Title: Seeing Red
Chapter: One
Pairing: Willow/Tara, Willow/Buffy, Buffy/Willow/Tara
Rating: R
Timeline: Two seconds after Seeing Red
Spoilers: Only if you haven't seen it yet.
Beta Reader: Dark Gremlin
Summary: Willow's worst nightmare is forced to
the front in her attempts to alter the future that
she knows is ahead.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon,
Mutant Enemy Productions, and Paramount Pictures.
---------
She brushed past the surprised, sleepy blonde as
she opened the dorm room door. She had the vague
sense that perhaps she should've taken the time
to put on some sort of shoes, or maybe some clothes
other than the grey and red sports shirt, but it
was an emergency, and she just couldn't seem to
get past the whole problem.
" What's wrong? "
" Do you remember that horrible nasty tea like
stuff you made that time when Xander...? "
" I don't think I could ever forget. " Tara
grimaced, trying to block the image of the
construction worker with way to much alcohol in
his system.
" I need you to make me some. "
" What? Why? "
Willow nervously looked away from her ex,
hoping that maybe the dirty blonde wouldn't
drill her too much on the subject. " There's
some medicine in my system that I have to
get out. "
" Did you...? "
" No. " Willow shook her head against the
blondes concerned question. " The doctor has
me on this medicine. "
" Then why don't you let it naturally...? "
" Tara, please. I have to get it out. Now. "
The blonde witch stared at her ex-lover
trying to read the various emotions scurrying
across her face. Fear, confusion, guilt, anger,
they were so varied that for once she wasn't
sure what to expect from the red head.
" Alright, let me get what I need, and we'll
go to Buffy's. "
" Tara..."
" I'm not about to leave you alone while you
take the potion, and I doubt that you want to
stay here. "
" Yeah but..."
" No buts, now get a pair of my shoes to put
on. "
Willow sighed tiredly as the dirty blonde
began to systematically gather everything she
could possibly need, including the bottle of
potion she kept for emergencies. Now all she
had to do was get a hold of it.
---------
Buffy glanced at the vcr clock, then spun
on her bare foot to pace the other way. When
she was at the end of the living room she
glared worriedly at the front door, spun,
and started to pace in the opposite directions.
' And repeat as needed. '
She swallowed back the urge to run out into
the night in search of her best friend. All
the horrible thoughts and scenarios were trying
to drive her crazy.
What if Willow had relapsed and was with
Rack, or maybe Spike had finally snapped and
kidnapped her. O-or what if she was sleep
walking and was attacked by vampires. Or
what if...
" Where the hell have you been? " She
snapped as the front door opened.
She paused at the sight of Tara, leading
a messy haired red head still in her sleep
shirt. " What happened? Are you okay? "
" Willow wanted some of my special
potion. "
" And it couldn't wait until morning? "
She asked suspiciously, focusing on her
friends ex.
" She said it was an emergency. "
" So you decided to just give it to
her? Don't you remember how sick that
stuff made Xander? "
" I tried to talk her out of it, but
you know how she is when she's determined. "
" I am not going to let her ingest that
stuff. " Buffy firmly commented.
" Good. "
She nodded satisfied that Tara would
back her up, then turned to...empty space.
" Where's Willow? "
Tara turned around and stared at the
spot where the red head had been just a
few minutes earlier. Along with the bag
containing the potion.
Before she could process the missing
red head, the sounds of someone getting
seriously sick filled the house, solving
the mystery.
" Damn. " Buffy muttered, dashing up
the stairs to the open bathroom door.
The red head was kneeling by the toilet
making noises that told quite vividly what
was happening with her.
" Hey, you okay? " She closed the distance
between them, barely paying any attention
to Tara as she sat beside the red head.
" What do you think? " Willow grumbled,
then groaned loudly when another wave of
nausea hit her.
" I told you not to take it. " Tara
scolded gently, sitting on Willow's
other side.
" Had to. "
" Why? "
" Oh..." She dived back over the commode
and started to heave again.
Buffy settled back against the wall
and rubbed the red heads tense back. " It's
alright we can talk about it in the morning. "
Tara nodded in agreement, and smiled
at the slayer, in silent thanks. They were
going to be in for a long night.
---------
Tara ran her fingers through Willow's
sweat soaked hair as she buried her head
into the witch's thigh. It had been less
than an hour since the ex-witch had stopped
dry heaving, and the thin body was now
shaking from burning the medicine from
her system.
