Chapter Fifteen
Pairing: W/T
Rating: PG-13
Angst/Drama Rating: This is about a 6 on the 1-10 scale.
Setting: The Grove - Tucson, a plane & Sunnydale - The Summers House
Disclaimer: I in no way, shape or form own the characters from BtVS, they’re owned by Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. All original characters are in no way connected to them except by me in this forum. No money - and trust me I don’t have anything you would want anyway - is involved this is simply for my own pleasure. Anyone that works for/owns Ike’ Coffee shop please don’t sue me, I used your name but I’m still broke, same goes for Apple and the iTunes player & playlist features.
Distribution: Well, it’s not done yet, but it never hurts to ask.
Email:
riverwillows@me.comFeedback: C’mon, I dare ya!
Author’s Note: Yes, you know how I love these. The preamble poem is original. Predominate music for this chapter; believe it not was not as heavy as the chapter itself, so maybe it evens out. Janelle Monáe “The ArchAndroid” – really diggin’ it too; Supergrass; Tricky “Mixed Race” and Die Antwoord “$O$” – jury’s still out on that one. All floated in, around and about, along with lots of coffee and mango-orange juice. Also I am using The BBJ 2 737-800 Boeing commercial jet that has 1,004 square feet (93.27 square meters) of floor space for my plane size reference circa 2000. There's a bit of trivia I've included at the end of the chapter regarding the song "I Can't Take My Eye's Off You" a.k.a. the floating song, so now you'll have to read it through to the end - or not. Enjoy the chapter.I left home with a devil at my back.
Now I venture home carrying the scars of my wars.
I would beg, borrow, or steal for an instant of that familiar peace.
Standing at the threshold, praying for a reprieve, armed only with hope.
The hope that there is still love here for me, peace here for me, rest here for me, a place here for me.Willow chewed on her lower lip and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet nervously, after they had waited in line to check their few bags. As they headed for the gates to board the plane for the short flight to Sunnydale, even Giles, who was standing in front of the girls, appeared to be fidgeting. Tara slipped her hand into Willow’s, who managed a weak smile in response. With Tara holding her securely, Willow’s rocking ceased, so that was progress.
After what seemed like hours, they had their bags checked, and began to snake their way through the line to pass through security. Giles went first of their little group followed by Tara, both navigating the dreaded metal detector successfully. Willow, unfortunately was not so lucky and inevitably set it off. Tara and Giles watched her sympathetically as they put their shoes back on. Rolling her eyes with an annoyed sigh, Willow grabbed her carry-on backpack as it passed out of the x-ray tube and rummaged through it. Pulling what looked like an ID card out, she handed it to the security guard, who was standing with a wand in hand.
The guard glanced at the card before going into a very bored sounding schpiel about being required by the FAA to scan Willow with the wand even though she had presented the card. Willow ‘assumed the position’, legs spread wide and arms out, so the guard could use the wand. As the guard moved down her now healed left leg the wand went off, and the look on Willow’s face said ‘told you so.’
The guard handed the card back to Willow, and she collected her belongings before moving off to the side. Willow looked up as she put one sneaker on; the card held haphazardly between her teeth and passed it off to Tara. She looked at the card that had Willow’s name on it, and a picture on an x-ray of a lower leg showing a rod and pins in the bone. Tara couldn’t stop the grimace that appeared on her face as she looked at the card and realized what a permanent reminder it was for Willow.
Willow had told Tara about her leg, but this was the first time she actually had the reality of it brought so glaringly to her attention. The physically visible scars were now virtually nil on Willow, but the reality was that a rod and pins were there, and here was the proof. Tara turned to Giles and saw the question on his face; she held the card up for him to read. Pursing his lips as his faced darkened; Giles just nodded and looked away. Tara handed the card back to Willow, who popped up with a bright smile after tying her other shoe.
“See, I told you it would be good to be early. This was faster than LaGuardia and O’Hare; trust me they don’t play in New York. They’re not happy with anything short of a full body cavity search, which I thought might just happen at one point; this was a walk in the park and a quick one too!” Willow said trying to make light of what had just happened.
Tara took her arm, giving it a reassuring squeeze as the three made their way to their on to the gate before boarding. Finding empty seats the three sat; as they could only wait now and hope everything was on time.
“Would either of you like some tea? We passed a little shop as we came up,” Giles asked.
“Oooo yeah, Giles. Mmm, a mocha would be great, thanks; I haven’t had a real, honest-to-goodness one in ages,” Willow responded with enthusiasm.
