Discoveries

by Murray

Chapter 15

Later: The Summer's Residence

She stroked his face lightly as he slept her only thoughts where on keeping him safe. After only having admitted to herself, her friends and her family, that she was hopelessly in love with the Souled DayWalker, a couple of short months before, she could not lose him now.

The prophecy spoke of the two banding together, a souled vampire and a woman child of the light. It also spoke of how family and friends would band together to overcome the approaching darkness.

Elizabeth Ann Summers life had never been easy. The weight of the world always seemed to rest upon her slender shoulders and if the truth were to be known by the world at large, it did rest squarely on those shoulders. Before she met he who had become the center of her universe, her mate. Love had always eluded her. She had found it once in another Souled Vampire, Angel. Her first love! He taught her what love could be; he had given her a taste. He was her first. Angel was a gentle lover, he touched her almost as if he was afraid to hurt her. After that night, the night that Elizabeth, known to her friends and family as Buffy, gave to Angel her virginity, he had changed; he had found for himself in her, his one moment of true happiness.

The moment turned into a nightmare, as the gypsy curse took hold, his soul ripped from him as he turned once again into the loathsome creature known to the Vampire Realm as Angelus, Scourge of Europe.

All this she considered as she stroked her lovers face, looking down into that same face, locked in the soft embrace of sleep, a memory took hold of her. Their first meeting in the alley behind the Bronze, 4 years ago, a cocky vampire considering this small petite girl, his feral eyes locked into her own hazel green ones. "I'll meet you here on Saturday!" he simply stated awaiting her reaction.

"What happens on Saturday?" She had asked, her chest moving rapidly from the exertion of dusting 3 vamps.

Moving with a cockiness, she would later come to expect from her then enemy, he came into her personal space, his demonic features coming to the surface he said in a near whisper his yellow eyes locked to her own, "Saturday is the day I kill you, pet!"

Having said what he willed his face to morph once again as the demon receded to be replaced with the features of, William The Bloody. Turning the then soulless vampire, his duster billowing out behind him, left and as he walked away. With each step he seemed to blend into the shadows of the night that were his true home.

Stroking his face unconsciously he sighed under her touch. The sound causing her mind back to the present, her eyes filled with tears as her heart suddenly ached, her voice hitching in her throat as she choked out, "Please, baby, don't ever leave me!"

The peroxide blonde newly Souled Vampire opened his eyes to be greeted by the beautiful, red teary eyed blonde goddess, named Buffy. Seeing her like this broke his newly beating heart as his arms reached out to take her gently but firmly into his embrace. Without a word his mouth sought out hers and she lost herself in his arms and the heat of his lips against her own.

Whimpering into his mouth she clung on to him as if terrified of letting go. Finally he reached up and gripped the hair at the nape of her neck and gently jerked her head back so he could look into the eyes of his mate. Breathlessly, he spoke, in a voice only she had ever heard him use. The love emanating from him was almost a physical thing and she cried, her emotions twisted in knots, the tears flowing freely, unashamed, down her face. Only he was allowed to see her this vulnerable, to everyone else she had to be a rock, a pillar of strength, but not with her mate. Here she could be all the things that defined her, the slayer and the woman, the woman who loved him more then her own life. The woman that would do anything to keep him safe, that same woman in his arms was terrified and he could see it in her eyes.

"Here love, what is this then?" He felt her tremble in his arms as she pushed her face forward to bury it in the crook of his neck. "Slayer, you're trembling." He pulled her face away from his neck and forced her to look at him. "Love, you're scaring me, talk to me, Buffy, please pet, tell me what has you so upset."

"I'm afraid to lose you, Spike. Every..."

He cut her off with his fingers on her lips, "Hey now, who said you would lose me, pet."

"Don't you see, everyone I love leaves me. everyone."

"Buffy, you know that's not true, I'm never going to leave you. I thought you knew that by now." He stroked her arm as he talked and then her face, trying to offer her comfort and love through his touch.

