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****

Tara was glad she was going to Mr. Giles alone. A few minutes to herself in the car was a welcome relief from the tension amongst the Scoobs. She sat in the car for a long moment, then rustled among the tapes scattered in the back seat before popping one in. The soft strains of her sister's favorite tape played over the car's sound system, and she was about to put the Acura in gear when someone tapped at the passenger side window. She glanced at the form, and reached over quickly to unlock the door so that a redheaded hacker could slip into the seat next to her.

"Willow," she said quietly, gripping the wheel until her knuckles turned white.

"So Faith is your sister," said the hacker calmly.

"Half sister, really," replied Tara. "Same dad, different moms. I was one when my parents split, and then dad got Faith's mom pregnant. It was kinda ironic, since our moms were best friends." She laughed without a hint of humor in her voice. "Faith's mom bailed on her when she was five, and she came to live with us till my mom died. Then we lived with my grandmother. Faith's Watcher showed up a few years later and we both stayed with her until Kakistos." She shoved the memories back and turned to her girlfriend, who was staring straight ahead. "I guess we'd better go over to Mr. Giles', huh?" she said softly, putting the car in gear. With that, they left the hospital parking lot.

The drive was mostly silent, except for the tape playing. The sounds of Tracy Chapman filled the small space, At this point in my life I've done so many things wrong I don't know if I can do right

"This is Faith's favorite tape," offered Tara in a small voice.

Willow looked over at her, honestly surprised. "Tracy Chapman? Faith likes Tracy Chapman? I thought she was all about that horrible rave music?"

Tara smiled, and shook her head. "She likes that stuff for dancing. But at home she'd always be listening to Tracy Chapman or the Indigo Girls or something like that. It fit her image to be all dark and sexy and dangerous, but she's really such a softy."

At this point in my life I'd like to live as if only love mattered as if redemption was in sight

"What did she do to you?" Tara asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Willow sighed, "She put me in the hospital. Beat me senseless. She was working for the Mayor at the time... He was trying to turn into a giant snake..."

"She told me about his plans before... before we lost touch. That must have been before she... lost control," replied Tara. "I'm sorry, and I'm sure she's sorry too." She hesitantly put her hand on Willow's, who gripped it tightly. Holding hands, they were silent the rest of the way to Giles' house.

****

Buffy, Xander, and Giles were clearly surprised to see Tara and Willow walk in the door holding hands. The three were set in anger, feeling not a little betrayed not to have known about Faith having a sister, let alone a sister already so close to the Scooby gang. And they were still angry with Faith for all the pain the dark slayer had caused. They also were suspicious now of Tara. So to see the wiccan and the hacker apparently at ease with each other was disconcerting.

"Hey," said Tara, smiling a little. She sat down on Giles' couch and waited until Willow sat next to her to curl up a little against the hacker. "I guess you want the full story, huh? Well, so do I, but I'll go first, otherwise I might fall asleep halfway through." She sighed as the three facing her stood in silence, and prayed her stuttering wouldn't return.

"Faith and I are half-sisters. Same dad, different moms. My folks split when I was one, and then dad got Faith's mom pregnant. Our moms were best friends. So we sorta grew up together for awhile. When Faith was five, her mom's alcoholism took over, and Faith got left with us as her mom disappeared. Dad had vanished years ago, so it was just us and my mom, and my grandma. Mom struggled to raise us both, working two jobs. So keeping an eye on Faith sort of fell to me. I didn't do a very good job. When she was ten, she fell in with a bad crowd, I guess. Mom couldn't do much, neither could Gram, and I was just starting seventh grade... Mom died later that year, and we lost what little stability we had. Gram lived on social security, we didn't have a lot. Faith would show up with new clothes, or food, and we didn't dare question it because we needed that stuff. I thought it was just a little petty theft, and I was a teenager, so I didn't care much. It was a lot worse..."

She took a deep breath, and continued when she felt Willow squeeze her hand. "She was selling drugs, and her body, to buy that stuff for us. I found out when a guy I knew bragged he'd gotten her for free. He'd... he'd, well, I guess you can figure out what happened. She was only thirteen then. Things got so much worse over the next couple of years. She'd started doing stuff, pot and E and a couple other drugs, to escape. Luckily she never touched alcohol, I guess she learned something from her mom. She had such a bad rep, and had dropped out of school. Guys started coming after me, thinking I was like her... She'd beat them up, and I got left alone after a few guys came to school with busted ribs, all black and blue. Then her Watcher showed up at the house. Gram was gone down to church, it was just the two of us there. Her Watcher, Gwen, was so nice, and she seemed honest enough. Faith started training as a Slayer, and I insisted Gram start teaching me about magic, so I could help her. Gwen had said that the last Slayer had had a powerful witch as her sidekick, and that it had really helped keep her alive. We didn't know that Buffy had never really died, I don't think Gwen did either. We all thought Faith was the only Slayer... Then Kakistos came, and neither of us could do anything. We saw Gwen get gutted right in front of us..." Tara drew in a deep breath, and shuddered until Willow wrapped a comforting arm around her.

"Faith disappeared, but she kept sending me postcards and letters. She told me about hitching across country, running from Kakistos so that he'd leave me alone. Then when she got here... she started to tell me about you guys, just without using names. She called you guys B, and X-man, and the Watcher, and Red, plus wolf-man and the prom queen. I never put it all together until after Willow introduced me to you, I swear. By then, I guessed something had gone wrong, and I didn't dare say anything. I knew she was in the hospital, but never could find out why. I graduated from high school, got a scholarship to UCS, and came here looking for my sister." Tara drew in a deep breath, and looked at her audience, who sat grimly around her, taking in the story. Willow's eyes were sad, but she couldn't read the others. "What happened here?" she asked, needing to know.

