"Reaching Forever"
Rated: Oh lets say PG
Disclaimer: For the billionth time, I don't own anything.
Paring: W/T...who else?
Summary: Set in season 6 right after "Seeing Red" You don't need to know much else! HORRAH for angst!
Note: Ok so I was sitting in my room watching Buffy, then I suddenly realized that Ive never written a "What if Tara never died!" story, so here it is. It's short but seeing as how I WROTE IT, it is still masterfull!! I want to thank my number ONE fan and Beta Eirn for reading this! And I also want to thank all the gorgeous kittens in chat (yes, David too!) without most of you...well...I'd still be insane! Feedback is welcome and loved!! Enjoy!
PART ONE
There is a sound of glass breaking, blood is suddenly splattered on her face, her shirt. Willow blinks, looking at Tara, and Tara look at her, eyes deep with concern. "Your shirt." Is all she says before she drops to the floor. Willow's eyes go wide as she get's on her knees next to her fallen beloved.
"Tara!" She yells, such pain, so afraid, mind spinning, as her eyes fill up with tears. She's dead, she's dead, she's dead! Oh god, no. This was all she could think, and nothing more. But no...no...TARA WAS BREATHING!
"Tara!! Tara you're going to be ok!" Willow didn't even know if she could even here her words, but she didn't care, didn't care at all because TARA WAS BREATHING! With that Willow get's up, rushing to the phone that was in their nightstand, she dials 911, yelling into the reciever for an ambulance, she slams the phone down, and returns to Tara's side. She places her hand's on Tara's chest, the bullet was just above her heart....Oh god, if it was just an inch lower.. Willow had to stop that thought, she could feel the anger rise up in her. Who would do this? Who had the audacity to do it? Willow could feel the dark power inside of her rising rapidly, she could feel her eyes start to turn, burning black, glancing down at her hands she see's the magick's like tiny bolts of lighting sparking from her fingertips. NO. She would not let the hate and anger take over, she will not give in to what she had worked to hard to give up. She closes her eyes, concentrating, taking slow, deep breaths. She thinks positive things, Tara was going to be ok, she would make it, and then they could spend the rest of their lives together, happy and in love. She would not let the dark power consumer her. She feels the anger subside as she opens her eyes, her hands were no longer sparking.
"Hold on Tara, please just hold on." Willow says, hearing sirens she get's up, running downstairs, she opens the door.
"She's in here!" She yells as two paramedics rush in, bags in hand.
"Where's the other girl?" One of them asks.
"What other girl, there's no other girl!" Willow practically yells, on the edge of a total break down.
"We got another call from this same address from a young man. He said that a young lady had been shot in the backyard." The paramedic responds. Panic sets in as Willow's eyes go wide.
"Oh god Buffy! She's out there! But please, you have to help Tara! She's upstairs, she's shot!" Willow yells as one paramedic rushes outside and the other rushes upstairs with Willow right behind him.
Buffy and Tara. BUFFY AND TARA. Was all Willow could think. And as she watched the paramedic work on Tara, desperatly stopping the blood flow, she could only just think....Who did this?
PART TWO
(The night before)
It was late. Or was it early? Willow had no idea. She had lost track of time with Tara, she had been blissfully unaware of everything except for her Tara. Tara's hands, Tara's mouth, her EVERYTHING. What was that saying? "Making up feels so good." Or was that from a song? Willow couldn't remember.
They had spent all night making love, and it had been wonderful, perfect bliss. The past few months, all of the hurt, pain, saddness, and lonliness had all just melted away with just one kiss from Tara. With just one touch. Willow smiles, glancing down at her lover with affection and admiration. Tara was sleeping, and Willow thought that she was the most beautifull creature on the planet. She was her goddess. And I almost lost her. She frowned at the thought. Willow had made a silent promise to herself and to Tara, she would never be that selfish again. Never. She vowed this on her life, and on her love for Tara.
She continues to look at her sleeping goddess, still smiling. Willow lifts her hand, brushing away a stray hair that was in Tara's face, tracing her face with her index finger, Willow gently kisses Tara's forehead.
"Mmm...." Tara moans softly, Willow leans back as Tara opens her eyes, smiling at Willow.
"Hey." Willow says.
"Hey there." Tara says, running her hand through Willow's fire red hair.
"Have a nice nap?" Willow asks.
"Very. You tired me out." Tara says with a grin that was oh so vixeny.
"It's what I do. Vixen!" Willow leans in and kisses Tara, ther lips melting together as one. Tara pulls back after a moment, Willow places her head on her chest and Tara sits back, stroking Willow's hair lovingly, both enjoying the silence.
"Tara?" Willow says after a few minutes.
"Yeah baby?" Tara says.
"Do you think we're forever?" Willow asks looking up into Tara's blue eyes.
"Yes." Tara says simply. Willow continues, laying her head back down onto Tara's chest again.
