I know I have to update my current story, but I just can't seem to find the motivation to do that yet. In the mean time I've decided to write this one to ease some stress. It's not going to be long and I only hope I can finish it.





Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Buffy characters. wish I did but I don't.







That Crazy Thing Called Love





Tara was sitting alone in the university cafetreria, eating a grilled chicken salad, and going over some notes that she had scribbled down at a lecture she had sat through only minutes earlier. She munched on a crunchy lettuce leaf absentmindedly, underlined a paragraph or two with her pen for further reference, then looked up and stared at a woman standing about ten feet away from her.



The woman had taken the buffet line, and she was carefyully scrutinizing the food on display.



Tara watched as she slid her tray to the front of her, skipping all the salads and most of the food, then finally stopping near the deserts and picking up three cheery tartlets.



she's obviously not watching her weight, Tara thought enviously. She stabbed a chicken strip with her fork, raised it to her lips and chewed slowly.



The woman before her seemed to be having a hard time deciding what kind of drink she wanted. She rubbed her chin, then grabbed a coke and walked over to the cashier to pay for the stuff.



Tara had seen her before, walking around the campus. She had noticed the woman's dark, brooding looks and had been vaguely intrigued, because there was a hint of Angelina Jolie in her style, the way her dark hair fell around her face, the sensuous, moody curve of her lips. Not that Tara was really a fan of Angelina Jolie. She wasn't, but the woman seemed to possess the same ambiguous nature, and it showed in the way she dressed: black leather jacket and turtle neck top, black jeans, the bottoms of which fell over thick, fashionable boots.



Her slender frame and inherent femininity allowed her to pull off the whole bicker-chick style without looking too rebellious.



Tara observed her thoughtfully for a moment or two, and then she glanced down at her notes again and before long she had forgotten about the woman, and was deeply engrossed in what she was reading.



She bit her lip, scribbled here and there in her note book. And then suddenly, she become aware of someone standing before her. Tara looked up startled. Miss Jolie wannabe was watching her questioningly, clutching her tray with both hands.



"Do you mind if I sit here?"



"Um..." Tara raised her eyebrows in surprise. "N-no."



The girl nodded, placed the tray on the table, and then sat down. She grabbed her coke, slipped a straw through the opening, and drank thirstily. Afterwards, she attacked the tartlets, breaking one in half before biting into it. While she chewed she looked around at the other students walking about in the cafeteria, and then finally her eyes strayed towards Tara again.



"Looks good," Tara said, nodding towards the tartlets that the girl was munching on. The deserts did look good, but the girl was now staring, and feeling slightly uncomfortable, Tara decided to speak to break the silence.



Miss Jolie wannabe smiled. "I'm not really the salad type," she said, glancing down at Tara's plate. "Tastes like grass to me. Not that I've ever tasted grass."



Tara smiled back, reached across the table and offered her hand. "Tara Maclay."



"Yes," the girl said, as casual as anything, shook Tara's hand and then reached for another cherry tartlet. "I know."



Tara stared at her in confusion. "You know?"



"Yeah. I asked around and so...well, I know."



"Oh," Tara said. She felt herself growing uncomfortable again and she bowed her head.



Miss Jolie wannabe chewed for another moment or two, seemingly amused by Tara's reaction. Then she said,



"Jamie."



"W-what?" Tara looked up.



"That's my name," the girl said, and her chiseled nose crinkled slightly. "It's girly, I know, but most people call me James."



Tara said nothing. She fiddled with the slender gold ring on her left hand, and the girl noticed the movement and eyed the ring curiously.



"Does that signify something?" She wanted to know.



Tara glanced down at her hand and almost immediately she felt a calm, warm feeling flood her body. She remembered when Willow had given her the ring. It had been one of those perfect nights, with dinner and candles, and they had made love, and it was slow and beautiful, a moment Tara would never forget.



Afterwards, Willow had jumped naked from the bed, rummaged mysteriously through the chest of drawers and then moved back towards the bed, clutching something in her hand. She pulled Tara gently, so that she was sitting up, and then she knelt down and revealed the elegant gold ring gleaming in the black jewelry box that she was holding.



"I know that we can't get married yet," she had whispered, "because, well...the world is not quite ready for our love yet, but you mean so much to me that I wanted you to have this. I want you to look at it and know that I'll always love you, no matter what."



She had looked so earnest then and in love, that Tara couldn't help the tears from filling her eyes. Of course she accepted it, with deep hugs and kisses, and then the very next day, she had gone to the jewelry store to buy a matching one for Willow.



Now, sitting in the cafeteria, she said simply,



"My girlfriend gave it to me."



"hmm," was all James said.



"We've been together for two years," Tara continued. "Well, one year, eleven months and three days."



James wiped her mouth with a paper napkin, pushed aside her tray and crossed her arms on the table.



"Tara Maclay," she said. "I should care that you have a girlfriend, but I don't. No offense to her, I'm sure she's sweet. But I like you and I couldn't care less about her right now."



Tara stared at her with distaste, amazed that someone could be so forward.



"You're very arrogant," she said.



Any other person would have been insulted, but the woman merely threw her head back and laughed. Her teeth were small, but very white and even. Tara couldn't help thinking: nice teeth.



"No," James said, shaking her head. "People tell me that, but I disagree. I just go after what I want."











to be continued...

Edited by: maudmac  at: 4/5/04 8:27 pm

Intresting Start I love the story on How Willow gave tara the ring. And Jamie she sounds umm intresting yeah

I am looking forward to reading more thanks

Arron

She walks in beauty, Like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that's best of dark and bright. Meet in her aspect and her eyes.

