Sunnydale, four months later.
Willow, as Nighthawk, ducked just as a vampire swung a fist over her head. She then punched up into his armpit, dislocating his shoulder. Screaming in pain, the vampire stepped back while holding onto his left arm which was hanging limply out of its socket. The masked vigilante then reached to the holsters on her hips and took out her batons while the vampire, who was soon joined by another one, pushed his arm back into the socket and the two of them tried to tackle her to the ground. Nighthawk deftly avoided their tackles before she turned and ran to get some distance between her and the two vampires following her.
With Faith having gone on a trip to Los Angeles with Graham to help Angel Investigation, something that made the former redhead frown, everyone else was on board to do a patrol around the city. Buffy, Xander and Anya would be taking care of one of the cemeteries, and Willow had already flown over and inspected the other four from overhead until she reached this particular one where the two vampires had just risen from their graves. In the meantime, Joyce was at home alone. As for Giles, he was busy helping Jenny move into his apartment while Althanea was working a late shift at the hospital whereas Tara was soundly asleep at their home.
Back in the cemetery, Nighthawk led the two vampires while flicking her wrists and then extending the batons. All of a sudden, she then turned around at a dime and rushed towards the two vampires. She then leapt into the air once she was a few inches away, and used her telekinesis to flip over the heads before landing behind them. Surprised, the vampires turned and growled just as Nighthawk swung her hand and slammed one of the batons into the side of one of the vampire's faces. She then grabbed the two batons using her telekinesis while she flipped backwards and mentally swung the steel rods into the vampires multiple times. Standing still, Willow then crossed her arms over her chest while hearing 'thud's and 'whacks' as the steel rods impacted the bodies of the two vampires who were growling.
Eventually, after a few seconds, the impacts of the rods were too much and the vampires fell onto the grass. With the two vampires lying on the ground battered and bruised, Nighthawk pulled the batons back to her hand, and then walked over to the two bleeding vamps. She then retracted the steel rods into the handle before holstering the weapons.
"Remember what I taught you, Willow," Ariel said as she stood to the left of the two vampires while Nighthawk stepped over one of them, and titled her head. She then lifted her hand which was formed into a fist aimed at the vampire's chest. "Concentrate."
Willow started to breathe deeply as she focused her telekinesis around her fist.
"Come now, my student," Ariel said sternly, "this is something that even Niko has been capable of doing for a limited time without her badge. Since you are unable to wield a projectile weapon and the fact that a projectile weapon will not work on these vampires, you will have to make do with the blasts while staying within your own mental limits. Especially since it's not like Alpha Radiation is available at your local gas station."
Willow smirked under the balaclava as she concentrated while an orange hued energy started to gather just above her fist. It was the same type of telekinetic blast she used to destroy Oz's house after he died, except the size of the glow was smaller. Willow started to breathe hard as she fired the blast and dusted the vampire. She then turned to the other one and dusted him before falling onto one knee. And panting.
"You're still getting used to the telekinetic bursts," said Niko, who had taken Ariel's place, "it was the same for me too. Which is why I used the energy shotgun. Without using the badge, the Telekinetic bursts take a lot out of you… and it took a lot out of me."
"I thought it was just me feeling exhausted," whispered Willow as she started to slowly get back to her feet. She stood up straight and then attempted to take a step forward. But her head started to spin, just as it did during her training, and she stumbled forward before getting down onto the soft grass.
"Oh," Willow said as she lay on her stomach while looking up at a thick trunked tree a meter away. She then slowly crawled towards it.
Upon reaching the tree, she pushed herself up while turning around and then leaned her back against the hard trunk. The young woman then mumbled a spell that created a glamour of herself in a pair of blue jeans, blue shirts and a black leather jacket. It was so that a groundskeeper wouldn't come by and find her in her Nighthawk uniform. "I'm just going to close my eyes for a few minutes. I'll try not to sleep too long."
"Hey, at least you didn't get a nose bleed like the last time," Niko said as Willow smirked before closing her eyes.
While Willow was taking a short nap, Buffy had just begun her encounter with the famous vampire known as Dracula. The Slayer launched into an attack of her own while Riley lay on the ground groaning in pain after he attacked Dracula, who then swatted him aside.
Rosenberg Residence, Sunnydale.
It would be an hour later after Dracula left Buffy alone once Xander and Anya arrived as the back-up, with the vengeance demon recognising the vampire with a blush on her cheek, that Willow opened her eyes. She groaned at the throbbing in her head as she slowly pushed herself off the grass, and got to her feet. She then looked around for any people around her before undoing the glamour. Back in her Nighthawk uniform, the former redhead used her magic to take off into the air since her headache was preventing her from using her telekinesis. Willow flew back home where she opened the window to her room, and then closed it behind her after slipping inside.
