New fic: Dark Core

[Washi]

Hey all! Thanks a lot for the feedback and for reading this. Here are replies, and I'll post the update later tonight.



sabina: Hey! Yeah, late is always better. I'm glad you liked the update. Thanks for your compliments. Yep, update soon. Thanks.



BloodSuckinFiend: Hey! The rear can be a cool place to be sometimes. I'm thinking the bouncing is abut to stop tonight. For a while at least. I'm glad you liked the update. Thanks for the congrats on Playtime, not everyone here knows about that, so I'll announce it:



Playtime won 3 awards:

The Feels Like Awards in the best F/F slash,

The Shades of Grey in best Conventional PWP fic,

The Fancy Me Yours for the Best Conventional Fic.



I'm real proud.



Thanks a lot Elmo.



thebardgirl: Hey! at your babble! I'm glad you liked the update. What's wrong with your leg? I do hope you feel better! Thanks and I hope you'll enjoy the rest!



littlecrazy80: Hey you! I'm glad the interaction between the characters worked. I'm glad you like it, and I do hope you'll enjoy the next update.



Grimlock72: Hey you! Late is better than never here.

Quote:

---

Lots of nice and cute stuff in there, although "my last heartbeat was for you" sounded all wrong to me. Especially that "last" part of it.

---

Wow, u didn't like it? Or you think it sounded wrong? Because Willow's last heart beat before her heart arrested was of Tara.

Quote:

---

She fell into darkness, the last image in her mind that of Tara’s smile earlier that night.

---

Indeed, a person who has the choice to hurt or not hurt someone is more evil than a person who doesn't have the choice. Yeah, Jonathan is on my list too.



Thanks a lot for your comments, and all your questions will be answered. Hope you enjoy the rest.



slayer obsession: Hey you! I'm so glad you left me a note, I thought you weren't following anymore.

I totally agree with you. Willow has just been through something terrible, and it's not the time to wonder. Life is short, you have to live it. Carpe Diem, if you will.

But they need to talk about what's happening and what happened, or the break up would be completely worthless. They need to realize they have grown and they understand more.

Thanks you for the feedback, and I hope you'll like the rest of the fic.



Update later tonight!

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB



.:Dark-bliss.net :..:My blog:..:Blood and Ink:.

[Grimlock72]

Washi,



==

Quote:

Lots of nice and cute stuff in there, although "my last heartbeat was for you"

sounded all wrong to me. Especially that "last" part of it.



Wow, u didn't like it? Or you think it sounded wrong? Because Willow's last heart beat before her heart arrested was of Tara.

--



You misunderstood me (I think); it not that I mind Willow's heart beating for Tara. It's more that the 'last heartbeat' sounds rather fatal and hence is not a good thing Hearts are not supposed to stop beating at such a young age you know :-)



The line itself is very sweet, it's just the very idea of Willow having a 'LAST heartbeat' that sounds not so good. I want Willow's heart to beat for quite some years, thank you very much .



Hopefully that clears it up. Nothing wrong with your writing, more with me worrying about Willow... I tend to do that a lot :-).



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

[Taras Shadow]

Hey Washi baby,



I just wanted to let you know I'm still following with this story. Nope, I have not forgot about it, hell, this story is too good to forget.



I'm in love with this fic, I love everything about it. Yes, it has strong angst in it, but dude, those little heart felt moments...



Still your faithful reader,



~Holly~

"I've got this ache, and I thought it was for sex, but it's to tear everything to fucking pieces." Ginger - Ginger Snaps

"I am a tongue whore...you gave me tongue, what am I supposed to do...sit back and keep my mouth shut?" -Me-

"I know who you really are...you're the one who cries when you're alone." - Where Will You Go? - Evanescence

[TexanZeppo256]

Hallo!



I realize that most of my posts recently have been kinda bitca-ish, but I'd like to make up for that by saying that I absolutely love this fic: it is one of the great fics on this board that I check the board daily for updates.



I love this fic because of the angst that most people don't like. As you may or may not be aware of, I am a HUGE angst junkie, and as such I love the trauma that Willow and Tara are going through. Or rather, I love how they're overcoming it together despite their fears and mistrust for eachother through their undeniable love. Cause if I just liked the trauma by itself, that would make me a masochist.



And that would be bad



Anyways, just wanted to let ya know that I adore your fic.



Dosvidaniya!

---------------------------------



There she is! There she is... ahh... Not so wounded as we were led to believe... So much the better. --Khan, "Star Trek II: WOK"



From The Land of Tolerance,

---The Texan Zeppo

[Washi]

Final replies:



Grimlock72: Oh, okay! I get it, yeah, Willow actually talking about her "last" heartbeat is sad. I get your point. Thanks and Enjoy!



Taras Shadow: Hey baby! You know, we totally miss you! I do a lot. If you're ever around, get your ass in the kitten chat! I'm glad you like it baby, and I'm still reading NANLT. Thanks baby, and enjoy!



TexanZeppo256: Hey you! Wow, thanks so much for all your compliments! Dark Core? one of the great fics? Made me soo happy!

I do know you're an angst affectionato, and I'm glad you find this good. Thanks a lot.





TITLE: Dark Core 8/?

AUTHOR: Washi (ZWS)

EMAIL: washi@dark-bliss.net

RATING: R, to be safe.

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the characters, Joss does or whoever. If I owned them, do you really think I would let season 6 happen? And why the hell would I be writing this?

