Title: Beyond
Series: Not yet Determined
Author: Autumn
Email: autumnleaves@autumnpenguins.com
Category: Drama
Rating: PG-13.TV14
Archive: Autumn's Penguin Emporium
Disclaimer: They all belong to Joss and Co.
A/N: Set post Grave, Pre-Lessons. I didn't thing there was enough of a bleed between the two seasons, issues were unresolved and Tara never got a funeral, so I gave her one.
This is the first Buffy fic I have ever written.
Spoiler Alert:
Season Five: The Body, Forever, The Gift
Season Six: Bargaining, Seeing Red. Grave
Season Seven: Lessons
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Buffy, Dawn and Xander followed the showman down the hallway to a brightly lit room. It would have been nice, if their errand hadn't been filled with sorrow. "Out 'Natural Wood' series is all in this room. It's proven to be quite popular."
"I bet the people inside them don't feel the same way." Dawn spat out.
"Yes. I'll just leave you to er, help yourself. Let me know if you need me."
"Thank you, Chuck." Buffy said, reading his nametag.
He stared at her. "I know you. I've seen you in here befoe-"
"My mom died last year. We were here." Buffy cut in.
Chuck simply nodded and left the room.
"That was better than, of course you recognize me, I was in one of these last year." Xander said, voice dripping with its usual sarcasm.
"Shut up Xander." Dawn bit out.
The shock of Tara's death had finally hit her, and the feelings she felt were worse than the grief she had felt when her mother and sister had died. Back then, she thought that magic was the answer, and it could bring them back to her. Dawn knew better now, Tara wasn't coming back.
"This one's nice." Dawn said, pointing at a dark, cherry wood coffin.
"She would like it." Xander put his hand on her shoulder, regretting his earlier comment.
"Nobody likes coffins."
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The phone rang, and despite the fact that it was 2 o'clock in the morning, Giles answered on the second ring. "Buffy?"
"Good guess." The blonde slayer said.
"How is she?"
"In shock, I don't think everything has really shut in yet. We arrived here a few hours ago, and she's with some of the Coven members, but she hasn't said a word yet."
" Did you tell her we're buy- laying Tara to rest on Wednesday?" Buffy asked, her voice catching.
"Even if I told her, I don't think she would understand. Best to let her recuperate first. Physically at least." Giles spoke softly.
"How is Dawn um dealing with this?"
"She's a mess. She was closer to Tara than any of us were, except for Willow. I've never seen her so upset."
"When you died, she was in denial for weeks. She cut school to go to where the tower used to stand."
"Nobody told me that."
"No I suppose not. You had quite enough to deal with."
"How do we get through this? When Mom d-died, you took care of everything, and when you didn't Willow was making plans. I couldn't snap out of it until the day we put her in the ground."
"I don't know what to tell you that won't sound obvious."
"Be obvious?"
"Think of what Tara would want, what Willow would do, ask Dawn for help. Its sometimes better to keep busy at times like this."
A knock at the door, took Giles attention from the trans-Atlantic phone call. "Buffy, Willow is waking up, I've got to go to her."
"Help her. Bring her back to us."
"I'll do my best."
The two hung up, and went off to their separate tasks.
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"Dawn?"
"I'm in here." Dawn said, hollowly.
Buffy entered Willow and Tara's room to find Dawn standing in the same spot she had occupied when she discovered Tara's body. "She was right here Buffy. She was so still, and she looked so cold."
Dawn's voice broke and she sank to the floor, finally releasing the tears she'd been holding back for the past three days. Buffy knelt, and pulled her sister into her arms, joining her in her grief.
The tears subsided, and Buffy sat there just rocking Dawn back and forth, offering some brief consolation.
** **************
The sun was nearly rising as the remaining members of the Scooby Gang prepared to commit Tara's body to the ground. Dawn has insisted on a sunrise funeral, as it had been Tara's favorite time of day.
"Willow should be here." Anya said quietly.
"She can't. Giles thinks it would hurt her more than help her."
"But she needs closure. How's she going to get that if she's 6,000 miles away? Giles is ridiculous."
"Anya-" Xander began, but stopped at the poisonous look that Anya shot at him.
"If you two can't act like grown ups for 10 minutes then leave." Dawn commanded coldly.
"She's right. This is for Tara, not your constant bickering." Buffy added. Making it clear that she would take out anybody who interfered with the ceremony.
"The priestess is here. It's time."
The group walked to wear the hearse bearing the casket was. Tara's family has refused to show up, and the Scoobies felt that a more private funeral was warranted. A Bag piper and a priestess from a local coven had offered their services to their fallen friend.
Xander, Dawn, Anya and Buffy were to serve as pallbearers. With Buffy present there was no real need for any pallbearers, but the four friends took the coffin and followed the melancholy song of the piper. The White robed priestess was at the head of the procession, and took them down the path to the grave.
The piper continued his song until the coffin was positioned on the machine that would lower it into the ground. The observers stood back, and the Priestess opened her book. "We are here to honor Tara McClay's passing. She is a blessed one, and her destiny lies beyond those we can see."
"She has passed out of this world, but many others lay before her. She will live eternally, thought not as solid flesh." We commit her body to the ground today, but her spirit still lives. The Priestess said.
"If we could stand for some words for our sister."
Dawn immediately knew what she wanted to say. She walked towards the casket, and kissed it before turning back to the group. "Tara should be here today, but she isn't. Nothing in this world will make that right, but she's at peace. And she told me that she wanted to come back as a sunflower. So we'll be growing a lot of sunflowers in the garden from now on."
"Tara was nice. And she was a good witch-literally. I'll miss her, she was good for Willow." Anya said, visibly nervous at the non-traditional burial.
"She was the best. Better than me."
"Obviously." Anya scoffed.
Xander looked like he was going to reply, but a glare from Dawn brought him back to task. "She was better than all of us. Nice, sweeter, purer. And she made Willow happier than I've ever seen before, so in book Tara's a saint. And I'll miss her." Xander finished, his voice cracking, from the emotions, coursing, through him.
"Tara was a friend. She took care of all of us. She stopped me from, doing that thing in the basement, and she always looked after Dawn. Having her around was a little like having Mom back." Buffy finished. crying quietly.
The Priestess rose, and the bag piper began a slow lament. "It is time, to present the roses, and to bring her to the earth."
Dawn had chosen a white rose to place on the top of the coffin. She leant to scoop soil from the grave and sprinkled it over the rose. "Blessed be" she said and stepped back to let the others complete the ritual.
The four stood silently, looking at freshly made grave, saying goodbye to their friend.
Nobody was ready to really say good-bye so they stood, offering silent strength to each other when they broke down in tears. When they left Tara's grave, they were more united than they had been in years.
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