Reward and Reprisal

by Lisa Countryman

© July- October 2001

Please do not archive, link or reproduce without Author's Written Permission

Disclaimers: All characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to Joss Weldon and no copyright infringement is intended. Many of the goddess, sacred places, and legends mentioned are based on actual myths. They have been changed to fit the more ‘good versus evil’ setup in the Buffy universe. Actual Pagan deities were not evil hellbitches like Glory.

This is a sequel to ‘Retribution and Reward,’ and it will help if you’ve read it first.

Spoilers: All episodes are fair game.

Disclaimers: I do not own any of these characters, and I am not making any money on them. (If I owned them, BTVS would be called "Willow and Tara’s Wiccan lovenest.")

CHAPTER FIVE

The Cult of Inanna was surprisingly active for a religion that hadn’t had a public house of worship since 4000 years before Christ was born. Willow found plenty of information as she surfed the Internet. She had done searches for Glorificus months earlier, but having a better-known name to look for like Inanna made finding information much easier. The worried redhead tried not to think about Tara, and throwing herself into a research project was just what she needed. She read up on every myth she could find, and there were plenty. She and Giles looked over them and tried to decipher which ones might actually help. They decided they would focus on the myth of the seasons since that one actually involved Inanna’s torture and death.

"If we can discover how the other gods managed to entrap Glory, I mean, Inanna, we may be able to recreate those circumstances." Giles was reading over a printed copy of a webpage. He liked the feel of paper in his hands, no matter how much Willow complained about the needless slaughter of defenseless trees.

"No problem," Anya scoffed. "Just recreate hell on earth and lure her naked to our doorstep."

"Naked?" Xander’s head popped up from behind the couch where he was cleaning weapons. "Did I hear naked?"

"Xander, go take a cold shower before I toss you in front of a fire hydrant," Buffy said. She went over to Giles and peeked over his shoulder at the papers.

"Would you be doin’ that … naked?" Xander asked with a smirk.

"Hey! No picturing other women naked." Anya threw her half-eaten sandwich at her fiancée. "I don’t get to picture naked women and neither do you. That’s the rule. I mean … men … picture men naked." She looked down at her plate and hoped Willow didn’t ask which woman the former demon had pictured naked, especially since it was a certain voluptuous blonde witch.

"It disturbs me that you actually had to make up a rule about that." Willow scrunched her eyebrows together as she continued searching the Internet.

"Yes, quite disturbing," Giles agreed.

"Back to naked Glory, or Enya or whatever her name is." Buffy waved at the paper Giles was holding.

"Inanna," the Watcher said tolerantly. "It appears that the dance of seven veils is based on Inanna’s journey to the underworld. She removed one article of clothing at each of the underworld gates. By the seventh and final gate, she was stripped bare and then defeated. Her defiled body was left hanging on the underworld wall."

"Good place for her," Buffy said sagely. "How do we send her back?"

"Yes, well … it isn’t that simple," Giles stalled.

"It never is," Willow said with a disgusted sigh. She stood up and stretched and went over to Buffy. "So is Buffy gonna’ have to do some Slayer-belly-dancing-seven-veils-strip-tease-deal to defeat Glory?"

Buffy’s eyes shot open and her jaw dropped.

"Well, Willow," Anya said with a smile. "That was a very nice glance into your secret nasty thoughts. I guess Tara lets you picture other women naked."

"What?" Willow scowled and pointed at the Watcher. "Giles just said that Inanna was defeated with the seven veils dance." Willow looked at Buffy and shook her head. "I was SO not picturing that … I would never … with you … and the picturing … never … never ever!"

"Yeah, but now I am," Xander said dreamily. "Ouch!" He glared at Anya. "It wasn’t my fault. Willow did it!"

Anya stomped toward Willow and drew back her hand.

"Don’t even think it, demon-girl," Willow said without turning.

Anya narrowed her eyes and wondered if she could smack the redhead before she turned around. She didn’t like anyone putting smutty thoughts in Xander’s head, well, smutty thoughts that weren’t about her.

"I have powers," Willow said calmly. "Powers you do not have."

"Stupid witch," Anya whined. She walked back over to Xander and slapped his arm.

"What was that for?" He rubbed his arm.

"Because I can’t hit her." Anya glared at the back of Willow’s head. "Stupid witch." She sighed. "You know, if Glory is Inanna, we’re screwed. According to myth, Inanna had … at the very least … 94 separate powers. She was hell on wheels even back then. She went into the underworld trying to horn in on Ereshkigal."

Buffy looked at Anya with a look that translated to ‘huh?’

"Ereshkigal, queen of the Sumerian underworld. It’s called Kur, like their hell. Inanna was trying to take over her turf." Anya rubbed her chin as she tried to remember something. "There was a poem … about Inanna getting her ass kicked."

"Don’t suppose you remember this mystery-Glory-ass-kicking-poem?" Buffy asked. "Is it a haiku, cuz I like those?"

"Actually, I do remember," Anya said. She cleared her throat. "‘Ereshkigal fastened on Inanna the eye of death. She spoke against her the word of wrath. She uttered against her the cry of guilt. She struck her. Inanna was turned into a corpse, and was hung from a hook on the wall. " Anya smiled and sighed. "Now that’s poetry. Death, striking down, corpses on hooks…" She rolled her eyes at Giles. "You can keep your boring Shakespeare. Give me maiming and death any day."

"I read that poem!" Willow said. "And notice that I am not commenting on Anya’s appalling taste in poetry," she said as she ran back to the computer. "It was at the University of Chicago’s site on Sumerian myths."

"Remember the good old days when only Giles had oodles of stuff on file about monsters, demons and all things nasty?" Xander sighed sadly. "I miss the good old days."

"Listen to this from their webpage." Willow clicked through several screens until she found what she was looking for. "…the best one could do in times of duress would be to ‘plead, lament and wail, tearfully confessing his sins and failings.’" Willow smiled. "That sounds like Glory’s hobbit minions." She scanned the webpage. "‘Their family god or city god might intervene on their behalf, but that would not necessarily happen. After all, man was created as a broken, labor saving tool for the use of the gods.’ See?" Willow smiled triumphantly. "That sounds like Glory’s attitude."

"Indeed it does." Giles smiled proudly. "Excellent work, both of you."

"Look at me," Anya said giddily. "I’m a regular mystery solving Scooby."

"Yes, you are," Giles said drolly. "Now if we can find the literal meaning of the weapons Ereshkigal used against Glory, we may be able to defeat her for good."

"Weapons? I didn’t hear any weapons," Buffy whined. "And I’m not wearing a belly dancing outfit."

"Poems aren’t always literal," Willow said happily. She leaned over and read from her screen. "We’ve got the ‘eye of death,’ ‘word of wrath,’ and ‘cry of guilt.’ That’s three more weapons that we had five minutes ago."

"So, like when I screamed to kill the Gentlemen?" Buffy asked. "How do I do this ‘word of wrath,’ cuz I’ve got some choice words for the hellbitch already."

"I’ll start researching straight away," Giles said. "Now that I have something to actually research."

There was a knock on the front door and all heads spun to see who was there. The door slowly opened and Tara walked in. She was wearing the same flowing, bohemian outfit and the sunglasses.

"Hi," the blonde at the door said and then cleared her throat.

"Tara!" Willow ran to her lover and threw her arms around her. "I was so worried. Can you forgive me? Please say yes, please." She squeezed her lover’s familiar frame but something felt wrong. Tara’s body always molded to Willow’s even when they were having an argument. At the moment, Tara’s body was stiff and actually bowed away from Willow.

"Um…" Jenny stalled using Tara’s voice.

"You forgive me, right?" Willow pulled away from her lover’s body. "Baby?"

"No harm, no foul." The blonde smiled.

"Take off the sunglasses," Willow said, her voice suddenly cold.

"What is it, Will?" Buffy asked as she hurried over.

"Take off the sunglasses. Now," Willow ordered. Her voice was harsh and her eyes were narrowing dangerously.

"It’s not my fault," the blonde said. She smiled meekly and removed the sunglasses revealing sable brown eyes. "Hi, guys." She waved at the two young women in front of her.

"Jenny?" Giles staggered to his feet and stared.

"Rupert?" Jenny tried to go to him using Tara’s body, but Willow grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop.

"What did you do to Tara?" the redhead demanded. She saw Ms. Calendar’s eyes looking back at her. The expression was so familiar, so very much like Jenny’s, but so foreign on Tara’s face. "Where is she?" Willow asked a bit more gently.

"There was kind of a little mishap," Jenny admitted. "We were having an astral conversation, kind of a little girl talk between souls … a sharing the body bonding kind of thing…"

"And?" Willow asked impatiently.

"Your confidence level has really improved," Jenny commented.

"About Tara," Giles said as he edged closer. His heart was breaking. He looked at Tara and everything about her was Jenny, the way she moved, the cadence of her speech, and mostly, her expressions and the quirky little half smirk that raised only the left side of her lips. "Jenny, as wonderful as it is to see you, speak to you … we are concerned about Tara."

"Of course you are, Rupert." Jenny turned to Willow. "I’m sorry. We were doing an astral projection and when we went back into our body, I was in control. I have no idea why."

"Our body?" Willow said dangerously. "This is Tara’s body. There is no ‘our.’ This is not a community body that you can just check out like a library book … and hey! You don’t even like books so you wouldn’t have access even if Tara’s body was available at the soul-checkout counter … which it’s not!"

"My goddess, she hasn’t changed a bit." Jenny giggled, but it was in Tara’s tones.

"Hey, dead lady." Anya marched up to Tara’s body. "The only one who gets to share this body is Willow, got it?" She poked Tara’s chest. "And I don’t think they share in the spiritual possession way, so cut the crap and tell us what you know. This is not your body," she added again.

"Possession is nine tenths of the law," Jenny deadpanned.

"She is evil!" Anya backed away and pointed at Tara’s body. "Call the Pope. He can order up an exorcism like nobody’s business. That pointy hat, dress-wearing pontiff has serious clout. Giles, call him."

"Yes, and I’m quite sure that if I ring up the Vatican and ask for that ‘pointy hat, dress-wearing pontiff’… they’ll connect me with his holiness straight away." Giles rolled his eyes.

"She’s the replacement Cordelia, isn’t she?" Jenny asked in Tara’s voice.

"That’s it!" Anya charged Jenny. "I don’t care whose body you’re in, I’m kicking your ass." She didn’t like any comparisons to Xander’s exgirlfriend, especially coming from a smart-mouthed dead witch possessing Tara’s curvy body … not that she pictured that body naked … much … anymore. Anya believed in rules and stuck to them … usually.

"No you’re not," Willow said as she grabbed Anya. "That’s Tara’s body and no one is laying a hand on it."

Buffy grabbed Anya from the other side. "Damn straight."

"Uh, Ms. Calendar?" Xander edged closer. "Can’t you just like do a system reboot to get Tara back?"

"I see that summer school class wasn’t completely wasted," Jenny said.

"Hey, I graduated," Xander said proudly.

"I know," Jenny said sadly. "I was there. It was nice up until the mayor started eating graduates." She smirked. "Though that little troll Snyder got what he deserved."

"This is all very interesting, but I want my Ta— I want Tara back," Willow said. She looked up into brown eyes where there should have been blue and her heart ached.

"Maybe Xander’s right," Jenny said. "Tara might’ve just been exhausted. How ‘bout I try taking a nap? Maybe she’ll come back when our … I mean her body is rested."

"She woulda’ been exhausted," Anya agreed. "Tara would’ve had to anchor both your souls during your astral chat." She glared at Jenny. "It’s not like a dead woman has any life force to hold her soul in one place."

"But there’s so much I wanted to—" Giles stopped and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and then opened them. "Of course. Go rest. We must get Tara back where she belongs, then we can figure out how to separate your soul from her body."

"Rupert," Jenny said quietly. She locked eyes with him. There was so much left unsaid between them. They had been ripped apart before words of devotion had been spoken. Her brown eyes were full of love and understanding. "Rupert, I know."

"Yes, of course you would," whispered as he blushed. His eyes mirrored the love in hers. "Since you do know everything," he added with a tiny hint of a smile.

"I knew about Willow, didn’t I?" She smirked.

"Indeed you did," he agreed.

"Come on." Jenny took Willow’s hand. "I think you should be there so Tara sees you as soon as she wakes up."

The redhead nodded and allowed the body that belonged to her lover to drag her along. She stared down at Tara’s hand holding hers but the connection wasn’t there. There was always a spark when she and Tara touched, and she missed it more than she could describe.

"She’ll come back," Jenny whispered as they went into Giles’ bedroom.

Jenny inhaled deeply and smiled. The distinctive aroma of Giles’ British cologne hung in the air. She had forgotten the scent until she walked into the room. While she was riding along inside Tara, with her soul in the background, she hadn’t been able to fully feel and smell with the young witch’s senses, but now she could. All of the physical sensations were hitting her full force.

"He still misses you," Willow whispered as Jenny sat on the bed.

"I miss him too," Jenny whispered. "God, I hate being dead." She laughed bitterly.

"Are you in limbo?" Willow asked. She stared at Tara’s hands because seeing Tara’s lips move and hearing Jenny’s tones and speech patterns coming out of her mouth was making Willow terribly uncomfortable.

"Nah, just waiting for a new body," Jenny said with a laugh. "They offered me two already but…"

"But what?" Willow lifted her head and looked into Jenny’s brown eyes.

"They were both babies gonna’ be born into … Republican families."

"Ew." Willow shivered.

"I know," Jenny said. "In four years they couldn’t find me one Wiccan family?" She smirked. "Actually, it’s not bad. I don’t notice time passing unless I go to see one of my loved ones. I see them aging and I get sad." She reached out and stroked Willow’s cheek. "You grew up beautifully, Willow. I’m proud of you."

The redhead blushed until her cheeks burned.

"I should try to sleep, so you can have Tara back." Jenny leaned back into the pillows. "Man, I forgot how much I liked beds."

"Can we … save you?" Willow asked in a tiny voice. "I mean we got Buffy back … and Tara—"

"Don’t go there, Willow," Jenny said firmly. "Those were special circumstances. My time passed, and being here in Tara’s body is a fluke, a fluke we need to fix."

"But, maybe this means—"

"No, Willow." Jenny closed her eyes. "There’s a balance in the universe. You mess with this and you might end up losing Tara." Jenny used the threat she knew would scare Willow the most. She wouldn’t have the witch meddling in matters of life and death. Some things were beyond any witch’s control, and some matters were best left undisturbed.

"Okay," Willow whispered. She held Jenny’s hand, or rather Tara’s, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I’ve missed you," she said barely loud enough for the other woman to hear.

"Me too," Jenny said as she relaxed her body. She was humming with energy and yet she could feel that Tara’s body was exhausted. After ten minutes of meditation, Jenny was able to drift off to sleep.

