Secrets and Spies (AU fic)

[veiled isis moon]

They're both being all sneaky, naughty girls! I wonder what Willow is hiding?? If Tara already likes her after a few hours, god knows how she's gonna cope living there and seeing her constantly.

[tarawhipped]

Thanks to everyone for reading. Keep that feedback coming---I'm officially addicted


ladydameon: Patience...(I've heard it's a virtue or something---sounds shifty to me )


shuyaku:

Quote:

---

I'm really looking forward to finding out what she's hiding

---

Hey, me too! I mean, who says she is?

Never fear, there will be much pilfering of various drawers


BWR:

Quote:

---

Can't wait to see what babbly Willow is hiding

---

She's a MAN, baby!---oh wait, never mind


Artemis: You leave really great, insightful feedback---it really lets me know whether or not I'm being suitably vague and misleading . The closer you are, the harder I have to work. You make excellent points here, and I'll not address a single one of them!


veiled isis moon: sneaky and naughty---excellent, I'm gonna go with that!

Yeah, Tara's gonna have some issues.

---

What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[amazonaa]

Those last two chapters were great.





More soon, please.







brittney

[tarawhipped]

Title: Secrets and Spies


Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)


Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com


Rating: PG-13 (possibly higher later, see chapter headings)


Disclaimer: All characters are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy


Feedback: Yes please!


Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!





Chapter Notes: Thoughts in
italics




Chapter Five: The Investigation Begins





Willow disappeared into her room, emerging a moment later with a notebook and large textbook tucked under one arm.Tara studied the girl, who seemed so deflated since the subject of her future plans had been addressed.


“You’re welcome to stay, but I really have to go.”


“Actually, I need to check out of my hotel,” Tara lied, “but I can drop you off at school on the way.”


“You don’t have to,” Willow said softly, but made no move towards the front door.


“I know that,” Tara replied, “but I’d still like to.”


Willow had been avoiding the blonde’s gaze, embarrassed by her own sullen behavior.
She was just making small talk, trying to be nice, and I go and turn into snippy gal.
Turning to look into Tara’s eyes, she saw kindness, concern, and maybe a little…sadness?A slight smile graced the blonde’s face, and Willow found herself returning it.


“I’d like that too.”






Half an hour later Tara walked into Riley Finn’s office to report on her progress.Finn reluctantly had to concede the advantage to having a female agent in the present situation.He was impressed with how quickly Agent Maclay had successfully initiated contact.With Phase I complete, he laid out her objectives for Phase II: an exhaustive search of the suspect’s house, and extensive surveillance of the suspect herself, particularly focusing on anyone she met with.Finn demanded weekly written progress reports and immediate notification of anything suspicious.


“If she talks to anyone with even the slightest hint of a British accent, I want to know about it.Clear?”


“Yes sir,” Agent Maclay responded.Tara relayed her brief conversation with Willow that morning, but refrained from revealing her personal opinions of the redhead or her mood shift.She knew that Finn, as a military man, wanted factual information only, and would most likely dismiss Tara’s impressions as ‘women’s intuition.’


Following the meeting, Tara stopped by her apartment to retrieve the two suitcases she’d packed the night before, several plants, and a bag of groceries.She was back at Willow’s house shortly after 2:00 pm, several hours before the redhead was due to be home.


“No time like the present,” Tara stated aloud.She walked through the house looking for a promising place to start, and soon found herself standing in Willow’s bedroom before a large oak roll-top desk.
Bingo
.


The top portion of the desk held nothing out of the ordinary.Carefully going through each drawer and cubby, Tara found a wide array of standard office supplies, numerous postcards from Willow’s parents, and a small group of letters from two Army privates.The most recent, from Alexander Harris, was postmarked the previous week.The remainder—from Daniel Osbourne—had been sent to Willow at her D.C. address and were between two months and two years old.


Underneath the letters Tara found a small packet of photographs, all featuring Willow with one or two other people.Several showed the redhead with a dark haired boy and a blonde girl, some with just the former.Tara flipped absentmindedly through the photos before pausing over one.It showed a younger Willow with a different boy.Her long hair was pulled up, and both she and the young man stood in formal attire, arms linked, smiling broadly at the camera.The blonde found herself wondering where and when the snapshot had been taken, and for what occasion.A spark of jealousy passed through Tara as she contemplated who the young man might be to Willow, and where he was now.Berating herself silently, she returned the photos and letters to their place and moved on to the drawers on the lower right side of the desk.


The smaller top drawer held textbooks and several notebooks.Perusing the latter briefly, Tara ascertained that they were for school, and made a mental note to look through them more fully later.Underneath the notebooks she found a letter from the UC Sunnydale registrar confirming Willow’s classes for the Fall 1943 semester.Monday, Wednesday and Friday the redhead had lectures from 8am until 2pm; Tuesday and Thursday she had only a lab, from 12:30 until 3.Tara frowned, trying to remember Willow’s exact words from that morning.



'I have classes til 5 most days,'
Tara recalled.
Or was it ‘
I’m at school
til 5 most days’?Maybe she spends the extra time in the library, or she could be part of a study group. It’s probably nothing.
The blonde attempted to rationalize away her sense of unease, but failed miserably.


The large lower drawer was filled with files, each neatly labeled with a course title, instructor name, and year taken.Tara marveled at the fact that they seemed to go back to her high school years.Randomly pulling out several, she noted the small, precise handwriting and the use of different colored pens, seemingly to prioritize the information.



She must have rewritten all of these,
Tara realized.
Well…that’s…quirky,
she thought with a bewildered smile as she placed the folders back in the drawer.
Or quite possibly insane.



Moving on to the left side, the top drawer contained an ample supply of stationary and envelopes.When she triedthe lower left drawer, she found it locked.Tara frowned as she tugged on it again.



Hmmm…not stuck…definitely locked.What’s in the drawer Willow?What are you hiding?
Agent Maclay knelt down to study the lock, which appeared simple enough.
If I’d had the foresight to bring my lock picks,
she thought with chagrin.Noticing the time, Tara stood up with a sigh.



It’ll just have to wait til tomorrow.One way or another I’m getting into that drawer.







