FF: Wanted, a Werewolf 6/8 - B/W/T - PG13

["Hunter Ash" <carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wanted: A Werewolf and a Superman
Red Moon Rising, Book III
Part 6

Author: Frau Hunter Ash 
Copyright © 2002 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: carrkjar@xxxxxxxxx Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Disclaimers: The characters and show of Buffy and Angel all belong to 
Joss Whedon, 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: Up to New Moon Rising. 

Summary: The gang have found Willow in LA and both groups head back 
to Sunnydale to take on the threat of Adam.  

Rating: PG-13

Author's Note: Pairings: B/W/T, X/An, G/J 


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

"Come on, Baby," a voice cooed in Willow's ear. "Let's go home." 

Willow mumbled and curled around the arms holding her, welcoming the 
warmth and the love radiating from them. Someone was brushing the 
hair from her face and the touch was gentle and loving.

That wasn't Carson, Willow decided and opened her eyes slowly, almost 
afraid that she was dreaming or hallucinating.

Scared blue eyes greeted her as Buffy smiled tentatively and Willow 
knew immediately the arms holding her were Tara's.

Willow broke down into tears and pulled Buffy to her as Tara 
tightened her hold on the witch.

"Shhh," Tara whispered, "Its okay, Willow."

"We're going home, Will," Buffy added.  

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Willow whimpered.

"Shhh, no more tears," Buffy said. "Let's get you dressed and in the 
car, we can sleep on the way home."

"Clothes?" Willow muttered. "Oh Goddess! The moon! I changed! Angel!"

The hacker sat up suddenly, looking around at the strange 
surroundings.

Buffy and Tara both sat up and wrapped their arms around Willow.  

"I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Willow demanded and began frowning 
when she saw Carson asleep on the sofa.

"No, Angel knew what to do," Buffy explained. "What happened, how 
did you get hurt?"

"I was attacked by two vampires at the office where I work," Willow 
said as Buffy handed her one of Angel's t-shirts and black 
jeans. "They hit me on the head but I managed to take them out with 
a stake."

Willow frowned at the long legs of the pants and bent over to roll 
them up.

"I don't know what happened after that. I guess I passed out. When 
I woke up it was almost dark and I could feel the change coming. I 
knew Angel's was closer than my place. I guess I made it," Willow 
explained, rubbing her head.

"Yeah, you did," Tara agreed and frowned. She reached over from 
behind Willow and held up Willow's left arm, her face questioning.  
Buffy also frowned.

"Will? Your hand?" Buffy asked and Willow began blushing again.

"I healed it last month," Willow said softly.

"Healed it? How?" Tara asked.

"With magick, how else?" Willow asked impatiently.

"Willow?" Tara asked softly.

"Let's get her home," Buffy suggested as Willow wrapped her arms 
around her knees.

In an hour, they had Willow bundled in the back seat of the Summers' 
car and Angel had made plans to follow to Sunnydale with Carson and 
Willow's things that evening.  

Tara sat in the back with Willow's head on her shoulder as the 
redhead lightly napped, her fingers entwined with Tara's.

Buffy, sitting next to her Mom in the front seat leaned over the back 
of the seat and gently stroked Willow's hair from her face as Tara 
smiled.

"We've got her back again," Tara said softly.

"Yeah, let's hope for good this time. I don't think I can take many 
more of these damned separations and rescues," Buffy admitted.

"She still won't let her shields down," Tara whispered.

"I know," Buffy said softly.

"It may take longer than Agent Scully and Mulder thought," Tara 
commented as Willow twitched in her sleep.

"For all of us," Buffy commented.

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

Xander wrapped Willow in a tight hug the moment she stepped out of 
the car and Anya looked on from the front door with a smile.

"Don't ever do that again, Willow!" Xander growled in her ear.  

"I'm sorry, Xan," she whispered and hugged him back. The redhead 
smiled a small smile at Anya and followed the former vengeance demon 
inside where Giles waited.

