Red Moon Rising 2/11 - B/W W/T - R

["Dana-Cooper" <hunterash@xxxxxxx>]

Red Moon Rising 
Part 2/11

Author: Hunter Ash 
Copyright © 2001-2004 by Hunter Ash. All Rights Reserved.
Email: hunterash7@xxxxxxxxx
hunterash@xxxxxxx  
Feedback welcome!!
Homepage Addy: http://www.hunterash.com/ 

Disclaimers: The characters and show 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: Some general 5th season stuff, but nothing major.

Summary:  OZ is back and causes havoc when he demands Willow join 
him as his mate.  Buffy, Willow and Tara have other ideas.  

Rating: R, violence, werewolf attacks, 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 one.  Feedback always 
welcome.


Red Moon Rising
Part 2
************************

Willow was more than a little grumpy when they finally wheeled her 
into her room for the afternoon.  It felt like someone had scrambled 
her brains and added a major dose of pain to the confusion.  

Seeing Tara waiting impatiently helped put a smile on the red haired 
witch's face.  The blonde whimpered slightly at the look of pain on 
Willow's face when they transferred from the gurney onto the 
hospital bed and helped her settle in.  Finally they were alone and 
Willow noticed Tara standing off near the wall, hesitating.  

Willow managed to smile and held out her hand in invitation and 
need.  Tara smiled and moved quickly to Willow's side and was very 
surprised when the other witch pulled the blonde into her arms.

"Goddess, I don't want to go through that again!" Willow 
muttered.  "I feel like I was split apart and tossed into a blender 
and thrown into a new mold."

Tara couldn't help but grin at the weird description as she pulled 
back and sat on the edge of the bed, Willow keeping her hand firmly 
gripped on Tara's.

"I asked Giles if there was anything I s-should watch out for while 
you were in surgery," Tara said softly, brushing a strand of hair 
behind her ear.

"What do you mean?"

"If witches react d-differently to surgery and if I s-should be 
aware of anything," Tara answered.

"Very smart," Willow commented and smiled when Tara blushed under 
the compliment.  "Did he tell you anything? Like why I feel so weird 
and out of synch and any word about Buffy?"

"Yes," Tara tried to keep smiling but Willow could sense the 
blonde's mood.  "There's not much c-change in Buffy, she's still 
sick and fighting the poison."

"What time is it?" Willow also lost her smile.

"Three in the afternoon," Tara nodded at Willow's puzzled 
expression.  "They said you had trouble c-coming out of the 
anesthesia and they kept you in Recovery longer than usual.  Giles 
insisted I c-call your parents but they're out of town according to 
their answering machine."

"I've got to get to Buffy," Willow said firmly.

"They are not going to let you out of here until tomorrow morning at 
the earliest.  They're concerned about the recovery thing," Tara 
informed her fellow Wiccan.  

"What is up with that anyway?" Willow frowned.

"Giles did some research while Mrs. Summers is watching Buffy," Tara 
began explaining.  "Seems that there are some things about witches 
and s-sensitive people, those c-close to the earth and the psychic 
energies have problems going through surgery.  The anesthesia works 
on the body and the mind in s-strange ways.  You know how the spirit 
can separate from the bodyd- during sleep and astral projection, 
right?"

"Of course, we do it frequently during meditation and lucid 
dreaming," Willow nodded, trying to focus through the throbbing pain 
of her hand.  

"Well, somehow some anesthesia can do that as well.  The spirit 
separates from the body and goes traveling, just like dreaming or 
astral traveling," Tara continued.

"Okay, so what's the problem?"

"Unfortunately, when the spirit is under anesthesia we d-don't 
remember the travel, we d-don't dream and the mind doesn't absorb 
the passage of time," Tara tried explaining, hoping that she was 
getting what Giles had said right.  

"Yes!" Willow's eyes cleared a little.  "That's part of the problem, 
I remember someone saying they were going to give me some meds and 
then someone was waking me up.  No time difference." 

"Messes with the mind and the spirit.  Unlike dreaming, there's no 
gentle returning back to the body, under anesthesia the spirit is 
brought back abruptly, without warning," Tara continued, 
unconsciously stroking Willow's hand.  "Sometimes the spirit doesn't 
come back."