Willow walked through the door at 5:30 and came to an abrupt stop.Following her nose to the kitchen, she was met with the sight of Tara standing at the stove, stirring a large pot of spaghetti.The blonde’s hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and as Willow watched unobserved, Tara wiped a bead of sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.Willow’s eyes widened and she blushed guiltily as Tara bent over to open the oven.The blonde turned to place a loaf of bread on the counter and spied the obviously flustered redhead in the doorway.


“Hi Willow.Dinner’s almost ready,” she said casually.The agent had heard the key in the lock several minutes before and had waited for Willow to make her presence known.Tara had sensed her entry into the kitchen, and had briefly wondered why the other woman had not spoken.When she heard a sharp intake of breath as she leaned over to open the oven, she understood.Upon turning and seeing Willow’s flushed face and wide eyes focused several feet south of Tara’s head, it was all but confirmed.



She was checking out my butt,
Tara concluded in astonishment.


“You cooked!” Willow squeaked, snapping her gaze and her brain back to attention.Green eyes darted to the bread, the stove, to Tara for a split second, back to the bread, and finally dropped down to the safety of the floor, where they crinkled in confusion.



Oh Willow.You were checking out my butt, and you have no idea what it means.



“You um, shouldn’t have—not that I’m not glad you did…and not ‘you shouldn’t have’ like you’re not allowed to… but you don’t have to feed me…not that I thought you were going to actually, you know
feed
me…but—oh! Is that real butter?”


Tara was content to let Willow work through her babble in her own time.She was fascinated by the rapid play of emotions over the redhead’s face.



Getting her to talk certainly won’t be a problem,
she realized,
but what she’ll say…I’m not sure even she knows until it comes spilling out.



Dinner was passed in casual conversation.Willow asked Tara about her work, family, and home.The blonde cringed mentally and tried to sound enthusiastic about being a stenographer.She made vague responses as to her background, not wanting to lie outright if possible, but unwilling to dredge up painful memories.Willow seemed to accept her hesitation, and did not push for more information.


After cleaning up, the two retired to the living room, where Tara read the paper while Willow studied—or pretended to.The blonde was fully aware of the sly sideways glances that were repeatedly directed at her.She couldn’t help but be pleased, but also uncomfortably conscious of the futility of the situation.Not to mention that it was making it impossible for Tara to observe the redhead, who at last laid her book down with a groan.Tara looked at her inquisitively.


“This has got to be the most boring subject ever!And that’s saying something, believe me.I think there must be a bunch of bitter, horrible people who write this stuff intentionally bad just to torture those of us forced to read it.”


“So why are you taking it?” Tara cautiously inquired, hoping that her query wouldn’t cause the redhead to close herself off again.


Willow just sighed, however, and looked contemplative as she regarded Tara.


“Honestly? My parents really want me to be an engineer, and I thought I’d like it too…and I did, at first.Now…I don’t know.”


“You could change majors,” Tara suggested, anxious to keep the conversation going.


“I guess.It’s hard, though.Everyone expects me to do this, you know?And I don’t want to disappoint them, but…well, sometimes I don’t
want
to do what’s expected.When I was in high school my friends called me ‘Old Reliable.’Isn’t that horrible?And I just don’t want to be reliable all the time.Maybe I want to do something crazy—shocking even—or downright dangerous,” she finished, defiantly jutting out her chin.


“So what’s stopping you?” Tara asked with a fair amount of trepidation.


Willow slumped back into the couch and shrugged.


“Oh, you know—fear…lack of direction…fear…respect for social mores—did I mention fear?”


Tara made no response, but felt a wave of relief wash over her at the redhead’s words.


Willow stood and stretched, started to comment on the time, but it was swallowed by a wide yawn.Tara too felt the need for sleep overtake her after the day’s myriad events.In the hall between their rooms Willow paused and turned to the blonde.


“I’m really glad you’re here, Tara,” she stated in a soft voice. “I know we just met, but I already feel like we’re friends.”


Tara stood speechless, forcibly willing herself not to let her emotions overwhelm her.However, this time when the redhead’s arms wrapped around her she returned the hug, which did not push the boundaries of appropriate friendly contact.


“Goodnight Tara,” Willow said, disappearing into her room.


“’Night, Willow,” Tara responded in a low voice.


Tara closed her own door behind her and leaned against it heavily.Thoughts swirled around her head: laughing green eyes, the locked desk drawer, the class schedule, the unguarded look in the kitchen, the feel of Willow’s arms around her…


In an instant Tara made the decision to trust her instincts.She would do her job.She would do it so well that she would leave nothing uninvestigated.She would follow every lead to the fullest.And when she was done she knew deep down that she would clear Willow Rosenberg of any suspicion.Tara trusted her gut, and it was telling her one clear thing:



If Willow’s a Russian spy, then I’m Eleanor Roosevelt.








TBC in Chapter Six: Storm Clouds









What should I be but just what I am?
- Edna St.Vincent MillayEdited by: tarawhipped at: 8/18/04 9:18 pm

[RaVeN]

very very interesting

------------------

To see her was to love her, and love no one but her.. and to love forever...

[mollyig]

Tara's reluctance to talk about her past leads me to believe it wasn't that happy a one. That, plus her chosen career, has probably made her very wary of trusting people. Yet she puts faith in the instant trust she feels with Willow. I like that. Also, liked that she knew, even if Willow didn't, that Willow feels attracted to her.



Thanks for the updates!

---

Sheacht mh'anam déag do bhéal, do mhalaí's do ghrua

[wimpy0729]

Great job! The Willow babble is wonderful.



I really liked Willow sneaking a peek in the kitchen. That was so cute, but Tara being sharp, of course picked up on it. Very nice.



So, I agree...Tara will investigate so she can prove Willow innocent. But I have a sneaky suspicion that there is something going on with Willow, so I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next.



Soon please!



