CHAPTER 13

Willow felt the power explode from her. But, instead of a wave of wild energy, the magic formed a narrow band that traveled across the courtyard. The energy beam stayed low, hugging the ground. Even as she tried to pull back on the magic, the redhead knew it was a lost cause. Most of the temporary barrier had disintegrated, leaving nothing to rebuild the wall.

The redhead panicked when even more mystical energy flowed out of the reservoir. She didn’t know how to stop this. Wind began to blow around her, gently at first. It quickly built to near gale force. Trees bent under its power. Gravel jumped out of the pathways, breaking windows in the house and pelting the blonde. Gathering her will, the witch decided to divert the power rather than halt it. Drawing on some of the energy still swirling in her reservoir, Willow shaped a shield like the one she’d used with Drew. However, this protection wasn’t for her. Stretching to her limits, the redhead placed the barrier around her friend.

Dimly, she could see Buffy straighten from her hunched over position. The gravel bounced harmlessly off the glowing blue wall. Now, she just needed to do something about the cord of power still stretched along the pathways. Before she could come up with a good solution, though, the trail of energy erupted into flames. Unlike fire built with wood and matches, this conflagration burned far hotter. Waist-high flames of pure energy and rage burned in the courtyard. Concentrating, Willow poured more energy into the shield. Unfortunately, the barrier kept the fire from reaching the Slayer, but did nothing for the heat. Already, the blonde was sweating and her skin looked sunburned.

Suddenly, the redhead had an idea. Drawing more magic from the blue pool inside, she poured it onto the flames reaching for her friend. The fire responded eagerly to the surge in power. Leaping higher, the flames glowed. Blue slowly burned into pure white. The smell of smoldering rock choked the witch. She added more power. The bank of stored energy was emptying. If this didn’t work soon, there would be nothing left inside. The air rippled from the heat, and Willow closed her eyes against the glare. It was now or never. She halted the energy feed she’d established with the power cord. Reaching instead for the wind still billowing in the courtyard, she sucked the power from the air. Bit by bit, the rush of air died down. The redhead aided its demise by looping the power back into the fire. Even after the wind had calmed completely, she kept siphoning off energy from the air. She broke the link with the power cord and fed the energy back into her reservoir. Deprived of its fuel, the magical fire dropped in intensity. Long minutes passed before only occasionally flickering embers remained.

Willow released the shield protecting Buffy and closed off the conduit refilling her energy pool. With an inaudible sigh, her astral form fled back to its human host.

Back inside her body, she slumped forward. The practice shield had long disappeared. Drew was nowhere in sight. The witch had no idea how much time had passed. She needed to get to Buffy, make sure she was OK, but she couldn’t muster the strength to stand. Whimpering, she allowed herself to slide to the ground before dropping into darkness.

***

Buffy heard someone scream her name. She whipped toward the sound but didn’t see anything. Her Slayer senses tingled with an unfamiliar rhythm. “Dorian, go,” she said forcefully.

“What?” the well muscled redhead asked.

“Something’s wrong. I can feel it.” The blonde let her enhanced senses reach out, seeking the source of her unease. Without warning, the wind began to blow until it roared around the two girls. “Damn it, Dorian! Get out of here! Find Jennifer!”

Willow’s sister sprinted away, and Buffy relaxed slightly. The wind continued to increase in speed until bits of gravel and other debris jumped off the ground. The particles stung the Slayers face and arms. Instinctively, she doubled over, trying to cover her eyes. The storm raged unabated for several minutes. Even huddled with arms crossed over her face, the blonde had cuts liberally sprinkled on her exposed flesh. Suddenly, the debris stopped flying. Buffy looked up, and then slowly stood upright. The wind continued to hurl pellets, but something blocked access to the Slayer. The pieces slammed against the blue barrier before dropping to the ground.

What the hell is going on here? the Slayer thought. She waited, tensed, for the next strike. It wasn’t long in coming. The air around her seemed to thicken and blue flames shot from the ground. Whatever it was keeping the rocks from hitting her also kept the flames at bay, but the heat scorched her. Breathing shallowly to avoid inhaling the blistering air, Buffy prayed the flames would die down before she burned to death.

Rather than dying, though, the flames leapt higher. They towered over the diminutive blonde, glowing white. Finally, just when the Slayer was sure she would die for a third time, the flames dropped to the ground. Buffy shivered in the sudden chill. The barrier disappeared. Hesitantly, she moved from her position. The courtyard was a disaster. Shrubs and plants had been ripped from the ground and lay littered around the space. The gravel now resembled solid pavement. Intense heat from the magical fire had fused the individual pieces into a solid mass.

