Life's Chronicles (Updated 11/09/2009)

[Tarafied4Life]

Okay, finally an update! It's a short one, but I've been writing during lunch hours at work, so it hasn't left me a lot of time. Hopefully it's good despite it's length!

Kaia - We're definitely going to learn more about what happened - but it might take a little while... Thanks for sticking with the story!

[hr]
Chapter 13 - The best lack all convictions
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Rating: R for language, I guess.


Even with the spell in place, everyone in the van could feel a change in the air as they grew closer to the hellmouth. Buffy turned from the passenger seat. “You guys? I have a feeling the roads could get a little tricky from here on – can you guide us?”

Tara and Willow linked hands. “Yes – but you’re going to have to follow our directions exactly,” Willow explained, “if we seem to tell you something crazy, like a left turn into a building, just do it.”

“Can do! You ready, Faith?”

Faith smiled from the driver’s seat. “Drive through a building? Hell, sounds like fun.”

“Left! Now!” called Willow, and Faith turned the wheel, banking them down a dead-end alley.

“Keep going straight until we tell you.”

“But there’s-“

“Ignore it!”

Faith stepped on the gas, grinning wildly. A few of the potentials gasped as the van hit the wall at the end of the alley – and went through it, emerging on another street. “Just cheap tricks!” she cried. “They must not know we’ve got the mojo masters on call!”

“Right!” Tara called from the back, and Faith followed the direction.
[hr]
The group climbed out of the van in front of a dilapidated warehouse. “So, what does this building really look like? Under all the psychic stuff, I mean?”

“Actually, Buffy, this is what it looks like. The hellmouth is being opened in the basement. They didn’t bother disguising the outside, but I’m sure the inside is going to be a different story. The spell Giles found – the one we cast in the van – should help, but it’s still going to be very tough to find the basement. And given that we haven’t seen a v-vampire yet, I’m guessing they’re all inside.”

“Right. Okay, here’s how we’re going in: Faith and I up front, Tara and Willow in the middle and Spike behind them, with all of you” she indicated the potentials, “in a half-circle that starts at Willow and Tara and goes around Spike. Remember, the number one priority is to guard Willow and Tara – they’re the only ones who can do the spell, and given how much trouble has been expended so far to separate them, we know they’re going to be a target. Everybody clear?” The potentials nodded their assent, and Spike and Faith grinned. “Let’s go!”

Buffy kicked in the rotted front door of the warehouse, and there was a collective gasp as the group regarded the interior. Even with the spell in place, the power of the psychics they faced was obvious, as the building appeared five times larger on the inside and was laid out like a maze on top of that. Buffy motioned them forward and they entered the building as a group. As the last of them cleared the doorway, it sealed itself behind them.

“Ignore it!” called Buffy. “It’s just showmanship. Everybody just stick-“ she trailed off as she realized she was alone. “Together,” she sighed.

“Shit!” exclaimed Faith. “Where’d everybody go?”

“I don’t think that spell Giles found is doing a whole lot of good,” Willow complained.

“I agree,” Tara replied. “Can you see anybody else?”

“Nope, just us. I guess we better-“

“Head for the basement!” Sonya instructed the potentials. “If we’re going to meet up with the others anywhere, it’ll be there.”

Spike grinned to himself. “This should be fun.”
[hr]
“W-Willow, I don’t think this is the way.”

“I’m starting to think you’re right. But which way is the right way?”

“No idea. Maybe a spell? Ask Cadria for a guide?”

“Will that still work if these guys have altered reality?”

“I don’t think they have – just masked it somehow. If we-“ she was cut off when a vampire leapt from the shadows and grabbed her by the throat.

“Tara!” Willow screamed as the vamp throttled her. Tara was unable to cast without breathing, and the vampire stood too close for Willow to launch an attack of her own. “Please – take me! Let her go!”

The creature laughed as Tara’s lips turned blue and her struggles faded. Just as Willow grew desperate enough to attack it, it exploded into dust to reveal Spike standing behind it with a grin. “I knew I smelled this bugger around here somewhere,” he explained as Willow rushed to Tara, who lay on the floor choking and gasping for air around her bruised windpipe.

“Baby? Are you all right?”

Tara settled for nodding as she began to cough and retch again, reaching out and touching Willow’s knee to reassure her.

“No need to thank me,” Spike muttered.

“Sorry – thanks, Spike. Tara says thanks too,” she continued as Tara gave Spike a weak thumbs-up. “How did you find us?”

“Actually, I didn’t. I followed the vamp’s scent, and when I found him I found you. It must be because he touched Tara, though, ‘cause I couldn’t see you until you touched her.”

“So if we’ve made physical contact with anyone unaffected by the reality shift, like this vampire, then we’ll be visible to the others – but they’ll still be invisible to us…”

“I dunno, Red, you’re the witch. I wouldn’t walk around the place touchin’ things, though, unless you’re keen on losing an arm.”

“We have to get Tara out of here before we go any further.”

Tara shook her head violently and tried to argue, resulting in another coughing fit.

“I thought you two birds had to be together to do your mojo.”

“Well, yeah, but the baby…”

“Then we all go on. You gonna make it, luv?” he asked Tara, who nodded as he helped her to her feet.
[hr]
“This can’t be right,” Faith muttered. “This is the third set of stairs I’ve gone down, and I’m still not in this basement. No way is this place three levels underground. I’ve just gotta…” she stopped, a feeling tickling the back of her neck. She couldn’t see or hear anything amiss as she glanced around, but she knew enough to trust her instincts. She stood stock-still, waiting for a sign. Finally she felt it…there! She reached out with her left hand and grabbed at the air, drawing back her right fist to hit what had appeared. She stopped in the nick of time as the squirming figure in her grasp called “Faith! It’s me, it’s me!”

“Dawn?”

Faith felt the girl relax in her grip and let her go. They stood face to face.

“Yeah, it’s me. How’d you know I was there? I couldn’t see you at all!”

“I felt you…slayer thing. Seen anyone else?”

“No. You?”

“Nope. You’re the first-“ she gave Dawn a hard shove backwards, ignoring her startled cry, as something whistled through the air she’d occupied seconds before. Faith struck out with one fist, making contact with something not at all human. “A polgara?” she moaned as the creature became visible, it’s trademark skewer extended. “You gotta be shittin’ me. Let’s dance, ugly!”
[hr]
Buffy was lost. She knew it, but she stubbornly pressed on, sure she’d stumble across the basement stairs any time now. She’d traveled all four corners of the room, but found no stairs up or down – she knew they were there somewhere, but she had no idea where. Her confusion was only increased by the fact that the room kept getting bigger as she walked.

She rounded the northwest corner (at least, she thought it was the northwest) and was surprised by a figure in black who leapt from the darkness at her. Without thought, she swung the scythe at it, catching it mid-torso with the blade. Only then, with horror, did she see the face the figure wore.

“Faith? FAITH? No…please….” She grabbed the slayer’s limp form as she collapsed to the ground. “God…Faith, you’re going to be okay! Stay with me!”

Faith reached up and patted her cheek weakly. “Don’t think so, B. Not your fault…I love you…” Her eyes went blank and her head lolled back into Buffy’s chest. Buffy climbed almost robotically to her feet and took a few steps before sitting down hard, her eyes vacant and staring.

Faith stood up and transformed with a grin, taking the form of one of the three psychics Lindsey had consulted earlier. She waved her hand in front of Buffy’s eyes and clucked her tongue when they didn’t move. “Almost too easy,” she laughed as she walked away.
[hr]
As a group, the potentials moved efficiently through the warehouse, in almost perfect formation. The didn’t make a sound as they did so, communicating solely in SWAT-standard hand signals. As they felt their way around the west weall, one of the younger girls cried out and fell through what looked like a solid part of it.

“Claudia!” called Sonya, who’d taken point. “You okay?”

“Si,” answered the girl with a grin as she stuck her head back out through the ‘wall.’ “The basement stairs are here, I think.”

“Okay – Cho-Ahn and Sara, stay with her. The three of you stand right here, in front of the spot, and don’t move for anything. I’m going to take the rest of the group onward to find the others. Clear?”

The three nodded.

“Good. Move out!”
[hr]
Spike was the first to see Buffy huddled against the wall, his vampire eyesight picking her up through the haze that now seemed to be wafting across the warehouse. He resisted the urge to break into a fast run, knowing Tara couldn’t Tara couldn’t draw enough air for it to be practical, but he urged she and Willow on as quickly as he could.

As they approached, Spike’s first thought was that she was dead, as he’d never seen a living being so still. But he could hear her heart beating, smell her blood, and that wasn’t it. He reached her first and looked into her eyes, the expression he found there all too familiar. “Balls. Don’t tell me you’ve gone coma girl on me again!” Buffy made no move to answer, indeed she didn’t seem to have heard at all. “Red? Tara? Can you look at her?”

Willow knelt on one side of her oldest friend, and Tara the other. After a long few moments, Willow turned to Spike. “She’s not here. She looks…catatonic, and I can’t reach her psychically either.”

“But…whatever happened, you can fix it, right? You’ve talked her out of this coma routine before!”

“I can try, but I have no supplies – and I’m going to be pretty much out of it for as long as this takes. You two’ll have to hold off any creepie-crawlies that come our way.”

“We’ll keep you safe, sweetie,” rasped Tara, giving Willow a quick kiss for luck. “You just save the day.”

Willow smiled and sat down across from Buffy.
[hr]
“’Kay, Dawn, maybe we should head back up the stairs.”

“You mean, instead of finding out if there’re more demons down here that can skewer you? Good call.” Her face softened. “Are you okay?”

“Feelin’ kinda like a hot dog at a weenie roast,” she replied, indicating the spot where the polgara’s skewer had gone cleanly through her arm, “but I’ll live. Sorry for pushing you like that.”

“Hey, better than getting jabbed. Thanks, Faith – you saved my life.”

The slayer flushed. “Look, Dawnie, I know we’re not exactly bestest buds, but-“

“Faith, if this is about you and Buffy, I already know. Kinda took me by surprise, but you guys seem to be good together, and if Buffy’s happy, I’m happy. Just remember if you ever hurt her, I will kill you – I may not have slayer power, but I’ll figure it out.”

“I know you would, Dawn,” Faith replied. She pulled the young girl into a rough hug and tousled her hair. “I know you would. Now let’s go find that sister of yours.”
[hr]
Willow knew as soon as she entered Buffy’s mind that there was something terribly, horribly wrong. The last time she’d done this spell, it had been like walking into a lucid dream. This was a nightmare. She stood before a howling abyss, fragments of Buffy’s life spinning down into it, a fractured mosaic caught in a whirlpool. She looked up with a gasp, realizing there was someone standing beside her. It was Buffy – but it wasn’t. Her form was the washed-out color of an old silent film, and her expression was one of infinite regret.

“Willow, you can’t stay here.”

“Buffy? You need to come back. Come home to us.”

“I can’t. But you need to get out quickly. Soon-“ she indicated the abyss, “there’ll be nothing left of me.”

“But…why?”

“I killed Faith,” she replied, indicating a frozen scene falling into the abyss, a picture of herself with the scythe buried in Faith.

“Buffy, it…it wasn’t her! It was a trick, an illusion – there’s no body here!”

For a moment, the dark form of Buffy looked hopeful. Then, with a sad smile, she turned and walked toward the abyss.

“Buffy!”

“Will, get out. I love you. Look after Dawn for me.”

“No!” Willow called as she was ejected from Buffy’s mind with such force that her body fell backwards to the floor. She curled up and began to cry, unable to vocalize to Tara and Spike what had happened, simply taking comfort in Tara’s warm embrace when it was offered, crying for the friend she’d lost.
[hr]
Coming soon - is Buffy really gone? And where's Lindsey hiding?

Ooh, btw, I had a thought yesterday - I'd like to open the floor to baby names, for when that chapter finally comes around. Anya's on the table if it's a girl, but I'd love to hear thoughts for both girls' and boys' names - a warm cookie to the one who throws the one out there I end up using. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[Tarafied4Life]

One more chapter before I go back to work - this is THE END! At least, of this part of the story. A Life Interrupted was only part 1 - the sequel will begin before too long, it'll just be posted in this thread - no sense starting another. Thanks for everyone who's stuck with me through this, and all those wonderful kittens who've left such thoughtful feedback. And btw, I know the end isn't satisfying, but everything will be tied up in the sequel - I promise. Thanks again to all!
[hr]
Chapter 14 - While the worst are full of passionate intensity
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Rating: R for language, I suppose.


Dawn and Faith were the next to find the four of them, Willow still curled up in Tara’s lap while Spike practically danced from one foot to the other, waiting for Willow to gather herself enough to explain what had happened.

“B?” Faith asked. “What’s wrong? B?”

“Buffy?” Dawn called. “Buffy? Talk to me – what’s wrong? Spike, what’s going on?”

“Don’t know, niblet. We found her like this, and Willow went into her head to try and suss out what was wrong. Next thing I knew, she fell backwards like someone punched her and started to cry. She’s been like that for about ten minutes now.”

Faith grabbed Willow by the shoulders and hauled her roughly to her feet. “Red? The hell’s going on here?”

“Hey!” cried Tara. “Don’t do that! Whatever happened, she’s trying to deal with it! You’ve got no right-“

“I love you, T, but stuff it. This is the girl I…” she sighed. “I think I love her, and I’ve got to know what’s happening. Willow? What happened?”

Something in Faith’s voice reached Willow, and she did her best to visibly collect herself. “She’s-“ Willow almost broke down again, but managed to regain control. “She’s gone. I went into her mind, but it was destroying itself somehow – I think she’s seen something terrible, and her mind is self-destructing. She told me that she killed you – showed me a memory of herself slicing you open with the scythe. Given that you’re still here, I’m betting it was one of the psychics disguising themselves as you. But…she thought she killed you, and she couldn’t handle it. I begged her to come back with me, but she just threw me out and walked into the abyss. I don’t think…I can’t get her back. She’s gone!” Willow started to cry and Tara rose to take her in her arms.

“So…what, she’s a bloody vegetable forever? Bollocks! You’re a bloody witch, and you can’t do anything about it?”

“No! Last time she went catatonic her mind was still there, it just withdrew into itself. This time – her mind destroyed itself. There’s no getting her back – she’s not in there anymore!”

Faith stared in shock, refusing to believe what she was hearing. She knelt next to Buffy and looked her in the eyes, caressing her cheek with a cold hand. “B? B, it’s me. I’m okay – it wasn’t me you saw. Please…please come back to me. You can’t do this to me,” she drew a deep breath and got angry. “Snap out of it! Come on, dammit!” she slapped Buffy across the face and drew back to do it again when she didn’t respond. Dawn grabbed her hand and held her back.

“Faith, stop! That’s not going to help!”

“Dawn, I…” her voice got quiet. “I don’t know what to do.”

Dawn’s eyes shone and wet tears found their way down her cheeks. “I don’t either. But I know what Buffy would want – for us to kick the ass of whoever’s doing this, and then figure out how to help her.” At Faith’s indignant look, she spoke again with fire in her eyes. “Don’t argue with me! Do you think I’m not worried about her too? She’s my sister! I lost her once, and I’m never going to let that happen again! But we can’t help her now! We’ve got to get this done, and then we can help her. It’s what she’d want.”

Faith took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts, trying to calm her racing mind. “Fine. But we can’t just leave her here.”

“I’ll stay,” insisted Spike, but Faith shook her head quickly.

“No way. We’re going to need you down there. There’s got to be someone else.”

“There is,” Sonya said as she and the potentials walked up to join the conversation. “Sorry to interrupt, but we caught enough of the conversation to know the score. We can protect her.”

Willow looked to Faith. “How many of them?”

“All of them. We’ll handle whatever’s downstairs, but I want B well guarded.”

Spike nodded his assent. “Don’t worry, pets,” he assured Willow and Tara. “We’ll give you enough room to do your spell. We’ll keep you out of harm’s way.”

The two witches regarded each other nervously.
[hr]
“Where the hell are you going?” Lindsey asked, almost shouting.

“Lindsey, your plan is falling apart. The slayer’s forces have marshaled, and most importantly the two witches are still together. You cannot hope to succeed, and we will not back a losing cause. The psychics, of course, are still in your employ, as are those conducting the ritual, but I and the other members are withdrawing our resources. The only reason the slayer’s army has not already attacked the hellmouth is because they don’t know how depleted your own forces are. Careless of you, to lose so many to the slayer’s attack on the other warehouse. Now you’ve lost another vampire and the single polgara you had conned into working for you. What have you got left now, besides a couple of vampires and your psychics?”

“It’s enough! I already took out the slayer, didn’t I?”

“With a parlor trick – one not likely to work again. And the whole point of the first stage of this operation was to separate the witches – it is they who will be your undoing, not the slayers – and you and your psychic bungled that phase terribly. We will no longer be a party to this plan.”

“But the Senior Partners-“

“The Senior Partners were prepared to take you back into the fold, even give you control of Wolfram & Hart, had you successfully created this hellmouth. Now you’re failing – and the Partners will not abide your failure. And it will be your failure, Lindsey – hence the members withdrawing our support. We will not be tainted by the consequences of what occurs here, and we will not accept the blame of the Partners. That is yours alone.”

“Sons of bitches!” Lindsey spat. “This can still work – we’re not far from opening it now – all we need to do is hold them off for a few more hours! With the members’ support, I know we can-“

“No. If by some incredible fluke you actually pull this off, then congratulations to you, Lindsey, but we’re not staying to find out.”

With that, he and the other members rose from the table and walked out of the room. As he watched them leave, Lindsey contemplated giving up, but it was far too late for that. He turned to the three psychics. “Get to the basement! They’re going to need all the help we can give them down there!”

The psychics rose from the table and shared a look as they walked out into the warehouse.
[hr]
The five of them quickly found the spot on the wall guarded by the potentials and sent them back to join the rest of the group. They walked single-file through the wall and began a slow descent down the stairs, wary of any attacks that might still be aimed their way. They reached the bottom without incident, and stood warily in front of a grey metal door marked “basement entrance – employees only.”

“Um, do we even have a plan?” Tara asked.

“Yeah – don’t die,” Faith retorted. “I guess it depends how much psychic bullshit they’ve got going on down here. If we can get there quickly, we’ll take the direct route and force them into a fight, hopefully one they’re not ready for. If it’s all screwy like upstairs, then the three of us will circle you while we look for the hellmouth. You’re going to be walking bulls-eyes, so we’re going to have to be careful. Does that sound about right to you?” she asked, turning to Dawn and Spike. They nodded. “Then let’s haul ass.”

She threw open the door and they slowly entered, with no idea of what awaited them. Faith was the first in, and thus the first to notice how normal it looked. There was no haze in the room, and it didn’t seem strangely shaped or out of proportion. She turned back to face the group. “Good. Doesn’t look like they bothered to mess with this part of the warehouse – probably figured we’d never find our way down here. Hell, if hadn’t been for T’s mom, we’d have never even found the building. This should make our job easier. Just keep it tight – I don’t want to get surprised.”

