(AU) Only a matter of time
Renee85 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks
sam7777 for the feedback, I have a brother too but we don't talk much, he's like twenty years older than me so the generation gap is huge. I'm closer to his son than I am to him. He's nearly 40 years old and I'm not even in my twenties yet.
Willow is definitly going to be better with Tara.
PART SEVEN (The Fight and the Fighter)“So, you’re just going to throw all of this away?” Sarah spat out, angry that she hadn’t gotten her way, infuriated that Willow wasn’t taking her back, irate and livid at the fact that Willow had found someone else when she should have been waiting for her, just like she did all the times throughout all those years they were together.
Willow was silent.
“You’re going to throw away two and a half years of us for someone you haven’t even approached?” she laughed in utter incredulity, she was going to get Willow to take her back if it was the last thing she did. “Do you know how crazy that sounds?”
“Not as crazy as Willow getting back together with you.” Buffy set her bat on the floor, if she held it any longer there would be no guarantee or assurance that it wouldn't accidentally hit Sarah on the head, over and over again.
A deep flash of pure hatred and revulsion rushed through Buffy's small body, she wanted nothing more than to use her bat the way it was intended, to strike undersized baseballs, and the longer Buffy stared at Sarah, the more and more her tiny head began to look like a baseball, the urge to swing was there, but she held it back.
Sarah disregarded Buffy and went on to trying to persuade Willow to take her back; she had a few thoughts on how to do just that but it had to be implemented carefully and cautiously, planning out every second of her actions, she knew how to get through to Willow, she knew how to break her, she knew what was there to get Willow to relent and give in.
"You know why I know you still love me?" the brunette questioned the redhead with piercing and unbreakable eyes, her hazel orbs locked into Willow’s emerald green.
“Do you want to know how I know that you are still holding onto the last vestiges of our relationship together, that you can’t let go of us after all these months?” her voice was filled with such adamancy and conviction, such self assurance and confidence. It was as if she had the bottom of the string that held them together, and she was flying it with her own regard, the wind had suddenly picked up.
“I don’t love you.” Willow simply stated, her sea green olive depths locked onto chocolate orbs. “There’s no way you could know how I’m feeling, there’s no way you could tell me what I don’t already know in my heart.”
Sarah chuckled a bit at that statement, which only infuriated Buffy more, the small blonde picked up the bat and got ready to swing a homerun, wanting to see Sarah’s head splat on the wall beside her, a bloody mess, but well worth it.
Sarah went deeper into the bedroom, her eyes searching the room for solid evidence, something that could prove that Willow still loved her, that the redhead who was so adamant about moving on was really still mourning their loss, wanting her back.
Sarah smiled devilishly as her eyes caught something on Willow’s dresser drawer, she sprinted across the room, finding a portrait of herself and Willow in front of a large oak tree, wrapped in each other's arms. She picked up the photograph and showed it to the redhead, waving the photo in the air, a satisfied smile on her face. "Why do you still have this if you don't still love me?"
"I was going to burn it." Willow whipped the small snapshot roughly out of the other girl's hands. "Sarah, I don't think you understand what I'm telling you, I don't want to be with you." she voiced slowly, trying to get Sarah to absorb her words, to take it in. The other woman didn't seem to comprehend any of it. "I'm not going to take your crap any longer."
"Then why do you still have a photo of us together?" Sarah inquired, her eyebrows raised. "Willow, I know I was a bitch and I also know that I hurt you but I want to change and you bringing me back can help me take that next step.”
Willow looked at Sarah, her eyes digging deeper into the other woman’s hazel depths, searching for any sign of sincerity, any sign of genuineness.
Any sort of indication that this person in front of her, who had caused her so much ache and heartache the entire time they were together, was truly trying to change, to transform herself into a better and more trustworthy person, honesty, integrity, fidelity, and everything else in between. But she knew that whether or not was going to change hadn’t mattered, their journey was over and Willow had a new destination, one that hopefully led to happiness.
“Please.” Sarah pleaded, her dark orbs sinking deeply into Willow jade depths. “I fucking need you.”
