Per Car’s request, here is the next part of RS (I can occasionally be a woman of my word...and the challenge is sitting on top of my next to finish fic list). ~Cyd
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[center]Relinquished Symmetry[/center]
Disclaimer: Many rich people own BTVS and its characters…I am not one of them.
Rating: R
Author’s Notes: This storyline takes everything up to halfway through New Moon Rising as the gospel. I have made a BIG change that may make some kittens ‘thwack’ me with a shovel…or, more appropriately, a sledgehammer. Also, some of the dynamics of Angel have been altered to suit me. This is an angsty piece.
Addt’l note: A few pieces of dialogue come from the show (This Year’s Girl, NMR, Fear Itself, etc.).
Feedback: Of any sorts…sure. On the board is fine. No posting elsewhere without my consent.
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PART 22
Wes opened the basement door quietly, aware that Tara hadn’t been up and about yet. Since it was already into the afternoon and she was usually always the first one awake, he suspected whatever spells she had performed with Willow must have been quite taxing. He hated to bother her but in their line of work, business always seemed to be booming and rarely waited for nap time.
She was sprawled out on the undersized cot looking quite uncomfortable, her feet poking at odd angles off the side. A blanket lay on the floor, kicked off earlier in the toss and turn battle. Her condition certainly sparked his concern for her well-being and he was a little worried about her headfirst cliff jumping attitude where Willow and their mystical connection was involved. Normally she was much more cautious. That, in part with her advanced abilities, is what made her such an excellent witch.
Tara instinctively felt Wes in the room behind her and popped open her eyes half expecting to have to fight or run from whatever demon they were chasing. When he didn’t speak, her mind slowly cranked into gear and reminded her of the details. She turned and sat up, meeting his contemplative face. “How’s the arm?”
He showed her his forearm and flexed gingerly. “Seems okay.”
“What’s up?”
The demon hunter tossed a small plastic bag onto her lap.
“Awww, Wes, you always bring me the sweetest gifts...what is this?”
“Scale fragments taken from my sword. I was hoping you could do a locator spell. I can’t seem to track it with my own. I guess we’ll need something stronger to find an interdimensional demon.”
Tara rotated her head in a semicircle, feeling her neck crackle and pop unappreciatively. “I can’t,” she replied with a sigh.
“You’re too tired?”
“No...well, maybe,” she gave a small grin. “But the real problem is that after I released Willow’s power, we got this intermingled essence problem from an old, botched synchronicity spell. I pretty much can’t work anything without her at the moment.”
“Was this an expected consequence?”
Tara hesitated.
“So you didn’t know what you were doing until after it happened?”
“Willow was hurting,” she replied simply, as if that explained it all. Wesley knew that it did...to her anyways.
“How is she, now?”
Tara pictured Willow’s face...the way she looked last night. It was if the spell woke up a piece of Willow that had been hibernating away all these years. A piece that Tara’s heart recognized instantly.
Wes watched as a toothy half smile appeared on Tara’s face. He didn’t so much need an answer to that question.
“She’s better...she doesn’t need the amulet to protect her now.”
“Good, but...um...you’re going to be a bit more careful from now on, right? From what I recall, dealings with synchronicity spells can be rather intricate.”
“Yes, big brother,” she said lightly with an eye roll before sobering up. She kneaded her hands together to loosen the muscles. “It’s just I know I can trust her...I know she wouldn’t even suggest anything that would hurt me. And I don’t know how to explain it other than that.”
“I get it,” he replied gently. “So, what shall we do now? We can join patrol with Buffy and company tonight. With all of us searching the town, we’re bound to turn some clues to the whereabouts of the Grahal demons.”
“Grahal? That was last night’s creature feature?”
“It originates from another dimension, like the Herotaus.”
“So you’re thinking that someone is conjuring a whole buffet of off world monsters. Question is for what purpose?”
“I’m working on a possible connection to a Sumerian prophesy but my resources are a little limited.”
“I could talk to Willow.”
“So, you’re going to see her today?”
“Yes...um, I don’t know...I thought I might give her a call.”
He took a seat next to her and covered her hand with his own. “Maybe you should.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Because, with all you’ve gone through, I think you deserve to find a little happiness. And I don’t want you to miss your chance.”
“I’ve caused her a lot of pain.” Tara tucked her legs to her chest and gripped them.
“But you can be there to help heal the damage.”
“If she lets me in.”
“You have to let her know you’re waiting on the other side of the door.” When silence followed his advice, he patted her knee and stood up. “I think I’ll tag along with Buffy as she shakes down the demon bars. I’ll call you a few hours before sunset. Get some rest.”
She considered his words, giving him a nod as he left the basement.
“I want to,” Tara whispered as she rested her head against the exposed brick wall.
