Got inspired by the letter challenge then got to thinking what happened after Tara read the letter

SPOILER for Tabula Rasa but Smashed and Wrecked won't happen here, Willow bought to her senses by Tara leaving her.Set around mid December with the only contact that any of the scoobies will have had with Tara is a coulpe of coffee's with Buffy.Probaly crappy as it was written at 6 in the morning waiting for computer system to come on so I apologies in advance



A Family Again



Part 1



She found herself taking deep breaths as she stood at the entrance of the Magic Box. Her knees felt like jelly.She hoped she would be able to keep her stutter under contol when she finally spoke to her old friends,She hardly ever did now but the nerves she felt were making her feel sick.Maybe she should just go back to her dorm room.



No,that was the old Tara,she took advantage of a rather large young man who just gone in and slipped in behind him.She hadn't fancied a thearical entrance anyway.



There they all sat looking looking just the same as she had seen them a thousand times before.



Anya, behind the counter always looking like she is a about to pounce on some poor unsuspecting customer.



Xander, reading a comic strip of whoever happened to be his favourite super-hero of the moment(outside Buffy ofcourse)



Dawn,pretending to to study but looking looking more like she was in a pleasent day dream. Tara is glad she looks happy.She had missed Dawn so much,thinking of her as the little sister she had never had.



Her sensitive ears pick up the sound of Buffy training in the back room.



There is one person she is trying without success not to look at. she has her back to her she can see her laptop but she doesn't appear to be working.



She hears Anya's voice



"Willow you're not writing another of those letters are you? How many have you written now? Maybe Tara called a vengence demon and you've been cursed to write grovelling letters for the rest of your life."



"An,play nice."



"Well Xander she helped ruin some of my wedding plans.I was going to Tara to be my chief bridesmaid.Their was jobs she could do to help,I read it in a book."



"An, I think Willow has had enough lectures don't you."



She stands there waiting for waiting for Anya's next come back when her ears are suddenly assaulted by a squeal and she finds herslef engulfed in ex-vengance demon.



"Where have you been? Why didn't you stay in touch? I've missed you."



Dawn springs off her chair and joins in the mass hug,her pretty features dissolved in tears. Her voice sounds small and desperate



"Promise you wont leave again.I can't stand not having you in my life.Not after mom."

"Dawn I promise you I will always be here for you."



Xander pulls out a chair

"Come on guys let her sit down before she falls down from the weight of you two hanging off her.I'm glad you've come back to us remember we are family"



Part 2



Willow sits in the Magic Box trying to compose another letter,Hoping that maybe if she can find the right words in the right combanation,maybe just maybe,this will be the one that will work.The one that will bring her love back to her.



She hears the bell go on the door and knows. She can feel her presence and magic envelop her and the shop. It strikes Willow at that moment that Tara has a lot more power than she has ever been credited for,but that thought is pushed to the back of her mind



TARA IS HERE!!!!



Willoe can hear Anya's prattling but it makes no impression. Her mind feels like it has just been wiped clean. Willow can't bring herself to turn round. Scared of wht she might see in those beautiful blue eyes.Loathing,hate,disgust and what in a way could be worse disintrest,



Anya sqeals and rushes forward. Willow turns round and the sight takes her breathe, had she forgotten just how gorgeous Tara really was?

Willow's heart wasn't so much flip-flopping but having a mini Californian earthquake. How had she managed to mess this up and let Tara walk from her life.



Unbidden,but pretty much unstoppabel came Willow's feeling of lust. It had taken her by suprise in the early days of their relationship,but after her intial hangups bout being involved with another woman,she had found herself lusting after Tara nearly all the time.



The hacker's senses went into over drive as memories of Tara came flooding back,her musky scent,her sweet taste,flashe of milky white flesh went across her mind.Breasts,thighs,the nape of her kneck,the smooth lines of her back gliding down to the gentle swell of her ass.



She was broken from her daydream by Xander whispering softly in her ear.



"It's not very subtle drooling over your ex Will"



Part 3



Tara sinks gratefully into the chair Xander had pulled out for her and then is suprisedby dawn throwing herself on her lap and chattering excitedly about everything she had done over the last month.



