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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks, as always, to my beta Jill.
I'm off to have surgery tomorrow so the next chapter might be a little delayed.
If you want to cheer me up... leave lots of reviews, who knows it might help me heal quicker. LOL
Willow was still wiping the tears from her eyes as she and the others reached the lobby.
Her mind was so caught up with her thoughts of Buffy and Spike that it took Dawn calling her name a second time to get her attention.


Willow smiled widely at the young girl, and seconds later she had a squealing bundle of former key hugging her hard enough to practically leave her winded.



“So, he’s ok? You fixed him? Of course you fixed him. You’re Willow. Oh God Will, I, we were so worried. Buffy was freaking out on me and I don’t know what she would have done…”

Dawn’s babbling ceased abruptly as Giles stepped forward. The expression on his face eerily reminiscent of the last time Willow had done a spell behind his back.

Dawn backed off moving towards Tara, sensing that whatever he was about to say to Willow was not something that she needed to hear.


Ignoring Willow’s attempt at retreat, Giles took her by the arm, guiding her towards Angel’s office. Closing the door behind them as soon as they crossed the threshold, he turned to face the red head.

“I’m not even going to say it; I believed you had learned from your mistakes Willow, that you would never be so foolish to hide something this important from me again. Instead you risked coming here with little or no information, lied to Kennedy, and did spells that you had no experience with; much less knew the outcome of.”


He sighed heavily before removing his glasses and staring past her at the scarred surface of Angel’s old desk. Replacing the glasses, he met her shamed gaze, expression softening when he noted the tears welling in her eyes.

“I should say I’m disappointed, but frankly… well I’ve got my own sins to worry about, so haranguing you for yours right at this moment seems somewhat pointless”


At her puzzled, if not relieved look, his jaw clenched with unexpected emotion; the expression on her face reminding him so much of the shy uncertain child she’d been when they had first met.

Suddenly bone tired, as he had not been in years, he slumped back against the closed door.


“I take it that the spell was successful, that you managed to restore Spike, so I’m not going to go into the how and why’s at the moment. I’m much more interested in how the hell you managed to bring Tara back, than the fact that Spike has once again cheated death. Please explain to me exactly how you happened to resurrect someone that’s been dead for nigh on two years?”




Willow, whom until then had been doing her best to keep her emotions in check found herself overwhelmed with his words, with the reality of the past few days. It was as though Giles saying it made it real in a way it had not been before and to both hers and Giles dismay, she abruptly burst into tears.

Between hiccuped sobs and tentative back patting Giles found himself listening to her explanation with confused wonder, and by the time she was finished open horror.



“You mean to tell me that she’s been trapped all this time. That if it wasn’t for a mistake she would still be stuck there in the Hellmouth?” He shook his head as though to clear it even as Willow sobbed out the last of her explanation.

“Oh my poor dear girl… I, well… I don’t know what to say. It is a miracle Willow… a gift… to find her again like that… How could we have been so oblivious?” Closing his eyes against his own tears, he folded the young witch in his arms, rocking her as hers subsided.


Giles found himself totally at a loss, his earlier anger and worry gone, as the import of Willow’s words settled upon him. Tara was back and Willow was in no way at fault, in fact for once in her life one of her spells going wrong had actually turned out to be, well like he’d said, a gift.


Oh Bugger! Tara, and Kennedy? Damn. He’d yet to tell Willow that Kennedy was here, and poor Tara had no idea that her girlfriend was now someone else’s girlfriend.


“Willow sit for a moment would you? I believe there is something you should know before we return to the others.” Face grim, he indicated the only chair in the room.


Willow blinked in puzzlement but did as he asked.

*****************

Faith was pacing restlessly.

Dawn was chatting excitedly to Tara and Xander kept gnawing on his thumb throwing worried glances alternately between Angel’s office and the dark recess that led to the Hyperion’s basement.


Angel found himself pulled from his own brooding thoughts as the door to the office opened and Willow and Giles appeared.

Giles looked sad and pensive, Willow quiet and strained. The after affects of their talk evident in her red eyes and tear stained face.
Moments later the blonde girl that Willow had called Tara was at her side and it was though the sun had come out from behind a cloud. Willow’s face lit up with a joy that Angel found himself hard pressed to watch.


He observed Giles indulgent smile and noted the shy way the blonde returned Willow’s affectionate hug. Dawn’s obvious excitement and even Xander’s grin left him feeling even more out of the loop than he’d felt in years.

