Worth Waiting For

[Morrigan]

AmberGoddess: More coming right up!


Zampsa1975: They will get to the snuggles, I promise.


leonhart17: Thanks! And more talking up ahead.





**********


The bed was littered with take-out boxes and napkins. Willow sat, her legs curled under her, at the foot of the bed, While Tara rested against the pillows. They had laughed and chattered through the first part of their meal, but as they ate, they both began to think of the conversation they needed to have, and silence fell.


After taking one last bite, Willow put aside her box and sighed. Her friend rose and slowly began clearing up, packing her small refrigerator with the leftovers and putting the napkins and chopsticks in the trash. After handing the redhead a water in place of her empty mocha cup, Tara settled down again.


The room was quiet for another handful of breaths.


Willow finally raised her head and looked at the blonde. "Buffy thinks you're gay. Are you?" The question, while expected, sounded abrupt spilled into the stillness of the room.


Tara nodded, not trusting her voice and not daring to meet Willow's eyes.


"Why didn't you tell me?" There were hints of anger and accusation in the soft voice, overshadowed by sadness.


The blonde took a deep breath, and reminded herself that this was Willow, who had listened to the story of her demon heritage without condemnation. "I-I wanted to. But it w-was c-complicated."


The pale, freckled face was puzzled. "Complicated? How?"


Sitting up, Tara rearranged herself to sit crosslegged, smoothing the fabric of her pajama pants against her thighs. "W-when I was growing up, I w-would hear other girls talking about Brad Pitt or some other guy, and I was never i-interested. I-I thought that m-maybe the ways they controlled the demon made me not care. I-I mean, I always knew I was w-wierd."


Willow's head came up and her eyes narrowed at this, but she did not interrupt.


"Then w-when I was fourteen, there was a new girl in school. She was r-really popular, quickly, but I-I was supposed to tutor her in e-english. W-we studied together for a few weeks, and one day...s-she k-kissed me." Tara paused. When she continued, her voice was quiet and laced with old pain. "I-I l-liked it. A-a l-lot. The n-next day, the word 'd-d-dyke' w-was s-spraypainted o-on my l-locker."


A hand crept into hers and held it, firm and comforting. "That n-night, my brother told m-my dad. I-it was..." She shook her head and took a breath.


"A-after high school I-I came here, and m-my first roommate w-was homophobic. W-when I told her, s-she went to the dean and demanded I-I be moved. T-that's w-why I have my own room."


Tara took a few moments to marshal her thoughts.


"I had decided that I-I would stay s-single until n-next year. E-even if I met a-anyone, I didn't w-want to put anybody in danger from my demon, u-until I knew i-if mom h-had been right. So when w-we met, i-it didn't matter. A-and you're still i-in l-love w-with Oz, s-so I thought i-it was safe."


"I'm not still in love with Oz."


The silence was deafening.


Willow continued after a moment. "I was, when we met. I missed him so much, there was this hollowness in my chest. For a while, it took all I had not to cry whenever I would think of him. But that's been over for a while now. I still miss him. I'd still love to know where he is, what he's doing. But it's more my friend Oz that I miss, than my boyfriend Oz. I miss his dry humor, and his calm. But I don't miss kissing him, or being held by him, or having..you know."


"I don't know exactly when everything changed, but it has, and I don't know what it means."


She looked up to see sapphire eyes shining with fear, and hope, and something she wasn't yet ready to identify.



**********



Buffy and Willow were settled on a blanket spread under a tree in the campus commons. The slayer had been listening sympathetically while her friend recounted the long talks with Tara from the day and night before.


"What did she say?" Buffy was torn. She did not want her best friend to be in love with a dangerous demon, but Willow had been far happier since Tara arrived in her life. Happier than she was with Oz, even. More...confident in herself. I've got to get with Giles, find out what kind of demon she is.


"I didn't really give her a chance to say anything." Willow looked a little uncomfortable. "I really just needed to get out of there, and think about stuff. So I told her she'd given me a lot to think about, and that I'd call her tonight, and left."


"And has the stuff-thinking been fruitful?"


"Some. I had an idea while I was there and she was asleep, to find out about the demon."


"Oh?"


"Yeah!" The redhead perked up. "I talked to Riley and he said the initiative labs can do genetic analysis on blood samples. I thought if we could get Tara to give us one, and somehow get the Initiative to analyze it, we'd find out what kind of demon Tara is, IF she's is even a demon at all!"


Buffy looked alarmed. "But, Will, if it turned out she is a demon, and she seemed pretty sure, you know the Initiative aren't just going to let her run
around campus. They'll grab her and imprison her down there."


Willow leaned forward and placed her hand on Buffy's wrist. "And that's why I needed to talk to you. Do you think Riley would help us get it to them anonymously? Like, umm...place it near the scene of a demon capture, so it wouldn't be connected to Tara?"


"I don't know, Will." Doubt was written all over the slayer. "He's pretty black-and-white about stuff..." She made a stern face. "Demon BAD."


As her friend giggled, she continued. "I haven't told him anything about the whole Tara-the-demon scenario. He knows her even less than I do, and I'm worried about how he'll react."


The hacker nodded, sobered from her earlier mirth. "I figured. Can we at least think about it though? Something about the idea of Tara of all people being demonic just doesn't ring true. I just feel it."


Lifting one eyebrow, Buffy looked into her friend's eyes. "What else do you feel about Tara, Will?"


"I don't really know." Willow followed her reply with a huge sigh. "I'm so confused, Buff. Being around her feels so good. I cheer right up when I know I am going to see her. And, Buffy, the magic we do is...impossible to describe. But...she's a girl. And I'm straight. Hello, Xander and Oz, smack in the middle of Boy's Town."


"Yeah, but vampire you sure seemed to like the girls, you included. Made me wonder, when I saw you so happy around Tara." Buffy's gaze was reassuring, and loving. "You know, if you are gay, it won't change our friendship, don't you?"


Willow sniffed back grateful tears. "Thanks. That...well, you know what that means to me."


"Hey, you dealt pretty well with my vampire boyfriend." Buffy grinned. "But seriously. When you think about kissing her, how do you feel?"


"I haven't thought abou..." The hacker flushed a deep red, her breathing hitched a bit, and her automatic denial stumbled awkwardly to a halt.


"But now that you are?" The slayer's smile was impish, teasing. "Don't bother denying it. Slayer senses, remember? I'd have heard your heart speed up a mile away."


The redhead blushed even deeper. "Okay, so maybe I like her. But, what if she doesn't feel the same way?"


"Slayer senses? She does. Trust me on this." Buffy watched as the closest friend she had ever had battled with herself. "Will."


She looked up.


"You said you'd call her tonight. It's five p.m. That qualifies. Go see her."


"But..."


"Go. And call me later."




***********




She said she needed to think. About stuff. What stuff? Me being hellspawn? Me being gay? Her not being in love with Oz anymore?


Could she...? No. Not someone like her. She'll be kind and be my friend, but she could never want me that way. Especially now that she knows.


Goddess. Could I have screwed up any worse? I should have just left her alone. It would have been the right thing to do. But no, I had to be all selfish, needy. Papa was right. Only someone truly evil could do this to someone like her. She gave me trust and friendship, and I gave her...deception. Tears tracked unheeded down Tara's face as afternoon began to turn to evening.


