Unexpected Consequences: A Willow and Tara novel.
Please read the Disclaimer before continuing to remain in the site or reading the stories. These stories contain adult material with scenes of women loving women. Consider this story to have an R rating. If this is illegal in your state or you are underage, please go to a more appropriate site now.
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Disclaimer: I don't own any Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. No copyright infringement is intended. Original characters are mine.
Pairing: W/T... eventually
Angst Rating: Highest rating... buy stock in Kleenex
Rating: PG 13 for adult themes and eventual W/T goodness.
Unexpected Consequences
© December 2001
By Lisa Countryman
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Willow refused to leave Tara’s side. She sat next to the blonde, holding her hand for the next two days, only leaving to use the bathroom a few times, and once when Buffy insisted she clean up in the small hospital shower. They didn’t discuss what Tara had done. They didn’t talk much at all. Mostly, Tara slept and Willow sat vigil.
The Scoobies had no idea anything out of the ordinary was brewing. Tara was released on the third day. Only then did Diana call her old friend to her office across town.
Giles knocked on Diana’s office door. "Diana? It’s me, Rupert."
"Come in," Diana said from behind her desk. It was covered with ancient texts and scrolls and she didn’t even look up when Giles came into the room.
"Oh, my." Giles’ eyes lit up like a child in a candy store. "Doing some research?" He edged closer and his mouth watered as he noticed the ancient scrolls. "Are those Druid?’ he asked with as much disinterest as he could manufacture.
"Celtic." Diana carefully moved aside the scroll she was reading. "Sit down, Rupert."
"What is it?" His excitement disappeared when he saw the exhaustion in her eyes. He knew her well enough to know she’d been researching something for many hours.
"Have you been to the explosion site in the harbor district?" she asked.
"No, why would I?" He edged closer to the desk and then looked at the pile of texts. "Why are you…" His expression darkened. "What does the explosion have to do with Tara?"
"She caused it," Diana said bluntly.
"That’s preposterous!" he scoffed. "Tara may be a mage, which I’m still not convinced of, by the way, but even a mage couldn’t cause the damage the newspaper reported." He nudged his glasses higher onto the bridge of his nose. "It was a chemical explosion. A drug laboratory."
"So what was Amy doing there?" Diana asked quietly.
Giles’ eyes widened.
"I admitted her myself." Diana sifted through her texts and found the one she wanted. She slid it toward Giles. "Amy saw Tara come climbing out of the crater unharmed."
"Tara was in the hospital," Giles argued even though he knew the blonde had projected her essence somewhere.
"She imploded the spatial folds," Diana said. "Why do you think they’ve cordoned off the entire area? Everything’s vaporized."
"Chemicals," Giles said unconvincingly. "She couldn’t have folded the spatial planes. It’s not possible."
"The Java islands, 416 A.D.," Diana reminded him gently. "Rakata island. They blamed the Krakatua volcano? They heard the explosion as far away as Japan."
"No," he said sternly. "Tara doesn’t have that kind of power. She would have been destroyed. Besides, the Java eruption was precipitated by cataclysmic events that are still in motion today."
"She’s only just coming into it, Rupert," Diana said gently.
"No," he insisted.
"Rupert, I can’t just sit on this information." She looked down at the table, unable to look into his eyes. "I have to inform the Witch’s Committee."
"I won’t allow it." Giles stood and slammed both fists onto her desk. "Bloody hell, Diana! Tara and Willow aren’t even licensed. The committee has no idea they even exist." He leaned down and his eyes narrowed. "And I intend to keep it that way."
Diana sighed and rubbed her temples before looking into his eyes. "Rupert, I can overlook two unlicensed witches having a baby … hell, I do it all the time. This isn’t that simple and you know it."
"It is that simple," he said plaintively.
"Giles, when Tara was hurt by Glorificus, Willow took back her essence, right?" Diana asked.
"Yes, Willow was able to return all of Tara’s essence." He nodded. "And I dare say they’ve been through enough without the committee coming in and mucking things up for them."
"Giles, Tara’s a born witch from a line of mages. Everything I’ve seen points to her being one of the youngest mages in history." Diana pointed at one of her books. "The commission needs to know."
"So she’s a mage." Giles shrugged. "We knew that. She couldn’t have caused the destruction you’ve described. This is the hellmouth. A thousand other things could have caused that damage."
"A mage is touched by the divine light," Diana said carefully. "When Tara was attacked and then rescued from Glory … she touched divine darkness."
"You can’t call the committee," Giles hotly.
"She’s one of the wisest souls I’ve ever met," Diana continued undaunted.
"So, of course you want to turn her over to those butchers!" Giles yelled.
"Rupert, she has all three aspects of the Imbolc mage. You know what has to be—"
"No!" Giles moved around the desk and grabbed Diana’s arms. "Don’t even utter those words." He looked around the tiny office as if the room had ears. "You’re wrong," he said angrily. "And even suggesting that could mean disaster."
"The committee was created for just these sorts of things," Diana said calmly. "I’m licensed. They’ve never given me any trouble."
"Yes, and you’re not a mage, are you?" Giles asked viciously. "Do you know what they’d do to her?"
"They are witches," Diana said reasonably. "It’s not like the Watchers. These are witches self governing their own kind."
"Do you want to see Tara hauled away and locked in some basement cell in England? Do you want to see her experimented on, turned into a trained killer?" Giles’ eyes narrowed and his voice lowered dangerously. "I won’t allow it, Diana."
"I could lose my license," Diana said halfheartedly. She waved at the books in front of her. "Rupert, they are the experts. They need to know."
"They are no better than the Watchers," Giles said as he grabbed one of the books. "They talk about loyalty and keeping the world safe, but I’ve seen their true colors." He threw the book across the room. "They’re petty power mongers who would kill Tara if they couldn’t control her." He pinned Diana in his gaze. "Do you think they could control her?"
"They aren’t monsters, Rupert," Diana said as she sighed. "There are reasons for rules." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Goddess knows I haven’t always followed them, but this isn’t a game."
"Tell me," Giles said as he leaned against the desk. "If she is the Imb— if she is what you think she is … do you think the committee could afford to have her ‘associate’ with someone with an addiction to dark magic?"
"Well … I," she paused and her brow furrowed.
"Yes, I thought so." He crossed his arms over his chest. "And could they afford to have her bare a child with a dark magic addict?"
Diana looked down at the floor.
"And wouldn’t they be better served mating her off with some strapping young warlock from a proper family line?" Giles asked cruelly.
Diana whipped her head up and glared at him.
"Wasn’t so very long ago the committee arranged pairings, now is it?" He knew her own parents had been one of the last of the forced marriages the committee had arranged. She was the last fully sanctioned child born.
"They wouldn’t do that." Tears fell from her eyes. "They’ve grown past it."
"Even for a Imbolc mage?" he asked quietly.
"Goddess…" She slumped into her chair and buried her face in her hands.
"Dear lord…" He dropped to his knees beside her. "Diana, tell me you haven’t contacted them already…"
She didn’t answer.
*****
"You need to rest," Willow insisted. She pointed up the staircase and frowned. "Do I need to have Buffy carry you up there?" She put one hand on her hip and scowled. "Hmm?"
