Author's Notes: No Longer Under Your Spell is a story that I wrote after
Once More With Feeling. If you haven't seen the musical you may be a
little confused. It's rated PG and all the credit goes to Joss.
**~**
Willow sighed as Tara passed by her silently.
"Tara?" Willow watched her as she kept walking. "Tara.please just tell me what is it?"
Tara stopped. She knew she couldn't run forever. It was time to tell Willow that she knew. She turned around and looked at Willow, the look on her face, clearly hurt.
"What did we argue about the other day?"
Willow was proud of herself for keeping a straight face. How did she know? Was there a flaw in the magic? Was it temporary?
"I don't know what you mean. When did we fight?"
"Willow, please." Tara's voice seemed to beg her to be truthful. "I know we did." She held out the dried flowers. "What was it about?"
Willow sighed. She might as well tell her. If she took it bad she'd just redo the magic. She couldn't lose Tara, she was her other half.
"About magic. I decorated Anya and Xander's celebration party and you flipped out. I mean, between you and Giles-"
"What about Giles?" Tara's eyes narrowed.
"You both seem to think that I can't handle my magic. Believe me, I can. I mean, where was all this pissing and groaning when I used the magic to get you back your senses?" Willow shot at her. She was tired of being questioned.
Tara swallowed hard. Chances are, Willow would have taken care of her if the spell hadn't worked and she was still insane. But that didn't give her a right to violate her the way she did.
"Willow, that isn't fair."
"No, what's not fair is that every time I try and do something good, I get yelled at. Well maybe you should remember who you're yelling at here. I'm not a little girl who can't defend herself anymore." Willow advanced slowly to Tara. "I mean, did anyone bitch when I used the power to help Dawn when Glory had her? No." She advanced closer. "Did anyone bitch when I set up a barrier to keep us secure when we were running from those warriors? No."
Tara began to back up. Willow was in her face and her eyes were slowly darkening as her hands were clinched at her side. She wondered if she should run. She wondered if it would even be an option she'd have. It was as if Willow's conscience didn't even suffer from what she did to her.
"Willow."
"No! I'm tired of this. It's who I am. If you can't deal." Willow paused and smiled, her eyes blackening completely. "Well, you'll deal."
"Willow, you erased my memory! How could you do that to me? You had no right!" Tara cried.
"Maybe not. But the only reason you have that mind is because I rescued it from Glory, so maybe I do have a few rights to it." Willow snatched the dried flowers out of Tara's hand.
Tara cried, not believing what she was seeing and hearing.
Willow's eyes closed as she stroked the flowers, muttering 'forget' and replacing the spell.
Her green eyes looked into Tara's hardened, angry ones. Willow narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
Tara choked back her sob.
"I had hoped that my spell wouldn't be necessary." Tara said, bitterly.
Willow looked like she still didn't believe what was happening.
Tara silently went upstairs. She picked up her bags and quietly disappeared out the back door.
**~**
Willow sighed as Tara passed by her silently.
"Tara?" Willow watched her as she kept walking. "Tara.please just tell me what is it?"
Tara stopped. She knew she couldn't run forever. It was time to tell Willow that she knew. She turned around and looked at Willow, the look on her face, clearly hurt.
"What did we argue about the other day?"
Willow was proud of herself for keeping a straight face. How did she know? Was there a flaw in the magic? Was it temporary?
"I don't know what you mean. When did we fight?"
"Willow, please." Tara's voice seemed to beg her to be truthful. "I know we did." She held out the dried flowers. "What was it about?"
Willow sighed. She might as well tell her. If she took it bad she'd just redo the magic. She couldn't lose Tara, she was her other half.
"About magic. I decorated Anya and Xander's celebration party and you flipped out. I mean, between you and Giles-"
"What about Giles?" Tara's eyes narrowed.
"You both seem to think that I can't handle my magic. Believe me, I can. I mean, where was all this pissing and groaning when I used the magic to get you back your senses?" Willow shot at her. She was tired of being questioned.
Tara swallowed hard. Chances are, Willow would have taken care of her if the spell hadn't worked and she was still insane. But that didn't give her a right to violate her the way she did.
"Willow, that isn't fair."
"No, what's not fair is that every time I try and do something good, I get yelled at. Well maybe you should remember who you're yelling at here. I'm not a little girl who can't defend herself anymore." Willow advanced slowly to Tara. "I mean, did anyone bitch when I used the power to help Dawn when Glory had her? No." She advanced closer. "Did anyone bitch when I set up a barrier to keep us secure when we were running from those warriors? No."
Tara began to back up. Willow was in her face and her eyes were slowly darkening as her hands were clinched at her side. She wondered if she should run. She wondered if it would even be an option she'd have. It was as if Willow's conscience didn't even suffer from what she did to her.
"Willow."
"No! I'm tired of this. It's who I am. If you can't deal." Willow paused and smiled, her eyes blackening completely. "Well, you'll deal."
"Willow, you erased my memory! How could you do that to me? You had no right!" Tara cried.
"Maybe not. But the only reason you have that mind is because I rescued it from Glory, so maybe I do have a few rights to it." Willow snatched the dried flowers out of Tara's hand.
Tara cried, not believing what she was seeing and hearing.
Willow's eyes closed as she stroked the flowers, muttering 'forget' and replacing the spell.
Her green eyes looked into Tara's hardened, angry ones. Willow narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
Tara choked back her sob.
"I had hoped that my spell wouldn't be necessary." Tara said, bitterly.
Willow looked like she still didn't believe what was happening.
Tara silently went upstairs. She picked up her bags and quietly disappeared out the back door.