COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Josh Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the author for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.
SPOILERS: Anything from Season 6 that has been aired!
RATING: seriously R stuff, but angsty
TITLE: UNTITLED
AUTHOR: Sher (
Sher_555@yahoo.com)
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Dawn ran out to the nurses station in a panic. “I NEED A DOCTOR! TARA IS BLEEDING! PLEASE!”
“Tara!” Willow jumped out of her chair running to Dawn. “What r-room? Where’s Tara?”
“545. Please she’s hurt! She pulled out those things!” Dawn was talking to one of the nurses.
Willow could hear her trying to calm down the teen as she sprinted to the room.
“… s-stop it. L-leave me alone,” Tara’s voice pleaded
Willow immediately became overprotective running into the room. “Leave her alone dammit!” Then she saw Buffy holding on to a panicked Tara.
“Oh… I thought…” Willow began her apology.
“Will, talk with her. Tell her she has to calm down and lay down.”
Willow was about to speak but she saw the blood on Tara’s arm.
“What did you do to her?” Willow said trying to hold back her anger.
“I didn’t do anything.” Buffy was getting annoyed and defensive at this point, not believing that Willow would think she would hurt Tara. “She started to pull her IV and transfusion out and just started bleeding.”
“I-I want to g-go,” Tara said trying to get someone to listen to her. “Please.”
“Ok baby, but they want you to stay over…”
“P-Please,” Tara said again almost looking on the verge of tears. Willow had to give in. The woman that she loved more than anything, who always shied away from her since the break up, was standing in front of her vulnerable, pleading to go home.
“Ok, I’ll talk with the doctor. Then we’ll take you home,” Willow said reluctantly.
“Willow!” Buffy left the blonde’s side and took Willow out into the hall. “She isn’t well at all. She should stay the night, she’s sedated now and look how she is!”
“Buffy. Just trust me. Can she come back to the house?” Willow was beginning to be ‘take charge’ Willow.
“Of course. If you can get her to agree that is. I don’t know if she’ll want to with…” Buffy stopped mid sentence, knowing if she finished the redhead would be hurt.
“She’ll sleep in our room, and I’ll take the couch. It’s fine,” Willow said as she approached the nursing station. “You’re going to have to arrange her departure Cousin Beth,” Willow said as a nurse came to help them.
Willow went back to Tara’s room to find her stumbling around, trying to put on her ripped skirt.
“Tara,” Willow said, expressing all of her sorrow for everything that had happened to the blonde.
Tara didn’t move. With her back to her she knew Willow could see the bruises on her back and legs and the stitches that accompanied them.
“Can you just wait? We’ll get you something else to wear,” Willow said, coming to Tara’s aid.
Tara didn’t answer. She wouldn’t even look Willow in the eyes. All she could think was how displeased Willow must be with her. That she was unable to protect herself with magic, how she wasn’t strong enough to fight the vampire, how ugly she was now.
“I think Xander and Anya went to get some clothes. You left some at the house when… you… Anyway Buffy is getting you released and talking with the doctor now. Or I should say ‘Cousin Beth.’” Willow gave her a tiny smile at the little joke.
“T-they didn’t call m-my family, d-did they?” Tara never thought of the possibility that they would. But why hadn’t she, that would be the first people they would most likely call!
“No, with ‘Cousin Beth’ being here they figured that she would call them if needed,” Willow said.
“Oh,” was all the blonde could say.
The knock on the door brought both of their attention away from the stare. “Is it ok if I come in? It’s Xander.”
Willow looked at Tara, questioning whether it was ok. Tara never responded. She just crawled into the bed to hide as much of herself as she could from Xander.
“Yeah,” Willow said, not taking her eyes off of Tara.
“Hey there Tare. Just brought you some clothes. Didn’t know what type of color scheme we were going to go for here so I brought a lot… and well Anya… well she got the things I don’t know about…” Xander smiled trying to put on a show of fake happiness for the group.
“T-thank you.” Tara got out of the bed, hesitantly approaching Xander to grab the stuff and went to the bathroom wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.
“She doing ok?” Xander asked as soon as the witch slipped into the bathroom.
“I don’t know,” Willow said staring at the closed door.
Xander grabbed the redhead in a tight bear hug hoping to bring comfort.
“I’m going to see if she needs help,” Willow said, shrugging out of the contact.
“Tara let me in,” Willow said quietly with no demand in her voice.
“I-I’m…” the voice was beginning to say from behind the door.
“Tara,” Willow said with a bit more force.
The door opened a slight crack with Tara checking if it was Willow and allowing her in as she hid behind the door.
Once Willow got in she saw that the blond indeed needed help. She was slightly tangled trying to untie the gown.
