Sorry for the double-post. . . .
Hello, once again, to all the Kittens out there. It has been a bad two weeks for me, as most of you know(and I thank you all again for all of your love and support). But I am feeling a bit better; each day, a bit better. And, I felt like writing. So, I did. It’s not a big part, but it’s something, and I hope you’ll like it. If so, please feel free to leave feedback. . . or(are you listening B & C?) harass me even. I’m missing you all! Well, anyway, thanks and enjoy. . . .
Title: Darkness Falls Author: KrisBo5 (Kris, obviously)
Email address: KrisBo5@aol.com Feedback: Sure, I’d love it.
Distribution: This story is the narrative form of four spec scripts I have written for BVS, each of which is registered with the WGAw, so please don’t publish it or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form. If for some reason you’d like to, just ask first. It’s the polite thing to do.
Spoilers: Season 6, “Entropy” and “Seeing Red” episodes.
Rating: The story in its entirety: PG-13 to NC–17. This includes sex, violence, language.
Pairing: Willow and Tara, first, foremost, forever! However, Buffy and the others are here as well, Buffy and Dawn most especially.
Disclaimer: Hey, I didn’t create these characters, those kudos belong to Joss and crew. I’m just borrowing them for the story I did write.
Summary: The mythology surrounding the creation of the first Slayer(it sounds like a Buffy story, but have no fear, this is all about Willow and Tara).
Note: Things from here on out? Ain’t gonna be pretty. Angst and loss and pain. Read at your own discretion.
Darkness Falls, Part Two: Maelstrom(1C)
“That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” Emily Dickinson, Poem Number 1741
Willow stood up from her chair again, resuming her methodical pattern of pacing across the living room carpet of the Summers’ house. Her eyes passed over the clock in the hall.
Two hours. Two hours since Tara disappeared. Oh, Goddess. Willow crossed one arm over her chest while letting the other’s elbow rest on it; unconsciously, she began to rub her index finger over her pursed lips. Back-and-forth, back-and-forth.
Buffy, Dawn, Xander, and Anya all sat on various furniture in the room, mountains of texts and weapons surrounding them. Each Scooby sat hunched over his or her material, reading or taking notes, oblivious to anything other than the task at hand.
Finding Tara.
Saving Tara.
Buffy looked up from the passage she was reading and let her eyes follow Willow’s movements. After several seconds and several passes over the room, Buffy spoke. “Will.”
Willow continued her pacing, completely deaf to the Slayer’s calls.
Tara, Baby, please. Hold on. Hold on. We’re coming for you. . . I’m coming for you.“Willow,” Buffy repeated, a bit more firmly, a bit more loudly. Willow stopped and glanced at the Scoobies before letting her eyes fall on her best friend. “Will, sit down.”
The redhead’s brow creased as the Slayer’s words registered, but she shook her head.
No, no sitting. I have to move. Keep moving. Keep going. Keep—“Then maybe you could change your flight pattern,” Xander interjected lightly, “Give that section a break.”
Willow stared at him with distant, unfocused eyes, his attempts at humor missing their mark entirely.
Buffy, Dawn, and Anya, however, all got the joke, and each in turn shot him a ‘not funny, Xander’ look.
Buffy turned to Willow again. “You just got out of the hospital.”
Willow looked at Buffy as if the Slayer had just said that all humans need oxygen to survive. “I know that,” Willow said, her voice slightly sarcastic. The redhead dropped her arms to her sides. “God, you don’t think I kn—” Willow stopped herself from saying anything else, taking a deep breath; she lifted a hand and rubbed her fingers over her forehead in a furious, agitated manner.
“Willow—” Xander started.
“No!” The redhead yelled, throwing her hand away from her face. Every Scooby froze. “No!” She let her eyes pass over each of them, shaking her head slightly as she did so. “We’re just sitting here! We aren’t doing anything!”
Buffy stood and faced her best friend squarely. “We
are doing something, Will.”
Willow exhaled, a sound of disgust pouring from her mouth. “Research?”
“Yes.”
Willow leaned over and picked up an aged tome from the coffee table, holding it out in front of her. “This?” the redhead asked, shaking the text at Buffy. “All of this is— it’s bullshit!” she yelled, suddenly turning and throwing the text across the room against the far wall.
Dawn flinched.
Xander shifted uncomfortably.
Anya raised her eyebrows.
Buffy stared at her best friend. . . waiting.
“This won’t help,” Willow continued, taking a step towards Buffy. “This won’t find her, Buffy, and it won’t save her.”
Willow dropped her eyes to the table and chair and floor, taking in the massive quantities of supernatural and magical paraphernalia around them. She lifted her eyes to the Slayer, tears welling up inside. “We’ll never make it,” she said quietly, her voice barely a whisper, all anger gone. She blinked, sending a single tear down her cheek silently, then turned away from the Scoobies and walked out of the room towards the kitchen.
Silence surrounded the group as they watched Willow leave.
Dawn and Xander stood up simultaneously.
“No,” Buffy said, raising a hand in a halting gesture. “Let me.” Three pairs of eyes focused on her. “Keep researching.”
Xander nodded and sat back down, immediately grabbing his discarded book and reading once more.
Dawn continued to stand, staring at her sister with questioning eyes.
Buffy gave her a smile. “Keep researching.”
Dawn nodded and sat.
Buffy followed Willow’s footsteps, heading directly to the kitchen. Stopping in the archway, she found herself staring at her best friend’s back as she stood at the kitchen sink, head bowed, hands holding tightly to its Formica edge. “Willow.”
Willow lifted her head, but did not turn around. “I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said, her voice quiet and scared.
