Fic - Come Away With Me

[funkyasian]

woohoo! stages of undress starts...



Toni - i think between reading Triscuit's update and this, my mind has just boarded the express train to the gutter...not that i mind it...



steph

Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul. ~ Oscar Wilde

[Zahir al Daoud]

The joy, the surprise, the planning of the trip together...and the sex, don't forget the SEX!



Ah. True love!



Thanks for writing this story, Toni.

[Kieli]

You know, you guys are just too funny. Yer gonna make me write smut, aren't you? *sigh* Well it will have to wait until they get to Vegas. Ya cain't have smut unless you're in one of those queen sized suites with a hot tub and a 180 degree view of the Strip (what an appropriate name for that little section of Sin City)



Toni

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[LeatherQueen]

Ah, lovely update, Toni.

Quote:

---

Ya cain't have smut unless you're in one of those queen sized suites with a hot tub and a 180 degree view of the Strip

---

And you would know about that, eh?



I vote that you write smut. Smut is good. Come over to the smut-side, Toni.

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


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[Drakkenfyre]

Well hello darlin' Nice to see ya. It's been along time...tee hee! Just flying in to say I love your update and to remind you of our conversation earlier today. Listen to the ancient dragon, little grasshopper. *deep Chinese bow*

"In my world there are people in chains and we ride them like ponies."

[Triscuit7]

Hey Toni -



Thanks for ending the cliffy-hanger.... and hehehe....you're gonna have to do it, sweetie.....



Shall I shout it from the rooftops?

**********************


I brought marshmallows!

[Kieli]

LQ: You know, dear, you are so NOT helpful. Can't this be a non-smut fic zone? *perspires nervously* I will not be swayed!



Drakkenfyre: I am trying very hard to remember your wise words, o humble teacher



Mel: See, there is NO WAY I could compete with your smut, Tris, so don't even tell me that it's possible. You people are EVIL! But I love ya anyways.



Toni

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[Triscuit7]

Hey Toni



SMIRK



I just know you have it in you ... all you have to do is remembers "Evil's good" and let your muses take over....



Ciao, Melissa

**********************


I brought marshmallows!

[The Rose24]

I just caught up with this. Great update. Loved Willow's reaction to seeing Tara.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.

Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Willow: Hi, um Tara. I was wondering maybe you want to go out some time for coffee? food? Kisses and gay love?

[willowsgrrl]

great googalies an update whoo hoo. by the way ihave i told u i the story? well i do



christina

[Urn of Osiris]

Ahhhhh! Thanks I needed that. Just wonderful.



So I can stop holding my breath now and falling over into the keyboard. My skin is actually starting to pink up again.



I just love this fic. Thanks for the update.



Urn



He he he, glad you got a giggle from the sig.



__________________________**

WILLOW: That's a work ethic! Buffy, you're developing a work ethic.

BUFFY: Oh, no. Do they make an ointment for that?

[BethanyB3]

Hi Kieli

So glad to you're back w/ this fic. I've been missing it.



Can hardly wait for the next update. They get to be stealthy secluded in a suite & satiated with sensational, sensual, salacious, soul searing sex in a sin city sanctuary! But hey no pressure.

***********************************************************************

"If I could, then I would, I'll go wherever you will go. Way up high or down low, I'll go wherever you will go."~The Calling

[TromDeGrey]

Smut. Vegas. Vegas Smut. hehehehehehehehe Gotta love it.

"Live or die, but don't poison everything..." -Anne Sexton

[Kieli]

Mel: *sigh* You are not helpful...just as bad as LQ. What's a good respectable lesbian supposed to do??



Rose: So glad to have you back and reading. I don't suppose I could interest you in reading "She's A Keeper"



willowsgrrl: I'm rather pleased that you came out of lurkdom to express your interest in the story. I really enjoy hearing from newcomers.



