Buffy sat up and took in her surroundings. She was in a cavernous
room that was all white, except for huge black pillars that reached a
ceiling at least fifty feet above her head.
She saw that she was still dressed in the clothes she had chosen that morning, sans the blood. In fact, sans the gunshot wound. Where was she? This wasn't heaven. She had been to heaven, and this was not heaven. So what was it?
"It's the Waiting Room."
Buffy turned at the sound of the strangely familiar voice. Then she saw who had spoken.
"Tara?"
The witch was dressed in a flowing white gown. She had a smile on her face, which seemed to give off a strange glow.
"Hi Buffy."
"What are you doing here? What am I doing here? What the hell's going on?"
"It's a long story."
"Give me the abridged version."
"Okay. When Warren started shooting, one stray bullet found its way into Willow's bedroom. I died too, Buffy."
Buffy was disheartened by this news. Even though she was standing here, talking to Tara, she still grew saddened at the news of her death. "Oh, Tara, I'm so sorry."
Tara just smiled. "Don't be. It was my time to go. This was predetermined a long time ago. I even got made the Keeper of the Waiting Room! That's, like, a big honor."
Buffy smiled back. "Then I'm happy for you." Then she frowned again. "But what's the Waiting Room? And why am I here? And…" The questions were pouring out of her mouth.
Tara stopped the flood. "Don't worry, I'll explain. You see, even though I was supposed to die, you weren't."
"So? It's not like death has ever stopped me before. Somebody'll resurrect me, and I'll be back to the slayage in no time."
Tara shook her head sympathetically. "Not anymore, Buffy. You see, you are in big trouble with the Powers that Be."
Buffy laughed. "So? I've always had problems with authority figures."
"This isn't a joke, Buffy. You failed your destiny."
"Excuse me? My destiny is to save the world. I do that. Quite well thank you. I've stopped the Harvest, the Master, Angel, the Mayor's Ascension…"
Again Tara interrupted. "That's all great, but it wasn't all. You weren't supposed to die today. Because you did, the world is going to end."
No. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true.
"It's true, Buffy. Believe it."
Buffy stared at Tara. "So what, you're reading my mind now?"
Tara shrugged sheepishly. "Comes with the job."
Buffy shook her head angrily. "No! The world won't end. They can just get Faith out of jail. Or call up a new slayer. Or- or do something. I will not take the blame for the world ending."
"No other Slayer could fix this Buffy. It is not your future acts that would have saved everyone. It is your past ones. Your own insecurities and inability to see the truth doomed us all."
"What are you talking about?"
Tara sighed. "Let's look at something."
She waved her hand at the empty air. Slowly, a vision of color interrupted the whiteness of the wall.
The color began to take shape. There were two figures, dressed in black, laughing as they drenched a town with blood. Buffy watched in horror as the two looted stores, set fire to houses, murdered people and then joyously mutilated their bodies. Who were these monsters? Who could be so cruel as to harm these innocent people so happily? Even vampires kept a lower profile, and they didn't look like demons…
Then the picture zoomed in on their faces. It was Spike and Willow. Kissing, reveling in the blood of the innocent lives taken by their hands. Buffy turned away in disgust.
When she turned back, the picture had disappeared, replaced by Tara's kind face. "I'm sorry you had to see that. But you caused it. Your actions caused it."
"What could I possibly have done? Why am I the cause of that?" Buffy waved her hand frantically at where the image had been.
Tara sighed. "You're not going to like what I have to say. But it needs to be said. Ultimately, because you denied Spike's love, and refused to see your own love for him, you have destroyed everything."
Buffy was crying by this time. At those words, they turned into tears of anger. "Okay, I must of made a wrong turn getting to the spiritual plane or something, because this is most definitely hell."
Tara shook her head. "It's true. You're interaction with Spike changed everything. If you had admitted that you loved him, if you had accepted his love from the start, you wouldn't have been distracted all the time. You would have found Warren earlier, turning him over to the police. You would have been more help to your friends, and Willow would not have fallen back into magic.
You have chased Spike away from you. Currently, he is on his way to Africa, where the chip will be removed. Willow, upon my death, fell into more dark magic than she was ever in before. Together, they will join into a force more powerful than this world has ever seen. All this will occur because of your denial."
Buffy couldn't believe it. The world ended because she didn't tell Spike she loved him? Her denial ended the world. But she didn't love Spike. She felt something for him, sure, but it wasn't love, not love…
"It is love, Buffy. Stop denying it."
"Stop reading my thoughts."
"I can't."
Buffy thought of something, a question she most certainly did not want to ask. "Tara- Tara, did I cause your death too?"
Tara shook her head. "I would have died today, one way or another. It was just my time."
Buffy sighed with relief. At least she hadn't caused that.
"So, why are you telling me this? I can't do anything now. The world will suffer because of me, because of my actions, and I'm a little to dead to do anything about it."
Tara looked at her. "The Powers are desperate. The world cannot end. You are needed. And so, you get another chance-a fourth one, to be exact. You have to go back in time, Buffy. You have to love Spike- and save the world while you're at it."
