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

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 Post subject: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 3:45 pm 
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2. Floating Rose
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Posts: 38
Location: The Great North
Sheets


I promised myself long ago that I would never walk this way again, that I would never fall into this trap I was in long ago. The truth is I never got over her, the one girl I had always loved. This was all I knew and all I had. This one girl made my life so beautiful and then, well it fell to pieces.

I was so selfish. I turned myself into a person who couldn’t be trusted; I fell into magics that were darker than some of what I dealt with everyday. All ever I found in it was momentary relief from the pain and stress the world caused, but when it ended it was ten times worse sealing me into the cycle of abuse. I destroyed it all, fell through all of it and destroyed it all. My friends no longer know where I am, and they probably do not care anymore.

Ten years, ten years of running and now I am not sure if I can continue.
All I know is I have to get some sense of a life again. I spent years with several covens, trying to keep the past from happening again. While I was gone, however, time did not sit still for them. My home, Sunnydale is now gone, all that is left is a smoking pit where it once stood. I have no idea how it happened, but I know it happened because the First was stopped, or so the coven told me.

I need to find them; I promised myself I would find them. That is why I am sad to report I will be leaving this coven which I have stayed at for the past three years. Your guidance has helped me grow much, but I feel the only way to finally face my fears it to face the people I disappointed the most. If I manage to stay in control, I know I have succeeded.
Sincerely,
Rosenberg



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



Willow Rosenberg stood on the top of the Sears Tower looking down on the gray city that was Chicago. She could see Northshore and the brave few who were swimming in the water. Though it had warmed up, the trees had yet to have their leaves come out. Little buds graced all of the braces of the trees. This was her home now, this city of wind and broken dreams. The smell of desperation wafted from the south, which the rich tried so hard to hide. This was the city of light and dark, something she knew was a struggle, and one she fought every day.

She walked away from the window and to the elevator. She went down the massive structure and was soon on the ground walking within the gray concrete. The Willis tower added to the feeling of insignificance as she walked. Everything was so tall, massive that it made Willow for once it her life feel normal. The year she had inhabited that city had learned much about how to get around. She was walking towards the Quincy Station for the L. She had to get back to Evanston by three for her class in civil procedure. Her professor would kill her if she was late again.


Despite catching the first L cart to Evanston and getting off on time she was not able to make it to the lecture on time. She after class proceeded towards the Barnes and Nobles. She spent a good thirteen minutes in side dashing up the escalator to get a view from the second floor of Evanston. From the window she could see the drug store and the restaurants, including the coffee shop. She loved to look out the windows and compare the two cities which were nothing alike.

The reason she loved living here was because the two cities were like her. She was the wealthy, educated teen at the beginning of high school, much like the people who filled Evanston, but she was also the gray city battling against the dark and light. Everywhere she looked she could see herself painted throughout the city. This was her town, her place to be, the in-between of the two worlds.

She was stirred from her thoughts by a voice behind her.

“Hey Will, done with classes today?” asked a girl behind her.

Will smiled, “Hey Sophia, yeah I’m done. How was work?”

Sophia smiled, “Same old, same old. Some kid tried to smuggle out a bunch of David Bowie CDs. He stuffed them down his pants.”

“And people wonder why I think guys are repulsive,” she responded with a grimace.

Willow started towards the escalator, “You done with your shift?”

Sophia followed her stepping onto the motor staircase, “Yeppers, slaved always to make just enough to get food this week, yet I still have several hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans.”

Willow laughed, “With you there. You’d think being a genius would help me get a better scholarship, but not really. The America dream is truly dead; no one can afford college or grad school.”

The two walked down the street, passing each store front until they made it back to the apartment they shared. It was in a nice enough part of town, close to the Law campus. It was the perfect fit for the two law students.

Willow and Sophia had met shortly after she had enrolled. The first semester they had shared two classes, however this year they had branched off since Sophia was pursuing corporate law and Willow was looking into patent law. Since then their schedules had been completely different, but after those classes they had shared together they had become great friends and decided to share a sublet from a mutual friend who had gone to England for a semester.

Sophia was quite a bit younger than Willow. She was only twenty-five. She had gone to Northwestern for undergrad and had grown up in Evanston her entire life. Her parents only lived a mile away. Her father in fact was a professor at the university, a chemistry professor to be precise. He was quiet disappointed when his only child decided to be a smarmy lawyer.