"Promise me baby, promise me you will never leave me," she said as she held on to him tighter her body molding to his.

"Slayer, you couldn't get rid of me before you told me you loved me, why do you think I would leave you now?"

She would not meet his eyes as she spoke, so softly that if not for his vampiric hearing he would have missed it. "You could die tonight."

He lifted her face to his and forced her to look into his blue eyes as he spoke in a voice reserved only for his mate, "No one is dying tonight, kitten, you and I are going to come through this. We are going to avert the present Apocalypse and then you and I are going to get married. We are going to live to ripe old ages, together."

Her eyes went wide as a smile played across her lips, then without warning she was on top of him, kissing him with all the pent up emotion and love she knew how to convey. Her heart sang as her mind registered what he had promised, ~He wants to marry me!~

The Souled Daywalker, laughed with happiness, into her mouth, as he held her tightly, his hands seeking out the warmth of her body, turning her over he leaned over her, his lips parting from her own. "Feeling better, then pet?" He smirked.

The smile that lit her face and her eyes was his answer as she peppered his face with kisses and said in-between each one, "I am going to hold you to that buster. When this is done, you better make good on your promise."

"I love you Slayer, you know I do, I would be proud if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife."

Chapter 16 - Interlude Pt. II

Flashback:

In The Real World, Seven Minutes Past Sunset

Willow, Giles and Xander sat in a lotus position in the center of the training room. Each meditating on what role they would play in the coming battle. As they meditated, the mystical energy of The Coven infused their beings. Each began to glow a soft pale blue as the unearthly energies filled them. Slowly Giles floated up into the air and extended his feet so they touched the floor. Xander opened his eyes and found himself standing five feet to the right of Giles. Willow completed the triangle standing five feet to the left of Xander.

Located in the center of the triangle, an astral body began to take form; the shape was familiar as was the honey blonde hair that hung below her shoulders. All eyes focused on the woman that could not be standing before them but was.

Recognition and shock registered on Willows face as she said one name softly, "Tara!"

The astral entity before her said in a voice filled with love and awe, "Willow!"

Xander and Giles both looked on in wonderment, seeing what they had thought gone forever. The astral being before them looked like Tara, the energy radiating out in waves off her body, felt like Tara.

Willow sprang forward as Tara's hand came up, "No, Willow! Not yet, you can't touch me yet," she cried out as Willow slammed up against an invisible barrier. Causing her to come to an abrupt stop as a cry of anguish tore from the red headed witches throat.

Her hands laid flat against the barrier she said, "Tara, I don't understand..." her eyes pleading with her ex-lover. "How are you here?"

Slowly the astral form of Tara solidified before 3 sets of unbelieving eyes. "They have not given me much time, my Willow."

"Who?" The red head said, tears flowing freely down her face as Xander and Giles traded questioning looks.

"Willow," Tara took a deep breath as she came into the physical reality completely and stepped forward wrapping her arms around her ex-girlfriend and holding her tightly as the red head did the same.

The witches body shook as she clung to her former blonde haired lover.whispering over and over."Goddess, I miss you.please don't leave me again."

Using all her control the blonde pushed her ex-girlfriend away from her body and held her at arms length saying, "Listen to me my Willow, your destiny is no longer tied to mine, and our time has passed. Your time with Xander has just begun." She smiled at her and continued to speak softly, "Giles, Xander, I have little time and much to tell. A great evil walks the earth this night. You are already aware of that what you don't know is it will take the blood of a souled vampire, a watcher, and a slayer to stop it."

"Dear god," said The Watcher.

"Not Buffy, you can't mean her," cried Willow.

"We will find another way Willow," said Xander as he went to her and put his arms around her. "There has to be another way."

The voice of The Powers spoke as emotionlessly as she could, "There is no other way, blood is the price to save a world. I wish I could change that for you. I really do, but I can't." She said sadly.