They moved cautiously through the basement, checking each room as they came to it. The boiler room was empty, as was the large storage room. It wasn’t until they peeked into a massive room whose door read simply “staff” that they found what they were looking for. Willow gaped in awe as she looked into the room and saw the chanting group gathered around the new hellmouth. Her awe turned to horror, though, as she noticed what hung above them from a meatlocker hook – the lifeless body of Xander. Several large and jagged cuts across his throat, abdomen and legs left no doubt that he was gone, drained of blood. She drew in breath to cry out, and Faith clapped a hand over her mouth.

“I see it too Red, and we’ll make them pay – I swear. But I think the element of surprise would be a good thing here. Okay?”

Willow nodded, and Faith took her hand away. Dawn stuck her head through the door to see what everyone was going on about and turned away in disgust, tears forming behind her eyes. Spike and Tara stood in silence, their expressions a study in contrast. Where Spike’s features showed a deep sadness, Tara’s face was stoically calm, barely an indication that she’d seen the gruesome display. She turned and whispered to Spike. “I t-thought Mr. Giles said he was on a plane.”

“Someone buggered with the manifest, would be my guess. Not that hard to do – they probably got him not long after he left Buffy’s house. Brought him here – he must have been one of the sacrifices they needed for this bloody ritual. I guess it…I guess it tracks. This was in the prophecy, right?”

Tara nodded. “I’m sorry it had to be him. I know how much he meant to Willow.”

There was a cold, discordant note in her words, but Spike didn’t have time to pursue it, so he simply nodded. “Me too.”

Faith raised a hand to silence them. “Okay, here’s the plan. I’ll go in first, and loud. Hopefully it’ll startle them, get them to charge at me. Spike, you follow once they’re moving, and try and lead the ones who follow you to the other side of the room. Dawn, if we can split them down the middle like that, take Willow and Tara down the middle, straight for the hellmouth. How close do you guys have to get?”

Willow answered first. “Close enough to pour this stuff on it, and long enough to do the incantation – which’ll take two or three minutes.”

“Okay, we’ll hold them off. Dawn, if they don’t split down the middle like we’re hoping, just duck and run with them – try and sneak through the chaos, and don’t pick fights – let us handle that. And, either way, expect some reinforcements – I can’t believe these guys are all we’re going to have to face.”

“Too right,” Spike agreed. “There’s got to be something else in their bag.”
[hr]
The battle broke down, initially, just like Faith had called it. She and Spike broke the group, who appeared largely human, into two groups, leaving the middle of the room clear for a charge by Dawn, Willow and Tara. They were within 10 feet of the hellmouth when the vampires made their appearance, three each breaking into Faith’s and Spike’s attack patterns and putting them instantly on the defensive, while a final two seemed to appear from nowhere in front of Dawn. Willow and Tara drew back and linked hands, prepared to cast, but Dawn coolly staked them both without blinking.

“Dawnie!” exclaimed Tara. “Where’d you l-learn to do that?”

Dawn grinned. “I’ve trained with Buffy-“ her face fell and her voice broke. “I’ve trained…a lot, since you were gone.”

“And it’s paid off!” Willow said. “Let’s keep moving.”

They looked around and noticed some of the group who’d been fighting Faith and Spike had used the distraction of the vampires to slip away and head back toward the hellmouth. Dawn drew the sword she’d taken from the weapons chest. “Go, you two! I’ll hold them off!” she cried, drawing her arm back to swing. Willow and Tara ran, rapidly closing the distance to the spot they needed to occupy. As they reached it, Willow pulled the glass bottle from the small bag she carried. Tara opened her mouth to cry out as one of the men who’d been chanting earlier approached them with a drawn weapon, when Dawn’s sword emerged from the front of his chest.

“Sorry about that,” Dawn yelled. “I didn’t mean to let him get so close.” She swung back into battle.

“Are you ready, baby?” Willow asked.

“Ready.”

She uncorked the bottle, its purple smoke surrounding the forming hellmouth. They linked hands and began to chant, a complicated incantation based largely in Sumerian with a little bit of druidic thrown in. The ancient language sounded primal and vicious emerging from them, as the battle raged in every direction. Faith, Spike, and Dawn were as good as their words, keeping them safe as they chanted.

It took just over three minutes to complete the incantation, and it was evident to everyone in the room when it was done – the spot where the hellmouth would have appeared was bathed in radiant white light, too bright for the eye to see through, and when it dimmed any trace of the hellmouth was gone.
[hr]
Watching from an upstairs monitor, Lindsey screamed in frustration. All his planning, all his effort, and it was over. He shook his head. No, it wasn’t over. This was just round one. He would have what was his – Wolfram & Hart – if it took the rest of his life. It was simply time to formulate a new plan. He grabbed his notes, stuffed them in his briefcase, and headed for the back door. Halfway there, the three psychics stepped in front of him.

“Weren’t you three supposed to be downstairs?”

“We were…but we couldn’t have helped the situation. Once the witches arrived together, the plan was a loss. We took the slayer out of play only because it will be helpful in the future.”

“The future?”

“The members may have abandoned you, but we will not, for we can see farther. This plan may have failed, but you will have another opportunity to work your way into the Partners’ good graces. It will take a great deal of time and planning, but it can be done.”

“How?”

“Not here. We must depart this place, before we are discovered.”

“Fine. You swear you’re going to help me?”

“Of course. You will be the victor, and we desire to be on your side.”

Lindsey smirked. “I knew it.”
[hr]
As Spike, Dawn and Faith cleared the remnants of Lindsey’s forces, the room began to rumble and shake. They looked to Willow and Tara, who shrugged to indicate they had nothing to do with it. Just as Faith prepared to suggest they vacate, a column of white light burst from the floor and surrounded Spike.

“Not again!” Spike screamed. “No!” He was driven to his knees as the light intensified, the others staring helplessly. As suddenly as it had begun, the light stopped. Spike climbed to his feet, glancing around in confusion.

“What the bloody hell was-wait, what’s that noise?”

“What noise?” Dawn asked.

“That thumping…oh god.” He put a hand to his chest. “It’s…me…”

Dawn screamed with excitement, and everyone rushed to Spike. Dawn got there first and put her head against his chest, grinning widely. “It’s your heart, Spike. You’re human!”

A chorus of cheers sounded as the news sank in.

“God…I can’t wait to tell-“ the excitement in the room faded as they somberly remembered their comrade upstairs.
[hr]
The group, all of them, emerged from the now-abandoned warehouse into the bright light of a new day. Spike carried Xander’s lifeless form as he squinted against the sunlight, his first in more than 100 years. The potentials walked silently behind Faith, who carried Buffy’s limp body like a precious crystal as she cried. Willow and Tara brought up the rear, arms companionably around each other, too tired to speak.

They had fought the good fight and won, once again, but things were so different now. Whatever was going to happen from this day forward, it was obvious they would never be the same. Spike was human, Willow and Tara were both engaged and pregnant, and Buffy…what of Buffy? The only clear thing in Buffy’s future was Faith – who would never give up hope.

fini!
[hr]
Thanks again to everyone for reading, and I hope you'll come back for the sequel. BTW, the baby name contest (see last update) is still open, so if anyone has any thoughts, please send them along. See you all soon!

Heather

[justin]

I've been lax about leaving feedback lately, which is very bad

I've really enjoyed this story and I'm glad there's going to be more coming

So Lindsey was himself working for, or with, others who were using him for some nefarious purpose. He's been foiled this time, but it seems the war isn't over yet.

So what's up with Buffy? Was it just thinking she'd killed Faith that caused that. If so then she's obviously read Romeo & Juliet one time to many.

I have to say grrr to Faith womanhandling Willow like that. I mean I know she loves Buffy but that's no reason for the grabbing and the shaking.

Poor Xander, he'll be missed. Well actually he won't. To be honest it was only when Xander was revealed as the mystery guest that I realised he hadn't been in the story till that point.

Looking forward to the sequel.

ETA: I know I'm doing this the wrong way round but

Dibs!

[Maccoda]

I loved this fic. PLease tell me that you'll put in the backstory that explains Tara's reaction to Xander. I've always disliked condescending, arrogant Xander. Actually I had little patience for dorky Xander too! I can't wait for the sequel.

[FineyMcFine]

Heather, what an averted-apocalypse-ending! My goodness. And a cliffhanger to boot. I am so curious about what the reason is for Tara to have such a discordant tone in her voice about Xander's death. I wonder if the vampire managed to do something to her while he was strangling him. God, I hope that she didn't lose her baby and that was the sacrifice, instead of Xander!

Anyway, you did such a GREAT job with this fic - it's hard for me to believe that it's your first fic! And I'm very much looking forward to the sequel. On tenterhooks, as they say.

[spells42]

Heather
I'm guessing that you didn't like the character Xander much?

Well, that was a real end-of-season cliff-hangery ending: apocolypse duly averted (at some cost) but many, many questions. Why the discordant tone in Tara's response to Xander's death? Will Buffy return from the living death (seeing as she's done it for death death it should be a snap, yes?)? Is W&T's baby gonna be ok?

I look forward to the sequel.

Anne

[Tarafied4Life]

Sequel Ahoy! Yep, the first chapter's finally done. But quickly - to the feedback mobile!

justin - not lax at all! I appreciate the feedback, no matter time nor place. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the story - it's a real first for me, and the longest thing I've ever written, so I'm glad it was readable.

Yep, Lindsey's not the biggest of big bads - but he's definitely working for them. And he will be back - very soon. As for Buffy, it was mostly thinking she'd killed Faith, but there is a little more to it... I heartily second your thoughts on Faith's womanhandling of Willow - that's just Faith, though, still a little rough around the edges. And I'm so glad I'm not the only one who won't miss Xander - I have a hard time writing for him, because I simply don't like him.

Maccoda - A fellow Xander loather! Yay! Tara's reactions will definitely be explained at some point in the sequel. I'm happy you liked the story.

SallyMcFine - Fear not! All is well with the baby - for now. (cue dramatic music). Tara's reaction to Xander has much to do with some backstory that hasn't come up yet - but it will! Thank you so much for the wonderful kind words, and I hope I haven't kept you on tenterhooks for too long!
[hr]
Title: Lives Resumed (Life's Chronicles Part 2)
Author: Tarafied4Life (Heather)
Feedback: Please! The more the better!
Spoilers: Pretty much everything.
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Disclaimer: They're not mine - would I have left Marti in charge?
Summary: Lindsey's back - and looking for trouble...
Notes: The story's AU of course...given that it's the sequel to an AU, it'd be odd if it wasn't...
Thanks: To my wonderful, perfect gf - it's all for you!

Chapter 1 - Blood will out
Rating: R for language.


Fourteen months had passed since they had walked out of the warehouse and into this new life. Willow shook her head in wonder at all that had happened since. Spike was slowly adjusting to being human, and seemed to have the metabolism of a hummingbird – it was a good thing the Immortal took such good care of them, ‘cause the former vampire ate everything in sight, never seeming to gain a pound – or get full. It was an incredible thing to watch, and she and Tara often shook their heads and wished they could do the same.

Dawn had graduated from her private school, top of her class, and moved to Germany to attend a prestigious polytechnic institute with a strong mathematics program – a subject she’d developed a keen interest in, to Willow’s delight. The young woman called home almost every day, just to say hi and check in on her sister.

Buffy…Buffy was the same as she’d been that day, a shell of the vibrant person she’d been. She spent her days in a private room at a hospital near their house, with the best of care. The Immortal, upon hearing of her condition, had promptly paid for her to be attended by experts from throughout the world, both mystical and medical. So far, however, no-one had made any progress in treating her. Her eyes remained vacant, her brain waves indicated a waking coma, and she gave no response to any external stimuli. Willow had tried several times to reenter her mind, only to find a frustrating blank punctuated by a single image – an unblinking eye, the origin of which she couldn’t even begin to guess at. Faith spent every day by her side; reading to her, talking to her, and just generally letting her know that she was there and wanted her to come back. She would leave for only a few hours a night to patrol with the potentials, then return to Buffy’s room and sleep until morning, starting the pattern over. Sonya had once tried to suggest to her that her actions weren’t helping – that she’d be better off training the new potentials who were still arriving – and had emerged from the discussion with a broken nose. Since then, no-one had questioned Faith. Willow was worried about her mental state, however – she was sleeping less and less, and seemed less and less aware of her surroundings.

Xander – they’d buried him in Rome. His parents couldn’t be reached, and it seemed only fitting that he be buried near those who had been his friends. Willow had wept uncontrollably when they lowered him, both for his sake and the fact that few of those with her could summon tears. From Buffy she would have expected some cold, but Tara’s stony expression had disturbed her greatly, and even Dawn seemed detached and distant.

And she and Tara – what a difference fourteen months had made. Willow smiled as she heard Anya’s cries and Tara’s murmured soothing noises from the back room of the small house they’d moved into, just down the road from the palatial estate they’d lived in with the slayers. There was the house, and there had been the wedding – the video of which she was watching again, as she did every week – just to convince herself it was all real.

It had been a simple handfasting, with Giles presiding over the ceremony. Willow could see how deeply he was touched when Tara asked him – he’d almost lost that precious control over his emotions he valued, but in the end he managed to hold in his happy tears as he accepted. Faith had Buffy checked out of the hospital for the day – Willow and Tara had offered early on to postpone the wedding until Buffy was healed, but Faith had insisted they go on with it. She’d dressed Buffy in a new dress they provided, and the two of them had sat in the front row, Faith beaming and occasionally leaning over to whisper something in Buffy’s ear.

Willow sat back and smiled contently, drifting in and out of memories as she watched the action on screen.

“In perfect love, and perfect trust…”

She sat forward and turned up the volume, staring at the digital image of Tara in her white satin gown and knowing she was almost to the part she longed for – the vows they had written for each other.

“Willow, a long time ago, when you didn’t know that I could hear you, you told me I was your always. But I heard – and I loved you more than ever. You turned me from a shy girl, alone in the world, into a loving and loved member of a wonderful family…but more importantly, into something special. I told you once that I knew what people saw in me was you. I still believe that. If I am beautiful, if I am smart, if I am loved, it is only because you make me so. That’s your real magic, that’s your gift. I am your always – because without you, I am nothing at all. Thank you for the gift you’ve given me – you. I love you, Willow, and I want nothing more from this world than to be with you until the end of time.”

Willow wiped the tears from her eyes, as she did every time she watched.

“Tara, I love you. You have no idea – you have never known – how much. From the moment I saw you, you captured my heart, with your grace, your courage and your love. The first time you told me that I was yours, my heart melted. Loving you has made me a different person, so much more than I ever used to be. Our road has not been easy – I’ve done things and said things that I will regret eternally – but it has led us here.

When you went away, it tore a hole through me that I could never have filled. But you’ve come back to me – and I’m not sure I’m worthy of the gift, but I will spend the rest of our lives trying to earn it. You doubt yourself so often, Tara, but you are the strongest, truest person I have ever known. I love you, Tara, and all I hope is that I am always worthy of being loved by you.”

Willow felt a warm pair of arms wrap around her and a head rest atop hers.

“Did I ever tell you how much I loved those vows, Will?”

“You did, but I can never hear it enough.”

“When you’re done, there’s someone who wants mama to come and say goodnight.”

Turning off the dvd player and the television, she got up from the couch. “Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to keep a Maclay waiting.”

“That’s a Rosenberg-Maclay, thank you very much. She’s as much mine as yours – she’s got your pout.”

“What?” Willow poked her in the ribs. “Take that back!”

“Never!” Tara vowed, giggling as Willow chased her around the couch, eventually pushing her down onto it and tickling her mercilessly. Tara squealed laughter, eventually crying out “I give! I give!” when she couldn’t stand it any longer. Willow hauled herself up onto the couch beside her, gazing into her eyes.

“Baby, I know I’ve asked you this a dozen times since we got married…but are you sure? You don’t have to take my name…”

Tara’s giggles faded as she took Willow’s hand. “Will, I’m positive – we’re family, more than family, and your name is as much a part of me as my own. And the same goes double for Anya.”

Willow leaned over for a kiss, only to groan as Anya began to cry lustily. “Okay, Ahn, mama’s coming!” she called. “To be continued!” she assured Tara as she headed for the baby’s room.

She walked into the nursery, not terribly surprised to see the mobile above the crib turning quickly by itself. “Anya Anne, stop that now,” she admonished the infant. “You know how that makes mommy nervous.” It had been obvious from the day they brought the child home, after an incredibly easy and pain-free birth, that she was possessed of innate magickal power. Toys she wanted had a way of ending up in her hands, and when she cried for feedings at night the fridge tended to be sitting open with the milk at the front of the shelf it occupied. Willow knew it worried Tara, who commented often that having that much power meant she would have to be taught control as early as possible. Willow was not as worried, knowing that Tara would be a stabilizing influence, much as she was to Willow herself. She reached out psychically and touched Anya’s mind, reassuring her in simple terms that mama was here and it was time for sleep. The child seemed to understand, although she had yet to respond through these links, and settled in to sleep. Willow kissed her gently on the forehead and turned out the lights.

Tara, for her part, had put on her favorite part of the wedding video, watching as they were introduced as a couple, their friends rising to cheer in happiness for them. There had been no family present, as Tara had declined to invite hers and Willow’s had refused to be party to it, neither of her parents willing to accept their daughter’s life – her mother, in fact, still hadn't met Tara, coolly insisting that their relationship was a ‘college phase – many kids your age experiment, it’s normal.’ Tara knew it had pained Willow deeply, although she put up a brave front.

She flushed as she looked up at the tv again, seeing the portion of the wedding video that wasn’t on anyone else’s copy of the DVD.

“Well,” came Willow’s voice from behind her. “If I’d have known mommy was in the mood for that, I’d have made you put the baby down sooner.”

Tara punched the stop button on the remote, leaving the player’s standby screen glowing blue on the screen. “Oh…I, um…”

Giggling, Willow put her arms around her and kissed her gently. “I’m teasing you, Tare, you know that. ‘Course, if you are in the mood…”

Tara moaned with genuine regret. “Will, I’m always…but have you looked at the time? If we’ve got to take Anya in for her checkup tomorrow morning, it’d probably be better if we were awake.”

She looked at her watch and cursed. “Right as always, my love. Tommorrow – maybe when Anya goes down for her nap?”

“Definitely.”
[hr]
“Lindsey?”

He jerked awake, blue eyes flying open.

“What? Jesus, it’s you. What’d you three want?”

The three psychics hovered at the end of his bed. “We thought you should be prepared – your opportunity will come in less than twenty-four hours.”

“Good. Wonderful, actually. But why are you waking me up in the middle of the night?”

“We thought you’d want to have everything in place.”

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “Fine – you’re right, I should probably start getting ready; we want to make sure our guest is comfortable when they get here, right? You guys mind vacating, so I can get dressed?”

They glided out his bedroom door, and it swung shut behind them.

He grinned to himself as he gathered his clothes. He wouldn’t be stopped this time – he could feel it in his bones.
[hr]
Faith, still covered in the blood of the demon she’d found hiding on the outskirts of Vatican City, quietly opened the door to Buffy’s hospital room. “Hello, B,” she said as she closed it behind her. “Back from another long night. How are you?” She walked to the bed and gave Buffy a small kiss on the forehead. “I’m going to take a shower, okay?”

