Burnout

[SciFiAcid]

I started this last week, following SMASHED, but after watching WRECKED, I was inspired to go back and change it.

Here's the beginning...

Kirk said a part of chapter one was missing, so I've reposted for him.

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

Tara Maclay lay sprawled across the bed, one arm tucked underneath her head. She was staring at the ceiling, even though she was really supposed to be studying.
It had something to do with the fact the hotel room was quiet. A little too quiet, really. Which was funny, she had never really
considered silence to be a detriment. At the Summers' home there was always someone asking for her advice, or calling them to an impromptu Scooby meeting. Until now she'd never realized just how much it meant to
her to have such constant human companionship.
Of course, she really missed Willow. That was the core of the problem.
Being alone was no big deal, most of her early life had been that way, but without Willow she felt as if a piece of her heart, her soul, had curled up in a dark corner and died. She'd cried every night since
they'd separated.
"Goddess." Tara closed her eyes, and thought about the night of their first kiss. The first deep, passionate kiss they had shared after Oz left, and Willow told her how much she loved her. It would reign in her
mind as one of the most incredible, and important, times of her life.
"Why, Willow?" The tears started all over again. "Why did you give up on us so easily? I would have done anything for you. Why couldn't you do
this one thing for me? Is the magick really that much more attractive to you?"
Just when she had begun to think things were getting better, when her talk with Dawn had led her to wonder if maybe Willow really was trying to change, her hopes were dashed. Willow had de-ratted Amy, which of course
was a good thing for the other witch, but now was also beginning to succumb to the magick. To the magnificent pull having such power at her fingertips could provide. It was dangerous, not just to her but to
everyone around, and that was why she had gotten out when she did. As much to protect herself, as out of a desire not to see what Willow was going through, or what was still to come.
Tara was startled by a knock on the door. She rolled off the bed and got up to answer it, pausing with her hand on the knob as she saw who was on the other side.
"Willow?"

*****

The redhead looked terrible. Her hair was a tangled mess, she had bags under her eyes, and she was trembling and sweating. Her cheeks were streaked with tears.
"Help me. Please."
Tara hesitated, for just a moment, then took a step back and gestured for Willow to come in. The redhead was moving slower and a bit more unsteadily than usual. When her knees buckled as she was crossing the
threshold the blonde instinctively reached out to catch her.
"Willow? W-What's happened?"
Tara half-carried the redhead over to her bed, and sat beside her. Willow's body seemed to just collapse in on itself, she began crying hysterically, and wrapped her arms around Tara. The blonde sat their
with her eyes shut, taking in Willow's scent, reveling in how wonderful it
felt to have her so close once again, and waited patiently until the sobs passed. Then she tucked the redhead's chin up.
"Willow?"
"Everything's falling apart." Willow lay her head in Tara's lap. "I
screwed up, big-time. I thought...I had it under control. I thought I could handle it. But I can't. It hurts to much, Tara."
Tara was starting to cry as well. "What?"
"I-I haven't done anything...no magick, at all, in days. After Dawn...after the wreck..."
Tara felt her heart skip a beat. So something had happened. When she left Dawn with Willow and Buffy it was a very tense time. She hadn't heard anything from them in a couple of days, which had begun to worry
her. Now it seemed there was a reason, and she wished she's listened to her subconscious.
"What happened to Dawn?"
Still crying, Willow told her everything. About Amy, and Rack, and the spells. The incredible, mind-blowing spells. How it made her feel so alive, so free...until the demon. The creature that had come after her
and Dawn, and how it would probably have gotten them if Buffy and Spike had not come along when they did. Worst of all was the car wreck she had caused, which left Dawn pretty badly hurt. She told Tara how she had
sworn off using any more magick. It just wasn't worth it anymore.
Tara held her and listened. It made her heart break, but she took it all in. Willow had finally fallen, hard. She'd known it was going to happen sooner or later, though she hoped Dawn and Buffy and the others
could be spared seeing Willow like that. They both loved her just as much as she did.
"Willow..." Tara gently stroked the redhead's hair. "...you're going
through withdrawal. The magick, it's been in your system for so long now, you're used to having it at your beck and call. It's a part of you. A very strong part you can't ignore, no matter how hard you try."
"Isn't there any way to make it stop? I'm so tired, Tara."
The blonde nodded. "I know, sweety. It's okay. You're strong. You'll make it through this." She sighed. "But, if you give up on magick all together you're going to lose an important part of yourself."
"I already have." Willow lifted her head. "I love you, Tara. I love
you so much, and knowing you're not there, it hurts! It feels like...like I'm dieing inside!"
"Can you even begin to understand how hard it was for me to leave? When my mother died I felt like a part of me went with her. I thought I'd never be able to love anyone else again, ever...until I met you. You
made me live again, Willow. You gave my life meaning and joy. You opened up my heart and you helped you see the world is not such a dark place, not so long as I have you with me." Tara lowered her head. "And then, it all
changed. What you did to me...I can't describe how it made me feel, Will. You were the one person in all this world I thought I could trust implicitly. The one person I knew would never, ever hurt me."
"I'm sorry." Willow sat up and wiped her eyes. "I know I said that before. And you've every right not to believe me. Ever again. But I really am sorry, Tara. I swear to you, hurting you is the last thing I ever wanted to do. You were the most wonderful, incredible thing in my life. And being without you, is the worst. Except, maybe, that I know I'm the one who drove you away. I gave up on you...on us. I'm so sorry."
Tara nodded. "I know. I can see it, in your eyes and in your aura. It's so dark, so out of focus. Everything that's happened, it's been really hard on you, hasn't it?"
"Yes."
"Well, it's been hard on me too. I loved you, Will. I still do."
"I love you too." Willow started to reach for the blonde, but then pulled her hand back. "Tara, I want to give up the magick. I'll never do another spell, ever, if it'll let you start to trust me again. I need
you with me. Whatever it takes, I'll do it. I swear. I need you, baby."
Tara shook her head. "No, Willow. Not like this."
"Why not?" The redhead's eyes were starting to tear up again.
"I told you, you're going through withdrawal right now. The cravings, the need to do spells, it's burning you up inside. But you're just supplanting your need to do magick, with wanting me. I know you love me
Will. If I were to jump back into us again, our relationship, it would just be shifting your addiction from magick to something else. To me. And I don't think either one of us wants or needs that right now."
Willow slid off the bed and turned away, wrapping her arms protectively around herself. "It hurts, Tara. I don't think I can stand it anymore. I need you. If I can't have you in love..."
"...you will always have me as a friend." Tara stood up and put her arms around the redhead. "Will, I know what you're going through. I'll help you if you can. I'll give you support, I'll help you get the
magick under control. If you want, we can start from scratch. Magick 101." She
sighed. "Just don't push, okay? If there is a future for us, if we do get back together at some point, we're going to have to take it slow. One day at a time, you know?" She rested her head on Willow's shoulder. "Do you
think you can handle that?"
Willow smiled. "With you by my side, I feel like I can do anything."

*****

[This message has been edited by SciFiAcid (edited November 29, 2001).]

[miss_spangles]

Very cool, I really liked the emotions in this

[SciFiAcid]

And so it continues.

A word of warning, folks.

There is some angst ahead, though it's nothing worse than what's actually been on the screen recently.

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (angsty)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

They talked for hours, until Willow eventually fell asleep with her head in Tara's arms.
She put a blanket over the redhead, staring longingly at her for a moment, and then went to use the phone. She called Buffy to find out how Dawn was doing, and promised to stop by and see her later.
Hanging up the phone, she turned to find Willow thrashing about, moaning in her sleep. Tara crawled into bed and held the redhead until she finally stopped shaking. Spooned up against Willow she closed her
own eyes and dropped into a quiet, contented sleep for the first time in days.
When she woke up it was the next afternoon, and Tara found herself in bed alone. The shower was running, so she went over and knocked on the bathroom door.
"Willow, do you want something to change into?" Strangely, there was no response. "Will? You okay?" Again, silence. "Will?" The door wasn't locked so she opened it and stuck her head inside. She was immediately struck by the steam, and how hot the room was. "Willow?"
The redhead was sitting on the floor of the shower under what had to be excessively hot water, with her knees drawn up to her chest. Even so, she was still trembling.
"Hey." Tara kneeled by the redhead, and stroked her hair. "You okay?"
Willow shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm so cold, Tara. I just can't get warm." She was crying. "Why is this happening, Tara? W-What's wrong with me?"
"You can't get warm in water, Willow." Tara smiled. "Alliteration. You love that, right?" When the redhead did not even crack a smile, she shrugged her shoulders. "Seriously, come on out." She grabbed a towel. "I'll find the electric blanket, okay? Don't worry. We'll get you
warm."
Willow sighed as Tara wrapped the towel around her. "Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Not recently," said the blonde. She smiled. "But it's okay. I know."

*****

Everything was going fine between the two witches, who were pleased to be spending the day together for the first time in a long time. They curled up together on the bed for warmth, and watched television, smiling as one of their favorite movies came on.
During one particularly romantic scene, Willow rolled over and out of nowhere kissed Tara. Immediately she regretted the impulsive move, as she saw the look on the blonde's face. There was a definite change of
mood in the room as they climbed off the bed in opposite directions.
"Tara, I-I'm sorry. I just got carried away. The movie..."
"It's, uh, it's okay." Tara was fidgeting, playing with her hair, and trying to look anywhere but at the redhead. "It was a sign. We need a break, I think. From us. Maybe you'd better leave."
"But..."
Tara shook her head. "Willow, no. I-It's too much, too fast. I mean, I want to." Her gaze lingered momentarily on the redhead's chest, which was heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "Goddess, you've no idea how much I want to." She closed her eyes. "But I won't let you hurt me
again."
With her eyes shielded, Tara couldn't see Willow's face fall at the sound of those words.
"Listen." The blonde opened her eyes, and stepped back from Willow. "I'll be here for you. As your friend. I'll help you however I can. With your magick, whatever you need. But this, the physical stuff...it just
hurts, okay? I ache every time I'm near you, Willow. Because of what we had, and lost."
"What I gave up you mean." The redhead lowered her eyes. "It's my fault. I know that. You gave me a choice. It should have been easy. You or the magick." She fought back the tears. "I don't understand why I
chose magick. I think I was out of my mind. I had you, and I threw it away. I'll never be able to forgive myself for that, any more than you can ever forgive me. Or should."
Tara started to reach for the redhead, to comfort her. Old habits.
"I'll go." Willow got to the door before she stopped, and glanced over her shoulder. "Could we meet later, for dinner, maybe?" She half-smiled. "I'll even treat."
"We'll see," said Tara, as non-committaly as possible.
Willow's face brightened, ever so slightly, as she was turning the knob. "Okay. I'll call you." As she closed the door behind her, her voice rang out once more. "I love you!"
Once the redhead was gone, Tara collapsed onto the bed with her head in her hands.

*****

just trying to edit out the bad spacing... ack

[This message has been edited by SciFiAcid (edited November 30, 2001).]

[Rane]

i just know we're being set up for more angst, eh?! this is really good and i'm looking forward to more.

[Scout]

Oh, I like this - Tara helping Will through the withdrawal, Will trying to make amends. Can't wait for more!

[SciFiAcid]

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

Dawn Summers was sitting cross-legged on the couch, watching television, with her fractured arm resting on a pile of pillows. The injury itself hurt, though it was really more of a dull ache than anything else thanks to the painkillers, but the cast itched so much it was driving her crazy.
The teenager raised her head as Willow came in. "Hey. Where've you been all day?"
"With Tara," the redhead replied, her mind obviously on something else.
Dawn blinked. "Really?" She smiled. "Are you guys getting back together?"
"It's nothing like that." Willow glanced toward the stairs. "Hey, I need to look something up. Will you be okay down here by yourself?"
Dawn shrugged her shoulders. "Why does everybody keep asking me...?" She winced as pain shot up and down her arm. "Oh. Yeah, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not by myself. Buffy's in the kitchen."
"Okay." Willow stomped up to her room, closed and locked the door behind her and went over to the stack of tomes on the desk. She'd avoided them since the night of the wreck, but now she found herself in
search of one particular spell. "Venus' Kiss." With it, the caster could reveal the hidden love of a person, or resurrect the lost love of a former lover. It was the perfect thing to help her with Tara.
The redhead blinked, staggered by the insanity of what she was thinking. "Oh, Goddess!" All the color drained from her face. "No!" She threw the book as hard as she could. As it struck the far wall she
pointed her hand at it and chanted. "Incendere!" It was a minor
invocation, one she had cast of times. All it should have done was burn the one page, eliminating that individual spell, but she could feel the power flowing through her entire being as the entire book burst into
flames. The force of the resulting explosion knocked Willow off the bed, shattering every window and mirror in the room, and setting some of the wallpaper on fire.
Willow lay in the middle of it all, unconscious.

