(JUst a quick note of explaination here for the divisions this gets posted here on the kitten in - Kath and I dont like to make the updates on here too large and so like to break parts down for you - if at any time you go to the website to read the story - all of what has been posted so far will be Shadows of Twilight part one. I hope that makes some kind of sense. I think i only made a point of saying this because I loose count on the 'scene number' so easily and wanted to make some kind of excuse up for myself I think
Oooh and quick notes for people - (and i know this is Kaths job - but I'm feeling extra brave today so just wanted to say hi
I too love the cheese man - mainly it has to be said for his cheese
Fairest Jennpurr - Oh my yes a kiss from her would be as sweet as... Opps Kath sweetie - no where near as sweet as yours *blush*
Everyone - thank you so much for coming along with us on our season seven ride - your company is so greatly appreciated.
Okay the update....
Giles carried the glass of chilled white liquid through to the living room and the blonde who was propped comfortably on it.
“I thought perhaps something nutritious.” He offered as he placed the glass down on the table within her reach. “I firmly believe that Buffy assumes the amount of milk in one of those speciality coffees is actually the recommended daily dosage of calcium.”
“You mean it isn’t?” Tara smiled softly at the Watcher.
“How are you feeling?” He smiled back and asked the serious question.
“Honestly?” The blonde asked reluctantly.
“Please.” Giles nodded.
“A little confused and a lot helpless.” Tara looked down as if her admittance somehow made her a bad person.
Giles watched on for a moment feeling his own helplessness when he couldn’t immediately provide her with answers to quell her confusion, nor could he properly relieve her fears of the future.
“M-M-M-Mr. Giles?” Tara looked up slightly and he looked at her hoping she would continue. “Who was Glory?”
“She was a Hell God.” He answered succulently. “How much do you remember?”
“Nothing.” Tara shook her head.
“Glorificus came because Dawn posses a power to forge gateways between hell dimensions and it was that power that she needed to return home.” He recounted his face sad.
“Dawnie?” Tara’s blue eyes went wide.
“Dawn before she was given to Buffy for protection was a ball of energy aptly named the Key. Monks forged her into a human form to hide her from Glorificus.” Giles turned slowly to meet blue eyes.
“But she found her.” Tara tried her hardest to take his information in stride.
Giles nodded unable to bring himself to tell the young blonde of the horror she herself had gone through but at this moment didn’t remember.
“Willow told me...” Tara nervously toyed with her hands in her lap. “Willow said that she hurt me, is that true?”
“Yes.” Giles swallowed hard feeling his throat close up. “She hurt you because you would not tell her that Dawn was indeed the key. You were quite literally the bravest amongst us all.” He stepped a bit closer.
“Did anyone else get hurt?” Tara asked softly.
“All of us in one way or another.” Giles sat down on the coffee table to look at her, the move showing his overwhelming focus on the memory.
“I’m sorry.” Tara whispered.
“My dear child you did nothing to be sorry for.” Giles instantly shook his head. “In all of it you proved time and time again your loyalty and if I had not been too much of a foolish old man I would have foreseen how far Willow would go in order to save you.”
“How far did she go?” Tara shivered slightly.
“Attempting to punish Glory for hurting you was the first time she fully used the dark magicks.” He hung his head shamefully.
“So I have been as much the cause of Willow’s pain as I have been the cure.” Tara looked up her blue eyes filled with anguish.
“No.” Giles shook his head looking up again. “There was no right or wrong path then Tara, there was only desperation and a battle we were very steadily losing.”
“But we won, in the end?” Tara tried to find some solace.
“Yes, we saved the world.” Giles looked up at the blonde unable to focus for a moment as the slight of her cradling Willow as she sobbed by Buffy’s broken body burnt through his mind.
“It’s when we lost Buffy isn’t it.” Tara closed her eyes for a moment as the glimpse of a memory flashed into her head.
“Yes, her blood closed the portal. It had to be either her or Dawn.” Giles frowned again.
“Forgive me for my next question.” Tara said softly and Giles nodded for her to continue. “I remember you but I remember you here but you weren’t here.” Tara frowned not sure she was making herself clear.
“You mean because I left for England and then came back after Buffy was resurrected? Only to leave again.” Giles hoped that was what she was thinking of.
“Yes, that is I didn’t know I didn’t remember all the here and there but why aren’t you here anymore?” Tara smiled still hoping she made sense.
“I have convinced myself of the strange notion that I am not needed.” Giles admitted softly.
“Not needed?” Tara looked up. “Buffy and Dawn lost their mother, I lost mine, I don’t think Anya has parents, Xander seems to wish he didn’t and Willow, well I’m not sure about Willow. It seems to me that the one thing we’re lacking here is a dad, I mean not that I say that to make you feel bad.” Tara instantly panicked.
“Actually your the first person whose made me feel better about it.” Giles smiled at her broadly. “Do you really think I’m that needed?” He questioned hopefully.
“This might sound selfish but right now I think I need you. I mean I don’t remember what you used to think of me or anything like that but I feel like I can trust you and well Buffy has enough to worry without…” Tara began trying to explain.
