AUTHOR'S NOTES:
I'm back! That's right, after a three-and-a-half month hiatus, I'm back with more of the fic. My apologies for the long wait, though. The summer was extremely busy for me, then I was out of town for a while, and what free time I did have was spent keeping my sites updated.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who's sent me e-mail over the last few months with encouragement to continue the fic. The rest of this story is dedicated to all of you.
Review Responses:
Daylight: I'm very glad you're still interested!
loopy-1981: At least you reviewed! *g*
Jeanny: Thanks so much for the encouragement! I'm definitely going to try and keep it different.
Kim: I agree with a lot of what you said, and I hope this means you also have faith in me as a writer. =) Don't worry, I'm also a sucker for happy endings, so this fic will come fairly close to having one... when it gets towards the end... whenever that may be... *g*
j.c.: Sorry for putting the long wait between parts. I hope the rest of this fic will be everything you'd expect. Thanks for the kind words!
Wolfboy23: Thank you!
dido: I'm very glad that you like my writing! I also happen to like Willow and Angel, so we'll see what happens!
Ann: Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! I happen to really enjoy writing W/A fics, most of which involve Willow going to LA for something or another, so I'm really glad the crossover aspect was fluid. I hope the rest of the fic won't disappoint!
Rebecca Anne: Thank you! As I was saying, I love Willow and Angel together, though I'm not exactly sure how to get them romantically involved in this fic. I'll probably save that for the end, or perhaps even in the possible sequel.
Angelness: Okay, it wasn't 'soon', but at least I continued it. =) Glad to know you're enjoying it!
FanFicFan: Here you go!
little_me: Thank you!
unknown: Coming right up!
PART TEN
"Oh my god," Buffy murmured as she stared at her best friend cradling Tara's body. Her hand clutched her chest as she struggled to keep breathing, yet she could not stop the trail of tears flowing down her cheeks. As much grief as she felt over the loss of someone she had come to love greatly, the sight of Willow and Tara's forms continually blurred and shifted into her own and that of her mother.
Another death.
Always death.
Still rooted to his spot near Buffy, Angel also stared at the sight before him, unable to speak. After a moment, he began moving slowly towards the redhead, despite not knowing what to say.
Lilah, Gavin, and the rest had used Tara's death as an opportunity to escape, and yet the anger he felt was smothered by the vision of Willow's frame hovering--completely still--over that of her lover.
"Willow?" he called out gently, desperately wanting her to look up at him.
A moment passed before Willow stirred slightly. Her shoulders straightened, and Angel could see her take a long, calming breath. She slowly lowered Tara's body to the ground, then stood up. After a long moment, she lifted her gaze and looked at the vampire.
Angel suddenly wished she hadn't.
Gone were the beautiful green orbs that Angel had become accustomed to seeing, and in their place was nothing but blackness. Willow's face was a cold mask of tightly restrained rage, the likes of which he hadn't seen in all his two-hundred-and-fifty years.
She was a vision of death, and it frightened him senseless.
As she began to move, Angel mentally kicked himself into gear. "Willow--" he attempted to sooth her back into her normal state, but his words were quickly sliced off.
"Shut up and move," she snarled, not missing a beat as she glided right past him.
"Willow, where are you going?" Buffy seemed to have snapped out of her own trance in time to see Willow's cool rejection of Angel.
"Out."
"Willow, wait! We have to talk!" Buffy pleaded, chasing after her friend.
When Willow paused her movements, Buffy hurriedly continued. "I know what you're feeling right now. I've been there--"
"So this about you?"
It wasn't the words that finally shattered the already fragmented pieces of her heart, but rather the complete lack of any emotion behind them. Buffy struggled to say something, anything, but the words escaped her.
"It's always about you, isn't it?" Willow turned to glare at the blonde, barely recognizing her own voice. "All of this started with you. And now it's ended with you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy's voice quivered at the accusation.
"You insisted on coming. You got caught. Tara's dead."
"Willow, I was trying to help--"
"If I had used my magick, all of this could have been prevented. But I swore otherwise to you, didn't I?"
"Willow, wait a minute," Angel stepped in, not liking where this was headed. If that was truly how Willow felt, if she blamed even her best friend, there was no telling what threat she could represent.
"You, too?" she turned her gaze to him, a slightly puzzled look being the only indication that she even distinguished his presence from Buffy's.
"What happened just now--"
"Will be dealt with."