[emily 'first']

Bloomin Heck!
This is intense,but we're loving it too...
Looking forward to more...

------------------
vive,valeque.

[Corto]

Great story! Please I want more...

[aladdin]

That's amazing....MORE!

Great fic.

[Queen of Denial]

room go BOOM!

nice fic! more please.

[SciFiAcid]

And on with the show...

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb
luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings
are
too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay
away.

*****

When the redhead woke it was dark outside, and a glance to the left
looked strange. It took her a few seconds to realize she was not in her
room anymore. The bed was cold, not particularly comfortable either,
and
she was wearing a less than flattering white gown that didn't close in
the back.
"Oh...Goddess. The hospital? Again? What happened this time?"
Looking
around, she saw a figure curled up in a nearby chair, snuggled under a
blanket. All that was visible were a few stray locks of long blonde
hair,
but that was enough. She smiled. "Tara?"
The blonde stirred. "Mmm...Willow?" She yawned. "Are you okay?"
"Depends." Willow's heart leapt into her throat as she put a hand to
her head, and felt a bandage covering most of the right side of her
face.
She winced. "What happened?"
Tara stood up and stretched. "You had an accident. You nearly set
the
house on fire."
"Oh no. I remember now." Willow groaned. "Are Buffy and Dawn okay?"
"More or less." Tara sat down on a corner of the bed, notably out of
arms reach of the redhead. "Buffy put out the flames before they could
do
too much damage. You won't be able to go into the bedroom for a
while..."
She paused. "...but then again, I don't think you have to worry about
that."
Willow frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Buffy told me to tell you..." Tara sighed. She hated to say what
came
next. "She doesn't want you endangering Dawn anymore. When you're
feeling
better, she wants you out of the house."
"I guess that's fair." Willow lay her head back. "Don't take this
the
wrong way, but why are you here? I dropped the ball, Tara. I did magick
without even thinking about it. I'm weak."
Tara shook her head. "Will, no."
"It's true." Willow started to cry. "I went home, and I wanted to do
a
spell to make you love me again, Tara. It's horrible, I know." She
recognized the hurt on Tara's face. "The first tough time comes along,
and what do I do? I fold like a house of cards. I'm so pathetic. I
don't
deserve you anyway."
"Don't talk like that." Tara took Willow's hand in her own. "I do
love
you, Willow. I always will."
The redhead wiped her eyes. "There's one thing I don't understand."
"What's that?"
Willow told her about the spell, and what had happened to the book.
"Why did it blow up like that? I wanted to burn the page, not the
entire
book. I loved that book."
"See, that's the problem with magick. You know that better than
anyone. It doesn't always do what you want or expect. You had all this
power boiling inside you, just waiting to burst out, because you hadn't
done anything to release the pressure the last week or so. When you got
angry it was just like turning a valve. All the magick had to go
somewhere, Will." Tara shook her head. "All things considered? It's
just
lucky you weren't hurt any worse than you were."
Willow touched her face. "Is that what happened?"
"The doctor says the burn isn't serious," Tara replied. "But you'll
want to keep it covered for the next few days or so, to prevent
infection."
"God, I feel so stupid." The redhead dropped her hands into her lap.
"I'm scared, Tara. I used to look at magick as this wonderful thing I
could twist and bend to my will. You know? Like a toy. I never really
thought of it as a dangerous entity. But it kind of is. Magick is..."
"...a tool," said the blonde. "It's not inherently good or evil, nor
is it neatly divided into black or white, despite what some witches
say.
Magick is a source of energy and power. What's done with it, be it for
good or for evil, defines what that particular fragment of the greater
whole will become."
Willow sighed. "And now, on top of everything else, I have to find a
new place to live." She raised her head. "I know. Do you think there
are
any more dorm rooms available?"
"I'll ask. But I got lucky. I overheard the girl who had the room
before me, in the registrar's office. She had to withdraw from school,
because of a family emergency." Tara shrugged her shoulders, smiling
when
she saw the way Willow was looking at her. "What? I wasn't about to
pass
up a good opportunity. You've seen the room. We both know I'd never
have
gotten a place like that otherwise."
The redhead stuck out her lower lip. "I hope Buffy's not too mad at
me. If I'm going to have to move again, I'll need someone with
Slayer-strength to help out."
"We could always get Spike to help," Tara offered. "Like last time."
"Are you kidding? I don't think I could afford to do that again.
He's
good, but he's expensive."
The redhead covered her mouth to yawn, and Tara stood up.
"I'd better go. You need your rest."
Willow lay her head back and closed her eyes. "I just hope I don't
have a bad dream." She half-smiled. "I'd hate to accidently blow up the
entire hospital or something."
Tara stood there, watching, until the redhead drifted off to sleep.
Only then, did she leave.

*****

Out in the lobby, Tara found Buffy, Dawn and Xander waiting for her.
Anya was still at the Box. They all were worried-looking as she
approached them.
"She'll be fine. The doctor said she should be able to go home
tomorrow. They want to keep her overnight for observation, just to be
safe."
Buffy nodded. "Speaking of home..."
"Yes," said Tara. "I told her. I'm going to ask around school in the
morning, to see about finding her a room. It shouldn't be too hard,
with
the high student turnover rate."
Xander crossed his arms. "Say, Tara, what's the deal? A few days ago
you didn't want anything to do with Will, and now all the sudden you're
bending over backwards for her." He realized all three of the women
were
glaring at him, and lowered his head. "Okay. Obviously, I've crossed a
line somewhere."
"I still love her, Xander. Even though we're not together anymore,
it
doesn't mean I can't be there for her. And she's going to need help
with
what's coming, believe me."
"Yeah," said Buffy. "But she nearly got Dawn killed the other night.
If she can't handle..."
Tara stood right up to the Slayer. "Be very careful, Buffy."
"Hello, chick fight." Xander tried his best to get between them,
without much success. "Normally an evenings worth of entertainment,
I'll
admit. In this particular instance, though, I don't think the patients
would like having the hospital torn out from under them. Let's all to
our
neutral corners."
Dawn finally spoke up. "What about all the spells she was doing? And
the magick guy?"
"I'm not saying she doesn't still have things to answer for," said
Tara. "But it's not entirely Willow's fault. Yes, she made the decision
to start doing all the magick in the first place. The problem is, it
tends to be addictive to a degree you guys can't even begin to
imagine."
"Are you speaking from experience here?" Buffy asked.
Tara shook her head. "No, not me." The tone of her voice told them
she
wasn't in a mood to elaborate. "Dawn, you must know Willow would never
deliberately do anything to hurt you."
"I used to." The teen shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I'm not so
sure
anymore."
"So she'll have to work on that, too. Everything should, eventually,
be fine," said Tara. "So long as we keep her away from any more bad
influences."

[emily 'first']

Yep...That'll do for a wee while...
Not too long though!

------------------
vive,valeque.

[SciFiAcid]

First of all, I apologize again for it being a short one, and for it ending on a bit of a cliffhanger.

Well, no, I don't apologize for the cliffhanger. I love cliffhangers.

And I don't want to give away what happens, but let's just say this particular part involves Willow, a wagon, and some falling type movement.

Subtle enough for you?

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

In the middle of the night, Willow was awakened from a relatively sound sleep by someone moving around in her room. As she opened her eyes she expected to see her doctor or one of the nurses, possibly just
coming to check in on her. Instead, a dark figure was standing at the foot of her bed, entirely hidden in shadow, except for a piercing pair of dark eyes.
Willow felt her heart skip a beat. She recognized those cold eyes. She hoped to never see them again, and her breath caught in her throat. "Y-You can't be here. I'm done. Leave me alone!"
"Come on, strawberry." Rack stepped closer, smiling. "I know you don't mean that."
The redhead fought back the urge to scream, or to lash out with her power. "How did you fine me?"
Rack gestured, energy crackling around his fingertips. "Magick." He snickered. "Now did you really think you could hide from me,
strawberry?"
"Stop calling me that! My name is Willow!"
"Relax. I'm not here for a fight. I missed you. And I know you missed me." Rack put his hand out, palm toward her. "Mmm...your power is surging. Reaching for me. You have been away too long, haven't you?" He smiled. "I can make it go away, you know. The pain. All you have to do, is ask."
Willow licked her lips. "N-No...I don't...I can't..."
"Yes, you can. You want it. I know you do. I can feel it." Rack offered his hand. "Come on. Let's go for a little ride. What do you say?"
Tears welled up in the redhead's eyes. "Tara..."
"She can't help you. She can't give you what you need. But I can. It's all for you, strawberry."
Willow's shoulders sagged. "I'm sorry." She reached out, and put her hand in Rack's.

*****

IP: Logged

mollyig
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 03, 2001 07:04               

---

Yikes, evil Rack has surfaced.

Where's Tara? Tara to the rescue??

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

willow420
Blessed Wannabe


Posts: 7
Registered: Nov 2001 posted December 03, 2001 10:29               

---

This is great keep it going. I love the way Rack can break her so easily.

IP: Logged

SciFiAcid
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 04, 2001 01:01               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

When Tara arrived at Willow's room the next morning, it was with good news.
She had been to the school and learned that two rooms, one single and one including a roommate, had opened up, both of them within what she knew was Willow's price range. If she was feeling up to it, she hoped to check the redhead out of the hospital and go have a look.
As she pushed the door open, though, the blonde got a rude surprise; the bed was empty. She caught a passing nurse's arm. "Excuse me, where did the woman in this room go?"
"No one seems to know. She wasn't there for meds this morning, but there is no record of her having checked herself out of the hospital either. Security is doing a floor by floor search."
Tara nodded. "Thank you." She stood there for a moment, biting her lip, then turned and went into the room. It wasn't like Willow to just up and disappear. Of course, not too long ago she would have never
expected Willow to get involved with a guy like Rack. Whoever he was. Spike
apparently knew of him, but only vague tales; back alley gossip he called
it. Rack was human--more or less--and preyed on others. In her book that made him a lot more of a monster than any vampire or demon. "Willow?"
She could feel traces of the redhead's energy as if she was standing right there. Which could only mean she'd been doing magick, and fairly recently. Whatever the spell it was obviously pretty powerful to have left such an imprint on her surroundings. Tara wasn't sure whether to
be upset or scared. Willow had promised she wouldn't do anymore magick, and once again she had broken her word.
Then something else caught her attention.
Another presence. One she had not noticed at first. A dark force, intertwined with Willow's power. She didn't know who or what it was, but it definitely didn't come from Willow.
"What happened here?"

*****

A search of the entire hospital proved fruitless. There was no sign of Willow anywhere.
So Tara went to the Magic Box and called in the troops. Anya was already there, naturally, and Buffy arrived a short time later. Dawn and Xander were out of touch, for most of the day, with school and work
respectively. It was unlikely there would have been anything for them to do anyway.
Tara told them everything she'd learned at the hospital, which admittedly wasn't much. She was trembling, and nearly in tears, by the end. "I'm scared, Buffy. I don't want to lose her."
"You won't." Buffy put her arm around the witch. "Trust me. We'll find her." She looked to Anya. "You'd better stay here, in case she shows up."
Anya nodded. "I'll check our house, and swing by her parent's. Tara? Why don't you go to the campus? Check her classes? And the other magic places?"
"Other magic places?" Anya asked. "You guys go to other shops?"
The Slayer frowned. "Not now, Anya. Please?"
"Okay, but..." The ex-demon stopped in mid-sentence. "Hey, what's that?"
Buffy and Tara both turned to see a shimmering blue and white ball of light swirling around the front room of the Magic Box. It darted toward them and away again, and when no one moved it began to twirl and flash, as if it was trying to get their attention. The Slayer's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell?"
Tara smiled. "Willow. Goddess, it's Willow."
"She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy."
Buffy shook her head. "Tara, are you sure?"
"Trust me." The blonde started toward the ball of light, which moved toward the door. "Come on."

*****

IP: Logged

mollyig
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 04, 2001 04:52               

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Kirk, great addition.

Tara looking out for Willow. Evil Rack. Funny Anya ("She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy.")

What more could we ask for? Except for Willow being safe and she and Tara reconciling of course!