“I have always thought you were a lovely young woman.” Giles assured her. “And I would be happy to stay.”
“But?” Tara looked at the Watcher giving him the chance to find an escape route.
“I have no but.” He shook his head and with that Tara’s smile was brightened.
“Do you think I will remember?” She asked running her hand down the length of her skirt.
“I honestly don’t know Tara.” Giles shook his head softly. “But I do promise you that we will do all we can to get you whatever answers are out there.”
“I’m not the priority.” Tara shook her head.
“And we will do what we can to assist you in drawing Willow back.” Giles pulled off his glasses. “I have been researching with ever coven and oracle I can find to see if it is possible to release the magic inside her.”
“Do you really think there is still magic there?” She asked softly.
“We overloaded her with light magic too...” Giles pushed his glasses back on as he offered the explanation but stopped short. “You don’t think there is?” He read her look.
“She says there isn’t.” Tara revealed the small fact that Willow had passed to her that morning. Giles’ face turned thoughtful for a few moments as he contemplated things.
“Hey what’s going on here?” The Slayer’s voice cut through the quiet as she and Madalene appeared.
“Oh Buffy.” Giles stood up and straightened out his waistcoat.
“Oh Giles.” Buffy repeated his phrase. “And I ask again…” She looked at the watcher her eyes hardening. “What’s going on here?”
“We were just discussing history.” Giles held her glare as she repeated. “And ways to help Willow.”
“Oh!” Some of the wind was taken out of Buffy’s sails with this answer. “Come up with any?” She added quietly.
“Tara has suggested perhaps that it is a total lack of magical energy within Willow in contrast to the continued magical overload that is the root of some problems.” He tried to explain. “That perhaps we’ve been looking for the wrong answer.”
“No witch can have a complete lack of magical energy.” Madalene’s voice betrayed her concern more than she had intended.
“What?” Buffy screwed her face up a little.
“She talks of holes, inside her.” Tara spoke up.
“I mean technically it could happen but it would be...” Madalene floundered. “It would be like going blind or deaf or dumb suddenly. All the other senses would try to compensate for the overload, though unlike our natural senses the compensation wouldn’t be productive.”
“Okay but maybe I am hearing everything really wrong here but we can’t really be discussing putting magical energy back into Willow?” Buffy’s eyes grew wide.
“We aren’t discussing doing anything of yet.” Giles shook his head. “We are merely realizing that perhaps there is a different avenue that deserves exploration and if we fully perceive this to be Willow’s problem the best way to correct it.”
“But she’s better, I mean she’s better than she was and with Tara here won’t that just make her better in time?” Buffy looked at Giles.
“We can’t know that.” Tara said softly. “If part of Willow’s problem has to do with this magical energy, I can’t do anything about that.”
“What did you do to her?” Madalene stared at the older Watcher contempt and horror running thickly in her voice.
“I’m sorry?” Giles looked over to he spellcaster a little taken back by her tone.
“What did you do to her?” Madalene repeated the phrase not editing even one syllable.
“To Willow?” Giles looked for some element of clarification.
“Yes.” The spellcaster nodded.
“We did what was necessary, forced her to consume light magical energy to nullify the dark energy she was running on.” Giles replied, wondering why the spellcaster wasn’t aware of this as of yet.
“I’m sorry but are you insane or just profoundly stupid?” Madalene reached a hand up to her temple visibly shaken as she made the accusation.
“I beg your pardon.” Giles frowned hard.
“The most primary magic user knows that light and dark do not nullify one another, they work in tandem. For the forces that work to bring chaos must exist for the forces that work to bring order to exist and vice versa.” Madalene chastised him. “You’ve put her in limbo, you’ve detached her from the natural order.”
“We did what was necessary and it was not my decision. Now I appreciate that you may be from and ancient family, who we know little about, but I can assure you that the highest most competent covens in the world made the decision of how to help Willow, how to stop her road to destruction.” Giles rose angrily to the argument. “You may not know this Madalene but Willow was on the edge of destroying everything you see around you.” He added in a slightly more controlled tone. “She had already become a murderer.”
“Okay I really think this conversation could climb down a few steps on the aggressive ladder and still be classed as dangerous, so do you two want to tone it down?” Buffy stepped forward and glanced between Madalene and Giles.
“I think perhaps Buffy is right.” Madalene took a quick breath and tried to shake the tension from her body.
“Oh believe me I know I am right.” Buffy flashed a quick look to guide Madalene’s eyes to the couch where Tara had gone very pale and pulled herself into a small corner of the soft cushioned seat.
“I’m sorry Tara, I was out of line.” Madalene apologized to the blonde softly as she moved over and sat down.
Tara shook her head and made a definite effort to relax her anxiety tensed muscles but the heavy atmosphere in the room made it impossible for the blonde to relax.
“Giles, I need a chat.” Buffy looked up at her Watcher. “Perhaps you could make me tea.” The Slayer looked off towards the kitchen.
“But you don’t...” Giles went to contradict her. “Yes, of course.” He nodded and moved regretfully towards the kitchen.
******