First Fic: The start of forever

[willowsgirl]

Title: The start of forever

Disclaimer: Joss W, I don't own anything, though Id really like to own a llittle bit of willow and tara!!

Rating: pg for now, but will progress.

Summary: I guess you could call this an AU fic: Tara moved to Sunnydale five years ago, and became best friends with Buffy and Xander. Willow is not from Sunnydale, but will be there soon. Tara and Willow meet by accident, and its the start of everything...

Feedback: Would be brilliant!



Be gentle, this is my first fic! Let me know if it's worth continuing at all. Thanks!



Chapter 1.



The young blonde girl loosely tied her hair and then lay back on the towel which rested on cool sand.

The peaceful sounds of waves whooshing up the beach washed over her as she closed her eyes, and she could feel herself drifting off into a daydream.

But her reverie was broken when two sets of footsteps came thundering towards her,

“Help me! Xander, get that away from me-I swear if you don’t, I’ll have to stop going so easy on you!” her friend Buffy exclaimed, threatening her friend with her true strength.

“You wouldn’t,” the boy answered, edging forwards, “Tara, don’t listen to her!”

A shy smile took over the blonde’s features at the mention of her name, and she shook her head, chuckling, “You’re not getting me involved,” but as Buffy was distracted by her words, Xander leapt forward and dumped the handfuls of wet seaweed on the smaller girl’s head. A fit of giggles overtook Tara at that moment; she’d never felt so happy. These people had been her best friends ever since she’d moved to Sunnydale five years ago, and she knew in her heart that she couldn’t have asked the Goddess for better. Well, maybe she could’ve asked for fewer apocalypses, but that was a different story.

Moving to live with her Aunt had been the break she needed. Her Father and Brother had spent seven years treating her like a slave, since her Mother had died of cancer when she was just five years old. Any longer and she knew that she would have been so far under their hold that she’d never have left. But that last fight had been too much, and she’d called her Aunt in a flood of tears, stuttering to get her words out. Her Aunt had simply said, ‘I’m coming to find you’. And she was found. Still painfully shy, Tara found it hard to speak her mind, and it didn’t help that when she was nervous she had trouble with her words. But not with these two; they knew everything about her and she felt safe with them, despite the dangerous world she was aware existed around them.

Now, she shielded the sun from her eyes and laughed out loud, a laugh so full of happiness that it made passing strangers smile. Buffy and Xander were involved in a full-on ‘play fight’ now, throwing sand and buckets of water on each other. She was glad they’d decided to take this vacation; now that they’d graduated from high school she needed a holiday before starting the pressures of college.

The sun bore down on her and she wiped her hand over her damp forehead.

“Hey guys, I’m just gonna get an ice cream, Ill be back in a sec,” she announced. Buffy acknowledged Tara’s comment and continued holding Xander in a headlock. Tara stood and shook the sand from her body, wrapping a sarong around her body. As comfortable as she felt with her friends, she still wasn’t confident enough to flaunt herself in a swimsuit in front of complete strangers. Taking her purse, she started to make her way to the café on the edge of the beach. There was a small queue, but she didn’t mind. She made a game out of guessing what each customer would order just by their appearance; assessing people was something she seemed to be quite good at. She ordered a large vanilla cone once she got to the front, and accepted it and the change in her hands, turning to make her way back. But just as she stepped forward, the person in the queue behind her turned around and walked straight into her full hands, causing Tara to drop everything.

“Oh!” Tara exclaimed, embarrassed at causing a scene.

“Goddess, I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I didn’t look where I was going!” the voice said quickly.

“I-it’s o-ok” Tara stuttered, and then looked up to see a pair of concerned green eyes washing over her. The girl was slightly shorter than her, with a slight frame and the most vibrant red hair cascading down to her shoulders. She was, in a word, beautiful. The other girl smiled and stepped up to the stand,

“Can I get a large vanilla cone to make up for my clumsiness,” she ordered, glancing at Tara as she spoke the words, “and also a strawberry split.” She handed over the money and turned, handing the cone to the blonde wicca.

“Y-you didn’t h-have to d-do that” she grimaced as she struggled with her stutter. Another warm smile from the redhead relaxed her though, and she returned it with a shy lopsided smile.

