Braving the Storm, Part 1

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Prologue....

She's here. Those two words kept ringing in the mind of a man as he unlocked the door to an abandoned warehouse where he was forced to stay in order to keep himself secret. The man wore a pair of dark blue jeans with a black belt around the waist. Tucked into the tight jeans was a white t-shirt with a cut-off flannel button up shirt over it. The cut-off at the sleeves flannel shirt was left untucked. He had long black hair that he held tied in a single ponytail at the base of the man's neck.

The man was a caucasion man with a slight blonde colored beard and mustache that was groomed well. He locked the warehouse doors after he entered the warehouse. He walked across the room of the first level of the warehouse and reached the stairs. The man was carrying a bag with a few groceries in it. He maneuvered up the stairs into what used to be the main office when the warehouse was in use. Now, it's what he used to sleep in, eat in, and do his other business in. He shut the glass door behind him and moved to the far wall.

Aligned on the far wall was a large rectangular table he'd taken from somewhere. All over the table were different equipment he'd stolen from a security factory before he arrived in Sunnydale. There were three large television sets, four smaller sets set up on top of them and set up under the tables were different vcrs and computer systems that were designed to receive and send out camera systems. As the man sat down in front of the table, he turned the television sets on and used a remote he held to turn the computer systems on and bring them all online. On the large TV sets were familiar settings in the city.

The TV set on the far left was the Magic Box, set just on the outside. Next to that set was the image of the University of California at Sunnydale. And next to that was the outside of the Summers House. The man removed the set of binoculars from around his neck as he placed it on the floor. He looked from the three television sets, then glanced above them at the smaller television sets. The four sets showed activity at two different places of business. Two cameras were placed at each place, at different locations. The first two smaller sets showed the Espresso Pump, while the other two sets showed activity of an Italian restaurant.

As he watched the seven different sets of Television, his gaze sharpened as he spotted something. He lifted his fingers of his right hand and placed them against the set that showed the Summers House. His fingers moved over a certain figure that exited the front door. The figure was feminine. The woman on the screen wore a long sleeved pink sweater type shirt and a long quilted skirt that went from her waist down her shapely legs. As his gaze intensified, he watched her as she raised one of her hands and moved her dark blonde hair back from her face. The man watched as her blue eyes gazed at the yard of the house, then back to the inside of the house. It was then that the man noticed something.

Her other hand, the one that wasn't moving her hair, was inside the door, out of his sight. As he watched, she tugged with her arm and another woman came into view of his television. The man's fingers suddenly left the television and he stood abruptly, rage and anger filling his face as well as his eyes. He watched as the other woman, a redhead just a little shorter than the blonde, came into view holding the blonde's hand. Then, the redhead moved forward and brushed her fingers through the blonde's hair, smiling while she did so. Then, the two of them headed over to a car that was parked in the driveway. It was a Chevy Blazer, Year 2000 model. There were two other people in the vehicle.

Moments later, the Chevy Blazer pulled away from the house. The man clenched his hands tight. He gritted his teeth as he muttered into the empty room. "Damn bitch thinks she can steal what's mine. I'll show her. I'll show her." the man muttered as he turned to his right and walked over to where a closed cabinet was situated. Opening it on both sides, he looked at what lay inside. There was a shrine of pictures and papers and notes all over it. The pictures were of the dark blonde and the papers and notes were of words he'd written, love letters.

He'd followed her here. She'd thought he'd forget about her once she left her home and family. She should have known he wouldn't give up. He'd spent too much time with her to just let go. He had to have her and he would do whatever it took to have her. And he'd take care of that woman who held the blonde's hand and anyone else who dared get in his way.

He would have her. "I will have you, my Tara. I will have you." he said, smiling at the picture of Tara Maclay.

The man remained silent for several moments before the sound of his cell phone ringing caught his attention. He picked the phone up and flipped it open. He moved it to his ear. "Yeah." the man said into the phone.

There was silence as he listened to the person on the other end.

Then the man spoke. "Yes, I'm here. Yes, I've found her. Don't worry about it."

A moment later, the man flipped his phone shut and continued to gaze at the shrine. "Soon my Tara. Soon, you will be mine again."

Part 1

Tara sat on one side of a booth that had red cushions. She was at one of the local pizza restaurants and Willow was in the restroom. She'd just left a few moments ago and the peace and quiet allowed the blonde to just sit and think about how things were going in her and Willow's lives. It was now just about two and a half weeks since the attack by Saijhan and Amy and two and a half weeks since Saijhan's last gift almost destroyed both her and Willow.

And since that entire event had passed, she and Willow's relationship seemed to get stronger and stronger as each day passed. And it started with the night Willow had proposed marriage to her. That night was exquisite and it was one that Tara would forever hold in her heart as one of the best ever. They'd spent most of the entire night making love, neither of them full satisfied with the other. It was a night of blissful promises and guarantees of the future.

Tara smiled as she gazed at the gold ring on her finger. She loved wearing the ring because, in her mind, it was like having a brand burned into her skin. Or like having a slave collar around her neck. It meant that she belonged to Willow and that the entire world could look at her and see that. That's one thing Tara always wanted people to see. That she belonged to Willow because to Tara, she did.

Willow and Tara had already gone to a few churches in the city and they asked the preachers how they were with marrying couples of the same sex. Although they found that most of the preachers were not tolerant of homosexuality because of what they deemed was immoral, there were a few that would wed them. The main problem that kept rising between Willow and Tara was how and where their wedding would be. They had to deal with what Tara's religion was and Willow's. Willow wanted to have a Jewish wedding, but Tara wanted their wedding to be Wiccan related. They had arguments over it, but the last argument they had seemed to lessen. They would have their fights, but at the end of the day, they would put their problems aside and be together.

Tara looked up as the redhead returned. Willow sat down on the booth, on the same side as her lover. They had already made their order and they were just waiting for it to finish cooking. Willow had her hair combed straight back, her usual style. She wore a pink shirt with see through material covering her arms. A pair of jeans covered her legs as she crossed her ankles. She leaned her shoulder against her lover's and smiled as she looked at the ring on her own finger. Tara had surprised her just one week ago with the ring. Willow hadn't expected it and that was what made it all the more special. Her thumb from her right hand rubbed the gold band.

"What are you thinking?" Tara asked.

Willow shrugged. "I'm thinking.....life is going good for us right now."

Tara nodded, her hand seeking out her lover's and intertwining their fingers together. "Yeah, things are going good. We have a wedding to get ready for, a life to have, a future to build, what's wrong with that."

