Hi everyone,

Beth was inspired to a little Willow/Tara magic from a song off an album I bought her for Christmas...



She wasn't going to share... but i convinced her to...



thanks for reading



kath



*******



COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Willow, Tara, Xander, Giles

and all other characters who have appeared in the syndicated series Buffy The Vampire Slayer, together with the names, titles and back story are the sole copyright property of Josh Wheldon, Fox and Mutant Enemy. No

copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All other

characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the

author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way. Please contact the author for permission to reproduce this story on any other fan fiction site.



PAIRING: Willow/Tara



EPISODE SPOILERS: If you haven’t seen season six and know what is currently

going on with the girls this could spoil it.



SONG COPYRIGHT: “Stolen Sidewalk” was written and recorded by Bif Naked, and is on her 2001 released album ‘Purge’.



FEEDBACK: rainbowwriters@hotmail.com



DISTRIBUTION: Send us a mail… get the chance to host it!





Stolen Sidewalk

A Willow / Tara song fic.

By Beth Dragon



The Bronze was busier than usual that Saturday evening and as Willow entered, she truly wondered if she made the right decision in coming. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be there with Buffy and Xander, just that listening to music and drinking pop that she could have bought from the corner store was the last thing on her mind and the last thing she wanted to

be doing. The fact that it was a live band didn’t even inspire her either, which it normally would have, but for some reason today it just made it all worse. Picking up her glass of coke, Willow slowly followed Buffy as she moved over to a free table.



“Hey!” Xander suddenly exclaimed as he picked up a black and pink leaflet from the tabletop. “Bif Naked.” He read. “ Isn’t that that Canadian chick who was here a year or two ago?” He read the blurb on the rest of the leaflet before dropping it back onto the table.



“ I don’t remember.” Willow said gazing down into her Coke. “ I think it was” She realised that she should really pay a little attention to what her friend was saying.



“Hey Will?” Buffy’s caring voice spoke beside her ear as Xander and Anya moved off to dance. The redhead turned her head sadly to look at her best friend.



“ I’m sorry I shouldn’t come.” Willow shook her head.



“But Will, we’re here for you to celebrate what you’ve managed to achieve.” Buffy stressed. “Two months without magic and counting.”



“And two months without Tara.” Willow’s voice was full of unshed tears and restrained pain. “How can I be happy Buffy? I might not have magic but I don’t have Tara, I can’t be happy without her.”



“Did she return your call?” Buffy asked softly and the hacker just shook her head again.



“Why should she? I hurt her Buffy, hurt her as bad as Glory did. I didn’t think, I didn’t think and now she’s gone.” Willow felt a tear slip down her cheek.



Buffy watched and felt useless as her best friend’s heart broke all over again. In some ways the first month without magic had been the easiest. There’d been the addiction to break, the withdrawal to go through the

adjustment to life without magic, without power. But this the second month, Buffy knew had been so hard for Willow. Because now without magic the reality of losing Tara was all that filled Willow’s world. She woke up

in the bed every day that once she used to wake in with Tara. She dressed in clothes that once would’ve been chosen because Tara liked them. She went to classes, classes that once she would’ve gone to with Tara.



“How about I get us some munchies?” Buffy offered not really knowing what to say or to do.



Willow gave a reply that could have been a nod, but was more a nondescript movement of her head and shoulders. Buffy rubbed her arm briefly before slipping away.



Willow glanced up at the heaving dance floor and breathed in almost as if it caused her pain to do so. Being here with people, happy people, attached people were almost too much to bear.



Even though Tara had never really been at ease in the Bronze, it wasn’t a place it felt right to be at without her. Goddess how she missed her girlfriend, missed her smile, her laugh, the gentle yet complete way

she loved her.



Lost in her myriad of agonising thoughts Willow hardly noticed as the band’s tempo changed, and the live singer’s voice softened to a mournful tone.



“Oooooooooo, I’m a junkie, I’m a whore, that’s what you always call me, I’m

a raw and open sore I ache to remind me.” The singer sung sadly.



Willow caught the last five words and actually looked up, something within the lyrics cutting into her heart .



“I’m a weakling you are strong, pick me up from where I lay, here on a stolen sidewalk, Baby don’t make me beg.”



Wrapping her arm around her stomach Willow’s inside turned icy cold as the singer continued.



“I’m religious once again, we all are before we die, and I am so sick to death, wasted tears I cry. And who said love would always mend, and fill the emptiness again, should light a single candle make a prayer in my

name.” As the chorus began its sad refrain Willow dropped her head once more.



