Willow smiled and reached her arms out to hold Tara once again. Stepping towards each other, the window behind Willow shattered and Willow fell into Tara's outstretched arms. Tara stumbled with the sudden weight and instantly knew that Willow was dead. She fell to the floor with Willow's body in her lap. An inhuman screech sprung from her lips. She heard shouts from outside and Xander panicking.
"Willow? Willow, honey, wake up. Wake up!" Tara's head was racing. Dead? Willow can't be dead. She's too strong, too perfect. Outside she could hear Xander calling Buffy's name. Buffy too? What's going on? Tara laid Willow on the floor gently and stood. Her jaw was set and her eyes were flashing with hate and rage. She scooped up her backpack filled with herbs and candles and was gone. All Xander heard was the front door slamming before he was dialing 911.
knock knock Giles opened his door cautiously, but threw it open when he saw Tara. "Tara! How are you doing today?" She pushed her way inside. Giles straightened his glasses and stared at her in shock. "Tara, what's wrong? What happened?"
"Where are your books?" Her voice was hollow.
"Um… Well some are in the living room, but most are at the Magic Shop. Do you need to borrow them?" But before he finished speaking, she was gone and he was talking to the wind.
The ambulance was at the Summers' house in mere minutes, but to Xander they were a lifetime. Literally. Buffy was dying in front of him. He had tried to stop the bleeding, but bullet wounds are not easily fixed. Only when Buffy was being lifted onto a stretcher did he take the time to look around the yard. An upstairs window was broken. Guess Warren's hand-eye coordination wasn't perfect. But it was enough. Buffy was dying.
The bell above the shop door jingled as Tara entered. Anya was fidgeting behind the counter. There was no one else in the shop and she was most likely worrying about not having enough money, if there was such a thing. "Are you here to buy something? Cause there isn't a meeting tonight and nothing's free and I'd really like your money."
"Where are Mr. Giles' books?"
"Why? Are you buying one?" Tara just looked at her for the first time since entering the small shop. Anya saw the look in her eyes. "They're in the back room. But be careful! That stuff's dangerous and I'll have Buffy kick you out of the gang if you sue me!"
Tara was in the back room in a second and had her hands in the books in another. Actually in the books. Arcane writing, spells, chants appeared on her hands and traveled over her body. Her eyes went dark; her hair turned black. Sweet Tara. She was evil, strong and pure. It was unthinkable.