Wimpy

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara

[Artemis]

Hmm... good chapter, lots to think about. Willow used to be in DC, and after explaining to Riley than their suspect was formerly of the Venona project, he then said she happened to be in Sunnydale - so Venona is in DC? He said she resigned 'several' months ago, and Willow's last letter from Oz was two months ago, to DC - did she resign two months ago? If so, was it something to do with Oz? Was the other blonde in those photos Buffy, now working for Travers? And does their intelligence suggest that the Rose is currently in action - how could it be Willow, if she's resigned from Venona? What exactly is Venona anyway, and how was Willow involved? She was studying to be an engineer, so did she just happen to be an ace cryptanalyst, or was she part of the program for engineering-type reasons, say, helping build a proto-computer like the British Colossus? Pure cryptanalysis work might not be very useful to the Russians months after the fact, but the plans to such a thing - which Willow may have - would still be valuable. But Tara's sure Willow isn't the spy, so someone else must be. But it must have something to do with Willow, for her to be implicted - we may not be able to see any motive for her to be a spy, but if she's under suspicion that means she must, if coincidentally, have means and/or opportunity to help the Russians - meaning, if the spy is someone else, then whatever the spy is doing is related to Willow anyway. I've got a suspicion, but I won't voice it, lest I inadvertently spoil the surprise. Besides, I'm in full spy-mode, so I'm suspecting everyone (except Willow and Tara, of course).



I know, I know - lots of questions you're not going to answer. That's what makes it a good mystery

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

[BurningWhiteRose]

Well....



GO TARA!!



And Willow...all with the butt checking.



Cookin...



Real Butter...



Continue.



Sincerely,

BWR

***

If homosexuals dont reproduce, why are there so many of them?-Jim David

[tarawhipped]

Howdy kittens. I'll get to Chapter 5 feedback tomorrow, but I wanted to post this tonight. After some editing, the chapter title was changed. My apologies for any confusion. And now, on with the fic:


Title: Secrets and Spies


Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)


Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com


Rating: PG-13 (possibly higher later, see chapter headings)


Disclaimer: All characters are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy


Feedback: Yes please!


Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!








Thoughts in
italics






Chapter Six: Storm Clouds





Friday morning dawned gloomy, as ominous dark gray clouds rolled in and settled over the city.The air hung heavy with the smell of rain waiting to be let loose.Tara woke slowly, wanting nothing more than to stay under the warmth of her quilt and hibernate the day away.As she drifted into full consciousness, she heard Willow running around the house, banging drawers and cursing.



So much for sleeping in,
Tara sighed.
Oh well.I have a fake job to pretend to get to and a real one to do.



Tara pulled on a robe and opened the door.A redheaded cyclone whirled by, narrowly missing the blonde as it raced down the hallway, where it came to a sudden halt.


“Oh my God, Tara!I’m so sorry—I didn’t hit you did I?I didn’t see you…are you okay?”


“Fine, Willow, and fully awake now.”


“Did I wake you?What with the stomping and the slamming and the—oh! I don’t usually use that kind of language…well, not first thing in the morning, anyway.”


“You didn’t wake me,” Tara assured the frazzled redhead.“And even if you had, I needed to get up.I could have stayed in bed all morning and been late for work.”


“Late!I’m late!I have to go—I’ll see you tonight—bye!”


Tara had no time to respond as Willow grabbed her keys, swung a heavily-laden canvas bag over her shoulder and bolted out the door.



I wonder if Hurricane Willow strikes every morning,
Tara mused with a grin.
Where on Earth does she get that much energy?



The blonde’s question was answered as she wandered into the kitchen and found a large percolator, almost empty.



At least she left me half a cup’s worth.



After hastily tossing back the coffee, showering and dressing, Tara checked the lock on the desk drawer again, then left the house.





Passing through the door to her department’s offices, Tara heard the sounds of a heated argument.Just past the administrative desks she spied Riley Finn amidst a small cluster of people: Travers’ secretary and several agents.She cautiously advanced towards the group, which had not noticed her presence.


“I don’t wanna hear it Graham—I don’t like him and that’s all there is to it.”


Tara felt a moment’s relief as she realized Finn wasn’t referring to her.


“What the hell have you got against him?” the agent she recognized as Forrest asked.


“He’s Navy! Isn’t that enough?Mickey’s Army—
he’s
the man!”


“Technically, Riley, he’s the mouse,” Graham countered with a grin.


Finally catching the thread of the conversation, Tara rolled her eyes and turned to her office.Before she reached the door, she heard a female voice wail:


“But Donald’s soooo cute!”


Tara quickly found her set of lock picks and grabbed her camera and several rolls of film for good measure.Eager to return to Willow’s house, she quietly closed her door and turned towards the hall, only to walk straight into Agent Finn’s hulking frame.


“Maclay,” he stated coldly.


“S-sir,” Tara replied, ducking her head self-consciously and biting her lower lip.


“Shouldn’t you be working?” Finn sneered, crossing his arms over his chest and clenching his jaw.


Tara bristled at the tone.Snapping her head up in defiance, she stared Finn dead in the eyes.


“Just stopping by for some equipment.So if you’ll excuse me, I have an investigation to continue.And you can get back to the important business of debating the merits of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck—Sir.”


Tara turned and walked away, leaving Riley dumbstruck and fuming.





Back at the house, Tara went straight to Willow’s desk.After several minutes of work she heard a satisfying click and slowly eased the drawer open.



It’s…empty.



The agent stared into the empty drawer and blinked several times.



It’s empty.And locked.Why would she lock an empty drawer?
Tara grasped for an explanation.
Maybe it was locked when she got it and there was no key.That would make sense.



Tara closed the drawer and set about re-locking it, far from satisfied with her conclusion.Pushing the thought aside for the time being, she continued her inspection of the rest of the room.By early afternoon she had found nothing unusual save for the largest collection of fuzzy sweaters she had ever seen.The agent moved on to the living room, where she worked steadily until 4:30 but turned up nothing.Quickly changing into appropriate office attire to preserve the illusion of her steno job, she left the house.





Tara watched as Willow entered the house shortly after 5.She waited five minutes then followed, walking onto the porch just as the rain that had held off all day began to fall in torrents.


“Hey, you’re home early,” the redhead greeted her with a grin.“ I saw your car outside—you didn’t drive?”


“They, um, let us go early to beat the rain,” the blonde improvised.“And I’m trying to bus it as much as possible.You know, gas rationing and all.Speaking of which, how did you manage to acquire so much coffee?”Tara flashed her a lopsided grin and raised an eyebrow.“You’re not a secret hoarder, are you Willow?”