So yeah, all belongs to Joss, ME etc...

The lyrics in this piece are owned by their respective owners.

SPOILERS: Season 6, Older and Far Away. It veers off cannon afterwards.

FEEDBACK: I love it, I live for it, either here or by email, although here is better.

ARCHIVE: It's on Blood and Ink. Ask and ye shall receive.

ANGST: Be carefull kittens, the ride is gonna be really angsty, and I'm not kidding here.

Thanks: Many thank yous to YMKA and Taras Shadow for their help, and also to bzengo and FIRESIGN.

NOTES: I don't have a beta in the real sense, but YMKA and Holly helped me along. Thanks again girls. All mistakes are mine.



Thoughts are in < > as always. Flashbacks, song lyrics and such are in italics.



Many thank-yous to FIRESIGN.



*****



Willow woke up to the sound of cutlery and of people bustling around. She opened one eye and looked around furtively, thinking of maybe finding a demon standing beside her, making all the noise. She opened both eyes and looked at the nurse who was setting up Willow’s lunch.



“Hi.” she said, flicking her chestnut hair back over her shoulders. “I hope you’re well rested.” she continued, smiling.



“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks.”



The nurse eyed Willow up and down, taking in her features.



Willow thought.



“I’m Kathy.” she finally said, resting her hazel eyes on Willow’s green ones.



“Willow.” she replied, trying subtly to make Kathy understand she wasn’t interested by replying shortly.



“Willow, that’s a beautiful name. It suits you.” Kathy replied, continuing to bustle around.



Willow noticed that her food platter was ready but that Kathy didn’t seem like going away anytime soon. She looked around, trying to find an escape route. Her eyes finally rested on Tara, who was starting to wake up.



*****



Two voices were starting to rouse Tara from her slumber. One she recognized immediately as Willow’s, but the other was unknown, feminine and flirtatious.



“Do you want me to help you with that?” the woman was asking Willow flirtatiously.



Jealousy flared inside of Tara.



Tara opened her eyes and saw the intense relief wash in her lover’s green depths. She turned around and saw the shapely brunette nurse.



“Hello.” Tara greeted her coldly. She turned and looked at Willow.



“How are you feeling?”



“I’m okay and you baby?” Willow asked, stressing out the word ‘baby’.



“I’m good sweetie.” Tara replied, staking her claim by moving up and kissing Willow firmly on the mouth. After a second, she opened her mouth and urged Willow’s tongue inside in a tender, loving kiss. She pulled away and looked at Willow’s green eyes, dancing merrily.



Tara settled back in her seat, a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she looked at the nurse’s disappointed eyes. She saw the lunch platter by Willow’s table and eyed the nurse.



“Willow sweetie, can you sit up some? Lunch is here and you need to eat.”



Willow nodded and pushed a button on her bed, raising herself to a half-sitting position. Tara moved and sat down near Willow’s legs before taking the lunch tray and putting it on the little shelf-like table that was attached to the bed. She sent the nurse a dirty look and Kathy took the look for what it was. A warning.



“Well, I’ll be leaving now. I’ll be back later to take the tray.”



Tara nodded wordlessly and forked up some of the food for Willow before offering it to her. Willow took it gratefully, her arms feeling heavy.

Hospital food was exactly how Willow pictured it. Stale and bland.



“Yuck. They’re trying to kill me with this stuff.”



Tara put on her resolve-face. “Willow, you need to eat this. It’s a balanced meal and you need the proteins and vitamins and the potassium.”



Willow pouted. Tara stuck out her chin even more. Willow sighed. “Fine, but I want some good food in a few days. I will not eat this kind of stuff for more than it’s necessary. I know my rights.” she continued, grinning.



Tara smiled and started feeding Willow again. “Sweetie, you’re gonna have to eat balanced meals for a long while, and I’ll make sure of that. I’ll make some non-yucky stuff.”



“Woo and Hoo.”



“I’m gonna take care of you.”



The simple sentence made Willow’s smile falter and she had to ask Tara the question that had been playing around in her mind.



“Tara?”



“Um.”



“Are… are you doing this because I took care of you after Glory?” Willow asked, biting her lower lip.



Tara looked into Willow’s eyes and put down the fork. “No, I’m doing this because I love you. And as your girlfriend, I’m gonna take care of you. That’s what girlfriends do.”



“Girlfriend? You wanna get back with me after all I did?” Willow asked, secretly wanting Tara to say yes, but at the same time wanting to be punished somehow for her wrong doings.



“Willow, what you did was wrong, we both know that. But, I can see how hard you’re trying to get rid of the magic, and I’m really proud of you. Sweetie, I almost lost you last night, and that made me realize that here, on the Hellmouth, time is too precious to wait and do things slowly. I love you Willow, I… I never stopped. Even when we were apart I loved you.”



The flash of pain in Tara’s eyes wasn’t lost on Willow.



a part of her told her.



Another part of Willow however, told her to take this chance to make everything right again.







Willow took a deep breath and started in a serious voice. “Tara, I’m gonna be perfectly honest with you. I’ve changed…”



“Is th-there s-someone el-else?” Tara asked, terrorized by the thought.



“What? No! There is no one else! What I meant is…”



“Don’t you want m-me an-anymore?” Tara stuttered, her face paling.



“I so want you! Hey, if I wasn’t in this hospital bed, I’d get up and ravish you! Please baby, let me talk.”



