Just Because

Chapter 1 - When She's Gone

A pity beyond all telling

Is hid in the heart of love.

--W. B. Yeats

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

There were worse ways to wake up than the touch of your lover's lips...even if they were on your nose.

Tara lazily opened her eyes and saw Willow lying next to her, smiling impishly.

"Hey," she said, not quite awake. "I thought you were getting dressed for work."

"I was," Willow replied. "But I found myself compelled."

"Compelled?"

"I simply had to come over here and kiss your nose."

"I see," Tara said, grinning.

"It was too cute not to."

"Was it, now."

"I would describe it as button-like in its cuteness."

They lay on Tara's bed, atop the covers. It was late August, and the room was a sweet confusion of smells, incenses mixing with the warm breeze blending with the fragrance of their own bodies. Willow's fingers danced lightly across Tara's back, a gently tickling motion.

"You're going to be late," Tara giggled.

"Probably. Actually, I have a proposal for you."

"What's that?"

"Well, since the house is gonna be empty today, I'm thinking that I should call in sick. Then, I think we should stay in this bed for the remainder of the day, since it's just too hot to do anything else."

"Mmmm...I have heard that on really hot days like this, it's best to stay out of the sun..." Tara now shared her girlfriend's mischevious smile. She reached out and ran her fingers through Willow's hair. "You are so beautiful."

"So are you," Willow murmured. She moved closer, closed her eyes...and kissed Tara's nose again.

"Missed."

"Couldn't help it."

**********

"A stripper," Rory said.

"Yeah," Xander said as he poured a plastic bottle of gin down the drain. They were cleaning out the kitchen of the Harris house; it had been two weeks since the battle that had taken place here, and things had moved quickly. The beating Bridget Harris has received at the hands of her husband, Jack, had been thorough and almost debilitating; she was still in the hospital, healing from internal injuries. She was, however, well enough to initiate divorce proceedings from Jack, and to file a restraining order to keep him 500 feet away at all times.

Of course, such orders were often less helpful than a lucky rabbit's foot, but in this case, it seemed to be working. Jack was under arrest for spousal abuse, aggravated assault, and several misdemeanors. The trial was a ways off, but the prosecuting attorney was using phrases like "slam dunk" and "open and shut."

"You're working as a stripper."

"Yeah," Xander replied. He tossed the bottle into one of the large bags of trash by the door and moved on to an elderly bottle of Bloody Mary mix. "Pays my bills, y'know?"

"Well, uh...how are they dealing with your current, uh, condition?"

"What, this?" Xander said, turning and indicating a still-healing cut in his forehead. The stitches were almost ready to come out. "No problem. They have me dancing to a song from Fight Club. You'd be surprised how many women are turned on by a guy who looks like he's been in a fight."

"Huh." Rory tossed a small pile of newspapers into one of the bags. They were cleaning because, between hospital bills and legal bills, the Harris savings account was going to be wiped out. Rory had managed (through the judicious use of guilt) to convince his sister, Lillian, to take her in. Lillian was the best off of the Harris siblings; she had married a lawyer named Jim Reardon, and had a son, Rigby.

"Yeah," Xander said as he poured out the next bottle.

"Somethin' wrong, kid?" Rory asked.

"Huh? No. Nothing." He tossed out the bottle and grabbed the next, a bottle of Peach Schnapps. "Just got something on my mind."

The something on his mind was a possibility. Although the more he went over it in his mind, the slighter that possibility became. When she had first awakened after the attack, his mother had said some things...things that gave an indication that Jack Harris was not his father.

And that Rory Harris was.

It was stupid. Stupid! She wouldn't have lived all those years with Jack if she knew that there was another way...would she? And Rory wouldn't keep his mouth shut all this time...would he?

Sure she would. Sure he would. These were the Harrises he was talking about. They were all lunatics. They were just one disembodied hand away from being The Addams Family.

This was ridiculous, he told himself. There was an easy way to find out what he wanted to know; ask the question!

It just never seemed to be the right time, though. There was too much going on, his mother's health, trying to sell the house...they were all tense, Rory more than anybody. This was much more responsibility than he was used to handling. Somehow, there was no casual way to ask "Hey, Rory! You and my mom ever do the happy dance?"

"Hey..." Rory sniffed the air. "Is that the Schnapps?"

"That's it."

"Pour faster," Rory muttered. He had been dry for a few months now, but the smell of his favorite liquor touched at a hunger he wanted to deny.

"Don't worry. That's the last of it." The Schnapps bottle joined its brothers in the trash. "So...is that it?"

"I think so," Rory said. "The movers'll be here on Monday for the furniture and Brig's stuff, and then the cleaners..." He noticed a slight smile on Xander. "What?"

"Nothin'. I just noticed the way you shortened her name. I, uh, I do the same thing with Will."

"Uh...yeah, okay." Rory looked uncomfortable. "Anyway, the cleaners will be in after that...we'll get Bridget settled in at Lillian's, and then..."

"And then you'll go back to Vegas."

"Yep. Looks like."

"Looks like," Xander repeated. He didn't have much time to get this figured out...

God, look at me, he thought. Anya cheated on me, Rory might be my real father, and I'm involved in a love triangle with a lesbian. All I need are commercials and I'd be a soap opera.

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

They lay in blissful exhaustion, sweat covering their bodies, their hands still caressing one another.

"You know," Tara said, gasping for air, "it's almost too hot for this."

"I know," Willow replied. "I could use a drink, but that would probably involve getting up and putting on clothing of some kind..."

"Well...not necessarily."

Willow looked at Tara.

Tara looked at Willow.

"Nooooo no no no no no," Willow said. "Nuh-uh."

"Why not?"

"Because! Someone might...you know...see me!"

"So?"

"So....so, so, so bad!" Her tone was somewhere between amusement and panic. "Very bad for me to be seen naked by people that aren't you!"

"Chicken," Tara said, smiling.

"Oh, really," Willow said, raising an eyebrow. "Why don't you go traipsing downstairs in your altogether, then?"

"Oh, I'm chicken too," Tara said, nodding sagely.

"Well, so am I!"

"Hmph." Tara rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Don't 'hmph' me, you scaredy-cat person," Willow commented.

"Well, we can't both be scaredy-cats." "Mmm. One of us has to go on down there."

"Well, we could just put something on-" Tara started.

"No," Willow said. "No, now it's a moral imperative. One of us is simply going to have to conquer her fears and go down there with no clothes on and get some drinks."

"So how do we settle this?"

*********

The creature scratched its haunches impatiently. It waited in the bushes surrounding the house's backyard, waiting for a sign of its quarry. It idly chewed a piece of paper.

"Too hot for this," he muttered.

Oh, stop complaining, said a voice only he could hear. She'll show herself soon enough.

"I hope so. I have things I could be doing."

You mean girls you could be doing.

"I mean I could be doing things with girls." He scratched again. "Wish I was down at a pond right now. A nice, cool pond, with three plump nymphs."

You'll be there soon.

"Why you want her anyway?"

Because, the voice said, her time is up.

**********

Willow stood at the top of the stairs, her hands awkwardly covering what some might refer to as her naughty bits.

"I still say paper beats scissors!" she called over her shoulder.

"It does not!" Tara shouted from her room. "Scissors cuts paper! Everybody knows that!"

"But paper covers scissors! You can't use the scissors if you can't find them!"

"Get going!"

Willow muttered something highly uncomplimentary under her breath and started walking. Despite the warmth, she was covered in goosebumps. On the whole, she wasn't big on nudity, except at showers. And bedtime, lately.

She nearly stumbled on one of the steps and reached out to grab the banisters. Well, that was it. If anyone was watching, they had seen her in all her glory.

She rolled her eyes. "In all her glory?" Where had that come from? She quickened her pace, hopping off the stairs and opening the door to the kitchen just a bit. No one was inside. Buffy was in Los Angeles, visiting her dad on his birthday (and probably looking over her shoulder every minute to make sure a certain undead private investigator was nowhere in sight), and Giles, on a most un-Gileslike impulse, had flown to London to see Olivia. And Xander-

No. She did not want to think about Xander at the moment. Xander and nudity were already too closely linked in her mind. She stepped into the kitchen. A large picture window looked out onto the backyard; nothing there that she could see. She opened the refrigerator...

She nearly moaned out loud as cold air spilled out, falling down her body and hitting the floor, mist pooling at her feet. It felt wonderful. She rummaged around, looking for drinks, and thought about why she did not want to think about Xander.

She'd said it.

She'd said the words.

"I love you too."

Later, in the hospital, after he'd come out of the emergency room all bandaged and stitched, she had tried to babble something about how they were just friends, and she loved Tara and she didn't want to jeopardize their relationship and...she couldn't. She'd said it all before.

They had see little of each other in the past two weeks; when Xander wasn't working, he was off running some errand or another. Willow had launched herself into her relationship with Tara with renewed vigor; she loved Xander, but she also loved Tara, and she refused to break Tara's heart.

This was going to become difficult very quickly.

She found two cans of Coke and put them on the counter. She lingered in front of the open refrigerator, fanning herself with the cool air. Nudity had its advantages.

She was about to call out to Tara and suggest they spend the rest of the day in front of the fridge when the kitchen door opened.

All Xander could see was the open refrigerator door and a pair of bare feet.

"Hey, Will. How ya doin'?" he asked.

"Uh...fine," Willow said as casually as possible.

"Cool. What's going on?"

"Nothing!" She peeked out from behind the door; Xander was looking at the phone messages, not paying her any attention at all. "How come you're home so early?"

"Oh, we're done. The house is all cleaned out. We tossed damn near everything in there...'cept for those magazines I found in Jack's closet. You know, might be worth something someday."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway, I think I'm gonna Bronze a little. You?"

"Nnnnnno," Willow said casually. "I think we've got, you know, plans."

"Plans. Right. Okay." He turned to go, then turned back. "Actually, I need a drink. Lemme just grab-"

"Here!" Willow handed one of the Cokes around the door. "There you go!"

"Actually, I was gonna get some milk."

"Coke's better for you! Really! Much better for your...uh...teeth!"

"Will, just let me-" He looked around the door...

His brain immediately moved into overdrive. He made the logical leap from "Hey, Willow's nekkid!" to "Oh, crap, crazy naked woman sex is happening today!" to "Must memorize every last detail" in the space of nanoseconds. He took a one-count to stare, then snapped his head back.

"Sorry! Sorry!" he said.

"No, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I thought you were gonna--"

"I didn't realize--"

"See, I thought paper beat scissors--"

"I should have told you--"

"And the air was so cool and--"

"God, you look good."

"I was just about to-what?"

"What? Me? Nothing. Uh..." He looked down at his T-shirt; it was dirty, but he hadn't sweated through it. He pulled it off and handed it around the door. "Do you want something to, uh..."

There was a moment of quiet. Then, Willow reached out and took the shirt. He listened to the sound it made as it fell over her body. The door closed; she stood there, the shirt coming down to the middle of her thighs. She tugged at it awkwardly.

