Which Witch is Which by Kirk Baldridge

Author's Note: This story takes place an undetermined amount of time following the 4th season finale, Restless.

Summary: After years of exile in a cheerleading trophy, Amy's mother returns with a vengeance.

Sunnydale High School, which had been decimated by an unexplained explosion around the time of graduation a year or so back, was being officially demolished.

The city council had made the recent decision after a couple of children were injured by falling debris during an exploration of the ruins. Since barricading or posting guards around an unsalvageable structure was a unanimously agreed useless waste of city funds, the demolition was agreed upon.

Since there was not enough of the school left to necessitate the use of explosives, bulldozers and other heavy equipment had been brought in to carry out the task. Before long a crowd gathered as crowds tend to do, mainly because there wasn't a lot else of interest to do in Sunnydale on a hot summers day. Not everyone was there for just the view though, some had more pressing concerns.

Buffy Summers stood apart from the rest of the crowd. Her thoughts were not on the school she had attended for three years—a place where she had met her Watcher and her best friends, and finally accepted her destiny as the Chosen One, the vampire slayer—but rather what was beneath it.

A mystical convergence, also known as the gateway to hell, it was, for all intents and purposes, a source of all evil in Sunnydale. Vampires, demons, and creatures all but unknown to the eyes of man, flocked to Sunnydale to be close to the Hellmouth, to taste it's power and to be made strong.

On the plus side, flattening the school would virtually guarantee the Hellmouth was never opened again. Giles had warned of a potential danger, however. If the destruction of the school building caused too much shifting of the hidden chamber beneath, there was always a remote chance the Hellmouth could be jarred open. He went on to explain that even if that did happen it would most likely only be for a moment, and it was unlikely any demon would be able to escape, but they agreed it was better safe than sorry.

After all, it was Saturday, and she'd been planning to spend time with her friends. Riley, her boyfriend, was not back from his debriefing—the thought of which made her smile as a whole different image came into her head—

yet, so the Slayer was intending to meet the others at the Bronze. Giles' call caught her on the way out the door, and before she knew it she was standing out by herself in the hot sun.

The demolition went on without a hitch, Hellmouth or otherwise, and after the city workers finished the crowds rapidly began to disperse. There was nothing more to see.

Buffy waited as long as she thought Giles would expect her to, then she left as well. She wanted to stop by Giles before heading to the Bronze, just to let him know everything was okay.

Most of the workers went to get a drink, but one stayed behind. A dark-skinned, well-muscled man, the name tag on his shirt indicated he was the foreman. It was his job to look around, to make sure nothing had been overlooked or, in the case of water and gas lines, damaged.

Out of the corner of his eye, the foreman saw a flash of something metallic. Putting down his clipboard, he went to take a look. It wouldn't be the first time he found money or other valuables on a site, something he always failed to mention to his employees or his superiors.

"Oh." With a disappointed sneer on his face, the man picked up what turned out to be a cheerleading trophy from under a pile of rubble. He had been hoping for something better. "No point in..." There was something really weird about the trophy, he realized. The eyes on it were moving. "What the hell?"

For reasons the foreman couldn't explain, he could not look away. Instead, he felt an irresistible urge to break the trophy, and did so a moment later by cracking it across his knee. There was a flash of light and an explosion of hot air which knocked the man on his back.

The woman shook her head. "Somehow, I don't think you'd believe me if I told you."

A former award-winning high school cheerleader, Catherine 'The Great' Madison longed to relive her glory days through her daughter, Amy.

But Amy proved incapable of fulfilling those expectations, so Catherine cast a spell causing her and her daughter to switch bodies. She then used her powers to incapacitate Buffy and Cordelia Chase, two cheerleaders who ranked higher than Amy, in order to become the captain of the squad.

Later Buffy, with a little help from Giles, managed to switch Catherine and Amy back. The elder Madison tried a spell on the Slayer which backfired horribly, trapping her inside of the cheerleading trophy she herself had won for the school. Catherine had remained there ever since—trapped in a display case, able to see and hear everything that went on around her, yet unable to free herself.

Having used up most of her own powers casting the spell which left her trapped in the first place, Catherine drew upon the mystical energies emanating from the Hellmouth. The Return from Exile spell was designed to function if someone looked her in the eye, and it supplied a subtle, subconscious desire to do so upon anyone who happened to touch the trophy. She had never anticipated it would take years, but still...she was free.

Revenge on the little bitch who had imprisoned her in the trophy so very long ago.

"I'll find her," Catherine said through clenched teeth. "And I'll make her pay!"

The girl was nothing but a trouble maker, she remembered hearing Principals Flutie and Snyder both saying that in front of the trophy case at one time or another. During their encounter, Catherine came to realize Buffy was so much more than an ordinary girl, as she had displayed physical prowess and strength that should have been next to impossible for someone so young and small.

