Divine Interference
Part Twelve
Posted: June 10, 2004
Disclaimer: see previous parts (I hope...)
Author's notes: Ok, sorry, but this is more of the same old crap. Next chapter, I promise, will be a bit of old crap, and a lot of new crap, I hope. I seem to have misplaced the ending that I wrote when I first started this story, so we're flying solo now. No notes or handwritten drafts. Just went through all the fanfic pages, a whole binder full, that I have at the desk, and it's definitely lost. Oh well. I'll figure something out!
I emailed fanfiction.net the other day about whatever taking away my dividers, hopefully that's taken care of, but it's better safe than sorry.
READER RESPONSES:
START OF STORY:
Buffy entered the shop, holding Dawn. She waved to Anya as she headed down the stairs, toward the table.
"Hey, what's up? It's the Buffster, and ickle Dawnie-pooh." Xander tickled Dawn's feet.
"Hey everybody."
"I trust everything went well at the university?" Giles asked.
"Yep, I'm, uh, all dropped out," she sat down at the table, sitting dawn on the table.
"Good on you. Welcome to the real world. Lot of fun to be had on the outside," he looked at Willow, "You'll see."
"I think by having Dawn, that qualified me for the real world, Xander. But, yeah...unemployed single mom... But, it's just for now. I mean, I'm thinking that I'm probably gonna go back next semester. Once everything settles back down...with this Glory thing hanging over us..."
"And that's cool too. Whatever you choose, you've got my support. Just think of me as..." he laughed nervously, racking his brains for something, "as your..." he frowned, not coming up with anything appropriate. Buffy looked up at him, curious. "You know, I'm searching for supportive things, and I'm comin' up all bras, so..." Buffy smiled at her long time best friend, "something slightly more manly, think of me as that. Seriously. Whatever you need."
PAGE BREAK
"So it's her. Under our noses all this time. I like the detail work those monks did. Quirks, foibles, passions ... it's all so cute, so ... human. You know?" Glory asked her minions, sitting on the couch, with three minions before her. They all nod and smile. "Pretty convincing really. But not convincing enough." She slowly stands up and looks each demon in the eye. "You all know your assignments." She smiled widely, happy at the prospect of finally finding the key, "I think it's time to collect the key."
PAGE BREAK
"Um, Buffy? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure Wills, as long as you don't mind the smell of poopy diapers. Yuck." She threw the offensive diaper in the trash.
"Um...I was wondering if it was ok if...Tara came over tonight. We're gonna do research, and she might end up...staying the night."
"It's fine with me, just, make sure it's ok with Angel, it is his house too, now that he's hanging out a lot."
"Ok, thanks."
"Oh, uh, Will? Do you think you could watch Dawn, so Angel could help me on patrol?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks." She picked up the child.
PAGE BREAK
"Have you noticed that..."
"What?" Tara asked, looking up from where she was playing with Dawn on the floor. Buffy and Angle had pulled an all nighter slay-a-thon, so they was sleeping, leaving the two witches to watch the baby.
"Buffy's been sorta Miss Crabby lately."
"Understandable, about the crabby, though. She has to look after Dawn now."
"Yeah, but not in a All night slayer type way. She's going to wear herself out."
"I-I had to help raise my brother after...I mean, you can't really know what it's like to-"
"Yeah, I know that." Tara makes a noise of displeasure, frowns, sits on the bed next to Willow.
"I, I didn't mean to-"
"No, I just ... I ... I know I can't know what it's like. I don't have a child of my own, nor have I had to raise one." Tara frowns at her, "But I just ..." she laughed, and it sounded fake, even to her, "It's no big."
"I made you mad."
"No. No." She denied it.
"All I meant was-"
"No, it's okay. This whole Buffy thing, let's just forget it."
"No, please. I mean, I mean, tell me if I said something wrong, otherwise I know I'll say it again. Probably often and in public."
"No, I was snippy gal. It's just ... I know I can't ... on some level..." she sighed, "it's like my opinion isn't worth anything because I haven't been through ...I didn't have to raise a child, so I don't know."
