Title: Half of my soul and all of my heart
Author: ladydewinter
Email: ladydewinter@gmx.net
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/K first, but I don't really like them...so W/T eventually :-) And this is becoming B/S as well, it seems.
Setting: The story takes place roughly after The Killer in Me, so spoilers up to then. And if you have no idea about Season Three of Angel you'll be spoilt as well...so don't come running to me *lol*
Disclaimer: Willow, Tara, Kennedy, Anya et. al belong to Joss Whedon and ME and - hey you know whom they belong to. The story however is mine. Oh, the title is taken from a book called "Magic's Promise" by Mercedes Lackey. And there may be quotes from the show included in this story - I haven't really marked them, but if it sounds familiar - I mean it as an homage, I don't wanna violate any copyright, really. Please don't sue me!
Feedback: I can't stop to thank you all for the nice feedback I get - I'm so glad you like this story. And I'm glad I started writing it. So let me say it once more, with feeling: THANKS!
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it, just let me know where it ends up.
Summary: We're with Tara now...
***
When Tara woke up again, she was pretty confused for a moment. The others were all hovering around her. "Did it work? What happened? Are you okay?" It was all kind of blurry; she wasn't even able to distinguish their voices. Then she heard Buffy. "Guys, let's - let's back off a little. It's not - I think we have the time to give Tara a little more time to wake up - and maybe breathe?" Funny, Tara thought - she sounds just like the other one. At that thought she had to smile.
"I'm okay, don't worry." She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "How long was I asleep?"
"Maybe an hour or so," Dawn answered. She sat down next to Tara on the couch. "So...what was it like? Did it work? Did you meet Bu- the Slayers?"
"Yes, I did." Tara smiled again.
"So - tell us about it," Anya demanded.
"Guys," Buffy said again. But she sounded pretty curious herself.
"It's alright, I can talk. I was - I was just asleep. And I had that dream again, the one about Willow and me. And I think that Buffy and Faith had it as well."
"Who's Faith?" William wanted to know. "The other Slayer?"
"Yeah. The other Slayer." Now Tara had a strange look on her face, Buffy thought. "What it about her?" she asked her friend.
"Nothing. Except..." Tara trailed off, blushing.
"What?"
"Well, she was pretty...hot." Tara hid her face behind her hair. "But she seemed kinda not interested in me. I mean with Buffy being there and all." She paused quickly to take a breath, as she had said the last part really fast, and then continued, not wanting to give the others a chance to say anything. She was a bit embarassed. "And we talked, I mean, I told them about our world and stuff and they believed me and they promised me to look for a spell or something."
The other didn't say anything for a moment. Tara was relieved, it seemed no one had noticed her earlier comment about Faith. But then they started talking all at once. "When are they going to tell you? What about Willow? I she alright? What did they tell you about the books? Will they bring books? Does Buffy look exactly the same? Faith is gay?"
She didn't really know which question to answer first, but she knew which to ignore. So she started with an easy one. "Mr Giles, how are they supposed to bring books in a dream? And - um, we agreed to meet again in three days. I don't know much about Willow, though - we didn't really have much time to talk - but they told me she misses me too." She was silent. So were the others.
Dawn touched her arm. "But - you talked to them, and they are going to find a solution, aren't they? And then you and Willow are going to be back toge- " Suddenly Dawn realized what that meant. She just looked at Tara with an expression of anger and sorrow and understanding.
None of the others knew what to say. They didn't even dare look at each other. Then Tara spoke up again. "W-well, they seemed both pretty positive about it - about the spell or something. They said they were 'experienced'. And - oh!" She remembered something Buffy had said.
"What is it? Giles asked.
"Buffy - she said that they needed me in order to prevent the Apocalypse." Tara looked at him, confused.
"Of course!" Giles started pacing about the room.
"Of course - what exactly?" Xander asked.
"Now it really starts to make any sense." Giles glanced at them and saw that they didn't agree so far. "Well, I was wondering about the real reasons our dimension was created. The whole soulmate thing - it is very romantic, and true, but to be honest, in my eyes it didn't justify all this - effort."
Tara looked a bit hurt, but she began to understand what he meant. The others, however, didn't. "What do you mean?" Buffy questioned him.
"What I want to say is that the Powers that Be probably connected Tara and Willow for a reason. They knew that they were going to play a larger role in saving the world, so... and then something went wrong - Tara was killed before she could fulfill her part of the prophesy and so-"
"Wait, now there's a prophesy?" Xander sounded pretty unbelieving.
"I presume there is. Well, as I said, because Tara was killed in that other dimension before she could fulfill her part of the prophesy, the Powers created our world in order to guarantee the prevention of the Apocalypse."
"So the soulmate - eternal love thing is just a bonus?" Anya asked.