Willow gave her a caring smile. “Turn”
Tara complied, turning around away from Willow allowing her to untie the gown. Willow’s hands began to shake as she saw how badly hurt Tara was. Her back was almost a massive bruise and her ribs on her right side had bruises along them as they slightly stuck out, showing the amount of weight she had lost since Willow last saw her.
“So… what to wear?” Willow tried to make Tara a little less uncomfortable.
Tara didn’t answer. She gabbed her bra from the pile of clothing and tried to move her arms around to her back to clasp it. “Ah… Ah… Ow.”
“Tara! It’s ok. Stop. I got it,” Willow said as she reached around the blond in almost a hug like manner to clasp the bra. Her arms remained around the blond just happy that the woman she loved was still alive. Not knowing whether Tara could ever emotionally get over this, but at least she was ok and safe.
It was then that she felt a tear on her shoulder. Willow held onto Tara tightly as she silently cried. Willow was unable to bring any words of comfort, just her comforting arms.
Willow helped Tara complete the task of getting dressed, while having to convince the blond that one pair of pants and two shirts was enough for the weather outside.
“I j-just f-feel cold,” was how Tara justified her clothing choice.
“Tara!” Buffy was excited to see the blond somewhat talking and allowing Willow near her.
“W-we can g-go?” Tara was about to leave when the doctor entered and she backed up into the room scared.
“After I get a look at you.” The doctor entered the room.
Willow went over to the frightened girl’s side. “It’s ok Tarebear, she just needs to check you over and we’ll go home.” Willow guided Tara to the bed and sat next to her, trying to keep her calm.
“It would have been easier if you had stayed in the gown, but it’s all good,” the cheerful doctor said while taking Tara’s arm and looking at her watch.
“Yeah, this is Dr. Guidistien,” Buffy said beaming. “She’s real nice,” she leaned over whispering in Tara and Willow’s ears.
Willow could only smile.
“Was there a problem with one of the doctors?” The woman asked a bit confused at the comment.
“Dr. Traviston,” Buffy said angrily.
“Oh...” Dr. Guidistien said beginning to understand the circumstances. “Yes, she can be a bit domineering and uptight.” The doctor paused acting as if a couple other choice words were going through her head.
“Guessing she wasn’t all too friendly to you,” she said motioning with her head to the redhead as she put two and two together with how protective Willow was over the blond.
“W-what?” Tara said a bit concerned for Willow.
“It’s fine. Butch Buffy took care of your job for you,” Willow said enjoying the concern the blond was displaying for her as she comfortably slipped into the love that she was feeling from it. It was like before they had broken up, before Tara was hurt.
“Tara, I’m going to have to examine you. You’re going to need to get undressed,” the doctor said quietly.
“That is my exit!” Buffy said running off.
“I can be like Buffy if you want Tara?” Willow asked, hoping the blond would allow her to stay. She figured with helping her get dressed she’d seen all that Tara would be concerned about.
“I-I… um… W-would you p-please,” Tara said, not wanting Willow to be around, let alone hear the many questions she was sure the doctor would ask, and she would have to answer.
Willow reluctantly left the room with her head hanging low.
“Will? What’s going on?” Buffy did a little jog over to her friend.
“She doesn’t want me in there when…” Willow said.
“Oh,” Buffy said as she wrapped an arm around her friend and led her to the waiting room.
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“I’ll need you to undress and put this on. I’ll just close the curtain over here and let you change,” the doctor said moving to the other side of the room while Tara changed.
“Thanks. Here.” The doctor took off her lab coat and put it around the blond. “Just sit in the wheelchair and I will take you to the exam room. If everything appears to be fine after that, and we get your blood culture back and everything is good then you’re free to go, missy,” she said.
Tara nodded, accepting everything she said as she walked over to the wheelchair.
“Tara, I was wondering if you reconsidered the rape kit. If you report it…” The doctor said in a passive manner, hoping she had.
“I… n-no,” Tara said looking at her hands in her lap.
“Will I be able to change your mind? I’ll keep talking if I can,” the doctor said, kneeling in front of her, trying to see her eyes while she smiled at the girl.
“No,” Tara said quietly as she sunk further into the chair.
“Ok… so off for a wild ride around the hospital,” the doctor said merrily.
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The Scoobies resembled a school of sharks with their pacing in the waiting room, waiting for one of their injured to come out.
“I don’t understand what is taking so long,” Willow said impatiently. “Maybe I should go back to the room, she might be having trouble getting dressed. Before…” Willow trailed off as she saw the doctor coming with Tara in the wheelchair.
“Oh God. What happened? Tara are you ok?” Willow ran frantically to the blond witch.
