Antikytera

[Tara]

Title: Antiytera
Disclaimer: I don't own the Buffyverse characters, or any of it for that matter. Joss and several others do. Please don't sue, I'm just having fun.
Warnings (If any): Hm.... None really
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: A mystical Greecian mechanisme brings out everyone's 'inside demons'. What happens when Willow's turns out to be the worst?
Feedback:Yes please! I live off feedback, so if I get none Ill die.
Author Notes: Based on a real live atifact called the Antikytera Mechanism. I'm just dressing it up a bit.....


"Oo, look Dawnie, the new Ancient Greece exhibit is open!" Willow enthused, nudging the teenager with her elbow and pointing out a newspaper article.

"Oo, goody." Dawn said absently, not looking up from her geometry homework

"We should go this saturday!"

Now Dawn looked up from her homework and gave the redhead a look of pure shock, "School? On a saturday?"

"Not school, silly," Willow waved away the notion like she was swatting a pesky fly, "Just an extracurricular learning activity!" the witch grinned her eyes widening as if to say, 'So? What about it? Huh, huh?'

"I dunno, Will...."

"Pleaaaase? I'll... I'll do your geometry for you!"

The teenager concidered this for a bit before sighing, "Fine... But you gotta make it look like I did it, leave maybe one or two mistakes in there okay?"

The redhead nodded as the book was handed to her and she got to work, looking up briefly to flash Dawn a big smile, "We'll have fun tomorrow, I promise!"

~~~

That night Kennedy was woken up by a whimpering near her ear, she turned as careful as she could so as not to wake Willow up, only to find it was Willow who was making the sound. Her brow furrowed with worry and she gently shook the sleeping redhead.

=Will's Dream POV=

"Tara! come back to me!" Willow reached out to a far off figure, she was back in Sunnydale, in her old room on the floor, blood spattered on her blouse. Just like on that day...

"Baby, please! Come back!" she choked out, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"Willow..." the figure called, reaching out as well, "Willow...."

"Tara!" The redhead stumbled to her feet, finding that the scenery had changed and now she was at the Bronze, on Tara's birthday so many years ago....

"Dance with me?" The blonde offered her hand and Willow took it, allowing herself to be led to the dance floor.

"Tara--" Willow was hushed by a soft finger on her lips as a slow song started up and the blonde witch rested her head on Willow's shoulder and they swayed to the music.

"Be strong Willow, I know it hurts." she whispered in the redhead's ear, making her shiver.

"How can you? You haven't lost the one you love..." Willow rejoined, almost angry at Tara for being so calm and collected when all she wanted to do was curl up and cry in her arms.

Tara's face fell, "I have lost you, just that same as you've lost me. Just stay strong Willow..."

Now Willow held the blonde at arms length, "Why, is somthing happening? Is somthing going to hurt me?" worry crept into her voice, though she willed it not to.

"Willow..." Tara's voice sounded far away, as though she were in the distance instead of right next to her.

"What?" she asked urgently as Tara's image began to fade.

"Willow!" Kennedy shook the redhead a bit harder and succedded in waking the witch up with a wrenching gasp.

"Tara!" Willow sat up, looking around wildly before realization sunk in and she began to blink back tears.

"Are you okay honey?" Kennedy asked softly, cupping the redhead's face with her hand as she found it hard to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill over. Without waiting for a reply the slayer took Willow into her arms and let her sob over yet another 'Tara Nightmare'.

***

Morning found Kennedy in the training room, punching the crap out of a bag, hands taped and making slapping sounds as the bag swun to and fro as she swung punches.

"Hey Kennedy," Buffy greeted as she walked into the training room in grey sweats and tank top, she stopped to watch the swinging bag for a moment before folding her arms across her chest and asked, "anything you need to talk about?"

"Dunno what... you're talking... about!" Kennedy grunted between the few more blows she administered to the bag.

The ceiling creaked dangerously and Buffy looked up warily, cocking an eyebrow, "You sure? Because the last time Faith got upset and tore the bag down Giles had a hissy fit."

The younger slayer reluctantly ceased her pounding on the bag and began to forcefully un-tape her knuckles, "Fine, I got somthing to talk about. Let's talk!" she said huffily, throwing the tape aside and matching Buffy's stance, arms folded across her chest in perfect mimic.

"So, what's got you so angry at the bag over there?" Buffy asked calmly, unfolding her arms and sidleing over to a vault horse to sit on it.

For a moment Kennedy concidered not answering and instead ingauging the blonde in combat to release her anger. But she didn't, instead chewing her lip before muttering, "Tara..."

Buffy was slightly taken aback by this, shooting the brunette a quizzical look.

"Well, not so much Tara... Willow's been having more of the nightmares... the ones where she sees Tara."

"Ah," The blonde nodded sagely, "She still misses her, give her time."

"It's been a whole two years! How much more time does she need?!" Kennedy asked in a pique, clenching her fist and then unclenching it over and over. "And it's not that she still dreams about her, but she won't tell me how I can help! She won't tell me how to help her!" NOw she swung around and backhanded the bag as if it was personally responsible for this offense.

"Kenn, you just gotta give her time, she'll tell you eventually. I'm sure it's bugging her too." Buffy hopped down from the vault horse, continuing, "You don't know Will like I do--"

"d**n right, I know her better! I'm the one sleeping with her, not you! You. Don't. Know!" At this she lunged at the blonde, needing an outlet for all her pent up anger.

Buffy was ready and she blocked the first punch Kennedy sent her way, grabbing and holding tight to the fist as it hit her hand. Unable to pull her arm back for another punch, the brunette satisfied herself by yanking her elder slayer's arm towards her. Using the momentum Kennedy had made, Buffy ducked to miss the punch aimed at her face and tackled Kennedy around the middle. Both toppling to the floor, they wrestled furiously for a while before Buffy pinned Kennedy's shoulders with her knees and her wrists above her head.

"I think..." Buffy said between the heavy breaths she was taking, "You need... to calm down."

Kennedy struggled a bit more as a last ditch effort before giving up. "Fine." She said sulkily as Buffy let her up. "Just don't mention this conversation to Will, kay?" her voice had gotten a bit softer now as she headed out of the training room, it took Buffy's super slayer hearing to catch it.

"I won't."

