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

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 Post subject: Life's Chronicles (Updated 11/09/2009)
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 8:26 am 
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5. Willowhand
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Posts: 255
Location: Tara's House
Title: A Life Interrupted (Life's Chronicles Part 1)
Author: Tarafied4Life (Heather)
Feedback: Please! It's my first try, so if anyone wants to hit me with a tomato, just mail it to me and I'll hit myself with it!
Spoilers: Pretty much everything.
Rating: PG-13 to NC-17
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to he who shall not be named, except the gnome that lives in my keyboard.
Summary: Everyone's world is turned upside down when an unexpected visitor arrives at Wolfram & Hart. But there's so much more going on than anyone suspects...
Notes: This whole story is AU – if this was actually fitted into the Buffyverse, it’d be partway through Angel season 5. Doesn’t matter anyway, though, ‘cause I’m ripping so many holes in the canon swiss cheese would be jealous. There will be some angst and some tough times ahead, but W/T happiness is guaranteed!
Thanks: To my wonderful Beta, starcomed, who keeps suffering through this with me - if there's anything right in this story, give her the credit, and if there's anything wrong than give me the blame!

[hr]
Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Visitor
Rating: PG-13

It was Spike who saw her first. Prowling around the security room, he happened to take a quick look at the main lobby monitor – and he simply couldn’t accept what he saw. He ran through Angel’s office – ignoring his startled “hey!” - hopped the express elevator – Angel’s personal elevator – and silently prayed for it to move faster as he headed for the lobby. The doors opened to the sight of two security guards, escorting the woman he’d seen from the building. He called out to them. “Let her go, gents. She’s with me.”

The guards and the girl turned simultaneously toward him. They released their grip on her as she looked him up and down. “Spike?”

“Hello, Tara.”

[hr]
Spike led her to an empty office, one he knew was clean, and closed the door behind them. Finally he could hold back no longer, and grabbed her in a bear hug, tears of joy leaking from behind his closed eyelids. He set her down and kissed her cheek. Finally he let her go and motioned to the chair nearest the desk. “Bloody hell, girl. How-what-it’s you! It’s really you!”

Tara smiled the shy, innocent half-smile he remembered so well from Sunnydale. “It’s me.”

“But how?”

Tara looked at him quizzically. “How? I took a plane, Spike.”

Spike just stared.

“You know, b-big metal thing? Flies?” She stuck her arms out and mimed wings.

He continued to stare.

“Spike, you’re m-making me nervous. What’s wrong?”

Spike shook his head. “Tara…okay, I’m going to sound like a sodding detective here, but what happened on May 7 2002?”

Tara tilted her head and thought. “Ummm…that was the day Buffy got shot, right? The day after I made up with Willow?”

“Yeah. Anything else happen that day?”

“Ummm…oh yeah, Willow and I found the trio and paralyzed them until the cops came and got them.”

“Nothing else?”

“No, Spike, not that I can remember. Why?”

“Uh…maybe you should sit down.”

“I am sitting down, Spike.”

“Right. ‘Course you are. The thing is-“ he broke off as she ran a hand through her hair. “When did you start wearing a wedding band?”

“When Willow and I got m-married! You were there, Spike!”

“Okay…I might need some help, here.” He picked up the phone and punched the button for Angel’s office. “You wanna join me in 730, boss? No…just do it!” He looked back at Tara. “He’ll be just a second.”

It wasn’t much longer than the promised second when Angel burst through the door. “What the hell do you want, Spike? I swear, you were less trouble as a gh-“ He stared at the girl across the desk. “T…Tara?”

Her patience wearing thin, Tara stared back at Angel. “I’m the stutterer, remember? Now does somebody want to tell me why the hell you two l-look like you’ve seen a ghost? I just dropped by for a visit, but if you don’t want me here, I’ll go.”

“It’s not that, Tara. It’s just…you’re dead.”

Tara’s face froze. “Is that s-supposed to be funny?”

Spike finally shook himself from his reverie. “No, luv, it’s not. As far as anybody knows, you got hit with a stray bullet on May 7, 2002. It killed you.”

Her patience finally giving out, Tara began to yell. “That’s not f-funny! What the hell is wrong with you? Get away from the door, I’m leaving!” Tears streaming down her face, she stood up, but Angel stood in her way.

“We’re serious, Tara. Maybe you can tell us what you remember happening for the last two years, because either Spike and I have gone completely insane or there’s something a little odd happening here.”

Getting herself back under control, Tara sat down. “Alright, fine. I’ll keep this general, ‘cause it’s two years worth of history. Willow and I reconciled in May, and we married on November 7 – my birthday. We had the ceremony indoors, so that you two could attend. Things got crazy fast after that – with the potential slayers and the First – and that whole time is kind of a blur. Then you-“ she indicated Spike, “died closing the hellmouth. Willow and I did a spell to activate all the potentials in the world, and between them and you the hellmouth was closed, and Sunnydale sank into a crater. From there, we went to Cleveland and set up shop over that hellmouth. We’ve been there ever since, Buffy and Faith training the potentials, Willow and I helping out as best we can. That’s my story, what’s yours?”

Spike cleared his throat. “You were hit in the heart with a bullet. Willow went insane with grief, skinned the shooter alive and tried to end the bloody world. The bit with the potentials and the hellmouth happened, but when it was closed everyone went to Europe. Last we heard, Willow was in South America and Buffy was in Rome.”

Tara blinked. “You’re s-serious?”

Spike nodded.

Tara sat back heavily. “But h-how can that be? I remember everything! I don’t understand!”

Angel put a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We don’t either, Tara. But we’ll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”

Tara sat bolt upright. “Willow thinks I’m dead? Oh goddess! Can we call her?”

Angel looked at Spike. “Do it.”
[hr]

Buffy stood in the kitchen, trying to keep her wet hair from dripping on the phone – why was there never a potential around to take calls when she was in the shower?

“She just got in, Angel. Why?”

“We’ve got a…situation here. We really need to have her here asap.”

“That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“Buffy, I’m sorry, but this is really Willow’s business. We’ve got a jet waiting for her at the airport nearest you, and we can have her here in four hours.”

“Alright, I’ll tell her, but I can’t promise…”

“You have to, Buffy. She has to come.”

“I wish you’d tell me more, Angel, but if it’s that important I’ll try.”
[hr]

When Willow walked through the office door, Tara was going through the wedding photos in her purse with Spike. They both looked up to see the redhead on the verge of fainting in the doorway.

“Dammit!” Yelled Spike. “I told that big ponce to page us when she got here!”

Willow fell to her knees, shaking her head. Tara ran to her, helping her up and into a chair. “Willow? Sweetie? It’s okay, just breathe.”

Willow stared up at her, her breath still coming in shallow gasps. “Ta…No, it can’t be!” Her gaze shifted to Spike. “Is it the First?”

Spike took in the hurt expression in Tara’s eyes as he phrased his answer. “No, Willow. We’ve had time to run every test we possibly can – which is a lot – and there’s no mistake about it. This is Tara. Alive, human, and here.”

Willow turned her eyes back to Tara. She reached a hand out and stroked the blonde’s cheek as tears filled her eyes. “Baby? It’s…are you…have you come back to me?”

Tara gazed down lovingly at the green eyes she knew so well. “I never left. I never left you, Willow. I love you so much. I don’t understand what’s happening, but I love you.”

The two fell into a deep embrace, Willow kissing and holding Tara with desperate intensity, as if her very touch could keep Tara there, and keep her from leaving again.

Spike left the room, quietly closing the door behind him to allow the two witches their private reunion.

“Tara, baby, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve been so alone,” Willow sobbed. “Nothing was right without you. Do you remember where you’ve been? Were you…happy?”

Tara wept openly. “I don’t understand this, Will. Any of it. As far as I can remember, I haven’t been anywhere. I remember everything that’s happened the last two years, clear as a bell. But Spike and Angel tell me none of it’s real. I don’t understand. I married you – the pictures are right there! How can none of this be real? How can I have been d-dead?

“Married?”

Tara pulled back from the embrace long enough to show Willow the diamond on her left hand. “Forever, love.” She settled back into Willow’s arms. “I’m so scared, Willow. If nothing I remember ever happened, then who am I? Why do I remember these things? Who a-am I?”

Willow wiped the tears away from the blue eyes she’d so longed for. “I don’t know what’s happened, Tare. I really don’t, but if whatever it is means you’ve come home to me…I don’t care. You’re Tara, you’re my always, and if the last two years never happened – your version or mine – then we’re just going to have to make more memories. Goddess, I love you so much – please just hold me.”

The two lovers, reunited at long last, settled into the single chair and just lay there in precious silence, wrapped in each other’s arms.
[hr]

In the darkness, two cloaked figures regarded each other.

“It is done,” intoned the first.

“The madness – the bleed - is ended,” replied the second. “All is as it should be.”

“What comes next?”

“Beyond our concern. This is a mortal affair now, and we will have no further involvement.”

[hr]
Spike stormed into Angel’s office and found only Harmony. “Where is he, Harm?”

Harmony stared cluelessly back at him. “Where’s who?”

“Angel, you silly bint,” Spike sighed. “Where’s Angel?”

“Oh! He went to consult the…uh…dolphins?”

“Dolphins? Do you mean the Delphi?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. He said he’d be back soon.”

Spike growled under his breath. “You better have answers when you come back, you flighty bugger.”

[hr]

Well, that's chapter 1 - let the tomato throwing commence! Coming soon in chapter 2 - what news from the Delphi?

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Last edited by Tarafied4Life on Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:46 pm, edited 37 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:24 am 
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10. Troll Hammer
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hey heather! well... you'll definitely note get any tomatoes from me... i love eating it than throwing it anyways...

wow! what a great start... you've definitely got me curious to find out more about the story... where did tara come from? is this a dimension-traveling tara? if so, how about her willow? which two years actually happened? who are these cloaked figures? what did they mean by the madness ending? what sort of information can angel gather from the delphi?

oh my golly! please say you'll update soon! i really like it so far! and you said, it is your first try??? well, good job so far! :clap :clap and some more :clap for your beta!

can't wait for more!

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:45 am 
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23. Volumey Text
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This is a good start to the story. There's a lot of questions which need answering, but Willow and Tara are together, which is the important thing :)

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:02 pm 
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32. Kisses and Gay Love
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What an interesting and mysterious start...

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 3:17 pm 
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Wheeew!

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Snapshots:http://thekittenboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10210 a Love Story
____________________________________________________________
Kim: (breaks off the kissing) I l... (Sue stops her with a hand)
Sue: We don't talk about things like that right after, you know that, no saying those things in The Moment.
Kim: (moves the hand aside) Screw The Moment. I *love* you.


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:08 pm 
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5. Willowhand

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Wow! You definitely have my attention for this story. This sounds like it's going to be an interesting twist on post-Season 7 Buffy. It's already a billion times better because Tara's back. Yay! And married to Willow in any shape or form is even better in my book. I look forward to seeing where you take this. Keep up the great work.


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 6:41 pm 
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Hi Heather,
Congratulations for posting your first fic, it's nerve racking as hell but once you've done it then no one can take that away from you. Pens is a fantastic place to wriite fan fic as there are so many fantastically talented people that lurk here that can offer excellent feedback, adding immensely to the quality of the writing...that's certainly happened for me anyway!!

This is a very interesting start, and although I personally never watched Angel I'm very interested in fics which utilise its narratives because its quite unknown for me.
Your writing is clear and easy to follow and I for one encourage you to develop your story. Can't wait to find out what the devil is goin' on!

Cheers
Alcy

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Tue Nov 15, 2005 9:03 pm 
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14. Lesbo Street Cred

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Tomato away!

But keep in mind it's more of a gentle loft than a bee line zinger. And I'm rather protective and fond of tomatoes, so please catch, eat and enjoy. Hmmm... looks like a nice plump pink brandywine - should be good.

Ummm, right - fic feedback: I like. Want more.
Always (almost) a fan of the Spikemeister, so looking forward to more of blondie bear. Do think that they were a bit brutal with Willow though - give the girl a bit of warning, hey?
And maybe I've just slowly been converted by a certain website in to viewing Tara as a sublimely wise and all knowing babe, but I did wonder if she would hesitate before rushing to see Willow. Maybe get a better idea of what is going on? I dunno. Don't really care either - am enjoying the story and eagerly await more.

- Boschi


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 7:51 am 
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5. Willowhand
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A new chapter, but firstly, to the wonderful kittens who left me feedback:

tarebear - My first feedback! Yay! Thanks so much for the kind words and your interest in the story - the answers are coming soon, I promise - many of them in this very update, actually! And I agree - tomatoes are better eaten - like the veggie chili I had last night. :-D

justin - My thoughts exactly. The logical starting point of the story for me was their reunion. And all questions will be answered before the end.

JustSkipIt - Thank you! I just hope the rest will hold your interest!

DaddyCatALSO - I'm hoping that was a good 'Wheeew!' and not the sharp whistle of a thrown object! :-D

Willow~Rosenberg - Thanks so much for the kind words! I hope now that I've got your attention I can hold on to it!

Alcy - It is really nerve racking, but it's kind of fun, too - a whole new experience. There's only a little bit more Angel in the narrative for now, but there'll be some more near the end. The answers are coming!

Boschi - Mmm, Brandywine - my favorite! I agree that Willow got kind of slammed with the news, but Angel was supposed to be watching for her when he left to see the Delphi instead. And Tara may seem a little forward, but for her this is just Willow - the woman she loves - and the most important thing for her would be to comfort her. Glad you're enjoying the story!
[hr]
So, with no further ado:

Chapter 2 - Powerful Answers, More Questions
Rating: NC-17, for some smut.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Additional Thanks: To the vidder whose name escapes me, who did a wonderful version of the Buffy credits set to the Angel theme song, which was what got this whole idea perking in my head.


“Why do you disturb us again, lower being? We are tired and weary, and see no reason to assist a champion who aligns himself with the heart of the darkness.”

“Okay, first of all, I’m trying to change Wolfram & Hart. Second, this help I request is not for me.”

“Oh? And whom do you seek to aid by consulting us?”

“Tara Maclay – and Willow Rosenberg.”

The oracles looked at each other for a moment. “The White and the Red…very well, ask your questions. But be quick about it.”

“How has this come to be?”

“An error has been corrected.”

“What error?”

“Three years ago, two dimensions which should never have mixed bled into each other. The death of the White was never meant to occur in this dimension – it was an event meant to begin the prolonged suffering of one Warren Mears, as part of his personal hell dimension.”

“Then who is the White-who is the Tara that’s sitting in my office?”

“She is the same person you knew. The only difference is that she never experienced her death, but rather the events which she was supposed to be a part of.”

“So she’s from another dimension?”

