Tara walked through the back door into the kitchen and was slightly surprised to find it empty, not even Dawn’s footsteps could be heard heading back from her short trip inside.
In fact the house was in all ways just too quiet. With so many of them bustling around the house usually there was a radio, television or at the very least the soft sound of someone lovingly squabbling together coming from another room.
Trying not to think about the quiet, she moved in through the empty kitchen trying to remember the best place to find paper and a pen only to see Buffy turning out of the dining room on her way upstairs.
“I thought you’d all gone out and forgot to tell us.” She called to the Slayer as she came down the hall.
“Tara.” Buffy stopped and turned back looking slightly worried. “We were going to come get you when we were ready.” She offered the cryptic explanation.
“Ready?” Tara frowned at both the Slayer’s words and the look on her face. “What’s going on?” She asked for some reason not moving from her spot, the quest for paper and a pen were long gone from her mind.
“Mads and Giles came up with a solution but apparently we have to act quickly, something about time of the lunar cycle or expiration of an ingredient or something.” Buffy tried to explain what little she understood about the semantics.
“A solution?” Tara frowned harder.
“A solution to help Willow, they found a spell.” Buffy smiled and looked back to the dining room.
“A spell?” The words stuck in Tara’s throat.
“Apparently Mads was doing her morning meditation thing and she remembered a book. When Giles found it at the shop it had the spell.” Buffy looked back. “They could probably explain it better.”
“Where are they?” Tara demanded quickly her voice changing slightly. It lost its usual soft edge and settled strangely to be more clipped and urgent.
“In there.” She pointed through the archway a bit surprised by the tone in the blonde’s voice.
“Why are you going up stairs?” She checked finally managing to make her legs move towards the other room.
“They want a mattress for Willow.” Buffy put the words forward a bit hesitant as she saw the hardness rise in the Tara’s body.
Without another word Tara walked past her and abandoning her trip upstairs the Slayer quickly followed.
Tara could not have been prepared for the sight that met her if she had been given a lifetime to do so. For just as in her dream, Madalene was sat crossed legged on the floor just putting the finishing touches to a large blue sand pentagram that angled in perfect symmetry around her. Beside her leg a container of red sand waited to make a second interior one.
Giles was crouched at the far point, fussing over the positioning of a large candle in relation to the other four. He was glancing quickly between a thick aged book in his hand and the arrangement Madalene had drawn out. In the background Xander busied himself clearing a suitable area for the mattress.
In a nauseating assault on her nose a heavy incense already hung in the air all around them from the bowls of dark material that burnt in the four corners of the room.
“Tara.” Madalene finished off a line and spoke as she looked up to see the blonde in the doorway.
“What’s going on?” Tara took everything in slowly feeling a darkness creep back down her spine and through into her heart.
“We found a spell that will allow you to travel into Willow’s mind and correct the lack of natural order.” Madalene slowly put the cap back on the container.
“You didn’t tell me.” Tara kept her replies short as she focused on looking between Giles and Madalene, not sure if she was disappointed or outright angry.
“We thought we would use the opportunity that the weather provided us with.” Giles explained thoughtfully. “You and Willow should be rested before we attempt this.” He looked at Madalene for support.
“I didn’t want you to drain yourself with the preparations.” Madalene explained a little more concretely. “It’s going to be a difficult journey.”
“It’s not.” Tara shook her head.
“It’s not what?” The Spellcaster asked confused.
“It’s not going to be a difficult journey.” Tara explained without explaining. From his place Giles frowned and pushed to stand fully upright before looking down again at his book as if checking.
“It is, we’ll be creating an ethereal body for you so that you can superimpose your essence over Willow’s and trace yourself into her mind.” Madalene explained more thinking that simply the reality of what they were going to do was keeping Tara from understanding the difficulty.
“I’m afraid Madalene is right,” The Watcher supported. “This is a complicated and powerful spell Tara, the least we can do is make sure all the preparations are done.” He crossed closer to the young woman. “Madalene will be actually helping with the spell to draw all the powers away from your actions and into herself.”
“And I’ll be worrying.” Xander gave her a smirk.
“You should look at the spell.” Giles encouraged holding the book out to her.
For a moment Tara just looked at the book in Giles’ hand and then slowly she reached out for it though when it was in her hands all she did was close it and draw it to her chest before she turned around and headed away into the living room.
“Umm Tara?” Buffy reluctantly followed her.
In an ant like procession the rest of the small group followed the blondes across to the other room. Tara had taken up a stance near far head of the coffee table. Giles came only slightly into the room to stay at the other end while Xander moved around him and sat down on the couch.
Madalene had slowly moved out of the spell area and came in to hang near Buffy’s shoulder towards the middle of the room.
“There is going to be no spell.” Tara glanced around the group who had gathered around her.
“Tara.” Madalene spoke her cousin’s name as a soft question.