"Xander why does Dawn get to monoplies tara just because she is a kid.I have very important wedding plans to discuss.



"I am sure they can wait a few more days honey"



"Whatever, I don't think you really care..."



Xander is mercifully saved from another earbashing by a customer asking about a couple of very expensive items thus proving a welcome distraction for Anya



Tara starting to find it all a little bit too much "I should be going.I only popped into say Hi"



"Do you have to go?"



"I am sorry Dawnie but I've a lot of work to do"



Dawn starting to look a little upset "kay"



Willow who has looked like she is in the middle of some daydream blurts out "How did your hospital apponitment go?"



"W-What" Tara looking a little puzzled



"Your hand, The check up"



"F-Fine the physio said I have nearly f-full function and about 90% function now"



"Thats good"Willow wincing inside as she realises that Tara's stutter has only came back since she spoke to her.



Tara stands up abruptly almost spilling dawn on the floor.



"I'm S-sorry Dawnie I've got to g-go" Tara turns and runs out the shop.



Dawn runs after her "What's wrong Tara?" Dawn's voice full of concern as she tears running down the young witches soft features.



"I thought I could handle seeing her again but I can't"



"You still love Willow don't you?"



"Dawn I don't think I know how to stop" the tears are now running freely down the blonde's face.



Dawn suddely all perky with a mischievous smile on her face "I have an idea.Why don't we go out tommorrow night.You could take me to see Harry Potter.You know how much I loved the books and Buffy grounded me after Halloween so I haven't had a chance to see it"



"I don't know Dawn"



"Please I really missed you and we could you know use it to spend quality time together" Dawn winking and laughing and putting a smile on the older girls face.



"Okay what time do you want to meet" Tara knowing that Dawn had just wrapped her round her little finger.



"about Seven"



"See you there then Dawn"



Next night ouside the Sun Cinema.Tara is pacing up and down outside the cinema, no sign of the youngest Miss Summers. Tara's cell phone rings.It's Dawn



"Tara I've been held up can you meet me inside.Buffy is going to drop me off"



Sighing Tara agrees,buys her ticket and some popcorn for Dawn and herself.



"Tara"

She turns to see Willow



"hi"



"Hi,you here on a date?" Willow's voice quavering as she speaks.



"Sort of" Tara noticing Willow's face starting to crumple she quickly adds "Miss Dawn Summers,but she is late as per usual"



Willow starts to giggle "I think we've been set up"



"What do you mean?"



Willow carrying on " You know Dawn begging me to take her out because Buffy will not let her go out with her friends. I should of guessed she was up to something"



Tara in spite of her slight annoyance at Dawn's interference smiles her trademark lopsided grin.



Willow her heart racing now "What do you want to do?"



"Well I've paid for my ticket so I suppose I'll go in and watch the film.You?"



"C-Can I come in with you,no pressure,just as friends" Willow talking quickly stammering over words.



"Sure"



A few hours later they find themselves in the Expresso Pump.Discusing the film and laughing and joking over what had been a fun evening.



Tara looks at her watch "I'd better be going the bus will be leaving soon."



U.C Sunydale worried by the amount of students it was losing to "neck rupture" had put on a bus service which left from the turn every night at 11'O'clock every night.Not late but many of the students prefered it to running a risk against Sunnydales unique hazards. A gang of vamps tried to hit the bus last week but had been suprised to find the driver and guard armed with super soakers full of holy water.Sunnydale might not discuss it's problems but at least they were now trying to make an effort to protect it's young people.





Willow looks down the street "Okay and Buffy said she would swing by on patrol and walk me home"



They leave the expresso pump and stand awkwardly facing one another.



Willow puts her arm out just barely touching Tara's arm "It's been fun",she moves forward pulling the blonde witch into a hug.She finds the scent of her former lover's skin and hair intoxicating,unable to resist Willow tries to land a kiss on Tara's full lips.



