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Chapter 16 – Schism

(“And there goes her friend” Tori Amos – Bells For Her)

 

                “Willow?” Dawn asked with a perplexed look as she walked down the front steps that led up to the opening to the school.  “What are you doing here?”  Willow strolled up to her younger sister and put an arm around her shoulder.

                “I’m picking my little sister up from school.  Is that ok?”  Dawn gave her old sister a cockeyed look from a tilted head.

                “I guess so…  Am I in trouble?” Dawn asked in a cautious tone.

                “No,” Willow replied and then paused.  “Should you be?”

                “No!” Dawn said in a loud tone.  “Geez.”  Willow grinned as she led her sister out of the school lot to her car.  “So, have you met Tara’s new boyfriend?” Dawn asked as she bit into an apple that she had pulled out of her lunch bag.  Willow stifled a groan at her little sister’s comment.

                “Yeah, I met him last night.”  The redhead forced a calming breath.  “He seems like a nice enough guy.  When did you meet him?” Willow asked out of curiosity.

                “He came by this morning to take Tara to school about the same time I left.”  Dawn took a huge bite out of her apple as Willow continued on with her driving, talking in between loud crunches.  “I don’t know.  I don’t think I like him, he’s all smiles and stuff.  He’s like one of those people that would seem to look like that mental picture of what a ‘stranger’ looks like that mom always warned us about.”  Willow bit back the urge to agree with Dawn.

                “Listen Dawn, we need to be supportive of Tara’s new boyfriend.  In all my time knowing her I don’t think she’s been out with anyone and I think that who ever this guy is, I think he makes her happy.”  Willow paused for a second, then said out of the corner of her mouth, “Besides, I checked out his history online and he seems to be on the up and up.”

                “Hey, how come I don’t get to check people out online!?” Dawn asked in an incredulous tone.

                “Because, it’s a special Slayer privilege.  That’s why…” Willow said.

                Dawn let out a ‘pff’ sound as she took the last possible bite from her apple and chewed it aggressively.

                Willow decided to change the subject and for the rest of the car ride home the two talked about school and Dawn’s new social circle that she was currently hanging out with.  Willow found her self biting her tongue every once in a while, forcing herself not to lecture her little sister with warnings and precautions.  Finally the two made it home and Dawn hurriedly jumped out of the car and raced up the front porch to the house, clearly excited about something that Willow had no clue of.

                “Dawn, what’s with the rush?” Willow yelled out as she closed her car door and made sure the vehicle was locked up.

                “I wanna get the last soda before you, there’s only one more left!” Dawn replied back loudly as she opened the door and flew into the house with out bothering the close it behind her.  Willow let out a small eep and turned to rush into the house.  The Slayer bounded up the front porch in one leap and began running as fast as she could through the house to the kitchen.  As Willow turned her first corner at full speed she felt herself slam into Tara, toppling her friend to the ground with her cascading down onto the blonde.

                “Tara!” Willow exclaimed in a horrified voice.  “Oh, oh I’m so sorry, I was just—“  Both Willow and Tara turned to look as Dawn came strolling past the two with the last soda in the house in her hand, smiling evilly as she took a long drink form the can.  Willow quickly turned her attention away from Tara, whom she was still collapsed on, as she looked up at Dawn.  “Hey Dawnie, you wouldn’t want to give your older sister a little drink of that would ya?”  Willow tried to use the most pleading voice she could muster.

                “Dream on,” was Dawn’s only response as she strolled up the stairs into her bedroom.  Willow sighed and frowned briefly as she hung her head in defeat, at which point she suddenly realized that she was still laying atop of Tara.  Willow paused as she looked down at her friend, the blonde’s hair laying about in a cute mussy manner, and forced out of her mind the sudden idea to bend her head down and kiss Tara softly on the mouth.

                “Oh, hey…” Willow said in a nervous voice as she stood up and reached out a hand to Tara.  “Sorry about that, I was just—“

                “Trying to get the last pop, I know.”  Tara grinned as she held on to her friend’s hand and pulled herself up.  Willow gave a bashful smile back to her friend.

                “You ok?  I was kinda full speedy there when I hit ya,” Willow said as she started following Tara into the kitchen.