They stood there for a moment, both half-naked, both trying not to look at each other, both failing. Finally, Xander broke the silence.

"I'm, uh, gonna go."

"You don't have to," Willow said.

"No, I'm pretty sure I do," he replied. "So, y'know, don't worry. I won't be back anytime soon."

"I'm sorry."

"You didn't do anything." He took a step backward. "Gotta go. I'm pretty sure I've got a shirt in the car, so...uh....yeah."

He almost ran. He had to get out, before he said something, before he did something to make everything more awkward than it already was. He dashed outside and hopped into his car.

Willow went to the door, watching him as he backed out and drove away. She sighed, closed and locked the door.

Sooner or later, she was going to hurt somebody. It was only a question of who.

She reached down, her hands almost independent of her mind, took the hem of the shirt and lifted it over her head. She stood naked at the foot of the stairs and held the shirt near her face, breathing him in.

Only a question of who.

She put down the shirt, picked up the cans and walked upstairs.

"Hey," Tara said when she walked in. "What was all that?"

"Jehovah's Witnesses," Willow said, handing her a can. "Boy, were they surprised." She lay on her side next to Tara.

"Wanna rest for a while?" Tara asked.

"Yes," Willow whispered. She lay her head down on Tara's waiting arm, let herself be held close, let herself try to forget, let herself try to rest.

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

You and me were meant to be

Walkin' free in harmony

One fine day we'll fly away

Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day?

*********

Hey hey hey

The band on stage was called Morcheeba, and as they played the soul/funk/ hiphop/whatever tune, Xander made a mental note to pick up the CD. He sat at a table in the Bronze, wishing that he had a better fake ID. He didn't want to get buzzed on caffeine and sugar. He wanted beers. Many beers. He looked around at the dancers, smiles on their faces, digging the sound, digging each other. Happy people were really beginning to piss him off.

It wasn't a healthy attitude, he knew that. The only thing that kept him from indulging in it was the fact that it was probably how his dad felt life in general.

The song finished and the singer announced a five-minute break. He sighed and finished the last of the coffee.

"Hey there." A hand on his shoulder. He turned; she was blonde, slim, pale. She reminded him of Gwyneth Paltrow for some reason. She smiled, her eyes sleepy. "You look a little depressed."

"Yeah," he said. "Uh...have we met?"

"No," Gwyneth said. "I just saw you from across the bar, and I wondered why such a handsome boy would look so sad."

"Girl trouble," Xander replied.

"Listen...my friends and I are having a party near the college, and we can always use some new people. D'you want to come?"

"Sure, I..." He trailed off. Then he rolled his eyes. "Oh, man. Do I actually look this pathetic?"

"What?"

"I mean, sure, I'm bummed out, but I didn't realize I looked like vampire bait!"

"Vam-" Her eyes widened. "What are you-"

"Save it," Xander said. "It's all over your face. And your eyes. And that Charlie's Angels hairdo." He stood up. "Come on. Let's go fight."

"I..." Gwyneth's face hardened. "And what makes you think you can defeat a vampire?"

Xander reached down and removed a nine-inch stake that had been strapped to his leg.

"I call him Ol' Painless," he said.

Gwyneth blinked. Then she turn and ran. Xander took off in hot pursuit.

Say what you will about the undead; they do take one's mind off things.

*********

"No."

"'Strue," Willow said. "I saw it at a Rho Alpha Tau party."

"Whipped cream shots?!"

"This girl took off her shirt, squirted some whipped cream on her, y'know, her nipples, and charged twenty bucks a pop to lick it off."

"Really!"

"Yep." She and Tara lay in the dark, a single candle--their candle-- serving as the only light. After waking up, Willow had done her best to recapture the mood. She'd done a pretty good job. At the moment, Tara had one arm slung over her and was tracing invisible patterns on her right buttock.

"So..." Tara smiled wickedly. "D-did you take a shot?"

"Of course not!"

"It sounds like fun," Tara commented.

"You know, I think we've got some whipped cream downstairs."

Brief silence.

"Uh....so..."

"Ohhhh, no. It's your turn. I got the drinks."

Tara sighed and got up.

"You're sure the 'Jehovah's Witnesses' aren't coming back?" she asked, and Willow was surprised to hear jealousy in her voice.

"Pretty sure, yes."

"All right." Tara hopped off the bed, swept her hair back from her face.

"Have fun," Willow said, watching her go.

***********

Wake up.

The creature snored heavily, the bushes almost swaying with the forces of it.

Wake UP!

"I pulled out, I swear!" it shouted as it came awake. It squinted, trying to get its bearings. "What the...what's happening?"

She's near!

The creature peered at the window. A pale, nude figure was illuminated in the light of the refrigerator.

"So she is," the creature said. "Nice rump."

Get moving!

***********

Tara found the whipped cream can and ran it over her forehead. The sun was gone, but it hadn't taken the heat or the humidity with it. She shook the can, popped off the top, and looked down at herself...did you spray the whipped cream directly on, or onto your hand first, or-

She saw the dark shape moments before the window smashed inward. She screamed in fright; she couldn't make it out in the dim light, but it couldn't be good. She reached into the fridge, grabbed the first heavy jar she could find, and hurled it.

The creature caught it.

"Miss Tara," it said. "You're wanted at home."

"No," Tara whispered.

The creature took a step closer into the light, and now she could see its goat legs, the thick fur, the belly...

"NO!" Tara screamed. She sprayed the whipped cream where she guessed its eyes were; she grabbed more jars and threw them, driving the thing back.

"Tara?" Willow cried out. She could hear her rushing down the stairs.

"Stay away!" she screamed.

"You're just prolonging it," the thing said, and now she could see a line open in mid-air. The creature traced it with his fingers, ripped it open, and a terrible white light filled the room. She could see it completely now. A set of pipes hung at its hip, where man became goat. It had two small horns and a short beard. Its face-his face-was not unkind as he reached out for her. "Come on now," he said. "Got to go."

He grabbed her by the hand and began to drag her towards the light. She latched onto the refrigerator door, but he was so strong, she couldn't last for long...

"Tara!" Willow screamed. She had pulled on the discarded T-shirt in anticipation of trouble; now she charged forward in Tara's defense, intent on knocking the satyr away...

She tackled him, and to Tara's horror, they both fell into the light.

"Willow!!" she shrieked as the hole in reality closed up behind them. Darkness reclaimed the room.

She stood in the small shaft of light from the refrigerator, naked and shivering, and tried to figure out what to do.

**********

What a day. What a night. He tried for the hundredth time to brush the last remaining pieces of Gwyneth off his shirt, but it was soaked through with sweat; nothing doing. He had chased the vampire so far, there was no point in going back for his car; It was a short walk back to the house.

Back to the crazy naked woman sex house.

With his luck, they'd be in the living room, performing erotic acts he had only seen in the magazines he'd swiped from his father's room.

Always, of course, assuming he was his father...oh, forget it. Xander just wanted to get some sleep.

When he opened the door, he immediately realized it wasn't going to happen.

Tara, dressed in a long skirt and one of Willow's T-shirts, was sitting in the middle of a pentagram.

"Oh,. Goddess Thespia, your daughter implores. Oh, Goddess Thespia, your daughter--"

"Tara? What the hell's going on?"

"Sshhh. Don't interrupt. Oh, Goddess Thespia, your daughter begs--"

There was light coming from beneath the kitchen door. He opened it and found it a mass of shattered glass; the window was broken, jars and dishes were smashed.

"Where's Willow?!" he cried.

"Gone," Tara said. "Oh, Goddess Thespia-"

"Gone? What d'you mean, gone?!"

"I mean gone, Xander!" Tara yelled, standing and facing him. "Something...something came in here and took her, and now I have to go after her."

"What took her?"

"That doesn't matter."

"The hell it doesn't!"

"I'm going to get her back--"

"Well, you're not going without me."

"Xander, you don't--"

"You're not going without me," Xander said.

"I've got the situation under--"

"You're. Not. Going. Without. Me."

"Oh, damn it, all right! Sit down!" Tara reclaimed her seat. "And...and...I'm sorry. I'm scared."

"Look...wherever we're going....we'll get her back, all right?"

"Right," Tara said, looking determined.

"Uh...where are we going?"

"You'll see. Close your eyes. And think happy thoughts."

"Right," Xander muttered, closing his eyes.

"Oh, Goddess Thespia, your daughter begs. Oh, Goddess Thespia, your daughter implores. Oh, Goddess Thespia, your daughter needs you. Bring her home, oh, Goddess...uh, and Xander too. Bring us unto your bosom."

"Sounds good," Xander murmured.

"Ssshhh! Oh, Goddess, hear your daughter's plea. Oh, Goddess, hear your daughter's cry! Oh, Goddess, hear your daughter's wish!"

There was a moment of quiet.

Then there was a sudden flash of light.

He wasn't sitting on the hardwood floor anymore; it felt like grass and earth.

"Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Yeah," Tara said.

He opened his eyes.

He was sitting on a wide green lawn, near an enormous set of stairs. The stairs reached up to what looked like an enormous temple...and beyond that, a palace.

"Welcome," Tara said, "to Olympus."

*******

Chapter 2 - Goddess In The Details

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl,

But she doesn't have a lot to say.

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl,

But she changes from day to day...

I wanna tell her that I love her a lot,

But I gotta get a bellyfull of wine...

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl,

And someday I'm gonna make her mine, oh yeah,

Someday I'm gonna make her mine.

--The Beatles

***********

The palace stretched up, vanishing into the clouds. Below, the side of a mountain stretched down to the Earth, far, far below. A fiery chariot swooped through the air some distance away.

"No," Xander said. "No way. Forget it."

"I don't know what else to tell you," Tara said. "This is Mount Olympus, home of the Greek Gods."

"I don't care. It's not real."

"It pretty much is."

"Look, I've seen a lot of weird shit in the past few years, okay? Vampires! Werewolves! Buffy and Spike making out! But this? No! Forget it! That's the line!"

"Fine. Where are we, then?"

"Well, we...uh..." He looked around. "Could be Marin County..." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Let's find Willow and get back to Sunnydale." He looked around again. "So...where is she?"

"We need to go ask..." She faltered as they walked towards the stairs. "L-look...this is gonna be hard. I'm, I'm, I'm g-gonna have to tell you...and Willow...some things. Things you may not like."

"I'm already deep into not-like territory," Xander said. "Now who do we have to see?"

"My mother."

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

Her hand moved over damp stone. She opened her eyes; she could make out shapes in the low light, nothing more.

"Ohhhhh," something moaned to her right. Willow rolled over onto her back and sat up. She shivered; the room was terrible cold, and her only garment, the T-shirt, offered little protection. "Damn an' blast."

"Who's that?" she whispered.

"Who's-" She heard movement, a sudden clip-clop on the stone. "Oh, no. You're not Miss Tara."

"Who are you? Where are we?"

"Well, where...damn if I know. Looks like a cell of some sort. As for who..."