She did just that, using the shower provided in the private room. She returned in a white housecoat, hair still dripping. She took a seat next to Buffy. “We need you, B. I need you. I’m still here – you didn’t kill me, it was all a trick. I need you to know that, and I need you to come home.” Faith sighed as she finished her nightly mantra. She laid Buffy down and covered her in warm blankets, ensuring her head was comfortably positioned on the pillows. “Goodnight, B,” she said as she kissed her once more, before taking her nightly spot in the chair next to the bed – the hospital had offered a bed to her, but she refused it. This was a vigil, she reasoned, not something permanent – so she wouldn’t get comfortable. She tipped the chair back and was asleep in moments, too quickly to notice the flexing of Buffy’s right hand – the first voluntary movement she’d made since the warehouse.
[hr]
Anya cried as the doctor put her on the scale, despite Willow’s best efforts to touch her mind and reassure her. Above the doctor, a heavy glass jar began to tremble on its shelf. Tara saw it and made a small gesture, ensuring it would stay in place. She looked at Willow with an accusing glance and mouthed “she’s yours.” Willow grinned.

“She’s doing very well,” the doctor told them as he turned from the scale. “Height and weight are well within the normal range for a baby her age, and her reflexes and motor skills seem well developed as well.” He hesitated, and seemed about to say something else, but shook his head and stood up, handing Anya to Willow and grabbing a jar of toys from the cabinet to his right. He offered the jar to Anya. “What would my good little patient like?” he asked as she goggled at the jar. She smiled and reached in, and the toys rearranged themselves until the one she wanted came to the top. The doctor cleared his throat and made a concerted effort to pretend he’d seen nothing as he congratulated her on a good choice. He handed Tara some paperwork to take to the nurse, and wished them a good day. As they closed the door behind them, he reached into the bottom of the same cabinet from which he’d grabbed the toys, finding a well-concealed bottle of Jack and taking a deep drink.
[hr]
Despite their best efforts, Willow and Tara still hadn’t managed to sneak in the lovemaking they’d promised each other the night before. Anya had been fussy ever since they’d arrived home, leaving them no time to themselves. Both of them were becoming progressively more frustrated with the situation as the afternoon wore on, and Tara muttered under her breath as she cooked supper, while Willow did the same while folding laundry in their bedroom. The phone rang, and Tara grabbed the one next to the stove.

“Hello?”

“May I speak to Willow, please?”

“One moment.” Tara tried to call out to Willow, but her voice wouldn’t work. After a few more tries, she finally managed to let her know there was a call for her. Willow took it in the bedroom, and couldn’t see the ashen color of Tara’s face or the single tear that fell from her eye as she turned the stove off and retrieved a yellowed envelope from the spot above the stove where it had been concealed.

“Hello?” asked Willow as she picked up the extension.

“Hello, Willow.”

“Mom?”

“Yes, dear, it’s me.”

“What’s new? I mean, are you calling to chat, or just-“

“Your father’s dead, Willow.”

She sat down hard on the bed. “What?”

“His heart – it gave out yesterday afternoon while he was golfing, and….he was gone before anyone could do anything to save him.”

“Oh, mom…I…” Willow began to sob. “Where are you having the service?”

“Well, that’s actually what I’m calling about. You would have heard about your father from some relative or another, but I wanted to talk to you first.”

Both the cold and the calm in her voice chilled Willow to the bone. “About…what?”

“Willow, this won’t be easy for you, but I need to say it. I don’t want you to come to the service.”

“WHAT? How can you even say that?”

“This…relationship that you’re in has been a subject of a great deal of conversation between your father and our rabbi for the last few months, and I’m sure he’s not the only one your father has told. If you alone or you and your…” she almost spat the next word “girlfriend were to come to the service, the focus would be on you. And this should be about your father, not your unnatural relationship. He deserves to have kind words said about him without his mourners gawking at you. I hope you understand.”

“Understand? How dare you? First of all, Tara is my wife, not my girlfriend! Second, how dare you tell me I can’t come to my own father’s funeral? I loved daddy, and he loved me, and I don’t give a damn what you think! He’s my father!”

“Willow, please…let him have this day. Let him have it without my having to defend your presence there.”

“Defend…I’m his daughter! Why would you have to defend my being there?”

“Because many of our friends would believe you shouldn’t be welcome there, Willow – and I’m not sure I could bring myself to argue that you should be.”

Willow’s face turned a deep crimson as she fought the urge to scream. But she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “FINE! You don’t want me there, I won’t be there! Go to hell!” she slammed the phone down in it’s cradle, wincing as Anya began to cry in the next room.

“Tara?” she called, trying to steady her voice. “I think I woke the sleeping beast!” There was no reply. “Tara? Baby?”

Willow left the bedroom and collected Anya, bringing her to the kitchen. She grew concerned as she entered, finding supper turned off and no sign of Tara. And then she noticed the tear-stained envelope propped on the table, her name scrawled in Tara’s handwriting across the front. A lump in her throat and a cold fear blossoming in her chest, she tore the envelope open and shook out the small letter inside. She shook it open and began to read.

Willow:

As I write this, you’re sleeping peacefully, two days after our wedding. Your beautiful hair is splayed out on the pillow of the hotel bed, and you’re the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen. I’m writing in the hope that this letter need never be read, but if you’re reading this it means my worst fear has been realized – that the phone call that drove a wedge between us in Cleveland has happened here too. I spent a long time reflecting on the voice of the woman who placed that call, and I’m pretty sure I’d recognize it if I heard it again.

I’m so sorry, my Willow, but I can’t stay and go through all this heartbreak and pain again. I don’t know what this phone call is about, but I know that when it’s over we won’t be the same…and so I’m leaving. I don’t know where I’m going – but I’ll figure it out. I’ll be carrying my phone, and I promise I’ll call soon, but please don’t call me. I hope that this time, maybe, things will be different and we can work this problem out, but I think I need to be away from you for that to happen. I can’t explain why, I don’t even really know, it’s just…I can’t go through this again – I love you too much.

Please take care of our beautiful baby, and remember how much I love you both.

My Willow Tree…I hope I can be in your shade again soon.

Tara

Willow scrambled for the front door and threw it open, screaming Tara’s name into the darkness, but without reply. She ran back into the house and grabbed the phone, dialing Tara’s mobile number by heart. She heard it ring once, twice, three times…and then the voice mail picked up. She spoke rapidly, her voice cracking and giving out on her.

“Tara? Baby? It’s me. Please come home. Please. I…I love you so much, and nothing about that phone call changed my mind. Please come home, Tara, I’m so scared – please come home.”

She dropped the phone into its cradle and set Anya on the floor as she backslid down the kitchen wall, tears running down her face.
[hr]
Tara rounded the end of the street, headed for the bus station. As she walked, a man sidled up beside her, his pace matching her own. After a few minutes of trying to lose him, she turned to face him.

“What the hell do you want?”

“Hello, Tara.”

“How do you know my name?”

“I know a lot about you.”

“And who are you, exactly?”

“Me? My name’s Lindsey. Pleasure to finally meet you in person.”
[hr]
“Willow?”

Her head snapped up. “Tara?” She took a brief look around before she realized that the panicked voice was in her head. “Tara?” she projected.

“Will, please help me! It’s L-“ Tara’s voice stopped suddenly, and Willow found herself unable to reestablish their connection. Frightened beyond words, she ran to the bedroom and grabbed one of Tara’s blouses, muttering a quick locator spell over it. The ball of light she expected appeared, but it fizzled and disappeared just as quickly, leaving her no farther ahead.

“Shit!” she screamed, prompting a startled look from Anya. Her mind raced as she struggled to discern her next step. Finally it came to her – she needed Faith, and needed her now.
[hr]
Tara’s awakening felt like swimming through heavy oil. She grasped at bits of a dream – something about Disney World – and then reality crashed through and the evening’s events came flooding back – the phone call, leaving, and Lindsey…” as his name entered her head she tried to stand, only to discover she was firmly secured to the high-backed chair in which she sat.

Lindsey sauntered through the sparse room’s single door, wearing his best “aw-shucks” grin. He gestured to two creatures behind him, who promptly entered and untied her.

“There y’are, darlin’!” he said with an exaggerated drawl. “Just wanted to make sure you didn’t fall out of your chair while you were nappin’!”

Tara waved her hand and made a brief incantation, looking puzzled when nothing happened. Lindsey chuckled as he walked closer. “Now, now, none of that. This house is a magic-free zone – I had some mystics do it up for me, top to bottom. No magic can see into it, and no magic can be done in it. So it’s just you and me.” He reached out to stroke her cheek and she slapped his hand away. “Know what we used to call pretty young things like you in Texas when we brought ‘em home to meet our mamas?”

“Cousin Beth?” she sneered.

He backhanded her across the face, hard enough to cut her lip open and draw blood. “Now, now, no need to be rude. I’m just makin’ conversation – I’d never take advantage of a lady.”

“First of all, drop the twang – it's faker than your courtesy. Second, if that’s not what this is about, then what do you want with me?”

When he spoke again it was in a calm, even voice with no hint of an accent. “You’re right, the twang’s a little much, isn’t it? Just playing to my roots, I guess. As for your second question, that’s simple. Your baby.”

“W-What about my baby?”

“I want it – well, to be more precise, the Senior Partners want it. And I want to be in good with the Senior Partners – so I want it. I knew there’d be no chance of taking it from your house – too many magical booby-traps sitting around. Fortunately, after you closed my hellmouth, some psychic buddies of mine figured out you’d be alone tonight – so I took the play when I had it. Now, if your red-headed lover wants you back, she’s going to have to give me what I want.

“But…why would these p-partners want my baby? Please, I’ll…we’ll…give you anything, but don’t hurt our baby!”

Lindsey laughed heartily. “Nothing else I want, dear. But since you’re not going anywhere, and I’ve got some time to kill, I’ll tell you why the Partners want the baby. She has a destiny. You’ve heard of the Shanshu prophecy?”

“The o-one that says Angel will be human?”

“The same. Turns out there’s a section of the prophecy that the Partners kept a tight secret, even from the brass of Wolfram & Hart, for fear of what it meant. I found it after I left the company, and I kept it in mind – thought it might be my ticket back into the Partners’ good graces if I ever found out how to avert it.”

Curious despite herself, Tara perked up. “What does it s-say?”

“That the vampire with a soul – after playing a pivotal role in the apocalypse – will use…well, I’ve never been able to figure out what that word is exactly, but ‘use’ is close enough…the child of magick to destroy the Senior Partners and end the influence of the Wolf, Ram and Hart on this plane. Needless to say, this makes the Partners a little nervous.”

“But…there’s lots of children of magick – even a slayer is technically a child of magick. What m-makes you so sure that it’s Anya?”

“Because my psychics are sure – and I trust them. It’s her, and I intend to deliver her on a platter.”

Tara couldn’t hold back her worried tears any longer. “P-Please…not my baby.”

“I’m sorry, dear, I truly am, but there’s no other way. Now if you’ll hold on a sec, I’ve got a quick phone call to make.” He pulled Tara’s cell phone from his pocket and sent a couple of pictures of Tara bound and unconscious to Willow’s number. He waited a moment for them to sink in, and then dialed her number.
[hr]
Willow had just finished explaining Tara’s disappearance and the frantic thoughts she’d received when her phone rang. She opened it to find the pictures Lindsey sent her. The sight of them was enough to move her to tears, and Faith to pure fury. When the phone rang a minute later, Willow could barely speak.

“Tara?”

“Sorry, but not quite.”

“Who the hell is this? If you’ve hurt her-“

“As scared as I am, dear, I think I’ll make the threats. Now, you have something I need, and I have something you want. So I think we can make a deal.”

“What…” Willow’s voice was a whisper. “What do you want?”

“The baby.”

“What?” Willow stared at the gurgling, happy child on Faith’s lap and prayed she’d heard wrong.

“You heard me. Give me the baby, and I’ll give you the b-b-b-b-blonde.”

“Son of a bitch!”

“Foul language won’t get you very far, dear. If she can promise to be a good girl, I’ll even let her talk to you for a minute.”

Willow heard the phone being passed and Lindsey muttering to Tara “tell her my name, or even a description of the room, and I’ll cut your fingers off.” There was a clunk as Tara picked up.

“W-Willow?”

“Baby? Are you okay?”

“I’m okay. He hasn’t hurt me. Will – I’m so sorry. It’s all my fault…if I hadn’t left the house…”

Willow sobbed. “No, Tara, it’s my fault. I’ll explain everything to you when we’re together again, but don’t blame yourself. Just hold on, we’re going to find you.”

“Don’t try magic, it can’t see into-“ the sounds of a brief struggle could be heard as Lindsey pulled the phone away from her.

“Okay, I think that’ll be enough of that. Now, here’s the way it’s going to work. I’m going to call you back tomorrow with a time and a place for you to bring the baby. Bring anyone else, or involve the police, and I’ll gut your wife like a fish. And just in case you’re thinking of trying some CSI crap like tracing this phone, I’m throwing it in the water when I hang up, so good luck with that.” He hung up.

Willow sunk to the floor. “Goddess…What do I do? He wants to trade Anya for Tara. Please, Faith, tell me – what do I do?”

Faith got up from her chair and put Anya in Willow’s lap. “Well, I’m voting for finding this guy and kicking his sorry ass.”

“I don’t know how – Tara said that magic couldn’t see into where she is, and she’s been gone long enough that he could have taken her anywhere in the city, or even outside it. What do I do?” she begged, fear and tears battling for space in her eyes.

Faith held up her hand palm out, signaling for quiet as she thought. “Okay…so magic can’t see into the place – but it can see into almost everywhere else, right? So if you…I don’t know the lingo, but scan for places you can’t see into?”

Willow pondered. “Well, I could, but that could take weeks – Rome is a big place.”

Faith scratched her head. “Damn, I wish B was awake – moreso than usual. She’s the smart one – I’m just the muscle.”

“That’s not true, Faith.”

“Yeah, Red, it kinda is. But I’m cool with it. Now…how in the hell are we gonna find this guy? If magic won’t cut it, and canvassing door to door’s a little impractical, how the hell are we going to do this? Do we even know who this guy is?”

“No. Tara tried to tell me while he was taking her, but he must have knocked her out or something while she was in the middle of it, because all I got was L.”

“Don’t help much. An L. Is it the first name, the last name, his company’s name, his mama’s name? Nope, no help. Anything else?”

“Um…no. Except whatever the name was, she seemed to know it. Like, know the person it belonged to.”

“Still no great help, Red. Maybe we’ll have to wait for the bastard to set up his meeting and ambush him.”

“But Tara! I can’t just leave her!”

“Well, unless you’ve got a better idea…”

“I do,” came a voice from the doorway. “But then, nobody sodding well asked me, did they?”
[hr]

That's chapter 1! Hopefully more on the way soon! And if anybody noticed the small homage in Willow's vows, let me know - it's a little obscure, but I'm sure someone'll catch it.

[Tarafied4Life]

spells42 - Sorry I missed your fb - you must have posted just while I was! No, I'm not a huge Xander fan - it does tend to bleed through in my writing, doesn't it? I'm glad the ending stuck the right chord - many questions to answer, and you bring up several of the major ones. All will be answered, in due time, and I hope you enjoy the sequel.

[UnderTheirSpell]

EEP! No no no no!!! Fix it! Fix it NOW!

*huddles in the corner whimpering*

[AntigoneUnbound]

Heather--Agh!! I just left a heap o' feedback and my internet Explorer shut down. Please forgive me if I don't recreate all of it--it's late and I am very tired! Suffice it (please) to say that it was wonderful to catch up on all of them. You do great character development, and throw in enough mystery to keep us intrigued; e.g, Tara's coldness at Xander's death.

But why did you leave the house, Tara?!? I was screaming at you, "Don't go! Stay and use what you learned from before to make this time different!" But she didn't hear me, probably b/c I don't have her # and I had to just lean out the window and shout.

I'm really glad I've had the chance to catch up! And now I'd better post this before Explorer screws me over again!

Mary

[tarebear]

brilliant updates as always! i haven't had the time to come here lately so i was happy i get to read all these wonderful chapters! all were engrossing and chuck-full of story greatness! i'm still kind of speechless (in a good way of course) being blown away by the just the enormity of this story you have for us... i'm all giddy with anticipation with what'll happen next!

[caz]

Ooooh - I like this one! Sorry that I didn't leave fb for the previous story but I did enjoy it.

Lindsey needs his arse kicking and so do the psychics. It may be too much for Faith - maybe you should restore Buffy to help her (hint, hint).

I have to say that Sheila really grips my tubes. She doesn't deserve to have Willow as a daughter. I dread to think what she will do when she finds out that she has a granddaughter.

More please!

Caz

[Tarafied4Life]

Just a quick reply to the feedback, as I'm not sure when the next update'll be up:

UnderTheirSpell - I'm hoping by fix it you mean the situation and not the story? Never fear, it'll be fixed...eventually.

AntigoneUnbound - So sorry to hear about your IE crash - lousy microsoft. I'm glad you're enjoying, but I hope you didn't wake the neighbours when you yelled out the window! I might get in trouble for that... Thanks so much for the feedback!

tarebear - giddy with anticipation? Neat - I don't think I've ever made anyone giddy before. I'm happy you're enjoying, and I'll try not to keep you waiting too long!

caz - Yeah, Lindsey really does need a butt kicking, but it may take a while...As far as Buffy goes, I have a feeling...but that would be telling. As for Sheila, I don't like her much either. I think it's safe to say we know why Willow hasn't told her about Anya. But we won't have to put up with her too much more in this tale, I promise! Thanks for reading!

[Tarafied4Life]

Here we go again! Sorry the chapter's a little shorter, but it's been crazy busy lately.
[hr]
Chapter 2 - Hell, Itself
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Rating: R for language.


“Spike?” Willow asked incredulously. “What are you doing here? You do remember you sleep at night now, right?”

“Funny girl. That’s what I was trying to do, but I had a late-night visitor who insisted he see you – said you might need his help.”

“A visitor?”

She gasped out loud as Spike stepped through the door to reveal the man behind him.

“OZ?”

“Hi.”

Setting Anya on the floor, she ran to him and wrapped him in a tight hug. “You remember Faith?” she asked, indicating the slayer.

“Yep. Hi, Faith.”

“How’s it hangin’. Wolfy?”

“Pretty good. Uh…whose baby is that?”

Willow picked Anya back up and held her out to Oz. “Mine. Uh, I mean mine and Tara’s. Ours. Anya, say hi to Uncle Oz.” The baby babbled happily as Oz ruffled her fine hair, a wistful smile on his face.

“Not to interrupt the reunion, Wolfy, but what’re you doing in Rome?”

His expression turned serious and he looked at Willow. “I was at a monastery – learning more about controlling the wolf, right? Then the seer there tells me you’re going to be in trouble by the time I can get to Rome – that you’d need my help to find someone who was lost.”

“Yes! We have to find Tara. Someone took her, and we don’t know how to find her.”