I have to stop this. If she called and hears me sniffling, it will only make her feel worse. The tears stopped, the iron discipline of her childhood coming down in a mask over her face. She rose from the chair and blew her nose. Noting the fading light outside, she moved slowly around the room, lighting a few candles.


She was standing at the window, watching the greens of the campus darken. A light tap on her door broke her from her reverie.


"Willow?"


The dark wood of the door gave way to the slender form that had inhabited her thoughts all day. Willow stepped into the room, and leaned back into the closing door, an intent look on her face.


"Willow? What's..."


"I know I said, I'd call, and this is not calling. But I have to know."


Emerald eyes burned into blue once again, as Willow, grasping the fine-boned hands, gently pulled Tara closer. One hand let go and drifted up to brush the fine blonde hair back, and fit itself along the smooth skin of jaw and neck.


"Willow?" Softer than a whisper, the name was a question, a prayer and a plea.


It was answered.


Tara gasped as Willow brought her face down to meet her own, lips meeting in a slide of watered silk on crushed velvet. Every nerve in her body was focused, electric, on the tiny feather touches of Willow's lips upon her own. And then the touches were no longer feathers, but liquid fire, as Tara found herself leaning into the kiss, molding her curves into the warm body that so suddenly was in her arms.


Time stopped, and space unravelled. Nothing existed but the two young women, flame and honey, tasting a passion neither had ever known. The kiss deepened, a low moan growing from two throats, as each explored new warmth, new flavors, new textures.


Eventually, urgency gave way to gentleness, the need for breath reasserting itself, and they pulled back far enough to see each other's eyes. Tara could feel the frantic pounding of Willow's heart so close to her own, the sweet breeze of gasping breath across her cheeks. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the sensation, and simply exist in Willow's arms.


A soft chuckle brought her eyes open again. The redhead grinned impishly. "I think that would be a yes."



**********

[leonhart17]

oh hell yes! Kissing is soooo much better than calling! Go Willow!

I'm glad they talked though! Hopefully Tara nor Willow will freak out about the kissing and do something crazy like decide they need time apart...which is just crazy!

Excellent update!

[wimpy0729]

Hey there! I really loved this chapter. You really showed us Willow's inner turmoil about dealing with her feelings about Tara, as well as her denial and the steps she went through to make her finally realize her gayness. We really didn't get to see any of this on the show, which was a shame, so I'm glad to see you do it so nicely here. I also like how you actually made Buffy observant here and how she helped Willow in her thought process. So yay for all this! And of course a big YAY for their lovely kiss and Willow's big light bulb moment.

I can't wait to see what's next.


Wimpy

[love_2003]

Yay for them finally kissing. Hopefully they can help Tara figure out if she is a demon or not. Love this story. Looking forward to more.

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for good update-y goodness... I really liked how Willow finally figured out that she indeed has romantic feelings for Tara... Big yay for ... I kinda hope that one of the Scoobies think of using Spike to test if Tara is demon...

[abarda]

WOW! What a story! I'm really enjoying it. The kiss scene was fantastic, so beautifull!
And Buffy's reaction to Willow's possibly gayness was so nice. Way better than that reaction she had on NMR. I just hope Riley won't freak out when he finds out Tara's a (probable) demon.
I'm waiting the next part...

[AmberGoddess]

Yay!

[DaddyCatALSO]

A friend to talk things over with is always a great thing to have, and a friend you can go to ahead of time instead of waiting until after is even better.
I enjoy comapring the various different versions on here (and it doesn't really matter if these are missing scenes from canon or AUs) of how Willow and Tara arrived at knowing they were both interested, the different views of what the preliminaries were, and when they happened, if there was or wasn't an IGC before the IGE, etc. And the words used and sequence followed here are just so believeable, not to mention appealing.
And I have to admit, your version of the "Women in the Family Are Demons" is more logical than my large endogamous clan idea, altho my own 'verse won't be changing :-).

[Morrigan]

leonhart17:

Kissing is soooo much better than calling!

That's what I thought too.

Hopefully Tara nor Willow will freak out about the kissing and do something crazy like decide they need time apart...which is just crazy

It is crazy, I admit, but it's also true to character (as I am writing them anyway.) Don't worry...the separation won't be for long. Willow is far too impatient for that!


wimpy0729:

You really showed us Willow's inner turmoil about dealing with her feelings about Tara, as well as her denial and the steps she went through to make her finally realize her gayness. We really didn't get to see any of this on the show, which was a shame, so I'm glad to see you do it so nicely here.

Thank you. So much of the coming-out process is coming out to one's own self, in my opinion, that I wanted to get into it a bit. Not enough to get maudlin, but some. And I think it's especially important for those who have been previously in hetero relationships. Anyway, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for feedbacking.


love_2003:

Hopefully they can help Tara figure out if she is a demon or not. Love this story.

Willow has her busy brain at work! And thank you.


Zampsa1975:

I really liked how Willow finally figured out that she indeed has romantic feelings for Tara

Thank you. I have seen several friends through similar realizations and was the very lucky object of one. For that among other reasons, I wanted to show the process. I appreciate the feedback.


abarda:

WOW! What a story! I'm really enjoying it. The kiss scene was fantastic, so beautifull!

Thanks! I really sweated over the kiss. I wanted it to be special, sensual and romantic.

And Buffy's reaction to Willow's possibly gayness was so nice. Way better than that reaction she had on NMR

I never did like detached, clueless Buffy. Even though the canon reaction was actually pretty supportive, for someone who had had no clue, I wanted to see a Buffy who looked out for Willow as much as Will looks out for her.


AmberGoddess: I take it you are glad they finally kissed? Thanks for reading!




**********




The mischief in Willow's eyes faded as she watched fear creep into Tara's. As the taller girl drew breath to speak, she reached up and laid her fingers on Tara's lips.


"Don't"


Tara backed away a bit and moved as if to turn away. The redhead caught her hand and moved with her.


"You're about to tell me all the reasons why we can't do this. But what I know is that I have feelings for you, I want to explore those feelings, and I don't believe you are a demon. I have an idea about proving that last part, but the first two...if you can honestly tell me you don't feel something too, I'll drop it and never bring it up again."


Shoulders slumped, Tara sighed. "You know I c-can't. Not after that." She gestured toward the door, and an expression of longing crossed her face. "But I a-am a demon, Willow. And I-I can't take the chance of hurting you, not until I see if mom's methods w-work. A-and that's m-months away."


"If I come up with a way to prove you are fully human, will you give...us...a chance?"


"Y-yes. I-if you still w-want to."


Willow chuckled wryly. "After that kiss...whew! I can't imagine not wanting to."


"Whatever, you know, happens ... I'll still be here. I'll still be your friend."


"That's not even a question!" The hacker was suprised by her own vehemence. "Of course, we'll be friends."


"I-I think i-it's my turn to need s-some time to think."


Willow nodded. "I understand. When you're ready...call me? Or," the mischief was back. "Just come over."


She let herself out as Tara giggled.