It wasn’t until Faith suddenly nudged him with her shoulder that he realised he was staring and pulled his attention away from the small group to face the dark haired slayer.


“You know what? I’m not even going to ask” Shaking his head he met Faith’s sympathetic gaze before retreating to the office that the others had so recently vacated.



Faith watched him go, her expression sad as she thought of how well she knew what it was like to be on the outside looking in, especially when it came to the Scoobies. Shrugging off her own melancholy thoughts, she strode over to the small group determined to find out what she had missed.



“So hey you guys! Wanna fill me in on the dealy with B and the bleached one? I take it from the whole calmness factor that it’s all good, but I’d still like to know what the hell is going on.”

Faith cocked an enquiring eyebrow. “And while we’re in answer and question mode, would someone tell me what the hell that Kennedy chick’s damage is? She normally go around attacking people for no reason, or is that a new thing?” The last was directed at Willow, who upon hearing Kennedy’s name paled, before shooting a worried look at Tara.


Giles frowned, Xander glared, and Willow shuffled nervously.



“Well?” growled Faith, patience never her strong suit, finally running out.



Giles, seeing that Faith was about to lose what was left of her temper cleared his throat.

“Faith I believe we should go and check on the other slayers, perhaps get something to eat while I fill you all in on what has been happening. Xander, Dawn, if you would like to join us, I’m sure that Tara and Willow would appreciate some time to talk.”

With a meaningful look at Xander, Giles steered a still fuming Faith towards the front door of the hotel.



Willow shot Xander a panicked look, her hand tightening unconsciously on Tara’s.



Dawn looked puzzled for a moment before sudden realisation had her tugging on Xander’s arm.

Xander had told her earlier about Kennedy’s less than friendly arrival but with all the excitement over Spike, it had slipped her mind. Biting her lip nervously, she pulled Xander towards the door.


Xander shrugged helplessly at the desperate look on Willow’s face, knowing that there was going to be no easy way for her to tell Tara about Kennedy, and that his presence was in this instance not going to help. Besides which, he really didn’t want to be around when Willow introduced the two of them to each other.

At Willow’s hissed “Xander” he turned to see her flushed and questioning look. It was then that he realised that Giles probably hadn’t filled her in on the whole caged in the basement thing.

Sighing wearily, he shot an apologetic look at Tara. “Um Will, could I have a word with you? You know, about that thing” Jerking his head he indicated that she should follow him as he moved through the front doors.


Willow turned to Tara smiling through gritted teeth. “Hey baby I’ll just be a minute. Be right back” she promised, giving the blonde a quick kiss before turning and following Xander out the door.


Tara turned questioning eyes to Dawn.


“Don’t ask me” offered Dawn with a roll of her eyes. “It’s not like they tell me anything” she finished trying her best to look her most clueless.

God! This day cannot end fast enough was her thought as she waited impatiently for Willow to reappear.

Less than a minute later to Dawn’s great relief, Willow returned, her expression tight and her stride determined.


“Well I’m out of here guys… catch ya later” Dawn practically ran from the hotel, in her rush to not be around for the coming drama.




Willow waited a moment until the doors of the hotel had closed behind Dawn, then taking a deep breath she took both of Tara’s hands in hers and led her to the circular couch. God this was hard. Giles had told her Kennedy was here but Xander had filled her in on the details. What the hell did Ken think she was doing, attacking Faith and Xander like that?


Tara looked at her quizzically. She had known Willow long enough to know when Willow was nervous, and the vibe she was getting from her girlfriend told Tara that Willow was very nervous. Heart sinking she met her lovers’ eyes with understanding.

“It’s ok sweetie. Whatever it is, you can tell me. I’m not gonna be mad baby.” Ducking her head, she studied their clasped hands before continuing. “It…It’s been a long time Will… and… and I know you thought I was de…gone. It’s that Kennedy girl isn’t it? She’s your… you’re with her … aren’t you?”

Glancing up she caught the stricken look on the redheads face, and it was enough.


Tara blinked rapidly fighting back the tears, the sudden pain in her heart feeling nearly physical as the enormity of loosing Willow hit her.

“I understand Will” she murmured, trying desperately not to cry. “I was gone it’s to be expected that…”



“No… No, Tara baby, No. You don’t... you can’t” blurted Willow, trying to swallow around the fist sized lump that seemed to be choking her. Shaking her head wildly she pulled Tara towards her.