“I wanted to. I’m Willow, by the way,” the girl said, and offered her hand.

“T-Tara,” she said as she shook the hand gently.

Neither girl failed to notice the sparks that swept up their hands and into themselves as soon as they touched. Neither mentioned it, or any other words for that matter. They just let their entwined hands linger.



TBC



Willowsgirl xx

Edited by: BytrSuite at: 10/9/03 9:11 am

[justin]

It's a very interesting premise and I'm curious as to where you're going to take it.



So yes please, do continue.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[willowsgirl]

Thanks kittens, I guess I'll get that next update finished then! It should be up by tonight. Im still not sure exactly how far Im going with this, all I know is that it will be Willow-Tara centric, and while there will be mentions of slayer stuff, it will not play a large part of the story. Thanks for reading my lovelies!



Willowsgirl xx

[Mainer]

I really like what you've written so far. I can't wait to read more.





~Spencer~

"You can't type what a lesbian is. We're anything and everything. The one thing in common is that we make love to other women. So give up trying to limit us." - Amanda Bearse -

[willntlover]

Happy Tara!! What more could one want from a story?? Ohh, they're on vacation?? Cool.



-Will

"I think finding her soulmate would have made Tara a more confident and secure person" -Amber Benson

[willowsgirl]

Same disclaimer as previous chapter applies.

Thoughts are in < >



Chapter 2.



After a few seconds, which seemed like forever in her mind, Tara withdrew her hand from Willow’s grasp and fell to her knees.

“M-my change. I d-dropped it when y-you ran into me,” she stammered, still reeling from the effect that this girl had on her.

Willow merely nodded, and then began to help the blonde.

“So, er, Tara,” Willow made note that even this girl’s name sounded perfect on her lips, “are you just here on vacation, I mean, are you with family, or friends…not that you couldn’t be here by yourself, that’s perfectly fine too. Unless you’re here all alone and you don’t want to be, or maybe you’re here ‘cos you’re a serial killer who preys on girls at ice cream stalls and…whoa, you kinda need to stop me when I keep babbling on like this!”

Willow looked into Tara’s deep blue eyes, and could see a hint of laughter in them.

“Hey It’s not funny, it’s a serious condition!” she exclaimed, leading Tara into a fit of infectious giggles, which Willow soon caught. Helping Tara to her feet, Willow took a deep breath to try and compose herself.

“So you never did answer my question,” she proffered. Tara looked up shyly from beneath a curtain of hair, and her famous half-smile covered her features,

“Well, I’m c-certainly not a serial killer!!”



A little later, the two girls wandered back over the beach. Tara glanced briefly at the red head, taking in the curve of her mouth, the way her hair bounced on her shoulders, and finally the bikini which left little to the imagination. She was perfect. Tara had known many years ago that she was gay; she’d just had no reason to tell anyone. Buffy and Xander knew she was too shy to talk about crushes, and so they never went any further than teasing each other. She figured that if she ever found someone, then she would take the step and tell her best friends. For a fleeting second, she found herself thinking

“I’m here with my two best friends,” she ventured, and was rewarded by yet another smile.

“So all that willowbabble was for nothing, huh? That’s cool; I’m here with my parents. It’s a drag ‘cos we don’t really get along, but heck-it’s a free holiday!

“D-do you, er, maybe do y-you want to come m-meet them? My friends I mean,” Tara asked nervously, aware that she may be overstepping the boundaries having just met Willow.

“That would be lovely,” the redhead replied simply, and followed Tara’s lead to Buffy and Xander.



        The four got on brilliantly. Although Buffy and Xander could be hard to take sometimes, with their wacky humour and ‘in jokes’, Willow fit right in. Tara felt herself relax around the girl, and her stammer dropped as she became more comfortable.

The sun beat down on them, and the foursome grew increasingly hot.

