Chapter Forty-Eight

"Get it done"

A/N Again Tara and Kennedy kinda interchangeable here, but I just wasn't sure exactly how Tara would react to Chloe's death, ahhh bit of a nightmare. I've got exams and stuff and grr, and stuff apologies. This might start a story of Sineya, I think I kinda wanna continue this in more detail so stay tuned.

Africa, the world without shrimp, end of the Primordium Era - around 2300BC

Sineya walked through the entrance to the village - a large basket perched on her hip as her long braided hair fell darkly down her back. She was a little stronger than the other girls in her village and so always helped her mother with gathering the water and cloth. As she stepped beyond the boundary of the valley and into the village she was greeted with a desertion. The houses were burning into piles of swollen mulch, animals screaming inside them, people barely managing to escape, women carrying children on their backs like monkeys.

The animalistic basis of life pouring into the bleak desert as Sineya dropped the basket in an instant and ran towards one one the houses. She knew she should get out - flee the place so obviously set alight by the unhappy gods, but curiosity claimed her. She walked deeper into the ruin, the few plants they could grow in this kind of environment were blackened down to the root, charred remains lining the streets. Something had happened here - death had struck the village and blackened its heart, she saw. As she walked into the centre of the houses she saw the blackness - the heart of the demon floating in a great orb. She thought it was a sign from the gods - that she should leave it alone. It wasn't for her eyes, but it called out to her.

Sineya. The voice was chilling, a rotten sound to the bone - a demon, shadows, gods, whatever ever name you wanted to call it, there it was. Calling her name softly on its dark tongue. Sineya could see the blackness swirl around the orb now lying flat in her palm. From behind her the men came, gripping her arms with harsh palms and dragging her down until she gave up kicking. Ropes were bound to her as she began to sleep - the orb clutched in her hand was causing her to lose energy and wilter into a blissless sleep.

When she awoke... She was bound in chains.

Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2003

The room was deadly silent, everyone was seated around the living room staring at the floor, walls, ceiling fan - anything to avoid each other's gaze. Willow and Tara were seated together crumpled into the couch, most of the girls were sitting on the floor where their beds were but everyone else was gathered in some way piled inside the room. Waiting it out.

Buffy was outside digging a grave for Chloe - Xander had offered to do it for her, Spike and Giles too but she'd refused, she wanted to do it herself, check that it was secure. Willow had watched as Spike moved to the back door and stood outside watching - lighting up a smoke and standing at a lean on the back wall.

Willow had decided not to cry, there was a lump in her throat gripping at her chords making her grip at Tara's hand tighter and tighter but not letting the tears drift down her face. It wasn't that she knew Chloe all that well, it was that Buffy was digging out there, all alone, digging a grave when she herself had pulled Buffy so viciously out of hers. Tara could feel it too, the hurt, regret, pain coming from everyone around her. Her legs fidgeted, giving Willow a kiss to her forehead her eyes locked with her friends - Anya, Xander, Dawn and Spike. And she stood.

She walked into the centre of the room and spun until she could see everyone. She couldn't just stand by and do nothing. "Everyone, Buffy is out there right now, digging. Digging Chloe a grave because the First got to her, now I'm trying to be Buffy, because in a minute she'll come in here and do it herself. I'm trying to be the calm before the storm. Buffy lost her mom," she was addressing the potentials, "and I remember that because each one of you," now she glanced around at Willow and Dawn. "Felt the sting that her death caused, it was the same when I lost my mother. But my point is, soon, Buffy will come back from digging and she won't show you the loss, or the grief, or the hurt, because she can't. She's the leader and she'll be the strength for you. But she won't let you grieve either, because you can't be weak. But it's ok to grieve. Grief is what keeps us fighting, for the ones we've lost. So I'm telling you not to get angry with her for pushing you, I'm telling you to use the grief and the hurt to be strong - you're allowed to feel, so feel it. Use that to make you stronger."

Willow looked up and the only emotion in her eyes was pride. She stood beside Tara then, taking her hands and addressing the room. "Tara's right, we need to stand together in this, so please, give Buffy the benefit of the doubt, sometimes she doesn't know what you need. But she needs you to be strong or we'll never beat this thing." Then the room fell into silence again, a few shy gasps and cries and smiles were directed Tara's way as they took their place again on the couch and waited for Buffy's return.