Laying Tara down on the mattress Buffy reached out to smooth wildly strewn blonde locks. The woman Buffy Summers loved was now dead, but soon Buffy's mate would rise and she sought to prepare her. Still naked as she moved to the bathroom, Buffy stepped to the stairs to peek down and see the head of her sister and sire Dawn.
The youngest Summers had been standing guard in case Willow deviated from her schedule and returned home early. While they didn't want to reveal their true nature yet bringing Tara across was vital and she had instructed Dawn to do whatever was necessary to keep Willow from interrupting. They also didn't want to kill the witch right away because they wanted to make her pay for the hurt her magick had caused.
So there the girl sat, with the headphones her sister had insisted on affixed over her ears and a bored expression affixed to her face. Buffy grinned to herself and resolved to find a way to repay Dawn. She had been eager to help with Buffy's plan to turn the Wiccan but Buffy still wanted to reward good behavior.
Padding her bare feet the rest of the way to the bathroom Buffy gathered the materials to clean herself and Tara and quickly returned to the bedroom. After cleaning Tara and herself Buffy dressed Tara in her favorite outfit and clad herself in the dark leathers she had been developing a greater taste for. Cradling Tara like the treasure she was Buffy carried her downstairs where Dawn quickly jumped up from the couch.
The teen had a wide smile on her face. "Did you do it?"
Buffy just grinned at the girl's enthusiasm and nodded while pointing her head at the door. "Yeah. Now let's get going." The vampires had planned well because the rest of the Scoobies were all at the Magic Box researching some whispers Spike had heard about some new dark power rising amongst the vampires.
When they had first planned to bring Tara across they weren't sure where they should bury the witch, but they knew they weren't going to use some hole in the ground. It was after Buffy admitted why and how she was going to turn Tara that Dawn suggested using Buffy's grave. The teen's reasoning had been that if they were going to share a bed then why shouldn't they share a grave as well? Buffy found herself agreeing with the sentiment and liking the fact that she could find shelter within a mausoleum that allowed her to keep watch over Tara's grave during the full day the blonde had to lie dead.
Dawn had tried to dissuade her sister from what she thought was a needless chore, but looking into Buffy's eyes she realized the sun itself couldn't keep Buffy from watching over her Tara. So Dawn gave a sigh and returned home before the sun rose.
This time home was the Summers residence rather then the numerous crypts and similar places Dawn would spend her days when she was supposedly at school. Of course it was a weekend so she should be at home, which would allow her to see Willow's face when she got there and Tara was gone.
While Dawn had liked Willow when she was mortal but when she realized that Willow had dragged Buffy from Heaven her feelings turned to hate. After she had died Buffy's discovery of the mind control spell actually had the teen ready to kill Willow and be done with it, but Buffy had suggested that they prolong the suffering and Dawn readily agreed. The fact she got to be the first to hurt Willow was just gravy.
Walking through the door she found Willow pacing the living room and was proud of herself that she was able to keep the grin from her face. Not only did she keep the grin from her face, but she feigned confusion at Willow's worried state. "DAWN! Are you ok?"
Dawn shrugged. "Sure. Are you?"
Willow managed a nervous smile at the question. "Just worried. I mean I got home form the Magic Box and nobody was here. Not Buffy nor Tara, and they were supposed to be, and Giles thought they were going to be so he went driving around to try to find them. Have you seen them?"
Dawn nodded slowly, making sure to exaggerate the expression that she thought Willow was a crazy woman. "Just a little bit ago. How do you think I got home?" What she didn't include was that Buffy had been teaching her how to fight and Dawn had no trouble staking one dumb fledgling that couldn't tell her apart from the mortal herd.
"So? Where are they?" Willow had seemed initially calmed, but the teen's demeanor was getting to her.
Dawn shrugged again and started walking to the kitchen. She wasn't actually hungry as she had run into some foul mouthed former classmates of hers who had told her all sorts of nasty things they wanted to do to her. She trumped them by killing and feeding on one of them before dragging the other three to Buffy for Tara's first meal.
