Tara sighs softly as she looks at the small group of friends that had insisted she come to the Bronze with them. Not knowing why she let them talk her into coming here and being a fifth wheel, literally, Tara sips cranberry juice as she decides to look around at the people there, silently praying that Willow doesn’t show up.
The two women had talked a few times after she moved out after the Tabula Rasa spell, when they both weren’t so sensitive, and they had finally come to the decision that it would be best for both of them not to see each other anymore. Tara honestly wanted to stay friends with the redhead, but whenever she saw the woman, it made her think of how she’d invaded her mind and stolen her memories, making it hard to be around her.
“I’ll be right back.” Tara waves her empty glass, smiling at her friends from college as she stands and walks up to the bar, leaning against it as she looks around. Seeing Spike lurking in the back of the bar, Tara unconsciously stiffens. As thoughts of what the blonde vampire had done with Buffy roll through her mind, Tara can’t help but become angry that he’d take advantage of Buffy in her time of need. While Buffy feels that she’s to blame for what happened, Tara knows the real blame falls on Spike and the realization that the vampire will turn any and all situations to his advantage.
Watching as Buffy strides into the bar, Tara inhales at the sight of the blonde. She was obviously angry and on the prowl for some reason as the hazel eyes start to canvas the bar, coming to rest on Spike before she made it to where Tara was standing at the bar. Watching as Buffy quickly makes her way towards Spike, with anger practically shooting off her in sparks, Tara unconsciously eases her way closer to where the two are arguing in a dark corner.
“You will stay away from me, my house and Dawn. Do you understand?” Buffy growls angrily at Spike as she pokes him in the chest.
“Oi! You were singing a different tune not that long ago weren’t you, luv?” Spike smirks as he runs his hand over his groin.
“And you think by going to Willow and Dawn, telling them that we’re an item, is a way to endear yourself to me? I don’t love you, Spike. I could never love you. You gave me something that I thought I needed. I needed to feel something, unfortunately pain and anger was the main things that I could feel, and you took advantage of it. No more. I’m finished with whatever sick thing we have going on between us. Why do you think I haven’t been by in the last couple weeks? Now stay the hell away from me and mine, understand?” Buffy snarls at the bleached blonde vampire.
“We’re done, when I say we’re done, slayer!” Spike’s eyes shade to yellow as he grabs the slayer yanking her in against his body. “And we’re not done!”
“Separate!” Tara waves her hand and strides towards them, placing her body between Buffy and Spike while staring angrily at Spike. “You don’t force a person that says no.” Tara stares daggers into the vampire’s yellow eyes.
“She says yes, often enough. Sometimes she needs a little convincin‘, she does.” Spike snarls back, angry at the woman that has balls enough to come between him and what’s his. “She’s mine, and I’m showing her that I love her. So I suggest you run back to whatever cunt you’re licking.”
“I can guarantee you, that whoever I sleep with is there because they want to be and they’re going to leave my bed completely satisfied, not bruised and beaten, forced to have sex just for my own pleasure. Being raped has absolutely nothing to do with love!” Tara’s eyes spark with anger, the power just below the surface as she shoves the vampire back against the wall.
“She likes it rough!” Spike shoves Tara back, wincing as his chip gives a warning spark in his head.
“Don’t you push her!” Buffy finally finds her voice after staring at Tara’s back in shock as the woman came to her defense. Slamming her forearm against Spike neck, Buffy whacks him upside the head with her fist. “Leave everyone alone, Spike. You’re not wanted, do you understand me? Stay away.” Buffy quickly turns around, unconsciously wrapping her arm around Tara, urging her away from the blonde vampire.
“I ain’t listened to you yet, why would I start now?” Spike snarls quietly as he watches the two women leave the Bronze. Slowly slinking out after them, he follows the slayer and the Wiccan silently.
Tara follows Buffy unresistingly as the slayer practically drags her out of the Bronze, keeping an arm around her while striding down the street. Finally after about three blocks, Tara braces herself and stops walking.
Buffy turns surprised eyes to Tara, realizing she’d practically kidnapped the woman in her anger. Blinking the haze of anger from her eyes, Buffy drops her arm from around Tara and looks down at the ground. “Sorry.” Buffy shakes her head and sighs heavily.
“For what?” Tara questions, tilting her head at the slayer.
“For dragging you out of the Bronze.” Buffy’s mind trips back to what Spike had said. “My God, were you there on a date? I’m sorry, I’ll walk you back.” Buffy starts to walk back towards the Bronze, when she’s stopped by a chuckling Tara not following her.
