by xita » Tue Feb 19, 2002 9:43 pm
by *Willow* » Wed Feb 20, 2002 8:32 am
------------------
"You're a girl in love with a girl, aren't you?" Mouse asks.
"No, I'm Paulie in love with Tory," Paulie replies
by Jessie » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:12 am
------------------
"And how long have you known your girlfriend's Tinkerbell?"
by Lonewolf » Wed Feb 20, 2002 12:43 pm
Lonewolf
P.S. Hey everybody is there any room left in that corner you guys were talking about.
by Pixie » Wed Feb 20, 2002 7:24 pm
Everyone is welcome in the corner o' support and hugs. If we scrunch in we may not need to knock down a wall. I've been keeping some cushions and blankets back here for just this kind of situation. And if anyone else would like to join us, maybe you could bring some snacks. The way Tiggerscorpio's been going, we may be here while. Tigger, don't mind us, we're okay in here.
by Tiggrscorpio » Wed Feb 20, 2002 8:51 pm
You guys are making me feel terrible. Should I stop, cause I could just stop, if you want???
Sorry Lonewolf, Tara hasn't even left town yet, though she's on her way in this part. No reunion for a bit, but I'll give you a happy flashback tonight.
_____________________________________________
Chosen Family - Part 5
Willow stood in the middle of Tara's dorm room. The room, once so replete with everything Tara-like, was now almost bare. The only thing that remained, were the tiny Xmas tree lights. Their glow, now extinguished against the black painted walls.
Willow's heart sank. 'She took everything. She's not coming back,' Willow thought. As she walked around the stripped bed, an object on the dresser caught her eye. It was a dove feather. Willow twirled the precious item in her fingers. She sat on the edge of the bed, as the memories came flooding back.
The young witches hiked a little way into the woods, until they found a fairly secluded areas to have their picnic. The grassy area was not too deep in the woods, and the clearing in the trees allowed the warmth of the early afternooon sun to shine down on the happy couple.
Tara spread out a blanket, while Willow completed a general protection spell, just in case. The lovers ate their simple meal of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They sat opposite one another, a few feet apart, trying to shoot grapes into each other's mouth. Willow was five for five. Of course, it helped that Tara would lean in or fall back, depending on her lover's misguided aim. Tara was not fairing as well. She had only landed one in four tries. It didn't help that Willow sat stationary, not even attempting to reach for the misfired treats. So far, the blonde had beaned Willow on the nose, the forehead and an entire miss altogether. Tara had been distracted, on that throw, by Willow's low plunging shirt. After the next miss landed in Willow's hair, the redhead laughed.
"Honey, I think you need glasses."
"Well, baby, you're really not helping. Just sitting there all stiff, like a real basketball hoop."
"So, I'm being too stiff," the redhead mock pouted.
"You don't see my grapes lying all over the ground," the blonde reasoned.
"You wanna show me your grapes?" the hacker arched one eyebrow.
The blonde flashed her lop-sided grin and motioned with her finger for her girl to come closer. Willow crawled on her hands and knees across the blanket. She gave the blonde a searing kiss.
The lovers rolled back and forth on the blanket, wrapped in each other's embrace. Tara pinned the smaller woman beneath her and covered the redhead's face and lips with kisses. Within minutes, both women had shed their clothes. They made love under the warm sun, until they were both happily tired. They snuggled close and basked in the afterglow of their love making.
Willow reached above Tara's head, for the dove feather lying on the edge of the blanket. She whispered in a low, sensual voice.
"Close your eyes."
The blonde immediately closed her eyes. Willow drew the feather down Tara's arm and across her porcelain tummy. Willow smiled as she watched the tiny bumps appear on her lover's flesh, in the wake of her trail.
The blonde giggled slightly, with her eyes still closed and said, "Oh honey, that tickles."
"Mmmm," Willow replied and continued her path down Tara's creamy thigh. "You are so beautiful."
Tara opened her eyes. The look on Willow's face was purely ravenous. She shuddered as a wave of pleasure flowed through her body. No one had ever looked at her the way Willow did.
"Why do you love me?" she asked the redheaded witch.