Tara nodded.



“I’ve changed, we both have. I know how much I screwed up, and sorry doesn’t cut it at all. I won’t ask for your forgiveness, because what I did is too horrible to be forgiven, I don’t deserve it. You… you should hate me for what I did. I hate myself for what I did. I would totally understand if you just walk away now, I mean, you don’t need this. And I don’t deserve you if you do want to take me back. But, what I can do is promise you to never treat you like the junior member in our relationship, to try to make it up to you daily for the rest of our lives, no matter how short they may be, and to never take the easy way out. I can’t promise you to never hurt you because in a relationship, even if it’s unintentional, people hurt each other. I promise you to always talk things out before getting mad or upset. And, last thing I promise to ask for help when I need it. That’s all I can give you. My heart, body and soul are already yours. That’s all I can give you.” Willow repeated, knowing her words were true.



Tara listened to Willow’s speech, and was somewhat comforted by it. Her heart soared, and she knew that she and Willow could work through everything like mature people. She knew she could trust her.



she realized.



“Willow, that’s all I ask. I’m not going to start a speech by telling you how much what you did hurt me. You know what that did to me. I’m willing to trust you again, but I have to tell you that this is your last chance, our last chance to be an ‘us’. Do you understand me?”



“I so do. I’ll never ever do anything like that ever again. I understand why I did it now, why I acted like such a monster. Dawnie made me realize the exact reason.”



“How about we talk about that some other day? For now, you should eat and rest and focus on getting better. Okay?” Tara asked, forking up some more food.



Willow took the offered bite and chewed it before swallowing. She nodded, and then pouted.



“Getting better involves smoochies.”



Tara smiled and leant up to kiss Willow lightly. Their lips brushed against each other slowly, reinstating their connection. Tara sat back, a smile gracing her face and Willow smiled back happily.



“So, are you planning on telling me on why that nurse was flirting with you?” Tara asked.



“Aww, is my Tara jealous? Don’t worry baby, I only have eyes for you. Even in my fantasies, it’s only you. And please, she was tacky. I’m in a hospital bed for God’s sake. So not the usual social flirting place.” Willow said, scrunching up her nose.



“Good. Because I better be the only one in your fantasies.” Tara replied, kissing Willow’s nose.



“Ohh! Well, not just you you.” Willow said. Tara raised an eyebrow. “There’s also Take-charge Tara, Leather-clad Tara, Possessive butch Tara, Honey-sweet Tara, Vixeny Tara, Slutty Tara, Submissive Tara, Dominatrix Tara and a whole lotta other Taras.” Willow continued, grinning.



Tara grinned. “I have some similar ones. My own little Willow-filled porn land.”



“I’d rather not have heard that last bit of information.” An English voice said from the doorway.



Both girls turned around.



“Giles!” Willow squeaked.



He walked into the room, smiling softly at Tara, who was blushing to the roots of her hair.



“Willow, I came as soon as I heard.” he said, lightly hugging her.



“Hello M-Mister Giles.” Tara greeted, receiving a hug of her own.



“Hello Tara.” he replied, smiling fondly at her. He turned to Willow. “How are you doing?”



Willow glanced at Tara and back at Giles. “Well, I, I’m better now. It’s weird for me to be in a hospital for a heart attack at twenty though. That thing about seeing your life pass before your eyes? That’s true.” she replied, trying to smile to reassure Tara.



“Now, the big question is how are you feeling?” he asked, his dark eyes boring into hers. He knew that she understood the question.



“I… I don’t know. I… um, I almost died Giles. When my heart was stopping, and all I could feel was pain. Not only physical, but also emotional. I was going to die without seeing Xander and Anya get married, without graduating or seeing Dawn graduate from high school, without having Tara back in my life, without us getting married… . I died for a few seconds and I came back and… and… I’m afraid, because I don’t wanna die, I wanna stay here. I’m so afraid Giles.” Willow said, tears running down her face.



Tara immediately engulfed Willow in the safety of her arms, rocking her and cooing in her ear. She looked at Giles and he saw her own tear-streaked face. He stood there, not really knowing what to say or do. His stoic shell was crumbling at seeing two of his girls suffering. He felt himself taking one step towards them and suddenly, he engulfed them both into a hug. He understood that Willow hadn’t entirely realized the seriousness of her ‘accident’ and that now, it had finally sunk in. The whole Scooby circle, except Spike of course, were the children he had never had, and it broke his heart to see one of his daughters suffer from a heart attack so young.

He did not know how long he held them as they poured forth the tears, and he didn’t care. When he left for England, he didn’t know how much he’d miss them. They had become, after all his family, and he chastised himself inwardly for leaving them to fend off alone. They were too young to face the world’s darkness on their own, and they had seen so much of it already. He decided right then to move back to Sunnydale to look after his children, to make sure they had everything they needed and all the help they could get from him.

The crying finally came to an end, and Giles stepped back, slightly ashamed of the tears that were now staining his face. He pulled out a crisp white cotton hanker-chief and dabbed his tears discreetly while the two girls were composing themselves.



“Thanks Giles. I think that I was trying to be all stiff upper-lip-y. Dawn would’ve freaked out if she’d seen me crying my eyes out.” Willow said lightly as she finished wiping her eyes.