“No spell.” She said again looking passed the Spellcaster towards the entrance of the dining room. “Clean it up.” She added her voice short and crisp
“Tara, this is our best chance at successfully achieving...” Madalene stepped forward a bit poising the calm argument.
“Clear it up.” Tara cut her off her blue eyes flicking up to look firmly into Madalene’s.
“Tara I can understand that you may be wary of this but I assure you, Madalene and will be directly monitoring the spell.” Giles stepped in to offer support.
“I would clear it myself but someone has to be with Willow and keep her away until its all gone.” Tara turned her hard blue gaze on the Watcher.
“I think you should at least look at the spell.” Madalene looked at the book in Tara’s hand.
“I don’t have to Madalene.” Tara didn’t look back. “There isn’t going to be any spell, Willow mustn’t come into the reach of this magic. Any magic.” The Wicca was adamant.
“This is our chance Tara.” Buffy put forward her voice firm. “If anyone can help her it’s you, this is all just to get you in the place to do that.”
“I know, but not with magic Buffy. We have to find another way.” For a moment Tara’s eyes and voice softened as she turned to look at the Slayer.
“Why not magic? What other way is there?” The Slayer questioned immediately.
“I don’t know.” Tara admitted her failing.
“We know magic can go wonky.” Xander added his voice to the argument. “But going into peoples heads isn’t the kind of thing we can just ‘do’ Tara.” He shrugged having figured magic was their only hope, good magic of course.
“Do you need more time to heal? To get stronger?” Buffy questioned trying to figure out what the Wicca’s hesitation was.
“No.” Tara shook her head.
“Read the spell.” Giles pushed softly. “I realise that you must be scared.” He continued pulling off his glasses. The Watcher’s words caught Tara’s attention and she turned to look at him as he continued. “You’re afraid that you won’t remember, that your Wicca skills will be gone.” He smiled softly believing he had found the root of her worry. “Read the spell, I am sure it will remind you. I believe you are more than capable.”
Tara couldn’t help feeling her heart deflate as Giles finished. She had so hoped that he would be able to understand what she was saying and stand with her.
“Why are none of you listening to me?” Tara snapped suddenly taking everyone by surprise. “I said no spell and I mean no spell.” She slammed the book on the table and then pushed it across towards the Watcher dismissing it. “Now I am going to go back out to Willow and by the time we come back in this will all be gone, no trace, no anything.” Her blue eyes sparkled as she barked out orders. “This book goes back where it came from and all talk of magic ends here.”
“You won’t do the spell?” Buffy had watched the book slide down the table her anger growing as it moved.
“More than that.” Tara swung to look at Buffy. “No one will be doing the spell or any spell ever again around my Willow.” Her voice dropped low and held a vague threatening tone. “No magic.”
“Oh because sitting around doing nothing and letting her head implode in on itself is such a fantastic option.” Buffy barked back as she stalked towards the front door.
“You think I like this!” Tara shouted after her, the very fact that she did so caused the Slayer to stop and turn. “You think I like being handed the answer and then having to be the one throwing it back at you. Willow is my girlfriend, my life. I am the reason she’s like this.” She seethed. “And I will find a way of saving her but not like this.” She pointed down at the book. “Not with magic.”
“She is not just your life.” Buffy shook her head as she yanked open the door. “And if I could have done this without you and your damn magic don’t you think I would have by now?” She stalked out taking the last word.
Tara let the resounding slam of the front door ring in her ears for a moment before she fixed the Spellcaster with her icy blue eyes.
“All of it gone.” She hissed low and angry. “Not a trace of anything.”
“Yes though against my better judgement.” Madalene nodded slowly adverting her eyes as she turned out of the cold look.
Tara broke her stare slowly not able to look at Giles or Xander as she turned. It was only then as her eyes looked towards the kitchen that she saw Dawn standing in the doorway, her doe like eyes moist. The Wiccan’s heart sank further as she hadn’t wanted Dawn to witness any of this.
“Dawnie I...” Tara called softly to the teenager as she took a step towards her.
“I should...” Dawn’s eyes darted around the room.
“I’m sorry.” Tara whispered her lip trembling a little as she recognised fear and discomfort in the teenager eyes. Something about the image caused her heart to sink as if this were something she was used to seeing or was it feeling? She decided to make it easier for the youngster by being the one to move as she slipped off towards the stairs.
“Mr. Giles, would you be so kind as to clean up. I haven’t called any power yet so there is nothing magical to concern yourself with other than the actual ingredients.” Madalene’s voice was hollow as she bent down by the side chair and picked up her shoulder bag. “I have to speak with Buffy.”
“Of course.” He looked somewhat awkwardly down.
She nodded her thanks and moved out the front door, though this time it closed quietly as she exited.
******
by tiredsoul » Sun Aug 04, 2002 7:06 pm 