As she walked in the front door she saw a glint of light reflecting off a familiar hair color of a girl walking past, brown with blond highlights. When she turned to get a better look the girl whom she saw was gone. She played it off as a trick of her imagination. Tara wouldn’t be here, she would have gone somewhere safe, not be so close to a hell mouth. She was tied to Buffy and the others as much as she was and even she was able to leave Buffy.

The world she lived in was filled with staring out of windows. She couldn’t forget the world outside and how it reflected everything around her. This world, this disaster was just being held steady by the little good that was left in it. So as long as it safety was held in the balance so would she watch. This was what she was doomed to since she did not help anymore. She had to watch because she abandoned the cause.
This night however the watch was different. The vampires that lurked the street were running away. Usually they chased, but tonight they were afraid, very afraid. Either there was a big bad in town or something huge was in town, like a slayer huge.

For the first time in a decade she suited up, equipping herself with stakes and holy water. This might be exactly what she wanted, since the slayer’s mission was to close hell mouths now Chicago was bound to come. It was only a matter of time. It seemed like that moment had come now.

She ran out the door of her apartment. She started running after the vampire. His leather jacket was waving in the wind as he ran. Willow was slowly catching up to him, but not before someone had beaten her to the vampire.

About twenty feet in front of willow was dark brown hair and a leather jacket. It wasn’t the slayer she was hoping for, but at least she was slightly closer. Faith Lehane was only a small distance away from her.

“Hello Faith,” she said to slayer who had the vampire by the collar of his jacket.

The slayer quickly stabbed the vampire, letting him turn to dust; she then bridged the gap between herself and the redhead.

“Well, well, if it isn’t little red,” she said in a husky voice, “Still not doing stick?”

Willow was a little taken aback by the brunette’s forwardness but replied, “You still doing the stick?”

The slayer chuckled, “Actually I am off the stick, doctor said it would be better for me.”

“Is that because of all the STDs you contracted?” Willow playfully bantered.

“Nah, but this little blonde doctor told me that if I wanted to continue to see her I had to be exclusive.” Willow gasped.

“You mean you, Sunnydale slut has settled down,” she said.

“Well, yeah, shucks this has turned into a sappy reunion.”

The slayer then surprisingly and against all that nature dictated hugged Willow. As she was embraced the smell of the slayer filled her senses. Faith smelled like leather, hickory, and there was a little floral scent that was obviously not from the slayer. The scent was very familiar. It smelled suspiciously like the perfume Buffy use to wear.

“Wait. You’re dating BUFFY!” she exclaimed.

The slayer kicked at the ground and looked down, “Did I mention she’s super hot and that I can’t control my sexual urges around people who are hot?”

Willow just shook her head, “Can you take me to Buffy, I need to ask her about the location of a mutual friend, and possibly beg forgiveness.”

“Dude, you go to Buffy and you’ll find all of the old crew, includin’ your own shy blonde.” Faith answered.

“Then let’s go.”

Now Willow was off to her past, it was time for this facade of normalcy to end, to stop looking out windows waiting for change when she could bring it. She wasn’t going to waste anymore time. She had to know, know if she had made any recovery whatsoever.


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

That was part one. Rather weird writing style for me but that's the story.
This is a short story by the way there is only going to be a max of five parts, most likely only four. So tell me what you think. But yay I am back from China and after seeing what a large part of China is like I am very, very depressed.

_________________
"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever for one moment, accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call... everybody lives." River Song - "Forest of the Dead"


Last edited by Sarah on Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Sheets
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 3:53 pm 
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11. Fish in the Bowl

Joined: Tue Sep 28, 2010 2:35 pm
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dibs!!!

Quote:
This was her home now, this city of wind and broken dreams. The smell of desperation wafted from the south, which the rich tried so hard to hide. This was the city of light and dark, something she knew was a struggle, and one she fought every day.

Like your use of the city as a metaphor for Willow's inner struggle; lots of good examples in your writing.

Definitely intrigued by the 'new' Faith, glad her old style banter is the same.

Even more intrigued by the changes. So, was the Tara the witch that helped at the end of Sunnydale?

Keep writing! Want answers! :kgeek :kgeek :kgeek

Ariel
How I Met Your Mother


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 6:20 pm 
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4. Extra Flamey
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Joined: Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:01 pm
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Woah. I love the style of this, it feels so THICK. There's very few people who can truly capture how I feel about the big city, and you just... totally did. Chicago, what a place.

You started really strong, but I can definitely tell that you're writing this as a shortie b/c you skipped over a lot of somewhat important stuff - after describing the city, it feels like you just kind of dropped off. Tara being alive is all of the good, and F/B is all kinds of excellent though, so you're certainly forgiven on both counts.

