Disclaimer: I don't own all these characters but I am using them anyway.
This is PG at least for now.
Hope you like it!
You will be able to tell where it starts.
The Red and The Fair
Tara sat staring out her window into the moonlit night. She wondered about Willow. Now that Oz was back she was sure she would lose Willow, the woman that she loved with all her heart. She knew that loving someone, truly loving them, meant that sometimes the best thing you could do was to let them go if that was what they needed, but the pain in her heart tore at her like nothing she'd ever felt.
A knock on her door brought her out of her sad reverie. Slowly, she took the few steps to the door and opened it. There stood Willow, a candle in her hands.
"No candles?" Willow paused. "Well I brought one…it’s extra flamey."
Tara looked from Willow to the candle and back without saying a word. Willow stepped forward, handing the candle to Tara. She shut the door behind herself. "Tara, I have to tell you-" Willow began.
"No I-I understand, you have to be with the person you l-love," Tara stuttered and looked down at the candle in her hands.
"I am," Willow said softly.
Tara brought her eyes up to meet Willow's, hope shining in them. "You mean?" She breathed.
"I mean," Willow said firmly. "Okay?"
"Oh yes!" Tara said, pure joy reflecting in eyes that had held terrible sadness only moments before.
"I feel horrible about everything I put you through and-and I'm gonna make it up to you, starting right now." Willow closed the remaining distance between them.
"Right now?" Tara asked hopefully.
Willow nodded once, the love she felt for Tara blazing brightly in her eyes. Tara blew out the candle. She knew right then that everything she'd ever wished for was about to come true.
And it did.
That night, using hands and mouths and eyes, they showed each other just how much they loved the other. Moonlight spilled in through the window, bathing their naked bodies in a silvery glow. They took their time, because they had all the time in the world. They made love over and over. Then, just as the sun began to rise, they fell asleep wrapped in each other's arms and love. Tara's head lay on Willow's shoulder. Their legs were entangled under the sheets that smelled of their mingled essences. This was love. It was pure and simple, and so utterly complex. Together they were safe; they were whole. They were soulmates, bonded through time, though hundreds of lives and more. This was a union sung about by angels.
* * * * * *
"They are beautiful," Arkiel smiled fondly at the women under his protection.
"How long did it take them to get together?" Shavriel asked.
"Mmm, not long. They are quiet young yet. I brought the wolf-boy back to make The Red decide. It worked well. The Red chose as her destiny bid and tonight they sealed the choice. The Red will question no more," Arkiel said gravely.
"And what of The Fair?"
"She questioned not her feelings. She knew immediately upon meeting The Red that their fate lie as one. As always, she pushed not the Red. She waited as she always does."
"But not so long this time," Shavriel stated.
"And thankfully not."
"What of Sa-Torkeniel?"
"He tried to stop what is always willed and failed. Now he cannot touch them. The Goddess protects their union."
"But he will try, or send others to try."
"Yes, and I will stop him. I will not allow him to meddle where he cannot. The Red and Fair are a mated pair. They are safe from Sa-Torkeniel."
"Just so. I will watch the slayer. Gavriel watches the demon and man pair. An odd pair, that one. So new, and yet- not."
"Good," Arkiel said simply. Shavriel slipped away silently at the implied dismissal. "Oh Red and Fair, why do you never live in peaceful places?" He asked aloud sadly.
* * * * * *
Tara woke suddenly, jolted by what she couldn't quite remember. A dream maybe. She remembered only a voice, a deep, musical rumble. 'Oh Red and Fair, why do you never live in peaceful places?' she remembered that being said. There was more, though she couldn't say what.
Then all thoughts of dreams were chased away by a possessive hand that held her breast, squeezing at random times, and a thumb that stroked the rosebud nipple. But Willow was still asleep.
Tara was unsure how long she would be able to keep her body motionless and silent. She didn't want to wake Willow, but on the other hand she wanted to ravish the redhead.
"I love you," Tara whispered into Willow's neck.
"Love you," Willow mumbled back in her sleep.
Even asleep we are so completely connected, Tara thought happily.
* * * * * *
"They have mated Master."
"You did not stop them?" Sa-Torkeniel asked.
"I could do nothing," the man replied, trembling in his low bow.
"I trusted you to stop them," Sa-Torkeniel rumbled.
"You did master, and I still have ways to break them apart."
"If they are mated I can no longer meddle." Sa-Torkeniel growled.
"Master?"
I wish you to break them apart but you no longer work for me. You must do so on your own."
"On my own Master? I cannot!" the man cried. "They are witches!"
"Then I suggest you do what you must, and do it quickly, before they figure out that you are working against them. Now go. Do not come back. I will know if you succeed and will call you back if you do." Sa-Torkeniel dismissed the man with a wave of his hand. "Stupid, weak, useless humans," He growled when the man was gone. Was it really so hard to keep two mere mortals from mating, he wondered. Together they were more, but alone they were nothing.
* * * * * *
"Willow, wake up darling," Tara coaxed.
"Mmm?" Willow raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Wake up sweetie."
"Nuh-uh," Willow mumbled.
"Will, you'll be late for class."
"Don't mind if I can stay here with you," Willow grinned, eyes still closed.
"I never thought I would live to hear the day you'd say that," Tara teased.
"Mmm," Willow murmured, snuggling closer. "I know when I should stay put. An example would be when I am curled up with the most wonderful, beautiful, most special woman in the world."