"I think I should tell the story," said Giles. "The rest of you might become too... emotional..." With that, the Watcher began the story of Faith's arrival, then refused to gloss over how the dark slayer had turned to the Mayor's side. Tara listened to the story, at first shocked, then upset, then crushingly sad and guilty over not having kept her sister from turning to the wrong side.

"Well, then Buffy stabbed Faith and your sister slipped into a coma. We were just lucky we were able to stop the Ascension, though the class of 99 paid a heavy price," finished Giles.

Tara sat quietly for a long few minutes. "I can see why you hate her," she said finally. "But the Faith I know wouldn't have done that. Gwen's death must have really affected her more than I realized... She always had that dark side, but I never thought she'd really give into it. Goddess, I'm sorry," she pleaded. "Please, forgive her. The Faith in the hospital now is the Faith I know. Please, she's my little sister."

"Some little sister," growled Xander. "Do you know what your precious little sister did to your girlfriend?" he asked angrily.

"Yes, I do." Tara laid her hand on Willow's leg, and snuggled even closer to the hacker.

"Xander," said Willow, "I don't trust Faith farther than I could throw her. But I do trust Tara, and for her I'm willing to give Faith one more chance." She locked eyes with her childhood friend for a long few moments, then smiled as she saw him give in.

"You know nothing can stand against 'resolve face,' Will, that's just not fair," he said, throwing up his hands. "But I want her to stay away from me! And Anya!"

Tara glanced at Willow, confusion on her face at Xander's reaction. Willow whispered in her ear, "Faith relieved Xander of his virginity, then kicked him out the next morning."

"Oh," she said, shaking her head. "I don't think it meant much to her. Faith's gay," she said softly, to her girlfriend.

"Oh," replied Willow. "But what about..." she was about to refer to Faith's stint as a prostitute, but decided against it.

"She did that for money, and I couldn't convince her to stop. But she had a couple of serious girlfriends before she became the Slayer."

After Giles cleared his throat, the pair rejoined the larger conversation. Buffy was staring at her feet, trying to decide what to say.

"Look, I know I used to really hate Faith, but I didn't really understand her all that much either. It was easier to just say she was evil than to think maybe she had reasons for what she did. And maybe I still don't understand her. But I didn't sense that Faith was still evil, or nasty, or anything, after I took a second to really look at her. She used to be my friend. So I guess, I'll give her another chance," she said finally, staring at her hands. "Giles?"

The Watcher cleared his throat again. "Well, I suppose she's deserving of another chance," he said. "But only one, in my book," he added.

Tara smiled at her friends, "Thank you," she said. "If you don't mind, I'd like to go home. I've got to get my room ready for having an extra occupant. Faith should be out of the hospital soon."

Giles looked meekly at the group, then offered, "She could stay here instead. I've got the room, and that flea ridden hotel of hers is awful, not to mention that the town repossessed her apartment that the Mayor gave her."

Tara's smile reached epic proportions. "That'd be wonderful, Mr. Giles. I can bring over some of her things that I brought from home tomorrow, after I visit her at the hospital." Impulsively, she went over and hugged the Watcher, then turned to the rest of the group, "Thank you, so much. And goodnight." She went outside, and Willow followed her, shutting the door behind them.

"Hey," said the hacker softly, moving into Tara's arms with ease.

"Thank you so much, Wills," replied the blonde wiccan, nuzzling fine red hair. "I know this couldn't have been easy for you, after what you say Faith did."

Willow moved even closer to her girlfriend, "It isn't. I'm still expecting her to jump out at me and put me back in intensive care. But I trust you, Tara. I love you."

"I love you too. Would you like a ride back to the dorms?"

"Sure, just let me tell Buffy," replied the hacker, moving out of the embrace. "Want me to stay overnight with you?" she asked impishly.

Tara laughed, lightly. "That'd be wonderful," she answered, kissing the redhead's nose.

Willow opened the door, and called to her best friend to relay her plans. Buffy hooted in glee, and the hacker blushed. She glanced at her girlfriend, who was smiling broadly at her embarrassment. Lightly elbowing the taller girl, she closed the door and led the way towards where they'd parked.

****

They were shy with each other, though they'd slept in the same bed a dozen times before, as friends and later as girlfriends. They didn't immediately cuddle together as they often did, nor did their kitten jump up to join them on the bed. It was as if the secret of Tara's past sat between them, keeping them apart. The room was silent but for the tape Tara had taken from the car and put in to play. She needed the reminder of her sister, and so Tracy Chapman continued to sing, her soft voice and music filling in the silence between wiccan and hacker.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," said Tara finally, turning to face her girlfriend in the room's low light.

"I don't think I would have reacted so well if I knew earlier. Seeing Faith again, so small and fragile and helpless maybe put things into perspective," replied Willow reassuringly, reaching out hesitantly to run her fingers through fine blond hair. Tara moaned at the gentle contact, and carefully her fingers traced the outline of her girlfriend's face.

They slowly moved towards each other, bodies fitting together snugly like a couple of puzzle pieces. Willow pulled Tara close, resting the taller girl's head on her shoulder and holding her close in the darkness.

"Maybe it was meant to be, that I learned about the other side of you now," said Willow softly.

Tara nodded a little, "Maybe." She raised her head, and gently kissed the hacker. "I love you, now go to sleep. It's going to be a busy day."

"I love you, too, Tara, family and all," replied Willow, kissing her girlfriend back.

Part 3