Fuzz: You're always one of the first to reply, thank you for that. Your phrase 'passionately destined' I just loved it, it sums up their relationship perfectly. As for that last update, yes, poor Willow, ouchie indeed. The good news is that she has Tara to kiss all her boo-boos better.
and praise you.
Onyx: I aim to please. At least I aim to not put kittens to sleep.
Cause I know sometimes I go off on a tangent and well...who wants to read a fic that resembles a moldy old professors lesson?
Rose: It will be resolved, but not very soon I'm afraid.A little patience, please?
Bluewillowwitch: Who was that masked woman? Well that seems to be the question of the hour. Sorry I can't tell you. I mean, I could tell you, but then I'd have to tie you up in my room until I completed the fic so you couldn't tell anyone else. So let's just keep it hush-hush!
Shuyaku: They could be the big bads
or Not
I hope that cleared everything up for you.
And Yes 'This little Wiccan' will have closure as soon as I finish up this little doozy of a tale I wrapped myself up in.
Sj: I just love Norse Mythology and I had waited for an excuse to use a tale or two for the longest time. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Sam: An E.H fan? So if you also love italian food, scuba diving and going to the movies we really should date.
Stillwaters: I'm really happy that the response to the Norse mythology part has been so positive. thank you.
UPDATE:
Tara waited patiently while Buffy went from one locksmith to another trying to identify the key that Willow had given her. She stepped out of the car to buy a newspaper when she felt someone twirling her by the arm. She gasped in surprise. “ D-Donnie…”
Donald Maclay sneered, baring his teeth like a wolf and squeezed his sister’s arm in a rough manner. “ Hello sis, been busy? Forget to call me perhaps?”
Tara twisted away from his grip and refused to let her tears fall. “ I’m sorry Donnie, but there’s been nothing to report really. They don’t seem to know anything more than you do.”
The dusty blonde man looked at his sister with questioning eyes. “ I better not find out that you’re lying.” He warned in a menacing tone.
Just then Buffy walked out of the shop Donald Maclay caught a glimpse of her and walked away shooting Tara a warning stare.
Buffy eyed Tara’s demeanor suspiciously. “ Was that your brother I just saw you talking with?”
Tara nodded and forced herself to smile. “ Yes, he just wanted to say hello and tell me that he’ll call me tonight at Willow’s place.”
Buffy nodded and made a mental note to keep a closer watch on one Tara Maclay and also to add her words of warning to her best friend and boss, because right now she had a bad feeling that wouldn’t go away.
+++
Carmine enlightened me about my father’s death. He swore to me it had been an accident and I believed him. Thank God for small mercies. He said if there had been even a small measure of proof that Mickey had had something to do with it, war or no war he would’ve taken Malone out himself.
At least that was one less burden on my mind. I called up my crew and told them to take an early night; we would meet up and share information in the morning. I was tired and sore. All I really wanted to do was go home and soak in the tub for a week.
Buffy took Tara home and waited for me to arrive before taking off in a happy mood, cause according to her that ‘dream boat’ of an officer had finally asked her out on a date.
I smiled at her enthusiasm and because the smells coming from the kitchen reminded me that my own ‘dream boat’ was somewhere near. All was not well, but the thought of seeing Tara and holding her in my arms was enough to brighten my dark day. I knew there were other things I should be thinking of doing at the moment, but I was weary and just wanted to pretend for awhile that everything was or could be alright.
I stepped into the kitchen and leaned against the frame. Tara was busily chopping up some vegetables and singing along with the radio. >So along with everything else she can also sing like an angel< I thought in wonderment. “ Hi honey I’m home.” I said with a touch of mirth to my voice.
She turned around quickly and a bright smile brightened her features. As soon as the smile appeared it disappeared as she took in my battered features and she made her way to me in a hurry. “ What happened to your face?” she asked furrowing her brow and examining my cheek.
I shrugged my shoulders and captured her hands. “ It’s nothing I got jumped by some weirdoes outside the university. I’ll tell ya about it later. It’s not so bad.”
“ It’s swelling.” She stated heading for the fridge. “ Here put this on your face.”
I obeyed and put the slab of meat over my eye. My face was serious but inside I was beaming at the attention that she was giving me.
She frowned. “ Quit the scowling looks, it’s for your own good. I’ll get you an aspirin later and some salt water compresses.”
I tried to protest and she silenced me with a quick hand gesture. “ No arguments please. Let me take care of you.” Her eyes fell to the ground and her voice trembled slightly. “ After all it is my fault that you keep getting hurt.”
I put the steak down and held her by the shoulders. “ Hey now kid…that’s not entirely true I could’ve said no to this whole wacky case you know.”
Some tears were free falling down her cheeks. “ Why did you say yes?”
I looked deeply into her twin pools of blue. “ Don’t you know by now?”
She shook her head from side to side. “ You Tara. It’s all about you.” I said before kissing her tears away, one by one.
Dinner was forgotten, as we got lost in each other once again. The salt from her tears and the sweetness of her mouth made for a bittersweet kind of kiss. She held on to me tightly almost desperately. I could understand that feeling perfectly. I couldn’t help but wonder if it would always be like this with us, not knowing whether we would lose each other from one moment to the next, loving each other on what seemed to be borrowed time. Time can be a friend or a trained killer after all; I hoped it could befriend us, at least for a while.