“Willow, you must start to think about yourself. If you feel like breaking down, revealing your pain, you should. During the harsh times we leant on you Willow and you never let us down. You can’t keep trying to be strong for us. You should take it easy. Let us be strong for you.” Giles said, his voice soothing, caring and kind.



Tara nodded, excitement clearly written all over her face. Willow looked at her and chuckled before yawning. “Oops, sorry, I guess I’m more tired than I thought. I’m sleepy.”



“Good, I’ll be going then Willow. I will come back later. Just rest for now.” Giles said before making a quick exit.



*****



TBC...

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB



.:Dark-bliss.net :..:My blog:..:Blood and Ink:.

[bluewillowwitch]

Washi ,

I love this fic! I don't believe that that nurse was hitting on in the hospital. I totally agree, that is tacky. being all jealous was cute. Giles looked like he was ready to fall apart himself. Can't wait to more. Update soon, please?





Grace

-----------------------------------------

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[YMKA]

Yo Dude



Really...to wake up and see that a nurse is checking you out... that's creapy man....LOL.. Bad Bad Nurse... plus hello!!!! a girlfriend's sleeping right next to her!!!! I mean... she must know that not everyone will be allowed to stay during ...well...not visiting hours...geee...

But ya gotta love jealous Tara "" <----

I loved Willow/Tara talk....Tara's being afraid that Willow doesn't want her or found someone else was intresting. Even after all they've been thru together...she's still a little bit insecure huh?...and stuttering....I always thought....and well I still think...that the key to a good....great relationship is..well..talking....when you talk...you can solve anything (at least you can try....)

Giles walking in and hearing Tara ..."My own little Willow-filled porn land" was waaaaaaaay cute....lmao Poor Tara....

Willow, Tara and Giles crying together was a really nice touch... because before each Scoobie was in their pain all by themselves....they didn't let in other people... and here all three of them are crying together....Dunno, I just found it to be a really cool thing...cool me crazy

Keep it up man....it's simply adorable...love every single update.....Thanks for posting.

Love,



M.

---------------------

"..I feel you, I taste you, I cannot forget, everytime it rains I get wet..." (c) Ace of Base

"I want to go back to...Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all.."(c) Evanescence

[willow fan7]

I sooo cannot believe that nurse hit on Willow...in a HOSPITAL...oh well...I was grinning so widely when Tara woke up. You have got to love how Tara staked her claim...Loved the update...more soon?

[allykat]

Another excellent update!



That tacky nurse...tsk.. but you have got to love jealous Tara!!



This made me go all

Quote:

---

My own little Willow-filled porn land.”“I’d rather not have heard that last bit of information.” An English voice said from the doorway.

---

Poor Tara, all embarrassed





Keep up the great work!

[sabina]

Hi Washi



I loved this update



It was really touching



That nurse hiting on Willow... But it was fun to see Tara staking her claim on Willow

And it is nice that Giles is finally giving more support to Willow.



More soon?

---

"I know I was born and I know that I'll die.

The in between is mine.

I am mine!" - Pearl Jam

[Grimlock72]

Amazing, hitting on a woman who's recovering from a heart-attack.. can't you wait a bit ? Other then that, I would have thought Tara sleeping in the corner would have made it rather obvious Willow is not on the free market so to speak Besides I thought Willow looked rather not-so-nice at the moment, probably all pale and bruised... ah well.



Jealous Tara is fun though, if only because she sometimes comes across as being so good and pure :-) (not specificly this fic. mind you). Nothing wrong with staking your claim, if anything it proves to Willow that Tara still wants her.



I noticed that Willow did give a long list of Tara's she dreams about, rather fast... it must be a well preserved memory for her : --> . Got to wonder which Tara she dreams of most, heh..



Willow remembering how her heart stopped beating and the things she would never get to do was touching and sad . Did anybody else notice the 'married' part there by the way ? Seems Willow has big plans still, or at least had. It will take some time to get over that horrible almost-died experience I guess.



Giles' entry was great, nice effect and yet soooo brittish. I suppose it doesn't come as a suprise I agree with everything he said ?? . Esp. this "Willow, you must start to think about yourself." is important for Willow to understand. Yep, I VERY MUCH agreed with everything Giles said there.



Hopefully Giles will convince the other scoobies of what he just said, maybe even kick them a little for letting this get so far out of control. Whatever happens Willow will still need time and rest to recover anyway, so Buffy will have to do most of the staking anyway... no way around that ('cos I think Tara will stay close to Willow for some time at least).



I'm curious how the magic stuff will play out. Impatiently waiting for that, mostly because it's the part I hate most about season 6... that and the very idea of the ungratefull scoobies... I'll stop fuming now .



I'll go think up some more ways to end Jonathan's pathetic existence.... : -->



Great update, thanks !!



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

Edited by: Grimlock72 at: 11/16/03 5:16 am

[LostWithoutTara]

Hey Washi!



That was a great update!



First, the nurse. I agree with Willow, it was tacky of her to try to hit on a hospitalised Willow, but I suppose you can't really blame her for trying.



The interactions between Willow and Tara were heartwarming, always good to see them get some of these issues out into the open instead of bottling them up and then exploding a la Tough Love. I was pleased that Tara was still firm with Willow, making her aware that this represents her last chance for them to be a couple again.



The parts with Giles were lovely too, and it was hilarious when he walked in to hear Tara's 'Willow-filled porn land' comment.



Can't wait to read more!