As a witch, Catherine was familiar with the supernatural. She knew there were vampires and other demonic-type forces at work in Sunnydale, and she knew of the story of the Slayer. But she had always assumed it was just that, a story, probably meant to frighten little slime-monsters and such. If Buffy was the Slayer, however, that made her a threat to be reckoned with, even for a seasoned witch.

'I'm not worried though,' Catherine said to herself as she turned up the sidewalk. Her eyes flashed. 'I've still got a trick or two up my sleeve.' Like the one she had used to make the man at the school forget he had ever seen her. It would have been simpler just to kill him, but she wanted to be sure her powers were not a little rusty after they had been out of use for so long. Besides, mesmerism was fun.

Catherine slowed her pace as she approached the front door of the house. There was a light in the window, which indicated someone was indeed home. She had gotten the address from a phone book—since magic was not the only way of doing things—and even though the name listed was Joyce Summers, since it was the only Summers in all of Sunnydale she had to assume Buffy was related somehow.

"Mother, probably," the witch said under her breath. She put on a pedantically happy smile-face, and reached out to knock on the door. To her surprise, it opened on it's own.

A tall, skinny woman with curly blond hair stepped out. She stopped, just short of running into the other woman, and put a hand to her chest. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't see you."

"That's okay," said Catherine. She smiled. "Hi. My name is..." For a moment she hesitated, considering whether or not to use another name, but then she decided this woman probably wouldn't know who she was anyway. "Cathy Madison. I'm looking for Buffy Summers?"

"I'm Joyce. Buffy's mother." She shook her head. "But Buffy's isn't here. She and her friend share a dorm room at UC Sunnydale. They're both going there now."

Catherine nodded. "I see. Could you tell me how to reach her? It's rather urgent."

Catherine smiled as she followed the other woman inside, and closed the door behind them.

Never one to pass up an opportunity, Catherine spent the rest of the evening there.

During her exile, she had almost forgotten how enjoyable physicality could be. So many things she had taken for granted in the past were like long lost friends to her now. Food, drink, and the company of someone warm and soft to the touch, even if she was under a mystical whammy of sorts. Joyce had succumbed rather easily, and Catherine was quick to take advantage of the situation.

Not that what she did, what they did together, was purely for physical release, although that was certainly a major part of it. As much or more than anything else, Catherine knew the fact she had seduced—mystically or otherwise—Buffy's mother, would torment the Slayer to no end.

When she left the house the next morning, it was with a new set of clothes and a more relaxed attitude. As far as she was concerned, she was on up on Buffy now. The witch left Joyce Summers sprawled out on the couch, asleep, with no memory of what had happened. She wanted Buffy to know, no one else, it would make for a more delicious torture that way. She laughed as she practically skipped down the sidewalk.

She locked the door and darted away, heedless of the fact she was being watched.

"Interesting." Catherine Madison approached the room from the other end of the corridor. "This one has power. I better keep an eye on her." She casually magicked the door open, looked around to make sure no one was watching and then slipped into the room. "Now then..."

"What's this?" Catherine picked up and examined the semi-clear crystal, nearly the size of her hand. "A dolls-eye crystal. They're very rare." She put it aside, and reached for a book. "The World of Wicca?" She shook her head. "I might have known. An amateur, at best. Still, her aura did indicate potential."

As she was glaring at a photograph—of the redhead, Buffy, and a boy she did not recognize, that was sitting on a table between the beds—Catherine heard a squeak. She glanced over her shoulder, and her face wrinkled in disgust as she saw a rat in a cage sitting nearby.

Catherine started to turn away, her interest elsewhere, but something about the rat was nagging at her. It's aura... that's what it was. It had one. Most animals, the non-intelligent kind at any rate, were so primal and instinctual that they did not have the capacity for good or evil, right or wrong, the sort of things that were reflected in the aura. It was also unusual, because this particular animal's aura radiated mystical power. Nowhere near as high as hers was, of course, but it was certainly noticeable. Witch-level, in fact.

Choking back her instinctive dislike for the creature, Catherine approached the cage. The rat raised it's head and peered up at her, it's shrill squeak seemingly one of recognition. She conjured an occul sphere, a semi-transparent little crystal which could be used as a sort of translator, and dropped it into the cage. Almost immediately, the rat rushed to the sphere and picked it up.

Catherine shook her head. "Never mind that. How on Earth did this happen to you?"

"It was a spell," Amy replied. "We were about to be burned at the stake. I had no other choice."

Catherine frowned. "Spells of metamorphosis are very tricky. You shouldn't have been playing around with them if you didn't really know what you were doing. I've told you..."

"I know, I know." The rat squeaked. "Mom, I'm so glad to see you. Can you change me back?"

"Of course," said Catherine. "It's simple." She arched an eyebrow. "But, as I recall, you were the one who helped the Slayer trap me in that trophy four years ago." She clucked her tongue. "You've made no effort to release me, or even come to visit me since then, and now I learn you've been toying with my magic."

Amy, in the rat's body, recognized the tone of her mother's voice. "Mom, please. I hate it in here."