"Faults are thick where love is thin." English Proverb
She saw that she was still dressed in the clothes she had chosen that morning, sans the blood. In fact, sans the gunshot wound. Where was she? This wasn't heaven. She had been to heaven, and this was not heaven. So what was it?
"It's the Waiting Room."
Buffy turned at the sound of the strangely familiar voice. Then she saw who had spoken.
"Tara?"
The witch was dressed in a flowing white gown. She had a smile on her face, which seemed to give off a strange glow.
"Hi Buffy."
"What are you doing here? What am I doing here? What the hell's going on?"
"It's a long story."
"Give me the abridged version."
"Okay. When Warren started shooting, one stray bullet found its way into Willow's bedroom. I died too, Buffy."
Buffy was disheartened by this news. Even though she was standing here, talking to Tara, she still grew saddened at the news of her death. "Oh, Tara, I'm so sorry."
Tara just smiled. "Don't be. It was my time to go. This was predetermined a long time ago. I even got made the Keeper of the Waiting Room! That's, like, a big honor."
Buffy smiled back. "Then I'm happy for you." Then she frowned again. "But what's the Waiting Room? And why am I here? And…" The questions were pouring out of her mouth.
Tara stopped the flood. "Don't worry, I'll explain. You see, even though I was supposed to die, you weren't."
"So? It's not like death has ever stopped me before. Somebody'll resurrect me, and I'll be back to the slayage in no time."
Tara shook her head sympathetically. "Not anymore, Buffy. You see, you are in big trouble with the Powers that Be."
Buffy laughed. "So? I've always had problems with authority figures."
"This isn't a joke, Buffy. You failed your destiny."
"Excuse me? My destiny is to save the world. I do that. Quite well thank you. I've stopped the Harvest, the Master, Angel, the Mayor's Ascension…"
Again Tara interrupted. "That's all great, but it wasn't all. You weren't supposed to die today. Because you did, the world is going to end."
No. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true.
"It's true, Buffy. Believe it."
Buffy stared at Tara. "So what, you're reading my mind now?"
Tara shrugged sheepishly. "Comes with the job."
Buffy shook her head angrily. "No! The world won't end. They can just get Faith out of jail. Or call up a new slayer. Or- or do something. I will not take the blame for the world ending."
"No other Slayer could fix this Buffy. It is not your future acts that would have saved everyone. It is your past ones. Your own insecurities and inability to see the truth doomed us all."
"What are you talking about?"
Tara sighed. "Let's look at something."
She waved her hand at the empty air. Slowly, a vision of color interrupted the whiteness of the wall.
The color began to take shape. There were two figures, dressed in black, laughing as they drenched a town with blood. Buffy watched in horror as the two looted stores, set fire to houses, murdered people and then joyously mutilated their bodies. Who were these monsters? Who could be so cruel as to harm these innocent people so happily? Even vampires kept a lower profile, and they didn't look like demons…
Then the picture zoomed in on their faces. It was Spike and Willow. Kissing, reveling in the blood of the innocent lives taken by their hands. Buffy turned away in disgust.
When she turned back, the picture had disappeared, replaced by Tara's kind face. "I'm sorry you had to see that. But you caused it. Your actions caused it."
"What could I possibly have done? Why am I the cause of that?" Buffy waved her hand frantically at where the image had been.
Tara sighed. "You're not going to like what I have to say. But it needs to be said. Ultimately, because you denied Spike's love, and refused to see your own love for him, you have destroyed everything."
Buffy was crying by this time. At those words, they turned into tears of anger. "Okay, I must of made a wrong turn getting to the spiritual plane or something, because this is most definitely hell."
Tara shook her head. "It's true. You're interaction with Spike changed everything. If you had admitted that you loved him, if you had accepted his love from the start, you wouldn't have been distracted all the time. You would have found Warren earlier, turning him over to the police. You would have been more help to your friends, and Willow would not have fallen back into magic.
You have chased Spike away from you. Currently, he is on his way to Africa, where the chip will be removed. Willow, upon my death, fell into more dark magic than she was ever in before. Together, they will join into a force more powerful than this world has ever seen. All this will occur because of your denial."
Buffy couldn't believe it. The world ended because she didn't tell Spike she loved him? Her denial ended the world. But she didn't love Spike. She felt something for him, sure, but it wasn't love, not love…
"It is love, Buffy. Stop denying it."
"Stop reading my thoughts."
"I can't."
Buffy thought of something, a question she most certainly did not want to ask. "Tara- Tara, did I cause your death too?"
Tara shook her head. "I would have died today, one way or another. It was just my time."
Buffy sighed with relief. At least she hadn't caused that.
"So, why are you telling me this? I can't do anything now. The world will suffer because of me, because of my actions, and I'm a little to dead to do anything about it."
Tara looked at her. "The Powers are desperate. The world cannot end. You are needed. And so, you get another chance-a fourth one, to be exact. You have to go back in time, Buffy. You have to love Spike- and save the world while you're at it."
"Faults are thick where love is thin." English Proverb
