FF: Red Moon Rising, part 10 - B/W/T - R

["carrkjar" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: Red Moon Rising
Part 10

Author: Hunter Ash 

Copyright © 2001 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.

Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!

Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Disclaimers: The characters and show all belong to Joss Whedon, Chris 
Carter, Thirteen Productions, Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui, and God only 
knows who else. The storyline, however, is the sole property of the 
author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. 
Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must 
include all disclaimers and copyright notices.

F/F romance: the story assumes a loving and sexual relationship 
between people of the same gender and may even include 3 at the same 
time <G>. If this offends or is illegal for you, then please leave.  
Come back when you are older, have an open mind, moved, or changed 
your laws. 

Spoilers: Some general 5th season stuff, but nothing major.

Summary: The gang has to deal with the results of Willow's spell, 
saving Buffy from being cursed as a werewolf but having severe 
consequences for Willow. There's also a surprise guest.

X-Files crossover.

Rating: R, same sex action, werewolf stuff, major character injury, 
angst, hurt and comfort. It's Buffy, there's violence.

Author's Note: While this is not my first story, it is my first Buffy 
story. So?.kind words are hoped for?<G>. Oh, and by the way, this 
will be posted in parts. This being part ten. Feedback always 
welcome.

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+++++

Red Moon Rising
Part 10
October 31

"Oh man, that is like totally gross!" 

Anya grabbed Xander's arm as they looked down at whatever was lying 
on Buffy's doorstep.  

Giles bent down cautiously.

"I think this was once Oz," he declared. "It's the same shirt he was 
wearing the other day when he attacked Buffy in the woods."

"He's been ripped apart," Xander grimaced.

"Yes, I would say the wounds were probably caused by his pack or a 
couple of vampires. I can't tell without a thorough examination and 
I don't think my stomach is up for that," the ex-Watcher observed. 
"Joyce Mom!" Anya cried and Giles looked startled but stood up 
quickly and began banging on the door.

"Joyce! Joyce!" he shouted.

A few moments later they heard the door being unlocked and when Joyce 
opened the door Giles jumped over what was left of Oz and pushed 
Joyce back into the house.

"Rupert! What on earth is going on? Is Buffy okay?"

He quickly shut the door behind him, leaving Xander and Anya with the 
body.

"Yes, Buffy is fine," he said quickly.  

"Then what is going on? Why did you leave Anya and Xander out there?"

"Well, you see?it seems that?well, there's a body on your doorstep," 
he stammered.

"A what?"

"I think Oz's pack killed him and left him on your doorstep," Giles 
explained as he went to the telephone on an end table.

"Why would they kill Oz, wasn't he their pack leader?" Joyce 
asked. "And tell me about Buffy!"

"Buffy is going to be fine," he said. "I'll explain after the police 
get here and we deal with them."

The next two hours were spent answering endless questions by first 
uniformed police officers, then detectives and then more detectives.  
The situation eased up a little bit when Brad Santiago showed up and 
took over the questioning of the Watcher, Joyce and the couple.  

Xander and Anya sat on the sofa, the young ex-vengeance demon in 
Xander's arms while Joyce and Giles sat at the dining table with 
Detective Santiago.

"So, you were at your place last night with Mr. Harris and Ms. Smith?"

"Yes, we were planning a Halloween get together tonight and we 
watched some videos. I spent the night on their sofa," Giles lied 
easily.  

"And you heard nothing, Mrs. Summers?" another detective questioned.

"No, not at all. My bedroom is upstairs and I didn't know anything 
was wrong until Rupert told me there was a body in front of my door," 
Joyce answered, pouring another cup of tea for Giles.

"Could your daughter have heard anything?" the detective asked.

"No, she's out of town with her friends Willow and Tara," Joyce 
replied quickly.

"According to my notes all three of them are college students, 
shouldn't they be in class?" the detective asked.

"You probably also know that Oz, Daniel Oswald, was stalking Willow 
and had hurt her badly. They wanted to get out of town," Giles 
responded.  

"Where are they?" Brad Santiago asked the next logical question.

"At the beach," Joyce responded. "They won't be back until Friday."

"You have no idea who would kill Daniel Oswald and dump his body on 
your door?" the first detective asked.

"No one except ourselves," Giles admitted and the detective, Robert 
Parsons, looked surprised. "You didn't see Willow after Oz attacked 
her and you weren't there when he broke into my home and injured 
several of us."

"Willow may not regain the full use of her hand and if she does, 
it'll take a year to recover," Joyce added bitterly.  

"Well, I don't think any of you did it," Brad added. "Daniel Oswald 
was ripped apart by some kind of animal. We know he was hiding in 
the woods. What we don't know, was who found his body and put it on 
your doorstep."

"And who ripped out his eyes," Detective Parsons added.

Giles turned pale and Joyce dropped her cup. Parsons glanced over at 
the young couple on the sofa and he thought Xander Harris might get 
sick right in the living room.

"Eyes?" the young man asked softly, holding Anya close. "What did 
you say?"