Every time you walk away, I pretend that I'm okay

[littlecrazy80]

I can´t believe that this nurse was really hitting on Willow in a hospital. Jealous Tara was fun.

Quote:

---

"My own little Willow-filled porn land.”

---

I´m glad that Giles is coming back to Sunnydale.



*lil´c*

Let´s get happy and let´s be gay. germany´s grand prix song



Check this out

[FunGirl]

Great update Washi!



I'm glad Tara and Willow got the 'does she still love me?' part over with. Tara just bumped that nurse to the curb and staked her claim to Willow. Willow being honest and asking Tara why she was taking care of her was good too. Nicely done.

I'm glad to see Giles back too. I can't wait to see what comes next!

[intricate mirage]

Helloooo Washi!!!



Update-y goodness and still with no angsty stuff, aww dude, you setting me high up on the happy mountain now only to have me tumbling down badly later on eh? Ahh nothing I can't handle, I shall treasure these good times for now



Now firstly... The. Nurse.

Bad nurse. Bad bad nurse.

Yes it was T.a.c.k.y. and she better not think about EVER trying that again now that Tara has staked her claim. And yes! Go Tara!!!



I'm glad that the first part of Willow's doubts are pushed out of the picture in this update and that Tara has reassured her that she's taking care of her because it's what girlfriends do

Quote:

---

“Willow, what you did was wrong, we both know that. But, I can see how hard you’re trying to get rid of the magic, and I’m really proud of you. Sweetie, I almost lost you last night, and that made me realize that here, on the Hellmouth, time is too precious to wait and do things slowly. I love you Willow, I… I never stopped. Even when we were apart I loved you.”

---

When I read this bit, this thought popped up in my head 'It's too late to realise the importance of what you had after you've lost it.' Yup, I'm glad Tara has not only realised it, but most importantly, Willow is still around for her to cherish and love



I loved Willow's speech. Very deep. She has definitely come a long way and has finally managed to work things out in that head of hers. It's very real, the things she's saying to Tara, she's not trying to gloss things over and make everything seem perfect as they were in the past. She has accepted that things have happened and nothing is going to change that. And that somewhere along the way, there will be quarrels and strifes, but nothing the two of them can't work out they've got each other now. Wonderfully written. Superbly done Washi!

Quote:

---

“Ohh! Well, not just you you.” Willow said. Tara raised an eyebrow. “There’s also Take-charge Tara, Leather-clad Tara, Possessive butch Tara, Honey-sweet Tara, Vixeny Tara, Slutty Tara, Submissive Tara, Dominatrix Tara and a whole lotta other Taras.” Willow continued, grinning.



Tara grinned. “I have some similar ones. My own little Willow-filled porn land.”

---

You have certainly filled my mind with many delicious and wonderful images to last me for about a good month of so



Giles, good on him! He is coming back His situation is somewhat like Buffy's in my perception. Buffy getting 'real' again and Giles coming to terms that in Sunnydale, it's where his family is. He can't just walk away from them, he loves them. And I for one, am really glad. Giles, father figure, definitely makes a world of a difference.



Wonderful update once again Washi Eagerly anticipating your next update

Cassie





Ask me if I loved you yesterday. I'll say 'Yes'

Ask me if I love you today. I'll say 'Yes'

Ask me if I'll love you tomorrow. I'll say 'Always'

[Karmah]

Washi

Hey you Great update. I loved the nurse part but Hey just cause I maybe checked out a patient or two ...so doesn't make me a perv geeesh. lol (J/K baby) and hummmmm Tara in leather hmmmm Tara as a vixen and a Willow porn land hummm...............

and OMG I loved Giles speech that almost made me cry but I remembered to maintain my bearing but you almost did it lol that was heart breaking Loved the update I am awaiting more soonish plz I can't wait a whole week thats just cruel and mean spirted lol



Love

Arron

What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

~ by Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

[Sleek]

Love it



Love it!



Love it:



I love how you craft this story. Love seeing the Scoobies through different and more realistic POVs than in THAT show (Buffy seeing her friends as heroes, Dawn seeing the real Willow behind junkie Willow, etc..).



I love the dialogue between Willow and Tara in the hospital room. Sweet, tender, and so much like them. Thank you for writing this.



Sleek

[barnabasvamp]

Wonderful update!



Seeing another person in the room should have given the nurse a clue Tara's little posessive response was too cute!



Look forward to more.

BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West

[chewy 19]

Bad Nurse



Can't wait for more.

Gina



----------

"I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time." ~~~ Charlie Brown

[BloodSuckinFiend]

what a great update washi!!



I love how you take the story from sweet, sexy, and funny, all the way to heart wrenching, just within one update!



Awaiting your next update! Time to bounce



~elmo

______________

~ "I don't know how to behave around women of the opposite sex." - Space Ghost

[SJ]

Flirty nurse hitting on Willow

Great update

[sam darls]

Washi........Hehe, See I told you I would read it, and read it I did!!! This was absolutely amazing, it was so full of emotion, and I laughed when Giles came in..hehe.. More, please? Love sammi xx

[snuggle79]

What an interesting nurse...my oh my. lol

I'm glad that Willow and Tara have finally talked it all out.

Great update!

snuggle79

This is how everyday should end and start ..and all the stuff in the middle

The greatest thing you'll learn, is just to love and be loved in return.

