Fallen

 

Teaser:

 

Willow leant back into the massive pillows, thoroughly enjoying the luxuries of the 5 Star Hotel Suite she was staying in, courtesy of the new Watcher's Council, and her own skills with a computer.

 

`G'night Xander!' she called out.

 

`G'night,' the muffled reply came.

 

`That's what eight hundred dollars a night gets you: paper thin walls, and overly expensive cable TV,' she thought, smiling wryly.

 

Still, it wasn't bad by any means. Spacious rooms, lush carpets... a spa bath. No, it wasn't bad at all. Stifling a yawn, Willow drifted off to sleep.

 

*****

 

 

Gunn, Fred and... Spike? `H - hello?'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

`Is this happening now?' Willow wondered aloud, still watching the scene.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

`She's coming,' they droned in unison, their voices guttural and demonic. `The one you thought was dead will soon be resurrected. A past of anguish, a future of violence... blood begets blood. Born and bred, a new vessel will soon rise - and it shall be your downfall.'

 

*****

 

Willow sat up, gasping for air. The more her heart and breathing returned to normal, the more the dream seemed so far away.

 

`Cold sweat - check! Heart racing - check!' she smiled forcefully. `I hate nasty dreams.'

 

`May I interest you in some waffles?' Xander asked, walking into the room. `The door was open, so I - are you alright?'

 

`Just a bad dream,' the reply came.

 

`You wanna talk about it? I'm all ears!'

 

`Nah, it's - it's okay. I can't really remember it, anyway.' That was mostly true. There was one line, however, that stood out distinctly in her mind:

 

`Beware the warrior, bathed in blood. She's coming. Beware...'

 

Act One:

 

As darkness fell on a desolate highway, a singular light could be seen, traveling slowly towards the nearest city, Diago. The light was attached, rather shabbily, to a motorcycle that sounded as if it was on its last legs. The passenger on the back, a striking woman with blue hair, spoke quietly; yet the driver could hear every word.

 

`I grow weary of this rattling machine. It annoys me.'

 

The driver, a handsome blonde, rolled his eyes and replied. `You've been saying that for the last fifty miles. If you really want us to get anywhere, just buckle down and shut up!'

 

`Your insolence is displeasing, Spike,' the woman said disdainfully. `In my day, a creature such as yourself would've been privileged to be in my presence.'

 

At this, the man snorted. `You'll make no friends if you keep up that whole I-used-to-rule-the- world god-amongst-gods attitude.'

 

`I do not require friends. I function perfectly as a lone hunter.'

 

`Ah. I guess that's why you asked to come with me eh?' This was met with an icy silence. The pair traveled on for a while, still in silence, until the lights from the city came into view. `

 

What do those lights signify?' the woman, Illyria, inquired. `

 

It means we're home.'

 

`I was told home was Wolfram and Hart, our prior habitation.'

 

`Home is wherever you want it to be.'

 

`Is that so?' The woman pondered this for a while.

 

`Look, Blue - ' but his voice was suddenly lost as the motorcycle exploded.

 

*****

 

`Now, you'd think that the Council would be able to afford a limo, wouldn't you?' Xander asked, looking around the dingy little bus he and Willow had just got onto. `Or at least a taxi.'

 

`It's - it's not that bad,' the redhead tried to placate her friend, yet she sounded quite unsure herself.

 

`No, it really, really is. This seat smells like fish!' he pointed to the offending furniture.

 

`Hey, salmon!' she exclaimed, sniffing the headrest.

 

`Okay, you can take the fish-seat, and I,' he paused for a second, smelling the seat next to him. `Right. I'll take the fish-seat, and - '

 

`No, you gave up the fish-seat, you reap the consequences,' Willow smiled and sat down, effectively ending the matter. Xander pouted a little, and sat down, sulking, as the bus pulled away from the station.

 

*****

 

`Well, that's just great. Just - bloody - great,' Spike growled through gritted teeth, and kicked at the remains of his motorbike. `I went on layaway for that Harley. I had one payment left. Just one, no more! And what the bloody hell are you smiling at?' he shouted at Illyria, just noticing the smirk on her face.

 

`Your contempt amuses me,' she grinned wider, knowing she was winding the vampire up.

