Well, here's my follow up to Shinjitsu Wo Tsukamitore. Hope you enjoy it.
It's quite a short first part but it was just to get me into writing it. Took all day yesterday dreaming the plot up just for you guys. 
Hopefully, I'll be updating sometime later on today.Here's my website with my other fanfictions.
Happy reading.
Caz
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, locations, or references to the universe of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They belong to Joss Whedon.
Rating: We’ll make it PG-13 for now.
Feedback: It would be very much appreciated. In fact, it would make me do a little happy dance. J
Distribution: Sure, if you want it. Just let me know first.
Dedication: To Willow and Tara, the most beautiful couple to grace our television screens and to all the kittens who inspired me to write this.
Timeline: Around Season 6. Willow didn’t meet Tara in Hush in Season 4. They have met only recently. This is a sequel to Shinjitsu Wo Tsukamitore. It isn’t necessary to have read it to understand this story but it is advisable.
Summary: Tara is settling into her new life in Sunnydale whilst Willow handles her newfound love.
Pansoudi'a
Written by
Caroline Tremble
Part 1
Change. It was the most fearful thing of all. It was strange how one thing could go from being so bad to absolutely wonderful in such a short while and it worked both ways. Even the small insignificant things a person can do or say can change their life forever. Tara had always feared change. When her mother had died, everything changed. Life went from being bearable to tormenting within seconds. All her dreams had been shattered and she had felt like her own life faded with her mother’s. Now, however, she embraced change with her arms spread wide in total acceptance. She had taken the step two weeks ago to move on from the shy bumbling recluse she was and find a new path in life, one her mother would be proud of, but above all, one she would be proud of. She had but one woman to thank for all of it. Willow.
Change had come in the form of the room she resided in now, a cosy little dorm room she had managed to acquire with Willow’s help. It was quite Spartan at the moment as she didn’t have many belongings but she hoped to amend that in the near future. The second thing she had done after deciding to stay in Sunnydale was find a job, the first being to obtain a place at the university. She had been accepted as an assistant in a small flower shop in town as she had demonstrated an extensive knowledge in plants. She remembered the redhead’s reaction to her acceptance with a fond smile. Willow had leapt into her arms and kissed her on the cheek, walking around for the rest of the day with the goofiest grin she had ever seen. Tara wondered how the hacker would have reacted if she had been the one to get the job. Now, the blonde witch was nicely settled in her room and was slowly getting used to college life. The pile of coursework she had to catch up on was extremely difficult to get through but that was a small price to pay for her freedom.
Tara thumbed through one of her social studies books, looking over the chapters her group were due to do in the coming weeks. The topics looked hard but the subject matter was extremely interesting and she enjoyed it. She was sure, if ever the need arose, that she could write a very long and involved paper on the effects of negative stimulus on individuals and their resulting interaction with society. Then again, if she were to be studied herself, what would the experts make of her having made a complete turn around. She glanced at her bedside clock and saw it was past six o’clock in the evening. Knowing it would be dark soon, she wondered if Buffy would have much work to do tonight but suspected the usual vampires and demons would give her a run for her money. Willow might even help the Slayer as she was becoming quite used to channelling large amounts of magic now. Tara sighed. She hadn’t seen much of the redhead lately due to their busy schedules. If either of them wasn’t in class, the other one was or Willow was involved in some Scooby emergency. The few times they had gotten together over the past few weeks was to organise Tara’s living arrangements and courses. The last time the blonde witch had seen the hacker was a few days ago when she had gone over the basics of Wicca with Willow, testing her knowledge and being surprised at the mixed results. It was clear the redhead was using magic for its power and she wasn’t totally aware of the consequences or moral issues. It worried Tara but she trusted Willow to have self-control. She just wished it was something other than the black arts Willow had involved herself in, she didn’t want to see her tainted by the magic or go down the road so many witches and mages had before her. Tara shook the thoughts from her mind. Willow was stronger than that.
The blonde Wiccan rose from her bed, placing the now closed book on a table and moved to the window, peering out at the quickly darkening sky. Oranges, reds and pinks hued the horizon, painting a beautiful picture. It was ironic how the sky contrasted the chaos of the town below. Tara knew that at this moment, the evil that lurked under Sunnydale was mobilizing and ready to emerge into the streets, raining havoc on the poor inhabitants. Realising she was one of those poor inhabitants, Tara let out a short laugh. The proverbial frying pan and fire, she thought. Though, the prospect of the fire was slightly more inviting than the emotional torture she had gone through in the frying pan. The fading sunlight shone in through the blinds, throwing orange streaks over her blue top and black jeans. The retreating light filled her with warmth and for the first time in years, she didn’t see it as a representation of her hope. Her dreams no longer died with the passing days, they sprung to life, and blossomed like the beautiful white orchids in the shop she tended.
