Title: To Those Who Wield

Author: CN Winters and Susan Carr

Fandom: Buffy fanfiction, Willow fanfiction, Buffy slash fanfiction, Willow Tara fanfiction

Disclaimers: Joss owns ‘em. I’m just borrowing ‘em.

Rating: NC-17 for grown up stuff like sex, language and violence.

Paring: Will and Tara; Vamp Will and Vamp Tara

Feedback: CN Winters (cnwinters71@yahoo.com) or Susan Carr (skeeter451@mysticmuse.net)

Synopsis: Takes place during season six after Tara and Willow’s break up and Willow’s recovery. We took the liberty of letting Vamp Willow live when she returned to her world just because we can. Anyway, seems Vamp Willow has returned to ‘Buffy’s Sunnydale’ again, this time with her new lover, Tara Maclay, to wreck a little havoc.

Special thanks: To Chris Cook for the ultra-cool banner

Part 4

Spike considered helping out the vamps. Sure, he said it was worth being love's bitch but he was starting to think that when you love A bitch it's just as bad as giving up. But then again if he had the chip removed and could prove to Buffy he could be a good man without it, maybe she'd respect him; love him. And if that didn't work, if he did give up on love, the big bad would be back in town, ready for action. Either way, he figured, it would put him in a win/win situation. Buffy would get over any power suckage on her friends with time—besides, not like it would kill them.

"You need the frumpy, fuzzy witches 'eh?" Spike rubbed his jaw as he considered it a few extra moments. "Alrighty then, consider me in."

Tara and Willow simply smiled at each other.

"Good," Willow nodded, turning to address Spike. "All we need from you is to divert the Slayer long enough so we can get our hands on the daring duo. Once we complete the akor tures spell we'll have plenty of power to see to that chip of yours and make our way home. Agreed?"

"Yeah but what about the other two?" Spike asked.

"Xander and Blondie?" Tara chuckled. "I don't think they'll be a concern."

"They could be more than you imagine," Spike told them. "Even Lil Bit's got a soft spot for the witches. They raised her after her mum and Buffy died. She'd put up a good fight too."

"Then we kill them," Tara answered very matter of fact.

"Na ah," Spike said firmly shaking his head. "Then I won't do it and I'll stake you both myself."

"Oh really Spike," Willow taunted moving to her feet. "Think you're 'man' enough to kill us?"

"This chip stops me from killing humans," he threatened, rising to his feet. "Not demons."

"Down you two," Tara ordered. "Gaia above! You both look like a couple of peacocks strutting around. Willow, Sweetie? Sit down please. Spike, just relax. Okay?"

Willow stepped back first, taking her space next to Tara. "We don't need him," Willow muttered.

Tara ignored the comment and turned to Spike. "Spike, if killing your friends is too much for you to take," she began but Spike cut her off.

"Look, I could care less about the boy but…I don't want anyone killing the Slayer's sis."

"Where's the fun in that?" Willow smirked.

Spike was not amused and once more Tara found herself trying to keep the peace.

"No one has to die here. Okay? We can do a binding spell on the others until we finish what we came for but the Slayer is another matter. We want her gone when we do it. Now with that said…Do you think you can get it done?"

Spike silently considered his options once more until finally speaking, "As long as Bit and the bloody Scoobies are off limits…Yeah. You still got a deal."

XXXXX

Tara stepped out of the upstairs bathroom on her way back to Dawn's bedroom. After the disaster that was breakfast, she attempted to take a nap, not having had much sleep the night before. The few times she managed to doze off, her rest was plagued with nightmare visions of being chased by a demonic-faced Willow carrying a Lethe's branch in one hand.

"You're mine, Tara," the all too-familiar voice would hiss just before she'd jerk awake.