Willow felt the change immediately. Jenny’s hand went limp and the energy shifted. It was Tara’s hand again, and even though Tara wasn’t awake, Willow knew her lover’s touch. The redhead relaxed and her shoulders finally loosened after a day of constant worry. She crawled onto the bed next to the blonde and prayed that Tara would wake up soon. She needed to feel Tara’s arms around her, to feel the love that poured off of Tara in waves, and mostly, she needed to look into Tara’s slate blue eyes and see the love and devotion that she gotten used to seeing there whenever she needed comfort.

*****

Designer clothes had one major drawback; it was almost impossible to get bloodstains out of them, even if you were a goddess.

"Jinxy?" Glory called out as she walked into her new loft apartment. It was a converted warehouse, with plenty of room for minion and clothes, lots and lots of clothes. "Jinx!" she bellowed when he didn’t come running quickly enough.

"Yes, oh, most illuminant one?" Jinx came scurrying out of a small room just off the main living area. He kept his face cast down. He was wearing a black eye-patch, a new accessory following a mishap while Glory had been bathing. His blindfold had slipped off and he saw her naked, out of one eye. Glory didn’t like anyone seeing her naked, and she was in a particularly foul mood that day, so she removed the offending organ and kept it in a jar next to her bed.

"Look at this!" Glory yelled as she pointed to a splash of blood on the front of her red satin blouse and skirt. The blood was several shades darker than the material, but even if it had been an exact match, it ruined the way the fabric gathered. "This is a Dolce and Gabana. Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to get this in Sunnydale?"

"Oh, yes, your radiance," he said. "Most difficult." He knew because he had been the one who had spent three days getting the garment shipped in from Los Angeles. "Dreg, bring our wondrous Glorificus a dressing gown so she can pick out a new outfit." He didn’t want to risk catching a glimpse of Glory undressed with his one good eye.

"Why are these humans so fragile?" Glory ripped off her top and skirt leaving only a black slip to cover her body. "All I did was squeeze that damn policeman’s head a little. You’d think their heads would be more … durable." She looked down at the splatters on her arms. "They should be a whole lot less … squishy."

"Yes, your most perfect vision of perfection," Dreg said as he carried over a silk dressing gown. "Much too squishy."

"As much as I hate to risk upsetting the delicate balance that is your mildly good mood…" Jinx backed away from Glory and bowed low. "I am afraid that I have news of a less than stellar nature."

"You have bad news?" Glory was standing next to him in a whirring flash of motion. "I don’t like bad news, Jinxy. It makes me irritable."

"And we certainly wouldn’t want that," Jinx agreed. He swallowed hard and smiled, showing his crooked teeth. "My most radiant vision of flawlessness, we are blessed by your magnanimous and noble and most forgiving benevolence." His ears curled down as he tried to make his head as small a target as possible.

"What is it? she asked as she shoved him away with a sigh. "My Key is broken, that blonde witch died before I could suck her nummy brain and now you’ve got bad news." She punched a whole in the nearby wall. "I am a goddess. Is a little good news in my life too much to ask?"

"Perhaps you would like us to bring you some small children to brain-suck? That always make you feel so playful and full of energy." Jinx smiled and dipped his head.

"Maybe later," she responded in a bored tone. She glared at Jinx. "Well? Spit it out."

"Yes." Jinx frowned and took a deep breath. "There is a great disturbance in the force," he said grimly.

"Okay, no more Star Wars on Minion movie night." Glory flicked Jinx’s ear with her finger. "And if I hear one more quote from that movie, I’m throwing your TV out the window."

"But Glorificus… there really is a disturbance in the force of the universe." Jinx bowed his head.

"Oh." She frowned. "Whatever." She tossed her hands into the air. "What kind of disturbance, and if you mention ‘Young Master Luke’ I’m gonna’ pop out your good eye."

"Your ever vigilant minions have been monitoring all forms of communication, your exalted wondrousness." Jinx pointed across the living room to a computer. "Someone has been inquiring into the habits of your technological followers."

"My nerd minions?" Glory narrowed her eyes. "Who’s messing with my cute little computer lackeys?"

"That is unknown at this time, oh, radiant plethora of all that is resplendent." Jinx adjusted his eye-patch. "It is difficult to read with only one eye." He widened that one good eye and quickly went into damage control mode. "But it is a hardship that I proudly endure as a humble sign of my endless obedience and fidelity to you, oh, incandescent one."

"What did my net minions have to say?" Glory patted Jinx on the head. "By the way, keep using that thesaurus. I like the big words."

"Someone accessed the restricted website with your historical accounts," Dreg volunteered. "Most shiny and beautiful one," he added quickly.

"One, those net minions need better security. Kill them all and get new ones." She looked over at Dreg. "Two, you need to borrow Jinxy’s thesaurus."

"Of course, my radiant and gracious Glorificus," Dreg said as he bowed.

"And three, where the freakin’ hell is my new outfit?" she yelled.

The other minion scattered like a spilled bag of marbles on a San Francisco street. They returned with armloads of new outfits.

"Anything else screwed up? Do I need to order more killings?" Glory asked as she picked through outfits. She frowned and tossed a few onto the floor and then smiled when she found one she liked.

"An oracle in Romania…" Jinx said. "She said that a lost daughter of the Romani has returned and that she may bring about the return of the exposed defeat."

"Romani?" Glory laughed. "Why should I worry about an extinct Gypsy clan?" She rolled her eyes. "Kill the oracle and get one that has better fine tuning on her soothsaying cable."

"Your will be done, oh, brilliant inspiration for all that is profound and momentous." Jinx closed his good eye as Glory finished changing her outfit.

"Excellent sucking up. Liking the words a lot," Glory said. "Bring me some school children and then we can go hunting. I feel like killing more of the Slayer’s friends." She smiled as she tugged her dress into place. "Or at least some college kids. I like those brains full of new knowledge. Not as good as a witch, but still tasty."

CHAPTER SIX

Watching her lover sleep was one of Willow’s favorite pastimes, but the redhead was too worried to enjoy the relaxed expression covering Tara’s face. She studied her lover, looking for some sign that she was all right, that she would open her blue eyes be in control of her own body.

A tiny murmur alerted Willow to Tara’s impending awakening. The redhead sat up and caressed Tara’s cheek.

"Willow," Tara whispered. It was a hushed expression of complete love said without reservation.

Willow smiled. She loved the way Tara said her name when she slept, so much so that sometimes Willow would wake up in the middle of the night just to coax Tara into saying it. The redhead would wait until Tara was sound asleep and then whisper questions in her ear. Willow’s favorite late night question was, ‘Who do you love?’ That question always got a dreamy smile from Tara and a heavenly whispered, ‘My Willow’ from the blonde witch. Willow smirked and leaned down next to Tara’s ear.

"Who loves you forever?" Willow opted to ask her second favorite sleeping Tara question.

"Willow," Tara said with a wistful sigh. Her slate blue eyes flickered open and Tara smiled when she saw her lover. "Hi," she said huskily.

"You’re back." Willow ran her fingers through Tara’s hair. A smile covered the petite Wiccan’s face as she enjoyed the sensation of her lover’s silky strands.

"Come here." Tara pulled Willow down to her and gave her a sizzling kiss. They eased apart, and Tara smiled at her surprised lover. "I need you, darling." Tara’s hand was running amok on Willow’s belly, darting up to tantalize the bottom slope of her breast and then detouring down to tug at the button on her jeans.

"Now?" Willow squeaked. She took in a deep breath to cool her overheating body and then spun to look at the door. Giles, and Buffy and the rest of the Scoobies were only a few rooms away. She turned back to Tara. "Here?"

"Now." Tara nodded. "Here." She licked her full lips and twisted the edge of her mouth up into a wicked grin. The look never failed to make Willow’s insides turn to jelly.

"Oh," Willow squeaked. She felt the telltale flutters of arousal in her belly, but she wasn’t convinced that a romantic tryst was a good idea. Her friends were just outside, and Jenny Calendar was inside Tara. "Um, honey…"

"Yes, darling?" Tara’s eyes sparkled with mischief. She ran her fingers along the top of Willow’s waistband.

"We aren’t exactly alone." She rested her hand on Tara’s chest and could feel the blonde’s heart hammering. Willow’s eyelids flickered and she moaned, excited beyond belief just knowing how aroused Tara was. "Jenny is … here." She waved at Tara’s prone form.

"I’m strong right now," Tara said with a smirk. "Strong like an amazon." She pulled Willow closer. "Jenny isn’t in control anymore."

"But she’s still in there." Willow’s eyes widened. "And she could like … see what’s going on." She frowned and tilted her head to one side. "What’s got you so wound up, baby?" She knew her lover, and she could tell by Tara’s dilated pupils and the thin sheen of sweat on her chest, as well as her hungry expression, that the blonde was indeed wound up.

"Remember the spell you and I did to find out what was going on with Buffy?" Tara asked as she sat up. She was running her hands around Willow’s waist.

"When Faith switched bodies with her?" Willow’s eyes shot open wide. That particular spell had the side effect of giving both witches rather explosive orgasms. "You did that with Ms. Calendar?" she asked in a shocked tone.

"No, never," Tara assured her lover. "But well… we were astrally projecting and um … it causes a build up of energy … special energy…" Tara bit her lip and gave her lover a meaningful look.

"Oh … that energy." Willow swallowed hard as she felt her own body reacting to Tara’s arousal. "Well, did you … you know." Willow waved her hands in the air in a familiar motion, not wanting to ask out loud if her lover had taken matters into her own hands.

"No." Tara closed her eyes and took slow, deep breaths. She was fighting the sensations that were coursing through her body, sensations she wanted to share with Willow. "I wouldn’t want to, well, to do that with her in my body," she said as she opened her eyes and devoured Willow with her gaze. "That’s just for you."

"Oh, my…" Willow smirked and looked at the door. She looked back at her frustrated lover and she decided that maybe some kissing wouldn’t hurt. "Okay, maybe we can—" Her words were cut off when Tara took possession of her mouth. Tara’s lips were loving and gentle, but there was a subtle command to the kiss that stole Willow’s breath. Willow moaned as she felt Tara’s hands pass under her shirt and before Willow could mention that they might not want to get fully involved … they were pretty much … fully involved. She had seen this passionate side of Tara on many occasions; in fact, this impulsive side was one of the reasons the two women lived together.

"Willow, I love you," Tara whispered as her hands touched the redhead with infinite love and tenderness.

Willow could only whimper in response. She remembered one night, the last night she and Tara had tried to sleep apart. There had been a knock on the door at two in the morning. Willow opened the door and found an aroused Tara waiting for her in the hall. Tara had awoken after a rather graphic dream, a dream she wanted to tell Willow all about. Willow had pulled the blonde into her dorm and before Tara had told her three sentences, Willow tossed Tara onto the bed and ravaged the blonde. They decided it would save time to just live together. That, and the fact that having Tara cross the campus after dark wasn’t exactly safe in Sunnydale.

"Willow, darling." Tara pulled her lover across her body and then, in a surprisingly graceful and efficient maneuver, she shifted and was straddling Willow while kissing her senseless.

"Oh, fuck," Willow whispered. She was prone to the occasional use of profanity when overcome with primal passion. Usually, she didn’t use spicy talk, but the sudden bolt of desire that exploded between her legs took her by surprise. "Cloths off … now, baby. I need to feel you," Willow said even as her face flushed.

Tara whimpered and she flung her shirt across the room. She had to sit up to get her skirt off, but somehow the inflamed witches never broke contact with their lips. Tara was panting by the time she was undressed, and when she pressed her voluptuous curves onto Willow’s gloriously naked body, she almost reached climax. She was about to use some profanity herself when completely different feelings hit her … guilt, revulsion, and shame. "No!" Tara said as she realized that Jenny was making an appearance. "Not now."

"When?" Willow asked as she shifted her kisses to Tara’s throat. Her hand had snaked down to caress Tara’s inner thigh, but she didn’t want to rush her lover. "We can go as slow as you want, baby." Her hand moved to Tara’s back and played with the soft skin there.

"Not me," Tara whined. "Jenny."

"She’s here?" Willow squeaked. She squeezed Tara’s waist and the two young witches locked eyes. "She decided to show up right now?" She was incredulous. "Can’t she come back in a few hours?"

"She needs to leave completely," Tara said with a growl. Jenny’s reactions to Tara being intimate with Willow were putting a damper on Tara’s desire. "I want her out now."

"Honey, I don’t think we can do that." Willow scooted out from under Tara and pulled the blankets over her bare chest. She wasn’t sure how much Ms. Calendar could see, but she didn’t want her seeing certain non-public parts that were for Tara’s eyes only, and only for Tara’s eyes when she wasn’t sharing them with a former teacher who Willow just happened to have crush on at one point.

"I’m kicking her out." Tara rolled over and pointed to Giles’ dresser. A small, round crystal was sitting next to the mirror.

"The Orb of Thesulah?" Willow frowned. "That’s for holding a soul until you can return it. I don’t think that’ll work. Jenny is kinda’ bonded with your body. Mystically speaking … she lives here now." She rubbed Tara’s chest.

"I’m evicting her," Tara said as she jumped from the bed. "Temporarily," she added. "She can hang out there while we…" Tara waggled her eyebrows at the bed.

"That won’t work," Willow said sadly. "It only holds a soul for a split second, to focus it. When I used the Orb on Angel, it lit up long enough for his soul to recombine and then it shot out to find his body." She frowned. "I don’t want to rush loving you … and um … no one is that fast." She tilted her head to one side. "And I wouldn’t want to be anyway."

"Then we’ll put her somewhere else. A ghost motel or something." Tara closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, damn it." She opened her eyes and let out a frustrated growl. Her body was trapped at the point of maximum arousal and she was having an inner struggle with Jenny, except they couldn’t actually speak anymore. Their communication was limited to waves of emotion they could send each other.

"Where could we put her?" Willow asked. She liked the idea of having her lover get rid of her mystic hitchhiker.

"Faith swapped with Buffy," Tara pointed out. She reached for the Orb and staggered before she could touch it. "Oh, god." Tara fell to her knees.

"Baby?" Willow leapt naked from the bed and ran to her lover. "Tara, honey?" She wrapped her arms around Tara and cradled her.

"This will work, if we’re careful," Tara said calmly. She turned and looked at Willow’s bare body. Tara’s eyes were brown and full of mischief. "Nice outfit, Miss Rosenberg."

"Ms. Calendar?" Willow backed away and ran to the bed. She dove under the covers and looked back. Her eyes were wide like dinner plates. "Would you stop doing that!"

"I had to take over," Jenny said with a smirk. "I have just the spell we need." She cleared her throat. "It’ll give you two a few … well-needed hours alone … and I can have some time with Rupert." She picked up the crystal orb and studied it in her hand.

"You are not having alone time with Giles." Willow’s eyes narrowed and her voice became a menacing growl. "Not in Tara’s body, you’re not. No way."