“Ahhh…” Willow's hands roughly dug into her hair, utterly frustrated. "Why are you doing this to me?" Willow was desperate now, shutting her eyes as firmly as possible, a few desolate tears slipping out of her eyelids and down her pale face. "You cheat on me when we're together, I loved you with all that I was, I finally find myself moving on and you're back again." She shook her head in utter disbelief, she backed to the wall behind her, her back pressed against the hard wood, slowly she slid down, her hands over her face as she sunk to the floor.
"I came back to prove myself." Sarah explained her motives with the most simplistic answer, she hadn’t even cared that the redhead was crying on the floor of the bedroom. "You have a picture of me and that's why I'm not going anywhere." the other woman voiced with conviction as she sat on the foot of Willow's bed, her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm not leaving."
"You are SO leaving." Buffy gripped her bat forcefully, her slender digits squeezing the wood underneath her soft palm so tightly that her fingers started to hurt.
Buffy was completely and utterly fed up at the ludicrousness of the entire spectacle, she clutched the bat in her hands and gripped it strongly, about to swing once again. Buffy’s heart broke when she saw her best friend curled on the floor, she didn’t want to ever see Willow hurt and knowing that Sarah was the cause of it made her want to kick the living lights out of her, from her heart and soul, she wanted to do it.
"Nope." Sarah let out stubbornly, her arms still crossed. "Until Willow explains the picture, I'm not going anywhere."
“Why are you torturing me like this?” Willow whimpered from her place on the cold floor, her hands were still buried deep in her crimson tresses as entire body was curled in the tightest and tiniest ball. “Why can’t you just go?” she begged, her eyes filled with tears. “Sarah, just leave me alone.”
"I'm going to call the police." Buffy waved the bat at Sarah, her eyes hard. "That's what I'm going to do if you don't get out of here right the hell now."
Sarah just shook her head from side to side, her eyes closed in the most childish and stubborn way. She had a purpose for doing what she was doing, there was a reason for it.
She wasn’t going to move from her spot on the foot of the bed until Willow explained herself, until Willow opened her arms and let her back in, until Willow could finally confess to her and to Buffy and to herself as well that she needed her, that she was lost without her. Her cold heart hadn’t even registered the fact that Willow was in weeping mess on the floor, all she wanted was Willow on her knees, begging to come back.
Willow lifted her head, stood up, and opened her eyes, her slender arms wrapping around herself securely as flashes of their times together went through her mind, the good and the bad, the wonderful and the heartaches, from the start to the end.
The first kiss, the smile she had when she announced her new love to Buffy and Xander, the tears in her eyes when she walked in on Sarah and another girl, the yells and apologies from both of them before they got back together once again,
And then another flash came to her mind, a recent one.
Blue eyes and blonde hair...and lesbian boots.
"Tell me, Willow..." Sarah opened her hazel eyes and gazed into the emerald depths of her ex-lover, she was going to pick and prod at the redhead until she got a straight answer from her, until her question was finally resolved. "Where are the rest of the pictures of us together?" she questioned, her eyes hard and firm, a cold and piercingly raw stare. "Did you put all of them in a photo album, did you draw tiny hearts beside my face, frame them in your silver colored border casing with little glitter glue?"
"You really want to know where I put them?" Willow took a small step closer to her ex-girlfriend, feeling a rush of self-confidence and certainty boil through her, suddenly enveloping her like an oversized tidal wave. "You really want to know where all of our pictures are?" she asked once again, the tears in her eyes drying in a seemingly rapid pace.
“Are you sure you want to see them?” Buffy added her two cent into the conversation.
Sarah nodded with a smile, happy that Willow was finally coming through.
"Okay." Willow acknowledged matter of factly. That was exactly what she wanted to hear, a small smile graced her face as she dug into her nearby closet, the redhead rummaged inside for the longest time before coming out with a large black trash bag. "Here you go." she told Sarah, handing the plastic bag to the brunette. “Here are the pictures that you so wanted to see.”
Sarah frowned in confusion as she took the large bag into her slim hands, digging into the piles of photos that lay inside, she frowned even deeper when she pulled up her hand, the pictures seemed to be cut up, small and circular tiny cuts.