“Wha—“No! No hoarding! Trade! Mrs. Merkel…next door…no coffee—for her!So we trade—coffee for gas—rations, that is.I gave her my gas coupons for her coffee.Cause drinking gas—blecchhh, and she can’t run her car on coffee…but oh! That’d be cool if you could!Or, well, a waste of coffee, but, umm…”


While the half of Willow’s brain that controlled her vocal chords was locked into full babble-mode, the other half was wrestling with the intense sensations caused by the devastating look Tara had given the redhead.



My knees…who put jelly in my knees?…is it warm in here?…why is my stomach all flippy?…whoooaa!—my head…fells funny, not ha-ha funny…more like—pass out?…am I passing out?…don’t wanna…okay,
seriously
warm in here…all over—oh my…
ALL
over…whuh?…how?…Tara—



A loud clap of thunder shook the house, breaking Willow out of both her verbal and mental babbles.The redhead felt shaken as well, but not on account of the storm.She stood transfixed, staring into Tara’s eyes as if searching for the answer to a question she did not even know to ask.After a long moment, she became aware that the blonde was no longer smiling, but was looking back at her with an equally intense gaze.


“
DINNER
,” Willow shouted, flinching at the sound of her own voice and startling Tara.Not pausing to gauge the other woman’s reaction, she bolted to the kitchen.


Tara, still standing just inside the front door, was left wondering what the hell had just happened.Unlike Willow, she was perfectly aware of what she was feeling and why.Her confusion stemmed from seeing her own desire reflected back in the smoky green eyes.She could have written off the kitchen incident as an innocent peek, but there was no denying the look she’d seen on Willow’s face, and it terrified and exhilarated her in equal measure.


Dinner that night was passed in silence, other than the sound of the storm raging outside.Tara offered to do the dishes and received a softly murmured ‘thanks’ from Willow, who retreated to her room to study.Tara settled herself on the couch to read the paper, but found it impossible to concentrate through the whirlwind of her emotions.


Some time later, Willow emerged, chatting amiably as though nothing had passed between them.For a moment Tara wondered if she had imagined it.The redhead shyly asked if she could listen to the radio.


“It’s your house, Willow.You can do whatever you want.”


She had not intended any innuendo, but Tara realized her mistake the second the words were out of her mouth.Out of the corner of her eye she saw the redhead stop, hand on the dial, and take a deep breath.When she came and sat next to Tara on the couch, the blonde felt every muscle in her body tense.


“Welcome to Suspense Theater—tonight, Agnes Moorehead in ‘Sorry, Wrong Number,’ the gripping tale of an invalid who knows a murder is planned, but who are the killers? And who is the victim? But first, a word from our sponsors…”


“Oh! Yay! I love this program,” Willow bubbled enthusiastically.


Over the course of the hour, as poor Mrs. Stevenson inched closer to danger, Willow inched closer to Tara.The redhead stared wide-eyed at the radio, lost in the story and totally unaware of her proximity to the blonde.Tara, however, could focus on nothing beyond the other woman moving ever closer to her.Willow unconsciously grabbed Tara’s hand as Mrs. Stevenson realized the killer was in her house.As the tension reached it’s peak, a flash of lightening and a huge crash of thunder pitched the house into silence and blackness.Willow shrieked once and dove for cover.


Tara could see nothing, but she could feel Willow’s head buried in her shoulder and an arm draped over her.Willow’s breathing was fast and shallow, while Tara barely dared to breathe at all.Several minutes passed in which neither woman moved.Then Willow lifted her head, ever so slowly.Tara sat still, feeling the redhead’s arm where it still lay across her chest, the hand resting lightly on her shoulder.Eyes adjusting to the darkness, she turned her head and was able to just make out the outline of Willow’s face, inches from her own.She sensed rather than saw the redhead leaning towards her, green eyes flashing in the dark like a cat’s, lips parted slightly.Just as it seemed there could be no space left between them, the lights blazed on and the radio blared out.


Tara leapt off the couch, somehow managed to stammer out a quick ‘good night,’ and ran to her room.


Willow stood up in a daze, walked slowly around the living room, turning off the radio and the lights, then returned to the couch, where she leaned over, elbows on her knees and head in her hands.She felt tears begin to form and allowed them to fall freely.



Oh, God.What have I done?






TBC in Chapter Seven: A Boy Named Sue








What should I be but just what I am?
- Edna St.Vincent MillayEdited by: tarawhipped at: 8/18/04 9:27 pm

[wimpy0729]

OMG, Willow and her emotional confusion. Poor thing! I can't blame her. I would have jumped on Tara too, with the scary storm and the spooky story, and well, just her body being in close proximity would do it too.



So, OK, now Tara's not freaked but she knows she can't let anything happen...yet, right? She can't hide in her room forever. Please let her out so they can talk.



Great job!



Wimpy

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara

[amazonaa]

I love how Tara treats Riley. Someone should put him in his place.



Well great job. Loved the Willow babble and the scary story jumping into Tara's arms. Works everytime.





More soon, please.





brittney







"Arn't you going to tell me to 'break a leg'?

"Break 'em both." Amber Benson as Cheyenne in The Crush

[mollyig]

I like that Tara stood up to Riley - maybe her haste to get back to the domicile of a certain redhead helped her



The suspense while the two were listening to the radio - and it wasn't because of the play! Poor Willow wondering what she has done to startle Tara away. It will, hopefully, pave the way for some introspection by Ms Rosenberg, though.

---

Sheacht mh'anam déag do bhéal, do mhalaí's do ghrua

[Artemis]

Go Tara! Mickey Mouse indeed... (not that I'm too keen on the Duck either, but I guess Aeon Flux hadn't been invented back then ). Poor Willow though, wondering what she's done - no doubt she's going to assume Tara freaked at nearly being kissed by a girl, and how can Tara tell her otherwise when she's most definitely not allowed to explain Willow's her suspect, and thus off-limits? Poor girls, so much to work through. The image of them sitting there listening to the radio serial was so authentic, though, for the time - and I can just see Willow getting thoroughly engrossed in it.



As for Willow's locked drawer... well, yeah, it could just have been locked since Willow got it. But I'm wondering if, in fact, it's for keeping something safe while Willow's at home, something that she takes to work with her.

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

[veiled isis moon]

The poor thing has not got a clue, has she. Bless. She doesn't know what all these funny feelings mean or why they're happening, and the thought that it could be Tara has not even entered her mind. I'm sure she'll know in time. Funny update though, with Tara putting Finn in his place and herself and Willow on the couch listening to the radio, jumping about everywhere and getting all grabby!! Thanks.

