Light and Hope

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the good people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the God of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.

Description: Purely W/T.

Spoilers: MAJOR SPOILAGE for the entire season six. BSD fully revealed.

Feedback: Yes please!

Distribution: If you wanna link to it, great. Also add a link to my site. If you wanna actually put it on your site, give me a heads up.

Rated: PG

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Willow saw a small light bobbing about her room.

Funny, she thought, like a little Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell light … now why did that sound so familiar?

Before her eyes the light expanded and dissolved into a beautiful girl. Willow's beautiful girl, actually.

"Tara," she said, taking her lover's hand and wondering why it surprised her that it was so solid. Tara was in a long, flowing silver-blue dress, with her hair long and wild about her face. There was a calm air all around her.

"Willow," Tara answered, almost in a whisper.

Then it hit Willow, the memories. Tara crying out. Finding her in a pool of blood. Osiris denying her request. "Oh God, you're dead!" Willow threw her arms around her and kissed her until she thought her lips would go numb. "But how?"

"I will always find you. Death doesn't change that."

"I tried to find you Tara, but I got so lost." Willow began to cry.

Tara kissed away her tears. "Shhhh, don't wake her. The girl needs her sleep." She to Willow's bed, where Willow saw herself sleeping.

"This is a dream?" she asked.

"Dreams are real," Tara said, "They're just clearer than in waking life."

Willow looked into her beautiful eyes. "Are you happy where you are now?" The pain welling in her chest was nearly unbearable.

"I am safe and warm," Tara explained, "but I could never be truly happy away from you."

Then it hit Willow, the shame. "I don't think I could ever get where you are. Not now. The things I did …"

The heavenly blond took Willow's right hand in her own and traced a heart on the palm. "All will be forgiven, all will be redeemed."

"You forgive me? I'm such a wreck without you!"

Tara took Willow's left hand, tracing a star on the palm. "You are my light. You are my hope," she told her.

"Don't go. Don't leave me again!"

Tara traced a complex figure on her forehead. "One will be returned. Two will be reunited." She then laid a tender kiss on Willow's lips. "I will love you. Always."

* * *

Willow awoke with a start. Her face was wet from crying. She ran into the bathroom to get some tissues, till sobbing. What had that been? Wishful thinking on her part? An attempt to appease her own guilt?

She paused as she caught herself in the mirror. Her hands and her forehead were glowing. She finally recognized the symbol Tara had so carefully drawn. It was a phoenix.

That had been no ordinary dream.

TBC