Hello: Okay everyone, I have been a lurker for sometime, and I'm about to venture out into the scary world of fanfic. Before you dive into this story, just know I will update sporadically.



Rating: So this fic has been rated at an NC-17. It may be a little while before it gets to that point, but believe me, it definately will. That means there will be some Willow/Tara lovin' that may not be suitable for all. I'll let you know when it will get juicy by a note at the top of the post.



Pairing: w/t (what other pairing is there really?)



Disclaimer: Oh, yeah, I don't own many of the characters, but I borrowed them to play with in my own wacked Buffyverse.





Thank yous: I have read so many wonderful fics on the Kitten board, and elsewhere that I was inspired to write my own. Thanks to the many folks on the Kitten Board who answered my questions about getting this started, and finally a kudos to my beta reader Rachel. I hope she and I will put out some great work.



Feedback: Of course. Say what you want. I can take it. I would love constructive feedback, and I am even open to suggestions within the storyline (you will be credited if I use something). This is new territory for me, I am usually too shy to have something I've written accessible to so many.



Ok, so shut up already, I know. Here it is. I hope you like it



Willow lies on her bed, clicking away at her laptop in the

middle of a chat room with her cyber coven.



[WonderWicca]: So I hear you can substitute eye of

salamander for eye of newt in that ancient Babylonian spell

for levitation.



[CrazyCoven]: You can, but it's not as potent, and

salamander leaves a real nasty residue in your caldron.



Willow stares in wonder at her screen. 'How do they know

so much? They always have the answers. I really

have to write that little tidbit down.'



Willow taps a few more keys and unlocks a secret folder

in her computer. Most girls Willow's age keep a locked diary

to talk about how cute boys are, or who was wearing the

latest outfit. Willow, being special with the witchy powers

keeps a Book of Shadows- a well-hidden file folder where she

keeps all of her spells, ingredient lists and anything Wicca

related. Willow had always been wary of leaving anything

witchy out for her mother to find, especially after that almost

burning at the stake, and her blatant dislike of Buffy's

connection to the supernatural.



Willow realized early on that her mother knew about the

apparent dangers in Sunnydale and she sometimes wonders if

that is why her parents travel so much. 'I wish I didn't

have to sneak around about studying Wicca. Mom should

understand I won’t end up like Aunt Becky. She just can't

see past that.' Willow recalls an argument she had in

early spring about where she was applying to college.        



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

"Willow, I just picked up the mail, and found a few letters from some of the colleges you have applied to. Look, here's Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, and one from . . . Berkeley. I thought we had closed this discussion about staying on the West coast for school? Can you explain the reason for this letter?"



Willow had looked at her mother knowing this letter would cause a showdown, but she was ready. She had formulated enough good arguments that her mother would have to agree Berkeley was a good idea.



"Mom, I know you don't want me staying in Sunnydale, but I thought Berkeley would be far enough away, and it is a good school, and I could be close enough to come home for the holidays, and besides Granny and Aunt Becky both live in Oakland. At least I would have emergency contacts if I needed them, not that I would need them, but, you know, it's good to have someone close by just in case . . ."



Sheila Rosenberg's face had started to turn a shade of crimson Willow hadn’t thought was humanly possible. That's when Willow knew there was more to it than just Buffy and the Hellmouth.



"Do you honestly think we would allow this? You know how your father and I feel about Rebecca. There is no way you are going anywhere near San Francisco. Not for school, not for a friendly family visit, and that's final!!!" Sheila Rosenberg stormed out of the room leaving an astonished Willow.



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



Willow gives her head a good shake to try and bring herself back to the present. She adds the new information she had gathered from the coven, and clicks open her other secret file. The Goldman File. Willow starts to go back through the family history she had compiled over the last few months. She had reconfirmed she was named after her Mother’s younger brother, William Goldman, who died at age 15. She had also uncovered a newspaper article briefly describing the accident, and the involvement of 18-year-old Rebecca Goldman. The coroner had ruled an accidental death, but Willow thought it was far from accidental. The files on her aunt from the Oakland Mental Institution described a very delusional young woman who thought she was a witch. Her aunt had destroyed many hospital rooms, and injured many staff members.



