by FIRESIGN » Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:40 pm
Chapter Twenty-six
Although Tara was supernaturally fast, it was still quickly approaching dusk, and the two were not quite yet back to the house. Tara was in mid stride when she felt something hit her with a thud, pitching Willow over her shoulders and into a heap on the forest floor.
“Willow!” Tara yelled, scrambling to her feet. As she moved to leap to her love’s side, she was immediately cut off by a very large vampire of the bumpy-faced variety.
“Well…well…well…what have we here? You packed a snack!” He said, laughing heartily.
“Mmmm…smell that?” A female vamp with long curly auburn hair said, breathing in deeply over Willow.
“Red heads are always the sweetest…you tasted like strawberries, Victoria…I’ll bet she will, too!” The male vamp said, flashing his mate a smile.
Tara’s eyes turned a bright iridescent blue, a hiss emanating from between her now elongated teeth.
“I don’t think she wants to share, James!” Victoria said, feigning a pout.
“Get…away…from…her!” Tara growled, crouching down, ready to pounce. Her eyes quickly scanned around, sizing up the situation.
Besides this James and Victoria, there was another figure emerging from the shadows, a tall, muscular dark-skinned man with dreadlocks.
“James…Victoria…we don’t play with our food!” He said, in a fatherly-like Jamaican accent.
“Laurent…why do you have to take the fun out of everything?” Victoria asked, obviously put off by his scolding.
“Wait…what have we here?” Laurent asked, slowly approaching Tara, who responded with a warning hiss.
“She was moving fast…like us…with the ‘snack’ on her back.” James answered.
“James…must you be so barbaric?” Laurent said, scolding once again. He then looked at Tara, shifting back from his bumpy vamp-face to a handsome man in his early thirties. He turned to Tara, approaching carefully. “Child…what are you?” He asked in his deceptively velvety voice.
“G-get away from her!” Tara said, gritting her teeth.
“Shhh…shhh…” Laurent shushed. “James, Victoria…back off.” He ordered.
“But Laurent…” Victoria whined.
“I said…back off! Now!” He said, flashing an pointed look towards the woman.
Slowly, the pair backed off, maintaining their distance from both Tara and Willow, but still clearly on alert.
“I apologize for my family’s barbaric behavior…now…if you would be so kind as to return the favor and tell me what you are…” He said, his voice almost soothing.
Tara could feel a combination of fear and rage building second by second. “I-I’m nothing that would concern y-you!” She said, breathing heavily.
“Oh, my dear…perhaps you’d be more willing to tell me if I allowed James and Victoria to…take a closer look at your little friend there…” He said, with an evil grin, motioning to the others to move back in on Willow.
Tara’s fear and anger overflowed as her eyes focused in on a broken branch lying near the trail. Her hand came up, of it’s own accord, and reached out as if grabbing the piece of wood. Suddenly, the branch sprung into the air. She then swung her arm as though throwing a spear, and the branch rocketed through the air, burying deeply into Laurent’s chest. The vampire had but a split second to react, a look of surprise flashing across his face before he erupted into a cloud of dust.
Victoria and James were distracted just long enough for Tara to spring to Willow’s side, lifting her into her arms, and taking off as fast as she could possibly go towards the house.
Meanwhile…back at the Magick Box…
“Something’s not right…they should’ve been here by now.” Buffy said, pacing.
“Remember that whole ‘swapping spit’ thing we talked about earlier…?” Xander said, leaning back in an overstuffed chair.
“Perhaps you should try calling them again.” Giles suggested, thumbing through the pages of an obviously ancient manuscript.
Xander flipped open his phone, hitting the speed dial.
“Nope…nothing.” He said, flipping the phone closed.
“It’s getting too late…I’m gonna go look for them.” Buffy said, heading for the door.
“Hang on, I’m coming with you…” Xander said, getting up from the chair, somewhat begrudgingly.
“Just exactly where are you two going to go? You have absolutely no idea where they are.” Giles reminded them.
“That’s never stopped us before!” Buffy said, pointedly. “So…are you coming with us, or staying here?”
“Besides…she was at the Maclays’ earlier…so it’s a good place to start.” Xander added.
“Don’t you think they may feel a bit overwhelmed with us barging into their territory? The Maclays, I mean…” Giles asked.
“They’re gonna have to deal with it.” Buffy said. “You two take the SUV, I’m gonna go on foot…maybe I’ll run into them on the way…just go to the house, I’ll meet you there.” And with that, the Slayer disappeared out the door and into the fast falling darkness.
Giles and Xander weren’t far behind.
Meanwhile…
Although it was considerably slower, Tara zigzagged through the forest, running through a variety of terrains, including water, hoping to through their pursuers off of their scent trail. She still carried Willow safely cradled in her arms. As soon as she thought she had lost them, she stopped to check on Willow, who was still unconscious.
“Willow? Baby, please…answer me…Will?” She pleaded, tapping the red-head’s pale cheeks.
