New fic: You can count on your imagination

[little_windmill]

Hello.


Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon. Shame.
Summary. Set at the beginning of 'Tabula Rasa'.
Notes: Please be nice

Part 1:

“I'm gonna go get that phone, you probably don't hear it, high pitched ring, ears like a dog.” Xander babbled. “I'm gonna help you with that.” Anya echoed, following him into the bedroom.

Silence. Why had Tara snapped, it wasn't like her? She didn't....no, she couldn't know.

“Do you think I'm stupid? I know you used that spell on me.”

Shit.

“Tara I...I'm sorry I didn't mean to-”

“To what?! Violate my mind like that? How could you Willow, how could you after what Glory did to me.

“Violate you? I didn't mean anything like that I just wanted us not to fight any more...I love you.

“If you don't wanna fight, you don't fight, you don't use magic to make a fight disappear.”

Willow sighed and closed her eyes. It was all just to much. Buffy, Tara, she had made so many mistakes, hurt the people she loved. She tried to talk, but there was nothing she could say. She stood up to leave but was halted by Tara's unfamiliar angry voice.

“What? You're just going to leave, no explanation?”

She turned around slowly, and felt tears well up in her eyes.

“I'm sorry.” She whispered slowly. “I'm sorry that I brought Buffy back, that I took her out of heaven, and I'm sorry that I did what I did to you. But what am I supposed to do? I was only trying to make things better.”

“By putting a spell on me? Willow it's me...what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I can't really take much more, okay? Buffy's miserable; she's miserable and it's my fault and I don't know what to do. And you and I were- are the only good thing and then you started to go against me and-”

“Will I never went against you, I was worried about you, I still am.”

“But you don't need to worry about me, I can handle it.”

“No one can handle it Willow, you're going to end up hurting yourself, and you've already hurt me.”

The words pierced her heart as Tara said them. A single tear spilled from her eyelid and slid down her face. She felt sick, she felt dizzy, and then suddenly she felt angry.

“You don't even get it do you? Magic is what brought you back after what Glory did, I brought you back. You don't seem to mind when it's protecting us and helping us.”

“Willow there's a fine line between using magic to do what can't be done and using it because you can't be bothered to do what can be.”

“You put a spell on me, remember, on all of us”

“Willow that was...I was scared and-”

“And I forgave you. I didn't hold it against you, I never even brought it up again until just now. Why do you have to be like this why can't you just support me?”

“I do support you, I love you more than anything Willow. But I'm terrified of what's going to happen to you if you don't get a grip.”

Willow looked down at the floor, defeated, she suddenly felt cold and wrapped her red cardigan a little more around herself. She could hear Tara breathing rapidly, but neither of them moved towards the other.

“Willow”, Tara began eventually, “Please, I'm just so scared of something happening to you. I love you so much.”

Willow's heart broke as Tara began to cry. She wanted to rush towards her, she wanted to hold her, but she didn't. Instead she turned slowly and walked out of Xander's apartment, lingering outside the door long enough to see if Tara would follow. She didn't.

“I think Willow just left.” Anya whispered, her body pressed against the door.

“Honey come on, give them a little privacy.” Xander replied from his spot on the bed.

“I couldn't hear much anyway, damn these walls. I'm gonna go see if Tara;s okay.”

“Ahn...Ahn don't just-”

His protests were ignored as Anya emerged from the bedroom. He followed her quickly and they both saw Tara sitting back in her seat at the table, with her head in her hands.

“Tara, you okay?” Anya asked tentatively.

She looked up at them, and bit her lip slightly to try and stop crying.

“Not really,” she replied hoarsely

“Where's Will?” Xander asked.

“She left.”

“She just walked out on you?” Anya asked incredulously.

Tara nodded.

“Look guys, Willow's got a lot on her mind right now, maybe we should give her a break-” Xander began.

“She put a spell on me.”

“She what?” Xander asked seriously.

“We had a fight, about how much magic she was using, so she made me forget it”.

“Wow, talk about ironic.”

“Anya!” Xander chastised.

“Tara, do you want to stay with us? Or we can go look for her?” Anya suggested.

“No”, Xander replied. I'll go look, you guys wait here. I'll find her Tara.”


T.B.C

[little_windmill]

Part 2:


As it turned out, Xander didn't have to look too far. Willow was sitting on one of the benches outside his apartment building. He walked towards her slowly, so that he wouldn't startle her.