"Oh, goddess." Jenny rolled her eyes. "That is … ew!" She walked over to the bed and covered up with one of the blankets. "Okay, I would never use someone else’s body for that, and even if I would, Giles would die before doing that with Tara’s body. She’s like one of his kids." Jenny caught a glimpse of Tara’s uncovered backside in the mirror. She twisted and crinkled her brow. It was odd seeing the curvy body she was now residing inside.

"Just as long as we’re clear on that," Willow said, and then she saw where Jenny was looking. "Hey! Stop that. No looking at Tara’s body."

"Well, for the time being … it’s my body too," Jenny pointed out.

"You’re a visitor. And this is not a sightseeing zone. Got it?" Willow frowned.

"I’ll go see Giles instead." Jenny wrapped the blanket around her body, Tara’s body.

"See how?" Willow still wasn’t convinced. "How are you gonna’ have time with him?" she asked skeptically.

"By using to Orb to temporally put my soul into his body." Jenny settled the blanket into place around Tara’s body. "Here." She handed Willow the orb. "Do you remember the spell you used to get Angel’s soul back? This one is similar." She tugged the blanket loose and walked around the room noticing how everything was still in the same place. Giles was certainly consistent.

"Yes, I do." Willow looked down at the orb and fear filled her body. The last time she had seen the crystal had not been a happy time. Images of Angelus crashed into her mind.

Jenny bit her lip as she shifted her arms over the full breasts that were hers for the time being. She felt the warm, fleshy weight shift as she moved. Women with large breasts had always fascinated her. Jenny had been blessed with a high metabolism when she had been alive, giving her a lithe, muscular body. Consequently, she was curious about full-bodied women. She looked down at the generous breasts and couldn’t stop herself from giving them a squeeze.

"What are you doing?" Willow yelled.

"Oh … I … sorry," Jenny said sheepishly. "They just looked so…" She held her hands in front of her and made squeezing motions. "Soft yet firm and … they are."

"I didn’t want you looking at Tara’s body," Willow said dangerously. "Take a wild guess what my feelings are about you groping her!"

"We should get Giles," Jenny said as she backed away. She had never seen Willow’s face turn that particular shade of red, and it wasn’t a blush. It was a visible manifestation of extreme anger, anger directed at her. "Um … and get started on the spell."

"You need to give Tara back control of her body," Willow said as she looked for her clothes. She was still wrapped in the sheet and wasn’t about to get uncovered in front of her ghostly former teacher.

"Yeah, whatever," Jenny said with a sigh. "It would be best for everyone if I stayed in control until the swap."

"Better for you maybe," Willow said as she struggled to get dressed without removing the sheet that was snugly wrapped around her body. "Not better for me and it sure as hell isn’t best for Tara."

"Trust me, it’s best for her." Jenny ran her hand over her face. "If she were in control, she’d be suffering right now."

"Suffering?" Willow dropped the sheet. She had on her pants but she was topless. "Why is she suffering?" She noticed her nakedness and spun away from Jenny and grabbed a shirt. She slipped it on without turning. "I’m waiting," she said testily.

"Turn around," Jenny said with a smirk. She had dressed while Willow was turned around and when the redhead faced her, Jenny ran her hand under the baby soft hair at the base of Tara’s neck. She held out her fingers that were damp with sweat. "While I’m here in charge, she waits on the astral plane. It drains me, and it tires her physically, but it also … energizes her." Jenny cleared her throat and looked at the bed. "You know, that special kind of energy." She saw Willow blush. "So if I have her come back before we do this spell? She’s gonna be one frustrated little witch." She looked down at the full breasts just under her nose and sighed. "I always wanted breasts like these."

"Well, they’re not yours, so keep your ghostly mitts off of them," Willow said angrily. "And your eyes too…and any other part of you that’s you and not her."

"I’ll go get Giles." Jenny snickered and headed for the door. "I always knew she’s be a little fireball," she whispered as she closed the door. "It’s always the shy ones."

*****

Giles handled the situation better than most people would have. When Jenny came out to the living room and asked him to join her and Willow in the bedroom, he saw her brown eyes and knew that she was not Tara. He agreed instantly and accompanied Jenny into his bedroom. She explained the plan but he had reservations. One look at Willow’s distraught expression and the Watcher agreed to temporarily house Jenny’s soul.

*****

Giles held the Orb in his left hand and placed his right hand on Tara’s forehead. He looked into brown eyes that had haunted his memories for years and he fought back tears. Willow stood beside them and read from an ancient text.

It was in Romanian, but Willow knew what the words meant. She had translated from Romanian before, and she remembered the spell that she had used to save Angel. That time, it had been Jenny’s computer program that had actually translated the words, but Willow had since manually translated almost a dozen spells from the Slavic language. She had a basic grasp of most of the words and with Jenny’s help she figured out the rest.

They used a spell that had been taken from the soul-returning spell. This spell was designed for lovers. It was meant for witches to use for gaining better understanding of their partners by allowing a couple to swap bodies, much like Faith had done to Buffy against her will.

Jenny changed part of the spell so that her soul and essence would go into Giles’ body, but she removed the corresponding section of the spell that would shift Giles’ soul. The Romanian lover’s exchange was a short acting spell, lasting only two to three hours at the most. That was probably a good thing because while Jenny was occupying Giles’ body, the two would both be fully aware of the other. Sharing a mind with anyone, even someone you loved, had to be taken in small doses. It only took Giles a few minutes to discover that fact.

"No, I will most certainly will not let you take my car out for another ‘spin.’ I doubt flirting with a lesbian police officer while in my body would avoid a speeding ticket," Giles said as he walked down the hall.

"Giles, you going all lesbian on us?" Xander asked from the couch. He had a confused scowl on his face.

"You wish, Harris," Giles said, but there was no trace of his British accent.

"Miss Calendar?" Xander jumped to his feet and had the urge to hand in homework.

"That dead teacher really gets around," Anya commented. "Is Giles in Tara’s body now?"

"Good lord, no!" Giles’ eyes widened and filled with disgust.

"Now that’s my Watcher." Buffy giggled. She would know his mortified expression anywhere. "So what’s up?"

"We decided to give Tara and Willow some much needed alone time," Giles said.

"They’re having sex," Anya translated. "Well, as ghosts go, you’re very considerate."

‘That’s not the only reason,’ Jenny said inside Giles’ mind. ‘We need to talk.’

"What are you talking about?" Giles asked. He forgot that no one else could hear Jenny’s half of the conversation.

"Sex." Anya rolled her eyes. "I know it’s been a while for you, but I didn’t think you’d actually forget."

"Not you, Anya," Giles said harshly. "Jenny, what do you mean?"

‘I may have a line on defeating Glory.’ Jenny’s words echoed inside Giles’ mind. ‘But I didn’t want Willow or Tara around when I explained it.’

"Why do you insist on keeping secrets?" Giles asked angrily. "The last one turned out so well," he said bitterly. Jenny had kept her identity secret from Giles and the others. She had been sent to Sunnydale to watch Angel, and to make sure that her family’s Gypsy curse on the souled vampire was still working. That secret had ended tragically.

The others all stared at Giles as if he had completely lost his mind.

‘Don’t bring that up!’ Jenny’s words came in an internal yell. ‘I’m dead. Could that possibly be anymore in the past?’

"Well, you’re still keeping secrets," Giles accused. He paced and waved his arms in the air as he spoke. Jenny had always been able to get under his skin, though her current location was taking that a bit too literally. "You will of course tell me if anyone’s soul is going to be ripped from their body I assume."

‘You are such a pompous ass!’ Jenny yelled in his mind. ‘And you’re still a complete baby.’

"I am no such thing!" Giles spun and paced in the other direction.

"You know, I hear they’ve got some great new drugs for this kind of thing." Anya stared at Giles.

"Hey, Giles, you wanna’ cool it with the yelling and talking to thin air?" Buffy was getting a world class case of the wiggins.

"There, you see," Giles said to the air. "You’ve upset them."

‘You’re the one talking to yourself,’ Jenny countered. ‘You don’t have to actually speak for me to hear you, you idiot. We’re sharing a mind.’

"I’ve a good mind to kick you out right now," Giles said under his breath.

‘Giles, when we’re sharing a brain, whispering doesn’t work. I can still hear you,’ Jenny said sarcastically.

"Bloody hell." Giles flopped down into the couch. "Has it been three hours yet?"

Tara sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with her hands on her knees. She was pale, and looked like she had just run a marathon … or two.

"Easy, baby." Willow was concerned. She took off her lover’s shoes and tossed them aside. "I think you should rest." She hadn’t realized how exhausted Tara would be after Jenny’s soul transferred into Giles’ body.

"I don’t wanna’ rest," Tara whined, but her protest was half-hearted and she leaned back and fell into the fluffy down comforter that covered Giles’ bed.

"Honey, you’re … you’re … well … look at you." Willow crawled onto the bed and moved up next to Tara’s head. She settled so that she was sitting comfortably and then guided Tara’s head into her lap. "There. How’s that? Better?" She ran her fingers through her lover’s blonde hair.

"Yeah," Tara whined. She closed her eyes and let out a pitiful, forlorn sigh.

"What is it?" Willow continued her loving attention. "Tara?" She moved her hands and massaged the blonde’s temples.

"This sucks," Tara said grouchily. She didn’t open her eyes but if she had her blue eyes would have shown her frustration.

"Well … I … I can stop," Willow said slowly. Her hand froze at Tara’s temple.

"Not you." Tara’s eyes flickered open. "This," Tara said as she lifted a limp arm and gave a flopping half wave at her prone body.

"What this?" Willow cupped Tara’s chin in her hand and tried to understand.

"I’m feeling two things right now," Tara explained.

"Uh huh?" Willow nodded for Tara to continue.

"I’m completely and totally turned on," Tara said with a bitter edge to her voice. "My whole damn body is on fire." She rolled her eyes. "A hunk of burnin’ witchy love."

"Well, that doesn’t sound too bad." Willow smiled sensually. "I mean … Miss Calendar is gone for a few hours." She licked her lips.

"Argh!" Tara let out a frustrated puff of air that blew her bangs into the air. "I’m also so exhausted that I can’t lift a finger." She tried to lift an arm, but it fell uselessly back to her side. "I feel like a noodle. A wet noodle, not one of those dried and stiff noodles."

"Oh, is that all." Willow smiled and ran her fingers down Tara’s neck and tugged at the top of her blouse.

"All?" Tara’s eyes went wide. "All? Willow, I’m crawling out of my skin with passion for you right now … except I can’t even crawl. Crawling would feel like an Olympic sport right now. So yeah … that’s all."

"Darling…" Willow shifted and lowered Tara to the bed. She tugged her lover higher onto the bed and then stood up. "You don’t have to move a finger." Her eyes were full of mischief. "I’ve got ten fingers, well, eight fingers and two thumbs, and they’re all quite capable of moving." She waggled the digits in question in front of her like spiders. She began unbuttoning her top, slowly, looking into Tara’s eyes the entire time.

Tara whimpered. She wanted to jump up and toss Willow to the bed and rip off her clothes but for the moment she had to settle for the torturous striptease her lover was performing.

"You like what you see?" Willow asked as she shrugged her blouse off her shoulders and onto the floor. She cupped her hands over her breasts and stepped closer. "Do you?" she asked as she unsnapped the front latch on her silky bra. Her hands held the garment in place and she raised an eyebrow as she waited for an answer.

"Oh, yes," Tara managed to say. Her body was humming and watching Willow deliberately try to entice her was only tossing oil on the raging flames of Tara’s desire.

"Good." Willow smirked and she lowered her hands, taking the bra with them. She crawled on top of Tara and straddled her. "Darling, there are so many things I can do for you without you lifting a finger." She pressed the warm silk of her bra to Tara’s cheek, smiling when Tara twisted her face to get closer to the fabric heated by Willow’s body.

Tara was in a delicious hell. She could feel Willow’s heat through the fabric of her clothes but she couldn’t take any action. It frustrated and aroused her, though at the moment, just about anything would have aroused her. The residual energy from being on the astral plane had supercharged Tara’s entire body with sexual energy, and she wanted some relief.

"This is kinda’ nice." Willow leaned down and brushed her lips over Tara’s jaw. "I’ve got you right where I want you and you can’t get away." She giggled as she began removing Tara’s blouse. "Do I have you right where you want to be?" she asked as Tara leaned slightly forward so she could slip out of her blouse.

"Oh, goddess, yes." Tara relaxed back into the cushion of down comforter. Some of her strength was returning, but Willow seemed to be enjoying the situation so Tara just sprawled back and let Willow lead.

"Good," Willow whispered in Tara’s ear. Her hot breath caressed Tara’s skin even as her pink tongue darted out and moved to Tara’s neck. "Cuz I think I’m liking this a lot." She pulled back and met Tara’s eyes. "I’m gonna’ make love to you," she said firmly. "And when I’m done, I’m gonna’ start all over again." She studied Tara like a starving woman eyeing a fully stocked cupboard.

Tara smiled. It was her ‘half grin, curled lip, I’ve got a secret’ smile that she saved just for Willow. The smile said, ‘You’re a starving woman and I am the oh so happy buffet. Pull up a chair and stay a while.’

"You’re mine," Willow whispered as she lowered her body onto Tara’s. She licked her lover’s lips, wetting them even as Tara whimpered. "I’m gonna’ mark you," she said as she ducked down and nipped Tara’s exposed collarbone. She drew the flesh into her mouth and smiled when she heard Tara moan. "Mine," she said as she moved her lips higher leaving a red mark in her wake. She knew there would be a hickey there, and that thought inflamed her. Willow had a possessive side and marking her woman gave the redhead a secret thrill.

"Yours," Tara swore. She was much stronger now, spurned on by Willow’s loving attention, but she wasn’t about to interrupt Willow’s enjoyment.

"Damn right," Willow whispered. She took Tara’s lips in a searing kiss that was full of fire and ownership. Her hands moved down and mapped Tara’s body, reclaiming every pore. "All mine," she growled when she eased back to let Tara catch her breath.

"All yours," Tara agreed. She brought her hands up and ran them down Willow’s bare back, igniting tiny wildfires on her lover’s skin.

"No," Willow said firmly. She caught Tara’s wandering hands and gently put them back on the bed. "I want to do this for you." Her green eyes were playful and full of love. "You just hold still and let me love you."

Tara bit her lip. She wasn’t sure she could hold still with Willow driving her insane.

"Let me give you this," Willow whispered. "Give me this." Her fingers were wrapped around Tara’s wrists, but it wasn’t confining. "Please," she begged.

"Yes," Tara breathed as she relaxed her body. It wasn’t a surrender. It was a gift, for her and for Willow. She wanted to give herself to her lover and she could tell Willow needed to take her completely. With Jenny’s soul hitchhiking along lately, Willow had been feeling adrift. Tara’s unwitting withdrawal from her had scared the delicate redhead. Willow needed Tara to completely give herself, to offer herself without any reservation, and that was exactly what Tara did. "I’m yours, Willow. Forever. Take me, my Willow."