"And I hated being in that trophy," said Catherine. "At least you're mobile. Someone cares for you, feeds you and changing your cage once and a while. I've been stuck in rubble for years, and quite frankly I don't feel like wasting time or power trying to transform my troublesome little daughter."

Catherine turned back. "On the other hand, I might be able to make use of you after all. Battling the Slayer alone would be hard enough but if she has a witch on her side, even an amateur, she could be a more serious threat. Your powers may come in handy, if only as a distraction for me."

"You're going to attack Buffy?" Amy asked. "Mom, I don't know. She does a lot of good things. She's even saved the world a couple of times. I'm not sure fighting her is really such a..."

"Do you really want to question me?" said Catherine. "When I'm this close to freeing you?"

The rat's head lowered, the animal equivalent of a resigned sigh. "Sorry, mother."

Tara approached the door to Willow and Buffy's room, her hands clasped behind her back and a worried look on her face. She and Willow were supposed to meet for lunch, and to discuss a spell Giles wanted them to cast just to be sure nothing had happened from the Hellmouth being buried. But Willow was late, more so than usual, and Tara was beginning to get worried about her girlfriend.

As she reached the door and was just about to knock, Tara felt a surge of mystical power from somewhere inside the room. Her breath caught in her throat. "Willow?" It could be risky to do potent magicks alone, and since they'd started to go out the two of them had agreed to never try dangerous spells by themselves. But there was always the chance something had come up she was unaware of, and Tara knocked anxiously on the door. "W-Willow? Is it all right if I come in?"

Getting no response, Tara's fear grew. She checked the knob and upon finding it unlocked, pushed open the door and stepped inside. She had expected Willow, or at least Buffy, so her eyes widened when she came upon a strange older woman standing over a naked, trembling young brunette girl. The latter on her hands and knees amidst what appeared to be the shattered remains of a small metal cage.

Catherine raised her hand and muttered a hasty incantation. There was sudden flash of blinding white light from her palm, and Tara found herself suddenly unable to move. Everything else was working though, she could see and hear, she was still breathing, and her heart swell from fear as the other woman smiled.

"Interesting." The elder witch looked Tara up and down. "This one has power too. But not in the same way as the other one. Her mind is open to the mystic forces. She is...aware."

"Aware?" Amy emerged from Buffy's closet, wearing an ill-fitting tube top and short skirt. "Of what?"

The elder witch sighed. "Never mind." She turned back to Tara, whose eyes were wide with fear. "You know, it's a real shame we don't have more time together. I would be very curious to know just what you are capable of." Her own eyes widened. "Wait. Maybe there is a way."

"I have a plan." Catherine turned. "Listen, Amy. I'm going to need some things."

Willow sat at a table at the sidewalk cafe, twirling a straw and trying not to act as worried as she felt.

Of course, the redhead knew she had been late first, and there was every chance the two of them had just missed each other somewhere along the way. Besides, there was no reason for her to worry, even with all the vampires and demons in town, she knew Tara could take care of herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw a flash of golden hair. She raised her head, only to find it wasn't Tara at all, but some girl she didn't recognize just passing by. She sighed.

The redhead felt her heart catch in her throat as she turned. Tara was approaching the table from behind her, and she realized she simply wasn't able to see her from that angle. Feeling as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she stood up and held out her arms.

Though Willow didn't notice, Amy and Catherine Madison were there as well. Both were seated at the far side of the restaurant, at a rear table which was half-hidden behind a plant.

From the positioning of the two tables, Amy could see Willow and Tara, but they couldn't see her. She continued to watch the couple, while her mother just stared blankly off into space.

"Looks like it's all going according to plan," Amy whispered. "Willow doesn't suspect a thing." Though the body sitting next to her belonged to Catherine Madison, the person inside was actually Tara. Her mother had transferred their two consciousnesses, much as she had done with Amy herself some years ago. She had also placed a spell of obedience on Tara—allowing her to walk and to respond to commands without being able to try and call for help or run away. "Then again, this is what Mom does best."

Amy wasn't happy about what was going on. But she also knew what Catherine Madison was capable of, and she was afraid. She knew if she didn't listen to her mother, and do what she was told, at least for now, being trapped as a rat again would be the least of her worries.

A tear rolled down Catherine's cheek, as Tara helplessly watched her body leaning in close to Willow.

Willow was a little surprised, when Tara leaned across the table and kissed her.

But the two of them did not usually express such intimacy in public, because there were people in Sunnydale—as well as the rest of the world—who would react worse to seeing two women kissing than to the sight of vampires or demons running wild in the streets and slaughtering innocents.

"Of course I did." The redhead reached across the table and clasped her girlfriend's hand. "I just wasn't expecting you to do it here, that's all." She smiled. "I love it when you kiss me."

"But we should really get down to business," said Willow. "You know, the spell?"

"Which spell is that?" Tara asked, her gaze drifting from the redhead's lips to her chest and back.

