From Dust Returned by Renegade

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own any of them. They belong to Joss, UPN, ME, WB and whoever else has rights to them. Me personally, I don't have any rights to them – except the characters I made up for the story (Ash, Aleora and whoever else I concoct) No one is getting any money from this – especially not me since, well, I'm still poor.
Distribution: The Mystic Muse http://mysticmuse.net
Just ask – please.
Feedback: Oh yes – yes please – but be kind it's my first time.
Spoilers: None – unless you can tap into the twisted world I like to call my imagination. It's after after Season 7. Or there's spoilers from Season 4 & 5 if you haven't watched them.
Pairing: Willow/Tara Tara/Other Willow/Tara/Other

Tara let her eyes close as she began summoning her power from deep with in herself. It was a powerful white light she felt rising from her soul.

The blonde also felt Willow's power swirling and dancing just outside of hers. Tara smiled a little. She had missed casting with Willow. It had been much too long since the Witches had joined together.

Trustingly, Tara allowed Willow's power to flow into her body. She gasped a little as she felt the strength in the redhead's power. Tara allowed Willow's energy to flow through her and around her. It caressed her as a lover would and then mingled with the blonde's own.

Ready, sweetie? Tara projected to Willow. The Sorceress gave a silent affirmative and Tara took it as her cue to focus the healing power towards Ash.

The Prophetess opened a connection between them. As she began to concentrate on healing the half elf's wounds, Tara felt a familiar swirling of magicks coming off of the elf.

At first, the blonde Wiccan paid no attention until the magicks changed. They no longer felt like Ash's. They felt stronger.

Willow- Tara went to warn her lover but before she could the power back flashed and sent the two Wiccan's energy rushing back to them. Tara tried to yank her hands away but was too late as a white light shot through her body and into her mind.

As Faith held a towel against Ash's stomach she silently cursed "herself". She looked over at the two Wiccans and noticed the worry on Tara's face.

I wonder what Freud would say now that I've vowed to kick my own ass. Faith mused. The Dark Slayer was too busy planning revenge on herself that she didn't notice the two Wiccans stiffen as a small white light shot up from Ash's chest.

Willow blinked trying to clear the bright light from her vision. As she was able to focus she noticed that she was standing in a stone courtyard. Around her, vines grew up the light grey stone pillars. The vines were flowered with purple and deep red blossoms.

Off to her right, two large stone statues of elves stood at ready with swords. They were reminiscent of Gargoyles in the way that they were guarding a large archway.

Somewhere close she could hear the roar of a waterfall. Turning, she gasped. She noticed that the courtyard was built over a large waterfall that plummeted down into a lush green valley that spanned out as far as Willow could see. It was breath taking.

Tara's got to see this. Willow thought as she stared in awe at the scenery. Tara! The thought jarred the redhead out of her revelry.

"I'm here." Tara replied coming out from around a pillar. Willow breathed a sigh of relief as she went to her soul mate and wrapped her arms around her.

"I don't know. I think we're in the Elfin Lands." Tara surmised as she looked around herself some more. "Oh Wow," She breathed as she caught sight of the waterfall.

"Yeah, pretty neat huh?" Willow grinned. She couldn't help it. There was something about the place that made her feel relaxed and comfortable.

"Isn't it though?" A melodic voice came from behind them. Relaxed or not – Willow whipped around on the defensive. Behind them stood an elegant woman. Her hair was beautiful silver and her eyes were a brilliant green. She was dressed in a dark purple robe. Willow's eyes bulged a little at how pointed her ears were.

"I guess Ash really doesn't have that pointy of ears." Willow said aloud. The woman looked at Willow (though it seemed to Willow that she was looking through the redhead) and smiled.

"No, Ashlan really doesn't have the 'pointy' ears of our race. Her appearance has been tempered with the traits of a human." The woman said around a smile.

The woman looked between Tara and Willow. "Prophetess, Sorceress – It is a great honour to finally speak with you. I am Aleora, Elderess of the Elfin Council."

"Elfin council?" Willow questioned. "Hey, wait a cotton pickin' minute! How did we get to here…where ever here is…how'd we get to Ash's home court? No pun intended."