 

`Well that's fantastic! Glad I could amuse you,' he smiled sarcastically.

 

`Your machine was sabotaged.'

 

`How long did it take you to figure that out?'

 

*****

 

`Hey, mister! Are you a pirate?' a small boy asked, looking at Xander's eye patch in awe. When no reply came, the child's mother ushered him away with a `Come on, Ronny.'

 

`Kids these days. So insensitive,' Xander stared at the back of the child's head. `I bet he wouldn't have lasted thirty seconds against crazed preacher-man Caleb.'

 

`Yeah,' Willow mumbled, obviously distracted.

 

`This is just a guess here, but... you thinkin' about the dream?'

 

`Yeah,' Willow mumbled again. `It's just... I can't remember it, but I feel like I really need to remember it, and - '

 

`Listen, Will. Don't worry. It'll come to you, but there's no sense going on a wild goose-chase over it until you remember it.'

 

`...okay. And... don't mention geese. I'm kinda hungry, and geese, while not the stable food of the masses, could be good on toast. With cheese.'

 

`Well, you should've ate before you came to the factory!' Xander chided cheerfully. Willow looked at him disbelievingly, eyebrows raised.

 

`What...?'

 

`Nothing. Never mind,' Xander's face fell. `Just my feeble little attempt at a pop-culture reference joke. Y'know, the chocolate factory? Buffy did it so much better.'

 

`Oh. Oh! No, I get it!' Willow forced a smile. `Ha! Wonka, and, and... Willy. With the chocolate, and the factory, and the scary little green men.'

 

`Oompa Loompas. They were called Oompa Loompas,' he corrected, and joined Willow at the window, just as the bus sped past a woman with long blue hair, and a blonde man who was kicking something out of vision.

 

`Was - was that... Spike?' Xander asked, craning his neck as the bus kept driving.

 

`No,' Willow swallowed dryly, and looked again. `No, it couldn't have been... could it?'

 

*****

 

`I thought buses were supposed to stop when you signaled them!'

 

`Perhaps it didn't stop because you were too busy venting your rage,' - Illyria stopped and sniffed disdainfully at the remains of the Harley, as if that summed up her feelings about the machine - `instead of actually alerting the driver of that insipid metal box on wheels.'

 

`Um... right. Look, we'd better get the hell outta here if we're to get to your house -'

 

`My shell's house,' Illyria interrupted.

 

`Fine. Your shell's house,' Spike grimaced. ` - before dawn.'

 

Illyria gave him a glare, then stalked off. Spike sighed, before following her.

 

`Why do I always hang around the crazy broads?'

 

The pair walked on in silence, each keeping to their own thoughts, when Illyria suddenly stopped.

 

`We're being followed,' she stated, looking over Spike's shoulder.

 

`What?' Spike began, and turned around. Standing behind him was a creature that looked like a cross between a small tiger and some kind of bird of prey. `Okay, what is that?'

 

A small smile appeared on the demon demi-god's face.

 

`That is a griffon. I haven't seen one of these in over two thousand years.'

 

`And, uh, how do we kill it?'

 

`Watch and learn,' Illyria smiled, cracking her knuckles.

 

The griffon eyed her beadily, then began its advance, cawing softly as Illyria stood stationary, not moving a muscle. After a few seconds of neither party moving, the griffon suddenly let out a shriek, and it's large wings opened up and began flapping.

 

`Not to question your methods, but don't we want it on the ground?' Spike asked, watching the creature warily as it took to the air.

 

`No,' Illyria replied, her eyes never leaving the creature. With another shriek, it suddenly dropped from the air towards her, in a sort of kamikaze dive-bomb attack. At the last moment, the demi-god jumped away and kicked the creature out of the air, watching as it dropped to the ground, certifiably dead. `We don't.'

 

`Alright then,' Spike looked at the dead griffon. `Shall we be on our way?'

 

`Yes. Although...'

 

`Although what?'

 

`Every other time I have encountered these creatures, they've been in packs. There should be others.'

 

`And there they are,' Spike sighed, pointing to the bushes.

 

The pair could distinctly see at least eight pairs of glowing, yellow, beady eyes.

