Please read the Disclaimer before continuing to remain in the site or reading the stories. These stories contain adult material with scenes of women loving women. Consider this story to have an R rating. If this is illegal in your state or you are underage, please go to a more appropriate site now.

Disclaimer: I don't own any Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. No copyright infringement is intended. Original characters are mine.

Pairing: W/T... of course.

Angst Rating: Some angst, less than most of my stories.

Rating: PG 13 for adult themes and W/T goodness.

This is a sequel to the Willow and Tara novel, Unexpected Consequences. If you haven’t read that first, you will be quite lost. It can be accessed at

http://www.quiknet.com/~lcountry/unexpected01.html

Unexpected Consequences: Milestones

By Lisa Countryman

© beginning July 2002

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Raindrops began to splatter on the windshield. The tiny droplets blurred the road in front of the car as Beth flicked on the wipers. She had been driving for six hours and she was beginning to get tired. She had considered pulling over at one of the small coffee shops along the interstate, but then decided against it. She needed to get to California. She needed to find Tara.

This was the first time she had ever taken a trip by herself, and it was both intimidating and exhilarating. She wondered about her cousin. It had been over a decade since she had seen Tara, but she remembered the encounter clearly. Beth, Uncle Caleb, and Donnie had gone to Sunnydale just before Tara’s twentieth birthday. They had to bring Tara home before her demon broke free. Uncle Caleb knew the demon would come, just like it did in every Maclay woman. Then, unexpectedly, Tara’s friends had said that it was all a lie, and they kept the blonde there with them. There had been many times over the past decade when Beth wondered if Tara’s friends had been right, that there was no demonic energy in the Maclay women.

Beth didn’t feel like a demon, and yet, any time she began to act independently, Donnie or Uncle Caleb would remind her that it was her demon ways making her rebel. Beth wondered if Tara had managed to keep her demon in check. For all Beth knew, Tara’s demon had taken over and the unopened letters from her blonde cousin had been sent to lure Uncle Caleb to his death. Beth wondered if she was going into a demon’s lair, then she thought of her own life. Was facing a demon any worse than the daily torments Beth faced? Tara was free. Beth was barely more than a servant. No, whatever happened when Beth found Tara couldn’t be worse than Beth’s life. Even if Tara was a demon and she killed Beth on sight, at least the suffering would be over.

That was a sobering thought. Beth saw a diner ahead next to the road and pulled into the dirt parking lot of the run-down restaurant. She needed coffee, and she needed human interaction. She was spending too much time alone with her own thoughts, and those thoughts were becoming more and more rebellious. "It must be my demon," Beth said, and then let out a sigh. Only a short while away from Uncle Caleb’s watchful eyes and Beth’s demon was confusing her.

She pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine, wondering again how it was that only the women in the Maclay family became infected with demons. It was especially troubling for Beth. Her mother hadn’t even married into the family. Beth’s mother was Tara’s aunt, Beth had always liked Aunt Meg, and she had seen how well Aunt Meg and Tara got along. After Beth’s mother had died from cancer, Beth had moved in with Tara’s family. After another year, Aunt Meg was dead from the same disease, brought on by magic. That had been enough for Beth to swear off magic forever, though apparently Tara had not.

‘Why?’ Beth wondered. ‘Was mama’s family demonic too?’ That would explain why Beth’s mother and Aunt Meg had both been killed by their magic. Maybe it was something to do with the Y chromosome. Maybe the men of the family were protected by their genetic makeup. Science had been one of Beth’s favorite subjects in school. She’d even dreamed of going to college so she could work in a laboratory, but that simply couldn’t be. Beth wasn’t as selfish as Tara. She wouldn’t risk unleashing her demon on the world. No, Beth would stay near Uncle Caleb and Donnie so her monster would not come out and hurt others. Besides, Donnie could be kind when his temper was under control. He loved helping with the small children at Sunday school. He was great with the younger ones, the ones who hadn’t yet learned to talk back. Donnie had wanted children, but that was not meant to be.

Donnie and his wife had lost a child a year after they married. Marsha had taken a fall and lost the baby, though Beth often wondered if Donnie hadn’t been the cause. He was quick with his fists when his temper flared, and Marsha used to talk back to him, that is, until she’d been on the receiving end of his temper a few times. Now Marsha quietly did as she was told. As Beth climbed out of the car and went into the dinner she wondered if Marsha would ever leave Donnie. Marsha’s family lived in Nevada, but she never even called them anymore. An idea formed as Beth opened the door to the diner. She’d be passing right through the small border town where Marsha’s family lived. It would be rude to not stop by and say hello. ‘Yep,’ Beth thought. She shook her head and sighed. ‘My rebellious demon is definitely asserting itself.’ And maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Beth opened her purse and counted her money. She’d splurge and have some pancakes with her coffee. Aunt Meg used to fix pancakes in all kinds of funny shapes. Uncle Caleb used to say it was silly, though he’d always grinned when she gave him his pancakes with wagon spokes on them. She sat at the counter and smiled at the waitress. Beth liked making her own decisions. ‘That must be the demon,’ she thought. She saw pancakes with whipped cream and strawberries listed on the menu. She decided she’d order those, and maybe some cocoa.

After her breakfast arrived, Beth ate in silence. She hoped she could find Tara. All she had was an address on a coastal highway. She hoped it was enough. She’d hate to spend days on the road for nothing. Then a bigger question occurred to her. Would Tara be willing to come back with her? Tara obviously had her own life, and Beth wondered if she’d be willing to set it all aside to come see her father one last time. She supposed she would. Tara had always been a loving young woman, even if she never gave the family the respect they deserved. Not after her mother died.

That made Beth think of her own mother, and that thought always made her remember how very dangerous the things Tara toyed with were. Beth’s mother had been a witch, a powerful one. She often wondered if it was the demon in them that made her mother turn to dark magic. She supposed it didn’t matter. God had seen to it that her mother was punished, and he had punished Aunt Meg as well. Both women died from brain cancer, one of the many ways dark magic poisoning would rear its head.

*****

"Okay, so this isn’t as bad as it seems, right?" Buffy asked Ceri. They were in the hallway outside Brent’s office, having just been kicked out by the elder.

Ceri didn’t reply. She was standing at attention, her back rigid and her shoulders set. The formal stance was something she knew, and there was something oddly comforting about it that made her feel like she was actually doing more than standing in a hall while Miss Brianna was suffering only feet away.

The silence hung like a thick, choking fog between the two warriors. Neither was used to waiting while something was wrong, especially with Brianna.

"Well, it’s been an exciting few days." Buffy tried to draw Ceri out of her stoic silence.

"Must make you feel right at home." Ceri knew Buffy was worried, and she recognized the small talk for what it was. Ceri had spent many night in Sunnydale helping the Slayer patrol, and she knew quiet times were the hardest.

"Yeah, well, as excitement goes, this is really pretty tame." Buffy leaned against the wall and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans. "A couple of Keepers, Tara bucked off her horse, Brianna escaping…" She faked a yawn. "Pretty mild for my life."

Ceri nodded and leaned against the wall next to Buffy. "But, hey, you met that nice school teacher guy." She smirked remembering how utterly unimpressed Buffy had been.

Buffy let out a snort and rolled her eyes.

"He may not be a leather clad bad boy, but he was nice." Ceri had a habit of pointing out the obvious. Michael Anderson had gone to Tara’s aid, so in Ceri’s book, he was one of the good guys. Plus, he had handled the grilling the guardians gave him with grace and even a bit of humor.

"Leather?" Buffy cleared her throat to stop from giggling. "Teacher-boy is about as far from leather as you can get."

"That’s not a bad thing, Buffy," Ceri said. "Maybe you should try a nice guy for a change."

"No thanks." Buffy’s expression darkened. She’d found that nice guys came with something the bad boys didn’t. Nice guys broke her heart. Angel and Riley had both left, leaving Buffy to suffer their loss. At least when Buffy broke up with one of her bad boys, having them leave was generally an improvement. "So, what’s up with Brianna?" She decided changing the subject was the safest bet.

Ceri’s face paled. She stared at the door to Brent’s office and was filled with a sense of dread.

"Well, crap." Buffy suddenly wished she was still talking about nice guys.

*****

Brent was in shock. Had she not already been kneeling, she would have stumbled. She stared at Brianna, studying the young child’s intense and loving blue eyes, eyes that looked just like Tara’s. She stood and went to her desk and leaned against it, needing the support to keep her balance.

She remembered a time when Brianna’s mother had issued the same challenge. That challenge had climaxed in a sword battle that by all rights should have ended with one of them dead. It would have ended in one of their deaths if Tara had not proven to be a kind, loving, and extremely resourceful woman. And now, just the specter of the idea that she may one day have to face Brianna in a challenge to the death was enough to shake Brent to her very core. For the first time in her life, she seriously questioned her convictions. She wondered if her love for the goddess was strong enough to harm the child she held more dear than her own life or her own soul.

"Sit." Brent pointed at the chair next to her desk. She stared at the young child. Her heart filled and broke at the same time. Brianna was such a visible blend of her two mothers, inside and out, and Brent’s love for the two women overflowed when it came to the child and her new sister. Unfortunately, Brianna had both her mothers’ strong wills. "Don’t move," Brent said went she saw Brianna looking around the room.

Brianna sat tall, with her back straight. Her expression was pure Willow, an exact doppelganger of Willow’s ‘resolve face’ when she was being stubborn. Yet, at the same time, Brianna’s eyes were carbon copies of Tara’s. Her blue eyes revealed her fear and anxiety despite her determined efforts to look strong. Her resolve faded under Brent’s scrutiny and she sagged back into the chair and bit her lip, which began to tremble.

It was too much for Brent. She rushed to the door and yanked it open.

"Mistress?" Ceridwen jumped to attention. She hadn’t expected to see Brent so soon.

Even Buffy straightened her slouched shoulders.

Brent was pale, and her voice shook. "Get Lady Tara and Lady Willow," she said. "Now."

Ceri didn’t hesitate. "Yes, Mistress." Under normal circumstances, she might have reminded Brent that Lady Willow and Lady Tara were having some much needed alone time. These were not normal circumstances. Ceri had never seen Brent’s face quite that pale or her eyes quite so haunted. She spun on her heel and ran down the corridor, leaving Buffy alone near the door.

"What is it?" Buffy watched Ceri sprint down the long hallway. "Is Brianna okay?"

Brent turned to Buffy, as if just noticing her. "It’s a matter I cannot discuss with outsiders." The elder was weary, and looked beaten.

