The
BIG HONKIN' ANGST WARNING is still in effect. Please stock up an provisions such as tissues accordingly. Anyone suggesting stocking up on chocolate, too, would not be accused of crazy talk.
Lots of pain, of course, which really could just keep going on and on. But sometimes something just clicks inside a person, allowing them to tap into the reservoir of strength that runs through us all but is sometimes buried under layers of pain and recrimination. Our Willow's a strong girl, and when she makes up her mind about something... well, you'll see.
It's not 26 yet, but we're getting there.
And wow, your replies were awesome! Thanks for that. And now for some replies of my own...
***The Rose24 - Oh, I agree that Riley was the kind of guy Buffy needed, as much of an A/B fan as I had been. I actually liked S4 Riley, just not S5, though I don't think that was the actor's fault. I have a tendency to give Riley a hard time, more because I tend to remember S5 Riley and the S5 B/R relationship, and I forget what I liked about him in the first place.
***Yes, Tara's certainly not protecting herself here, is she? As for the wall... nothing Earth-shattering, just anger, and a bit of tension between Buffy and Tara.
***BFR from Paris - I'm not sure where the S6 title thing came from. I have an odd mind.
***DestruktorMel - Mel!!! Thanks for chanting 25, baby! Hehe. And just for your chanting... update!
***tommo - Thank you, thank you very much. You have hit on what I hope everyone will see at some point. The story is very much about truth, but truth exists on many different levels: power and trust being two of them. Love, pain, and reason being some other key ones. Thanks.
***cinderlust - Hehe. Let go of the pillow! Very slowly, put it down and back away.
***Grimlock72 - Some very interesting questions you've posed. I hope you'll understand that I can't answer most of them.
No spoilers here, my friend, though some questions should be answered by this next bit. You've hit on some key issues/themes though, especially Tara's mindset in taking on the whole world by herself.
***mollyig - Ant farm, lol. Too true.
***xita - Lol. Sorry to keep you dangling. The issue of whether Tara's making a mistake by not trusting is an interesting one. I think obviously on a lot of levels, it's clear she's making a mistake. And yet... is it a mistake to follow your instincts when so much is at stake? And I loved your comment about aching for the love she has in order to do it all on her own. I think that's been the most heart-breaking thing for me in this, the isolation and desolation Tara willingly subjects herself to, all for Willow, and the profound strength it takes to do such a thing. She's giving up her future happiness with the love of her life, all to keep Willow safe.
***mscheckmate - You know, the consensus seems to be in favor of a slow, painful death for Walsh. I'm thinking I might have to start taking torture suggestions.
***Urn of Osiris - I wish I could take the credit for the group confrontation, but I must give many kudos to my beta. She absolutely saved that scene with her fabulous insight.
***WiccansIllusion - Angst? What angst?
***Puff - Yeah, I didn't mean to freak anyone out with the dorm-wall-breaking. We all know how crappy that construction is!
***foreverpiper - Hehe. That's a big compliment, disconnecting your phone. *G* the 26 thing stands for Part 26. It's a good bit.
***Tulipp - No, no. Take your bow. You deserve it.
Glad you liked the changes. I loved the way the Willow-angry stuff turned out, too. It was one of those things that sort of just made sense - you were so totally right about the anger. I forget, sometimes, that at the heart of a lot of Willow's problems later on in the show, was her anger. As for Riley... ain't he a sweetie? Your affection for him is definitely rubbing off on me, as I like him more and more all the time.
***Grimaldi - I'm thinking Tara should just buy a flower shop and a candy store now, so she'll have supplies when she has to start groveling. *G*
***sheila wt - I wish Tara would just fess up, too. She's a smart girl. She can figure out a way to tell everyone the truth, right? Of course, I think Tara has her reasons. I mean, with Walsh watching, they'd all have to be acting 24/7 to keep up the charade for Walsh, and I'm not sure Tara Willow's safety to everyone enough for that.
