Author: Magrat
Ratings: PG: 13
Spoilers: As before
Passion Never Dies part 22
After what seemed like an eternity Tara breaks from the kiss “It’s really you and your really here, to stay? I can’t believe it”
“Tara believe it,” said Willow. “How could I ever stay away from you? We’ve had 5 years apart. I don’t want to spend any more time without you”
Tara grabbed Willow’s bags “Come in we can’t have you standing in the hall”
“Are you sure, your friend won’t mind me staying?” asked Willow.
“I’m sure,” said Tara. “Are you hungry, thirsty, you’re tired, I bet you’re t-tired?”
“Tara, slow down. What’s wrong?” asked Willow. “Don’t you want me…”
“No, Will. It isn’t that…it’s just a bit of a shock. A good shock but still a shock. I wasn’t excepting you so soon or forever; not yet anyway.” said Tara
“Tara, I’m sorry I have sprung this on you” said Willow smiling. “Do you want me to go back too Bath and give you some breathing space, get used to the whole me being in England idea?”
“Don’t you dare go anywhere” said the blonde possessively. “Miss Rosenberg if you think for one moment I’m gonna let you walk away you have another thing coming.” Tara pulled Willow close, her hand in the redhead’s hair. Their lips meet and Willow reacts straight away biting Tara’s full lips and her hands’ get busy attempting to unfasten Tara’s shirt. “Hey baby you in a hurry for something?”
“Just for you, hey I missed you,” said Willow.
“You must be tired,” said Tara enjoying the physical contact with her love but worried because Willow looked so pale and weary
“No funnily enough the sight of you seemed to have energized me,” said the computer hacker.
“You must be tired, the long flight plus how did you get here. Did you motor from London or fly to Glasgow? Wait a sec how did you find the house?” asked Tara looking puzzled
“Okay I don’t feel all that tired. Giles met me in London last night and I stayed in a hotel. I flew into Aberdeen and he gave me directions on how to get here” said Willow with a little smile on her face.
“Giles knew,” said Tara looking at Willow in disbelief “Giles knew and he didn’t say anything to me”
Willow looked at Tara a little worried that she may have upset the blonde witch “I made him promise that…I’m sorry I just thought it would be better like this. Have I upset you because I didn’t mean too”
Tara sat down on the couch, gave Willow a lazy grin and pulled the hacker on to her lap “ Relax, a little, you’re so tense. Do you need a snuggle” With her words the witch started to stroke the other woman’s hair
Willow felt the change within her. She felt engulfed by tiredness and tension; the emotion of the last few days catching up on her. She started to cry, not knowing quite why but feeling strangely relieved by the emotion flooding from her.
Tara cradled her love gently against her breast, cooing softly words of love in her ear until the sobs decrease and the hackers breathing became rhythmic. She felt she had won a small victory over the hacker’s stubbornness. Willow had looked so tired and drained when she had entered the house. Tara knew she would never have got her loveable but occasionally pig headed girlfriend to admit it. The blonde moved gently and picked up some papers that were on the side. She started to read for a while just enjoying their closeness. She pulled away with great reluctance but thought that maybe Willow could do with a good meal.
*************************
Willow woke to the smell of something lovely cooking. She stretched and arched her body luxuriantly like a cat waking from a nap. “Hmm something smells nice”
Tara walked in from the kitchen and bent to kiss Willow gently on the cheek “Have you had a nice nap?”
“Yes, thank you, I don’t think I realized how tired I was, so what’s cooking ‘cause suddenly I have an appetite that Xander would be proud of,” said Willow smiling at her lover.
“Just a spaghetti sauce nothing fancy. Would you like a glass of wine?” asked Tara.
“Please” said Willow.
“Tara returned and poured Willow a glass of red wine. “There you go sweetie, dinner is just about ready do you want to come in?”
Willow followed Tara through to the kitchen; she had been expecting something rustic but was surprised to find herself in large, modern, well-equipped kitchen. She sat at the table, which was laid out for two.
“Willow do you think you could get the salad out of the fridge for me, it’s already prepared,” said Tara as she started to serve the spaghetti. It wasn’t long before they were digging into to their food.
“This is lovely, are you always going to cook for me because that is something I could definitely get used to,” said Willow with a playful grin.
At this Tara started to look slightly sombre “Will, what have you got planned for the future? I mean um w-what do you want from me?” asked the Wicca.
“I was hoping we could eventually get our own place, you know live together. Giles said if it was okay with you I could move into his flat…you know if I’m crowding you…I just hoped that…I have savings and I don’t think it will be difficult for me to get a job…I mean I have had some offers before from British firms. I can take care of you…I just want show you…I don’t know… ”
Tara reached forward and tenderly cupped Willow’s chin to stop the stream of anxious words coming from the redhead “This is more that I ever hoped for but I don’t want you to look after me, we can look after one another. I want this to be an equal partnership. I know you probably have more money than me, but you know the Watchers council wage isn’t too bad and if you want to spend time getting the right job for you I don’t mind. Have you done anything about your immigration status?”