Willow bumped shoulders with her. "Nothing, that's what." she grinned as she stole a quick kiss from her lover, not caring one way or the other that there were other patrons all around them. She was out having dinner with her lover and she wasn't going to let just being in public take away her time to be affectionate with Tara.

Tara squeezed the fingers she held as she took a sip from her soda. It was just around two o'clock in the afternoon and after they left the Pizzaria, they were heading back to the house for a few hours before Tara had to get to her Summer class. Her Trig class was at five until six thirty. So far, Tara wasn't finding the class all that difficult because each night, she and Willow would go through it and the redhead helped her study. Looking down at their joined hands, Tara felt an overwhelming sense of happiness. A feeling she was relieved to still have. She had thought for sure things were over for them after she left Willow. She didn't expect to be this happy ever again.

And with their wedding coming up sooner than they could believe, things were really starting to turn around. But, as always, when she thought about the wedding, she thought about their argument and that led to something else that had put a small rift between them. The blonde sighed. She didn't want to think about this right now.

"What's wrong baby?" Willow leaned down so she could see Tara's blue eyes.

Tara gazed at her. "You don't want to hear about this right now."

Willow gripped the hand she held. "Tara, we made a promise, remember?" she said. They had made a promise. A promise they'd made after making love the night they restarted their relationship. They'd promised each other that there would be no more secrets and whenever one of them was concerned about something, anything, that they would talk about it. "Tell me what's wrong."

Tara sighed, there wasn't any way to avoid this. "I was just thinking about the wedding and that got me to thinking about our little argument over it and that kind of got me concerned about...that other thing." she told the redhead. She knew Willow knew what she was talking about.

Willow looked down, fighting an urge to walk away. She hated the other thing that hung in the air between them. "Oh." she muttered, ashamed about it. Their argument over how the wedding should be kept coming to this other thing that was slowly building a rift between them. Neither witch wanted the rift to be there, but they couldn't seem to stop it. "I'm sorry Tara. I want to tell them, I do. It's just..." she paused, "I don't know if I can."

Tara leaned back in the booth. The other thing they kept going back to was about telling Willow's parents, the Rosenbergs, about their engagement. Willow had already told them about her sexual preference and they'd even met Tara once. And both Tara and Willow knew that the Rosenbergs didn't give off the impression that they liked Tara very much, so that was adding to why Willow wasn't telling them yet. "You don't really want to tell them, do you?" Tara murmured, her heart tightening at the statement.

Willow opened her mouth to deny it, but that promise they'd made shut her mouth. No more lies. "No." she said quietly, looking down. "I don't."

Deep down, Tara had known it was true and she thought she could handle it if Tara ever told her. But having her lover, her soulmate, tell it to her face was like a harsh slap in the face and Tara was feeling slightly betrayed. Her fingers stilled and she slowly pulled them out of Willow's hand. She crossed her arms and stared out the window. She bit her lip as she felt her eyes filling up with tears. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Tara replied, "But I am....and it hurts." she whispered the last words.

Willow closed her eyes and let the pain from the words hit her. "I'm sorry." she told her lover. "My parents.....they don't like you. You and I both know it. I want them to be at the wedding, but I know what they'll say when I tell them. They won't go."

Tara looked back at her. "So, what your saying is....you won't tell them because you don't want to face the fact that they won't be there."

Willow nodded.

Tara shook her head, not sure of what she could say. The rift was between them now. There wasn't a way around it. They stayed silent as the waiter came with their meal. After he left, Willow took a chance and moved her left hand down and gave Tara's right thigh a gentle squeeze. She was relieved when Tara didn't pull away or move Willow's hand away. They both ate some of their meal for a few minutes, silent. Then Tara raised her hand and asked the question she had been running through her head for a while.

"Do you even want to get married?" she asked.

Willow's entire body froze and she jerked her head to Tara's face. "Yes." she swore vehemently and without hesitation. "Tara, I meant what I told you. I love you and I want to share my life with you, no one else. I want to marry you, very much."

"Then why?" Tara let the tears fall down her cheeks. "Why won't you tell them? Do you.....do you feel ashamed of me...of us when you're around them?"

Willow closed her eyes. She hated seeing the pain in her lover's eyes. It hurt so much that she couldn't see straight. But she owed Tara the truth. "I am not ashamed of us, Tara. Never think that." she said, grabbing her lover's hand. "I don't want to tell them because I don't want to see you go through anymore pain. You can't ever make amends with your own family, I don't want you thinking the same about me."

Tara nodded slowly, trying to understand her lover's words, but not really succeeding. She continued with her meal as Willow did the same. About ten minutes later, they finished the pizza and were getting ready to leave. Willow rose out of the booth and turned as Tara started to rise. Halfway up, Tara stopped and sat back down. She turned to Willow and held her hand out. "Can you give me my pills?" she asked.

Willow's eyes widened. "You're having an attack?"

"Not yet, but I feel one coming. Dr. Shaw told me that if I start being able to know when they're coming before they hit, I can take the pills to stop the pain." Tara said.

Willow reached into her small handbag and gave her lover the bottle of pills. She watched with growing sadness as Tara took two of the pills out and placed them in her mouth, taking a large sip of soda to wash the pills down with. Then, Tara rose and the two women headed to the cash register. Willow paid for their lunch and they exited the restaurant. The restaurant they had eaten at was only two blocks from the house and since it was daylight out, there wasn't any worries about walking home.

They held each other's hands as they walked back to the house. Even though they were having a major argument over Willow's parents, they weren't going to let it ruin things for them. They leaned against each other as they continued their way back to the house. They didn't see it, but a camera lodged into the ground near them followed their walk.

---**---

Giles had two pads over his hands as he stood in place. In front of him was Buffy, getting into her fighting pose as she began to throw rights and lefts against the pads. The Slayer and Watcher were in the basement of the Summers House. Since the blowout at the Magic Box, Giles had decided to ask Buffy to turn her basement into a new training room. Buffy thought the idea was a good one, so they'd worked during the past two weeks since Giles's return and done so.

The Watcher had been shocked at hearing what had happened when he went back to England to clear things up there before he came back to Sunnydale. Learning that a demon sorceress named Saijhan and Amy had joined forces to destroy Buffy was one thing, but learning that something had taken over Tara's body and forced her to try to end the world was something else all together. He couldn't fathom Tara being that evil. She was too gentle to the older man.

"Switch." Giles said as he directed Buffy to begin using her left hand as the lead off.

