The Secret Warren Chapter 12: Endings and Beginning, a charmed fanfic

The group ate the dinner Piper made and laughed and kidded on the surface everything looked so normal, but fears plagued each of them. Losing this battle wasn't an option yet they didn't know how to win it. Piper laid a hand on her belly where her baby was, she sat at the head of the table, whether she liked it or not she was the head of this family, she looked at her grandmother. "I regret no choice I made. Nor do I regret my mistakes."

Grams looked at her middle granddaughter and smiled. "Nor do I regret any of mine. If I had chosen differently, Piper, perhaps you wouldn't be here now. Would not be what you are. So I have no regrets. Will you be able to say the same at the end of your time?"

Piper nodded. "I cherish my gift and bring harm to none. I live my life and live it well."

"As did I." Grams spread her arms. "We hold this place but the time grows short." She moved her hand and an imagine of the Elder's appeared and the group watched as they made a rip into the realm of the Omega. "They crave most what they can not have and what they can not have, in the end, will defeat them."

Tara looked at her Aunt. "Aunt Penny what haven't we done, what is left for us?"

"Everything!" Then Grams disappeared living them all alone.

Buffy looked at the table that went silent during the exchange. "What the hell just happened here."

Leo looked at Piper then at Buffy. "Grams was the head of the family, then Prue. Piper was not prepared nor was she ready for the job. She has made mistakes and choices and she was letting her Grandmother know she doesn't regret them."

Piper smiled it was wonderful having someone know that much. "I think it's time we took this battle to the next level. Why should we wait to be attacked lets attack first."

Tara nodded her head and stood up. "Everyone gather around me, we go to the realm of the omega and finish this." The others gathered around Tara and joined hands. Tara raised the wand as the silver crystal glowed. "Take us to our destiny."

There was a flash of light and the group was gone, they reappeared in the same field Tara had been in when she was summoned to the Omega. Just as in Phoebe's vision, they stood in a half circle with Tara in the center. The group looked upon the elders for the first time, two women and one man, stood there in flowing white robes. They looked at Leo and spoke as one. "You have betrayed us White lighter, so you shall be dealt the same fate as those you consider family."

Piper threw her hands up and let go with her power to explode, the Elders blew up but they reconstituted themselves. "Do you believe that you can defeat us with that puny power?"

They threw out there hands and sent the group flying they all landed in different places. Buffy landed next to Tara as they helped each other to their feet, the ground started shaking and split in to a chasm, Tara looked at the others across the canyon then back to the elders, what she had to do became crystal clear in her mind

Buffy saw the look in Tara's eye and shook her head, Tara gave a serene smile. "Buffy I have to, this is my destiny. Tell Willow I love her, I will always love her and give my love to the rest of the family."

"There has to be another way!"

Tara knew there wasn't much time left but enough for her to finish. "No Buffy, this is the only way, my life for all of yours. We all have a destiny Buffy, yours is to go on and be the slayer, make the world a safer place, and mine is this. Phoebe was right; she had that premonition to help us understand why this had to happen. Help Willow to heal, in the beginning she won't understand why I did this, just as Dawn didn't understand why you sacrificed yourself to save her and the world."

Tara raised the wand and the silver crystal glowed, with her other hand she used her telekinesis to throw Buffy across the gap with the others, she started a spell that would cast a circle around them and protect them.

"From Earth I come of Earth I entreat. Quake and quiver beneath my feet. The dark what's mine will swallow, and none his fall will follow. I am Earth and she is me. As I will it so mote it be."

A circle very much like a bubble appeared around Tara's family to protect them as she raised the wand and pointed it at the Elders\Powers. "I alone am left; tonight I stand and challenge you. Come from the dark and do what you will do my fate in my own hands rest. You have come to your last hour come and face this witch's power."

The Elders stepped forward glowing bright their power pulled together, smiles on their faces, they assumed that with out her family beside her, she would never be able to best them; she hadn't had enough time to learn how to use the crystal. They released their combined powers at Tara

She raised the wand and the power was deflected, she raised her wand again. Her battle worn clothes turned into a flowing silver dress, a tiara upon her head. "A circle of family joined in power to face this darkest hour. They your hand can not touch."

She allowed her powers to flow into the wand and out through the silver crystal, their powers clashed a beam of pure silver light battled against a beam of pure white light. As Tara felt her power being pushed back she used a mental voice that could be heard by all in the circle. "My family I need you all of you."

