What If?

by Kinetic-Kid

Copyright © 2005

kwhite14@yahoo.com

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Definitely no money being made. All characters belong to Joss Whedon and ME. I own nothing except whatever characters I may make up for this story.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse: http://mysticmuse.net
Kinetic-Kid's Site: http://www.kinetic-kid.com
Oh yeah, anywhere, anytime. Just make sure I get credit and let me know where it is.
Feedback: Please Please PLEASE. I live for feedback. I get irritable and upset if I don't get any and I might not continue writing. Of course, if you don't like the story and think it sucks you may not want me to continue!
Spoilers: None
Author's Notes: What if Willow went to one of the other colleges courting her during her senior year? What if there was no Dawn or Glory? If Joyce didn't have an aneurism and die? What might have happened? This story is the Scoobies Freshman year of college. No Anya/Xander hook up from the past. Plus other little things – be forewarned – I will be playing fast and loose with time-lines!!
Pairing: Buffy/Tara

Summary: Buffy meets a very special witch while out on patrol one night.

Chapter 41    Chapter 42    Chapter 43    Chapter 44    Chapter 45


Chapter 41

Giles rubs his forehead as he thinks about what Buffy and Faith had told them. "You're positive you recognized him?"

"Yes, Giles. He's Riley Finn, Tara and my's TA in Psych." Buffy rolls her eyes and smiles as Tara runs a hand soothingly down her back.

"She would recognize him after all he did ask her out." Tara grins crookedly at the watcher.

"Forgot about that." Buffy mumbles, blushing lightly. "I kind of had someone else on my mind at the time."

Tara laughs quietly and presses her lips to Buffy's cheek. "And that someone else definitely had you on their mind, also."

Giles purses his lips as he slowly looks at the group. "I know this is going to get a lot of comments…"

"But we need to figure out what to do, research, hack and all other bunch of stuff." Buffy grumbles, wrapping her arms around Tara and burying her face in her lover's neck. "I'm still gonna get my lovings tonight, right?" Buffy questions softly.

"Of course." Tara chuckles and hugs Buffy tightly. "Have something special planned for tonight." Tara whispers into Buffy's ear, placing a soft kiss on the lobe.

Buffy groans quietly. "Can we go now?" Buffy looks hopefully at Tara her eyes twinkling.

"Soon." Tara murmurs, grinning crookedly at her lover. "How about we plan on starting the research tomorrow? That way everyone can have…try to have, a good nights sleep." Tara amends, when she feels Buffy nipping gently on her neck.

Faith and Xander both chuckle, exchanging grins.

Willow looks from one to the other, raising an eyebrow, before looking back at Buffy who's practically wrapped around Tara, her face buried in her neck.

"Here we go." Giles grumbles, rolling his eyes. "Fine, we'll work on this tomorrow. Nothing we can do tonight, anyway." Giles winks at Joyce, a small grin playing about his mouth.

"No, nothing at all." Joyce smirks at Giles.

"God, they're making googly eyes at each other, aren't they?" Buffy questions not looking at her mom and Giles. Growling quietly when she feels Tara nod her head.

"Behave." Tara murmurs, smacking Buffy on the butt. Tara looks at Joyce, with a lifted eyebrow. "A stocking stuffer for everyone?" Tara grins crookedly as Joyce laughs and nods her head.

"I think that's a wonderful thing for everyone to open as their gift for tonight." Joyce hops off the couch, making her way to the mantle with the stocking for everyone lined up across it. Grabbing the small wrapped 3x5 items out of each stocking, Joyce passes them to everyone. "I have it on good authority, that if you don't like this, the person that did them would be more than happy to do what you do want." Joyce looks over at Tara, grinning at the young woman.

Buffy raises an eyebrow and looks at Tara. "What did you do?"

"Just a little something." Tara shrugs smiling at Buffy. "I did one for everyone. You'll see." Tara nods towards the small item now in Buffy's hand, grinning crookedly as she holds hers.

Willow unwraps the gift, staring in stunned surprise at the small sketch, recognizing that Tara had obviously used their graduation picture as a guide, with minute changes, probably offered by Joyce.

"If I had known, I would have done one of Amy, for you." Tara offers softly as she walks over to Willow. "Do you have a picture I can use?"

Willow slowly nods her head, lifting her eyes to look at Tara, smiling. "Thank you. This is a wonderful gift."

Tara shrugs and looks down embarrassed. "It wasn't much, I wanted to give everyone a little something and Joyce helped me out with the idea. Of course, Joyce has a drawing of Mr. Giles, and vice versa."

"You think I look like this?" Faith questions, with a raised eyebrow, looking at the sketch of herself looking happy.

"Sometimes." Tara winks at Faith. "More often as time goes by."

"Thanks, Tare." Faith whispers hugging Tara quickly.

Xander smirks at the group, his eyes landing on Giles and Joyce who are looking at the drawings of each other. "I'm assuming everyone got drawings of themselves?"

"Sort of. Mr. Giles got one of Joyce, Joyce of Mr. Giles, Buffy of me…" Tara trails off obvious. "I figure if you should find someone, either of you." Tara turns to look at Faith, squeezing her shoulder. "I would be more than happy to do another sketch."

"Maybe, if you don't mind…" Faith starts, before stopping and shaking her head. "Never mind."

"What, Faith?" Tara looks at the slayer.

"I was gonna ask if you would mind to do a group one of everybody for me. But that's asking a lot." Faith admits softly.

"No, it isn't Faith." Tara shakes her head, smiling softly as she looks over at Buffy. She had actually already done one for Buffy, the slayer wanting one of everybody. Seeing Buffy slowly nod her head, Tara winks at her. "I'm sure it can be arranged."

"Well, if you children want Santa to show up, you all need to get to bed." Giles orders softly, smiling at the groans he receives.

"He's staying tonight, isn't he?" Buffy grumps quietly as she follow's Tara up the stairs. Listening to Faith and Willow talking quietly ahead of them.

"Buffy." Tara warns quietly, trying not to laugh, knowing her lover has gotten to the point where she's just griping to be griping now.

"Good night, guys." Willow smiles and chuckles as Buffy hugs her quickly as Tara stands at the door to Buffy's room. "I've missed you, too, Buffy."

Buffy laughs and releases Willow. "'Night, Wills. 'Night, Faith."

Faith nods her head as she walks into her room, grabbing a tank top and shorts to sleep in, before coming back out and heading towards the bathroom.

Tara snorts softly watching Faith. "She isn't wanting to wait."

"Figured that out, huh?" Faith smirks before she slides into the bathroom.

"Do you need to take a shower, sweetie?" Tara questions Buffy softly, looking over her lover.

"Not yet." Buffy wiggles her eyebrows at her lover, chuckling as Tara blushes lightly.

"Keep that up you won't need one later, either." Tara narrows her gaze on Buffy.

"Ah, that's not nice." Buffy pouts. "You already promised."

"That was before you decided to be rotten." Tara winks at Willow as Willow laughs quietly.

"I'm always rotten. Or at least I am according to you." Buffy grumbles, her eyes twinkling. "Goody." Buffy slides into the bathroom as Faith comes out.

"I am so going to kick her ass." Tara growls, following Buffy into the bathroom.

Willow laughs, shaking her head. "Are those two always like that?" Willow questions softly as she walks into the bedroom, gathering her sleep wear.

"Worse." Faith admits, chuckling as she tosses her dirty clothes in the hamper. "If they aren't picking on each other, they're getting all hot and heavy in different parts of the house. And truthfully, I don't know which one is worse."

Willow giggles quietly as she sits down on the bed waiting for Buffy and Tara to get out of the bathroom, squirming slightly.

"Hurry up, B. I think Willow needs to actually use the facilities." Faith comments in the same tone as before as she drops to the floor, smirking at the surprise on Willow's face.

"She can hear you?" Willow blinks surprised.

"Every word. I could probably be down the block and she'd hear me." Faith shrugs as she folds her pillow, tucking it under her head.

"We're out." Buffy sticks her head in, grinning at Willow. "Faith's always trying to get Tara in trouble by trying to get her to say something bad. She should know better by now. Tara will say anything at any given time, depending on what kind of mood she's in." Buffy narrows her gaze on Faith. "She can get in trouble on her own, without your help!"

"You're telling me." Tara chuckles as she props her chin on Buffy's shoulder. "I'm always getting in trouble for one thing or another. I sometimes think if I cross my eyes, I'm in trouble."

"Oooh. Thanks for the thought." Buffy turns and presses a quick kiss to Tara's cheek. "Cross your eyes, baby, I need something for tonight." Buffy smirks and wiggles her eyebrows.

Tara rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Be good, Slayer. You're pushing your luck."

"I am? How much more do I have to push?" Buffy starts bouncing on her feet, grinning from ear to ear.

"Good night, ladies." Tara grabs Buffy by one of her pockets, tugging her backwards towards the bedroom.

"'Night!" Buffy waves at Faith and Willow, before wiggling her eyebrows. "Time for some Naughty Slayer and the Wicked Wicca."

"Buffy!" Tara growls as she pulls her roughly into the bedroom.

"But you promised." Buffy whimpers as the door shuts behind her on Willow's and Faith's laughter.

"Bathroom." Willow mutters, jumping up to run into the bathroom.

Faith chuckles, shaking her head as she grabs the blanket, pulling it over her. When Willow comes back a few minutes later, Faith calls out softly. "'Night, Red."

"Good night, Faith." Willow smiles at the slayer before turning out the light and climbing in bed, getting comfortable. "Are you okay down there?"

"I'm fine, Red. Thanks for askin'." Faith calls back, smiling at the thought of Willow actually worried about her being comfortable. "Mrs S. has an air mattress, but it's kinda big for this room, without me shoving the bed into the corner, then you having to climb over me."

"If you have problems that's what we'll do tomorrow night, okay?" Willow sighs quietly. "I'm glad things are working out, Faith."

Faith laces her fingers together behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. "You and me both, Red."


"You are bad." Tara laughs quietly after she activates the silence spell on the room.

"I like driving them nuts." Buffy admits, leaning against the door, watching as Tara starts to disrobe. Quickly stepping up to Tara, Buffy halts her hands movements.

Raising an eyebrow, Tara looks at Buffy's hands holding hers. "What we have planned does better without clothes, sweetie." Tara's eyes twinkle as she lifts them to look at a lightly blushing slayer.

"Trust me, that's going to happen very soon." Buffy smiles shyly at Tara as she leads her to the bed.

Tara blinks at Buffy's uncharacteristic shyness and nervousness. Sitting down on the bed, at Buffy's urging, Tara watches the slayer intently. "Buffy?"

Buffy bites her lip, glancing up into Tara's curious blue eyes. "I love you." Buffy whispers before kneeling down between Tara's partially spread legs, shifting up slightly to kiss Tara softly.

"I love you, too, baby." Tara runs a hand through Buffy's hair, smiling softly at her lover.

Grasping Tara's left hand between both hers, Buffy rubs her thumb gently over Tara's fingers. "I know that in this lifetime we haven't known each other that long, but even before I knew of our past, it felt like I had known you my whole life." Buffy lifts Tara's hand to her lips, kissing it softly while using her other hand to pull out the box she'd placed there earlier, never letting the item get too far away from her in the past week. Looking up into Tara's loving blue eyes, Buffy calms even further at the love she sees shining there for her. Flipping the box open below the edge of the bed, where Tara can't see it, Buffy considers her next words. "I know that this isn't something we can do legally, but since we already are in my heart, I thought maybe I should do this. Tara, will you marry me?" Buffy whispers softly as she lifts the gold band with the beautiful opal with two garnets nestled against each side.

"Oh, Goddess." Tara whispers in shock, her eyes wide as she looks down at the gold band with both their birthstones. Raising her eyes to look into Buffy's slightly worried gaze, Tara can't help but smile crookedly. "Sweetie, do you really have any doubt whatsoever what my answer is?"

