***
Chapter Three
"I think we did it," Willow whispered. "I will keep the spell going if you go and call Xander."
Tara nodded and jumped up. "Good luck Will."
A minute later she left the shop with Willow's cell phone in her hand. After calling Xander and telling him to hurry up, the brunette made her way down the sidewalk, her breath puffed out steam in the freezing cold air. Tara wrapped her arms tightly around her waist as she choked a sob back in her throat. Her mind was spinning, not comprehending all that had happened. She angrily wiped away the tears that were pouring down her pale cheeks; they weren't going to help anyone.
She remembered back to when her Mom died and the pain she had felt. It was always different with every person that was lost and Dawn was no exception. The young girl who could be so mature when she wanted to be, and a complete brat at other times, but was like a little sister and even a daughter to her.
Her stomach twisted as she thought of Spike, but the Witch made herself drag her thoughts away from that particular aspect. She would really break down if she let herself.
Her eyes made out a dark figure lying in the middle of the road, with a motorbike nearby. Guessing it was Buffy she turned her quick footsteps into a jog.
"Buffy?" she murmured, not really wanting to wake the Slayer. Sprawled in the middle of the road, Buffy looked younger than her years and very vulnerable. Slipping off her jacket Tara spread it over the thin woman. Her mind started drifting as she waited. "You want her, Mr. Maclay? You can go ahead and take her," Buffy announced.
Tara remembered the pang of pain that went through her at those words; she would never fit in here. These were Willow's friends, not hers. "You just gotta go through me." It took a second for the words to sink in, amazement began to seep through her every pore. "What?" her father snapped. "You heard me," Buffy said, a threat in her eyes, in her demeanour and in her stance. "You wanna take Tara out of here against her will? You gotta come through me." Relief and happiness were her only feelings in that second. She smiled as Dawn added her piece, then Giles and Xander. "This is insane," her father continued. "You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?"
"We're family," Buffy said firmly. Family. The word echoed through her mind. These people were her true family, not her father who abused her throughout her childhood, or her brother who would find any excuse to beat her when she was young.
And now they were being ripped apart at the seams. She bent down next to the fallen Slayer and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
To be perfectly honest, when Buffy had confided in her about Spike, she had been happy in a way. Willow and Xander had been around her for years, but she had chosen Tara, the newest member of the group, to talk to, to hear her sobs and to comfort her; Tara's heart had broken for Buffy's incredible self-loathing and pain.
She heard a car turning to come down the street and stood upright, waving to get his attention. The silver car pulled up and Xander jumped out, leaving Anya waiting.
"Willow did this?" he enquired, bending down next to Buffy. He looked shocked at her radical change in appearance.
"Yes, we did a spell but Willow is keeping it going while we brought her to the Magic Box. Then." She trailed off, not really knowing what was going to happen afterwards.
Xander scooped the light Slayer up easily in his arms and took her to the car. He put her gently down on the back seat and Tara clambered in beside her.
"Wow," Anya commented, "She looks kinda scary."
***
"Do you think they are tight enough?" Anya asked, tugging on the ropes holding Buffy to the same chair she had put Willow in. "I think chains would work, you know."
"Will, how long can you keep that spell going?" Xander asked her.
"As long as need be," she replied.
"I can take over if she gets tired," Tara put in.
"Okay, good. So, research time?" Xander sighed, pulling the books from the shelf.
"Giles took all the good ones," Anya said irritably. "We won't find anything in these. Unless you want to make bunnies." A pause. "But why would you?"
Ignoring his ex-fiancée, he pulled a book out from the pile and sat down. Tara joined him and soon Anya reluctantly gave in. An hour later Tara swapped with Willow and the red haired Witch hit the internet.
"Anyone want a drink?" Xander offered. They all nodded and he disappeared out the back to make them.
"These books are useless, this guy says, 'To keep flowers blooming for the longest time possible, add a few drops of water every day, rather than lots of water when it is dry.' This is in a book on demons for heaven's sake," Anya complained.
"Are you sure?" Willow asked. "Giles had a few gardening books lying around."
Anya swore and threw it across the table. "I just read three chapters of that damn thing."
Willow rolled her eyes and swapped her book for a slightly thinner one.
Xander made his way back to the table and handed one of the drinks to Anya. Looking up, he suddenly yelped and dropped the two other drinks in his hand; they smashed, spreading hot liquid across the floor.
"What is your deal?" Anya asked, taking a sip of her own.
"Where the hell is Buffy?" he asked slowly. The two girls looked over to the seat and saw she had gone, and jumped up. The ropes were lying on the ground and Tara was stretched out unconscious where she had been sitting.
"Buffy must have broken through the spell," Willow said in a panic, kneeling next to her girlfriend to wake her. "It was the strongest of its type. Oh god."
Just then the door banged open, making them all jump and reach for weapons, fearing it was Buffy, but they all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the dark vampire standing there.
"Angel, thank goodness," Willow breathed. She turned her attention back to Tara as she began to stir.
"Where is she?" Angel asked without a greeting.
