CHAPTER 34

The hairs on Tara’s arms stood up at the sudden energy in the room. Faith’s eyes glowed brightly, and her nostrils flared with each breath. “I know, sweetie. You and Buffy-“

“No!” The word exploded from Faith in a low growl. “We will protect you. The Other…she is for the red witch.”

Tara’s eyes widened. “The red witch? Do you mean Willow?” Suddenly, the change in Faith made sense. She wasn’t talking to Faith. She was talking to the Slayer. Reaching out her hand, she pressed her palm to Faith’s cheek and peered into the blazing copper eyes. Tara took a deep breath, heart pounding at the look in Faith’s eyes. Warmth trickled through her, and she thought she felt ephemeral lips skim down her throat.

“Can you…” Goddess, it was hard to think. Her fingers sifted through the hair at Faith’s temple, the soft strands sliding sensuously over her skin.

Faith moved closer until they pressed together from shoulders to hips. “Mine,” the Slayer announced.

The word coincided with a new flare of power in the room. Mind trapped in the sheer presence of the Slayer, Tara only dimly realized the energy emanated from Faith. It wrapped around her like a blanket, soft, warm, and comforting. “Mine,” she echoed dazedly. Faith was hers.

Drawn to the Slayer by unseen hands, Tara bent her head and pressed her lips to Faith’s. Visible sparks lit the air around them.

***

Resting her head in her hands, Willow listened to Xander and Graham argue.

“We can’t do that,” Graham snapped. “It doesn’t make sense to send all of the troops to the caves. What about the girls? You just want to leave them unprotected when Adam comes looking for Tara?”

“They aren’t unprotected!” She could almost see Xander’s glare. He was angry, voice rising in frustration. “You’ve worked with Buffy before. You know what she can do. Multiply that by two because Faith will be there, too. Take your men to the caves and make sure we don’t get blindsided by demons.”

This wasn’t getting them anywhere. Opening her eyes a crack, Willow peered at Buffy. The boys would listen to Buffy. She nudged her girlfriend with her knee.

Buffy barely glanced at her before going back to examining her hands where they lay on the tabletop.

Fine. If Buffy was opting out of the General’s shoes, she’d step into them. It was time to stop talking and start doing. “Stop it! Both of you!”

Xander and Graham turned to look at her.

“We’ve heard it all before. We need to make a decision and then find out what Tara has planned for the magical part of the show,” Willow continued.

“We can’t…” Graham wasn’t ready to relinquish command.

Leveling a fully loaded Resolve Face at him, Willow held up her hand, palm out. “Stop!”

He did, eyes wide and shocked.

“Go back to campus. Grab the guys you think you can trust and as many weapons as you can find. We need you at the caves. If the demons get out before the explosion, you’ll have to take them out. Whatever happens with Adam,” Willow refused to even think about failing, “the demons can’t run loose in town.”

Xander nodded in agreement. “I’ve been trying-“

“You and Anya go with him, Xan.” Willow didn’t give him time to resurrect his argument with Graham.

“Will!” he protested.

Willow transferred her glare to her oldest friend. “You and Anya won’t be much help in the Meadow, Xander. You can’t help with either the magic or the Slaying.” Then she relented, seeing the hurt expression on his face. “Xan, think. Tara and I are going to be busy lobbing energy bombs at Adam and trying to keep the Slayers from getting too out of control. Do you really want to be there if something goes wrong?”

Still not happy, Xander nonetheless shook his head. “No. No, I don’t want to face Buffy if she goes all rampage-y.” He grinned at Buffy. “It’s the one Buffy that isn’t in my fantasies.”

He yelped when Anya smacked his arm.

“I’ll save my smack for after the fight,” Buffy promised, finger pointing at Xander. “You have your orders, Graham. General Willow has spoken.”

Willow relaxed a little when warm fingers grasped hers under the table.