"Willow…" Tara whined. "I’ve been in bed three days." She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "Alone, I might add."
"Oh, Tara’s making sexual comments," Anya said from the couch. "Very nice," she complimented.
"Xander, how’d you ever end up with her?" Willow asked. "You’ve got so much going for you. You’re nice, you’re not a complete jerk, and you’re a pretty good kisser."
"Well, thank you," Xander said proudly. He puffed out his chest and only then noticed the daggers Anya was glaring at him. "Honey, the fluke is long past!"
Willow chuckled at Anya’s quick mood shift, and then she saw that Tara’s eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Honey … the fluke, long past! Gay now, remember?" She bit her lip and edged closer. "Your soul mate, remember?"
That got a dazzling smile from the blonde.
"So, yeah, now that we’ve got that settled, weren’t you going upstairs?" Willow said with a nod toward the stairs.
"Settled?" Anya said sharply. "Um, no." She went to Willow’s side and glared at the redhead. "See, there’s this imbalance of power thing here. You’ve kissed my Xander and I don’t like it."
"Well, I can’t very well un-kiss him," Willow said as she turned toward Xander and rolled her eyes and walked over to her best friend. "It happened, and Xander and I both understand it was a fluke. Hence the name, ‘the fluke.’ We are both happy with our current partners." She curled one side of her lip up as she looked at Anya and then leaned over to Xander. "You really are happy with her?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, I love my little demon homemaker." He smiled fondly at Willow.
"Well, of course you do," Anya said. "But I don’t like imbalance. It’s too … too … not in balance. Speaking of balance, I should balance the scales." Anya waltzed over to Tara and pushed her against the wall and soundly kissed her.
Tara squeaked and didn’t know exactly how to react. She lifted her hands, too startled to shove Anya away, and too shocked to do anything with her hands besides open and close her fists. She tried to turn away but Anya had her in a death grip.
"Hey!" Willow grabbed Anya and yanked her away from Tara. "Hey, hey, and hey!" She stepped in front of Tara and faced Anya. The redhead slowly balled her hands into fists. "My girlfriend, your lips, SO not something that should ever be together … and I do mean together!"
"An— A-anya!" Tara wiped her mouth and gaped in shock at the former demon.
"We’re even now." Anya smiled cheerfully.
"Y-you kissed m-me!" Tara grabbed Willow and clung to her arm.
"Yeah, and you’ve got some soft lips, missy." Anya smiled at the blonde. "I don’t usually go that way, but if I did, you’d be at the top of my list." She leered at Tara’s chest. "And nice breasts, by the way. Very nice." She rubbed her hands together gleefully.
Tara blushed and folded her arms over her chest.
"You touched her breasts?" Willow yelled.
"Just a quick grope," Anya said as she went back to Xander’s side. "I mean, I’m sure Xander groped you during the fluke."
"I did not!" Xander swore.
"Oh." Anya shrugged. "Guess I owe you now." She smiled at Tara. "Maybe you should take a little grope?" She stuck out her chest and smiled sensually. "Gotta’ keep in balance."
Tara shook her head and looked like a deer facing down a wolf, a pack of wolves, hungry wolves holding cutlery.
"Did you suffer a recent head injury?" Willow asked. "Or would you just like to?"
"Okay, fine, don’t break out the flannel, butch." Anya hugged Xander’s arm. "Shouldn’t you be taking her upstairs to rest?"
"I c-could use a n-nap," Tara agreed. She suddenly felt very tired.
"You okay, baby?" Willow’s anger took an instant back-seat to her concern. "Tara, you should be in bed. Should I get Buffy?"
"I can walk." Tara cleared her throat. "Can you come with me?" she asked quietly.
"Sure." She kissed Tara’s cheek and then looked over at Anya. "Notice me kissing MY girlfriend. I kiss her, not you."
"Honey, she was just being Anya," Tara whispered. "She won’t try it again. Let’s go upstairs."
"Anya, whatda’ ya’ say we don’t piss off the powerful witches, okay?" Xander asked hopefully.
"Admit it," Anya said as she kissed his earlobe. "You liked seeing me kiss her."
"I did not!" he lied. A slow, lazy grin covered his face. "Let’s go home, right now."
"Oh, Xander." Anya yanked him toward the door.
"Okay, that was just disturbing." Dawn had been sitting at the table throughout the entire event. She shivered and went to the kitchen to get a soda.
*****
Willow quietly helped Tara to their room and guided Tara to the bed. She removed her lover’s shoes and quickly undressed her. She hadn’t said a word since coming up the stairs, and her body was tense.
"Will?" Tara sat on the side of the bed wearing only her bra and panties.
"Hmm?" Willow spun at the dresser and paused with an oversized nightshirt in her hands.
"Please don’t kill Anya," Tara said solemnly. "Xander already has his tux picked out."
"I can’t believe she did that." Jealous fire flashed in Willow’s eyes. She brought Tara’s clothes to the bed and held them out to her lover. "She’s lucky I didn’t go all butch on her."
"Baby?" Tara grabbed Willow’s hand along with the nightshirt. She tugged the redhead closer and held her fingers trapped.
"What?" Willow asked grumpily.
"I don’t like having anyone’s kiss on my lips except yours." Tara rubbed her thumb over the back of Willow’s hand. She lifted the side of her mouth into her famous Tara-grin. "You gonna’ let me go to sleep with Anya on my lips?"
"Well, no." Willow’s raised one eyebrow and smirked. She leaned down and gave Tara a gentle, tender kiss. She moaned when she felt the blonde’s lips part. "Oh, god," she whispered and then took another deeper kiss. She dropped the clothes and took Tara’s face in her hands and lost herself in a long, soul searing kiss.
"Willow…" Tara whimpered as soon as the redhead pulled away. Her blue eyes were hidden behind her closed lids. "More," she pleaded in a hungry whisper.
"You’re going to sleep," Willow said playfully. "Now get into your nappy-time shirt."
Tara opened her eyes and smiled coyly. "Well, you want all the Anya outa’ my system, don’t you?"
"You play dirty." Willow ducked her head and nipped Tara’s lower lip and then she ran her tongue over it. She plundered Tara’s mouth, making sure any memory of Anya’s touch was obliterated. Her hands ran down Tara’s shapely sides and then up her back. When Willow broke the kiss she handed Tara her bra. "Now, in bed, missy."
"Willow!" Tara giggled and looked down at her naked chest. "I never knew Willowhand was so sneaky."
"Willowhand is full of surprises." Willow waggled her eyebrows. "Let’s put this on." She helped Tara slide the shirt over her head. The small bandage on the blonde’s abdomen looked harmless enough, but Willow knew it covered the incision where Tara’s spleen had been removed. "Okay, now, under the covers."
"Honey, I’m fine." Tara sighed as she relaxed into the familiar comfort of their bed. She yawned. "Snuggle with me ‘til I go to sleep?" she asked in a tiny voice.
"How could I possibly resist you?" Willow kicked off her shoes and crawled into bed next to Tara and scooted alongside her. She rested her hand on the blonde’s belly and kissed Tara’s shoulder. "Better?"