It does seem a bit odd that Willow would have no way of contacting the Scoobies when she came back from England, a bit more explanation is needed there.

On the whole your style is really vivid - I can feel your depression through it, which gives the piece a kind of life. Please finish!


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets
PostPosted: Sun Mar 06, 2011 7:48 pm 
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7. Teeny Tinkerbell Light
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Location: Los Scandalous, CA
Oh yeah!! Keep it coming... Gotta jump on the Ariel bandwagon and say that the city metaphor was outstanding. I love the 'improved' version of Faith... She still has a little bit of the season three Faith in her. But, I can also see the Faith that she was starting to become in season 7. Please let Tara be a kick ass white witch who happend to shut the Sunnydale Hellmouth down for good. I always hated the way she was always relegated to sidekick status.


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:09 am 
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2. Floating Rose
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Location: The Great North
A/N: Hey, sorry it's been awhile. I've been busy with work. Being a doctor isn't all it is cracked up to be. The paper work sucks. Now on to the lovely people who reviewed.

Ariel: Thanks for the review. I'm glad you liked the city metaphor. Sadly I feel this chapter isn't as strong because this is more of a setting up part. The next part will be the big blow out where questions will be answer and such. (Which despite my tardiness with this chapter will be up in the next week) So I hope you don't totally hate this part.

KnightlyLove: I am glad you liked how I wrote about Chicago. I lived there for years. I actually went to Northwestern so I am familiar with Evanston and Chicago. Sorry it felt like it dropped off. Don't worry I will finish this, but I may have to extend it a bit I am realizing because with my wordiness some of what I have to describe will take pages.

SMGOVAN: Don't worry Tara will be kickass, however; she is not in this part. I am glad you like Faith so much she is actually the only character that has a major part except willow in this part, so I hope I don't disappoint you.

Sheets


Part 2: It’s a Heart Attack that You Feel


Willow felt wrong as she followed faith, like some force was compelling her to leave as they made their way through the quad. She felt as though someone was whispering in her ear to leave and never come back to this place. She made a move to turn around but Faith grabbed her by the arm.

“Ignore it. I know what you hear, I hear it to. It is just a defense mechanism to drive dark creatures away, but it still works on people who have touched darkness but are no longer dark themselves,” Faith said continuing forward to a lone willow tree.

Faith knocked on the tree and then traced a Pentagram on the base of the tree. Slowly a door appeared in the willow tree. Instead of leading down like willow believed it would, it opened up straight to winter woodland scenery with a castle in the background. It wasn’t just an entrance, it was an entrance to a portal.

“A little while Tare decided that it would be more efficient if the slayers could be all together but travel to any hell mouth. So she decided she would make portals out of certain objects that would link to ones here on the property. You’re lucky, a willow tree is the most common portal entrance. The one on grounds links to at least four hell mouths including one in Cleveland, which is where Buffy is stationed,” She said pulling Willow through.

The willow behind her closed sealing off Illinois far behind, leaving her in a dark morning with a sun slowly rising at the edge of her vision.

“We must be in Europe, it is morning here,” She said to Faith.

Faith groaned before taking off in her usual swagger, “Way to state the obvious Red”

The two struggled through the dark forest, passing the dying plants and trees. At this point Willow felt a little like she was lost in Narnia and this would all end up to just be a dream. Is this real life or is it just fantasy. She couldn’t answer these questions anymore because she no longer had the answers. It seemed as if all her dreams for the past few years were finally coming true. It was like the innocence of a child when they get exactly what they wanted from Santa Claus. The only difference is that Willow wanted something she had already had in the past.

When they finally made it to the entrance of the castle she noticed the symbols of Hecate were bordering the large door into the castle. Faith placed her hand on one of the symbols and the doors opened to reveal a great hall that only could have existed in such books as Harry Potter. She suddenly understood how those first years must have felt. Stain glass was everywhere, and the hall was decorated with gold everywhere. It was like Versailles, only she wasn’t King Louis, thankfully because the last one was beheaded. Above in dark crimson lettering was the phrase, Jusqu'à ce que la mort que nous combattons

“Until death do we fight,” she whispered as she read the French.

Faith came up next to her, “Buffy’s personal saying now. During that year from hell we basically had to say that every day to believe there was even reason to fight. We had no hope until Tare came up with a plan.”

Willow paused for a moment unsure of how to respond, “Where did you guys go. I came back before during all of the First crap, but I couldn’t find you and then when I came back afterwards I could find any trace of you in North America so I went back to the coven. All I found was a grave of a friend I never got the chance to say goodbye to, and those slayers in training were no help.”