No longer fearing for her own safety, Buffy’s thoughts turned toward her friend. What if the magical strike had been meant for Willow? Using every bit of her Slayer speed, the blonde raced off in the direction Dorian had taken. She rounded the side of the house and checked her stride. A vast expanse of field stretched in front of here. Cursing, she stilled her ragged breathing and worked to restore a steady heartbeat. Finally, her mind and body calmed. She let her senses flow out. There, Buffy turned to the left. Willow…and two – no, three other people.

She took off again, using more stealth and less speed. A small barn stood at the back of the house. Creeping up to the partially opened door, the Slayer listened intently.

“Mama, is she OK?” a voice asked.

There was a brief silence, then a tired sigh. “I think so, Drew. She seems to have drained and then refilled her magical stores. Kirstan, can you carry her inside?”

No one answered the query. Thinking she had simply missed the reply, Buffy slowly moved closer to the opening. Before she could look inside, a strong hand grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling her away. “Jenny, get the girls back in the house!” her attacker shouted.

This time, Buffy didn’t wait for a response from inside. Lashing out with her elbow, she caught the woman behind her in the chin. Amazingly, the tall brunette didn’t go down. Furious, the Slayer went after the other woman with everything she had. In a blur of punches and kicks, she moved the fighter backward. In a recess of her mind, Buffy noted she’d rarely faced such a skilled opponent. Even among the undead, few could match her Slayer skills for long. Finally, the blonde landed a solid kick to the brunette’s stomach and the fighter went down hard.

Rather than moving in for the kill, Buffy placed a booted foot on the downed woman’s throat. “I don’t even care what all that was about. Where’s Willow?”

Breathing hard, the brunette said, “I can’t tell you that.”

“Wrong answer.” The Slayer put more pressure on her foot. “You get one more chance. Where’s my friend?”

“Buffy, you can’t see her right now.” The Slayer recoiled slightly. “Look, I’m Kirstan. Willow’s my daughter. Can you let me up, and I’ll explain?”

Not fully trusting her captive, Buffy nonetheless stepped back. “Talk,” she ordered brusquely.

“First, do you know what happened to Willow?” Kirstan asked as she sat up.

“Yeah. Something happened when she did the resurrection spell. She opened a gateway into Heaven and a big Evil came through before it closed.” Buff stopped, struggling to maintain her composure. Tears burned the back of her eyes and her throat ached. “The evil thing did something to her magic and it started to grow. We – I – thought she was addicted to magic.”

The brunette held up a hand. “OK. You’ve got the gist of it.” Slowly, the older woman stood up. “Damn. It’s been a long time since I’ve fought an active Slayer.”

Buffy wasn’t in the mood to discuss the merits of fighting someone of her talents. “Look, you still haven’t told me why I can’t see Willow.”

“Willow’s magic is out of control. It responds to her emotions. A stray thought or desire, and the power tries to fulfill the need,” Kirstan replied. “Jenny thinks it best to keep her away from people until we can get a handle on the power, find a way to restore her barriers.”

All the pieces came together for the Slayer. “The magical attack earlier, it was meant for me.”

“We think so.” The brunette eyed the suddenly pale girl.

It was all too much. Spinning away, Buffy drove her fist through the side of the barn. The red-painted wood splintered under the blow. Violently ripping her damaged hand from the hole, the Slayer dropped to her knees. Silently begging God or the PTB to end the pain, she drove her hands into the barn over and over.

“Buffy, stop!” Kirstan grabbed the distraught blonde by the shoulders. But the young girl ignored her. Finally, the ex-Slayer wrapped both arms around Buffy and yanked her away from the barn. Holding tightly to the girl, Kirstan moved them both inside the barn. Jennifer and the girls were gone. Dropping onto one of the mats, she slowly released Buffy.

“Want to tell me what’s wrong, sweetie?” The ex-Slayer had a feeling the shattered girl in her arms was an important part of her daughter’s life. Nearly all of Willow’s major magical meltdowns occurred because of Buffy.

“It’s all my fault,” came a heartbreaking whisper. “She started doing magic to help me.” Dead hazel eyes lifted. “They should have left me in the grave. Nothing good has happened since they brought me back.”

