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

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:09 am 
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4. Extra Flamey

Joined: Sun Nov 20, 2011 9:59 am
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Oh wow, dibs! :whip I'm still so excited when I get to do that. I really love your story so far. The interaction between Willow and Buffy and now Willow and Giles feels so "true", just like it was in the series back then, and I mean this as a comment. And you manage to really let us feel for your Tara. It makes me so sad that she sees it as her own fault when others are rude to her. And when I think that it will most likely take many, many chapters until the girls meet in Hush, I really just want to reach in and hug Tara and tell her that erverything is going to be all right.

Can't wait for the next chapter (by the way I'm really thankfull that you update so often!)


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:16 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
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Hi and welcome Willsredemption

I am so very pleased that I get you excited :) Even momentarily LOL

I've commented before on the dialogue, so I shan't repeat myself (until I forget what I already said) but I very pleased it reads true to you. For me the flow of dialogue (though not the words or 'American') is something that flows naturally. I've been writing it for a very long time I guess, but it's harder NOT to do it in original novels and stuff. But you don't have to worry about that!

It's easy to feel for Tara I think... Who doesn't? Not exactly a challenge for a writer with this audience :) But thank you all the same, there's a danger of going too far the other way. Tell me if I do, there's always a last - pre-posting - pass where I can tone things up and down.

Hush starts in Chapter 19. I've just been redrafting chapter 21 which is the laundry room... By then, you know, everything is alright! :)

As for updating often... Gotta do it. Since it's all written, why not? I could not touch this for 6 weeks apart from posting and still just about be ahead... LOL

Thanks so much!

Katharyn

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:18 am 
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5. Willowhand
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Well, I guess it's safe to say that our beast mistress is not a fairie, or any sort of participant in the wild hunt. Tis a shame, as I was curious to see how you handled the wee folk. Still, now I'm even more curious as to what/who she is.

Oh. Tara. Baby...my girlfriend is very much a Tara-type personality, and what I've learned is that introverts aren't the type you can just, throw out there to make friends. They gotta come out when they're ready, but are quick to retreat into their shell, and they always feel like they're in the wrong, like they're the ones at fault. omg Tara, precious baby, stay in your nest for as long as you feel safe. Soon you'll meet a certain girl and eventually become a beautiful phoenix.

haha, Giles is definitely the dad of the group. Willow showing up and complaining about lack of sleep. Gotta say, Giles' roomate mustn't have been all that bad. Hell, if I shared a joint or a spliff with anyone, they'd become unbearable, and badger me for more, and then tell their friends and then they'd come badgering me for some too. Real good roommate if he settled down with the one. Hey Willow, your current boyfriend is in a band. It shouldn't be hard to find some weed to bribe your roomie with xD

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:27 am 
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4. Extra Flamey

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Chapter 19, that's not so long as I feared, I'm really glad for the girls and us readers! I'm looking forward to read them meeting from Tara's point of view, I'm curious if you'll write it as love at first sight (that's the way I always saw it). I think the loss of speech actually gives Tara the courage to go to Willow which she wouldn't have had in "normal" circumstances (so the "she felt comfortable in silence" is great foreshadowing here!).


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 11:56 am 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light
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Lmao @ Giles slipping his roomie a mickey!

Both girls have self-depracating personalities. Getting together will work wonders for their self-esteem.

The plot thickens in re: to Lady Tarzan. She does not seem interested in harming innocents ( Tara/Wicca biyatches ). So, she can't be all bad......Can she?

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Sun Sep 23, 2012 6:20 pm 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Katharyn, Still don’t like those wicca-wannabes. They are supposed to be all with the girl-power and sisterhood thing and it doesn’t matter if Tara is too shy to speak up. They clearly aren’t shy. Geez.. get a room already. Bitcas.

Bad Giles. Bad, bad. LOL. If he got the drugs from his old pal Ethan there’s no telling what horrors the roomie might have experienced while under the influence.

The mystery beast-mistress talks kinda like Anya sans the sexual innuendo and tales of evisceration. At least she was nice to Tara. Points to her! Sooo.. is she actually the Goddess Diana? That would be awesome. Who is she?? A Chumash Indian? I have many theories.. they’re like Energizer bunnies. LOL.

Okay, I suppose a comment about Oz is in order. He sucks for not realizing Willow feels like a groupie. I always thought he was more self-involved than cool. I dated a guitar player for four years. UGH. Anyhoo.. Their relationship is clearly in trouble and I’m perfectly fine with that. LOL!

More please. :grin


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Mon Sep 24, 2012 9:37 am 
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23. Volumey Text

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:23 pm
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Hey everyone, thanks so much for being here. Again ;)

Faolan - I'm going to hold off for another part or two before I get into who or what this woman is mostly because it gets revealed and so I won't spoil it. That said, no, not faerie's though... cool idea (SIGH, another big fic? LOL)

I very much agree with you about Tara, I think I'm more like that than my SO is so... yeah, I get that on a personal level to a certain extent. But you're very right about it all. Luckily there's a Willow coming and then... wow.

Giles as Dad? For sure! That's why they had him and Joyce hook up LOL. Willow's lack of sleep is me extrapolating the terrible roommate things, I really like to 'earn' the changes that come in a story, not just have a vague reference to one party LOL.

You're probably right about the spliff, but since I've never smoked anything at all in my life, I guess I'm too innocent to know these things. You should be my research subject! But yeah, the band might've been a cool way to get what she needs LOL

Thanks

Willsredemtion - No, not long to Chapter 19. You might even suspect (since the whole thing goes on to 150+) that I was more interested in the girls together than apart? ;) Love at first sight? Hmm, you may have to decide that. The words won't be used, but how you interpret it...

I didn't mean the foreshadowing, but it always makes me look good when I do something like that!!

Hee.

Grimm - self-depracating introverts... yeah, that's pretty much them. And yes, you won't even recognise Tara - especially - once she gets comfortable with Willow! (Well, okay, you will, but in a good way!)

Lady Tarzan now? You guys always come out with the coolest nicknames. One day one of those will have to become official.... Wait until the reveal and then see.

Thanks muchly!

Kajun - Howdy... You're not supposed to like them, so that's just fine :) I hadn't actually considered Giles getting the drugs from Ethan, but maybe he gave the drugs to Ethan? Ha! Maybe he made Ethan what he is today! Hmm, that bears some though if I wanted to bring him in.

I was struggling, and still am, with the 'voice' of the beast mistress (though I like Lady Tarzan right now). I was going for something... old. But that sort of came out like Giles (most things do with me) so then I started messing with word order. BUt Anya? Hmm, thanks, I will look at that.

And yeah, she's really nice to Tara... :) Like I said, you keep those bunnies drumming, the reveal is coming all to soon.

The Oz thing... honestly, I'm not even exaggerating it. I think - fundamentally - if your relationship falls apart (werewolf noses and pheromones or not) then it's ready to fall apart. Perhaps because of cast availability or by design, I always felt there was something off in S4 canon at the start. I'm just reflecting that and giving a little perspective on it. I think... I've no desire to unusually punish Oz (this time)...

And yes, more is coming. More is coming...

Thank you all so much like I said, it means a lot you stop by to post.

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FOUR - 09/24/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:14 pm 
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Topics: 5
Title: Tara and Willow – Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda – Chapter Five
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but Season 4 and Season 5 of BTVS.
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Summary: One of the ripples from the changes in Chapter Two comes home to roost – or at least to Buffy. Meanwhile, Tara makes a friend. No, it’s not Willow. Yet.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: I may have inadvertently renamed Willow’s partying roommate here, but hey… if you’re sleep deprived you probably forget what your roommate is called too, right? Just can’t find the prior reference (if it existed)… She’s Debbie from now on though!
I will assume that you can all figure out who Eddie is…? In the canon he had a blink and you’ll miss him before he dies appearance, even though he was kind of important to Buffy in that moment.
Also, it’s important to me that Tara does have at least one friend at college prior to meeting Willow. I don’t think she’s ‘desperate’ for anyone when she meets Willow, she’s just quiet. If anything – in canon - she’s not shy when she goes to find Willow. She’s quite bold in her own way about what she wants so… a friend up front. Why not? Also their entire lives can’t just be about each other (even if I will go long periods in this fic without referring to other people much!)
Thanks to: The men and women who make the train run on time so I can get to work early enough to go for a cup of tea and keep redrafting. They don’t manage it all the time, but today they did.



“So, did you go to Oz’s last night?” Buffy asked after Willow let go what must’ve been a particularly outrageous yawn. She wasn’t trying to get her friend’s attention, but she’d succeeded all the same.

“No, why?”

“Well, you don’t seem to have gotten a lot of sleep.” Buffy’s grin was a knowing one. Dead wrong, but knowing. “And I called you, no one answered.”

“You know the part where I mentioned my roommate who can’t stop partying and can’t hear the phone?”

“Hence the presumed Ozness.”

“What is it with everyone around here? You all think I should use my boyfriend for a place to sleep?!”

“Or, you know, the boyfriend, girlfriend thing which sometimes involves sleeping,” Buffy replied, looking confused. “Why, who else said that?”

“I went to see Giles after we were done last night,” Willow said, keen to get off the subject. It wasn’t like Oz was news anymore.

“Last night?”

“I was avoiding Debbie,” she explained. “But also, I thought it was the responsible thing to do.”

“While I was clearly being more of your irresponsible type?” Buffy grinned. “I already said I was sorry for staking the vampire before, you know, he bit anyone else. It felt pretty responsible at the time.”

Willow shook her head. “It’s okay, stabbing things is what you do. It makes you a feel-better-Buffy.”

“It does. I know… for a while there, I was worried. I was so off my game since we got here that I wasn’t sure what would happen. Someone could’ve gotten hurt if it had gone on much longer.”

“Really?” This was news to her, Buffy had been playing the confidence card for so long that sometimes she forgot that it was a card – it wasn’t always the reality. Even Slayer’s had bad days. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“Well, it’s not the kind of thing a super-strong girl with Mister Miyagi chopstick reflexes likes to admit to.”

“Yeah,” Willow said. “And while we’re talking about chopsticks, can you not do that the next time we go for Chinese, it kind of grossed me out.”

“I asked for new ones!”

“I had to ask for a fork,” Willow reminded her. “And you dropped the fly on Xander’s plate. But you were really feeling so bad about it?”

Buffy nodded. “I just felt… Everything was different before, not better just… familiar. We went to school, we came home and we did our homework - ”

“Some of us did anyway.”

Some of us did our assignments, and we hung out. It was just that we killed vampires while we did all that. It was our routine, you know?”

“Occasionally we did the boyfriend thing,” Willow added.

“I don’t think we should really – Oh, you mean, we were with the boyfriends? I thought – never mind what I thought.”

“I know what you thought, but we did… A lot of things have changed,” Willow said. “But isn’t this place just… great?” She gestured to their general surroundings. They were at college.

“You’ve had about twenty hours sleep since we’ve got here,” Buffy reminded her. “That’s what you said.”

A bit more than that, but not much more.

“But do you know how far ahead I am with my reading?” Willow pointed out. If she wasn’t going to sleep then, when she wasn’t joining Buffy for a stroll and a quick – therapeutic – slaying, the library was the place to be. It stayed open all night and had air conditioning. What wasn’t to like? Actually, she might’ve slept more there than in her own bed. Face down, drooling in a book, but hey… at this point any sleep was good.

“Will, you read your entire list of first your texts last year. And some of the second year too. You knew what classes you were going to take before I even applied for college.”

“Yes, but I’m even further ahead now.”

“Some things never change,” Buffy said as they took a seat with their coffees. “Think that’ll perk you up?”

“I’ll be the perkiest.” Perky, perk, perk. Until sleep grabbed her and beat her down into the drool monster again.

“You love this, don’t you?” Buffy asked.

“There’s better coffee, even on campus.”

“You know what I mean.”

