Sorry that it took a while for me to get this update done. I got smacked with a case of writer's block for a while. Happy to say that I was finally able to get this chapter the way I wanted it. I hope that it will be ok after how long it's been.
• Title - The True Nature of Soul Mates
• Author name – sapphoselene
• Email Address -
sapphoselene@yahoo.com
• Rating - Will start as PG-13 but may need higher rating as story progresses.
• Disclaimer - All BtVS characters belong to their developers (like Joss Whedon and Fox, etc.), I just want to play with them for a little bit. I promise to give them back right away. This will be a W/T story (it might be a little different than you are used to though). This story takes place after Chosen... it is an AU story... There will be angst (how much remains to be seen), it will deal with prolonged abuse (and it's aftermath).
• Feedback- Most welcome... please, anything that would help me to improve my writing skills is needed and accepted with open arms.
• Summary- Willow’s and Tara's souls fight to reunite. Nothing will be a barrier to them, not even death.
• Notes- Much love and thanks for encouragement goes to Mandy, KiWi, Zephyrine, Young, Alex, misanthropic, NeverChosen, and the rest of my many new friends in Kitten Chat. They helped to give me the courage to actually try and post my first story.
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chapter 5
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Feeling Willow’s comforting touch on her shoulders Tara begins to relax. When she hears what Dawn says, and watches the girl fall apart in Buffy’s arms, Tara tentatively steps forward. Feeling drawn to the young woman’s grief she reaches a shaking hand out, and touches the brunette’s back. When Dawn turns Tara fights to stay as relaxed as she can. Shocking everyone Tara asks “Is your name Dawn Maclay?”
“Not really, it’s Dawn Summers. Buffy?” She glances back at her sister for a spit second. “Tara? ... Are you ok? ... Don’t you remember us?”
~~~~~~~~~~~
Feeling the blood drain from her face Tara slowly sits in the nearest chair. Her eyes staying locked with Dawn’s. “How c-can this be? You look and s-sound exactly like my c-cousin Dawn Maclay. You aren’t m-m-my cousin?”
Buffy kept her arms around her confused and upset sister. “Tara, this is my sister Dawn. She has never been a Maclay. You have a cousin that looks like her?”
Tara wrapped her arms around her middle in an unconscious effort to protect herself. “She is l-like my c-cousin in almost every w-way.”
Willow took a seat by Tara and gently pulled her into a hug. “Tara, how is Dawnie different from your cousin?” Willow knew somehow that this could be important in figuring out what had happened.
Tara’s voice shook when she replied to the quiet question. “She hasn’t been m-mean or hurt me. She has k-kindness in h-her eyes. I could feel her p-pain and sadness w-when she talked about her m-mom. You all act s-so s-strange. I can f-feel a s-sadness in each of you w-when you l-look at me or t-touch me. Is there s-something w-wrong with me? Did I d-do something wrong, and you j-j-just don’t want to tell me?”
Giles looked with compassion on the battered soul that had come to them. “My dear girl, there is nothing wrong with you, and you have done nothing wrong. I suggest that we finish our meal first, and then we can continue this conversation in the library.”
Xander took Dawn to get some food, and then they joined the others. Once everyone was full they went their separate ways. Giles led Faith, Tara, and Willow to the library. Once in the library they gathered around a table. Giles gazed at the faces of the girls. “I believe the first order of business is to attempt to figure out what happened during your hug while Tara was singing.”
Willow turned to Tara. “I think I have an idea, but I need to ask something to see if I am right. Tara, when you went to Faith and hugged her what were you thinking and feeling?”
“I s-saw the pain in her eyes, and I w-wanted to help her. I wanted to take her p-pain away. I wanted her to f-feel safe and l-loved. I know the p-p-pain I saw. I have f-felt it for so l-long that it seems to be a p-part of me. I can’t b-bear to see anyone in that m-m-much pain. It hurts me.” Tara lowered her gaze to the table, and whispered the last three words.
“Tara, how does it hurt you? Do you feel bad for them, or do you actually feel the pain they do?”
Looking up at the kind red haired woman next to her Tara replied. “I c-c-can feel the p-pain they feel as if it w-was my own.”