Willow abandoned the feather and roamed her lover's curves with her fingers, instead.
"I love you because you're kind and caring. Because you put everyone else before yourself. Because you make me feel like I'm the most important person in the world. Because you're beautiful on the outside and on the inside. And, because you're heart is full of goodness."
Tara was overwhelmed by the response. She started to respond, but her girlfriend interrupted.
"But mostly, because you're really hot looking."
Tara pulled her lover into a deep kiss. When they parted, Willow laid her head on the blonde's chest, listening to her heartbeat.
After a moments silence, Tara said, "Promise me you'll love me forever. No matter what might happen."
Questioning green eyes looked up into worried blue ones.
"What's gonna happen?"
"Nothing. I just want to know you'll always be there."
"I promise, baby. No matter what."
The redhead sealed her promise with a kiss.
Willow returned from her memory to the still empty dorm room, but she was replenished with hope. She didn't even know that Tara had kept the feather from that afternoon. It clearly wasn't an accident that she had left it behind. Tara wanted Willow to remember that conversation.
"A promise is a promise, baby. No matter what," Willow spoke softly.
She ran back to her dorm room to get her laptop.
*****
Tara sat in the rear of the camper. Her father was driving and Donny was riding shotgun. Beth was at the table, reading.
Tara stared out the window and thought of Willow. She wondered if the redhead would go to her dorm room, after she was gone. She wondered if Willow would find the feather and remember their talk in the woods on that wonderful afternoon.
Tara wanted Willow to know that it was okay for Willow to have her doubts about her. Hell, she was having doubts about herself. Mostly, she wanted Willow to know that her leaving wasn't about wanting to be away from Willow. It was about finding a way for them to ultimately be together. If she was a demon, Tara was going to find a way to control the creature, so she could return to her beloved.
As the camper passed the green 'Leaving Sunnydale' sign, Tara held her breath.
'I'm coming back, my love. I promise.'
*****
Willow burst through the door of the Magic Box and ran past Anya, nearly knocking her down in the process.
"Hey, watch it," the ex-demon shouted.
Willow ignored her and ran up to Xander.
"Xander, I need to borrow your car. Like now," she demanded.
"Hey. Whoa there, Will. What's up?" the carpenter asked.
"I just need your car. Where are the keys?" She put her hand in his pants pocket.
"Hands! Hands Will!" He jumped back a few inches, reluctantly pulling the hacker with him.
"Xander, she almost knocked me down," the ex-demon whined. She saw Willow's hand in Xander's pocket and her eyes bulged. "Hey, take your hands out of his pocket." She looked at Xander. "See, I told you. The girlfriend's out of the picture for like five minutes and she's right back after you."
Willow managed to free her hand from the awkward angle and shoot Anya a dirty look.
"Sorry. Sorry." She apologized to both Xander and Anya. "I need to go get Tara and bring her back." Willow explained.
"Back?" Xander questioned. "She left town?"
"Yeah, this morning. I hacked into the University files and got her home address. It's about a four hour drive from here."
"Do you think that's a good idea, Will?" Buffy asked from the entrance of the training room.
Willow's lips thinned and her fists clenched. She was still fairly pissed with some of the things Buffy had said last night.
"Look Buffy, I don't care what you think. I'm gonna bring her back. If you don't want to help, that's fine. Just don't stand in my way."
The two friends stared intently at each other. Buffy had to admire her friend's determination. She had watched Willow blossom from a wallflower, into a decisive woman, ready to stand toe-to-toe with the Slayer, for her love. Buffy wondered if anyone would ever love her that deeply.
"I guess we better make tracks if we're going."
The redhead gave her friend a slight smile and turned back toward Xander.
"Road trip," he said
*****
"God Xander, would you please change that awful music!" Buffy demanded from the back seat. "Who the hell ever heard of AC/DC anyway. And if I hear that song "Hell's Bells" one more time, I'm gonna scream," she continued.
"Cranky Slayer," he whispered to his girlfriend in the front seat, while turning off the CD player.
"Maybe we should feed her," Anya suggested.
