Title: Insight
Author: KrisBo5 (Kris, please, we’re all friends here)
Email address: KrisBo5@aol.com
Feed Again, please, I’d love it.
Distribution: This, like Darkness Falls, is the narrative form of a spec script I had written for BVS, which is registered with the WGAw, so please don’t publish it or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form. If for some reason you’d like to, just ask first. It’s the polite thing to do.
Spoilers: Hmm, I’d say definitely up to Season 6. Past “Hell’s Bells” but not up to “Entropy.” Yeah, somewhere around the middle of those, but I’m taking liberties.
Rating: This covers the story in its entirety: PG-13 to NC–17. This includes sex, some mild violence, language.
Pairing: Willow and Tara, of course. Buffy and the others are here as well.
Disclaimer: Hey, I didn’t create these characters, those kudos belong to Joss and crew. I’m just borrowing them for the story I did write. As for the notebook entries(I changed some words to fit the context of my story – no offense or infringement was intended) they were taken from “I Did” by Michelle McAfee/Richard Leigh; “Down On My Knees” by Beth Nielson Chapman; “No One In The World” by Ken Hirsch/Marti Sharron; “Something More Besides You” by Michael Timmins; “You Can Close Your Eyes” by James Taylor; “Here I Go Again” by Kim Ritchey
Summary: The Scoobies have gotten back together, just not “back together.” Tara’s got some kind of “power.” Buffy’s “gone missing.” And, then there are those pesky demons. . . .
Note: Unlike DF, this is a little lighter, a little more comedic, a little less verbose. Really, a straight translation from script-to-narrative format. Hopefully I’ll be able to post this faster(then I can spend the extra time working on DF). Without further ado, here it is. . .
Insight, Part Two: Act One(A)The next morning, as she had guessed, Buffy was out in the grove by herself, scouring the ground for her clip. The Slayer silently re-enacted her fighting maneuvers from the previous night, trying to figure out just where she had lost it.
“Come back tomorrow, when it’s light. Yeah, good plan there.” She kicked some overgrown grass as something shiny caught her eye. Squatting down, she picked up the metallic circle. “Ooh, quarter.” Buffy pocketed the coin and took one final look around. “Damn,” she said, and made her way back to town.
***
Hours later, inside the Magic Box, Dawn was beside the book shelves, dusting the aged volumes, quietly humming to herself.
Anya was behind the counter, ringing up several customers.
Xander emerged from the basement, woodchip-dusty and holding a freshly cut piece of lumber. He moved through the shop towards the back of the shop where he was constructing a new wall of shelves for the growing inventory of magic merchandise.
The bell over the front door jingled and Buffy entered, a light bounce in her step. “Hey, guys.”
Dawn turned towards the door and smiled at her sister. “Hey, Buffy.”
Buffy tossed her napsack under the chair near the front window. “Hey.” She glanced over at Xander and smiled as he saluted her with his drill. Looking back to Dawn, she asked, “How was school?”
Dawn finished dusting the last of the books and looked at her sister. “Okay.”
“But,” the Slayer prodded. Dawn raised her eyebrows. “You’ve got but face.”
Dawn smirked. “Well, actually, if you could help me with my geometry—”
Buffy quickly turned her head away and raised a palm to Dawn’s face, ala ‘talk to the hand.’ “Ixnay on the eometry-jay. That’s Willow-world.” The Slayer looked at Dawn. “Now, if you needed help with a good ass-kicking, I’m your gal.”
Dawn playfully swung the duster at her. “Buffy,” she said, as the Slayer nimbly ducked and moved away from her into the shop.
Buffy crossed the floor and smiled at Anya. “Hey, Anya.”
“I’ll be with you in one moment, lady customer,” the Vengeance Demon said.
Buffy almost stumbled as she turned to look over her should to see who Anya was talking to. Seeing no one, the Slayer looked at Anya. She pointed a finger towards herself and mouthed, “Me?”
Anya plastered a huge grin on her face. “Just one moment.”
“O-kay,” Buffy said quietly and headed off to talk to Xander. Passing a table, she noticed a laptop and several books. “Hey, Xander,” she said as she approached the carpenter.
Xander raised his goggles onto his forehead. “Buff.”
“Um, ‘lady customer’?”
“Oh,” Xander said, nodding as he replaced a bit on his drill. “Anya thinks it makes the shop look busier.”