“Okay…I’m sure I can sniff her out. If you promise to fill me in on everything. He started a little as he finally noticed who occupied the hospital bed. “Like, for instance, what’s up with Buffy?”

“I don’t think the drive to our house is that long, but I’ll try.”

As the five of them left the room, Buffy’s hand clenched again.
[hr]
“Wow,” said Oz, as they pulled up to Willow and Tara’s home in the blue van Spike had appropriated from slayer central. “That’s…a lot to take in.”

“Sorry.”

“In a good way, Willow. She makes you happy, right?”

“Yes,” Willow whispered, her smile filled with absolute certainty.

“Then it’s cool. Now let’s find her!” he rolled down the driver’s side window and began to sniff, looking for Tara’s trail. After a moment, he smiled and the van started to roll. They followed a course that seemed random to everyone but Oz, turning down side streets and through poorly lit areas of the city until they stopped in front of a nondescript looking white house, no different in its outward appearance than its neighbors.

“This is it,” Oz declared.

“You sure, wolf-boy?” Spike asked from the back.

“Positive. Her trail ends right here.”

“Then let’s go kick this guy’s ass!” Faith called, flinging the van’s back door open and jumping out.

“Faith!” Willow called, knowing it was no use. “Oh, for…c’mon, we’ve got to help her!”

They leapt out their respective doors and reached the house’s front door just as Faith kicked it in, and a wicked-looking crossbow bolt fired out of the darkness, barely missing her. She laughed, running inside as the others shared a ‘here we go again’ look. Moments later, from the basement, they heard her call. “I’ve got her! But…she needs help!”

They ran down the stairs, through the 3-inch steel door leading to the room Tara was in. They found Faith kneeling over her, with a hand on her forehead. Faith looked up at Willow. “She’s absolutely on fire, Red.”

Tara was shaking and covered in sweat, her blonde hair soaked and hanging limply from her head. “Lindsey,’ she muttered.

“What, baby?” Willow knelt close to hear her quiet words.

“It’s Lindsey…he had a needle – stuck me with something…don’t know what. He’s…Anya…”

Faith ran to look for the rogue lawyer as Willow noticed a note in Tara’s hand. She pulled it out and began to read.

Willow:

Somehow I figured you’d be too impatient to wait until tomorrow. Forgive my absence – I’m taking a quick trip by Slayer central to pick up Anya from the spy I’ve had working the place. You could swing by there and try to stop me – but I’m afraid you’ll be a little late. And besides, you might want to get the stuttering one to a hospital soon – what I’ve shot her full of is treatable, but only if you get to it in time. And even your little wolf friend – I’ve got good spies, don’t I? – isn’t going to find me, unless he learns to fly. Look up as you leave the house – maybe you’ll see little Anya waving bye-bye.

Your Pal,

Lindsey

P.S. Tell blondie when she wakes up that I’ll be back once your kid has been dealt with. I haven’t forgotten how you two bitches closed my hellmouth, and just because I didn’t kill her this time don’t mean I won’t next time.

“NO!” Willow screamed, dropping the note on the floor and hugging Tara close. “No, no, no!”

“Sweetie…sorry…my…my fault…” Tara slurred, her words becoming less coherent.

“No, not your fault.” She turned to the others, who’d finished reading the note themselves. “Oz, we have to get Tara to a hospital. Spike, you and Faith find a car to borrow and get back to the others; maybe it’s not too late. Go!”

Spike ran after Faith, while Oz helped Willow lift Tara and carry her to the van. They raced off, running lights all the way to the hospital.
[hr]
“Sonya?” Cho-Ahn asked. “What are you doing with the baby?”

“Just taking her for a walk.”

“But Willow said to keep her inside.”

“Okay,” Sonya sighed. “You caught me.” She pulled a small pistol filled with tranquilizer darts and fired one into Cho-Ahn’s neck. Turning, she tucked the pistol back in her belt and walked out the front door, meeting a black van in the driveway. Its side door opened and Lindsey reached out, taking the baby with one hand and putting a bullet into Sonya with the silenced pistol he held in the other. She crumpled and fell limply to the ground as the van’s door closed and it sped away.
[hr]
Willow jumped to her feet as the doctor who’d admitted Tara walked into the emergency room. He walked slowly toward her, the length of the shift he’d put in evident in his posture. She ran to meet him halfway, Oz trailing behind her. “Doctor? Is she okay?”

He sighed. “I think so. What she was injected with seems to be a very pure flu virus. Much purer and it would have killed her on the spot. As it was, she’s extremely lucky you found her when you did. Much longer, and she would have been beyond help.
We’ve done all we can, but she’s going to have to stay here until her body rids itself of the worst of the infection.”

Willow’s eyes shone. “Can I see her?”

The doctor thought for a moment. “For a moment. Not long – she needs rest.”

Oz stayed behind as she followed the doctor to Tara’s room, her dread for Anya mixing badly with her relief that her wife would be okay. He gestured for her to enter and she did, stopping short at the sight of Tara, who seemed so small and frail in her bed, tubes running into her delivering fluids, antivirals and pain medication for the aches the virus brought on. She saw Willow enter and managed a small smile, one that obviously took a lot of effort. Willow sat gently next to her, folding an outstretched hand in her own.

“Will?” Tara asked in a quiet voice. “Is Anya okay?”

“I…I don’t know. Lindsey’s note said he had someone on the inside at the slayer house, who’d help him take her. I sent Spike and Faith to the house, but…” the tears started to run freely as the truth began to sink in. “I think we’re too late.”

A harsh, barking sob escaped Tara, who seemed to shrink into the bed. “Will…I’m…sorry…” she managed between sobs. “Please…sorry…”

Willow took her in her arms, not knowing if she should be moved but deciding to do it anyway. They sobbed almost in sync as she tried to force out the words she knew Tara needed to hear. “Not…your fault. We’ll…find…” That was all the conversation they could manage, and so they simply sat and cried together for a very long time.
[hr]
At the slayers’ house, Faith and Spike were out of the van almost before it stopped moving. They saw Sonya’s body at the edge of the drive and picked her up, but it was obvious that she was beyond help. They ran into the house and found Cho-Ahn, still unconscious with the dart buried in her neck.

“Son of a BITCH!” Faith screamed, burying her fist in the wall. “We’re too goddamn late! FUCK!”

Spike stood silently, knowing there was nothing he could say to improve the situation and no way he could put his fist through the wall anymore without breaking it.
[hr]
When Tara had calmed enough to tell Willow everything she could about Lindsey and his plans for Anya, Willow pulled out her phone and dialed long-distance.

In Los Angeles, Harmony transferred the call to Angel.

“Angel speaking.”

“Hi, Angel.”

“Willow?”

“Yep. Um…we need your help.” As Willow laid out the situation, Angel’s face grew stony, but he managed to let her finish without interrupting.

“Don’t worry, Willow, we’ll find him. And we’ll get your daughter back. You and Tara have my word.” He hung up the phone and punched the intercom button. “Wes? Get F…Ilyria, and Gunn. Come up to my office and tell Harmony on your way that I want to see Eve. Now.”

Moments later, the group stood before Angel as he laid out the facts of Lindsey’s return and his plans. “So, that’s what’s up. I want information from Eve, and I’m not going to stop short of torture this time if I have to. I will absolutely not let the Partners have that baby. Understood?” They nodded their assent.

There was a small knock at the door, and they turned to see Eve standing in the hall. “Come in, Eve,” Angel beckoned, keeping his voice as even as he could. “And close the door behind you.” She did so, looking more than a little apprehensive.

“What’s up, Angel?”

“I want to talk to the Partners.”

“It doesn’t work that way, Angel, and you know that. I’m just a liaison.”

He vamped and grabbed her by the throat. “Then liaise something for me, Eve. They’re in deep with Lindsey, apparently to take the place from under me and hand it to him in exchange for a certain baby. I want to talk to them – I want that baby returned unharmed.”

“Angel, I can’t just call them up-“

“I don’t think you’re hearing me. I think if you want to bad enough, they’ll answer the call. Ilyria, do you want to hurt this woman?”

“Much.”

“Then feel free.” He tossed Eve in her direction. Before she’d even landed, Ilyria hit her in the chest hard enough to drive her across the room and through the closed office door. Before she reached her feet, the blue-haired goddess slowed time with a wave of her hand and crossed the office, taking Eve by the collar and throwing her back through the room to land at Angel’s feet. As time resumed its flow, he smiled down at her with viciousness in his eyes not seen there since his days as Angelus.

“Ready to make the call, or should I let Ilyria play with you some more?”

“Angel,” she gasped. “I can’t-“

“Enough. Ilyria?”

“No!” Eve cried. “Wait, I’ll…I’ll try.”

“Not good enough,” he sneered, catching her in the ribs with a vicious kick. She gasped for breath, holding up her hand in an effort to get him to stop.

“Okay,” she wheezed. “I’ll get them. They’ll talk to you in the White Room.”

“Ilyria, pick this thing up and bring it with us. We’re not walking into the White Room without a bargaining chip.”

“Very well,” she muttered, her disappointment in not being able to further hurt the girl obvious in her voice and posture.
[hr]
Angel punched the complicated series of elevator buttons required, and the button for the White Room appeared at the top of the panel. He punched it and turned to the others as the elevator faded to white light around them, his expression deadly serious. “Okay – we have no idea what we’re going to face here if the Partners are going to put in a personal appearance, so everybody be on guard. Watch your backs.”

The light faded and they found themselves in the room none of them enjoyed visiting. At a small oak desk about ten feet from them sat a non-descript man in a cheap wool suit, with coke-bottle glasses that gave his eyes a distinctly bug-like appearance. He smiled at them, revealing a crooked smile of yellowed and missing teeth. “Come in, come in. We’ve been expecting you!” he called cheerily.

Turning to Eve, Angel vamped momentarily. “I would have thought I was clear on this, Eve, but I wanted to see the Senior Partners of this firm, not Bob’s Investment Service.”

Eve squirmed. “Angel, this is the Senior Partners. They can’t take physical form on this plane, so they’re using this form to communicate.”

“Fine.” He stalked toward the man. “Anything you’d like to tell me?”

The man smiled again. “About what, Mr. Angel?”

“Well, let’s run down the list. You’ve struck a deal with Lindsey, promised him control of Wolfram & Hart – my company - and had him kidnap my friend’s baby for you. How about we start with those?”

“Those weren’t questions, Mr. Angel.”

“They were if you’d like to deny them.”

The man sat silently, regarding Angel.

“Fine, so it’s all true. But if the whole point of me working here was to control the role I played in the apocalypse, then why the baby?”

“Insurance. With the child out of the picture, your role in the apocalypse is of no consequence – no matter how the battle should turn out, the Partners and the Wolf, Ram and Hart will continue to exist and to influence reality as we see fit. As far as Lindsey – your next question, I’m sure – he was simply the easiest means for us to retrieve the child. Once it has been safely disposed of, he will be as well.”

“Where is he?”

The man threw back his head and brayed laughter. “Oh, Mr. Angel. Why on earth would I tell you that?”

“Because if you don’t, I’ll have your liaison here, the child of the Senior Partners, tortured until you talk. And before you interrupt and tell me she’s immortal, which I already know, let me tell you something I know, because I’m immortal too. It doesn’t make you immune to pain.”

The man’s expression turned serious, and he took off his oversized glasses to look Angel in the eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

Angel laughed out loud. “Try me.”

The man seethed for a moment. “Fine. This is the way it will work – no negotiation. I will tell you where the baby is held, but if you leave this building your control of Wolfram and Hart is ended. Your CEO position is forfeit, and you and all of yours are barred from entering another of our properties.”

“Good.”

“That’s not the end of the discussion, Mr. Angel. If you leave – if you attempt to interfere with Lindsey and the child – you and your friends in Rome will face the armies of Hell itself. Until now, the apocalypse has been a quiet war, fought in the shadows, but if you persist in this course of action we will have no choice but to rain fire down upon you.”

“Works for me. Whatever you’ve got, we’ll take them and then we’ll take you. Where is the baby?”

Behind his desk, the man smirked. “He’s at this address, in Viterbo, and you can even take one of our jets if you like” he said, handing Angel a folded piece of paper. “You’ve got two weeks, Mr. Angel. And then you had better be in Rome, because our armies will raze the city to the ground, kill your friends and deliver unto us the urn carrying your ashes. Then we’ll kill the child, and we’ll win anyway. Is it still worth it?”

“Always. That’s what you high-and-mighty types never seem to figure out, and that’s why you’ll continue to lose ground to the humans. As far as we’re concerned, it’s always worth the fight, even if you lose.” He smiled, thinking of Buffy as he spoke.

“And the rest of you?” the man asked. “Ilyria, surely you of all creatures see the futility of this struggle.”

She hesitated for a brief moment, looking at Wesley. He nodded to her, indicating he’d be going along with Angel in his plans. She turned back to the man and smiled a smile promising pain. “I will fight the Wolf, Ram and Hart. In my time you were nothing, and so shall you be again.”

“You will find times have changed, Old One. But if you choose doom, the Partners take no issue with your decision. All of you – clear your desks, and be out of the building in fifteen minutes. It was nice working with you.”

The White Room faded, and Team Angel found themselves in the common area near Angel’s office. Wesley laughed a goofy laugh as he stared at Angel. “Well, that could have gone worse.”
[hr]
That's it for now! Thanks again for reading, and see you soon for chapter 3!

[FineyMcFine]

Dibs!

ETA: the drama is nonstop, Heather! Tara must have been REALLY shaken by what happened in Cleveland to leave her baby and not to trust Willow to talk about it and work it out this time in this different universe. It was really well done; the tension was palpable.

I was relieved and glad that they found Tara so quickly; I was expecting that to drag out longer. But now I'm so worried about Baby Anya! Although given her precocious powers I'm thinking that she may give Lindsey a run for his money.

And damn Sonya - what on earth made her conspire with Lindsey? Grrrrrrr.

So glad you are continuing the Life's Chronicles!

[AntigoneUnbound]

Hey Heather--What a great update! I love seeing Angel et al. go all protective and fierce about Anya. Also got a kick out of seeing "liaise" as a verb!

So the plot thickens and unfolds...Everyone has a horse in this race, don't they? I think the partners ("Bob's Investment Services"--cracked me up!) overestimated Angel's attachment to his CEO duties.

Poor Sonya...Nobody seems to notice that Lindsey is perfectly comfortable piling up the bodies, do they? It's kind of like meeting your partner through infidelity: what makes you think they won't cheat on you?

Buffy's clenching her fist...gotta like that!

I'm really enjoying this.
Mary

[Boadecia]

This fic is great! I read the whole thing in a day at work and I cant wait for another update. Good work!.....hmmm writing 'good work' makes me sound like a teacher! so in teacher style i give you smiley faces!

[caz]

Excellent update! Thank God they found Tara - however, I'm now concerned about the baby. If anything happens to Anya then I think the shit will hit the fan. Willow & Tara will probably tear the world apart looking for vengeance.

Oooh, vicious Angel - how wonderful! Loved the way he let Ilyria rough Eve up.

Buffy's clenched hand is a good sign - right?

More please!

Caz

[Tarafied4Life]

Hey, All! I'm finally back (has it really been 12 days since that last update? Stupid work.) But update ahoy! Firstly, though:

SallyMcFine - I'm glad there was some tension with Tara leaving - the rough period between them in Cleveland hit her hard, and I think leaving was the only answer she saw. They did find her rather quickly, but as you say there's the Anya situation...As for Sonya, my Judas, we'll get caught up on why soon... Thanks for the praise, I really appreciate it.

AntigoneUnbound - I just had to use liase as a verb - what other chance am I going to have to do that? Glad it tickled you too. There does seem to be a lot of forces at work here, doesn't there? And there's one more to come into play...I always liked Angel at his most vicious, so it was fun to write him that way. And I fell out of my chair laughing at your "meeting your partner through infedelity" line - priceless! That's exactly what working for Lindsey's like. And Buffy's fist-clenching is definitely good news! Glad you're still enjoying!

Boadecia - Welcome! I'm happy you've enjoyed the story so far, and hopefully you'll like where we go from here! And thanks for the smiley faces - I think that's more than any of my actual teachers ever gave me!

caz - If you're concerned about Anya, I'm afraid this update won't do much to lessen the tension...and I think you're bang on about what W&T's reaction would be if she were harmed. Vicious Angel is fun, isn't he? I always wanted to see someone do that to Eve... And Buffy's hand clenching is absolutely a good sign! Thanks for reading!
[hr]
Chapter 3 - The road gets rocky
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Rating: R for language.


“What do you mean the Partners have ratted on me?”

“Exactly that. Our predictions have been torn and tossed aside – the Partners have betrayed you to Angelus.”

“But…” Lindsey struggled for words, stunned by the news. “But we had a DEAL!”

“Apparently not.”

“Damn it! So now what?”

“We must consult. This turn of events was simply not meant to occur – the vampire with a soul has changed the future.”

“Goddamn Angel! I should have staked the bastard years ago! Fine – if the Partners want to alter the deal, so can I.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

“I’m going to kill the child now. Then the Partners’ll have to give me what I want.”

“They will be happy to have the child dealt with – but why would they grant your desire when they’re getting what they want for nothing?”

Lindsey stopped as the truth of their words struck home. “Damn. Okay…if they know where we are, maybe we can set up a few surprises for when they get here. Yeah…I can work with this.” He grinned. “Maybe this’ll actually work out even better.”
[hr]
Faith hung up and turned to Willow. “Angel’s got it. Him and the gang are on their way, and when he gets here we’re going to go and get your baby.”

“Can’t we go now?”

“We need more firepower, Red. I’m good – but without B I’ve only got you, Spike and Wolfy to back me up. You’re tired and distracted, Wolfy ain’t a whole lot of good to me if he’s not a wolf, and Spike’s human. Stronger than most people, sure, but still human. It’s not enough. Their group’s got a vamp and a god – I’ll need them.”

Willow sighed. “Okay. What can I do then?”

“Get some rest. Say goodnight to T, then go home and sleep. Angel’s posse won’t be here for six hours or so, and he and I’ll probably strategize for a while after they land. Once we’ve got shit mapped out, we’ll come and get you, kay?”

“Fine. But you better not even think of leaving me behind.”

“Got my word. And Red?”

Willow looked.

“We’ll get her back – I swear. Say goodnight to T for me.”

“Thanks, Faith.” As the slayer quietly left the room, Willow turned to Tara and patted her hand. “Did you catch that, love?”

Tara nodded weakly.

“She’s going to be okay.”

“Willow?”

“Yeah?”

“Um…I know this probably isn’t the best time, but…what was that phone call all about? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“Of course I’ll tell you. My father passed away-“ she held up a hand to hold off Tara’s reply, “and my mom wanted me to know I wasn’t welcome at the service. Because of us.”

Tara clapped a hand to her mouth and turned away. “I-Willow…” she began, her words muffled by her hand as she began to weep again. “It’s n-no wonder you hated me.”

