Forever, Always, and Then SomeChapter 77
At Angel Investigations
Upstairs Buffy: Whoa, I think we need to stop now. Angel: Why, I was enjoying myself and I know you were too. Buffy: A little too much. That is the problem. Angel: Not too much. I will let you know when it is too much. You know, you are like a musical instrument of sorts. Buffy: What are you talking about? Angel: Oh if I stroke you just the right way, you make the most amazing sounds. He looks at her. Angel: Your blushing. Don’t be embarrassed, I love it. Buffy: You seem to know how to please me. Guess it is your years of experience. Angel: Not really. I never cared about pleasing before, just about being pleased. Buffy: Well you learned something along the way. Angel: Now can we get back to the uh kissing and the music making. Buffy: I wish I could please you too. Angel: Hey, remember Friday night….you pleased oh yeah you pleased. Buffy: (smiles) I think we both did then Angel: Enough talking. He leans in and muffles any further response with his mouth. His hands continue their exploration of her body. She quivers under his touch.
Downstairs. Cordelia: Angel Investigations, we help the hopeless. Cordy runs up the stairs and barrels into the room without knocking. She quickly realizes what she has interrupted and turns around. Cordy: Sorry. Xander is on the phone. There has been a bad accident. Buffy jumps up and runs from the room. Angel follows more slowly. He walks by Cordy. Cordy: I am not even going to ask what was going on here. Angel: Good idea. Cordy: I just hope you haven’t gone too far. Angel: What you saw has been going on for months. Angel heads downstairs and Cordy follows.
On the street. Xander: They are taking them to the hospital. We will meet you there. Oh UCLA. Yes it is bad. But they are both alive. They hang up
At the hotel Angel: Anyone hurt? Buffy: Willow and Tara. They are on their way to UCLA Hospital. Dawn and Oz are okay. Just a few cuts and bruises. Angel: Cordy can you stay with Conner? Cordy: Of course. Go. They head to the car and the hospital.
In the emergency room. Oz, Dawn, Xander and Anya are in the waiting room. The nurse comes out. Nurse: Are you folks with the two young ladies from the accident? Oz: Yes, how are they? Nurse: The doctors are with them. We just need to ask a few questions. Are any of you related? Xander: No. Nurse: Have you contacted their family? Xander: Willow’s parents are in Europe on an extended vacation and Tara has nothing to do with her family. Nurse: Okay, well can you try and find the parents, they may be needed to give consents later on. Xander: I will try and find Willow’s but we have no idea where to even try to find Tara’s. After meeting them one time I particularly don’t want to either. Nurse: Try. I need to know one more thing. Because of all the tests, we need to know if it is possible either woman is pregnant? Dawn: No. They are both gay. Nurse: Oh, okay. Are they involved with each other? Dawn: Yes. Nurse: Thank you. She turns to leave and Oz follows her out of sight of the others. Oz: Miss. Nurse: Yes? Oz: Can I talk to you in private? Nurse: Sure. Oz: I don’t think it really means much but well Willow and I. Well we just started trying this morning to have a baby. So she probably is not pregnant but well. Nurse: Oh, I thought she was…..never mind. Just this morning? Oz: It was her perfect time….elevated body temperature. Nurse: Okay. I am glad we know. I will note it in the chart. Too early to test but we need to be aware. Oz: Thanks Oz joins the others.
Buffy and Angel come in. Dawn runs and hugs Buffy. Dawn: They look bad Buffy. Really bad. Buffy: What have they said? Xander: Nothing. Just to find their parents. Something about possible decisions. Buffy: Well that is good. Decisions mean………well no decisions mean….. Xander: We know what you mean. Buffy: Good. Where is Anya? Xander: Trying to find out where Willow’s mom and dad might be in Europe. Buffy: Good. And Tara. Xander: We don’t have any idea where to start and I don‘t….. The doctor enters. Doctor: You are with Willow and Tara? Buffy: Yes, how are they? Doctor: Not good but both are alive. Willow has a broken arm, two broken ribs that we know of. She also hit her head and is unconscious, which is not a good sign but her pupils are reactive and she reacts to painful stimuli. Xander: English doc. Doctor: I don’t see perceive any permanent damage but until she wakes up we won’t know one hundred percent for sure. Dawn: And Tara? Doctor: Tara has much more severe injuries. We have rushed her to surgery. We will know more later. They are taking Willow upstairs to ICU. The nurse can show you up. Buffy: Thank you. Angel: Come on honey lets go upstairs. They arrive upstairs. And are lead to waiting room. Buffy: Can we see Willow? Nurse: Not yet. We will let you know. They sit. Angel sits down beside Buffy. Dawn walks up and he reaches up his hand and tugs her down on his other side. Dawn buries her face in his chest and cries. Buffy sits and rocks. Buffy: This is not fair. How much more do they expect me to take? Willow and Tara? She just told me today that Tara is considering moving back in soon. Oz: She told me too. Dawn: She is. Tara is moving back in? Buffy: Yes. Dawn: Then she has to get better. They both do. Xander: Of course they do.
