Hey everyone,
Here is Chapter Eight
I know I was suposed to post this last night, but when I was editing it I realized it had way too much going on that didn't include

and

. So I've spent all day rewriting and editing to make the non W&T parts shorter. I only hope I didn't butcher the whole chapter.
-Unity
*******ANGST WARNING*******
Title: Body and Soul
Author: Soul Unity
E-mail:
soul_unity_4ever@yahoo.comFeedback: Please! I NEED it! Good or Bad
Distribution: You want it you got it. Just let me know where you put it
Spoilers: Everything up to and including “Villains”
Pairing: W/T
Rating: R
Disclaimers: All BtVS characters are Own by Joss and Co. Sometimes little kids play to rough with their toys and break them. Then someone else has to pick up the pieces and fix them.
Summary: Tara was shot, But that’s nowhere near enough to keep her from her willow. Besides this is Sunnydale no one stays dead here
Notes: All character thoughts are in italics. All character speech is in ”quotations” scene/ location change ~~~~~~~
“Willow, there’s something I have to tell you “
Something about the tone of Taras voice unsettled Willow. The only times she had heard Tara sound this serious had almost all been bad. Willow hoped this time would be different.
“Maybe we should sit down” Tara said, as she pointed towards a bench at a nearby bus stop.
“Um…. Yeah, sitting is good.” Willow responded, halfheartedly.
Sitting down to talk doesn’t sound good. Tara took Willows both hands in hers as they sat. For different reasons, they were both were more afraid of this conversation than of all the creatures of the hellmouth.
“Before I say any thing else I need you to know I love you with all my heart, there is nothing that will ever change how I feel for you.” Tara paused to collect her thoughts, but was stopped before she could continue.
“Is this about the dark magic?” Willow asked nervously.
“No, I….”
“Tara I couldn’t stop.” Willow began to cry. “You were gone, and I tried to bring you back, and it just hurt so much. I felt like my heart died with you and all that was left was hate and rage. It just filled me all up, and there was no room left inside for me, but it didn’t matter cause I had nothing left anyway…..”
“Sweetie…” Tara tried to stop her.
“……so I let the darkness take control and waited for the end to come. I was so far gone I don’t think I would have stopped at Warren, I would have went after everyone that’s ever hurt me until someone stopped me, or no one was left. But it didn’t end. Instead you came back to me, and you saved me from the darkness. I am so….”
“Willow…” She tried again.
“……to have you back. But I’ve lost you anyway, and I deserve it, because I let myself become exactly what you warned me I would. I want to ask you to forgive me, but I know there no way you could ever….”
“WILLOW!!” That got her attention. “Look at me, you haven’t lost me sweetie. I am not going anywhere.” Tara said, calming Willow down.
“Your not?” Willow sniffled.
“No, I’m not. We have things talk about, and a lot we’ll have to work through, but I had hoped we would work things out together.” Tara said, as she pulled willow into a hug.
They simply sat there and held each other, neither one wanting to release the other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andrew and Jonathan were once again struggling on the floor. Suddenly a cold and hate filled voice interrupted them.
“Where is Warren?” The man who had spoken stood with his back to them.
He was dressed in black jeans, with a matching leather jacket and gloves. He whore his dark hair oiled and slicked back.
“Wah….?”
“Huh…..?”
“Who are you?” Andrew and Jonathan both asked
“Who I am is unimportant.” The unknown man said, as he began to turn. “You two are Jonathan and Andrew, you both work for Warren. The police radio says they have him, but he is not here. So I ask you Again, WHERE IS WARREN?”
He finished turning as he said the last part, and Andrew and Jonathan now stared into the angry face of Xander Harris.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Aw, you're not going to get yourself in trouble now, are you?” Clem Asked “Or me, cause……”
“Don’t worry Clem, Dawn’s not going to get anyone in trouble. Were you Dawn” Said Buffy, who had just walked in.
“God Buffy, don’t you ever knock?” Said a frustrated Dawn.