**********



As the days passed, Willow was finding it harder than she had expected to give Tara the time she had asked for. They did see each other here and there, briefly, but it was obvious that Tara was uncomfortable. She was determined to do the right thing and give the blonde time to adjust, but she kept finding herself wandering towards Tara's dorm.


She had tried burying herself in schoolwork. That kept her busy until she realized she had done all of her assignments for the month, and all the reading for the two weeks after that. Then she moved on to working on her plan for proving Tara's humanity. She made and discarded several schemes for getting Tara's blood to the Initiative without revealing its source. She raided Giles' magical library for spellbooks pertaining to demon detection. She had one idea that looked like it would work, would reveal Tara's origin in such a way as to be conclusive.


And after all that, taking a walk to clear her head, she found her feet once again bending their way towards Tara's place.


Get a grip, Rosenberg. She planted herself firmly on a bench near the footpath. She needs time. I am GOING to give her that time, without pressuring her by mooning around where I know she has to go. When she is ready she will find me. Meanwhile, I have got to find something to do, or I will go nuts.


She sat idly watching other students passing by for a while until a group of guys clowning around lit a lightbulb in her head.


I'll go see Xander!



**********



When she arrived at Xander's house she was gratified to see no lights in the main part of the house. At the best of times she had not liked her lifelong friend's parents. She headed around to the basement door and knocked.


A voice from inside rang out. "Hang on a second! You're..." The door opened on a shirtless and obviously fresh-from-the-shower Xander. "..WIllow."


"The one and only!" She grinned at his obvious surprise. "I take it you were expecting Anya?"


"Yes, not that I'm not happy to see you! What brings you out of the hallowed halls of academia?" He gestured for her to enter, and followed after closing the door, vigorously towelling his wet hair.


"I just wanted some time with my Xander-shaped friend. When is Anya supposed to be here?"


"Not for another hour or so." He pulled a t-shirt over his head, and stepped in to give WIllow a hug. "SO, what's new with you?"


She suddenly realized that she had not talked to him since the scooby meeting in Tara's room. He doesn't know any of what's been going on. And if he finds out from anyone else, that would be bad. Am I ready to have this talk with him? A week ago I never would have thought I would need to have this talk with him. What if he hates me? Wait, this is Xander, goofy guy, best guy-type friend, only friend for too many years.


Her train of thought was interrupted by snapping fingers inches from her nose. "Earth to Willow? Hello? Anybody in there?"


She swatted his hand away from her face. "Sorry. Got a little lost in my head there."


"Uh huh." He looked dubious. "You have that face."


"What face?"


"The face that you have when you need to talk about something but you don't know how to start. So, I'm gonna sit over here and put on my listening face."


He plopped on his couch and mugged an exaggerated look of fascination.


"Well..." She fidgeted, then sat next to him. "I do have something I want to talk to you about, but I...I'm nervous."


"C'mon, Will, this is me. Xander. Guy who stole your Barbie? Best friend since kindergarten? You can tell me anything."


"I know, I just..." She took a deep breath. "I'm interested in someone."


"You're interested...oohhhh. Got it. Do I know him?"


"Umm, yes and no."


He grinned. "Will, that's pretty much a yes OR no question. Which is it?"


She hesitated, and he cocked his head at her.


"well...you do know...her."


Surprise took over his features again, then she could see the wheels turning in his head. He gave a little smile and took her hand. "It's Tara, isn't it?"


Willow gaped. "What makes you? How did you? Did everyone know before I did?" Her voice rose almost into a shout on that last question.


"Whoah! Peace!" He scooted back a little on the couch and lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't know. Tara's just the only new girl that both of us know. It is Tara?"


The redhead calmed a bit, sat forward, and nodded.


"This is new. This is new? Isn't it?" His old fear of being left behind showed on his face.


"Yeah, Xan," she answered quietly. "Really new. I didn't realize it myself until Buffy kinda hit me over the head with it."


They sat quietly together for a moment before he spoke pensively. "Now that I think about it, you have been kinda wrapped up with her the last couple of months. Every time I've seen you, she's either been there or you are talking about her." He shook his head. "Wait though. What about Oz? I know you loved him. And that crush you had on me all that time? And the fluke?"


She glanced at him before looking at her hands again. "I don't know. I mean, those things were real. There were feelings and thoughts, and, umm, actions, and those were real, it's just...different. It-it wasn't something I was looking for. It's just powerful. And it's totally different from what Oz and I had."


Her voice got dreamy. "And when I kissed her, it was different from anything I've ev-"


"Wait, you KISSED her?" Xander nearly came up off the couch at that. And then looked slyly eager. "ok, best friend prerogative, here. You have to give me details."


"What? No! Xander!" She slapped him on the shoulder. "Perv."


"Yep. Perviness, thy name is me." He grinned, and she could not help but grin back. He reached out and drew her into a hug.


As she snuggled into his embrace, she asked in small voice. "Do you hate me?"


Xander pulled back a little to look her in the face. "Hate you? Never happen. You're my Willow-tree." He cracked a broad smile. "Besides, after the mental images you just gave me, definately no hating here."


"Perv," she repeated, relief flooding her, and pinched him as he pulled her close again.


"Count on it."


**********

TBC

[Morrigan]

DaddyCatALSO - Apparently, I was updating as you were feedbacking. But I didn't want you to feel ignored, so...

I enjoy comapring the various different versions on here (and it doesn't really matter if these are missing scenes from canon or AUs) of how Willow and Tara arrived at knowing they were both interested, the different views of what the preliminaries were, and when they happened, if there was or wasn't an IGC before the IGE, etc. And the words used and sequence followed here are just so believeable, not to mention appealing.

I do too. Considering the wealth of W/T fanfic out there (and the fact that I haven't read anywhere near all of it yet), I doubt mine is a new approach, but I needed to get my feet wet as far as writing goes. So, I decided to start with canon, and veer off to suit myown tastes.

I am deeply flattered that you find it believable, not mention appealing.

I do hope that should something not fit, someone will tell me...learning curve here!

And I have to admit, your version of the "Women in the Family Are Demons" is more logical than my large endogamous clan idea, altho my own 'verse won't be changing :-).

Nice thing about AU's, we can make our logic however we like. Honestly, I was just trying to come up with something that would sound believable, that I hadn't already read in someone else's fic!

Thanks for reading, and for the feedback!

[ceridwen]

I like this fic. It's a different take on the things that happened on the show.

Great work. Keep it up!

[taranwillow4ever]

I love this it is making me smile and I like how the friends are being that, friends. Keep up the good work

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for great update-y goodness... I hope they figure out the demon-testing procedure soon so that can truly begin...

[leonhart17]

Aww good! I'm glad she talked to Xander - the way he found out on the show was stupid...

I'm loving this and I can't wait for Willow's plan to prove Tara's humanity and Tar's decision that her and Willow need to make with the smooching!

[abarda]

Nice that Willow talked to Xander. AND, he accepted it.
The story is adorable, and I hope it won't take too long for Will and Tara to be together forever! I need to read their

[AmberGoddess]

Xander's funny. I really like this, hope Tara decides soon!