+++
Willow kissed Tara eagerly as Tara’s arms pulled her closer, as close as two bodies could get without actually merging. Willow began to suck on Tara’s full bottom lip as she ran her hands up under Tara’s silk blouse. She parted Tara’s lips with her tongue and began to explore the warmth of her lover’s succulent mouth. Tara moaned her approval and her hands moved between them to cup Willow’s breasts. The blonde savored the sensation of the redhead’s small, pert globes pushing into her palms.
Red’s hands also felt their way up Tara’s body until they came to the swell of the blonde’s firm full breasts. She fondled the bountiful flesh and shut her eyes tight reveling in the heat coursing through her body. Her tongue engaged in a sensual slow dance with Tara’s. She sucked in a breath between kisses as she felt her lover capture her nipples between her fingers, making them ache with an impossible need. Willow plunged her tongue deeper into her lover’s mouth as the blonde rolled her erect nipples between her fingers. The redhead pushed her body into the blonde and mimicked her action taking by Tara’s nipples between her fingers and twisting them ever so slightly
Tara pushed Willow away from her slightly and began to tug on her shirt. “ I want to see you.” She said in a low, smoky tone. “ I want to touch you so badly.” She practically purred.
“ Then touch me.” Willow answered in an equally sensual tone. The blonde smiled before firmly placing her hands on Willow and tearing her shirt open, sending buttons flying all over the kitchen floor.
As Tara kissed Willow’s breasts, the detective teased the blonde’s nipples with the palms of her hands and the tips of her fingers. They pulled apart for a few seconds so Tara could finish removing Willow’s torn shirt and Willow could pull Tara’s blouse over her head. They leaned in again to share another deep and passionate kiss, running their hands wherever they could.
Both women were breathing heavily as they parted from the ardent kiss. Willow stared at her lover’s semi-exposed chest and licked her lips, focusing her sight on the full and delectable breasts heaving against the lacy material of the blonde’s bra.
Tara leaned back on the counter and brought her hands behind her back unclasping the button of her brassiere. She wiggled out of the straps and released her breasts, never taking her eyes off Willow’s green gaze. Red took her time drinking in the sight before her; she could hardly contain her excitement. Tara had been bold, yet she blushed under her lover’s lustful gaze. Willow pulled off her own bra as she continued to roam her eyes up and down the blonde’s curvaceous body.
Willow leaned in and reclaimed Tara’s lips. The kiss deepened, like their growing passion. Willow felt Tara’s body writhing within their intimate embrace. Willow’s excitement grew as their breasts caressed each other and hardened nipples dueled against hardened nipples. They rubbed their bodies together in a way that was making them both weak at the knees. "I want you.” Willow gasped out, barely breaking away from their kiss. “ Then take me.” Tara retorted in a murmur that made Willow’s toes curl inside her shoes.
With Tara still leaning back on the kitchen counter, the redhead began to kiss her face and then worked her way down to her jaw and neck. The blonde sighed as she tilted her head back, offering more of her neck up to Willow’s eager mouth. Tara clutched at the counter until her knuckles turned white when Willow’s tongue found her nipple and circled it before capturing the tip in her mouth and sucking it hard. Tara wrapped one of her legs around Willow’s waist and began grinding her mound against the redhead. Willow moaned as she felt Tara’s wetness even through the remaining barriers of clothing that still separated them. The redhead pulled back just long enough to unzip and discard Tara’s long, loose skirt. When she returned to her lover’s body they kissed again and the redhead felt Tara’s hands skillfully undoing her pants, Willow kicked off her shoes and stepped out of her pants. Clad now only in their under wear Tara once again wrapped one of her legs around Willow’s body and they slid against each other at a torrid rhythm.
Tara’s hands roamed up and down Willow’s back as they rocked against each other. Willow dipped her head down and reclaimed Tara’s nipple suckling it and biting it while she used one hand to hold her lover steady. The heat between their bodies was becoming a palpable entity. They both groaned and grunted and pleaded wordlessly for more.
Willow’s clit was hard and pulsating in tune with Tara’s wild movements against her. Tara’s body was humming and she felt every one of Willow’s caresses like a magnetic wave that traveled straight to her center.
Willow could feel the heat rising from Tara’s skin as her fingers worked their way down her body. Red’s mouth drank in the blonde’s heaving bosom, kissing and suckling every inch of skin. She kept paying special attention to the rosy and erect nipples that hardened so deliciously in her mouth.
Tara thrust herself harder against Willow’s body and the redhead could feel the blonde’s wetness painting her own skin even though they were both still wearing panties. Red kissed the blonde with a fevered need and tugged at the waistline of her lover’s soaked garment, effectively tearing the material and tossing it on the floor. She marveled at the wonderful scent of arousal permeating the air and she whispered heavily. “ Oh God baby, you’re so wet.”
Tara quivered “ It’s all you Willow. Feel what you do to me.” She moaned out in response.
Willow shivered in delight and ran her fingers slowly over Tara’s skin. She bit her lower lip in anticipation as she traced swirly patterns around the blonde’s navel. Tara’s stomach muscles quivered and she whimpered eagerly waiting for Willow’s digits to arrive at where she needed them the most.
