FF: Seeing Red: Chapter Two

[aerisjade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Title: Seeing Red 

Chapter: Two 

Pairing: Willow/Tara, Willow/Buffy, Buffy/Willow/Tara 

Rating: R 

Timeline: Two seconds after Seeing Red 

Spoilers: Only if you haven't seen it yet. 

Beta Reader: Dark Gremlin 


Summary: Willow's worst nightmare is forced to 
the front in her attempts to alter the future that 
she knows is ahead. 


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, 
Mutant Enemy Productions, and Paramount Pictures. 


<---------> 


" .....my Tara..." 

Buffy felt her heartbreak with those simple words, 
spoken by the half unconscious red head, still struggling 
to work through all the visions that kept flooding 
her mind. It was horrible, listening to each and 
every moment of the scoobies lives played out in 
a few short hours. It was even worse hearing all 
the little secrets, and events that Willow hadn't 
included any of them in. 

The worst part was having to relive the red 
heads realization that she was gay, and that she 
was in love with Tara. She loved the blonde 
witch, and thought of her as family, but the fact 
that the busty witch was the one to win Willow 
still stung. 

The fact that she was currently missing her 
chance at her friend was even worse. She partially 
blamed Xander and his impeccable timing. After all, 
if the chubby construction worker hadn't interrupted 
their conversation the week before she would've 
told the red head. 

She had been so close. She'd said the line that 
she'd rehearsed since the day she'd discovered her 
friend was gay. ' Once you fall for Willow, you 
stay fallen. ' 

That simple sentence had said so much, and yet, 
the chance had passed them by once again. Now, 
Tara was by Willow's side, despite their break up, 
and damn it, she wasn't supposed to be. They were 
comput. There was no more them. Willow had violated 
the witches mind in the worst way, and yet there she 
was. 

" ....No...you can't have 'er....No...My Buffy... 
can't have 'er...." 

Buffy leaned forward eagerly, suddenly finding it 
easy to forgive everything, and everyone. If only 
the red head would say... 

"....mmmmm....Tara hand..." 

' Not that. ' Buffy sat back once again and 
stared at the blonde that was going back and 
forth between love and deep thought. " Only 
because she's never experienced slayer hand. " 

Tara glanced up with narrowed eyes, " What? " 

" I didn't say anything. " Buffy cocked one 
eye brow at the blonde, just daring her to 
contradict her. 

" Oh. " Tara started to smile slightly, 
sending chills down the slayers spine. " It's 
funny actually. " 

' Don't respond, don't respond. Whatever 
happens, just don't respond. ' " What's funny? " 

Tara chuckled dryly, " She had this fantasy's 
about having both of us as her lovers. " 

" Oh. " Buffy forced herself to laugh. " Can 
you imagine it? The two of us sharing her. " 

" Yeah, that would be hilarious. " Tara said 
through the strained laughter bordering on 
seriousness. " Having to share a bed. " 

" The dates, and dances. " 

" Cuddling. " 

" The kisses. " 

" The hugs. " Buffy swallowed hard. 

There was no more laughter, or pretending 
to be joking. Only now they were faced with 
a serious proposition. Did they let Willow 
chose who she wanted to be with and risk 
losing her to the other? Or did they reach 
an agreement and share her? 

" It would be funny. " 

Buffy nodded. " Definitely interesting. " 

" It would be a....unique experiment. " 

" Yeah, it would. " Buffy agreed, silently 
telling Tara what her vote was. 

" Tara!!! NOOO!!!! " 

Buffy grabbed hold of the red head as she 
tried to leap off the bed. Absently stroking 
the trembling back muscles that were twitching 
in instinctive lunge. " Hey, it's okay. Tara's 
right here. See? " 

The red head's eyes widened in horror at 
the sight of the blonde standing in front 
of the window. With a strength that shocked 
Buffy, Willow sprint the short distance, 
and tackled the witch to the floor. 

" Stay away from the window. Don't go 
near the window. You can't go near the 
window. Promise me you'll stay away from the 
window. " 

" Wh...what? " 

" Promise me. No windows. Windows are bad. " 

" I promise. No windows but... " 

" No!! No, buts. There are no buts. 
Windows. Bad. Windows are very bad. Windows 
lead to death, and shootings, and...no buts. " 

" Did you see something? " Buffy finally asked. 

" Tara's going to be shot. Here. In front 
of that window. " Willow answered weakly. 