[DaddyCatALSO]

Yes, Xander would talk about the images in his head, but he's still remembering to be his usually supportive self. (One explanation, discussed on other baords, as to why Willow never confided any of this to Xander before "the Yoko Factor" is because she was worried he'd get distracted by the "two women doing a spell" images and not be any help to her otherwise.)
And bravo for Willow's search. Again, by being hoenst and up-front about soemthing, even tho she waited until after Buffy ahd already gotten it out of ehr otherwise, tara is ehading off future problems we saw on the show.
Fear of ebing honest is a very real factor in many relationships int ehw orld, but I do think Dr. Joss and His Bunche tended to rely on it too much at times for their plotlines.

[sadie]

Awww I missed a couple updates, but I'm all caught up now! I say good to think things over, but Tara, think of all the kissage you could have... I mean, these are the scoobies, any demon they can handle! Have you never seen Buffy the Vampire Sl... wait... anyway -- loving the chat with Xander. Of course it had to be Tara let's hope they come up with a plan soon to prove to Tara there's no demon issues and then they can happily explore...

[Morrigan]

ceridwen: Thank you! I appreciate both the feedback and the compliment.


taranwillow4ever: Thanks! I wanted Will's straight friends to act a little more like, well, mine.


Zampsa1975: We are getting there, I promise! Thanks for the feedback!


leonhart17:

I'm glad she talked to Xander - the way he found out on the show was stupid...

Agreed! And I hope you will like this update.


abarda: Some smoochies are in view, but serious smoochies are still gonna be a while...Thanks!


AmberGoddess:

Xander's funny.

I found that scene a lot of fun to write. Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you!


DaddyCatALSO:

Fear of ebing honest is a very real factor in many relationships int ehw orld, but I do think Dr. Joss and His Bunche tended to rely on it too much at times for their plotlines.

Again, we are in agreement. For a show that was based on three close friends, there was an awful lot of deception between them. Some internal drama moves the story forward, too much makes the characters less sympathetic, for me.

I appreciate the feedback.


sadie:

I say good to think things over, but Tara, think of all the kissage you could have... I mean, these are the scoobies, any demon they can handle!

Read on. I think you'll like this part. Thanks for sticking with the story!



::Notes are shown like this::
**********


Buffy dropped her books on her desk with a sigh. If Dr. MacGregor gets any more boring, I'm gonna have to start injecting myself with mochas. She leaned down to get a water out of the small refrigerator. As she straightened, she caught sight of a note on her bed.


::Buffy - I'm heading over to see Giles. Not sure when I'll be back. If Tara calls, call me there? I'll buy next time we go for coffee! -Will::


She felt her lips twitch into a grin. She has it sooo bad. I hope Tara calls her soon. I knew she was going nuts when she started trying to recopy MY notes in her wierd color system. She flopped onto her bed. I wonder if she is gonna tell Giles while she's over there?


A knock sounded on the door, and she rose to answer it.


"Tara, hey! Come in!"


As the witch looked around at the Willow-free room, she somehow managed to look both disappointed and relieved. "I-I'm sorry to bother y-you. I w-was looking for W-willow."


"You're not bothering me. You can stop by anytime." Buffy smiled, her eyes kind. "She's over at Giles', but I have instructions to call her there if you called." She showed the other girl the note.


Tara ducked her head and hunched her shoulders. "I-I don't want to interrupt her..."


Buffy looked closely at the huddled figure. "Tara...are you okay?"


"Umm." She nodded. "I-t's just....I expected y-you to...w-well..."


"Slay you?" Buffy was amused, but tried not to show it.


The witch glanced up quickly, then back down. "W-well, n-no, but to try to k-keep me away from h-her. I-I mean, you know a-about m-me now, and..."


"Tara." Buffy's voice was firm, and sapphire eyes lifted to meet hers. The slayer took Tara's arm and led her to the bed, urging her to sit. "Willow was my first friend when I came here. She found out about me being the slayer and not only didn't freak, she wanted to help." She paused, remembering those early days.


"Right then, the second day she knew me, she became the best friend I could ever have. Since then she has risked her life to help me, without being asked. She started learning magic to help with the slaying. She finds answers now almost as often as Giles. And there's nobody I can talk to like I can talk to her."


"I want her happy, Tara. And she is happy when she spends time with you." She took a deep breath, and slowly let it out, watching Tara pluck at her sleeve.


"You were raised to believe you're a demon. Willow doesn't think you are. And she has a plan to find out for sure." She held up a hand to forestall the question she knew was coming. "I don't know what the plan is yet. She said she wanted to talk it over with you first."


"The point is that we don't know anything for sure. I can't see you being all 'GRRR'," she made a snarly face, "but we just don't know right now. What I do know is that you make my friend happy just by being in her life. And I owe her my support in that, and you my thanks."


Tara was staring openly at her, now. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.


Buffy plunged on. "When we found out Oz was a werewolf, we found ways to make things work. We took turns on wolf-watch during full moons, before he had his big cage set up. If it turns out you ARE a demon, well, we'll figure out ways to deal with that, too. Willow's worth it, and she thinks you're worth it. And I trust her judgement."


A large tear spilled down Tara's left cheek. "T-thank you."


Buffy pulled her into a brief hug. "Anytime." She grinned. "And now I'm gonna ruin the image of Saint Willow I just gave you by telling you embarrassing stories about her. I'll bet she never told you what she said to Riley when we started..."


The afternoon wore on with laughter and the beginning of a new friendship.



**********



Willow fidgeted around the living room of Giles' apartment while he made tea. She needed his help, and wanted his support, and that made this a very important meeting for her.


He came from the kitchen with the tray, the teapot accompanied by a plate of cookies and small canisters of sugar and milk. When Willow had first met Giles, she had found his use of tea as a social icebreaker to be odd, but over the years she had come to appreciate the relaxed formality of it. She especially appreciated the extra time it gave her now to get her thoughts is order.


He surprised her by speaking first. "Well, it isn't an apocalypse, or you would be irritated with me for making tea before talking. You're alone, so it probably isn't Slayer business. And you haven't come out here simply to chat." He lifted his cup and took a sip of tea. "Matter of the heart, is it?"


She stared at him.


The retired librarian chuckled. "It may seem like a long time ago to you, my dear, but I was once at University myself, and I generally avoided contact with anyone over twenty-five at the time. Unless I needed help or advice." He smiled kindly. "In fact I am flattered that you feel you can come to me."


The redhead blushed. "Well, I have spent more time with you since sophomore year than I have with my mom or dad since, well, ever."


"The loss is theirs entirely." Though he rarely mentioned it, he thought all the scooby parents were massive failures in the nurturing department, with the exception of Joyce. His nature and social training prevented him from commenting on it very often, but he was appalled at the sheer neglecct that Willow had suffered over the years.


"Thanks. But you're right. I do need your help. And your acceptance is important to me. It's...complicated." Willow fiddled with a napkin, as she spoke, not daring to meet his eyes.


The word acceptance piqued his interest and began the process of confirming a suspicion he had held for some time. He decided to try to bring it out into the open. "You are falling for a girl, aren't you?"


Her head came up in shock.


He smiled gently and nodded. "I had wondered ever since we met your vampire self."


Her face was study in consternation. "I am nothing like her!"


"True. However, the demon that infests the human body after the siring of a vampire most often takes the, err, orientation of the human. And your doppleganger seemed less than interested in male companionship."