A soft tapping on her door interrupted her horizon gazing and she pulled the cord beside the window, causing the blinds to close, leaving the room bathed only in the light of a few candles. She walked quickly to the door and pulled it open, her face lighting up at the sight of the gorgeous redhead standing there.
“Hey.” Willow greeted brightly, stepping into the room as Tara moved aside. She turned to face the blonde once again as the door was closed behind them. “How’s my favourite blonde?”
Tara grinned, her blue eyes sparkling in the glow of the candlelight. “Just fine.”
“Aww, too bad. I was hoping that you might be in need of hug therapy. You see, I have this urge to wrap myself around a beautiful woman.” Willow’s green orbs glinted as she teased the shy Wiccan.
Tara giggled. “Now that you mention it, I am feeling kind of cold.” Willow moved to her instantly, folding her arms around the blonde’s waist and drawing her close.
“Better?” Willow enquired.
The blonde nodded. “I’m getting all warm and fuzzy inside.” She bent her head forward and kissed the redhead’s nose, glad to be in Willow’s company again. She felt as though it had been forever since they last saw one another. “Aren’t you going out on patrol tonight?”
Willow pouted at Tara’s question. “Don’t you want me here?”
Tara squeezed the redhead. “Of course I do.” Willow’s pout was replaced by a smile.
“I was supposed to be accompanying our fair Slayer but I had to come see my stunning princess. I missed you.” Willow went into dramatic mode.
Tara laughed softly. “So you’re aspiring to become a knight then. Looks like your drama classes are paying off.” She teased.
Willow backed away, her smile never fading. She held Tara’s hand as she sat down on the blonde’s bed, pulling her down beside her. Once Tara was settled, the redhead leaned in against her and rested her head against the blonde’s shoulder. With her free hand, Tara stroked the side of Willow’s head. The pair sat, enjoying each others company for a while, the silence comfortable for both of them.
Eventually, Willow broke the silence. “What are you thinking?” She murmured softly.
“Oh, just about you. Well, about us really.” She answered, distracted by her thoughts.
Willow lifted her head and looked at her companion. “What about us?”
Tara pulled herself from her thoughts and focused on the redhead beside her. She had been thinking about the past few weeks and how they’d grown closer. She wasn’t sure of what Willow thought about the two of them and they hadn’t exactly been labelled either. Were they girlfriends? That had never been discussed. They weren’t lovers yet as they hadn’t passed the kissing stage and they were certainly more than friends but Tara didn’t know exactly what. “That’s kinda what I was wondering.”
Willow tilted her head to the side, wondering exactly what Tara was thinking. “I, uh… what?”
“It’s just…” Tara sighed, resigning herself to what she was about to say. “I don’t know where I stand with you Willow.”
The redhead’s face turned from curious to bemused in a few short moments. Then realisation hit her, the blonde was talking about their relationship. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it quickly again, standing and pacing away from the bed. This was something that had been chipping away at her thoughts for a while now and she had shelved it so she didn’t have to face it. Now, it seemed, she had to confront it and do it quickly or else she might lose this special woman. “Tara, I…” She turned to face the blonde, confusion flooding her green eyes.
Tara stood and moved towards her, stopping before she could enclose the redhead’s body in her arms. “You’re scared?”
Willow nodded, folding her arms over her stomach. “It’s all so new to me and I… I don’t know what to do.” She knew she had very strong feelings for Tara, even stronger than she had had for Oz. It had overwhelmed her because it had happened in such a short space of time and all the emotions whirled around inside of her. She was scared of what her friends and family might think and doubted she could ever handle their rejection but she never wanted to lose Tara.
Tara lowered her head, her long blonde tresses falling forward and obscuring her beautiful features. “I’ll s-support you in whatever you d-decide.” She said quietly.