"People who die under anesthesia," Willow surmised.

"Yes, I was worried," Tara admitted, her eyes dropping to the sheet 
and blanket covering Willow.

The blonde witch was surprised when Willow pulled Tara's hand, 
bringing the other witch close to her and wrapped her uninjured arm 
around Tara.  Both witches moaned when their lips met once more. 

The kiss was soft, tender and loving.  Tara pulled back 
reluctantly.  Willow looked into Tara's blue eyes and saw hope, 
sadness, and confusion.

Willow dropped her head and cradled her wounded hand.

She felt tears beginning to build up in her eyes.

"Tara, I'm sorry," she whispered.  "I shouldn't have done that."

"Willow, I& I know you're in l-love with Buffy," Tara said softly, 
fighting back her own tears.  "You always have been and I think she 
loves you.  I won't come between that."

The tears finally escaped Willow's eyes and she began to cry as Tara 
drew the witch into her arms.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," Willow complained.  "I know I love 
Buffy, finally admitting that.  It's not fair though, I'm also 
falling head over heels in love with you.  How can that happen?  I 
mean, can I love both of you?  I can't hurt either of you; I don't 
know what to do&"

"Shhhh," Tara whispered, gently rocking Willow as the young woman 
sobbed.

"Oz tried to hurt me!" Willow continued to cry, the emotional 
overload as well as the physical pain getting to her.  "He didn't 
only want to bite me, he tried to rape me!"

"I know," Tara cried with her friend and potential lover.  

"How could he do that?" Willow sobbed.  "Then he hurt Buffy! Bit 
her, threw you through a window and hurt Giles!"

"It gets worse, Willow," Tara said softly and Willow pulled back.

"How? Is Buffy worse?" she demanded.

"A little," Tara admitted and pushed Willow back down onto the 
bed.  "The poison is spreading and she's not coming out of it."

"I've got to get to her," Willow mumbled and fell back onto the bed 
trying to keep her eyes open.  "What's wrong with me?"

"The pain is getting to you and they gave you pain meds when they 
brought you back in," Tara explained, gently brushing Willow's hair 
off her forehead.  "Oz called Giles, he and his pack have Xander and 
Anya."

Willow began to cry softly and Tara moved to lie alongside Willow 
and took the witch into her arms.  

"He wants me in exchange for them, doesn't he?" Willow asked softly.

"Yes," Tara admitted.  

"What do I do?  Everyone I know is getting hurt because of me," 
Willow mumbled.

"Not because of you!" Tara said forcefully.  "Because Oz has turned 
into a bastard!  He's the one hurting everyone, not you!"

"That's my girl," Willow managed to smile, unable to keep her eyes 
open.  "You lose that stutter when you're passionate," she 
mumbled.  "Wonder if you stutter in&."

Tara's eyes opened wide and she felt herself blushing as Willow 
drifted into a drugged sleep.  What was Willow about to say?  

What did all this mean for the both of them?  Tara felt complete 
whenever Willow was around and didn't want to lose that but she also 
knew that Willow had been in love with Buffy for years, even if the 
witch hadn't admitted it to anyone, including herself.

This was going to get complicated, she complained while running her 
fingers lightly through Willow's hair.

************************ 

Giles removed his glasses and rubbed his hand across his eyes.  
Joyce refused to move from Buffy's side and the Slayer hadn't gotten 
any better.  She still tossed as if she had a fever and the streaks 
had grown darker and more pronounced.  

Joyce's eyes widened in surprise and confusion when the Watcher 
entered the bedroom carrying something that clanked.  Then her eyes 
narrowed in anger when she realized what Giles was carrying and why.

Chains and shackles for a suspected werewolf.  A suspected werewolf 
who happened to be her daughter.

Giles looked guilty and began blushing as Joyce stood up, her face 
as angry as her eyes.

"Rupert!" Joyce snapped.

"Joyce, please!" he begged quietly.  "We don't know; she could turn 
at any moment."