***SilverWingedNemesis - Hmm... Riley was there, wasn't he? Hmm...
***darkmagicwillow - Thanks. I'm glad it was so visual for you, and once again, credit must be given to my beta.
***ExtraFlameyWT - No, the violence between them won't be a trend. As for the tension between them... uh, no comment.
***TromDeGrey - Gut wrenching? Cool! Well, not
cool cool in the sense that I'm glad I wrenched your gut, but... oh heck, you know what I mean. *G*
-BB
Title: The Truth of Deception - Part 25: Resolve
Author: blameburner
Feedback: Sure… Always a plus
Summary: AU, baby! So you all know by now... Tara is part of the Initiative. Plenty of questions remain, however, and the answers will be revealed... eventually.
Spoiler Warning: S4. Everything up to "Hush" is canon. After that, this story veers off. There will be some similarities to S4, but definite differences. Basically, if it happened after "Hush" on the show, assume it
didn't happen unless I mention it specifically.
Disclaimer: Not my characters, but oh how I wish they were! Joss, blah, blah, ME, blah, blah.
Rating: Generally R, but some NC-17 (maybe). Just be prepared.
Pairings: W/T, of course.
Angst: Everyone's in pain. Level 8.
Previously..."You're so damn devoted to her," Tara said angrily.
Jealousy. Spite. Cruelty. Focus. "Buffy this and Buffy that. You want to please her so badly that you'll do anything for her... even use me for my magic."
"You can't really mean that," Willow said, recoiling as if she'd just been slapped.
"Can't I?" Tara laughed dangerously. Damn Maggie Walsh to hell. And damn me, too. "All I know is that everything's about Buffy - Buffy and her superiority complex, her need to control everything... and your willingness to let her. You think I betrayed you? Well now I think that I was the one who was really betrayed. So just take your precious Buffy and leave me the hell alone."
Willow took a step back, then another, shaking her head as her tears flowed freely. She couldn't hear anymore, couldn't be in the same room anymore. Her legs felt like lead, her vision grew blurry, and she wondered fleetingly if this was what it felt like to die. There were no words, no thoughts. Only pain. Only agony.
She spun and stumbled towards the door, brushing past Riley almost blindly as she escaped the room. He followed her out the door with his eyes, knowing someone needed to go after her, but unable to make his feet move just yet. He turned back toward Tara, who met his eyes with her cold, lifeless ones. His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched, and his head shook from side to side almost imperceptibly. He had never been so disgusted in his life. He had no words. He just turned his back on Tara and went after Willow.
Tara watched Riley follow Willow out the door, unable to look anywhere else. Smashed. Wrecked. Gone. Forgive me, baby. She wanted to crumple to the floor under the weight of her grief, but she couldn't. Not yet. Can't let anyone see. Not yet.
She expected Buffy to chase after Willow, but she was wrong. She didn't even see the Slayer move before she felt hands like steel gripping her shoulders and herself being slammed into the wall behind her. Her head cracked against the plaster, splitting the wall with the force.
There was nothing but rage in the Slayer's eyes. Pure, unadulterated rage. Like a panther she had sprung from her unreadable daze, though Tara realized now that she should have seen it coming. Not that it mattered. Buffy's grip was like an unrelenting vice, and pain shot through both of Tara's shoulders. But Tara held fast, showing no sign of pain or fear. Not that that mattered, either.
"If you ever... ever... come near Willow again, I will kill you," Buffy growled dangerously, so close to Tara's face the blonde witch could feel the words as the Slayer spat them out. "Make no mistake. Buffy the Vampire Slayer doesn't kill humans, but that rule doesn't apply where Buffy Summers' best friend is concerned. Are we clear?"
Part 25
Willow ran out into the approaching night, trying to put as much distance between her and Tara as possible. Her legs pumped until she couldn't feel them anymore, nor the ground beneath her. She ran and ran, vaguely aware of the two voices behind her, calling her name. Still, she kept running, until the numbness in her legs caught up with her and she stumbled.