Willow then turned and took off her balaclava and goggles while she stared at Tara sleeping in their bed.
The both of them had moved in with each other last month once the Summer break ended, and Fall classes were about to begin. A month into the new college semester, Willow stared at the sleeping witch and gave a small smile at how patient she was with everything. And this included Willow's desire not to be in the nude with her because of the scars, which she had already tried covering up with a glamour spell, but somehow it didn't work; to Willow waking up some nights screaming and covered in sweat from nightmares about her time in hell.
The former redhead took off the belt containing her pepper spray and the batons and placed them in the closet. She then took off her holsters containing her combat knives before placing them in the closet as well. She then took off her boots, gloves, socks, and then with her bare feet on the carpet, walked over to Tara's side of the bed. Willow leaned down and kissed the blonde witch's forehead before pulling away as Tara moaned before stretching her arms over her head and opening her eyes to find Willow looking back at her.
"Hey, baby," Tara whispered as she slowly sat up, a groggy look on her face as she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. She then sat cross-legged while Willow sat in front of her on the bed. "Had a good night?"
"Yeah," Willow said, "sorry I got… I mean.. you know that thing I've been trying to do?"
"Your telekinetic blasts?" asked Tara while Willow nodded.
"Well, I tried it today and.. well… I was knocked out," said a sheepish Willow as Tara knitted her eyebrows and looked on in concern. Noticing the look of concern as they sat in the dark, Willow waved her hands while continuing to speak, "I'm alright, I… I just have a headache and… and I'm just going to take a shower before…"
Willow then saw the look of longing in Tara's eyes, a look that vanished and was replaced by a great sadness as the witch looked away momentarily. Willow looked away too, a little bit of guilt swelling inside her, before turning around and whispering to Tara that she would be back soon.
Tara looked on as Willow slowly got off the bed with her shoulders hunched forward. Willow then shuffled towards the door as Tara looked on... she could feel sadness coming off Willow.
And Tara knew why. She then pulled the blanket covering her away and starting to get off the bed.
In the meantime, the former redhead walked slowly through the hallway while she imagined kissing Tara; the feel of the blonde witch's lips was on her mind. That's as far as Willow was willing to go, and the knew that it was causing a strain to their still young relationship.
Willow knew Tara wanted more, and that she herself needed more, but Willow continued to stop herself from going further. Almost at the door to the shower, Willow stopped when she heard footsteps behind her, and turned around to see Tara in her knee length shirt walking twoards her. The blonde then stopped barely a step away with her hands lying right next to her sides.
Willow then took a step closer to Tara as the latter placed a hand on her cheek and looked right into her green eyes; green eyes which shone even in the darkness. The both of them just looked at each other while Willow raised her hands and placed them on either side of Tara's neck and gave her a sad smile before sighing and looking away.
It was then that Tara's hand went to the small of Willow's back and gently pulled her in for a kiss to the top of her head. Willow closed her eyes and breathed in slowly as she felt Tara's lips. As Willow pulled her head up, Tara kissed her forehead, and then her cheeks, and then finally passionately kissed her full on the lips.
At that moment, as they furiously kissed, both Willow's guilt and Tara's sadness melted away. Tara gently pulled Willow back to their room and magically slammed the door while reaching out with a hand to physically flip a switch.
The lights came on, and then Willow and Tara's lips parted. The both of them looked at each other while panting before Willow looked up at the light, and then at Tara staring back at her.
"I just wanted to see you in the light," Tara whispered as she ran her hand through the former redhead's hair.
Tara was panting as her hands then moved to Willow's back, while the latter's hands were rubbing Tara's back over her shirt. Willow leaned in for another kiss as she melted in Tara's arms with the events of that night being squeezed to the back of her mind while their tongues danced. One of Willow's hand went down to the small of Tara's back, and then went underneath Tara's shirt and her finger's brushed against bare skin.
At the feeling of Willow's fingers running up her back while her other hand was entangled in her blonde locks, Tara released a moan as the both of them continued their kiss.
The two of them had made an agreement after their first kiss, that while it would be difficult for the both of them, Tara would wait to take their relationship further until Willow felt comfortable. And Willow agreed that she won't let the relationship be a one-way physical relationship; the both of them had to be involved in the more intense physical aspects of the relationship.