In the back seat, Willow had been mostly silent for the long car ride. Occassionally she would request for Xander to speed up. He really did drive slower than an old lady. Buffy had volunteered to drive, but was simultaneously dismissed by her trio of friends.
The closer they got, the more Willow's heart leapt into her throat. She hoped she was doing the right thing, by going after Tara. Buffy sensed her worry and took her best friend's hand in her own.
"How ya doing there, Will?" she asked sincerely.
"I'm terrified," she admitted easily.
"We're all here for you. It's gonna be okay."
"I hope you're right."
Willow watched the mile markers pass. Each one bringing her closer to her beloved.
They pulled into the driveway of the small ranch house at around eight o'clock in the evening. Most of the lights were off in the simple house. The suburban neighborhood was fairly quiet.
It seemed out of place to Willow. Although Tara had not shared much about where she had grown up, this place felt all wrong. Tara had told Willow about living on a farm. This residential neighborhood was about as far away from being a farm as was possible.
'God, was this another lie,' thought Willow. She dismissed the thought and got out of the car.
"Are you sure this is the right address?" Anya asked. "It looks deserted."
"I got the address from the University records," Willow said.
"I don't see the camper," Buffy added.
"Maybe they're not back yet," Xander reasoned.
"Only one way to find out." Willow calmed her nerves and knocked on the door.
No one answered, so she knocked louder. Still no answer.
"We'll look around back." Buffy motioned for Xander to join her.
As they headed around the corner, Willow knocked again. She pointed toward the door knob and looked at Anya. The ex-demon just shrugged. Willow tried the door and found it was unlocked.
She and Anya entered the small home. Willow called out.
"Tara."
Still no answer. They made their way through the living room, to the back bedroom, where they could see a light on behind the partially closed door.
Willow again called out. "Tare-bear."
She opened the door and was startled to see an elderly woman, sitting in a rocking chair.
The woman smiled at Willow and said, "Well, I haven't heard that name since 1941. My late husband, God rest his soul, used to call me that. Now, who might you two be?"
Willow smiled at the kindly woman and answered. "I'm Willow and this is Anya. We're looking for Tara Maclay."
"That's me," the woman smiled again.
"You're Tara Maclay?" Anya said doubtfully.
"Have been for eighty some years now," the woman replied.
"This isn't some king of alternate universe thingy," Anya whispered to Willow.
"I think there must be some sort of a mix up. The Tara we're looking for is about five foot four, blonde hair, blue eyes. She's twenty years old."
Today, Willow realized. Twenty years old today. It was Tara's birthday. Today. With all that had happened, she had almost forgotten. Willow frowned.
"Well, I was never a blonde. And I haven't seen twenty in many, many years."
"Maybe you're a relative of hers. She has a brother Donny and a Cousin Beth," Willow hoped for a clue.
"I'm sorry dears. I'm the last of my family."
Willow was completely despondent. Anya was afraid she was going to pass out. She made her apologies to the old woman.
"Well, we're sorry to have interrupted your aging process. Continue. We'll be on our way, now."
"You dears stop by anytime," the woman said graciously.
Anya helped Willow out the front door. She found Buffy and Xander, waiting on the front steps.
"What happened?" Buffy asked curiously.
"It's the wrong address," Anya volunteered.
"I'm never gonna find her," Willow cried on the Slayer's shoulder. "She's gone, Buffy."
"Shh. We'll find her. I promise. We won't stop looking until we do."
TBC
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She's my everything!
by Kilopto » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:01 pm
Love this!!!!
by The Rose » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:10 pm
That was an excellent reference to "Wanna Blessed Be." Please let Willow find Tara soon.
------------------
Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.
Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.
Tara: Nobody messes with my girl!
by DaRebel » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:30 pm
by willow420 » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:43 pm
So sad.
I hope this story cheers up soon. It is simply wonderful though, and I love the twists.
------------------
A.K.A. Liz
"Did you try looking in the sofa in hell?" Willow in Dopplegangland.
*************************
"We prefer Justice Demon, okay? FYI?"