“So, who’s up for a swim?” Buffy questioned, in her usual bubbly way-too-full-of-energy manner. Xander immediately jumped up and tore of his T-shirt. As they began to turn away, Willow was the next to stand. “Tara?” She offered her hand, and Tara took it allowing Willow to help her to her feet. She self-consciously untied her sarong and then followed Xander and Buffy into the sea.



thought Willow, her mind suddenly lighting up,

Willow glanced to her right at Tara and let her eyes travel quickly over her body, the way her swimsuit matched her blue eyes, and how it clung in all the right places. Especially her breasts.



She could feel a blush cover her cheeks.



her thoughts were interrupted by Tara’s voice. The blonde was standing with her feet covered in waves, while Willow was rooted to the spot, after her temporary brain overload.

“Are you coming?” the blonde enquired, a light edge of humour to her voice,

“Yep!” Willow squeaked.



TBC



Let me know what you think!!

Willowsgirl xx

Edited by: willowsgirl at: 6/29/04 3:49 am

[Mainer]

Great job. I really liked Willow's thoughts at the end, and her babble was great too.





~Spencer~

"You can't type what a lesbian is. We're anything and everything. The one thing in common is that we make love to other women. So give up trying to limit us." - Amanda Bearse -

[willntlover]

aww. that was too cools. Hee hee, poor Will all caught up in tara thoughts. yay fro the cool update!!



-Will

"I think finding her soulmate would have made Tara a more confident and secure person" -Amber Benson

[tara24alh]

ooh, I like what you've done here. Willow's thoughts on Tara's breasts, yum.

Hope to see more soon



~Tara~

[bluewillowwitch]

hey,

just read this story. love it. can't wait forthe next updat.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[justin]

That was a great update. I loved the Willow babble in that part.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[the vamp nurd]

ah Willow, the breast gal. :P











Love Willow babble.

Willow (with pointy ears): "NO kissing and gay love?!!!! That's illogical!" The Sci-Fi Bard W/T trekkie ramblings.



Bardlet no #27



"Why Mother because I won't be baking cookies for the mental patients at the county Hospital?" Alex It's In The Water

[sailor80]

Lovely fic. Sweet and romantic, and you totally nailed the willowbabble.

Love it, please keep on.

Mary Frances

"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will." - George Bernard Shaw

[willowsgirl]

Hiya guys, firstly I have to say thanks for reading, and for all your nice comments-makes me very happy

I'll try and post individual replies in the future, but for now I just wanna get this update up on the board. Thanks for reading, and any comments, questions..feel free to ask!

Willowsgirl xx



Same disclaimer as above chapters applies, thoughts are in <>



Chapter 3.



The day passed quickly, and the gang gathered their things and walked back along the beach. Willow tried to think of something to say; since she’d realized her attraction to Tara she’d been careful with her words, scared of giving herself away.

“So,” she ventured, “where are you staying? In a place nearby?”

“Yeah, we’re staying in the Calypso hotel. It sounds a little cheesy but…”

Tara’s answer was interrupted by an excited burst from the redhead;

“No way! I’m staying in the Calypso too! I guess great minds think alike,” she chuckled.

As they reached the hotel, they stopped awkwardly. Buffy and Xander said their goodbyes and began to walk through the foyer. Tara figured that it was now or never.

“Do you...Er, I mean, if you’re not doing anything. M-maybe do something later. Dinner with m-me and Xander, a-and Buffy, then we could get some drinks, maybe, or…”

She was again interrupted by Willow’s hand on her arm,

“That’d be great. Sounds like you might be catching a touch of Willowbabble there! I don’t really fancy another night with the parentals to be honest! So what’s your room number? I could come up about seven?”

Tara felt a warmth run through her; Willow liked her, she wanted to spend more time with her! She might not like the blonde in the way that she was increasingly feeling about the redhead, but it was certainly a start.

“Room 213, it’s on the third floor,” she said with a smile.

“Great, I’ll see you then...all of you; I’ll see you all then”

Then they walked in separate directions, each with an excited step at the thought of seeing each other later that evening.



Knock knock knock.



Willow stood outside Tara, Buffy and Xander’s room nervously, shifting from foot to foot. She was preparing what to say to Tara in her head;







Her babble was interrupted when an out of breath Buffy opened the door.

“Hi Will,” the blonde said, as if they’d been friends for years, instead of one afternoon. The redhead smiled in return, as Buffy gestured for her to enter. As she sat down the smaller girl dropped to the floor and continued her sit ups.

