by WiccansIllusion » Sun Mar 03, 2002 8:21 pm
by Puff » Sun Mar 03, 2002 8:30 pm
I could reread the last part (again) but there's just so many times you can fall over without leaving too many bruises...they start to be questionable
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'The cold and ruthless sea tossed the lovers' into the starry black night. together they fall, together they sleep. forever.. forever.. *whisper*forever..the cold and ruthless sea...' By Sweets
by Sassette » Mon Mar 04, 2002 12:35 am
jomarch: Yes. Another verse is an excellent way to guilt me into updates *G*
W.I.: Yeah ... the floating is kind of ... worrisome, isn't it? *evil cackling* That will be addressed ... eventually.
Puff: And we certainly don't want you all bruised! I wonder if I could be carted away for long-distance abuse? *ponders* But yes, here's the update.
I have to post this in two parts because it's too long for one post, but it's still only the first half of part 36. I hope that made sense, but I'm tired, so it might not have.
Title: Answering Darkness Part 36a - Shadows (1 of 2)
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to pink_overalls@yahoo.com
Summary: The Scoobies get together for more research.
Spoiler Warning: Up to and including "Tabula Rasa" in Season 6.
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. I'm just borrowing them because Season 6 angst is running high, and I want my happy ending now, dammit! So I'm writing it … but it'll be awhile until I get to that part, so bear with me (or "bare" with me if you're naughty).
Rating: PG-13
Notes: For the purpose of this story, all events of Tabula Rasa took place exactly as shown in the series; however, no subsequent episodes will affect this piece. We're splitting from canon here - this was MEANT to be a quick and easy reconciliation fic … but it just didn't turn out that way. Stupid Hell God … Stupid Plot … getting in the way of my snugglies, damnit. Freakin' Angst. Grrrr.
Answering Darkness Part 36a
Shadows (1 of 2)
By Sassette
Everywhere, a gray mist swirled, cool against her skin as she walked through it. She waved her hands, trying to separate it … trying to see something. Anything. Tara struggled to discern any shapes or marks around her to get her bearings, but there was nothing. Nothing but the gray mist and the pounding of her own heart, unnaturally loud in her ears.
Then, a flash of red. She followed. The ground was level and her steps easy as she walked, then ran, eager to reach her destination.
Willow.
Willow was lost.
She had to find her.
Was she getting turned around? Going the right way?
Another flash of red, to her left. She turned, then ran, calling Willow's name.
"I'll find you. I'll always find you," she heard as it echoed across the expanse of gray nothingness, returning and returning again. The words rolled around her, echoing back to her as if she had been their source.
But Willow had said that.
Hadn't she?
She turned all the way around, again and again, before she caught another glimpse of red.
Willow.
She stumbled forward, the ground rougher here, and rocky. Where was Willow? Again, she called out her lover's name, the name feeling odd on her lips, yet familiar.
Margaret?
She had to find Margaret. They had been apart for so long.
Tara paused, looking around he in confusion and trying to make sense of the grayness. She had seen Margaret, hadn't she? She heard a noise ahead, and she started climbing, up and upthe gray mist giving way to jagged dark gray stones against a coal black sky.
Margaret?
Willow?
Was she Margaret or was she Willow? And who was she looking for again?
Her lover. Her lover needed her, and hadn't she promised to find her? Or had her lover promised to do the finding? She had to keep looking.
She continued her climb, the slope getting steeper as she went, until she was moving forward awkwardly on hands and knees, no longer able to remain upright.
The sharp edges of stone cut into her flesh, cruelly ripping it to shreds, but still she pressed on, the physical agony far less tormenting than the searing pain in her soul at her separation from her beloved.
She crawled for days and weeks - months and years - and still there was nothing. Nothing but the black sky and the rocks and the pain, and a burning deep inside of her that moved her inexorably forward, until her blood ran hot and dark like a river down the stones, her flesh healing just as it became so torn she could not go on, only to be torn again.
Each time the flesh fell from her hands, stripped from her body down to the bone, and her knees were so destroyed they would no longer bend, she paused. Then, she felt her failure to her core, the sharp pain of her loss nearly paralyzing her. Her body didn't matter to her - only reaching the top mattered. Or the bottom? Which way was she going? Up or down?
She didn't know or care - she just had to get there - had to get to her lover and look into her laughing green eyes.
And then she was there, after decades of toil, on a broad flat plain of obsidian, the mountain she had climbed nowhere in sight. She was at the beginning, or the end. Of what, she couldn't tell.
She wasn't sure where she was, or now, having reached it, where she should go.
Her stinging hands pulled her attention, and she looked at the black ichor running from her wounds, dripping down her fingers and pooling at her feet.
She fell to her knees, her screams ripping through the eerie stillness, pounding her fists against the smooth glassy surface, leaving a sticky trail of blackness behind.
Her screams turned to wails, and she pulled her hands to her, dragging them palm-down across the obsidian and looking around her with wild and desperate eyes.
A flash of red.
She jerked her head around, trying to find it again.
There it was.
She looked down, seeing the dark smears she had left glowing and transparent. With a sob, she pressed her face to the surface, her eyes drinking in the sight of her lover. Her mate. Her everything.
And she was there, too. There, but not there. There, but watching, as if seeing a distant half-forgotten memory from the wrong angle.
She pounded her fists as she watched, trying to break through the surface. She pounded, again and again, but nothing could crack the cold ground she lay against. Her frustration grew as she watched the two women sitting on a hillside within a circle of stones, crying.
"There has to be another way," she heard.
"There isn't. I've looked. Believe me, I've looked," was the agonized response, and the two women
reached for each other, falling into each other's arms.
"But the cost?" I can't lose you. I've only just found you." Tara sobbed helplessly at those words as she watched the scene unfold, knowing instinctively how their story ended, and thinking of Willow. Oh, God,
Willow - she had only just found Willow again. How could she lose her now?
"I don't know what will happen. It's … it's dangerous. But I swear, if it takes all eternity, in this life or the next, I will never give up searching. I will find you. I will always find you."
Tara felt the truth of that promise settle into her soul, the words giving her some measure of comfort in this dark place. But here - here was a vision of the past. And she was in the present, and there was no Willow. She sat up, scanning the emptiness around her again, curling into a ball and whimpering when she realized how alone she really was. No matter who was around, without Willow, she was alone.
"Tara?" she heard, and her heart skipped.
She sat up, looking around her again, hope surging within her. She would find Willow. She'd searched for an eternity, and now she would find her.
"Tara? Wake up, baby," she heard Willow's voice call, and she was bound to heed its request. The dream faded around her as she struggled out of her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering open to look into concerned green eyes gazing down at her.