Red placed her palm flat on Tara’s mound and enjoyed the tickling sensation of the blonde’s well-trimmed curls on her skin; she rubbed her hand in a slow circular motion and willed herself to take it slow. She cupped her lover’s sex and moaned in appreciation when she felt the copious amount of wetness that greeted her. She extended her fingers and teased the blondes opening by barely touching her with the tips. The blonde’s head rolled back and her whole body trembled from a need so acute it almost hurt. Finally Red indulged Tara and herself, she entered her lover with two fingers and swam in and out of her at a steady and building pace. Tara wrapped her fingers in Willow’s fiery strands and rode the detective’s hand with wild abandon. “ Yesssss…” the blonde hissed as Red entered and exited her core.
Willow held her lover’s body tightly with her free hand and groaned with delight at the power surging through out every pore in her body from loving Tara. She could feel the blonde’s walls tightening and contracting around her digits giving the redhead an unimaginable amount of pleasure. Her own center was aching from need and she nearly screamed when she felt Tara’s hand snaking under her panties and going straight for her center. They rocked against each other more frantically than before. “ oh, Fuuuck!” Willow gasped. “ Yesss!” Tara said again, also nearly screaming.
Tara cried out as Willow began to dip her fingers deeper inside of her. Tara was now begging her for release as her hips thrust frantically. Willow took her lover harder and faster as her own desire dripped from her center onto Tara’s talented fingers. Their thighs began to quiver in unison as their thumbs pressed down on each other’s clits, never ceasing the thrusting motions.
Tara’s body tumbled over the edge, taking Willow with her they arched back and then fell into each other breathing heavily and still riding the waves of their mutual climax.
They held on to each other taking calming breaths. Willow pulled away to look at the beauty before her she smiled and kissed her lover briefly and sweetly. Their forehead’s touched and they smiled at each other with mischief still fresh in their eyes.
“ Well that was…” Willow started.
“Yeah it was.” Tara said blushing slightly. “ But…” she hesitated.
“ But, what?” Willow asked a bit worried.
“ I want more.” Tara answered matter of factly, bringing the fingers that had used to pleasure Willow up to her mouth and sucking them dry while looking at Willow through sultry blue eyes.
The tough detective was suddenly at a loss for words and she managed an “ Oh…” before grinning and leading Tara to the bedroom.
+++
UPDATE:
The next few days progressed without many more incidents and not many more clues to go forward in the case. Danny had seemed to drop off the face of the earth, Donnie had limited his activities to nightclubbing and thankfully I hadn’t got shot at or jumped on again.
We chased our tails in the day and headed home scratching our heads at night. I was frustrated, but one thing made everything else all right, Tara Maclay. I had something I thought I would never have, a reason to want to go home early. Every night I found Tara either preparing or serving supper, we would talk, laugh and make love for hours on end. It was domestic bliss like I had never known it. I used to think that sort of life style would never fit someone like me, heck I was the girl that won Olympic gold medals in the ‘running away from commitment’ marathons. Now it seemed that my ‘running’ days were over. I would never so much as sprint if it meant I could live by Tara’s side. Still we had a lot of hurdles to go over before we even had that conversation. I suspected that there were a lot of things we still hadn’t talked about. I put my own mind to rest thinking that we would in due time. For the moment I indulged myself, I wallowed in the pleasure of the present.
Yet, everything was so quiet; I was more worried than ever. I suspected the silence was the prelude to a storm. I wasn’t wrong.
One night I got home really early and found Tara talking on the phone, she hadn’t heard me come in. I had some flowers hidden behind my back to surprise her, only I was the one that ended up being surprised when I caught a piece of the conversation.
She spoke in hushed tones.“ Donnie how can I tell you what I don’t know?. No I haven’t had the chance, I’m never left alone here. Buffy is in the bathroom, she’ll be out soon.” There was a pause as her bother gave her instructions, I supposed. O.k, I know…won’t that be dangerous though? Yes, I’ll put it in her coffee tomorrow night. Where should we meet?” just then the toilet was released upstairs and she hung up the phone in a hurry.
I had lump in my throat the size of a boulder and I backed away slowly, before she could see or hear me. Luckily Buffy came down from the second floor and offered a distraction. She chatted away with Tara and I ducked out of sight as they entered the kitchen. I went to the door opened and closed it loudly to make them believe that I had just arrived. I put on my game face and greeted both women with a smile. I knew I couldn’t act differently if I wanted to find out what was really going on.
Buffy was the first to greet me. “ Hey boss lady. Another early night?”
I half grumbled an answer and Buffy patted my arm sympathetically. “ Hey cheer up. We’ll catch a break soon. We always do…” she was about to continue when Tara made her entrance. I had to fight back the urge to confront her on the spot. I waited instead, handing her the flowers casually, hoping against hope that she would tell me what was happening on her own. That moment never came. She stared lovingly at the flowers, gracing me with a smile that broke my heart into a million, little jagged pieces.
“ Hey there.” She said lightly kissing my cheek. My body tensed at the contact. I didn’t know if she had noticed it or not. Maybe it was my imagination, but I had the feeling that she was tense also.
I answered “ Hello” and forced a smile. “ So anything new?” I asked staring intently at Tara.
“ Buffy was just bending my ear about her dates with officer Riley.” She said a bit too cheerfully, purposefully avoiding my eyes.”
“ Is that so?” I asked loosening my tie, fearing that I would choke at any given moment.
Since Buffy was oblivious to the situation she offered her story. To tell the truth I was thankful for the idle conversation. It gave me a chance to calm myself and plan my moves.
