zigpal- the way you wrote all that really showed how much the guys have going on this chapter, haha, but yes the Dark Willow/ Light Tara thing will be fully explored, though not in this chapter. Thanks for review and ee, my claps.
g120- Yes, she died. I was tempted to actually make the death permenant but...but...but I like Dawn. haha. And yes it has got Willow pretty ticked off, but the uber reason why we'll get to in the next chapter...so, watch this space. Haha. Thanks for the review.
Rabidreject- Haha, yes I know- who said flatlines couldn't become...erm...unflat? Haha. And yes, Buffy was the second- she died almost instantly after Dawn- and with Warren being the third, we have one more scooby to, well, kick the bucket. And I am not telling you whether that person will becoming back to life, so nuh. Hehe. Thanks so very much for the happy dance, haha, and the words of 'outstanding'. Very much appreciated- thanks for the review and hope you like this chapter.
A/N: One downside to this fic. I had to write out one of the best goddamn Buffy entrances ever. ("I'd like to test that theory"). Damn
A flick of the hand. It was a simple gesture. But with this one movement from Willow, Warren's skin was ripped from his body and his bloodied carcus left behin, hanging between the trees lifelessly, with all the dark greenery around whgat had once been him, covered in splatters of his blood.
"Oh my god," Xander said in absolute horror as he and Buffy arrived too late.
"Willow...what did you do?" Buffy could not take her eyes away from where Warren had been only moments ago. Willow seemed to choose not to acknowledge their presence before she finally turned to face them. Which was when they saw her face and her expression. This was not the Willow they had known for years and loved for longer.
"One down," She said simply, before disappearing in a storm of magical energy.
"Oh god..." Xander choked out, horrified by what his best friend had done and unable to stand the sickening smell it had left behind. He found he couldn't control the gag reflex and he threw up where he stood. Buffy gave him a moment before tugging his arm to make him stand up straight.
"Come on, we have to keep moving," She told him firmly, dragging him along.
"I think I'm gonna throw up..." He told her and she sighed.
"You just did now keep moving," They stomped through the woods, breaking away branches, not letting anything slow them down, "Now she said 'one down' didn't she?"
"So...two to go?" Xander finished, "She's gonna go after Jonathon and Tucker's brother"
"Looks like" Buffy confirmed, picking up her pace, "Which is why we have to hurry"
"But why?" Xander asked, sounding so lost. He couldn't believe Willow, his Willow, was capable of doing what he had just seen. That had been twisted, warped, evil...everything Willow wasn't, "But why go after them? They didn't do anything"
"They're a part of it...and for Willow, right now, that's enough," Buffy explained, "She's got an addictive personality Xander and now she's got a taste of blood..." Neither of them wanted to finish that sentence. "They're at county jail. Perfecting their sitting ducks routine"
"But even Willow does go after them...she couldn't kill them," Xander was adament, "I mean just then...she was out of her head. Warren almost killed you and Dawn so you can understand why she'd...but now"
"No," Buffy shook her head, "Willow just killed somebody. Killing changes you. Believe me, I know"
"Warren was a stone cold killer of women and he was just getting warmed up," Xander said coldly and firmly, meaning every word, "You ask me? Bastard had it coming"
"Maybe," Buffy half agreed, "Jonathon and Andrew don't. I've gotta get there before Willow does"
"We will," Xander assured her, but he didn't sound entirely convinced, "My car's just...here"
His car was a wreck. Doors twisted, tires slashed...Willow had done this, that much was certain.
"Looks like she wants to finish the job without us tagging along," Buffy sighed unable to deny how dangerously far Willow had gone. She turned to Xander, "Meet me at the jail"
"Sure," Xander nodded before frowning in confusion, "But how are you gonna..." Without another word, Buffy set off at a Slayer sprint that was unbelievably nearing forty miles per hour. She leapt over a felled tree without even breaking a stride and within seconds she was out of Xander's sight, leaving him feeling completely helpless.
"That's fine!" He called after her, "I'll just...catch up...you know she's only my best friend you know!"
"What'd we do?"Dawn asked as her Mom had another contraction, "Should we get her to the hospital?"
"No," Anya shook her head, "With Willow going all crazy we can't risk leaving here," For once she made perfect, non-crazy Anya-logic sense, "Plus, she's only in early labor. Estimated one thirty-second contraction from every ten minutes to every twenty. For irregular periods. We've got a good while yet before we have to even think about hospitals"
"She's right," Joyce nodded, "I'll be fine for now...but I don't know how you knew all that Anya"
"I have an endless supply of knowledge that no one ever seems interested in enough to ask me..." She replied nonchalantly.