Willow snapped her fingers, regaining the blonde's attention. She smiled. "The one Giles asked us to do? To see if there's been any problems with the Hellmouth being buried?"

"Exactly," said Willow. She reached into her purse and pulled out a leather-bound book. "I found one in here, but this says it requires an Eye of Thursis. Do you..."

"I have one," said Catherine. She hesitated, too late remembering she was supposed to be Tara. "I mean, I think I know where we can get one. If you want, we can go there after lunch?"

Willow nodded. "Okay." She reached for a menu. "What do you think we should get?"

Amy Madison and her 'mother' followed Willow and 'Tara' when they left the cafe a short time later. They stayed far enough back that the redhead would not notice them, and soon found themselves standing at the sidewalk of an unfamiliar house, which the two young women entered.

The warning wasn't meant for her mother, who was safely hidden inside of Tara's body, but rather to Willow and whomever else happened to be in the house with her.

For one, her powers seemed to have increased dramatically. More than once, Amy had seen her mother perform spells with ease, that she would not never have dared to attempt four years ago.

She seemed...colder, somehow. Even less human than before—like when she had used her magic to bring a blight down Buffy Summers and Cordelia Chase, among others—as if a part of her no longer cared what sort of harm she caused to the people around her. She was no longer treating others like children, but rather like pets, or insects, as if they were nothing more than common pests.

Rupert Giles rose from his desk, a book in his hands, as someone knocked on his door.

The only members of the so-called Scooby Gang who did usually knock, they were holding hands, something the former librarian was admittedly still getting accustomed to. He recalled having seen Willow and Buffy hold hands, more than once in fact, but that was a different subject all-together. Still, Willow was clearly happy. The first time she had seemed so since Oz's departure.

"Hi." Willow glanced around. "Is it okay if we come in, or would you rather we talk about the spell you wanted to cast out here on the patio?"

"So, I picked up everything we'll need," Willow said after a moment. "It should be fairly simple."

Giles took off his glasses. "But perhaps unnecessary." He rubbed his forehead. "I've been doing some research. I can't find a single record of a Hellmouth being damaged by heavy construction, much less being buried. In fact, all of the records seem to point to burial as the safest way of sealing a Hellmouth permanently. If I'm right, we should not have to worry about the Hellmouth as a direct source of the Apocalypse any longer..." He paused. "At least, for as long as it happens to remain buried."

Willow nodded. "If you say so." She glanced around the room. "Doing the book thing by yourself?"

"Indeed," said the former Watcher. "Xander and Anya were here earlier but left after she announced...well, given the source I'm sure you can form your own conclusion." He closed the book he was carrying, and sat it down on his desk. "As for Buffy, she got a call. Apparently Riley is returning today."

Willow smiled. "That's great. It should make Buffy feel better." The Slayer had been in a dark mood since Riley's departure a couple of weeks back, and since there had been very little vampiric activity following the destruction of the Initiative there was nothing on which she could vent her frustrations.

Unnoticed by the other two, Tara smiled. 'I wouldn't say that,' Catherine said to herself. She knew more than she before, including the name of Buffy's boyfriend.

The redhead knew they could not go back to her room, since Buffy and Riley were likely to be there—and he had no place of his own since the destruction of the Initiative—so instead they went to Tara's. Which was okay with the two of them, they spent most of their time together there anyway.

"Miss Kitty?" Willow whispered as they slipped into the room. Cats were not allowed in Tara's dorm, so they had to be quiet. "Where are you?" She smiled as they heard a faint meow from under the bed. "There you are. Come on, what's the matter? Did something scare you?"

Through Tara's eyes, Catherine Madison saw a furry, black and white little head peek out from under the bed. A kitten. She didn't like cats, and most of them didn't like her either. She crinkled her nose up as the kitten meowed once again, and slinked out from under the bed to rub against Willow's leg.

"She's lonely I think," said the redhead. "We should probably spend more time with her."

Miss Kitty Fantastico moved away from Willow and approached 'Tara', but as soon as she got close the fur on her back stood straight up. She arched her body and hissed angrily.

Catherine realized the kitten could sense she was not who she appeared to be. Animals, and children, could often be a witch's worst enemy, since they many of them were able to see through magic and other deceptions as if they were not even there. It was very frustrating.

"That's strange." Willow watched the kitten dart into the closet. "I wonder if she's sick?"

Catherine shrugged Tara's shoulders. "I'm sure she's fine." She glanced from Willow, to the bed, and back. "Why don't we just worry about it in the morning? Okay?"

Willow must have realized what the blond was thinking, and smiled. "Hmm...okay."

Outside Tara's dorm building, near her window, stood Amy Madison and her 'mother'.

"Willow never really had a chance you know," she said to the nearly catatonic woman beside her. "Whenever she sets her sights on something, Mom never gives up until she gets it."

Amy couldn't actually see what was going on within the dorm room since the curtains were closed, but Catherine had shown her how to observe aura's before undergoing her little switch-trick. She was able to tell which of the two glowing figures was her mother and which was Willow.

