The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:01 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
Title: The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle - The Future’s Now (Part 239)
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames just demonstrate you have a tiny mind.
Spoiler Warning: Pretty limited. The story occurs in an alternate universe as set up in “The Wish” though reference is made to events that occur in both realities. Very little is referenced that occurs after S5 though. Guess why? Most “spoilers” would be for the first chronicle of this fic rather than the show and if you haven’t read that then much of this will make no sense but you can try and get round it by reading the preface to Part 104 which summarises most of what went before.
Distribution This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens (This applies to all of the Sidestep Chronicle)
Summary: A surprise for Willow and bath time…
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc, etc. I am making zilch from this series of stories. You know the drill.
Rating: R – a general rating for occasional content. Individual parts might be less than this level.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever – others couples as necessary but nothing unconventional.
Notes: This is me indulging myself. These were a couple of ideas I had and wanted to include. They fit in here as well as anywhere. The point – and there still is one – is simply that life isn’t back to normal. Life’s better than it normally is.
The song contained in this fic has been lovingly amended, just a touch. However it’s all the work – words and music – of the late, great Freddie Mercury.
Thanks To: My own special woman Louise who helps me so much with this on top of everything else. Those other friends and family who’ve also helped us overcome everything that was put in my way. Celia and Kerry who shaped this story and continue to do so when I think back to what they told me in the past. Xita for keeping the story hanging around and continuing to give us TKTWATBW.


The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle

The Future’s Now

By

Katharyn Rosser



The Day Before Part 240 - Graduation



“Come on, what is this?” Willow asked one more time, wondering if this time she’d get a straight answer.

Or a not so straight answer. Any answer would be good. Gay, straight. Whatever.

She was being led through the Giles home by the hand. At first she’d refused to give it, demanding to know what was happening and what she’d missed. But then Tara had threatened to grab something else and lead her by that instead…

She’d given up her hand. It’d seemed better that way.

“You’ll see,” Tara told her.

That was what everyone had said. Everyone kept saying that to her. She knew what this might’ve been, if it had been a few weeks later, but it actually wasn’t her birthday yet. Could it be something to do with that though? Or was this maybe some sort of graduation present? Graduation was a whole lot closer, like tomorrow-closer.

Perhaps…

But Tara was graduating too, and she was already in on the whatever-it-was-that-was-going-on. So this was more likely to be about her birthday. But still…

Usually a surprise party worked better when there was:

a) a party

b) it was a surprise

and

c) actually her birthday.

Unless people weren’t going to be around on the day? No, that wasn’t it. She knew exactly where most people were going to be on her birthday.

And this blindfold itched.

Blindfolds – when used - were better suited to mystery tours and… well, things you didn’t share with your friends.

Just with the woman you loved.

Oh yeah, and a silk mitt.

And maybe some ice.

Sometimes a feather…

But definitely no candles – because ouchies! She sniffed, wondering if she’d be able to smell out a more innocent use for candles. Nothing seemed to be burning though. That suggested no cake, at least not with lit candles.

They all knew when her birthday was. Why do something for it now? Especially as they were due to head up to the farm together anyway… That’d be a much better place for a party. Right time too.

The lack of sense – and it made none at all – was as infuriating as the blindfold. And it was really itching now.

Finally, she was sat down. Even before her butt hit the cushions though, she still knew exactly where she was. How couldn’t she? She was on the couch. She’d sat on it a hundred times just in the last few weeks, let alone the last few years.

What was the mystery? What were they hiding from her?

“Can I take this off now?” she asked, already reaching up to peek. And to soothe that damned itch.

Her hand was slapped away and instead Tara unfastened it for her. “Ta da!” She already knew they were all there. They sucked at hiding themselves, every last one of them. After all it wasn’t like she couldn’t hear them, smell them or just know they were there was it?

Besides, Faith had cried out ‘There’s Willow,’ when they’d come in, which had kind of given the game away.

She looked at the TV, which had been wheeled to the middle of the assembled group for some reason. Something to do with that then, since it was out of place.

But it wasn’t even on. “What?”

There was confusion for a moment before they managed to get it switched on. Followed by another grandiose “Ta da!”

Willow looked at the picture as it formed on the screen. “Yeah? It’s the DVD standby screen.” So, it was something they’d made? Something they’d bought? What was it they wanted her to watch – and presumably be impressed by?

“Damn it,” Jenny said, fumbling for the remote that sat in her husband’s lap.

“Leave it,” he said. “I’ll do it.”

“You still have no idea how to make it work,” Jenny snapped back at him.

“It’s just new, that’s all,” he retorted.

“Three months ago!”

“Well pardon me for going to work and not having time to sit here and watch the dratted thing,” Rupert said, snatching the remote back from his wife again.

Jenny looked at him.

Oh-oh.

“And you think I do? In amongst looking after our children and the house, cooking your dinner - ”

“Now, be fair. I did ask you not to do that,” Rupert said.

And not necessarily because he thought his wife was doing too much while she was still on maternity leave. Willow was the first to admit she wasn’t a great cook, but Jenny… Jenny was worse. There was nothing she couldn’t do with goat meat, but everything else… Nearly anyone was better.

And who wanted to eat goat meat anyway?

“Let’s not start on that again,” Jenny said, wresting the remote off him and then pointing at the TV. “There.”

On the screen, a title card. White letters on a black background. Cheap and cheerful.

Lesbian Rhapsody

Lesbian Rhapsody? Willow frowned, and looked at them. All their gestures pointed her back to the screen though. Like she was going to miss something if she looked anywhere else at all.

What? Didn’t the thing rewind? She really hoped it wasn’t going to self-destruct.

Then another card as pause came off. ‘Feat – 4 non-lesbians & a child.’

Or at least three and a half non-lesbians and a child, Willow thought as she looked at Jenny who – for some reason – wouldn’t meet her eyes. Okay, so someone who’d found she might well be… ‘also female appreciative’ wasn’t quite the same as ‘half a lesbian’ but if you had to work with numbers, which was the more accurate?

One more card – ‘Words and Music by Freddie Mercury.’

Aha, now that was kind of a giveaway. They were going to mime? To that?

Then the music started.

Recognisable music, but strangely… different. More like a tribute band than the original.

At least that was what she wanted to say. It was sacrilegious. You just didn’t try to redo this song. Except they had. They had. Holy… That was Tara?

At the piano?

She was playing the slow intro, and it was obvious the sound matched the visuals too. Tara really was playing, not just miming to an existing track.

It wasn’t like Tara ever practiced, except when they were back on the farm. But she’d been forced into piano lessons as a kid. Willow remembered that much from their discussions about just how Tara’s fingers had become so magical.

Looking at it without the shock, Willow supposed this part of the song wasn’t particularly hard – though she knew it was going to get a whole lot tougher later on. They really playing this? Was this really them?

All the way through?

Her girl as Freddie Mercury? Well, that was unexpected and the teeth were all wrong… fortunately.

And when Tara turned to the camera and started to sing – her girl could sing now? – Willow had no more doubts left just who was performing.

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-


It was weird… That was what it was. Fantastic in the sense of being totally out of the ordinary. She looked at them all, but all they’d do was point her back to the screen. Making her watch, making her listen to her girlfriend’s bewitching voice.

Goddess be, Tara really could sing. Like an angel as it happened – and that wasn’t just her being biased…

Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-


Reality was overrated. Reality kept tossing all sorts of stuff up at you, stuff like this. Stuff like girlfriend’s who refused to admit they were angels. And there really was no escape – she was entranced, encapsulated. En-something anyway.

Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I’m just a poor girl; I need no sympathy-


Pulling a surprise like this, Tara wasn’t about to get any sympathy either. What had the rest of them been doing while this was going on? What did they know about it? Tara sings Queen?

And she could sing.

She could really sing.

Willow knew she wasn’t getting past that any time soon.

And she could play too.

She really did have an angel living with her. A wicked angel, who could come up with all sorts of evil little surprises. One who kept secrets.

Because I’m easy come, easy go

No argument there.

A little high, little low,

Nor there, when she was easily coming…

Anyway the wind blows, doesn’t really matter to me,
To me.


The Tara on screen lingered on that last word, drawing it out until it was positively haunting. How’d they gotten this done? What was it for? Was this a birthday present or what?

What the hell was Tara doing hiding the fact she could sing like this?

And play the piano well enough to make the links between the singing really work?

Mama, just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger, now he’s dead


They’d done all this without her. Someone really did have to pay. They’d all obviously known. They’d all kept it from her. They all had to pay.

All she had to do was find the way. Nothing so dramatic as a gun though.

And then, Tara’s hand was in hers and she felt what she’d always known. The love. Their connection only enhanced it. Tara was shy again… She was afraid it wasn’t any good. Tara wanted her to enjoy it but… she was afraid it was bad, or she’d be mad or she just wouldn’t get it.

Her lover didn’t have to explain these things – she just made it so she’d know.

Mama, life had just begun,
But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away -
Mama ooo,
Didn’t mean to make you cry -
If I’m not back again this time tomorrow -
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters -


And was that? It was… she could see in the background. That was Toni on the drums? Oh no, that could be bad. Let the deaf girl at the drums? Many a sleepless night to be had there. But she could sure as hell keep time.

So if this was a collaboration, was it really just Toni and Tara?

Toni and Tara? That was weird enough. But where, pray tell were the rest of them? They were all in on this, weren’t they? They all knew. And it’d said four non-lesbians, plus Tara, plus a child. That made six of them, with two revealed so far.

Five of them here with her now. Hmm. Who was missing?

Too late, my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine -


Jenny, it appeared had found her level – playing the triangle for the shivers in question.

Which just left. No… it couldn’t be? On the guitar? After all, he’d used to play – she knew that. But back before electrics right? They hadn’t even had amps when he’d been at university.

You probably didn’t even have to call an acoustic guitar ‘acoustic’ back then. It was just a guitar.

So no way.

This song?

Rupert?

Body’s aching all the time

That’d be the ‘easy come’ again.

Goodbye everybody - I’ve got to go -
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth -
Mama ooo -
I don’t want to die,
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all -


Willow really hoped there wasn’t a message in this –

And then they were in a Rupert guitar solo. The words ‘Rupert’ and ‘guitar solo’ weren’t designed to go together. They just weren’t. It was wrong on a level only surpassed by what she’d witnessed in that dimly basement in Dracula’s castle.

Had they made this by then?

Had some innate sense of this attract the Brides of Dracula to him and Jenny? Were the Sisters rock chicks? He could play? Really play?

Surely they were about to cut to the real band now? There was no way they could go further with this? It was impossible. She knew this song. She knew her girl and determination would only take you so far. Even a strong voice wouldn’t do much good…

And yet Tara was still there. Oh yeah, it was all intercut – but they all still were playing. Tara was still singing and still at the piano. Jenny still had her triangle. And they were really going to it.

Oh my god…

I see a little silhouetto of a girl,
Scaramouche, scaramouche will you do the fandango -


Of all the things she’d do for her girl, the Fandango wasn’t at the top of the list. Why had they done this? Why the big secret? Why hadn’t she been involved? Was this, somehow, for her?

Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me -

Said Mal, putting on his finest deep voice on his first appearance. Where was he then? Why wasn’t he here to see this?

And Goddess… That was little Faith too in a terrifyingly high-pitched voice Tara would never have reached.

Galileo, Galileo,
Galileo Galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico -


Willow couldn’t help laughing. Faith was so cute, and that was why she’d been asking about the Galileo a little while back? There’d been clues then. Faith’s sudden interest in Galileo – something no four year old should be into. And there was the night she’d come back – goopy – and caught them all singing Queen.

Practise?

A song they’d ultimately rejected?

But I’m just a poor girl and nobody loves me-

Then Tara’s image was intercut with the rest of them as they traded lines.

She’s just a poor girl from a poor family-
Spare her life from this monstrosity-


Were they singing about their lives somehow? Willow didn’t know – she didn’t even pretend to understand what this song was about. Never had, especially not now. She’d just enjoyed the sound of it. Music was the one thing in life she never felt she needed to over analyse. If it sounded good, that was enough.

Easy come easy go - will you let me go -

She squeezed Tara’s hand. No, no I’ll never let you go.


Bismillah! No -,we will not let you go - let her go -
Bismillah! we will not let you go – let her go
Bismillah! we will not let you go - let me go
Will not let you go - let me go
Will not let you go - let me go
No, no, no, no, no, no, no -
Mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go -
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me -


They were all singing. Even compared to Tara none of them sounded that bad at all.

And there went Rupert again, into another solo before Tara ‘did rock.’ Her girl always rocked, but now Tara ‘did rock’ – and if possible it seemed even more disconcerting than anything that’d gone before. Willow had never wanted a rock chick as a girlfriend. But you know, alongside the leather jacket… this was kinda hot.

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye -, the Tara in the sexy jacket wailed.

So you think you can love me and leave me to die -
Oh baby - can’t do this to me baby -
Just gotta get out - just gotta get right outta here -


And then it was all winding down – Tara and Rupert in perfect harmony. Piano and guitar. Okay, it wasn’t exactly the real thing but hell… It’d do. Seeing this… Wow. Whatever it was for, nothing could’ve been more of a surprise.

Honestly, not even what she’d found in that room with the Brides of Dracula.

Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters -


As Tara held the note, Willow even found herself joining in.

“Nothing really matters to me.”

Before the image of her girl – her sneaky, talented, singing girl – repeated the line.

Nothing really matters to me.

“Except all of you,” Tara whispered, kissing her ear.

And was it over? No, Tara turned her back to the screen.

There was Toni as the piano played them out.

*Any way the wind blows.*

Then finally the end card. ‘Toni Alessi – Media Skills Project.’

As that faded every set of eyes in the room was on her. She was expected to render a verdict now? Be a critic? Or just appreciative?

*And happy birthday,* Toni said.

They were waiting for a response – Willow knew was expected to come up with something but she was still kind of flabbergasted. What to say?

The best thing was probably to go with what was in her head right away.

“I can’t believe you got academic without me,” Willow complained. “And it’s not even my birthday.”

“Yet,” Tara corrected. “Toni has to hand it in, and there was no way we could guarantee to keep it a secret once they saw it at school.”

“It’s not my birthday yet,” she repeated uselessly. Not for a whole month.

“How old are you?” Faith asked. “I’m four!”

“Older than you, sweetie,” was all she was willing to say.

*You see, the gift is in you not having to perform on it,* Toni said. *Jenny had already taken the triangle, so there wasn’t much easy stuff left.*

“That was not easy,” Jenny insisted. “That took a lot of timing.”

*And it works for a present for graduation tomorrow too,* Toni said, ignoring the denial.

Ah, ‘not performing.’ The gift that just keeps on giving… Unable to sing or even manage a triangle, being compelled to take part in that project would’ve been… bad.

Yes, it was a truly wonderful present they’d found for her.

*You don’t like it?* Toni asked, looking worried.

Was she the first person not involved who’d seen it?

Eeek. No pressure then…

“No,” she said. “I don’t like it. I love it… I loved that movie it came from.”

“Movie?” Rupert asked.

‘Wayne’s World – it’s from the soundtrack, right?”

The level of synchronicity in when the cushions hit her was almost as impressive as their performance.

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

“I still can’t believe you did that to me,” Willow complained.

Tara sighed, watching the water level rise and fall against her breasts, tickling her deliciously as she became more and more aware of it’s caress. What could she say? Her girl had left her… tender. “Willow, honey, just get over it all ready.”

“You kept it a secret! From me!”

“Secrets are allowed when it comes to presents,” Tara said for the third time. She used the arm she had draped over the edge of the bath to squeeze her lover as best she could. Willow was sat on the floor, naked and slippery from being in the water not long ago, beside the bath. She kissed Willow’s damp hair too, before easing back down into the still steaming water.

“That’s a technicality,” Willow accused. “One you’re hiding behind.”

Okay, there might be a grain of truth in that accusation. But they’d known Willow wouldn’t be happy performing – so they’d all agreed it was a good idea when Toni had wanted to use the performance to kill two birds with one stone.

Three actually, with graduation tomorrow as well.

“Hiding?” Tara asked. “You know I can’t hide anything from you. And you didn’t seem too offended half an hour ago either.”

“Yeah, well…” Willow said, “I had other things on my mind then.”

“Maybe it was your mind, maybe it was your face.”

Her hand was slapped, for all it was the truth. So she retaliated by cupping Willow’s bare breast and squeezing. As chastisements went, it was both mild and mutually satisfactory.

“But you know,” Willow said. “Toni wouldn’t have brought that project to you if she still had the tiniest problem with any of us. She’s far too independent to ever ‘need’ us.”

“And you’re really impressed with her wanting to give you a birthday gift too?” Tara guessed.

Willow’s head bobbed as Tara smoothed that long, red hair back. Slick with a dunking. “I was expecting socks. That’s what you got.”

“They were good socks,” Tara pointed out. “Useful, for when we go hiking.”

“Good for putting bricks in to wallop vampires too,” Willow said.

Toni’s choice of sock had been… Well, they’d have trouble finding anything so thick in a hiking store. And they’d actually looked – just to figure out where they might’ve come from. Those were impressively thick socks. Just the kind of thing you needed when you were walking to somewhere like the North Pole and even then you might pause, look at your feet and say ‘wow, those are really thick socks.’

So this… this media project had been a nice surprise to her too. For all it was dual or triple purpose. “Your point being,” she said, “I think we can safely conclude things are looking up and up and up on the Toni front. I agree.”

“Yeah, she’s definitely still getting taller.”

“Not what I meant,” Tara said.

“I know,” her girlfriend said. “And you’re right too.” Willow turned around, kneeling beside the bath now. Looking at her. Or at least at parts of her. “Things are looking… pretty great, actually.”

And where Willow was looking didn’t leave much of her meaning to the imagination.

Nor did how deliberately inaccurate she was while fishing for the washcloth. “I’m already clean,” Tara protested. “Clean enough even to graduate.”

“No, you’ll never be that clean,” Willow said. “Besides, can’t a girl wash her… girl?”

“A girl certainly can,” Tara leaned back as Willow started to run the cloth over her. “If a girl wants to.”

“Good, cos this girl definitely wants to.”

Tara didn’t have it in her to put up any more of a fight than that. She just sighed and let herself slip a little deeper, both into the water and into Willow’s caresses. Until, eventually, her woman paused and Tara opened one heavy eyelid to find out why.

“It’s real,” Willow said. “Isn’t it?”

Ah. That. She closed her eye again as Willow recommenced her tender motions, realising that no matter how profound the thought, some things you just didn’t stop doing. “It really is,” she agreed.

“Everything’s opening up,” Willow said.

Tara raised her knees until the breached the surface, letting her legs whisper apart at the same time as Willow’s hand swirled down, down towards her belly. “Oh yes, you’re right.”

“I meant our futures,” Willow said, splashing her.

“I know that,” Tara said. “But can’t more than one thing open up at a time?”

Willow didn’t reply verbally, instead her hand completed the movement it’d been threatening for some minutes – twirling through her inundated curls and over her mound, ending up…

Oh yeah, things were definitely opening up.

There wasn’t much about what Willow was doing now that could be considered cleaning though… Circling. Threatening. Promising something else that ended in ‘ing’ very soon. But in no way just ‘cleaning’ any more, as if that’d ever been what this was about.

“Get in here,” Tara growled.

She hadn’t meant to growl, it’d just happened. But damn… Sometimes Willow inspired a growl from her. A growl that was something like a purr but with more force behind it.

A purr was encouragement to keep going. A growl was much more of a demand.

She parted her legs and her lover got in between them, looking at her along the length of the bath. Now she only had to turn her head to kiss Willow’s toes as those smooth, wet legs stretched up alongside her. With the way they were positioned it’d be a great way to… No, she wasn’t about to send Willow for that. They’d make do… and better.

“You’re beautiful,” she said.

“And shortly to be recognised as educated,” Willow said, not arguing with the assessment.

“That too,” Tara admitted.

“And with a future?” Willow asked.

“We always had a future,” Tara said slowly. “And it was always together. All that’s changed is what we can do with it. And talking of doing…” She gave Willow a significant glance. Then added five words to make her intention very clear. “I want you inside me.”

Her lover went back to one of the things she was best at and a few minutes later, for the first time in her life, when Willow brought her to a crashing orgasm, Tara cried out something that wasn’t about either their love or the pleasure.

“Oh baby. Now. The future’s definitely nowwwww.”

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

_________________
-------------------------
If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
-------------------------


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:13 am 
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3. Flaming O

Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 1:52 am
Posts: 65
I'm not going to comment on the story - I need to sit & catch up on what I've missed. I've been away for a while - managed to get caught up in the influenza epidemic we've got here. Still off work for a while, but now I'm up to staring at a computer screen again for a little. Just wanted to let you know I was still around and hadn't forgotten you.

Oh - and I have two furry chaperones who havent let me out of their sight since I got back. It makes showering interesting and going to the loo a good practice for playing twister. Still - its nice to be loved.

Hugs.

Forrister

Coniecturalem artem esse medicinam.
Medicine is the art of guessing.


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:46 am 
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2. Floating Rose
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Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 5:49 am
Posts: 47
Location: Australia
Hi there Katharyn,
I just wanted to leave some feedback and say how much I am enjoying your wonderful tale, I am all caught up and look forward to the updates you post. You have put so much time and effort into this huge novel of W/T goodness. Thanks so much for sharing and I look forward to more :)
Cheers Fin


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Fri Aug 24, 2007 1:12 pm 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
Get well soon Kerry! Flu is no fun at al - but furry companions understand that. Don't do too much too soon. And don't worry, I never doubt you're still with - especially this close to the end! For you to give up now would be... quirky.


Hi Fin. Welcome to the thread and welcome to the present of the story :) I hope the last parts live up to what you've struggled through to get here.

Katharyn

_________________
-------------------------
If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
-------------------------


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 9:48 pm 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
Title: The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle – Graduation in Sexual Theory (Part 240)
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames just demonstrate you have a tiny mind.
Spoiler Warning: Pretty limited. The story occurs in an alternate universe as set up in “The Wish” though reference is made to events that occur in both realities. Very little is referenced that occurs after S5 though. Guess why? Most “spoilers” would be for the first chronicle of this fic rather than the show and if you haven’t read that then much of this will make no sense but you can try and get round it by reading the preface to Part 104 which summarises most of what went before.
Distribution This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens (This applies to all of the Sidestep Chronicle)
Summary: Graduation!
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc, etc. I am making zilch from this series of stories. You know the drill.
Rating: R – a general rating for occasional content. Individual parts might be less than this level.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever – others couples as necessary but nothing unconventional.
Notes: Well, it’s pretty momentous. I had to cover it, but I’ve tried to add some other stuff in here too. After all, it starts with hats and end… where the whole Sidestep started. Kind of. BTW – from a writing point of view I am curious what you all think of the original characters who’ve been introduced in this fic (many of whom recur in this part.)
Thanks To: My own special woman Louise who helps me so much with this on top of everything else. Those other friends and family who’ve also helped us overcome everything that was put in my way. Celia and Kerry who shaped this story and continue to do so when I think back to what they told me in the past. Xita for keeping the story hanging around and continuing to give us TKTWATBW. Once again the whole idea of bringing this episode’s guest back was Licky’s.


The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle

Graduation in Sexual Theory

By

Katharyn Rosser


A Couple of Days After Part 239


A shower of hats. That was what this whole event boiled down to, at least when all the talking was in another language and you weren’t bothered about a translation.

But how was anyone supposed to get his or her own hat back out of all those? Had anyone been smart enough to put a name in?

Did it matter?

After all, they weren’t going to wear them again were they? Not unless they got into kinky academia sex-games or something.

Kinky, she’d decided after various discussions with Jenny, was whatever you weren’t interested in doing yourself. So yeah, that idea was definitely kinky. She wasn’t interested in the slightest.

Was anyone?

Willow… maybe.

Were those things even called ‘hats’?

Toni didn’t know – but she did know it was good to see everyone looking so happy. It was all the translation she needed. If she’d been able to understand what was being said, she’d probably have been bored out of her mind. But this way she got to clap, cheer, go berserk as appropriate and people watch for the rest of the time.

That and watch after Faith.

In these circumstances she couldn’t help thinking; this was what was waiting for her, right? If she could keep running fast enough, get her scholarship... That’d be the only fair way to get into college – and she could do it too. Coach had already pointed out visiting scouts to her. They might’ve been there for this year’s senior class, but he hadn’t said that.

He’d figured out they already wanted her, or at least knew enough about her to come check her out. The offers would come later, but she was on their radar.

She hoped… But this could be her future too.

Okay, she knew the colleges didn’t exactly want her for this – the hats clattered down on the ground again – but they’d get her here. All she had to do was run well for them, and they’d give her an otherwise expensive education. And it wouldn’t cost the Giles’ anything that they should be saving for their own kids.

However many of those there’d be in the end. If Jenny got her way, they’d need a college fund that eclipsed the debt of some small countries. While the idea made her shudder, somehow Jenny just loved having kids.

Kids she could deal with, but the process of having them. That sounded… harsh.

College. Kids. That all was for another day though. Years away.

She clapped with the rest of the audience, making sure Tara and Willow could see her too. No one could hear one person clapping in a crowd, she knew that much by simple deduction. But they could see her. You could always see the deaf person clapping – that was the point. You were allowed to be conspicuous.

In fact you were supposed to be.

Trouble was, in terms of seeing her, they could at least see her hands. With Faith was practically jumping up and down on her legs - probably putting paid to her running career before it even started – seeing more than her hands might be a little difficult from down there.

Still, she didn’t stop the girl. No one should get in the way of a child’s exuberance. And Faith was hardly ever ‘bad.’ The challenge was in finding ways to deal with how good she could be. And channel then it whenever you could.

