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: Yes please!!! I really appreciate it.
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it, just let me know where it ends up.
Summary: The morning after the challenge... the last step...I promise you only have to wait until tomorrow.
*** Willow yawned. She took a look at her alarm clock and decided it was probably time to get up. The research session last evening had been a rather short one - they had mostly discussed where they wanted look. In the end, Willow had had another question however. "What about the third Slayer?" she asked the others.
"What do you mean?" Anya looked confused.
"I mean, I checked her background and stuff... and there was nothing special about her, apart from her being a Slayer. And now she's dead, and it looks as if there won't be a third Slayer anymore... which is good, in the sense of balance, but - that's it? If there is nothing more to it, it seems a bit lame, doesn't it? Why is she included in the prophecy? And why did she come to Sunnydale?" Willow stopped, a bit embarrassed of her speech. She had sounded a bit too...well, hysterical. And there really wasn't any need for that.
The others were silent for a moment. Then Giles replied, "I - I guess her watcher..."
"What watcher? Is he here in Sunnydale? I don't think so, or he would've contacted us by now. I guess he is dead - maybe he was killed back in Seattle, maybe here as well. But you're probably right - I guess it was him who told her to go to Sunnydale. What other reason could she have had?"
"About the prophecy," Andrew started suddenly. Everybody looked at him, surprised. "Um, it wasn't wrong, was it? It's still true - at some point of time there were three where two should not have been. And now the third one's dead, and there doesn't seem to be another third one... maybe that was the beginning of reestablishing the balance."
"You're right," Giles agreed. "Although the initiative came from the wrong side, of course. But I - I think we really should focus on the spell..."
"So you don't think the spell - if there is one - will include the third Slayer as well? Because if it does, we have two problems... two people who won't be able to take part," Xander said.
Willow noticed the odd expression on Giles face as he answered, "Ur, yes, of course. But - but I really suggest we should try to find the spell before we all get consumed by our worries. And I guess we might do that tomorrow. Anya, you said you knew where to get some more books?"
"Yes, maybe. I'll look for them tomorrow." She smiled at him.
With that, the session had been declared closed, and everyone had gone to bed. Only a short time afterwards, however, Willow had heard Buffy come home, which had been odd, as she hadn't been out for patrol long. Well, she'd ask her later if something was wrong, she decided. She got up, went to the bathroom and got dressed. Downstairs, in the kitchen, she met Buffy and Dawn. "Good morning," she greeted them.
"Morning," they said in chorus.
"Kennedy's having breakfast outside," Dawn added.
"So?" Willow looked at her expectantly.
"I just thought - maybe you would want to avoid her."
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Dawnie. Yeah, maybe you're right. I guess I'll do that. But I wanted to ask you something - I mean, I get why I act weird around Kennedy - but why do you? And Xander, and Giles, and - well, just about everybody?"
Buffy didn't say anything. Dawn, however, replied, "Because we don't like her. I mean, I don't like the Potentials at all really. And Buffy has been avoiding them as well." That was true, Willow thought. "The problem is, he Potentials don't like her either - she has acted rather, um, superior to them when she was - I mean when you..."
Willow nodded. "I get it." That was Kennedy's problem then. She made herself a sandwich; then she said to Buffy, "You were home early yesterday. Was there something wrong?"
"Wrong?" Buffy seemed startled. What was up with her? "No, I was just - just really tired. And Faith offered she would do the slaying alone, so..."
"You took a night off. That's good." She smiled at her best friend. "Oh," she said as she looked at the clock. "I gotta go if I don't wanna miss class."
Buffy followed her gaze. "So do we. Dawn, are you ready?"
"Sure." Dawn grabbed her bag, Willow her books and the three women left through the back door.
***
Although she had at the university in time, Willow had still the feeling she had missed class. She hadn't been able to concentrate at all. She couldn't help it, her thoughts just kept wandering around aimlessly. But she had to sit through yet another, she remembered, sighing. What was wrong today? After her last class was over, she took a walk across the campus. She didn't really know where she went, but wasn't surprised to find herself standing in front of Stevenson Hall.
