In The End (new fic)

[Lifty]

Ok people! I just started this story randomly, and am hoping the you like it! To be honest, i think i have started off pretty dark and gloomy, too dark and gloomy? I suggest you play some dark and gloomy music whilst reading, just to give it that added effect

Title: In The End
Author: Lifty
Feedback: Sure! would be helpful
Rating: PG-13 - M for the first few chapters.
Setting: This story alternates between two dimension of Sunnydale. It is set in Season 4, their first year of college.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Buffy characters, they belong to Joss Whedon (the genius). Not sure what else to say, just that if I do use any events from the television series, I am not making them my own.
Summary: The Scooby Gang have just started their first year of college, except for Xander of course who has a lot of trouble finding a job. All seems normal for the three friends, but a new power is stirring, and when a victim of captivity from another dimension appears, bloodied and on the verge of death, seeking the help of Willow, all hell will break loose in Sunnydale.
Note: You might be a bit worried when reading the first chapter, but this story does definitely focus on Willow and Tara, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is my first fic, so tell me if it’s awful!

Thought is italics


Chapter One: Lost and Found

Buffy was, to put it simply, quite definitely lost.

Joyce, with the highest intentions of doing the motherly duty, had left her newly independent daughter on the steps of UC Sunnydale, a swift kiss to the cheek, no mention of the lack of sufficient covering of the skin, the typical “have fun sweetie” speech, with the utmost belief her daughter was capable of not getting lost.

But Buffy was lost.

It was struggle, it really was, to get her brain to coordinate with the rest of her body. Everything else works fine. She looked down at her feet. Where’s my trail of bread crumbs?

She hadn’t tried to walk any further than the first step.

Loud voices and laughter invaded her thoughts. Arms were shoving her, bags hitting her, the occasional offer of help, only to be rejected by a very confused and very intimidated Buffy who continued to wordlessly stare at her feet.

Disappointed, she lifted her head to witness yet again, the big, square buildings that at the time being seemed to be taunting her. Preferring the view of the ground she sighed and sat down on the steps, watching a small blade of grass shiver in the breeze.

I’m hungry.

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“You know that’s illegal don’t you Buff?”

Xander stood grinning at his friend, Willow stood beside him clutching an armful of books, about the size of a small person. The students milled around them, many swerving to avoid the perilously stacked novels, which were starting to sway as Willow poked her head from behind them to smile at Buffy.

“I’m waiting for my blue wren.”

“Huh?” Xander glanced at Willow, who glanced at Buffy.

Buffy kept watching the grass.

“Huh? What’s illegal?”

She looked at them now, noticing Willow’s fevered attempts to stay upright and still look concerned about her friend.

Xander pointed at the ground.

“I just witnessed the record slaughter of an orange and two banana’s. You really show no mercy do you?”

His waved his hand at the strewn orange peels and banana skins that littered the grass.

“Seriously, take on someone your own size for once.”

He shoved both hands in his pockets and looked pointedly at her, lifting an eyebrow.

“Well that didn’t really work out for Willow did it?” Buffy asked, gesturing to the stacked books, at which point Willow’s body lurched dramatically to one side, panic registering her face, and with a shriek, she toppled into a crowd of passing students landing in a flurry of paper and red hair.

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Andrew ran.

His legs pounded, his heart pounded, his mouth gasping frantically for breath.

Little by little they gained ground on him. Their snarls reached him through the blood pumping in his ears, and he panicked.

This was his last chance, his only chance to make things the way they were.

He leapt, through the smoke, through the ash, into the Void, and fell away. His body soared through the endless darkness, the air rushing through his hair, onto his skin. Cold, the icy tingle of touching the space in between dimensions. The forbidden place.

He could only hope that it worked, but the legends told otherwise.

No one jumped into the Void. It wasn’t’ spoken of. Human eyes never sought it out. One touch of it’s emptiness would change you. Or kill you. Either one, Andrew was willing to risk.

And as he fell he realised he had escaped them. Those creatures wouldn’t dare enter the Void. They feared it beyond anything. And in all their wickedness they poised, on it’s edge, teeth gnashing as their prey escaped them. Frenzied cries filled the night air as they turned and bound silently back into the shadows that Sunnydale had become.


[center]~.~.~.~.~.~[/center]

He didn’t feel dead, but then again he didn’t know what it felt like. Everything was dim, hazy, but surprisingly solid. He felt heavy, like he was being weighed down.

Something on top of him moved, and he groaned, licking his chapped lips in an attempt to produce moisture, and tasted blood. Slowly reality sank in, and so did the pain. It shot up his legs, stabbed into his arms, excruciating feels of fire burnt throughout his body. If this was Hell he would’ve believed it.

It clouded his mind, this pain. It ate into him, ravaging at his flesh, making him scream. Again and again, until his throat became to raw that he simply lay there with his mouth wide open, his body writhing, on the ground. He could feel nothing else.

“Oh my god.”

He heard voices. Then he blacked out.

[center]~.~.~.~.~.~[/center]

“Oh my god.”

Willow lurched off the body beneath her. She saw him. The blood, the tattered clothes, the burns, and she freaked. She scrabbled desperately on the books and grass, looking in shock at the man she’d fallen on.

His face was a gruesome assortment of cuts and bruises, and his blond hair could barely be recognised through the dried up blood. For all she could tell, he was naked except for a pair of torn, dirty trousers. The remaining clothes, if there were any, were lost underneath the amount of dirt and gore staining him. There were deep cuts, scars around his wrists, obviously where manacles had been. But when she looked closer she could see how serious the wounds were, how torn the flesh was, as if he had repeatedly struggled against his bonds, forced himself out of them.

“Buffy!” Xander stood frozen beside Willow, his hand on her shaking shoulder.

Buffy sprinted towards them, dropping her bags as she ran. By this time a crowd had gathered, people muttering, shocked gasps and confused faces. Buffy pushed through the gathering spectators and knelt down beside the man, placing her fingers on his neck feeling for a pulse. She felt it, faint, but beating weakly.

“He’s alive. He’s still breathing.”

She paused, inspecting the horrible state of him. Who would do this? Noticing Willow hadn’t moved from her kneeling position, Buffy moved towards her, arm outstretched to help her up, but Willow didn’t take it, and she continued to stare, her eyes unwavering off the prone figure.

Her lips moved, as if trying to speak, but no sound came out, and her hands clutched her pants, wringing the material nervously. Xander’s hand moved from her shoulder, coming to grip her left wrist, as if to stop her actions.

“Will?” he questioned quietly.

She whispered something.

Sharing a worried glance with Buffy, he knelt beside her, trying to avoid staring at the body.

“Willow, what is it?” Buffy spoke this time. More forcefully than Xander. She stood, beside the body, her arms folded.

Willow again tried to speak, her lips forming words, her hand shaking, her eyes wide.

Xander leant closer.

“Look Will, not that we don’t love your state of silent shock, bu-” he was cut off, as she whimpered slightly.

“He came for me Xander.” she rasped out the words.

[center]~.~.~.~.~.~[/center]



That's it for the first chapter! If you find any mistakes tell me. Hope you all have a nice day:) If you are confused by the "where's my bread trail" and "I'm waiting for my blue wren" parts, they are referring to the Hansel and Gretel fairytale, when they get lost in the woods.
Lifty

[Zampsa1975]

Good beginning... So Tara is not yet in the picture... I hope she is soon... update-y goodness soon?