“Head out and get things set up. If Ry really is the professor’s other creation, Adam may already know about the explosives. I don’t want them to release the demons in the cells before we get there,” Buffy went on.

Her tacit approval of Willow’s plan started a flurry of activity. In minutes, Xander, Anya, and Graham were gone.

“OK, Will. Phase One is a go,” Buffy grinned and winked. “What do you have for the rest of us?”

Maybe Anya had the right idea. Willow’s palm itched to smack her girlfriend’s arm. What was up with leaving her in charge?

Buffy must have sensed the imminent danger. She hopped out of her chair. “While you think up something brilliant, I’ll go see if Tara and Faith are finished arguing.” Nearly trotting, Buffy moved toward the kitchen door.

***

Mentally reminding herself not to push Willow too far, Buffy shoved the door open. She took three steps into the living room before the scene in the room actually made sense. “Whoa!”

Tara and Faith were locked in a tight embrace and kissing.

Eyes wide, Buffy simply stared. This hadn’t been part of the plan. It was just supposed to be one night. Faith didn’t do long term. Buffy looked closer at the couple. Or…maybe she hadn’t done long term until now.

Her Slayer rumbled in agreement. Faith had mated. She wouldn’t leave Tara under any circumstances.

“Uh, I hate to interrupt…” Buffy said, trying to tear her eyes away from the increasingly intimate display across the room.

Faith and Tara didn’t stop. In fact, Faith’s hands were sliding under Tara’s shirt.

Buffy spun around. She was not watching this. Then she realized this wasn’t getting Faith or Tara into the kitchen. Slowly, Buffy turned back to the action. Faith was fast. Tara’s shirt was completely unbuttoned and slipping off her shoulders. “Guys!” she called out, using more volume than the last time.

They still weren’t stopping.

Desperate to keep Tara’s bra in place, Buffy stuck both pinky fingers into her mouth and whistled.

The groping came to an abrupt end as Faith and Tara spun in Buffy’s direction.

“Uh…hi!” Buffy waved awkwardly and tried to keep her eyes above shoulder level. “We have a plan. Think you could join us in the kitchen?”

She took a quick step back when Faith growled, “How long you been standing there, B?”

Buffy bared her teeth in a wide smile. “Not long. You know…just came out of the kitchen. I didn’t see a thing.” She kept her eyes locked on Faith, tensing for an attack. Faith’s eyes were copper-toned, only a hint of their normal brown bleeding through.

“You’re full of shit, B.” Faith took a step in Buffy’s direction then stopped when Tara gripped her arm.

“Easy, sweetie,” Tara murmured. As Buffy watched, some of the copper faded from Faith’s eyes.

Trying not to look relieved by Tara’s save, Buffy spread her hands out in a gesture of surrender. “I didn’t mean to look, Faith. Really. You were just kinda involved and…well…” Shrugging, Buffy moved on. They’d wasted enough time on this, and she didn’t want Willow to come looking for her. “Can we just get everyone dressed and into the kitchen?”

“We’ll be right there, Buffy,” Tara said softly.

Buffy accepted the quiet dismissal and fled for the safety of the other room.

***

Watching her go, Faith started to laugh. “I ain’t never seen her blush like that. You think her and Red need lessons?”

She grunted when Tara smacked her in the stomach. “That’s not nice.” Then Tara giggled. “She did look a little stunned, didn’t she?”

“Fuck yeah.” Grinning up at Tara, Faith began rebuttoning Tara’s shirt. “Sorry if you were embarrassed, Blondie,” she mumbled. “I-“

“I’m fine, Faith.” Tara stroked Faith’s cheek. “Flashing Buffy wasn’t really on my mind. You were.”

Faith didn’t relax. “And the Slayer thing?” She could still feel the Slayer on alert; although, she was back in control.

Tara took her hand and started for the kitchen. “Was I here by myself? I thought the nearly public sex was a dead give away.”