“Hey,” Willow said forcefully, turning Tara’s head back to face her. “I could never have hated you, ever. I’m sorry that I handled things so badly in Cleveland, but that would never happen here. Maybe that phone call was the hardest thing Cleveland Willow ever had to face, but she’s not me. I felt you leave my life – there’s nothing that could ever hurt me more than that. I’m not going to withdraw into myself over this, and I’m certainly not going to take it out on you. I’m angry with my mom – beyond angry – and I’m grieving for dad, but you’re my wife, my only love, and the mother of my child. I love you more than life, and nothing can change that. Okay?”

Tara nodded, beaming through her tears. “Will,” she croaked, her throat dry. “Could you sleep here tonight?”

“Sure, I’ll take a chair.”

“No. Tara patted the small hospital bed. “Here.”

“Can we both fit in that bed?”

“We’ll m-make it work.”

Willow called Faith to let her know she’d be staying at the hospital, then managed to lie down next beside Tara after a few minutes of squirming and moving tubes out of the way.

Tara gently brushed her cheek with warm fingers. “I’m s-so sorry about your dad.”

Willow smiled a sad smile. “Me too. I mean, it’s not like my parents and I were all that close – or close at all – but he’s still my dad. I loved him.”

“I know, sweetie. And he does too. Are you okay?”

“Probably not. I think I’m going to lay down and have a good cry one day soon, but not until we get Anya back.”

“It’s all my fault.”

“What? How do you figure that?”

“If I’d have just stayed, talked things out with you instead of running, then Anya’d be safe at home and I wouldn’t be in this stupid hospital bed.”

Willow stroked the blonde hair loose on Tara’s pillow. “Maybe. But maybe not. What you went through in Cleveland after that call was obviously hell, and it seemed like it was here again. I can’t blame you – nobody could – for needing space. Besides, it’s not like I’m stupid-decision-free girl. It was me who walked out before the multicultural fair and left you alone for Glory to-“ she shuddered at the memory. “Anyway, my point – there’s no blame here. None. Things are what they are, and that’s it. We have a very special little girl, Tara, and she’ll protect herself as best she can. And when we go to get her back, we’re taking some seriously big guns. Lindsey doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I w-wish I could go.”

“Me too – but you need to rest. So you can’t go-“ Willow tipped her a wink. “But I might let you come.”

“What, here?”

Willow nodded.

“You think you can manage that in this bed?” Tara asked doubtfully, indicating the machines and tubes.

“I don’t know – think you can stay quiet enough that the whole floor doesn’t know if I manage it?”

Tara’s brow furrowed as she pretended to think about it. “Um…I think so.”

“Good,” Willow whispered with a devilish grin.
[hr]
“So, what’s the sitch? What do we know about the house?”

“Easy, Faith. I had Wesley call the city’s archives on the way here, and they faxed us a set of blueprints. Problem is, they say the new owner’s done a bunch of renos they don’t have the specs for.”

“So the blueprints are pretty much worthless.”

“Pretty much. We know there’s two entrances – front and back – but that’s about it. I’m assuming Lindsey knows we’re coming for him – from what Willow described, his little psychic core have done a pretty good job keeping him a step ahead. So we can probably figure the doors’ll be reinforced, probably steel or something similar. And defenses – hard to predict. It’s a small house, which gives him the advantage – if he can squeeze us into a fire corridor, we might be in serious trouble.”

“So what do we have that’s actually in our favor?”

“Well, there’s Ilyria. She’s a powerful weapon – between slowing time and walking through dimensions, not to mention the super strength, she should give us a serious chance. And Wes and Gunn are no slouches in a fight.”

“Good. We’ll be bringing Spike, and Willow too – a witch in the mix can’t hurt.”

“For sure. How do you want to go in?”

“Well, I’m voting for the front door. No matter how it’s reinforced, I’m guessing Blue here can rip it off its hinges. It’s the last plan he’ll expect, and I think that’s why it’ll work.”

“You’re becoming a strategist, Faith!”

“I know – goddamn scary, isn’t it? I kind of miss the days when I was just a cold-blooded murderer, no planning required.”

Angel smiled. “Faith…how’s Buffy?”

“No change. Doctors say she’s never going to get better – I don’t buy it. She’s strong, and Willow will find a way to help her.”

“Has she made any progress in getting into her head?”

“No – she keeps getting this big block; told me it’s an image of an eye. Green, doesn’t blink, just stares. And that’s all she can get.”

“Maybe Wesley can work with her when we’ve got the baby back – help her research the image?”

“Sure. I appreciate it, soul-boy.”

“Whatever you say, Faithy.”

They smiled at each other, two warriors who’d known the love of the same woman, fought the same battles, and were ready for war once again.

“Let me go and pick up Willow, and we’ll get this show on the road.”
[hr]
As they approached the house, Angel held a closed fist in the air to signal them to stop. “Okay,” he said. “This is it. Ilyria, you go first. Faith and Gunn next, Wesley and I after that, then Spike, and Willow bringing the magical artillery from the rear. “Got it?” Once he had their assent, he waved Ilyria forward and the rest followed. She walked up the front steps, and the front door promptly exploded outwards in a shower of wood and metal. She threw out her hand to slow time, walking around the larger fragments before letting it resume its normal flow. The others were knocked backwards slightly by the concussive force, but she was safely out of its way. She smiled and continued on into the house.

As Faith and Gunn followed, they spotted an intricate web of tripwires on the floor, and a message scrawled on a blackboard in the center of the room. Wesley called Ilyria back as he read the message.

Hey Gang,

Good to see you folks again. Well, not see you, but you get it. Sorry I couldn’t be here for the show, but Tara and I have a prior engagement. You wouldn’t be stupid enough to have left her unguarded, would you? Anyway, the kid’s in the basement. She’s in kind of a pickle, though. See all those tripwires? Them, and a whole bunch more you haven’t seen yet, are connected to a whole mess of toys down there. One touch of any of them, and the kid’s nothing but a greasy spot. And I don’t think the witch would be happy with you if that happened. Take care, y’all.

Lindsey

Wesley called out to Angel, who read the message aloud and cursed. Willow turned white, throwing glances at both the stairs leading to the basement and the front door. “No…what do I do?”

“Go help Tara,” Angel said, throwing her the truck keys. “We’ll get Anya out safe, I promise. Hurry!”

Willow ran from the house, headed for the truck as fast as her legs could carry her.

Angel turned back to the others. “I don’t think I need to say this, but I will anyway. Watch your step.”
[hr]
Outside Tara’s room, Oz stood watch. Willow hadn’t asked, but he figured having some protection in place probably wouldn’t be the worst idea ever – and besides, he wasn’t much use in the Anya rescue. He hadn’t actually set foot in the room, because she hadn’t seen him yet – she’d been completely out of it when he and Willow had brought her to the hospital – and he didn’t know how she’d react. Their first meeting hadn’t exactly gone well, and he couldn’t blame her if she was still upset with him. He, on the other hand, felt much better about her. His wolfout when they’d met was largely due to the shock of losing Willow – and the bigger shock that it was to a woman. But he held no grudge – he hadn’t had any right to react as he had, and Tara made Willow happy; they were in love, married and had a child. He was happy for Willow, if a little sad for himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimmer of motion. His eyes tracked it, vision enhanced by the wolf in him. There it was – halfway down the hall, a short demon hugging the shadows. It was no more than 3 feet tall, but Oz’s keen sight caught the gleam of razor-sharp teeth in the fluorescent light. He turned his head and saw two more approaching from the other end of the hall. Making a snap decision, he stepped into Tara’s room and closed the door behind him.

“O-Oz?” she stammered, drawing up her blankets around her with a fearful expression.

“It’s okay, Tara. I’m not going to hurt you or anything, I was just standing guard while Willow’s gone.”

“B-But what are you d-doing here?”

“I’ll explain later. For now, there’re demons outside and they want in. Can you do a spell to keep them out?”

Tara thought for a moment, nodding when the right one came to mind. She pointed at the door and murmured under her breath, the door beginning to glow purple as she did. Seconds later, the door swung open and the demons walked in unimpeded, closing the door behind them.

“Uh…shouldn’t that spell have stopped them?”

“Y-Yes…if they meant us harm.” She looked at the demon closest to them. “What do you want?”

“We want to help you.” It replied in a throaty growl.

“Why?”

“You are the vessel – you have delivered the instrument by which the Senior Partners will be ended.”

Oz looked as confused as he felt. “I thought the demon world was big on the Partners.”

“Not all of it.” The demon sniffed the air. “You’re a wolf – you know that not every inhuman creature is the same. We – the Initiates – were cast out of our home by the Partners. They considered us less than demons – unworthy.”

“Why were you unworthy?”

“Because we associated with humans – even while the Old Ones still ruled the Earth. We are blessed with some knowledge of the future, and we knew the hold of the demons could not last. So we aligned ourselves with those whom we knew would be victorious. Unfortunately, there was a price to be paid for the decision – the Partners invaded the small dimension we lived in and forced us out, killing most of us in the process. I and my companions-“ the creature indicated the other two demons Oz had seen, “are half of all that remain.”

“T-That’s awful!” Tara exclaimed, her natural empathy overpowering any lingering doubts about the creature’s intent.

“Thank you for your kindness, but it is we who are indebted to you. Your child will end the Partners, and we shall finally be free. Now, however, our job is to protect you. The being called Lindsey, and the three mind-shapers in his employ, are nearly here. He intends to kill you tonight, and the Initiates will not allow this.”

“M-Mind shapers? Do you mean the psychics?”

“They are far more than that. They can create powerful illusions, both within and without the mind. Fortunately, our kind are immune to their effects – and so it is to us that your defense falls.”

Tara’s reply was stopped when the second Initiate held up its hand. “They approach. We will dispense with the mind-shapers – can you and the wolf keep Lindsey at bay?”

“I think we can handle it,” Oz muttered as Tara made a ball of her hands and began to rapidly chant in Latin. The door flew open, and a single touch from the mind-shapers dispersed the protection spell that kept them out of the room. They floated across the room toward the bed, never seeing the Initiates gather behind them. Two of the small demons jumped onto the back of the nearest mind-shaper and began to tear and rend flesh with their vicious fangs, while the third grabbed another mind-shaper by the leg. The three screamed in one voice as they attempted to dislodge the creatures - to no avail. A third of the scream was cut off suddenly as the first Initiate grabbed a throat in its fangs and tore it out, spraying blood across the room. Behind them, Lindsey made his appearance with a strut through the door. Tara was more than ready, hitting him with a blast of light that threw him across the hall.
[hr]
Ilyria led Team Angel through the maze of tripwires in the house, moving with a grace that Fred Burkle never possessed. She turned back frequently to check on the progress of the others, occasionally slowing time’s passage to help them over a spot they were about to miss. It took almost a half hour, but they finally reached the basement and discovered the biggest concentration of trip wires yet, concentrated around the door in a mass none of them could see a way through.

“Ilyria, could you slow time enough to break these wires and get the kid out in time?” Spike asked.

“No. I could not hold such control for that long. Even were I able…” she trailed off, studying the wires. “A good number of these are wired into explosives on the ceiling – the entire house would collapse around us. I would survive – you would not.”

“Then let me be the first to say sod that plan. Any other bright ideas, bossman?”

Angel thought for a minute. “Ilyria – could you break a hole in the wall next to the door? Big enough to fit a person through?”

Wesley threw a startled look at him. “Angel…you’re not suggesting what I think you are, are you?”

“Why not?”

“Well, how about the possibility that the walls are tied into the system? If you break it and it has a wire in it…”

“Better ideas, Wes? I’m all ears.”
[hr]
Two of the mind-shapers were already down before Lindsey gathered himself enough to rejoin the battle. It quickly became apparent he hadn’t come unprepared as he pulled out the sawed-off shotgun he had strapped under his jacket. Tara rolled off the bed, wincing at the sudden pain as the needles in her arm pulled free. The gun’s blast tore a two-foot hole in the wall behind the bed. Alarms started to blare throughout the hospital, and security was no doubt on its way, but Oz knew they’d never make it in time. Lindsey leveled the shotgun at Tara as she looked frantically for a place to run. He grinned savagely as he realized she had nowhere to go. He stepped forward, ignoring the battle raging in the room.
[hr]
Gunn winced in anticipation as Ilyria laid into the wall, but nothing exploded. Once the hole was big enough for a person, Ilyria jumped down into the basement. The others lowered themselves cautiously, noting with surprise the lack of wires on the floor.

“Well,” said Gunn. “I guess slick never figured we’d make it this far.” He looked at the pedestal at the center of the room where Anya lay blissfully calm, grinning at the newcomers. “There she is.”

Spike crossed the room and smiled down at the child, scooping her up in his arms. As he lifted her, the wire wrapped around her leg – the one no-one had seen – pulled taut and a loud “click” was audible throughout the room. “Oh, shi-“ was all Gunn managed before the room exploded around them.
[hr]
That's all for now, folks! Sorry about the cliffhanger - update coming soon, I promise!

[Boadecia]

Oh you are truly evil!!!!
that is all.

[FineyMcFine]

Heather, nooooooooo! Poor everyone, especially little Anya! I hope they're not dead. What am I saying? Of course they're not dead. (Right?)

One of the things I'm impressed with most about your story is the dialogue and how faithful it is to the original. Case in point - I don't even need the "Angel said" or "Faith replied" etc. to be able to tell who is talking - I can totally tell from just reading the sentence who is supposed to be saying it. It's like I can hear them in my head, picture their expressions, everything.

And the sequence of action is still fascinating and exciting. You really keep this one moving along. I have to say, I was suspicious about those small demons that came into Tara's hospital room. I'm not sure if I still trust them. Yay about Oz thinking ahead to guard Tara. I adore what he had to say, too. "Hi." "Uh, whose baby is that?" and "Like, for instance, what's up with Buffy?" Priceless, and classic Oz.

Also, naughty naughty WT in the hospital bed. When I was in the hospital I don't think it would have been possible to get up to dickens - first, I was nauseated from the anaesthesia and kept throwing up (unsexy), and second, the nurses kept coming in every 15 minutes (or so it seemed) to take my blood pressure.

[justin]

I've caught up with the story. I'm liking the sequel

SO we've found out what the phone call was that caused the problems between Cleveland Willow and Tara, but not why CW reacted the way she did. I cna't see any reason for CW to blame Tara for her mother's prejudice. The problem is the only person who knows is CW and she no longer exists to be able to tell us.

I admit I was a bit put out by them torturing Eve. Though that may be because I didn't see the last season of Angel so I don't know who she is.

It's lucky the Initiates showed up when they did. Otherwise Tara and Oz may have been in trouble.

I'm guessing that the image of an eye in Buffy's mind is important, but have no idea what it means.

As for the ending, well as has been said, you're evil

[mole]

Hiya Heather. What a fantastic tale you're weaving. I just finished reading it after coming across it last night. So many things going on:

The rift between Tara and Willow in Cleveland must have been incredibly painful indeed to force Rome Tara to leave Willow without any converstaion at all. I think Willow's explanation rings true: that the Cleveland Willow had no idea what pain was. Not like Rome Willow does. Having survived the loss of Tara, this Willow is so much stronger. It's really quite beautiful, the strength you achieve through such powerful love.

Now, I'm not a huge Xander fan, I mean the guy could be such a putz. But I was a bit sad to see that he was tortured and bled in the attempt to open the hellmouth. No one deserves to die that way.

I'm enjoying your Faith. She has the depth and emotion that cannon Faith only hinted at. I just wish she'd open her eyes and see that Buffy is starting to stir!

Wow. Oz is in the mix. Could make for some interesting discussion.

Having Angel Inc. involved is fun, too. I didn't watch the show much but I caught an ep here and there. Nice to see Angel back in the fold.

So, I say keep up the great work. This story is a great ride. Looking forward to more soon.

Michelle

ETA: Sorry for the double post. IE hung up on me. Grumble...microsoft...grumble....

[Tarafied4Life]

Boadecia - Evil? Never! A little naughty, perhaps...

SallyMcFine - Umm...nope, everybody's fine. Yep, all good...but you might not want to read this chapter - it might make me a liar.

Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments on the dialogue - it's really the most fun part of the story to write, and I think sometimes I neglect the action or descriptions a little in favor of more dialogue, but I'm really happy to hear that it evokes the mental images it should. You gave me warm fuzzies - I'm going to be smiling all night now. Thank you!

Good call on not really trusting the Initiates - as you'll soon see, they know something kind of important that they didn't let on. And Oz did show some foresight, didn't he?

The hospital bed scene just had to be written - although I agree, I can't picture a time I've been in hospital where I would have had the energy or the inclination to be naughty. But then, this is W/T - they're magic!

justin - Good to hear the sequel's to your liking so far!

CW isn't around to explain herself, that's true - but I don't think she necessarily blamed Tara, that's just Tara's interpretation of events. As far as Eve, she deserved it, trust me!

The Initiates - tricky creatures...and that's all I'm going to say about that...The eye will be explained this chapter, so no more waiting! And as I said above, not evil...just naughty.

mole - Welcome to the story! I'm glad you're enjoying so far!

As far as Cleveland Willow, I agree with you - Rome Willow is just that much stronger.

Xander...true enough. I'd never say he deserved to die like that (although after a flashback in a few chapters, you might change your mind there), but I never did like the guy. Glad you're liking Faith, too - she had so much potential, and it's fun to explore. Oz definitely has a part coming, and Angel Inc. will be around for a bit yet. No need to have seen the show, though - W/T are still the main characters!

Thanks so much for reading!
[hr]
Chapter 4 - Armageddon's Bride
Rating: R for language and themes
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Author's Note: This story takes a pretty dark turn from here on in. Just have faith - it still ends in W/T snuggles and happiness!


As Tara braced for the shot, Oz jumped in front of the gun and pushed its barrel upwards. It fired over his right shoulder, the pellets tearing ragged gashes in it, deafening him temporarily on that side. The pain caused him to change almost instantly, and Lindsey’s eyes widened as he found himself nose-to-nose with a five foot wolf. He ran from the room, dropping the shotgun behind him as Oz nipped at his heels.

The Initiates, for their part, had handily dealt with the mind-shapers. None of them lived, and what was left wasn’t pretty. Tara closed her eyes and whispered a prayer of thanks as the small demons rushed over and helped her back into bed. As they tried to make her comfortable, Willow burst into the room with a panicked expression. She took in the blood and gore, the hole behind the bed, and the demons gathered around Tara. “Get away from her!” she yelled, unthinkingly hurling a fireball at the Initiates. It was met halfway by a cool blue mist from Tara’s fingers that extinguished it.

“Wait, Will! They’re with us – good guys!”

“Good guys?”

“Good guys. They killed Lindsey’s psychics.”

“Did Lindsey do that?” she asked, pointing at the hole in the wall. Tara nodded. “Where’d he go?”

“Oz chased him that way.”

“Oz was here?”

Tara nodded again, starting to shiver as the shock of the last few minutes set in. Willow rubbed her hands together and lay one on Tara’s head with a brief incantation to keep her warm. She looked down to see the small demons bowing at her feet.”

“Um…hi. What’s up?”

“We devote ourselves to you – filler of the vessel, partner in perfect creation.”

“Um…okay…Did you want to – I don’t know, guard the door or something?”

“Your every need is ours to fill,” the talkative one insisted as they took up positions around the door, looking very much like watchdogs.