The red headed Wicca looked up at her ex-girlfriend as her eyes went black as pitch, her anger rising, "Why did you come back Tara, to rip us apart, the Tara I knew and loved would not be so cold. Are you even Tara or some demony thing trying to confuse us?" Without thought Willow raise her left arm and pointed at the one she use to know the one she use to love with her entire soul and said, "Reveal unto me!" A blue bolt of jagged light shot from her fingertips and ripped into the entity before her.consuming her, in a blinding blue light.

As it faded the astral form of Tara was revealed once more, her corporeal form gone from this plane of existence.

Giles and Xander both froze as a blinding light over took the training room.Tara's once gentle features revealed nothing of what she was feeling, her face completely devoid of human emotions.

"Tell me how to save my friends, Tara. If any part of you is Tara." Demanded the enraged Wicca. "And release my friends or so help me."

Moving with the speed of thought the astral form of Tara was in front of the Red Headed Witch, her long slender fingers enshrouded within a bluish white light.she smiled and said in a soft voice, "Be not afraid my once and only love, The Powers That Be will reveal all to you." So saying her fingers entered the other girl's head on either side of her temple an inch above her ears.

She stiffened and moaned, "They are beautiful." Her eyes filled with the wonder of things not meant for human eyes to perceive. A myriad of emotions played out over her face as she saw things that never happened in this reality, but likely could. Then as one particular scene played out she screamed, "No," at the top of her lungs and tears ran down her face. Sinking to her knee's she hugged herself and rocked back and forth. So much pain in her face shivers running through her lithe body.

She choked out, "Tara, no, I can't watch this, I can't it's not fair they just came together!" Crumpling further onto the floor her body wracked with sobs she keened over and over. The young red headed Wicca had never in her life felt so much pain over the loss of three. In her vision of a possible future she could not tell if it was those that remained whose emotions she felt or purely her own. Either way she was on sensory and emotional overload.

Forcing herself blindly to her feet her eyes black as pitch, her hair the color of the blackest of nights, she blinked back the tears and confronted she who was once her soul mate. Her voice taking on an unearthly quality as she unconsciously called upon the dark magic's, which were ever at her command.

"Will's no, you must not do this," the astral form of Tara pleaded softly trying to calm the rage flowing through the once red headed witch. "You are above the darkness, Wills. Draw on the light. You can beat this thing back, you can, but it demands a sacrifice."

The dark energies crackled around her like a thing alive, as her body stiffened.

Tara reached out an astral hand and placed it on her shoulder, immediately her ex calmed and the black receded. Her hair returned to it's normal color, as did her eyes. Tara's final gift filled her with peace as her astral form started to dissipate. One final flash of pure white light and Giles and Xander slipped back into animation, rushing to Willow. Xander slipping her head into his lap, Giles hovered above his surrogate child. In a move more reminiscent of Ripper than Giles he rounded on the fading form of Tara, demanding an answer.

"What have you done, Tara?"

Sadly the fading form said, "My masters bidding, Giles, I showed her what The Powers wanted me to show her. It is up to you to protect her and creation. She knows what must and will be done. Don't let her slip into the darkness Giles, her role is in the light."

Looking to the left the blonde headed Wicca looked at those, that only she could see, those who ever watch and nodded saying, "I know my time is up, just let me say goodbye this time. Please!" She pleaded with the unseen entities known as, The Powers To Be. In her mind she heard the combination of all their voices, "Granted this one time and one time only, little Wicca."

She reached down her eyes pleading with Xander, silently begging him for this last chance to say goodbye. Wordlessly as comprehension dawned in his mind, he looked at the shattered form of his present love and back at the almost translucent astral form of her once lover and nodded saying, "If you hurt her, somehow I will find you." The rest of the threat went unvoiced as an understanding passed between them.

Heeding his warning the once Wicca nodded saying, "She is going to need your love in the days to come, Xander." Nothing else needed to be said as he nodded once more and took his lover in his arms. At that same moment the form of Tara moved forward and merged with him, his body taking on an unearthly glow as the supernatural energies lit him form within cell by cell.