“She’s just doing that to show off.” Tara’s voice caused Willow to turn around, startled.

“Hey, you.”







The redhead thought, as she took in the tight jeans and midnight blue peasant top that Tara was wearing.



Tara thought, she concluded dismally. The girls’ comfortable silence was interrupted as Xander entered the room.

“So, ladies, where are we off to tonight? I don’t mind ‘cos I’m gonna be the envy of all the guys, with not two but three beautiful girls on my arm!”



“I don’t mind, but let’s find something to eat quick! I’m starving, and I’ve gotta keep up my slay...swimming strength,” Buffy stated loudly, as she re-entered the room. Willow had been so engrossed in Tara that she hadn’t even noticed the smaller blonde leaving the room.

“Yep, let’s go!” The man of the group said, leading them outside.

       

        After they had eaten, the gang went to one of the nearby clubs. It was kind of like a club that Tara sometimes went to in Sunnydale, called the Bronze. Not too big, but with plenty of atmosphere. Of course, she hardly noticed this; she was so absorbed in Willow.

“So, Tara, what are your plans for this year? Are you going to college?” The redhead tried to make intelligent conversation, despite the fact all she wanted to do was tell this truly amazing girl how she felt.

“Well, yeah I’m going to college. But I’m staying at home and going to UC Sunnydale, so not really f-far. What about you?”

“Well, I’m having some trouble deciding, but I think I’m going to UCC, to study computer science. I know, I sound like a geek!” Willow admitted.

“No you don’t, you sound just perfect.” The words were out of her mouth before Tara could stop them. She felt a blush start to rise, waiting for the look of disgust to cover Willow’s features. Instead, the redhead smiled and shrugged.

“Maybe I’m a perfect geek!”

At that moment, Buffy and Xander returned to the table, each holding two cocktails complete with paper umbrellas and sparklers.

“Oooh, more cocktails. And sparkly ones!” Tara smiled at the look of child-like wonder that lit up Willow’s face. These were their third drinks each, they’d found this place a few nights ago and had experienced no trouble with i.d. It was a shame that this was their last night before the trip back to Sunnydale.



        By the fifth cocktail, the gang were in high spirits. Other customers glanced their way in response to Buffy’s huge snorts of laughter, which erupted every time Xander spoke. It seemed that alcohol caused him to have completely incoherent speech, and it was causing a lot of giggling fits. At the end of this particular one, Buffy suddenly stopped laughing.

“Hey guys, I’m not really feeling so good,” she said in a meek voice.

“yeah, ya know,I’s not feeling so good either, Buffster,” Xander admitted, with a slur.

Willow and Tara looked concerned, both secretly hoping that this wasn’t the end of the night for them. Then an idea came to Willow,

“Hey, why don’t we walk you guys back to the hotel, and then Tara and I will stay out a while longer…to let you sleep it off. Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of her.”

Tara smiled at Willow’s quick thinking. The pair staggered up from the table and the two girls helped them home.



Chapter 4.       



When Willow and Tara left the hotel, the cool night air hit them and they simultaneously realized just how much the alcohol had affected them. Tara began to chuckle to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Willow slurred slightly.

“I just wondered who’s gonna throw up first out of them. They never can handle their drink!”

The redhead smiled, as evil as it was, the thought was just plain funny in her drunken state.

“So, do you want to go back to the club, or maybe just take a walk?” she enquired, not wanting to push things now that they were alone. Tara felt a wave of butterflies sweep through her stomach, at the sudden realization that they were, in fact, alone now.

“Let’s walk,” she said, and then began to walk in the direction of the beach. In a blaze of alcohol fuelled courage, Willow followed and took the blonde’s hand in her own.



        The moon shone down on the pair, enhancing the highlight’s in Tara’s hair and giving her an almost angelic quality. Willow admired this as they walked in silence. Neither felt the need to talk, each lost in their own thoughts. They reached a bench on the edge of the sand and sat down.

A small sigh escaped Willow’s lips.

“Willow, what’s wrong?” Tara asked, panicked that maybe she’d done something to upset the redhead.