"Well, as much as that information is much appreciated," Giles told her, "It doesn't change the fact that it is debatable whether this is actually the safest place to be...or for long she can stay here...or if Willow has gone too far or if-"
"You're having too many ors!" Anya snapped at him, "Aren't you usually 'deal-with-everything-calmly-as-it-comes guy?'"
"Yes, normally," Giles agreed, "Apologies if the fact it's my wife in labor with my child causes me to panic ever so slightly"
"It's fine," Tara told everyone in a serene voice that seemed to calm everyone almost immediately, "We will deal with everything calmly and slowly. Don't think ahead on things that haven't happened yet"
"Willow's coming!" Xander yelled as he and Buffy came into the store, dragging along a terrified Jonathon and Andrew.
"How about dealing with things that are happening right now?" Anya challenged Tara.
"What do you mean Willow's coming?" Dawn asked worriedly, "And what are these guys doing here?"
"She's after them," Buffy explained wary of the fact Tara was there, "After in the sense of their blood...I'm sorry Tara"
"Warren?" She asked in reply.
"He's..." Buffy swallowed to try and bring moisture to her unbelievably dry throat, "She killed him. Willow killed him"
"Oh god...Willow.." Tara breathed in horror, sinking into a seat. Everyone else was stood there in silent shock.
Giles blamed himself entirely for this. How could it not be his fault? Yes, he had been re-training her...but if he had guided her from the beginning instead of asking too much of her then leaving her to her own devices. When had it started? Could he even pinpoint a moment? The spell to restore Angel's soul perhaps?Had that been the first step on a downward spiral? And he had been there, supported the entire idea, the entire spell. It was all his fault.
"And now she's after these two," Buffy was explaining, "She can't get them" It was simple understatement, but the implication in her words were stronger. Everyone who was there knew that if Willow did kill even one of the boys, they would never get sweet Will back. She'd be gone forever.
"I don't see why we have to stay here," Andrew whined nervously, "It's a magic shop- it's the first place she's gonna come now she's low on juice"
"'Low on juice'?" Giles repeated, looking over at Buffy questioningly.
"Yeah, erm, Jonathon said something about her draining," She explained, sounding slightly confused by the concept, "When she was trying to run us down with a semi while we were driving here"
"What?" Giles asked in shock, "She tried to...she knew you were in the car?"
"Yeah, she knew alright." Buffy nodded, replaying the event in her mind "She's completely lost it Giles...I don't know how to bring her back"
"We will though," Tara said firmly, "We're going to get her back" It was then that her strong resolve dissolved and she sounded lost and helpless, "W-we have to..."
"And you're right," Buffy smiled reassuringly, "We will get her back" She turned to Jonathon and Andrew, "Now sit" She commanded and they immediately sat in their seats. However, they jumped back up in alarm when Joyce cried out in sudden pain.
"Mom?" Buffy asked worriedly, rushing around the table to her Mother, "What's the matter?"
"She's gone into labor," Anya explained bluntly and at Buffy's shocked face she carried on, "I know- worst timing ever right?"
"But-but-but it's too early," Buffy stuttered in shock, "Not till next month..."
"I know," Joyce nodded, the pain gone now, "But the doctor's said that-"
"...'undue stress could cause premature birth'..." Buffy quoted the exact words she remembered the doctor saying, "And things are about as stressful as they can get right now. So what do we do?"
"Well, we all agreed that with Willow as erm.." Giles looked consciously over at Tara, "with ah Willow as she is right now it wouldn't be a safe option to drive Joyce to the hospital. At least not until this is over"
"She should be okay for a little while longer here," Anya added kindly, but Buffy wasn't happy yet.
"Yeah, but what about if it takes longer? What if Willow is a lot harder to stop- to get through to than we think? Mom just has to stay here throughout?"
Giles' expression in answer to that clearly said 'yes', but the moment Joyce caught a glimpse of it she shook her head adamantly.
"Oh no, no, no! I am not giving birth in a magic shop!" She looked at him as though he were insane.