Responding to the blonde’s obvious pain, Kirstan pulled the girl back into her arms, rocking ever so slightly. “Hey, Willow doesn’t see it that way. She’s talked about you a lot since she got here. She told this great story about some alternate version of herself.”

The Slayer smiled sadly. “Yeah. That day so sucked.”

Confused, the brunette asked, “Why? When Willow told the story, she made it sound really funny – once we got passed the whole Vampire Willow idea.”

Tears ran unchecked down Buffy’s face. “I thought it was the worst thing that could happen. My best friend dead and turned. I was wrong.” She fell silent, and Kirsten waited her out. Finally, the blonde continued, “I wanted…” She stopped. “It doesn’t matter what I wanted. Will’s my best friend and because of me, she’s hyped up on some kind of magic overload. You should just let her kill me.”

CHAPTER 14

Eyes widening in disbelief, Kirstan stared at Buffy. “You want to run that by me again?”

The Slayer gave a tired laugh and moved out of the brunette’s embrace. “Never mind. I just came to see Will and talk with Jennifer.” Brushing off her pants and straightening her shirt, the young blonde said, “Since you seem to already know the whole sordid story, I’ll head out.”

When Buffy started back to her car, Kirstan grabbed her arm. “Wait. You can’t go yet. Jenny’s getting Willow comfortable, but she shouldn’t be long. I think we all need to talk.”

Too exhausted to argue, the Slayer nodded. “Sure.” She followed the tall woman inside the house. Bypassing the large kitchen, Willow’s mother led Buffy into the same den they’d used that morning.

“Have a seat. I’ll check on Jenny and Willow.” Kirstan waited for her guest to sit down before leaving the room.

The tired Slayer leaned her head against the back of the couch and closed her eyes. Oh, God. What am I going to do? She hates me so much she tried to kill me. That thought repeated endlessly in her mind. Trying to drive the refrain away, Buffy climbed to her feet and paced the room. The action pushed weary muscles until they trembled. Unwilling but unable to continue her frantic march across the carpet, the Slayer dropped back onto the furniture.

The silence seeped slowly into her circling thoughts, and Buffy fell into an uneasy doze until a quiet knock brought her back to awareness. “Yeah?” she called out, voice rough with fatigue.

A brunette head peered into the room. “Buffy? Mom and Mama are in the kitchen. They wanted to know if it was OK to talk there?”

Confused by the question and too tired to censor her words, the Slayer griped, “It’s their house. We can meet wherever the hell they want.”

A fiery blush tinted the girl’s cheeks. “Alright. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you there.”

“Thanks.” Buffy mentally slapped herself for the way she was acting. It was crunch time – again. She needed to get herself back in the game. “Sorry for that last comment. Kinda tired, you know?” She smiled winningly at her escort.

The taller girl simply nodded and waited for the blonde to join her in the hallway. In silence, they trooped back to the kitchen Buffy had glimpsed earlier. Kirstan and another woman sat at a large table. Once again, the Slayer’s mouth outpaced her thoughts. “Wow. If Will looks like that in a few years, I’ll count myself lucky.”

Three sets of green eyes stared at her in shock. “Ummm, I said that out loud, didn’t I?” Buffy mumbled. Rubbing hands over her magic-scorched face, the Slayer tried to pull herself together. “Can we just forget that comment and get on with the discussion? If we wait too long, there’s no telling how many times I’ll make an idiot of myself.”

Kirstan came to her aid. Laughter warming her voice, she said, “Don’t worry about it. In fact,” she reached out a hand to stroke her wife’s arm, “I don’t mind the comment. It’s been a while since someone’s reminded me just how fortunate I am.”

The girl next to Buffy made a gagging sound. “That so corny, Mom,” she protested.

“Don’t interrupt your mother, Morgan,” the red haired woman complained. “This was getting interesting.” She smiled before catching Buffy’s eye. “Why don’t you have a seat, Buffy? I’m sure you’re tired, and this probably isn’t going to be a happy discussion for any of us.”

Dropping gracelessly onto a wooden chair, the Slayer agreed, “No, happy is so not what I’m feeling.” She kept her eyes on the table, tracing the whorls of the grain with a finger. “Where should I start?”

“Well, Willow told us some of what happened last year, so why don’t you pick a starting point near there?” Jennifer suggested.