"These are all my heads." she said in the most deadpanned voice, she lifted her head and stood up from the foot of Willow's bed, her face scrunched up in a angry and hurt scowl. "These are a bag of my heads."
"That's right…I have a bag with just your heads." Willow smiled, taking the bag roughly from Sarah's hands and holding it up into the air. "You want them?" Willow played with the opening of the trash bag. "They'd be a great conversational piece for you and your girlfriends; you could give one to each of them, put them in a locket or something."
Buffy was smiling in the corner, setting her bat on the floor.
"I guess your question in answered, huh?"
Sarah looked up at Willow like she had just been pummeled in the gut; her eyes wide like two beach balls, a deer caught in the brightest headlights. “How could you do this?” Sarah seemed incensed with rage and for the first time, a surprised kind of hurt. “All our memories together…” she shook her head as her fingers pulled at her dark hair. “I was with you for two and a half years.”
“No, I was with you for two and a half years.” Willow corrected the other woman. "You were with other people the entire time we were together...leave and don't come back."
"Okay." Sarah stated matter of factly, turning on her heels and quickly leaving the room.
Willow tried to keep herself strong as she watched Sarah leave the room and eventually leave the apartment, she watched in silence as the oak door closed behind her without a second thought.
The redhead sat on her on her bed where she had to best view of the front door, and let out a deep, aching breath.
“Are you going to be okay?” Buffy asked softly, slowly walking to Willow’s side so she could sit at the foot of the bed gently beside her. Buffy lifted her hand and rested it on top of the redhead’s shoulder, leaving an encouraging squeeze.
Willow could only nod.
Buffy and Willow sat together in the empty room in absolute silence, the quiet of the space held a ghost-like kind of calm that seemed to have radiated as soon as Sarah’s presence had left the room.
They could almost hear the soft and steady dripping sound of their sink’s faucet in the kitchen of the next room, the cold sodden water pounding against the silver metal sink in a stable and constant rhythm.
The clock above their heads ticked and tocked loudly as the second hand maintained it’s movement, Buffy lifted her hand and tenderly brought it into Willow’s, their warm palms interlocking gently, Willow grasped Buffy’s hand and squeezed, she needed that comfort, she needed it more than anything.
“Why don’t we make those special tofu cakes that you love so much?” Buffy suggested after a moment, their hands still entwined. “And tomorrow you can get the entire scoop about that Tara girl.” she smiled, gently disentangling from Willow’s embrace, bringing herself out of the room. "Are you coming with?" Buffy questioned her friend at the doorway of the bedroom, her eyes flowing with a sense of softness and understanding, the kind that only a best friend would be able to give.
“Will?”
"In a minute." Willow affirmed in a soft whisper, lifting her head.
Buffy just nodded silently and left the room, leaving Willow alone at her bed, the black trash bag still in her hands.
Willow slowly stood up and turned to the window behind her, her emerald green depths staring at the closed clear glass outside, she leisurely walked towards the undersized window and released the lock, opening the glass window swiftly.
The redhead poked her head out momentarily, feeling the cold wind outside blow gently and soothingly across her face, her crimson tresses being swayed in the chilly breeze, Willow smiled at the sensation of the frosty gust, the light wind feeling cool against her skin, a sharp contrast of delight.
Willow looked down at her hands opened the bag; the redhead looked at the long drop below her once more before casually dumping the contents in the bag out of the window.
In slow motion, all the photographs, including the cut up pictures of Sarah's heads, drifted to the bottom of the ground floor and eventually settling itself into the puddle of mud below, wholly and utterly forgotten.
*****
The next day:“Ahh…” Donnie groaned in pain, his hands on his lower stomach as he tried to walk with the help of Willow and another nurse, he held on tightly to the metal bars to either side of him as he breathed heavily, his eyes closing when he felt a throb of aching pain sliding through his abdomen and throughout his whole body. “Damn it…” he grumbled in frustration, his hand still on his wound, while the other was gripping painfully onto the silver rail. “Ahh…Ahhh….”