Buffy’s brow creased as she tried to figure the logic. “Again I say, o-kay.” She hitched a thumb over her shoulder towards the table. “Is Willow here?”
Xander tipped his head in the direction of the back room. “Back there.” Then he raised his eyebrows in Anya’s direction. “Helping.”
Buffy nodded. Leave it to Anya to enlist the ‘help’ of the Scoobies. . . even if they didn’t want to. Buffy touched Xander’s knee. “Be right back.” With that, the Slayer walked off to find her best friend, the sounds of cash drawers jingling and drills buzzing following her.
Buffy entered the back room, a small storage area just off of her training area; measuring only twenty feet-by-twenty feet, the Slayer was always amazed at just how many books and trinkets crowded the shelves. Willow was up on a ladder, pushing volume after volume into their rightful place. “Hey, Will,” the Slayer said.
Willow turned and looked down at her approaching best friend. “Hey, Buffy, what’s up?”
Buffy stopped beside the ladder and looked up. “Nada mucho. Just came by to get Dawn.”
Willow nodded, then pointed at the stack of books on the floor. “Could you hand me those?”
“Sure.” She lifted a couple books and began handing them to the redhead.
After several seconds, Willow looked quickly at Buffy. “Hey, did you find your clip?”
Buffy huffed. “No!”
“Sorry. It was nice, too.”
“Yeah, it went with my boots.” She handed up another book. “Oh, but look,” the Slayer said, her voice getting happy as she retrieved the quarter from her pocket. “Found it.”
Willow pursed her lips together and nodded. “That’s. . . great.”
“Yeah, well. . . .” Buffy said, handing up another text with one hand as she re-pocketed the coin with the other. “So, um, how goes the sporty vamp search? Anything yet?”
Willow shook her head. “Nothing too interesting. I accessed Missing Persons, and, well, as usual, pretty long list.” She rearranged two books. “Kinda got Shanghaied for Dewey Duty.”
Buffy handed up the last book from the stack. “That’s it.”
Again, Willow shook her head and pointed towards the storefront. “On the table near my laptop?”
Buffy made a face. “I think
I just got Shanghaied.”
Willow smiled, the tip of her tongue pushing out between her teeth. “Thanks.”
“Riiiight,” the Slayer said as she turned and headed back into the front room. All the customers had gone, but Anya still remained behind the counter. Doing what? Buffy had no idea. Best bet? Counting money. Xander was still hunkered down near the would-be bookcase, trying to force a shelf into place. Best bet? Miscut. Dawn sat at the table near the front window, shaking her head with a look of utter confusion on her face at whatever it was she was reading. Best bet? Geometry.
Buffy marched over to the table where Willow’s laptop and the remainder of books-to-be-shelved were and stopped. One-by-one, the Slayer pulled the tomes towards her, stacking them on top of each other. Leaning over to grab the final few, her elbow bumped Willow’s bag, knocking it over and spilling the contents out onto the floor. “Crap!” she said, desperately trying to grab the falling items.
Too little.
Too late.
Pens, money, keys, papers, gum, books, everything rained down, clanking and thudding at her feet. She slid around the table and squatted down, retrieving the items one-by-one and setting them on the table. “Hey, Spearmint,” she said, deftly commandeering a stick of gum from Willow’s stash. Mission accomplished, she continued her clean-sweep, leaning under the table to grab the last stray notebook. Buffy pulled the spiral-bound pages up onto her lap and started to push it into the bag when something written there caught her eye. The Slayer read several sentences, pursing her lips and shaking her head. “Stubborn.”
***
Outside, on Main Street, Tara walked towards the Magic Box; in her arms, she carried a half-dozen books for the Scooby research she knew was well underway.
Okay, love to help, I really do. Love to research, again, I really, really do. And, hey, love to read. . . . She shifted the heavy tomes from side-to-side, trying to find a more comfortable way to carry them.
But, why do old books seem so heavy? Tara continued on her way, the stack wobbling precariously.
***
The customer bell jangled loudly as Tara pushed the front door open. Dawn lifted her head from her book and smiled broadly. “Tara!”
Buffy’s head jack-in-the-boxed from under the table at Dawn’s exclamation. The Slayer quickly shoved the notebook under her arm.
Tara smiled at the teen as she moved inside the shop. “Hey, Dawnie.”
Dawn eyed the books in the blonde’s arms. “Is that your homework?”