[gottalovewillow]

I don't believe I have yet replied to this fic....so now I am. I am really enjoying this story and am glad to see the girls working through the issues. And can I add that I too think it was totally tacky of the nurse to be hitting on Willow in the hospital. Although, if the situation presented itself, I might find myself guilty of the same crime! Honestly, who would be able to resist! Keep up the good work, looking forward to the next update!



Julie

[thebardgirl]

There's an update? why didn't anyone tell ME!!?? i think this happens to me waaaay too often....fine...fine...everyone pick on the cripple, what do i care? its not like i actually have anything better to do than read fanfic, no, i'm not applying to colleges or doing a play, or trying to understand the New Testament for english...*starts ranting and raving with fluid motions of arms and hands*........



oh HI washi! great fic!!



...i mean, so what if i have a wierd obsession with wombats or strange animals that no one can pronounce the name of correctly like Pheomalicauticasluis?......



i really loved the protective-Tara!!!



......So what if i prefer sardines to most tuna? Does that mean you can attack me with your silly string? i think not.....



and i hurt my knee badly while trying out for soccer, thanks for asking!



....in conclusion, people should be more wary of those parking meters that have bags on them with the words, "warning, hot food," because you never know what surprise lay beneath. Thankyou.





this fic's great! thanks washi!

-elizabeth p.s. can you tell how many advil i took today? cause i can't...

Last night in sweet slumber I dreamed I did see my own precious jewel sat smiling by me.

And when I awakened I found it not so; my eyes like some fountain with tears overflowed.

[arashi831]

Found this fic a week ago and I got hooked! I've prolly read it over and over again until another update is posted... So hope the chapters will be up anytime soon!

[Washi]

Hey everyone!

Update time is here... But, first replies:



bluewillowwitch: Hey Grace! I'm glad you love it, and I hope you'll kep loving it! Yeah, the nurse was totally tacky, but hey, Willow's a hottie, can you blame her? But we all know that Willow is Tara's only. I'm glad you liked jealous Tara. I'm also happy you liked this version of Giles. More human, but still stoic. Thanks.



YMKA: Yo! And I'm still a dudette, you know.

I too believe that communication is the key to a healthy relationship. Plus, they need to talk, to get things in the open.

I've always seen Giles as a father to all of them. And him crying with two of his girls is more realistic than him being stoic. He does have feelings, he just hides them really well.

I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you like the rest. Thanks.



willow fan7: Hey! Yeah, the way Tara staiks her claim was cool. I'm glad you liked it. More coming, later. Thanks.



allykat: Hey! Glad you liked the update. I'm happy you liked that part. Tara must've blushed to the roots of her hair.

Thanks.



sabina: Hey! I'm glad you liked the update and pretty much everything in it. And you missy, I want an update to the Artifact! I want it! More is coming, thanks.



Grimlock72: Hey!

Tara is good and pure, but she is human though, and as a person, there are many facets to her. I think in a way, she is good and pure, mainly because her intentions are never to hurt someone, you know? But even "good and pure" people get pissed or jealous or whatever.

Quote:

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Got to wonder which Tara she dreams of most, heh..

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Hey, maybe I'll write something about that in the Sex Journals or something else...



I didn't make Tara ask Willow about the 'married' part on purpose. Willow's upset, and it's not the time to be talking of such things when she's bawling her yes out. But, I'm not forgetting it, don't worry.



Hey, you thought Giles' entry was too British? Cause, well, I'm not British or American, so the way he spoke was purely my imagination. I'm glad you liked what he said though.



The magic part will come around very shortly, a couple of updates at most. I hope you don't hate me for it though. Oh well, guess I'll see when that happens.



Thanks for your detailed feedback. Hope you'll like the rest!



LostWithoutTara: Hey! I'm glad you liked it. Yeah, you can't really blame her. But, it was tacky.

Quote:

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The interactions between Willow and Tara were heartwarming, always good to see them get some of these issues out into the open instead of bottling them up and then exploding a la Tough Love. I was pleased that Tara was still firm with Willow, making her aware that this represents her last chance for them to be a couple again.

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Exactly! I want them to be a couple as much as anyone, hell, even more than some, but it's gotta have strong bases, otherwise, they'll just break up over nd over again, and that'd be a disaster. Tara needs to make herself clear, and I'm glad you liked it.



I'm also glad you liked Giles. I was kinda nervous because his character is kinda hard to write, and I'm not only talking about the English. But, hey, glad it worked. Thanks for all your thoughts.



littlecrazy80: Hey! I'm glad you liked jealous Tara. And hehehe, the Willow-filled porn land comment. Also glad you're liking Giles coming back. Thanks!



FunGirl: Hey! I'm glad you liked the whole update. Thanks for your thoughts and compliments, and you'll see what happens! Thanks.



intricate mirage: Hey! At first when I saw your feedback, I was like 'Whoa!' I'll go at it one at a time though, I love long ones.

Quote:

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you setting me high up on the happy mountain now only to have me tumbling down badly later on eh?

---

That's pretty much it.



I'm glad you liked the jealous Tara. She was fun to write, cause usually, Tara is all nice and gentle, and she almost went apeshit on the nurse.



As for the talk, it was time they had it. Like I've already said, a relationship needs strong bases, and by talking, you get that. Which is why I made Willow ask Tara why she was taking care of her. Also, you're right. You have to seize the day, or else, the occasion might slip between you fingers. And you could lose that person. Now, all of you, go to your girls, wives or partners, and tell them you love them. Now! It's good to remind the person you love that you do love them.