Willow sat back, looked her best friend in the eye. “You were right, you know when you told me I’d spent my whole life building up to this place? You were right. It’s not that the freshman courses are that challenging, but to be around all these people who just want to learn? Who can hold up an academic conversation without turning it to football? The whole place, you know… In school learning was shoved into us.”

“Not you.”

“Okay, so I shovelled it for myself, but that’s what it was there for. Here… you rise and fall on your own efforts.”

“Yeah… that.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Buffy didn’t look all that happy and it wasn’t just academia, she could tell. “Is it really change, missing school? Or is it something else you’re missing?”

“Angel, you mean?”

“No, your boyfriend the Mayor, of course Angel.”

“Actually no, I’m… I’m over that. I’m not mopey Buffy anymore. At least not mopey over boys Buffy. I’m mopey in all different ways. I’m mopey like, Oh my God we rise and fall on our own efforts here. Thanks for pointing that out, by the way. I hadn’t had that carved into my brain until you said it.”

“You’ll get into it,” Willow promised. “You will, give it a little while and you’ll be getting excited about learning too. Some professor will grab your attention and you’ll never be the same.”

“Are we talking about learning or dating?” Buffy checked.

“Okay, that could be eww, but then you do have history with older men.”

“Much older. I make it a rule not to date anyone between twenty-five and two-hundred and twenty-five. That would just be icky. Outside those boundaries though…”

“It’s good that you have rules. But I was talking about learning, you’re already uber-Buffy, you get that from being a Slayer, college will get your noggin up to the same, elevated level as the rest of you,” Willow said, tapping it gently.

“I’m never going to be a genius, Will. But… I guess I could do with some mental workouts.”

“School never suited you,” Willow said, only stating something she’d reflected on even at the time. “There they had rules and they wanted you to learn what they said, when they said it. You were too much of a non-conformist - ”

“Can’t I be a rebel or a free spirit?”

“If you like, but Snyder wasn’t interested in anything except his place in the league tables. Here… Learning is something you choose, your own subjects, your own pace.”

“Except if I fail my exams,” Buffy pointed out.

“Which you won’t. We’re not going to let you. Things are different now, things are quieter now too. In town and here. That vampire last night was the only one we’d seen all summer and he was running away from something so… that should leave you with lots of time to be normal Buffy who can do her papers, pass her exams and maybe even date – hello!”

“Hey. Uh, hi, umm Buffy.”

Standing by the table was a guy. That wasn’t so unusual, just a little less than half the population were guys.

And it was a guy that she didn’t know. Again, not that unusual, she didn’t know most people. But Buffy knew him. Buffy had made a friend… a guy friend. Perhaps she as leaping to conclusions, but maybe Buffy was already moving on like she said to?

Fast work, girl.

“Hey Eddie,” Buffy replied, smiling. “Eddie, this is Willow. Willow, this is - ”

“Let me guess, you must be Eddie?”

“Smart mouth,” Buffy chided her. “I’ve not been talking about you - ”

“You’ve not?”

He kind of sounded like he hoped she might’ve been. Disappointed even.

Buffy, though, was safely oblivious. Or at least acting that way. Hmm. “No. Want to sit with us?”

“Sure. Thanks.”

Willow looked speculatively at her friend, wondering whether ‘Eddie’ was someone who was going to be around quite a lot. He was hardly Buffy’s type but then no one who had a heartbeat really was so she could be branching out into new territory.

Virgin territory?

Right away she felt guilty, there but for saving the world a few times might she have also gone. Eddie was most likely perfectly happy with himself, judging him was the worst sort of Cordelia. After all he’d only said, ‘hi, Buffy’ and ‘sure’ so far.

He obviously came from a Hispanic background and looked like he was more comfortable with a book in his hand than a football. And maybe the only weight he’d ever lifted was a really heavy book. But… the heart wanted what the heart wanted.

The question was whether the heart really wanted. Or might find it did later. And if she could give that a helping hand and have some fun at the same time… So much the better.

“So, how did you two kids meet?”

Buffy rolled her eyes and wasn’t slow at putting her speculation together.

“Ahm, Buffy and I rescued each other from fresher’s week self-loathing and doubt,” Eddie said.

“Wow.”

“It wasn’t really loathing,” Buffy explained.

Doubt though, Buffy had already admitted to being out of sorts, unsure of her place here in the college world.

Since she hadn’t even noticed her friend’s distress, she had cause to feel guilty again. Self-involved much? Blown away by the college and a new kind of freedom more like, but it didn’t change the fact that she hadn’t noticed what her friend was going through.

And Eddie had. Which gave him some college credit that she just couldn’t match, even with as long as she’d known Buffy.

“Takes a lot to get Buffy down,” Willow said. “It’s good that you were there to help pick her up. Must’ve been, I don’t know, fate or something.”

Buffy gave her another look and she knew for certain then that Buffy didn’t think there’d be anything romantic between the two of them. Made sense when you thought about it, Eddie was alive after all - but friendship was far from out of the question. They even looked to be well on the way to that.

And how had she missed it? A potential new Scooby?

Oh yeah, the same way that she’d missed how out of sorts Buffy had been those first few days. But it’d all changed when she staked that vampire the other night. That had given her back her mojo.

Right?

“I don’t know about that,” Eddie said, laughing. “It was probably any port in a storm, considering how many people came here in exactly the same state, at the same time, it can be pretty lonely here.”

Willow nodded. “I can see that. Now that it’s been explained to me. Everything changed when we got here, didn’t it?”

“You felt it too?”

“In another way, I guess. So… you and Buffy looking to hang out?” Am I the third wheel?

“Actually, I just happened to be in here, you know, for coffee.” He showed his cup, just to prove that was his purpose. Not a stalker or anything. But then Buffy didn’t have to worry about stalkers.

Stalkers had to worry about what happened when she found out.

“Well,” Willow agreed, “it is a coffee shop!” Somehow she couldn’t help thinking that no matter what Buffy thought, Eddie might have other ideas about where their new friendship might lead. Not enough that she was feeling like that third wheel, but then what red-blooded guy wouldn’t be attracted to a woman who could secretly beat him to a pulp?

“And I have the coffee,” Eddie said proudly.

“And mine is to go,” Willow said. “So I should do the going thing and – you know – go, leave you guys to catch up. You realise we’ve been here nearly a week now? You must have so much to talk about!”

Both of them were looking at her. Buffy didn’t want her to go – at least for those reasons - and Eddie maybe didn’t want her to stay.

“Where are you going, Will?”

In other words ‘come up with something really, really good or incur my Slayer wrath’.

“I thought I’d go see whether I can actually get into my room to, you know, change without a bunch of other people being there?”

“Be stinky and stay here with us,” Buffy had this slight edge to her voice. “Please?”

“It’s easy for you, you don’t have an insane roommate and a room to yourself.”

“Oh, no,” Buffy replied. “You can’t keep throwing that at me. My roommate arrives Wednesday.”

“Oooh, the only child has to get along with someone in her space, this ought to be good!”

“You’re an only child too, Will and look how you’re taking to it.”

“But I’m tolerant and play well with others,” Willow pointed out. Even if her tolerance was rapidly coming to an end and she was far from playing when she was imagining her revenge.

“Why?” Eddie asked. “What’s Buffy going to do? Turn serial killer?” He laughed, but then wondered why they weren’t and stopped. “I mean, seriously…”

“Let me get back to you on that one,” Willow said and then turned to her friend. “On Wednesday. Maybe Thursday. Give her a day to settle in. Look, whoever she is, I’m sure she’ll be very nice.”

“Her name is Kathy.”

“You can’t exactly hold that against her, Buff, and… why would you want to hold it against her anyway?”

Kathy.” She sounded absolutely disgusted.

“Well, if it makes you better and stops you turning ‘serial killer’ then, if she has music booming after midnight then you can make yourself feel better by slaying her stereo. You have my blessing.”

“Really?” Buffy asked.

“Really.”

“You’re the bestest,” Buffy deadpanned and leaned in for a hug and whispered. “Don’t you leave me here!”

Willow grinned. It’d do Buffy good to meet guys. Normal guys. Who just wanted to go to school and were afraid of normal things like isolation and peer pressure rather than where their next blood bag was coming from. “Bye Buff. See you around, Eddie. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”

“You’re evil,” Buffy mouthed.

Did evil people whistle in a jaunty fashion as they walked away?

I think not.

‘I’m a Rhinestone Cowboy… duh, duh, duhhh…’


------------------------------


Someone was whistling as Tara approached the coffee shop. It was one of Daddy’s favourite songs too.

Her father was hardly the type to sit and play music over and over. Maybe he had been once, maybe when he was her age, but certainly not while she’d been growing up in his house. It would’ve been a frivolous waste of time and – because they were running a farm - money. There were always better things to be doing, things that earned them a living. But that didn’t stop him listening to the radio, or whistling to himself while he was out working.

And that was one tune that had always made her smile, because they hadn’t often had cows and he was very far from rhinestones. Montana, after all.

Looking around for the culprit, she couldn’t see anyone and the interpretation of the music soon faded as the door closed and the sounds of the coffee shop took over. Despite being one of four – so far – that she’d found on campus, it was still busier than any of the ones back home. Much busier than the diner she’d worked in too – except the rare occasions a bus had pulled up for a rest break.

And the coffee from back home was one thing she certainly wouldn’t miss. Daddy had come out of the marines and then a stint in the Sheriff’s department – before Grandpa had gotten too old to do much on the farm and he’d taken it on. The thing was he’d brought with him a liking for seriously strong, long boiled – and re-boiled - coffee.

The pot that they’d had in the kitchen had always been there and always held something. Over and over it was boiled, added to and… Once she’d tried to clean it out and the glass itself had been stained beyond any hope of redemption even after she’d bleached it and scrubbed and scrubbed. She was pretty sure that was supposed to be impossible. But this was better, because she did enjoy a sip now and then.

Just not of her Dad’s.

Thinking about home that way – and thinking that anything might be better here than it was back home – always made her feel a little guilty. But then she reminded herself that she was just fortunate and got back to appreciating it for what it was. One of life’s little perks.

People watching was something else she’d come to enjoy. That was better here too, easier. Anyone back home who knew about the Maclay girls – mostly the older folks – had gotten much warier in the years since she’d started to become a woman rather than a ‘cute as a button’ little girl. Even more so if she was watching them.

It was as if they thought she had the evil eye. Or that the demon might break out at any moment. More than once Tara had wanted to shout at them that wouldn’t happen until she was at least twenty, at least, but of course she never had.

That sort of acting out would just be giving them what they expected of her…

‘There’s the Maclay girl, going crazy just like her mother.’

Here though, no one knew her. Okay, so maybe too many people didn’t know her and it’d be nice if a couple of more people did, but here she didn’t have to deal with that wariness even from the most polite people.

Back at the diner at weekends and in the summers, she’d gravitated to the truckers and the people passing through more than the regulars. Not because of tips or anything overt – after all dealing with truckers was often like running an obstacle course of wandering hands – but even that was better, because they weren’t afraid of her.

Most of the other adults up there were… Luckily she’d gone to school further from home so it hadn’t spread to there, but in town?

Even Daddy was afraid of her. He just showed it in a different way.

Afraid for her, he’d have said. But he was afraid of her too. More so the older she’d gotten. Most fathers probably were a little intimidated by their daughters growing up and becoming women, hers had better reasons than their dating choices or getting pregnant.

Here though, she could just order Mocha, sit down and sip at it while she waited for classes to roll around. Watching the world and people come and go. The sun was shining – though that wasn’t unusual here – and –

“Hey, you.”

“Umm, hi?”

“Annie, we live on the same floor?”

“No, I r-remember you, I just don’t - ”

“You don’t what?” The tall, dark skinned girl slipped into the seat opposite her, right in the way of watching the rest of the coffee shop go by. Annie seemed to have other ideas, even though she’d carefully picked this seat from all the ones that were available.