                “Yeah, I’m fine.”  Tara moved in closer to Willow and lowered her voice to a whisper which sent a tingly shiver through the redhead’s body.  “Don’t tell Dawn but I,” Tara stood up on her tip toes and reached her hand up and opened a cupboard that was over the refrigerator.  Willow watched in bafflement as her friend’s face contorted in time with her hand shuffling about in the cabinet.  Finally after a moment, Tara exhaled noisily as she brought down a six pack of generic local soda, and then proceeded to smirk as she watched Willow’s face light up in astonishment.

                “Tara!” Willow exclaimed as she took the pop from her friend and held it close.

                “I’ve been keeping just in case you ever ran out.”  Tara let out a little chuckle.  “I thought it would probably be a wise idea, just incase you ever ran out and couldn’t get any.  I know what I’m like if I don’t have any coffee around and I don’t think anyone wants to see a Slayer on a caffeine withdrawal.”  Willow set the soda down on the counter and drew her friend into a tight hug.

                “Thank you,” Willow said as she felt Tara hug her back gently.  Willow paused for a moment, secretly enjoying her friends hold and then, after a bit, Willow stepped back, took a pop can out of one of the plastic rings and promptly put the rest of the soda back up in its hiding hole in the cupboard above the refrigerator.  “Hey listen Tara, about last night,” Willow said in a soft voice as she opened up her beverage.  “I kinda got extra pushy on you and you didn’t deserve that.”  Willow tried to affect her best ‘Pouty I’m Sorry Face’ that she could.  “I was kinda worried was all you know?  You’re really special to me and sometimes I just feel that no one’s good enough for my Tara.”

                “It’s ok.  I know I overreacted as well.  I just really want you two to like each other is all I think, both of you mean a lot to me,” Tara said as she smiled at her friend.

                “Ok, best Slayer behavior,” Willow held up her right hand, “On my honor.”  The redhead took another sip of her drink as she leaned against the counter.  “And besides,” the Slayer said in a sly voice, “I checked up on him today.  Did you know Alex is a football star?  You and a football star…”  Willow lowered her voice to a mumble, “Didn’t see that coming at all.”

                “You spent the day checking up on my boyfriend?” Tara said in an incredulous tone.  “Willow how could you?  Did you even bother going to work?”

                “Well I... kinda called in sick,” Willow replied, getting the sinking feeling like that of a child caught in doing something that had truly hurt their parent’s feelings.  “I was just making sure that Alex was right for you was all,” the redhead said in a meek voice.

                “Isn’t that my decision?” Tara said in a tone that made any reply unwanted as she brushed past her friend to walk upstairs.  Willow turned herself towards the refrigerator hit her head against the door with a dull thump.

                “I’m not stupid.  Really.  See?  See the GPA, see how it’s high?  Nope, not stupid here at all.  Yep, real smart.”  Willow exhaled heavily.  “Damn it.”  Willow stood in the kitchen for a while, still, lost in her thoughts before she finally turned around and headed for the living room where she picked up her sword and started for the door.

                “Hey Willow, where ya headed?” Dawn’s voice said from behind.  Willow paused and turned around.

                “I’m headed out on patrol for a while Dawn, I’ll be back later.”  Dawn gave a curious look at the comment.

                “Isn’t it a little early?  It’s three thirty, it isn’t even dark yet.  Besides, I thought we could---“

                “I just have to head out Dawn, I’ll be back later,” Willow responded, cutting of her little sister.  “If you need anything, Tara’s upstairs.  She…  I’ll be back later Dawnie.”  Willow turned around quickly and stepped out of the door down the porch steps in a determined march.  The younger sister looked around the vacant lower level of the house and promptly turned to head up the stairs to Tara’s door.  Dawn paused for a moment and then knocked loudly on the young blonde’s room.  Dawn watched as Tara opened the door with a disconcerted look on her face.

                “Hey Tara,” Dawn said.  The younger girl watched as a trace of confusion played across the the blonde’s face for a moment.

                “Oh, hey Dawn, what’s up?” Tara asked in her usual soft tone.  Dawn walked into Tara’s room and sat down on the bed as Tara moved over to her desk, sitting at her chair.

                “I was wondering if you wanted to hang out today, maybe go to the mall or something?  We could eat milkshakes and go window shopping and play with the animals in the pet store.  You know, tap on the fish bowl glass and make the tiny fishies think they’re having a mini fishworld quake and stuff,” Dawn said as she looked expectantly at Tara.  The blonde gave a pained looked back at Willow’s little sister.