“How will they get they’re hats back?” Faith asked her. If only after being shown the previously unused sign ‘hat’.

Hat – it never came up in day-to-day signing. Why would it? No one she knew wore one. Not ever.

*I don’t know* she admitted, and for once Faith just accepted an incomplete answer. Which surprised her. Still gift horses, mouths. No one had ever given her a horse, and she didn’t understand what the metaphorical horse meant – but she wasn’t looking at its metaphorical mouth anyway.

Oh God, am I turning into Willow? It wasn’t the first time she’d caught herself thinking that way.

“Here they come,” Faith squirmed, trying to get away – not that she’d make it past everyone else in the row anyway.

*No,* Toni said after pulling her back.

“No?”

*No,* Toni repeated. *Look, they’re meeting their friends, not coming up here.*

“But we’re their friends,” Faith insisted.

*We are,* Toni said. *But they’re probably not going to see those friends for a long time, so they need to say goodbye and stuff.*

“Oh, okay.”

Another simple acceptance? Had someone slipped something into Faith’s crispies this morning? Genuinely worried for a moment, she turned the little girl’s face back towards her, which only succeeded in making Faith squirm again. No problem there then. She was trying to watch what was going on in the mass of graduating students.

Long, lingering kisses between more than a few couples but there was only one pair Toni was trying to keep her eyes on.

Tara and Willow both had hugs for other people, friends and dorm-mates, she supposed. She even recognised a few of them now her former ‘guardians’ had more chance to socialise. Not only was she out of their hair, while the hunting was winding way down, but also the Giles’ had a live in babysitter and didn’t need them for that as much.

Most of the time at least.

That gave ‘the girls’ – as Jenny called them - a lot of freedom. Freedom it seemed they’d not had for a long time. If ever.

“When are they coming?” Faith asked, clearly frustrated by the lack of activity involving her.

Oh, they’ll be coming. Probably not long after they get home, Toni thought to herself with nothing but good humour. Who was she to deny the value of a good orgasm?

All she was lacking was the perspective on having it with another person.

But she wasn’t going to say any of that. Not even to a four year old. Faith had a disturbingly good memory and an unerring ability to pick up on sarcasm or innuendo. She might not understand what it meant, but even at her age she was well capable of dropping the unwary right in it by bringing up what’d been said at the most perfectly inappropriate time.

*Soon,* she said instead.

Faith just rolled her eyes. She had that mannerism down. Just the same as her Mom. And she’d heard ‘soon’ as much as any other kid her age. She knew it really meant ‘not when you want it.’

*What’ve you done to your dress, munchkin?* Toni asked, noticing how askew it was. It’d also serve as a distraction from when ‘soon’ was going to be.

“Nothing.”

Toni sighed. She was the one looking after Faith this afternoon, which meant she was the one who was supposed to be keeping her pretty. Now she knew just why Jenny had thought it was so funny when she’d suggested it.

Ben was so much easier to keep tidy. At least he wasn’t actively against looking pretty. Faith certainly seemed to be.

This was actually the first time she’d seen Faith dressed all prettily – except in posed family photos. Heck, it was the first time she’d been dressed all prettily since she came to Sunnydale. If Faith hadn’t been on her knee she’d have pulled at her own skirt to straighten it out.

A skirt.

She hadn’t worn a skirt since…

God, she couldn’t even remember.

It wasn’t really ‘her’. The amount of running she did – usually in shorts – it shouldn’t have bothered her at all to be showing her legs but a skirt was different. It felt different.

On the other hand… she was getting admiring glances aimed at her suddenly exposed legs.

Which was an interesting result. And not exactly bad. Some of these guys were cute. Younger brothers of other graduates she supposed. The kind of guys she might end up at college with actually…

And they liked her. Well, they liked her legs. She’d always thought perhaps they were a little too muscled to go well with a skirt, but if she was any kind of judge at all then yeah, those were admiring looks she was getting.

That did, kind of, feel good. At least when the guy was cute and not too old.

Cos eww.

Mal liked her – she knew that much. But he’d fallen for her under other circumstances. Up to now, he’d been the only guy who’d seen past the sign language. Seen her. And yeah, he’d seemed to like her legs too.

But in a skirt, without these people knowing she was deaf, she felt kinda like she was on display. And she was sure that some of these guys were… Some of them even smiled.

Now if Jenny had just have let her buy that push-up bra at the same time as the skirt and blouse… She turned her head, looked at the boy just down the row from her. And found he was already looking at her.

Again.

She crossed her leg, knowing just what that’d do to the skirt. And to his view of her legs.

Yeah, suddenly she felt like the girl – woman – Mal had been calling her for a long time. She felt hot.

And it wasn’t the weather.

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

“You look hot,” Willow said.

“It’s the robe, and the sun…” Tara breathed after their celebratory kisses.

“Not. Exactly. What I meant,” Willow said. “Though… it may still be the robe.” She fingered it, tugging the fabric back into the perfect position.

“I thought we already reached our conclusions about the impact of Education on Sensuality,” Tara teased.

“Hmm,” Willow had to agree. They’d thoroughly investigated the phenomenon. But all their investigations had ignored one basic fact. “We’ll never be anything less than college graduates, baby,” she said.

“Well, that’s okay. Since we decided it was a good thing, sexually speaking…” Tara signed all the papers that were thrust in front of her by people from her classes. Never writing the same message – at least not consecutively - even though she wasn’t really looking.

“But what if it hadn’t been?” Willow asked. “What if education had made us, I don’t know… What if it’d made us over-think our desires? What if we’d started to ignore the impact of good old fashioned lust in place of more considered pleasure?”

“Oh, there’s a place for more considered pleasure,” Tara said. “But I don’t think this is something you need to panic about, sweetie. We more than proved it. I still lust after you.”

“I still lust after you,” Willow repeated the words, the sentiments and the emotions behind them.

“And Tad lusts after you both,” the man in question said, barging into their conversation.

“But,” Tara said, “Tad’s realistic enough to know that there’s no way that’s ever going to happen. Isn’t he?”

Tad laughed, and Willow had to smile. Even if she and Tara had suddenly turned into every hetero male’s lesbian fantasy couple, fully equipped with stockings and toys, Tad probably wouldn’t have known what to do with himself.

She kissed him on the cheek. “I still can’t believe you let yourself graduate!”

“Mom told the Dean that the only way he was getting the new gallery, was if he made sure I graduated this year,” Tad explained. “None of the old dodges worked.”

“The Dean wanted that gallery,” Tara surmised.

“Yeah, but I got something out of it too. He accepted me for a post-grad course in the same conversation.”

“And so you’ll still be in Porter?” Willow guessed. That was the reason the smartest guy she knew here had always said he didn’t want to graduate. The reason he’d tried his damnedest not to, swapping courses more than anyone should be able to and yet still passed them all.

“Porter!” Tad shouted, the ritualistic reply to any use of the word.

“Doesn’t that mean you’ll be one of the Por – dorm guidance counsellors for the freshmen next year?” Willow asked.

Tad nodded. “Including the freshmen girls.”

“Oh, come on!” Tara didn’t seem to believe that for a second.

“Well, yeah… it’d be against the rules and they keep talking about contracts to say I won’t take advantage… But I’ve had lesbians cramping my style for the last few years. What can I say? I’m desperate!”

“Tad,” Jamie said, coming over beside him. Somehow she managed to make leather pants seem appropriate attire for graduation. “If it wasn’t for us dykes, you know you wouldn’t even have any style. You’d just be Mr Party.” The newcomer kissed both Tara and Willow fondly on the cheeks, running her hands over her own gown. “I can’t believe we actually did this.”

“It is kind of impossible to grasp the enormity of the moment,” Willow said.

“Where’s Liz?” Tara asked, skipping the enormity entirely.

What was this? Was she surrounded by educational philistines? The man who didn’t want to graduate. The woman who thought leather pants were the way to dress for the ceremony… Though they did look good on Jamie, and she wondered idly about whether Tara would consider getting a pair.

But since she didn’t particularly want Liz to join them, she flicked her girlfriend’s hand, provoking a tiny yelp of protest.

“With her parents,” Jamie said, waving off into the stands as she looked at Tara as if she was a little strange. That’d be the yelp.

“They’re here?” Tara asked, shaking her hand, presumably to wear off the flick.

“Ohhhh yeah. They’re here. I met them last night.”

“But you’d met them before?” Willow asked. “Remember? You told us. It was the complete disaster?”

“Uhuh,” Jamie agreed. “That’s right. But… they’ve joined PFLAG since then. They’re like whole new people.”

“Ahhh,” Tara said.

Willow was right there with her girl. In one way it was nice, a good thing. But people who went to support groups came out a little too structured in their niceness. Those who went in came out saying all the same kinds of things.

She could imagine just how the meetings would go.

‘Hi, my name’s Marie, and I’m the mother of a lesbian.’

‘Hi, Marie.’

‘My daughter’s been eating pussy for two years, seven months and thirteen days now.’

Round of applause.

Tara, who probably sensed she was drifting off into other thoughts, flicked the back of her hand this time. Ouchies. But fair was fair.

“Yup, now they’re being super-nice. Super-understanding. Super-wanting to be involved,” Jamie sighed.

“Don’t forget super-supportive,” Willow pointed out.

“Will, don’t tell me anything else that’s ‘super’!” Jamie demanded. “I’m all supered out.”

“You know, I’m all those super-things,” Tad said. “And I didn’t need to go to a support group to get that way.”

“Yeah, but you’re daughter isn’t hooking up with a lesbian,” Jamie pointed out to him.

“No, just my ex,” Tad said.

“Touché,” Jamie said, kissing his cheek again. The kind of kiss that only friends could share.

“Oh, don’t do that. It’s only the lesbians who’ll kiss me. I need to meet some straight girls, I really do.”

“Never happen,” Jamie said. “You’re doomed to living with dykedom – or alone - because no straight girl’s good enough for you and no gay girl wants you.”

“So what you mean is, you ruined me for everyone else,” Tad teased.

And Willow knew it was just teasing. This was what they were like. Friends before they’d been lovers and friends again long after they’d ceased to be. And Tad wasn’t exactly without the company of girls. It was just that he either didn’t want, or couldn’t keep a relationship going with anyone other than his ex.

Which was kinda unfortunate, because this girl plainly wasn’t going back to boystown.

“There’s always gay guys,” Jamie teased. “I know a few who’d go for you in a big way.”

Tad just looked at his ex. He was used to her by now.

“So, anyway…” Tara said, trying to get them back on track. “The in-laws?”

“Please,” Jamie said. “I preferred it when they barely acknowledged me. Now I’m the ‘reasonable’ girlfriend their daughter never had before.”

“Well, Liz never had anyone before you,” Willow said.

“Precisely,” Jamie said. “They love me because they want to be all super-parents for her.”

“Ohhhh. You poor thing.”

“It’s just the burden of being me,” Jamie said. “It seems I’m made to suffer. First Tad’s Mom and Dad. Now Liz’s. Makes you wonder where all the quiet bigotry went?”

“Hey,” Tad said. “There’s nothing wrong with my Mom and Dad. They never liked you. You were always getting me into trouble.”

“They love me now I’m a dyke,” Jamie explained. “They call and send me presents all the time.”

“True,” Tad admitted. “You really are my Mom’s favourite person – and I’m not even kidding. Maybe if I became a lesbian, they’d love me too?”

“Or gay,” Jamie coughed.

“Aren’t they here today?” Willow asked him.

Tad’s ex scoffed this time.

“What she said,” Tad replied. “To be honest, I couldn’t even tell you which continent they were on. The Dean probably has a better idea than I do – they definitely talk more.”

“And you wouldn’t have it any other way,” Jamie said.

“Got me there, Jamz…”

“For the record, they’re in Japan,” she informed him. “I’ll get you their contact number if you need it.”

“So kind.”

“Come on then, what are you guys doing when you get out of here?” Willow asked. Their own plans were well developed – a long break on the farm with the Giles’ and Toni, then… Well, wherever life took them.

“Tijuana!” Tad cried.

“We didn’t decide that,” Jamie said. “Liz really doesn’t want to.”

“Tijuana!” Tad repeated, not taking that excuse for a moment. “Come on – you know you want to. And who is this Liz anyway? I’m your ex! Who matters more? Me, or your girlfriend?”

“I’ll talk to her,” Jamie promised.

“No. No talk. It’s Tijuana,” Tad said. “You do what you have to. Get her to agree.”

“Hey, are you mixing me up with Willow?” Jamie asked.

Willow blinked. She’d been thinking about Tijuana and how it’d been decided too late to fit with their plans. Now someone was mixed up with her? “Say what now?”

“Oh, come on. Everyone knows you’re the one who’s into sexual favours to get what she wants,” Tad said.

Willow turned and looked at her girlfriend. Well? Was Tara going to speak up on her behalf against these scandalous lies? Or was this little twist in the conversation the result of Tara speaking up once or twice too often already?

“I refute and deny your allegation,” she said when Tara didn’t come out and say anything. In fact she had a kind of smirk going on. “The only thing I want from Tara in exchange for my sexual favours – are… Well, her sexual favours.”

The smirk shifted into a smile, creeping over Tara’s lips. Well, the truth would have to come out. The truth always did.

“You drinking that?” Tara asked her as everyone else looked on with obvious doubt. It was a good way to avoid commenting.

Willow handed over her bottle of water, watched the ripple of flesh on Tara’s delicate neck as her girlfriend took a sip, then another. And beyond Tara’s beautiful neck… Was that?

Yes.

“So these sexual favours,” Tad started.

“Never mind that,” Willow said. There she was. Again. “It’s her,” she hissed.

“Her?” Tara asked.

“‘Not-a-lesbian girl’ from the after exam party,” Willow said.

Tara, Jamie and Tad all turned and looked in that direction.

“Don’t look!”

“She looks nice,” Tara said.

“Cute,” Tad agreed, “and kinda familiar.”

“She was at your party!” Willow insisted.

Jamie nodded. “I’d definitely do her. If I wasn’t very happily involved.”

“She’s notalesbian,” Willow said, turning it into a single word.

“Not a lesbian?” Jamie asked. “I’ve heard that before.”

“No, not ‘not a lesbian.’ ‘Notalesbian,’” Willow corrected. It was an important distinction.

“Ohh.”

“How do you know?” Tad asked.

And yes, everyone was looking at her. Maybe, for ninety percent of the population you could make that preference assumption and be right, but she could see how they’d have to wonder how she knew for sure.

Just what the party conversation had been about to reach that conclusion?

“She told me.” Okay, that might not be helping. “Look, she sounded like she was trying to hit on me, or at least like she was trying to find a girl for a threesome with her boyfriend,” Willow explained.

“And she came to you because…?” Jamie asked.

“Mistaken identity,” Tara said firmly.

Yeah, that was it… almost. “So you don’t know who she is?” she asked Tad.

“Apart from that party, never saw her before,” he said. “Still, she is cute. And if she’s definitely straight… You think she’d like a piece of the Tad?” he asked.

All Willow could do was look to Jamie.

“What?”

“Well, you’ve had a piece of Tad.” She shrugged. That’d get them off her back.

“I can’t believe you said that,” Jamie said. “And you’re the one who’s talked to her.”

Okay now, that was just a technicality.

“Did anyone here actually have classes with her?” she looked around. All she got was shaking heads.

“Well, I don’t care – she still has to sign the programme.” And she wanted to know who the annoying woman was.

“Willow,” Tara warned.

“She has to sign.” She was determined to finish this. She thought she’d got everyone running up and down the row at the photograph before the ceremony. But not her, so she went over and waited for when she could get the girl alone.

“Hi.”

“Hi?”

“I’m Willow. We met at the party after the exams? I was just wondering whether we have – I mean ‘had’ now I guess - any classes together?”

“I don’t think so.” The expression said it even more clearly than the answer.

Tara, alongside her now, coughed very obviously.

“Oh,” Willow said. “And this is my lovely girlfriend, Tara.”

Tara smiled, waved. So now she was mimicking the Willowwave everyone always liked to make fun of?

Notalesbian looked at them for few seconds. “Another happy couple?”

“Very,” Tara confirmed.

Now Notalesbian looked… Well, she looked disgusted and made a little dismissive sound, turned away from them. Ignoring them. Ignoring her. Well, Willow wasn’t going to have that. She was going to be superpatient until she got what she wanted. I can do that.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

“What does it matter to you?” the girl countered.

Okay, this was getting troublesome. But that only made her more determined to get the girl’s signature on the program. “We were just trying to think what classes you were in?”

See? That was the clever way to phrase it. It wasn’t an out and out question; it was a more subtle approach.

“You won’t be able to. I just… transferred.”

“Oh, I might have heard of you though,” Willow argued. Even transfers had to turn up somewhere. Between their friends they had most of the faculties covered. They’d figure it out.

“My name’s Anyank - Anya.”

“Hi, Anya. I already said this is my girlfriend, Tara. I’m Willow. I was wondering if you’d sign my graduation program? I’m trying to get everyone – every single name and I got most people at the group photo. I must’ve missed you though.”

Anya just looked at the proffered program as if it was something she’d stepped in.

Tara, probably trying to salvage the situation, broke the awkward moment of silence. “So you transferred just for graduation?”

It also seemed like Tara realised how stupid that sounded at the same time she did. They shared a look.

And so did Anya. But she didn’t deny it, or say it was a stupid idea. In fact… “That’s…. right.”

“Isn’t that kind of strange?” Tara asked, letting herself show a little of that surprise.

“No. Why would you say that?”

Well, why come over here just for graduation? Or down here? Or up here? She didn’t ask though…

The direction all depended where Anya had come from. It was an eastern European name, and a strange accent that still sounded American while somehow the diction was… off. It was like she had to think less about what to say and more about how to say it.

Exactly the opposite of her own still-too-frequent problem.

“Graduating with people you don’t even know,” Willow said. “That must be sad, kind of…”

She could feel Tara’s awareness that this wasn’t going anywhere. And that was what she put the next distraction from her lover down to. “That’s a pretty necklace, I love the pendant.”

Anya held it up, looking at it herself. “It’s a family heirloom, my… father gave it to me a long time ago.”

“It’s very pretty.”

“So you said. But I still don’t munch rugs,” Anya said. It wasn’t said any nastier than anything that’d gone before. But it was pretty out of the blue and damning, like she’d lost all patience with them and gone back to stressing her hetero credentials instead.

Or perhaps it was her militant celibacy – which was what Willow had speculated it might be the first time they met. Could she be sexless?

Tad would be heartbroken.

Whatever, she seemed really nervous about not being taken as gay though. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.

“And stop looking at my breasts,” Anya said finally.

Tara looked and sounded shocked. “I wasn’t. The pendant not – It was hanging but I wasn’t – Willow?”

“Now look, we were just being friendly. One thing I’m certain of in this world – my girl wasn’t hitting on you.”

Tara shook her head, “That’s right. Not doing the hitting thing. I’ve never done the hitting thing – I’m bound to be really bad at it.”

That was true… Tara had never hit on anyone in her life. She wouldn’t know how to hit on someone. And… Okay, the pendant line might have been a way into it. It might. Willow could see that, and she couldn’t think of anything better... She’d never been much for hitting either.

Maybe they needed lessons from Jamie?

Not that they’d ever have a need for it, but was a lesbian really a lesbian if she didn’t know how to hit on other lesbians?

That was a serious gap in their educations right there. And they could always hit on each other. Just for fun.

Anya looked around, ignoring them for a moment. “Are you still here?” she asked, irritated.

“Err – yes,” Tara answered and she sounded about ready to give up.

“I’m just - ” Anya started.

Under her breath Willow completed the sentence – “nervous around lesbians?” Lets get that out there, see where the cookie crumbles. Or something.

Tara, of course, wasn’t going to let this get any worse. “Looking for someone?” she suggested a little louder than she usually would have, to cover her underspoken words.

“Yes,” Anya said.

“Who? We know lots of people. Look, I have all their signatures already,” Willow proudly help up her program. Practically everyone she’d ever talked to. More people she hadn’t seen until today. And all she needed was this…

It’d be incomplete without Anya’s signature. And that would be a first - last, pointless, academic failure. What a way to finish!

Anya sighed. “Look, have you seen a scorned woman or not?”

“Pardon?” Tara asked, taken aback.

But Willow already knew this was what Anya was like. Everyone had doubted her when she said the girl was weird, but she really was. And she was still going to sign the programme.

“A scorned woman. A woman scorned. Whatever you want to call her, have you seen her?”

“Why?” Willow asked the more relevant question.

“A couple of lesbians have to ask that question?” Anya seemed amused at the concept. It actually made her smile, which made her look much prettier than the perpetual scowl she’d worn ever since Willow had first met her.

But now she had the impression she was being stereotyped, and she didn’t – necessarily – like it. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, obviously you’ve both been scorned by men.” Anya treated the statement as if it was self-explanatory and went back to looking for whatever a scorned woman looked like. And it did fit into a lot of straight people’s impression of what a gay girl was. A man-hating victim of abuse or ‘scorn’ at the hands of men.

“No… actually,” Tara said. “I’ve always played for the girl’s team.”

Anya exhaled impatiently and turned to them again. “You then?” she said.

Not that it was any of her business but… “No… took me a while to figure it out but I’m also firmly in the girls locker room,” Willow said.

Tara looked at her just as she realised what she’d said.

“In the locker room with the team,” Willow corrected. “But not looking at the team. That would be wrong. I mean, sometimes you can’t help but look – but I wouldn’t really be looking I’d just be in there with the team. Team adjacent.”

“You’re very strange,” Anya concluded, without breaking off her search.

“And you’re looking for a scorned woman,” Willow countered.

So who was stranger here?

“Why are you looking for her?” Tara asked, once again trying to take the heat out of the conversation.

“And if you don’t ‘munch rugs’”, Willow said with air quotes, “but you think that all lesbians come from hating men, why wouldn’t you be looking for scorned women in such fertile ground?”

Fertile ground? Was that really what she’d meant to say? She must sound like Rupert – except he didn’t much mention lesbians. Or anything about sexuality actually. Barely even his own.

“Will…” Tara cautioned.

“Well, she started it,” Willow said. “All this.”

“Will.”

Anya sighed and finally gave them her complete attention. “Don’t you lesbians know anything? Scorned women created the world you – we – live in today.”

Tara seemed surprised. “They did?”

And Willow was right there with her. “They did??”

“Of course!” Anya said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I mean women have always been the driving force behind events and when a woman is scorned it can have a powerful effect on history. It can change everything

“Really?” Tara asked.

Willow wasn’t about to just go with it. “Is this like your big theory that got you through college?” She wasn’t particularly impressed.

“Willow, please,” Tara interrupted, reminding her that she was the one who wanted something from this girl.

Okay, she could do that. She could play nice. “So you’re a history major?” It was the kind of cockamamie theory one would come up with.

Anya looked at them. “I suppose.”

Now that didn’t sound very definite.

Tara actually sounded interested in the theory though. Tara was good at that, sounding interested and putting up with really annoying people. “So like who – just for example?”

“What?”

“Who changed history?” Tara clarified.

Anya didn’t even hesitate. “Well, Josephine was turned down once too often and Napoleon lost his Empire.”

“Poppycock,” Willow said under her breath, then regretted the choice of words.

Poppycock.

Cockamamie.

She needed to stop this kind of thinking right away. Way too British. Way too much… never mind.

Tara considered the Napoleonic suggestion. “Good one. But how can we really know that?”

Anya laughed. “Trust me. That woman had her own desires and she just wanted her man. She never asked him to be an Emperor.”

Tara shrugged. As proof went it was pretty weak. “Interesting. Who else?”

Anya appeared and sounded aggravated as she looked around, still not finding what she was looking for. But she answered the question all the same. As if she was glad someone was really interested. “Innumerable queens and thousands of mistresses. Millions actually.”

“So really your theory of history is that everything revolves around sex?” Willow checked. How very Freudian.

Anya brightened at the summary, as if they finally got what she was saying. “Everything does revolve around sex. Too much sex. Too little sex. Sex with the wrong people. Sex with the right people. Sex is the only universal human imperative.”

Willow wasn’t exactly convinced. Okay, she and Tara had sex. They had quite a bit of sex. Lots of sex, fine. But was that the only imperative? No. “Hmm.”

“Listen,” Anya said. “What you need to understand is that empires are about men with small penises. Usually very small penises – trust me on this. That’s why not many women start empires. Empire’s come from war. War is about power. Power impresses people you want to have sex with. Other men join the leader because they want to have sex too.”

“Uhuh.” Had she really verbalised that doubt? She saw the thunder on the young woman’s face. “No really, I’m listening.”

Anya continued. “It’s always been about control of food, water and land. Places for men to choose women, have their pleasures and coincidentally create more pressure for all those things. A new generation that also wants to have sex. Is it any coincidence that the fall of empires has coincided with women deciding when they wanted to have sex?”

“I can’t believe your standing there and saying all this,” she said.

“Isn’t it self-evident?”

Tara cleared her throat. “Perhaps it’s a little harsh.”

“And it underplays the role of women through history, which was supposed to be your point. It makes us sex objects and nothing more,” Willow argued. Okay, she was kind of interested with the fall of empires coinciding with the rise of women’s rights, but even if it was true it could just be a coincidence.

“No,” Anya virtually spat the word. “Because women in society have more power than their positions make clear. Power to refuse. Power to change minds and - ”

“Are you even from this century?” Willow asked.

Anya looked at her in a very strange way, but didn’t answer the question. “And when they’re let down, a scorned woman has the power to change the universe.”

“Okaaay.” That was taking the revenge trip just a little too far. Unless you were talking Chaos theory and those butterflies that changed the weather? And who did that sound like?