“I-I’m f-fine,” Tara said, getting up from the wheelchair, looking like she was in a little pain.
“Tara if you change your mind, you have 72 hours from the incident,” The doctor said with extreme care. “Ok, so I’m guessing you’re the one I talk to,” the doctor said, looking at Willow carefully holding the blond to her body. “I’ve got her meds all lined up for you. Tara is already on a sedative. She should be sleeping right now so when you get her home, to bed with you, missy.” The doctor directed her attention back to the dazed girl. “But I have some more here for her if… sleeping is sometimes an issue when it comes to…”
“Yes,” Willow said taking the pills from the doctor and smiling, not wanting to think about the emotional trauma this may have caused.
Xander couldn’t take a blow-by-blow detail of how much this had harmed Tara. He had to do something. “You know what, I’m going to go grab the car,” he said smiling at Tara as he left.
“Then this one is for the pain. The doses are on the labels. Sedatives just take on an as need basis, the pain pills pretty much the same thing though for the next few days I would take them at the regular interval. Um… if you need anything else just call, here’s my card.” The doctor handed all of it over to Willow leaving the responsibility in her hands as she turned to Tara.
“You’re going to be ok?” she asked as she held Tara at the shoulders.
Tara nodded yes moving away and standing against Willow.
“Good,” the doctor said, standing there awkwardly, not knowing what to do, when all of her instincts were telling her that this girl was not going to be ‘ok’.
“Thanks a lot,” Willow said putting her arm around Tara’s waist. “Bye,” she said as the gang walked away surrounding the blond as they left the hospital.
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“…I don’t want to hear anymore about it Tara, you’re staying here!” Buffy said as she helped Tara into the house.
The whole car ride, Tara tried to get out of going to the Summers home. She didn’t want to get in everyone’s way. Willow already refused to step foot in her own room saying whether or not Tara came home she was going to sleep on the couch. Dawn offered to give up her room if Tara didn’t want the room she and Willow shared, and Buffy made the comment that she was going to be extra busy for the next few nights slaying whatever got in her way that resembled a vampire, so she wouldn’t be sleeping.
Tara didn’t say yes or no, but she also wasn’t driving the car so she couldn’t fight too much.
At this point Tara was in pain from walking to the back door from the car that she just wanted to sit. Her legs were becoming shaky and weak and she was putting even more weight onto the slayer.
“Tara, are you ok?” Buffy commented, feeling the girl losing her strength.
“I-I j-just want a sh-shower and s-sleep,” Tara said just hoping that she would be left alone with those requests.
Tara started to leave the slayer’s side making only tiny steps towards the other room, unable to do any more than that without pain shooting through her body. Buffy walked up to her and took Tara in her arms, carrying her through the dining room to the stairs.
“B-Buffy I-I’m…” Tara began to protest.
“Tara, just humor me. I’ve got to use the slayer strength sometime tonight,” Buffy said.
“I-I’m s-sure you were b-busy t-tonight,” Tara said, trying to relieve the guilt for the slayer as they reached the landing and entered the bathroom.
“I wasn’t where I should have been.” The slayer admitted guiltily as she set Tara on the edge of the tub and started to remove her shoes.
“It’s n-not your fault,” Tara said comfortingly. Buffy began to help Tara out of her shirt.
“B-Buffy,” Tara said as she moved away. “I-I’m fine f-from h-here.” Tara didn’t want the slayer to see her bruises, let alone see her body.
“OH! I’m sorry. Willow was saying… I’ll just get Willow. I’m sure she is somewhere up here dying to talk with…”
“No!” Tara said forcefully. “I-I mean I… I’ll be f-fine,” Tara said wanting to be alone.
“Ok,” Buffy said as Tara stood up away from the tub and the slayer. “I’ll just get your shower all running and be out of your way.”
Buffy walked over to the tub’s edge and started to run water, feeling to make sure it was warm enough to relax Tara’s tense and battered muscles and then closed the curtain.
“If you need anything… just yell… slayer hearing,” Buffy said with a smile.
“T-Thanks,” Tara said waiting for the door to close before getting undressed.
Everything that had happened that day was pounding in Tara to be released. And once she stepped in the shower it all came flooding out. Tara reached for the hot water faucet and turned it up high. “Dirty,” Tara said looking at her skin seeing invisible dirt tainting her that wasn’t coming off with the hot water. She turned it up even higher and started to rub at her skin viciously. Then Tara fell onto the tub’s surface and huddled and rocked herself, trying to find comfort.
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“Willow?” Buffy said watching the little redhead run all around the bedroom trying to clean everything in sight.