 

Act Two:

`Bugger,' Spike cursed as the group started padding towards them. `No, strike that, double bugger.'

`Do not fear these. Griffons are easily killed,' Illyria replied scornfully.

`Let's hope so, shall we?' Spike asked as three of them took to the air.

                                                                                            *****

`Oh, Xander! This is our stop!' Willow stood up excitedly.

`Diago, here we come! Or... here we are,' Xander frowned, correcting himself. The two grabbed their heavy bags and dragged them off the bus.

`Yeah! Here we are, in the bus-stop, in our new town.'

`This isn't on a Hellmouth, is it?' Xander turned to his friend, suddenly concerned.

`Nope! I did a little research before we set off, and we're Hellmouth free!'

`Thank God,' he sighed. `Had enough rampant demon action to last me a lifetime. So, where's this house?'

The red-head witch pulled a large map out of her pocket, and sat down on her luggage, studying it intensely. `We are... are we here?' she asked, pointing to a spot in the map.

`No, we're... no wait, you're right. We're there.'

`So, if we're here, we need to go down this street, across here, down here, then left here, just past the bakery.'

`Great. Of course the house we need to get to is on the other side of town. Wouldn't be any fun without an excruciating hike and heavy bags, now would it?'

                                                                                          *****

Spike dropped abruptly to the ground as a griffon swooped at him, talons outstretched. As it began to turn back around, he rolled over and jumped back up, this time ready for the attack. The creature finished its full swing, and was now heading for the vampire again. It swooped him again, and Spike ducked once more, but this time quickly turned around and grabbed on to one of it's scrawny legs. It gave a shriek as it stopped in the air, which was cut off when Spike brought it down upon his knee, hard.

Illyria, it seemed, wasn't having as much luck. The other two griffons were doing a weird sort of tag-team, one flying in to peck
at her, and as she'd fend it off, the other would swoop in, ready to scratch. As Spike moved to help her, however, four more came towards him. He braced himself, ready to take them on, when they all stopped.

`What's -' Spike began, but was silenced by another glare from Illyria. The griffons in the air dropped to the ground, looking
through the bushes intently. Then, as if an invisible dog-whistle had been blown, they scampered off. `...that was odd,' Spike commented, looking at the spot where four griffons had been not twenty seconds ago. He turned around, ready to go again, when another rustling began, and he swung around again.

The two watched as a woman made her way out of the undergrowth, head cocked, hands behind her back.

`Oh, I'm sorry. Did you lose your -' she stopped, a loud cawing sound interrupting her entry. `Just one second,' she smiled, then
whirled around angrily. `Shut up! I'm trying to impress here!' She whirled back around, smiling again.

`Uh... did we lose...' Spike left the sentence hanging in the air.

`Your way. Did you lose your way?' she repeated, her head once more cocked to the side.

`No... no, we're fine,' Spike walked backwards, eyebrows raised. `But thanks for asking.'

`You - you don't recognize me at all?' the woman asked hopefully.

`Noooo...' Spike said slowly, frowning at her.

`Fine then,' she sighed, then let out a growl as her face turned vampiric. `I'm Sunday.'

                                                                                         *****

`Well, here we are!' Xander forced out. `Home, sweet home.' He pushed open the gate, and hauled his bag through the garden.

`Hello?' Willow called out, then dropped her bag and knocked on the large wooden door, and waited a while. `Anyone?' she turned to Xander. `I don't think Fred's home yet.'

`Of course. The cherry on the depressing cake - getting stuck outside in the cold, cold night.'

`Well, the house is kinda nice,' Willow tried to make conversation, looking up at the large brick house. `It's... homely.'

`Will, homely is my old house, minus my family in its entirety. Homely is Mrs. Wellington's Feline Boarding House. This is...' he paused, trying to think of a word that summed up the house. `Large.'

`Yeah, but... space is good, right? We like space. No sense gettin' all riled up over who gets to use the bathroom! I say, bathrooms for all!'

`Um, yeah...' Xander looked at her as she walked over to her bag.

`Okay, so maybe not the best of analogies, but you get what I'm saying! Don't you?'

`Yeah, I get what you're saying. At least - ' but he stopped, frowning. `Did - did you just hear that?'