Buffy let's out the breath of air she'd unconsciously been holding. Slowly easing her other hand away from Tara, she pulls the ring out of the box. "I guess I shouldn't, but I did." Buffy admits softly, smiling up at Tara as she slides the ring on her lover's finger. Softly kissing the ring and Tara's finger, Buffy closes her eyes as she feels Tara run her hand softly through her hair, grasping it gently to tug her up.

"Come here, love." Tara urges Buffy, groaning as she captures Buffy's lips in an extremely loving kiss.

Moaning as Tara finally pulls away, minutes later, Buffy eases her body back to gently start disrobing her lover. Inhaling deeply at the navy blue bra pushing Tara's breasts up and together enticingly, with the flesh pillowing out over the edge, Buffy whimpers loudly.

"Part of your Christmas, love." Tara smiles at Buffy's obvious approval.

"Panties, too?" Buffy looks up hopefully from where she had been watching her fingers caress over the flesh put on display.

"I guess you're just going to have to finish what you started to find that out, slayer." Tara's eyes twinkle as she looks into Buffy's love filled eyes. "I have a few presents for you in the closet that aren't exactly…" Tara blushes lightly, her eyes dropping to half mast. "Aren't exactly for viewing by the rest of the group."

Buffy shivers uncontrollably at the husky, sensual tones Tara's using. "And he said to get some sleep." Buffy chuckles wickedly. "I sooo think that's not going to happen tonight."

"Neither do I." Tara admits, laughing softly.

"But I think I want to view the rest of this present first." Buffy shifts to stand, easing Tara off the bed, kissing her softly, before shifting her hands down to finish unbuttoning her shirt. Gently easing the garment off Tara's shoulders, Buffy places a firm kiss on Tara's shoulder as the shirt drops to the floor. Kneeling in front of Tara, Buffy looks up, wiggling her eyebrows. "Matching underwear?" Buffy questions as her fingers play around the button at the side of Tara's skirt.

"Most definitely." Tara's eyes twinkle as Buffy unconsciously licks her lips.

"What kind?" Buffy hoarsely questions as she slips the button through the button hole, still watching Tara intently.

"You'll find out as soon as you finish taking off the skirt." Tara chuckles at Buffy's loud groan.

"Promise to put me back together after I explode into a million pieces?" Buffy whispers as she presses her face into Tara's stomach, kissing the flesh before dipping her tongue and swirling it within her lover's belly button.

Swallowing hard at her lover's ministrations, Tara buries both hands in Buffy's hair, tugging gently. "I think I'm going to be the one exploding, not you."

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I'm going to explode." Buffy admits softly as she inhales deeply. "God, you smell so good." Buffy growls, pressing her face against Tara firmly.

"How come I sometimes think you would be happy just smelling me?" Tara questions as she blushes lightly.

Buffy leans back to look up at Tara, her eyes glowing a warm copper. "I'm happy doing anything with you. Holding hands, talking, kissing, hugging, making love, studying…" Buffy shrugs. "Anything, and that includes sniffing." Buffy wiggles her eyebrows as she inhales deeply again.

"Unless you plan on only sniffing me, I would suggest you proceed, Sarim." Tara urges softly, shaking Buffy's head back and forth gently before easing her fingers from Buffy's hair.

Buffy grins as she works Tara's zipper down before sliding her fingers between her lover's skin and the skirt, easing it over her hips and down her thighs, letting it pool around Tara's feet. With her eyes captured by the thin scrap of silk covering Tara's mound, Buffy presses her lips against the damp cloth as she drags her fingertips back up the outside of her lover's thighs.

Tara inhales deeply as Buffy's rumbles vibrate against her needy clit. "Buffy…" Tara warns softly at her lover's teasing.

Buffy slowly stands, dragging her fingertips up Tara's sides, detouring to stroke softly over the flesh begging for her touch. Leaning in and placing a kiss on top of each mound, Buffy finally shifts back and starts to strip her own clothes off, while enjoying the sight of Tara in her navy blue lingerie.

Tara grins and winks at Buffy as she leans to the side, pulling the covers down, before slowly turning her back on Buffy to kneel on the bed, chuckling quietly at the sharp inhale coming from her lover at the view.

Stripping off the rest of her clothes, Buffy steps up behind Tara, running her palms over her lover's tantalizing flesh. "I hoped, but I honestly didn't think you would buy g-string underwear."

Tara presses back into Buffy's hands as they caress over each butt cheek. "You seem to…like them." Tara bites her lip as Buffy's hands are replaced with warm, wet lips pressing firm kisses over her flesh.

"Like them…" Buffy starts before dragging her tongue down the line of the cloth before continuing. "Love you."

Tara shivers as Buffy shifts the cloth out of the way and her tongue dips between her cheeks. As Buffy starts to gently scrape her teeth over her flesh, Tara whimpers softly.

Pressing her lips over Tara's butt cheeks, slowly working her way up Tara's back, Buffy runs her hands over Tara's stomach to cup her breasts while nipping at a shoulder blade. "Love the lingerie." Buffy growls quietly, squeezing her lover's flesh gently.

"Are you…" Tara moans loudly as Buffy starts to pinch her nipples firmly.

"Am I what?" Buffy smiles before continuing to place kisses over Tara's back, while teasing Tara's breasts.

"Clothes…off?" Tara finally whimpers out the words as Buffy's fingers dip in her bra to play over her flesh.

"Don't think so." Buffy shakes her head, nipping at Tara. "I like you in this outfit…want this to stay on you for a while."

"Buffy!" Tara growls quietly, thinking Buffy's planning on teasing her for hours.

"Not what you think." Buffy shakes her head, sensing her lover's thoughts. Tenderly lifting and shifting Tara onto the bed on her back, Buffy captures Tara's lips with hers, moaning at the erotic kiss. Finally easing away, Buffy smiles down into Tara's heated gaze. "What did you have planned tonight, or do you want to put it off for a while?" Buffy grins at the loud growl coming from her lover. "Later." Buffy smirks as she kisses her way down Tara's body, enjoying her lover's whimpers and growls as Tara tries to buck up into her body, looking for some relief for her aching body.

"Sweetie, be nice." Tara warns before hooking a leg around Buffy's, trying to pull her lover down. Not having any luck, Tara wraps both legs around Buffy and lifts her lower body up against her lover.

Buffy smirks as she continues to place kisses over the flesh spilling over Tara's bra. "Hope you bought more of these." Buffy sucks on the flesh for a moment, growling at the loud moan coming from Tara.

"A few." Tara answers hoarsely as she finally eases her body back down onto the bed. Deciding to allow her lover to have her fun, since she obviously isn't going to be hurried along.

"Good." Buffy looks up smiling at her lover. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Tara grins crookedly and shakes her head. "Do what you want, sweetie."

Buffy chuckles as she finally eases her lower body down between Tara's legs, running her fingers over Tara's flesh and along the edge of her bra. "Should I go ahead and take these off?" Buffy presses her lips against one of Tara's nipples poking insistently against the cloth.

"I would like to keep them in tact for a while." Tara chuckles as Buffy growls and rolls her eyes.

"If you insist." Buffy eases her fingers to the front closure, gently easing it apart. "God you are beautiful." Buffy murmurs before capturing a nipple between her lips, sucking gently, while teasing her lover's other breast with her fingers.

Tara runs her fingers up and down Buffy's back, digging them in briefly as she reaches her lover's muscular ass before running them back up her back.

Buffy grinds her body into Tara's as she starts to become firmer with her nails scraping up and down her back. Releasing Tara's nipple, Buffy growls playfully before capturing Tara's lips with her own, plundering her lover's mouth for long minutes, before finally releasing Tara, panting heavily. "God! I can't make up my mind whether I want to take things sweet and slow, rough and hard, or somewhere in between." Buffy drops her head on Tara's shoulder, smiling as Tara chuckles at her.

"I vote for all of the above." Tara quickly reverses their position, looking down into Buffy's copper gaze, smiling at the loud rumbles coming from her lover. "But I want to thank you first for my beautiful ring, my love." Tara smiles gently at Buffy.

"No thanks are necessary…but they would be greatly appreciated." Buffy chuckles quietly, enjoying her lover's twinkling eyes.

"I bet there are other things that would be even more appreciated." Tara murmurs as she kisses Buffy lovingly. "What do you think?"

"With you, always." Buffy moans quietly as Tara trails her tongue down her neck, nibbling gently on her shoulder before continuing down to suckle teasingly on one nipple, while teasing the other one with a finger circling around, but not touching the nipple.

"Tara!" Buffy starts to purr even louder at Tara's touches, burying her hands in the Wicca's hair, Buffy shifts her body further open as Tara works her way down over her abdomen to flick her tongue teasingly at the start of her mound.

"Goddess, you smell so good." Tara murmurs as she nips gently at the flesh, working her way down with gentle nips and licks. Smiling as Buffy moans her name loudly. "What do you want, my love?"

"You inside me." Buffy moans loudly as Tara eases two fingers within her, stroking her gently. "More." Buffy purrs loudly as her lover slides an additional finger within her while teasing her clit with her tongue. "So good." Buffy whimpers and presses into her lover's ministrations.

Tara captures Buffy's swollen muscle in her mouth, suckling strongly while flicking her tongue over the sensitive clit firmly while stroking within Buffy's body, curling her middle finger to caress over her lover's inner muscle.

"YES!" Buffy starts to buck and press her body faster and harder against Tara, feeling the dual pleasure of Tara suckling her while stimulating her g-spot. "So…close…" Buffy warns softly, pulling gently on her lover's head. As Tara presses up firmly against her g-spot at the same exact moment she scrapes her teeth gently over her hard nub, Buffy literally jerks up off the bed with her release, her body shaking uncontrollably.

Grunting into Buffy's body as the slayer captures her fingers within her, dragging them in as far as they can go, Tara soothingly strokes her tongue over the slayer's hot, swollen clit as Buffy continues to shake and shift under her. Pressing soft kisses up the slayer's body, Tara wiggles her fingers within her lover as much as Buffy's clenching muscles will allow, smiling at the dampness covering her hand. Pressing her lips firmly against Buffy's neck, Tara finally whispers. "How are you, my love?"

"Wrecked." Buffy grunts out, clenching and unclenching her muscles on her lover's fingers, pressing up as Tara shifts and flicks her thumb over her clit.

"Completely wrecked to where you need a few hours sleep?" Tara smiles as she licks up her lover's damp neck before placing a quick kiss on her lips. "I bet you're not wrecked enough to where you couldn't literally come within a few moments, if I set my mind to it." On Buffy's next unclenching, Tara quickly pulls her fingers to just within Buffy's body before slamming them deeply back within her.

"Tara!" Buffy moans loudly, her body jerking up into her lover's hand. "I want my turn." Buffy whimpers out the words as Tara shifts her body so that she's hovering over her, just barely brushing against her while her fingers are buried deep within her body.

"I'm not stopping you." Tara grins crookedly at her lover.

Buffy growls as her eyes darken to a hot glowing color. "I want to taste you, Kalina." Buffy explains.

Feeling another flood of arousal ease from her body at her lover's words, Tara kisses her quickly and passionately. "All you had to do was say so." Tara smirks as she shifts her body around, leaving her fingers within her lover while settling her knees on either side of Buffy as they both shift down slightly on the bed.

Buffy runs her hands up her lover's inner thighs, smiling at the slickness.

"Are you going to take them off?" Tara murmurs as she places kisses along Buffy's hips, moaning loudly as Buffy's fingers play with the strap of the g-string.

"Nope." Buffy shifts the strap out of the way before urging Tara down to her waiting mouth. Diving her tongue deep within her lover's body, Buffy laps hungrily at the wetness of Tara's desire coated lips and opening. Purring continuously as more liquid eases out of Tara, Buffy's body jerks as Tara starts working her magic on her.