“N-not many people stop and talk to me,” Tara admitted.

“Wow.”

“Wow?”

“That took a lot of courage to admit.”

And now that had been pointed out, she was surprised she’d said it. She was so used to just being the girl in the corner, watching the world go by, that she’d never really thought about admitting that there could be another way even though – plainly – there was. The other way – ways really – were what she was watching.

“It’s Tara, right?” Annie asked.

“If-if you like.”

“Isn’t that your name?”

“Y-yes, but seems like a lot of people get it mixed up. I’ve been Lara, Sara and all sorts since I got here.”

“And you never corrected them, right?”

“Who are you?” she asked. It seemed like a rude question to ask, and the superficial answer was already out there. But who walked up to someone they’d only met in the corridor and the kitchen a few times and started saying these kinds of things?

“That’s a great question, Tara,” Annie replied, smiling widely.

“Are-are you going to answer it? I mean, you don’t have to but…”

“Hmm, I just might, if you can tell me your answer first.”

Tara, confused, sat there and wondered whether there was someone else here, ready to laugh at her for her awkwardness. Playing those kinds of cruel games. But it seemed pretty elaborate for a ‘trap’ and petty even on the High School scale. It might be that this girl was just… strange.

There was a lot of that going around at the moment, or maybe this was just the big melting pot. People from all over the country, or even the world, coming together in one place and all having to adapt to each other.

“I’m Tara.”

“That’s a name, and I already know it. Who are you?”

“I’m from Montana - ”

“That’s where you’re from,” Annie said, and Tara knew what the next question was going to be. “Who are you?”

“I g-guess telling you my major won’t do me any good?”

Annie smiled, sipped her coffee. “Got it in one.”

“I… I don’t know.” Better that than admit what she really was, what she was going to become. Getting close to people put them in danger, she’d had that drummed into her. Grandma’s example was there, showing what could go wrong… That and the two graves out the back of the house, tended carefully first by Momma and then by her.

Who was doing that now?

“And that’s why you’re sitting here all alone,” Annie said. “At least until I got here.”

“But… who are you?” Back to the original question.

“I’m someone who wants to be your friend. Would that be so bad?”

“It’s not bad at all,” she admitted. “But why?”

“No, that’s not what you want to be asking. What you want to be asking is, ‘why not?’”

And honestly, she couldn’t think of any real reason. Not one that she could admit to anyway… Leaving behind the reality of the Maclay name had been part of coming here. It wasn’t lying. It was just… omission.

“Why not?” she said, smiling at the girl who’d decided to be her new friend.

“Good, that’s settled then. So I’ll see you later?”

“Sh-sure.”

Annie got up to leave the table but paused before she did. “You want to know why people don’t stop and talk to you, Tara?”

Because they know, on some instinctive level, what’s inside me?

“Sure?”

“Because you won’t look and meet their eyes. If you did, I bet someone would.”

Sounded great in theory.

Or maybe it was just because I know what’s inside me?

*******************

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 12:32 pm 
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Well, after the sort of morning I had, checking my email and seeing and update made me utter a sound that seemed more equine the human.

Wow. In just a few chapters in, you've already made the Buffy-verse seem...bigger, somehow.

I love your Buffy voice. I don't think I've ever seen you write Buffy before, and I love how you do it. It's very...her. Not the Slayer, not the bubblegum pop cheerleader Buffy. Your Buffy is the Buffy who's strong morals made her a hero and a great friend. We haven't seen much so far, but you've yet again hit the high mid-ground for these characters.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 1:00 pm 
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Sorry to hear you had a rough morning, Faolan but pleased that this might have helped a little. Equine though? Really?

...

A bigger Buffy-verse? I guess that's what I like to do... I make everything bigger. Sometimes unnecessarily so. It's funny though, because I've spent the last few days redrafting the Hush chapters and now the chapter leading into the day of 'A New Man'. All great Tara and Willow moments, very focused on just them. So... it might get bigger here, but in 20 parts it's right back down at the very personal level. Maybe I just like a big canvas :)

Buffy... Yes. In 2002 I killed her. Part of why I did Sidestep and developed that reality was that Buffy was dead. At that point I was sick of her, from S6 and everything and - unfairly - she probably represented what went wrong about the show for me. So I did without her for years and years and years... Now I'm here, I really had no choice but to write her and... you know what? You can't ignore the fact that they're good friends. If I can't deal with that, accept it, then either I change the reality to kill her or there's much less sense that this is 'just off canon'. If I believe WIllow makes the right choice in Tara, how can I throw away her friend?

Though in truth even back at the start, before we had big-gay-Willow, Buffy was never my favourite character. But I rarely have much time for the lead in any show. Everyone else seems much more interesting.

I think I'm working my way around to thank you :) I'm pleased she works for you... but the redemption of Buffy has been a long process for me! Also, I think we'll see a better side to her in this version of things... because yes I enjoyed it. I didn't like that I did to begin with, but I enjoyed writing her and Xander and some of the others...

Thanks!

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 2:36 pm 
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Katharyn, I actually remember that guy, Eddie. It never occurred to me that he and Buffy would hook up but I can see Willow, not so subtly, encouraging her pal to go for it. Willow enjoys her vicarious smoochies after all.. except when it involves Xander and Anya, LOL! Funny that Buffy has already decided, before even meeting her, that she doesn’t like her new roomie.

It’s a sad thought that there are graves behind the house -graves that Tara must attend to. The patriarch of this clan likely wouldn’t allow a public service for what he claims were wicked demon so I’m guessing the Maclay women are buried, in secret, on the property. For Tara, it’s a constant reminder of what she is and the fate she believes awaits her.

Annie seems pretty nice and wise too. I like the idea that Tara had friends at college pre-Willow. Not everyone on the planet is completely self-absorbed and unwilling to befriend someone who appears to be extremely shy. Was it a conscious choice to use Buffy’s middle name for Tara’s new friend? I like the name. :)

Excellent update!


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 3:12 pm 
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Buffy doesn't date guys between the ages of 25-225?...Bwaaaaaah! Your humor is on point so far in this story!

It took me a minute to place Eddie. He's the guy that got turned into the Vamp, right? I vaguely remember her trying to catch up with him and when he turns around she realizes he has been turned.

I like Tara's new friend, Annie. As long as she does not try to put the moves on Tara, I will continue to like her...lol

I can't wait for Kathy to arrive. Will she still be a soul-sucking Demon?

What is up with the dead bodies behind the house? Did Granny go all rip-shit ride 'em on somebody back in the day? Is that why they are thought to be demons?

More, more, more......please?


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 8:48 pm 
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Kajun - You give me too much credit... No concious thoughts of naming Annie after Buffy's second name. Nice idea and as usual things just work out sometimes and you think it's planned. What am I, evil genius? LOL

I agree, Willow's not much of a Xander/Anya fan. It will lead to amusing moments (at least I will find them amusing!)

I thought it was pretty much canon Buffy didn't like her roomie before she arrived? I could be wrong though, it's been a long time?

Now, the graves thing. Okay... I've long held (though it got quite convoluted in Sidestep) that Tara's Dad wasn't a complete villain and by extension what had happened to her Mom and on backwards. I think perhaps there was some reason in the deep, distant, past for what they believe and do. They just carried it to illogical extremes in the generational thing. So yes, it's definitely wrong. But... there's a kernel of truth. Something did happen. Once. And you know, maybe, what they believe happened, wasn't what happened at all.

But there were consequences.

I'm not making too much of that and we really won't worry about it too much except for when we get to Family (yup, we will be doing that one...)

I was wondering to myself how someone like Tara would react to someone like Annie. Someone who was just out there, forwards and said - 'you know what, you're going to have a friend.' I tend to think this Tara, right now, as long as she didn't hate her would just knuckle under and say 'okay.' Not a sound basis for friendship, but they can work at it.

Thank you :)

Grimm - I couldn't remember how old Angel was so... 25-225 had a sort of symmetry to it!

Yup, that's Eddie. But since Sunday and her gang were removed from the picture... things happen a little differently. What happens if you have a Buffy with other friends? Maybe even a boyfriend? One who's... normal? (Assuming he is!) What changes?

I'm pleased you like Annie, you're supposed to! There will be no moves though. No moves. Period.

So... you can read the demon explanation above and I won't say more on that right now.

As for more. Of course! Another part posted at the weekend.

Big thanks for the support!

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 10:38 pm 
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Am I the only one who finds this ominous?

Quote:
I'm pleased you like Annie, you're supposed to!


Very tempted to start a 'Who dies, when, and how' pool for this fic. Very tempted. Perhaps I've become jaded.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER FIVE - 09/26/12
PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:47 am 
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Sheesh! I just can't say anything can I?

LOL

A pool huh? Well, I guess I may have given you cause. Now... I will admit that bodycount of known, named (recurring) characters is probably higher than canon but this isn't 'wipe them all out and start again' like Sidestep was...

:fallen

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 Post subject: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:39 am 
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Title: Tara and Willow – Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda – Chapter Six
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but Season 4 and Season 5 of BTVS.
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Summary: More progress into season 4 for Buffy and Willow with them getting to rooming together, but an event of significance for Tara and the Wicca Group – which Willow still hasn’t joined, of course.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: This part delivers the first clear splash from the ripple effect. Up to now it’s been a couple of things here or there, but this one… Yeah, you’ll notice something different going on.
You’ll note I didn’t get into dealing with Kathy. It might’ve been fun, but actually there’s very little difference from canon and unless I’d had Tara meet her for some reason there wasn’t really a point of view to tell that from in a new way, so I’ve not gone there. Shame though, because more than one mention of her was made in feedback…
Thanks to: The person who finally made a laptop that was exactly that. Something you could rest on your lap without being too large, hot or chronically short of battery to use OR being too small to type on. Try writing this story on your smart phone or iPad. Uh-uh, you can’t can you?!



“So I’m paranoid, am I?” Buffy asked. “Really?”

“Okay, so, on this occasion, I have to admit that maybe you weren’t being paranoid,” Willow said.

“Thanks, Miss Speaks-The-Obvious.”

“Buffy, I apologised. Giles apologised. Even Xander apologised and he was on your side!” Willow was getting just a little frustrated, was this what it was going to be like rooming with Buffy? The perfect solution now seemed just a little less perfect than it had done.

Better to find these things out in advance though.

“First the whole Kathy thing - ” Buffy started, bringing that one back up again.

“Now, come on. That wasn’t anything that we could do anything about. How were we supposed to know she was a trans-dimensional demon on the lam from her father? She seemed nice even if her taste in music was… restricted.”

“Willow…” Buffy growled.

“Well, I’m sorry, but she did. All the things that set you on edge, you know what? Yes, you turned out to be right about her, but you were right for all the wrong reasons. I mean, even you should be able to admit it would’ve been more than a little paranoid.”

“Just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get me,” Buffy misquoted.

“Um, she wasn’t out to get you. Well, not much. She just wanted to get away from her Dad and enjoy college. Is that so bad?”

“I can’t believe you’re feeling sorry for her! But, hey, bygones. New roommate. New start.”

“That’s very mature of you,” Willow said, pleased they’d put it behind them.

“Thank you, now about me being paranoid…”

“I really don’t think you can call it a crush,” Willow said as they changed the subject. “I’ve seen crushes, I’ve had crushes and I don’t think this is a crush.”

“Eddie - ”

“Wants a friend,” Willow said, holding up a finger. “The fact that you’re a girl and he’s a boy… well, I suppose nature just wants to take its course.”

“There’ll be no course, no coursing at all.”

“Oh, come on! He’s nice!”

“You thought Kathy was nice and look how that turned out. It’s - He’s… Too nice. And I just met this guy who’s cute and… and…”

“Want to talk about crushing?” Willow asked.

“That’s not fair. I’m not crushing.”

“Are you lusting then? I’ve never met anyone who’s done unrequited lust before,” Willow said. “It is unrequited isn’t it?”