The Elderess smiled as she looked at the redhead. "You're not in the elfin lands. You two are inside of Ash's mind."

"I fused my magicks with Ash's and pulled your essences into her mind. It's quiet simple really." Aleora informed them.

"You shouldn't do that! You can't just pull people into other people's minds. Especially when it's not your mind that you're pulling other people into… Did you ask Ash? Maybe she doesn't want me and Tara tromping around in her skull." Willow practically shouted.

"Ash!" Willow smiled as she saw the half elf. Ash was dressed in her warrior uniform. Black pants and a black swordsman shirt. The half elf flashed a crooked smile and walked up to Willow.

"Hey short stack," She muttered and bent her knees a little so that she was about the same height to Willow and hugged the redhead.

"Are you okay? I mean, I know you're okay now because you're in your own head. But how's your body? I mean, duh, hey you're body is fine and I do mean FINE but is it okay?" Willow babbled. Ash furrowed her brow and Tara giggled.

"I'm not laughing at you, sweetie." Tara assured. "I'm laughing because Ash is the only person that you know who actually tries to follow your babble."

"No, sweetie. I do – but I've learned how to highlight the important information and disregard the rest." Tara smiled.

"No baby, I don't disregard you. I just disregard most of your babble because it would give me a headache if I didn't." Tara assured her lover.

Ash went over to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm fine, or actually, I will be."

Willow saw her soul mate visibly relax in the elf's embrace. The red head knew that Tara had been beating herself up over what she had done.

"I felt her when you focused your energy." Ash soothed Tara by running her finger tips over the blonde's face.

The Prophetess smiled even as tears escaped her eyes. "I thought you'd be upset…"

"Why would I? I'm mean, sure, hey little on the 'Wow, gonna be parent' side but it's nothing I can't deal with." Ash began a babble that strangely resembled Willow. Tara laughed again.

"You t-two have been hanging out too much," Tara smiled. Ash and Willow got the same defensive look on their face and were about to reply when Aleora interrupted.

"I know that you two want to discuss this matter but there is a reason why I brought the Sorceress and Prophetess into your mind Ashlan." Aleora stated.

"Oh, I thought you did it so that we could mind fuc- never mind." Ash finished quickly. "I don't know what that means and I have a feeling that it would come out wrong."

"No actually. The reason you're here is because the time for the prophecy has come." Aleora replied cryptically.

"Hey, wait. I thought that the time of the prophecy was already here. That's why you sent me into the human realms." Ash returned.

"No, that was the prelude to the prophecy. The deciding time is upon us. It started at the point of conception of your child in Tara." Aleora clarified. "It was at that time that the third emissary of evil came into play."

"When Faith attacked you Ashlan, it started a chain of events that must play out. The power that is Destruction became active. It has started its journey in removing the human realms from existence. The hell mouth, because of its powerful spiritual activity will be the last place the existence will fade."

"What are we suppose to do? It sounds as though the future is pretty much set. How are we going to stop it?" The hacker asked.

"You have to let the Destruction run its course. But at the end, before all existence is wiped out – the child that the Prophetess carries inside of her will stop the Destruction and restore the natural balance to life." The Elderess walked over to Tara and looked into the blonde's eyes. "You carry the key to all life. Even my people's existence depends on that child."

Tara who was too busy dealing with the ramifications of the knowledge the Elderess had bestowed upon her didn't hear her lovers.

"So, s-she'll be born before Sunnydale is… Um…destroyed?" Tara asked nervous about her unborn child's future.

"Hey now, wait. How is she going to be born if she doesn't have a place in existence to be born?" Willow demanded.

"You'll have to figure that out when the time comes," Aleora replied stepping back as Willow went to Tara and embraced her.

"Don't you love how informative the council is?" Ash quipped again. Aleora turned on the half elf.

"Ashlan! I know this is your mind but that doesn't mean you can respect me any less than you would in my presence."

Ash rolled her eyes and then looked shocked. "Sorry, Elderess. I don't know why my eyes do that. They just do."