"Hello, Sleepyhead," Willow greeted, a delighted smile crossing her face. "Normally, I'd let you sleep, 'cuz I love watching you sleep, but you know me - I'm all 'worry girl' and you were kind of tossing and turning and it didn't look like it was restful at all, and you're frowning, and that can't be good."
"Baby?" Tara interrupted as Willow took a breath to continue.
"Yeah?" Willow said nervously. "Damn. I knew I should've let you sleep, 'cuz - hey - it's sleep, and it's good for you and Anya said you were No-Sleep Tara the whole time you were gone, and -"
Willow found herself unable to continue her self-recriminations as warm, soft lips pressed insistently against her own, eliciting a happy little squeak from the redhead. After a long moment, Tara pulled back, pressing a quick loving kiss to Willow's forehead.
"Umm … hi," Willow said shyly, looking down at her lover as she settled herself back down on her pillows with a self-satisfied smirk.
"Hi yourself," Tara said, reaching up and brushing back a strand of Willow's hair. She smiled lazily at the other woman, feeling happy and content to be there with her, within easy reach. She remembered the images from her dream, but the feelings of helplessness and pain had disappeared when she had opened her eyes and seen Willow there looking back at her. "What time is it?" she asked, unwilling to look away from Willow to check the clock herself.
"Eleven AM," Willow said with a smile. "I'm sorry I woke you, but I was kinda' worried about ya'."
"Eleven AM?" Tara asked, sitting up again and looking at the clock.
"Well, we didn't actually sleep until about three in the morning," Willow said slowly. "And you were already tired. I shouldn't have kept you up," she said with a frown.
"And what are you doing up?" Tara asked, her own frown crossing her face. "You're just as tired, if not more tired, than I am. And I don't like that you … you've lost a lot of weight, Willow," she said seriously, placing her hand on Willow's side and tracing her ribs with her thumb.
"I'm okay," Willow said earnestly. "In fact, I haven't felt this good in a long time. No vomiting, no shakes, no weird visions and things. I feel great."
"Did you eat breakfast?" Tara asked concernedly. "And just how long have you been up?"
"Yes, I ate breakfast," Willow said, a small smile crossing her face and her eyes taking on a warm glow
at Tara's concern. "And I had an eight o'clock class."
"You went to class?" Tara squeaked. "Honey, you've been sick."
"I know, but … I missed class on Tuesday. I didn't want to get behind."
"Willow," Tara said, affectionate exasperation evident in her voice. "You could miss every single class and just go take the tests, and you wouldn't get behind. Tuesday and Thursday is - what? Physics and the 'Math That Would Make My Poor Brain Melt Right Out Of My Head'? But Physics isn't 'til later, right?"
"It's not that hard," Willow protested. "You could so totally do it if you wanted to. And yeah, Physics is at two."
"If it's not that hard, why'd you have to go when you've been sick?" Tara shot back.
"I - I'm sorry," Willow stammered, buckling under Tara's obvious displeasure. She certainly hadn't meant to upset her - she'd just … she'd woken up in such a good mood, and Tara looked like she needed her sleep and she hadn't wanted to wake her, so she'd just … gone to class. "I didn't mean to upset you."
"Hey, it's okay," Tara reassured, seeing the flash of hurt in Willow's eyes. "I'm not your boss, I'm your girlfriend. I just … I'm worried about you."
"You're my girlfriend?" Willow asked, her whole face lighting up.
"No," Tara deadpanned. "I stay up most the night making love to >all< the girls who aren't my girlfriend."
Willow blushed, looking sheepish. "Well, okay, duh - stupid question, Rosenberg. But - we didn't really talk about … that, and I didn't want to just assume."
"Then consider this our talk," Tara said firmly. "Not that I won't leave you again in a heartbeat if you ever do anything that hurtful again, no matter how much it tears me up inside to go," she added quietly.
"I can't promise I won't," Willow said seriously, reaching out and tracing Tara's face with a finger. "But I can promise that I'll never do anything that hurtful on purpose again. That I'll always think about how things affect you before I do them. I might mess up - not with the magick, because I'm through with that - but I might do something that hurts you, but I promise I'll try not to. That if I ever do, it won't be because I was being thoughtless or disrespectful."
"I can accept that," Tara said seriously. There was something comforting about Willow's promise - like it was far more believable than a promise to never hurt her. People hurt each other - that's just the way relationships worked. But Willow's promise to think first, and to always consider her - that was something she could believe in. "So how was class?" Tara asked, needing to get away from the heaviness of the previous topic. Everything that had happened the past several days had been so … jarring, so earth-shattering, that she longed for a little normalcy.
"Buffy went with me," Willow said quickly. "And she made sure I had food and everything."
"You made Buffy go to your 'Brain Pain' math class?" Tara asked with a giggle, remembering one time she had picked up Willow's math text book and flipped through it, the symbols and formulas swimming before her eyes and making absolutely no sense.
"She, uhh … kept making paper airplanes," Willow said sheepishly. "She kept tossing them when the teacher was writing stuff on the board. I tried to tell her she'd hate that class, but she insisted."
"Well, I'm glad she was with you," Tara said firmly. "You shouldn't be out by yourself."
"I'm not an invalid," Willow groused.
"I know you're not," Tara said. "I just … Hell Gods? Constructs? I'm worried. I can't help but worry," Tara defended herself.
"It's … it's kind of nice," Willow said shyly.
"What is?" Tara wondered.
"You. Worrying about me," she said, suddenly finding the comforter on the bed extremely fascinating and staring at it intently.
"I'll always worry about you," Tara said, cupping Willow's face in her hands and lifting her eyes to meet her own. "It's part of loving you," she went on, leaning in and placing a soft kiss on her lips.
"I'm scared," Willow finally confessed in a small voice when the kiss ended, lifting her own hand to cover Tara's. "I - I don't really … I don't know what to do. And everyone's … they're all freaked, and I can't - they can't see how … how much this scares me, or they're just going to freak even more."
Tara listened to Willow's words, pulling her into her arms and rocking her gently. "Me, too," she said softly into Willow's hair, tucking the red head underneath her chin and holding Willow close. "I'm scared, too, but … we'll figure something out. We have to."
Willow stayed there in her arms, soaking up the comfort and love Tara offered, and pouring out her fears.
"Tara?"
"Yeah, Baby?"
"I … I really don't want to die," Willow said, her voice trembling. "I mean, yeah, duh - no one wants to die, right? And it's stupid to think that I couldn't - because I'm a Scooby and it's dangerous. But, I … I want to finish college. I wanna' be a part of the ritual tag-team grilling of Dawn's prom date. I wanna' get all wrinkled and gray and ornery with you, terrorizing the neighbor kids and yelling at them to stay off our lawn," she said with a sniffle.
"Hey - the neighbor kids can play on our lawn if they want," Tara protested, stroking Willow's hair and rocking her gently.