" Who shot's her? " 

" I- I don't know. " Willow frowned as her 
eyes turned inward. " There...you...You and 
Xander were in the backyard, apologizing for 
something, and me and Tara were getting 
dressed and then there was these gun shots 
and Tara had a...a...and there was blood, and 
you were too...and... I don't know. " 

" It's alright. I'm sure that when you're 
ready you'll see it. " 

Willow curled into Tara's arms, shaking 
and crying. Each tear brought a louder 
more guilt ridden shock that struck the 
slayer harder and harder until she found 
herself engulfing the two women in her arms. 

" I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. " Willow 
whimpered. " It's all my fault, all of it's 
my fault. If I hadn't taken the medicine 
then.... " 

" It's not your fault. " 

" I'm sorry. " Willow tightened her arms 
around them, unaware of anything that was 
being said to her. " I'm sorry. " 


<---------> 





> ** Original Subject: seeing red
> ** Original Sender: "Dark Gremlin" <gremlin@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ** Original Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 22:38:49 +0000

> ** Original Message follows... 

>The blonde body held in her arms let out 
a single slow breath and slumped down dead 
in her arms. Scrapping away the resistance 
she had to dark magic, and leaving only the 
deep seeded rage that had originally drawn 
D'Hoffand to her in the first place. 

The blood was splattered generously over 
her shirt and face, coating her hands and 
part of her arms. Each drop gathering on 
her skin until all she wanted to do was 
run into the bathroom and rip her skin from 
her body. 

Blood. It was a fascinating. The way the 
blood was blue while it was still in the 
body but the minute the air hit it, it 
turned such a dark red that it could almost 
be black. 

Blood was the life that kept all creatures 
alive. It was what kept the body functioning. 
It was the source of pleasure for many serial 
killers and demons. Now, it was her own. 

She wouldn't stop until she could smear 
Warren's blood over her hands and shirt in the 
same way that her lovers now coated her. Only 
then would she allow that bastard the satisfaction 
of dying. Only then would she grant him the 
release he would need in order to avoid the 
pain of the real world. Only then would she 
send him to the pain waiting for him in hell. 

" WARREN!!!!!! " 

" Willow!! " 

She snapped her eyes open with a sharp 
gasp, the remains of the emotions and 
desperation of vision still fresh in her 
mind. Truthfully, she hadn't even realized 
what had happened. One minute she'd been 
crying and apologizing to Tara and Buffy, 
and then..... 

" ..Warren...It...It was Warren. " 

She pulled away from the concerned embrace 
of the two blondes and struggled to her feet. 
She loved them both incredibly, but right at 
that moment, she needed to be alone so she 
could figure out the hundreds of emotions 
and instincts galloping through her. 

She'd grown up with her mother convincing 
her that all the years of seeing dead people 
walking around her, and having visions of 
different times, were just hallucinations 
brought on by psychotic episodes. She'd 
even been forced onto medicine to block 
them. 

It hadn't been until the night after Jess 
had been turned that she'd finally started 
to realize that they weren't something 
brought on by mental illness. It was real, 
more real than she cared to accept, but 
it didn't change the facts, and at that 
moment, the only fact was that she had to 
find someway to embrace her abilities. 

" I...I need some air. " 

" I'll come with you. " Buffy stated 
quickly. 

" No, I'd rather... I need some time 
to myself. " She offered a gentle smile 
to the two blondes, than started to get 
dressed. 

They meant well, but sometimes all the 
love and caring in the world couldn't 
work out problems. 




Aeris Jade Orion

Grey Fox, and cause of Discord.

Gabrielle: "Do you deny spying on these women?"
Joxer: "I resent that."
Gabrielle: "Do you deny it?"
Joxer: "No, I just _resent_ it."

Joxer: Hello--heh-heh-- name's Joxer-- spelled, uh [Clears throat]--
J-o-x-e-rrrrrrrr. 

Rh: "Would you wanna make a baby with me?"
Jox: "What?!"
Rh: "Will you help?"
Jox: "Wait a minute! You want me to-- to-- to-- make a-- "
Rh: "Right-- will you?"
Jox: "Of course not! Hey, listen! We're not just machines, you
know, you can use to-- . Besides-- you know, uh-- we can't just
do it on command. We need stuff like, uh-- cheap motel rooms and
dirty pictures and lingerie-- stuff like that! We're _not_
animals! But I can get those things!"