"Don't worry. When the time comes you will know what to do. We have sent a text that shall explain more of this to you. In the mean while, it is imperative that you try and dispose of the three emissaries. If you fail, there will be no way to protect you or us from the Destruction that is coming. Things shall get worse for you and your friends but you must do everything in your power to protect the three of you from harm. If one of you is lost – than all is lost."

With that a bright light filled Tara and Willow's sight again as they felt the power surging through them again.

Tara breathed deeply as she felt her consciousness return to her body. She opened her eyes at the same time Willow did.

"Wow, that was weird," Willow replied. Tara nodded and looked over at the window. It was dark outside. How long had they been in Ash's mind?

The blonde Wiccan looked down at Faith who had fallen asleep with her hands still pressed to Ash's stomach and her head pillowed next to the Elf's ribs.

F-A-I-T-H was now just a bunch of angry red lines. Tara looked up and noticed that Ash's black eyes were almost healed. She'd be sore in the morning but no more worse for the wear. Tara smoothed back Ash's hair as she noticed that the taller woman was sleeping deeply for the moment.

"What did you make of all that?" Willow asked her lover as she stretched her legs trying to relieve the cramping in them.

"I don't know. But I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough." Tara replied looking at Willow. The red head nodded as she massaged her own thigh. "You know, I could help you out with that."

The blonde grinned and was about to reply with a cheekier comment when there was a knock on the door just before it swung open.

"Okay. She just needs to rest." Tara replied to the Slayer as she got off the bed and stretched.

"So, you two have time to come down stairs?" Buffy asked looking over at Faith. "Aren't you a little worried about Faith sleeping with her like that?"

Before Buffy could finish her sentence, Tara was shaking Faith awake. "Come on F-Faith time to wake up."

"Not much Buffy wants us down stairs." Tara replied. The dark Slayer sat up and stretched.

"Giles thinks he might have found something." Buffy filled in. Willow and Tara exchanged a look.

"Sure, leave it to old G-man to find some useless point of information." Faith grumbled. "Tell you what. You go down stairs and I'll just stay up here and watch over the elf. I could use a few winks."

"No, I think you need to come down stairs." The Prophetess interjected as she grabbed Faith's hand and pulled her up.

"Take away all my fun," Faith grumbled as she headed towards the door followed by Willow and Tara. "This better be good."

"What's up?" Faith asked as she, Tara, Willow and Buffy entered the living room.

"I believe we might have found something," Giles stated. He was holding an ancient but beautifully bound leather book in one hand and squeezing the bridge of his nose with the other.

"You didn't find it," Anya spoke up from the couch where she sat with Xander. "It's mine and I've given it to you on loan. Like a library which, by the way, that's five dollars for every hour you sit there and hold the book that you can't read."

"Ahn," Xander put his hand on her knee. "Libraries don't charge you rental fees by the hour."

"They don't?" The ex-vengeance demon looked aghast. Xander shook his head. "That's horrible! How completely un-American! I can't believe this! How did something so completely Communist slip past McCarthy in the Fifties?"

"Okay, what's going on?" Faith asked again, leaning against the banister running her hands through her dark hair.

"Yeah, but that's not nice Anya." Tara reprimanded the ex-vengeance demon. The blonde found herself a little disgruntled by Anya's words. She was pregnant with Ash and Willow's child. If anyone ever called her daughter a half breed – she'd knock them out, at least verbally.

Anya looked non pulsed by Tara's chastisement. "Anyway… I was there because Ashlan's mother – a human sorceress – wanted revenge against the dark elves that had killed Ashlan's father. That was a good revenge. Heh, I nearly wiped out the dark elf race. You know it's kind of hard to eviscerate thousands…"

"No, you just don't want to hear the gory details. You and your weak man stomach. You can't even digest my cooking." Xander's face went pale at that thought. "Anyhow, after I exacted revenge for Ash's mother, I hung around helping her out with Ashlan. Who, by the way, was a little hellion. She's the reason why I fear bunnies."

Willow grinned and raised an eyebrow. "This ought to be good," She whispered to Tara.