“Willow, baby…” Tara said, squeezing her hand.

Taking the hint, she bit her tongue. But not literally, because she did that enough by accident.

“Look, have you seen any scorned women or not?” Anya asked. “There was supposed…”

“Why?” Tara asked.

Anya waved the question away, impatiently. “I just told you. Look… I was here once before.”

“Oh?” Willow asked. “Before you were transferred?”

“Transfer – Yes, before that. A few of your – A few years ago.” She looked around, and she looked almost wistful. “It had such potential once. Such a powerful – wi.”

“Powerful?” Tara asked.

“Wi?” Willow added. There were far too many unfinished words and sentences in this conversation and she had the feeling something else was going on.

Anya ignored her, looking around again. “It was always dark…”

Oh, before Tara had arrived. Before the dark times. Before the empire. Or at least before the Master.

“I look at it now…” Anya trailed off again.

Willow looked at her lover. “Wonderful, isn’t it?”

Anya waved her hand and walked off. “Oh, it would’ve been better off the other way! Happiness… Pteh!”

“Aren’t you going to sign?” Willow called after her.

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

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 4:21 am 
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I just thought I'd post to say... this monkey is now off my back.

Sidestep is complete. Every part is in post ready state... I'm sticking to the weekly schedule. But after 1980 days (that's 282 weeks and I was missing for a year so you've not done too bad with 242 parts!) it's all done and I can look at something else...

A few stats - because I used to like that kind of thing...

By the time the final part is posted that will be:

1705378 words (600351 for 1st Chron & 1105027 for 2nd)
4120 pages in my word docs
1990 days from the start
242 parts
3 gloriously helpful beta readers (Miss you Licky!)

If you've made it this far you're a star and if there's still anyone (apart from Kerry) who's been here since the beginning you're probably slightly insane - but much appreciated all the same. Being as a novel is counted as being 45000 to 150000 words (unless you happen to be Stephen King and they let you write what you want!) then you've all made it through at least 11 full length novels to get here. Wow.

The next part will appear - on schedule - this weekend. And then the last one, the epilogue, on the 8th September.

Oh, about the monkey... I like the monkey. If I didn't like the monkey I wouldn't have gotten all the way here. But she's still off my back :)

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 5:21 am 
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Katharyn, I just wanted to pop in and say congratulations. Just the fact that it's actually finished is awesome. I mean, 1.7 millions words? That's incredible and insane at the same time. Anyone who writes that much for a single story and manages to keep it going deserves an enormous pat on the back.

I meant what I said about reading the second chronicle, and I promise as school lets down a bit, it's the first on my list. I'm definitely looking forward to it, seeing as I loved the first so much. Once again, Awesome job. Congrats.

~Sara

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:30 am 
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Hey Sara, thanks for that. Some might say anyone who writes that much for a single story and keeps going deserves medication, a strait-jacket or possibly an editor to trim it down but hey... it's fan fic!

Thanks again,

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 2:32 am 
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Title: The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle – Now Leaving Sunnydale (Part 241)
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames just demonstrate you have a tiny mind.
Spoiler Warning: Pretty limited. The story occurs in an alternate universe as set up in “The Wish” though reference is made to events that occur in both realities. Very little is referenced that occurs after S5 though. Guess why? Most “spoilers” would be for the first chronicle of this fic rather than the show and if you haven’t read that then much of this will make no sense but you can try and get round it by reading the preface to Part 104 which summarises most of what went before.
Distribution This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens (This applies to all of the Sidestep Chronicle)
Summary: A part that starts with their vacation on the farm and ends… well, it ends at the beginning.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc, etc. I am making zilch from this series of stories. You know the drill.
Rating: R – a general rating for occasional content. Individual parts might be less than this level.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever – others couples as necessary but nothing unconventional.
Notes: This is the final ‘story’ part of the Second Chronicle. The epilogue that will follow is set a number of years in the future and is there to wrap up the characters, but this one is really the start of the new road that will lead them to that Epilogue. Remember, as I always said, happy and together. Oh, and the opening line… definitely doesn’t reflect my writing experience!
Thanks To: My own special woman Louise who helps me so much with this on top of everything else. Those other friends and family who’ve also helped us overcome everything that was put in my way. Celia and Kerry who shaped this story and continue to do so when I think back to what they told me in the past. Xita for keeping the story hanging around and continuing to give us TKTWATBW.


The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle

Now Leaving Sunnydale

By

Katharyn Rosser


A Couple of Weeks After Part 240



“I can’t believe time’s gone so fast,” Willow said as they sat watching the sun go down. This would be the last time, for this trip at least. It was practically traditional by now.

Sixteen days without a care in the world for any of them and now it was almost over.

Okay, a trip to Tijuana with Tad, Jamie - and even with Jamie’s girlfriend Liz - would’ve been good. But she knew this was better.

Tijuana was where their friends were. Here they were family.

And apart from gas and food, it was all free. They had the time – no one had jobs or courses to go to – and Sunnydale was… It was taken care of.

At least the Hellmouth was, and that was the most important thing. Nothing could get to or from the ‘mystical convergence,’ which ruled out most of the apocalypse scenarios that – previously - had given them cause for concern if they left town for even a couple of days.

They’d already noticed the number of visiting vamps and demons appeared to be down. Further down, as they’d already had a big effect on those numbers since the Master’s night. Word had spread not to come to Sunnydale. But if they’d to guess what had changed now – and they had guessed - it looked like someone was sucking up all the ambient energy from the Hellmouth.

And that probably made it less appealing to the demons that were drawn to that kind of thing.

It hadn’t taken more than another guess to figure out who that ‘someone’ might be.

“Well, here’s to anything that takes it slow,” Jenny raised her glass and toasted her own idea.

Willow smiled, turned to her girlfriend and found Tara was already making the same gesture. Slowly glasses went up around the table. She joined them, but had a thought to offer. “I don’t know, sometimes it’s good to be quick.”

Jenny nodded, turned to Toni and offered another thought. “Sometimes you can just fit something in.”

*What would I know about it?* Toni replied, well aware of what was going on around her. Signing as they spoke was natural to them all by now.

Willow was just happy that the girl was so at ease – with everyone. It couldn’t have been any easier, not since the night the Mayor had ascended.

“Nothing at all,” Jenny said. “I’m sure.”

*Damn straight,* Toni said, sticking her tongue out when Willow did the same to her.

“I guess it’s time then,” Jenny said, nudging her husband.

Ah yes, time.

This was about the only thing that would’ve gotten Jenny off the subject of teasing Toni. She must’ve been thinking about it a lot, to abandon such a topic – ripe for teasing. Willow was pretty much sure what Jenny was thinking about.

By mutual consensus they’d all put a damper on anything else in their worlds when they’d come here. In a way they were trying to be like the kids, just enjoying the now for what it was.

The intention was that nothing was going to be allowed to spoil this time together. Particularly because it might be the last chance they’d have to be a family for a while. Maybe even through to next summer.

Everything was – probably – set to change and it’d be coming very soon now.

Just how much change there’d be… Well, only the pickle jar knew.

Where else would you keep the biggest changes in your lives? In a pickle jar of course. Sans vinegar.

They’d been talking about it for a while, she and Tara, and when they’d arrived Tara had asked everyone to write their news or concerns down – whatever they were – and then to set it aside for the whole vacation.

As a consequence they’d spent a little over two weeks enjoying the now, without worrying too much about tomorrow.

Maybe what’d been written down and ‘pickled’ was no big thing, but it was just supposed to be the biggest thing happening to any of them right now.

So they’d all pickled away their problems. And when Faith had broken the first jar, they’d put the notes in another one. Still without vinegar. Which hadn’t been easy to explain when the girl found what you were supposed to do with the jars.

She did love her onions.

But now here the jar was, delivered with as much ceremony as Faith could manage. The way she was handling it you’d think it was some sort of holy relic.

Perhaps she still felt bad about breaking a jar that had only been worth about a dollar. As a rule, Faith didn’t break things, so when she did...

Or maybe it was just the build-up the contents had been given? And they had built this moment up a lot over the last two weeks.

Willow had to admit to being kind of excited, at least to herself.

Obviously she knew her own news. She and Tara had shared one of the notes in the jar. But as for the rest…?

Well, she was pretty confident she knew what one of them might’ve written. She just hoped no one had any ‘bad’ news. Bad news would put a damper on their last night, for all that locking that news away might’ve given them two weeks of near perfection.

Non-Tijuana perfection.

Even with Toni, who’d shown some enthusiasm for the Tijuana idea. That’d been nixed though. Toni definitely wasn’t old enough to party with Tad and Jamie in Mexico - even though she was sure they’d have watched out for her.

Right now, Willow felt they were back where they should be with Toni. Considering the girl – young woman – was part of Rupert and Jenny’s family now, it was important that it worked between them and Toni too.

Yeah, they were all part of one larger family. That was becoming more and more obvious. In the whole two weeks, there hadn’t been the tiniest sign of any strain.

Faith had loved the animals and especially the chance for nearly unlimited riding. The only limit was how sore their butts got and Willow had tended to her girlfriend’s enough in the last two weeks to know it was definitely taking a toll.

Still, Tara was taking Faith out one last time in the morning. Before the horses went back to her uncle on the next farm over.

Ben was toddling, or at least falling over and dragging himself, all over the place.

And she and Tara… Well, aside from everything else they’d created a kind of memorial to the women who’d suffered in this house to allow them to be together. And to have a new future.

They already tended the small garden every time they came up here, and then it went back to being wild in between times. This time they’d added two trees for the Maclay women Willow felt she knew – and Tara knew through her.

Of course, Tara had given those saplings a helping hand, imbuing them with something of herself and truly making them Maclay.

No, not just Maclay.

Something that was Maclay and Rosenberg. The spell had taken something out of both of them. They’d slept for damn near fourteen hours afterwards, but it’d been worth it.

Instead of saplings they had full-grown trees at either side of the garden that Ruth and Lilly may well have started a century ago.

Close to the trees they could feel them. That would always make them special. And she felt better about what’d happened to Lilly and Ruth because of it.

It was like they’d poured all the energy that’d formed grief, regret and anger into what made those trees a part of them.

Negative – but justifiably so – energy turned into something positive.

Remembrance.

Tara took the pickle jar from Rupert, opening it with an easy twist after Mr Big-and-Strong-Male-Presence had been struggling with it.

“Obviously, I loosened it for you,” Rupert insisted as it opened with a pop.

“Of course you did, baby,” Jenny said.

He looked at her.

“I’m serious,” she said. “I’m sure you really did.”

“It’s hard to tell,” Willow said, willing to help them both out. They could interpret Tara’s success how they liked.

“Thank you, Willow,” Rupert said. “It’s nice to see someone almost has some faith in me.”

"Don’t undersell yourself, I almost have lots of faith in you," she joked, shaking her head as they were confusing the girl of the same name.

Jenny rolled her eyes. “I’ll just stay quiet then,” she said.

“No,” Tara said. “You won’t.” She pulled Jenny’s admission out of the jar first. It was easy enough to spot with the big, wobbly letters on the outside where Faith had written ‘Mommy.’

*Oh, for God’s sake. Why bother?* Toni asked, a twinkle in her eyes even as her signing said ‘impatient.’ *We all know what it is.*

“No, you don’t,” Jenny said.

“Yes. We do,” Willow said, backing Toni up.

“No. You don’t,’ Jenny insisted.

Tara nodded.

They knew. Jenny just needed to deal with that fact and move on.

“You just think you know,” Jenny said. “So prove it, clever clogs. Write it down. All of you.”

*It’s already written down,* Toni pointed out.

“Write it down, if you all think you’re so clever,” Jenny insisted as she distributed pens and paper from Faith’s colouring pad. “And your evidence, if you think you need it.”

Okay, well as tests went this would be easy to ace. But she still wasn’t going to allow any copying. Willow covered her answer up with her hand as she wrote it down.

At least until the looks she was being given by the others suggested that might’ve been more than quirky. But probably less than insane.

Jenny really didn’t seem happy about her thunder being stolen. When they’d written it down and put the caps back on their pens, she pointed at each of them in turn. Only Rupert was exempt.

Willow raised her paper at the same time as Tara and Toni though. She could see they’d both written the same thing she had. Two words on the paper, but in different colours.

‘Ur Pregnant’ as Toni had put it.

Willow had added three exclamation points to her note, trying to make it seem surprising when it really… wasn’t. And she’d written it really neatly. Tara’s had a kiss and a heart. Toni’s just said the words.

She thought her writing was neatest though.

Jenny turned and glared at her husband. “I didn’t say anything,” he promised her.

“Then how? I know I’m not showing yet.”

Tara read what was on the pickle jar paper, holding it up to confirm the news to all. “A witch knows,” she said.

That was her evidence.

And to be honest, Tara wasn’t exaggerating. All you had to do was look at the obvious joy tinting Rupert and Jenny’s auras. Not to mention the subtle sense of new life emanating from their friend.

Willow believed that she and Tara, learning what to look for when Jenny had been carrying Ben, were better than any pregnancy test. And it wouldn’t hurt for Toni to know that, just to make sure she never thought she could hide it.

Anything to keep her cautious and careful.

Jenny pointed at her, demanding her evidence. “I’m also a witch," Willow said. "And well, you’re blooming.”

“Plus you talk to Tara,” Jenny said.

“That too.”

“So is that why you’ve been so fixated on my chest?” Jenny asked.

“I have not!” Willow said. She couldn’t recall paying any special attention to Jenny’s breasts – even though her eyes flickered to them now.

Okay, she was a breast gal, and later on she might’ve noticed the changes there. But she hadn’t been looking. And the more she thought about it, the more likely Jenny had just said that to get back on her for her thunder being stolen.

She hadn’t been looking.

Had she?

"Honest!"

“You!” Jenny demanded of Toni. “I suppose you talked to them too?”

*No. It was easier than that,* Toni said. *You stopped having so much sex. I am in the room next to you. Here and at home. Even a deaf girl can tell you know.*

Jenny looked at Toni, then at her. Willow shrugged. You look after the girl, and you get the part of her that knows when you’re getting fruity. Welcome to what used to be our world.

Jenny collapsed, head in hands. She’d obviously been building herself up for this for a while and now they’d taken the surprise away from her. Tara was the one who coaxed her up, embracing her as Willow hugged Rupert.

“It’s wonderful,” Tara said.

“Totally wonderful,” Willow agreed, hoisting Faith into her lap just as the little girl asked one of her awkward questions. “What’s - ?” She made the sign for ‘sex.’ Visually descriptive as it was if you understood the processes.

It was actually a sign for a word they’d never use around the kids, but they politely ignored when Toni had substituted it for the hetero thing.

Fortunately it was just as easy to ignore Faith’s question.

“Your Mommy’s having a baby, munchkin,” she said instead of defining ‘sex.’

Faith looked at her as if she was absolutely stupid.

“She really is,” Willow insisted. “There’s a baby in your Mommy’s tummy right now. Remember back before Ben came along? It’s just like that.”

“Willow!” Faith cried. “I know!”

Willow looked over at Jenny. Had they told their daughter? Jenny just shook her head then rolled her eyes in mock disappointment. “How’d you know, baby?” she asked.

*The sex* Toni signed behind Faith. *It’ll be the sex – they can’t be being quiet if even I know they’re doing it.*

“Hush you,” Tara said.

“I… I don’t know. I just know,” Faith said.

“How?” Tara prompted.

*S.E.X.* Toni spelled behind her.

Willow glared. She wasn’t doing the talk for Faith. At least not for a decade or so. Maybe two. Anyway, wasn’t that what Mom’s were for?

“I just do,” Faith shrugged.

“You can feel it?” Tara asked. It seemed to Willow to be a strange question. Unless…

“Uhuh,” Faith agreed, nibbling on a finger. “I’m having a little sister! Can I have a cookie now?”

“Umm…” Willow looked at Jenny again. Her friend shrugged. No, she didn’t know what she was having. She’d always said, after Faith, she didn’t even want to know the sex up front. “It could be a little brother,” she pointed out.

“No, she’s my sister,” Faith said with all the confidence she had about knowing she wouldn’t come off her mini-trampoline. “Can I feel now, Mommy?”

Squirming to get out of Willow’s lap, without waiting for an answer, Faith made a beeline for her Mom.

“Of course you can, sweetie,” Jenny said. “Come on.”

Faith ran around the table, got up into Jenny’s lap and put her hand – sticky as her fingers probably were – under Jenny’s top and right onto her belly. “Hello,” she said very seriously. “I’m Faith. I’m your big sister.”

Willow had to smile. Did Faith really know? She seemed so certain, even if there was a 50% chance of guessing right anyway. The girl didn’t have the long-term outlook to say that now just so she could be proved right later. So, she really did believe it.

She shared a glance with Tara. It wouldn’t hurt for them to peek. They’d never tell, even if they had almost let it slip that Ben would be a boy. They’d be more careful with what they said this time.

Plus knowing helped with present buying. Even if they couldn’t make it too obvious to the Mom-to-be just why they were choosing blue over pink.

Willow watched as Tara looked at Jenny, then her eyes widened a touch and Willow could see exactly why. There certainly wouldn’t be any respite for Rupert and Ben from the wave of oestrogen that already threatened to overwhelm them.

And now Faith had been able to… Had she?

Did Faith know? Really know? Could she?

Did they need to look at Faith too? Did ‘their’ little girl have the talent? And what would it mean for the rest of the family if she did?

“No, you can’t feel anything yet, munchkin,” Jenny said to her daughter.

But Willow just knew what Faith was going to say to that, and she wasn’t just being contrary was she?

“Yes, I can,” the girl cried.

Jenny smiled indulgently and Willow realised that her friend probably had no idea, even though she came from a Romanian clan famed for a certain type of magic. Jenny really hadn’t guessed what might be happening here.

After a comforting rub and then a kiss for Mommy’s belly, Faith ran back around the table and a look demanded a spot in Tara’s lap.

“If she’s a girl - ” Jenny started.

“Mommy! She is a girl! She’s going to be my sister,” Faith protested, jumping at Tara’s legs to try to get up.

"Don’t interrupt, honey," Tara said.

“Then this one’s mine,” Jenny completed with a touch of mock jealousy as her daughter not only settled contentedly into Tara’s lap, but also apologised to her.

Both of them smiled, they knew what Jenny meant. They’d actually worried, from time to time, whether Jenny felt disconnected from Faith, resentful perhaps. Especially about Tara’s relationship with her daughter.

And if they hadn’t been such good friends, sharing the things they had and risking death together every night… maybe there’d have been some real cause for concern.

But the fact Jenny always let them know how she felt about it, with her tongue firmly in her cheek, confirmed it really wasn’t something that’d ever come between them - even if it did bother her some. Willow would’ve been more worried if Jenny hadn’t said anything.

If Jenny regretted anything it was her own slight disconnection with Faith, rather than anything she and Tara were doing.

And besides, were they supposed to punish Faith - by easing away from her - for how her Mom might’ve felt? It definitely wasn’t her fault.

“I think I’ll still have my hands full,” Tara said, barely able to sign around a squirming monster in her lap.

Now, was that comment as innocent as Tara made it sound ? Business as usual? Or was it something to do with the chance Faith had some magical talent? What that would mean if it was true?

Or was her girlfriend hinting at something else entirely?

They’d always supposed that one day Faith would outgrow the idea that everything Mommy said was debatable and everything Tara said was law.

But… If Faith had some talent, would that mean she’d have to be taught about how to use it safely? Wouldn’t they have to be the ones to teach those lessons?

Did they know enough? Or the right things? Their brand of magic was unique as far as they’d been able to tell. Tara knew a lot more about ritual magic – and the instant but painful equivalent of it – from her old hunting days. But still...

Would they need to show Faith what to do? Or at least what – and how – not to do?

“And long may your hands be full, Auntie Tara,” Jenny said with such warmth and appreciation that it was impossible to doubt how she really felt.

Faith was probably too much for any combination of parents. She was outgoing and into everything. She wanted to know and do everything. She was restless without being hyperactive. In fact she was a great child. Just - sometimes - too much. Too great.

They knew it, but they - she and Tara - got the easy part of the deal. They got to give her back at the end of most days.

“Faith,” Tara said in that certain tone, and the squirming stopped right away. Jenny, as usual, waved such instant obedience off with a gesture that some might’ve considered rude.

“Okay, who’s next?” Willow dipped in the jar, pulled a note out and handed it Toni to open.

*Don’t you know?* Toni asked, not unrolling the note. Was no one going to do this properly?

And, actually, no they didn’t know. Hence the part about reading it.

Rupert and Jenny were ready and willing to adopt her and Toni seemed very happy about that. They’d had this whole trip without a crossed… sign.

So what was it Toni had written down and now thought they should already know?

For a moment Willow wondered whether… No. She didn’t even need to look.

She shook her head, and no one else at the table seemed to know either.

*I broke up with Mal,* Toni said, but she really didn’t look too bothered about it. And it wasn’t the kind of thing she could really just have bottled up in a pickle jar if she had been all cut up about it.

Was it?

Willow, still in her first real love affair, didn’t really understand how she could be so... unbothered. “Oh honey, are you okay?”

*I’m fine.*

Everyone looked at her.

*Seriously,* Toni said, not missing the doubt.

“We didn’t mean you had to hide this away in a jar, you know?” Tara said.

*I know,* Toni said. *But I’m good. We’re good.*

“You two looked okay when we left,” Jenny said.

Willow remembered that Mal had come over to say goodbye. Nothing had seemed to be up between them, and they’d still hugged. Or had they? Did she just think they had?

*We’re still friends. No, I mean it. We are. That was kind of why it happened,* Toni explained.

It was probably a little uncharitable of her to wonder – just for a second – whether Mal was gay. Just because he was nice, considerate, polite, smart, hygienic, looked after himself and broke up on good terms with a lovely girl didn’t mean he had to be gay now did it? Just how many stereotypes was that playing into?

Besides, she was pretty sure Toni knew that truth by now.

On the other hand, Toni was a pretty girl, willing and seemingly keen on going places Mal should’ve wanted to. Wasn’t that every boy’s dream?

But then she supposed there could exist a sixteen-year-old boy who was both straight and more interested in being friends than getting into his girlfriend’s pants.

He was probably a rare breed. Or existed only in a quantum reality. But he’d also be exactly the kind of friend you didn’t want to lose just to indulge some hormonal urges.

Jenny stretched an arm around Toni.

*I’m okay,* Toni said again, not resisting the embrace at all. *For real. It was my idea, and we’ve been chatting since I was up here. We’re good, we’re both good.*

That was good. Okay wait, they didn’t have cable up here, and no DSL contract either.

“So you’ve been using my Powerbook on dialup?” Willow asked, feeling just a little uncharitable again. But house rules were house rules.

Toni blushed, paused. *Yes.*

Willow tapped the table and, with a deliberately over-dramatic sigh, Toni deposited a few crushed up dollar bills on it.

She tapped the table again.

Dial-up wasn’t that cheap up here, not for the amount of time Toni would’ve spent chatting to Mal. They had wondered about her disappearances just after kids were put to bed. Now they knew.

*Okay, okay.* More money went on the table. *It’s a good job I’m not all cut up, isn’t it? Otherwise you might have had to let me off for it.*

Well, if that had been the case she wouldn’t have asked. But Tara even made her pay up and she did all sorts of things for her lover that Toni certainly didn’t. Things she’d never have a chance or desire to, to be fair. But things all the same.

If, as Tara’s girlfriend, she couldn’t make payment in kind then Toni could definitely pay in the same cold, hard cash she did.

“Just remember,” Jenny said. “If you’ve broken up, he doesn’t get his hands on your bits.”

Toni could still blush, even living with Jenny. Oh yes, there were always new depths for Jenny’s teasing to plunge to.

"Is that something that used to confuse you after a break up?" Tara asked Jenny who just scowled. “Is this personal experience?”

That’d be a ‘yes’ then.

“What bits?” Faith asked.

*Next!* Toni prompted, probably to get the attention off herself and avoid the girl’s curiosity.

There were only two notes left, one for Rupert and the one she and Tara had shared.

“Ladies first,” Rupert prompted.

Willow pulled the note from the jar, even though she didn’t need it. She was going to do this properly, if only to show the others how it should’ve been done.

Unfolding it, she felt butterflies in her tummy. This was going to be difficult to get through. Then she turned to her woman and it was to Tara she said, “We’re getting out.”

“Out of Sunnydale,” Tara clarified.

Apart from Tara and Faith, the rest of the faces at the table remained inscrutable. What no reaction? This was big news.

“I… I accepted a place at M.I.T. It’s a really good school, has all the facilities and opportunities I need and Tara’s been accepted for teacher training close by too. We’re… We’re going out there in a couple of days to find somewhere to live.” She blurted it out, unable to stop once she’d started.

Still no reaction.

She’d been afraid of this revelation, even if the pickle jar had helped. No need to worry about when to do it, they’d known when ‘when’ would be. When was now. But it was still hard to say, harder still because no one seemed to have a reply.

Would they be considered selfish? Leaving Sunnydale unprotected? Rupert and Jenny looked at each other, just the faintest hints of a smile at the corner of each of their mouths.

“Good,” Rupert said.

“It’s about damned time,” Jenny added.

“You’re okay with it?” Tara asked.

“We’ve been hoping you’d come to the right decision – and this isthe right one. Especially now.”

Ah… the protected Hellmouth. Was now the time to admit they’d had to make the decision before that’d come to pass? That they’d been more selfish - for once - than the others knew?

Probably not.

“We… we don’t mean to leave you in the lurch,” Willow said. “We’ll be back. Often. To see you, Ira… you know, everything.”