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Willow woke up at a devilishly late hour but she felt wonderful. It had been a solid eight hours of sleep. That was something to celebrate. She hummed an off-key tune as she picked out a robe and went to shower.
What a difference a day makes, she idly thought as she scrubbed her body. She had gotten so accustom to the pattern of her life that she has forgotten the before...and this person who could buzz with excitement and a zest for life.
Seeing the world through Tara’s eyes last night had been exciting...and scary. Willow pressed the spot on her cheek where the blonde with had kissed her gently. And amazing. It made her heart flutter just thinking about it.
So many questions finally had answers. She received some scrap of closure, both physically and mentally, for years of anguish. That was a great gift Tara had given her...it was hard to talk about the past. So often words resuscitated things best left dead. All the horror she had endured so quietly for so long. It hurt Willow to even hear. She could only imagine what it did to her. But Tara knew that was the right thing to do. She only hoped that she could do the right thing when it came to breaking the synch spell.
Willow stepped out of the shower, rampantly running a towel through her wet locks. She tossed on her robe and flopped back onto her bed.
She didn’t know what her life entailed anymore. Gone were the factors that controlled her day to day existence. She no longer had to work a job that let her set her own hours so she could rest when her body called for it.
In fact, while making Scarlet Laboratories a success, she met several clients that offered to buy her business. If she wanted to sell now, she could. She could do anything she wanted. That thought was overwhelming. She was a premium ship out in the middle of the sea with all the resources to go anywhere she wanted. She just didn’t have any idea which way to point the compass. She had no direction because she stopped thinking that way. She had lost her hope to dream for anything else.
All that had changed in a single moment. She had the freedom to choose again, given back to her by a single person.
Tara. Who could bare her soul so honestly. Who took her breath away so effortlessly. Who seemed to enjoy her life. Who might be interested in her...she reached for her cheek again.
How was it possible to harbor so much hate towards someone for so long only to feel it vanish in the blink of an eye?
Perhaps, in this world, there was something stronger than hate.
Still, they were two different people now. She wasn’t sure who Willow was...much less Tara. But getting to know those ‘new’ versions...that might be the best part.
She lifted her head and looked at the clock, feeling the lateness of the day once more.
She didn't get up, though.
Her mind kept going back to Tara.
A bell dinged through the apartment. “Maclay1 requesting clearance for entry,” the security system informed the scientist.
She sat up and looked at her surveillance monitoring. She hadn’t even powered it on - another habitual routine she had forgotten about last night.
“Cerulean...auto-unlock,” she said as she hastily put on her clothes. She scurried to the elevator with her shoes in her hand. She pressed on the button, tapping her bare feet on the hardwood while muttering, “C’mon, c’mon.”
She jammed on her shoes as she rode the lift downward. One of the sandals pinched her small toe in the hurried process. "Damn!"
Tara tensed on alert before changing to with a strange bewilderment as Willow hopped on one foot out of the door when it opened.
“Owie, owie...” Willow’s eyes met Tara’s slightly amused ones.
“Stubbed my toe,” the redhead meekly explained as she noticed the bag of files and other equipment. “What brings you here? Not that you have a reason...but you do?”
“Research.”
“Great...I’m all about the research,” Willow internally rolled her eyes. Well, the spazzy geek is still present, if anything. “What are we looking for?”
“Grahal demons.” She pulled out and shook a bag of red flaky materials. “Maybe a locator spell to track down the demon we ran into last night. Uh...the one we didn’t kill with an effigy of the late mayor.”
Willow nervously smiled. “Red, trying to kill everyone...kinda hard to forget. But we’re stuck unless you have another keen way of scaring the power out of me.”
“I’m really sorry about that...” Tara started.
“No, no...I didn’t mean that like a bad thing...just a wow that was pretty nifty and, well, icky.”
“Yeah,” Tara conceded with a small smile. “Okay...let’s hit the books then.”
Willow scratched her head and mentally readied herself for what she was about to say. “I think there’s something else to talk about first.”
Tara caught the slight shaking of her hands as she clasped and reclasped them. What are you so scared of, Willow?
“To break the synchronicity spell...it’s just that we...that I...” She blew out an irritated breath. Why can’t I get the words out?
“You can tell me anything,” the blonde responded in the long pause.
Willow gained a little strength in the compassionate eyes patiently waiting for her to speak.
“To break the spell...I have to learn to cast magick again.”
I'm thinking this one hasn't come out to play for a while.
? And the smut bunny in me of course wants the method to breaking the effects of the joint spell, the means of restoring the imbalance in their balance, in other words the solution to their problems and to bring them forward to be ... lots and lots of smoochies and witchy gay love ... I'm thinking hours and days and days non stop. Yeah 
.
.
)
) amazing. 
