The Rosenberg Residence.
Tara was still wondering who it was she saw in the bright light as the unconscious Willow's top half lay on her arms and knees. The blonde witch stared down at the red hair and marvelled at how bright it was while her eyes scanned down from Willow's hair, to her face, and then down to the tight fitting uniform she was wearing. It was a white coloured suit with a blue collar, the blue extending down her sleeves. Tara moved her head and eyes further down to the grey belt around her waist, the Ranger badge secured firmly on her belt buckle. Tara's eyes then went down to the dark blue knee-high boots and knee pads. Tara's eyes shifted back up the curves of Willow's body and back to her face; with Tara leaning down as she brushed her fingers along Willow's smooth skin.
"Tara," whispered a familiar male voice. A voice that brought Tara out of her own thoughts as she looked up as Xander crouched in front of her. It was then that she looked over his shoulder and saw that the sleeping Dawn was in Giles' arms before he turned and took her up the stairs with Joyce close behind the both of them. Tara then turned her head to Xander who reached out with his arms and said that he'll carry Willow to her bedroom so that she could rest comfortably.
"Oh," Tara whispered shaking her head, forcing her body to move, "yeah, sure."
Tara stood up after Xander took Willow in his arms, and then stood up. AS she got up to her feet, Tara glanced at Buffy looking at Willow; Tara could tell she was happy to see that Willow was alright. At the same time, Tara also sensed curiosity from the blonde Slayer; and it made her wonder if Buffy had seen the older Dawn that appeared for just a second.
Tara turned her head to look at Anya, and then at Faith, both of whom were standing together watching as Willow was carried past them as she lay sleeping in Xander's arms. Tara got up to her feet and walked towards Buffy and Faith, both of whom turned to her.
"Yeah, remind me to never piss off your girl," Faith jokingly said. She was trying to lift the tension hat still remained in the living room after what had just happened- Willow had nearly brought an end to the world. Singlehandedly.
Wanting to lessen the tension, Tara chuckled, as did Buffy and Faith while Anya stood looking around at the disaster area that was the living room. But the attempt at humour didn't do much to lift the tension and worry. The three of them, along with Anya who walked over, looked around at the mess in the living room before Tara took a step forward and began picking up some of the books and pictures that scattered on the floor.
Very soon, Faith, Buffy, and Anya began helping.
"I…." Tara said as she stood up after picking up two books and three framed pictures, the glass in the frames cracked after crashing down onto the floor. She carefully placed them on the books before walking to a shelf while remembering the image she had seen of the older Dawn. She wanted to know if anyone else had seen the same thing, "I… thought I saw something in the light. I mean… not something, but someone."
"Who?" Buffy asked while furrowing her eyebrows.
"It was like an older version of Dawn," Tara clarified.
"All I saw was the light," Faith said as she crouched down and picked up some other books while Buffy pulled a fallen shelf upright before crouching down to pick up the fallen books, "B?"
"I didn't see anything strange," Buffy said while crouched and looking back at Tara, "but I'm wondering about something Willow…"
"Dark Willow," Faith pointed out as she stood up carrying some books, "she did look like a dark version of Willow."
"Yeah, sorry," Buffy shook her head as she recalled the anger and hate from the seemingly possessed Willow earlier, "Dark Willow said something about Dawn," Buffy stood up after picking up more fallen books, "she said that she would wait for Hell to come here before finding out what Dawn really is." She looked down at the book and then walked towards the nearest shelf which was still standing, "she specifically said 'what', not 'who'."
"I heard that too," Faith confirmed.
"Me too," Anya said as she recalled that threat Willow made to Dawn, "but after that I remember this white light coming out from Dawn."
"Maybe it was a mistake?" Faith asked picking up some music CD's.
Buffy shrugged her shoulders as questions started to form in her mind about how Dawn was able to do what she did, about what Dark Willow meant about wanting to find out what Dawn was, and she wanted to know about this older Dawn that Tara mentioned. Buffy loved her sister despite her annoying mannerisms, and so she needed to know if Dawn was in danger… she needed to know if Dawn was going to be safe.
