Disclaimers etc. are same as before .
BUT this part is rated R because of some angst !!Thoughts in
italicsChapter 3Tara stirred slowly awake and the first thing she noticed was that she was alone in bed. Naturally her first waking thought was
Willow?She sat up in bed and ran her fingers through the tresses of her brownish-blonde hair.
Memories of last night came flooding back and she took a deep breath and thought
Calm down Tara, Willow promised - sure you're used to waking up to Willow-snuggles but maybe she's in the bathroom...Tara got out of bed and padded across to open the adjoining bathroom's door, but there was no sign of Willow.
She then walked back into her room to slip her feet into the pair of slippers by the bed.
She grabbed her dressing gown and pulled it on, then she headed for her bedroom door only to open it to come face to face with Buffy who stood there smiling with a mug of coffee in her hand.
"Buffy! - you startled me."
"Sorry Tara, I was just about to knock."
Buffy noticed Tara had a certain troubled look in her eyes and her smile turned into a cheeky grin.
"Missing your early morning witchy lovin' Tara?"
Tara's eyes widened and she started to blush a little, extremely taken aback by Buffy's teasing remark. Then she composed herself and spoke.
"Um Buffy, have you seen Willow? And why are you smiling so much?
"Yep, I've seen Willow and I'm smiling because I bear good tidings for you. Here, I brought you coffee - let's sit." Buffy said as she handed over the mug and walked past Tara into the room.
Intrigued, Tara took the mug of coffee and followed into the room then sat down on the bed next to a now seated Buffy.
"Thanks for the coffee Buffy, but where's Willow?"
"She left really early this morning once it was light out, but not before telling me to tell you she kept her promise to stay with you all night."
Buffy deliberately gave a pause and then continued saying - "She also said she was going off to think and would be back in the evening" finished Buffy with a fold of her arms and a twinkling look in her eye.
Tara narrowed her eyes slightly and said "In the evening? Is that all she said? Buffy, what is going on? - I feel like I've walked into a twilight zone or something - first Willow was acting all strange last night and now you're..."
"Okay, okay Tara, I'm sorry - serious time now. It's just I'm realising for the first time that you're SO fun to tease!
"Buffy!"
"Sorry, sorry - drink your coffee Tara, but honestly that's all Willow told me to tell you. But she also said a lot of other stuff that let me know you guys are gonna be okay after that fight you had last night."
Tara took a sip of coffee and then said "What other stuff? - did she tell you what our fight was about?"
"Oh no, no Tara - that's private and between you guys. But all the other stuff she said makes me know it's all gonna be good."
Tara was getting rather frustrated - "Buffy, throw me a bone here will you? - I'm really worried."
"Tell you what Tara - can I convince you to come make us some lovely pancakes for breakfast and then I'll tell all? It's not only Dawn and Willow that love funny-shaped pancakes you know" said Buffy with a grin and a slight pout.
Tara started to smile back because she sensed a change for the better in Buffy. She'd been wishing they had all been able to understand better how to help Buffy adjust to coming back from the dead. And now it seemed Buffy was opening up and Tara was only too glad to be useful.
Of course she was also dying to know the things Willow had said....
Oh Willow, where are you baby? We're gonna talk and be fine aren't we?Tara realised she had zoned out a bit and glanced up to see a still smiling Buffy staring at her with a knowing look.
This time she refused to blush and just smiled again at the same moment Buffy reached out to give her hand a comforting pat.
"Willow loves you Tara, it's all gonna work out - I'm really positive about that. Now whaddaya say 'bout those pancakes?"
"Sure Buffy, anything to get you talking - pancakes it is."
With that they both left the room and headed downstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much later that afternoon, Willow was in the Student Admin Office at UC Sunnydale checking on something she needed to know about semester schedules.
As she was heading out - to her surprise, the administrator on duty who had recognised her handed her a letter. She mentioned it would have been forwarded to Willow's home address except that now Willow had conveniently stopped by the office.
Willow said her thanks and left the office walking out into the bright sunshine. She found a suitable place in the Quad and settled down to read the letter that ended up giving her a huge surprise but also brought a smile to her face.
Next Willow tucked the letter away and headed towards town to go have lunch and several more Mochas to add to the two she'd already drunk earlier that morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, at about the same time as Willow was having her lunch. Tara was at home and really beginning to get fretful and restless. She was missing Willow terribly and was also starting to worry all over again.
After her long talk with Buffy over breakfast - she had felt much better on hearing all the things Willow had said and shared with Buffy. The enthusiasm and strength of sincerity she sensed in Buffy had really, really boosted her flagging spirits at having woken up to find Willow wasn't with her.
From all Buffy had said Tara knew she should be optimisitic and not worry so much. But until she got to see Willow and talk to her she wouldn't be happy.