“It’s just…it’s just that you’re going home tomorrow and it’s not fair. I wish we’d met earlier, you’ve made this vacation better than I thought it could ever be,” Willow admitted. A look of pure pleasure engulfed Tara’s sapphire eyes, as she realized that the other girl had enjoyed this time together as much as her. She looked at the hand in hers and rubbed her thumb over Willow’s palm subconsciously.

“I know,” she began, unsure how to continue. Filled with her Dutch courage, Willow interrupted again;

“And, and, Tara I like you. I really do. I feel like there’s some connection between us that I’ve never felt before, and I don’t know what it is, but I don’t want to let it go just yet. We might never see each other again, and I don’t know if I can handle that because…”

“Willow?”

“Because,”

“because you’re kind, and you’re sweet and you’re beautiful. I’ve never felt for any of my friends the way that I do about you, and I think it’s because I like you in a more-than-friendly kind of way.” She took a deep breath. “So now that’s out of the way, feel free to walk away, or slap me, or scream or whatever it is that you want to do because I know I could never mean to you what you mean to me, especially after only one wonderful day.” The redhead’s stream of Willowbabble was broken off by Tara’s soft voice.

“You do,” she said simply. The blonde was overcome with emotion after the words that the smaller girl had just confessed to her, and she knew that there was only one thing that she could do.

“W-willow…can I k-kiss you?”

“You don’t need to ask.” The words came out almost as a sigh.

Tara leaned forward and softly kissed Willow on her left cheek, and then the right; barely a whisper of a kiss. She then pressed her lips to the corner of Willow’s mouth, feeling the corners upturn slightly. Then she moved to the other corner, in an agonizingly slow trek. Finally, she allowed her full rosebud lips to touch Willow’s for the first time. The shock of sensations pulsed through them both, and Willow almost groaned as she pressed her lips more insistently against Tara’s.







Neither was aware of who deepened the kiss, but they slowly became aware of their tongues gliding against each other, and of the sweet taste that exploded in their mouths. Tara’s hands became lost in the red silkiness of Willow’s hair, and the kiss continued until oxygen became an issue for them both. They reluctantly parted, and neither girl could help a beaming smile from covering their features.

“Well, that was…” Willow began.

“Sure was,” Tara agreed.

Sapphire locked onto jade and they stared into each others eye, their mind’s reeling at the newfound information.

The night passed by in a rush of chaste kisses, and as quickly as it had begun, it had to stop. The girls walked slowly back to the hotel, hand in hand.

At the door to Tara’s room, they came to a standstill. Tara looked at the floor, her hair falling to cover her face. Willow softly brushed it away, and kissed the blonde’s face where her fingers had been.

“I guess this is it,” Willow finally let the words escape her mouth. Tara simply nodded, and then said, with a catch in her voice,

“Do you think I’ll see you again?”

“One day, Tara, I know we’ll see each other again. This can’t have been for nothing.” Tara slowly nodded her head a second time, unsure of what to say next.

They shared one final, sweet kiss and then Willow walked away, holding onto Tara’s smooth hand for as long as possible, their eyes saving one last memory.

As Tara unlocked her door, she turned back to where Willow was walking away, holding back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Thank you for a perfect day.”



TBC



Dont worry, I promise its not the end...

[justin]

This is a really sweet story.



Hopefully meeting Tara will help Willow decide which college to go to.

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[LostWithoutTara]

I love this story. Great humour (loving the Willowbabble and drunken Xander/Buffy) and a really sweet development between Willow and Tara



Moonlit beach… how romantic…



Keep up the good work!

[Stroke of Luck]

Ah that was , I hope they will see each other really soon.



I hope Willow goes to Sunnydale I want to see them happy



Great story want to more really soon.



Cu

SoL/Natti



You'll follow your heart and don't worry about me."

"You're part of my heart."

Gabrielle and Xena in "Ulysses

[bluewillowwitch]

NOOOOOOO! You have to have and together. You can'tdothisto me. Can't wait for the next update.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[willowsgirl]

Hiya peeps, just thought Id say a few thankyou's to start my day...