"She's so sick she won't even wake up!" Joyce protested.

"I'm sorry, Joyce," Giles choked on his own words as he watched 
Buffy thrash weakly.  He didn't know how much longer she could go 
on; she was getting weaker by the hour.  "I know she's sick and I'm 
hoping if she does turn into a werewolf she won't be strong enough 
to break the chains."

"Giles, do you seriously think that I'm going to let you chain my 
daughter up?" Joyce demanded.

"I know none of this has been easy," Giles said softly.  "You're 
going to have to trust me in this, Joyce.  I know I've failed Buffy 
in the past but this is what's best.  She would never forgive 
herself if she turned into a werewolf and hurt someone and I would 
never forgive myself either."

Joyce Summers sat down on the bed beside her daughter and cried 
softly.

"This isn't fair, Rupert!" she complained.  "Your damned Council 
took my daughter when she was barely fifteen and turned her into a 
killer.  This damned destiny of hers! It robbed her of her teenage 
years and now possibly her adult life."

Giles couldn't meet her eyes, everything she said was true and he 
knew it.  He was also aware that she knew he didn't have a choice in 
his role either.  The choice to leave the Council of Watchers hadn't 
been the hardest decision he had ever made, they're betrayal of 
Buffy had made it easy.  Living with the decision had been 
difficult, the Council had saved him from the darkness he had fallen 
into and their resources had saved Buffy and the world several 
times.  On the other hand, they merely saw Buffy as a tool and 
condemned his closeness to the Slayer.

"I'm sorry, Joyce," he muttered and moved to attach one of the leg 
shackles to Buffy's ankle and the other end to the metal frame of 
his heavy wrought iron bed.  "We only have to get through tonight.  
There's only one more night of the full moon.  Look, I don't know 
what Oz will do but he might show up looking for Willow.  Do you 
know how to use a gun?"

"No, but I'm about to learn, that little bastard had better not show 
up in my sights," Joyce Summers growled and Rupert Giles had a flash 
of where Buffy got her stubborn streak.

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

Tara looked up when the door to Willow's room opened; she was 
expecting to see another nurse or doctor and was surprised when a 
man in a suit stepped into the room.  Tara's hand moved under 
Willow's pillow and she realized the man had noticed the movement.  
He put up his hands in a peaceful gesture and slowly reached inside 
his coat.

"Easy, I'm detective Brad Santiago," he introduced himself, pulling 
out his badge and identification.  

Tara relaxed a little and sat up, quickly looking down and sighing 
with relief when Willow kept on sleeping.

"Is she up to answering some questions?" he asked softly, taking 
note of how young and frail the red head looked lying in a hospital 
bed.

"I don't think so," Tara frowned.  "They just gave her some more 
drugs for the pain."

"You were around most of last night, weren't you?" he asked, keeping 
his voice low.

"Yes," Tara responded, moving carefully off the bed.

"Would you answer some questions?" he asked, motioning to the door.

Tara's frown deepened and she glanced back at Willow.

"I have two police officers right outside the door, she'll be safe," 
he informed the young witch.  

"Okay," Tara finally agreed.

Brad Santiago's sharp eyes noticed the weariness in the young woman 
as well as the red-rimmed eyes and nodded to himself.  He had read 
the initial report from the police officer about the attack on 
Willow Rosenberg and knew that this was something more than just a 
simple domestic fight.  The police officer had been very detailed in 
his description of Ms. Rosenberg's injuries and how serious they 
were.  

When the report came in that two of Ms. Rosenberg's friends were 
missing and no one had seen them since the night of her attack, Brad 
Santiago became concerned and involved.  

His first planned stop was to the hospital, then he planned on 
stopping to see Ms. Rosenberg's friend who had reported the young 
couple missing, Mr. Rupert Giles.

He led the young woman to the cafeteria and forced her to pick 
something more solid than just the coke she first reached for.  She 
finally settled on a large salad, and baked potato to go along with 
the coke.  Brad chose a cheeseburger, fries and a coke.

The detective encouraged the young college student to eat before 
asking her any questions.  He wolfed down his food, mostly from the 
long habit of having to eat on the run but also from wanting to 
observe the student before asking her any questions.