Passion washed over Willow and she leaned down and began loving Tara, but another emotion filled her as well, gratitude. She had her beloved Tara and all was right in Willow’s world. For a few precious hours neither lover had to think about ghosts or lost souls. Their world was each other and they lost themselves in that world. They would worry about hellgods and ghostly possession later. For now, they possessed each other, they shared all that they were and they gave without holding anything back.

Giles was shell-shocked. He had Jenny bouncing around in skull even as he tried to converse with Buffy and the others. He suddenly had the urge to stick cotton in his ears just so he could have some silence, except that it wouldn’t shut out Jenny’s insistent voice. He loved her, but at the moment, he truly wished she would shut the bloody hell up.

‘Let me speak,’ Jenny requested.

"Fine." Giles nodded and relaxed his body.

"Hi guys," Jenny smiled; her playful smirk looked even more bizarre on Giles’ face than it had on Tara’s.

"That’s just creepy," Xander said. He backed a few steps away.

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "No big smiles while you’re driving Giles’ body. He never smiles."

‘I do too,’ Giles said in his mind.

‘Yeah right, Rupert,’ Jenny answered silently.

‘Well, I do,’ he continued.

‘Hush, I’m trying to explain,’ Jenny responded.

"Hello? We are still in the room," Anya said as she waved her hand in front Giles’ face. "You just zoned out like Xander when he starts thinking about his porn collection."

"Sorry," Jenny said. She smiled at Anya. ‘I like her,’ she told Giles with her mind.

‘Why am I not surprised?’ Giles replied.

‘You old fuddy duddy,’ Jenny tossed back. ‘You could use a few more lusty comments. It livens things up.’

‘This from a dead woman.’ Giles’ internal voice was dripping with sarcasm. ‘ Yes, you should write a book. "How to live life to it’s fullest," by Jenny Calendar, ghost extraordinare.’

‘Ouch,’ Jenny answered. ‘That hurt.’

‘Sorry,’ Giles said. His mental voice was quiet, his shame at his outburst apparent.

"Miss Calendar?" Buffy asked gently. "Uh, we’re kinda’ waiting here…"

"Right. Sorry." Jenny smiled and cleared her throat. "Okay. When I was on the way back from the beach … in Tara’s body, I saw something," Jenny said in Giles’ voice.

"What kind of something?" Buffy stared at her Watcher. Hearing him speak with an American accent was making her brain hurt.

"My cab passed the museum, and I had an idea about how to fight Glory," Jenny continued.

"So … what … we’re gonna’ lure Glory to the museum and bore her to death?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy!" Giles said as he took over his body. "That’s not funny."

Jenny giggled inside Giles’ mind. ‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘But that actually was pretty funny.’

"It is not funny," Giles said angrily.

"I get it. Not liking the whole me mocking your precious museum," Buffy said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "You don’t have to repeat it."

"I was talking to Jenny," Giles said as he took off his glasses and put them on the table. "This is much too complicated."

"I know!" Dawn jumped up and looked around the room. She frowned then ran over and picked up an empty soda can. "Here, Giles, hold this." She stuffed it into his right hand. "Now, when you have this in your right hand, Giles gets to talk. When you have it in your left hand, Miss Calendar gets to talk."

"What?" Anya asked. "Is there some sacred soda can ritual no one told me about?"

"It’s supposed to be a stick," Dawn said with a frown. "We had to do this in my grief counseling group at school." She rolled her eyes. "Whoever has the ‘staff of sharing’ gets the floor. It’s supposed to keep people from being interrupted."

"Oh," Anya said with a knowing nod. "So you beat them with the staff if they butt in." She frowned at the soda can. "Well, that can won’t hurt at all. Let me go get one of the big pointy weapons."

"No," Giles said quickly. "This will do." He sighed and looked down at the soda can. "Jenny has an idea she’d like to explain." He moved the can to the other hand. His entire demeanor shifted.

"See, it works," Dawn said. "That’s definitely not Giles."

"All right, I’ve got a plan." It was Giles’ voice, but it was obviously Jenny’s accent and inflection. "I was in the cab and when we passed the park I remembered that the Sunnydale Museum has a permanent display of ancient gemstones."

"And oddly enough, I did not know that," Buffy said.

"Anyway," Jenny said as she continued. "I remembered some of the stones were from ancient Sumeria, so I went in to look at them."

"Wait, Tara’s soul was missing and you went sight seeing?" Buffy moved over and stood in front of Giles’ body. "You put Tara in danger."

"She’s fine." Jenny rolled her eyes, or rather, she rolled Giles’ eyes. "I found something that might help with Glory."

‘You really should have come back here first,’ Giles said in his mind. ‘You had no way of knowing how serious Tara’s condition was.’

‘I saw an opportunity and I took it,’ Jenny answered mentally.

"You shoulda’ come back here first," Xander said. "Giles loves the museum. Plus we coulda’ made sure Tara was okay."

‘Even Xander agrees we me,’ Giles pointed out.

‘Rupert, I have the can,’ Jenny yelled in her mind. ‘Shut up. And while I’m at it, Xander agreeing with you doesn’t make your case any stronger.’

"You’re risking Tara," Anya accused. "That’s evil. I think floating around in limbo made you go all wacky. Do they have ghost therapy in limbo? Cuz you need it."

"Does anyone want to defeat Glory?" Jenny asked in Giles’ voice.

"What did you find?" Buffy asked. Her eyes reflected the concern she felt. She wanted Glory gone, but she didn’t like anyone putting Tara in danger.

"I saw a gem made into a necklace with a gold setting," Jenny said. "It’s a totally incredible ruby. It’s like 80 karats."

"Did you steal it?" Anya asked. "And can I have it after we kill Glory?"

"No!" Jenny said angrily.

"What is this mega-necklace?" Xander asked. "Other than something else for Anya to beg me to buy for her." He looked over at his lover and shook his head. "And the answer is no."

"I’ll bet Willow would get it for Tara," Anya whined.

"Hello?" Buffy stomped her foot. "What is the necklace thing?"

"I remembered seeing it years ago," Jenny replied. She stretched, then frowned as she looked down at Giles’ body. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as Tara’s body. "Anyway, this necklace was rumored to have the ability to let a priestess channel godly power."

"So what did it look like?" Anya asked. "Did it have a lot of gold? How big is an 80 karat ruby?"

"I don’t care what it looks like," Buffy said. "What does it do … exactly?"

"According to myth, it was used by a goddess to defeat her rival," Jenny continued. She looked down at Giles’ hands and rubbed them together. "It’s called the ‘Eye of Ereshkigal,’ and it just oozes mystical energy."

‘Eye of Ereshkigal?’ Giles yelled in his mind. ‘Why didn’t you tell me this straight away?’

"Eye?" Buffy’s own eyes widened. "There was that pissed off eye thing in that poem."

"The ‘eye of death.’ You’re confusing it with the ‘word of wrath.’ It’s an easy mistake," Anya said.

"The ‘eye of death’ is in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.

‘I was talking,’ Jenny whined.

Giles looked down and moved the soda can to his right hand. ‘I do have the can,’ Giles added in his mind.

‘Oh, yeah, that makes interrupting me just fine,’ Jenny complained.

"You know, it always seems whatever rare mystic thingy-ma-jiggy we need is right here in Sunnydale," Xander said with a contemplative rub of his jaw. "How weird is that?"

"Hellmouth effect," Buffy explained. "All those thingy-ma-jiggys end up here sooner or later."

"Anya, have you had any dealings with the ‘eye of death’? Have you ever seen it used?" Giles said as he took control from Jenny.

"I’d remember seeing a huge ruby," Anya said. "Especially one called the ‘eye of death.’ I mean, wow, that’s so sexy." She looked over at Xander and smiled brightly.

"No," Xander said. "I’m still gonna’ be making payments on that engagement ring when we have our 50th anniversary, so no on the huge ruby of death."

"Fine, be that way." Anya crossed her arms over her chest. She sighed and then looked up at Giles. "Ask the ghost if the museum has any of the scrolls or clay tablets that should have been found with the ruby."

"Why, you want those too?" Dawn asked with a snort.

"Of course," Giles said. "If they have those tablets they may have an explanation of how to use the eye."

‘I was gonna’ get to that,’ Jenny whined. ‘You ruined my big finish.’

"So this is all good." Buffy rested one hand on her hip. "But I haven’t heard anything that Will and Tara should be kept in the dark about."

‘Yes, why is that?’ Giles asked with his mind.

‘Well, that’s a little complicated,’ Jenny commented. ‘Give me the damn soda.’

"Okay, here’s where it gets complicated," Jenny said with Giles’ voice. "See, I managed to get a peek at the clay tablets that were found with the Eye of Ereshkigal."

"Managed how?" Buffy asked. "Did you break in?"

"No!" Jenny paced. She kept getting distracted by Giles’ larger frame. When she had shared Tara’s body, walking had been a flowing, graceful thing. Now she felt gawky and cumbersome. "I uh … flirted with the curator’s intern." She admitted. "But for god sake’s don’t tell Willow. She’ll kill me."

"What did you find?" Anya asked. "Did you get to touch the ruby? Did you try it on? And hey, did you have sex with the intern?"

"Not only did you go sight seeing, but you were … were…" Buffy pointed at Giles.

"I only flirted." Jenny was getting impatient. "He was a kid."

‘What did you find?’ Giles demanded.

"Damn it, I had a good reason to keep Tara out of this." Jenny checked the clock and sighed. It had only been a few minutes, so she had plenty of time before she had to return to Tara’s body. "The Sumerian tablets said that only a priestess who had touched the divine could channel the eye’s power." She looked around the room at the others.

‘Tara met one of the elemental elders,’ Giles said in his mind.

"Tara touched the divine when she channeled the elemental elders," Anya pointed out.

"The tablet also said that the priestess would have to forfeit her essence to use the Eye of Ereshkigal." Jenny moved the can to the opposite hand. "Now you know why I want Tara to stay out of this."

"I’m getting really tired of Tara taking on this crap. I’m the Slayer. I should be in danger, not sweet little Tara," Buffy yelled. "I mean, first Glory brain sucks her, then the Jinn possesses her, then she’s got Miss Calendar hijacking her body, and now this ‘eye of Erzri gal’ just happens to want to kill Tara? What the hell is this?"

"Oh, my god!" Anya pointed at Buffy. "You have a crush on Tara!"

"Nu uh!" Buffy spun and glared at Anya. "I like guys, remember?"

"Well, it sounds like a crush to me," Anya said. She smiled and bit her lip. "I can’t wait to tell Willow. This is gonna’ be fun."

"Can we please try to focus?" Giles asked calmly. "The fact is, we now have one of the three weapons we need to defeat Glory. Buffy’s feelings for Tara are not important."

"There are no feelings!" Buffy spun and faced Giles. "No feelings of any

kind. None. Well, friendship feelings, but that’s all."

‘What three weapons are you talking about?’ Jenny asked.

"The three weapons mentioned in an ancient poem," Giles said as he sat down. "The ‘eye of death,’ the ‘word of wrath’ and ‘cry of guilt’ are all mentioned."

‘Well, those were all mentioned in the clay tablets,’ Jenny told him. ‘At least I think.’

"We have to go to the museum," Giles announced.

"Oh, man, now I have to get bored to death!" Buffy grumbled. "I’m not an evil hellgod. Why do I have to go to the museum? Make Glory go."

"It’s not a punishment," Giles reminded the Slayer.

"Yeah, right," Dawn said. "Do I have to go?"

"I suppose not," Giles said.

"No dusty museum for me either. I’ll watch Dawn," Xander volunteered.

Buffy let out a squeak. "I’m not going to the museum alone. No way."

"I’ll go," Anya said happily. "I wanna’ see that ruby."

"You are not stealing it," Giles said as he gave Anya a stern glare.

"But I can touch it, right?" Anya asked.

"We’ll see," Giles said slowly.

"And I can have it after we fight Glory, right?" Anya pushed. "I mean, if we’re all not smooshed into a bloody pulp and dead and stuff."

‘That would be funny if it weren’t actually something that just might happen,’ Jenny pointed out in her mind. ‘And hey, I want the damn ruby!’

‘You are dead,’ Giles responded dryly.

‘Yeah, well, after facing Glory, I might not be the only one. Besides, I still like nice things,’ Jenny answered for Giles’ ears only.

‘I do believe you and Anya are related," Giles replied. He rubbed his face and tried not to imagine all the horrible ways they could all be killed. When facing a hellgod, the available methods of death increased exponentially. Giles just prayed that he could keep Tara out of harm’s way. She had been through a great deal lately and he didn’t think Willow could survive losing her.

‘She can’t,’ Jenny replied. She could hear Giles’ thoughts and she echoed his concern. ‘If Tara dies, Willow won’t survive. They’re soulbonded. If one dies the other will either die of loneliness or go insane.’

"Just bloody lovely," Giles said out loud. He ignored the curious looks the others gave him. "Let’s get going to the museum," he said with a sigh.

"Can’t I fight a demon instead?" Buffy whined. "Give me an apocalypse any day, just don’t make me go to a stuffy, dusty museum."

"There are some country’s where young people don’t have any museums." Giles scowled. "They’d love the chance to see what you take for granted."

"Geez," Dawn whined. "Next we’ll hear, ‘eat your vegetables … there are children starving all over the globe.’"

"For just fifty cents a day, you can give a child the literary boredom they’ll been starving for," Xander added. "Send your contributions to the international boring museum fund."

"You’re all horrible people. Every one of you." Giles sighed in disgust and headed for the door.

"I didn’t malign the nice museum," Anya said as she ran after Giles. "So can I have the ruby?"

"Yes, Anya, if we’re not all torn into tiny bits of bloodied flesh by Glory, you can have the ruby," Giles said as he slammed the door.

"Man! Why do I only get jewelry when death is breathing down my neck?" Anya opened the door and paused. "Well, come on, people. My necklace is waiting!" She rushed out the door.

CHAPTER SEVEN

The Sunnydale museum was like any other museum except for the fact that it housed an unusual number of artifacts with mystical backgrounds. Of course, most of the visitors never knew the darker side of the items; they just wandered past them and thought how nice it was that the small town could afford so many things from far away ancient lands.

Giles cleared his throat and caught Buffy’s attention.

"What?" Buffy asked in a plaintive whine. She was holding a 13th century sword in her hand, or rather, she was spinning it in a complex swirling pattern around her body. The sword froze in place when Giles raised one eyebrow. "I can’t have any fun." She carefully put the sword back on an intricate display rack. "The one fun thing here and I can’t touch it."

"Oh! Look a Fidchell!" Anya squealed in delight. She ran across the museum and fell to her knees and pressed her hands to a glass display case. "I played that as a little girl," she said as a huge smile covered her face. "How do I open this thing?" She stood and started to go behind the display.

"No," Giles said harshly. He didn’t want to get kicked out of the museum before they found what they were looking for, and Giles was nervous. On the way over, Jenny had become very quiet, not even bothering to make snide remarks. Something was obviously bothering her.

"See?" Buffy accused. "You won’t let us have any fun. And here we were starting to like the museum thing."

