Willow's eyes opened only to forced themselves closed again.
"Will." a whispering voice coaxed her from her semi-conscious stupor. "Willow."
She felt a soft hand caress her cheek, she pressed her eyelids together hard and used all the strength she possessed to pry them open again.
Tara's soft, angelic face smiled down her.
"Baby." Willow breathed. Smiling lightly.
"It's her Will. she's here." Tara bit down on her lower lip and guided Willow's head to look at Kennedy sitting on the floor at the foot of the sofa Willow was laying on.
"Her? But the guy. Michael. he loves her. she must love him. it doesn't make sense. I still love you." Willow felt herself start to cry again.
"Ssshh, don't cry." Tara let Willow's head fall back onto the pillow that had been placed below her head. "You'll see." Willow blinked and she was gone.
In her place an attractive teenage boy looked into her eyes sadly. "Willow Rosenberg."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for not letting him die."
"Who?"
"Michael."
"What's Michael to you?"
"I look after him, but I couldn't and you saved him for me. Thank you."
"It's ok. I guess. I'm a little confused."
"Soon you'll understand. Tara said that you're smart. I believe her. She's watching over you. But you already know that."
"Yeah." A slight smile twitched the corners of her mouth.
"I have to go, well done, by the way."
"Well done?"
"You stayed in this reality. You didn't black-out, so to speak." His eyes twinkled with his warm smile.
"I guess. What's going to happen now?"
"You'll see." The boy clicked his fingers.
-----
Willow's body jerked upright. "Jarrad."
The room suddenly grew silent. Kennedy stood from her seated position. Buffy took a few steps towards the sofa. Everyone else stood stock still.
"Willow?" Buffy's voice refused to hide how concerned she was. Willow had been out for 3 hours. Although it had been an informative 3 hours, Buffy was still a little worried about her friends. Giles had assured them she was merely unconscious and she would awaken when her sub-conscious was ready, but it didn't change the fact that she'd done magic, and magic affected Willow. Bad ways as well as good.
Michael walked towards the still dazed witch. "Jarrad? My brother?" his voice more forceful than he'd intended.
Kennedy rested her hand on his back, looking deeply into Willow's eyes, searching for some kind of reason. How could she know about Jarrad? She couldn't.
"Tara." The red-head simply stated and let herself flop back against the sofa.
"Who's Tara?" Maria asked. Looking around the room. Anya and Xander hovering in the doorway from the kitchen. Cera seated beneath Maria, arms encircling her waist. Dawn standing with Faith, both keeping their distance from each other, but obviously standing together purely for the sense of familiarity. Buffy hovered over Willow as Kennedy tried to pull Michael back. He wanted to know what she'd seen.
Dawn stood out from the wall "Tara's."
"Tara's not here." Faith cut in, glancing over at Willow. "Red, you want something? Water or."
"Water'd be great thanks." The surprise was evident in her tone, Willow hadn't expected Faith to even give a shit about her. Let alone be the one offering to help.
"Tight, be back." Faith pushed through Xander and Anya was she went to the kitchen.
"So Kennedy, you're a potential slayer? That must be kinda. weird. I never really asked Faith what it was like, being all next in line-y." Willow forced a smile and sat up. Her body aching, she had no idea why she'd felt the impulse to save Michael, or why it didn't flip her evil switch. But she also didn't know if she was ready for the reasons either.
"Yeah. I guess it is kinda weird. but I've got great friends to help me deal. What about you? All witchy and-"
Kennedy was suddenly cut off by Giles bursting into the house. "Oh, you have company. Kennedy? Oh Lord. Ahhh. Buffy. we need to talk."
"Will." a whispering voice coaxed her from her semi-conscious stupor. "Willow."
She felt a soft hand caress her cheek, she pressed her eyelids together hard and used all the strength she possessed to pry them open again.
Tara's soft, angelic face smiled down her.
"Baby." Willow breathed. Smiling lightly.
"It's her Will. she's here." Tara bit down on her lower lip and guided Willow's head to look at Kennedy sitting on the floor at the foot of the sofa Willow was laying on.
"Her? But the guy. Michael. he loves her. she must love him. it doesn't make sense. I still love you." Willow felt herself start to cry again.
"Ssshh, don't cry." Tara let Willow's head fall back onto the pillow that had been placed below her head. "You'll see." Willow blinked and she was gone.
In her place an attractive teenage boy looked into her eyes sadly. "Willow Rosenberg."
"Yes?"
"Thanks for not letting him die."
"Who?"
"Michael."
"What's Michael to you?"
"I look after him, but I couldn't and you saved him for me. Thank you."
"It's ok. I guess. I'm a little confused."
"Soon you'll understand. Tara said that you're smart. I believe her. She's watching over you. But you already know that."
"Yeah." A slight smile twitched the corners of her mouth.
"I have to go, well done, by the way."
"Well done?"
"You stayed in this reality. You didn't black-out, so to speak." His eyes twinkled with his warm smile.
"I guess. What's going to happen now?"
"You'll see." The boy clicked his fingers.
-----
Willow's body jerked upright. "Jarrad."
The room suddenly grew silent. Kennedy stood from her seated position. Buffy took a few steps towards the sofa. Everyone else stood stock still.
"Willow?" Buffy's voice refused to hide how concerned she was. Willow had been out for 3 hours. Although it had been an informative 3 hours, Buffy was still a little worried about her friends. Giles had assured them she was merely unconscious and she would awaken when her sub-conscious was ready, but it didn't change the fact that she'd done magic, and magic affected Willow. Bad ways as well as good.
Michael walked towards the still dazed witch. "Jarrad? My brother?" his voice more forceful than he'd intended.
Kennedy rested her hand on his back, looking deeply into Willow's eyes, searching for some kind of reason. How could she know about Jarrad? She couldn't.
"Tara." The red-head simply stated and let herself flop back against the sofa.
"Who's Tara?" Maria asked. Looking around the room. Anya and Xander hovering in the doorway from the kitchen. Cera seated beneath Maria, arms encircling her waist. Dawn standing with Faith, both keeping their distance from each other, but obviously standing together purely for the sense of familiarity. Buffy hovered over Willow as Kennedy tried to pull Michael back. He wanted to know what she'd seen.
Dawn stood out from the wall "Tara's."
"Tara's not here." Faith cut in, glancing over at Willow. "Red, you want something? Water or."
"Water'd be great thanks." The surprise was evident in her tone, Willow hadn't expected Faith to even give a shit about her. Let alone be the one offering to help.
"Tight, be back." Faith pushed through Xander and Anya was she went to the kitchen.
"So Kennedy, you're a potential slayer? That must be kinda. weird. I never really asked Faith what it was like, being all next in line-y." Willow forced a smile and sat up. Her body aching, she had no idea why she'd felt the impulse to save Michael, or why it didn't flip her evil switch. But she also didn't know if she was ready for the reasons either.
"Yeah. I guess it is kinda weird. but I've got great friends to help me deal. What about you? All witchy and-"
Kennedy was suddenly cut off by Giles bursting into the house. "Oh, you have company. Kennedy? Oh Lord. Ahhh. Buffy. we need to talk."