TEMPUS FUGIT -- Absolute Zero (S4)

[lipkandy]

wow more feedback! I'm always awed by the Kittens' generosity. hmmm, where to start?



I do feel like I should give some kind of warning so, here goes: you've all read my other fics so you know that things are typically not as they appear in the tempus fugit AU right? W/T will definitely be getting back together, but there will be complications and...complications. nothing too angsty I promise (no deaths, injuries or crying, depressed retreats after I-love-you-explosions), but still.... I just wanted everyone to be 'warned' 'cause it just wouldn't be me if it was all simple and the cold snap was just a cold snap or some priest with a stick and faith was all sweet and cuddly right?



jixer hey jix! I know, I was right there with you on Aly. as soon as Tara decided on the ambush after chemlab, the fact that Aly was in the class hit me (from S4) and she just showed up to slime all over Tara. but it forced our blonde to be a little more assertive so...all is good. and I've been meaning to post on your short fics thread. the story about Willow as a laid off dot.com (Never Catch a Break, I think) worker and Tara's accident has stuck with me for months. wow,that hit close to home! and the end line:

Quote:

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"I did once," Tara said. "The best."

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really resonates. just...wow. and I'm realizing now that I should have posted this on your thread. can we get a repost moderator in here!



justin hey! yeah, the whole demon thing is tricky 'cause the Scoobs are so used to just pushing harder when they don't find the answer right away. my brother's a doctor and there's an old thing about not looking for the zebra when it's a horse or something (basically, that 99.999% of the time the symptoms indicate something normal and not the exotic), but I think the Scoobs are always busy looking for that zebra.





hey Big Dummy ! heh. I'm always relieved to see that you're still around and enjoying. you're one of the litmus' tests of 'am I getting this right'? and yes, rockier...definitely, but that leads to more sweeeeet reunions.

Quote:

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BTW, you have captured the art of Willowbabble to perfection.

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thanks but that could have something to do with the fact that I overidentify with a certain redhead. and Faith? heh. she's the big spanner in the works as usual.

Quote:

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Till your next fabulous installment

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ack! and thank you! but ack! the pressure!



good2kats and thank you for the fabulous feedback! and I'm not sure I capture W/T so much as channel them...or maybe translate? I know it probably sounds crazy, but it really is like they're talking to me. and in Willow's case it's a LOT of talking.



xomel

[JustSkipIt]

Lipkandy,



Wow and also amazing. I love this update (or is it two updates?). I’ll kind of go in order:



Willow’s dreaming of the other reality is so wonderful, particularly given the power of s7. To know the truth and also of the other realities as they are merging with this one in what seems to be the only way that they can right now. I’m really glad that Willow resolved to see Tara again too. Glad that it’s not just Tara…



This is absolutely hysterical:

Quote:

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"How should I know? I told you, I try to avoid those guys. Deadly boring. All they want to talk about is how great Fenrir is. Fenrir this and Fenrir that. Who cares!" she threw up her hands and stared intently at Buffy.

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Love Anya here…



But what really strikes me about the Giles’ encounter is that Willow is so distanced from the others. In Cannon and most stories, it’s Buffy and Xander and Giles who are completely obvlious to Willow’s pain and isolation. But here it seems to me that the fault goes both ways. Willow is obviously so separated from her friends that she can’t even figure out what is going on with them. And Buffy seems to be trying to do the friend thing and Willow won’t let her in.



Then part 2 (?). I love it and love it. Tara is so wonderful and active and powerful. Her premeditation is wonderful, something we would normally expect from Willow but instead see it from Tara.

Quote:

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If I were Willow I would have planned for this possibility. Probably in green ink.

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Brilliant! But the way Tara overcomes that possibility is wonderful and pure Tara as opposed to avoiding it like Willow would have. “See Tara,” I want to say, “your love and poetry is as strong as her planning.” But I also love that Willow is brave enough to not take the easy out. She says that she meant exactly what she said so it’s like teamwork to move them forward.



And Faith waking up with the ChapStick! Brilliant.



So here’s the thing: I have this little voice at the back of my head that says I’ve figured it out and I understand what you’re doing and where you’re going and that little voice says it feels so proud of me. Except… I don’t think it’s that easy and you’re too good a writer (make that great a writer) to make it easy and I’ve never been good at figuring stuff out. So I find myself just settling back and waiting for you to do this wonderful thing you do.

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Go Cubbies!

[the vamp nurd]

I get it I think.



Minor brain confusion aside, great story.

~Rachael~



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





Bardlet no #27

[Sleek]

lipkandy

I have a soft spot for Willow babble and the "evil ice cream demon…Rocky Road Apocalypse" and "are bagels suggestive? With the hole?" was just pure, delightful Willow!



I admire your attention to descriptions (like stepping into Gile's apartment is like stepping into England, scent of leather bound books, etc.) and not to mention the descriptions of W/T interactions. Wonderfully woven words.



But I like zany Willow best, and tormented Tara is something hard to read, but I know she'll be un-tormented soon and find out the un-truth behind the demon story and all. I also like the mystery involved with Faith and it's connection to the big chill on the Hellmouth. And Riley is here? (Sleek pulls a disgusted face). Nothing personal, I just have a Riley problem. But the rest of the story is totally problem-free. Can't wait to more! Sleek

[allykat]

Update soonish please please please?

Edited by: allykat at: 11/10/03 2:43 pm

[lipkandy]

sorry for the delay, real life decided to get a little too real recently. so allykat I'm aiming for another update this weekend if I can manage to elude visiting family, work and sickliness long enough. and I'll respond to the wonderful feedback then when I have (hopefully) half a brain.



xomel

[allykat]

Hey lipkandy! Thanks for the response! I know how life can get sometimes.. I was just missing my Tempus Fugit fix..

I can wait... I think... I hope...



Greetings, allykat

[Tempest Duer]

I hope you find your whole brain... the better to write fic with.

I believe in the madness called "now."

[Marilda]

Marilda streaks through the thread holding up a poster that reads, "UPDATE!"