[Zooeys_Bridge]

oh, wow this is really neat. i really liked your first sentance. really sets up the scene both for the reader and for buffy. poor lost buffy, i'm sure she doesn't particularly like to fee lost.

see, this is neat becuase you can take it in a number of different ways. now, you didn't say this was an AU, so that means its taking place in the Buffyverse we know and are adding your own adventures to it. Or, because of

This was his last chance, his only chance to make things the way they were

you could take it the other way, setting the backscene of season 4 and bringing in season six and seven and throw season 4s Scoobies for a loop. If so, I like the idea of Andrew trying to make things right(for whatever reason-selfishness, absolution, or atonment, etc).

Either way, it's begun beautifully and I'm excited to see where you take us!

[Lifty]

Hey guys!! thanks so much for reading the first chapter! I will hopefully get the next one up in a day or two !

Zampsa1975: Hey, yeah Tara will definately be in the next chapter so dont worry!

Zooeys_Bridge: Haha, well I'm going to have to think about it being AU or not, because it didnt really start off like au, and i'm hopefully going to get some stuff, like Joyce, and Anya, into the story. The Andrew character I have set to be in season 4 of Buffy, but from another dimension, so where he comes from is quite different! Hopefully it works out

Hopefully the next chapter will scope out what is really going on!
thanks guys!
Lifty

[Halo]

I really liked it! I found your descriptions very realistic and vivid, and moreover I love season 4 (despite that initiative and Adam crap! ) so, all this works well for me .
I'm also very curious about that "other dimension" thing... This is going to be interesting!

[Lifty]

Hey! Here is the next chapter! I fnished it a bit quicker than i though, so that's good. But the next one might take a bit longer cos of school and everything.
Enjoy!

Notes: I have categorized the two Sunnydale dimensions. The 'Bad' dimension is the one from which Andrew fled. The 'Good' dimension is the one the first chapter opened up in, the one which Andrew fled to. And to make this chapter less confusing, it is set entirely in the 'Bad' dimension (called 'bad' because of all the evil that has settled there), centered around the Tara of the 'Bad' dimension. okies!





Chapter 2: The Pencil Incident

Sunnydale was dead.

It had been for two years.

The tall palms were gone, burnt to cinders.

Very few houses remained.

The mall was gone, reduced to rubble.

It resembled a crater, filled with smoke, shadows, and death.

But the human race is invincible.

They survive, when nothing else can.

They inhabit, places long forgotten.

They persist, when everything else gives up.

They scavenge. They hunt. They wait.

They do anything, everything, to stay alive.

And here they were, in Sunnydale. Groups of people. Holding out to the very end.

Yet they were prisoners of a greater power, victims of slavery, of malice and cruelty. They huddled in their cells. Sunlight they never saw. Comfort they never felt. They no longer remembered what it was to be free. Yet they existed, empty, defenceless, devoid of happiness. Creatures of darkness haunted and preyed on them in the everlasting night time. Demons circled them endlessly, keeping them weak, keeping them awake, keeping them afraid. Yet they existed, even without hope.

But they weren’t alone.

[center]~.~.~.~.~.~[/center]

Tara Maclay sat, alone, in her tiny hideout. She had been waiting there for hours, afraid to come out knowing that the creatures were on high alert that night. At least they weren’t looking for her, and that was a slight comfort, despite the fact that if she so much as sneezed she would be giving up her whereabouts.

They would take her then, like they had with all the others, into the heart of Sunnydale, where she would never return. She had seen it happen so many times to the people she cared for. They would creep outside, desperate to know what was happening, so see the stars, to look for other survivors, and then the creatures would come. They didn’t make any sound, and they ran so fast they appeared to be a flicker of shadow, a tiny movement in the corner of someone’s eye. People stood no chance once they had been spotted. It was quick, a movement in the air, a moment of uneasiness, and then the noise, the scream that informed you of your end, as the arms grabbed you and the jaws clenched upon your skin. The human screams more than often drowned out the creature’s. Tara always knew when they found a victim, because whilst the creatures screams were loud and piercing, the sound of a person’s pain, of a person’s desperation, of a person’s suffering was something that struck a far deeper chord in her heart.

So she sat there in the dark, her legs trembling slightly, her muscles aching as she struggled to remain unmoving.

She could remember the first time they came to Sunnydale. The first time they opened the Void. The first time she met Willow. Her Willow.

[center]~.~.~.~.~.~[/center]


The library had been quiet on her first day of her freshman year. That was an understatement, rather, the library had been empty, devoid of any sound, of any movement. For Tara it was the perfect.

Despite her aloneness, she chose a desk towards the back of the huge room to sit at, as to avoid any students who did happen to appear, which was unlikely.

After a while, she grew restless. Having already collected her books, her I.D card and emptied her baggage into her dorm room, she had thought the library would be a good place to start getting used to the place, do a bit preparation, get away from tall boys with no shirts and girls with nose rings and hair down to their ankles. She though it would be relaxing. Well it wasn’t, it was just boring. There goes that plan. Goddess, I’ve never found a library this dull before.
Staring at her reflection in one of the tall windows, she pulled a face, tapping her pencil irritatingly on the desktop. Just as she had managed to balance the pencil horizontally in her upper lip a voice interrupted her amusement.

“How long you been doing that?”

Tara jumped, her pencil flying. She ducked her head in embarrassment at being caught in the process of doing such an…embarrassing thing and knelt down to pick up her pencil. Oh god I’m such a dork. She was mentally slapping herself repeatedly in her head.

Her hand reached for the object at the same time as the strangers.

Then their hands met. It was as though time had stopped, everything froze except for Tara’s breath which she was desperately trying to keep under control. It was like nothing she’d ever felt before. A shiver ran up her spine. Electricity shot through her arm, making her tense up, but she didn’t take her hand away, nor did she attempt to pick up the pencil.

She heard a gasp.

Her eyes lifted from where their hands joined, up the slim arm, past the rising and falling of the chest until her eyes lay upon the girl who had spoken to her.

Then she gasped.

She was beautiful. Her short, red hair hung messily above her shoulder. She had freckles, littering her face, and Tara noticed that her mouth was half open, as if in the middle of an exclamation, pretty red lips. But I was the eyes that did it for her. Sparkling green eyes, that bore into her own. They blinked slowly. Wow….Tara couldn’t look away. Say something Tara, say something quickly.

But she just stared, unaware of anything but the girl before her.

Willow, was in a similar position, as she stared at the girl she had scared. I’m such an idiot, she thought. She had seen her sitting there at the desk, saw her doing the pen balancing thing and had automatically wanted to break the silence.

She felt her hand touching the girl’s hand, and had noticed the way the girl was breathing heavily, but all that was forgotten when she lost herself in a sea of blue. I’m drowning… The eyes, which looked into hers held her mesmerized. The blond hair which lay so perfectly on her shoulders, partly covering her face. The full lips. Then this strange feeling, as though she wanted to protect the girl. As if she wanted to take her in her arms and never let her go.

These were new feelings to Willow Rosenberg, but they were so strong. They overwhelmed her. When their hands had touched she had felt a connection, something so powerful…so beautiful.

Quit it Rosenberg! She broke out of her enchantment, hastily reaching down to grab the pencil, and handed to the girl.

“So this is kinda the place to be?”

Tara smiled as she took the pencil.

Oh that smile.

“Ummm…I suppose.”

She ducked her head again. Willow noticed this and reached out to touch her arm, her fingers coming in contact with the girl’s skin for the second time that day. Luckily Tara didn’t step away, and lifted her head again to look at her.

“Well everyone else seems to think so.”

She grinned, and looked around the empty library as if to prove her point.

Tara grinned.

“I’m Willow by the way.”

She held our her hand.

“Tara.”

Taking the hand, Tara shook it nervously, fumbling awkwardly with the pencil.