Buffy took a deep breath as she began doing what the Watcher directed. Buffy had a lot going on in her life as well. After finally getting over the trauma of being alive again, she was starting to enjoy her new lease on life. She was enjoying starting to better her relationship with Dawn and she was happy that Willow and Tara were back together and getting closer all the time. She was even happy that things were looking up for Xander and Anya. They weren't exactly a couple again yet, but they were talking to each other without Anya getting mad, too much. And Buffy, well the Slayer was starting to feel a change as well. She was starting to look at Jacob, the Daywalker, with a new light.

When she'd first met him, she didn't really know what to make of him. Half man, half vampire, she'd never heard of such a thing. But as time passed and he continued to hang around her, she found herself getting more and more interested in him. The feelings he was stirring in her hadn't been this intense since Angel and she'd loved Angel. She knew she didn't love Jacob but she felt that there was a chance she could, given enough time. She just needed to know how he felt.

They finished their hour of training before Giles called it quits for the day. He took off the pads and took several gulps of water as Buffy did the same. "When are Willow and Tara returning?" Giles asked.

Buffy sat down on a bench and relaxed her tired muscles. "They said they were going to have lunch and come back. Tara's got a class at five, so they should be back pretty soon." Buffy answered.

Giles nodded as he sat down next to her. "So...why didn't anyone call me when this entity was created inside Tara?"

Buffy looked at him. "At the time, we were just trying to save her and stop Willow from doing anything drastic. I know we should have called you. I'm sorry."

Giles took his glasses off and took a deep breath. "I'm not mad, Buffy. You've done very well with everything, considering." he said. "I have to say, though, I'm surprised about Willow and Tara's engagement."

"You are," Buffy said, "why?"

Giles stood up and walked around the basement. "I'm just not sure their ready for this kind of commitment. I mean, Xander and Anya were together longer than Willow and Tara are and look how things ended. Not to mention the fact that they're both women and there's not a lot of ministers who will do those kind of ceremonies."

Buffy breathed out. "I know. But I don't think Will and Tara are going to end like Xander and Anya did. My main concern for them is with Willow's parents. Will's having a tough time trying to even talk to her parents about Tara. They're not very tolerant, you know."

"Yes, I know." Giles said.

"I was wondering...would you talk to her about it?" Buffy asked.

"I'll talk to her, but no promises." Giles told her.

"Just talk. That's all I'm asking for. She needs a little strength right now because you know how her parents are. I think she wants them to know, she's just scared of being rejected by her family." Buffy said.

Giles nodded as he turned to head up the basement stairs. He would change into something a little less sweaty and talk to Willow while Buffy took Tara to her class. That would give the Watcher plenty of time to talk to her about something else he'd been meaning to speak to her about. He smiled as he played the conversation in his mind.

---**---

The two witches returned to the house quietly. Willow headed into the kitchen while Tara headed straight for their bedroom. Willow entered the kitchen and poured herself a glass of chilled water as she sat down at the counter. She had some things she needed to think about and she knew she couldn't do that clearly if her lover was near.

The redhead sighed. There was a problem hanging between them now. Neither woman wanted it there, especially after everything they'd been through to reach this point, but it was still there and it was up to Willow to get rid of it. It was her fear of seeing the rejection in her parent's faces that kept her from telling them about their engagement. And Willow didn't know what to do. On one side, she could grab Tara, go to her parents' home and tell them and hope for the best. But on the other hand, her fear kept coming back and it was getting stronger. One thing was for certain to her, though, if she didn't do anything about this soon, the small rift that was between them would get bigger and be a major problem.

Willow looked up as Buffy walked in and opened the fridge. She removed a carton of chocolate milk and poured herself a small glass before putting the carton away. She sat across from the redhead and looked at her. "Hey Will." she said.

"Hey." Willow returned.

Buffy picked up on the sadness in her friend's voice. "Alright, something's not right here. Life's going pretty well for you and I know things are going well with you and Tara, so what's the prob?" she said.

Willow made a face. "The problem Buffy.......is that there's a small thing coming between us. Right now it's small, but I know it's going to get worse."

Buffy sipped her milk. "What's this about, Will?"

"My parents." Willow muttered.

Understanding dawned on the blonde's face. "Ah. Haven't told them yet about the engagement, huh?"

Willow shook her head. "No, I haven't. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I'm going to."

Neither the Slayer or the witch knew it, but Tara was at the end of the stairs, out of their sight. She had her book bag in her hands and she was about to take off for her class. When she heared Willow and Buffy talking, she was going to head back upstairs and wait to see if Willow was going to come up. Then, she heard them talking about Willow's parents. A look of sadness passed over her face when she heard Willow's last words.

"Why not?" Buffy asked.

Willow rubbed her eyes. "Because I don't want to see disgust or rejection on their faces."

Buffy looked down. "And if you don't want to tell them, then you know this problem's going to get bigger down the road."

Willow rested her cheeks in the palms of her hands. "I know." she said. "Maybe wanting to get married now was a bad idea anyway." she muttered. She knew Buffy heard her, but what she didn't know was someone else heard her.

Tara's throat constricted at the words and she couldn't stay there any longer. Without saying anything, she turned and headed out the front door, heading to class without saying goodbye to anyone. It was the first time she'd ever done it, but at the moment, she couldn't care.

"Do you really mean that Will?" Buffy asked her friend, not aware of what just happened behind her.

Willow took a breath. "No, it's just....I don't know how to even tell them."

Buffy had no answer for her best friend, so she didn't give one.

---**---

Xander was in the office trailer. His construction job was winding down as they were almost finished work on the new building. He was sitting near the desk, going over the last of the work orders for his men. Once the job ended, he and his men would move to the next job, building the building for a restaurant that would be downtown Angel Grove. The day had been a long and exhausting one and Xander was glad when the shifts ended. All he had left to do was finish his inventory reports and he'd close the trailer and be done.

He had just finished signing the last paper when there was a knock on the trailer. Xander turned in his seat. "Yeah." he called out. The door opened and a lone figure entered.

It was one of his construction workers. Pete, Xander's mind recalled. "Sorry to bother you, but there's someone out here who's asking for you. She says you know her." the man said.

Xander signed the last paper and rose from his seat, following Pete out of the trailer. Xander locked the trailer shut and allowed Pete to lead him over to where the woman was. He smiled. "Hey Ahn." he said as he and Anya began walking away from the site. Xander's car wasn't that far away.

"Hello." Anya greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" Xander asked after a moment.

Anya glanced at him. She was wearing a pair of gray pants with a white button up shirt. "Came to see you stupid." she said.