"Goddess, I love you." Tara murmurs while slowly building Buffy's body up to a quivering mass of need even as her lover brings her to climax after climax, her body shivering with her releases.

Dragging her tongue strongly over her lover's body, gathering all the fluid she can, Buffy growls as her body feels like it's turning into a major electrical conduit. The feeling of desire literally making her vibrate with want and need. "Kalina, please." Buffy whispers hoarsely, her body pressing up into Tara, while shaking uncontrollably.

Tara groans into Buffy's sex as she hears the need in her lover's voice. Quickly tripling her efforts, she works in and out of her lover's body at a feverish pace for a few moments, feeling Buffy right on the cusp of going over the edge before gently biting down on her lover's swollen muscle, tipping her over the edge.

"TARAAAA!" Buffy screams, pulling her hands away from where they were stroking Tara to wrap around Tara's waist, holding on for dear life as the power of her release shoots through her body, making her eyesight fuzzy, and her brain turn to mush as Tara quickly gathers up what she can of the flood.

Tara quickly shifts her body around, holding her shaking lover in her arms tightly as she whispers softly. "Lights off." Stroking a hand soothingly down Buffy's body as she slowly calms down, Tara places soft, loving kisses across Buffy's cheek and neck. "My wonderful, wonderful woman." Tara smiles as she snuggles against Buffy as she finally comes down from her orgasmic high.

Wrapping her arms around Tara, Buffy smiles as the Wicca eases more onto her. "Love you." Pressing a firm kiss on Tara's head, Buffy chuckles softly at the realization that she didn't get to play as much as she was wanting to.

"What's funny, love?" Tara questions softly, brushing her cheek against Buffy's breast as she wiggles her body more on top of her lover.

"I was planning on driving you absolutely crazy tonight, and you pretty much turned the tables." Buffy gently squeezes Tara.

"Something to look forward to in the future, love. Let's try to get at least a couple hours sleep before tomorrow." Tara yawns as Buffy starts to stroke firmly over her back.

"And you're going to get up early to help cook, aren't you?" Buffy looks over at the clock, frowning heavily. "Sleep, honey. We have time to play."

"Just not as much as you might want, huh?" Tara chuckles as Buffy nods her head, whining quietly. "I need a little more sleep than you do, love. But give us time, we'll be able to make more time for us. Without worrying about the Council anymore, along with the police not looking for Faith, that's been a weight off everybody's mind. Now Faith being able to go out regularly on patrol, you two can get it done in record time and be home at decent hours."

"Hope so." Buffy scratches Tara's back gently as the two women relax more against each other. "Get this shit taken care of with the Initiative and hopefully we'll be good to go for a while."

"Hope so." Tara murmurs, her eyes getting heavy as Buffy's hands slowly put her to sleep.

Buffy presses her lips to Tara's head as she hears the deepening breath's of her lover as she falls into a deep sleep, knowing between her hands stroking over her back and the deep purrs that vibrate through her body, it worked as a sleeping tonic for her lover. "I just want to spend my life with you, Kalina. In any way I can, and I'd be happy. We'll take care of the bad guys and go on until the next bad guy comes along, like we usually do."


Chapter 42

Giles groans quietly as he helps pick up the riot of wrapping paper strewn around the living room, a small smile coming to his face as he looks at the plethora of Christmas gifts.

Joyce leans against the wall, smiling at the watcher. "They went overboard, didn't they?" Laughing as Giles looks up and rolls his eyes at her. "Of course it isn't like you didn't add to the mess."

"Yes, well…" Giles blushes light and shrugs his shoulders. "What are the children doing, anyways?"

"Outside playing with some of their new toys." Joyce chuckles as she heads towards him to help clean up. "I swear when Faith saw the drawing of all of us together she was going to cry."

"She did when Tara gave her that painting she did." Giles murmurs softly as he fills the trash bag. "That young woman is very talented."

"Yes, she is. I'm planning on having a showing with her art in April. Lord knows she has enough different paintings to have five showings." Joyce admits as she lifts the painting Tara gave her, that was the riot or colors that called out to her young and wild side. Looking out of the corner of her eye at Rupert, she chuckles softly. "The first time I saw this painting, it made me remember the Band Candy incident."

Giles shifts to look at the painting, considering it for a few minutes. "Makes you feel wild and free, doesn't it?" Wrapping his arms around Joyce, he kisses her firmly on the temple. "I'm glad they're all getting along so well."

"So am I. Even though there have been a few bumps along the way." Joyce smiles sadly as she thinks about Faith.

"She's getting there. Us not letting her get too bogged down in what happened, and Tara's and Buffy's continuous talking with her seems to help immensely." Giles offers softly, hugging Joyce to him as she turns in his arms. "Realizing she has people to talk to and that will be there for her, seems to have made quite a difference with the young woman."

"Have you noticed she hasn't even been going out on the 'prowl'?" Joyce whispers softly, having noticed that Faith had been sticking pretty much close to home, and not being her usual 'get some, get gone' self.

"Yes, I have. I think she's seeing what Buffy and Tara have together, and hopes one day to have just a tiny bit of that with someone special." Giles thinks heavily. "I was actually thinking maybe she and Xander would end up together, but they act more like brother and sister than anything now."

"That's the way they feel for each other." Joyce agrees quietly, snuggling in tighter against the comforting strength of her lover. "I wonder if she wouldn't do better with just a 'normal' person, not someone from the group."

"My dear! You cannot get much more normal than Xander." Giles grins as he pulls back a short distance to look down at Joyce, chuckling at the look on her face.

"He's a demon magnet, Rupert!! I have a feeling that the rate he's going, he's going to end up with some demon as a girlfriend." Joyce grumbles, laughing as Rupert guffaws loudly.

"You do have a point, my dear. You definitely have a point." Giles chuckles at the thought.


"Go ahead, Xan-man!! I know ya' wanna!" Faith calls out to Xander, smirking as he plays with the throwing knives that she'd gotten as one of her Christmas presents.

"Oh, yeah! I can see me missing the damn board, it flying over the fence and stabbing the neighbor's dog, or something stupid like that." Xander grumbles, rolling his eyes.

"It won't go anywhere. If you don't hit the board, it'll land harmlessly on the ground." Buffy explains, grinning at Tara. "Tara did a protective spell to keep all our shenanigans in the back yard, so no one will get hurt!"

"Why the hell didn't you say so?" Xander blinks and grabs the knife like he'd seen Faith holding it, turns to face the target and takes a couple practice flicks before letting it fly, pouting as it bounces harmlessly off the wood to land on the ground.

Buffy and Faith snort back a laugh. "Ain't as easy as it looks, is it Xan?" Faith walks over to him. "You have to release it at the right place, or it won't sink into the wood." Faith explains and demonstrates for the young man as she sinks the knife in the bullseye.

"Just like children." Tara murmurs, shaking her head as she looks through a magic book Giles had given her for Christmas.

Willow looks over, chuckling at the blonde Wicca. "They always will be. We all kind of have the competitive streak in us, but I know my limitations. Xander still hasn't figured his out."

Tara laughs quietly and looks up as Xander bounces another knife off the target. Eyes twinkling with mischief, Tara whispers a spell and watches as the next knife Xander throws nails the target directly in the middle. Seeing a raised eyebrow and the grin on Willow's face, Tara shrugs, looking back at Xander who's jumping up and down for joy.

"You know, it isn't fair helping." Buffy murmurs leaning over Tara and placing a quick kiss on her neck.

"But it made him happy. And Christmastime is a time to be happy and thankful." Tara tilts her head back to look up at her lover, smiling softly.

"True." Buffy nods her head as she leans down to place a loving kiss on Tara's lips. "You wanna play?" Buffy wiggles her eyebrows before she hands a crossbow to Tara.

Tara looks at the item, and looks up at Buffy. "Do I have to?" Tara turns her eyes to Willow who snorts back a laugh.

"Hey, I had to learn how to operate one of those damn things, you need to, also!!" Willow explains, grinning.

"Okay." Tara rolls her eyes as she stands, following Buffy to another target, following the instructions and slowly learning how to shoot the crossbow halfway decently.


"I hate to say it, but we really should start to discuss what we need to do." Giles looks apologetically at the group.

Willow speaks up quickly. "I did a little researching earlier, and from what I can tell with my…unauthorized checking out of the city plans, there is an underground area almost as large as the college campus, and possibly two if not three levels deep. It wasn't really clear on that." Willow winces apologetically. "Plus, there is an IMMENSE amount of electricity being drawn through there."

"Great. So we're looking at a fortress type area, with a lot of electricity…" Buffy blinks and looks at Willow for a minute before her gaze turns to Faith. "Is there any way that the power could accidentally get knocked out down there?"

Faith frowns heavily as she turns her gaze from Buffy to Willow, waiting to see what the redhead would say.

"Anything's possible." Willow shakes her head as she leans forward, placing her elbows on her knees. "If the right person knows what to do, they could cut off the electrical power to the Initiative. I'm assuming the Initiative would have some kind of back-up generators down there, to keep everything going, but I don't know what they would have tied to it."

"And if someone were able to shut down the back-up generators…" Buffy bites her bottom lip as she paces back and forth. "First off, I really, REALLY, do not like the fact that they have what feels like literally hundreds of demons down there captive. I want to get in there and scope the place out." Buffy turns to look at Tara, who's frowning heavily.

"You're not going alone." Tara shakes her head as she looks at Buffy. "I'll go with you. Maybe Faith and a couple other people can be close by, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you go down there by yourself."

"I can go down with her." Faith offers quietly, looking at the two women who are staring at each other, slightly tense.

"No." Tara shakes her head, not breaking eye contact with Buffy. "We can't have both of you down there…if you both were captured, we'd be without a slayer, and that isn't going to happen. And Goddess only knows what kind of experiments they would love to do on you."

"You're not going." Buffy states calmly, though her tense body and the lightly glowing eyes let anyone paying any attention know that Buffy was anything but calm at this moment.

"Yes, I am." Tara stares down her lover. "You have access to my magic, but you aren't used to using it. It could make a huge difference if I'm there with you, you can use your slayer powers while I use my magical powers." Tara explains quietly.

"I don't want you down there." Buffy's voice gets deeper, her eyes narrowing.

"It's not your decision to make." Tara replies softly. "Anything they throw at us, between the two of us, we should be able to counteract. This isn't something we're going to argue about, Sarim."

Everyone in the room looks from one woman to the other as they talk all of them afraid to say or do anything to set one of them off.

"Outside." Buffy growls the one word before striding through the house.

Tara clenches her jaw, taking a deep breath she follows her lover out of the living room.


"Shit, is that what they were like when they argued over helpin' me?" Faith finally questions quietly, her eyes turned back to look at Joyce and Xander after Tara left the house.

"They didn't argue over helping you, Faith. They argued over the fact that Tara didn't exactly disclose everything about what COULD happen with what she planned on doing. Buffy wanted you to be helped as much as possible she just didn't like the fact that Tara didn't tell her all the possibilities." Joyce explains quietly. "This is something totally different." Joyce shakes her head, wondering what this butting of heads between the two women is going to do.

"Tare explained what could have happened." Faith shakes her head as she stands, walking over to the front door, opening it to look out at the nice day. "How, if I'd a wanted to hurt her, I coulda. That girl has entirely too good a heart and wants to help, when she should just leave things be."

"Then there would be a good chance you wouldn't be here right now." Xander shakes his head, looking at the dark-haired slayer. "She may not do things the way that you guys would like her to, but she does get it done. Give her a chance." Xander explains softly.

"Buffy has that knee-jerk reaction when she thinks Tara might get hurt." Joyce explains quietly, looking between the two teenagers. "I wonder if Buffy even took into consideration that she's put that protective spell around all of us?"