Tara had lain on Dawn's bed for nearly an hour, trying to relax her tired mind and body, but unable to block the tumult of emotions emitting from her ex-lover in the next room. Grief and regret were at the forefront, but underlying them all was a dark rage that Tara hadn't sensed since last summer when Willow had reached the depths of her grief for Buffy's death—before Willow found the spell which her hopes had latched on like a drowning man to a lifeline.

Tara remembered many other sleepless nights during that dark summer, both of them lying next to each other, not touching, not speaking, both awash in their own thoughts and emotions. For Willow—grief for Buffy—and, more vivid to Tara's senses, rage...rage against the she-god who had brought about such chaos to Willow's already chaotic life. What scared Tara most was Willow's other rage—that against the unseen instrument that robbed Willow of her revenge. That Willow felt cheated she was not the cause of the death of Glory's vessel frightened Tara the most.

When Willow focused on the process to right the wrong—to bring Buffy back—hope replaced Willow's rage. And that gave Tara hope for Willow...and for them. She'd known the course Willow set them on was wrong, knew it went against all the ethical beliefs of her religion, but nevertheless Tara made a conscious decision to support her lover. It gave her back her own hope for their future. It was her own lifeline in what she knew was a doomed plan.

Tara knew that decision had cost her everything...her home, her peace, and, most of all, her Willow. Magic always has a price, she thought as looked at the closed door to the Slayer's bedroom. How much will you have to pay, Willow? What will it cost you?

Rather than making another futile attempt at rest, Tara moved quickly down the stairs and grabbed her coat from the rack. She had just opened the door when a voice from the living room stopped her.

"Whoa there!" Buffy said, bouncing into the foyer. "What's up?"

"Buffy..." Tara began, her thoughts still disjointed from the emotional roller coaster she was on. "I-I…I need to get some books from the dorm. And clothes. I don't have enough left here for an extended s-stay. I won't be gone long."

"Then I'll come with," the Slayer said, grabbing her own coat. "Dawn! Tara and I will be back in a bit. Stay here with Willow and tell Xander and Anya to stick around once they get back from Willy's."

"'Kay!" the teenager absently called, not looking up from the Saturday morning cartoon she was glued to.

"Buffy, this is not necessary," Tara protested as she followed the Slayer out the door. "It's daytime, the v-vamps are probably holed up somewhere."

"True, but last time she was here, Vamp Willow wasted no time in recruiting minions. I'm not taking any chances on your safety," Buffy tossed Tara her key ring. "And I'll even let you drive!"

Tara chuckled as she caught the keys. "A good thing too, if you value my safety so much."

"Hey!" Buffy protested.

At the dorm, Tara gave a sigh of relief when they found the room undisturbed. Buffy effortlessly pushed the bed and dresser back into place while Tara gathered her things together. Slumping into the armchair, Buffy waited patiently while she watched the witch slowly place her toiletry items into a duffel bag.

"Tara?" Buffy finally asked when it seemed as if Tara had run out of steam and sat heavily on the bed, just staring into space. "You okay?"

Tara gazed blankly at the Slayer for a moment, and then her eyes filled with resolve. "Yeah, just, you know, trying to d-deal with all this. Seeing Willow like that last night…those feral eyes…the way they looked at me."

Buffy nodded. "I know what you mean. It gave me major wiggins myself the first time I saw it. Not to mention quite a few nightmares afterwards. I can't imagine what you're going through."

"What was she like, Buffy?" Tara asked, her eyes filling with resolve. "Vampire Willow, I mean. Back then?"

"What has Willow told you about her?" Buffy asked in return.

"Not much, really," Tara thought. "Highlights, mostly. Anya's attempt to retrieve her necklace. How Vampire Willow attacked Willow and then escaped to nearly kill her later on. And how instead of dusting her, the gang sent her home. Willow told the story more as an amusing anecdote rather than the terror-filled night it must have been for you all. She admitted it was that incident which made her realize her attraction to women was more than just a passing fancy."

Buffy chuckled at the memory. "Yeah, I remember trying to be supporto gal and reassure her, but I guess things were already set in stone."

