-Ding –Ding!
"Morning, Giles."
"Willow, Tara." He smiled and nodded his head toward
each.
"We have an hour or so before classes and just wanted
to shop around, borrow a few ingredients." Both Giles and Willow
knew the true meaning of the word 'borrow'. She thought to herself
constantly what a stroke of luck it was for the gang to have such a resource
at her…their disposal. At the same time, the elder felt great pride
in himself for finally moving on past his life sentence with the COW, and
being able to offer a nice reserve for 'the cause'.
"I'm so pleased you stopped by. Um, Tara?"
Tara, who had previously been meandering about, minding
her own business, snapped to attention. "Y-yes, sir, Mr. Giles."
'She is a strange girl, just a beat off, but always polite
and honest. Well, maybe not always honest. There was that spell
she cast that made us blind to demons, but, other than that, nice girl,"
Giles thought to himself.
"Buffy brought some terribly strange news yesterday.
Seeing your ability to view auras, I was wondering if you could do a favor
for us."
Without question, she agreed. Tara would be ecstatic
to help out the group. "What do you need?"
"I need you to go have a talk with Spike."
"A-a-and w-what do you, you want me to s-say to him?"
She had hoped her dealings with the infamous vampire could be left in the
closet where they belonged.
He continued hurriedly, "W-with an escort, of course.
I certainly wouldn't have you go alone. Buffy says she overheard
him talking to a woman she didn't recognize about, well, his soul."
That was when Tara broke, torn between her promise to
a controversial friend and her new group of friends.
"Soul? Soul? What soul? I don't know
anything about Spike's Seraph or his soul." She absentmindedly began
to pick apart yellow sheets of memo paper, dropping the pieces at her feet.
Willow and Giles stared at her with worry.
"Tara," her lover's voice squeaked out. "Why didn't
you tell us?"
"I'm so sorry. I p-promised them I wouldn't.
He came to me for help in f-finding her, and I knew you wouldn't like it,
so I figured it would be best not to say anything." Her head fell.
"Sweety." The red head put her hand on the blonde's.
"I trust your judgment. I know you wouldn't do anything to put you
or us in danger. Just tell us what's going on."
Giles was not as understanding, but if Willow was not
concerned with her withholding this information, then he supposed he would
let it go…this one last time.
Tara took a deep breath, in preparation for the tale.
**********
Her eyes opened to a strange environment. She hadn't
slept in her own bed for days, but felt peculiarly comfortable and safe
here. This feeling is what led her thoughts to stray, the way they
do when one is unwilling to focus on a certain subject. Buffy stretched
her arms above her head, yawned, then chose a spot to ponder on the ceiling.
'Mom's funeral. The day I spent 'bring your daughter to work day'
at the gallery. The beach with Dawn. Xander and Anya's new
apartment.
Willow's thing for Oz. Meeting a second Slayer. Finding out
Angel was a vampire. Telling mom I was a Slayer. Spike's dismay
at the knowledge that Mom never knew. Merrick approaching me at school.
My first slaying. "Not the heart!" "Close your eyes."
The dozen missed opportunities at slaying Spike. "Is there anything
I can do?" Spike, Mom and Dawn chatting in the kitchen over hot chocolate
and marshmallows. "Is this a date?" "Just... Give me something...a
crumb, the barest smidge... tell me someday, maybe, there's a chance..."
"She was an extraordinary woman." "I'll miss her."'
'A soul? Stranger things have happened.'
Buffy stumbled out of bed and saw Dawn missing along with
her book bag, a messy kitchen, and a clock reading 9:32 am. 'Oops.
Overslept.' The full night sleep had left her energized and oddly
more cognitive as opposed to emotional. She knew it wouldn't last,
but it sure felt good while it did. Before she knew it, she had started
off to Spike's crypt, having decided that maybe having to talk with the
little creep wasn't such a bad idea after all.
**********
The crypt door creaks open and sunlight beams in.