“Willow.” A voice broke through the atmosphere causing Willow’s head to raise. There before her stood Tara, dressed in a long purple skirt and matching sweater. Willow looked up wordlessly, in the background the haunting melody played on.



“I am not right, you’re not wrong, I can’t last another day, here on a stolen sidewalk, baby, don’t make me beg.”



More tears flooded Willow’s eyes as the songstress seemed to read her mind and put into words the truth in her heart.



“The closest thing I found to heaven is sittin here talkin to you.”



“Tara I…” Willow managed two words, but Tara shook her head reached out her hand and let a silent breath escape her lips as Willow made the offered contact.



“I’m a weakling, you are strong, pick me up from where I lay…”



Gradually Tara guided Willow out from her seat and into her arms.



“Baby don’t make me beg, I am not right and you’re not wrong, I can’t last another day…”



Slowly the pair moved together in the rhythm of the song, their bodies lightly touching, Willow’s head upon Tara’s shoulder, and their arms encircling one another.



“Here on a stolen sidewalk, Baby don’t make me beg.”



The End





well I had a few minutes spare this afternoon and wrote out a quick follow up scene - let me know if I should continue

much love, Beth D



Oblivious to the fact that the song had stopped and the band had slipped off for a refresher, Willow and Tara swayed together beside their table.



Returning from her snack hunt Buffy put down the small bowl of chips she’d managed to find, her eyes fixed on the dancing pair. As she watched how her best friend literally clung to the taller woman’s body, desperate to touch and feel the warmth from Tara, she realised something with almost shock. She felt it, she felt Willows pain, her need, she understood Tara’s confusion and anguish and more than that, it moved her.

Suddenly feeling as if she was were some kind of trespasser into some private moment Buffy backed up a little accidentally catching her stool as she did. The slight scraping noise it made across the polished floor, resounded almost as loudly as a crash of thunder. Buffy winced as Tara literally jumped as if suddenly startled from a dream.



“I-I-I have to g-g-go.” The blonde immediately dropped her arms from round Willow suddenly looking very nervous.



“Go? You can’t go.” Willow’s voice was threaded with complete fear. “Stay, sit down,” The red head motioned backward to the empty table. “Talk.”



“I-I-I didn’t come to talk Willow.” Tara shook her head and began backing away.



“No, no wait.” Willow reached out for the retreating redhead “Don’t talk, just sit, sit and listen, the band are good,” She glanced nervously between the table and Tara, “And oh look we have chips, I bet they’re tasty chips.”



Tara felt everything inside her melt as Willow babbled and nervously toyed with her little finger.



“Tara please.” Willow took a breath and stopped the babble. “Please baby.”



Taking a slight breath Tara put her head down but stepped forward slipping onto a high stool at the table, the one Buffy had recently disturbed. Willow also took a deep breath as she watched the blonde sit down. Silently she moved back into her own place more or less opposite Tara.



The pair sat in complete silence, Willow occasionally taking a chip and crunching on it quietly till it sat in her mouth like over chewed pulp, before forcing herself to swallow the tasteless mass.



“Willow I don’t thi…” Tara began



“Tara I…” Willow over lapped the blondes words, both women falling silent as the clashed. They looked at each other waiting for one or the other to start again.



“Hey Tara!” Anya’s voice cut through the tension filled atmosphere like a knife. The blonde looked down as Willow looked round to see the former demon and Xander moving back to the table. Impulsively she reached out for Tara’s hand across the table, stopping just short of the long thin fingers that she longed to caress.



“Come outside.” She whispered.



She wasn’t sure why she moved to follow the red heads request without thinking, maybe it was to avoid deep and probably tactless questions from Anya, though this was doubtful as she actually liked the former vengeance demon a lot. Maybe then it was to make her and Xander’s evening better, after all she was more than aware of the atmosphere that she and Willow caused at the moment. Or maybe it was so that she didn’t have to face another reminder of how much she missed everyone. Whatever the reason Tara slipped straight off her chair and made a move to walk through the crowds to the door.



Willow was clearly shocked that Tara instantly seemed to follow her direction. Hurriedly she slipped off her stool and pulled her jacket off it. She was walking after the blonde when Xander and Anya arrived.



“Tara, “She tried to explain pointing after the quickly disappearing figure. “I have to…”



Xander followed where his best friend indicated and nodded.



“Go.” He encouraged patting her arm lightly before she dashed off.





Okay kits, sorry this has been a while but I've been poorly Hope this is worth the wait. Many many thanks for all the lovely feedback and you'll all be pleased to know I had special words to say to Kath for her posts

Enjoy



Willow hurried through the packed Bronze to the door, but saw to her dismay, that the exit was blocked by a small group of people having a heated discussion with a security guard. They efficiently blocked anyone from coming in or going out.