[lipkandy]

I wanted to get something up, so it's a relatively short update...for me. so, enjoy! I hope.



The usual disclaimers and copyrights...yadda, yadda, yadda.



Part 5

Willow sat with the comforter tucked around her, inhaling the scent of Tara with every breath. Her eyes closed as she leaned back against the headboard and let herself get lost in sandalwood and something else…jasmine? The blonde witch had insisted she take the stripey scarf for warmth and she had finally acquiesced only after Tara had reassured her repeatedly that she had another in her dorm room.



Can't have Tara catching a cold just so I can be all perv-y and smell her all day…and probably all night, she smiled. Because she definitely intended to sleep in the comfy wool scarf unless, maybe, she could manage to swing an invitation to spend the night in Tara's cozy room. Just for warmth, of course. Double the body heat and all. Lots of body heat and it would probably get so warm under the blonde's down comforter that they would have to take off some clothes and…



Okay stop with the naughtiness already! Tara said she needs time and that's what I'm giving her. Although we still haven't established exactly how much time…and she probably doesn't think about me that way anyway. And, hey, I don't even think that way! I'm very seldom naughty it's just…those dreams! Naughty subconscious! I mean, where does it even get this stuff? Dirty, dirty mind! She scolded internally. Must be sneaking off to read smutty books when I'm not looking or something. I didn't even know I knew about that…thing…with the…fingers and…besides Tara said she's still a virgin. But how is that possible? She and that Cordelia-clone were pretty cozy. Maybe lesbians have a different definition of virgin? Oh yeah! Maybe I should look that up.



Even as she began to type the words into the search engine she began imagining the images and illustrations that probably would go along with such a description and swallowed hard.



Okay, maybe later. After Tara's had her time or whatever. But research. If you're going to be a lesbian you need to do research. They might have special rules or something. Some sort of Sapphic Protocol and you're gonna look all Madame Butterfly up on stage flubbing your lines with your parents in the audience and…



Startled by her own internal ramblings, Willow glanced at the stack of magic research and closed the laptop. Lesbian research would have to wait. Until much later. When it was dark. And there was absolutely no chance of Buffy walking in on…things.



She let out an exasperated sigh and looked around guiltily as if someone could read her thoughts or worse, could see her certainly flushed face. Not that anyone was there. No, Buffy, her best friend and confidante was most definitely missing in action again. And it wasn't even 'Riley Time'? Or was it?



A look at the clock revealed the time: 5:30. So, almost 'Riley Time' which meant Buffy was probably off getting dinner without her so she could go straight to her boyfriend, then to Patrol. Another sigh and she eyed the magic books stacked neatly beside her bed. At least research would kill some non-Tara time. The blonde had agreed to go for coffees after the afternoon Scooby meeting and Willow had agreed, ecstatic at the time. But now it just seemed interminable. At least ten hours and possibly even eleven or twelve if it turned into a marathon Scooby session.



Frowning she picked up a book and thumbed through a few pages on Ragnarok and Fenrir. Still no mention of the ice wands, but this was a much more detailed account of the terrible Nordic battle at the end of the world. Fenrir's father, the trickster god Loki at the helm of the ship of the dead leading the giants into a battle with the gods, elves, dwarves and…



Which sounded kinda like The Lord of the Rings. That was a weird coincidence. Picking up a paperback copy of Edda, the Norse story of creation she flipped casually and immediately landed on the name 'Gandalf'. Okay, maybe not such a coincidence. That thief! Did he even footnote?



She shrugged off her momentary irritation at Tolkein's apparent plagiarism and re-examined the relevant details. There were a few passages about Fenrir's captivity. He was held apparently by some super-strong, super-thin stuff called Gleipnir that was capable of holding a god.



So how are these ice stick guys gonna break that if a god can't even do it?



Earthquakes. It was there on the next line. And what was Southern California famous for? She thought she had felt a tremor this morning walking with Tara, but she had chalked it up to the general weakness and fluttery feeling she got whenever the blonde was around.



So, okay, these guys were probably going to use magic to set off some earthquakes and open the Hellmouth to let this Fenrir guy out and…how was this related to the winter thing and the 'broken spell'? Not to mention, hadn't she read somewhere that somebody else had to eat the sun and the moon first?



Paging irritably through the tome, she looked out the window to make sure the sun was there. Yep. Still there although going down pretty quickly.



She made a few notes in blue ink (for those icy Nordic types and of course, for the blue eyes that had sparkled while telling her about this stuff in the first place) and another in pink to remind herself to ask Tara about the Old Norse translation. Maybe it wasn't 'broken spell' at all and she and Giles were hunting down the wrong path.



And I should probably call her tonight…just to make sure. Not just to hear her voice. I wonder if there's a spell to speed up this time she needs?



She remembered the recent 'My-Will-Be-Done' curse that had gone awry and shuddered. Definitely not wanting to repeat that. She wasn't sure she could bake that many cookies if it happened a second time.



Checking her brand new clock she noticed with satisfaction that it was now 6:45. Just in time for her hourly trip down the hall to wash her hands and maybe get some chocolate-y goodness from the vending machine.



A glance at the phone and she decided she'd rather postpone her trip down the hall in favor of Tara goodness. Besides, she had a very good reason for calling. She needed that translation. Really.



"H-hello?" Tara answered the phone and Willow smiled at the hesitant but beautiful sound of her voice. It was so cute and endearing and yet sexy at the same time and…



"Hello?"



"Oh! Sorry," Willow blurted out. "Tara I was just…did you know that The Lord of the Rings is a blatant and I mean blatant ripoff of the Edda? That's just so…how could he? Even the names! I mean, hello, Gandalf is in, like, the first few stanzas," she wasn't quite sure where the sudden babble was coming from. Probably the fact that she'd been caught daydreaming about the blonde again. By the blonde herself.



Her babble was cut short by the sound of a low chuckle on the other end of the line.



"Willow?" Even Tara's chuckling was sexy and the way she said her name…the redhead was sure she would swoon if she weren't already sitting on the bed.