`Hear what? Hear what?' Willow repeated, looking around anxiously.

`N - nothing, I just thought...' Xander trailed off.

`It's okay,' Willow smiled worriedly, dragging her bag quicker.

`Okay, I definitely heard something that time!' Xander whipped around, looking.

`I heard it too,' Willow frowned, then - `Xander, it's just the gate swinging in the wind! See?' she pointed to the rusty gate.

`Uh, Will? There kinda has to actually be wind for something to blow in it. It being the wind.'

`There's no wind...' Willow looked thoughtfully at the gate, which had begun swinging faster. `Something's happening, Xander!'

`Yeah, I kinda get that!' he replied as the gate ripped itself from its hinges, and embedded itself in the lawn. `Some – something's
appearing!' he had to shout now, as a screaming wind had suddenly and violently picked up.

`Look,' Willow murmured, pointing at a shining spot in the middle of the lawn. The spot was steadily growing bigger, into the shape of a human.

                                                                                               *****

`Sunday, eh?' Spike asked, also vamping out. He leapt towards the woman, ready to attack, but she easily sidestepped it, and gave him an almighty kick to the stomach.

`Yeah. Sun-day,' she said slowly, as if to a stupid child. `I'm deceptively strong, don't you know. Oh yeah, broke the Slayer's arm
once.'

`Wait -' Spike muttered, recognition dawning on his face as he stood up. `Didn't you use to hang around with that fat chick, and steal stuff from freshmen?'

Sunday rolled her eyes. `Something like that,' she replied, sounding bored. Without warning, she struck at Spike again, though this time he was ready, and grabbed her hand in his.

`Going to play dirty, are we?'

`Oh, God,' Sunday rolled her eyes again. `Somebody help me! I'm being attacked by a rabid Sid Vicious wannabe!'

`Hey, shut up!' Spike barked, offended. `Less talk, more fighting!'

`Fine by me,' she grinned, and punched him in the face.

                                                                                                 *****

The shining whatever-it-was in the middle of the lawn seemed to have nearly finished forming the shape it was in.

`This doesn't look good!' Xander shouted to Willow.

`You never know, it might be... a nice demon?' Willow returned, also shouting over the roar of the wind.

`Hate to break it to you, Will, but anything that'll send up screaming winds outta nowhere is usually A-grade evil. I mean, we're
talking Big Bad here!' The wind suddenly died down as quickly as it had struck up, and both Xander and Willow looked at the shape. `Get ready,' Xander warned, looking at the shape. A massive light flashed out through the yard, temporarily blinding the two. When it cleared, they finally saw exactly who the shape was.

`Hi, Xander!' Anya waved cheerfully, and stepped forward out of the
light.

Act Three:

`A - Anya?' Xander stammered, shocked.

`Yep! That's me!' she smiled.

`Oh my God!' Xander rushed forward and embraced the ex-demon. `I - I missed you so much!'

Willow watched the scene, also shocked... but in a different way. `Something isn't right,' she thought, looking at the blonde woman.

`Oh.' Anya's smile disappeared as she finally saw Willow. `I see you're still hanging around with the witch.'

`The... witch?' Xander repeated, confused. `Anya, that's... that's Willow, our friend...'

`Get away from her, Xander!' Willow called out suddenly. `Something's wrong!'

`Don't worry sweetie,' Anya smiled seductively, then grabbed Xander round the neck. `This'll only take a second.' With that, she threw him across the lawn.

                                                                                                 *****

`You... bitch!' Spike spat out from the ground.

`Sticks and stones may break my bones, but as for words... well, I don't give a crap about words. Or, come to think about it, sticks or stones,' Sunday pondered, looking to the sky. `Y'know, this is so... boring. You could at least put up a good fight.'

`A little help, Blue?' the peroxide vampire stared incredulously at Illyria, who still hadn't moved from the spot.

`Yeah, c'mon, help him, Blue,' the short woman mocked. `Make this interesting.' Illyria, obviously deciding her help was required, walked over to the female vampire, sizing her up. `Oh, come on,' Sunday sighed disgustedly.

 

Quick as a flash, Illyria palmed her face, sending her to the ground.

`Interesting enough for you?' Spike smiled wickedly.