Faith focused intently on Tara’s face. “T. are you telling me you took pain from me and gave it to yourself?” Faith felt her heart start to break. The last thing she wanted was to cause this kind woman any more pain.
Tara looked over at Faith. “N-no I d-don’t think so. While I w-was singing I f-felt pain flowing through m-me, but I also felt w-w-warmth toward the end of the song. It s-seemed to be flowing the opposite d-direction from the pain. The pain d-didn’t stay in m-me though. I don’t know where it w-w-went.” Looking to Giles she continued. “Did I d-d-do something d-dangerous or wrong?”
Willow reached out an captured Tara’s hand in both of hers. “Tara, I don’t believe what you did was dangerous or wrong in any way. From what you described it looks like you acted as a conduit to take some of Faith’s pain from her. I believe the warmth that you felt flowing opposite of the pain was healing love. I learned about some of this when I was with the coven in England Giles. I believe that Tara has the gift of being a healing empath. Faith what did it feel like for you?”
“It didn’t feel like anything at first, Red. I mean it was just like a regular hug. When you started hugging us both it felt like I had ice cold water kinda pouring out of me, and then I was flooded with heat. The heat was like when you stand by a bonfire after taking a swim in a cold lake. I have never felt like this in my life. Whatever it was that happened I know that it’s all good. I ain’t never been at peace with myself before. Don’t worry I still remember all the bad stuff I did. It’s just now I don’t feel buried by it. Ya know what I mean?”
Willow let the guilt and shame she felt show in her eyes when she looked at Faith. “Yes. I do know what you mean Faith.” The two women shared a look of understanding and acceptance. “Giles, I believe that Tara was able to access the magick we have bound when I was in contact with her. Did the same thing happen when you were bound to that other person?”
“No. She shouldn’t be able to access her magick in any way. ... Unless ... Tara, you said that our Dawn was almost exactly like your cousin Dawn, correct?”
“Yes s-sir.”
“Did you see anyone else here at any time before your arrival today?”
“No s-sir”
“I have noticed that you are often surprised by our behavior. I am quite curious as to why that is. Would you be willing to explain it for me?” Giles turned gentle eyes towards her.
“I can t-try Mr. Giles. I guess it’s m-mostly because you are all s-so nice. I can s-see kindness, and g-g-gentleness in each of you. The only p-person I have ever seen like that b-b-before was my mom. Everyone else was either indifferent or just m-m-mean and c-cruel. Mom was able to g-get me away from our f-family for almost two years. I went to c-college in a small town in California n-n-named Sunnydale. Near the end of my s-second year my father, brother, and c-c-cousin Dawn f-found me. They t-t-t-told m-me momma h-had d-d-died, and that was h-how they f-found me. Cousin Dawn s-s-said that if I didn’t go b-b-back w-w-with them they w-w-w-would t-take me back, and I w-w-would get daily b-b-beatings for d-d-defying them. I p-packed up what they l-l-let me, and l-left with them.” By the time she finished speaking Tara was shaking, and in tears.”
“Tara, dear girl, this may seem like a strange question. I want to know what you see when you look at a person. Look at Willow for a moment if you would. Now, besides her physical form, what are you able to see?”
“N-nothing anymore Mr. Giles. I am s-s-sorry if I h-have d-disappointed you.”
“Not at all my dear. You could never disappoint me.” Giles looked at the fragile girl thoughtfully for a moment. “My dear, I would like you to try again. This time however I would like you to hold Willow’s hand while you try.”
“Yes s-sir, Mr. Giles.” Tentatively she reached out a trembling hand, and gently eased it into Willow’s. She slowly raised her eyes to the redhead. Unconsciously she started to rub small circles with her thumb on the back of Willow’s hand. After a few moments her eyes widened, and she gasped. “Mr. Giles I c-can see colored l-light all around her. There are so m-many colors. I can s-see gold, silver, b-bright blue, orange-yellow, emerald g-green, and flashes of the c-c-clearest red I have ever s-seen.” Turning her head to Giles she continued. “When I f-first woke up t-today I was able to s-see a faint glow around every p-person. I was afraid b-because the only p-person I have ever s-seen a glow around b-before was my momma.”