“No, I wasn’t there on a date. Pretty much just the opposite. I was a fifth wheel with a couple of my friends that were on dates. They insisted on me joining them, and going out having some fun.” Tara grins crookedly at the slayer. “But since we’re out here, would you mind walking me back to the dorm?”
“Of course I don‘t mind.” Buffy blushes lightly, nodding her head. As the conversation runs over in her mind again and again, on a continuous loop, Buffy tucks her hands in her pockets as they slowly make their way towards the college.
“I’m sorry, Buffy.” Tara finally states softly after a few minutes.
“Sorry for what?” Buffy looks over at Tara the confusion obvious on her face.
Tara sighs heavily and looks up at the dark night sky, the stars twinkling merrily. “Butting my nose in where it doesn’t belong. But when I saw him grab you the way he did, I saw red and had to do something.”
“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Buffy shakes her head, a quick smile crossing her face. “I would have probably knocked him around some, but what you did worked.” Thinking for a few minutes, Buffy raises an eyebrow at the Wiccan. “So… Is it true?”
Tara frowns at Buffy’s question, before turning her gaze on the slayer. “Is what true?” Tara blinks trying to figure out what Buffy’s questioning her about.
Buffy smirks before pursing her lips trying to look serious at her friend. “Does everyone you sleep with leave your bed satisfied?” Buffy raises an eyebrow at the Wiccan.
Tara blushes lightly, while at the same time stopping to look into Buffy’s hazel eyes, before stating softly and seriously. “Always.”
Buffy’s eyes open wide in surprise at Tara’s answer, having actually expected the woman to stutter out some response, not answer her that seriously with an affirmative. Seeing a calculating look crossing Tara’s face and her blue eyes darken, Buffy watches, intrigued at the changes.
Tara slowly let’s her eyes traverse the slayers features as she considers something that had crossed her mind on more than one occasion since breaking up with Willow. “Care to find out on a more personal basis?” Tara questions softly with a raised eyebrow as she slowly closes the distance between their bodies, but not touching the slayer. As she sees the brief flare of desire in the slayers eyes before it’s locked away, Tara nibbles on her bottom lip. “Maybe not.” Tara blinks a couple times before slowly backing away from the slayer, calling herself a fool and turning to start walking again.
“FUCKIN’ BITCH!” Spike snarls as he launches himself at the blonde, tackling her to the ground, vamping out at the pain from his chip firing, ignoring it as he backhands Tara across the face, howling loudly at the sensors going off in his head continuously.
Buffy reaches down a split second later, literally yanking Spike off Tara and tossing him about twenty feet behind them as she kneels down, looking worriedly at the Wiccan, frowning as she sees the blood flowing from Tara’s nose and lip. Swallowing hard, Buffy yanks off her light jacket before literally tearing her shirt from her body and folding it up quickly to press against Tara’s bloody face gently. “Hold this don’t try to get up, okay?” Buffy whispers, as she strokes a hand soothingly down Tara’s cheek. As she sees the understanding in Tara’s eyes, Buffy smiles sadly at her for a few moments before slowly standing and turning back to a dazed vampire, who’s shaking his head from where he’d been knocked semi-unconscious when his head came into contact with the light pole.
Spike gains back some of his faculties and sees an absolutely livid slayer striding towards him, feeling a sense of self-preservation finally kicking in, he starts to scramble backwards to get away from the slayer.
“Oh, no you don’t!” Buffy growls as she literally pounces on Spike, Grabbing him by the leather jacket lapels, and slamming his head down into the concrete time after time. “You hurt Tara. With the brain pain, you still did it! Do you think its open season on people I love? You keep showing me time after time that you’re a soulless vampire, strictly after your own gains, but for some stupid reason I just don’t see it. Guess what? You’re finished!” Buffy yanks the vampire up as she stands, slamming her fist into his face again and again.
Spike tries to fend off the slayer in his weakened state. Between the unbelievable pain the chip is causing in his head, and his split open skull from Buffy banging it on the concrete to her doing her damnedest to re-arrange his face, he just whimpers between his fangs as he literally dangles from the slayers grip.
Yanking her stake from the back of her jeans, she looks at the almost unrecognizable face of the vampire. “I should have done this when you first came to Sunnydale.” Buffy calmly stakes Spike, turning to run back to Tara before his dust hits the ground.
Tara spits the blood gathering in her mouth on the ground beside her as she shifts so she’s on her knees with a hand helping balance her on the ground as she presses Buffy’s shirt to her nose, trying to stop the blood flow.