"Someone intentionally ripped out his eyes," Parsons explained.

"Oh dear," Giles muttered and reached across for Joyce's hand. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++

Finally, the Coroner removed the mess that was once Oz's body and the 
detectives finished with their questions. Detective Santiago offered 
to remain behind and question Buffy, Tara and Willow on the telephone 
when they called in.

Giles and the others knew that he was merely using that as an excuse 
to hang around and find out what was really going on.

Joyce turned to Giles as soon as Detective Parsons left the 
house. "Tell me!"

"God, I'm tired," Giles complained. "We all are. Buffy, Willow and 
Tara are sleeping right now and they are all safe."  

The Watcher removed his glasses and ran a hand over his face.  

"Willow performed a spell like she had planned only she lied to all 
of us," Giles continued.  

Joyce quickly looked over and saw Xander lean forward and put his 
head in his hands as Anya placed an arm around him.

"You said they were alright," Joyce said.

"Yes, they are all alive," Giles responded. "Willow's spell wasn't 
what she described, it was a transference spell. She took the wolf 
into herself."

"Okay, I'm slow on the magick stuff," Brad admitted. "What are you 
saying?"

"Willow freed Buffy from the werewolf infection by taking it on 
herself, she's now a werewolf," Giles said wearily. "She locked us 
out and willingly took the curse."

"Oh God, Willow," Joyce said softly. "Oh, Rupert, not like this! I 
wanted Buffy cured but not like this!"

"I know, Joyce," he agreed. "Tara didn't know either and Buffy had 
no idea what was happening."

"What does this mean, Giles?" Brad asked with a frown.

"It means that from now on, Willow will turn into a werewolf three 
nights every month of every year until she dies," Giles responded 
bluntly.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++


Willow turned over and found one side of the bed empty. The redhead 
glanced to her left and found Buffy lying on her stomach and still 
asleep. She reached out and gently brushed some blonde hair from 
Buffy's face.

Looking in the other direction, she spotted Tara at the camp stove 
and Willow's now sharper senses took in the delicious smell of 
hamburgers cooking. Tara glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her 
fellow witch and lover.

Willow looked down and realized she was naked and began blushing.  
She began putting things together in her head and lost her smile as 
she reached for her backpack of clothes.

After slipping on a t-shirt, sweatshirt, and sweatpants she began 
cursing again the fact she could only use one hand again. Getting on 
a pair of thick socks with one hand was a task she hadn't mastered 
yet.  

Tara was bending down in front of Willow and helping her put on her 
socks in a quick movement and Willow glanced away, afraid to meet 
Tara's blue eyes.

"Willow," Tara said softly as she put on the next sock and reached 
for Willow's shoes.

The hacker still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Willow, wake up Buffy and let's have lunch," Tara suggested. "Then 
we have to talk."

A muffled sound greeted this suggestion from Buffy's side of the bed 
and the Slayer raised her head reluctantly a moment later.

"Smells good," she muttered. "No talking until after food, deal?"

"Agreed," Tara said with a sad smile and Willow nodded.

Lunch was unusually quiet for the three young women; normally Tara 
and Willow would have been discussing spells and magick or talking 
with Buffy about slaying. Most times it would have been even more 
mundane subjects like classes and homework. For Halloween, lunch was 
eaten in silence.

Finally, Buffy couldn't take the silence any longer.

"I could use another six hours of sleep, I think," she commented, not 
looking at either Tara or Willow.

"So could I," Tara agreed.  

Willow was silent and seemed to be concentrating on the card table in 
front of her.

"Willow, why?" Buffy finally asked.

Willow raised her green eyes to Buffy's clear blue ones and the 
Slayer reached forward to wipe away the tears that were escaping down 
Willow's cheeks.

"I love you, Buffy," Willow said softly. "I couldn't let you 
continue as a werewolf because of me."

"It wasn't because of you!" Buffy protested. "Oz was the one that 
bit me, not you."

"He was trying to bite me," Willow countered. "The world and 
Sunnydale needs a Slayer not a werewolf Slayer. No one will miss me 
being locked away three nights a month."

"I will, damnit!" Tara protested, surprising Willow and Buffy with 
the intensity in her voice. "You should have talked with us about 
it!"

"Give me a break!" Willow snapped back. "As if either of you would 
have agreed to it. Okay, be pissed off at me. I agree we shouldn't 
do things like this without talking to each other. It's done and we 
can't change it."

Willow abruptly got up and went to the cell and leaned against the 
bars.

Tara and Buffy looked at each other and Tara nodded for Buffy to go 
to the redhead.  

The Slayer felt Willow's muscle tighten when she placed her hands on 
the witch's shoulders.

"Will," Buffy said softly. "I love you and I understand."

"You do?" Willow asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Buffy answered, leaning her head on Willow's shoulder. "I did 
the same for you; I should have known you'd do the same for me. I 
just wish it wasn't either of us."

Willow turned in the Slayer's arms and began crying.

"I'm sorry, I know I betrayed our trust with you and Tara," Willow 
cried.

