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Title: The Light In Her Eyes (a sequel to "Purgatory") Chapter: One/Two Pairing: Willow/Buffy, Willow/Tara Rating: PG-16 Spoilers: Yep, anything is up for grabs. Timeline: Before Adam Beta Reader: Scotty ' The fox ' Welles Disclaimer: Not mine yet. <><><><><><><> A Month Later <><><><><><><> Hands slid over her naked body, tracing each scar, reminding her of what the month had held for her. A long, thick scar from above her heart to her womb. Smaller, thin scars covered her chest, arms, and legs where an overzealous Walsh had taken the great joy of interrogating her for information. What the older woman wanted to know was beyond her. She had never said, and she had never asked. A long, thin scar covered her C-section, where one of the doctors had removed her uterus. Population control, making sure that the monster could never have a child. Her once-smooth back was now a layer of welts from her first attempt at escape. She'd been dragged into a closed-off room, that smelled of dried blood and death. The solider had smirked darkly, sending fear shooting through her already-unresponsive battered body. "It seems someone needs to be taught a lesson," he'd snarled. Her right hand still carried the scars from her busting the mirror, and the tattoo with the number glaring back at her from her left wrist was a constant reminder she hide with a long, thick leather gauntlet. But nothing was as bad as her eyes. The once-sparkling orbs that had held so much joy were now cold. Emotionless, from the nightmares of Riley's dead body. Of the memories of pain and torture that had left her emotionally crippled. Unable to bring herself to trust anybody. Lifelong friends that had once been her world were now hard to be around. They were the people that had helped save her, but every time she looked at them, she remembered. They had gone from one extreme to another. When she'd first gotten out of the hospital, they'd been overcautious, treating her with kid gloves. Then when she'd exploded over it, they had gone the other way. Completely ignoring the whole situation. Turning from the image of her body, she pulled on her clothes, another change she had made. In the last month, she'd started wearing loose pants and long-sleeved shirts or sweaters, to hide the scars. She couldn't stand the idea of allowing anyone to see any part of her body. "Hey, you ready to go?" She sighed as Buffy entered the room. The Slayer was practically stalking her. Walking her every place, hovering nearby most of the time. It was ridiculous. She'd tried to reason with her, but Buffy had been stubborn on the subject. At one point she'd screamed out that she'd murdered Buffy's lover, in hopes of driving her away, but the Slayer had simply said, "Good." Tara had been easier. It had taken a week of consistently telling her that she wanted to break up but the witch had hugged her tightly. "I'll be here when you change your mind." But she wasn't going to change her mind. She was gay, she'd suspected as much through out high school. Her jealousy over the Xander-Cordiella thing was more over his getting Cordy than of Cordy getting Xander. The love she felt for him was real, but now she recognized it for what it was, as a brother. "Willow?" She turned her head to the side, getting a glance of Buffy. The worry lines and black circles under her eyes were still there. She'd first noticed them the morning she'd woken up in the hospital, to find her best friend perched in the chair next to the bed. Her body alert, but dozing. "You don't have to walk with me." Buffy's eyes hardened noticeably. "I needed to drop my books off anyway." She snorted softly. Her friend was standing there with nothing in her arms, and her book bag was across the room on her desk. Who was she trying to fool? But then again, they were both trying to fool the other lately. "Right." She grabbed the worn black leather jacket from her closet and pulled it on. Inhaling the scent of old tobacco pipes, and leather. Her grandfather had left it for her after he'd died, but until recently she'd never worn it. "It's to warm out for that..." Buffy trailed off as Willow glared at her friend. She loved the blonde, but she needed the comfort of the oversized leather jacket. It made her feel safe, giving her a sense that her grandfather was there, ready to wrap her in his bulky arms. Cradling her until the nightmares had left. She could hear his deep, resounding voice, as he spoke of his time in England. The thick smell of his pipe engulfing her, inside his study. "Wills, I'm worried about you." She cocked her head to the side, studying her friend hard. The Slayer met her eyes steadily, searching for something. Ignoring the scared child in her, crying out to sink into her friend's arms and let her protect her, she simply left the room. Buffy grabbed her arm, turning her to her. "Willow. You've got to deal with this." Staring into those pleading blue eyes, she spoke softly. "We're going to be late." <><><><><><><> "...we'll need to perform the spell." Willow narrowed her eyes as Giles raised his eyebrows in question to Tara. Another problem she had with them. Now, they turned to Tara for a lot of the spells they needed. They said it was only until she was stronger, but she was as strong as she was going to get, and they still turned to her ex. "I'm not powerful enough to do it." Tara smiled over at her. "Willow can do it, though." She nodded in confirmation at Giles' penetrating