Willow sat down next to Tara and took her hand. “I was so afraid – when we found out Lindsey was coming here…I thought…”

“M-M-M-M-“ Tara stammered, her chattering teeth combined with the stutter making words difficult to form. She sighed in frustration and tried again. “Me too. “B-But everything’s okay-“

They both recoiled as a harsh, plaintive cry sounded loudly in both of their heads – the cry of a child – but stopped suddenly. Blue eyes met green as Tara and Willow realized where the cry had come from. They linked hands quickly and tried to find their baby’s mind but were met with silence. Tara threw her covers back and shot to her feet, turning her back to Willow.

“Tara?” Willow asked hesitantly, feeling the energy change in the room. The air crackled around her and her hair began to stand on end as Tara threw on clothes, never looking back. Willow watched in horror as the roots of Tara’s hair turned slowly black. “Tara, listen to me. You can’t do this. I know what you’re feeling, but you can’t do this.”

“Willow,” she replied in a voice far too even. “That was Anya. Our baby.”

“I know,” Willow replied with frantic intensity. “But we don’t know for sure that…just because we can’t touch her doesn’t mean…” Tara’s hair turned completely black. She turned back to Willow with eyes that were obsidian and cold.

“I know. I’m her mother – she came from me, and I know. She’s gone. And someone – everyone – is going to pay. They’re all going to pay.”

“Tara, for goddess’ sake, just listen to me. I’ve been where you are. I know what you’re touching, and I know how good it feels – how pure, how simple it all seems. But it’s not. The power you’re feeling has a price. If you let it use you, you may never come back.”

“Willow, it’s our CHILD! Our little baby – and they killed her! How can you say these things to me? How can you not be with me on this?”

“I am with you, baby. Always. But not like this – we can’t do it like this. We’ll find them, and we’ll make them pay, but you have to let go of the darkness. I…” Willow’s eyes filled with tears. “I can’t lose you again. And if you use this power, I might lose you forever. You’ve got to come back to me – I’m begging you.”

Tara stared coldly at her for a moment, and then her body began to shake. A few tears fell from her black eyes, and Willow stared in wonder as she fought for control. Blonde and black streaks chased each other through her hair, and her eyes began to flash rapidly from blue to black and back again. It lasted almost two full minutes before the rapid changes first slowed and finally stopped, leaving Tara with black-streaked blonde hair and an eye of each color. She sat down on the bed and took Willow’s hand.

“I’m sorry, Willow, but this is the best I can do. I’m still me – but I can’t let go of all this anger. I can’t get rid of it all.”

“It’s okay…just don’t give in to it, don’t let it own you.”

“We’re going to need help – I don’t think Oz is going to catch Lindsey, and we’ve only got a few weeks before the Partners’ armies arrive.” Willow stared. “I felt them – when I touched the dark, I could feel them coming. Fortunately, I know where to get the help we’ll need.”
[hr]
“Don’t you think maybe we should mention to them that they don’t need to bother hanging around anymore?” Willow asked, indicating the Initiates gathered at the door.

“Later.” Tara indicated Buffy. “Take me in.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“Yes. When the Initiate called those things mind-shapers, and explained what that meant, it was pretty clear. Buffy’s mind didn’t destroy herself – when the mind-shaper touched her, it created kind of a two-way illusion. When you went in, you saw Buffy’s mind destroying itself, and then just the eye. I don’t know what Buffy sees from her perspective, but it’s keeping her trapped inside and leaving her unable to communicate. So here’s the thing – the eye you see is yours. It’s like a big mirror. We just need to smash it and it should break on both sides.”

“Okay…I don’t follow, but we’ll try it.” Willow took Tara’s hand, followed by Buffy’s, and projected herself. She found herself confronted by an image of two eyes – one green and one blue. She looked to Tara, who stood beside her. “What now?”

“Hold on.” Tara’s black eye flashed red and Willow felt a shimmer in the air. For a moment, everything was quiet and she was tempted to ask what was supposed to happen – and then the two eyes imploded with a flash, leaving them face-to-face with Buffy.

“Willow? Tara – Tara? What’s with the new look?”

“Doesn’t matter. Grab ahold of Willow – we’re taking you out.”

With a start, the three of them came to in Buffy’s hospital room. The slayer looked around at the flowers and cards, turning to Willow with a confused expression. “God…how long have I been in there?”

“Almost fifteen months,” Tara said. “Willow tried everything, but there was something about Lindsey’s psychics she didn’t know. But now you’re out – and we’re going to need your help.”
[hr]
Buffy sat back stunned as they filled her in on everything that had happened.

“Okay, I think I’ve got it – you can fill me in on the little details later. No, wait…Willow, if something’s happened to Anya, then what happened to the rest of them? What happened to Faith?”

“We don’t know. We haven’t heard from them, either.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Tara snapped. She took a deep breath, and black and blonde again fought for supremacy in her hair. “I’m sorry, Buffy. I didn’t mean that. We’ll head out there first – Oz hasn’t come back yet, and I’d guess Lindsey’s running for cover – probably some kind of safehouse near where Angel and the gang went. We’ll head that direction, and hopefully we can find Faith.”

Buffy sniffled, refusing to give in to the fear she felt – mainly because she wasn’t sure how much it would take to push Tara completely over the edge. “It’s okay, Tara. I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now. So – first we find the gang, and then we get set for war?”

“That’s the plan. This is it, Buffy. Not an apocalypse, but the apocalypse. This one’s for all the marbles.”

“Not my first apocalypse. This one might be bigger and badder, but we’ll take it like we always do – one battle at a time. Let’s mount up.”
[hr]
The truck stopped in front of a ruin. The three women stared in shock at what was left of the collapsed structure that had once been a house, Buffy’s eyes filling with tears. “Faith…” she whispered. There was a sudden knock on the window, eliciting a small cry from all of them as the Initiates bared their teeth. Tara checked the rearview and was stunned to see all of Team Angel standing behind the truck looking none the worse for wear. Buffy sprang from the truck into Faith’s arms. After a slow kiss of reunion, Faith held her at arm’s length. “B…holy shit! How?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing!”

A chorus of voices spoke at once, until Tara’s magickally amplified voice cut through them. “Enough!”

“How is it,” she asked in a voice far too calm, “that you are all here, and my baby girl is not?”

The group studied their shoes until Wesley stepped forward and spoke up. “Tara…she saved us all. I don’t know how, but she did. The house exploded – at least it started to – and then it stopped. She looked at each of us in turn and we teleported about four blocks east. We waited – we kept expecting her to follow, but she didn’t.”

Tara walked past as if she hadn’t heard a word, and the charge in the air made everyone’s hair stand on end as she gestured at the ruined house. The boards and stone flew in all directions, landing in haphazard piles as she cleared a path to the basement, jumping down into what was left of it. After a moment’s searching, she found Anya’s footie pajamas, torn and ripped, but no sign of the baby herself. She sank to her knees and stared at the pink fabric with an expression both completely dispassionate and full of pain, depending on which eye one were to see. “Anya…” she muttered, barely audible. The day’s light seemed to dim as she closed her eyes. “I will revenge.” Behind her, the Initiates peeked over the basement wall.

“Vessel? Why do you weep?”

“What do you mean, why? Are you stupid? You see these?” she held up the torn pajamas. “Your savior is dead! My child is dead!”

“Yes…I fail to see the issue.”

“You…” Black became the predominant color in Tara’s hair as she struggled for a reply. “WHAT? Her being dead kind of puts a kink in the plan, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all – it was necessary. She could hardly have defeated the Partners on this plane. She has not simply died, but rather ascended. The Powers would not have let her truly die – she is now their greatest asset, a heavenly weapon.”

“You…you KNEW this was going to happen?”

“Of course!”

Tara bowed her head and stood silently for a moment. Willow, who’d ran to the hole’s edge, fought to come up with something to say as Tara’s hair finally turned jet black. When she looked up, her eyes were perfectly matched – a flat, dead black.

“This. This is the price of victory? A baby stolen from my arms and dead before she lives half a year? This is how the Powers wage their war – over the bodies of dead babies? Very well. I won’t be a pawn any longer.”

“Baby? Calm down…please, you need to get ahold of yourself.” Willow was beside herself with both grief and fear, her mind racing. “We’ll – I don’t know what we’ll do, but giving in to this isn’t going to help.”

Tara smiled, a far more disturbing sight than her anger. “I am calm, my Willow! For the first time, I see it all clearly. All the good we’ve done, all the lives we’ve saved, it’s all been a waste of time. The ‘Powers’ have been playing us. Look at all that we’ve lost – Joyce, Xander, Buffy – temporarily, of course – Me, at least in this dimension, and now our daughter. And what have we gained? What’s our reward been for being good little soldiers? Nothing. There’s no balance in the world, Willow. I didn’t sign up for this war, and neither did you – it was thrust upon us. And I quit.”

“I don’t understand, Tara.”

“I quit. I resign my commission. I finally understand – we’re on the wrong side. The Partners, all these great evils we’ve fought all these years, they had one thing in common. They understood the concept of loyalty. If you fought for Glory, you were rewarded. If you fought for Adam, you were rewarded. Or at least you would have been, if either of them had survived. And I’m sure the Partners are no different.”

“Tara, you can’t think-“

“Will, if you’re going to give me the rah-rah ‘virtue is its own reward’ speech, please spare me. All I ever wanted was you and our baby. To be happy – be a family, like the happy family I never had. And the Powers took that from me. That’s the reward of virtue. The fuck with that!”

Willow gasped – in all the time she had known and loved her, Tara had never used that word. That, and her complete lack of stutter, told Willow even more than her attitude how far she’d gone. “Tara…” she simply couldn’t find a phrase. “Tara, you have to think. You would never say these things…it’s the darkness. It’s taking over – you need to stop.”

“I don’t think so, my love.” She jumped out of the basement from a standing position, a jump that should have been impossible. “Now,” she addressed the group. “I’m going to offer my services to the Partners. They’ve got armies, but I’m sure they’d take another. I’m going to offer all of you the choice – come with me.”

“T…are you fuckin’ nuts? This is the apocalypse – the end of the whole damn world! You really think these demons are going to have a lot of time for you once they wipe out the human race?”

“Can’t be any less of a screw-job than working for the good guys. Buffy?”

“I’m sorry, Tara. I love you – you’ve been there for me at times when no-one else was – but I can’t do that. Sacred duty and such – you know.”

“Fine. And as goes Buffy, so goes her lap-dog Angel, I’m sure. And I’m guessing none of the rest of his team will have the balls to walk on the wild side.”

Gunn raised his hand, as the others stared. “Don’t look at me like that. She’s right! I’ve had enough of working for peanuts. I buried my sister for this gig, gave up my whole life, and I’ve got shit to show for it. You want an ally, Tara? I’m with you.” He walked over and stood by her side.

“Good. Now, for the sixty-four thousand dollar question. Willow – who do you love?”

Willow felt split in two. “Tara – don’t make me make this choice. Just give it some time – a day, even – and you’ll feel differently. I know it.”

“So you won’t come with me. I should have known. I bet you never even grieved for me when I was gone.”

Willow sobbed. “How can you say that to me?”

“Never mind. Mr. Gunn, shall we go?”

“We can’t let you do that,” said Angel from beside Ilyria.

“You’re going to stop me?”

“If we have to.”

Tara laughed, a cold sound indeed, as she turned away. The group started toward her, only to be frozen in their tracks as she waved a hand at them. “You little puppies just wait right here. Tell the Powers – if they deign to speak to you again – that they can kiss their ethereal asses goodbye. We are going to win this war – and the world will burn. But first, I have business with Lindsey.”

Willow called her name, but Tara kept walking as she sank to her knees and wept.
[hr]
Gunn blinked as he realized they were no longer anywhere near the house. “Uh…cool. Where are we at?”

“About forty miles from where we were. Lindsey’s coming this way – I can feel him coming. You may want to stand back.” Gunn decided that was a good idea, moving from her path as she walked into the road. A gold jeep bore down on her, doing better than 70. Gunn winced in anticipation as he waited for it to hit her, only to hear a sound like a full-on impact with a brick wall. He looked up to see Tara, her arm extended and the jeep accordioned in front of her. Lindsey had been ejected through the windshield and lay at her feet bleeding heavily. She looked down at him and smiled.

“Lindsey. Where’s Oz?”

“The wolf? Shot him. Don’t think he’s dead, though.”

“No matter. Do you know why I’m here?”

“The kid – but I don’t have her.”

“I know that, you idiot. You killed my daughter, Lindsey – and now you’re going to pay.”

His eyes widened as he began to sputter. He opened his mouth to reply, but his words became a scream as she knelt down and stuck three fingers into an open wound on his chest and began to pull.

“That’s enough talking.” She stood and waved a hand, opening a portal beside the smashed jeep. With a solid kick, she sent Lindsey flying through it and closed it behind him. Gunn stared in shock.

“Where’d you send him?”

“No idea. N-Not exactly a perfect s-science. Pretty sure it wasn’t good, though.” Her eyes momentarily brightened to blue as the strain of the spells she’d been doing began to show. “Gunn, if I tell you where we need to go, can you drive while I sleep?”

“’Course, but we got no-“ he broke off as he noticed the jeep was whole again. “Never mind.”
[hr]
“So – what do we do now?”

“Damned if I know, B. One of our biggest guns just went to the dark side. I guess we kill her.”

“WHAT?” cried Willow. “How can you even say that?”

“Will, I’m sorry – but she might be right. It might be the only way.”

“Right – the only way. It’s funny how that’s always the only way unless Angel’s involved, or Spike, or Dawn.”

“If you got a better plan, Red, then spill it. Can you talk her down?”

“You don’t understand what’s happening. This isn’t rage, or vengeance, that she’s acting from. She’s perfectly calm. She’s totally convinced that this is the right thing to do – that she’s doing what needs to be done.”

“Then how do we stop her?”
[hr]
Tara and Gunn stood before a rumpled-looking man Gunn had met not that long before.

“So,” the man asked. “How does a witch get to the White Room without even entering Wolfram & Hart?”

“Pixie dust,” Tara sneered. “You know how. This isn’t a room, it’s a plane. Just a matter of finding the right one.”

“True. Now – what do you want?”

“We’re here to pledge ourselves to the Partners. To lead their armies.”

“And what makes you worthy of leadership?”

“I was one of the slayers’ inner circle. I know them. Then there’s the whole ‘enough power to level a few small cities’ thing. And Charles here is my lieutenant, my tactician.”

“Interesting. And the price?”

“You know of the red witch.”

“Willow. Of course.”

“She’s my price. She’s spared from harm, and when this war is over we’ll be given a domain of our own – in this dimension or some other.”

“Acceptable. Mr. Gunn – your conditions?”

Gunn grinned.
[hr]
The little knock at her door two days later made Tara smile. “Come in,” she called, and the door opened to reveal Willow.

“My Willow tree! How are you?”

“I haven’t come to fight, Tara. And I haven’t come because I believe in your cause, or because I’ll fight with you.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Because I need you to hold me. To let me love you. I’m dying without you.”

Tara smiled, her hair and eyes resuming their normal color. She winked at her visitor. “Does that make you a little bit more comfortable? If you still don’t trust me, you could always tie me up…”
[hr]
That's it for now - hopefully an update within two weeks!

[Tarafied4Life]

An update - and only six days! Miracles can happen, I guess...
[hr]
Chapter 5 - It's never that easy...
Rating: R for language.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.


For seven days, Willow had been living her own personal hell. During the daylight hours she stayed with Buffy and the gang, forming battle strategies and such for the coming apocalypse. There was no further mention of Tara – by Willow’s orders. She had convinced the slayers that she would find a way to bring Tara back to the fold – even though she didn’t think there was one.

The nights, however – they were different. None of the others stayed in the house she and Tara had shared, respecting her space, which made it easier to slip out after dark – and go to see Tara. They barely spoke to each other, hadn’t had anything resembling a real conversation, but the lovemaking they shared was – intense. Willow could sense the change in Tara even more when they touched, and it both saddened and excited her, driving her to new and strange levels of arousal. Then, before dawn broke, she’d give Tara a kiss goodnight and leave without a word to await the daily phone call from Buffy summoning her to the day’s meeting.

But on the eighth night, something changed. They had a visitor. Tara sat up with a start as she realized who was in the room with them, breaking into a savage-looking grin. “Hey, Mom! What’s new? Come by to bless us with another baby the Powers can kill? Thanks, but you can keep it.”

“Tara, I’m sorry about Anya – more than you’ll ever know. The Powers don’t explain themselves to such as me, so I had no idea what they’d planned. But even if I had – I would have given her to you the same.”

“Why? What did I do to you in life that would make you want to want to hurt me so badly?”

“My sweet girl…you misunderstand. Giving your child was not, could never be, an act of malice – it was a blessing. If you want to argue, then look me in the eye and tell me you’ve ever been happier than the first time you held her.”

“No, of course not. But I had her for five months! She was still a baby when she was taken from me! It’s like teasing a mongrel dog with a bone and then beating them over the head with it! It’s cruelty for the sake of cruelty, and that’s why I’ll suffer these ‘Powers’ no longer. Leave me alone!”

“No, Tara, I won’t. I can’t. You seem to be under the impression that everything that happens in this world is about you, or because of you. The daughter I raised would know better. Anya’s fate was her own – not yours. She fulfilled her life’s purpose – while you pervert yours. You are bound by the rede, Tara – 'harm thee none.'”

“Don’t quote your damnable rede to me. I know it, and I followed it, for all the good it’s done me. If you want to quote to me, perhaps you can recite the law of threefold return – and tell me what terrible thing I’ve done to be repaid by the loss of my daughter.”

“Tara, my Tara…you still don’t understand me. She wasn’t taken from you with ill intent, or for revenge. She was taken because it was her destiny.”

Tara spat at her feet, her black eyes glowing. “Destiny? No such thing exists.”

“But it does – and yours is to save this world.”

“Oh, so the Powers decided to explain things in advance this time, did they? Too bad they couldn’t have done that earlier. Would have saved us all a bit of trouble. Besides, I don’t know what they’re smoking on their cloud, but just FYI…I’ve kinda switched sides.”

“No, you haven’t. You only believe you have – because you think you have nothing left to fight for.”

“Oh, please!” Tara burst out laughing. “If this is the part where you tell me that there’s still good in the world, that it’s worth fighting for, then you can stick it.”

“No, somehow I didn’t think that’d be the winning argument here. Something more personal, though – that might do it. Willow, can you come here for a moment?”

“No!” Tara yelled as Willow stepped forward. She threw herself at the spectral image, her hands glowing with power. She stumbled and nearly fell as she passed right through. “Neat trick. I’ve got a few too.”

“No, Tara, you stay there.” Tara screamed with frustration as she found herself trapped, unable to stop what she feared was coming. Willow closed the distance and Mary lay a hand on her stomach, which began to glow much as Tara’s had, if more intensely. Tara quivered with rage as her mom turned back toward her.

