Love Through Touch

Disclaimer: See Part 1

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When Dawn arrived they immediately left, packing themselves into the two cars.

Buffy, Willow, Anya and Dawn in one car, and Tara, Hyatt, and Star in the other.

"What's a 'girls night in'" Star asked coloring in her lap.

"It's a night when we all get together and talk about stuff" Tara said turning to face the child "Like you doing magick at school"

Star flushed guiltily "Just a little protection spell"

"We know" Tara assured her "and a wonderful protection spell it was"

Star smiled happy and reassured.

"So what else do we talk about at a 'girls night in' with all us 'girls' attending?" Hyatt glanced in her rearview mirror for the third time.

"Life stuff, how we feel, what we're going through" Tara said softly "Why we seem suddenly desperate to touch-"

"Someone's following us" Hyatt cut Tara off. She took a left when Buffy took a right.

"Wha Tar Tara turned and saw a shining black sedan take the turn with them, and two cars behind them turn right. The fourth car turned left "Which car is it?"

"The blue Toyota" Hyatt glanced back again "It was parked outside of Smaller Scholars too. It was up the street a bit" she turned again "and it stayed outside the Magic Box until we left"

Tara glanced back again, she couldn't see the woman who was siting in the driver's seat clearly though she could tell it was a woman "Why do you think she's following us?"

"For the same reason Star put a protection spell on the school" Hyatt touched Tara's shoulder "You have a telepathic link with Willow right?"

Tara nodded mutely as she turned forward in her seat.

"Tell her we're gonna make a quick stop and not to worry" Hyatt turned again, the blue car followed.

"Alright" Tara calmed herself and began to establish her connection with her lover 'Willow?' she didn't get an answer 'Willow sweetie if you can hear me, we need to make a quick stop' Tara calmed herself again 'We'll meet you at the house a few minutes late'

She waited for a reply, it was quick in coming but seemed unsure.

'Okay honey be careful'

Tara sighed, she didn't like this at all.
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"Tara's nervous about something" Willow said aloud when the connection was severed.

"What?" Buffy was instantly on alert. If Tara was nervous usually that meant something was wrong, and her 'life' was in that car with Tara.

"She didn't let on, she wasn't scared though" Willow shrugged and tried to figure it out as well "Just nervous"

"We'll ask them when they get home" Buffy nodded to assure both herself and Willow.

Dawn and Anya exchanged a glance.

Dawn lifted a brow as if to say 'You too?'

Anya nodded "I swear I felt eyes on me last night. I went to let out this spider that Xander was crying about-"

"Xander cries over spiders?" Dawn giggled.

"Yeah he does he can be such a girlie-" Anya started to go off on one of her Xander tirades but Buffy interrupted her.

"You felt eyes on you how?"

"Like they were studying me. Almost like they're looking for something" Anya said slowly thinking back to the uneasy feeling she'd gotten.

"It's becoming a trend. First Dawn and Star felt like they were being watched. Now Anya" Willow looked around "But I don't feel a thing"

"Me neither" Buffy said "I hope that's not what their little detour is"
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"She's going away" Tara said turning back around "She just pulled away. She turned left back there" Tara pointed back with her thumb.

"Good" Hyatt took a left turn onto the Buffy's street.

"How'd you do that?" Star and Tara asked in unison.

"Skill" Hyatt teased "I wonder what she followed us for anyway" she'd turned onto the end of the Street and needed to go up a few blocks to reach the Summers home.

"Maybe she found what she was looking for" Star said.

Tara and Hyatt glanced back at her. Her voice sounded choked, and there were tears in her eyes.

"Star honey don't cry your okay" Hyatt said hoping to calm the little girl.

"Am I?" Star's face frowned up and tears started to fall slowly.

Hyatt rushed the rest of the way home.

Buffy and Willow came rushing out of the door when the silver car pulled in minutes behind them.

Buffy went straight to the back seat and snatched Star out of her carseat and into her arms "What happened?" she demanded when Star buried her face in Buffy's shirt.

"We were being f-f-followed" Tara stuttered out of sheer nervousness.

"But they left off soon after we contacted you" Hyatt joined.

Willow took Tara into her arms and began to lead her inside.

Star began to cry harder.

Hyatt and Buffy rushed in as the sky opened up, and the rain began to fall.
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"It's raining again" Naida sat on the slab before the crypt that served as a main entrance to Kalindi's lair. "I believe this is a bad omen"

Kalindi stood behind the young woman considering "Then why are you sitting in it?"

"Mother Earth is trying to tell me something" Naida said simply "But all I'm getting are 'the tears of a child'"

"Are you saying a crying child is bringing all this rain?" Kalindi leaned against the wall.

"No. It's the reason the child is crying, that's why it's raining" Naida closed her eyes and 'felt' the world. Anger, fear, love, happiness, and anguish, flooded into her all at once. She could feel them all. She began to block them out one by one until she was left with anguish "She's cries..........she cries because she can't protect them. She's not strong enough"

"A child is crying because she can't protect someone? Shouldn't it be the other way around?" Kalindi asked really wanting to know the answer.