Buffy sighed with relief as Tara joined her in holding Willow.

"Willow, I love you," Tara said softly. "I'm upset either of you 
have to go through this but I'm not going anywhere. Let's make a 
deal, no more secrets in the future, okay?"

"Okay," Willow said softly and glanced back over her shoulder at the 
cell. "That's my home tonight, isn't it?"

Neither Buffy nor Tara had to answer her.

"Did I change last night? Is that why I had no clothes this morning?" 
the witch asked her lovers and best friends.

"What do you remember?" Buffy asked as they walked back to the card 
table and Buffy began clearing away the paper plates and putting the 
trash in a trash bag.

"I remember the spell and you howling and screaming in pain," Willow 
said thoughtfully, her green eyes becoming darker with the 
concentration. "I saw you changing and couldn't watch and 
concentrate so I turned away. I did the banishing and called it to 
me."

Tara reached out and held Willow's good hand. The blonde witch was 
seeing a side of Willow that she hadn't seen in a long time, the shy 
and skittish hacker. Willow reminded her of a deer caught in the 
headlights of car just before being run over.

"Next, there was this incredible pain, it made focusing really 
difficult. I tried to throw the curse back to Oz and called for 
justice against him. I guess I didn't do that part right because I 
don't remember anything after that."

"What the hell did you put in that wine and blood?" Buffy asked as 
she sat down on a milk crate.

"Henbane, wolfsbane, poppy seed, and some other herbs," Willow 
whispered, her head dropping.

"Goddess, Willow," Tara exclaimed. "Those are poisonous and mind 
altering."

"They sure altered my mind," Buffy agreed. "I couldn't think or see 
straight."

"I know, all the old spells I found had those basic ingredients and 
some had worse," Willow muttered. "I changed didn't I?" she repeated 
her question.

"Yes, you changed into an upright werewolf, nice reddish fur though," 
Buffy attempted to tease in order to try and ease the tension.

"The silver pentagram held you and the drugs kept you pretty much 
unconscious," Tara added.

"Good," Willow said simply.  

Willow flinched when Buffy pulled out a pistol from her waistband 
when the three of them heard the door to the outer crypt being opened.

"It's Giles," Willow said softly.

"How can you tell?" Tara asked with a frown.

"I recognize his walk," Willow answered.

"You heard him coming?" Buffy asked. "Nevermind, I remember what it 
was like."

Giles looked worse than he had the night before and both Buffy and 
Tara noticed he was still in the same clothes he had left in.

"What's up, Giles?" Buffy asked as he walked down the stairs.

The Watcher waited until he sat down on a milk crate with the women 
before even looking at them. Willow, her head dropped forward, 
wouldn't meet his eyes until he gently raised her chin.

"I love you, Willow Rosenberg, and I'm here for you," he said firmly 
and then wiped away a tear from each eye as Willow nodded, too choked 
up to speak. "We'll talk later about where you found that spell, 
young lady."

"Why do you look like hell?" Buffy demanded.

"I haven't slept yet," Giles admitted and hesitated. "I don't quite 
know how to say this. We found Oz dead this morning."

Willow spilled the coffee she was drinking and only Slayer quick 
reflexes saved Buffy from a lap full of hot caffeine. Tara quickly 
grabbed up several napkins to clean the coffee up, as Buffy and 
Willow looked stunned.

"Oz is dead?" Willow whispered.

"Yes, I recognized his clothes and his hair," Giles answered.

"You recognized?" Buffy asked. "Giles, how did he die?"

"It looks like his pack tore him to pieces," Giles whispered, 
dropping his head into his hands. "They tore out his eyes and killed 
him."

Willow grabbed at the card table as her head began to spin. The 
hacker felt her heart racing and pounding in her ears, blocking out 
sound as someone grabbed her and pulled her off the milk crate or 
caught her as she fell, Willow couldn't tell which.  

When she could focus again, Willow was on the air mattress with Buffy 
holding her and Tara placing a wet washcloth on her forehead and 
Giles was watching them with a concerned look on his scholarly face.

"Oh Goddess," Willow whispered. "The pack killed him because of his 
eyes?"

"What do you mean, Willow?" Giles questioned, squatting down.

"I don't remember, the pain was so bad last night," Willow muttered 
as the other two women held her. "I tried to throw the curse back to 
Oz and demanded justice. I remember something about his hatred, 
anger and perversion blinding him, sending his evil back to him three 
fold over."

"You called for him to be blinded?" Tara asked.

"I don't know!" Willow cried and attempted to get up from the bed but 
Buffy and Tara held her back, forcing her to face it and them. "I 
don't know!"

"Willow, you sent his evil back to him!" Tara said loudly. "It's not 
your fault! You called for justice and you got it!"

"No, I shouldn't have done that! Bad karma! Bad magick!" the witch 
whined.