Willow noticed the blonde’s stuttering had returned but it was something she rarely did when the two were alone. The redhead stepped forward, pulling Tara into a tight embrace. “No Tara no. I didn’t mean… I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to be with you.” She pulled out of the hug and tilted the blonde’s head upwards so their eyes could meet. “I do, I very much want to be with you. I’m just trying to get a hold of the feelings and thoughts floating around in my head. I don’t want to lose you, not because of my silly insecurities.”
Tara smiled. “You could never lose me, I wouldn’t let you.”
Her words filled Willow with happiness and it pushed the doubts away, leaving the two of them alone with the adoration they felt for one another. “I need to say… Tara…” Willow found she couldn’t say what she wanted and stopped herself from forming any more incoherent half sentences. The blonde in her arms continued to look at her expectantly. “Tara, I love you.” She finally managed, a weight lifting from her as the words passed her lips.
Tara’s blue eyes sparkled and tears spilled down her cheeks. She had finally found something she had yearned for all her life. Unconditional love and acceptance. She didn’t speak, instead she pulled Willow as close to her as possible and captured the redhead’s lips in a searing kiss.
*
Sunnydale’s graveyard was as lively with activity as it usually was at night. The Slayer was perched on top of a gravestone, throwing her stake up in the air, watching it flip over and over several times, before catching it again. She had been sitting there for almost an hour and no new vampires had risen. It wouldn’t have been so tedious if her best friend had stuck to their plans and met her earlier that night but she hadn’t showed up where they had agreed on. Buffy had waited for ten minutes and, deciding the undead didn’t hang around, she went on patrol. Though the summer was just around the corner, a chill hung in the air, making the Slayer shiver. She looked up at the clear night sky, watching as several stars twinkled at her.
A quiet crunching of boots on grass alerted Buffy to the approach of a vampire. She jumped off the gravestone and took up a defensive stance, her eyes darting around to catch the source of the noise.
“Oh lighten up, Slayer.” Came the annoyingly familiar English accented voice.
She spun around to see the platinum blonde vampire leaning against a tree, a cigarette hanging from his mouth. “Don’t you have better things to do, Spike?” She mumbled, dropping her arms to her sides.
The chipped vampire grinned at her. “That’s why I’m here.”
The Slayer rolled her eyes and walked away from him, ignoring his words. She wasn’t in the mood for his testosterone fuelled antics, if he even produced the chemical anymore. She heard quicker footsteps on the grass behind her and surmised that Spike was jogging to catch up with her.
“Wait up, luv. I have some news for you.” He informed her but she kept walking, not looking up at him.
“What might that be then?” She asked.
“I might tell you, if you give me what I want in return.” He spoke in a seductive voice, causing Buffy’s stomach to make a few nauseating gymnastic flips. Did he really think that was sexy?
Buffy came to a sudden stop, turning to face the leather clad vampire. “If you want a smack in the face I’m sure I can accommodate.” She smiled sweetly.
Spike waved a hand in dismissal. “Whatever. Just thought you’d like to know that something big is coming.” He feigned a hurt expression.
“Well, that’s new Spike, never thought I’d see that one coming. Not in Sunnydale.” She moved to walk away again.
Spike grabbed her arm. “I mean it, pet. Demons are packing up and running for the hills. Something has got them freaked.”
This caught Buffy’s attention and she looked him in the eyes, boring down to his non-existent soul. “What?”
Spike let her arm go and shrugged. “Don’t know. That’s my good deed done for the year, I’m outta here.” He spun on his heel and stalked of into the darkness, leaving Buffy to ponder the new threat.
Before she had a chance to go over the miniscule amount of information Spike had given her, she heard scuffling behind her. She turned quickly to see two newly turned vampires bearing down on her. “Back to work.” She muttered as she lunged at them.
*
Willow pulled on her jacket, over the white peasant top she was wearing. She ran her hands over the long denim skirt, smoothing down the rough fabric. She looked over to the bed, her eyes roaming over the body of the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. The blonde perched herself up on one elbow as she gazed back at the redhead.
“I wish you could stay the night.” Tara smiled shyly at Willow.
Willow grinned back. “So do I but Buffy will kill me if I don’t turn up. She’s already going to flip because I’m two hours late.”
Tara nodded, knowing the redhead had responsibilities and that she could manage with an hour of kissing and snuggling with Willow until the next time. “Okay but please be careful. The only marks I want on Willowskin are ones I’ve made.” Tara’s eyes glinted as she flashed the redhead a seductive smile.