"No. They protect her, and she tries to protect them. But they don't know it. She won't tell them" Naida stated flatly opening her eyes.

"Why won't she tell them?" Kalinda knelt by the girl bringing them eye level to each other.

Naida turned and looked into her eyes "They're not yet ready to understand. She is not what she seems" she leaned forward and pressed her lips to Kalindi's.
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'Tests are affirmative' the hunter reported 'A strong Magick presence iminated from the car briefly'

She checked the charts and the intensity radar 'It's the highest level I've ever seen. Presence was of a Psychic nature, with incredible depth of clarity'

"Whoever was making that Psychic encounter, will leave an Astrial footprint, that'll last for days" she spoke aloud to herself.

'This is Cash from the Center of Paranormal Studies' the disembodied voice came over the radio.

"Cash it's me, Pryde" the woman said professionally.

"Ah so Hannah tell me what you got?" Cash was many things, but she wasn't formal when it came to her friends.

"Those women you had me follow? One of them is a powerful Psychic" Pryde said in amazement "Or her Psychic abilites are highly potent. She made some kind of contact from the car, and the Astrial footprint she left behind sent my radar off the charts"

"What about the weaver spots?" Cash asked. She couldn't believe any unknown Psychic could be that strong.

"The spots are blue Cash" Pryde laughed as she eyed her reading "There's no spot where there isn't power"

"A strong Psychic link. We may be dealing with a soul joined witch or a frickin Oracle" Cash sounded excited "We've never been able to study either. The Oracles always know when we're coming, and the Witches? Well they're almost impossible to find in this day and age"

"Well I found something. Something amazing" Pryde sighed.

"Did you follow them where they were going?" Cash asked suddenly.

"No"

"Hannah!" Cash was royally pissed "Why the hell didn't you follow them to their home?"

"Because I followed them to their Magick Shop earlier today" Pryde said cheekily.

"Hannah Pryde, you are my Goddess" Cash sighed and settle back into her chair.

"I'll remind you, you said that" Pryde said in a low voice that sent shivers down Cash's spine.

"I'm counting on it"
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"What's with all the rain lately?" Dawn stood staring out of the window, leaning her forehead against the pane.

"Omen. It feels like an Omen" Willow shivered and hugged herself. Tara came from behind and hugged her as well.

"It's a bad Omen" Hyatt said sitting on the couch next to Buffy and Star who remained in her lap though she'd stopped crying.

Star climbed from Buffy to Hyatt and sighed.

"I think we need happy news, good news, you know something to make us all happy" Anya said sounding amazingly, and annoyingly cheerful.

"I could use a happy" Buffy said wrapping an arm around Star and Hyatt holding them both close.

"Yeah so could I. The whole 'having my girl being followed by some weird chick in a blue car' thing kinda ruined my day" Willow admitted as she and Tara sat on the other side of the couch.

Dawn sat on the floor between Buffy and Hyatt. She leaned back on Hyatt's legs and Star ran her fingers through her hair.

"Holiday plans!" Anya's eyes lit up "Since we're all family, and family should spend Holiday's together-"

"We should spend the Holiday here" Buffy finished.

"I was getting to that" Anya pouted.

"You were taking too long" Buffy raised her brows "Now you got any plans for this 'Holiday?"

"Yes we'll have it here. At the big house. You know yard and everything. Enough rooms" Anya began to pace as she planned out loud.

Dawn smiled "Family time! Oh I could get used to this"

"Yeah" Anya agreed "Our little family just keeps getting bigger and bigger. We need to keep it together, we don't want to fall apart. Then comes the lonely"

"Yeah. Lonely is bad" Hyatt agreed.

"Right! So we spend them together" Anya's eyes lit up "Cuz there's no way to be lonely if your with family"

"Ok. N-n-now what are we g-gonna do t-today?" Tara asked quietly.

"I say we cuddle and watch some of T.V" Buffy pulled Hyatt closer.

Willow pulled Tara closer as well and Anya and Dawn tried to fit on the couch. It wasn't working.

"Ok I know we're family and all, but do we have to feel like canned sardines?" Hyatt laughed as they all tried to get comfortable on the overcrowded couch.

"Your right" Buffy sighed "But it was a good idea to try"

"I have an idea" Tara said standing "Willow honey where are all the extra blankets?"

"Upstairs linen closet" Willow looked at Tara wondering what she was up too.

"Anya will you help me?" Tara headed upstairs with Ayna close behind.

They came back down moments later, their arms filled with comforters and throws.

Tara tossed them all on the floor and moved the coffee table and a few chairs, making room in the middle of the floor.

They began to get the idea when she laid out blankets and throws so that they all could lay next to each other.

"Good idea" Buffy said standing as well "So what do we veg on first?"

"I vote for Ice Cream and floats" Anya raised her hand.

"I second that" Hyatt stood.

"I third" Star raised her hand accidently bumping Hyatt in the nose "Sorry"

"I'm all for it" Dawn got up off the floor and headed for the kitchen "But I get first dibs on the Root Beer!" she ran.

Anya took off as well "I want Root Beer!"

"Them crazy kids" Willow deadpanned "I hid the Root Beer"
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