Now Faith relaxed. “That? That had nothing to do with the Slayer,” she boasted. “That was all me. I been telling the Superfriends since I got here: I got mad skills.”

CHAPTER 35

At least Tara didn’t add another bruise. Instead, she merely poked Faith in the stomach. “What?” Faith asked with as much innocence as she could manage. “You tellin’ me you don’t believe I’m talented?”

A blonde eyebrow tilted up as Tara pushed open the kitchen door. “I have no doubts, sweetie. However, no more sharing with the Scoobies.” Her blue eyes burned into Faith. “Understood?”

Unable to stop her grin, Faith nodded. “Got it, T. No free clinics.”

“Thank you,” Giles dry voice interrupted them. “I am unbelievably relieved at that announcement.”

“Don’t know what you’re missing, Tweed.” Still grinning, Faith pulled out a chair for Tara and then dropped into another. “What happened to the rest of your gang, B? You go all Bruiser Buffy again and scare ‘em off?”

Buffy glowered. “No,” she said shortly.

Faith waited for more.

***

Of course, Faith had to push. Tara shook her head and jumped in before Buffy could respond. “Remember, sweetie? Graham was going to get some of his Marine friends to help us out.”

Faith’s pout was cute. “Yeah. I remember.” She couldn’t resist trying one more time to get a reaction from Buffy, though. “Bet that made X-man happy, getting the boot from the big fight.”

“Xander was upset, Faith.” Joyce’s soft words stopped the teasing.

Tara glanced up and caught the slight wink Buffy’s mother directed at her.

Without a pause, Joyce drove her point home. “He wanted to make sure his family was safe, Faith. You want to do that, don’t you? Keep us safe?”

Reaching out, Tara took Faith’s hand. The other girl stared at Joyce silently. Tara wondered what she was thinking. “If we’re going to keep Sunnydale safe, we need to decide what we’re going to do once we reach the Meadow,” Tara said quietly.

“What did you have in mind?” Willow sat in a pose similar to hers, gripping Buffy’s hand.

“I think we need to make sure Adam comes after me. That means a spell that attacks him directly.” Faith’s hand twitched in her grasp, and Tara tightened her hold.

Giles picked up the folder of notes on Adam. Flicking it open, he peered at the pages. “Perhaps you might try to drain his power.” He turned the folder around and pointed to one of the diagrams. “This seems to indicate a power source of some kind.”

“Willow?” Tara knew looking at it wouldn’t tell her much. Willow, though, might be able to decipher it for her.

Not releasing Buffy, Willow craned her neck to read the notes. “He may be right.” She plucked the folder out of Giles’ hand. “It’s an outside power source. I can’t tell what it’s made from, Tara.”

That wasn’t what she’d hoped to hear. Tara slumped back in her chair. “Or I could go with Plan B.”

“We have a Plan B?” Faith asked, kissing Tara’s fingers. “I ain’t heard a Plan A yet.”

A whoop from Willow kept Tara from having to admit she was still trying to come up with a backup plan.

“You got something, Red?” Spinning around, Faith pulled Tara into her lap and rested her chin on Tara’s shoulder.

The Slayer’s warm embrace settled Tara. Pressing into Faith’s arms, she glanced at Willow. “What did you find?”

“The power source.” Willow waved the folder wildly. “It’s uranium.”

This was cause for a celebration? “The stuff they make bombs with?”

“Exactly.” Willow beamed and Tara automatically smiled back. “Adam has a uranium core, right where his heart would be.” Bouncing in her chair, Willow continued, “Well, if he had a heart. I mean, he doesn’t. I don’t think.”

“So you want T to do what? Blast this core thing? Make Adam blow up?” Faith asked brusquely. Her arms hugged Tara, and her hands caressed Tara’s forearms. “Sounds simple enough.”

It wasn’t, though. Reluctant to shatter the suddenly upbeat mood, Tara cleared her throat. “You’re forgetting about Adam’s shield and his own magic.”

