriend and telling them you're a werewolf," Tara nodded.

"She didn't," Buffy said. "Her ex-boyfriend came back and tried to intentionally bite her. Total evil stuff. I took the bite but then Willow turned around and did a spell to take it on herself."

"Probably better she did," Lucille commented. "Sounds like her wolf is a lot nicer than yours would have been."

"Willow already had a wolf, she's part werewolf," Lucille said, sounding surprised that the Gang wasn't aware of it. "Somewhere in her line there was a werewolf and a witch."

"From that Jewish family?" Buffy protested incredulously and noticed Xander shifting in his chair. "What?"

"We didn't talk about it much," Xander said slowly. "She discovered I'm adopted and she told me she was."

"Yeah, I figure that's why my parents don't pay much attention. I guess I'm not what they wanted," Xander said bitterly.

"So Buffy would have been cursed with the evil thing but when Willow took the curse, it was okay?" Tara questioned Lucille.

"In a way," Lucille said thoughtfully. "With having a wolf already, the curse just brought it to the surface. If she had stayed with her boyfriend and they were sexual, protection or not, her wolf still would have come to the surface, eventually. That's probably why he was so nuts to keep her and mate with her."

"That's probably why her spell worked," Tara nodded. "It was already half there."

"That will help with Buffy's guilt over Willow taking the wolf," Anya commented.

On the third morning, Willow smiled at the familiar sight of the sleeping figures in the beds set up in the dining hall.

"If everyone can control the wolf, why do the non-Weres sleep in here on full moons?" she asked in a whisper as Thena walked with her.

"Precaution, sometimes powerful emotions can overwhelm the wolf and we are human when it comes to emotions," Thena explained. "If someone is fighting with their wife, it might come out in the wolf. It also protects them from any outsiders or hunters who might be stalking us."

"Something like your Slayer, they hunt down weres, vampires, demons, and daemons," Thena explained.

"We ran into one once, he almost killed Oz," Willow said thoughtfully. She spotted Tara and Buffy sharing a cot and Anya and Xander on another one next to them, all still sound asleep.

"You'll run across Hunters in your life," Thena advised. "Fortunately, with you being a witch along with Tara and a Slayer, you should be fine."

"Between fighting vampires and demons in Sunnydale, now somebody's going to be hunting me, terrific," Willow complained.

"Yeah, I even knew Buffy might have to kill me," Willow nodded. "Dealing with it is different."

Buffy and Tara were more than willing to move to the RV with Willow and fell back into sleep with Willow between them.

Tara murmured and smiled as lips kissed the back of her neck and hands roamed over her ribs, holding her tightly.

Tara leaned up to kiss her Slayer and then wrapped her arms around Willow's body as the red-head began mumbling in her sleep, beginning to stir.

Buffy grinned as she started out the door when she saw Tara's hand roaming under Willow's t-shirt. Buffy made sure that she locked the door when she heard Willow moan and Tara giggle.

The Slayer stretched, yawned and began trotting down the main street, waving at the old men hanging around outside the grocery store and Lucille smoking a cigarette outside the diner.

Willow smiled as Tara's kisses covered her face and the blonde witch's hand moved through her red hair.

Tara smiled, pulling Willow's body close to her, moaning at the heat building between them. The blonde witch held tightly as Willow's body jerked in surprise and instant arousal when Tara bit down on her neck from behind.

"Tara!" Willow whimpered, grabbing her pillow when Tara refused to let Willow turn over and face her. The red-haired witch growled as her lover's fingers ran up the back of her legs and danced along Willow's spine.

"That's it, lover," Tara whispered, her voice husky with desire. "Tell me about the wolf last night."

"Oh goddess!" Willow whispered. She could almost feel the wolf trying to rise to the surface.

"You want gentle today, lover?" Tara taunted, knowing that mornings after a full moon were seldom slow and gentle with the wolf so close to the surface. Willow could be the most hesitant and gentlest of lovers but on or close to the full moon and her body was more demanding.

"Tara!" Willow cried out, gripping the pillow tightly as her lover worked the werewolf's body like a musical instrument. Tara's hand was massaging and playing with Willow's nipples, her other hand teasing between Willow's legs.

"Oh goddess, please!" Willow begged as Tara raked her nails down Willow's back again and then ran her fingers through her lover's short hair.

"It…it's beautiful," Willow whispered and Tara's fingers dipped between her labia, causing Willow to buck against the blonde's body. "Everything is sharper…oh gods…clearer."