Foreheads touching, Willow gulped as green eyes met sad blue.

“Oh baby” she whispered tenderly “don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter how long you were gone or who I’ve been with… It…they could never matter… not as much as you.” Willow reached for her lover, her fingers tingling as she laced their hands together. “The moment I woke up on that floor and realised what I’d done, nothing but you mattered.”

Eyes glittering with tears Willow breathed her lover’s scent in deep as she tightened her grip on the others hands.

“I-I thought that Kennedy and I had something… that it was love.” she admitted, her voice apologetic.


When Tara flinched she rushed to finish before the other woman had the chance to pull away.

“But it’s you Tara, it’s always been you, and if you want, it always will be.” Letting go of the others hands she brought hers up to cup Tara’s face.

“I missed you so much baby. And Ken… well Ken knows how I feel; I never hid my feelings for you, from her. I know she’s gonna be upset, and maybe even a little mad.” Willow frowned remembering Xander’s earlier words. “But Tara, sweetie, she has to understand… you’re back… and I love you. Oh God, you’re really back” gasped the redhead, swept away again on the tide of wonder that her lovers reappearance engendered.

At Willow’s words, Tara felt herself buckle with relief. She had been so sure that Willow was going to tell her that it was her new love she wanted, so sure that time had dulled what Willow had once felt for her.


“Oh baby…I missed you too” she sobbed, as Willow’s mouth came down on hers.



**********************


Kennedy paced angrily, cursing Faith, Xander Harris, Buffy, Spike, and just about everyone else, she could think of.

With a roar of fury, she turned and kicked out at the bars of her prison in another futile rage driven attempt at escape. It only succeeded in making her angrier and bruising her foot.

She had no idea how long she had been out. Anxiety, that with every wasted moment Willow could be hurt, or worse, ratcheted up with every minute she was trapped.


Glancing at her watch, she noted that she had been awake for nearly an hour and was no closer to being free. Growling with frustration, she once again studied the boundaries of the cage she was imprisoned in.

She had tried repeatedly to bend the bars, but whatever the cage had been made for had obviously been far stronger than a human, or apparently a slayer. Even the lock seemed to be tougher than the average store manufactured one. Her slayer strength was unable to mark it, let alone bend it to breaking point.

Pacing some more she tried to calm down, knowing that for once it was her brain not her brawn that would be the most likely way out of her current situation.
“C’mon Ken, c’mon there’s gotta be some way” she muttered.

Her mind swirled trying to think, her anger at Faith and her embarrassment over being beaten by Xander, distracting her, and making it harder for her to concentrate.

Willow? What would Willow do? She turned again making her way back to the front of the cage, her mind repeating the question. What would Willow do?

Huh! Dumbass that’s easy… one spell and poof she’d be outa here.

She froze. A spell? God I am so stupid.

The unlocking spell! The one Willow taught all the new slayers, just in case they ever found themselves…


Groaning, she smacked herself sharply in the forehead; unable to believe it had taken her all this time to remember the only stupid spell Willow had ever managed to teach her.
I must remember to thank Will for being so pushy with the teaching when I find her. Embarrassment coloured her cheeks as the memory of her scathing, ‘I’m a Slayer, and slayers don’t need magic’ speech.

Thank God Willow kept insisting that knowing how to unlock a lock might just come in handy one day.


Taking deep even breaths like Willow had showed her, Kennedy seated herself cross-legged on the hard concrete floor of her cell. Muttering the words to the spell, she cleared her mind and envisioned the lock clicking open. Less than a minute later, she was free.

Thirty seconds after that she was pushing the door to the basement open.



The door swung back slowly and Kennedy tensed, every muscle in her body ready for whatever she might find in the lobby… or so she thought.

Two figures were huddled together on the couch in the centre of the lobby. Kennedy squinted trying to make out their identity in the gloom. Seconds later she gasped in shock, her mind going blank as first her ears and then her eyes took in the sight before her.



“I love you… Oh God your really back” said a familiar voice. “Oh Baby…I missed you too” was the others reply, right before the woman Kennedy now recognised as her girlfriend, swept the other into a passionate kiss.



Mind blank, Kennedy screamed in rage.

“Get the fuck away from her you bitch.” lunging out of the shadows she ran straight towards Willow and the yet unknown woman.





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