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

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 Post subject: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 7:54 am 
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3. Flaming O

Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2007 11:05 pm
Posts: 63
Location: Philippines
I wasn't able to update my other fic because I was writing this.

Title: The Room Key (keeping the Nicholas Sparks fashion)

Author: Surpanakha

Feedback: Yes please, I know that I almost never finish anything I start so please, feedback can help me finish, please help me finish this.

Distribution: It's okay but do inform me

Spoilers: None

Rating: G but hopefully it will escalate later on to the steamier levels

Pairing: WT

Disclaimer: The usual, I do not own the original BTVS characters for they belong to Joss Whedon, ME and others who could have handled them well if they wanted to.

Summary: I'll put some later because I don't want to spoil anyone.

Notes: Thoughts are in italics

_____________________________________________________________

Part I

"Calling passenger Rosenberg of Qatar Airlines flight bound for Qatar please proceed to gate 23 immediately. Again, calling for passenger Rosenberg of Qatar Airlines flight bound for Qatar, please proceed to gate 23 immediately." The voice was heard throughout JFK International Airport where it was dismissed by most of the crowd, except for a certain redhead.

Willow ran, laptop bag in hand, almost hitting every person who comes her way as she hastened to the said gate where she was asked to proceed.

"I'm running late, I'm running late, I have no time for puns," Willow mumbled beneath her breath as she sprinted along the airport corridor, her red hair all in a mess. She almost hit a porter and easily offered an apology. She didn't wait, however, to hear if her apology was accepted as she was nearing her goal.

"Rosenberg, that's me. Willow Rosenberg," Willow told the steward waiting at the gate as she gave him her passport and boarding pass. She stopped to catch her breath as the steward checked her documents.

"Sorry for the delay," Willow told the steward as he gave her back her passport. The steward simply smiled at her and proceeded to guiding her to the entrance of the plane. Willow entered through the main door of the aircraft which immediately closed behind her. The red head skidded down the aisle as she looked for her seat, while avoiding the glares the other passengers were giving her for being the cause of their delay. Finally, she found hers, an empty seat beside the window and she gulped at this fact.

'I specifically told Mr. Harris not to get me a window seat.' Willow thought of her no show Chemistry teacher, the very cause of her delay. She sighed at her impending doom as she heard the pilot speak on his microphone that they are about to take off. Willow noticed the blonde girl next to her seat, her face buried and absorbed on the book she is reading. 'Maybe she'll exchange seats with me,' Willow thought, 'It won't hurt if I ask.' The man sitting on the aisle seat next to the blonde was already fast asleep, so carefully, Willow tapped the blonde girl on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss," Willow said softly so as not to wake up the man on the aisle seat. The blonde looked up from what she was reading and gazed at the red head. Willow's jaw dropped. In front of her, she saw the bluest eyes she has ever seen. She suddenly found herself at loss for words. The blonde continued to gaze at her, now with a look of worry etched on her pretty face.

"Are y-you okay, miss? Can I h-help you?," the blonde asked Willow. The redhead struggled to remember her problem earlier as that thought was pushed inside her brain replaced by musings which she shouldn't be having right now. 'It has something to do with seating arrangements,' Willow struggled. Finally she remembered.

"Oh, yes, actually, you can help me. See, my seat is right next to yours, that empty one. Problem is, it's next to a window, and I hate windows during flights. In fact, I hate flying at all. But I have no choice, hence the flying. I specifically told whoever it was arranging my trip not to give me a window seat, but I guess he didn't do his job properly. So all I'm asking is, if I am not disturbing you, and you don't mind, can you please exchange seats with me?" Willow asked hoping that the blonde won't decline.

"That's n-no problem," the blonde replied an she offered Willow a half grin. She stood up and took the window seat. Willow, being the small girl that she is, was able to slip into the middle seat without waking the man. She never took her eyes of the blonde as she settled her bag near her feet.

"I prefer windows a-anyway, but they gave me that seat. I was kind of hoping that the person next to me won't come, so that I-I can take this seat," the blonde smiled at Willow again. The redhead noticed that she stuttered, and she found it cute.

"Sorry for m-my lack of courtesy, I'm Tara," the blonde held up her hand and Willow shook it.

"Willow," Willow said, offering her name. "My name is funny," she added as an afterthought.

"I-I think it's pretty," Tara said and she smiled again. 'Merciful Zeus!' Willow thought. 'If she keeps doing that, my dear life is not gonna last the whole flight, but why?' Just then, the sign for seat belts lighted up and the pilot instructed the passengers to buckle up. Mysteriously, Willow heard none of these as she was so absorbed with the blonde. Tara buckled up her seat belt and turned to the red head. She frowned when she saw Willow motionless, her seatbelt left unbuckled.

"Willow? are you okay? The pilot just announced take off." Tara said. Willow didn't seem to hear as she continued staring at the blonde.

'She is so gorgeous! How can nature fit that amount of gorgeousness in that body? and don't get me started on her body, I may not able to stop.' Willow thought.

"Willow? Willow?" Tara tried to call the redhead's attention in vain. The blonde saw a stewardess approach their direction. Not wanting Willow to get embarrassed, Tara reached out for the buckles of Willow's seatbelt.

Willow felt a warm arm reach across the side of her body. She heard the sound of metal against metal and felt something tighten around her hips. She looked just in time and saw two warm hands tap at the side of her hips in satisfaction. Then the warm hands went back to the lap of their owner and Willow suddenly missed the contact.

"What? too tight?," Tara asked when the redhead looked at her.

"It's perfect, thanks." Willow said and smiled warmly. Indeed, the fit of the seat belt was perfect, as if the blonde knew her body perfectly. 'Body? Oh that word again! It's still illegal for you to think about these things, Red!. Besides, she's a girl!' Willow chastised herself.

The plane began to take off and the redhead was not prepared for it. In reflex action, her hand grabbed the hand of the girl sitting next to her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She expected the tight, sick feeling her stomach always displays during take-offs. Instead, she felt a thumb gently stroking her knuckles. She glanced down and saw that it was the blonde, with her hand clasped within the redheads. 'Oh my god! I must have grabbed her hand when the plane began to speed up. She must think I'm a freak, a freaky scaredy-cat.' Willow ran scenarios in her head but was surprised when the blonde didn't let go of her hand and continued grazing her thumbs through her knuckles. 'God, that feels so good,' Willow thought and she eventually forgot about the offending take off. Just when Willow thought that heaven has descended upon her she was proved wrong. The blonde brought up her other hand and scratched her nails lightly on Willow's arm. 'Oh my! I think I'm going to faint! Because of a girl!'

"Comfortable h-here?" Tara asked the red head as she continued scratching her nails lightly on the red head's arm. "Or should I stop?" she asked shyly.

"What? Oh, oh no, don't, don't stop, I-I like it," Willow said. She suddenly blushed at those words.

"I knew you would, I mean, not really know but I was hoping. My mom did that for me always whenever I am scared, you know, to calm me down," Tara said as she squeezed on the red head's hand.

"I think I'm beginning to like your mom, Tara," Willow said as she squeezed back and smiled.

"Great, now I have to get jealous of my mother," Tara said and she chuckled, Willow laughed with her. 'Jealous, did she just say jealous? Jealous because I said I liked her mother? Oh, Don't get your hopes up Will,' Willow thought.

