*sings* And now the end is near, and so we face, the final curtain. *sob* Yes I have written the final chapter. So so so so so sorry for the time I took to get round to it. Also, I didnt make it the final chapter to get it out of the way, I just thought that if it were to go on from here it would be a little pointless. Anyway, hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for all your support along the way, it was very very much appreciated
If your wondering about my other story, that should be updated tommorow morning, I'm going to try and update before I go to work. Peace and love to you all
Author name - Alyson Walker or Ally02
Email Address –
alysonwalker@hotmail.comChap –16/16
Website – Plenty of Magic:
http://www.plentyofmagic.cjb.netRating – PG-13
Disclaimer – Smelly Joss man and the bald thing owns everything.
Feedback- Yes please! Puppy dog eyes!!
Summary- Alternate universe where Buffy and Willow have finished their first semester at UCSD. During the long summer break, Buffy’s cousin comes to stay.
Notes – I am so sorry it took me so long to add this update. This is sadly the final chapter, not because I wanted to get it out of the way, but because I didn’t think it would make sense to go any further with the story. I have really enjoyed writing this and I hope you all enjoyed reading it and thank you for all your support along the way
As always, thoughts are in < > and I would like to dedicate this chapter to Ellie.
Previously…
Willow waited awkwardly whilst Mr.Maclay went to get Tara. Willow had told him who she was, and instead of slamming the door in his face as she had expected, he darted upstairs wearing a huge grin. Willow nearly passed out from the sight of her lover coming down the stairs looking as broken as she was. All Willow wanted to do was jump into Tara’s arms and kiss her till all the pain left her and her soulmate.
Instead she stood awkwardly looking into Tara’s eyes, “Hey Tara.”
“Will…what…how?”
“Xander drove me here. I couldn’t let you go like that, I couldn’t.”
Willow and Tara stood awkwardly for a few more moments. Willow was surprised that she hadn’t broken down into sobs and clamped herself to Tara’s leg. After a while Tara broke the silence, “You want to go out back and talk?”
“Okay that would be good.”
Willow followed Tara to the back garden whilst Tara tried to get a steady breathing rhythm established. < What am I going to do? >
… … … …
Tara moved into the garden and brushed some leaves off an old wooden bench. She sat down and after a while, Willow decided to sit next to her. Tara rested her hand on her knees and pointedly looked everywhere but at Willow.
Willow noticed Tara’s distance and decided that she better start talking, “So…”
Tara waited but Willow said nothing else, “Yeah.”
Willow sighed and turned round a little so she could face Tara, “Tara, what happened? Why did you leave and not tell me? I’m just…so confused.”
Tara let her hair cover her face so she wouldn’t have to face the redhead, “Will, I don’t want to get in the way.”
Willow brushed Tara’s hair behind her ear and the blonde lifted her head to meet her eyes, “Why do you think you’d get in the way.”
“Will, I already strained things between you and Buffy…”
“But we sorted that out, she’s fine with it…”
“Will let me finish,” Tara cut off and Willow nodded and let her continue, “You have a huge thing in Sunnydale, most of it I don’t know about and I wouldn’t be able to understand. You get in danger everyday, when we were capture by those vampires; all I wanted was for you to make it out. I don’t know what id do if something happened to you. And anyway, we both knew I had to go home sometime, my Dad needs me here with him.”
“I need you in Sunnydale with me, Tara I love you…”
“But sometimes, love isn’t enough.”
“Why not?”
“Will…” Tara began tearing up; she didn’t know how to explain to Willow why she couldn’t be with her.
“Tara, when I first met you, I fell in love with you. When you first met me, didn’t you feel something?”
“Of course I did, I loved you so much, I still do.”
“When in life do two people meet each other and just click right away? We could have something amazing, even for a few weeks we had something amazing. Why do you want to throw it all away?”
“God I don’t, but we live so far away from each other, it wouldn’t work.”
“Then I’ll move here.”
“No Will, you have college, and Buffy needs you.”
“Well you always wanted to move to Sunnydale and go to college there…”
“No my father needs me, I can’t just leave him here.”
Tara broke eye contact with Willow and the redhead realised that she wouldn’t be able to say anything to change her beloved’s mind. Willow turned away and let a few tears fall whilst Tara tried to be strong for both of them.
… … … …
Mr.Maclay watched as Xander chomped down a sandwich he had prepared for him, “I take it you’re hungry?”
“Yeah, the food from the garage was just…well it tasted like food from a garage, put it that way.”
“Hmm lovely.” Mr.Maclay looked out the kitchen window for a moment and saw that his daughter and Willow were still sitting talking, “I wonder how long they are going to be?”
“I don’t know, they have some stuff to…” Xander realised that Mr.Maclay may have no idea what’s going on, “Uhh stuff. Willow has some of Tara’s stuff and uhh wondered which C.D’s were hers cos man does Willow have a collection of C.D’s and umm…”
“It’s okay, Tara told me.” Mr.Maclay chuckled a little at Xander’s excuse.