Willow grinned again, and Tara grinned back. And this is turning into one huge grin-fest Willow thought, although she wasn’t going to protest about watching Tara grin.

Tara withdrew her hand slowly, but in the process lost her grip slightly on the pencil. Reaching out quickly she managed to catch it as it fell, but in doing so she also lost her balance and stumbled forward, hands outstretched to break her fall.

Willow saw it all happen in a flurry, and flung out her hands just in time to grabs Tara’s and stop her from falling headfirst on the ground. She felt a sting on her palm, and looked down, seeing the tip of the pencil imbedded slightly in her skin. It wasn’t too painful, but there was blood, and instinctively she flinched, and her hand shook frantically as if to get rid of the pain.

Tara gasped seeing the blood, tearing her hands away.

“Oh my god, I stabbed you, and there’s blood, and oh I’m so sorry.”

She felt like she was about to burst into tears, but fought them away and moved forward to help Willow instead.

Taking the hand she inspected the wound closely.

“Really, it’s ok. Happens all the time…”

Willow joked feebly, her voice fading when she noticed the proximity of her hand to Tara’s lips. She could feel Tara’s hot breath against her skin, and she went limp.

Tara felt Willow’s hand go limp, and saw the rest of her body slump as much as it could without falling over.

“Are you ok?”

Her voice was filled with concern.

“Uh huh” was all that came in reply. Just falling in love.

Deciding it was pain which had caused the sudden change in Willow she chose to take a big step, to risk herself in helping the girl.

With all her concentration on the wound she summoned the elements, opened her mind, opened her spirit and let herself flow into the girl’s hand, sending her energy to heal it. And that’s when she felt it.

Well at first it was a feeling. The touch of her magic combining with another’s, merging itself, wrapping itself around this new power, shielding it. And she knew that it was Willow. Then she saw an image of Willow laughing as she ran, looking behind her at a petite blond girl who was also laughing. The image disappeared in a flash and was replaced with another Willow, she was flying, and in her arms she held Tara, but Tara looked dead and Willow was crying.

Willow saw Tara’s lips moving, as if she was repeating an incantation, and the pain in her hand stopped. Shocked she saw the cut had healed over, and realised, Tara was a witch. But without time to ponder the subject, Willow noticed Tara was twitching slightly, and small whimpers emerged from her mouth. She took Tara’s face in her hands, cupping her cheeks softly, trying to calm the girl.

Struggling to get away from the images, Tara, jerked violently onto her knees, sweat covering her brow. Willow knelt quickly beside her, arms wrapping around her, her small voice echoing through Tara’s mind. Tara. Tara tried harder this time, desperately seeking out reality, pushing herself towards Willow’s voice.

But once last image ambushed her mind. It started out dark, pitch black. And then she heard the noise, quiet at first, but getting louder and louder until her skull filled with the piercing sound, driving out any of Willow’s words. It soaked into her brain, it ravaged through her memories and it poisoned her insides, tearing her thoughts apart. Then the creature appeared, slinking forward towards her, back arched and torn flesh. It was almost human-like, but arms so long that they touched the ground from where it hunched. Its mouth was open, a gaping hole, filled with teeth, its face was eaten away, and eyes a sickly yellow. It turned to it head, cocking it slightly and then leapt, straight for her.

She screamed and collapsed into Willow’s arms, panting heavily, trembling terribly. Her hands clutching at Willow’s t-shirt.

“It’s ok Tara. It’s ok.” Willowed held her tightly, her hands running up and down her back.

Tara opened her eyes, seeking out Willow’s.

“Don’t leave me.” She whispered, burying her face into Willow’s shoulder.

“I’m not going to. I’m going to look after you.” One of Willow’s hands wrapped itself around Tara’s neck.

They clung to each other, rocking back and forwards, neither girl noticing the growing dark of the skies, or the slight trembling of the earth.

And Willow held Tara to her with all her strength. Her heart ached, her muscles tightened, but she would never let her go.

And then the creatures came. So did the darkness.
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She would never let her go.

The memory faded.

Her Willow.

Tara sat alone in the dark.

Her Willow was gone now.

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If you are confused about anything just ask!
Lifty

[Lifty]

Halo: Thanks dear I quite like the describing bit, so im glad you liked it, but tell me if it gets too much and you want more chatty goodness! I too hated adam and the initiative, it was incredibly annoying, therefore they shall play no role in this tale! And I decided to swamp you with some dimension stuff!

[Zampsa1975]

Good update-y goodness... The "bad" Sunnydale seems to be very bad place... I hope Tara finds a way to "good" Sunnydale and to her "new" Willow...

[Lifty]

Zampsa1975: It could be the other way around!

[diamondforever]

I'm confused over all, but I think I should kind of be that anyways. It's a good start, and the contrast is really striking. It's good!

[Willowtree252]

I am confused also but it is a AU D so I think I may follow you cant wait for more.

[Zooeys_Bridge]

ooh, this is delightfully full of angst and danger and mystery. I'm very excited to see where you take this.

I love how Willow and Tara met, made even more poignant by knowing that Tara's Willow is gone :(

*sniffles*
can't wait till the next update!

[viximon]

Great fic, though a little confusinfg still.
Will wait to more

[SJ]

Great fic!

[Lifty]

hey guys. Thanks for all the feedback, it's greatly appreciated! Sorry, but the next chapter may take a while, like a week or so....argh! i cant find enough time, but holidays very soon, so i will be writing lots then

diamondforever : Yeah, this story need a bit of clearing up, which i intend for the next chapter so dont worry!

Dianneswillowtree: Hope you hang in there for thenext bit!

Zooeys_Bridge: Ah yes, angst, mystery, all very exciteful! Im glad you liked their meeting, although i am thinking i kinda rushed things a bit. But i want to get to the good stuff!

viximon: Hmmm, confusion seems to be common here. I'm hoping next chapter makes it clearer. I think i might be confusing myself.

SJ: Thanks! Glad you enjoy!

[Auriam]

pretty nice =)

[Lifty]

Auriam : Bahaha, pretty nice

[whatmakesyouhappy]

I like the start and will continue to read until it's all clear to me.

[Lifty]

Summary: So far…Andrew has escaped from his dimension and literally ran into the scoobies in another dimension. Tara, in the bad dimension from which Andrew came, reminisces about her first meeting with Willow and the beginning of all the bad stuff in her Sunnydale. She is alone hiding from the ‘creatures’ whilst the scoobies try to solve reason for the mysterious appearance of Andrew. Oh, and apparently Andrew came to find Willow, but we don’t know for what reason yet. Probably to save Sunnydale. Anyways, read on gentle viewers.




Chapter 3: Despair (The Trapeze Artist)

“Goodness Buffy, college can’t be that bad!” Giles exclaimed when his door burst open with an astounding crash, a furious Buffy entering. He jumped off the couch, rubbing his glasses hastily.

She was soon followed by a shrunken Willow being supported by Xander. Taking in the state of all three, Giles began to rub his lenses vigorously.

Buffy looked angry. Infuriated even. She kept shifting between him and Willow, eyes sending daggers.
Xander looked scared. His hair was ruffled and his face red, his breath coming in short, fast gasps. Perspiration dotted his creased forehead, a few drops running in between the lines of worry. Willow looked awful. She stood there, clutching Xander’s arm weakly, another slung over his shoulder. Blood stained the front of her pants and t-shirt, also smeared on her hands, and it was obvious her face was wet from crying. She was also breathing frantically, chest rising and falling rapidly, but her eyes avoided Giles’, staring blankly at the wall behind him.

“What happened? Were you attacked? Buffy?”

Giles waved his hands wildly, not sure whether to comfort them or shake them violently for information, as all three were standing very still, looking extremely sullen. Xander collapsed dramatically into a chair.