[tarawhipped]

Here's feedback before I get too far behind. There'll be another update in a day or two.


amazonnaa: Thanks for your kind words. I'm making Riley particularly jerky, but for the era, I don't think his attitude would be unusual--maybe not even now (the Initiative was certainly a boys club).


RaVeN: Glad you found it interesting, and I hope you continue to.


mollyig: Is Tara's past ever a happy one? I agree that Tara is very intuitive, which I think allows her to be very trusting, but only with a select few.


BTW, what does your sig line mean? It's Gaelic, right?


wimpy0729: Thank you! Your sneaky suspicion is correct, but it'll be a while before her secret's revealed .

Quote:

---

she can't hide in her room forever

---

Actually, that's not a bad idea! I think I'll just end it here . KIDDING!


BWR: Nothing wrong with a little butt-checking . Thanks for reading!


veiled isis moon: Willow's starting to figure things out, but she doesn't know yet what to do with it. Riley is going to need more ass-kicking, and I think Tara's up to the job!


Artemis: Where do I start? First off, thanks for the great feedback. Nothing seems to get by you. It's kinda irritating . Just to shake things up a bit, I AM going to answer some of your questions.


Since I only vaguely alluded to it in chapter one, VENONA was a project to crack the Soviet diplomatic code, which was successfully done (in '45, I believe). I don't know where it was based, so I just chose D.C.


Willow was recruited as a regular cryptanalyst while in college, pretty much on the basis of being a genius, and not related to her studies. The discovery of the leak happened after some coded messages were translated, so the actual transmission of information could have happened earlier, thus allowing Willow to be a suspect even several months after leaving. I hope this clears things up a bit--I guess I should have delved into this further, but I wanted to get right to the action!


As for other odds and ends, thanks r.e. the radio scene--I've listened to that exact story, and I found it so much more intense than watching the film. Aeon Flux is awesome! And the locked drawer, hmmmm...

Quote:

---

I'm in full spy-mode, so I'm suspecting everyone

---

I'm actually starting to suspect you!


Thanks again to everyone for reading!


-Cameron


edited b/c I @#$í something up big time, apparently.

---

What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

Edited by: tarawhipped at: 8/19/04 7:02 pm

[mollyig]

Hi tarawhipped,



yes my sig is Gaelic. It's from a song by the band Altan. Translation is My soul is enthralled with your mouth, your face and your brow

---

Sheacht mh'anam déag do bhéal, do mhalaí's do ghrua

[tarawhipped]

Title: Secrets and Spies
Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)
Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 (possibly higher later, see chapter headings)
Disclaimer: All characters are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy
Feedback: Yes please!
Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!
Chapter notes: Thoughts in
italics







Chapter Seven: A Boy Named Sue



Willow attacked a clump of weeds with ferocious determination.Waking early after a restless dream-filled night, she had thrown on a work shirt and a pair of old jeans to clear away the debris from the storm.Her work had led her around to the side of the house, where the Victory garden planted by the previous owner had fallen into a state of decay.Willow had immediately sunk to her knees and proceeded to rip out the tangled mass with her hands.Now, hours later, the redhead was sweaty and disheveled, and her garden was not only weed-free, it was plant-free as well.



So much for doing my patriotic duty
, she grumbled silently.
It looks like a stray bomb landed in my yard.



Willow pushed herself to her feet, staggering a little as pins and needles shot through her aching muscles.Stiffly walking around to the front porch, she sat down on the steps with a thud.



Tara must be up by now.I can’t stay out here all day.Gotta go face the music sometime…hmph—you hear music, you don’t see it, so how can you face—okay, not the point.I just need to march right in there and apologize…just say flat out ‘hey Tara, I’m really sorry I almost attacked you on the couch last night, but with the storm and the killers and the dark and the…big blue eyes and the oh-so-kissable full lips—‘ Okay, that could use some work. What the frilly heck am I doing?I should call Anya—she’ll tell me what’s wrong with me—in detail, possibly with pictures…and a pie chart.



An incredulous expression spread over Willow’s face as she sunk her head in her hands, mirroring her posture from the previous evening.



I was gonna kiss her…I
wanted
to kiss her—and she’s a HER—and she so obviously didn’t want me to, what with the freaking and the running away.I practically threw myself at her—what must she be thinking?What was
I
thinking?Was I even thinking at all? She’s probably packing right now, and I’ll never see her again, and…oh Goddess, I don’t want her to go. I want—I have to stop her!I’ll apologize, beg her forgiveness—grovel, even.Must make Tara stay!



Willow stood up with resolve, walked boldly through the door, and strode to the dining room table, where Tara sat eating lunch.The blonde kept her head lowered, eyes focused on her meal as the redhead approached.Willow took a deep breath, preparing to make an eloquent plea for Tara to forgive her and stay.


“Are you going to move out?” The unexpectedly high-pitched voice blurted out.


Tara nearly choked on her soup.Coughing and sputtering, she raised frantic eyes to Willow, who looked to be on the verge of hysteria herself.


“Y-you w-want m-me to m-move out?”


“NO!” Willow shouted.Looking into Tara’s watering eyes—from emotion or choking she couldn’t be sure—the redhead felt a dull pain seize her chest.“Tara—no.I just thought that you might…that after last night…what with me and the grabbiness—which will NEVER happen again—but I just…I wasn’t sure you’d want to live here anymore…you know, with me,” she finished in a voice barely above a whisper.


Tara’s panic subsided as Willow spoke.She had watched from the kitchen window as the redhead had furiously shredded the garden.She knew the other woman was blaming herself for Tara’s abrupt departure the night before, and she didn’t know how to tell the redhead that it was okay without encouraging her further.Her initial reaction to Willow’s question was to assume that she was being
asked
to leave.If that were to happen, Tara’s career would almost certainly be over, but that thought was secondary to her fear of being forced out of Willow’s life.


“I don’t want to leave,” she replied quietly, thankful for not stuttering, and for the knowledge that, at least for one moment, she could be entirely truthful.


