Willow had just crawled into bed with heavy eyes when it happened. At first, she wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. After all, the angel appeared right in front of her. That was what Tara was to Willow, an angel. Willow's eyes could barely stay open, but she wanted to see Tara again.
Tara seemed disoriented. She looked around the room fearfully. Willow struggled to push aside the exhaustion and sit up. Tara's eyes found her and they filled with tears. Suddenly, Willow realized this was not, in fact, a dream.
"Tara?" Willow's voice shook slightly. Her exhaustion no longer mattered. She moved, wanting to reach out and touch Tara. Maybe then, she could be sure she was actually there.
"Wi-willow? Where am I?" Tara's knees buckled, and Willow rushed to catch her.
"You're here, with me Tara." Willow touched Tara's cheek lightly. Part of her still believed this was a dream. How else could Tara be here with her?
"I don't understand." Tears filled Tara's eyes as she searched Willow's face. "The last thing I remember was-" Tara shook her head, unable to continue. With Willow's help, Tara moved to the bed. As she laid down on it, she studied Willow. It was clear time had passed, but she couldn't be sure how long exactly.
Tara remembered the pain. She remembered the red blood on Willow's shirt. Then? There's was nothing. No pain, no fear. Then, there had been a light. And a warmth. This place didn't quite feel the way Tara had always imagined Heaven would. It was different.
She didn't quite feel like she belonged there. That's when she heard the voice. It was soft, and filled her with a sense of safety. The feminine voice was somehow familiar to her.
"You were not meant to die here, my dear one. That bullet was never meant for you." Tara tried to make sense of what the mysterious voice had meant. But her thoughts felt hazy. "The world is not yet ready for your absence. Alas, it is impossible to just send you back as well. Now that your human body is dead, we will need to make certain arrangements will need to be set in place first. Before those can be made, the Slayer known as Buffy needs to remove a player from the Earthly realm. Until then, you will remain in this place, between the living and the dead. I will allow you to view the events unfolding on Earth, but you will not have the ability to change them in any way."
"Wh-who are you?" As Tara asked, she felt a warmth on her cheek, as though the source of the voice had gently caressed her.
"You shall know me, in time." The voice, and the warmth it provided, disappeared. Tara was left alone in what appeared to be a dark space. In front of her, a window appeared. Through it, she could see Willow. Or someone very much like Willow. The Willow-like person she saw had dark hair and was surrounded by a dark aura of power.
Unable to do anything, Tara watched as Dark Willow nearly destroyed the Earth. She watched as Xander stopped her, just in the nick of time. She watched as Willow lived with the guilt and the pain. She watched as the battle with the First unfolded. She watched as Willow did the spell that would allow all of the Potentials on Earth to become full Slayers. She watched as Willow appeared, like a goddess herself, during the spell.
Tara had watched it all, waiting for the Voice to reappear and tell her it was time. She wanted to go back to Willow. She wanted to be on Earth again.
Time passed slowly for Tara. She had no idea how much time had passed on Earth. Finally, the Voice returned. It told her it was time. She could return. What felt like moments later, she woke up in the strange room bathed in light and staring at Willow.