"Sorry about the grabbing your hand and stuff. That was reflex action, I wasn't prepared for the take-off," Willow said.

"Hey, I think you did well, Will, if you haven't noticed, the plane is stable now. We just passed by the take-off stage minutes ago, and as far as I'm concerned, I only saw you scared for a moment there, and you didn't need your vomit bag," Tara said proudly as she beamed at Willow.

"Oh, yeah, not using the vomit bag, that's a first really," Willow smiled back. 'She called me Will! She now has a nick name for me!' Willow thought.

"Well, there's always a first. I think you just need someone to talk to, you know, to get your mind off the flight?" Tara winked at Willow. "You travel alone much?"

"No, not really, this would be my first. The one who was supposed to accompany me, he didn't show up, didn't even call me until the last minute. That's why I was late. I'm not really large with being the cause of delay. I'm miss punctual, you know," Willow replied. How about you? flying solo?"

"I'm with someone actually, over there," Tara said pointing to the middle of the plane one row behind them. "That's Oz."

"Oh," Willow said, looking at the guy, sizing him up. He has huge headphones covering his ears and his head was swaying to a music no one else could hear. 'He's kind of hot, her boyfriend maybe?' Willow thought 'No, maybe not, I hope not.' Willow found herself suddenly getting jealous of the innocent guy for she thought herself inferior. 'He seems cool, and I am a complete dork. Willow sighed.

Tara heard the red head sigh. "You ok?"

"I'm good," Willow replied. "So how long is this flight going to last?"

"Seventeen hours, plenty of time," Tara replied.

"Plenty of time is good," Willow said. They gazed at each other for quite some time until the sign for seatbelt was turned off. Tara immediately unbuckled her seat belt while Willow didn't touch hers. She didn't want to let go of Tara's kind gesture awhile ago just yet. Tara reached down and brought out a laptop bag from which she pulled a toshiba notebook. She placed the book she was reading inside that bag and Willow saw that it was a copy of the Little Prince, only in french. 'Wow, any gorgeous girl reading Le Petite Prince is to be taken seriously,' Willow thought, admiring the blonde. Tara reached out to lower the table in front of her but the red head beat her to it. She lowered the table for Tara who slowly placed her laptop on top. The blonde smiled her thanks.

"Plenty of time reminds me of the thing I should be doing right now," Tara said as she keyed in the password for her laptop. "I need to fix the PowerPoint presentation."

"You're going to deliver a presentation someplace else?" Willow asked. She wanted to know what the blonde is going to do in Qatar but she thought it might be something private.

"Not me, Oz. He's just too lazy that he asked me to do it," Tara replied as Willow checked for the movies available for their flight.

"Damn! that thing again!" Tara said under her breath. Willow scooted forward to see what's troubling the blonde on the computer screen. She saw five pop ups bearing fake Microsoft Windows warnings.

"It's a virus," Willow diagnosed. It's a frustrating breed but nothing that cannot be managed. It's fairly easy to remove. I don't even need an external program, I can do it manually. In fact, I can do it now." Willow said.

"Really? That's great, Will, I don't know where I got those. They clog up my desktop and they disrupt my work every time one shows up," Tara said as she leaned her body towards the window in order to make room for the red head. The red head filled in the gap to type on the laptop's keyboard. Her shoulder touched Tara's arm lightly and she felt an electric jolt run through her. She looked at Tara in shock who looked simultaneously at her. 'Gosh, did she feel it too? What was it?' Willow thought. The red blushed and looked away from the blonde to focus her eyes on the screen. After several folders opened, none of which Tara knew to be existing on her laptop, Willow found the culprit file and immediately deleted it.

"You're a whiz, aren't you?" Tara said.

"If ever a whiz there was. There, easy as that. You should get an antivirus if you don't have one. Also, stay away from, gaming, gambling, download and porn sites you do not know. Or if you're really into that thing, you might consider getting a mac," Willow said, suppressing her smile.

"Porn? Oh n-no, I never, I mean, there w-was this once, just once, I never thought that c-could infect my computer, I just, RESEARCH! right, just research," Tara explained. Willow noticed that her pretty face is just one shade lighter than her own red hair.

"Hey, it's ok, that happens," Willow winked at the blonde. Tension can be felt in the air between them. Willow didn't mean to embarrass the blonde, and she was sorry to hear the blonde's stutter reappear just when they were getting comfortable with each other. Tara muttered her thanks to the red head without looking at her. She opened her powerpoint file and began working on it. Willow slumped on her seat, suddenly feeling out of place.

'I should really check on my tact, I can give Anya a run for her money,' Willow thought. 'Here is a really nice girl I met barely an hour ago, who saved me from the horror of take-off by holding my hand through out the process, and I'm already offending her by making below the belt jokes. What kind of sick person am I?'

They sat in silence for almost two hours, with Tara tapping away on her laptop, arranging fonts and pictures. Willow was squeezing tightly on the cold, hard, metal armrest of her seat trying to forget about pictures of recent plane crashes she saw on the papers. She missed Tara's hand, and somehow, this cold armrest did nothing to compensate. She remembered what Tara said awhile ago. She needed to get her mind off the flight. Too bad the film scheduled for their flight isn't playing for the next two hours. Willow reached for her laptop bag and felt for the papers inside. She got just enough for what she intends to do and lowered the table in front of her.

Willow contemplated her recent feelings as she proceeded to fold and tear the papers carefully to make their sizes appropriate. She felt a connection to the blonde girl, and that was not because she was kind to Willow. She felt it even before that, when she first saw her blue eyes. Willow's mind invited new feelings, feelings which she cannot explain because she has never experienced them before. To make things even more complicated, Tara is a girl and she's someone Willow will probably never meet again. The red head's stomach jumped at that thought and she pushed those feelings away. She didn't want to waste her seventeen hours with Tara on withdrawal symptoms.

One by one, she folded the papers to make paper cranes. When she was on the verge of doing her fifth, she heard Tara close her laptop.

"Cranes? I never learned how to make one," Tara said, finally speaking to Willow.

"Really? It's easy, easy at that," Willow said as she finished off her fifth crane. "Here, let me see you try," Willow offered Tara a paper. Holding Tara's hand, Willow allowed herself a small amount of courage and guided the blonde's fingers into the proper folds and creases. Whatever she felt whenever she touched the blonde, Willow decide that she liked it. It's somewhere she has never travelled before, yet she never felt more at home. She was just glad that the blonde was talking to her again.

"Sorry for awhile ago, I know a person like you would never watch those kind of things," Willow said shyly.

"Hey, you worried about me getting quiet? I just got embarrassed there, I didn't know what to say. It's not your fault," Tara said as she struggled with her crane. Frustrated, she crumpled the one she was doing and fished out a new piece of paper.

"Yes, it's totally my fault, I shouldn't have said those things, I mean, I barely know you," Willow said, her lips formed into a pout.

"Oh, I d-dont blame you for it. It's n-no big," Tara said. Her happy mood has shifted and Willow detected it from the return of her stutter. She squeezed on the blonde's hand lightly.

"Hey, are you ok, did I say something wrong again?" Willow asked, her forehead knitted into a frown.