Giles gave Buffy a doubtful glance.

"Okay, not liking it … but we were tolerating it." Buffy blew out a breath of air. "That is until you started with the convent rules. I swear, Giles, you’d make a great mother superior."

‘Score one for the Slayer,’ Jenny said in Giles’ mind.

‘Now you rejoin the conversation?’ Giles asked. He looked over at Anya, completely ignoring Buffy. "Anya, that’s not even a Fidchell game. The description says it’s a Tafl." He wanted the former demon to leave the display alone. He knew that if she had a screwdriver, she’d have the intricately carved board game in her hands already.

"Shows what they know." Anya smiled as she stared at the game pieces. "A Tafl is a Viking toy, and it has a grid with 11 peg slots. This one only has seven." She smiled smugly. "Besides, that Celtic knot in the center is a dead giveaway. That is a Fidchell."

"I’m certain they know what they have on display," Giles said.

"Actually, the young lady is correct." A man with a strong British accent stepped into the room and smiled at Anya. "You have an excellent eye, Miss." He was dressed in a tweed jacket that looked like it came out of Giles’ closet.

"See?" Anya said as she stood and eyed the stranger. "Even the creepy man lurking in shadows knows the difference."

Buffy giggled, but she did step closer to Anya. The man did seem to be lurking and she didn’t want Xander’s girlfriend getting nabbed by some evil museum demon.

"And you are?" Giles asked.

"Doctor Neville Lambton," he said as he nodded at Giles. "I’m the new curator of the museum. I’ve already asked my intern to change the display information on the fidchell."

"Lambton?" Giles adjusted his glasses as stepped closer. "Are you any relation to the first Earl of Durham?"

‘Giles, can you have this stuffy English guy convention another time?’ Jenny asked silently.

"That’s a different line," the curator said with a smile. "My family’s a bit off the beaten track, I’m afraid."

"Are you related to Sir John Lambton?" Giles asked.

"Yes, as a matter a fact, I am." The curator’s eyes widened.

"He killed the worm!" Anya pointed at the curator. She backed up and pressed her body into Buffy.

"I dare say you’re more familiar with the history of my homeland than most of the staff." Doctor Lambton smiled at Anya, then frowned when he saw fear in her eyes. "If you’re having problems with a worm, I’m afraid I’m not up to wrestling it," he joked.

"We have Buffy," Anya said as she grabbed the Slayer.

Giles cleared his throat. "Doctor Lambton, we’re interested in seeing one of your gemstones. Might we have an private viewing?" Giles asked.

"Gemstone?" Lambton walked over to Giles. "I chastised my intern Charles for giving a private viewing earlier today. I believe he was trying to make time with a young lady."

"Indeed?" Giles asked.

"Poor lad isn’t fit to hold a candle," Lambton said with a chuckle. "He’s been sitting by the phone all day with a hangdog expression. Apparently the young lady promise to ring him."

"Why would he want to hold a candle?" Buffy whispered.

"It’s means he’s useless," Anya explained.

"Oh," Buffy said and then looked over at Giles. "I can’t believe anyone would lead on that poor young man." She intensified her glare, directing the look at Jenny.

"The gemstone," Giles said again. "The Eye of Ereshkigal, could we see it?"

"If I had my druthers, I’d be rid of that piece completely," Lambton admitted.

"How so?" Giles asked.

"I don’t want to sound superstitious, but that particular piece makes me quite uneasy." Lambton looked around the corridor.

"Because it’s an 80 karat ruby and people might break in to steal it?" Anya asked brightly. "I could take it off your hands for ya.’"

"Anya," Buffy whispered.

"Perhaps you’re referring to the dark power the stone possesses." Giles stepped closer. "Being from Sir Lambton’s line, I do believe you have a better understanding of the more unusual things in the world."

"Who are you people?" Lambton asked. He looked behind them at some approaching visitors. "Come this way," he said quietly.

"Giles, hello? Secrecy?" Buffy slapped her Watcher on the arm.

"Are you the eldest son, Doctor Lambton?" Giles asked as he rubbed his aching arm.

"Second son," the doctor paused and looked back. "Why do you ask?" He opened a door to his private office and motioned the others inside.

"Does your brother know you’re living in Sunnydale?" Giles asked.

‘Why the sudden interest, Rupert?’ Jenny asked in his thoughts.

‘Council business,’ Giles replied silently.

"I’ll ask again, who are you?" The doctor shut the door and crossed both arms over his chest.

"Where did the council station your brother?" Giles asked.

"Bloody hell," Lambton said as he went to his desk and sat on the corner of it. "You’re a Watcher?"

Buffy’s jaw dropped and she looked back and forth between Giles and the curator.

"Are all British guys Watchers?" Anya asked.

"You’re knowledge of history," Lambton said as he stood and walked over to Anya. "It’s a pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand and took Anya’s. "Truly a pleasure." He kissed her knuckles and then stared at her in awe.

"Why thank you," Anya replied. She smiled brightly. "Can I have the ruby?"

"Well, if you need it … anything to assist the Slayer. I’m sure we can come to some arrangement," Lambton said as he continued staring at Anya with reverence.

"Hey!" Buffy realized what was happening. "Yo, stuffy English guy! You should be kissin’ my hand. I’m the Slayer." Buffy glared at Giles and hit his arm. "And while we’re at it, you wanna’ explain why stuffy Lord Fauntleroy knows about me?"

"Doctor?" Giles looked at the curator.

"Pardon me, but until I’ve figured out who all the players are here, I’d feel best if you took the lead." The curator was looking at Buffy as if she wasn’t quite up to snuff. He sighed and looked at Anya with longing. "You’re really not the Slayer?" he asked quietly.

Anya shook her head. "But can I still have the ruby?"

"But you’re so well-versed," Lambton continued. "And she … isn’t."

"Hey!" Buffy gave Giles a shove.

"Buffy is one the most skilled Slayers in history," Giles said defensively.

"Buffy?" Lambton raised and eyebrow distastefully.

"Our queen was called Buffy for quite some time," Giles pointed out.

"As a child," Lambton countered. "It just seems so, well, unseemly."

"I beg your pardon?" Giles glared at Lambton. "You’ll not speak of her in such a manner."

‘Oh, British catfighting,’ Jenny commented with an internal giggle. ‘Look out before someone breaks into a nap.’

"I suppose you’re her Watcher?" Lambton asked.

"Indeed I am," Giles said proudly.

"Terribly sorry if I’ve offended," Lambton said contritely.

"As well you should be," Giles said, but he extended his arm the two men shook hands. "But no harm done, as it were."

‘Geez, Rupert, go for the throat why don’t you?’ Jenny said snidely and added a few hissing cat noises.

"Why does he know what he knows?" Buffy asked as she pointed at Lambton.

"His ancestor, Sir Lambton, killed the ‘worm of the well.’ It was actually a demon, and that act caught the attention of the Watcher’s Council." Giles nodded toward the curator. "Ever since that incident, the eldest son has joined the Council."

"My brother is an expert on serpentine demonology." Lambton smiled proudly. "He’s the premier authority on the subject."

"Big whup," Anya said. "There’re only six classes of serpentine underworld creatures, and none of them are upper class demons. Hell, only one form can even speak, the Xiang Yao, and they’re almost extinct." She walked over to the bookshelf and scanned the titles.

"Are you a Watcher?" Lambton asked.

"As if." Anya rolled her eyes. "So … about that ruby..."

‘Giles, we need to get focused. I only have a few hours.’ Jenny sounded stressed.

"Doctor Lambton, we are on a bit of a time limit here," Giles said as he took Anya by the arm and pulled her away from the curator.

"Of course, what can I do to assist you?" Lambton sat behind his desk. He looked at Giles and smiled.

"We need to see the clay tablets that were found with the Eye of Ereshkigal." Giles paused before posing his next question. "And we may very well need to borrow the ruby itself."

"Is this about Glorificus?" Lambton asked.

"Do we have any secrets anymore?" Buffy whined.

"I’ve been going over most of the old texts cataloging our collection," Lambton explained. "I noticed that several of the portents in the clay tablets from Assurbanipal’s royal library have already come to pass."

"What portents?" Buffy challenged.

"The Queller meteor, and the killings of the mentally challenged that followed," Lambton responded. "And of course, just the vast number of unexplained cases of insanity, then there was the dragon sighting several months ago as well as the building that became a demon nest…"

"Okay, we get it," Buffy said in a huff.

"Stupid dragon," Anya whined as she glared at Buffy. "Don’t think that was easy to kill. And you, you weren’t any help, what with the whole being dead at the time thing."

"Focus?" Giles reminded. "The tablets. Have you read them all?"

"Most of them," Lambton said as he stared at Buffy. "Dead?"

"Long story," Buffy said dismissively. "So did you read about any word of wrath or word of pain thingy in those clay book dealies?"

"She really is the Chosen One?" Lambton eyed Buffy wearily. "This isn’t some ruse to keep the real Slayer’s identity secret?" He nodded at Anya.

Buffy let out a frustrated growl. She grabbed his antique oak desk and lifted it into the air with one hand. She held it over her head and rested her free hand on her hip. "Me … Slayer. Any questions?"

"Oh, dear…" Lambton stood and backed up against the wall.

"Buffy, please don’t terrorize the curator." Giles sighed.

‘Oh, let her have her fun,’ Jenny said. ‘He was being an ass.’

‘He was just being British,’ Giles said as a wave of protectiveness for his fellow Englishman washed over him.

‘And the differnce is?’ Jenny asked impishly.

‘I walked right into that, didn’t I?’ Giles asked internally.

‘Yep,’ Jenny agreed.

"Giles is doing that thing with his special friend," Anya whispered.

"Just what I needed." Buffy put the desk down, dropping it the last few inches with a loud thump. "A Watcher with MPD."

"What I believe Buffy is asking is whether or not the tablets made mention of the myth of Inanna’s journey into the underworld." Giles took off his glasses and wiped them with a crisp white handkerchief. "Or anything that might be used to make the ‘cry of wrath,’ or an explanation of the ‘word of guilt.’ Did you find anything of the sort?"

"There was mention of a horn that screams in anger. We have it in our collection, but I’m quite sure it’s never produced sound." Lambton was leaning against the wall studying Buffy. He couldn’t equate her small stature with the strength she had just displayed.

"Why won’t the horn thing work?" Buffy asked.

"It’s made of solid stone," Lambton said flatly. "And there’s no opening in it."

"Oh." Buffy furrowed her brow.

"But you have the artifact here?" Giles asked.

"Yes, but I can’t see how it would assist you." Lambton pushed off of the wall and went to his desk, keeping his eyes on Buffy the entire time.

"Mystical things are not always literal," Giles reminded the curator.

"Well, I hardly see how this could be of any help." Lambton opened a drawer and pulled out a small horn made of stone. He handed it to Giles. "It’s called the Horn of Gilgamesh." It was shaped a bit like a cone, with small indentations on each end. The stone itself was bright green and had specks of red coloring that looked like drops of fresh blood.

"What is it made of?" Giles asked.

"A type of green jasper, but the indigenous people who found this particular piece called it a bloodstone." Lambton shrugged. "As you can see, it’s quite unremarkable."

"That’s a focusing stone," Anya said casually. "It’ll kick up your mystic juju about a zillion times. And by the way, bloodstone isn’t called the martyr’s stone for no reason."

"Who are you?" Lambton stared at Anya.

"And that crap about it being from Christ’s blood? So not true," Anya said. "It’s a naturally occurring pigment. It’s nice and gory looking so you can just image why everyone decided it was all ‘the blood of the messiah.’ Of course, the fact that bloodstone just happens to be a perfect psychic conductor helped it’s image."

"Conductor, as in … makes witchy powers kick ass more than they naturally kick ass?" Buffy smiled and looked over at Giles and waggled her eyebrows. "It’s a witchy spell booster."

"Oh, you’re a witch," Lambton said as he nodded and smiled at Anya. "What level have you reached?"

"A witch?" Anya scrunched her face. "Um, no. Sorry, but you’re never gonna’ get it." She smiled and her eyes lit up. "Okay, how about … I give you three more guesses and then I get the big ol’ ruby as a prize?" She nodded enthusiastically and bounced on her feet. "But no lifelines."

"Anya, you are not getting the ruby," Giles said impatiently.

‘Ask about the cry of guilt,’ Jenny prompted. ‘And tell Anya to leave the game playing in the bedroom with Xander.’

‘Thank you so very much for that image,’ Giles responded internally. He looked at Lambton and caught the curator’s attention. "Have you read anything about the ‘cry of guilt’ or ever seen reference made to it?"

"It was mentioned in the tablets." Lambton went to his bookcase and pulled out a thick manuscript. "I have a translation of the tablet here. We collected these from the Assurbanipal royal library in Ninevah. You’re welcome to borrow it if you like." He paused and tilted his head to one side. "You do realize that it’s basically just the retelling of the fall of Inanna. You could get most of this information from any good book on mythology."

"But not the ruby," Anya piped up. "Just reminding you." She saw Giles scowl at her and she sighed. "I mean we have to remember the sacred artifacts, cuz thinking of them as really nice fashion accessories would be wrong." She batted her eyelashes at the Watcher.

"Quite," Giles agreed. His eyes darkened, letting Anya know that it was past time to drop the subject.

"About the guilty cry deal?" Buffy yawned. "Oh, sorry. Must be my dust allergy. Dusty places have this effect on me."

"The ‘cry of guilt’ was merely the chanting of a sacred word," Lambton said. He saw the others look at him intently and he shook his head. "I’m afraid I have no idea what that word might be."

"Great, so we have two weapons to use, but without the magic word, we’re screwed." Buffy glared at Giles. "Is this supposed to make me feel better?"

"It may be in the tablet," Giles said hopefully. "It’s just a matter of finding it."

"Have you asked the Council?" Lambton smiled warmly. "They have extensive libraries, or so I’ve heard."

Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I think not," Giles said delicately. "I mean … we’ve checked their resources already."

"Okay, so just loan us the sacred artifacts and the tablets and we’ll look them over." Anya bit her lip. "And you know, I could keep an eye on that big ol’ ruby until—"

"No!" Giles and Buffy said in unison.

"Okay, you don’t have to yell." Anya sighed and sat on the edge of the desk. "I mean, it’s not like I’d keep it. I just thought I could—"

"No!" Buffy and Giles repeated.

"Fine. Whatever." Anya sighed and looked down at her engagement ring.

"I should probably take that." Giles pointed to the bloodstone. "The Horn of Gilgamesh can’t be allowed to fall into the wrong hands." He reached out and took the green carving from Lambton.

‘Rupert?’ Jenny sounded slightly panicked inside his mind. ‘Something’s wrong…’

"What is it?" Giles said out loud. He looked over at Buffy. Concern covered his features.

‘Tara?’ Jenny’s mind whispered and then her presence was gone.

"Jenny?" Giles yelled. He saw the concerned looks from the others. "She’s gone. She was there, and now she’s gone."

