TITLE: Never The Twain? (Part 17/31)
AUTHOR: Zahir
FEEDBACK: Please. Pretty please. With sugar on top. And a cherry.
ARCHIVING: Just ask is all.
SYNOPSIS: This is an alternate history in which Willow never completed the Soul Restoration Spell. Of all the changes that flow from that one, the biggest is that Tara is a vampire. Oh, and Faith never worked for the Mayor.
COUPLES: W/T, X/Ay, B/R
RATING: PG-13
SPOILERS: Up through and including "I Was Made To Love You" as well as some stuff from "Angel."
DISCLAIMERS: Most of the toys I'm playing with belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. I promise not to make money off them and to put them back none the worse for wear. My hope is that they won't sue me. Besides, I don't own much.
NOTE: The part of Jocelyn in my own mind is played by Gigi Edgely. For those of you who don't know, she portrays Chiana on the TV show "Farscape."

* * *

From the front room of the apartment, Willow heard a door open and people come in. She also heard voices. Reassuringly, they were Anya and the robot April.

"It still does seem wrong, somehow. Your boyfriend is the one who should be taking care of you."

"Yeah, well, life's like that sometimes."

Willow turned to look at her beloved. Tara's breasts grazed her back and her arms wrapped around her middle. One hand was lazily circled her navel, almost making Willow want to giggle. "Time to get dressed" she whispered.

"Must we?" whispered back the vampire. At Willow's reluctant nod, Tara mockingly pouted. "Ruthless."

It didn't take long for them to get dressed, even interrupting each other as they did for mutual kisses. Willow would have willingly offered her throat to Tara. She trusted her lover absolutely, and knew she'd not take too much blood. But with the others so paranoid right now fresh wounds were the last thing she wanted anyone to find on her person. And Tara herself hadn't pressed. She didn't feed from Willow for food. They both knew that.

Several minutes later, they emerged from the bedroom and found April cleaning. Anya watched with a curiously satisfied expression on her face, as she sat on her boyfriend's lap. Xander himself seemed vacant, but pleased in an abstract kind of way. Happy perhaps that Anya was there, although not completely aware of the fact? Seeing him like this dampened Willow's happiness. That, and the fact nearly all her friends were trying to hunt down and kill her beloved.

"Hello Willow. Hello Tara. Did you enjoy your sex together."

"Uh..."

"Yes," Tara answered for both of them.

"That is good." She nodded cheerfully as she continued to clean. Willow shot a look at Anya.

"What? She offered!"

After less than a moment's thought, Willow decided to let that go. The robot seemed happy to be doing it, and who was she to judge how other...beings...found joy? As long as they didn't hurt anybody.

"I was doing some research back at my lair," began Tara, "about different kinds of madness, and their causes?"

"But we know what's making people go crazy," said Anya. "Glory."

"Yes. But there seems to be something else at work here. The people at the psych ward, they've been getting worse. Or some of them have. And besides, there's something else."

"What?" asked Willow.

"Buffy," said Tara. "Along with Riley and Giles. Okay, I'm a vampire so maybe my expectations are a little skewed, but don't you think they're overreacting just a little?"

"Hmmm. Well, I think Riley still hasn't gotten over finding out about Angel."

"Its gotta suck," added Anya, "finding out your significant other lost hers to a bloodsucking demon spawn. No offense."

Tara shrugged. "Still, you'd think Buffy would at least listen to you. Or Giles."

Willow thought about it for a few moments. "So you're saying something's affecting them?"

"Maybe. And there was something else. The other night, when I was with Dawn at the Magic Shoppe, there was something different about it. I can't quite remember what, but something."

"Oh! I noticed something!" Anya piped in. Everyone looked at her. "The frogs breath oil. Jocelyn said somebody bought it all."

"Why?" Tara sounded baffled. "Its nearly useless."

"I know!"

April stepped forward. "Logically, there is but one thing to do."

"Go on, April," said Willow after a few moments' silence.

"List each use this frog's breath oil has. Then correlate that data with observed phenomena to see if there is any potential cause and effect. From there, you look for any similar facts to corroborate the initial hypothesis." She smiled.

Everybody else (except Xander) looked at each other. "Sounds like a good idea," said Anya.

"Thank you. I try to help!"

"So...what does frog's breath oil do?" asked Willow.

"Consecrates the Summer Solstice sacrifice for the demon Gl'hrrgh," offered Anya.

"Oh, dear--that sounds..."

Anya interrupted "He only accepts rabbits in sacrifice. So that's all good." She seemed very satisfied.

"Its rumored to be some kind of aphrodisiac for werefoxes," said Tara, "but they're native to Japan. And its only a rumor, anyway."

"And some people use it as a part of a warding spell against Baba Yaga!" said Anya.

"Who's Baba Yaga?"

"Old, old evil witch in Russian folklore. Trouble is, that warding spell doesn't work. Not that it needs to, anymore. She's been dead for centuries. Still, that's why people usually buy the stuff."

"Fine," said Willow, "but that doesn't sound useful to our situation right now. Is there any other reason somebody might buy frog's breath oil you can think of? Have you ever used it?"

Anya shrugged, "A bunch of us whipped some up five hundred years ago. Back when I was a demon." It took her a moment to register the looks she was getting from Willow and Tara. "Oh. That was the last time anyone had a Moon Demon Hunt. Frog's breath oil is poisonous to them."

Tara pondered. "Moon Demon? I don't know that species."

"Its not so much a species as a disease. Kind of like diabetes. Wiped out centuries ago. Used to afflict any type of demon. Moon Demons become living embodiments of insanity, preying on humans and demons alike. But like I said, they're all gone now. Too bad, really."