Thank God William routinely positions himself out of the sun's line of
fire (pun intended). Given the incredibly late hour and the fact
that the Slayer decided, for once, to enter like a decent human being,
my vampire doesn't stir.
I rise from his side and approach the Slayer. "Buffy.
I'm Danielle," I whisper, offering my hand. She just stares at it
with distain.
"Considering you've just barged into our home unannounced
and uninvited, I would expect just a tad more cordiality on your part."
I never did have much patience for this Slayer.
Buffy looks at me questioningly. I feel my head
just to make sure there's still just the one there. "Bloody hell,
girl! Close the soddin' door before I eviscerate you and decorate
this crypt with your wriggly insides."
Buffy recognizes the voice and peeks around the door to
glare at him. "So, you've got a soul, huh? Sure hasn't changed
your charming personality," Buffy spits.
Will and I look at each other, the unspoken word, "Tara"
on our lips. A deafening silence falls on the room while I step forward
and gently close the door, effectively blocking the deadly rays.
"Well, come on in and have a seat, luv. Seems as
if we have something to discuss." I can see the doubt and almost
fear in her eyes. For once, I have no clue what is about to go down.
My Charge had become a tad unpredictable over the past few days and Buffy
always was. I mean, one day she brings little sis and mother to him
with the expectation of him protecting them, then, the next day, she treats
him like a leper. I may support William with his love for Buffy,
but that does not mean that I have to understand it…or even like it.
The Queen of Slayers tentatively approaches us, apparently
sifting through possible responses. Emotions play across her features
until she finally settles on one.
"How did you get it?" Curiosity and wonder has prevailed.
Given William's recent struggle to accept this whole thing
himself (me, the soul, his destiny), I decide to take control.
"He's always had it."
"You've got to be joking." Her voice is dry.
"William the Bloody. Killer of two Slayers and gunning for his third.
A soul. You've got rocks in your head." She turns to leave,
giggling all the while, but I grab her arm, spin her around, and look her
dead in the eye.
"It's the truth."
She expertly releases herself from my tentative grasp.
"And who are you anyway? You're obviously not a vamp,
so why are you hanging around this poor excuse for an unlife?"
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see William wince just
slightly. "If I must put a title to my job, you could say I'm his
guardian angel."
She looks at me, then him, then me again. "What
is this? Candid camera?"
William's patience finally wears thin. "Listen,
Slayer." He approaches her slowly, like a cat on the prowl.
"This is really not your business, but apparently, you're makin' it that
way. Which leads me to the conclusion that you have some feelings
for ol' Spikey boy, deep down in that cold, dark heart of yours."
He pays absolutely no attention to my pleadings for him to cut it out.
"The way I see it, you're too afraid to let it out. Too afraid it'll
bust
its way out and take over. And you couldn't handle that, could you?
Having to admit you love a creature that you've sworn to destroy."
I continue to plead with him nonverbally to stop. This can't possibly
lead to anything good. Buffy struggles to control her disgust.
She moves to interrupt, but he continues louder. "But, Buffy.
I'm not what you think I am. I'll never be the beast you imagine
me to be. This soddin' chip at least taught me that. I have
free will. I can choose to kill or not to kill. And as of the
other day, I know why that is. Danielle here has managed to keep
William's…my…soul intact all these years. I wouldn't
be in love with you otherwise." He stops for a split second.
By now, I have ceased my attempts at stifling his rant, and finally see
where he's going with this.
"Now, I can't rightly expect you to profess you undying
love to me and tell me you'll never love another. But, girl, I can
make you open your bloody eyes and see me for who and what I am.
There's a reason my seraph here calls me William. I've never heard
her say any different."
God, I love that man. He has more passion than I've
ever seen in any human being. If there were any mirrors in here,
I'm sure I would see my face beaming right now.
We both stare intently at the Woman before us. As
I said, you never know what the Golden Slayer will decide to do or say.
I can equally see her killing him on the spot as grabbing him into an embrace.
But what she actually does amazes me even more.
************
Don't worry, kiddies. To be continued.