“Regular coffee just doesn’t cut it, huh sweetie? I’ll have one too, thank you Giles,” Tara said, smirking at Willow.
They watched as he hurried off down the concourse.
“Does he seem nervous to you, Willow?” Tara inquired softly.
“You noticed that too? I’m not sure why, he’s talked to Buffy regularly. Maybe it’s being back on the hellmouth. Flying never seemed to bother him before, so I don’t think it’s that.” Willow kissed Tara on the cheek. “I think I’ll go give Giles a hand, baby.” With a wink and a smile she walked off in the direction of coffee and Giles.
*******
Willow found Giles at the register of Ike’s Coffee™, paying for their drinks.
“Let me help you with that, Giles,” Willow said as she came up behind him, causing Giles to jump.
“Certainly, thank you, Willow.” Giles glanced at Willow nervously.
“Ok, spit it out, what’s got you so jumpy? I know it’s not a fear of flying,” Willow said mildly as she sweetened her own and Tara’s mochas.
Giles shifted between feet as he watched Willow intently for a moment.
Willow could tell he was trying to edit what he was about to say. She stopped stirring her coffee as she turned to Giles, full resolve face in place.
“Are you going to tell me, or do I have to get rough?” Willow said calmly.
“Uh, yes, quite. Perhaps we should go back to Tara first though. Shall we?” Giles sputtered and backed away missing the affectionate smirk that played on Willow’s lips.
Walking back to where Tara now sat reading a book, they saw her look up with a smile which quickly fell on looking at the pair.
Tara frowned; resolve face and worried Watcher face were not a welcome sight, especially before a flight to Sunnydale. Willow and Giles sat on either side of her; she looked first at Willow as she was handed her mocha, then to Giles, waiting for one of them to speak. Tara raised an eyebrow at Willow.
“Don’t look at me; he’s the one that’s all secret-y secret man,” Willow said pointedly.
With a sigh, Giles slouched a bit in his seat before removing his glasses, and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Do you remember my offer to assist you in the creation of a coven should you both chose to do so?”
“Yes,” Willow and Tara responded simultaneously.
“I also believe I said I would not try to influence you either way, it was your choice, and that I also had some names of people with potential that you may be interested in seeing.”
The two sat silent and impassive, waiting for Giles to continue.
“It still is your choice as to the formation of the coven. Yet I feel that now since I have had time to look over some of the names…not all would be a good fit, shall we say.”
Willow looked at Tara with a shrug and said, “Giles we haven’t really discussed it much more. I think we are strongly considering it, and Tara can correct me if I’m wrong, but we would want her to be trained more before we go through with it.”
Tara nodded. “She’s right, I have an opportunity with The Grove, and if what Rowan has told me is even marginally true, I want to train. Giles, it would irresponsible to form a coven with Willow and expect everything magically to fall on her.” Tara looked at Willow for support, and Willow took her hand reassuringly. “Giles, I’m going to assume you know if not all then some of what Rowan told me, since that would make me of greater interest to the Council, yes?”
Clearing his throat, Giles responding evenly, “Yes, Tara, I am well aware of your family’s lineage, and how special that makes you magickally. I’m also aware of why that would make you of interest to the Council.”
Tara leveled her gaze at Giles. “How long have you known? Never mind, then you must understand why I want to be trained well beforehand. It will only make us a more solid coven.”
Giles pulled out his handkerchief to clean his spotless glasses, an action that Willow had come to understand had several meanings, one of which was that Giles was stalling.
“Of course I agree, and I can appreciate…”Giles was cut off by the sound of the overhead loud speaker announcing the boarding of their flight. Neither girl missed the slightly relieved look on Giles face at the interruption or the “Thank heavens” he muttered.
*****
The three shuffled along to their seats of the small plane. Since the flight was short they didn’t get a full size jet, the plane had maybe one hundred seats two to a row, which a large man in a bad suit in front of them was complaining about loudly, right along with the size of the seats.
By design they were basically sharing a row of seats – Willow and Tara next to each other and Giles across the aisle - but bad suit man was only three rows ahead of them which made both Willow and Giles groan. Just as they sat down a dark haired child that looked to be no more than five years old went barreling down the aisle screaming, “No!” His flushed cheeks and slightly manic glee as he ran, made it apparent he was being more than a handful.
