Author: Silentgirl
Title: Sonata to the Cold
Rating: PG -13
Spoilers: "The Wish" season 3, and some of season 4.
Disclaimer: I own none of the characters, they all belong to Joss, UPN, the WB, Mutant Enemy, etc...
Distribution: if you want it, take it. Just give me the address.
Summary: Would Willow and Tara still have ended up together if Buffy had never come to Sunnydale? Set during "The Wish." Warning: darkfic

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The clink of keys and the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps echoed down the hallway. The blond prisoner sank back against the cold, damp wall, staying as far away from the bars of the cell as possible. She cringed as her captor's whispered promises of pain drifted to her ears. The face of her red haired demon peered through the bars, swinging the large, golden keys around her small finger.

"Good morning, kitten," her fire-haired captor said mockingly, a sly grin playing across her face. The blond whimpered in response, hoping that today she would take pity on her. Burns and cuts still marred her body from the previous visit. She had grown thin, and shadows of ribs showed through the abused skin of her chest.

The vampiress entered the cell in which the girl was held, not bothering to bolt the door behind her. The captive struggled against the chains which held her to the floor. Gripping the metal links, she pulled further away from the demon.

"What, no kiss," the red-haired vampire whispered against bruised skin as she approached. Her eyes shone in the dim light, "but didn't you miss me?"

The captive shut her eyes tight, wishing the demon away. "Oh, none of that now. I want you to see me, kitten," her fingertips ghosting against the girl's face. Feeling the fingers tightly grip her throat, the blond girl's eyes shot open. Yellow eyes burned into hers.

She winced as the redheaded beauty scratched new patterns into her flesh. As much as she hated the vampire, she was the girl's last tie to the world. Other than her captor, she had seen no other being for almost a month. She grew to accept her fate, no longer fighting against the grip of the demon, no longer struggling to escape. It was just her and her fire-haired queen for the endless night of eternity. The blond lowered her head, tears leaking from her eyes.

She had arrived at the hellmouth over a month ago after having been accepted into UC Sunnydale. She had decided that it would be a good idea to come and see where it was that she would be spending the next four years of her life, maybe more. One night, the two vampires had cornered her while walking back to the motel she had been staying at.

"What's your name," the dark haired vampire had asked her, the two demons closing in on her.

"T-t-tara," the girl had stammered fearfully in response, her voice already shaky from the cold. She averted her eyes hoping that they would leave her alone. The blond girl had been studying magic for a most of her life and could instinctively tell that these two were far from human.

"She's a shy one," the red-haired vampiress said, running her hands over the chest of the dark haired man beside her, "can I keep her?"

"Whatever you want, Will. It's your turn," the leather clad man had replied, scratching his nails over the redhead's hand. The vampiress approached the terrified blond with a dark gleam in her eyes, knocking her out with one well placed punched. The girl resigned to the darkness as her world slowly turned to black.

She had awoken to find herself chained to the floor of this prison. The cold metal stringing her to the earth. It seemed almost fitting that she be here, in this hell. Her family had always told her that she was really a demon, and hell is where demons belonged.

Willow brought her tongue to the tearstained cheeks. "Your so pretty when you cry," she whispered, "mine." Hot tears continued to flow as the girl sobbed into the fire-red hair. "Aw, what's the matter, kitten," the demoness asked patronizingly, nails digging further into flesh, "no more crying. It's time to scream."

As fangs plunged into tender flesh, her ear piercing cry resounded through the hallways and into the club above them. The fire-haired vampiress grinned down at her captive, "Now that's more like it."

Tara felt her bruised body slump further against the chill, damp wall of the cell. Finally accepting the cold, the girl resigned to the darkness as her world slowly turned to black.

~Finis