"Of course. But not in this way, not at this cost. Please, just come with us--" Again, he was cut off.
"Sorry, some new plans just came up." With that, Willow turned around and continued towards the exit, but not before lifting her hand and motioning towards the two of them.
The blast of energy that shot from her fingers sent the both of them crashing back into the far wall, giving the witch ample opportunity to disappear into the night.
***
"Dear lord," Wesley breathed as he sank further into the cushions of his chair, his fingers massaging his temples as he attempted to sort through the information Angel and Buffy had just given him.
"And what, you just let her leave?" Xander exclaimed, his accusing stare pointed at Angel.
"We didn't exactly get much of a chance to stop her," Buffy interceded on the vampire's behalf.
"She could be anywhere!"
"We know," Cordelia placed a reassuring hand on Xander's shoulder. "But right now, all we can do is trust that Willow will come back, once she works through her grief."
Angel shook his head, "You didn't see her eyes, Cordy. She's not going to work through her grief. She can't, not in the state she's in. She's going to bury it, probably along with Wolfram & Hart."
"And this is a bad thing?" Gunn inquired from his position in the corner. For the most part, he had stayed out of the conversation, allowing Willow's closest friends to deal with their tragedies.
"If she takes human lives in vengeance--"
"The prophecy," Wesley's whispered words halted Angel's own. "It's beginning."
"But wait," Fred's normally quiet voice seemed to echo throughout the hotel, "why would Willow turn against Angel? I mean, the Warriors were supposed to be on opposing sides, and, okay, Willow's probably out for blood right now, but not ours... right?"
"Fred has a point," Cordelia turned to Wesley. "Willow may not be in a good place right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's going to become this Warrior."
Finally feeling some relief, Xander added in, "That's right. I mean, come on, this is Wills we're talking about. She wouldn't go that far."
"You'd be surprised how far down a person can go when they're grieving," Buffy's tone was filled with sorrow, "when they think they have nothing left to live for."
Upon hearing her words, Angel sent a quick glance in Buffy's direction. He knew all too well what she was referring to, and yet there seemed to be a hint of something more to her words.
"But Will has everything to live for," Xander continued to argue. "She has all of us."
"Xander's right," Angel finally spoke again. Then, as if registering his own words, he added, "this time, at least." Easily ignoring the youth's glare, he continued, "We have to find Willow and make sure she knows we're all here to help her through this."
"That's easier said than done," Wesley sighed.
"Okay, could you stop being Mr. Pessimist for like, two seconds?" Xander turned his anger onto the ex-Watcher.
"That's not fair," Fred spoke up again, "Wesley's just trying to be realistic."
"Well, he's not succeeding. He doesn't know anything about Willow--"
"Xander," Buffy's commanding tone served to quiet him down for the moment. "We're not getting anywhere by just standing around and arguing. We need to come up with some plan of action."
"She's my best friend," Xander's voice was much quieter now.
"Mine, too," Buffy's smile was a small one, but it did the trick.
"Where should we start?"
"I'll start with re-examining the prophecies," Wesley offered. "The more information we have, the better equipped we'll be to deal with any situation that may arise."
"I'll help," Fred volunteered.
Xander raised his hand, "Me, too. I'm not so great with the whole research thing, but I'll do whatever I can."
"We can always use the help," Wesley offered a conciliatory smile.
"Count me in, too," Cordelia shrugged.
"And me," Buffy chimed in, but was quickly silenced by Angel.
"You, Buffy, need to have your wound bandaged."
"What, this?" Buffy glanced down at the blood clot from the bullet wound on her arm. "It'll heal."
"Or you'll have to amputate," Gunn shrugged.
"Now you're getting it!" Cordelia proudly interjected.
At Buffy's puzzled look, Gunn just grinned and offered his hand to the Slayer. "Let's just say I went through the same thing earlier," he said, indicating the bandages on his other arm.
"Oh," Buffy nodded in understanding.
"How about I take you to the hospital? I'm sure even Slayers need medical treatment from time to time."
"No hospital," Buffy shook her head. "Don't you guys have any first aid stuff around here?"
"Do we!" Cordelia huffed, obviously exasperated at all the injuries she was forced to tend to.
Knowing that tone, Gunn simply smiled and offered, "How about I take you to them and help get you bandaged up?"
Still unsure, Buffy cast a worried glance to both Xander and Angel. After receiving encouraging nods from them both, she sighed and allowed Gunn to escort her out of the room.
"What about you, Angel?" Fred asked the brooding vampire.