"Much." Tara closed her eyes and smiled.
"Everything’s gonna’ be fine, baby." Willow kissed Tara’s shoulder again. "We’re together and nothing can ever change that."
Tara rested her hand over Willow’s on her belly. She hoped Willow still felt that way when she found out exactly what had happened to Rack and Caedo. ‘Can she love a killer?’ Tara wondered. She squeezed Willow’s hand tighter and surrendered to her exhaustion and went to sleep.
*****
Dawn was sitting at the couch when Buffy came downstairs from her bedroom. The Slayer looked around the living room and frowned.
"Where’d everyone go?" Buffy asked.
"Willow took Tara to bed," Dawn said with a smirk. "Anya did the same with Xander."
"Whose bed?" Buffy looked up the stairs.
"They went home," Dawn said with a shiver. "Right after Anya majorly kissed Tara." The young teen crossed her arms over her chest. "Which really pissed off Willow, and I’m too young and sheltered to even think what it did to Xander." She shuttered.
"Anya kissed Tara?" Buffy asked as her brain suffered a complete systems crash. "And Willow let her live?"
"Tara calmed her down," Dawn said with a giggle. "But I think she was pretty shaken up." She continued giggling. "Anya thought she could ‘even the score’ with the whole fluke deal by kissing Tara."
"God, Tara must have just died," Buffy said with a snort. "Did she blush? Cuz Tara is so adorable when she blushes."
"I thought she was gonna’ faint. She turned completely white." Dawn giggled and went over to the wall. "Anya pinned her to the wall and kissed her." She rested her hand on the wall. "Poor Tara was too shocked to get away."
"I miss all the fun," Buffy whined.
The front door opened and Giles rushed inside. His eyes were dark and he didn’t bother with pleasantries. "Buffy, we need to talk."
"Oh, great." Buffy sighed and put both hands on her hips. "Not only do I miss all the fun, but now I have to go stop some apocalypse."
"What apocalypse?" Dawn’s eyes widened as if she’d just seen a ghost.
"There is no apocalypse," Giles said harshly. "Come into the kitchen so we can speak privately.
"You’ve got that apocalypse face," Buffy said as she followed her Watcher into the kitchen. "Something nasty’s coming. I can tell. Can’t you just hold off on the bad news for a few days? I need a bad news vacation."
"Buffy, can you save the biting commentary for another time?" Giles was weary and his eyes shined as if he was near tears.
"What is it?" Buffy moved to his side and gave him her full attention.
"It’s Tara," he said quietly.
"She’s fine." Buffy pointed at the ceiling. "She’s upstairs. She’s resting and she fine and, and, oh, god, please tell me she’s fine."
"I have many things to tell you," Giles said sadly. "But that is not one of them."
An hour later, Buffy knew as much about Tara’s condition as Giles did. They agreed the new developments put Tara and Willow at great risk, but they disagreed on how to deal with the problem.
"No, we simply cannot do that," Giles said angrily.
"They have a right to know," Buffy said heatedly. "Especially Tara."
"Tell me, Buffy, if you had the chance to live a normal life without ever knowing you were the Slayer, would you take it?" Giles tossed his glasses onto the table and rubbed his closed eyes.
"That’s not a fair comparison," Buffy argued. "Besides, she needs to know."
"So, how shall I tell her? How exactly do I tell her that everything she’s ever known is about to change?" He grabbed his glasses and wiped them with a handkerchief.
"I thought they had a special Watcher’s class just for that," Buffy challenged.
"Touché," he said quietly. "The problem is, this isn’t like being a Slayer, now is it?"
"No," Buffy admitted. She looked down at the table and drew circles with one finger. "It’s just not fair."
"No, it’s not," he agreed. "So, tell me, honestly, if you could relive your life without knowing you were the Slayer, would you?"
"Honestly?" Buffy stood and looked into his eyes. "I can’t answer that." She sighed and shook her head. "It’s her destiny, Giles. Good or bad, she has the right to know."
"I suppose you’re right." He looked toward the ceiling. "Well, then, shall we?" he asked.
Buffy’s eyes widened and she shook her head. She thought Tara should know, but telling her was definitely a Giles job.
"It will go easier with you there." Giles smiled fondly. "You have a unique understanding of destiny."
"Yeah, well, nothing in my destiny says anything about being information gal." She glowered at him. "You do the info thing." She waved both hands at him. "So? Go inform."
*****
Willow had only planned on snuggling with Tara for a few minutes until the blonde went to sleep. That plan went out the window as soon as Willow felt Tara’s arm wrap around her. It was heaven on earth, and Willow relaxed into her lover’s touch and drifted off to sleep with Tara.
Minutes, or maybe hours, later Willow slowly climbed toward consciousness. She was in that blissful, warm place between sleep and waking, and all she knew was the smell of Tara’s shampoo and the feel of her soft curves.
Willow sighed and snuggled closer. She was vaguely aware that she was fully clothed, but more importantly, she knew her cheek rested on Tara’s shoulder. She moved her hand down Tara’s chest and gently cupped the blonde’s belly. This was her beloved, and Willow’s body responded to the call of Tara’s flesh. Willow moved her hand back up Tara’s body and squeezed her full breast.
"Mmm," Willow murmured as she tossed a leg possessively over Tara’s hip and her lips moved a few inches higher to suckle Tara’s graceful throat. In her sleepy state, she had every intention of ravaging Tara, that is, until Tara reacted.
"Ow!" Tara’s eyes shot open and she grabbed her abdomen. "Willow, ouch." The blonde’s eyes watered as pain shot through her body. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, seeing sparks of red and white flash as her muscles constricted.
"Wh— baby?" Willow realized an instant too late that she had just moved her leg onto Tara’s tender belly. "Oh, goddess, honey, I’m so sorry." Willow sat up and looked down at her lover.
Tara’s face had gone completely white and tears spilled from her tightly closed eyes. "Oh, ouch." She whimpered and cradled one hand over her empty womb and the other over the bandage covering her surgical incision.
"Tara, oh goddess, baby, I’m sorry." Willow was nearing panic. Her eyes filled with guilty tears as she saw the pain visible in Tara’s expression and the way the blonde gingerly curled her body around her injuries. "Are you okay? God, should I call Diana?"
Tara shook her head and took a few cautious breaths. "My pills," she whispered as she tried to roll onto her side. She cringed, her severed muscles protesting the movement.
"Easy," Willow said as lifted Tara and helped her roll to her side. "I’ll get them. Don’t move, baby." She leapt from the bed and stumbled to the dresser and grabbed the small brown prescription bottle and a glass of water. "I’m so sorry," she apologized as she put the glass on the nightstand and fumbled to open the bottle. Her hands were shaking and the pill bottle wasn’t cooperating. "Tara, please forgive me."
"It’s okay, darling," Tara said as the pain became less intense. She had been completely relaxed in the safety of Willow’s embrace, and when the redhead had tossed a leg onto her unguarded belly, it had sent waves of searing pain crashing down on her. She groaned and bit her lip. "It was an accident." She let out a shuttering breath and opened her eyes.
"Here," Willow held out two pain pills cupped in her trembling hand. She helped Tara sit up and then retrieved the water. "Tara, I feel horrible. I can’t believe how insensitive I am."