"Outsiders?" Buffy yelled. "That’s my niece in there! I am not an outsider."

"This is a matter for Brigit and her followers," Brent said with quiet resolve.

"Oh…" Buffy’s argument died on her lips. As much as Buffy loved Willow and Tara and their children, and the women of the sanctuary, Buffy was certainly not a follower of the goddess. She really had no religious leanings at all. Strange, given that she fought demonic forces every night. She was a force of good that faced down evil each night. She knew all about evil and demons, and so she imagined that there must be an opposite side to the coin she faced each night, yet she had no spirituality. She had never really felt the lesser for it, except for times like this. "Well, what am I supposed to do?"

Brent turned and went into her office, leaving Buffy to grapple with her own inner demons.

"Well, thank you very much." Buffy glared at the door and let out a puff of air. "Fine." She spun and headed down the hallway. She’d go talk to Dawn. Dawn generally knew what the damn guardians were up to, and if Dawn didn’t, then Bre would. She hurried out of the building.

Brent rested her forehead against the door and took a deep breath. She knew Ceridwen would do her bidding without hesitation, and she had more pressing matters. She went to the chair and knelt in front of Brianna. "Why?" she whispered.

Brianna’s tiny red eyebrows crinkled with confusion

"Why?" Brent’s voice was steady, even though her hands were shaking. "Why did you issue the challenge?" Brent asked. She reached up and tucked Brianna’s wild bangs behind her ears. She wanted to rip someone to pieces. This precious child shouldn’t even know about the challenge. The loving little girl shouldn’t know of things that ended in death.

"I don’t want the magic." Brianna’s voice shook, but she was insistent.

"What magic?" Brent was gentle. She adored the child and wanted to know what was causing such pain in her expressive blue eyes.

"The magic," Brianna said. She felt helpless and began to cry. "It’s bad. It’s evil."

Brent was thoroughly confused. She took Brianna by both slender shoulders. "Sweetie, what are you talking about?"

"I heard mama and mommy talking," Brianna said. Tears began to run down her cheeks. "Mommy’s scared. It’s bad. It makes her hurt people."

Brent closed her eyes and she let a wounded sigh. She opened her eyes and pulled Brianna to her chest, fiercely holding her as if she could absorb some of the child’s pain. "It’s not the same thing." Brent picked up the child and stood.

Brianna snuggled into the embrace, her spindly legs wrapping tightly around Brent’s waist as the elder went back to the desk and sat.

"It’s not the same thing at all." Brent spoke in soothing tones. "Shh.." She ran her hand down Brianna’s back. "Magic is not evil."

Brianna arched her back and almost broke out of Brent’s grasp. Her blue eyes flashed dangerously as glared at Brent, her fury barely contained. "My mommy said so." Her tiny voice shook with conviction. "Mommy and mama do not lie."

"No, they don’t." Brent shifted her hands so she wouldn’t drop the angry child. "But you misunderstood."

"I don’t want to be evil." Brianna was barely able to speak, her tiny voice was strained, and her throat ached.

"You could never be evil." Brent wanted to assured Brianna. She eased her back to her chest and petted the child’s hair. Brianna had always loved to have her hair stroked. It calmed her, it had since she was an infant, and at the moment, Brianna needed the familiar comfort. "There’s not an evil bone in your body, sweetie."

"But mommy can’t … she doesn’t want it," Brianna said. Her face was pressed against Brent’s soft chest and the familiar scent of sacred herbs clung to the older woman. "It’s bad." Her voice was tiny and muffled. "Mommy said so." She sniffled, reliving the scene she had just witnessed. "And mama … mama said it could hurt her." She lifted her head and looked into Brent’s eyes. "I don’t wanna’ be bad. I don’t wanna’ hurt people." She sobbed and buried her face against Brent’s neck.

Brent cradled her tenderly. "This is something that your mothers are going to have to explain to you, Brianna." Brent was near tears.

"I don’t want it!" Brianna yelled and then sobbed hysterically. "It’s bad. I don’t want the magic." She clung to Brent and cried so hard she began to hiccup and gasp for air.

"Shh, baby." Brent kissed Brianna’s temple and ran her hands over the child’s shaking back. "You already know there are different kinds of magic," Brent said. She had to alleviate some part of Brianna’s pain. "There are different ways of asking for help from the goddess."

Brianna hiccuped and lifted her face. Tears stained her cheeks and her bloodshot eyes studied Brent intensely.

"The magic your mama is worried about is not given by the goddess. It’s taken." Brent cringed as she saw the fury in Brianna’s blue eyes return.

"My mommy would not take magic," Brianna said indignantly. "It’s wrong." She was positive, and she wouldn’t be dissuaded. "It’s against Brigit and my mommy would not do that." Her lips trembled and burst into another crying jag. She clung to Brent and her cries quieted to defeated whimpers. She was emotionally exhausted, wanting to fight Brent for saying her mommy would take magic, but needing comfort more than anything else.

There really was no way for Brent to explain any further. That was up to Willow and Tara, and it was going to be a painful conversation, one Brent wished wouldn’t have come up for at least a dozen years. Unfortunately, Brianna’s accidental eavesdropping had made that delay impossible.

"I want the challenge." Brianna sniffled. She was as single minded as Tara and as stubborn as Willow.

"What do you know about the challenge?" Brent asked.

"I know mama had the Imbolc power," Brianna said slowly. She wanted the magic gone, but she was scared. She’d never seen Brent’s lights flicker with such pain and Brianna instinctively knew she’d caused it. "And mama wasn’t supposed to have it … so she took the challenge."

"Who told you about the challenge?" Brent asked.

"Mama and mommy," Brianna whispered. She felt like she was revealing something that might make Brent angry with her mothers. Still, she had been taught to always do as Brent said.

"I see." Brent’s jaw clenched tightly.

Brianna sniffled and tears ran down her cheeks.

"Shh…" Brent pulled the child closer. She needed to wait for Willow and Tara before she could broach the subject of the challenge any further.

*****

"Son of a bitch!" Bre saw Dawn spin and flee the room.

"What is it?" Kaley sat up and turned toward the empty doorway.

"Dawn," Bre said. "Shit." She rolled her eyes and flopped against her pillows. "Shit, shit, shit."

Kaley was momentarily confused. "She?" Then she made the connection. "Oh. She saw us." She wanted Bre, but more than that, she wanted Bre to be happy, and Bre’s happiness had apparently just wandered in and misinterpreted the situation. "I’ll go get her." She made the offer quickly.

"That is not a good idea." Bre had seen the anger and hurt in Dawn’s eyes right before the young doctor spun and left the room. "I’ll go."

Kaley laughed. "Excuse me? I don’t think so." She nodded at the IV and then toward the bandages covering Bre’s shoulder. "I’ll go fetch your little doctor and bring her back so you can talk to her, okay?" She stood and turned to leave.

"Don’t use force." Bre’s expression was as harsh as her tone.

Kaley spun slowly around toward her fellow guardian. "On my honor." Kaley hurried from the room.

Strangely enough, that particular oath didn’t calm Bre. Certainly, she didn’t doubt Kaley’s intentions, for no guardian would invoke their honor without fully intending to keep the promise that proceeded it. Still, so many of Kaley’s actions had been less than honorable. Brent and the others had cut Kaley a great deal of slack; she had lost her sister in the service of Brigit and some time of adjustment was to be expected. But she’d had well over a year. The fact that Kaley was going to retrieve Dawn only added to the complicated mess. Bre had to smile as she thought about her fiery best friend. Dawn was not known for her patience or her gentle disposition. Now that Kaley had given her word to not use force, it was quite likely that Dawn would kick Kaley’s ass.

Outside, Dawn ran down the well-manicured path. She didn’t know where she was going, just that she had to get away from the hospital, to get away from the searing image of Kaley with Bre.

Kaley bolted out of the building and quickly saw Dawn hurrying away. "Oh, great." She took a deep breath and sprinted to catch up with the distraught doctor. "Dawn, wait!"

Dawn spun and her eyes were full of venom. "Get the hell away from me," she said, her tone making it clear she was in no mood to chat with the guardian. "What, you thought you’d play the sympathy card?" she demanded. "You go in there, cry on her shoulder while she’s all weak and tired from her injury…" Her eyes narrowed. "You make me sick."

"I went to apologize," Kaley said. "And yeah, while we were talking, I got upset, and Bre was nice enough to comfort me."

"Comfort?" Dawn’s voice was shaking and her adrenaline fueled rage had her pulse racing. She was a doctor, trained to heal people, but at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to punch Kaley in the mouth and knock the smug look off her face.

The level of hatred surprised Kaley. Even though she knew Dawn had a crush on Bre, she hadn’t expected this much emotion. "Yes, comfort me," Kaley said again. She wanted to twist the knife a little because she knew Dawn could easily have Bre if she’d simply get off her ass and take the first step. Kaley had given her word to not use force against Dawn, but she hadn’t said anything about using other more dangerous weapons.

Dawn rolled her eyes and crossed both arms over her chest.

"Of course, you wouldn’t know anything about that." Kaley was taunting the other woman, and she couldn’t seem to stop. "It’s something we share here at the sanctuary. Two women, comforting each other … with their bodies." It was a lie, a calculated risk. It was a gamble, though Kaley hadn’t really been aware of all the possible outcomes to her frivolous bet. She soon found out that sometimes it was better to fold and walk away.

Dawn smirked and swung her fist, connecting solidly. ‘Oh, look … that smug look is gone,’ she thought to herself.

Kaley staggered back. The sting of Dawn’s knuckles on her jaw was a surprise, and Kaley’s first, instinctual reaction was to ball her own fist and leap into the fray. She stopped herself, merely clenching her hand tightly at her side. She had given her oath to Bre not to use force, and a blow in self-defense would have still been a breech of honor. Plus, she was beginning to realize that Dawn’s feelings might be more than a crush.

"Bre doesn’t want you, Kaley." Dawn gritted her teeth. Her fist ached and she wondered if she’d broken any of the small bones in her hand. "Can’t you see that? Just get the hell over it."

Kaley liked to win. She was desperately competitive, and she’d been chasing Bre for some time, but she was not stupid. She knew that lust was no match for love. "There was nothing romantic about what you saw." She hated making the admission, but it was the right thing to do, plus if it came up in conversation with Bre, she wanted to make sure her ass was covered.

"Well, no shit!" Dawn glared dangerously and flexed her aching hand. "I really doubt Bre’s gonna be snuggling with her freaking stalker."