"We have to get back to Tara," Buffy said as she turned to Lambton. "We need to commandeer your other thingy-ma-jiggy. Now."

"I’ll take the ruby," Anya volunteered in a whisper.

"Yes, of course," Lambton said as he hurried toward the door. "I’ll put a sign on the display, make a note that these pieces are being cleaned. No one should notice anything. I could assist you with the tablets if you like." He headed down the hall with the others on his heels. "Who’s Jenny?" he asked as he rounded one of the corners.

"Long story," Buffy said. She didn’t elaborate. Her mind drifted to thoughts of Tara and what Jenny’s disappearance from Giles’ mind might mean for the witch. She hoped whatever effected Jenny didn’t harm Tara in anyway, but in Sunnydale, bad things generally went bad in every way possible.

"Darling…wow." Tara held Willow to her chest as both women fought to slow their breathing. She took in gulps of air and her body shuddered. "I … you … goddess." Tara swallowed hard.

"Yes?" Willow drew the word out and smiled playfully.

"I … you … Oh, goddess." Tara let out a contented sigh.

"You already said that," Willow pointed out smugly. Her hand was resting on Tara’s inner thigh and the redhead was about to renew her attention to Tara’s quivering flesh.

"Goddess, I … I can’t…" Tara inhaled sharply and moaned as her back arched. "No more, darling." Her eyes fluttered. "Oh, that, more of that," Tara said as she suddenly changed her mind. "Oh, goddess."

"You like that, baby?" Willow asked. She kissed Tara, letting her mouth linger and then she traced Tara’s lips with her tongue. "Hmm?" she inquired wickedly.

"It’s my turn," Tara pointed out even as she enjoyed Willow’s touches.

"I’m giving you your turn." Willow laughed sensually. Her fingers inched higher on Tara’s thigh.

"No, you goof." Tara giggled and rolled Willow onto the bed. "It’s my turn to love you." She covered Willow’s face with kisses. "I get to make you scream."

"Oh, well…" Willow giggled as she felt Tara’s hand teasing her belly. "Lucky me."

"I want to get our tattoos," Tara whispered huskily. She traced her fingers around Willow’s navel. "I found a woman up on the north coast up who does them." She kissed Willow’s chest and lifted her head and locked eyes with her lover. "I want that, darling. Do you?"

"Oh, yes," Willow said instantly. "Yes, Tara." She pulled the blonde closer and they shared a tender kiss. "When?" she asked when they broke apart.

"We, um, have to have our handfasting first." Tara bit her lip and swallowed as her throat went dry.

"Tara, I can’t wait to marry you." Willow cupped her lover’s chin in her palm. "I didn’t say anything sooner because I didn’t want to rush you."

"Well, then I guess we better announce our engagement." Tara turned her head and kissed Willow’s palm. "There’s a new moon in two weeks. If we can get our handfasting done before then, we can get our first tattoo."

"I’d like that." Willow’s smile lit the room. She knew that the tattoos were an ancient amazon incantation that would allow her and Tara to conceive a child together. Unfortunately, they would need four of the tattoos that formed an intricate circle around their belly buttons, and they had to wait a year and a day between each quarter of the sacred marking. After the last tattoo they would have to wait another year and a day before they conceived. That meant they couldn’t have their child for more than four years.

"I love you, Tara." Willow leaned closer and gave her lover a gentle kiss. It was a sweet, undemanding kiss that spoke of their future. When she eased back she saw devotion and love mirrored in her lover’s blue eyes.

"I love you, my Willow." Tara gave Willow a less chaste kiss, one that promised passion, passion in the future and in the present. "Now, I want to make love to my fiancee." She waggled her eyebrows.

"Better hurry," Willow suggested. She relaxed into the pillows and smirked up at Tara. "Cuz, we don’t want Miss Calendar showing up."

"That would be bad," Tara agreed. She looked over at the clock. "We have time." She leaned down and kissed Willow’s throat. "You taste so good." Tara savored the salty taste of Willow’s skin. She adored the way the lithe redhead’s body shined with a thin dusting of perspiration when they made love. She moved her mouth down Willow’s chest, kissing and licking her way lower.

"Tara…" Willow let out a frustrated whimper and pulled Tara’s arm to get her attention. "Do the thing with your mouth," she pleaded.

"I was just about to," Tara responded wickedly. She kissed the dark patch of curls between her lover’s legs.

"Not that thing." Willow giggled and guided Tara up so they were face to face. "The thing you do, when you kiss me…" Willow raised her eyebrows and cleared her throat. "That tease thing," she clarified.

"Oh, the tease thing." Tara smiled rakishly. "You like that, baby?" She settled her weight onto the smaller woman and studied her. "Is this what you want, darling?" She traced Willow’s lips with her tongue and then a split second later she mimicked the touch with her fingers between Willow’s legs.

"Oh, goddess." Willow’s entire body shook as a bolt of desire shot through her. "Yes, that."

"This?" Tara edged just the tip of her tongue between Willow’s lips and then teased with her fingers below. When she pulled her tongue away, Willow let out a frustrated growl.

"More," Willow pleaded. She savored the delicious torment of Tara’s teasing and she loved the anticipation of the sensuous act. Tara would use her tongue to give Willow a preview of what her fingers would do next. The split second warning was just enough to kindle a white-hot flame, and as soon as Tara’s fingers fulfilled the promise of the blonde’s tongue, Willow’s body would quiver in pleasure.

Tara continued her gentle tease for what felt like an eternity. Just when Willow thought she would die from wanting, Tara’s tongue made promises that almost sent Willow over the edge. The blonde witch drove her tongue into Willow’s mouth, filling her, and then, as Willow was still moaning in anticipation, Tara’s fingers mirrored the action below. Over and over Tara’s tongue filled Willow’s mouth.

"Oh, sweet goddess, fuck yes!" Willow babbled when Tara eased back for a brief moment. "Don’t stop."

"Such language," Tara chided. She took Willow’s mouth, possessing her above and below. "Naughty witch," she whispered as she pulled back.

"Tara … please." Willow took in gulps of air. Her mouth was dessert dry as she panted. She tried to pull Tara’s mouth back to her lips in the hope of making the blonde’s fingers return below.

"So close," Tara whispered huskily. She dipped her tongue into Willow’s mouth and smiled when the redhead released a long, keening moan. "Not yet," she murmured firmly.

A squeak was the only answer Willow could manage. She tried to lift her face to Tara’s mouth and lifted her hips below.

"So close," Tara repeated. She darted her tongue quickly in and then out.

"Tara!" Willow growled when the blonde mimicked the move below. She had taken all the teasing she could handle, and now she needed relief. "Please, baby."

"You’re almost there, aren’t you?" Tara traced the edges of Willow’s lips. Her fingers mapped her lover below as her tongue refused to enter the redhead’s mouth.

"Ta-ra." Willow’s voice was hoarse and her green eyes were dark with passion. Frustration was mounting and Willow had reached her limit.

"I’ll bet five more of my special kisses should do it," Tara said with an evil grin. "One…" She leaned forward and plundered Willow’s mouth with her tongue while her hand found its own treasures below. She pulled away and leered at Willow. "Two…" She repeated the aggressive kiss. "Not yet." Tara eased away.

"Yes yet. Now is yet," Willow whined. "I mean, yet is now … oh fuck! Now is now!"

Tara laughed at her lover’s incoherent words. "Three," she whispered and then gently drove her tongue into Willow’s mouth. She titled her head, making the most of the kiss even as Willow tried to trap her tongue inside. She pulled back, being careful to wait until Willow’s teeth loosened. The redhead wanted Tara’s tongue and her fingers to stay inside. She wasn’t above trapping Tara’s tongue in the hopes of prolonging the visit of Tara’s fingers.

Willow bit her lip as she fought to hold off her body’s impending storm. She wanted to wait for Tara’s signal to let go. She loved Tara’s dominant side and she wanted to delay her release because she knew it would be better for them both. She whimpered, frustrated that Tara was pausing between the intimate kisses.

"So beautiful," Tara whispered. She traced Willow’s lips again. "Did I say it would take five?" she asked wickedly.

Willow nodded enthusiastically.

"What number are we up to?" Tara asked as she furrowed her brow, pretending to have lost count.

"Four," Willow said breathlessly. Her body hummed with an explosion that was barely held in check.

"That’s close to five," Tara said as she leaned down and hovered over Willow’s mouth.

"Um hmm." Willow agreed. She felt her belly tingle as tension coiled within.

"Four." Tara drove her tongue into Willow’s mouth and explored every inch of the wet expanse.

Willow groaned into the kiss. She was lost in the sensation of the kiss and the touch that mirrored it. This was bliss. Tara loved with every ounce of her being, she held nothing back, and she gave Willow every bit of her passion in each touch. When Tara pulled back and broke the kiss, she stilled her hand below, letting Willow enjoy the sensation a bit longer and then withdrew.

Willow whimpered in protest.

"I guess that makes this five." She locked eyes with Willow and then kissed her deeply.

Willow inhaled as her belly tightened another notch. Her muscles had been inching tighter like a rubber band about to snap, and she felt that band about to give way.

Tara felt it too. She drove her tongue deeper and moaned. She loved the feeling of Willow, of being in Willow, of tasting her and sharing her passion. That thought was broken when the hair on the back of Tara’s neck prickled. She broke the kiss and her eyes darted to the dresser across the room. She saw a flash of light in the orb of Thesulah and she panicked.

"Shit!" Tara rolled over, ruining Willow’s moment of perfect bliss just before it arrived.

"Tara!" Willow watched in frustrated horror as Tara turned her back and covered her head with a pillow. "Why did you—"

"Jenny’s coming," Tara managed to say a split second before her body stiffened.

"Yeah, well I was just about to come myself!" Willow said without processing her lover’s words. "Jenny?" She suddenly understood Tara’s actions as she watched the blonde’s body arch and then go limp.

"Oh, man … this wasn’t supposed to happen yet." It was Tara’s voice, but the tone was all Jenny.

"Oh geez!" Willow scrambled to cover her naked and highly aroused body. She clutched the blanket to her chest and her eyes locked on the woman beside her. If Tara hadn’t reacted as quickly as she had, Miss Calendar would have gotten to know some rather intimate parts of Willow’s body.

"Crap," Jenny said as she pushed the pillow off of her face. "What the?" She started to sit up but then realized she was completely naked. "Oh, boy. I guess I interrupted something." She rolled over and bit her lip to stop from laughing. Tara’s blue eyes were gone, replaced by mischief filled eyes of sable brown.

"It hasn’t been three hours. It hasn’t even been two." Willow was holding the blankets to her chest and the look of frustration on her face made it perfectly clear what Jenny had interrupted. "You know, you shouldn’t tell us you’ll be gone three hours when you won’t because … because … well, you just shouldn’t. It’s rude!" Her lips pressed into an angry line.

"Sorry," Jenny said sheepishly. She sat up, making sure to bring the blankets up to cover her nakedness. "I guess I…" She shifted her legs and smiled as she felt the satisfied ache of a well-loved body. She pressed her thighs together and closed her eyes, savoring the sensation she hadn’t had in years. The look of lust that covered her face did not sit well with Willow.

"Hey! Stop that!" Willow ordered. She could tell by the expression on Jenny’s face as well as the whimper of delight she was making that the ghost was vicariously enjoying Tara’s afterglow.

"Well, well, Miss Rosenberg." Jenny opened her eyes and smirked at her former student. "Wow," she complimented. She shifted her legs and squeezed her eyes closed when a pulse of lingering desire skittered through her body. "This so beats the hell outa’ Giles’ body." She shivered with delight.

"Stop that! You’re creeping me out." Willow scooted to the edge of the bed. "Where’s Tara? And why do you keep taking over at the worst possible time?"

"I got kicked outa’ Giles’ body." Jenny twisted her back and a few pops crackled down her spine. ‘Guess Tara was getting quite a workout before I got here,’ she thought with a smirk. She flexed her hand, noting that she had a bit of a cramp, then she noticed something else. Her eyes widened and she blushed the color of a stoplight.

"Yeah, well…" Willow’s eyes widened in abject horror. Jenny was staring at Tara’s hand, and Willow knew exactly where that hand had been moments before. She grabbed Tara’s hand with the blanket and pressed it to her body. "Now, is not the best time." Willow was trying to casually wipe Tara’s hand without actually looking like she was wiping her hand and without looking into Jenny’s brown eyes.

"Oh, god, kill me now." Jenny covered her eyes with her free hand as Willow roughly wiped her other hand.

"You’re already dead," Willow pointed out grouchily. "Or I just might be willing to kill you myself." She could feel her face burning with embarrassment. "Where’s Tara?" she asked again.

"I got bounced back here by some relic at the museum," Jenny said as she tried to ignore the sensation of Willow obviously trying to get rid of the evidence of what Tara had been doing seconds before Jenny took over the blonde’s body. She didn’t want to watch Willow’s hands busily working so her eyes drifted up the redhead’s body to her partially covered collarbone. ‘Nice hickey,’ she thought with a cringe. ‘Could this be any more awkward?’

"You’re still not telling me where Tara is," Willow said pointedly.

"She’s here. I just booted her into the background with my abrupt entrance." Jenny moved her eyes off of Willow’s body and focused on the young witch’s face. She was still blushing. "I know this is—"

"Awkward? Horrible? Embarrassing? Worse than any nightmare I ever had about going to school naked?" Willow offered. She released the hand she was wiping and began fidgeting with the covers.

"Um, yeah … that." Jenny looked around the room.

"When will Tara come back?" Willow asked. She didn’t relish the idea of Jenny uncovering Tara’s naked body, even if it was just long enough to get dressed.

"Um, I have no idea." Jenny looked down at the blanket covering her. "I guess I should get dressed?" She thought about that and frowned.

"Maybe you could close your eyes I while I dress you," Willow suggested.

"Let’s think that one through," Jenny said with a wry smirk. "Close my eyes while my former student gropes me? I don’t think so, not unless Tara’s gonna’ let me borrow her body so I can go to therapy."

"Well, how do you think Tara feels with you cruising around in her body all naked?" Willow asked angrily. "And … and … well … naked!" she said as she pointed at the blankets. "And … well … naked and quite busy!" she added as she pointed at her own covered body.

"I figured that out." Jenny coughed and looked down at her hand.

"Stop creeping me out!" Willow yelled. "I’m the one who’s gonna’ need therapy. Geez. I live through a dozen apocalypses and now I’m gonna’ go all wacky over this. How insane is that? I hate that your soul is … is … in there, in the woman I love. And what if—" Willow’s eyes widened as she thought about her plans to share a handfasting with Tara. That led to thoughts about the tattoo that would put her and Tara on the path to sharing a child. She wondered what having an extra soul along for the ride would do to the incantation. It certainly wouldn’t be good.

"What?" Jenny asked. She saw the blush that had been constant since her arrival fade from Willow’s face. The redhead went pale, so pale that Jenny thought Willow was going to faint. "What is it?" She edged closer and rested a hand on Willow’s shoulder to steady her.