Tara trailed her lips and teeth down from Willow's neck to her lover's shoulders and over the red-head's back as she inserted two fingers into Willow.

"Tell me," Tara whispered, keeping her rhythm of drawing back and entering Willow erratic and varied.

"The…smells are sharp," Willow continued through gritted teeth. "You can…feel the night…air through your fur…Tara, please!"

"Can you sense me and Buffy when you're the wolf?" Tara asked, biting Willow on the small of the back.

"Yes!" and Tara grinned, unsure if Willow was responding to the arousal or answering the question. Tara relented to Willow's needs and thrust into her lover. "Yes!" Willow shouted and then growled.

Tara heard the growl and did her best to answer it. Surprisingly, Willow whimpered and bared her neck. Her blonde mate moved quickly back up along Willow's body and bit into the offered neck as she thrust into her mate, her other hand moving down to caress Willow's clit.

Tara pulled the blanket up over them as she whispered loving reassurances in Willow's ear, holding her mate close as her lover trembled from the after affects of the love making. The two fell asleep moments later.

Buffy grinned and leaned over the flowing water of the small creek she had found and splashed some water on her face. Her breathing had finally quieted down to normal after getting hit with the almost overwhelming arousal energy from Willow and Tara.

"At least I wasn't having coffee with Mom and Giles this time," Buffy grinned to herself.

The run through the woods had been designed to give her some privacy and space, knowing that Tara was about to get sexual with Willow. Most of the time their energy was intense enough to hit whoever wasn't present.

Even though the three of them had reached a point in their relationship where all three were comfortable together sexually at the same time, there were times when they still wanted one-on-one time with each other too.

Xander and Anya grinned when they spotted Buffy coming out of the woods and waved. She changed her direction and trotted up to them.

"Not doing too bad for having slept on a cot," Xander shrugged. "We're going to grab some breakfast, lunch or whatever we want to call it, want to join us?"

"Sure," Buffy agreed, extending her senses and finding Willow and Tara beginning to stir. She sent a mental image of the diner to both and felt them 'nodding.'

Willow reached out and carefully brushed a lock of hair from Tara's eyes with a smile. Tara opened her eyes and smiled back at her lover.

"What the heck did you do to me? All my muscles are jelly!" Willow teased, delighting in the way Tara blushed.

"We've been talking a lot with Lucille while you were out with the pack," Tara admitted, blushing a bright red.

"If you want part of the wolf to come out and play?" Willow suggested and Tara nodded. "Wow! I could feel the wolf with me, responding to you."

"Yes," Willow said, her eyes and expression softening. "It wasn't scary on my end, I was hoping I didn't scare you."

"Will," Tara tried to speak and then hesitated, swallowing. "Buffy and I did a lot of surfing and reading on werewolves and wolves, especially when you were gone. And we did a lot of late night talking with Lucille and a couple of the human mates."

"Werewolves like you are a lot like wolves," Tara began explaining. "We knew that but we're finding out details now. Like, how did you know to get Buffy to bite you and mate with you and me before that full moon?"

"Like I said then," Willow sat up and leaned against the RV wall. "I thought maybe it would be like wolves and that a mating would be stronger than Oz' hold on Buffy as her sire."

"You were right too," Tara nodded. "Sex with a were is one thing, what we've done is something like Alpha wolves mating."

"We know that and accepted it," Tara added. "Will, this morning something happened that I didn't expect."

Willow frowned. "You're saying you're okay with the mating for life thing and weren't scared by my growling this morning but there's more?"

"Uh, it, uh, it's a sign of submission when wolves are fighting or sexual, it's also a sign of absolute trust during sex," Willow said softly, looking down at her knees.

"I didn't," Willow whispered. "I would have, easily, any day, any minute but it wasn't me. It was the wolf."

"Yeah," Willow nodded. "I felt the wolf baring my throat to you. It was submission of the wolf to you and giving you total trust."

"Will," Tara tried but choked on her emotions and pulled Willow into her arms. "Why? Why would the wolf do that? I'm not the strong one."

Willow wrapped her arms around her lover, relieved that Tara wasn't freaked or frightened by the action or revelation.

"You are the strong one, Tara," Willow insisted, her own tears of happiness spilling over her cheeks. "The wolf recognized your strength, your love for me and my love for you."