                “I’m sorry Dawn, I can’t.  I have a date with Alex later on, we’re heading out to a movie.”  Tara tried to smile a little.  “Maybe next week sometime?  How’s that sound?”

                “Are you sure you’re not gunna be out with Alex?” Dawn said in a defeated tone.

                “Come on Dawn, not you too.”  Tara gave a feint grimace.

                “Me too what?” Dawn asked.

                “Just because you and Willow are sisters doesn’t mean you both have to hate Alex.”

                “It’s not that I hate Alex.”  Dawn became quiet.  “It’s just that I don’t really like him all that much is all.  And what makes you think that Willow hates him anyways?” Dawn asked puzzled.

                “She just doesn’t seem to want to give him a chance.  We’ve already had two arguments about him and she just met him yesterday.  I just want everyone to like him is all.”  Tara hoped that Dawn understood.

                “Willow is trying to like him.”  Dawn proceeded to clear her throat loudly as she tried to affect her best ‘Willow’ voice possible.  “Listen Dawn, we need to be supportive of Tara’s new boyfriend,” Dawn said in the tone of her older sister.  “She just said that to me today.”

                “I’m sorry for getting upset at you Dawn,” Tara said sympathetically, pausing for a moment and hoping the Willow’s sister would accept her apology.

                “It’s alright,” Dawn replied.  “What time is Alex showing up anyways?”  Tara smiled.

                “Around four.”  Tara thought for a second.  “Ya, you wanna help me pick out something to wear?”

                “Sure,” Dawn said brightly at the chance to do something.

 

Chapter 17 – Peripheral Examination

(“The poetry that comes from the squaring off” Tool – Schism)

 

                Willow quietly snuck up on the sleeping Spike in his crypt as she smiled wryly as she rested her hands against the mattress he was currently resting on.  The redhead figured he must have been out drinking and carousing the night before because the vampire fallen asleep above the covers fully clothed, not even bother to take his jacket off.

                “Earthquake!” Willow yelled at the top of her lungs and she quickly shook the vampire’s bed with Slayer like force.  “Earthquake Spike!  Duck and cover, it’s the big one!”  Spike felt the world spin about him as he worked through his hangover haze and quickly jumped from his bed, falling face first onto the floor, scrambling for the desk near the wall to hole up under.  After a moment, the vampire realized that the only thing spinning was his head as he watched Willow double up in laughter near the mattress he had been sleeping on.

                “What the hell is that all about Poppie?” Spike asked in a demanding tone.

                “Oh, oh you should have seen your face Spike,” Willow said between gasps of breath and laughter.  “Oh, it was priceless.”  The redhead rested for a moment as she caught her breath. 

                “I’m happy for you,” Spike said in a distracted sarcastic voice as she he stood up and brushed off the dust that had gathered on him from his shuffle across the floor.  “Mind telling me what it is that has caused such an enthusiastic visit?”

                “Patrolling, demon busting, the usual.”  In an attempt to reinforce her point, Willow began doing practice fight maneuvers, swinging her right leg at imaginary opponents while issuing karate movie sound effects.  Spike watched on with an unimpressed gaze until Willow proceeded to end her last round house kick with the shattering of one of Spike’s statues that was sitting on the desk that had tried to scurry under just moments ago.  “Oops!  That was me, I did that, sorry, my bad.”  The vampire rolled his eyes slightly.

                “Don’t worry about it,” Spike sighed as she grabbed his garbage can.  “Now it’s like I have eleven or twelve Nok’Toth statue’s instead of the one of a kind,” the vampire said as he started picking the pieces up off the floor.

                “Here, let me pick that up,” Willow said as she started moving to the mess on the floor that Spike was cleaning.  The blonde vampire held out his hand in motion for Willow to stop.

                “No, just…  Just stand there.  And don’t break anything.”  Spike grimaced as he picked the last piece of the artifact up and dumped it into the garbage.  Willow sat down on Spikes bed with a dull thump.

                “Sorry.  Listen Spike, I just…  Can we head out?” Willow asked with an almost hint of a pleading undertone.  Spike finished putting the last piece of the statue into the garbage can and set the container back over against the wall.  As the vampire moved over to Willow he caught a glimpse of the clock while sitting down.