Still the maneuver had the effect of agitating Willow further, especially since Dawn refused to make eye contact as she looked through the cupboards. She did however speak. "They’re looking into the new Big Bad."
Willow tried grasping at the straw. "Buffy knows something about the new Big Bad?"
Dawn was glad she had her head in the cupboard because she couldn't hide the grin, but she got rid of it before she responded. "Looks like it."
Again Willow tried fishing for more information. "And she took Tara with her to look for him?"
She didn't know if it would make Buffy mad or not, but she decided to play a little bit more. "Actually Buffy's sure it's a she."
Dawn then pulled her head from the cupboard and looked Willow in the eye as the sorceress spoke. "You mean like a Queen of the Damned?"
Dawn nodded and then twisted her face. "Well I doubt she's all Aalliah like with the chest armor and stuff, but yeah."
"We should tell Giles. He should be back soon, but you should get ready for bed little lady." Willow was smiling more genuine now and while it made Dawn want to snarl slightly she managed to keep the smile on her face.
"I've been up all night already. I might as well stay up until Giles gets back, but I'll go get READY." While Dawn would usually get ready to sleep at this point so she didn't have to dodge sunbeams while brushing her fangs she was playing the difficult teen and decided to keep it going.
She was in her pajamas when Giles got back and she filled him in on the little details she had given Willow. Up to this point she had been enjoying herself, but she felt bad lying to Giles. While she had a long list of the grudges with the Witch her memories of the Watcher, both mortal and vampire, were good ones, but they were making an omelet and that meant breaking eggs.
To their surprise Dawn quickly excused herself to bed, but while the sun rose and they talked Dawn buried herself under some of the biggest and thickest blankets in the Summers' house. Downstairs Giles and Willow talked.
Giles cleaned his glasses as he spoke. "I must say that it is rather unusual for Buffy to be gone all night with out some form of contact..."
Willow was back to pacing as she interrupted. "With Tara."
Giles sighed as he put his glasses back on. "Yes, but perhaps she needed a witch to help her uncover more about this new vampire queen."
Willow might have been listening, but she didn't seem ready to accept what she was being told. "Well then why didn't Buffy get me? I mean I AM the better witch... Tara says so herself."
Giles had his own thoughts on that, but chose to keep them to himself. "Well you weren't here. Tara was."
While Willow was obviously frantic she showed she still retained her faculties. "But she still could have called. I mean you could have drove me here from the Magic Box if Buffy needed a witch."
Giles realized that she was correct. If Buffy had needed a witch she would have probably called Willow. While he had reservations he couldn't deny the redhead's power, and more than that Buffy seemed far more relaxed around Willow, but perhaps that was it. "Maybe she just decided to involve Tara more. You had mentioned Tara had been feeling a bit left out. Perhaps Buffy was trying to make her feel welcome."
Willow smiled, but then the smile vanished. "Yeah, and that's great and all, but still. All night? What could they be doing all night? I hope they aren't hurt."
Buffy wasn't hurt, but her eyes were. Her transformation had made her night vision even more acute then it was when she was a slayer, but it also made her eyes all the more sensitive to daylight. Sunglasses helped, but even then her eyes screamed at the glare reflecting from her own tombstone. Yet Buffy refused to look away.
Tara was there. Her body was finishing its mortal death and transforming to begin its immortal life, and Buffy wasn't about to let a little eyestrain keep her from watching over Tara as that happened. Of course the dangers to Tara were minimal as any newborn vampire has the instinct to avoid the sun but Buffy feared a nosy Scooby deciding to pay her grave a visit. Or just some graveyard groundskeeper wondering why the earth had been torn up twice in rapid succession.
So she watched, and waited as the discomfort in her body first grew as the sun traveled across the sky, and then waned as it sank. While she had secured herself far back enough inside the crypt to avoid being burned all vampires could feel its passage. It was why they usually slept through the day. Only then did they not feel the burning orb's travel over head.
When the sun slipped past the horizon banishing the last traces of day the target of Buffy's vigil moved. First, just a bulging of dirt from something pressing upward from underneath; then a delicate white hand that was followed by a long slender arm.