"See? That's a fight we might never have!" Willow explained. "I wanna get to be the crazy mean lady who lives with the really nice lady who bakes cookies. And I wanna' get to laugh at all the clueless people who'll think we're spinster sisters."
Tara laughed gently. "You're going to be a sweet old lady, and you know it," she said. "And I'm not letting you out of that. I … I can't imagine doing any of those things without you."
"I'm sorry," Willow said contritely. "I'm wallowing, aren't I?"
"You're allowed to wallow, Willow. You can be my Willow-Wallower," Tara said emphatically. "You need to vent, and I'll listen to all of it. This is your safe place, remember?"
"No, this is my safe place," Willow said, giving Tara a little squeeze. After a moment of quiet comfort, Willow sat up, kissing Tara lightly on the cheek. "I think I'm done wallowing for right now. You wanna' get out of bed, or sleep some more?"
"That depends," Tara said thoughtfully. "Care to join me?"
"Will you actually sleep if I do?" Willow asked suspiciously.
"No," Tara said cheerfully, a broad grin crossing her face.
"Why, Miss McClay," Willow said, feigning shock. "Are you propositioning me?"
"That depends," Tara said, sitting up and running her hands up and down Willow's sides. "Are you saying yes?"
Willow's answer was a soft slow kiss, and Tara hummed her approval, wrapping her arms around Willow's neck. Slowly, Willow lowered Tara back to the mattress, never breaking the contact of their kiss.
A knock sounded at the door, but they both ignored it.
by Sassette » Mon Mar 04, 2002 12:37 am
"As much as I hate to interrupt quality smooching time, Mary Ellen is here to check on Willow," Buffy called through the door. "And Willow? Your computer is beeping, and it's making Giles nervous."
"I'm being kissed senseless," Tara called out, pulling away from Willow long enough to say the words. "Come back later," she said, pulling Willow closer as Willow, too, began to laugh between kisses.
"I'm not dealing with a nervous Giles any longer," Buffy insisted. "So you'd both better be dressed when I open this door in about three seconds." Buffy paused, then added nervously, "you ARE both dressed, right?"
"No. We're totally naked," Willow yelled, only to have her assertion ruined by Tara's peals of laughter. Cautiously, the door opened, and Willow and Tara sat up as Buffy poked her head in with a wary look on her face.
"Liar," she accused Willow, leveling a mock glare on the redhead. Buffy stifled a grin at Tara and Willow's mussed clothing and hair.
"Okay, what do you need?" Willow said capturing Tara's hand in her own.
"You. Downstairs. Stop the evil beeping, and go see Mary Ellen," Buffy said pointedly.
"Gotcha," Willow said, standing up and turning back towards Tara. "You gonna' go back to sleep, sweetie."
"Nah," Tara said, stretching languidly. "I've been having weird dreams."
"Tell me about it later?" Willow questioned, her eyes concerned.
"Absolutely," Tara agreed, then tugged Willow down for one last kiss.
"Right, umm … I'll just … go now. Computer beeping and nervous Giles and all," a flustered Willow said.
"Come on, Will," Buffy urged, venturing into the room to grab the arm of Willow's sweater and tug her from the room. "Geeze, you'd think you'd have gotten that all out of your system last night," Buffy muttered as they went down the stairs.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Willow answered, a blush crawling up her neck.
"Hmmm … me, coming back from patrol. Me, walking up the stairs. Me, hearing strange noises from the master bedroom in the otherwise quiet house despite the extremely late hour," Buffy said, her lips twitching.
"We were, ummm… I mean, we -" Willow stammered, her eyes wide.
"I >know< what you were doing, Will," Buffy said, smirking at her friend. "So stop trying to explain before you hurt yourself, okay?"
"Umm … yeah. Good idea," Willow said enthusiastically. "This is a strong plan, and I'm very happy to be a part of it."
"Whatever," Buffy said with an affectionate look and a roll of her eyes, pushing Willow gently into the living room.
"Willow! Good morning," Mary Ellen said, standing up with a kindly smile. "Your Mr. Giles seems to be very nervous about the beeping. I'd fix it, but I don't know anything about Apple computers. My son showed me how to use Windows," she explained.
"Well, it's mostly the same," Willow said. "Mostly," she stressed. "There's some big differences in software and definitely in the underlying OS, but … it's the same kind of point and click interface," she explained, sitting in front of her computer and clicking an icon. "See? I just had mail. Beeping taken care of."
"Well, that did look rather easy, didn't it?" Giles asked curiously, peering over Willow's shoulder.
"I can show you how to use it," Willow offered, looking up at Giles.
"I … I'll just stick with my books," Giles hedged, backing away from the machine. "Lovely talking with you again, Mary Ellen," Giles said. "I'll just … be in the kitchen."
"What was that all about?" Willow wondered at Giles' hasty retreat.
"Mary Ellen told Giles this was like a … ummm - Well," Buffy started to explain.
"A gynelogical exam. Can I help it if the dear man believed me?" Mary Ellen asked innocently.
"You told Giles … but … I -" Willow said, shock evident on her face.
"When you get to be my age, you've got to take pleasure in the little things. Telling your Mr. Giles that this was a very … personal matter amused me," Mary Ellen explained, no hint of remorse in her tone or features. "He's got to learn to know when people are lying outright to him."
"Umm … okay," Willow said slowly, her brow creasing in confusion.
"You ready?" Mary Ellen asked carefully.
"Oh, umm … sure," Willow said nervously, sitting down in the center of the rug in the clear space Buffy had made moving the table.
"Now, I want you to relax, Willow," Mary Ellen said. "I know this is hard for you, but I'm just going to sprinkle some herbs in a circle around you, chant a little, then look. Okay?"
Willow just nodded, trying to relax and stamp down the fear rising in her. She had been really out of it last time Mary Ellen had performed this ritual around her, and she wasn't sure how she would react this time. Would she freak out? Would the dark magick rise up in her and demand she cast? She honestly had no idea, and it scared her.
"I said relax," Mary Ellen said with a little smile, looking at Willow sitting stiff as a board in the center of the circle she had made.
"What's going on here?" Tara demanded, coming down the stairs and seeing Willow sitting in the middle of a magickal circle.
"I'm not casting," Willow said quickly, turning her head and craning her neck to look at Tara standing behind her.
"She's not casting," Buffy assured, nodding quickly.
"I'm just checking to see how bad the dark magick build-up is," Mary Ellen explained. "You must be Tara. I'm Mary Ellen."
"Umm … nice to meet you," Tara said warily, looking at the circle, then back up at Mary Ellen. "This won't … hurt her?"
"Of course not," Mary Ellen said firmly. "It's just to see how she's doing, and how much dark magick she has in her system right now. It doesn't actually >do< anything … it just lets us look at what's already happening. We're hoping it's gone down a little, or at least hasn't gone up very much."