“Dear lord, have you all been struck dumb?”

Xander looked up sharply, making a few inhuman noises in alarm.

Giles didn’t think humour was the best way to go at that moment, but had to get some kind of reaction out of them.

“Well I do believe Xander just tried to say something…” Giles trailed off, watching the three friends in concern.

“Giles there was this guy, and he just appeared, like out of nowhere!” Buffy slammed her hand down on the table, regretting it immediately as pain sprang through her wrist.

“Poof!” Willow added quietly from where she had moved to sit beside Buffy on one of the counter chairs.

Buffy looked at him expectantly, grabbing an apple from the countertop and biting into it.

“This is all very well, but why are you covered in blood Willow?”

“See, that’s the weird thing,” Willow swung her legs back and forward slowly, “I was trippe-”

“She fell over without the help of anyone.” Buffy interrupted, a mouth full of apple.

“Yeah, well anyway, the point is, he wasn’t there, and as soon as I landed he just appeared and I was on top of him.”

“When you say on top of him-”

“Well are you sure he wasn’t there before you fell Willow?” Giles hurriedly interrupted Xander.

“Not really. I couldn’t exactly see because of my books.” She looked sheepishly at the floor.

“Yeah, that was one hell of a pile Will.” Xander looked affectionately at his friend.

“Why did you have double copies of each book anyway Willow?” Buffy pouted her lips, tilted her head and aimed for the open window, but the apple pip fell short, landing on the corner of Giles’s rug.

“Oh, I got yours as well Buffy. Figured you wouldn‘t have them yet.”

"You're so thoughtful Willow."

Giles cleared his throat. All three friends looked up in his direction. He began pacing.

“I’m guessing he was already on the ground before you fell. There really is no explanation for-”

“But Giles,” Willow’s voiced was louder now, “Why was he covered in blood? Oh, yeah sorry, stupid question. Of course, it’s perfectly normal in college for unconscious, half-dead looking students to lie on the ground, covered in blood and gore, whilst everyone else goes happily on their way. Tra la la.”

She frowned at him.

“It was magic Giles, that is the explanation.” Buffy spoke quietly.

Giles sighed, and removed his glasses, attacking them with vigour.

“Besides Will, tell him about the thingummyjig…thing.” Xander said, feeling a need to contribute and cut the tension.

“What were you doing at college anyway Xander?” Buffy spoke suddenly, “I though you’d had enough of the learning lifestyle after graduation.” She sat, tossing the apple core from hand to hand.

“Can’t I come to see my two favourite girls grow up?” Xander looked at her innocently.

“Or were you more interested in the other soon-to-be favourite girls?” Buffy eyed Xander suspiciously.

“Well they do dig us townies, being wicked cool rebels and all.” Xander drifted off, a dreamy expression on his face.

Buffy watched curiously as he sank further and further into the chair.

“Man, you should have gone on that trip around the states Xander, this college life is not going to be healthy for you.” She flicked a pip at him.

“Yeah,” Willow chirped in, “Sitting at home, fantasising about the Women’s Volleyball team, slowly growing fat.”

"Hey!" Xander yelled, "No fatness, definately no fatness here folks. The only person who's gonna be putting on those pounds is old British man. Not eating his veges and fruit like he should."

Xander shook his finger at Giles.

"Shame on you Giles. But don't worry, I'm sure Buffy will eat you out of house and home if you let her, ravenous as she is."

Buffy slowly edged her hand away from the second apple she was about to consume.

"So, um, Giles?" She looked at him pleadingly.

“Yes, can we please discuss something other than our private lives and stick to the seriousness of the situation?”

Giles received three blank stares.

“Thankyou. Now Willow, what is this about a, um, a thing?” He nodded towards Xander who was balancing precauriously on his chair.

Willow straightened and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, rectangular card. She handed it to Giles, who took it, replacing his glasses to look closely at the object.

“It’s your identification card.” He stated simply, flipping it over to look at the back.

“Yeah it is, but it‘s not! I already have mine.” She removed another card, identical to the first and handed it to Giles.

“The date’s the same, your name, the expiration, your freshman year, UC Sunnydale...” He mumbled, comparing the two cards.

“But the pictures are different Giles.” Willow looked at him worriedly, shifting nervously on her chair when he didn’t say anything.

“Why the hell do I have two ID cards? Why the hell did that guy have one of them? It doesn’t make sense!”

Buffy placed her hand gently on Willow’s shoulder.

“Will, I’m sure-”

Buffy was cut off abruptly.

“He was looking for me Giles. That’s why I landed on him. That’s why he has my picture.”

There was a silence in the room. No one spoke. No one moved except for Buffy’s hand which rubbed back and forth over Willow’s shoulder in a comforting motion. Giles began pacing again, his face covered in a big frown, as if he was in deep concentration.

“Where is he?” He spoke eventually, looking towards Buffy.

“In the hospital.” She replied.

Giles ran upstairs, and came back down, handing Willow a woollen jumper. Grabbing the keys from the hook he pulled on his jacket.

“We can take my car.”

~.~.~.~.~.~

A late afternoon sense of calm had settled upon the white, orderly building, as the occasional nurse walked down the corridor and the muffled sound of a radio drifted through the foyer. A few visitors sat to the side on a couple of chairs, reading newspapers and watching a small television on the wall.

They arrived at the hospital five minutes later. Jumping out and rushing in through the automatic doors towards the front desk. The nurse looked up in alarm, taking in the sight of four out of breath, desperate looking people.

Willow hastily tugged the big black jumper down around her knees in an attempt to hide the dried blood which covered most of her clothes. She smiled awkwardly when she noticed the nurse’s obvious stare.

“Can I help you?”

There was nothing kind in the nurse’s voice.

“Um, we are, just, um, could we, gnugh…” The words came out as a jumble from Willow’s mouth. Giles placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“There was a man submitted earlier this afternoon. We were wondering if we could see him please.” He smiled pleasantly at the nurse.

“Do you have his name?” The nurse opened a folder, leafing through the papers.

“Not exactly. You see-”

“Well then, I’m afraid I cant help you.” She shut the folder with a snap, glaring dangerously at the four visitors who had disrupted her peaceful afternoon.

“But you don’t understand, we must see him immediately.”

“Sir. It is against hospital policy to allow strangers into a patients’ room, and I assure you we will be taking no nonsense from you.”

“But-”

“I will not hesitate to call security.”

She tapped her pen impatiently against her computer screen, her other hand hovering near the phone.

Giles slumped against the counter, physically exhausted from the afternoon’s antics.

“Listen miss, my friend is hurt,” Buffy waved at Willow, prompting her to lift the jumper over her head, revealing the blood, “And if you wont let us see this guy then you could at least organise some care for the wounded.”

This better bloody work.

She stood with her hands on her waist, staring intently into the eyes of the nurse, whilst Willow faked a pained expression, clenching her stomach in mock agony and moaning.

Xander nudged Giles in the side slightly and whispered into his ear.

“She’s giving her a taste of your hairy eyeball old man. No one stands a chance against the hairy eyeball.”

His goofy grin disappeared when Giles turned towards him with a frown, obviously not amused.

Xander edged away slowly.

“Yep, that’s the one.” he muttered to himself.

The nurse sighed, glancing towards the doors as if considering escape, glanced back up at Buffy and stood up, moving out from behind the counter.

“I’ll find you a doctor.” She spoke coldly before waddling stiffly down the corridor and disappearing round the corner.

As soon as she was out of sight Buffy leapt over the counter, grabbed the folder the nurse had previously opened and turned to the page of the most recent submissions. Scrolling her finger slightly down the page she stopped, her finger tapping the paper quickly.