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

SciFiAcid
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 05, 2001 13:34               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Tara and Buffy followed the guiding light all the way back to the UC Sunnydale campus, and into the stairwell of the dorm building where Buffy and Willow used to live. It led them up to the roof, where they found
Willow herself down on her knees with her eyes closed.
Tara breathed a sigh of relief. "Willow!"
The redhead's eyes snapped open. "Tara?" She scrambled to her feet. "I was so afraid you wouldn't see. Or that you wouldn't come, if you did."
"What happened to you?" Tara asked. "Why have you been doing so much magick all the sudden?"
"It wasn't me, Tara. It was Rack. He came to see me in the middle of the night. I tried to fight him, I swear, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry."
Buffy shook her head. "Will, what's up? Why'd you call us? Why didn't you just come home?"
"I don't have a home anymore." Willow frowned. "You kicked me out. "Remember?"
"I know," said the Slayer. "But Will..."
The redhead's eyes turned completely black. "Oh...shut up!" She pointed, and a ring of light formed around the Slayer's feet. As she glanced down, tendrils of electricty enveloped her.
Buffy began to scream as indescribable pain lanced through every fiber of her being. She convulsed in agony, unable to move or to free herself. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
"Willow, no!" Tara rushed the redhead, but ended up the one taken by surprise as Willow reached out with her other hand and clamped tightly around her throat. "W-W..."
The redhead slowly lifted Tara off her feet, and cocked her head. "Well. I must say, you're a lot prettier than I was expecting." She dropped her other hand and Buffy slumped to the roof-top, unconscious
but alive, her body smoldering. "I guess I don't need this anymore." Her body
changed, transforming into a tall, wild-eyed man with long, stringy hair. Rack. He sneered. "So, you're the one in my way?"
Tara could still breath, barely, which meant she could speak. "H-How?"
"What?" Rack asked. "Oh, you mean about that guiding spell? Nice trick by the way. That's easy." He gestured, and the real Willow appeared,sprawled face down out on the far side of the roof. Unconscious. "What
you two share is the foremost thing on her mind."
Tara's eyes widened. "Willow!"
"You know I was just going to kill you," Rack continued. "But after meeting you in person, I'm thinking maybe I should have a little taste. To see what strawberry over there finds so appealing." He licked his
lips. "Mm...I am getting some real strong vibes off you, kid. Now I gotta know." He dropped Tara and then kneeled at her side. "I promise..." He started to put his hand on her chest. "...this won't hurt. Much."

*****

Rack suddenly pitched forward, tumbling head over heels past Tara, who opened her eyes to see Willow once again on her feet. The redhead had solid black eyes and energy surging around her hands. There was also a
dark, smoking hole in the middle of Rack's back.
Tara blinked. "Ouch." She got to her feet. "Willow? Are you okay?"
"Head spinning. I feel so alive again." The redhead lowered her hand, biting her lip. "Help me, Tara."
"I'm here baby." The blonde started forward. "I'm right..." Her words were abruptly cut off as Rack rose behind her, and wrapped one arm around her neck.
"That was a nice shot, strawberry!" He smiled. "But you're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to take me down!"
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. He landed on his face, hard, and after a final groan he lay still, while she got up and brushed herself off.
Willow came up behind the blonde, her ebony eyes wide. "Whoa. Nice shot."
"Ouch. I think I broke my hand." Tara gazed at her reddening knuckles, which she was sure would be bruised in the morning. "How in the world does Buffy do this?"
"Buffy!" Both witches rushed to check on the still unconscious Slayer.

*****

IP: Logged

mollyig
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 05, 2001 14:06               

---

Yikes! For a lickle while there I thought it was Willow who attacked Buffy & Tara. Shudda known better!

Is Rack really gone though?? queue ominous music

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

mariacomet
Floating Rose


Posts: 48
Registered: Nov 2001 posted December 05, 2001 14:16               

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quote:

---

Originally posted by SciFiAcid:
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. *****

---

*big grin* I really liked that part. Woo hoo! You GO Tara!

IP: Logged

RomanceJunky
Willowhand


Posts: 313
Registered: Mar 2001 posted December 05, 2001 22:27               

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"Nobody messes with my girl" indeed!!!

Ya just gotta LOVE kick-ass Tara!

The Junky... great story!

IP: Logged

SciFiAcid
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 16:20               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Not surprisingly, Buffy was fine.
She was a Slayer, after all, and even being subjected to a few thousand volts of electricity did little more than slow her down. Willow and Tara did have to help her down the stairs, but by the time they
were back at the Box she wasn't even dizzy anymore.
Tara got Anya caught up with what had happened, while Buffy was icing her hand. It wasn't broken, but she had done enough damage that she would be unable to use it effectively for the next couple of days. The witch didn't seem too surprised by the news either.
"Remind me never to try that spell again."
Across the shop, all eyes turned to Willow as she suddenly clutched at her head and cried out. Her black eyes were swirling, and as they looked on the chairs and heavy wooden table behind her lifted into the air.
They spun around her, faster and faster, along with anything else that wasn't tied down.
Anya began spewing a steady stream of colorful and highly creative curses that would probably have made the men down on the docks blush. She did not, however, step from behind the counter.
"Willow!" Despite her injured hand, Tara rushed toward the redhead. One of the chairs came within an inch of cracking her skull open, but she ignored it and grabbed Willow. "No! Stop this! Don't let it win!
Willow, you've got the power! Contain it! You can do it, Willow! I know you can!"
The redhead was in tears. "N-No! I can't! I'm weak! I can't do this! I can't!"
"Do it for us, Willow." Tara was desperate, and now she was crying too. "Please. For what we had! I don't want to lose you to the magick again, Willow! I love you!"
Willow's eyes grew wide, the blackness wavering slightly. "T-Tara?"
"It's me, baby. I'm right here." Tara put her arms around the redhead, being careful to avoid the flying debris. "I need you with me, Willow. Don't give into the magick. Please!"
Sheer force knocked Tara away as Willow raised her hands to the sky. She screamed; a loud, shrill sound that shook them all to the core. A pair of multi-colored beams of energy exploded from the palms of her
hands and gave the Magic Box an instant, smoldering skylight. At the same time, all the furniture and everything else that had been levitating plunged to the ground.
Anya was mentally calculating the damages and neccessary repairs while, outloud, she continued to curse for some time to come. Willow's eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, but fortunately Tara was there to catch her and lower her gently to the ground.
Buffy gazed up into the clouds. "Tara? What the hell was that?"
"Burnout," the blonde replied, stroking Willow's cheek. "Whatever Rack did to her, it left so much energy she basically overloaded. I think she was trying to hold it in all this time, but I guess her body just couldn't handle it anymore. She needed the release." She glanced over her shoulder. "Anya..."
"No!" The ex-demon was trembling. "I'm sick of this! I don't care if you or Xander or anyone else doesn't like it, but she is officially banned from..." She looked around. "...what's left of my shop."
Tara pressed her forehead against Willow's, closed her eyes, and sighed.

*****

Buffy paced back and forth across the living room, arms crossed over her chest, while Dawn sat on the couch and watched her with sad eyes.
"What's taking so long?"
"Buffy, hold still for a minute, would you? I mean, what's the big deal?" Dawn tried to smile, but couldn't hold it in the face of Buffy's stern expression. "Why can't you let her stay one more night?"
The Slayer shook her head. "You weren't there, Dawn. You didn't see her little...display at the Magic Box. She has so little control, and I'm not about to stand by and let her hurt you again."
"But Buffy..."
"No!" The Slayer stopped, and took a deep breath. "Look, I love her just as much as you do, Dawn. And it hurts me too. But it has to be done."
Dawn dropped her hands in her lap. It was pointless to argue with Buffy once she had made up her mind, she'd learned that from
experience. Besides, there was a part of her--a small one really, but a part just the
same--that pretty much agreed with her sister.
Both Summers turned, as Willow and Tara came down the stairs. The redhead had taken a shower and changed clothes, and was carrying a loaded duffel bag.
"Everything's boxed up," said the blonde. "We'll start moving first thing in the morning."
Dawn stood up, waving her arms to get their attention. "Wait. This is ridiculous. Why do you all have to make everything so complicated?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"Willow needs some place to stay, and you need somebody to watch the house when you're not around. There is a pretty easy solution." Dawn crossed her arms. "So Tara why don't you and Willow just, you
know...switch? I mean, she can move into your place..." She smiled. "...and you come home."
Buffy thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me."
"I-I don't know." Tara was obviously taken aback by the suggestion.
"I think it's a good idea," said Willow. "Dawn needs you, Tara, a lot more than she'll ever need me."
Dawn frowned. "I don't know about that, but..."
"It's okay with me." Buffy turned to Tara. "If you want to give it another shot."
"I guess we could try." Tara looked to Willow. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if I got away from here as possible." She sighed. "Plus, your place is pretty nice."
Tara nodded. "I haven't really settled in yet. Most of my stuff is still in boxes, so it's not like it would be a big transition to come back."
"Then it's settled!" Dawn rushed forward and embraced the blonde. "Welcome back!"
Willow watched the three of them with tears in her eyes.

*****

IP: Logged

RomanceJunky
Willowhand


Posts: 313
Registered: Mar 2001 posted December 06, 2001 22:14               

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This is really good, and I can't wait for more!

The Junky

IP: Logged

SciFiAcid
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 23:37               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next day would probably have gone so much smoother had Anya not refused to allow Xander to help Tara and, more to the point, Willow, move. When he snuck out of the Magic Box and went to do so anyway, she was outraged, and he had to spend the rest of the afternoon apologizing.
With Buffy along things went so much faster than they had the last time the witches moved. Spike was strong too, but he was also obstinate, stubborn, and refused to do any work without getting his payment
upfront. There was also the little problem of his not being able to help during
the day.
Soon after the sun went down, Spike himself appeared. The vampire offered to help, free of charge--once the Slayer was done glaring at him--but by then they only had a couple of boxes left. They couldn't
help but wonder if he had timed his arrival that way on purpose.
"I've got a surprise for you guys," Xander said, as the group was relaxing in Buffy's living room. "Will, An has agreed to lift the ban, and let you work off your debt at the Magic Box."
The redhead blinked. "Debt?"
"You trashed my store," the ex-demon grumbled. "I know all about how this works. Somebody has to pay. And the stupid demon insurance policy only covers half the damage."
"Willow's not a demon," said Buffy. "How can you claim demon damage?"
Anya shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she's not a demon, technically, but they don't have to know that. I've got a big, smoldering hole in my ceiling. Who do you think they'll believe?"
"It'll take me forever to pay off something like that," said Willow.
"Not necessarily," Xander offered. "I talked to one of my guys. He made An a sweet offer, and even agreed to put in a skylight, instead of just repairing the roof, in exchange for some advertising on the Box's
web-site." He smiled. "It should only cost about two thousand dollars."
Willow's shoulders sagged. "Hooray."
"It's getting late," said Spike, striding out of the kitchen with blood on his lips. They suspected had a few bags, or whatever it was he used, secreted away in their refrigerator. "Slayer. If we're going
to...patrol, we'd better get going, don't you think?"
Buffy frowned. "I'll catch up to you."
The vampire licked his lips, blew her a kiss only she could see, then smiled and left.
"We'd better take off," said Xander. "Big day in the morning, right An?"
The ex-demon leaped to her feet, all smiles. "I get to shop! The hardware store opens at nine, and I'm going to look at every skylight and fixture they have."
Xander shook his head, and followed her out of the house.
"I should probably go to." Willow stood up. "I'm so drained, I can barely move my feet."
"I could walk you home," said Tara. "If you want."
The redhead smiled. "Of course." She held out her hand, but just as quickly withdrew it. "Sorry."
"It's all right." After a moment, it was Tara who took Willow's hand.

*****

"Tara, could I ask you a question?"
While they did walk hand in hand, Willow and Tara didn't really looked at one another, or say a word, until the duo found themselves almost back at the dorm.
"Of course."
"Do you think...I mean, is there any chance we could ever..." Willow
frowned. "Look I was wondering...do you want to go to a movie or something? Sometime?"
"Are you asking me out?"
"Maybe." Willow glanced at the blonde. "Would you accept, if I did?"
"Maybe." Tara sighed. "I want us to have a real chance, Will. Especially since you genuinely seem to be trying to change."
The redhead nodded. "But?"
"But...I can't just jump right back into a relationship with you. It's going to take time, Willow. I have to know I can really trust you again. We'll just take it one day at a time, and see what happens." Tara
looked the redhead in the eye. "Do you think you can handle that?"
Willow smiled. "So, a movie?"
"We'll see," said Tara. She couldn't help but smile. "We'll see."

IP: Logged

SciFiAcid
Sassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 23:41               

---

Here it is, folks.

The conclusion!