"N-No"



Willow jumps back as if shot "Oh god Tara,I am so sorry.I didn't mean to. I just couldn't help it we were having such a good time"



"It is not that easy" Tara interupting as Willow seemed about to go into full babble mode. "After what you did to me I just don't know if I can trust you again"



"Do you still love me?" tears welling up in Willow's eyes.



Tara looks way unable to meet Willow's gaze knowing that she would give in rather than cause the other woman heartache.



Willow grabs Tara's arm "Do you? I need to know"



Tara looks up "Yes I love you.I just don't know if I can have you in my life again,I think,maybe,I love you too much and my judgement becomes clouded whe I'm near you. I am scared you will destroy me"



"I know I did wrong. I know I did a terrible thing to you and being perfectly honest I don't think I can even begin to forgive myself,but my feelings for you are mostly what has kept me going" Willow stops for a minute " a date or maybe a few"



"What?"



"how about if we go on some dates together.You know maybe a walk,a picnic,a meal.Please Tara give me chance to make things up to you and if you still feel you can't trust me, I promise I will leave you alone."



Willow can see the emotions flitting across the blonde woman's expressive face and those couple of seconds felt the longest in the hacker's short but evetfull life.



"Okay but if I say enough you will back of and leave me alone. Promise me.



"Tara I'd promise you the earth right now.Would you like to go out with me tommorrow?"



"I am sorry Will but I can't.Anya and Xander have asked me to dinner and I think Anya would kill me if I didn't turn up.She said she had a lot ot talk to me about."



Willow rolls her eyes and grins "Even Anya can come up with suprises sometimes.They invited me too.Xander said I might need cheering up after seeing you yseterday and there was him critisizing me for lack of subtlety." Willow notes Tara's quizical look."You don't want to know.Do you want to go with me?"



Tara laughing just nods.



Willow spotting Buffy walking down the street towards them "I'll see you about 3 is that okay?"



Tara nods then darts forward and plants a small kiss on Willow's suprised face and runs towards the bus. Leaving Willow in the middle of Main Street with a silly grin across her face.



"Hey, did I just see you and Tara with the kissing?" Buffy moving up beside Willow



"I am not sure but I think things might just be starting to look up"



They link arms and make their way home



Part 4



About a week later. Breakfas time the Summers house. Dawn was staying over with Tara, who had now moved into Anya's old apartment(Anyan had been very sweet and insisted that Tara could move in as the lease had been paid up for the next 4 monts)



This left willow and buffy together. After having a general gossip. buffy braced herself and asked the question that was at the top of her her mind.



"So come on Will spill. How is it going with you and Tara?"



"Do the words akward,horrible and treading on egg shells mean anyting to you Buffy?"



"Why? You had such a good time last Sunday at Xanders"



"Yeah but that was mostly down to the entertaiment provided by Anya"



Buffy started to giggle the sight of Anya trying to be the perfect host with a seventies style hostess trolley thrown in was something that would kep the slayer amused for months. Ii had started with the Prawn cocktail and Tara's plaintif "I'm sorry but I am allergic to shrimp" that had got Anya muttering about what was wrong with these people and bloody shrimp,this had just gone down hill from there.



Buffy regaining some semblance of seriousnes "but you've been out since"



"Yes, but it never seems to work out how I want it too. Take yesterdays walk in the park, hardly romantic or Wednesday night.



Buffy thinking for a second "Well maybe it would help if you actually devoted the time to Tara"



"What do you mean"



"Come on Will, yesterday, I came with you and used you two as a decoy for that Gack demon who was menacing people in the park and Wednesday night research at the Magic Box. You are not exactly hitting the heights romantically"



"I prepared a picnic box and took her out Thursday lunch"



"Yes but Will you took research books with you. Infact I'm amazed how patient Tara's been with you."



"She knows how important the things we do are"



"More important than Tara?"



"No, but..."



Buffy starting to get exasperated now "but what Will? Going to use the scoobies as an excuse if things don't work out? You are so lucky to be given a second chance but from where I am standing you seem determined to blow things."