Buffy and the others held back outside for a few moments, with Tara 
glancing in the door and watching Willow kneeling in front of Giles' 
wheelchair as the Watcher and friend comforted each other.

"Willow," Giles said softly.  

"I'm sorry, Giles," Willow said softly. "I couldn't take knowing I 
killed someone.'

"I know the evidence is that the werewolf you became may have killed 
one of those teenagers but I'm still puzzled about the deaths," Giles 
commented. "There's something I'd like to try, if you'll trust me."

"Giles, I know the only way to get through this is with my friends," 
Willow nodded. "Oz went off alone and found he couldn't do it 
without friends. He just picked the wrong friends."

"Yes," Giles agreed. "I'm glad you're back."

The rest of the gang entered the living room and Willow settled into 
an easy chair. Both Giles and Joyce glanced at each other, catching 
the puzzled and slightly hurt looks Buffy and Tara had when they sat 
down on the sofa.

"Okay, Will," Xander said. "What up? Why did you run away like that?"

"I?I woke up in the sewers?" Willow began. Joyce got up from beside 
Giles' wheelchair and headed to the kitchen to make tea and 
coffee. "I was like not clothed and bloody."

Willow's voice dropped along with her head as she remembered the full 
moon the previous month before.  

"If you say anything, Xander, I'll have to hurt you," Buffy 
threatened, knowing Xander's typical mind and fantasies of Willow 
being naked.

"I'm not saying a word, nope, not a word," Xander promised with a 
smirk.

"Carson found me and was about to snack on me," Willow continued.

"Carson?" Giles questioned.

"A local vampire," Tara threw in.

"He was a nice guy, been around long enough that some of the monster 
wore off, as he put it. He took me to his crypt and got me some food 
and clothes," Willow explained.

"Why didn't you let us find you?" Buffy asked, keeping her voice calm.

"I?I was scared," Willow admitted. "I?the blood and then a vampire.  
I?I didn't know what had h-happened. I?I was so afraid I had hurt 
Tara."

Buffy and Tara were up and then kneeling beside Willow, both holding 
her.

"Then you called but I saw the bodies in your thoughts, Buffy," 
Willow said softly. "I?I was so confused and just wanted to sleep."

"I know that one," Xander smiled, trying to lighten things up.

"We looked for you, how did we miss you at the crypt?" Tara asked.  

"You didn't, sorta," Willow gave them both a shy half smile. "I was 
there and so was Carson."

"Will, you weren't there," Buffy protested.

"We were, I did a spell and we were invisible," Willow smiled at the 
surprised looks on everyone's face. "I?I heard you mention the 
Initiative?I panicked and we..me and Carson?we left town."

"Willow, when did you heal your hand?"

"That morning," Willow admitted. "Something snapped inside, not a 
scary snap but a kinda weird feeling. When I?I figured out I was 
covered in blood, something clicked and I just did it."

"And the invisible thing?" Xander asked.

"I remembered that horror movie Sleepwalkers and how the cat people 
could go `dim,' and tried it on us," Willow explained.

"What else have you been able to do?" Tara asked softly.

"A lot of things except cure myself," Willow snapped and surprised 
everyone by dashing up the stairs.

"Whoa!" Xander muttered. "Looks like the heart is healed, too."

"Agent Scully warned things would be a little unstable," Joyce 
commented as she brought in a tray of coffee and tea for everyone.

"Yeah, should we go up to her?" Tara muttered.

"No, give her a little time," Buffy suggested.

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

Willow came back downstairs after an hour, her eyes red and swollen 
but she attempted a smile for everyone.  

"What's the plans for tonight?" she asked, sitting down on the sofa 
between Buffy and Tara.

"I'm taking a night off from slaying, Tara and I are going to watch 
over you," Buffy explained. "We fixed the cell door."

"What happened that night?" Willow asked.

"We got hit with an earthquake," Buffy explained. "The cell door 
fell on Tara and you escaped."

"I?the werewolf didn't hurt you?" Willow whispered, holding Tara's 
hand.

"No, I sent loving emotions through our connection and the wolf just 
sniffed me and ran out," Tara explained.  