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next week was a calm and quiet one, at least by Sunnydale standards. Only two vampire attacks that entire time, and Buffy
complained that she could have dusted them in her sleep. She neglected to tell the others she'd spent the rest of her patrol time with Spike.
Anya, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. She finally got to do the kind of renovations she would never have gotten past Giles. Added to that was the fact that Xander's company got the contract for the job, and that, thanks to the insurance policy, she didn't have to pay a
dime.
Dawn was thrilled to have Tara back under the same roof. Besides the fact that she was the only one of all the Scoobies who could actually cook, Tara was so much fun. She enjoyed playing games, she was willing
to watch cartoons without complaining, and she loved to make the teenager laugh.
Willow, meanwhile, was pleased to discover the cravings and pain she had been suffering through for so long had passed. Her meltdown at the Magic Box had apparently emptied out her entire system--she didn't even have enough energy to float a pencil anymore. And the strange thing was, she didn't really miss it a bit. Her head was so much clearer than it had been in a long time, she hadn't even realized how much the magick affected the way she perceived the world. Nothing was quite as bright or colorful as before, but it was also considerably quieter, less overwhelmingly intrusive, and wonderfully peaceful.
Life in Sunnydale was returning to what could laughingly be called normal.

*****

One evening, Tara had decided to stay home and study while Buffy and Dawn went to a movie. The Slayer was taking a rare night off, and leaving the patrolling to Spike. Xander and Anya were out of town, picking up a desk the ex-demon was planning to put in her new office.
Deeply engrossed in a novel for her English Lit class, the blonde was startled by a knock on the door. With a glance at the clock on the mantle telling her it was a quarter to eight, she got up to answer it. Her eyes widened as she saw who was on the other side. "Willow?"
The redhead smiled. "I know it's kind of rude for me to just show up like this. I really I should've called first, I know, 'cause I don't know if you've got plans or not...do you...'cause I..."
Tara put a finger to Willow's lips, stopping her in mid-sentence, and shook her head. "Ah, Willowbabble." She smiled. "I've missed it. And you." She took a step back, ushering Willow inside, and closed the door
behind her. "Where've you been hiding yourself the last couple of days?"
"Nowhere. It's just...it's so weird, Tara. Without the magick, everything thing seems so...different."
"Good different?" the blonde asked. "Or bad?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "I'm really not sure yet."
"So, what brings yon maiden forth this fine evening?" Tara sat down on the couch with a flourish.
The redhead smiled. "Someone's been reading Shakespeare again."
"It's for a class." Tara nodded to the book. "And it's not actually Shakespeare. Just a remarkable facsimile. The teacher wants us to do a comparative analysis of the two authors."
Willow sat down beside the blonde. "I was wondering, are you busy? Besides the assignment, I mean."
"Not really. Buffy and Dawn are out for the evening. What's up?"
"I know you should we should take the relationship thing slow. Just see what happens." Willow sighed. "And it occurred to me, we have never had a real date. We've gone out, to the Bronze, to the movies. But all the time we were dating, we never had an honest to the goddess, show up on the doorstep date. I thought, if we're taking this thing slow, maybe we could try, you know, starting all over?"
Tara blinked. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Okay." Willow stood up, and held out her hand. "Miss Maclay, would you go out with me?"
Tara took the proffered hand, and stood up. "Miss Rosenberg, I would be happy to. Just let me change clothes real quick, and I'll be set to go."
Willow watched the blonde bound up the stairs and then reached behind her back, where she drew a single red rose from a place on her belt. She took a deep breath.
"Slow steps," she said to herself. "Slow steps."

THE END

IP: Logged

IP: LoggedmollyigSassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 03, 2001 07:04               

---

Yikes, evil Rack has surfaced.

Where's Tara? Tara to the rescue??

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

posted December 03, 2001 07:04                Yikes, evil Rack has surfaced.

Where's Tara? Tara to the rescue??

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?IP: Loggedwillow420Blessed Wannabe


Posts: 7
Registered: Nov 2001 posted December 03, 2001 10:29               

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This is great keep it going. I love the way Rack can break her so easily.

IP: Logged

posted December 03, 2001 10:29                This is great keep it going. I love the way Rack can break her so easily.IP: LoggedSciFiAcidSassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 04, 2001 01:01               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

When Tara arrived at Willow's room the next morning, it was with good news.
She had been to the school and learned that two rooms, one single and one including a roommate, had opened up, both of them within what she knew was Willow's price range. If she was feeling up to it, she hoped to check the redhead out of the hospital and go have a look.
As she pushed the door open, though, the blonde got a rude surprise; the bed was empty. She caught a passing nurse's arm. "Excuse me, where did the woman in this room go?"
"No one seems to know. She wasn't there for meds this morning, but there is no record of her having checked herself out of the hospital either. Security is doing a floor by floor search."
Tara nodded. "Thank you." She stood there for a moment, biting her lip, then turned and went into the room. It wasn't like Willow to just up and disappear. Of course, not too long ago she would have never
expected Willow to get involved with a guy like Rack. Whoever he was. Spike
apparently knew of him, but only vague tales; back alley gossip he called
it. Rack was human--more or less--and preyed on others. In her book that made him a lot more of a monster than any vampire or demon. "Willow?"
She could feel traces of the redhead's energy as if she was standing right there. Which could only mean she'd been doing magick, and fairly recently. Whatever the spell it was obviously pretty powerful to have left such an imprint on her surroundings. Tara wasn't sure whether to
be upset or scared. Willow had promised she wouldn't do anymore magick, and once again she had broken her word.
Then something else caught her attention.
Another presence. One she had not noticed at first. A dark force, intertwined with Willow's power. She didn't know who or what it was, but it definitely didn't come from Willow.
"What happened here?"

*****

A search of the entire hospital proved fruitless. There was no sign of Willow anywhere.
So Tara went to the Magic Box and called in the troops. Anya was already there, naturally, and Buffy arrived a short time later. Dawn and Xander were out of touch, for most of the day, with school and work
respectively. It was unlikely there would have been anything for them to do anyway.
Tara told them everything she'd learned at the hospital, which admittedly wasn't much. She was trembling, and nearly in tears, by the end. "I'm scared, Buffy. I don't want to lose her."
"You won't." Buffy put her arm around the witch. "Trust me. We'll find her." She looked to Anya. "You'd better stay here, in case she shows up."
Anya nodded. "I'll check our house, and swing by her parent's. Tara? Why don't you go to the campus? Check her classes? And the other magic places?"
"Other magic places?" Anya asked. "You guys go to other shops?"
The Slayer frowned. "Not now, Anya. Please?"
"Okay, but..." The ex-demon stopped in mid-sentence. "Hey, what's that?"
Buffy and Tara both turned to see a shimmering blue and white ball of light swirling around the front room of the Magic Box. It darted toward them and away again, and when no one moved it began to twirl and flash, as if it was trying to get their attention. The Slayer's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell?"
Tara smiled. "Willow. Goddess, it's Willow."
"She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy."
Buffy shook her head. "Tara, are you sure?"
"Trust me." The blonde started toward the ball of light, which moved toward the door. "Come on."

*****

IP: Logged

posted December 04, 2001 01:01                TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

When Tara arrived at Willow's room the next morning, it was with good news.
She had been to the school and learned that two rooms, one single and one including a roommate, had opened up, both of them within what she knew was Willow's price range. If she was feeling up to it, she hoped to check the redhead out of the hospital and go have a look.
As she pushed the door open, though, the blonde got a rude surprise; the bed was empty. She caught a passing nurse's arm. "Excuse me, where did the woman in this room go?"
"No one seems to know. She wasn't there for meds this morning, but there is no record of her having checked herself out of the hospital either. Security is doing a floor by floor search."
Tara nodded. "Thank you." She stood there for a moment, biting her lip, then turned and went into the room. It wasn't like Willow to just up and disappear. Of course, not too long ago she would have never
expected Willow to get involved with a guy like Rack. Whoever he was. Spike
apparently knew of him, but only vague tales; back alley gossip he called
it. Rack was human--more or less--and preyed on others. In her book that made him a lot more of a monster than any vampire or demon. "Willow?"
She could feel traces of the redhead's energy as if she was standing right there. Which could only mean she'd been doing magick, and fairly recently. Whatever the spell it was obviously pretty powerful to have left such an imprint on her surroundings. Tara wasn't sure whether to
be upset or scared. Willow had promised she wouldn't do anymore magick, and once again she had broken her word.
Then something else caught her attention.
Another presence. One she had not noticed at first. A dark force, intertwined with Willow's power. She didn't know who or what it was, but it definitely didn't come from Willow.
"What happened here?"

*****

A search of the entire hospital proved fruitless. There was no sign of Willow anywhere.
So Tara went to the Magic Box and called in the troops. Anya was already there, naturally, and Buffy arrived a short time later. Dawn and Xander were out of touch, for most of the day, with school and work
respectively. It was unlikely there would have been anything for them to do anyway.
Tara told them everything she'd learned at the hospital, which admittedly wasn't much. She was trembling, and nearly in tears, by the end. "I'm scared, Buffy. I don't want to lose her."
"You won't." Buffy put her arm around the witch. "Trust me. We'll find her." She looked to Anya. "You'd better stay here, in case she shows up."
Anya nodded. "I'll check our house, and swing by her parent's. Tara? Why don't you go to the campus? Check her classes? And the other magic places?"
"Other magic places?" Anya asked. "You guys go to other shops?"
The Slayer frowned. "Not now, Anya. Please?"
"Okay, but..." The ex-demon stopped in mid-sentence. "Hey, what's that?"
Buffy and Tara both turned to see a shimmering blue and white ball of light swirling around the front room of the Magic Box. It darted toward them and away again, and when no one moved it began to twirl and flash, as if it was trying to get their attention. The Slayer's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell?"
Tara smiled. "Willow. Goddess, it's Willow."
"She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy."
Buffy shook her head. "Tara, are you sure?"
"Trust me." The blonde started toward the ball of light, which moved toward the door. "Come on."

*****IP: LoggedmollyigSassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 04, 2001 04:52               

---

Kirk, great addition.

Tara looking out for Willow. Evil Rack. Funny Anya ("She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy.")

What more could we ask for? Except for Willow being safe and she and Tara reconciling of course!

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

posted December 04, 2001 04:52                Kirk, great addition.

Tara looking out for Willow. Evil Rack. Funny Anya ("She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy.")

What more could we ask for? Except for Willow being safe and she and Tara reconciling of course!

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?IP: LoggedSciFiAcidSassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 05, 2001 13:34               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Tara and Buffy followed the guiding light all the way back to the UC Sunnydale campus, and into the stairwell of the dorm building where Buffy and Willow used to live. It led them up to the roof, where they found
Willow herself down on her knees with her eyes closed.
Tara breathed a sigh of relief. "Willow!"
The redhead's eyes snapped open. "Tara?" She scrambled to her feet. "I was so afraid you wouldn't see. Or that you wouldn't come, if you did."
"What happened to you?" Tara asked. "Why have you been doing so much magick all the sudden?"
"It wasn't me, Tara. It was Rack. He came to see me in the middle of the night. I tried to fight him, I swear, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry."
Buffy shook her head. "Will, what's up? Why'd you call us? Why didn't you just come home?"
"I don't have a home anymore." Willow frowned. "You kicked me out. "Remember?"
"I know," said the Slayer. "But Will..."
The redhead's eyes turned completely black. "Oh...shut up!" She pointed, and a ring of light formed around the Slayer's feet. As she glanced down, tendrils of electricty enveloped her.
Buffy began to scream as indescribable pain lanced through every fiber of her being. She convulsed in agony, unable to move or to free herself. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
"Willow, no!" Tara rushed the redhead, but ended up the one taken by surprise as Willow reached out with her other hand and clamped tightly around her throat. "W-W..."
The redhead slowly lifted Tara off her feet, and cocked her head. "Well. I must say, you're a lot prettier than I was expecting." She dropped her other hand and Buffy slumped to the roof-top, unconscious
but alive, her body smoldering. "I guess I don't need this anymore." Her body
changed, transforming into a tall, wild-eyed man with long, stringy hair. Rack. He sneered. "So, you're the one in my way?"
Tara could still breath, barely, which meant she could speak. "H-How?"
"What?" Rack asked. "Oh, you mean about that guiding spell? Nice trick by the way. That's easy." He gestured, and the real Willow appeared,sprawled face down out on the far side of the roof. Unconscious. "What
you two share is the foremost thing on her mind."
Tara's eyes widened. "Willow!"
"You know I was just going to kill you," Rack continued. "But after meeting you in person, I'm thinking maybe I should have a little taste. To see what strawberry over there finds so appealing." He licked his
lips. "Mm...I am getting some real strong vibes off you, kid. Now I gotta know." He dropped Tara and then kneeled at her side. "I promise..." He started to put his hand on her chest. "...this won't hurt. Much."

