Apology 2
He stood in front of the tombstone in shocked silence. 'Tara McClay. 1981 - 2002. Beloved.'
"My God, witch." He exclaimed. "What happened?"
Images flashed into his mind. Tara at the party, teasing. Seemingly knowing more than he thought anyone would. Offering ice for his 'cramp'. Driving with her in the camper, her shattered mind spouting out tattered phrases, while Willow looked on like her heart would burst. Hitting her in the nose, just so they could get on with things.
"I'm sorry, pet. Sorry I hit you. I mean, it turned out okay, but it must have hurt. Wish I'd thought of another way."
What was Willow going through? How could she cope? Did she pour herself into helping someone else, the way he had with Dawn when he lost Buffy? Had she fallen apart?
And what the hell had happened? How could such a vibrant thing be dead?
"I wasn't here. I'm sorry for that too. I don't know what happened, but maybe I could have stopped it. Saved you."
Poor Dawn. Tara had been like a mother to her, this last year when Buffy was so distant. He had to take some responsibility for that, too. And she and Buffy had been friends. So much pain his Slayer had to bear.
He realized with regret that he would never see her shy smile again. Realized how much he would miss it. Realized that he had lost a friend. Realized that he was kneeling on her gravesite; that there were tears in his eyes.
He stood up and wiped the grass from his knees. Obviously, he wasn't the only thing in Sunnydale that had changed.
Time to head home; regroup. He'd think about what he would tell the others.
He stood in front of the tombstone in shocked silence. 'Tara McClay. 1981 - 2002. Beloved.'
"My God, witch." He exclaimed. "What happened?"
Images flashed into his mind. Tara at the party, teasing. Seemingly knowing more than he thought anyone would. Offering ice for his 'cramp'. Driving with her in the camper, her shattered mind spouting out tattered phrases, while Willow looked on like her heart would burst. Hitting her in the nose, just so they could get on with things.
"I'm sorry, pet. Sorry I hit you. I mean, it turned out okay, but it must have hurt. Wish I'd thought of another way."
What was Willow going through? How could she cope? Did she pour herself into helping someone else, the way he had with Dawn when he lost Buffy? Had she fallen apart?
And what the hell had happened? How could such a vibrant thing be dead?
"I wasn't here. I'm sorry for that too. I don't know what happened, but maybe I could have stopped it. Saved you."
Poor Dawn. Tara had been like a mother to her, this last year when Buffy was so distant. He had to take some responsibility for that, too. And she and Buffy had been friends. So much pain his Slayer had to bear.
He realized with regret that he would never see her shy smile again. Realized how much he would miss it. Realized that he had lost a friend. Realized that he was kneeling on her gravesite; that there were tears in his eyes.
He stood up and wiped the grass from his knees. Obviously, he wasn't the only thing in Sunnydale that had changed.
Time to head home; regroup. He'd think about what he would tell the others.