~~~

Willow sighed contentedly, walking among the ancient artifacts, arm looped through Dawn's as they made their way to the new Ancient Greece Exhibit.

"Ooh, look there, Dawnie, that must be really old!" The red head whispered excitedly, dragging the bored teenager to a small pedestel in the middle of the room, red velvet ropes keeping people just far enough fromt he precious object.

"Wow cool. Old junk."

"Yeah I know, isn't it?" Asked Willow, clearly missing the sarcasem in Dawn's voice, "It's the Antikythera Mechanism, some believed it was a calendar, some thought it was a map, and now they're saying it's a calculator." the redhead nodded sagley, "Science and it's little bugs."

"Uh yeah, pretty cool, I guess." Dawn scrutinized the strange old box before her. Had it been faintly glowing a moment before? No, it was just her eyes playing tricks on her...

"I think it's a map." Willow said decicively, pulling a reluctant Dawn to the next artifact. As soon as the two were off though, the box started to glow faintly again, this time it pulsated with the transparent green energy it was emmiting. Slowly a thin trail of the green haze crept towards Willow and Dawn's turned backs, coming to rest on them and sink into thier bodies.

The two took no notice of this, however, and walked on through the museum.

[Tara]

"Buffy, we're back !" Dawn called as the two museum-goers trooped through the door.

"Hey, how was your trip to the museum?" Buffy asked, coming into the hall, smiling brightly.

"It was great!" enthused Willow, "We saw that new ehibit, and I leaned more cool facts, a-and Dawn got to see some cool guys, so it wasn't a total bust for her!"

Buffy quirked an eyebrow at Dawn, " 'Cool guys'? You saw cool guys at a museum?"

"Hey, cool people can hang out in a museum too!" the teenager protested, crossing her arms.

Buffy smirked as if to say 'whatever' and then motioned for the other to come in, "I just made dinner, so c'mon."

The two exchanged a glance and then followed Buffy into the kitchen/dinning room area where Xander, Faith, and Kennedy were all sitting at a reserved table with two big plates of chicken wings were placed.

"You made chicken wings?" Dawn asked, spying an empty box in the trash 'microwave instructions' printed on the edge.

"Hey, I never said I made dinner from scratch!" Buffy shrugged, taking her place at the table.

"Finnally!" Faith exclaimed, "B wouldn't let us even touch these things untill you guys got back!" the disgruntled slayer began to pile hot wings on her plate as did Kennedy,m who had remained silent as Willow took her seat next to her.

"Hey sweetie, how was your day?" Will asked, also taking a few wings.

"It was alright, I got a good workout on the bag, went for a long jog, just the usual."

"Yeah, we even had a little practice sparr." Buffy grined, slapping the hand of a slayer who had been trying to steal one of her hotwings. The girl rubbed her hand, glaring at the back of Buffy's head before she huffed and sat at another table with some of her fellow newbies, whispering with them conspicuously. Apparently the newbies had decided to have a small competition to see who could snag a wing from the Scoobies' table first as one crept up on Willow.

"Oh, really? How did that go?" the red-head asked, holding up one finger in the universal 'hold one minute please' sign, casting a glamour over herself and then turning to face the newbie with flat black eyes and a grim expression. "Give it up." She smirked, causing the girl to shy away and go back to her table in defeat.

"It went okay. Learned some stuff." Kennedy said nonchalantly, grinding her heel into the open-toed shoe of yet another newbie who audiably sucked air through her teeth and hopped back to the table as well.