"Well ... I-I'm not the expert. I mean, I've only had to raise Ronny...and my cousin." Willow gave her a sympathetic smile. Tara looks anxious. "Do ... I act like ... the big knowledge woman?"
"No." Willow said weakly.
"Is that no spelled Y-E-S?"
"S-O-R-T of. I mean, I just feel like the-the junior partner. You've been doing everything longer than me. You've been out longer ... you've been practicing witchcraft way longer."
"Oh, but you're way beyond me there! In just a few- I mean ... it frightens me how powerful you're getting."
"That's a weird word." Willow commented.
"Getting?"
"It frightens you? I frighten you?" Willow asked, brow creased.
"That is so not what I meant." She jumped up from the floor, "I meant i- impresses - impressive."
"Well, I took Psych 101. I mean, I took it from an evil government scientist who was skewered by her Frankenstein-like creation before the final, but I know what a Freudian slip is." Tara looked at her, upset. "D- don't you trust me?"
"With my life."
"That's not what I mean." Willow said.
"Can't we just go to the fair?" Tara pleaded.
"I don't feel real multicultural right now. Wh ... what is it about me that you don't trust?"
"It's not that. I worry, sometimes. You're, you're changing so much, so fast. I don't know where you're heading."
"Where I'm heading?"
"I'm saying everything wrong." She shook her head.
"No, I think you're being pretty clear. This isn't about the witchcraft. It's about the other changes in my life."
"I trust you. I just...I don't know where I'm gonna fit in ... in your life when..."
"When ... I change back? Yeah, this is a college thing, just a, a little experimentation before I get over the thrill and head back to boys' town." She waited for an answer, and got none, "You think that?"
"Should I?" The tension and raised voices was getting to Dawn, who began to fuss. Willow immediately picked her up.
"I'm really sorry that I didn't establish my lesbo street cred before I got into this relationship. You're the only woman I've ever fallen in love with, so ... how on earth could you ever take me seriously?" She jiggled Dawn, walking towards the door.
"Willow, please!"
"Have fun at the fair." Willow left, slamming the door, leaving Tara alone in the apartment. Buffy came out of her bedroom a few minutes later.
"What's going on?" she yawned.
"Nothing, just go back to bed. Willow's got Dawn." Tara grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door.
"What happened?" Buffy asked herself, as Angel came out of her room as well, where he was sleeping on the floor.
"You know as much as me," she yawned, "I'm going back to bed."
"Me too." She yawned and followed him back into her bedroom.
PAGE BREAK
Willow stalked down the street, hardly paying attention to the fussy child in her arms. How could Tara feel that way? Didn't she know she loved her?
Dawn started crying, forcing Willow to pay attention to the nine month old.
"What's wrong, Dawnie?" she bounced the child as she walked, her feet taking her...somewhere, "Do you miss her already too?"
Willow certainly didn't know where she was going, but her feet did, when she showed up at the Magic Shop a couple minutes later. Dawn was quieter than she had been, and once inside, Willow put her in her swing. Then she began browsing aimlessly.
"I hope this isn't a return. Everyone wants petrified hamsters and they're never happy with them." Giles muttered, opening a package. Willow walked over to the counter, leaning on it. Giles noticed her glum expression. "You all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah." She said, unconvincingly.
"Ah yes, because your good mood is both obvious and contagious."
"I had a fight with Tara. It was awful."
"Oh, I'm sorry." He took the box over to the shelves behind the counter.
"Me too." Willow said glumly.
"You two don't quarrel much, do you?" Giles observed
"Never. Until today."
"Well, now it's over." Giles said, nonchalant.
"Over? How can it be over? I just found her!" Willow started to freak out.
"The quarrel is over," Giles clarified.
"Oh. Yeah."
"Uh, you'll feel better when you've made your apologies and you'll know that you can fight without the world ending." He starts towards the rear door, "I know it all seems bleak now, but as they say, this too..." Giles opened the door to discover one of Glory's demons, Slook, listening at the door. Slook falls into the room. "...shall pass." Willow and Anya both stare at the minion.