"I have to get up," Willow said hollowly. She nodded her head for Jenny to turn away. "Try not to stare at Tara’s body while you get dressed," she mumbled halfheartedly as she crawled from the bed and grabbed her clothes. "I need a shower." She bundled her clothes to her chest and bolted from the room.

"Well, crap." Jenny flopped back into the bed and sighed. "I jump into this young curvy body overflowing with scorching afterglow, and I can’t even enjoy it." She stared at the bathroom door and listened to the sounds of the shower starting. She cringed when she heard Willow sobbing behind the door. "I really hate being dead."

CHAPTER EIGHT

Broken glass covered the floor of the museum. Sets of bloody tracks started at one end of the glass shards and continued through the debris and off down the hallway on the far side of the shattered display case.

"It is not here, oh, most resplendent of holy ones." Jinx limped back into the room leaving a trail of dripping blood in his wake. He held up a bloodstained card and handed it to Glory. "Apparently they sent it to be cleaned."

"As if." Glory snagged the card and read it. "Yeah, right. They decided to clean a centuries old relic, now. After years of nothing, they suddenly need it cleaned today?"

"Perhaps it is the universe readying the sacred object for you," Dreg suggested. "So that it will be clean befitting your … godliness."

"I thought I told you to study Jinxy’s thesaurus." Glory glared at Dreg. "There’s only one reason for that relic to be gone right now." She looked around the darkened museum and sighed. "Damn nerd minions. I can’t believe their security was so lax. I’m glad I had them all killed."

"Yes, well…" Jinx cringed and backed away from the hellgoddess.

"Jinxy?" Glory moved across the room in a flash and stopped in front of the one eyed minion.

"Yes, your most luminescent and celebrated vision of grandeur?" Jinx smiled nervously.

"All my careless nerd minions are dead, right?" Glory’s eyes narrowed.

"When you say all…" Jinx bit his lip and took a step back. "Would that mean all as in all that were in the office when the demonic assassins arrived? Or all as in all of the techno-based worshipers of your luminance?" He smiled and ducked his head.

"All as in ALL!" Glory grabbed him and pulled him closer. "All as in I am going to break ALL of the bones in your hands. All as in I am going to rip off ALL of your dangling body parts. All as in all—"

"Yes, I see," Jinx sighed as he dipped his head and prepared to accept his fate. "I regret to inform you that your wishes were not fully conformed to." He swallowed hard and ran his fingers over his ears. He would miss his ears. "I failed you, my goddess."

"Well, they killed almost all of them," Dreg said hopefully. "Isn’t that good enough? I mean … most … that’s a lot."

"Most is good enough?" Glory went to Dreg in a blur of motion. She grabbed him with one hand and held him in front of her while she gripped a piece of broken metal from the display case in the other hand. She pounded the squirming minion with the piece of jagged metal until he fell to the floor in a bloody heap. Her arm swung with blinding speed. Finally she slowed her strikes and hit him with careful, deliberate strikes.

"So, Dreg, tell me…" She hit him again sending splashes of blood onto her face with each swing. "I’ve stopped MOST of my hits…" She pounded him with a vicious blow to the middle of his back as he cowered at her feet. "How’s that working out for you?" She hit him again and the sound of his ribs cracking echoed in the room. "Ya’ want me to stop ALL of my hits … or just MOST?"

"All … please," Dreg whimpered. He gagged as he coughed up mouthfuls of blood.

"Imagine that." Glory hit him again.

A short while later Giles, Buffy and Anya arrived back at the Watcher’s apartment with Doctor Lambton in tow. They were concerned, and when they came through the front door and found Willow sitting alone on the couch, their concern grew.

"Willow?" Giles asked as he carefully put a small box on the table. "Where’s … um, is Tara…" He looked over at Lambton and motioned toward the kitchen. "My texts are in there on the table."

"Yes, of course." Lambton hurried out of the room. He could feel the tension in the air and wanted no part of it. "I’ll check for references straight away."

"Jenny’s in the shower," Willow said without looking up. She was sitting on the couch with one leg tucked under her. Both arms were crossed protectively over her chest and she looked like her thin frame was chilled.

"Tara?" Buffy asked.

Willow shrugged.

"For a non-evil ghost, this teacher sure seems to be kicking Tara around a lot." Anya went to the table and ran her fingers over the small cardboard box.

"Leave the stones alone," Giles said. He rolled his eyes and then knelt in front of Willow. "We found two of the weapons from the poem, but one of them seemed to cast Jenny’s soul from my body."

Willow nodded. She still hadn’t met his eyes.

"I was worried that she … that she hadn’t returned to Tara." Giles rested one hand on Willow’s knee.

"Oh, she came back all right." Willow sighed. "Why can’t she just leave Tara alone?"

"Jenny didn’t plan this." Giles squeezed her knee gently. "She would never intentionally hurt you, Willow. She adores you."

"I know that," Willow admitted. She looked into Giles’ eyes and smiled weakly. "It’s hard," she whispered.

"I know." He moved his hand and cleared his throat as he stood. "I hope Tara wasn’t too upset over Jenny’s unexpected return."

Willow looked down as she blushed yet again.

"You know, that jumping from body to body could really get in the way," Anya said as she finally walked away from the box containing the ruby she coveted. "I mean, what if Jenny jumped into Tara’s body when she was having sex with Willow? Now that would be awkward. Would Willow finish what she was doing with Jenny? And would Tara mind?"

"Shut up!" Willow leapt to her feet. "Just because an idea pops in that head of yours that doesn’t mean you have to share it." She glared at the ex-demon. "Keep your filthy thoughts in your own filthy head."

"Oh…" Anya nodded in understanding. "Jenny did jump back while you and Tara were having orgasms. You had sex with Jenny."

"I did not," Willow insisted. "I mean … we … Tara … I did not! And … and … shut up!"

"She did," Anya said as she went into the kitchen so she could try to convince Lambton to give her the ruby.

"Willow…" Buffy bit her lip and leaned forward.

"I did not," Willow insisted again. Her face was so red Buffy wondered if Willow was about to have a stroke.

"I take it … Miss Calendar … interrupted?" Buffy asked delicately.

"Oh, dear lord." Giles tossed both hands into the air and hurried into the kitchen.

"Interrupted doesn’t even begin to cover it." Willow was mortified. She covered her face with both hands.

"Oh." Buffy took a deep breath and tried not to imagine what Jenny might have interrupted. "So … did you … with…"

"No." Willow dropped her hands from her face and then grabbed Buffy by both shoulders. "Absolutely no!" She took a deep breath and slowly let it out as she released Buffy. When she spoke, each word came out slowly as if each syllable was adding to Willow’s torment. "Tara could kinda’ tell that Jenny was coming back and so she … well … she … um … well…"

"She put a halt to the witchy love-fest?" Buffy suggested.

"It definitely came to a screeching halt." Willow nodded her head. "Big halt. Lovin’ came to an end and how."

"Well, that’s a good … right?" Buffy gave Willow a half grin. "I mean … if Tara’s hadn’t … then you woulda’… and that woulda’ been a huge bad."

"Huge." Willow’s eyes widened and she nodded in agreement. "But there was no … and we didn’t … and, well … can we not talk about this? Ever again?"

"Oh, yeah. I am so with you on that one." Buffy smiled and draped her arm over Willow’s shoulder. "Let’s put this into the vault of things we will never discuss."

"Like the Buffy-bot," Willow said with a nod.

"Um, hello? The vault of the things we will not talk about? That means no talking about them … hence the vault." Buffy cleared her throat. "You with the talking is not helping me purge that disgusting memory from my mind."

"Oh, right." Willow shrugged and bit her lip. "Sorry. This is me not talking about it." She smiled and pretended to lock her lips closed. "See? No talking."

Buffy smirked and rolled her eyes. She knew that Willow could only be silent for a few brief seconds at a time. She watched and waited for the babble that was certain to come.

"What? What’s that look?" Willow asked like a child begging for ice cream. "You don’t think I can not talk? Because I can. I can do the non-talking thing and just you wait and see. It’ll be dead quiet in here. Like a cemetery … and not one of the rowdy Sunnydale cemeteries where there’s definitely no quiet…" Willow’s voice trailed off and a guilty look covered her porcelain features. "And now … I’m gonna’ actually stop talking—"

"God, I love you, Willow." Buffy pulled her best friend into a hug and giggled.

"Well, see? All this talking is a good thing," Willow said as she returned the hug with a tight squeeze. "It makes Buffy happy and I like happy Buffy." She eased back and gave Buffy a playful squeeze. "Heck, I love happy Buffy." Her eyes lost their mirth and her face became serious. "I do love ya,’ Buffy. Thanks for always being here."

"Are you two gonna’ have sex?" Anya asked from the door. "Because, I don’t think cheating on Tara is good idea."

Buffy and Willow rolled their eyes in unison. The tender exchange between the two friends was completely disrupted, but the sentiment had been sincere on both sides.

"As if." Willow snorted.

"Hey!" Buffy gave Willow a truly insulted glare.

"Well, geez, Buffy… I love you, but let’s face it, you’re no Tara." Willow’s waggled her eyebrows.

"Again … hey!" Buffy put both hands on her hips.

"Well, you’re not," Willow continued.

"Oh, tell us some Tara secrets." Anya rubbed her hands together and hurried closer. "The quiet ones are always wildcats in bed, or anywhere else for that matter. I’ll bet Tara likes having orgasms in strange places, doesn’t she?"

"That’s the Anya version of a sensitive chat." Buffy rolled her eyes.

"This conversation is officially over," Willow said purposefully. She blushed as she remembered a few of the exotic locations where Tara had chosen to make love. Her cheeks glowed as she remembered almost getting caught in the projection room in the university auditorium … during a play Willow had been assigned to watch for her drama class … during opening night with a packed auditorium.

"So, Will," Buffy wrapped her arm around her friend and led her away from Anya. "Is Anya right?" she whispered wickedly.

Willow’s eyes shot open wide and her blush deepened even further.

"Wow," Buffy said with a giggle. "A real Wiccan wildcat, huh?"

"The vault? Remember the vault?" Willow asked plaintively.

"You never tell me anything anymore," Buffy said with a touch of sadness. "I mean, I don’t want intimate details, but some good old fashioned girl-talk would be nice. We are best friends, you know."

Willow looked down at the floor as she thought about the last year. She and Buffy had been growing apart. "Buffy, I love you, but does that have to involve talking about what Tara and I … do?" Willow looked up and caught Buffy’s eyes.

"I don’t want to know what you do," Buffy said quickly. "I mean, ew. You’re my Willow and I don’t need to know that much and that’s just … ew. You’re sisterly and those are non-sisterly things I never want to know."

"Good." Willow smiled as relief flooded through her. She rested a hand on Buffy’s shoulder and her expression became serious. "I’m not ashamed of anything Tara and I do." Her eyes filled with love as she spoke. "It’s just that when we make love, that’s for us, no one else. I don’t want to share those things." She leaned down and met Buffy in an intense gaze. "Not even with my best friend."

"That’s how it should be, Willow," Buffy assured her.

*****

Giles went into the kitchen and flopped into one of the chairs. Lambton sat quietly, obviously trying to not stare at Giles because that would have been unseemly. After a moment, the curator decided to break the silence.

"I called my assistant," Lambton said quietly. "I hope you don’t mind that I rung him up on your line."

"No, of course not," Giles said as he looked over at Lambton. "Have you found anything?" Giles looked down at the scattered papers covering the table.

"Oh, yes, it’s quite intriguing." Lambton dipped his head in a reserved nod. "I found mention of the sacred and most holy word."

"Really?" Giles tried not to sound too excited. After years with Buffy and her friends, he was sometimes prone to near outbursts. He didn’t want to do so in front of a fellow Englishman. "Do tell," he asked politely.

"It was rather a vague reference, I’m afraid," Lambton admitted. "But Charles, my assistant, is going by the museum to pick up an early Cabalistic text. We can cross reference what I’ve found here."

"Sounds excellent," Giles agreed.

"Yes, quite," Lambton replied.

"My god," Anya said from the doorway. "It’s like stuffy-boring Giles and his stuffy-boring-Giles clone."

*****

"Hey," Tara said quietly as she came to the living room.

Willow looked across the room and a smile covered her face when she saw Tara’s blue eyes. They were full of devotion and more than a little embarrassment.

"Tara?" Buffy asked tentatively. The young woman standing across the room was using Tara’s body language, but the Slayer was not convinced.

"Yeah," Willow answered as she went over and embraced the blonde witch. "She’s my girl."

Tara returned the hug and was hesitant to let go. "I’m sorry," she whispered as they finally broke apart.

"What about Jenny?" Willow asked. She needed to know what to expect.

"She’s in the background again. I, umm, kinda’ came back in the middle of ... my shower." Tara blushed at the thought of Jenny’s hands lathering soap across her body.

"It won’t be much longer." Willow squeezed Tara’s hand and pulled her lover to the couch. "We have two of the three weapons. That’s like two thirds done." She smiled reassuringly.

"And then what?" Tara asked. "That takes care of Glory. We still have no idea how to get rid of Jenny."

"Yeah, well, um ... well, we have two of the Glory weapons," Willow repeated halfheartedly.

"I love you." Tara leaned over and kissed Willow’s cheek and then smiled at her flustered lover.

Willow blushed, but she returned the smile with a crooked smirk of her own.

*****

Giles was in the middle of living room holding a clay tablet. He scanned the text, which was a mixture of ancient Sumerian and pictographs.

"Well?" Buffy asked impatiently. She was holding the Eye of Ereshkigal out in front of her with both hands. "Now what?"

"Just a moment," Giles replied harshly. "The syntax is more complex than typical Sumerian."

"Oh, well, heaven forbid we use the syntax from ordinary Sumerian," Willow quipped. "That would just be bad."

"If you were to use traditional Sumerian syntax, and stressed this word at the beginning instead of at the end, young Miss Summers would burst into flames," Lambton said calmly as he pointed to a section of the tablet.

"Okay, I’ll admit, that would be bad," Willow said as she bit her lip. She ran her fingers over the Horn of Gilgamesh as she spoke. The stone was smooth and warm to the touch. "So, my part ... have you figured out exactly what I have to say? And I do mean exactly because, well, bursting into flames? That’s just not an option I like. Sounds flamey, sounds bursty and painful and generally unpleasant, and it definitely sounds like something that I’d like to avoid."

"I vote for flame-free Willow," Tara said as she nodded her head enthusiastically. "I like her just a way she is, not all burnt and singed around the edges."

"I shall endeavor to keep that in mind." Giles rolled his eyes and studied the tablet.

"Yes, we wouldn’t want a defective Wiccan on our hands," Lambton agreed dryly.

"Do I have to separate you two?" Buffy asked as she glared at the two Englishmen. "All this razor sharp British wit is getting on my Slayer nerves.

"Testy, isn’t she?" Lambton asked Giles.