Kaley’s arm twitched. She ached to draw back her fist. This was twice that Dawn had insulted Kaley’s honor in the same fashion.

Dawn was too angry to notice that she had pushed the other woman too far. "I don’t know what you pulled in there, but it’s not going to work." Dawn’s nostrils flared. She was shaking with rage and more than a little jealousy.

Kaley smiled cruelly. "Go on thinking whatever you want, Dawn. I only came out here to get you because Bre wants to talk to you." She paused and gave the other woman a knowing grin. "And I’ll do whatever Bre wants." Her suggestive tone was clear. She had all but given up the fight for Bre’s affections, but she wasn’t above pushing a few more of Dawn’s buttons. "Even if that means fetching you."

"That’s mighty big of you," Dawn said snidely.

"Well?" Kaley asked.

"So, are you honor bound to bring me back?" Dawn wasn’t giving an inch.

"I gave my word to bring you back," Kaley admitted.

"Fine." Dawn gave the guardian a smug smirk. "I’ll go back, but only if you leave."

Kaley dipped her head and hid her own smirk. She’d let Dawn have the apparent victory. Dawn may think she was winning, but in reality, Kaley had to get back to the barracks. "Enjoy your visit," Kaley said sarcastically. "I’ll have plenty of time to see her after you leave tomorrow." She turned and walked away, getting entirely too much pleasure from the angry flash she had just caused in Dawn’s eyes.

Dawn was torn. She wasn’t sure if she should go back and talk to Bre or keep pacing until she calmed down. After all, she didn’t own Bre. She had no claim to her. So why did she feel like Bre had betrayed her with Kaley? That wasn’t something she wanted to examine too closely. Besides, she had to leave for work the next day and she wanted to spend more time with her best friend. She’d just have to push away the image of Kaley’s head on Bre’s lap. She also had to push away the idea that her own head belonged there. Obviously Bre wasn’t interested in that or she would have said something the night before ... when Dawn had completely exposed herself, telling Bre she was indeed attracted to women.

"Stupid witch." Dawn glared at Kaley’s retreating back. "I’m such an idiot." She walked back toward Bre’s room like a puppy crossing the room to get its nose smacked. "It not Bre’s fault she doesn’t want me." She was talking to herself, something she only did when she was exceptionally nervous. "And I just had to open my big mouth." She yanked open the door to the building and sighed. "And running off, yeah, that was brilliant."

*****

Buffy was almost to the hospital ward when she saw Anya. Anya made a beeline for her, and Buffy knew Anya well enough to know that the former demon had something on her mind.

"What’s up?" Buffy wasn’t really sure she wanted to know the answer to the question.

"Buffy. Hi. Hello. Good morning." Anya smiled brightly. "How are you?" She blinked several times and for a brief instant reminded Buffy of a robot she had once dealt with in Sunnydale.

"Fine…" Buffy said slowly, stretching out the word into two syllables. ‘On, boy,’ Buffy thought. ‘Anya’s being civil. She must want something.’

"Good. Good. Good to hear that." Anya was cheerful, too cheerful. She glanced around nervously, then cleared her throat. "So, I was wondering, about this … this … this man that Tara brought home for you…"

"Augh!" Buffy rolled her eyes and wondered how many of her friends would insist on setting her up with Tara’s ultra nice guy. The guy couldn’t have looked more wholesome if he had been handing out chilled milk and home-baked cookies at a freaking orphanage. "Look, Anya, I know you mean well … you all mean well, but he’s really not my type." She shivered. ‘Really not my type,’ she thought as she pictured the boring teacher and imagined that his idea of exciting would be some tame variation of the missionary position, a very slight variation, or maybe he’d be wild enough to actually take his socks off during sex. ‘White tube socks,’ Buffy thought as she cleared her throat to keep from giggling.

"Really?" Anya asked. She stepped a bit closer. "Well, you didn’t spend much time with him, you know."

"Trust me, I had enough time to figure out that he is not the right guy for me. He’s a nice guy and all that, but, come on? A school teacher? Eww." She smirked, realizing she couldn’t even remember the guy’s name.

"Oh, of course." Anya nodded her head emphatically. "I mean, you, you like the cruel, I mean the bad boys."

"I do not like bad boys," Buffy said defensively. "What is it with you people?"

Anya scowled and slowly looked in each direction. When she finished her scan, she leaned toward Buffy. "Well, as far as I know, I’m only one people."

Buffy smiled, but she also rolled her eyes. Anya’s cluelessness was somewhat endearing. "I have no interest in teacher-boy." She raised one eyebrow and gave Anya a dangerous glare. "None. Okay?"

Anya smiled cryptically. "Okay." She spun and walked away.

"Hey!" Buffy watched her friend hurry away. "Geez, why don’t you just walk away in the middle of our conversation?" She shook her head and made a grumbling sound in the back of her throat. Anya was a mystery, but at least she was a consistent mystery. Buffy gave up trying to figure out the former demon and headed toward the hospital to talk to Dawn. She needed to talk to her sister, but she wasn’t the only one.

*****

Bre fidgeted with the IV on the back of her wrist as she waited for Dawn to return. She studied the tube and wondered what would happen if she yanked the IV out and went after Dawn herself. ‘I’m a guardian,’ she thought. ‘A trained warrior. I’m conditioned to deal with pain. What could it hurt?’ She smirked and reached for the IV. She winced as her shoulder throbbed and she felt a bit light-headed. ‘Okay, that could hurt a little,’ she thought. She held her arm close to her body and wondered why they hadn’t given her a sling.

"Probably because they didn’t want me walking around." Bre was talking to herself, and much like Dawn, it was something she only did when nervous. That didn’t matter. All she needed was to find Dawn. She swung her legs out of the bed and stood on the cold tile.

"You’d think they’d keep this place warm enough so I wouldn’t freeze my feet off." She balanced unsteadily and tried to figure out how to unhook the IV. She looked from side to side and was disgusted to realize that the IV bag was hanging from a metal stand attached to the bed. Bre had thought she might be able to wheel her IV stand along with her, but that was not an option. She studied the IV needle and was debating just yanking the needle out of her hand versus toting the IV bag under her arm. It suddenly became a moot point.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed!" Dawn had meant to open with a more gracious greeting, but seeing Bre standing unsteadily and eyeing her IV with the obvious intent to yank it out did nothing to improve Dawn’s mood.

"Umm…" Bre blushed. "I was gonna go look for you." She smiled and bit her lip, giving Dawn her most charming smile.

"So, you thought getting out of bed, not even one day after getting shot, and yanking out your IV was going to make me happy?" Dawn’s voice rose as she rushed to Bre’s side and pushed her onto the bed.

"I wasn’t going to touch the IV," Bre said a bit too quickly.

"Uh, huh, right," Dawn said. She gave Bre a gentle shove onto the mattress and then lifted the guardian’s feet and began tucking them under the blankets.

"I wouldn’t have to yank it out if they had just given me one of those little stands with the wheels." Bre’s complaints fell on deaf ears.

"Wheels?" Dawn was beyond angry. She yanked the blankets up and tucked Bre under them like she was a child. "Wheels are for mobile patients. And hey, guess what you’re not? Mobile!" she yelled.

"Yeah, well, I needed to find you and Miss Brianna is missing." Bre mustered as much attitude as she could muster while being tucked into bed. The covers were up to her chin and both arms were trapped underneath.

"She’s not missing anymore." Dawn continued tucking the blankets even more snugly.

"Is Brianna okay?" Bre asked.

"Of course." Dawn bound the blankets even more snugly. She was nervous, and didn’t notice how tightly she was tucking in her best friend. "You know how she loves to wander off." Dawn didn’t add that something was still up, that all of the guardians were on edge.

"Breathing, becoming an issue," Bre said. A smirk blossomed. Now that she knew Brianna was safe, she could let down her guard.

Dawn rolled her eyes and pulled the blankets loose and tucked them under Bre’s arms.

"Why did you run out of here," Bre asked.

"You were busy," Dawn said a bit harshly.

"It wasn’t what it looked like, Dawn." Bre wondered if perhaps Dawn had feelings for her, then pushed that idea aside as wishful thinking.

"Well, it looked like you were letting your stalker move right in." Dawn folded her arms over her chest. It hurt too much to admit the real reasons behind her anger so she latched on to a familiar emotion. "And trust me, I know that when I see it. I had to watch my sister throw her life away with that bastard Spike, remember?"

"It’s not the same thing," Bre said. "Ya know, despite everything with Kaley, she and I do have a friendship."

Jealousy pulsed through Dawn’s veins. "Oh, really? I wasn’t aware that was a wise decision when it comes to stalkers."

"She’s not a stalker," Bre said. She was dangerously close to whining.

"You are letting her in!" Dawn stepped away from the bed. Her tone was laced with accusation. "I can’t believe you!"

"I am not." Bre was insistent. "Stop saying that," she said. This time, her voice was a pathetic whine.

"You had her laying all over you." Dawn waved her hand at the bed, the same bed where she had enjoyed resting her face on Bre’s lap.

"She was crying," Bre said, as if that explained the entire situation. "We were talking about her sister."

"Oh, she’s good," Dawn said. She punctuated it with a possessive growl. "How do these stalkers do it?" She paced the small room.

"Stop calling her that!" Bre was frustrated on many levels. "She asked me out a few times and I said no."

Dawn spun and stomped back to the bed. "Yeah, and the operative thing is that you said no. Several times." Her voice was strained. "Once someone says no, you’re supposed to back off. That’s the whole ‘no’ part of the no."

"She’s just a little persistent," Bre said. "It’s not like anyone else is pounding down my door." She wanted to add, ‘like you,’ but settled for grouchily asking one more question. "What’s it to you?"

There was an awkward silence. Dawn was caught off guard by the question. She swallowed with a loud gulp and bit her lip. "Well, you know, you are my best friend." She was stalling. "And I don’t want to see you throw your life away with the wrong woman, and Kaley is so the wrong woman…"

"Uh huh," Bre said.

"I mean, with all the freaking guardians to choose from, that’s who I find crawling all over you?" Of course it had been Dawn who spent the night in that particular location.

"Yeah, well, I guess it did look bad." Bre looked toward the window. She tried to hide the sting that Dawn’s words had caused. She realized that Dawn wanted her to choose one of the other guardians. ‘I guess I was right not to make a pass at her.’ Her thoughts were glum. "Well, I’ll be sure to make a list of guardians to start dating." She looked back to Dawn. "You can check off the ones who you approve of." She forced a smile. "Will that make you feel better?"