"I can see it, you know. Us. Together. Tara..." She stops, eyebrows furrowing.
"What is it Willow? You have thinking face." Tara says, concern etched on her face.
"I Just...I can't imagine my life with out you. I don't WANT to imagine my life without you. When you were gone, when you left, I felt just so..empty. It felt like I had been split down the middle and half of me was lost. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't think. And the other part of me just hated myself for being so stupid, so selfish. I hated what I was, but then again, I didn't care. I just gave in, gave in to everything. The darkness, the magick, I just let it consume me. It was all that I had left. Tara without you, I am nothing. But with you, I am whole, content, safe, happy, and loved. I love you Tara. You are my life, my light, my hope, you are my everything. I don't ever want to lose you again."
When Willow finished, she was looking into Tara's eyes, and she was crying, and Tara gently wiped them away.
"Shh...baby, it's ok." She says, wrapping her arms around Willow, stroking her hair once more. "It's alright Willow, it's alright. I love you. I'm here. I'll always be with you. Always and forever." Tara whispers.
"Tara...make love to me, please?" It was a plea. Tara kisses Willow, and the kiss was for her. It was for her saddness, for her pain, for her love, it was for everything. And it was for all the love that she had for the girl, every ounce of it she let show in this kiss. And they made love. It was slow and tender, both of them savoring each touch, each carress, each moment. They made love as if it were the last time they would do so, letting each touch linger. And Willow knew, she knew she would be with Tara forever. Forever and always.
PART THREE
Willow sat with Xander in the waiting room of the hostpital replaying last night over and over again in her head. How special it had been, and she thought about Tara, about Buffy, both girls whom she loved deeply, clinging to life. Xander had explained to her what happened, how Warren came at them in the backyard spouting on about payback, he had a gun and shot at Buffy, running off as she shot blindly. Willow wanted to hurt him when Xander told her this, she wanted to find Warren, exact her revenge, flay him alive if she could. She had felt the hate, the dark power rise in her again, but she pushed it away. She would not resort to that, she would not ket her hate get the best of her. Warren would pay, oh yes he would pay horribly. But not now, and not like that. So she and Xander sat in silence, the blood on their shirts of people they loved long since dried, and it made Willow sick to her stomach. They sat there for what seemed like hours until a doctor, Dr. Dalle is what his name was, came up to them, looking very tired and somber. He explained to them both Tara and Buffy's conditions, that Tara's wound was more severe, she had lost more blood, the bullet wound hadn't grazed her heart, but Willow knew that. With the blood loss and the tramua, Tara had slipped into a slight coma, and the longer it was to last, the less chance there was for her to get out of it.
Willow felt numb from head to toe, she felt as if she could not move. Tara...my Tara...
"And Buffy?" Xander asks, no emotion was heard in his voice. Dr. Dalle explained that Buffy's condition was less severe, she would be fine. Willow knew that, Slayer's healing quickly and all. She was thankful, bitterly thankful that Warren was such a suck shot.
"Can I see Tara?" Willow asks.
"Are you family?" Dr. Dalle asks looking at her skeptically.
"She's...she's my everything. Please, can I see her?" Willow's voice was wavering. The doctor nods.
"Only for a few minutes." But Willow was already walking past him, through the doors and down the hallway to Tara's room.
The sight before her eyes almost brought her to her knees in shock. There was her love, her life, laying in the bed, monitors hooked up all around, tubes going every which way, her golden, summer like hair seemed darker, her figure seemed frail, and her face was pale and gaunt. My beautiful Tara...oh goddess..why! Tara's breathing was mellow, that was all, no other movement. Willow walks over to her side, grabbing a chair she sits down, taking Tara's hand in her own, squeezing it gently.
"Tara? Can you hear me?" Willow says, studying Tara's face. But there was nothing, no flickering of the eyelids, no gentle squeeze of Willow's hand to let her know she was ok. There was nothing except for the steady beeping of the monitor's beside Willow.
"Tara please wake up. I need you to wake up for me...you have to wake up. Tara, please...god...Tara..." With That Willow broke down, tears falling swiftly. Willow just sit's there, holding onto Tara's hand, crying. Every emotion that she could ever feel, she felt at that moment. She felt hate, hate for Warren. She felt guilt. Why was I just standing there? Why were WE just standing there? To answer her own question she thought, How could I have known? I didn't. We didn't. Willow knew that if she had known Warren was going to do this, she would have stopped it. She would have been there to stop it. She would. She WOULD!! And her tears just kept flowing as the saddness and pain set in. What if she never wakes up? She couldn't bring herself to think of her life without Tara, she downright REFUSED. She was not going to just sit there as her lover layed comatose, she had to DO something.
"I'll be damned if I'm going to do nothing." She said outloud as she got up, heading out the door and to the hallway.