"Then why did I?why did the?wolf?later?"

"I'm not sure but I'd like to try something," Giles said.

"You mentioned that," Willow said, her face puzzled. "What?"

"I want to try and hypnotize you and see if we can find out what 
happened that night," Giles suggested.

"Why?" Willow asked, her voice bitter. "We know I killed someone, 
you want me to raise those memories? You want me to remember that?"

"Willow," Giles said softly.  

"What?" Willow snapped. "I don't want to remember that!"

Buffy wrapped an arm around Willow's shoulder and glared at Giles.

"I know," Giles said softly. "I understand that but there's 
something that's been bothering me about the killings."

"What? That I killed two people?" Willow whispered, trying not to 
break into tears.

"That's just it, you didn't," Giles explained. "The girl was killed 
by something or someone else."

"And the male?"

"Well," Giles hesitated.

"Right," Willow muttered.

"Willow, please, trust me?" Giles asked.

"Okay," Willow said wearily.

"I'd like Buffy and Tara in on this as well," Giles said. "I have an 
idea and we have about four hours before sunset."

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

"So, the Slayer returns with the runaway witch," Adam commented as 
the demon scurried back down the sewer tunnel.

Riley glanced over at the tall cyborg hybrid.  

"Who, Willow?" he asked, still struggling against the control Adam 
had over him.

"Yes, my spies tell me that they have returned today with the red-
haired witch with them," Adam explained. "This could be trouble."

"Why?" Riley asked. "Last time I saw her, Willow was a basket case."

"Her presence can only make the Slayer stronger. I miscalculated the 
injuries to the Watcher," Adam admitted.

"What will you do now?"

"Move on with my original plan," Adam said firmly. "The Slayer and 
her group will be dealt with when we take over the town."

"When is that?" Riley asked.

"A week, then Sunnydale will be ours and we'll start creating more," 
Adam said.

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

Willow's head dropped forward and Joyce watched closely as Tara and 
Buffy closed their eyes at the same time.

"Tara, can you connect with her?" Giles asked softly.

The blonde witch nodded and Buffy could feel Tara reaching out, 
drawing her in and she dropped her own shield and followed Tara's 
lead to Willow.

The steel walls the red-haired witch had set up melted away and she 
let them in.

"Buffy, can you see?" Giles asked.

Buffy nodded.

"Willow, go back to that night, go back," Giles said softly. "Watch 
through the wolf's eyes. Can you see, Buffy?"

"Yes," Buffy answered slowly. "The earth is moving, it is strange. 
The door! It's down?the human is hurt. She's human and afraid. I 
growl and show my fangs but she doesn't run. Something is special 
about her."

Joyce watched Giles taking quick notes as the three girls held hands 
at her table.

"Why doesn't the wolf attack her?"

"This human is mine," Buffy answers for the wolf.  

"Move forward, Willow-wolf," Giles instructs. "You're in the woods 
and you see or hear someone."

"Wolf, I smell a wolf," Buffy answers for the wolf through her 
connection with Tara and Willow. "I see them?the girl is screaming 
and the wolf is holding her up high?he's barking?laughter?he's 
enjoying her terror. Not right?bad?gotta stop him."

"Oh God," Giles muttered.

"I growl and he hears me?I growl again?warning him," Buffy/wolf 
continues. "He turns?No!" 

Both Giles and Joyce jumped at Buffy's scream.

"What is happening?" Giles demands.

"He's ripped her throat out!" Buffy whimpered. "I'm attacking him? 
claws? hurts. I look up and he's gone back to the girl?he's mauling 
her?No! I gotta stop him?he doesn't belong."

"What do you mean?" Giles asked softly.

"He's not right?he doesn't belong to the earth?he doesn't belong to 
the forest," Buffy/wolf answered. "I?have to stop him. I attack him 
again?with strength. So much fur, so much anger?the blood?so much."

"Willow, move forward," Giles instructed. "You're leaving the 
forest." 

