Born of Blood, Chapter 3
A Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction
Willow and Tara held Leslie as the paramedics wheeled Lexi out of the bathroom. They had arrived very quickly and bombarded the girls with questions when they came, and now they were taking Lexi to the hospital.
One of the paramedics stopped to talk to the girls on his way out. "They're taking her to Sunnydale Memorial Hospital. She lost a lot of blood, but there's still a chance that she'll come through. It's lucky you found her when you did though. A couple more minutes and I don't think there'd even be a chance. We're contacting her family right now and –"
"I want to come with you to the hospital," Leslie declared loudly.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, miss. The trip over in the ambulance is going to be pretty difficult, and a lot is going to happen that you don't want to see. Why don't you stay here for a little while and calm down, and then if you still want to you can get someone to drive you over? Well, I'd better get going. Thank you all very much." The paramedic gave them a nod and then ran down the stairs.
A crowd had congregated in the hallway, but now that the EMTs were gone, they figured the commotion was over, and people dissipated and returned to whatever it was they were doing before.
"I cannot believe this," Leslie said in a hollow voice. She had stopped crying, and now she just had this look of blankness on her face, like she was void of all emotion. Willow thought she preferred it when the girl was crying.
"Hey, Leslie," Tara said gently, putting her hand on the girl's arm. "Willow and I need to go take care of some things, so why don't we walk you to a friend's room? Like the paramedic said, it would be good for you to calm down a little and then you can go over to the hospital."
"I'd appreciate that. One of my other best friends, Erin, lives in Stevenson. Can you walk me over there?" Leslie asked.
"Of course we can," Willow responded. Looking at Tara, she added, "That would be great, because then we can see if Buffy's home. I'd like to tell her that something's going on."
"Okay," Leslie said. "Let me just grab my stuff from my room."
"We'll do the same," Tara agreed, and she and Willow walked down the hall.
"Any hypotheses?" Tara murmured softly as she unlocked her door.
"Not one," Willow replied. "But I can tell you that this does not bode well."
After grabbing a few things, Willow and Tara went to Leslie's room to get her.
Leslie was standing by her bed, staring at Lexi's side of the room. "What if she never comes back here?" she said to the girls standing in her doorway without turning around.
"You can't think like that," Willow declared. "It just makes things harder. I know this is going to sound weird, but I've been in your situation before, and I promise you, it really is better to be positive."
"You have?" Leslie said as she turned to Willow with her eyes wide.
"Yes, actually more then once," Willow replied (as Tara thought Yeah, she's in this situation every night). "Now let's get you over to Stevenson. You'll feel better when you're not in this room."
The three girls walked quickly across the campus, not talking. After making sure Leslie was safe with her friend, Willow and Tara hurried to the room Willow and Buffy shared.
"She's not here," Willow stated as she opened the door. "I didn't think she would be, she said she was going to patrol for a little while tonight. I just thought we'd check."
"It was a good thought," Tara said. "Okay, so what's our game plan?"
"Well, we don't really know what's going on, and if there's anybody I trust to figure out the answer to the most obscure situation, it's Giles," Willow answered.
"Good," Tara replied. "So let's go over there." Willow walked over to set her spell book on her desk. "Wait Will, why don't we take that with us? Just in case there's something in there that can help us."
"Good thinking," Willow said, and she walked back over to Tara. "Your bandage is almost soaked through again. Maybe we should change it."
"No time," Tara said. "We can change it when we get to Giles' apartment."
And with that, the girls took off for their favorite ex-librarian's place.
Willow banged anxiously on Giles' front door, and she could hear him saying "Geez, don't get your knickers in a twist," as he walked towards the door.
Giles opened the door and a look of confusion crossed his face. "Willow. Tara. I was not expecting you. Come in."
The two girls walked in quickly and sat down on the couch. "Giles, can you get me your first aid kit?" Willow asked, grabbing at Tara's arm.
"Of course," he responded as he walked into the kitchen. "Would you care for anything else? Some tea, perhaps?"
"Not right now, thank you," Willow answered.
Giles returned to the living room and handed Willow his first aid kit. He watched as she pulled a bandage off of Tara's arm to reveal a small bleeding cut. "Tara, what happened there?" he asked as he sat down in a chair across from them.
