JujuDeRoussie: Hi, I'm glad you enjoyed the update. There won't be anything more about the hidden potentials, since that was just my way of explaining something anomalous in the show rather than a plot point for future story lines, for reasons that will become clear.
Dianneswillowtree: I'm glad you enjoyed the honeymoon and the dialogue between Willow and Tara. Thanks for the feedback.
lilkitty1389 Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed it. About Buffy ripping up the schedule, that seemed to me to be the sort of thing she'd do.
Title: Times of Darkness, Times of Light
Author: Justin
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story, nor the setting. Please don't sue me.
Distribution: Anyone can take it, just let me know
Feedback: Yes please
Summary: One wedding, no funerals
Notes: Thanks to Lanie, AntigoneUnbound and Inlerf for betaing the various parts of this story.
Thanks also to everyone who's read and left feedback to it
Times of Light Epilogue"Some thing's happened to Tara." Buffy punched Spike across the face, "It wasn't me, if that's what you think."
"Tara." Willow said as she embraced the blonde. "I was worried you wouldn't be you."
"Of course I'm me." Tara answered thinking, 'I just wish I knew who me was.'
The light had stopped in the middle of the clearing. Slowing Willow towards it, reaching her hand out to it. As the light dimmed she finally saw what it was...
It was her.
"That would be me." A voice said from behind Buffy. Spinning round Buffy saw who it was, Willow.
Buffy was about to make some remark when the great one beat her to it, "You think that you've won. The truth is you've already lost." With these words it disappeared.
"I live to serve you." The demon bowed in an elaborate gesture, "Great One."
"I'm not sure about that. You see it can use very powerful black magic. She, it has already tried to destroy the world once."
"I'm Kathy, this is my home." She explained, "I found you outside earlier this morning. You were unconscious so I brought you inside."
"Dammit Willow why couldn't you have let us help you."
"Poor girl. She thinks that if she can stop using magic then it'll be as if none of the mistakes she made ever happened."
Tara nodded, "Willow's not going to lose control again. I'm certain of that."
Willow pulled away then said, "I've heard that before. Well fine if it's not me then who is it?"
"I hope I can. I mean I know I can." She then surprised Willow by getting up on one knee. This surprise grew as Tara pulled a ring box from her pocket and opening it said, "Willow Danielle Rosenberg, will you marry me?"
"Oh, well anyway I wanted you to have this." She handed Buffy a few sheets of paper.
Looking at it Buffy saw it was a copy of the spell. "Why do I need these?"
"I want you to keep that. If anything happens and I lose control again, I want you to find someone to do that spell."
"There's always something brewing," Hecate, now a young woman said. "But right now an ancient battle is set to be repeated."
A short distance away Buffy and Giles were watching the proceedings. "We were wrong." Buffy said, "This is something we should have been involved in, from the start."
“Also he said he wants me to come visit.”
“He does?” Willow sounded uncertain. “I'm not sure how to put this, which is something of a first for me, but he is your father and I don't want to say anything which would offend you because being offended is bad and I'm all against it and...”
“You're not sure if we can trust him. If he has really changed.”
Tara shook her head. “No, I need to go.” She turned to look out the window, saying in a small voice, “I need to not be afraid of him any more.”
“Tara, I'm sorry to do this.” He leaned over and pulled a shotgun from out of the car. “but you and your friends are under arrest.”
He sensed Father Graham kneeling beside him, and starting praying.
Those are the last rites. Why is he reading...“You witch, and your mother. You both seemed to be immune to it's influence. Not that it matters since your mother is dead and you will be soon.”
As Willow's fingers came in contact with the chains she gave a cry of pain and her legs gave way. Quickly grabbing for the table she was able to slow descent her slightly, giving Tara enough time to be able to catch her.
"Oh God Willow, tell me that you didn't..."
Buffy turned to Giles. "We have to bind Willow."
She reached out and took Willows hand. "Give me something, give me some hope." Willow didn't answer, but she squeezed Tara's hand slightly.
“What is the point of having all this power if I can't even help the woman I love?”
“He's a friend of Angel's. Called Lorne.”
“More than that, your essences have become merged to a degree.”