Dear god, I've turned into a sap.



I'm glad Willow's speech worked for you. Wow, Superbly done? If you say so, thanks for the compliment, made me laugh gleefully.



Hehehe, those images won't get out of my head.



Indeed, these people are Giles' family. He just forgot that for a while, and he needed something or someone to remind him.



I'm glad you liked it all, and hope you enjoy the rest.

Thanks.



Karmah: Hey Arron! Man, I almost made you cry? Almost? Gotta work better on that! And the patient thing, don't let A. hear ya. Thanks. p.s.: Never said I wasn't mean.



Sleek: Hey! Your praise has made a lot of my blood go to my cheeks. I'm glad you like the whole fic.

I'm trying to make this realistic, and not too stereotypical. People do have many faces, and many views. I've tried to put all this in. I'm glad it works for you, and glad you liked the interaction between our gals. Thank you Sleek, for your wonderul praise and comments.



barnabasvamp: Hey! I'm glad you liked it. Yes, the nurse should've thought, but hey, Tara could've been a best-friend or something like that. I'm glad you liked possessive Tara. Thanks and hope you'll enjoy the rest.



chewy 19: Hey! Bad bad nurse!

I'm glad you liked it, I hope you'll enjoy the rest and thanks.



BloodSuckinFiend: Hey!

Quote:

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I love how you take the story from sweet, sexy, and funny, all the way to heart wrenching, just within one update!

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I'm glad you think so. Really am. Update time is here, thanks for your praise Elmo!



SJ: Hey! I'm glad you liked it. The nurse really made people go bonkers, heh? Thanks



sam darls: Hey Sammi! I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for all your praise. I hope you'll enjoy the rest.



snuggle79: Hey! I'm glad you liked the talk and the update. Thanks and more is coming up!



gottalovewillow: Hey Julie and welcome! I'm glad you decided to tell me what you thought. I'm also glad you enjoyed the talk and the update. And yes, I think a ton of kittens would find themselves in the same position as the nurse. A littl flirting never hurt anyone, unless, of course, you take it too far and piss Tara off.

Thanks for your comments, and I hope you'll like the next part.



thebardgirl: Hey!

Well, when I update, I always post in the updates thread, so checking there might be helpfull.

Ok, you so need to ease up on the pain killers.

I'm glad you liked the update and possessive Tara. And, I hope your knee's better. Thanks.



arashi831: Hey! I'm glad you're enjoying the fic. Update coming over, right afte this post. Thanks.



Ok, so two hours after beginning to respond to the feedback, I'm done. Update coming up!

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"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB



.:Dark-bliss.net :..:My blog:..:Blood and Ink:.

[Washi]

The update's kinda short, don't kill me.



TITLE: Dark Core 9/?

AUTHOR: Washi (ZWS)

EMAIL: washi@dark-bliss.net

RATING: R, to be safe.

DISCLAIMER: I don’t own the characters, Joss does or whoever. If I owned them, do you really think I would let season 6 happen? And why the hell would I be writing this?

So yeah, all belongs to Joss, ME etc...

The lyrics in this piece are owned by their respective owners.

SPOILERS: Season 6, Older and Far Away. It veers off cannon afterwards.

FEEDBACK: I love it, I live for it, either here or by email, although here is better.

ARCHIVE: It's on Blood and Ink. Ask and ye shall receive.

ANGST: Be carefull kittens, the ride is gonna be really angsty, and I'm not kidding here.

Thanks: Many thank yous to YMKA and Taras Shadow for their help, and also to bzengo and FIRESIGN.

NOTES: I don't have a beta in the real sense, but YMKA and Holly helped me along. Thanks again girls. All mistakes are mine.



Thoughts are in < > as always. Flashbacks, song lyrics and such are in italics.



Many thank-yous to FIRESIGN.



*****



Two days later, Willow was brought out of the CICU and into a private resting room. Tara had barely left her side, leaving only for an hour or so every day to shower and rest for a few minutes. The emotional strain of seeing her lover in a hospital bed was beginning to settle in and she finally took Willow's advice to go home and sleep for a whole night. She had tried sleeping in her dorm room, but had found herself in front of Buffy's home at eleven P.M. . She slept the night in Willow's bed, their bed, the lingering scent of her lover soothing her during the night. That was her true home, in their bed, in their room, in Buffy's house.

Early the next morning, she entered Willow's new room to find her pale and worse than she had looked the few days before. Willow smiled at her and assured her that everything was fine and that she had just missed her. Tara had firmly said that she wouldn't be going back to sleep at home that night.

The whole Scooby gang was finally allowed to visit her together and Anya, who hadn't visited her before, having to keep the shop open and to discuss the benefits she was making at the Magic Box with Giles, jumped on her, hugging her tightly and screaming.



"You scared us so much! How could you? Everyone was crying and Xander wouldn't even give me orgasms that night! The wedding is in two weeks and if you died, Xander would be sad and the wedding would be cancelled! And I thought you were about to die, and I don't want to see you die!" Anya said before starting to cry.



Willow smiled and looked at Xander who smiled back sheepishly.



"Thanks for your concern Anya, sorry to have scared you, but I'm fine now, I'm okay."



Anya squeezed her once again before she pulled back and smiled. Suddenly, Willow's smile faded and she clutched her leg.