Buffy runs a shaky hand up Tara’s arm as she looks into the pain filled eyes. “We’ve got to get you to the hospital.” When Tara shakes her head, Buffy growls quietly. “Let me see.” Buffy looks at Tara’s split lip and her nose. “You are. You’re going to need stitches in your lip. I don’t think your nose is broken, but it needs to be checked to be on the safe side.”
“Jacket.” Tara mumbles as she grabs Buffy’s jacket, handing it to the slayer.
Buffy glances down, finally realizing she’s in the middle of downtown Sunnydale wearing only a bra on her upper body. Sighing heavily, she yanks her jacket on, before hooking an arm around Tara, shifting her and putting her other arm around her legs, picking her up to cradle her against her body as she strides towards the hospital.
“I can walk.” Tara grumbles. It comes out more sounding like she’s saying I cwam wakk.
“Tilt your head back and keep pressure applied to your nose. I almost want that son of a bitch back so I can fucking beat the hell out of him some more.” Buffy growls angrily as she picks up her pace, starting to run with Tara in her arms.
Tara wraps her free arm around Buffy’s neck, holding on for dear life as the slayer takes off running, thankful for the smooth running gate, not liking the thought of being bounced around. Finally closing her eyes, she presses hard on her nose and lip to try and stop the blood flow.
Buffy slides to a stop as she enters the emergency room, her eyes coming to rest on a wheelchair. Gently placing Tara in the chair, Buffy pushes the blonde hair back behind Tara’s ear and looks into her eyes. “How are you?” Buffy questions softly, looking intently at the Wiccan.
“Been better.” Tara mumbles, even as her eyes start to twinkle at the slayer.
Buffy breathes a sigh of relief as she sees the humor starting to replace the pain in Tara’s eyes. Brushing her thumb over Tara’s cheek, it crosses Buffy’s mind quickly that the Wiccan has extremely soft skin before she drops her hand to turn towards the emergency room staff. “Come on get someone here to look at her, will you?” Buffy growls angrily at the nurse, who is just standing there staring at them in stunned surprise.
“Bring her back.” Nurse Richards shakes her head after watching a petite blonde carrying another woman in and placing her in a wheelchair. Having seen some weird things in her time here at the Sunnydale Memorial, it still never fails to make her look twice when something happens. “What happened?” She questions as she grabs paperwork while leading the way back to an examining room.
“Mugger decided to get a little violent.” Buffy growls angrily as she helps Tara up on the examining table. “He disappeared, but not before he busted her nose and lip.”
“Do you know this young woman, or are you just a Good Samaritan?” The nurse makes a note on the chart before glancing up at the small blonde.
“I know her. We’ve been friends for close to three years.” Buffy looks questioningly at the nurse.
“Do you know enough about her to fill out the forms?” Nurse Richards looks at the young woman.
“I guess so.” Buffy accepts the clipboard before looking at her bloody hands.
“You can use the sink.” Nurse Richards points towards the sink before she turns back to the hurt woman. “So, what’s your name?”
“Tara.” Tara mumbles, letting the woman gently ease Buffy’s shirt from her face.
“He got you good, didn’t he?” The nurse winces at the swelling and bruising already obvious. “Here, go ahead and keep this on, let me get a few things.”
Tara places Buffy’s bloody shirt back against her face as she watches the nurse go over to the drawers pulling out different items.
Nurse Richards pulls out some gauze pads and antiseptic to clean away some of the blood while pulling out a couple disposable ice packs. Setting the items down besides Tara, she gently eases the shirt from the wounded woman, turning her gaze briefly towards the other blonde writing the information on the forms, finally noticing the open jacket with no shirt underneath. Shaking her head, she turns back to Tara and gently cleans her face. “Well, it looks like your nose has pretty much stopped bleeding.” Wincing at the swollen, split lip, she dabs gently at the wound. “You’re going to need about three stitches in your lip, dear. Let me see where the doctor is. Put this on your lip and nose.”
Tara watches as the nurse breaks the ingredients in the disposable ice pack and shakes it up quickly before handing it to her. Wincing as she places it against her face, Tara looks over at Buffy.
Buffy bites her inner cheek as she fills out the form, glancing up after a little while to look at Tara. “Are you allergic to anything, medicine wise?”
“No.” Tara answers softly watching as Buffy nods and looks back down filling in the information.
“I put my name and information down as contact information.” Buffy explains quietly as she looks back over the form. “Do you have your insurance card from the college?” Buffy stands and accepts Tara’s purse as she hands it to her.
“In the wawwet.” Tara sighs quietly.