Urn: You're getting to be as bad as the rest of them



Beth: Ahem...loved your wordplay there, Beth. Now if I could only live up to it! Me, the innocent lesbian who knows not how to write smut



Trom: Now who said anything about smut? That evil Melissa has been putting words in my mouth again....erm....scratch that last statement...it sounded a whole LOT less lesbian in my head.



Oh....and SHAMELESS PLUG FOR MY SHORT FIC (tee hee)....it's around here somewhere. Called She's A Keeper. Let me know what you think



Toni

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[Darcy]

Hey Toni -



Who said anything about being respectable? I think I stopped being respectable by the second chapter of "River in Me"..... Respectable is, ummmm, well, it can be exciting, but I keep hearing Vamp Willow in my head..... and know what her opinion of respectable is/was/will be.



And hey, you innocent? Uh..... (remembering a certain conversation....). If you need an idea, do that. Your Willow and Tara are older and can pull that off, mine are still baby dykes and don't need...extras.



And well, I don't exactly have a reputation to protect any more (see above 2nd chap), but as far as I know I haven't put any .... words in your mouth . Besides it's not wrong to sound lesbian in your head, is it? 'Cause I sound lesbian there all the time.



As for "She's a Keeper" - I really really liked it and given an opportunity (or bribe ) will even post in that thread.



Thanks again Toni for the suggestions....



Ciao, Melissa (grinning evilly)



edited to add: Well, suck eggs....look at that I'm logged in as Darcy. Gotta fix that.

*****************
I don't care if it is an orgy of death, there's still such a thing as a napkin! - Willow in "Superstar"

Edited by: Darcy at: 8/17/02 5:41:30 pm

[Triscuit7]

What can I say about posting under Darcy's login except that I had a long day today and I'm a frickin' idiot....

**********************


I brought marshmallows!

[LeatherQueen]

"respectable"? Who wants to be respectable when you can be hot, sweaty, naked and grinding against a firm thigh instead?

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


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[Kieli]

All I can say to the Phantom Darcy ( ), Mel and LQ is, ROTFLMFAO! You two are just tooo funny. And ya know what, Mel? I had almost forgotten about that conversation. Something having to do with ice cubes and such



T.

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[Triscuit7]

Ice cubes...... Yep, see you remember. I knew you had it um.... never mind.



Oh, and BTW Darcy informs me that she doesn't want her name associated with improperly proofread material (which I seem to post). She even wants to beta read my 'thank yous'!



Ciao, Melissa (really grinning evilly now)

**********************


I brought marshmallows!

[KrisBo5]

So, I wanted to say I'm loving this storyand keep up the fantastic work before now, but I'm a lazy, no good slacker! Well then, consider yourself told.

Kris

"Frell that!"

[mollyig]

Oh I have missed this. So glad to see its return.



Buffy inviting Tara to stay at her house. I knew she was clueless, but that was bad. Couldn't she see that our girls just wanted to be together?



Tara's present shows how considerate she is.



Lovely!

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[eccentrictulip]

i just found this fic, and i'm absolutely loving it!!! i don't believe i missed it before!! i love that you had willow knowing that she was gay and out when the fic started--very different from other AU's. it's a nice change i love the music you've weaved in too--i had to go and download a bunch of it cause the words were just so perty!!!! you should make a soundtrack.....can't wait for more--fantastic writing!!!!!

*please use both hands....*

[Kieli]

Well I got up at the crack of freakin' dawn this morning (many thanks to Xita and Ruth for the smut cheerleading btw) in order to write Chapter 11. So...it may get posted this afternoon or this evening. Who knows.

Mel: It is good that Darcy betas your thank yous. Keeps you honest

Kris: Told indeed. ...thanks for stopping by

Molls: I'll really have to think of something good to give you for being one of my biggest supporters (...erm...now wait a second...Mel, don't even take this where I think you might). Now about that IG song opp...got any ideas?

eccentrictulip: I actually have created a soundtrack for those who requested it. Unfortunately, I should have waited until I was actually finished writing the fic because there are two more songs that might show up here. No worries though, I'll post the songs somewhere so that people can download them. If you want the CD, just email me your snail mail addy. I have two others to send to.