"It's n-nothing. I just, why don't we forget about it?" Tara said as she did her best impression of a smile. Willow nodded and rested her back on her seat wondering what she might have said to offend the blonde a second time. The stewardesses of the plane began moving about in carts asking for dinner preferences from the passengers. The man next to Willow didn't wake up, so when it was their turn to be asked, only Willow and Tara answered. The red head chose chicken while the blonde chose fish. Tara carefully placed the papers from which she attempted to make cranes on her lap and placed her food on her table while Willow did the same. They ate in silence for a while until Tara spoke.

"Willow, can I have some of your olives?" Tara asked, pointing her fork to the olives in Willow's dish.

"What? Oh sure, take them all, I never liked them anyway. None of the people I know liked them either, well, except Buffy, but now atleast now I know two people who do," Willow replied.

"Who's Buffy? Is Buffy a person?" Tara asked as she transferred the olives to her meal.

"Yeah, she is, and she's my best friend," Willow replied. Tara could no longer contain her laughter and she let it all out.

"No offense, but, what kind of name is that? Is that a nickname?" Tara asked.

"None taken, and it's not a nickname. Her name is indeed Buffy and I know it's funny but I have no right to judge seeing as my name is Willow," Willow laughed with Tara.

The pair talked about a lot of things during the entire meal, with Willow doing most of the talking part. Tara willingly listened to the red head as she told her about her friends, and most of all, something she doesn't tell just anyone: what she wants to become someday.

"So Buffy, she seems cool, but not in a mean girl type of way. Why wasn't she popular at school? Tara asked as she finished her dessert.

"Mostly because she hung out with me," Willow replied.

"I can see that," Tara said. Willow furrowed her brow at what the blonde said. She wasn't sure if she heard it right.

"Relax," Tara said as she run a thumb across Willow's forehead to ease the frown there. "I mean, I could see why she didn't choose to be popular, having a great person like you to hang out with."

"I'm not so sure with the great, but thanks," Willow smiled at Tara. "Plus, Buffy's gay. She wouldn't give all those backstreet boys clone jocks at school a second glance."

"Oh, is she?" Tara said and paused. After a few moments, she finally asked, "Are you two-" Willow didn't even let her finish that question as she answered right away.

"Oh no, no, don't even think that. We've been best friends before she converted. Plus, I'm not her type, she likes athletic women. She's with Faith," Willow answered as a stewardess began to collect their food containers.

"Faith? The brunette girl you told me about?" Tara asked as she handed the stewardess her left overs.

"Yup, I have a picture of them here," Willow fished out her wallet from her bag. She took a photo of the three of them together. They were all smiles, with Buffy in the middle of them, her arms around the two. Faith was wearing a black tank top with her hair down. Buffy was wearing a rainbow colored sleeveless shirt and Willow, a green peasant top. Snow White was next to the red head.

"That's when we went to Disneyland three months ago," Willow said pointing to Snow White.

"Buffy's pretty, and Faith too, they look good together," Tara said as she handed the photo back to Willow. The red head replaced it in her wallet and relaxed on her seat.

"So, you want to be a missionary after college?" Tara asked.

"Yeah, but not a religious missionary, more of a missionary for education. I want to teach kids from poor countries. My mom was totally against it, and most of the people I tell. When I began to volunteer for tutoring kids from the slums for free, she said it was a waste of my time. She told me that she was not going to pay to send me to college only to teach kids in far flung countries for free. You know, volunteers seldom get paid," Willow said.

"That's because they're priceless, Will." Tara smiled at Willow and the red head was grateful for that. "Plus, the amount of time you waste on something is what makes that thing special." Tara touched Willows hand, "Sorry, I've just read the Little Prince again."

"So, you don't think I'm being impractical?" Willow asked.

"I think, that you, Willow, are the most sensible person I ever met," Tara squeezed Willow's hand. The red heads face was a thousand watts brighter and they smiled at each other for quite some time.

The white screen in front of them lit up and a movie's opening credits began to show.

"What movie's on?" Tara asked Willow as she slipped on her headphones. Willow, however, didn't.

"Nothing good, just cheesy stuff," Willow said. Tara remained positive and hoped for the best.

Willow picked up her bag and felt it. When she couldn't feel for what she was looking for, she began a frantic search for it.

"Oh no," Willow said under her breath.

"What is it?" Tara said as she dropped her headphones to her shoulder.

"I couldn't find the book I brought. I couldn't sleep without a story," Willow said desperately.

"Why not watch the movie, it's not so bad," Tara suggested.

"No, no visuals for me, it snatches sleepiness out of my eyes." Willow answered.

"How about you borrow my book?" Tara offered.

"It's in french," Willow said.

"Oh, sorry," Tara said. Her forehead was creased as she thought of alternatives. "I know, how about I tell you a story?"

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to disturb you, I mean, that's too imposing," Willow said. 'But I'll really like it,' she thought.

"Come on, it could be a fun. I wouldn't take no for an answer," Tara said, and frowned. "Unless, y-you don't w-want to hear a lame story from me."

"I do!," Willow said rather too enthusiastically. "and I'm sure it won't be lame."

Tara gave Willow another one of her half grin. She tapped the shoulder that was right next to the red head and smiled again. Willow was confused for awhile, she didn't want to assume that the blonde was inviting her to lean on her shoulder. But Tara looked like she was waiting, and she didn't want to make Tara wait any longer. Willow closed her eyes and leaned on Tara's shoulder. She had expected her body to be stiff and unsure of the line it was crossing. Instead, as soon as her head touched the curve of the blonde's shoulder, it melted, it fitted. As if the terrain of the blonde's shoulder was forever waiting for this day. As if the skin on Willow's cheek was looking forward to this moment for a lifetime. When the red head felt cold, Tara's body responded immediately, with the blonde wrapping her arm around Willow's shoulder. Nobody spoke for a while, and there, several thousands of miles above sea level, Willow felt that she was falling.

"Once upon a time, there was a, uhm," Tara paused, thinking, "a kitty, she was very little." Willow smiled and nodded, urging the blonde to go on, "and she was all alone and nobody wanted her."

"This is a very upsetting story," Willow commented.

"Oh, it gets better, 'cause one day the kitty was running around on the street and a man came and swooped her up and took her to the pound. And at the pound there were lots of other kittens, and there were puppies, and some ferrets," Tara said, looking down at the semi-sleeping red head.

"Were there dolphins? Willow asked.

"Yes. Many Dolphins at the pound," Tara answered.

"Was there a camel?" Willow inquired. Tara stopped for a while to think of an amusing reply.

"There was a front of a camel. A half camel," Tara said smiling, Willow smiled with her.

"Did the kitty get chosen by some nice people?" Willow said while stifling a yawn.

"Well, now you've ruined the ending. There was a whole exciting middle part with the French Resistance," Tara nudged her shoulder a little and Willow laughed softly.

"I'm sleepy," Willow declared with a yawn.

"Then sleep, my beauty," Tara said, but Willow failed to hear the last two words as she was already in slumber land. Tara was amused at how fast the red head fell asleep. She watched the sleeping red head for a while, with both the feelings of comfort and fear. She was both proud and angry of herself for her actions. Proud that she was able to do what she would be too shy to do otherwise, angry that she was giving herself hope over a stranger that she would probably never meet again. Then a new feeling came over, shame. She was ashamed that she was holding the sleeping red head while her thoughts were already crossing the line. Carefully, she removed her arm from around Willow but kept her head in its original place.