“In the only terms with which we could explain it to you, yes. Her life experience is identical except for the last two years.”

“But if this was a mistake – then why wasn’t it immediately corrected?”

The oracles stared at each other for a long moment. “How can we explain such things to a lesser being?” Asked the male.

“As simply as we can,” replied the female. They turned back to Angel.

“Two reasons. Firstly, the dimension this White inhabited needed to rotate close enough to your own to make the transfer possible. Secondly, with the unexpected passing of the White in this dimension, the powers saw an opportunity. The transfer could have been made earlier, but not doing so allowed the Red to both experience pure grief and rid them of an unpleasant factor who seemed to be beyond their control – the aforementioned Warren Mears. Knowing the depths of the dark allowed the Red to know the light, and become a powerful tool. Conversely, the introduction of the White into this dimension brings one who has known true joy, and thanked the powers for it. This shared knowledge of pure grief and pure joy is all that will allow the Red and the White to survive the trials to come.”

“What about the Willow in this other dimension? Is she now alone as this Willow was?”

“No. That dimension…is no longer extant. It was only created by the bleed resulting from the changes to this dimension. Now that the error has been corrected, it has simply disappeared.”

“What is it that is to come?”

“That we cannot answer. Those answers are for a champion greater than yourself. And with that, we must depart.” The oracles turned and started down the endless hallway.

“Wait! Just one more question.”

The oracles turned back as one. “Very well. One question.”

“Are they safe now?”

The oracles regarded each other for a moment. “They are as safe as mortal beings can be. There is no early or random death fated for either of them by the powers. Free will cannot be ruled out, and of course all lesser beings pass eventually, but they are safe as we can promise, and the bleed has been ended. Now depart from us, and consult us no longer – no further agents of the Wolfram and Hart will cross this threshold.”

With a flash, Angel was thrown from the oracles’ presence back into the cave wall. As he stood, however, the expression that crossed his face was not pain but bliss.
[hr]
“So that’s it, then?” asked Willow hotly. “Now that the powers have finished playing games, we can be together? Until whatever apocalypse it is they’ve got planned next?”

In the chair beside her, Tara burst into tears. Instantly regretting her choice of words, Willow grabbed her hand and held it tight. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean it to sound like that – but I hate being played. The powers themselves say they could have done this earlier, but they chose not to? What gives them the right?”

Tara put her hand on Willow’s arm. “I think that’s implied in ‘powers,’ sweetie.”

“But it’s not fair! These things playing us like toys? My Tara kept from me because they chose to?”

Spike, who’d been fairly quiet up to this point, spoke up. “Red, I understand exactly what you’re saying – I wasn’t exactly happy when I came back after I thought I was done – but you’re overlooking an important fact here.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ve got her back, don’t you? Isn’t that all you’ve ever asked for?”

Willow stared at him for a second, her train of thought completely broken. She turned and looked at Tara, and her face lit up. “You’re right, Spike. My baby’s come home.” To Tara, she continued. “I’m sorry that I don’t share the two years of memories you have, but I hope you’ll stay with me and make more.”

Tara gave her trademark half-smile. “Of course I will. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be – and hey, maybe I can get my vows right this time!” She stopped cold. “N-Not that I’m saying we should get married right now or anything – I mean, not that I don’t want to – I mean-“ Willow interrupted her with a kiss.

“I’m supposed to be the babbler here! No infringing on my copyright!”

The two relaxed into a long kiss, some of the tension of the day slowly leaving them.
[hr]
On the other side of the world, in a dark alley, a figure rose. He stared at his palm, where a small fireball appeared. He stared into the fireball for a moment, then clenched his fist and it disappeared.

“Not far now,” he growled.
[hr]
Willow turned down the sheets, looking around the hotel room as she did. Big-screen TV, king-size bed – Wolfram & Hart obviously had money to burn…not that she was complaining. After two weeks in a Columbian forest, sleeping on the rocks, pretty much anything would have been comfortable. As she fluffed the pillows, she turned to Tara, who’d settled into a plush chair next to the window.

“So, do you want to come to Rome with me? I know you were in Cleveland…before, but would you want to?”

“Of course I want to come with you, Willow. You do know how much I love you, right?”

“I know, Tara. I love you too. I just don’t want to do anything that’ll…upset you? That’s not the right word. I just-“ she sighed. “I just want to be the Willow you loved.”

Willow’s heart nearly burst as she took in the beaming smile on Tara’s face. “Willow, there is no ‘Willow I loved,’ that’s the whole point of what the powers told Angel. You are my Willow, my only Willow.” She smiled again as she realized what she’d said. “You make me happy when skies are grey. I love you so much, Will, and if all that this means is that I get to experience all the joy of the last two years again, I’m all for it. I love you so much, and wherever you go I want to be there.” She settled back in her chair, a sultry grin crossing her features.

“What’re you thinking about?”

“Another wedding night…I get another wedding night with you.”

Willow raised her eyebrows. “That good?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Wanna show me?”

“Vixen.”

Willow smiled, lifting Tara out of her chair and ‘assisting’ her out of her shirt, a brown peasant top. She stopped suddenly as she noticed the scar on Tara’s abdomen – a scar she had never seen before. “What’s that?” she asked, indicating the scar.

“Oh…I had my appendix out last year. It got inflamed, probably would have burst if you hadn’t got me to the hospital in time.”

“Really?” Tara nodded. “So…what was I like? Other me?”

Tara sighed. “You were you, Willow. The same person. My wife, my perfect love and my only companion – there’s nothing that could ever change that.” She grabbed Willow’s shirt and pulled it up, waiting until it was over her head before grabbing her arms and pinning them together, leaving her sightless and helpless. She leaned in and planted a few teasing kisses on Willow’s soft lips before she pulled the shirt all the way off. She reached around and unhooked the white bra Willow wore and pulled it off, revealing the small, pert breasts she loved so much. She cupped them in her hands, massaging them gently as Willow moaned.

“Goddess, it’s been so long…”

Feeling Willow’s need, Tara quickly removed her own bra, then her skirt and panties. She gently lay Willow down on the bed, slowly pulling down her jeans. Willow moaned as Tara grabbed her panties between her teeth and pulled them off. The scent of arousal heavy in the air, Tara straddled Willow and kissed her deeply, wanting nothing less than to drink her in. Willow responded with urgency, leaving both of them gasping when they finally separated. Tara slid down the body she knew so well, grabbing one breast and massaging it as she took the other in her mouth, teasing the nipple with her tongue before she sucked it gently. “Oh, goddess, Tara, please!” Willow cried out. Hearing the desperate note in her voice, Tara slid down next to her on the bed, taking the other breast in her mouth as her fingers wandered towards Willow’s center. Willow, desperate for contact, grabbed Tara’s roaming hand and pushed it down where she wanted it, a soft growl escaping her lips. Tara probed for a moment, feeling the soft warmth, before she slowly inserted two fingers and felt Willow grab at them. Willow arched her back, moaning softly, the bucking of her hips encouraging Tara’s explorations. It took only moments before Willow stiffened and cried out, her hips pumping frantically as Tara felt the warm wetness running down her fingers. She looked up at her love with a smile, which fell away when she noticed the tears running down her face.

“Willow? What’s wrong? Did I do something – did I hurt you?”

Willow broke into loud, wrenching sobs as Tara wrapped her arms around her, holding their warm bodies close. “It’s okay, “ she murmured in Willow’s ear. “Everything’s all right, my love.”

Willow’s sobs went on for almost a half hour, Tara holding her gently and whispering in her ear all the while. When the storm finally subsided, Willow pulled away and took Tara’s face gently in her hands. “I’m sorry,” Willow cried. “It wasn’t your fault…it was incredible…”

Tara reached out and stroked Willow’s hair. “Then what is it, sweetie?” Tara suspected she already knew, but decided Willow probably had to say it out loud.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…I never thought I was going to see you again. I…I watched them put you in the ground, Tara. I’ve been so alone…I know I’m repeating myself, but I can’t help it. There’s been a hole in me for two years, and now you’ve come back to me. We made love, and goddess it was so perfect, and it just hit me so hard all of a sudden – the gift I’ve been given, and it was like something broke inside of me, a wall I put up so long ago to keep out the pain and the hurt, and…” Willow broke for air, “just tell me you’re not going to go away again.”

Tara’s eyes filled with unshed tears. “Never, my Willow tree. Not even at the end of the world. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been for you – I know what I feel at the very thought of losing you – and I’m sorry to come back to you unannounced, but believe me when I tell you that I am going nowhere. This is where I belong, and this is where I’m going to stay.” She grabbed Willow’s hand and placed it on her chest. “Do you feel my heart beating?” Willow nodded. “It beats only for you. I told you once that I was yours. I meant it heart and soul, and it’s as true now as it was then. I belong to you.”

Willow let out a shaking, shuddering breath. Wiping her eyes, she smiled up at her only love. “Your turn.”

“Oh, no. It’s time to get some sleep, Willow.”

“But…”

“No buts. You’re exhausted, and you need sleep. We have all the time in the world – I promise – and I’ll still be here tomorrow. Just get your pjs, and let’s go to bed.”

Willow smiled gratefully, remembering the thousand reasons she loved this woman so much. Then a thought struck her. “Tara, what are you going to wear?”

Tara goggled almost comically for a second. “You know, I’m not sure. I guess that bag the airline lost in Salt Lake City is never going to get here, seeing as the dimension it’s in doesn’t exist any more. And I guess these clothes p-pretty much constitute my wardrobe, seeing as how our house is gone…hm.”

“I guess we’ll be taking you shopping when we get to Rome, then,“ Willow chuckled. “In the meantime, I guess you’re sleeping like that…not that I’m complaining.”

Tara shook her head. “These blankets better be warm.” She looked sharply at Willow. “And you better keep your ice-cube feet off of me!”
[hr]
Down a dark alley walked a young man and his girlfriend. Young and in love, the two saw nothing but each other as they headed towards her house. He leaned in for a kiss, and as she tilted her head to receive it, she saw the creature behind them. It extended its hand, and the young man burst into vigorous flames, screaming all the while. The girl ran, and the creature let her. She was of no consequence. It watched the young man burn, chuckling inwardly. “Not far now.”
[hr]

Thus ends chapter two, and my first smut-writing experience. Hopefully you can all tune in tommorrow for chapter 3, same Tara time, same Tara channel!

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"Rubi, you're like a turd in a punch bowl." ~ Malcolm McDowell, Wet


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 8:17 am 
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23. Volumey Text
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Dibs!

That was a great update.

Ah, patronising higher powers, don't you just love them? :eyebrow

Quote:
“Are they safe now?”


I think that was the wrong question. What he should have asked is who is this greater champion that they'll be willing to talk to.

Quote:
“I’m supposed to be the babbler here! No infringing on my copyright!”


Okay, nerd alert

The idea of being a babbler isn't something that can be coprighted, only patented.

So Tara babbling is more a patent infringement than it is a copyright one.

Um, :blush I'll be quiet now

I have to say that Pyrokineticist monster is a bit worrying, what's the deal with this "not far now" definitely not of the good

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 7:41 am 
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5. Willowhand
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Another update already? Yes, indeedy! But first:

justin - Yeah, those higher powers do enjoy talking down to people. :-D And excellent point about the question, too - if Angel had been thinking clearly at the time, that probably would have been the right question to ask... And it's good to know I'm hopeless with legal terminology - thank god I'm never going to be a lawyer! :-D As far as our friendly neighbourhood pyro is concerned - well, it's on it's way...
[hr]
Chapter 3 - Reunions and Prophecies
Rating: PG-13 for some naughty words.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Note: To any Kittens in/from Cleveland - No offense is meant to Cleveland by Tara's story in this chapter. I love Cleveland, I've been there a few times now, and her story isn't meant to imply that it's typical of Cleveland - it's just where the story takes place. So put down the crowbar!


“S-So Buffy’s going to meet us when we land?”

“It’s okay, Tara, you don’t have to be nervous. I haven’t told her anything yet; I figured it might be a little bit easier to explain this in person.” Willow got up from the couch they shared and walked around, planting her hands on Tara’s shoulders and starting to rub.

“Mmm…oh, Willow. Oh, don’t stop…”

Willow grinned, increasing the pressure of her fingers. As she did so, she noticed another new scar – right on the partline of Tara’s hair. “Baby?”

“Mm-hm?”

“What’s the scar on your head from?”

“Uh…don’t worry about it, it’s n-nothing.”

“Tare? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I’d like to know.”

Tara sighed, settling into the rhythm of Willow’s massage. “Okay. It’s not my favorite story, but… Cleveland was a little less accepting of us than Sunnydale was. Not that we could have public make-out sessions in Sunnydale, but you know what I mean. Small-town mentality. The scar’s from one night when we went out to a nightclub close to our house. We had a great night, danced a lot, drank a little too much, and we were holding hands when we went outside. Somebody decided that wasn’t proper behavior, so he came up behind us and hit m-me with a bottle. And not a light tap, either – he knocked me flat out. I came to in the hospital, after they’d stitched up my head.”

“Son of a bitch,” Willow snarled. “What’d I do to the guy? Tell me it was something bad.”

Tara stayed silent.

“Tara? What’d I do?”

“Nothing, Will. By the time you realized I was hurt and caught me before I hit the ground, he’d already run. And I’d really rather not talk about it anymore – it took me a week to get out of bed, and it’s really not an incident I want to revisit.”

Willow took a deep breath. “Okay. Thank you for telling me, though.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Tara stood up. “Goddess, you really do have magic fingers. Your turn now, though.”

Willow smiled and took the warm seat on the couch as Tara cracked her knuckles and flexed her fingers in preparation.

“Willow?” Tara asked in a quiet voice as she started to rub.

“Mmm?”

“You got to ask me a tough question – can I ask you one?”

“Of course.”

“It’s been two years since…was there anyone else? Anyone s-special?”

Willow sighed. She had figured the question would come up sooner or later. “No, Tara. Never.”

“Never?”

Willow turned on the couch to face her. “Never. A few people…took an interest, but it could never have been – it wasn’t you. Do you understand?”

Tara smiled. “Yes.”

Willow returned her smile with interest. “Alright, then – question time is over, on with the back rubbing!”
[hr]
“What?” Buffy yelled into the cell, making a mental note not to try talking on a cell phone at an airport again.

“I said he’s the third victim in as many nights. All set ablaze, all with witness reports that sound like the same…person was there, and in all cases he gestured toward the victim before they went up in flames.”

“What’s the connection among the victims?”

“That’s the thing, Buffy. There is none, at least not as far as we can discover. The first was a banker in Australia, the second was the CEO of a computer company in Germany, and the last was a seminary student in Vatican City.”

“Vatican City? When was this?”

“Yesterday.”