"Oww! Cramp! Muscle cramp in my calf!" she exclaimed as she felt her left calf tensing up.



The meeting was shattered as Tara immediately started to massage the muscle and Dawn rushed out to call a nurse. Willow started crying softly, her tears flowing down her distorted pain-filled face. The others panicked, asking how she was over and over. They looked at each other, fear in their eyes. After a minute or so, the muscle relaxed and Willow wiped at her tears.



"I'm okay." Willow said, trying to relieve their concern. "Really, I'm okay."



She glanced at Tara's tear-filled eyes and tenderly brushed a few stray tears that had fallen down her lover's cheeks away. "I'm okay baby, really." she repeated.



Dawn came back with a nurse.



"Is everything okay Miss Rosenberg?" The nurse asked.



"Yes, the cramp's gone. I'm okay." Willow said, smiling.



Tara excused herself to go take a drink. Once outside the room, she walked to the nurse's station and asked if Doctor Williams could check in on Willow later in the day. The nurse nodded and called his pager. Tara went back to Willow's room.



*****



Later that morning, Eric Wiliams entered Willow Rosenberg's room looking somewhat frustrated.



"I hope you didn't m-mind me asking for you." Tara said as she took in his frown. He was quick to reassure her.



"No, I don't mind at all Tara. I was going to come by here anyway."



"What? Why? Is there something wrong?" Buffy asked, her voice showing her fear.



He didn't answer her and just looked at Willow.



"Willow, there seems to be something draining your body of it's potassium. The level won't stay stable. With the dose we're giving you, your potassium levels should be in the higher normals, but it's in the lower ones, sometimes dipping slightly below average. The more we give you, the more disappears. We're trying to figure out what exactly is eating away your potassium, but we can't seem to find what's the cause. Is there any other disease you have, or are you a heavy drinker or is there anything that you forgot to tell us about your medical state?" he asked, his face showing his concern.



Tara's face paled and she fought the urge to faint, she could feel everything become fuzzy and dark. Quickly seeing her face turn ashen Eric made her sit down with her head between her knees on a nearby chair.



"Breathe in and out, or you're gonna faint." he told her.



Willow tried to get up, but Buffy pushed her back.



"She's fine Willow, just let her breathe for a second."



Willow looked about to protest but then nodded. She turned to look at the doctor.



"Okay, let's see, I don't drink, I don't smoke and everything else is in my file. What could be causing this?" she asked, trying to be brave, even thought she felt scared. Scared that they couldn’t find what was wrong with her, why all this was happening.







"We don't know Willow, we have no idea. We'll try to figure out what's causing this. I'll send a nurse to take another blood sample. For now, don't panic, we'll just up the dose of potassium. It won't hurt you, and your body will reject the excess safely."



"Okay, no panicking, nothing of the panic-y nature here." Willow said, trying to smile.



Tara felt the fogginess drift and she raised her head.



"I feel better, can I get up now?" she asked the doctor.



"Sure." he replied. He smiled at them and left to call a nurse for the blood sample.



Tara made her way slowly to Willow and sat down before silent tears made their way down her cheeks. Willow held her and slowly reclined, the blonde laying down in her warm embrace as she cried her fears. Buffy looked at them and left the room. She called Giles and explained the situation.



*****



When Buffy came back, she found that Tara had calmed down and that Willow was still cradling her.



"Buffy, do you know when my parents are coming back?" Willow asked. The night before, Buffy had finally reached them in France.

They had had some bad luck and both their phones, along with some random things had been stolen. Ira Rosenberg had finally left a message on the Summers' answering machine leaving his phone number in case his daughter needed him. Buffy had called him back and told him of Willow. He had assured her that they'd be in the first plane back to Sunnydale.



"They should be around soon Willow. The plane lands in an hour or so." she replied, her voice soft. "I called Giles and told him of the situation, he said it might be something magical and he, Xander, Anya and Dawn are in full research mode. Everything's gonna be fine Willow." she continued, smiling what she hoped to be a convincing smile.



Willow smiled back at her and turned to her girlfriend, still in her embrace.



"Hear that baby? Everything's going to be fine. So, no more tears."



Tara looked up at her and smiled back weakly. She leant up and placed a soft kiss on Willow's lips, comforting both of them with the simple gesture. She rested her head back on Willow's shoulder and Willow looked up at Buffy, her eyes filled with tears as she smiled weakly at the Slayer.



Willow was terrified.



*****



TBC...

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"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB



.:Dark-bliss.net :..:My blog:..:Blood and Ink:.

[AmbeRocks]

i know you're not gonna hurt Willow more, but... you won't, right?!?

This story is so sad but in the same time so all loving and touching, your words are so entertaining me! I really can't wait to read more now, I just want things to go all better!!



Update soon, please



thanks for all the stories..!

jen

There is such a variety of well-invented things that the earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing - Nietzsche

[WTfan4ever]

Hey Washi!

This fic is so great! *ducks head in shame* I've been pretty much a lurker till now, but my friend asked me for a favor that required me to post for a while, so i decided to come on to tell the authors who's fics i am really liking thanx, so here I am.

I really like the way you're rewriting season 6, and you obviously put a lot of time into backround info and everything else in your fic, and it shows.

thanx for this, it is a really great story, just thought I'd let you know.

i will wait as patiently as i can for the next update... *fidgets in chair* yep, go patient me...

c ya

-kelz