"It was actually really quite evil. Ash was learning the basics of glamour spells from her mother, long story short, one day she cast a glamour to make everything look like bunnies to me. That day, dark elves attacked, but all I saw were giant, six foot, sword wielding, slaughter bunnies." Anya shivered. "Ash thought it was funny. It took an elfin sorceress to remove it. To this day, I think it did permanent damage."

Willow bit her lip to keep herself from laughing. Anya looked around the room of people trying to suppress their laughter.

"It's not funny! I've had to seek professional help. Freud even diagnosed it as P.T.B.D – Post Traumatic Bunny Disorder. Look it up." Anya sat back against the couch in a huff.

"Anya, we believe you." Giles assured her, clearing his throat and wiping his glasses. "But that still doesn't explain how came to be in possession of this book."

"Oh that – Ashlan's mom had written down some prophecy concerning her little devil child. She gave it to me for safe keeping right before she died."

"Dark elves again. Elves and dark elves fought for centuries for control. It wasn't until Sonra, Ash's mom, cast a spell to remove their presence from the world that the fighting stopped."

"Hey Blondie, just because you've learned Ash's tongue doesn't mean you know Elvish." Faith snickered. "Ow."

Willow had slugged Faith on the arm. Tara grinned gratefully at her lover as she took the book from Giles and opened it.

"In the fourteenth hundred year of the Goddess, I came into the realms of endless times…" Tara read aloud.

The room was silent as Tara skimmed through the pages. "This is actually quiet interesting. It's a journal n-not a book." The Prophetess said mostly to herself. All of the Scoobies stared in disbelief at the Blonde. Tara looked self conscious. "W-What?"

"When…how – huh?" Buffy eloquently verbalized the question on everyone's mind.

"I- I don't know. I-I think…" Tara trailed off scrunching up her brow. When did her stutter come back?

"I think it has something to do with her mind mixer with Ash." Willow offered as an explanation. Tara looked at her soul mate relieved.

"Of course, that would make sense. If Ash shared her mind with Tara it would make sense that she can read and understand Elvish." Giles stifled a yawn.

"This is good." Buffy piped up. "Tara can read the book and tell us what it says."

"But not tonight, because well, I think we're a little tired from all the healing and with the whole Faith thing and I think that Tara needs her rest."

"Willow, it's quite imperative that we know what's in that book. Time is of the essence, what with the new development of Faith's double." Giles began a protest speech.

"But, Tara needs rest." Willow put her foot down. Giles began to retort but the Prophetess spoke up.

"But baby, you're… I mean… your condition." Willow gently urged her lover to agree with her.

"Condition? What condition?" Buffy asked. Tara looked at Willow with pleading eyes.

"She's pregnant." Willow restated. There was a moment of silence and then the room burst forth with conversation all at once. Congratulations went around followed closely by 'How's'.

Tara had tried sleeping but it evaded her. She'd tossed and turned most of the early morning hours trying to put some semblance of order to her life. Everything had happened so quickly and the Blonde was trying desperately to catch up.

Sighing, the Blonde turned on her side and looked at Willow who was sleeping peacefully next to her. She reached out and stroked the red locks behind Willow's ear and smiled sadly. Everything had gotten so complicated.

Quietly as possible, Tara placed a kiss on Willow's cheek and slipped silently from the bed. She found a robe, put it on and left the room. She paused beside the door to their room and listened for noises. She and Willow had taken Dawn's room, while the youngest Summers had happily agreed to sleep in the basement and wait for Faith to return from patrol. Willow had insisted they try and not disturb the elf. The hacker had smiled in such a way that had left no room for doubt what the redheaded vixen had in store for the Blonde.

Satisfied upon hearing nothing she quietly made her way downstairs. She found the journal that Sonra had written and went towards the kitchen to make some tea.

Tara was surprised to see a light coming from the kitchen as she approached. The Prophetess was the only one who ever rose early. She peered cautiously around the door. She grinned as she caught sight of Ash who was rummaging through the fridge.

"You're up early," she said, her voice low. Ash looked over her shoulder at her lover. Tara's smile faltered a little as she noticed Ash's right eye was still blackened and a bit swollen and there was another visible bruise on her jaw.