Tara swallowed the pills and handed the water back to her lover. "Baby, you didn’t mean to." She wiped her upper lip. It was damp from the water and from a thin sheen of sweat that had already beaded over her lip as the pain burned through her like a wildfire. She settled back into the pillows and stifled a whimper. She didn’t want Willow feeling any worse, and she knew any outward sign of pain would add to the redhead’s guilt.
"Did I hurt you?" Willow asked. She cringed and slapped her own forehead. "Of course I hurt you," she chided herself. "Did I injure you?" she asked as she started to reach for Tara’s belly. She stopped with her hand trembling over Tara’s stomach, afraid to cause further pain. "Are you bleeding? Goddess, I’m afraid to touch you."
"I’m fine," Tara assured her. "Just tender." She took Willow’s hand and carefully pulled it up and rested it over her heart. "Don’t ever stop touching me, Willow. I need you."
"Maybe I should sleep downstairs until you’re better," Willow offered.
"What?" Tara’s expression was a mixture of shock and heartbreak. "No," she whined pitifully. "I need you here." She nodded to the empty place beside her.
Before Willow could respond, there was a light tapping at the door.
"I should get that," Willow whispered. She tried to stand but Tara held her hand firmly. The redhead smiled and left a quick kiss on Tara’s forehead. "I’ll be right back," she promised.
Tara smiled shyly and released her lover’s hand.
"Willow, is Tara awake?" Giles asked as soon as the door opened.
"Yeah," Willow answered slowly. She looked at Buffy and frowned. "What is it?"
"We need to talk," Giles said and then cleared his throat. "May we come in?"
"Is Tara dressed?" Buffy inquired.
Giles froze in the hall.
"She’s dressed." Willow shook her head and chuckled at Giles. The man had faced apocalypses with grace and decorum, yet the thought of one scantly clad Wiccan left him quivering like frightened child. "What’s up?" She backed up and opened the door to them.
"Hey." Tara smiled and struggled to sit up.
"Easy," Willow cautioned as she rushed to the bed and helped Tara get more comfortable.
"Are you quite all right?" Giles asked as concern filled his voice. "You look a bit peaked."
"I’m fine." Tara grabbed Willow’s hand and squeezed it. "Really," she insisted.
"What’s up?" Willow asked as she sat next to Tara and gave Giles her full attention.
"There’s really no easy way to do this," Giles said quietly.
"Do what?" Tara pulled Willow’s hand into her lap and held her fingers like a bundle of tiny lifelines.
"Do you know what an Imbolc mage is?" Giles asked.
"Tara’s not a mage." Willow glared at the Watcher. "We covered this," she added pointedly.
"Will, let him talk," Buffy said gently.
"Have you heard of an Imbolc mage?" Giles asked again.
"I know what Imbolc is," Tara said quietly. "It’s the Celtic spring festival. It honors Brigit."
"Yes, Brigit," Giles said as he looked down at the floor. "The triple goddess."
"The Celts would ask Brigit to protect their loved ones," Tara said as a feeling of dread filled her. "What does this have to do with me?"
"Protection." Giles lifted his gaze and studied Tara. "If you wanted to be held secure, you would utter a prayer, ‘A Bhrigid, scar os mo chionn, do bhrat fionn dom anacal.’ Really quite lovely, actually."
"Who’s it, what’s it … huh?" Buffy said with a befuddled expression.
"It’s Celtic," Giles explained. "Oh, Brigid, spread above my head, your mantle bright to guard me." He looked into Tara’s calm blue eyes and smiled fondly. "You wear that mantle now, Tara."
"Nu uh!" Tara shook her head. "I’m n-not a g-goddess." She continued shaking her head.
"No, of course you’re not," Giles quickly amended. "But you do wear her mantle." He glanced over at Buffy and then back to the blonde witch. "You are her threefold mage, chosen to guard all that Brigid holds dear, namely … truth, justice, and humanity. You have a profound destiny."
"No," Tara said flatly. "My destiny is right here." She pulled Willow’s hand to her chest and pinned her lover’s fingers to her heart. "You’re wrong. Willow is my future."
Willow smirked and raised one eyebrow. "I think this discussion is over."
"Did you tell her what you did?" Giles asked bluntly.
"Rack and Caedo are dead," Willow answered before Tara could. "And Amy should be very happy she’s not still a rat."
"Willow, Giles saw Rack’s lair," Buffy interrupted.
"What little’s left of it," Giles added.
"So?" Willow challenged.
"It’s utterly destroyed, on a molecular level," Giles explained. "Not even a mage could harness that kind of fury."
"They killed my child," Tara said in a harsh tone. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned forward despite the pain. "They were going to hurt Willow. I had to stop them."
"Yes, stop them." Giles pushed his glasses higher onto his nose with one finger. "The fabric of magical reality was shredded." He pinned Tara in his stern glare. "Nothing magical will ever exist there again."
"And that’s what Giget’s mantle does," Buffy pointed out. "She cleanses the world of dark forces."
"Brigit," Giles said under his breath. "The Imbolc mage can harness the fury of righteousness."
"I’m too young," Tara argued. "I can’t be a mage."
"Are you aware of the keepers of the flame?" Giles asked.
"They tend Brigit’s temples," Tara said slowly. "So?"
"And what do you know of them?" he asked. He knew if Tara was to believe in her unique destiny, she’d have to come into the knowledge in her own way. With Tara, that meant carefully figuring it out on her own.
"Nineteen virgins tend the flame in a sacred grotto," Tara said. She raised an eyebrow in challenge. "I’ve never been to a grotto, and I certainly don’t qualify for the other requirement." She looked over at Willow and smiled knowingly. A brief flash of longing passed between them.
"Yes, well, the term virgin is deceptive," Giles pointed out. "The original connotation wasn’t meant to denote a completely chaste priestess."
"What kind of wacky, Britney Spears, quasi-virgins do they have in England?" Buffy asked.
"A virgin meant that a woman had never lain with a man." Giles crossed his arms over his chest as his cheeks reddened. "I do believe you qualify for that requirement, yes?" he asked Tara.
"Well, yeah," Willow said forcefully, then her brow furrowed. "Oh…" She realized that particular point didn’t bode well for Tara.
"And I shalln’t go into the grotto metaphor. Best we not delve too deeply into that." He tugged at his collar. "Let’s just say the priestesses were known for tending the fires deep in the dark, damp grottos, and they enjoyed their work a great deal."
"What do you mea—" Tara’s eyes widened and she blushed the color of a shiny red apple, only then remembering that the ancients often used grottos and caves as metaphors for female sexuality and for certain parts of the female anatomy. Fires often represented unbridled passion. The combination of the two suggested a rather racy group of priestesses.
"Okay, so Tara is the bad ass mage. We all agree, now what?" Buffy asked.
"The committee of witches would be most interested," Giles said darkly. "Up until now, you’ve been outside their interest, since neither of you are registered. They have no need to bother with you."
"Why do I get the feeling they’re about to bother with us?" Willow asked.