“You see, Tara? There are things worth fighting for. Your twins have a bright future – the Powers themselves assure me of it – but only if you save the world. If you fight on the wrong side, even if you win and Willow is spared – yes, I know of the deal you struck – your twins will be the sacrifice. The choice is yours and yours alone. I leave you to it. And please remember that I love you, as you once did me.” She disappeared, leaving them to themselves. Willow gently stroked Tara’s cheek, tears in her eyes.

“Baby, I-“

“Willow, you need to leave. Now. I’m – a little upset, and I don’t want to lose control if what you’re carrying is in the room.”

“What I’m carrying? It’s children, Tara – yours and mine.”

“Leave. Please, Will.” Willow noted with some small satisfaction that Tara didn’t seem to be able to control her fluctuating hair and eye color – a sign that maybe there was an emotion left in her besides rage. “I need to be alone.”

“Okay. But I’ll see you tomorrow night, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I love you.”

Tara remained silent as she left, waiting until the door was closed and Willow down the street before screaming in rage, punching holes in the walls. She fell to the floor, hugging herself as she moaned. “No, no, no, please…anything but this. I can’t…I won’t…it’s…n-not fair…n-not fair….”
[hr]
Buffy looked up, startled, as Willow came through the front door. “Will! Where’ve you been? I’ve been calling you for an hour!”

“Sorry, Buffy. Just needed to clear my head a little.”

“Are you okay? You look a little bit off.”

“Yep, all fine. Just a lot going on. You? How are you doing these days?”

“Well, I hardly sleep, but the doctors say that’s normal after a prolonged coma. Not that that was a natural coma, but the point’s the same I guess. As far as everything else – well, I’m not sure if it’s the apocalypse or Tara I’m more worried about – it kind of changes from minute to minute.”

“Well, don’t worry about Tara. I told you I’d handle that end of things, and I will. As for the apocalypse…well, go ahead and worry about that all you want. More, even.”

“Well, we’ve got all the potentials that were staying here at Slayer Central ready for a fight, and most of the others are coming back. We haven’t been able to reach all of them, but there’s more arriving every day – the council’s been helping with that. Angel’s crew is ready to go, too, but…” Buffy frowned. “I just don’t know if it’s going to be enough. This isn’t a few vampires, or something weak like that – this is the actual, literal armies of hell. Is there any way we can be ready for this?”

“I hope so – I really don’t think we’re going to have a lot in the way of second chances…unless they leave some of us alive, in camps, and we revolt and…” she trailed off with a grin. “Babbling again…sorry, just watched Terminator 2 last night. Never mind. Where’s Faith at, anyway?”

The words were barely out of her mouth when Faith emerged from the kitchen, wearing a dark blue apron over her black leather pants and black top and carrying a platter of cookies. “B, the cookies are…” Willow couldn’t help herself, and burst out in the first genuine laugh she’d had since the night she’d spent in Tara’s hospital bed.

“Uh, I mean the goddamn demon cookies are trying to kill us all, and we’d…” she stopped, unable to finish the ridiculous sentence. Willow laughed even harder.

“You can’t fool me – Faith, you’ve gone domestic!”

Faith struggled mightily for a comeback, but found none close at hand. “Okay, fine, you caught me, Red. You tell anyone else, I’ll kick your ass but good.” She smiled, taking the edge off the fake threat. “Just looking after my girl. She’s grounded from housework for at least a month, on account of the fifteen-month nap – no matter how much she argues with me,” Faith grinned, directing a pointed glance at Buffy. Willow smiled broadly, amazed at how far the dark slayer had come, and how much love could change a person. And that, of course, led her thoughts back to Tara. She’d hated to leave her in such a confused emotional state, but as Tara had pointed out, if she were to completely lose control with Willow in the room it could be extremely dangerous for her – and the new life she carried.

Willow remembered the feelings like it was yesterday – the power, the grief, the incredible knowledge that you could change the world simply by the power of your thoughts. She knew how Tara felt – but she also knew that it was different. Tara had carried the anger to a level she’d never experienced – a level where the pure rage was gone, replaced with a bitter cold that could never be warmed. In her arms, Willow could feel that cold but couldn’t help – Tara wouldn’t hear of it.

And sweet Anya – Willow grieved almost constantly, but had no one to express it to. Buffy and Faith were far too busy preparing for war, and she wasn’t close enough to any of Angel’s group or the potentials to tell them how she felt. Tara – she was too lost in her own pain and anger to hear it. She had yet to notice that Willow cried almost every night after they made love, and even if she had Willow didn’t know if she would have done anything about it. But as deep as her grief ran, she could accept what Tara could not. She could accept that their baby was a gift given by the powers, and that she was meant for something so much greater than the short time she’d spent with them – it didn’t mean that she didn’t grieve, but it helped. And the knowledge of new life inside her made it so much clearer – they were blessed, even if they didn’t always see it.

“You okay, Red? Something looks different about you.”

“Nope, still just Willow. Hey,” she directed at Buffy, hoping to change the subject quickly, “have Giles and the council got anything on the Senior Partners?”

“Nope. Other than the fact that they can’t manifest on this plane, which Angel already told us, there’s almost nothing written about them – not surprising, given that they predate the written word. Fortunately, I don’t think they’ll be able to have any impact on this fight – so we just have the armies of hell to take care of, and we’re home free.”

“Yeah, about that – does anybody know exactly what the armies of hell has in the way of soldiers? Are we facing like a hundred, or a thousand, or a million? Thanks,” she said as she accepted a cookie from Faith. “Mmm…still warm. Chocolatey goodness…anyway, about the armies?”

“Well, according to Giles these armies have made a prior appearance on Earth, during the battle to drive the last pure demon from this dimension. The descriptions are a little spotty, but it sounds like roughly a thousand, maybe two. I would have thought more, but they apparently only send the best of the best – they very nearly caused humanity to lose the battle against the demons, but the portals that sucked the demons out of this reality sucked in enough of them to turn the tide. We can bet they’ll be fully stocked this time.” Buffy bit into her cookie and turned to Faith. “Why didn’t you ever tell me you could cook?”

“’Cause then I would have had to.”

Buffy laughed and squished the cookie in Faith’s face like a piece of wedding cake. They both began to laugh, and Buffy kissed her softly. As they both remembered there was still someone else in the room, they cleared their throats and looked at her. Willow smiled at the sight of them, chocolate cookie smeared around both of their mouths. She held up a hand. “Not even here. I’m going to find me a mocha, so you guys do whatever you’ve got planned.” She turned and walked out quickly, hoping neither of them saw the tears fall from her eyes as she wondered whether she would ever share tender moments like that with Tara again. She decided she couldn’t wait until tonight – she was going back to Tara’s.
[hr]
There was no answer when she knocked. “Tara?” she called. “It’s me. Could I come in?”

A muffled groan was her only reply.

“Tara?”

“Come in, Will,” her bleary voice called. Willow eased open the door, confronted by the sight of Tara curled up in a nearly fetal position, bathed in alternating light and shadow by the holes she’d punched in the walls. Her face was tear-stained, and her blue eyes and blonde hair bore mute witness to how deeply the morning’s events had touched her.

“Are you okay, baby?”

“No, Will. I’m not okay. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be okay. I just…I don’t know what to d-do.”

Not wanting to crowd or threaten her, Willow sat on the edge of Tara’s bed and looked down at her. “What to do about what, Tara?”

“Anything. I c-can’t fight for the P-Powers, Willow. I just can’t. But how can I not, if it m-means our babies lives at stake? I’m so l-lost. And I’m so a-alone.”

“You’re never alone, sweetie. Never. I will always love you, no matter what you decide. But I can’t make up your mind for you – whatever you decide, it has to be you that decides it.”

Tara looked up at her, and the confusion in her eyes broke Willow’s heart. “C-Could you just h-hold me?”

“Of course.” Willow helped her up from the floor and eased her out of her clothes, gently covering her up. She took off her own clothes and crawled in beside her, carefully putting her arms around the body she knew so well. “Good?”

“G-Good. D-Don’t leave me?”

“Never. Sleep, my love.”
[hr]
It was night, again, before Tara awoke. Willow had simply lain and watched her sleep, twitching and moaning occasionally in the grip of dreams she couldn’t imagine. The few times the tremors grew particularly bad, Willow reached out and smoothed the hair back from her forehead, muttering calming words in her ear, which seemed to be enough to ease her mind. When she finally woke, she looked up at Willow with a confused expression.

“Will?”

“Morning – or, well, evening!”

Tara shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “Uh…hold on…sorry, just had some weird dreams. Is Anya still asleep?”

Willow gasped. “Tara…”

Tara’s face fell as the pieces fell into place. “Right – that wasn’t one of the dreams. That one was real. Which means I still have to decide, right?”

“Kinda.”

“How much longer do I have?”

“Six days, including tomorrow.”

“Six days – okay. Do you want to go and see a movie, Will? Something funny?”

“Are you sure? Not that I don’t want to – I just didn’t think you’d really be in the mood.”

“Just because I’m evil now?”

“You’re not evil, Tare. You’re not. You’re just sad – I am too.”

Tara shook her head. “I don’t know what I am. Not anymore. But yeah, let’s go see a movie.”

“Okay…did you want to invite Gunn?”

“No.”

“Where is he, anyway?”

“He’s – enjoying his reward for serving the partners.”

“What’s his reward?”

Tara cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh…that was all he wanted?”

“That, and a great deal of money – and something about a kingdom on earth, but I wasn’t really listening.”

“What was your reward?”

“You heard it from my mom.”

“I did – but I’d like to hear your version of it.”

“You, Willow. You were my reward – a promise you’d be spared from harm in the battle, and that we would have a place of our own.”

“That’s all you asked for?”

“It’s all I wanted. All I ever wanted.” She paused and took a deep breath. “Willow – can you ever forgive me?”

“For what?”

“What I said to you – back at the house. You know I didn’t mean that.”

“I know. I knew as soon as you said it. Don’t give it a second’s thought.”

“I…thank you, Willow. You know that I love you, right?”

“I know.”
[hr]
As the movie began and the lights dimmed, Tara leaned over to rest her head on Willow’s shoulder. Twenty minutes of it went by, with barely a chuckle from the audience – not a terrifically funny movie. Willow was preparing to get up for some popcorn when she felt a warm wetness on her shoulder and looked down to see that Tara’s eyes were closed, silent tears leaking from behind her eyelids and a tiny bit of drool dangling from her lip. She decided not to get up, and spent the rest of the film watching her sleep. When the lights came up, Tara jerked awake.

“Oh! Oh, goddess, Will, I’m sorry. I invite you out and then fall asleep and-“ she reached up to wipe off her lip. “And drool all over you.”

“It was one of the nicest evenings we’ve had for a while. Like the old days – before this all got so complicated.”

“Will, the first time we really met we were running from the Gentlemen. The first day we spent together we were hunting Faith. When have things not been complicated?”

Willow laughed as she reached for her coat. “True enough.”

“I…” Tara stopped in mid-sentence and turned away to grab her own coat.

“What?”

“N-Nothing.”

Willow gently turned her around to look in her eyes. “What were you going to say?”

“I…how did you let it go? This power, this feeling – how did you break the hold it had on you?”

“I had a lot of help. Xander-“ she frowned as Tara looked away. “Okay, I’ve been really good about not asking this, but what happened between you two?”

“It doesn’t…okay, I guess it probably does matter to you. I’ll make you a deal – finish your story, and I’ll tell you over dinner – but I’m warning you, it’s not a great story.”

“Deal. But we better talk and walk – looks like they want to clean the theatre.” They gathered their things and began to move down the theatre isle. “Xander helped – although not nearly as much as he liked to think – but it was mostly the coven Giles brought me to in England. They taught me more about magick than I ever thought possible – interconnectedness, how all living things are bound to each other, and a bunch of other stuff. Somewhere in all their lessons the anger and the darkness started to leave me. But it’s not like it was a quick fix; it took the better part of a year – until I did the slayer empowerment spell, actually – before I felt completely free of it. Why do you ask?”

“No r-reason. Just wondering.”

Willow wasn’t so dense that she’d buy that story, but decided there probably wasn’t any point pushing harder. “So – where do you want to go for supper?”

“I don’t know – how do you feel about Italian?”

Willow pulled up short. Tara’s delivery had been so deadpan that she wasn’t sure until she saw the ghost of a smile that she had been joking – the first traces of any real humor she’d shown since the dark had taken hold. As she laughed, hope began to kindle faintly in heart – that maybe it wasn’t too late.
[hr]
Coming soon - the Xander story (finally)...oh, and that little apocalypse thing. Thanks for reading!

[FineyMcFine]

DIBS!

ETA: Heather, this was a great pair of updates. I can't imagine the broken heart they both must have from losing their 5-month old baby. I think it's so great and interesting that you have Tara grappling with evil. Not only is it INTERESTING and a very original plot point, since so often Tara is portrayed as the goodest gal ever, but I think that another effect will be that she and Willow can finally discuss Willow's experience with evil, and she can understand it.

Poor Tara. She's had a VERY rough time. In Cleveland Willow pulled away from her, then she comes back and breaks her arm and her baby dies and she goes all evil. Girl can't catch a break - except in her arm. I love it that Willow sneaks off each night for a week to be with Tara. Love it. High drama, very starcrossed lovers, good angst.

Loved the Faith/cookies/Buffy scene, and this line made me LOL at work:

“Uh, I mean the goddamn demon cookies are trying to kill us all, and we’d…” she stopped, unable to finish the ridiculous sentence.

Very Sophie's choice of Tara's mom to impregnate Willow with twins. Kind of impossible for Tara. I hope she's on her way back to the path of the light and all. Kind of coercive of Tara's mom, come to think of it.

How does one break a deal with the Powers?

[spells42]

Tarafied
this is coming along nicely. I never thought I'd see Tara 'turning to the dark side', but if anything was going to do it, I guess losing her baby (or Willow) might be the catalyst. I'm happy tho' to see signs that she may be coming to her senses. So sad for them both to lose their little Anya - any chance the PTB might magically bring her back? And I wonder why the PTB had to create her in the first place if she was ultimately going to be a spirit being? Looking forward to finding out.
BTW, twins? You really like to make our girls suffer, don't you? lol.
Anne

[a willow angel]

I love this story! I can really see where Tara's anger is coming from. The Powers seem to continuously make Tara and Willow's life's as hard as possible, so it makes sense Tara would want to go for the simple reward system . It's also interesting to see her in the same situation as Willow, in regards to her attatchement to darkness. But I love the fact that even though Tara's gone to dark side Willow still loves her and needs her, going to visit her every night. I also thought the movie scene was adorable.

[Tarafied4Life]

Just a quick reply to you wonderful kittens who've left feedback:

SallyMcFine - I'm really happy that you liked Tara's turn to darkness - I was kind of nervous about it, to be honest, but it's really where this story wanted to go. I think that's really the whole point of her experience - what is evil? how do you define it? Can you be 'evil' but be a good person at heart (which is how I see Tara here)? And as you say, I think she and Willow are going to have some interesting conversations - starting with the Xander conversation, which I've been waiting to put in since I started these stories.

Tara has had a rough time, but there's some sun behind the clouds - I promise. I thought it was important to establish how much W/T mean to each other, and what better way than to have Willow visit her in secret, even with the apocalypse coming? I'm happy it came off well.

Ah, the cookies scene - that was one of the first Faith/Buffy scenes I wrote, actually, it's just been waiting for its moment. And the demon cookies line just cried out to me - glad it was chuckle-worthy. What Tara's mom did was kind of coercive, no doubt, but I think it was the only argument that might have broken through Tara's shell. As far as your last question, that's the big one, isn't it? I don't think you can agree to lead the armies of the Partners and then just change your mind - not without consequences. Stay Tuned!

spells42 - Tara's turn to the dark side was almost inevitable, i think, given everything she'd gone through to that point. The loss of her child to forces utterly beyond her control was the final straw, and the darkness was simply waiting for her. But the question is, is she evil? Or is she just hopeless - and now that there's hope, will she grab onto it?

As far as Anya, the twins, and the PTB, all I can say is hang in there - and remember that when dealing with higher powers, nothing is at it seems to be.

Make them suffer? Nope, just keep them busy.

a willow angel - Thanks for reading! And I agree with you in that Tara's dark turn has far more to do with the Powers' treatment of her and Willow than being evil in the strictest sense. I'm glad you liked the movie scene, as well - it was kind of a nice light in the darkness, and as you put it a sign that Willow still needs Tara, and vice versa, despite whatever else is going on. Hope the story continues to be a good read for you!

[Tarafied4Life]

Chapter 6 - It Hurts
Rating: R for language and themes
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Author's Note: If I haven't completely driven away the Xander fans, any of them remaining might want to close their eyes for this one...


They finally settled on a small hole-in-the-wall that they’d discovered during Tara’s pregnancy when she was craving fish. Known by very few of Rome’s citizens, the place had the best fresh fish either of them had ever tasted, and the staff knew all of their customers by name.

“Ms. Willow! Ms. Tara! Welcome back – we were wondering if you’d moved away!”

Willow smiled. “No, Fernando, we’ve just been busy.”

“I understand, I understand – your usual table?”

“If it’s free.”

“For you two – it’s always free!” He led them to a small table for two in a dark corner beside an aquarium full of tropical fish, and pulled both their chairs out for them before leaving them with menus and departing.

“Okay, Tara – spill. What’s the Xander story?”

Tara sighed, and a disconcerting flash of black went through her hair. “Fine…but you’ve got to let me tell this my way. I don’t like telling it, and I’m only going to do it once.”

Willow nodded, leaning forward. She was intensely curious to discover the cause of the friction between her wife and her old friend.

“Now, before I get started, let me remind you that Rome Xander wasn’t the same person as Cleveland Xander. It just shook me up to see him.” She looked at the table for a second, and seemed to be lost in thought. Willow waited.

“He tried to rape me, Willow.”

Willow stared, stunned silent by the revelation. Tara looked up at her and took in her expression. “I’m sorry, Will – I knew I shouldn’t have told you. I don’t want to make you think less of the Xander you knew.”

“No, it’s just…when?”

“Let’s see…do you remember when Anya killed those frat boys? Did that happen here?” Willow nodded. “Okay, it would have been the night after D’Hoffryn made her human.”

“Um…wow. Okay…you don’t have to tell me any more if you don’t want to, but…”

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Tara spoke slowly, trying to keep the stutter from her voice. “You had gone out with Buffy – I don’t remember where, or why, and Dawn was at a friend’s house. Xander and I were in the living room watching T.V. I was having a glass of wine, and he’d been drinking pretty heavily since the night before. I don’t know what provoked it or brought it on, but…” she hesitated as her left eye turned from blue to black and then blue again, the memories stirring powerful emotions in her. “He was rambling and incoherent mostly, but I remember him saying something about how everyone had a girl but him – and then something about how I looked tense, and asking if he could rub my back for me. I had a bad feeling about it, and I should have known better, but I knew he was upset and I thought maybe he was just trying to be nice, so I said okay.”