A tiny flame burst into life in the middle of the room. The figure before her held a match in his grubby fingers. She realized it was the thing that had been trying to kidnap Tara; it was a satyr, half man, half goat. With his other hand, he scratched himself nervously.

"Name's Pan," he said. "Um...and you are?"

"Angry," Willow growled.

"Well, okay, I can see that-"

"You tried to kidnap my girlfriend."

"Yes," the satyr said.

"Why?!"

"Well, er...that's really the sort of thing she should explain herself..."

Willow was on the verge of grabbing the little creature and shaking him when the door-she assumed it was a door, she hadn't actually seen it- opened.

Standing in the rectangle of blue light was a tall, pale man. His highly domed head was entirely free of hair, and he peered at Willow curiously. Next to him, a shortish man, covered in crude armor, watched carefully.

"And you found them above?" the tall man asked.

"Yessir," the guard replied.

"You, little goat. Who is this person and why were you intruding on my property?"

"I wasn't intruding!" Pan said indignantly. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding. She's not supposed to be here; we just had a little accident and-"

"My," the tall man said, studying Willow more closely. "And a lovely rosebud she is."

"You'd be surprised how flattering that's not," Willow said. "Look, one of you...where am I?!"

"You are in Tartarus," the tall man said. "Far beneath Mount Olympus, where the souls of the dead come to spend eternity. I am Hades, God of the Underworld."

Willow blinked.

"Well. That explains that."

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

"Mother!" Tara bounded off the steps and strode towards one of the marble halls. Behind her, at some distance, Xander stumbled onto the platform and collapsed, gasping for air.

"Really...need an elevator...in this place..." he moaned between gulps of oxygen.

"Mother! Where are you?!"

"Maybe...an escalator..."

"Mother!!"

"Or a whattayacallit...ski lift..." Xander got to his feet. The hall was empty except for a pair of thrones and a large fountain.

"Mother, will you please--"

The fountain began to bubble. As Tara and Xander watched, the water began to rise in a pillar formation...then, the pillar took a woman's shape. Water became flesh, and a woman swathed in brilliantly white linen stepped out of the fabric.

"There's no need to shout, dear," the woman said, taking the throne. "I'm right here." She had the same oddly-colored hair as Tara, and though her face was unlined by age, it was clear that she was Tara's mother. "Oh! You brought a friend!"

"Yeah. Xander, this is my mother, Thespia."

"Uh...hi," Xander said uncertainly. The name sounded familiar. "Is that, like, Goddess Thespia?"

"It is," Thespia said. "I am Thespia, daughter of the river god Asopus and Metope, who was daughter of the river god Ladon. And who are you?"

"I'm, uh, I'm Xander Harris, son of...well, that's kind of up in the air at the moment. Look, if I faint or anything, don't be offended, okay?"

"Of course, dear."

"Did you send him?" Tara asked angrily. "Did you send Pan after me, Mother?"

"What? Of course not!" Thespia said, drawing herself up regally. "I have no idea what you're talking about. What's happened?"

"What's happened is, Pan took a...a friend of mine. And I need to find her before-"

"Your friend is in no danger from Pan."

The voice was melody, it was honey in sound form, it was a siren's call. Xander turned to find the source of the voice and saw something he could easily have stared at for the rest of her life.

Her incredibly long, honey-blonde curls had been artfully wrapped around her otherwise unclad body. Flowers were nestled in the locks here and there. Her skin was tan to the point of being gold. Her eyes were a rainbow of colors, never the same one for very long, fascinating to watch. Her lips, her cheeks, the curve of her neck, her long, slender arms...

She looked at him and smiled.

"Hello," she said, and he knew he would follow her to the ends of the Earth if only she'd ask.

"Aunt," Tara said. "Did you send Pan?"

"I did," the beauty replied. "You have been neglecting your duty."

"Well, now my love is-"

"She's not your love," the most beautiful woman in the world replied.

"Um...." Xander raised a trembling hand. "Excuse me. Please. Beg your pardon. If you c-could just tell me, please...who are you?"

"I am Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love," she replied.

"Ah," Xander replied.

Then he fainted dead away.

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

The robe Hades had provided was warm, but the stone was still cold to her bare feet. She walked between Hades and Pan, and struggled not to panic.

This wasn't possible. It just wasn't. There weren't any Greek gods. There wasn't any Tartarus. This was ridiculous! It couldn't be real!

Hades stopped at the end of the stone hall and pressed a hand against what looked like sheer rock. The rock vanished, and firelight seeped into the hall. They stepped out onto a platform.

The platform overlooked a vast cavern that was stuffed with people. Willow could see helmeted soldiers, men and women in togas, even the odd child here and there. They milled about without purpose, without light in their eyes, without hope.

"My God," she murmured.

"Yes?" Hades asked. He sat in a twin throne. The other seat was occupied by a pale, sallow woman with lank black hair.

"I meant...why are they all here?"

"They are dead."

"No, I mean...look, I don't mean to offend you, but nobody worships the Greek pantheon anymore. Shouldn't they..."

"Ah. A Christian."

"A Jew, actually."

"Whatever," Hades said dismissively. "You're a worshipper of the One God, as you put it. These..." He swept his hand across the cavern. "...died as worshippers of the true gods. They are ours, and we care for them still."

"They look miserable."

"They feel no pain," Hades remarked.

"Mother?" Willow jumped as she heard the croak of the dark woman's voice. "Is that you?"

"No, darling Persephone," Hades said soothingly. "We have a visitor. Her name is Willow."

"Willow," Persephone said. "Willow trees...leaves in the sun, the sun on my face...is it September yet?"

"No, my love." Hades shrugged. "You'll have to excuse her. She's been down here a little too long."

"Winter is so long," Persephone said, turning to look at Willow. "The blossoms will never wake."

"It's summer. Shouldn't she be...not here?"

Hades raised an eyebrow. "You know the story?"

"I know the mythology," Willow replied. "You kidnapped Persephone...her mother, Demeter, raised such a fuss that all the food on Earth began to rot, so Zeus demanded you give her back." She blinked. "You know, now that I describe it, this is a really dysfunctional relationship...anyway, you said you'd give her back as long as she hadn't eaten any of the food of the dead, but she'd eaten, like, a couple of seeds. And now she spends three months of the year down here, and that's..."

"...that's supposed to be winter," Hades said. "Of course, that was hundreds of years ago. Demeter has gone wandering...she still has some worshippers, but they are few and scattered. And Persephone...well, she decided to stay all the time, and now..." He sighed. "Anyway, Pan!"

The satyr was at the edge of the platform, chatting up a female shade.

"...yeah, it must be a drag spending eternity here," Pan said. "Listen, you wanna slip behind those rocks, have a little wine?"

"Pan!" Hades barked.

"Hold that thought..." Pan clip-clopped towards them with ill grace. "Can we go now?"

"I still require an explanation," Hades said. "Why did you bring this mortal into the realm of Olympus?"

"He didn't bring me," Willow said. "He was trying to grab a friend of mine!"

"Sssshhh! Shtum! Shtum!" Pan hissed. "Ignore her. Obviously unhinged. I'm just doing a simple snatch-and-grab for Aphrodite, that's all. She's another Zeus love child, you know how-"

"I am not!" Willow yelled. "He was trying to kidnap Tara!"

The eyes of Hades widened. He leaned closer to Willow, his voice low.

"Tara?" he asked. "You know Tara?"

Willow looked at him in confusion.

"Uh...I know a Tara."

"Ash blond hair? Stutters when she's nervous? Sleepy eyes?" Hades grasped Willow's arm urgently. "Is that her?"

"Ow! Let go!"

"Is it?!"

"That sounds like her, all right?" Willow shook him off. "What do you know about her?"

"Oh, quite a bit," Hades said, smiling. "Quite a bit. She's my daughter."

***********

Xander awoke, his head lying on a lap as comfortable as any pillow. The person it belonged to smelled like summer rain. He opened his eyes.

Aphrodite looked down at him, smiling innocently.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi," Xander replied worshipfully.

"I was just about to explain what's happening."

"Uh huh," Xander said blissfully.

"Because you need to know all the facts."

"Uh huh," Xander said adoringly.

"To help Willow," Aphrodite explained patiently.

"Uh h-" Xander blinked. The ugly reality of what was happening began to reassert itself. Willow, taken, lost, in need of rescuing. He shook his head and sat up. "Okay. I'm good to go."

"Excellent!" Aphrodite said. Xander stood; Thespia and Tara were looking at him.

"Sorry," he said, shrugging.

"It happens to all of us the first time," Tara replied. "Now, Aphrodite, if you could p-please explain why you felt the need to send Pan to kidnap me..."

"You know perfectly well why," Aphrodite said. "You had a job to do, Tara, and you were neglecting it."

"I know, I know, but...I l-l-love her."

"Oh, no," Thespia said. "Oh, now I see."

"Um...I don't. Could somebody clear it up for me?"

"Xander..." Tara sighed. "I'm a goddess."

Xander blinked.

"A goddess."

"Yes. You've met my mother. My father is Hades, God of the Dead. And Aphrodite...I work for her."

"Doing what, light housework?"

"You don't understand," Aphrodite said. "You see...for the most part, our pantheon is no longer worshipped by the mortals. Your One God has usurped much of our old power. But love....love is still very much part of my domain. Many people still make offerings to me and my children. Even you."

"Me?"

"A couple of years ago, there was a spell..."

"A--Valentine's Day? You did that?!"

"It didn't quite go as you expected, did it? But in the end, you got what you wanted." She smiled indulgently. "For a time, anyway...but you and Cordelia were never quite right, were you?"

"Well...it felt right at the time..."

"Yes, I suppose," the Goddess of Love said. "But I have seen your heart, Xander Harris, and I know who it has always belonged to, even if you did not."

The feeling he experienced was a strange cross between icewater down his spine and a warm fuzzy.

"Willow," he whispered. At the edge of his vision, he saw Tara turn away as if struck.

"Yes. Her heart-"

"Don't tell me," Xander said.

She looked at him curiously.

"That's...that's private," Xander explained. "It's be like reading her mail or something."

Aphrodite's smile grew ever warmer.

"Good," she said. "In any case...sometimes, when I think it may help, I send an emissary to the mortal plane in human form. They are there to...well, steer things in the right direction."

Xander thought about that for a moment. Then he glared at Tara hatefully.

"You," he said.

"Let me explain," Tara said.

"Explain?! You--" There were so many profanities trying to escape his mouth, they were bottlenecked at the voice box.

"Xander..." She stepped towards him. "I couldn't help it, all right? W- Willow was my first assignment, and she...she was so sweet and k-kind and beautiful, Xander, I couldn't help myself." Tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I loved her from the m-moment I saw her."

Xander held his hands behind his back, because he didn't trust himself not to take a swing at her.

"You knew," he growled. "You knew how I felt and you knew the truth and you went ahead and--"

"I didn't want to lose her!" Tara yelled.

Xander shook his head.

"You know how this f-feels," Tara said. "To want someone so m-much you'd do anything...anything to be with them. D-d-don't tell me you don't, Xander." She wiped her eyes. "I knew I'd have to t-tell her eventually...I just, I w-wanted to hold on as long as I could.