“Giles said the watchers council would fix it which ever way I want. It’s funny they have so much power and yet…”
“Are so totally inept. You should try working for them” said Tara laughing.
“Giles said they could probably do with their computer system updating and to be honest, if you and Giles are the examples of the most forward thinking members of the council, I shudder at how outdated it will be” said the redhead throwing Tara a wicked grin.
“Will” squeaked the blonde.
“How much has me being here thrown you?” asked Willow changing the subject, feeling that for the good of their future together everything had to be out in the open.
“A lot” said the blonde. “I umm wish that you or Giles had told me what you were planning.”
“Why?” asked Willow
“So I could have been prepared. It’s a big step, living together,” said Tara.
“No it’s not,” said Willow.
“Will, I have to disagree…”
“Living together isn’t a big step making it work is. I think we can do that; make it work. I didn’t see the point in hanging around…I told Buffy so I’ll tell you. We all live very dangerous lives, none of us really know if we will be dead tomorrow or not. If we don’t take this chance to make it work we might regret it and I already have too many regrets in my life over you. Tara I love you and for the first time in my life I have the confidence to know you love me for me not for what I am; what I know or who I happen to hang with,” said Willow panting slightly as she always did when she was trying to convey anything important. “It’s taken a long time but I’ve finally made peace with myself.”
Willow reached forward and gently brushed an errant blonde hair from Tara’s eyes “I always thought I had to be someone else to be special but now I know I’m special and I think I had to find that before I could do this. Does any of this make sense to you?”
“I think so,” said Tara smiling, slight tears in her eyes. “ You know I never thought this day would come and you’ve always been special to me. I probably sound like a horrible cliché but I think you had to learn to love yourself before you really believed that I love you and I do Willow more than anything in the world. Now, would you like some dessert?” asked the blonde finding the moment becoming too unbearably intense. “I made this raspberry mousse thing.
“Can I have you for dessert?” asked Willow giving Tara a none to subtle leer. “Although I can think of an alternative use for the mousse”
“I thought you wanted to talk,” said Tara trying her best to suppress a grin and look innocent.
“Done too much talking, want you now” said Willow subconsciously slipping into vamp Willow mode.
“Will” squeaked Tara once again.
“Well come on, I’ve been in the country more than 24 hours and I haven’t been laid yet; not good enough as far as I’m concerned,” said Willow winking at Tara and smacking her playfully on the butt.
Tara laughed but let herself slip into her lover’s playful mood. “And you want me to do something about it?”
“Well I couldn’t think of anyone else but if you insist that I need to go elsewhere…”
“You just dare Miss Rosenberg…”
“Tara” said Willow reaching up and grabbing Tara’s arm. “Before we…look there was one more thing.” The hacker shook with nerves wondering if this was the right moment. Her hand reached into her pocket and made sure it’s precious cargo was still there. She took one deep breath and dropped to one knee. Tara will you marry me?”
“No” said Tara gently, not wanting to hurt Willow and hoping that her explanation would soothe any hurt that the hacker would feel.
“No?” asked Willow closing her eyes, feeling her heart about to be ripped to shreds.
“We have just got back together. If you feel the same, ask me in a year. I’m sorry but I want it to be just right, the right time for both of us. I mean I love you with all my heart but I think we should wait a little,” said Tara worried that she was saying all the wrong things.
Willow was stunned for a second but once she thought about it made sense. It proved the point she had made to Buffy if things had been left to Tara they still would be living in opposite parts of the world. Maybe this was the whole point why they worked. Sometimes Willow needed Tara’s steadying hand and sometimes Tara needed to be pushed by the fiery redhead.
“Willow, I’m sorry” said the witch now wondering if she had blown it. “I will…”
“No, no you’re right. I’ll wait but you will be my wife,” said Willow with utter confidence. “And now I want you to be my lover”
“I can do that, I can so do that” said Tara a grin splitting her face as she pulled Willow into her arms.
TBC
A big thank you to Beth who on this part probaly saved me from a couple of big mistakes so thank you :_
These five words in my head scream "are we having fun yet?"
Chad Kroeger
Again, such a wonderful part! 
-Viv-
Jen 
at: 9/1/02 3:03:13 pm
) working on your stories. Plus you know this is a favorite of mine. 
It's already over? 
It can't be... 
I really Loved this fic and i'm glad it ended w/ W/T all together and sooo happy! 
. Only joking wow I’m touched that this is the first fic you read and you carried it all the way through; thank you.