“I just need to clean it up for Tara. You know new sheets, dusting, vacuuming. God! Why didn’t I do the laundry. Pajamas! She’s going to need pajamas!” Willow ran to the wardrobe shifting through it picking out a pair of her pajamas for Tara to wear. “Do you think they will fit? I don’t want them to fit her, but she’s lost a lot of weight,” Willow said looking at the clothes in her hands.
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Buffy said knowing that Willow needed something to expend her energy on.
“How long has she been in the shower? Hasn’t it been like a half an hour? Maybe she fell asleep. She is on those sedatives,” Willow said, just wanting to see the blond.
“I’ll go check on her,” Buffy said, turning around towards the bathroom. “But you’ve got to calm down. How is Tara going to feel all calm and safe with a Willow all shifting around restlessly.” Buffy smiled to her friend trying to give her some courage.
“Tara.” Buffy knocked softly on the door. “Tara.” Buffy was beginning to worry as she knocked more insistently on the door. “I’m coming in,” she announced.
When Buffy came in she saw the shower curtain still closed with the water running.
“Tara did you fall asleep?” Buffy began to ask trying not to be too tempted to open the shower curtain and check on her friend.
When no answer came from inside she moved the shower curtain to see Tara rocking herself in a ball on the floor with her body bright red.
“Tara!” Buffy reached in getting semi-wet and burned, grabbing Tara and pulling her out onto the floor.
Buffy rushed to the linen closet and grabbed a towel seeing Willow running towards her in a panic.
“Tara!” Willow rushed over to her side taking her in her arms.
"I-I’m c-c-cold.” Tara said shivering at the coldness of the room in comparison to the hot shower water.
Buffy came in and wrapped Tara in a towel. She lifted her in her arms and took her to the bedroom. “Willow…” Buffy began to say realizing the compromising situation they were in with Tara nude and hurt. “Check her back and stuff, the water was really hot. I don’t think the burns could be anything serious but I’ll get the burn cream and you… well… you can just take care of her.”
Tara didn’t notice anything going on. All she felt was cold. “I-I’m c-cold.”
“Baby, I know… Let me just check you out and then we’ll get you all in PJs and warm you up and you can crawl into bed and sleep. Ok baby?” Willow said stroking the blond’s wet hair out of her face. “Maybe after we dry your hair, how about?” Willow said with a smile.
Willow reached for Tara’s towel to unwrap her to make sure she wasn’t badly burnt but a small whimper from Tara made Willow stop immediately.
“Tara?” Willow knelt by the edge of the bed looking into Tara’s eyes as she stroked her hair. Once Tara looked into her eyes Willow slowly began to take the towel off her body without breaking eye contact.
Willow stood up and looked over her back. “Tara, I need to check your legs and your stomach, too,” Willow said, skipping that she needed to check her chest and everything else as well.
Tara slowly turned over to reveal she didn’t have any horrible burns but just a bunch of red splotches on her body from the hot water. “Ok… let me just get the cream…”
“N-No. I-I’m f-fine.” Tara said, not liking the idea of Willow’s hands all over her body. Let alone anyone else’s.
“Baby?” Willow again knelt by the bed looking at Tara, but she refused to look back. “Ok, how about PJs and blow drying your hair?” Tara nodded her head and sat up from the bed as Willow walked over and grabbed the PJs she picked out earlier. She helped her put them on, and was saddened when she saw that the only thing that didn’t fit her was the top, which was tight only because of her breasts.
Willow went into the bathroom and retrieved the blow dryer as Tara remained on the bed with her legs underneath her and looking at her hands. Willow slowly blow dried her hair, not saying anything just relishing in the hypnotic movement of running a brush through the blond hair. When Willow turned off the hair dryer she noticed Tara somehow fell asleep with her legs tucked up to her chin holding her head in place to allow Willow to brush her hair.
“Tara,” Willow said quietly, shaking her shoulder gently which resulted in Tara jumping off the bed, moving away from the touch.
“Tara. It’s ok,” Willow said approaching the girl. Tara allowed her to lead her back to bed and cover her with the blankets.
“I-I’m c-cold,” Tara said, before she finally fell asleep.
Willow sat on the edge of the bed watching Tara sleep as the tears slid down her face.
**********************************TBC********************************
Ok that was a huge update. I need to study now. My exams aren't over until Wed at 12pm so no pleading for updates until after that time. Hopefully I'll be able to get back in writting mode by then.
I hope you all like it...
Thanks for all the feedback...
Sher
<3 
I will be hiding behind the couch to wait.. 
by The Next Tara Maclay » Sun May 12, 2002 3:52 pm 
poor Tara. I hate it when she gets hurt. But I really did love this part. Up until that cliffhanger. grr. j/k. 