“I…we…” Willow looked around the room, including the rest of the gang, “…we haven’t forgotten. We’ll just work around it. There has to be a way.”

***

“What if Faith and I keep him distracted with non-magical attacks?” Buffy finally joined the conversation. “It’s kinda hard to block fireballs or whatever if you have two Slayers trying to beat you to death.”

Her Slayer rumbled, energy slowly uncoiling inside. Her sight changed, and the room appeared to glow under a copper filter.

When Faith straightened from her slouch behind Tara, Buffy smiled grimly at the change. The Slayers, at least, were in agreement.

“It might work.” Buffy nearly growled aloud at Giles’ typical response. “However, I would feel better if we knew for certain how to remove the uranium. It can be an unstable substance. It is not in our best interest to replace one threat with another.”

“We don’t have time for more research, Giles,” Buffy told him. Ignoring the energy still pulsing through her, she met his eyes. “The caves are about to explode, and we can’t hide from Adam forever. It’s time to go on the offensive.”

Giles slumped, fingers gripping the bridge of his nose. “You are right. My apologies, Buffy. What would you like me to do?”

“That’s up to the witches.” Buffy didn’t feel qualified to make magical decisions. She preferred hacking and stabbing to spells.

Everyone looked at Tara and Willow.

“I’ll get Adam to the Meadow by using the same spell Willow and I did the first night. Since he hasn’t been on the news since yesterday, it makes sense that we would be trying to track him.” Tara smiled slightly. “He’ll want us. We represent a huge power boost if he can drain us.”

“He can want,” Faith snarled. “He can’t have.”

Buffy’s Slayer howled at that. “No way. He isn’t even getting close. You two draw him to the Meadow. Mom and Giles can hit him with crossbows; keep moving, though, Giles. He needs to think there are more of us. That’s when Faith and I will go to work”

It sounded too easy.

“How’re we going to know when the Tin Man’s ready for heart surgery?” Faith had to ask.

Not so easy after all. Buffy looked at Willow. “Will?” She knew her girlfriend would come up with something. She always did.

However, as the seconds ticked by, it appeared Willow didn’t have an answer.

Bile burned the back of Buffy’s throat. It was like the Master all over again. No real plan, just a grim determination to fight and win. “We’ll know, Faith.” She met Faith’s eyes. “Trust me. We’ll know.” There had been a look, at the end, in the Master’s cold eyes - a sudden realization that he had lost. It would be in Adam’s eyes, too.

***

No one said much as they piled into Joyce’s Jeep for the trip across town. Faith huddled in the back seat, Tara on her lap. This was it. Show time. She’d expected to be on edge, wired with adrenaline and the promise of the hunt. Instead, her hands were clammy with sweat, her stomach cramped, and her muscles felt like Jell-o.

She glanced across at Buffy. Of course, Buffy looked calm, almost peaceful.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” Tara’s soft voice whispered in Faith’s ear.

Faith refused to answer. She wasn’t admitting – even to Tara – how scared she suddenly was. Not with Yoda Buffy in the back of the car with them. “Nothing, T. I’m five by five.” Rubbing her hands on her pants, she winked at Tara. “Just planning for the post-Slaying sex. Gonna be a lot of the HHs, you know?”

She flinched when Tara blushed and looked down. Damn it. She hated that look.

“HHs?” Tara didn’t stutter; however, her voice was even quieter than before.

A laugh masked by a very bad cough sounded.

When Faith looked that way, she saw Buffy trying to hide a smirk. Damned Slayer hearing.

“Uh…How about I explain that after we get rid of the Tin Man?” she mumbled, shifting uncomfortably under Tara. Her nerves were eclipsed by relief at avoiding Tara’s question as Giles drove into the deserted parking area of the huge park.

CHAPTER 36

When the Jeep came to a halt, Faith helped Tara out of the vehicle and watched the group mill around. They were here…and no one had a clue where to start. “Where do you want us, T?” she asked. If Buffy and Willow weren’t going to step in, Faith had every confidence Tara could.