Dawn’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t react well when she was in pain, and she was in agony at the moment. She imagined the list Bre might give her. ‘No way in hell is anyone getting my approval,’ she thought. She started to comment, but was cut off when the door swung open.

"O-kay…" Buffy barged into the room, oblivious to the thick tension. "What the hell is going on?" It was more demand than question.

Dawn and Bre both looked like guilty little deer caught in some rather bright headlights.

"Huh?" Dawn asked. ‘God, am I that obvious?’ she wondered.

"What?" Bre’s voice squeaked.

"This place." Buffy waved her hand in a broad sweep. "What is going on with Brianna. First she wanders off, making me feel like a loser of slayer aunt for misplacing the little rat … then everyone’s all on this big ol’ high alert deal."

"The sanctuary’s on high alert?" Bre reached down to yank the IV out of her hand. There was no way she was staying in bed during a high alert.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Dawn leapt to the bed and grabbed Bre’s hand. "It’s not on high alert," she said. "Buffy’s exaggerating." She glared at her sister and then tried to calm Bre. "She does that. A lot."

"Okay, so it isn’t a high alert, but they’re definitely acting all alerty," Buffy said. "You know how they get." She paced as she continued babbling, not noticing that she was making Bre’s stress, and probably her blood pressure, skyrocket. "They get all, ya know."

"All what?" Bre asked. She tried to move Dawn’s hand from the back of her wrist, but the doctor was having none of it. She fought to get to the IV, but ended up getting into a minor slap-fest with her friend.

"Stop it." Dawn reverted to whining, smacking Bre’s fingers. "You’re gonna hurt yourself."

"Then take it out for me, doctor." Bre could whine as well. She sounded more like a spoiled teen than a trained warrior.

"One- you are not getting the IV out," Dawn said. "Two- you’re not getting out of bed, and three- well, there is no three, but well, shut up and do as I tell you." Her commanding tone faded into a whine. She continued gripping Bre’s hand, and slowly running her fingers over Bre’s skin.

"There’s no alert." Buffy finally saw that she was causing Bre’s sudden need to abandon her sickbed. "There’s just some nervousness." Her eyes locked on Dawn’s hand on Bre’s. A light slowly flickered on in the back of Buffy’s mind. "I figured you’d know what was up with Brianna." She smirked realizing that Bre was leaning toward Dawn and not even aware of it. ‘Some people are so clueless,’ she thought.

"No one is telling me anything," Bre said. She was angry- angry that she had been shot, angry that she was locked in a hospital bed, but mostly, she was angry that she felt helpless in every aspect of her life. She reached over and signaled for the nurse with the call button.

"I’m sure it’s nothing." Dawn’s demeanor shifted as her concern for Bre kicked into overdrive. She eased Bre back onto her pillows and ran her hand down her friend’s arm.

"I don’t think there’s anything too serious." Buffy was backpedaling. She could see that Bre was panicking. "I mean, no one’s getting their weapons out or anything. There’s just some milling around."

Bre furrowed her brows together.

"You know." Buffy sighed before continuing. "Milling around. That nervous guardian pacing that you guys do."

Bre’s expression darkened. She knew all too well that if the guardians were visibly nervous, then something was wrong, and if they were pacing, that meant they didn’t know what to do. "Are you sure Miss Brianna’s okay?" she asked.

"She’s fine," Buffy said. "She went to see Brent," she added a bit too cheerfully.

"What?" Bre asked.

"What what?" Buffy said defensively. "There’s no ‘what.’ I swear."

"You just got the look." Dawn slid her hand down and gripped Bre’s fingers.

"There’s no ‘what’ and there’s no look." Buffy was nothing if not persistent.

"Oh, there is a look, and you’ve got it." Dawn pointed at her sister with one hand while clutching Bre’s fingers with the other.

"It’s just … Brent was … ya’ know … nervous," Buffy said.

"Define nervous." Bre sat up.

"Grouchy," Buffy said. She hated being forced to explain. "That look on her face like someone just spilled chocolate on her best robe or maybe like she needs more fiber in her diet…"

Bre glared and started to get out of the bed, but Dawn kept her in place.

"Okay, she’s upset," Buffy finally said. "I think it has something to do with Brianna, but I have no idea what. I swear."

"And that’s supposed to make me feel better?" Bre squeezed Dawn’s hand, glad for the comfort. "Has anyone talked to Lady Willow and Lady Tara yet?" she asked.

"Ceri just went to get them," Buffy said. She relaxed her shoulders, thinking that was a good thing.

"Shit," Bre said. She knew if Ceri was interrupting Willow and Tara’s alone time, things with Brianna were bad, very bad.

*****

Tara was leaning into the thick cushions of the couch. She looked down and smiled at Willow, who was sprawled across her lap. She ran her fingers through Willow’s hair. "It’s gonna be okay, sweetie. I promise."

Willow sniffled and rolled onto her back and looked up at Tara. "How can you be so sure? I don’t exactly have a great history where magic is concerned." Willow was cried out. Her throat was dry, and she wondered if it was possible to dehydrate from crying too much. "You know what I did, Tara. How can you trust I won’t do it again?"

"Because, you have that adorable stubborn streak. No way magic is stronger than that." Tara brushed the tears from Willow’s cheeks. "So, it’s settled, okay?"

"That’s very butch of you," Willow said. She waggled her eyebrows and then smirked, trying to act more upbeat in the hopes that the emotion would stick. "And a little stubborn as well."

Tara nodded and moved her hand to Willow’s belly. "And don’t you forget it," she said with mock seriousness. She gave Willow’s tummy a pat, then her hand froze when Willow winced in pain. "Willow?" she asked, nodding toward Willow’s belly.

"It’s not that bad." Willow tried to sit up, but that only added to her abdominal pain. She inhaled with a hiss. "It looks worse than it is." She flinched as Tara helped her sit up.

"What looks worse?" Tara wanted answers. "We need to call Diana. You could have an infection."

"Um, well, it’s not an infection." Willow held both hands over her belly and turned toward Tara. "It’s kinda the side effect of my adorable stubborn streak." She smiled nervously.

Tara waited for an explanation. Her eyes were full of apprehension, but also the kind of growing anger that only her concern for Willow could cause.

"Well, now, you see, it’s not as bad as all that." She wanted to assure Tara. "You went galloping off and no one would tell me anything." She pulled at her tee shirt. "So what was I supposed to do, just sit there?"

"Yes, you were." Tara was livid. "You just had surgery!" She scooted out from under Willow and then stood and paced in front of the couch.

"Can’t we go back to you comforting me about the nasty magic?" Willow was reduced to whining. She didn’t want to think about her injury. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t going back to her dark magic addiction. "This doesn’t matter." She pointed at her belly.

"Willow…" Tara spun and glared at her lover.

"I’m fine," Willow said. "Diana already checked me."

Tara folded her arms over her chest. She knew if Willow had gone to see Diana during a crisis, there was more to the story, like a very serious injury

"Why did she have to check you?" Tara sat next to her wife and tried to calm her nerves. She reached over and rested her palm over Willow’s stomach.

"I went after you." Willow studied the carpet fibers. With Any luck, Tara wouldn’t hear her confession.

"You went riding in your condition!" Tara yelled. She jumped back to her feet. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn’t thinking!" she yelled back. "You were missing and they wouldn’t tell me anything." She waved both hands at Tara. "You just took off, and besides, I never actually got to the riding part, so don’t yell at me." She scowled. "And maybe you should yell at Ceri. She locked me in a stall."

Tara smirked, making it obvious that she approved of Ceri’s actions.

"A dirty stall that was teeming with infection causing germs," Willow said.

"Oh, god." Tara dropped to her knees in front of Willow. "But you said it wasn’t an infection."

"It wasn’t." Willow sighed. "I kinda’ grabbed a saddle and headed off to saddle Dillan…"

"Those saddles are heavy. Diana said no lifting." Tara was back to being livid.

"And boy, did she ever mean it." Willow grumbled.

"You could have torn your incision." She was still angry with Willow, but that was being overridden by concern. She put her hand on Willow’s belly and stared as if she could see through the fabric of Willow’s blouse.

Willow flinched. "I kinda know that now."

It was Tara’s worst fear. Her hand froze in place, needing to feel that Willow’s skin was warm and that she wasn’t going anywhere. She looked up, meeting Willow’s eyes. She didn’t need to request information. Her expression was pleading and full of fear.

"It isn’t that bad." Willow met Tara’s eyes. "Well, it’s not good, but it isn’t terrible." She squirmed nervously. "I pulled out some stitches, you know, the ones inside."

Tara’s eyes widened.

"I already saw Diana," Willow said. She wanted to remind Tara of that fact in the hopes that it might keep her out of trouble.

"And?" Tara’s voice was shaking.

"Um, I had a little spotting," Willow said. It was slightly stretching the truth. In fact, she’d actually bled profusely.

"Honey." Tara shifted her hand on Willow’s stomach, as if she were trying to absorb the pain her lover had endured.

"Tara…" Willow’s voice cracked and her eyes began to water. "Diana said…" She sniffled and wiped both eyes and let out a frustrated sigh. She hated crying. "You know how before, Diana said I shouldn’t have another baby?"

"Absolutely." Tara had agreed with the doctor. She was staring at Willow’s tummy, trying to see if there was any outward sign of the injury.

"Tara, it’s not a should anymore." Willow’s voice was a tiny whisper.

Tara lifted her gaze and looked into Willow’s eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I can’t have any more children." Tears rolled down Willow’s cheeks.

"We knew that." Tara nodded. She had accepted that any danger to Willow was too risky. There was no way she’d let her lover carry another child. She thought Willow had accepted that as well.

"I can’t get pregnant again," Willow clarified bluntly.

Tara scooted closer and took Willow into a gentle hug. She crawled onto the couch so she could cradle her lover. "Honey, I know you wanted to, but it just wouldn’t have been safe, even before this."

"I know that," Willow said harshly. She sniffled again. "But I kinda thought I still had the option."

"Oh, sweetie." She kissed the top of Willow’s head. ‘Risking you was never an option,’ she thought as she held her wife. "Can we still conceive? With me carrying the baby?"

Willow nodded and snuggled closer. "But I’ll never get to be pregnant again." She was brokenhearted. "I liked feeling Megan inside me." She lifted her head so she could see Tara’s eyes. "I liked feeling our child growing inside me, feeling her little feet kicking my bladder at three in the morning." Willow backed away a few inches and wrapped her arms around her chest as if chilled. "And now I can’t ever feel that again and for all I know I’m gonna be running through the streets with my eyes all black and dark magicy." Willow often jumped subjects midstream when she rambled, and more often than not, the subject that leapt to the front from left field was the issue that scared her most.

