Spoilers- Takes place about a week after Tabula Rasa.
Notes- it's a pseudo happy fic...
BOMBARD AWAY!
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Tara rushes into the Summers home. Dawn, Buffy and Anya are sitting in the family room.
Dawn- Tara!
Tara- (to Buffy) Spike told me. (to Dawn) Are you ok? How are you feeling?
Dawn- Like my arms broken.
Tara- (worried) It’s broken?
Buffy- (rolls her eyes at Dawn’s exaggeration) No, its just a dislocated shoulder.
Anya- (chirpy) Welcome to the Hellmouth.
Buffy- (mad) It wasn’t the Hellmouth.
Tara- What happened?
Buffy- Willow.
Dawn- Now that’s not true, Buffy. It was Amy that-
Buffy- Willow should have been looking after you. This is all her fault.
Tara- Where is she?
Anya- Are you going to go all magicky on her?
Tara- Huh? No.
Anya- If I still had my powers-
Dawn/Buffy- Anya!
Anya- Like you all aren’t thinking the same thing.
Tara- This is Willow you’re talking about. I’m sure she didn’t-
Anya- Hey, you haven’t seen her in days. You don’t know what’s going on with her. She’s crazy. She almost burned Xanders’ pe-
Buffy- (out of the blue) Are you sleeping with Spike?
All- WHAT?!
Dawn- Eww.
Buffy- Well, it just seems he’s your midnight express to us. You’re always around when there is Scooby-age afoot and he’s always the one to tell you.
Tara- I’m kinda gay in case you’ve forgotten.
Dawn- And in love with Willow. (looks to Tara, hopeful) Right?
Tara can’t answer her.
Buffy- Well-
Dawn- You’re jealous!
Buffy- What?
Anya- Yes. You are jealous of Spike and Tara. They’re doing the bonding thing and-
Buffy- I am not!
Anya- Are too.
Xander enters the house.
Xander- Two of my favorite girls arguing again. (sees Tara) Ah, Tara! Another one of my favorite girls in the mix! Geez, I’ve got a lot of girls. (nods) How are you feeling there Dawnmeister?
Dawn- I think the drugs are kicking in.
Buffy- (worried) Any luck?
Xander- (shakes his head) Searched in all our old haunts. Even that tree house that doesn’t belong to either one of us where we used to hide when my dad got all drunk and- (sighs) No, no sign of Will.
Anya- Maybe she left town.
Dawn- Why would she?
Tara- (begins to walk out) I know where she is.
Buffy- You what?!
Xander- How?!
Dawn- Where?!
Tara- I-
Anya- (amazed) You *can* always find her, huh?
Buffy- Where is she?
Tara- I’ll go.
Dawn- Tara, no.
Buffy- I’ll go. I don’t trust her.
Tara- Do you trust me?
Buffy- Yes.
Tara- Then let me go.
Buffy- Tara, the magicks she’s channeling with Amy- I’ve never- Please be careful.
Tara- I will.
Tara walks out of the house.
Xander- Should I follow her?
********
Tara is walking alone, she feels a presence behind her. She turns around.
Tara- Spike.
Spike- The one and only.
Tara- Go back.
Spike- Seems to me like you’re heading back to the uni.
Tara- Come on, go.
Spike- Can’t do that, bird.
Spike suddenly fangs out and lounges at Tara, throws her to the ground as Tara screams.
*********
Off near the green Xander hears Tara scream.
Xander- (off and running) Tara!
********
Xander reaches the clearing where he sees Tara on the ground and Spike fighting off a demon.
Spike- (to Tara) Stay down!
Xander- (thinking she’s hurt) Oh god, Tara.
Xander runs to help Spike fight. Quickly they finish the kill. Spike reaches his hand out to Tara to help her up.
Spike- Didn’t hurt you there did I, love?
Tara- (cleaning her clothes) No. A little warning would have been nice though.
Xander- Are you sure you’re ok? No dislocated shoulders or anything?
Tara- No. Now will you two please stop following me?
Xander/Spike- No.
Spike- Can’t do that.
Xander- (to Spike) Why are you so high and mighty all of a sudden? Lil crush on Buffy faded? Moving on to the next blonde in town?
Spike- (grabs him by the collar) Because, you nit, she saved *me*.
Spike stares at him and then lets him go. He walks off.
Xander- (to Tara) I didn’t mean to insult you if I did. I just can’t stand the guy.
Tara- Yet you rush to help him fight.
Xander- I thought you were hurt… (doesn’t know what else to say) Tara…
Tara- I- I should go.
Xander- Wait! Where is she?
Tara- (points to the rooftop of the dormhouse) Up there.
Xander- You can feel her?
Tara- I just know.