“I know.” Buffy paused, watching her best friend silently for a moment. Then, “Will,” the Slayer tried again.
Willow took a deep breath and faced her best friend, leaning back against the counter; the redhead wrapped her arms around herself tightly.
Protectively.
“We
are helping,” Buffy said as she moved forward into the kitchen, stopping near the island opposite Willow. Willow swallowed hard. “And we
are gonna find her.”
Willow looked at Buffy a moment longer, then slowly shook her head.
You don’t know.“Yes, we will!” the Slayer said, her voice assertive and assured. “It is
not too late.”
Willow closed her eyes briefly and took another deep breath. “Buffy.” The Slayer lifted her chin a bit, silently waiting. “Do you have. . .” Willow began, opening her eyes as she paused to find the right words. “You don’t know.”
Buffy’s brow furrowed, puzzled by the absurdity of the redhead’s statement. “Will— of course I do. It’s Tara.”
“No,” Willow replied, untangling herself from her arms. Buffy shook her head in confusion. “I mean, yes, I know, it’s Tara. I know that.”
Goddess, I know that.Buffy remained silent for another second, considering the redhead’s statement. “Then, you’re right, I don’t know.”
Willow raised her eyes to Buffy’s and held them in a steady gaze.
“What?” Buffy asked.
Say it. Tell her. Tell her.And then, as if Willow had told her, Buffy stood up straighter, an expression of understanding dawning on her face. “No. Willow, no. It’ll take longer, I know, but we can do this— without magic.”
Buffy. You’re so wrong. “Buffy. . . .”
“You can’t do it, Will.”
“I know.”
Buffy exhaled loudly, realizing that she had been holding her breath, afraid that magic would come up at some point and that it would be a major contention between them. “Then what?”
“I don’t
want to do the magicks.”
Again, the Slayer’s brow creased in confusion. “That’s a
good thing, Willow.”
“No, it’s not. It’s not a good thing.”
“Will—”
“Don’t you see?” It was obvious to the redhead, that, no, her best friend did not. “How easy it would be? For me to do this? A simple spell, a simple locator spell. I could find her in minutes, in seconds, and I could. . . I could bring her home to me.” Buffy listened silently as her best friend opened her heart and soul to her. “And I don’t want to do it.” Tears began to well up in Willow’s eyes as she continued to pour out everything inside her. “I worked so hard— to get off the magicks. I thought I would die, it hurt so deep. But I did it. I did it. Everyday, it got a little bit better. A little bit easier. And one day, I didn’t want to do them anymore. I didn’t need them. It made me free. . . .”
Buffy felt tears sting her eyes as Willow talked, realizing that she had never— and could never— fully understand what her best friend had gone through when she faced her addiction and stopped using magic.
“And Tara came back to me. . . I was happy again.” Buffy nodded and smiled, knowing the truth of those words. “I never wanted to let her down, Buffy, but I did. I chose magic over her. But I paid for it, everyday that she was gone and I was alone. I swore then— I’d never let magic come between us again. But it has. . . because I can’t use it now. Even when she needs me to, I can’t. I
can’t. I don’t want to.”
Buffy wiped away a tear with the back of her hand and sniffed loudly. “Tara knows that, Willow. She knows that. God, she knows you better than anyone. . . even me, I think. And she knows magic— it’s not good for you, Willow. And she’d never, ever, want you to use it again. Not for her. Or me, or you or anyone. Never.”
Tears fell freely down Willow’s face as she listened. Her body began to shake as her pent-up sobs threatened to erupt. “I’m so scared, Buffy.”
“I know.”
“If anything happens to her. . . .”
“I know.”
“If she’s hurt or in pain. . . if she’s dead. . . or worse.”
Buffy took a step around the island towards Willow, but the redhead slid along the counter, away from her. Buffy stopped.
“How can I— how am I supposed to live? Knowing that. Knowing I chose magic over her. Again.”
Oh, Goddess, I’m letting her down. Again. . . always. Willow felt her body begin to give way, collapsing in on itself like a black hole; she slid down the counter to the floor in a crumpled heap, her sobs finally breaking free.
Buffy rushed to her side and knelt beside her; she pulled the limp, weeping form into her embrace and began to slowly rock her back and forth, stroking her hair gently. “Shh, it’s okay. Willow, it’s okay.”
“Ta— Tara. . .” Willow uttered, barely getting the word out.
“We’ll get her back. . . I promise. . . I promise. . . .”
The shrill ringing of the telephone sounded from the other room, but Buffy ignored it, focusing her complete attention on trying to comfort her best friend. A movement beside her caught her attention, and she turned her head to the archway as she continued to rock Willow.
Dawn stood there, phone in hand, staring with wide, scared eyes, at both women huddled on the floor. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Buffy nodded to her, giving her the silent ‘go ahead.’ Dawn took a step closer to her sister and held out the phone. “It— It’s Giles.”
The Slayer closed her eyes and a small smile touched her lips. “Thank you,” she whispered, as she hugged Willow more tightly to her.
TBC
Kris
“Frell that!”
Edited by: KrisBo5 at: 8/31/02 11:34:12 pm
so you still haven't told when the next one is up. soon 
, right?
well, i trust you, kinda, you're the big knowledge woman here.
you thought i would forget with all the stick related stuff? no way, missy, want update 
(ok, to move into your dorm - good excuse btw). sorry 
we were just missing you soooo much and ... bad me, i officially 
myself for giving you so little credit (well i'll look bad with a swollen eye or two at our wedding .. we're still having a wedding right? 
) - hm, you didn't happen to meet some nice helping you with your stuff chick while moving - damn, i should stop doing this. do you still love me .. a little 