By the time the arm had come in view Buffy had streaked across the distance and grabbed hold. While Tara was showing herself fully capable of digging herself out of her grave Buffy wanted to make sure she felt something pulling to her other than that first craving for blood.
As Tara's head emerged the normally soft planes of her face were replaced by the hard lines of her vampiric visage, but that was to be expected. Buffy just put an arm around Tara's waist and led her into the crypt that had concealed Buffy during the day.
The moment Tara laid eyes on the three bound mortals instinct took over and she pounced on the first, actually breaking his neck in her vigor to tilt his head out of the way. The other two began screaming through their gags as they watched their friend's blood being devoured, but even if Buffy cared she was too busy watching Tara indulge her new state.
Dropping the third and final body to the ground Tara turned back to Buffy and was back in her human face, albeit a human face with blood running from it's lips, cheeks, and chin. She then gave Buffy her patented half grin and held open her arms. Buffy quickly stepped into the embrace and lapped on the blood that was now starting to run down Tara's neck.
While Buffy enjoyed the taste of the blood and the fear it carried, the taste of Tara was far more powerful. As she cleaned Tara's face of the traces of her first feeding some got on her own face, but once her mouth was clear Tara began cleaning Buffy in a similar fashion until the two girls were sharing the blood as they shared a kiss.
Breaking the kiss Tara pulled Buffy's face to her chest and spoke her first words since rising from her grave. "Thank you."
Pulling back from Tara's bosom Buffy looked into her eyes. "I love you."
Tara responded with a passion she had never allowed herself when she was mortal. "I love you too."
Buffy's expression then dropped. "While I want to make love to you right here and now we should probably get you cleaned up. Willow's going to be wondering where you are."
At the mention of her former lover's name Tara's face reverted to it's vampiric state. "Why would I care about her?"
Buffy reached up and ran her fingers over the harsh lines. "So that we can make her truly suffer for what she's done."
Tara got a feral smile. "I could truly make her suffer."
Buffy grinned and gave her a kiss. "That comes later. Trust me."
Suddenly Tara's face slid back to it's human state. "Always."
Realizing what Tara meant Buffy blushed. "Then I need you to trust me now. We need to let Willow know about us in the most painful way possible."
Tara gave another one of her truly unique smiles and Buffy smiled back. "But first. Are you full? I mean you can't go plotting revenge on an empty stomach."
Tara ran her hand down Buffy's neck to stop right above her chest. "There's only one person's blood I want to taste, but that could leave a mark the Scoobies could see."
Buffy's smile grew to a grin. "You've gotten better at the spicy talk."
Tara grinned back. "I guess dying agreed with me."
Buffy was still grinning as she took her hand and led her out of the mausoleum, having one last thought she voiced it. "It must have... you haven't stuttered."
Tara's voice was soft and her eyes were distant, contemplative. "I don't have anything to be afraid of anymore."
Dawn was the first to notice the two getting back, but since it was her vampiric senses that told her they were there she had to play like she was as dumb as the rest of the Scoobies. They had gathered there when no one had heard from either Buffy or Tara in twenty-four hours. Except for Dawn of course, but she could tell that they didn't take her seriously. While it left her wanting to rip their throats out she knew that Buffy's plan for them would make it all worth while.
The only glitch so far was Spike. The Summers sisters had been deliberately avoiding Spike, and now with Tara as a member of the family they knew the odds of detection were that much greater.
Luckily Spike had elected to spend the day sleazing around the sewers to see if anyone had anything on Buffy, Tara, or the rumors of a vampire queen. So he had only gotten there after sundown, but even then he kept looking at Dawn like he wanted to ask her a question.
For her part Dawn was ready to stake him if he asked, but when her sister got back Spike's vampire senses picked up the arrival of the two people and they all got up to greet them. Of course "greet" was probably a little too polite a term. It was more of a friendly interrogation, Xander being the first to begin the questioning. "So why you looking so rough Buff? Not to mention the tattered Tara?"
Willow had already moved up to begin examine Tara herself, and while the newly sired vampire managed to smile at Willow's look of concern Dawn could tell both Tara AND Buffy had tensed up as Willow was touching what she thought was her girlfriend.