Blue eyes flickered up to her and then away. Tara spun in a slow circle, examining the large park. “I’ll need to be in the heart of the Meadow to do the spell,” she announced slowly.

Maybe she should have waited for Buffy. Faith scowled in the dim lighting of the lot. “No place for us to hide, babe. It’d be like putting a big ‘free eats’ sign over your head.” She joined Tara in peering at the park. “Ain’t there a little corner by the picnic area that would work? You know the one, B. It’s great for a little groping ‘cause it’s out of the way and hard to get to.”

Buffy cleared her throat, and Faith could just imagine her glancing at Joyce and blushing. “Ah, yeah. It’s just down that path on the left, and about a hundred yards past the big picnic shelter.”

***

As much as Tara wanted to relieve Faith’s fears, she couldn’t. “I need to use the Meadow, sweetie. We don’t have any magical supplies.” From the looks she got from the gang, Tara realized that not even Giles understood. “The only way for me to pull in enough power without a formal Circle and the proper incantation is to tap into the ley lines running through the Meadow. If I get too close to the more heavily used places, like the picnic area, the energy will be muddy.”

“I can’t protect you there.” Faith gripped her arm tightly. “You gotta come up with another way.”

The grip hurt, but Tara didn’t move away. She stared at Faith intently, willing the other girl to stay calm and listen to reason. “Faith, it’s the only way.”

Faith’s hand slid slowly down until their fingers linked.

“Thank you, sweetie.” Tara leaned forward and kissed Faith. She could feel the shocked stares from the other four members of the gang. Ignoring the flush heating her cheeks, Tara started for the indicated path. “I’ll wait until you tell me everyone is in place before I start the spell.”

“What about the Circle? You said we didn’t bring supplies. Won’t you be vulnerable without one?” Willow inquired softly.

Faith’s fingers twitched against Tara’s.

Sighing soundlessly at Willow’s ignorance of formal magic and Faith’s protective nature, Tara responded, “I said I would need the Meadow for more power, Willow. While I can’t cast a formal Circle, I can still erect a protective barrier.”

“Oh.” In the orange glow cast by the path lights, Tara saw Willow chew on her lip until Buffy brushed a finger across the abused flesh. Willow looked better after that.

“While you are preparing, Tara, Joyce and I will take up our positions in the nearest available cover. I believe there are several large stands of trees and shrubbery that will suffice.” Giles sounded thoughtful, head bent in concentration. “Buffy, Willow, I think you will be best served if you stay nearest the large playground. It is a bit farther than I am comfortable with; however, I feel certain you will sense Adam in plenty of time to reach the Meadow to assist Tara.”

They reached a branching of pathways.

Buffy and Willow drifted toward the one farthest to the left. “Tara…” Willow turned back, green eyes wide and dark. “Be careful.” She flew across the short distance and hugged Tara tightly.

“I will.” Tara returned the hug. A few tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. “Go on,” she urged with a massive sniff. “Faith will make sure nothing happens.”

A surly grunt of agreement sounded to Tara’s right.

“Go on,” Tara said again with more force. She could almost feel Faith’s jealousy boring a hole into Willow’s head. “I need to get the spell started before we run out of time and the bombs go off.”

Arms dropping to her sides, Willow stepped back. Buffy nodded at Tara then took Willow’s hand and pulled her down the path.

Giles shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “We should be in position in just a few moments. You should be able to start the spell as soon as you reach the clearing.” He took a step in their direction and awkwardly stuck out his hand. “Please, my dear, do be careful.”

Before Tara could take his hand, Joyce snorted. “Really, Rupert.” Sidestepping him, she hugged Tara and kissed her cheek. “After a good night’s sleep in my own bed, I’m taking everyone out for breakfast.”