“Nope, don’t have to. I’m the Slayer.” Buffy said, with a smug grin. ”Thanks for keeping her safe Clem, I really appreciate it.”
“Hey, no problem. I enjoyed the company. Chips?” Clem held up a bowl
“No, thank you Clem. Dawn and I have to get to the Magic Box, maybe next time” Buffy said, and then turned to Dawn. “Come on Dawn, lets go.”
“Bye Clem.” Said Dawn, as she walked out.
“Bye” Added Buffy.
“Bye Dawn, bye Buffy.” Clem sat down in front of the television. “I wonder if Xena’s on?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An ambulance raced towards Sunnydale general hospital, being closely fallowed by a police cruiser.
Inside Warren was strapped to the gurney in a very awkward and uncomfortable looking position. He was propped that way because the paramedics suspected he had a broken, if not shattered, pelvic bone. Warren awoke with a relieved sigh. Although he was in horrible pain, he was glad to be free of the nightmarish visions of Katrina, that had plagued his unconscious.
“You didn’t think you could get away from me by simply waking up, did you Warren?” Asked Katrinas voice.
Warrens right eye quickly opened (his left one was swollen shut) looking for the source of the voice. He screamed when he saw Katrina sitting right next to him.
“Calm down Mr. Mears, we’ll be at the hospital shortly.” Said the paramedic.
“NO! She’s dead she can’t be here.” Warren pulled against the restraints.
The Paramedic quickly glanced around (can’t be to careful in Sunnydale) then said. “You and I are the only ones back here Mr. Mears”
“GO AWAY, I KILLED YOU, YOU’RE NOT REAL!” Warren screamed as he was being injected with a sedative.
“Go away? When I wanted to leave you wouldn’t let me go” Stated Katrina. “Now its my turn to have some fun.”
“NNNOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tara and Willow still sat on the bench. Now that Willows fears had been calmed, Tara was telling her about her unique situation.
“…..in a different body, and this one isn’t exactly human.” Tara waited to se how Willow reacted to that part before continuing.
“Not human?.” Willow said quietly.
I can deal with this. Buffy has dated vampires, Xander’s a demon magnet, and I’ve dated a werewolf. How bad could this be? “Um… I’m a… This body.…. My body is…” Tara stopped, and focused on Willows eyes.” I’m in one of Warrens bots.”
“………….” Willow opened her mouth but nothing came out. She just stared at Tara in shock.
Tara waited for Willow to say something, but after a few minutes she still just sat there.
“Willow, breathe sweetie, your turning blue.” Tara said, as she gently shook Willow
“Ah…..wh…...How?” Willow said, still slightly dazed.
“Let me start at the beginning. It all started while I was looking at your pretty shirt………………”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Officer Daniels walked towards the holding cells.
”Looks like you partner had a bad accident, hiding in a tree. He won’t be….. WHAT THE HELL!?!?”
When he reached Andrew and Jonathans cell, he discovered it was empty. The bars had been pried apart by someone with super-human strength.
“WE GOT A BREAKOUT!” He yelled.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A police car peeled away from the station, in the back seat sat Jonathan and Andrew.
“You’re one of the bots, aren’t you?” Andrew asked smiling.
“Where are you taking us?” Asked Jonathan.
“Yes I am” The Xanderbot turned around to face them, no longer watching the road. ‘We are going to rescue Warren. The radio now says he is at the hospital. Warren will then repair..” He stopped to decide what to call the figure in the passenger seat, who was completely covered by a blanket. “He will repair my ’sister’, and we will kill the Slayer and her friends. Anyone who stands in our way will also die, so I suggest that you help us.” The real Xander had never sounded so menacing in his life.
As Xanderbot face the road again, Jonathan and Andrew wondered if they were going to live long enough to regret ever working with Warren.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Buffy and Dawn stood in the cemetery, dusting off their clothes. They had been attacked by six vamps. Buffy had made quick work of three of them, but when she turned to take out the other three had found only a cloud of dust and a stake-welding Dawn.