*****

Rack suddenly pitched forward, tumbling head over heels past Tara, who opened her eyes to see Willow once again on her feet. The redhead had solid black eyes and energy surging around her hands. There was also a
dark, smoking hole in the middle of Rack's back.
Tara blinked. "Ouch." She got to her feet. "Willow? Are you okay?"
"Head spinning. I feel so alive again." The redhead lowered her hand, biting her lip. "Help me, Tara."
"I'm here baby." The blonde started forward. "I'm right..." Her words were abruptly cut off as Rack rose behind her, and wrapped one arm around her neck.
"That was a nice shot, strawberry!" He smiled. "But you're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to take me down!"
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. He landed on his face, hard, and after a final groan he lay still, while she got up and brushed herself off.
Willow came up behind the blonde, her ebony eyes wide. "Whoa. Nice shot."
"Ouch. I think I broke my hand." Tara gazed at her reddening knuckles, which she was sure would be bruised in the morning. "How in the world does Buffy do this?"
"Buffy!" Both witches rushed to check on the still unconscious Slayer.

*****

IP: Logged

posted December 05, 2001 13:34                TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Tara and Buffy followed the guiding light all the way back to the UC Sunnydale campus, and into the stairwell of the dorm building where Buffy and Willow used to live. It led them up to the roof, where they found
Willow herself down on her knees with her eyes closed.
Tara breathed a sigh of relief. "Willow!"
The redhead's eyes snapped open. "Tara?" She scrambled to her feet. "I was so afraid you wouldn't see. Or that you wouldn't come, if you did."
"What happened to you?" Tara asked. "Why have you been doing so much magick all the sudden?"
"It wasn't me, Tara. It was Rack. He came to see me in the middle of the night. I tried to fight him, I swear, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry."
Buffy shook her head. "Will, what's up? Why'd you call us? Why didn't you just come home?"
"I don't have a home anymore." Willow frowned. "You kicked me out. "Remember?"
"I know," said the Slayer. "But Will..."
The redhead's eyes turned completely black. "Oh...shut up!" She pointed, and a ring of light formed around the Slayer's feet. As she glanced down, tendrils of electricty enveloped her.
Buffy began to scream as indescribable pain lanced through every fiber of her being. She convulsed in agony, unable to move or to free herself. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
"Willow, no!" Tara rushed the redhead, but ended up the one taken by surprise as Willow reached out with her other hand and clamped tightly around her throat. "W-W..."
The redhead slowly lifted Tara off her feet, and cocked her head. "Well. I must say, you're a lot prettier than I was expecting." She dropped her other hand and Buffy slumped to the roof-top, unconscious
but alive, her body smoldering. "I guess I don't need this anymore." Her body
changed, transforming into a tall, wild-eyed man with long, stringy hair. Rack. He sneered. "So, you're the one in my way?"
Tara could still breath, barely, which meant she could speak. "H-How?"
"What?" Rack asked. "Oh, you mean about that guiding spell? Nice trick by the way. That's easy." He gestured, and the real Willow appeared,sprawled face down out on the far side of the roof. Unconscious. "What
you two share is the foremost thing on her mind."
Tara's eyes widened. "Willow!"
"You know I was just going to kill you," Rack continued. "But after meeting you in person, I'm thinking maybe I should have a little taste. To see what strawberry over there finds so appealing." He licked his
lips. "Mm...I am getting some real strong vibes off you, kid. Now I gotta know." He dropped Tara and then kneeled at her side. "I promise..." He started to put his hand on her chest. "...this won't hurt. Much."

*****

Rack suddenly pitched forward, tumbling head over heels past Tara, who opened her eyes to see Willow once again on her feet. The redhead had solid black eyes and energy surging around her hands. There was also a
dark, smoking hole in the middle of Rack's back.
Tara blinked. "Ouch." She got to her feet. "Willow? Are you okay?"
"Head spinning. I feel so alive again." The redhead lowered her hand, biting her lip. "Help me, Tara."
"I'm here baby." The blonde started forward. "I'm right..." Her words were abruptly cut off as Rack rose behind her, and wrapped one arm around her neck.
"That was a nice shot, strawberry!" He smiled. "But you're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to take me down!"
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. He landed on his face, hard, and after a final groan he lay still, while she got up and brushed herself off.
Willow came up behind the blonde, her ebony eyes wide. "Whoa. Nice shot."
"Ouch. I think I broke my hand." Tara gazed at her reddening knuckles, which she was sure would be bruised in the morning. "How in the world does Buffy do this?"
"Buffy!" Both witches rushed to check on the still unconscious Slayer.

*****
IP: LoggedmollyigSassy Eggs


Posts: 548
Registered: May 2001 posted December 05, 2001 14:06               

---

Yikes! For a lickle while there I thought it was Willow who attacked Buffy & Tara. Shudda known better!

Is Rack really gone though?? queue ominous music

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

IP: Logged

posted December 05, 2001 14:06                Yikes! For a lickle while there I thought it was Willow who attacked Buffy & Tara. Shudda known better!

Is Rack really gone though?? queue ominous music

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?IP: LoggedmariacometFloating Rose


Posts: 48
Registered: Nov 2001 posted December 05, 2001 14:16               

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by SciFiAcid:
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. *****

---

*big grin* I really liked that part. Woo hoo! You GO Tara!

IP: Logged

posted December 05, 2001 14:16               

quote:

---

Originally posted by SciFiAcid:
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. *****

---

*big grin* I really liked that part. Woo hoo! You GO Tara!
quote:IP: LoggedRomanceJunkyWillowhand


Posts: 313
Registered: Mar 2001 posted December 05, 2001 22:27               

---

"Nobody messes with my girl" indeed!!!

Ya just gotta LOVE kick-ass Tara!

The Junky... great story!

IP: Logged

posted December 05, 2001 22:27                "Nobody messes with my girl" indeed!!!

Ya just gotta LOVE kick-ass Tara!

The Junky... great story!IP: LoggedSciFiAcidSassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 16:20               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Not surprisingly, Buffy was fine.
She was a Slayer, after all, and even being subjected to a few thousand volts of electricity did little more than slow her down. Willow and Tara did have to help her down the stairs, but by the time they
were back at the Box she wasn't even dizzy anymore.
Tara got Anya caught up with what had happened, while Buffy was icing her hand. It wasn't broken, but she had done enough damage that she would be unable to use it effectively for the next couple of days. The witch didn't seem too surprised by the news either.
"Remind me never to try that spell again."
Across the shop, all eyes turned to Willow as she suddenly clutched at her head and cried out. Her black eyes were swirling, and as they looked on the chairs and heavy wooden table behind her lifted into the air.
They spun around her, faster and faster, along with anything else that wasn't tied down.
Anya began spewing a steady stream of colorful and highly creative curses that would probably have made the men down on the docks blush. She did not, however, step from behind the counter.
"Willow!" Despite her injured hand, Tara rushed toward the redhead. One of the chairs came within an inch of cracking her skull open, but she ignored it and grabbed Willow. "No! Stop this! Don't let it win!
Willow, you've got the power! Contain it! You can do it, Willow! I know you can!"
The redhead was in tears. "N-No! I can't! I'm weak! I can't do this! I can't!"
"Do it for us, Willow." Tara was desperate, and now she was crying too. "Please. For what we had! I don't want to lose you to the magick again, Willow! I love you!"
Willow's eyes grew wide, the blackness wavering slightly. "T-Tara?"
"It's me, baby. I'm right here." Tara put her arms around the redhead, being careful to avoid the flying debris. "I need you with me, Willow. Don't give into the magick. Please!"
Sheer force knocked Tara away as Willow raised her hands to the sky. She screamed; a loud, shrill sound that shook them all to the core. A pair of multi-colored beams of energy exploded from the palms of her
hands and gave the Magic Box an instant, smoldering skylight. At the same time, all the furniture and everything else that had been levitating plunged to the ground.
Anya was mentally calculating the damages and neccessary repairs while, outloud, she continued to curse for some time to come. Willow's eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, but fortunately Tara was there to catch her and lower her gently to the ground.
Buffy gazed up into the clouds. "Tara? What the hell was that?"
"Burnout," the blonde replied, stroking Willow's cheek. "Whatever Rack did to her, it left so much energy she basically overloaded. I think she was trying to hold it in all this time, but I guess her body just couldn't handle it anymore. She needed the release." She glanced over her shoulder. "Anya..."
"No!" The ex-demon was trembling. "I'm sick of this! I don't care if you or Xander or anyone else doesn't like it, but she is officially banned from..." She looked around. "...what's left of my shop."
Tara pressed her forehead against Willow's, closed her eyes, and sighed.

*****

Buffy paced back and forth across the living room, arms crossed over her chest, while Dawn sat on the couch and watched her with sad eyes.
"What's taking so long?"
"Buffy, hold still for a minute, would you? I mean, what's the big deal?" Dawn tried to smile, but couldn't hold it in the face of Buffy's stern expression. "Why can't you let her stay one more night?"
The Slayer shook her head. "You weren't there, Dawn. You didn't see her little...display at the Magic Box. She has so little control, and I'm not about to stand by and let her hurt you again."
"But Buffy..."
"No!" The Slayer stopped, and took a deep breath. "Look, I love her just as much as you do, Dawn. And it hurts me too. But it has to be done."
Dawn dropped her hands in her lap. It was pointless to argue with Buffy once she had made up her mind, she'd learned that from
experience. Besides, there was a part of her--a small one really, but a part just the
same--that pretty much agreed with her sister.
Both Summers turned, as Willow and Tara came down the stairs. The redhead had taken a shower and changed clothes, and was carrying a loaded duffel bag.
"Everything's boxed up," said the blonde. "We'll start moving first thing in the morning."
Dawn stood up, waving her arms to get their attention. "Wait. This is ridiculous. Why do you all have to make everything so complicated?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"Willow needs some place to stay, and you need somebody to watch the house when you're not around. There is a pretty easy solution." Dawn crossed her arms. "So Tara why don't you and Willow just, you
know...switch? I mean, she can move into your place..." She smiled. "...and you come home."
Buffy thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me."
"I-I don't know." Tara was obviously taken aback by the suggestion.
"I think it's a good idea," said Willow. "Dawn needs you, Tara, a lot more than she'll ever need me."
Dawn frowned. "I don't know about that, but..."
"It's okay with me." Buffy turned to Tara. "If you want to give it another shot."
"I guess we could try." Tara looked to Willow. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if I got away from here as possible." She sighed. "Plus, your place is pretty nice."
Tara nodded. "I haven't really settled in yet. Most of my stuff is still in boxes, so it's not like it would be a big transition to come back."
"Then it's settled!" Dawn rushed forward and embraced the blonde. "Welcome back!"
Willow watched the three of them with tears in her eyes.

*****

IP: Logged

posted December 06, 2001 16:20                TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Not surprisingly, Buffy was fine.
She was a Slayer, after all, and even being subjected to a few thousand volts of electricity did little more than slow her down. Willow and Tara did have to help her down the stairs, but by the time they
were back at the Box she wasn't even dizzy anymore.
Tara got Anya caught up with what had happened, while Buffy was icing her hand. It wasn't broken, but she had done enough damage that she would be unable to use it effectively for the next couple of days. The witch didn't seem too surprised by the news either.
"Remind me never to try that spell again."
Across the shop, all eyes turned to Willow as she suddenly clutched at her head and cried out. Her black eyes were swirling, and as they looked on the chairs and heavy wooden table behind her lifted into the air.
They spun around her, faster and faster, along with anything else that wasn't tied down.
Anya began spewing a steady stream of colorful and highly creative curses that would probably have made the men down on the docks blush. She did not, however, step from behind the counter.
"Willow!" Despite her injured hand, Tara rushed toward the redhead. One of the chairs came within an inch of cracking her skull open, but she ignored it and grabbed Willow. "No! Stop this! Don't let it win!
Willow, you've got the power! Contain it! You can do it, Willow! I know you can!"
The redhead was in tears. "N-No! I can't! I'm weak! I can't do this! I can't!"
"Do it for us, Willow." Tara was desperate, and now she was crying too. "Please. For what we had! I don't want to lose you to the magick again, Willow! I love you!"
Willow's eyes grew wide, the blackness wavering slightly. "T-Tara?"
"It's me, baby. I'm right here." Tara put her arms around the redhead, being careful to avoid the flying debris. "I need you with me, Willow. Don't give into the magick. Please!"
Sheer force knocked Tara away as Willow raised her hands to the sky. She screamed; a loud, shrill sound that shook them all to the core. A pair of multi-colored beams of energy exploded from the palms of her
hands and gave the Magic Box an instant, smoldering skylight. At the same time, all the furniture and everything else that had been levitating plunged to the ground.
Anya was mentally calculating the damages and neccessary repairs while, outloud, she continued to curse for some time to come. Willow's eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, but fortunately Tara was there to catch her and lower her gently to the ground.
Buffy gazed up into the clouds. "Tara? What the hell was that?"
"Burnout," the blonde replied, stroking Willow's cheek. "Whatever Rack did to her, it left so much energy she basically overloaded. I think she was trying to hold it in all this time, but I guess her body just couldn't handle it anymore. She needed the release." She glanced over her shoulder. "Anya..."
"No!" The ex-demon was trembling. "I'm sick of this! I don't care if you or Xander or anyone else doesn't like it, but she is officially banned from..." She looked around. "...what's left of my shop."
Tara pressed her forehead against Willow's, closed her eyes, and sighed.

