DISCLAIMER: I don't own any Buffy characters, Joss Whedon and co do. Nor do I own Garbage's "Silence is Golden." The story is copyright 2002 Kimyoo Films.

ARCHIVING: If you want it, e-mail me. I just wanna know where it is being housed.

FEEDBACK:You most certainly may if you are so inclined...Magenta.

RATING and SPOILERS: G. Nothing graphic or anything. Angsty shtuff is all. And it's only spoilery if you didn't see "Hush".

"Silence is Golden" by Magenta
copyright 2002 Kimyoo Films
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Tara was angry...she didn’t get angry very often, at least, not outwardly, but tonight she was seething. She had just returned from the Wicca group meeting where, just like every other time in her pathetic life, she was unable to be more than a lump of flesh in the corner. She wanted so much to say something, to perhaps impress the redhead who seemed to be truly interested in the Craft, instead of a Wanna Blessed-Be like the rest of the group.

She lay her forehead head against the wall and pounded her fist against it, her eyes shut tight.

If I am silent then I am not real
But if I speak up then no one will hear
If I wear a mask there's somewhere to hide...

Tara turned around and pushed herself away from the wall to pace her anger out. She always figured that everything happened for a reason - she was abused for a reason, her mother died for a reason, she was a daemon for a reason, but this…there was no reason for it. Not in her mind. She wanted to be able to talk to the friendly-looking redhead, to get to know her. But, of course, she couldn't do anything more than squeak pathetically and hide behind her hair.

Silence is Golden
I have been broken
Safe in my own skin
So nobody wins

Now, all that ran through her head was that the redhead must hate her, just like the rest of the Wicca group did, all because she was…different. She can't help being so painfully shy, especially when her Inner Daemons whispered to her how disgusting and evil she was. She thought maybe the redhead would have understood…she looked compassionate. Maybe she could even help her with her problem.

Oh, but Tara could NEVER tell the redhead that she was a daemon, or would turn into one when she turned twenty…what would she think of her other than, "Ooh…gotta get away from the daemon-girl..."

No…perhaps it was better this way, to love her from afar so she wouldn't get hurt, like Donnie and Daddy always said would happen.

If I raise my voice will someone get hurt
And if I can't feel then I won't get touched
If no truths are spoken then no lies can hide

All she wanted to do, though, was talk to her, say hi...maybe go out for coffee. Is that so wrong? Was she so wrong for wanting that, even if it meant possible death for the redhead?

*God, why am I so stupid?!* she yelled at herself. *Of course I'm wrong. No one like that would want anything to do with me...I mean, look at me. I'm nothing and she's...well...something.*

Silence is Golden
Nobody gets in
Safe in my own skin
So nobody wins

Tara flopped down on her bed and looked at the celestial poster she pinned above her bed. *Something's got to give...I can't be like this forever...* She sighed. *Please, god...let something happen to bring me to Willow...force me to talk to her...* Did you hear me speak
Do you understand
Did you hear my voice
Will you hold my hand
Do you understand me

The blonde squeezed her cerulean eyes shut, forcing tears from the bottomless wells of her eyes to the soft skin of her temples. She didn't want to cry anymore. In frustration, she turned over onto her stomach and punched her mattress, but it didn't help.

Won't someone listen
Nobody gets in
My body's a temple
But nothing is simple
Silence is golden
I have been broken
Something was stolen
Safe in my own skin

Eventually, as the sun disappeared below the horizon, Tara wiped away the drying trails of her tears and sat up. Then, with her jaw set in determination, the blonde stood and went over to her desk to find the student directory and looked up Willow's name - 214 Stevenson Hall.

She took a deep breath, then tried to say, "Okay Tara, you can do this," but found she had no voice. She tried to say anything, scream, trill, yodel, anything, but no sound was forthcoming.

*Oh, this just FIGURES! I finally get up the courage to talk to her and I get laryngitis.*

Disheartened, Tara sat back down on her bed and stared at the floor.

Little did she know that all around campus, voices were being stolen from everyone - talkative and introverted alike. Soon, everyone would know what it was like to be Tara for a day or two…even though the hideous agenda of the Gentlemen was forefront on most of their minds.

However, she never would have guessed that the silence that she so cursed normally gave her the courage to find Willow the next evening and link their powers together for a spell while hiding from the Gentlemen in the laundry room.

The Beginning...

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