"I'm so sorry, Xander."

Xander looked at her and felt his anger being cooled by her tears.

"You don't need my forgiveness," he said. "You need hers. Where is she? Where's Willow?"

***********

"No," Willow said. She stepped back from Hades. "No, you must be thinking of somebody else. My Tara-"

"Your Tara?" Hades asked, eyebrows high.

"Yes," Willow said. "My Tara. She...she said she was mine."

Hades reached beneath his cloak and removed a small glass ball. He held it up to be seen.

"Is this her?"

Willow looked. Within the globe, slightly distorted but still visible, was Tara's smiling face.

"You..." Her heartbeat quickened. "This is a trick. It's a trick. That's all it is. You want something from me, or...or something..."

"You? I don't want anything from you. What I want is my daughter back." Hades slipped the ball back beneath his cloak and stood. "I haven't seen her in years, not since Thespia stole her from me!"

"Thes..." Willow trailed off. "Thespia? The goddess?"

"Thespia the thief! Thespia the harlot! Thespia who seduced me because she had no husband of her own and took my child!" The torches in the walls began to flare as he raged. "Thespia who told Zeus I would drive her daughter as mad as Persephone!"

"I'm not mad," Persephone said. "I'm not even annoyed."

"Snatched from her bed! Raised on Olympus! Do you have any idea what kind of degenerate perverts they are on Olympus? They're scum! They exist only to gratify themselves!"

"Um...excuse me. I'm just trying to, to process this, and...and I feel like I might start screaming, so..." Willow took a deep breath. "Tara's a, a what? What does this mean? I thought she was...I thought she was normal! I mean, is that so much to ask? I just wanted one normal thing in my life! What is she?!"

Hades looked at her curiously.

"You love her," he said.

"Yes. I...I think." Willow's hands trembled as she drew the cloak tighter around herself. "Please...what is she?"

"She's a goddess," Hades said. "I'm sorry, that must come as a shock, but that's as gently as I can put it."

"The goddess of what?"

"Oh, I don't think she's the goddess of anything. You have to have worshippers for that. But she is quite powerful...she is heir to the power of Hades, and the latest in the line of the river gods."

Willow turned away. She could sense a hysterical scream trying to climb out of her.

"She...she lied to me."

Hades said nothing. Willow turned back to him urgently.

"Where is she?"

***********

Thespia walked to the fountain. At a wave of her hand, the water became flame. She waved again; the flames parted, a circle of clear air forming in the middle.

"Show me Pan," she commanded. Behind her, Tara fidgeted impatiently. Xander was pacing back and forth. Aphrodite approached him and laid a hand upon his arm.

"Be calm," she said.

"What if she's been hurt?" Xander said. "What if-"

"Xander." She touched the side of his face, a sweet caress. "Be calm."

He stopped pacing.

"Oh, no," Thespia said.

"Oh, shit!" Tara added.

"Those aren't good things for goddesses to be saying," Xander said, rushing over. "Where's--"

In the circle, he saw an image of Willow, talking intensely with a guy who looked like he was wearing Satan's hand-me-downs.

"Hades," Thespia said, her voice full of venom.

"What is she doing there?!" Tara turned to Aphrodite, close to hysterics. "We've got to get her out!"

"It...it doesn't look like she's scared or anything," Xander said, trying to convince himself. "Maybe they're just-"

Hades turned, facing them now. The way he was looking, it almost appeared that he was trying to find-

His eyes widened.

He grinned wickedly.

The circle of air was filled by flame. The entire fountain flared up, the fire extending to the ceiling thirty feet above. Thespia waved her arms again; the fire changed to water and landed with a loud splash.

"We've got to get her out," Tara said again.

"We will," Aphrodite said.

"I'll get her out, all right," Thespia snarled.

"You won't. You know Zeus ordered the two of you to stop fighting."

"Okay," Xander said. "I know I sound like a scratched CD, but what the hell is going on?!"

"That guy with Willow? That's my dad." Tara glowered. "We've got issues."

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

As far as Willow could tell, she had two options at the moment. She could cry, scream, and sob incoherently until she lost consciousness, or she could do what she was doing. Which was babbling.

"...and, and then we did this spell to see if Buffy was being possessed? And it was weird, because it was so intense, and...I felt so close to her that night...of course, then we had to go tell Giles what was going on, and get everybody back in their own bodies. And then Oz came back, and he was all 'I can control the wolf,' but he really couldn't, and could I have something to drink? Wait, if I drink something down here, I don't have to stay forever, do I? Never mind."

Hades stood and smiled.

"I can see why she likes you," he said.

"You do?"

"I do," he said. "She obviously cares for you a great deal."

"How...how d'you know?"

"Because she's coming."

At the far end of the cavern, the rocks began to move. A long crack appeared, red light streaming from it.

"They kept her hidden," he explained as the shades parted from the light. "All my magicks, and I couldn't find her! Zeus commanded that the war between me and Thespia come to an end...but I can feel her now! You've brought her to me!"

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

The flash of light blinded him temporarily, and he stumbled to the ground.

"Oh, yeah, this isn't gonna get old," Xander muttered as he rubbed his eyes and got to his feet. "Now where--"

He was standing on the banks of a wide, still river. A small dock was set up, and a boat waited. Far on the other side of the river was the foot of Mount Olympus. Black clouds hovered close to the ground, and the only sound was the low moan of the wind. In the boat, a figure stood, wrapped in a long cloak and hood.

"Ooookay," Xander said. "I don't think it's evil enough around here. Anything we can do about that?"

"Do you have to mmmake j-jokes all the time?" Tara asked.

"Tara, the jokes are all that's keeping my mind from snapping right now, all right?"

"Sssshhhh," Aphrodite said. "Take these coins."

She offered her hands and dropped a single copper coin into each of their palms.

"We'll need these for the trip." She led them to the dock. As Xander watched, Aphrodite placed a third coin in the boatman's hand.

The boatman's completely fleshless hand.

"Jesus," he murmured. "Somebody needs a sandwich."

"That's Charon," Tara said. "The boatman on the river Styx."

"Ohhhh, right! Clash of the Titans! You ever see that one?"

"It didn't get anything right." Tara handed Charon a coin.

"Yeah, but you gotta love the Penguin." He flipped the coin into Charon's hand. "Here ya go. Buy yourself something pretty."

Something gleamed beneath the boatman's hood.

"Sorry. I'm a little manic today."

Xander quickly took a seat as the boat cast off. He sat between Aphrodite and Tara, his nerves jangled.

"So do we have anything even remotely resembling a plan?" he asked.

"I'm going to ask him to give Willow back," Tara replied.

"And...will that work?"

"I have no idea." She looked at him. "I haven't seen him in years. And the last time I did see him...he'd been fighting with my mother for so long, it was like he was...crazed."

"What was it like?" Xander asked.

"Bizarre. I mean, I was born on Olympus...then my dad grabbed me and brought me to Tartarus...then my mom took me back, and...it was like a nasty custody battle, except I spent all this time locked up in the depths of the underworld where my mom couldn't find me, or I was stashed in Hephaesteus' workshop, or..." She shook her head. "I was lonely. And then...then I met this person who...who just accepted me."

Xander said nothing.

"I love her, Xander."

"Don't we all," he muttered.

"You don't choose who you fall in love with," Aphrodite said. "All you can choose if how you deal with it."

The boat glided into the dock, and the three of them stepped out.

"So...what does he do with those coins, exactly?" Xander asked.

"No one knows," Tara replied.

"Come on, children," Aphrodite said. "The Hellmouth awaits."

"The what?" Xander asked. His answer came as they approached the foot of the mountain; there was a dark cave, foul odors drifting from it. A gigantic chain, fixed to the stone, led inside the cave.

"Well, as Hellmouths go, I give it a 6. I mean, where's the moaning, the wailing, the gnashing of--"

A loud, terrible roar burst out from the cave.

"Okay," Xander said, shaken. "Maybe I'll give the jokes a rest."

"Look out!" Tara screamed. She pulled Xander out of the way as an enormous black shape shot out of the cave. They skittered backwards, and the shape leapt at them again. It was yanked back by the chain, and Xander could finally get a good look at it.

It was a dog. A three-headed dog...a dog that was black as coal and apparently as mean as anything...a dog that looked to be about ten feet tall...but a dog.

"Cerberus," Tara gasped.

"Thanks for the save." He looked around. "Where's Aphrodite?"

"She's got it," Tara said.

The goddess of love was walking towards the beast, smiling beatifically. She reached out and placed a hand on Cerberus' heart. Cerberus' barks were reduced to growling, and then to quizzical sniffing, and finally to delighted panting.

"You like that, don't you?" she murmured.

"Uh...okay. Not gonna question it," Xander said, stepping closer. "So...now what?"

"I cannot go in with you," Aphrodite said. "Zeus has decreed it. The two of you will have to get your friend out alone...but I will send you whatever help I can."

"Aphrodite...Aunt, I don't know if I can d-d-do th-this."

"You must be strong, Tara," the goddess said. "Both of you must be strong. Now go, and be as quick as you can."

"I'm having the weirdest day," Xander muttered as they walked into the cave. The light quickly faded. "Do you know what we're looking for?"

As he said it, a crack of red light appeared six feet to his left.

"Right here," Tara said.

**********

Willow watched in wonder as the door opened. Wonder turned to delight when she saw who it was!

"Xander! Tara! I'm over here!"

And then she felt Hades' hand close tightly over her shoulder.

"Yes," he intoned in the hush that followed. "Yes, my daughter, here she is. The question is....what will you give me in her place?"

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

Chapter 3 - Demigods and Hungry Ghosts

Valor is common, but great souls are rare.

--Bernard Joseph Saurin

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

The dead stared at them.

Xander and Tara stood before a horde of dead souls, all of whom looked at them curiously, as one looks at an alien thing. The only sound was whispering in the ranks as they wondered what this would lead to. It echoed in and out of the tunnels, which the cavern was studded with.

Not that Xander and Tara noticed. They were too busy watching the woman they both loved being held in Hades' tight grasp.

"Okay," Tara said. "Let me do the talking."

"Go for it," Xander replied.

"Hello, father," Tara yelled across the cavern. "H-how are you?"

"You mean apart from having my daughter ripped from my bosom?" Hades asked. "Fine. And you?"

"Fine. I...I think we should t-t-talk. If you could just let my friend go..."

"Oh, I don't think so," Hades replied, gripping Willow's shoulder tighter. "I think she should stay right here while we have our little chat."

"Ow!" Willow cried as she struggled to free herself. "Leggo!"

"Get your hands off her!" Tara cried. She put a hand on Xander's arm, seeing him tense up.

"That's how you talk to your father?" Hades said. "Your time in the mortal realm hasn't done much for your manners." He regarded Willow appraisingly. "Sweet little consort, though...not at all the kind of girl I would have picked out, of course..."