Xander shifted uneasily, watching the corridor for the nurse‘s return.

“Patient unknown, submitted at 3.27pm today. Multiple wounds and fractures, no identification.”

She looked up at the three panicked faces.

“This is our guy.”

She glanced back down at the paper.

“Room 72.”

She slammed the folder shut, vaulting herself back over the counter and landing lightly back on the other side.

“You alright Will?” She questioned, seeing the scared look on her friend’s face.

“Yep. Finey Mcfine fine.”

“Right, let’s get out of here, organise a way to get into room 72.”

She leapt forward, pausing half way to the door.

“Giles, drive?”

“Just as long as you don’t repeat that impersonation of a trapeze artist in my car.”

“Giles, I don’t think things can get any worse than they already are.”

~.~.~.~.~.~

Willow sat on her bed in her dorm room, wearing nothing more than a towel. Her bloody clothes lay crumpled on the floor. A note had been left on her bed from her roommate, who I haven’t even met yet.

Willow,
Nice to meet you.
Just out to fetch a few things from the library. Be back soon.
Tara
p.s I left some essentials in the fridge. Take anything you want.

Folding the note up she slumped back against the soft covers, sinking into the mattress. Shutting her eyes, she sighed, letting the silence sink in, relaxing her body.

She hadn’t wanted to hang at Giles’s after the visit to the hospital, as much as I enjoy being interrogated about stuff I don’t even understand. She was tired. Buffy’s increasing enthusiasm had only succeeded in increasing her own frustration at the whole situation. I mean, as strange as our lives are, it’s not everyday this happens, that this stranger suddenly appears, from air, with a photo of you…oh and did I mentionthat he was half dead?

She groaned, her worries bringing awake the chaos her mind had been in all day. Everything had happened so suddenly. Her first day of college, she had missed all her classes, she hadn’t met any knew people, that is if you don’t count the angry hospital nurse, and I’m pretty sure my purple cardigan has been permanently ruined. Only magic could remove that blood stain.

She smiled, remembering back to the car trip from the hospital. Xander had sat in the back, patting her hand and knee with that incredibly goofy smile on his face, not speaking a word. Willow knew he was trying to make it easier for her. It was really that unspoken consideration that Xander showed which had the ability to make everything seem simpler, less chaotic.

She glanced at the bedside table where she had put the two identification cards. They sat there, side by side, reminding her that there was nothing simple about what was happening. Everything that had happened rushed back. And all the comfort she had felt from the memory of Xander vanished, leaving her with a feeling. It was frightening. Despair? What? There was no reason for it, no cause. She just began to feel so helpless, a profound feeling that she had lost all hope. What?

Sitting up uncomfortably from her position on the bed she looked around the room, at the door, the cupboard, her unpacked suitcase on the floor. Eventually her gaze rested upon the window facing out into the night.

She smelt something, a fire? And for an instant the black night sky turned a hazy red, flashing dangerously, before fading back into the dappled, starlit sky.

“What?”

Shaking her head, she pushed away the vision, and turned back towards the interior of her room.

Picking up the identification card from her bedside table, she inspected it intensely, trying preoccupy her mind.

She was just running her finger over the back of the card where it said “UC Sunnydale Student” when her hand brushed against the ink, causing a bit to rub off. Underneath it letters appeared. Hastily she rubbed harder, uncovering more words. The letters looked as though they had been hurriedly scribbled onto the card, written messily and scattered wildly across the plastic. They were in Latin. Witchcraft, she thought. He must have written them there. Maybe he knew I’d find them.

Squinting her eyes, Willow managed to decipher the words.

Ego despero , patefacio inritus , tribuo mihi obduco. She spoke the words in her mind, letting the sound roll over her tongue.

“I despair, open Void, give me passage” she translated. Lucky I studied Latin instead of flirting mindlessly in high school…Nerd, she added.

“I despair, open void, give me passage. What the frilly heck does that-”

Before she could finish her sentence a blinding light illuminated the room, knocking her backwards onto the floor.

The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was her dorm room door flying open, and the rapidly vanishing image of a girl, blue eyes and blond hair.

~.~.~.~.~.~



Folks, i wrote this a lot quicker than i though i would, so hope you enjoy!

[Zampsa1975]

Great update-y goodness... So now Willow is going to the "bad" Sunnydale and to Willowless Tara... I hope that they could make "bad" Sunnydale less bad... and have glorious smoochies in the way...

[viximon]

And here, more mysteries and stuff. Kee the fic going

[SJ]

Great update!

[taraslove]

Looking forward to seeing where this is going. I really like split dimension stuff, so I have high hopes.

I will say that I'm still a teeny bit confused, but I think that I catch on eventually, once I get the hang of your flashes.

Don't stop!

[Zooeys_Bridge]

ooh. very neat. and i think you've nailed the charachters quite nicely. can't wait for the next one!

[Lifty]

whatmakesyouhappy : Thanks for dropping by!! Does that mean you're going to stop reading the story once it's clear to you? oh know...

Zampsa1975 : Haha, well i am planning for some glorious, scrumptious smoochies in the next update, so hopefully there will be enough time for Willow to save sunnydale too

viximon: Hey, thanks for reading the story. I'm glad you've liked it so far, and i will definately continue writing it until someone gives me something better to do:)

SJ: Thanks! Any feedback will do me!!!

taraslove : Hmm, its is slightly confusing, and i am really trying my best to iron everything out for you guys. When you say 'flashes' do you mean my changes between dimensions? and i think i have added in some flashbacks aswell. so i hope that's what you mean. thankyou!

Zooeys_Bridge : Thanks so much! Im really glad someone noticed the characters, because lat last update focused quite a bit on their dialogue:) For some reason i found Giles really hard to do, and im not sure if he came across very well. So thankyou very much!


Updatey goodness soon people! very soon!

[Lifty]

Title: In the End


Chapter 4

It was dark, in the inner reaches of Sunnydale.

After the arrival of the creatures, the land had slowly, gradually transformed itself into the likes of a desert. Only there was no sand, no dunes, just a simple flat wasteland of red dust, shattered glass and destruction.

If you looked really closely, or perhaps shone a flashlight, you would be able to make the shapes, scattered near and far across the land, of what looked like small children. They didn’t move from their positions, and they never made a sound. It was when you walked up really close, if you had the guts to take the risk, if you were close enough to reach out and touch them, and you would realise they were statues. Stone cold statues, of black, chipped stone.

And your fingers would trace their sad faces, picturing the lives of these children. You would be drawn to them, their vulnerability out in the middle of nowhere. But as you felt around the edges, grazed your fingers across their gaping mouths, your hands would come across two sharps points, chipped into the stone, protruding from their gums. The fangs of a vampire. And you would recoil, mostly in fright, sometimes in disgust. For these figures, they were children, vampire children, frozen in their place, caught in mid action. Each poised across the landscape. And there they would stay, for all eternity, or until someone stopped the great power which had settled in Sunnydale.

These demon children had emerged into the daylight of Sunnydale, shocking the inhabitants, unaffected by the glaring sunlight. They didn’t kill anyone. They just simply walked out onto the streets, amongst the people, on the tops of rooves, and sat, as if waiting for someone, or for something. Then the creatures came, and so did the darkness.

And they were destroyed. Like everything else.

But this strange phenomenon, the appearance of the vampires in the daylight, just proved how strong this power really was. To be able to freeze time itself, to be able to end the lives of thousands of demons, and leave them suspended forever in time. To spread fear and despair across such an expanse of the human population. To have the ability to invade a town, and in one day eliminate half the population, sending the rest into slavery or hiding.