Neither girl missed Giles’ wince as the little boy made his way back up the aisle blaring, and Tara tried to hide her smile while they groused about the impending flight. In what seemed to be taking an eternity, the door to the plane was finally being shut, and the pre-flight monotone safety announcement had not yet begun; the passengers for the most part were restless. Tara leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes as she began to hum softly, ignoring the whole situation. As a few minutes ticked by everyone quieted down and even the little boy flopped down in his seat to play with several cars he had been given.
A good ten minutes later, when Tara opened her eyes, both Willow and Giles were staring at her, jaws slack in surprised wonder. It was obvious Tara had done something, it wasn’t a spell per se; she had just emanated a calm so palpable it reached everyone in the cabin of the small plane. Willow could recognize Tara’s energy anywhere, particularly as it had slipped gently through the cabin just like Tara herself. Giles, while he remained sensitive, wasn’t sure which of the girls next to him had caused the calm until he saw the look on Willow’s face.
“What?” Tara asked innocently, as she looked between them with eyebrows raised in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
Willow was the first to get her mind in gear and ask, “How? I’ve never seen or felt you do that before.”
Tara seemed surprised knowing that both had seen her do this before when Scooby levels got out of hand. “You have and just didn’t realize, sweetie. It’s a lot easier to do in the Magic Box, or in a dorm room, or Buffy’s. No one pays attention, that’s all. It’s nothing really, my Mother taught me. When things got really heated I could use it, and it made me feel better. I’m just more relaxed, that’s all.”
“Is it a spell?” Giles asked.
Tara’s brow furrowed as she thought for a moment. “Is what a spell? No, I don’t think so in the classical sense. I always thought it was a centering exercise she had me do. There’re no written words, it’s more a feeling and concentration. Maybe it’s the music – the humming, I think it’s an old lullaby, but I’m not sure. I focus on being calm, once I am; I imagine it rolling outwards from me. I see it all in my head; ripples like you see when you drop a stone into a stream.” Tara shrugged.
“Fascinating…,”Giles uttered.
“Do you realize you just managed to calm a plane full of people? Not two, or even the seven of us, but a plane full. Would you say there are at least fifty people on here Giles?” Willow looked around Tara to Giles for confirmation.
“Oh yes, definitely, if not more. Are you counting the crew? We can’t see them but the effect has to have been the same.” Still looking surprised, Giles agreed with Willow’s assessment.
“Okay, then let’s say seventy-five people, most planes* this size have cabins roughly over a thousand square feet, so these people are all within that same vicinity of you. Tara, that’s amazing!” Not for the first time Willow thought if she could just bottle even some of the special qualities that made up Tara and put it on a shelf in a local drugstore the world would be an infinitely better place.
“Remarkable Tara, truly remarkable,” Giles said his face blank as he studied Tara closely.
Tara looked dumbfounded. “I’ve done what? I didn’t do anything to them; I was just trying to block the little boy out for myself.” Tara’s blush closely matched Willow’s hair color, and she dipped her head to hide her face in the old familiar gesture; one Willow had not seen much of in the last week. Not quite understanding what Willow’s point was and why Giles was looking at her so oddly, Tara continued to bore holes into her own lap.
“Will, I didn’t plan...” Tara started anxiously, as she realized what this could look like to Willow.
Willow caught Tara under the chin and gently tipped her head back up to look at her.
“Hey, what was our agreement? No hiding, right? Love, this is so not something you should hide about. You just gave a gift to every person on this plane and they don’t even know it. It wasn’t done maliciously, you didn’t hurt anyone, and most of all you didn’t realize you were doing it – it wasn’t a conscious act. How many times have you done this for me and the rest of us? Undoubtedly more times than you can count, and many more than any of us knew. I bet you didn’t even hesitate, did you?” Willow could only shake her head.
With a gentle kiss, she whispered just so Tara could hear, “You
never cease to amaze me.”
Giles cleared his throat before speaking. “Yes, well, Tara this is an amazing attribute for any witch to have. When you start to work with Rowan, I suggest you let her know about this. This is a skill that as we can see by example…well, the good that could come from honing a skill like this…” Giles stopped at a loss for words, as an extremely mellow sounding pilot came over the loudspeaker to welcome the passengers, before the two flight attendants started the pre-flight safety instructions.
*****
Once the flight was in progress, Willow pulled out her laptop from her backpack and turned it on. As it loaded, the first thing that popped up was Willow’s iTunes™ player. Tara watched and saw a flurry of playlists but the one that caught her eye was one called ‘willowheart misses taraheart.’