"You could say so, yes." Giles put off his glasses and started to clean them.
"So - these powers..." William started.
"Yes?"
"They aren't all powerful like God Almighty, are they? Because - they could've just - resurrected Tara or something. Why create this other dimension if there is an easier way?"
"Maybe there wasn't." Giles paused. "We don't know what happened after Tara was killed. Maybe the events after that - the consequences were also somehow important. Everything happens for a reason, I guess."
"I don't know about that." Buffy sounded doubtful. "But - this is all just speculation and doesn't really help us at all. I think we should do something else-" the others looked at her expectantly. "Have dinner or something? Mr Giles, do you wanna stay for dinner as well?"
"I - er - thank you, yes." He smiled at her.
"I'm going to cook," Tara offered. Her friends accepted gladly. While she was preparing dinner, Tara was still thinking about what the DreamBuffy had told her - and what she hadn't. She realized she hadn't answered her question as to whether Willow had killed anybody. She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now anyway. So she pushed all the thoughts about the dream away and tried to enjoy the evening.
***
Three days later, they met again in the living room, ready to repeat the ritual.
"You know, I would like to meet them as well," Buffy said. "I really wonder what I'm like - the Slayer, I mean. Don't you think I could go this time?"
"No," Giles answered. "I think it's confusing enough for them to talk to a dead person. I don't presume they would like to have a talk with their own personal doppelgänger."
Buffy pouted. But he was probably right. "Tara, you nervous?" she asked.
"A bit," her friend replied. "I - I really hope they found something that could help me - us, I mean." She stopped herself. Buffy looked at her. "No, you're probably right." She seemed sad. "It's mainly for you, not for us. We are all aware that, if it works, you are going to have to leave us."
"Maybe-"
"There is no maybe," Tara was interrupted by Dawn. "But it's okay. At the end of the day, we want you to be happy. And to save the world. If that means we have to do without your pancakes - I guess we'll managed." She tried to smile. "So, off you go now. And send them our love."
"Don't talk as if I'm not going to return," Tara said. "Because I will."
"Hopefully with the ritual. Or the spell." Giles smiled at her. "Now, you remember how to-?"
"Yes," Tara nodded. She lay down on the couch and then repeated the incantation, hoping it would work again. "I call you, Chosen One. Heed my call. Heed my call. Heed my call." She fell asleep as quickly as the last time.
Author: ladydewinter
Email: ladydewinter@gmx.net
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: W/K first, but I don't really like them...so W/T eventually :-) And this is becoming B/S as well, it seems.
Setting: The story takes place roughly after The Killer in Me, so spoilers up to then. And if you have no idea about Season Three of Angel you'll be spoilt as well...so don't come running to me *lol*
Disclaimer: Willow, Tara, Kennedy, Anya et. al belong to Joss Whedon and ME and - hey you know whom they belong to. The story however is mine. Oh, the title is taken from a book called "Magic's Promise" by Mercedes Lackey. And there may be quotes from the show included in this story - I haven't really marked them, but if it sounds familiar - I mean it as an homage, I don't wanna violate any copyright, really. Please don't sue me!
Feedback: I can't stop to thank you all for the nice feedback I get - I'm so glad you like this story. And I'm glad I started writing it. So let me say it once more, with feeling: THANKS!
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it, just let me know where it ends up.
Summary: We're with Tara now...
***
When Tara woke up again, she was pretty confused for a moment. The others were all hovering around her. "Did it work? What happened? Are you okay?" It was all kind of blurry; she wasn't even able to distinguish their voices. Then she heard Buffy. "Guys, let's - let's back off a little. It's not - I think we have the time to give Tara a little more time to wake up - and maybe breathe?" Funny, Tara thought - she sounds just like the other one. At that thought she had to smile.
"I'm okay, don't worry." She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "How long was I asleep?"
"Maybe an hour or so," Dawn answered. She sat down next to Tara on the couch. "So...what was it like? Did it work? Did you meet Bu- the Slayers?"
"Yes, I did." Tara smiled again.
"So - tell us about it," Anya demanded.
"Guys," Buffy said again. But she sounded pretty curious herself.
"It's alright, I can talk. I was - I was just asleep. And I had that dream again, the one about Willow and me. And I think that Buffy and Faith had it as well."
"Who's Faith?" William wanted to know. "The other Slayer?"
"Yeah. The other Slayer." Now Tara had a strange look on her face, Buffy thought. "What it about her?" she asked her friend.
"Nothing. Except..." Tara trailed off, blushing.
"What?"
"Well, she was pretty...hot." Tara hid her face behind her hair. "But she seemed kinda not interested in me. I mean with Buffy being there and all." She paused quickly to take a breath, as she had said the last part really fast, and then continued, not wanting to give the others a chance to say anything. She was a bit embarassed. "And we talked, I mean, I told them about our world and stuff and they believed me and they promised me to look for a spell or something."