JUSTIN: I'm glad you like the story, and yes, you're on the right lines about Willow deciding which college to go to.



LOSTWITHOUTTARA: Thanks for the great comments, wasn't sure if it was funny at all so I'm glad someone appreciates my humour! I'd like to say I took the moonlit beach scenario from experience, but...I didnt



STROKE OF LUCK: Don't worry, our girls will be seeing each other again soon (ish). Well, in a couple of chapters anyway!



BLUEWILLOWWITCH:Please dont cry, I promise theyll be together soon!



There will be an update today!! Infact, typing these comments are delaying it, so Im going now!!

Thanks very muchly,

Willowsgirl xx

[willowsgirl]

Hey guys, just a short update here, I promise there'll be more up later-sorry this one lacks smoochies of any kind

Willowsgirl x



Usual disclaimer applies. Thoughts are in < >



Chapter 5.



The following morning Tara woke with a smile on her face. She closed her eyes and let memories of the previous night stream through her mind. It was, without a doubt, one of the best nights of her life. The connection that she had felt between herself and Willow had caused everything else to become a blur, it was so strong; and it had only amplified when their lips had touched. In her sleepy state, Tara brought her fingers to her lips and touched them gently, as if a part of the redhead may still linger there.

It was at that point that she realized that there was nothing left of Willow with her, that she may not even see her again in her lifetime. The smile dropped from her face and the blue depths of her eyes filled with unshed tears.



She thought dismally. The blonde glanced at the clock on the bedside table of the hotel room, and realized that herself, Buffy and Xander would have to leave soon. She slowly moved from the bed, and lifted her heavy feet to walk through to the kitchen.

        The sight of Buffy sitting with her head on the table brought a slight smile to Tara’s face.

“A little hung-over Buffy?” she asked, desperately trying and failing to keep the amusement out of her voice. The blonde heard a small groan and then Buffy’s sheepish voice,

“Eurgh, you could say that. You don’t have to sound so smug about it though! I’m never drinking again, and I mean it this time,” she groveled. At that moment Xander practically crawled into the kitchen, looking a little green.

“Never again…alcohol is evil,” he muttered, “I was throwing up for hours.”

thought Tara.

Trying to lighten the mood, Buffy attempted to make conversation;

“So what did you and Willow get up to after you dropped us invalids off?”

The smile dropped from Tara’s face, as she remembered again that not only had she got the girl, but she’d managed to lose her too; all in one night.

“Nothing much, went back for another drink, took a walk. Nothing special really,” she lied, the tone of her voice dropping to sound almost harsh. The blonde felt bad lying to her best friends, but as far as she was concerned; what was the point in telling them all about the previous night when nothing would come of it anyway?

“Sor-ry, who got out of the wrong side of bed this morning?” Buffy teased. Tara realized that she’s been unreasonable.

“Sorry Buff, it’s just got me down that we have to go back to normal life today. Well, I say normal, but I guess living on a hellmouth is slightly un-normal…” she babbled on, knowing that this really wasn’t really why she was grouchy. Buffy smiled, accepting Tara’s apology.

“Hey Tara, there’s something here for you,” Xander stated, standing by the door. All at once Tara felt hope, dread, and everything else inbetween. Taking long strides, she crossed the room and took the letter from Xander’s hand.

“It was under the door,” he explained.

Tara hesitantly opened the envelope, her entire being hoping that it was something from Willow. Glancing at the letter, she lied for the third time in as many minutes,

“It’s just from the hotel, saying that we need to vacate the room by twelve pm.” Her friends accepted this and left to pack their belongings. Excitedly, Tara rushed into her room and allowed her eyes to run over the smooth curves of Willow’s writing for a second time.



Dear Tara,

I couldn’t let you leave without saying goodbye again. But I don’t want this to be goodbye Tara, last night was the most amazing night of my life, and I know that you felt it too. Baby, I know that a lot of things stand between us, but maybe one day we’ll see each other again. I know I’ll keep that hope close to my heart.

Incase you want to write or talk, my address is…



Tara’s blue eyes scanned the address and telephone number, and finally landed on the end of the short note.



All my love,

Your Willow.