“Right. Last year.” I can do this. I can. After all, I’ve told this story so many times before, it won’t require much thought. Buffy’s inner pep talk did little to convince her this would be easy. “If we’re trying to help Wills, then you should probably know the when and the why of the magic. She started dabbling in magic back in high school.” Bracing for the inevitable freak out, the Slayer explained, “My boyfriend was a vampire with a soul. Unfortunately, he didn’t come with a user’s manual and when we slept together, he lost the soul and reverted to Angelus. Willow did something called the Romanii Curse to restore his soul again.”

She stopped, waiting for questions or recriminations. The only sound in the room was the irritating buzz of the clock over the sink. “After that,” she continued when no one commented on the Slayer-vampire connection, “Will was pretty hooked on the magic. She did a lot of things over the years, and a lot of them used Black magic. Giles tried to warn us she didn’t understand the things she was dealing with, but we ignored him. After all, it was way more important to keep me alive or beat the big bad than it was to worry about what Willow was doing to herself.”

Buffy dragged her eyes from the table and looked into Jennifer’s green ones. “I looked the other way too many times. But I swear, if I’d known what Willow was planning with the resurrection thing, I would have torn down Heaven to stop her.”

***

Willow was awake, or so she thought. It was hard to tell. She felt her body, but nothing moved on command. The witch floated in darkness and waited for things to return to normal. Waiting, however, lasted too long. Willow forced the issue. Once again reaching out with her senses, she was stunned to realize the magic felt sluggish and slow. Even though the rush of power the last weeks was frightening, it was familiar. Now, when she needed the energy, nothing happened. Internally frowning, the young redhead refused to accept her mind’s demand for rest and healing. Pushing at the stream of power, Willow grinned in delight as it picked up speed. A little more shoving and the energy roared through her channels.

Now, she just had to figure out why she couldn’t wake up. A scan of her body showed she was physically fine. There had to be another explanation. Willow checked her magical reserves. Nope, no problems. In fact, the energy she’d siphoned from the fire and wind storms filled the pool. Then what the hell is keeping me in limbo? she asked herself. The witch loved a good mystery, but this was ridiculous. Tapping into her energy stores, she sent a tendril of power snaking away from her body into the rest of the house. The tiny ribbon of magic let her peer into every room. Everything was empty. Jennifer must have sent everyone away. In her strange state, Willow barely registered the sadness that thought engendered.

As she worked her way toward the stairs, Willow noticed four energy signatures. Morgan meditated in the den. Jennifer, Kirstan, and Buffy gathered around the kitchen table. Buffy must be OK, then. The stream of power expanded as the redhead exulted. She hadn’t hurt her best friend with the fireworks display. The witch quickened the pace of her magical eyes. Reaching the kitchen, she took a moment to examine the Slayer. The perusal was sobering. Buffy looked gaunt and haggard. The blonde had lost weight, and her cheekbones poked through the taut skin of her face. Lost in horror and guilt, Willow didn’t at first realize her magic allowed her to hear as well as see.

“I looked the other way too many time. But I swear, if I’d known what Willow was planning with the resurrection thing, I would have torn down Heaven to stop her.”

The redhead gasped soundlessly. Despite her intention to get Jennifer’s attention and ask for some help, Willow found her power snake curling behind the Slayer’s chair to listen.

***

Jennifer interrupted. “Was there anyone in your group to teach Willow how to use her magic?”

“For a while…a couple of times.” Buffy tried to smile at the older version of her best friend. “Ms. Calendar, a teacher at the high school, might have been able to. Angelus killed her, though. That happened before Wills did the Romanii Curse. Giles knows magic, but he was big on the warnings and short on the teaching. I don’t know if he could have helped out.”

The Slayer pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Will’s ex started training her.” Buffy sat silent after that statement.

“But…?” Jennifer prodded.

“But I died, and Willow literally moved Heaven to bring me back.” The explanation hung in the air.

“OK. I’ve heard the story about the spell, and we think we know what happened,” Kirstan said. “Why the power surge whenever you show up?”

“She hates me.” Buffy thought she would come apart as she answered the brunette’s question.

Looking skeptical, Jennifer commented, “That doesn’t really make sense, Buffy. If she hated you, there was more than enough energy in the attack earlier to burn you beyond ashes.”

The Slayer wasn’t willing to acknowledge the wisdom. “I didn’t trust her. Every time something happened that I couldn’t explain or understand, I blamed Will. It had to be magic…By the end, we fought all the time. When she went to Rack, she got in an accident and my sister got hurt. I accused her of being so lost in the magic she didn’t care about Dawnie, didn’t care about anything but herself and the power.”