They reached the car. Xander unlocked his side then unlocked hers and the two of them got inside. He was about to pull out of the construction site, but a body slamming into the back of his car stopped him cold. Xander jumped out of the car immediately. It was an older man, in his late sixties and he was leaning against the car, taking deep breaths. As Xander looked at the man, he saw there were cuts and bruises all along his body. "Are you alright, mister?" Xander asked as Anya joined him.

The man had dark hair and his face was rugged. There were whiskers over his face, proof of his lack of shaving. "You....you must...." the man managed, "must warn her."

"Her?" Xander questioned, helping the man stand upright.

"The....the...." the man said, "the slayer. You have to warn her."

"Buffy?" Anya spoke up.

The man coughed, blood falling from his lips. "The slayer.....you have to warn her. He's.....he's coming......he's coming for her."

The man's body fell to the ground, lifeless.

Xander and Anya looked at the body, then at each other before they sighed. More trouble was on the way and they didn't like it one bit.

---**---

The man in the warehouse sat back on his chair and continued to watch the monitors before him. Just a few minutes ago, he'd watched with sadness gripping his heart as his dearest Tara had left the Summers House looking very saddened and upset for some reason. He wanted to go to her, take her into his arms and take her troubles away, take her from this town, but he knew the time wasn't ready yet. He had to put his plans together first. Before he could take her away from all this pain and misery he was convinced she was in, he had to show her that she was truly alone and his plan was about to start.

He picked up the phone and dialed a number he'd located from a phone book. He placed it to to his ear. "Yes, I would like to place an order and have it delivered." the man said. "A dozen red roses." he said, then he gave the receiver on the other end the address of the Summers House. After he finished the call, he put his phone back in his pocket and picked up the binoculars. He turned and headed out, en route to UC Sunnydale.

---**---

Tara rested her head in her hand as she tried her best to listen to the lecture. She was sitting in her class and the class was almost over. As she checked the time again, she noticed that she still had a good twenty-five minutes before the class would be over. She sighed. She had too many things that she was worrying about and she hadn't been paying much attention to the lecture.

Hearing Willow say what she said had hurt the blonde much deeper than she'd thought possible. She said it. She actually said it. Tara thought in her mind over and over. Willow had said maybe proposing wasn't a good idea for them at the time. Just hearing her say it was enough to clench Tara's heart. She didn't know what to do. Part of her was angry at Willow, angry at herself for letting herself think Willow would want to marry her. But another part of her was understanding that if they were having so many problems this early in their engagement, maybe postponing it might be a good idea. Either way, Tara didn't like thinking about it.

"Miss Maclay?" the instructor's voice spoke up to her.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Professor, what?"

The professor sighed. "Miss Maclay, I was asking you if you knew how to work the example on page 39."

Tara glanced down at her textbook and winced. She was on page 31. She quickly turned to the page and looked at the example. "Um...I'm sorry sir, I don't." she said apologetically.

The professor did not look pleased. "Miss Maclay, please see me after class."

She sighed again. She was sure she was going to be in trouble now. Twenty minutes later, the class ended and everyone began filing out of the class. Gathering her things together, Tara approached the Trig professor. The teacher was a white man in his mid thirties dressed in a slick suit. He had sandy blonde hair, which was combed back. He removed his glasses as Tara approached.

"Ah...Miss Maclay." he said, his accent sounding Scottish.

"Professor Mason." Tara said the words clearly.

The professor rested his back against the table. "Miss Maclay, do you want to pass this course?"

"O....of course." she replied.

"Then you better start acting like it. The past couple days, you've been here, but you keep letting your mind wander and you don't pay attention to any of the lectures. That example was very easy if you'd been listening. What's going on with you lately?"

Tara looked away. "I'm having some relationship stuff I'm going through, that's all. I'll do better." she promised.

"Fine. But I'm warning you Miss Maclay, I won't tolerate much more of this from you or from any student. If I have to give you another warning about this, you can just try to retake this course in the fall." the professor told her.

She nodded as she turned to go. As she reached the door, she heard him call out to her. "Yes?"

"Are you getting married Miss Maclay?" he motioned to the ring on her finger.

She glanced down at it for a few moments. "I thought so. I'm not so sure now."

She turned and exited the classroom, heading out of the Watson Building and heading out of the University campus. As she began heading across the campus, she saw her lover running towards her with Buffy. Since it was night out, the dangers of facing vampires or demons was slightly higher. They caught up to Tara and gazed at her. Willow grabbed her free hand and squeezed it between hers.

"Tara, are you okay?" she asked, sounding like she was in a panic.

"Yeah, you just left without telling us Tara. You know that's not wise." Buffy admonished.

Tara looked down. "I'm sorry." she said.

"What happened that would make you....leave like that?" Willow asked, leaning closer to her lover.

Tara really didn't want to get into her reason for leaving with Buffy there. "Look, I just left okay." she snapped, "Ca...can we just head home."

Willow swallowed, starting to realize the two of them were having a communication problem and not liking it. Her only solace of the trip home was the grip on her hand by Tara's. They walked home slowly, Buffy walking a few steps ahead of the witches and making sure there were no vamps or demons in the area. Keeping her voice low so Buffy wouldn't hear, Willow spoke. "What's wrong baby?" she asked.

Tara stared straight ahead. She knew she wouldn't be able to avoid this, so she faced the conversation. "I heard what you said."

"What I said?" Willow was confused and it showed on her face.

Tara swallowed. "I was coming down the stairs when I overheard you talking to Buffy." Tara said. "And I heard you tell her that maybe getting married wasn't such a good idea."

Willow stopped cold, making Tara stop. Ahead of them, Buffy noticed it and she stopped too, but kept enough of a distance back as to provide them privacy. "Tara, I'm sorry for saying that. I wasn't thinking straight. Believe me when I tell you this. I want to marry you." she laid her hand against Tara's cheek. "I can't think of anything better than confessing my love for you in front of family. And I guess that's why I'm so reluctant to tell my parents about it. I want them to be there, to be a part of our wedding and if they won't be there, it'll hurt and I just don't want to face that."

Tara set her book bag down and placed both of her hands on Willow's cheeks. "Willow, I want you to listen to me. There are going to be people who will not see our relationship as loving and caring. That's just going to happen. We can't change it, but we can accept it and go on. I don't know your parents very well, Willow, but I want to. And the few times I've seen them, I've sort of learned something about them. Although they may not show it at times, they do love you. They want to see you happy and I really think things'll work out for us. You've just got to take that first step."

Willow nodded, pressing her forehead against Tara's neck. She took a few deep breaths before she leaned back. "Okay." she said quietly. "Tomorrow, let's visit my parents and tell them. I need you there, though."