“Oh well that’s…”
“She really loves her doesn’t she?” Mr.Maclay said as he looked out the window again.
“Who?” Xander said as he finished off his sandwich.”
“Willow. She must do to come all the way from Sunnydale to see her.”
“She does, and Tara loves her but…”
“But Tara doesn’t want to risk her heart to move all the way to Sunnydale to be with her.”
Xander blinked at how much the older man understood his daughter, “You can read her like a book huh?”
“Pretty much. Her mother and I had the same problem for a while. She lived miles away from me and I begged her to move in with me, but she was scared. Eventually I moved into a flat not far from her and she saw that I wasn’t going to let her get away. I just hope Tara doesn’t let Willow get away.”
… … … …
“So what do you want to do?” Willow asked.
Tara looked up at Willow, not really sure how to answer as she hadn’t expected to hear that question, “I don’t know Will. But I cant…I cant….” Tara tried to say what her heart was screaming at her not to.
“You can’t be with me.” Willow finished for her.
Tara nodded and concentrated on the ground as she let her tears fall. Willow didn’t know what to do, she opened and closed her mouth a few times, wondering if it was worth protesting again. She sighed in defeat, wiped her eyes and ran out of the garden.
Tara looked up and saw the redhead running away, she tried to catch her but wasn’t fast enough. She ran into the house to find Xander, “Xander, Willow got really upset and ran away, I tried to catch her but…”
“It’s okay, I’ll find her.” Xander said before grabbing his car keys and heading out, Tara caught him and grabbed him before he got out of the door.”
“I’m coming with you.”
Xander saw the fierce determination in the blonde’s eyes and saw that there was no use in arguing, “Okay lets go.”
… … … …
Willow ran down the street, her tears blinding her. She couldn’t remember why she had started running, she just needed to get away from everything. After a while she slowed her pace and noticed that she had no idea where she was. It was also beginning to get dark.
“Oh great Rosenberg. Not only have you got lost, but you have got lost after dusk when you know what kind of things are around and…”
Willow cut off her babble when she heard a footstep behind her. With a feeling of dread clenching in her stomach she slowly turned her head round expecting to be met with a not-so-pleasant sight. Instead all she saw behind her was a deserted street. She sighed in relief and turned back round.
This time she saw a vampire smiling at her. She screamed and ran in the opposite direction, closely followed by the vamp.
… … … …
Xander drove round the dark streets looking for Willow, “Do you have any idea where she could have gone?”
“I have no idea,” Tara responded as she also searched the black streets in vain, “God if something’s happened to her…”
“She’ll be alright, this is Will, she knows how to take care of herself.”
“You think so?” Tara asked as she looked at Xander apprehensively.
“Maybe we should pull over, search some of the alley’s.”
Tara’s heart lurched with worry for her lover as Xander pulled the car over and she followed him through the dim streets.
… … … …
Willow tried to find an open space to run into so she would be safe. However, the vampire was quickly catching up with her and she searched her jacket desperately for anything that could protect her. All she could find was a small cross in her inside pocket. She clutched it her hand and continued to run.
The vampire laughed as he grabbed her from behind and shoved her up against a wall. Willow thrust the puny cross into his face and he hissed for a short while before knocking it out of her hand and slashing the side of her face with his long nails.
Willow began to cry as the vampire lowered his fangs to her neck and bit hard. Willow screamed in pain and waited for the vampire to drink. Instead his weight was lifted from her as someone pushed him out of the way and onto the pavement. Willow fell to the floor, exhausted from running and the fear of the vampire overwhelming her.
Willow felt a hand on her bloodied cheek and could hear someone sobbing. She looked up and met Tara’s eyes, “Tara.”
Tara smiled a little, relieved that Willow was able to speak. Willow looked round and saw that Xander had managed to stake the vampire after a few failed attempts. Once the vampire was dust, he moved over to Willow to see if she was okay.
“I think we need to get her home.” Xander said as he examined the cut on Willow’s face and the bite on her neck, “She’s gonna be okay, he didn’t get to bite any deeper.”
“You can stay at my house.”
Xander nodded and picked Willow up in his arms. He carried her to the car and laid her down in the back seat where she fell asleep before they arrived at Tara’s.
… … … …
Tara came down the stairs exhausted. Xander had cleaned Willow’s cut for her and Tara had gave him a plaster for Willow’s vampire bite. He had then left her to sleep on Tara’s bed then went to the spare room to do the same. Tara had sat for about an hour, watching the redhead sleep and wondering how in this world she could be without her. Tonight, Tara had been terrified of loosing Willow. But she was just about to do that this afternoon.
Tara noticed her Dad sitting on the sofa, watching the T.V, “Dad, you’re still awake.”
“Yep,” he switched off the T.V and sat up a little, “I was waiting for you to come down.”
“Sorry I got kinda caught up.” Tara sat down next to her father and yawned loudly, “What a night.”
“She’s a nice girl that Willow.”
Tara looked confused at the random comment, “She is, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“Well, what do you want to do.” Mr.Maclay took his daughters hand and squeezed lightly.