"I take it that you're Tara, Ms. Rosenberg's friend," he began 
gently.

"Yes," Tara answered, her hair almost concealing her face.

Brad smiled slightly.  "You remind me of my daughter," he 
mused.  "She's a lot younger, though.  She's only fourteen going on 
thirty."

Tara glanced up at the detective, trying to relax.  

"She's awfully shy around strangers," he continued, focusing on his 
fries.  "I'm sort of glad; better than a rebellious teenager staying 
out all night and worrying me to death."

Tara smiled slightly and sat back in her seat and rubbed her eyes. 

"When was the last time you slept?" Brad asked.

"I got a c-couple of hours last night," Tara pondered for a moment.  

"Can you tell me about Ms. Rosenberg and her relationship with her 
ex-boyfriend?"

"Oz," Tara responded.  "They had broken up before I met her this 
semester.  She was s-still hurting a lot over it."

"He broke up with her?" Brad questioned with a frown.

"Yeah, she c-caught him with someone else and he left town, he 
barely said goodbye," Tara looked puzzled.

"That's unusual for a stalker relationship," Brad commented.  "The 
stalker usually doesn't break up with the victim."

Tara shrugged.  "He told her he needed t-to get his act together and 
left.  She was getting over him," Tara continued.  "Willow began to 
focus on c-class and& other things, her friends, research, me.  Then 
Oz showed up yesterday looking for her."

"When was this?" Brad asked, pulling out a notebook.

"I don't know," Tara answered.  "Buffy, h-her roommate, showed up at 
my room looking for Willow and they talked.  It was about an hour 
before s-sundown when Willow was pounding on my door, screaming for 
help."

Brad noted Tara's voice catching and her shaking hands.  

"I got her inside my room and locked the door," Tara continued, her 
voice dropping even lower.  "We barricaded the door.  He&he was 
pounding and screaming for Willow to open the door.  I c-called 
Campus Security and heard him running down the hall.  Then I saw she 
was hurt."

"Why didn't you go to the hospital right then, or the police?" he 
questioned.

"I guess we weren't thinking," Tara responded, sticking to the 
original story of an abusive boyfriend while leaving out the part of 
him changing into a werewolf and wanting to change his ex-girlfriend 
into a werewolf too.  "Willow wanted to get to Giles place, she was 
worried about everyone and we all planned to meet there."

"Giles is?" 

"He used to be the librarian at the high school and they are close 
friends," Tara tried explaining.  How could you explain the 
relationship that Giles had with the kids without it sounding weird, 
a voice inside Tara demanded.  "He's like a father to Willow and 
Buffy."

"How did you get there?"

"I c-called Buffy, Willow's best friend and roommate, and then we 
caught a cab," Tara answered.

"Did you get there first or did Buffy? What's Buffy's last name?"

"Buffy Summers," Tara answered.  "We got there before Buffy did.  
She didn't think Oz would be looking for her so she ran over."

"What happened next?"

"We told Giles what was happening and he wrapped Willow's hand," 
Tara felt tears falling down her cheeks as she remembered the 
redhead's pain.  "He was about to call the police when Oz broke into 
the condo and attacked everyone."

Brad Santiago's eyebrows raised in surprise.  That wasn't in the 
police report but Brad knew he was hearing the truth; the girl in 
front of him was too tired to be too evasive.

"You didn't report this?"

"He cut the phone lines before breaking in, we c-couldn't call out.  
He slammed Giles into the wall, threw me out the window," Tara 
continued and lifted her arms to show him the numerous scratches and 
cuts along her arms.  "He then tried to& he wanted&"

Brad pulled out a handkerchief as Tara began to cry a little harder.

"Willow said he tried to attack her, he tried to&" Tara 
stuttered.  "He grabbed her hand and hurt her again.  He ripped her 
shirt off and& he tried&"

Brad leaned forward and placed a hand on top of Tara's.

"I understand," he said gently.  Outwardly, the detective was calm 
and gentle; inside he was enraged.  He knew what Oz had tried on the 
young woman and he felt a familiar anger hitting him.  The detective 
despised anyone who could hurt another person and he especially 
hated anyone who would use sex to hurt someone else.