“Take it easy.” Willow said in a gentle and soothing voice as she helped Donnie walk alongside the metal bars, her grasp tight as she held onto Donnie. “Slow and small steps, okay Donnie?”
"Sweetie..." Tracy stepped forward and tried to help as she leaned into the group, wanting to help as much as she could. Donnie was healing remarkably fast but he was still having a hard time walking or taking a few straight steps on his own, he needed to practice his feet in order to ensure that his knee could heal properly, the sooner he moved his feet, the better he’d be. “Sweetie, are you okay?” Tracy put a gentle hand on Donnie’s arm, clutching her husband’s hospital gown tenderly. "You shouldn’t try too much.”
“I should be able to walk, damn it!” Donnie cursed as he wobbled to his side, his hands gripping the bars forcefully. “Don’t let Tara see me like this.” He uttered out, nearly in tears, tears of frustration, tears of disappointment, and tears of self hate. "I promised her the fucking marathon and now I can't fucking walk." Donnie cursed a few more times, he hardly cursed but he was frustrated damn it and he would curse if he wanted to. "I thought I was only supposed to have a limp?"
Donnie always envisioned him and Tara running the marathon together, their faces gazing into the pink colored sky as they stared at the rising sun, their shoes thumping onto the grey pavement as they ran another mile.
He saw himself looking back as Tara was about to give up, dragging her along with him to the finish line, their warm faces cooling in the wind as they reached the end, utterly exhausted but filled with such self triumph and motivation, pride and accomplishment, and everything else in between.
Motivation to go yet another mile, and another, and another once again, a personal victory and now that wasn’t going to transpire, it might never happen again.
“Tara, what about Tara?” Tracy questioned her brow furrowing. “Tara would want to help you, Donnie.” she stated softly, her eyes shining with worry. "Just like your mom and dad, they said that they were coming later in the afternoon with some personal stuff from home."
“Donnie…” Willow helped the man walk another step, her hands clutching at his waist. “You WILL get better, there’s no reason you shouldn’t be walking or even running by the time you get out of this hospital, it just takes time and patience, and determination on your part.” The redhead held onto Donnie’s waist securely as she watched him take another small step.
“Yeah, but this will kill her to see." Donnie shook his head and hung onto one bar; he groaned again and gave up. "I can't do this anymore." He turned to Willow with pleading eyes. “I need to take a break for now.”
"Okay." Willow said softly, relenting. She and a nurse led the injured man back to the hospital bed. "You rest for now and we'll try again, okay?" Her eyebrows lifted in hope, the only way to heal and get better was to keep trying, no matter how hard it seemed to do just that. "You'll be fine, Donnie...it just takes some time." she assured the man. "You'll be running that marathon in no time." she guaranteed, her voice filled with the utmost confidence and conviction. “And Tara will be right by your side.”
"Yeah." Donnie wasn’t convinced, his facial featured confirmed that.
Sweetie..." Tracy sighed as she leaned into the small table and picked up the glass of water that Donnie was trying so feverishly to obtain himself. "Don't try to get up, okay?" she suggested as she handed the glass to her husband. "Save your strength so we can try again."
Donnie just nodded, taking sip of his water.
******
Half an hour later:Tara walked into the entrance of the Sunnydale hospital, in her arms were an array of bright and multicolored balloons and flowers, buried deep inside the arrangement of air filled balloons was large stuffed pink bear.
She thought that bringing it for him would bring a smile to his face. She was so bombarded with all these items that she could barely see the numbered buttons on the elevator door when she reached them, she struggled to push the button for the third floor.
When Tara had eventually managed to push the button and was headed to the recovery room, she wanted some good news about Donnie’s condition; she couldn’t wait to have him back at home so she could tease him about his time in the hospital, Donnie promised her that he’d get better, and she wanted to see if he kept his promise.
Tara’s azure depths searched the hallways for Donnie’s room, the colorful balloons that were floating in the air were labeled ‘get well’ and ‘number one brother’, she had them specially picked out at the floral store on her way to the hospital, it seemed right and she needed things to be right.
When she reached room 304, the blonde stopped dead in her tracks when she caught the sight of her brother trying feverishly to walk, one step after the other, small unmeasured steps.