Little did they realise, it was that very promise that was causing a strain in their relationship. A strain they usually hid well, but there would be cracks in their facades sometimes. Tara would mentally tell herself to push the issue with Willow, that she loved her no matter what; but she would always back off at the last moment. As for Willow, she would keep on telling herself whenever they kissed that it was time to ignore her scars and just push their relationship to the next level. But she couldn't.
At least not yet. And as the days went by, Willow feared that she could never push forward. She feared that Tara would eventually leave her.
Willow crashed back down to Earth and broke the kiss when Tara released a moan from her lips. It was then that Willow stared at Tara, at the longing in her eyes, and guilt crashed down on her again. Willow could feel Tara's warm skin as they stared at each other, with Tara breathing in and out slowly through her mouth while her hands were at Willow's waist.
"I.. I… sorry, Tara," Willow whispered as she quickly moved her hands away from underneath Tara's shirt, "I.. I should go and take a shower and then…"
"Ye.. yeah," mumbled Tara who looked away and released her hold on Willow's waist before stepping back. She sat back down on the bed, while Willow stared at her, and then closed her eyes and turned around. She opened the door, and then rushed to the shower while her heart ached. Tara, once Willow was out of the room, got up again and walked towards the lights, flipped the switch and then walked back to the bed in the dark. She could sense Willow's guilt and deep frustrations at not being able to take their relationship to the next step, but without purposely pushing her… Tara didn't know what else to do.
She lay down on the bed while Willow was in in the shower looking at herself in the mirror once she took off her uniform. Willow stared at all the scars on her body and looked away before she looked down while placing hands over her eyes and started to sob softly while she leaned against the wall.
Willow shook her head as she released a silent scream while imagining her time at the hands of Borzan. She remembered his cackling laugh as he stabbed, or cut her, with knives of various sizes that were dipped in hell fire. No matter how much she talked about it with Tara and Althanea, she couldn't forget what was done to her.
It would be ten minutes later that Willow calmed herself down, and then took a quick shower while recalling the kiss she shared with Tara. After she was done, Willow put on a fresh set of clothes and then walked back to her room which was already covered in darkness once again. Upon entering the room, she saw Tara lying on the bed with her back to the entrance. Willow, in her full covered pyjama's, walked around the bed and then lay down next to Tara. She then shifted her body so that she was lying on her side, face to face with her love, and then placed a hand on the blonde's hip. Willow saw Tara open her eyes and look back at her before she shimmied further towards Tara.
The both of them held each other tight as they stared at each other for a few seconds.
"I love you," Tara whispered.
"I love you too," Willow whispered. The both of them soon fell asleep with deep regrets, fears, and challenges still between them.
It would be a few hours later, at the break of dawn, that a woman in a cream and silver coloured dress appeared. She took a step forward towards Willow's side of the bed, and reached down with a hand and placed in on the back of her head.
"It is time, Willow," the woman whispered as she stared at the back of Willow's head, "the beast is nearly at the location of the Matrix. It is time for me to do my part, time for you to be my champion. Time for you to save the world." The woman then looked at Tara, and a smile appeared on her face, "patience, Tara Maclay. You exude patience and calmness. Willow, Buffy, and the others will need that quality over the coming months."
She stared at the sleeping Tara for a few seconds before she looked back down at Willow, and then back at Tara once again, "Farewell, the both of you. the next time I see you both will be as the Slayer's sister." The woman then looked down at willow as she pulled her hand back, "you will heal, Willow. It will take time. And when that time comes, it will be magical for the both of you and it would be the first step in pushing away the fear that's been permeating throughout you since your return. For now, it is goodbye. So, as the people of this world are so fond of saying, see ya later alligator."
The woman then vanished in a flash of white light.
Sunnydale, the next night, 2100 hours.
Joyce and her date were arm in arm walking towards the parking lot while several people rushed past them on the sidewalk. There were many cars driving on the road as Robert led Joyce to his car. The entered the parking lot and walked towards his car while Joyce was telling him that she enjoyed the dinner. Once they reached the car, Robert pulled Joyce around as she chuckled until she was facing him. She placed a hand on his shoulder while he gently pushed her against his car. He then leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Pulling back slightly, the older woman smiled at the man who was now holding onto her hips.
"Listen, before we go on, there's something you need to know," Joyce said as he leaned in to kiss her once again. They both of them passionately kissed before Joyce gently pushed him back gently and broke the kiss. She chuckled looking at the surprise on Robert's face before looking down, taking a deep breath, and then looking up again into his eyes. "I have two daughters. The oldest is nineteen, and…"
"Oh," he said.