Tara gave Buffy a faint smile, remembering how freaked Buffy had been when Willow came out yet how supportive she was later on. "Vamp Willow?" Tara reminded, trying to turn the conversation back to what she needed to learn.

Buffy sighed, her eyes becoming distant as she remembered. "She was Willow. Exactly like our Willow, except what Willow would have become if I'd never come here. Did she tell you about Cordelia's wish and how that world came to be?" At Tara's nod, Buffy continued. "The first time I saved Willow's life was the day we met. Vampire Willow never had that chance. It was that plus her amazing similarity to our Willow which stopped me from dusting her…no matter how much Will wanted me not to."

"Was it just the way she looked, Buffy?" Tara asked.

"No," Buffy said after thinking a moment. "Sure, physically they were exactly alike…except for the way Vamp Willow's outfit enhanced her…well…curves. But it was more than that. It was the way she carried herself that was so similar to our Willow. An easy confidence that said to the world 'Watch out, I'm somebody.' Despite everything, I could always see that in our Willow, even when I first met her…it's just taken her a while for it to bloom. You know what I mean, Tara?"

Tara nodded. "So while you've been a big influence in how far Willow has come, Vampire Willow had to get it from somewhere else."

"By becoming a soulless vampire," Buffy agreed. "She was dangerous, Tara. And strong…stronger than usual, I think."

"How so?" Tara asked.

"Vampires that young are rarely that strong. It can take them years, if not decades to reach that level. Like I said before, Vamp Willow had barely appeared in Sunnydale before she had a whole crew of minions ready to jump at her every command. Newbies are just not that powerful. From the looks at the vamps in the Bronze that night, if anyone weaker had tried to dominate them, they would have just torn 'em apart and used the bones as party favors."

"So Vamp Willow was exceptionally strong even then. Why? From the looks of her she couldn't have been that much younger than Willow when she was turned." Tara stood up and began pacing the room.

"Could be because of whoever her sire was…the stronger the sire, the stronger the childe," Buffy continued. "But I think it's mostly just Willow. She's an incredibly strong person…it makes sense that her vampire self would also be."

Tara paused as she glanced out the window, the bright cheery day contrasting starkly with her own dark thoughts. Her mind flashed back to hearing Willow weeping back at the Summers' home.

"What?" Buffy asked, breaking into Tara's reverie.

"Willow," Tara said, moving back to the bed and sitting down across from the Slayer. "I think in order to fight Vampire Willow we're going to need to focus on our Will. Like she said last night, there're no books to help us deal with this situation…only your experiences from before and Willow herself."

"What do you mean? Focus on Willow how?"

"We have to try to figure out what they want and what they're doing here by trying to figure out what Willow would want and what she would do."

"Are you sure that'll work?" Buffy asked, skeptically. "After all, Willow's not evil."

"Oh?" Tara asked and Buffy's eyes widened at the tone in the blonde's witch's voice.

"Tara!" Buffy protested, standing up. "Look, I know you're angry with her and you have good reason to be, but this is Willow we're talking about. She's not evil and she never will be."

"I know she's your friend, but you and Xander and even Dawn whom she's hurt most of all can't seem to see past what Willow was to what she's become," Tara said bitterly, also standing up to face the Slayer. "Willow and the creature I saw last night have more in common than you think."

"Gods Tara, how can you think that?" Buffy said looking at Tara as if she'd just grown horns. "You left her! You didn't see what purging the magic from her system did to her…you didn't hear the pitiful cries from the torment of it."

"She did that to herself, Buffy!" Tara yelled. A small part of her mind marveled at the fact that she was standing nose to nose yelling at the Slayer. "Why can't you realize what she did to me? It was rape, Buffy! It was mental abuse of the worst kind!"

"Tara? No!" Buffy tried to deny Tara's words, but the passion behind them was unmistakable. "Rape? That's a harsh word."