“And we can help out then too,” Tara offered.

Willow nodded; she’d forgotten to add that part. “And it’s only till we finish our courses.”

“I bloody well hope not,” Rupert said.

“Pardon?” Tara asked.

Willow could feel something was going on. Those smiles, what he’d just said. Yeah, something was definitely going on that they didn’t know about.

“Perhaps you should read the final – my – note.”

Curious, Willow pulled it from the jar and unrolled it. She looked back at Rupert. “You are kidding?”

“Not at all.”

“What?” Tara asked, trying to take the paper from her, but Willow kept it away from her. “Come on, gimme.”

“No, I need to read this again.”

It couldn’t be right, could it?

“You’re moving east too?” she asked, not believing it.

“All rather serendipitous wouldn’t you say?” Rupert asked.

“ I can say it,” Willow said. “But I’m waiting for you to fingerspell it for Toni.”

They were all waiting for him to spell it for Toni.

“They’re moving east?” Tara repeated.

*What’s that word supposed to mean?* Toni asked, ignoring the news in favour of this word she was being asked to take in.

Rupert just rolled his eyes. “A former band mate of mine - ”

“Band mate?”

*Band mate?*

“Yes, believe it or not I was in a band at university,” his glare stopped anyone commenting on what that must’ve been like. “And now he’s the headmaster of a private school near Boston.”

Headmaster? How British.

“You’re both moving to Boston?” Tara sounded as shocked as Willow felt.

“Yes, and if you’d stop interrupting I could tell you more about it,” he looked around, expecting quiet and actually getting it. “His librarian is retiring at the end of the coming academic year.”

“You’re coming – going - ” Willow understood Tara’s shock. A move yeah, that could happen. A move east… sure. They were in California, nearly everything was east of them. That could happen too.

But a move to Boston?

When they were going to Cambridge, MA?

No way.

“Not yet,” he said. “But eventually, yes we will be.”

“Wow.”

It was about all she could say. Of course, by the time Rupert and Jenny got out there, Tara’s course would nearly be over and then she’d be looking for a teaching post in the same sort of area but… still. They weren’t going to be thousands of miles apart…

“Wow,” she said again.

“Bob Flutie is going to kill you,” Tara said.

“I never thought he valued me so highly,” Rupert said, looking rather pleased.

“Well, yeah… I’m sure he does, but I actually meant about Jenny,” Tara said, blushing.

“Oh.” Rupert sounded just a little disappointed.

“Don’t worry – I’m sure his appreciation of your skills as librarian is deep-rooted and just better hidden.” Tara smiled, and reached over to squeeze his hand for a moment.

“Rumour also has it – and lets face it their Principal should know – that this school out east will have a vacancy in their IT department too.” Jenny said. “So it’s not like I’m giving it all up for my husband.”

Oh yeah, like that was going to happen. For the kids, maybe. Not for Rupert and his books. Much as they were loves middle-aged dream.

“But you’ll be back at work here in Sunnydale for how long?” Willow asked, just to get her friend to admit it.

Jenny gave them a wry smile. “After this summer through to the start of the second semester – barely.” She rubbed her belly. “At least if this one isn’t causing trouble.”

Willow grinned. “Then you’ll be on maternity – again – and right after that you’ll… quit?” Oh no, Bob Flutie wasn’t going to be happy about that at all.

“I’ll give him plenty of notice,” Jenny said, waving it off and thought for a second. “Maybe we can call the baby, Bob. Might help him deal with it better.”

“Mommy!” Faith cried. “She’s a girl. You can’t a girl, Bob. She doesn’t want to be.”

Jenny looked not at her daughter, but at them. Both she and Tara had to try to hide what they knew.

“Roberta then,” Jenny said to placate Faith.

“No, you can’t do that to her,” Willow blurted. Roberta? That was horrible. From such starts a life of teasing would follow.

Jenny looked up. “Her? So is it a girl?”

Silence.

“You can tell me,” Jenny assured them.

Silence.

“Okay, I want to know – no one will get in trouble for spoiling the surprise,” Jenny said, letting them off the hook.

Which was good, because she’d just as much as said so.

“Hypothetically?” Willow said. “She – it – could be. You know, fifty-fifty and all that.”

“Tell me.”

“Yes,” Tara said. “Faith’s right.”

A smile spread over Jenny’s face. “Well, okay. But just you remember, this one’s mine. You can keep the munchkin - ”

“Mommy!”

“ - but just remember that.”

A look they shared as Tara hugged Faith to her, said that Jenny also now knew they were going to have to have a talk about just how the little girl knew the sex of the baby. But later was soon enough. There was some truth in the mythical suggestion that those who were talented – usually – didn’t come fully into their gifts until puberty.

And by the time Faith hit puberty, Willow was sure there’d be a whole lot of other things to worry about. She just had the feeling that, compared to Toni, dealing with Faith would be… interesting.

Tara turned to Toni. *You okay with this?* she asked, entirely in sign.

*Next year’s my junior year,* Toni said smugly. “That’s got to be better than transferring as a senior, right?”

“So you already knew?” Tara asked.

The girl nodded.

“Now who’s keeping secrets?” Tara chided. Toni just smiled.

Willow wondered, for a moment, whether splitting with Mal had anything to do with that. But would a teenager really think about how hard it’d be to break up a year down the line? Or would she just know how she wanted to feel now?

Even the girl she’d used to be would – aside from never actually getting to have a boyfriend – have been thinking about now. And look how far ahead she’d planned everything, even then.

“So is Ira the only one without a secret?” Jenny asked of this little circle of revelation.

“Well, no…” Tara said, looking to her.

Willow supposed as his only – biological – daughter she should be the one to break the news. Being as he wasn’t here to do it himself. “He and Lizzie are going to get married.”

“He never said anything to me!” Jenny objected.

“There’s rather a lot of that going around,” Rupert pointed out, not ignoring his own guilt.

“And also, he doesn’t know about it yet,” Tara added.

Willow smiled. “Lizzie has made up her mind. She wants my Dad, Ira Rosenberg, as her toy-boy.” She was happy about it, even if the idea of him being with anyone else was still a little weird to her. “Besides, we’ll, see him lots. Both of them. Do you really think you’ll be able to keep Ira away from another grandchild?”

With an exaggerated sigh, Jenny teased them again. “I just wish you and your family would keep your hands off my kids. All but the munchkin, anyway. Like I say, you can have her.”

“Mommy!”

Tara huggled Faith to her and the girl’s indignation subsided. “Remember,” she said quietly. “Best behaviour from now on.”

“I know,” Faith said, as if Tara was daft for having pointed it out.

Willow smiled; all Tara was doing was making sure Faith remembered to be a little more careful around Mommy now. Faith just didn’t think she needed telling, remembering how it’d been with Ben.

“How’d you feel about a little sister then?” Willow asked.

Faith shrugged. “It’s okay, can I have that cookie now?”

Tara put her down, patted her butt and sent her on her way. “Go, but bring the jar back for all of us.”

When she’d gone, Jenny looked after her daughter. “She doesn’t seem wildly enthusiastic.”

“Oh, no,” Tara corrected. “She is. She loves the idea. But it’s not exactly new to her.”

In a few minutes their entire world had been turned upside down, and Faith had to have been able to take at least some of that in. But like a snow globe their lives would be better for being shaken up. It set everything to rights. Exciting times were coming.

A conclusion punctuated as something crashed, and they all got up to go see what Faith had done. All but Toni.

*Broken?* the girl asked when she turned back from looking at the sunset to notice them on the move.

Before they answered, Toni was off to see to Faith and unspoken consensus let her go. There was no crying from inside, so at least she wasn’t hurt. All it should be was a cookie type mess.

Still stood up, she and Tara went round to Jenny again. “Yours is the best news,” Willow said, hugging her tightly.

“No, yours is,” Jenny said. “We were so afraid you’d never actually leave.”

“We haven’t gone yet,” Tara pointed out.

It was only half a joke. If something went seriously wrong, or if they found something out about Sunnydale’s ‘First Snake’ they still might not get out for more than a vacation.

“Don’t say that!” Jenny said. “By the way, I don’t think we mentioned that this private school were going to is for the deaf did we?”

She and Tara both looked at their friend. An evil friend. “No,” Willow said. “It must’ve slipped your mind somehow.”

“And did we mention that they offer to take on trainee teachers who can sign?” Rupert asked.

Very evil friends. “No… that must’ve slipped your mind as well,” Tara said, kissing Rupert’s cheek. “How’d you know Willow would pick M.I.T.?”

“Aside from the word ‘technology’?” he asked.

“Hey, I didn’t choose it because of that,” Willow said. She hadn’t. She wasn’t so easily swayed by a technological name. She wasn’t. Was she?

No, they had spreadsheets of pros and cons.

It hadn’t just been the name. She had the proof. It wasn’t even on the pro list. But now that she thought about it...

“Believe what you like,” Rupert said. “But actually we just hoped you’d be going somewhere east.”

“This is a great opportunity for the kids too,” Jenny said. “It’ll get Faith, Ben and she who shall remain unnamed for now, a great education and might take a big chunk out of the college bill we’ve got coming up too. It’s just pure, dumb luck you’re going that way as well.”

“No,” Willow said. “Not luck.”

“Fate,” Tara said.

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

“Tara, finally,” he said.

He?

It?

What did you call a hundred metre long snake demon? ‘He’ would do for now, in deference to what he had once been.

“I’ve come to let you know we’re leaving soon,” she said. "Moving away."

“Well, golly! That’s news I’ve certainly been waiting a long time for,” he told her, somehow managing to sound relieved even through the rasp.

Any voice, let alone an expressive one, should’ve been an impossibility for a snake. But then he wasn’t really a snake, was he? He was a giant demon and he’d wanted to be one for a long time.

And despite the deep-throated rumble that reverberated around his coiled body, it was still – undeniably – Richard Wilkins she was talking to.

It was just that now he was in touch with his serpentine side.

“Why?” she asked.

He rumbled again, a sound she’d come to realise was a laugh. “Afraid I’ll abandon my post and go on the rampage without you here to check up on me, Tara?”

“Actually, yes.”

There it was. She’d believed in him enough to help him with his transformation. Enough to stick up for him in the face of Willow’s objections. But she wasn’t too conceited to admit she might have been very wrong.

Dangerously so.

“Always the pragmatist,” he said and rumbled again. “Perhaps you should look at it this way, my dear. You could try very hard to stop me, if I wanted to do such a thing, and you’d probably hurt me.”

“Count on it.”

“But you know you can’t defeat me, Tara. That window of opportunity has long since closed.”

She wouldn’t have bet the farm on it, but it would be difficult now. And it’d be dangerous too. Then even if they won, there was the strong possibility he’d just change in the past to avoid it turning out that way and they’d never even know.

But then, would she have been having these thoughts if he had? What was it Willow would call that? A paradox?

Logically, this – and what was coming - was what he wanted, or he’d have changed it already and she’d never have known any different.

Maybe he already had?

His head dived down to rest before her. “You were out of town for a whole week, and what did I do?”

“Two weeks,” she corrected.

“Well, there you go. But do you know what I did while you weren’t here?” he asked.

“No.” She hadn’t given it a lot of thought. As long as there wasn’t a rampage involved she wasn’t sure she even wanted to know.

“I listened to music, shed my skin – you have no idea how much that itches – and ate demons. So how was your trip?”

“Good, thank you,” she said, wondering about what he’d said. What had she done in that time? Listened to music, shed her fear - without itching - and ate Willow out. Maybe their lives weren’t all that different.

Oh, and she’d been riding too. Both horses and Willow. She had the chafe marks to prove it, even now.

Okay, she wanted to believe him. No, she did believe him or else she wouldn’t have been here now. But she wanted to believe in him too. He was going to make their life – away from here – possible.

A life elsewhere.

With him protecting the Hellmouth - both from those who wanted to open it and those things that wanted to escape from it could happen. And he was absorbing much of the emanating energy that drew lesser demons here. The worst Sunnydale should have to deal with from now on was the low level activity almost every town suffered, Hellmouth or not.

And while she was worried how hearing about even one death here would affect her, MIT would be a better place for Willow, for both of them.

Besides, Rupert was going to be here for nearly a year more. He could help with the transition. And there would always be trips home, when they could do a few sweeps and make sure no bigger trouble was brewing.

It wasn’t like they were abandoning their posts. Maybe people in Sunnydale just needed to learn to be careful again. Same as anywhere else in the world.

“How long will you keep growing?” she asked, looking around her. This chamber had seemed vast the last time they’d been here. Now it just seemed… full.

“Honestly? I have no idea,” he replied cheerfully. At least she assumed that was what passed for cheerful. “But I have someone coming in to work on the place next week. Don’t worry about me, Tara. This is what I’ve always been building towards. My inner hero is finally fulfilled. I suppose this kind of existence might get old in a century or so, but for now… Oh, excuse me for just a moment.”

She nodded and suddenly there were coils of demon snake whirling around and around her as he repositioned himself and dived down into the lower chamber, emerging a matter of seconds later.

Seemingly unruffled. Only now his ‘chest’ was swollen and distended by the outline of something that was still struggling inside him A tentacle trailed from his mouth before he slurped it up like spaghetti.

At least he was getting fresh food.

“Sorry about that.”

“Does it happen a lot?” she asked.

“Less than you’d fear, but more than is good for my once svelte figure,” he joked. “Now would you mind scratching my ear?”

She had to agree. Hadn't he just stopped something coming through from one of the Hells?

He lowered his head and using both hands she rubbed at the edge of the hole that approximated where his ears had once been.

“Mmmmn, thank you,” he said. “It’s difficult to get my tail to it when you’re here." He paused. "You know, Tara, if you’re worried I just want you out of the way…”

She knew he could eat her right now, a one gulp. But if he did - and she was alive when she went down there – she could promise him the worst case of indigestion imaginable.

“You have demon breath,” she said. It was her way of saying she willing to trust him, for now. Without actually putting it into words.

“Hmm, I hadn't noticed. Would you happen to have a mint or twenty?”

She’d actually anticipated this – a diet of red meat wasn’t good for anyone’s oral hygiene - and tipped a box full into his waiting mouth, watching as he slurped them around in a very unsnakelike manner. “Thank you, Tara. That’s much better. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be minty fresh.”

“So we’re leaving,” she said again.

“And I’m still pleased for you and your lady,” he replied. “You’ve done an impressive job here, Tara. Better than I could have hoped for.”

“Filled the gap?” she wondered. She’d been thinking maybe she’d been brought here after his failed ascension not to bring it about – or not just to do that – but rather to hold the fort until… now. Until this time.

“What you and Miss Rosenberg do in private is your own business,” he said, rumbling so loudly it echoed around the chamber.

“Ha-ha.” So a giant – ever so phallic - snake demon was making jokes about what she and Willow did in bed. Just another day in Sunnydale.

A last day in Sunnydale.

“You’ve ‘filled the gap’ admirably. At first alone and then with your friends. I’m so pleased we’re parting on good terms,” he said. “And that you came to tell me.”

Was it possible to be on bad terms with a fully ascended snake demon ? Probably not for long. “So am I.” And she meant it - if for no other reason than it vindicated the judgements a lot of people had made about him.

Lastly, it made her feel better about once accepting a job from him, knowing what he was.

Though she wouldn’t go so far as to say this gave her any more faith in the current political system. It’d take more than a many-times elected, immortal, giant demon guarding the Hellmouth to accomplish that.

“Well, so long,” she said, not sure how to end this farewell.

“You will pop in on your visits?” he asked. He sounded the giant snake version of plaintive.

Of course she’d visit. At the very least she'd need to ensure he was still doing what he was promising to. “You know I will.”

And he was freeing them. The least she could do was visit.

“For all sorts of reasons,” he said and winked a giant clear eyelid at her. “I’d finally hug you for the first time but nowadays…” he gave the snake impression of a shrug. More of a shurg really.

She patted one of his coils, saw his tail twitch. “Goodbye, Mr Mayor,” she said.

“Goodbye, Tara Maclay.”

She paused on the way out as classical music started to play again. She didn’t want to see the size of the remote. “Will you be okay?” she asked, not sure what she could do if he said ‘no.’

“Oh, yes,” he said. “I already have some minions.”

“Of course you do.”

Members of a well-known apocalypse cult crawled from the holes in the chamber walls.

He’d always been able to recruit the people - and demons - that should be opposed to everything he stood for.

He just was so damn charming.

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


“I don’t know if I can do this,” Tara said.

“Yes, we can,” Willow replied with hand at the small of her back, guiding her out of the apartment.

Tara appreciated the choice of words. Yes, together they could do anything they put their minds to. Hadn’t they done more difficult things than this?

Perhaps, but difficult in very different ways. "It hasn’t looked this empty since… well, ever.”

With a few exceptions the apartment was devoid of anything that had made it theirs, all ready for their new tenant to move in.

Renting this place out would give them some extra cash to rent their own place out east.

It was just that she had the distinct feeling they’d never stay here again. No more than that, just a feeling. Somehow she knew that their lives weren’t coming this way again. At least not for long enough to justify moving back in.

“I’m going to miss this place too,” Willow said.

“A place is just a place.” Tara knew she was convincing no one, least of all herself.

Nearly their entire history was in these empty rooms. The good, the bad and the very good.

Miss Kitty had been brought here, nothing but a fluffy kitten, by a vampire keen to manipulate her sick lover into carnal gratitude.

In that bedroom, and a few other places around the apartment, she and Willow – the real Willow - had made some special memories.

In that same bedroom she’d ended a vampire’s existence. And loved the woman who came back to her.

More than one girl called Faith had been here, played here. Having very different ideas of fun.

It was home. Much more so than the farm they’d been at so recently. When had Sunnydale taken over from where she’d grown up?

For a time even Toni had seen this as ‘home’ too. No one was asking Toni or Mal just what’d happened in that bedroom. Or what hadn’t happened.

“Any place with you is just fine,” Willow said, drawing her in.

“You didn’t like that L.A. hotel room,” Tara said. "I was with you there."

“It’s just I prefer to know what all the stains are from,” Willow said, hugging her from behind, chin on her shoulder. “Come on, love, its time to go. Everyone’s waiting downstairs.”

This was harder than it should be.

She’d thought being afraid to leave Sunnydale undefended would be the problem. It really wasn’t. She’d long since gotten over that idea.

She’d even gotten past who was perpetually ready to save the town.

The Hellmouth was protected – both ways – and the mystical energy was down to a trickle.

There was no invisible draw for the demons now. Oh, some would try – they’d want what the Hellmouth appeared to offer, but if they could fight their way past a mystically protected, intelligent, hundred metre snake that loved the town and it’s people… Well, good luck to them.

Willow had even removed mention of the chamber directly above the mystical convergence from the sewer maps. The former-Mayor’s new minions had done a pretty good job of camouflaging the entrances too.

So no, their duty to the town wasn’t what was hard to let go of.

And she wasn’t afraid of change either.

She wanted them to change, to have opportunities. She wanted them to have lives with no vampires, demons or general monsterage. Or at least with less.

What was hard was going to be saying ‘goodbye.’

And not just to places.

Outside, Jenny and Rupert waited with their kids. Faith was already snuffling, old enough to know what was going on and what it meant. Tara hoped she’d stop before they came out or it was going to set her off too.

Ira and Lizzie, firmly an item in their own right, stood with the Giles'.

And then there was Toni.

Alone, but part of a family now. The family.

Hitched behind the car, they’d finally invested in, yes…. They were living the cliché. And it was to move in together – kind of. A U-Haul full of stuff they needed right now with the rest to be shipped when they were settled.

But no Miss Kitty. She was already living out of the Giles’ until they got settled somewhere permanent. A cross-country road trip in her box wasn't Miss Kitty's idea of acceptable, particularly not when there’d be nowhere to claim as her own at the other end.

“Hey Dad,” Willow said, hugging Ira as the group came together. “I’m finally moving away.”

“Yes,” he said. “And you're taking my family with you.”

Tara smiled. Ira was more pleased than any of them with Willow’s acceptance to M.I.T. And it wasn’t like he didn’t have his own distractions now. “Be gentle with him,” Tara said, hugging Lizzie.

“So long as he does what he’s told,” Lizzie replied. "He has nothing to worry about from me."

“Rosenberg’s are pretty good when it comes to obedience training,” Tara joked, drawing a mock glare from both father and daughter.

Lizzie smiled. “I’ll hold you to that. But remember dear, remember you’re going away to learn. Not to do what you do now.”

“It’ll be nice to have a break,” Tara said, not sure what she’d do if they found a nest of vampires. Could she not deal with it? “Look after him,” she whispered in the hug. “He needs you.”

“I need him, dear. And yes, before you ask, I will visit our mutual friend.”

Tara smiled. It had been her next request. A lonely Mayor would be a Mayor who wanted to come out from his cave… and they couldn’t have that. Another hug and she was with Ira, conscious of how Toni stood a little detached from the group while Willow moved over to the Giles’.

“You’re finally doing what I should’ve asked you to do years ago,” Ira said.

She used an ever-present tissue to wipe Willow’s lipstick from his cheek. “What?”

“Getting my daughter out of here, leibchen,” he said.

“Would you consider joining us?” she asked, “In time?”

He smiled. “I think, with you two gone there’ll be even more need for babysitters around here soon.”

She could see he had his eye on his daughter as Willow rested her hand on Jenny’s belly. There was just the tiniest bump – or they imagined so – when you knew what you were looking for.

“Next year then,” Tara said. “When they move. The kids will miss you, and you know you’ll miss them.”

“We’ll see,” Ira said. “After all it’s not likely I’ll get any grandchildren from my daughters is it?”

“You might be surprised.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“But not yet,” she said with a wink. “Think about it.” She kissed his cheek and clasped his hand tightly.

Willow had Ben in her arms by the time Tara left Ira, and she watched the baby gurgled at her girlfriend as Willow bounced him. He seemed to be the only one happy to see them go, but then he just didn’t get it.

And Willow carrying Ben left her with Faith, who’d been sulking since she’d come to understand what moving away really meant.

Tara didn’t pick her up, she was getting too big for that, and instead she got down in front of Faith. On her level. Faith really responded to eye-to-eye contact. It'd get easier as the issues got bigger. How much more would she grow this year?

How much would they miss?

Yeah, they’d see her on vacation, but… They were both going to miss this little girl most of all. It wasn’t favouritism, but she’d been part of their lives as long as they’d been back in Sunnydale. The first sign that Jenny and Rupert could trust her again was to let her hold, and eventually watch over, Faith.

“Hey,” she said, a fingertip teasing Faith’s chin upwards. “Can’t you even manage a smile?”

“Don’t go, I don’t want you to!” Faith demanded. "You can live with us, like Toni."

“There's no room, sweetie. And we’ll be back real soon,” Tara said.

“But just to visit.” She said ‘visit’ like it was a curse. “Not to stay.”

“Yeah,” Tara said. “But you’ll be coming to see us as well. We’ll see each other lots. And we can talk on the phone too.”

“Mommy doesn’t let me use the phone,” Faith sniffled.

Tara smiled. “She will if you let her dial.” It was amazing the countries you could direct dial with a seemingly random sequence of button pushes. And how many people in those places could find enough English to talk to a chatty four year old.

“Kay,” Faith said, somewhat mollified. But she still didn’t sound very convinced.

“You’ve got to look after Ben too,” Tara said. “You’ve got to be a big girl now.”

Faith frowned. “What about Toni?”

Toni was already well established as her new babysitter. “Are you a big girl or not?” Tara asked.

“Yes.”

“And do big girls cry?”

“No.”

Tara, feeling tears brimming in her own eyes, had to tell the truth. “Yes they do,” she said as she hugged Faith tightly. “But only when there’s something to be sad about. You’ll be coming out to live near us soon.”

“But that’s a whole year!”

“You’ll be at school though, sometimes you won’t even remember we’re not here.”

“I will too!”

“We’ll see,” Tara said. “But I promise, you’ll still see us lots. And when we get there, do you know what the first thing I’m going to do is?”

“No?”

“I’m going to go find us somewhere to ride,” Tara said.

“And play golf right?”

“That too,” Tara promised. “So no more sad girl okay?”

“Kay”

If Faith wasn’t happy, she was happier now. It was amazing what promises of horsies and golf could do. She should’ve come up with that days ago.

As she took Ben from Willow, it really hit home just how much she was going to miss these kids. It’d never been something she’d had to think about before. Whenever they’d gone away for any length of time, they’d always known they were coming back. This time they were going away and intending not to come back.

At least not for more than a visit.

She was the one who took Ben over to his Dad. “I want you to promise me not to do anything stupid,” she said to Rupert and Jenny, totally serious.

“Believe it or not we do our very best to try not to be stupid,” Rupert said.

“Yeah,” Jenny asked. “Stupid just happens.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Rupert said to his wife.

“You call us if something bad happens," Tara said. She wasn’t willing to banter about this. "You don’t give it a go then call us later, you call right away. We have money put aside for emergency tickets. We can get on a plane and be here in a few hours – next day at worst. So you call, okay?”

“I promise,” Jenny said, and that was reassuring. Jenny, at least, was bound to be thinking even more about her family than the former Watcher.

While Rupert was careful and a realist, he was also more experienced. More likely to take risks he thought he’d taken before.

And, being less into the fighting thing, Jenny would be more likely to call if things ever looked bad.

“We’re looking forward to the moonlight strolls,” Rupert said. “Now we have a live-in babysitter.”

“And let Ira do some – the babysitting I mean,” Tara chided. “Toni does need some free time. Oh, and lets hope it stays as just moonlight strolls.”