Giles got an intense, concentrated look on his face. He sat forward in his chair. He pulled a cloth from his pocket, removed his glasses, and began cleaning the lenses. After a few minutes of silence the three women saw his eyes begin to flash with anger. He took several deep breaths before speaking again. “Tara, this is very important. I need you to search through your memories. With the exception of your mother, did you at any time see this ‘glow’ around any other person. ... Anyone, friend, family, stranger on the street. Even if it was just a flash for a moment.”
Tara had tightened her grip on Willow’s hand when she saw Giles beginning to get angry. She was fighting to keep her head up, and not drop back down behind a curtain of hair to hide. She shivered as the rage grew stronger in the man sitting across from her. She closed her eyes, and thought back over her life. Her need to obey instructions so deeply ingrained in her she was unable to even question his request. After several minutes she opened her eyes. Looking back at him she spoke with a trembling, soft voice. “N-no s-s-sir. Until this m-morning when I w-woke up the only p-person that I had ever seen a g-glow around was m-m-my mother. Everyone I have s-s-seen here did have a glow around them. Until you... uhm... d-d-did that thing where y-you ... uhm ... bound my m-m-m-magick to Willow. Then everything w-w-went b-back to normal.”
“BLOODY HELL!!! He can’t have been that stupid and selfish. The bleeding idiot!!” Rage exploded out of him, and Giles surged up out of his chair. He rushed to a locked bookcase. Fumbling in a pocket for the keys before he opened it, and retrieved a few books that he brought back to the table. After a few minutes of furious searching he found what he was looking for. “Oh dear lord.”
Tara had grown more agitated as Giles got angrier. Only Willow’s grip on her hand was able to calm her, and give her strength to sit in the face of such rage. Willow felt the fear growing in Tara, and tried to help her feel safe. Willow had rarely seen Giles this angry. She shifted her chair closer to Tara, and slipped her other arm around the frightened woman to show her support and protection. The three women jumped when Giles slammed his fists down on the table, rage clearly flowing from him in waves. Willow felt Tara jerk as the intense emotions from Giles started to bombard her.
“Giles, you need to calm down. You are hurting Tara. Please tell us what happened. Why are you so angry?” Willow reached out and placed a hand on Giles’ clenched fist.
With a great show of effort Giles reined in his emotions. Once he felt under control again he turned to the women. “Tara dear, I am very sorry to have frightened or hurt you. Please forgive my outburst.”
“Of c-course Mr. Giles.” Tara was becoming more accustomed to the habit of the people she was surrounded with now apologizing for some of their behavior around her. She raised her eyes, and gave him a small smile.
“Hey G-man. What is it that got you so wound up?”
“Faith, if you would be so kind as to summon Buffy, Dawn, and Xander. I feel all of you should know this.”
“Sure thing G-man.” Faith tore out of the library at a dead run.
Within minutes Faith was back dragging Dawn and Xander by the hands with Buffy right on her heels. Tara had leaned into the strong, comforting embrace that Willow offered. She had rested her head on the smaller girls shoulder, and was beginning to feel the strangest feeling of peace and love flowing into her from the redhead. She closed her eyes. It was the first time since her mom was taken from her that she felt safe. The new arrivals grabbed chairs and surrounded the table.
“So Giles, what’s the what? Some new big, bad, evil, doom?” Buffy asked while watching Giles fight with Ripper for control of himself.
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On the other side of the planet, in a dark room lit only by torches along the walls a man sat waiting impatiently for his servant to arrive. Hearing a firm knock on the door of the chamber he motions with a hand, and the door opens on it’s own. A tall well muscled man walks confidently into the room. “You sent for me my Master?”
“Yes, it is time for us to set my plan into motion. I felt a ripple in the flow of my energy. She has returned to this level of reality. Send out scouts to find her. Start them from Sunnydale, and have the work outwards until they find her. Once she is found they are to report their findings here. Make absolutely sure that they know to observe only. They are not to be discovered or come into contact with her. If she is with others I want to know who they are, and everything about them. Any failures on their part I will blame you for, so make certain nothing goes wrong.”
“Yes my Master.” The young man rushes from the room completely focused on carrying out his Masters orders quickly.
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