*****

Buffy paced back and forth across the living room, arms crossed over her chest, while Dawn sat on the couch and watched her with sad eyes.
"What's taking so long?"
"Buffy, hold still for a minute, would you? I mean, what's the big deal?" Dawn tried to smile, but couldn't hold it in the face of Buffy's stern expression. "Why can't you let her stay one more night?"
The Slayer shook her head. "You weren't there, Dawn. You didn't see her little...display at the Magic Box. She has so little control, and I'm not about to stand by and let her hurt you again."
"But Buffy..."
"No!" The Slayer stopped, and took a deep breath. "Look, I love her just as much as you do, Dawn. And it hurts me too. But it has to be done."
Dawn dropped her hands in her lap. It was pointless to argue with Buffy once she had made up her mind, she'd learned that from
experience. Besides, there was a part of her--a small one really, but a part just the
same--that pretty much agreed with her sister.
Both Summers turned, as Willow and Tara came down the stairs. The redhead had taken a shower and changed clothes, and was carrying a loaded duffel bag.
"Everything's boxed up," said the blonde. "We'll start moving first thing in the morning."
Dawn stood up, waving her arms to get their attention. "Wait. This is ridiculous. Why do you all have to make everything so complicated?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"Willow needs some place to stay, and you need somebody to watch the house when you're not around. There is a pretty easy solution." Dawn crossed her arms. "So Tara why don't you and Willow just, you
know...switch? I mean, she can move into your place..." She smiled. "...and you come home."
Buffy thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me."
"I-I don't know." Tara was obviously taken aback by the suggestion.
"I think it's a good idea," said Willow. "Dawn needs you, Tara, a lot more than she'll ever need me."
Dawn frowned. "I don't know about that, but..."
"It's okay with me." Buffy turned to Tara. "If you want to give it another shot."
"I guess we could try." Tara looked to Willow. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if I got away from here as possible." She sighed. "Plus, your place is pretty nice."
Tara nodded. "I haven't really settled in yet. Most of my stuff is still in boxes, so it's not like it would be a big transition to come back."
"Then it's settled!" Dawn rushed forward and embraced the blonde. "Welcome back!"
Willow watched the three of them with tears in her eyes.

*****
IP: LoggedRomanceJunkyWillowhand


Posts: 313
Registered: Mar 2001 posted December 06, 2001 22:14               

---

This is really good, and I can't wait for more!

The Junky

IP: Logged

posted December 06, 2001 22:14                This is really good, and I can't wait for more!

The JunkyIP: LoggedSciFiAcidSassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 23:37               

---

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next day would probably have gone so much smoother had Anya not refused to allow Xander to help Tara and, more to the point, Willow, move. When he snuck out of the Magic Box and went to do so anyway, she was outraged, and he had to spend the rest of the afternoon apologizing.
With Buffy along things went so much faster than they had the last time the witches moved. Spike was strong too, but he was also obstinate, stubborn, and refused to do any work without getting his payment
upfront. There was also the little problem of his not being able to help during
the day.
Soon after the sun went down, Spike himself appeared. The vampire offered to help, free of charge--once the Slayer was done glaring at him--but by then they only had a couple of boxes left. They couldn't
help but wonder if he had timed his arrival that way on purpose.
"I've got a surprise for you guys," Xander said, as the group was relaxing in Buffy's living room. "Will, An has agreed to lift the ban, and let you work off your debt at the Magic Box."
The redhead blinked. "Debt?"
"You trashed my store," the ex-demon grumbled. "I know all about how this works. Somebody has to pay. And the stupid demon insurance policy only covers half the damage."
"Willow's not a demon," said Buffy. "How can you claim demon damage?"
Anya shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she's not a demon, technically, but they don't have to know that. I've got a big, smoldering hole in my ceiling. Who do you think they'll believe?"
"It'll take me forever to pay off something like that," said Willow.
"Not necessarily," Xander offered. "I talked to one of my guys. He made An a sweet offer, and even agreed to put in a skylight, instead of just repairing the roof, in exchange for some advertising on the Box's
web-site." He smiled. "It should only cost about two thousand dollars."
Willow's shoulders sagged. "Hooray."
"It's getting late," said Spike, striding out of the kitchen with blood on his lips. They suspected had a few bags, or whatever it was he used, secreted away in their refrigerator. "Slayer. If we're going
to...patrol, we'd better get going, don't you think?"
Buffy frowned. "I'll catch up to you."
The vampire licked his lips, blew her a kiss only she could see, then smiled and left.
"We'd better take off," said Xander. "Big day in the morning, right An?"
The ex-demon leaped to her feet, all smiles. "I get to shop! The hardware store opens at nine, and I'm going to look at every skylight and fixture they have."
Xander shook his head, and followed her out of the house.
"I should probably go to." Willow stood up. "I'm so drained, I can barely move my feet."
"I could walk you home," said Tara. "If you want."
The redhead smiled. "Of course." She held out her hand, but just as quickly withdrew it. "Sorry."
"It's all right." After a moment, it was Tara who took Willow's hand.

*****

"Tara, could I ask you a question?"
While they did walk hand in hand, Willow and Tara didn't really looked at one another, or say a word, until the duo found themselves almost back at the dorm.
"Of course."
"Do you think...I mean, is there any chance we could ever..." Willow
frowned. "Look I was wondering...do you want to go to a movie or something? Sometime?"
"Are you asking me out?"
"Maybe." Willow glanced at the blonde. "Would you accept, if I did?"
"Maybe." Tara sighed. "I want us to have a real chance, Will. Especially since you genuinely seem to be trying to change."
The redhead nodded. "But?"
"But...I can't just jump right back into a relationship with you. It's going to take time, Willow. I have to know I can really trust you again. We'll just take it one day at a time, and see what happens." Tara
looked the redhead in the eye. "Do you think you can handle that?"
Willow smiled. "So, a movie?"
"We'll see," said Tara. She couldn't help but smile. "We'll see."

IP: Logged

posted December 06, 2001 23:37                TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next day would probably have gone so much smoother had Anya not refused to allow Xander to help Tara and, more to the point, Willow, move. When he snuck out of the Magic Box and went to do so anyway, she was outraged, and he had to spend the rest of the afternoon apologizing.
With Buffy along things went so much faster than they had the last time the witches moved. Spike was strong too, but he was also obstinate, stubborn, and refused to do any work without getting his payment
upfront. There was also the little problem of his not being able to help during
the day.
Soon after the sun went down, Spike himself appeared. The vampire offered to help, free of charge--once the Slayer was done glaring at him--but by then they only had a couple of boxes left. They couldn't
help but wonder if he had timed his arrival that way on purpose.
"I've got a surprise for you guys," Xander said, as the group was relaxing in Buffy's living room. "Will, An has agreed to lift the ban, and let you work off your debt at the Magic Box."
The redhead blinked. "Debt?"
"You trashed my store," the ex-demon grumbled. "I know all about how this works. Somebody has to pay. And the stupid demon insurance policy only covers half the damage."
"Willow's not a demon," said Buffy. "How can you claim demon damage?"
Anya shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she's not a demon, technically, but they don't have to know that. I've got a big, smoldering hole in my ceiling. Who do you think they'll believe?"
"It'll take me forever to pay off something like that," said Willow.
"Not necessarily," Xander offered. "I talked to one of my guys. He made An a sweet offer, and even agreed to put in a skylight, instead of just repairing the roof, in exchange for some advertising on the Box's
web-site." He smiled. "It should only cost about two thousand dollars."
Willow's shoulders sagged. "Hooray."
"It's getting late," said Spike, striding out of the kitchen with blood on his lips. They suspected had a few bags, or whatever it was he used, secreted away in their refrigerator. "Slayer. If we're going
to...patrol, we'd better get going, don't you think?"
Buffy frowned. "I'll catch up to you."
The vampire licked his lips, blew her a kiss only she could see, then smiled and left.
"We'd better take off," said Xander. "Big day in the morning, right An?"
The ex-demon leaped to her feet, all smiles. "I get to shop! The hardware store opens at nine, and I'm going to look at every skylight and fixture they have."
Xander shook his head, and followed her out of the house.
"I should probably go to." Willow stood up. "I'm so drained, I can barely move my feet."
"I could walk you home," said Tara. "If you want."
The redhead smiled. "Of course." She held out her hand, but just as quickly withdrew it. "Sorry."
"It's all right." After a moment, it was Tara who took Willow's hand.

*****

"Tara, could I ask you a question?"
While they did walk hand in hand, Willow and Tara didn't really looked at one another, or say a word, until the duo found themselves almost back at the dorm.
"Of course."
"Do you think...I mean, is there any chance we could ever..." Willow
frowned. "Look I was wondering...do you want to go to a movie or something? Sometime?"
"Are you asking me out?"
"Maybe." Willow glanced at the blonde. "Would you accept, if I did?"
"Maybe." Tara sighed. "I want us to have a real chance, Will. Especially since you genuinely seem to be trying to change."
The redhead nodded. "But?"
"But...I can't just jump right back into a relationship with you. It's going to take time, Willow. I have to know I can really trust you again. We'll just take it one day at a time, and see what happens." Tara
looked the redhead in the eye. "Do you think you can handle that?"
Willow smiled. "So, a movie?"
"We'll see," said Tara. She couldn't help but smile. "We'll see."
IP: LoggedSciFiAcidSassy Eggs


Posts: 554
Registered: Sep 2000 posted December 06, 2001 23:41               

---

Here it is, folks.

The conclusion!

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next week was a calm and quiet one, at least by Sunnydale standards. Only two vampire attacks that entire time, and Buffy
complained that she could have dusted them in her sleep. She neglected to tell the others she'd spent the rest of her patrol time with Spike.
Anya, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. She finally got to do the kind of renovations she would never have gotten past Giles. Added to that was the fact that Xander's company got the contract for the job, and that, thanks to the insurance policy, she didn't have to pay a
dime.
Dawn was thrilled to have Tara back under the same roof. Besides the fact that she was the only one of all the Scoobies who could actually cook, Tara was so much fun. She enjoyed playing games, she was willing
to watch cartoons without complaining, and she loved to make the teenager laugh.
Willow, meanwhile, was pleased to discover the cravings and pain she had been suffering through for so long had passed. Her meltdown at the Magic Box had apparently emptied out her entire system--she didn't even have enough energy to float a pencil anymore. And the strange thing was, she didn't really miss it a bit. Her head was so much clearer than it had been in a long time, she hadn't even realized how much the magick affected the way she perceived the world. Nothing was quite as bright or colorful as before, but it was also considerably quieter, less overwhelmingly intrusive, and wonderfully peaceful.
Life in Sunnydale was returning to what could laughingly be called normal.

*****

One evening, Tara had decided to stay home and study while Buffy and Dawn went to a movie. The Slayer was taking a rare night off, and leaving the patrolling to Spike. Xander and Anya were out of town, picking up a desk the ex-demon was planning to put in her new office.
Deeply engrossed in a novel for her English Lit class, the blonde was startled by a knock on the door. With a glance at the clock on the mantle telling her it was a quarter to eight, she got up to answer it. Her eyes widened as she saw who was on the other side. "Willow?"
The redhead smiled. "I know it's kind of rude for me to just show up like this. I really I should've called first, I know, 'cause I don't know if you've got plans or not...do you...'cause I..."
Tara put a finger to Willow's lips, stopping her in mid-sentence, and shook her head. "Ah, Willowbabble." She smiled. "I've missed it. And you." She took a step back, ushering Willow inside, and closed the door
behind her. "Where've you been hiding yourself the last couple of days?"
"Nowhere. It's just...it's so weird, Tara. Without the magick, everything thing seems so...different."
"Good different?" the blonde asked. "Or bad?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "I'm really not sure yet."
"So, what brings yon maiden forth this fine evening?" Tara sat down on the couch with a flourish.
The redhead smiled. "Someone's been reading Shakespeare again."
"It's for a class." Tara nodded to the book. "And it's not actually Shakespeare. Just a remarkable facsimile. The teacher wants us to do a comparative analysis of the two authors."
Willow sat down beside the blonde. "I was wondering, are you busy? Besides the assignment, I mean."
"Not really. Buffy and Dawn are out for the evening. What's up?"
"I know you should we should take the relationship thing slow. Just see what happens." Willow sighed. "And it occurred to me, we have never had a real date. We've gone out, to the Bronze, to the movies. But all the time we were dating, we never had an honest to the goddess, show up on the doorstep date. I thought, if we're taking this thing slow, maybe we could try, you know, starting all over?"
Tara blinked. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Okay." Willow stood up, and held out her hand. "Miss Maclay, would you go out with me?"
Tara took the proffered hand, and stood up. "Miss Rosenberg, I would be happy to. Just let me change clothes real quick, and I'll be set to go."
Willow watched the blonde bound up the stairs and then reached behind her back, where she drew a single red rose from a place on her belt. She took a deep breath.
"Slow steps," she said to herself. "Slow steps."