The eight people in the circle closed their eyes and felt their powers join with Tara's. Tara opened her eyes as she felt her family's power flow through her and into the wand. "For my family, for our world."

She gave one last push of her powers and watched as the beam went through the Elders and destroyed them, the backlash of the power struck Tara and threw her back across the gap and into the barrier she created. She slid down and lay there, as the circle collapsed with the last of her power. Willow came running out and dropped to her knees.

"Tara, baby please," she looked at Paige, "heal her!"

Paige kneeled and tried. "I can't."

Tara opened her eyes. "My destiny is complete, the world is safe. Willow understand why I had to do this."

Tara's eye's closed as she breathed her last breath, Willow's anguished scream could be heard through out all the realms. Buffy and Xander each laid a hand on Willow's shoulder, Willow looked up at them and threw herself into their arms and sobbed. Buffy looked at the others each was shedding tears for a lost sister. A bright golden light appeared and the vessel stepped from it, without a word he went to Tara, his huge blue eyes overflowing with tears. He looked at the group "It is done the Elder's destroyed," his child like voice thick with tears, "her life for all of yours, this was her gift to you and the world. We shall send you back now."

One week Later

A small group of people stood near an open grave, preparing to bury a hero the world would never know about. Buffy stepped up to the small podium and cleared her throat.

"We all debated on who should say the eulogy. I was chosen because Tara gave me a message for all of you." She wiped the tears from her eyes, and sought out Xander, he smiled at her and that gave her the strength to go on. "I saw the look in Tara's eye and knew what she was about to do because I did the same thing, I told her there had to be another way. She smiled at me in that way she had, that made everything seem alright and said Buffy I have to this is my destiny, tell Willow I love her, that I will always love her and give my love to the rest of the family. Tara's last words were of love and that's as it should be. Even if the world doesn't know what a hero she is, we know and will never forget."

She walked from the podium as Dawn stood up. "We all thought of a way to honor Tara, we decided on a song called There are Angel's Among Us."

The music started playing as Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood at the podium and sang.

"I was walking home from school on a cold winter day
Took a shortcut through the woods and I lost my way
It was gettin' late I was scared and alone
Then a kind young woman took my hand and led me home
Mama couldn't see her though she was standing there
But I knew in my heart she was the answer to my prayer

Oh I believe there are angels among us
Sent down to us from somewhere up above
They come to you and me in our darkest hour
To show us how to love, to teach us how to live
To guide us with the light of love

When life held troubled time and had me down on my knees
There's always been someone to come along and comfort me
A kind word from a stranger to lend a helping hand
A phone call from a friend just to say I understand
Now ain't it kind of funny at the dark end of the road
Someone lights the way with just a single ray of hope

They wear so many faces
Show up in the strangest places
To grace us with their mercies
In out time of need
Oh I believe...

Six month's later

Buffy stood before a mirror and took in the long sweep of her ivory and satin Victorian wedding gown and smiled as Giles joined her in his Tux, she looked at him. "Everything is perfect; the only thing missing is Tara."

Giles smiled at his Daughter because that's how he thought of her. "She is here and will always be a part of everything you do."

Buffy smiled as the music started playing she watched her attendants start down the aisle first Dawn, then Faith, Phoebe, Piper, Paige and finally Willow. Then she and Giles were walking towards Xander and her future.

Willow smiled through her tears as she watched her two best friends be joined for life and thought of Tara as she has done for everyday of the past six months. She smiled Tara would have approved.

One Year later

Buffy lay on the hospital bed and stared down at her daughter. "Tara Rose Harris, you will never know your name sake but she died so that you could live, I just hope that you will be half the person she was."

She settled the baby in the plastic bed next to her and fell in to a deep sleep. There was a soft glow as a figure appeared by the tiny bed. Tara smiled a soft smile and leaned down to whisper to the baby. "Your whole life is before you, your destiny waits. I hope it was kinder to you than mine was to me."

She leaned in a kissed the baby and the baby murmured and settled back into sleep as Tara disappeared.

The End

AN: I know many of you aren't too happy that Tara Died defeating the Elders, but through out this story I wanted to give a tribute to not the actress that played Tara but to Tara herself. Giving her life for those of her family is something I could see her doing. I am thinking of doing another story using Tara as an angel protecting Buffy's baby who would be one day the person to lead a battle between the forces of light and darkness a final battle. Plus I need an idea about who should receive the powers of the warren witch; it doesn't have to be a warren.