Willow was sure her knees had turned to jelly and she found it difficult to keep standing. She wished her sense of duty to Buffy would disappear for just a few hours, no, a few days. That would give her enough time to satisfy the temptress laid out before her on the bed. Her body was urging her forwards but her mind held her back, the conflict inside her making her swoon.
“Oh, Tara, don’t do that.” She groaned the words out.
Tara sat up and ran her eyes up and down the redhead’s body. “Sorry, Will, it’s just right now, I feel like I never want to be apart from you.”
The redhead nodded, understanding how the other witch felt. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you come on patrol with me and Buffy?”
“You sure?” Tara was surprised at the redhead’s suggestion. She was certain that Willow would always be reluctant to have her invade on her best friend time. There was also the danger factor but it pleased Tara immensely that Willow trusted her enough to want her along with her.
Willow smiled and nodded again. “You can look after yourself, Tara. I saw that a few weeks ago.” She walked over to where the blonde sat and scooped up her hands. “Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you. You get scary when you’re mad.” Willow let out a giggle.
Tara looked up at the redhead, her eyes serious. “Only when you’re in danger. I’ve never reacted that way before in my life.”
Reaching out with a hand, Willow brushed Tara’s hair back from her face, smoothing the young woman’s furrowed brow. “And I thank you for that but don’t go putting yourself in danger on my account ever again.”
“If not for you, then for who?” Tara asked, leaning into the caress that had moved down to her cheek.
“Let’s not find out.” Willow bent down and pressed her lips against Tara’s forehead, then she pulled back and did the same to each of the blonde’s palms, finally moving to the door. She glanced over her shoulder. “You coming?”
Tara nodded and jumped up off the bed, grabbing a jacket that was draped over the back of a chair. She followed Willow out of the door, pausing to lock it behind her. It wouldn’t do to have the very few items she possessed stolen.
Willow led Tara out of the dorms and down a darkened street, holding the blonde’s hand tightly. She guessed Buffy would be at the cemetery by now, if she hadn’t already left. As they walked briskly along, Willow began formulating excuses in her mind but Buffy would probably see right through any she might try. Willow wasn’t known for lying particularly well. When they reached the boundaries of the graveyard, Willow brought them to a stop and turned to face Tara.
“Now, remember to be quiet, if there are any newly risen vampires lurking around we don’t want to give ourselves away.” Willow whispered. “Also, when we meet up with Buffy and she needs to go into action, it’s best if we just hang back. I always seem to cramp her style when I throw myself into the fray.” She shot Tara a silly grin.
Tara’s eyebrows rose. “You throw yourself at vampires?”
“Uh, well, I actually tend to stumble into them but the outcome is always the same.” Willow smiled sheepishly. “Buffy stakes them and saves the day.”
Tara prodded Willow’s chest lightly. “Give yourself more credit, Will, I’m sure you do a lot to help, I remember Buffy saying you do.” Willow’s cheeks flushed as she thought of her best friend complimenting her. Eventually, she merely shrugged and stepped into the graveyard, pulling Tara with her.
The crispness of the grass under them made silent progress extremely hard and Tara was sure half of Sunnydale would be able to hear them walking. Her eyes darted left and right as her breath quickened. Feeling the adrenaline pump around her body, she found the experience of creeping around at night exhilarating. The mixture of apprehension and fear made for a heady combination and Tara had to keep herself from laughing aloud. Only the realisation that murderous demons were also stalking through the darkness sobered her adventurous thoughts. She wondered if she would ever get the chance to do this with Willow in a safer environment. She smirked at the vision. She almost tumbled into Willow as the redhead stopped abruptly.
“What is it?” She whispered urgently.
Willow held up her hand to stop Tara from speaking, her head snapping left and then right. Finally, she relaxed and faced the blonde. “Sorry, thought I heard something.” The redhead stroked Tara’s upper arm as she spoke to calm the blonde’s nerves if need be. She noticed Tara wasn’t paying her any attention though as she stared past her, an expression of shock and terror on her face. Willow spun around to see a horrendous beast snarling at them, only twenty feet away.
With the basic figure of a canine, the demon had three heads, giant clawed paws, a huge serpent like tail and armoured scales covering its back. Each head was that of a vicious dog, large pointed teeth dripping saliva onto the ground below. The beast was the size of a hefty horse and his red eyes burned into the two witches. Willow backed into Tara, clutching at the blonde’s sleeve, covering her with her petite body. The three-headed hound padded forward slowly, matching their retreat step for step.