"Okay," Tara said, moving to sit on the couch next to Buffy, watching the proceedings with narrowed eyes.
"Umm … honey?" Willow asked after a moment, looking straight ahead at Mary Ellen again.
"Yes?" Tara asked.
"Could you … maybe stop glaring? It's making me nervous."
"Oh, sorry," Tara said, forcing herself to relax and composing her expression. Willow nodded, and Mary Ellen began, sitting across from Willow outside the circle and chanting in a language that seemed to tickle Willow and Tara's ears, as if they should know it.
A gray mist rose up in the circle, then coalesced around Willow as she shuddered, trying to relax and maintain her focus on not casting any spells. The herbs used, thankfully, had no scent, and when she closed her eyes and didn't look at them, the voices in her head remained silent.
The mist moved, a core of deep black hovering on Willow's skin, surrounded by a clear white. The white and black mists moved around each other, swirling and twining together in a never ending dance. A thick black strand of the vapor formed at Willow's middle, pointing towards the Hellmouth and ending at the edge of the circle.
Mary Ellen nodded to herself, watching carefully. She couldn't hide her surprise when another blanket of mist arose, forming itself into another thick strand, this one the purest white, stretching from Willow's heart towards Tara.
When the brilliant white strand broke the circle, meeting with Tara's heart, Mary Ellen nearly swallowed her tongue. The mist spread where it hit Tara, encircling her whole body, maintaining its perfect whiteness. Buffy also looked shocked, and edged away from Tara, afraid she would interfere with the spell if she touched any of it.
Mary Ellen watched, fascinated by this new development. There was no way the mist should have broken the circle, at least none that she had ever heard of. But the explanation was obvious. These two young women shared a bond that defied even the laws of magicks.
Tara sat perfectly still, ignoring the mist around her and watching Willow carefully, searching her face and posture for any sign of pain or fear. She'd put a stop to this immediately if it in any way hurt Willow. The mist got thicker, and Tara had flashes of her dream, only now the mists were perfectly white, instead of the gray she had seen in her sleep. As she strained to see a flash of red, she didn't notice the inky black sphere that grew in front of her solar plexus.
But Mary Ellen noticed. It certainly didn't surprise her - no one was as perfectly white as Tara had appeared to be at first. She watched carefully, looking between Willow and Tara, monitoring the changes. The black sphere in front of Tara grew to the size of a fist, but then stopped, the black mists not intermingling with the white mists.
A shadow. Mary Ellen had certainly heard of such things, but she had never in her entire life seen one, or even known anyone who had seen one. The white mists around Tara swirled around the blackness, containing it.
She looked back at Willow, frowning as the intermingling white and black grew darker, then darker still. It seemed as though the dark magicks within Willow had receded somehow, because her level was down quite a bit from the last time she had checked her, but now it was compensating, and moving in faster. Whatever had happened, it was dangerous.
She looked at the connection between Willow and Tara, pleased to see that it remained a pure and perfect white. One thing was certain - she had never seen anything so bizarre in her entire life.
A few words, and the mist disappeared.
"Well?" Buffy asked expectantly, as Willow and Tara tried to regain their breath. There was something very eerie about undergoing that ritual. Neither had felt unsafe or threatened, but the obscured vision left them both shaking, and Willow immediately turned to look to Tara when the mists disappeared.
"It's … very strange," Mary Ellen said slowly. "Something happened to Willow," she went on.
"What? What happened? What's wrong?" Tara asked, sitting bolt upright and leaning forward.
"But … nothing happened! I'd know if something happened, right?" Willow asked quickly.
"Hey, it's okay," Tara said soothingly, scrambling off the couch and moving next to Willow, pulling her into her arms. "It >is< okay, right?"
"It's … sort of okay," Mary Ellen hedged. "She's … a lot of the dark magick cleared up, but it's coming back at a much faster rate."
"What does that mean?" Buffy asked, frowning as she remembered the doctors who had told her things she hadn't understood before getting to the upshot.
"It means that we're still looking at about two weeks before it overruns her system, and if whatever happened happens again, we're looking at less time. It's moving about three times faster now," Mary Ellen said bluntly.
"That's bad," Willow said, frowning.
"W-we need to find out what happened," Tara said, her face determined. "And we have to stop it from happening again."
"And we need to be careful," Buffy put in. "If the Trickster thinks he has less time, he's going to step up his plan. We have to keep Willow away from him, and that Construct thing. Sorry, Will," she said, looking at the redhead. "No more class until we have this all sorted out."
"But - I can't miss any more," Willow protested, only to be silenced when Tara leveled a stern look at her.
"I think Buffy's right," she said carefully. Her gaze softened at the crestfallen look on Willow's face. "I know what going to class means to you, but we have to be careful. We don't know what the Trickster wants with you yet."
"Umm … actually, yes we do," Willow said. "We haven't had a chance to really fill you and Anya in on the research stuff yet."
"What did you find out?" Tara asked.
"He needs to trick me into crossing the Hellmouth, and then performing a ritual that will free him there," Willow said.
Tara blinked once, then twice, absorbing the information.
"Mary Ellen?" she finally asked, looking over her shoulder at the elderly woman. "Why is the dark magick building up now? It wasn't before, right?"
"No, it wasn't. I think … I think you would have felt it," she said, eyeing Tara carefully. From all she had heard of Tara, she would have been aware if the build-up had occurred in her presence. "It's building up because Willow isn't casting anymore."
"I see," Tara said, a stricken look crossing her face. "I need to take a walk," she said abruptly, letting Willow go and running out the door.
"I … wha -?" Willow asked in a daze.
"Who with the huh?" Buffy said, standing up and staring at the door.
Willow pulled herself together, frowning. "I'm, umm … just …"
"Go," Buffy said, and Willow nodded, taking off out the door and running to catch up with Tara.
Tara heard the footsteps behind her, and picked up her pace. It was probably Willow, but it could possibly be Buffy, she reasoned. Buffy might have made Willow stay behind, because it wasn't necessarily safe for Willow to be out.
"Tara!" she heard Willow call, answering that question, at least. But there were so many other burning questions raging through her mind right now.
Willow watched as Tara cut into the park on the corner, heading away from the street. She followed, worried about Tara, and wondering what could have possibly made her bolt from the room like that.
"Tara? Dammit, Tara! Wait up," Willow demanded, still following. They ran through the park, and Willow was surprised at how fast Tara could move. She had seen Tara run before, but mostly when they were being chased by something big and evil, and Willow hadn't had time to ponder how fast they were going. It was really either 'fast enough to live' or 'slow enough to die'. But this - this was fast, and Willow was having a hard time keeping up.
Tara kept running, dodging through trees and staying off the paths, finally coming to a stop in the middle of a playground. She flopped onto a swing, looking around the deserted area with tired, miserable eyes.