"Oh! Yeah! Sorry. That would be me. Willow." She shifted the phone from one ear to another and tried unsuccessfully to lower her internal temperature. The room didn't even feel cold anymore, so she was definitely blushing at a Rudolf the red nosed reindeer sort of level. "But you probably already know that now…from the babbling I mean."



Another low throaty chuckle and the blonde cleared her throat. "Um, yeah. B-but I wouldn't exactly call Tolkein a, um, a th-thief. Wagner did it too you know. And even M-Mozart. Plus, I th-think calling Tolkein a thief m-might get you stoned to d-death by the D&D guys d-down the hall."



"I know…" the redhead grumbled with an amused smile. "I just thought…I mean, it's The Lord of the Rings! And wait, there are D&D freaks down the hall?" She yelped, looking at the door in fear.



Another long musical laugh and Willow felt the fear and cold slip away. She was struck by a sudden revelation. "Hey, maybe they're the guys with the ice wands!" It had sounded much more plausible when it was still floating around up there in her mind. "I mean, you know, they're all sneaky and beady-eyed and you know they probably got them off the internet. They probably meet somewhere in cloaks and beat drums and chant to Thor or something."



"Um, Will, I think if Carl saw an actual s-spell or m-monster he'd probably wet himself." So Tara was on a first-name basis with these potential Fenrir wannabes? And Carl? She sounded awfully chummy with this nefarious dice-roller. The redhead knew the blonde was gay, but still. She could feel the jealousy rising up hard and fast.



"Carl?" It came out much snarkier than she intended.



"Oh, um, y-yes." The blonde stumbled, obviously upset by Willow's tone of voice. She felt guilty immediately. "C-C…he was in my R-Roman History c-class last year. W-We used to s-swap notes."



That should have been a comfort, but it wasn't. Tara apparently had forgotten the sanctity of the redhead's notes. Willow wouldn't even allow Oz to borrow her notes, xeroxing them instead and highlighting the important parts for him. Yet here was the beautiful blonde just loaning her precious notes out to every D&D geek on the planet letting them touch them and hold them and god only knew what else. She would have to check up on this guy, Carl. Definitely.



"Willow?" All of the anger drained away with that word on those lips. She sighed and smiled into the phone.



"Oh. Yes. Sorry. I just…" a knock at the door brought her out of her deep reverie. "Hold on a sec, baby." It was out of her mouth before she could check herself and she wasn't even sure where it had come from. Baby? She'd never called anyone that in her life. Her face felt like a blast furnace. Maybe the blonde hadn't noticed? There was no sound on the other end of the line. Just the soft strains of whatever music Tara was listening to. "Come in." She yelled a little too loudly and the door opened wide to reveal the gigantic figure of Riley.



"Oh. Hey Willow. Is Buffy around?." Not even an attempt at polite chit chat or even a 'how are you doing, Willow', The redhead just stared at him for a few moments as her brain tried to shift gears from her slip with the blonde witch to the soldier's presence. Because something was wrong. And she wasn't sure what it was yet, her brain still hung up on that one word: Baby.



She said she needed time and you're being all pressure-y and…what the frilly heck is Riley doing here during 'Riley Time'?



That was the wrong thing. The very wrong thing. She shivered suddenly feeling the cold. Riley's breath was a soft mist as he exhaled in the room.



"It's Riley Time," she smiled hoping he would go look for his girlfriend and get on with whatever they did.



"What time?"



"You know, you and Buffy. Six to nine every night." His forehead furrowed and she saw the muscles in his jaw clench and understood suddenly that he didn't know. And that meant Riley time wasn't Riley time. And Buffy was lying. To everyone. But if it wasn't Riley Time what time was it? "Oh yeah! Sorry, I forgot, um, she's… a-at the Lesbian Alliance meeting!" Okay, where did that come from?! The frown on Riley's face deepened so she began a desperate scramble to explain her best friend's whereabouts. "Because her friend…T-Terry is one. A lesbian, I mean. Because obviously Buffy isn't of the gay. I mean, look at you. And she and you do…non-lesbian…things. All the time. Not that she tells me what you do because I mean, ew…and not that I know what lesbians do because why would I?" she trailed off awkwardly and managed a pathetic smile. The phone was slick in her sweaty grip. She hated lying. And she didn't even know why she was lying. And she was pretty much one hundred percent sure that Riley knew she was lying. Heck, who was she kidding? Even her totally oblivious mother could tell she was lying on this one.



Riley put his hands in his pockets and looked at the floor. "Well, could you tell Buffy I stopped by? You know, when she gets back from the Lesbian Alliance meeting." He gave her a tiny, sad smile and turned to leave shutting the door quietly behind himself.



Willow slumped down into the comforter. She didn’t know whether to feel hurt or angry or just betrayed. It didn't make any sense. Why would her best friend sneak out every night and lie about it? And who was she meeting? A guy? But wouldn't Buffy have told her if she'd met someone else? It wasn't like she was the president of the Riley fan club or anything. So, mainly hurt.



"Willow?" Tara's voice small and far away. The phone! She'd forgotten all about it.



"Hi…Tara. Sorry…about that. I just.,,," she didn't finish the sentence because she didn't know how.



"Are you okay?" Not is Buffy okay? Or Xander. The blonde had asked if she was okay. Had she heard? Probably. Willow hadn't covered up the receiver. She could almost see the kind look of concern on Tara's beautiful face. The thought of it made her relax a bit. Drove the pain a little farther away.



"Yeah, I just…why would she lie to everyone? And me?" Her voice rose uncomfortably, threatening to squeak at any moment then fell to a whisper. "I mean, I'm her best friend."



"She p-probably meant to, um, t-tell you. You s-said you'd both been r-really busy lately."



She smiled a bit at the blonde's gentle explanation then felt her forehead furrowing again, remembering the last time the Slayer had lied to them all. "But Tara, the last time she lied to us it was all kinds of bad. I mean, like, near-death experience bad. Why would she…and there's stuff I've been needing to talk to her about too, you know?" All of her frustration over the events of the past weeks suddenly caught up with her. All of that pain and confusion and no one to talk to. No best friend in sight. "I mean, I've got stuff…very important stuff… happening and she's running around with Mystery Man or whatever doing god knows what, but if she needs a spell or research you know she'll be all 'Willow do this' and 'Willow I need you to' and expect me to just drop all of my… stuff." She was so angry and hurt she could feel the tears burning her eyes.



There were a few moment of silence and she heard the blonde shift on the other end of the line. "I'm sure she w-wants to tell you. You're her best f-friend." The redhead couldn't help a snort of derision as she began to pick at some imaginary lint on the comforter. "I'm s-sure she would t-tell you if she, um, c-could. She l-loves you, Willow."



"Yeah, well, she has a funny way of showing it," she pouted.



"Is th-this 's-stuff' dangerous?" Tara asked carefully. "I mean, because if you n-need help…"



"Oh no!" she yelped, feeling guilty at the obvious fear in the blonde's voice. "No, nothing like that just…I just…" She paused to take a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I wanted to tell her about…us. And, well, everything."



"Oh."



Then it struck her that maybe 'time' meant there really wasn't an 'us' yet and she was being all presumptuous.



"Is that okay? That I wanted to…because I don’t have to…." She thought the phone might break apart in her hand she was gripping it so tightly.



"Th-that's, um, fine Willow. I just…I d-didn't think you'd want to t-tell anyone about…us." Tara interjected softly.



"Oh, I definitely want to tell everyone…on the planet. You know, when there's an us to talk about. If there's an us to talk about and a 'mine' and 'yours' even….but only when you're ready because… time. Time. That's what I'm giving you. I'm time-giving girl…and space because they're really kind of the same thing…."



"You know I m-meant what I said b-before," Tara said softly and Willow thought she could hear a crooked smile behind the words. Can you hear a smile?



"What?" The redhead breathed softly unsure of herself after the revealing chatter.



"Y-yours." She said firmly. "No matter what h-happens, Willow, I need you to, um, kn-kn…understand that I am… yours…always."



The redhead sat speechless, fingering the twisted cord and silently cursing the inventor of the phone. Alexander Graham Bell, she thought with growing irritation, You would be so dead, mister…if you weren't already…dead. Because this wasn't the kind of moment that should happen on the phone, they should be together, holding hands and gazing into each other's eyes.



But this would have to do.



"So am I." She said suddenly, a giddy smile making its way across her features. "Totally, completely, absolutely yours. In fact, I'm so yours I'm thinking of shrinking myself down to fit in your pocket or something."



A gorgeous laugh and Willow relaxed into the warmth of the comforter letting Buffy's betrayal slip away. "I th-think I prefer you, um, Willow-sized."



And it hit her like a thunderclap -- like all revelations about Tara seemed to -- that she was sitting here in a frigid room by herself talking into a piece of plastic and she had never felt so un-alone in her life. Not with Oz or her friends or her so-called family. That was what it meant to belong to someone and have them belong to you -- never being alone again.



Yours, she thought with a smile. Forever. And gave herself up without a second thought.



****



Buffy was sure she was having the most annoying night of her life. Nothing seemed to be going right. Her study session had run WAY over and now she was late for…everything. Her nightly schedule had become a tight series of events and any deviation threw the entire thing into chaos. It was infuriating. She had even begun writing things down in her filofax to keep up with it all.



Oh my god, I'm turning into Willow.



Rolling her eyes, she allowed a small smile for the first time in hours. Like she could ever be as efficient as her best friend. It just wasn't physically possible. Plus, slaying was never predictable. She had practically run away from her study buddies only to be ambushed by three wildly desperate vamps in a row on campus. Her smile faded at the memory. These vamps were like rabid dogs. No cunning, no strategy, basically a feeding frenzy. Her jaw tightened at the realization -- the Initiative. They were driving the vamps off their normal feeding grounds and throwing the entire balance of Sunnydale off. She couldn't even count on the cemeteries for fresh slayage anymore and was forced to widen her Patrol farther and farther each night. And factoring in occasional Riley time that meant about one to two hours of sleep a night. No wonder she felt like she might snap at any moment.



At least she was almost to the hospital. Her dreams the night before had centered on Faith, but they all did lately. Strange, vivid dreams of the two of them in strange conversations about Tara and someone named Dawn; and Faith, the two of them slaying side-by-side again with perfect synchronization and over and through it all an overwhelming feeling of dread. Something was off. Something big and she needed to get to the hospital and find out exactly what it was.



Making her way through the now familiar subterranean halls of the hospital basement she walked through the doorway into Faith's room and stood stunned in the emptiness. The Slayer was gone. Backing up carefully, she checked the door to make sure -- yep, right room. Trying not to panic she turned to the hall to find Paul smiling behind her.



"It's incredible isn't it?" He beamed happily. "She woke up this morning." Shaking his head in astonishment he adjusted the sheets on the empty bed carefully. "A miracle…"



"Where is she?" Buffy asked carefully unsure of herself. Part of her wanted to share his elation, but another jaded side was worried about the Dark Slayer loose again with her appetite for destruction.



"Oh, they moved her to a rehab facility," he looked confused now. "Didn't say where. I would have called you, but I didn't know how to get in touch…"



"It's okay." She interrupted a little too sharply, but he seemed unfazed. "Do you know how I could find out where she is?" she softened her tone and looked into his eyes. "It's kinda important that I see her."



Shaking his head, he looked away sadly. "Unless you're family…" he trailed off and returned his gaze to hers. "If I could help you I would, but I don't have access…."



Biting her lip she looked away in disappointment. There was no way to get the information. Unless, of course, she resorted to violence and threatened one of the nurses. But that was just too…Faith. She sighed. maybe Willow could hack into the records and….yeah, right. She couldn't ask the hacker to do her thing on the Slayer's file for the same reasons she couldn't tell her she was visiting her every night in the first place: this was the psycho Slayer that had held her best friend at knife's point only months ago.



"Thanks Paul," she murmured distracted and walked away. "For everything."



She was practically running by the time she hit the heavy doors, her mind churning through possible solutions: she could just pay a visit to every rehab facility in town or Willow might help her if she thought Faith was a danger…and she might be.