The other didn't say anything for a moment. Tara was relieved, it seemed no one had noticed her earlier comment about Faith. But then they started talking all at once. "When are they going to tell you? What about Willow? I she alright? What did they tell you about the books? Will they bring books? Does Buffy look exactly the same? Faith is gay?"
She didn't really know which question to answer first, but she knew which to ignore. So she started with an easy one. "Mr Giles, how are they supposed to bring books in a dream? And - um, we agreed to meet again in three days. I don't know much about Willow, though - we didn't really have much time to talk - but they told me she misses me too." She was silent. So were the others.
Dawn touched her arm. "But - you talked to them, and they are going to find a solution, aren't they? And then you and Willow are going to be back toge- " Suddenly Dawn realized what that meant. She just looked at Tara with an expression of anger and sorrow and understanding.
None of the others knew what to say. They didn't even dare look at each other. Then Tara spoke up again. "W-well, they seemed both pretty positive about it - about the spell or something. They said they were 'experienced'. And - oh!" She remembered something Buffy had said.
"What is it? Giles asked.
"Buffy - she said that they needed me in order to prevent the Apocalypse." Tara looked at him, confused.
"Of course!" Giles started pacing about the room.
"Of course - what exactly?" Xander asked.
"Now it really starts to make any sense." Giles glanced at them and saw that they didn't agree so far. "Well, I was wondering about the real reasons our dimension was created. The whole soulmate thing - it is very romantic, and true, but to be honest, in my eyes it didn't justify all this - effort."
Tara looked a bit hurt, but she began to understand what he meant. The others, however, didn't. "What do you mean?" Buffy questioned him.
"What I want to say is that the Powers that Be probably connected Tara and Willow for a reason. They knew that they were going to play a larger role in saving the world, so... and then something went wrong - Tara was killed before she could fulfill her part of the prophesy and so-"
"Wait, now there's a prophesy?" Xander sounded pretty unbelieving.
"I presume there is. Well, as I said, because Tara was killed in that other dimension before she could fulfill her part of the prophesy, the Powers created our world in order to guarantee the prevention of the Apocalypse."
"So the soulmate - eternal love thing is just a bonus?" Anya asked.
"You could say so, yes." Giles put off his glasses and started to clean them.
"So - these powers..." William started.
"Yes?"
"They aren't all powerful like God Almighty, are they? Because - they could've just - resurrected Tara or something. Why create this other dimension if there is an easier way?"
"Maybe there wasn't." Giles paused. "We don't know what happened after Tara was killed. Maybe the events after that - the consequences were also somehow important. Everything happens for a reason, I guess."
"I don't know about that." Buffy sounded doubtful. "But - this is all just speculation and doesn't really help us at all. I think we should do something else-" the others looked at her expectantly. "Have dinner or something? Mr Giles, do you wanna stay for dinner as well?"
"I - er - thank you, yes." He smiled at her.
"I'm going to cook," Tara offered. Her friends accepted gladly. While she was preparing dinner, Tara was still thinking about what the DreamBuffy had told her - and what she hadn't. She realized she hadn't answered her question as to whether Willow had killed anybody. She sighed. There was nothing she could do about it now anyway. So she pushed all the thoughts about the dream away and tried to enjoy the evening.
***
Three days later, they met again in the living room, ready to repeat the ritual.
"You know, I would like to meet them as well," Buffy said. "I really wonder what I'm like - the Slayer, I mean. Don't you think I could go this time?"
"No," Giles answered. "I think it's confusing enough for them to talk to a dead person. I don't presume they would like to have a talk with their own personal doppelgänger."
Buffy pouted. But he was probably right. "Tara, you nervous?" she asked.
"A bit," her friend replied. "I - I really hope they found something that could help me - us, I mean." She stopped herself. Buffy looked at her. "No, you're probably right." She seemed sad. "It's mainly for you, not for us. We are all aware that, if it works, you are going to have to leave us."
"Maybe-"
"There is no maybe," Tara was interrupted by Dawn. "But it's okay. At the end of the day, we want you to be happy. And to save the world. If that means we have to do without your pancakes - I guess we'll managed." She tried to smile. "So, off you go now. And send them our love."
"Don't talk as if I'm not going to return," Tara said. "Because I will."
"Hopefully with the ritual. Or the spell." Giles smiled at her. "Now, you remember how to-?"
"Yes," Tara nodded. She lay down on the couch and then repeated the incantation, hoping it would work again. "I call you, Chosen One. Heed my call. Heed my call. Heed my call." She fell asleep as quickly as the last time.