She hadn’t meant to imply there was anything else they might do, but fortunately they didn’t even pick up on it. It wasn’t like they knew they’d been seen on one of those 'moonlight strolls.' Instead they took it to mean she was wondering about the town’s new protector.

“Have you any reason to doubt him?”

“No,” Tara said, thinking about the giant snake demon in question. “No, I don’t. But there are always things that don’t come through, or for, the Hellmouth. And I wouldn’t recommend asking him for any favours. They'll come at a price.”

“We’ll be careful,” Jenny promised. “Now give that one to me.”

Tara gave Ben a kiss and handed him to his mother. Willow brought Faith over and there was only one thing left to do. One person.

*I’m sorry it worked out this way,* Toni said.

“What way?” Willow asked.

*Fighting, leaving you, running away* The girl shrugged.

“All very old news,” Willow said.

*I know but - *

“This is better,” Tara said. “We all got what we really wanted.”

*You wanted a family,* Toni said. *I know you did.*

Willow laughed. “What do you call this?”

“Yeah, we have a family,” Tara said. “And you’re in it.”

*That’s not what I meant. It’s not what you meant either.*

“Tough,” Willow said. “That’s the way it is. We never wanted you to stay for us. It was always for you.”

“And I think, honestly, this is better,” Tara said again. “We… need to get out of here. I love the place, and all of you. We both do. But we need to move on. That’d be harder to do – we’d probably have stayed for you to finish school. This way, you get to continue school here, and still come out later.”

“See?” Willow asked. “Better.”

*Okay,* Toni said.

“You’ll visit?” Tara asked.

Toni smiled. *Try and stop me, at least if you’re paying.*

“We don’t know how much room we’ll have,” Willow warned.

*That’s okay. I mean I can sleep on a couch, or the floor. Just so long as you aren’t having sex in the room just because you think I won’t notice,* Toni said.

“Toni!”

The girl grinned. *Let’s not pretend you haven’t gotten close to that before.*

“We didn’t know you were there,” Willow said. “For once you were being quiet. And that was a rare thing, let me tell you.”

Willow and Toni hugged.

“Keep these guys out of trouble,” Tara said. “Never baby-sit for them if they’re going to do something dumb. And tell us if you think they're about to.”

*I guarantee it.*

“And don’t let them exploit you either,” Willow added. “Remember my Dad wants to baby-sit. You do get to have nights off.”

*Okay.*

When they hugged, it was the first time for Tara that it didn’t feel like a big deal. Not forced, or massively important for good or bad reasons. What was a surprise was the kiss on the cheek followed by an even tighter hug. She must’ve shown her surprise then though.

*Don’t worry,* Toni said. *I’m not lezzing out, as much as you want me to meet a nice girl.*

“She doesn’t have to be ‘nice,’” Tara teased. “But we’ll be sure to pass your continued hetero status onto the boys you’ll be living near when you move out next year.” Toni’s reaction said it all.

She shoots, she scores.

Oh yes, she had the talent.

But all this was still threatening to make her cry, despite her success.

“Come on,” she said to Willow, not wanting to set everyone off. “We need to get on the road.”

Of course that required another round of hugs, a promise to Ira not to do anything they didn’t have to and then… time to go.

Tara, driving, pulled away slowly. She didn’t want to end the moment, even when they were driving away from it. And she didn’t want a stray tear to cause an accident. They had a long way to go, getting in a wreck at the first intersection wasn’t going to be a smart option.

Willow was no better. Eventually it was almost a relief to go around the first turn and out of sight.

They stayed silent until Tara pulled up just inside the city limits. “What?” Willow asked.

“Pass me my glasses?” she asked. The sun was bright today and squinting wasn’t good for her eyes.

Willow reached into the glove box for them. “What’s this?” she asked, holding up a stake with two fingers, just like she would if she’d found one of Miss Kitty’s little furry gifts.

“Habit?” Tara suggested.

Willow smiled, tossed it back in the glove box and snapped her fingers. The top started to go down and Tara took that time to fasten her hair up, passing a clip to Willow to do the same. With the top down, and without clips, they’d look like a tornado in a salon.

Tara paused; hand on the stick shift, looking at the road ahead.

“I don’t know where I’m going now,” she said.

And she didn’t mean the route.

“Sure you do,” Willow said. “It’s the same place I’m going.”

Tara smiled. That did make it easier.

“Pump it up baby,” she said as they pulled away again. Willow snapped her fingers again and the music came on. “We’ve got a long way to go.”

But love would show them the way.


Now Leaving Sunnydale.

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

Finis






Authors note… There’s a long epilogue coming – but this really is the end of the Second Chronicle.



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

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:15 am 
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Katharyn,

I am a long time lurker and I think I have been following your story since around the beginning of the second Sidestep. Its been such a good time reading the updates weekly (once you were able to start again). It was a little sad reading this part knowing that it was the end. Can't wait for the epilogue.

Thank you for this story,
Cooper


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:10 am 
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Hey Cooper,

Thanks for letting me know you're out there :)

I have to say that I'm a little sad myself right now, it's been in my life - at least when I was able to write - for five years or more... And I know I'm going to miss this version of Tara and Willow. I took them from before we knew them in canon and made them into different people. That's kind of a massive thing in my head. I have trouble thinking of T/W as anyone else now...

I hope that the epilogue will help assuage your sadness though.

Thanks again,
Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:54 pm 
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Kathryn,
Absolutely awesome!!!!! Congrats on finishing the Second Chronicle. I look forward to the epilogue.
thanks so much for such a wonderful ride!


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:32 am 
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Thanks so much Towanda. It has been a long ride, I'm pleased that not many people were saying 'are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet'

Also that no one got car sick :)

Thanks again.

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:42 pm 
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:applause

Congratulations!!!

I know you never thought you would get here, its literally been years in the making. I'm a bit disappointed that its nearly all over but its the kind of good feeling you get when you've experienced something magical and you loved it so much you don't really want it to end.

I have been catching up on this piece by piece, (still on meds that muck up my concentration somewhat), and each part has been wonderful. It was good to see Jenny & Rupert happy, young Faith will bear watching in the future, and I'd be interested to see what the new baby & Ben come to as they grow. Toni has matured amazingly for a teenager. I can still see the teen there, but she has a wisdom beyond her years. I suspect this is a result of all she has been through as well as her deafness which has made her an astute people watcher. W&H? Not sure I like her joining that organisation, although I can see her holding onto her own principles regardless.

The big battle . . . . what can I say? I suspected that Richard had his own reasons for things, but never suspected he'd come down on the side of the angels. Its a logical solution - win/win really. He gets all the munchies he needs and he gets to protect the town that he loves. I had a giggle about the 'demon breath'. Sasha occasionally graces me with big doggie kisses just after she's eaten - laced with doggie breath. It gives me new respect for Tara that she could still be standing and coherent after a wiff of demon breath. I just hope they can keep Dick supplied with crates of mints. . . . lol

Darla's end was what she deserved, although I don't think Willow appreciated having Darla sneezed all over her. I knew that Willow would never have taken up Darla's offer. Willow was in the unenviable position of knowing exactly what the offer meant, and the consequences. Willow would never have chosen being a vampire, even before she originally became one, let alone after she was saved from it.

I keep saying this, mainly because it is true. You have created something epic here - a tale of magic & wonder. I can't give you the laurels, money, fame, and everything else you deserve for your work. (Although I suspect L might be able to offer a bit of reward.) I can and will continue to embarass you with my little bit of praise.

Looking forward to the Epilogue!

Forrister

Bonum certamen certavi, cursum consummavi, fidem servavi.
I have fought thegood fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 11:28 am 
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Ah Kerry, here since the beginning and here at the end...

I'm kinda disappointed it's all over too - but also highly relieved. In amongst the good fun of writing there were a lot of deadlines I set myself I could have done without!

Your character summaries are just about on the ball - as you will see in the epilogue on Sunday. But I shant say more on that just yet.

Mint supply is the main consequence of this change...

Darla... You know, ideally I'd have finished her ages ago - I should have kept Luke, but then where was the dynamic for Dru who was so much more fun? Also I didn't want to set up another villain!

And you know, in literary terms, epic = big so I can't argue with you!

Thanks so much and see you one more time here.

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:54 pm 
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Section 1 of 2 for Length

Title: The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle - Epilogue (Part 242)
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome. Flames just demonstrate you have a tiny mind.
Spoiler Warning: Pretty limited. The story occurs in an alternate universe as set up in “The Wish” though reference is made to events that occur in both realities. Very little is referenced that occurs after S5 though. Guess why? Most “spoilers” would be for the first chronicle of this fic rather than the show and if you haven’t read that then much of this will make no sense but you can try and get round it by reading the preface to Part 104 which summarises most of what went before. But then, as you're looking at the final part, why bother?
Distribution This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens (This applies to all of the Sidestep Chronicle)
Summary: What happened to all our characters in the years after the story? The answer is, pretty much, right here.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc, etc. I am making zilch from this series of stories. You know the drill. All original characters and situations remain my property.
Rating: R – a general rating for occasional content. Individual parts might be less than this level.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever – others couples as necessary but nothing unconventional.
Notes: This part is an effort to wrap up all the characters and let them have their lives. Happy and together – remember? It is, somewhat, filled with expository thought. The reason is simple – I have 14 years to tell in a few paragraphs for each character, as well as adding new ones. It reads (even more) like a bad novel, but it’s better than using forced, unnatural conversation to make the same points.
This part contains some name checks to real people who've helped me, I am sure those involved might spot themselves.
Towards the end there’s a somewhat voyeuristic section that brings back someone we lost a long time ago. Well, she is one of the most important people in the fic.
Thanks To: My own special woman Louise who helped me so much with this on top of everything else. Those other friends and family who’ve also helped us overcome everything that was put in my way. Celia and Kerry who shaped this story. Xita for keeping the story hanging around and continuing to give us TKTWATBW.
Thanks to everyone who makes it this far. Events overtook this story, robbing it of many of its readers. But it had to be finished. It means a lot to me. When I was at the lowest point in my life this was one of the things that kept me going, the desire to write again and to finish this story. But though feedback was a little ‘slim’ in the latter half what I did get kept a feedback whore going. It’s been a long ride, taking dedication from readers and writer both. So once again, thanks to everyone who read it and double thanks to all those who've fed back.

Now, if you’re a lurker let’s just see you post. Just once. You don’t have to say anything but ‘hi’… Come on, you know you want to.


The Sidestep Chronicle – Second Chronicle

Epilogue

By

Katharyn Rosser


14 Years After Part 241


“Oh, come on,” Tara hissed under her breath. The moving walkway had proved a bad idea.

It ought to have been quicker – walking along something already moving in the right direction - nearly twice as fast when speed definitely counted. But now she was stuck behind an elderly lady with a suitcase that seemed bigger than their house. And this woman had absolutely zero intention of moving it to let her past.

If the lady noticed her at all she’d probably just ask for help carrying it back to the gate or something. Anything that’d slow her down even more.

Ordinarily Tara was all about giving help where it was needed. Had been for a long time. But right now she was on her way to help someone else. Someone who needed it far more.

Options then? Not many. The middle of the airport wasn’t really the place for a magically assisted vault over the handrail. She couldn’t have vaulted it sans magic when she was eighteen or twenty-eight, let alone… Damn, she really was thirty-eight.

Once upon a time that’d seemed old.

A discrete shove of the case wasn’t going to do it either; it wouldn’t really be that discrete, would it?. She’d been muttering to herself too much for it to have been anyone but her who was trying to push past.

Muttering. She'd never used to mutter. Fourteen years of teaching and eighteen of Willow would – eventually - do that to a girl.

But if she was late, Willow was going to do more than mutter. She'd killed by the woman she loved. It was that simple. She couldn’t be late.

Why, oh why, hadn’t she come back from the conference yesterday?

It was easy to wish now, and the answer was just as easy… Faith.

It’d been nearly nineteen years since her friend the Slayer had been taken from them and today was her birthday. So she’d done what she did every year on this day. Gone back to Sunnydale to visit her friend. Coincidentally this year it’d been on the way back from a conference, which saved her half a trip.

But also delayed her when she shouldn’t ever have been late.

What would that Faith have done now? She’d have vaulted the rail and run for a taxi, shoving anyone she had to and delivering a one-finger salute to anyone who dared to protest.

Faith, for all her flaws, would’ve found a way to be on time.

As for her friend’s namesake, Tara wondered whether Jenny and Rupert’s daughter would even make an appearance tonight? If she didn’t… Jenny would be the one doing the killing. She really hoped that wasn’t how it went; mother and daughter didn’t need another excuse to start on each other.

“Excuse me,” she said, trying to insinuate her overnight bag in alongside the old woman and ease her aside that way. Minutes – even seconds – counted. Now this?

Even Ira and Lizzie could’ve made it by now. They’d been all ready to fly over when she arrived at their home. Jenny had called and put them off though. No sense in them making the trip until everything was sorted.

In hindsight he’d been her mistake. He was a big, giant, demon-eating snake. How offended would he really have been if she didn’t visit when he was expecting her? Just because she came over every year, on Faith’s birthday, she could’ve gone another time. He wouldn’t have minded.

There was no doubt; Willow was going to kill her.

The old woman resisted her efforts to get past and even pretended not to hear her. But there was the end of the walkway. And the next one was clear, thank the Goddess.

“Thank you,” she said brightly as she rounded her latest nemesis in the same move as her dismount. No choice, the woman had chosen to collect herself together; immobile right on the metal grid that marked the end point of the walkway. Unless she turned around and walked in place while that happened, Tara really had no choice.

She went quickly along the next section, but was still caught by someone else. A kid coming home from college for the weekend by the look of him. “Excuse me, Grandma,” he said but smiled in a way that showed he was joking.

But still… Grandma?

She was thirty-eight. A young thirty-eight. Everyone said so. Those who'd seen pictures of her Mom said she was the very image of her.

And I could easily have been someone’s grandma by now.

Instead of that, she was Vice-Principal of the best school for kids who needed hearing or visual support on the east coast. Which made it the best such school in the country – possibly on the continent, though there was that one in Victoria…

Every one of the kids that passed through the doors of the school in the past thirteen years felt a little like her own. Some more than a little. Especially the boarders.

Some of those kids spent nine months out of every year at the school and you couldn’t just see them as pupils after that amount of contact. She and Willow operated an open house policy for them, at least when they were home. Their house was in the grounds, after all. It wasn’t unusual to come in from the school and find three or four pupils lounging on their furniture.

But her kids didn’t think of her as a grandma. Some of them even thought she was pretty cool. Or so they said. She’d often wondered in the last few months whether that would change after the coming summer?

When she stepped up to being Principal everything might change. She hoped it wouldn’t, not too much, but she was still afraid maybe it would. It was a fear no one really understood except the current Principal – up for retirement at the end of the year.

Even Jenny and Rupert didn’t get it. Both of them worked at the school and had done for a couple of years longer than she had. Neither of them had ambition to be anything more than department head and librarian respectively.

There was a difference between librarian and teacher. Another between teacher and vice-principal. And a gaping chasm between the vice and actual Principal.

It would be her school for a start.

The board of trustees had already decided it was going to be hers to run. Largely hers to fund too. She’d have to start worrying about things like fees, gifts and persuading the richer parents to subsidise the new science block. Or to set up scholarships for less well off students.

Where would teaching fit into all that?

What other differences would being the Principal make? She was already dealing with the discipline of the students, and she intended to pass that on to her new VP, when she selected that person, but would the students look at her the same way?

What about when she was off the clock? Would she still be ‘cool’?

Did kids even say ‘cool’ today? Not so much really…

And thinking about change, how were things going change after today?

Well, if she didn’t get to the hospital pretty quick, if she missed this, Willow would kill her and then she’d be a dead woman walking. That was a big change right there.

She’d promised to make it. She’d promised to be there. She’d been to the classes, she had all the breathing down and she was supposed to be there. Instead she was miles away.

Hurrying through Arrivals, she spotted the sign for the taxi rank and allowed herself a moment of magic to part the crowd, distract them and slip to the front of the queue. Then she was into the first cab she came to, shoving her bag in the back with her. “Massachusetts General, Fruit Street,” she said breathlessly. No time to go home, Willow was going to kill her.

“What’s the emergency?” the driver asked.

“We’re having a baby,” she said.

---------

“Where’s Tara?” Jenny asked for the umpteenth time.

“Probably a little nearer than the last time you asked,” her husband replied more patiently than he had any right to be.

Jenny paced a little more. “She wants Tara, what am I supposed to say to her? ‘She’s a little closer than she was the last time you asked’?”

Rupert caught her hand as she went past him, holding her still for a moment, giving her more calm than she’d otherwise have managed. “You can tell her you’re taking a few minutes for yourself – it’s been hours already – and it could be several more.”

“Someone who knows what they’re doing has to be with her,” Jenny objected, knowing she was being too uptight, but not sure what to do about it.

“And there’s a hospital full of people just like that. They’re called nurses and doctors,” he said altogether too reasonably. “And just because Tara was with you last time – and that was a long time ago - it hardly makes her qualified.”

“A long time ago?” she asked. “Are you saying I’m old, English?”

“None of us are spring chickens,” he said, sounding just a little weary. Next year would be his 60th and they’d had that party planned for a while now. They’d be doing just about everything he hated, and he knew it.

“Ah, you’re just bitter because Ben’s the only man we know – apart from Ira,” Jenny said. Three daughters and Ben. Along with Toni, Tara and Willow, the poor dear had been outnumbered for years. More so now all his kids were old enough to argue with him properly.

Old enough to argue, and one of them was old enough to be downright disappointing. Though try to make him see that. “Where’s Faith?” she demanded, knowing any answer he could give wouldn’t do a thing for how uptight she was.

Her eldest child was someone else who was supposed to be here. But while you could be sure Tara was trying to get here, whatever the hold up was, you could hardly be certain the same was true about Faith.

You couldn’t assume much about Faith, except her unreliability. She’d gotten 'lost' on the way to Thanksgiving last year.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said, sounding more than weary. Suddenly he sounded very tired. And old.

She supposed he had been keeping the peace between she and Faith for a long time now. It had to wear on him as much as it did on her, if for different reasons. “It does matter, she’ll probably be getting into trouble, wherever she is.”

“She’s eighteen and living away at college,” he reminded her.

“Old enough not to be getting into trouble,” Jenny said. “None of the others are like that.”

“Give them time,” he said. “Give them time.”

“You’re not helping,” she said, exasperated by the very thought of Faith and what she might be doing instead of being here with her family. Not to mention the lack of support she got about this from… well, from anyone.

“Why won’t you accept it?” Rupert said, glancing over at Ben and making sure he and his younger sisters weren’t near enough to overhear them. “”Faith is not bad. Not as a child, not as a young woman. She doesn’t get into trouble.”

“Ha!”

“She’s not,” he said. “You think she gets into trouble, mostly because you think she should for how you assume she lives her life.”

Psychoanalysed by her husband now? About Faith? She didn’t need it. Definitely not now, and probably not later. Too much water had already passed under that bridge. “I don’t want to talk about this now.”

“No,” he said. “Lets. If it’ll keep you out of that room for a few minutes, and let the nurses do their jobs, then lets talk about it. We certainly need to.”

“It’s not me you need to talk to,” Jenny said.

He just looked at her.

“You don’t get it do you? You can’t see past the fact she’s your daughter, and she’s your favourite. She’s everyone’s favourite.” There it was, it was all true.

“And you were just accusing me of being on Ben’s side,” he smiled as he said it. He knew how to handle her by now, just as she knew how to handle him.

“She’s always been your favourite,” Jenny said. It wasn’t a bad thing. Why shouldn’t he have a favourite? He didn’t show it in a way any of the other kids could pick up on, and now Faith was out of the house he was finding even more time for the others. “But Faith isn’t like the other kids. She never was.”

Strangely, he actually agreed with her. “No, she’s not. But that doesn’t make her bad. Compare her to lots of kids out there. She’s never committed a crime in her life; she’s never gotten into a fight or bullied anyone. She has lots of friends.”

“Friends? Ha!”

“Yes,” he insisted. “Friends.”

“My daughter the slut.”

He looked at her and it didn’t take long for her to wilt. That’d been the wrong thing to say, even between the two of them with no one else to hear. “Sorry,” she said.

“It’s not me you need to apologise to,” he said.

How right was he?

A little?

Distressingly?

When was the last time she and Faith had really talked? Probably not since she’d said nearly as much – but avoiding the word ‘slut’ – to her face last summer. Whatever Faith felt about that, all she had to judge it on was her daughter’s absence and silence.

As usual Faith broached her confidences to Tara or Willow, or whatever little ‘friend’ she had at the time. Anyone but her.

“Is it her sexuality that bothers you?”

“Oh, come on English. That’s not fair! You know I don’t care whether she’s straight, gay, bi or into fruit in a big way,” Jenny said, trying to keep her voice hushed. How could he accuse her of that? With the friends they had? With her own… latencies… She didn’t care about that!

“I know you told her you didn’t want her to miss out on having kids,” he said ever so patiently.

One day… One day she’d really like him to lose his temper. Like she would. Just to break through that reserved, British patience. “I don’t want her to miss out on that,” she said. “There’s nothing wrong with pointing it out either!”

“Perhaps, but you didn’t think saying it while we were meeting her girlfriend of the moment was… indiscrete? She was sat right there with Faith and you were pushing for grandchildren?”

“Well…” Jenny paused. “She shouldn’t have sprung it on me. She can’t just come out and say ‘Mom I’m bi-sexual, by the way our dinner guest is really my girlfriend.’ Either would be just fine – but that was a bit of a surprise.”

“Is it any wonder she never brought anyone round again?” he asked.

Or herself all that much. She shrugged.

“So, is it about how many… friends she’s had then?”

She shrugged again.

“Let me tell you,” he said.

“Go for it,” she said, challenging him to know her better than she knew herself.

“You two have never gotten on like you do with Eve or Kerry, or even with Ben,” he said.

“Tara and Willow always had the relationship with her that I wanted,” Jenny said, then she realised how that sounded.

“And you were good enough never to blame them for that,” her husband acknowledged.

She smiled, he could’ve accused her of jealousy or something then, but he knew her better than that. “They were never anything but good for her,” she said. “They still are.”

Would Faith have been the outgoing, free-spirited yet utterly responsible person she was today without them? They’d taught her to control a very real magical potential she had no interest at all in. That was one kind of personal responsibility Faith could manage.

Tara and Willow had also shown Faith what friends were, and they’d probably made it easier for her to come out and be herself.

Jenny had nothing but love for their oldest friends, and that included the roles they’d played in all the kid’s lives.

But she doubted they’d signed Faith up for the ‘How to be a slut’ course either. “Faith just… gah!”

“Yes, that’s it. You and she are far too much alike to ever get on. It’s probably why, as you say, she’s always been my favourite,” he said.

She’d never thought of that. Did he really find it easier to connect with Faith than the other kids because she and Faith were alike? He might think so, she knew better. They weren’t alike. “I was not like that!”

“You were hardly virginal when we met,” he reminded her.

“I wasn’t like that!” she said again. “I heard she cut a ‘swathe’ – not my word – through the freshmen – and women. Who uses a word like ‘swathe’ unless they really mean it?”

“And where did you hear that?” he asked.

“Well…”

“She’s pushing your buttons,” he said. “Just as she has since she realised you had buttons to push. Coincidentally that was right about the time you started pushing hers.”

“She is?” Jenny asked.

She was being played? For years? And she’d never realised? Had she been so desperate to score points? Or was he just sticking up for Faith again?

“Haven’t you even noticed how much time she’s spending with Angela?” he asked. He made it sound as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Angela? Wait – Little Angela?”

“Not so little anymore,” he said.

Angela had come to the school over eight years ago, a year younger than Faith but boosted up a year due to her progress. So she'd always seemed ‘little.’ Hence the name. At last until she'd bloomed. “Angela?” Jenny asked again. “But she’s blind.”

“She has a lovely seeing eye-dog,” he said just to mock such a stupid statement. Fourteen years in a school for the deaf and blind, and that was the best reaction she could manage?

Faith… Faith did this to her.

“Angela?” she said again.

“Oh, Faith told you?” Ben asked, leading his younger sisters back from the cafeteria, all munching apples.

Told her?

Her son knew something she didn’t? Just like his father? She looked first at Rupert, then at Ben.

“Ah, Faith didn’t tell you?” Ben surmised.

“No, she didn't.”

“Oh.”

“You knew?” she asked. "About them?"

“Well, yeah.” And it had been a stupid question.

“How long?” Now she was asking anyone who was willing to answer.

“Last year,” Ben said.

Rupert just looked smug, his point seemingly made.

Last year? Before she’d even gone to college? “I’m going to kill her,” Jenny said. “I’m going to kill her. She let me think - ”

“You believed what you wanted to,” Rupert said.

“Thanks for the support.”

Faith hadn’t been an angel. It was indisputable she’d been loose with her… affections from a young – too young – an age. But to let her own mother believe that she… “I’m still going to kill her.”

There was a familiar cry from the delivery room they were waiting outside. If nothing else it put Faith out of her mind, and she hurried inside, ready to mop brows, have her hand crushed and hear the curses. “And where’s Tara?”

Willow was going to kill her girlfriend.

Still, Jenny was willing to bet that Tara and Willow had known about Faith too, choosing not to tell her. Death might not be too harsh a punishment.

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

“Do you think, maybe, you could go just a little faster?” Tara asked.

“What can I say, lady? It’s the traffic,” the cab driver turned his head to answer. She winced every time he took his eyes off the road.

“I’m not asking you to risk a ticket, just do the best you can, okay? We are going to the maternity unit,” she stressed.

He looked back at her again. “Don’t tell me you’re about to pop?”

