Chapter Fourteen: Heart to Heart
Previously in Echoes in the Wind...
Tara shook her head. "How is that even possible? You two would be dead, or extremely old right now. How are you here?"
"Magic. Strong magic."
"Strong magic?" Tara repeated, trying to figure out what Faith meant. "You mean dark magic? The Forbidden Arts?"
"What are you talking about? Willow didn't use dark magics to bring us back," Faith defended, confused by Tara's words.
"Are you sure? She has the symptoms, Faith. The black eyes and hair. Her veins sticking out and her violent temper. The loss of control," Tara whispered, looking into Faith's brown eyes.
"Red's not using black magic. She's not a monster, T."
"She tried to kill me, Faith," Tara argued.
"She lost control after your father pushed her to her limits. It was the first time I've seen her lose control since I've known her," Faith countered, frowning at her friend.
"What about when you weren't around her? When she killed those people after she lost her lover?"
Faith shook her head. "That was different. Red lost it. You don't know what they had. What she lost. I only saw them together once and I could tell what they felt for each other was strong. I didn't run into Red again until after your death, and she was destroyed. She was just a shell of Willow," Faith explained, not realizing what she just revealed.
"My death?" Tara repeated after a moment of silence, processing Faith's words. "I'm Willow's former lover? How? Did she bring me back? Did she plan to win me over with magic?"
Faith stared at Willow in shocked silence as she thought over her words, realizing what she had revealed to the blonde. "You weren't suppose to know who you were," Faith mumbled, looking at Tara.
Before Faith could explain further, Willow walked into the room and looked at Tara and Faith. "Anya's fine. She'll be completely healed by morning," Willow told Faith, her coal eyes turning green as she looked at her friend. "I'm sending you back then."
"I don't want to go back. You still need my help," Faith argued, looking at Tara and then back at Willow. "You can't do this without help, Red. We both know you can't break the curse without help."
"What curse?" Tara asked, confused by Faith's words.
Willow stiffened at the mention of the curse and looked at Tara. "The curse that made me what I am," Willow said simply before looking back at Faith. "I won't risk changing the past to break the curse. If either of you die here, everything as we know it will change," Willow told her, frowning at her friend.
"I can't just let you live like this, Red. B would never forgive me if I didn't help you."
Smiling sadly at the memory of her friend, Willow let her green eyes fade back into the black. "You won't remember your time here, Faith. And if you do, you'll think it was just a dream," Willow explained.
Listening quietly, Tara couldn't hold back her question any longer and looked at the dark witch. "Was I your lover?"
"What?" Willow asked, turning to look at Tara in surprise and horror. "What did you ask me?"
"Was I your former lover?" Tara repeated, staring into the startled green eyes as the black faded from them.
"How?" Willow whispered, looking at Tara before turning to Faith.
"I accidentally slipped up, Red," Faith explained, giving Willow an apologetic look.
Willow just nodded, not trusting herself to speak at the moment. "Am I her?" Tara asked again, waiting for Willow's response. While Willow and Tara looked at each other, Faith slipped out, not wanting to eavesdrop on their conversation.
"Somewhat, yes," Willow admitted, turning to look into the blue eyes. "You're a reincarnation. You look like her and act like her, but there are differences as well."
"What differences?" Tara demanded, needing to know.
"Small things," Willow said, looking away from the blue eyes. "Movements you make, the way you say certain things."
"But I'm her? Did you bring me back?" Tara wondered.
"No. I swore I'd never bring you back. I never wanted you to suffer being brought back from death. I made that mistake with Buffy and regretted it as soon as I learned she was at peace. I couldn't do that to you," Willow told her, looking anywhere but her.
"Why? You said you did it to someone named Buffy? What would be the difference?" Tara asked, confused by Willow's words.
"I loved you too much to make you suffer. I'd prefer to live a thousand years knowing you're happy and at peace then die knowing that I cursed you to stay in this hell just for me. The Tara I loved, she was my soul mate. She was my everything and as much as I wanted her back, I wasn't going to force her to be at my side."
"You said I was your Tara. Why not just force me to love you? Faith said you had strong magic. Why not use it? Make me love you? Make me want you?" Tara challenged.
"Because it wouldn't be love. It'd be slavery. I can't make you love me. I want to. Goddess knows I want to have you love me again, but I know that you and she are not the same. I had my chance, and I lost it when I held her dying body in my arms."
Tara stared at Willow in silence for a few moments, surprised by Willow's words. "I'm sorry. I didn't know," she whispered, unsure what to say to the former dark witch.
"I know," Willow responded, walking towards the door. "Have a good life, Tara. Find someone to love you the way you deserve. Someone who will take better care of you and appreciate you more than I did last time around."
Stunned silent, Tara couldn't believe Willow's words. She was prepared for the witch to try to win her over, but not to give up on her. "That's it? You're giving up?" Tara asked, surprised.
"I have no reason to fight. The Tara I know would never have loved a dark witch," Willow said, simply, disappearing into the night.
A/N: Thank you Gimpy72 for all the help with this story and chapter.