After a slight pause, he simply stated, "I'm going to get help."
"From who?" Wesley inquired.
"Who else?" Angel shrugged before quickly exiting the building.
At the questioning look Xander gave her, Cordelia simply stated, "Psychic demon. Likes to sing."
"Ah," Xander nodded, then, as an afterthought, added, "I really hope he's not the kind to make people burst out into song and dance."
"Nah, just song," the brunette waved off his inquiry and headed towards the table where Wesley and Fred were already seated.
With an audible gulp, Xander followed.
***
"I don't believe this!" Lilah snarled in frustration as she threw the folder containing all the information she had collected on the Warrior across her office.
"Things did turn out pretty bad, didn't they?" Gavin asked calmly from a spot near the door, secure from the woman's wrath. Not that he was afraid.
"How dare you stand there acting all smug? This was *your* failure, too."
"My failure? As I recall, this whole project was completely and entirely yours. I was simply lending you a bit of assistance with my own--quite successful—project."
"Why you dirty little--"
"Temper, temper, Lilah," Gavin chided. "If I were you, I'd instead try and find a way out of this mess. You know the senior partners will *not* be pleased to learn that you've just turned an extremely powerful witch against us."
"Oh, but I'm sure they'll hear all about it, won't they?" Lilah crossed her arms over her chest.
"What can I say? Good news travels fast."
"Good news?" Lilah snorted.
"It all depends on your perspective," Gavin smirked as he opened the door to leave. "I'll be sure to check in with you later."
As the door swung shut behind him, Lilah exhaled and sank into her chair. Once again, she found herself considering her options. Survival being her strongest instinct, she took a deep breath before picking up the phone and dialing a now-familiar number.
"Kiren? I have an assignment for you, and this time, you better not fail me."
It was best to just neutralize the threat.
***
She was numb.
For the millionth time that night, Willow sat simply staring at her hands. The hands she had used against her own friends. The hands that had last touched the body of her lover. The hands that had violated the most basic law of nature.
And there was so much blood.
It was never supposed to be this way. She and Tara were supposed to have their happily ever after. But in a cruel twist of fate, it had all been wrenched from her grasp.
Again.
The vision of Tara's beautiful face floated to the surface of her mind: her shimmering eyes, her shy smile, the angelic melody of her voice. The memory of her butterfly touch, of the smoldering look she would give her in the throes of passion, of the whispered words during their tender moments, they all crushed her under a blanket of darkness.
And now matter how hard she tried, she couldn't cast that blanket off.
Once more, the events of the night played out before her eyes, and Willow's grief quickly fueled a new wave of anger. For the briefest moment, the raw pain of Tara's death had been dulled into a hollow ache, and so Willow grasped onto that sensation for dear life. She didn't want to feel the pain. Without Tara, she didn't want to feel anything.
Not even love.
Love for Buffy had compelled her to bring her back, to snatch her away from the only peace she'd ever known and restore her to a world filled with destruction, greed, pain, and, inevitably, death. And it was the same love for Tara that had sealed her fate, caused her to be used as nothing more than a pawn in a deadly game that she didn't even know the rules to.
A game set up and run by the bastards at Wolfram & Hart.
Willow's rage quickly escalated into a burning hatred, and for the second time that night, she forced herself to reign in her emotions. She was not so weak as to be ruled by her hatred. Rather, she was strong enough to harness it.
In one moment, everything that had remained untainted in her life had been stripped away, and now she was left with nothing. What, then, was the point in continuing her useless struggle? She couldn't use her magick to save Tara, so she would at least use it to avenge her. Yes, she would inflict the worst possible torture on the demons at Wolfram & Hart.
After all, if there was nothing left in this life for her, if it no longer had any meaning, then what did it matter to try and salvage the broken remnants of her existence? She had but one purpose now, and afterwards...
Afterwards, perhaps she would join Tara.
The numbness once again settled over her heart, clouding her mind. As Willow rose from her position, she glanced down once more at her hands, watching, fascinated, as the blood began to run over her palms, down her wrists, staining the ground around her in a light puddle of red.
It took her a while to realize that the rain, which had recently began pouring steadily, was washing the blood from her hands. As Willow lifted her head to gaze into the dark night sky--a sky void of any light, be it moon, star, or planet--she allowed a slow smile to spread across her face.
It was only appropriate that the Heavens would weep the tears that she could not.
END PART TEN
So, what did you think?