Tara walked the short distance to where Dawn sat. “No,” she said, plunking the stack down with a loud thud. “Research.”
Dawn smiled and laughed. “I was thinkin’ geometry didn’t seem so bad right about now.”
Tara laughed. “I don’t know about that, Dawnie.”
Buffy stood up and brushed her knees off. “Hey, Tara,” she said, as she started towards the blonde, the notebook still secured under her arm. She looked at the newly-arrived pile of books and made a face. “Yipes.”
Tara nodded. “You should try carrying them.”
Again, Buffy raised a hand. “I slay, thanks.”
“What else is new?” Dawn asked sarcastically.
Buffy dropped her hand, letting her index finger jab a page of Dawn’s text. “Do your homework, Missy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” the teen said, lowering her eyes.
Tara and Buffy smiled at one another and moved away from Dawn towards the center table in the shop. Xander looked up and smiled; Tara smiled back. Then, she looked towards the counter. “Hi, Anya,” Tara said.
“Hello,” the Vengeance Demon said, “I’m very glad you made it. There’s still so much to do.”
Tara’s smile faltered and she looked at Buffy. “What is she—”
“Shanghaied,” Buffy muttered. Tara’s brow crinkled with incomprehension, but the Slayer didn’t elaborate.
The two continued over to the table where Willow’s laptop sat. Without a conscious thought, Tara reached out and touched the keyboard.
Willow. . . . Buffy watched Tara for a moment, struck again by the longing in her friend’s face. Then, a small smile touched the corners of her mouth. “Um. . . .” she started, drawing Tara’s attention.
Tara lifted her eyes. “Buffy?”
“I, uh, I need to help Dawn with her, um, homework.”
Tara nodded her head. “Okay.”
“I need a favor.”
“Okay.”
“If you could take these in the back?” Buffy asked, indicating the stack of books in front of them.
Again with the ton-o-books. “Okay,” the blonde said, giving the Slayer a lopsided grin.
“Cool,” Buffy said, lifting a book from the table and handing it to Tara. Tara held out her arms and let the Slayer pile them on. After the last one, Buffy smiled. “Got ‘em?”
“Uh. . . yeah.”
I think. . . I hope.“Great,” Buffy said, smiling, “Willow’s waiting for them.”
Tara’s mouth fell open slightly.
W-W-W. . . . “Willow?”
“Yeah,” Buffy said, hitching her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of where the blonde would find Willow. Buffy touched Tara on the arm and took a step around her towards Dawn. “Thanks.” After several steps, Buffy stopped and looked over her shoulder: Tara remained motionless, stock-still beside the table, frozen in place. “Tara?” Buffy asked, backtracking to stand beside the blonde. “Are you okay?”
Uh. . . am. . . I. . . . uh. . . what. . . Willow. . . uh. . . . “Uh, . . . Willow?”
“Willow?” Buffy asked, her eyebrows rising slightly. Tara just stared at Buffy, a deer caught in headlights. “In the back.” Tara nodded mutely. Buffy smiled. “Oh, yeah, almost forgot.” She pulled the notebook out from under her arms and set it on top of the stack in Tara’s arms, face-up and open. “This one, too.” Again, Tara nodded mutely. Buffy walked away then, shaking her head slightly. “Scared.”
Tara swallowed hard and looked at the back door. The blonde felt her body begin to tingle with the thought of seeing Willow; she couldn’t remember the last time she had been alone with the redhead.
Months? All of their contact had been Scooby-related, and, yeah, this was, too, but it was a bit more. . .
Private. Again she swallowed, then took one step. Then another.
Okay, this is okay. . . this is. . . okay. As she walked, Tara glanced down at the last book Buffy had given her, letting her yes graze over the pages. She stopped suddenly, several feet from the back door, her mouth slightly agape, her brow creased.
There in Willow’s bold scrawl she read:
‘117 days STL
Somethin’ sad about this old bed
It isn’t fit for sleepin’
For me it’s like a prison cell
For doin’ time and thinkin’
About you
And me
And stupidity
One word from you would bring me home
But there’s no chance I’ll hear it
I sit starin’ at the telephone
But I won’t go near it
You don’t want me
And I just want what used to be
Oh, my heart never let you go
I did
It’s payin’ for the things we both know
I did
It always loved you
It’s not to blame
I’m the fool who ruined everything
Oh, my heart never let you go
I did
Punish me but not my heart
That’s what I would tell you
I know forgiveness comes so hard
After what you’ve been through
I’ve hurt you bad
I’d give anything to take it back
Oh, my heart never let you go
I did
It’s payin’ for the things we both know
I did
It always loved you
It’s not to blame
I’m the fool who ruined everything
Oh, my heart never let you go
I did’Tara felt tears sting her yes and her throat tighten.