"Willow!" Giles snapped, catching the witch's attention. "Oz was an 
admitted killer. He said he hunted humans for sport; he attempted to 
rape you and intentionally infect you. Oz bit Buffy to make her life 
hell and to force her to join the pack when she got in the way of his 
raping you," Giles said bluntly as Willow blushed. "What you did was 
stop a serial killer and rapist by sending his own evil back on him.  
The pack killed him because he became infirm."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked, holding firmly onto Willow.

"An alpha wolf stays the leader of the pack by maintaining his hold, 
his health and his strength. If an alpha wolf gets too old or is 
disabled, he's challenged and someone else takes alpha position.  
Sometimes the alpha wolf is killed or crippled, sometimes they're 
driven out of the pack or they become beta wolves. Oz's pack killed 
him because he was no longer strong enough to be the alpha wolf if he 
was blind," Giles explained.

"It is my fault, I blinded him," Willow muttered.

"No, his own evil, his hatred and anger blinded, him, not you," Tara 
countered.

"What happens to the pack now?" Buffy asked.

"Hopefully they'll move back to wherever they came from," Giles said 
thoughtfully. "Or they stick around and we hunt them down."

"Maybe we can sic the Initiative on them," Tara suggested.

"Excellent idea!" Giles grinned. "Speaking of the Initiative, it's 
time to go somewhere, ladies."

"Where to and shouldn't Willow stay here?"

Giles reached into his pocket and pulled out a flask. "Willow, do 
you trust me?"

"Well there was that test thing on Buffy's birthday with the Council 
but I've forgiven you since she has," Willow said slowly. "Yes, I 
trust you."

"Hold out your hand," Giles instructed and the red-haired witch did 
so without hesitation. The Watcher pulled out a pocketknife and 
opened one of the blades. 

"Hey!" Buffy protested and Tara stood up with a frown.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt her. Well, not much more than a 
paper cut, I hope," he muttered and pricked her finger. Next he 
poured some of the liquid into the palm of his hand and held it up.

"Dip the finger in the liquid, please," he instructed and the hacker 
did so and held it in the small pool of liquid. "Good, thank you."

Willow pulled her hand back with a puzzled look.

"Werewolf test," Giles announced. "The liquid contains silver 
nitrate, wolfsbane and a few other ingredients. If Willow was close 
to turning, she couldn't have held her finger in the liquid," he 
explained as he wiped his hand on a napkin. "It usually takes a 
month for the change to take affect, for the DNA and RNA to alter 
enough for the physical change. I'm betting that she doesn't change 
for another month."

"Well that would be nice except she changed last night," Buffy 
reminded him.

"I think we saw a magickal change, like when there were two of 
Xander," Giles explained.

"So I don't have to worry about the moon tonight?" Willow asked, 
still appearing puzzled.

"I don't think so," Giles nodded. "Just in case I'll have the 
tranquilizer gun with me and the first sign of a change we'll knock 
you out."

"Why risk it at all?" Tara demanded. "She can stay here tonight and 
everyone would be safe."

"I think we need to take care of something tonight and I need all 
three of you there," Giles said firmly.

"What is going on, Giles?" Willow demanded.

"We're going to pick Riley up from jail where Brad has been holding 
him. We'll spend some time with young Mr. Finn and drop him off at 
his dorm this evening," Giles smirked.

"Riley? You want us to spend time with Riley?" Buffy snapped. "He 
wants to lock me in a cage!"

"Exactly," Giles nodded.

"I get it," Tara smiled. "By having us there when the moon comes up 
you'll be able to show him that none of us are his werewolf and he'll 
be forced to leave us alone."

"But Willow is?she will?" Buffy stammered.

"Not for another month," Giles pointed out. "Riley thinks either 
Willow or you were bitten last month and are now a werewolf. By both 
of you being there tonight, it'll throw him and the Initiative off."

"You are very devious, you know that?" Willow smirked. "It's still 
too dangerous to let me out tonight."

"I think we should chance it, Will," Buffy said after a moment. "If 
the Initiative thinks either of us are a `hostile' they won't rest 
until we're in a cage. Hell, they'd probably stick both of us in a 
cage just to be safe."

"I agree, Buffy and I will be there and we won't let you hurt anyone 
and won't let anyone hurt you," Tara said firmly and leaned over to 
kiss the red-haired witch.

"Oh Goddess, promise me you'll knock me out first sign I'm about to 
get furry," Willow insisted and Giles nodded solemnly. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++


Joyce forced Xander and Anya to take Willow's bed and get some sleep 
after Giles left. Out of the entire group, Joyce was the only one 
who had gotten more than four hours of sleep and the worried mother 
knew that everyone needed to be alert and thinking clearly.  

With Oz dead, Giles was hoping the pack would lose interest in Willow 
and Buffy. It would depend on the new alpha male but the Watcher 
didn't think the pack would take the chance on trying to force Buffy 
to join them, werewolf or not. Since she hadn't been bitten by the 
new alpha wolf, he would have no control over her and she'd have to 
join the pack willingly. Buffy had already shown she wasn't going to 
do that.