“Will?” He said quietly.

She turned around, and he could see she had been crying. She quickly rubbed her eyes with her sleeves and stood up.

“Hey Xander, I just needed to-”

“It's okay Will, I know. You wanna talk about it?”

She shook her head, yet began to speak. “I didn't mean for things to get this out of hand Xander, I swear I didn't. For the last four months I've had to be the one making all the decisions and it's hard. And I made a mistake but you guys don't realise how hard it is to be the one holding everyone and everything together.” She said.

“Willow, listen, just because I don't say it doesn't mean I'm not grateful for everything you've done, hell if it wasn't for you I don't know what I would do. But no-one expects you to have to keep on holding everything together okay? Giles is back, Buffy is back, you get to go back to being the sidekick again.”

“Buffy hates it here. She hates being back. She must hate me.”

“Stop it, you know that's bull. Yeah, Buffy's unhappy but after everything that's happened she's entitled to be. This is where she belongs, here with us, with Dawn. It might take her time to adjust again but this is where she belongs.”

He walked towards her and embraced her, and she let herself cry a little more.

“Will, I love you, and you don't have to deal with all of this alone, okay? And Tara loves you too, she's just worried about you.” He leaned back from their hug and affectionately wiped under her eyes.

“Xander,” she croaked, “do you think she'll forgive me?”

“Buffy?”

She frowned slightly.

“No, Tara.”

“Only one way to find out.” He extended his hand, and she quickly took it. They walked into the building together, failing to notice the nearby eyes that were fixed firmly on them.


“Is it a lesbian thing? Storming off like that? Cause I mean Xander's never done it, apart from that one time with the troll, and I've never done it, and you've never done it. Is it because you're both lesbians?”

Tara smiled slightly. “No I think storming off can apply to all couples, regardless of gender.

“Huh. Do you think she's sorry?” Anya asked.

“I know she is. We just need to talk, work through some things. We'll be fine.”

“I hope so, you guys are like, the perfect couple.”

She laughed a little, “thank you.”

The door opened and Xander entered first, with Willow close behind.

“Honey, you wanna come through here for a second?” He asked.

Anya turned back to Tara and smirked. “I'm just gonna go through there for a second.”

Tara waited until their bedroom door closed before rushing towards Willow. She didn't say a word, she just kissed her. It was a slow, lingering kiss. One that told Willow that Tara was still a little mad, but that they were okay. Willow let her arm envelope Tara's waist, and Tara wrapped her arms around Willow's neck as their lips parted.

“I'm sorry.” They said in unison.

“What? Why are you sorry?” Willow asked puzzled.

“I'm sorry for not realising how much you were dealing with, and I'm sorry that I let things go this far.”

“Baby, it's okay. I'm okay. Trust me. I'm so sorry for what I did, but you have to believe me, it was the first and only time.”

“I know.” Tara replied as she leaned in and rubbed her nose against Willows.

Willow pulled Tara's body closer into hers.

“I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you too.”

Outside, the eyes that had previously watched Willow and Xander were now flashing with images. It was time.

[Nue]

“I hope so, you guys are like, the perfect couple.”

oh, Anya, you´re so right!!!

btw, really amazing, this is how things should be... thanks ^^

[MelCar19]

Hmm I think you bring up a good point about Tara putting a spell on all of them... And what Willow did was a little worse then what Tara did but at least Willow's (first) spell didn't almost get them all killed...

Great story

[AB]

Willow put a spell on them that almost killed them in Season four Episode 9... the "My will b e done" spell. So for her to throw that in Tara's face is kinda harsh though valid.

[Naeryn]

Willow put a spell on them that almost killed them in Season four Episode 9... the "My will b e done" spell. So for her to throw that in Tara's face is kinda harsh though valid.

She hardly intended it to work that way, though. I mean, granted, it was an issue and she shouldn't have done it, but Willow hadn't - until that point - put a spell of a harmful nature on one of her friends intentionally, which Tara did - whether knowing it would be harmful or not, she did do something to throw them off that way intentionally, and if she'd thought about it, she'd have realized what the repercussions could be.

Not that I'm justifying anything; simply wishing to make the point that, if we really want to, we can play the 'you did it first!' game for ages and never come to any real conclusion other than 'everyone makes mistakes', which is sort of a given.