Faith growls and rolls her eyes. "I can guarantee she didn't. I sure as the hell didn't think about it!" Faith trots out the front door heading towards the back yard, where she can hear the two women arguing in low tones.

"Hey! Did ya' two forget somethin'?" Faith questions hoarsely

"What?" Buffy growls angrily looking at Faith.

"You're worried about Tare getting hurt, but she's got that damn protective barrier on all of us, so what are ya' two arguing about?" Faith raises an eyebrow and waits just long enough for the looks of surprise and embarrassment to come across both women's faces before smirking and heading into the house, whistling.

"Fuck!" Buffy growls, throwing her hands up in the air as she turns her back and strides out into the yard looking up at the sun in the sky. "Do I feel like an imbecile!"

Tara chuckles softly, before finally laughing loudly. "Honey, neither one of us thought of it!"

Buffy shakes her head and turns to look back at her lover, who's grinning crookedly at her. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Tara."

"I know, honey. I know." Tara closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around Buffy. "I understand, I really do. But we need to get this taken care of, and our best chance is doing this together."

"I know. It just makes me crazy whenever I think about something happening to you." Buffy takes a deep breath, exhaling it loudly as she tries to let go of her worry.

"I understand, honey. And knowing what happened before has made it even worse." Tara understands completely what's going through her lover's mind, because the same thing is working its way through hers. "Just remember, I have the same memories you do, honey. And it scares me shitless to think of something happening to you."

"So we both have the same worries." Buffy sighs heavily, beating herself up mentally to not even think of Tara having the same worries that she does. "I'm sorry."

"Shhh. Its okay, we're still going to have our bumps and bruises along the way, love. That's a given. We can't be the perfect couple all the time." Tara smiles softly as she buries her face against Buffy's neck, placing a firm kiss against the flesh as she holds her lover tightly.

"But I like being the perfect couple." Buffy whines quietly, before laughing as Tara pinches her. "Okay, I like the arguing also, gets the blood flowing and makes me want to carry you off somewhere so we can make up."

"And normally I would be all for that…" Tara laughs quietly as Buffy growls.

"But we can't, we need to figure out what we're going to do. Do you have a plan of action?" Buffy questions as she shifts back from Tara looking at her lover curiously.

"Invade, kick ass and wipe out the evil demons." Tara shrugs her shoulders, her eyes twinkling.

"Well, that was a given." Buffy rolls her eyes, grabbing Tara's hand. "Come on, let's head in and see what we can come up with. I'd rather get this taken care of soon!" Buffy urges them back into the house, while her mind starts running over their options, coming into the living room, the rest of the group are laughing at her mother as she'd put her glamour charm on and was trying to get Giles to give her a kiss.

Tara laughs as Giles captures the woman and lays a huge kiss on her, even looking like a man. Rolling her eyes she looks at her extremely quiet lover, seeing the calculating look in her eyes. "What are you thinking?"

"You can make any of us look like anybody with one of your charms, right?" Buffy narrows her gaze as she thinks, not even paying any attention to her mother and watcher.

"Yes, I…" Tara trails off as she catches where Buffy's going with this. "Get pictures of them, that'll help me get the details down better, along with telling me exactly how tall they are."

Buffy nods her head, her eyes showing her excitement. "Then we might be able to get in and out undetected. What about voices?"

"If someone can get a recording of there voices, I can get the ingredients and make our voices somewhat close. It won't be perfect, but it should pass if we keep our answers short and to the point." Tara nibbles on her lip as she considers their options. "Uniforms will be needed."

"How about we just capture a couple of the commando's and keep them here? That way we can impersonate them, and not worry about the other shit? We also wouldn't have to worry about running into 'ourselves'." Buffy suggests, frowning heavily.

"But do we want them to know who we are?" Tara shakes her head at that thought, before rolling her eyes. "We could blindfold them and knock them out…" Tara narrows her gaze on a happily grinning Faith and Buffy. "NOT THAT KIND OF KNOCKING OUT!" Tara shakes her fingers at both of them.

"Don't let us have no fun." Faith pouts for a moment, before grinning. "So we need to capture two of the idiots, huh? B and I could play around and get a couple of them separated from the rest of the group and take them out."

"With help." Tara looks at Giles who's being uncharacteristically quiet, seeing him thinking intently. "Mr. Giles?"

Giles blinks a couple times and turns his gaze on Tara. "I'm sorry, dear." He picks up the newspaper he'd been reading earlier, before sliding it towards Buffy. "This seems to be a bit out of our normal happenings."

Buffy looks down at the newspaper that Giles had open and folded to a certain section, frowning as she reads over the blurp. "Tara?" Buffy whispers softly, turning up her eyes at the Wicca. As soon as Tara looks and sharpens her gaze, Buffy frowns heavily. "It seems that Professor Walsh has been torn limb from limb."

Tara pales and swallows hard. "That's not good." Tara shakes her head, looking from her lover to Giles. "If she did work for the Initiative, like we think she did…"

"There's a good chance something's going on down there." Buffy finishes, tossing the paper down on the coffee table. "Faith, I think we better do this soon."

"Like tomorrow, it's too late to probably start this tonight." Faith agrees, looking round at the group. "Any and all suggestions would be of the good."

"I'll see if I can find anything else out on-line." Willow offers, shrugging her shoulders.

"Want me to go to Willy's, see if he has any news?" Xander offers, raising an eyebrow at Buffy.

"I'd rather you didn't go by yourself, but it is a good idea." Buffy admits quietly. "Just in case he's heard anything, but I don't know with the majority of the demons being gone."

"I can go with him." Tara looks at Buffy, shrugging her shoulders. "There isn't a lot else I can do. While we're out, we can go by the Magic Box and get the ingredients I will need to have prepared, if that's okay with Mr. Giles."

"Be careful." Buffy whispers looking at her lover.

"Always." Tara nods her head smiling at Buffy.

"I actually had a couple extra set of keys made up for the shop." Giles smiles embarrassedly. "I thought it might be best if some of you had a set, just in case." Giles stands and pulls out the keys, handing a set to Joyce, Tara and Xander.

"You don't get a set?" Tara questions, looking at Buffy with a raised eyebrow.

Buffy smirks and shakes her head. "I already have a set, against his better judgment."

"I didn't get you a set, Willow, since you're clear across the country." Giles explains quietly. "There'll be a set here for you when you come home for the summer."

"That's okay, Giles. Not really a biggie." Willow smiles in thanks at the watcher. "Not much sense in my having a set of keys to it when I'm clear across the country."

"Okay, let's decide on a plan of action…after we eat some more!" Faith wiggles her eyebrows as she heads towards the kitchen amidst groans and laughter.


Chapter 43

"I want Riley." Buffy admits as she gets ready to leave, looking at Tara.

"He knows us, and if I know you, you aren't planning on playing nice with him." Tara looks inquisitively at Buffy. Seeing the guilty look on her lover's face, Tara shakes her head. "If you must, go for it. Do you think you'll have better luck shaking something loose from him?"

"Yeah." Buffy nods her head, relaxing slightly as Tara doesn't seem to be ready to get on her about this. "Being in his class, Walsh being the professor, him being a commando…I just think he might be our best chance."

"Get him, honey." Tara tilts her head as she thinks, wincing slightly at the thoughts going through her head. "Honey?"

"How come I don't like that tone?" Buffy grumbles looking at Tara.

"Sorry." Tara grins crookedly at her lover. "He was interested you…" Tara hints quietly.

"You want me to flirt with him?" Buffy blinks in surprise at her girlfriend.

"No. I don't want you to flirt with him, but that might be the easiest way to get him here. Do you think Faith would maybe hit on one of his friends?" Tara questions softly.

Buffy rolls her eyes, before slowly nodding her head. "Yeah, she would. She's done worse to take out vampires before." Buffy admits, shaking her head as she thinks back to the first meeting where she was dancing with the vampire, practically draping her whole body over and around the vamp. "Taking them to the Magic Box and put them either down in the basement or in my training room is the best idea that we have." Buffy thinks on the thought. "Basement would probably be better. The majority of the stuff down there is in boxes, Faith and I can shift stuff away from a corner and make a little closed in area for them to be in for us to talk with Riley then leave them there until we get to the Initiative and do what we need to do."

"How long are you planning on keeping them there?" Tara questions with a raised eyebrow.

"As long as we have to. But hopefully only a day. I'm hoping that we can get in and out of there, taking care of what we need to." Buffy looks intently at Tara. "We need to find out what's going on down there and take out the demons, do you think we're doing the right thing?"

Tara sighs heavily, looking at her lover. "Honey, we can't just let the demons go, they would hunt and kill people as soon as they are released. I don't like the thought of killing them as they're trapped, but I don't know what else we should do."

"So, you and Xander are going to the Shop?" Buffy questions softly as she tucks away a few weapons.

"Yes. Giles is coming with, he's going to clear out an area to keep whoever you capture in, so I'll let me know to clear out the basement, and I'll prepare something to keep them from being aware of where they are and who has them." Tara smiles softly at Buffy's nod of approval.

"Hopefully we'll get them tonight, and do some questioning so we can head down there tomorrow." Buffy sighs heavily, watching Tara for a few minutes. "You'll be careful, right?"

"Of course." Tara reaches up and runs a finger softly over Buffy's cheek. "We're all protected, and I'll make sure that we try to make sure everything's prepared for you, okay?"

Buffy nods quickly and hugs Tara tightly. "Faith and I are going out to see what we can reel in. Wish us luck."

"You don't need luck, love. You're good." Tara grins crookedly at her lover, as Buffy rolls her eyes before chuckling. "You are, honey. Don't have too much fun playing with the soldier boys." Tara murmurs before smacking Buffy on the butt, chuckling as Buffy growls playfully at her.

"Don't play with boys no more. Only plays with a wicked Wicca." Buffy nips playfully on Tara's neck before kissing her softly. "I'll meet up with you later, my love."

Tara smiles softly as she watches Buffy quickly head out of the room. "I love you." Tara grabs her small fanny pack with assorted items that may come in hand, before leaving the room so they can head out later to go to the Magic Box to get everything ready for her lover and Faith.


"We have the storage area in the basement cleared out, along with some blankets and pillows put down on the air mattress." Giles explains as he and Xander come up to the main shop, watching as Tara gathers a few items together.

"And a nice bucket for necessities." Xander grins as he looks at Tara.

"Good. Mr. Giles, if you sprinkle this around their corner while saying this incantation, it will keep them from seeing whoever is on the other side." Tara smiles softly as she hands the small bowl with the ingredients in it and the small slip of paper to the watcher.

Giles chuckles as he takes the items and heads back down to the basement.

"Need any help with anything?" Xander questions as he sits down at the table watching as Tara gathers other items together.

"Not really." Tara looks up, smiling softly at the young man. "I'm just gathering what I'll need to help out with Buffy and mines voices for when we impersonate the two men she kidnaps."

"I've got a really, really weird question to ask you…" Xander blushes lightly as he looks down at the table.

Tara raises an eyebrow at the blush. "I have to know the question to be able to answer it, Xander."

Xander runs a hand through his shaggy hair. "Ummm…It's just made me wonder, ever since Mrs. S wore her charm. But, uh, besides making you look different…are you actually different?" Xander finally questions, his eyes looking up real quick at Tara.

Tara blinks at Xander for a minute before it sinks in what he's asking. Laughing heartily, Tara sets down the ingredients she was mixing together and walks over to the table sitting down beside him. Hugging him tightly she giggles. "No, sweetie. No extra equipment is involved. Though I will take that under advisement for future reference."

"Tara!" Buffy opens the door, her eyes wide as she stares at her lover. "I can't believe you're thinking…" She stops and tilts her head as she continues into the shop. "Well…"

"Later, sweetie." Tara chuckles as her lover gets sidetracked.