“Willow!”

“Well, as a single, attractive - ”

“Thank you.”

“My pleasure. As a single, attractive girl in college, you get to… What’s the girl equivalent of sowing wild oats?”

Buffy pulled her face as she considered and then realised. “Being a slut?”

“That’s right, you get to be as slutty as you like. You can be slutty Buffy. And, if you’re taking the right classes, some people will tell you it’s empowering. Really, I think it’s just about doing what feels right. You don’t have an immortal boyfriend who thinks dark and broody is the default relationship setting on a good day. You can get you some normal, girl.”

“Well, I might want to feel – and be felt – but I can’t believe you think I’d sleep with someone I just met!” Buffy said.

“You want to, don’t you?”

Yes.”

“Careful though,” Willow said. “You know, Eddie might be the jealous type.”

“You only moved in a day ago and I’m already thinking this might have been a mistake,” Buffy said, shaking her head.

Moving in here was the perfect solution, of course. Debbie got to party without complaint – which, actually, she’d been doing anyway but now without anyone there who was bothered by it. Buffy hadn’t slain her last roommate, which was a positive indicator for her graduation prospects and they already knew all about each other.

Or… she thought she had.

See, she’d never noticed it when she’d stayed over but… Buffy ground her teeth. Slayer style, like the teeth of the garbage disposal working slowly, slowly, slowly. But that was fine… she was sure there were things that she did that would’ve been mildly irritating too.

Mildly.

“You don’t mean that.”

“No,” Buffy said. “You’re definitely better than Kathy. So you’ll do. For now.”

“Thanks. So this Parker you’re lusting after – it is Parker isn’t it?”

“Willow…”

“You’re easily distracted, I mean you already have two guys on the go… what’s another one?”

“I don’t have two guys on the go. I have Parker who’s cute and I have Eddie who’s… nice.”

“But not ranking high on the lusty scale?”

“No. He’s a nice guy, Willow. But it’s not like I saved his life or anything… Why’s he sticking around?”

“Hmm, maybe because he’s made friends with you? Maybe because he was there for you when you needed someone? And vice versa. Maybe because now that Xander’s back and I’m your roomie, you’re thinking maybe you don’t need anyone else?”

“But I do, huh?”

Willow shook her head. “Much as we might like to be, we can’t just be who we were before, in High School. Look where that got you.”

“You’ve still got Oz,” Buffy pointed out.

“Yeah, but you have to embrace this place and Angel’s gone so… that’s a big hole in your life right there. So would it kill you to be Eddie’s friend? Without worrying about whether he’s crushing on you?”

“What if he goes psycho if Parker and I started dating?”

Willow looked at her. Silent. Really?

“Look, it’s not an unreasonable question. My boyfriends have… My boyfriends have gone psycho once or twice before and… yes, I dealt with it.”

“It’ll be easier than those times, I promise. But I really don’t think Eddie’s crushing on you. Look at it this way, my boyfriend has a time of the month too and we make it work. I’m sure you and Parker can be circumspect around Eddie if you have to be. Just…”

“What?”

“Don’t make him angry, you won’t like him when he’s angry.”

Buffy threw a pillow at her which Willow caught quite neatly without using her hands. “Wow. You’ve moved on from pencils then?”

“Absolutely! In the event of a pillow related emergency, I can prevent said pillow from hitting me in the face just with the power of my mind. You see the power of college? I’m already learning marketable skills, crucial to the jobs market.”

“Do you have to stretch your hand out like that?” Buffy asked after watching it turn end over end for about thirty seconds.

“It helps me focus,” Willow admitted.

“So you could’ve just caught it then? Just saying.”

“Well, yeah… but this is way cooler”

---------------------------

Numbers were definitely down. All the people who’d come to the first Wicca Group of the semester that Tara had suspected wouldn’t bother to show again were – indeed - gone. It might’ve made her a made her a good judge of character.

That was what Annie had told her too, that she was a good judge of character. Of course that was on the strength of being her friend, and so she probably couldn’t be relied upon to be honest about it.

The whole Annie thing, the girl had just decided – apparently – that Tara Maclay was going to be her friend. And who was she to argue?

It wasn’t like they were best friends or anything – though the lack of other close friends here might make Annie that by default – but they’d hung out a few times, chatting and gossiping. Mostly Annie chatted or gossiped and Tara listened but she’d had to explain about the Wicca Group last night once she’d mentioned it and that had led to places she probably shouldn’t have been talking about. Daddy wouldn’t have liked her to.

It wasn’t the beliefs that had ever bothered him as much as the practical side… The talent of the Maclay women for magic had come right along with the problems with the demon. That the two were bound together had never been in doubt, but Momma had proven to him that there were beneficial sides to magic and that – properly taught – Tara would only indulge in those sides.

She might not have a choice about her fate, but all the decisions before that she knew enough to make for the right reasons.

Which was why she knew as much about magic and spells as she did, something that she hadn’t admitted to her new friend. Witchcraft rather than just Wicca.

Magic wasn’t in Annie’s vocabulary. Not as a real thing.

In her analysis, Tara was pretty certain that Annie had tied two or three distinct elements together in the whole attraction of the Wicca Group thing. And not without some stereotypical assumptions either.

To be fair to her she’d been given cause too.

The first thing was that, actually, she’d been raised that way. Momma had believed and practised and if you considered it a religion – as Annie just about accepted it could be even though she had a prominent cross around her neck – then she could hardly argue with that one.

Faith, Annie had said more than once, was better than a lack of faith, no matter what you believed.

The second thing was feminism. Wicca was associated with women, as was the confused term ‘witch’. If you ignored the fact that there were plenty of men who also held those beliefs, Annie had probably conflated that with her very real belief in true equality.

They’d been raised differently, the pair of them. Annie had come from money, from a house where she was the apple of her father’s eye and she wasn’t expected to be any different to her Mom, making the right marriage and giving up her career at the appropriate time to have babies and start the whole process over again.

Fine, Tara had said, that was a choice and a valid one. But just one. And just because Annie wasn’t expected to look at it any other way, didn’t mean that she didn’t or couldn’t.

The final thing Annie had supposed attracted her to the group, was that Annie knew she was gay and if there was one thing that a feminist Wicca group was supposed to be that was a magnet for lesbians.

If her new friend had been surprised by that revelation – and she had – then she’d gotten past it in about five seconds flat. Tara hadn’t ever tried to hide who she was from anyone.

I have much bigger things to hide than whether or not I’m a lesbian.

Add it all up and Annie probably thought she knew what the attraction to this group was about.

She’d have been disappointed in her judgement though.

The Wicca Group wasn’t looking like any of those things – religious, feminist or lesbian - and Tara wasn’t sure she minded. Because it wasn’t like they were what she’d been looking for anyway.

There’d been no one she could turn to, after Momma passed, who shared the same beliefs as her. Momma had been far from a ‘feminist’ in the way that everyone on the news meant it and she liked to think Lillian Maclay wouldn’t have given a hoot about who they slept with so long as she – and Donny – were happy.

So she was willing to give the group a chance, it was being run by Eliza who was a Senior now and therefore not a whole lot older than she was. People had already dropped out because it wasn’t what they’d thought it would be – including, she supposed, any of those three things Annie had assumed.

But where else would I rather be right now?

She was going to keep the faith, give Eliza chance to take this where it needed to go even if it just got down to the two of them… at which point, maybe, the girl would remember her name.

Twice already tonight she’d been called Lara.

So at least she was being consistent with that.

“So, there you have it,” Eliza said. “What does everyone think?”

“I think it’s great,” Sandra told her.

“A brilliant plan,” said one of the others.

“Lara?”

Tara just nodded, not really willing to stick out of the crowd and wonder aloud… well, where was the ritual? Where was the practice? Okay, they didn’t have to try ‘magic’ because that was only one element and not everyone was so blessed by the Goddess as to come by it easily – and some of us who are may be cursed in other ways. But the plan sounded like it was really all about fund raising?

Of course ‘Lara’ had only been asked so soon because she’d seated herself closer to Eliza at the ‘front’ of the circle. It was a circle, how did it have a ‘front’?

Ordinarily she wouldn’t have put herself in such a prominent position anyway. But there was another factor… The strange woman who’d arrived at the end of the last meeting had shown up here again.

Just as barefoot, but absolutely immaculate all the same. Who walked around that way and didn’t have dirt on the soles of their feet? It was impossible. She wasn’t carrying her shoes, she just didn’t have any unless she’d hidden them away outside the room.

Now, of course, if she’d walked in that way they’d probably all have laughed at her. But there was something about this girl that… You didn’t laugh at her. You didn’t sit next to her if you could avoid it either. You didn’t have anything to do with her.

Because, she understood, there was… power. Which was another thing that was going to keep her here until things started to look up or until they got dangerous.

It wasn’t at all clear that anyone else here got that. Maybe they saw it on an instinctive level and wanted to keep back from her, but they didn’t understand. Not like she did.

She could feel it like a tangible thing. She could hear it, that buzzing in her head. She’d realised, sitting here, what it reminded her of. Hugging or embracing Momma, that same sensation – just dialled down a lot.

And she’d never had that except when making physical contact and never with anyone other than Momma. So… she wasn’t the only practitioner in the room and not the strongest one either. Not by a long distance.

The barefoot girl had been making disapproving gestures throughout the meeting, as if she was trying very hard to be patient but finding it extremely difficult to keep herself quiet.

Not that everyone was reacting to her very favourably. It had probably contributed to her (or Lara) not being the outcast in the group. The girl with the green, green eyes was earning her own disapproving glances and the like but no one was saying too much. The feet were one thing and more than one person looked to have noticed that’s she didn’t seem to be wearing anything under the short dress.

Tara had been rather more concerned with the power that the girl was radiating and what that might mean than wether her breasts – or anything else – were too obvious.

But her power… Was this girl – a young woman really - possessed by a demon too? Had it fully manifested? Was that the crackle that she felt?

It was a possibility, wasn’t it? It couldn’t just be the Maclays.

And so no, she wasn’t disapproving or the slightest bit curious what was – or wasn’t – under that tunic-like dress. No, she was wary and on edge. What had been soothing and familiar about Momma was ramped up and flat out scary here.

Yet… she couldn’t just walk out. Because it might be that this barefoot young woman was the thing that would turn this group into what it could be…

Maybe.

And then there was the demon thing… Whether this was her future or something… else?

“I comprehend nothing brilliant here,” barefoot girl finally said. “Nothing at all of merit.”

“Feel free to leave, right along with your comprehension then,” Eliza snapped back. “And what is your name anyway?”

Tara watched as those green eyes focused on the ostensible leader of the group. She wanted to say ‘shut up’, she wanted to explain that Eliza didn’t know what she was doing or saying, but… the best she could manage was a bit less decisive than that.

“N-no need for us to argue,” she managed, hoping that making peace was the way to go. Couldn’t they all just get a long?

“For now, you may call me Diana.”

“For now?” Eliza said raising her eyebrows. “What? Does your name change at midnight?”

“Many names have I had but I would have you call me one that you’re most familiar with.”

“You’re foreign aren’t you?” Sandra joined the fray.

“No more than you.” The response was icy cold.

“Oh? I was born here, my parents were born here – can you say the same?” Sandra challenged, perhaps it was a touchy subject. Tara just felt like curling up into a little ball and waiting this all out because it just didn’t seem like it was going to go well. Couldn’t they all feel it?

If Diana unleashed the power she held, if she knew how to direct it – or perhaps worse if she didn’t know how to do that… If it was the unfocused rage of a demon that she’d always been warned about – then that could be very, very bad.

And none of the others knew or understood it what they were talking about.

Rather than get angry with them though, a flicker of a smile touch the corners of Diana’s lips. “You have fire, even if you lack semblance of the most fleeting of power.”

“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about. Speak American!”

“That’s right,” Diana said. “You do not know. Ignorance is your ally but ignorance is acceptable so long as you believe.”