"Noises?hurt?like screams?dark, like a cave?I climb down?something's 
coming?it hurts!"

Joyce gripped Giles' hand tightly as Buffy screamed and her eyes 
snapped open.

Tara blinked and Willow whimpered.

"Willow, when I reach the number zero, I want you to wake up and 
remember what you saw," Giles instructed. "Three, two, one, zero."

Willow raised her head and blinked. Then the memories hit and her 
eyes widened.

"I attacked a werewolf!" she cried.

"She was trying to protect the girl!" Buffy exclaimed and grabbed 
Willow up in a hug of delight.

"Yes, so it seems," Giles said, smiling at the girls and his 
fiancé. "This is most unusual."

"Maybe it's not so unusual," Tara suggested. "Maybe that's why we 
don't know about many werewolves, they stay away from humans and 
protect the forest."

"That would make sense," Joyce commented.

"It would also make sense as to why vampires and werewolves hate each 
other on a primal level," Giles pondered. "A vampire is a dead 
creature that has been animated, whereas a werewolf might be 
connected with nature. Perhaps as part of a different branch of the 
evolutionary process."

"Then how do you explain Willow taking the lycanthropy by using 
magick, taking it as a curse?" Tara asked.

"I don't know, there's so much to explore with this and I'm afraid we 
don't have time right now," Giles said as he looked at his watch.  

"Well, we know the werewolf won't hurt us," Tara protested.

"No, we don't know that," Giles said. "We don't know what would set 
the wolf off. The wolf knew you were special but was confused and 
unsure how to react to you. What if Xander came bounding in without 
knocking, would the wolf consider that an attack?"

"Or what if Spike or Carson dropped in," Buffy pointed out.  

"I'd feel much better being locked up," Willow said softly, looking 
into Tara's blue eyes. "I know I'd never hurt you or Buffy but I 
might hurt a stranger. It's okay."

"Let's get going, gang," Buffy suggested. 

"Right, another night of the full moon," Willow muttered and turned 
in Buffy's arms to Giles. "Thank you, Giles, this helps a lot."

"Well, we know you didn't kill someone innocent, not even as a 
werewolf," Giles pointed out.

"I still tasted blood, human blood," Willow countered.  

"Well, let's discuss that later, shall we?" he suggested.

Willow frowned at the sight of the man she thought of as a father in 
a wheelchair.

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

Anya answered the door and looked at Angel cautiously.  

"May we come in?" the vampire asked.

Anya turned and glanced at Giles as Joyce wheeled him to the door.  
The former Watcher and vampire looked at each other for a moment and 
he nodded at Joyce.

"Willow and Buffy vouch for you, Mr. Carson," Joyce commented. "You 
are invited and welcome in our home."

"That means a lot to me, Mrs. Summers," Carson, standing beside 
Angel, said respectfully. "Willow is an amazing young woman."

Anya stepped aside to let Angel, Carson, Cordelia and Wesley enter.

"Is Willow okay?" Carson asked immediately.

"She's a little scattered but okay," Xander answered. "Who are you?"

"I'm Carson, I'm the one that found Willow the morning after her 
kill," the vampire explained.

"Terrific, another dead boy," Xander complained.

"That would be me," Carson agreed, grinning cheerfully.

"That is Xander, Anya, I'm Giles and this is Joyce," Giles said, 
introducing everyone to the vampire.

"Pleased to meet Willow's family, she's been worried about all of 
you," Carson commented.

"That's why she called frequently," Xander muttered.

"That's why she stayed away after killing someone," Carson snapped, 
his brown eyes flaring.

"Well, we do have news about that," Giles announced and proceeded to 
tell them about the hypnotism session earlier and what they 
discovered.

Carson, Angel and Wesley looked stunned; Cordelia looked slightly 
bored and tried to ignore Anya glaring at her.

"My God," Wesley exclaimed. "A non-violent werewolf?"

"I'm not sure I would go that far," Giles frowned. "Just that she 
seemed more connected to the true nature of a wolf rather than the 
werewolf demon inhabiting the body."