The blonde told her tale of dating hit and miss moments. “ So then he went on and on about this great nation this and freedom that, blah! He’s built like a brick house and he’s a super-duper nice guy, but I swear sometimes I have more fun donating blood. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I thought for sure after that loser, biker-bum that this guy would be a nice change, but no, no sparks. Just once I wish things would happen like in those cheap novels, a glance across a crowed room and ‘boom’ electricity and heat flying all around….”
Buffy missed the looks that passed between Tara and Willow as she said that last sentence. Tara’s eyes sparkled from the memory of their first meeting while Willow’s eyes crackled from a more recent memory and she excused herself, needing a retreat. “ I’m going to freshen up before dinner. Buffy are you staying?”
The blonde shook her head. “ Nah, I’ll leave you girls alone. I think I have to talk to Finn, it just isn’t working out.”
Red nodded tersely and retreated to the upstairs restroom. She stared for long moments at her own reflection as if expecting it to talk to her and offer some answers or a helpful suggestion about what to do next. She rubbed her suddenly tired looking green eyes and willed herself not to cry, her emotions were running raw and rampant and she knew she had to calm herself before taking any course of action. At this point there was only one alternative open to her, play the game. She splashed water on her face and took calming breaths before coming down. She would wait and see, follow Tara’s lead to the very end whatever that meant and wherever that took her.
+++
The detective entered the kitchen as usual and casually retrieved a soda pop from the icebox, following the routine they had more or less fallen into in the past week.
Tara fidgeted and fussed around the kitchen, unusually quiet, Willow duly noted.
The blonde opened and closed several cabinets before stating a bit too loudly. “ Oh darn! We’re out of flour…I guess, I-I have to buy some.” She started to quickly undo her apron and seemed eager to get out the door.
Red decided to test the waters she stopped Tara by the arm. “ Hey there’s no need for you to bother, whatever you’re using it for just don’t make it.”
Tara pulled away from her grasp and hastily explained. “ Oh, no I absolutely need it. I’m making pie and I already cut up the fruit, it will spoil. It’s no bother the corner store is still open I’ll be back in jiffy…”
Willow smiled. “ I could ask Timmy from next door to go get it for you, he loves the chance to run errands and make a dime.”
Tara looked worried and she fidgeted even more. “ N-no that’s o.k, I’d rather go…”
Red nearly laughed. Tara was a terrible liar, at this particular moment anyhow and even if she hadn’t caught that phone conversation the redhead mused that she would have still figured out that something ‘fishy’ was going on. The detective decided to give the blonde some wiggling room and relented. After all, having Tara go out was going to serve a purpose. “ Alright, just be careful…” she said watching the blonde hurrying out.
Red went to the window to see which direction Tara had taken and quickly glided down the fire escape, a short cut of sorts that would put her hot on Tara’s heels. Just as was to be expected the blonde never entered the corner store, she strode at quickening pace and turned into an alley about three blocks down. Willow was careful not to give her presence away and hid in a grotto, well covered by shadows. Her position was perfect, she was close enough to hear every word being said without being seen by unwanted eyes, even if someone else entered the ally she would be hard to spot. She waited quietly, nearly holding her breath, her heart pounding almost painfully in her chest and thumping in her ears. “Was this really happening?” she thought. Was Tara really there, also hidden in the darkness, standing ready to betray her?”
Red’s answer came all too quickly.
+++
Donnie entered the ally and stood close to Tara. He lit up a cigarette that briefly interrupted the almost absolute darkness. “ Here, use just a pinch and she should be out like a light until morning. You know what papers to look for.” He said blowing out a cloud of smoke and handing Tara a small glass vial.
Tara coughed lightly, taking the tiny bottle and spoke in a small, almost inaudible voice. “Are you sure this is safe I don’t want to hurt her.”
Red listened from her hiding place. “ Too late sweet heart.” She thought bitterly.
Donnie laughed a mean little chuckle and grabbed his sister’s arms. “ Ain’t that just sweet, for you to worry about her like that. You just do what I tell you to do. I spoke to the Kraut this morning and we’ve got till the end of next week. Either your little detective finds the stone or we do, or else…” he lightened his hold on the blonde and modified his voice to a sickeningly and fake, sweet tone. “ Sis…we’ve waited all week and have nothing to show for it and Faith…”
“ What about Faith?” Tara quickly asked.
“ You do care about her, don’t you?” he asked lifting his sister’s chin with his thumb and index finger.” Tara nodded. “ Of course you do, well you know she’s been of no help to us for almost a year now and we just got her a new foreign doctor who’s loves to experiment with these cases. It seems that just this week he tried something new and it didn’t go too well.”
Tara’s voice raised in fear, “ What happened Donnie?”
Donnie kept his tone soft and somber. “ She’s not well, he might not survive another ‘experiment’ Tara, but well be left with no choice if we don’t get that stone. So you decide where your loyalties lye…I know how ‘close’ you must be to Faith, it would be such a shame…”
The way Donnie had said the word ‘close’ made Red’s fist clench in anger. It seemed like the Maclays were full of surprises tonight.
Tara was nearly in tears. “ Donnie please…I’m doing everything I can…”
Donnie patted her arm. “ Well then…do more.” He said squeezing the hand where she held the glass vile. He threw out his cigarette and snuffed it out with his shoes. As he walked with smug look on face out of the ally Red had to fight with the urge to come out of hiding and knock the man’s head off his shoulders.