"What'cha talkin' about?" Faith growls as she comes in and drops her commando on the chair, not having heard Tara's and Xander's conversation.

"My glamour charms giving us certain physical attributes." Tara grins at Faith.

Faith blinks and then smirks at the thought. "That's an idea. Can you make it different sizes? Make it curve and keep it up for hours on end?"

"Faith!" Buffy growls and smacks the slayer across the stomach, smirking as she grunts.

"Fuck, B!" Faith grunts and shifts away, rubbing her stomach.

"Okay, enough you two." Tara shakes her head. "Did you have any problems?" Tara questions as she checks out the blonde haired guy that looks familiar. Looking at Buffy questioningly, smiling as Buffy turns around, showing Riley over her shoulder. "Do we know this ones name?"

"Forrest." Faith answers as she sits down. "Like using candy to bait a kid. We caught these two out by themselves, Buffy sashayed right up to big, hunky dumbo over there and mojo'd his ass while acting like something was coming up behind him. Then she fixed this idiot up and here we are." Faith whacks Forrest on the back non to gently and grins.

Tara bites her lip to keep from laughing as she looks at Buffy who tries to look innocent. "Sashayed, huh?"

"I'll recreate it for you later." Buffy murmurs softly, placing a kiss on Tara's ear. "You know, can you do the whole extra equipment thing?" Buffy's eyes light up at the thought. "Always was curious what that would be like."

"Wouldn't dare do that with you." Tara admits softly. Seeing the questioning look on Buffy's face, Tara grins crookedly at her lover. "Let's take these two downstairs, and I'll explain why." Tara levitates Forrest and heads towards the basement as Giles comes through the door.

"Oh, good. I see you're already back and with two commando's, I would assume." Giles looks at the two men.

"They are." Buffy pulls a couple items out of her back pocket and hands them to Giles, smirking.

"Government." Giles rolls his eyes as he looks at the two different ID's. "Well, that answers that."

"Keep the ID's up here for now. We'll be back up in a few." Buffy winks as she follows Tara downstairs.

Tara settles her commando on one side of the mattress and watches as Buffy practically drops Riley on the other side before turning towards her with a glint in her eyes. "What's going through your mind?"

"First, I would like an answer to why you wouldn't let me have an extra appendage." Buffy follow's Tara back behind the magical barrier, smirking at her lover.

"Because, my lovely slayer. You're a little too studly and even though it shouldn't be possible, I have a feeling we'd end up getting pregnant. I love you, and would love to have your child, but not at this moment in my life." Tara explains seriously as she wraps her arms around her lover's waist, pulling her gently into her.

"Do you…could we…" Buffy blinks at the thought, her brows furrowing. "Is it possible?" Buffy finally questions quietly.

"Oh, there are spells that would make it possible, sweetie. Especially for us. I have a feeling that even if we weren't trying, and we did something like that, I could very easily end up having a little one on the way." Tara places a loving kiss on Buffy's cheek.

"I am definitely keeping that idea, right here." Buffy taps her head, smiling at Tara as she presses her body more firmly against her lover. "I assume you haven't gotten a chance to go to Willy's yet, have you?"

"No." Tara inhales as Buffy slides a thigh between her legs, pressing gently against her apex. "Sweetie…"

"I know." Buffy growls before kissing Tara hungrily. "I got a chance to look at the gifts you bought me while you were helping out with cooking."

"That wasn't nice." Tara murmurs, smirking as she knows Buffy didn't find one of the containers of gifts, since she'd hid it up in the attic.

Buffy growls and nods her head as she nips her way down Tara's neck, her hands shifting to caress over Tara's breasts. "You bought body paints…"

"Uh, huh." Tara tilts her head, groaning softly as Buffy strokes strongly over her neck with her tongue.

"Can we play with them after we take care of this stuff at the Initiative?" Buffy questions hopefully.

"Oh, most definitely." Tara chuckles as Buffy growls loudly. "We'll have a rip roaring time after we take out the Initiative and kick their asses back to wherever they came from. We might have to rent somewhere to stay while we're doing it…" Tara smirks as Buffy laughs.

"I like that idea." Buffy chuckles and hugs Tara tightly. "Those two are going to be out for a little while yet. And, to tell you the truth, I don't feel any demons anywhere but at their hideout, so there's no sense in going to Willy's."

"Okay. We'll figure out something to do for a while." Tara agrees easily as Buffy releases her. Quickly smacking her lover hard on the ass, Tara giggles and takes off running up the stairs.

"Don't tease the slayer." Buffy growls chasing up the stairs after her lover, skidding to a halt as three sets of eyes look at them. "Fuck." Buffy grumbles and tucks her hands into her pockets. "Don't you three have something to do?"

"No." Faith and Xander both state at the same time, grinning at an embarrassed Buffy and Tara.

Giles sighs heavily and shakes his head. "What about those two?" Giles indicates the basement, where the two men are.

"We're going to wait around until they come to and interrogate them. Then Tara's going to fix us up for us to go have fun on their playground." Buffy shrugs and makes her way to the table, plopping down beside Tara, who sat down just before her.

"We'll probably head to the house to eat before going to the Initiatives place, though." Tara raises an eyebrow at Buffy.

"You have a point." Buffy nods her agreement, smirking at her. "Can't work on an empty stomach."

"Plus you're going to have to make sure you have every weapon that you think you might possibly need. Between stakes, knives, swords, and whatever else." Tara looks pointedly at her lover.

"Make sure you take a steel and an iron knife, also, Buffy." Giles suggests, his eyes serious. "There's no telling what you may come across down there."

Buffy nods her agreement. "I'll make sure to grab the combination knife, Giles. Xander and Faith'll be prepared and out on the campus while we're down below. So we'll have that part covered, also, just in case." Buffy smiles at her sister slayer, the two women having discussed the plan of attack, where Buffy would let some of the demons go, albeit with a little magical help to send them up to where her sister slayer would be waiting, without them being able to go after any of the humans down below.

Tara watches Buffy, feeling her heart expand at her beautiful, confident lover. "Xander, I placed a protective spell on you, also. So they won't be able to hurt you. But please, still be careful. There's no sense in taking chances, and after the majority of the mess is done, I'll have to release the spells." Tara admits softly, looking sadly at Buffy.

Buffy nods her head, realizing that keeping the spells up was draining to her lover. "Keeping everyone protected is draining her stores of energy." Buffy explains to Xander and Faith as they look at Tara questioningly. "I've been able to help feed her my own strength and energy to a degree as a crutch, but we won't be able to keep it up indefinitely."

"Damn good thing the Council saw the light." Xander comments, looking at the two women.

"We would have dropped the protection on everyone else, before we would have Faith, until we figured something out for her." Tara admits softly. "We wouldn't let them get a hold of her. Even if we would have had to sneak her out of the city or even the country, we would have done something."

Faith closes her eyes at the obvious care in Tara's voice, and the look on both Buffy and Tara's faces. "Thanks you two." Faith finally opens her eyes and smiles at the two women that have become her family. "Come on, Xan. Let's make tweed drive us back to B's house." Faith stands quickly, heading towards the door.

"We'll see you two later." Giles nods towards Buffy and Tara as he heads after Faith and Xander.

"Have fun you two!" Xander smirks as he heads out the door, Giles pushing him.

"Damn kids." Giles mutters as he locks the door behind them.

"Alone at last." Buffy smiles at Tara, her eyes starting to glow. "The two idiots are going to be out for roughly three more hours. What in the world are we going to do for the next three hours?"

"I'm sure you'll figure out something." Tara smirks at her lover.

"Already figured out." Buffy wiggles her eyebrows at her lover, her eyes calculating.

"Uh, oh." Tara tilts her head at the wicked look crossing Buffy's face. "How come I think I'm in serious trouble?"

Buffy shakes her head and grins hugely at Tara before picking her up in her arms and striding towards the training room with Tara laughing out her name.


Chapter 44

"Buffy, sweetie, what are you doing?" Tara questions softly as Buffy had slowly stripped her clothes off her, before stripping her own off in record time, the slayer now lying her down on the pile of mats covered with towels.

Buffy chuckles as she lets her fingers caress over Tara's feet, as she looks up the length of her lover.

"Don't you dare." Tara warns quietly, her eyes narrowed on her lover.

"I figure I have roughly three hours to play. I do dare." Buffy nods her head, chuckling wickedly as she starts to nibble, kiss and lick her way along one foot.

"Sweet, Goddess!" Tara whimpers loudly before collapsing back on the mats, knowing her lover is going to make her one big useless mass of Wicca before she lets gives her release. That being one of Sarim's favorite past times.

"Not Goddess, just me." Buffy murmurs before nibbling on a toe, smiling as Tara's toes curl and wiggle at the tickling sensation. "You have the cutest toes." Buffy comments before capturing Tara's big toe between her lips, sucking strongly.

"GODDESS!" Tara's body jerks as a jolt of desire shoots from her big toe straight up her leg to make her clit pound with a vengeance. Throwing an arm over her eyes, Tara reaches out with her other hand, clenching the towel tightly, knowing better than to touch herself.

Buffy grins at the response before finally releasing the toe to work her way over to the other foot, giving it the same loving treatment. "Would you mind rolling over?" Buffy questions hoarsely after kissing her way upwards to her lover's thigh, stopping shy of her lover's sex. Inhaling deeply of the highly erotic and strong smell of her lover's arousal.

Tara groans and pulls her arm down from her face, looking at Buffy with disbelief. "You…" Swallowing a couple times at her extremely hoarse voice before continuing. "You expect me to be able to move?"

Buffy chuckles softly before climbing further up to kiss Tara softly. "I'll help."

"You're going to have to." Tara moans quietly as Buffy gently rolls her over onto her stomach, before the slayer eases back down her legs, slowly kissing her way up one calf before switching to the other one.

"Your skin is so soft." Buffy murmurs, licking gently over the tender flesh behind her lover's knee.

Tara whimpers quietly, spreading her legs further apart as Buffy finally works her way up one thigh.

Buffy inhales deeply again, her eyes on her lover's body, seeing the glistening flesh wet with Tara's desire. Ignoring her own desire laden body, Buffy kisses and licks her way over each of Tara's butt cheeks, not delving between just yet, as she works up over her back, paying special attention to the spot just below her lover's left shoulder blade, knowing this is a very sensitive spot for her lover.

"Buffy!" Tara's whole body is shaking by this point, the desire practically flowing from her while her clit is so swollen that with each shift of her body, it rubs against the towel beneath her. Feeling the loud purrs vibrating through her body, not helping her desire at all.

Buffy smirks as she works her way slowly up Tara's back. Shifting Tara's hair out of the way, Buffy latches onto to the back of her neck, sucking hungrily.

Tara jerks, her body coming up off the mat, making Buffy groan as her butt cheeks come into contact with the slayer's swollen sex, her lover straddling her butt. Unable to stop herself, Tara pushes up harder, rotating her hips so her butt rubs and teases Buffy.

Buffy releases Tara's flesh, pressing down into her lover, arching her back as she moans loudly. Rubbing her sex over the firm flesh, Buffy grunts loudly in pleasure as she feels the climax exploding from her body, drenching her lover's ass with her orgasm.

"Buffy!" Tara whimpers loudly as she feels her lovers juices easing over her body and between her butt cheeks.

"Okay, my love." Buffy whispers, finally giving in after having unwittingly reached the first of what will probably be many climaxes she will have. Working her way quickly down Tara's back, Buffy licks her own juices off Tara's butt before gently spreading her lover's cheeks to delve between them to clean up what had trickled down. As she strokes firmly over Tara's rosebud, Buffy growls at the buck and press she gets in response.