She stayed on her feet, but the pause in her escape gave her body the chance to overrule her instinct to run. So she stood there, with her back to the world, catching her breath.
Riley and Buffy both were grateful, as they were finally able to catch up to the redhead. It surprised Buffy, Willow's speed, and her inability to catch up to the hacker. Buffy supposed the pain Willow felt had carried her farther than her legs normally would have. Riley stopped behind Buffy, allowing the Slayer to take the lead.
"Willow," Buffy said softly, reaching out a gentle hand to Willow's shoulder. Willow shrugged it off, though not meaning any offense. She just couldn't handle anyone touching her, offering comfort. Especially Buffy and Riley. They had been there, they had seen... they knew. Willow had nowhere to hide.
Buffy winced slightly at her friend's rejection, but tried not to let it bother her. She only wanted to offer comfort, but it didn't really matter what she wanted. It only mattered what Willow wanted. What Willow needed. That was the true measure of friendship.
"I'm sorry," Buffy said to Willow's still turned back. It was all she could say, all she could offer. She wished she could take away the redhead's pain, but that wasn't possible. All her Slayer powers were worthless in the face of her best friend's agony. What good was it to be the Slayer if you couldn't protect your best friend? From everything? Still, while the Slayer might be powerless, Buffy Summers was not. So she offered what she had. What she was capable of. Her support.
She noticed the way Willow's shoulders tensed slightly at the words, as if hearing them only made the reality of it all that much worse. Yet something in Willow also seemed to let go just a little bit at Buffy's words of comfort. Willow turned towards her friends, her arms coming up protectively and wrapping themselves around her slim frame. Tears stained her cheeks, and her eyes looked... dead. Her anguish was palpable, her grief screaming so loud Buffy could hear it in her very soul.
Riley heard it too, felt it run through him, and he hated it. He hated Tara for causing it. And he hated the fact that he hated. For the first time in his life, Riley Finn had no idea what to do to make things better. There was no plan to be made, no rescue to be had, no mission that would ease Willow's pain. And he hated that, too.
"Are you..." Buffy started to ask if Willow was okay, but that was just dumb. Willow was obviously not okay. Still, Buffy didn't know what else to say. Willow's silence was deafening. Buffy was used to babbling Willow, funny Willow... even cranky Willow was okay. But silent Willow? Silent Willow shook Buffy to the core.
Willow just shook her head. She attempted to smile weakly, but it died on her lips. She knew her friends were worried and wanted to help, but she couldn't handle that. She couldn't handle their pain on top of her own, even if their sadness was for her.
"I need..." Willow said, her voice thick with misery and choked from her tears. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I need... to be alone."
Riley wanted to protest, the soldier in him wanting to do something - anything - as long as it was proactive. Yet the friend in him knew that now was not the time. So he deferred to Buffy.
Buffy looked into Willow's eyes, searching her own soul and Willow's for the answer. She remembered how lost Willow had been after Oz had left, how despondent, how uncaring about herself even to the point of walking out in the middle of the street and almost getting hit by a car. Buffy didn't really think Willow had been trying to kill herself. Willow just hadn't cared, about anything. And this was so much worse than it had ever been with Oz.
But still... Willow had grown so much since Oz. Since Tara. It wasn't about Oz, it was about Tara. Tara and Willow. Buffy hadn't known it then, but she knew it now. Willow was so much stronger now, and it had everything to do with Tara, with Tara having shown Willow how to find a part of herself she hadn't realized was there... the strong, confident, courageous Willow Buffy had always seen in Willow but had never taken the time to show her how to find.
Yes, Willow was different now. And if Willow needed time, that's what Buffy would give her. She trusted Willow to be okay.