Willow came crashing out of the undergrowth, her lungs laboring as she cursed under her breath. "Tara? What's the matter?" she asked as she came to a stop, then moved forward at a more sedate pace.
Eyes full of guilt and pain raised themselves to look into Willow's eyes as Willow knelt before her. "Answer me something?" Tara asked raggedly as Willow placed her hands on Tara's knees for balance.
"Anything," Willow promised.
"If … if I hadn't asked you to stop … if you were casting right now? Would you still be dying? Would the world end?" Tara asked, her voice cracking.
by WiccansIllusion » Mon Mar 04, 2002 1:01 am
by vicxen77 » Mon Mar 04, 2002 1:14 am
by jomarch » Mon Mar 04, 2002 1:20 am
Answering Darkness is at Chapter thirty six
And we end with Tara's guilt thrown into the mix.
With every update this story amazes me,
I would love to be your beta, I'd give you a fee.
So please Sassette, don't make me wait.
I'll log in tomorrow for another update
[This message has been edited by jomarch (edited March 04, 2002).]
by Kel » Mon Mar 04, 2002 3:10 am
can't wait for more!!
Kel
by Scout » Mon Mar 04, 2002 6:54 am
Great update, Sass. I like where I think you're going with this - that they loved each other in past lives. A love that transcends time and physical boundaries. Yeah, baby!
Okay, composing myself now. I'm looking forward to more, but now I'm off to read the wildfeed. Wow, Sass update and wildfeed on the same morning. Monday doesn't get any better than that.
by Pixie » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:21 am
*Pixie sends some pillows to Puff so she won't get any more suspicious bruises so Sassette won't get carted away for long distance abuse.*
by mollyig » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:29 am
------------------
"It took a long time to become the thing i am to you,
and you won't tear it apart without a fight, without a heart"
Become You - Indigo Girls
by Web Warlock » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:41 am
Excellent. Remember when this was supposed to be just a little fic!
Warlock
------------------
Web Warlock
web.warlock@attbi.com webwarlock@planetadnd.com
Author, the Netbooks of Witches and Warlocks
The Other Side: http://www.xtreme-gaming.com/theotherside/
Shadow Earth Games: http://www.rpghost.com/WebWarlock/
The FanCC: http://www.enworld.org/fancc/
--
"What the hell is your problem?" - Ozzy Osbourne to me, Feb. 1996
by Shaniezak » Mon Mar 04, 2002 12:12 pm
And she asked me last night if there was something wrong with being evil and angsty, and I said not at all . . .
Remind me never to say this again while you're writing, Sass.
by Puff » Mon Mar 04, 2002 3:05 pm
Great update Sass, but more please...and um fast as well.
------------------
'The cold and ruthless sea tossed the lovers' into the starry black night. together they fall, together they sleep. forever.. forever.. *whisper*forever..the cold and ruthless sea...' By Sweets
by Sheila » Mon Mar 04, 2002 3:31 pm
When I think it's already perfect and I can't love it more, you show me how wrong I was! I love each chapter more and more, if possible.
As we didn't have enough to worry about, now Tara's guilt joins the mess... oh my, I just hope she won't do something heroic and risky trying to diminish her guilt...
You're a genious!!!! :-)
by ForeverPiper » Mon Mar 04, 2002 5:03 pm
----------------------------
There's a monkey problem? -Tara
by katydid » Mon Mar 04, 2002 6:39 pm
------------------
"She practically has 'genuine molded plastic' stamped on her ass.
by Owl » Mon Mar 04, 2002 7:35 pm
i went looking for my favorite bits to comment on... but there are too many...
I wish to thank you for your concern about my cycling habits, and to reassure you that i am safety-girl. I always wear a helmet. I yelled at the tv that time that Willow rode that schwinn to school sans helmet. must respect the noggin.
I have decided that kittens such as Puff and Pixie, etc. should wear helmets when reading your fic.
*distributes helmets that say something like "mittens of sassette do it on the floor.*
by Sassette » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:23 pm
**W.I.: I would recommend opening a small antique shop somewhere in Maryland or Virginia. That should keep you busy when this story is done
**vicxen77: Damn me to hell? *snicker* Careful now ... I'm the writer and could start killing people off at the drop of a hat, so be nice Glad you like the story, and sorry about the cliffhanger.
**jomarch: Yes - I've found guilt to be a great motivator ... and since you've taken the time to write me a little poem, I'll stay up until the last half of this chapter is done. *G*
**Kel: Yeah, poor Tara. I feel bad about putting them both through this kind of torture, but when they're done, they'll be the better for it.
**Scout: I can't answer that - that would be telling *G* And past lives!? Who said anything about past lives!?!? What kind of weird freak introduces past lives into their story ... oh, wait. Heh. That would be me, huh? Hope you enjoyed your wildfeed ... I'm trying to remain unspoiled on the details of this one, because it drives my mom and my sister nuts when I start talking about what's going to happen in the next scene during commercial breaks *G*
**Pixie: I heard a thud! *rushes over to adminster mouth to mouth* You okay? Should I call EMS? And yes, you get the second half tonight. I hope that will be soon enough for you. I rarely have time to even think about this fic during work, let alone update, though I've been naughty once or twice and done an update or two from there. Heh. I don't think any of you really minded, though *G* And thanks for passing out pillows to people - I'd rather stay out of jail.
**mollyig: I'm really putting them through the ringer, aren't I? *guilty look* But yeah - their love is a beautiful thing.
**Web Warlock: If you keep comparing me to Lisa, I'm afraid I'm going to be unable to get my big swollen head through my bedroom door, and I'll be quite unable to reach my keyboard. But - thanks *G* And yeah *nostalgic sigh* I remember when this was going to be just a short little "they fight, they make up, they have sex, happy ending" fic.
**Shanie: Not only did you say that it wasn't wrong for me to be Evil Angst Girl, YOU said that you LOVE it when I'm Evil Angst Girl. So - now you must deal with the consequences of your foolish actions. Oh, and never tell me it's okay to be Evil and Angsty while I'm writing.
**Puff: No, that wasn't a bloody cliffhanger. The BLOODY cliffhanger comes later. There was no blood in this one. And I'm writing as fast as my poor litle fingers can fly across my keyboard.
**Sheila: Now, I realize this was a bit of a cliffhanger - but I'm nowhere near Lisa's level of nail-biting terror. Or maybe I just >think< I'm not because I know what happens *ponders* And I'm sincerely flattered that you think I was able to out-do the previous chapter, because I was really doubting that I could - so thank you. I'm glad the story is getting better and better for you. And Tara? Do something heroic and risky to save Willow's life? Where did you get a wild and crazy idea like that? *G*
**ForeverPiper: And here I thought AD35 (henceforth known as The Chapter With The Sex In It) wasn't a cliffhanger. That would count as once, wouldn't it? And it's a curse. Definitely a curse.