Giles grabbed the demon by the ear, dragged him into the shop and threw him into a chair. Willow and Anya rush over.
"Wow!"
"Now, what do we have here?" Giles asked.
"Oh, he's one of those things that work for Glory!" Anya said, smiling.
"Yes. How helpful." Giles replied.
"I do indeed work for the god. Let me go if you do not wish to incur her anger," Slook told them, trying to sound tough.
"Well, she's not here. What a marvelous opportunity for you and me to talk," Giles told him.
"I will not betray Glorificus. I will never talk, no matter what heinous torture-" "Actually, you're talking quite a lot, just not about the right things. Tell us why you're here." Giles ordered.
"No words shall pass my lips that will bring peril to Glorificus."
Giles doesn't take his eyes off the demon, but points with his hand. "Girls, get the twine that's on the counter, let's tie him up." Willow and Anya turn away to get the rope, only to turn back a moment later as Slook begins to sob.
"No, no! I'll tell you! Anything! Please! Whatever you want! Just, I'll, anything!" The girls walk back over.
"What happened?" Anya asked.
"He changed his mind," Giles told her.
"I'm ... I'm supposed to watch. We're watching the Slayer's people ... while Glory fetches the key." Everyone looks alarmed.
"Glory knows who the key is?" Willow asked, terrified, not realizing that she was taking care of Dawn for the day.
"Oh god." Giles removed his glasses.
"We've got to call Buffy." Anya said.
"Too late. Too late. Glorificus will find the witch, and there's nothing you can do to stop her."
"Witch? What do you mean?" Anya asked, confused. Last she knew, Dawn was the key...and she wasn't a witch. Children didn't come into their powers until they were over a year of age...
"Tara!" Willow said, horrified. Willow starts to run out.
"She's the new one among you. It wasn't hard to figure out. The glorious one will have found her by now."
"Willow, wait! I'll go with-"Giles yelled after her.
"No! Call Buffy a-and go look in Tara's room, I'm gonna check the fair." She ran out.
PAGE BREAK
Tara sat sadly on an empty bench, watching the happy people around her, at the Diversity fair. She just couldn't get into the mood, when Willow was mad at her.
She felt her had being picked up, and though she had not heard her approach; she looked down at her lover's hand. Then she looked up into the face of evil.
"Is this seat taken?" Glory asked, wrinkling her nose. Tara just gasped in fear. "Oh, this is nice. Just hangin' out, just us girls. You like that sort of thing, don't you?" She squeezes Tara's hand to break a few bones. "Don't make a sound." Tara looks around at the people enjoying a day of diversity, "Nah. They won't help you. I'd kill them. You know that. There's no one here that can stop me." Tara continues to gasp and pant at the pain being inflicted on her hand.
"I'll kill her and ... and them. I'll kill him, and her and her," she laughs, "and it'll all be your fault," she said, pointing out random people, "Kinda funny, isn't it? All these people here and ... no one who can do a thing. Not a person who can help you." Tara whimpers and turns her head to look at Glory. "But that's people for ya. They're pretty worthless. But keys, on the other hand ... keys are worth a very lot." Glory smiles and brings their clenched hands up to lick off some of the blood. Then she makes a disgusted face and spits.
"You lying little tramp! You're not the key! You're nothing! Just another worthless human being!"
"I didn't-"Tara stutters.
"I hate being lied to. It makes me feel so betrayed. Hey! You wanna make it all better?" Tara looks at her with fear. "If you tell me who the key really is ... I'll let you go." Tara looks alarmed. Glory gives her hand another squeeze and she whimpers again as more bones crack.