Shortly after her aunt’s release, Willow was born. From what Willow could piece together, her aunt fell deep into the dark magicks and became very destructive toward herself and her family. When Willow turned five, Grandma Goldman was placed in a nursing home, and the Rosenbergs fled to Southern California. She still wanted to know more. She knew her Aunt Becky was still alive and living in Oakland close to Granny. One of these days she would make that trip up north and find out what really happened. For now, she resigned herself to research and the odd random question to her parents. Willow finishes reading the rest of the information in the file, signs off from the coven, and turns off her computer. One step at a time. There were plenty of big bads here in Sunnydale to keep her busy for now.





Thank you, Damron (I'll try to be back soon with part 2&3)

Edited by: damron39 at: 10/11/04 2:36 pm

I'm intrigued. Wonderful storytelling. I've always thought it a shame that the only parent explored on Buffy was Joyce Summers. It's nice to see you exploring that aspect of Willow's life. Might there be an apearance by Ira Rosenburg as well?



Are you planning to include Tara in your story? If not, I hope you will write other fics with her in them, because I would love to see what you would do with her.



Keep writing.

"Yeah. You learn her source, and, uh, we'll introduce her to her insect reflection. Um ... that, that was funny if you, um, studied Taglarin mythic rites... and are a complete dork." - Tara "Oh, then how come Xander didn't laugh?" - Riley

Hmm, family trees.



Interesting Willow's family have witches in them.



Wonder where Tara'll come in.

Willow (with pointy ears): "NO kissing and gay love?!!!! That's illogical!" The Sci-Fi Bard W/T trekkie ramblings.



Bardlet no #27



"Why Mother because I won't be baking cookies for the mental patients at the county Hospital?" Alex It's In The Water

Hey Damron,

Its great that you got this posted. I hope you'll get the next parts to me soon.

Rachel

HI



Great start... I really like it. I hope Willow gets the chance to visit her auntie and granny. I am curious why her aunt turned into a Dark Witch



Cu

SoL/Natti



There are two kinds of tears, tears for those who leave you, and tears for those you never let go - Gabrielle/The Quest

Nice start

"Rock my world!" - Gia

"Before you criticize someone, walk a mile in their shoes. That way, you'll be a mile from them, and you'll have their shoes!" - Somebody

First off I want to say thank you for all of the encouraging words. I have a little time today, so I thought I would respond to your feedback.





Iamyouknowyours: Yes, Ira will be in the next part of the story. I always saw him as the quiet, gentle type, and Sheila as the domineering, impatient type. Almost a real combo of Willow's personality (well at least the gentle and impatient part). And of course Tara will show up, just not sure when







VampNurd: I haven't figured out when Tara will come in, but most likely after WIllow starts school in the fall. The only decision I have to make now is whether or not to go traditional Wicca group meeting, or make up some kind of meeting. We'll see . . .





Rachel: Thanks for all of the help. I have two parts going at the same time, and I hope to get at least one to you by this weekend.







Strokeofluck: I love the way your name looks all scrunched up lol. Yes, I think Willow may have to sneak a trip up north to visit her estranged relatives. I hope that part will come into fruition by part 3.





Domaris: Thanks for the kind words.





So, long for now, I will try to get something up by the beginning of next week. Keep me posted (no pun intended) on what you like and what you don't.

Edited by: damron39 at: 6/4/03 12:33 pm

You definatley have my attention. I know a little bit about hiding things, like journals and such, around the house. If only I were a computer whiz like Willow, then I wouldn't have to worry.



Anxiously waiting for an update!

Thank you for the encouragement. I actually have another chapter ready, I'm just waiting for my beta reader to take a look at it. I also had a huge brainstorm this AM, and I think I have the outline in my head for part 3, so hopefully that won't take long to write either. Keep reading, and sending me your comments. Look for the next part within the next few days.





Damron

There were only a few weeks left before school started, and Willow headed toward campus to register for her fall classes. Willow had decided to attend UC Sunnydale, even after her mother forbade her to stay in California. She had been avoiding her for weeks, hoping she would come around and accept Willow’s decision. The night before, Willow had cornered her father in the study to ask for his help with Sheila.

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



“Dad?” Willow entered the study. “I’ve decided to attend UC Sunnydale, and room with Buffy. I feel that’s the best decision for me. I’m not looking for Mom’s approval, or even yours, but it would make it easier.” Willow’s resolve began to fade. She had intended on putting her foot down with Ira, as she had some months ago with her mother, but there was something in the way Ira Rosenberg looked at his daughter that made her soften her approach.