“Oh come on.” Willow whispered under her breath inching closer and closer to the door through the throng.



After what seemed like long agonising minutes the argument ended and the instant the exit became the slightest bit free Willow slipped out into the night. She glanced to the left only to be greeted by nothing but empty sidewalk and a flickering street light. Twisting her head round to the right quickly a similar sight greeted her, but with one important difference. A flash of deep purple skirt just disappearing around the street corner.



“Tara wait!” Willow called and ran fast up the sidewalk.



As the redhead reached the corner, she fully expected to round it and be met by nothing but empty street. After all if Tara had heard her, wouldn’t the blonde have back tracked? So it was with complete surprise that she turned the corner and came face to face with her ex lover.



“Tara, I didn’t know if you’d stop, there was this problem at the door and I couldn’t get out.” Willow explained frowning gently as she wrapped her hands round each other.



“I stopped.” Tara stated the obvious and looked down at the sidewalk shivering slightly as the sharp wind cut down the street.



“You’re cold.” Willow pulled off her jacket and moved without thinking to put it round Tara’s shoulders. For an awkward moment the blonde moved as if to hold willow back, but instead she leaned down a little and held the small jacket in place on her shoulders.



“Shall we walk?” Tara asked looking down the street



Wordlessly Willow agreed and they began a silent journey



It wasn’t as if they didn’t have things to say, in fact quite the opposite. Willow’s head was almost literally buzzing with thought, things she wanted to say, she wanted to do. Tell Tara how sorry she was, how much she needed her, how much she loved her. But somehow she couldn’t say any of it. Not one word.



‘I didn’t come to talk’



Tara’s words echoed round and round her head as the scene from the bronze replayed itself over and over in the hackers mind. The warmth, the closeness between them as they had danced to that unfamiliar tune, compared to the cold and silent night was a contrast almost too stark to bear.



“Coffee?”



Willow hadn’t realised but it was the third time Tara had asked as she stopped outside the brightly lit, but pleasingly quiet coffee shop.



“Oh yeah, good idea, it’s cold.” Willow nodded perhaps a little too enthusiastically as Tara led them in.

Inside it was warm and quiet both of which Willow appreciated as she slipped onto the red plastic seat of the corner booth. Tara pulled off Willows jacket laying it carefully on the table before slipping in opposite to the red head.



Only seconds after they sat down a middle aged waitress, who looked about as pleased to be working as Buffy did when returning home from a quiet patrol, took their order for two coffees, and scurried away quickly to get it.



"Thank you for coming." Willow eventually managed a sentence after the pair sat for a while in complete silence.



"You called, and I, I wanted to show you how proud I am of you, for what you've achieved." Tara explained.



"Everyone is so proud." Willow stated but her voice betrayed the fact that she herself wasn't so much proud, as empty.



"They should be, Willow it must have been so hard." Tara tried to encourage.



The red head looked up and shook her head slowly.



"Everyone thinks it must be the hardest thing I've ever done." Willow began, as she toyed with her hands on the table top. "But it wasn't. Sure giving up the magic was hard, and the withdrawal bad, but not the hardest thing." She stated her words sure and certain. "Not that I'd be all like, yeah I could do this again any day, look at me I'm the big magic survivor or anything." Willow in full babble mode explained.



With a slight shuffle and a brief smile the waitress delivered the girls coffees and then slunk back behind the counter, back into quiet anonymity.



The hacker took a breath using the brief interruption to calm her racing mind enough to at least semi-cohere her next statement.



"Living each day without you is the hardest thing." She whispered her green eyes flickering up to glance at Tara.



"Willow please I can't…." Tara shook her head sadly pulling back from leaning on the table like she had been to sit back against the red faux leather padding on the seat.



"No Tara please listen." For the first time Willow didn't cave in or back down, she kept her voice calm and soft, but her resolve strong. "I need to say things." She added reaching out and letting just the finger tips of her hand rest on Tara's little finger. "I love you, I love you so much that it aches inside. Now I know, I so know I was wrong, God I even have nightmares myself now about how I treated you, how I abused you and the trust and the love that we shared, and I can't expect you to forgive me, I can hardly forgive myself. But Tara I need you to know that I love you, and I am so, so sorry that I let this happen." Willow drew in a much needed breath, but didn't stop, she needed to say this, all of this. "Tara I know that I hurt you, hurt you so badly but baby, I love you so much and I know I always will. I need you baby, without you it's like, it’s like I'm empty inside. And through all of my addiction and my withdrawal I've learnt something so real it's almost scary. Its scary cause I learnt that you're not like magic, you're not like ice cream or extra chocolate mochas. You're not something that I can get over, that I can break from, that I'm dangerously addicted to, Baby you're something I need. You're not an addition that makes my life better, you're not some thing I can use or wield, you are my life. You're my everything baby."



