TITLE: Dark Core 13/?
AUTHOR: Washi (ZWS)
EMAIL: washi@dark-bliss.net
RATING: R, to be safe.
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the characters, Joss does or whoever. If I owned them, do you really think I would let season 6 happen? And why the hell would I be writing this?
So yeah, all belongs to Joss, ME etc...
The lyrics in this piece are owned by their respective owners.
SPOILERS: Season 6, Older and Far Away. It veers off cannon afterwards.
FEEDBACK: I love it, I live for it, either here or by email, although here is better.
ARCHIVE: It's on Blood and Ink. Ask and ye shall receive.
ANGST: Be carefull kittens, the ride is gonna be really angsty, and I'm not kidding here.
Thanks: Many thank yous to YMKA and Taras Shadow for their help, and also to bzengo and FIRESIGN.
NOTES: I don't have a beta in the real sense, but YMKA and Holly helped me along. Thanks again girls. All mistakes are mine.
Thoughts are in < > as always. Flashbacks, song lyrics and such are in italics.
Many thank-yous to FIRESIGN.
*****
As time ticked by, everyone in Willow's hospital room was starting to get anxious. Ruth was supposed to come by sometime that day and each person looked at the clock every few seconds. The room was silent and the clock's tick-tock was doing nothing to soothe their frazzled nerves.
Dawn looked at Tara and saw that the blonde witch looked positively panicked. Tara was sitting on the bed next to Willow with the redhead caressing the back of her lover's hand. But Tara looked like she was on the verge of tears. She kept looking at the clock as if it held all the answers. And Willow looked at her, her face showing her concern. Finally, Dawn couldn't take it anymore and went to Tara's side.
"Hey. Can I talk to you for a sec? Outside?" Dawn whispered.
Tara smiled slightly. She could never say no to the young woman who she considered a sister or maybe even a daughter. She nodded and got up, telling her lover that she would be right back.
Once outside, she took a seat and motioned for Dawn to sit near her. The teenager didn't comply.
"Tara, look, I know this is eating you inside, but you have to be strong." Dawn said bluntly.
Tara blinked slowly and stared at Dawn.
"You have to be strong, because it's not good for Willow to see you this way. You can't break down, at least not in front of Willow." Dawn continued. "I mean, Ruth isn't here yet, and you look as if there is no more hope. You told me once that there is always hope." Dawn finished before sitting down and putting her hand on Tara's shoulder.
The instant they touched, Tara felt a spark of energy. Dawn jerked her hand away and looked at it, amazed. Tara looked at her, equally bewildered. For an instant, Dawn thought that it was just a bit of static electricity, but then, it was as if she was drawn to do it again. She put her hand on Tara's shoulder and tried sending her all the positive thoughts she could think of.
Nothing happened.
Dawn thought about it for a second before she smiled and then, she tried to unlock Tara's positive feelings and that's when time seemed to stop. Tara saw in her mind all the dangers they had faced and how they had always won. But the thing she felt the most was the feeling of hope surging into her. Not a false hope, or a hope put there by someone, but the hope that was buried in herself, the hope that she thought had left her. The strength she thought she had run out of.
Dawn broke off the contact, looking at her hand amazedly.
Tara looked up at Dawn and smiled, a real smile, not the fake ones she had tried before.
"Okay, that was really weird, and we'll have to see Giles about this, but thanks Dawnie." Tara said as she hugged the teenager before they both made their way back to the room.
Tara smiled brightly at her lover and took her seat. Willow smiled back, glad to see a real smile on her lover's face. She had felt concerned about her lover's brooding for it wasn't in the blonde witches' habits. Willow felt a great weight lift from her shoulders. Willow put her hand over the back of Tara's and then laced their fingers together and felt it, felt the strength, felt the hope surge through their connection.
"Wow baby, you're strong." Willow blurted out softly.
"Strong like an Amazon." Tara replied lovingly.
"Stronger." Willow said softly, raising their hands and placing a kiss on Tara's palm.
"You're both very strong."
The group turned towards the voice and found Giles in the doorway with a woman.
"This is Ruth." Giles explained. He turned to the woman. "These are Buffy, her sister Dawn, Xander, Anya and on the bed are..."
"Willow and Tara. I've heard much about you." she said, smiling and shaking their hands warmly.
"Good things I hope." Willow said nervously, looking at the woman's ice-blue eyes.
"Well, let's say there are divided opinions about the two of you. The whole coven knows of the bravoury the White witch has shown when she refused to tell Glory about the key." she said, pointing to Tara, who blushed and ducked her head. "And we have heard of the wrath the Black witch has shown when battling Glorificus and how she has made the Hell God scream in pain." she finished, turning towards Willow, who looked down at her lap.