                                                                                                *****

`So, Willow. How are you? Still meddling in other people business, I presume?' Anya smiled, walking quickly towards her.

`You're not Anya,' Willow stated, feeling surprisingly calm.

`Oh. And I suppose you figured that out all by your little lonesome. How clever.'

`I won't let you do this.'

`Do what? Be Anya? Hate to be the one to tell you this, but I am Anya. Nothin' you can do about it.'

`You're not Anya,' Willow repeated, stronger this time. `I can sense it. You're... different.'

`I am really gonna enjoy killing you.'

`I won't let you destroy Anya's memory. I'll curse you,' Willow continued. She could feel the magick rising within her, almost as if
it were getting ready.

`You'll curse me? No you won't. You won't because you think that if you do, you'll let go and kill someone. You're afraid that those
little magick-school lessons you had going on with Giles did nothing. And let me tell you something: You're right. They didn't do anything.'

`You're wrong. Cronos,' she extended a finger, and thick black cords flew out of her hands, wrapping themselves around the Not-Anya.

`Oh, well done. Very commendable,' she smiled. `Y'know, if my hands were free, I'd clap for you. Really, I would. But here's the
clincher, Willow – this doesn't matter. These ropes, this house, me, you - none of it matters.' As if to prove her point, the ropes
disappeared. `Because something's coming. Something big. And you're all going to die.' The creature, whatever it was, also vanished.

Willow ran over to her friend. `Xander? Are you alright?'

                                                                                                    *****

`You're gonna pay for that. Not now, but soon. We're gonna kill you all,' Sunday snarled from the ground, then quickly ran off, back into the bushes.

`Don't you love it when they say that?' Spike asked cheerfully. `We'd better get goin', Blue.'

`What about the vampire?'

`Never mind. You heard her, she's going to kill us all. Chances are, for her to do that she'll need to meet us again.'

`I suppose,' Illyria said doubtfully, and the two walked off, now hurrying.

                                                                                                  *****

Xander and Willow sat next to each other on the wooden porch.

`She's dead,' Xander spoke out, finally breaking the silence. `It's finally hitting home. Anya's dead. I - I thought that I was going to die in Sunnydale, hell, I thought we were all going to die in Sunnydale… but we didn't. And I was just... enjoying being alive, and it never fully got through.'

Willow watched him sadly. `I know. It's okay.'

`No! It's not!' Xander exclaimed, looking to the heavens. `I just got so caught up in this new life, I forgot about her. I never stopped loving her, not once, even after she and Spike... I just... forgot. And it's eating me up inside. I feel -'

`Guilty?' the red-head spoke out quietly.

`Yeah. Guilty.'

`I've been through this. And you'll deal, in your own way. When I was with Kennedy, it - it felt like I was betraying Tara. And I think
it still would. You'll get over it, mostly, but you need to give it time. No sense spending your life in solitary confinement, now is there?'

Xander gave a sad smile, and looked sideways at Willow. `Thanks.' A pause, then - `What ever happened with you and Kennedy?'

`Well... we broke up.'

`This I know.'

`We got into a fight.'

`About...' Xander prompted.

`Pets. We were gonna get a pet together. Kennedy wanted a dog, and I wanted a little kitty.'

`...so you broke up because you couldn't decide which fluffy animal you wanted to purchase?'

`Not just that. At the climax of the fight, I kinda... well, I shouted "Why couldn't you be more like Tara?", then stormed out.'

`Ouch,' Xander marveled.

`B - but it just proves my point, with the betraying and confinement!' the witch insisted, then looked up sharply as two voices rang out through the night.

`Look, Blue, I don't know why you're fretting, she'll be back soon, and we'll dust her!'

`She is part of something big. Letting her go was a terrible mistake.'

Spike and Illyria squeezed through the hole in the fence where the gate had been, and made their way up the lawn.

`Spike?!' Willow asked incredulously. `You're back!'

`Oh, hey Red. Yeah, I'm back!' he grinned. `The amulet spat me out in L.A. Didn't Andrew tell you?'

`No!'

`Oh yay. Spike's back. Fun, fun, fun for all!' Xander muttered under his breath.