“No,” she said. Did she look like she was about to have a baby? No. Constant activity had taken much of the place of magic in keeping the weight off. “Not me. My -”

The driver relaxed without further explanation. He seemed reassured and swerved across the lanes, stopping her from doing anything other than holding on and appreciating the venom he could put into a one finger salute when horns were sounded.

“Good, I had a woman drop one in the back just last year. I couldn’t even charge her for the cleaning.”

Tara smiled. “Yeah, I guess it’s tough to get money out of a woman in labour.”

“No, it was my daughter! So what could I do?” His laughter echoed around the car and she had to smile again. At least until she checked her watch.

There was a constant Willow shaped pressure in her mind, telling her to get there as soon as she could. It wasn’t too late yet but it was certainly getting desperately close.

She thought she’d know if anything had happened, surely she would… But this was the first time -

He must’ve heard her suck in her breath as he weaved across two lanes of traffic again, doing exactly what she’d asked him to. “Don’t worry, lady,” he said. “I do this for a living. What’s your way of earning a crust?”

This time he was looking back at her, smiling pleasantly as he changed lanes. Just the one this time.

Some thickened air would do the job of an airbag, if it came to it. She didn’t have to get mashed up against the screen. All she had to do was see the accident coming. But more important than that was she didn’t have time for a wreck right now. “I-I’m a teacher,” she said.

“Oh, yeah? So’s my wife. Over at Blackstone Ele. How about you?”

There was something about cab drivers. You didn’t know them from anyone else in the street, and they drove worse than most other people on the road. But knowing this you still trusted your life and journey to them – and then told them more about yourself than you’d otherwise tell even your friends.

“St. Celia’s,” she said.

“Celia’s?” he thought about that. “Isn’t that way out - ”

“Yeah,” she said. It was right on the edge of the city – thank the Goddess. Where it could stay green and there wasn’t traffic, pollution and all the problems of the city to deal with.

“Sounds like a Church school? You a nun? Cos if you are I need you to forgive my P’s and Q’s. My language can be… kinda colourful. But I don't mean nothin' by it, begging your pardon.”

“No one’s ever mistaken me for a nun before,” Tara said, “I promise you that. And no, the school went into the hands of private trustees back during World War One.”

“Okay then. So how’s it working out for you?”

“Pardon?”

“Being a teacher,” he prompted.

“Good – I like it,” she said. And she did. She’d never really seriously thought about doing anything else with her life, at least once she’d had a life she was likely to survive.

“It works for my wife too,” he said. “She has pretty much fixed hours, I work evenings and nights. We cross paths in the mornings and only really meet on Sundays.”

“Secret of a long and happy marriage?” Tara wondered.

“Amen, not-sister. So are you going to see one of your students?” he asked.

“No!”

He turned around and grinned. “Just asking, you’ll know kids of that age better than me. Sister? Friend?”

Tara’s grip tightened on the armrest as he seemed quite happy to look at her and drive. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude and you seem really nice – but could you watch the road?”

“You wanted to get there fast didn't you?”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “But preferably with you looking at the road – especially other road users. My girlfriend’s already going to kill me, I don’t need you doing it for her.”

“Oh, I get it,” he said sagely and turned back to what he was supposed to be doing. “You know, I had a lesbian in my cab a while ago.”

“I'd bet you’ve actually had lots,” Tara said. It wasn’t like they were an endangered species.

“Probably,” he admitted, “but I was sure about this one.”

She could just tell he was dying to tell her. And he wanted her to ask for it. So she’d bite. “Okay, how’d you know?” She was ready for the stereotyping, mainly because she didn’t live up to too many of them herself.

“Easy,” he said. “She was my ex-wife.”

In spite of herself, because of how he’d said it, she had to laugh.

“She was the one I did spend time with,” he said and winked back at her.

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

“Oh, stop worrying. There’s probably hours to go,” Faith said. “Tara isn’t even here yet, I'd know if she was. And you know how she is, there’s no way she’ll let it happen until Tara’s arrived.”

“Faith, I don’t think it’s like stopping yourself going to the bathroom,” Angela said. “If Miss Maclay doesn’t hurry she might be too late.”

“And then – if it works out that way - Willow will kill her,” Faith said.

Simple.

“Willow’s not like that,” Angela said. She was always willing to call Willow by her given name, but Tara was always 'Miss Maclay.' One was a teacher - and thus to be respected - while the other was a teacher’s girlfriend. And a friend in her own right.

Angela had always been one of the one’s hanging out in the Rosenberg/Maclay house. But back then… I barely noticed her.

“We don’t get a second glance around here,” Faith said. She was exasperated by the news her brother had given her but not quite ready to show it.

“What?”

“Well,” Faith said. “Here I am with a hot girl on my arm…”

“A hot, blind girl,” Angela corrected.

“And her dog. And okay, everyone leads blind people by the arm in strange places. But you're on my arm because you want to be. No one gets it though. If it wasn’t for the dog, they’d all know.”

Faith ran a hand down Sukie’s head. She did want people to know, but she was willing to admit blaming the seeing-eye dog was – perhaps – a little unreasonable.

Angela didn’t have Toni’s fiery resistance to being ‘helped.’ In fact that was kind of how they’d come to each other’s attention, back at school. As usual Faith had been all respectful of everyone’s space, strengths and abilities. Angela had been stood there, confused by… something where everything had moved around. Then she’d said ‘I know you’re there, could you just help me instead of watching?’

From such moments a kind of friendship had started.

But they’d never really been best friends. Back then Faith had still been very much more comfortable with the kids who had hearing problems. She spoke their language.

Okay, she’d spoke Angela’s language too, but she’d known deaf people her whole life. Blind kids, that’d still seemed pretty new.

They’d rectified that though. Angela had been the one to start to teach her Braille and, years later, they’d started to explore what other bumps their fingers could read. Bumps and curves.

No, they hadn’t fallen for each other, as their friends now claimed, while they were experimenting with reading the tiny bumps in the areolae around their nipples. No, but they’d done that later on for a laugh. And yes, it had turned out to be gibberish.

“Perhaps if I do this,” Faith said and slipped her hand into Angela’s, lifting it to kiss the back.

“What if your Mom sees us?” Angela asked, worried. But not worried enough to take her hand back, which was a definite improvement.

“Ben just told me that she knows,” Faith said, not entirely sure how she felt about that. Running into Ben had been a good thing though, at least now she knew her Mom had found out and she could think about how she wanted to deal with it. No more phoney war. “Dad told her.”

“And?”

“And?”

“Is she happier her daughter’s with one of her students - ”

“Almost ex-student,” Faith corrected.

“- than being a ‘slut?’”

“I have no idea,” Faith said. That really was the big question. At least as far as Angela was concerned. The rest of it was going to be about the act of making her Mom believe the ‘slut thing’ in the first place.

Letting her believe it, actually. Mom had been all too willing to assume the worst without being 'manipulated' into anything.

“That’s not very reassuring,” Angela said.

Faith snorted. “She won’t blame you,” she said. “I can promise you that much. If she has the chance to blame me, she never blames anyone else. For anything. It's always been the same.” She shrugged.

“I think you both need to grow up,” Angela said.

“Hey! It’s not my fault,” Faith protested.

“It’s not exactly not your fault either,” Angela said. “I never got why you created this… this myth.”

“She deserved it,” Faith said, “after that ‘missing out on children’ shit she pulled. And it kinda meant I never had to bring anyone home again, or explain who I was seeing. I think you said you didn’t want to go through all that?”

“Don’t blame me for this,” Angela said.

“Never.”

“Good. And okay, I didn’t want to do the ‘introductions’ thing. But I didn’t want you to do what you did either, it wasn’t fair on her,” her girlfriend added.

“We’ve been sparking off each other for as long as I can remember,” Faith said. “You know that – you’ve been there, in class. Other places. It was easier for her to believe that about me and, at the time, I wanted you all to myself too."

"Well, I like that part," Angela said.

"She should’ve asked a question or chosen not to believe it. I wouldn’t have lied to her face. Instead she just started accusing me of all kinds of shit.” She shrugged again, a useless gesture with a blind girl but a shrug was a shrug was a shrug.

“Oh, come on,” Angela said. “You know you had history. You'd given her reason to believe it could be true.”

“Okay,” Faith admitted. “So I wasn’t exactly a virgin when I came to you.”

“Thank God one of us wasn’t,” Angela said, laughing. And as ever it was one of the sweetest sounds Faith had ever heard. There was something about this girl being happy that just made her… contented.

‘Content’, there was the word. She didn’t remember being contented before. Happy, sure. Passionate, certainly. But contented as well? Never. Not until Angela. “I don’t know,” she said. “There’s something to be said for the blind leading the blind.”

“Ah, but if I’d been leading you,” Angela said, “I’d have been forced to rely on Sukie.”

“Works in theory,” Faith joked. “I’m sure my Mom would’ve expected it from her slutty daughter.”

“Stop saying that,” Angela said, squeezing her hand.

“Slut?”

“Yes, that. I don’t like the word. It’s ugly and you’re not.”

When she was faced with logic like that, how could she fail to comply? “Okay, I’ll stop saying it.”

“Good,” Angela said, seeking out and getting the kiss she wanted.

“Just so long,” Faith added, “as you let me tell you how beautiful you are.”

Angela sighed. It was an old argument. “If you must.” She smiled.

“You know it’s the only thing I wish you could see,” Faith said, and not for the first time.

Naturally on one level she’d have liked Angela to have been able to enjoy all the sights she did, but if that’d been the case they might never have met. So there was just this one thing she’d really have wished for. Not for her girlfriend to be able to see her, or beautiful landscapes or anything like that. Just to glimpse herself. Just once.

Angela had her own way of experiencing the things she couldn’t see. Building up her own remarkably accurate 'images.'

Fingers lightly running over her face, judging her expression – at least when she had a hand available - was perhaps the most intimate thing Faith had ever experienced. It was only heightened by who the girl was.

But while Angela knew her face well, and could describe it in non-visual terms, there was a gap when it came to her own face. It frustrated Faith that her girl would call her ‘beautiful’, but wouldn’t admit it about herself.

Of course, beauty wasn’t just looks – and had nothing to do with that for Angela – but maybe that glimpse would help her see it in herself. For whatever reason Faith’s girlfriend wouldn’t sense the pleasing textures, shapes and feel in her own face.

The sensations of beauty eluded her there, no matter the judgements she could make about others.

“I… I do sometimes wish I could see you,” Angela said. “I never really did that until I met you.”

“But you already know I’m beautiful,” Faith teased.

“Sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Angela asked.

Faith stopped walking and pressed Angela gently backwards against the wall, Sukie’s wagging tail thumping it enthusiastically. “Sit,” she said. Both Angela and Sukie made to do so. “Not you,” she added, using their connected hands to keep Angela from embarrassing herself.

“You can decide for yourself,” Faith said, “how beautiful I might be.”

Angela’s hands travelled down her back, resting lightly on her butt as they stood close together and absorbed the closeness that was them.

“You know?" Angela started.

"What?"

" I love you in these leather pants,” she said. “Feels almost as good with you in them as out of them.”

“You know what I wish?” Faith asked.

“Hmm?”

“Two things actually,” Faith said.

“What’s one?”

“That I could remember touch like you can,” Faith said.

“Really?” Her girl sounded surprised, as if it’d never occurred to her that sighted people might not be able to. Or that they’d wish for it.

“Yeah, I think you have this sense of… things. Like a sense I don’t have,” Faith said.

Angela tightened up against her. “You have it – you just need to learn to stop using your eyes.”

“Take it from me,” Faith said. “When I look at you, I’m thankful for eyes.”

“Oh yeah,” Angela said. “That’s really good. Flatter with me with something I’ll never know.”

“I’m a natural charmer,” Faith said.

“You’re a natural something,” Angela said, teasing her. “What’s the second wish?”

“Oh, I wish you could appreciate how hot some of these nurses are.”

Angela stopped. “Oh yeah, that’s even more romantic, walking along with your girlfriend, and you’re admiring other women. They are women right?”

“Most of them,” Faith said after a few moments thought. “But that’s not what I meant. I meant, how they’re dressed.”

“Uniforms have never done much for me,” Angela said. “For obvious reasons. Scrubs?”

“Not all of them,” Faith admitted. There were scrubs as well as more formal and traditional uniforms.

“Think they’d let me have a feel?” Angela asked.

“Probably not,” Faith had to say.

Angela laughed. “No one ever does.”

“I do.”

“Well, as long as it feels good – or you make it feel good – I’ll wear anything you like,” Angela said, and made her voice suitably husky for such a promise.

Words like that needed a husky voice. “Promises, promises.”

Angela had the sexiest voice - husky or not - Faith had ever heard and she’d been purred at by her share of interested parties.

“And you know I always keep them too,” Angela said.

“I know.”

They walked a little further then Angela stopped. “Will you promise me something now?”

“What's that?”

“If you ever find someone… someone else,” Angela said, “You’ll never let it hurt us – I mean we’ll still be friends.”

Faith paused. What did you say to something like that? She just had to go with the obvious, which had the benefit of being the truth. “What makes you think I'd look?" she asked.

"You can see, so you're always looking."

"Not so. I don’t want anyone else. So when it comes to looking, I'm as blind as you are, love.”

Faith knew what her girlfriend was afraid of. There were so many things Angela was afraid of, but at the moment most of them revolved around one thing. Losing her. Like that was going to happen any time soon.

Angela was afraid of her wanting someone with more experience. Or someone who had a greater sense of adventure – though Faith had never found her lacking in that quality. Pick something Angela felt she was ‘deficient’ in, and she was afraid of her finding someone who had those qualities.

Angela had been very out when they’d finally hooked up. But she’d also been very much a virgin. In every sense of the word. Somehow she thought that meant they could be doomed.

Or should be doomed.

Not so.

And then there were men.

Faith wasn’t about to deny her bisexuality just because she had a lesbian girlfriend. But that didn’t mean she was about to run off in pursuit of some guy either. No more than she was going off with another woman.

She was with Angela.

There it was.

Oh, and then there was the biggest fear her girlfriend had, that she’d find someone - anyone - who could see. As if that really made a difference in any way that mattered.

Angela was afraid of so many things, and she was only just becoming confident that she didn’t have to be. Perhaps, for a while, she’d even bought into the myth Faith had set up around herself for her Mom’s 'benefit.'

The reality was, she’d had never betrayed anyone she’d been with. Whatever the reason for splitting had been, it had never been betrayal. Usually it’d been on good terms, she was still friends with most of the people she’d been close to that way.

And that was just what Angela was asking for, friendship afterwards, but she wasn't about to promise it to her.

Not because she didn’t want to think about the end of their relationship, but because this was what she was afraid of. That Angela, probably the first person she’d really loved, would do the same thing to her as all the rest. Unlike the others, Faith knew she’d find it hard to be friends with this woman after... After what they were now.

It’d hurt far too much, because she cared – loved – far too much.

And she didn't want to let go. She had no intention of letting go.

“What are you thinking?” Angela asked when she didn’t say anything.

Angela always knew when – if not what – she was thinking. “That it’d be easier if we were as certain of each other as Tara and Willow.”

“You’re uncertain?” Angela asked, not doing a very good job of masking the worry.

“No, but I wish you could be certain of my certainty. Because I’m not going anywhere.” She squeezed her girl. “At least not without you.”

Angie started at college this coming year, and then they’d be away from home and together. Just like Tara and Willow had been.

Kind of. Without all the monsters.

Free…

But now Mom knew, maybe they were already free?

Sure, there’d be lectures about lies, damn lies and innuendo. But that’d better all fall on her. She was ready for it. Not Angela though.

And if her Mom repeated that ‘don’t give up on giving me grandchildren’ shit in front of her girlfriend… Well, she didn’t know what she’d do – but it wouldn’t be pretty.

Maybe she needed to get Tara or Willow – Tara probably – to say something to her Mom? Just to make sure. But had Tara even arrived yet?

If she wasn’t close Willow was going to be pissed at her.

Really pissed.

“You really want me,” Angela said quietly, hand on her cheek. “Don’t you?”

Before she and Angie had gotten involved Faith would’ve said that a constant need for reassurance would probably be the most unsexy thing a girl – or guy – could ever do around her.

But though that need had eased, she still had the impression Angela didn’t quite believe it. No, it wasn’t that her girlfriend didn’t believe what she was saying – more that Angie didn’t believe she was good enough, lucky enough or whatever it was she thought should’ve held her back.

Well, two of them could feel that way.

“Haven’t I proven it?” she asked.

Angela just wasn’t the kind of self-confident, self-assured, woman she and her siblings had grown up around. But she was getting there.

Faith just hoped she changed only as much as she wanted to. She liked the Angela she’d fallen for. She wasn’t looking for her own Tara, or someone like her Mom… God forbid.

“Prove it again?” Angela asked.

“Here?”

“We have time don’t we?” Angela felt her watch.

“Time, probably. A place? Maybe not,” she said.

“Anywhere with you is like a suite,” Angela said.

Funny how worrying about how much trouble Tara was in went away when her girl asked her to prove herself. Again.

This kind of needy, she could happily live with.

----------

“You make sure you call me, Miss. Tell me what it is,” the cab driver called after her. “You promised, right?”

Tara held up her hands, even for a cab driver he was unusually communicative. “I promise.”

“Lord knows I need something to say to my wife at the weekend,” he joked, winking at her.

Tara smiled, waved the card he’d given her, then shoved it in her coat pocket and hurried in through the hospital entrance. She could’ve told him what it was right now, but there were other people who had a right to know before the cab driver.

Like the new Mommy who'd resisted every temptation - medical and magical -to find out what sex her baby was going to be.

It didn’t take much time to find the people she was looking for. Rupert, with his height and a gaggle of children of various ages. Jenny, of course, was by his side.

Of course? Didn’t Jenny have a more important place to be right now?

“What are you doing?” she asked, without even a 'hi.' “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong,” Jenny promised her. “Everyone just thought it best if I… stepped out for a moment.”

“Oh… okay. Where is she?” Tara asked, sharing quick a hug with her friend, little Eve wrapped herself around her leg a moment later while she squeezed hands with Ben and Kerry.

Of Faith there was no sign. She was sure Jenny wasn’t surprised about that. The Giles’ eldest didn’t do herself any favours.

“Where?” she asked again gently.

Jenny gestured to the rooms behind them.

“How’s she doing?”

“Spitting tacks – she’s been determined not to have it before you got here,” Jenny said, giving her a look that said ‘you were supposed to be here.’

Tara knew that. “I got caught at the airport,” she said helplessly. And she didn’t have a broomstick.

Besides, where would she have put her bags?

“Never mind that now,” Jenny said, getting Rupert to take the bags while she took her purse off her. “You need to get in there, we’ll look after your stuff.”

“Where’s the nurse?” Tara asked helplessly. “I need something for my hair, a gown too.”

“Oh, just collar anyone,” Jenny said, looking amused – but only slightly. “They all know about you, and when you were supposed to have been here. She made very sure of that.”

“Really?” Tara asked, feeling immensely guilty.

“She’s been screaming at anyone who went in there to go and get you.”

“Haven’t they given her an epidural?” she asked, horrified. That’d always been the plan.

“Of course they did, but it’s not the pain that’s making her scream,” Jenny said, giving her a significant look.

Ah.

Yeah.

She wasn’t going to hear the end of this anytime soon, but she could only blame the airline. And old women in airports.

“Are you Tara?” a nurse asked before she could even think to look for one. The nametag showed she was called Joan, a curiously old fashioned name these days for a girl – a woman – who wasn’t actually all that old. She was what? Twenty-five?

“Yes?” Tara said.

“At last! Now, can we please have this baby?” Joan suggested. “I assume she’ll give in now you’re here, right?”

“Sorry,” Tara apologised again, “I was caught at the airport, then in traffic…” She shrugged. How many times could she say it?

However many would never be enough, she was sure of that. But she was here now.

“Never mind, you’re here now,” Joan said, mirroring her thoughts and pulling her bodily to where another nurse waited with a cap and gown for her. “Come on.”

“Okay,” she said, looking at herself. All dressed up and no one to be birth partner to. “So where’s Willow?”

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

Continued below

_________________
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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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Last edited by Katharyn on Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 9:57 pm 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
Section 2 of 2 for length

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

Joan shoved the door open with her back and then pulled on a new pair of surgical gloves with a rubber snap that insanely reminded Tara of that club she and Willow had accidentally wandered into in New York.

Oh, they could tell stories about that night. This one time, in New York…

“Tara!” Willow said, sounding both surprised and relieved. “Oh, it’s about damn time, baby!” She came over, ready to hug.

“I know, I know…”

It’d been a few days, but there was something else to think about than a hug? She didn’t refuse the comfort, but her mind was elsewhere – and Willow knew it. “How is she?” Tara asked.

“Close,” Willow replied, glancing back through the screen to where Toni lay, gravid, sweating and not exactly comfortable. “She keeps tossing me out to find you. I told her you were coming, getting closer, but she still wouldn’t give up.”

She and Willow had been sharing her progress through their connection whenever she’d had anything new to say. They hadn’t needed to phone each other a long time now. “Well, I’m here now – let’s go have a baby.” Then she paused, looking around. “Where’s Mal?”

Willow smiled. “Ah, he passed out a few hours ago and he’s been feeling faint ever since.”

“Be a love and go see where he is?” Tara asked. “He doesn’t want to miss this.”

Willow planted a kiss on her cheek and Tara noticed the nurse glance away, blushing. Some people, even today, found this unusual. Well, that was those people’s problem.

“Toni would’ve had me kill you if you’d missed this,” Willow said.

“Go,” Tara said, patting her woman's butt…

When Willow had gone, she opened the door from the anteroom and into the place Toni was going to have her baby. Just as she had been with Ben, Kerry and Eve she was open to all her mystical senses as she came into the pregnant woman’s presence again.

Jenny’s aura had revealed a problem with Eve’s delivery before the doctors had even known about it. Explaining just how she’d known had come later. Right then she’d been so certain she’d just made sure they believed her and checked Jenny over thoroughly. They'd detected the problem with the cord before it’d risked mother or daughter.

Knowing all that, it was natural that Toni wouldn’t have anyone else as her birthing partner. Not after a still grateful Jenny had told her the story a dozen times over the last few months.

But today everything seemed okay. Nothing felt off.

The only problem seemed to be that Dad – Toni’s husband of three years since they’d hooked up again – had passed out.

Oh, and the birthing partner was very late. Some might see that as a problem.

*Tara!* Toni managed the sign through a wave of still significant discomfort. How long had she been fighting the inevitable?

“I’m here, baby,” she promised and immediately her hand was crushed in Toni’s, silencing half of her methods of communication.

*Is everything okay?* Toni demanded. *I need to know, Tara.* Then another wave hit her. So close?

Tara bent, using her leg to snag a chair and sit by the bed in Toni’s eye line. They’d always known having a translator would be important now, and it wasn’t just for that reason she wanted Toni to be able to see her. She wanted her to know.

“Everything’s fine,” she promised. “I can feel - ” She nearly revealed the sex of the baby. “I can feel the baby. Everything’s fine, sweetie. I promise.”

Two years ago she’d been the one who’d had to tell Toni she couldn’t feel the baby any more. A sad day when she’d also been the one who’d had to convince Toni that all that mattered was worrying about her health. That there was nothing anyone could do.

Blaming herself - no matter what anyone told her - when she’d gotten pregnant again Toni had given herself over entirely to everything believed to be good for baby. Nothing even suspected of being bad for him or her passed her lips.

Her or him? She, Willow and Faith were the only ones who knew the sex of the baby. No one else, Toni had declared she didn’t want to know so… they’d respected that wish. Though it’d been kind of difficult to avoid using the words that’d give it away.

Or buying gifts that did the same. Yellow had been the order of the last nine months, just to avoid giving it away. Or an equal balance of pink and blue.

“Come on,” she said. “Time to have your baby, love. It’s okay – I promise.”

Toni had been so afraid that she’d lose this one just like the last. So afraid that she and Mal had moved out here from California two months ago. Since then Tara had lived through practically every twinge as she was asked to check on baby several times a day.

All their lives had been on hold for this little one who already wanted to be the centre of attention. But then what did they expect from Toni’s baby?

So, of course, Toni had gone into labour early - while Tara had been away. She’d always been too fast for her own good.

“Are you going to stop fighting it now?” Joan asked as Tara translated.

*Oh God, yes!* Toni said.

“I got that one,” Joan reassured her without waiting for the translation.

Toni grimaced as another contraction hit her, riding it out and then – somehow – finding strength to look up at her and make a joke. *I always thought you wanted me with a woman between my legs.*

How long had she been waiting to tell that one?

Tara kissed her hand, looking at Joan at the foot of the bed. “Only for this, sweetie. Only for this.”

----------

Okay, she was a coward. She was happy to admit it to herself.

Toni’s pain, even dulled by the drugs, still ran through Willow like someone had scraping the Glove of Myneghon down a chalkboard. All the epidural had done for Toni was stop the pain from affecting her so much. It didn’t stop the pain itself, which was what had permeated the room.

The pain was there, Toni just didn’t feel all of it.

It was easier to be out of the room to avoid it, but Willow couldn’t stop herself from looking.

Pain just wasn’t her thing. She knew altogether too much about it, inflicting it and suffering it. She didn’t need to be hanging around it when she didn’t have to. Besides, they couldn’t fill the room with people.

Thank the Goddess Tara had arrived when she did.

Yes, Jenny probably would’ve sat in for Tara, but her woman would've felt like a complete shit for letting Toni down. This was rough. Honestly, she didn’t know how Jenny and now Toni had done it. Many times in their older friend’s case.

And every time someone gave birth, Willow wondered what’d ever drawn her to the idea of having their own children.