'She's so beautiful, and fragile, I want to take care of her,'
Tara thought. 'And her eyes, I have never seen such green eyes, telling me that there is still a lot to know inside that small package,' She wanted to know more about the red head, a part of her wanted to wake her up and get her talking about herself again, but a part of her wanted to cherish her last few hours with Willow. The fear she had since she first saw Willow's green eyes has already manifested itself. She allowed herself to be tamed by this nice stranger, and now she must learn to slowly let go. Tara's tired head could no longer process the cognitive dissonance and she allowed herself the liberty to rest her head upon Willow's and close her eyes.

For almost two hours, the two rested like that. Willow's hand somehow found a way to Tara's fingers in the dark and they lay beside each other, sleeping soundly inside the quiet plane. People around them went about their business, some busily tapping on computer keys, some going to the bathrooms and others, sleeping. A baby cried every now and then but nothing disturbed the peace written on the foreheads of these two strangers who met on the fateful flight.

Tara awoke a few minutes later for no reason at all and feeling refreshed. She glanced at the red head who was still sleeping with her head on the blonde's shoulder and she allowed her to remain so. Tara carefully reached down for the unfinished cranes she was attempting to form, with Willow's guidance, earlier. She unfolded them and smoothed the creases out. She fished out a pen from her pocket and began to write.





Dear Willow,

Thank you for a very memorable plane ride. I hope you can face your next ones as bravely as you did on this. It was nice meeting you Willow, too bad I had to meet you on a seventeen-hour ride, but I guess it was better that not meeting you at all. Good luck on your life and I hope you have a happy one. :)


Tara




P.S.
Will you do me a favor? Please forget about me.






Tara put her pen down and stared at the note. The last sentence was hard to write but it was necessary. Tara wanted to include her email address, but decided against it. She didn't want to hope and wait for Willow to write to her. She thought that the red head wouldn't take her seriously and she didn't want to get hurt again. She didn't even include a surname. 'It's better that I don't know hers and she doesn't know mine,' Tara thought.

Tara folded the paper once again into a crane, this time trying really hard to form the said figure. After several attempts she did it, and she wrote on the wing of the bird: Open me.

Tara sighed and cleared her head for a few minutes. There was another film showing in the screen as the other one was finished hours ago, but Tara took no interest in it. Her eyes were focused only on the red head sleeping next to her. Just then, she heard the pilot speak on the microphone.

"Cabin crew, prepare for landing." The sign for the seat belt went on and Tara buckled hers. She turned to check on Willow but saw that the red head never removed her seat belt in the first place. She straightened out both of their tables so that the roaming stewardess would not need to remind her and hence disturb Willow's sleep. When everything was in order, she felt the plane slowly decline. Instinctively she reached for the hand of the red head. It would appear that she was comforting Willow but Tara was really comforting herself. She forgot to tell Willow that she was also a chicken-shit for flights.

As Tara felt the plane go lower and lower, she counted down the minutes that she can still hold Willow, let alone see her. She heard the plane touch down, speed up the runway and eventually halt to a stop. Willow never awoke into the entire ordeal and Tara though that it was better. She no longer had to say goodbye physically. When the pilot lifted the sign for seat belts, Tara carefully lay Willow's head upon the head rest. She opened the red head's hand softly and placed the paper crane inside and closed her fingers over it. Then, with her laptop bag in hand, she quietly slipped away from her seat to get her other luggage from the over head bins. She was one of the first people to get out of the plane.

When Willow awoke, almost half of the people inside the plane were gone. She looked towards the window but the blonde too was gone, worse, so was her bag. Willow panicked and she felt something inside her fist. She opened it and saw that it was a paper crane.

"Tara," Willow said under her breath. She turned the crane over and read the message written on the wing.

'Open Me'

Willow did just that, quickly, but carefully unfolding the origami. She saw Tara's note and read it, her eyes almost in tears when she finished.

'Forget about her? How can I?! After all the things she did,'
Willow thought. 'She wishes me a happy life! A life without her?'

Willow placed the note neatly on her pocket. She picked up her bag and quickly stood up. The man next to Willow was gone but the red head didn't notice. She ran quickly down the aisle towards the open door, thinking that she could still keep up with Tara. A steward positioned at the door thanked her for flying with them and she replied, "I don't even know her last name!" to the very confused cabin crew.

'What will I tell my grandchildren someday? That when their grandma was seventeen she met the nicest lady ever in a plane ride to Qatar and they could have had something special that would last a lifetime but she lost her forever because she was so busy sleeping?' Willow chastised herself. She reached the airport and began to search frantically for the blonde but she was nowhere insight. Willow tripped in the midst of running, and, defeated, she didn't pick herself up. Her body began to shake and she allowed herself to cry in the middle of the crowded airport.

A few moments later, with her downcast eyes, she saw a pair of feet walk up to her and heard a familiar voice speak.


"Hey you,"


Willow looked up.


"Thought I was gone forever?"


____

TBC

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In your most frail gesture are things which enclose me or which I cannot touch because they are too near. ~ e.e.cummings

"Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, hindi magbabago ang damdamin."

"The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people."


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 8:31 am 
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10. Troll Hammer
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aww, cute

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:50 am 
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Pleasee update, that was wonderful. :pray


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:23 pm 
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8. Vixen
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Really neat start. Very well written and such a cute story! I needed a pick-me-up today, thank you.
Hope you willl update soon!

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:47 pm 
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11. Fish in the Bowl
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oooh I like this! You're scaring me with that statement about not finishing fics, though...

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:33 pm 
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4. Extra Flamey

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Please update this is a very good story you should continue it :pinky


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 4:33 pm 
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3. Flaming O

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I will be writing the update, just not today.

I just turned seventeen today! :pinky

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"Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, hindi magbabago ang damdamin."

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:16 pm 
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2. Floating Rose

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awww happy birthday and great fic btw. Keep up the good work

cheers :balloons

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:45 pm 
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11. Fish in the Bowl
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Happy birthday then! :pride

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:10 pm 
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6. Sassy Eggs
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY sweet seventeen :pinky :pinky

will you update soon please?
it was so cute :blush
hope there will be :wtkiss soon


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 11:40 pm 
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Lovely story regardless of whether there is a continuation or not.
There is no ambiguity in the Kitten universe here on Pens as we know Willow and Tara share a union which is impenetrable to even the slightest hint that it will all end in tears.

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 6:03 am 
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3. Flaming O

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There will be a continuation, don't you worry. I don't have classes on Monday and Wednesday, ergo, I have plenty of time in my hands so beware. But there will be no :wtkiss, atleast not yet. The course of true love never did run smooth.

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In your most frail gesture are things which enclose me or which I cannot touch because they are too near. ~ e.e.cummings

"Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, hindi magbabago ang damdamin."

"The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people."


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 2:00 pm 
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Good story so far... update-y goodness soon?

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:04 am 
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I wasn't able to update my other fic because I was writing this.