"W-we'll find a way," He assured her, "Don't worry"
"Right, right," Buffy nodded trying to gain some equilibrium, "we just...d-don't worry on that for now. Which leaves us to worry about Willow...I mean this'll be the first place she'll come"
"Then what are we doing here?" Andrew cried out in fear and when they all turned to look at him he attempted to regain some 'cool' composure, "You know...I could summon a demon to kill her"
"So much as suggest that again and well, maybe not me...but one of the people in this room will kill you" Dawn informed him angrily and Tara couldn't help smiling a little, while Buffy just looked proud of her little sister. Sister's First Death Threat. And it worked too; as Andrew fell silent, for now anyway, and sank back into his seat.
"Now if she is running out of energy like Jonathon said," Buffy reasoned, "Then she's going to need a quick and easy charge, but where would she go for that? Rack isn't alive anymore"
"I-I don't know," Giles admitted, running his hand through his hair in frustration. Before anyone could suggest anything at all for where Willow might be, Joyce cried out in pain again, sounding more in agony than before.
"Do I have to go through this alone?!" She cried out in anger, "Or is at least one of you going to pay attention to me for just a second?!"
"Oh- r-right," Rupert said as though only just remembering the more normal crisis they all had to deal with, "Don't worry, I'm right here-"
"I am not worried," She informed him, "I am pissed off. I am in major pain here and...I think I'm moving fast into active labor"
"Plus her water broke like near where I'm sat." Andrew pointed out, "So can I move?"
"NO" Everyone's immediate angry reply was in perfect sync.
"Just shut up," Jonathon told him in annoyance, "Just shut up and don't do anything more stupid"
"It was just a simple question," Andrew murmured, looking very disgruntled.
"Right, I can't think with Spock here constantly whining," Buffy said in frustration, before that little complaint sparked an idea in her mind, and brought a focused, dertermined look to her expression. "And Willow's after him and Jonathon"
"Yeah, I'm thinking the two of them are pretty much a beacon for violence," Anya pointed out and Buffy nodded in eager agreement.
"Exactly, so our first step to dealing with Willow is getting rid of them"
"Kill the nerds?" Xander asked sceptically, before smiling and nodding with genuine approval, "I like that"
"Not exactly..." Buffy told him, wincing slightly as she prepared to tell him her actual plan, "I was thinking more along the lines of you and Anya driving them somewhere. Far away from here. Like out of the state far."
"What?" Anya asked, "That's not fair. Why do we have to be stuck with Gork and Dork?"
"Yeah," Xander agreed, "In a confined area such as the car I NO LONGER HAVE"
"You no longer have a car?" Tara asked with a frown and Xander wore a look that so many of the group had worn so often in the past few hours. The look of when they had something awful to admit about Willow, but really didn't want to say to Tara.
"She trashed it," Xander finally said, "Willow- she trashed my car to try and stop Buffy and I getting to these two in time. I had to erm...'borrow' a police car"
"And even that isn't in the best shape anymore after she tried to run us over with a semi," Buffy added, before turning to Xander, "But it's the best shot we've got"
"And what are you gonna do then?" Xander asked, talking to Buffy as it were only the two of them in the room, only the two of them that had to deal with what Willow was becoming. Had become, "Talk to her? She's way past talking, Buff"
"I know, I know," Buffy sounded close to breakdown as she started to pace, "We could find some spell...something, something magicky," She told him, "But please...just do this for me? Take them...somewhere, anywhere where Willow won't find them for a while. Better yet? Just keep moving. Don't stop for anything"
"Erm..." Andrew half raised his hand in the air warily as though he were in class, "I have a very small bladder..."
"Then drink less water," Xander informed him bluntly, before adding, "If you wish to have your bladder intact and still attached by tomorrow, you'll deal, you'll hold it in"
"Does this mean we're going?" Anya asked, sounding highly disappointed and frustrated all in one. Xander looked from his wife, to the nerds, to finally Buffy who was looking at him hopefully, even a little pleadingly.
"Yeah, we're going," He sighed, before glaring over at Andrew and Jonathon, "You two. Get up. Go" He pointed in the direction of the empty door frame at the front of the store and on command, the two boys stood up from their seats and hurried to leave. However, while Andrew immediately ran over to what had once been the front door, with Anya shoving him outside roughly as though he were a pesky seven year old, Jonathon stopped to talk to Buffy.
"I just wanna say...I know we don't deserve it...but thanks. For protecting us" He told her sincerely.