"There hasn’t been an Imbolc mage for over 1,000 years," Giles said quietly. "To wear the mantle of Brigit, a mage must embody the triple aspects." He looked sadly at Tara. "She must be infinitely patient and wise, which you are." He smiled as he remembered Tara’s beautiful soul. After meeting her only once he knew she was special. "She must be touched by the divine goddess and have her blessing," he continued.
"Coming from a whole line of mages and would-be mages pretty much qualifies you there," Buffy chimed in.
"And the final aspect," Giles said sadly. "You’ve been touched by divine darkness."
"Me?" Willow squeaked. "My dark magic did this?" she asked.
"No," Tara said as she tugged Willow’s hand to get her full attention. "Glory…"
"That bitch," Willow said angrily.
"When you retrieved Tara, she came back with a sort of dark blessing. Surviving Glory’s torment intact has given Tara the unique and rather astounding qualities of the Imbolc mage."
"So the committee of witches wont just leave me alone?" Tara bit her lip and frowned.
"Imagine the Watchers finding a Slayer after a millennia without one," Giles said sadly. "Training for generations, with no chosen one to harness, and suddenly you have your mage tossed into your lap."
"Well, we w-won’t tell them," Tara said logically.
"Diana’s a registered witch," Giles said quietly. "She’s under their supervision as a healer who treats other witches."
"So they’re like the Wiccan malpractice dudes?" Buffy crinkled her forehead and bit her lip.
"They’re like the Watcher’s council, only they have thousands of members, magical powers, and they’ve been known to burn seditious witches at the stake." Giles cleared his throat. "Who do you think was really behind the Inquisitions?"
"Witches did that to each other?" Willow paled and leaned closer to her lover.
"They instigated it," Giles said delicately. "The church took over and it got a bit out of hand."
"A bit?" Tara challenged. "Millions of people were murdered. Women were killed indiscriminately. These are the people Diana works for?"
"You said Diana wasn’t evil," Buffy yelled. "You promised … not the slightest bit evil."
"She isn’t evil," Giles assured the Slayer.
"But she is on the committee of witches?" Tara asked.
"Not on the committee," Giles said slowly. "But they do monitor her practice."
"And?" Willow was slightly lightheaded. She was terrified for her lover, but part of Willow was a bit in awe of Tara as well. She looked at Tara and wondered just what the blonde was capable of.
"And, with the power of the Imbolc mage, Tara could literally destroy the world." Giles studied the young blonde witch. "One moment of unbridled rage, and you could accidentally end the world as we know it."
Tara shook her head.
"Tara would never do that," Willow argued. She looked over at her lover and swallowed hard, suddenly wishing she had no idea of Tara’s special ‘gift.’. "She doesn’t even get mad, and rage? No, Tara isn’t the rage type." Willow didn’t want any of this to be true. That would mean Tara was in danger, and that was unacceptable.
"What’s Diana going to do?" Tara asked. She closed her eyes, remembering the unrestrained hatred and wrath she had used to fight Rack. Tara knew she was more than capable of rage. She opened her eyes and waited for Giles’ answer.
Giles looked away.
"She already did something." Tara’s stomach knotted with dread. "What did she do?"
"She called the committee’s local director and asked for an emergency hearing," Giles said quietly.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
"Emergency hearing?" Willow jumped from the bed and looked around the room. "We’re leaving. We’ll leave Sunnydale, change our names, get plastic surgery, get new lives—"
"Calm down, Willow." Giles went to the frazzled young woman’s side and took her arm. "It isn’t as bad as all that."
"But t-they know," Tara stammered. "W-we have to go."
"They know Diana asked for a hearing, not why she called it." Giles guided Willow back to the bed and helped her sit next to her lover. "They know nothing of Tara being the Imbolc mage."
"But they will," Willow said frantically.
"No, they won’t," Giles said calmly. "I’ve convinced Diana that it would be best for all if she kept Tara’s unique situation from them."
"H-how could she betray us like that?" Tara asked in a whisper. "She w-was my doctor. She’s suppose to protect m-me."
"She did precisely what she should have done," Giles said defensively. He saw the look of terror on Willow’s face and quickly held up both hands. "Not that I think we should hand Tara over to them." He sighed. "I simply mean that a few years ago, I would have made the same choice. Now, I know better." He looked over at Buffy sadly. "I’ve learned that sometimes these official governing bodies do not know best."
"Sometimes?" Buffy asked pointedly. "When have the Watchers ever known best?"
Giles cleared his throat.
"Fine, not the time or the place," Buffy said with an exasperated sigh. "Yada, yada, yada." She waved a hand at Giles. "Go on, get the with the destiny speech."
"You’ve been handed an incredible destiny," Giles said after shooting Buffy a glare to quiet her. "Your task is to decide whether to run, or to accept it with the grace and rectitude I know you possess."
"I vote for running," Willow piped up.
"R-running sounds g-good," Tara stuttered.
"Wait, how come I didn’t get to run from destiny?" Buffy whined.
"You’re the Slayer," Giles pointed out. "Unto every generation—"
"A Slayer is born … again with the yada, yada, yada." Buffy grabbed his arm. "How come no one told me I could duck outa’ this gig?"
"You can’t," he said, stressing the first word. "But Tara must accept her fate willingly, as with all light based magic. It won’t work without free will."
"T-then I say no." Tara shook her head. "N-no thank you."
"Okay, so Tara said no. We can move on now, right?" Willow asked hopefully.
"Would that it were so simple," Giles said glumly.
"She said no," Willow said in a tiny voice. "What else is there?"
"For Tara to challenge the Imbolc legacy, she must endure a test." Giles met Tara’s eyes. "A rather dangerous and oft fatal test."
"Oh, is that all," Tara asked as she rolled her eyes. "Guess me just telling them no thank you is too much to ask?"
"Yes, well, if the committee of witches were to hear that you intend to challenge the legacy, they would be displeased." Giles cleared his throat. "Quite displeased."
"Meaning?" Buffy asked.
"When a Slayer dies, another is called," Giles explained. "An Imbolc mage is only called once in a millennia."
"I’m sensing a ‘but’ here," Buffy said cautiously.
"But … if an Imbolc mage is called, but she dies before her power is accepted…" He looked down at the floor. "Another can be called in her stead."
"You’re saying the committee of witches would kill me and have a replacement rather than let me refuse the legacy and waste it," Tara said calmly.
"Yes," Giles admitted. "I’m quite certain they would."
"Then we better hope they don’t find out." Tara smiled halfheartedly. "I mean, who’s gonna’ tell them?"
"Oh, goddess," Willow said as her stomach dropped. "Amy…"
*****
Diana tapped on the exam room door and slowly eased it open. "You ready?" she asked.
"Oh, sure, come on in," Amy said sarcastically.
"How are you feeling today?" Diana asked. She moved alongside the table and studied the dark-haired witch.
"I was carved up like a Christmas turkey, how the hell do you think I feel?" Amy glared at the doctor. The young witch was in pain, and even though she didn’t have the physical cravings for dark magic, she needed to feel the high. Her addiction was mental, but her need to escape her own emotions was almost as strong as the painful pull of the magical addiction.
"Look, you can always go back to the hospital and see a different doctor," Diana suggested harshly. "Or you can shut up and let me examine you." She crossed her arms over her chest. "So?"
"Shutting up, now." Amy let out a sigh, then cringed as her shoulder throbbed. She was wearing a cumbersome sling and even breathing was painful.
Diana washed her hands at the sink on the back wall. She was silent, not having much to say to Amy, but when she turned, she studied the young woman. "Why?" she asked. "Why would you bind Tara’s powers?"
"Rack told me to." Amy shrugged. "I did whatever he told me to do."
Diana slid Amy’s gown down and examined her back. "These are closing up nicely, but they will scar."
"Yeah, well, at least I’m not covered in fur." Amy looked around the small room. She couldn’t imagine a witch having such a traditional office.
"You’re lucky to be alive," the physician commented as she carefully unwrapped a bandage checked the puncture wound on Amy’s shoulder.
"Oh, believe me, I know it." Amy cringed as Diana prodded the injury. "Tara’s way more powerful than I gave her credit for. She’s down right scary." She sighed. "Now, if I could just get her to lend me a little of that magic…"
"Haven’t you learned your lesson?" Diana asked harshly.
"Hey, I’m kidding," Amy said quickly. "I’m done with all that."
"Uh huh." Diana turned and took a crystal from the pocket of her white lab coat and pressed it to Amy’s forehead.
"Hey!" Amy tried to turn her head away.
"Yeah, you’re done with all that," the doctor said skeptically as she held Amy’s jaw to hold her in place. She watched as the crystal shaded charcoal grey. "When did you cast?" she asked coldly. "In the last what … two hours?"
Amy squirmed under the scrutiny.
"Did you really think I wouldn’t know?" Diana opened a cupboard and tossed the soiled crystal into a bowl of sea salts. "Get dressed. I’m through dealing with you."
"Oh, come on," Amy whined. "That crystal’s defective. I only cast a few little spells. Just to help get dressed and I had to cast a little spell at the mall." She spun and looked at Diana with pleading eyes. "It’s not like I have any money. How am I supposed to get new clothes without spells?"
"Well, there’s the wacky notion of getting a job," Diana countered heatedly.
"I’m hurt," Amy said defensively. "Thanks to Tara." She narrowed her eyes. "She’s not normal. She faded out right in front of me." She tilted her head to one side. "I thought maybe she was projecting, and maybe that was why she faded out, but that can’t be." She sighed. "Well, maybe she was. I should look into it, make some calls."
"No, you should stay out of it," Diana said as she put both hands on her hips. "In fact, aren’t you supposed to be leaving town?"
"I was going to," Amy said slowly. She twitched her nose as her eyes sparkled. She had a knack for smelling trouble, and at the moment, she knew something was making Diana nervous. "But maybe I’ll stick around for a bit."
"You can’t really be that stupid," Diana said coldly.
"Things are just getting interesting." Amy smiled. "I’d kind of like to figure out how Tara killed Rack and leveled half a city block."
"You might just get that information first hand," Diana warned. "After the way you were talking the night they brought you to the hospital, I would have thought you’d be smart enough to leave Tara alone."
"Well, that was before I realized I had some important information. Information is power." Amy’s smile widened. "A little power reminds me why I like Sunnydale."
"Rack had more than a little power," Diana reminded Amy. "And it didn’t help him."
Amy’s smile faded and her face went ashen as she remembered the complete devastation Tara left in place of Rack’s lair.
"Just leave, Amy," Diana said quietly. "I’ll get you a ticket anywhere you want to go. Just go."
Amy tilted her head as she considered the offer. She knew if Diana was willing to be that generous, there must be a reason, and most likely, that reason meant Amy had some leverage. Still, Amy had no interest in facing Tara in a battle of mystical power.
"Well?" Diana asked.
"Okay, I’ll go." Amy agreed.
"Good. I’ll have Chava make the arrangements," Diana said. Her shoulders relaxed slightly. "Talk to her on your way out after you get dressed." She nodded at Amy’s shoulder. "You don’t need the sling anymore. The muscle strain is healing just fine. Chava will get you a ticket and you can be on your way with two good arms."
"Sure," Amy said with an insincerely smile. As soon as the doctor left the room, Amy’s smile widened. ‘But nothing says I can’t stir a little trouble before I go,’ she thought with a smirk.
*****
Buffy came out of the kitchen and carried two cups of hot tea over to the couch where Willow and Tara were sharing a blanket while researching. The two witches were reading about the Imbolc mage and getting in some quality snuggling.
"Thanks, Buffy," Willow said as she looked up from the yellowed pages of an ancient text. She reached over and took both mugs.
"Thanks," Tara echoed. She glanced up and smiled as Willow gave her one of the mugs.
"No problem." Buffy looked down at the book. "Any luck?"
"Well, these really aren’t the best texts," Willow said with a shrug.
As if on cue, the front door burst open and Anya came in carrying one tiny book the size of a paperback novel.
"We brought the research books," Anya said as she went to the couch and held out the tiny text to Tara. "How are you feeling?" she asked sincerely.
"Better." Tara took the book and turned in over in her hand.
"That’s all?" Willow asked. "We asked for everything you have on mages, and that’s all?"
"Little help here," Xander said from the door. He was laboring under the weight of a pile of heavy leather texts that were stacked up past his chin. "Little Slayer help here?" He staggered a few feet with the books shifting dangerously to one side.
"Oh," Willow said with a curious expression.
Tara giggled and put her mug onto the low coffee table. She flipped through the small text Anya had given her.
"Give me those." Buffy scooped the entire collection out of his arms and carted them over to the table and put them down.
"A little help would have been nice," Xander whined at Anya as he rubbed his aching arms.
"I helped." Anya nodded at the miniature text in Tara’s hands.
Xander rolled his eyes and then looked around the room. "Hey, where’s the G-man?"
"He went to talk to Diana," Buffy explained. Her eyes darkened and her muscles tensed.
Willow clenched her jaw and scooted closer to Tara.
"Whoa," Anya said. "What did the witch doctor do?"
Willow and Buffy both looked over at Tara. It was her secret, her destiny, and if anyone was going to tell the story, it was Tara.
"She called the Witches’ Committee," Tara said quietly.
"Why would she call them?" Anya sat in a nearby chair and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. "Oh, did she need to have that mess cleaned up over at Rack’s lair?"
Xander shuttered. He and Anya had drove past the devastated area, and even from a few blocks away, they could see the scope of the destruction. "Remind me to never piss you off," he joked.
"N-no. I w-would never do t-that to y-you." Tara’s expression was brokenhearted. She shook her head as she looked up at Xander beseechingly. "N-never. Y-you have to b-believe me."
"Xander!" Willow barked angrily.
"Whoa there. Let me simplify here." Xander knelt in front of Tara and rested a hand on her knee through the blanket. "Me Xander. Me make joke. Joke bad." He saw Willow narrow her eyes. "Joke very bad. Me not joke anymore."
Tara swallowed and looked nervously around the room. She already felt like a monstrosity. She looked at Xander and wondered if he would ever joke with her again once he knew she was capable of destroying the world with one fleeting moment of rage.
"Well, this must be really bad if Tara isn’t even giving Xander a sympathy smile for his extremely unfunny attempt at humor." Anya crossed her arms over her chest.