The blonde slowly walked closer to the room, discretely standing at the base of the doorway as she watched the scene. Tara quietly held the balloons in her hand and sat them on the floor, the small weight on the string keeping it from floating helplessly into the air.
She set the flowers and the stuffed animal by her feet and wordlessly gazed on, the sight causing her heart to break. Donnie was the last person in the world who deserved this, as her mind was immersed in all things Donnie, she also noticed the redhead at his side, happiness and sadness mixing together, forming a confusing combination. Her heart soared when she saw the redhead, but her heart also broke when she saw her brother.
Willow remained at Donnie's side, making sure that she would be in arms length in case Donnie needed help, she nodded periodically as she helped him through, he seemed to be doing better.
The redhead looked up and caught the sight of Tara, quietly watching on, her face seemed ashen and dismal. Willow smiled at Tara and gave her a friendly wave, motioning her inside.
Tara nodded softly and walked into the room, slowly reaching her brother’s side.
Donnie took another wobbly step, glancing up momentarily his face transformed into a smiling grin, his eyes gleaming in happiness when he saw Tara several feet in front of him. “Tare.” He lifted his right hand and gave Tara a small wave, his other hand clutching at the bars as tightly as can be. “Tara… I can walk.” He smiled at his sister, hoping that he could reach the end of the bar to avoid letting Tara see him fail, and eventually breaking his promise as he did so. “What did I tell you?” he chuckled as he took another step. “I always keep my promise.”
Willow glanced at Tara as she proceeded to help Donnie reach the end of the bar; he wasn’t even half way through but he was getting there in time. “Your brother is doing great.” The redhead smiled, her emerald green depths luminous, she looked up and noticed the small half smile the blonde had on her face, but it faded so quickly.
Willow smiled to herself and turned her attention to Donnie, her hands letting of his waist to see if he could take a few steps without assistance. “Try one on your own, Donnie.” The redhead suggested gently, her eyes never leaving its hold on her patient.
Donny nodded his head and took a deep breath, slowly he moved his feet and attempted to take that first unaided step on his own, he needed to do it for Tara, for himself, and for his wife.
Slowly and cautiously, Donnie’s right leg started to move, his foot lifting off the floor on its own, one step, two steps, and on the third one Donnie smiled at his wife and then to Tara, waving at her once again.
Willow and another nurse stood at his side, carefully watching the scene in front of them.
Tara wrapped her slender arms around herself as she stared at her brother, hopefully anticipating, at the edge of her seat as she awaited what would happen next, she prayed against everything that she was and is that Donnie would be able to make it, that he’d succeed at what he was about to do.
She held her breath as she continued to watch what would happen next, her heart in shambles.
Donnie finally took a forth step on his own, he breathed a sigh of relief and laughed in triumph.
“Sweetie, you did it!” Tracy’s face lit up, she walked to Willow’s side and gave the redhead the biggest hug.
"Way to go, Donnie.” Willow smiled proudly.
As Donnie attempted to take yet another step, he looked up to Tara and gave the blonde a small wave, before going back to his walking. He slowly moved his left leg and attempted to take another step when he suddenly felt a cramp on his knee.
Wobbling to the side, Donnie’s right hand painfully gripped the cold metal bars for support, but the pain was too much and he crashed to the ground, his shoulder hitting the cold floor in a loud thump.
“Oh, god…” Willow rushed to the fallen man’s side.
“Ahhh…” Donnie groaned loudly, clutching at his leg and abdomen. “Fuck!” he cursed again, his face contorting in a painful and excruciating grimace, he breathed heavily as the other three women helped him up but he was too heavy and he ended up crashing to the floor once again, a flash of pain coursing through his body. “Ahh…”
Tara’s smile faded as she witnessed her brother fall, she couldn’t deal with this, she couldn’t see this. She had to get out of here before everything overwhelmed her. The blonde dropped the teddy bear that she had picked when she saw Donnie take that first step and rushed out of the room.
Willow lifted her head as she caught the sight of Tara's teary eyed face near the doorway, Donnie was finally up and in his wheelchair, but Willow's face was still at the empty doorway.