Ira looked up at his daughter with a smile, “Sweetie, you know I stand behind any decision you make. You know what’s best for you. You always have known.” Ira shook his head and the smile faded. “I wish we were around more for you. I see how independent you are, and I hope that is the result of our parenting, but I see it is more from the lack of parenting. How could you ever forgive me? I will talk to your mother. I doubt it will make a difference though. You know once she puts on her resolve face, there is no way to change her mind. Kind of reminds me of someone else I know.” He opened his arms to welcome a hug from Willow.



“Thank you, Dad” Willow put her arms around her father enjoying the security she felt in his embrace. “I know you did the best you could. I love you.”









This part is short, but here it is. I am working on part 3, and I hope to get it posted by end of next week. Thanks.

Edited by: damron39 at: 6/6/03 8:43 pm

An interesting story. I like it.



Delving into Willow's family history is kind of neat and you've outlined it nicely. I look forward to see how that works into this.



Thanks.



--celia

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

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

At least they pay some attection to their daughter!

Sorry I missed church, I was busy becoming a lesbian and worshiping Satan



Bardlet no #27

HI there



Well we got an update and that was really lovely. Wow her father cares for Willow, that is really new. But I like it, Willow deserves better parents like that one she had in the show.



Cu

SoL/Natti



There are two kinds of tears, tears for those who leave you, and tears for those you never let go - Gabrielle/The Quest

tired soul: Thank you. I hope you will like how I've decided to portray Willow's family. Keep reading, and let me know what you think.



vamp nurd: I always thought Willow's parents paid some attention to her. I just figured when she got attention from her mother, it was all about being an over achiever, and Willow was trying to be the best at something to seek her mother's approval. We don't really see Ira, but Willow has to get her kindness and gentleness from somewhere, hence the nicer relationship with dad. I still don't think he pays much attention to her though. There is major disfunction in Ira and Sheila's upbringing.





Stroke of Luck: Yeah, updates are slow coming. I hope to have on e posted by the middle of next week. And I agree that Willow deserved at least one nicer parent, even if he's not really around. Keep reading, and thanks for your support.

Here's part three. Hope you like it.





The summer was as uneventful as it was lonely. Buffy had traveled to visit her father in Seattle, and wasn’t due back until the week before school started, so Willow had continued to research her family history. She’d fought her mother all summer in the battle of wills about college, but Ira was finally able to make his wife acquiesce, and Willow was allowed to stay in Sunnydale.



Willow felt like pushing her luck and, with Buffy’s help, decided to take a trip to San Francisco- if only to go through the local library and snoop around the retirement home her grandmother was in. She purchased a bus ticket to Berkeley, and phoned Buffy in Seattle, whilst she packed a small overnight bag.



“Hello, Summer’s Seattle residence.” Buffy chirped into the phone.



“Buffy? It’s Willow. I was wondering what you were up to this weekend.” Willow inquired coyly.



“I was going to start my way towards good ‘ole Sunnyhell, with a few shopping stops on the way. Why?” Buffy was curious about Willow’s thoughts. Maybe she’s planning a welcome home party for me. Wow, how fun. I oughta play it real cool then. Not let on that I know. Buffy’s thoughts ran wild with the prospect that her best friend missed her so much, that she might want to make sure she had a proper homecoming.



Willow paused for a moment, trying to figure out how to ask Buffy for her help without going into too much detail. “I thought I might meet you part way . . . say in Berkeley?”



Buffy was completely baffled, but happy to help out her buddy. “Sure Will. So what’s in Berkeley?”



“How about I tell you more when I see you? I’m taking the overnight Greyhound, so I should be there sometime tomorrow morning. I have some sight seeing to do, and then I’ll meet you at the airport around what time?” Willow inquired; wanting to make sure that Buffy would really be there for her.



“Sure Will. I can get my Dad to fly with me. You sure you don’t want to tell me why this sudden road trip? I mean, I love the thought of hanging with you in San Fran, but you’ve never been this . . . spontaneous before. Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” Willow was silent.



Buffy was becoming more concerned by the moment, but, if she had to wait for an explanation until she arrived in San Francisco, then so be it. Willow heard her talking to her Dad and then the blonde was back, “Alright, the earliest flight I can get out of Seattle is 6am tomorrow. It will be Continental flight 247. Meet me at the airport at the baggage claim cuz I’ll need help carrying all of these bags. We’ll cab it to wherever we’re staying. Sound good?”