Willow. Carefully, Tara reached a hand up and flipped pages back.
‘91 days STL
I learned to be strong a long time ago
And I can face any wind no matter how hard it blows
But I'd have to be stronger than I want to be
If I had to live without you loving me
I'd be down on my knees
Ready to pray, darlin'
Down on my knees
Making you stay
I'd be begging you please
Don't take your love from me
I'd be down on my knees
No one matters more in my life
Or makes me feel like you make me feel inside
And I've come far enough to know
Love's worth never letting go of
And love is not a matter of pride
I'd be down on my knees
Ready to pray, darlin'
Down on my knees
Making you stay
I'd be begging you please
Don't take your love from me
I'd be down on my knees
I should’ve gotten down on my knees. Tara, I should have told you everything— how much you mean to me, how much I miss you still, how sorry I am that I hurt you so much. I wish I could do that. Please say I’ll be able to do that.’Another page.
‘77 days STL
I look back on all those good times
We once shared and I must have been blind
Just to think I’d find someone new
One who’d love me better than you
Well, it may come as a surprise
Loneliness has opened my eyes
I tried every love I could find
Still I can’t get you out of my mind
‘Cause there’s no one in the world to hold me
No one in the world’s gonna move me
No one in the world can love me
Like you do, baby
Every time I’m with someone
I’m loving you, yes, I want to run
I wanna run back to your arms again
Ain’t no one in the world
Loves me like you do
Are you happy now with your life
Well, for me, I’m breaking inside
So self-assured that I could not see
I had it all when you were with me, baby
No one in the world’s gonna hold me
No one in the world’s gonna move me
No one in the world can love me
Like you do, baby
Please take me back
Oh babe, I can’t go on
I’m not happy in my life without you
I’ll do whatever it takes
I’ve got to get you back with me again
I realize I need you here in my life
No one, no one
Nobody loves me like you do
You got the love that I need
And you brought it down, heaven on me
Ain’t no one in the world
In this world
In this world
There is no one— nothing— in this world I love more, I miss more, than you.’Another page.
‘54 days STL
Two are born to cross
Their paths, their lives, their hearts.
If by chance one turns away
Are they forever lost?
Tara, please tell me we aren’t lost. That we can find our way back. I’ll wait for that day. Forever I’ll wait. Forever.’Tara flipped more pages.
‘46 days STL
Well the sun is slowly sinking down
The moon is surely rising
So this Old World must still be spinning round
And I still love you
I do, Tara. I really do. I love you and I’m sorry.’On and on.
‘4 days STL
Everytime the phone rings
I wonder if it’s you
I’ve about worn out those records
We used to listen to
And I curse the day I ever let you in
Cause now you’re gone
And here I go
Here I go again’Tara wiped a tear from her cheek.
Maybe she. . . . She lifted her chin slightly and took a deep, calming breath. Then, she walked through the door which would lead her to
. . . Willow.TBC
Kris
"Frell that!"
Edited by: KrisBo5 at: 10/17/02 8:59:25 am
by Tulipp » Mon Oct 14, 2002 6:51 am 
More!!! 
MORE 
MORE 
MORE 
& 
!! 
MORE NC69 
this was so sweet
leave it to Kris to actually make Buffy likeable and funny and caring 
)! I liked Buffy not being clueless, but rather being insightful enough to notice Tara "longing" for Willow, being pained by being separated from her love (ie Tara's reaction when she came into contact with Willow's computer). And I loved how Buffy took some subtle action in trying to bring these two closer to re-connecting with making sure Willow's notebook was on the top of the book pile. 
at: 10/17/02 12:42:34 pm
with the notebook open to what she wanted her to read. At least she's feelin' a bit better about going into the back room with Willow. Lookin' forward to seeing what happens next 
oh god, i am stupid and it's not because i'm Romanian, you're right 
, i should've thought of that *
myself* thanks for enlightening me My Sweet Lady 