"Go get her." Donnie told Willow, motioning with only his head, struggling to get comfortable in his seat.
Willow nodded and was already rushing to the door.
"Willow?" Donnie called out when the redhead reached the doorway, his hand was on his stomach as he cradled his injury. "My sister likes you...I hope you like her too."
Willow hand was on the base of the doorway, she turned her head to Donnie and gave him a questioning glance, Donnie just nodded, waving his hand at the redhead. Willow nodded her head and rushed out the door.
As soon as Willow was in the hall she saw the blonde at the far end. "Tara!" the redhead called out, jogging up to her. "Tara, hey...everything's going to be fine!"
Tara ignored Willow and continued to run off but the redhead wasn't about to let her go, she fast behind her.
"Tara..." Willow stopped in her tracks when she saw that the blonde had stopped as well, the end hall had a dead end and there was no place for Tara to go. The blonde stood at the end of the corridor, her back to the redhead, she never turned back. Willow slowly took the extra steps towards Tara, unhurried but deliberate movements; she didn’t want to startle her. When the redhead finally reached Tara, she gently placed a hand on Tara’s shoulder.
“Your brother is going to be fine.” Willow assured in the most gentle and soft voice, the palm of her hand still on the blonde’s shoulder. “You have to believe that.”
Tara slowly turned her body towards Willow and was immediately graced with stunning emerald green depths, she was utterly captivated. Willow stared into deep sapphire depths as well, her heart soaring at the first eye to eye contact, wanting more.
Willow took Tara by the shoulders, their faces close together as she tried to comfort the distraught blonde, wanting to dry away Tara's warm tears, wanting to hold her in her arms and let the blonde cry away her fears. "Donnie is a fighter....he's going to get through this, I promise you." the redhead swore, their faces close together. "I promise you that."
Tara nodded softly and sniffled. "I know, I don't know why I ran off." the blonde gently confessed, her blue eyes filled with a thin sheen of wet tears. "I just...I can't see him like that and...I..."
"He'll be fine." Willow ensured, lifting her hand to gently stroke Tara's soft blonde hair, her slender hand unconsciously burying itself inside long tresses. Tara lifted her head and welcomed the redhead's embrace, her azure orbs locked into jade depths, her face began to lean closer into Willow's, her hand was suddenly resting against the redhead's waist, pulling her closer.
"Your brother says you like me." Willow breathed, their faces mere millimeters apart, too close.
"I do." Tara's eyes never left its hold on the other woman's stunning and luminous green orbs.
"I do too." Willow softly confessed.
Tara lifted a hand and trailed a single finger across Willow's face, slowly and gently cupping her cheek with the palm of her hand. "You do?" the blonde whispered softly. "I don't even know your name."
"Willow." she stated softly. "My name is Willow."
"Tara."
"I kinda knew that." Willow giggled, her hands still gently squeezing the blonde's shoulders, their bodies touching closely. Willow stroked Tara's soft blonde hair and rested her forehead against Tara's, the blonde didn't seem to mind.
"I want to kiss you." Tara said suddenly, her gaze never lifting off of the redhead's, she welcomed Willow's embrace, her hand even dug deeper into the other woman's waist, her slender digits tugging her closer.
Willow smiled and tenderly brought her lips to Tara's, feeling the blonde kiss her back. Willow's hand pulled the other woman closer, and Tara did the same. It was a quick but tenderly loving kiss.
"I guess you kept your promise." Tara said when they pulled away from each other.
Willow gave Tara a confused look, her brow furrowed.
"You said that you'd take care of me." the blonde gently reminded Willow, smiling softly. "I guess you did."
~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued
"The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed." -J. Krishnamurti
by snuggle79 » Sun Jan 11, 2004 5:20 pm 
I hope I didn't miss anyone.
at: 1/12/04 9:01 pm
I love all you guys and I want to thank you for the kind words, I wanted to update but I did finally did one for Spreading Wings so I hadn’t the time, one will come soon though, I want it to be extra special.
Thank you for the feedback.
. Thanks for the feedback.
Thanks!! 