"Okay, Wil," Buffy said finally. "I'll go to Riley's, in case you want to go back to the dorm and be by yourself there. But if you need me... even if it's just to sit in the same room with you and be quiet... just call me. I'll be there."
Willow nodded gratefully. Sometimes her best friend was simply amazing. The Slayer had the power, but Buffy had the heart.
"Um, actually," Riley said, hating to even bring it up but knowing it was necessary. "You can't come to my place, Buffy."
Both Buffy and Willow looked at Riley in confusion.
"It's just... I can't go to my place, not anymore. I'm UA from The Initiative, and the military kind of frowns on housing deserters," he explained.
"Oh, God, Riley, I didn't even think..." Buffy apologized, turning to Riley and putting her hands on his shoulders. In all that had happened, she had totally forgotten about Riley's situation.
"It's okay," he said with his typical good nature. "There were more important things going on," he said, looking at Willow and offering her a gentle smile.
"What are you going to do?" Willow asked, now concerned for Riley.
"Xander's," Buffy said before Riley could respond. She looked up at him. "You could stay at Xander's. They wouldn't look for you there."
Hey looked from Buffy to Willow, who was nodding in agreement. "Do you think he'd mind?"
"It'll be fine," Buffy said. "We can head over there now."
Riley nodded. Buffy smiled, then turned back to Willow.
"I'll call later, just to check on you, okay?" Buffy asked uncertainly. She didn't want Willow to feel smothered, and she trusted Willow to take care of herself, but still... this was Sunnydale.
Willow nodded again, this time managing the weak smile she had tried to form earlier. "I'm not sure... I might go to my parent's house."
Buffy raised an eyebrow, surprised Willow would turn to her parents of all people.
"They're out of town," Willow answered Buffy's unasked question with a roll of her eyes and the faintest hint of a smirk, even through her pain.
Buffy laughed lightly. She should have known. Willow's parents were nothing if not consistent in their absence.
"Well, if you need anything, just call Xander's," Buffy said. She took a chance and moved to squeeze Willow's hand, and this time the redhead accepted the comfort that was being offered. After a moment, Buffy let go, and Riley stepped up next to her and slipped his hand into hers.
"I love you," Buffy said to Willow.
"I know," Willow said. Then Willow turned and walked away.
*************************
Tara grunted with each blow. Over and over again she beat the heavy bag into submission.
Right, left, jab, jab, uppercut, knee, elbow, roundhouse, right hook, right hook, right hook...
If the heavy bag had been Maggie Walsh, the professor would have been dead ten times over.
Sweat poured off her body, running down into her eyes, blurring her vision. But she didn't stop.
Kick, kick, jab, jab...
Her lungs burned, her heart - or what was left of it - felt like it would explode. But she refused to stop.
Uppercut, uppercut, elbow, right hook...
Her muscles screamed their protest, her legs felt like jello and pain lanced through her shoulders with every blow. Still, she didn't stop. Until she was forced to stop.
She felt her legs buckle and then she was just on the ground, on her knees, holding onto the heavy bag. She was angry that she couldn't keep going, angry that her body had betrayed her. Just... angry.
Anger was good. Anger burned out the pain. Anger filled up the emptiness.
Anger was all she had left.
Anger... and resolve.
She had done the right thing. She knew that. She had done the necessary thing. Want was irrelevant. It was all about need. About what Willow needed. And whether Willow knew it or not, she needed to be safe. And Tara needed that for her.
Tara hadn't wanted it to happen like it had, hadn't wanted to have to be so cruel to Willow, especially not in front of Willow's friends. She didn't care that Riley felt betrayed, or that Buffy had threatened her - well, she did care, but that didn't matter. Tara hated that she had compounded the pain she had inflicted on Willow with the humiliation of her having to bear the pain in front of her friends.