This is absolutely the way that that fight should have gone. I mean, Tara's leaving did seem a tad premature to me, and she never seemed the type to give up on someone that easily. It seems far more likely that they would have sat down and had a long, serious discussion and actually worked through some issues, rather than Tara presenting Willow with her knowledge of the spell, threatening to leave, and then the scene ends. Just a little out of character, hmm? But they all went a little OOC in season six...

Suggestion - you might want to try and flesh out your chapters with a little more description. You've got mainly dialogue there, and while your dialogue is fantastic, the appropriate descriptions of things like weather, lighting, and other things can really set a mood. Just a little friendly tip

Anyway, I can't wait to see where you go with this new take on Willow and Tara's fight.

[little_windmill]

Part 3:


They had walked home together, slowly, hand in hand. Occasionally words had been said, but for the most part it had been in silence. Not awkward, uncomfortable silence, but peaceful, just enjoying being side by side, silence. As they approached the front door of what had been their home together for the past four months, albeit not what they had both imagine their first home to be like, Willow squeezed Tara's hand lightly and pulled her back a little.

“I really am sorry baby.” She said tearfully.

Tara smiled slightly, and tucked some stray hair behind the ear of the woman she loved so much. Willow. The word alone made her heart jump and her skin tingle. This was just a one time thing. Willow had never done anything to hurt her before. In fact, apart from the fight which they never discussed, the one which immediately after Tara had been attacked by Glory, they had never really argued. Petty squabbles perhaps, about who was cuter, who was the better kisser, who could stand being teased in bed the longest, but never any real disagreements. This was a one time thing, Tara re-iterated to herself.

“It's okay, I should've approached the subject better, not just accused you of being so blaze with the spells you use. You're just so talented, and I know how addictive magic can be. I just worry about you.” She replied.

Willow smirked slightly, and leaned in close. “There's only one thing I'm addicted to.” She whispered into Tara's mouth, before kissing her, slowly and sensually. Tara moaned into her lover's mouth. Her hands curled into Willow's hair, as Willow's found their place around the bottom of her back. They were so caught up in their embrace that they didn't hear the front door open, and were only aware that they had an audience by the sound of a throat being cleared.

“Evening ladies.” Spike acknowledged.

Although startled, this wasn't the first time Spike had caught them in a lip lock, and while months prior they would have sprang apart like embarrassed teenagers, the only body part they disconnected was their lips.

“Spike, everything okay?” Willow asked. Although Spike had become a regular fixture in their lives, it was unusual to see him leaving the summers home, he mostly just loitered outside it.

“Fine and well, just keeping an eye open for Buffy, after everything.”

Willow frowned at his reply, and he immediately tied to correct what he had said.

“Well no I didn't mean that...I didn't mean the heaven thing, I just meant in general.”

Tara let one of her hands fall protectively around her girlfriends waist. “It's okay Spike. Goodnight” She said, eager for him to leave them be.

He nodded, and gave her a smile as he walked off.

“Baby,” Tara began seriously, “you have to stop torturing yourself, please.”

Willow nodded half heartedly, and Tara took both of her hands.

“Come on, you must be exhausted. Let's get some sleep, we can talk more in the morning.”

She kissed Willows forehead and led them both into the house and upstairs to their bedroom. It appeared that Buffy and Dawn were already in bed. The house was in silence. Not a calm, endearing silence, but an eerie, unwelcoming silence.

Spike inhaled the last of his cigarette and smarted up his coat before knocking on the large wooden door in front of him.

“Come.” The voice bellowed in response.

He entered nervously.

“Well?” The voice asked.

“Uh well, Tara knows about the spell, I know that much, but from what I saw tonight it seems all is forgiven.” Spike replied, shuffling uncomfortably from side to side.

“A pity, it looks like we may need to bring in new recruits.”

“I don't like this one bit. They've been good to me, Willow and Tara, they don't deserve this.”

“And if you want your precious Slayer to stay on this earth, you'll do exactly as I say. Now listen closely...”

[DaddyCatALSO]

Love does that to people, especially when they aren't people.. Never a serious Spike lover but I'm curious if he's going to end upa villain or a dupe.

[viximon]

ops, I found this story when it's 3 chaps ahead. And I'm sorry 'cause I really like it. From now on I will keep an eye on it.
Things were going well so far, and then a nonseen baddie have to appear and it seems they want to make Willow and Tara's life miserable.
Grrr

Update soon so we can read what's next
Good work with the story