Power and prestige yes, but sexual gratification was always secondary to her at best. Plus, the few times Amy had known her to demonstrate any such interest, which were few and far between, it had been with men. As far as Amy was aware, her Mom had never indicated she had any interest in women.

Amy glanced to her right and her face fell. "No!" Her mother, or rather the other girl, Tara, was gone. "This isn't funny!" She stood up and looked around. "Come back! Mom'll kill both of us!"

Hearing Amy talk about Willow, and seeing her with someone else in her body, had finally pushed Tara over the edge enough to break the spell Catherine had placed upon her. It was not easy, her head still hurt and it was harder for her to think than usual, but she knew she needed help.

Tara briefly considered going back to Giles'. But then she realized that even if she convinced him she really was who she said she was, he would probably suggest they go and find Buffy. She decided instead, to not waste the time and go find the Slayer herself.

Tara, in Catherine Madison's body, went first to the dorm room Willow and Buffy shared. She had hoped to find the Slayer there so she could get together and help Willow, but while the door was still unlocked the room was not occupied. However, a message was on their answering machine.

"Will, it's Buffy. Riley's back, and we're all getting together at the Bronze. Bring Tara. Bye."

As she got close to the club, Tara could hear the sound of loud, pounding music, and young people laughing and talking as they enjoyed themselves. It was, after all, the only place in town for the teenagers and young adults to go and spend time with one another outside of a school environment.

Rounding the corner, Tara was startled by someone jumping out of the shadows at her. She stumbled, Catherine's face paling as she recognized the furrowed brow and deadly fangs of a vampire. For a moment she was terrified, but then she took another look at his face and her eyes softened somewhat.

The platinum blond, one hundred and something year old vampire frowned. "Yeah? Do I know you?"

"Forget it," Tara said. "I know all about your predicament, Spike. You can't hurt me."

The vampire's face abruptly became human. "Cripes. Isn't there anyone left in this bloody burg who doesn't know about this blasted chip in my head?"

"I don't have time for this," Tara said, hoping she sounded more confident than she felt. "Have you seen Buffy? I have to warn her..."

"Trouble?" Spike asked. "For the Slayer?" 'Catherine' nodded. "Good. Makes my day."

As he turned and left, chuckling, Tara raced up to the door of the Bronze. The bouncer there, a really big man in a sleeveless tee-shirt, held out his arm.

"But I'm..." Tara looked down at herself. The body she was in was obviously older than she thought. "Please, just this one exception? Please. There's an emergency."

The bouncer shook his head. "Sorry. Now move along. I've got paying customers to tend to."

Tara took a step back and allowed several teenagers to go in ahead of her. Meanwhile, she began chanting under her breath, weaving a complicated but temporary illusion. When she was finished, the bouncer would see her as a girl of the approximate age he needed her to be to allow her entry. No one else around would be fooled, but then again, no one else really mattered either.

The bouncer barely glanced up as a pretty young brunette approached. "Go on in."

Shaking her head, Tara allowed the illusion to simply dissolve as she entered the Bronze.

Amy Madison crouched in the bushes outside of Tara's dorm room, biting her lip and worrying about how angry her mother was going to be when she found out the girl in her body had run off.

She briefly considered running away herself, but she knew it wouldn't do any good. It would be better to take her medicine now and get it over with.

The young brunette frowned as she rose from the bushes. That wasn't the voice she'd expected, and when she saw her mother it wasn't the face she expected either.

"I am," Catherine replied. "Ultimately. I want her to suffer for stealing four years of my life. I want her to hurt as I did, seeing and hearing everything that's going on around me, but unable to move or cry for help. And to hurt her I need to get close to her." She held up her hands. "Who better than her best friend?"

Amy felt her heart catch in her throat. She liked Willow. She often though the two of them could have been good friends if she hadn't turned herself into a rat. Her mother didn't give a damn about Willow, however, and would be more than happy to go through her, or anyone else, to get to Buffy.

"What?" Willow's eyes widened in disbelief as she glared around. "You let her escape?!"

"Imbecile!" Catherine exploded with rage. She lashed out Willow's hand and slapped Amy hard across the cheek, eliciting a whimper from her daughter. "I should have known you'd fail, like always!" She gritted her teeth. "Now I have to find the bitch in my body, before she warns the Slayer."

She and Riley were sitting together on one side of a table, he and Anya on the other, and they all four seemed to be having a great time. But there was a definite sense of unease about them, for at least three of the four were just as concerned with their tardy friends as with having fun.

They had been expecting Willow and Tara some time ago and yet there was no sign of either girl. Given what all the four of them had seen and experienced over the years, all sorts of ideas of what might had happened continued to enter their minds, yet none of them but Anya dared put their fears to words.

"I'm sure they haven't been eaten by vampires or anything," the semi-bored, ex-demon said at one point. "They're probably just too busy having sex." Tact did not exist as far as Anya was concerned, she considered it to be a waste of time, and for the most part the others had just come to ignore her inappropriate, but often funny, outbursts more and more easily since she and Xander started dating.