"Think about it. You think your hand hurts? Imagine what you'd feel with my fingers wiggling in your brain. It doesn't kill you. What it does ... is make you feel like you're in a noisy little dark room ..." Glory begins to fidget, uncomfortable, "naked and ashamed ... and there are things in the dark that need to hurt you because you're bad ... little pinching things that go in your ears ..." Tara begins to cry, "and crawl on the inside of your skull. And you know ... that if the noise and the crawling would stop ... that you could remember how to get out." Glory contemplates this as Tara continues to cry quietly. Then Glory turns to look at Tara again. "But you never, ever will." Glory squeezes her hand again and Tara gives another cry of pain.
"Who ... is ... the key?" Tara forces herself to stop crying and look Glory in the eye, saying nothing. "Fine. Let's get crazy." Glory caresses the side of Tara's face with her other hand. Tara whimpers and tries to pull her face away.
"Tara!" Willow yells, running through the crowds. "Tara!" Willow runs towards Tara and Glory on the bench. "By force of heart and mindful power, by waning time and waxing hour ..." she started to chant, to save her lover.
Glory put her hands on Tara's head. People keep walking past like nothing strange was happening.
"I echo Diana, um, when I decree ... uh, what is it, what is it?" Willow cried, forgetting the spell. "No! No!" she looked up to see Glory caressing Tara's head.
The light begins to stream out as Glory's fingers enter Tara's head. Both Tara and Glory cry out.
Willow reaches the edge of the path but is blocked by the Chinese dragon people and has to stop. "That she I love must now be free!"
Glory's fingers are still in her head and the light streaming out as Tara makes a pained face. People continue walking past. Willow strained to see around the people.
"Tara!" The crowd clears momentarily and Willow sees Tara sitting alone on the bench with her head lolling to one side. "No!!" Willow runs over and sits on the bench, grabs Tara by the shoulders. Tara doesn't react or look at her. "Tara, Tara, are you okay?" she cried, petrified.
"It's dirty. It's all dirty. And all over me!" Tara cried. She begins brushing at her stomach as if to brush off dirt. "Dirty. Dirty. I'm bad. Bad." She whimpered.
"Tara. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Willow cried, tears running down her face. Willow pulls Tara's head down onto her shoulder and rocks her gently.
Part Twelve
Posted: June 10, 2004
Disclaimer: see previous parts (I hope...)
Author's notes: Ok, sorry, but this is more of the same old crap. Next chapter, I promise, will be a bit of old crap, and a lot of new crap, I hope. I seem to have misplaced the ending that I wrote when I first started this story, so we're flying solo now. No notes or handwritten drafts. Just went through all the fanfic pages, a whole binder full, that I have at the desk, and it's definitely lost. Oh well. I'll figure something out!
I emailed fanfiction.net the other day about whatever taking away my dividers, hopefully that's taken care of, but it's better safe than sorry.
READER RESPONSES:
START OF STORY:
Buffy entered the shop, holding Dawn. She waved to Anya as she headed down the stairs, toward the table.
"Hey, what's up? It's the Buffster, and ickle Dawnie-pooh." Xander tickled Dawn's feet.
"Hey everybody."
"I trust everything went well at the university?" Giles asked.
"Yep, I'm, uh, all dropped out," she sat down at the table, sitting dawn on the table.
"Good on you. Welcome to the real world. Lot of fun to be had on the outside," he looked at Willow, "You'll see."
"I think by having Dawn, that qualified me for the real world, Xander. But, yeah...unemployed single mom... But, it's just for now. I mean, I'm thinking that I'm probably gonna go back next semester. Once everything settles back down...with this Glory thing hanging over us..."
"And that's cool too. Whatever you choose, you've got my support. Just think of me as..." he laughed nervously, racking his brains for something, "as your..." he frowned, not coming up with anything appropriate. Buffy looked up at him, curious. "You know, I'm searching for supportive things, and I'm comin' up all bras, so..." Buffy smiled at her long time best friend, "something slightly more manly, think of me as that. Seriously. Whatever you need."
PAGE BREAK
"So it's her. Under our noses all this time. I like the detail work those monks did. Quirks, foibles, passions ... it's all so cute, so ... human. You know?" Glory asked her minions, sitting on the couch, with three minions before her. They all nod and smile. "Pretty convincing really. But not convincing enough." She slowly stands up and looks each demon in the eye. "You all know your assignments." She smiled widely, happy at the prospect of finally finding the key, "I think it's time to collect the key."