"Buffy showed up and they fought, she was hurt but he ran off," Tara 
continued.  "Oz said he wasn't alone and we were afraid to leave the 
condo until morning.  The rest I told the police officer."

"I read the report," Brad confirmed.  "The doctor says that Ms. 
Rosenberg's hand was brutally broken in many places and that it'll 
be a long time before she has full use of it again."

"That's what they told us," Tara agreed, nodding slightly.

"There wasn't anything in the report about Buffy's injuries or Mr. 
Giles," he commented.

"Giles and Buffy's Mom are watching her, she got really sick and 
Giles was a little shook up but okay," Tara explained.

"Do you know that your friends Xander Harris and Anya Emerson are 
missing?" he questioned, watching her reactions carefully.

"Giles told me last time I called him," Tara nodded, "he said Oz has 
them."

"Yes, that's what he reported to us, that's why I'm here," Brad 
Santiago responded.

"Of course, it wouldn't be just because Willow was attacked by her 
ex-boyfriend, had to be something more serious," Tara's voice held 
more than just a touch of bitterness.

"I'm sorry, we do our best but Sunnydale can be a busy place for the 
police," Brad tried to explain.

"I know, it's just that he& he hurt her so badly," Tara felt fresh 
tears beginning to flow down her face.

"Do you have any idea where he might have them?"

"No, none," Tara shook her head.  "I only met Oz last night when he 
threw me through a window."

"We have officers looking for both Oz and your friends, why don't 
you go back to your friend," Brad suggested.  "The police officers 
outside her door have orders not to let anyone in not on the list 
Mr. Giles gave us."

"Who did he say?"

The detective flipped a page back in his notebook and consulted 
it.  "You, Joyce Summers, and Rupert Giles.  Buffy Summers, Xander 
Harris and Anya Emerson if they are accompanied by either you or Mr. 
Giles."

"Why the stipulation?" Tara wondered aloud.

"He said that they might upset Ms. Rosenberg without someone with 
them," Brad Santiago answered.

"Okay," Tara nodded.  She suddenly realized that Giles wanted 
someone known to be safe with any of the three in case they had been 
turned into a member of Oz's pack.

"Why don't you go back to your friend," Brad suggested.  "Try and 
get some sleep.  I know that hospital chairs aren't comfortable but 
I have the feeling you won't leave her side, will you?"

Tara knew she was blushing a bright red.  "No, I won't leave her 
alone."

"We'll do our best to find your friends," he promised.

"I know," Tara mumbled and began to work her way back to Willow's 
room.  The police officers nodded as she opened the door.  

The young witch pulled the chair next to Willow's bed and gently 
took the redhead's healthy hand in hers and leaned her head on the 
bed, closing her eyes.

************************

It was the longest night of everyone's life up to that point.

************************

Giles blinked and ran a hand through his hair as he sat up.  He 
tried to think, his face reflecting his confusion.

The former Watcher grabbed the pistol off the coffee table and 
stumbled to his feet and padded down the hallway to his bedroom.  It 
had been a rough night for both Giles and Joyce; they had taken 
turns watching over the Slayer while Buffy grew weaker and weaker 
until she was no longer thrashing just before dawn.

He stopped in the doorway in surprise as he looked at Joyce's 
smiling face and Buffy's blue eyes looking at him.  Giles groaned 
faintly and quickly moved to the side of his Slayer, his friend, and 
the girl he thought of as a daughter.  She smiled slightly as he 
knelt beside the bed and examined her arm, eyes and forehead.  

The streaks were gone and her arm was showing the typical signs of a 
Slayer's advanced healing abilities.  

"Oh thank God," he muttered, leaning his head on the bed next to her 
arm.

"Hey, I take it I scared you," Buffy whispered.

"She just woke up," Joyce explained.

Giles smiled as he raised his head.  "Yes, quite a scare, young 
lady," he agreed softly.  "You've been awfully sick fighting off 
that werewolf bite and, quite frankly, we didn't know if you'd make 
it."