Still chuckling, Buffy leaned forward and reached for her drink. She sensed the presence of someone coming up behind her, moments before she heard the woman's voice.

Xander and Riley both rose, the latter coming to Buffy's side. Anya remained where she was, watching but trying not to look like she was at all interested in what was going on.

The Slayer held out her arm. "Stay back. Everyone. This is Catherine Madison. Amy's mother."

Buffy nodded. "...who's supposed to still be trapped in a trophy." She gritted her teeth. "What are you doing here, lady? And what have you done with Willow?"

Buffy half-smiled. "Is that right? And you just happen to look actually like the psycho-witch who tried to turn me into a party favor four years ago? Why in the world should I believe that?"

"Because," said Catherine. "You've been through it yourself. A couple of months ago, Faith switched your bodies, using something like a draconian katra spell."

"Willow and I conjured a katra of our own to switch you back. We brought it over to Giles', where you were there in Faith's body, trying to convince him you were you."

The Slayer frowned. "Well, you're a witch. You could have known than, magically."

Catherine shook her head. "But could I have known about being trapped in a janitor's closet all night, scared and alone, while there was a monster outside? A monster created because Jonathon did an augmentation spell to make everyone in Sunnydale love him? How could I know about that?"

"You, uhh..." Buffy turned to Riley and Xander, who both shrugged their shoulders.

"Or what about your dreams?" Catherine continued. "Willow told me what you told her about the dreams you had with the First Slayer. How she was using my body as a conduit, a way to communicate with you. How could I know about that, about any of this, if I wasn't who I said I was?"

Buffy did not want to admit it, but she made sense. It did occur to her, however, that if she had not recently been through something almost identical with Faith, there was no way she would have accepted what this woman before her was saying at face value. Still, if she was telling the truth..."Tara?"

"Yes." Tara felt an immense sense of relief as she saw the Slayer's body language relax. "Thank you."

"I think she must have put me under a spell," Tara replied. "I couldn't...I couldn't stop her. I tried. I swear I tried, but..." Tears welled up in Catherine's eyes. "If she hurts Willow..."

Xander cleared his throat. "I don't think we have to worry about that." He pointed. "Look."

Willow was approaching them from across the dance floor. Her face was flushed, and she seemed to be breathing rather heavily, but she appeared, otherwise, to be surprisingly unharmed.

Amy Madison had known her mother was nuts since she was a child, but pretending to be the Slayer's best friend to her face was, as far as she was concerned, totally insane.

A simple Search spell had told them Tara was at the Bronze, but even once they realized Buffy was inside as well the elder Madison was determined to go in after her.

Amy agreed to wait outside, because both Buffy and Xander knew her face and would no doubt be able to put the pieces of the puzzle together if they saw her. She knew the Slayer could handle herself, regardless of the situation, but she wondered how everyone else in the Bronze would do against her mother.

The younger Madison held her breath as she waited for the inevitable fireworks to begin.

"Away from what?" asked Catherine, in Willow's body. "Who are you, anyway? How do you know me?"

"You can't be Tara." Willow shook her head. "I was just with Tara a little while ago."

"It's a long story," said Buffy. "One we don't have time to go into right now. Will this might come as a shock, but I don't think the Tara you've been with all day is your girlfriend. I think it's Catherine Madison. Amy's mom? She's escaped, somehow, and she's up to her old body-switching tricks again."

Catherine, in Willow's body, shook her head. "We made love," she said under her breath. "I think I'd know if she was actually Tara or not." She pointed at Catherine's body. "And besides, why in the world are you taking her word for anything? Didn't she try to kill you once?"

"She said she was busy," Catherine lied. "And that we should just have fun tonight without her."

Tara, in Catherine's body, frowned. "I-I don't think..." Her eyes widened. "Oh no!"

"Her aura." Tara pointed. "I just realized, it's all wrong. Like when Faith was in your body."

Buffy arched an eyebrow as she turned back to the redhead. Willow had told her it was Tara who sensed it wasn't her when Faith had taken over her body, so if the woman beside her truly was Tara then she was inclined to believe the other wasn't Willow. "Are you sure?"

"Bitch!" Willow's eyes darkened as she raised her hands. "You've ruined everything!"

Tara sensed an incredible build-up of mystical energy from the redhead. Before she could warn the others, there was a flash of incredibly bright white light which blinded them all. When they could see again, most of the dancers and party-goers in the Bronze had stopped and were staring at them, and Willow was gone.

Buffy frowned. "She got away. Damn it!" In a sudden burst of anger she slammed her hand down on the table, so hard that it virtually split it in two. Their drinks and food scattered everywhere.

"She was very convincing Buff," said Xander. "And I've known her longer than any of you."

Tara came to a sudden realization "If she's in Willow's body, then where is Willow?"