Tara leaned over and kissed Willow’s forehead. "You’ve been through so much." She pulled Willow closer and simply held her. "I promise you, honey, I will not let this mage thing get out of control." She sighed and ran her hand up and down Willow’s arm. "And by the time Megan’s bigger, and we decide we’re ready for another baby, it’s gonna be a total snap." She gave her lover a gentle shake. "You’re gonna have all these mage powers— you’re gonna be able to handle anything." She smiled. "Heck, you’ll probably be able to change diapers with the flick of a wrist. Two mages? We should be able to vanquish diapers. Dirty diapers are definitely evil, demonic even."

Willow chuckled and then sniffled. She actually liked the sound of that.

"Won’t be so bad." Tara leaned back into the cushions, pulling Willow with her. "I’ll deal with the morning sickness, and then when the baby gets here, you can just snap your fingers and change her diapers. Heck, maybe we can figure out how to do that now." She was trying to keep her mind off of Willow’s pain. She hated when Willow was hurting. She knew her wife wanted to carry another child, despite what Diana had already told them. It was something the two witches had argued about. Diana’s suggestion that it ‘wasn’t a good idea’ was more than enough to convince Tara. Any risk to Willow was too dangerous. Tara had decided that she would carry their next child. Morning sickness and painful labor were nothing compared to putting Willow in danger.

Tara let out another sigh and tried to stretch her sore arm. The bruise on her shoulder had darkened to a uniform purple overnight, but the pain actually seemed to lessen after her morning bath. That reminded her of her own foolish behavior from the previous day. That revelation made it a whole lot easier to forgive Willow for keeping her injury a secret, though not completely.

"What are you thinking?" Willow snuggled closer. She was tired of talking about bad things. She hated bad things. She wished the goddess would take the bad things and give them to someone else, someone bad.

"Well, my darling, I’m reserving the right to be angry with you later, for not telling me you were hurt." She ruffled Willow’s hair, letting her know she was only partially serious. "So, as soon as your tummy is better, and you and I have this whole mage thing figured out, I’m gonna be good and proper pissed off at you." She smiled, making it clear she was joking.

"Is that before or after I get to be mad at you for running off?" Willow asked.

"Hmm…" Tara hadn’t factored in that part of the equation. "Maybe we’ll just pass on the whole being angry thing?"

"I like the sound of that." Willow burrowed her face into Tara’s chest. She loved the feel of Tara’s full breasts against her cheek. After a moment, she spoke. "I don’t like to be angry." Her voice was suddenly serious. "I just want to be in your arms."

"Don’t worry. I’m not letting you go." It was a promise. She ran her hand down Willow’s back and then left her palm to linger comfortingly. "Although I may have to be mad at Diana. She could have mentioned something about your tummy when she picked up Megan."

Willow pulled back and looked into Tara’s eyes. "Please don’t be mad at her. I asked her not to say anything."

"I’m not." Tara still looked a little grouchy. "But, hey…" She forced a smile, trying to lighten the somber mood. "We went from not letting the girls out of our sight to farming them out in one day. What’s that all about?"

"The hellmouth factor," Willow said. It was the logical explanation. She twisted around and stretched out her legs and then put her head in Tara’s lap. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows expectantly. "Um, hair petting?" she asked in a playfully demanding tone.

Tara giggled and ran her fingers through Willow’s hair. "What exactly is this hellmouth factor?"

"See, Buffy came to visit." Willow closed her eyes and enjoyed Tara’s touch. "Which brings all kinds of hellmouthy things with her."

"So, it’s Buffy’s fault that I ran off? Is that how this works?" This was what Tara’s soul needed. Tara liked to spend time with Willow, with gentle touches and playful banter.

"Hmm…" Willow considered Tara’s question. "Yes." She decided with a grin. It was a good way to let Tara off the hook and a good way to absolve herself for keeping her own secrets. "It’s all Buffy’s fault," she said. "The mage powers, every bit of it. None of it would have happened if Buffy hadn’t come to visit."

"I see." Tara continued combing her fingers through Willow’s hair. "And does that somehow change our babysitting situation?"

"Yeah." Willow was suddenly serious again. "With all these hellmouthy things going on, we needed some alone time."

Tara nodded, but said nothing. She let her soothing touch speak for her as she smoothed Willow’s hair. The action gave them both solace. Willow loved the way Tara’s finger felt running over her scalp, and Tara loved the feel of the silky hair sliding between her fingers. It was an equitable trade, for each woman was able to take away the feeling of complete love.

They sat there for a few minutes, neither saying a word, neither needing to. Finally, Willow broke the comfortable silence.

"So how does this power thing work?" She kept her voice low, not yet ready to abandon their quiet time. "Do you just give my powers to me like handing over the car keys, or is there some complicated ritual?" She closed her eyes and sighed. "Oui." She opened her eyes and looked up at Tara. "There’s always some complicated ritual, isn’t there?"

"Yeah." Tara’s brow creased and she swallowed hard and her expression grew pensive. "We have to exchange the power physically, through our bond." She placed her hand on Willow’s chest. "We have to have sex, and Brent and Emily have to be in the room to assist with the transfer."

"What!?" Willow sat up, mortified, ignoring her sore belly . "What the hell do you mean, assist? And watching? Hell no!" Her pulse and blood pressure shot through the roof. "There is no way in hell anyone is seeing you … us … doing that!"

Tara began to giggle and then covered her mouth with both hands.

"Tara!" Willow’s heart began to slow, slightly. She’d been had. "That is not funny!" Willow said insistently.

"Yeah, but now, whatever we actually have to do won’t seem so bad." Tara pulled Willow back onto her lap. "There is a ritual, and I don’t think it’s too complicated. Brent doesn’t want us to perform it until she’s prepared."

"Until she’s prepared?" Willow was incredulous. "I’m the one with the dark magic eyes waiting to bloom."

"Yeah, well, I kinda did sorta blow up half her office," Tara admitted sheepishly. She bit her lip and shrugged. "Oops."

Willow’s eyes widened.

"Okay, so I actually blew up her entire office," Tara amended. "Brent wants to arrange for a safe place to do the transfer." Tara cringed. "Preferably somewhere nonflammable."

"Nonflammable’s good." Willow nodded. She had seen the destroyed bed, and wondered what was left of Brent’s office. She hated the idea of channeling that kind of power. It made her think back to times best forgotten, times when she put magic before Tara. She never wanted to go back there again. She didn’t have time to dwell on those thoughts, though.

The front door burst open. Ceri hadn’t even bothered knocking; she simply used her own key. She and Brigh both had them, since they lived there. As soon as Ceri opened the door and hurried into the living room, she saw Tara sitting on the couch.

"Lady Tara?" She was slightly out of breath after her sprint across the compound.

Tara turned her head, but kept her hand on Willow’s chest. She was surprised that Ceri would interrupt when she had set aside time to be with Willow. Willow and Tara were usually available to the guardians, and when they took time to be alone, it was generally respected.

"I need you both to come with me," Ceri said. She didn’t have to see past the couch to know that Willow was sprawled across Tara’s lap. When the two witches took alone time, they were generally joined at the hip.

Willow sat up and looked over the back of the couch. Her curiosity was obvious in her intense gaze.

"Mistress Brent needs you, now." Ceri shifted her weight from foot to foot as she noticed that Willow’s eyes were red and puffy. Willow had been crying.

"Are the girls okay?" Tara asked. She leaned forward, guiding Willow off the couch as they both stood.

Ceri continued shifting her weight. "Umm… They’re fine." She took a deep breath and slowly released it. "But…"

"But what?" Willow wrapped an arm around Tara to steady herself. In her panic, she didn’t notice Tara wince at the extra weight stressing her injured leg.

Tara draped her arm behind Willow, accepting Willow’s weight as the redhead leaned into her. She knew Willow’s belly was tender, so she gritted her teeth to hold back her own pain. "Talk to us, Ceri," Tara asked. She narrowed her eyes as she moved toward the young guardian. Her body tensed as she put her full weight on her bruised leg.

Willow felt the ripple of tension pass through Tara’s body and she realized the source. She pulled Tara a bit closer, taking some of the weight off of Tara’s leg as she waited for Ceri’s explanation.

"Miss Brianna wandered off, but we already found her." Ceri blushed. She hated that Brianna had managed to elude them again, even if it had been Buffy who actually let Brianna escape. The child was a junior escape artist. It was the running joke at the sanctuary, and Ceri knew it would only get worse as Brianna got older.

Tara crinkled her brows in confusion. "Ceri, she wanders off all the time."

"She’s practically Houdini," Willow said. She couldn’t understand why this would upset Ceri. Brianna had a nasty habit and crawling behind the hedges and using the narrow space behind the shrubbery to make her way around the entire sanctuary. It was unnerving, but not something they were particularly worried about because the grounds were safe, and Brianna knew better than to keep the guardians searching more than a few minutes, and the curious five-year-old knew to stay away from the dangerous things like the pools and the poisonous herbs.

Ceri nodded, relived that neither woman was angry. "Buffy and Dawn were watching Miss Brianna, and I let them take her to the equipment shed, and she … kinda sorta escaped from them." Ceri held her head high and met Tara’s eyes. "I know I shouldn’t have let her leave my sight. I should have gone with them, with her…"

"Ceridwen," Tara said, silencing the guardian instantly. Her voice was gentle. She knew her harsh words the day before had wounded her friend, cut her deeply, and made Ceri doubt her own skills, which was ridiculous. Ceri was one of the most dedicated of the guardians and she loved Brianna like she was her own blood kin. "You don’t have to guard her every second when she’s on the grounds. She’s safe here." She stepped closer to Ceri and rested a hand on the warrior’s shoulder. "This is the one place she can have some independence. She needs time when she doesn’t have armed guards shadowing her every step."

"Besides, Buffy and Dawn are her aunts." Willow smiled, wanting Ceri to cut herself some slack.

Ceri nodded, feeling slightly better, but still worried. "Mistress Brent wants to see you both immediately."

"Is Megan okay?" Tara asked as she and Willow moved toward the door with Ceri beside them.

"She’s fine," Ceri said. "She’s with Diana and Cassie."