Title: The Room Key (keeping the Nicholas Sparks fashion)

Author: Surpanakha

Feedback: Yes please, I know that I almost never finish anything I start so please, feedback can help me finish, please help me finish this.

Distribution: It's okay but do inform me

Spoilers: None

Rating: G but hopefully it will escalate later on to the steamier levels

Pairing: WT

Disclaimer: The usual, I do not own the original BTVS characters for they belong to Joss Whedon, ME and others who could have handled them well if they wanted to.

Science projects mentioned in this chapter are properties of Philippine Science High School.

Summary: I'll put some later because I don't want to spoil anyone.

Notes: Thoughts are in italics

___________________________________________________________

Part II

"Hey you,"

Willow looked up.

"Thought I was gone forever?"

"Mr. Harris," Willow whispered as she looked at the man before her. Her Chemistry teacher was wearing a pair of black slacks over some comfortable looking leather shoes. He had a brown leather jacket on and a blue backpack was swinging on his left shoulder. Willow noticed that his dark hair was freshly cut into a boyish shape. He has a smug smile on his face which the red head would consider in any other given time to be his natural look. But due to the gravity of Willow's current situation, she saw that smile to be sarcasm, and he wanted to punch him out cold. Mr. Harris held up a hand and helped Willow stand up.

"Why didn't you come to our booked flight, sir?" Willow asked.

"I realized I forgot to get my hair done, I had to rush to a barbershop," Mr. Harris explained.

"You should have called earlier at least, sir, I delayed an entire aircraft," Willow said.

"I think I should apologize for that. But you got to admit it, I'm brilliant. I was able to book another flight at the last minute, and my plane arrived ten minutes earlier than yours. You're the late one," Mr. Harris poked Willow with his index finger and laughed. Willow considered punching him again. "After I've arrived and learned that your plane was delayed, I decided I'll wait for you so we can check in together for the connecting flight."

"So, we are going to be together for the flight to India?" Willow asked.

"You could say that out of my brilliantness, or is that brilliantful?" Mr. Harris said as he began walking. Willow followed him, her laptop bag now on her right shoulder.

"What were you doing on the floor anyway, Rosenberg?" Mr. Harris asked.

"I tripped," Willow kept the details to herself.

"Yup, ha ha, saw you there," said Mr. Harris, laughing. Willow, however, did not laugh with him. "But what were you running for? Our connecting flight isn't boarding yet for the next four hours."

The two continued walking. Mr. Harris seems to have a goal destination but Willow was merely allowing her feet to take her wherever, her mind was quite someplace else. She was grateful her teacher didn't see her crying.

"What do you say we grab a bite to eat? My treat, since I delayed your flight?" Mr. Harris turned to ask Willow.

"What? uh-okay, I guess," the red head was surprised that Mr. Harris suddenly turned and talked to her.

The pair resumed walking, with the older guy thinking about were to eat and the teenager making a promise to herself.

'I will find you, Tara, no matter what, I will find you.'

________________________________________________________________________________

'I hope she doesn't find me,' Tara thought despite of herself. She was reminded that she and Willow might still be on the same side of the airport and she didn't want Willow to spot her. She just let the red head go and it would be too hard to do it again. At that thought, Tara walked impossibly faster without running and she dropped her head so that a curtain of blonde hair would cover her face. 'But of course, that statement would only be valid if Willow looks for me at all,' she thought and sighed.

"Hey, Miss Maclay, Miss Maclay! Wait up!" a seventeen year old boy shouted towards a blonde head as he tried with his short legs to add big strides to his running. His backpack was swinging violently behind him and his huge headphones were around his neck. Tara heard her name being called and turned just in time as the boy caught up to her, and bumped to him.

Oh, sorry Oz, are you hurt?" Tara asked as she rubbed Oz's arms, searching for injuries.

"I'm okay, ma'am, but are you okay? You left me inside the plane, I told you to wait for me but it seems that you didn't hear me, you hurriedly left," Oz told his Biology teacher.

"I'm so s-sorry Oz, I guess I was thinking of something else entirely, I didn't hear you, If I did, I would never leave y-you," Tara stared sincerely at her student.

"I know you wouldn't Miss Maclay," Oz said. He noticed her teacher's stutter return. He didn't want her nice teacher to get uncomfortable. Tara was the only teacher he ever liked, the only one who was ever patient and nice to him. He owed a part of it to the fact that Tara was a fresh graduate.

"It's okay, ma'am, no harm done," Oz flashed Tara a smile. He offered his hand to carry some of Tara's hand luggage and Tara gave him her laptop bag. "So, when is our next flight?"

Tara checked her watch and adjusted it to the clock she found on the airport lobby. "Not for another four hours," she answered.

"Good, I'm starving, I didn't even touch what they gave us at the plane. I think I saw a McDonald's over there, why don't we grab something?" Oz suggested.

"Sure thing, Oz," Tara answered. She felt how hungry she was just then. Oz made to move and Tara followed him. "I heard that this airport has wifi, then maybe you can help me fix that presentation of yours."

________________________________________________________________________________

"So, Rosenberg, have you fixed your PowerPoint presentation?" Mr. Harris asked in between gulps of his whopper burger. They sat in the middle of a busy Burger King store inside the airport. The teacher was almost finished with his meal while Willow hasn't even touched hers.

"I have, I finished it two weeks ago," the usually talkative Willow said straightforwardly. She sipped her coke which tasted bland.

"Good, 'cause you know I can't help you there. I'm a Chemistry teacher, and it's a Computer Science project you got there which I know nothing about," Mr. Harris said as he wiped his lips with a paper napkin. Just then, he started unwrapping his second burger.

Willow is going to give a presentation of her research project in a science convention in India. The theme of the convention is about ecological conservation. What she made was a computer program that can efficiently measure algae growth in lakes and match these levels to a recommended solution so that fish and other living things can thrive in these bodies of water. Her own Computer Science teacher accompanied another student who chose to go to a convention in Switzerland, while none of the others in the Com Sci department of her school were available for a three-week convention. Willow, being a minor, could not go alone, and the only available chaperon for her is her Chemistry teacher Alexander Harris.

Willow decided she was hungry after all, and unwrapped her fish burger. She didn't pay much attention to her teacher, as she was thinking of ways of how she can find Tara, if she doesn't even know her last name. Of course she can look up Tara on the internet, but the blonde had a normal name, she was sure there are millions of Taras all over the web, and only one of them is hers. 'If she only had been given my name, or Buffy's! I'm sure there is no other Buffy on earth, then it'll be easier to find her,' Willow thought. Moments later, her face lit up with a sudden idea.

"Hey, Mr. Harris, can I ask you a question?" Willow asked.

"You just did," Mr. Harris answered and laughed. Willow, however, dismissed that and proceeded to her inquiry.

"Is there a way that I can know the names of the passengers in a flight? I mean, is that information available in a database for the public to see?" Willow asked. She chewed on her burger, her favorite kind, which suddenly tasted bland.

"Data-what?" Mr. Harris asked, puzzled. "I'm not so sure about the being available to the public because that information might be confidential, but I do bet they keep records in computers."

'Of course they do. But what if it is not accessible to the general crowd? How can I look up Tara's name?' Willow bit her lip and thought hard. Mr. Harris was scrutinizing her, still puzzled by the question she just asked. He was surprised when Willow slapped herself hard on the head.