Faith frowned, “The only time Buffster and the rest left was when Angel completely went off the handle after those wise guys in L.A. decided to de-soul him. That’s how I got out of prison you know, they needed me to get rid of Angelus. Instead they ended up bringing in Tare to fix the mess the bookish mouse girl made.”

“Sounds like fun times,” Willow said.

“Ahh now, don’t be silent tell me whatchya been up to,” Faith said, eyes piercing the redheads own green globes.

Willow cleared her voice in preparation, “Well, about a year before you showed up on scene , apparently, I went all crazy witchy mojo with the dark magics and completely out of control. I went to a Coven in Devonshire for awhile and then tried to return as I said, but no one was around so I went to a different coven in Boston, then just made my way around until I landed in Chicago, and that’s my entire story.”

“Honey, I’ve been the drift about type a girl and I know there’s more to a story than that,” Faith said with a little growl in the back of her throat.

Willow just shrugged and continued to walk with Faith. The rest of the walk was filled with an awkward silence that had seemed to wedge between the two. Neither really knew what to say to each other. They never had been friends, at one point she had been a friend of a friend but Willow had always felt threatened by the other slayer’s personality. Now, however, they seemed to share more and common than Willow would have liked to admit. They both were filled with this darkness that no one else could explain or even try to understand, and a darkness that could only be felt if you had lived in it.

Finally they reached a door and inside the noise of busy slayers could be heard. Willow thought that it must be the training room because she could distinctly hear the sound of metal against metal and the sound of bodies hitting the ground. Faith gave her a weak smile. She motioned for Willow to stay there while she would enter the training room. Then she disappeared behind the large oak door.

Now she was all alone again, something she was usually very comfortable with but today it was different. Today Willow was alone in the home of her friends, friends she had run away from. This place wasn’t a place to relax for her, it was a place to have all defenses up. She knew, that if anyone who actually knew her saw her, she would be toast. Thus she couldn’t relax for the fear of Xander or Buffy popping from behind one of the corners, worst of all Tara.

Faith returned from behind the oak door five minutes later with a girl she did not know. The girl shook Willows had and gave her a sad smile. She then saluted Faith and then proceeded to run out of the castle.
“Who was that?” Willow asked, curious about who that strange girl who had said nothing was.

Faith chuckled, “That’s Buffy’s ex-stalker,” she paused for a moment, “Satsu and Buffy had a thing few years back before she started dating me. They actually dated for a bit until this whole thing where Angel came back but was evil and whatever. Anyway after that they broke up. Satsu is now the Tokyo head. She is heading back right now, but she is going to stop buy the command ops center in Scotland to tell Xander and Buffy you are here. We Get along okay because she knows Buff is my girl now.”

Willow’s faced turned to confusion, “Why are they at a different base, why not here with the other slayers?”

“This is the magic center. Not really slayer central, well, I mean, this is the portal between the places we occupy. This is like are main hub, our base. If we need sanctuary we all flee here because it is safer. This place was built by the witches and is blessed by the goddess. A lot of the slayers live here while in training because this is the place to learn about creatures and magic. There are four levels of dungeons filled with everything they could possible face that is all contained by magic. Once they finish training, they move on to the castle in Scotland. Once there they are all given jobs. Satsu is also a teacher, which is why she was here today. This place is really Tara’s pad,” she explained.


Willow nodded, “Why didn’t you just bring me to the Scotland castle?”

Faith’s face wrinkled and her face turned to one of pain, “Cause Buffy kind of got mad at me this morning and told me if I so much as took a step onto the property this week she would make it so I couldn’t walk right for days.”

Willow laughed, “Are you actually telling me that you, the badass slayer, are scared of Buffy Summers?”

“Last time when I didn’t listen to her she followed through with her promise, “ Faith answered in a small voice that was completely uncharacteristic of her, “I got her angry a few weeks ago because I forgot our big date we had planed so she kicked my ass till it turned blue.”

“What did you do this time?” Willow asked.

Faith shuddered, “I forgot our anniversary.”

Willow’s eyes widened, then she burst out laughing. “Hahah, you forgot your anniversary. Faith, you’d think you’d have learned what Buffy is like. Anniversaries are like Christmas to her in some ways, they show that she can have some semblance of normalcy by having a stable boyfriend, well- er- I guess girlfriend in this case. So when you forgot it she got really mad. What you need to do is give her a special night out to make up for it and remind her it is normal for one of the partners in a relationship to forget the anniversary.”