"Of course I'll be there." Tara promised. Without waiting a moment, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Willow's.

"Mm." Willow moaned, enjoying the kiss. After a few moments of just moving her lips with her fiancée's, Willow opened her mouth and welcomed the sensation of Tara's warm tongue into her mouth. The sensual kiss lasted a few more moments before a throat clearing forced them to part.

"Sorry, but you guys can do that at home, alright?" Buffy smiled.

"Alright." they murmured together, planning on continuing it in their room.

The three then turned and began heading home. From across the street inside of a parked truck, the man in the flannel shirt lowered his binoculars, his hands clenching around the heavy black item. Once he saw them kissing, his rage at the redhead for tainting his love intensified. He was going to take great pleasure in ripping her to pieces before it was all said and done. I will have you Tara. It's just a matter of time.

---**---

Xander and Anya were already at the house when the three women returned. The two were sitting in the living room with Dawn. They rose when the three walked in. The Slayer noticed their faces and she immediately went into Slayer mode. "What's going on?" she asked.

Briefly, Xander went into the experience with the man running into his car. When he was finished, Buffy was pacing her living room. "This man was beaten up pretty badly and he kept saying he's coming?"

"Yes." Anya answered. "It looked like a bunch of vampires or demons attacked him."

"Who is he?" Tara asked from the entranceway. She had her arms crossed over her chest.

"Didn't say. Just said that we had to warn you and that he was coming." Xander replied. "There's a lot of things that could mean."

"Hmph." Buffy snorted. "I guess we'll find out when he find out."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Tara went to the door and answered it. A man from a flower shop stood on the outside. "Yes?" Tara queried, curious to the man's reason of being there.

The man looked at her. "Are you Tara Maclay?"

"Yes." Tara answered, slightly taken back by it. Willow came up behind her.

"What's going on?" the redhead asked.

The man handed Tara a long white box that had a card taped on the front of it. "These are yours." the man said, then turned and left.

Tara closed the door and turned to her lover. Buffy, Anya, and Xander were nearby, watching. "You got me flowers, sweetie. Thank you." Tara said, smiling.

When the blonde turned to Willow, she was a little surprised to see the expression on her face. Willow was just as surprised as Tara was about the flowers. "You didn't..." she said.

Willow shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I didn't send these." Willow said, no other words to say.

Tara nodded, not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She picked up the card and removed it from the box before she opened the top of the box. The others were near her as she did so. When the top of the long flower box was removed, Tara gasped audibly and the box fell to the floor as her hands jumped away. Inside the box were a dozen roses. But, they weren't red. These roses were dead and wrinkled up roses. Willow grabbed the box and looked at it.

"Oh my god." Buffy said, looking inside it. She glanced at the dark blonde.

Tara had a shocked and slightly sick look on her face. The card was still in her hand and Tara looked at it. Numbly, she held the card up to her face and read the words written on it. It read My dearest Tara. These are for you, I hope you like them. I'll see you soon. The card slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor.

Tara leaned back against the door and kept her gaze locked on the floor. She barely noticed it when Buffy picked the card up and shared it with Xander and Anya. She also barely noticed it when Willow pulled her into her own arms, giving her as best a comfort hug as the redhead could. All she was aware of was a box of dead flowers sent by someone who was obviously watching her. Someone who had been watching her for some time. She started to cry, not understanding why her life was getting so horrible when it should be getting good.

---**---

Shutting the door to the delivery van he was driving, the delivery man quickly made sure there weren't any watchers on either sides of the road before he reached up with his hands and began to pull off the phony face he'd worn to the Summers House. Pulling it off, he tossed it to the seat next to him. "God that stank." he muttered, disgusted. But, he knew that was the best chance he'd have to make sure his delivery got delivered. Looking into the mirror, the man was revealed to be the man in the flannel shirt. Only now there were dark red stains covering his face. The man grabbed a rag and began wiping off the blood.

After his face was wiped off, he tossed the rag behind his seat, not looking where it landed. The bloody rag landed on the chest of the man the face belonged to. The man he'd killed and cut the face from. Starting the car, the man drove the delivery van away, heading back to the warehouse to begin step two of his plan to get Tara.

---**---

Buffy was pacing back and forth in the living room. Xander and Anya were sitting on the couch, leaning on their knees. Dawn was sitting on the chair across from them. On the coffee table was the box of dead roses. Buffy had the card clenched in her right hand. She glanced at the stairs for the fourth time in the past minute. Willow had taken Tara upstairs. The redhead knew she and Tara needed some alone time before they could deal with this. Buffy understood that perfectly, but her rage at the flowers was evident to all of them.

"I'm going to find this sick freak!" Buffy hissed, pacing back and forth.

"WE'RE going to find this sick freak." Xander looked at Buffy, making it clear to her that they were in this together.

Buffy stopped pacing and stood stock still. "We have to find this guy."

"What makes you think it's a guy?" Anya asked. "I've seen a lot of women who go psychotic as well as men."

"Well, whoever it is, we're going to find them and make them pay for this." Buffy said with venom in her voice. She couldn't believe anyone would do this to as gentle a person as Tara was. Even though she still didn't know Tara as well as she would like, she didn't like seeing Tara hurt like this. Especially after everything that's happen to this point.

"How are we even going to begin to look for this person?" Dawn asked from the chair, clearly disturbed by the box of dead flowers.

None of them knew what to say to answer that, so they remained silent. Buffy sighed and began pacing again.

Upstairs in the Summers House, Tara lying down on her back, still wearing the same clothes and staring at the ceiling, no expression on her face. She was still too shocked to say anything. Willow was getting her sleeping clothes on. This time she put her sleeveless pink shirt on with a pair of boxer shorts on. She looked at Tara and breathed deeply. Her lover had become despondent ever since they got up her and the redhead didn't know what to say or do.

She sat down on the bed and curled her body up so that she was facing Tara. She watched Tara's face as the blonde took breaths and continued to gaze at the ceiling. After a little while of silence, Tara turned her head and locked eyes with Willow. The level of sadness and grief in her lover's eyes clenched at Willow's heartstrings. No words were necessary. Willow moved forward and pulled Tara to her, fitting her head against her shoulder and just holding her.

They stayed that way for a few moments before Willow heard Tara's voice.

"What was that baby?" Willow asked, leaning back so she could gaze into Tara's eyes.

Tara sighed heavily. "Why is this happening?" she whispered.

