An Ye Harm None

Slamming into the house the small blonde stands clenching her fists at her sides, breathing hard through her nose as she tries to contain the anger she is feeling, never having felt this level of betrayal before in this life or the last.

Snapping her flashing eyes up the stairway when she hears, “Please Tara, don’t go! I promise not to use magic ever again! Just don’t leave me!” Buffy takes in the blonde Wicca coming down the stairs with a box in her arms, tears flowing freely down her reddened cheeks and the Slayer, her control slipping even further growls deeply in warning as Willow comes into view behind Tara.

Stopping in shock as she hears the animalistic growl emanating from Buffy whom she hadn’t known was home Tara realizes that the Slayer is not looking at her but over her shoulder with an anger directed straight at Willow that the blonde witch had never expected to see coming from the petite Slayer.

Realizing the potential of danger the redhead is in despite Willow not yet realizing it Tara slowly lowers her box to the step she is on while keeping her eyes on the silently raging Slayer even as Willow cluelessly exclaims, “Oh, Tara, thank you baby! You’ll see, I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise! Thank you for giving me another chance!”

Mumbling a quick silencing spell to shut Willow up, Tara holds a hand up behind her still not acknowledging the redhead except to stop her forward progress as Buffy finally allows her eyes to move from Willow to her and the blond Wicca speaking as though to a wild animal says, “Buffy…Sweetie, listen to me, please.”

Willow finding that she can not talk seeing Tara hold a hand up to stop her coming down the stairs any further frowns at this before finally looking down past her girlfriend to see her best-friend glaring daggers at her and gulping loudly (though it can’t be heard due to the spell on her) the redhead suddenly feels what Tara had already known that she could be in a whole lot of trouble right now if she wasn’t careful then she watches as Buffy looks to Tara at the blonde witch’s softly spoken words.

Settling her eyes on the blonde woman who had come to mean so much to her before her death and since though she hadn’t been able to voice or show her thanks to Tara for being in their lives since her resurrection Buffy hears the softly spoken words and has to blink several times to get past the red haze of anger she’s in before those words register and the Slayer nods slowly to show that she’ll listen.

Still feeling the urge to race past Tara and physically tear into her onetime best-friend the Slayer holds herself, keeping her eyes on the blonde Wicca who steps down the remaining stairs to stand a few feet in front of her holding her burning eyes.

Stopping in front of the smaller blonde giving her space but wanting to hold her focus Tara still speaking softly says, “I know a little bit of what you’re feeling right now, Buffy.” Seeing the Slayer blink again but not move her gaze Tara nods slowly seriously stating, “Anger…betrayal of trust…heartbreak…pain so intense you wish you could reach in and physically rip it out of you.” And she watches Buffy’s face seeing the surprise as the Slayer nods dumbly.

Staying in place knowing that Buffy would have to be the one to make the next move Tara glances down at the Slayer’s slightly scarred hands clenched so tight at her sides then back up into hazel eyes blazing with so much anguish as she says, “I can not know the deeper pain you must be feeling, Sweetie, but I do know that if you allow that pain, that anger and hurt to control your actions now you will feel even worse for it later.”

Knowing that what Tara is saying is true but really not ready to simply walk away from it Buffy finally finds her voice and states in an almost monotone voice, “She ripped me out of Heaven. She wanted me to forget all about ever being there. To forget the warmth, peace…everything Heaven offered me. She had no right to do that, but she tried and almost got us all killed for it. She can’t stop, Tara. She wants the power, but none of the responsibility that comes with that power…No one has the right to do what she’s done.”

Though Buffy’s voice was nearly monotone the pain expressed behind the words made Tara’s heart break all the more for the traumatized Slayer and unable to help herself the kind Wicca takes a step closer to Buffy but stops as she sees Willow come down the stairs in a rush, gesturing angrily with her arms though she is still unable to speak and Tara shouts, “Will, no!”

TBC