Through out Willows speech Tara's blue eyes had flooded with heartfelt tears that spilled down onto her chilled cheeks unchecked. Willow glanced briefly up having long since dropped her gaze back to the table top.



"Oh Baby, no I didn't say all this to make you cry, oh Tara goddess I'm sorry." Willow pulled her hands back and reached into her pockets checking for tissues. "I still want you to walk away from me after I've said all this, cause I know it doesn’t change what I did, and it doesn't make anything mended or better, but I needed to say it. I needed you to know that I know what I had when I had you and that I know what I've thrown away, and how much I wish I had made better choices." Finding a tissue Willow leaned in over the table to pass the tissue over to the crying Wicca, her fingers trembling when



Tara made no effort to reach for it but instead leaned a little forward.

The red head very gently pressed the white paper tissue over Tara's damp cheek and watched as it drew all of the salty tears into itself.



"I love you." She mouthed as she began making small wiping motions with her hand.



"Oh Willow." Tara leaned forward and pressed her lips over Willows.



"Baby." Willow breathed pulling back for a fraction of a second before placing kiss after kiss on and around the blondes mouth. Her hands reaching up to cup Tara's cheeks, as Tara's hands closed over her wrists. "Baby, baby," She whispered in between kisses, "I love you, I'm sorry."



As the kissing slowed Tara gently pulled Willows hands from her face and blinked across into Willows now tear filled eyes.



"I really have to go Willow." She whispered, making the red head choke slightly, her built up tears spilling over and down her cheeks in a heady rush. "But," Tara moved one of her fingers to lie shaking over Willow's lips, which trembled beneath her touch. Shaking her head tenderly a look of complete and utter love in her eyes as she silently asked willow to curb her tears, "I will call." She tapped the finger against willows lips once, and the red head pursed them to kiss the tip on its return. "Soon." She added the promise.



Tara carefully pulled back her finger and slid out of the booth drawing herself up slowly as she picked up Willows jacket from off the table. She slipped it on and then moved to the door.



"I love you Will." She said before slipping out into the night.



For a long moment Willow sat staring at the two still full mugs of coffee and the empty seat opposite her. She felt the pain and the tears welling up inside her as the now familiar ache of life without Tara settled back into her soul, but then almost unexpectedly a small flicker of hope, like the flame from a single candle in a blackout, flared within her.



"She took my jacket." She whispered with a grin, that though small was growing by the second as she pulled out some change for the coffee's and slipped out of her seat.



Buffy stood waiting at the corner of the street watching the coffee shop. She'd watched sadly as Tara had left alone and had turned to Spike who was as ever loitering beside her, and asked him to shadow the witch carefully just to make sure she got home safely, whilst she had begun the wait for her best friend ready to patch together as best she could the broken wreck that the encounter would undoubtedly leave her.



The slayers head snapped up as the she heard the coffee shop door close and sure enough there was Willow heading towards her, back towards the bronze. Buffy took a slight breath and stepped out from her watching place ready with open arms and a heart full of sympathy. So when she was greeted by a manically grinning Willow she literally stopped in her tracks.



"Will?" Buffy asked, almost seriously wondering if the pressure and pain had all become to much and her best friend had just snapped.



"She took my jacket." Willow said with a still giddy expression, "And she's going to call me, soon."

The hacker looked as if she had just received a million dollars.



"That's good Will." Buffy was truly both impressed and surprised. "Ready for home?" She asked gently, noting that though the red heads smile but be both beatific and serene, it was obvious she had been crying.



"Home? Why would I want to go home. I've finally got something to celebrate." With a true Willow grin, the red head gripped her best friends hand and literally pulled her into a jog back towards the Bronze.



*********



From her place at the street corner Tara wrapped the small jacket round her tighter and watched as Buffy and Willow laughed and ran back towards the bustling night club. A small but genuine smile on her face.



"She loves you, you know. I may be a soulless vampire, but I can see that much." Spike stood silently beside her also watching the pair. "When she says for always she means it."



"I know, and I mean it to." Tara agreed sighing softly to herself watching till the pair were both completely out of sight before turning away and letting Spike walk her home.



THE END

That was beautiful. Nicely done!



Sincerely,

-Neko

>^_^< v