“Hey! How did you learn to do that?” Asked a confused Slayer
“Watching you.” Dawn answered, mimicking Buffys trademark stake spin.
Buffy looked as her sister, and for the first time saw not her kid sister who she had to protect, but the young woman she had become.
“Hmmm. Maybe it’s time I stopped treating you like a little kid.” Buffy said, and she meant it.
“Alright, but can I still get piggyback rides? Slaying is very tiring work” Dawn looked hopefully Buffy
“Sure, hop on.” Buffy kneeled down for Dawn to get on her back. “Look out Baddies, here come the Summers Sisters!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anya and Xander sat it the police station. A very unhappy Officer Daniels was taking their statement.
“So Mr. Harris, your telling me you simply left your unconscious ex-girlfriend alone with a suspected murderer?” Daniels said angrily. This story wasn’t adding up.
“Well, you see, I had to go and call you guys so you could arrest him.” Xander looked to Anya for help.
“Yes, and Xander’s very good at leaving me. He even left me at our wedding.” Anya added, trying to be helpful.
“Gee, thanks” Xander said sarcastically
“You’re welcome.” Said Anya . “Wait a minute, are you being sarcastic?”
“Ahem.. Mr. Harris, it says here that you also reported the shooting .” Daniels said, regaining their attention.” This occurred at the Summers residence”
Oh god. Not Summers. First the breakout, now this. Every time that girl’s involved I end up with weeks of paperwork. Then the case usually ends up unsolved anyway. “Yes sir.” Xander was afraid that if he didn’t think of something soon, he’d be the next one behind bars.
“Buffy Summers, are you two friends of hers?” Daniels asked. Afraid of the answer.
“Yes.” Anya and Xander answered together.
“That will be all. You can go now. We’ll call you if we need any more information.” Daniels said quickly
I refuse to deal with this“But we…..” Anya started to protest.
“Come on Anya, lets go and leave the nice officer to his work.” Xander pulled Anya out of the Station.
To work on the SDPD you had to be able to creatively rewrite a statement. Officer Daniels was about to put that skill to good use.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willow and Tara had begun walking again, once Willow had gotten over her initial shock. Throughout Taras story Willow had remained quiet, not wanting to miss any details. They now stood outside the Magic Box.
“ And once I saw that I knew I had to face the truth, my new body is a robot.” Tara said. She then waited to see how Willow was going to respond.
Willow looked at Tara with a face that clearly said something was wrong. Tara braced herself for the worst.
“You’re short.” Said Willow.
“H-huh?” That was not what Tara expected.
“You’re too short. Warren got your height wrong.” Willow said, and began to pout.
“My height?“ Tara repeated, Willow had caught her completely off guard.
“And you hair is too dark.” Willow couldn’t help it anymore, she began to grin.
“Well, this is my natural color.” Tara said, realizing what willow was doing. “So, You’re really ok with this ?”
“Like I said before, Willow Okay Rosenberg.” Willow wrapped her arm around Taras waist. “Besides, It could have been worse. You could have came back as something icky, like a frog, or even worse, a boy.”
“No icky-boy-frogs for my Willow” Tara said as she leaned in to kiss Willow.
She was interrupted by..
“TARA!!!” screamed Dawn as she jumped off Buffys back and ran towards them. Halfway there she added “WILLOW!!!”
Tara and Willow met Dawn and they shared a three way hug.
“What, no love for the Slayer?” Asked Buffy when she caught up.
When the hug-fest was over, the four of them moved back to the door of the Magic Box.
“Hey. How’d Anya fix the door already?” Asked Willow
“So, how do we get in?” Asked Dawn.
“I have a key.” Stated Buffy, stepping forward.
“Why…” Everyone jumped. “…do YOU have a key to MY Shop?” Anya asked.
“ANYA!!!!”
To Be Continued………
When Love Is True, Two Souls Become One - Soul Unity