She could hear the music from all the way outside, and she could see and hear how much fun the people going in and out of the club were having. She'd been out of touch for so very long, and since she had her body again for the first time in years, she wanted to take advantage of the situation.

If she screwed up whatever the elder Madison was planning, the best possible outcome she could hope for would be to get turned back into a rat again. Especially since she'd lost Tara.

She couldn't run either. While she wasn't certain about some of the changes her mother had gone through during her imprisonment, one thing Amy did know for certain was that Catherine Madison would find her no matter what she did or where she tried to hide.

Moments later, Amy was surprised to see her mother burst out of the Bronze. She even shoved several people out of the way as she came to her daughter's side.

"Once it difficult enough. But to have three incidents of psyche transference within the period of a few months? I can't even begin to imagine the odds of such an occurrence."

Buffy, who was sitting on Giles' couch with Riley, nodded. "Giles, what do we do?"

"We find Will," Xander suggested. He had taken a seat, and Anya was in his lap. "All for one and one for all, we should be able to take this witch down."

"I can find her." It was still strange, especially for Buffy, to see and hear Catherine Madison and yet still to know it was actually Tara. "I'm sure of it."

Giles shook his head. "I'm afraid that's too dangerous, Tara. Catherine Madison is doubtless looking for you, as I imagine she is not interested in spending the rest of her life in a teenager's body. If you were to go off by yourself, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to protect you."

Buffy stood up and approached Catherine's body. "Tara, look. I know you're worried, I am too. But Giles is right, we have to stick together on this if we want to find Willow and stop Amy's mom. The odds are more in our favor if we all stay together anyway, since it'd be witch on which."

Tara sighed. "A lot of help I was. This is all my fault. I let her steal my body..."

Buffy lightly grabbed Catherine's arm. "Tara, listen to me. Catherine Madison is very powerful, and dangerous. I doubt you could have stopped her, even if you'd seen her coming."

Buffy and Tara both started forward at the same time. Then, all at once, they both seemed to realize the other was doing the same thing, and stopped. Instead they turned their attention back to the tired-looking blond girl standing in the doorway, and they both smiled.

"Hi guys." Willow, in Tara's body, sighed. "Sorry I'm late. I woke up not feeling like myself."

"Under the circumstances, I'm fine." Willow shut the door behind her, and walked further into the room. "So that was Catherine Madison in Tara's body? I knew something wasn't right."

Buffy nodded. "Now she's in yours, Will. I'm sorry we couldn't stop her at the Bronze."

"I'm sure you tried your best," said the blond. "That's what counts." She walked up to Catherine, who—from what she had just overheard—she knew was actually Tara. "Are you okay?"

Tara shrugged Catherine's shoulders. "I'm better...now." She reached out and caressed her own cheek, which was a very surreal experience to say the least. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

As the blond moved closer, and shook her head, Buffy motioned for the others to follow her outside. She wanted to give the couple some privacy, which obviously did not appeal to Anya. Before she could say anything, however, Xander clamped his hand over her mouth and half-dragged her through the door.

"Not physically," said Willow. "When I woke up, I was in your body. I don't know where she is."

Willow nodded. "Figures. That would explain what happened to her cage. Catherine must have changed her back and convinced Amy to help her somehow." She sighed. "Now that they know we know what's going on, they're not going to be easy to catch. They may even disappear for a while."

"I don't think so," said Tara. "From what Buffy tells me, she'll want her body back first."

"Maybe." Willow crossed Tara's arms. "Let's think about this for a minute. I'm a witch. I've just escaped being in a trophy for four years, and now I want revenge. But my enemy knows I'm coming, and is probably already wise to my tricks. So what can I do to stop her?"

"If she thinks the two of them are overmatched, wouldn't she try to find some help?"

Willow nodded. "Good point. This is Sunnydale. There are plenty of people and creatures in this town who'd kill, literally, to get another shot at Buffy."

Amy Madison paced the length of the dark, dank crypt, her eyes constantly scanning as if she was afraid of some hideous creature leaping out of the shadows at them. Given the reputation of the place, and of the town in general, that assumption was not necessarily far off.

Meanwhile Catherine—still in Willow's body, of course—was down on her knees. The elder Madison was drawing strange symbols in a circular pattern, in the dirt and dust around her. As she started to close her eyes, Amy stepped forward and cleared her throat.

"Be quiet!" Catherine hissed through clenched teeth. "If you interrupt the summoning process, at this stage, there is no telling how badly things could go wrong." She shook her head. "Besides, your opinion doesn't count here. I'm going to stop the Slayer, once and for all, and that's final."

Amy stepped back and sighed. What her mother was planning was dangerous, if not suicidal. She was toying with forces beyond even her understanding, and the risk involved seemed to outweigh any potential benefit. But then again, her mother didn't seem to care. Revenge was the only thing on her mind, and she wanted to make sure Buffy paid for her imprisonment, even if it meant her own life.

Catherine Madison began to chant, in Latin. "Atra Dominus Libero Vestra Famulus!"