                “Isn’t it a little early to be heading out?”  Willow gave Spike an unimpressed look at his question.  “Still light out?”  Spike tapped his chest with the flat side of his hand as he stated, “Vampire.”  Willow still seemed to show no sign of compassion towards Spike predicament.  “Me and the sun don’t mix, remember?  Poof, Mr. Dust.  It’s all fine and dandey if your secret weapon is to thrown me into some demon’s eyes, assuming he has eyes, after I’ve poofed out, but frankly, I’ld rather keep my boyish looks.”  Spike turned his head to the side and arched up his face to help show off his profile.  Willow sunk her head down and let out a groan.

                “Spike, you passed boyish a hundred years or so back,” Willow said.

                “Fine,” Spike said shortly as he stood up.  “It still doesn’t stop the fact that it’s too early to head out.”  Willow got up from Spike’s bed a pulled a cover off and tossed it over Spikes head who made no effort to try and catch it.  “What’s the big rush Slayer,” Spike said from under the sheet that covered his face.

                “No rush, just anxious to do my part for the SunnyDale community.  Some people help build roads and participate in homeless shelters, I slay demons and help prevent apocalypses.”  Spike proceeded to pull the sheet off his body and wrapped it up and put it under his right arm.

                “I was wondering,” Spike said as he dropped his blanket onto his bed and moved next to Willow.  “Aren’t you supposed to be on some kinda of ‘more time at home’ kick?  That sister sister bonding time you were touting so much about.”  Willow eyed the vampire wearily.

                “Listen, I just want to head out is all, if you don’t want to come, then fine.  Besides, I’m heading through the sewers anyways so you really don’t have to worry about the sun.  Are you coming or what?” Willow asked in a frank tone.  Spike sighed as he covered his draped the sheet he had just laid down back over his head and followed Willow out towards the nearest manhole cover.  The two twisted through the sewers this way and that for a while, Willow leading, heading down random tunnels with no real destination in mind.  The Slayer circled back over her same route three separate times as she wandered about, lost in thought and depression, ignoring most of Spikes comments until the vampire tugged at her shoulder, turning her around.

                “What?” Willow asked in a tone that contained a trace of anger at being stopped from her line of thinking. 

                “Willow, what’s going on?  We’ve been walking this same route for a while.  If there was anything to fight down here, I’m sure they’ve all headed somewhere else by now,” Spike said.

                “Fine, we’ll head down some where else,” Willow replied sharply as she moved away from the vampire down a tunnel way.

                “Willow, wait up.”  Spike jogged ahead of the redhead and stopped in front of her, not allowing her to move past.  “What’s wrong Poppie?” Spike asked.  Willow paused for a moment, thinking about brushing past him and continuing on, and then stopped.

                “It’s Tara.  She and I, we had a fight.  Two fights actually.  We haven’t fought in such a long time  and I don’t know what to do.  I just can’t seem to fix it.  I want to say I’m sorry and make her not mad at me anymore but the last time I tired that the words came out wrong and I just got her even more angry at me.  I…”  Willow looked at Spike with a defeated face.  “Tara’s new boyfriend.  She’s upset because I’m not giving him a fair shake, but I’m trying.  I was kinda rude to him the first time I met him but, I really am trying,” Willow said.

                “So, the blonde has a boyfriend hu?” Spike asked lightly.  “Didn’t see that comin,” the vampire added in under his breath.

                “What do you mean by that?” Willow asked, upset at the intimation that Tara couldn’t date anyone she wanted.

                “Nothing Poppie,” Spike said quickly.  “So this guy, you don’t like him?”

                “Well, I’m trying to like him.  He just kinda rubs me the wrong way ya know?” Willow replied.

                “Yeah,” Spike commented back.  “You probably just want the best for Tara right?” Spike asked as they both started walking again down the tunnel way. Willow turned to look at Spike.

                “Yeah.  I just want her to be with someone who’s right for her,” Willow said in an agreeing tone to Spike.

                “Someone who understands her?”

                “Yeah,” Willow replied

                “Someone who knows her, what she’s like?”

                “Yeah.”

                “Someone who’s been around her for a while maybe?  Who understands what she’s talking about when she starts to ramble on about her spells and all those classes she takes?”  Willow smiled at the comment.

                “Yeah,” the redhead replied in an almost wistful tone.

                “Someone like you?” Spike said in the same tone as his previous question.