“Will, what’s that one?” Tara asked gently.
Willow squirmed a little in her seat. Puffing out her cheeks, she said in a rush.
“ItstheplaylistImadeafterwebrokeupthefirsttime.”
“Can I see it? You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but now I know a little about some of the music you like, I’d like to see it.” Tara wasn’t trying to push Willow about something like a playlist of songs, but her curiosity was immense.
Willow’s hand hovered over the mouse pad for a moment before she clicked on the playlist, then passed the laptop over. Tara settled it on her lap as she began to look.
“Will, is that right?” Tara pointed to the duration of the playlist; it was seven days long exactly.
Willow just nodded and looked away nervously as Tara scrolled down through the songs. Knowing how exact Willow was, Tara knew the songs were in a certain order for a reason. She could see the emotional tenor fluctuate through the music and it made what Willow had obviously felt apparent.
“Why seven days, Will?” Tara asked keeping her voice soft but inquisitive.
She watched the muscle in Willow’s jaw twitch as she blinked rapidly before she answered.
Trying to keep her voice even, Willow sighed before explaining, “The seven days didn’t happen until I was in England. It started out as just a playlist, and the longer we were apart the more it helped me cope, I guess you could say. Sometimes it was the only thing that helped, sometimes it was a joy to listen to, like after we got back together, and sometimes it was a sad reminder of what I’d lost. I would be so tired of feeling sick and hurting that the happy parts helped. I could lose myself and not worry; once I was ready to leave and come back to the States, it became a ritual almost. I added a song a day, then would listen to that week and its additions.”
“You added a song a day for eighteen months?” Tara asked with unabashed surprise.
With a sad smile Willow said, “One year, seven months, eighteen days and seventeen hours.”
Tara looked at the playlist again, noticing there was a ‘date added’ column. She saw that the second to last song that was added the day she arrived at The Grove, was “
You Are My Sunshine”. The final song she recognized immediately and it had been added the day after she arrived. It was the song they had danced to the night of her birthday at the Bronze; the day she knew she had family, the day she knew she was free of her father, that she was not evil or a demon, and that she was never, ever going back. This was the song they floated to.
“You Are My Sunshine? Really?” Tara asked with a smile that lit up her face like sunshine. Willow blushed and nodded. “Can we listen to this one, though?” Tara asked as she highlighted the last song,
‘I Can Take My Eyes Off You’.
Willow nodded. Swallowing hard she swiveled the laptop towards Tara. She reached into her bag and pulled out some ear buds; as she plugged them into the laptop she handed one to Tara. Willow watched Tara place one in her ear and hit play as she placed the second in her own ear. The first two verses slid quickly into the chorus as they lost themselves in each other’s eyes, and ‘I Can Take My Eyes Off You]’*** repeated over and over in their ears. Tara lovingly placed her hand on Willow’s cheek, and as Willow leaned into the hand Tara closed the space between them. The kiss was passionate but chaste, Tara funneled all her love and hope for them into that one moment.
That one kiss said everything.
Willow could feel Tara and returned those desires with every ounce of her being. Coming up for air, she rested her cheek against Tara’s; feeling Tara’s breath on her skin made her shiver and her skin tingle.
“It’s true you know,” Willow whispered.
“What?”
“I can’t take my eyes off you. I haven’t been able to since that day at the Wiccan group, and unless I go blind it will never happen. Even then I think I’ll still see you, my heart will see you. I love you, Tara.”
Pressing a kiss to Willow’s flushed cheek, in husky tones Tara said, “No more than I love you, my sweet girl.”
They pulled away from one another smiling at each other the way only lovers can, smiles that exclude everyone and everything around them – they only have eyes for one another.
“Would you like to watch a movie? I have a few on here,” Willow said, gazing at Tara as she pulled the ear buds free of the laptop. Not paying attention to what she was doing, her elbow ran over the keys, inadvertently starting a movie clip. Willow looked at Tara with a guilty expression. Tara smiled mischievously at her and with a wink they both fell in with the whistling from the clip.
Much to Giles’ dismay, he turned to both girls looking extremely offended as they grinned and bobbed their heads along with ‘
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.’
“Really Willow, ‘The Life of Brian’? Couldn’t you have picked something better, maybe something like
The Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog?”
Willow raised an eyebrow and with all the seriousness she could muster, said, “Well, Giles, I guess screaming ‘Run Away’ while trying to run away does seem a little redundant since that’s the first rule of being a Scooby. Besides, I don’t hate Anya that much…
all of the time.”