Tara arches into the slayer's tongue, as Buffy continues to stroke over her rosebud. Digging her fingers into the matting under her, Tara whimpers low and deep in her throat.

"Coming back to this at a later date." Buffy laps once more over Tara before gently easing Tara over onto her back, sliding three fingers within her lover while capturing the distended muscle into her mouth, not even having to suck or stroke it with her tongue before her lover cries out loudly, exploding with her release. Purring strongly, Buffy captures all the liquid, before finally suckling gently on the rock hard muscle, surprised at the size of the spasming muscle.

Tara reaches down and grabs her lover's head as she feels another orgasm following closely behind the first one, bucking uncontrollably against her lover's mouth and fingers as it hits, flooding her lovers mouth and hand again. Crying out loudly, Tara rocks her body as Buffy releases her aching clit, but blows a cool breath of are over it while continuing to stroke within her clenching body, working her towards another climax.

"So sweet, so good." Buffy whimpers, eagerly lapping over her lover's body even as she curls her fingers within Tara, urging her onto another deeper, longer, more intense orgasm.

"BUFFYYYYYYYYYY!!" Tara screams, yanking on the slayer's hair as she bucks uncontrollably as sparks literally seem to fly around her, before she collapses from the pleasure shooting through her body.

Buffy's body jerks as she climaxes with Tara, unwittingly having been rubbing herself against Tara's shin. Lovingly kissing and licking over her lover's body, Buffy cleans her passed out lover softly as she gently eases her fingers from within Tara's depths. Lapping up the liquid from her lover's center before cleaning her own fingers and hand. Buffy eases up beside Tara to wrap her up in her arms, holding her tenderly against her while placing soothing kisses on Tara's cheek and lips as she waits for her lover to join her back from her visit with the Goddess. Buffy chuckles at the thought as she closes her eyes relaxing.


Tara smiles as she slowly wakes up, the rumbles coming from her lover making her feel content. Running her hand up and down Buffy's side, she snuggles in tighter against her lover, placing a soft kiss on the flesh of Buffy's breast.

"Welcome back to the land of the living. How was the visit with the Goddess, love?" Buffy jokes quietly, a smile on her face.

"She said to tell you if you keep sending me to her to visit when we don't need her help, she's going to come down here and kick your butt." Tara lifts her head, chuckling at the merriment in Buffy's eyes. "What time is it?" Tara questions as she lays her head back down on Buffy's chest.

"Time to go downstairs." Buffy sighs quietly. "They came to about fifteen minutes ago."

"I guess that means we need to get to work, and get everything situated. Are you ready for what this is going to entail?" Tara lifts back up, propping her head up with her hand as she stares down into her lovers eyes.

"Not really." Buffy shakes her head, brushing her thumb over Tara's cheek. "I don't mind killing the demons, it's the fact that I'm doing it without them even basically having a fighting chance. Like shooting fish in a barrel." Buffy frowns heavily at the thought.

"I know love. But the Initiative did this, not you. It's because of them that we'll have to go in and clean up their mess." Tara runs her free hand through Buffy's hair, soothing her lover. "You can't allow them to run free to hurt, maim and kill humans. I could magic them to some other place, but…"

"We'd still have the problem of them going after humans." Buffy finishes quietly. "I know this is what we have to do, I just don't like the unfairness of it. Yes, they are demons. Yes, they hurt and kill humankind, but not giving them a chance to fight is just so unfair."

"I don't know what else to say, sweetie." Tara looks at her lover, her eyes sad.

"I know." Buffy smiles and tries to shake off the clouds that had gathered. "I love you." Buffy leans up and kisses Tara softly. "Let's get dressed and deal with the two idiots."

"I love you, too, sweetie." Tara smiles gently as she eases from her lover to dress.


"I can't fucking believe it!" Buffy growls angrily after she and Tara had interrogated the two commandos. "There's over 200 demons down there, and they were experimenting with them and created another hybrid demon? JESUS!" Buffy snarls, slamming her fist into the weight bag, frowning as the bag splits and the sand pours out.

Tara winces at her lover's actions. Watching as Buffy starts to pace back and forth in the training room.

"It'll probably be a mercy killing these demons. But I don't like the fact that we don't know where that hybrid is…Unless he's still down below and that's why I can't feel him elsewhere." Buffy frowns as she stops to think.

"Would you be able to 'feel' him?" Tara questions, hating to bring it up. Seeing Buffy frown as she looks at her, Tara continues. "He's a hybrid. A bunch of different demons and human mixed together. Would he set off your senses?"

"I don't know." Buffy admits after a few minutes, sighing heavily. "At least with a little helpful nudge they were able to tell us how to take it out." Buffy smirks as Tara shrugs her shoulders.

"I figured they weren't telling us everything, and a little truth spell was called for." Tara admits as she runs a hand through her hair. "Let's go to the house, sweetie. We'll eat and prepare there, then let Joyce and Mr. Giles bring some food for those two back here while the rest of us had to the campus."

Buffy rubs a hand roughly over her eyes, nodding her head in silent agreement, still wary of what they might come across, but knowing they're going into this with a better idea of what they're coming up against. "At least from the sounds of it, it's mostly common variety demons. I'll probably let a good portion of the vampires up through the tunnel system to be met by Xander and Faith so they'll have something to do."

"And of course that has nothing to do with the conversation you and Faith had about her wanting some action." Tara smirks as she helps Buffy gather all the weapons they might need, along with a lot of additional stakes.

"Bitch told on me, didn't she?" Buffy pouts, glancing at her lover.

"Yep." Tara agrees, trying not to laugh. "Kind of obvious, anyway, sweetie. If you didn't promise to do something like that, she would end up down below with us."

"Yeah, she would have. I figured this was the lesser of two evils, that way she wouldn't feel uncomfortable with having to take out pretty much defenseless demons." Buffy explains her thought process as she finishes loading up the last gym bag.

Tara zips the bag she filled closed, watching as Buffy closes hers before grabbing them and tossing them over her shoulder.

"Come on, let's head home." Buffy urges quietly, her hand at Tara's lower back as the two women head out of the Magic Box. Buffy stopping to lock it behind them before threading their hands together as they head towards home.


Faith opens the door, sighing quietly at the sight of Tara and Buffy. "How did things go?"

Buffy rolls her eyes. "Let's get everybody together so we can discuss what the idiots said. Is it dinner time?" Buffy questions, her stomach rumbling.

"Yeah. We just helped Mrs. S load up the table. I think she was pullin' the bread outta the oven." Faith explains as they head towards the dining room.

As everyone settled in Tara looked at her lover, waiting for her to start the conversation.

"They have over two hundred demons down in their operation. It seems Walsh was a part of the Initiative, she was experimenting with making a hybrid human/demon cyborg type thing. Her creation, Adam, turned on her and killed her." Buffy sighs heavily as she pokes at the meat on her plate.

Tara gently squeezes her lover's thigh. "Adam has disappeared from the Initiative, but from the sounds of things he's around somewhere. He has a plutonium power source that's at the center of his body. It has to be disabled to kill him. From what Riley and Forrest said, most of the demons down below are vampires and lesser demons, in as much as they know. Adam also has computer chips for learning capabilities, with differing abilities as to how to download information."

Buffy nibbles on her bottom lip as she thinks. "He's either down somewhere hiding within the Initiative, or I can't feel him. I haven't been able to locate him anywhere, and from what the two idiots said, he is practically indestructible. He has titanium coating his whole body, so if any of you come across him, don't do anything."

"Except run." Tara whispers, her eyes looking up at the rest of the group, seeing they have their complete and utter attention. "I have a feeling the only thing that will work is Buffy with her super powers, so we have to find him and let her take him out."

"Can we do a locator spell on him?" Giles questions, leaning forward to look at the two women.

"With a little…persuasion, we found out where they made Adam. When we get down in the depths of the Initiative, Tara's going to go there and get some items, transferring them out to somewhere close to Faith and Xander to keep until we finish what we need to do, then we'll go after Adam." Buffy explains quietly, threading her fingers through Tara's. "We have to take out the biggest threat, which is all the demons they have locked up down there. If this Adam character has all the information on the schematics of the Initiative, he can literally knock them to their knees and release all the prisoners. We can't let that happen, we need to go down there and take them out."

"So this is gonna definitely happen tonight." Faith stabs a piece of chicken as she thinks. "We gotta load up with everything possible weapon-wise, to be on the safe side. Xan-man would be best to be loaded with crossbows and bolts, since he's got a pretty good aim with the things. What about Red?" Faith looks at Willow before her gaze goes from one to the other of the group.

"Tara and I were actually discussing that. Willow, your hacking abilities might best be put to use here. Do you think you can get in and maybe keep track if someone's shutting stuff off? Give us forewarning if things look like they're heading south and we need to step up the pace?" Buffy questions as she looks at Willow.

"I'm already linked in, so it won't take much for me to be able to do what you want." Willow looks back at Buffy for a few minutes. "I was playing around in there a bit earlier while you guys were at the Magic Box." Willow shrugs with a quirk of her lip as Buffy looked at her.

"Should have figured you couldn't resist." Buffy shakes her head, laughing quietly. "Everyone make sure you have your cell phones with you and on vibrate so that way the ring won't give anyone away." Buffy sighs quietly, thankful that her mom had insisted that everyone get the phones with the money given to them from the Council.

"You took care of the glamour spell?" Giles look at the two women, who grin and nod. "Good. You also grabbed all the weapons you will need, I would assume."

"Of course. Your weapons are severely depleted at the shop right now." Buffy smirks at the watcher, before gently squeezing Tara's fingers before releasing them so they can continue eating. "I guess we just need to finish eating, gear up and head out." Buffy looks from one person to the other in question.

"Yeah, unless we wanna talk it to death some more." Faith growls as she grabs another chicken breast along with some more green beans. "Xan and I are playing back up to the demons that might come outta the Initiative, Red's doing computer watch, G-man and Mrs. S are playing babysitter. You two get to go down and play with the soldier boys and the other demons." Faith shrugs and smirks. "I think that about covers it."

"I dare say." Giles sighs heavily at Faith's simplistic break down, before chuckling at the rightness of it. "Eat up ladies and gentlemen, I have a feeling it's going to be an extremely busy night."

Amongst groans and laughter the group joke, to try and enjoy the evening together before they split up to hopefully deal with the demons and whatever problems might arise from the Initiative.


Chapter 45

Faith glances at the two 'commando's' once more as they get closer to the college. "This is just fuckin' freaky."

Tara chuckles, it coming out deeper like a man's chuckle. "Yeah it is. I had to make a little bit of a change to the spell to make us 'seem' solid. Between that and the protection spell, nothing should be able to dispel it." Tara takes a deep breath, looking at her lover. "Time to look for some other commando's and follow them in?"

"Lowell House, here we come." Buffy nods, turning to look at Faith and Xander. "You two know where to go?"

"Yeah. Head over to the little escape hatch we found the other night and wait for you to send some fun our way." Faith grins evilly and cracks her knuckles.

"Tara's already tagged it so that the demons that we let loose will head straight to it." Buffy explains quietly as they come to a stop.

"With an uncontrollable urge to get the hell out of the Initiative without causing any other problems." Tara shrugs, and smirks. "Let's get going, the sooner we get in there, the sooner we get home."

"Be careful." Xander starts to hug the two women…but looking at them as men, he just shakes his head. "I'd give you two a hug, but that's just a little too weird for my taste."

Faith snorts and smacks him gently on the back. "What? You ain't wantin' to try the home team, Xan?"

"NO!" Xander's eyes widen and he looks at Faith in disbelief. "That is a ONE WAY STREET!! Nothing's heading in there, nope…not gonna happen." Xander shakes his head vehemently.

"Don't know what you're missing." Buffy murmurs a little louder than she meant to, looking wide-eyed at Tara as the Wicca blushes darkly. "Ummm. We're going, have a good time and be careful." Buffy tugs on Tara's jacket as they take off jogging towards the Initiative's 'house'.

