Giles stepped forward and caught the wilting figure, just barely. The strange woman stepped forward with concern, but he smiled, "Willow just fainted." "I'm sorry," she said softly. 'Not your typical demon behavior,' Giles noted. He didn't know if she was actually Tara, but she didn't seem threatening. 'Would you care to follow us home?" he asked. A gentle smile, and a nod was his only reply. "Would somebody mind explaining what's going on?" Faith asked. "I was getting all set for a little slayage, and now it's all been called off," she almost pouted. Xander smiled at her wryly, "Willow seems to think that she's Tara, who got shot and killed a few years back." He saw the look on her face and shrugged eloquently. "Generally, people coming back from the dead usually involves fangs," Faith noted. She frowned, "And why didn't Willow recognize her immediately?" "Last time I saw Tara," Giles sighed, "she had brown hair, carried a few extra pounds, and dressed fairly folksy." "While this lady has black hair, she's tall, and as thin as a rake," Xander noted. A pause, "And she looks like an elf." "I'm not that skinny," the dark haired woman said with a bit of amusement, and the look on her face was very Tara-like. "If you are actually Tara," Giles spoke as gently as possible, "how is it that you've changed so much?" "Translated from Giles speak," Faith sighed, "why aren't you dead?" "A long story," Tara sighed, "and not one that I'd like to run through more than once. Let's get everyone together, first." She reached over tentatively, gently running her fingers through Willow's short brown hair. Kennedy watched the goings on with an odd look on her face. "I guess she was right," she whispered, but Faith heard her. "Who was right?" Faith asked. "Willow," Kennedy answered, "she never really believed that she was gone." She and Faith moved a bit closer together, and Faith gently took her hand in hers. Willow's eyes popped open, to be greeted by a pleasant smile. "Are you all right?" Tara asked her. She was sitting with her legs tucked under her on the floor beside the couch where Willow was laying, looking at her with a bit of concern. Willow reached out to take Tara's hand in her own, feeling that familiar spirit, despite the different outside. "How is this possible?" she asked softly. Tara smiled gently as she strangely asked them, "Do you remember when my family came to visit Sunnydale?" "They said you were a demon," Xander frowned, remembering the confrontation with Tara's father. It reminded him a little too much of his own father, honestly. Willow frowned, "But Spike was hurt by his chip when he punched you, and that proved you weren't a demon." She paused as Tara smiled at her sadly, so she prompted her, "Right?" "My father thought it was true," Tara said quietly, "and in a way he was right. My great-great- grandmother wasn't human." A deep breath, "She was an agent of a higher power." At that statement, you could have heard a pin drop. "But, that can't be," Dawn looked at her in shock. Willow looked at her blankly a moment, "How did you learn that?" "Because I met her," Tara smiled, "after I died." Another long silence after that. "Maybe," Giles said, pushing up his glasses, "you should start over from the beginning." "After I was shot," Tara squeezed Willow's hand gently, "I saw a white light, and I went into it." She smiled, "Only to be met there by her. She explained to me that I had a choice, to go to my final rest, or to be reborn as a servant of the Powers that Be." "It didn't take long to decide to be reborn," and Tara smiled at Willow. "So why did it take you so long to hook up with Willow?" Faith asked quietly. Willow had been thinking the same thing, though she wouldn't have put it so bluntly. "I needed to be trained," Tara explained, "to be prepared for my new existence and the role I would be expected to play." She frowned, "Then once I returned I had to try to track Willow down." She smiled at Willow, "You've been a bit of a globetrotter the past few years." "Sorry," Willow blushed. "What role were you being trained for?" Dawn asked. "Willow is a champion of the mystical variety," Tara squeezed her hand again, "and like all champions, she needs a guide." "Like Angel and Cordelia," Faith nodded. "And you're mine," Willow looked wonderingly at Tara, at this familiar stranger who was sitting beside her. "Yes," Tara smiled. She leaned towards Willow, and she met her halfway, their lips brushing gently, then they parted. Willow's eyes glimmered with unshed tears, "Welcome home." They kissed again, to the cheers of their friends. Faith found Tara standing out on the porch, looking wonderingly out at the cars passing by on the street. "It's nice meeting you," Tara smiled. She turned away, and softly asked her, "Where are Buffy, Anya and Spike?" Faith looked over at the taller woman in surprise, "Oh, hell. You don't know?" Then, softly, "I'm sorry, of course you don't." Quietly, she began to explain the whole story of the First, and the sacrifice that was ultimately needed to stop him. "I should have been here," Tara murmured softly. "Maybe," Kennedy had followed Faith outside, "but you would have been untrained, you said. Uncontrolled power is more dangerous than an enemy, sometimes." She smiled ruefully, "That's something Willow taught me." Giles looked out the window at them talking, then over at Willow sipping some tea. "Maybe you should go out there," he started to say. "No, I think Kennedy and Faith will be fine," Willow sighed. With a slight smile Giles said, "I was worried about Tara." They were both silent for a moment, "Are you all right with this?" "I think I will be," Willow sighed. She looked out at Tara, silently taking in how much her lover had changed, "We're both going to have some adjusting to do. I don't think that I'm the girl I was back then, either." "I'll do anything I can do to help," Giles smiled. He looked at the Slayer trainees thoughtfully before noting, "We've got practice tomorrow, ladies, so let's get to bed." There was a loud chorus of, "But do we have to?" but the young ladies and Dawn all headed off to their beds. "Good to have you back too, Willow," Xander smiled as he got up to go. "You and your lady love going to be sticking around?" Willow looked up at him in surprise before answering honestly, "I don't know." Sleeping arrangements were going to be a bit of a problem. The Summers home had sort of become Slayer central over the years, filled with Faith and the Slayer trainees, so staying over would probably involve sharing a bed with a teenager. So, off to the Magic Box they went. Giles wasn't all that surprised when she explained to him that she was the current owner, and there wasn't anyone living in the attached suite. A short car ride later, and Willow was unlocking the doors and leading Tara inside. Tara looked around her, her face clearly showing her mix of emotions over being there. Willow could sympathize with her, this place had been home to both good times and bad ones. "It looks the same," she smiled. "Pretty much," Willow admitted as they went through the shop to the suite behind it. "It's always been the only legitimate source of real magic in Sunnydale, and I couldn't bring myself to change it much," she smiled. "I'm glad," Tara held her hand gently in hers. Willow blushed, hesitating over what she was going to do. "I'll take the couch," she smiled, "and you can take the bed." Tara looked startled, "But..." Willow smiled, reaching out to gently stroke her cheek. "It's been a very long time," she said, "for both of us." She chuckled softly, "Let's take some time to get to know each other, again." Tara puffed a breath out, and Willow realized that she had been quite nervous. "Thank you," and she smiled gently. She leaned forward, and kissed Willow gently on the lips.
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