For one moment it appeared that the summoning had failed, and Amy started to breath a sigh of relief. But it did not last, and the color drained from her cheeks as the temperature in the crypt dropped dramatically. She could just barely suppress the urge to turn and run as the darkness came alive.

A massive, inhuman figure took shape in front of 'Willow'. The demon was tall and thin, with leathery blue skin, a goat-like beard and a pair of small horns on either side of its pointed head. It wore long gray robes, and spread its sinewy arms as it smiled at 'Willow'.

"I would never refuse one who wields my talisman," said the demon. He clasped his taloned hands in front of his chest and cocked his head. "Can I assume you have reconsidered my offer?"

Raising the talisman she had found in Willow's room, the significance of which she had recognized immediately, Catherine took a deep breath. "Yes." She knew the power of this creature, and she wanted it for herself. "Please do what you promised, and make me into a demon."

"So be it," said D' Hoffryn. He reached out and clasped one hand on either side of Willow's head.

Both Catherine Madison and D' Hoffryn vanished in a surge of searing white light.

Back at Giles', Willow called the others back in and told them what Tara said about Catherine and Amy.

"I always knew that girl was trouble," said the slayer. "Like mother like daughter."

"Hey! She turned me into a rat!" Buffy snapped. "So yes, forgive me if I hold a grudge."

Willow cleared her throat. "Yes, but..." She glanced at Xander, who looked away. "...she was under the influence of a rather potent spell when she did that, in case you've forgotten. For all we know she's under another one now. I certainly wouldn't put it past her mother."

"Under the circumstances, I think it would be prudent if we concentrated our efforts on the elder Madison," said Giles. "I believe she poses the greater threat. In general, witches possess a greater understanding and control of the mystical forces. In addition, Catherine Madison has been trapped above the Hellmouth itself for years, and there is no telling what sort of mutagenic effects it may have had on her."

All of the sudden, Willow doubled over and clutched at Tara's stomach. A strangled cry of pain was all she could manage before she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face.

"Willow?" Tara was at her lover's side in an instant. "What is it? What's wrong?"

The lights went out in Giles' apartment, and their hair stood on end as the air became ionized.

Buffy reached over and pulled a sword from it's place on Giles' wall. "Just bring it, lady!"

"Fine by me." The front door exploded inward, showering wood and metal everywhere. The thing that strode into the room was enough to give all of them a chill.

Her skin was dark gray and scaly. She had horns extending from either side of her skull, as well as a ridged brow with dagger-like fangs and a forked tongue. Two red eyes glared at them as she clacked her new claws together and licked her leathery lips. "Who wants to be first?"

"Watch your tongue little girl." Catherine gestured, and a bolt of barely visible force slammed into the slayer and knocked her back into the far wall. She slid to the ground, stunned.

Tara kissed Willow, in her body, on the head, and then turned to Catherine. "Stop it!"

"Hmm..." Catherine smiled, baring her fangs. "Have it your way." Without warning, she released a crackling bolt of energy from her outstretched hands.

Tara raised Catherine's hand, and casually deflected the bolt. It punched a smoldering crater in Giles' roof, which he might have pointed out had he not been as stunned as the rest of them.

"Is it really?" Tara asked. "Did you forget whose body I'm in? You've got a lot of power, Catherine..." Tendrils of electrical energy surged to life in the palms of her hands. "...and if you don't let Willow's body go now, I'm going to make sure you taste every last iota of it!"

"Mother!" Amy appeared on the scene, leaping through the ruined remains of Giles' door. "Stop this!"

"Fine. Then I'll just have to take it to a higher court." She reached into her pocket and pulled out the talisman her mother had dropped back at the crypt. She clutched it in her hands.

All eyes turned to the center of the room, as D' Hoffryn materialized. The demon opened his eyes. "Twice in one day? What a surprise. I must be very..." He glared around. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Bad news." Amy pointed at Catherine, who was trembling. "I'm afraid you've been deceived."

The demon did just that. His growl sent chills down their collective spines. "You lied to me, witch!" He gestured, and all of the power flowed out of Catherine at once. She fell to her knees, Willow's body abruptly back to normal, and shuddered. "That was not meant for you!"

"Silence!" The demon's eyes flashed, and light filled the room. When they could see again the others found Tara, Willow and Catherine all flat on their backs. They were conscious, but unmoving. The demon, however, hovered to Catherine's side. "You're coming with me, betrayer." In a flash, literally, they were gone.

Tara sat up. "I don't know if great if the word I'd use either. I feel like I've been kicked in the head."

"D'Hoffryn must have changed you all back," said Anya. "I guess he's getting generous in his old age."

"If we're lucky," said Anya. "He'll kill her outright. Otherwise D'Hoffryn might come to realize your mom makes the perfect vengeance demon. Then we're all in a lot of trouble."

But Willow and Tara weren't listening anymore. They just held one another close, and cried.

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Which Witch is Which?

By Kirk Baldridge

Kirk@mysticmuse.net