Even if they found out that Willow was now the one cursed with 
lycanthropy, Giles didn't think they'd try and force the hacker with 
her friends guarding and watching over her.  

That only left the Initiative as a main threat to her daughter and 
new daughters-in-law, Joyce reflected. Giles said he had a plan to 
get the government off track as well and Joyce prayed that whatever 
it was that it would work. She didn't think any of them could take 
much more.

Joyce glanced over her shoulder as she sat at her desk in the study.  
She wasn't sure if she had heard a noise or not but the sound of the 
back door shutting confirmed someone was moving in the house. The 
mother of Sunnydale's Slayer got up and cautiously opened the back 
door and found Xander standing on the back porch, leaning on the 
railing.

He heard Joyce step out of the house and quickly wiped at his eyes.

"Xander?" Joyce asked softly as she walked up behind him.

"Hi," he said quietly.  

She leaned on the rail next to him. "You need some sleep," she 
commented.

"I know, it's just so hard," he said softly. "I keep seeing Willow 
as that werewolf, kicking and moaning inside that crypt. It hurts. I 
didn't know how I was going to deal with Buffy being a werewolf; with 
Willow it's worse. I've known Willow since we were five years old."

"I know, it won't be easy on any of us, especially Willow," Joyce 
agreed, placing an arm over his shoulders. "Try and sleep, the girls 
are going to need you tonight."

"Yeah, another Halloween in Sunnydale," he muttered. "You going to 
be okay tonight?"

"Yes, I'm going to turn out all the lights, curl up with a mindless 
book and pretend my daughter isn't out there risking her life and my 
adopted daughter isn't turning into a werewolf while Tara stands by, 
helpless."

Xander looked pained at her description.

"I'm sorry, Xander," Joyce sighed heavily. "I didn't mean to take it 
out on you. It's not easy for me either. I love Willow and Tara, 
and Buffy is my life."

"I know, ours too," he nodded and gave Joyce Mom a quick hug and went 
back inside to try and sleep.

Joyce couldn't help but look at the sky, gauging the passage of time 
and how much longer it was until a full moon on a Halloween night.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++

Buffy resisted saying something sarcastic when Giles walked out of 
the police station with Riley next to him. The Slayer did hear a 
growl from Willow and reached out and took the witch's hand and Buffy 
saw Tara place a hand on Willow's other shoulder.

Riley Finn didn't look any more pleased to see Buffy and the witches 
either and Giles looked very stern and serious as they walked down 
the steps.

"Alright, Riley has agreed to spend some time with us until after the 
moon has risen and then everyone can go their separate ways," Giles 
announced when they reached his car.

"I don't suppose any of you would be willing to come into the Center 
for testing to prove none of you were bitten?" Riley asked with a 
smirk.

"You aren't getting me near those cages or needles," Willow 
frowned. "Needles aren't good, no way. Especially scientist types 
with needles, un huh, saw too many horror movies."

"For a scientific geek that isn't very realistic," Riley commented.

The redhead shrugged and turned to get inside the car as Buffy opened 
the door.

Tara followed Willow into the car and Buffy walked around to the 
other side with Riley.

"You touch either of them and I'll make the next injury to your 
manhood permanent, got it?" Buffy growled and got into the car before 
the commando could reply, but she did catch the frightened look 
crossing his eyes 

With a scowl, Riley got into the car reluctantly. Once Giles was 
pulling out of the parking lot he turned to look at the women in the 
back seat.

"Why the hassles to keep me and the Initiative busy last night if any 
of you aren't infected?"

"Because you're a jerk and using the Initiative to get back at 
Buffy?" Willow snapped.

"That's not true!" Riley protested. "If Buffy is a werewolf, you 
know damned well she's dangerous. That's our job, to take care of 
that danger. Unless you're willing to shoot her with a silver 
bullet."

Willow turned bright red and Buffy quickly grabbed the witch's arm 
and Tara wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulder.

"A little touchy, aren't you?" Riley demanded.

"It's her ex-boyfriend that was out there trying to infect her," Tara 
snapped.

"That's right," Riley sneered. "The werewolf you tried to help by 
locking him up and then letting him run off as he pleased. Looks 
like you did a bang up job of helping him."

The commando, despite his training, never saw Buffy's fist. Riley 
shook his head and held his cut lip as Tara and Willow tried to calm 
an irate Slayer down.

"I'd advise we continue this short ride in silence, please," Giles 
snapped. "I am very tired from Slaying with Buffy last night and 
didn't get my nap this morning. I certainly don't intend to let this 
pettiness get us into a wreck! Now quiet!"

"Where we headed to, Giles?" Tara asked.

"Expresso Pump, thought we could all use the caffeine at this point," 
the Watcher replied. "All of you are going to be busy tonight."

"Turning furry?" Riley muttered.

"No, relaxing for once," Buffy smiled. "We plan to smile at all the 
little kiddies, watch horror movies until we want to kill Xander, 
stay up all night and sleep late tomorrow. Don't you know the rule?"  

"What rule?" Riley demanded.