“Why don’t you lay back, until the doctor or nurse comes back?” Buffy suggests softly as she notices the weariness crossing Tara’s face. “Here.” Buffy sets the items down to the side and gently lifts the Wiccan’s legs, turning her so she’s lying down on the examining bed. Opening the cabinets, she finally comes across a covered pillow and places it on the bed under Tara’s head. Buffy brushes her hand over Tara’s forehead, smiling softly down at her. “I guess I should be thankful you don’t have a girlfriend. She’d probably kick my ass for letting you get hurt.”
Tara chuckles, then, moans as she feels her lip pull. “I can kick ath mythef, don’t need thomeone to do it fow me.” Tara mumbles, her eyes twinkling as she presses the ice a little more firmly against her lip.
“I saw that.” Buffy nods her head in acknowledgement. “So, now I know that you are a kick ass Wiccan that makes sure her lovers are completely satisfied.” Buffy jokes softly.
“Uh, uh. Not getting me there, again, swayer. That’s what got me in this meth.” Tara jokes back. “Think it made him jeawous.”
Buffy blushes and glances away for a few seconds before shaking her head, not able to look in Tara’s eyes. “That wasn’t it at all, Tara.” Buffy whispers.
“Buffy?” Tara questions, frowning as Buffy continues to look away from her. Reaching her hand out, she grabs Buffy’s arm and squeezes gently. “Pwease?”
Buffy swallows and slowly drops her gaze back down to Tara’s eyes. “He sensed something, and I think that’s what set him off.” Buffy partially explains, unable to admit out loud what the reason was.
Tara starts to question Buffy again when the Doctor comes barreling in, stopping to yank on gloves. Sighing heavily at the interruption, Tara watches as Buffy quickly sits back down.
“So, I understand that you had a run in with a mugger.” The doctor pulls the ice pack away and presses on Tara’s nose, ignoring her wince and grunt of pain. “Well, your nose isn’t broken.” He inspects her bottom lip, nodding at the split. “You’re going to need a couple stitches in that to keep it from re-opening.”
Buffy quietly growls at the doctor’s insensitive inspection of Tara before her eyes turn towards the nurse as she rolls a tray in.
“Go ahead and numb her lip, I’ll be back in a few minutes to stitch it.” He snaps off his gloves, throwing them in the receptacle before striding out.
“Asshole.” Buffy snarls after the doctor, her eyes flashing with anger.
“That he is, but he’s good.” Nurse Richards admits as she looks at Tara’s nose. “I’ve got some gauze to place in your nose, just in case it starts bleeding again, okay?”
“’Kay.” Tara mumbles and winces briefly as the nurse places them in her nose.
“The shot will probably hurt worse than the split lip.” The Nurse smiles apologetically at the young woman.
“It’s ‘kay, got used to it when I wath younger.” Tara mumbles as she closes her eyes, missing the startled gaze coming from Buffy.
Gently administering the shot, the nurse tosses the needle into the specially marked receptacle before coming back and gently pressing some gauze against the still bleeding lip. Waiting a few minutes the nurse smiles at Tara. “Is it numb yet?”
Tara unconsciously lifts her hand and taps her finger against her lip, before nodding. “Yethh, it is.” Tara mumbles even worse with her mouth not wanting to cooperate.
Nurse Richards chuckles quietly. “Let me get the doctor in here. I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be back.” Buffy stands up and strides out of the examining room, as certain things cycle around in her head that Tara had said that night. Practically running out of the hospital, Buffy inhales deeply as she makes it out to the cool night air. Striding back and forth in front of the hospital, Buffy’s mind shies away from the remembrance of Tara going off when she mentioned rape, and settles on the less horrifying thought of Tara obviously used to pain, shots and stitches from her younger days. Clenching her hands till they hurt, Buffy growls angrily into the quiet night at the thought of her family, and God knows who else, doing things to that kind woman that no one should have to put up with.
Buffy’s unaware of the passing time until the Nurse comes outside.
“Umm. Miss?” Nurse Richards finally catches the attention of the petite woman who’s practically wearing a groove in the concrete. “Miss Maclay is ready to leave now. We wrote her a prescription for pain pills, and suggest that she keeps her nose and lip iced as much as possible to help with the swelling. The best thing is probably rest for a couple days.”
“I’ll see to it.” Buffy nods her head as she follows the nurse back into the hospital. “I need to call a cab, that way we don’t have to walk home.” Buffy starts to dig in her pockets and look around for a payphone when the nurse hands her the phone. When the nurse hands her a list with the different cab companies on it, Buffy chuckles softly. “Thanks.”
“No problem. I’ll go get Miss Maclay and bring her around front.” Nurse Richards sighs quietly as she walks back to the examining room.