“Perfect. Thanks Buffy. I’ll see you tomorrow?” Willow could barely contain her excitement. She had never snuck out of the house before, let alone Sunnydale. But she’d planned it well: her parents were both off on conferences on the East coast for the next four days, and she would use her saved up allowance for the bus ticket. However, finding a place to stay would have to wait until she made it to Berkeley. Well, here I go. I hope I have better luck up North with Buffy’s help than I have on the Internet. Granny? Aunt Becky? I’m on my way.

Edited by: damron39 at: 6/18/03 12:17 pm

Sorry everyone, this has been slow going since school started for me this summer. I want to thank everyone for reading. Please continue to send the feedback. I haven't seen any in awhile, so I want to encourage anyone to tell me what they think. I won't have the rest of part 4 for a couple of weeks. My beta reader is out of town for a while. SORRY Well without further adieu:







Willow was almost asleep when she felt the bus slow down and heard the bus driver announce the next stop was the main bus terminal in downtown San Francisco. She was unable to catch a moment’s peace the whole trip from Sunnydale. A mother with two young children had got onto the bus at the next town, and continued to scream bloody murder the whole trip. At around 4am the two little hellions finally fell asleep.



“That’ll teach me to forget ear plugs on a long trip again.” Willow mumbled as she walked off the bus and headed for the shuttle that would take her to the airport.



Buffy didn’t have to say much to convince her father to let her fly into Berkeley to meet Willow. He thought it sounded like a great adventure for the two friends, and promised to smooth over any possible rough spots with Joyce when Buffy arrived home. The plane was delayed due to traffic on the runway almost an hour. When the plane finally landed, Buffy was ready to find Willow, and the nearest restaurant for coffee and doughnuts.



Willow walked off of the shuttle and hurried into the airport toward the Continental ticket counter. “Excuse me. I wondered when flight 247 from Seattle was due to arrive.”



The woman behind the counter typed in a few words. “Oh, this flight was delayed. It should be here in about a half hour. Gate 24A, down that corridor all the way to the end, and then make a left at the food court area. Have a great day. !”



Willow headed toward the food court to grab something resembling breakfast. She wolfed down an egg and cheese sandwich, and headed for gate 24A. She settled herself into a chair and nodded off as she waited for Buffy’s plane to land.



“Flight number 247 from Seattle will be arriving at gate 24A.” Willow was startled awake by the announcement of Buffy’s flight. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. She decided to visit the restroom while she waited for them to deplane.



As Willow walked out of the restroom, she heard a familiar voice call her name. “Willow. Willow, over here.” Willow looked up to see Buffy walking toward her with her father not far behind. “Dad said he could conduct some business here for a few days, and we could share his hotel room. How’s that for convenience? So you ready to head to our hotel?” Buffy looped her arm around Willow’s, and led her toward the baggage claim.

2 great updates....hope Willows research in Berkley will be more succesful then that one on the internet!!!



Cu

SoL/Natti



This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

Thank you Natti for giving me some feedback, I was starting to wonder if I was the only one reading my fic. LOL Glad you like it. We should have Willow's complete trip to Berkeley done in a few weeks. I hope you keep reading.

Hi Damron



Well i like your story but i saw to late that you updated.....am sorry for replying that late



CU

SoL/Natti



This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

Not a problem. This way it looks like I got more feedback. LOL, I'm glad you like the story, it's been REALLY SLOW going. I really want to get somewhere with this before summer ends. Keep reading, and I'll keep writing.

Hey Damron! Just wanted to drop a quick line and say I'm reading and that I want more.

Keep on writing!

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



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

I'll see what I can do Washi. Thanks for the feedback. It's nice to know my ideas are appreciated. I am in the midst of writing the rest of part 4 which should take us through the whole trip to Berkeley, and what Willow does or doesn't find. It probably won't be for a couple of weeks unfortunately, because my beta reader is out of town for a couple of weeks. This story is slow going, I didn't realize how long each part would take. I'm ready to get to the juicy stuff. The stuff you kittens live for .





Damron

Hello to all who have been trying to follow my story. I promise to have more coming. I'm just waiting on school to settle down, and for the next part to be looked over by my beta reader. Thanks for your patience, and I sure hope it will be worth the wait.

Thank you to all of you who still check in to see what's going on. Life has been busy, and I lost my beta reader some time ago. Yesterday I visited the Kitten Board for the first time in many months. I would like to give my story another go. I think I can fit in some writing a few times a month, so it will be slow going. I am in search of a beta reader, so that is my first hurdle. For those interested in reading my story, please stick with it. If I can't manage to finish it, I will let you know. Hope to see you on the Kitten Board often.