Faith gave her a look of disbelief, “Since when did you become the girlfriend whisperer?”

Willow frantically shook her hands, “No, I really am not,” she paused, “I just was once very close to Buffy, and I was in a relationship once and I always forgot everything,” her voice had sunk to a whisper and had adopted this cold tone that was so very distant from Faith.

Finally the atmosphere was broken as the sound of steel toed boots echo through the walls of the hall. Now fifteen feet away from the pair was a small blonde girl standing with hands on her hips. She didn’t look pleased at all, in fact she looked like she was either going to murder Faith or Willow.

“Really, you don’t call, you don’t write, and suddenly you show up. What is wrong with you?” she asked.

Willow had expected Buffy to hit her or worse after hearing her greeting, but was surprised when the small girl wrapped her arms around her in a bone breaking hug. She couldn’t breathe. Buffy didn’t seem to notice until Faith made her aware of how purple the redhead was becoming.

Buffy let go and said, “No matter what Will, not matter how much time has passed, even if I have to vanquish you one day, we will always be friends. Don’t you ever forget that. I may be angry, or I may not be talking to you, but I love you will. You are my best friend.”

Willow then hugged Buffy and whispered, “You’ll always be my best friend.”

For that moment the years apart didn’t matter; Willow had her best friend again, and this time she wasn’t going to let her go again.
She needed her as much as she had needed the witches at the coven to show her the way. Now she had hoped to find the path towards being herself again, not this broken Willow.

Buffy finally removed herself from Willow and said softly, “There are three people who are waiting to see you.”

Nervousness filled Willow’s being, her chest felt like someone had dropped and elephant sized puppy on it. She could breathe. She wasn’t ready to see all of these people she let down. She didn’t feel she ever would be because she couldn’t deal with the possibility that they might be disappointed in who she had become. Never again could she have that happen again.

“I can’t, how can I ever face them?”

Buffy rubbed Willow’s back in a soothing motion, much like a mother would with a small child, “They want to see you as much as I did.”

“Alright… let’s go.”

_________________
"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever for one moment, accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call... everybody lives." River Song - "Forest of the Dead"


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:30 pm 
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2. Floating Rose
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Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:28 am
Posts: 38
Location: The Great North
Sheets
Cosmic Love

Willow felt the air around her consume her very being. The weight of the guilt she felt weighed her down as she took every step closer to the door. The door which hid a room filled with the people she had hurt the most. Her former lover, the girl who was almost like her own sister, her almost brother, and everything that had ever mattered to her were waiting behind it. Everything she had stupidly thrown away. The only way she was managing to step forward was the constant thought that if she didn’t move the two slayers next to her would pick her up and carry her into the room which would totally make the wrong impression on the people inside it. She had to look like she wanted to see them again, not that she was afraid to, or didn’t want to

She finally reached the door and her hand was hovering over the gold polished, circular handle when she turned around to face the two slayers. She said one thing, “Don’t let me run out”

Buffy put a hand on her shoulder, “Willster, if you ran out I would be so hot on your trail that by the time you had gotten four steps outside of that room I would be hanging you from the ceiling by your ankles for trying to leave us again. Then I would sic Faith on you.”

Faith from the background protested, “I’m not your dog you don’t sic me on anyone.”

The door from inside had opened and there standing was the most beautiful woman Willow had ever seen, the girl she had loved so much.

“Just so we can get onto the meet and greet and fist flying with Willow I am going to intervene. Faith, you are Buffy’s bitch and we all know that. You cower in fear and listen to everything she tells you to do. So yes, she would totally sic you on Willow. Happy?” Tara said all of this without stopping to breathe or even blinking.

Willow’s mouth was wide open in shock, “Tara said bitch.”

Tara turned to Willow, finally noticing her. She took three steps closer. She looked like she was going to hug her, but instead a slap rang though the halls and Willow felt flames consuming her right side of her face.

That was for leaving,” Tara said before pulling her close and hugging her. She finally let go and said, “And that was for coming back to us.”

Willow put a hand over the cheek that was rapidly reddening, “Remind me not to leave again. That really hurt.”

Faith chuckled and then pushed her into the room. Inside was not what she was expecting. Everyone had changed so much. Xander stood in the corner wearing an eye patch and a smile on his face. Dawn was over next to an unknown boy. She had changed the most out of all of them. She was tall with short brown hair and looked older beyond her years. Giles’ hair had gone completely white and his hair line had receded more, but he still wore his tweed with pride. There were also several other people whom she had not met yet.

“Welcome home, Will!” they all cried and Willow’s eyes began to tear, this was more than she had ever hoped for.