“Giles, there’s been nothing at all in the news here.”

“I’m not surprised. The Vatican’s been trying hard to keep this under wraps. The only reason the council knows is because one of our members has a source on the inside.”

“Did this source tell us if there’s anything special about this student?”

“Nothing that the Vatican’s aware of. Unremarkable in every way.”

“Well, that’s helpful. Something we can’t identify is killing people with no motive and no pattern. I’m sure I’ll find him any second.”

“Your sarcasm is neither helpful nor necessary, Buffy. I know it’s not much to go on, but we’re just giving you a heads-up while we continue researching.”

Buffy sighed. “I know, Giles. I’m sorry, it’s just – after the whole business with the Immortal, everything’s been kinda dull around here, and I’m getting antsy. There’s gotta be some big bad somewhere – I can feel it tickling my brain – and I just wish it’d make its move. If this is it, I really want to track it down.”

“I understand, Buffy. We’ll update you as soon as possible. Say hello to Willow for me.”

“Can do. Talk to you later.”

Giles disconnected, and Buffy noted Willow’s plane navigating the tarmac. She went out to meet it, (it was small enough it would use the ladder and not the jetway) and arrived just as the door opened and the ladder descended. Willow stood at the entrance, her arm stretched like she was reaching for something.

“Hey, Will! What was so important at ol’ W&H? They need you for a spell, or…” Buffy broke off as she noticed Willow had made no move to exit the plane. “Come on, Will, let’s go! It’s windy out here.”

“Buffy, there’s something I need to tell you first…”

“It can wait! Come on, let’s go!” She climbed the ladder and grabbed Willow’s free hand, giving it a firm tug. Willow came halfway out the door, and Tara, who’d been holding Willow’s other hand, came into view behind her. “Hey, Will,” started Buffy, “you should have said you were bringing company, I would’ve…” she went silent as what she was seeing finally struck her.

Willow grinned ruefully. “Buffy, you remember Tara.”
[hr]
The drive from the airport was halfway done before Buffy could finally stop staring and ask the questions that had frozen her brain.

“How? Will, How?”

“Long story, Buff, but I’ll try and make it short.” Willow laid out all the details of Tara’s return as the oracles had explained them.

Buffy leaned back in her seat, rubbing her temples. “Okay… I’m following you. I think.” She turned around to face Tara, who’d been sitting quietly in the back seat. “I’m sorry I didn’t say hi at first, Tara. It’s…all a little sudden,” she reached for the Wiccan’s hand. “Welcome home.”

Tara took it gratefully. “Thanks, Buffy. And please don’t worry about not saying hi. I’ve been kind of floating ever since Spike told me I was dead, so I get it.” She gave a small half-smile. “You look so different…”

Buffy looked at her warily. “Different how?”

Biting her lip, Tara tried to remember all the little things about Cleveland Buffy. “Umm..let’s see…okay, first you’re still blonde here. In Cleveland you dyed it brown. Then there’s the scar above your lip where a demon claw took a piece out of you – that obviously didn’t happen here. And your nose…”

Buffy started. “What about my nose? Did I get a nose job in Cleveland?”

Tara burst out laughing, and Willow’s heart leapt at the sound. “No, Buffy, no nose job. It was broken – got hit with a jousting stick when you were training one of the potentials, and it’s got this cute little bend in it now.” From the front seat, Willow cleared her throat. “Not as cute as your nose, though, Will,” Tara corrected herself.

“Damn straight,” muttered Willow, but she was grinning as she said it, happier than she’d been in so very long. A couple of the potentials had tried to get to know her, but she just hadn’t been ready, despite Buffy’s occasional chiding that she shouldn’t be alone. Willow thanked the goddess that it had never happened. She looked to the passenger seat, where Buffy was still finding about her Cleveland self, and said a silent thank you to the powers. She still wasn’t happy about being played, but she was no longer going to question a good thing.
[hr]
Giles could barely restrain himself from screaming at the man across the table. “Look, I’m telling you, it can’t be a Malfor. Every witness report thus far describes the attacker as human, unequivocally.”

The man stared coldly at him. “I’m aware of what the witness reports say. But there’s a thousand ways to disguise appearance, and only a Malfor is capable of the control of fire this creature has demonstrated.”

Giles rubbed his temples, wishing for the old days on the hellmouth. “That’s true, but a Malfor couldn’t possibly perform the magicks necessary to appear human, and even if a witch was using it for their own purposes, any magic they cast on it would be obliterated when it summoned the mystical energy it requires to control the fire!”

The man opened his mouth to reply, and Giles finally snapped. Slamming his hand down on the table, he yelled “Dammit! I’m not continuing this discussion! It’s not a Malfor, now find out what the bloody hell it is!” The man stared angrily at him for a minute before he stood up and stormed away. Giles reached for his glasses, then remembered he’d switched to contacts when he’d arrived in England. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. It had seemed like such an easy decision, rebuilding the Watcher’s Council. All these new slayers needed watchers, and a central organization was necessary to find potentials and bring them into the fold, to make sure they understood their powers. But it was all so complicated. Everyone Giles had hired seemed to have their own agenda, and he was quickly tiring of the office politics. Just as he was starting to calm down, his cell phone rang. With a sigh, he snapped it open. “Spender, if this is about the Malfor-“

“Giles?”

“Oh, hello Buffy. I didn’t anticipate you calling so soon. Did you or Willow discover something?”

“Kind of, yeah.”

“What did you find?”

“I’ll let her explain it to you.” Giles heard the phone being passed, and a new voice spoke up.

“H-Hello?”

“Who…Tara?”

He could almost hear her half-smile through the phone. “Hello, Mr. Giles.”

“How?”

He heard the phone being passed again.

“Hi, Giles, it’s Willow. Tara wanted me to explain it to you, ‘cause she’s really tired and she’d probably stutter quite a bit.” Willow laid it all out for him.

“Dear Lord.” He stopped as he heard Willow explode into laughter and yell to someone “you owe me 20 bucks!”

“What was that?”

“Oh, we had a bet going on the first thing you’d say when we told you. That was mine. Anyway…”

Giles cleared his throat. “Indeed. Could I speak to Tara again?”

“Sure…” Willow’s voice got quiet, and Giles had to listen carefully to catch the rest. “Don’t ask her too much, Giles. She’s really tired.”

“I promise, Willow. I’m so very happy for the two of you – take good care of her.”

“I will.” The phone got passed again.

“Mr. Giles?”

“I’m here, Tara. I won’t keep you, I just wanted to say welcome home. We’ve all missed you terribly, and I don’t think I can properly express how happy we all are to have you home.”

“Thank you. It feels funny saying this, but it’s good to be home.”

“Take care, Tara, and hopefully I’ll see you soon.”

“Talk to you l-later.”

He hung up the phone and leaned back, removing his contacts. For a long time he simply sat there, letting the happy tears come.
[hr]
In his office at Wolfram & Hart, Wesley stared across his desk at Spike. “You mean Willow’s Tara?”

“Yep, right kick in the teeth, ain’t it?”

“That’s…extraordinary. I’ve never heard the likes of it.”

“Nobody has. The White…has returned,” he intoned in a solemn voice, making grand gestures with his arms.

Wesley fixed him with a sharp look. “What was that?”

“Oh, that’s what the oracles called her. The White.”

Wesley’s brow furrowed, and he grabbed the source book closest to him. “Permanum Codex, English translation,” he intoned.

“What is it?”

“I don’t know…but there’s something about that phrase, ‘the White,’ that makes me think I’ve seen it before.”

Spike watched in silence as he flipped quickly through the book, until he shouted “a-ha!” and pointed at the page he’d turned to.

“Here it is, I knew it. Prophecy of Brother Fredrick the Seer, 1292.

Red and White, reunited at last
The unseen one will help them stand fast
The trials to come will bring much pain
The tears of the heroes will fall like rain.

One who was dead shall yet be alive
For to be a true champion will he strive
And one who yet lives shall soon be dead
Pain and suffering brought upon his head.

The one who will come has the power of Zeus
He will brook no surrender, accept no truce
There is but one way this battle can end
The strongest of all shall have to bend

Two chosen ones shall lead the fight
Whilst so many others take flight
For both will know and neither ignore it
If this fight is lost the world is forfeit.”


Spike snorted. “Typical prophecy – bunch of vague mumbo-jumbo, no hard dates, times or places. Sodding useless.”

“You don’t think it’s at all interesting that the prophecy not only mentions the Red and White, but also the two chosen ones?”

“Sure, it’s interesting. I also think it’s interesting that my horoscope yesterday said I’d experience adversity, and then I couldn’t get the cap off my whiskey bottle. Doesn’t mean the hack that wrote my horoscope is a prophet – doesn’t mean bugger all.”

“All the same, I think I should phone Giles.”
[hr]
End of Chapter 3

Coming soon - What does this prophecy really mean? Does it have anything to do with our fire-starting friend?

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"Rubi, you're like a turd in a punch bowl." ~ Malcolm McDowell, Wet


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/17)
PostPosted: Thu Nov 17, 2005 8:56 am 
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5. Willowhand

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 8:03 pm
Posts: 325
You're definitely holding my attention, both with the story and the quick updates. I'm wondering how Dawnie will react upon seeing Tara. I'll be waiting patiently for the next update. Keep up the good work.


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/17)
PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 7:31 am 
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5. Willowhand
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Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2005 2:24 pm
Posts: 255
Location: Tara's House
Willow~Rosenberg - I'm glad I'm still holding your attention - if at some point I lose it, I've got cookies, and I'm more than willing to bribe...I mean share them with you! :-D
[hr]
Chapter 4 - I haven't thought of a clever title for this one.
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Rating: R for language (naughty, naughty Faith!)
Author's Note: Yep, Cho-Ahn is alive. I don't know why, she just is - I never liked how you-know-who wrote her as a walking ethnic joke, so now she's mine (not really, but I can pretend).
Warning: Some angst - but fear not, all will be well eventually!


As they pulled into the drive, Buffy turned to Tara as a thought struck her. “Any embarrassing stories about Dawn I can use?”

Tara grinned. “I can’t do that.”

“Sure you can!” encouraged Willow. “Girl’s got a big head!”

Tara thought for a moment. “Well, let’s see. She cut her hair, she crashed your car once, but nothing really-“ she broke off with an evil grin.

“What? Spill!” yelled Buffy.

“Well, there was that time she peed herself on patrol – I doubt that happened here.”

Buffy stared, open-mouthed.

“Okay, I’ll take that as a no. One night you two were patrolling downtown Cleveland, and she was begging you to stop for a bathroom break – she’d downed five or six sodas before she left – but you wouldn’t stop. Then you guys went down an alley, and a v-vampire jumped out in front of you. And that’s when Dawn peed her pants.”

Buffy and Willow were almost hysterical with laughter, and Tara frowned. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told that story…” Willow finally managed to get the car parked, and Dawn came down the drive to see them. One look at her was enough to set Buffy and Willow off again, until Tara quietly spoke up from the back seat. “Uh, guys?”

Buffy looked back at her – and then realization struck. “Hell. Willow, grab her and tell her what’s going on before she opens the door and finds Tara in the back seat.”

Willow quickly lost her seat belt, jumped out of the car and interjected herself between the teenager and the car. Buffy and Tara watched as Willow talked for a few minutes, and then as Dawn ran to the car and ripped open the back door.

“TARA?”

“Hi, Dawnie.”

Dawn burst into tears, and Tara pulled her into a tight hug.

“Oh my god, Oh my god, it’s really you! It’s really you!”

“It’s me, Dawnie. It’s so good to see you.”

“God…I don’t wanna let you go, Tara.”

“I think Willow might have a problem with that.”

Dawn pulled back and looked at Tara with a sheepish expression. “I guess so, huh?”

Tara kissed her on the cheek. “Let’s go inside, Dawn.”
[hr]
In the lobby of the palatial estate, a certain dark-haired slayer was waiting for Buffy. She started visibly when Tara came through the door, but recovered her bravado quickly.

“Hell, T, you must have taken ‘how to die’ lessons from Buffy!’

Tara smiled. “Hello, Faith.”

“Thank god you’re here – at least now Red can stop moping!” She ducked the pillow Willow directed her way, but the potential behind her wasn’t so lucky.

“Sorry, Cho-Ahn!” Willow called.

“No, seriously, though, I’m glad you’re here. I never…I never got a chance to apologize for the things I said to you the first time we met.”

“Apology accepted. I know you’ve been invaluable here, and we never would have closed the hellmouth…I mean, you,” she indicated those in the room, “never would have closed the hellmouth without you.” She frowned. “Okay, that made no sense at all, did it?”

“So, what was Cleveland Faith like?”

Tara sighed, recognizing she’d probably have to go through this with everyone. “Not that much different. Your hair was a little shorter, but that’s about it. Oh, and of course you and Buffy-“ Tara’s mouth audibly snapped shut. “No, t-that’s about it”

Faith stared intently at her. “What was that?”

“Nothing. None of my business, and not important.”

Faith leaned in closer. “You know I could beat it out of you, right?”

Tara smiled. “Four years ago, that might have scared me.”

“Lost my edge, eh? Shit. I’ll have to try harder to scare you.”

“You guys?” called Buffy. “Go and grab a seat in the dining room, and supper will be ready shortly.”
[hr]
Tara sat in awe, looking around at the dining hall. She’d got the impression as they drove up that the house was big, but it was far more than that. The dining hall could easily seat 100 around the dark mahogany table at its center. The chairs were plush, made of the same wood as the table, but cushioned well.

Willow leaned over. “I filched some clothes from some of the potentials that should fit you for tomorrow. I forgot how late it would be when we got home, so shopping’s gonna have to wait.”

“Thanks, Will.”

At the head of the table, Buffy stood and tapped her glass with her fork. The conversation stopped immediately, the potentials having learned long ago to listen to Buffy when she spoke. Even Dawn seemed attentive.

“First of all, for those who don’t know her, the woman seated next to Willow is Tara Maclay.”

A chorus of whispers ran through the potentials. They had all heard of her, of course, both from Willow herself and the memorial wall Willow had installed in the dorms after their arrival in Rome.

“Through what I can only describe in short terms as divine intervention, Tara has been returned to us. I’d like all of you to give her a welcome befitting a hero.”

Almost as one, the potentials rose and began to applaud. Buffy motioned to Tara to stand, but she shook her head, dropping her gaze to hide her eyes and her blush behind a curtain of hair. Taking matters into their own hands, Willow and Faith grabbed her under each arm and hoisted her to a standing position, then backed up to applaud themselves. The clapping intensified, and Tara’s blush slowly crept to the roots of her hair. Finally she raised her hand, and the applause slowly died off. “Speech!” called Buffy, only half-kidding. Tara fixed her with a withering glare, but she started to laugh, so she turned back to the company.