His name was Belial.

He remained unseen by any living human.

Anyone except for Tara.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Willow groaned softly when she felt the sharp rocks digging in her cheek. It was cold, she could feel an icy breeze whipping her clothes from side to side.

Sitting up, she attempted to open her eyes, but they were heavy, as if they were stuck together. She felt numb all over, her legs and arms tingling slightly now that she had moved around, creating circulation. Taking her left foot and pulling it towards her she managed to lift herself onto her knees, which was a mistake when the bare skin on her knees scraped against the rough earth. Straining desperately her eyes popped open, and blinking she took in the image of her surroundings.

This first thing she noticed, despite the obvious lack of human civilisation, was that she was kneeling, stark naked in the middle of a place terribly similar to that of the Sunnydale desert.

Confusion hit her like a wave. Covering herself with her hands she took in her location, becoming more and more lost with each passing second. What the frilly heck? She took in the red dust which swirled across the ground, the dark reddish colour of the sky, the multiple silhouettes dotting the landscape, the lack of vegetation. Why is it so cold if the place pretty much has all the characteristics of a fully fledged desert? But there was something which caught her attention, something that stood out from the rest of the bland environment. It was a building, it’s once white brick now stained brown from the continuous onslaught of red dust. It can’t be. She stared, her mouth hanging open. It looks like…She shifted nervously, fear catching on. Sunnydale High. And it was right there, looming over her.

Her hands dropped limply too her side, all self-conscious thoughts eliminated. Well this is new. Pain was shooting through her limbs, the pain of her blood now circulating freely, pins and needles. It took her mind away from the present situation for a bit as she winced, clenching her hands and flexing her toes, trying stop the feeling.

But the sound of a low rumbling caused her to once again look at her old high school, as it stared back at her threateningly, the only building visible for miles around. The windows which scaled the walls were smashed, and dark, empty holes of nothing peered from where the glass used to be. The roof was mostly intact, except for a large hole towards the left hand side of the entrance doors. Trees no longer surrounded the entrance, and the white cement path had been replaced by the same brown mixture of rocks and dirt that covered the rest of the ground, which looked as though it had been charred by fire. Well I say, Willow thought, shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why is the school intact yet the ground looks as though it was attacked by 3 tonnes of dynamite? She looked around uncomfortably, her red hair blending in with the rest of the landscape. Where’s my towel?…Where’s the rest of Sunnydale.

Then she realised her hand was clenched tightly, holding something. She looked down, opening her palm, revealing a small, tattered piece of paper. Opening it delicately she saw the letter her roommate had left her, neat black handwriting, the corners of the paper slightly scorched. I must have grabbed it before…She looked around again, her eyes searching the ground, coming across the ID card. A corner of the plastic had melted slightly, creating a distorted image of her face on the card. She flipped it over and saw the Latin which was scrawled on the back. A spell. It must have transported me to another dimension. That’s probably where that guy came from. Huh. It was all beginning to make sense now, the sudden appearance of the man, her double identity, the strange feelings she’d been getting all day, and now ending up in this godforsaken place.

But what the hell is the Void?

It had been a long day. She was too tired to care that she was kneeling in Sunnydale with no clothes on, just glad this Sunnydale is a ghost town. She was too tired to worry about getting back to her Sunnydale. She was too tired to notice that she was being watched by two pairs of eyes. She was too tired to notice her own drooping eyes and wilting shoulders. She was unconscious before she hit the ground, the letter fluttering out of her fingers to land softly on the earth.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Tara was using a spell to watch for the creatures from inside her hideout. She muttered the incantation, her hands placed gently on both crossed knees, eyes shut. Her lips moved soundlessly, and a soft light settled, creating a glow around her features. She concentrated on the energy, her mind focused upon the central point of Sunnydale High.

She saw the body before anything else.

She saw the red hair, the freckles, the pale skin. She watched as the girl sat up, blinking her eyes, her limbs tensed up, her head groggy. She saw the green depths. She saw the familiar sparkle. She saw the way she covered herself, her delicate hands reaching down to hide her private places. My Willow.

She though she’d never see her again.

But she was there.

She was out there, vulnerable, naked, alone.

My willow.

She was alive.

Tara forgot to breath.

Her lips stopped moving, the magic stopped. The vision faded. But she couldn’t lose it.

She stood up, her body acting upon pure instinct.

It could be a trick. He could be tricking you. He already has Willow, he knows your connection with her. He knows your weaknesses.

She shook the thoughts out of her mind, and stumbled forward, sobs wracking her frame. Her jacket snagging on the hatchway entrance as the exited her hideout, stepping out into the open, the wild of Sunnydale, unarmed.

She ignored the fact that she was a step away from death. The overwhelming shock of seeing her lover sent her lurching to the ground on all fours, tears running from her eyes. She could sense the threat her exposure posed, the danger overloaded all her senses.

But Willow was twenty metres away, on the ground, pale, like a statue. Beautiful…helpless.

Willow.

She had to save her, if it was the last thing she ever did.

I can’t lose her again.

Standing up, her breath coming in gasps, Tara blundered towards the figure of her lover, her steps shaky and unstable, unfaltering. She saw Willow collapse, hitting the ground roughly.

NO! Willow! Fear gripped her stomach, twisting her insides. She lurched forward desperately, her eyes unwavering off the point of the form of her lover on the ground.

She could feel the creatures, she knew they were close. But she was closer. Her arms reached out, her lunging steps growing faster and faster. She could hear them, in the distance, a high pitched screech driving into her senses, splitting her from sanity for a second, before she came tumbling back down into reality, into the moment in which she fell onto her knees beside the red head, hands touching her features.

“Willow.” Her voice cracked with emotion.

Tara wept, burying her face into the hair of her lover, breathing in the scent. She wept as her arms reached beneath Willow’s knees, placing the other around her neck. Carefully she stood up, arms wrapped around the redhead, eyes swollen. Moaning softly she cradled the small head to her breast, clinging to the body desperately. Willow groaned slightly, stirring in Tara’s arms, turning her face into the warmth of the other girl’s chest, her hand came up and twisted in the material on Tara’s shoulder. Tara could see her tears landing upon the top of the girl’s head.

I found you. I will always find you.

She looked up, resolve crossing her face. She stood, her feet placed steadily against the earth, her arms holding the small body preciously, encasing both her and the redhead in a veil of safety.

Then she ran. Like she’d never run before.

But her hideout was too far away, and the creatures were getting closer.

Her feet pounded frantically. She would try anyway.

Then she saw it. She’d left the hatch open, the creatures would be inside by now, they would have destroyed the place which had been her, their, home for two years. With amazing speed she turned, fleeing in the opposite direction, the body in her arms jerking around helplessly.

Gods Will. I’m so sorry, but I’m going to try.

Sweat ran down her face, filling her eyes, the sound of the creatures chilling her to the bone. She could see Sunnydale High in the distance, leering at her as she ran.

Her muscles began to tire, her lungs heaving, striving to find enough air. Her arms clenched tighter around Willow, the thought of the redhead being alive giving her strength. She didn’t understand how Willow could’ve survived Belial, his torture, his mind reading, his mind bending, his darkness. It must have been like hell. And she felt her love for the redhead growing stronger with each second her own body grew weaker.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

She chanted the words in her head, again and again. She went through every single detail, every single quirk about the redhead she had grown to love. As she ran, she remembered every single moment she’d spent with the redhead, every time she had shared part of her self with this amazing woman, and everything Willow had given back to her, and she knew, she would rather die for her, than lose her again.