Xander- Look, I don’t want to leave you alone. That demon-
Tara- Happens everyday. We live in a Hellmouth, Xander. It’s life.
Xander- (understands) Be careful. And tell Will I love her. In a non love, love sense but yet still love cause I do love-
Tara- I got it.
Xander- Do that little tinkerbell light thingy if you need me.
Tara smiles, nods and heads towards the dorm.
************
Willow is laying on the rooftop staring at the stars. She’s been crying and it’s painfully obvious she feels alone.
Willow- (to no one in particular) And see that one there? That’s Betelgeuse. (then quickly) Beetlejuice, beetlejuice. (laughs crazily) God, am I going insane?… (sighs) And that’s… (starts to cry) That’s-
Tara- Short man looking uncomfortable.
Willow- (sits up) Tara?!
Tara slowly walks out from shadows.
Willow- (crying harder) Oh god, Tara!
Willow stands up and they both look at each other uncomfortably. Willow wipes away her tears.
Willow- Tara.
Tara- You said my name three times.
Willow- And you’re here.
Tara- Except I’m not here to exorcise human beings out of a house.
Willow- No, just me.
Tara- Willow.
Willow- I know why you’re here. Buffy sent you didn’t she?
Tara- No.
Willow- You heard about Dawn?
Tara- Yes.
Willow- Is she ok?
Tara- I don’t think so, Willow. Non of us are.
Willow- You left.
Tara- I had to.
Willow- We could have worked it out.
Tara- Not while you kept playing with my memories.
Willow- I didn’t- It wasn’t like that.
Tara- It was exactly like that… Where’s Amy?
Willow doesn’t reply, just keeps her head down.
Tara- Willow?
Willow- She’s here.
Tara- (a bit nervous) W-where?
Willow- Around.
Tara- Willow?
Suddenly Tara feels something scratching her ankles. She jumps back to see a rat trying to climb up on her socks.
Tara- Jesus! Willow!? Did you do this?
Willow- No! I didn’t.
Tara- How did this happen? (watching Amy scurry about) Pick her up or something! We’re going to lose her.
Willow- (eyes also following the rat) She always comes back to me.
Tara looks to Willow.
Tara- H-how?
Willow- She got her comeupins.
Tara- Huh?
Willow- (sits on the floor, defeated) Nothing.
Tara watches her as Amy runs over to Willow and starts to run around her.
Tara- Willow?
Willow- (playing with Amy) Yeah?
Tara- What happened?
Willow- We… We arguing. After what happened with Dawn- with you… (looks at her teary eyed again) I’m a monster.
Tara- (runs to her) No. (sits by her, but not touching her)
Willow- Buffy hates me. Dawn hates me. (looks up at her) You…
Tara- Xander told me to tell you that he loves you. Not like I love you but loves you just the same.
Willow- (small) He does? (Tara nods) You love me?
Tara- (teary eyed) Always, Willow, you know that.
Willow- But you still wont- After all I did…
Tara- What you did was h-horrible and wrong. But- I don’t know. I don’t know what to say to you anymore. You’re like a stranger.
Willow- (hurt) I’m Willow. Your Willow.
Tara begins to cry.
Willow- Baby… (wants to reach out to her, holds back) Tara, please. Give me one more chance. I promise-
Tara- (crying) Don’t promise me anything.
Willow- I love you. I will make this right. And no magick. I understand now.
Tara- Do you?
Willow- Sort of. It’s getting less blurry and more defined. But I’m trying. I need you to help me here too.
Tara- I don’t know.
Willow- Please. I need you. You’re my beacon of hope.
Tara- Stop.
Willow- No, for real. Tara, I think of you and who you are and what you are to me. You’re what matters. Not magick.
Tara- It didn’t feel that way a week ago.
Willow- It was the magick. I was going through a faze. A silly, I lost all my brain cells kinda faze. It was the stupidest thing to-
Tara- Stop. Willow, magick isn’t at fault here.
Willow- How do you do it? You’re so powerful and yet- How? How do you control it?
Tara- I learned.
Willow- (quietly) Teach me… Please…
Tara- I’ve tried.
Willow- I know and I’ll listen this time. I mean it… (Tara looks at her) So? Could we start all over again? Clean slate.
Tara- (sighs and nods) Pass by some time.
Willow- Where are you staying?
Tara- At Spike’s.
Willow- What?!
Tara- Long story.
Willow- How about you tell me all about it over a cup of coffee tomorrow?
Tara grins and kisses her softly on the cheek. She leaves. Willow watches her leave.
Willow- (grins, as she looks at Amy) Tabula Rasa.
The End.
**********
Now I don’t know if this is an evil ending or a silly one. Let me know.