***

As Buffy’s anguish-laden tale traveled through the power ribbon, Willow felt tears streak her face. Unable to move or wake completely, the witch still grieved for her friend.

***

“You’ve apparently figured out what really happened,” Kirstan said.

Buffy nodded. “Yeah. Tara, Willow’s ex, talked me through it all. I’m not sure I completely understand, but I got enough to know it wasn’t Will’s fault – the magic using and all.”

“Something like that.” The older redhead stood. “I’m going to grab some drinks. Buffy, can I get you anything besides liquid?”

“No.” The refusal was immediate. The Slayer hadn’t been hungry since her return. “Thanks, though.”

Jennifer puttered around the large kitchen while Buffy and Kirstan remained seated. “There was a message from your Watcher earlier. I assume he called about Willow?”

“Yeah. He asked a friend in the Coven over there for the name of a witch who could help Will get control of the magic. None of us knew Jennifer was Willow’s mom,” the blonde Slayer answered. “I recognized the number Will had given Dawnie.” Blushing a bit, Buffy mumbled, “He told me to stay away, but I needed to make sure she was OK.”

The Hirsches laughed at the admission. “She’s going to be fine. I promise,” Jennifer announced firmly. “We just have to find a way to rebuild the dam around her power reservoir. Once that’s back in place, it’s just a matter of honing her control.”

Buffy basked in the assertion her best friend would recover. The happy feeling didn’t last long. Jennifer and Kirstan didn’t know everything. “Um, that’s great, really,” she stammered.

The lackluster reply clued the other women to a problem. “I thought you’d be more enthusiastic at the news,” the older witch commented.

“Oh, I’m thrilled. Inside, I’m doing a happy dance,” Buffy quickly protested. “Unfortunately, there’s more to this already depressing story. Right after Tara figured out about Will’s magic, I called Giles. He was about to call me.

“The whole magical growth wasn’t an accident,” she told the women. “It’s part of a prophecy.”

***

Willow’s surprise momentarily disrupted the link with her magical spy device. She lay trapped in the darkness, thoughts racing. A prophecy? Great. Those always mean the end of the world is coming. Calming herself with effort, the young witch reached back out to the narrow ribbon of power connecting her to Buffy and the women downstairs.

***

“Oh, fuck,” the ex-Slayer snarled.

“Kirstan!” Jennifer objected.

“Sorry. But, damn it, Jenny, those things never mean anything good is going to happen.” The brunette was scared, and it showed.

“I wish I could give you more information, but Giles couldn’t find anything specific. All he knew when I talked to him the last time was that Willow opened a Gate to Heaven when she brought me back. Something slipped through the Gate with me. Something big,” Buffy said. She checked her watch and slumped in the chair. Even though she’d left a note for Dawn, the Slayer didn’t feel right leaving her teenaged sister alone right now.

“I should go.” Buffy pushed herself away from the table and tried to get up. The world spun, and she braced both palms flat on the wooden surface in front of her to stay upright.

“Sit down.” Kirstan wrapped strong hands around her shoulders and lowered her back into the chair. “When was the last time you ate or slept, little girl?”

Anger tried to flare over the mode of address, but Buffy was too tired. “I don’t know. Yesterday, I guess” She stiffened in the woman’s grasp. “I’ll be fine in a minute.”

“Hmmm, let me think about that…” the brunette mocked. “I don’t believe you.”

This time, exhaustion fell beneath the simmering anger. “I don’t fucking care what you believe. Right now, the only thing that matters is Will and making sure she’s OK.” Buffy twisted away from Kirstan and surged to her feet. “I drove out here because I needed to see for myself Will was getting better.” The Slayer spit the words at her friend’s mother, beyond rational thought. Emotions seized control and gave her speech a dangerous edge. “The only reason you’re still standing is because I honestly think you want what’s best for her. She’s all I care about. You, Jennifer, saving the world one more time…I couldn’t care less. If anything happens to Willow, my life won’t matter anymore.”

Buffy met Kirstan’s gaze. “I love her, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make this all go away.”

CHAPTER 15

Buffy’s impassioned speech stunned Willow. She loves me? I mean, sure, she’s said it before, but…The witch halted the internal rambling. I need some answers. She called out to her power snake, uncoiling it from behind the Slayer’s chair. Gently, it slithered back a few inches before lightly wrapping around Buffy’s ankle.