`And Fred! You look... different...' Willow continued, pretending not to have heard Xander.

`She believes I am the Burkle persona. It would be wise to inform her of recent events,' Illyria addressed Spike, then breezed off to the door.

`It's locked,' Xander muttered, not looking at the demon demi-god.

`You are incorrect. This door is unlocked,' Illyria looked scornfully at Xander, then opened the door and stalked in.

`Why didn't I think of that?' Xander glared, grabbing his bags.

 

Act Four:

`So... nice house, Fred!' Willow exclaimed, trying to incite conversation.

At a meaningful look from Illyria, Spike stepped forward to explain. `Red. Willow. Fred... Fred's dead.'

`What?'

`Late last year, Fred was investigating a sarcophagus. I don't know exactly what happened, but somehow the essence of the demon-god Illyria were shot out, and Fred inhaled it. Illyria began hollowing out Fred, intending to use her shell as a body. We tried to stop her, but...' he motioned to the goddess. `Illyria, meet Willow. Willow, Illyria.'

`She fears me,' Illyria commented, watching Willow's shocked reaction.

`She's not evil, though!' Spike hastily added. `Not any more, at least.'

`Well, uh, Illyria, it's nice to meet you!' Willow forced a painful smile.

`Good to know the demon-god isn't evil, what with the inhaling, and the hollowing out,' Xander vocalized loudly, tuning in to Willow's
sadness.

`This one admires my body,' Illyria turned her stare to Xander.

`N - no I don't!' he replied, embarrassed. `Really, I don't!' he turned to Willow.

`There's more,' Spike continued. `On our way here, we were attacked.'

`No offense, but that's basically par for the course if you're traveling after dark,' Xander interrupted.

Spike pushed on, ignoring the comment. `It wasn't the fact that we were attacked, it was the fact that we were attacked by Sunday.'

`Sunday...' Willow frowned, searching her memory bank. `Wait! Didn't she steal Buffy's clothes?'

`Hey, yeah!' Xander chimed in, smiling at the memory. His smile quickly faded, however, when he remembered the conclusion of that little adventure. `Uh, correct me if I'm wrong here, but... didn't Sunday get staked?'

`She did,' Willow assured him. `You sure it was Sunday?'

`She was back, alright. All the proof you need is right here,' Spike pointed to his swelling eye.

`Great. So something that'll try to maim and kill us gets brought back, but our dead friends stay dead. Don't you just love life?'
Xander asked sarcastically. `I mean - '

`She comes now,' Illyria interrupted nonchalantly, her head cocked to the ground.

`...who comes?' Xander frowned. In answer to his question, the howling winds picked up again, whipping through the halls and into the rooms. The shape once again appeared in front of them, but this time it simply flashed brightly, once again turning into Anya.

`I'll curse you again!' Willow threatened, stepping forward and ignoring the shocked look on Spike's face.

`No need, I'll do it myself!' the creature smiled, and brought a purple gemstone out of her pocket. Holding it above her head, she began to chant: `Veni, Verdi, Vici, Vindi. Veni, Verdi, Vici, Vindi. Apocali, grant me power!'

`Cronos,' Willow snarled, and once again the cords flew out of her hands, and around the Anya creature.

`It's too late!' the creature exclaimed, giggling manically. `It's just too - ' she stopped, and began shaking, as if having a seizure.
A massive vortex appeared behind her, and a black light shone down from the ceiling. She continued shaking, and her hair began to grow darker and longer, then her face changed.

`Dru?!' Spike questioned incredulously.

`So very not real!' Xander warned, watching him warily.

At this, Drusilla smiled. `I feel so pretty. It's so nice of you to visit me, Spikey. You and all your friends. May Miss Moffat and I
stay for tea?'

`She's not real. She's not real. Even if she was, you're over her. You're not evil. She's not real,' Spike thought, still staring at
Dru. He snapped out of it, however, just in time to see Illyria leap towards her.

`Does Little Miss Blue Eyes want to play?' Drusilla vamped out, and Spike watched, as if in slow motion, as the two women clashed.