That hadn't been necessary, not initially, but still... it had happened. Once Willow and Buffy and Riley had all come to Tara's room, humiliation had been unavoidable. And Tara hated that. She hated the inevitability of it all. She hated Willow's pain like the cockroach you crush under the heel of your boot. Oh, would that she could crush Willow's pain. Instead she had been the pain's cause, and there wasn't enough hate in the world for that.
But the cruelty? That had been inevitable too, whether Riley and Buffy had been there or not, whether Tara had wanted to admit it or not, whether they had been in Tara's dorm room or not. Walsh was watching. Tara knew that, Walsh had told her that. So what if Walsh hadn't said there was a camera in Tara's room, too. Like Walsh would really have said, "oh, by the way, I put a camera in your room so I could watch you twenty-for hours a day because I'm a paranoid, maniacal bitch."
Tara didn't trust Walsh worth a damn, couldn't trust anything Walsh did or said. Tara had to be paranoid, had to fear everything, had to assume that nowhere was safe - anything less risked Willow, and Tara refused to risk Willow. She figured there were certainly some places on campus and in town were safe, simply because Walsh couldn't possibly be watching everything herself. Plus Walsh was smart... she would focus on the areas that were dangerous, where Willow and the Scoobies met and interacted. But still... Walsh could have people helping her. Someone had to have installed those cameras.
And she wondered how long those cameras had been in place. They could have been there for months, she supposed, but she didn't think that was the case. No, the cameras were a function of Walsh's paranoia, of her desperation, of her loss of control. Walsh hated not being in control - that had been obvious even before she had tried to murder Buffy. If the cameras had been there all along, then Walsh would know Tara had been lying about her relationship with Willow. And Walsh would have called her on it by now, especially now.
Walsh was panicked, and had started making mistakes. Trying to kill Buffy was one mistake. Letting Buffy escape was another. So the mistakes were compounding, and when it all fell apart, Tara was going to be damn sure to be there to collect the interest. There was no doubt that Maggie Walsh would pay, or that Tara would be the one claiming the payment.
So Tara would be careful. They were all being watched - Willow, Buffy, Riley, Tara - she knew that. She could feel it. So she had to be ready, all the time. She couldn't let her guard down for a single moment. She had to play her part, keep up the act... the performing monkey, that was her. Give me a quarter and watch me dance.
If possible, she would avoid Willow completely, if only to spare her soul the pain of having to hurt Willow. Again. But where she couldn't avoid her...
There was, of course, the simple fact that Willow was the smartest person Tara had ever met. Willow was nothing if not smart. And logical. And without the cruelty, and the pain it was certain to cause, Tara knew that Willow would see right through her story. Right through her. Willow could always see right through her. All Tara could do was keep heaping on the pain and misery, hoping it would be enough to overload Willow's intellect and blind her to the truth.
The truth that Tara loved her. The truth that Tara never wanted to hurt her. The truth that Tara was sacrificing everything to keep Willow safe, that there was no price to high to pay, and that Tara died every time she hurt Willow. By her last count, Tara had died fifty-seven times already. She had stopped counting after that.
So Tara would be cruel. Tara would be bitter. Tara would make Willow hate her, because that was the only way Tara could see to save her.
*************************
Willow walked without purpose, her feet on auto-pilot as her mind spun round and round one question: who was the real Tara? The Tara that claimed she loved her that morning? Or the one who accused Willow of using her that afternoon? Memories swirled together, words rushed in and out like the tide, assaulting her mind.
"What do you want, Willow?"
"But there you were, this amazing person who I'd only just met and yet somehow I knew that I wanted to know for the rest of my life."
"Why are you here, Willow? You made it pretty clear that you don't want anything to do with me anymore."
"No, it wasn't all a lie. Being your friend wasn't a lie. Loving you wasn't a lie. I started to fall in love with you that night in the laundry room. When we touched hands, I felt something... a connection unlike anything I've ever felt before."
"I know all about how Buffy turned Riley against Maggie, how she faked Maggie trying to kill her."