PAGE BREAK
"Um, Buffy? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure Wills, as long as you don't mind the smell of poopy diapers. Yuck." She threw the offensive diaper in the trash.
"Um...I was wondering if it was ok if...Tara came over tonight. We're gonna do research, and she might end up...staying the night."
"It's fine with me, just, make sure it's ok with Angel, it is his house too, now that he's hanging out a lot."
"Ok, thanks."
"Oh, uh, Will? Do you think you could watch Dawn, so Angel could help me on patrol?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Thanks." She picked up the child.
PAGE BREAK
"Have you noticed that..."
"What?" Tara asked, looking up from where she was playing with Dawn on the floor. Buffy and Angle had pulled an all nighter slay-a-thon, so they was sleeping, leaving the two witches to watch the baby.
"Buffy's been sorta Miss Crabby lately."
"Understandable, about the crabby, though. She has to look after Dawn now."
"Yeah, but not in a All night slayer type way. She's going to wear herself out."
"I-I had to help raise my brother after...I mean, you can't really know what it's like to-"
"Yeah, I know that." Tara makes a noise of displeasure, frowns, sits on the bed next to Willow.
"I, I didn't mean to-"
"No, I just ... I ... I know I can't know what it's like. I don't have a child of my own, nor have I had to raise one." Tara frowns at her, "But I just ..." she laughed, and it sounded fake, even to her, "It's no big."
"I made you mad."
"No. No." She denied it.
"All I meant was-"
"No, it's okay. This whole Buffy thing, let's just forget it."
"No, please. I mean, I mean, tell me if I said something wrong, otherwise I know I'll say it again. Probably often and in public."
"No, I was snippy gal. It's just ... I know I can't ... on some level..." she sighed, "it's like my opinion isn't worth anything because I haven't been through ...I didn't have to raise a child, so I don't know."
"Well ... I-I'm not the expert. I mean, I've only had to raise Ronny...and my cousin." Willow gave her a sympathetic smile. Tara looks anxious. "Do ... I act like ... the big knowledge woman?"
"No." Willow said weakly.
"Is that no spelled Y-E-S?"
"S-O-R-T of. I mean, I just feel like the-the junior partner. You've been doing everything longer than me. You've been out longer ... you've been practicing witchcraft way longer."
"Oh, but you're way beyond me there! In just a few- I mean ... it frightens me how powerful you're getting."
"That's a weird word." Willow commented.
"Getting?"
"It frightens you? I frighten you?" Willow asked, brow creased.
"That is so not what I meant." She jumped up from the floor, "I meant i- impresses - impressive."
"Well, I took Psych 101. I mean, I took it from an evil government scientist who was skewered by her Frankenstein-like creation before the final, but I know what a Freudian slip is." Tara looked at her, upset. "D- don't you trust me?"
"With my life."
"That's not what I mean." Willow said.
"Can't we just go to the fair?" Tara pleaded.
"I don't feel real multicultural right now. Wh ... what is it about me that you don't trust?"
"It's not that. I worry, sometimes. You're, you're changing so much, so fast. I don't know where you're heading."
"Where I'm heading?"
"I'm saying everything wrong." She shook her head.
"No, I think you're being pretty clear. This isn't about the witchcraft. It's about the other changes in my life."
"I trust you. I just...I don't know where I'm gonna fit in ... in your life when..."
"When ... I change back? Yeah, this is a college thing, just a, a little experimentation before I get over the thrill and head back to boys' town." She waited for an answer, and got none, "You think that?"
"Should I?" The tension and raised voices was getting to Dawn, who began to fuss. Willow immediately picked her up.
"I'm really sorry that I didn't establish my lesbo street cred before I got into this relationship. You're the only woman I've ever fallen in love with, so ... how on earth could you ever take me seriously?" She jiggled Dawn, walking towards the door.