Giles then took the lead. "Were glad to see you both alive and well..."
Even though the three girls were now vampire's they all felt a brief bit of guilt at deceiving the kindly Watcher, but it quickly passed as he kept speaking. "So can we assume your condition is related to this new evil?"
Buffy nodded and as she took a breath to speak Dawn wondered what she would say. Since she didn't know about Dawn telling them the new evil was a woman, but as Buffy spoke Dawn realized they were on the same wavelength. "Giles... Could a slayer be turned?"
The Watcher was taken back as were the rest of the Scoobies, though Spike got a look in his eye none of the three other vampires liked. Yet when he stayed silent they did as well. Giles however tried to respond to the question. "It's unprecedented. All known attempts to turn a slayer were ineffective. Can you describe her?"
Before Buffy was left to come up with an answer Tara leapt to her aid. "Um M-M-Mister Giles? M-Maybe we can l-l-l-look at s-s-s-some pictures?" She punctuated her statement by leaning into Willow like she was tired.
Buffy wanted to growl at Willow touching her Tara, but instead she followed her lover's lead. "Yeah Giles. I mean me and Tara have been going nonstop and could REALLY use some rest."
Giles nodded. "Of course. I think we could all use some sleep. In the morning? At the Magic Box?"
Buffy smiled. "We'll probably be asleep. If we are could you bring it by the house?"
Giles smiled. "Of course."
The group then broke up. Xander, Anya and Spike heading for their own residences while the residents of the house got ready for bed. Both Buffy and Tara paused as Willow lead Tara into their bedroom.
When she closed the door behind them Buffy was staring a hole in it. Dawn walked up and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Don't worry Buffy. If Willow tries anything I'm sure Tara will just go ahead and kill her."
Buffy actually smiled at the thought. "You're right. Ok, as soon as Willow is asleep. The three of us are going to pay Spike a visit."
Dawn's face grew serious. "You saw it too?" Buffy just nodded.
Inside the bedroom Willow noticed Tara's scattered clothes and the disarray of their bed, but she was grinning as she looked at Tara. "Honey? Did you have... fun while I was gone?" Willow blushed as she said it but Tara got what she meant.
Of course Willow thought Tara had done it alone, but that just made Tara grin all the more, but she looked away shyly so Willow would think she was right. "Y-y-yes."
The two had changed as they talked and then proceeded to crawl under the covers as Willow spoke in a seductive whisper. "I guess that means you probably wouldn't want some... help?"
While Tara wanted to agree before getting up and heading into Buffy's room instead she faked fatigue and yawned. "A-actually I'm kinda sleepy."
Willow relented and snuggled into Tara's side. "Ok honey. Maybe in the morning?"
Tara was glad Willow's head was snuggled to her shoulder because her face had transformed, but she shifted it back before speaking. "M-maybe."
In another bedroom Buffy's face was also in it's vampiric visage, and for a similar reason, the desire to rip out Willow's throat and drain every last drop of blood from her. Again the vampires were able to restrain themselves and Willow was promised another day of life.
In Dawn's bedroom the young vampire was playing a Game Boy Advance she had stolen when she had first started spending her school days in a crypt. Something that made her the last to emerge from her bedroom. Buffy was the first because she didn't have anything to do except come up with what Willow might be trying to do to her Tara and ways to punish the witch for trying.
Tara was next and that was mostly because after she slipped out of Willow's arms she had to resist the urge to wrap her hands around her former lover's throat and strangle the life out of her. Compared to the time it took to overcome that urge getting dressed was a breeze. Though as she put on her old clothes she thought she might want a wardrobe change more befitting her new state.
All those thoughts vanished as she stepped into the hallway and saw Buffy. The only thought that remained was the one she acted on when she pulled Buffy into her arms and began kissing the former slayer passionately. The two lovers then rested against each other, Buffy finally being the one to speak in a whisper. "Feel better?"
Tara took hold of Buffy's hand and nodded but then gave her half grin as she whispered back. "I think I'll need to kill someone though... preferably someone with red hair." Buffy matched Tara's grin as the two walked into Dawn's room without knocking. Dawn looked up at them and then nodded, turning off her Game Boy and setting it aside. Just as quietly the three walked to the backdoor. After listening to make sure the breathing of the Watcher was deep and even in sleep.