Toni

[edited to add: well this is going to be a baby update until my brain can stop short circuiting. I know it ain't much but figured I'd post it anyway.]

Chapter Eleven – Out of the Woods

Much later that evening, Willow lay with Tara gently snoring on her chest in the deep quiet of her parents’ house. Moonlight from an open window filtered into the room, casting their bodies in nocturnal ghostliness, pale and peaceful. She was somewhat surprised at how easy it had been to get Xander, Anya and Buffy to tend to her caretaking duties (though they were becoming less duties than more just simply keeping an eye on her parents) while she was away on a much needed holiday with her sorely missed lover. Tara shifted slightly and her hand brushed Willow’s exposed nipple causing her to hiss with a sharp intake of breath. Said nipple raised perkily in response to the touch. She cocked an amused eyebrow at her body’s automatic reaction to her lover’s touch and returned to her musings. A slight frown creased her features as she recalled her parents’ noncommittal reactions to her brief respite in Las Vegas. Ira Rosenberg just muttered something about finally being able to smoke his pipe in peace; Sheila Rosenberg didn’t seem to care very much one way or the other. She just said, “Make sure to keep in touch, dear,” and went to bed. Willow bristled at the memory but shrugged it off.

“It’s not like I expected them to be any different than they normally are,” she thought bitterly. “No ‘thanks for coming home, Willow’, no ‘be careful, Willow’, no ‘good to have you home, Willow’. Nothing.”

“And what?” her inner voice asked. “You’re surprised by this?”

Willow chuckled silently and closed her eyes in an attempt to get some sleep. Tomorrow was filled with possibilities.

They arose at 5 am, early enough to leave without dealing with Willow’s parents. Of course, Willow was somewhat grumpy; she was obviously not a morning person. However, she was glad to be up and out of the house. Tara helped Willow get dressed and moving, gently prodding her when necessary. As Tara started the rental car and drove out of Sunnydale, Willow felt as if an enormous weight that she had been carrying around for the last three months was lifted from her slim shoulders. She sighed contentedly, turned on the radio and leaned back in her seat. The car filled with tinkling mandolins and haunting young voices from a group the radio announcer called Nickel Creek.

I wish you out of the woods
And into the picture with me
I wish you over the moon
Come out of the question and be

If this is going to
Run round in my head
I might as well be dreaming
Run round in my head

I rollercoaster for you
Time out of mind
Must be heavenly
It’s all enchanted and wild
It’s just like my heart said
It was going to be

If this is going to
Run round in my head
I might as well be dreaming
Run round in my head

Tara reached across and held Willow’s hand as Willow drifted into a light doze. “We’re not quite out of the woods yet, baby. Hopefully, this trip will help you decide if us is what you’re really wanting,” she pondered. Glancing down at her watch, she noted that time was fast slipping away and Los Angeles was still a long way off.

A few hours later, they waited in a surprisingly short line to board Southwest Airlines, Flight 5672 bound for Las Vegas. Though they spoke little on the drive to LAX, nervous excitement moved through their veins like a direct hit of caffeine. Willow was excited because she had never been to ‘Sin City’ before and Tara was looking forward to everything she had planned to make their trip memorable. Neither of them did a very good job of sitting still throughout the flight. Their restless energy managed to completely annoy their seatmate, who huffed grumpily every time one of them got up to use the restroom or rummaged through their carry-ons. The plane finally touched down in McCarran International Airport after what seemed like the longest hour of their lives.
A ridiculously cheerful Southwest Airlines employee (who looked like he was an aerobics instructor in his spare time) greeted them as the passengers stumbled off the plane.

“Welcome to Las Vegas, everyone! Enjoy your stay.”