Halfrek in Older and Far Away
by Pixie » Wed Feb 20, 2002 9:45 pm
by neta » Wed Feb 20, 2002 11:20 pm
by silverangel » Thu Feb 21, 2002 1:34 am
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Willow and Tara's Love
by ForeverPiper » Thu Feb 21, 2002 3:41 am
by Divine Princess Fuchsia » Thu Feb 21, 2002 4:06 am
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''We HAVE to kill some cooler people'' - Sunday the cute vampire
''Those of you who fall into my good graces will come to know me as Maggie. Those of you who don't will know me by the name my T.A's use and think I don't know about: The Evil Bitch Monster of Death''. - Maggie Walsh
by ellenfan » Thu Feb 21, 2002 4:23 am
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„For this, we should all erect little shrines to the goddess Ellen and burn lavender incense. Network TV finally has gays and lesbians on its radar.“ Joyce Millman, Salon.com, May 2000
"Nobody messes with my girl!" Tara in Bargaining Part 2
by *Willow* » Thu Feb 21, 2002 4:57 am
------------------
"You're a girl in love with a girl, aren't you?" Mouse asks.
"No, I'm Paulie in love with Tory," Paulie replies
by Tiggrscorpio » Thu Feb 21, 2002 7:40 am
silverangel - please, by all means go ahead and take it!
I'm going to try and have the next part up later tonight, but I have'nt even really thought about this chapter yet.
I have to fly home for the weekend, to help my parents move, so I won't be back until Sunday evening. I'll try to write on the plane and during my layover, so I have something for you Sunday night.
Thanks for reading!!!
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She's my everything!
by The Rose » Thu Feb 21, 2002 10:58 am
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Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.
Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.
Tara: Nobody messes with my girl!
by Jessie » Thu Feb 21, 2002 5:50 pm
This is so wonderful -- the older Tara Maclay was a nice touch. A nice twisty, turny, yarn-chasy thing.
It's the kitten in me -- JD
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"And how long have you known your girlfriend's Tinkerbell?"
by Tiggrscorpio » Thu Feb 21, 2002 8:53 pm
I'm off to pack after this. I'll try to have something for you on Sunday night, depends on whether my writing hand is tired from moving furniture.
Have a great weekend!!!
_____________________________________________
Chosen Family - Part 6
They arrived at the modest farm on the outskirts of Portland, around ten o'clock at night. They had driven the fourteen hours, straight through, stopping only to eat and for Donny and her father to share in the driving. No one had bothered to wish her a happy birthday. In fact, they really didn't talk to her much at all.
She wondered what her birthday would have been like, if none of yesterday's events had happened. Would Willow have planned a party for her? Would all of the Scoobies have been there? Maybe she and Willow would have spent the day in bed, making love. That would have been the greatest present ever.
Though it was dark when they arrived, Tara could tell the farm was in terrible shape. The fields were overgrown with weeds and the house was in desperate need of a good painting. One of the barn doors was hanging by a hinge and the grass was way overdue for mowing.
Inside the house, not much had changed since she had left. The living room, to the right of the entry door, sat undisturbed. The room had always been used by her mother. During the day, it was the sunniest place in the house. Her mother would sit by the window and knit. Tara sat on the floor, at her knee, listening to her mother tell tales of the Celtic Goddesses. No one entered the room, after her mother died.
The condition inside the house, wasn't much different from the outside. A heavy layer of dust covered most of the furnishings. Dishes were piled high in the sink. Apparently, Beth was as bad at domestic work as she was with magic.
Exhausted from the long drive, Tara took one of her suitcases upstairs. Her bedroom was at the end of the hall on the second floor. The room looked as if no one had entered it, in the years that she had been gone. The same flowered spread still covered her twin bed. The blue afghan, knitted by her mother, still covered the base of the bed. A darker blue throw rug, covered most of the wooden floor. The book shelf was empty, except for five or six stuffed animals she had left behind.
Tara stood in her room, in the house she hadn't been in for over two years. It felt strange to be back. She was a much different person now, from the girl who had left. Willow had made her different. Or maybe Willow had just brought out the woman that had always been inside of her. Willow made her feel confident and strong and beautiful. All the things her father did not.