The revelation repeated in her mind like a mantra, as butterflies threatened to explode from her tummy. Placing the letter safely in the pocket of her jeans, the blonde resolved herself to the task of packing, but her thoughts never lingered from the image of her favourite redhead.



TBC

[bluewillowwitch]

OMG! OMG! OMG! I love it! I need more. I now HAVE to know what happens with and . Please update soon! It was so beautiful





bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."-- Anita Loos

Edited by: bluewillowwitch  at: 5/12/03 12:19:11 am

[willowsgirl]

Same disclaimer applies, thoughts are in < >

Thanks for reading!

Willowsgirl xx



Chapter 6.



A few days later, and Tara had settled back into her daily routine at home. She enjoyed living with her Aunt Rose, as she had a lot of the great qualities that her Mother had, and so she reminded Tara of her. Her Aunt was peaceful, caring and had a great respect for nature. At that moment, Tara and Rose were in their garden, which expelled a heady mixture of all of the flower's scents.

The blonde smiled to herself; she was so lucky to be here. If it hadn't been for her Aunt, she could still have been with her Father and Brother, being treated like a slave. There was just one thing that could make her happier right now, and it involved a certain girl with flame coloured hair and emerald eyes.

It had been three days, and Tara still didn’t have the courage to call Willow. She wanted to hear her voice more than anything, needed it, but she was worried that things had changed.

< What if it was just a holiday fling for Willow? I don’t want to embarrass her by calling, when she doesn’t even want me.>



Tara jumped from her seat with a determined look on her face. Rose looked puzzled; it wasn't often that her surrogate daughter wore that expression.

"I-I'm just gonna make a phone call. Is that o-ok?"

"Sure it is honey, you know it's no problem," she answered, intrigued. It was obvious that whoever Tara was calling had something to do with her determined attitude, and the blonde never stuttered around her anymore. But, curious as she was, she didn’t have the heart to eavesdrop.



Tara climbed the stairs up to her room, her hideaway. In there, she could do whatever she liked, decorate it however she wanted it. The surfaces were splayed with vases of fresh flowers and candles, and the walls were adorned with streams of fairy lights and photos of herself, Buffy and Xander. The blonde strode over to her wardrobe, and reached to take out the jeans that she had been wearing the day she received the note from Willow. She had left the note there, as whenever she put things in 'safe' places they tended to get lost.

However, the jeans weren't there.

Tara started to pull at the clothes in her wardrobe, throwing item after item onto her bed, panic rising.



It soon became clear to the blonde that they weren't there. She ran from her room, and down the stairs with heavy steps, out to the garden.

Rose was met with a very out of breath and distraught Tara. She thought maybe something bad had happened, one of her friends hurt. But instead all she got was,

"Where are my jeans?!"

She almost laughed at this,

"They’re in the wash; I did a sweep of dirty clothes while you were out with..." Her sentence was interrupted by her niece;

"Noooo, not the jeans! Please tell me you emptied the pockets. Please!"

Rose thought,

"I don’t know," she replied.

Tara ran back into the house and to the washing machine.

It had finished its cycle, so she pulled out the clothes inside, grasping for the jeans. Rose looked on, confused.

The blonde drove her hands in all of the wet pockets. All that she pulled out was mashed up pieces of paper, most of the ink illegible. All that she could make out was the name 'Willow' written on one shard of the note. Tara felt the tears come to her eyes, but she held them back.

Rose stepped forward, and put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. But Tara shrugged it off, stating,

"It’s nothing," and then she turned away, up the stairs, and locked herself in her room.



Tara thought as she paced across her room, tears streaming down her face. Her stream of consciousness continued;

from there just one thought cascaded through the confines of her mind;



Chapter 7.



It had been a week and Willow had heard nothing, she couldn’t understand it. Well, there was one answer but she wasn’t ready to acknowledge it yet; the idea that maybe the blonde Goddess didn’t want her. Willow knew in her heart that Tara felt the same way as she did, their kisses had confirmed that. She just worried that maybe for the other girl it had been nothing more than a holiday romance. For the first few days Willow had thought that maybe Tara was too nervous to call, then she thought that maybe Tara hadn’t got her note. But she must have done, she must have found it.