Tara remained in the ally for a few more seconds quietly sobbing. Eventually she realized that she had to return, before arising any suspicions, she wiped her eyes, bit back her tears and headed back to the detective’s house.
Red came out of hiding and quickly scurried towards the opposite direction that the blonde had taken. She skipped a few back fences and just barely beat the blonde to the house.
When the blonde entered Red was sitting on the couch casually reading the paper.
The detective’s blood was boiling, but she was dammed if she was going to show it. Tara Maclay had played her for a sucker for the last time. She folded her paper and turned to the blonde. “ Hi. What took you so long?”
The blonde avoided the redhead’s eyes. “ Oh…would you believe they were out of flour? I had to go to the store that’s like three blocks down, but they were closed.”
>Good thinking and you’re not even breaking a sweat.< Red thought, while her bottom lip quivered just little from the tension building in her body. “ That’s too bad, you seemed to have your heart set on that pie.” She finally managed to say in a calm tone, following Tara into the kitchen.
Tara busied herself right away. “ How about just soup and sandwiches?” she asked, still not quite meeting the other woman’s eyes.
Willow forced a tiny smile. “Sure.” She answered briefly out of fear that the choking feeling she was having in her throat would soon affect her voice. She went to the icebox and retrieved a beer downing it all in almost one gulp before trusting herself to speak again.
“ I’m going to check out something tonight so I’m going to call one of the gang to keep you company. I might be gone for most of the night.”
“ You don’t have to bother one of the guys. I’m sure I’ll be fine by myself.” Tara said quickly, like Willow had expected.
“ No. We still don’t know why someone broke in here the other day and I still have no clue who those hooded wise guys were either, so no argument. I’m not leaving you here alone.” Red said in a no nonsense tone. Enjoying just a tiny bit of guilty pleasure in seeing Tara look uncomfortable upon hearing the last sentence.
Willow made the call and Anya showed up about an hour later. Red took her out in the hall, closing the door behind her. “ Thanks for coming. Listen those files that Giles got on Donald Maclay are still at the office right?” she asked in hushed voice.
Anya answered in an equally low tone.“ Yes, they’re in the black filing cabinet. Why? Do have something new to go on?”
“ You might say that. I need you to keep a close eye on Tara, don’t leave her alone for a second. Do whatever you have to do to stick to her.”
Anya raised her eyebrows. “ She can’t be trusted? Aha! I knew it, but no one ever listens to me. Don’t worry boss I’ll stick to her like glue to macaroni, sans the cheese.”
Red nodded and left for the office in a hurry she had remembered seeing something in the files that could help her fill in some of the blanks about what had happened back at the ally. Her heart was broken, but her head was working double time. She would get to the bottom of this strange, never-ending barrel if it killed her. The funny thing was, it very well could.
+++
Red did what she did best, put her emotions on hold and worked until something gave. She made a few late night calls and promised a few favors in return for the services she needed. It was three o’clock in the morning and she was driving back from outside of town, she stared at the closed file resting on the passenger side of the car with a blank expression. It was her best clue so far, she just had to untie some hidden knots and then she would have the case solved, she could feel it in her bones like she felt the chill of the early morning air.
The sun was up by the time she reached the office. The redhead read through the file thoroughly and tried recalling every word that Tara had spoken to her about the events before and after her mother’s death. A bulb came on in her head and her decision was made, she was heading south. The detective brought her team up to speed, everyone knew their part and agreed. Giles got ready to travel with her and stopped by the house for the bag that Anya had packed for the detective.
The worst part for Willow was having to call Tara and fake words of affection so that the blonde wouldn’t suspect what was really going on. She told the blonde that she gotten a lead that might take them to stone and she had to go to Chicago personally to check it out. When Tara had tried getting more information, asking what the lead was exactly and why Chicago, Red had given the blonde the run around answering with veiled messages and assuring her that everything was working out and that she would be back in a couple of days with some good news. Tara had said ‘ I love you’ and Willow had answered back a chocked “ Yeah, me too,” before hanging up and throwing the phone across the room.
“ Lies all lies! Try putting me to sleep when I’m hundreds of miles away!” Red yelled in to the empty room.
+++
Tara managed to get away for a few minutes and told her brother about the latest happenings. Donald Maclay was not pleased and he was more than a bit suspicious. He was going to find out what the detective was up to one way or the other.
Red and Giles drove as fast as they could, hardly resting and taking long turns at the wheel. Red was silent and more stoic than usual, the ex-agent noted, she seemed almost like a woman possessed. Red got little sleep, hardly touched her food when they stopped at the roadside diners and had seemed to forget how to practice the age-old art of conversation. But Giles knew his boss and friend well, when she was ready to talk, she would, in the mean time, if what she needed was to drive like mad woman and get south as fast as their four wheels could take them, then that’s what they would do.
Tara was worried and unsettled and it showed in her every feature. There was something that Willow wasn’t telling her, she was sure about it, something was wrong. Two days had passed and Willow had only called once, again keeping her answers short and vague.
The blonde tried getting information from the detective’s friends and they all seemed to have something to do or somewhere to go whenever she started asking questions. They all tried to act normal, but the blonde knew that something was definitely off.