"Oh, every evil thing agrees to take Halloween off and let the 
mundanes play," Willow grinned.

"You're kidding, right?" Riley demanded.

"Well, we do have weird happenings on Halloween but the evil 
generally takes the night off," Buffy explained.

"How the hell...."

"Shut up!" Giles snapped.

It was a very tense group that sat down with their various coffees 
around a large table in the local coffee hangout near the campus.  

"I had a report that they found Oz's body on your doorstep this 
morning," Riley began the conversation, watching their reactions 
closely.

Willow's hands began to shake and Tara leaned into the witch's arm, 
giving Willow contact and reassurance as the red-haired witch's head 
dropped.

"Tactful, aren't you?" Buffy snapped.  

"Why should she care?" Riley demanded. "He was trying to infect her."

"I cared for Oz once, I even loved him," Willow's head snapped up, 
her green eyes blazing angrily. "I don't know what happened to him 
but I never wanted him dead, well not really."

"Why don't you and the rest of your GI Joe friends go track down the 
rest of his pack?" Buffy complained.

"We will," Riley said firmly.

"How long until moonrise?" Willow questioned impatiently.

"Sunset in ten minutes, the moon about a half hour after that," Tara 
answered and blushed as Riley looked at her closely. "I'm a witch; 
we keep track of the planetary shifts for magickal workings."

"So which of you is with whom?" Riley demanded.

"Off limits, Riley!" Buffy snapped.

"God, this is going to be a long hour," Giles complained in a mutter.

"Listen, this is insane," Buffy complained. "We're going to go sit 
over at another table, Riley and you can watch us from here." 

Giles frowned but didn't dare protest that he might not be able to 
get a good shot if Willow started changing without letting Riley know 
something was wrong. He merely nodded as the girls got up and moved 
to another table.

"Well, what shall we discuss, Mr. Finn?" Giles asked wearily.

"Ways to kill a werewolf?" Riley quipped and Giles gripped his coffee 
cup tightly, resisting the urge to backhand the young soldier.

"We could talk about how ridiculous you looked lying on the ground 
clutching your balls," Giles suggested softly and watched Riley blush 
with anger. "I suggest that we not try and push each others' 
buttons; we're both armed and tired and you're threatening my kids."

"What happened, Giles?" Riley asked, his anger apparently 
leaving. "I thought Buffy and I had a good thing."

"She woke up and realized she's been in love with Willow for years," 
Giles shrugged. "I'm not one to discuss Buffy's relationships with, 
Riley."

"It hurts," Riley admitted.

"So you resorted to trying to hurt her verbally?" Giles demanded.

"Stupid, I know," Riley nodded. "I never said I was a genius when it 
came to romance. I just can't accept her leaving me for a woman, 
it's not normal."

"What is normal, Riley?" Giles countered. "It was considered normal 
until religion got in the way. Buffy is the Slayer and I think she 
should grab happiness wherever she can find it. You can leave your 
job, Riley. You can pack up, go home and live a normal life. You 
could leave the service and continue school and never pick up a 
crossbow again. Buffy can't do that; I don't think that's something 
you've ever really truly understood."

"Maybe not," Riley agreed. "This is my job. I like it and want to 
continue but I don't think I'll be slaying and capturing forever. I 
figure I'll move up into an officer position or into research."

"Buffy does figure that she'll be doing this forever, I've never 
heard of a Slayer retiring of old age," Giles informed the young 
soldier. "She was chosen for this when she was barely 15."

"She's talked about it before. You're telling me she's doomed to do 
this until she dies?"

"Basically," Giles admitted. "I'm hoping she lives long enough to 
have a life past slaying. There was one Slayer who was crippled bad 
enough that she had to stop slaying. Another slayer came forward to 
take her place."

"Crippled?" Riley frowned, watching Buffy, Willow and Tara interact 
at another table.

"Yes, her name was Sarah and her back was broken, she never walked 
again," Giles said bluntly.

"It's a little late to figure all of this out now, don't you think?" 
Riley asked bitterly.

"Maybe for a romance relationship with Buffy but how many people do 
you think truly understand what she's going through?" Giles 
asked. "You've slain demons, vampires and other things that even the 
rest of the gang haven't. You could be a friend."

"That's asking a lot," Riley frowned as he looked at his watch and 
began paying closer attention to the three college students.

Giles frowned as his cell began beeping in his pocket. Riley noticed 
all three women glancing over, their conversation halted.  

"Hello?" Giles answered. "Yes...I understand...thank you."  

The Watcher turned to the solider. "Did you call in the FBI to help 
track down Buffy, Willow and Tara?"

"No, why?" Riley answered and Giles stared at him for a moment, 
gauging the commando's honesty.

"Seems there's an FBI agent asking about Willow around town," Giles 
frowned.

Giles shook his head at his 'kids' and they returned to talking.

Willow adjusted her sling nervously, glancing at Tara's watch. Buffy 
leaned over the table and grabbed the witch's hand.

