Fic: RR&R Book IV (1b/?) NC17 see header for pairings

Chapter 1 Continued

========== BtVS ==========

“Why do vampires even come to Sunnydale anymore?” Willow asked rhetorically.

“Cause they’re stupid?” Buffy quipped, brushing the dust off one arm.

“Well, there is that,” Willow allowed.

Tara laughed. ‘Another patrol, another handful of vampires for Buffy to destroy...Goddess, whoever thought I’d look at vampires as a minor nuisance?’

“You know, that reminds me of one time Xander asked me why vamps always hang out in cemeteries,” Buffy said as the three of them began walking again.

“What did you tell him?” Tara asked.

“I told him to ask the next vampire we saw,” Buffy said, smiling at the memory.

“And did he?” Tara prompted.

“Uh huh,” Buffy answered, grinning wider still.

“Well, what did it say?” Willow asked impatiently.

“Mostly, it said ‘Grr!’” Buffy responded with a humorous smile.

“Well, that’s not very informative,” Willow said disappointedly.

Tara laughed along with Buffy. “You’re adorable when you pout,” she told her redheaded lover.

“You can ask the next vamp we come across, Will,” Buffy teased. “Maybe they’ll tell you why they come to the Hellmouth too.”

“Humph, maybe I will,” Willow said with an even bigger pout.

‘Faker!’ Tara thought indulgently.

“What’s got you so happy?” Buffy asked with a wide smile of her own as she moved to drape herself against Tara’s side.

She wrapped one arm around Buffy and held her other out to Willow, inviting her to join the embrace. “I don’t know, lately I just feel so warm and...joyful—all the time.”

“I love you!” all three women spoke in unison.

“Wow!” Willow said, her face echoing the surprise Tara was feeling as the concert declaration.

“Double wow!” Buffy added, also sounding stunned.

“Do you both feel it too?” Tara asked, instinctively knowing the answer was yes.

“It’s like this buzzing feeling of happiness,” Buffy said excitedly.

“Exactly! It’s amazing!” Willow gushed in agreement.

Something caught Buffy’s attention and her head whipped upward, looking over Willow’s shoulder. Tara turned and caught a brief glimpse of a fleeing form weaving around headstones. Almost as soon as she saw it, it disappeared around one of the larger mausoleums.

“Uh oh, gotta go,” Buffy said, pulling away from the embrace. “We’ll definitely finish this later!” she added with a lascivious smile before taking off after the fleeing form.

“Hmm, go after, or wait for her to come back?” Willow asked.

“I’m not sure, do you think she just ran into a trap?” Tara asked, feeling a little tendril of concern.

“Probably,” Willow said with a nod. “You wanna go watch her turn the tables?”

Tara was about to nod yes, when something tickled at the back of her awareness. ‘Willow must have felt it too,’ she thought as she spun around to find that Willow had beaten her to it, a shimmering shield springing into existence around both of them.

“What the...” one of the two vampires that had been sneaking up behind them blurted out. He came to a stop with a confused and startled look on his face.

‘Must be the smart one,’ Tara thought as the other continued, leaping at the two witches.

Vamp number two’s only comment was “Oof!” as he hit the shield like a sparrow flying into a window.

Tara quickly immobilized the other, sweeping him up into the air to dangle by his feet.

“Spike spell,” Willow said with a grin, picking up the crumpled vamp to hang next to his partner.

“What’s this?” Tara wondered as she bent down to pick up an object that fell from the dumb-vamp’s hand as Willow lifted him.

“Stun gun?” Willow said, surprised. “What’s a vampire doing with a stun gun?”

“Let’s ask,” Tara suggested, pulling her vampire closer with a wave of her hand.

Willow followed suit, then asked, “Why did you have stun guns?”

“I ain’t tellin’ you dick, bitch!” the crumpled vamp spat out, following suit by actually spitting at the redhead.

The bloody saliva hit the shield, but Willow still recoiled with a disgusted look on her face.

“You really shouldn’t have done that,” Tara said, shaking her head sadly.

“Kiss my aaiieeee!!” the vampire responded, his bravado turning into a high-pitched shriek as Willow grabbed the stun gun from Tara and applied it to his crotch.

Tara turned away from the screamer toward the other and had to hide a smirk at the look of stark terror on his face. “Now then, I believe there is a question waiting for an answer.”