"WIllow!" It was Xander. "I called the house, Dawn is on her way, I tried calling Anya but I don't think...what's wrong?" He stops, noticing the tears on Willow's face, the hate and anger and black that was in her eyes. There. She felt it again, felt the power.
"I'm not going to sit here and do nothing Xander. Move." She says, Xander heard the dangerous tone in her voice, it almost made him tremble.
"Willow, there's nothing you can do right now. Buffy's going to be ok, she's a Slayer." He says, almost feeling stupid for stating the obvious.
"Warren. I have to find him. And when I do, I'm going to kill him for what he did to Tara. MOVE." She says again, eye's flashing.
"Willow, NO." Xander says forcefully. "That's not the way and you know that. Warren deserves what he get's. And that's jail. I'm sure there's some Big Bob there for him to teach him a very vaulable lesson. But we don't kill people, you know this."
"He could have killed Tara! And Buffy!" Willow says defensively.
"And he didn't. Buffy is going to be fine. So is Tara, we both know that, deep down we know it and you have to beileve in it Willow. You've been down the road of comatose too, remember?" And Willow did.
"I do." With that Willow stop's, breathing deeply.
"Then you know that she's going to be ok. She's strong, just like you." Xander says. WIllow nods.
"Like an amazon." She whispers. Xander walks into her, hugging her tightly, and Willow embraces him, letting the hug linger as she closes her eyes for a moment.
"Come on. We need to meet Dawn in the waiting room." Xander says as they break apart.
Time. All we have is time.
PART FOUR
They were all tired, and it was past visiting hours. Xander, Dawn, and Willow had each seen Buffy. She had been very out of it, but that was due in part of the morphine. Willow told her about Tara and Buffy had been very angry, more angry then Willow herself maybe. She wanted to find Warren right then and there, and NOW, but couldn't, and that just made her more angry. She had to stay overnight, and wasn't able to explain to the doctor's about her accelerated healing powers, knowing they would think she was insane. So Buffy grudgingly had to stay, stay and rest. Willow knew by morning she would be fine and able to leave, and then the Warren hunt would begin.
"Willow I promise you that I am going to find Warren, he will pay for what he did. He WILL get what he deserves."
Willow wasn't about to tell Buffy that Warren had probably skipped town, she seemed so determined in her anger. So she left Buffy to rest, assuring her for probably the millionth time that she was ok. But she wasn't, and Buffy needn't worry. Willow joined the others back in the waiting room, Anya had surprised them all by showing up, maybe if not reluctantly, but Willow knew that she cared enough for both Buffy and Tara to come, she wasn't THAT humanless, even if she was a vengence demon again.
"You guy's should head home. Xander, take Dawn to your place, I'm going to stay with Tara." Willow says.
"Will, visiting hours are over. And I don't think..." Xander starts, but Willow stops him.
"I don't care about the rules. I'm staying. Tara is all I have. No one's going to tell me otherwise." She says, and walks off. She wasn't going to leave Tara all alone. What if she wakes up? She couldn't have Tara waking up to nothing but darkness. She wouldn't.
The light was dim as Willow entered Tara's room. It was so dim it made Tara look dead, Willow shuddered at the thought. She sits down again, taking Tara's hand and kissing it gently. It wasn't fair.To have the love of her life, the woman she was going to spend the rest of her life with, just lay there. She did not wish this situation upon anyone, hell, not even Spike of all people.
"Moments." She says aloud. "All I had were moments. Just moments. Tara...when you looked at me, and I was wonderful. Knowing you loved me, in your eyes I was everything, everything you ever wanted. I should.......I should have appreciated it more. The moments. Even the small ones, like holding hands while walking down Main Street. The soft touches, the pleasant kisses we shared, all of it. Tara...you HAVE to get out of this. We need you. Most of all, I NEED you. I can't live without you by my side. Baby...please. Please. I love you. God please Tara, wake up. I need you. I need you so much." Willow is crying now, the tears pouring down her cheeks as she buries her head in her hands, sobbing.
"Willow?" The sound of her name being spoken almost made her fall out of her chair. Willow looks up to see Tara looking at her with concern.
"Tara! You're...oh goddess..." Was all Willow could say. Eyes shinning with fresh tears, she kisses Tara all over as Tara wraps an arm around Willow.
"I thought you weren't going to wake up. God Tara...I thought I lost you again." Willow was sobbing into Tara's shoulder.
"You could never lose me Willow. I'm here. I'm here." Tara says, over and over again. Willow kisses her passionatly. I'm never losing her again. I swear this on my life I will not lose her.
"I love you Tara." Willow says as they break apart.
"I love you too, Willow." Tara says, running her index finger along Willow's jawline lovingly.
"Always?" Willow asks, looking at Tara, who smiles.
"Always and forever.
THE END (and when I say the end I mean the end!!!)
Nice. Love the way you gave the story edge by making everyone think Willow was going after Warren. Great Story. 
This is the way things should have been.