“I’m not much of a speechmaker, but t-thank you all. It’s an honor to meet you all again. You are the real heroes here.” Looking at the potentials, she applauded slowly and deliberately. Buffy, Faith and Willow followed her lead, and now it was the potentials’ turn to look embarrassed. Buffy reached down and hit her glass again. “Welcome home, Tara. Now let’s eat!”

The potentials headed for the kitchen, all of them returning with two or three covered plates, which they placed at each place setting. Once everyone had a plate and was seated, Buffy motioned to remove the covers. Tara nearly fell out of her chair laughing at what she saw. She looked at Willow, who looked just a little too innocent. “Pancakes? This was your idea, wasn’t it?”

Willow shrugged. “Maybe.”
[hr]
Spike rounded the corner just in time for the burning man running down the alley to plow into him.

“Damn!” he shouted as he beat out the flames, first on himself and then the man that had hit him. It quickly became obvious that the man was beyond help, however. Spike looked down the alley, and saw the cloaked figure standing there, regarding him with interest.

“This your doing, then?”

The cloaked figure laughed, a harsh and brittle sound. “The one who was dead…” he intoned in a gravelly whisper. “Not far, now.” Before Spike could respond or rise, the figure disappeared.

“Bugger.” Spike reached for his phone. “Wes? I think I might have a lead on your prophecy…”
[hr]
“Giles, do you have any idea what time it is?”

“I’m well aware, Buffy, there’s only an hour’s difference between there and here, if you’ll recall.”

“Right.” Buffy stretched, rolling over in her bed. “What’s the sitch?”

“I received a rather disturbing phone call tonight.”

“Ooh, was it one of those ones where the guy thinks he’s called a phone-sex line?”

“I…don’t ever tell me how that conversation went, I implore you. No, this was from Wesley.”

“What’d the windbag want?”

“He had actually called me earlier about a prophecy he thought spoke of Tara and Willow, but I’ll tell you all about that another time. He says Spike made contact with the creature that’s setting these people on fire.”

“It’s in L.A.? This thing is quick.”

“Indeed. Spike failed to get much in the way of description, as the thing simply disappeared in front of him.”

“Well, that’s not right. Glory was a god, and even she couldn’t do that.”

“It is a rather disturbing development. It also speaks to the grave danger it presents – if this thing can appear and disappear anywhere, we can’t know-“

“If it’s going to just appear in our house one night.”

“Precisely. I would recommend taking all necessary precautions, but I’m not sure what precautions you can take.”

“I’ll get Willow and Tara to cast a barrier spell around the house, something to keep out strangers.”

“A good thought, Buffy, but if the creature simply appears in the house, he’s not going to have to cross the barrier.”

“Crap. Okay, any better ideas?”

“Not for the moment. I‘m leaving London tomorrow, and we can discuss the situation further when I arrive. In the meantime, be safe.”

“We will. Take care of yourself, Giles.”

Buffy hung up, wondering why it was never easy. Then she heard the scream from down the hall – and there was only one room that way.
[hr]
Buffy and Faith arrived at Willow and Tara’s room, one of the larger rooms of the house, at virtually the same instant. Faith nodded to Buffy, and she kicked the double doors open. The two witches were crouched on one side of their bed, throwing magicks at the cloaked figure on the other. Nothing seemed to be touching the creature, however, as he held a ball of fire before him that seemed to absorb all that they were throwing. He looked to the entrance as the two slayers entered.

“The Two Chosen Ones.” He looked over at Willow and Tara. “The Red and the White. Excellent. Not far now.” With that, he vanished.

“Son of a bitch!” yelled Faith. “Get back here!”

Buffy ran to help Willow and Tara on to the bed, both of them exhausted from the effort they’d put behind the magicks. “Are you guys all right?”

Willow looked at her, her eyes unfocussed and her face pasty white. “We’re…okay, Buffy. Just…tired.”

Buffy nodded. “Just get some sleep, both of you. We’re going to post a guard outside your room, and Giles will be here tomorrow, so hopefully he can tell us what the hell we’re dealing with.”

Willow nodded, climbing under the covers and pulling Tara with her. In seconds, they were both sound asleep.

As they closed the door behind them, Faith stared at Buffy. “’scuse my French, B, but what the fuck was that?”

Buffy shook her head. “I don’t know. But it came into my house – and that’s the last mistake it’s ever going to make. For now, though, we’re going to have to wait on Giles.”

Faith snorted. Buffy looked at her. “For once, Faith, I agree, but we’ve got no choice. We don’t have a clue what we’re dealing with.”
[hr]
“Tara?”

The blonde stirred, rolling over to look into Willow’s eyes. “Morning,” she mumbled.

“Are you okay?” Willow asked, noting the incredible strain evident in her eyes.

“Just so tired…what’d we do last night?”

“I don’t know – you just grabbed my hand, and next thing I knew we were tossing everything in the spellbook at the thing.”

“Mmm…Willow, do you smell oranges?”

“Nope…why, did you want some-“ she stopped abruptly as Tara started to convulse. “TARA! Buffy, Faith, somebody, help!”

Faith kicked the door in, expecting anything but what she saw, Willow desperately trying to hold Tara and not let her fall off the bed Faith ran to Willow’s side and helped her restrain Tara, taking care not to hold her down, just keeping her from hurting herself. Buffy was only seconds behind, taking over from Willow. The seizure lasted almost a minute and a half before Tara finally fell unconscious. Buffy was the first one to speak. “Will, what happened?”

When no reply was forthcoming, Buffy turned to see Willow in the corner of the room, holding her knees and rocking back and forth, tears running down her face. “No, no, no, no, no,” she muttered to herself.

“Will?” Buffy repeated, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. “What happened?”

“I don’t know, Buffy!” she shouted. “Please, no, she can’t leave me again!” Desperation in her eyes, she stared up at Buffy. “She can’t leave me. I can’t…”

Buffy pulled her into a warm embrace. “It’s okay, Will, it’s okay. She seems to be resting now, and I don’t think she hurt herself. She’ll be okay, I promise.”

“But…”

“I need to know what happened, Willow.”

Willow drew in a shaky breath. “Okay, I woke her up for the meeting, and she still looked really bagged. She asked what we did last night, spell wise, and I told her I wasn’t sure. Then…she asked if I smelled oranges. I didn’t have time to answer before she started convulsing.”

Buffy shook her head. “I’m not so good with the medical or the mystical stuff, Will, but I’ll ask Giles what he thinks. In the meantime, don’t worry about the meeting; just get back in bed with her. Talk to her a little – it’d probably be good for her to hear your voice.”

“’Kay,” Willow mumbled as she stood. She looked helplessly at Buffy. “You really think she’s going to be okay?”

“I know she is, Will. The powers promised, remember? No random or early death. That’s what they promised.”

Willow stroked Tara’s cheek. “Okay. But it better be true, ‘cause Buffy…if I lost her again, I don’t know if I could…” she trailed off.

“I know, Will. I understand.” She turned to Faith. “Can you go down to the dorms and get Sonya up here?”

“Can do, B.”
[hr]

Thus ends chapter 4. Not the most eventful one, I admit, but it needed to be told. Coming soon - Spike returns! And maybe an explanation for the seizure. I think.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/18)
PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:04 pm 
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Okay, I blew off my afternoon classes, so here's the bonus (extra long) update for today!
[hr]
Chapter 5 - More Explanations, More Questions
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Rating: Um, R to be safe, 'cause I can't remember how many bad words are in this one.


“So that’s it?” Buffy exclaimed. “That’s the big prophecy? It sounds like a badly written fourth grade poetry project!”

Giles stared blankly across the library table at her. “Well, it’s probably slightly more poetic in the Latin…I think you have a copy of the codex here in the library, if you want to look…”

“I’m sorry, Giles, I just hate these things. Ever since that fun prophecy foretelling my death – my first one, I mean - I’ve been a little bitter towards them.”

Giles smiled. “Understandable. But we’ve got to try and figure this one out – we know who the Red and the White are, the creature itself indicated that you and Faith are the two chosen ones, and-“ a knock at the front door interrupted him. Buffy grumbled under her breath as she went to answer it.

“Spike?”

“Buffy. Been a while.”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen you since you came back from the dead – which, by the way, so stealing my tricks – I came back from the dead, now everyone’s doing it.”

Spike grinned. “You going to let me in or not, Buffy? It’s a little warm out here.”

“Oh, sorry. Come in.”

Spike walked through the door, already looking as if he owned the place. “Nice digs, Buffy,” he said as he looked around. “How’d you afford all this?”

“Little parting gift from the Immortal.”

Spike scowled. “Oh yes, the Immortal.”

“What’s your problem?”

“I can’t believe you’d fall for that ponce, that’s all. When Angel and I saw you at the club-“

“Wait, back up the truck a second there. When did you and Angel see me?”

Spike hesitated, but realized he’d already blown it. “A month ago. We came to Rome to get this head that we needed – don’t ask - and we came to your hotel to look for you. Andrew told us you were out making time with the Immortal, so we headed out to the club he told us you were at. We saw you there, dancing with him and his cronies.”

Buffy’s bottom lip quivered for a moment, and then she burst out laughing.

“What’s so bleedin’ funny?”

“Oh, Spike. I wish you and Angel would get your facts straight before you go off half-cocked. I was never ‘making time’ with the Immortal. I helped him with a problem he had, and he provided this very nice house for us and the potentials, as well as enough money to keep us pretty comfortable for a while. If you saw me at a club, it was one of our party nights – we have ‘em every now and then to keep the girls from going crazy. If you guys had looked a little harder, you would have seen Faith there too – the party nights were her idea.”

“What problem?”

“Never mind. You wanted to know why I was with the Immortal, and I told you. Do you feel better now?”

“No.” Spike shook his head. “But you can explain the rest later. The gang’s all here, I take it?”

“In the library.” She led him there, accepting a small kiss on the cheek as they walked.

“Everybody?” she called out as they entered the room. “Those potentials who didn’t meet him – this is Spike.”

The vampire nervously raised his hand. “Hi.”

“Spike,” said Giles. “What are you doing here?”

“Wes sent me. When I ran into that thing yesterday, it called me ‘the one who was dead,’ or some such nonsense. Wes said it had something to do with the prophecy, and that I should come and see you folks.”

Giles nodded. “That answers one of our questions, at least.” Spike and Buffy sat down as he continued. “We still need to identify the Unseen One and One who Yet Lives.”

“Well, them and the thing that’s lighting people on fire.”

“I believe that was implied, but yes. We really need to get researching. Where’s Willow?”

“Upstairs with Tara. She might be down later, but there was kind of…an incident this morning, and Willow’s looking after her.”

Giles and Spike looked intently at Buffy. “What sort of incident?” Giles asked.

“Um, I kind of wanted to ask you about it, actually. Last night Will and Tara threw a whole lot of magic at this thing – did nada, by the way – and they were both exhausted. Then this morning Tara has some kind of great mall-“

“I think that’s Grand Mal, Buffy,” interrupted Sonya, who was a med school student as well as a potential.

“Right, seizure. I wanted to ask you – has use of a lot of magic ever been known to produce them?”

Giles thought for a moment, and shook his head. “Not in any case I remember. Has anyone asked Tara about it?”

“She’s still unconscious. Sonya says she seems okay, though, from what she can tell – that she’s basically in a deep sleep. Willow’s freaked, understandably, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else we can do for her right now.”

“Well, as long as she’s going to be okay, I think the best thing to do is wait and ask Tara if it’s happened before.”

Buffy sighed. “I just wish we knew for sure that she’s okay.”

Giles patted her shoulder, his usual reserve slipping as he did. “So do I, Buffy. But we’re just going to have to trust the opinion of our resident doctor-in-training.”

“Okay,” she said grudgingly. “Where do we start?”

“I think the best approach would be to start with the codex itself…”
[hr]
Tara wiggled slightly, and her eyes fluttered open. Willow almost jumped out of bed in her excitement. “Tara?”

“Umm…morning, Will. How come it’s so bright – I thought Giles was coming by this morning?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Remember what, Will?”

“Well, you kinda…” she trailed off, not quite sure how to continue. “You had a…you had some kind of seizure this morning.”

Tara clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh, Willow, I’m so sorry. I never even thought – it’s been so long since the last one – oh, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey,” Willow murmured as she took the blonde in her arms. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not. I must have scared you so bad, sweetie. I should have told you…”

“It’s okay, Tara. You’ve been back for less than a day – there’s no way you could think of everything. I will admit to being a little scared, though.”

Tara kissed her gently on the lips. “I’m sorry I scared you, Will. It’s nothing too serious, though, I promise.”

“What happened?”

“Um…you remember yesterday when I was telling you about the guy with the bottle?”

Willow nodded.

“Well, after that I started to have seizures. At first the doctors thought they might have to operate, but they kind of gradually tapered off. Till this morning, it had been…” she thought, “about s-six months since the last one. I should have told you, baby, I just never thought-I’m so stupid…“ Willow put a finger to her lips.

“Don’t ever call yourself that. I’m just so glad…I was so scared you were going to leave me…”

“Never.”

“Do you know what set it off?”

“No. I guess it was just a stressful day. Not every day you find out you were dead - and we did a lot of magick, too.”

“I totally understand…well, okay, I don’t understand, but I get it.”

“Well, I suppose we should join the meeting.”

“You’re okay to go down?”

‘Yes. Not even dizzy. I do need some clothes, though.”

Willow grabbed the things she’d scrounged the night before. “Try these.”
[hr]
In a dark and cavernous room, a small group of men sat around a round table.

“The time is almost at hand, brethren,” intoned one. “We have confirmed the presence of all but the unseen one and the one who yet lives. It’s time to confuse the issue.” He turned to the man on his left. “Make it happen.”

The second man rose, walked to the opposite wall and pulled open a large curtain, revealing a cage of growling vampires. “Listen up!” shouted the first man. “Kill anyone you please. The more random the better – but do NOT return here. Anybody that does will get dusted. Now go!” The second man unlocked the cage, and the vampires ran from the room. The second man returned to the table and sat down, leaning toward the first. “I guess all that initiative experience comes in handy, eh Riley?”

The first man smiled. “It doesn’t hurt, Lindsey. It doesn’t hurt.”
[hr]
With the gang in full research mode, the living room was filled with the sound of turning pages and hushed conversations. Even the hushed conversation sounded loud, however, as the room was high-ceilinged and produced a lot of echo. Buffy sat back in awe, wondering as always how some people could be so good at the book research – it wasn’t that she wasn’t smart, she just couldn’t focus on some ancient Sumerian thing – if evil was afoot, she wanted to hit it, not read about it. The only other person in the room not reading was Faith, who was asleep on one of the couches.

Tara slumped in her chair. “Will?” she asked. “Do you know what this word is? I’ve been looking at it for twenty minutes, and I think my brain is melting.”

Willow grabbed the book, studying the word in question. “Nope. Looks like something demonic – or maybe Greek. Goddess, I need a break.”

Knowing a cue when she heard one, Buffy jumped in. “I think everybody needs a break. Let’s stretch, get a coffee-“ the front door flew open.

“Buffy!” shouted Spike. “There’s a pack of vamps tearing it up down there!”

In her element now, Buffy leapt to her feet. “Everybody get a weapon, let’s go!”

The potentials were right behind her, and Tara was headed for the weapon chest when Willow grabbed her.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“To fight.”

“Oh, I don’t think so. You’re in no shape, and we’ve got a whole pack of vamp hunters who are.”

“But-“

“Don’t make me pull out the resolve face – you’ve seen it.”

“Will, I don’t want you to think I’m helpless.”

“I would never think that. Never. But I want you to take tonight off – you need rest, not chasing after vamps.”

On her way out the door, Buffy turned back and saw the two witches still discussing who was going. “Both of you just stay here,” she shouted. “We’ll handle this. Girls, let’s go!” she motioned toward the door, and the potentials spilled out into the dark night, followed by Buffy, Spike and Dawn. Faith already had about a hundred foot lead on them, as she’d left when Buffy stopped to talk to Willow and Tara.

Tara and Willow looked at each other for a second, taken by surprise. “How about that coffee?” Willow asked.

“Do you think it’s a good idea to be going out for coffee with a pack of vampires around?”

“Oh, no, it’s okay. We’ve got a cappuccino machine, and I’ve gotten darn good at using it, if I do say so myself. And I do! So, Mocha?”

Tara smiled. “Sounds good.” Tara moved to the couch and stretched out, just trying to take it all in. Two days ago she’d been Tara Rosenberg-Maclay, Willow’s wife, living in Cleveland and fighting the forces of the hellmouth. Now she was just Tara Maclay again, basically back from the dead, living in Rome. Everything was so different, but still the same. But now there was this prophecy – who was going to die? If she were to lose Willow now – or goddess forbid, have to leave her…she didn’t think she could do it.

Wrapped up in her thoughts, she never heard Willow return with the coffee, and jumped up with a startled squeak when she asked “Tara?”

“Sorry, Will. Just t-thinking.”

“Good thoughts?” Willow asked as she put the coffee mugs down on the table, taking a place on the couch next to Tara, craving contact.

“Mostly. But…I’m just worried about this prophecy – it’s scary, hearing someone’s going to die.”

Willow wrapped a protective arm around Tara. “Not you. Never again. And I will never leave you.”

Tara frowned. “It’s not just that – it could be anybody. It’s just so frustrating, not understanding what’s in front of you.”

“Well, no-one else is having any luck either. Give it time, you’ll figure it out.”

“You’re the brainy one, not me,” Tara grinned, but her face fell back into a thoughtful expression. “Willow, there’s something I need to ask you.”

“Of course.”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about…what happened to me…I mean the other me…” Willow started to speak, but Tara raised a hand to stop her. “Please let me finish. I know I haven’t been back with you all that long, and it’s probably not fair of me to do this now, but what you’ve told me has made me realize I can’t take our time together for granted.” Sliding the ring off of her own finger, Tara knelt in front of Willow. “Willow, will you m-marry me?”

Willow, unable to speak, simply nodded her head as the tears ran down her face. She allowed Tara to slide the ring onto her finger, and then pulled her back up onto the couch. While both cried happy tears, they settled into a long, slow kiss as the coffee mugs sat untouched and unnoticed on the table.
[hr]
It was two hours later when the front door opened. Buffy led the group, who’d made it through with little more than a scratch, back into the house. She noticed Tara and Willow asleep on the couch, two full coffee mugs long cold on the table. Turning to the group, she signaled for quiet. They all headed their separate ways, taking care not to wake the pair as Buffy lay a blanket over them. She hesitated, and then broke into a huge smile as she noticed the ring on Willow’s hand. Turning back to Giles and Spike, she motioned for them to follow her as she headed upstairs.

Closing her bedroom door, Buffy looked over at Giles. “Okay, what the hell’s going on? Bad enough we got this thing setting stuff on fire, but now packs of vamps? What’s the connection?”

Giles rubbed his temples. “I must confess, Buffy, I’m a little mystified. There’s no mention anywhere in the prophecy of vampires, and I can’t imagine how this creature would have convinced vampires that it was in their best interest to work for it.”

“The bloke I met wasn’t exactly a big talker,” said Spike. “Don’t think it said more than a dozen words.”

“Exactly,” said Giles. “From any of the witness reports we’ve had, the creature’s either been completely silent or said one or two words. Certainly doesn’t seem to be the inspirational leader type.”

“Not to mention,” threw in Spike, “the vamp population isn’t really big on serving demons. The only thing I’ve ever seen them serve was Adam.”

Buffy shook her head. “So basically, we’ve got jack. Even less so than before, actually, because we thought we were just dealing with this fire thing. Why don’t any of these prophecies say anything useful? ‘The chosen one will find the demon at Fourth and Main and kill it by stabbing it in the head,’ or something like that?”

Spike laughed. “That’s a roadmap, luv, not a prophecy. But for the record, I agree with you – prophecies tend to be a whole lot of blather, not much in the way of actual information. Half the time I swear they just pulled it out of their ass.” He raised a hand to his forehead, closed his eyes, and spoke in a mock-important voice. “I foresee that in the second year of the second century, some guy somewhere will do something that might possibly be important to someone. Now, scribe, make it sound poetic!”

Buffy laughed, and even Giles broke into a small grin.

A knock at the door startled them all. Buffy opened it to find Faith on the other side.

“This a private slumber party, B, or can anyone join in?”

“Faith…sorry, I didn’t think you’d be home yet. I saw you headed for the club after we mopped up down there, and I figured you’d be a while.”

“Yeah, for once the club scene’s boring me. This prophecy thing is itchin’ at my brain, B, and we gotta figure it out soon, ‘cause it’s distracting me from valuable drinking time.”

Giles spoke up from behind Buffy. “Well in that case, Faith, we shall all redouble our efforts.”

“Stuff it, G. I knew there was a reason I preferred it when you were in England. I didn’t have to listen to your smart-ass commentary track.”

Buffy pulled Faith into the room, closing the door behind her.

“Okay, you two, we are not going to go through this again. We’ve got enough on our hands without trying to separate you again.”

Faith reluctantly took a seat next to Spike, avoiding eye contact with Giles.

“So, what do we know?”

Buffy sighed. “Not much. No good reason anyone can figure why vamps would be fighting for this thing. I wish we could have captured one.”

“Nothin’ we coulda done, B. They were chowing down on the locals when we got there – if we’d wasted time trying to catch one, we probably would have lost more people,”

“I know. It’s just – annoying. And we still have no idea about the other two people in the prophecy.”

A quiet voice spoke from the corner of the room. “I can tell you why the vamps were out tonight.” Startled, everyone turned to look at the source of the voice – and there was nothing there.

“Who the hell is that?” barked Faith as everyone in the room jumped up in preparation for a fight.

“I know you can’t see me,” the voice said. “But I’m just a girl. You can grab me and tie me up or whatever, if it makes you feel better. Just walk to the sound of my voice.”

Faith started to do just that, but Buffy held up her hand. “Wait. Who are you?”

“Do you remember Marcie?”

“Marcie…the invisible girl from Sunnydale High? Yeah.”

“Okay, you know the government took her, right?” Buffy nodded. “Well, they take kids like that to a special school, where they teach things like assassination and infiltration. I was one of her classmates.”

“Was?”

“Yep. Marcie was always raving – that girl was seriously disturbed - about the Slayer and her friends when we were in school. Well, she didn’t know you were a slayer, but she was always talking about you, so I finally asked one of the instructors who ‘Buffy’ was, and they told me you were the Slayer, and explained what that meant. Then a few weeks ago, the school sent me on this mission – get incriminating pictures of some politician here in Italy they didn’t like. I’d been waiting for two years to escape, so I took my chance. Once I got here, I hotwired the tracking deal they plant on us, and then I sought you guys out – from what Marcie said about you, I knew you guys were on the right side – and that’s where I wanted to be.”

The tension in the room eased with the girl’s soft-spoken and earnest-sounding confession.

“What’s your name?” asked Buffy.

“Terri,” replied the voice.

“Terri, why were the vamps out tonight?”

“They were sent. But they weren’t with any demon, just a couple of government guys who had them caged. I found them when I was looking for you.”

“Government guys?”

“Yeah, they dressed just like the guys who took me to that school.”

“Did you hear any names?”

“Just one – Riley.”

The color dropped out of Buffy’s face as the rest of the room turned to look at her.
[hr]
Tara stirred, shifting in her sleep, muttering sleep-talk. Willow had been awake for almost a half-hour, but she simply couldn’t bear to wake the blonde she held so close. She held up her left hand for the twentieth time since she’d woken, staring at the ring on her finger. She had dreamed so many times since Tara died about a moment just like this, the two of them in love and engaged. She had always awoken crying from those dreams, as if even her subconscious knew that it was never meant to be. But here she was, Tara safe and warm in her arms again, and a ring on her finger. She couldn’t stop marveling at the sheer silliness of it – like a fairy godmother had come down and granted a wish for her – but that didn’t make it any less real. She bent her head to Tara’s hair and simply inhaled the scent of her, sandalwood and vanilla and that other indefinable scent that was just Tara. She had never been happier to be alive – just to exist.

Unable to help herself any longer, she smoothed the fine hair back from Tara’s forehead and kissed it softly. She stirred, but didn’t wake. Smiling, Willow leaned in and kissed her again. This time the soft blue eyes she loved fluttered open and settled on her.

“Mmm…morning, Will.” She arched her neck upwards and kissed Willow’s lips.

“Morning, baby. Feeling okay?”

“Absolutely. I woke up under a Willow – my favorite.”

Willow leaned in and returned the kiss. “Mine too. Ready for some breakfast?”

“Only if we can do some shopping after- I really need clothes.”

“What? I thought the black Kane t-shirt and leather skirt really suited you.”

Tara mock-shivered. “Umm…not that I don’t appreciate them, but I could really use some clothes.”

“Okay, let’s eat first, check in with Buffy and see what’s new on the prophecy front, and then we’ll hit the stores.”
[hr]
Thus endeth the update. Next time - Tara and Willow go shopping!

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/18)
PostPosted: Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:31 pm 
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Yay, two updates for the price of one.

Now I'm going to take a really wild guess here and say that this Terri is the unseen one. So now we just need to figure out who this one who yet lives is. Wait a minute, wasn't that Harry Potter? Well he was the boy who lived, which is close enough :)

These seizures don't sound good. I guess it was caused by using magic, but what's up with her smelling oranges? Definitely cause for concern.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/18)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 6:30 am 
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Heather,
You're doing a really fantastic job with this story. I'll try to go from memory in order on the updates you've written. The smut was very well written. You didn't give so much detail that it seemed like a set of instructions for assembling a toy plane but gave enough that it was obvious who was doing what to whom and that they were enjoying it. :applause I reallyu like the way Tara's getting to know everyone and that they are all asking what they're like in Cleveland. Kind of an amusing feature.

Grrr... Riley. Boo his him. The poem is good. I assume you wrote it and I'm impressed cause I can't write poetry at all. If you read Survivor - Ash Island, I actually made a joke out of my bad tree mail poetry so I'm doubly impressed. This was my favorite line:
Quote:
Why don’t any of these prophecies say anything useful? ‘The chosen one will find the demon at Fourth and Main and kill it by stabbing it in the head,’ or something like that?”
Very good.

You're writing very quickly and leaving good length updates. Well done.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/18)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:26 am 
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New chapter, you say? Yep! But first:

justin - Terri, Terri...there's more going on there than meets the eye, I think... I suppose the one who yet lives could be Harry Potter, I guess, but that would make this a very different story. :-D And I'd love to claim there's something mysterious about the oranges, but it's actually something I based on an old friend of mine who used to have occasional seizures - she'd smell pencil shavings before she had them, so that's where the phantom smell idea came from. The seizures themselves will be important though - but probably not until the sequel.

JustSkipIt - I'm glad the smut wasn't too terrible - and :lol :lol to the "instructions for assembling a toy plane!" I actually did write the poem, but it didn't sound nearly as ominous or mysterious as I wanted it to (I like writing poems, but I'm rarely happy with them) - hence Buffy's line about it sounding like a fourth grade poetry project. I haven't read Survivor: Ash Island yet, but I'm definitely going to now! And I heartily agree with the booing of Riley - he's just evil. I wish I was writing this quickly, but the story's actually been perking for about a month - I'm just posting chapters as I finish their final run-through. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!
[hr]
Chapter 6 - Shopping, and things more fun
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Rating: NC-17 for smutty goodness.
Author's Note: The Piazza di Spagna-Via really is the best shopping in Rome, but I didn't describe a lot of the architechture or the shops because I haven't been there in five years or so.


They entered the dining room to find Buffy, Faith, Giles and Dawn apparently talking to an empty chair.

“Uh, guys?” Willow spoke up. “Do we have a collective imaginary friend now? Nobody introduced him to me.”

Buffy flushed. “No, Will, we’ve got a guest. She’s…invisible, though.”

“I see…not the same as an imaginary friend, then.”

Willow jumped as a voice spoke up from the chair.

“Okay, that’s enough with the imaginary jokes. I’m here to help.”

Willow looked at Tara, who raised her eyebrows in response. “Buffy, what’s going on?”

“Guys, this-“ she gestured vaguely in the direction of the chair. “is Terri. She was a classmate of Marcie’s at a nice government school for training assassins and spies and fun stuff like that.”

“Marcie…you mean Sunnydale High Marcie?” Noting Tara’s confused look, she leaned over and whispered “I’ll explain later.”

“The same.”

“If she’s here to help – obviously not crazy like Marcie?”

“Nope. Why don’t you guys have a seat, and Terri can tell us more about what she found yesterday. Terri, since they weren’t with us last night, maybe you should start at the beginning.”

As the two witches pulled up chairs, Terri began to speak.

“Okay, I’ll gloss over the early bits – turned invisible, government took me, tried to train me to be a spy. They sent me here, I slipped the leash and went looking for you guys. Then yesterday, I stumbled into this warehouse, and I thought maybe you guys were staying there - it looked very organized, very well run. Then this whole group of weirdos gathered around a table, and they all seemed to be looking to these two suits.

The one suit said something about ‘confusing the issue,’ but I didn’t catch all of it. Then the second one opens this cage full of vampires and the first one tells them to kill whoever they want – something about the more random the better – and they leave. I thought that was the most interesting part, ‘till I saw the look on your faces when I told you the head guy’s name.”