"Well that woman would be dense not to stay put as well," Tara said blushing at the complement.
"So I vote that we stay right here. With you my head can be quiet."
"I'll agree to that," Tara smiled. She ran her fingers through Willow's hair in a lovingly unconscious gesture.
"Tara?" Willow asked quietly after a few minutes of silence.
"Hmm?"
"I-I love you." Willow raised herself so that she could meet Tara's eyes. "I love you in a way I never thought possible. I feel like I've loved you forever. A part of me was missing until I found you; I just didn't know it until I met you. I wish there were words for the way I feel-" Willow stopped when a finger was pressed to her lips.
"We don't need words," Tara whispered.
And so they didn't.
* * * * * *
"Where is Will?" Xander asked the Scoobies present.
"Uh, I don’t know," Buffy said unconvincingly.
"You said Oz left again?" Anya asked. Buffy nodded. "Well then she isn't having sex with him."
"Anya!" Giles exclaimed, taking of his glasses to clean them.
"What?" she exclaimed innocently, "Aren't you glad she isn't having sex with the wolf-boy?"
"Anya, let's not talk about Will's, um, sex life, okay?" Buffy said blushing.
"I second that!" Xander exclaimed. "But if she isn't in your guy's room, maybe she is at Tara's."
"She'll be here soon, any minute now, so there is no need to call there." Buffy said, turning a bit redder.
"Are you hot Buffy? You keep turning different shades of red that just don't match what you are wearing today. I could turn the heat down in here; it would cost me less in bills. Less is good." Anya said conversationally. Buffy glared back in response.
A ring of the bell on the door brought everyone's attention to the two women entering. Willow strode in smiling brightly, with an equally bright Tara a step behind. "Hey everyone, sorry we're late. We were, uh, studying," Willow flashed a secretive smile at Tara, who blushed but returned the smile.
Anya watched the exchange with a somewhat detached interest, quickly surmising what was going on. "Willow was having sex!" The ex-demon exclaimed brightly.
Willow's head whipped around to Anya, her face scarlet.
"An," Xander said, stepping between his girlfriend and angry best friend. "You can't just blurt stuff out like that, especially when you don't know what you are talking about."
"But I do! Ask them."
"Anya!" Giles said, warning deep in his voice.
"Right, that was something else I shouldn't talk about, bad me. I meant no offense Willow or Tara. I will be quiet now," Anya said.
"Why was the meeting called Giles?" Willow asked, now ignoring the ex-demon.
"Ah yes, right. It would seem that there may be a new, well, an unknown character."
"You mean like from a book?" Xander asked.
"No, I just don't know if the man is good or bad yet," Giles clarified for Xander.
"Oh, right."
"I ran into him last night. He could have snapped me in half if he'd wanted to, and you don't think that he is bad?" Buffy asked.
"He didn't hurt you," Giles reminded her.
"But he could have and the only reason he didn't is because he was preoccupied with finding someone, at least I think it is someone, else."
"Who?" Willow asked.
"He said something about finding the Red and Fair, and the way that he said it made me think he was talking about a person."
"Someone in Sunnydale?" Xander asked.
"I would suspect so since he is here," Giles said.
"The Red and Fair are two people, women actually," Anya added into the conversation from behind the cash register.
"You've heard of them then?" Buffy asked.
"Oh sure. They are soul mates that have lived many times, they go back farther than my lifetime," Anya said, nodding to herself.
When Anya didn't elaborate anymore Giles sighed, "What can you tell us about them?"
"Oh, well, they are women who are soul mates. They are born every few generations or so. Sometimes they find each other and sometimes they don't. When they do it always seems to end in death or chaos or just sadness."
"That is awful!" Willow said sadly.
"It really is. They are always such wonderful women too. I heard that they are supposed to do something and, whatever that is, if they complete it then they can stay in heaven together forever after that and be happy. I don't know if that is true though, only a rumor. If they are here, you'd best hope that the Fair doesn't die because that is why the Red always goes insane causing death, chaos and so forth."
"And so we have to find them to warn them," Xander said.
"Well yes, that might help them, but if Buffy couldn't have hurt who is after them, I would guess that he is a fallen angel of the Goddess," Anya continued.
"Goddess?" Buffy asked.
"Yes, very old Goddess, but I am sure she doesn't look her age."
"What Goddess?" Tara asked, joining the conversation for the first time.
"Oh, she has many names. Goddess of the Storm is one name. And by Storm, I don’t mean lightning and thunder and stuff. Storm as in chaos, mayhem, bedlam, death, destruction, annihilation, I think you understand.”
“Eewwgh, why are we always in the middle of it all?” Xander groaned. “I mean, just how many times can the fate of the world be put in our hands?”
“Obviously a lot,” Buffy said.
“And you have no idea what this so called Red and Fair are supposed to accomplish?” Giles asked.
“As I said before, I do not,” Anya answered.
“Well, I guess the first step would be to find them,” Giles went on.
“How?” Buffy asked.
“That is an excellent question and I can’t say as I have an answer.”
“How about we use my scientifically proven technique,” Buffy smiled.
“You have a scientific technique?” Willow asked, surprised.
“Yes, it is proven that if they are in Sunnydale and somehow are connected to the fate of the world, then I will stumble over them at some point.”
Willow just groaned.
To Be Continued...
BWR 