"I...I wish I could tell you, sweetheart, but I don't know why. I can just make you a promise. I promise you that I will stick by you until we get to the bottom of this." Willow swore, rubbing her thumbs across Tara's cheeks. "And I am not going to let anything happen to you. I'd die first."

Tara's hand reached up and traced her lover's lips. "No. Death is not going to ever be an option for either of us again. Got me?"

"Yes ma'am." Willow murmured, faintly remembering the last time she used that same line. It was just moments before the most painful experience she had ever had happened.

Tara leaned forward and gently pressed her lips to Willow's. It wasn't a kiss to lead to love making, but merely a kiss to ensure a promise, a vow between the two of them. Pulling back after a moment, Tara laid her head back down on Willow's shoulder and closed her eyes, beginning to feel herself fall into the land of slumber. Willow stroked her lover's hair as Tara fell asleep. She tried not to worry about this person who sent the flowers, but try as she might, she kept wondering what kind of a person would do it.

And the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't figure it out. Sighing, she reached back and switched off the light to their room and then closed her arms around Tara's body and closed her eyes. She and Tara would deal with this mysterious person tomorrow. They would also deal with Willow's parents tomorrow. But for now, they would get their rest.

---**---

The next few days passed without much happening on either the search for the mysterious giver of dead flowers or on whoever it was the dying man was warning Xander about. Three days passed without much happening. Tara went to her classes with Willow by her side most of the time. Xander finished his construction job and got started on a new job. Anya continued her daily work in the Magic Box and Buffy did her nightly patrolling of the cemeteries. She did try to find out who sent the roses, but there was no luck.

And the man that came to Sunnydale for Tara kept his surveillance up and kept watch over his beloved's activities. He kept his distance when he watched her in person, but he stayed close enough to know where she went and who she was with. It unnerved him that every time she was outside the house, there was someone with her. Most of the time it was the redhead he'd come to loathe, but sometimes it was the lighter blonde who he realized owned the house.

He stood in front of a long mirror and gazed at his chest. There were words cut into his flesh that had first been made years ago. Written on his chest were just three words, but they were ones that kept his mission to have her alive. My Dearest Tara. The man touched the words on his chest and smiled. His feelings for Tara had become so deep that he had to have a constant reminder etched into his skin forever.

The man was finally ready to begin with his plan. Delivering the dead roses were only the first part of his plan. The man knew that Tara would love his flowers, that's why he'd chosen those flowers. And taking out the delivery man, that was just a bonus to the man. The man was wearing black slacks and he reached over and pulled a sleeveless white top over his upper body. He picked up a black officer's uniform and draped it over the shirt, buttoning the buttons and tucking the shirt into the pants. After he fastened the black tie over his shirt, he looked in the mirror. He had everything set. He looked just like a police officer should look. Straight down to the shoes. He reached down and grabbed the phony face he'd made out of molded materials and carefully fitted it around his head, being sure to use the right makeup to make sure no one would know the face they were looking at wasn't his.

Putting his officer's cap over his head, the man then reached over and picked up a folded set of papers and put them in his pocket as he grabbed a jacket and slung it over his shoulders. The man turned and headed downstairs of the double layered warehouse. Downstairs was an officer's car. Lying several feet from the car was a body bag with a definite body inside. The man opened the door and got inside, making sure to put his badge over his left breast pocket and placing his name tag on. Nodding at his reflection, the man started the cop car and drove out of the warehouse, set on putting his mission into gear.

---**---

Gathering in the living room of the Summers House was Buffy, Willow, and Tara. Dawn was over at one of her friend's houses and Xander and Anya were still working at their respective places. Buffy was sitting in her recliner while the two witches were relaxing together on the couch. They were discussing the box of dead roses.

Since a few days had passed, they had all been able to come down from the emotions running through them. Buffy still wanted to find the disturbed person responsible, but the powerful rage that she'd felt was reduced. Willow had her own thoughts about it, but she didn't voice them. She preferred to just be there for her lover. Tara wasn't handling it well and she would only allow the full extent of her emotions show in their room. Tara had decided that until this person was found, they could put a hold on telling Willow's parents about their engagement. It gave Willow time to prepare for that moment and it gave her the chance to put all her abilities to finding the person who sent the flowers.

"We still don't know anything?" WIllow asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Whoever's behind this has kept himself hidden. And hidden well. I went to the bars most demons hang out at and questioned them about it, but none of them seems to know anything of any use."

"Do you really think a demon or vamp sent those?" Tara asked.

"Not really, but I don't know any other option now. This guy....or woman is very good." Buffy said, looking at her feet. "But since there hasn't been another package sent in a few days, I take it as a good sign that maybe someone's playing some joke."

Willow glanced out the window behind her. Her eyes widened at what she saw. "Um...Buffy?" she said.

"Yeah?" the Slayer returned.

"I don't know why....but there's a cop outside." the redhead said.

"What!"

"Yeah, I see a cop car pulling up." Tara commented as she rose.

The three of them watched through the window as the white police car stopped in their driveway and a car door opened. An officer exited, carrying a white piece of paper. They headed straight for the door before he could reach it to knock. Pulling the door back, Buffy greeted the officer. "Hello officer." she said.

The officer took his hat off his head and looked at the three women, more so Tara than any of them. "I'm sorry to bother you today, ladies. I am looking for Tara Maclay."

Buffy's eyebrows raised slightly and Willow took a defensive stance in front of her fiancée. "Why?" Buffy glared at him.

"Buffy, it's alright." Tara said. "I'm Tara Maclay."

The officer stepped forward, regardless of the other two women there. "Miss Maclay, you are under arrest for the murder of Allen Jeffries." the officer said.

"Wha...what?" Willow whispered, not moving.

The officer ignored her and pulled his cuffs out of his pouch at his waist. He cuffed one of them around Tara's wrist and moved her arms behind her back as he finished cuffing her. He started pulling her to the car. Tara didn't stop him and didn't know what to do.

Buffy was trying to restrain Willow, who was trying to rush at the officer. "Will, listen to me," Buffy waited until Willow looked at her, "we'll figure this out. We just have to wait a minute, alright."

Willow didn't answer.

"Where are you taking her?" Buffy called out. She wanted to just knock the officer out and get Tara to safety, but she knew assaulting an officer wasn't something she wanted to do rightnow.

"The county jail is where she's going. You can talk to her there if you want." the officer said as he pushed Tara's head under the roof and closed the door. There were tears dropping down both Tara and Willow's faces as the officer walked back over to them. "Here's the warrant if you have any questions to her charge. They'll be glad to tell you anything down at the station."