“What was the name?” asked Tara.

“Riley,” said Buffy in a quiet voice.

Willow looked hard at Buffy. “Buffy, you can’t think that it’s-“

“Do you know a lot of people named Riley, Will? And to be experienced with vampires, and look like a government official – I’m trying hard not to think it, but everything I’ve heard so far points his way.”

Willow shook her head. “Why would he do something like that? It doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t know,” replied Buffy. “But we’re going to find out.”

“What about the prophecy?” interjected Tara, desperately trying to break the tension in the room. “Anything new there?”

Giles shook his head. “We haven’t discovered anything new. Other than, of course, the obvious – I’d say we have a solid lead on the identity of the unseen one.” Seeing Tara and Willow’s anxiousness, he smiled. “I don’t think we’re going to find out too much more until we can locate Riley. If you two have plans, please feel free.”

Willow smiled. “Thanks, Giles.”
[hr]
“So this is the Piazza di Spagna-Via,” explained Willow with a flourish. “The best shopping in Rome, bar none.” Seeing the smile on Tara’s face, she had to ask. “What?’

“You’re so cute. My Willow, world traveler.”

“We didn’t take a lot of vacations from Cleveland?”

Tara shook her head. “Everything was always so crazy – we barely had time to live, never mind travel. But more to the point, you told me a bunch of times that if you had a vacation, you’d just stay home with me.”

Willow grinned. “Sounds like me.”

“So, Willow…” Tara trailed off as they entered a boutique. She looked at the nearest skirt on the rack and turned to Willow. “Will, there’s no way I can afford anything in here,” she whispered.

“Not to worry – it’s on me.” Noting Tara’s look, she smiled. “No worries. The Immortal took pretty good care of us, and I do a little bit of consulting on the side – computer stuff. If you see something you like, try it on.”

“So…what exactly did you guys do for this Immortal? And why were you in South America?”

“It’s kind of a long story – finish looking around and let me know what you want, and I’ll tell you while we’re walking.”

Twenty minutes later they were on their way again, Tara carrying a bag with a few skirts and tops that cost more than she cared to think about. “So tell – what have you guys been doing without me?”

Willow took a deep breath. “Okay…I’ll skip all the stuff about the First and the potentials and such, because I’m pretty sure the only difference between your version and mine is you.”

Tara shook her head. “Will, what about…when the First was appearing to people as loved ones, did it…was it me?”

Willow shook her head. “No, it came to me as a girl named Cassie – it told me I couldn’t see you, because of what I did to Warren, but that she was relaying messages from you.” She exhaled loudly. “Then it told me you said I’d eventually lose control of my magic and kill everyone. And…and that I should kill myself and be with you, to save everyone else.”

Tara looked at her, stunned. “Oh, no…Will, you couldn’t have thought-“

“No, no. That was when I realized it couldn’t be you. I knew you’d never say that.”

Tara hugged her close. “That’s my girl. You’re too smart to get taken in by something like that.”

Willow looked up at her. “What about you? When you went through that, who was it?”

Tara bit her lip. “My mother.”

“Oh…oh, Tara, that must have been horrible.”

“I was one of the first people it came to – we didn’t know what it was then. She told me…” Tara hesitated, and Willow could see her bottom lip quiver.

“It’s okay, Tara, you don’t have to-“

“I do. She told me that she w-was ashamed of having a gay daughter, and that it was my fault the family broke up – that I’d made Dad and Donny miserable. That I’d never measure up to her as a witch, and that she was waiting for me in h-hell.”

“Oh, baby. Did you…”

“I didn’t know. I thought it was real – I nearly went off the deep end that night. But you saved me – just like you always did. I was hysterical, just completely out of it, but you just g-grabbed me and held me until I could tell you what had happened. You pointed out all the things I should have realized – that my mother would never have talked to me like that. But if you hadn’t been there that night, I don’t know what would have happened. I’m not strong like you, Willow – you stood up to your visitation.”

“Tara, you’re the strongest person I know. Never doubt it. Who was my visit from, anyway?”

Tara shook her head. “I don’t know, Will. I asked you about it but you wouldn’t tell me. You never told me. All you’d say is that you’d seen through it. But it hurt you bad, whatever it was.”

Willow shrugged. “I can’t think who it could have been. Or why I wouldn’t have told you.” Her brow furrowed for a moment, as if she was lost in a memory, but it cleared quickly. “But anyway, back to our story of fun and excitement!” she said in a voice that sounded a shade too cheerful. The two resumed walking the Piazza as Willow continued talking.

“I guess the best place to start is right after the hellmouth was closed. After that happened, everybody who was left hopped the yellow school bus we’d appropriated earlier and headed out. We were actually going to go to Cleveland at first, but then we got a message.

This creepy little thing that worked for the Immortal caught up to us at a gas station before we made it out of California. It said it had heard of us – that we had closed the hellmouth, and Buffy and I both had power it was interested in – Buffy because she was the Slayer, and me because of what I did to…well, I’m not ever saying that name again. Anyway, he offered us a great deal of money and transportation for all of us if we’d go and see the Immortal about his problem – he wouldn’t tell us what it was, though. We had kind of a group huddle, and we decided to check it out. Faith was supposed to go to Cleveland to keep an eye on the hellmouth, but she insisted on coming with us. Her and Giles kind of went at it over that one – they actually came to blows – and they’re still not really good at talking to each other. Anyway, she ended up coming with us.”

“How…” Tara hesitated. “How has she adjusted? When we went to Cleveland, it took her some time to get used to working in a team. There were a few scraps before she realized she wasn’t on her own any more.”

“For the most part, she’s been okay. Her and Buffy get along pretty good now-“ she noted the blush creeping up from Tara’s neck. “What?”

“N-Nothing.”

“Tara, don’t make me beg. What did I say?”

“Ummm…nothing, it’s just in Cleveland…Buffy and Faith were together.”

“Well, they’re together here too – wait, you mean together, together?”

Blushing furiously, Tara nodded.

“Wow, that’s…wow. No, there’s nothing like that going on here – at least that I know of… As far as everyone else goes, there’s mixed feelings. Dawn’s still not her number one fan - which, given that Faith almost killed Buffy, is understandable – but they’re not at each other’s throats or anything. Giles can barely be in the same room with her. The potentials love her – she’s the fun slayer, as Sonya put it once.”

“What about you?”

“For the most part I’m pretty okay with her…every now and then she gets hard into the drinking, and it kind of worries me, but so far she’s been fine to work with. We’re not close personal friends or anything, but there’s no tension there. She’s a great leader with the potentials, too – she trains them every day, and lobbied Buffy hard to establish a once-a-week party for them, to relieve the stress. I’ll never forget she almost killed me, but we’re okay.”

“So why was Giles in England?”

“Hang on, we’re gettin’ there.” Willow clasped Tara’s hand as she continued, and the two of them continued down the Piazza, barely noticing the bright summer sun or the crowds around them.

“A group of the potentials went to Cleveland to watch the hellmouth, but it’s really done nothing since they got there. We came to Rome and met the Immortal. Guy gave me the wig – still does, actually.”

“Who is he?”

“Don’t know. Even Giles can’t find anything solid on him. He’s ageless, as far as we can tell. Spike and Angel have had run-ins with him before, but they don’t know that much about him either. He’s just a big puzzle without a picture to work from.”

“So what’d he want?”

“Well, I’ll try and explain it, but I might not get all of it right, ‘cause there’s nuances I really don’t understand. Basically there was a member of the Immortal’s personal army who was going to try and assassinate him, and he wanted Buffy’s protection. Why would an Immortal need Buffy’s protection, you ask? I really never figured it out. Buffy said it was something about how this assassin wasn’t going to kill him, but capture him and imprison him forever. The Immortal couldn’t touch the guy himself – apparently it would have caused some kind of tribal warfare among the demons – so he needed someone else to do it. Buffy and I caught the guy in the act and stopped him, and the Immortal pledged his eternal gratitude – which, given that he’s immortal, sounds like a lot of gratitude, don’t you think?”

Tara smiled as Willow teetered on the edge of full babble mode. “So that’s where you got the house?”

“Yep! He gave us the house, a few cars, and a sum of money that Buffy wouldn’t even talk about – she just got this glazed look in her eyes and said it was a lot. He told her if we ever need anything, all we have to do is ask.”

“How long did all this take?”

“It was about…probably a month after we left Sunnydale when we killed the demon.”

“So what’s happened since then?”

“Let’s see…after we killed the demon and moved into the house, Giles moved to England. He’s been setting up the new Watcher’s Council – he’s been crazy busy, too. This is the first time he’s been back. He and Buffy kind of established a training system – when the council locates potentials, they come here and train with Buffy and Faith for six months, then they go to the council, where they’re assigned a watcher. The slayer and her watcher become kind of a freelance team, going on missions for the Council. Sometimes they move to places and stay there, but usually they just do what they’re assigned and report back to the Council.”

“I take it this Council…runs things a little better than the last one?”

“Oh, yeah. Giles is really making it work. They’ve got almost 100 slayers now, and more in training at Buffy’s.”

“Wow. So what do all of you do now? I mean, training wise…and life wise.”

“Well, funny thing – only not so much with the funny – about two months after we got here, there started to be a real upswing in demon activity. Giles figures there may be a hellmouth in the country somewhere, but nobody can figure out where. So Buffy and Faith and the potentials have a pretty regular patrol going – kind of like Sunnydale, actually. Dawn’s in her last year of high school – at a seriously expensive private school.”

“Well, anything’d be better than that dive she went to in Cleveland.”

“Not a good school?”

“Well, money was always kind of an issue – we all had a job, or two, to try and pay for housing and food while Buffy and Faith worked with the potentials. It didn’t leave a lot left over – the school Dawn was in was…um, kind of like a war zone. And she was really busy patrolling with Buffy, so she never had a lot of time for school.”

Willow leaned in for a quick kiss. “Not a worry here. Now, there’s something I want to know about Cleveland.”

“What’s that?”

“What was the wedding like?”

“Oh, Will, it was so beautiful. I get chills just thinking about it. Your dress was-“ she broke off as she noticed how intently the redhead was listening. “Wait a minute! You’re just looking for dress-buying advice, aren’t you?”

Willow grinned. “Busted.”

Tara hit her with her bag. “I’m not telling you! You’re going to have to pick your own dress!”

“I bet I can get you to tell me.”

“How’s that?”

Willow leaned over and whispered in her ear, watching with pleasure as Tara blushed. “Well, that m-might work…”

“Then let’s finish up shopping, and we’ll go home and find out.”
[hr]
Buffy looked up and smiled as the two came through the front door, loaded down with bags. “You guys clean out every store on the Piazza, or what?”

Willow stuck her tongue out. “My girl needed a new wardrobe – it takes a lot to make a whole wardrobe, you know!”

Buffy laughed. “Will, you know I’m teasing. Once you guys get your bags put away, do you want to come and help me with supper?”

“Sure,” called Tara as they climbed the spiral staircase that led upstairs. “What are we making?”

“Spaghetti – when in Rome, right?”

Willow groaned. “Buffy, you know that’s like the 453rd time you’ve made that joke, right?”

“What? 449th, tops.”

Willow rolled her eyes.
[hr]
As Tara closed the double doors behind them, Willow pushed her roughly against them.

“Will, what – oh…mmmm…” she moaned as Willow, pressing her firmly against the doors, reached up under the t-shirt she wore and grabbed her breasts, kneading them gently through her bra. “Will…” she gasped, “we don’t have…time…oh goddess…we’ve got to help with supper – oh!” she cried out as Willow nibbled her earlobe.

“Supper later…dessert now,” Willow growled in her ear. She gave Tara’s nipples a light pinch as she spoke, making the blonde jump and cry out again.

“Shhh…” whispered Willow as she unzipped Tara’s skirt, letting it fall to the floor. Unable to help herself, she gave Tara’s behind a light slap, making her squeal.

“Willow!”

“I said shush,” Willow whispered firmly. “That’s an order.” Tara was a little surprised – Willow usually wasn’t this domineering – but she nodded to indicate she’d play along. Willow pulled down Tara’s panties and let her step out of them, keeping her firmly pressed against the door. Reaching between her legs, Willow felt the warmth at her center as she squirmed, trying to stay quiet. Willow’s fingers made their way closer and closer to where her lover desperately wanted them. “Are you wet, baby?” Willow whispered as her fingers continued exploring. Tara nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying out. “Do you want me inside you?” Tara’s head bobbed like a jack-in-the-box. “Then turn around.” She withdrew her arm and released the pressure holding Tara to the door, letting her turn around, then pushed her back-first into the door and held her there. Willow kissed her fiercely, letting her tongue dance around Tara’s, then pulled back to look her in the eyes. “Are you ready?” she growled. Tara nodded frantically, her eyes begging Willow for release. The redhead smiled, took Tara’s hands and led her to the bed, gently laying her down upon it. She spread her legs and once again began teasingly exploring with her fingers, across her thighs, up to her stomach – everywhere except where Tara wanted them. Every time she got near the right place, Tara’s hips bucked as she tried to initiate contact.

Finally, when Willow thought she could stand no more, she gently slipped two fingers into Tara. The response was like an electric shock; Tara’s hips bucked, her back arched, and she bit into her lip hard enough to draw blood. Willow gently probed for a moment before lowering her head and starting in with her tongue, tracing slow circles around Tara’s sweetest of spots. It wasn’t long before Tara exploded, crying out Willow’s name in a hoarse whisper. Willow continued her ministrations, letting Tara ride out the feeling, until her own orgasm crashed over her without warning. Willow cried out Tara’s name, lost in herself. When she came to, she was on the floor next to the bed. “Wow,” she muttered. “When did that happen?” She climbed back onto the bed, curling up next to Tara. The blonde was laying almost completely still, her eyes glazed and blood on her lip.

“Oh, baby, what happened to your lip?”

“Trying to stay quiet,” Tara replied with a wan smile.

“I’m sorry!” Willow whispered. “Tara, I-“

“Willow,” she whispered. “I’m okay, I promise. It was just…Goddess, Willow, where did you learn to do that? I think I blew out the back of my head.”

“I just needed the right inspiration, I guess. I’m sorry if I was rough, love – it just felt good to be in control. I haven’t really felt that since I walked into that office at Wolfram & Hart.”

“No apologies – it was perfect, just like always. I love you so much, Willow. More than I could ever tell you.”

“I love you too, Tara. You’re my always – never forget that.”

The two entwined in a deep kiss. When they finally came up for air, Tara smiled. “I suppose we have to go make supper.”

Willow groaned. “Can we wait till my legs start working?”
[hr]
Coming Soon - Spaghetti and Spells!