"Rape," Tara confirmed, tears in her eyes. "She violated my mind, used me as an object for her own pleasure and never once thought about the consequences. It was never about trying to make our relationship better…it was about power and control. She had the power so she took control of me…she turned me into what she wanted. Ask any rape counselor and they'll tell you it's never just about sex."

Buffy was silent as she watched Tara turn away, quietly crying, her shoulders shaking from the emotion. Buffy didn't know what to do. Should she console Tara? Should she let her wallow in her anger and despair? Everything's so screwed up, Buffy thought. Willow's a junkie. Dawn's a borderline delinquent. Tara hates the one person she loved most. And I'm sleeping with the enemy…literally. The only sane thing left is Xander and Anya and even that's a bit odd given Anya's past. But still they have each other.

It was reactionary but Buffy moved to Tara, turning her around and pulling her into her arms. Buffy realized as her arms encompassed the taller woman that Tara really didn't have anyone to turn to in all of this, no sounding board. Yes Dawn was still a part of her life but Dawn didn't have to live in the adult world where every decision impacted the course of life on a grander scale.

Buffy knew the choices that Tara recently made weren't done lightly or easily. It had to be taking a toll on her as much as it had on Willow, but unlike Willow, Tara lacked the support system of her friends. Instinctively, she tightened her hold on the blonde and her reward was even more crying. Buffy just continued to hold her until her tears began to subside.

"I'm sorry," Buffy whispered sincerely. "I know you did what you thought you had to. I really do Tara."

"I love her so much Buffy," Tara managed to push out between sobs.

"I know. If you didn't, this wouldn't be that hard. I realize that. Honest."

Tara pulled back and wiped her face. "I d-didn't mean to fall apart on you."

"That's okay. You need to let things out now and then…Or so I've been told," Buffy said with a guilty grin. "Just know you can come to me Tara. I'll listen. I might not always agree. I mean, I don't think what Willow did could be called rape…but I know how wrong she was to do it. So come to me and I'll listen. And I think I can stay neutral enough to see both sides."

"Well it goes both ways you know? If you n-need to talk about stuff…I'm here…Like I told Dawnie, regardless of Will, I'll still be there if you need me."

Buffy held her breath. She considered, just for a moment, telling Tara about Spike and everything that had been going on. "Well actually," Buffy nodded, trying to get her nerve up. "That's good to know…." At the last second she changed her mind and instead of opening up added, "You might not be with Will but I want you to look at me as family. And that goes for Dawn and the others."

Tara gave a half chuckle, which made Buffy cock her head. Uh oh! Maybe she saw through the not so subtle subject switch. "What?" Buffy asked cautiously.

"Nothing—it's just the expression…family."

Buffy gave a small sigh of relief that Tara hadn't read further into her earlier hesitation.

"Yeah well, no one said we were a sane family or one that any normal person would want to be a part of but…you're a welcome addition to the circus." Buffy smiled.

"No, I meant the picture of you as family, Buffy. 'Family' is actually a gay expression." Tara could tell Buffy was obviously confused so she continued. "It's something that someone might say if they want to know if someone is gay. They'll ask 'Is she 'family?' meaning 'like us'."

"Don't they say the same thing in the mafia?"

Tara laughed. "Yeah they do. Gonna make me an offer I can't refuse?" Tara replied with a half smirk. "Okay, that came out much more flirtatious than I intended," she added with a nervous chuckle.

"Well flirtatious or not," Buffy said with a warm grin, "I want you to know you're quite welcome in our life. That hasn't changed. Like I told your father, we're family. The rules don't change just because you and Will aren't together. Okay?"

"Thanks Buffy. I know you haven't minded the fact I've been around to see Dawn but…it's still good to hear."

As Tara began to look through her bookcase and collect a few volumes she needed, Buffy cleared her throat.