When Willow spoke, her voice was plaintive. "Why didn't you tell me?"


He set he teacup on the tray and leaned toward her. "My dear, I wasn't sure. It has been known to be otherwise. I feared my telling you would force you into dealing with something you were not yet ready for. And, to be brutally frank, high school was difficult enough for you socially; I did not wish to add yet another level of difference prematurely."


Giles watched the expressions of his young friend move from wounded to confused to understanding as he spoke. After a moment of silence, it shifted into her well-known 'resolve face'. "It's Tara."


The ex-Watcher nodded thoughtfully. "And how does she feel about you?"


"I'm pretty sure she feels the same way. But there's a different problem. And that's what I need your help with." Seeing him settle back to listen, she launched into the story Tara had told her, culminating in the blonde witch's refusal to enter a relationship until her twentieth birthday.


When Willow had rambled to a halt, Giles poured himself a fresh cup, giving himself time to choose his words carefully. "It sounds like your young lady has thought this out rather carefully. It speaks well of her that she is being cautious of your safety. Speaking from my own youthful experiences, mixing danger and an affair does not end well."


Previous speculations about Giles' relationship with Ethan Rayne ran through her head before she shook them off impatiently. "I know that, Giles but...I don't think she IS a demon. And I want to prove it."


"What makes you think she is not? Forgive me, but the fact that you want to remove an impediment to your passion does not overcome centuries of oral tradition."


"That's just the thing, Giles. All it IS is oral tradition. I looked through the town records where she grew up. There have been no incidences of violence from the women of her line since those first two. Even assuming that the priest knew what he was talking about with the first two, there is no evidence at all that the quote unquote demon existed in her family since then." Willow forced herself to take a breath. "I think that precious 'oral tradition' has become an excuse for the men of her family to abuse the women. Even to the point that Tara had grown up expecting her father to choose her husband, as her grandfather had selected her father. I mean, who does that anymore, Giles?"


"And you are sure Tara was abused?"


Anger darkened her normally-pleasant expression. "She never says more than a few words about her father or her brother. But she stutters terribly when she does. And she mentioned some kind of 'methods to control the demon'. And refused to describe them." She sighed, then continued with pain lacing her voice. "She also told me that before she knew she was gay, she thought she wasn't interested in boys because of those 'demon control methods'. And again, wouldn't say anything more. Now, what does that sound like to you? Hugs and puppies?"


"No, I should think not. Bastards!" He had paled during her impassioned explanation, and rage colored his tone. "I think you may well be correct. Now, what did you have in mind?"


Willow pulled a notebook from her bag and began to go over the outline of her scheme.



**********



Later that evening, Willow opened the door to her dorm room and gave a small wave to Buffy as she entered. She dropped her bag next to her bed and sat.


"I take it Tara didn't call?"


Buffy cocked her head at her roommate. "No, she didn't."


Willow looked downcast.


"She came by, though."


Instantly, the redhead perked up. "She did?! Why didn't you call? I left the note so you would call, so I wouldn't miss her!"


The slayer raised her hands. "Will! Easy! She didn't want to interrupt your time with Giles."


Willow launched herself across the space between their beds and landed next to Buffy, nearly bouncing her friend off in the process. "What did she say? Did she look okay? Crap, was she upset that I wasn't here waiting for her? Did she say if I could call her yet?"


"Will, she's fine. She looked good. We talked for a while and she left you a note. Oh, and I invited her to the next scooby meeting."


The hacker started looking frantically around for the note. Buffy laughed.


"It's on your desk. I didn't know if you'd be back before I headed out for dinner and slayage."


In a move so fast it could almost pass for teleportation, Willow was at her desk, snatching up the piece of stationary placed neatly on the blotter. She barely breathed as she read it.


:: Willow -

Thank you for giving me the time I asked for. I miss you. Call me? (Your own special form of calling would be nice, too.)

- Tara ::


The redhead barely kept herself from squealing in excitement. "She wants to see me!" She rushed over to Buffy, hugged her hard and fast, grabbed her bag, and ran out the door, leaving her best friend gasping with laughter in the room behind her.



**********



Willow arrived at Tara's dorm in record time. She headed up the stairs more slowly, trying to catch her breath. As she reached the door, her breathing settled down, but her heart started beating in overdrive. Maybe I misunderstood what she meant by my 'special form of calling'. What if she's not ready to see me? Holy mocha, what if she wants to tell me we can only be friends? I don't want to only be her friend. I want to be her...her girlfriend? Yes, girlfriend. What if she's not ready for that? What if-


Her frantic mental ramble was cut off abruptly when the door swung open to reveal an amused Tara.


"I could hear you babbling in y-your head from inside."


The sight of Tara's full lips quirking into a half-smile mesmerized Willow. She stood unmoving, staring at the face she had missed so much this week, until the owner of that face took her hand and drew her gently inside. That simple touch freed the redhead from her paralysis. She watched as Tara closed the door and turned back to her.


"You could hear me, huh?"


The amusement was back. "Well, that a-and Buffy called to say you w-were on your way."


Willow tilted her head to the side and regarded the slightly taller blonde. "Are you two in cahoots now? Cause I just have to say, no fair!"


Tara's half-smile stretched into a full one. "No cahoots. She just w-wanted to make sure you got here okay. Dark outside and all. But w-we did spend some time talking today. She i-invited me to the next scooby meeting, if that's okay?"


"Okay?" The hacker's tone was low and passionate. "I want you there. I'll love you being there. I want you around as much as possible."


She let her bag slide off her shoulder onto the floor. Moving slowly, giving Tara plenty of time to move away, she stepped into her, close enough that a deep breath from either of them would bring them into contact. One hand drifted up to brush a strand of hair from Tara's cheek and tuck it behind her ear as the other traced along her arm up to her shoulder. At a pace that could be called leisurely but for the frantic beating of her heart, Willow moved closer, allowing the gravity of Tara to pull her in, until they stood pressed together, and less than an inch seperated their lips. And there she waited, looking deep into the eyes so close to hers, for Tara to meet her.


A long moment later, Tara moved that last tiny distance, and ever so gently kissed the young woman who had come to mean so much to her. Tender, their lips moved in harmony, giving and recieving comfort and reassurance. Willow felt hands slide around her waist, settling together in the small of her back, and her own arms encircled Tara's shoulders in reply. It was a conversation with no words, an unrushed explanation of hope.


Some few minutes later they still stood, embracing, faces buried in each other's necks. Willow breathed in the heady scent of Tara's skin, vanilla and sandalwood, with undertones of juniper and rose. It was intoxicating.


"I missed you." The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was speaking. Tara's arms tightened around her.


"I know. I missed you too. But I needed to think, and I-I couldn't trust myself to do that with you here. I'm sorry."


"Don't." Willow raised her head and leaned her shoulders back so she could see Tara's eyes. "I didn't say that to make you feel bad. I didn't mean to say it at all really. It just came out of my mouth without passing through my brain on the way." She grinned. "You're the only person that can do that, you know."


Tara's looked quizzical. "Do what?"


"Turn off my brain. It's like, with you I can rest. I can just be, sometimes. It's nice."


The half-smile returned. "I'm glad."