“Believe?” Eliza asked, restraining Sandra from bodily moving in on Diana. “In what?”

“You have the makings of an altar there before you, and sit here and call to mind the beliefs of others that you have read or heard about. But how many of you comprehend? How many of you believe?”

“In the Goddess?” Tara asked, curiosity overcoming her fear now that the mood had lightened a touch. Less conflict and more lecturing. That was… better.

“One… amongst all of you?” Diana asked, looking right at her. Tara avoided her eyes, they were too intense and she didn’t mind admitting that she was a little afraid of them.

“I have tattoos” the girl next to Sandra, Christina, said, as if that was supposed to prove something.

“And the cross of the late-coming-god around your neck. Perhaps you ought to take one of them off?”

“How can she take off a tattoo?” Eliza asked.

Really, really, the wrong question to ask, Tara realised as she was certain that Diana had the answer and it probably involved flaying…

“P-perhaps we should end the meeting there,” she interjected. She was actually afraid for some of these girls now. Tara wasn’t sure what she was dealing with, but the word ‘ignorance’ had already been raised. The rest were… absolutely, truly ignorant of what was in their midst and, she realised, she’d completely forgotten some of the spells and rituals Momma had taught her to protect herself from the magic of others.

There’d never been anyone else, not who’d use magic around her, and so she’d never had to think about it, let alone practice them.

“The question deserves answer,” Diana said, all too reasonably. “Marked skin can always be removed.”

She was going to say flaying… Or worse.

“Lasers? I just got the tat done in the summer. Everyone was saying how much they liked it”

Diana didn’t mean lasers. She didn’t even look like she knew what a laser was… And not everyone had seen Christina’s tattoo. It was common decency that led her to try and tone down what was happening here, not any great affection for these girls who’d refused to become her sisters…

“Sisters,” Diana said, as if plucking the word from her mind.

Tara started, shocked by what she sincerely hoped was coincidence.

“You mouth the words, such as understanding comes to you, but lack conviction and the belief to accompany them.”

For a moment Tara thought that Diana meant her, as if it really had come from her mind, but she was talking to the rest of them.

“I wouldn’t name anyone my sister after only an hour, it would be disingenuous,” Sandra said. “Do you know the big words? Do they have schools where you come from or is that why you came here?”

“Your presence offends me,” Diana said.

Tara hoped, really hoped that everyone glimpsed the power behind those words. The instruction to leave was implicit, the danger in not doing so really, really obvious to her.

What Diana was asking for was this group to be what it should be… No, she was demanding it. But she wasn’t speaking her mind or the others weren’t hearing what she was saying. Not clearly enough.

“Your presence offends me - ” Sandra said.

“Sandra!”

“What?” the girl asked. “Oh. My. God.”

“And the call to the late-coming-god crosses your lips even now.”

Sandra was elevated. As in she was floating. A clear two foot in the air. She uncrossed her legs, as if to try and stand, but on what? Somehow what was happening didn’t quite let her feet back on the ground, even though she rose up no further.

“What!? Help me!”

“Yes, sisters… help her? Or do her appeals fall on ears that do not hear, ringing only in her falsehood?”

Tara was pretty certain that, with plenty of preparation, she could’ve lifted Sandra up too. But that was rituals and ingredients and time and chanting… Diana had done it just as simply as if she’d been going over there and pushing her.

“P-please, Diana. L-let her go. She’ll leave. Won’t you, Sandra?”

“Sure, Lara. Sure.” Sandra nodded furiously, made promises and generally was freaking out. She wasn’t the only one, just the worst affected. But others… others were looking on Diana in a new light.

Some were plainly in fear. Others, those who’d maybe come here part believing in witchcraft or magic or whatever it was that they’d read, watched or heard about, they were looking a little more like…

They suddenly believed.

And Tara was right there with both impressions. Fear and belief… She’d already believed, in truth, she’d known that magic was a real, vibrant thing. That while it might – for her – be rooted in a dark part of her heritage it was also something that could be a positive. Momma had done more good with her ‘tricks’ than most other people ever accomplished. It might not have saved lives, but it’d certainly made lives – and in some cases marriages – better.

The fear though…

That was around the ease with which the magic appeared to be wielded. She’d heard of such things, but never seen it. This was no Wiccan. Wiccan’s, those who even practised, were ritualists. It was through the ritual – and often the ingredients – that the strain of the magic was borne. Nothing was free, not in life and certainly not in magic.

Whether Diana was their sister or not, she was something else besides a Wiccan.

What though?

“Leave us,” Diana said, depositing Sandra on the ground near the door. Delicately done too. The girl didn’t even pause to pick up her bag before she left and Tara resolved to take it to her later, make sure she was okay – at least if no one else did. She wouldn’t get in their way if they wanted to be the ones.

They were going to have to close thei mouths, before they went outside, or they’d be trapping flies.

Now you believe,” the woman with the green eyes said, looking around at them.

Around the circle there was no one who could deny that. Denial might set in for some of the others later, they looked like the kind of people who could rationalise away anything. Tara knew the type, her family had depended on them being the most common kinds of people for their very survival.

Others though… yes, they believed. But what would they do with that belief?

*********************

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 7:52 am 
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Dibs. I really like how this is going. It is cool being inside Tara's head. Would have thought her mind would have put 2&2 together about Who Diana is from the introductory comment.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 7:57 am 
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Thanks taranwillow4ever, glad you like the PoV stufff because it's (nearly) all that way. Tara's or Willow's. Just how I write when I do these characters. I see what you mean about Tara adding it up but... to me, it's one of the last things you'd consider. Buffy and Willow, for example, would be a lot more suspicious after everything they've seen. 'Oh, you claim you're a god but what are you really?'

Tara's perspective is different. She's been raised a different way, didn't grow up in Sunnydale but who expects to meet their god? the fact that they are a god lends them mythical status.

Least ways thats how I justify it to myself.

Also, remember what I said. The characters are not omniscient. Sometimes they can just plain be wrong.

Thanks :)

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:14 am 
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Loving Buffy and Willow's BFF roomie shenanigans! I just woke up so this piece of feedback will be less than eloquent, but aww I love Tara's pov special snowflake baby girl

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:46 am 
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You know.... until I read this, I never realized how much Tara and Kathy had in common. Both made mistakes. But, they just wanted to have lives of their own. Willow and Buffy's banter was VERY entertainining.....kudos

So, like the poor, innocent wannatouchie in Sidestep Trinity, I expect Eddie to be a demon. Either Oz will bite him on his way out the door (which hopefully happens soonish), Ethan will turn him into a Demon instead of Giles or the resident bleach-head, Spike will initiate him into the fang-gang.....Better yet, he could be a Walsh or part of the Initiative ( I've had a lot of coffee).

Tara's interactions with God's usually don't turnout well.

As for Starr's dead-pool, clearly my money is on Eddie...lol

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 11:52 am 
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My death-pool concerning Eddie and Anne are on the fringes. Both could become close friends to our 'main crew' as beloved side-characters. At the same time, I feel like they could also be developed just enough to hurt us when they're offed.

Meanwhile, for no reason other than I feel it, I think Spike, Xander and Riley are gonna bite it sooner or later.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 12:05 pm 
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I could live with any of the 3.

Xander would be a loss because Willow loves him so. Plus, it would send Anya off the rails. Spike can be entertaining. But, Riley does ABSOLUTELY nothing for me Character wise. He's like 6 day old bread. You could eat it. But, you'd prefer not to.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 12:09 pm 
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Things really have started to change drastically from canon here! When Willow finally joins the wicca group they won't be silly girls planning bake sales who, as Tara observed in canon, would run away when they saw a true which. The question now is, is Diana really the goddess of the hunt, and if so, what does she want in Sunnydale, in the campus wicca group? If it's really her aim to find disciples in those girls, what does she need them for?

I'm curious if you are going to pair Buffy with Eddie instead of Riley. I actually kind of liked Riley in canon and the twist that the "normal guy" Buffy fell for turned out to be not so normal. Guess I just have to wait and see.

Oh, by the way, nice detail that in chapter 5 Tara heard Willow whistle, but just didn't see her. I'm wondering if until chapter 19 there will be other situations where they just miss in a hair's breadth? I can hardly wait until they finally meet, but I am happy that until then Tara has at least Annie being nice to her.


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Sat Sep 29, 2012 1:16 pm 
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Katharyn, Whoa.. Diana certainly made a lasting impression on the wannabes. Doubtful anyone in the group, besides Tara, had a moment’s thought about Sandra’s emotional well-being. I would think, if Diana is THE Goddess, she would know that Tara has real power and know the truth of Tara’s “demon” status. So the powerful green-eyed girl Tara encounters in the Wicca group is not our beloved Willow. This is a very intriguing change of events. Weird time-line question: Is the conversation between Willow and Buffy occurring simultaneous with the Wicca group meeting? Just mulling over parallels and trying not to jump to crazy conclusions-- Good luck with that, right? LOL The questions are mounting! Excellent chapter and anxious for the next one!

**Eddie is a Wannatouchie.. :rofl
Thanks for the hilarious reminder, Grimm :rofl


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SIX - 09/29/12
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:19 am 
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Not an update, sorry, that will come tomorrow.

Faolan - I think I may have said it before, but I'm having more fun than I should with Willow and Buffy shenanigans It's all - I've realised - about how you write them. If Buffy turns out to be a BFF then that's fine, if she turns out to be a self-abusing... well, you know then that is what will drive it. I like to keep things lighter when I can. Save the darkness for where it's warranted...

Thanks!

Grimm - Tara and Kathy have something in common. Oh damn, that could've been a theme! See, you lot all realise all this stuff and I just miss it (or luck into it!) I bet you did really well in English Lit class, the teachers would've loved you :)

Glad you liked the banter, see above!

I'd forgotten all about wannatouchies, there may be a theme here... that kind of comes back in a different way. I can't even be original in my own stories! LOL Eddie... Ethan... Oz... Spike... Walsh... No comment. All of them are in the story, you know that much. To greater or lesser extents. I am giving nothing away. But yes, I can see your caffeine levels through the screen ;)

I'd also missed the 'Tara's interactions with Gods' thing too... though - in my defense - there is no 'usually' yet, this is her first!

As for the dead-pool, I can't comment though I will say that on the characters and evidence available to you (my prior form) your guess is probably very logical!

And then....

Faolan redux - As you point out about the dead-pool. LOL. Saying nothing, though one of the characters mentioned in these posts will reach a definitive conclusion much sooner than everyone else.

Grimm - I think the point was that the dead-pool could be any or all. (If any!) Your logic is also fairly sound, however since I rarely use logic, where does that leave you?

Wills redemption - Yup, things have changed a lot. However the broad structure of canon, episode by episode, still exists. Different things may happen but there will be - for example - a 'Hush' based series of chapters same with the others. Anything that comes to Sunnydale from outside is pretty much guaranteed to happen, but it may not be important to the girls due to how it unfolds...

I can't comment on Diana now, but Willow's arrival at the Wicca Group should be fun right? It better be. A certain girl needs to smile from under her hair at her.

Eddie speculation, ditto... Like your thinking, but I can't say much just yet. It would spoil the dead-pool! Soon all will become clear. And once a body drops then you can pretty much assume there will at least be a pause before the next. If a body drops. And if there is a next one!

I wish I'd carried that just missing each other motif more than I did. It was a touch I enjoyed and it will - kind of - happen at least once more. But not as explicitly. But I'm pleased Annie works for you. I don't know, I just think that if Tara couldn't have at least one friend, she'd be less the person Willow needed to meet and way too shy to ever do anything about it. What do you think? IS that just me?