"Well she was tied up to the chair, under a spell," Anya explained. "But we didn't use chains like I suggested and somehow she has gotten away. So now, she is probably off murdering more people."
Angel visibly flinched at that. "I was too late," he murmured.
"Warren deserved to die," Xander said firmly.
Angel's tortured brown eyes met Xander's. "We have to stop her before she does more damage. She would never forgive herself."
"I know," Xander said simply.
After a further discussion, it was decided Xander and Angel would go and look for her, and once again try and bring her back to the shop, while Tara, Willow and Anya would further research into ways to bring someone's humanity back.
"What the hell is that?" Xander asked, as they hurried through the streets looking for Buffy. He nodded towards a dark figure lying in the middle of the path.
Angel went over and peered at it. "A Corega demon. Looks like it's been.ripped apart."
Xander nodded, gagging slightly and moved swiftly on. "She must have come this way."
They walked along silently again, Angel trying to catch her scent in the air.
"Hey boys," her familiar voice greeted. "Looking for me?"
They whirled round to see her standing right behind them. She had a large sword in her hand, hanging by her side. Angel could have kicked himself for not realising; he should have felt where she was. He restrained himself from gasping at her, his heart constricting at his ex-girlfriend. The light, goldenness he had always adored about Buffy had gone, and in its place was a woman that resembled Drusilla.
"Buffy, why don't you put that down? Not very friendly." Xander said nervously.
She raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "Wasn't really going for friendly, exactly." she replied. Buffy pulled what looked like a round, glass object out of her pocket and threw it at Angel. It shattered at his feet and grey smoke began to pour out of it towards him. It wafted through the air, up towards Angel. He tried to push it away, but it started to gather in a line.
"Buffy." Angel started and then stopped, as it shot forward into his eyes. Pains started to shoot through him, into his very core. "Buffy!" He suddenly screamed, dropping to his knees, his face contorting in agony. The pain came in waves, hitting him so much he didn't think he could take it any longer.
Xander looked at him in shock. "What's going on?" He spun back towards Buffy to stop whatever she was doing with him, but within a second she had jumped forward and impaled the sword though his gut, tearing through his flesh with a sickening noise.
"That's what I had to do to Angel," she whispered, "And you didn't care."
He met her eyes in disbelief and betrayal, his face contorting in suffering, before he too, fell to the ground. He felt the spread of blood begin to cover him and with his last remaining strength, he groaned, before merciful darkness came.
"Angel?" Buffy asked quietly.
He looked up at her, his eyes cold, empty.soulless.
"Hello, Lover."
***
Chapter Three
"I think we did it," Willow whispered. "I will keep the spell going if you go and call Xander."
Tara nodded and jumped up. "Good luck Will."
A minute later she left the shop with Willow's cell phone in her hand. After calling Xander and telling him to hurry up, the brunette made her way down the sidewalk, her breath puffed out steam in the freezing cold air. Tara wrapped her arms tightly around her waist as she choked a sob back in her throat. Her mind was spinning, not comprehending all that had happened. She angrily wiped away the tears that were pouring down her pale cheeks; they weren't going to help anyone.
She remembered back to when her Mom died and the pain she had felt. It was always different with every person that was lost and Dawn was no exception. The young girl who could be so mature when she wanted to be, and a complete brat at other times, but was like a little sister and even a daughter to her.
Her stomach twisted as she thought of Spike, but the Witch made herself drag her thoughts away from that particular aspect. She would really break down if she let herself.
Her eyes made out a dark figure lying in the middle of the road, with a motorbike nearby. Guessing it was Buffy she turned her quick footsteps into a jog.
"Buffy?" she murmured, not really wanting to wake the Slayer. Sprawled in the middle of the road, Buffy looked younger than her years and very vulnerable. Slipping off her jacket Tara spread it over the thin woman. Her mind started drifting as she waited. "You want her, Mr. Maclay? You can go ahead and take her," Buffy announced.
Tara remembered the pang of pain that went through her at those words; she would never fit in here. These were Willow's friends, not hers. "You just gotta go through me." It took a second for the words to sink in, amazement began to seep through her every pore. "What?" her father snapped. "You heard me," Buffy said, a threat in her eyes, in her demeanour and in her stance. "You wanna take Tara out of here against her will? You gotta come through me." Relief and happiness were her only feelings in that second. She smiled as Dawn added her piece, then Giles and Xander. "This is insane," her father continued. "You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs. We are her blood kin! Who the hell are you?"
"We're family," Buffy said firmly. Family. The word echoed through her mind. These people were her true family, not her father who abused her throughout her childhood, or her brother who would find any excuse to beat her when she was young.
And now they were being ripped apart at the seams. She bent down next to the fallen Slayer and brushed a strand of hair out of her face.
To be perfectly honest, when Buffy had confided in her about Spike, she had been happy in a way. Willow and Xander had been around her for years, but she had chosen Tara, the newest member of the group, to talk to, to hear her sobs and to comfort her; Tara's heart had broken for Buffy's incredible self-loathing and pain.
She heard a car turning to come down the street and stood upright, waving to get his attention. The silver car pulled up and Xander jumped out, leaving Anya waiting.