Which brought her around for the millionth time to the question that had been bothering her since she had begun these visits: why the hell was she even bothering?



Those dreams…



"Are just dreams," she muttered angrily to herself.



"Dreams, huh?" A deep familiar voice beside her. Her head snapped up to find Riley. She waited for the rush of warmth, but she was just irritated. One more distraction in a night full of them. All she wanted to do was track down Faith, but now…She sighed. And she couldn't even ask him for help because that would lead to a discussion of Angel and…everything. Besides the fact that she had no desire to go there at the moment, she just didn't have the time. "I can help with that you know. When you go for your Masters in Psych it's kind of a requirement."



A sheepish grin lit his features and she smiled in return, but only for a moment. The thought of a Riley lecture at that moment made her jaw clench uncomfortably. What was it about grad students anyway? Talk, talk, talk. Maybe it had something to do with the teaching thing or assistant teaching thing. Lectures. And when,, exactly, she wondered, had Riley's monologues gone from endearing to irritating?



Hello! Right about now, because time. You so don't have time to be psychoanalyzed by your boyfriend right now. And these are not the kind of dreams he's talking about anyway. These are Slayer dreams. Heavy prophetic weirdness.



"Nope. Thanks. No dreams here. Just the usual," she stumbled awkwardly for an excuse and noticed a strange blinking metal thing in hid hand and it hit her -- how had he found her? "Wait. Are you tracking me?"



"No. I mean, not technically. Okay, maybe just a little." His broad shoulders slumped slightly and she thought of Angel stalking her causing her temperature to rise. "I just. I haven't seen you in a couple of days and you haven't returned my phone calls, so…I worry."



"I'm the Slayer. You don't have to worry about me. I can take care of myself." She responded testily then softened as his expression turned to a sort of stunned puppy face. "Look Riley, I'm sorry," she reached out placing a gloved hand on his enormous shoulder. "I just, I have some stuff going on right now and with this whole Ragnarok end of the world cold thing going on I just…."



"Oh, the cold snap?" he nodded firmly, his shoulder's straightening into soldier mode. "It's just a weather anomaly. Our team's already analyzed the data and although it's statistically improbable…"



"Actually, we don't think it's just a cold snap," she interrupted, careful to keep her voice perky and upbeat. "Haven't you guys noticed an increase in magical activity or whatever you call it in military lingo?"



He shuffled his feet, forehead furrowing in confusion and something else she couldn't quite identify. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean the two are connected. And, not that it's any of my business, but who, exactly, is 'we'?"



Time. You're wasting time!



"Giles, Willow and Xander. You know, the royal 'we'." She answered jokingly, but noticed that he wasn't smiling. "Why? Who did you think 'we' was?"



"Nobody." He tucked the beeping thing in a thigh pocket and shifted his vest. "I don't know, Buffy," she said, exasperation creeping into his voice. "It's just…a week ago you couldn't wait to be with me and now I go by your room after three Buffyless days and Willow thinks you're with me." He paused briefly and shook his head. "She even made up some crazy story about you being at the Lesbian Alliance to cover for you." That was what the other thing was: hurt. He thought she was cheating on him. But, oh god, Willow.



"You talked to Willow?" she asked wide-eyed and he nodded. Closing her eyes, she brought her hands to her face and took a deep breath. "No, no, no." she mumbled into her hands. Things between them had been awkward at best for weeks, but this was sure to drive her best friend away. Possibly for good. It would definitely require a lengthy explanation tonight and she wanted to, but she was so busy. Maybe she could try the cookie-baking thing when this was all over. "This isn't happening." She mumbled and suddenly pulled her hands from her face, blurting out testily, "And believe me, they are connected! The cold, the magic." Until she was struck by a thought, "Have your guys seen any priests with big ice sticks?"



Shaking his head in confusion, Riley sputtered back. "What? No. I don't…you know what? We were talking about us."



She closed her eyes again and took a few deep breaths. She didn't have time for this.



"Look, Riley. There's no other guy. No other 'we', okay?" She turned and began walking away from the hospital and he followed. "But there is this whole Slayer thing I do and right now, I have an apocalypse to stop…"



"Buffy," he laughed. "Don't you think you're over-reacting? It’s just some bad weath…"



"Newsflash! This is the Hellmouth. There are no coincidences and there's no such thing as over-reacting," she said firmly and watched the patronizing smile fade from his face. There were several seconds of silence and she wondered if this was it. If he was going to finally leave her too.



"What can I do to help?" He exhaled and stared deeply into her eyes, finally reminding her why she liked him in the first place. But that brought a whole new problem: what could he do to help? The last thing she needed was a bunch of gung-ho Initiative guys fouling things up. She needed information. Fast. About Faith and the apocalypse and whoever these brand new freaks in town were and….



Bingo!



Reaching up onto her tiptoes she kissed Riley lightly and held his arms firmly. "Well, for starters, you can help me beat up Hostile 17 for info." Because if anyone would have information about the End-of-the-World Ice Capades it was Spike.



Raising his eyebrows, Riley wrapped his strong arms around her and smiled. "See, that's all I wanted. Just a little quality time with my girl."



They kissed and it was the same warm Riley kiss that had been so awe-inspiring only a week ago, but now…all she could think about was the Dark Slayer. Where was she? And, more important, what, exactly, was she going to do with her when she finally did find Faith?





TBC

Edited by: lipkandy at: 11/15/03 10:22 pm

[lipkandy]

oh, and a huge thanks to tinnakaren in advance for her help and incredible patience with me. her Old Norse translations don't appear in this update, but they'll make an appearance soon...as soon as Willow gets her head out of Taraland and back to research...or something.



and now I'm wondering... I just assumed tinnakaren, that you're a girl. sorry, if you're not. I mean, not sorry that you're a boy just...ack! Willowbabble. you know what I mean. either way. THANK YOU! I mean, takk fyrir!



xomel

Edited by: lipkandy at: 11/15/03 5:45 pm

[lipkandy]

okay, this is an update, but first...feedback!



justskipit thank you! you give the best frickin' feedback, which really should come as no surprise. and I agree that it needed to be a mutual decision. and the dreams...yeah, I think it's the other reality's (and this one's!) of saying, "Get on with it already!!!"