"Its okay, Will," she said gently. "If you were going to change 
you'd know it by now wouldn't you?"

"Yeah," Willow said softly. "Oz always knew when the moon was 
rising."

"Then you've got another month," Tara tried to smile.  

"I suggest we stay here for a bit and let Riley soak in the fact none 
of us here have grown fur and fangs and then you two go to the Bronze 
and have a good time while I go out slaying," Buffy suggested.

"We can't leave you to slaying by yourself on Halloween!" Willow 
protested.

"Yes you can, I'm going to swing by and grab Xander and Anya to go 
out with me, just in case something forgets the rule," Buffy 
insisted. "Go out and enjoy the night, I know you'll want to do a 
ritual sometime around midnight. Mom should be asleep and you can do 
it in the backyard."

Tara smiled as Willow looked over at her.

"It is the last full moon I'll enjoy without howling at it," Willow 
said slowly and leaned her head onto Tara's shoulder. "Guys, I love 
you both, you know. I'm sorry about all of this."

"Nothing to be sorry for, Willow," Tara insisted. "It's Oz' fault 
and he's paid for it."

"Don't get into trouble on the way home either!" Buffy smiled at her 
best friends and lovers.

"Okay, we'll take a cab home," Willow decided. "This is one night we 
don't want to run into anything mean and nasty. We might stake some 
poor high school schmuck instead of a vampire."

"Yeah, I am kinda surprised that nothing freaky has come out this 
year with major plans to destroy the world tonight," Buffy mentioned.

"Shhhh!" Tara urged. "Don't give anything ideas!"

The three managed to laugh and Willow leaned up and kissed Tara 
gently for a moment.

"What the hell is going on?" Riley demanded as he watched the three 
women. "I thought Buffy was with Willow."

"You'll have to clear all of that up with them," Giles 
suggested. "Have you been with them long enough? The moon has been 
up for fifteen minutes now."

"Yeah, I guess," Riley said reluctantly. "I'll report that it was a 
false alarm."

"Good, I'd advise staying away from Buffy and the others for a few 
days," Giles said as Riley stood up. "Everyone has been under a lot 
of strain and we're all very tired."

"Yeah, I still owe you for that stunt of putting me in jail, Giles," 
Riley said seriously. "That wasn't a vacation resort either."

"We couldn't worry about you and Oz at the same time. Buffy needed 
to be with Willow until Oz was caught and having you stalking them 
wouldn't have helped."

"I still owe you," Riley growled and nodded slightly at the three 
women and walked out of the coffee shop.

The three were instantly over at Giles' table as he leaned his face 
heavily on his hand.

"Why don't we all go over to Buffy's place and put Giles on the 
sofa?" Tara suggested. "Then Buffy can go out slaying and we'll go 
out for a bit."

"Sounds good," Giles muttered.

"Why not put him in my mom's bed, already?" Buffy grinned and Giles 
fell off his hand in surprise. "My mom didn't come home the other 
night and you two have been making out whenever no one else is in the 
kitchen. I vaguely remember you saying something about me being your 
stepdaughter when I was hurt?"

Giles began to blush and stammer as Buffy laughed and pulled him to 
his feet.

"Did you really Mom to marry you?" Buffy asked as they walked him 
towards the door.

"Well, actually, yes," he confirmed. "She agreed after things settle 
down."

"Well that might be forever!" Willow complained as they opened the 
door.

"Can I bring something up, guys?" Tara asked as they headed for the 
car.

"Sure, like what? The guy that was in the coffee shop watching us 
and is now following us?" Buffy asked lightly.

Giles, startled, started to turn but Buffy grabbed his arm. "Come 
on, Dad," she teased. "Don't scare him off. He looks like a cop and 
not a vampire."

"Cop, maybe an FBI agent?" Giles asked.

Willow stopped suddenly, "FBI?"

"Yes, that telephone call I got earlier was Brad telling me that 
there's an FBI agent going around town asking questions about Willow, 
actually," Giles answered.

Tara and Buffy were looking at Willow's shocked face with concern.

"What's up, Will?" Buffy demanded. "Your hacking caught up with you?"

"No, the FBI would just pick her up without questions," Tara 
frowned. "Willow, you know something."

Willow turned and glanced back down the street and the others 
followed her gaze.  

Standing next to a nondescript rental car was a tall, good-looking 
man in a suit. Everything about him screamed police even as he 
casually leaned on the hood of the car with his arms crossed, 
watching them and making no secret about it.

Willow's eyebrows furrowed in question as she took in his sharp 
features and clear brown eyes.

"Listen, I will explain everything in a minute," Willow turned to her 
friends and girlfriends. "I think I need to talk with Agent Mulder."

"That's the name someone used when they called for you night before 
last," Giles frowned.

"I didn't know his name until that night, he's my email buddy," 
Willow said softly.

"Willow, I don't like this, it could be a trick," Buffy growled.

"I don't think so," Giles said slowly. "I called the number he left 
and I was connected with FBI headquarters and they do have a Fox 
Mulder."