"I'm warning you," Tara snarled, stepping forward. As she did, the dead began to close ranks around the platform.

"Warning me? About what? Have I made any threats? Your thrice- damned mother must have made me out to be quite the villain." Hades smiled mirthlessly. "How are you, daughter?"

"Let her go," Tara repeated.

"I'll consider it. First, we need to talk about the way things are going to be from now on--"

"Hey!" Xander yelled. "Didn't you hear her? Get your big slimy meathooks off Willow, you undead piece of shit!"

There was a long, long moment of silence. Everyone stared at Xander in complete astonishment.

"And what is this?" Hades finally asked.

"Xander, don't!" Willow cried.

"Xander? Another mortal?" Hades rolled his eyes. "Do you have an entire harem of these things?"

"Hey, I'm talkin' to you, you Malkovich-lookin' freakshow!" Xander yelled, infuriated past all patience. "Get your grubby paws off my best friend!"

Hades stared, his mouth slightly open.

"Or?" he finally asked.

"Or...I'll...um..." He looked at Tara. "I just made a serious tactical error, didn't I?"

Tara nodded slowly.

"You know, I don't think anyone has dared speak to me like that in several centuries," Hades commented. "Ericthonius?"

"Sir?" An undead soldier answered the question.

"What happened to the last person who spoke in such a manner?"

"I believe Cerberus still has a few pieces of the man in his teeth."

"Ah, yes."

"Did I say 'undead piece of shit?'" Xander said hurriedly. "I didn't mean it. I meant 'big nice guy with piercing blue eyes.' It's a speech impedeeecccchhhh--" The soldier lashed out and snagged Xander by the throat, lifting him two feet off the floor.

"Xander!" Willow screamed.

Tara moved fast; she pressed a hand to Ericthonius' chest. There was a strobe-flash of white light, and the soldier was thrown violently backward, his helmet flying across the cavern. Xander tumbled to the ground, coughing and gagging.

"We aren't here to fight!" she cried as the dead souls moved to surround them.

"Whoa," Willow murmured. "How'd she...oh. Goddess. Right."

"You may not be here to fight, daughter, but do not try my patience!" Hades snarled. "This mortal was brought here! She belongs to me! Now, I might change my mind about that if--"

"You--you jerk!" Willow yelled, panic and pain robbing her of a more scathing description.

"You too?" Hades gripped Willow's shoulder harder; blood began to trickle from beneath his fingertips. Willow wailed in pain.

"Sonova--" Xander was on his feet and moving; unfortunately, so was Ericthonius. He blocked Xander's charge, knocking the boy back to the cavern floor again.

"S-stop it!" Tara screamed.

"Obey me and I will!" Hades returned.

"Wait 'til I get up there!" Xander yelled from the cavern floor. "I'm gonna make you eat that stupid cape!"

Hades laughed heartily at that.

"Will you at that," he said. "I'll tell you what, boy. If you can make it all the way to my platform, then you may have this girl."

Through the pain, Willow glared at the God of the Dead and slammed her heel down onto his boot. It had no noticeable effect.

"Now then, Tara...will you speak with your father?"

"All right! All right!" Tara said, relenting. "J-just...just stop hurting her!"

"No sooner said," Hades said. He moved his hand down Willow's arm; it was unbruised, uncut, the blood fading away.

"Tara..." Xander grabbed her arm. "Tara, you can't--"

"I have to," she replied. "I have to get her out of here."

"But...wait, he said if I make it to the platform--"

"Xander, we're talking about centuries of the finest soldiers of Greece. Almost everyone who died at Troy. Do you think you can fight your way through that?"

Xander said nothing.

"J-just wait here," she said. "I'll get her out."

"Good luck," he finally said. Then, he could only watch as the army of the dead parted for her, the princess of the underworld, going to face her father. She walked up a set of stone stairs up on the platform, then through a door next to the throne...everyone joined her except that spooky chick, the one who hadn't made a sound so far.

"So, boy," Ericthonius called to him. "Care for another try?"

Xander looked at the dead army. They stared back, ready to fight.

"Uh...I guess I don't wanna end up in Cerberus'--"

He stopped.

And grinned.

"I'll be right back."

He turned and walked out of the doorway Tara had created, towards the dim light.

"A coward," Ericthonius said. "I might have known."

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

"Coming, my love?" Hades called to Persephone. The pale lady had scarcely moved during the entire exchange.

"No," she said. "I think they might fight. I like it when they fight. I like the noises they make."

"Suit yourself," Hades said as he closed the door. They stepped into a room that looked and felt like the inside of a black velvet pouch. Hades took a seat on an indigo couch, pulling Willow down next to him. Tara sat opposite them, leaning forward as though she might pounce at any moment.

"So," Hades said. "What shall we talk about?"

"Are you okay?" Tara asked Willow.

"Yeah," Willow said noncommittally. "Great. Not scarred for life or anything."

"I think we should talk about--"

"So were you ever going to tell me about any of this?" Willow asked, interrupting. "I mean, because that's sort of a biggie. I would have liked to have known about the fact that I was dating a goddess."

"I wwwwas g-going to tell you...it's just..."

"Just what? How could you not tell me this?"

"It's c-complicated!"

"Excuse me," Hades said. "Do you mind? I'm trying to speak with my daughter."

"Fine. Go ahead." Willow looked away. "Hope she tells you the truth."

"That's not f-f-fair!" Tara cried.

"I was taken into the depths of the underworld by the god of the satyrs and manhandled by the lord of the dead! I don't have to be fair!"

"Willow, I--"

"You know, when Oz got turned into a werewolf, he was up front about it! He didn't try to hide it from me! Well...he did at first, but--"

"Oh, h-here we g-go!" Tara yelled. "W-Well, I'm s-sorry if I'm not as p-perfect as Oz!"

"No one's asking you to be perfect! I just wanted you to be honest with me!"

"SILENCE!" Hades roared. The sound was supernaturally loud. "Look, mortal, my daughter may be fond of you, but if you interrupt me again I shall--"

Tara's hand began to grow bright yellow. She stood and approached Hades with a look of great fierceness.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Her," she growled.

Hades looked almost terrifyingly angry for a moment; then he softened. For the first time since Tara's arrival, he removed his hand from Willow's shoulder.

"I'm only doing this for you," he said.

The glow faded from Tara's hand. Slowly, she retook her seat.

"Willow," she said softly. I nnneed to t-talk with my d-d-dad right now." She looked at Willow, fierceness fading to desperation. "Is th-that okay?"

Willow nodded slowly, wonderingly.

"Fine," Hades said. "So...what have you been doing?"

**********

"Hey! Hello! Aphrodite! Your goddessness!" Xander emerged from the cave. Neither Aphrodite nor Cerberus were anywhere in sight. He looked at the immense, thick chain that held the hell-hound; it led to the left.

He rounded the corner and found the three-headed creature on its back. Aphrodite was sitting on his belly, scratching the dog as it made appreciative noises.

"There's somethin' you don't see every day...excuse me!"

"Hello, Xander," Aphrodite said without looking up. "Find your friend?"

"Yes and no. I need a little help."

"Oh, Xander, you know I'd love to help, but Zeus decreed that the gods can't battle each other anymore."

"It's not your help I'm after."

"Whose?"

"Quick question...does this chain come off?"

***********

"I am in Aphrodite's service," Tara began.

"Really!" Hades said, smiling. "Interesting. I always saw you in the healing arts."

"W-well, this has its own s-sort of healing to it..." Her eyes flashed to Willow's. "Father, I'd r-really like to t-talk about this alone. If we could just send Willow outside--"

"You aren't going to send me anywhere," Willow said icily.

"Willow--"

"She stays," Hades said. "No offense, daughter, but you've been poisoned against me for so long, I don't quite trust you not to go running back to Thespia."

Tara closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I...my j-job is to help couples."

"Help them what?"

"I'm sssupposed to f-f-find soulm-mates that h-have...dr-drifted ap- part," Tara said miserably.

Willow looked at her confusedly.

"And tr-tr-try to g-get them b-back together."

"Well, that sounds like...very positive work," Hades finally said.

"I don't understand," Willow said. "If that's what you're supposed to be doing, why did you stop?"

Tears slipped down Tara's cheeks as she spoke.

"I f-fell in love with s-s-someone I was tr-trying to help."

"Ohhh, Tara," Willow said. She crossed over to Tara's seat and gave her a warm hug. "Tara, it's okay."

"It...it is?"

"Of course it is," Willow said soothingly. "I mean, it wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't?"

"No!"

Tara smiled through her tears, kissed Willow and hugged her fiercely.

"Oh, Willow, you don't know what it means to hear you say that!"

"It's okay," Willow said into her lover's shoulder.

For a moment, they were quiet, holding each other in the realm of the dead, as Hades looked on, slightly nonplussed.

"So," Willow said. "Who was it?"

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

After the departure of the mortals, the shades had broken formation, choosing instead to do what they always did, which was waste time. The dead being dead, they have lots of it to waste.

A group of soldiers crouched in a circle, playing at dice. They all wore the uniforms of Trojan soldiers. Ericthonius picked up the dice and tossed them in his hand.

"Think we'll see that kid again?" one of the soldiers asked.

"Him? Forget it. If that boy has any sense, he's halfway to Ithaca by now." Ericthonius threw the dice; they came to a rest. Two sixes.

"Ha! Pay up!"

"Whaddaya mean pay up? You got an eight!"

"What?" He looked; the dice now showed a six and a two. Suddenly, the cubes hopped; now they showed a four and a three.

"The ground's shaking!" one of the others said.

"But what--" Ericthonius looked at the hole in the wall, and at the six red, glowing orbs approaching out of the darkness.

Before he could scream a warning, an enraged Cerberus burst into the cavern, barking wildly. The shades screamed and ran for cover as the crazed beast ran amok.

"Form ranks!_" Ericthonius cried, grabbing at his sword. "Form ranks, dammit! Go for its--"

He was cut off as Cerberus tried to veer to the right, failed to stop, and slid into half his regiment. They went scattering; those that went unscathed decided to find other places to be.

"We've got to get to cover!" one of the soldiers cried.

"I don't understand it," Ericthonius said. "What could make that stupid beast--"

Then he saw Xander running as fast as he could towards the platform.

"Him!" Ericthonius cried. "I want his head!"

***********

Hades was torn; he wanted to find out what the racket outside was, but he also wanted to see how the situation between his daughter and her pet was going to turn out.

Tara looked up at Willow, her lips trembling, not sure what to say next.

"I...I..." she stammered.

Suddenly Hades laughed loud and hard.

"Oh, Tara," he said. "Oh, you poor thing, I owe you an apology. I thought this creature understood the arrangement."

"Stop talking about me like that!" Willow said. "And what are you talking about?"

"F-Father--"

"She's talking about you," he said. "Don't you see? She was supposed to help you and whatever mortal bug you were destined to be with, and instead, she fell in love with you. Or something like it, anyway..."

"Tara?" Willow whispered, looking in her eyes.

"Willow...I..."