Quote:

---

“See Tara,” I want to say, “your love and poetry is as strong as her planning.”

---

I couldn't have said it better myself



and your little voice may be exactly right, but hopefully I'll be able to sneak at least a few minor surprises by you and the rest of the smartykittens.



the vamp nurd thanks! and you mean it's not all totally obvious?? I have this terrible habit of assuming everyone is privy to all the insanity inside my own head so...maybe it will clear up soon.



sleek hey! and thanks for the kind words about Willowbabble. I LOVE Willowbabble. and there will be plenty more of it because she just won't stop talking my ear off.

and...Riley. I know. believe me, my second least favorite character of all time. the first is unmentionable on this board so...you get the picture. but I wanted to be at least partially true to canon S4 so he'll be around... for a bit. but how long could he really last with Faith in the picture?



tempest duer thank you and I'm hoping for 45% today...but wait. dont' humans only use like, 15% of our brains anyway?? wow, so I must be at, like, 4%. yikes!



marilda streaking??! as in....streaking? with the nakedness and everything? hey, did you start updating your great fic again?? maybe I can pry open a few minutes this weekend to catch up. although, it's gonna take a huge crowbar and Slayer strength.



phew! okay, update...below.

[tinnakaren]

Lol, but yeah, I'm a self-declared breast gal, in the sense that I have a pair, myself.



And now I'm almost hoping my old norse tips won't make an appearance at all in this story if it means Willow will stay in Taraland permanently



The phone-call was absolutely adorable. Who doesn't want their own Willow in their pocket? Who can be transformed to Willow-size again at their convenience.

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

Tinna Karen

-tölvunörd í fyrsta ættlið

[Tempest Duer]

Oh yay! An update after so long! How exciting! Oooh and Riley is just so dumb.



But and are being all nice and flirty and stuff, and that's all yay and good. You are so much better at this than could ever hope to be. *sits patiently and waits for next update*



Oh, but can I have a pocket-sized Willow?

I believe in the madness called "now."

[TexanZeppo256]

Hallo!



I realize that most of my posts recently have been kinda bitca-ish, but I'd like to make up for that by saying that I absolutely love this fic: it is one of the great fics on this board that I check the board daily for updates.



I love this fic because I have always been a fan of the Tempus Fugit series. Though the angst in this portion of the series is somewhat less than its S7 counterpart, it is by no means a fluff piece, and as such I am a drawn to it like a moth to the big florescent light. I also love the profound differences between your take on S4 and the canon versions. I don't normally like to read stories that take place during S4-6 because they normally just retell the story that I've already memorized. But your story completely changes it, opening up new possibilities for the future, and that's what I'm really interested in. Possibilities. Finding a W/T universe that no one has thought of before and exploring it fully and completely, with nothing predetermined other than the fact that (eventually) our girls will be together and happy.



Did I mention that I also love this fic because of all the metaphysical bullcrap that I get to shovel while talking about it?



Anyways, just wanted to let ya know that I adore your fic.



Dosvidaniya!

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



There she is! There she is... ahh... Not so wounded as we were led to believe... So much the better. --Khan, "Star Trek II: WOK"



From The Land of Tolerance,

---The Texan Zeppo

[lipkandy]

so quick feedbacl feedback



tinnakaren heh. kinda figured you were of the fairer sex although would never assume you were a breast girl 'cause that would make an ass out of...well, you know.

and pocket-sized Willow. actually, I have to give cred to witchpunk on that one. not that she's ever said that to me, 'cause tough, hottie punk girls never say things like that. ever.



tempestduer ah yesssss. the stupidity of Riley knows no bounds. and I'll apologize up front to you Riley-lovers out there (you know who you are), but he just gives me the wiggins. preachy, self-righteous *grumble, grumble* but he is a great foil for Faith. I mean, what a dud!!! if she wasn't one of the sexiest, coolest characters in the world already, put her next to Riley in a lineup and there's no contest.

and pocket-sized Willow's for all!!!



texanzeppo hallo! and no apologies. you know us thin-skinned, overly-sensitive writer types. I'm just glad you're still reading and liking. I know you were disappointed that there was no time travel in this one so it's good to know it's working for you on some other level.

yes, less angsty...so far. *evil grin* but the sh!t is about to hit the fan in the next couple of updates. I mean, even without Ragnarok you've got Faith awake and god knows where. and canon S4 don't even get me started! the whole season was pretty much unwatchable except for W/T and Faith's disappointing appearance. I mean, the Initiative??!! and Adam? and Riley with all that screen time? and *warning: major S4 spoiler ahead* the silly Matrix-y stuff with Buffy at the end. and Tara, a major witch isn't even in on the final big spell? WTF? I guess they couldn't find a fake Tarot card for her. *shaking head* the horror. the horror...or maybe they just didn't want to make it too easy for Buffy to actually defeat the totally unscary Big Bad.

oops. sorry. kinda went on a rant there. so, to summarize: it's really nice to rewrite S4, thank you very much.

and as far as the metaphysical 'crap' keep shoveling baby!!! I love it.



thanks again all for reading and writing!!! kisses.



xomel

[snuggle79]

Hey!



Oh wow, what a Willowbabble-fest!!

You made me laugh a lot here..

Quote:

---

But research. If you're going to be a lesbian you need to do research. They might have special rules or something. Some sort of Sapphic Protocol and you're gonna look all Madame Butterfly up on stage flubbing your lines with your parents in the audience and…

---

Willow's babbling in front of Riley was just awesome!

And I just loved Willow's and Tara's phone talk.

Espescially this line:

Quote:

---

"So am I." She said suddenly, a giddy smile making it's way across her features." Totally, completely, absolutely yours. In fact, I'm so yours I'm thinking of shrinking myself down to fit in your pocket or something."

---

How cute is that?



Buffy having weird dreams about some Dawn, huh?