Thanks :)

Kajun - Eddie is a wannatouchie? If speculation is correct in earlier posts then we know who he wannatouchies too LOL

I think it's fair to say that who or whatever Diana is, she's fully aware of the potential of the people in that room. Of course, what they have potential for may be a factor ;)

Did you really think it was Willow that was there? I admit it was risk. But if you're going to go with Greek God imagery (whatever she is) then you have to look at the Greek people of the age for the model... Dark haired etc. It was a risk, looking like Willow , but I thought the barefoot and green-green eyes would help LOL

Time line question - Umm. Broadly, yes. Unless you can explicitly see that one event happens after another (which will have more in the future when we change PoV) then they are pretty much at the same time. What does that mean to your mullings?

Thank you all very much. Next part tomorrow. I just need to do a final pre-posting pass on it but have pilates tonight so... that will be tomorrow.

Katharyn

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SEVEN - 10/02/12
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 8:43 pm 
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Title: Tara and Willow – Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda – Chapter Seven
Author: Katharyn Rosser
Feedback: Absolutely, yes please. That’s why I write for this place, to engage in the discussion about the story.
Spoiler warning: Not sure why I am bothering, really, but Season 4 and Season 5 of BTVS.
Distribution: This story was written for Pens. Pens is its home. No archiving off Different Coloured Pens and the Kitten Board please. No conversion to eBook or other formats please. Enjoy it here.
Summary: An alternative version of the events surrounding the Gem of Amara incident.
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the copyrights or anything else associated with BTVS. All rights lie with the production company, writers etc. I am making no money from this series of stories however all original characters and situations remain my property. As this is a missing scenes and alternate reality fiction lots of scenes are new versions of those seen in the show, as such dialogue and situations are taken from the show. I’m sure you can tell which. All credit for those aspects goes to the original writers.
Rating: Occasional, tasteful, adult situations and contextual bad language. However by and large equivalent to the show.
Couples: Tara and Willow forever, that’s all I’m bothered about.
Text convention: Use of italics denotes either special emphasis if used for a single or a few words in a sentence OR first person thoughts if used for a whole sentence.
Notes: This is a longer one, to make up for the shorter parts that we had earlier. I think it’s also one you might have a lot of fun with. Things worked out a little differently here and readers of my earlier work may recognise a pattern to how this turns out.
A little rule – that will become important – to how I tell this story is about what happens. The changes made in the continuity are largely limited to Sunnydale and the Scoobies (though the ripples will expand) and so some things will change, some things won’t happen but if it’s something that comes from outside town then the chances are it will still happen – or at least start – as it did in the canon. Hence, in this chapter, we find vampires from outside Sunnydale back there at about the same time as in the canon.
Faolan’s dead pool might seem ready to claim its first victim…
Thanks to: A different Louise… (Yes, I have two Louise’s in my life.) This one is my personal trainer and this morning I have to thank her for very nearly making me puke. She said she might come read this so… yeah, thanks for almost making me puke. Better than actually making me puke, of course. I had to be clear, because saying my partner ‘almost made me puke’ would be unfortunate…



“There’s… there’s just something that’s skankier about this than I ever felt before,” Willow said, even though she’d been in some pretty skanky places, been covered in demon goop, done a Carrie impression and almost been burnt at the stake.

This though…?

“Really?” Giles asked, but she could tell that he was only paying scant attention to her. He liked babysitting about as much as the rest of them did, but Oz had asked a favour of him and he’d accepted.

Someone – apparently - had to stay with her while everyone else ran off being useful. Just in case.

That wasn’t even the skanky part.

She’d been bitten.

Even then… occupational hazard.

But she’d been bitten by Harmony.

Okay, on the one hand there was the whole being bitten thing. This wasn’t a hickey, bitch had drawn blood – which was kind of the point and meant she wasn’t as complete a failure as a vampire as she had been as a human being. Snyder would be so proud.

On the other… it was Harmony.

Despite the protestations of friendship and how great it was to see her when they’d met up, Harmony had been a terror in her life as long as Cordelia had and just because the Queen bitch had come around, didn’t mean that she had to actually like either of them.

Especially when she’d turned out to be one of the – blood-sucking – living dead.

With Cordelia, well there was a guilt thing there and the girl really had come around to the light side of the force. Right now she was sat in LA working for Angel while trying to be an actress. Harmony didn’t even have those (very well) hidden depths that Cordy had revealed after leaving Sunnydale.

So for someone to turn her into a vampire? It’d hardly been deliberate of course, but… It was Harmony. As in ‘God damn.’

Now, with Oz and the gang on the chase and trying to figure out what – if anything – was going on in her vacuous little head, Giles was left here, watching her. Despite the fact that they all knew it wasn’t like she was going all Night of the Living Dead and turning into a vampire just because she’d been bitten. If it had worked that way the place would be overrun with vampires – more vampires than people by now.

So the big, bad librarian was really here for her protection. However, the weapons box wasn’t even unlocked. In fact it was covered with so many heavy books that maybe she could beat Harmony to death with more easily than get at any of the contents. Not that Harm had known what a book was back in the old days… You know, the ‘old days’, a few months ago, just on the other side of town…

Before they’d blown up the school.

A world away and a lifetime ago. That was how it felt like anyway.

“Are you even listening to me?” she asked, rubbing her neck where Harmony had bitten her.

“Skankier,” Giles said, proving that he’d heard her.

Definitely.”

“Perhaps,” he said, shifting into theorising mode, “it’s something to do with the connection you must feel. She was hardly a friend, but there must’ve been rather more than that the last time you had a close encounter of that nature, with your own Doppelganger, your shadow from another universe just a sidestep away.”

“Don’t think so,” Willow said. She really hadn’t connected the two things, though she couldn’t rule it out now he’d mentioned it.

“Then perhaps it’s the undercurrent of sexuality that many people feel - ”

And just when she’d thought it couldn’t get any skankier, he had to go and prove her wrong.

“Now, you just hold on Mister. You can just stop right there. Sexuality? That was Harmony. You wouldn’t have known her well, she didn’t do libraries – even if she did everything and everyone else – but it’s… Harmony. You don’t link me to Harmony via the term ‘sexuality’. Not in the same sentence. Uh, uh. No way.”

“I hardly meant you were attracted to her,” he explained, as if she was dim for even considering it. “But to be bitten is an undeniably sexual thing, at least if it doesn’t go too far and inflict real damage. In part it’s the saliva of the vampires, but also the conditioning we’ve long since been raised with.”

“You’ve been having perverted vampire dreams haven’t you?” she guessed.

“Haven’t you?” he asked.

“I don’t think that’s an appropriate question,” Willow said. After all, you couldn’t call it perverted if you were just thinking about yourself, or your doppelganger and what she seemed to have been interested in.

She? More like it.’

And instead of dream, try nightmare… Long, detailed, nightmares.

At least until there’d turned out to be a fluffy kitten in her dream. And that hadn’t been a sexual reference either. Or was it?

“And so I apologise,” he said. “But in all seriousness, the edge of sex – let’s just say ‘sensuality’ - that the vampires elicit in us can often make the violation of the bite seem all the more…”

He was searching for a word and – fearing where that might go – she supplied a get out. It was Harmony who’d bitten her after all. “Let’s just go with ‘disturbing’ and leave it at that. Okay?”

“Quite, but it’s the vulnerability and the helplessness as well as the terrible intimacy of it that cuts to the very core of us.”

“You’ve been bitten?”

“There are few Watchers who haven’t, or at least end up that way. Once we come to the attention of local Master vampires, they’ll take a perverse pleasure in our denigration if not our immediate deaths. It’s something they can take their time over, whereas when they choose to engage with a Slayer – if there is one - ”

“It’s over fast,” Willow said, realising that vampires just wanted the Slayer dead. At least the sensible ones. “Unless they’re Buffy.”

“She’s proven very tenacious,” Giles agreed. “So you see, I do know what you mean.”

“But were you ever bitten by the empty-bubble-headed, popular girl from your High school who’d made your life a misery for more years than you want to admit?” she challenged.

“Actually, I’d have to say no.”

“Then you have no idea about my pain,” Willow told him, willing to be understood as being just a little tongue in cheek.

Actually, what she really felt was a little ashamed. Harmony, of all people, had managed to bite her. That was just… What had she been doing these last few years that she let a vampire get that close? Hadn’t she learned anything doing the Scooby thing with Buffy?

No. She’d been yucking it up, pretending they’d been best buddies on the basis of Harmony actually joining the same fight that everyone else had at graduation? A fight where she’d ultimately died.

She should’ve known better. And that made her feel kind of skanky about herself too. In a battle of wits with Harmony, she’d been beaten. And that was something that she’d never, ever thought she’d be able to say.

Or think, because she wasn’t about to admit that to anyone out loud even if was true. They might not have realised. Even if the vampire hadn’t bitten her, if it had just been that she’d gotten tricked… I’d still have wanted a shower.

“Look at it this way,” he said. “Why would anyone want her as a vampire? She was an accident, randomly – and tragically – falling victim to the Mayor’s vampire lackeys.”

“Someone’s kept her alive though,” Willow pointed out. “I mean, dead. Undead. In existence even, someone must’ve helped her with that?”

“Perhaps she’s been feeding off people who once knew her, perhaps this is just the way that she operates now. Eventually those sorts of people will get too weak or stop cooperating and she’ll stand or fall on her own merits, but do remember that being a vampire doesn’t require an incredible amount of intelligence.”

Willow grinned. “You’re right, most of them are dumb as… things that are dumb.” Hmm.

“And the ones who aren’t? Those are the ones we end up worrying about more.”

------------------------------

“Tara.”

Her own name was like the crack of a whip, calling her to action and she turned, flustered, and faced Diana.

She’d been told to meet the woman here, at the gates to the campus and… there hadn’t been much chance that she’d say ‘no.’ It hadn’t really been an invitation. Diana had known that and here she was. After the demonstration at Wicca Group, and the certainty that Diana possessed much more power than she’d demonstrated so far… Well, curiosity was all mixed with wariness. And there was a healthy bit of ‘someone needed to know what was going on’ in the pot too.

Even if that someone had to be her.

“H-hi,” she said, waving.

Once again the young woman was barefoot and yet utterly unmussed. Even though she looked like she was wearing the same dress again, it was clean and neat and unstained too. No one stayed this perfect unless they were taking care of themselves. So not homeless… Unless it was a spell? An illusion? But she’d have been able to detect that.

Wouldn’t she?

“Gratitudes for your attendance,” Diana told her, slipping into place alongside her. “Come.”

And then she was striding away. Even though Diana was no taller than she was, Tara still had to hurry to both catch up and stay alongside her. The other woman just didn’t look to be hurrying at all.

But they were definitely heading off campus.

“Is-is anyone else coming?” she asked.

“Anyone else? Who is there?” Diana looked at her coolly and Tara understood that they were well aware of each other. The power was there in both of them, hers much less than Diana’s, plainly, but what she was really asking was whether there was another person in the group who had even a smidge of that?

So she shook her head. Moreover, not yet understanding what she was dealing with – and with no recourse to either help or advice from anyone else – it was knowledge about this woman that she needed.

Because she had no doubt that there was a hard edge to Diana, one that she didn’t want to be on the wrong side of. At least not until she was very sure of what she was dealing with, not until she had some idea of how to deal with it.

If there was even any need. Because… what had Diana actually done? Expelled one of the less tolerant – and vapid – people from the Wicca Group and convinced all the rest of them that they were dealing with something real when it came to magic. No bad thing, both things she’d have wanted if asked, though not in the way it had been done.

Tara had already known that magic existed, of course, but the others hadn’t and now that they did believe, they were energised and excited about it. At least those who were left, the ones who could deal. Why, in any way, should that have been a bad thing? Perhaps because any religion or belief that required demonstrable proof to justify itself wasn’t something you had faith in at all.

But that wasn’t Diana’s fault.

Though she was – and had been – a Wiccan her whole life, Tara was experienced enough to understand that the world wasn’t the thin veneer that most people saw, that magic didn’t just come from people like her.

And she understood, intimately, about demons….