"Willow, please!"
"Have fun at the fair." Willow left, slamming the door, leaving Tara alone in the apartment. Buffy came out of her bedroom a few minutes later.
"What's going on?" she yawned.
"Nothing, just go back to bed. Willow's got Dawn." Tara grabbed her coat, and rushed out the door.
"What happened?" Buffy asked herself, as Angel came out of her room as well, where he was sleeping on the floor.
"You know as much as me," she yawned, "I'm going back to bed."
"Me too." She yawned and followed him back into her bedroom.
PAGE BREAK
Willow stalked down the street, hardly paying attention to the fussy child in her arms. How could Tara feel that way? Didn't she know she loved her?
Dawn started crying, forcing Willow to pay attention to the nine month old.
"What's wrong, Dawnie?" she bounced the child as she walked, her feet taking her...somewhere, "Do you miss her already too?"
Willow certainly didn't know where she was going, but her feet did, when she showed up at the Magic Shop a couple minutes later. Dawn was quieter than she had been, and once inside, Willow put her in her swing. Then she began browsing aimlessly.
"I hope this isn't a return. Everyone wants petrified hamsters and they're never happy with them." Giles muttered, opening a package. Willow walked over to the counter, leaning on it. Giles noticed her glum expression. "You all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah." She said, unconvincingly.
"Ah yes, because your good mood is both obvious and contagious."
"I had a fight with Tara. It was awful."
"Oh, I'm sorry." He took the box over to the shelves behind the counter.
"Me too." Willow said glumly.
"You two don't quarrel much, do you?" Giles observed
"Never. Until today."
"Well, now it's over." Giles said, nonchalant.
"Over? How can it be over? I just found her!" Willow started to freak out.
"The quarrel is over," Giles clarified.
"Oh. Yeah."
"Uh, you'll feel better when you've made your apologies and you'll know that you can fight without the world ending." He starts towards the rear door, "I know it all seems bleak now, but as they say, this too..." Giles opened the door to discover one of Glory's demons, Slook, listening at the door. Slook falls into the room. "...shall pass." Willow and Anya both stare at the minion.
Giles grabbed the demon by the ear, dragged him into the shop and threw him into a chair. Willow and Anya rush over.
"Wow!"
"Now, what do we have here?" Giles asked.
"Oh, he's one of those things that work for Glory!" Anya said, smiling.
"Yes. How helpful." Giles replied.
"I do indeed work for the god. Let me go if you do not wish to incur her anger," Slook told them, trying to sound tough.
"Well, she's not here. What a marvelous opportunity for you and me to talk," Giles told him.
"I will not betray Glorificus. I will never talk, no matter what heinous torture-" "Actually, you're talking quite a lot, just not about the right things. Tell us why you're here." Giles ordered.
"No words shall pass my lips that will bring peril to Glorificus."
Giles doesn't take his eyes off the demon, but points with his hand. "Girls, get the twine that's on the counter, let's tie him up." Willow and Anya turn away to get the rope, only to turn back a moment later as Slook begins to sob.
"No, no! I'll tell you! Anything! Please! Whatever you want! Just, I'll, anything!" The girls walk back over.
"What happened?" Anya asked.
"He changed his mind," Giles told her.
"I'm ... I'm supposed to watch. We're watching the Slayer's people ... while Glory fetches the key." Everyone looks alarmed.
"Glory knows who the key is?" Willow asked, terrified, not realizing that she was taking care of Dawn for the day.
"Oh god." Giles removed his glasses.
"We've got to call Buffy." Anya said.
"Too late. Too late. Glorificus will find the witch, and there's nothing you can do to stop her."
"Witch? What do you mean?" Anya asked, confused. Last she knew, Dawn was the key...and she wasn't a witch. Children didn't come into their powers until they were over a year of age...
"Tara!" Willow said, horrified. Willow starts to run out.
"She's the new one among you. It wasn't hard to figure out. The glorious one will have found her by now."