"Where's Willow and Tara?" Buffy asked, accepting Giles' help in 
sitting up while her mother held a glass of water to her lips.

"Now don't panic," Giles began, keeping a firm grip on her 
shoulders.  "Willow is in hospital," he tightened his grip as Buffy 
quickly attempted to sit up.  "Oz broke her hand in several places 
and they had to operate yesterday.  They're going to release her 
this morning."

"She's okay though?" Buffy demanded. "And Tara, she was pretty 
shaken up?"

"Tara is doing alright, she hasn't left Willow's side at hospital," 
Giles continued.  "Willow's hand will need a lot of therapy and 
she's going to be in a great deal of pain.  The injury was quite 
severe."

"And she doesn't have my healing abilities," Buffy said ruefully.

"Exactly," Giles agreed.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Buffy said, reaching out to hug her mom tightly as 
Giles sat behind her.  "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Are you okay?  It's not everyday my daughter gets bit by a 
werewolf," Joyce asked.

"I don't know, I feel okay," Buffy frowned.  "My arm hurts but I 
don't feel fuzzy or furry," she tried to smile.  "Maybe in desperate 
need of a shower but not a collar."

Joyce and Giles both shook their heads at her attempt at humor.

"When's Willow getting out and where's Xan and Anya?"

"Willow will be released this morning, probably late," Giles 
answered and then hesitated.  Buffy caught the hesitation and turned 
to stare him in the eyes, her probing eyes making him 
uncomfortable.  "Oz has Xander and Anya and wants to trade Willow 
for them.  He also thinks you'll now turn into a werewolf and be on 
his side."

"What does that mean?  Do werewolves work together?  I thought they 
were just pretty much mindless, like," Buffy asked.

"I don't know," Giles admitted.  "I need to do some research and 
make some calls.  Oz wasn't acting like a normal werewolf and he 
mentioned a pack helping him."

"Well, he had a pack of vampires who tried to ambush me on the way 
over here," Buffy mentioned.  They hadn't had a chance to talk about 
the fight or anything before Buffy had fallen sick to the werewolf 
bite.

"Vampires and werewolves normally don't work together," Giles 
muttered and then his eyes filled with tears and brightened with 
emotion.  "And you, young lady! Intentionally taking a werewolf 
bite!  What were you thinking?"

"I couldn't let him bite Will," Buffy's eyes also began shining 
with intensity.  "I grabbed him from behind but he had a firm hold 
on her.  I had to stop his bite."

"With your arm?" Giles snapped, getting up from the bed and 
beginning to pace.  "Why couldn't you shove a stake down his throat?"

"I would have if I could!" Buffy growled back.  "Giles, I would have 
done it differently if I had time and if I could have.  I couldn't 
let him bite Willow."

"Buffy, he didn't intend to kill her, only bite her," Giles argued, 
hating himself for his line of thought but unable to stop his own 
argument.  "Willow, we could probably control as a werewolf, I don't 
know what we'd do with a Slayer werewolf."

Joyce recognized the anger and stubbornness coming over her 
daughter's face and moved back to the foot of the bed.  The emotions 
were almost radiating off the young Slayer as she glared at her 
former teacher, mentor, friend and father figure.

"Nothing can hurt Willow!  If it's a choice between Willow's life 
and mine, then there's no contest!" Buffy said quietly but 
firmly.  "I'd rather you keep this goddamn chain on my ankle for the 
rest of my life than see her go through one night of hell as a 
werewolf if I can help it!"

Giles began blushing, remembering the chain and shackle still on the 
young woman's ankle and moved to unlock it, refusing to meet her 
eyes for the moment.

"Buffy," he began quietly.  "How long have you been in love with 
Willow?"

"Oh God," she whispered, her anger dissipating in the face of the 
question.  Her blue eyes quickly sought out her mother's face, fear 
and hope both flashing across the Slayer's face.

"It's okay Buffy," Joyce said softly.  "I realized it when you kept 
calling for Willow and no one else and you took the bite to keep her 
safe."

"I called for her?" Buffy whispered.

