Hi Beth here *looks around to see if I'd already been spotted* - here's your next part.
(oh and for great results you'll need to stalk Kath too)
. Oh and by the way thank you all so much for reading and eating the cookies
Part 11
To be honest Buffy hadn’t really for thought about how she was going to do what she was doing. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time, after all Dawn had taken the Wiccan’s death so hard. But now as the cab pulled up outside the second rate motel and the driver turned anxious for his fair, she was losing faith in what she was planning. Pulling out some money from her pocket the Slayer paid him as Dawn climbed out.
“Why are we here?” Dawn asked her first tentative question as the yellow cab bumped through the large potholes in the parking lot and pulled back onto the deserted road. Looking around she shifted her bag up onto her shoulder and carefully stepped around a large dark puddle. She felt cold and lost within the shadow of the bright blinking neon sign they were at the ‘Sleepy Way Motel’ and it did have vacancies.
“Okay.” Buffy took a breath. “Dawn.” She looked into her sister’s eyes, the soft chocolate brown disrupted by the neon effect. “I wanted you to know something before we go in.”
“Buffy?” Dawn’s squeaked as she saw the seriously worried expression the Slayer had.
“It’s okay.” Buffy spoke quickly trying to allay the young woman’s fears. “I just need to say that there are two people we’re going to see, one of them will be able to explained everything.” She offered quickly.
“Two people, one with the knowledge.” Dawn nodded as she absorbed the barren facts. “Who?”
“Her name is Madalene.” Buffy moved towards the main door of the two-storey building and Dawn tried to stop the myriad of questions that leapt to her lips as she followed.
“Ready?” The Slayer asked as she yanked open the Plexiglas door.
They were met by the instant smell of disinfectant as the motel tried to give off a ‘clean and wholesome’ appearance. The smell was a stark contrast to the worn pile of the ancient lime green carpet and yellow paint that chipped to show a green underlying colour on the walls. A fake plastic tree stood near the front desk, the leaves coated in dust.
Behind the counter an older man looked up briefly from his newspaper and snorted as he tapped the ash off his cigar as they moved past him into the corridor with a purpose.
“I have no idea what’s going on but sure I’m ready for anything.” Dawn shrugged trying not to seem to out of sorts as she took in her surroundings. This was possibly one of the worst places that Buffy had ever taken her and she couldn’t believe the Slayer thought she’d ever want to stay here, for any reason.
“I’m being really odd aren’t I?” Buffy commented as she led the way down the long hall the red exit sign hanging at the end as a milepost.
“Yeah.” Dawn nodded.
“I’m sorry, you’ll see, I promise.” She swore as they reached the end of the hall and she stopped in front of a grey door with the brass numbers 131 fixed on it. Buffy pulled at her coat to straighten it almost as if she wanted to be impressive for who waited before raising her hand and knocking on it lightly.
The room beyond was silent until the rustle of a chain was heard and the deadbolt slipped back out of the doorframe.
“Hello Buffy.” Madalene opened the door without hesitation, the brief call she’d received from the Slayer giving her warning of their arrival. “You must be Dawn, I am Madalene Slean.” The witch had changed out of her original outfit, now wearing a curve hugging grey shirt and long navy linen pants that swirled around her bare feet. It was obvious to the Slayer she’d taken the time to get comfortable and settle in.
“Hi.” Dawn waved a hand shifting the overnight bag up higher on her shoulder. A petite dark haired woman was not who she’d expected, at least not a human one.
“There’s been no change, just a very peaceful sleep.” Madalene informed as she pulled the door open further inviting them into the long room.
Buffy seemed to relax with these words and on automatic she reached down and took Dawn’s hand leading her into the room. Dawn let herself be slightly pulled in, her eyes dragging off Madalene’s small body and focusing in on the room. It had slightly newer burgundy patterned carpet and the walls were papered in a nauseating flower pattern. She studied the small door that viewed into a tiny but sparkling white tiled bathroom.
“B-B-B-Buffy?” Her voice barely registered audibly as her eyes rested on the two double beds. The figure that lay prone on the closest one making her not trust her own senses as Tara’s serene face registered in her mind.
“It’s ok Dawnie.” Buffy whispered squeezing her sister’s hand.
“No, no it’s not.” Dawn immediately turned on Madalene. “What have you done? You can’t do this. I’ll stop you.” Her mind filled with horrible scenarios about raising the dead and spells and losing more people that she loved including Buffy. Who was obviously somehow under this weird girl’s spell. If she had to stop it she would, she wouldn’t let anyone defile Tara like this and hurt anyone in her family.