"It's just easier this way" tears starting to fall from sad green eyes " if I don't have these things around me we might end up talking about the future or even worse the past. I've done bad things to her Buffy, things I can't even justify to myself and what sort of future can I offer her? A life of never ending peril"



"Willow, do you think Tara is stupid?"



"Of course not"



"Then you must be. She knows these things. She's already been as badly hurt as any Scooby ever has"



"I don't need a lecture Buffy, I know what Glory did to her"



"You are wrong Willow, you so need a lecture because you've totally missed the point. Tara has been through hell, she knows the dangers of our lives and after what you did to her, she still willing to give you a second chance to prove yourself to her. To my mind that makes her pretty special. No wrong word it makes word it makes her absolutely incredible and you are allowing yourself to blow it because you can't deal. Sorry Will, you are my best friend, but you're being pathetic and cowardly"



Willow staring at buffy not quite believing what the slayer had said to her "How can you judge me?"



"Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes I did. I let Riley go when I could have made him stay and I think you and Tara have something much more special going. If you really love her, show her, let her know where she stands."



"But I don't know how to"



"OK, first things first, you will for the duration of the holiday no lnger be a Scooby, you will cook and invite Tara round for a meal, for which Dawn and I will make our selves scarce. You will invite Tara over for Christmas Eve, with Xander and Anya. You will ask her to stay the night."



"but........"



"No buts. You have your instructions and I want them carried out to the letter."



"Kay, but you can invite Anya"



"Done"



The Summers house around Seven, Buffy and Dawn have to gone to the Harris residence for pizza and video fest.



The doorbell rings. Willow on shaky legs goes to answer the door. Tara stands on the doorstep a bunch of red roses in her hand. As always Tara's beauty takes Willow's breath away "Come in, I have attempted to cook but you don't have to eat if you don't want to"



Tara smilling "I'm sure the food will be lovely and these are for you. Tara presenting the roses to Willow



The meal seemed to pass with a whirl.



That's why Willow was suprised a certain question kept popping into her mind. It was something they had skirted around but never really brought out into the open "Tara can I ask you something really personal"



"You can ask me anything"



"How did it feel, you know when Glory attacked you?"



"Oh, Tara taken a back "I've told you she thought I was the key,she hurt me. When she realised I wasn't the key she hurt me some more, then took my mind"



Willow thinking carefully "That's not what I meant. Do you remember whta happened after the attack? Were you aware of what was going around you?"



"Sort of, It was like torure, part of me was looking out threw my eyes but I had no control. I knew what I was doing but I could n't stop myself. Willow I can't really explain and I don't want to think about it. I still have the nightmares " tears start to flow as tara remembers that terrible day.



Willow at once apolgetic "Sorry the bad Willow strikes again. One day I will learn to make you happy"



"Will it's not that bad. Maybe something we should have talked about when we were together. Tara stops realising the implication of what she had just said. "I mean before"



"No, I understand and I don't blame you. I'd still like to be your friend though."



"I don't want you to be my friend. I miss you Will, like I've been cut in half and part of me is missing. Just give me some more time, I love you will all my heart. I just don't want to lose my self in you."



Willow gets off her chair, walks over to Tara takes her face in her hands and kisses her gently " I promise it is the other way I just want give myself to you. No more games , I'm yours if you want me and please spend the holiday here with me."



The sincerity in the hacker's voice pierces Tara and she kisses Willow back. "yes I'll spend the holiday here with you."



Part 5





Dawn had asked Tara to come round early on Christmas Eve. The eventful last few months,weeks,days meant no one had got round to putting the decorations up yet so it was decided that Buffy and Willow would cook while Dawn and Tara decorated. Xander and Anya were coming round about 6.00 pm.



By about 5 the house looked wonderful and the smell from the kitchen was mouth watering.



Dawn after dinner had been invited to spend the night at Melinda's. Tara stuff was in Dawn's room which was some where Willow was hoping Tara would not be sleeping.



Tara went up to Dawn's room to change into her party clothes. When she came down she totally blew Willow's mind. Dressed simply in a blus wrap around dress with a slightly daring neck line which took full advantage of Tara's ample cleavage. Her long hair just pulled back and pinned up plus minimal make-up, the whole simplicity of the look seemed to make the young witch look even more beautiful than usual. Willow just sat with her mouth open, drinking in the sight of her former lover.