"Willow, wait! I'll go with-"Giles yelled after her.
"No! Call Buffy a-and go look in Tara's room, I'm gonna check the fair." She ran out.
PAGE BREAK
Tara sat sadly on an empty bench, watching the happy people around her, at the Diversity fair. She just couldn't get into the mood, when Willow was mad at her.
She felt her had being picked up, and though she had not heard her approach; she looked down at her lover's hand. Then she looked up into the face of evil.
"Is this seat taken?" Glory asked, wrinkling her nose. Tara just gasped in fear. "Oh, this is nice. Just hangin' out, just us girls. You like that sort of thing, don't you?" She squeezes Tara's hand to break a few bones. "Don't make a sound." Tara looks around at the people enjoying a day of diversity, "Nah. They won't help you. I'd kill them. You know that. There's no one here that can stop me." Tara continues to gasp and pant at the pain being inflicted on her hand.
"I'll kill her and ... and them. I'll kill him, and her and her," she laughs, "and it'll all be your fault," she said, pointing out random people, "Kinda funny, isn't it? All these people here and ... no one who can do a thing. Not a person who can help you." Tara whimpers and turns her head to look at Glory. "But that's people for ya. They're pretty worthless. But keys, on the other hand ... keys are worth a very lot." Glory smiles and brings their clenched hands up to lick off some of the blood. Then she makes a disgusted face and spits.
"You lying little tramp! You're not the key! You're nothing! Just another worthless human being!"
"I didn't-"Tara stutters.
"I hate being lied to. It makes me feel so betrayed. Hey! You wanna make it all better?" Tara looks at her with fear. "If you tell me who the key really is ... I'll let you go." Tara looks alarmed. Glory gives her hand another squeeze and she whimpers again as more bones crack.
"Think about it. You think your hand hurts? Imagine what you'd feel with my fingers wiggling in your brain. It doesn't kill you. What it does ... is make you feel like you're in a noisy little dark room ..." Glory begins to fidget, uncomfortable, "naked and ashamed ... and there are things in the dark that need to hurt you because you're bad ... little pinching things that go in your ears ..." Tara begins to cry, "and crawl on the inside of your skull. And you know ... that if the noise and the crawling would stop ... that you could remember how to get out." Glory contemplates this as Tara continues to cry quietly. Then Glory turns to look at Tara again. "But you never, ever will." Glory squeezes her hand again and Tara gives another cry of pain.
"Who ... is ... the key?" Tara forces herself to stop crying and look Glory in the eye, saying nothing. "Fine. Let's get crazy." Glory caresses the side of Tara's face with her other hand. Tara whimpers and tries to pull her face away.
"Tara!" Willow yells, running through the crowds. "Tara!" Willow runs towards Tara and Glory on the bench. "By force of heart and mindful power, by waning time and waxing hour ..." she started to chant, to save her lover.
Glory put her hands on Tara's head. People keep walking past like nothing strange was happening.
"I echo Diana, um, when I decree ... uh, what is it, what is it?" Willow cried, forgetting the spell. "No! No!" she looked up to see Glory caressing Tara's head.
The light begins to stream out as Glory's fingers enter Tara's head. Both Tara and Glory cry out.
Willow reaches the edge of the path but is blocked by the Chinese dragon people and has to stop. "That she I love must now be free!"
Glory's fingers are still in her head and the light streaming out as Tara makes a pained face. People continue walking past. Willow strained to see around the people.
"Tara!" The crowd clears momentarily and Willow sees Tara sitting alone on the bench with her head lolling to one side. "No!!" Willow runs over and sits on the bench, grabs Tara by the shoulders. Tara doesn't react or look at her. "Tara, Tara, are you okay?" she cried, petrified.
"It's dirty. It's all dirty. And all over me!" Tara cried. She begins brushing at her stomach as if to brush off dirt. "Dirty. Dirty. I'm bad. Bad." She whimpered.
"Tara. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Willow cried, tears running down her face. Willow pulls Tara's head down onto her shoulder and rocks her gently.