I'm back! That's right, after a three-and-a-half month hiatus, I'm back with more of the fic. My apologies for the long wait, though. The summer was extremely busy for me, then I was out of town for a while, and what free time I did have was spent keeping my sites updated.
I wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who's sent me e-mail over the last few months with encouragement to continue the fic. The rest of this story is dedicated to all of you.
Review Responses:
Daylight: I'm very glad you're still interested!
loopy-1981: At least you reviewed! *g*
Jeanny: Thanks so much for the encouragement! I'm definitely going to try and keep it different.
Kim: I agree with a lot of what you said, and I hope this means you also have faith in me as a writer. =) Don't worry, I'm also a sucker for happy endings, so this fic will come fairly close to having one... when it gets towards the end... whenever that may be... *g*
j.c.: Sorry for putting the long wait between parts. I hope the rest of this fic will be everything you'd expect. Thanks for the kind words!
Wolfboy23: Thank you!
dido: I'm very glad that you like my writing! I also happen to like Willow and Angel, so we'll see what happens!
Ann: Thank you so much for the wonderful compliments! I happen to really enjoy writing W/A fics, most of which involve Willow going to LA for something or another, so I'm really glad the crossover aspect was fluid. I hope the rest of the fic won't disappoint!
Rebecca Anne: Thank you! As I was saying, I love Willow and Angel together, though I'm not exactly sure how to get them romantically involved in this fic. I'll probably save that for the end, or perhaps even in the possible sequel.
Angelness: Okay, it wasn't 'soon', but at least I continued it. =) Glad to know you're enjoying it!
FanFicFan: Here you go!
little_me: Thank you!
unknown: Coming right up!
PART TEN
"Oh my god," Buffy murmured as she stared at her best friend cradling Tara's body. Her hand clutched her chest as she struggled to keep breathing, yet she could not stop the trail of tears flowing down her cheeks. As much grief as she felt over the loss of someone she had come to love greatly, the sight of Willow and Tara's forms continually blurred and shifted into her own and that of her mother.
Another death.
Always death.
Still rooted to his spot near Buffy, Angel also stared at the sight before him, unable to speak. After a moment, he began moving slowly towards the redhead, despite not knowing what to say.
Lilah, Gavin, and the rest had used Tara's death as an opportunity to escape, and yet the anger he felt was smothered by the vision of Willow's frame hovering--completely still--over that of her lover.
"Willow?" he called out gently, desperately wanting her to look up at him.
A moment passed before Willow stirred slightly. Her shoulders straightened, and Angel could see her take a long, calming breath. She slowly lowered Tara's body to the ground, then stood up. After a long moment, she lifted her gaze and looked at the vampire.
Angel suddenly wished she hadn't.
Gone were the beautiful green orbs that Angel had become accustomed to seeing, and in their place was nothing but blackness. Willow's face was a cold mask of tightly restrained rage, the likes of which he hadn't seen in all his two-hundred-and-fifty years.
She was a vision of death, and it frightened him senseless.
As she began to move, Angel mentally kicked himself into gear. "Willow--" he attempted to sooth her back into her normal state, but his words were quickly sliced off.
"Shut up and move," she snarled, not missing a beat as she glided right past him.
"Willow, where are you going?" Buffy seemed to have snapped out of her own trance in time to see Willow's cool rejection of Angel.
"Out."
"Willow, wait! We have to talk!" Buffy pleaded, chasing after her friend.
When Willow paused her movements, Buffy hurriedly continued. "I know what you're feeling right now. I've been there--"
"So this about you?"
It wasn't the words that finally shattered the already fragmented pieces of her heart, but rather the complete lack of any emotion behind them. Buffy struggled to say something, anything, but the words escaped her.
"It's always about you, isn't it?" Willow turned to glare at the blonde, barely recognizing her own voice. "All of this started with you. And now it's ended with you."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Buffy's voice quivered at the accusation.
"You insisted on coming. You got caught. Tara's dead."
"Willow, I was trying to help--"
"If I had used my magick, all of this could have been prevented. But I swore otherwise to you, didn't I?"
"Willow, wait a minute," Angel stepped in, not liking where this was headed. If that was truly how Willow felt, if she blamed even her best friend, there was no telling what threat she could represent.
"You, too?" she turned her gaze to him, a slightly puzzled look being the only indication that she even distinguished his presence from Buffy's.
"What happened just now--"
"Will be dealt with."