Despite the injuries, Ash grinned at her lover. "I was hungry. I didn't eat yesterday and there was a rumbly in my tumbly."

Tara bit back a laugh. "You've been watching the Disney channel with Dawn again, haven't you?"

Tara laughed this time as she came up behind Ash and placed her hands on the elf's hips. "Did Dawn tell you that?"

The Blonde giggled and buried her face in Ash's back. She breathed deep inhaling the warrior's scent. The half elf smelled like cedar and sweet grass. It was intoxicating to the Wiccan. "Willow watches the Disney channel?"

Ash nodded. "Yep, she changes it to the channel with all the animals on it when you come into the room."

Tara grinned against the elf's back. "The Discovery channel? She changes it to the Discovery channel?"

"I think that's what she called it. I don't know, I was too distracted with her hand on my thigh." The elf replied non chalantly.

The Prophetess nearly choked on her own spit at the elf's admission. Tara was shocked. Was Willow playing around with Ash without Tara? Not that the Blonde would mind. If the redhead was developing feelings of her own for Ash – it would make Tara's life and the life of their shared child that much easier.

"No worse for the wear," she paused and sighed. "I'll never get this concept of Human language. Where did you guys come up with these phrases? Penny for your thoughts… since when can buy thoughts? And besides, why would anyone want to pay for someone's thoughts – especially since I noticed that most humans keep smoking the crack… what the hell is crack!?" The elf cried in frustration.

The Blonde giggled and turned the elf around in her arms. She gently pressed herself against the Warrior's stomach, mindful not to aggravate any remaining injuries, and looked up into Ash's blue eyes. "I love you."

The elf, who was about to continue her rant on human phrases, stopped and smiled down at Tara, "I love you too."

The blonde's face sobered. "I'm sorry I was so cold to you yesterday. I was just w-worried to how you might react about m-me being pregnant. I couldn't handle it if you d-didn't w-w-want…" She trailed off dropping her head down.

"Hey now," Ash countered hooking a finger under Tara's chin and lifting her head back up until the Blonde met her eyes. "I could never not want you. I could never not want a child of mine. It's pretty rare that Elves have children. There have been two born in the past four hundred years and the elfin council is considering that a "baby boom" since it took place after the war with the dark elves. I don't necessarily think a baby boom is such a good thing – because I think it'll mess of the commerce trade in the elfin lands for future generations."

"No, not really. I learned about the "baby boom" in one of Willow's classes and I thought I'd just throw it out there and see if I could make you smile," Ash grinned reaching out to the side door of the fridge and grabbing a soda.

"Hey!!! I was going to drink that!!" The Warrior protested as the Blonde reached around her and grabbed a bottle of orange juice.

"No child of mine is going to see her mother ingesting crap for breakfast." Tara replied in mock sternness.

"She's not here yet," Ash muttered. The Blonde grinned and caressed her fingertips down Ash's tattooed face.

"No, but it's better to get in the habit of eating healthy now," The Blonde cooed to Ash.

"Yeah, yeah," The warrior grumbled and backed the Blonde up to the island. She pinned Tara to the wood of the counter with her hips.

The feeling of the Warrior's legs and pelvis pushed up against her began to turn the Blonde on. Geez MacClay!! Horny much? You just had Willow… She glanced at the clock Three hours ago and now you're responding like you haven't had sex in months.

"So what can I drink that's flavourful and…" Ash gave Tara a look that sent a fire straight down into Tara's core. "Thirst quenching."

Tara gasped as Ash undid her robe and started a lazy trail up the Blonde's stomach towards her breasts. Tara's heart began to pump blood at incredible speed through her veins.

"Well, t-there's, mmm, orange juice." The Prophetess managed as Ash's hands found the underside of her breasts and the elf's mouth and tongue had found the sensitive flesh below her ear lobe.

Before Tara could reply, Ash hand pushed Tara's robe open and dived for the Blonde's taut nipples sucking them fiercely.