**katydid: And I hope I have many more surprises to throw out you wonderful kittens. As for Tara being the answer ... every solution has a problem. The Trickster is REALLY good at what he does. And I'm glad you liked the dialogue ... I grinned the entire time I wrote it. Gosh, they're cute *sappy look*
**Owl: Glad I could contribute to a good start to someone's day - and I'm VERY glad to hear that you are safety-girl. Helmets are a must! As for the "mittens of Sassette do it on the floor" slogan ... I have three things to say. First, *snicker* Second, can you BE a mitten and HAVE mittens? I didn't think that was even possible. Third, doesn't everyone do it on the floor? I mean, it's THERE ... and ... it's horizontal ... so why not?
-Sass
by WiccansIllusion » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:29 pm
by Owl » Mon Mar 04, 2002 9:44 pm
by Pixie » Mon Mar 04, 2002 10:13 pm
Sassette + minion + kitten = smitten
whaddaya think?
by WiccansIllusion » Mon Mar 04, 2002 10:14 pm
[This message has been edited by WiccansIllusion (edited March 05, 2002).]
by Owl » Mon Mar 04, 2002 10:41 pm
we'll just have to scribble an extra "s" on our helmets....
[This message has been edited by Owl (edited March 05, 2002).]
by jomarch » Mon Mar 04, 2002 11:29 pm
Sassette, thanks for staying up late but sleep is important too . Although I really am waiting for the next part. As Pixie said, we are smitten.
by Sassette » Mon Mar 04, 2002 11:55 pm
Answering Darkness Part 36b - Shadows (2 of 2)
Eyes full of guilt and pain raised themselves to look into Willow's eyes as Willow knelt before her. "Answer me something?" Tara asked raggedly as Willow placed her hands on Tara's knees for balance.
"Anything," Willow promised.
"If … if I hadn't asked you to stop … if you were casting right now? Would you still be dying? Would the world end?" Tara asked, her voice cracking.
********************
Tara waited for her answer, her mind racing around itself. She would have preferred to have thought this all through in solitude - her thoughts too chaotic to burden Willow with right now. She had so many things racing through her brain that had to be sorted, and she wasn't like Willow. She couldn't just - think things and have them fall into their neat little places all categorized and cross-referenced. And so she ran when the thoughts started, but Willow - Willow had followed.
"I … Tara?" Willow said uncertainly, her eyes growing wide.
"Answer me," Tara ground out, her face determined.
"I … no. No, I wouldn't be dying, and no, the world wouldn't end," Willow admitted, unable to lie to this woman, even to spare her pain. There had been too many secrets - too many doubts and fears, and Willow refused to live with them anymore. If she only had a few weeks left, she wanted to live them being completely open and honest with the one person she loved more than anything else.
"Then it's my fault," Tara said, her gaze unfocused and her face a study in agony. "I … I'm killing you," she gasped out, her voice distant and dull sounding, lacking any of the vibrancy and warmth Willow was used to hearing.
"Stop it," Willow said tightly, grasping Tara's shoulders and turning her to look into her eyes. "Look at me," she demanded, repeating the command until Tara's eyes focused on her. "This is >not< your fault. Don't you dare even think that."
"How can I not?" Tara shot back, self-disgust written all over her expressive features. "You're going to die, and if I hadn't …" her voice broke, and she stopped, raising a hand to her lips as she struggled to compose herself as Willow looked on, searching for something - anything - to say to make Tara believe. "If I hadn't left you … you'd be okay."
"No, I wouldn't be okay," Willow denied, shaking her head vehemently. "I'd be … God, Tara - can't you see that the spells were killing me? You're the one who made me see it. You're the one who made me believe it. I … my body is … yeah, I could die. >Could< die … not 'will die'. But … Honey, if … if I hadn't stopped … a big piece of me … the best part of me … the part of me that makes you love me - that would already be dead."
"I love all of you," Tara insisted. "I just … I couldn't stay with you."
"And you did the right thing," Willow went on. "I - God, who knows what I would've done? I was - I was so out of control and all 'let me fix that with magick' about every little thing … I … I could've really hurt someone. Or killed somebody. I - it was wrong, sweetheart. I was wrong. And now I'm doing the right thing."
"Well it's not fair!" Tara yelled, getting to her feet and kicking the loose sand under the swing set. "I just … God, it's not fair. You … you're doing so well, without the magick … and this - I can't lose you."
"You'll never lose me, baby," Willow whispered into her ear, hugging Tara from behind. She felt Tara's arms come up to rest across her own, her eyes drifting shut as she heard Tara murmur … something.
"Hmm?" she questioned, not quite catching the words.
"Cast a spell on me," Tara said again, her voice a little louder this time as she turned her face towards Willow. Willow went completely still, her jaw dropping open.
"I … what?" she said, as Tara turned in her arms to look her right in the eye.
"Cast a spell on me," Tara said for the third time, her voice rising. "I don't care what … turn me into a frog. Take my memories. But just … cast. Something. Anything."
"I … what?" Willow said again, a wave of confusion rolling over her. She backed away slowly, shaking her head, her fists clenching and unclenching. "I … you can't mean that," she said, her voice hoarse and low. "It's … it's gotta' be a trick." Those words … that request coming from Tara just seemed wrong. Almost obscene, like … like the whole world had turned upside down.
And if Tara's suggestion that she cast magick to save her life was wrong, then just how selfish and short-sighted was her own previous attitude of casting a spell to fix every little thing she didn't like in her life?
"No trick," Tara said, her steady gaze growing uncertain, her shoulders slumping as she seemed to fall in on herself. "I … I don't know what I mean," she said miserably. "I - you … you have to realize, that … I don't have a single memory that's worth your life," she said fiercely. "All of them together aren't worth your life."
"You don't know what you're asking me," Willow got out, her head shaking her denial. "I … God, Tara. I'd … I'd - no. No."
"I'm sorry … I'm sorry," Tara said, falling to her knees in the sand, wrapping her arms around her middle. "I can't … I keep thinking that - it's like, it doesn't matter. It's like everything I've ever believed - what I've been taught my whole life about magick is … none of it is as important as you," she managed to say, tears tracking down her face.
"Tara," Willow said seriously, kneeling before her a wiping her tears away. "I - I'll say this once. I'd rather die than cast a spell on you," she said, pulling Tara into her arms as she began to sob. "I'd rather die than be the Trickster's tool. I'd rather die than … than to be that person who … who hurt you so badly."
"But this is hurting me," Tara gasped, her whole body aching at the thought of losing Willow. "I - God, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry … I never - I never should have asked that. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Willow soothed, stroking Tara's hair. "It's okay, baby … just … don't ever ask me that again. I … I don't know if … I hate seeing you hurting so much. It rips me up inside … but … God, just don't ever ask me again."