"And I call myself a hacker! Gosh, I made my first computer virus when I was eleven, and here am I, thinking that a confidential database might be a problem?" Willow told herself and beamed at the idea.

"What?" Mr. Harris asked, his brow furrowed. The people around them stared at Willow because of her loud confession about making a computer virus.

"Nothing, Mr. Harris. I'm sorry, please continue with your meal," Willow said in a civil manner. Inwardly, she was shouting for joy. 'I can't believe I didn't think of hacking into the airline database earlier! There is still hope after all!' Willow thought.

________________________________________________________________________________

"Who would have thought there's still hope for me after all?" Oz said as he sipped his slur-pee. Half a double cheeseburger remained unwrapped in front of him. Next to his meal was his teacher's Toshiba laptop where the blonde was working on.

"Huh?" Tara asked as she surfed for pictures of squid on the web. Oz's research project was the feasibility of making semi-degradable plastic from squid pen. It started out as what Oz thought to be a trivial idea when they were eating lunch together at the school. The cafeteria served squid and Oz bit hard on the plastic like things inside their heads. The major requirement for Tara's Biology class that year was a research project and Oz made a joke of finding a research topic out of squid heads. Tara, however, took his word for it and got him worked up the entire school year. At first Oz was repulsive, he does not like school so the thought of extra work was not welcome. In spite of himself, Oz found himself liking research after a few weeks and Tara discovered that he has the talent for it. Oz was a musician, and he had missed several of his band's practices while working on the project. Th pair even worked during the summer and they have finished it just in time for a December convention they were targeting to join.

"Sorry Miss Maclay, I was just thinking aloud," Oz said as he popped some fries into his mouth.

"No, tell me about it," Tara said as she stopped what she was doing and leaned in towards Oz to listen. The teenager liked that about his teacher. No matter how of great consequence whatever she was doing, she would always stop to listen. Nothing is too trivial, or too unimportant to merit her attention.

"I just never thought about these things before, you know, joining conventions. I mean, these things are reserved for the smart ones," Oz admitted. Tara moved to touch his hand and squeezed it.

"Hey, you're smart, who said you aren't?" Tara smiled and resumed tapping keys.

"Miss Maclay, I have a band. I basically live at Devon's basement, writing music sheets and practicing. My fingers graze guitar strings, not books," Oz said sincerely.

"Then what made you so good at research?" Tara supported her head with her hands and looked Oz.

"I guess, research is not like studying, well of course it's still studying, just, different," Oz answered.

"Different how?" the blonde prodded. Oz sighed but smiled inwardly. No detail can escape her Biology teacher.

"I think, it's not like studying in the sense that research is the real thing, I mean, I'm actually creating something. Unlike studying at school where we sit around on hard wooden chairs reading about other people doing their stuff, here, I am the one doing the stuff. Pretty much like music. You can sit around with your iPod and listen to the music of other people, but it's not as fulfilling as-" Oz never got around to finishing his speech as Tara did that for him.

"Making your own. I get it Oz," Tara said and smiled at her student. The blonde thought the boy was finished until he spoke again a few moments later.

"I have never undergone so much change all my life. I think I am a good enough guitarist, and I thought that that's the place the world intended for me, I just never thought I could do something entirely different, and I have you to thank for that, Miss Maclay," Oz said, choosing his words carefully. He was not someone who can put words to his feelings easily, let alone say them out aloud, he is a boy after all.

"I appreciate you saying this, Oz. How else can I know if I have done my job properly," Tara said and smiled. After a few seconds, she added, "Good! one down, 999 other students to go." Tara laughed and Oz laughed with her.

Tara swallowed several spoonfuls of her salad when Oz once again broke the silence.

"So, how exactly are we getting to our final destination?" Oz asked.

"Our connecting flight takes us to Pune, a bus will be waiting for us there which will take us to Vidya Pratishthan, I don't know how to pronounce that one, that's our final destination," Tara replied.

"Sounds like a plan," Oz said, not knowing what to say.

"Oh, you better recharge your iPod," Tara said offering her laptop to Oz. "The bus ride is going to take two hours."

________________________________________________________________________________

"Two hours?!" Willow said, exasperated but careful enough to keep the adjective 'fucking' unheard by her chaperone. They were seating in the airport's waiting area at gate 11. It's two hours to go before their eight-hour connecting flight to India, and Willow has just learned from Mr. Harris that they still have a two hour bus ride to take before they reach their final destination. The red head's butt ached from all that sitting down. She had been in a bad mood since Tara left and certainly, knowing that they were only halfway through their journey did nothing to amend it. Willow stood up, deciding that she needs a drink.

"I'll go over the the vending machine I saw not far from here to get a drink, sir," Willow informed Mr. Harris. "Do you want something?" Willow added only for courtesy's sake.

"No thanks, Rosenberg. But don't walk of too far and don't take too long," Mr. Harris replied as he resumed reading the book he brought.

Willow walked down the tiled floor of the waiting area. Since her flight from New York, she hasn't seen a non-Arabic looking person around her. She turned a corner and followed the path to the vending machine which she has memorized awhile ago. She was surprised to see a short white guy already in front of the machine, struggling to put his dollar bill inside. Every time he puts one in the machine just returns it.

"You have to turn it over," Willow said finally. The man turned to look at her, surprised to hear someone speak English with an American accent.

"Oh, do I?" he replied and he did just as the red head instructed. His dollar was received in no time. Willow glanced at the glass display of the machine. Only one can of Sprite was left and Willow desperately thirsting for the clear carbonated drink. She hoped that the boy didn't just buy it. Maybe it just wasn't her lucky day, or maybe destiny indeed despised her that the can of soda in question was now at the hands of the boy in front of her.

"Thanks," the boy said without taking his eyes off Willow. He noticed that the red head's eyes are focused on the soda he is holding.

"Oh, did you want to buy this?" the boy said. "Here, you can have it," he said, offering it to Willow.

"No, it's okay, I think I'll have the possible coke zero right now," Willow declined but smiled at his kind gesture.

"No, it's okay really. The possible coke zero sounds more thirst quenching right now," the boy didn't wait for Willow's response as he inserted another dollar bill into the vending machine.

"Thanks," Willow said. The incredible niceness of this stranger reminds her yet of another stranger, one she was instructed to forget.

"You look familiar. Do I know you?" Willow asked the boy as they drank from their respective cans.

"I'm sure that this is the first time I met you. Maybe you're on my facebook or something," the boy suggested.

"No, I don't have an account on any of those, maybe you just look like someone I know," Willow said. She was certain that her brain power can do better than that, however, her brain has been pre-occupied with a certain blonde that she didn't even make an effort to locate any memory of this stranger. However nice this man was there's only one nice stranger for Willow, and she is not around anymore.

"I-I need to go, thank you for this," Willow said as she turned away from the man in haste to conceal the tears pooling around her eyes. The red head began to walk fast and heard the boy shout before her.

"Hey, what's your name?" the boy asked.

"It's Willow!" the red head replied without looking back.

"Nice name," the boy shouted. "Mine's Daniel! Daniel Osbourne!" the boy shouted as the red head disappeared around the corner. "If that helps," he muttered to himself and took the walk back from where he came from.
________

TBC

I promise WT will meet soon.