Getting interesting there too.

Awesome update!

snuggle79

This is how everyday should end and start ..and all the stuff in the middle

The greatest thing you'll learn, is just to love and be loved in return.

[xita]

lipkandy, each one of your updates has this one moment that makes my heart beat faster, Willow's realization there at the end did just that for me. It's funny because I think in the usual canon retelling has them become a lot closer before the big admissions of love. Here Willow seems way more sure about herself and her feelings and the admissions are going both ways. I like it!



And Buffy and Riley and Faith, interesting.. wonder how that will play out. I feel bad for poor Riley but oh well! :P

- - - - - - - - - - -
"Hard work often pays off after time but laziness always pays off now!"

[allykat]

WOW! This is amazing!

Loved & 's phone conversation a whole lot! And Willow's babble... Always cracks me up!

Can't wait to see what will happen to Buffy, Faith and Riley..

Looking forward to the next update

[WTfan4ever]

"And it hit her like a thunderclap -- like all revelations about Tara seemed to -- that she was sitting here in a frigid room by herself talking into a piece of plastic and she had never felt so un-alone in her life. Not with Oz or her friends or her so-called family. That was what it meant to belong to someone and have them belong to you -- never being alone again.



Yours, she thought with a smile. Forever. And gave herself up without a second thought."



(I know I should make that like a real quote thing, with the long lines separating it and stuff... you know what I'm talking bout... but i kinda dont know how, so um, ya)



That was just beatiful, so well written. My heart did little flips... *sigh*



anyway, i just wanted to let you know that I am totally loving your fic

it's reall great so far, it was too cool seeing it on here cuz i read the other TF's, so ya...

thanx for this and more soon!



-kelz

[lipkandy]

wow! thank you all for the splendorific feedback. I was worried this update was too fluffy, so...thanks for the encouragement.



snuggle! I almost didn't recognize you without the

and I'm so glad I could make you laugh. actually, I had no intention of letting Willow call Tara when I started this scene, but she wouldn't be stopped. and pocketWillow...heh. well, she's just so cute and...well, you get it. and who wouldn't want to ride around in Tara's pocket all day?



xita sooo glad I could make your heart beat faster. and I had this huge soapbox-y response to your canon S4 point that thankfully got lost in the ezboard void. basically, yeah, it was really important to me that they admit their feelings first, especially after the exploitative turn the show took regarding lesbian sex. so... yeah, in my S4 happy place, Oz doesn't even figure in the equation and these two establish some solid emotional footing (since they're both completely vulnerable) before they get intimate. once Willow falls for the gorgeous soulmate blonde though it's gameover for wolfboy. no question.

phew! sorry for the rant. and, yes, poor Riley. but, hey, he said it himself, Buffy doesn't love him. she's just gonna figure it out faster this time.



allykat thanks!! yes Willow and Tara are too cute for frickin' words...and Buffy, Faith, Riley... well, Faith has a loooooonnnnnggggg way to go to redeem herself, so don't look for any quick fixes. although she's definitely gonna need a lot of hands-on help from her sister slayer



WTfan4everhey!! thanks! I'm so psyched that people are still reading the other TF's!! heh. my heart did little flips when I was writing it. but with the two of them, it's hard not to write the heart-flippiness, you know?



so, holiday insanity may or may not disrupt the timeline on the next update. who knows? my crazy and unpleasant relatives might just inspire me to go to my W/T happy place and write volumes. we shall see.



thanks again everybody!!



xomel

[JewWitch18]

darling, how I've missed you!



it has been a LONG fucking weekend, and not in the three-day ski resort way. so you can imagine how I feel right now seeing an update from you and knowing that I don't have time to read it. I'm astounded by my own inner discipline right now...but I have to get up in five hours to go to work. a double shift. sixteen hours with mentally unstable teenagers. if I don't go to bed right now, I'm gonna regret it-- but at least I have something to look forward to!



sweet dreams,



JW

Willow: Spirit of Sappho, I summon you. Come fill me with your big, dykey power!

--Final Exam by Tommo

[Minnie Mone]

You really know how to leave a girl wanting more, don't you.



That came out way worse than I intended!!!



I mean in the sense of how cute and sweet that phone conversation was. I love this fic! I love how I actually *don't* know what's around the corner for them, I want to know what's happening, what they're thinking and feeling and it makes it all the more exciting. And the other storyline between Buffy, Riley and Faith is also very interesting and perplexing. Can't wait to see where you go with that one!



Looking forward to the next installment!

[JustSkipIt]

Wow and wow,

I love this story. And did I mention (oh yeah, I did over in my thread) that TFS7 is my current favorite fan fic. I keep rereading it.



But this update is wonderful (and not short). First Willow babbling about what constitutes a lesbian virgin. A good question… And her mind does seem to be quite naughty. So glad that she calls Tara and their conversation is just darling.

Quote:

---

"I know…" the redhead grumbled with an amused smile. "I just thought…I mean, it's The Lord of the Rings! And wait, there are D&D freaks down the hall?" She yelped, looking at the door in fear.

---

just sets up…

Quote:

---

And Carl? She sounded awfully chummy with this nefarious dice-roller.

---

I was and then about the sanctity of notes? You’re crazy funny.

Quote:

---

"Oh, I definitely want to tell everyone…on the planet. You know, when there's an us to talk about. If there's an us to talk about and a 'mine' and 'yours' even….but only when you're ready because… time. Time. That's what I'm giving you. I'm time-giving girl…and space because they're really kind of the same thing…."

---

I feel like this is a very different Willow from before. I mean, yes she’s babbly but she’s so self-assured and outspoken about her lover for Tara. It’s like the undoubtable love from S7 is overwritten with this one so that she’s like 3 years from now in love rather than starting out in love. Does that make sense?



And I know that Buffy’s sneaking to visit Faith but why is she so secretive about Willow? Ok, yeah Faith = knife point girl and that’s not good. But I hear dark music playing that the two are keeping secrets. So openness and talking… That’s my recommendation for them (which is not necessarily my recommendation for you because you’re writing a wonderful work of fiction [and philosophy] while they are not). Well, that’s confusing.