The contact allowed Willow to get a vague sense of the blonde’s emotions. Mental eyes snapping wide in disbelief, the redhead basked in the glow of Buffy’s love. However, underneath the warm glow of the Slayer’s love, cold darkness lurked. Her best friend had reached her limits. Rage, grief, and a smothering despair threatened to overwhelm the tiny blonde. Oh Goddess, Willow thought. The witch needed to get up. She had to talk to the other girl. But, no matter how hard she tried, Willow couldn’t escape her limbo state. Snarling in frustration, she peered into her magical stores.

The blue pool ebbed and flowed against the crumbling barrier that remained after the firestorm. Its level was far higher than it had been that morning. The young witch tried one last time to maneuver back to wakefulness. Nothing happened. OK. Enough of this. I have to get to Buffy before she gets into a fight with Kirstan or storms off in a snit.

Willow considered an idea she’d had during her struggle to curb the fire raging around her friend. It just might work…

Concentrating, the young witch banished the ribbon of power stretching to the kitchen. She looked inside and examined her power reservoir. The wall reached just high enough to contain the seething blue pool of magic. However, Willow had not filled the storage area to overflowing when she’d recharged earlier. She had stopped at the top of the dam. It wouldn’t hold if she lashed out again. She needed to take the wall higher and ensure there were no leaks. Simple, really, except she also needed to create a way to breach the wall when she needed to access the additional power.

Staring at the cobbled-together barrier, Willow knew she could fuse the materials into a solid mass. But, how could she make the wall higher? Slowly, an image formed in her mind. The redhead gave a moment’s thought to the dangerous path she was taking, and stepped forward.

Tapping the pool of magic and augmenting it with power pulled from the natural sources in the area, Willow constructed a shield for the room. Jennifer would try to stop her. The witch knew that and took steps to make sure her mother couldn’t interfere. She shaped the power into a thin curtain that stretched from ceiling to floor. Locking it into place, the witch drew in more power and fused a thin layer of magic across floor and ceiling. The room was sealed. It was time to begin the real work.

Willow opened herself completely. Power flowed through her channels in a surging blue wave. As it reached her center, the witch fed energy from outside herself into the mix. Magic lit the room. She kept control of the power, not letting it engulf her. Focusing the enormous amount of energy at her dam, Willow poured every bit of magic into heating the cracked and crumbling wall.

***

Kirstan and Jennifer looked at each other. “We’re supposed to be surprised?” the red haired woman asked.

The Slayer hesitated, her anger faltering in the face of their combined calm. “I was kind of expecting it, yeah,” Buffy mumbled, sitting down with a thump.

Jennifer chuckled. “Sweetie, we need to have a long talk with your Watcher. He’s really neglected your training.”

“What do you mean?” The blonde girl was confused by the apparent shift in topic.

“Slayers are paired with witches. That way, you can combine your physical fighting ability with Willow’s magical one.” The older woman cocked her head. “None of this is ringing any bells, is it?”

“No,” Buffy whispered. We’re supposed to be together? Why didn’t Giles tell me? All this time, we could have been a couple. This news, on top of the day’s other shocks, was too much. The world started to fade out, and she slid from the chair.

Kirstan saw the girl’s eyes roll back in her head and dove for the blonde. Cradling the emaciated Slayer in strong arms, the brunette asked, “Jenny, can you go into the den and get Morgan? I’m taking this one to the guest house and settle her in.”

“On my way,” Jennifer replied, already heading for the hallway out of the kitchen. She stopped abruptly. “Fuck! Put her down, Kirstan. Willow’s on the loose again.”

“What?” The ex-Slayer gently placed her bundle on the table. “Is she OK?”

The older witch didn’t answer. Eyes closed, she checked the lines of magic in the room upstairs. “I can’t tell. She put up one hell of a shield. There’s no way in.”

“That’s no way in magically. How about brute strength?” Eyes snapping with irritation, the tall brunette stepped toward the stairs.

The smaller woman grabbed her arm. “Even you can’t break a barrier like this.” She broke off, probing again at the magical force field. “It’s amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Anything like what?” Buffy asked dazedly from her position on the table.

Shaking her head, Kirstan commented, “Are things always this lively when you’re around?”

“Yeah. I’m like a lightening rod for bad luck, demon attacks, and world ending apocalypses.” The Slayer sat up. “What have I fucked up now?”

“It’s not you, really.” Jennifer tried to reassure the girl. “Our daughter isn’t doing the smart thing and resting right now.”

“Will?” Buffy hopped off the table, grabbing the surface when her legs wobbled. “What’s wrong with Will?”