*****

A few hours later Willow was finally alone with her friends again. So much needed explanation and she didn’t know if she could handle it all, but the reunion had given her hope that maybe, just maybe she could get through this and really be friends with them again, or in her hope with a certain witch, much more. She tried to think but the music in the background was distracting her. It was the only lasting aspect of the party. She had to clear all of what was in the way, and she needed to start now.

“You don’t know why we’ve forgiven you, do you?” asked Dawn from behind her.

Willow turned to face the girl that was years younger than her, “No, I don’t. What did I do to deserve this? I’ve just caused you guys pain over the years. More pain than you should have ever gone through, and I did this to the people I love. What kind of monster does that?”

Dawn gave her a weak, comforting smile, “When you left we were all angry. You were neck deep in the dark magics. None of us could do anything, hell you couldn’t really do anything. Then you just disappeared leaving the wreck you had made behind, but you got better. You fought the dark magic. The coven you stayed at in Devonshire contacted us once and told us of how much you had done. We were so proud, we thought you would come back, and then you didn’t. We were angry again until we all had to go down to L.A. and take care of Angelus. Later, about a month after the ordeal with the first the slayers –in-training told us about you coming. We were so angry. We knew you tried to come back, but couldn’t find us. Now we were all totally separated, we fought we may never find you again. Then today, out of the blue Satsu runs in. She tells us that Faith has found you. Our greatest hope was to find you one day, and then you just turn up. It was like all of our hopes were answered. We understand, you had to leave to get better, you wanted to return but couldn’t. As soon as you managed to find us you returned. So we forgive you, we want to be the Scoobies again.”

Willow’s face wrinkled, “I should have stayed in Sunnydale until you guys returned, but the bringers, they were everywhere and I couldn’t hold them off for long without help.”

“We know, trust me Will. I am upset that we lost so much time, but I don’t blame you. None of us blame you. We are just glad you returned for the first Scooby wedding,” Dawn said slowly walking away towards the door out of the hall.

“Who is getting married?”

“Me, see you tomorrow. Don’t worry about Tara, she missed you just as much as you missed her,” she said opening the door and leaving the room.

“I missed everything,” Willow whispered.

Tara had been watching the exchange from across the room. Since greeting Willow she had kept her distance. It was all she could do to keep herself from running over to the small redhead and kissing her till night and day were once again one. She couldn’t do that. They both had a lot to work through. Trust takes time to build and we have to earn it. She knew she and Willow would be able to be friends, even if they could never be together again. She however sincerely hoped that they would be ‘Willow‘and ‘Tara’ but ‘Willow and Tara’ again. They were made for each other, or at least that is what she felt. Time changes people though and they weren’t the same people they were years ago. These newer versions of themselves may not be compatible.

Willow looked across the room and met eyes with Tara and for a second both could swear they could hear the other whispering in their ear, ‘I love you’. Instead of what they wanted to say they both meekly waved at each other before everyone disbanded to go to slayer work or to bed.

Xander appeared next to Willow when Tara left the room. He had only said two words to her since she had entered but now he was speaking readily to her.

“When you left I lost my sister, Will. I can’t forgive you for taking her away. I never will, but I’ll try to know this new sister I have, because I was so lost without my old one.” He said patting her on the shoulder.

“You’ll always be my mister fix it,” she said.

Xander laughed, the wrinkles of worry from the year as a scooby showing, “You I be pleased or insulted by that comment?”

Willow shook her head, “Neither, I am just stating a fact. You fixed me they day we met. Well, and helped me get over the yellow crayon.”

Xander smiled, “Well, you’ve come a long way. The running way, not a terrific notion, but the thing is I love you. I love crayon-breaky Willow and scared-runaway Willow.”

Willow put her hands over her mouth for a moment, like she had just realized something, “oh… Xander… I am so sorry. I forgot all about it until now. I missed your wedding. I was supposed to be your best man. Where is Anya by the way?”

Tears sprung from Xander’s eye, “There was no wedding Will, without you there I walked out on Anya, ruined our relationship and was a total jackass. Then when we fought the first she was killed. Just when we had managed to start to get over the left at the altar bit, she was killed saving that rat Andrew’s life.”

Willow flung her arms around Xander and pulled him close, “ I am so, so sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t know. If I had known I wouldn’t have asked. I am so, so very sorry. I think you need to tell me what has happened while I was gone. Like how the hell Faith and Buffy ended up together and all about that guy Dawn is marrying.”