"Of course, I've never been convinced that one of us can fall in love with a mortal. Lust, certainly, but--"

"Shut up!" Tara screamed.

"What?" Hades said.

"Do you think this is funny?!" Tara said. She got to her feet and stood over her father. "Do you?!"

Hades stammered briefly, giving Tara time to continue.

"You wanted me to be just like you! Mother wanted me to be just like her! But neither of you cared enough about me to ask what I wanted! You just wanted to fight over me, like I was some lump of gold! And..." Her voice lowered. "Willow cared about me. Me. Not as a prize to be won, not as something to mold into her image...just me."

She turned back to Willow, who was still sitting on the couch.

"I know," she said. "I know I didn't tell you the truth, but...but if you could just give me another chance..."

She reached out and took Willow's hand. Willow jerked it away sharply.

"Who was it?" Willow asked.

"Willow--"

"Who's the soulmate you were supposed to unite me with, Tara? Who?"

"I--"

"Was it Xander?" Willow said, standing, red-faced with anger. "Was it?!"

There was a long, terrible moment of silence.

"...Yes."

Willow felt several different things at once. Hurt. Betrayed. Stricken. Terrified. She wasn't enjoying any of them.

It was almost a relief when they heard the crash.

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

The spell Aphrodite had cast was simple; Cerberus, simple-minded creature that he was, would run amok in the caverns, attacking everything he saw...except Xander. Luring the huge beast down into the caverns had been something else, but now the mutt was takin' care of business.

Which meant it was Xander's turn.

He was halfway across the cavern when he heard that Eric creep shout at him. "I want his head!"

"Ohhh, crap," Xander muttered as he broke into a run. There was nothing between him and the platform, nothing at all--

--except Ericthonius. Xander screeched to a halt. He blinked.

"How the hell--"

"I'm fast," Ericthonius said. He drew his sword in between the ticks of a second. "I'm very fast."

"Whoa," Xander said, raising his hands in a calming gesture. "Okay. You and I mighta gotten off on the wrong foot there, with the whole strangling thing..." He looked behind him. Ericthonius' goons were coming up from the rear. "Come on, guys, I don't even have a sword..."

"Yes, well, we don't have a three-headed dog," Ericthonius said. "So I guess that evens--look out!!" He leapt to the side as Cerberus burst back into the main caverns, barking wildly. The beast jumped over Xander and immediately began terrorizing the other soldiers.

"Run for it!" one of them screamed. This was such an incredibly good idea that the others immediately went along with it; Cerberus chased them below, disappearing into one of the tunnels.

It had taken only moments. Now, Xander and Ericthonius were left alone.

"Whoa," Xander said.

"It'll take more than a three-headed dog to chase me off!" Ericthonius yelled.

"Oh. How about a four-headed dog?"

"Pick up a sword," Ericthonius ordered. The two of them were circling each other from a distance of twenty feet; Xander was trying to work out the best way to get past the dead soldier. So far, around wasn't working all that well.

"Look, seriously, I'm not good with swords," Xander babbled. "Crossbows I'm okay with. A nice stake, I'm your guy..."

"Pick up a sword and die like a man!" Ericthonius barked.

"Really rather not. How about you drop your sword and we can have one of those fights where nobody dies?"

"You craven coward!"

"Ericthonius!"

The voice rang out through the chamber. The two of them looked up suddenly at the figure standing on the platform. It was Persephone, looking somewhat wobbly on her feet.

"My...lady?" Ericthonius asked, confused.

"You...you should have a fair fight with him," Persephone said, every word an effort. "Because...you should. And I say so. And...put your sword down!"

"Very, uh, gracious of you, your majesty," Xander said. "I mean, your highness. Holiness. Whatever. Excuse me, I babble like this sometimes--"

"But my lady! This...this cretin--"

"Put your sword down, Ericthonius," Persephone ordered.

The soldier scowled. Reluctantly, he hurled the sword violently to the ground.

"Fine," he said. "I know what to do with a fist!"

"Yeah, I'll bet you do." Xander raised his fists. He approached Ericthonius cautiously; the guy was easily a head taller than he was...big forearms...homicidal... "Look, if you take a dive, I'll make it worth your while. You could use a carton of cigarettes down here, right?"

He didn't see the punches. He felt them all right, just didn't see them. He stumbled backwards, his face suddenly burning with pain. He winced; something was trickling into his eye. He felt his forehead and his fingers came away red; his cut had reopened.

"Ow! D'you have any idea what it cost to have this stitched up last time?"

"Get up," Ericthonius growled.

"Oh, I'll get--"

"What's going on here?"

They turned back to the platform; Hades had emerged from the chamber. He looked around his empty cavern in outraged shock.

"They're having a fight!" Persephone said.

"I can see that. Where's everyone else?"

"They left."

"Left?!"

"Cerberus is loose in the tunnels," Ericthonius said. "This simpering buffoon led him down here somehow and--"

"Oh, for Zeus' sake, never mind!" Hades cried. "Kill him and be done with it!"

"With pleasure," Ericthonius snarled. He charged Xander again, but this time Xander saw him coming. He dodged the first blow, blocked the second, and managed to thrust a knee into Ericthonius' stomach.

Ericthonius smiled.

"Is that the best you have to offer me?" the soldier said. "Come on." He raised his hands. "Try again. Free shot."

Xander hesitated.

"Free shot?"

"Free shot."

"Okay." Xander pulled back his fist, braced himself...and kicked Ericthonius between the legs as hard as he could.

Ericthonius' smile didn't waver a bit.

"And that's it, is it?"

"Oh, sh--" He didn't have time to finish the swearword; Ericthonius backhanded the boy, sending him hurtling away. He tried to get to his feet, but his nervous system didn't want to cooperate. He felt a hand grip him by the hair...

"Now for my free shot."

**********

As soon as Hades was out of the chamber, Tara slammed the door shut behind him. She whirled back to Willow, her eyes wide and manic.

"Okay. We do the spell of transportation, get you outside. Then, I'll grab Xander and we can get out of here."

"What?" Willow said. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You have to!"

"I do not! You--you--I don't even know what to insult you with! How could you do this to us?!"

"Willow--"

"You knew what happened to me--"

"Willow--"

"You knew I was vulnerable after Oz left--"

"Willow!" Tara yelled. "We can't do this now! Any minute now he's going to come back in here, and I promise you he's g-going to hurt you s-s-somehow! You're a m-mortal! You're nothing to him, do you understand that?"

Willow said nothing. She looked at Tara angrily, her knuckles white.

"I d-don't want anyone to get h-h-hurt, Willow," Tara said. "I never h- have."

"Tara...I--"

The door swung open. The two of them jumped, shocked. Hades stood in the doorway, smiling.

"Well, I must say, your Xander-thing is more resourceful than he thought. He's cleaned out the cavern...almost."

"Is he all right?" Willow asked.

"Not for long."

"All r-right," Tara said. "That's enough." Her hands began to glow again.

"Oh, for...is this what it's going to be, daughter? I threaten your little mortal playthings and you throw a tantrum?"

"This is not a tantrum," Tara snarled. "Let them go. Right now."

Hades smiled, almost indulgently.

"Or?"

"Or I'll make you."

The smile faded. Hades spread his arms wide; the already dim light grew fainter as he did.

"Do not test me, daughter."

"No, father. Don't test me."

The flash of yellow light filled the chamber; Hades was thrown backward through the stone wall. He skidded to a halt on the platform outside.

Tara turned back to Willow.

"Run."

With that, she turned back to her father, who was already back on his feet..

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

Xander had been on the receiving end of dozens of beatings. From dozens of people. And Ericthonius was already in the top five.

He was on the ground, lying prone, trying to crawl forward. Sometimes the platform looked like it was just a couple of feet away...then it was a couple of miles away...

The next kick flipped him over. He coughed violently, a bloody gob sticking to his lips.

Hey, look! he thought wildly. I'm coughing up blood! I'm a real man now!

"This is truly pathetic," Ericthonius said as he circled Xander. "Come on, boy. You're almost there."

It may have been true. He peered through his swollen eyes at the soldier, who stooped to pick up a sword.

"You...th' lady said...no swords..."

"Yes, well, the lady's paying more attention to the other fight right now."

There was a flash of light above; Hades was thrown from the platform.

"You call that power?" the god howled as he got to his feet. "You ungrateful--I'll show you power!"

He leapt the ten feet up back to the platform; there were loud, terrible sounds from above.

"Let's finish this," Ericthonius said.

"'Kay." Quickly, Xander raised two fingers to his lips and whistled loudly. The shrill sound cut through the quiet of the cavern.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Cheating," Xander snarled.

Ericthonius raised the sword to deliver a killing blow...then he felt the ground shake.

"Oh, no," he murmured. He turned, just in time to see Cerberus running out of the darkness.

He screamed.

Once.

Then he was gone, scooped up in one of the beast's mouths. Cerberus trotted away unhurriedly, Ericthonius' screams still dullly audible from inside.

"Good boy," Xander half-moaned as he got to his feet. He tried to see straight; the stairs to the platform were so far away...

***********

"Okay," Willow murmured as Tara sent another one of those blasts at Hades. She was crouched behind one of the pieces of furniture in the chamber, trying to figure out what to do.

Running was good. She liked the idea of running. The only problem was, she couldn't leave without her

soulmate? goddess? lover? lovers?

friends, that'd do for now. But what could she do?

Then she saw Persephone swaying back and forth on the platform, watching the Hades/Tara brawl in confusion...

Before she knew what she was doing, she was running for it. She came to a halt next to Persephone; they watched as Tara blasted Hades into a wall.

"How DARE you!" Hades was screaming. "You're my daughter!"

"That doesn't make me your possession!" Tara screamed, loosing another bolt as she did. "I don't belong to you!"

"I don't understand," Persephone murmured. "I don't understand why they're fighting."

"They're...they're fighting because Hades wants Tara to live down here."

"Down here?" Persephone looked distressed at the prospect.

"Forever," Willow said, pressing the point home.

"But...he can't do that!"

"Tell him!" Willow yelled.

Persephone nodded and approached the edge of the platform. She raised her hands...

Hades and Tara were about twenty feet apart; each was ready to unleash another bolt of power against the other.

"It didn't have to be like this," Hades growled. "I just wanted to be part of your life."

"You wanted to control my life!" Tara yelled. "You're right, father...it didn't have to be like this."

They raised their hands...

The bolts blazed forward.

And stopped.

"HADES!" Persephone screamed. As she did, the bolts faded into nothingness.

**********

Cerberus was halfway through the tunnels when he howled in sudden agony. His mouths popped open.

Ericthonius yanked his sword out of the roof of the dog's mouth and leapt. He collapsed in a smelly, slimy heap, but quickly got to his feet and ran back towards the cavern.

His knuckles were white around the hilt of the sword as he imagined what it would feel like to kill that damned boy.

***********

"Release her," Persephone said simply.

"What?" Hades yelled. "Are you completely...never mind, rhetorical question. No! She's my daughter! She's mine!"