Donnie knew it too in the fourth day he picked up Tara to take her to lunch. They sat on one the end booths in the diner. He looked nervously around him to assure himself that no one was listening in. “ Tara where in hell is that bitch?” he asked in a low angry tone.
Tara stiffened in her chair. She hated this situation and having to answer to Donnie of all people. “ Chicago…” she answered nervously.
Donnie sneered. “ Bull! I have friends in Chicago and she’s not there. They would know.”
Tara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “ She said Chicago. That’s all I know and her friends aren’t saying different.”
“ What the fuck is she up to?” Donnie seemed to ask mostly himself as he lit up a cigarette and scratched his head. “ Time is running out. Try to find out something the next time she calls. Be good for something at least once in your life.” He spat out in contempt before storming out of the diner.
Tara sat with her shoulders slumped forward and her hair falling in front of her face. “Oh Willow what am I going to do?” she asked in a tiny whimper, covering her face with both her hands.
Miles away Red and Giles were closely watching ‘Happydale’ asylum and waiting for nightfall when they would strike.
+++
While Willow staked out ‘Happydale’ Tara tossed and turned in bed as she thought about everything that had happened and was happening, right up to her last phone conversation with Willow. “ I said I love you.” The blonde whispered into her pillow. She hadn’t meant to, she thought that moment should’ve happened differently, but she really hadn’t planned it, the words had just poured out of her mouth as naturally as breathing. Willow had said ‘ me too’ that should’ve made Tara happy, but it didn’t. The blonde knew that Willow’s response had been almost automatic, like she had said it only because it was what she thought she should do. Willow had been acting and sounding strange since the night she had left for the office. Tara cried and finally surrendered to sleep only out of sheer exhaustion.
Her last conscious thoughts were of Willow’s green eyes.
+++
The security at ‘Happydale’ wasn’t tight, but it wasn’t exactly lax either. Giles and Red knew they had to move quickly so they wouldn’t get caught. At least the first part of the plan had gone over smoothly they had snuck into the grounds, getting into the main building was going to be trickier. The detectives caught a break when one of the orderlies went out a side door to sneak a smoke, when he turned his back to go back inside Willow jus barely managed to wedge a branch on the bottom corner of the security door, stopping it from closing all the way. She snuck a peek to make sure that the maneuver had been undetected, she signaled Giles to follow her and they made their way around with an improvised map that their informant had drawn for them in the morning.
They ducked into the supply closet and put on some uniforms to move around more freely.
Willow stopped at the entrance of room 313 and peered through the small window on the door to confirm the identity of its sole occupant. The description fit, Red signaled Giles to keep a lookout and she entered the room. The detective looked down at the sleeping girl, she looked pale and frail, yet she was tied to the bed in restraints, Red noted that there were several bottles of pills on the night stand and a medical chart hanging from the foot of the bed she took both the pills and the chart, thinking that she might need them later.
She checked the sleeping girl for a pulse and went to the window to consider their best escape route. The nurse would be coming soon according to the schedule that they had also secured from their snitch. The window was a better bet than trying to move her around the corridors without being noticed. She pulled out the screwdriver and bolt cutters that she had brought for such an occasion and made quick work of taking down the protective panel. She knocked on the door to let Giles know that he should come in, he climbed out first and waited for Willow to gently place the other girl’s prone form into his arms together they made their way through the garden and to the place on the high fence where they had cut their way through to gain entrance. They seemed to have gotten lucky, because just as they were unloading the girl onto the back seat of their car a loud siren started to ring throughout the whole asylum. The two detectives could see search lights beings turned on and could hear screams and footsteps hurrying around. They sped out as fast as they could and looked back to see if they were being followed. They sighed in relief when it was evident that they had managed to make a clean get away.
“ That was close.” Giles said taking another glance back to the road through the rear view mirror.
Willow leaned back in her seat in a relaxed manner. “ Nah. I think we’ve had closer calls in the past. Still, let’s just hope it’s worth the effort.”
They drove for hours and finally pulled up to a pebbled driveway of a nice looking wooden cabin up in the hills, neatly hidden from view by Mother Nature. A nervous looking man greeted the two detectives with an anxious expression on his face.
Jonathan was a short, sweet looking young man who had also known Willow from back in the days of ‘high school hell’ he owed her and her father a favor or two in the world. Willow had stood up for him more than once, when the bullies had taken to picking on him for no good reason at all, like bullies do. And he owed her father more than he could ever pay back in his lifetime.
After graduation he figured he had enough of being a ‘nerd’ and in an attempt to be ‘hip’ he had started hanging out with the wrong kind of people. For a while it had been fun, but at some point things had started to get out of hand and one night ‘ Frankie’ had stopped him from going out of town with his so called ‘buddies’. Frankie had pulled him out of the car and asked him why a smart kid like him was hanging around with that bunch of troublemakers?
Jonathan remembered that he had been standoffish and had answered with the typical “What’s it to you?” and so and such.
Still Frankie had put his foot down, he told Jonathan what no one had ever told him in his life, that he was a ‘somebody’ and that he had a future, more a future than most of the boys in the neighborhood. He had asked him what he wanted to do with his life. Jonathan had shyly answered that he had sort of dreamed about being a doctor and Frankie said ‘good then that’s what you should be, instead of a hood.’ Jonathan had almost cried, he had expected to get laughed at and instead there was someone who believed in him. The next day Jonathan learned that his buddies had tried to hold up a store and had gotten caught. Later he found out that all of them had been sentenced to a minimum of three years in jail. Frankie had practically saved his life by puling him out of that car. After that, Frankie even helped him straighten out his act, he had gotten a job and was applying for college. He was doctor now and he owed it in part to Frankie Red. If Willow needed his help now, he would do whatever she asked, even if it meant helping her out in a kidnapping.