For now though, all Buffy and the others could do was come up with even more questions while beginning to clean the disaster area which was the living room.
The Rosenberg Residence, 0500 hours.
Willow still had the nightmares of being tortured by Borzan. She felt the heat from the hellfire dipped weapons as she was cut and stabbed, she still remembered the heat and pain from the hellfire dipped brand that was thrust into her chest signifying her position as one of Acathla's Jailors. When Borzan crackled in laughter while she was shackled to a blood covered wooden table as he pressed the brand into her chest, Willow snapped her eyes open. Willow found herself breathing hard as she, with groggy eyes, found herself staring into darkness.
She panted hard as she looked to her left and saw a curtain covered window, and then she closed her eyes and mentally told herself that she was home. That she wasn't in hell. Opening her eyes again, Willow turned her head towards her right and saw a blanket covered Tara sleeping on her side facing Willow.
'My Tara,' Willow thought as her mind went back to pushing her and Althanea up against a wall when she was Dark Willow. And then Willow remembered nearly ending the world before a bright light erupted from Dawn, 'and now….' Willow looked down at herself and pulled the edge of the blanket upwards to see that she was wearing a shirt and shorts underneath. She put her hand underneath her blanket, and then slipped it beneath the bottom of her shirt. She and brushed her fingers on her own skin around her abdomen, searching for the familiar sensation of burned and healed skin. 'There are no scars,' Willow thought to herself as she remembered the pain that went through her whole body as the bright white light seemed to enter every part of her being. Then Willow lifted her shirt further up to her chest and brushed her fingers on the area just above her breasts and closed her eyes in relief when she didn't feel the familiar scars, 'it's gone. The.. the brand. It's really gone.' Willow pulled her shirt back down and opened her eyes.
For the first time since returning from Hell, she felt a relief that permeated her entire body. She concentrated on the soft mattress beneath her and focused on getting back to sleep. However, she still couldn't. Willow felt exhausted but opened her eyes, rubbed them with the back of her hand, and then slowly sat up propped on her elbows. She looked over the sleeping Tara and then at the bedside clock, and saw that it was just after five in the morning. Not wanting to disturb Tara, Willow mentally grabbed her own body and lifted herself off the bed. And then she shifted to the side and floated off the edge while repositioning her body until her feet were facing the floor. She then gently landed, the bottom of her feet touching the soft carpet.
It was warm against her feet while the cool air circulating in the room from the Air-conditioner was a welcome sensation against the exposed parts of her arms and legs. Willow then noticed her table, and a smile appeared in her face as she walked towards the uniform draped over the back of the chair.
'My Ranger uniform, no… Niko's uniform, and… well.. it's mine now,' Willow thought as she placed her hand on the rough textured, but skin tight, uniform. She then looked up and tip-toed towards the door to their room and then slowly opened it. The hallway was dark as she walked out of the room and into the hallway. She gently walked to her parents room, the one she hadn't entered or disturbed since their deaths; and gently opened the door.
"Willow, you'll be staying by yourself for a few days," Willow saw a vision of her mother standing in front of the dresser while putting on some makeup, "your father and I are heading to St. Louise for the conference."
Willow smiled at the reflection of herself on the dresser mirror on the opposite side of the doorway where Willow was standing. "Willow, be good. We'll be back in three days." The redhead leaned her head on the door frame as she smiled at the vision of her father walking up to Sheila. And just as they appeared, the vision of her mother and father melted away into the darkness of the room that belonged to her parents. Willow took in the lingering scent in the air that belonged to her parents and then slowly closed the door. Turning around, Willow walked over to the top of the stairs and grabbed the banister. She walked down a step, and then another, and another, until she was at the foot of the stairs. Willow walked into the living room and saw that everything that was strewn on the floor earlier that day was back up on the shelves. She then walked to the dining room and saw where Dark Willow flung Joyce earlier that day.
'I should make up for that,' Willow thought to herself as she walked into the kitchen. It was there that she chuckled as her stomach growled. Willow walked in and placed her left hand on the surface of the island before heading for the fridge. She opened the door, the bright orange light from the inside shining on her face as she bent over to search for something to eat.