"Of course. But not in this way, not at this cost. Please, just come with us--" Again, he was cut off.
"Sorry, some new plans just came up." With that, Willow turned around and continued towards the exit, but not before lifting her hand and motioning towards the two of them.
The blast of energy that shot from her fingers sent the both of them crashing back into the far wall, giving the witch ample opportunity to disappear into the night.
***
"Dear lord," Wesley breathed as he sank further into the cushions of his chair, his fingers massaging his temples as he attempted to sort through the information Angel and Buffy had just given him.
"And what, you just let her leave?" Xander exclaimed, his accusing stare pointed at Angel.
"We didn't exactly get much of a chance to stop her," Buffy interceded on the vampire's behalf.
"She could be anywhere!"
"We know," Cordelia placed a reassuring hand on Xander's shoulder. "But right now, all we can do is trust that Willow will come back, once she works through her grief."
Angel shook his head, "You didn't see her eyes, Cordy. She's not going to work through her grief. She can't, not in the state she's in. She's going to bury it, probably along with Wolfram & Hart."
"And this is a bad thing?" Gunn inquired from his position in the corner. For the most part, he had stayed out of the conversation, allowing Willow's closest friends to deal with their tragedies.
"If she takes human lives in vengeance--"
"The prophecy," Wesley's whispered words halted Angel's own. "It's beginning."
"But wait," Fred's normally quiet voice seemed to echo throughout the hotel, "why would Willow turn against Angel? I mean, the Warriors were supposed to be on opposing sides, and, okay, Willow's probably out for blood right now, but not ours... right?"
"Fred has a point," Cordelia turned to Wesley. "Willow may not be in a good place right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's going to become this Warrior."
Finally feeling some relief, Xander added in, "That's right. I mean, come on, this is Wills we're talking about. She wouldn't go that far."
"You'd be surprised how far down a person can go when they're grieving," Buffy's tone was filled with sorrow, "when they think they have nothing left to live for."
Upon hearing her words, Angel sent a quick glance in Buffy's direction. He knew all too well what she was referring to, and yet there seemed to be a hint of something more to her words.
"But Will has everything to live for," Xander continued to argue. "She has all of us."
"Xander's right," Angel finally spoke again. Then, as if registering his own words, he added, "this time, at least." Easily ignoring the youth's glare, he continued, "We have to find Willow and make sure she knows we're all here to help her through this."
"That's easier said than done," Wesley sighed.
"Okay, could you stop being Mr. Pessimist for like, two seconds?" Xander turned his anger onto the ex-Watcher.
"That's not fair," Fred spoke up again, "Wesley's just trying to be realistic."
"Well, he's not succeeding. He doesn't know anything about Willow--"
"Xander," Buffy's commanding tone served to quiet him down for the moment. "We're not getting anywhere by just standing around and arguing. We need to come up with some plan of action."
"She's my best friend," Xander's voice was much quieter now.
"Mine, too," Buffy's smile was a small one, but it did the trick.
"Where should we start?"
"I'll start with re-examining the prophecies," Wesley offered. "The more information we have, the better equipped we'll be to deal with any situation that may arise."
"I'll help," Fred volunteered.
Xander raised his hand, "Me, too. I'm not so great with the whole research thing, but I'll do whatever I can."
"We can always use the help," Wesley offered a conciliatory smile.
"Count me in, too," Cordelia shrugged.
"And me," Buffy chimed in, but was quickly silenced by Angel.
"You, Buffy, need to have your wound bandaged."
"What, this?" Buffy glanced down at the blood clot from the bullet wound on her arm. "It'll heal."
"Or you'll have to amputate," Gunn shrugged.
"Now you're getting it!" Cordelia proudly interjected.
At Buffy's puzzled look, Gunn just grinned and offered his hand to the Slayer. "Let's just say I went through the same thing earlier," he said, indicating the bandages on his other arm.
"Oh," Buffy nodded in understanding.
"How about I take you to the hospital? I'm sure even Slayers need medical treatment from time to time."
"No hospital," Buffy shook her head. "Don't you guys have any first aid stuff around here?"
"Do we!" Cordelia huffed, obviously exasperated at all the injuries she was forced to tend to.
Knowing that tone, Gunn simply smiled and offered, "How about I take you to them and help get you bandaged up?"
Still unsure, Buffy cast a worried glance to both Xander and Angel. After receiving encouraging nods from them both, she sighed and allowed Gunn to escort her out of the room.