“I…I…I don’t know.”
“You do know, you want to be with Willow, you love her.”
“I do, but Dad I cant just leave you here, and where am I supposed to stay there…”
“Well you can take the savings I have for you for college. You could stay in the dorms there.”
“But…”
“And your not that far away, you can visit.”
“But Dad it’s so scary, I don’t know if I can do it.”
Mr.Maclay pulled his daughter into a hug, “I know, it’s a scary thought for you,” he pulled back and held his hand under her chin to meet her eyes, “But if its what you want, then don’t let anything stop you. You think about it a bit longer, but don’t do something you’re going to regret.”
“Thanks Dad.” Her father smiled and kissed her on the forehead before heading upstairs to bed.
… … … …
Tara sat on the bed early the next morning. She was watching Willow sleep, her face still had the cut on it from the vampire the night before, but she still looked like the most beautiful thing in the world. Tara lightly ran her fingertip across the redhead’s lips and waited for the redhead to wake.
She saw Willow stir and slowly open her eyes to look up at Tara. Tara smiled down at the redhead who smiled in return then looked confused as she remembered events from last night. She slowly sat up and rested her head in her hands. She accidentally touched the cut on her cheek and winced.
Tara leaned forward and took her hand, “Be careful, that looks bad.”
“It felt bad.”
Tara waited for a moment before speaking again, “I was so worried about you.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what…I just couldn’t.” Willow looked down at their entwined hands and slowly pulled hers away and got out of bed.
“Wait, where are you going?” Tara panicked and stood in front of Willow.
“I think I better head back to Sunnydale…thanks for letting me stay and all.”
“Will, you don’t have to go…”
“No, I cant stay here and see you any longer, it hurts so much Tara and I…”
Willow was cut off as she felt Tara’s mouth on hers. Willow tensed up in shock and Tara pulled away a little, “I’m coming with you Willow.”
“What…you….what?”
“I can’t leave you, I was so scared and stupid, but I love you, so much, I can’t be without you.”
Willow stood for a moment, taking in the blonde’s words. Tara waited for Willow’s reaction and nearly jumped out of her skin when Willow grabbed her round the waist and spun her round in a cirlce. Tara giggled and when she met Willow’s eyes again she kissed her deeply, passionately, lovingly.
When they broke apart Tara giggled, “You shouldn’t be wasting your energy like that.”
“Yep, I think maybe we need,” Willow said as she ran her hands under the back of Tara’s top, “A bed.”
Tara nodded her agreement and moved the redhead to the bed. Willow grabbed Tara and pulled her on top of her, hungry for her much missed kisses. Tara kissed Willow everywhere, still reeling from the though that she may never have been able to kiss Willow again if she had let her go.
Tara kissed and nipped Willow’s earlobe, all the while whispering how much she loved her. Willow felt a tear roll down her cheek and moved Tara’s head up to kiss her on the mouth. Tara lifted the redhead’s top off her head and quickly undid her bra and whisked it off.
Willow moaned her approval and thrust her thigh between Tara’s legs, which the blonde began to grind on. Tara began kissing down the redheads neck to her collarbone and…
Xander and Mr.Maclay came into the room and quickly jumped back out again screaming like women. Tara reluctantly pulled herself off Willow and grabbed her top whilst Willow searched for her bra. Tara found it lying on top of one of her teddies and threw it at her.
“We’ll finish this later.” Tara said before winking at her lover and leaving to go and apologise to her father and Xander.
… … … …
Willow helped her girlfriend drag her heavy suitcase down the pathway to Xander’s car. Tara smiled at her lover in thanks and moved up to the door to say goodbye to her dad. Mr.Maclay stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets, trying to not cry like a woman. His macho ego was already dented from his womanly scream earlier.
Tara hugged her father tightly, “Thank you Dad,” she pulled back, “You have been amazing with all of this, and thanks for the money.”
“Well I saved that for your education anyway…just don’t spend it on parties and buying endless amounts of clothes to impress muscley young…umm…Willow.”
Tara laughed a little, “I’ll call you when I get to Sunnydale.”
“Okay, you take care now.”
“I will.”
Mr.Maclay watched as his daughter got into the car and waved from the window before it pulled away. He watched as the car faded into the distance, happy that his daughter had found her soulmate.
… … … …
Willow sat in the back of Xander's car holding tightly to Tara’s hand and stealing quick kisses from her lover. Xander looked into the rear view mirror and frowned, “Hey, I got the visual before okay, anymore and I’m gonna crash the car.”
Willow and Tara giggled and looked away. Willow then noticed the blanket lying by her feet and pulled it up over Tara and herself as she kissed her girlfriend lovingly without the threat of Xander crashing.
Once they parted, Willow lowered the blanket and Tara settled her head on the redhead’s shoulder. Willow heard her lovers breathing deepen and realised her girlfriend had fallen asleep. She gently kissed her lovers head and anticipated her new life with her love, her life, her everything.
THE END
You all didnt happen to do a bunch of drugs did ya?