Tara turned and saw a dark skinned, young woman running toward her. As the woman got closer, Tara saw she was wearing a sparkling show man's suit and carrying a cane. When she had reached Tara she leant on the cane and tried to catch her breath.
“You can't go in yet. It isn't finished. It's not safe.”
“Yeah, I've been moving about a lot lately. I wanted to talk to you about Megan.”
“Funny, that's what I wanted to talk to you about. There's no good way to say this, so I'll just say it. She's dead.”
“Not really.” Faith stopped then as Buffy turned to face her she said, “B, I was sent here to kill Tara.”
“Why would the government want me dead? I'm not a dissident, or a terrorist, I'm just a college student. Like Anya said, I'm harmless,” Tara said.
Buffy realised that the stars had vanished, as had the moon. “Hell.”
There was an explosion across the other side of town. The faint light from the fire allowed them to see a little.
“Something bad's happening.”
“So nothing electrical is working,” Willow summarised. “Even if it's not connected to the mains.”
“You can't stop us.”
Megan turned to look out of the window. “You're right I can't, but I know a woman who can.” She turned back to Whistler and smiled. “Two women actually.”
Tara lifted her hand to Willow's shoulder, letting her fingers run through her hair. “You're not. None of us are. We can do this together.”
Willow stood up and shouted, “Because it's going to get you killed! Maybe you can beat the Great One but that's not the point. The point is: if you keep trying to take the world on your own you're going to die. I'm your friend, Buffy; I'm not going to stand by and let you throw your life away.”
“I don't know. Whatever it is, I feel drawn to it.”
“I just hope they find it before it's too late.”
Heather threw some seeds on the fire, “With these seeds I call on the Goddess.” She picked a knife up and ran it along the back of her wrist. Turning her wrist she let some of the blood drip onto the fire. “With this blood I call on the Goddess.”
“Willow, this might sound crazy but what if these are the Powers That Be?”
“But I thought they were the senior partners.”
Tara nodded. “Maybe they're both.”
“Mama, when is mom coming back.” A small red haired girl came running into the room.
Tara crouched down and caught the girl in her arms. “Soon, little girl, soon.”
“This breaking news just in. Air force one... has been attacked and destroyed. The president... the president is dead.”
“Tara. After you beat the Great One, you'll have to make a choice. I can't tell you anything but I know you'll make the right one. For both you and for Willow.”
“Fine. So did you find anything out?”
Tara looked at Willow a moment then said, “You could say that.”
“Hundreds of years ago a woman was given the power to fight demons and other threats to nature. That woman was Heather Maclay, my ancestor.”
“Do you mind if I borrow this? Thanks.” She pulled the Great One's sword out of his hand and swung it back.
The Great One looked Tara in the eyes. “Inconceivable.”
Tara nodded. She raised her sword, and swinging it in an arc, she cut her mother's head off.
Willow and Tara started towards the door. Willow turned back to see why Buffy wasn't coming, just in time to see Buffy drawn a knife and strike at Tara. Willow threw herself in between them both, grabbing at the knife. They both fell to the floor.
“Oh right, of course.” Megan threw her cane up in the air. “With a hey and a ho.” She caught the cane with her left hand and hit it on the floor. “And a let's go.”
“So what about if I don't have any descendants? I mean if I don't have any children, then the line ends with me.”
“Yeah, we'll need to keep an eye on that,” Willow said, “Later though. Right now we've got a wedding to plan.”
“So this is going to close the Hellmouth,” Buffy said.
“I've been put on secondment to a different agency.” She held up an ID which read, Agent Faith Lehane, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“Dear Lord,” Giles said.
“Pretty good,” Kathy answered, the way she was smiling suggesting that she was understating things. “She said that she loved me, and I finally admitted I love her back.”
“I pronounce the two of you married,” Caitlin said, “You may kiss.”
“Sometimes I wonder what our lives would have been like if we hadn't found each other.”
“That doesn't bear thinking about,” Willow said, “For one thing, I wouldn't be able to do this.” Rolling over on top of Tara, Willow kissed her deeply while running her hand down Tara's body.