"This is fantastic!" Wesley muttered.

"I quite agree," Giles smiled.

"Where's Brad?" Xander asked.

"On his way," Joyce explained. "He's coming over to help us decide 
what to do about Adam and his demons."

"What do you think Adam's plans are?" Angel asked.

"Probably the typical thing," Xander quipped. "Take over Sunnydale, 
California and then next world domination."

"Actually, Xander is on the right track," Giles said 
reluctantly. "We think that Adam is planning on taking over 
Sunnydale to prove his superiority to the government and force them 
to create more of him. I believe he is intent on creating more on 
his own and then getting rid of the demons and vampires he's working 
with right now."

"See, Sunnydale again," Xander grinned.

"Not that would be like a bad thing," Anya muttered. "What?" she 
demanded when everyone glared at her.

"We're on the good side, Anya," Xander reminded the former vengeance 
demon.

"Oh right, sorry," Anya shrugged.  

Carson looked at her strangely and Cordelia returned Anya's hostile 
look.

"Any ideas?" Angel asked.

"Well, yes," Giles said slowly. "I propose an all out attack."

"How many demons do you think he has gathered?" Carson asked.

"Spike estimates that he's gathered?well, he thinks the number is 
around 100," Giles muttered.

"What?" Angel demanded and Carson looked stunned.  

"Only a 100?" Xander squeaked, his face stunned at the 
number. "Aren't demons usually like very hard to kill?"

"Yes," Giles nodded.  

"What are you planning, a small nuclear device?" Joyce asked.  

"Well, I was considering asking for some help," Giles said slowly.

"From who? Agent Mulder?" Xander questioned.

"Agent?" Angel asked.

"Willow made friends online with someone who turned out to be an FBI 
agent," Anya explained.

"She get busted for her hacking?" Angel asked.

"No, he's the one that gave her the spell to cure Buffy and curse 
herself instead," Anya continued.

"An FBI agent into the occult?" Carson asked.

"He investigates strange cases," Joyce added.

"Focus?" Giles suggested. "I was thinking another government agency."

"Who would help us? The Marines?" Xander asked.

"The Initiative," Giles muttered.

"Have you lost your mind?" Xander yelled.

"It's rather simple," Giles argued. "We have a common enemy, their 
job is to fight demons, so is ours. Maybe we should work together 
this time."

"We destroyed their computer base and their center here in Sunnydale, 
they won't even talk to us," Xander protested.

"Not to mention that Willow will totally freak if you bring the 
Initiative in," Carson warned. "That's the reason she was willing to 
split town."

"You know," Angel growled. "You still haven't explained why you took 
her in and left town with her."

"Angel, back off," Carson warned. "We slept in the same bed, we did 
not have sex! I was helping a stray not fall into the darkness."

"Wait a minute!" Xander snapped. "You're a vampire, no soul, no 
humanity left. Why should you care if Willow turned to the darkside 
or not?"

"Why the hell are all of you giving me the third degree because I 
helped Willow?" Carson demanded. "Would you be happier if I had 
drained her when I found her naked, confused and all bloody?"

"It's just confusing," Giles said. "Having Angel go bad on us once 
was very difficult and it's hard to trust anyone vampire."

"You trust Spike," Carson growled.

"He's neutered, you're not," Xander pointed out.

"I haven't killed anyone with my fangs in hundreds of years and I 
haven't turned anyone," Carson said slowly. "Angel, tell them, 
damnit."

"Carson was originally Father Karnstein about a 100 years before I 
was born," Angel began. "I heard about him in the vampire community 
after I was turned. He was like all the others for about 50 years 
and then the blood sickened him."

"Call it a psych reflex," Carson shrugged. "I was a priest and my 
priest side caught up with the demon and won. I do drink human blood 
from willing people, usually those who think it's part of a kinky sex 
thing and I drink from mammals. I found if I drink enough to kill 
someone, I get very sick."

"That's as bad as a chip in Spike's head," Xander complained. "A 
vampire who psychs himself into being sick? How weird is that?"