“W-Willow.” Tara whimpered as the middle head of the demon widened its powerful jaws and a gravelled growl emitted from its throat.
The redhead glanced at Tara quickly. “Run.” She ordered quietly. Tara hesitated, not wanting to leave Willow to face the beast alone. “Run!” Willow repeated, raising her voice.
Tara turned and sprinted, her body reacting to the urgency in the redhead’s voice. She hurried past graves, old and new, her vision blurring as she ran. The world around her faded as she fled, her mind on the brave hacker whose fate was unknown to Tara. She felt branches whip at her face as she passed through some trees, disturbed leaves scattering to the ground in a whirlwind race. The softness of grass under her feet changed to the rough hardness of paving stones and she became aware that she had left the cemetery. Out of breath, she stopped, her hands on her knees. She took in several gulps of air as rational thinking once again set in. She looked around her, realising she was out on the street beside the graveyard, the darkened buildings looming over her and making her feel trapped. She peered back at the way she had come, not able to see the redhead. What had she done? She’d left the one person she loved alone and unprotected against a vicious monster. She started to head back into the cemetery when someone grabbed her arm, making her scream.
Tara spun around, looking into the chiselled face of a young looking platinum blonde male. The glint in his eyes was slightly disturbing and Tara felt a cold shiver shoot up her spine. She yanked her arm roughly out of his vice like grip, leaving a lingering chill on her skin. Taking in the paleness of his skin, the shy witch’s pulse quickened as she realised what was actually facing her. “Leave m-me alone.” She yelled, stumbling backwards.
The vampire in front of her laughed. “And why should I do that?” His voice was coated in a thick English accent.
Tara jutted her jaw out in false courage. She stood firmly, her back straight and shoulders back. “I know w-what you are and I’m not scared of you.” She readied a spell in her mind, one she could use to confuse the demon.
“If you know what I am then you know what I can do to you.” He sneered, pulling a cigarette out of his leather jacket pocket and sticking it in his mouth. He flicked at the lighter in his hand and lit the cigarette before placing the lighter back in his pocket. His eyes returned to the blonde in front of him and he morphed into his vampiric form.
Tara held back the scream that threatened to force its way out at the sight of the demon. She took an involuntary step backwards, the movement eliciting a smirk from the vampire.
“You look like the type of girl who carries money around, fancy a trade?” He asked, a hint of menace in his voice. When his words were met with a blank stare, he decided to continue. “Your life for the money.” He spoke as if it were obvious.
Shaking her head, Tara continued her slow retreat. “I d-don’t have any m-money.”
The vampire shrugged, throwing the cigarette aside with an exhale of smoke. The cloud of smoke billowed up around his face and his yellow eyes narrowed as he started forwards. In an instinctive response, Tara hit out with her magic, sending the vampire skidding backwards along the road on his back. Her plan to only use defensive measures was now forgotten and she took the opportunity to flee. Running back into the cemetery was probably not the wisest of choices but Tara was desperate, desperate to escape the demon behind her and desperate to get back to Willow.
A scream shattered the silence of the graveyard and Tara realised in a panic that it belonged to her beloved redhead. I’m too late, her mind cried. She tried to speed up but only succeeded on snagging her foot on a protruding tree root and she plummeted to the ground in a pained heap. Her head connected with the trunk of the oak tree and she felt her world contort. Warmth trickled down her temple and she realised she was bleeding. She tried to push herself off the ground but her surroundings spun, causing her stomach to lurch.
She was vaguely aware of someone standing over her and she couldn’t stop the sobs from coming as she thought of Willow at the mercy of the three-headed demon. She didn’t care what happened to her now, she had run from her love when she had needed her and she was too late to save her. Feeling strong hands on her shoulders, her last thoughts were of Willow as her world went black.
END OF PART 1
Edited by: Centauri2002 at: 10/12/02 4:37:53 pm
I love your writing. 
I thought it was cool that Willow decided to include Tara on the patrol...but 
to the cliffhanger....Buffy's gotta be helping somewhere.
Poor Tara all bumped on the head and poor Willow about to get eaten by a three headed Lassie and poor Spike cos....wait HA HA Spike!! Smelly man!! More soon please 
I don't have a particularly large place in my heart for Spike either, that's probably why he's on his back. 
and suddenly I read this :
What did he do? Where did they dissapear??