THE END

IP: Logged

posted December 06, 2001 23:41                Here it is, folks.

The conclusion!

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next week was a calm and quiet one, at least by Sunnydale standards. Only two vampire attacks that entire time, and Buffy
complained that she could have dusted them in her sleep. She neglected to tell the others she'd spent the rest of her patrol time with Spike.
Anya, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. She finally got to do the kind of renovations she would never have gotten past Giles. Added to that was the fact that Xander's company got the contract for the job, and that, thanks to the insurance policy, she didn't have to pay a
dime.
Dawn was thrilled to have Tara back under the same roof. Besides the fact that she was the only one of all the Scoobies who could actually cook, Tara was so much fun. She enjoyed playing games, she was willing
to watch cartoons without complaining, and she loved to make the teenager laugh.
Willow, meanwhile, was pleased to discover the cravings and pain she had been suffering through for so long had passed. Her meltdown at the Magic Box had apparently emptied out her entire system--she didn't even have enough energy to float a pencil anymore. And the strange thing was, she didn't really miss it a bit. Her head was so much clearer than it had been in a long time, she hadn't even realized how much the magick affected the way she perceived the world. Nothing was quite as bright or colorful as before, but it was also considerably quieter, less overwhelmingly intrusive, and wonderfully peaceful.
Life in Sunnydale was returning to what could laughingly be called normal.

*****

One evening, Tara had decided to stay home and study while Buffy and Dawn went to a movie. The Slayer was taking a rare night off, and leaving the patrolling to Spike. Xander and Anya were out of town, picking up a desk the ex-demon was planning to put in her new office.
Deeply engrossed in a novel for her English Lit class, the blonde was startled by a knock on the door. With a glance at the clock on the mantle telling her it was a quarter to eight, she got up to answer it. Her eyes widened as she saw who was on the other side. "Willow?"
The redhead smiled. "I know it's kind of rude for me to just show up like this. I really I should've called first, I know, 'cause I don't know if you've got plans or not...do you...'cause I..."
Tara put a finger to Willow's lips, stopping her in mid-sentence, and shook her head. "Ah, Willowbabble." She smiled. "I've missed it. And you." She took a step back, ushering Willow inside, and closed the door
behind her. "Where've you been hiding yourself the last couple of days?"
"Nowhere. It's just...it's so weird, Tara. Without the magick, everything thing seems so...different."
"Good different?" the blonde asked. "Or bad?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "I'm really not sure yet."
"So, what brings yon maiden forth this fine evening?" Tara sat down on the couch with a flourish.
The redhead smiled. "Someone's been reading Shakespeare again."
"It's for a class." Tara nodded to the book. "And it's not actually Shakespeare. Just a remarkable facsimile. The teacher wants us to do a comparative analysis of the two authors."
Willow sat down beside the blonde. "I was wondering, are you busy? Besides the assignment, I mean."
"Not really. Buffy and Dawn are out for the evening. What's up?"
"I know you should we should take the relationship thing slow. Just see what happens." Willow sighed. "And it occurred to me, we have never had a real date. We've gone out, to the Bronze, to the movies. But all the time we were dating, we never had an honest to the goddess, show up on the doorstep date. I thought, if we're taking this thing slow, maybe we could try, you know, starting all over?"
Tara blinked. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Okay." Willow stood up, and held out her hand. "Miss Maclay, would you go out with me?"
Tara took the proffered hand, and stood up. "Miss Rosenberg, I would be happy to. Just let me change clothes real quick, and I'll be set to go."
Willow watched the blonde bound up the stairs and then reached behind her back, where she drew a single red rose from a place on her belt. She took a deep breath.
"Slow steps," she said to herself. "Slow steps."

THE END

[mollyig]

Yikes, evil Rack has surfaced.

Where's Tara? Tara to the rescue??

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

[willow420]

This is great keep it going. I love the way Rack can break her so easily.

[SciFiAcid]

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode
WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

When Tara arrived at Willow's room the next morning, it was with good news.
She had been to the school and learned that two rooms, one single and one including a roommate, had opened up, both of them within what she knew was Willow's price range. If she was feeling up to it, she hoped to check the redhead out of the hospital and go have a look.
As she pushed the door open, though, the blonde got a rude surprise; the bed was empty. She caught a passing nurse's arm. "Excuse me, where did the woman in this room go?"
"No one seems to know. She wasn't there for meds this morning, but there is no record of her having checked herself out of the hospital either. Security is doing a floor by floor search."
Tara nodded. "Thank you." She stood there for a moment, biting her lip, then turned and went into the room. It wasn't like Willow to just up and disappear. Of course, not too long ago she would have never
expected Willow to get involved with a guy like Rack. Whoever he was. Spike
apparently knew of him, but only vague tales; back alley gossip he called
it. Rack was human--more or less--and preyed on others. In her book that made him a lot more of a monster than any vampire or demon. "Willow?"
She could feel traces of the redhead's energy as if she was standing right there. Which could only mean she'd been doing magick, and fairly recently. Whatever the spell it was obviously pretty powerful to have left such an imprint on her surroundings. Tara wasn't sure whether to
be upset or scared. Willow had promised she wouldn't do anymore magick, and once again she had broken her word.
Then something else caught her attention.
Another presence. One she had not noticed at first. A dark force, intertwined with Willow's power. She didn't know who or what it was, but it definitely didn't come from Willow.
"What happened here?"

*****

A search of the entire hospital proved fruitless. There was no sign of Willow anywhere.
So Tara went to the Magic Box and called in the troops. Anya was already there, naturally, and Buffy arrived a short time later. Dawn and Xander were out of touch, for most of the day, with school and work
respectively. It was unlikely there would have been anything for them to do anyway.
Tara told them everything she'd learned at the hospital, which admittedly wasn't much. She was trembling, and nearly in tears, by the end. "I'm scared, Buffy. I don't want to lose her."
"You won't." Buffy put her arm around the witch. "Trust me. We'll find her." She looked to Anya. "You'd better stay here, in case she shows up."
Anya nodded. "I'll check our house, and swing by her parent's. Tara? Why don't you go to the campus? Check her classes? And the other magic places?"
"Other magic places?" Anya asked. "You guys go to other shops?"
The Slayer frowned. "Not now, Anya. Please?"
"Okay, but..." The ex-demon stopped in mid-sentence. "Hey, what's that?"
Buffy and Tara both turned to see a shimmering blue and white ball of light swirling around the front room of the Magic Box. It darted toward them and away again, and when no one moved it began to twirl and flash, as if it was trying to get their attention. The Slayer's eyes narrowed.
"What the hell?"
Tara smiled. "Willow. Goddess, it's Willow."
"She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy."
Buffy shook her head. "Tara, are you sure?"
"Trust me." The blonde started toward the ball of light, which moved toward the door. "Come on."

*****

[mollyig]

Kirk, great addition.

Tara looking out for Willow. Evil Rack. Funny Anya ("She's changed," said Anya. "I remember her being taller. And less glowy.")

What more could we ask for? Except for Willow being safe and she and Tara reconciling of course!

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

[SciFiAcid]

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Tara and Buffy followed the guiding light all the way back to the UC Sunnydale campus, and into the stairwell of the dorm building where Buffy and Willow used to live. It led them up to the roof, where they found
Willow herself down on her knees with her eyes closed.
Tara breathed a sigh of relief. "Willow!"
The redhead's eyes snapped open. "Tara?" She scrambled to her feet. "I was so afraid you wouldn't see. Or that you wouldn't come, if you did."
"What happened to you?" Tara asked. "Why have you been doing so much magick all the sudden?"
"It wasn't me, Tara. It was Rack. He came to see me in the middle of the night. I tried to fight him, I swear, but I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry, Tara. I'm so sorry."
Buffy shook her head. "Will, what's up? Why'd you call us? Why didn't you just come home?"
"I don't have a home anymore." Willow frowned. "You kicked me out. "Remember?"
"I know," said the Slayer. "But Will..."
The redhead's eyes turned completely black. "Oh...shut up!" She pointed, and a ring of light formed around the Slayer's feet. As she glanced down, tendrils of electricty enveloped her.
Buffy began to scream as indescribable pain lanced through every fiber of her being. She convulsed in agony, unable to move or to free herself. Her eyes rolled back in her head.
"Willow, no!" Tara rushed the redhead, but ended up the one taken by surprise as Willow reached out with her other hand and clamped tightly around her throat. "W-W..."
The redhead slowly lifted Tara off her feet, and cocked her head. "Well. I must say, you're a lot prettier than I was expecting." She dropped her other hand and Buffy slumped to the roof-top, unconscious
but alive, her body smoldering. "I guess I don't need this anymore." Her body
changed, transforming into a tall, wild-eyed man with long, stringy hair. Rack. He sneered. "So, you're the one in my way?"
Tara could still breath, barely, which meant she could speak. "H-How?"
"What?" Rack asked. "Oh, you mean about that guiding spell? Nice trick by the way. That's easy." He gestured, and the real Willow appeared,sprawled face down out on the far side of the roof. Unconscious. "What
you two share is the foremost thing on her mind."
Tara's eyes widened. "Willow!"
"You know I was just going to kill you," Rack continued. "But after meeting you in person, I'm thinking maybe I should have a little taste. To see what strawberry over there finds so appealing." He licked his
lips. "Mm...I am getting some real strong vibes off you, kid. Now I gotta know." He dropped Tara and then kneeled at her side. "I promise..." He started to put his hand on her chest. "...this won't hurt. Much."

*****

Rack suddenly pitched forward, tumbling head over heels past Tara, who opened her eyes to see Willow once again on her feet. The redhead had solid black eyes and energy surging around her hands. There was also a
dark, smoking hole in the middle of Rack's back.
Tara blinked. "Ouch." She got to her feet. "Willow? Are you okay?"
"Head spinning. I feel so alive again." The redhead lowered her hand, biting her lip. "Help me, Tara."
"I'm here baby." The blonde started forward. "I'm right..." Her words were abruptly cut off as Rack rose behind her, and wrapped one arm around her neck.
"That was a nice shot, strawberry!" He smiled. "But you're going to have to do a lot better than that if you want to take me down!"
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. He landed on his face, hard, and after a final groan he lay still, while she got up and brushed herself off.
Willow came up behind the blonde, her ebony eyes wide. "Whoa. Nice shot."
"Ouch. I think I broke my hand." Tara gazed at her reddening knuckles, which she was sure would be bruised in the morning. "How in the world does Buffy do this?"
"Buffy!" Both witches rushed to check on the still unconscious Slayer.

*****

[mollyig]

Yikes! For a lickle while there I thought it was Willow who attacked Buffy & Tara. Shudda known better!

Is Rack really gone though?? queue ominous music

------------------
Anya: You think it's sensible for me to go down into that pit of
cotton-top hell, and let them hippity-hop all over my vulnerable flesh?

[mariacomet]

quote:

---

Originally posted by SciFiAcid:
Tara elbowed Rack in the stomach, his arm falling away as he doubled over. The blonde's hand glowed briefly as she reared back and threw an obviously clumsy right cross with so much force that she actually lost her own footing, while Rack turned a complete three hundred and sixty
degrees. *****

---

*big grin* I really liked that part. Woo hoo! You GO Tara!
quote:

[RomanceJunky]

"Nobody messes with my girl" indeed!!!

Ya just gotta LOVE kick-ass Tara!

The Junky... great story!