Sometimes, when she needed to focus more, or just needed time to think, she went there. It was a place definitely connected to Tara, but it didn't depress her like some other places did. That was probably mostly due to the many people there - she had never been there when she was alone, and she didn't want to. She had enough depressing places already.
As Willow opened the door and entered the student lounge, she remembered how she and Tara had talked there for the first time... they had met before at the Wicca group, of course, and when they had run from the gentlemen, but that morning had been the first time they could really just talk together - without being surrounded by wanna-blessed-bes or being in mortal danger. She recalled how confused she had been... when Tara had taken her hand in that laundry room, they both instantly felt their connection... it had been immensly powerful. Willow never had experienced something like that, neither before she had met Tara, nor after she had been...
You wanted to stay away from depressing places, she told herself. She was still standing at the door, remembering how they had met in the student lounge the next morning. She had been kind of nervous, what with the butterflies in her stomach - she had had no idea how to react to that. As soon as she had seen Tara coming towards her, however, everything was fine. She had immediately felt at ease with her, something that was also completely new to her.
They had joked about the other members of the Wicca group and then had talked about magic. She recalled Tara had told her she was powerful even then... she hadn't been really able to believe her at that time. As it turned out, she had been right. Willow sighed. Happy thoughts... happy thoughts... that was an easy one. When Tara had told her she thought she was special and how she had looked at her then - she had felt so for the very first time. Special. Wonderful. Only Tara had ever managed to make her feel this way. It was as if she had known her completely, right from the beginning.
Willow smiled and started to make her way across the hall to some of the chairs. She came to a sudden halt though, when she saw who was sitting there. Her heart skipped a beat. How? was all she could think. Then - it's a ghost, no - the First - it's - it can't be.... she had the feeling her head was spinning. Focus, she told herself. If it's the First, you really need to focus. She closed her eyes.
When she opened it again, she knew this was for real. This wasn't the First, or a ghost or a demon. She found herself looking into Tara's eyes, and suddenly everything was right again. She didn't care about how it was possible, what had happened. Her soulmate had returned to her and - why was she still just standing there?
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: Yes please!!! I really appreciate it.
Distribution: If you want it, you can have it, just let me know where it ends up.
Summary: The morning after the challenge... the last step...I promise you only have to wait until tomorrow.
*** Willow yawned. She took a look at her alarm clock and decided it was probably time to get up. The research session last evening had been a rather short one - they had mostly discussed where they wanted look. In the end, Willow had had another question however. "What about the third Slayer?" she asked the others.
"What do you mean?" Anya looked confused.
"I mean, I checked her background and stuff... and there was nothing special about her, apart from her being a Slayer. And now she's dead, and it looks as if there won't be a third Slayer anymore... which is good, in the sense of balance, but - that's it? If there is nothing more to it, it seems a bit lame, doesn't it? Why is she included in the prophecy? And why did she come to Sunnydale?" Willow stopped, a bit embarrassed of her speech. She had sounded a bit too...well, hysterical. And there really wasn't any need for that.
The others were silent for a moment. Then Giles replied, "I - I guess her watcher..."
"What watcher? Is he here in Sunnydale? I don't think so, or he would've contacted us by now. I guess he is dead - maybe he was killed back in Seattle, maybe here as well. But you're probably right - I guess it was him who told her to go to Sunnydale. What other reason could she have had?"
"About the prophecy," Andrew started suddenly. Everybody looked at him, surprised. "Um, it wasn't wrong, was it? It's still true - at some point of time there were three where two should not have been. And now the third one's dead, and there doesn't seem to be another third one... maybe that was the beginning of reestablishing the balance."
"You're right," Giles agreed. "Although the initiative came from the wrong side, of course. But I - I think we really should focus on the spell..."
"So you don't think the spell - if there is one - will include the third Slayer as well? Because if it does, we have two problems... two people who won't be able to take part," Xander said.
Willow noticed the odd expression on Giles face as he answered, "Ur, yes, of course. But - but I really suggest we should try to find the spell before we all get consumed by our worries. And I guess we might do that tomorrow. Anya, you said you knew where to get some more books?"
"Yes, maybe. I'll look for them tomorrow." She smiled at him.
