Chapter Fifty-fiveA tall, cloaked figure stood among it’s minions in the cavernous ruins beneath Sunnydale...staring into a glowing red orb...
“No! They are moving too fast! We can’t wait any longer. We’ll have to kill the witch now.”
“But, Master...what of the Slayer and the Sorceress?” said the minion.
“If we act now, we’ll only have the Sorceress to deal with. The Slayer is far away.”
“Very well, my Lord. I will prepare the portal.”
*********
Meanwhile...
Tara laid in Willow’s arms, basking in the afterglow of their little ‘maple-syrup’ incident...
“Mmmm...Tara and sugary-goodness...I’m happy now.” Willow said, a satisfied grin on her face.
“Wow! So I’m right up there with sugary-goodness, eh?” Tara said, kidding the red-head.
Everyone knew Willow had the world’s largest sweet-tooth...especially when it came to chocolate...but Tara’s pancakes with real maple syrup ran a close second.
Everything seemed good...great even...and that, in and of itself, made Willow wrinkle her brow.
“What’s the matter, baby?” Tara said, running her finger gently across Willow’s forehead.
“Nothing! Nothing at all...everything is great...better than ever! You and I are married...we have our whole lives ahead of us...we have this great beach house all to ourselves for a week...a house to go home to...it’s all great...”
“So...what’s the problem?”
“Well...it’s just...umm...I’ve been fighting demons and vampires and Goddess-knows-what on the Hellmouth with Buffy since I was sixteen...and...well...it’s been my experience that when things are going this good...something really bad usually happens.” she said, squeezing Tara tightly...not ever wanting to let her go.
Tara turned around, facing her love. “Will...nothing is going to happen...maybe...just maybe...it’s our turn to be happy...”
“Like...Happily Ever After - kinda happy?”
“Definitely Happily Ever After happy!”
The words had barely passed her lips when the both of them felt a shift in the atmosphere around them...
“Magicks! Someone’s using Dark Magicks!” Tara said, jumping from Willow’s embrace.
Before Willow had a chance to react, she was hit with a bolt of dark energy, slamming her through the back of the couch and into the wall. She landed on the ground in a crumpled heap.
“WILLOW!”
All of her instincts made Tara want to run to Willow’s side...but she knew that if either of them were to have a chance, she would have to fend off the attacker.
“Show yourself! By the power of Artemis, I command you to show yourself!” She said, an icy coldness replacing her formerly sweet voice.
Suddenly, the tall cloaked figure appeared in front of Tara...looming ominously above the hearth of the fireplace.
“Sorceress...you cannot defeat me...take a look behind you...I’ve already won!” he said, laughing...and then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.
Tara ran to Willow’s side. Her heart broke as she saw the pale, broken form before her. Blood trickled from Willow’s nose and mouth in a steady stream...she bent down, checking for a pulse...there was none.
Oh Goddess...NO! Please don’t take her from me! I can’t live without her! Please! What can I do? Suddenly...it came to her...
“CPR! Okay...I can do this...don’t leave me baby...please!”
She found the correct hand position on Willow’s chest and began doing compressions...frothy blood seeped from the corner of Willow’s mouth with each thrust. She stopped, leaned over and gave two breaths...then resumed compressions...
“Willow? Baby? Come on, baby! You can’t leave me! Come on...wake up! You’ve got to wake up!”
Slowly, Willow opened her eyes...
“Ta-ra?” she said, wincing with pain.
“Oh Goddess...Thank you! Baby...oh...baby...I love you! I’m going to get you help...I’ll be right back...just hold on...for me, k?” Tara ran to the couch, searching for the cordless phone that they had used earlier...she found it on the floor. Hectically, she turned it on...there was a dial tone. She quickly dialed 9-1-1.
“Yes...we need an ambulance...my wife...she’s hurt really bad...she’s bleeding from the nose and from the mouth...yes...she is breathing...but she wasn’t a minute ago...I did CPR...thank you...” she hung up the phone, running over to Willow and dropping to her knees.
“Baby...they’re on their way...just hold on, okay? It’s going to be okay! Stay with me, baby!”
“Ta-ra? I can’t protect...you....call Buffy...”
“Baby...I’m fine...you’re fine...”
“I’m sorry...” Willow said, losing consciousness once more.
“Willow? Baby?”
Tara did as she was told. She grabbed the phone, dialing Buffy’s cell phone.
“B-buffy?”
“Tare? What’s up?”
“It’s W-willow...” she said, trying hard not to cry.
Buffy could hear that Tara was upset. “What about Willow? Tara...what’s wrong?”
“S-something...hurt her! She’s h-hurt...she’s bleeding...it’s r-really bad, Buffy!” with those words, Tara’s emotions overwhelmed her, and she dropped to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
“Tara? Tare? I’m on my way! We’ll be there as soon as we can! Do you hear me?”
“G-go to the h-hospital...” she said, hanging up the phone and crawling over to Willow once more. She picked up her love’s body and held it in her lap, rocking back and forth...
“It’s going to be alright, baby...they’re on their way...you’re going to be just fine...”
Minutes later, Willow was getting her first ride in an air ambulance. One of the ground crew medics walked over to Tara as the chopper took off.
“Ma’am? If you’d like, we can give you a ride to the hospital so you can meet her there.”
“T-thank you...” she said, walking out and climbing into the rig.
The ride to the hospital seemed to take forever...Willow reached the ER several minutes ahead of Tara.
“Ma’am...can you tell us a bit about Miss Rosenberg’s medical history?”
Tara didn’t respond...she just looked out the window in a daze...
“Ma’am? I’m sorry...I know this is rough for you...but can you tell us about Miss Rosenberg’s medical history?”
“Mrs. Rosenberg-Maclay.” She said, weakly.
“I’m sorry?”
“Her name is Willow Rosenberg-Maclay...she’s m-my wife...she’s my life...”
“Oh...I’m sorry, Ma’am...does your wife have any medical problems or drug allergies that we need to know about?”
“She’s allergic to demerol...and sulfa drugs...but t-that’s it.”
The medic wrote down the information on the run sheet.
“I hate to have to ask you this, Ma’am...I know you’re married...but do you have power-of-attorney or anything set up...for these type of circumstances?”
“Y-yes...I am hers...”
Willow had insisted that they set up power-of-attorney for each other the first time that Tara had been included on an actual slaying...just in case.
“Great...we may need you to sign some things at the hospital.”
Tara nodded.
Hurry Buffy...please?
To Be Continued...
Edited by: FIRESIGN at: 10/24/03 11:01 am