Pressed into her side Buffy was holding
the rest of the curled up red head. She had
noticed the tender look that the slayer had
as she softly stroked Willow's leg's, and
back.
" She's missed you. " Buffy whispered.
" I know. "
" She hasn't used magic in thirty five
days. Well, there was that spell that Amy
used on her, but that doesn't count, if
anything that just proves how hard she's
trying. "
" What spell? "
" It wasn't really a spell, she just sort
of gave her all this energy that over flowing
into anything Will touched. "
" She gave her a high. " Tara had been afraid
of what Amy would do, since she doubted the red
heads childhood friend, would simply leave her
alone.
" Yeah. "
" She didn't use the magic? "
" No. "
" Good. " Tara slide her finger tips over
the soft skin of Willow's cheek.
" No..." Willow whimpered, curling up
tighter. " Buffy...Tara...Please, not them.
Please. Don't... TARA!! "
" It's alright sweetie, we're right here.
We're alright. No one's going to hurt us. "
" Warren...no...kill you..."
Willow rolled up into her self, sobbing,
and convulsing violently as she scrambled
out of their arms. " NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! "
Tara lunged after the red head, hugging
her hard into her chest, while Buffy grabbed
them from the other side. The convulsions
worsened through the raspy scream of pain
and fear, reminding her of living through
the worst nightmare on the planet a thousand
times over.
" What the hell did you give her? " Buffy
growled, trying to keep a grip on Willow.
" Nothing. "
" Then what's happening to her?! "
" I..." Tara forcefully rolled the red
head onto her back, and pried her eyes
open. The gorgeous dark emerald eyes had
dilated and were unseeing. " Oh god...
She didn't tell me... I didn't know..."
" What?! "
" She's a seer. " Tara muttered, her
eyes searching the bathroom, almost in
a panic.
She quickly climbed to her feet,
moving to the medicine cabinet. The
various medicines, Tylenol, and first
aid supplies were swept aside in her
quest. Each prescription bottle was
read and disregarded until she found
the bottle with her ex-lover's name
on it.
" Oh goddess. She was on anti-
psychotic medicine. It was blocking
the flashes. "
Buffy cradled the convulsing red
head into her body, afraid of where
Tara was going with her point. " And? "
" She's now catching up on every
thing that was blocked. "
" She'll be alright though, right? "
" We should move her to the bed. "
" Tara? "
" I don't know. " Tara admitted.
---------
Chapter: Two
---------
" ...my Tara..."
Buffy felt her heartbreak with those simple words,
spoken by the half unconscious red head, still struggling
to work through all the visions that kept flooding
her mind. It was horrible, listening to each and
every moment of the scoobies lives played out in
a few short hours. It was even worse hearing all
the little secrets, and events that Willow hadn't
included any of them in.
The worst part was having to relive the red
heads realization that she was gay, and that she
was in love with Tara. She loved the blonde
witch, and thought of her as family, but the fact
that the busty witch was the one to win Willow
still stung.
The fact that she was currently missing her
chance at her friend was even worse. She partially
blamed Xander and his impeccable timing. After all,
if the chubby construction worker hadn't interrupted
their conversation the week before she would've
told the red head.
She had been so close. She'd said the line that
she'd rehearsed since the day she'd discovered her
friend was gay. ' Once you fall for Willow, you
stay fallen. '
That simple sentence had said so much, and yet,
the chance had passed them by once again. Now,
Tara was by Willow's side, despite their break up,
and damn it, she wasn't supposed to be. They were
comput. There was no more them. Willow had violated
the witches mind in the worst way, and yet there she
was.
" ...No...you can't have 'er...No...My Buffy...
can't have 'er..."
Buffy leaned forward eagerly, suddenly finding it
easy to forgive everything, and everyone. If only
the red head would say...
"...mmmmm...Tara hand..."
' Not that. ' Buffy sat back once again and
stared at the blonde that was going back and
forth between love and deep thought. " Only
because she's never experienced slayer hand. "
Tara glanced up with narrowed eyes, " What? "
" I didn't say anything. " Buffy cocked one
eye brow at the blonde, just daring her to
contradict her.
" Oh. " Tara started to smile slightly,
sending chills down the slayers spine. " It's
funny actually. "
' Don't respond, don't respond. Whatever
happens, just don't respond. ' " What's funny? "
Tara chuckled dryly, " She had this fantasy's
about having both of us as her lovers. "
" Oh. " Buffy forced herself to laugh. " Can
you imagine it? The two of us sharing her. "
" Yeah, that would be hilarious. " Tara said
through the strained laughter bordering on
seriousness. " Having to share a bed. "
" The dates, and dances. "
" Cuddling. "
" The kisses. "
" The hugs. " Buffy swallowed hard.
