Alternatives
Chapter 5
Rating: PG13 for violence
Spoilers: All eps are now fair game.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but that which I create. All else belongs to people who can sue/excommunicate/execute me if I don’t write this.
Disclaimer #2: I am going to mess about with the ideas of religion in this fic, this is not intended to offend anyone, or contradict anyone’s beliefs, but it’s necessary for the story. I apologise in advance for any offence taken.
Summary: Proof
Feedback: Send all constructive comments to
rmmik@hotmail.com (please put something like “Re: your fic” in the subject, otherwise I’ll bin it). Send all abuse to someone else.
Authors note: I don’t like Season Six’s ending (obviously), so here’s my way of making things better. Eventually. After much angst. But hopefully you’ll like the W/T bits. The happy ones I mean. Hold on tight!
Authors note 2: Many thanks to Ruth for wonderful betaing insighty stuff...erm, just go read
They were incredulous, to say the least. Kel smirked as her gaze swept from one open mouth to another, finally landing on Anya, who raised an eyebrow. Kel’s smile vanished, and she pawed the ground with her foot for a second until she stopped feeling like a three year old being told off.
She can still get to me, Kel thought glumly. Holy orders aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.
There was silence for a few seconds, then Dawn stomped over and stood face to face with Kel.
“I don’t believe you. You could have made this stuff up. It all sounds like rubbish to me.”
This was a reaction Kel had expected. Who could blame her? Finding out the man you have looked up to for six years is not who you thought he was; that a stranger knows everything about your life and that both of them are related to the Devil had to be hard to swallow. Kel was prepared.
“Ok. If this wasn’t true how could I know this?”
To the complete amazement of all the Scoobies, she started to sing.
“I’ve got a theory; that’s it’s a demon,
A dancing demon, nah, something isn’t right there.
I’ve got a theory; some kid is dreamin’
And we’re all stuck inside his wacky Broadway nightmare
I’ve a theory; we should work this out
It’s getting eerie, what’s this cheery singing all about?
It could be witches, some evil witches
Which is ridiculous ‘cuz witches they were
persecutedandwiccagoodandlovetheearthandwomenpowerandI’llbeoverhere.”
Buffy stared at her in amazement. Not only had she said it perfectly, she had done damn good impressions of them all, including Xander. She had actually thought he was singing for a second. This day was just getting weirder and weirder. And she ached all over from the fight with Kel. And, she still stank of grease from her shift at the Doublemeat Dungeon, as she liked to call it.
“So you’re telling me that when Willow and Tara die, they’ll become angels?” Anya asked.
Kel ran a hand through her hair, causing the white-gold highlights that ran through it to shimmer, even in the half-darkness of the shop.
“Yes. They are vital to our plans. And besides, Luc and I get to retire, and come to Earth.”
Anya raised an eyebrow. Did that mean…?
I like her blond, Kel decided.
“Come to Earth, as in…”
“As in, we get to be mortal.”
“Wow.”
Willow could tell something important had just passed through the group, she just wasn’t sure what. Everyone was getting vibes from Anya and the newcomer, that was for sure. They all felt it, like the surface of a bubble, ready to pop at any minute, and no-one wanted to be around when it did. The whole gang had become uneasy, so Willow decided to break the tension. To kill two birds with one stone, she asked the question plaguing her mind, and from the way she was teasing her lower lip, Tara’s too.
“So, what kind of… I mean, who’s… who will be…”
She tailed off, not knowing how to finish. Anya, however, stepped in.
“She wants to know who will take over the role of being hated and feared by religious fanatics and which one gets to live in heaven, although I have to say it’s pretty obvious with what Willow’s been doing recently.”
Kel smiled, and the bubble gently burst. Mission accomplished, Willow thought with a smirk. Tara caught her gaze and smiled too, a knowing smile, one of congratulations. She had seen what Willow had done, and couldn’t be prouder. Willow’s heart soared.
“Tara will take over for me, Willow for Luc. The two positions have to be closely linked, so the angels filling it must be extremely close. Siblings, lovers, even best friends at a stretch. That is why you two,” she indicated Willow and Tara, who were grinning like idiots, “have to get back together.”
Willow’s face fell. That wasn’t right. If she and Tara ever made up, it would be because they both wanted it, not because they had to. She didn’t want Tara to be forced into a relationship with someone she still didn’t trust completely. Besides, wouldn’t that upset the karmic balance, if their hearts weren’t really in it? Willow went on with her inward muse, completely unaware that she and Tara were having the exact same thought. Kel, however, was, and as much as she hated it, she had to hurt them by using it.
“So,” She began, “towards that end, Willow, I offer you the cure to your addiction. That way you can do magic and neither you nor Tara will have to worry about it any more. Whad’ya say?”
Willow saw the look of horror on Tara’s face, one she was unconsciously mirroring, and didn’t even hesitate.
“No way.”