"Okay, I'll ask," said Willow. "Why?"

"The heart of a Moon Demon cures all forms of madness."

Now even April was staring at Anya.

"What?"

* * *

Even though Tara could walk in the day, she still found nighttime more comfortable. It just felt more natural. And in this case, it certainly seemed a better environment for the mission at hand. Following Jocelyn. The Magic Shoppe was closed, and the half-breed demon girl was wandering through downtown Sunnydale. Fortunately, the terrain made it easy enough for Tara to remain unseen. Plenty of shadows and alleys. Or, in this case, rooftops.

What she saw was a little disturbing.

First was the elderly couple that started fighting next to Jocelyn at the coffee shop. Loudly. Then they left separately in a huff. Coincidence? Possible. Just like the graffiti artist who resisted arrest and went into hysterics. Nothing too unusual in that. But when that vampire tried to bite what was obviously a priest--complete with crucifix--the pattern seemed to be fairly clear. Each incident happened within fifty feet of Jocelyn. And now she was headed towards the same park where Buffy had had to kill a snake creature months before--said creature a thing of Glory's. It had been on its way to tell Glory where to find the Key. So Glory almost certainly lived somewhere in the vicinity.

And Jocelyn knew Dawn was the Key.

Tara quietly drew her sword. If need be, she'd act. Ruthlessly. But first, she had to be sure. Left to her own devices, Tara thought simply killing Jocelyn right now had a certain safe logic. But Willow and Anya would be upset. And she needed to know if Jocelyn actually was a Moon Demon before going to all the trouble of cutting out her heart.

Jocelyn went into a bar. Tara headed for a fire escape to go to street level. Hiding her sword within the long coat, she also stepped inside the bar. The fact no one reacted to her apparent youth said volumes. But maybe they couldn't tell. Shadows blanketed the room. Without heightened senses, Tara doubted she could have found Jocelyn--who had parked herself in a booth. More interestingly, she'd reverted to her demon form. Pale blue skin, prehensile tail, etc. A quick glance around the bar revealed she wasn't the only non-human. So maybe it wasn't so odd they hadn't checked her ID...

She sat in the booth next to Jocelyn. A waitress came up. "We have bottled blood for a reasonable price," she offered.

"Thanks. A glass, please."

"Coming up!"

Tara listened. She was aware somebody had joined Jocelyn.

"Joculatrix, isn't it?" That voice--Ben? What was Ben doing here?

"Yep, pretty boy. Long time no see."

"Not long enough."

"So...how's the Glorious One?" Tara nearly gasped out of habit. She gripped the handle of her sword. If need be, this place was about to become the site of a massacre.

"Bitchy."

Jocelyn laughed. "Ain't she always?"

Ben sighed. A very tired sigh. With an undercurrent of anger. "What do you want?"

"Thought maybe Glory might like to chat. You know, swap stories, share a few jokes."

Silence. "You're kidding."

"Yep." Laughter. Something wrong with it.

The waitress brought a wineglass to Tara, over two-thirds filled with blood. She paid and took a sip. Not bad. Some preservative but it had clearly been microwaved in an attempt to bring it up to body temperature. Not quite there, but still.

"So why'd you want to talk to me?"

"Just saying hi, like I said."

While sipping, Tara pondered the seeming innocence of the conversation she was listening to. All kinds of silent alarms were going off in her head. Clearly, this Ben--the doctor--he was a messenger between Jocelyn (or "Joculatrix") and Glory. Maybe they were talking in code? Yes, that could easily be it...

"I don't believe you."

"Hey! Can't a girl look up old friends?"

"You and I aren't friends. Neither are you and Glory. She has worshippers and enemies, not friends."

Tara readied her sword. She was carefully laying out her next moves. By going all out, she was sure killing Ben would be no problem. There was not way anyone short of a Slayer could match her speed. The problem was--how many other minions might Glory have here? Following Ben? As backup, or just insurance.

Safer to kill them all, really.

"But you and I are friends, aren't we Benny?"

"Don't call me Benny. And no, we're not."

If only I'd thought to bring some hand grenades, thought Tara. As it was, all she could think to do was set fire to the bar after locking all the exits. Waiting outside, she could behead everyone leaving, one by one. But how best to manage it?

"C'mon!"

"You're just intrigued because your powers never work on me."

"Friendships have to grow from somewhere."

"Not from that!" He got up to leave. Damn! Tara realized she'd have to follow him. She moved as stealthily as she could. En route to the door where Ben was headed, though, a clawed hand reached out and touched her arm.

"Don't I know you?" The face that said it looked equal parts goat and warthog.

"No. Good night."

"Hey! You were with us when we broke out of that army base, weren't'cha?"

"The Initiative? Yeah. Nice to see you got out alive. See you later." Ben was getting away! Tara nearly ran out the door.

* * *

Willow gasped as Anya finished telling her what happened.

"She was actually going to kill the entire bar?"

Anya took a quick look around. They were having a picnic in the middle of the UCS quad. She nodded. "But she changed her mind soon after."

"Guess that makes it definite. Jocelyn must be a Moon Demon."

"Joculatrix. That's her real name. And that does explain why Tara got so willing-to-do-violence all of a sudden."

"But that leaves us with another problem."

"How to fight her?"

"Yeah! I mean, she drives people crazy just by being near them! How do you attack somebody like that?"

"In the old days we used build golems to do the work for us. Arm them with arrows dipped in frog's breath oil."

"Do you know how to make a golem."

"It wasn't my job."

"So, still have the same problem here."

The ensuing silence seemed a lot longer than it was. Anya finally said "Tara has an idea."

TO BE CONTINUED