"Fox? Like in Grayfox?" Tara asked, recognizing the name Willow 
sometimes mentioned.

"Yes," Willow nodded. 

"What are you going to tell him and what have you told him?" Buffy 
asked.

"I don't know," Willow admitted. "I haven't told him anything about 
you or what happens here. We exchange information, not stories. Let 
me talk to him and see where it goes."

"Five minutes and then I rescue you," Buffy growled.

Willow grinned and leaned down to kiss Buffy quickly and squeezed 
Tara's hand, then she turned and walked slowly towards the stranger.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++


"Willow," Fox Mulder said easily.

"Grayfox, or is it Agent Fox Mulder?" Willow nodded slightly as she 
stood in front of him.

"Call me Mulder, only my mom calls me Fox," he grinned and Willow 
relaxed slightly.

"Fox?" she grinned.

"They never would explain to me why they hell they named me Fox," he 
shrugged.  

"You've been asking about me and tracked me down to California," she 
pointed out as she sat down on the hood of the car next to him.

"Yup, I was worried about you and your friends," Mulder 
replied. "That spell was major magick working."

"Yes, and dangerous," Willow agreed.

"Did it work?" he asked softly, not looking directly at Willow but 
watching her friends watch him.

Willow hesitated. Everything inside her screamed to lie to him and 
get rid of him, especially since he was a Federal agent but he had 
been a good contact and she believed him when he said he had been 
worried.

"You're not chasing werewolves to do testing on them and stuff like 
that, are you?" she asked.

"No, I would give anything to prove some of the more obscure truths 
out there, but I don't hurt friends either," Mulder replied. "I've 
seen a lot of things, Willow, and still don't have the absolute proof 
I need to prove any of it."

"The spell worked," Willow said softly.

"On you, of course," Mulder nodded to himself, confirming his 
assessment of his internet friend. "You took it for someone else.  
One of your girlfriends over there?"

"Yes."

Mulder felt his jaw muscles tightening and twitching. He had come to 
like the young hacker over the last year of communicating. He 
especially admired her stubbornness the one time he had pushed her 
for information about herself and her town. It had frustrated him 
because Mulder could sense there was more going on than just casual 
research with Willow's questions but he had to admit he could 
understand her reluctance.

Special Agent Fox Mulder of the Federal Bureau of Investigations had 
been doing some research on his own, ever since he had broken his 
word and tracked down Willow's identity. He discovered there was a 
lot about Sunnydale that needed investigating and he had a feeling 
Willow was right in the center of it.

After two days of investigating the college student and Sunnydale in 
general and Mulder had learned a lot about Willow Rosenberg and her 
friends, especially one Elizabeth Anne Summers, also known as Buffy.

"Can we talk about it or you going to stonewall me?" he asked.

"You're not going to go away, are you?" she asked ruefully.

"I'm kinda like a fox terrier on a scent," he grinned.

"Goddess," Willow said wearily. <Things were quickly becoming 
extremely complicated over the last month,> she complained to herself.

Willow was about to add an FBI agent to the mix.

"Follow us back to Buffy's place," Willow instructed as she got off 
the car. "It is nice to meet you, Mulder."

"Back at you," he smiled.

Willow climbed into the car before answering any questions. She was 
relieved when Tara offered to drive and Giles slumped against the 
passenger door.

"You what? You invited him in?" Buffy demanded.

"He's one of us, Buffy," Willow countered. "He's a believer and not 
like the Initiative jerks."

"Okay, okay, I trust you and your instincts on this one," Buffy 
grumbled and pulled Willow into her arms in the back seat. "I'll let 
you guys explain things to him while I go out slaying tonight."

"I love you," Willow whispered and leaned up in Buffy's arms to kiss 
the Slayer.

After a moment the kiss became passionate and Buffy whimpered and 
pulled Willow closer to her. Willow growled lightly and moved her 
lips to the neck of the Slayer and bit down causing Buffy's body to 
jerk and Buffy to moan again.  

"Enough back there before we get pulled over!" Tara grinned in the 
rearview mirror. "Or you cause me to have an accident."

Willow grinned and leaned forward over the seat and ran her fingers 
through Tara's hair. She tickled the witch's neck with her fingers, 
sending delightful shivers up Tara's spine.

"Jealous?" Willow teased softly.

"No, envious," Tara clarified. "Wishing I was in the middle of that."

"That's something we haven't discussed," Buffy mentioned, her own 
hand on Willow's back, moving under the cloth of the sweatshirt and t-
shirt until she touched skin. 

"A large bed or revolving door, as someone put it?" Tara grinned.

"Exactly," Willow agreed as she replaced her fingers with her lips 
and kissed Tara's neck from behind.

"Oh Goddess, stop that!" Tara squeaked. "I'm driving!"

"We'll discuss it later tonight after Buffy gets through with 
slaying," Willow told both of them and settled back down in Buffy's 
arms. "I always feel so safe in these arms," she mumbled.

"I just wish I could have protected us both from that damned bite," 
Buffy muttered.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++