"We're kn-known as the Black witch and the White witch?" Tara said, amazed that the coven knew about them and that they had titles.
Ruth smiled, her blue eyes warming. "Yes, you are. Now, let's focus on the matter at hand before we have a little chit-chat later, shall we?"
The group nodded. Ruth stepped closer to the bed and looked at Willow, flicking her long black hair back. She drew out a clear crystal and put one of her hands over Willow's head. Tara let go of Willow's hand and backed away. Willow closed her eyes as she felt the probing of Ruth's magic into her being. Ruth closed her eyes, to open them a few seconds later.
"Oh." she said, drawing her hand back, a frown on her face.
"What?" Willow asked, her eyes opening.
"Can the rest of you leave me alone with Willow and Tara? I need to ask them some questions." Ruth asked, her eyebrows furrowing in thought.
The rest of the gang left the room and Ruth turned to Willow.
"When was the last time you cast Willow?" she asked with infinite compassion.
"Well, it was about the beginning of December, so about 3 months ago." Willow replied, counting on her fingers.
"And during these three months, you didn't cast anything? You didn't do any meditation or spell in light magic?"
"Nothing. I was tempted, but no."
"So, basically, you just went cold turkey?"
Willow nodded. Ruth frowned before looking back at Tara.
"And during these times, you two never performed any magics together?"
"Well, no. I... um... I l-l-left?" Tara replied, cursing herself inwardly for sounding like the scared girl Willow had met all those years ago.
"Oh, so the two of you broke up?" Ruth continued her interrogation.
"Yeah, we d-did, but we're back together now." Tara replied, looking at Willow and smiling.
"Good, good." Ruth said. "I just need to check something out with the Coven, do a little bit of research."
"So, what's causing Willow's illness is m-magical?" Tara said hopefully.
"Yes, of course it is, and now we need to see what we need to do to make things right again." Ruth said, noticing the relieved way the couple was looking at each other.
She chuckled and left the couple alone for a few minutes to tell the rest of the Gang about the news. Tara went back to Willow's side and took her hand, leaning over her to kiss her.
"Told you everything would be okay." Willow said, smiling.
Tara nodded and kissed Willow again. She was about to pull away when Willow's hand crept into her hair and pulled her back into her, kissing her deeper, longer. They tilted their heads and their tongues danced against each other. A loud cough made them draw apart.
"Randy little pair, aren’t you?" Ruth asked, smiling. Tara blushed and Ruth chuckled.
"Nothing to be embarrassed about, I was just teasing you. Now, I told the others about what I think, so I think I'm going to borrow some books from Giles and research it before I call the Coven tomorrow. For now, Willow, rest." Ruth said before leaving the room, winking at Tara.
*****
"Giles, you old fool!" Ruth stated as they got in his car. "How could you just make her stop practicing? I thought you knew better."
"Ruth, believe me, but I knew almost nothing about it. So, what do you think?" he asked.
"I have always said that dark magic has a consequence, and for Willow, it's physical from what I could see. I will tell you more about it after I contact the Coven." Ruth replied.
"But do you think you can do something to help her? Ruth, I love her like a daughter." Giles said, his dark gray eyes boring into hers.
"Of course you do. Who could not love that dear child? Her heart is full of affection and love." He nodded and she continued. "I don't know what we can do yet, as I said I need to contact the Coven and to research for a few things. I really hope I can find something, but I must warn you, I may be too late." Ruth said truthfully.
Giles nodded, his jaw tightening as he ground his molars together. He nodded stiffly.
"Would you like me to show you the Magic Box and let you start on the research?" Giles asked after a minute.
"Actually I would like to rest for a while. Jet lag." she explained as she yawned.
"Certainly. I'll take you to the hotel."
"I just need a couple of hours to rejuvenate my self as well as my magics. I feel the dark magics of the Hellmouth and I need to cleanse myself."
"Surely. Should I pick you up tomorrow?" Giles asked as he parked in front of Sunnydale's Holiday Inn.
She looked at her watch, it was eight and a half in the evening. "In Devon, it's now seven thirty in the morning. How about you pick me up tomorrow morning at eight or so?"
"Yes of course, I shall be here."
"Goodnight Giles."
"Goodnight." he replied as she got out of the car.
*****
TBC...
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"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa
The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB
.:Dark-bliss.net :. .:My blog:. .:Blood and Ink:. .:Washi's 70s Site:.
That's not good 
I just want to say that this is an awesome story, just like all your other fics, and that I really love how you're dealing with all the painful season 6 issues. I always do a happy dance when I see that you've updated. 
I can't wait to read more!
Washi 
Okay, so 
's problem is magical so that is a good thing, but I so don't like how Ruth is acting. 
She is way to twitchy. 
and Dawn was weird. 
What was that? Can't wait to 
at: 1/15/04 3:32 pm
