Re: Fic: Homeward bound (3/?)

[Nathan Campbell <NathanCampbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Anne-Lise, you are incredible! That cliffhanger was a double whammy,
with Jonathon and Tara's answer to Willow! I've got to see more of
this excellent fic soon, please!

Nathan Campbell
NathanCampbell@xxxxxxxxxxxx

When sun sprays the earth
with straight-falling flames,
a cricket rubs his wings,
scraping up thin sweet song.
-Sappho




For some reason, people seem to like this fic.
*boggle*

Anne-Lise.

--

"Are you okay now?" Willow asks, shifting uncomfortably.
"Sure," I reply. "I'm okay."
  Tara's eyes drill into mine. I've never before noticed how caring 
those eyes can be. Sometimes... I feel like she can see into my 
soul. "Are y...you sure?"
  I kiss her. Not passionately, but with a soulful need that draws me 
to her. I can see Willow's frown in the corner of my eye.
"I'm... sorry." I pull away. "This must be really weird for you 
guys."
"We're more worried about you," Willow states.
  There's nothing I can say so I stare dumbly at the floor.
"I..." A pressure stops me from speaking further. Everything seems 
to run slowly. Tara's scream, Willow's shocked _expression_. I can't 
make any sense of the arrowhead jutting out from my blouse. The trail 
of crimson spattered on Tara's cheek is the last thing I see before 
darkness claims me.

*

  Buffy exited the portal followed by her scream. The scream died 
with her impact into the frigid water. She surfaced and pulled 
herself out of the stream to sit beside Maggie, who was howling in 
laughter.
"I'm so sorry," Maggie said. "It's just... This must be so tough for 
you." She collapsed into a further fit of the giggles.
"Gee thanks," Buffy replied with a trace of a smile. "I'm glad my 
misfortune has brightened up your day!"
"I'm sorry," Maggie calmed herself down. "It feels so good to be 
able to breathe normally again. We tried to warn you, but you'd 
already dived into the portal. Don't jump in head first!"
"Everyone okay?" Rembrandt asked as he sidled over to join 
them. "You should never jump headlong into those things unless you've 
got no other choice," he remonstrated.
  Buffy nodded. "I'm getting the picture," she said, running her 
fingers through her wet hair. "Where's Quinn?"
"Over here," Quinn replied as he walked over to them, Colin in 
tow. "I see you got the stream and not the sandbar. You were lucky, 
diving in like that. You could have landed on rock."
"Check," Buffy agreed. "Rocks are bad."
  Quinn unexpected kissed her cheek. "Its good to see you're okay."
"Thanks."

*

"Dawn?" Willow's angelic voice calls out to me as I open my 
eyes. "Oh god, Dawn! I'll just go and get the doctor."
  My vision swims wildly but soon a balding lab-coat bustles in and 
puts his gnarled hand on my forehead. I half expect him to give me a 
lollipop. 
"Good to see you back with us again, Miss Summers," the doctor 
states, flatly.
"My chest... hurts." So does trying to speak. Agony, in fact.
"You shouldn't try to talk, Miss Summers." There's that Miss Summers 
again. That's not my name, that's my moth... I'm Dawn. Dawn. "D..." 
before I can explain, I pass out once more.

*

"So where are we?" Buffy looked around her at the rolling green 
hillside. Small slate walls separated the fields.
"You're really not getting the gist of the whole 'jumping blind' 
thing are you?" Quinn asked with wry humour.
  Buffy crossed her arms and glared. "I'm with it. I just thought 
you, with your vast experience in all of this, might at least have 
some clue."
  Quinn nodded and glanced behind Buffy. "We're in Wales."
  Buffy turned her head to follow his stare. A sign by the side of a 
road read 'Welcome to Wales'. Underneath the sign was a picture of a 
red dragon and the word 'Cymru'. Under the sign was a dead sheep.
"So," she said. "We're in Wales."
"I'm not," Rembrandt called out from the other side of the sign. 
Maggie was beside him throwing stones idly into the stream. "I'm in 
England, land of tea and scones!"
"Yay for scones," Buffy mumbled, as she ambled over to join them.

*

  This time as I awaken its Tara and not Willow whose face greets me 
with a smile.
"Hey you," I greet. Her smile radiates happiness and an inner peace. 
I think I'm falling in love. She kisses my cheek, and the warm 
dampness lingers after her lips part company. I can't help my blush. 
She notices but says nothing. She doesn't need to... Her smile says 
it all. I must look hideous in all these bandages. Like some sort of 
mummy girl. Rarr!
"I'm glad you're okay," she says.
"I am?"

*

"It's almost time to slide," Quinn stated.
"But I haven't had my scone yet!" Buffy pouted.
"I don't think scones will be very forthcoming." Quinn stared out 
over the fields where barbarians in kilts fought hard against men in 
suits carrying uzis. The suits were winning bigtime.
"If I was to try and explain this to anyone," Buffy mused, "they'd 
lock me up and throw away the key."
  Colin giggled. "You think this is strange? There was this one world 
where this guy was wearing cheese."
"Weird." Buffy agreed, thinking about a strange dream she'd once 
had. "I like cheese."
  Colin stared at her.
"But I don't feel the urge to wear any," Buffy pontificated.

*

"This can't go on," Willow frowned at her lover, anger and self-
recrimination written on her features.
"It was what she wanted. We d...didn't force her to make any 
decisions."
"We took advantage of her when she was emotionally confused. We 
can't just close our ears and go 'La la la, we don't care' just 
because she isn't complaining." Willow's mouth firmed into a straight 
line.
"She's in love with me."
  Willow went quiet. Then, in a mouselike voice, "she is?"
  Tara nodded.
"Do you... Are you..."
"I..."

*

  At last! The first blow is struck. Revenge is mine! How sweet the 
blood brought forth by the sword of righteous indignation. Maybe now 
I can pay her a visit, claim my trophy. 
  A finger for my collection, perhaps?

*

End Part 3.




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