Suddenly Tara stood up from the couch she'd been seating on and went into the kitchen to scribble a note stating her destination - she then stuck it on the fridge.
She knew Buffy and Dawn would probably get back before her and didn't want them to worry. As for Giles she doubted he was gonna turn up anytime soon because Buffy had told her that he'd mentioned going to sort out temporary lodgings for himself.
Thinking of that now - Tara worried again as she had secretly done before about the 'temporary' part of that statement. She really hoped that was Giles just being British and saying in his own way that he would settle for something immediate until he found what he really wanted. Hopefully that was it, rather than the other implication that he wasn't back to stay for good. Tara knew how particularly happy Buffy and Dawn were when he'd returned from England.
Storing those thoughts at the back of her mind for later, Tara headed out the house on the more urgent business of taking a walk to try and soothe her frazzled nerves.
For crying out loud, how's a girl supposed to survive her day minus early morning Willow-snuggles? With the added frustration that Willow's being all cryptic-girl and disappearing-girl on me. - Willow baby, you owe me double doses of snuggle-time and smoochie-time... Tara thought as she zoned off into Willow-land again for the thousandth time that day, whilst in reality her feet carried her in the direction of her and Willow's favorite park.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Willow sat on her favorite park bench with a goofy grin on her face whilst sipping on the Mocha she'd taken with her from the Espresso Pump after she'd finished her lunch.
She was feeling extremely pleased with herself - she was now so sure that all the thinking, planning and processing she'd been doing all day was faultless and fine-tuned to perfection and that she had hit upon the key to getting rid of all Willow-wonkiness forever.
Ladies and gentlemen - I am pleased to announce that Operation GROWW is gonna be a total success. Yay! Go me! Willow babbled in her head whilst doing a mental happy dance. Then she quickly sobered up on her joy just a little bit and thought
Right Rosenberg, the next step is to now put operation GROWW into action - just one more quick trip into town and ....Just then Willow felt a gentle hand on her shoulder - and so engrossed had she been in her thoughts that she leapt off the bench to her feet and whirled around while giving a squeaky shriek of shock and surprise.
"Oz? - my God, you scared the life outta me! Hasn't anyone ever told you not to sneak up on people like that?"
"And besides - what're you doing here? How did you know to find me here? - I wasn't expecting to see you so soon - I thought.... God, just don't sneak up on people like that - especially when said people is me!" Willow babbled on in the aftermath of the fright she'd just received.
Oz just stood there grinning a little at Willow's indignant babble-fest until finally he spoke.
"It's good to see you too Willow" said Oz with an enigmatic smile.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Tara was seated on the grass quite comfortably underneath a leafy tree that provided a nice cool shady area against the sun.
She'd been seating there thinking for sometime, but finally decided it was time to head home to wait for Willow. Though her walk had calmed her feeling of restlessness a bit, Tara found that her mind was still coming up with more questions than answers.
Only Willow could provide answers to the questions in Tara's heart. So she got up brushed herself down and started to walk through the park in the direction towards home.
As Tara approached the outskirts of the park nearing the parking lot, she happened to glance up and saw a sight that made her heart lurch and sent her world tilting at a wrong angle on it's axis.
"Oh God" said Tara as she focused on a bright red mane of hair she'd recognise anywhere.
But there was something so wrong with the three-dimensional picture Tara's eyes had focused on - and that was the fact that someone with shorter and spikier red hair was walking beside the owner of the red mane. The two people were about hundred metres away with their backs more or less facing Tara as they walked towards a parked four-door truck.
Tara's right hand rose to her throat as she opened her mouth to call out to Willow - but no words came.
What is she.... What is he doing here? Why is he here? And why is he with my Willow? Oh God....Tara stood there, frozen to the spot as she continued to watch as Willow turned her head sideways to look at her companion as though sharing in a conversation as they walked.
Tara's world tilted precariously some more on it's axis when the sound of Willow's cheerful laughter reached her ears - telling her that Willow was happy within that picture that was so wrong to Tara's eyes.
But still she watched immobile as in contrast Willow moved on towards and eventually into the passenger side of the truck.... and then next thing Tara knew she felt as though fear in the form of a hand was squeezing her heart as she watched the truck drive off, leaving her feeling confused, bereft, hurting and wanting all at the same time.
Tara stared at the space where the truck had been parked for several more moments and suddenly the single thought she had before - that she needed to go home to await the answers she needed, was the only coherent thought in Tara's head.
So Tara fled from the park - rushing quite desperately in the direction of home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC.
Questions? Comments? - Are very welcome and appreciated.
Dearest Kittens - sorry this is cliffhanger-y. But for purposes of how I've structured this story it is necessary.
AND please trust me this is INDEED a Willow/Tara fic!!!
Next update within 2 days and there shall be steamy smoochies!!! (of the Willow/Tara variety - naturally!)
WFB