"Then what’s the big emergency?" Willow asked. She stumbled as a terrifying thought crossed her mind. "My powers?" she whispered. She looked into Tara’s eyes, needing her lover’s support. "It can’t be time." She shook her head. "No, Tara, I’m not ready." She continued shaking her head and her eyes shined with tears welling to the surface. She had accepted the fact that Tara had to stop absorbing the extra power, but she hadn’t yet reconciled that with the implications- for Tara to shed the dangerous extra power, Willow had to accept her mage abilities. That was not something she was ready to do.

"I don’t know what the problem is," Ceri said honestly. "Miss Brianna was happy and excited when she left with Buffy and Dawn. She wanted to show them her new stick. When they got to the equipment shed, she snuck out and when we found her, Miss Brianna was distraught." She nodded toward the door. "Mistress Brent said I should bring you. I don’t think we should be wasting time talking."

Tara nodded and the three hurried toward the door. "I don’t know what the big deal is." She tilted her head to one side. "Brianna’s stick isn’t even in the equipment shed…" Tara’s face lost all color as she turned toward Brianna’s room.

"We brought it back so she could paint it…" Willow finished her wife’s thought and then she realized what Tara had already figured out. "Oh, god! Tara?" She met Tara’s eyes and they didn’t need words.

Ceri watched in awe of the way the two witches communicated without speaking. She watched the emotions skitter across each woman’s face, each change mirrored in the other woman’s expressions. Whatever they were thinking, it didn’t bode well.

Tara shook her head. "No, we would have seen her." She knew how traumatic it would have been for Brianna to witness any of their earlier conversation.

Willow shook her head. "We weren’t paying attention." Her eyes locked with Tara’s. They both knew they could have easily been too involved to hear someone enter the house.

"Come on." Tara rushed toward the door with Willow matching her step for step.

"What is it?" Ceri ran to keep up.

Willow and Tara were lost in their own thoughts. They didn’t answer; they just hurried outside and into their SUV. Both witches ignored their injuries, the dull pain a pale shadow of the agony they knew their child was going through.

Ceri climbed in the back and seat and waited quietly. She knew that when Willow and Tara were like this, no one else existed. She watched as they drove through the sanctuary. Willow and Tara exchanged nervous glances. Their eyes seemed to offer comfort as well as ask questions and offer replies. Each woman reached over and rested a hand on the other’s leg. Sometimes Ceri thought the two were talking telepathically, but she knew their understanding was born of deep love and the familiarity of sharing their lives for more than a decade. She shared something similar with Brigh, but she’d only experienced it the heat of battle when they fought side by side. Willow and Tara seemed constantly intertwined in body and spirit.

When they reached Brent’s office, Willow and Tara hurried from the SUV. They met at the front of the car, reaching out and linking hands in a maneuver they had done for years. They rushed, hand in hand, into the building and down the hall with Ceri bringing up the rear.

Willow knocked on Brent’s door. She needed answers.

"Come in," Brent said. She was sitting on the leather couch, holding Brianna on her lap. The young child had stopped crying and was clinging to Brent.

Willow came in first, pausing when she saw the state Brianna was in.

"Oh, sweetie," Tara said as she moved alongside her wife and saw their daughter.

Brianna sniffled and turned to see her mothers. She sobbed and then buried her face against Brent’s chest.

"Miss Brianna, your mothers deserve your respect." Brent’s tone left no room for argument.

Brianna nodded and peeled herself away from Brent and stood. She looked back and forth between her parents.

"Honey, are you okay?" Willow moved closer and knelt in front of Brianna.

Brianna’s lips trembled. She looked into Willow’s eyes, and then up at Tara before looking back at Willow. "Mommy, did you take magic?" she asked in a tiny voice.

Willow cringed. She started to speak, but no words came out. She turned and looked at Tara, letting out a relieved sigh when she saw that Tara was at her side offering her love.

"Brianna, what you heard was confusing." Tara reached her hand out to brush Brianna’s bangs out of her eyes.

"It’s against Brigit!" Brianna backed away and glared at Willow.

"Miss Brianna…" Brent’s voice was like liquid nitrogen, and it froze Brianna in place.

"Yes, Mistress," Brianna whispered. She looked up at Willow. "Sorry, mommy."

"Perhaps it’s time you explained the circumstances," Brent suggested.

Willow jerked her head up and looked at Brent like the elder had grown spare arms, or perhaps horns.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea." Tara leaned toward Willow.

"Mommy did take magic!" Brianna shook her head and spun and leapt toward Brent.

"It’s all right," Brent said as she scooped Brianna up and balanced her on one hip.

Brianna shook her head and sobbed.

Brent turned so she could see Willow and Tara without releasing Brianna. "The damage has been done," she said as she rubbed Brianna’s back in soothing circles. "This child has known honesty her entire life. She’s strong, and she will understand that everyone has to be taught the rules of the goddess."

Tara nodded, taking Brent’s lead. "Willow, we just have to tell her what happened."

Willow felt nauseous. She edged closer to Brent and reached out a hand and rested it on Brianna’s back. "Sweetie, a long time ago, I did take magic, but I didn’t know about the goddess or her rules."

"Your mommy would never take magic now, Miss Brianna." Brent spoke with absolute conviction. She met Willow’s eyes and smiled, letting her love for Willow shine through.

"Never again," Willow said. She scooted closer, continuing to rub Brianna’s back. "I understand the laws of nature now." She held out her hands and so Brent could hand Brianna to her.

"But you took it." Brianna arched away from Willow and clung to Brent.

Willow flinched. She thought she had come to grips with all her past actions, but she hadn’t factored in the pain of telling her child what she had done. "Honey, I never knew about magic when I was little," Willow said. "If I did, I never would have taken magic without asking."

"You said it’s evil," Brianna sniffled. "You said magic is evil. I don’t want it."

"Magic isn’t evil," Willow said. She felt Tara move closer and hug her from behind. "But what I did was wrong."

Tara bent down and looked into Brianna’s eyes. "I had a mother who knew the goddess. Your mommy didn’t." She straightened her body and hugged Willow. "She had to learn that later."

"Grandma didn’t teach you about magic." Brianna bit her lip and studied Willow. "Cuz she doesn’t follow Brigit."

"No, she doesn’t." Willow leaned into Tara’s embrace. "I had some powers, but I didn’t understand them."

"You took magic, when you were a little girl?" Brianna was trying to cobble together something that made sense. She couldn’t imagine her mommy doing something so horrible.

"I was younger." Willow stepped closer, bringing Tara with her. "But I was not a child. I just didn’t understand."

"Were you with mama?" Brianna asked. She was just beginning to understand that her parents hadn’t always been together. Sheila had spent hours telling Brianna about Willow’s youth, the times before Tara.

"Yeah, mama and I were already in love." Willow smiled, remembering the joy she felt when she and Tara finally became a couple.

Brianna looked at Tara. Her brokenhearted expression suddenly deepened. "Mama?"

"What is it, babygirl?" Tara smiled warmly.

"Why didn’t you teach mommy?" Her question was simple, asked with the innocence only a child could manage, but it cut Tara to the bone. "You let her take magic?" She scrunched her face up and tears rolled down her cheeks. "Why?"

"I tried to stop her." Tara let out a sob and then hugged Willow closer.

"It was not your mama’s task to teach that lesson." Brent kissed Brianna’s temple. "The goddess saw that your mommy was confused, so she set things into motion."

Brianna turned and looked into Brent’s eyes. The elder had never lied to her, and Brent knew more about Brigit than anyone, of that Brianna was sure.

"Because you mommy misused magic, bad things happened." Brent paused when she saw Willow shiver. She understood Willow’s reaction. She still had nightmares about the days when she first met Willow and Tara. "But…" Brent squeezed Brianna. "The goddess sent your mama to help prepare your mommy for her lessons."

"But mama couldn’t teach her…" Brianna said slowly.

"No, she couldn’t." Brent cradled Brianna’s head with one hand and kissed her brow. "She sent me for that task."

Tara squeezed Willow’s waist. She had never really thought of all the good that came from Willow’s dark magic abuse.

Willow smiled and wrapped her arms over Tara’s. "And Brent taught me the ways of Brigit," she said. "Now I would never misuse magic. Ever."

"But you said magic would hurt mama." Brianna looked at Tara. She didn’t want any part of magic if it could hurt her mothers.

"The magic that’s hurting me is not dark magic," Tara said. "It’s from the goddess, but it’s not mine."

"You took magic too!" Brianna pressed her face against Brent’s neck and began sobbing again.

"The goddess sent magic to both your mothers," Brent said as soon as Brianna’s sobs lessened. "And because your mommy is so careful to avoid taking magic, she accidentally pushed it away." She eased Brianna back a bit and looked into her eyes. "That magic was meant for your mothers, so it went to your mama instead."

"Because magic finds a way?" Brianna asked.

"Yes, it does." Brent smiled proudly.

"And that magic hurt mama?" Brianna glanced at Tara looking for some sign of injury.

"It can hurt her," Brent said. "But I’m gonna make sure that doesn’t happen." She met Willow’s eyes, needing to reassure Willow as much as Brianna. "I serve the goddess, and my task is to see that her servants are safe. It is my oath."

"And you’d never break your oath, would you?" Brianna’s voice was full of wonder. She reached up and traced the side of Brent’s face. "You promise it’s not evil?" she whispered.

"I swear by Brigit," Brent said solemnly. "Now, is there something you want to tell me?"

Brianna frowned, not understanding.

Willow’s frown matched Brianna’s. She didn’t understand either.

"What do you mean?" Tara asked.

"You asked for something," Brent told Brianna.

"The challenge." Brianna looked down at the floor and swallowed with a gulp.

"What!" Tara yelled.

"No, she’s too young." Willow felt lightheaded. "Brent, she doesn’t know what she’s asking. She’s too little. She was confused. You can’t hold her to that!"

"She can’t ask for the challenge," Tara said. She reached out for her daughter, scooping her out of Brent’s arms. "Brent, she hasn’t even been called. No. She can’t invoke the challenge." Tara was almost certain the challenge couldn’t be issued until after an Imbolc mage had been activated, but she was still scared by the prospect.

"You’re correct." Brent watched the two witches fussing over Brianna. "But since she felt compelled to issue the challenge, I’d like to know if she’s changed her mind."

"Why would you ask for the challenge?" Willow asked. She was hugging Brianna in Tara’s arms, using her body as shield against the world.