“He stumbled over and started massaging my shoulders, which was actually really nice, and then his hands started to wander south. He grabbed my breast, so I slapped his hand and told him to get away from me. He made some crack about how I had just never met the right man, and tried again. I was going to cast something – just to put him to sleep or stop him somehow – but he put his hand over my mouth and pushed me off the couch onto the floor. He tried to pull my skirt off, but I managed to knee him – you can guess where. He let go of me for a second, and I froze him with a quick spell. Then I went upstairs and locked myself in our room until Buffy came home. Once I explained to her what happened, she threw him out of the house and told him not to come back. It wasn’t long before we fought the First, though, and she brought him back for that. I never saw him then, fortunately. When we went to Cleveland, he didn’t come with us. I never did hear where he went.” She sighed again. “And that’s the Xander story.”

Willow sat back, trying to take it all in. “I…I don’t even know where to start, Tara. I’m so sorry…it’s my fault.”

“Your fault. How exactly is that?”

“If I hasn’t left you alone with him-“

“Then it might have been Dawn, or someone less able to defend themselves. It was nobody’s fault but his, Willow. He was drunk and stupid, and it was his fault. But I hope you understand now why I reacted like I did when he walked in, and why I just couldn’t shed tears for him – even though it wasn’t really him.”

“I do.” Willow reached out and took her hand. “I do. It’s…goddess, I wish I knew what I could say.”

“Promise me, Will.”

“What?”

“That you won’t let it color your memories – he was your friend, and I don’t want to spoil the friendship you remember.”

“I promise. It’s just…hard to think of Xander ever doing something like that. But we don’t have to talk about this any more.”

“Thank you.”

With his usual impeccable timing, Fernando returned with two meals, a glass of dark red wine for Tara, and a glass of ice water for Willow. She smiled at him. “We haven’t ordered yet!”

“Ms. Willow, we have this discussion every time you girls come in. Fernando knows what you need. Enjoy!”

Tara dug into her meal with gusto, and Willow watched in awe.

“What?” Tara asked, a grain of rice stuck to her lip. Willow reached over and pushed it into her mouth.

“I haven’t seen you eat like that since you were carrying…uh, forget I said that. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. And I’m just hungry. I think this is the first meal I’ve eaten since – well, since last week.”

“You haven’t eaten anything?”

“Not really. I haven’t slept either, other than when you came over this afternoon and again in the theater.”

“Tara…”

“I know it’s not g-good for me. But ever since I touched – whatever it is I touch that makes my hair turn black, it’s like I’m on a constant caffeine high. My heart races all the time, and the whole world just seems to be slowing down around me.” She took a sip of her wine as Willow looked thoughtfully at her.

“I know. I remember it.”

“What was it like for you? I mean…you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, but I would like to hear the story – the w-whole story.”

“Oh…okay. If you really want to hear it, then I’ll make you a deal. Finish that plate, and I’ll get-“ she laughed as Fernando dropped off another plate for Tara. “Eat that, and I’ll talk.”

“Deal,” Tara mumbled through her food. Suddenly she grabbed her stomach and groaned loudly. “Oh…”

“What’s wrong?”

“My insides – god, Will, it feels like they’re b-burning.”

Willow turned to call for Fernando, and jumped when she noticed the man who’d pulled a chair up to their table. “Who are you?”

Tara looked at him and knew instantly. “What are you doing here?”

“Just sent to give you a friendly reminder,” he pointed at Tara’s stomach, and pain exploded through her – a thousand times worse than what she’d been feeling. She tried to scream, but found she couldn’t draw enough breath and produced only a gasp. Willow swung at him without thinking, but her hand passed right through him. He lowered his arm, and Tara frantically gasped for air as tears streamed from her eyes. “We’ve had reports from some of the lower beings in our employ that you’ve been…consorting with Ms. Rosenberg, and the Partners are a little bit concerned. You see, this is what’s known in polite circles as sleeping with the enemy, Ms. Maclay-“

“That’s Rosenberg-Maclay,” Tara insisted, still out of breath.

“Fine, whatever you like. Anyway, as I was saying, this practice might not be the best idea for you.”

“I haven’t told her anything. I haven’t done anything to violate our agreement in any way.”

“Well, that’s great!” he said with false enthusiasm. “But the Partners wanted me to convey some friendly advice – don’t back out on us. Don’t even think about it, don’t even consider it. If you try anything funny when the battle comes, your reward will be your price.” He pointed to Willow. “She’ll die – and you’ll watch. So I’d be careful about how close I let myself get, were I you.” Flicking a long index finger in Tara’s direction, he disappeared. She grabbed her head as a silver bolt of pain flashed through it, falling to the floor as her chair tipped backwards. Willow was there in a heartbeat, helping her carefully into a sitting position.

“Tara – are you okay?”

“I’m okay.”

“Who was that?” Willow righted the chair and helped her back into it.

“A phantom, pretty much. One of the ways the Partners can make their will known on this plane. Normally they can’t interact with anything, but the deal I made means I’m bound to them – so he can find me, and he can hurt me. He couldn’t have hurt you, though, so I knew it would be all right.”

“What he said – about me, I mean – “

“They’d try their best to keep that promise, believe me. If I fight for the Powers.”

“I’m so sorry – that they’ve made me a part of this.”

“Not your fault. I knew there’d b-be consequences. And since last night I’ve kind of planned on losing you, one way or the other.” Realizing how her words had sounded, she hastened to amend them. “N-Not that you’d die, I mean. But I know…no matter how this turns out; I don’t expect you to stay with me. Even if the Powers win and our babies are safe, and I somehow manage to keep the Partners from taking you from me, how could you trust me around our children? Around you? You couldn’t, and I would never ask you to.”

“Why couldn’t I trust you, Tara?”

“Because I’m evil.”

“You’re NOT evil!” Willow snapped, before quickly calming herself. “I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to yell at you. But you can’t believe that – I won’t let you. You’re still Tara, and you’re still the sweet, innocent girl I met at Wicca group. The darkness you’ve touched doesn’t mean you’re a different person.”

“But I am different! Would the girl you met at Wicca group be fighting for the wrong side of the apocalypse?”

“If she’d gone through what you’ve gone through, then I’d have to say yes.”

“Liar.”

“Look…Tara, did you ever think I’d hurt Anya?”

“What? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Answer the question.”

“Of course not!”

“Did you think I’d hurt you?”

“No.”

“But I was dark once – I flayed a man alive. I tried to end the world. Why wasn’t I a threat to you and our daughter?”

“Because you’re you! You’re Willow! No m-matter what you’ve done, I knew you loved me – and you loved Anya. You couldn’t hurt us. You’re not dark anymore.”

“Then why are you any different?”

“Because I can’t let go, Will! No matter what I do now, I’m d-damned forever, don’t you understand that? If I fight for the Partners and win, then I’ve killed my own flesh and blood – and if I fight for the Powers, I’ll kill you; indirectly, but I’ll still kill you! I’m trapped in the dark forever now, and there’s no way out!” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I guess maybe there’s one.”

“What are you…wait a second. You had better not even be suggesting what I think you’re suggesting – not even contemplating it.”

“It would solve the problem, Willow. And I can still spend five more nights with you before…”

“NO! How could you even think…how could you say that to me? Do you think I could just stand by and let you do that? Say goodbye to you again?”

The emotional control Tara was trying so hard to hold onto began to break down, eyes and hair flashing. “Because there’s no other way! I’ve tried this last week, in the wonderful time I’ve spent with you, to wash this darkness out of my soul – to be the person you think I am – but I can’t and I’m not!”

“Tara, it doesn’t work like that. You can’t just decide not to be dark and have it be so. It takes time, and effort, and help. And I don’t think you can help yourself until this apocalypse is over. With this hanging over you, you’ll never be able to free yourself. But taking this way out isn’t going to make you a better person, or cleanse the dark. It just means you’ll be dark forever.”

“But if I don’t do this now - I’ll be damned.”

“I don’t believe that. There’s always another way, we just have to find it.”

Tara fought down the black in her hair, taking Willow’s hand. “Then we’d b-better find it soon.”

“We will – just stay with me, okay? Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

“I p-promise. You’re the only one, Willow – the only one who can save me.”

“I can, and I will. Just believe in that – and believe in yourself like I believe in you.”
[hr]
The doorbell’s ringing startled Buffy out of her thoughts. She looked across the table at Faith. “Were we expecting someone?”

“Don’t think so, B. Will’s not coming back till tomorrow, right?”

“As far as I know.” She got up, and Faith followed her to the door. They both smiled when they saw who waited for them.

“Giles?”

“Hello, Buffy. Hello, Faith.”

“What are you doing here, G? The Council come up with some new skinny on what we’re up against?”

“No. For all the research material available to us, we’ve discovered nothing new.”

“Then what are you doing here, Giles?”

“I’m here to fight. I’m sworn to protect this world, Buffy – I may have mentioned that once before – and even if I can’t do much, I have to try.”

Buffy smiled with a hint of sadness as she embraced him. “We’re always glad to have you beside us. Except maybe Faith.”

Faith grinned. “Hey, if he wants to be cannon fodder…”

“I resent that. I’m more martyr than cannon fodder.”

“Come on in, Giles. Willow and Tara’s room is free if you want to crash there till the apocalypse. Angel and his gang are out doing some strategizing, but you can go over the plans with them when they get back if you want.”

“Very good. What are you two up to?”

“Not much, really. Having a late supper and talking about everything I missed for the last fifteen months.”

“Yes, it’s been kind of a busy time – at least so I gathered from England.”

“It’s nuts! I go to sleep for a little bit, and when I wake up Spike’s human, Willow and Tara are married with a child – which they’ve lost – and Dawn’s at school in Germany! You’d think people could have waited till I woke up before they changed everything on me.”

“Has Dawn been back to see you?”

“No – I’ve talked to her on the phone, but she can’t leave school until her next break. It’s okay, though – I’m proud of her. She’s a little brighter than her sister.”

“Not at all. She just didn’t have to deal with being the Slayer as well as school.”

“If you say so. How’s things in England?”

“English.”

“Did you just make a joke, G? Damn, I never thought I’d see the day.”

They headed for the kitchen, and Giles lay a hand on Buffy’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you again, Buffy.”

“You too, Giles. It’s nice to know we’ll be facing this apocalypse together – seems only right, somehow, after all the other ones we’ve seen.”

“Too right. How’s…how are Willow and Tara?”

“You heard about Tara?”

“Yes. The coven – the same coven that sensed Willow’s turn – sensed the moment when Tara changed.”

“Did they load you up with magic again?”

“No. They insist there’s something different about Tara – that she’s fighting the darkness, and that there’s still hope she’ll fight with us rather than against us.”

“But they don’t know for sure?”

“They told me the decision’s yet to be made. And that Willow will play a crucial role in making the decision.”

“I don’t think Will’s seen her since she turned. Tara parted with some pretty harsh words, and Willow’s been spending most of her time alone. She drops by once a day for the strategy meetings, but other than that we never see her.”

Giles nodded thoughtfully as they sat down. He thanked Faith as she handed him a plate of food, and then looked back at Buffy. “Sometimes, I wonder how you ended up the longest-lived slayer.”

“Huh?”

“Buffy, do you really think…you only see Willow for an hour out of every day, and she spends all of her time alone, and you don’t think she’s seen Tara in any of that time?”

“Well, no. I mean, Tara’s all evil now.”

“And you don’t think Willow would be trying to help her? Bring her back?”

“I…uh…well, that kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?”

Giles reached for his glasses, meaning to clean them and alleviate some of his frustration, before remembering he still wore his contacts. “I’d say it’s quite likely.”

“So…should we confront her? Tell her we know?”

“No!” Giles and Faith responded together.

“B, if she’s trying to save her, then she’s gotta think it’s a secret – if she thought we knew, she might get desperate and push too hard.”

“Very astute, Faith.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment, G, since I don’t have a damn clue what you said. Anyway, like I was saying, you can’t say anything to her. Just pretend like you’re still buying the act, and don’t ever let on what you know. And just hope Red can do what she needs to before it’s too late.”
[hr]
Willow woke with the sun, when something warm and wet landed on her face. Her eyes snapped open and there was Tara, looking down at her with shining eyes. She wiped her cheek and realized it was a tear that had fallen on her.

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s okay…what’s wrong?”

“Besides the obvious, nothing. Just watching you sleep. I’ve always loved how you look when you sleep.”

“You mean the snoring, drooling and bed head?”

“No, I mean the sweet innocent smile on your face, the way your hair fans out on your p-pillow, and the funny things you say when you talk in your sleep.”

“How often do you watch me?”

“Almost every night since we started sharing a bed. It’s one of the best parts of my day.”

Willow stretched out her arms and pulled Tara close. “How come you never told me that?”

“It wouldn’t have been the same if you knew.”

“I love you, Tara.”

“I l-love you too.”

They shared a brief kiss, and Willow gazed into blue eyes. “So…are you going to make me breakfast?”

“Funny shapes or rounds?”

“Funny shapes, definitely. Hey, how come we came back here last night instead of to your place?”

“I thought my place might be a little d-drafty after I punched it full of holes yesterday. Besides…I kind of missed our bed.”

“Me too. Tara, about last night…”

“No, it’s okay. I’m n-not going to do anything, I promise.”

“Not what I was gonna say, but good. Are you…are you serious about trying to get the dark out of you?”

“Of course I am.”

“Then I think I know where to start. But you have to trust me, and listen to me – this is going to hurt us both a lot. Do you trust me?”

“Yes,” Tara answered without hesitation.

“Then put on some p.j.’s and a warm robe, and wait for me at the kitchen table.”

Tara looked at her for a long moment, trying to discern what she had in mind. Finally she shook her head and followed instructions. Once she’d left, Willow reached under the bed and pulled out a photo album bound in red velvet that she’d hid there the night before. She got dressed and left the bedroom, watching the small smile on Tara’s face dissolve into panic as she saw the album. She stood and started to back away, but Willow motioned her to sit.

“N-No…please, Willow, please baby I can’t…not yet, please don’t make me…”

“I’m sorry, Tara. But we have to.”

She sat down at the table and put one arm around Tara’s shaking shoulders. At the same time, she lay the album down gently, almost reverently, so that the homemade label in Willow’s handwriting looked up at them. Anya Anne Rosenberg-Maclay, it read in plain black ink. Tara’s words of protest had become a jumbled mess of unconnected syllables and finally a low moan as she tried to push the album away. Willow squeezed her shoulder. “It’s okay, love. Just hold onto me, I’m right here. I’m sorry to hurt you like this.”

She flipped to the first page, an 8x10 of Tara holding the newborn in her arms for the first time. Tara’s fingers clutched spasmodically at Willow’s knee as her moan took on a higher pitch. “Let it out, Tare,” Willow said softly as her own eyes filled with unshed tears. “Let it all come out – it’s the only way.” She flipped to the next picture, of the three of them getting into a rented van outside the hospital, a cartoon caption underneath reading “my first car ride,” and Tara could hold it in no more. All the barriers she’d put up since Anya’s death collapsed with the weight of her tears, and she was racked by sobs of such force and intensity that Willow could barely hold onto her. Her hair turned jet black and then began a slow wipe from the ends to the roots that left it blonde. Willow, crying her own tears, kept turning pages and turning Tara’s head to look at them, no matter how much it pained her to do so.

Finally Tara began to gasp. “Will,” she choked out in a half-sob. “I can’t breathe…can’t breathe…” She knew it was time to quit, and pushed the album away to take Tara in her arms.

“It’s okay, love. Slow and easy, slow and easy.”

Tara’s breathing slowly became more regular, much to Willow’s relief. “Do you want to go back to bed?”

Tara nodded as best she could, and Willow helped her to the bedroom and into bed. Without getting undressed again, she wrapped her wife in her arms. Tara sobbed for better than an hour, Willow right along with her. When neither had tears left to cry, they drifted off into a fitful sleep.
[hr]
When Willow woke, the sun was down again. She eased herself up on an elbow to get a better look at Tara. She looked to be sleeping peacefully, except for the furrow in her brow she got sometimes when she was thinking hard. Willow, trying to be gentle enough not to wake her, reached over and smoothed out the lines between her eyes. She was rewarded with a tiny smile as the dreams Tara was lost in apparently took a turn for the better. Willow smiled and got up to cook a big meal, knowing that between the starvation diet she’d been on and the emotional toll of the day, Tara would likely be famished.

As she cooked, she tried to reconcile what she’d done to the woman she loved. She’d known how much the pictures were going to hurt, because they hurt her the same way, but she’d forced Tara to see them anyway. It was for the best, and she knew it, but it didn’t help the guilt in her heart every time she thought of the pain she’d put in Tara’s eyes. Her train of thought derailed suddenly when a panicked voice called from the bedroom.

“Willow? WILLOW?”

“It’s okay; I’m just in the kitchen!”

Rubbing at her puffy eyes, Tara emerged from the bedroom with a sheepish expression. “Sorry…I just got worried that the Partners had done something.”

“Nope, all good! Supper’ll be ready in about twenty minutes.”

Tara put her arms around Willow from behind and kissed her neck. “I could have helped, you know.”

“I know,” Willow smiled. “But I thought you needed the sleep more than the cooking practice. Her expression turned serious. “I’m sorry, my love.”

“For what?”

“For making you look at those pictures.”

“It’s not something to apologize for. I feel…better than I have for a while. Not like it’s left me completely, but just…a little lighter. Like I’m not carrying such a weight, or…I don’t know how t-to say it right, but I feel better. It hurt, just like I know it hurt you too, but in a good way. It was nice to see her again.”

Willow teared up. “It was. I just hope that wherever she is, and whatever she’s destined to do now, that she’s happy…that she knows she was loved.”

“She kn-knows, Will. I know she does.”
[hr]
Spike lounged gracefully on one of the library couches, a cold beer in his hand and a grin on his face. “So, that’s your brilliant bloody plan?”

“Yeah,” said Angel tightly. “You got a better one?”

“Hell, no. I just think it’s funny that you’re supposed to be our strategist and your plan amounts to ‘let’s head out and fight them head-on.’”

“It’s all we can do. The only way we’re going to beat them is head-to-head, playing to our strengths. Besides, it’s not like you’re going to be out there.”

“What?”

“I just assumed – you’re human now, and you might not want to toss your life away.”

Spike sat up straight. “Are you cracked? Of course I’ll be out there.”

“But you could die just as easy as any human, probably more so since it’s been so long since you were one.”

“You don’t sodding well get it, do you? I know what you see when you look at me, Angel. But I’m not William the Bloody anymore – haven’t been for a long time. I’ve died to save this world once already, and I’m not afraid to do it again. You ever pull off whatever this Shanshu thing says you’re supposed to do and become a real boy, you’re going to have to remind yourself what it means to be human – it’s easy to forget when you’re not one.”

“And what does it mean, Spike?”

“That you’re going to die. Without question. Whether you’re a slayer or a beggar, you’ll die just the same. Only a matter of where and when – and like some bloke on T.V. said last night, all I ask is that when it’s my time that it be for something, and not of something.”

“Spike the philosopher.”

“I’m a poet, man, not some dusty philosopher. Angel the moper.”

“Hard to believe we were the scourge of Europe, isn’t it?”

“Truly is. Now, since you’re up, you want to grab me a beer?”
[hr]
Thus endeth the chapter. Hopefully there'll be another in a week, two at most.