"I know I should have said something earlier but we were…."
"That's fine by me," said Robert, stopping Joyce from saying anything else. He then leaned forward and kissed her again before pulling back, "I'd like to meet them."
"I'm sure they'd want to meet you too, and…." Joyce then remembered the whole incident with Ted, and remembered Buffy being suspicious of the man from the beginning while Dawn was eating fried pizza's he made. Joyce then placed a hand on his chest and gently said that she would like to get Buffy and Dawn prepared before taking him home to meet them, "and you need to be approved by their friends too."
"I'm a real fun guy," he quipped, making Joyce giggle as he leaned forward again. Joyce thought he was going in for a kiss when, instead, he reached back and grabbed the door handle. He continued to stare into Joyce's eyes while using his free hand to pull her away from the car door. Once she took a few steps forward, Joyce stepped aside while he opened the door. All the while he was looking at her eyes, and then at her lips, and down to the pastel coloured dress she was wearing. He then led the woman into his car, closed the door, and then rushed around the front and opened the driver side door.
"I've had some unique dates that… well… there was one that hurt my oldest. And he was about to hurt Dawn," said Joyce gently after he got into the car, and closed the door. He then started the car while saying that Buffy and Dawn needed some time to get used to the fact that she was dating again. Robert nodded his head as he leaned back and gently held onto Joyce's hand.
"Take your time," he replied softly, "in the meantime, how about a night cap at my place?"
"It's getting late," Joyce said as she looked at the middle-aged man. It had been a little over two years that she dated the android known as Ted. And Buffy was the one who told her about the robot a few days after Joyce found out she was the Slayer following Willow's death. She was surprised to find out what Ted was, and what he planned to do. The experience made gave her a fear of dating random men without having her Slayer daughter close by in case they turned out to be a robot or a monster. However, with Robert, she felt as if they had connected instantly ever since he showed up at her gallery. "how about a rain check?"
"I'll be okay with that," Robert said with a smirk before he leaned in to Joyce, kissed her on the lips, and then drove the car to drop her off before heading back to his apartment. As he exited his car outside his apartment complex, the man thought about the feeling of Joyce's lips on his own. He thought about the feeling of warmth she exuded as she talked about the painting he was looking to purchase at her gallery before, just so that he could be close to her, inquiring about a sculpture. It was during the time she was showing him around the gallery that he asked her to dinner last night, and he was glad she accepted.
Robert didn't mind that Joyce had two daughters, there was a part of him that wanted to meet the young women. As he was walking through the parking lot after locking his car, he saw a red dressed woman surrounded by people in red robes who had hoods covering their faces. He held the door open for the woman, a statuesque blonde with sultry ruby red lips and an intoxicating perfume, as she walked through with her helpers following her.
"You're welcome," he mumbled under his breath as the woman and her helpers walked through the door without even a word of thanks. Robert sighed, hoping that Joyce's daughter was better than the woman, and walked into the lobby of the apartment complex. He headed for the small crowd that was waiting for one of the elevators. When the door in front of him opened, instead of the one the woman was standing in front of while carrying various shopping bags, Robert walked in and was soon followed by the woman. Face to face in the elevator car, the woman smiled at him while three of her helpers walked in.
"The rest of you take the other one," said the woman as she looked back over her shoulder and then back at Robert. The other helpers stood outside in the lobby as the doors closed and the woman looked at Robert once again. "I've travelled far, and the last time I ate was… well, a few hours ago. And I'm still hungry."
"Well," said Robert while the woman put the bags down, and then placed a hand on his chest. He glanced over her shoulder, and saw one of the helpers press the button for the penthouse, before looking back into the eyes of the woman in red. Robert didn't know why, but he felt a chill run up and down his spine. Her hand was like a vice planting him against the elevator wall when she started to laugh and pull back a hand. Robert shook his head 'no' just before the woman put her fingers into his head. He could feel darkness taking over his mind… he couldn't think… all he heard was screams in his head as he watched the woman panting. A satisfied grin formed on her face, and he felt himself crumble onto the floor. He couldn't think about anything coherent anymore as he watched the woman walk away after the door to the elevator opened at the penthouse.
"Now," said the woman as she looked at the confused man in the elevator mumbling nonsense, "throw that mess away."
"Yes, oh great Glorificus," said one of the helpers as he rushed back into the elevator with another one. Once the doors closed, the woman turned and smiled.
"Where are you, my Key."
TBC.