Tara was tickled pink at Willow’s reaction to the ornate opulence of Bellagio’s registration area. Turning round and round in childlike wonder, Willow lay on her back in one of the lounge chairs and gazed at the colorful blown glass ceiling sculpture, the only one of its kind in the world. From the Italian marble floors to the intricate décor, nothing escaped her notice. After arranging for their bags to be delivered to their room, Tara practically dragged her to the elevators. Willow had not thought it was possible that she could be more in awe until she saw their accommodations. She practically fainted on the spot when she walked through the door. A 180 degree view of the eastern part of the Las Vegas Strip greeted her as a young bellhop opened all of the curtains to let more light into the room. To say their suite was spacious would have been a gross understatement. What drew both of their attention, however, was the rather large marble Jacuzzi in the center of the suite. One could almost hear the wheels of possibility churning furiously in their heads. Willow turned to face Tara, who caught the wicked gleam in her lover’s eyes.

“Not quite yet, darling. Later. I promise,” she murmured, still very aware of the presence of the bellhop arranging their luggage in the room. Willow pouted slightly and wandered to the window to take in the view. She was amazed at how much she could see from just this one place. The giant gold lion that prefaced the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino kept watch over the rather congested intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Tropicana. Across the street, an amazing recreation of the Eiffel Tower jutted out of the side of the Paris; the larger than life façade of the Statue of Liberty burst forth from the micro-skyline of New York New York. The Arabian Nights theme of the Aladdin seemed to appeal to her the most as well as the Ancient Roman era-style theme of Caesar’s Palace. However, it was the riotous colors streaming up and down the Flamingo and Excalibur that practically gave her sensory overload. She was so intent that she barely noticed that Tara had come up and wrapped her arms around her waist.

“So…did I do well?” Tara asked in a small voice.

“More than good, baby,” Willow beamed. “This is better than I could’ve hoped for.”
She leaned her head back; giving Tara unrestricted access to her pale throat. Never one to pass up Lady Opportunity when she comes knocking, Tara nipped lightly along the base of her neck.

“You know,” she said between light kisses. “We still have a little time before we need to get dressed for our dinner reservations. What do you say we find an activity to help while away the hours?”

The redhead chuckled musically. “I never thought you’d ask,” she said, removing her top and bra in one surprisingly swift movement.

“Wow,” Tara laughed. “Beautiful and talented. I’d better be careful. You might just try to steal my heart completely.”

“I have to try now?” Willow muttered distractedly. She was very focused on disrobing Tara, one button at a time.

Cobalt blue met emerald green, light fingertips caressed flushed pink nipples, sexual energy flowed through and over them like heat lightning. What had been two, now suddenly melded into one and time no longer seemed to matter anymore.



Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

Edited by: Kieli at: 8/18/02 7:05:57 pm

[LeatherQueen]

Oooh, Toni! *shiver* Naughty, naughty is right.



Now... did someone mention ice cubes?

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


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[Kieli]

LQ! That comes later.

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

Edited by: Kieli at: 8/18/02 7:43:36 pm

[LeatherQueen]

Ooooh!!! *LQ jumps around singing* Toni's beeeeeing naaaaughty!

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


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[Kieli]

m between you and Mel I can't figure out who's worse.

Love is tricky. It is never mundane or daily. You can never get used to it. You have to walk with it, then let it walk with you. You can never balk. It moves you like the tide. It takes you out to sea then lays you on the beach again. Today's struggling pain is the foundation for a certain stride through the heavens. You can run from it but you can never say no. It includes everyone."--Amy Tan "The Hundred Secret Senses"

[LeatherQueen]

Well, I'll give those honors to Mel. She deserves them for that fic of hers. Consider me... merely that naughty little whispering smut-devil on your shoulder.

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


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[The Rose24]

Good job. Willow is finally getting the break she deserves. I know they are going to have fun.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.

Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Willow: Hi, um Tara. I was wondering maybe you want to go out some time for coffee? food? Kisses and gay love?

[Chance]

Ice cubes?



You've been holding out on me, dear. Too afraid to talk the kink with little ole me? How unfortunate.



Better stop, don't want to get the wife angry.



Delicious update, babe. Delicious.



M.