“Nothing’s wrong. She’s blocked access to her room, though, and the power is building up inside the shield.” Jennifer was preoccupied, and let the truth slip.

Before either of the adults could react, Buffy sprinted for the stairs. “Buffy, wait!” Kirstan went after the younger Slayer. She found the blonde pounding ineffectively at a shimmering blue curtain of energy and screaming her friend’s name.

“Stop it! Buffy…” She grabbed the blonde, pinning her arms. “What do you think you can do? Break it down with your bare hands?”

The Slayer twisted violently in her grasp. “Let me go. I have to help her.”

“You can’t.” She held the diminutive blonde against her chest, feet off the floor. Finally, Buffy stopped fighting her. “I’m going to put you down. Don’t do anything stupid.”

The Slayer didn’t answer, but dipped her chin slightly in agreement.

Kirstan set Buffy back on the ground as Jennifer, Morgan, and Drew thundered up the stairs. “Anything?” Jennifer fired at the two Slayers.

“I don’t suggest beating on it,” Buffy admitted ruefully. She held up her hands, and the Hirsch family saw the bruised fingers. “I think I broke a couple of them doing just that.”

***

As the heat rose around the dam, the magical debris filling the holes in the original wall liquefied. Blue energy melted and dripped in globs around the witch. Her astral form wavered in the intense temperatures. Pushing more power into the magical forge, Willow continued to heat the dam. When the wall glowed white-hot and most of the material had lost its solid form, she called up the wind.

Unlike the hurricane from the afternoon, this breeze wafted through the room, barely noticeable. Like a glass-blower, the witch drew the liquid material around a central core of power and let the wind shape it. Thinning it almost to the breaking point, the witch slowly drew the fragile energy up over the dam’s foundation. The fluid creation flowed into the cracks, sealing them.

Sucking in even more power, Willow began the next stage of construction. She was out of building material now. She would have to create the last of the wall from scratch. The power she drew in for this task overflowed the reservoir. Waves of power spilled over the low wall, inundating the witch. Gathering the energy in a sphere around her, Willow held and heated the new magic into a thicker material. Straining to lift her unwieldy burden to the top of the barrier, the witch felt her energy stores dipping dangerously low. Unfortunately, she couldn’t turn back now. She’d extended too far. Pulling back meant a magical backlash and no way to refill the reservoir.

Increasing the speed of the wind, the redhead manhandled her creation into place. The heavy liquid began to cool and harden. However, it would need special handling to contain her magic. In one violent surge, Willow yanked the heat from the magical wall and blasted it with subzero temperatures. The material turned to frost-covered stone. It was obviously newer than the original wall, but it was strong. Grinning in triumph, the astral witch reached for more magic and slowly refilled the reservoir.

The damage created by the nameless Evil and Rack had been repaired. Willow could return to learning magic with no worries about firestorms or dangerous magical tantrums. However, Buffy needed her at full strength; a novice witch would be of no use. Holding back fatigue with sheer force of will, the redhead began one final project. Still linked to the energy around her, Willow formed a laser-like beam. Keeping her focus narrow and intense, she drew the blue laser down the new wall, cutting a small door. The beam mutated into bursts of energy. It was done. A small hatch granted access to the reservoir, locked against intrusion with a magical keypad. Only Willow would be able to match resonances with the panel and open the hatch.

***

“Brute force isn’t always the answer,” Jennifer said. “Damned impatient Slayers.” Grumbling, she reached for Buffy’s hand.

“Leave it. I’ll heal. Just find a way to get to Willow.” The young blonde turned back to the glowing shield. “What are our options?”

Jennifer and Drew joined her at the barrier. “I’m not sure we have any.” Jennifer sounded frustrated. “Willow’s got the entire room blanketed in power. If we try to break through, the magic will just rebound on us.”

Everyone stood quietly, minds struggling to discover a way into the room. “Mom?” Morgan began. “What if you don’t try to break in?”

“I’m not sure I understand,” her mother replied.

“Well,” the younger brunette offered, “Willow warded the room against attack, right? I mean, that’s the purpose of a shield. Could someone, I don’t know, merge with the barrier and then just walk through?”

Frowning, Jennifer thought about the question. “It’s theoretically possible, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.” She slammed her hand into the barrier, garnering shocked looks from the others. “We don’t know Willow well enough to try matching resonances.”

“You may not, but I do,” Buffy stated quietly. “Tell me what to do.”