“No! No! Hell no! Don’t, I’ll tell you anything, I swear!” the other vampire cried, visibly shaking in fear.

Willow pulled the stun gun away from her victim, who was reduced to a soft keening wail. “So, answer the question, why the stun guns?”

“The boss, he wanted us to take you alive, so...” the vamp trailed off, snapping his mouth shut.

“So...what?” Willow prompted.

The vamp whimpered, his eyes darting back and forth between Willow’s face and the black device in her hand.

“Tell me!” Willow ordered, pushing the button and sending a blue arc across the device’s contacts.

“After...after he beats down the s-Slayer...he was...he was...”

Another blue spark was needed to loosen his tongue further. “He was gonna make her watch while we...ahh, played with you two...”

Tara shuddered with revulsion at the thought.

“And what makes him think he can do what every other vampire, demon, or hell god that’s come to this town couldn’t do?” Willow asked coldly.

“Uh, see...The Boss just got himself this mojo amulet, and now he’s like, you can’t hurt him.”

‘Buffy!’ she immediately reached out to see if her pet was in trouble and found that she was deeply enjoying herself. “She’s fine,” she said to Willow just as the question was about to leave the redhead’s lips. “She’s having fun, playing.”

“She would be,” Willow said with a soft smile. The smile fell away, replaced with a hard, angry look as she turned to the two hanging vampires. “Now then, what to do with a couple of wannabe rapist demons...”

“Uh oh,” Tara muttered.

========== BtVS ==========

‘God I love this!’ Buffy thought as she ducked under one punch while simultaneously spinning and driving her foot through the ribs of another vampire. ‘I can’t believe how slow these guys are!’

She had time to step down from the spin-kick and grab the extended arm of the puncher, lifting him bodily and throwing him into two other approaching vampires.

She’d followed the running vampire into a trap; over a dozen vampires in a semicircle. One vampire—clearly in charge—was lounging on the steps of a mausoleum with a snide look on his face.

“Ok boys, remember, I want her alive,” the vamp leader said loudly. “Barely,” he added with a sardonic grin.

At that point the dozen vamps leapt forward, the looks of eager anticipation on their faces indicating they thought they were in for some fun.

‘I wonder if they were surprised when I laughed?’ Buffy thought as she broke one vamp’s arm with her left hand, smashed another’s jaw with her right and shattered third’s knee with her right foot.

One vamp nearly landed a blow to the back of her head, but she felt the pressure and rolled forward. As she completed the somersault, she drew a pair of stakes and dusted two vamps.

‘Huh, weird,’ she thought when a quick glance at the vampire leader showed he was still lounging on the mausoleum steps, still looking confident.

========== BtVS ==========

After laying together for about half an hour, soaking in their after-sex glow, Faith began to stir. “Hey, guys?”

“Mmm, again already?” Alex asked with a chuckle.

“Nooo, too soon, Faithy!” Beth groaned. “Need another thirty minutes, at least!”

Faith smiled, “Aww, did I wear you out, baby?”

Beth’s groan turned into a satisfied purr, “Mmm, not complaining!”

Faith laughed, joyfully. ‘Damn I’m good!’ she thought with both pride and happiness.

“Actually, I was gonna say I need to go patrol for a while,” she changed the subject. She was slightly hesitant as she added, “Um, can I come back and stay over after?”

“Faith, have we ever not wanted you to stay over?” Alex asked as though it was a silly question.

“No, I just...” Faith began, feeling silly. “You know, didn’t want to assume or nothing.”

Alex shook his head, smiling warmly as he answered. “Let me make it crystal clear, Faith. Not only are you welcome in this house twenty-four/seven, you are more than welcome in this bed every night—we want you here, this is...this is where you belong,” he finished in a soft, emotional voice.

“What he said, double for me!” Beth interjected with deep passion both in her voice, and on her face.

“I...” Faith felt a lump in her throat. “I...I’ll be back in a little bit then.”

Beth pulled her down for a lingering kiss. “Hurry back!” she whispered after letting go Faith’s lips.

“Ok. I will,” Faith said in a breathless voice.

========== BtVS ==========

“What?” Willow asked as she and Tara walked toward the sound of fighting.

“Um, well...” Tara said, clearing her throat a bit. “You don’t think that was a bit...um, extreme?” she asked with a little bit of trepidation.