Kel gave a relieved smile. Anya nodded. Buffy looked puzzled for a second, then her expression cleared and she gave the same response as Anya. Xander however, looked incredulous.
“ARE YOU INSANE? She’s offering you everything you want on a silver platter and you’re saying no?”
Kel stepped in.
“Xander, do you remember when you asked Buffy to some dance and she turned you down, so you went and asked Willow? It was just before she died, the first time”
“Yeah…” Xander said, not really seeing the connection and shocked by her intimate knowledge of an event from so long ago.
“This is a parallel to that. If Willow said yes…”
She turned to look at the redhead in question. Willow picked her cue.
“It wouldn’t be worth anything. It would have been given to me. If I ever do magic again, it will be because I beat the addiction, by myself. And if Tara decides to let me into her life again, it won’t be because she has to, it’ll be because she wants to, because she thinks our relationship is worth another try. And I’ll spend every day for the rest of my life proving it is, but only if it’s what she wants, and only if I earn it.”
At this point, she looked over at Tara. Throughout her whole speech, she kept the scene from the video Kel had shown her, the one with Tara’s ‘let’s get back together’ speech, in her mind. Tara had said some things that had made a heck of a lot of sense, and all of it had renewed her determination to prove her worth to the woman she loved.
It had become a raging, intense fire that, instead of quenching, as she had in the past with others, she fed. She fuelled it every time she looked into the azure pools of Tara’s eyes, and with every glance or smile it intensified twofold, until she could barely contain it. But by containing it, she strengthened her resolve. She would get Tara back, and she would earn it. No matter what.
Tara’s vision was misted by the tears Willow’s words had brought forth from the depths of her soul, a place only her mother’s death had been able to draw them from before. But these were happy tears, tears of joy, pride and hope, but most of all, love. Willow had said the very things she had been longing to hear for so long, and said them with conviction. This wasn’t a show. This was Willow, her Willow, come home again.
When Willow had returned her from the prison Glory had made her mind into, she had said she was lost, and Willow had promised to find her, to always find her. But then Willow had lost herself, and Tara couldn’t stay. She had to protect Willow, and that meant protecting herself, for if there was one thing she never doubted, it was that she held Willow’s heart. Some would say that was arrogant, but it wasn’t. It was just truth. She had learned over the last two years never to doubt her worth, and to never let Willow doubt hers.
So she left, in the hope that that the shock would snap her out of it. She knew it would hurt Willow, just as she knew it would hurt her. At first she thought it was selfish to assume that, that perhaps she was being overconfident about the extent of Willow’s feelings for her, until she realised those were exactly the type of thoughts that led to Willow being led astray. Despite all the assurances, verbal and in deed, that Willow was an invaluable part of their group, despite the status she was given when Buffy was dead, or perhaps because of it, Willow was still so insecure about how useful she really was that she felt an insatiable need to go that much further.
But now she was back, and knew how much they loved her, and was learning to be Willow again. Tara beamed at the woman she loved, and received a dazzling smile in response. In fact, Tara realised, the whole gang was beaming.
“It’s good to have you back, Wills”
Buffy ran over to her best friend and hugged her, then pulled Tara in as well. Then Dawn joined in, then everyone else, until just Luc and Kel were left standing on the sidelines. Neither seemed to mind this, however, and were grinning like a pair of Cheshire cats. Luc was first to recover.
“Good Lord, it’s contagious! I’m supposed to be dignified, you know.”
He looked and sounded so much like Giles at that point that everyone in the shop howled with laughter, except Luc.
Kel wiped the tears away from her eyes, got herself under control, and got the gang’s attention.
“Right, that’s the second test done. Good job. No rush, you two, feel free to start having sex again whenever you like.”
The Scoobies gaped.
“Anyway, I have another matter to discuss with you-“
The door burst open, and a huge demon stood in its place. Its slathering jaws held two rows of teeth, which seemed to sprout at random angles. Its pale green skin contrasted horribly with its completely white eyes, and its seven foot stature was incredibly menacing. It ducked in, moving clumsily but incredibly quickly, looked around wildly at the Scoobs, scrambling for weapons, and at Kel and Luc, standing calmly still. Giles was the only one who saw Luc give a quick nod to the beast, who swung around and grabbed the nearest person; Tara. Picking her up bodily, it raced away, heading East.
“Which I guess will have to wait,” Kel finished.
Willow shot her a deadly look.
“Let’s go.” Was all she said. Everyone took one look at the look on the face of the sword-wielding girl and decided they didn’t want to argue. Tara was kidnapped, Willow was pissed. This was gonna get ugly.
Ruth.
P.S: How the hell do you post in italics?
Do you like my mask? Isn't it pretty; it raises the dead! Americans! Aaah! - Giles, Dead Man's Party
by Zahir al Daoud » Wed Jul 17, 2002 11:49 am 
at: 7/25/02 3:45:51 pm