Tara/Xander said in an unearthly parody of Tara's voice, "I will always love you, my beautiful Wills. I have to say goodbye now. Though it breaks my heart we will never again see one another. Know that my time with you was the happiest and most loving time I had ever had in my life." As she/he spoke and stroked her once lovers brow a tiny bit of knowledge was imparted to the red headed witch. through her tear filled eyes an inner light acknowledged an understanding of what must be done to insure the safety of her friends. It was a long shot, but it might just work.

A pain filled sob tore from her throat; as she looked deep into the eyes of the joined ones she loved and said with a certainty, "Thank you love, I understand!"

The form of the two, Tara/Xander leaned down and kissed her deeply on the lips conveying the emotion they both shared for her. In that instant she understood two things: Death may have been Buffy's gift but the way of the light and love was hers. She loved her friends more then she loved the feeling of the black magic. A plan had already started to formulate in her mind.

Blinking back tears she lifted her face to the two that were one and kissed him/her deeply a kiss that spoke of finality in goodbye and hello. As her lips parted from the others her eyes opened and she saw the light fade from the form of her lover/lovers, and she said softly, "Tara?"

With a voice filled with tenderness and such love that it caused her heart to ache, "No love, just me, Xander."

Not another word was spoken as she kissed him with all the heartfelt love she had stored up within her for the one person who know was forever linked to her soul. She tried to crawl inside his skin as she felt her body tremble in his arms. If not for the sound of an, "Ahem," She would have made love to him right there on the training room floor.

The two lovers slowly, reluctantly separated and looked to see an embarrassed watcher cleaning his glasses.

Both lovers stood holding each other and beckoning the watcher to them. Including him in the love they felt for each other and him, the man who was more father to them both then their real father.

Though time was short and much needed to be said, the three stood together in that embrace for a long while. All of them knew that they still had much to do. All of them knew this was more important then the saving of the world. That would come. All three knew that would come, there was no escaping that particular reality. But for now, they each needed the comfort of the other.


Across Town, As The Light of Day Overtook The Darkness:

Two other couples lay tangled within the safety of each other's arms. Each knowing the world could come to an end, once more. Each taking the time to love one another one last time, not knowing if this was the day they breathed their last.

A rouge Slayer wrapped her body around the body of her lover, an ex-Watcher. They made love like it was for the last time, each afraid that it might be. Each so helplessly in love with one another, nothing but this one moment existed. Soon their world would come apart.

A dark haired Seer lay tangled up with her own lover, a dark haired brooding souled vampire. His mark upon her neck as she moaned against him and came crashing against him, as his fangs pierced her skin and he drank deep of his mate, for perhaps the last time. Each terrified it would be their last time. Each lost in the emotions and sensations of this moment, trying desperately in their own way to stretch this time they shared together into an eternity. Soon their world would spin out of their control as chaos rules the night.

In the Summer's household, two blonds, one of the light and the other of the dark, came together crying out each others names. Desperate to become one and never know the loss of the other. These two souls would be the key to the future of the human race. Each called out the name of the other as they came and as is true of many couplings under times of stress a miracle occurred, a tiny life had begun.

Neither would know this for some time to come and perhaps if The Powers That Be decreed it, through their deaths neither would ever know that this their last joining before the onslaught of the coming battle between light and dark, had produced a child.

In sixteen hours their lives would forever change. In sixteen hours the forces of evil would attempt to open the gates between dimensions and end all human existence on this earth. In sixteen hours these two chosen by The Powers, would face their darkest nightmares, but this time, they would do so together.

In sixteen hours a band of nine would stand as an army against the dark. These nine, these souls would not yield till death decreed an end.

But for now, these souls had earned a reprieve and time alone together. They had earned the right to each other and The Powers That Be would watch over them and protect them for now, but in little over one hour not even The Powers could hold back what was to come.

To Be Continued....