Illyria ducked, blocked a well placed uppercut from Dru, then punched her in the stomach. Drusilla flipped over backwards, then turned around, kicking her opponent in the throat. As Illyria fell backwards the vampire took the chance, and jumped on top of her, punching her viciously in the face. At this, Spike jumped into action, kicking Dru off Illyria, and helping her up.

`You alright?' he asked, slightly concerned.

`I'm fine,' the cold reply came. She ran forward, and hoisted Dru to her feet, immediately swinging her into a wall. Just before she
would've hit, Drusilla vanished into thin air.

`I have disappeared. Little Miss Blue Eyes needs to fi-ind me!' her voice rang out through the house.

Illyria looked jerkily around, angry that she couldn't sense her opponent. `Show yourself.'

`Are you not going to play? Well then,' she appeared behind the demon. `I guess I win!' Obviously about to bite down, she grabbed
Illyria from behind, and opened her mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth.

`No!' Spike shouted, and ran towards her, but he needn't have bothered - Illyria whirled around and punched the vamp in the stomach. Dru looked up, sneering, and disappeared again.

`That wasn't very nice, Miss Blue Eyes. I don't think I wish to play with you anymore!' Dru suddenly appeared behind Xander. `You look like a nice snack. Are you nutritious?' She grabbed him, and hit Willow away as she ran towards her friend.

`Xander!' the witch shouted desperately, standing up.

Drusilla smiled, then bit down. Suddenly, another flash of light shone through the house, and Anya appeared, looking confused. She surveyed the scene, looking at Xander, eyes wide, then ran literally in to Drusilla. The vampire started convulsing, and fell to the
ground, letting go of Xander as he too fell to the ground.

`The vortex!' Spike shouted to Illyria, nodding towards the convulsing Drusilla. The two ran over to the vampire, and threw her
unceremoniously into the vortex. It made a strange electric sound, then vanished.

`Was... was that - ' Xander spoke weakly from the floor. `Anya?'

The light flashed again, and Anya appeared once more. She walked slowly over to Xander, tears in her eyes.

Xander wanted to say something, anything, but found he was catatonic, lying on the floor, tears streaming down his face.

She smiled sadly, knelt beside him, stroking his hair. After a second or two, she whispered something in his ear, then kissed him
passionately.

`I'm sorry,' she spoke quietly, and faded away.

                                                                                                 *****

`Thank God you're alright!' Willow exclaimed, hugging Xander fiercely. He had just woken up, having slept to regain strength after
the attack.

`Apocali was an Old One. He favored glamour creatures, like the one we just faced. They amused him, so he used them as lackeys. I presume that demon was one of his worshippers, as far spread as they may be,' Illyria announced, then turned to Spike. `I must thank you for your concern. Even though it was sorely misplaced, the vampire hadn't a chance of overpowering me... thank you.'

`S'alright,' Spike smiled, amused. `It's what friends do.' Illyria opened her mouth, possibly to inform Spike that she didn't require
friends, but she was cut off as the vortex opened up again. `What the - ' the blonde vampire began, but stopped as something fell out of said vortex. With a flash of bright light, the vortex disappeared, temporarily blinding the group.

As Willow's vision returned, she could vaguely see the outline of the whatever-it-was on the floor.

`Looks... human,' she thought.

She wasn't wrong. An innocent face, long hair, scared eyes. As Willow's vision returned, she gasped, falling to her knees. She
wanted to scream, cry, exclaim, do something - but found she was choking up.

`T - Tara?'

-fin-

Next week, on Willow, the Series:

Tara's back.

Willow: Xander, she - she won't even talk to me!
Xander: Look, Will... just give her time. She's been brought back from the dead, remember how that affected Buffy?
Willow: But this is different. I can sense it. Xander... I think Tara was in hell.

But something is undeniably wrong...

Shot of Tara walking away from a sobbing Willow.
Cut to Tara and Xander looking at each other from opposite sides of
the table.
Tara: She can never know.
Xander: But... why?

...and Sunday sure isn't going to help.

Shot of Sunday, standing in the doorway, glaring at Willow and Tara.
Sunday: Oh, wow. Witches. Are you like, going out? That'd be so typical new-age crap.
Zoom in on Sunday's face as she vamps out.
Sunday: And I hate new-age crap.

Willow, the Series: 1x2 - Return to Me.

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