                “Yeah,” Willow said smiling.  The redhead stopped for a moment and turned to her patrol partner.  “Err, not me, I mean…  You know what I mean,” Willow added lamely.

                “So when did this start?” Spike asked ignoring Willow’s last comment.  Willow gave the vampire a slightly panicked eye.

                “What do you mean by that?” Willow asked as she started walking again.

                “You in love with Tara,” Spike replied bluntly.  Willow paused in thought wondering what exactly to say.

                “I…  I don’t know.”  Willow closed her eyes hard for a moment working through her emotions.  “When I had my little fiasco a few weeks back something happened to me but…  I think I’ve felt like this for Tara for a long time I just never bothered to try and figure it out.  Or maybe I didn’t want to, or maybe it was something else, I don’t know.  I know that she’s always meant a lot to me and now I’m losing her to some guy I don’t even know.  I’m trying real hard to be happy for her but part of me is angry and I’m just not able to shut that part off.  I want to, I honestly want to be happy for her but part of me can’t.”  Willow ran the finger tips of one of her hands across cool wall of the tunnel way they were currently walking down.

                “You tell Tara about this yet?” Spike asked.

                “No.  She doesn’t need this.  I don’t want to complicate our friendship with something that’s going to make her uncomfortable.”  Willow chuckled slightly.  “Hey Tara, I’m gay and I kinda like like you, happy birthday!”  Willow sighed.  “If I told her how I felt and drove her off Spike I don’t know what I’d do.”

                “What makes you think she’d be upset if you told her how you felt,” Spike asked as they turned another corner.

                “Hello?  Tara’s not gay, she has a boyfriend,” Willow replied.

                “You know, for being a mini genius, you’re sure not the brightest apple in the barrel.  You’re honestly going to tell me you’ve never noticed the way Tara acts around you?”  Willow gave Spike a blank stare.  “Sometimes I forget how dense you all are,” Spike groaned out.

                “Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Willow asked quickly.

                “You never noticed the big moony eye’s she looks at you with or how she blushes every single time you two hug?”  Willow crinkled her forehead.  Spike let out a loud breath, exaggerating his exasperation at Willow’s lack of understanding.  “The dream stone she gave you.”

                “What about it,” Willow retorted back.  Spike felt like he was not only dragging Willow to the water, but trying to teach her also how to drink it as well.

                “The only way that thing could be made is if the maker was in love with you, willing to sacrifice themselves for you,” Spike finished.

                “Well if that’s true,” Willow added.  “Then why is she dating some random guy?”

                “Don’t know.  Maybe she got tired of waiting.  You two have known each other for what now, two, two and a half years?  That’s a long time for someone to wait to hear ‘I love you’.  Although I never saw Tara for dating any guy really,” Spike said offhandedly.  Willow stopped walking for a moment.

                “I…  I gotta go Spike, I need to talk to Tara.  If you’re right, I…  I just need to go,” Willow said, turning suddenly and running down one of the sewer ways to the nearest exit out.

 

Chapter 18 – Incidental Discoveries

(“Your construction smells of corruption” Pigeon Head – Battle Flag)

 

                “What do you think about this one?” Tara asked as she tossed another dress behind her out of the closet towards Dawn.

                “Too fancy.  Aren’t you two just going to the movies?”

                “Yeah, you’re right,” Tara said as she continued digging through her clothes.  “I just want to make sure that I’m dressed right.”  Tara proceeded to toss another ensemble out to the bed by Dawn.  “What about that?”

                “Ooooo, I like it,” Dawn replied.  Tara gave a huff as she turned around and stepped out from her closet.  The blonde stepped over to the long blue dress and off white t-shirt she had just thrown and picked it up eyeing it carefully.  “I think the flowers are cute,” Willow’s younger sister said as she pointed to the bottom edge of the dress that Tara was now holding.  The blonde looked intently over the clothing.

                “You don’t think this is too frilly?” Tara asked as Dawn plopped down on the other’s bed.  The brunette gave a curious look.

                “But frilly is cute though.”  Dawn took the bottom half of the dress Tara was gasping into her own hands and proceeded to stick one hand over a section of the flowers that were carefully sown into the bottom and looked up at the blonde.  “See?  Not cute,” Dawn said.  The young girl then removed her hand, exposing the embroidered flora.  “Cute.”  Dawn then repeated the processes just to make sure that Tara understood the message.  “Cute, not cute.  Cute, still not cute.”