Willow had unconsciously gripped the back of a chair in her distress, her knuckles turning white while she waited for the blonde’s response.When the soft words reached her ears she relaxed her hold, her eyes drifting closed and a silent mantra of ‘thankyouthankyouthankyou’ coursing through her brain.


“I really, uh, need to take a shower, but maybe after that…we can talk?”


“Okay,” Tara murmured, turning a forced smile and tired eyes to the redhead, who returned the look and moved off down the hallway.Tara watched her go with regret.



I have to put a stop to this—whatever THIS is.Maybe I should go.I’ve gotten too close.I could call Finn right now and ask to be reassigned.And…and tell him what? He’d just send in some Junior G-man who wouldn’t give a damn about her—argh!Listen to yourself Maclay!Best case scenario and she’s NOT a spy, you think she’s just going to gratefully throw herself into your arms when she finds out you’ve been lying to her?



The shrill ringing of the telephone preempted Tara’s distraught speculations.She heard Willow call out from the shower for her to answer it.


“Willow Rosenberg’s residence.”


“This is Sheila Rosenberg, to whom am I speaking?”


“This is, um, Tara Maclay—Willow’s housema—“


“Yes, of course, Willow mentioned she was taking in a boarder.May I speak with my daughter?”


“She’s in the, umm, s-shower.I could give her a mes—“


“Just tell her that her father and I are in town.Have her meet us at the Conners in half an hour.Thank you so much Karen.”


Without so much as a goodbye the line went dead.Tara stared dumbfounded at the phone.



Well that was just…rude.How on Earth did Willow—sweet, considerate, babbly Willow—come from
that
?”



The redhead in question was at that moment walking down the hallway, wearing only a short silk robe.


“Who was that?” she asked as she toweled her hair dry.


“Your, um, m-mother,” Tara stammered, trying to avert her eyes from the tempting sight of Willow’s bare legs.“She and your dad are here—they want you to meet them in a half hour…at the Conners.”


Willow’s body sagged noticeably and a stream of mumbled curses escaped her pursed lips.


“I take it you’re not happy to see them?”


“Oh, you know, they’re parents.They pretty much ignore me 99 percent of the time, then try to make it up to me and alleviate their guilt all in one long boring evening.I’ll probably be stuck with them the rest of the day, but…if it’s not too late, maybe we could still, uh…talk…when I get home?”


“S-sure.”


“I’d invite you to join us, but I don’t secretly dislike you,” Willow playfully explained, grinning widely.






Tara debated following the Rosenberg family, but decided it probably wasn’t necessary, and in the end opted for a night off.Feeling a desperate need to put some distance between herself and the case, she called the one person who knew all her secrets—the one person—
for now
—she could be herself with.


“Hey—it’s me.What are you doing tonight?”






Willow trudged up the porch steps, feeling emotionally and physically drained.She looked at her watch and grimaced at the time.



Tara must be asleep by now
, she thought, cursing her parents.However, as she quietly entered the house and padded softly down the hall, she heard muted laughter coming from the spare bedroom.Noticing the light still on, she glanced through the half open door and stopped dead in her tracks.Tara sat brushing her hair at her desk, dressed in a long satin nightgown.Although the other woman faced away from the door, Willow took a step back further into the shadows of the dark hallway.Her breath hitched as she saw the blonde’s smile in profile.Following the direction of the smile, her eyes fell on a pair of shoes.



Whose shoes?—whose men’s shoes, that appear to contain actual feet…that are most definitely attached to legs…legs wearing pants…lounging on the bed…there’s a man in there…with Tara…who’s in a slinky nightgown.There’s a man in there, and she’s practically naked, and they’re all ‘la-la-la’ with the laughing…and it’s late—LATE late—and she’s getting ready for bed…and there’s a
MAN
in there!



Willow became increasingly agitated and indignant as her mind struggled to wrap itself around the scene in front of her.



Did I not stress the house rules?It’s not like there was a big long list of rules—there were two…TWO rules!And just who the heck does that guy think he is, lounging around in MY house…ogling
MY
Tara…whuh?.



Willow suddenly and loudly cleared her throat.Tara turned to the door with a brilliant smile.


“Willow, you’re ba—“


“Miss Maclay, may I speak to you in the living room—alone?”The redhead stalked off without a backwards glance, and Tara instantly followed, her brow creased in concern.


“Is something wrong, Wil—.”Tara started, but was cut off by the other woman, who struggled to maintain a steady gaze with the blonde.


“I thought I made it clear when you moved in that I had several rules,” Willow began.She paused, seeing the confusion on Tara’s face, then horrified realization.The redhead jumped when Tara shouted down the hallway:


“SUE! Are you smoking?!”







TBC in Chapter Eight: Exposing Tara








What should I be but just what I am?
- Edna St.Vincent MillayEdited by: tarawhipped at: 8/20/04 9:35 pm

[amazonaa]

Hahahaha!!



That was good.





greatjob.







brittney







"Arn't you going to tell me to 'break a leg'?

"Break 'em both." Amber Benson as Cheyenne in The Crush

[wimpy0729]

Oh, that was good.



So glad to see Tara come out of her room, and their conversation seems to keep getting interrupted...hmmm.



Loved Willow's thoughts .



Okay, still thinking about Willow in a short robe.



Anyway, more soon please!



Wimpy

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara

[Artemis]

Ha! I was wondering whether Tara's friend would be someone we were acquainted with, or someone new - having completely forgotten about the chapter title amid all the emotional upset earlier - and then I was just as confused as Willow. Well, maybe not *just* as confused, as she clearly had a big worry about *her* Tara being with a man, when I knew whoever it was was just a friend, but still... looking forward to meeting Sue. Any friend of Tara's has got to be worth getting to know.



You needn't suspect me, any evil, nefarious scheme I'm behind in this kind of setting would definitely involve the aforementioned proto-computers... and probably giant robots, or something. My evil side comes straight from a Bond movie.



Tara's dilemma is a nasty one though - Willow's upset, and is obviously drawing the wrong conclusions, but what can Tara say? Telling her the whole truth would utterly compromise her mission, and lying to Willow is already twisting her up inside, so compounding it - even to reassure Willow somehow, with a plausible-but-unrevealing explanation - can't be a welcome prospect.



Hmm... if only there were some way to blame it all on Riley...