Five Years LaterTara was in the kitchen of her and Willow's home getting everything ready for the party they were having that night. She was getting out the cutlery and inspecting it. Once she had enough of everything she laid them out on the counter top.
A moment later Willow burst through a different door, looking flustered.
“Willow, what's wrong?”
“What's wrong? They're going to be here in an hour and nothing's ready. The night's going to be a disaster.”
Tara took Willow by her shoulders. “Okay, Willow you need to calm down. Everything's almost ready and we've got plenty of time to do the rest. Everything is going to be fine.”
Willow nodded, calming herself down. “You're right. I'm just getting worked up over nothing. Where are the plates?”
“I'll get them.”
As Tara was going through into the dining room Willow asked, “How do you think the other's will react, to our news?”
“I'm sure they'll be happy for us. They're...” Tara stopped, a look of confusion on her face.
“Tara, what's wrong?”
“I just got a weird feeling of De ja vu. I'm sure it doesn't mean anything.” She smiled, trying to set Willow at ease. “Well those plates won't bring themselves in.”
***
Willow was just double checking everything when the doorbell rang. “They're early.” Answering the door she was relieved to see just Buffy. “Hey Buffy you're...”
“I know I'm early, it's just I wanted to talk to you both before the others got here.”
“Well then come in.” Willow led Buffy through to the lounge.
“Happy anniversary, both of you.”
“Thanks,” Tara answered, “So what's up?”
“I wanted to ask you about Thorpe. Do you both like him?”
“Is something wrong?” Willow asked. “Has something happened?”
“No, it's just...” Buffy hesitated, not sure how to put this, “I don't know.”
“Buffy we both like Thorpe,” Tara said, “but we can't tell you if he's the right person “
“Yeah, you're right. I'm the only one who can decide that.”
“I thought things were going well between you,” Willow added.
“They were. Maybe that's why I'm worried. I dunno, I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“You're worried that it's too good to be true?” Tara asked.
“I see that five years of marriage hasn't dulled your empathy at all. You're right, why am I so worried?”
“It's understandable. I mean, well, you haven't had much luck when it comes to relationships.”
“Tactfully put,” Buffy said. “The thing is I shouldn't judge him by previous relationships.”
“I guess you didn't need our help,” Tara said.
“But I did need someone to talk to.”
“Any time Buffy, you know that.”
“Well, while I'm here I might as well help get everything ready.”
“Actually everything is ready,” Tara said.
“Oh well, glad to be of service.”
Willow and Tara glanced at each other and decided not to say anything. Instead Tara asked, “Is Dawn coming?”
“Yeah, She's driving up with Faith. I still can't believe she went to MIT for her doctorate. I guess I let her spend too much time around you, computer girl.”
Before Willow could respond to this the doorbell went again.
“They're still early,” Willow complained.
Tara went to the door. “Kathy.”
“Hi, are we late?”
“Uh, no. You're early.”
Megan came to join them saying, “We're still having trouble getting used to things like time.”
As they came into the house Buffy said, “I thought the two of you were still touring the astral planes?”
“Uh, we ran into some trouble,” Kathy said.
“Namely the Powers That Wannabe,” Megan added. “We've been banished to the Earth for the foreseeable future.”
“Why didn't anyone tell me?” Buffy asked.
“Well we only found out this morning,” Willow said, “Well it's good you're both here, as we've got some big news.”
“Wait,” Buffy said, “News? I don't know anything about any news.”
“You'll find out soon enough Buffy,” Willow told her.
***
Over the next half hour the others arrived and they all sat down to dinner. When everyone had finished the main course Willow stood up and said, “Now as you all know Tara and I have been married for five years today.”
“Happy anniversary!” Xander called out.
“However there was another reason for inviting you all here. You see I've... we've got some news.” Willow glanced at Tara, who smiled at her and took her hand. Turning back to the others Willow said, “I'm pregnant.”
The End
by lilkitty1389 » Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:28 pm 
Justin I love the honeymoon and the way our girls were going back and forth like an old married couple 
Willow being Willow and Tara keeping her well grounded keep it up 
I hope anyway it would be good for it to keep going you are such a wonderful writer and what can I say I am hooked 
It's good to see you again.