"Yes, but for the most part she’s more than capable." Giles smirked as he watched Buffy’s face flush. "Serves us right for having an American Slayer, I suppose."

"Oh, I can just see a British Slayer." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Excuse me, mister vampire, could you quite possibly refrain from killing whilst I take my tea break?"

Tara giggled at Buffy’s silly accent. She stopped when Giles shot her an indignant glare. "Sorry," she whispered, but then she broke into another fit of giggles.

"I don’t know, Buffy," Willow said as she smirked devilishly. "A British Slayer could be all like ‘Chosen Spice’ and sing off key and make the vamps run."

"That’s quite enough of the British bashing," Giles chastised. He cleared his throat. "Now then, where were we?"

"Um, we were avoiding bursting into flames," Tara pointed out.

"Ah, yes," Giles used one finger to move his glasses into place. "The syntax issue." He scowled as he studied the clay tablet.

A frantic knocking on the door broke Giles’ concentration. "What now?" he asked with a sigh.

"Is that Xander?" Anya came trotting down the stairs and headed for the door. "I can’t believe he and Dawn went out for ice cream and all I got was a stupid note."

"Why would Xander knock?" Tara whispered into Willow’s ear.

Willow shrugged, unable to speak. Tara’s warm breath stole the redhead’s ability to reply.

"Xander?" Anya ripped the door open. She took one look at the bloodied minion leaning against the doorframe and screamed. "Buffy!" She backed away, pointing at the wounded creature. "Well, that’s just typical! Xander is off getting ice cream and I’m getting killed by Glory’s minion."

The minion groaned and then collapsed and his tiny, lumpy body fell onto the tile floor with a thump. "Slayer…" he whimpered as his eyes slid shut.

"That’s new." Buffy leapt the couch and stood over the unconscious minion. "I didn’t get to hit him or anything." She crossed both arms over her chest and stared.

"Don’t pout, Buffy." Giles knelt next to the creature and felt for a pulse. "He’s still alive. You can pummel him later, though someone’s already beaten him severely."

"Is it too much to ask that I get to beat up the evil minion of Glory?" Buffy sighed. "I get so little entertainment in life."

"Entertainment?" Lambton paled as he looked back and forth from Buffy to the minion.

"She’s kidding," Willow said as she moved closer to study the new arrival. "Well, mostly kidding," she added in a whisper.

Tara stared at the minion and backed across the room until she was pressed into the wall. Her throat was dry and she felt like she might be sick. She shivered as vague flashes of memories hit her full force. She remembered wandering into Glory’s encampment. Tara couldn’t remember much about the time when her mind had been stolen by Glory, but seeing the minion brought the emotions back as if it were still happening. Fear and confusion overwhelmed her, but most of all, Tara felt completely and utterly lost, as if she were shrinking into some dark cavern full of slimy, crawling things that were scurrying over her skin.

"She’s not kidding," Anya said. She shivered as she looked at the minion. "That’s some first class pummeling. Look at the way his eyes are swollen shut but the skin isn’t broken. It’s hard to get that much swelling into the tissue without splitting open the flesh along the bone over the eye."

"Wh … uh…" Lambton gave Anya a horrified look.

"I’m telling you, you split open the skin and it just bleeds." Anya sighed. "Where’s the fun in that? Sure, it’s messy, but they can see perfectly. The trick is to not break the skin."

"Hey, hobbit-boy, wake up." Buffy poked the injured creature. "Open your beady little eyes or I’m gonna’ string you up and use you for a piñata and see if evil candy comes outa’ you."

The minion whimpered and coughed weakly. Blood oozed from his split lip.

"Evil candy." Willow snickered and looked over toward Tara to share the off-colored humor. Her smile disappeared when she saw Tara. "Baby?" she sprinted over to her lover and reached out for her, but the blonde shuttered and pulled away. "Tara?" Willow asked gently.

"I’m okay," Tara said hollowly. She closed her eyes and sighed. "Bad memories." Her face was pale as flour and she was breaking into a cold sweat.

Willow frowned in confusion. She glanced back at the minion and realized why her lover had reacted. "Oh, honey." Willow carefully gathered Tara into her arms and held her. "Shh," she murmured as she felt Tara’s chest shake as the blonde sobbed quietly. "I’m here, love. I found you, remember?"

Across the room the others continued watching the minion.

"What is this creature?" Lambton asked in a whisper.

"I’m not exactly certain what it’s species name is," Giles admitted. "But it serves Glorificus."

"Indeed," Lambton covered his nose as he looked at the minion. "A fascinating and rather a foul smelling beast."

Buffy could feel that something was wrong. She looked over her shoulder and saw Willow comforting Tara. "Giles, let’s get this thing into the kitchen." She nodded toward Tara. The blonde was clinging to Willow but her eyes were locked on the injured minion.

"Yes, right away," Giles agreed. He and Buffy scooped up the minion and carried him out of the room. Lambton followed them but Anya stayed behind.

"It was so cold," Tara whispered. "And dark and I was so alone."

"You were never alone, love." Willow rubbed Tara’s back trying to warm her. "I took care of you, and I found you." Her voice cracked. Tara was shivering, and Willow wasn’t sure whether it was from a chill or fear.

"You’re safe now," Anya whispered. She brought a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around Tara from behind and left her hands on the blonde’s arms.

"Thanks," Willow said quietly.

"I’m sorry." Tara sniffled and tried to pull away from Willow. "I’m being silly."

"It’s not silly." Willow pulled Tara back into the safety of her arms.

"You’re in shock," Anya added. "I read about this. Are you having flashbacks? Are you hallucinating?"

"I don’t think so." Tara smiled and turned toward the former demon. "Thank you, Anya." She tugged the blanket closer. "That was sweet."

"Eh, whatever." Anya shrugged and hurried away. She was blushing and didn’t want either of the witches to see her reddening face.

"You doin’ better?" Willow leaned down and rubbed her nose against Tara’s.

Tara nodded and hugged Willow. She inhaled her lover’s scent and tried to memorize the way their bodies fit together. It was magic.

"See? You’re safe and well cared for, honey. Even Anya was being nice and completely non-Anya, so there’s no reason for you to be scared," Willow babbled.

As Tara clung to the redhead she suddenly felt calmness wash over her.

"Oh … wow." Tara eased back and smiled shyly. "I think I just got a ghostly hug from Jenny."

"Yeah?" Willow smiled and leaned away from Tara, but she kept her arms draped over the blonde. "Well, maybe I won’t have to stay completely peeved with Miss Calendar."

"Peeved?" Tara smirked and caressed Willow’s cheek. "Honey, you couldn’t stay peeved with anyone no matter how hard you tried."

"I could." Willow pouted. "See? This is me peeved." She scowled. "I’m sorry I had to show you this side of me, but you asked for it."

"I love you." Tara leaned forward and captured Willow’s pouting lip. She started the kiss slowly, then deepened it when Willow whimpered. After a few moments they broke for air "You make me forget the bad things in the world," Tara whispered.

"You’re everything good in my world," Willow replied solemnly. "You are my world."

Tara smiled demurely.

"And I’m very happy that Jenny is starting to make herself useful." Willow glared toward the kitchen. "We should check on them."

"Yeah, I guess so…" Tara said as her voice trailed off.

"You want to wait in here?" Willow offered. "You don’t have to go see the creepy minion if you don’t want to."

"No, I should go." Tara cleared her throat. "Besides, with you and Jenny, I feel all warm and fuzzy."

"She wasn’t here for the kiss was she?" Willow asked.

"I think she was doing the mystical ‘look the other way thing.’ I’m getting better at feeling what’s up with her … I think." Tara took Willow’s hand. "Come on. Let’s go see what the evil hobbit has to say."

*****

The minion was on the kitchen table and showed no signed of awakening. Buffy leaned against the counter and casually drank a soda but Giles was not as relaxed.

"Why did he come here?" Giles leaned down and pried open one of the minion’s swollen eyes. He grimaced when blood oozed down its cheek.

"Does this mean that Glory is coming here?" Lambton asked quietly.

"Don’t know." Buffy took a sip of her drink and wiped her lip with the back of her sleeve. "Don’t care."

"Throw water on it," Anya said as she waved her hand at the minion.

"Does water injure these creatures?" Lambton asked. "Does it have some magical effect on them?" He leaned forward to get a closer look.

"No, you idiot," Anya said as she rolled her eyes. "It’ll wake him up."

"Oh … well … yes," Lambton said as he straightened his tie.

"Way to piss off the keeper of the ruby," Buffy said with a snicker.

"Wait! I didn’t mean it!" She rushed toward Lambton. "Water could have magical properties. That’s brilliant. I wish I’d thought of it." She turned to Giles. "It could have magical properties, right?"

"Give it up, Anya." Buffy shook her head.

Willow and Tara came into the kitchen. They paused in the doorway as Willow waited to see how Tara would react.

"Are you all right?" Giles asked. He could see how pale Tara was and it concerned him.

"Mystical power," the minion on the table mumbled as he fought to open his eyes.

"The water was magical," Anya told Lambton. "Just the mention of it woke him up." She smiled brightly.

"The witch. I must speak to the one who holds the power." The minion struggled to sit up.

"H-he m-must mean you." Tara grabbed Willow and pulled her away from the table and then stepped between Willow and the minion.

"Hey," Willow protested. She didn’t like the idea of Tara in harm’s way, especially to protect her.

"You are the power." The minion met Tara’s eyes and held her gaze. "You wield the light."

"Yo, minion weasel boy, you’re not getting anywhere near my friends until you tell me what the hell’s going on." Buffy grabbed the injured creature and yanked him to a sitting position.

"Slayer, I served Glorificus, it is true, but I have had a change of heart." The creature rubbed his swollen eye. "I am Mire, and I bring you that which you need to defeat my former mistress."

"Oh, really?" Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "And what caused this great change of heart?"

"She ordered my death," Mire said bluntly. "All of my brethren were destroyed on her whim. I alone survived."

"Why?" Tara frowned when Willow tried to squirm past her. She stepped to one side and blocked Willow’s path.

"The mood struck her," Mire said with a shrug. He grimaced as the tiny movement sent pain shooting through his shattered ribs.

"Why did the mood strike her?" Buffy asked pointedly. She took a step closer to the table and glared at Mire.

"Well, it seems that the security of our site was faulty." Mire wiped some coagulating blood from his lip. "Someone was able to hack into our on-line libraries." He looked down at his hand and frowned at his swollen fingers. "Glory was not pleased."

"Well, I can see why," Willow said. She pushed past Tara but couldn’t get closer to Mire because Tara was anchored to her arm. "I mean, sloppy Internet security is just wrong, and hey … since when do slimy hobbit things surf the net?" Willow waved her hands wildly in the air. "I mean, demons and the Internet? No thank you. I had more than enough of that with Moloch and well, let’s just not go there."

"You said you’d help us defeat Glory." Giles wanted to keep the conversation on track. "How?"

"I can tell you the sacred word," Mire said as he stared intently at Tara. "But only you."

Tara’s eyes widened. "Me?" Her voice was a squeak. "But … I’m nobody. You should tell Willow. She’s the special one."

"You wield the light." Mire coughed and spasms skittered across his chest. After a prolonged fit, he took several wheezing breaths. "I don’t have much time. Come closer." He reached out a shaking hand for Tara.

"Um, no," Willow said angrily. "I’m not just gonna’ let you get your Glory-clutches on my honey. No. No way. That is so not gonna’ happen."

"It must be her," Mire looked over at Buffy. "Slayer, I can only impart the word to one who is light. She is the only among you who is not marked by darkness."

"I’m not special." Tara shook her head.

"Well, I don’t agree with that," Willow said. "But I don’t like the idea of you having the word. That would mean that you would have to face Glory, and well … again with the ‘no.’ I don’t want you anywhere near her. Ever."

Mire doubled over and moaned. "The choice is yours," he said with a gasp. "I will tell her, or the word will die with me." He cringed. "And my time is near."

"Okay," Tara said quietly.

"No," Willow interrupted. "No on the okay." She took Tara by both arms and locked eyes with her. "This is a bad idea. Very bad. You need to avoid anything to do with Glory." Her lip quivered. "Tara, I don’t want something to happen to you," she continued in a shaking whisper. ‘Again,’ she added in her thoughts.

"We all take risks." Tara smiled lovingly at Willow. "Besides, if something happens … you’ll find me."

Tears streamed down Willow’s cheeks as Tara moved around her and went to the table.

Mire waved Tara even closer.

"No funny stuff," Buffy warned. She watched vigilantly as Tara leaned down so that Mire could whisper into her ear. Tara’s eyes widened and she pulled back.

"Excuse me? I don’t think I heard you right," Tara said slowly. She leaned over and allowed Mire to repeat the word. She sighed and pulled back. "O-kay then."

"You will know when the time is right," Mire said with difficulty. He groaned and his eyes rolled back into his head. His body slumped lifelessly onto the table. Buffy lurched forward before he could fall to the floor but even as she settled his weight onto the table she knew he was dead.

"Well, that sucks," Anya said. "What happens if we need a backup plan? The icky scaly thing is dead. He can’t help us now."

"There is no backup plan," Buffy said as she smoothed Mire’s robe into place. "We have all three parts of the puzzle now, so we kick Glory’s ass." She felt something in his pocket and she lifted the fabric and pulled out a leather pocket protector with a few brightly colored pens. "Huh, I guess he really was an Internet minion." She groaned when she saw that there was blood soaked into the soft leather. "Ew," Buffy said as she tossed the dripping item into the nearby trashcan. "Demon nerds, who knew?"

"Yeah, like only nerds have the Gucci pocket protector deluxe," Willow said grouchily. "Who wouldn’t want that stylish protection for their pens because ink is bad for clothes and … and … and I am just making Buffy’s point for her…" Willow trailed off.

Tara smirked at her lover, but she also made a mental note to add the expensive nerd gadget to her lover’s Christmas list.

"We should get ready," Tara said quietly. "We have all of the weapons now, and if Glory is killing off her own followers, she’s gonna’ come after us soon."

"We still need a few books from Doctor Lambton’s private collection," Giles said. He cleared his throat and nodded toward Buffy and then at the dead minion. "Buffy and I will dispose of … the, uh … him."

"I’m the Chosen One," Buffy whined. "Why does that translate into waste removal? Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had to wash blood out of my shoes? And let’s not even get started about the vamp dust in my hair. How come the Council doesn’t pay for conditioner? They should cover my haircare."

A knock at the front door broke Buffy’s tirade.

"That will be Charles," Lambton said. "I gave him the address. I’m surprised he could find the place. He’s still pining over the young woman he met. He insists it was love at first sight."

Giles and Buffy locked eyes.

"Oh, that’s so sweet." Willow smiled at Tara and took the blonde’s hand and leaned over and whispered in her ear. "Just like us at that Wicca meeting."

Tara blushed and bit her lip. She crinkled her brow as a feeling of dread crept into the back of her mind. She pushed it aside as soon as Willow gave her a quick kiss on the neck under her ear.

*****

End Part Two