[SciFiAcid]

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

Not surprisingly, Buffy was fine.
She was a Slayer, after all, and even being subjected to a few thousand volts of electricity did little more than slow her down. Willow and Tara did have to help her down the stairs, but by the time they
were back at the Box she wasn't even dizzy anymore.
Tara got Anya caught up with what had happened, while Buffy was icing her hand. It wasn't broken, but she had done enough damage that she would be unable to use it effectively for the next couple of days. The witch didn't seem too surprised by the news either.
"Remind me never to try that spell again."
Across the shop, all eyes turned to Willow as she suddenly clutched at her head and cried out. Her black eyes were swirling, and as they looked on the chairs and heavy wooden table behind her lifted into the air.
They spun around her, faster and faster, along with anything else that wasn't tied down.
Anya began spewing a steady stream of colorful and highly creative curses that would probably have made the men down on the docks blush. She did not, however, step from behind the counter.
"Willow!" Despite her injured hand, Tara rushed toward the redhead. One of the chairs came within an inch of cracking her skull open, but she ignored it and grabbed Willow. "No! Stop this! Don't let it win!
Willow, you've got the power! Contain it! You can do it, Willow! I know you can!"
The redhead was in tears. "N-No! I can't! I'm weak! I can't do this! I can't!"
"Do it for us, Willow." Tara was desperate, and now she was crying too. "Please. For what we had! I don't want to lose you to the magick again, Willow! I love you!"
Willow's eyes grew wide, the blackness wavering slightly. "T-Tara?"
"It's me, baby. I'm right here." Tara put her arms around the redhead, being careful to avoid the flying debris. "I need you with me, Willow. Don't give into the magick. Please!"
Sheer force knocked Tara away as Willow raised her hands to the sky. She screamed; a loud, shrill sound that shook them all to the core. A pair of multi-colored beams of energy exploded from the palms of her
hands and gave the Magic Box an instant, smoldering skylight. At the same time, all the furniture and everything else that had been levitating plunged to the ground.
Anya was mentally calculating the damages and neccessary repairs while, outloud, she continued to curse for some time to come. Willow's eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out, but fortunately Tara was there to catch her and lower her gently to the ground.
Buffy gazed up into the clouds. "Tara? What the hell was that?"
"Burnout," the blonde replied, stroking Willow's cheek. "Whatever Rack did to her, it left so much energy she basically overloaded. I think she was trying to hold it in all this time, but I guess her body just couldn't handle it anymore. She needed the release." She glanced over her shoulder. "Anya..."
"No!" The ex-demon was trembling. "I'm sick of this! I don't care if you or Xander or anyone else doesn't like it, but she is officially banned from..." She looked around. "...what's left of my shop."
Tara pressed her forehead against Willow's, closed her eyes, and sighed.

*****

Buffy paced back and forth across the living room, arms crossed over her chest, while Dawn sat on the couch and watched her with sad eyes.
"What's taking so long?"
"Buffy, hold still for a minute, would you? I mean, what's the big deal?" Dawn tried to smile, but couldn't hold it in the face of Buffy's stern expression. "Why can't you let her stay one more night?"
The Slayer shook her head. "You weren't there, Dawn. You didn't see her little...display at the Magic Box. She has so little control, and I'm not about to stand by and let her hurt you again."
"But Buffy..."
"No!" The Slayer stopped, and took a deep breath. "Look, I love her just as much as you do, Dawn. And it hurts me too. But it has to be done."
Dawn dropped her hands in her lap. It was pointless to argue with Buffy once she had made up her mind, she'd learned that from
experience. Besides, there was a part of her--a small one really, but a part just the
same--that pretty much agreed with her sister.
Both Summers turned, as Willow and Tara came down the stairs. The redhead had taken a shower and changed clothes, and was carrying a loaded duffel bag.
"Everything's boxed up," said the blonde. "We'll start moving first thing in the morning."
Dawn stood up, waving her arms to get their attention. "Wait. This is ridiculous. Why do you all have to make everything so complicated?"
"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.
"Willow needs some place to stay, and you need somebody to watch the house when you're not around. There is a pretty easy solution." Dawn crossed her arms. "So Tara why don't you and Willow just, you
know...switch? I mean, she can move into your place..." She smiled. "...and you come home."
Buffy thought about that for a moment, and then nodded. "That sounds like a plan to me."
"I-I don't know." Tara was obviously taken aback by the suggestion.
"I think it's a good idea," said Willow. "Dawn needs you, Tara, a lot more than she'll ever need me."
Dawn frowned. "I don't know about that, but..."
"It's okay with me." Buffy turned to Tara. "If you want to give it another shot."
"I guess we could try." Tara looked to Willow. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"
The redhead shrugged her shoulders. "I think it would be in everyone's best interest if I got away from here as possible." She sighed. "Plus, your place is pretty nice."
Tara nodded. "I haven't really settled in yet. Most of my stuff is still in boxes, so it's not like it would be a big transition to come back."
"Then it's settled!" Dawn rushed forward and embraced the blonde. "Welcome back!"
Willow watched the three of them with tears in her eyes.

*****

[RomanceJunky]

This is really good, and I can't wait for more!

The Junky

[SciFiAcid]

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next day would probably have gone so much smoother had Anya not refused to allow Xander to help Tara and, more to the point, Willow, move. When he snuck out of the Magic Box and went to do so anyway, she was outraged, and he had to spend the rest of the afternoon apologizing.
With Buffy along things went so much faster than they had the last time the witches moved. Spike was strong too, but he was also obstinate, stubborn, and refused to do any work without getting his payment
upfront. There was also the little problem of his not being able to help during
the day.
Soon after the sun went down, Spike himself appeared. The vampire offered to help, free of charge--once the Slayer was done glaring at him--but by then they only had a couple of boxes left. They couldn't
help but wonder if he had timed his arrival that way on purpose.
"I've got a surprise for you guys," Xander said, as the group was relaxing in Buffy's living room. "Will, An has agreed to lift the ban, and let you work off your debt at the Magic Box."
The redhead blinked. "Debt?"
"You trashed my store," the ex-demon grumbled. "I know all about how this works. Somebody has to pay. And the stupid demon insurance policy only covers half the damage."
"Willow's not a demon," said Buffy. "How can you claim demon damage?"
Anya shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe she's not a demon, technically, but they don't have to know that. I've got a big, smoldering hole in my ceiling. Who do you think they'll believe?"
"It'll take me forever to pay off something like that," said Willow.
"Not necessarily," Xander offered. "I talked to one of my guys. He made An a sweet offer, and even agreed to put in a skylight, instead of just repairing the roof, in exchange for some advertising on the Box's
web-site." He smiled. "It should only cost about two thousand dollars."
Willow's shoulders sagged. "Hooray."
"It's getting late," said Spike, striding out of the kitchen with blood on his lips. They suspected had a few bags, or whatever it was he used, secreted away in their refrigerator. "Slayer. If we're going
to...patrol, we'd better get going, don't you think?"
Buffy frowned. "I'll catch up to you."
The vampire licked his lips, blew her a kiss only she could see, then smiled and left.
"We'd better take off," said Xander. "Big day in the morning, right An?"
The ex-demon leaped to her feet, all smiles. "I get to shop! The hardware store opens at nine, and I'm going to look at every skylight and fixture they have."
Xander shook his head, and followed her out of the house.
"I should probably go to." Willow stood up. "I'm so drained, I can barely move my feet."
"I could walk you home," said Tara. "If you want."
The redhead smiled. "Of course." She held out her hand, but just as quickly withdrew it. "Sorry."
"It's all right." After a moment, it was Tara who took Willow's hand.

*****

"Tara, could I ask you a question?"
While they did walk hand in hand, Willow and Tara didn't really looked at one another, or say a word, until the duo found themselves almost back at the dorm.
"Of course."
"Do you think...I mean, is there any chance we could ever..." Willow
frowned. "Look I was wondering...do you want to go to a movie or something? Sometime?"
"Are you asking me out?"
"Maybe." Willow glanced at the blonde. "Would you accept, if I did?"
"Maybe." Tara sighed. "I want us to have a real chance, Will. Especially since you genuinely seem to be trying to change."
The redhead nodded. "But?"
"But...I can't just jump right back into a relationship with you. It's going to take time, Willow. I have to know I can really trust you again. We'll just take it one day at a time, and see what happens." Tara
looked the redhead in the eye. "Do you think you can handle that?"
Willow smiled. "So, a movie?"
"We'll see," said Tara. She couldn't help but smile. "We'll see."

[SciFiAcid]

Here it is, folks.

The conclusion!

TITLE: Burnout
AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge
E-MAIL: KirkBwriter@juno.com
FEEDBACK: Yes, please. The more the better.
DISTRIBUTION: You want it? Take it. Just let me know where it is.
SPOILERS: Everything up to and including the 6th season episode WRECKED.
CONTENT: W/T
RATING: PG-13 (or R, maybe)
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Buffy, Willow, etc..., that's Whedon's dumb luck.
SUMMARY: Willow's trying to cut back on her magick, but the cravings are too strong. Can Tara's love save her, or will the darkness win?
NOTE: If you haven't seen OMWF, TR, S or W, you might want to stay away.

*****

The next week was a calm and quiet one, at least by Sunnydale standards. Only two vampire attacks that entire time, and Buffy
complained that she could have dusted them in her sleep. She neglected to tell the others she'd spent the rest of her patrol time with Spike.
Anya, on the other hand, was having a wonderful time. She finally got to do the kind of renovations she would never have gotten past Giles. Added to that was the fact that Xander's company got the contract for the job, and that, thanks to the insurance policy, she didn't have to pay a
dime.
Dawn was thrilled to have Tara back under the same roof. Besides the fact that she was the only one of all the Scoobies who could actually cook, Tara was so much fun. She enjoyed playing games, she was willing
to watch cartoons without complaining, and she loved to make the teenager laugh.
Willow, meanwhile, was pleased to discover the cravings and pain she had been suffering through for so long had passed. Her meltdown at the Magic Box had apparently emptied out her entire system--she didn't even have enough energy to float a pencil anymore. And the strange thing was, she didn't really miss it a bit. Her head was so much clearer than it had been in a long time, she hadn't even realized how much the magick affected the way she perceived the world. Nothing was quite as bright or colorful as before, but it was also considerably quieter, less overwhelmingly intrusive, and wonderfully peaceful.
Life in Sunnydale was returning to what could laughingly be called normal.

*****

One evening, Tara had decided to stay home and study while Buffy and Dawn went to a movie. The Slayer was taking a rare night off, and leaving the patrolling to Spike. Xander and Anya were out of town, picking up a desk the ex-demon was planning to put in her new office.
Deeply engrossed in a novel for her English Lit class, the blonde was startled by a knock on the door. With a glance at the clock on the mantle telling her it was a quarter to eight, she got up to answer it. Her eyes widened as she saw who was on the other side. "Willow?"
The redhead smiled. "I know it's kind of rude for me to just show up like this. I really I should've called first, I know, 'cause I don't know if you've got plans or not...do you...'cause I..."
Tara put a finger to Willow's lips, stopping her in mid-sentence, and shook her head. "Ah, Willowbabble." She smiled. "I've missed it. And you." She took a step back, ushering Willow inside, and closed the door
behind her. "Where've you been hiding yourself the last couple of days?"
"Nowhere. It's just...it's so weird, Tara. Without the magick, everything thing seems so...different."
"Good different?" the blonde asked. "Or bad?"
Willow shrugged her shoulders. "I'm really not sure yet."
"So, what brings yon maiden forth this fine evening?" Tara sat down on the couch with a flourish.
The redhead smiled. "Someone's been reading Shakespeare again."
"It's for a class." Tara nodded to the book. "And it's not actually Shakespeare. Just a remarkable facsimile. The teacher wants us to do a comparative analysis of the two authors."
Willow sat down beside the blonde. "I was wondering, are you busy? Besides the assignment, I mean."
"Not really. Buffy and Dawn are out for the evening. What's up?"
"I know you should we should take the relationship thing slow. Just see what happens." Willow sighed. "And it occurred to me, we have never had a real date. We've gone out, to the Bronze, to the movies. But all the time we were dating, we never had an honest to the goddess, show up on the doorstep date. I thought, if we're taking this thing slow, maybe we could try, you know, starting all over?"
Tara blinked. "I think that's a wonderful idea."
"Okay." Willow stood up, and held out her hand. "Miss Maclay, would you go out with me?"
Tara took the proffered hand, and stood up. "Miss Rosenberg, I would be happy to. Just let me change clothes real quick, and I'll be set to go."
Willow watched the blonde bound up the stairs and then reached behind her back, where she drew a single red rose from a place on her belt. She took a deep breath.
"Slow steps," she said to herself. "Slow steps."

THE END

[The Rose]

Great ending. I want them back together on the show!!!!!!!!

------------------
Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.

Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Tara: Nobody messes with my girl!

[Rane]

"Slow steps," she said to herself. "Slow steps."

LOVE IT! yay. happy ending! , kirk.

[Kirk B]

I'm glad you all liked it.

I tried to come up with an idea that I thought would be realistic.

Just having Tara jumping back into a relationship with Willow, after what Willow did, just wouldn't have been.

But like I said...slow steps.

------------------
Kirk B

"A Willow is a tree that weeps, but Tara is firmer and will hold.”

Hear that baby? You're my always.

I got so lost.
I found you. I will always find you.

[aladdin]

Just one word about the ending. Adorable.

Great conclusion.