The last two had decided to ambush Xander and Dawn, who were sitting on either side of Faith. The dark haired slayer grabed the two wrists that had shot out in attempt to grab a hot wing or two, "Getcher own hotwings." She growled, yanking the two newbies forward and then pushing them back just as fast, toppling the two. The two brushed themselves off and returned to thier table. One of them proudly showing off the hot wing she had nabbed from Faith when the senior slayer had jerked her foreward, the others glowering with jealousy.

"Anyway, who won?" Faith asked, finished what was left of her hot wings

"I did!" Buffy raised her hand proudly, also finishing her hotwings, "Oh, also? Dawn you're getting a roommate!"

"What!" Dawn ejaculated, "When was this decided?!" She demanded.

"Today." Buffy said, "Giles and I thought you could use some company. And besides, space is getting tight here."

"Great." Muttered Dawn, shoving ehr empty plate away from her and getting up from the table.

"So why is Dawnie getting a roomie?" Willow asked, clearing the table.

"Giles thinks Dawn could make a great watcher. So we're putting her with a slayer and they can grow with eachother... Or whatever he said, somthing like that." Buffy shrugged, grinning evilly, "Plus, I just love to annoy her."

"You are truely evil, get any eviler and I'll have to slay ya!" Kennedy joked, helping Willow with the dishes.

"Ha, if you could beat me first!"

~~~

Dawn cautiously opened the door to her room. Well it wasn't just her room anymore, was it? Someone was in there, unpacking or somthing, and Dawn crept in as quietly as she could.

"I guess you're my roomate." The fairly tall girl with chocolate-brown hair that came down to her shoulders and just a bit down her back said. It was more statement than a question and the girl turned around, emerald eyes sharing the warmth her smile radiated. "I'm Jamie, You must be Dawn?" Jamie extended her hand, which Dawn looked over suspiciously before shaking it firmly.

"Yep, I'm Dawn. I guess you must have talked to my older sister, Buffy?"

"Yeah, is she great or what?" Jamie asked, "I mean she made me feel right at home! I haven't really felt that way in... well a long time... And this place... There are others like me!" Her expression became quizical, "Are you like me?" She asked, sounding almost like a kid who just found out faries were real.

Dawn laughed, "Nope, just regular. And you know there's a name for what you are. You're a slayer."

"Yeah, but that sounds so... serial killer..." Jamie mock shuddered and the two laughed, each sitting across from eachother on thier respective beds. Not seeing the green mist sinking into Jamie's skin.

***

"Long day, huh?" Willow asked, slipping her arms around Kennedy's waist from behind.

"Yeah, a bit longer than I wanted it to be..." the slayer sighed, leaning into her girlfriend.

"I betcha I can fix that." Willow grinned

"Ooh, I like the sound of that!" Kennedy grinned as well

-Later- (Haha, cuz I suck lol)

Willow tossed and turned, her breath was shallow as she thrashed about, feeling trapped in the sheets of the bed.

"No! I didn't do anything! I haven't done that kind of magic since Warren!" Willow cowered in the shadow of an indesticnt figure that let out a harsh laugh at her protest.

"You may not have but you want to! You know it witch! You need me just as much as I need you!" The voice was vaguely familiar, but still the face was in shadows.

"NO! I... I don't need that magic!" the distressed redhead rocekd back and forth on her heels as she drew her knees up to her chest to feel safer.

"Maybe not... What you really need though... is Tara."

Willow head jerked up and she tried to look at the face of the one speaking, but the shadows still kept it from her, "I.. I have Tara... in my heart-"

Before Willow could say any more the figure laughed again, somthing devoide of all humor and joy, "In your heart?" it asked, incredulous, "That's a lie you keep telling yourself! But what you need is the living, breathing, Tara! And you can have her if you just used--"

"NO!" Willow got up, turning to leave.

"Stay." the command came and the redheasd found she could not move, even though she willed her feet to move, they simply couldn't!

"Let me go!" She yelled, trying to move but only succeding in falling over as the figure appeared in front of her, stepping out of the ever present shadow to reveal... Willow herself, her darker side leering down at her now.

"If you'd just use the black magicks, you'd be free before now."

"N-no... No I can't!"

"You tell yourself you can't. But you can, and you will!"

Willow struggled to move but she suddenly found her arms and torso had been pinned by some unseen force

"And if you don't get loose soon...." Dark Willow held out her hand and a dark blue-ish energy began to pulsate from it, "Well, do I really need to finish my sentance?"

Willow kept struggling as her darker half built up the power in her hand, she was just about to release it when a blinding light appeared and when it faded Dark Willow was gone, and Tara's lifeless eyes stared back at Willow from her position on the floor.

"Willow!" she was being shaken awake by Kennedy, "Willow, wake up! It's just a nightmare! Come back to me!" the slayer pleaded, pulling Willow close as she woke up from her nightmare and broke down for the second night in a row. Nither noticed the faint green mist sinking into Kennedy's skin.