_________________
In your most frail gesture are things which enclose me or which I cannot touch because they are too near. ~ e.e.cummings

"Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, hindi magbabago ang damdamin."

"The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people."


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:17 am 
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19. Yummy Face
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Yay for good update-y goodness... So Willow and Tara are going to the same convention... I guess they would be roommates where :wtkiss ensues...

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 9:20 am 
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6. Sassy Eggs
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Hey there,

Very interesting premise for a story. I like the strangers on a plane approach. I didn't immediately realize that Willow was a high school student and certainly didn't gather than Tara was a teacher. I'm curious how you will handle the storyline because of the student/teacher angle.

Looking forward to what unfolds next.


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 4:23 pm 
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Yay!! You updated! and I just knew from the way you ended the first part that the person that found Willow on the floor wasn't Tara. It's too early to be that lucky. ;-)

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 2:03 am 
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8. Vixen
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Aww, would have been too easy if it had been Tara waiting for Willow there... I did hope for that but it's better this way.
But isn't it kinda weird that Tara, as Oz's teacher, compiles his PP presentation? And if Willow is 17, just how old is Tara?
Too funny that Willow and Tara never talked about whether they are staying in Qatar. Can't wait for them to see each other again.
:smash

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 3:36 am 
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Zampsa1975- I can't reveal whether you're right or wrong just yet.

ophelia11
- Thank you for saying that you haven't noticed that Tara is a teacher and Willow a student. I was striving for that.

singgirl- Very clever hunch you have there.

WillowRulez
- great questions from a very observant reader. First of all, Tara didn't entirely compile Oz's presentation. If you read again, you would find that Tara was simply arranging the pictures and fonts. There is a reason for that. It was revealed in the second chapter that Oz hated studying but liked research, that's because research is like the practical part of studying. He hated the technicality and rules of studying and loved the freedom brought about by research. He made his own presentation but contests and conventions have standards as to these power point presentations and Tara was merely arranging it to fit these standards. Oz wouldn't want to bother about the technical stuff.

Second, how old is Tara? All I can say now is that she's a fresh grad and pretty bright when she was a student so she's not that old, but still older than Willow.

Third, you told me that it was too funny that Willow and Tara never talked about their destinations. It is, it was difficult for me to write that part too. But they cannot talk about it because then they will know that they're going to be together for three weeks and then there will be no story in that. So I have to think of a way. I think I mentioned in the fic that Willow had wanted to ask Tara what she's going to do in Qatar but got too shy as it was early on in the conversation. Then, when they got comfortable with each other, Willow forgot about it as they began to talk about the trivial stuff, you know, stuff you only talk about with your friends and people you really trust. Plus, it was mentioned that Tara thought that not knowing each other's surnames would be better for them. So I have deduced from Tara's line of thinking that she also wanted to know where Willow was going but thought that it was better if she didn't.

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In your most frail gesture are things which enclose me or which I cannot touch because they are too near. ~ e.e.cummings

"Malayong lupain, amin mang marating, hindi magbabago ang damdamin."

"The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people."


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 6:17 am 
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I'm absolutely loving this story! It's so sweet!
I love the way you write and how you have thought of all these clever coincidences. It shows that you have given it a lot of devotion.
I especially liked that Tara told Willow the good old kitty story. I've always loved that.

I'm also very curious about the title. I like the sound of it; Willow and Tara...and a room key...alone...smoochies...touching...okey, stopping now!

Can't wait for more :D

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Last edited by amazon on Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:17 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 11:37 pm 
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I am loving this story so far. Can't wait to see Tara's reaction when she realizes her and Willow are heading to the same place. I also hope Oz doesn't try and come between Willow and Tara.

Keep the updates coming.


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:37 am 
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Location: Philippines
Title: The Room Key (keeping the Nicholas Sparks fashion)

Author: Surpanakha

Feedback: Yes please, I know that I almost never finish anything I start so please, feedback can help me finish, please help me finish this.

Distribution: It's okay but do inform me

Spoilers: None

Rating: G but hopefully it will escalate later on to the steamier levels

Pairing: WT

Disclaimer: The usual, I do not own the original BTVS characters for they belong to Joss Whedon, ME and others who could have handled them well if they wanted to.

Summary: I'll put some later because I don't want to spoil anyone.

Notes: Don't ask me how come Tara and Willow are on different flights if they are going to the same place, that happened to me in real life.

Also, I just found out that it's hard to write two fics at the same time. Many times during the process, I forget which fic I'm currently writing for. But I do enjoy it!

____________________

Part III



"Nice name," Oz shouted. "Mine's Daniel! Daniel Osbourne!" the boy shouted as the red head disappeared around the corner. "If that helps," he muttered to himself and took the walk back from where he came from.

Willow continued to walk without turning back. She held the soft drink can to her chest like a prized possession, she, however, imagined Tara giving the Sprite to her, not the nice man he just met.

'Nice name, nice name,' Willow thought, echoing the young man's voice inside their head. 'My name's more than nice! Tara told me it was pretty, she told me..'

Willow tried to suppress yet another flood of tears threatening to come out. She neared Mr. Harris and saw him reading an american tabloid. She slumped down on the seat next to him.

"What's the matter?" Mr. Harris asked, his eyes still focused on what he's reading.

"Nothing, where did you get that, sir?" Willow asked, referring to the tabloid.

"I brought it with me, did you know that Ozzy Osbourne got arrested yesterday?" Mr. Harris asked.

'Like I care,' Willow thought. Then, immediately, her eyes popped.

"Who did you say got arrested?" Willow asked.

"Ozzy, Ozzy Osbourne," Mr. Harris answered. His fingers flipped to another page.

"Ozzy Os-, fuckin' hell!" Willow exclaimed, shocked at her stupidity. Mr. Harris stared at her wide eyed, as well as the other passengers waiting to board their plane at gate 11.

"Honestly, Rosenberg, can't you settle for a less obscene expression?" Mr. Harris said, irritated.

"Sorry, uh, holy macaroni?" Willow offered.

"Never mind," Mr. Harris said. He stood up and pocketed his newspaper. "I'm going to the bathroom, watch over our things and don't do anything out of your character."

"I understand, sir," Willow nodded her approval. However, once Mr. Harris turned his back on her, she began hitting herself. Just when she thought that she can't get anymore stupid, she kept proving herself wrong.

'Oh my gosh! His name is Daniel Osbourne, naturally, his nickname would be Oz! Like Bill for William and Dick for Richard! He's Oz! That's why he was so familiar, I saw him on the plane! I can't believe how stupid I can get! Another chance of getting to Tara and I blew it!' Willow thought as her feet began to stomp on the floor. People all around her began to stare, some mothers are already leading their children to a direction not near the red head. When Mr. Harris came back, he found the red head jumping up and down,

"Rosenberg! Rosenberg!" Mr. Harris said, putting his hands on the red head's shoulders and steadying her. "What's the matter with you? What are you doing? We're in another country, don't embarrass me here!" Mr. Harris glared at Willow. Once the red head sat down, he addressed the other people in the waiting area. "She's okay, she's okay, I got her under control." He sat down beside Willow.