They let their arms drop and moved to sit on the bed. After a moment of hesitation, Tara reached out and took Willow's hand. She pulled it into her lap and began sketching designs on it with her fingertips. "Will...I need to go slow."


Willow nodded. "Was this, tonight, okay?"


"Oh, yes." The words were breathy and quick. "I-I just...I've never..."


"Hey, I'm in new territory too, here, you know?" Willow pressed her fingers against the hand holding hers. "I know you have a lot of doubts. I'm not gonna push for anything you don't want. I just need, well, this. Time together. Snuggles maybe, and occasional smoochies."


Tara smiled softly. "Me, too." Her expression turned more serious. "Earlier, w-when I was talking with Buffy. She said y-you had a plan? To find out?"


The redhead nodded eagerly. "I do! You ready to hear it?" At Tara's nod, she continued cautiously. "Not that I'm not happy, cause I am, believe me, happy camper here, except I'm not camping, I'm here." She took a deep breath. "But what changed your mind? Last week you were sure you were a demon, and now you seem open to the possibility that you aren't?"


The reply was quiet, measured. "Y-you made me think. When I w-was growing up, it never occurred to me to question it, because e-everyone around me believed. So I-I never really looked at it logically. Some things don't quite add up. So now...I-I don't know. And I need to know."


"You do need to know. And I think I have a way to prove it one way or the other." She rose and got her laptop from her bag. She turned it on as she explained. "Are you familiar with the Human Genome Project?"


Tara shook her head slightly.


"It's this thing where they have been using shotgun sequencing to map the human genome. In other words, to make a survey of the DNA sequences that make up the human body. They've done it for a few other anumals, but humans are really complicated, which is why it isn't fully done yet. BUT, they have done enough to distinguish humans from any other mapped species using any one of 15 different sequences." She clicked to a certain page on her laptop and handed it to Tara. "Now, here's the important thing, for us. The Initiative has access to all the data they have so far, AND has the equipment to do onsite analyses of blood samples. In other words, they can check your blood against the human genome." She looked up to check Tara's reaction.


The blonde looked stunned. After a moment, she ran a hand through her hair. "How do we get them to do it, though. I-I mean, if I AM...I-I don't want them to know!"


"No worries!" Willow was back to looking excited. "That's where the plan comes in. I thought we could capture a demon, hit it with a confusion spell, and smear some of your blood on it. Buffy is pretty sure thay test all blood found like that so they can search for the victims and control what hits the media.


So then all we have to do is release it in front of Riley and Buffy on patrol one night, they take it in, test and Buffy can ask Riley about it the next day! Giles can draw the blood, and he'll help us with timing the release. And I'm pretty sure Xander will help too."


Agitated, Tara rose from the bed and began to pace. "So Riley w-wouldn't know any of this?"


"Nothing about it."


"No."


Willow was stunned. "Okay, not the reaction I was expecting. Why?"


Tara rounded on her. "Y-you want to use deception to prove that I-I'm not evil! Tricking Riley...i-it's not right, Willow. W-we have to tell him, ask him to help."


"But we don't know how he'll react! He's a nice guy, but he can be pretty opinionated, and demons are a big line for him." Willow's voice rose in her fear. "If he knows the blood is yours..Tara, if somehow the test proves me wrong, I don't know what he would do! He might take you away, take you down there, and-"


Her panicked rant was cut short by warm arms pulling her into a hard embrace. Tara's voice was soft but firm. "I know. I'm scared too. But i-if I lie and trick a friend for this, I-I won't be able to look myself i-in the mirror. He could get in trouble asking about the blood sample, or something else could go wrong. I-I won't put someone at risk w-without even asking."


Tara could feel Willow shrinking into herself. "I didn't even think of that. I was so focused on you, I wasn't thinking of him except as a source of information and someone who could take you away."


"That means a lot to me, Will. But I h-have to do things the right way. I-I don't want to lie anymore like I did to you."


Willow's head came up and she replied fiercely. "You didn't lie to me. You didn't tell me everything, but that's different. You didn't hurt me, or put me at any risk. So PLEASE, stop beating yourself up for that. You were scared. It's okay."


Their arms tightened around each other. A few more moments passed in silent contemplation, then Willow spoke, tentatively. "Since you want Riley to know, and we'd need the gang's help anyway...Do you want to bring it up at the scooby meeting?"


"Won't that be interrupting?"


"Probably not, unless something comes up before then. It's supposed to be more a 'keep us on the same page' meeting than anything else."


Glancing at the clock, Tara replied, "Let me sleep on it? I-I don't want to make any decisions this late."


"Anything you need."


"Then maybe...a-a few more smoochies?"



**********

TBC

[abarda]

Oh... this was so cute! I loved them together!
Willow and Giles talking to each other was awesome. You made it look like it was a filmed scene. I have no words to describe how I liked it!
And this Buffy is nicier than the show's. Helping Willow and Tara and all... It made me like her better.
Please, write more , you describe the kisses so well!

[taranwillow4ever]

I am loving the story. It is so true to the core of each character (or how I see each one). I like that you are using Willow's logic to take care of the problem. I loved Giles reaction too. Keep up the good work.

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for great update-y goodness... I really liked those Willow/Giles & Buffy/Tara talks... I'm still wondering what Riley's reaction will be when he hears that Tara might be possible demon, I hope he doesn't go all Initiative on her so that Scoobies doesn't have to beat him down...

[arsyadriani]

or...a few more updates?
can't wait for the scooby meeting
RC

[leonhart17]

Yay! I'm glad Tara asked Willow to come over I'm glad they talked about the plan! And yay for the smooching!

Can't wait for the meeting! You're doing a great job on this!

[love_2003]

Loving the story with every new update. Happy that they are finally with the kisses. Glad to see that Tara wanted to actually let Riley in on what was happening. Looking forward to the scooby meeting.

[Morrigan]

abarda:

Willow and Giles talking to each other was awesome. You made it look like it was a filmed scene.

Wow. Thank you.

Helping Willow and Tara and all... It made me like her better.

That's exactly what I hoped for. I liked the early Buffy who paid attention to and encouraged her friends. That's the slayer that I can see inspiring the loyalty of the scoobies.


taranwillow4ever:

I am loving the story. It is so true to the core of each character (or how I see each one).

Thanks. I am enjoying writing the better sides of our scooby friends. Later in the story we may see darker aspects of some, but I like these characters. It's gonna be hard for me to do mean thngs to them. I will, for the sake of the story, but I won't like it.


Zampsa1975:

I really liked those Willow/Giles & Buffy/Tara talks... I'm still wondering what Riley's reaction will be when he hears that Tara might be possible demon

Thank you. Those were fun to write. As for Riley...his moral absolutism is gonna be a part of the next couple of updates.


arsyadriani:

can't wait for the scooby meeting

And now you don't have to!


leonhart17:

I'm glad Tara asked Willow to come over

Tara's too smart and too smitten to stay away for too long!

Thanks!


love_2003:

Glad to see that Tara wanted to actually let Riley in on what was happening.

Me too. I had originally planned otherwise, but then I realized that Tara as I am writing her would always feel guilty afterward if they did trick him, not to mention the damage it would do to Buffy and Riley's relationship.