The Englishman they went to visit wasn't sleeping, but he also didn't need to breathe. He did so however as the three entered his crypt. Buffy walking up to engage him while Tara and Dawn stayed back, the vampiric witch resting her hands on the girl's shoulders.
Spike took a breath and then addressed Buffy. "Is it true?"
Buffy played dumb, dumb and angry. "Is what true?"
Spike sighed. "Are you her? The new Big Bad? The slayer who got turned?"
Buffy then played disgusted and Spike looked ready to apologize as Buffy grabbed him by the throat and slammed him back against the wall. As he hit the stone she was in game face. "You're smarter than I thought."
She stepped back and was smiling as she shifted back into human appearance. Spike however was stunned. "How?"
Dawn puffed up her chest where she was standing and both Tara and Dawn gave a grin. Spike however was horrified. "Nibblet? But how?"
Dawn shrugged. "Giles was a little late to the rescue."
Spike still didn't want to believe. "But you killed him, that Justin boy."
Again Dawn shrugged. "Angel killed his sire. I killed mine... both with an arrow. Kind of ironic, especially since we did it for the same person."
Buffy then picked up the story. "She then realized where the spell had taken me from and she realized that she could send me back while keeping me here with her."
Spike wasn't in denial anymore, but he was still confused as he looked to Tara. "What about... her?"
Buffy got a lazy, sensual grin as she looked over her shoulder to Tara and Tara matched the grin as she walked from one Summers to the other, wrapping her arms around Buffy's waist from behind. Spike's jaw dropped. "You too?"
Buffy giggled. "She just has that effect. Of course she had more to work with than most people realized. I mean look at the men in my life. Could I have been more repressed?" Tara just kept grinning as she reached up a nail and scratched Buffy's cheek. She then leaned in and licked up the trail of blood.
Spike found the move eerily familiar and sank into a chair to deal with his thoughts. "So I'm guessing you didn't come here to ask me to keep your secret in the name of vampire solidarity?"
Dawn huffed and walked closer to the rest of the group. "It's not like you haven't betrayed the Scoobies before. Just pretend you're working for Adam again."
Spike arched a brow at the girl. "Yeah, but he promised to remove my chip. Can you promise that?"
Buffy smiled brightly. "No, but I'm pretty sure I could remove your head."
Spike slunk into his chair. "You forget Slayer. Now that you’re a vampire there's nothing stopping me from killing you."
Buffy slipped from Tara's arms and leaned over Spike chair from the back. "Face it Spike, you couldn't beat me when I was alive, and now there's nothing keeping me from killing you."
Tara stepped around in front of Spike's chair. "Let me sweeten the deal..."
Spike interrupted with a crude grin. "Now your talkin."
Before Spike could continue to talk Buffy slapped the side of his head with her full strength, and her new might made Spike visibly wince at even that casual contact.
Tara just smiled. "Thank you darling."
As Buffy smiled back Tara addressed sole man in the room. "Listen Spike. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut, and in return I will begin research on a spell to remove your chip."
Spikes eyes got wide. "You can do that?"
Tara shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I will see if I can find a way."
Buffy was looking unsure as she spoke to Tara. "I thought you said magick couldn't help with mom's brain tumor."
Tara walked forward and caressed Buffy's cheek, heedless of the vampire sitting between them. "I'm sorry Buffy, but your mother was alive, and there was too much that could go wrong. Since Spike is dead the odds are better."
Spike held his hand up to attract their attention. "Wait a second. Better, but not sure right?"
Tara nodded. "I won't lie to you Spike. I'm not sure how, or even if it can be done, but I will do all I can."
Dawn then piped in. "And until then I can hunt with you and I'll do the killing."
Spike actually seemed to shudder at the casual way Dawn spoke, but her sister chimed in. "She's better than you'd think Spike. She killed her first slayer at fifteen."
Spike was still in shock, but when he saw all three girls grinning he slowly started to grin himself.