Tara sat snickering next to her and Giles tried to continue to look peeved.
“Yes, well you have a point.”
At this point both girls guffawed loudly causing several heads to turn in their direction.
“Have you ever been known to overstate a situation, Giles?” Tara asked, getting her laughter under control.
“Only when it comes to an apocalypse, then he can’t say enough,” Willow answered smugly.
“One can never say enough about an apocalypse when preparing to thwart it, can one?” The corners of Giles’ mouth were beginning to twitch.
“By the time we got to our fourth or fifth apocalypse he had moved on to ranting instead of demonstrating something almost like indignation. I actually think Giles got offended that some Big Bad had decided to take over the world on his watch,” Willow said, trying to goad Giles into a smile.
“It is my duty as a Watcher to keep my Slayer as prepared as… oh, you know the drill,” Giles said, this time with a smile and a wave of his hand.
“Aha! See, I knew you could do it! You would think he’s allergic to happy! Not a happy, but being happy in general and by that I mean smiling, not a literal happy because, sorry Giles but ewww. I don’t really want to think of you and a happy at the same time. Actually, the only person I want to think about at the same time as I think about a happy is right next to me, and why for the love of all that is good don’t you stop me when I start doing this?” Willow said, now beet red and looking at Tara with a helpless expression.
Tara looked at a rather pink Giles and then back to Willow with a smirk. “I think it’s cute, and because the entertainment factor right now is so high, I just can’t help myself.”
Both Willow and Giles now looked out their respective windows with the greatest of interest and Tara began to whistle again to both of their dismay.
*****
The rest of the flight was uneventful; as they began the decent into Sunnydale Tara noticed that Willow looked a little uncomfortable.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
“Hmm? Nothing.” Willow darted a glance and tried to keep looking out of the window while taking deep breaths.
“Willow, do you not like to fly?” Tara asked incredulously.
“No, no, the flying part I don’t mind so much, it’s the taking off and landing I don’t like. All of these images in my head of planes colliding or bursting into flames at take off are as bad as the ones of them bursting into flames at landing or wheels buckling and the plane skidding down the runway and bursting into flames,” Willow responded nervously.
Tara took Willow’s hand while directing ripples of calmness towards her. “I see a theme there, sweetie. So what’s with the bursting into flames?”
“I’m not sure…” Willow said thoughtfully. “Maybe one too many of Xander’s movies; I’ve seen ‘Apocalypse Now’ so many times I can quote dialogue with him.”
By the time their conversation was over they had landed and were taxiing into their gate. Since it was a small plane they got out on the tarmac. Willow noticed the difference in the air; the water was almost palpable compared to the dry heat she had become accustomed to. As they went upstairs into the cooler corridor leading out of the gate, the hyper little boy went past them at full tilt, this time screaming, ”ice cream!”
“At least he’s got the right idea this time,” Willow snarked.
Giles grimaced once again at the back of the screaming child’s head. “Let’s hurry, shall we?”
Reaching the baggage claim, they could hear the little boy still screaming at full volume at one end of the belt. They pulled their luggage off quickly and went in the opposite direction. They caught a taxi to the only rental car company in Sunnydale and Tara and Willow stood back while Giles rented a car.
Willow was bouncing on the balls of her feet as they waited and her expression was more than a bit tense.
“Willow, sweetie, breathe,” Tara encouraged as she took Willow’s hand again. This time she didn’t try to calm Willow though. Raising their joined hands Tara kissed the back of Willow’s hand and smiled her reassurance.
“I’m nervous, Tara.” The calm of Willow’s voice was belied by her nervous bounce.
“I know you are, and you have every reason to be. You can’t predict how other people will act, even those you know and love so well. You’ve been gone a long time. We’ve talked about this sweetie. I won’t placate you, things will be how they’re meant to be – you just have to be brave enough to face them.”
Willow nodded and stared at her shoes. Just then, Giles approached them looking tense as well.
“Yes, off we go,” he said with a feigned brightness. A young man pulled up in a shiny red two door sports car. Willow and Tara looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
“Really, Giles?” Willow couldn’t help herself.
“It’s all they had.” Giles tried to bluster his way out from Willow’s scrutiny.
“Right, and Buffy teaches Driver’s Ed now. I should make you ride in the back and see how you like it,” Willow pouted. “Are you even sure it has a trunk?”
Getting snippy, Giles said, “Yes, Willow I’m sure it does. Now, if you’re quite finished we should get on with it.”