"The strength of our magic comes from our bond. You and I... we have a connection that transcends magic. Our souls are connected."
"I'm seeing things clearly now, maybe for the first time. I see what you people are capable of. And now I think that you've been playing me for a fool all along."
"You have every reason to hate me, and no reason at all to trust me. But if nothing else, please believe that I was trying to protect you. There's something going on-"
"You're so damn devoted to her. Buffy this and Buffy that. You want to please her so badly that you'll do anything for her... even use me for my magic."
"No. No, that was just us. I couldn't help it, to touch the woman I love."
"All I know is that everything's about Buffy - Buffy and her superiority complex, her need to control everything... and your willingness to let her. You think I betrayed you? Well now I think that I was the one who was really betrayed. So just take your precious Buffy and leave me the hell alone."
It seemed so unreal. Willow just couldn't believe that Tara would really think Buffy capable of such deception, that she would think that Willow...
It made no sense. Did Tara really think Buffy would use Willow that way? That Willow would let herself be used? Or that Willow would use Tara in return? That she would let Tara touch her and hold her and caress her body if all Willow had wanted was to use Tara?
But wasn't that what she had thought Tara had done?
No, not really. She had been hurting, but she had never really believed that. She had known. All along, she had known.
No, this made no sense at all. What had happened to change things so suddenly, so drastically? What had turned the Tara from this morning into the Tara of tonight? Why would Tara believe Walsh?
And even if Tara did believe all that... they've all seen what Walsh is capable of now, and even though they don't understand all the whys as of yet, if Tara was really blind to how dangerous Walsh was, then Tara was in grave danger.
And a Tara in danger was not something Willow could allow, no matter how much Tara had hurt her.
No matter what, Willow needed to make sure Tara was safe. And in this case - if Tara really did believe Walsh about Buffy - then making sure Tara's safe meant forcing Tara to see the truth.
Truth, Willow thought somewhat bitterly. What is that, anyway?
It had been more of a rhetorical question, really, the product of a conflicted heart, but... Willow started to really think about it.
Was the truth just that Tara had lied? Or was the truth that Tara believed she had reasons to lie?
"You have every reason to hate me, and no reason at all to trust me. But if nothing else, please believe that I was trying to protect you. There's something going on-"
Was the truth that Tara never really loved her, that she was just using and spying on Willow? Or was the truth what Willow felt every time Tara looked at her? Touched her? Kissed her?
"No. No, that was just us. I couldn't help it, to touch the woman I love."
Was the truth what Willow feared with her mind, that the real Tara was the one who had been so cold and bitter in her dorm room so recently? Or was the truth what Willow felt with her heart, that the real Tara was the one who had held her in the night and guarded all her dreams?
"But there you were, this amazing person who I'd only just met and yet somehow I knew that I wanted to know for the rest of my life."
"What do you want, Willow?"
"Being your friend wasn't a lie. Loving you wasn't a lie. I started to fall in love with you that night in the laundry room. When we touched hands, I felt something... a connection unlike anything I've ever felt before."
"What do you want, Willow?"
"The strength of our magic comes from our bond. You and I... we have a connection that transcends magic. Our souls are connected."
"What do you want, Willow?"
And then, Willow knew. The truth wasn't about Tara. The truth was about Willow, about what Willow felt. About what she wanted. And after all of it - all the lies, the pain, the confusion - Willow still felt love. She still wanted Tara. She loved Tara with her entire being, and she wasn't about to let Tara off the hook so easily.
If nothing else, Willow was going to force Tara to face the truth - all the truths. Tara had been honest that morning - Willow had felt Tara's pain at having lied almost as much as she had felt her own pain. And that meant one of two things: either Tara really believed the angry words she had leveled at Willow tonight, or Tara had lied just now. If Tara really believed what she'd said, then Willow needed to make her see the truth. And if Tara had lied...
Either way, she wasn't about to let Tara walk away without a fight.