Damron39

I just found this story it's great.





More soon, please.







brittney







~Good friends help you move. Real friends help you move the body.~

BRITTNEY:





I guess all I needed to pump new blood into my story was to get it back onto the first page of the Kitten Board. I appreciate your comment very much. I'll do what I can, but I am a VERY slow writer. Please stick with it, I have some great ideas to implement.

ooo so i really am liking this story a lot....at first i was wondering when tara was going to come in...but i trust you have something up your sleeve..and i think its really very cool that we get to see willows family history...and the fact that there are witches surprise me a little..but thinking back on it now and with like the show and stuff...it kinda makes me wonder if maybe joss 'assmonkey' whedon ever considered giving her some sort of witchy family connection like he did with tara...but i guess well never get to know eh?



anyways...definately keep up with this fic...ill be waiting for an update!



~mel

'The Cat in the Hat' is fine, just not during sex.--Alyson Hannigan

Ya know Mel, I always wondered why we didn't know more about Willow's life. We knew more about Tara's, Anya's and Xander's life. I do have something up my sleeve for meeting Tara, but I'm still waiting on acquiring a beta reader. I have the next part ready to post- except it hasn't been read by a beta yet- thanks for reading and keep checking in.





Damron

Here it is, part 6. I have a wonderful new beta reader and I am ready to get this story under way again. I'll try to get the next part done within the next couple of weeks



So enjoy, and keep reading.







Previously:

As Willow walked out of the restroom, she heard a familiar voice call her name. “Willow. Willow, over here.” Willow looked up to see Buffy walking toward her with her father not far behind. “Dad said he could conduct some business here for a few days, and we could share his hotel room. How’s that for convenience? So you ready to head to our hotel?” Buffy looped her arm around Willow’s, and led her toward the baggage claim.















They headed to the hotel to deposit their belongings before hitting the city for some fun and research. “Dad, Willow and I are going to head to the Attica museum. We’ll do lunch on the pier and be back by dark. Is that okay?” Buffy gave her father her best puppy dog look, pouty lips and all.



“Of course. Just be back by 6. We should have dinner together. We’ll go to Chinatown, my treat.” Mr. Summers offered.



“Cool, Dad. We’ll be back by 6 then.” Buffy answered as she grabbed her sweater and headed for the door. “Come on Willow, we’ve got some sight seeing to do.”



The hotel where they were staying was close to the University of California Medical Center which meant they had quite a bit of traveling ahead of them to get to Oakland. They headed to the Muni Metro station nearby.



“I’ve heard the transit system in San Francisco is pretty efficient. You ready Will?” Buffy lead the way toward the station to catch a bus toward the BART station they would take into Oakland.



Willow followed lost in her thoughts. When Buffy stopped, Willow ran into her. “OOF! Sorry.”



Buffy stumbled, but righted herself quickly. “Will what’s up with you? You’ve been spacey all morning. It’s time you spilled. All this secrecy is killing me.” Buffy stood with hands on her hips giving Willow a look that meant you better start talking.



“Okay. Well, you see it’s about my family.” Willow began to explain all of the information she had gathered about her aunt’s stint in an asylum, her uncle’s death, and her mother’s insistence that Willow have nothing to do with her family.



Buffy listened thoughtfully, nodding and making the appropriate verbal gestures to encourage Willow to share all she knew. When Willow was done, she looked down at her feet and let out a big sigh. “That’s everything,” she said.



“Wow, that’s like, wow. Why didn’t you ever share this with me before?” The bus pulled up and both girls got on and found seats toward the back. “I didn’t realize there was so much mystery in your family. The Rosenbergs have quite a lot of skeletons in their closet.”



”Well technically it’s my mother’s family so they’re the Goldman family secrets.” Willow gave her friend a small smile. She was glad Buffy was there to support her as she nosed around in her family’s past.

Edited by: damron39 at: 10/2/04 10:34 pm

yay im very excited to see an update for this fic...i was really liking the idea and then i was like ahh!! no updates!! but i see now that we have one so i can stop worrying.



anyways...thats really cool that buffys being suportive of willow and her closet full of skeletons...and now that theyre sight seeing maybe THATS how well get tara in there?? hmm...guess im gonna hafta wait...dammit! lol



~mel

'The Cat in the Hat' is fine, just not during sex.--Alyson Hannigan