"Ash!" Tara cried half mortified and half aroused. She pushed the Warrior back. "I'm not lactating yet and by the way, eww!"

The Elf just grinned at the Blonde and wrapped her arms around her. "I know babe but I couldn't resist."

Tara shook her head, a smile on her face and just melted into the Elf's embrace. "I'm glad you're okay with this."

"How could I not be? Well, I am a little worried." The Elf replied rubbing her nose into Tara's dark blonde tresses and inhaling the scent of her lover's hair.

"Well first of all, I don't want anything to happen to you or the little one. And with all these servants of Destruction running around, that's a very real possibility. Next…" She hesitated and looked at Tara. "Well, you see when elfin women are pregnant – they get moody."

The Blonde gave a reassuring smile. "Baby, all women get moody when their pregnant."

"Yeah, but I'm not talking about mood swings like emotions. I'm talking about mood swings like insane bouts of horniness at really odd times." Ash informed her.

She moved her hand to the hem of Ash's sleeping pants and slid her hands down the front so that she was cupping Ash's sex as her middle finger ran the length of the Elf's slit. Ash's breathing hitched.

"Anything else you know about elf pregnancy or at least women pregnant with quarter elf children?" Tara growled.

"Mmm, well, I suppose it's good we have your mother's journal. Maybe she has some advice in it." Tara whispered in Ash's delicately pointed ear.

"Wha-huh-wait-what? You have my mother's journal?" Ash asked as Tara withdrew her hand and brought her finger up to her mouth and licked off the juices that had gathered there. She looked at Ash her eyes smouldering and nodded.

"How did you get it?" The elf questioned. Tara removed her finger from her mouth and was about to answer when they heard the sound of Dawn screaming.

"Dawnie!" Tara yelled and tore off towards the basement door. As she neared she heard the sounds of footsteps pounding up the steps. The door flew open and before Tara could react it smashed into the Blonde knocking her back into the wall.

Ash was close to behind Tara and saw Faith run out of the basement, to the door and out into the night.

"Tara are you all right?" The elf asked kneeling next to the mother of her child. Tara sat up shakily and put a hand to her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Check on Dawnie." She replied rubbing the knot that was forming on her forehead.

The Elf nodded and took two steps down the stairs before jumping the rest and landing at the bottom. She noticed Dawn huddled in the corner of the basement, sobbing.

"Dawn?" Ash asked carefully moving towards the young woman. She could sense that Dawn's energy was fractured and erratic. Something terrible had happened to her.

The Prophetess looked over as she heard Willow's cry. Tara was leaning heavily against the wall. She knew she was fine but her head was spinning from its abrupt connection with the door.

"I-I'm fine Willow," she assured her lover. Still, Willow approached her soul mate.

"What happened?" Willow asked, coming up and running her hands over Tara's body and face looking for injuries.

"I don't know. I heard Dawn scream and then the basement door flew open and knocked me silly." Tara tried to explain.

"Dawn? Is she okay?" Willow questioned. Part of Willow wanted to run to Dawn's side but the other, stronger part, wanted to make sure Tara was truly okay.

"I don't know. Ash is down there now…" As Tara spoke, the said elf bounded up the stairs. Her face was a mask of worry and confusion.

"Tara, I don't know what's wrong with Dawn. She won't let me get near her." Ash informed them quietly.

The Blonde gasped at the sight of Dawn. The youngest Summers looked so small huddled in the corner, shivering. Willow turned on a torch lamp that they had brought down into the basement. Dawn winced.

"Willow, Ash – I think you need to go upstairs. Will, call Buffy and Ash I want you on guard duty. Don't let anyone that isn't a Scooby in this house." Tara ordered them quietly.

"Now, Willow." Tara cut in with a voice that left no argument in the red head. Willow nodded and with one last look turned to go up the stairs.

When Tara heard her lovers go upstairs – she grounded herself and began a chant to soothe Dawn. She saw the young woman relax a little but she still had her arms wrapped around herself.

"Dawn." Tara said softly coming up to the young woman. "Sweetie, I'm going to come over and sit by you okay?"