"I won't," Tara promised. "I won't … I'm sorry … I didn't mean -"
"I know, baby … you're just scared, like me," Willow said, kissing the top of Tara's head and rocking her gently in her arms. "I know."
"And you know I'd die for you?" Tara asked quietly, her ragged breaths calming as she pulled herself together. "I know people say that … but … I really mean, that if I could give my life for yours, I would in a heartbeat."
"I know," Willow said simply, brushing Tara's hair back from her face. "I … I'd do the same, though. There isn't anything I have that I wouldn't give to keep you safe."
Unaccountably, Tara started giggling.
"What?" Willow asked, a little smile playing about her lips at the sound of Tara's mirth.
"I just … Oh, God," Tara said, giggling harder.
"What's so funny?" Willow asked again. "'Cuz I'm not getting the joke here, and I'm feeling a little left out."
"It's … it's not even that funny," Tara said through her laughter. "I just … I'm just imagining us, out on patrol, throwing ourselves at the same vampire, asking him to bite us and let the other one go."
Willow giggled, too, the scene playing out in her mind. "I'd be tossing my hair back and saying, 'oh, no - I have a lovely neck … you should bite >me<,'" Willow offered up.
"And then I'd say, 'but you can't bite >her< … she has red hair, and every vampire knows that redheads get stuck in your teeth,'" Tara said with mock solemnity before laughing again.
"And then Buffy would stake him from behind, and he'd just look really confused before he went poof," Willow said, joining in the laughter and hugging Tara tight.
"When this is over, let's go somewhere," Tara said, snuggling into Willow's arms. "Somewhere sunny and warm and happy where we can frolic and definitely >not< cry. I know some truckers - we could hitchhike."
"Anything you need, any time you need it," Willow promised.
"I really am sorry," Tara whispered, looking at Willow with watery blue eyes.
"Hey, no more crying," Willow cajoled. "And It's okay," she reassured Tara. "Hearing that from you … it … it kind of … it put it all in perspective for me, y'know? Like it was so wrong to hear you suggesting it that … I really realized just >how< wrong it was for me to do it in the first place. Y'know?"
"I … I guess that makes sense, but … still. I'm sorry," Tara said again. "I … I had no right to ask that of you."
"You have every right to ask anything of me," Willow said, kissing Tara lightly. "But now you've asked, I've answered, and … that's it."
"Okay," Tara said, nodding her agreement. "I … I won't mention it again."
"Good," Willow said, kissing Tara again. "You ready to go home now? I bet Buffy and Mary Ellen and Giles are kind of worried. You really took off."
"I … sorry," Tara said sheepishly as they helped each other to their feet. "I figured someone would follow, but I … I kinda' hoped I could lose them so I could work this out on my own."
"Baby," Willow said, her eyes sad. "You can talk to me about anything."
"I know," Tara said, nodding. "I just … I can't believe I … I asked you to cast. I … it was one of the things going through my head, and - I didn't want to do that to you. Not without thinking about it. Not - not like I did."
"C'mon," Willow said, taking Tara's hand and entwining their fingers together. "Let's just go home and do the research thing, since I've been barred from attending school."
They walked hand in hand, enjoying each other's company and the fresh air and sunshine. "Willow?" Tara asked after a moment, looking up at the sky. "Thank you."
"For what?" Willow asked, looking over at Tara.
"For saying no," Tara said simply, returning Willow's gaze with loving eyes.
Willow blushed and ducked her head, that look of adoration warming her through and through. "I … you're welcome."
"Do you think … that cloud looks like a bunny," Tara said, looking back up with the sky.
"You've been spending too much time with Anya," Willow said, bumping Tara gently with her hip. "The ears are too short, see?" she went on, pointing up at the sky and illustrating her point with gestures. "It looks like a kitty. A sneaky kitty."
"A kitty?" Tara asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Oh my God! Miss Kitty Fantastico!" Willow yelped suddenly, making Tara jump. "You haven't seen Miss Kitty yet," Willow said excitedly. "Come on," she said, tugging on Tara's hand and breaking into a jog.
"Miss Kitty?" Tara said, hurrying to keep her arm from being pulled off by Willow's enthusiasm. "Oh … I … I totally forgot. What kind of mommy am I?" she wondered aloud.
"You're a great mommy," Willow said sternly, still pulling Tara along. "You just got in real late, and we had to put her up in Dawn's room because she kept sitting on the books while everyone was trying to read them."
"Then lets go see her," Tara said with a laugh, racing ahead and taking her turn to tug on Willow's arm.
Buffy, Giles, and Mary Ellen watched bemusedly as the two laughing women practically skipped into the house, then raced up the stairs.
"I gather they worked things out," Giles said slowly, blinking once, then turning back to his book.
"I guess so," Buffy agreed, as the sound of a door opening then closing reached her ears. She turned back to her own book, only to look up again when she heard squealing.
Giles blinked.
"I … umm.." Giles stammered, a blush crawling up his neck.
"Oh, no," Buffy said, shaking her head. "I don't think they're … are they?"
"I refuse to think about it," Giles said.
The sounds of creaking bed springs floated down the stairs, and all the eyes in the room widened.
"Well, it's nice to hear two young people enjoying themselves," Mary Ellen said with a smirk.
"Mary Ellen!" Giles said, his astonishment evident on his face. "I'm sure … there's a perfectly innocent explanation."
"Right," Buffy muttered, turning back to her book, only to look back up with a puzzled expression. "Are they in Dawn's room?"
"Oh, I'm certain they … not in Dawn's …" Giles said faintly.
The sound of the door opening and closing again reached them, and Willow and Tara came down the stairs, Tara's arms full of Miss Kitty.
"Spike found Miss Kitty," Tara announced needlessly, a broad grin on her face.
"She missed her mommy," Willow said, reaching around Tara to stroke Miss Kitty's furry little ears.
"You were … greeting your cat," Giles said with something like relief in his voice, eliciting strange looks from Willow and Tara.
"Anything new and exciting?" Willow asked, kissing Tara lightly on the cheek, then sitting down in front of her computer.
"Yes, well," Giles said, removing his glasses and squinting for a moment, before putting them back on. "It would seem Tara has a shadow."
"Doesn't everyone have a shadow?" Willow asked, her brow furrowing.
"That's what I said!" Buffy pointed out.
"It's … not that kind of shadow," Giles said.
"It's a dark spot in an aura that doesn't intermingle with the rest of it," Mary Ellen explained. "It's like … it's potential darkness that hasn't done anything yet."
"And I have … I have a shadow?" Tara asked, her eyes going wide.
"You know what they are?" Giles asked, delighted he wouldn't have to explain.
Tara nodded. "I … my mother thought … she thought that the … the demon would show up as a shadow. She - she kept searching for years and years, trying to find hers, but her aura was perfectly white."