“No Dawn it is.” Buffy stressed she made an attempt to pull Dawn closer to the bed not sure how else to prove the facts she’d had trouble believing herself.
“Buffy how could you? How could you do this to Tara?” Dawn wailed as she fought Buffy as she was forcefully pulled to the bed. “Not to Tara!” She tried to squirm out of the Slayer’s grip but found herself held firm.
Buffy slowly realised Dawn’s fears and cursed herself for not thinking about this sooner.
“We didn’t do this Dawn.” Buffy looked to Madalene for help. “Tara did.” She tried on her own to get through to her sister.
“Buffy let her go.” Madalene instructed softly her hands up in a pose of submission. She waited until Buffy had stepped back before she spoke again to the distraught teenager. “Dawn this is not what you’re thinking, we have done nothing to harm her.”
“This is hurting her. She would never have wanted this.” Dawn bit back looking at Buffy with terror.
“Go to her, see for yourself.” Madalene offered as she stayed in place and watched the teenager’s feral reaction. “She’s breathing Dawn and she’s hot, her heart is beating, she is alive. The heat is part of healing. Healing, not any spell.”
“She’s dead.” Dawn backed off a little shaking her head.
“She was dead.” Madalene nodded that the brunette was partially right. “This is a lot to explain all at once especially with you upset... but Tara has a special gift. A gift that lets her body heal if she is not injured beyond repair, but it takes time.”
“What do you know about Tara?” Dawn glared at Madalene.
“The same thing happened to me. Tara and I share a relative who was the one that gave us the gift.” Madalene slowly lowered her arms lifting up the tight shirt to show Dawn where the scar on her lower back began. “I was killed in a car crash, it took me a year to heal.”
“What relative?” Dawn wasn’t about to give an inch. None of this story made sense, and even if Buffy had been snowed she was going to get answers.
“You warned me she was inquisitive.” Madalene smiled at Buffy before she stepped back to sit on the edge of the other bed. “A relative that lived a very long time ago Dawn. A relative that neither Tara or I ever met or even knew of till we realized the heritage they had given us.”
“If, if that’s true, why is Tara’s mother dead? Why are any of her descendants dead?” Dawn pushed not ever glancing at Buffy.
“Because Dawn we are not immortal, that is the important threshold. If you cut my head off no amount of time would be long enough for me to heal.” Madalene tried to meet the hard questions head on. “I assume that Tara’s mother died of something that her body could not repair. A bullet wound is damage to specific tissue, my broken neck the same. These can be fixed with time and the consideration that no other damage occurs to the body. Multiple injuries, great trauma, internal destruction these things the power can not win over. They are our natural mortal death.”
“Th-Th-Then why didn’t she tell us?” Dawn seemed about to steal another glance at the bed but stopped short. “Why did she let us bury her, why did she let us think she was dead?” She shook her head angrily as her focus switched.
“She didn’t know, Tara would have never put you through this worry if she had.” Madalene’s voice was soft, she could see the confusion and pain in Dawn’s face and it made her heart ache. It was hard not to see that so many people had been hurt by this woman’s death. She hated that she had to be here making it worse by tearing up their lives again with this tale. “As Buffy tells me she had been taught she had demon heritage but it was never explained.”
“She wasn’t told she had demon heritage.” Dawn snarled at Madalene. “She was told she was a demon, she was told she was evil and bad and you’re here telling me her bastard father was right?”
“No, he was far from right.” Madalene smiled at the teenager’s loyalty. “She is not ‘a demon’, she is not evil or bad. In fact very far from either.” She settled herself on the bed by drawing one leg up under her. “Dawn it is obvious that you are a mature and smart young woman so I won’t pretty this up for you. Many years ago, a very pure woman was raped by a full demon so that he might sire an heir into our dimension from his. For that purpose her body was changed to accommodate his child. Our ancestor was born by this woman, not from the demon but out of a union of pure love.”
Dawn watched the dark haired woman as she explained, feeling her anger simmer just a little as the part of her that wanted just to accept the fact that just a few feet from her Tara lay sleeping, alive and well pushed to have dominion in her mind. Questions could come later, it argued, Tara was alive.
“So you’re telling me that Tara was never dead?” Dawn wanted clarity as she looked briefly to the bed.
“Her body was in hibernation.” Madalene nodded. “She was never dead.”