*************************
Tara stepped out of the gym and into the night air. She wasn't sure how long she had spent letting her anger run free, nor how long she had sat on the gym floor. After a while, she had looked up and found the gym deserted, save for her. Absently she had wondered if the other patrons had left in order to get home before dark, or if she had scared them off. The thought of the latter would have made her laugh, if she'd been capable. Big, scary Tara, that was her. She wondered what her father and brother would have thought of her now.
It had turned surprisingly cold, a cold which was all the more bitter in the wake of the steady rain that had begun to fall. The water seeped into Tara's clothes and skin, chilling her to the core, making her body feel like her soul felt already.
The campus was as deserted as the gym had been, and Tara supposed everyone had taken shelter from the sudden storm. She made no such attempt to hurry or hide, no attempt to shield herself from the rain. She just stuffed her hands in her pockets and walked slowly back towards her dorm, not caring as she got soaked to the bone.
It was a perfect parallel - the storm raging outside as a storm raged within her. An angry gust of wind shot through her, and she wondered if the weather was a reaction to her own emotions. Her own anger. Her hatred for herself.
The hatred burned deeply, but the anger... she was too exhausted to bear it at the moment. All she felt was numb, and that suited her just fine.
*************************
Willow was just about to sprint for her dorm when she saw her. Tara. Walking alone, hunched in the cold. Obviously soaking wet. Obviously not caring.
Willow's heart broke all over again. For Tara. Her heart broke for Tara. She looked so defeated, so fragile, so alone. And it only strengthened her resolve. She would fight for Tara, as Tara seemed unwilling to fight for herself.
"Tara!" she screamed, her voice breaking with a desperation that surprised her but shouldn't have.
Tara spun, recognizing Willow's voice automatically. Her eyes found Willow instantly, and her heart sang with joy even as it lurched with agony.
They both stood frozen, staring at each other across the quad. So far away, an ocean of grief between them. The rain fell in sheets now, curtains of water that shimmered across their plane of existence, pounding the earth into submission. The storm was deafening, drowning out every sound except the beating of their own hearts.
Willow took a single step towards Tara, towards everything she had ever wanted. Tara didn't move. Emboldened, yet still uncertain, Willow took another step. Still, Tara didn't move. She just stood there, watching. Waiting.
Willow took another step followed by another, afraid to move too quickly, afraid of everything. She stopped again.
"Tara," she cried softly, more quietly than the last time but no less urgently.
Tara met Willow's gaze, feeling herself get lost even as her mind screamed at her to move, to run, to do something - anything - other than stand there as Willow moved closer. She couldn't let herself get lost. She knew the path she had to take, and it wasn't to Willow. It was away.
Lightning flashed in the sky, catching Willow off guard with it's intensity. She looked up for a brief moment, and when she looked back... Tara was walking away.
"Tara!" Willow screamed, but it was no use. Tara kept walking, running now, heading out into the woods and as far from Willow as she could.
Willow stood there, stunned. Tara was running away. Tara was leaving. Tara wouldn't fight. Tara had given up. Willow had lost.
Thunder rolled all around her, shaking her with its ferocity, shaking her from her stupor.
Willow hadn't lost the fight. She hadn't even begun.
"Oh no you don't, Tara MaClay! You are not walking away from me!" she yelled, and then took off running after Tara.
**************************
TBC with Part 26: Intensity
(I'll try not to leave y'all hanging for too long, but I've got a paper due Monday and an exam the same day, so I've got a lot going on right now. Hopefully this is a slightly less angsty ending than I've been giving you lately, so you can hold out a little while)
"Maybe I'll change my look, or cut class. You don't know! And I'm eating this banana, lunch-time be damned!" - Willow, Dopplegangland
) 
That was...wow...and so so sad! 
A tornado could've stormed inside my house and I still wouldn't be able to take my eyes off the screen.
And see...now i'm really looking forward to Part 26 