stare. After a long moment of tension, he smiled at her. "Very well, if you feel up to it?" "I'm ready," she answered quietly. "I don't like it." She rolled her eyes as Buffy spoke from her position beside her. She was going to have to have a talk with the Slayer, and one way or another she was going to come out the winner in this. "I'm doing it." Buffy shook her head, stubborn to the end. "Willow, you've just been through a traumatic..." "A month ago." "...experience. One that you haven't dealt with yet, and if you think I'm just going to stand by and let you..." "LET me...?" She realized exactly how dangerous her low, cold-steel tone must have sounded. The others were watching wide eyed, their heads going back and forth between them. "I just mean that you're my best friend, and I don't want anything to happen to you." "So instead, you're just going to keep me locked away from the world?" Their eyes stayed locked on each other, both unwilling to back down. This had been coming for a while, and now it was too late for them to turn back. "If that's what it takes, then yes." "And if you keep treating me like a helpless child, then I will do what I have to, to stop you." "What are you going to do? Turn me into a frog?" She saw the trick for what it was, and she wasn't about to back off. "I mean it, Buffy. If I have to move back in with my parents, then so be it." Buffy's mouth moved a few times. For her to say THAT, it would have to be drastic. Her parents were on the verge of disowning her over the gay thing. "You wouldn't." Willow simply sat back and took a long drink from her espresso. Ignoring the Slayer that limply collapsed back into her chair, the seriousness of it hitting her. "Fine. I'll back off." Buffy swallowed under her glare. "I promise." Satisfied for the time being, she turned back to Giles. "Now, what's the spell?" <><><><><><><> She walked along the path, enjoying the feeling of being truly alone. She'd made sure that Buffy had been distracted when she'd left the Magic Box. The night air caressed her sore body, drifting her mind into a familiar daydream, where everything was back to the way it used to be. No Initiative, no demons, no Slayer. The only problems she had were dealing with Cordy and her clones. A flicker of red light split through the shadows from the dorms. She sighed and paused on the path, her eyes focusing on the full moon. "Checking on me too? Or you just out looking for a midnight snack? Oops, I forgot, you can't." A snort of laughter with a British accent reached her ears. "Actually, Red, I was looking for you." "Oh?" "I figured we had something in common now." She ran a shaking hand through her short red hair, knowing what he meant. "A weakness for blonde women with great bodies?" "All right, two things in common." He sighed heavily, like a man bearing a great burden. "I never though I'd escape those butchers. Hell, they could teach Angelus a few things." "You know what hurt the worst?" she asked softly. "The first day they tattooed a number on my arm. My great aunt used to talk about the holocaust, the only one of her five sisters to survive." "I remember it. Me and Dru were there." He snorted in disgust. "Hell, they even tried to take her. Taught those bastards a lesson they never forgot." "I would've liked to seen that." She smiled sadly as she stared down at the leather gauntlet hiding the tattoo. "Yeah, well at least we won't have to worry about that commando wannabe anymore." "Riley?" "Is that farm boy's name?" She shuddered, remembering the sound of the gunshot. The tinge of smoke filtering her nose as his body fell lifeless to the floor. "I murdered him." "You defended yourself. Besides, a little blood does a person good. The thrill of the kill..." He trailed off, pushing himself off the wall so she could see him. "That's what's bothering you. You feel guilty because you don't feel guilty." She turned away from him, rubbing her arms suddenly cold. "I hated him. He...he cold-bloodedly captured me, then stood by while they...I wanted to kill him. I wanted to see him in pain. I wanted..." "You wanted to see his blood." He flicked his cigarette away. "I hate to say it, but what you did was self-defense." "But..." "It doesn't matter what you felt or thought. He had a gun on you, one he would've used if you hadn't fired first. It was justified." The heaviness lifted from her chest. The assurance coming from someone who knew death so intimately was more real than having someone like Xander say it. Pulling the lean man into her arms, she pecked him on his cheek. "Thank you." He dropped his head bashfully, watching her walk away. "You can come out now." Buffy left the shadows of the trees. "I owe you one." He smirked at her and winked. "That kiss more than made up for it. Quite a catch, that one." She glared after his retreating form, annoyed by the jolly tune he was whistling. In the back of her mind, she wondered why it bothered her so much that her friend had kissed him. " I signed the release waiver, so feel free to put things in my slot anytime." - Charles Angels. Odo: Madam Ambassodor, I'm not like you. Every sixteen hours I revert to a liqiud. Lwaxana Troi: I can swim. - DS9: The Forsaken. Aeris Jade Orion list mommy: erslash@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx erslash-adult@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx AIM: Aeris Jade ICQ: 51496263 AT&T/Pow-Wow: Jade Pow-Wow Community: Orion Web Site: http://members.fortunecity.com/aerissword/Index.html |