"Over and over again," Giles confirmed.

Buffy's head dropped and Joyce moved up to the head of the bed once 
more to hold her daughter close.

"I love her, Mom," Buffy felt herself begin to cry.  "I think she's 
in love with Tara but I realized I'm like in love with her."

"How does Willow feel about you?" Joyce asked.

"I haven't told her," Buffy said softly.

"God, this is going to be complicated," Giles complained.  "I know 
Willow loves you and has been IN love with you for years.  She's 
also very attracted to Tara and Tara is very much in love with her.  
We don't need a love triangle interfering with things right now."

"I know that, Giles!" Buffy snapped.  "That's why I haven't said 
anything to her."

"I don't think you'll have to," Giles mumbled.  "I've seen the way 
she looks at you as well."

"Can we sort this out later?" Buffy argued.  "Don't you think I 
should have food, regain energy, find Xander and Anya and kill Oz 
today?"

Joyce shook her head with a small smile at her daughter's resilience.

"And we have a month to find out if that werewolf bite infected you 
or not," Giles mumbled.

Everyone jumped when the phone on the nightstand rang.  Giles 
reached down and picked up the receiver, expecting the police or 
Tara from the hospital.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hey, old man," Oz's voice cut through any confusion.  "I know that 
Willow isn't at your place but I'm betting that you know where she 
is.  Deal is still good until tonight, she trades herself or Xander 
and his girlfriend won't see daylight.  They're already a little 
worse for wear."

"Don't you dare harm them!" Giles shouted as Buffy swung her legs 
off the bed and her feet hit the floor.  

"Or what?" Oz laughed.  "Just tell her to come alone."

"She doesn't know where you are," Giles protested, hoping to get 
some kind of clue out of the insane young werewolf.

"Willow can figure it out," Oz said confidently and hung up.

"What'd he say?" Buffy demanded.

"He's hurt Xander and Anya," Giles said softly.  "Says he still will 
trade them for Willow and she'll know where he is."

"That doesn't make sense," Joyce complained.

"Nothing makes sense any more," Giles agreed.

************************

Willow moaned, her hand hurt and she was uncomfortable.  Instantly, 
Tara was awake and was still holding Willow's uninjured hand.  She 
tried to smile as Willow opened her green eyes and smiled at the 
other witch.

"Hey, have you been there all night?" she asked softly and knew the 
answer when Tara began blushing and Willow noticed Tara was in the 
same clothes as the day before.  "Did you eat at all?"  

"Yeah, Giles came down yesterday and gave me money for food, he 
figured we hadn't thought to grab money when we left the dorm," Tara 
explained.  "I had dinner while talking with a detective."

"Detective?" Willow questioned.

"Yeah, a Brad Santiago," Tara continued.  "He'll want to talk to 
you. Xander and Anya are still missing and Giles told the police Oz 
has them."

"What did you tell him?" Willow asked anxiously, "And what about 
Buffy?"

"I told him that Oz was your boyfriend and you caught him with 
someone else and broke up.  He came back and hurt you when you went 
to talk with him.  He asked why we didn't call the police from the 
dorm and I admitted that we weren't thinking and only thought about 
getting to Giles' place.  Then I told him that Oz ripped out the 
phone and we couldn't call and Oz attacked us, hurting you again, 
throwing the rest of us around."

Willow nodded.  "Nothing about him getting furry and& what he tried& 
with me?"

Tara blushed a brighter red.  "I told him that Oz tried to h-hurt 
you like that."

"Oh," Willow's eyes dropped to the blanket and the cast on her 
forearm and hand.  She understood that it was probably best to tell 
the police about that part of the attack but it was still an icky 
feeling.  The young college student tried to mentally shake herself, 
she was acting like a typical victim, she knew.  She snapped at 
herself that she had nothing to be ashamed of; he was the one trying 
to hurt her, damnit.

Willow looked up after a moment and moved her hand to gently touch 
Tara's cheek.

"I dreamed of you and Buffy," the red-haired witch said softly.

"I dreamed of both of you," Tara said, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Wow," Willow whispered.  "What does this mean?"