Then an amazing thing happened. The ground before her simply fell away, and she stopped right on the edge, teetering dangerously. Blood rushed through her ears, pounding her head. A dark hole gaped at her feet, empty blackness within.

“Hurry up!” a voice shouted from inside the hole. It was a female voice.

Tara stopped moving, body trembling.

Another survivor.

“Get in!” the voice screamed at her again, this time filled with panic.

Tara paused, the creatures so close now, almost on her heels. She exhaled, and looked down at her lover, taking in the peaceful features, the partly open mouth, the tiny chest rising and falling, the wispy red hair.

“I love you”.

She took a deep breath.

Then she jumped, falling through the darkness, encasing Willow tightly with her own body.

Blackness took her.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Tara could feel something soft underneath her. Something hot shot through her head, sending a sharp ache into her skull. The pain was terrible. Her skin felt hot, tender, almost as though it had been scorched by fire. She moaned, rolling over onto her side, the feeling of nausea growing stronger. An upset in her stomach caused her to gag, her mouth open, her throat contracting.

After a few moments when she realised nothing there was nothing else left in her stomach she collapsed back onto her back, her arms and legs feeling weak, trembling slightly from the aftershock of her sickness. Beads of sweat ran down her face, her heaving chest glistening in the dull light. She whimpered, trying to shake the pain off.

“Shhhh.”

Something cold dabbed at her forehead, and she turned her face into its refreshing touch, moaning slightly again.

“You’re going to be fine.”

It was the same voice from before, the female voice which had called out to her. She crinkled her brow, trying to remember what happened. She could vaguely recall running from something, the creatures, then a voice calling out to her, telling her to jump. And then she had jumped. But all these images faded when she realise why she had been running. To save Willow. Willow was alive, and she had been holding her. She had covered her pale skin with her own. She had felt the heat from her lover’s body against her own. She had cradled the small head to her chest. She had run, each step pounding with the love she felt for the redhead. She could remember the feeling as the small hand tightened on her shoulder, pulling at the material, almost pinching into her skin. And then she remembered whispering the words into the small, freckled ear, as she poured every ounce of strength she had into keeping Willow safe.

“I love you.”

“Willow!” She sat up suddenly, tearing her face away from calming touch. Her joints aching in protest to the sudden movement, her eyes blinking trying to become accustomed to the glare from the light. Giddiness filled her head, and she felt herself swaying upon the bed she sat, and she reached out her hands to steady herself.

“Where is she? Wh-”

A strong hand firmly grabbed her arm, demanding silence. She gasped slightly at the strength in the simple grip.

“Willow is fine. She‘s resting at the moment.”

She looked up to find the owner of the voice. Her eyes landed upon a petite blond woman, hair pulled back loosely in a pony tail. She wore a simple whit tank top and tight black pants, finishing off with a pair of what looked like well-used brown combat boots. She was looking down at Tara on the bed, her eyes betraying no emotion, simply studying her quizzically. Tara felt intimidated by the cold look she was receiving from this stranger, and cringed slightly, shifting her arm away from the girl’s hand.

“I-I’m sorry, I…” Her voiced faded out. Since when did I stutter? Since when did I apologise to complete strangers?

The girl eyed her momentarily before reaching down to receive the fallen cloth.

“No. I’m sorry. I guess it’s not everyday another human appears on our doorstep, let alone two.”

She offered the cloth to Tara, who took it hesitantly and placed it back on her forehead, letting the water sooth her nerves.

“You okay?” The girl moved swiftly to the other side of the room, scooping up a large pile of what appeared to be weapons.

Tara nodded, noticing the chest the girl had placed the weapons in contained an assortment of swords axes and crossbows. That’s strange, in a convenient kind of way.

The girl continued moving around the room, which Tara noticed looked more like the inside of a hospital or science lab than anything else. It seemed that there had been an attempt to make the place more ‘homely’ if that was possible, despite the utter starkness the room provided. A few cushions had been scattered in the corner, and in the centre, a circular, wooden table stood. It was covered with an assortment of books and candles. More books lay on the floor near the cushions.

Tara giggled slightly when she noticed the Backstreet Boys poster taped to the wall opposite her bed. She winced when a sharp pain shot through her head, and rubbed it with the palm of her hand. Willow used to say her best friend Xander was secretly obsessed with the Backstreet Boys, amongst other things. Tara drifted off sadly into the memory of her lover, how she had spoken so fondly of her friends, and how Tara would comfort her when Willow would cry for them and everyone else who died during the attack on Sunnydale.

She was broken out of her trance when the she felt a soft touch on her arm and saw the girl looking down worriedly at her. She noticed a small jug of water and a cup on the ground next to her bed.

“I’m going to check on Willow. We don’t get much company, so was nice of you to drop by.”

Tara let out a weak smile at the girl’s half-hearted pun. The girl turned away from Tara towards the doorway.

“Wait…” Tara struggled for words the to come out.

She wanted to know if Willow was ok. She wanted to see Willow. Her lover had been taken from her three months earlier, and now that she was back Tara wasn’t ever planning on letting her out of her sight.

“Could you…” she coughed slightly, “Could you tell Willow that Tara’s here? Can you do that for me?”

For a moment she though the girl wasn’t going to answer as she stood in the doorway to the room. Tara could see how tensed up her muscles were, how stiff this girl was, as though she was constantly on alert.

“Sure thing.” She stepped outside the door before turning, once again watching Tara with that questioning look.

“Do you guys know each other?”

How to begin?

“She’s my everything.” Tara stated simply.

She swore she saw something that looked like shock flash across the girls face, but it was quickly covered by the same unreadable expression, and the girl inclined her head to the side before turning and walking away, her footsteps silent upon the tiled floor.

She watched as the girl shut the door gently behind her, and sank back into then soft covers of the bed. Sighing as exhaustion overcame her.

~.~.~.~.~.~

Tara woke again, this time feeling more awake and refreshed. She yawned, stretching her tight limbs and sat up, rubbing her eyes groggily.

“Ah, so sleeping beauty finally awakes. Well that’s one down, one to go. How may we be of your service ma’am?”

A cheery voice startled her and her eyes flew open to see a young man sitting at the table in the centre of the room, a book in his hands. He had short dark-brown hair, and wore a very large t-shirt, and jeans which looked at least two sizes to big for him. Next to him sat the same blond girl from earlier, who now looked more relaxed, the edges of her mouth curling up slightly at his flirtatious attitude. Tara noticed her combat boots had been flung quite carelessly in the corner of the room. Beside her sat a rather stern looking man, glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose, which he reached up to rub quickly with a little cloth. He smiled softly at Tara, and she took back the ‘stern looking’ part, replacing it with friendly. Grey edged the corner of his hair. On the other side of the man who’d spoken was a young girl, she barely looks fifteen, Tara thought. Her hair was long and brown, and she kept shifting her eyes between Tara, the young man, and the book in her hands, obviously embarrassed at having been caught watching Tara whilst she was asleep. All four looked as though they had been interrupted from an intense session of hard study, yet none of them were protesting as they watched Tara expectantly.

“Come now.” spoke the man with the glasses, noting the girl’s obvious discomfort with the situation. His voice was surprisingly British.

“We don’t want to crowd her Xander.” He stood up and gestured to the gathering at the table.

“Are you feeling better? Rested?”

Tara didn’t reply, her face black, devoid of expression. Xander…

“Ah, I see. Ummm.” The British man shifted uncomfortably at Tara’s lack of reaction. He looked towards the table for help.

“Xander…” Tara spoke quietly.

“Ah yes!” The British man exclaimed loudly, his finger held high in the air. Tara jumped slightly on her bed.