"Tara, I know you're still mad at Will. I get that. But…sometimes people do things that…well things they never thought they would do." Like screw Spike she thought silently of her own predicament. "I guess my point is that Willow…I think she would have thought twice if she realized how hard you would take everything. No matter how addicted she was, well IS," she corrected herself. "…I don't think she would have done anything if she thought you'd consider it rape…Plus, she's been doing better."

"So Dawn tells me," Tara answered, trying to stay neutral.

"Yeah, well it's true. I just…I hope you can get over being angry with her—try to see Will in a new light is all. She's done some horrible things but…she's a good person under it all."

"I know that she's a good person but she's a lousy Wiccan."

"I don't know. Her skills are pretty…"

"No Buffy," Tara said cutting her off. "Willow's skills at magic are…phenomenal. Her ability to read ancient text is astounding. She's highly intelligent and quick to adapt. Her Latin is a bit weak but…other texts? It's mind-boggling. Did Mr. Giles teach her to read?" Tara asked. "Not read as in English of course, but other languages I mean?"

"I don't think they ever had a formal sit down study group but with all the research over the years, I'm sure she picked up some things here and there."

"Well she reads like she's practiced her whole life. I mean Gaelic, Sumerian, Greek—you name it and Willow's just…a wiz," Tara said with a grin.

For the briefest of moments everything that had happened was put to rest as she remembered the two of them lying in bed, looking over spell books, happy to have found someone so similar. At least they seemed similar at first. But then things just went . . .

"She's got the skills but…she lacks the discipline. It's sad really." The grin Tara wore became a frown when she thought about how far Willow had strayed.

"Whatta ya mean?"

Tara paused a moment considering where to start. "The most basic tenet is the Rede…'These eight words, the Rede fulfill, An ye harm none, do what ye will.' An meaning 'if' or, more accurately, 'just as long as'."

"Meaning?"

"No matter what you do...in all aspects of life, not only in magic, but everything...then it's okay to do it as long as you don't hurt anyone else. And that anyone else includes yourself as well. Willow's actions lately have been a blatant violation of that."

"Does she know that?" Buffy asked. "The tenets of Wicca?"

"I tried to teach her but…She got wrapped up in the power and her ability to mold life. And I think at first she really did adhere to Wiccan standards. She wanted to help you. She wanted to fight evil but…She started down a path that she couldn't get back from a-and…I'm to blame because I let her do it. She got her first taste of the dark magics when she loaded up and went after Glory. It spiraled from that point. And for so long…I let her have her way because…""You loved her too much to say no."

Tara nodded sadly. "I voiced my disapproval on more than one occasion but I never really got firm about it until that night."

"That night?"

"Halloween…the night Dawn went missing. Willow was going to do a spell at the Bronze and . . . I wouldn't let her. She tried to plead her case but I told her I didn't want to fight about it. I just wanted to go to bed. That's when she did the forgetting spell on me. After that point…I couldn't stop her…" Tara said shaking her head and giving a deep sigh. "I asked her to stop, just for a week, even told her I would leave her…but the next day she did it again…to both of us, but everyone got caught in the crossfire."

"Both of us?" Buffy asked, confused. She'd known about the spell, but she hadn't realized she was a target of it.

Tara looked at Buffy, realizing the Slayer hadn't known. "She wanted you to forget where you had been, Buffy." Tara watched a moment as the other woman digested the information. "Still think it's not rape?"

Buffy opened her mouth as if to say something. Tara could see the slight flush in the Slayer's face and decided to move the conversation away from that. They still had vampires to deal with and Tara wanted to understand what their motivation for coming to Sunnydale was.

"Another important part of the Rede is the rule of three… 'Mind the Three-fold Laws you should, three times bad and three times good.' It basically means that any energy you put out into the universe is going to come back to you multiplied by three. That's why Wiccans won't do harmful magic because it's going to harm them at least three times as much. When Willow started doing things to help herself…"

"You didn't want to watch her possibly destroy herself," Buffy finished.