“Well, I thought of what they wanted to do to me, and I got pretty angry...but then I thought of them touching you, and I just...”

‘Goddess!’ Tara thought at the look of rage on Willow’s face.

“I guess I went a little nuts,” Willow admitted.

“Mmm hmm,” Tara agreed.

They turned around a large memorial statue to some formerly rich and presently dead Sunnydaler and came upon the remains of the battle.

“Wow, that’s a lot of vampire dust!” Willow said.

“The grass looks kinda grey,” Tara said in agreement.

“Hey, what took you?” Buffy asked, spinning in a pirouette, before lashing out to her sides and staking the two remaining vamps.

Any response was interrupted when another vampire stood up from the steps behind Buffy and began ranting. “It doesn’t matter! After I deal with you, I’ll turn a hundred more!” He pulled a dull metallic object from his shirt and held it up before him as he continued, “With this I am invincible! I’ll tear your guts out through your throat and string them up in the trees! I’ll break your...”

Buffy interrupted his rant by throwing a stake into his chest.

“Ha! I’ll...” he trailed off as he crumbled into dust.

All three just stood there for several moments, looking—staring—at the amulet lying in a pile of dust.

“Well, that was kinda anticlimactic,” Willow said disappointedly.

========== BtVS ==========

Beth hung up the phone and turned to her husband. “He’s not available.”

“Why not?” Alex asked, the trepidation in his tone telling her he already suspected the answer.

“Because he’s gone on a trip...to the states,” she answered.

“He’s coming here? Is he mad?” he breathed out, flabbergasted.

“Mad? Of course he’s mad, that whole blasted council it so intellectually inbred I’m amazed they can even walk and speak simultaneously,” she growled, frustrated. “Do They have anything to say about this?”

“Unfortunately They don’t control the council,” he answered with a shake of the head.

“The council is *supposed* to be serving the same purpose...” she argued, exasperated.

He stood up and began pacing. “Sometimes I wonder...I think the council has the same goal, but their stubborn adherence to antiquated traditions and methods makes them ineffectual.”

“But?” she asked, her voice indicating that she knew he had more to say on the subject.

“I’m becoming unsure about him...” he began.

“But...he controls the bloody council!” she growled in frustration.

Alex’s voice was contemplative as he responded, “I wonder if he might have a different agenda...”

========== BtVS ==========

“Damn, no action tonight...” Faith muttered, twirling her stake as she wandered through her third cemetery of the night. “Jeeze B, you couldn’t leave a couple for me to play with?” she complained.

As she came around a copse of trees, she was startled by an unexpected sight. “Holy crap!” she exhaled, shocked. She moved closer until she could clearly see what turned out to be two vampires, staked out on the ground, their bodies naked, and something stuffed into their mouths to keep them from yelling.

“Jeeze, who’d you two piss off?” she wondered aloud. “And why are you jerking around like that?”

She tried to move closer but when she got within three meters, her progress was suddenly halted as though she’d bumped into a plate-glass window. “What the...” she felt the space in front of her, looking like a mime doing it’s ‘trapped in a box’ routine. “Willow...or Tara. Gotta be one of them.”

She moved around the bodies outside the perimeter of the shield until she saw what was causing their squirming. Laughter broke forth from her when she saw it: their crotches were covered in fire-ants.

“Oh my God!” she gasped through her laughter. ‘I definitely gotta remember never to piss off a witch!’

At the same time another thought popped into her mind, ‘I can’t wait to report to Giles what I found on my patrol!’

========== BtVS ==========

“You say that the vampire claimed invulnerability?” Giles asked Buffy.

“Yeah, like, at length, over and over,” Buffy answered.

The triad had taken the amulet to Giles just in time to catch Dawn and Xander still there from an afternoon visit, and an impromptu Scooby session was started.

“Clearly though, he was, in fact, not invulnerable?” Giles asked.

“Nope!” Buffy quipped. “Dusted like any other.” She laughed as she added, “right in the middle of telling me how un-killable he was.”

“Yes, I see...” Giles allowed with a tentative smile. “And yet the amulet didn’t disintegrate along with the vampire.”

“Plus it’s definitely magical,” Tara offered, turning back from Giles towards Willow.

‘Oh dear, she’s getting frustrated,’ Tara thought with a worried frown.