"She's not," Persephone said. "She belongs to this mortal here. We heard her say so."

"A mortal?! You think I'd accept the word of a mortal?"

"Hades, stop this right now or I'm leaving."

It became very quiet very quickly.

"You wouldn't," Hades said in a hush.

"I would," Persephone replied. "I...I haven't seen the sun in a long time. I want Tara to see the sun."

"But--"

"Now, Hades."

Hades glared at his wife, his daughter, at Willow.

"Fine. Fine! She's free to go. But this mortal--" He pointed at Willow. "--is still my property! So, daughter, if you want to see her, you'll--"

"Hey."

The voice was a croak. Willow looked in the direction it had come and saw Xander...

"Oh, God," she said, and she ran forward to help. Xander was standing on the staircase, slowly stumbling upwards. He was a bloody mess; his face was a crazy-quilt of blues, purples, blacks and blood reds.

"Hey, Will," he groaned.

"Xander, don't move," Willow ordered as she came up to him.

"I win," Xander said as he stepped onto the platform. "You..don't b'long to..." He almost toppled over, but Willow grabbed his shirtfront. "It's okay, Xander," she said soothingly. "Just sit down and--"

"YAHHHHHH!" Screaming, Ericthonius leapt out of the tunnel nearest the platform. He saw Xander, saw his back exposed, and attacked. Xander had barely enough strength to scream as the sword bit into his back.

"NOOOOO!" Willow screamed. She pulled Xander forward, both of them falling onto the platform. He was dead weight; she couldn't feel him breathing, couldn't feel his heart beat...

Somewhere, a million miles behind her, she felt a flash of heat and light; did Tara do that? She wriggled out from beneath Xander and turned him over. Blood immediately began to pool beneath him.

"No no no no no no," Willow said over and over. She pulled off Xander's shirt, wadded it, pressed it against the wound. "No, please, no..."

"Will," he murmured.

"Xander?! Xander, I'm right here, stay with me, Xander," she babbled. "You're going to be okay..."

"Will...you...b'long to...you..."

"Somebody help me!" Willow screamed to the gods and goddesses, who were watching, stunned.

"Will," he said one more time.

And then he was silent.

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

Chapter 4

What You Didn't Say

Why do I feel confused?

Why do I feel so used?

Like a worn-out heart you threw away?

It wasn't what you said,

It's what you didn't say...

--Mary Chapin Carpenter

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

His heart wasn't beating.

She was standing over Xander, feeling for a pulse, and his heart wasn't beating. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing.

"No," Willow moaned. "No, no, no!" She whirled towards the gods; Tara was running towards her. "Help me!"

"Are you all right?" Tara asked.

"He's not breathing, Tara, he's not breathing..." She violently choked back a sob. Cry later, she thought to herself. He needs you now.

Tara put a hand to his chest.

"I can't do it--"

"What?" Willow screamed. She grabbed Tara, her eyes wild, the fury she'd felt all day finally finding its focus. "You're a goddess! That has to be good for something!"

"Willow, he's dead! I'm not strong enough to bring him back!"

"Well, one of you has to be!" She looked at Hades, who was still dusting himself off from the brawl he'd just finished with Tara. "You."

"What do you want?" Hades asked contemptuously.

"Fix him," Willow ordered. "You've got the power. I know you do. Heal him."

"Why should I? This is the land of the dead, you know. I support this kind of thing."

Willow released Tara and walked up to Hades, her hands in fists.

"Why? I'll tell you why. Because you can. Because it's the right thing to do. And because if you don't, I swear I will kill you." Her eyes bore into the lord of the dead. The air seemed to crackle around her.

"Really," Hades said. "And you'll do that yourself, will you?"

"No." Tara stepped next to Willow. "I'll help her."

"What?" For the first time, Hades sounded actually hurt.

"Heal him, Father."

Hades stared at them, astonished.

"Now!" Willow screamed, all her patience gone.

"Um...excuse me..."

The tension broke as they all turned and looked at Persephone, who was crouched over Xander.

"He's okay now," she said. "I fixed him."

Willow blinked. She turned back to Hades, still scowling.

"Well. Good! Because I would have found a way to kill you. Really. Excuse me." She broke into a run, Tara right behind her, and knelt by Xander's side.

Whatever Persephone had done, she had done it well; Xander looked untouched. Even the cut he'd received during the fight with his father was gone. His eyes were still closed, and he was groaning quietly.

"Xander?" Willow whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Where am I?" he asked.

"The underworld," Tara replied.

"What?! Oh, shit! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to shoplift that G.I. Joe! I--" He opened his eyes and saw Willow and Tara looking at him. "Oh. Not that underworld."

"Can you walk?" Willow asked.

"That's the thing you do with your legs, right?" Xander shut his eyes again. "I'm a little..." He trailed off. A moment later, he started to snore.

"He'll sleep for a while," Persephone said. "Probably longer than that."

Willow reached out and took the pale goddess' hands. She held them gently but tightly.

"Thank you."

"That's all right," Persephone said. "He wouldn't have been happy down here. It's always February and never July."

"Right," Willow said. She slung one of Xander's arms around her shoulders; Tara did the same. They got to their feet, supporting the sleeping boy between them.

Tara found her father's eyes in the low light of the cavern.

"We're leaving now," she said simply.

"You can't," Hades replied. "I forbid it! I deny you! I..."

He looked at them, looked at the expression on his wife's face, looked at the blackened husk that used to be Ericthonius.

"Please," he said, as though the word itself hurt.

The three youngsters moved forward. Hades walked toward them; as their paths crossed, Tara reached out a hand and brushed her father's face.

"Maybe...maybe we can talk again," she said. "But not now. And not soon."

"I miss you," Hades admitted.

Tara had no reply; none that he would want to hear, anyway. They kept moving; Hades and Persephone watched as they stepped through the entrance Tara had created. Once they were through, it sealed itself shut with a rumble of stone.

They were quiet for a moment.

"Your daughter's very nice," Persephone commented.

"Hmmmm," Hades hmmmed. "Well...let's get this place cleaned up. Where's that damned dog?"

***********

The bed was soft and fluffy as a cloud. Xander lay in the middle of the padding, sunken into it, his mouth wide open and still snoring. Next to him, seated on the side of the bed and gently stroking his hair, was Aphrodite. The sun was just setting on the ground far below Olympus, and a small warm breeze coursed over them.

"Xander," she murmured. "You need to be awake soon."

Xander snuffled and turned on his side. Some ways away, at the top of the stairs to Thespia's mansion, Willow looked out at the spectacular view. It had been an interesting evening. She'd come to Mount Olympus--and no matter how many times she thought that, she couldn't quite get her head around it-- and met Thespia. The Goddess Thespia, to whom she had made many, many prayers. Thespia. Tara's mother. Willow shivered, despite the warmth of the night; she was barefoot in a sleeveless white shift, having changed out of the sweaty-T-shirt-and-crazy- god-robe ensemble she'd been wearing all day. She watched the constellations move around each other at accelerated speeds, watched comets dance through the night sky, and found joy in none of it.

Tara. She loved her. And right now, she hated her.

"He's awake." Aphrodite's voice lilted across the hall; Willow turned and saw Xander sitting up in bed, a hand to his head.

She was running before she knew it; her feet skidded on the white marble floor, and she almost bowled into the bed. She hugged Xander as fiercely as she dared.

"Whoa!" the boy cried. Then he returned the hug just as strongly. "Hey there."

"Hey," she said into his shoulder.

"Goin' to a toga party later?"

She barked out a single laugh and held on even tighter.

"I thought..." she began. "I thought that..."

"Me too," Xander replied, his voice hoarse.

She eased away from him so she could see his face.

"You...you died," she said, tears welling in her eyes.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Don't ever do that again," she said quietly.

She held him close again and listened to his heart beat.

"It's okay," Xander said. "You saved me."

Aphrodite, who had distanced herself when Willow came running over, quietly walked away, casting a final glance back at the two mortals. They stayed like that a long time, holding on to each other as though they were all that was real.

**********

Okay...he remembered how this worked. First the left leg moves forward...then the right...

Xander walked like a toddler, hand in hand with Willow; it was partly out of affection and partly because he didn't trust himself not to fall over without her. They walked through one of the great halls of Olympus, the night not quite over.

"Can I ask you a question?" Willow asked.

"Sure."

"What...what was it like?"

"Dying? Uh....painful. Terrifying. Never knowing where the next attack would come from. It was kinda like going to the dentist, actually."

"It's not funny! You could have been--what am I saying? You were killed! What was Tara thinking, bringing you here?!"

"Well, I...uh...I sort of demanded that she bring me." Xander shrugged. "That'll teach me, huh?"

"Oh. Well, that's no excuse! She..." Willow took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I've just been trying not to have a nervous breakdown, you know?"

"Yeah. So, uh...did she tell you about..." He waited for her to finish the sentence.

"Something that rhymes with coal skates?" She brushed her hair back. "Yeah."

"Yep."

"Uh huh."

They walked quietly for a moment.

"What's it mean?" Xander asked after a moment.

"I have no idea." She looked at him. "I--I know that's not what you want to hear."

"It's really not."

"I can't believe she did this," Willow said as they walked. "I love her and I want to kill her."

"Could I suggest killing her first and seeing how you feel?"

"Jeez, that was harsh."

"Death makes me cranky," Xander muttered.

They walked the length of the hall, emerging in the throne room of Aphrodite. The goddess was sprawled on a couch, being fed grapes by a beautiful creature of indeterminate gender.

"Good morning," she said to the humans as they approached. "How are you feeling?"

"Still a little woozy," Xander admitted. "And...uh...I don't even know if you need them here...the, uh, little boy's room?"

"He doesn't mean a room full of little boys," Willow said hurriedly.

"I know what he means," Aphrodite said. "Down the hall and to the left."

"Right." Xander walked wobbily in the direction Aphrodite had indicated. Willow watched him go, making sure he didn't fall.

"He's fine," Aphrodite said. "How are you?"

"Well, I was filled with blinding rage, but I've gotten it down to complete fury," Willow said. "Mostly I'm confused."

"I can see why."

"I love them both."

"Yes," Aphrodite said with authority. "They both dwell inside your heart...but only one is at its center."

"Which one is that?"

They were interrupted by the sound of shuffling feet. Willow turned and saw Tara and Thespia walk in. Tara looked ashamed and contrite; Willow found herself wanting to comfort her. She pushed that feeling away as hard as she could.

"How's Xander?" Tara asked.

"Fine. Up and about."

"H-how are you?"

"What makes you think you have the right to ask that question?"

"Willow--"

Willow ignored her, turning back to Aphrodite. "When can Xander and I go back?"

"Soon," Aphrodite said. "I have to discuss things with Tara first."

"Fine," Willow said. "I'll wait outside." She brushed past Tara and Thespia, fighting the urge to turn back.

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

Xander emerged from the deeply surreal bathroom some time later to the sound of raised voices.

"It was a violation, you foolish child!" Aphrodite was saying. "A violation of their rights!"