"Hey!" Xander spun and glared at his girlfriend. He paused, considering her words, and then spun back toward Willow and Tara. "Oh, god. This is really bad, isn’t it?"
Tara looked down at the carpet studied the tiny fibers. She felt Willow take her hand; her lover’s touch gave her the strength she needed. She looked up and took a deep breath. "I’m a mage."
"Well, we sorta’ knew that." Anya leaned forward more. "So, what’s the big dreadful ‘and?’"
"And I’m not a normal mage," Tara said. She smirked, comforted by Anya’s familiar straightforwardness.
"Well, of course not," Xander said angrily and tossed his arms in the air. "Because, here on the hellmouth, having ‘just’ a major problem would be way too easy. We’re the Scoobies. Our problems are always apocalyptic. What would our day be without the world coming to a freakin’ end?" he yelled as fear gripped his chest like a giant vise tightening with each word he uttered.
"What are you?" Anya asked gently. She’d seen many things in her 1,100 years, and she was worried about Tara. Being more than a mage was not only rare but dangerous.
"I kinda’ … sort of … might be an Imbolc mage," Tara said as she looked down at her fingers entwined with Willow’s. The redhead’s hand was more refined, but Willow had an uncommon strength.
"Well, crap," Anya said as she sat up and then flopped back into the chair.
****
An hour later, Tara had more information about the Imbolc mage than she had ever wanted. Every page she turned revealed a new, more lethal skill. Tara knew, without a doubt, she would not willingly accept the mantle of a killer.
Willow’s face paled as she read a passage describing an Imbolc mage from the time before Christ. This particular mage destroyed a coven of witches who were using dark magic to control an island community in the Mediterranean. The book explained that the mage tried to get the coven to leave, but in the end, she was forced to kill them all. Willow glanced over at her lover and frowned. She couldn’t imagine Tara taking lives in such a calculating manner. The ancient mage had cornered the coven in a dormant volcano and then used her power to unleash an eruption that destroyed half the island.
"Okay, are you sure Tara isn’t a regular mage?" Xander asked. "Cuz this sounds like Tara." He was reading a book that chronicled six of the most successful mages in modern history. "These mage ladies really kicked some demon behind, but they did it with grandmotherly style and sweetness." He pointed at a picture of a woman who was at least 95 years old. "She looks like she’d bake cookies, not people. That fancy mage cooks people. Tara can’t be the fancy mage. She’s a cookie baker. Look at her."
Tara blushed and looked down at the floor.
Willow was about to chime in when the front door opened and Giles came into the house. He paused and looked over his shoulder and then Diana and Cassie came in behind him.
"What are you doing here?" Willow demanded as she leapt to her feet. Her eyes flashed angrily as she crossed the room.
"It’s all right," Giles said calmly. "She’s here to help."
"You called the Witches’ Committee," Tara said as she struggled to her feet. "Why?" Her eyes reflected the pain of Diana’s betrayal.
"We had no choice," Cassie said as she went over to Tara. "You must be trained to use your gift."
"We didn’t realize you’d be in any danger," Diana said softly. "Thank goodness I didn’t tell them about you."
"Do you have any idea what could have happened?" Willow asked as she went to Tara’s side and took her hand. "The committee can’t be trusted."
"Please forgive us, lady Imbolc," Cassie said as she knelt in front of Tara.
Tara’s eyes widened as she stared down at Cassie.
"I panicked," Diana said contritely. She knelt beside Cassie and bowed her head.
"W-what are y-you doing?" Tara scooted closer to Willow and wrapped her arm around the redhead’s waist.
"They’re offering to serve you," Anya said. "Hey, I’m a friend of lady Imbolc, get over here and do some quality bowing."
"Anya, honey…" Xander cleared his throat. "You can’t use Tara’s new servants as your play things."
Tara shook her head vigorously. "I d-don’t have servants."
"We only meant to inform the committee of your arrival," Diana swore. "We thought they would offer their resources for your service."
"Could you p-please get up?" Tara asked nervously. "I don’t like all t-this bowing."
"Yes, my lady," Cassie said as she stood and pulled Diana up beside her.
"Okay, a little point here…" Willow glared at Diana and Cassie. "She’s MY lady. So stop calling her that."
"The Imbolc mage belongs to the world," Diana said as she pinned Willow in her gaze.
"I am not the Imbolc mage!" Tara yelled. "Stop saying that."
"All the signs point to it," Cassie said gently. "And your aura, it’s blinding."
"Tara has not accepted the mantle," Giles said as he moved over to Willow’s side.
"That’s a technicality," Diana said dismissively. "We’ve seen the power at Tara’s disposal. She is lady Imbolc."
"I’m g-going to refuse," Tara said as she squeezed Willow’s hand.
Diana’s eyes widened and she took a step back.
Cassie’s jaw dropped and she shook her head. "But, lady Imbolc…"
"Stop calling her that!" Willow yelled.
"You can call me lady," Anya offered. "Lady Anya, or maybe lady income."
Willow and Tara shot Anya withering glare.
"Or not," Anya said as she backed over to Xander’s side.
"You can’t call for the challenge," Diana said. She looked over at Giles with a shocked expression. "Rupert, it’s been 1,000 years. She can’t challenge."
"Lad— Tara, think about what you’re doing. This is your destiny." Cassie’s eyes pleaded Tara to reconsider.
"No," Tara said firmly. "This is my destiny." She raised her fist, which was firmly gripping Willow’s slender hand.
"Well…" Diana took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Thank the goddess I didn’t tell the committee about you."
"Won’t they find out when Tara takes the challenge?" Cassie asked.
"What is this challenge?" Willow asked. "I don’t like the sound of ‘challenge.’ That sounds, well, challenging, and Tara’s been through enough and I don’t like the idea of her being… challenged."
"Did you explain what refusing the mantle entails?" Diana said as she turned to Giles.
"I haven’t really found a good explanation of the ritual," Giles said as he cleared his throat. "There’s been mention of it taking place in a sacred grotto protected by priestesses of Brigit, but other than that, it’s rather vague."
"I have to go to the British Isles?" Tara’s eyes went wide.
Giles sighed. "Brigit has followers all over the world."
"Yeah, well, I’m not big with sending Tara off to some foreign country for some mystery ritual that involves challenges." Willow furrowed her brow. "Did I mention that I don’t like the whole idea of a challenge."
"You might have mentioned it," Buffy said with a smirk. "Once or twice."
"Do I have to fly overseas?" Tara asked nervously.
"Actually, there’s a temple of Brigit a few hours from here." Diana didn’t look relieved. "Off the Pacific Coast Highway."
"Really?" Tara’s brows raised in disbelief. "Brigit’s followers hang out on the PCH?"
"Yeah, they even have hot springs," Cassie added.
"So it’s like a spa," Xander said with a smile. "Well, they probably just wanted Tara to sit through a mud bath and then politely say no thank you to the big killing powers, right?"
"Not quite," Diana cleared her throat and turned to Tara. "You’ll have to pass through the underground grotto and cleanse yourself of Brigit’s mantle with a bath the sacred spring."