Buffy sat and watched the scene with total amusment, she had to admit herself that Tara looked stunning but the effect she was having on her old friend seemed to be earth shattering.



Xander and Anya arrived loaded with gifts. Anya as always excited over any festive occasion.



Thay had a minute silence to mourn the loss of Joyce. All remembering the wonderful Christmas they had the year before. Half way threw the meal Giles phoned to wish them all a Merry Christmas, he had just returned from midnight mass, as it was already Christmas day in England.



After dinner Dawn took herself over to Melinda's and Buffy had to walk Xander and Anya home then go on a mini patrol. Leaving Tara and Willow alone together. They regarded one another shyly not saying a lot for while.



Tara decided she had better take the lead or they could end up looking at one another for the rest of the night. "I've got a special present for you if you want to unwrap it now"



"Okay is it upstairs"



"No it's right here" Tara moves to the tie on her dress gives it a sharp tug and pulls her dress open to reveal herself dressed in a brown basque.



Willow caught in a trance just stares for a minute before her brain starts to kick her into action "all that for me?"



"If you want me"



Willow doesn't need a second invite she closes the distance between them her hands removing Tara's dress, her mouth closing round Tara's full lips biting and sucking causing the Wicca to groan out loud "Lets take this upstairs I don't think we want to be interupted by Buffy"



They ran upstairs hand in hand both couldn't wait to get in to there room, the physical side of there relationship had always been good but the two month separation had left them hungry for one another.



Once inside they soon went back to were they had left off. Willow had worked her tongue into Tara's mouth which the blonde started to suck and bite, Willow could feel herself throbbing and flooding.



Tara starts to remove Willow's dress untill the redhead is down to her bra and panties. She sits on the bed and invites Willow to join her when she does she kneels behind the hacker pulls her hair back and starts to kiss and bites Willow's kneck and brings her kisses and dancing tongue down the hackers exposed kneck and shoulders, she slowly starts to undo her bra and moves her hand's over the exposed breasts and pulls on her nipples gently.



"Please Tara"



"Please what Willow what do you want?"



"You, please make love to me, I've missed you so much"



The blonde moves out from behind Willow and lays her down. She moves down over her lovers body kisses her breasts pausing to suck on Willow's erect nipples, taking one then the other in her mouth. she carries on wards on her journey down the hackers slim body licking and biting at the muscles on her abdomen until she reaches the hackers now soaked underwear, she peels them off the girls hips and decides she can't wait any longer and she pushes head between Willow's legs. Her tongue then produces it's own type of magic on the hackers swollen bundle of nerves. She starts to suck on it gently the already heated redhead is soon pushed over the edge into a powerful orgasm.



Tara moves back up the bed and holds her shivering lover close to her. Willow whispers softly in her ear "I want you so bad and I don't want be gentle on you"



With that the hacker starts to unfasten the basque. When she had her naked and lying in front of her she hold the blonde wtist dowm and once again whispers in her ear " I want you on your hands and knees have you any objections" The blonde just shakes her head her eyes looking huge.



Tara moves on to her knees and willow impatiently pushes her down. No teasing she quickly enters the Witch with her thumb and uses two fingers on the young woman's clit. Tara's breathing already ragged as the Willow carrys on her pasionate love making then all of a sudden she removes herself keeps her hand on the blonde's hip to keep her inplace and lies on her back with her head below Tara's clit, she streaches her kneck up to suck and bite the swollen organ and enters Tara with three fingers the Blonde lets go and screams her orgasm.



Willow holds Tara close telling her how much she loves and needs her. Then because it seems the right time she pops the question

"Tara my love will you marry me? I don't ever want you out of my life again"



"yes" just one word but it was all Tara's happy tired brain could get out"



With the two snuggled up and drifted off to sleep.



A couple hours later Buffy drifted past after patrol looked in on them and just whispered "Happy Christmas Will"