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

[tarawhipped]

Hiya Kittens!
This chapter got to be a bit longer than I intended, so I decided to split it up.Unfortunately, that means rewriting the next one, and leaving this one at a bit more of a (or at least different) cliffhanger than originally anticipated.So, um, enjoy!

But wait, there's feedback!


mollyig:
That's...wow, very cool!



amazonaa:
Thanks Brittney--I love getting those LMAOs!



Wimpy0729:
Hey! My first drool! VERY cool. I'm glad it pleased you. More on the way, though that pesky conversation might be interrupted some more...



Artemis:
Hooray! I successfully distracted you with angst and the ending was a surprise--I'm considering that quite an achievement. *pats self on back* I hope my (most likely) one attempt at an original character proves appealing.


Giant robots, you say?

*scratches chin thoughtfully* Now I may have to plan a 50's scifi sequel.


Tara is definitely walking a tightrope, which is about to start swaying precariously.




Thanks for reading, on to the update:



Title: Secrets and Spies
Author: Tarawhipped (Cameron)
Email: tarawhipped@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 (possibly higher later, see chapter headings)
Disclaimer: All characters are property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy
Feedback: Yes please!
Distribution: Sure, just tell me where so I can visit!
Chapter notes: Thoughts in
italics









Chapter Eight: Exposing Tara





“Sue?” Willow squeaked, as she heard a sing-song ‘no-o’ coming from the bedroom.


Willow bowed her head in embarrassment, a hand automatically rising to cover her eyes.Peeking though her fingers at Tara’s face, she saw the horrified look pass back to confusion, as the blonde stared at Willow, then down the hall…Willow…hall.Finally Tara’s mouth formed an ‘O’ and a devilish grin spread over her face.


“Hey Sue, come here.”


Upon looking closely at the figure that emerged from the bedroom, Willow couldn’t believe her mistake.The masculine cut of the black pinstripe suit aside, it was obviously a woman.Her short black hair was greased back, making it appear even shorter.She was tall and somewhat stocky, but her sparkling brown eyes, high cheekbones, and soft jaw line were clearly feminine.As were her other…attributes.



Huh—how’d I miss those?
Willow mused.


“Willow, this is Sue; Sue—Willow.”As Tara made the introductions she shot a quick but meaningful glance at the brunette, which went unnoticed by the redhead.“We, um, went to h-high school together.We ran into each other this afternoon and ended up going out.I’m sorry if we um, surprised you.”


“No…no surprise.Well, maybe a little surprise…but not like ‘Whuaahh! Frogs!’ surprise.I’m sorry if I came off a bit like, you know, my mother.”


“It’s alright, Willow,” Tara stated reassuringly, laying a comforting hand on the redhead’s arm and filing away the frog remark for future inquiry.“If the situation was reversed I probably would have come to the same conclusion.I did promise you though—no men,” she added, one side of her mouth curling into a smile.


Sue, meanwhile, stood leaning against a door-frame, casually spinning her fedora in one hand.She’d spent the entire evening listening to her friend moon over Willow one minute, then bemoan the futility of it all the next.


Before she met Tara, she had never known anyone with such a huge capacity for love, who at the same time believed herself undeserving of it.Despite repeated attempts to convince Tara to throw caution to the wind and take a chance, Sue had never seen the blonde show more than polite half-hearted interest in any woman.She could tell that this one was different, and she secretly praised her friend’s taste—or not so secretly, as her eyes roamed over the redhead’s body appreciatively.She knew that the problem was the investigation, but she trusted Tara’s instincts as well as her own.And her friend’s instincts were telling her ‘she’s innocent.’ And ‘I want her.’ And ‘she’s yummy.’
Okay, so maybe that last one was my instinct,
Sue thought.
Still, they look like they could use a nudge.



“Well,” she started, noticing the jumps from the two women who had seemingly forgotten she was there.“This is fascinating, but the night is still young—aaat heart,” she amended off of Tara’s raised eyebrow.“And so am I.Sooo, I think I’ll go find myself some pretty young nurse to relieve me of my…pains—since all of the women around here appear to be…otherwise occupied.”


Tara’s eyes shot daggers at her friend, while Willow blushed to her hairline—a fact not lost on the brunette, who took the redhead’s hand in her own.


“
You
are just cutest thing I’ve ever seen—no offense Tare.Next time we go to the Bronze Vixen we’ll have to bring you along.I can dance circles around Fred Astaire, and you look like you’re itching for a good…twirl,” she said with a rakish grin and a wink as she spun the startled girl around the room.


Tara stood with her arms crossed over her chest, trying to look disapproving, but it was no use.She rolled her eyes and laughed at Sue’s flirtatiousness, wishing she were the one to be causing Willow’s amazed grin.


“So m’ladies, I’ll be off, and you be good,” she commanded, wagging her eyebrows and stooping to kiss Willow’s hand.She pulled Tara into a tight hug, quietly whispering in her ear “trust yourself, kiddo—trust her too. Call me later, ‘k?”




The playful atmosphere departed along with Sue, leaving the housemates in an uncomfortable silence.The minutes ticked by as they stood, shyly glancing at each other but avoiding the conversation that had loomed over them all day.Finally, Willow summoned up her courage and cleared her throat.


“So, she’s nice.”


“Yeah, she’s um, been a good friend,” Tara replied.


“That, that’s nice.So, has she—I mean is she—does she always dress like that?”


Tara realized that the redhead was stalling, circling the perimeter of what she really wanted to know.Not being in a particular hurry to reach that destination herself, the agent steeled herself for the questions ahead.


“No.She only wears that out to…certain places.”


“Ah.And there are other women at these place who err…wear men’s clothes?”


“Yes.”


“Uh-huh.So…do men—actual men-type men—go there too, or is it just, um…women?”


“Only women.”


Willow nodded, looking deeply into Tara’s eyes. She dropped her gaze to the floor and her forehead creased in contemplation.She opened and closed her mouth several times before continuing in a hushed voice.


“Do—do you…have you, ever?”


Tara sighed.
Here we go.
“Once or twice.”


Willow’s eyes drifted up from the floor, slowly mapping the terrain of Tara’s body, barely concealed by her nightgown, trying to picture the blonde in a suit and tie.To her surprise she found the image that formed in her head oddly arousing.


“And there’s dancing…with the women…dancing together—you…dancing with other women?”