She thought back to the day when she got word of her full scholarship to UCS. It was the beginning of her senior year in high school. She pleaded with her mother to speak to her father about letting her go. Her mother was in the end stages of her battle with Ovarian cancer, at the time. Tara's father could not refuse anything of his wife, during this dreaded time. After her mother died, in the early spring of the following year, Tara feared that her father would revoke his promise.
It was only after her mother died, that Tara's father revealed the dark family secret of her mother's relatives, to her. He explained that her magical ability did not come from being a witch, but was the power of an evil monster that had cursed her mother's family for centuries. He told her the evil would be revealed around her twentieth birthday. Just like it was with her mother.
When she asked why her mother had never spoken about her demon side, her father's reply was, shame. Not one to accept things at face value, the brilliant blonde asked why she had never seen her mother's demon side. Her father revealed that the beast could be controlled with medication. When she asked to see the medication, she was given a hard slap across the cheek, for being insolent. Fearing a worse beating if she pursued her questions, the blonde abandoned the issue.
That night, she laid in bed and thought about what her father had said. He had always said she was evil. As far back as she could remember, particularly when he found her practicing magic, with her mother. Her punishment could be anything from being sent to her room without dinner, to a severe lashing with his belt. Her mother would try to intervene, but then she too would suffer his wrath. Tara often wondered why her mother didn't leave him. She had tried to broach the subject with her mother, once before she got sick, but her mother would not discuss it.
So, though her intelligence reasoned that her father's story was bullshit, her non-existent self-esteem, left an open field for fear and doubt to grow rampant. Tell a child often enough that they are evil and they can't help but wonder if it is true.
When the time came for her to leave for Sunnydale, she was sure her father would renounce his promise to let her go. To her amazement, he did not stand in her way. He made her vow to return, before her twentieth birthday. She agreed, but had already decided that she would never return.
And yet, here she stood. Right back where she started. Had she really changed at all? Just a few minutes in the house and she could feel the insecurities and fear come crashing back. A knock on the door startled her.
"C-come in," she stammered.
Her father entered the room. he handed her a glass of water and a vitamin-shaped pill.
"What's t-this...s-sir?" she asked.
"Your medication," he said sternly. "It's time you began taking it. I won't have any incidents like the one yesterday."
She took the glass of water and the pill.
"Take it now," he ordered.
She obeyed her father and placed the pill in her mouth. She took a sip of water and swallowed. When satisfied, her father left. When Tara was certain he had gone downstairs, she removed the pill from under her tongue and shoved it into her pocket.
'I'm going to find out the truth,' she thought. 'For Willow.'
*****
Willow huffed at her computer and slammed the laptop shut, pushing it across the research table. She hadn't slept more than an hour in the last twenty-four hours. Her hopes had been dashed, when the home address she thought to be Tara's, turned out to be a dead end.
When the Scoobies got back to Sunnydale, after one o'clock in the morning, she had spent all night on the net. She hacked into various files, in the University, to see if she could locate any different information on Tara's home address. She had hoped to find a message from the blonde on her answering machine, when she got home, but there was nothing.
She had tried to go to class, but found it impossible to concentrate. She eventually abandoned her afternoon classes and headed for the Magic Box.
She stared at the closed laptop and growled.
"Grrrr. Do you know how many Maclay's there are in California?" she asked to no one in particular.
Giles and Anya stood behind the counter.
"Oooh," Anya raised her hand, like a game show contestant. "Seventy- three," she guessed.
"No," the hacker replied.
"One hundred and eighty-two," she said quickly.
"No."
"Thirty-nine."
"NO!" Willow shouted.
"Well, is it higher or lower?" the ex-demon asked.
"Anya!" The redhead's temper was as fiery as her hair.
"Sorry, I thought you wanted us to guess," she went back to reviewing today's receipts.
"How many are there, Willow?" Giles asked finally.
"Three hundred and two," she said exasperated.
"Oh dear," the Watcher was genuinely concerned.
"I've managed to eliminate about half, by cross referencing with the DMV," the hacker continued, "but it's gonna take weeks to find her."
"I'm sure once she's settled in, she'll call to let you know she's alright." He tried to be helpful.
"What if she doesn't?" Willow worried.