“ You’re late. I was getting worried. Bring her in, I have the guest room all ready.” Jonathan said wringing his hands together.
They set her down on the bed and both detectives cast worried looks at the woman on the bed. Jonathan checked her vital signs and frowned. “ Well what do you think?” Red asked.
“ Her heart is beat is irregular. Did you bring me her medical records?”
Red nodded. “ Yeah, I have her records, the chart and a bunch of bottles and vials of medicine that were in her room.”
Jonathan removed his stethoscope. “ Excellent. I’ll need to check those out before I can give you any kind of prognosis.”
Giles got what Jonathan needed from the car and both he and Willow waited in the living room while the doctor read through the papers and examined the drugs over and over again with a thoughtful expression.
Willow grew impatient. “ Well doc, what’s the verdict?”
“ I don’t know what to make of the combination of drugs they’ve been giving this woman. One more dose of what’s described in her chart and they might have killed her. What kind of a doctor would do this?” he asked with a twinge of anger.
“ From what I hear one that likes to experiment.” Willow answered flatly.
“ I don’t know what to tell you Red. We don’t know that much about coma patients; some recover consciousness and some never do. There are signals that suggest that she could recover, but I can’t say when. Right now, all can do is suspend this cocktail of drugs they had her on and monitor her progress.”
Red whispered under breath, “ Damn!” she paced the room. “ Well I just can’t stay here waiting for sleeping beauty to arise. I hoped she could…never mind. Giles from what I heard this woman is in danger so I want you to stay here with Jonathan. I’m heading back home; I’ll see what else I can dig up. I’ll leave the car, just give me a ride to the nearest airport.”
Rupert noted the dark circles under the other detective’s eyes and frowned deeply concerned about the woman. “ You should take it easy and rest a little.”
Willow rubbed her neck. “ I can’t. So are you driving me or am I hitching a ride?”
Giles wiped his glasses and shook his head. “ You’re worse than your father. A deaf mule to the bitter end.”
+++
When Willow touched land she got to work right away. One of her peepers had come through and she was now standing at the front desk of the seedy motel talking up the manager and slipping him a ‘dime’ for his troubles.
She knocked on the weather beaten door. “ Room service.” She said in a fake Spanish accent. The door opened just a crack and she forcefully pushed it in the rest of the way making the occupant stumble forward, he was momentarily taken aback, but bounced back quickly and scurried to reach his gun. “ Don’t even try it Danny.” Red said in a deadly serious tone.
Danny finally focused enough to realize who had barged into his room. “ Aw, jeez it Red! It’s you. You nearly gave me a heart attack. I though I was gonner for sure.”
Willow smirked, still aiming her gun at Danny’s chest.” The day is just beginning. So don’t count your blessings just yet.”
Danny furrowed his brow. “ What’s this about Red? Why are you still waving that piece under my nose?”
Willow took a few steps backwards and closed the door. She pulled up a chair and placed it with its back to the door and sat, never taking her eyes off Danny or her hand off the gun. “ Take a seat and explain to me why you were seen leaving in a hurry in one of Mickey’s cars after Bogarty got hit?”
Danny raised his eyebrows and breathed a sigh of relief. “ Oh so that’s it. It’s not what you think. Don’t give me that ‘look’, it’s not. Listen, I know I’ve messed up plenty, but I’m not that low. I wouldn’t do that to the old guy. After we talked I went around the docks trying to pick up some dirt and I overheard ‘the moose’ and some other guys saying that Mickey looking for some muscle to go over and escort Bogarty to his office so they could talk.
I know how these wise guys get when ‘Mickey’ asks for something personally; some of them will break their own mother’s legs to get in good with the boss. So I volunteered to go, just to see that things wouldn’t get out of hand. Mickey had even said that he wanted
Mr. B alive.”
Red looked skeptical. “ So what happened then?”
Danny raised his hands. “ I’m getting to that. So, we’re almost there, right at the corner of the store we stop for a red light and turn the car to park it. I start getting out when, bang! A shot and shattering glass from the pawn shop window. So I hit the floor and go for my piece and when I raise my head from the pavement, I see a blonde neatly putting her gun into her purse and a guy I’ve never seen before takes her arm and they saunter down the street like nothing had happened. The street was nearly empty before the shot rang out so it was an easy get away. I don’t think anyone else made her as the shooter. I got up and was about make a run for it to catch them, when two of the guys pulled me by the arms. ‘Moose’ put his piece under my nose when I struggled. ‘Get in the car. What are you nuts? The heat’s coming I can hear the sirens, we gotta beat it.’ He said it in a way I knew meant, ‘get in or get it!’ so I jumped in the car and we peeled out as fast as we could. I swear that’s how it went down. Mickey didn’t want to hit the old guy and even if he had, I would’ve never taken part of it.”
“ Why the disappearing act Danny?” Red asked still upset with her childhood friend.