“Yes.”Tara watched Willow’s face for a reaction.So many emotions played over the expressive face: curiosity, confusion, fear…desire?She wanted so desperately to pull the other woman to her, stroke her hair, whisper soothing words into her ear.She wanted to tell her that it was alright—that whatever she was feeling, it was going to be okay—but she wouldn’t.She couldn’t because she wasn’t sure herself, and it would just be one more lie.So instead she stood, barely moving, barely breathing, answering in monosyllables, watching sadly when the redhead’s face became a blank mask.


“It’s really late, and I…have to see a—a…friend tomorrow, so I’m just going to…um, goodnight.”


Tara resisted the urge to call after her…to run down the hall and grab Willow and kiss her breathless.She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling suddenly cold and nauseous.Try as she might, she couldn’t fight the tears that began to fall.






Sunday morning Willow was up and out of the house early.After an hour of listening to the rambling, confusing exposition of events, Anya had been her usual straight-to-the-point self.


“So she’s a lesbian, and now you think you’re a lesbian because you’re having all sorts of lesbiany thoughts about her?”


“That pretty much sums it up, yeah.”


“And you tried to kiss her and you thought she was repelled, but then it turns out that she has some big butch girlfriend who could have ground you into dust but instead danced around the living room with you?”


“Uhhh—yeah—maybe.They might just be friends.”


“Let me guess, you got too focused on the clothes thing and completely forgot to ask them if they were doing the horizontal boogie-woogie.”


“Anya! I would never ask that!”


“Well why not, for God’s sake!You obviously want to know.” Anya looked at her friend with exasperation.“Honestly, I don’t know why I help you.You come to my home at a ridiculously early hour, take advantage of my hospitality, and then scoff at my very valuable advice.”


Willow squirmed in her chair, knowing she’d been asking for this.She had barged in on Anya, having no one else to turn to.When Xander had been shipped off to Europe, he’d asked his best friend to look after his fiancée.Anya took this to mean that the redhead would become her instant talking on the phone, shopping, and gossiping best friend.When that hadn’t happened, she’d made no effort to conceal her resentment.


“I know I haven’t been a very good friend to you Anya, and I’m sorry.But I’ll make it up to you!Why don’t we do something fun next weekend—your choice.”


Anya’s face lit up with glee and she clapped her hands.
Oh boy, what have I just agreed to?



“Okay! That’s more like it!There’s a USO dance on Friday night, and you are going with me—not in a lesbiany way, of course.”


Willow rolled her eyes, and forced a smile.“That would be…great.”


“Good, then you run on back home and talk to Tara.I’m sure you’ll be having orgasms in no time!”




As she left Anya’s house and began walking back to her own, Willow did not notice Tara, following behind her at a discrete distance.The blonde agent was so focused on the redhead that she too was unaware of a figure shadowing her.







TBC in Chapter 9: Tara, I Have To Tell You...










What should I be but just what I am?
- Edna St.Vincent MillayEdited by: tarawhipped at: 8/24/04 8:05 pm

[RaVeN]

lmao oh my god I have to admit Anya always cracks me up. And Sue, that was to perfect so now Willow and Tara are gonna make with the secret sniggles right lol.

__________________



I have died many a death in love, and yet, had I not loved I would never have lived at all.

--David Lasater

[wimpy0729]

Oh, this was so good. I love Sue! She is so cool, with her nudging of the girls.



Anya's straightforward "lesbiany" comments totally cracked me up.



And now picturing Tara in a suit and Willow drooling over the thought left me with pleasant visuals.



Okay, I'm a little concerned with the person following Tara, so please update soon to let us know.



More soon please!



Wimpy

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara

[mollyig]

you hear music, you don’t see it, so how can you face it I thought this was a classic example of how Willow's mind would work. In the middle of a mind babble this piece of logic pops up.



The introduction of Tara's friend Sue has started even more questions to bubble up in Willow's mind. The talk with good ol' straight-talking Anya will have helped. But I think Willow will need some time to process it in her clever little brain.



And who in the frilly heck is trailing Tara?



Thanks so much for the updates.

---

Sheacht mh'anam déag do bhéal, do mhalaí's do ghrua

[Artemis]

Shadowing Tara? This bodes ill... and the way I see it, this can only be the real Rose, or some accomplice thereof. When I'm in spy-mode I don't believe in coincidence, so if espionage-y evidence is (falsely) pointing towards Willow, that suggests that someone's deliberately set her up as the decoy, to allow them to do their nefarious work without being discovered. But... why follow Tara? If some spy-minion were were keeping tabs on Willow - a good idea, if she's to be the decoy - they'd have seen Tara moving in, and now they'll know she's spying on Willow... unless they knew it already... nasty suspicions forming.



On a more character-oriented level, Willow seems to be taking these latest revelations well, all things considered - it being the 1940s and all, and lesbians not exactly widely accepted. She didn't freak completely, which is promising, and I'd say it's only natural that she's having to do some self-examination at this point - she's discovered something pretty big about herself, as well as Tara, and that needs to be dealt with no matter what decade she's in.



Now, the image of Tara in a suit... yummy. Tipping the Velvet would be green with envy

Chris Cook

Through the Looking-glass

A Willow and Tara for every world.

[Sheba]

I love this fic...just caught 2 updates, and I'm a happy kitten! *rubs hands together* SO when do we get more?!

[DarkChild]

hullo



i love your fic so far



update soon

"Death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it."

The Princess Bride

[RaVeN]

chokes on her water oh you HAVE GOT to be kidding me.. umm okayyy



great as always..

__________________



WANTED: Looking for small poltergeist for personal use and a very talented muse. Please send resume to my inbox.



Update: Poltergeist found but its hard to find a good muse.

[wimpy0729]

Oh Hell No!



You didn't do that. Well, yes you did, just when Willow was getting her courage up...and now I know something else will happen, and then something else, so I'll just wait and wait to see if they'll eventually get to have their little talk. But I'm not going to hold my breath because I'd probably pass out and then miss it when they do.



Okay, thinking happy thoughts now...Tara in a suit in the Bronze Vixen...Tara in a snug suit...very snug...hugging curves...me and Willow sitting there .



More soon please!



Wimpy

"There was plenty of magic." ~ Tara