"Very weird," Carson admitted. "Why did I help Willow? Tell them, 
Angel."

"I was Angelus at the time," Angel began explaining again, his eyes 
dropping to the carpet. "Carson had met a werewolf, a young girl.  
She was lonely, confused and fighting against her own demons. Carson 
was trying to show her how to control the wolf and keep her safely 
locked away on full moons. I decided to mess with him, I couldn't 
stand his morality and the fact he wasn't living true to his nature."

"Angel, if this is too hard, I'm not sure we need to hear about it 
now," Giles suggested.

"No, Carson is right," Angel said. "You need to be able to trust 
him. I took her from him and let the wolf loose, then I worked on 
the human mind until she was totally corrupt and enjoyed the kill."

"Like Oz," Joyce muttered.

"Yes, from what you tell me," Angel nodded. "When she went back to 
Carson she tried to kill him and he was forced to kill her. She 
could have been Willow's twin."

"Twin?" Giles asked softly.

"Yes, she was Irish with fiery red hair, soft green eyes, 
intelligent, and charming," Angel said, describing the girl from long 
ago.  

"And you found a red-haired female werewolf, naked in the sewer 
tunnels and had to help her?" Giles questioned Carson.

"Something like that," Carson shrugged. "I was determined to keep 
her from the darkside and protect her. I failed Siobhan; I wasn't 
going to fail Willow."

"Well, that brings us back to the Initiative and what we're going to 
do about Adam," Giles said, bringing the focus back.

"I still say they won't even talk to us," Xander complained. "And I 
am not going to be the one to approach Willow with this one, Giles!  
Damnit, we just got her back. How can she trust she's safe with us 
if we bring the Initiative into this?"

"I don't see how we can fight Adam and his demons, especially if we 
let him pick the time and place," Giles countered. "With the 
Initiative commandos, we might stand a chance, especially with their 
advanced weapons."

"She's still gonna wig," Xander said in a sullen voice and Anya held 
his hand tightly.

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

Buffy leaned back into Tara's arms as they sat on a sleeping bag 
against one of the walls of the crypt, watching the werewolf pace 
restlessly in the cell. After a half hour, she settled down on a 
similar sleeping bag in the cell and curled up, dozing.

"Do you sense something different?" Tara asked softly, not wanting to 
disturb the creature.  

"Yeah, the wolf isn't as angry as it was before and Willow is 
distant," Buffy grumbled.

"Scully and Mulder warned that things could be a little rough after 
what she went through with the Initiative and I have a f-feeling that 
she didn't deal with it while she w-was gone," Tara pointed out.

"No, she probably tried to bury it," Buffy agreed, her arms wrapped 
around Tara's arms which were placed comfortably around the Slayer's 
ribs. "I tried that once, after I killed Angel and sent him to Hell."

"Willow told me about that," Tara commented. "They didn't know at 
the time that her spell worked and his soul had returned."

"Yeah, at the last minute and too late, I didn't have a choice but 
that didn't make me feel better about killing him," Buffy 
growled. "He had his soul back, no memory of what he had done; he 
was in my arms and trusted me totally. I drove a sword through his 
heart. I ran away the next day."

"Did it help?" Tara asked softly.

"No and yes," Buffy answered, watching the red fur on the werewolf 
ripple as the creature changed positions. "It gave me time to get my 
head together and in the end it just showed I couldn't escape being 
the Slayer. No, it hurt my family and friends very much that I 
didn't turn to them."

"Is that why we're so mad at Willow?" Tara questioned and felt Buffy 
jerk in her arms.

"Mad? No, I'm just glad she's back!" Buffy protested.

"And?" Tara prodded.

Buffy was quiet for a few moments.

"Yeah, I'm upset she didn't come to us, especially US," Buffy 
admitted. "I'm upset she went running off to LA with some strange 
vampire. She didn't even try and get help from Angel, she totally 
shut us out."

"And she still hasn't let us in," Tara pointed out. "I-I don't know 
why either."