With that, the session had been declared closed, and everyone had gone to bed. Only a short time afterwards, however, Willow had heard Buffy come home, which had been odd, as she hadn't been out for patrol long. Well, she'd ask her later if something was wrong, she decided. She got up, went to the bathroom and got dressed. Downstairs, in the kitchen, she met Buffy and Dawn. "Good morning," she greeted them.
"Morning," they said in chorus.
"Kennedy's having breakfast outside," Dawn added.
"So?" Willow looked at her expectantly.
"I just thought - maybe you would want to avoid her."
Willow smiled. "Thanks, Dawnie. Yeah, maybe you're right. I guess I'll do that. But I wanted to ask you something - I mean, I get why I act weird around Kennedy - but why do you? And Xander, and Giles, and - well, just about everybody?"
Buffy didn't say anything. Dawn, however, replied, "Because we don't like her. I mean, I don't like the Potentials at all really. And Buffy has been avoiding them as well." That was true, Willow thought. "The problem is, he Potentials don't like her either - she has acted rather, um, superior to them when she was - I mean when you..."
Willow nodded. "I get it." That was Kennedy's problem then. She made herself a sandwich; then she said to Buffy, "You were home early yesterday. Was there something wrong?"
"Wrong?" Buffy seemed startled. What was up with her? "No, I was just - just really tired. And Faith offered she would do the slaying alone, so..."
"You took a night off. That's good." She smiled at her best friend. "Oh," she said as she looked at the clock. "I gotta go if I don't wanna miss class."
Buffy followed her gaze. "So do we. Dawn, are you ready?"
"Sure." Dawn grabbed her bag, Willow her books and the three women left through the back door.
***
Although she had at the university in time, Willow had still the feeling she had missed class. She hadn't been able to concentrate at all. She couldn't help it, her thoughts just kept wandering around aimlessly. But she had to sit through yet another, she remembered, sighing. What was wrong today? After her last class was over, she took a walk across the campus. She didn't really know where she went, but wasn't surprised to find herself standing in front of Stevenson Hall.
Sometimes, when she needed to focus more, or just needed time to think, she went there. It was a place definitely connected to Tara, but it didn't depress her like some other places did. That was probably mostly due to the many people there - she had never been there when she was alone, and she didn't want to. She had enough depressing places already.
As Willow opened the door and entered the student lounge, she remembered how she and Tara had talked there for the first time... they had met before at the Wicca group, of course, and when they had run from the gentlemen, but that morning had been the first time they could really just talk together - without being surrounded by wanna-blessed-bes or being in mortal danger. She recalled how confused she had been... when Tara had taken her hand in that laundry room, they both instantly felt their connection... it had been immensly powerful. Willow never had experienced something like that, neither before she had met Tara, nor after she had been...
You wanted to stay away from depressing places, she told herself. She was still standing at the door, remembering how they had met in the student lounge the next morning. She had been kind of nervous, what with the butterflies in her stomach - she had had no idea how to react to that. As soon as she had seen Tara coming towards her, however, everything was fine. She had immediately felt at ease with her, something that was also completely new to her.
They had joked about the other members of the Wicca group and then had talked about magic. She recalled Tara had told her she was powerful even then... she hadn't been really able to believe her at that time. As it turned out, she had been right. Willow sighed. Happy thoughts... happy thoughts... that was an easy one. When Tara had told her she thought she was special and how she had looked at her then - she had felt so for the very first time. Special. Wonderful. Only Tara had ever managed to make her feel this way. It was as if she had known her completely, right from the beginning.
Willow smiled and started to make her way across the hall to some of the chairs. She came to a sudden halt though, when she saw who was sitting there. Her heart skipped a beat. How? was all she could think. Then - it's a ghost, no - the First - it's - it can't be.... she had the feeling her head was spinning. Focus, she told herself. If it's the First, you really need to focus. She closed her eyes.
When she opened it again, she knew this was for real. This wasn't the First, or a ghost or a demon. She found herself looking into Tara's eyes, and suddenly everything was right again. She didn't care about how it was possible, what had happened. Her soulmate had returned to her and - why was she still just standing there?