Hours pass as they wait. Finally a doctor comes in and sits down. Doctor: Have you found their parents? Xander: We are trying to find Willow’s but we have no idea where Tara’s family even lives. We only met them one time and she hates them. Doctor: I see. We really need a family member to make some decisions. Angel: What kind of decisions? Doctor: Currently Tara is being kept alive by life support. Her head trauma is severe and she is clinically brain dead. Dawn: No. Buffy: Angel take Dawn out of her please. Angel: Come on Dawn. Lets go for a walk. Dawn: I don’t want to. Angel: Come on. You can help me find some juice or milk for Buffy. They head out. Buffy: Sorry, doctor, my sister and Tara were close. I think it is because they both lost their mothers while in high school and well both feel abandoned by their fathers too. Sorry, rambling. Doctor: Are you her guardian? Buffy: Yes. Doctor: Court approved? Buffy: Yes? Doctor: I am no lawyer mind you but a judge might consider you a viable guardian for Tara. Buffy: And then I would have to make all the decisions? Doctor: Unfortunately yes. Xander: Buffy, someone has too. Willow would trust you. Buffy: What a bout you Xander? Doctor: You have already been examined and approved by the courts. The judge might lean more toward you. Buffy: How? Doctor: Start with a lawyer. Buffy: Oz find Angel and tell him to get Lindsay over here stat. Doctor: One more thing. If we discontinue the life support, are you willing to allow her to be a donor? Buffy just stares at him. Doctor: You think about it. The doctor leaves. Buffy: I can’t do this. Xander : Yes you can, you are not alone. You are never alone. Angel walks in. Angel: Why do you need Lindsay? Xander: We need him to get a judge to appoint a guardian for Tara. Someone to make the decisions. Angel: Who? Buffy: Me. I already have passed the court assessments. Angel: Can you do this? I don’t want you to overdue. Buffy: I won’t be doing it alone. Buffy looks at the others. Angel: I will get him.
Less than an hour later Lindsay arrives and they tell him what they need and he speaks to the doctor and goes off to call a judge. Buffy: Okay, if the judge approves this, we will make the decisions together. Dawn: I can’t do this. I need to go for another walk. Angel: Want me to go with you? Dawn: No, not this time. Dawn walks down the hall and around a corner and runs right into Pike. Dawn: Pike? Pike: Hi Dawn. Are you okay? I went by the hotel to see Gunn and they told me about your friends. Are they going to be okay? Dawn: Willow is. Pike: Good. Dawn: But the doctor said Tara is brain dead. Pike: Oh, I am sorry. She had a beautiful voice. Dawn walks away and Pike follows her. Pike: You shouldn’t be alone. Dawn: I am always alone. Pike: With Buffy and all her friends, I doubt it. Dawn: Tara was the only one who ever really noticed me. Pike: Who could help but notice you. Dawn: Everyone. Pike: I don’t believe you. Dawn heads down a stairwell with Pike behind her. Pike: Stop. Lets just sit down and talk. Dawn: About what. How my sister is going to have to tell them to disconnect the life support? How my one true friend is dead? How my life really sucks? Pike: If that is what you want to talk about sure. But I would prefer talking about you and what a bright young lady you are. And what a good dancer you are. Dawn: I dance good? Pike: Of course you do and you know it. They sit on the stairs and start talking.
In the waiting room, they wait for Lindsay to return from seeing the judge. Anya rushes in. Anya: I found them. I finally found them. They are in Galway. They want to talk to Buffy. Buffy: Okay. She leaves. Angel: Galway. Nice town. Anya: You’ve been there? Angel: I was born in Ireland Anya: Oh that’s right but I bet it has changed a lot. Angel: Probably. Let me check on Buffy. As he nears the phone he notices Lila getting off the elevator and head for the nurses station. He steps into the shadows and listens. Lila: I am looking for the family of a Wilma Rosenberg and a Tara McClay. Nurse: They are in the waiting room over there. As Lila heads for the waiting room Angel steps in front of her. Lila: Uh Angel. Angel: Fancy meeting you here. Come to pay respects to one of your many victims. Lila: No I have legal matters to handle for a client. Angel: I don’t think you have a client in that room so I think you should move along. Lila: You don’t scare me. I have business to take care of. Angel: I don’t think so. Lindsay walks up behind Lila. Lindsay: Well hello Lila. Wondered how long before you showed up. Lila: Lindsay. What are you doing here? I thought you left town. Lindsay: I did. But hey I’m back. Lila: Glad to see that. Now I have something to take care of. Lindsay: I don’t think so. I just had a judge sign a restraining order for all employees of Wolfram and Hart. They are not to come with 100 yards of any of the victims or their friends and families of today’s accident. Lila: But how? Lindsay: As soon as I saw the name of the driver I knew you or another associate would show. Sorry Lila. But no showdown tonight. It will have to wait until court. And you know I don’t often lose. Bye now. Lila: Stalks back to the elevator. Angel: Want to fill me in. Lindsay: Just say the gut driving the SUV is a top client of Wolfram and Hart. Angel: Oh and she was his clean up crew. Lindsay: More or less. Angel: Do really want to go up against them? Lindsay: I look forward to it. If you all hire me that is. Angel: We might. |
© 2005 Tara