Again Tara nodded. "You have to understand, I'm not just angry here Buffy. I left for lots of reasons. I thought maybe if I went then Willow would see what the abuse of magics cost her. But even then, my leaving wasn't enough and I couldn't stand by and watch her slowly killing herself. I loved her too much to stay. I know that probably sounds crazy but it's true. And besides that, it was only a matter of time before she killed me—if she didn't die first."

"You think Willow would kill you?" Buffy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Never intentionally. But when you start to use those types of magics you start to disrupt the course of life events. And when you wield your power to your will…" Tara trailed off. She hurt thinking of all the consequences their magic had brought about in recent months. "Magic always has a price Buffy," Tara continued. "People you love can get hurt. Maybe even killed…But Dawn could tell you all about hurt…"

"Then it really is my fault and it goes back farther than I realized. I mean…I thought I should have seen Willow's abuse when you two broke up but it started way before then. It was that night she left you at the hospital and went to confront Glory…I should have stayed with her and talked her down."

"Willow descent into the black arts is Will's fault and Will's fault alone," Tara said firmly. "In truth, Willow's recovery isn't about giving up magic as it is about controlling her emotions. For the moment, walking away from magics is best for Willow, but maybe someday—if she could learn control—she could do it again. But right now, being the way that she is, I think you and I both know her true nature. She might be super smart but her actions are guided more by her heart than her head."

"And yet again I'll mention…it wasn't rape," Buffy added tentatively. "She did it because her heart didn't want to lose you and she didn't listen to her head."

"Perhaps you're right…but that still doesn't change what it is in my mind."

Buffy paused. She didn't want to get into another jargon debate with Tara. "So you really think Willow can do magic again?" she asked instead.

"Someday," Tara nodded. "But chances are it's gonna take something far more drastic than Dawn's broken arm for that to happen. And it's gonna take lots of studying and discipline on her part. She'll need a reason to want control over her emotions and her powers. Like I said, I tried to teach her and I failed…for her, it was all about using the power around her for her…gain…"

Buffy watched a perplexed look cross Tara's face. "What?"

"Maybe that's it?"

"Maybe what's what?"

"Vamp Willow wants power—she needs energy for some reason and maybe…"

"They've come to you two to get it?"

Tara nodded. "Perhaps," she answered as she rose and went to her closet. Buffy watched as Tara moved a box to the floor and began to look through it. "My grandmother had a book she gave to my mother who then passed it down to me. It mentions a power draining spell…something about twins…"

Buffy came over and knelt beside Tara. The Wiccan looked through an assortment of books in a box. She pulled out a book titled Faileás Leabhar and began to thumb through it. "Hmm…" she hummed as she stopped in one section and began to read.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Looks like there might be something here. Let's take this stuff back to the house and do a little more research," Tara answered as she started to rise.

Buffy nodded and followed Tara to her feet. She took the box of books as Tara grabbed her duffle bag of clothes and supplies. Before they left Buffy stopped for a moment, making Tara turn around.

"For what it's worth Tara," Buffy told her. "I don't blame you for leaving."

Tara nodded. "Just do me a favor okay?"

"Sure."

"Look after her…She needs your help more than I do right now. But I'm thankful for the offer. Promise me?"

"I think I can manage that," Buffy grinned.

Tara gave a small grin and led Buffy from the dorm room and locked the door behind them.

XXXXX

Spike returned from the cellar of his crypt, holding three packages of blood.

"It's not as good as the real thing ladies but it—"

He stopped in mid-sentence to find the two of them tangled around each other on his bed. Willow was biting at Tara's neck and the blonde turned. "Spike's back Sweetie," Tara told her lover.

"He's not invited," Willow managed between kisses, using her weight to push Tara's back against the bed.

The blonde chuckled and rolled over, pinning Willow to the mattress.

"Later," she told her standing up and trying to straighten out her clothes. Willow just grumbled in response and rose so she sat at the corner of the bed.