There was no more laughter, or pretending
to be joking. Only now they were faced with
a serious proposition. Did they let Willow
chose who she wanted to be with and risk
losing her to the other? Or did they reach
an agreement and share her?
" It would be funny. "
Buffy nodded. " Definitely interesting. "
" It would be a...unique experiment. "
" Yeah, it would. " Buffy agreed, silently
telling Tara what her vote was.
" Tara!!! NOOO!!!! "
Buffy grabbed hold of the red head as she
tried to leap off the bed. Absently stroking
the trembling back muscles that were twitching
in instinctive lunge. " Hey, it's okay. Tara's
right here. See? "
The red head's eyes widened in horror at
the sight of the blonde standing in front
of the window. With a strength that shocked
Buffy, Willow sprint the short distance,
and tackled the witch to the floor.
" Stay away from the window. Don't go
near the window. You can't go near the
window. Promise me you'll stay away from the
window. "
" Wh...what? "
" Promise me. No windows. Windows are bad. "
" I promise. No windows but... "
" No!! No, buts. There are no buts.
Windows. Bad. Windows are very bad. Windows
lead to death, and shootings, and...no buts. "
" Did you see something? " Buffy finally asked.
" Tara's going to be shot. Here. In front
of that window. " Willow answered weakly.
" Who shot's her? "
" I- I don't know. " Willow frowned as her
eyes turned inward. " There...you...You and
Xander were in the backyard, apologizing for
something, and me and Tara were getting
dressed and then there was these gun shots
and Tara had a...a...and there was blood, and
you were too...and... I don't know. "
" It's alright. I'm sure that when you're
ready you'll see it. "
Willow curled into Tara's arms, shaking
and crying. Each tear brought a louder
more guilt ridden shock that struck the
slayer harder and harder until she found
herself engulfing the two women in her arms.
" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. " Willow
whimpered. " It's all my fault, all of it's
my fault. If I hadn't taken the medicine
then... "
" It's not your fault. "
" I'm sorry. " Willow tightened her arms
around them, unaware of anything that was
being said to her. " I'm sorry. "
---------
The blonde body held in her arms let out
a single slow breath and slumped down dead
in her arms. Scrapping away the resistance
she had to dark magic, and leaving only the
deep seeded rage that had originally drawn
D'Hoffand to her in the first place.
The blood was splattered generously over
her shirt and face, coating her hands and
part of her arms. Each drop gathering on
her skin until all she wanted to do was
run into the bathroom and rip her skin from
her body.
Blood. It was a fascinating. The way the
blood was blue while it was still in the
body but the minute the air hit it, it
turned such a dark red that it could almost
be black.
Blood was the life that kept all creatures
alive. It was what kept the body functioning.
It was the source of pleasure for many serial
killers and demons. Now, it was her own.
She wouldn't stop until she could smear
Warren's blood over her hands and shirt in the
same way that her lovers now coated her. Only
then would she allow that bastard the satisfaction
of dying. Only then would she grant him the
release he would need in order to avoid the
pain of the real world. Only then would she
send him to the pain waiting for him in hell.
" WARREN!!!!!! "
" Willow!! "
She snapped her eyes open with a sharp
gasp, the remains of the emotions and
desperation of vision still fresh in her
mind. Truthfully, she hadn't even realized
what had happened. One minute she'd been
crying and apologizing to Tara and Buffy,
and then...
" ..Warren...It...It was Warren. "
She pulled away from the concerned embrace
of the two blondes and struggled to her feet.
She loved them both incredibly, but right at
that moment, she needed to be alone so she
could figure out the hundreds of emotions
and instincts galloping through her.
She'd grown up with her mother convincing
her that all the years of seeing dead people
walking around her, and having visions of
different times, were just hallucinations
brought on by psychotic episodes. She'd
even been forced onto medicine to block
them.
It hadn't been until the night after Jess
had been turned that she'd finally started
to realize that they weren't something
brought on by mental illness. It was real,
more real than she cared to accept, but
it didn't change the facts, and at that
moment, the only fact was that she had to
find someway to embrace her abilities.
" I...I need some air. "
" I'll come with you. " Buffy stated
quickly.
" No, I'd rather... I need some time
to myself. " She offered a gentle smile
to the two blondes, than started to get
dressed.
They meant well, but sometimes all the
love and caring in the world couldn't
work out problems.