"I don't know," Tara admitted.  "I spent a lot of time thinking last 
night, watching you sleep.  I know what you and B-Buffy do is 
dangerous and living in Sunnydale is risky every day.  I don't want 
to lose either of you."

Willow pulled Tara into a one-armed embrace and held the blonde 
witch close.  "I don't want to lose you or Buffy either."

"So what does that mean for us?" Tara asked.

Willow felt tears filling her eyes again.  "I don't know," she 
admitted.

Tara sat up rapidly when the door opened, her hand reaching under 
Willow's pillow again until they realized it was the doctor from the 
day before and so relaxed.

"Well, how are you feeling, Ms. Rosenberg?"

"Call me Willow, please," the green-eyed young woman smiled. "I'm 
okay." 

"Willow, you should be getting breakfast in a few minutes.  I wanted 
to say that the operation went well," he said, pulling up Tara's 
chair and looking closely at Willow's fingers sticking out of the 
cast.  "I'm not saying things are going to be easy, the bone 
specialist would like to get his hands on your boyfriend."

"What is the prognosis?" Willow asked frankly.

"A long and painful road to recovery," Doctor O'Connor admitted with 
a kind look.  "Your fingers were broken in several places and at 
several different angles.  Like I explained yesterday, a couple of 
months in that cast, another operation to remove the pins, time in 
another cast and then therapy."

"What can go wrong?" Willow asked.

"You push too hard and too soon and undo the work the pins will 
provide under that cast.  There might be some nerve damage, some of 
the fingers might feel a little numb," Dr. O'Connor explained.  "You 
might have some muscle spasms occasionally and definitely arthritis 
when you're older." 

"I thought I might when I got older because of the computer work," 
Willow said thoughtfully.  

"Count on it now," Dr. O'Connor nodded.  

"The numb thing," Willow hesitated.  "How bad could it get?  I'm a 
computer type person."

"It could be a problem typing," the doctor admitted.  "Good thing 
you're right handed, though."

"That bad?" Tara asked.

"Ever try to zip up a pair of jeans with one hand?" Dr. O'Connor 
smiled slightly.  "Or tie your shoes?  Cut up a steak?"

Willow's face went a little pale, realizing what she was facing just 
being in the cast and Dr. O'Connor nodded.

"You'll need a lot of help just with everyday stuff until you 
adapt," he continued.  "There's going to be pain, almost constantly 
and it'll be worse when you start therapy."

"Terrific!" Willow muttered.  

"I know, I'm going to write your follow up and prescriptions while 
they feed you and you'll probably be out of here in an hour," Dr. 
O'Connor smiled and stood up.  "We'll set you up for a follow-up 
appointment."

"Thanks, Dr. O'Connor," Willow said softly.  

"Terrific, we'll get you out of here, we see Giles who has answers 
and Buffy," Tara smiled.

Willow waited until the door was totally shut and reached under her 
pillow.  Tara began blushing when the student pulled out a silver 
dagger.  Willow raised her eyebrows and Tara shrugged.

"Giles brought it for me," Tara explained.

"Good idea," Willow said softly and reached behind Tara's neck and 
pulled the witch's lips to hers.  

Tara wanted to pull back, she didn't want this to get complicated 
until Willow was sure what and who she wanted but she felt herself 
melting into Willow and moaned softly.  She wasn't sure how long 
they kissed but it felt as if it was forever though not long enough.

"Willow," Tara tried after they broke apart, resting her head 
against Willow's.  "That was&,"

"Nice?" Willow asked softly, her hand playing through Tara's hair, 
her breathing faster than normal.

"More than nice," Tara admitted.  "Goddess, what are we going to do? 
I like Buffy and I know that you're in love with her too.  I don't 
want to hurt either of you but I don't want to let this go either."

"I don't know, I really don't know," Willow tried to not break into 
tears again.

"I'm going to call Giles and find out what's going on while they 
feed you."

"Okay, then maybe help me get dressed?" Willow said softly and began 
blushing, hating to ask for help but realizing that she was going to 
need it to even get her jeans back on.

Tara smiled a shy smile and nodded.  

************************







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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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