"I don’t want to be evil," Brianna explained. "And mommy said magic was evil, and I … I didn’t … and m-mama s-said … and m-ma-magic…"

"Shh," Tara said as she kissed the top of Brianna’s head. ""Magic is not evil, baby." She left another kiss on Brianna’s temple. "You could never be evil."

Brianna snuggled closer to Tara and began to cry. This time relief fueled her tears.

"You can’t issue the challenge," Tara said quietly. "You haven’t been called, and if we have anything to say about it, you never will be." The guardians had each swore to keep Brianna safe, and as long as Brianna was safe and secure, her Imbolc powers would never be activated.

"Because it’s bad?" Brianna asked.

"No," Tara said firmly. "Because it’s a dangerous job, like Aunt Buffy being the Slayer. We don’t want you facing danger." Tara looked at Willow and saw that she was too stunned to speak. "The Imbolc powers are a blessing." She glanced at Brent and saw that the elder was nodding. "But, all of us want to be sure if you ever have to take those powers, you’re old enough and strong enough to handle them."

"Asking for the challenge is very serious," Brent said. She moved around Willow so she could look into Brianna’s eyes. "Issuing the challenge means you are willing to kill people."

Brianna’s eyes widened and she squeezed closer to Tara. "But mama took the challenge…"

"Your mother managed to pass the challenge without anyone dying," Brent explained. "But ... Bre was injured, and so was I."

"You hurt Brent?" Brianna was horrified.

"She saved my life," Brent said before Tara could. "But the challenge is dangerous." She held out her hands. Brianna often touched the burn scars covering both palms. "I was lucky to only get these." Brent flexed her fingers.

"Maybe we should talk about something else?" Willow suggested. She was still in shock. She blamed herself for Brianna issuing the challenge.

"Are you gonna be bad when you take the magic from mama?" Brianna asked.

"No," Brent said. She knew most of Brianna’s fear was based in confusion. She intended to solve at least one problem. "There is nothing bad about magic given by the goddess. Your mama just has to pass the magic to her. You can watch if you want to."

Tara’s shocked expression would have been comical if the situation hadn’t been dangerous. "I don’t think that’s a very good idea."

"Um, no. Hell no." Willow shook her head from side to side, tossing her bangs wildly.

"It’s obvious that keeping this child in the dark is not working," Brent said gently. "If she is old enough to ask me for the challenge, then it’s time she sees all that magic entails." She didn’t add that since she had nearly had a stroke when Brianna issued the challenge, it was only fair that Willow and Tara got to take some of the heat. "This will let her see that everyone has to learn to handle their power.

"She’s five," Willow said angrily.

"Yes, she is five," Tara said. She was beginning to understand Brent’s thinking. "But maybe seeing us learn to control our gifts will help her when it comes time to take her own." The last thing she wanted was for Brianna to fear her own power.

"Honey, I’m not too sure there’s gonna be much control," Willow said as she gave Tara a pleading look.

"Then she’ll know what to expect when it’s her turn," Tara said. She cupped Willow’s cheek with one hand. "I’ll be with you."

"And Mistress Brent will teach you." Brianna smiled. "That’s why the goddess sent her to us."

"Oh boy." Willow let out a sigh and looked over at Brent. "Did you find a nonflammable room yet?"

"Emily is finishing up the sacred space as we speak." Brent draped her arms around both women, with Brianna between them all. "This will all work out for the best. I promise."

*****

"Hair!" Willow yelled as she swatted at her singed bangs. She ducked as a fireball flew past her and impacted against the stone wall of the Imbolc caves. "Tara! Could you try to aim that somewhere I am not sitting?" She put both hands on her hips and glared at her wife.

"Does it look like I’m aiming?" Tara yelled. She shook her hands, trying to will them to stop shooting random fireballs.

"You see," Emily said to Brianna. "If you lose your temper, you lose control." She had one arm around Brianna, holding her close to one of the small alcoves so they could leap to safety if a flaming sphere shot toward them.

"What control?" Tara said grouchily. She let out a squeak and dove to the ground as two Fireballs shot out of Willow’s hands and flew past Tara. "Hey!"

"Why don’t they just stop making the fire?" Brianna asked. She was intrigued by the unfolding scene, and despite the fact that her mothers were yelling she knew they were not really angry.

"It’s not that simple," Emily said. "When your mama released the stored power she was holding for your mommy, it turned all of their power loose. All that energy has to go somewhere." She yanked Brianna into the small alcove just before a blue fireball whipped past them. "Besides, these flames may sting, but they shouldn’t cause any real harm.

"No real harm?" Brent pointed at a shattered table.

"That is an inanimate object," Emily said with a snicker. "The flames won’t actually cause permanent damage to any living thing." She frowned at the elder. "And you know that." She shook her head and made a tsk tsk sound under her breath.

"I do know that." Brent was trying to remain calm for Brianna’s sake, but that plan had flown out the window with the first fireball that knocked Brent on her butt. "It still stings!" She pointed at the candle in front of the two witches. "Focus!"

Tara giggled. The entire situation was rather comical. She cleared her throat and stared at a small candle sitting in front of her. Willow was at her side, also trying to use the candle as a focal point.

"Focus…" Willow whispered from her place next to Tara. "Has she ever tried to focus with fire shooting out of her hands?"

"How are you?" Tara asked. So far Willow seemed to be more amused than scared, and that surprised Tara.

"Well, I haven’t felt anything like, you know, like before." She felt another bolt of flame surging and aimed this one at a large rock across the room. The flame left her hand with a whoosh and hit the rock and exploded. "It’s kinda tingly, but there’s no darkness."

"That’s good," Tara said in response to the comment and the way Willow had managed to aim the energy discharge. "Oh boy…" She felt another surge coming so she followed Willow’s lead and aimed both palms at the rock across the room. Twin spheres erupted and hurled through the air to the rock.

"Good," Brent said. "That’s it. Focus." She moved slightly, ready to dodge out of the way if need be. "You’re much more contained today," she told Tara. "You’re not fighting Lady Willow’s power anymore."

"Piece of cake," Tara said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and then squealed when an unexpected burst shot out of her right hand. "Ack!"

"Lady Tara!" Brent swatted her butt to squelch her smoldering robe. "Focus on the candle."

"Can’t we make a shield?" Brianna asked. She giggled when she saw the fireball scorch Brent’s behind.

"That would not be advisable," Emily said. "Right now, the extra power is unfocused." She tried to keep her language simple so Brianna could understand. "There is nothing mystic here for the power to attack so it just shoots out of their hands."

Brianna tilted her head to one side. "Attack?"

"If your mothers were in battle, their energy would naturally be drawn to a threat. The power would flow towards any mystic force aimed at them." She paused, trying to explain it most simply.

Brent moved closer to Brianna, having heard the conversation. "Magic has a natural flow, like a river or the sea." She smiled when Brianna turned and listened intently. "Magic, like water, follows nature's rules. Water flows downhill. Magic flows toward any attack."

"So if we tried to put up a shield, that would be seen as a mystic attack," Emily said. She grabbed Brent’s arm and yanked her out of the way as a red fireball whizzed past her back. "A shield would attract the energy, making us a target."

"I think I’m getting this," Willow said. "It’s a Zen thing." She held her palms up. "Let the magic flow through us naturally." A fountain of fire spewed out of Willow’s hands and up to the ceiling. Sparks flew in every direction.

Tara rolled out of the way and swatted at cinders fluttering over her legs. "Zen? That was Zen?" she yelled.

"That was so not Zen." Willow coughed and patted out her sleeve, which was now smoldering.

"Mistress?" Brianna bit her lip, deep in thought. "Why don’t we make a mystic shield over there, and then we can all stand over here out of the way?" She batted her eyelashes. "Then the magic would flow away from us, right?"

"Oh, for the love of the goddess!" Tara spun and glared at Brent. "Brent … why didn’t you think of that yesterday!"

Emily laughed and guided Brianna into Brent’s arms. "Ah, youth." She carefully went to where Willow and Tara were standing and plucked a hair from each woman’s head.

"Ouch!" Willow scowled and a small burst of fire bounced across the cave floor.

Emily trotted to the furthest side of the cavern and cast a simple protective circle, and then used Willow and Tara’s hair to align the circle specifically to keep out the two frazzled witches. As soon as she uttered the last word of the spell, the fireballs that had been flying in other directions altered course and headed right for Emily’s circle. She ducked and quickly went back to Brianna’s side. "Well done, Miss Brianna."

Brent was not amused. "So basically, we fried my office for no reason, is that what you're telling me?" she asked Emily.

"Basically." Emily smiled and patted Brianna’s head. "Such a bright child." She bent down and kissed Brianna’s cheeks. "Truly blessed by Brigit."

Now that the flames had a target, Willow and Tara didn’t have to worry about dodging stray flames. That allowed them to focus. They sat in front of the candle next to each other.

Tara rested one palm on the ground and aimed the other hand at their new target. She could feel the surges welling up from deep inside, and she was beginning to anticipate when the fire would erupt. "Will?" she asked. "You doing okay, baby?" She cringed as a small sphere left her fingers.

"It’s creepy," Willow admitted as she mirrored Tara’s position. Placing one hand on the ground seemed to focus the energy into the other dominant hand. She flicked her fingers and a blue sphere shot across the room, harmlessly hitting the stone cavern above Emily’s circle. "I’m not used to having this much power, but it’s completely different than last time." She looked down at the ground shamefully. "This power doesn’t cause cravings," she whispered.

"I’m glad." Tara risked making contact, lifting her hand from the ground and placing it over Willow’s. "Wow." She felt a sudden rush of power, but it was a controlled peak.

"That’s new," Willow said. She turned over her hand so her palm met Tara’s. She smiled as the haphazard bursts of energy calmed to a constant hum just under the skin.

"You wanna?" Tara nodded toward the protective circle.

"Gently." Willow nodded and they lifted their joined hands and pointed across the cavern. She let out a breath and a ribbon of blue fire slowly bloomed from their joined hands.

Brianna stared, her jaw slack. "It’s so pretty," she said. She could see the flame but she could also see her mothers’ lights, their auras. Both of her mothers were glowing and the golden colors were mixing until they seemed to be one giant sun. The blue stream of fire looked almost cold compared to the shared light of her mothers.

"Good," Brent said. "Excellent." She moved behind Tara and knelt. "Now, focus on bleeding off the extra power."

The blue flame thickened as Willow and Tara concentrated.

"Perfect." Brent rested a hand on Tara’s shoulder and the flame sputtered and then fireballs shot out of Willow and Tara’s hands. "Sorry." Brent jerked her hand away.