"No, you don't deserve it," Buffy told him firmly and harshly, meaning every word she said, "And for the record we're not protecting you. We're helping Willow. If she kills you then we lose Willow. And I hate losing"
"Oh.." Jonathon nodded in quiet acceptance, "Well...thanks...anyway," He told her, before turning around and leaving the store, then it was only Xander left behind of the four meant to go.
"I hope this works," He said grimly and Buffy nodded in agreement.
"Me too"
"Promise me one thing?" He requested and she looked at him questioningly.
"What?"
"Save Will." He said, sounding sad and forlorn, "Please. She's been my best friend my whole life...I don't know what I'd do if she wasn't there"
"You're not going to have to find out," Buffy told him, sounding much more confident than she felt, "Trust me. We'll save her. I mean it"
"I know you do," Xander smiled weakly, giving Buffy a quick hug before heading on after the others.
Sunnydale was ridden with all things magickal and one thing it wasn't lacking was low-rate sorcerers. And low rate they were. Willow spat out the after taste in disgust as she tossed aside another she had drained of his magicks. An entire gang of them had been in an alley together, under a bridge that was keeping them sheltered from the night winds and rare rain. They had been dabbling, nothing more than children's magic tricks, but they had each enough energy to them to sustain Willow. When she'd drained all seven that had been there, she felt it was just a doable amount. She smiled as she tossed the almost-lifeless seventh member onto the floor. She felt relatively juiced. Juiced enough to be able to squash the little bugs that had been in league with Warren. Those two had the potential to start the carnage all over again and that time maybe Dawn or Buffy wouldn't be so lucky. Or maybe it would Tara that would be shot. No, Willow wasn't going to let that happen. Which was why she had to stop them. Buffy had broke them out before Willow could get to them and squash them like the slimy bugs they were, but she knew exactly where the predictable Slayer would have taken them. The Magic Box. Which was exactly where Willow was going to head now.
"Okay, this is worse than I thought," Rupert said a little while after Anya and Xander had left. Joyce was progressing steadily in her labor and the pain increasing with each contraction. On top of that they had no idea when Willow would undoubtedly burst in on them and they had yet to think of a way to stop her.
"Quit with the negative," Dawn told him.
"Yeah," Buffy agreed, "We'll find something...soon...hopefully..."
"I meant your mother," Giles told them and Joyce nodded with agreement.
"Yes, agonizing pain here girls," She told them, "You'd think I'd remember the pain...or it'd be less...but no-o-oh god, another one" Instinctively she grabbed hold of Rupert's hand as she felt another contraction, at a completely irregular and therefore unpredictable time, coming. She yelled out in pain as it happened, holding onto her husband's hand tightly for support. Once it passed, after about thirty seconds, she breathed out in relief, relaxing slightly as she loosened her grip on Rupert's hand. Once she had let go entirely, he held his hand in pain.
"Joyce...y-you hurt my hand...quite a lot actually..." He told her in complete shock and she glared at him in anger and indignation.
"I'm hurting your hand?" She asked in a dangerously challenging tone and Giles looked worriedly over at the other women in the room who all immediately avoided his gaze and looked down at the books in front of them.
"I just don't get why Willow is doing this," Dawn said in childlike confusion, completely switching the topic from her Mom and back onto Willow.
"I don't know," Buffy answered, "I don't think any of us do...only Willow does. I think she juts got very scared and now...it's turned to..."
"Anger?" A voice filled in the final word and the group spun around to see Willow stood there in all her Dark Phoenix Glory. Her skin was even paler than usual which contrasted greatly against her black hair, lips, eyes and the black veins tracing finely across her features. Even her usually bright and funky clothes were menacing and black. "Don't act so surprised," Willow smirked as she looked at all their shocked faces, "I knew you'd all be here. Running home to Daddy" She smirked at Giles as she said this, as though doubting his fatherly role completely. "Now...who did you run with? Two little gnats in desperate need of a good killing. Maybe another flaying perhaps?" She grinned as she referred to Warren's own demise which was when Tara stood up and went over to her.
"Willow you have to stop," She pleaded desperately, "It's over."