“Introductions! How dreadfully rude of me! Let me introduce to you Xander, who’s name you already know, Buffy, I assume you recognise her from when you first woke up, and Dawn, Buffy’s younger sister, who will stop playing with the matches this instant, as some items in this room are extremely flammable.” The last few words had the desired effect as Dawn guiltily dropped the packet of matches she had previously been amusing herself with.

“Giles you forgot Giles.” Buffy pointed out, pocketing the matches, ignoring the whine of protest from her sister.

“Quite right. I am Giles, or Mr. Giles if you like.” He held out his hand and Tara shook it absently, her face the same picture of shock.

“You’re alive.”

Where’s Willow? Her friends are alive…She noticed she was receiving looks of extreme confusion from the occupants of the room.

“Willow thought you were all dead. But you’re alive.”

She felt as if she was about to burst into tears. Willow had given up on the idea of her friends surviving the attack. And now they were here, and they were watching her. Dawn saw the fragile state of the woman and she stood up and moved towards her.

“Hey, it’s ok Tara, it’s going to be alright.” She sat down next to Tara on the bed and put her arms around her shoulders, her comforting words and gentle actions causing Tara to break into a fit of sobs.

The rest of the Scooby Gang watched the emotional display in silence, and they couldn’t help but think the same thing, how much had this woman gone through?

Tara put her hand on Dawn’s arm and looked at her gratefully. She managed to stand up, a bit unsteadily, but Dawn came to her rescue quickly, and she moved to face the rest of the Scoobies, whilst leaning her arm on Dawn’s shoulder. Buffy looked affectionately at her sister.

“I have to see Willow.” Tara’s voice cracked a bit from the emotional strain.

Giles nodded understandingly.

“Who has to see me?” A small voice came from the doorway.

All faces in the room turned towards the sound.

Tara saw very little else than the small figure which stood in the doorway, leaning wearily against the frame. The red hair had been pulled back into a messy ponytail, much in the style of Buffy’s. She wore clothes now, a pair of loose fitting slacks and a rumpled white shirt. Her feet were bare, and Tara looked fondly at the tiny toes peeping out from underneath the hem of the pants. Tara raised her gaze to look at the redhead’s face. There was a small bruise on her forehead, but her cheeks were filled with a rosy hue. She saw the way the redhead’s nose crinkled slightly when she saw the research table. She’s so beautiful. The dim light the candles provided for the room only added to the girls beauty, the flicker of the flame dancing across her pale skin, sending shivers down Tara’s spine. She could see the reflections of the little lights dancing in the green eyes.

“Willow…” she breathed. She’s really alive.

Willow tore her gaze away from the Scoobies at the sound of her name, looking deeply into Tara’s eyes. She had never seen so much love in one simple look, especially from a stranger. Yet there was something about this girl that was familiar. She continued staring, her mind tossing and turning to find where she remembered her from.

…the rapidly vanishing image of a girl, blue eyes and blond hair. She suddenly remembered, the girl running into her dorm room before she was transported. The note left on her bed.

“You’re Tara aren‘t you?”

Tara’s heart shattered. She doesn’t remember me.

Willow grinned, happy to have remembered the girl’s name. But concern hit her when the girl gasped, stumbling forwards out of the grip Dawn had on her.

Surprised, Willow leapt forward to catch Tara before she could hit the ground. The after effects of the spell seemed to have worn her out, and she wasn’t as strong as she originally thought. So when the girl landed in her arms, her own legs buckled beneath her, and she tumbled to the floor, Tara landing heavily on top of her.

Tara couldn’t tear her eyes away from the green ones beneath her. She had landed, half on top of Willow, her legs between the redhead’s, her right hand caught between their bodies, the other braced her body against the ground. She could feel the redhead’s chest rising and falling against her own, and her heart beat thumped against her ribcage.

As she lay there, on top of her lover, Tara felt her heart break, slowly but surely. She doesn’t remember me. She looked down to see Willow looking back up at her, emotions flittering across her face. Tara could see the heat rising in Willow’s cheeks, and she jumped slightly when she felt the redhead’s hand come to rest on her hip lightly. I should get off her, she doesn’t know who I am. But she could feel all her love for the girl rushing through her like a tornado, tearing away the fact that the redhead didn’t recognise her, and she moaned, remembering the way Willow used to hold her at night after their lovemaking. She shut her eyes, remembering their first kiss.

Tara lay on top of Willow having tripped, accidentally knocking the redhead over with her. She had just returned from scouting about Sunnydale above their hatchway. She shivered, the ringing of the creature’s scream echoing in her mind. But now she lay on top of the woman she had unconditionally loved since the day in the library, although she had never had the bravery to show her how much. But she lay there, and she felt safe.

Willow spoke, her breath brushing warmly against Tara’s cheek.

“You’re cold.”

It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. And Tara moved her hand up to stroke through the redhead’s soft hair, her fingers grazing against the warm scalp.

“No.” She replied.

Willow shifted beneath her nervously. “Yes you are, you shivered, and shivering means that you’re cold, unless you have a fever. Tara! Do you have a fever? Cause fevers are bad, they make you think that you’re cold, whereas your skin actually burns up. They also mean lots and lots of bad yucky germs which-” Tara’s soft hand touched her on the lips, stopping the babble..

“Will? Shut up.” She gathered up all her courage and kissed Willow gently on the mouth. Feeling Willow’s body tense up beneath her she stopped, pulling back and looking down at the redhead.

“Oh my…”Willow exhaled, gazing up at the beautiful blond on top of her. She reached up and traced the smooth curve of Tara’s cheek, her finger trailing across her jaw and down her neck tenderly. Tara moaned softly, leaning in to the caress.

“Willow…” She dropped her head, burying her face into Willow’s neck, nuzzling the short hairs on the base of her scalp. “Willow…” She moaned again.

Willow turned her head to the side, her nose coming in contact with Tara’s ear. She kissed it gently, wrapping her arms around Tara’s waist, pulling her down even harder upon her body. “My Tara” she murmured into the ear. The words sending another shiver through Tara’s body.

“I am you know.” Tara raised her head, peering down fondly into the greens eyes that looked back at her.

“What?” Willow ran her hands up Tara’s strong back, rubbing the muscles, cradling her head, before moving down to rest on her shoulders.

“Yours.” Smiling up at her, Willow placed her hand against the back of Tara’s head, pulling her down, their lips meeting in a more passionate kiss than before. She could feel the girl’s hands in her hair, massaging as they kissed, and she pulled harder against Tara’s head, forcing their mouths closer together. She ran her tongue along Tara’s bottom lip, and she felt Tara’s tongue returning the gesture. She felt Tara’s thigh nudge up between her legs, and she moaned, breaking their kiss, pushing herself down against the thigh softly.

“Is this ok?” Tara stammered, although she knew Willow’s reaction was too good to be true. She ran her fingers over Willow’s chin and down her neck repeatedly, as if testing her tangibility.

“Perfect.” Willow replied, and Tara sighed, smiling contentedly, before lowering her head to rest it once again in the crook of Willow’s shoulder. Willow’s hands cradled her gently, one behind her neck, and the other wrapped around her waist. Willow smiled into Tara’s hair and shut her eyes. They lay like that, wrapped in each other’s arms until sleep took them.

Tara snapped out of the memory when she felt the body beneath her move. She was amazed at how similar their present positions were, except that this Willow couldn’t remember who she was. The realisation struck Tara hard, and she rolled off the girl beneath her, apologising profusely.

~.~.~.~.~.~

[SJ]

Great update!

[Zampsa1975]

Excellent update-y goodness... So now Willow & Scooby Gang is in "Bad" Sunnudale... I hope Willow soon learns the benefits of having Tara as her girlfriend...