“This is maddening!” Willow growled, dropping the amulet back onto the table. “I can feel the spell, it’s like I can see it! But, I can’t see what’s hidden inside it!”

Tara looked at Willow with sympathy. “We’ll find a way, sweetie,” she said reassuringly.

“Tara...” Willow said, trailing off, clearly frustrated.

Tara reached over the table and grasped her lover’s hands, squeezing gently. “We’ll figure it out,” she said, locking her gaze with Willow’s.

“I don’t get it,” Buffy interjected. “What’s wrong, is it...it can’t be too tough, can it? Giles said you’re like the most powerful witch he’s ever heard of...”

Willow blushed, grumbling under her breath while Tara laughed.

“What?” the Slayer repeated, sounding slightly affronted. “What’d I say?”

“That’s the problem,” Tara explained. “It’s not too strong, it’s too weak.”

“I can’t even get close to it and it’s like it’s going to shatter!” Willow grated out.

“Huh?” Buffy asked, clearly confused.

“It’s very fragile,” Tara said, feeling Willow’s frustration, though less intensely. “Someone or something put a spell on this to hide its true nature. However, we can’t unravel the spell without destroying the amulet.”

“Quite clever, actually,” Giles opined.

“Yeah, I’d like to wring their clever little neck!” Willow grated out.

“Willow!” Dawn said with surprise.

Tara struggled to keep the smile off of her face as Willow looked up to see surprised looks on most of the Scooby gang’s faces.

“Sorry,” she immediately apologized. “It’s just...”

“Frustrating,” Tara completed the thought when Willow fell silent.

“Very!” Willow agreed emphatically.

“Yes, well...” Giles muttered when suddenly a thoughtful look came over his face. “May I see it?” he asked, gesturing toward the amulet on the table between the two senior witches.

“Sure, why not?” Willow said resignedly. She pulled her hands away from Tara and picked up the amulet.

Buffy gasped as the redhead casually tossed the item to her watcher. “Will!” she gulped.

Tara smirked, knowing what Buffy must be thinking. “It’s alright Buffy. The spell is fragile, not the amulet itself.”

“Stupid, ugly chunk of cast bronze...” Willow muttered.

“Aww...” Tara crooned, again taking Willow’s hand in her own. Looking toward Buffy she softly said, “Looks like we’re going to have to find a way to cheer up our pouty girl...” She smirked again as Willow visibly perked up. ‘Oh you so aren’t fooling anyone,’ she thought as the redhead’s momentary smile was again hidden behind an exaggerated pout, clearly fake.

A quick glance at her blond lover showed Tara a smirk to match her own.

“Ok, you so have no right to ever tease Xan and me for being sappy again!” Dawn’s amused voice startled Tara into laughter.

“There is something about this...” Giles interrupted, still focused on the amulet. “Something familiar....”

“Giles...what?” Buffy asked when the watcher didn’t continue.

“Hmm?” he said, snapping his attention away from the amulet to his charge. “Oh, yes. I...I’m not certain...I need to make some telephone calls.”

“Thus endeth the Scooby meeting?” Xander immediately interjected. “Cause it’s seriously getting to be dinnertime...”

“Um...yes,” Giles stammered, looking to his watch. “Yes, it’s a bit late to make the calls tonight in any case.”

“Oh, goodie!” Dawn said with a wide, happy smile.

Tara cocked her head to the side with a bemused grin. “Looking forward to dinner?” she asked, curious. ‘Xander the endless stomach must be rubbing-off on her,’ she thought with silent laughter.

“Mmm, not dinner,” Dawn said with a slight headshake. “Desert!” she corrected with a hungry-sounding tone.

“Really?” Willow added, having dropped the pouty-act as her curiosity apparently got the better of her as well. “Why, what’s for desert?”

Tara noted Xander’s blush just before Dawn quietly said, “Lately? Me.”

“You had to ask!” Buffy groused, covering her ears just a moment too late.

Tara and Willow both laughed aloud as Dawn pulled Xander to his feet, boldly teasing, “Come on, Xan. I so need to get you fed!”

A glance at Giles and Joyce showed Tara that they were studiously pretending to ignore the innuendo floating through the atmosphere. She stood up and reached her hands to her two lovers as she said, “Come on, I’m suddenly feeing a little hungry myself.”

========== BtVS ==========

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