***

Gripping Willow’s slender fingers, Buffy led her down the path to the playground. “She’s going to be fine, baby. We won’t let Adam get to her, you know.” She didn’t add that if Adam did get to Tara, they weren’t going to be around to care. If Adam got to Tara, he’d gone through them first.

“I hate this.” Buffy looked sideways at Willow. The blunt and angry comment seemed out of character for her normally cheerful girlfriend.

“Well, I don’t know that any of us really like the constant end of the world threats,” she tried to joke. Bumping Willow’s shoulder, Buffy teased lightly, “I remember offering you an out a few months ago.”

Willow bumped back. “Yeah, what was I thinking?”

Grinning, Buffy kept up the lighthearted exchange as they approached the swings. “Um…I’m going out on a limb here. Maybe you were thinking about how hot I am and how cool it would be to date the Slayer.”

Giggles wafted on the cool night air.

“Yep. I was right.” Doing a little dance, Buffy swung Willow around in a circle. “I knew it.”

“I love you, Buffy Summers,” Willow whispered suddenly.

The quiet words rang in Buffy’s head. “You…you do?” Spinning so she could stare up into Willow’s eyes, Buffy felt the Slayer’s low growl pressing at her throat.

Soft lips brushed Buffy’s. “I do,” Willow reiterated.

The growl burst free as Buffy wrapped Willow in her arms and kissed her fiercely. “I love you, too, Willow,” she gasped when they broke apart. Tangling her fingers in Willow’s hair, she pulled her head down again.

Just before their lips met again, energy flared wildly from the center of the park.

They jerked apart. “Shit. We forgot Tara,” Buffy said with a disbelieving shake of her head. She struggled to regain her focus and concentrate on the coming battle. “Come on, Will. We need to find a spot where we can see the Meadow.”

Scrambling through the looming equipment and the heavy underbrush until they had a view of Tara, Buffy and Willow dropped to the ground to wait.

***

Faith crouched in a small stand of trees and watched Tara raise her hands to the starlit sky. The words of the spell drifted across the space. Faith didn’t understand the words, but the power thrummed through her senses.

Casting her senses out, Faith tried to feel anything in the vicinity. She couldn’t. Cursing, Faith wiggled to the edge of her cover. She lay there, tensed and ready to spring to Tara’s defense.

Nothing happened.

Tara stopped chanting, and the power build-up stabilized.

It was still difficult for Faith to search for demon activity. She refused to give up. As she strained to scan the park, the Slayer came to her aid. A deep rumble rose up and strength flowed through her. Almost as if the Slayer were holding up a hand to shade her eyes from the sun, Faith felt Tara’s power dim in one specific area. It moved as she swept her senses around.

No demons pinged on the radar.

Echoing the Slayer’s impatient whine, Faith kept her eyes on a constant circuit around the clearing. Her muscles began to ache from the strain. As she watched, Tara lowered her arms and sagged.

Faith came alert again. Something wasn’t right. Opening herself completely to the Slayer, she looked for Adam…for anything. She found nothing.

Tara was on her hands and knees in the clearing.

Wanting to go to Tara, Faith dug her fingers into the grass and mulch under her. Where the fuck was Adam? Had they been wrong?

Something moved at the edge of the clearing.

Heart pounding, Faith’s vision changed. The clearing brightened as if she were there in full sunlight. Instead of yellow-tinted illumination, though, her ‘day’ was tinged in copper. A howl echoed in her head as the Slayer announced the start of the hunt.

It took all of Faith’s strength of will to remain in place. Adam wasn’t close enough. If she broke cover now, he’d have time to duck back into the trees and disappear. She had to wait.

Each of the hybrid’s arrogant and stiff-legged strides enraged the Slayer further.

The sight of his smile shattered the tenuous hold Faith had on her primal instincts. The howl in her head suddenly tore from her throat. She sprang from her hiding place and dashed across the clearing, one word repeating over and over in her mind: Mine!

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