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 2:19 pm 
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Heather--I heard about this from Debra and Justin, both of whom had great things to say about it. I'm so glad I checked it out!

You've taken a very interesting premise and worked a great story out of it. I think most of us veer away from S-7 b/c it's just too painful; either that, or the story involves bringing Tara back from the dead. This is really fascinating, though, b/c it lets us see some events as they did evolve in canon, but w/o the horrific loss. You're weaving a wonderful combination of canon and this new (and infinitely preferable!) reality.

I love some of the things you've tweaked, both large and small. (Oh God, I cracked up when I learned that Giles had gotten contacts!) The potentials and the Rome setting also give the opportunity for some creative exploration. Hmm...I wonder what it would have been like if a certain potential whose first name is the same as the last name of an assassinated US President was in the mix...

You referred to the prophecy as "bad poetry" but I liked it! It's intriguing, b/c it's just specific enough to let us pick out certain features w/ a fair amount of certainty, and yet there's that ever-elusive x-factor. Well done!

And Riley! That bad, bad boy...Oh, and bringing the Marcie-world into play? That was a wonderful idea, b/c on the side of good, that's a powerful weapon!

There's a lot that I really like about this story, Heather. Thank you so much for bringing it to the board!

Mary

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Last edited by AntigoneUnbound on Sat Nov 19, 2005 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:28 pm 
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Hi Heather! Boy, am I glad that I read your story - it's fantastic. Wow. First, I love the premise about the alternate "spinoff" dimension and it's so great that the dimension is actually what would or should have happened had she not died. Very nice touch that she's back in their world and the old dimension isn't just out there in the ether missing its Tara, because that would be sad.

Something that I didn't even think until I finished reading all your updates was, what was Tara doing going to Wolfram and Hart in the first place, in her own world? It says that she dropped by for a visit in the first update, but I wonder, if she lives in Cleveland what brought her out to Los Angeles?

The part of me (heck, it's most of me) who appreciates bad jokes LOVED this line:

Quote:
“Spaghetti – when in Rome, right?”

Willow groaned. “Buffy, you know that’s like the 453rd time you’ve made that joke, right?”

“What? 449th, tops.”


HAHAHA! That's funny first of all because it is, and second of all because when my wife and I go to Rome, Georgia, where she went to college, I make that joke CONSTANTLY. And it's to the point where nobody except me thinks it's funny anymore. Not that it stops me. I can only imagine Buffy's glee at having Tara come back from the dead, as it were, so she can make the joke anew.

Very much enjoying your story and looking forward to the next installment.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 6:04 am 
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Heather,
Mmm, shopping and more smut... So well done on both fronts. Again, I'm really enjoying the way you're contrasting Tara's own and this verse. Interesting that in this verse they have unliminted funds and such a great set-up and that in the other verse they were broke. On the other hand, in the other verse it doesn't seem like a lot of Faith-related tension but here: she and Giles came to blows? Wow, that's really something. We haven't seen a lot of Faith but it certainly seems that you are doing a good job of capturing what she's about with the good training and relaxing once a week.

The smut... wow and also wow. Very well done, quick but hot.

Very good job.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:15 am 
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I like this story!

More please.

Caz


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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 9:37 am 
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i have been busy these past few days so i didn't really have the time to read updates... when i came back here, i was surprised that i had missed so many chapters...

i just finished catching up with them and i'm just ecstatic! what a great story you have for all of us... you write real well and see, no tomatoes at all!

can't wait to read more of this story! your story rocks! :party :party

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 11:38 am 
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Hey I really like this story so far awesome start! Please continue!
Erin

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 11:43 am 
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That was a great update.

I liked Willow's comment about them having gotten a mutual imaginary friend :)

I'm enjoying the glimpses we're getting of the two realities. You're building the story up very well.

So is the increased demonic activity due to a hellmouth or something else? *cue dramatic music*

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/19)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:01 pm 
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Alrighty...this might be the last update for a short bit, 'cause I'm going out of town for a few days and also because after careful consideration I tossed some of what follows this update, and it's in the rewrite stage. It's coming, though, I promise!

First, to the feedback mobile!

AntigoneUnbound - :thud I can't believe the author of something as incredible as As Time Goes By :bow (which I'm still catching up on) would visit my corner of the sky! Thank you so much for the feedback! That was one of my biggest priorities writing the story, to avoid the 'back from the dead' idea, and to reclaim some of what should have been great about s7. I had actually dreamed up several ways of mentioning the certain potential you mentioned, but I decided I'd rather not.

I'm glad you liked the prophecy - much more to come on that front, btw - I have a weakness for writing poetry. I'm glad you liked Giles' contacts, too. Riley - he's just evil, I tells ya! As far as Terri goes...well, I won't spoil it. Read on! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope it continues to hold your interest!

Sally McFine - I really thought that was one of the keys to the story - not leaving another dimension w/o their Tara. Unlike some folks who shall remain nameless, I would never do that to anyone. Very good question, too, as to why Tara was at W & H. All I can say is...the answers are coming. (evil laugh) I'm glad you loved the bad Rome joke too - it was, i think, the second line of the story I actually wrote - it had to be in there somewhere. And remember - just b/c you're the only one who thinks a joke is funny, that doesn't mean you should stop making it! Otherwise I'd have nothing to say half the time. :lol Glad you're enjoying the story, and I hope you enjoy the update!

JustSkipIt - That's kind of what I like about the parallel between the dimensions - financial circumstances and everything else are so different, but they're still just Willow and Tara, two people in love. I'm glad you're liking my Faith - other than W/T, she's one of my favorite characters. I like her a lot more than a certain blonde slayer, actually... And I'm so glad the smut was readable - I've got zero experience with writing it, and I'm just glad it's not laugh-out-loud funny.

caz - Your wish is my command! :-D Read on...

tarebear - No tomatoes thus far! Yay! :clap I'm glad you're enjoying!

AlysonGoddess - More on the way! Glad you're liking it!

justin - That's the question, isn't it? If there was a hellmouth under Rome, you'd think someone would have noticed it by now...I'm glad you enjoyed the update, hopefully the new one's good too!
[hr]
Chapter 7 - This could get ugly...
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Rating: R for language and violence.
Author's Note: A warm chocolate chip cookie to anyone who knows where Faith's last line of the chapter comes from!


Buffy was waiting at the entrance to the kitchen when they came down the stairs.

“God, you guys, how long could it take to put some clothes away?”

“Sorry, just trying to find room in my closet for all Tara’s stuff,” said Willow as Tara fought to keep from blushing. “We’re here now, though! Spaghetti?”

“Yeah,” said Buffy. “Not the most original meal we’ve had, but things have been kind of crazy lately – got a little behind figuring out meals.”

“Spaghetti sounds good to me,” said Tara. “Did you guys find out anything else today?”

“No,” sighed Buffy as they moved into the kitchen. “I took some of the potentials to the warehouse Terri told us about, but whoever was there had cleared out. I took Faith and some of the potentials on a quick sweep while Giles did some more reading, but he didn’t find anything, and neither did we. This prophecy is really getting on my-“ noting Tara’s stunned look, she stopped. “What is it, Tara?”

“Look at the size of this kitchen!” Her gaze took in the three ovens, the seemingly endless counters and the incredible collection of pots and pans hung from the ceiling. “This kitchen is bigger than the house we had in Cleveland!”

Buffy and Willow smiled. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure we could actually feed an army with this if we had to,” Buffy said with a grin. “Fortunately, we’re just making spaghetti. Could you grab the sauce out of the fridge? Nope, the other fridge. Thanks, Tara.”

For the next half-hour, the only sounds from the kitchen were cooking noises, mixed with amiable conversation.
[hr]
“That ought to do it,” said Buffy. She reached for a button next to the stove and gave it a quick press, sounding a deep chime throughout the house. It was mere moments before the potentials were lined up at the kitchen entrance, followed by Faith and Giles. “Where’s Dawn?” Buffy asked.

“She’s still at school, B. Term paper due next week, remember?”

“Right. Okay, everybody come on in and load up your plates.”

Buffy, Tara, and Willow stood by and waited for the lineup to finish before they grabbed their own plates and headed for the dining room.

Once they were seated, everyone dug into their food with gusto – the sauce was spectacular, and everyone was hungry.

One of the potentials at the far end of the table from Buffy raised her hand. “What is it, Sasha?” Buffy asked.

“I have a thought on how to find this fireball thing,” she said.

“Okay, but you remember the rules, right? No shop talk at the dinner table?” Noticing the girl slump in her seat, Buffy continued quickly. “I’d really like to hear your thought, Sasha, just wait until we’re in the library, okay?” The girl nodded.

“So, Faith, what’re your plans for tonight?” Buffy inquired.

“Well, normally this’d be our scheduled party night, B, but that’s probably not the best idea right now – so I’m thinking I’ll drink while you guys research.”

Buffy laughed. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

That was the extent of the dinner table conversation, as everyone polished off their helpings of spaghetti, some of the potentials returning for seconds. When everyone was done, Buffy leaned back in her chair with a contented smile. “Who’s turn for dishes tonight?”

Tara raised her hand. “I’ll do them.”

“No, no. You’re not even in the rotation yet – you’ll have to be here for at least a week before that happens. So,” she said, turning back to the potentials, “who’s up?”

Consulting the list, Faith spoke up. “Looks like Cho-Ahn and Sonya tonight – I’ll give ‘em a hand, so we can get to the shop talk faster.” When Buffy looked confused, Faith continued. “The faster we get to shop talk, the faster I get to beer.” She grinned.
[hr]
After everyone had gathered in the library, Tara thought of something she hadn’t noticed. “Where’s Terri?”

“She didn’t stay for supper,” Buffy explained. “She left this morning, said she was going to go hunt for the guys she saw yesterday. Now, before I open the floor, I’d like to hear Sasha’s idea.”

The girl looked a little bit uncomfortable, but she spoke up nonetheless. “Well, I was just thinking, we’ve got the two most powerful witches in the world here,” Willow noticed Tara about to deny it and gave her knee a light squeeze, along with a quick “not now” look. Sasha continued “so, I thought, why not try some kind of spell to tell us where it is?”

Buffy looked at Willow, who took her cue. “That’s not a bad idea, Sasha, but we’d need to know what it was, so that’s a problem. If we knew we were hunting for a polgara or something, we could easily cast a spell like that. But since we don’t know what we’re dealing with, we’d have to cast a really wide net – and we’d come back with a lot of false positives.”

“What about the government guys? If the one guy is the one Buffy knows, couldn’t we try and look for him?”

Willow and Tara looked at each other in shock, and Buffy slapped her forehead audibly. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Way to go, Sasha!” The girl grinned. Buffy turned to the two witches. “Can you guys do it?”

“Can’t see why not - it’s just a simple locator spell” said Tara. “If you guys can clear a spot on the floor, Willow and I’ll grab some ingredients and we can do it right now.”

Fifteen minutes later, Willow and Tara were ready to begin. They mixed the ingredients, and began their incantation. As they chanted, a bright dot of light appeared on the map of Rome they’d laid out on the library floor. It floated lazily over several locations until they spoke the name Riley Finn. At that point, the dot quadrupled in size and exploded with tremendous force, throwing the two witches into opposite walls of the library.

In seconds, Buffy got to Willow while Faith ran for Tara. “Will, are you okay?” Buffy asked.

“Oh…my head…” Willow grabbed the back of her head, and Buffy could see the blood running between her fingers. “Giles!” she called. “A little help, here!” As Giles rushed to her, Spike made his entrance.

He looked over to see Faith tending to Tara. “Sod a dog. What happened?”

Faith looked up. “Some kind of magic backfire. Beats the hell out of me. You okay, T?”

Tara looked up at her blankly. “Huh?”

“Are you okay? Can you stand up?”

Tara shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “Uhh…yeah, I think so. Is Willow okay?”

“Just a cut on her head,” called Buffy. “Bled a lot, but it’s not deep.”

Buffy and Giles helped Willow to one of the library’s couches, while Spike and Faith helped Tara to the same place. Once they were seated, Buffy looked at the damage. The map was fried, and a whole section of the library floor was burned, but the biggest effects of the blowback seemed to be to Willow and Tara. “What happened, you guys?”

Willow, holding Giles’ handkerchief to the back of her head, spoke up first. “Some kind of booby-trap, I think. Wherever he’s at, it’s protected from magic. When we started to touch it, it sent some kind of nasty spell back at us.”

“I didn’t know someone could do that.”

“Neither did we,” Tara said. “I’ve never even heard of something that could blow up a locator spell. That’s some serious dark magic – making contact with it was like touching pure d-darkness. That really hurt, by the way.” She cradled her wrist. “I think my wrist is broken, or sprained, or something.”

Buffy turned to the potentials. “Sonya, can you look at it?” she asked the med school student who’d examined Tara earlier. Nodding, the girl took Tara’s arm and probed it gently as she winced. She turned back to Buffy. “It’s broken.”

“So we’re going to the hospital?”

“No, no – we’ve got everything we need in the infirmary. Willow should come too, so we can clean up that head wound.”

“Lead the way,” said Buffy, as she helped Willow up from the couch, indicating to Faith to bring Tara.

They helped the injured girls from the library, through the kitchen and into the dorms, headed for the infirmary. Something was tickling Willow’s mind as they walked through the dorms, but she just couldn’t put her finger on it. Suddenly it clicked. “No,” she muttered. “You guys!” she called to Faith and Tara. “Wait! Don’t-“ she saw them stop ahead, and knew she was too late.

Buffy halted behind them. “What’s the holdup?” There was no reply, and she was about to ask again, when she noticed what they were looking at – Tara’s memorial wall. Willow disengaged herself from Buffy and stood next to Tara, putting an arm around her. The blonde’s whole body was shuddering.

“It’s okay, Tara. It doesn’t mean anything now. I’ll get it taken down tomorrow, I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“It’s okay, sweetie,” said Tara through chattering teeth. “It’s just – okay, we have to go now.”

Buffy put an arm around Willow, and they walked four abreast to the infirmary.
[hr]
“Ouch!” exclaimed Willow as Sonya cleaned the blood from her head.

“Sorry, Willow. We’ll be done right away – doesn’t even look like you need stitches. We’ll just put a small bandage on it, and it should be mostly healed by tomorrow.”

“’Kay. What about Tara?”

“Small cast. Looks like a fairly clean break, so it should heal well. I’ll give you some painkillers for her; she’s probably going to be fairly uncomfortable for a few days. Right now she’s on a pretty good shot of Demerol, so she’s okay.”

Willow looked around the infirmary. “You know, I think this is the first time I’ve actually been down here. This place is as big as a clinic.”