"So she didn't have one?" Mary Ellen asked, unfamiliar with Tara's family story.
"I - I don't think she did … but … I have one?" Tara asked again. "I - I have a shadow?"
"Hey," Willow said, taking Miss Kitty out of Tara's arms and putting her on the floor, ignoring her mew of protest. "That doesn't mean anything. It's … you're not a demon, okay? Don't even think about it."
"But how did you see it?" Tara asked, looking over at Mary Ellen. "They're tiny, like, just a little speck. That's why mom kept searching and searching."
"Tara," Buffy said slowly. "The, uhh … dark thing? The black stuff surrounded by white stuff? It was about the size of my fist. There's no way to miss it."
"I … Oh, God," Tara said, sitting down abruptly as her legs gave out. Tara's mind reeled at the implications.
"Hey, hey," Willow said, rubbing Tara's arm. "That must have been from me. It's not you. It - I'm sorry," she said. "I'm really sorry."
"The connection between you two was perfectly white as well," Mary Ellen said, shaking her head. "There hasn't been any dark power transferred between you two, or we would have seen it."
"Then the Trickster - he … he must have done something to the spell. I mean, Tara was outside the circle, right? You shouldn't have been able to see her at all, right?" Willow asked quickly, her mind casting about for any and all plausible explanations.
"That's certainly possible," Giles said, nodding. "We can't rule it out, but on the other hand, we can't confirm it, either."
"It won't hurt her? It's not actually doing anything?" Willow asked, looking back and forth between Mary Ellen and Giles.
"No, it can't hurt her," Mary Ellen said. "That thing is just potential. Unless Tara does something to release it, it'll just sit there."
"See?" Buffy said encouragingly. "Nothing to worry about. No aura-shadow-thing can do anything."
"I … but -" Tara stammered.
"No 'buts'," Willow said firmly. "If you were a demon, you would have turned into one last year, remember? But you're not. So don't even think it."
"I - you're right," Tara said slowly, her mind clearing. "There has to be some other explanation. And right now, that explanation isn't as important as figuring out how to get you better," she said, looking over at Willow. "So - what have you all found out while I was gone?" Tara asked.
"I'm afraid not much," Giles said. "We know the Trickster needs to get Willow into Hell, and that she would have to perform a ceremony to release him. We know that the witch who defeated him originally seemed to work with another witch. At least, that's what we can glean from the accounts the Watcher's Council have sent us. Willow's ancestor seems to have been that witch. It all fits. She was in the right place at the right time, and the Trickster is focusing his attention on Willow."
"Anything new on the Construct?" Tara asked.
"Only that it seems to know Willow's class schedule," Buffy said, a wry look on her face. "It showed up on campus yesterday."
"It showed up on campus?" Tara asked incredulously. "And you went to school?" she said, turning her attention to Willow, who at least had the good grace to look contrite.
"Buffy went with me," Willow said weakly.
"You let her go?" she said, turning back to Buffy.
"Well, I couldn't just tie her to the bed," Buffy protested. Tara's anger vanished instantly at Buffy's words, and she had to bite the inside of her lip to keep from smiling. "And I need to get a better bead on this thing, anyway. It's the Trickster's best shot for getting Willow into Hell."
"Really?" Willow asked, a blush covering her face. She had noticed Tara's reaction to Buffy's declaration about not tying her to the bed, and was desperately trying to change the subject.
"Yes," Giles confirmed. "The Construct can pass into this realm easier than a full demon, but it can pass back just as easily. If it grabbed you and jumped through the Hellmouth, it's possible you would make it into Hell alive."
"That … umm … I'm not liking that idea," Willow said. "Not that I want to be in Hell and dead. Definitely preferring alive and in Hell, but … it's the Hell part I'm not loving."
"You're not going to get pulled into Hell," Tara said firmly. "Even if I have to tie you to the bed," she couldn't resist adding, her innocent expression at odds with the wicked twinkle in her eye.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Giles said absently, looking back at the book in his hands.
"No, but it's fun," Willow said, then sat up straight, her eyes wide as she clapped both hands over her mouth. "I didn't just say that out loud, did I?" she asked plaintively as her face turned a bright red. She looked over at Tara, seeing an answering blush cover her features as she looked down and bit her lip to keep from laughing.
"Yes, you did," Giles said. "Now, see what else you can find out about Margaret McDonald while I read this book and try not to pull my ears off my head in hopes of never hearing such things again."
"W-who's Margaret?" Tara asked, looking up at the name.
"That's the witch," Willow said, opening up her most recent email from the Watcher's Council.
"That was … the witch?" Tara asked weakly. "The one who defeated the Trickster?"
"Yes, that's right," Giles said, looking up from his book. "Do you know something?" he asked carefully, studying Tara's face.
"I … someone named Margaret was in my dream," Tara said. "It was … I was somewhere dark and scary, and I was looking for Willow. She wasn't there - I … I couldn't find her. I kept calling for her, but then I was calling for Margaret. I climbed a mountain, and … I saw two women talking. They … it was us," she said, looking over at Willow. "Only it wasn't us. It was you - Margaret. And me."
"I think we'd better look through your mother's things," Giles said after a moment to digest the information. "Because if you were there, you were the other witch."
by Pixie » Tue Mar 05, 2002 12:09 am
Aah, thank you Sass. (And thanks for the mouth-to-mouth. It was much more effective than EMS.) This faithful smitten can now go to sleep with happy W/T somewhat-less-cliffhangery thoughts. *Pixie takes off her helmet and toddles off to bed.*
by mollyig » Tue Mar 05, 2002 2:15 am
You are very Jossian in your ability to mix the angst and the humour - I love it.
In between all the worrying and the fright when Tara asked Willow to cast, we have the moments of fun; like the scenario Tara giggled about where they each tried to tempt the vampire away from the other, and the whole tied to the bed bit.
This is a wonderful fic!
------------------
"It took a long time to become the thing i am to you,
and you won't tear it apart without a fight, without a heart"
Become You - Indigo Girls
by Scout » Tue Mar 05, 2002 3:16 am
And the Construct knows Will’s schedule…heh heh. When I read that, I pictured him standing at the Registrar’s desk asking about the cute little redhead’s schedule. Okay, maybe not…
Another faithful smitten bows to Sass. Any idea when the next update will come? We’re a greedy lot, aren’t we?
by ForeverPiper » Tue Mar 05, 2002 3:54 am
"Even if I have to tie you to the bed," she couldn't resist adding, her innocent expression at odds with the wicked twinkle in her eye.
"I don't think that will be necessary," Giles said absently, looking back at the book in his hands.
"No, but it's fun," Willow said, then sat up straight, her eyes wide as she clapped both hands over her mouth. "I didn't just say that out loud, did I?"
This had me laughing SO hard...but then again, I have a very warped sence of humor. Can't wait for the next part!
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