"Well that's actually what we're here to talk to you about," Willow said as she pressed another bandage onto Tara's skin.
Together, they recounted the story of Tara scraping her arm, but then bleeding for much longer then was normal for that kind of scratch. When Giles commented that that was yes, strange, but no cause for serious alarm, they told him about the bleeding girl in the bathroom.
"It was awful," Willow told him.
"Th-there was blood everywhere," Tara stuttered.
"So, two cases of profuse bleeding with no reasonable explanation," Giles said. The girls nodded at him in sync, and he looked at them dubiously. "While I understand that this situation is odd, and perhaps somewhat unnerving, I'm not sure something supernatural is the cause. Perhaps –"
"Okay, Giles, what the hell is going on?" someone yelled as they slammed the door.
"Willow. Tara. What are you guys doing here?" Buffy asked in a surprised manner as she rounded the corner into the living room.
"Buffy," Giles responded. "What are you doing here? And what are you shouting about? And did you just break down my door?"
"It was unlocked," Buffy said as she looked at Giles exasperatedly. Ignoring the fact that her question was unanswered, Buffy started to talk. "Why didn't you tell me that tonight was a vamp holiday? Or something like that that makes them extra crazy? Because it is wild out there tonight. The vamps are acting way less apprehensive than the average vampire does, especially now that every single one knows there's a seriously kick ass Slayer in town. I've never seen vamps without a mission this bold. And also it's extra bloody! I caught this one little guy sucking on a girl in an alley, and when he dropped her to fight, her blood was flowing like crazy! I staked him and then screamed till someone found her, but I don't think there's too good a chance she's still alive. So what's the sitch?"
Willow, Tara, and Giles all stared at her with their mouths agape.
"Okay, it is not a good sign when both Willow and Giles are speechless," Buffy said.
Giles turned and looked at Willow and Tara. "I'm sorry girls, but I'm starting to think I was mistaken in saying that the causes of your evening's events are not supernatural."
"What are your 'evening's events'?" Buffy asked as she sat down beside the girls.
Once again, the two Wiccans told the story of their night, starting with Tara scraping her arm and ending with the ambulance pulling away from the dorm. Buffy looked freaked out when they finished, and she turned to look at Giles to ask him once again what was going on. To her surprise, he was not there. Turning around, she found him at his bookshelf, hurriedly pulling books down, looking at them, and then setting them aside.
"What's the what, Giles?" Buffy inquired as she got up to walk over to her ex-watcher.
"I'm looking to see if I can find anything that explains this type of incident. Willow, why don't you come and help me? Two minds are better than one, and I'm sure between the two of us we can figure this out. And the sooner the better, far as I'm concerned."
Willow looked at Tara, who shyly looked down at the floor, and then got up and walked over to the bookshelves.
"So, I'm guessing it's research time?" Buffy asked as she sidled towards the door.
"You are correct," Giles answered as he turned to look at her. "And I'm guessing that you would like to leave?"
"Well, ya know, those vamps are acting crazy and I don't want to leave all of Sunnydale unprotected. Plus we all know that I'm never really good at the research stuff, and that I always end up missing information anyway," Buffy said, hoping Giles would acquiesce.
"Of course. Go. Just come back here as soon as possible. Hopefully we'll have it figured out quite soon," Giles told her, and with a little wave, Buffy dashed towards the door and was gone.
"Well, let's get started, shall we? Here Willow, this book has possibility. Turn to the chapter on effects on demons due to the position of the stars. Normally I ignore astrology, but this is a situation I've never encountered, so I really don't know what the explanation might be." Giles handed Willow a thick tome, and she took it back over to the couch and sat down.
"I hope this isn't awful for you," Willow whispered to Tara as she flipped to the chapter Giles had suggested. "You can go if you want."
"No, it's fine," Tara responded quickly. "I'd offer to help, but research has never been my strong point. I'm totally cool with staying here. In fact, I'd rather stay here. I know you guys will take care of me, and I can help take care of you."
"Good," Willow said quietly, and she reached out a hand and squeezed her friend's thigh. Then she yanked her arm back at starting yelling at herself. I cannot believe I just did that! Hopefully Tara reads nothing into it, just thinks that it was a friendly gesture in response to her friendly words. Oh Goddess, I need to make sure nothing shows on my face.