Willow took the paper as the officer returned to the car and pulled away from the drive. Moments later, the car was gone and the two women were left in a state of shock. "Will, come on." Buffy said as she pulled the redhead back into the house. Buffy grabbed her coat and put it on while she waited for Willow to do the same. "Let's go. We'll get to the station and get to the bottom of this."

"Buffy," Willow said, "Tara couldn't kill anybody."

"I know that Willow. Tara's being set up. We're going to figure this out, I promise you." Buffy swore.

---**---

Tara was worried, scared, nervous, and frightened all at the same time. She'd lived in Sunnydale long enough to know where everything was located and she knew the police station was not in the general direction the police car seemed to be heading. She also had seen enough movies to know and understand what was happening to her. Plus the many situations she'd been in helped her to understand what was happening. She had an obsessive admirer out there and he just kidnapped her under the guise of a police officer.

Tara knew that and she kept taking deep breaths as the police car continued it's journey into the warehouse district. She kept her gaze locked on the floor, or staring outside. She knew he was watching her at times, and she tried not to let that thought creep her out. She had to be strong. Strong for her, and strong for Willow. She had no idea what the redhead must be going through right now. She'd made a promise to Willow. She wouldn't let herself be killed over this and she intended to keep that promise.

The car drove into a warehouse and silently parked in the center of it. Tara swallowed as she saw a body bag lying on the ground. She could tell there was a dead body inside and that thought didn't sit well with her. The man in the front seat that Tara guessed wasn't an officer got out and unlocked her door before he opened it. He looked at her. She knew what he expected and she swung her legs out before she exited the car. The man shut her door and turned her around. He then uncuffed her and tossed the cuffs aside. He reached into his pocket and removed a small remote device. Pressing the button on it, Tara watched as her only means of escape, the entrance they entered through, closed with a loud bang.

"Do you recognize my voice, Tara?" the man asked in a quiet voice.

The voice was right at her ear, and Tara would have jumped back, but he grabbed her arms and held her against him. He breathed into her hair, recognizing the scent of the strawberry shampoo she used. "Your hair smells so nice." he murmured. "So nice."

Tara shuddered, beginning to panic. She tried to push it down, knowing she needed to keep a level head about her, but she was finding it hard. "N...no I...I...I d...don't." she stuttered.

The man stepped back from her, releasing her and waited until she faced him. She knew her face showed panic and fright, but he didn't seem to notice. He smiled at her. "Maybe this will help you, my Tara." he said as his fingers grasped the edges of his face and began to pull lightly.

Swallowing hard, Tara watched as the man's skin seemed to peel away, only to uncover a new layer of skin. The man pulled his face away completely until it was removed. He tossed it to the side and smiled at Tara. Her face showed shocking registration. She recognized the face at once. It was a face that had plagued her dreams and nightmare for six months after she'd left home. It was a face that only Willow's friendship and eventual love had taken away. But yet, here it was.

It can't be him. How did he find me? Tara thought to herself as she backed up a step. He moved forward when she backed up. "No..." she whispered, "it can't be."

Now he smiled at her. "Oh but it is, my Tara. I told you we would always be together. I know you're scared and I know you're nervous about seeing me. But you must understand, you're confused. You have lost sight of who you are and I am here to help you remember."

Tara backed up again. She barely even registered his words. She was too shocked at seeing him again. She slowly began shaking her head. "No."

"Yes, I am here, my Tara." he said.

"Stop calling me that Reese." Tara said.

He stopped and looked taken back by that. "But...you are. You are my Tara."

"No I'm not." Tara said before she turned and bolted from him. She saw an open window on the far side of the building and she headed for it.

When Reese saw her bolt, at first he was slightly surprised, then he suddenly realized that she was very confused and that would cause her to want to escape. He ran after her and because he was faster, he caught up to her before she could make it to the window. He tackled her to the ground and pinned her on her back.

"NO!" she yelled.

He held her arms down with his hands "Stop fighting, my Tara. Everything will be alright." he said in a calm voice. She continued to struggle. "Please don't make me hurt you, my Tara." he continued.

She didn't stop. She was beyond panicing now. She was doing everything she could to get away from him, wishing Willow and Buffy were there more than anything. She felt one of his hands leave her arms and before she knew what had happened, his fist struck her jaw, hard. The last thing she recollected before all went dark was wishing Willow was there to take care of her.

Her body stilled after Reese struck her across the face. He hadn't wanted to do what he did. His hand stroked her cheek. "I'm sorry, my Tara. You're very confused right now. It will take time, but we'll be happy again." he said before he scooped her up into his arms and began taking her to the secret room he had prepared. He had her now and he was determined to make her his. "You will be mine completely again, my Tara." he swore.

---**---

There were an assembled group of people gathered in the living room of the Summers House. Just over three hours had passed since the police officer came and arrested Tara. Buffy and Willow had gone to both the county jail and the police station, but neither place had known about one of their own arresting anyone under the name Tara Maclay. Furthermore, checking their database, there wasn't even an arrest warrant issued.

Xander, Anya, and Dawn sat on the couch, leaning forward. Giles was standing by the far wall, staring at the floor. Willow and Buffy were pacing, but all of them were thinking about how this could have possibly happened. When Buffy and the redhead had spoken with the detective at the station, he had told them that an officer had been reported missing, but so far they had no reason to believe he would be behind what they were suspecting. But Buffy wasn't suspecting the officer, she was thinking the mysterious giver of dead roses was behind it. She was becoming sure that the officer was dead and this person had Tara and they still didn't have any idea who they were even looking for.

Buffy stopped pacing for a moment and let her mind drift to all possibilities. Ever since the roses first arrived and she'd seen the note, she'd privately suspected that perhaps the mysterious stalker was someone that maybe Tara had known back home. She hadn't told anyone this because she didn't want Willow worrying over nothing. Until today, she had no reason to suspect anything.

But now that Tara was being kidnapped against her will, Buffy knew she needed to tell them her suspicions. "Alright," she finally said after thinking her thoughts, "let's take a look at how much we do know about this." she said.

"Just what you and Will told us, Buff..." Xander said, "some police officer came to the house. Said he had a warrant for Tara's arrest. He took her and now she's gone."

Willow turned and glared at her friend.

"Sorry Will, but that's the facts." Xander said apologetically.

Willow took a deep breath as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I know." she said.

"How can we find out who that guy really was if he wasn't the cop?" Anya asked.

Giles turned and looked at them. "Willow, you can do your computer thing and find out?"

"How can I even know where to look?" Willow asked.

Giles approached the redhead. "Willow, you and Tara have shared everything. You can't tell me she hasn't told you of her life at home. Surely she had to tell you something about the people she left behind."