Willow reprimanded herself. She knew that it was all her fault if she never saw the blonde again. Little did she know, that Tara was thinking the exact same thing.

The difference was, while Tara had resolved herself to the fact that she would never get the chance to see Willow again, Willow was making sure that chance still existed.

The redhead knew that it was drastic, but it was a solution. UC Sunnydale was in her list of colleges that she was to choose between, and every day, the prospect of moving to Sunnydale got a little brighter. She had to hold out some kind of hope that Tara would be happy to see her, and if she wasn’t then, well, she was sure that she could make other friends, and it was a good enough college to meet her academic requirements.

Willow realized that she’d only known this girl for a day, but it felt like so much longer. The connection that she had felt when their lips had touched, it was real; she’d never known anything so real in her life.

That was it, she’d made her decision. If this was what she had to do, then she would do it; and so right at that moment she filled out the final stages of her college form, clearly printing UC Sunnydale in the box, and then she posted it. This was it; the start of forever.



TBC

[bluewillowwitch]

OMG! I can't stand the ciffhangers. I love the fic. I want and together. That was wrong having the number wash away. They have to find each other.





bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[justin]

Great update.



Hopefully Willow and Tara will discuss what happened and resolve everything when they meet up at UCSD

I understand, you should be with the person you l-love


I am

[JustSkipIt]

Hi Willowsgirl,



I like your story so far and how often you've been posting. I'm looking forward to another update.



But here's the thing... do you mean to tell me that Tara didn't take that note out of her pocket and read it 200 times and memorize it in the process? That she didn't trace her fingers over the love words and Willow's name? And learn her home town? From there she could call information for the #s of the Rosenbergs even if she didn't memorize the number in all that reading. I certainly would.



And then I like Willow's determination but I would probably go to Sunnydale and look for Tara before committing to go to college there.



Nonetheless, very cute and I like it. I hope there will be another update soon. Debra

---

"Keep in mind always the present you are constructing. It should be the future you want." - Alice Walker, Temple of My Familiar

[willowsgirl]

Hey guys,

no update im afraid, cos its my birthday!!!

Its 4am english time and i have just got home, way too much alcohol has been involved and im the grand old age of...20!!

So, im glad you like the story

Justskipit: Im glad you like the story, and I know what you mean about the number. If it was me, I would have memorised it, called her and so on by now, but the tara that is in my story wouldnt do that. i dunno if this will make much sense cos im a little worse 4 wear (and really not gonna enjoy reading this in the morning!) but the way I see it, tara is wary of things going right for her. As much as she wants to believe that willow would leave the note because she likes her, tara isnt confident enough at that point to comprehend the meaning of the note; that willow feels the same way. It seems kinda logical that she would leave the note and not shatter the illusion until she had admitted the truth, as she does in the last chapter: then she confirms that the dream really is real. Plus, its more suspenseful if tara loses the number!!!

Whoa, Im way 2 drunk 4 this. sorry for my ramblings; probably illegible and quite a weird read for you so i apologise!

Thanks very muchly, happy birthday to me!

willowsgirl xx

[Stroke of Luck]

First: Happy B-Day to you



Argh I hate it that Rose washed Taras jeans. Oh i hope Willow will find out Taras adress. Just hacking the internet



Please i need an update soon.



Cu

SoL/Natti



You'll follow your heart and don't worry about me."

"You're part of my heart."

Gabrielle and Xena in "Ulysses

[willowsgirl]

eurgh, now i feel silly! Sorry about my drunken ranting and raving last night, Im an idiot!

Stroke of luck- thanks for the happy bday, I had a great time. Feeling a little rough 2day tho, LOL.

Ill try and update later, and I hope it makes more sense than whatever that was i wrote last nite, cos i sure as hell dont understand it!!

Willowsgirl xx

[LostWithoutTara]

Happy Birthday!



My present to you is telling you how great the story is and I look forward to reading more.



I felt so sorry for Tara - I've done a similar thing, except I left money in my jeans pockets! Luckily, it didn't get all shredded.

[bluewillowwitch]

willowsgirl,

Ijust wanted to drop a post to tell you HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!





bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos