Nominated for: 
Author: xyellowrosetRating: NC-17
Summary: This is an A/U that starts with Tara being shot and runs from there – but as much as anything else, it's also a character study of Spike.
Characters/Pairings: Spike/Buffy, Willow/Tara, Xander/Anya and pretty much all the usual suspects.
Warnings: Multiple character deaths.
Rating: Mature
Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the characters therein are the intellectual property of Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, and Twentieth Century Television. This derivative work of fanfiction belongs to me and may not be reproduced or redistributed in whole or in part, in like or in kind, without my express written permission.
Thank you: Thank yous go to shellysmk for the prodding and encouragement and to lanchid for telling me the idea was a good one and to uisge_beatha for pushing me to not just gloss over the details but to take the time needed to flesh things out and finally to beambeans for the probing questions and ego strokings that served to actually make me want to write for the first time in a long time.
Notes: I don't really know where this idea came from. It's one of the few story ideas where I got the beginning and the end almost right away and was only left to flesh out the middle.
The story and chapter titles come from a Suzanne Vega song of the same title.
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Prologue - Shouting Through the Roar
Chapter One - Thickening of Fear
Chapter Two - Denies the Memories of the Acts
Chapter Three - There's Something in my Blood
Chapter Four - The Details and the Facts
Chapter Five - I Can't Really Hear You