"It's not over till their gone, baby," Willow told her almost-kindly, "I'm doing this for you, for all of us...we've got to be safe"
"At the expense of being safe with you?" Tara challenged and the look in Willow's eyes seemed to flicker a moment. "Willow, you killed Warren. That's enough. The other two- they've done nothing wrong"
"'Nothing wrong'?!" Willow's rage grew at this suggestion, "How can you say that? They supported Warren through his entire tirade...they killed a woman and tried to get Buffy blamed for it. They sat back while he did it all...they let him shoot Dawn and Buffy. They did nothing- and you know what they say? The worser man is the one who stands back and does nothing at all. I could have stopped them all months ago, baby, stopped their petty games. Stopped them hurting people. But I didn't because it 'was wrong'," She put on a mocking tone, "'it wasn't the right way to deal with things'"
"And you think this is?" Buffy challenged, stepping forward, "None of this is right Willow. God, look at yourself!"
Willow waved an arm and Buffy went flying into the air, only coming to a stop when she smashed into the glass cabinet and fell to the floor.
"Excuse me," Willow said to her calmly, gesturing to her and Tara, "We were talking"
"Willow!" Tara cried in outrage and shock while Dawn rushed over to see if her sister was okay.
"No, no." Willow shook her head as though she were a third grade teacher reprimanding pupils, "She's the Slayer. She's always saying she can stand on her own two feet. So let her." With a loud snapping sound Dawn found herself flung away from Buffy as was Tara flung away from Willow, though not as violently. "No audience participation. No sound at all actually," She grinned evilly, "Or I'll do to you what I did to Anya" She then returned her attention to Buffy who was just struggling to her feet, "Aww...not getting tired already are ya?" She pouted, "I was hoping for a big showdown. Who would win- the Slayer or the once Sidekick?"
"I'm not going to fight you Willow," Buffy told her, "I just wanna help you"
"Sorry," Willow apologized, "I'm not giving you a choice" And with that she threw a blast of energy at Buffy that she luckily ducked with a tuck and a roll to the floor. "Now that's not quite what I'm talking about" Willow said just as Buffy came out of her roll to find Willow was already stood in front of her. Before she could even react, Willow grabbed her tightly around the throat, pressing unnaturally tightly on her windpipe before tossing her into the glass counter. "That's more like it" Willow grinned at the sight of a broken Buffy.
"God! Willow! Stop it! Please!" Dawn begged desperately and Willow looked at her sharply with a glare before breaking out in a sinister grin.
"Dawny, does this upset you?" She asked in mock concern, "Of course it does. Everything does. Poor little crying Dawny, "Mom!" "Buffy!" "Giles!" "Tara!"." Willow looked thoughtful, "You know...you used to be this ball of mystical energy- not human, just energy. Maybe that's why you're crying all the time 'Dawny'. You don't belong here. Wanna go back?" She smiled, "End the pain? You'll be happier, I'll be happier...we'll all a lot a happier without your constant whining," Willow reached her hands out towards Dawn, "Besides, I could use a little pick me up," With Buffy almost out for the count, Tara kept back by a spell and Giles tending to a presently and temporarily pain-free Joyce, no one was there immediately to stop her when she began to drain Dawn of her energy, the green light charging through her. Then suddenly the connection broke off abruptly and painfully as Willow was knocked down by what seemed to be one of the ancient, extremely heavy texts the gang had been researching before.
"Touch her again..." Joyce warned as Dawn rushed over to stand beside her, feeling safer with her Mom, "And I will kill you"
Willow shook her head slightly, to shake away the pain being hit had caused, but she was grinning as she got back up.
"Bravado...always fun seeing that from you Joyce. It's always so..." Willow playfully searched around for a word, "Unexpected. But s'not enough though," A sinister smile tugged at her lips, "Besides...you're not exactly at your strongest right now. You're gonna collapse again in pain in the next oh..." Willow looked down at her watch for appearances sake only, "say five seconds" Sure enough, within five seconds another contraction rushed upon her and Joyce was barely able to stand as she yelled out in pain.
"Now," Willow turned to Dawn again, "Where was I?"
"Mom's right..." Buffy said, standing up not quite steadily, "Do that again and we'll kill you Will. Don't make me do it"
"Oh please," Willow rolled her eyes, "Like you could stop me the state you're in. Now if you'll excuse me" She turned her attention back to Dawn to find Tara stood between them.
"I won't let you Willow," She said calmly and firmly, "I won't"
"Fine," Willow sighed, as though it were all too much bother for her to care, "Whatever. I have more important fish to fry" She announced, "I'm guessing since Anya and Xander aren't here, you've gotten Jonathon and Andrew to head for the hills. Coz that worked so well the last time. Well then...guess I've got some catching up to do," And in the same swirling storm of magicks Willow disappeared to find the two men she wanted to kill.