So, for her, the belief and the ‘tricks’ were different. The people Diana had convinced the other night were confusing the two. And that did disturb her enough to stay wary. It felt like it could be manipulation. Or it might all be real.

But there was no denying she was excited too.

Not to mention curious.

“No,” Tara said. “There’s r-really no one else.”

“Then we are in agreement. Come.”

She was thankful that she’d worn her hard-wearing Doc Marten boots again as they hadn’t gone far before Diana was off the footpaths into the bushes around the entrance to the campus. Rather than the easy path, instead she was only deviating from her path where actual growth or a tree blocked their route.

It took Tara some time to ask the question that ought to have been asked at the very get-go, but she was afraid of giving offence and also wary of… well, speaking up without all the facts. But eventually she simply had to ask. “Where are we g-going?”

Unlike Diana’s easy passage across the land, she was struggling. The other woman’s should’ve been hopping up and down with sticks, stones and splinters in her feet. Scratched bloody. But Diana’s movement was unimpeded, fluid and unencumbered by dirt, branches, thorns or anything else really.

Tara could hardly say the same, but the pace that Diana set was a harsh one considering the landscape. She also had the feeling that perhaps there was a degree of impatience about her too, that they were moving so slowly. It was an air that she had felt in the Wiccan Group.

Diana was obviously not a patient woman.

And considering the way those brambles had just flicked back at her bare feet and legs, without leaving any kind of mark, she might not even be a woman at all. But… how impolite would it be to ask ‘what are you?’ Better to wait and see whether their destination would reveal everything she needed to know. Right?

Starting with whether Diana was someone worthy of her respect? Or was she someone she had to warn others about and somehow oppose? Right and wrong would – or should - be obvious and she wouldn’t take part in the latter. Finding someone that she could tell though, if she had to, that would be tricky. The police wouldn’t want to know so… What?

It really would’ve helped to have someone to bounce these ideas off too. Maybe someone who knew what they were doing? Did that sort of person exist?

“P-please wait,” Tara said, her skirt caught in more of the clinging brambles.

Unexpectedly Diana did just that, stopping and giving no sign of the frustration Tara had simply assumed would be there when she was delayed. But then she didn’t offer to help or express any regret over the route or the predicament Tara had found herself in either. Disinterest -

And then she noticed the eyes.

Two pairs of them, caught in moonlight.

“Diana, there are - ” She broke off as the eyes became part of dark forms and were revealed as… dogs.

No, not dogs. Hounds. That was what you’d have to call them. Hunting hounds. Powerful, large. These weren’t retrieval dogs either, trained to bring back a bird or to chase down small animals into holes or the underbrush either.

These were animals that helped to bring bigger game down. Like mountain gorilla’s, perhaps. It would’ve been appropriate to the size.

And they were obviously Diana’s.

First of all creatures like these didn’t just wander the landscape, they never had. Wolves were one thing, but these were dogs, domesticated and bred for purpose.

Second, they fell into place alongside the Goddess and teased affection from her.

No matter what she is, the dogs like her. That had to be a good sign, right?

“They’re b-big,” Tara said. Little Miss State-the-Obvious.

“But you show no fear,” Diana replied. “This is good.”

She shook her head. They’d always had dogs, she and Donny had both had their own for a long time, the picks of a farm dog’s litter when she’d been five years old. And the bitch who’d birthed them had been all but wild, wouldn’t tolerate being in the house for all that she’d worked the farm on demand. So no, she wasn’t afraid either because of their size or the simple fact of being dogs.

If she was wary it was because you had to respect any animal, as well as demand that same respect from them. She was wary, yes. Afraid, no.

One of the dogs wandered over to her, tail high and slowly wagging. At ease and not at all excited. You couldn’t trust a wagging tail, not if there was excitement – good or bad. But since he was calm? Yeah…

His head well was above her waist and so when it demanded some affection from her too, it was butting into the underside of her breasts. She scratched under his chin, realising that if he jumped up she’d just be flattened.

“What’s his name?”

Diana seemed genuinely surprised and perhaps even a little pleased to be asked. “That is Jupiter. The bitch is Callisto.”

“Hi,” Tara said, receiving a lick against her palm in return. “I guess she can’t keep you in dorms, huh? Too big to be sneaky.” There wasn’t enough sneak in the whole world for these guys.

Diana laughed. “Your attempts at gathering information are transparent, Tara.”

“You don’t live in dorms, do you?”

“No.”

Nor, she supposed, did Diana attend UC Sunnydale, even though she wandered its halls with impunity and now attended the Wicca Group. That ought to make her wary too.

Warier…

“Please, where are we going?”

“Close now,” Diana replied, turning and starting forwards again, Jupiter gave Tara another quick lick and then bounded back to his Mistresses side.

And Tara followed in their wake.

Not out of fear, she’d been given no concrete cause to be afraid of this young woman. It was like the dog. Diana was an unknown quantity and plainly had the potential to be dangerous. But there was no real, proven, need to be afraid of her.

Yet.

And there was every reason to hope that, maybe, she could be a force for good. You had to be positive, didn’t you?

“There,” Diana said, stopping at the top of the hill, looking down towards Sunnydale proper. The lights stretched out ahead of them, the hazy glow that had marked the town’s position was fully explained. Electricity, lights, air conditioning, the fumes churned out by cars.

“Sunnydale? The town?”

“No,” Diana said, pointing when Tara reached her side. “There.”

They were looking down at what looked like nothing more than a crypt. Of course she’d already noticed that the town was full of graveyards, more than you’d ever think could be needed considering its size, but equally there was some strange history in this town. You just had to know where to look in order to find it.

“Wh-what’s in there?”

“A creature,” Diana said. “One that I’d have an end to.”

That was what the dogs were for? They really were hunting?

“I d-don’t - ”

About to say that she didn’t really agree with blood sports, hunting with hounds or anything else apart from the simple necessity of shooting a wild dog or something if it started taking livestock, she was silenced by Diana’s explanation. “A demon.”

So now she was afraid, fear clamped around her heart like a fist and it struggled against the constraint, beating like mad. Pushing up into her throat and making her feel like she wanted to barf. “Wh-what?”

“You call them vampires now.”

It obviously never occurred to Diana that she wouldn’t know what a demon was, or a vampire, nor that she wouldn’t believe in them anyway. Momma’s lessons couldn’t have been complete without an explanation of what else was out there in the world. And if Momma hadn’t told her than Daddy would’ve made it plain – and had.

There was such a thing as demons. One was inside her, waiting for its chance to claim her for the first of many times. Did Diana know that? And what would she do when she found out?

Hunt her down too? Would these dogs turn on her?

“You hunt vampires?” Tara asked.

Diana didn’t answer, instead setting off down the hill with the dogs at her side. Seeing little alternative since she didn’t want to be caught out here alone with vampires on the prowl, Tara followed and closed the gap.

“Do you hunt them?”

“I hunt,” Diana said, whatever that was supposed to mean.

“Why this – why here?” Tara followed up.

“its presence offends me.”

They came down to doors of the crypt and Jupiter paused, sniffing the air but looking elsewhere from the doorway. When Tara checked his Mistress, she found Diana almost in the same pose, but rather than sniffing she was listening. “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Others come,” Diana explained. If you could call that an explanation. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, Diana didn’t say, she simply pushed open the doors to the Crypt. They creaked and groaned, made of solid iron they had to have been heavy, but they’d plainly been used recently otherwise they’d have been rusted shut. Right?

All the same, when Tara tried to give it a shove on the way past it wasn’t moving hardly at all. Which made Diana physically stronger than her physique – which looked to be honed - suggested. Not pumped, but definitely fit and lean. Neither was she beautiful, nor even necessarily ‘pretty.’ The eyes were too strange, the features came together just a little to ‘harsh’ to be considered beautiful by most standards. Other times, other places, perhaps that judgment would be different. Not here and now though.

Anyone else might feel differently ,she supposed. But it was here, like this, that Diana was in her element and at her most impressive. Striding through the woodland, hounds at her side, moving with a purpose. Not sat in a room full of easily impressed would-be-Wiccans.

And that was counting herself amongst the easily impressed. It just wasn’t coloured by attraction. She’d perhaps never found herself less attracted to a woman as she was – or wasn’t – to Diana. Some quality, something about her that wasn’t quite physical, simply rubbed her up the wrong way.

Though that might’ve been an unfortunate way to think about it.

“Is that bad?” Tara asked. “Others coming?” Diana didn’t even seem disturbed that they were about to be joined by someone else – whoever it was. She was focused on the hunt for this vampire that had offended her.

The dogs were focused too. Their tails had stopped wagging and lowered, their ears had flattened and their eyes were fixed forward. A predator’s stare. They looked… dangerous rather than just ‘big’.

Diana didn’t answer her question, leading the way silently.

“Harm? Is that you?”

A man’s voice, foreign. Probably British and powerful too but that could be the echoes.

Other noises, the sounds of digging once he’d finished asking his question, then – when there was no answer – he repeated it.

“Harm?”

Neither of them answered, following the stone passageway… Tara was willing to bet that not many crypts were laid out like this. It was something that was done with a purpose greater than a resting place for the dead.

“Bloody hell, woman, I told you about that coded knock. I told you about answering me, no matter what you’re listening to on that bloody Walkman. There’s only a Slayer at large, you know, ‘death to the fanged ones’ and all that - ”

The blonde man – or vampire - stopped dead in his tracks when he saw them there, locking his eyes on her first for some reason.

“Who the hell are you? And what’s with the mutts?”

Jupiter and Callisto growled, in the confined space it was like twin rolls of thunder echoing across the landscape. Both the hounds were ready to spring, but seemed restrained by the will of their owner.

Diana stepped forwards, pushing past him and into the space beyond. The difference in height between the barefoot young woman and the blonde, short haired vampire wasn’t quite comical, but despite the physique, there was still quite a difference. It didn’t seem to matter though and she brushed him aside like he was nothing.

“Hey!”

“You seek the Gem of Amara.” Diana wasn’t asking a question.

“The what now?” the vampire asked. “Don’t know what you’re talking about love, now why don’t you be a good girl and bugger off before you make me angry?”

Tara might’ve felt vulnerable, but Jupiter and Callisto had - at no command she’d noticed - held back and let Diana go ahead without them. Somehow she knew that their outright hostility, flanking her, would keep the vampire in check. Diana would appear to be the easier target. Knowing the theory of the demonic undead, didn’t mean she’d ever met one, so having the dogs there was reassuring.

“Who’s your friend, love? She’s a real sweetheart.”

Tara gave him an apologetic smile, even knowing what was coming. But Diana had said she was hunting the vampire – now she was after some sort of gem? Frankly, she didn’t know much more than he did.

“What are you, mute?” He didn’t wait for her to answer following Diana into a room where the vampire had evidently been digging. He was filthy and the source of all that dirt was right here. Looking for this gem obviously. Who Amara was and why his, her - or it’s - Gem was here, she had no idea.

“Do you have it?” Diana asked, looking at him.

“I already told you, no bloody clue what you’re talking about, now get your bony ass out of here before I have to hurt you – actually, no, on second thoughts, I’ll just hurt you.”

The vampire leapt, his face changing into some terrible visage at the same instant. A human, rage-filled cry turning into a demon’s hiss in that moment. Must be the teeth, she realised. And when he made it to Diana he… He was caught easily in one of her hands, held by the throat up with his feet dangling up off the ground.

By her side, the dogs had kept pace with her, their growls rumbled once again. But their mistress didn’t seem to need the help.

Tossed aside with a clatter, the vampire sprawled with his butt up above his head against one, rough-hewn wall.

“What are you, a bloody Slayer?” he asked, standing up and brushing himself down. “Did the other one kick the bucket? Good riddance, she was annoying little bint who overstayed her welcome – Hey! Get away from that.”

Diana ignored him, examined the spot where he’d been digging and then plunged her hand into the face of the dirt. It looked to be packed solid by time – he’d been using a pickaxe as well as a shovel – and with the moisture it should’ve thrown her hand off as surely as concrete.