“Actually, it’s bigger. We’ve got equipment no ordinary clinic has. We’ve got our own x-ray machine, and our own MRI to boot. Everything we could need to treat slayage-related injuries.”

Willow was about to respond when Sonya announced “okay, we’re done. I’ll go and get Tara, and you guys can go and get some rest. Just remember, if you have any headaches or nausea, let me know right away. It doesn’t seem like you’ve got a concussion, but we should be careful.” She left Willow seated on the exam table and went into the other room to bring Tara.

Willow nearly burst into tears as Sonya led Tara into the room, looking groggy and dazed, with a cast on her wrist and hand. The resemblance to the aftermath of Glory’s mind-sucking attack was almost too much for Willow to bear, but she struggled to maintain her composure for Tara’s sake. Faith went to take Tara under the arm, but Willow spoke up. “No. I’ll take her; all I’ve got is a headache.” She took the pills Sonya gave her, and took Tara under the arm, following Buffy and Faith back to their bedroom.
[hr]
Once the two were settled, Buffy and Faith rejoined the others in the library. Sonya had stayed in the infirmary, to finish up some paperwork.

“Alright,” growled Buffy. “Whatever we’re dealing with, it’s hurt my friends twice now, and I want to know what we’re going to do about it. Giles, tell me you and the council have found something useful.”

Giles studied his shoes intently.

“So you’ve got nothing, then. Faith, anything from the club front?”

“I got shit, B.”

“So what does that leave us? I’m not going to just sit around here anymore. Something needs its ass kicked, and I really want to oblige.”

“Buffy?” Spike asked as he sat up from the couch he’d been laying on. “What the hell is that?” He pointed behind her, where a bloody trail was appearing on the floor, starting at the front door, headed in the direction of the library.

“Terri?” called Buffy. “Is that you?”

“It’s me,” came a hoarse whisper in reply. “I found Riley – they’re in a factory, on the waterfront…number 302 Del Rey.”

“What happened?”

“His partner – Lindsey, his name was –“ Buffy saw Spike react to the name, looking like he’d been slapped. “knew I was there, somehow. He whipped out a shotgun and started blasting away. He missed me a couple times and I thought I was going to get lucky, but third time’s the charm, I guess.”

“Terri…how bad is it? We can get you to the infirmary-“

“No. I’m done, Buffy.” With a shimmer, Terri gradually became visible, revealing a girl younger than Dawn with a gruesome-looking wound in her stomach. She rolled her eyes, laughing in spite of the pain. “Sure, now I turn visible. Figures.” She collapsed to the floor. Buffy grabbed her, propping her head up.

“Giles, go get Sonya! We’ve got to…I don’t know, get Sonya!”

“No. I’m not stupid, Buffy – this isn’t one you come back from. I just want to thank you. It feels good to have done the right thing after so long in the dark. Thank…you…” the girl’s head rolled into Buffy’s lap, and she was gone. Several of the potentials, still young girls themselves, burst into tears, and Faith cursed as she threw a beer bottle at the nearest wall. Giles sat silently, his British stoicism overriding his feelings. Buffy slowly set Terri down and stood up, looking at the blood on her hands and the blood on her clothes. Fire smoldering in her eyes, she surveyed the room. “Get weapons. We’re going now.”

“What about Willow and Tara?” asked Giles.

“Let them sleep. There’s nothing magical about this fight – this is going to be a massacre.”

“Actually, I meant – shouldn’t they have a guard, in case our other adversary drops by?”

“Oh, right. Uh, three volunteers to stay behind with Giles?” She nodded to the first three to put their hands up. “Okay, you’re the guard. Stay alert, and stay deadly.”

She turned back. “Faith, are you in?”

“You know goddamn well I am, B.”

“Spike?”

“Let’s see, stay here or go and beat the piss out of that little ponce Riley…I think I’ll go with you.”

“Good. Everybody load up, and let’s go!”
[hr]
They could tell they were in the right place when the vampires started attacking – security must have been increased after Terri’s incursion. The battle was fast and furious, but the scales were tipped by Buffy’s judicious use of the scythe, the first time she had touched the weapon since Sunnydale. Dust flew in constant clouds around her as she swept through the charging vamps. Beside her, Faith and Spike were back-to-back, dusting the others who tried to flank them. The potentials cleaned up the remnants, and in less than five minutes more than fifty vampires were dust. The few stragglers took one look at the group and fled in the other direction.

Buffy led the group down the waterfront, finding number 302 - a nondescript building, which according to the sign out front had once been a pharmaceutical supply company. Buffy and Faith kicked the loading door in as one to reveal a high-tech setup behind it. Upon closer observation, Buffy noticed many of the assorted monitors in the room seemed to be showing feeds of different parts of the city. She motioned for some of the more tech-oriented potentials to check out the station. After a few minutes, they reported back to her, speaking in hushed tones.

“It’s incredible, Buffy. They’ve got almost the entire city under surveillance, even our house. The feeds they’re getting aren’t just cameras, though – some of them are military satellites. Some of the military feeds are labeled “The Initiative,” but neither of us has ever heard of it.”

Buffy’s jaw clenched. “I have.” She motioned to Faith, Spike and the potentials to take up positions around the next door, and kicked that one in as well. It opened to reveal Riley sitting at a round table, with another man Buffy didn’t recognize. “Lindsey,” muttered Spike.

Riley regarded her coolly as she led the group into the room. “Hi, Buffy.”

“You’re a dead man, Riley. I don’t know what you’ve been doing here, but it ends now.”

“You can’t stop us, Buffy. We’re going to make sure that prophecy is never fulfilled.”

“Riley, why? Why attack us, hurt my friends, work with vampires of all things? You used to be a good guy, part of the solution. Now, what, you’re the new big bad? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Riley’s face tensed. “We’re not the bad guys here, Buffy.”

“Really? Well, what do you call murdering a young woman? Justice? Heroism? The little magic spell you’ve got around this place nearly killed Willow and Tara tonight, you know that? You sending that fireball thing after us? Is that heroism?” Buffy waited for a moment. “Answer me, you bastard!”

Riley finally looked her in the eyes. “That ‘fireball thing’ isn’t with us. It’s the reason we’re here.”

Buffy hefted the scythe. “You’ve got thirty seconds to explain yourself before I cut you in half. Think I’m joking?”

Riley shook his head. “I’m not going to tell you anything, Buffy. I’m sorry.”

She raised the scythe and brought it down suddenly, cleaving the table in two in front of him. Riley jumped, while Lindsey just smiled.

“If you want to live through the night, Riley, you’re going to tell us all you know.”

Riley stared at her for a moment before his composure slipped a little. “Fine. I’m still in love with you, Buffy.”

Buffy stopped dead. Of all the answers she’d been waiting for, that wasn’t one of them. “What?”

“I left my wife six months ago. She told me she was sick of me mooning over you, so I left. From a prophet in Venezuela, I heard about the prophecy – you know the one I mean – and that it would be fulfilled soon. I couldn’t let that happen. I went AWOL, hijacked some old Initiative equipment, and set up here in Rome. Lindsey joined me not long after. We’ve been after all the information we could find on the Tok-Mageth, and looking for a way to kill it.”

“Is that the fireball thing?” Riley nodded. “Why didn’t you come to me, Riley? We could have figured this out together!”

“No. That was the one thing I couldn’t do.”

“Why?”

“Because it would have helped fulfill the prophecy. Almost everyone mentioned is in Rome now, and it’s on the verge of being fulfilled. That can’t happen.”

“Again I ask, why?”

“Because you’ll die, Buffy. And I couldn’t allow that.”

“How do you know I’ll die?”

The strongest of all shall have to bend. What do you think that means, Buffy?”

“I don’t know what it means, but I don’t think you do either! How do you know that’s even me?”

“I know. There’s no-one else it could be.”

“Wait…so you set those vamps loose…”

“To keep you from finding the Tok-Mageth, yeah. I didn’t know what would happen if you found it before all the pieces were here, and I needed to make sure you’d be too busy to look for it.”

Tears streamed down Buffy’s face. “So you let those innocents die – basically killed them yourself – because you wanted to distract me? Why did you kill Terri?”

“The phantom? She knew where we were, and given that she was mentioned in the prophecy, if I could kill her in advance it could help avert it.”

“So you murdered her? That poor little girl?”

“Actually that was Lindsey, but basically yes.”

“You did this because you love me?”

“I do. Absolutely. I needed to keep you safe.”

“I’m only going to say this once, Riley. You’re a sick bastard.” Riley’s face fell. “This isn’t love – you’re killing people! And for what? A prophecy that might not even refer to me! What happened to you?”

“You happened to me.”

Buffy spun the scythe, ending up with the blade pressed against Riley’s throat. “You’re going to leave. Rome, Italy, the eastern hemisphere. I don’t care where you go, but if I ever so much as feel your presence again, I’ll kill you. The same goes for you,” she directed at Lindsey. “On our way out, I’m going to smash your little toys, and you’re going to be gone by morning. If you’ve got any other little surprises, you’d better make sure they never happen. I don’t even know why I’m letting you live, but don’t make me regret it.”
[hr]
“I don’t know why you didn’t let me kill the ponce while I had the chance, Buffy,” Spike whispered as they opened the door to the house. “Both of them, actually.”

“Because they’re human. And you have a soul.”

“Do they?”

Buffy wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she changed the subject. “Who’s Lindsey?”

“Lawyer – used to work at Wolfram & Hart. Angel ran the bugger off years ago, though – I can’t figure what he’s doing here.”

“Well, think about it. If you come up with anything, let me know. For now, I’m going to bed.” She threw the scythe down and headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Closing the door behind her, she threw herself on her bed, sobbing. She didn’t hear the door open behind her moments later.

“B?”

Buffy sat up with a start, trying to wipe the tears from her face. “What is it, Faith?”

“Are you…are you okay?”

“No…I’m really not.”

“It’s not your fault, B. The guy’s nuts, it doesn’t make it your fault.”

“But it is. He did it all because of me.”

“That’s bullshit, B. He did it because he chose to. He can try and pin it on you, but that’s not true. This has nothing to do with love. You can’t control how people feel, and you can’t be responsible when they act out their sick fantasies.” She sat down on the bed and held the blonde slayer tight. “It’s okay, B. Let it out.” Buffy’s sobs went on for a long time, but Faith just sat there and let them come, holding her close. Finally they subsided, and Buffy sat up to look Faith in the eyes.

“Thanks, Faith. Really, thank you. It means a lot that-“ she stopped, wide-eyed, as Faith leaned in and kissed her. Buffy could taste the whiskey on her lips. “Mmm…Faith?”

The dark slayer turned bright red and got up to leave. Buffy pulled her back down. “Wait. I…”

Faith kissed her again.

Buffy pulled back, but not far. Looking at Faith, she whispered “what’s going on here?”

Faith smiled. “True love. Shut the fuck up.”
[hr]
Thus endeth the update! I'll try and have the next chapter up in less than a week. Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to read!

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/20)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 4:32 pm 
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17. Mega-Witches
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Dibs!

ETA: "True love. Shut the fuck up." :lol What a super line. This was a great update, and a very good continuation of what you started. I love it that you're not afraid of tragedy; killing Terri and breaking Tara's wrist and hurting Willow. (Poor Tara, by the way, she's had quite a few days. Oh yeah, and poor Terri, too.) You know, your story reminds me of some ways of an episode - not a specific one, but more the style. There's lots of action, and lots of scenes, and it really keeps my interest. And of course, Buffy lets Riley and Lindsey live, and doesn't even stick around to make sure they leave. Heh. Something tells me that's going to come back and bite her in the butt.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/20)
PostPosted: Sun Nov 20, 2005 7:45 pm 
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6. Sassy Eggs
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I just started reading this story the other day, and now that I'm all caught up I just have to let you know how much I'm enjoying it.

Your way of restoring Tara is very imaginative, and I like that no-one in the other dimension is now missing Tara since it only existed to accommodate her. She's adjusted to the whole bizarre event very well, especially since she's had a rough time physically since arriving.

Riley has turned into one of those faceless government men for whom the end justifies the means, although his actions in this case are illicit. I wonder how Lindsey fits in....?

Loved Faith's line - no idea where it's from tho'. How does Buffy react?

Looking forward to seeing where you take us with this story.

Anne

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/20)
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 6:19 am 
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wow! what an super-charged chapter! riley has a really twisted idea about the concept of love... why do i have the feeling that this is not the last we'll be seeing him or lindsey? well, at least buffy knows now about the identitiy of the demon they've been looking for... and buffy and faith kissage at the end... but did faith had to have whiskey breath?! :-D just kidding...

can't wait for the next update! once again a big round of :dance :dance for a fantastic chapter!

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/20)
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 3:13 pm 
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That was a great update.

I was taken totally by surprise by Terri's demise. Does her death really mean the prophecy won't be fulfilled?

Actuall Riley's theory about the prophecy is totally whacked. It says

The strongest of all shall have to bend

Aside from the possibility that it might not be referring to Buffy, it says bend not break. To me that doesn't suggest that they will die. Just that overcoming the problem witll require flexibility, and an ability to adapt.

So what is Lindsey's part in all of this? Something tells me he's been manipulating Riley's insanity for his own purposes.

So what will R&L do now? If Riley thinks the prophecy has been stopped by killing Terri then he might leave. Though given how obsessed he seems to have become he may well stay to try to convince Buffy he was doing the right thing.

As for Lindsey, I think he's got plans for the Slayer et al. so I think he'll definitely be sticking around.

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 Post subject: Re: First Fic - A Life Interrupted (updated 11/20)
PostPosted: Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:12 pm 
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Hey Heather! Once again, a wild ride.

OK, first of all I'm gonna take a guess at Faith's line: Prince, in that song he did for "Batman"?

You know, I forgot to mention this earlier, but you did a very smart thing by pulling the Immortal into this: you viably created a situation where money is no object. To run something like this at skeleton capacity would be prohibitively expensive; to do it well would be impossible--without a seriously generous Sugar Daddy (or Momma). The diversity of the potentials also allows for considerable knowledge; e.g., the medical and the technology input.

Damn--Terri's gone! And I liked her! And I keep using exclamation marks! Loved her gallows humor: "Sure. Now I'm visible."

God, the memorial wall moment was just another reminder of the fact that Tara was dead for two years. Moments like that are just great atmosphere touches.

That poor, poor idiot Riley...Here I was thinking that he had switched sides when in many ways that would have been less pathetic b/c in this scenario he's so deluded about what it means to love someone. (Though I confess, I always loved Spike's observation: "I may be love's bitch, but at least I'm man enough to admit it."

And speaking of love's bitch(es)...Lovin' me some Faith/Buffy tumblin'! I can't wait to see where that goes--where all of it goes, in fact.

Great work, Heather!
Mary

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