"What about you, Angel?" Fred asked the brooding vampire.
After a slight pause, he simply stated, "I'm going to get help."
"From who?" Wesley inquired.
"Who else?" Angel shrugged before quickly exiting the building.
At the questioning look Xander gave her, Cordelia simply stated, "Psychic demon. Likes to sing."
"Ah," Xander nodded, then, as an afterthought, added, "I really hope he's not the kind to make people burst out into song and dance."
"Nah, just song," the brunette waved off his inquiry and headed towards the table where Wesley and Fred were already seated.
With an audible gulp, Xander followed.
***
"I don't believe this!" Lilah snarled in frustration as she threw the folder containing all the information she had collected on the Warrior across her office.
"Things did turn out pretty bad, didn't they?" Gavin asked calmly from a spot near the door, secure from the woman's wrath. Not that he was afraid.
"How dare you stand there acting all smug? This was *your* failure, too."
"My failure? As I recall, this whole project was completely and entirely yours. I was simply lending you a bit of assistance with my own--quite successful—project."
"Why you dirty little--"
"Temper, temper, Lilah," Gavin chided. "If I were you, I'd instead try and find a way out of this mess. You know the senior partners will *not* be pleased to learn that you've just turned an extremely powerful witch against us."
"Oh, but I'm sure they'll hear all about it, won't they?" Lilah crossed her arms over her chest.
"What can I say? Good news travels fast."
"Good news?" Lilah snorted.
"It all depends on your perspective," Gavin smirked as he opened the door to leave. "I'll be sure to check in with you later."
As the door swung shut behind him, Lilah exhaled and sank into her chair. Once again, she found herself considering her options. Survival being her strongest instinct, she took a deep breath before picking up the phone and dialing a now-familiar number.
"Kiren? I have an assignment for you, and this time, you better not fail me."
It was best to just neutralize the threat.
***
She was numb.
For the millionth time that night, Willow sat simply staring at her hands. The hands she had used against her own friends. The hands that had last touched the body of her lover. The hands that had violated the most basic law of nature.
And there was so much blood.
It was never supposed to be this way. She and Tara were supposed to have their happily ever after. But in a cruel twist of fate, it had all been wrenched from her grasp.
Again.
The vision of Tara's beautiful face floated to the surface of her mind: her shimmering eyes, her shy smile, the angelic melody of her voice. The memory of her butterfly touch, of the smoldering look she would give her in the throes of passion, of the whispered words during their tender moments, they all crushed her under a blanket of darkness.
And now matter how hard she tried, she couldn't cast that blanket off.
Once more, the events of the night played out before her eyes, and Willow's grief quickly fueled a new wave of anger. For the briefest moment, the raw pain of Tara's death had been dulled into a hollow ache, and so Willow grasped onto that sensation for dear life. She didn't want to feel the pain. Without Tara, she didn't want to feel anything.
Not even love.
Love for Buffy had compelled her to bring her back, to snatch her away from the only peace she'd ever known and restore her to a world filled with destruction, greed, pain, and, inevitably, death. And it was the same love for Tara that had sealed her fate, caused her to be used as nothing more than a pawn in a deadly game that she didn't even know the rules to.
A game set up and run by the bastards at Wolfram & Hart.
Willow's rage quickly escalated into a burning hatred, and for the second time that night, she forced herself to reign in her emotions. She was not so weak as to be ruled by her hatred. Rather, she was strong enough to harness it.
In one moment, everything that had remained untainted in her life had been stripped away, and now she was left with nothing. What, then, was the point in continuing her useless struggle? She couldn't use her magick to save Tara, so she would at least use it to avenge her. Yes, she would inflict the worst possible torture on the demons at Wolfram & Hart.
After all, if there was nothing left in this life for her, if it no longer had any meaning, then what did it matter to try and salvage the broken remnants of her existence? She had but one purpose now, and afterwards...
Afterwards, perhaps she would join Tara.
The numbness once again settled over her heart, clouding her mind. As Willow rose from her position, she glanced down once more at her hands, watching, fascinated, as the blood began to run over her palms, down her wrists, staining the ground around her in a light puddle of red.
It took her a while to realize that the rain, which had recently began pouring steadily, was washing the blood from her hands. As Willow lifted her head to gaze into the dark night sky--a sky void of any light, be it moon, star, or planet--she allowed a slow smile to spread across her face.
It was only appropriate that the Heavens would weep the tears that she could not.
END PART TEN
So, what did you think?