Instead Diana’s arm sunk into it and she looked just like the vet had, when he’d come to examine one of the few cows they’d had and plunged his arm… well, she looked like that. And then she was pulling it out, still unmarked by the dirt and the soil – Tara noticed. Her fist closed around something.

“Oi! Hey! That’s mine!”

Diana didn’t look like she cared, briefly examining the ring in her hand and then it was gone with a close of her fist, like a magic trick. It wouldn’t have surprised Tara if she’d reached over and pulled it from behind his ear.

Needless to say that didn’t happen.

“Give that back, tell her to bring it back. I’ve been bloody digging for weeks to find that. And I was that bloody close.”

Tara shrugged, there wasn’t much she could say. Like Diana was going to do as she asked?

“It was not crafted for such as you, vampire.”

“Of course it was you dumb bint, give it back or I’m really going to have to take pleasure in your dismemberment. And it’ll be a messy one.”

“Perhaps you seek to goad me into answering challenge?” Diana asked.

“Nah, I’ll just take the bloody ring. Now.”

“Pookie?”

Tara, nearest the entrance to the chamber, found herself face to face with a young woman with long blonde hair and a puzzled expression.

“Who are you?” the newcomer asked her.

“I’m - ” No one, Tara had been about to say, but didn’t get the chance.

“You’re bringing another ho around now, Spike?”

Ho? That was new. No one had ever called her a ‘ho’ before.

“Harm, you really know how to pick your bloody moments, you know that?” the male - who was presumably called Spike - asked.

“Well, what am I supposed to think? You bring two girls down here… You might be a vampire, but you’re still a man. My man. Or you’re supposed to be.”

The way that Spike rolled his eyes suggested he was anything but. Or at least wished it were so.

“Get you game face on, Harm. This bitch has the ring.”

“Our ring?!”

“Yeah, our bloody ring.”

“You know, if there’s one thing I hate more than a ho, it’s a thief,” Harmony said, her face twisted into its demonic form. “Especially when they steal from my Spikey-wikey.”

Spike shook his head, probably not feeling quite as dangerous with Harmony as he had alone. They were an odd couple, that was for sure.

“Harm, focus. Kill ‘em and make sure we don’t lose the ring.”

Harmony turned on her then, correctly picking her out as the easier target but before she could get more than three steps, Jupiter’s jaws closed around her outstretched arm and Tara heard the snapping of bones even above the strangely girlish shriek of pain. You didn’t expect that of a vampire, even though she wasn’t sure what she did expect.

The weight of the springing dog also knocked Harmony off balance and so she was on the ground, struggling against bulk of snapping jaws and wailing for help from her paramour.

But Spike had his own battles to fight. Tara, not knowing what else to do, backed up against the wall and watched as he ignored Harmony’s cries and went for Diana, his eyes yellow and alien. His hair was obviously dyed too. It kind of looked silly. What, was he trying to make himself look younger or something?

Even more obviously he was furious. If Diana was hurt or killed then… he was going to come for her next.

Somehow though, she doubted that would happen. Diana wouldn’t let things happen that way.

The male vampire wasn’t thrown off balance as easily as the first time around and actually proved tenacious, fast as well as dangerous. But his problem wasn’t his own capabilities – even if her judgement was built only on Donny’s hogging the TV and watching wrestling 24/7 – but more that he simply wasn’t getting anywhere close to Diana.

Every punch he threw was avoided. Every charge sidestepped, sending him off balance instead of her. The de-facto leader of the Wicca Group handled him a little like a matador would a bull but without the showmanship.

Vampires, it seemed, didn’t get tired as easily as humans and that went on for a little while, punctuated by the struggles and cries of Harmony who was getting mauled by Jupiter while Callisto looked on as dispassionately as any dog could. The bitch even yawned as her counterpart tore at the vampire.

This was nothing new to her, at least. Nothing that excited her as much as getting the back of her ear scratched.

With Harmony’s arm mostly hanging off - her skin broken in dozens of places – as well as Spike’s utter inability to make contact with the source of his frustration, it was looking bad for the vampires. Even if he had managed to hit or grab Diana – which he didn’t - she appeared so unconcerned about the possibility that Tara doubted that the barefoot woman could be hurt by him at all.

If anything it looked more like Diana was avoiding him out of sheer disgust, declining to be touched by the undead.

“Finished?” Diana asked when whatever tired vampires eventually kicked in and he looked back at the girl struggling on the floor with a dog and wailing his name.

He looked dejected. He looked defeated, even if he was still mad as hell.

Tara had thought they were on the clock, because of those ‘others’ that Diana had detected. But so far she’d taken her time, allowed him his attempts to kill her and then…

Diana picked up the shovel that Spike must’ve been using to dig for what she’d just taken and slashed it upwards – blade first – from his crotch to his collar bone, opening him up like a fish, flesh, sinews and even splitting the bones of his rib cage.

“Spikey!”

“Aww, Harm, shut up…” he groaned as he sank to his knees. Obviously they felt pain, these demons, even if it wasn’t an injury that would kill him. At least not according to her Momma’s warnings.

“Callisto loves heart,” Diana explained to her casually. Her, rather than him. Then she reached forwards, into his chest and plucked it out.

She had to remind herself that it was a dead thing and there was curiously little blood involved because of what he was. Of course, nothing pumped around his body. It just gathered, got stored and was ‘digested’ after a fashion. Tara did have to flinch though as a spatter came her way when Diana flung the heart to the patient Callisto who caught it neatly and started to chew, pausing only to issue a rumbling growl when Jupiter looked her way.

Tara realised that the vampire she’d taken it from was still ‘alive’ or at least aware of what was happening, fortunately it didn’t seem to be able to speak.

With Jupiter’s attention attracted to the fleshy meal that Callisto wasn’t willing to share, he was simply holding the other vampire down. Harmony was still able to wail her way through the slowly consumption of her lover’s dead organ.

And finally there came a point when it was proven that something other than a stake, sunlight or beheading could destroy a vampire as Spike was consumed by fire and turned to ashes, but even those were burned away to nothing with Callisto snapping at them as if they were getting away from her.

Turning to Tara, Diana didn’t even have anything to say about what had just happened. “Come.”

Whether she was talking to Tara or the dogs didn’t seem to matter, but Jupiter hesitated, reluctant to leave his prey.

Harmony was pleading now, but Diana was beyond deaf to those pleas. She was utterly disinterested in them. Her command for Jupiter to leave the vampire alone and fall in beside her was based around the fact he’d ‘eaten enough.’

And Tara had to agree, he was a little more portly than Callisto and the vampire was already a mess. Harmony wasn’t going anywhere with one of her legs mauled to the bone and an arm hanging, barely attached to the rest of her.

***********************

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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SEVEN - 10/02/12
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 9:31 pm 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light
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Holy Shiznit!!!!!

Damn, you Starr!

Spikey bites the dust, LITERALLY!

Diana, Jupiter and Calisto are bad ass. If/When Diana turns out to be the BIGGEST Bad of Season 4, how in the blue hell is Buffy gonna deal with her?

I loved Giles' and Willow's chat about her getting chomped by the bubble-head. And I'm with the Willster...Harmony and sexual should NEVER be used in the same sentence. Since Spike is blowing in the wind, Will Harmony take his place as a frenemy? That would be comedy GOLD!!

Welcome if you are reading this, Louise 2.0. Try to limit her puking to non-posting days!!

Ps. Will there be a Faith sighting later in the story? The Scoobies are gonna need all the help they can get...lol

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SEVEN - 10/02/12
PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2012 10:24 pm 
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5. Willowhand
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It's okay, mate! I grew up on Buffy, and possibly moreso, kinda grew up on Katharyn's fic too. Predicting deaths is fun, especially if you look at who died and how in her previous stuff xD

Quote:
your shadow from another universe just a sidestep away.


I c wat you did thar, and by golly, my dear Scoobies, you have no idea.

I have dogs. I have big dogs. And your description of their behavior, and Tara's observations are spot on. I mean, beyond myself going, 'puppy puppy puppy!' for most of the chapter, I'm envisioning Greek hounds. Not the whippet, greyhound/veltro kind, either. Big, mean ones. Like gigantic, vicious versions of beagles.

Really digging how this is going.

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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SEVEN - 10/02/12
PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 12:17 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Katharyn, In Harm’s defense.. she’s not too awfully hard on the eyes so a Vamp turning her isn’t beyond comprehension. It’s not as if Vampires care about anything beyond feeding and f@cking so from a Vampire POV it makes sense. But.. the silly bitch needs to suffer for biting Willow. (And she does, LOL)

The plot thickens.. Diana takes Tara with her to retrieve the Gem of Amara? It’s not as if she needed Tara’s help but she must want/need something from Tara. Would she even bother to return for another Wicca group meeting since she knows there’s no one else besides Tara? You never know who might pop in at the next one though.. hmm.. I’m actually hoping Willow doesn’t meet Diana, at least for a while longer.

I loved that Tara made friends with the hounds. Her experiences and lessons from home are serving her well with regards to the mysterious huntress.

Cheers for blondie-bear going up in a poofy cloud of smoke. LOL Now Harmony knows how it feels to get bit. And bit and bit and.. ewwwwww. That was gory yet satisfying. >:)

More please.. :)


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 Post subject: Re: Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda - CHAPTER SEVEN - 10/02/12
PostPosted: Tue Oct 02, 2012 11:00 am 
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23. Volumey Text

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Hee, two things that evidently get Kittens going with the big-ass replies...

1) Smoochies (or more!)
2) Killing characters

I'm not sure what that says about y'all (including me!)

Grimm - Finding creative ways to kill characters gets really hard actually... I know, at least, that you've not seen me to THAT one before. And yeah... they're pretty bad. You'll understand there are things I can't discuss about the arc of characters but... yeah. That.

When I wrote the Harmony/Willow thing I'd just read something about the role of sexuality in vampires myths and also lesbian vampires etc. So, with that in mind, I had to really get into that. Have you noticed though, Kajun seems to have a little Harmony crush going on compared to the rest of you... Hmm.

As for Faith... Yes. Absolutely. No mystery on that. She's what I consider an 'outside factor.' Nothing that has changed impacts on her canon arc to the point she wakes up. And she'll have to be dealt with because not much has changed either. She's still a killer. She still betrayed them. I can't say nothing more beyond that though! Help though? Faith help? Hmm....

Faolan - Way to make me feel old! LOL, but thanks! And yes, I like the deadpool, but I can't play. Except maybe if I forget what I did (very likely!)

Yes, I have a few Sidestep references here and there. Nothing anyone who didn't read it needs to worry about but for those that did... Also, I tend to think that - if I'm working in alternate realities they're all part of the same Katharyn-canon. Sidestep was what happened if Buffy never came to Sunnydale. This is what happens if something else changes. Wow... my canon will work in just about every way!!!

I'm pleased the dogs work for you, I hadn't thought about it. I'd already named them or else one might've been Nicolai, but they needed the names they have :) Thanks.

Harmony fan AKA Kajun :) - I thought, I might be wrong, she was bitten during the Mayor attack? I forget and it wasn't worth looking up! I think I preferred BTVS vampires when they weren't so much about the f@cking. Look where that led.

In truth, I could care less about killing Harmony. Spike was always the target :)

You're certainly right that Diana doesn't need Tara to get the Gem. In fact she did nothing much in the whole event. So yes, there's probably another purpose. As I've said though, absolutely, Willow will go to Wicca Group. I'm not messing with how they meet. It's just that other stuff happens before... You might be surprised.

Gory but satisfying? Sounds like fast food LOL

Thanks so much.

I feel very blessed that you all care enough to get into all this with me so, great! Now I just have to keep you going LOL.

Katharyn

_________________
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If I wanted a little pussy, I've got my own to play with.

Chance in *Chance*
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