Meeting the determined hazel gaze of her daughter’s best friend, Jennifer nodded. “Touch the shield gently, and clear your mind.”

Reaching out a tentative hand, the Slayer rested her palm against the warm, pulsing energy. She drew in deep breaths and used a meditation technique to drive all the thoughts from her mind. In the mental silence, magic grew. It felt familiar, and Buffy smiled. It felt like Willow. Bright, inquisitive, shy, and loving.

Jennifer’s voice rang in a back corner of her mind. “You’ve entered the shield; don’t rush. Continue to feel the magic and move forward. When you get into the room, open your eyes. I’ve established a small link and will be able to help you once I know the situation.”

Reconnecting with her friend and her magic, the blonde remained motionless. More power ran through her body, and this time, the Slayer sensed old resentments, bitterness, and grief. Acknowledging her part in creating these emotions, Buffy opened herself to Willow and hoped the other girl would see her heartfelt apology. The power rippled and turned cold for a brief, frightening second before warming again. It brushed Buffy’s mind with a formless hand, caressing the Slayer and offering forgiveness and love in return.

The Slayer stepped into the room and opened her eyes.

Willow lay on her bed, face lined with concentration. Sweat covered her face and cleaved her clothes to her slim frame. The room was eerily still. Buffy crept closer, alert for any sign the witch on the bed planned to lash out. “Will?”

Her friend didn’t acknowledge her quiet query.

Hesitantly, the Slayer sat down next to the redhead. Jennifer said the magic was filling the room, but I don’t see anything. The blonde gently brushed wet red hair from Willow’s forehead. I don’t like this. Why isn’t she moving? Louder than before, Buffy called to the girl on the bed, “Hey, Willow! Come on, Sleeping Beauty, it’s time to wake up.” She shook the arm nearest to her. Nothing.

“Jennifer?” she asked in a shaking voice.

Faintly, a little voice answered, “I’m with you, sweetie. She’s OK, Buffy. But for some reason, I think she’s out of her body. We have to try calling her back.”

“Um, alright.” The Slayer stood up. “What do I need to do?”

“I want you to go back into the trance state and merge with the magic again. Reach out to Willow through the energy,” the older witch responded.

Dropping her head to her chest, Buffy sank back into the embrace of Willow’s power. The blue energy welcomed her back with gentle caresses. Will? the blonde called with her mind. Hey, besty friend, where are you? I came all the way from Sunnydale to see you.

At first, Buffy thought she’d failed again. But the power around her surged and a silvery mist appeared in front of her. The shapeless energy started to solidify. Willow smiled at the blonde, but the Slayer could see through the shape.

Wow! Looking a bit pale, Will. What’s wrong with the body on the bed? ‘Cause I could use a hug right about now. Buffy forced herself to stay calm. Your moms have been giving me a hard time.

They’re just protecting me, the astral form replied. The ephemeral face split wide with a grin. I fixed it, Buffy. I fixed the reservoir. My power is back under control.

The Slayer stepped forward, but remembered she couldn’t hug her friend in this form. Damn. This sucks, Will. If you fixed the power thingy, why can’t you come back to your body?

I don’t know. Buffy heard a hint of panic in the mental voice.

Standing just in front of the shadow witch, the Slayer tried a different approach. Damn it, Will. This isn’t the time for games. Something big’s on the way. I sent Tara to LA to get backup. Dawn’s at home alone doing who the hell knows what. I don’t have time to sit around while you play ‘Where’s Willow.’

The shade faded out and then reformed. I know, Buffy. I just figure out how to get back.

Throwing her hands in the air, Buffy snapped, Just do it, Will. Stop analyzing everything and just do it!

The misty form in front of her nodded once and then disappeared. The Slayer ran to the bed and watched the form closely. Nothing was happening. Damn it, Willow. Please come back to me. Grabbing the still hand, Buffy held it to her face. The limb felt cold and lifeless. “Please, Will. I need you so much. Open your eyes, baby. I know you can do it.”

Buffy stood rigid, waiting for the slightest movement. An eternity passed before she noticed the color slowly infusing the freckled face below her. Green eyes blinked sleepily. “Buffy?” A grin lit up the room. “I’m baa-aack.”

“Thank, God.” The Slayer dropped onto the bed and pulled the witch into a fierce hug. When the girl squeaked, she released her grip. “Don’t ever scare me like that again, damn it.” Buffy pressed her lips to Willow’s.

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