But then the kids showed her all over again.

She was sure that when this little one was in her arms she might feel a twinge of regret over their choices, but that’d be all. No more than a twinge.

Thirty-eight years old and no regrets. Oh, it wasn’t too late – not yet – but the days she’d have thought about it seriously had long since passed her by.

They’d come this close about five years ago, when they’d decided it was the closing of the ‘perfect-timing' window. Neither of them had wanted to be retired when their daughter – and she had no doubt it would’ve been a daughter - graduated.

She could honestly say she didn’t have any regrets though.

Tara had been all ready to go for it, the one who was pushing the idea. Thinking through the practicalities. Which left her as the one that looked at it again and said, ‘You know what? No.’ They had more kids, and ‘grandchildren’ than they knew how to shop for already. One more in a little while.

Between Jenny’s four, Toni, other friends and those ex-students they remained very close to… it was enough. What was missing? Passing on their genetic material? Big whoop.

Yeah, it would be nice to have someone they could pass their magical knowledge on to, but there really wasn’t a guarantee that any daughter of theirs would be able to even light a candle without a match. And if she’d been able to, would she want to?

Faith didn’t.

Until their friend’s daughter had turned the magic down, Willow had just assumed that if someone could, they would. Faith had the talent, bags of it. Maybe more than anyone she’d met apart from Tara. But she’d chosen not to use it. Faith wasn't afraid of it, she just wasn't interested.

It bored her, actually.

As for someone to pass the farm on to… Was the Maclay line finally going to be broken? It looked like it, and that was sad in a way… but it wasn’t any reason to bring a child into the world.

Next academic year Tara was going to be Principal of the school. She’d be able to shape it as she thought she needed to, take it in new directions and embrace a new future. And that was the limit of Tara’s ambition. That was what she wanted.

Meanwhile, after a rocky patch in the recession a few years back, the business was doing great. She’d even managed a stock buyback. Apart from Tara, Jenny, Toni and Rupert, Rosenberg Associates was entirely hers again and exploiting the niche market in educational software for kids needing sensory support and the schools that taught them.

She might not even have had a business, let alone be a leader in an admittedly small market, if they’d decided to have a child when the economy hadn’t been looking so healthy. A business wasn’t a child, but RA was her baby – entirely hers.

And they had some good friends who worked for RA now – including a few graduates of the school. It’d been tougher making the transition from friend of the teacher to boss than it had been to set the business up in the first place. But if you chose the right people, it really didn’t have to be a problem.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked Mal, who was - fortunately - back on his feet.

“I – ah – I don’t think so,” he said.

“You’ve had long enough to get ready.”

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “That time – where did it go?”

“So, are you going in?” Willow prompted.

“She doesn’t want me in there,” he said, looking at the door nervously.

“Of course she does!” How could he think that?

“Not if I’m going to faint again,” he pointed out.

Okay, she could see how that might be inconvenient at the wrong moment. There was only one person Toni could worry about right now.

“Besides,” he continued, “she can curse me plenty without my being there.”

“You know she doesn’t mean it,” Willow said.

He smiled. “I think I’d mean it, in her shoes. Right now, she really does. But that’s okay.”

Willow thought about it. Yeah, she’d probably mean it too. “So basically you’re afraid?”

“Aren’t you?” he asked.

“Hell, yeah,” Willow said.

“Besides I have… happy memories of her - ”

“Her what?”

“Never mind.”

Willow laughed. “Mal! I think that’s the rudest thing I ever – almost – heard you say!” At that moment, while she was teasing him, there was something that just made her go both “Ohh” and weak at the knees.

The most scary/wonderful sensation hit her and she knew it wasn’t Tara, though her partner was delighted at the same moment. No, this was the baby. Protesting the birth. Protesting loudly – at least emotionally loudly.

“There we go,” she said.

“Now?” Mal asked, sounding as petrified as he looked.

“Now,” Willow confirmed, barely able to resist the temptation to put her head around the door straight away. Daddy was supposed to get first dibs though.

The sensation hadn’t been anything magical – at least not on the baby’s part – when she felt the birth. It was more like… A camera flash. The aura of the baby burst into the world, and like anyone else moving from warm liquid comfort to a cold, air filled place via a very tight space…. Where was she going with this?

Oh, yeah. Every baby had burst onto the scene the same way. Ben, Kerry, Eve… all of them. If they’d been around when Faith was born, then maybe they would’ve felt the effect of a magical birth and known the difference – if any.

Faith, by all accounts, had barely murmured, even when the doctor had slapped her. She’d been there, taking it all in, even if she couldn’t really see anything. And when she’d been handed to Jenny she’d made straight for the breast.

Nothing changed there then, except whose breast she was latching on to nowadays.

Tara appeared at the door a few moments later, a tear in her eye but Willow knew it was happiness. Nothing was wrong. Not with the baby, not with Toni.

“Well done, love,” she said, kissing her woman.

“I didn’t do much,” Tara said.

“Well,” Willow was willing to admit Tara had been a latecomer, but she didn’t want to be underselling her contribution. “Toni refused to do what she did without you. So that makes you an enabler if nothing else.”

Tara smiled, kissed her again then turned to Mal. “Come on, Daddy.”

“Just a moment,” Mal was busying himself with nothing much. Not pushing it Tara let him off and gave Willow a significant look.

She knew what she had to do. “She wants you,” Willow prompted him as Tara went back into Toni’s room. “So what’s wrong?”

“I was just wondering if it’d change anything?” Mal asked. “What do you think?”

“Just everything, I think,” Willow said. “I thought you might have noticed that by now.”

“You know what I mean.”

Ah, that.

They should’ve guessed when Toni got her college scholarship and went on to take a law degree. After her Olympic medal, sponsorship hadn’t been hard to come by. She was young, pretty and represented more than one minority group. Harvard Law had probably been just what her eventual employers had wanted to see on her resume.

They should’ve guessed back then, done something about it.

All that time she’d been maintaining her intention to work as a public prosecutor though. Okay, Toni had never really seemed like the defence attorney type. But none of them had ever figured that she’d always intended to join Wolfram and Hart. The L.A Office too. Mentored by the then semi-retired Holland Manners.

But it should’ve been obvious to them. They should have seen it and done something sooner. Before it was too late to do anything at all.

There was something the law firm had that Toni wanted though – something no one else could give her.

Even fifteen years after his death she still wanted her Dad back. How did you deal with something like that? They’d had to let her ditch her athletics career after just one Olympics, one World and a few nationals. To go to work for the enemy. Her silver medal success had become no more than a stepping-stone to full scholarships and academic success.

Mal’s being back in her life - and by then he knew about both magic and nature of Wolfram and Hart – had seemed like a good thing, a safety net or even a way out for Toni. But he was plainly still worried about her. He was in their worry club.

“She said something once, or hinted I guess… I honestly think she wanted a baby so much in case something happened to her. At work, you know?” Mal said.

And he didn’t mean an accident in the workplace or carpal tunnel.

“She’ll be fine,” Willow reassured him. “She’s good at what she does.” And while that was true, she – they – worried too.

“But you know what she’s like,” he said. “What if she refuses to do something…?”

“It hasn’t happened yet,” Willow said. She was almost more worried about what would happen if Toni didn’t refuse to do something. Where would that lead her?

And about the things she’d already agreed to that they didn’t know about.

“Maybe, with the baby she’ll stop wanting him…” Mal didn’t sound like he believed it either. “Maybe, if I asked now… she’d resign?”

“No!” Willow came right up to him, so close she forced him to take a step back up against the wall. She was shorter than he was, but she made him stay there. Made him listen. He needed to understand this.

They'd seen a copy of the contract Toni had signed. Called in a lot of favours to get it.

She looked around, but there was no one to hear her. Except him – and he had to listen. To understand. “No, Mal. Look… if she resigns, if you ask her to, you’ll spend your entire lives looking over your shoulder. If your lucky. We can’t protect you forever, and you have your daughter to think about now.”

The child gave Wolfram and Hart another way to ensure Toni stayed with them. Which was probably why they’d let her work out of Boston for the last few months and why there was a healthy bonus waiting for her now the baby had been born. A crèche at the office. All sorts of ‘family friendly’ policies.

They liked family because it gave them control. Assurances of loyalty.

“Daughter?” he asked, surprised. “How do you know?”

She just looked at him – what did he think Tara had been doing all these months?

“Oh yeah, I thought… we thought it was a boy?”

Willow laughed, genuinely amused. It broke the ice. How could he be so naïve? “Mal, sweetie, not in this family. No one’s coming to your aid. Not yours, not Rupert’s.”

Mal smiled, the news he had a daughter banishing his worries. At least for a moment.

“You know,” Willow said as he made for the door through to Toni and the baby. “We once wondered whether you were gay.”

Mal laughed. “No, I’m just a nice guy.”

Willow smiled. “Go see your little girl,” she said. “I’ll tell the others.” Tara had already let her know everything there was to know.

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

“Another girl?” Rupert asked, sighing. Just a little help, that was all he asked. Born now, of practical use in that regard in maybe ten years, as he entered his dotage.

Ben, his son, was a product of lots of female role models and three sisters – especially Faith whom he’d always idolised. When it came right down to it, Ben wasn’t reliable in the gender wars.

Mal had never been overly assertive when it came to such a conflict either. If he was to admit it to himself, Rupert knew Mal had suffered from the same influences as Ben over the past few years. And even if he hadn’t, he was usually on the other side of this continent the colonials called a ‘country.’

But a boy, raised with a mother, father and no sisters… He could’ve been a powerful force in the family politics. One day.

Still, never mind. Perhaps his grandchildren…

“What’s her name?” Eve asked from her position on his knee.

Their youngest daughter was perhaps the least likely to terrorise him into that dotage.

Faith had all but moved out – a fact that had already stopped no end of pointless mother/daughter clashes that Jenny wasn’t always the innocent party in.

Ben was now the bigger sibling influence in Eve’s life. Kerry, stuck in the middle, but still being young enough to resent her younger sister as a rival for their affections, was a lovely child. Apart from intermittently fighting with both her old brother and her younger sister.

Life certainly wasn’t dull just because Faith had left the nest.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“Charlotte,” Ben said confidently. “That’s what Mal told me.”

“What Mal said doesn’t count,” Kerry said in a perfect imitation of her mother. Including sticking her tongue out at them.

There was a grain of truth in the assertion though. Who was it who’d claimed this was still a patriarchal society? From next summer until his retirement he’d have a woman as his boss – Tara to be precise. There’d been two female presidents in a row and it looked like happening again next year.

Oh, and there was the small matter of his family filling up with more and more girls. No problem there, it was only going to get tricky when they turned – as little girls did – into young women. All of whom knew exactly where the power lay.

The world – his world at least – couldn’t get much more matriarchal. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“It’ll be Sara,” Kerry said.

“I have it on good authority Toni was talking about ‘Ceri’,” Jenny said. “C-E-R-I,” she explained when the larger girl on her knee started to beam.

“What authority?” Willow asked.

“You have to ask?”

Willow shrugged. “Tara hasn’t said a word to me, but Mabel figured ‘Clare’ last time I spoke to her.”

Toni’s best friend, who Tara and Willow had once rescued, was well placed living out in L.A. But Willow’s information was probably based on conversations at least a month old.

No… Toni’s hunt for the perfect name had veered all over the spectrum, and not knowing the sex hadn’t helped them stay focused either.

All he was afraid of was that ridiculous habit the colonials had of naming their children after entirely the wrong things.

Girls, especially, shouldn’t be named after their grandfathers, boy band members, dogs or cars. Didn’t parents consider what their children would go through at school? They were – after all – such vicious little buggers to each other.

That was the main lesson he’d learned over the years of fatherhood and working in schools. The generic boy tended to be immature, aggressive and yes, sex obsessed once he reached a certain age.

The generic girl of a certain age had a natural talent for viciousness and was obsessed both with boys and their obsession with her.

As usual Faith was one of the exceptions that proved the rule. She'd never really done 'generic.' In anything.

She’d never been noticeably obsessed as such, nor terribly vicious. On the other hand – from a certain age - she’d always shown a healthy interest in both boys and girls.

It’d never really been the sexuality or gender of those friendships that’d bothered Jenny – despite the unfortunate ‘don’t miss out on motherhood’ thing. Rather it had been the perceived numbers of them.

Perhaps now Faith seemed more settled with Angela – and the young woman would soon join his daughter at college – mother/daughter relations would finally settle down.

Or not.

It was a peculiar state of affairs. Faith had always been the most sensitive, self-assured of children – and she still was. But somehow her mother always knew how to rile her. And vice versa, of course.

It wasn’t even like they were 'enemies' and permanently at loggerheads. He genuinely believed there was real affection between them. But it was their inability to talk to each other for any length of time without Jenny criticising Faith that hurt them.

And Faith was far from blameless in it all. She provoked and drew the sort of comments she hated. And she bit back. Look at what she was making her mother believe about her at the moment.

Privately he thought both mother and daughter were stuck in a groove of behaviour towards each other that they couldn’t get out of. No matter what anyone said.

It was just as he’d been saying since Faith had been two years old. In looks, personality and too many other ways, they were too alike to get ever along easily.

Apart from her height – his one biological gift to his daughter – you could put a photo of Faith and her mother at the same ages side by side and not be able to tell the difference unless the clothes or hair gave it away. And that was the least of their similarities.

But just try and get either of them to admit it.

The main fault his wife found with Faith – or at least the one their inevitable arguments focused on – was her ‘friendships.’ There he was torn.

Yes, he’d be happier if Faith met the love of her life, say at thirty, and never did things he didn’t like to think about with anyone else. But Jenny was being a hypocrite about this. He knew, just as well as Faith did, that Jenny had been no different at the same age. Well, with the except of her gender preferences.

If anything, back when Jenny had been that age, it would’ve seemed ‘worse.’ Being a less permissive society than today.

He knew, because Faith had taken pains to ensure he did, that his daughter wasn’t the ‘slut’ – and he hated the word – she painted herself as to aggravate her mother.

Yes, there’d been a couple of years where boy and girlfriends had come and gone – and that was probably one of those unfortunate turns of phrase – with some regularity, but he tended to believe her when she said there’d been a real relationship with each of them.

That was who Faith had always been, and who she remained. She needed to feel – not just to… feel.

Angela and Faith though… Those two shouldn’t have ever gotten along. Angela was the bigger surprise to him. With the exception of the open secret of her sexuality – and even he’d heard about that – he’d always thought of Angela as the very definition of a wallflower. Very private. Quiet. Introspective even.

Those traits were nothing to do with her sexuality, but no one could have expected that they’d lead Faith to liking her – and much more. Angela was so totally unlike anyone Faith had ever dated before that he just had to wonder what it was that drew them to each other?

But he supposed that if Jenny and Faith grated on each other because they were so similar, then maybe it was differences that pulled Angela and his daughter together. Perhaps opposites really did attract?

And thinking of the people he and his wife had been back when they’d met… Faith wasn’t exactly breaking new ground.

He rather hoped this relationship with Angela would last, not just for Faith, but also so that Jenny didn’t leap to the wrong conclusion when it failed.

If it failed.

The two girls had given themselves every chance though. They’d known each other long before romance had even entered their heads. And it was his considered opinion that they’d probably be good for each other – even as different as they were. That the couple they’d become would pick up the best qualities of both and reach a new balance.

And yes, it could quite possibly be good for his daughter’s relationship with her mother too. Which would make his life much, much simpler.

With the main bone of contention removed and with Faith settled, perhaps not wanting to alienate Angela… Maybe, just maybe things would settle down between them?

And maybe, just maybe, the torch of difficulty would pass to Ben or Kerry. There were a good few years of family drama to go yet, of that he was certain.

“We don’t want to rush her,” Jenny said, interposing herself between the family and the door to Toni’s room. “That’s what you all did to me last time.”

“Was that me?” Eve asked him.

“Yes, it was,” he confirmed, brushing her long hair back. “Sometimes you need to give Mummy a moment,” he said for the benefit of everyone else.

On the other hand Toni had been the main rusher on the occasion of each birth she’d been present for, so perhaps Karma was on the side of the impatient.

“Where’s Faith?” Willow suddenly asked, looking around at the group and finding the girl still missing.

He winced. Wrong question. Wrong time. He didn’t have to look at his wife to know she was on alert.

“She’s here? I’ll find her,” Jenny said, not waiting for an answer to the earlier question.

He gave Willow a look and she shrugged apologetically. He was caught though. He had a family to herd and the youngest of them on his knee.

*Sorry,* Willow signed across the room, but of course not one of the family missed it. They were all fluent.

“Oh, oh,” Ben said. “Mom’s going to kill her.”

“Well,” he said, prepared to be philosophical as he watched Jenny disappear on the hunt. “At least we’re here in the hospital. They’re used to mopping up blood.”

“Does Mom even know Angela’s here with her?” Ben asked, raising his eyebrows.

Oh dear.

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

“You’re not still thinking of nurses are you?” Angela asked with her hands wrapped in Faith’s long, dark hair.

All her girl could do was shake her head and moan a muffled “No.”

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

She knew her daughter. Faith wouldn’t have gone too far being as she had deigned to make an appearance here at all.

And if there was one thing still guaranteed to grab her attention it was going to be a new baby in the family. Not that she was allowed to say things like that anymore. Not after her much referred to, and maligned, statement.

It was just that she knew Faith would be such a great Mom, and she was as good with kids as Toni had been at her age. Better. She’d just be… great.

Instead of saying that though, everyone had her down as some kind of homophobe – at least when it came to whoever Faith was sleeping with. Her partner du jour.

Partners.

The plural was where she really had a much bigger problem with Faith. And now they were saying a lot of what she thought she knew had been an exaggeration?

‘Exaggeration’ was a nice way of putting it, considering it was just another way to get at her.

Okay, Ben hadn’t actually said so, but she could still add up. If Faith had been with Angela for the best part of a year and a half, then most of what she’d been so worried about was BS.

One thing she knew, even if Faith had been acting as wild as the rumours getting back to her had suggested, she’d never have been cheated. Especially not on someone like Angela. It’d hurt her so much that Faith wouldn’t ever take that chance.

So that told her it was all BS.

There weren’t many reasons Faith would let her think something like that. No, not just ‘let’ her – make her think it. How many times had she associated Faith with the word ‘slut’? Just in her head?

And right now, that was what was making her mad. Being lied to about something like that. What would make her do that? Did Faith hate her that much?

Then added to that, Faith had chosen this moment to disappear?

They should be in there now, seeing the baby. But noooo.

Instead she was combing the corridors looking for a daughter who delighted in tormenting her. Who’d chosen to punish a mistake – and Jenny admitted it was a mistake – but by letting her believe all those things about her.

Eighteen months and Faith had never brought Angela home even once. Let alone said 'this is my girlfriend.'

She wouldn’t have said those things again – and she hadn’t needed Faith to teach her a lesson. As for Angela… little, quiet, Angela.

That girl had sat in her classroom and never said a word about Faith. Or what she was – presumably – doing with Faith.

She’d never said much - besides academic responses - period.

Nice girl, Jenny had to admit, not too many friends. Quiet. Well able, pretty smart actually, but she wasn’t one of those who begged to answer questions in order to prove it in class.

She wasn’t a ‘Willow.’ That was what they still called overachievers. Over the years it’d spread through the whole faculty lounge.

Angela and Faith? She just couldn’t see it.

Maybe there was a private side of Angela she’d never seen, though obviously Faith had.

Maybe the blind girl would blossom as much going to college, and with Faith, as she already had from being the gawky little girl who’d first come to the school with a seeing eye dog that looked much too big for her.

Or maybe she’d already blossomed. There was certainly some kind of innuendo there if you reached far enough.

About the only non-academic thing she really knew about Angela was her dog was called Sukie. Oh, and the girl had been the first person in years to take advantage of the gay friendly atmosphere at the school to admit who she was while she was still there.

She was a girl who loved girls. Or, at the time, she’d wanted to.

Other than those memories, Jenny had trouble thinking of Angela as anything but sweet and virginal. Everyone did. Everyone but Faith, it seemed.

But she was sure her daughter had inside information.

There was some innuendo there too.

How could they keep this from her? Not just the relationship. How could they have told her such lies – or at least let her believe it…? They’d never actually said anything.

And just how many of the extended family had known?

She could well imagine Faith had probably not ‘told’ anyone. But she’d have let it be known. That was what she always did.

Even Ben had known. And it sounded like Rupert had suspected – at the very least…

Tara and Willow? Why bother asking?

Well, someone - somehow - was going to pay.

Perhaps, looking back on it, her husband had been trying to tell her without ‘telling’ her? He’d never been too concerned about Faith’s apparent number of partners and he’d always counselled her not to fight with her daughter about it.

And she’d missed the signs. She'd just put it down to his traditional efforts to keep the peace.

She’d been fighting with Faith about one thing or another since her little girl had stopped being a little girl and started to blossom into being a young woman. Hadn’t their first fight stand-up fight been about needing a training bra?

Probably not, but that one stuck in her mind because it’d been out in the middle of the store.

She’d missed the signs about what was really going on because she’d been so used to fighting with Faith it'd become 'normal.' And it looked like Faith was happy to keep that pattern going. Or even make it worse.

Jenny wasn’t sure what she was madder about. Faith’s deceit, her own inability to believe anything but the worst about her daughter, or how far their relationship had fallen apart when – to everyone else – Faith was perfectly easy to get along with.

What was this though?

A seeing eye dog, all harnessed up and remarkably like Sukie, sitting looking intently up at a supply closet door?

This was one of these moments on the search you were supposed to go, 'Ahah!'

She eased the dog aside, receiving a wet snuffle in return. Then she tested the handle. It wasn't locked so she opened the door and was met by Angela’s unseeing eyes, wide in apparent ecstasy. She didn’t need – or want – to look down to know where Faith was.

Oh.

She could be diplomatic right? Even when she had every right to be mad as hell.

“Uhh-Who’s there?” Angela asked.

“Ah – um – Angela… It’s me. If you… see Faith, please tell her Toni had the baby. It's a girl.”

A muffled sound of shock emanated from below. But she wasn’t looking. No. No. No.

“Sorry,” she said at the same time as Angela.

Despite not once looking down she suddenly didn’t think she'd have any more trouble considering Angela something other than virginal. No, that image was gone forever.

“Bye,” she said, and shut the closet door on them.

There were things parents, and children, should not see. Prime amongst them was the other having sex – of whatever variety.

Well…

She looked down at the politely waiting Sukie. "You're supposed to be a smart dog, why didn't you warn me?"

Sukie just looked up at her then licked the back of her hand.

"Well… At least she’s good at it."

Mortified silence in the closet was followed by near hysterical giggling. Strangely, Jenny found she was pleased they could laugh together as well as connecting in other ways.

She walked away, they'd be down soon enough.

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

“Do you think we should go down there separately?” Angela asked, plainly nervous now they'd come out of the closet.

“I think we’ve gone down enough for it not to matter,” Faith said, squeezing her girl’s arm possessively, and she hoped reassuringly. “Or at least I did.”

“Stop it!” Angela protested. “It’s not funny. Your Mom walked in on us – on me – you - ”

“What?”

“You know,” Angela said.

“I do know, but I want you to say it.”

“Why?”

“Because I promise you, we’ll never have to be ashamed with these people. They're my family,” she said.

“Exactly – yours.”

“You’d prefer it’d been your Mom?” The grimace was all the answer she needed. “They can be your family too,” Faith said. “If you like.”

Angela stopped. “Faith, are you offering to actually introduce me to them?”

Faith could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, fortunately Angela couldn’t see it. But the soft hand that was raised to rest there would feel the heat and know the difference. “They all know you anyway.” But that wasn’t the point. She’d kept Angela at arms length from them to avoid the ‘Mom-thing.’

“You know what I mean,” Angela said.

“Yes, yes I am offering. But only if you say it.”

“Say what?”

“What Mom caught you doing,” Faith said.

“Me? You were the one doing the doing, I was just being done.” Angela was trying to make it sound as if there was some real significance to the distinction. Perhaps she was also hoping that’d be enough to get her off the hook?

With no other reason for this beautiful girl to be here, Faith knew she’d have to introduce her as her girlfriend, but that didn’t mean she had to make it easier for the girl she loved now did it?

“Well, you’re beautiful when you’re being done,” Faith said.

“You always say stuff like that!” Angela protested.

Once upon a time she hadn’t even known whether 'fruity talk' was going to cause problems between them. If she’d had to watch her P’s and Q’s. But from a reaction that’d once been a little milder than horror they’d progressed to an amused exclamation.

Oh, and hearing it definitely did something for her girl. Whisper dirty little words in her ears in the throes of passion and wow, did Angela respond. More than anyone she’d ever known. Perhaps it was the increased importance of the other – non-visual – senses?

Perhaps she just liked spicy talk at the perfect moment.

“It’s always true,” Faith replied. “Now say it. You know how I like to hear you say it.” Angela wasn’t the only one who liked the spiciness.

“I know how much you love to make me say it,” Angela complained.

“That too, now come on. Say it. As Tara always said to me, if you’re doing it – or being done – you ought to be able to say it. At least to me,” Faith said. “Please.”

They stopped in the corridor again and Angela looped her arms around her neck. There was a kiss between every word. “Your. Mom. Caught. You. Going. Down. On. Me. In. A. Hospital. Closet.”

“Oh no, baby,” Faith said. “That’s not it at all. My Mom caught you coming in a hospital closet.”

“I didn’t quite get there,” Angela said, just a little shy.

“Don't worry, I’ll take you back,” Faith said. “I promise.”

“Not to the closet?”

“No, not there.”

“I love you,” Angela said, and those were the words Faith really loved to hear.