"Willow did this?" he enquired, bending down next to Buffy. He looked shocked at her radical change in appearance.
"Yes, we did a spell but Willow is keeping it going while we brought her to the Magic Box. Then." She trailed off, not really knowing what was going to happen afterwards.
Xander scooped the light Slayer up easily in his arms and took her to the car. He put her gently down on the back seat and Tara clambered in beside her.
"Wow," Anya commented, "She looks kinda scary."
***
"Do you think they are tight enough?" Anya asked, tugging on the ropes holding Buffy to the same chair she had put Willow in. "I think chains would work, you know."
"Will, how long can you keep that spell going?" Xander asked her.
"As long as need be," she replied.
"I can take over if she gets tired," Tara put in.
"Okay, good. So, research time?" Xander sighed, pulling the books from the shelf.
"Giles took all the good ones," Anya said irritably. "We won't find anything in these. Unless you want to make bunnies." A pause. "But why would you?"
Ignoring his ex-fiancée, he pulled a book out from the pile and sat down. Tara joined him and soon Anya reluctantly gave in. An hour later Tara swapped with Willow and the red haired Witch hit the internet.
"Anyone want a drink?" Xander offered. They all nodded and he disappeared out the back to make them.
"These books are useless, this guy says, 'To keep flowers blooming for the longest time possible, add a few drops of water every day, rather than lots of water when it is dry.' This is in a book on demons for heaven's sake," Anya complained.
"Are you sure?" Willow asked. "Giles had a few gardening books lying around."
Anya swore and threw it across the table. "I just read three chapters of that damn thing."
Willow rolled her eyes and swapped her book for a slightly thinner one.
Xander made his way back to the table and handed one of the drinks to Anya. Looking up, he suddenly yelped and dropped the two other drinks in his hand; they smashed, spreading hot liquid across the floor.
"What is your deal?" Anya asked, taking a sip of her own.
"Where the hell is Buffy?" he asked slowly. The two girls looked over to the seat and saw she had gone, and jumped up. The ropes were lying on the ground and Tara was stretched out unconscious where she had been sitting.
"Buffy must have broken through the spell," Willow said in a panic, kneeling next to her girlfriend to wake her. "It was the strongest of its type. Oh god."
Just then the door banged open, making them all jump and reach for weapons, fearing it was Buffy, but they all breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the dark vampire standing there.
"Angel, thank goodness," Willow breathed. She turned her attention back to Tara as she began to stir.
"Where is she?" Angel asked without a greeting.
"Well she was tied up to the chair, under a spell," Anya explained. "But we didn't use chains like I suggested and somehow she has gotten away. So now, she is probably off murdering more people."
Angel visibly flinched at that. "I was too late," he murmured.
"Warren deserved to die," Xander said firmly.
Angel's tortured brown eyes met Xander's. "We have to stop her before she does more damage. She would never forgive herself."
"I know," Xander said simply.
After a further discussion, it was decided Xander and Angel would go and look for her, and once again try and bring her back to the shop, while Tara, Willow and Anya would further research into ways to bring someone's humanity back.
"What the hell is that?" Xander asked, as they hurried through the streets looking for Buffy. He nodded towards a dark figure lying in the middle of the path.
Angel went over and peered at it. "A Corega demon. Looks like it's been.ripped apart."
Xander nodded, gagging slightly and moved swiftly on. "She must have come this way."
They walked along silently again, Angel trying to catch her scent in the air.
"Hey boys," her familiar voice greeted. "Looking for me?"
They whirled round to see her standing right behind them. She had a large sword in her hand, hanging by her side. Angel could have kicked himself for not realising; he should have felt where she was. He restrained himself from gasping at her, his heart constricting at his ex-girlfriend. The light, goldenness he had always adored about Buffy had gone, and in its place was a woman that resembled Drusilla.
"Buffy, why don't you put that down? Not very friendly." Xander said nervously.
She raised a delicate eyebrow at him. "Wasn't really going for friendly, exactly." she replied. Buffy pulled what looked like a round, glass object out of her pocket and threw it at Angel. It shattered at his feet and grey smoke began to pour out of it towards him. It wafted through the air, up towards Angel. He tried to push it away, but it started to gather in a line.
"Buffy." Angel started and then stopped, as it shot forward into his eyes. Pains started to shoot through him, into his very core. "Buffy!" He suddenly screamed, dropping to his knees, his face contorting in agony. The pain came in waves, hitting him so much he didn't think he could take it any longer.
Xander looked at him in shock. "What's going on?" He spun back towards Buffy to stop whatever she was doing with him, but within a second she had jumped forward and impaled the sword though his gut, tearing through his flesh with a sickening noise.
"That's what I had to do to Angel," she whispered, "And you didn't care."
He met her eyes in disbelief and betrayal, his face contorting in suffering, before he too, fell to the ground. He felt the spread of blood begin to cover him and with his last remaining strength, he groaned, before merciful darkness came.
"Angel?" Buffy asked quietly.
He looked up at her, his eyes cold, empty.soulless.
"Hello, Lover."
***