'Hungry,' she thought to herself as she shifted the food in the fridge before looking at the inside of the door. Willow smiled and reached down for the apple juice carton, opened it, and then stood up. She tilted the opened end of the carton over her mouth and drank down the cool liquid. She felt the juice go down her throat before tilting her head back down when the lights suddenly came on. Willow spun around with the juice carton in her right hand while the door to the fridge was closing shut. She smiled when Tara stood yawning at the entrance to the kitchen before the latter walked in.
"Thirsty?" Tara asked walking around the island and giving Willow a kiss on her cheek while grabbing the carton and then gently pulling it away. Willow nodded her head as she watched Tara walk past her, the witches fingers brushing her arm, and then to the counter where Tara grabbed two glass and poured them each a cup. Handing one to Willow, Tara asked if she was feeling better.
"Yeah," Willow said before taking a sip. Tara leaned back against the island while Willow leaned back against the fridge, "thanks for the clean-up." Willow then nodded towards the dining room and living room.
"It was nothing," Tara replied as she glanced up at Willow.
"I… I'm sorry, Tara," Willow whispered as she walked closer to her girlfriend while holding the cup of juice in her hand. Tara turned her head and then locked her eyes with the redhead who now stood in front of her, "I… I didn't know about the seal holding in all the darkness that… I mean…"
"It's okay," Tara assured Willow while reaching behind her and placing the glass on the island surface.
"It's not okay," Willow said taking a step forward, their bodies now touching as Tara wrapped her arms around Willow's waist and pulled her in tighter. Willow placed her cup on the island next to Tara's cup and then, their lips nearly brushing against each other, she placed a hand on the side of Tara's face. Willow felt Tara lean into her hand while saying, "I hurt you. I hurt Althanea and Buffy, and Faith, and Joyce, and…"
"Mrs Summers knows that it wasn't you," Tara asked as she looked into Willow's green eyes.
"That was the…."
"The dark part yourself that was formed in Hell."
"I still remember, Tara," Willow whispered, "I remember killing and torturing. I.. I may not have the scars on my body but… but I still experienced it."
"And I'm here to listen… we're here to listen, Willow," Tara whispered, "you can talk to us."
"I know," Willow said looking into Tara's eyes as their noses touched. Willow then closed her eyes as she remembered seeing the green energy from Dawn. She opened her eyes and gently told Tara about what she saw, and then there was the bright light that exploded from Dawn's body. Willow explained how it felt to have the light go through her very being before finding herself cradled in Tara's arms as she lay on the carpet in the living room. Once Willow was finished, she stared at the surprise on Tara's face, "baby?" Willow asked.
"You saw something green from Dawn?"
"Some green energy.. it was like shimmering off her," Willow said, "I… I mean the dark part of me wanted to know what it was and…." Willow shook her head when she remembered threatening Dawn, "anyway, I wanted to know what that green shimmering energy was. Didn't you see it?"
"No," Tara said while still holding on to Willow's waist, "I saw something different. Inside the light, I mean, just before the white light exploded from Dawn's body, I thought I saw an older version of Dawn in a silver and cream dress."
"Really?" Willow furrowed her eyebrows, her face etched with curiosity, "I never saw an older Dawn, and I was standing the closest to her. Did Buffy and the others see this… well… older Dawn?"
"No," Tara shook her head. "I… guess it was only me."
"That's weird," Willow said a she brought her hands up to Tara's upper back, "now we have to ask Giles about this older Dawn and… well…. Did Giles tell you and the others about this Glory chick that a hobbit mentioned?"
"Giles mentioned something about it before he left," Tara whispered chuckling, "but you calling those things Hobbits, really? I mean hobbits are cute. From t eh description you gave Giles, Xander suggested creepy trolls."
"Fine," Willow rolled her eyes, "creepy trolls then." Tara then laughed before leaning forward and planting a gentle kiss on Willow's lips. Tara then pulled back slight as her hand ran through the hair on the back of Willow's head with the latter saying, "we can talk about all that later." Willow then leaned forward and kissed Tara square on the lips.
TBC.