Dawn made no reply just sat staring and hiccupping through her sobs. Tara moved closer to her. The Prophetess noticed for the first time that the youngest summer's pajama bottoms were torn down the front.

"Dawnie, it's me. Can you tell me what happened?" Tara asked gently trying to keep her voice steady.

The young woman looked at her. Her lip was split, a bruise was forming on the side of her face and blood trickled from her nose. Dawn's brown eyes held so much pain that it broke Tara's heart.

With a sob, Dawn threw her arms around Tara's waist and buried her face into the Blonde's stomach. Instantly, Tara pulled Dawn close giving her as much comfort as she could. In the dim light, the Prophetess noticed blood had dried to what was left of the crotch of Dawn's pants.

Tara's stomach turned as she tried to fight back the tears that threatened to spill.

Dawn's voice was oddly despondent as she croaked. "Faith." Before she slipped into another round sobs.

Tara finally let go and released the tears she'd been holding back. She gently rocked Dawn as the two women cried together.

"Ssh, we'll get her Dawnie. It wasn't your Faith that did this to you, was it?" Tara asked stroking the youngest Summers hair, Dawn shook her head.

"You have to stop Faith! S-she went after him! He'll kill her!!" She managed through sobs.

"What are you talking about?" The Blonde asked confused. "Who'll kill her? Who did this to you?"

"Buffy!" Willow shouted into the phone. "You gotta come home right now! Something's happened to Dawn!"

"Dawn? What's happened?! What's wrong?" The Slayer's voice sounded slightly panicked.

"Where's Faith? She headed back home about thirty minutes ago. Where is she?" Buffy asked. In the back ground, Willow could hear the sounds of Buffy's feet pounding the ground as she ran.

Willow turned off the phone and took a deep breath. Deep inside she could feel the anger rising up. She tried to calm herself but it seemed to be a losing battle. Whoever had hurt Dawn was going to pay.

The Sorceress turned and started to go towards the basement when she literally bumped into Tara.

"Tara, is Dawn okay?" Willow asked her lover. Tara didn't answer right away and the hacker frowned. Tara was no longer in her robe but dressed.

"Hey, when did you-" Willow began but was cut off as Tara delivered a vicious back had blow that lifted the hacker off her feet and threw her into the wall. Willow smashed into the wall breaking several pictures as she struck. Dazed the hacker managed to stand. "What the-?"

Before Willow could finish again, Tara was upon her. She picked Willow up by the shoulders and slammed her back into the wall and held her there.

"Who would have known this would be so much fun?" The Blonde gave a half grin. "It's better than foreplay, lover."

Tara tossed Willow aside like a paper doll. Willow landed on the coffee table breaking it with the force of her impact. The redhead struggled to keep consciousness. She racked her brain trying to think of what to do – but the shock of Tara attacking her and the force of the blows were making it hard for the Sorceress to think.

The Blonde swaggered up to Willow. "Is this what you call a crime of passion?" She asked as she knelt down beside the shocked hacker. Lazily, she reached out and traced a fingertip over the swell of Willow's breast until it came to rest above Willow's heart.

"You know Will; you tore my heart out when you did the 'forget' spell. I think its only poetic justice that I tear yours out now." Tara flexed her fingers and dug her nails into Willow's flesh.

"Don't worry; it'll only hurt really badly for a minute or so." Tara soothed in a sickenly sweet voice as she worked her fingers deeper into Willow's flesh

The air around the Blonde condensed magickly, stopping her homicidal progress. Willow turned her head to the side to see her lover standing in her robe her palm out towards her double.

"Willow, move!" Tara yelled to the redhead. "I don't know how long I can hold me, er, her."

The Sorceress did as she was told and rolled out from evil Tara's grasp. The pain in her chest was unspeakable but she managed to stagger up and move towards the real Tara. At that moment, Ash came charging through the door. In a glance she took in the sight.

"Holy Shit!" She exclaimed looking back and forth between the two Tara's. Tara looked sideways at Ash.

"Help me." She pleaded her hand beginning to shake. The elf nodded and went over to the evil version of Tara. With a grunt, Tara released her doppelganger and Ash was upon the impostor.