Xander stares after the two women, his mouth hanging open in shock. Slowly turning his gaze to Faith after Buffy and Tara are out of sight, he whimpers. "Did she just…?"

"Yep. I'd say they've experimented and enjoyed the hell outta it!" Faith smirks at the young man. "Don't knock it 'til ya' try it Xan." Faith chuckles wickedly as she makes her way towards the entrance to the Initiative she and Buffy had found.

"Oh, my God!" Xander moans and rubs a hand over his suddenly sweaty forehead. "Not a good thing, these thoughts that are running through my head. Not good at all." Xander whimpers and follows after the dark-haired slayer.


Buffy looks at Tara, taking a deep breath before they walk into the Initiatives house.

Graham looks up at Riley and Forrest. "Talk about making it here just in time. We're getting ready to have a meeting. Where have you two been?"

"Had problems and had to kill the demon." Buffy growls angrily, working her way towards the entrance to the Initiatives underground lair, making sure Graham was in front of her to activate it.

Graham nods in understanding as he presses the button, saying his name for voice recognition.

Tara exhales softly in relief at the biggest problem they faced, knowing she could have magicked their way in, but not wanting to possibly tip their hand too soon in case it set of some kind of sensors.

Tara and Buffy follow behind Graham, allowing him to lead, the two women surreptitiously taking mental notes of the military installation. Buffy sharpens her gaze as she sees the banks of small monitors, showing small cells with demons in them. Listening intently as she continues to follow Graham, Buffy hears the different personnel talking, two men arguing back and forth about Adam having access to everything in the Initiative and that they had to do something and quick.

"Is that everyone?" Major Jefferson looks up as they come in to lean against the back wall of the meeting room, looking at the group of military personnel. "I'm Major Jefferson. I just arrived here, after we were made aware of the situation. This installation is going to be shut down, no more experimentation is going to happen, and we need to release the hostiles that have the modifications chips in them and take out the other hostiles."

Buffy and Tara glance quickly at each other in surprise, before they look back at the commotion the Majors words were causing.

"But, sir! We have spent the last six months capturing these HST. You can't mean for us to just release them or kill them?" One of the soldiers questions, the surprise obvious in his voice.

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. These experiments were done without the knowledge and approval of the US Government! Now, I want you to start at Level three with the more powerful demons and work your way up to the vampires. Any of you that have any information on Adam, I want you to see me. Now get whatever weapons you may need and go!" Major Jefferson growls, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. Angry at the major fuck-up this installation had done and how far off they had gotten from the watch and learn that they were supposed to do.

Buffy turns and looks at Tara. "See if you can get to where Adam was built. I'm going to head downstairs with this group and start helping them take the demons out, this will work out better than I thought it would, with them deciding to shut this place down." Buffy whispers softly, gently squeezing her lover's arm.

"Be careful." Tara grins at her lover as she heads towards the door.

"You, too." Buffy winks and smirks before sliding out to follow the other personnel out of the room.

Tara takes a deep breath and works her way out of the room, orienting herself to what they were told by Riley, heading towards the area Adam had been created.


Adam rubs his chin as he punches up the computer, frowning heavily as he sees the military personnel heading down to the cells loaded with weapons. "Oh, no. That won't do at all." Adam starts punching keys on the keyboard.


"Shit!" Willow dials Buffy's number as soon as she sees the activity. "He's going into the section that keeps the cells locked! I can't stop him!"

"Call Tara." Buffy growls into the phone as she slips into an empty room to talk to Willow. "Then call Faith next, then Mom and Giles." Buffy disconnects the phone and runs out of the room. "FUCK! Everyone watch out! Be prepared, the cells are being unlocked all at once!" Buffy screams as she runs through, seeing an emergency lever on the wall, yanking it down even as she's running by to head to the lower level. Whispering the spell that Tara had taught her, hoping that it isn't too late.


Adam's eyes twitch as he watches the soldiers running down towards the cells. "Little too late. They're already unlocking and escaping." Adam allows a small smile to cross his face, frowning as he watches one soldier push his way to the front of the group heading down to the lower levels. "Eager to die?" Adam shrugs before tapping away at the computer, switching all the cells completely open. "Now, to see what happens." Adam tips back in his chair, his eyes on the multitude of monitors in front of him, smiling as he hears the cries starting through the doorway even as he watches it on the screen.


Tara narrows her eyes as she hangs up the phone, feeling her lover hurriedly try to place the spell, already knowing that she was going to be too late, some of the demons already having escaped. Adding her strength to the spell, she concentrates to send the demons back on the right path, praying that none of the soldiers or personnel gets between them, knowing she can't send a powerful enough spell out to them from where she is to keep them from attacking the humans. "Good luck, love." Tara whispers softly before heading into the room that had birthed the hybrid Adam.


"Shit! Xan be prepared. Seems like this shit is gonna go down now." Faith growls as she pulls out a short sword and a stake, looking intently at Xander as he double-checks his crossbows and the stack of bolts he has within easy re-load distance. "Don't know what we're gonna get. B was planning on just sending us up vamps as she went cell to cell, but Red called and said that Adam dude is making it a free for all." Faith warns, her eyes serious.

"Gotcha." Xander takes a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart as he aims the crossbow towards the opening Faith had previously flipped open. "You still want me to try and take them out first?"

"Yeah, and I'll go after the ones that get by ya', and while you reload." Faith nods her head at the young man, grinning hugely. "Time to party!" Faith jumps uncontrollably as she hears the pounding of feet coming down the exit from the Initiative.

"You need help." Xander groans before lifting the crossbow to his shoulder, aiming as he watches the first demon pop up out of the opening, letting him make it two steps away before firing.

"SWEET SHOT!" Faith yells, spinning her sword around as she watches Xander nail the first vampire right in the heart, dusting him instantly.

Xander grunts and quickly reloads before letting go another bolt, praying that most of his shots hit home.


"GET BACK!" Buffy screams to the soldiers that were practically being trampled by the demons escaping, thanking God that the demons weren't attacking the soldiers anymore, but knowing that just being trampled by some of them would kill them. Quickly unleashing a deadly swing, Buffy starts taking off the demons head's indiscriminately, knowing that most demons won't live through being beheaded.

"Jesus!" Graham stares in surprise, watching as the person he thinks is Riley wades into the midst of the demons without fear and starts killing them in a blur. Taking a deep breath, he starts shooting the other demons even as the other personnel either run away or fight back.


"Riley, it seems your military's monstrous creation, Adam, has let loose the demons. Hopefully the two people we sent down there made it in time to keep the slaughter to a minimum. As it is, we're going to help be back up." Giles explains hurriedly as he reverses the spell keeping the two men prisoner in the basement of the Magic Box. "Don't make me regret this!" Giles growls angrily.

"Who the fuck are you?" Riley strides out from the corner, Forrest following closely behind.

"I'll be your worst fucking nightmare if you don't help." Giles hands stakes and swords to the two men.

"Come on, Rupert!" Joyce calls down from the top of the stairs. "Willow just called back, all of the cells are open and she was able to tap into some of the monitors, it seems that Buffy and Tara weren't able to get the spell completely in place before some of the demons escaped."

"Shit! Come on you two wankers. Do right for a change and bloody well help out." Giles orders as he runs up the stairs, following after Joyce, the two commando's looking at each other before following after the older couple.

"Should we?" Forrest questions quietly as they jog through the shop.

"They know what's going on, all I can say is we'll follow them and if we need to split off afterwards we will." Riley frowns heavily as he jumps in the back of the Jeep, Forrest following quickly as the woman doesn't even wait for them to shut the doors before she peels out away from the curb heading towards the campus.


Faith grins madly as she swings at the demons charging out of the hole as Xander reloads both crossbows. "YIPPEEEE!!" Faith cries out as she jumps over the head of one of the horned demons coming at her, spinning in the middle of the air to land behind him, swinging with all her power.

"God help us! She's fucking lost her mind." Xander growls as he finishes loading the crossbow, pulling it up quickly as a vampire heads towards him, having escaped Faith's wild fight. "No you don't!" Xander pulls the trigger, dusting the vampire, before swinging around and taking aim at other demons.

"Want a couple extra hands?" Giles pants as he runs up, watching as the two commandos wade in and start helping Faith fight the demons.

"We'll take everything you got." Xander nods as he nails another vampire, watching as Giles pulls his own crossbow from his back and starting to aim. "Where's Joyce?"

"She's right behind me." Giles looks over his shoulder watching as Joyce strides towards them, grinning. "I should of thought to teach her how to use a crossbow. I'll be damn sure of doing it here in the future."

"Always helpful." Xander drops the empty crossbow, grabbing the other one up.

"I think I can load the crossbows." Joyce offers, grabbing the empty crossbow and the bag of bolts, having watched Buffy do it enough times that she figures she has the mechanics down.

"Thanks." Giles and Xander both call out as they start picking off the demons, trying to keep from aiming anywhere near the two commandos and Faith.


"Fuck me!" Buffy growls, wiping the sweat, blood and slime from her face as she looks around at the decimated demons, turning to look at the wounded soldiers and personnel of the Initiative. Yanking off the charm, she grinds it under foot as she stares at Graham, the shock obvious on his face. "Yeah, you know me. Get the wounded out of here and to somewhere safe. Treat 'em while I try to round up any other demons still running loose and finding that fucking idiotic creation."

Graham stares stunned after the petite blonde, knowing that she looks familiar, but not knowing why. Finally looking at the other tired and wore out commando's he orders them loudly. "Pick up the wounded! Get them out by the elevator to the house, then clean their wounds." Graham reaches down helping one of the unconscious personnel, gently easing him over his shoulder while wrapping his arm around another wounded one that can still walk as the group starts heading towards the elevator.


Tara frowns as she watches the personnel of the Initiative scatter and run as the demons are freed. "You'd think they'd be better trained." Tara shakes her head as she gathers the items and slides into a small room, quickly setting it up to do the locator spell, silently praying to the Goddess that they can find Adam and finish this now.

Taking a deep breath, Tara slowly immerses herself into a meditative state as she works on the locator spell, unaware of the time passing as the fight wages on outside the room, around and above.


Buffy calls Willow on the cell phone. "What's going on?"

"Giles and your mom released the two commandos and took them to help out Xander and Faith above ground. What's going on down there? It looks like a massacre, thankfully from the couple sections I've been able to tape into, it looks like a massacre on the demon side." Willow switches between cameras, looking at the four different cameras she was able to get access to.

"Pretty much. There were some casualties on the Initiatives side, but I don't know if anyone was killed, or if it was more them being hurt. Have you heard from Tara?" Buffy questions as she dodges a vampire that had escaped, growling angrily as she stabs it quickly before continuing on.

"I saw her on one of the monitors head into a room a couple doors down from 317, but I couldn't make out the room number." Willow admits as she switches to that camera like she'd been doing every thirty seconds give or take.

"Thanks. I'm going to hunt her out now." Buffy snaps the phone shut as she heads towards her lover, starting to send out a mental query, knowing that it only works short distance, but praying that Tara hears her as she runs through the hallways of the underground installation.


Adam snarls as he watches the carnage…in the humans favor, his plans going down the drain. "I don't know who you think you are, but you just bit off more than you can chew." Adam stands and heads towards the door, stepping over the body of one of the doctors that had helped build him as he opens the door to take care of this himself.


Buffy sighs in relief as she gets closer to her lover, hearing her mental call finally answered. Waiting in the hallway, Buffy looks up and down the hallway, keeping her eyes open. Smiling as Tara steps out of the room.

"Not worried about the disguise anymore?" Tara questions softly, pulling her own charm off and tucking it away in a pocket.

