A/N: Now, for something new!
This is another song fic, but with a little twist. It'll be a multi-part series, using different songs.
The first song is 'Due South', which is the theme for the TV show by the same name. It's written by Jay Semko and Paul Gross.
The story will be set just after the end of Tabula Rasa, and will be mostly dealing with Tara.
Spoilers: Not much, probably. 'Tabula Rasa' of course, and perhaps a little from 'Family'. The whole series will be AU from after Tabula Rasa, though.
Disclaimer: I don't think Joss et al. is dumb enough to waste his time on some lowly creature having fun with his world that he so obviously messed up, so I'm not going to say anything to save me from that. However, because I respect the owners of the site, I'd just like to mention that I got a lot of the information for my stories from www.buffyworld.com/. Thank you guys for your wonderful transcripts, even if the fight descriptions suck! :)
Summary: Tara leaves Sunnydale after Tabula Rasa, and finds herself following clouds.
Legend: Song lyrics will be in bold, while thoughts will be in italics. Hope that's simple enough.
.
High winds in the northern sky will carry you away.
Looking up at the sky, which was clear, minus one cloud that seemed to be right above her, Tara stared for a couple seconds. It seemed kind of ironic. Normally, here in Sunnydale, the place of all things weird and spooky, the clouds traveled north. However, tonight it seemed to be pointing the way for Tara.
You know you have to leave here,
You wish that you could stay.
It seemed to almost cement the thought it Tara's mind. She couldn't stay here, not so much as for her own sake as for Willow's. It would be tough on both of them, she knew, and as much as she wished that she had another choice, one that let her stay, she didn't. And so, as she got into the taxi that would begin her new journey, she took a quick look back, and then faced forward, traveling with the cloud still right above her.
There's four directions on this map,
But you're only going one way.
"May I ask, where is a nice young lady like you heading?" Asked the driver, startling Tara slightly. Noticing the map on the back of the driver's seat, she picked it up, and quickly leafed through it.
There were many places she could go. San Francisco, Sacramento, even Seattle wouldn't be to strange of a place to head. However, there was only one place she was heading. Due south.
Due South,
That's the way I'm going.
Due South.
"Fresno," Tara said, as she found the closest city on the map. It was a town she hadn't really heard of before, but it seemed to shout out to her, so she just said it.
"Fresno it is," the driver replied, starting the vehicle.
Saddle up my traveling shoes,
I'm bound to walk away these blues,
Due South.
About an hour later, Tara found herself standing in the middle of a town that she'd never seen before. Looking around, she found a pretty nice hotel which she started towards.
A new life, Tara told herself. One full of happiness and travel.
But, all she could think of was the sadness and emptiness in her heart. No matter how much she walked, she knew she'd always feel it.
You could walk a hundred thousand miles,
And never find a home.
She'd done this before. When she was 18, she left home, and with the little money she had, she wandered around California for the better part of a year before she stumbled upon Sunnydale. She'd been attending the UC in her hometown, and decided that it would be best to transfer to this campus and try to finally settle down.
Of course, the home she thought she'd finally found turned out to be too good to be true.
You always knew someday,
You'd have to strike out on your own.
So here she was, out on her own again, wandering around Southern California once more, not sure where to go.
You look up at the clouds,
And you can see which way the wind is blowing.
The only thing that gave her any direction now was the clouds above her. And they always traveled in the same direction, and she always followed them.
Due South,
That's the way I'm going.
Due South.
Saddle up my traveling shoes,
I'm bound to walk away these blues,
Due South.
She went through Los Angeles, Pasadena, even made it to San Diego for a little while, but it still felt the same. Always the same emptiness. She'd gone through about 4 pairs of shoes so far, and after 3 years, it was starting to wear thin on her.
Due South,
That's the way I'm going.
Due South.
Saddle up my traveling shoes,
I'm bound to walk away these blues,
Due...
She hadn't been in contact with anyone from Sunnydale since she left. She'd talked to Giles, who also had been keeping distant from the crew back home, and though she always couldn't help but ask, he never had anything about Willow to tell her.
Saddle up my traveling shoes,
I'm bound to walk away these blues,
Due South.
Due South.
Due South.
So now, reaching the very edge of California, where the border meet with Mexico, she was at a payphone, trying to decide if she should call the number she'd never forget, even after such a long time.
Finally, she raised her hand and dialed...
After a few rings, she heard the click. "Hello?"
"Willow?" Tara whispered.
A/N: I'll be making a second part to this soon, but it won't continue straight from this part. It'll be from Willow's POV. I'll try to have it up pretty quickly.
Until then, happy reading!