"Sshhhh!" Willow demanded, a finger on Tara's lips. "It's not like I can sit down and have a talk with the wolf and say, 'hey what's your motivation?' Accept it, my love. You reacted perfectly, by the way."

"I love you, Willow," Tara whispered, clinging to her lover and then smiled when they got the flash from Buffy about food.

"Going well on this end," Giles said, his manner more relaxed than Buffy was used to. "The Council is pleased with Willow's emailed reports. I can't believe you found a town of weres!"

"I know, we can't either," Buffy smiled as she munched on a French fry. She looked out of the phone booth and smiled at the sight of her troop enjoying their meal, especially the aura of peace surrounding Willow. "It's like Fate or something. Willow really needed something on the up side after the last few months."

"I totally agree," Giles said. "The Council still wants progress reports when you get back, especially about her beginning magick again."

"We figured they would, they'll want to see how she reacts to danger and stuff," Buffy said, taking a sip of coke.

"Yes, exactly," Giles agreed. "I do think this vacation was a good idea for all of you. By the way, Willow says that Xander and Anya are engaged."

"Yeah, it was so cool, Giles!" Buffy said happily. "He got down on his knee and everything!"

"Quite well," Giles said and Buffy could just imagine him cleaning his glasses. "Your mother is getting excited and can't wait for all of you to get back to set the date."

"Yeah, well, we're heading back, probably starting tomorrow," Buffy said, munching away. "We shouldn't take as long."

"Really well," Buffy smiled, catching a loving glance from Tara before the blonde witch turned back to the conversation she was having with the others. Buffy grinned at the sight of Phillip joining them, saying something that caused Xander to choke on his soda and Anya to laugh hysterically. "I mean it, she's got her hope back and I think she won't be as afraid to take it slow with the magick."

"Excellent!" Giles agreed. "I know you can't tell me where this town of Weres is because of the Council, but let us know where you are in a couple of days."

Buffy stood up with her plate and soda in hand, noticing Phillip hovering over the table as he leaned over to show Xander something. The Slayer saw him moving Tara's soda out of his way as he drew something on a napkin in front of Xander.

Buffy sat down and reached out for Willow's hand as Tara leaned her head on Buffy's shoulder.

Phillip looked over and grinned. "I'm showing Xander a short cut out of the valley. It looks longer but it isn't. The route up over the mountains takes longer and is harder on RVs. This route goes along the river and is easier."

"Thanks, Phillip," Buffy nodded. "Now that this round of full moon wiggin is over, we'll probably head out tomorrow."

"That's what the Elders were figuring," he nodded. "I hope you come back sometime. You guys are family now."

"I need to talk to the Council, what are your plans, guys?" Willow asked the others.

"Anya and I are gonna hang out with the construction crew," Xander said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Anya's shoulder.

"I thought I'd show Tara a beautiful creek I found this morning," Buffy said, a little shyly.

"Sounds good, tell the Council not to give you too hard a time for leaving," Phillip grinned. "Just promise life long devotion and frequent trips."

Willow laughed as she blushed. She knew she'd hate to leave the town, especially after finding such unusual acceptance of her werewolf side.

Buffy leaned over and raised Willow's chin, noticing the red-head's expression. "What?"

"I just wish Oz had found this place instead of the bad werewolves," she said softly. "He was himself again after the Initiative caught him and he was so sick about everything he had done."

"Wills, he tried to rape you and infect you," Xander pointed out as Phillip got up quietly and moved over to the counter, giving the gang some privacy.

"I know and it sickened him," Willow countered. "He was a good guy again and he understood about Buffy and Tara."

"Yeah, it's just still hard, Wills," Xander complained. "I know the wolf thing is going to work out eventually if you keep up your hard work and stuff but it's still painful and it was his fault."

"Let's just hope his soul found some peace," Tara said softly, effectively ending the conversation.

Xander surprised everyone by jumping up from his chair and rushing around to drag Willow out of hers into a bear hug that lifted her over his head.

"Xander, you nut!" Willow giggled and playfully swatted his arm when he let her down.

"Anya, race you to the bar," Xander grinned and was out the door with Anya right behind him.

"Those two are perfect together in a weird Hellmouth way," Buffy commented as the three lovers walked out into the light of the afternoon sun.

"I'll see you both in a bit," Willow said, quickly kissing both of them before trotting off towards the church.

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Welcome to My Nightmare

By Frau Hunter Ash

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