---

"I was working on a proof of one of my poems all morning and took out a comma. In the afternoon, I put it back in again." - Oscar Wilde

[JewWitch18]

so...there is, ya know, a lesbian porno comic book series called small favors that features a pocket-sized girlfriend, who can make herself regular-sized at will. but sometimes they get funky even when she's pocket-sized. it's really very creative not to suggest that your sassy prose particularly resembles a girlie porno comic book-- but, hey, who wouldn't want a pocket-sized willow to call their own?



much with the sweetness in this update, mel. besides the pocket-sized willow, another of my favorite moments was the phone epiphany that being in love means you're never alone...so good, so true. and the classic babydyke moment of realizing you have no idea how to classify virginity-- I spent a whole summer agonizing over that one! and of course, willow being willow, you know she's going to straight to the books for an answer. I think she should pick up a copy of cunt in the next update-- then she can have a good long rant about phallocentric defintions of sexuality, and maybe it could come up in psych 101 and she could argue about freud with professor walsh.



and I'm really impressed by your ability to write a story that weaves in and out of cannon so well, and stays true to the essence of the season without being a regurgitation of what we already know. the overriding tension of S4 is the secret keeping between willow and buffy, and the estrangement around that-- and you've captured that perfectly, even though the secrets themselves are somewhat different. and speaking of secrets...WHAT'S GOING ON WITH FAITH?? you can't just throw out a cliffhanger like that and then just leave it hanging-- I'm all wiggy with the worrying! I know you can't tell these guys what to do (I believe you likened dealing with faith to "herding cats") but could you give buffy a nudge or two in the follow up on prophetic slayer dreams and find your other half direction?



(translation: more! soon! please?)



love, JW

Willow: Spirit of Sappho, I summon you. Come fill me with your big, dykey power!

--Final Exam by Tommo

[lipkandy]

ack! more feedback! I'm all aflutter...or atwitter...or something.



minnie mone hey chickie!

Quote:

---

You really know how to leave a girl wanting more, don't you.

---

ack! I hope not. okay, witchpunk's shaking her head so...I'm safe. in the real world at least. and I'm glad you liked the sweet phone conversation. I wanted it to be more angsty, but willow kept going all cute, so...

I'm glad everyone's still guessing about what's coming up next 'cause I've been terrified that it's too obvious. but then, I live in this crazy brain 24/7.



justskipit *sigh* your feedback is my new happy place. real life sucking? reread justskipit's feedback. and I really can't tell you how gigantic my head is right now from the compliment. favorite fic? and not just anyone's but your favorite fic. *swoon*.

I'm glad I could keep you laughing. I couldn't help myself on this one with the funny. I guess it's because life feels a little dark right now...plus, Willow, when she's nervous, tends to go there. and yes, you make sense about S7 sort of leaking into this season. those pesky dreams. I mean, how could she not be more bold when, in her mind, she's shared all of these intimate moment with Tara?

Quote:

---

But I hear dark music playing that the two are keeping secrets.

---

definitely. keeping dangerous secrets from your best friend...always of the bad.



jewwitch hey gorgeous! hahaha I had no idea there was a pocket-sized girlfriend thing out there. guess lesbian minds think alike or something. and I can just see the huge blush on Willow's face at the suggstion of pocket-sized naughtiness. heh.

Quote:

---

the overriding tension of S4 is the secret keeping between willow and buffy, and the estrangement around that..

---

god, I could just kiss you. nail. head. as usual. besides W/T that was really the only interesting thing about that season. and they resolved it so BADLY. so, I thought I'd take a swing at it. of course, it's gonna be more complicated now that Faith's one of the big secrets. I loved/hated that about Bad Girls. the way it captured that cruelty between girls. poor Willow left out of their Slayer games. and it's all gonna rear its ugly head again. only now the sexuality issue is even more prominent. plus, Tara's keeping secrets too.

and Faith. heh. don't worry about her. she's safe in the custody of the Council and you know they'll take GOOD care of her. *evil laughter*

sorry, couldn't help myself. you know Faith can't be held down for long. even I can't and I'm writing the darn thing. really. I wanted her to stay in a coma longer, but suddenly she was just like, no fucking way! I'm up now! you're the writer, deal with it. *sigh* herding cats I tell ya.



xomel

[Maccoda]

I tend to lurk and seldom post but I had to tell you that I LOVE this whole series. The plots are so original and the pace and dialog are perfect. Thanks for sharing your talent. I hope I can look forward to reading more Tempus Fugit stories as the possibilities are endless.

[jixer]

Hello Kittens-



I recommend TF to all Kittens with the flu. I'm just wondering how Willow will do in her research



Jixer

[ExtraFlameh Candlelit]

Hey, I actually starting reading this fic a while ago, but I couldn't find the time to reply...then I guess I stopped checking for a lil while because the busy-ness. But I'm back reading again, so all is well, I noticed the updates here instead of...at MysticMuse. Hehe, I have a small random comment about seeing one of my vocabulary words in Part 5, it was very odd to see a vocab word, but I guess that's good for me! Great writing, I've read all your works at MysticMuse, and it's all great. Well written with fun vocabulary . Silly me, well I hope to read another update as soon as one comes!



-Ellen

[EyesLie]

Faith giving you a hard time, Mel? Heh, girl did always have a mind of her own, but that's what we love about her, no? Can't wait to see where you're taking us with this one. You won't leave us hanging on that particular cliff to long will you??



As for having too much fluff.... while it is definitely possible, so not the case here, chica. You take a single person, alone, in a cold room, talking into a cold piece of plastic. But you transform it, it becomes a moment, all important in it's simplicity. Love means never having to be alone again. I love that. Just to let you know, you've brought a smile to end a very long hard day. Thanks muchly.



isha

"Love's bitch?"Spike asked softly, leaning in so only Willow would hear his words, a small smile turning the corners of his mouth"Woman enough to admit it," Willow agreed with a nod and a sad half-smile"-Answering Darkness,by Sassette