“We buried Tara alive? Will she remember that?” Dawn’s body trembled again as it was horrified anew.
“No.” Madalene was quick to reassure her. “She won’t remember, in fact where she was kept her safe and gave her the time to heal in seclusion.”
“You’re sure?” Dawn demanded as she fixed the witch with hard eyes.
“The trauma of the gunshot would have triggered the hibernation. When the body goes into hibernation the mind is frozen, she won’t remember being buried... in fact Dawn she won’t remember anything.” Madalene finished the sentence with a frown.
Any colour that had managed to find its way into Dawn’s cheeks bled out again with Madalene’s words.
“She won’t remember me?” She felt her lip begin to tremble.
“It’s not like that Dawn.” Buffy jumped forward having forced herself to watch the exchange silently.
“She said it was! She said she won’t remember.” Dawn pointed at Madalene as she looked at Buffy. “Does she know who she is?”
“She was only awake for a few moments but as Buffy said Dawn this time it’s different.” Madalene looked to the sleeping blonde. “She knew Buffy was family.” Her voice was gentle. “I can’t explain it.”
“What?” Dawn’s whole demeanour changed slightly. “She said that?” Her voice shifted to a whisper.
“Yes.” Buffy’s mouth curled into a tiny smile.
“What did she say? Tell me.” Dawn pleaded quietly.
“I told her she was home and that I was Buffy. She seemed confused and then she said my name and she stuttered family before she fell asleep.” Buffy took a few quick breaths trying to keep from crying. She needed to be strong for Dawn right now, she needed to have answers or at least try to explain.
“She’s just asleep.” Dawn kept her eyes on Buffy. “Really?” The teenager’s voice was tiny.
“I can’t explain everything to you Dawn.” Buffy nodded. “But I do know she’s alive Dawn.”
Very, very slowly Dawn turned to look fully at the blonde Wicca on the bed the bag falling off her shoulder to the floor.
“She will need your caring and understanding.” Madalene encouraged Dawn to move closer.
“We chose the right outfit didn’t we.” The youth’s voice cracked as tears spilled from her eyes finally when she let go. “Don’t you think?” She flashed a quick glance at Madalene as her feet shuffled forward on the hotel carpet.
“She is beautiful.” Madalene confirmed softly.
“She is.” Dawn stopped at the edge of the bed. She turned fully around to look at Madalene. “Can I touch her?” She whispered not sure why she was asking permission.
“Yes, she’s very warm but don’t be worried about that. It’s like a fever, our bodies use heat to heal.” Madalene encouraged and warned her at the same time.
“I won’t hurt her?” Dawn admitted her worry.
“You won’t hurt her.” Madalene tried to break the stalemate by moving over and gently taking the blonde’s hand knowing Dawn watched her every move.
“See, she needs to know she’s safe.” Madalene urged Dawn over as she rubbed her hand over Tara’s.
“Dawn, you won’t hurt her.” Buffy encouraged.
Reaching out a trembling hand Dawn moved her hand to hang in the air close to Madalene’s. Slowly the witch reached out to the teenager’s and drew it over to rest on Tara’s.
Dawn’s breath stopped in her throat as she felt the heat and softness of Tara’s skin beneath her palm. She felt a soft heartbeat echo into her own skin to confirm that the blonde was alive.
“Tara.” She whispered as she dropped to her knees beside the bed, moving her wet cheek to lean against Tara’s hand where her own hand had just rested.
“It’s going to be okay now Dawn.” Buffy moved over settling behind her sister her hands pressing on the young woman’s back. “I wasn’t lying to Willow.”
“I want to stay with her.” Dawn looked up briefly from her place, not looking at her sister but looking at Tara closely for the first time.
“I knew you would.” Buffy nodded feeling the tears run down her cheeks finally as she followed Dawn’s gaze.
“Can I stay?” It was obvious even though Dawn didn’t move her eyes that this time she addressed Madalene.
“I think it is very important she have familiar loving people around her.” Madalene nodded knowing she would never stand in opposition to such a request.
“We should get apple sauce.” Dawn said somewhat distantly. “Will she still like apple sauce?”
“I still loved chocolate chip cookies.” Madalene tried to reassure her. “I know this is all really weird Dawn, but we’re all figuring this out together. So ask any questions you want.”
“I know.” Dawn’s tone was completely different to any she had used so far, it was assured and confident. “It’s going to be okay now.”
******
by Miss1234Kitty » Tue May 28, 2002 4:29 pm 