"I know! I know!" Tara said miserably.

"I don't think you do! Do you have any idea what could happen to you?"

"Aphrodite..." Thespia said warningly.

"Do not presume to speak to me like that, Thespia! Your daughter is guilty of a high crime! What am I supposed to do with her?"

"And do not presume to threaten my daughter!" Thespia yelled back.

"Stop it!" Tara spoke up. "Please!"

"I never wanted you to do this in the first place! What was wrong with being a river goddess?"

"Enough!" Aphrodite cried. The hall fell silent for a moment. "I need to consider this. I will call you when I've made my decision."

Xander stepped into the hall just in time to see Tara and Thespia leave. He walked towards the couch where Aphrodite was being fanned by her servant.

"Rough day?" he asked out of habit.

"I should have paid closer attention," Aphrodite said. "I should have known she wasn't ready."

Xander said nothing. He reached into the discarded bowl next to the couch and mooched a grape.

"Um...Your Majesty...you're not going to kill her, are you?"

Aphrodite looked at him, surprised.

"Do you care?"

"I know I should be more piss--I mean, angrier than this...and I'm pretty angry...but I like her, y'know? She's a nice girl."

"She's over five hundred years old, Xander."

"...Oh. Okay, she's a nice deity." He grabbed another grape. "These are good."

"Don't worry. I'm not going to kill her. Most likely, I'll just forbid her from ever seeing the girl again."

Xander was quiet for a long moment.

"Yeah. It's just...look, she didn't use any crazy mojo or anything to make Willow fall in love with her, right?"

"She knew that the two of you were destined for each other."

"Inside information, sure. But she didn't, like, use a love spell or anything?"

"No."

Xander nodded.

"See...I just think that if you do that, then it might, you know, break Willow's heart into a million tiny pieces. Which would be bad."

Aphrodite looked at him, confused.

"She's acting tough now," Xander continued. "But...and believe me, this doesn't make me happy...her feelings for Tara are real. And if Tara gets torn away from her, then..." He trailed off.

"I don't understand," Aphrodite said. "With Tara out of the picture, there's nothing standing between the two of you. You'll win."

"I'd rather not win like that."

Aphrodite smiled, looking at him as though he'd given the correct answer to a test question. Not that Xander could recognize that look.

"I'll take your words under advisement," the goddess said. "Now, if you wouldn't mind..."

"Oh, sure." He reached towards the bowl of grapes again.

"Just take the bowl."

"Okay." Xander grabbed the bowl and hurriedly left in the direction Tara and Thespia had gone in. As he turned the corner, he stopped; Tara was standing there.

"Hey," he said.

"I h-heard what you said in there." She was hugging herself as though cold. "Th-thank you."

"I didn't say it for you," Xander replied.

Tara nodded. Xander turned to go; then he turned back.

"Maybe it was a little for you. Like, ten percent. Twenty, tops."

Tara laughed and looked at him gratefully. Xander nodded and, after a moment, walked away, leaving her to wait.

***********

Willow was sitting on the edge of one of the many pools, her feet kicking lazily in the warm water. She didn't stir when she heard the sound of sneakers against marble behind her.

"Hey," Xander said, sitting next to her.

"Hey," Willow replied. "What's happening?"

"Lots of yelling."

Willow nodded. After a moment, she scooted over to him and lay a head on his shoulder.

"I'm really tired," she said.

He slipped his arm around her, hand on her shoulder. With his free hand, he brought around the bowl.

"Wanna grape?" he asked. "They're really good."

Silently, she took a grape and popped it into her mouth. They sat and waited, listening to the slight splashing at the other end of the pool.

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

It was many hours later when Aphrodite called Tara and Thespia back into her chamber.

"By rights, I should have you stripped of your immortality," Aphrodite began. "What you did was terrible, Tara. But no one knows better than I what foibles a passionate heart can lead to. Or, as I once heard it spoken, 'love makes you do the wacky.'"

Tara almost smiled at that.

"My judgment is this; I condemn you to choose."

Tara and Thespia looked at each other in confusion.

"I don't understand," Tara said.

"You must make a choice. You may remain in my service, under strict supervision, and atone for this mistake...but you will never involve yourself in the life of Willow Rosenberg again. You will not see her, you will not speak to her. You will leave her alone."

"Or?" Tara asked in a voice that was suddenly very hoarse.

"Or...you can be stripped of your godhood, return to Earth, and live as a human. You can try to win her heart back."

Tara opened her mouth to speak, but Aphrodite cut her off.

"Before you choose, think carefully. You have a chance to try and repair the damage you have caused. Or...

"Think carefully."

The hall was very, very quiet.

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

Willow was watching the sun set. She sat, her knees pulled up to her chin, leaning against a pillar. Xander was wandering around somewhere, trying to rustle up some food for the two of them.

"Willow?"

She turned and saw Tara coming towards her. They were dressed alike; white shift, hair hanging loose, bare feet.

She was so beautiful.

"Hello," Willow said.

"Please come with me."

"No."

"I need to talk to you, and I'd rather do it in my room."

"Why? Or is that something else you're keeping from me?"

Tara sighed and sat down next to Willow.

"Fine. We'll do it here."

"Tara, I'm very tired," Willow said. "And I don't know how much screaming I can do, so..."

"I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you," Tara said.

Willow looked up, surprised. Tara was looking out at the sun, which was slowly sliding out of sight.

"Aphrodite used a scrying glass to show you to me. You were sitting on the quad, doing some Psych homework, and...this was right after Oz left...you had this trail down your cheek. You'd cried a single tear and you didn't even notice it.

"And I saw you, so...full of life and pain and everything, and so very beautiful, and I knew I'd do anything for you.

"Then Aphrodite showed me everyone else...showed me Buffy and Riley and Giles...and then th-there was Xander. He was having a fight with Anya over some kind of Anya-nonsense...and I got jealous. I mean, what was he doing with her when you needed him? Didn't he see? D-didn't any of them see?

"But I told myself I was a p-professional. So I manifested...I started taking classes...and then I met you. And you were...you were everything. You were just so red, so vibrant, nothing else compared.

"I was going to your place that night to talk to you, feel you out...then those things attacked."

Willow shuddered, remembering the night the Gentlemen had come after them.

"My powers on Earth weren't anything like they are here, so I really was scared...and then we did that spell. It was like I touched your soul. And...and I knew."

Willow reached out and smoothed back Tara's hair.

"I never meant it to go on this long," Tara continued. "I knew I wanted you, but I kept telling myself I could keep it professional. Like maybe I could use this to make Xander jealous...but you decided to keep me kind of a secret." She smiled ruefully.

The last sliver of the sun finally disappeared, and the night began. "Then Oz came back, and...I never intended this, Willow. You have to believe that."

"I can't."

Tara looked at her, shocked.

"Tara...you lied to me. You've been lying to me as long as I've known you. I think I could have taken anything except another lie.

"I've been sitting here, trying to figure out why I should give you a second chance, and I can't come up with anything. This hurts. And I'm still so angry with you I can barely think about it."

Tara was quiet for a few seconds.

"I understand," she whispered.

"What?"

"Will you please do one thing for me?" Tara said, pleading.

"Tara--"

"Please."

"What is it?"

"Come to my room."

"And do what?"

"Sleep with me."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me--"

"Willow," Tara said. "I just mean sleep. I...I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. I j-just...I just want to hold you one more time."

"How do I know you're not going to try some crazy mojo on me?"

"I wouldn't do that."

Willow looked at her.

"No. No, you wouldn't. You're right." She stood up. "What about Xander?"

"Aphrodite will take care of him."

"You're sure?"

"Positive." She took Willow's hand. The two of them walked slowly.

"I don't know how I can forgive you, Tara."

"I know," Tara replied. "Don't worry. It'll all be better in the morning."

**********

She awoke slowly, an arm slung over her.

"Morning," she murmured.

"Morning," Xander replied.

Four eyes snapped open.

Xander and Willow sat up. They looked around. It was Scooby House. They were wearing their clothes from yesterday. They lay in a nest of blankets in the middle of the pentagram Tara had drawn.

"What the hell?!" Xander yelled.

"We're back. We're home," Willow murmured.

"Last thing I remember was that thingy of Aphrodite's slipping me some ambrosia..."

"And I had just gotten into bed with--" Willow's eyes widened. "Oh, God. 'It'll all be better in the morning.'"

"What?" Xander asked, but Willow was already charging up the stairs, the T-shirt flapping as she ran. Xander followed quickly, and screeched to a halt at the door to Tara's room.

It was empty. No, worse; it looked as though no one had ever been there, no indentations in the carpet, no tacks in the wall.

The only objects in the room were a piece of paper, and Willow and Tara's candle, which was holding it down.

Willow moved the candle, which was lit; she set it down and picked up the paper.

*******

Willow,

By now you've realized that I am gone. I am staying on Mount Olympus. Aphrodite gave me a choice: to stay here and stay out of your lives, or to give up my immortality on the chance that you could forgive me. After speaking to you, I realized that second choice wasn't going to happen. You won't forgive me...and you shouldn't. I abused your trust, and I realize know that what I did was unforgivable. I would like to think that I could make things go back to the way they were, but it's gone too far for that. I love you too much to try and do that. Besides, I couldn't forgive myself if I cheated someone else out of their chance a second time. Be happy, Willow. If you ever think about me, try and think about the good stuff. I'm sorry.

I love you,

Tara

********

The paper floated slowly out of Willow's hand as she turned to Xander.

"Will?" he asked.

"She didn't even say goodbye," Willow whispered. Her lower lip began to tremble. Xander moved fast; she was in his arms before the first tear could fall.

He held her as she cried, wanting to make it better, and knowing that he couldn't.

A breeze blew through the room. On the floor, the candle that Willow and Tara shared went out.

***********

Have you ever loved

Someone you knew nothing of

Except you'd seen the light inside their eyes?

Have you ever loved

Someone just because

Nothing felt so easy or so right?

And I think of you like the others do

Wondering if you think of me

And if you do, if you really do

Who is it that you see

Have you ever loved

Whether right or wrong

Have you ever loved someone

Just because?

Have you ever tried

To speak the truth instead of lie

When it seemed you had everything to lose?

Have you ever tried to stand your ground instead of hide

When staying only made you look a fool?

And I stayed by you

Though I think I knew

It wouldn't change a thing

Changes come to our hearts with ease

But they come so hard to me

Have you ever tried

To make it last, not knowing why

Except you had to try

Just because

And every day that passes now

I s'pose I'm getting older

Wiser with the things I've done

But I hope I don't grow colder

And now I see the ones

Who've lost so much

They swear they're done

With love and all the chance it brings for pain

But have you ever touched

And by itself it was enough

To make you want to reach out once again

And I'll touch you when I need a friend

Or just a small reminder

That I haven't grown to cold to feel

You penetrate my armor

Have you ever loved

Whether right or wrong

Have you ever loved someone

Just because...

Have you ever loved someone

Just because?

--Mary Chapin Carpenter

Last part coming soon!