Willow grumbled as she walked to the back of the car, all the while giving Giles a dirty look, and muttering about midlife crises.
“I can ride in the back, Willow; it’s not a big deal,” Tara said.
“It’s okay, baby, sometimes I feel obligated to harass him. Besides, he does this every time.” Willow shrugged, knowing Giles could hear her, and smiled sweetly as she put her bag in the trunk.
“Huh, it’s roomier in here than the last one,” Willow remarked. “At least I can sit up straight.”
Tara covered her smile with her hand and Giles proceeded to make what Willow called his clucking sound. Giles eased out of the parking lot with such care that even Tara gave him a look.
“See, I told you, he rents them then drives like my grandmother…if I had one,” Willow stage whispered to Tara.
“You do know I can hear you, correct?” Giles huffed.
“Uh huh,” grinned Willow.
Giles cleared his throat and shot her a reproachful look via the rearview mirror. “Yes, well there you have it. Where would you like me to take you both?”
Quietly, Willow replied, “Buffy’s.”
More gently, Giles asked, “Are you sure Willow?”
“Yeah, Giles, I’m sure.” Willow stared at her hands while her leg began to bounce. Tara turned as much as she could in her seat and offered her hand to Willow, which she immediately took.
The ride to Buffy’s was done in silence, and twenty minutes later they pulled up in front of 1630 Revello Drive. Giles turned off the engine, and the three sat in silence, both he and Tara watching Willow for their signal to get out. Willow’s eyes moved over the house looking for changes. With a nod, Tara opened her door, getting out, and then pulled the seat up to let Willow climb out. Giles had both of their bags waiting when they stepped around to the back of the little sports car.
Willow looked at Giles and he shook his head as he set the bags down. Willow tried to smile as she moved to give him a hug. Tara was struck again by the affection that had developed between the two, and move onto the curb a little away from the pair. Willow turned back with a smile and grabbed both bags. Watching Giles drive away, she stepped up next to Tara.
“Do I get a blindfold and a cigarette?” she asked glibly.
“Since when do you smoke?” Tara asked, going along with her.
“Hey, I’m a one hot mama yama, didn’t you know?” Willow quirked an eyebrow at Tara.
Smiling suggestively, Tara stepped towards Willow. “Oh, I know alright.”
Willow set their bags down again so she could wrap her arms around Tara’s waist. Tara cupped Willow’s face in her hands and kissed her sweetly several times before holding her in a tight embrace. She nuzzled Willow’s neck, placing a few soft kisses there and she could feel Willow begin to relax some. Willow’s face was buried in her neck. Willow’s deep breaths to steady herself were all Tarascented.
“Sweetie, you know I love being in your arms more than anything, but standing here on the curb might not be the best place to continue this. Are you ready?” Tara asked gently after some time had passed.
Willow kissed her neck, and with another Tarascented deep breath she released her hold and turned towards the house. She straightened her shoulders, and they each grabbed their bag before walking up the steps to the door. Tara got her keys out and started to open the door when she felt a hand on her sleeve. Looking over her shoulder at Willow, she could see the apprehension on her face.
“Can you wait just a few minutes?” Willow asked, sounding for all the world like a small child.
“Of course.” Tara dropped her arm, waiting patiently for Willow.
Willow seemed to inspect the entire porch, turning to look all around her like she had never been there before. Willow looked at Tara and smiled weakly as she nodded for Tara to open the door. The locks turning seemed unusually loud to them both. Tara swung the door inwards and stepped inside. Setting her bag down, she yelled cheerily, “Honey, I’m home!”
Willow stepped in behind her; Tara turned smoothly to shut the door they had just stepped through. Movement could be heard from upstairs and they both looked up at the sounds. The squeak of leather in the living room made Willow jump, and she and Tara turned. Tara smiled brightly in greeting to her housemate.
“
Well, well, well, the prodigal witch has come home,” Buffy said as she rose from her chair. Her expression was unreadable, and her voice even as she stood with her arms crossed over her chest. Willow jumped again as a door upstairs slammed shut.
TBC....
*** Said promised trivia. Melanie Doane, who wrote this song, wrote it about her t.v. during a large binge as a couch potato. It's not even a love song in the traditional sense. Don't believe me? Got to YouTube and search the title and look for the entry that has other song titles in it. It's live and she explains the song and sings a verse and chorus. Maybe it was done on purpose by Joss, but that would be giving him a lot of credit. ***