She yanked Tara off of the floor and used the momentum to throw the Blonde into a nearby wall.

"Do you really think you can hurt me?" Tara chuckled as Ash advanced upon the doppelganger.

"You stupid elf," Evil Tara laughed again. "You're never going to win. Not now. Not when I've finally achieved corporeal form. You barely escaped with you lives when I was incorporeal – do really think you stand a chance now that I can do my own work?"

Ash lunged but the evil Tara blinked out of existence causing the half elf to topple forward into the wall. The Warrior caught herself and looked around bewildered. "Holy hell! What the fuck was that?"

The Elf looked over to where Willow and Tara stood. Tara had wrapped her arms protectively around the redhead and was running her hands over Willow's body in a soothing manner.

Ash clenched her fists and her jaw. She felt an anger welling up inside of her. It was a rare emotion for the Elf and she didn't have a great deal of experience dealing with it. Crying out, the Elf punched the wall.

"Ouch," She muttered pulling her fist back from the hole she created in the plaster. At that moment, Buffy burst through the door.

"What's going on? Where's Dawn?" She demanded stake in hand. The two Wiccans looked over at the Slayer.

"I'm here," Dawn said quietly from the doorway. Buffy spun around and embraced her sister tightly. The youngest Summers was rigid in her sister's arms.

Tara shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know what happened. But, while I was down stairs the First attacked."

"It seems the First somehow has been able to achieve corporeal form…" Willow informed Buffy through gritted teeth.

"Wha-huh- how? How do you know it was the First?" The Slayer asked gently rocking Dawn in her arms.

"Because it was in Tara's form when it attacked me." Willow replied her voice shaky.

"Oh no." The Slayer's face was grim. She looked back at her little sister and then at the three women standing in what was left of the living room. "We have to get everyone over here. Where's Faith?"

Dawn choked back a sob. "She went after Caleb – or the First – I don't know…"

"No!" Dawn shouted cutting off her sister. Buffy looked confused. "Please, stay with me."

The Slayer nodded and looked over at Ash. "Ash, do you think you could track Faith down?"

Everyone looked at the half elf, who just spread her hands. "What? I was thinking like Faith. It's an old trick – think like the person you're trying to find." There was silence, Ash sighed. "All right, I'm gone."

Tara reached out and grabbed Ash's hand as the Elf walked passed her. "Be careful."

The half elf grinned easily, "No worries. I'll be okay, just take care of Willow." Ash leaned down and kissed the redhead briefly on the lips. "Love you," She whispered over Willow's lips. With that said, Ash was out the door.

The Warrior moved quickly through town letting her senses guide her. After the weeks she had spent with the dark Slayer she'd developed a sense of Faith's energy.

She could tell that the Dark Slayer was righteously angry and bent on destroying something. Ash focused on where the feelings were coming from and she found herself soon enough moving through the graveyards towards a large mansion on the edge of one.

Going into stealth mood, Ash crept up towards the impressive house. Her eyes were well adjusted in the dark and it wasn't long before she saw Faith's dark form creeping along the walls. Ash moved quickly and was beside Faith in no time.

"Yeah? Well, I'm not going anywhere until I take care of some business." The Dark Slayer replied climbing over a wall that surrounded a courtyard. The half elf followed.

"I saw that motherfucking preacher come here and I'm going to make sure he doesn't leave." Faith seethed looking into the lit main hall. Ash followed her gaze and saw the other Faith sitting with a beer talking to Buffy.

"That's not B – that's the First representation. Buffy died ya' know. So the big bad First can take on her form." Faith supplied. "That fucker has got to be in there somewhere, I'm going in – you can stay here. This is my fight. No one touches someone I lo – care about. No one."

"Faith wait, listen I have to tell you…" Ash hissed but the Dark Slayer didn't listen choosing instead to burst through the door.

"Okay, where is he?" Faith demanded standing as though she didn't have a care in the world but pinning her doppelganger with a look that only promised a lot of pain before a gruesome death.

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From Dust Returned

by Renegade

Copyright © 2003

renegade@wrongmail.com