"Still working on that," Willow said. She squeezed Tara’s hand and the blue stream sputtered back to life. She had felt the disruption of energy as soon as Brent touched Tara.

"It’s hard to keep the flow constant with the extra energy," Tara said. She glanced at Brent. "My power is in sync with Will’s. Yours just kinda confused things."

"No need to explain." Brent stood and backed away. "Keep focused on draining the excess power." She made her way back to Emily’s side and picked up Brianna. "You see? It’s not evil."

"They fit," Brianna said.

"They certainly do." Brent kissed Brianna and then met Emily’s eyes.

Emily nodded, but her eyes were troubled.

Brianna squirmed and then climbed down. She inched forward so she could get a better view, but she stayed behind the outcropping. Brent had made her promise to stay in the safe area, and Brianna had given her word that she would. She squinted at the beautiful golden light her mothers were creating with their auras.

Emily studied Willow and Tara and tried to remember everything she knew about shared power. Something was nagging at the back of her mind. Brent’s touch should not have disrupted the power flow, and yet it had. Either something was wrong with Willow and Tara’s bond or…

"It’s my energy that’s wrong," Brent whispered.

Emily nodded and scooted closer to Brent. "Can you feel it?"

"I didn’t even notice until I saw what my touch did," Brent said. She backed a few steps away, not wanting Brianna to overhear. "I am as attuned to Tara as I have ever been to anyone." She looked into Emily’s eyes. "I’ve steadied her magic more times than I can count, but just now…" She shook her head.

"Willow and Tara are soulmates. Their bond is unique." Emily was trying to think of a reason for the strange reaction.

"I’ve worked with Willow many times, and I’ve never experienced anything like this." Brent shivered.

Emily picked up Brent’s hand and held it. She inhaled deeply as she drew in her friend’s power. "There’s a disturbance in your energy," she said as she lowered Brent’s hand.

"Quoting Star Wars?" Brent laughed mirthlessly. "There’s a great disturbance in the force."

"Have you felt this before?" Emily asked.

"Not in a very long time." Brent didn’t like feeling off balance. She could only think of one thing that could effect her energy, but she prayed to Brigit that was not the cause. The last thing she needed was more stress. Surely the goddess would not add to their current turmoil. She groaned and rubbed her forehead. She really hated being tested.

*****

After draining off as much power as possible, Willow and Tara went and picked Megan up from Diana. The baby was not happy with her mothers or her baby-sitters. Megan had flatly refused to take a bottle for Diana or Cassie, and none of the guardians could get the fussy child to eat either.

The first order of business for Willow was to feed Megan, and then with her belly full, Megan decided to test her lungs. She screamed at an ear piercing level until Tara took her and sang her to sleep. Diana politely told Willow that if she ever asked them to baby-sit Megan again, not only would she not do it, but Willow could find a new doctor as well.

Once home, Megan and Brianna both went down for well-deserved naps. That left Willow and Tara time to visit with Buffy.

"Okay, that wasn’t as bad I thought it was gonna be." Willow was exhausted but excited. She was bouncing on the soles of her feet. "I mean, wow, serious power, but none of the dark magic heebie jeebies."

"You did great, sweetie," Tara said and then yawned. "How’s your tummy?"

"Tummy?" Buffy leaned around the corner. She had a pickle in her mouth, but that didn’t seem to bother her. She waved a fried chicken leg at Willow. "Did you get hurt during the big magic dew-hickey? Did it make you sick?" She took a step back. "You’re not gonna throw up, are you?"

Willow snorted. "No." She sat next to Tara, not even aware that as she leaned back into the cushions her hand made its way over and rested on Tara’s knee. "I pulled few stitches out yesterday, but I’m fine."

"What’s up with the whole mood swing?" Buffy asked. "Have you been smoking your witchy herbs?"

Tara laughed and leaned against Willow. She was relieved that Willow was handling her powers and more importantly, that she seemed to be happy. Apparently all Willow needed was to see that her mage powers were nothing like the addictive dark magic she had once abused.

"Not that I’m not happy to see you happy." Buffy sat on the back of the couch and looked down toward her friends. "It’s just a huge change."

"We did the magic transfer," Willow said. She opened her hand and didn’t even have to ask Tara for what she needed. She felt Tara’s fingers wrap around hers almost instantly.

"Okay, magic transfer…" Buffy stood and moved to the front of the couch. She sat on the coffee table and faced Willow. "As in big magic, huge magic, black scary eye inducing magic?"

"Don’t you ever sit on furniture designed for siting?" Willow asked. She snuggled into Tara and yawned.

"I sit where I sit." Buffy leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "Will, you and magic don’t actually mix very well."

"She was great," Tara said. "And it’s not dark magic so it is not the same."

"But it’s magic," Buffy said. "If someone’s a heroine addict, they generally try to avoid any drugs, right?"

"It’s not the same thing." Tara’s voice was harsh. "Willow can handle this." She squeezed Willow’s hand as she leaned forward. "This is a part of her."

"I’m just saying…"

"We know what you’re saying," Willow said. "And we love that you’re protective, but I’m okay. Really."

"So … no dark magic eyes?" Buffy asked.

"No," Willow said. She glanced toward the hall toward Brianna’s room. "And Brianna was there and she didn’t even freak out when we starting flaming everything in sight."

"You let my niece watch?" Buffy was not a happy Slayer. "You could have went all dark magic. Did you even think about that?"

"Of course I did!" Willow stood and put both hands on her hips. "How could I not think about that? Do you think I wanted my daughter to see me strung out on dark magic?"

"Then why?" Buffy asked.

"Brianna has a destiny," Tara said. She stood and walked over to the fireplace and warmed her back in front of the flames. "You didn’t have any warning when you became a Slayer." She narrowed her eyes. "I won’t let her go through that."

"So this was her magey advanced placement testing?" Buffy stomped over to Tara’s side. "She’s a child."

"She’s our child." Tara met Buffy’s gaze and held it. "And we understand magic and what she needs to learn."

"Yeah, Willow understands magic." Buffy rolled her eyes. "She almost understood Dawn right into her grave. She understood herself right into Rack’s lair—"

Tara’s eyes flashed and flames appeared in her irises. "Don’t say that name in this house."

"Whoa!" Willow climbed off the couch and rushed to Buffy’s side and put a hand on the Slayer’s shoulder. "Buffy, we know what we’re doing." She turned toward Tara and cringed. "Honey, your eyes just went flamey. Deep breath." She was surprised that Tara seemed to be having the most difficulty with the new powers.

"She can’t control this, and she’s the calm one," Buffy whispered in a hiss. "Willow, I love ya, but you are not stable when it comes to magic. What happens when your mage-o-pause hits?"

"Well, I don’t have any choice in the matter," Willow said. She had no idea why she wasn’t suffering from the same mood swings that had plagued Tara. She put one hand on Tara’s back and then rested the other on Tara’s stomach. "Sweetie, Buffy means well." She rubbed Tara’s belly, moving her hand in small circles. "Hey," she whispered, bumping her nose against Tara’s cheek.

Tara turned and looked into Willow’s eyes. After a pause, Tara blinked and then her eyes returned to normal.

"There’s that baby blue I love." Willow kissed Tara, savoring the contact for a brief moment and then pulled back. She cleared her throat and turned toward Buffy. "We talked to Brent, and this is the decision we made."

"Fine." Buffy shrugged and tried to act rational. Who was she to argue with Brianna’s parents and her religious mentor? Oh, that’s right, she was Brianna’s Aunt. "Are you two completely insane?"

Tara lurched forward, but Willow held her in place.

"We know what we’re doing," Willow said. "Besides, now that Brianna has seen what’s going on, she’s actually a whole lot less nervous about it." She wasn’t about to let Buffy know that Brianna had overheard the earlier conversation and ended up asking to take the challenge.

The front door opened and Ceri came in with Brent and Brigh. "Hey, guys." Ceri waved as she went into the kitchen.

"Hi, Buffy," Brigh said. "Willow, Tara, hey."

Buffy and the others waved.

"How is Miss Brianna?" Brent asked.

"Sleeping," Tara said.

Brigh nodded and went down the hall to check Brianna. She trusted Willow and Tara, but she always liked to see the children with her own eyes.

"So having Brianna sit in on Willow shooting up with magic was your idea?" Buffy asked as soon as Brent sat in the chair next to the couch.

Brent didn’t take the bait. "It’s none of your concern."

"She’s my niece," Buffy said. "Everyone seems to forget that fact."

"Everyone wants what’s best for Brianna," Willow said. "No more fighting." She spun and pointed from Buffy to Brent and then to Tara. "Okay, I am the one with the whole dark magic history, so how in the hell did I get elected rational gal?" She scowled. "If anyone gets to act all crazy, it’s me."

Tara walked to Willow’s side and kissed her ear. She loved kissing Willow’s ear, but it was also a way for her to whisper without being too obvious. "You can act all crazy tonight in bed, okay?"

Willow blushed and promptly forgot what she was thinking or saying.

"Miss Brianna learned a great deal today," Brent said. "Buffy, you may not trust our methods, but you have to know that we would never put her in any danger."

"I’m trying." Buffy folded her arms over her chest. "I have issues with people who watch over the chosen ones of the world."

"If we do our job, Brianna will never have to become the Imbolc mage," Brent said. "Her powers will only activate to save her own life. So long as I or any guardian draws breath, Brianna will be kept safe."

"Yeah, well, if you’re gonna play the whole lifelong devotion and sacrifice card…" Buffy flopped into one of the remaining chairs. "Fine." She noticed Willow smiling. "And notice I am sitting in an actual chair."

Brent’s phone rang. "Yes?" she said as she answered it. She inhaled deeply and her cheeks paled. "I see." She nodded. She’d been expecting this news, but she had hoped she was wrong. "I’ll be right there." She hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Tara asked.

"There’s a family problem at the front gate." Brent rubbed her forehead. She was weary and needed a nice long nap. That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

"Oh, god, it’s my mother, isn’t is?" Willow asked. "I am so sick of my family showing up. Why does this always happen to me?"

"It’s not your mother," Brent said. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "It’s my mother."

"Your mother is still alive?" Buffy’s eyes bulged. "Oh, my god, just how old is she?"

"Not that old," Brent said defensively.

"Your mother?" Tara asked. "Your mother … the one on the Witches’ Committee?"

"The last I heard she’d retired from the committee," Brent said. "But yeah. That’s the one."

"Why couldn’t it have been my mother?" Willow asked as she slapped her forehead.

***** End chapter 16

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