“You’re beautiful when you say that too,” she said.

“I love you,” Angela repeated, threatening to break into a giggle. “Even when you float…”

Okay, that’d been an unfortunate accident that’d scared the crap out of Angela and spoiled a moment that really shouldn’t have been spoiled. She was more careful now, even when her lover made her lose control to that extent. Somehow it hadn’t mattered to Angela so much once she’d understood just why it’d happened.

“And I love you, but come on… we’re going to tell everyone what they already know,” she said, suddenly bolder.

“And see the baby?” Angela asked.

“That too,” Faith teased. “If we have chance.”

They walked on a little, hand in hand. “Do you think she’ll let me hold her?” Angela asked.

“If Toni lets anyone hold her, she’ll let you,” Faith said. The poor mite was in for a few days of pass the parcel. Holding the baby, having that sense of her, was important to Angela. Otherwise she really would be blind, listening to everyone else coo.

Plus it was a baby.

“Faith?” Angela asked after a few moments.

“Yeah?”

“Nothing.”

Faith smiled. “I know what you were going to ask, and the answer’s ‘yes.’”

“It is? You do? Wait – what was I going to ask?” Angela challenged.

“You were going to ask if one day I’d like kids,” Faith said. “And the answer is ‘yes.’”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Whether they’d be theirs or not, it was way too early to say. But she had a good feeling whenever she was with Angela, and there were always possibilities. She was pleased that saying ‘yes’ hadn’t aroused her girlfriend’s insecurities though. Angela also understood that there were possibilities.

Anything was possible. Anything. One way or another.

Leaving Sukie at the door, she led Angela into Toni’s room to find everyone clustered around the bed. Unlit cigars hung out of Mal and Rupert’s mouths while everyone else hugged, cried and blocked views the new arrival and her Mom.

“We’ll tell them later,” Angela whispered. “Okay?”

No.

“Come on, come on, make a hole,” Faith demanded pushing their way to the end of the bed.

“Faith!” Toni said, sounding brighter than she looked. Poor thing.

She got down by the bed, kissed her one time babysitter and ‘big sister’ on the cheek. Then she looked into the eyes of the newest member of the family, already clutching at Mommy. “Hey Toni, you did it.”

“Yeah,” Toni said. “I really did. How are you?”

“Oh,” Faith looked up at the people around the bed before turning back to Toni. “Mom just caught me and Angela getting… together in the closet – how’s your day been?”

“About the usual,” Toni joked. “Laundry, cleaning, my waters broke and I had a baby. Nothing special.”

Faith kissed her again. “You did it.”

“I really did – we really did.”

“So how’s my little niece?” Faith asked, inserting her little finger into the baby’s tiny fingers, pleased to feel them clutch around it.

“Beautiful,” Toni said.

Faith scoffed. “Well, obviously. All the girls in this family are.” She stuck her tongue out at her brother when he did the same. “What’s her name then?”

Toni looked at Mal, who must’ve nodded, though Faith couldn’t take her eyes from the baby. “We like Charlotte.”

“Hmm,” Faith said. “Yeah, she looks like a Charlie. Yes, you do.”

“Charlotte.”

“That’s what I said, Charlie.”

“It’s Charlotte.”

“Toni,” Faith said, “I love you, and you know I’d do anything for you. But you have to know we’re all going to call her Charlie – you included.”

Everyone around the bed nodded.

“Yeah,” Toni sighed. “I know.”

“So, Charlie it is.”

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

She didn’t check in as often as she’d used to. She had better things to do than spend this existence being a voyeur. She’d always been into doing rather than watching. Especially when it came to these people.

One of the advantages of being dead was that you didn’t get any older, just wiser. Or at least more experienced. True voyeurism when it came to the living people who’d been her friends wasn’t anything to write home about anyway.

The Giles’ were, lets face it, older than they’d already been when she’d known them. And everyone else who knew how to really enjoy themselves was enjoying their own gender. Something else that’d never really done anything for her.

She still had hopes for the kid who’d been named after her though. She looked good in leather and the cigar, she had to admit, was a nice touch. But even that Faith had found her Sapphic side.

Wiser see? Once she’d just have called the girl a 'dyke.' Now she knew words like 'Sapphic.'

Tara and Willow... nah.

Perhaps Ben. He was growing up cute, obviously because he’d inherited everything but his height from his Mom. She did like a tall man, unfortunately they were on the other side of the veil from each other, and she wasn’t going to wish him harm just to fix that.

Besides anyone that cute and buff was almost certain to grow up gay too. There were still a few years for him though. Whether he’d turn into a stud muffin worth keeping an eye on was still up for grabs.

Looking in on them, their enlarging family, she remembered that once she’d have felt a twinge of jealousy at not being a part of it. Not now, like all bad things it wasn’t part of her nature here in the ever-after. Here you just remembered those feelings; they weren’t a part of you.

It was one of her few regrets. Some of those feelings had been… motivational.

Her other regret was not having known what it’d been like to be a part of that family. When she’d been Tara’s friend that’d been all it was. Rupert and Jenny had been good to her, better than most of the Slayer’s hereabouts had known. But she’d never quite had that family thing they all had now.

“Spying again, Faith?”

She smiled to herself, at least used the mental commands that’d used to make her smile. Up here, with no meat body or brain, existence was simply the self-image she wanted to project. And dying at eighteen had the advantage of not needing to change much about that self-image.

She was still the hottest chick around – though that Helena had given her a run for her money.

The observation, as usual, was made by David. He’d been the first to greet her on arrival and he’d taken her under his wing. He’d been here longer than anyone else she’d ever met. Hooking up with him was always a pleasure. In every sense. Unlike most others, he knew how to make the lack meat bodies irrelevant.

Was he offering?

Probably – they were well suited and they had eternity in this reality to get bored of each other. No sign of that yet though.

“How do you feel?” he asked, peering at the same aerial view of her friends.

“You know how I feel,” she said.

“And you know that’s not what I meant.”

“Happy,” she said and linked her arm through his. “Wanna make me feel something else?”

“You only love me for my something else,” he said.

“Well, duh!” That and the size of his mental abilities.

She paused as he made to leave. One last look. “See you around T.”

“Coming?” David asked.

“I’d better,” she warned. But that was the other advantage of this reality. There was absolutely no such thing as bad sex.

She couldn't see herself getting tired of that anytime soon.

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

They stood outside, looking at the perfectly clear night sky. “Do you think there’s another star up there now?” Willow asked.

“I don’t think it works that way,” Faith called over.

“Shush you, smoke your cigar,” Tara said.

Faith, Mal and Rupert were a little way off, out of respect for the smoke. Cigars were traditional, but Mal had turned a little green when he’d lit up. Faith – on the other hand – hadn’t even coughed.

What did that say?

“Oh,” Willow said. “She’s such a baby dyke.”

“I heard that!” Faith called.

“You were supposed to,” Willow called back.

“I’m not a baby dyke. I’m bi for a start.”

“Baby Bi doesn’t really work though,” Willow decided.

“I’m not a baby anything,” Faith insisted and puffed on the cigar for effect. “Hey, doesn’t this make you kind of like grandparents?” she asked, obviously with mischief in mind.

“No!” Tara, Willow and Rupert said together.

Not yet.

Willow turned to her girlfriend. “No regrets love?”

“Not a one. If we’d done a single thing differently, we wouldn’t be here – like this – now. And I like this, all of it,” Tara said.

“Life’s pretty good.”

“It’s what we made it.”

“Who’s next do you think?” Willow asked.

Tara gave Faith a significant look.

“Really?” Willow sounded doubtful.

“I think she’s in love, and I know Angela is,” Tara explained.

“She told you?”

“Just look at them. I think they kinda look like we do,” Tara said.

“Fated?” Willow asked.

“Could be.”

Willow looked. While she wasn’t certain she’d go that far, it was obvious from Faith that Tara was at least partly right. “Let’s go say our goodbyes,” she said.

“Yeah, it is late.”

“It’s not that, you’ve been away for a few days and I want you to show me what fate’s really about.”

“Again?”

“And again.”

“Always.”

Tara looked up, frowned slightly and then smiled.

“What?”

“Nothing,” Tara said. “We’re five by five.”


THE END

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

Author's Note from 2011 - Sidestep does actually continue in a new thread also available in completed fic archives 'Sidestep: Third Chronicle' though when the feedback came in for this posting that certainly wasn't going to happen :)

_________________
-------------------------
If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
-------------------------


Last edited by Katharyn on Tue Jan 10, 2012 10:27 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:55 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe

Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:48 pm
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As a lurker I'm sad but also happy to catch the first reply to the end of this amazing story. Definately something that I've followed for a long time (talk about the majority of my college life) and well worth the long wait until the end. Thanks for all the work you put in and I'm sorry I haven't sung your praises earlier.

Is there any way to get this fic in a non-forum format. As in a word document or anything?

Thanks again and I hope you use your free non-writing time for some well deserved R&R


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sun Sep 09, 2007 4:33 pm 
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3. Flaming O
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Katharyn,

Thank you.

Thats all.

Cooper


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Sep 11, 2007 7:15 am 
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2. Floating Rose
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WOW that story was completely fantastic. I loved every second of it. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your talent with us. Is there any hope of perhaps another story from you in the near future if so you can bet I will be there. Keep up the great work Katharyn.
:bow

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Tara~ I'm cured I want the boys!
Willow~ Do I have to fight to keep you? Cuz I'm not large with the butch.
Once More With Feeling


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:36 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe

Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:40 am
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I have lurked for, when it comes down to it, a disturbingly long time. This was the fic that I always turned to when I needed an escape - because there was no way that I was ever going to actually catch up on it. Now it's stopped, which is a strange feeling, and I've actually reached the end, which is stranger. I can't help but hope you give us even snippets of the future (or the missing years), because the characters you've created can't just be over. Which is the mark of a great story I guess. Thank you for writing it, and sorry for not saying anything before.


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 3:14 pm 
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4. Extra Flamey

Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:39 pm
Posts: 186
As your epic (and I really mean that:)) story finally ends, I have to admit I’m sad its over; reading your updates has been something I look forward too for a long time now. But I’m also glad that everyone got their happy ending (although I’m a little worried about Toni!)

There are so many reasons why this has been my favourite fic. Believable characters, especially those minor characters from the series that you have expanded and given life to, Jenny in particular. Some clever scheming villains in the Mayor and Holland (but poor Liliah.) The clever contrast in styles of the two parts; the fairly heavy darkness of the first and the lighter second, showing that you can have drama without threatening life and happiness every episode.

I worry for Toni; joining Wolfram and Hart is risky enough, but she wants something from them and they know it, which puts her even more in their pocket. Still, she’s old enough to make her own choices (as I’m sure Willow and Tara have had to accept.)

Is David meant to be someone specific, or just a hot dead guy? And forgive me for asking, but where does the title come from? What does Sidestep mean?

I’m guessing you’ll be taking a well earned rest from writing? Well if you ever write another fic I’ll be sure to read it.

Thank you for all your hard work, and for telling us this story.

chronic


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 7:43 pm 
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Topics: 5
Hi, thanks for all the feedback so far…

maeve1338 – thanks for delurking! That kind of pits it in perspective, people have been to college in the time it’s taken to do this. LOL. At present the only ‘published’ version of Sidestep is here at Different Coloured Pens. I’ve always considered the feedback from the readers (and the chance to explain things) important to the fic and the story which is why I don’t archive anywhere else. Also the word document for Second Chronicle alone is over 8mb so…right now, no. Sorry. Thanks again.

Cooper – Thank you. That’s all too. J

I’ll always find you – Completely fantastic strokes my ego nicely so, thanks! Future stories… Okay – I am not done with writing T/W Stories. However I do need a break from it! My intention is to do more (and I have a few parts of something sketched out, but want to do much before before I post anything.) Also I did leave some Sidestep ‘wiggle room’ as you can see. In part this is why I am asking lurkers to feedback. I’m not going to attract ‘new’ readers to something the size of Sidestep, so if I did anything more in that universe I needed to know that there are some readers there. So yes, I will be back. Thanks.

Polaris – A ‘disturbingly’ long time? You make it sound like you’ve been stalking it. It is strange not to be doing it… I’m not sure how I will feel on Sunday when I am NOT posting… As for ‘more’ see the comment above, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility but with the seemingly dwindling readership (which is natural the board lost people over time, I was missing for over a year and it’s too huge to start now as a story) I’m kind of looking to do something that will be read. Whether that is Sidestep or not… It’ll be a little while before I get to anything though. Thanks so much.

Chronic – Epic = big. So yes, it is. Well done for getting through it. LOL. Originally I wasn’t going to give anyone an even slightly dubious ending. But then when I wrote it, it didn’t seem true to the W&H scenes I’d long since added with Holland etc. And that became my wiggle room. Hence Toni is there…
The ‘minor’ characters have really been my fave thing to play with. Jenny has long since been a lot of fun in her dynamics with everyone else. And I’m pleased you said what you did about 2nd Chronicle. Yes, you can have drama without meaning someone has to die (though by then T/W are very much ‘Mary Sue’ characters… but I don’t care!)
Is David someone specific? No. I was going for an ‘old name’ that could have been there a long time. Only later did I realise that a) readers might think he was someone specific and b) there are connotations behind that name (religious etc) No, he’s just someone who’s been there ages. A… more mature presence shall we say.
Sidestep… okay, this whole things comes from my first T/W fic ‘The Beginnings Cycle’ here on Pens. (Don’t read it – I cringe now because it really was badly written compared to who I am now.) That was a S4/S5 missing scene fic but as I went on I started to branch out from missing scenes (just because I thought it was cool!) I did a part from MKF’s POV. And I did a part where the Wishverse clashed with the canon verse… That part was called ‘Sidestep’ Eventually I realised that was a good universe to write in and started this fic…
And yes, I will be taking a rest. Or at least I will be pausing before posting. If/When I write something else then it will have at least a few parts fully ready before I start to post so that is a ways off yet. Thanks so much again.

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
-------------------------


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 12:02 am 
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3. Flaming O

Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2005 1:52 am
Posts: 65
:happycry

Its hard to grasp that this is the finish. Its been so long a journey with so many highs, lows, happy times, terrible times, twists & turns. Its been a staple of my reading for so long - I'm really going to miss it. . . . . Nothing else for it, going to have to go back to the beginning and read it all through again.

I don't know if your proud of this work, I know you ought to be because it deserves it. You have laboured so long and carefully to craft it into the epic masterpiece it is. Thank you. Thanks for letting me play a small part with ideas & beta reading. I hope L doesn't mind me sending you huge hugs & kisses. She can have some too because I think without her support and love, this would never have come into being. Pass on my thanks, my love and my appreciation to her please.

:kiss1

Have a break hun. Don't drop out of sight altogether though, because I will miss you.

Be well, be happy.

Forrister

Obesa Cantavit
The Fat Lady has sung.


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 5:34 pm 
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3. Flaming O

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:57 pm
Posts: 75
Location: North Carolina
Hey Katharyn :wave

I apologize for disappearing. I meant to stick around and be a consistent feedbacker, at least for the last few updates, but I'm afraid that my life got sucked away from me and I was in the library the other day with some free minutes on my hands and remembered that there was a story I needed to be reading. So homework and projects got put on hold for a bit.

I'll tell you this now though: if you're pretending to read homework in the library and your classmates think you're reading homework and suddenly you start to cry over your Civil Procedure book, they get very confused.

Those were some great chapters. And I can't believe it's over.

I was doing so good at the not crying thing up towards the end there. Had a few tough moments but worked through them, and then suddenly, there was Faith, the original Faith and she was there and happy and I knew that in the end, through all the ups and downs, things had turned out pretty alright in the end. But it was Tara's "we're five by five" that sent me over the edge. Then, of course, I had to go reread.

And I know the ending wasn't perfect, what with Toni being with Wolfram and Hart and all, and all the other uncertainties of life that remain, but that's just it, that's life and sometimes "we're five by five" is the best that you can hope for. Especially when you come through the hell that they did.

Enjoy your break and I look forward to seeing more stories from you in the future. Now I'm going to have to find the time to start over at the beginning of this one and read it all the way through again.

Thank you, Katharyn, for the weeks I spent catching up on this, and the the brief moments where I've sat to read between classes or the lazy sunday afternoons waiting for the next post. It's been a spectacular ride and though I caught it near the end, I appreciate being here that little bit. Thank you also for coming back to complete this, even after everything that happened in your life.

And before I wander off in the void of homework and not being certain what day of the week it is, I do have one more comment to make: if you're the parent of a child like Faith, and you find her girlfriend's seeing eye dog sitting outside a closet in a hospital, why on earth would you open the door? I mean honestly, you'd think Jenny would know better. That's when you just knock really loudly and go "ahem! when you are through, the new baby is here!" and then wander off.

Anyway, catch you later!

~Meghan

P.S. Two quotes this time, because I liked them both.

~Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. ~Lazurus Long
~How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.~Carol Sobieski and Thomas Meehan, Annie


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2007 12:53 am 
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23. Volumey Text

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I've left this a couple of weeks now and I really shouldn't have (even though it's finished!)

Kerry - Don't worry, I am proud of it. Sure there are things I wouldn't have done, or done differently, but those were just me indulging myself so I could enjoy it (whether or not it was the best for the story) But I like the way 95% of it sits,

YOu didn't play a small part cos without you I doubt this would've advanced from the Beginnings Cycle. So you can take the blame too :)

I'm gonna miss this too, but though I am "resting" right now I'm not intending to leave T/W writing behind.

I have ideas but can I make myself write ehem without creating a leviathan?

Thanks so much once again.

Hi Meghan. Should I be happy I made you cry? I think I'm supposed to be... Wow, that's weird :)

I'm very happy with the ending, and more so with the epilogue. Funnily enough I didn't want to do the (original) Faith part but it crept up on me and somehow it just felt right to bring it back to her. The first addition was 'Five by Five' but then I was thinking that we know that death isn't the end in the Buffyverse, so what would Faith be doing? Well, she'd be enjoying herself in every way. And looking good doing it. So why not?

In a very real way Faith was the key. When I was saying 'Have Faith' Willow will be back, I knew what I was saying. She was the catalyst for everything that was good afterwards. Compared to the brutal, inevitable and almost pointless young death of most Slayer's that should lend an air of nobility and purpose to it (even if it took 3 years to show it)

The ending WAS going to be perfect, but the addition of (original) Faith would make that entirely too smaltzy. Plus, wiggle room. Should I ever need to come back to this setting, I have a story that needs telling there.

As for yout final point... if it was me, I'd agree. But it was Jenny. She is a) confrontational, b) has a low opinion of her daughter and c) just found out that opinion is based on 'exaggeration' if not lies. So given all that... and who'd think of a girl like Faith - who couldn't be more out - doing it together "in the closet"?

Yeah, that location was picked for a reason :)

Thanks for yoru support, and all the best.

Oh and if you feel like commenting on a reread... I'm still a feedback whore, and my withdrawal pains are starting! :P

Katharyn.

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 2:51 am 
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3. Flaming O
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I started reading this about... well almost exactly a year ago. I had caught up in January and have been avidly waiting week by week for each update. It's weird to reach the end of the story and think back and be like, "Wow, remember when Willow was a vampire?" It's been through quite a turn-around and I really enjoyed it.

It's hard to think of all my favorite parts but I seriously think the last part of the last chapter:

Quote:
Tara paused; hand on the stick shift, looking at the road ahead.

“I don’t know where I’m going now,” she said.

And she didn’t mean the route.

“Sure you do,” Willow said. “It’s the same place I’m going.”

Tara smiled. That did make it easier.




The best violence scene for me, while others might find it a little morbid, is of course when Faith was killed. It was great build up, it was unexpected and it just goes to show that the most horrifying violent scenes can be so simple and there wasn't even any blood shed!

My favorite sexy-lovin' scene is the one where they're laying on the couch just chillin' out and bam! Hotness. (Boy, I'm pretty sure that was this fic. It's so long I don't really want to search to double-check right now)

Best fight- The angry Willow bratty Toni morning scene after Toni made Tara cry. That might also go in the protective Willow scene pile.

Protective Willow - When Toni asks Tara if she killed people and Willow silently yells at Toni though sign.

Best villain? The mayor was so extremely mayor-like I never considered him to be written by a non-buffy writer. You totally captured him in more ways than the show ever did... but is he a real villain? Well, yeah. Evil and all, but was he more evil than Vampire Willow? Probably not. And he's definitely not as hot, so VW wins this round for me.

Funniest scene? It's hard to pin one because there are so many little subtle jokes mixed in everywhere. I love how Toni is so straight. That in itself leads to so many good parts. I'm sure there's plenty from earlier in the story but since it's hard to remember I'll just have to give it to Willow being upset the wives of Dracula don't find her appealing enough to sleep with.

Best Tara is awesome scene; hmmm... I think I'm gonna have to get back to you on that one.

I think I'm out of scenes for now. I'll probably be back with more.

Okay, so my one big unanswered question (Which may or may not have been answered in the actual story, and I somehow glossed over it) Why two roses?? I've been waiting for the significance of that moniker for Tara and Willow to come up, but I'm not sure it has.

Also, I had a possible ending in mind when I was still reading in the Ethan/Dru/Darla parts. I'm pretty sure it was this fic... I hope. So Darla found a spell or something to open all the Hellmouths forever and ever and ever, right? I thought the whole big ending was going to be to use that same spell/ predicament to turn it around and close all Hellmouths forever and ever. And ever. That way Willow and Tara would finally get their lives back.

Okay, I think I'm done for now. Great work.

Oh now I just remembered the farm house scene when Tara comes in all wet from the rain. That was a good one too.


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sat Oct 13, 2007 3:27 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
Hi, TheBlew.

Lovely detailed feedback... I guess this will have to tide me through until I get my next fic posted (but it is being written!)

It really was a long haul in this fic - about a year longer than it should have been but even without that I was forgetting things I'd written years before. That hurt the story a little - in terms of consistency - but I challenge anyone else to remember either!

The whole of the last chapter was actually building to those lines. It was structured that way after I heard something similar in a song and stole it for myself :)

Best violence was Faith's death? Interesting - I wouldn't have labelled that a 'violent part' though of course it was. It had a single moment and yes, that was always meant to be very affecting. It created the whole rest of the fic and was - more than W&H - how we got Willow back. It meant something. In terms of best written violence, for me, I loved the Bronze attack. And some of Tara's pre-sunnydale scenes, but they didn't mean as much as Faith's death, so yeah.

Sexy lovin... Okay, I have confessions to make here. I don't remember that scene! Confession two, I definitely wish I hadn't included one sexy scene. It was too much, it was out of place and something i did for someone else. Which was it? Hmm, well all I will say is 'fist.' Unecessary here (though good for a plot what plot.) I much preferred the
kind of scenes you referred to. Hotness.

Best fight... I have to give Toni kudos here, she was born to create a fight!

Best villain - overall (in the show too) I loved the Master the best. I wish he'd have stayed around longer in the fic (or we'd seen him more.) BUt the Mayor is MUCH easier to use in a story. So he gets the better scenes. VW... I loved to write her, but I never saw her as a villain in this fic. It's a part of the writing - she was something I had to change to get Willow back. But, thinking on it... I'd agree, she was the best character on the dark side...

Funniest - Your 'Toni is so straight' comment is very true. She was deliberately written that way. I very much wanted this story to have straight characters too. There is a tendency to gay up everyone when you have the chance... and while I teased about Jenny, Toni was picked to be 'definitely straight girl.' No matter what else changed about her, that was always going to be there. Also it's fun, you know. You can have hours of fun with a straight character contrasting to big gay loving.

But Willow's inadequacy at not being right for the Brides... yeah, that was fun.

Your unanswered question - Why two roses? Why not? I think it was a play on the symbolism really (I won't explain that symbolism!) And two, because there are two of them. Nothing more than that.

Your possible ending - yeah, that got a little lost in the mix. The point was that Darla THOUGHT she could end the world. The reality was that Ethan was never - quite - going to give her what she wanted as he was also working for the Mayor. However the threat was actually to open, stretch and wedge open the Sunnydale Hellmouth. I then teased the idea of REALLY BIG bads on the other side that couldn't come through until that happened. Ultimately though, it was just a plot line to tie off loose ends and still have the girls help the Mayor to get their lives back.

Thanks so much for all the support,

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 4:19 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jun 12, 2005 3:39 pm
Posts: 186
Your next fic? Ooh can I ask what its about, or will we have to wait until its ready for posting?


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 Post subject: Re: Fic: - The Sidestep Chronicle & Second Chronicle
PostPosted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:12 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
Posts: 3794
Topics: 5
I'm going back to my roots. I always threatened to go back and redraft The Beginnnings Cycle (it's badly written!) but I'm not doing that...

Instead I'm going back to S4 (and maybe S5 if I feel like it) and telling it a different way.

Instead (and I hope no one did this already) it's a reality in which the show we think of as BTVS is actually a reality TV show. Nearly everything that happened in the past has still happened, it's just that even other people in the fic see it on TV.

The idea actually started as a comedy and there's elements of comedy in there (to camera interviews with the 'cast'/scoobies) but T/W still seems to have gotten a little more serious. As we all recall, S4 wasn't a great time for the scoobies, and this fic deals with that to some extent. Also, it deals with the fact that no, it wasn't all about 'doing spells together.' Actually, our girls were doing what girls who like girls do... That doesn't usually involve magic.

The main 'revision' of the episodes is coming along nicely. I just need to get further into it, and find more comedy along the way. I probably won't finish it first, but I do want a nice big cushion before I start posting anything.

Thoughts, comments and requests definitely welcome! It can only help.

Katharyn

_________________
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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
-------------------------


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