"So what took so long?" Tara asked him.

The sight caught him off-guard and he had to shake the image he just saw out of his head. Never in all his dead years did he think he'd ever find the thought of Red and her bird as sexy but this pair…They had potential.

"I ahh…wanted to get the fresher packs. Had to search in the back."

Tara walked over and peered around the corner. "How big is this place?" she asked.

Willow finally pulled herself off the bed and made her way over to her lover's side. She ignored Spike's presence and came behind her lover, pushing her hair to one side. As she planted kisses at the base of Tara's neck Willow's hands worked themselves around her front slowly leading up to her breasts. Tara reach down and locked her fingers with Willow's before the hands could reach their destination and Willow growled in frustration.

"Mind if we take a look around?" Tara asked, pointing to the cellar.

"Be my guest," Spike offered.

"Come on Baby," Tara said pulling Willow along. "Let's check it out."

With a sigh of sexual frustration Willow followed along. When they reached the bottom of the stairs that's when Willow saw it. Tara looked over to see the grin on her lover's face grow wider by the second until she had a full-fledge smile.

Spike came up behind them a moment later. "This part's not finished yet but it's a work in progress."

Tara continued to grin at her lover who was now taking slow footsteps toward the fascination that caught her eye.

"Chains," Willow finally muttered.

"Oh yeah, those…Yeah, well, you never know when—"

"Leave us," Willow ordered, cutting him off.

"Excuse me? This happens to be my crypt." Spike replied indignant.

"Wanna get rid of the chip?" Willow asked not needing an answer. "Give me the keys and go away."

"Oh bugger," he sighed. He reached above Tara's head and tossed a set over to Willow. "Just…clean up when you're done ladies." They watched as Spike took to the stairs before calling out again, "And keep it down. Passions is coming on in a few."

Spike was all but forgotten for Willow who looked at her lover with a feral grin. "Come here Kitten. You were a bad girl last night."

Tara felt a shiver of anticipation run down her spine as she looked at her lover. "B-bad girl?" she asked timidly, her stutter affected.

"Oh yes," Willow answered as she gently took Tara by the hand leading her to the shackles that hung from the wall. "Very bad. You know I hate that Tinkerbell spell," she added as she closed one clamp around Tara's wrist.

Tara smirked internally. She didn't know quite what Willow had in mind but she was sure she'd love it. Instead of giving into her need to express her excitement, she played along. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Willow finished placing the other clamp on Tara's opposite wrist. "What was that?" Willow asked, certain that Tara was well aware of the proper response.

"I mean, it won't happen again…Mistress."

Willow smirked and took a step closer. "See that it doesn't."

Tara swallowed hard and closed her eyes. "Yes Mistress."

Willow unbuttoned Tara's top exposing her naked torso. She methodically let her hands run down the front of Tara's body from her neck to her waist, purposely avoiding the blonde's sensitive breasts.

"Tell me something, Kitten," Willow coaxed in an erotic voice. "…Do kittens bark?"

Tara opened her eyes. She gave her an appraising look from the top of the vampire's head to the tips of her boots. Quietly she smirked at her lover. "Why don't we find out Mistress?"

It was Willow's turn to shudder.

Spike sat back in his chair, trying to concentrate on his show but the sounds of passion coming from his cellar were becoming distracting. The long, drawn out screams Tara made were becoming much more than he could take. He could hear the pain, but there was just enough undertones of pleasure to make his bleached hair stand up on end. When he heard the crack of leather against flesh that was enough.

"Bloody hell," he muttered as he rose and turned up the volume on his television. His desire to just take a quick peek was getting the better of him but he decided against it. He was certain Willow would stake him in a heartbeat without thinking twice. So instead of getting an eyeful he bit savagely into his bag of blood, drinking deeply.

By the sounds of Tara's screams and Willow's moans he knew it was going to be a long time 'til sunset.

Continued