Thank you all for the continued feedback. It means a lot to me, and spurs the writing onward, as I learn what is working and what isn't.



**********



Willow was warm. As she gradually swam upward from the depths of sleep, she became aware that she was not in her room, not in her own bed. Yet instead of invoking alarm, the knowledge brought only contentment, and a smile graced her lips before her eyes even opened. She felt a tickle on her chin, and her eyes did pop open then. Tara was snuggled against her left side, the blonde head propped up on one bent arm, while the other teased willow's skin with bits of her own hair. She smiled wider, then, and Tara giggled.


"Mmmmm, good morning."


"Morning, sweetie."


The redhead stretched carefully, and yawned. "How long have you been awake?"


"A while. Y-you were apparently having an interesting dream." She grinned as Willow cocked an eyebrow at her. "You kept telling me to get off the grill, because the lamp-post was thirsty."

"I think I'm glad I don't remember that one. Speaking of food though..." At that moment, her belly rumbled loudly. She looked sheepish. "I kinda forgot to eat dinner last night."


"Willow!"


"Well, I had planned to eat with Buff, and then I got home and there was this note from my gir-" She stopped, eyes wide.


"What is it, sweetie?" Tara looked as if concern and amusement were battling for dominance in her mind.


A small voice from Willow. "Is it okay that I think of you as my girlfriend?"


Tara did laugh at that. "Oh, you'd better." She promptly leaned down to brush her lips lightly over Willow's. She pulled back and they both grinned delightedly, the same thought in both their minds.


Our first 'Good Morning' kiss!


"Tara Maclay is my GIRLFRIEND!" Willow's face was a study in exultation. "I feel like I wanna announce it to the world. MY girlfriend. Hey, I wonder what it costs to rent one of those airplane thingies, you know, that fly around dragging a huge banner? Oooo, or skywriting! Tara is Willow's girlfriend, written in big puffy white letters all over the sky." Tara was giggling uncontrollably by now, and the redhead watched her laugh, extremely pleased with herself.


Once Tara setled her giggles, she planted a playful kiss on her girl's cheek. "You, Ms. Rosenberg, are a certifiable lunatic. I like it."


The lunatic's stomach growled again, rather louder than before, startling them both into another fit of giggles.


"As much as I loved the all-night snuggles, I think my belly is mad. I need breakfast and coffee, not necessarily in that order." Willow rolled out of the bed and reached out to pull Tara up as well. "C'mon!"


The hacker put Tara's robe over her borrowed pajamas. "I'll be right back, and then we can go. Okay?" She threw a smile over her shoulder, and headed off to the bathroom to get changed.



*********



Late the next morning, the gang was gathered in Giles' apartment. Tara had been greeted warmly by the core scoobies, and affably by Riley and Anya. They had settled in around the apartment while Giles made the ubiquitous tea tray. Buffy was perched on a desk, with Riley behind her in the living area, Anya was predicably perched on Xander, while Willow and Tara sat on two stools in front of the kitchen pass-through.


Riley was now contrasting his girlfriend's low kill count with the busy Initiative. "...And we got demons coming out our ears."


Giles moved out of the kitchen to lean against the table. "Well, I suppose we shall find out eventually why the activity has shifted. In the meantime, Willow and Tara have asked to speak on another issue."


The attention of the group focused on the two witches, and over the next few minutes they took turns relating an abbreviated version of the story Tara was raised with, and the results of Willow's research. Xander was openly scornful of the idea that the blonde witch was demonic, Riley looked dubious, and Anya perked up with interest. She quickly deflated when she found out that the demon species was unknown.


"I don't buy it either, guys, and that's where we need help. There's no way for us to prove it one way or another by ourselves." Willow was taking the temperature of the room, and was generally hopeful.


Riley's tone was flat when he cut in. "You want the Initiative to prove it for you."


Tara held his eyes as she answered with a simple "Yes."


Willow continued from there. "The thing is...if I'm wrong, and the Initiative knows the blood it tested came from Tara, what would happen?"


Looking down, Riley answered. "A retrieval team would be sent to bring her in. She would become a ward of the government."


"And that's where there's a problem. It's one thing when it's demons that prey on humans, but Tara is not dangerous! Her mother never hurt anyone, nor did the vast majority of her ancestors." Willow's tone was almost pleading.


"Will's right." Buffy looked at her boyfriend, and took a deep breath. "Riley, I know your mission means a lot to you, but...would you think about helping us get Tara's blood tested without her being identified?"


"What would I have to do?" He still hadn't looked at anyone.


Tara and Willow explained the plan of capturing a demon, confusing it with magic and releasing it, smeared with Tara's blood, to be captured by him and Buffy on patrol one night. "It would seem natural then for you to be asking about the results, or at least I think so. I know Buffy would normally want to know, anyway, in a similar situation." Willow kept herself from babbling onward by sheer force of will, and her hand tightened in Tara's.


The commando locked eyes with Tara again. "You could have set this up without telling me. Why are we having this discussion?"


"I-it would be w-wrong to deceive a friend to prove I-I'm not e-evil. A-and if something w-were to go w-wrong...y-you deserve to know."


Riley held her eyes for a moment more, then broke the gaze. He took a quick look around the room. "I'm gonna have to think about this, guys. I'm not gonna say no right now, but..." He shook his head.


"Thanks for being willing to consider it, Riley." Willow's voice was warm despite her disappointment. "Let us know what you decide."


A silence hung in the air for a few seconds, to be broken my Giles clearing his throat. "Well, unless there is more to be discussed?" He looked around the room, and no-one spoke up. "Well then, I do suggest we meet again in a few days. I think we do need to start looking harder at the Adam issue."


With that, the paralysis that had gripped the room lifted. Buffy went to Riley, and laid her hand on his arm, looking up at his troubled face. Anya was cheerfully talking to Tara about the benefits of demonhood, and Xander was inserting sarcastic comments into that conversation.


Giles stepped over to Willow, and put his hand on her shoulder. "She is quite a young woman."


She smiled up at her mentor, reaching out a hand only to take Tara's. The new couple exchanged brief smiles before the redhead turned back to Giles. "Yeah, she is, isn't she?" Willow turned again to admire her girlfriend's profile and saw the apartment door opening. She froze in shock.


Like an invisible earthquake whose epicenter was Willow, silence and stillness spread throughout the room in a wave of stupefication. All eyes were turned toward the entrance, where stood a short young man in a fleece-lined coat. His spiky ginger hair was tousled and lent him an air of boyishness that was belied by his quiet eyes.


"Oz." The whisper was Willow's.


His eyes flicked from Willow to Tara and then down to their joined hands. "Hey." His lips were lightly curved, not quite enough to be called a smile, but close.


"Oz." When Tara breathed the name, it was in a tone not far from despair.


The redhead squeezed her hand, and shot her a glance before turning her attention back to her ex-boyfriend. "When, when did you get back?"


"Pretty much now."


Xander squared his shoulders and took the few steps necessary to bring him within handshake distance of the young werewolf. "Oz, man. Hate to sound grandma, but... you don't call, you don't write."


Oz, still laconic as ever, replied, "Yeah, sorry."


"So are you here here, or are you just passing through?" This came from Buffy, as she stepped forward to lay a supportive hand on WIllow's shoulder.