“Well A) It is okay, you couldn’t have know. B) The story or the past several years will take awhile. C) One night there was a lot of alcohol consumed, and finally D) Dawn isn’t marrying a guy,” Xander responded with a boyish grin.

Willow took a step back and said, “Oh.”

*****
Xander and Willow were now sitting on a leather couch in the library of the castle. Books filled up every wall surrounding them like a redwood forest must have surround the first settlers of Northern California. She felt insignificant and small amongst these books filled with accomplishments, spells, and demons like she hadn’t lived up to her Scooby responsibilities. She was distracted from this feeling by Xander telling what happened over the years.”

“… And then Tara’s hair went all white and so did her eyes. She channel the power and awoke all of the slayers in the world. Then she became the white witch. That’s how she got her own castle. The witches gave it to her to train new witches in her ways. You know a white witch only comes every five centuries. Anyway, so we all moved out here. Dracula tried to get me again but Buffy got me. Then Angel returned but he was evil. Oh, and Amy popped up again with Warren. Anyway they tried to kill Tara and Buffy again …. Are you listening to this?” Xander asked exasperated that Willow was not very interested in what he was saying.

Willow nodded, “Of course, I am just shocked. So much has happened. I mean, you, Buffy, and Tara got shot. Tara became some major witch, Dawn is dating some butch lesbian, Buffy and faith are doing the horizontal tango, and you, well you are this major operations guy. I am just thing, ‘Where do I fit it’.”

“You belong here as much as I do,” he said quietly. ”In fact you belong here more than I do. You’re a massive witch foo queen yourself. Me, I am just some dumb mortal.”

“Don’t say that,” she said angrily, “You are so much more than you give yourself credit for.”

“So are you, Will.”

The two were now left in silence. They really didn’t know how to proceed. They had found a dead-end to their conversation it seemed. They just kept silent. Minutes passed until one of them spoke.

“I love her,” Willow croaked with hoarse voice that trembled as if she was on the verge of tears.

Xander was confused, “What?”

Willow answered again in the small broken voice, “I love her, even after all these years.”

“You should have called.”

“What?” Willow asked tears running down her face.

Xander stopped, grabbed Willow’s hands and looked her in the eyes, “If you had called we could have had ages, you could have had ages with Tara. She loves you, but I don’t know if it is the best for you two to get involved.”


Willow was upset, her face contorted to one of anger, “Why not?”

Xander sighed, “Willow, you can’t have expected her just to wait for you all of these years. Hell, you must have met someone. You must have at least been interested in someone.”

Willow’s eyes turned black, she was fighting losing control. She clenched her fists. Blood started to ooze out because her nails were piercing the skin. She could let her anger control her.

“No Xander. There has been no one else. There never will be anyone else. She was, she is it for me,” she said trying to keep from slapping her brother figure.

Xander saw Willow struggling, but knew she needed to know the truth. He didn’t want to be the one to break the redhead’s heart, but he felt he had to spare her the pain of hearing it from a slayer in training instead of someone who knew how she would feel.

Xander once again took her hands, “Tara moved on years ago. About a year after you left she met this girl. They ended up getting rather close. She didn’t know if you were even alive at that point, so she started seeing this girl. About two years later she got married to that same girl.”

Willow’s face lost all color, “She’s married.”

“No, she’s not anymore. Andrea died three years ago,” Xander told her, releasing her hands from his tight grip.

Willow sunk from the couch to the ground and let out a wail that could only be considered inhuman.

“Why did you have to tell me this!” she cried, “You’ve ruined all it. I could have gone on pretending. I could have thought that it would be a possibility and I would have been okay. But you told me, you told me!”

Willow was now punching at Xander. Her sadness was filling every corner of the room. Objects on shelves and tables began to rattle and slowing everything started to float and spin around the two in almost like a cyclone. It was a maelstrom of grief and anger.

“I’ve lost her, everything I ever had going for me was the moment when Tara would look at me and I was wonderful. You told me, and now I know that will never happen again. She’s my everything, she was my everything. And now you tell me she’s moved on,” she was still crying but the objects flying around the room had fallen to the ground.

“I am sorry,” was all Xander was able to whisper to the heartbroken witch.

No, you’re wrong,” Willow said gaining her ground again. “Dawn said I had a chance. I am not going to throw all my hope away because you think she’s moved on. She is not married anymore, and hasn’t been for years. I will fight for her if I have to.”

“Will…” Xander began.