                “Ok, cute then,” Tara replied with a warm smile.  Tara ran her fingers through the folds of the clothes in her hands as her brow furrowed from her visualization of herself in the dress, standing next to Alex.

                “You’ll look fine,” Dawn said reassuringly, noticing the apprehensive look on the blonde’s face.  Tara looked away from the dress to dawn and gave a weak smile to the comment.

                “Thanks,” Tara said, feeling better from Dawn’s comment, and then froze.  Dawn gave a slight snicker at Tara’s sudden nervousness from the knock that had just come from downstairs.  Tara gave a look to Dawn that betrayed her feelings of being overwhelmed with too much.

                “Don’t worry, I’ll go answer the door while you get ready,” Dawn said as she made her way to the bedroom door.  Tara gave a relieved look and almost opened her mouth to say something but didn’t.  Dawn smiled back reassuringly and then closed Tara’s door as she made her way down to the living room, quickly running down the stairs.  Willow’s little sister opened up the front door as she looked up to see Alex on the front porch who was smiling a toothy smile, each of his teeth seemingly catching any nearby light, reflecting back into Dawn’s eyes.  Dawn forced down a sudden urge to sneer at the young man and instead only smiled politely back.

                “Hello Shaun, is Tara here?” Alex asked.  The brunette opened the front door some more and motioned for Tara’s date to step in.

                “It’ Dawn, and yeah, she’s up stairs getting ready, she’ll be a few minutes.”  The brunette opened the front door some more and motioned for Tara’s date to step in, cautiously eyeing the gentleman in the living room as he sat down.  Alex was dressed in dark brown dress shoes, clean pressed khaki pants, and a crisp off black short sleeved t-shirt.  “Hey, you want a soda?  I know where my sister’s hidden stash is at,” Dawn asked, partially to be polite, partially as an excuse to leave the room.

                “Sure,” Alex said, flashing his pearl white teeth at Dawn.  Willow’s sister turned around and headed into the kitchen, trying to shake off the goose bumps off that were on her forearms and neck.  Dawn let out a breath as she climbed up on the counter next to the refrigerator and reached up above to the cupboard above the fridge that held the cola.  Dawn pulled two cans down and headed back into the living room, handing one to Alex.

                “There you go, all the corn syrup you could want,” Dawn said.  She couldn’t quite tell if the grin on the Alex’s face was from her comment or if his face was just giving another version of one of his uncomfortable smiles.  Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her shoes as she stood silently in the living room with Tara’s date.  “Hey uh,” Dawn stumbled out.  “I’m gunna go upstairs and tell Tara you’re here.”

                “That would be wonderful,” Alex drolled out.  Dawn turned and walked quickly up stairs to Tara’s room and knocked on the door.

                “Tara,” Dawn said in an unconsciously strained voice as she knocked on the door.  “Tara, Alex is downstairs.”  Dawn waited for a moment, no answer coming from inside the room.  Dawn brought her hand up to knock again just as the door opened.  In the doorway stood Tara in her dress, a big beaming soft smile on her face, her eyes almost shining.  “Wow, you look beautiful.”

                “Thank you,” Tara said back in a genuinely thankful voice.  “Wish me luck?  Or whatever you’re supposed to wish me,” the blonde said in a nervous voice.

                “Tara I---“ Dawn said hesitantly, wanting to make a comment about Alex, and then stopping, remembering what Willow had told her earlier.  “Good luck,” Dawn said and squeezed Tara’s hand.  Dawn followed Tara downstairs and watched as the blonde timidly made her way over to Alex.  The two began exchanging pleasantries and Dawn watched as Alex stood up and put his arm out for Tara to hold on to.

                “Shall we?” Alex asked in an exaggeratedly polite tone to which Tara only smiled shyly too.  As the two walked out of the front door Alex turned to Dawn and smiled.  “Later Shaun.”  Dawn watched with a cold face as the door closed.

                “It’s Dawn,” the brunet said in a low angry tone.  Willow’s sister looked on, watching the happy couple trod down the front steps out to Alex’s car.  Alex opened up the passenger side door and gently held Tara’s hand as the blonde sat down in the car seat, then proceeded to shut the door for her.  Turning, the young man gave a final cold smile up into the house at Dawn, then turned and got into the drivers side of the car and drove off.

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