Suddenly, she heard twigs breaking to her right…something was moving in on them…fast! It was too late for her to run, she’d have to stay and fight…no matter what, she would protect her love until the end. She readied herself as the footsteps got closer…
Meanwhile…
Buffy ran through the woods, her senses tingling. She could feel that there were vampires near…more than one…but there was also a human presence…it had to be her. She increased her pace, following her instincts…getting closer…finally breaking through the underbrush. When she did so, she was met with a hiss…as Willow lay battered and bloody in Tara’s arms.
“I knew I should’ve staked you the minute I met you!” Buffy said, pulling ‘Mr. Pointy’ from the inside of her coat.
“B-buffy…I didn’t…there’s others…th-they attacked us! Please…you’ve got to help! We’ve got to get h-her to the house before they find us!” Tara said, obviously upset.
“Where are they? How many are there?” Buffy asked, somewhat skeptically.
“There were three…but n-now…only two, I think…” Tara stammered.
“What happened to the third?”
“I-I...killed him…” Tara said.
“Okay…I’m gonna run interference…see if I can flush them out. Head towards the drive. Xander and Giles should be pulling up there any second. I’ll meet you back at the house.” Buffy said, taking off into the woods, following her senses once again.
Tara shot off in the other direction, carrying Willow. In under a minute, she reached the drive, just in time to see the headlights of the SUV.
Giles slammed on the breaks, coming to a screeching halt.
“Bloody hell!” He said, rather shook up.
Tara leaped to the side of the vehicle, where Xander was already opening the door. She gently laid Willow in the seat and climbed in next to her.
“P-please…we’ve got to get her t-to my father…he’s a doctor…” Tara explained as she closed the door. At least the SUV would provide some measure of protection should they be attacked again.
Within seconds, they arrived at the Maclay house, where William, Anya and Elizabeth were waiting at the door. Tara carried Willow’s limp body into the house, laying her gently on the couch.
“Anya saw the attack…she told us you were coming.” Elizabeth explained.
William kneeled next to Willow, opening his medical bag and grabbing a pen light. With his thumb and forefinger, he opened her eyelids one at a time, shining the light at them, then pointing it away.
“Her pupils are responsive…but it looks as though she took quite a hit. She may have a concussion.” He said.
“Mmmmm….no!” Willow mumbled.
“She’s starting to come around.” William said, moving away so that Tara could be at her side.
Tara kneeled next to her, taking the small freckled hand in her own, holding the other to Willow’s cheek.
“I’m here, baby…you’re okay…” She reassured.
“Tara? What happened?” Willow asked, groggily. “How did we get back to the house?”
“We were attacked…by vampires…” Tara explained.
“of the non-veggie variety?” Willow said, managing a bit of a smile.
“Definitely of the bumpy-faced non-veggie variety.” Tara answered, smiling as she planted a small kiss on Willow’s hand. “I’m so sorry this happened, baby…I…I should have done something m-more…I…”
“Tara…I think you’re selling yourself short, here…you faced off with what, three vamps by yourself, you dusted one, and you carried Will basically all the way back here!” Xander said. “For a first timer, I’d say you fared pretty darned well!”
“Yes, I quite agree…” Giles piped in. “…the first time Xander here tangled with vampires, he ended up in the hospital for a week.”
“Really? This happened while you were fighting them?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh…yeah! Definitely! While I was fighting them…” Xander stammered.
“Ah-hem…as I remember it…you fractured your skull when you ran into a low-hanging branch whilst trying to run away…” Giles interjected.
“I was running to get INTO the fight, Giles…not away…” Xander said, laughing nervously. “…it was dark…he wears glasses…you know…”
“I’m sure you were very brave.” Anya interjected, somwhat unexpectedly, smiling warmly at Xander, who started to blush.
Just then, Buffy arrived, running into the room.
“Is Wills okay?” She asked, out of breath.
“Wills is fine, thanks.” Willow replied, smiling.
“Did you find them?” Tara asked.
“Picked up their trail, but I lost them about three miles from here. They split off. Figured I’d come back and check on Wills and grab my reinforcements, here.” She said, nodding to Giles and Xander. “Found where you dusted that one…nice job. Kinda odd…dusting your own kind, huh?”
“Buffy, please!” Giles scolded.
“No…seriously…I didn’t mean anything by it! I was just thinking it would be kind of weird and all…that’s all.” Buffy retorted.
“It’s okay…” Tara said. “I’d do it again in a second. I’ll never let anyone hurt the ones I love.”
“You just might get that chance, these two aren’t going to be easy to track down. We could use your help…” Buffy said.
Tara looked to Willow for her input.
“Baby…I’ll stand behind whatever you want to do…and I mean that literally. I WILL be standing behind you. If you’re going to do this, so am I.” Willow said with conviction.
Tara looked to William and the others.
“The choice is yours, Tara. We certainly don’t condone the acts of those savages.” William added.
“I…um…I mean we…we’re in.” Tara said, hoping that her decision wouldn’t come back to haunt her.
To Be Continued....
Last edited by
FIRESIGN on Mon Apr 05, 2010 7:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
that was quite short, don't you think 
the update was great. I cant wait for more. Take care x
soooo glad you're back 