"Why do you say that?" the red head said behind gritted teeth.

"Say what?" Mr. Harris asked.

"Keeping me under your control, like I'm some sort of maniac," the red head replied. Willow stared at her hands on her lap, now formed into fists.

"'Cause you're acting like one now, what's up with you Rosenberg? Did flying alone gave you trauma? 'Cause if I had known beforehand, I never would have made that trip to the barbershop."

'Oh, you have no idea,' Willow thought.

"Now sit down, we got an hour 'til our flight," Mr. Harris said, and unfolded his newspaper once again. "Be still," he added.

'Yeah, be still, Willow Rosenberg. For in another area of this airport, Tara is sitting like you are, and she's with Daniel- Mr. Nice-but-can't-fix-his-own-powerpoint-Osbourne, not you, because you're busy being stupid! What happened to good study habits? What happened to concentration, to long term memory? She swept you away with her blue eyes, her half grin, her stories! Then she leaves you and wants you to forget about her? Where is your brain Willow? You left it in New York, you should have brought it with you, brains are important, you know,' Willow chastised herself. The red head sighed, yes, she was angry at herself for letting another opportunity go, but even more angry at Tara, for leaving her hanging in the air. She sorted through her situation and what had transpired between her and Tara in the plane.

'Tara's not at fault, how dare I expect something from her. She's just probably nice to everybody. She told me to forget about her, that's the only thing she asked,' Willow thought. 'Maybe that's just what I got to do, forget.'
______________________________________



"Forget it, Oz," Tara said, exasperated.

"Oh, come on Miss Maclay, it won't take me long," Oz tried to reason with his Biology teacher.

"No, you said that you were only going to get a soft drink, you took an hour, I can't let you go again, our plane is boarding in 30 minutes," Tara replied firmly. "Where did you go anyway, and why do you want to come back? When we get inside the plane we'll immediately request for drinks."

"I went to the vending machine at the other side of the airport to stretch my legs. I can't sit down for another minute, Miss Maclay, my bum is burning," Oz said as he motioned to his buttocks to illustrate. Tara laughed at the antics of her student.

"I'm not asking you to sit down, you can stand up as you like, just, remain here. Why do you want to go back specifically to that vending machine anyway?" Tara asked, suspicious.

"Nothing," Oz replied.

"Tell me the truth," Tara said, teasing.

"Okay, I met this girl, I want to go looking for her," Oz said as he slumped down the seat next to Tara. His teacher was like that, able to get information out of people without even trying. 'Maybe she should opt for a career as a police interrogator instead,' Oz thought.

"Arab?" Tara asked.

"Nope, Red hair, New York accent," Oz said. Tara's eyes widened for she already knew who the girl was. 'So she's still in this airport,' Tara thought.

"Where did you see her?" Tara asked, now sounding serious.

"Down by the vending machine, near gate 14," Oz replied. Tara almost stood up, she almost did, but she had second thoughts. Willow knew who Oz was, she pointed him to her when they were on the plane. If Willow had wanted to see her, she would have come with Oz. She was right indeed to never include her email in her letter to Willow, she was right never to have hope.

"What did she say?" Tara asked, curious if the red head made any mention of her.

"Not much, I managed to get her name though, before she ran away," Oz said, sighing.

"What's her name," Tara said, gazing at her student.

"Willow, nice name, huh?" Oz said, smiling.

"I say pretty," Tara said, looking down at her lap.

"Yeah, as she is pretty," Oz agreed.

"I say beautiful," Tara replied.

______________________________



"She's so beautiful," Willow commented at a picture of Sarah Ramirez. She had decided to forget Tara, and to help her with that, she borrowed Mr. Harris tabloid to take her mind of things, as Tara suggested.

'Goddess, even in trying to forget her I follow her advice,' Willow thought, not believing how she's been acting for the last few hours.

"She's fat," Mr. Harris said, glancing at the picture.

"She's healthy, and so what if she's fat?" Willow said, offended, not because she is fat herself but because she is a woman.

"Oh, you don't really want to believe that inner beauty crap," Mr. Harris said. Just then, the doors of gate 11 opened. The stewards asked the passengers to form a single file, giving priority to those traveling with an elder or a child. Mr. Harris and Willow went for their hand carry luggage and settled in line. The red head behaved, but not because she promised Mr. Harris that she will, but because she was thinking.

'The moment I step out of this airport, Tara will be nothing than a dream, or a dream of a dream, kind of the ones that persist even after you have woken up for a few seconds, then hits you in the head that it was all just that: a dream. The moment I step out of this airport is the moment Tara steps out of my life, no matter how briefly she had wandered in it,' Willow thought, resigning herself to her fate.

A few minutes later, Willow and Mr. Harris found themselves inside the plane. They skidded down the green aisle as they looked for their respective seats. Willow found out that once again, she has been given a window seat. She saw her Chemistry teacher settle into the seat next to hers.

"Mr. Harris, would you mind exchanging seats with me, I can't stand airplane windows," Willow said.

"No can do, Rosenberg, unless you want vomit all over our area," Mr. Harris shook his head in refusal.

"But-" Willow was cut off by her teacher.

"No buts, you told me you're going to behave, you promised me," Mr. Harris said.

"Sure, Mr. Harris," Willow replied, too tired to argue. She eased herself into her seat and settled unto it. She stared out the runway, however can she survive eight hours on this flight?

"Hey, Rosenberg, do you happen to have chewing gum? So that my ears won't ache during take off," Mr. Harris asked.

"Yeah," Willow replied. She reached her hand into her pocket and felt a chewing gum, she also felt something else. The red head brought the two things out, she handed the chewing gum to Mr. Harris and the other thing, she left to rest at the palm of her hand.

It's the crane, the crane Tara made for her. Willow looked at it and she remembered everything she had tried so hard to forget for the past few minutes. Willow felt it, still warm in her hand, and instantly she knew, she can survive the flight after all.
______


TBC

Sorry for the slow pacing. WT coming up real soon!

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"The people should not be afraid of their government, the government should be afraid of their people."


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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 8:35 am 
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19. Yummy Face
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Yay for great update-y goodness... Stupid Xander jerk... Why he couldn't give Willlow his seat...

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 Post subject: Re: The Room Key (New AU Fic)
PostPosted: Thu Oct 02, 2008 2:36 pm 
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8. Vixen
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Quote:
It was revealed in the second chapter that Oz hated studying but liked research, that's because research is like the practical part of studying.

Yeah, I got that. I just didn’t connect the dots :P I got the impression that Tara didn't only fix but compile the presentation so thanks for clearing that up!
Quote:
Plus, it was mentioned that Tara thought that not knowing each other's surnames would be better for them. So I have deduced from Tara's line of thinking that she also wanted to know where Willow was going but thought that it was better if she didn't.

That’s what I figured too, I just wanted to mention it ;)
Quote:
If Willow had wanted to see her, she would have come with Oz. She was right indeed to never include her email in her letter to Willow, she was right never to have hope.

Oh Tara! Willow only had eyes for you on the plane and didn't remember Oz's face...
Mr. Harris is an ass. I dont wanna associate him with Xander because I love Xander. I am just gonna imagine that Mr. Harris is his dad :p
Keep it up!

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