“ I got a tip that someone pegged me at the scene, probably the same snitch that told you. I figured I should lay low until I figured out how to clear things up. I know you love Carmine, but you have to admit he goes nuts over ‘territory’ issues, not to mention that Bogarty was also one of his chess buddies. I was dead man if I just stuck around like nothing had happened.”
Red holstered her gun. “ Why didn’t you call me up Danny? I told you, you could count on me.”
Danny shrugged his shoulders. “ I figured you had enough on your plate. Plus I felt like crap for not being able to catch the bastards that hit the old man, especially after I heard that you were in the shop when it happened. I felt like I had let you down somehow.”
“ There was nothing that you could do with a barrel under your nose Danny. Listen, if I found you Carmine will too. I got a buddy uptown, he owes me a favor and he’ll put you up for a couple of days. In the mean time I’ll square things with Carmine and buy you some time while I crack this case. I’m sure that when I put the pieces together I’ll also find
Mr. Bogarty’s killer.”
Danny smiled with honest affection. “ Thanks Red. You know I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I’m gonna take your advice and clean up my act.”
Willow returned his smile. “ Good, I’m glad Danny.” She took a card from her wallet and handed it to her friend with a sense of relief. It had been good to know that Danny wasn’t completely lost at least that was one less betrayal. ” Just mention my name.” She walked out and headed for the office, feeling like was back to square one.
When she entered the office a somber looking pair greeted her.
“ Boss where have you been? You were supposed to be here hours ago.” Anya said in one breath.
“O.k, what’s the matter now?” the detective asked, knowing that something unusual must have occurred for her friends to show such a display for a few hours of tardiness.
Xander looked at Anya and at Red and frowned, handing his boss and friend a folded piece of paper that looked like a letter.
Red took it unfolding quickly, curious about the message. It read: “ Welcome back detective. Have you found the eye yet? Frankly you disappoint me. I thought you would have by now. My patience has run out and so has my pleasure in watching you run around in circles. Perhaps it is motivation that you lack, so allow me to add this to the mix, if you don’t find the stone in three days time you will die. So get busy, time is a killer and so am I.”
The detective crumpled the piece of paper and laughed. Xander and Anya looked at each other quizzically. “ That’s it she’s finally snapped. I’ll call ‘Bellview’ and book her one of those comfy white rooms.” Anya said, taking in the sight of her laughing boss.
Red sobered and answered between little chuckles. “ No need Anya, no need, it’s just… that’s the worst threat I’ve ever gotten on my life in my life.” Anya and Xander still looked at her like she had grown another head. She sighed. “ I know it’s not that funny, I guess I just needed to let off some steam. Plus, three days? The way all of this has been going from the start I couldn’t get the job done in three years. Never mind, you know what? If anyone needs me to kill me or other wise I’ll be down at the pub.” Red slammed the door on the way out and left her friends speechless and worried.
+++
Red downed one drink after another lost in her thoughts. > She said ‘ I love you’, ain’t that rich?< “ Hit me again Mack.” > How did my life suddenly become some nickel and dime, suspense novel?<
The bartender poured the detective another double and wondered what could’ve happened to the woman to have her looking so miserable. “ At this rate you’ll be polishing off that bottle faster than ‘ iron gut Amos’ sittin’ there at the end of the bar.” He said in a teasing yet scowling manner.
Red, raised her hand in a silent warning. “ I don’t need a sermon tonight Mack, if you don’t want to pour my drinks just hand me the bottle.” > I’m sick of this so-called ‘case’. I’m done. Mickey, the robed weirdoes, the mystery shooter, and the Maclays can all just kiss my loaded barrel. I’m making this stool my permanent address. Let em’ come in here and get me, if they think they can. <
“ Red there’s a call fer ya.” The barman said to the somber looking detective.
Red shook her head. “ I don’t want to talk to anybody.” She said tersely.
“ They said to tell ya that, ‘sleeping beauty’ is awake?” Mack insisted.
Red looked up from her glass with a curious expression and took the line. After having a long mostly one-sided conversation with Giles Red sat back down on her stool with and audible thump. She seemed to be in deep thought for a long while; she shrugged her shoulders ‘That clears most of it up, but not everything…bah! It’s just as well.’ She said flatly to one at all and returned to her drinking.
A worried looking barman interrupted Red’s apparent ‘sulking party’ for one. “ Hey lassie…why don’t cha tell ol’ uncle Mack what happened to get yer arse affianced to that there ‘pity stool’? listenin’ is my second specialty, you know.”
The detective downed the last of her scotch and thought that maybe it would be good to talk. She felt like she had some demons to exorcise or they would end up eating away her insides faster than the strong spirits she was so eagerly ingesting. “ Well you see Mack it happened like this…”
Edited by: nika 
at: 11/17/04 8:31 pm
by Fuzz WT » Sun Jul 13, 2003 12:23 pm 
Kudos
Willow's really cool with the being butch. 
nika,
Update soon, please? 
at: 7/16/03 6:59 pm
So Tara lied to Buffy, I didn't like that. It seems she's keeping things from both parties, so what's her agenda?
Will she kiss it and make it better?
at: 8/4/03 8:29 pm
I remember a scene where Willow got caught with her pants down (literally!) Ha! That was great. 
Love the fic do continue with others 
If I'm all comfy I won't want to move. Then I'll miss work and I'll miss my orentation for the college I just transfered to. Not to mention then how would I be able to beg for new updates with you being all nice? 
at: 8/6/03 12:07 pm
)