"Scully said there would be after affects from the kidnapping and 
torture but could it be deeper than that? We didn't even have a 
chance to talk about what they did to her before she disappeared 
again," Buffy complained.

"I-I sense s-something has changed and there's a wall that I-I 
couldn't get around during that hypnotism s-session," Tara added.

"I know, I saw and felt it," Buffy nodded. "How could that be with 
our connection?"

"Its s-something that she's built up against herself," Tara 
said. "Something that s-she doesn't want to see about herself."

"What could be worse than the werewolf memories?"

"I don't know, that's what has m-me s-scared," Tara admitted and felt 
Buffy's hold on her arms tighten.

"Could it be the magick thing?" Buffy asked with a frown.

"I don't know, s-she called on dark forces to take the c-curse from 
you," Tara said thoughtfully. "That opens a d-door, you have to b-be 
careful what c-comes in."

"Willow is not evil," Buffy muttered.

"No, but she may have invited e-evil in," Tara countered.

"Then we'll uninvite it with her," Buffy said firmly.

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

Willow blinked and snuggled closer into the arms that were holding 
her and mumbled something as her senses took in the scent that was 
uniquely Buffy. As she began to wake up, Willow realized that Buffy 
was holding her and she was nuzzling the Slayer's neck.

"Morning," Buffy said softly as Willow opened her eyes.

The redhead sat up slowly, looking down at the t-shirt she was 
wearing. It wasn't the same one she had on before the moon rose in 
the sky.

"We got you into that after you changed," Buffy explained. "Didn't 
want you catching a cold."

"Thanks," Willow said calmly and pretended she didn't see the concern 
in Buffy's eyes and in her body language as the Slayer sat up beside 
her. "What's the plans for today and where's Tara?"

"Well, besides deciding our futures?" Buffy quipped. "Tara is 
getting us breakfast and then we need to see Giles and find out what 
they planned about how to handle Adam and the demons he's been 
gathering."

"Adam?" Willow questioned.

"Oh boy, forgot," Buffy moaned. "Willow has been out of the loop.  
Let me explain."

Buffy gave a shortened version of what had been happening in 
Sunnydale since Willow left.

"That's why the vampires were after me," Willow said 
thoughtfully, "they said there was a bounty on me from the demons in 
Sunnydale. I didn't take time to find out more."

"Good thing, you got whacked pretty good," Buffy said, praising 
Willow.

"You said Riley is siding with the cyborg thing?" Willow asked.

"I don't know," Buffy growled, wrapping an arm around Willow's 
shoulder and frowned. Willow didn't shake the arm off but she didn't 
move closer to Buffy either. "When I saw him he was staring blank, 
like nothing there, no one home type thing."

"Could he have a chip?" Willow asked.

"You mean like Spike?"

"Yeah, behavior modification through hooking a chip into the neuro 
net of the mind," Willow said, lost in thought. "Adam is partly 
cyborg, meaning they've figured out how to tie in the circuits to the 
brain so he can access the computer parts of himself."

"Uh, Will?" Buffy smiled. "English?"

"We know that Walsh was feeding her soldiers uppers and chemical 
enhancements, right?" Willow questioned and Buffy nodded. "We now 
know that Professor Walsh apparently worked it out so that the mind 
and computer can merge and function in a body. We also know that 
they perfected a chip that can control behavior, like the chip in 
Spike."

"You sound like Walsh," Buffy complained and Willow glared for a 
moment before returning to her thought.

"Riley is probably under the influence of a chip and being controlled 
by Adam," she muttered.

"You mean Riley isn't just dumber than advertised?" Buffy smirked.

"No, he probably is," Willow agreed with a glint in her eyes and 
Buffy grinned, glad to see any sign of her old Will. "But that might 
explain his behavior."

"How does that help us?" Buffy asked.

"I might be able to hack into his chip with the right equipment, 
transmitter and my? uh? some magick skills," Willow suggested.

"And that helps us, how?" Buffy repeated.

"Ever turn someone's weapon against them in a battle?" Willow grinned 
and Buffy smiled, catching on.