Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sam old same old. I don't own Buffy and I never will own Buffy.
This is the sad chapter, so very sad.
"Mom?" Tara said, quietly.
Anna looked up at Tara, sweet, sweet Tara, her tear-filled eyes mirroring the doe eyes of her daughter. She dropped her head down, her eyes focused on her shoes, unable to answer her daughter. Her light brown hair, which was tied up in a single braid, was disheveled. Beth quickly kneeled to her, brushing it out of her face as Tara stared at the sight before her.
"Umm…y-your mother…" her father stammered, speaking quietly and comparable to Tara's timid stutter. He burrowed his eyes as tears streamed down his face.
Anna brought her face up to Tara's, donning a weak smile and reaching her hand to Tara's pallid cheek. "I went to the doctor today, and…the doctor said that I've got breast cancer, honey, and…and-," she said, as sobs interrupted her sentence.
Tara shook her head, breathing quickly in short pants. "N…no, no no no, I-it's fine, it'll…you-you'll be f-fine, it's only…" she said, burying her face in her hands. They smelled like the stable, and Tara guiltily thought back to the fun she had had that morning, riding carelessly on Snow while her mother was receiving such horrible news.
"Is it…I mean, there's chemo, there's radiation treatments, are you gonna be okay?" asked Beth, sobbing as well.
"The doctor said, the doctor said…it's too late. If they had caught it earlier, maybe, but…it's bad," Anna said.
Tara screamed, falling to the ground. Anna rushed towards her, only to be interrupted by Donny and Joseph, both of whom having been oddly silent, who took Tara up into their arms. Tara breathed in the scent of cigarette smoke and aftershave, nestling her damp face into her father's shoulder as he and Donny dumbly pat her back, both unable to finds words. Tara's muddy jeans smeared the new white carpet, which also bore small spots made by tears that had fallen in her sadness.
What seemed like hours later, Tara and Anna were lost in each other's warm embrace, both of whom had lost their ability to cry after so much of it. The aftermath of it swept through there bodies in gasps and sniffles. Beth had left a short while ago, her eyes swimming when she had left. Tara couldn't think; all that had made her life bearable in this house, this stupid house, would be lost to a stupid, human disease. And there was nothing she could do about it, nothing at all. Unless…
Tara jolted quickly out of her mother's arms, ignoring the pain as her head shot straight into the arm of the couch.
"Mom, mom, there has to be a way…you know, magic! We've healed things before, haven't we? We can do it, together!" she said excitedly, her mind working swiftly. She searched her brain for spells, incantations…all she could think of were minor healing charms, ones for cuts and scrapes, none that would help her…but her mother was more powerful than her, she could think of a way…
Anna shook her head. "I've tried, sweetie. None of them have worked," she said sorrowfully.
"But, maybe, if we work the spell together, then…we'd be more powerful?" she said, although her hope was growing dim.
Her mother nodded, if not for own sake but for Tara's. She knew that her daughter had led a difficult life, and she also knew that without her, it would be much worse.
The next few hours, they searched through spell books and old texts, occasionally performing a few rituals, none of which had any effect. Joseph didn't even object; for a moment, it seemed that he would try to help. But, eventually, even Tara knew that their magic would not save her mother from death. The realization hit her as hard as the first, and she again broke down. The day passed quickly, yet slowly, and Tara drifted off into sleep.
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