No Beth waffle just the part (well actually no, a quick note to our mitten - I love the slogan on the t shirt!)
PART 5
Madalene settled herself a little better in the seat at the table and watched the Slayer pace in front of her. After her initial badly timed words, they’d taken a moment to stare at each other before Buffy had all but ordered that she come out her, sit and explain.
“I know this will be very difficult to understand.” Madalene began softly trying to think of the best way to conduct this. “But as you are aware that Tara is a witch, you should understand that there are very powerful mystical forces that exist in this world.”
“Believe me I know all about mystical forces, I’m living through the grief of her girlfriend.” Buffy couldn’t help but interject.
“Well then... I’ll skip the basics.” Madalene nodded seeing the intense pain that she couldn’t hope to comprehend in time to fully explain what was going on here. “As I said Tara and I share a common ancestor, and ancestor who was gifted with the lineage of great power.”
“I’m listening, though I have to tell you that a huge part of me doesn’t have a clue why I am listening to you.” Buffy admitted.
“The mortal woman who bore our ancestor was raped by a demon, a full demon that infused into her the physical necessity by which she would bare him an heir into this dimension.” Madalene stood up her voice hard as the Slayer all but dismissed her. “Our ancestor in contrast was birthed from the pure essence of love, but her form was not free from the change placed in her mother.” She slowly reached down and lifted her shirt turning away from the Slayer to reveal a long very thick and angry scar that the length of her back.
“I was in a car accident when I was seventeen and thrown from the vehicle. This is where the truck’s bumper sliced through me on my way past.” Her breath was slightly hard. She took a minute before she put her shirt back down.
“How did you survive?” Buffy had to force her mouth closed.
“I didn’t.” Madalene turned her eyes hard.
“Sorry?” Buffy breathed.
“My neck was snapped when I hit the barrier on the side of the road.” She filled in sitting down again her voice shaky. “It took me a year to rise.”
“You’re dead?” The Slayer said slowly.
“Do I look dead?” Madalene snapped.
“No.” Buffy admitted.
“That’s because I’m not.” Madalene released a long breath and calmed herself.
“You’re immortal?”
“I was dead for a time, but our bodies regenerate if the damage is not too great to overcome. We are not immortal.” She shook her head as Buffy tried to understand. “We are just difficult to kill.”
“Okay, let me try and do a recap.” Buffy took a staggered breath her mind whirling. “You’re ancestor was a demon, which has made you kind of super tough and you are also telling me that Tara shares your ancestry.”
“Exactly.” Madalene nodded. “And when her body heals she’s going to not be dead anymore. To dumb 3000 years of history down.”
“How long?” Buffy asked looking up.
“Soon, I think that’s why I was called.” Madalene admitted. “This doesn’t happen to all of us. It’s a latent power that sometimes is not activated.”
“Called, who called you?” Buffy frowned again.
“I don’t know.” Madalene admitted with a frown. “A voice told me to come here, seek out Tara Maclay in Sunnydale California. Seek her and tell her the story.”
“So Tara might but she might not come back?” Buffy tried to get things straight in her head.
“If she wasn’t going to rise I don’t see why I would have been called.” Madalene shook her head. “There is another complication.” She admitted softly. “That is more worrying.”
“Believe me right now, this couldn’t get more worrying.” Buffy admitted. “Tell me.” She tacked on in case Madalene took her at her word.
“When she rises, she won’t have any comprehension of who she was.” Madalene noted gently knowing that the Slayer was going to react badly.
“Sorry?” Buffy’s eyes snapped up again not quite sure she had heard right.
“The change within us has evolved over time such that when we rise again our previous existence is wiped from our minds, as if we are truly reborn.” The brunette tried to simplify.
“So Tara won’t be Tara?” Buffy frowned.
“No memories.” Madalene nodded. “I know this is all hard to understand, and I could go into such detail to explain but... it all comes down to these simple facts.”
“If I believe you and you’re lying or it doesn’t happen… I take you to her grave, we dig her up and nothing happens… putting myself through all that pain again… if I don’t believe you or ignore everything you’ve told me and its true she’s going to rise and be trapped in a coffin.” Buffy shivered as her mind tried to work out what was going on. ‘And I know exactly how that feels.’ She added in her mind and shivered again.
“I can dig her out, you don’t have to be a part of any of this.” Madalene stood up slowly. “I just need to know where she is.”
“I need to think.” Buffy pressed her hand into her forehead as she ran her fingers along her eyebrows.
Behind the counter the phone began to ring with a high whiny echo.
“I have to get that.” Buffy pointed to the phone crossing over to it and picking it up. “Magic shop.” She said distantly.
“Buffy.” Xander’s voice panted a bit.
“Xander,” Once again Buffy’s world shifted.
“We have a little problem.” He tried to keep his voice even. “We need you at the house.”
“A problem?” Buffy felt the colour drain from her cheeks. “It’s Willow isn’t it?” She breathed knowing it wasn’t likely to be anything else.
“Yes.” He answered quickly and then seemed to have his call to Anya covered over by the sound of screams.
“I’m there.” Buffy hung up the phone. “I’m sorry I have to go. Meet me tonight, after ten, at the Restful cemetery.”
“Of course.” Madalene followed the fear on Buffy’s face not understanding.
With a nod the Slayer ran out.
i really hope that buffy brings tara back to willow although im not sure how willow will cope with tara not remembering everythng which they had. ahh its all so deoressing but so lovely at the same time .
I love how this story issgoing although I am scared over what Willow's reaction to an alive Tara might be. 
at: 5/28/02 2:30:51 am
I'm still working on a name for us, your faithful mittens. (mittens of Sassette = smittens; mittens of Mariacomet = mcmittens, etc.) And writers are definitely welcome in the cuddlepuddle. *gives everyone big squeezy hugs to get through the angst* 