"Then, I suppose we'll have to call all of the Maclay's in California, until we find her." The Watcher offered her a sincere smile.
Willow smiled back at the man who had become her surrogate father. She was relieved that all of the members of her chosen family had been so willing to help in her search for Tara. She didn't know if they would be as forgiving as herself, of Tara, after the spell she had done on them. Given some time to process the episode, all of them had decided that Tara's actions were done out of fear, rather than malice.
"Why are you looking in California?" Anya asked out of the blue.
"Huh?" Willow said.
"Well, the camper had Oregon plates on it," she said matter-of-factly.
Willow looked like she was ready to spit nails. If she could have thrown daggers with her eyes, Anya would have been one very dead ex-vengeance demon.
Through gritted teeth Willow snarled, "You knew the whole time that the camper had Oregon plates and you didn't tell me?"
Anya, reading the hateful look on the witches face, took a few steps back and shielded herself behind Giles.
"I thought you knew," the blonde said innocently.
"If I knew, why the hell would I have spent the last twelve hours searching for the names in California?" Willow spat.
"It isn't my fault you don't know the hometown of the person you've been having sex with."
The low blow caught Willow right in her heart. Anya was right. Apparently, there was quite a bit the redhead didn't know about her lover. Why hadn't they talked about their pasts? Tara had always been reluctant to share much information about her life growing up. Tara had talked, at length, about her mother. She had mentioned living on a farm and about having horses. Riding horses was one of her favorite activities. She was constantly begging Willow to go riding with her, but so far Willow had managed to avoid the terrifying prospect. Tara rarely spoke about her father or brother. It seemed too painful for her and Willow did not want to pressure her sensitive girlfriend.
Willow hadn't been very forthright about her own past. The attention the blonde witch lavished on her, was more than Willow had ever gotten in her whole lifetime. Tara thought of her as a "cool monster fighter." Willow was none too eager to reveal her geeky beginnings, where her parents ignored her and Cordelia dissed her and Xander was oblivious to her gigantic crush.
No, Willow wasn't innocent in the secrets department. Maybe if the two lovers had been more trusting of their all powerful love, they would have confided in each other. They had shared so many other things. But, they were both afraid. They needed each other. Not just because it made them happy, but because they made each other complete. Any possibility of losing that, was terrifying. So, they didn't share their darkest secrets or their deepest fears. And yet, they were still lost.
"Alright girls," Giles voice snapped Willow out of her thoughts. "Let's try to focus on what we now know."
Willow pulled the laptop back over in front of her. She opened the cover. She started her search again, in what she now hoped was the correct state. And, when she found her love, she vowed they we're going to have a nice long talk. About everything!
TBC
------------------
She's my everything!
by willow420 » Thu Feb 21, 2002 10:26 pm
------------------
A.K.A. Liz
"Did you try looking in the sofa in hell?" Willow in Dopplegangland.
*************************
"We prefer Justice Demon, okay? FYI?"
Halfrek in Older and Far Away
by Pixie » Thu Feb 21, 2002 10:29 pm
*joins Jessie in playing with the yarn to pass the time*
by The Rose » Thu Feb 21, 2002 10:32 pm
------------------
Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.
Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.
Tara: Nobody messes with my girl!
by Lonewolf » Fri Feb 22, 2002 12:21 am
Lonewolf
by ForeverPiper » Fri Feb 22, 2002 3:28 am
by ellenfan » Fri Feb 22, 2002 5:56 am
------------------
„For this, we should all erect little shrines to the goddess Ellen and burn lavender incense. Network TV finally has gays and lesbians on its radar.“ Joyce Millman, Salon.com, May 2000
"Nobody messes with my girl!" Tara in Bargaining Part 2
by *Willow* » Fri Feb 22, 2002 7:32 am
Have a nice weekend!
------------------
"You're a girl in love with a girl, aren't you?" Mouse asks.
"No, I'm Paulie in love with Tory," Paulie replies
by Willow Rocks » Fri Feb 22, 2002 2:54 pm
Brillant, keep it up, but not for to long we want them back together pronto!
by SuperGreen » Fri Feb 22, 2002 6:00 pm
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