"In front of people?" Willow asked with a squeak.
"That really isn’t the main concern," Cassie said darkly.
"I take it Tara can’t just waltz through this Wiccan bat cave and take her little de-mage me bath?" Buffy asked.
"Tara will have challenges," Diana said quietly.
"Hello?" Willow said angrily. "Haven’t I made myself perfect clear on the whole challenge deal?"
"She has to do this if she wants to decline the gift of the mantle," Diana explained.
"W-what kind of challenges?" Tara asked shakily.
"There are 19 priestesses. They know the intricate cave system inside out," Cassie said. "You have to get past them."
"Well, that doesn’t sound so bad." Willow let out a puff of air and blew her bangs out of her eyes. "Priestesses, like nuns. Nuns are not scary, and I certainly wouldn’t call them challenging." She smiled at her lover and squeezed her hand. "You can do this, baby. Just like playing hide and seek." She frowned. "Except for the naked part at the end, which I do not like."
Giles cleared his throat.
"No," Buffy said grouchily. "No but-face."
"Excuse me?" Cassie asked.
"He’s got the ‘but’ face," Xander explained. "He gets it every time he’s about to add an ominous ‘but’ to the conversation."
Giles sighed. "I do not have a but," he said, clearly offended. "However…"
"However is just a fancy British ‘but,’" Buffy pointed out as she wondered what horrible thing he was about to say.
"However," Giles said forcibly, making Buffy and the others hold their tongues. "The women of the order of Brigit are renowned the world over for their skills."
"What skills?" Buffy demanded.
"Basket weaving?" Tara asked hopefully.
"Soap making?" Willow offered.
"The order of Brigit produces the world’s most skilled and deadly swordswomen ever known." Giles turned to Tara. "Even a Slayer would have difficulty defeating one of them."
"And she has to face 19 of them?" Xander yelled. "That is so unfair!"
"Can she use magic?" Buffy asked.
"No," Diana said. "Her powers are bound before she enters the grotto."
"I’ll go for her," Buffy said. "I’ll be her lesbian champion like Xena does for Gabby."
"That won’t work here," Cassie said. "Besides, that only works for lovers, not friends."
"I won’t mention your dreadful viewing habits," Giles said under his breath.
"Then I’ll go for her," Willow said.
"No," Tara said as she yanked her hand out of Willow’s. She walked away from the others and then turned and faced them, her mind made up. "I’m not putting any of you in danger. I have to do this alone."
"Tara, baby I’m just—" Willow tried to follow her lover.
"No, Willow." Tara stuck her jaw out defiantly. "I have to do this."
Willow nodded, accepting her lover’s right to choose, but dread filled her. She turned to Diana. "Okay, so how have the other challengers gotten through this test?"
"No one ever has," Diana said quietly.
"No one?" Giles demanded harshly.
Anya sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, facing 19 sword wielding lesbian priestesses, I’m amazed any mages ever got out of it in one piece."
Diana looked down at the floor.
Cassie turned her head and studied the wallpaper.
"They all end up in pieces?" Willow yelled. "No! No way in hell is Tara doing this!"
"Okay, let’s all just calm down," Anya said rationally. "This Imbolc mage has to be ‘virgin,’ right?" She made quotes in the air and then looked over at Willow and then Tara. "That means she can have all the chicks she wants but no man loving, right?"
"We already covered this," Giles said as he willed his cheeks not to blush.
"Okay, so we make sure Tara can’t be this lesbo mage." Anya grabbed Xander and shoved him toward Tara. "Sleep with her."
"Wha… what?" Xander asked as his face paled.
"Right now," Anya ordered. "Come on, get those pants off, mister."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Willow asked.
Tara’s eyes were as wide and dinner plates and she took a few steps away from Xander.
"It’s a good plan," Anya whined. "And hey, I’m the one sacrificing my Xander, so don’t look at me like I’m actually liking this." She tilted her head to one side as imagined watching Xander with Tara.
"Listen, you perverted sex fiend." Willow charged at Anya, but Buffy grabbed her by the arm. Willow struggled against the Slayer. "You keep my girlfriend OUT of your sick threesome fantasies!"
"Hey, I hadn’t considered that." A slow, sensual grin covered Anya’s face.
"I am n-not with sleeping Xander," Tara angrily. "No. And … yuck." She shivered and went to Willow and grabbed her arm. "That is n-not happening … ever."
"I’m gonna’ agree with Tara on this one. I am so not going there." Xander turned and gave Tara wounded look. "Okay …yuck? I inspire yuck?"
Tara shrugged and gripped Willow’s arm painfully.
"All right, I do believe we’ve ventured quite off track," Giles said disgustedly. "Can we focus on the matter at hand?"
"Hey! Giles is a man," Anya said as if she just realized the fact.
"No!" Giles, Willow, Buffy, and Tara said in unison.
"It wouldn’t matter anyway," Diana interrupted. "Once an Imbolc mage is called, she can’t lose the mantle unless she rejects it formally through the challenge."
"So it’s the big challenge, or nothing?" Buffy clarified.
"But it’s dangerous!" Willow said plaintively.
"Willow, I have to do this. I can’t live with this power." She took a deep breath as she remembered destroying Rack and his lair. "I don’t want to be a killer." She turned to Diana and steeled her resolve. "Make the arrangements," Tara said as she took Willow’s hand. "B-buffy and Giles can teach me to u-use a sword." She sighed. "For defense," she added.
Diana nodded grimly.
Buffy went to Giles and gave him a questioning look. "So, how much can Tara learn in a few lessons?"
He shook his head.
"And how good are these Giget chicks?" the Slayer asked quietly.
"Far better that I could ever hope to be," he said honestly.
"But Buffy…" Willow’s voice trailed off.
"Buffy could perhaps defeat one of them," Giles admitted.
Buffy smiled proudly.
Giles cleared his throat. "If she were having a particularly good day."
"T-then I’ll have to work hard," Tara said with forced confidence. "How long can I practice?" She turned toward Diana and winced. The wound around her stitches throbbed and she realized she needed another pain pill.
"You’ve only just been called for the mantle," Diana said. "You have until the moon fully wanes." She counted on her fingers and she tried to calculate the number of days.
"Twelve days," Tara said quietly. She knew the phases of the moon like the days of the week.
"Gee, that’ll work," Anya said sarcastically. "Tara can learn to be an expert swordsman in twelve freaking days. No problem."
"That’s not enough," Willow said in a stunned whisper.
"Let’s not forget her stitches will probably still be healing," Anya added as her concern filled her with anger. "Let’s just send her in there pre-sliced. Less work for the priestesses." She tossed her arms into the air. "Can this get any worse?"
"Um…" Diana stepped forward.
"You just had to ask," Xander said as he glared at Anya.
"Tara has to go into the grotto unarmed," Diana said quietly.
Tara suddenly felt lightheaded. She turned to Willow to ask her lover to hold her arm, but then realized that might not be the best choice.
Willow’s face was white as chalk. She looked at Tara and then passed out cold. Buffy rushed forward and caught the unconscious witch as her legs buckled and lowered her to the floor.
"Great, now we have two broken witches," Anya whined.
End Part Thirteen