"I don't know yet. There are things to be talked about before that decision is made."


An awkward silence fell for a few moments before Giles, in his inimitable fashion, jumped in with an offer of tea, which was declined. Nevertheless, it was enough to get words flowing again.


The long-absent junior scooby looked as his former girlfriend. "Look. I need to make arrangements for a place to stay. But I was hoping we could talk. There's a lot I need to say to you, if you'll listen. Could I have some time later this afternoon?"


The redheaded witch looked at Tara before answering. "I think so. Call me at my dorm."


"Thanks." Oz smiled and looked around the room, his eyes once more lingering on the tightly clasped hands of Willow and the taller blonde next to her. "It's great to see you guys again. Really." With that, he smiled once more, for Willow alone, and walked aout the door, closing it gently behind him.


Again the room was still, until Anya plaintively spoke. "Everyone's uncomfortable now."


Buffy turned Willow to her and searched her eyes. "You're okay."


"Yeah, actually, I think I am." She sounded surprised at her own calm.


She turned as Tara pulled her hand away, and rose.


"I just, um - I need to go, now. I-I'll call you later." Blue eyes begged for her understanding.


"Tara, wait."


"No, no, it's okay. You-you should be with your friends, and, and I-I should go. I need to clear my h-head." Tara ducked her head and wrapped her arms around herself as she hurried out the door.


Confusion written in every line of her body, Willow stared at the door that closed behind her girlfriend.



**********



Tara rushed through the courtyard from Giles' apartment. I had to get out of there. Oh, Goddess, why him, why now? I'm going to lose her, before we even have a real chance to begin. She felt sick, shaking with reaction.


Huddled in on herself, she rushed around the corner and onto the sidewalk that led, eventually, back to campus. Lost in her internal monologue, she never even saw the young man she ran into, until she found herself sprawled half on the concrete, and half on a...fleece lined jacket?


No. Oh no. Please, don't let me have run into Oz and knocked him over. She raised her head slowly.


"Hey, its okay." His voice, soft as it was, made her jump.


"I-I'm so s-sorry." She scrambled to her knees, and was again startled by the agility with which he flowed to his feet.


He held out a hand to her. "Here."


As he helped her up, he spoke again. "I didn't catch your name back there."


"T-tara."


"Oz."


Her eyes flashed up to meet his. "Don't h-hurt her again. P-please."


One side of his mouth lifted briefly. "I don't think I have that power anymore."


She simply stared, then turned and rushed away.



**********



About an hour later, Tara sat staring out her window, thinking. It had taken her a while to calm down from her run-in with Oz. She went over in her mind everything that had happened from the moment he appeared.


She never let go of my hand. She didn't run to him. She didn't run away from me...What does that mean? Could it mean that she is really over him? Or at least enough over him to give me a chance?


And what did Oz mean, he doesn't think he has the power to hurt her anymore? He'll always have that power. He was her first love, her first a lot of things. They have so much history. Even if she doesn't still want to be with him, he'll always be important to her. And that gives him power.


Everything got so complicated so fast. I didn't expect Riley to agree right away. I was okay with him taking time to think, and if he says no, we'll find another way to try. But then Oz shows up...and I am sure Riley doesn't know he's a lycanthrope. So there's another secret, just when I thought we were all done with those. And what if Will's friends would rather she be with the werewolf they know than the demon they don't?


As if in answer, an unfamiliar knock broke the quiet of the room. It wasn't Willow, she was sure. She rose slowly and opened it, surprised to see Buffy standing there with a slight smile on her face.


"Buffy! H-how's Riley?"


The slayer's smile grew wider. "All this today and you still think of other people first. He'll be okay, he just has to think through some things he's never had to before." She looked Tara over. "A better question is how are you?"


Belatedly, Tara realized they were still standing in the door. She gestured Buffy inside, using the time to order her reply. "I-I'm okay. I just needed to think, a-and I wanted W-will to be able to deal w-with Oz without pressure f-from me."


Buffy put a comforting hand on Tara's forearm. "You do know she is NOT going to leave you for him, don't you?"


"I-I think so. At first I didn't know w-what to think, but now..." She paused to get her phrasing right. "I'm sorry I-I left the w-way I did, but I want h-her to have space to deal w-with Oz, without feeling pressured."


"Oh, thank God." When Tara looked at her quizzically, Buffy continued. "Will was afraid you were gonna do something like leave her to clear the field for him."


Tara looked down, her hair falling forward to hide her face. "I-I considered it."


"Well, as our Willow would say, that's where you're a dummy."


A glance at the slayer found a grin on her face. Tara couldn't help but smile in return.


"Now, I'm supposed to be out getting us some lunch. I'm gonna be there this afternoon when Oz shows up...it's a wolf moon tonight, and I need to warn him about the Initiative, and make sure he has a safe place to stay. Will you call her, Tara? She thinks she's hurt you somehow."


Surprise was followed quickly by consternation on Tara's face. "O-of course. And Buffy...thanks for e-everything."



**********



Oz was surprised when Buffy answered the door to the room she shared with Willow. She nodded to him with a guarded expression and moved aside so he could enter the room. His eyes went immediately to Willow; seated cross-legged at the head of her bed, she was looked resolute and a little wistful.


After Buffy closed the door, she moved to stand next to Willow, her stance obviously one of protectiveness.


He broke the silence. "I have a lot I need to say. But first I want to show you something. It's probably a good thing you're here to see this, Buffy." He opened the small duffel bag he carried with him, and took the few steps to the slayer. "Hang on to this." He handed her a tranquilizer pistol.


Backing off toward the door, he shrugged out of his coat, revealing a very baggy sweatsuit underneath. He sat on the floor and pulled a few other things out of the bag. As the two girls watched, neither having yet spoken, he put thick steel menacles connected by heavy chains on his ankles and wrists. After locking them, he tossed the key to Willow.


Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the windows of the dorm, he began to Change.



**********

TBC

[wimpy0729]

Hi there! I think this was all very nicely done. I really like your Buffy, how she's there for Willow and then talking to Tara and making her feel welcome, instead of like an outsider. Giles kind of already knowing about Willow's sexual preference was kind of cute here. Seems your characters are much less oblivious that canon - and I'm loving it. I totally agree with Tara's reaction here. The whole deceiving thing felt wrong to me too and I like how she explained all that to Willow. Oh yeah, of course I like the smoochies too!


Wimpy

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for great update-y goodness... I really liked the morning snuggles and ... I really liked how Buffy made sure that Tara is okay and not running away from Willow now that Oz is back... I'm really worried how Oz is going to react to Tara being Willow's girlfriend, I guess Riley is going to be really busy in his head dealing with Tara's possible demonhood and Wolfie-Oz on a rampage...

[DaddyCatALSO]

Very intriguing modification of canon. Especially Oz's realization of not just Willow's situation (altho admittedly, even on the show he figured out by himself what Buffy, Xander, and Giles couldn't) but also that he can transform at times when he's not under the full moon. Will Willow still be the cause?

[love_2003]

Happy that they are officially girlfriends now. Am actually happy that it was Buffy at the door who came to see Tara. Looking forward to how Willow is going to send Oz away so she and Tara can move on with their relationship.