Willow remained silent for several heartbeats. She tried to recall every conversation she had had about Tara's home town. But, nothing came to mind. "No, I can't remember anything that stands out. But, I do know where I can start." she said. She walked into the dining room, the others following behind her. "I'm going to get into the flower store's database and find out where that order came from." she said.

The gathered group watched as she began starting up her laptop. "We can't do much more than wait now." Giles said to them.

They all took seats at the dining table and stayed quiet, hoping they'd find Tara and soon.

---**---

Slowly, Tara's eyes started to open as she regained consciousness. Instinctively, her hands reached for the space next to her, expecting to find her lover there. When she came up empty, her eyes flipped open as she remembered with fright where she was and how she came to be here. As she leaned up on her elbows, she looked up and around the bed she was lying in. Her eyebrows raised when she saw the room.

She was lying in the center of a large queen sized bed. The bed was covered with rose red satin sheets and a thick red blanket. Under her head were a bunch of pillows with red silk pillow cases over them. The room she found herself inside was rectangular shaped and it was made of stone concrete. There were pictures and framed pictures hanging up all around the walls. As Tara's eyes scanned the pictures, she saw that they were pictures of herself walking down the streets of Sunnydale. Some of them, Tara realized, were taken over a year ago and that thought chilled her to the bone.

She was beginning to realize that the person who had once been her friend was someone who had changed for the drastic worse. Fighting down her panic at what she saw, she remembered the happier times that she'd had about Reese.

It was the night of Tara's high school Junior Prom. She originally didn't want to go because back during that time, she hadn't felt very good about herself. Every time she looked at herself in the mirror, she kept seeing a teenager that was ugly and fat and she kept telling herself that she would never find love. That love was out of the picture for her. She had reconciled with that fact. But then, a boy at school had asked her. Not just a boy, one of the more popular ones.

His name was Reese Maxwell. He was one of the basketball players at her old school and he'd always had all the girls he could want. Two months before the Prom, over ten of the prettiest girls in the school had already asked if he'd go with her. They were always pining away to get his attention, but Tara never did. She had just been starting to understand about her sexuality by then and she had still been trying to understand all her feelings then. She certainly wasn't thinking about the Prom. But he'd come up to her a week before the Prom and asked her if he'd go to the Prom with her.

She'd been delighted beyond words and had accepted his invitation. She had been thrown from the school's nobody to somebody in seconds. People starting talking to her more, trying to learn more about her, even hanging out with her after school. All because Reese Maxwell had asked her to the Prom. The day before the Prom, Tara was standing at her locker. School was out and she was putting her books away. Reese came walking up.

"Hey my Tara." Reese greeted her.

Tara's body had froze. "Wh...what did you call me?"

"My Tara." he had replied.

"Why did you call me that?" Tara had asked, wanting to know.

Reese had leaned his body against the lockers. "Well, you are going to be my date for the Prom. It's only fair for me to call you my Tara." he had said.

Although Tara hadn't said anything at the time, she had merely nodded. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but hearing him call her that freaked her a little. But, his paying her attention was helping her gain confidence with herself and that was something she found she needed. She'd smiled at him and then left. He'd walked her to her home that was only a few blocks from the school and she'd headed to her house. She didn't have to look back, she knew his eyes were drilled into her back.

Tara didn't understand it at the time, but one of her biggest mistakes was allowing him to call her my Tara. She recalled the events of the following year and cringed. She didn't want to think about it too much. She stiffened as she heard steps approaching the room she was in. She looked at the door. She swallowed as she saw what the door was. It looked like the type of door a bank vault has. It was made out of concrete and stone and it was very thick.

The footsteps stopped outside her door and she heard a key being inserted into the door before she heard a clicking sound and then, the door was opening. Then, Reese's form was filling the doorway. Tara knew two things from the beginning. The first was she had to play this carefully. She wasn't planning on letting him think she liked being her and she was going to try to escape. She just had to buy her time before she could make her move. And second, she had to be strong and give Willow enough time to find her. She knew how smart and intelligent her lover was and she knew eventually, Willow would find her. She just hoped it was soon.

"Hello, my Tara." Reese said as he stepped into the stone room. "Do you like your room? I took a lot of time preparing it for you."

Tara pulled the sheets up to her chin, regardless of the fact that she was wearing red silk pajamas and a red silk top. Her clothes were missing, she realized and she shuddered, also realizing he had undressed her while she was unconscious. "Wher....where are my clothes?" she asked instead.

Reese put his hands on his hips. "I asked you a question, my Tara." he said, a sharp tone to his voice.

She had two options, Tara knew. She could be difficult and avoid answering and possibly getting hit again, or she could answer and play it that way. "The room is okay." she answered after a moment. "Where are my clothes?" she asked again.

Reese walked a step closer to the bed. "You don't need to worry about those rags anymore. I have some clothes that I already picked out for you. They're folded in that dresser right there." Reese pointed.

"D...do you m...mind if I g....get dressed?" she asked.

"Of course not." Reese replied as he turned and slowly walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. As Tara got up and began looking through the dresser, Reese turned the screen that was built into the wall next to the door and watched her undress. He would have her soon. In every way.

Even though there wasn't a wide selection and she didn't like the idea that he knew her sizes, she picked out a crisp pair of blue jeans and a blue long sleeved t-shirt. She put them on and rolled the sleeves up until they were at her elbows. Shuddering again, she found a pair of shoes and slipped them on. While she was doing it, she took several deep breaths, coming to realize that if she wanted to get out of this alive and untouched, she was going to have to try to make him believe she wanted him. She prayed for Willow to forgive her for what she was about to undergo herself to do. "Alright, I'm dressed." she said slowly.

Reese re-entered the room and looked her up and down. "You look very nice, my Tara."

Forcing herself to smile, Tara nodded. "Thank you. Why did you hit me, Reese and why bring me here?"

The smile on his face disappeared. "You have been tainted by those people, my Tara. I had to get you away from them before I could talk to you, show you that you and I are supposed to be together. That's why I'm here. To save you."

Tara took another long and deep breath. "I just wanted to know." she said, stepping closer to him. "Why don't you give me a tour of this place?"

He looked positively delighted. "I would love to. I've been here fixing everything up for over a year now. Come on." he turned and began heading to the hallway. As his back was to her, he couldn't see her bend down and pick up the small hand mirror that was lying on the table. Before he could notice, she also picked up a comb with a very sharp end on one side and stuck both items inside her pockets. Following behind him, she looked intently at him as tour began.

Continue on to Part 2