“No,” she interrupted, “I will get her back. You say she’s moved on. Well that was when I wasn’t around. Now maybe, after all this time, we’ve grown enough into the people we are meant to be that we’ll be compatible again. If we are not it is not because I have stopped loving her. It will be because we have grown into people that can’t recognize each other anymore, and if that is the case I will happily let her go. But, even if that is the case, Tara was it for me. I don’t fall in love with anyone I feel in love with one girl, and that is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with.”

Somewhere outside the door during this conversation sat a young woman smiling. She knew that despite what had happen the two would return to one another and finally be together again and she would have the two people who had been like her parents for as long as she could remember them. She did need some more people at the family table. Plus Xander didn’t count as family since she use to have a crush on him. Yes, Dawn would have her family back together again.

_________________
"When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark if he ever for one moment, accepts it. Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Not today. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call... everybody lives." River Song - "Forest of the Dead"


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 9:39 pm 
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6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Sun Jul 27, 2008 10:43 am
Posts: 434
Dibs.

Great chapter. There were a few spelling errors, but I like the story.

It seems weird that Xander would be so against Willow trying to win Tara back. I can understand him wanting to make her aware that Tara has changed, but his phrasing made to sound like he doesn't think Willow has a chance and that he's surprised she still wants Tara. Hopefully there's more to the story, such as Xander becoming good friends with Tara and helping her move on after Willow left and he doesn't want to go through that again. (BTW: please feel free to take the idea if you don't already have one. Just make it so actions back up the words :) If this was your idea to begin with then I feel proud to have guessed correctly.)

Summer's coming up, so if you want me to proof read, I'll be available after May 5th. If you already have a beta, I understand.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

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"Not everyone wants to graduate high school at age 16 and college at age 19 and have our first IPO by age 20. Some of us want to waste precious minutes, hours, days, and weeks rotting in front of the TV." - Survivor Ash Island By JustSkipIt

Buffy: Hi. Willow right?
Willow: Why? I mean hi. Did you want me to move?
First sign of adorable Willow "Welcome to the Hellmouth"


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 Post subject: Re: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:37 pm 
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10. Troll Hammer

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Yes, the ocassional missing words and other style quirks are a bit jarring but don't stop the flow of the story.
Willow's reaction to Xander shows she's still a work in progress, which you had already made clear at the get-go. Very plausible. And maybe his caution to Willow not to get her hopes upp too much is partly to protect Willow form being hurt again. (Now I've got ABBA's "Move On" stuck in my head :-).)
Did Willow *really* mistake a butch gal for a guy? Or was that not Dawn's fiance standing next to her? Regardless, I'm eager for us to meet this young lady.

And I can see Tara using a physical approach to express her displeasure with Willow.

_________________
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: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Wed Apr 27, 2011 5:34 am 
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10. Troll Hammer

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And whose grave did Willow visit on her Sunnydale zoom-thru?

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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: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Fri Apr 29, 2011 4:48 pm 
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32. Kisses and Gay Love
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Wow. Willow's got an edge to her. I have to say I'm glad to read that Tara moved on. I mean we all love W/T and there are all these stories where one or both of them just pines for the other which seems romantic but it also is pretty sad. I mean 10 years is a damn long time. I'm glad that Tara found someone she cared about. Sure her wife is conveniently dead now so Willow can win her back but if she can't control her anger just hearing Xander say that Tara moved on, maybe she doesn't deserve her back. Harsh huh? Well... ok. Yes, harsh. I know that they will get back together but not with that "I will have her!" attitude. Tara's not a trophy. She's a woman and a powerful witch. So Willow needs to fall back in love with the woman Tara is now.

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 Post subject: Re: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 7:49 am 
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Ms. Moderator Fantastico
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Hi! I sent a PM, but I wasn't sure if you received it. Congrats on posting a fic on Pens! I have one small request: please put proper disclaimers on your fic. Some examples can be found here, in our board FAQs. It's also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the content there, as it lists all the information about posting on the KB. Thanks!

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 Post subject: Re: Sheets (Updated 4/25/11)
PostPosted: Tue May 03, 2011 9:36 pm 
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1. Blessed Wannabe
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I really like this story so far, I think the portal thing is really cool, and I loved the part in Chicago since that's where I'm from originally.

The other thing I really like is Dawn with a butchie. With all the femminess of Willow and Tara, and when Faith and Buffy get paired them too, it's nice to see a real butch for a change. I really like it.

Willow's outburst at Tara having moved on and gotten married while she was gone was a little weird but I guess not totally implausible. I'm really interested to see how their reconnecting will go. Also, I really like that Tara moved on in the meantime, it gives their story now such a different aspect than all the stories where the characters are in the same psychological/emotional places as in the series.

Thanks!

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