Tara was also thinking about keeping control of her expression. She didn't want Willow to know how much she enjoyed that, or how much she wished the redhead would just keep her hand on her thigh. So she just turned and smiled slightly at her friend, and Willow did the same before burying her head in the book.
"Giles, where is that tea you mentioned earlier? I'd be happy to make us a pot," Tara said as she stood up from the couch.
"Oh, um, yes. First cabinet to the right of the fridge. Kettle's on the stove and the teapot is right beside it," the Englishman said as he watched Tara walk into the kitchen. He hoped she didn't notice that he hadn't been looking at the book in his hands when she asked the question. He had been looking at the two girls.
So, Willow's in love with her. I never would have guessed that one, especially not after what she had with Oz. But love is love, and I'm glad Willow's found it again. Though by the looks of that interaction she hasn't told young Tara yet, and she is unaware that Tara has feelings for her. I hope they get that sorted soon. Life's too short not to be with the ones you love.
A voice tore Giles away from his thoughts. "I don't think we'll find anything useful in this one. Got another book that I can look through?"
"Of course, Willow. Here, try this. Find where it discusses the cycle of blood through the body. It's a stretch, but it may help us here." Giles traded Willow the new book for the old and put the useless astrology history back on the shelf.
Tara entered from the kitchen with two cups of tea and placed one on the coffee table in front of Willow. The redhead murmured a quiet "Thank you" without looking up, and Tara looked lovingly down at the object of her affections, knowing that Willow would not see her expression.
And that look just clinched it for me. No one gives me credit for my perceptiveness.
"Here you go, Mr. Giles," Tara said, setting the steaming cup onto the table.
Giles once again shook himself out of his thoughts and looked at the lovely, shy blonde. "Thank you, Tara. This was immensely thoughtful of you," he told her as he reached forward and took a small sip.
"You're w-welcome," Tara said with a shy smile, and then she walked back and sat down on the couch, far away from where Willow was researching. She didn't want to distract her.
Willow felt Tara sit down on the couch and moaned inwardly at the fact that the blonde was sitting so far away. Well, this is not at all a good sign. Way to go, idiot, that leg squeeze was too much. I don't really think friends do that. She's probably figured me out, with her incredible intuition, and she doesn't want to lead me on. Goddess, this sucks. Alright, researching.
Tara really hoped that Willow didn't get the wrong idea from their sitting positions. Tara would love to be close to Willow, but she knew that if she did that, Willow would feel compelled to talk to her and make sure she was alright, and they couldn't have that. Willow needed to be completely focused on researching so that this weirdness could get figured out as soon as possible.
"Just a moment," Giles said, and he quickly flipped a page of his book.
"What is it?" Willow asked, turning to look at him.
"Of course! I should have realized it. Quite silly, actually, to not have the option cross my mind."
"Giles, do you think you have an answer?" Willow prodded, and the older man looked up at her with a triumphant look on his face.
"This text talks about an ancient spell that can cause people to bleed and not stop until either the spell is undone or the person bleeding dies. This explains everything! Tara's arm, the girl in the bathroom, the woman Buffy found. And the vampires would be able to sense a change in the blood of their prey, and it would drive them wild," Giles explained quickly.
"Okay, great, so how can we get this undone?" Willow asked.
"Well, it says that there is a reversal spell in the same book as the spell itself. It also says that we must have the person who cast the spell with us," Giles answered.
"Why don't we focus on the book first? Does it say what spell book it comes from?" Willow inquired.
"Yes, it's from The Alchemy of Emotion," Giles said, and both girls faces suddenly went ashen. "What is it, girls?" Giles asked concernedly.
Willow walked silently to her bag and pulled out the spell book she'd been carrying. She turned it to face Giles, and he slowly read the title.
"Willow," Giles said intensely and walked over to the young woman. "Have you cast any spells out of this book?"
"No!" Willow told him. "I haven't cast a single one. I mean, I read one to Buffy and Tara, but it certainly was not casting."
"What was the spell you read?" Giles asked quietly.
Willow flipped to the page the spell was on. "Well, the beginning and end are in Latin, but the middle is 'Calling on those who are said to give life, from Aine to Isis and other'—"
"That's it," Giles said gravely, and Willow's face got even paler. "That is the ancient spell deemed 'Born of Blood' by those who created it, and you have cast it on Sunnydale."