"No. People got hurt, I don't know how badly, but it can definitely be considered a victory for us, even with not being able to get everything set-up before all hell broke loose." Buffy reaches to stroke her finger over Tara's cheek, frowning at the crust covered hand. "I know you made it so that anything that could hurt us couldn't get through, but couldn't you have made it so that nothing could?" Buffy grumbles, pulling her hand back away.

Tara chuckles at her lover, eyeing her up and down, actually paying attention to how she looks. "You are a little…disgusting." Tara shrugs, smirking at Buffy.

"Thanks. I love you, too." Buffy grumbles her lips quirked before her spidey senses start tingling strongly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. "Uh, oh. Something wicked this way comes." Buffy growls, hearing the stopping step of something huge heading towards them.

Tara sends out the locator, it hesitating before heading down to the end of the hallway to where Buffy's staring. "Guess that answers that."

"Yes, it does." Buffy looks around at the narrow hallway. "Start to head up top. I'm playing bait to bring him out to somewhere I can fight him with some room to maneuver." Buffy allow a small smile to cross her face as Tara strokes a finger over her dirty face.

"Be careful love. And if you aren't out of that hole within a couple minutes, I'm coming back down here to kick your ass." Tara warns, dropping her hand and smacking her lover firmly on the ass before she takes off running down the hallway to head out the same exit they had been funneling the demons to.

Buffy watches her lover for a moment, smiling as she sees Tara grab the phone out of her pocket as she runs towards the exit. Taking a deep breath, Buffy turns back and waits for Adam to make his appearance.

At the first sight of the behemoth patchwork demon, Buffy blinks in surprise, swallowing hard.

"You are more trouble that you are worth. What are you?" Adam's deep voice resonates down the hallway as he stomps towards the small woman that had pretty much single-handedly destroyed his plans for slowly taking over the world.

"I'm just a little thing called a Slayer." Buffy answers, backing up slowly, trying not to smirk as she watches the behemoth grin as he realizes she's backing away from him.

"You should be afraid, little girl. I plan on breaking you into pieces, then grinding you into the ground." Adam growls as he slowly strides after the woman, watching as she dodges and steps over the demons that had fallen. "You helped take out my army. I had big plans for them." Adam waves a hand towards the floor and the littered remains. "I will have to start over again."

"Sorry for screwing up your plans." Buffy bites the inside of her cheek to keep the smirk from showing as she picks up her speed slightly, making sure that Adam keeps following her. Though she has a feeling that he'll follow her no matter what she does now. "Umm…could we talk about this?"

"I'm finished talking." Adam follows after the slayer, picking up his speed to lumber after the woman as she turns and starts to jog towards one of the exits.

'Here we go.' Buffy comments to herself as she picks up speed running down the same exit she and Faith had come across, smiling as she hears the lumbering footfalls behind her. "It's me." Buffy calls out softly, hoping Faith is close by to hear her.

"Gotcha." Faith answers, turning to look at the rest of the crew, grinning at the motley crew. "She's bringing him out."

Tara stops striding back and forth before she turns to watch the exit.

Xander finishes gathering up the bolts off the ground, loading up the two crossbows even as Giles loads his crossbow again, just in case. "What are we going to do with all the demons that didn't explode, evaporate, disintegrate or liquefy?" Xander questions to the pile of demons Faith had moved off into a pile.

"A nice little bonfire would probably work well." Giles admits looking at the pile.

"I'll take care of it afterwards." Tara comments as she watches Buffy jump up out of the hole, relaxing slightly at the sight of her lover, knowing she should be okay, but still worried.

Riley and Forrest look at each other, both men wiping at a couple wounds, trying to figure out how the rest of the group kept from getting hurt, even though the majority of them did look tired.

Riley turns his gaze on Buffy. "Exactly who the hell are you?"

Buffy smirks at the TA even as Tara growls at him. "She's my lover, and the slayer, what is it to you?" Tara nails the commando with ice blue eyes. "You guys really should check into the areas you infiltrate a little better. You could have caused the Hellmouth to open with all the demons here together. Idiots." Tara looks back at the exit, hearing the pounding feet.

Faith tilts her head as she hears the growl and the feet pounding from down below. "Sounds like a big fucker."

"You have no idea." Buffy grins at her as she comes to stand beside her sister slayer, waiting for Adam to come out of the escape exit, winking at Tara before turning her gaze back to the exit.

"Where did you go, little girl? I'm getting hungry." Adam growls as he pulls himself out of the hole, staring in surprise at the group of people. "Do you honestly think you puny humans have a chance against me?"

"Yeah, I'd say she does." Faith jerks her thumb towards Buffy. "She's a tough little bitch, and we're the cheering section."

"One puny little girl doesn't stand a chance against me." Adam growls as he strides towards the small blonde.

"I'd argue the point, but I'd rather watch her kick your ass." Faith smirks as she shifts back, allowing Buffy all the room she needs. "Kick his ass, B."

"She doesn't have a chance against him." Riley frowns as he watches Buffy meet Adam, jumping up and nailing the behemoth in the chest, surprised when Adam shoots back a good ten feet, landing on his back.

"You really should find out what a slayer is." Tara comments as she watches her lover fight Adam. "You should also learn when someone's interested before you flirt with them, or ask them out." Tara smirks at the tall commando. "My love was a bit peeved with you when you hit on her."

Riley's mouth drops open as he stares at the blonde beside him, his eyes trailing back to Buffy. "You two?"

"Yep. Those two get all hot and sweaty all over the damn place. You gotta be careful where you go around the house, no telling what ya' might see." Faith smirks as she watches Buffy duck a swing by the Frankenstein monster. "Shit, if he actually made contact with something, he'd probably fuckin' crush it with one hit."

"I do believe so." Giles agrees, frowning heavily as he watches Buffy.

Buffy snarls as she slams her fist into Adam's jaw, making him stumble back away from her. "I'm not in the mood to play. You ruined my plans to take out the demons down below to keep the damn idiots from being hurt, and that does not make me happy!"

Adam shakes his head, feeling something he never felt before. Taking a moment to assimilate his feelings, he realizes its fear. Eyes opening wide as the small blonde stalks towards him, her eyes glowing orange.

"We have had enough! It is time you die!" Buffy growls, her voice sounding eerie in the night as she takes a running jump, slamming both feet into Adam's chest, knocking him into the ground as she jumps up in the air a good twenty feet, slamming back down into his chest, the sound of metal screeching loud in the quiet night.

"Damn, that has to hurt." Xander mutters, watching as the demon's chest caves in.

"And he's still alive." Giles points out, whipping his glasses off as he watches Buffy kneel down beside the floundering demon.

Joyce stares as her daughter grasps his chest, separating the metal before her hands dig within the monstrous creation. "My, God!" Joyce shivers uncontrollably, though there's no blood or guts, it just looks like clear fluid and electronics coming out. Unconsciously leaning into Giles as the watcher wraps his arm around her.

Tara watches intently as her lover searches within the demon as he tries to dislodge her, seeing her lover start to smile, Tara releases the breath she'd unconsciously been holding.

"Found it." Buffy growls as she feels the cylinder shaped item, wrapping her fingers around it as she stares into the eyes of Adam. "No more of you."

"NOOOOO!!!" Adam growls, feeling his power source being pulled from his body, swinging again at the small blonde, not being able to understand why it stops dead short of making contact, like all his previous hits, his eyes opening wide as he jerks as the powers finished being ripped from his body, his eyes slowly losing the spark of life.

"No more Adam." Buffy growls, holding the glowing power source in her hands. "Love?" Buffy looks at Tara before tossing the plutonium source high up into the air, watching as her lover makes it disperse into millions of pieces. Turning her gaze on the two pale commando's, she points towards their college dorm house. "Go home, help the wounded. We'll visit tomorrow to make sure your little group is going to leave like Major Jackson said."

"Jefferson, sweetie." Tara corrects softly.

"Whatever." Buffy waves her hand around, before taking a menacing step towards the two men, chuckling as they take off running. Starting to reach for Tara and hug her, Buffy stops, looking down at her disgustingly filthy hands and arms, knowing the rest of her is coated probably worse.

"Come here, love." Tara whispers, ignoring her lovers state and hugging her tightly.

"Now, that's true love if I ever did see it!" Xander smirks at the sight of Tara hugging the slayer.

"Come 'ere, Xan!" Faith smirks and starts to stride towards the young man with her arms wide open, laughing and chasing after him as he squeals like a little girl and takes off running.

Joyce looks at Giles and laughs softly. "I guess this means we've won and time to go home?"

"FOOOOODDDD!" Faith cries as she jogs after Xander as the young man runs down the street.

"Meet you at home!" Buffy calls after the slayer, laughing as Xander and Faith zig-zag down the street, Xander whining the whole time.

"We can clean up in the dorm, love, before heading home." Tara offers quietly, smiling as Buffy growls and picks her up.

"We'll be at the house later. You two be careful." Buffy calls over her shoulder towards her mom and watcher. "Call Willow and let her know we kicked ass."

"As if there was ever any doubt." Giles shakes his head, pulling out the phone to make the phone call as he and Joyce walk hand in hand towards the Jeep.

"And another apocalypse avoided." Joyce sighs in relief, squealing out Giles' name after he gets off the phone with Willow and picks her up to kiss her deeply. "What has gotten into you?" Joyce pants heavily after the watcher finally releases her a few long minutes later.

"Haven't you heard Faith's comments about slaying and being hungry?" Giles smirks at his lover as Joyce's eyes open wide in surprise. "Doesn't just happen to slayers, my dear!"

"Dear, Lord!" Joyce mutters, inflecting the words just like Giles, before laughing as they climb in the vehicle to head towards home, Giles laughing with her.


Epilogue

Buffy stands and looks at the motley crew of personnel left over from the collapse of the Initiative two days before. "Major?"

"Ma'am, we owe you a debt of gratitude. If it wasn't for you and the rest of your group, it would have been a massacre." Major Jefferson stands at attention in front of Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies. "We appreciate everything you have done, and if you need anything…" He pulls an envelope from inside his jacket pocket, handing it to Buffy. "There is a number you can contact, just leave your name and someone will get in contact with you. There's also an official thank you in there from the government."

"I would just prefer the government to not come here again. We'll take care of the Hellmouth. With what happened, your governments creation was planning on opening it and taking over the world. Which I don't need to remind you that it would never have happened if your doctor's hadn't decided to get all experimental on this shit." Buffy growls as she takes the envelope, handing back to Giles.

"No, you don't need to remind us." Major Jefferson shakes his head, slightly embarrassed at the thought of this small slip of a girl having saved almost all of them. "We've already shipped out the rest of the group, we're leaving now. Thank you again." He nods towards the group before the rest of the commandos climb into the Hummer and drive away.

"Do you think he meant it?" Joyce questions quietly.

"What? That they won't be back, or that if we need help to call?" Buffy questions, watching the tail lights of the vehicle as it turns to head out of town.

"Either, both." Joyce shrugs as they walk back up the steps to head into the house.

"I don't think they'll be back without a very good reason." Tara offers up her thoughts on the matter. "They're scared shitless of us."

"With good reason, I dare say." Giles murmurs softly as he glances at Buffy. "You pretty much tore through over two hundred demons in roughly two hours and took out their crowning achievement, barely breaking a sweat."

Buffy shrugs and looks at the rest of the group. "I didn't do it on my own. How many of the demons and vampires would have escaped if you guys hadn't been at the exit to take them out? How many innocent lives would have been taken because of this?"

"More than I'd care to count." Willow admits as the group collapses around the living room, smiling at the still tired group of people. "Guys, I love coming here to see you and visit with you…but can we not do this when I come home for Summer break? I can only handle so much fun. By the way, Bronze tonight?" Willow questions hopefully.

Everyone groans and a couple pillows go flying towards the redhead as she laughs at the group.

The End

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