~ by Byron ~

I'm with Karmah..



Luna

Ooh..I like this so far..and Jamie Love sammi xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

Woohoo, very good start.



Clean, simple yet stylish.



Looks like our Willow is going to have to be large with the butch.

ladydameon

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

Goddess of Violence

Great start...Jamie, I like her hehe.

By the way, Am I crazy, or Tara is having a something for her?

lol...o course she isn't...right?

Love the way Will gave Tara the ring.

hope to see more soon...bye



ps.: isn't this the most cute emoticon ever?

Uh, how did Jamie become James in the middle of a paragraph? She seems to be a girl, so how the hell is her name James?

Willow: Hey Buff. One more thing. Buffy: Yeah? Willow: I’m gay. Buffy: Okay, Will. Xander owes me ten bucks.

~Remember to Breathe by Yellow Crayon

I'm very, very interested to see what happens next...continue? huh? huh? huh??



xoxo

Emms

Who is this woman?

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Edited by: The Rose24  at: 3/8/04 8:12 pm

Jamie became James because she didn't like her girly name.



I hope we get to see Willow get all large with the butch...cause she gets kinda hot like that.



Paige

"I'm gonna kiss you, okay?"-Me

"Okay,"-The girl I love

Wow, so much feedback!



I'll reply to all:





Karamah and Soluna: Glad you liked the part with the ring. I liked it too when I was writing it.



Sam darls: Thanks! hope you continue reading.



Ladydameon: "Clean, simple yet stylish" Hmm, thanks for the compliment. Hope you read on.



Incrediblecute: I'm happy you liked Jamie. She's the type of character you either like or hate.



Tempest Duer: Hopefully Paigeosity has answered all your questions. I have a friend called Jamie and sometimes we call her James. I never thought it would become confusing.



TeesEmmy: My next update will be soon so you won't have to wait too long to find out what happens next. I hope.



The Rose: "Who is this woman?" Someone who will ruffle Willow and Tara's life just a bit. But not too much I promise. This is an angst-less fic, or my version of angst-less anyway.



Paigeosity: Thanks for clearing up the thing with Jamie's name, and Willow may very well go large with the butch when she finds out someone is after Tara.





*update sometime tomorrow. I have a few days off so I'm going to write like crazy. Hopefully I'll finish the update for my other story as well, if I don't get too lazy. Sometimes I get lazy and then I don't feel like doing anything. Anyway, thanks again everyone for all the responses.

Edited by: bijoux2 at: 3/9/04 12:34 pm

Intresting start! I'm liking it.



Jamie sounds intriguing really, but she's gotta face that facts that Tara belongs with Willow.



Lovely intro, I can't wait to read more and have a large-with-the-butch Willow in our hands... hmm, now that's an interesting thought...



~Holly~

"I was born 'normal'...life made me strange." - Marina

"I am a tongue whore...you gave me tongue, what am I supposed to do...sit back and keep my mouth shut?" -Me-

"I know who you really are...you're the one who cries when you're alone." - Where Will You Go? - Evanescence

I like the start, but this Jamie is kinda strange..i dont really like her! She should know that Tara belongs to Willow, no matter what and not even a "butch" jamie could change that



Cant wait to see Willows reactions! Muhahahaha that will be fun



CU

SoL/Natti

This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

yeah I agree with my girl Karmah I like so far and well jamie interesting ... I thought it was faith at first heh

Keep it up I really like this and would love to read more , OOOO And and If this Jamie chick trys something on Tara Cough like hits on her even more cough I'm not gonna be so happy heh just kidding



Luv April

bijoux2 ,

I love the start of this fic! Dude if I were i would have slapped James. I hope comes over and does slap her. Can't wait to more. Update soon, please?





Grace

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

Ah, it was the reference thing without her saying "call me James." But apparently I was the only one who missed that.

Willow: Hey Buff. One more thing. Buffy: Yeah? Willow: I’m gay. Buffy: Okay, Will. Xander owes me ten bucks.

~Remember to Breathe by Yellow Crayon

Ooooh, some of your responses. you kittens are all nuts! I guess that's why I can't resist this board.





Taras Shadow: Yeah, Tara does belong to Willow, but she's hot and so other people are going to hit on her at some point.



Stroke of Luck: I loved the laugh. "Muhahahaha" That had me seriously cracking up.



Shadowygirl: Not to make you too unhappy, but that's not the last we're going to see of Jamie. Far from it.



Bluewillowwitch: I know a lot of readers would really like to slap James, but I guess we're all just going to have to wait to see what Willow will do.



Tempest Duer: I'm glad things were finally cleared up for you





Okay so here it is. I hope you enjoy





Disclaimer as before







That Crazy Thing Called Love





Any other person would have been insulted, but the woman merely threw her head back and laughed. Her teeth were small, but very white and even. Tara couldn't help thinking: nice teeth.



"No," James said, shaking her head. "People tell me that, but I disagree. I just go after what I want."



"Well," Tara said indignantly, shuffling her papers together and getting up in one brisk movement. "I'm already taken."



She picked up her book bag and slipped the papers in there quickly, but she was fumbling a little because she was annoyed, and not only that, James' eyes were focused on her intently, causing her to feel self-conscious. As Tara closed her bag she glanced at the woman, and James held her gaze deliberately for a few seconds.



"There's something there, you can't deny it," she said.



Tara glared at her. "Are you always this obnoxious?"



"That's two insults in a row."



Goodbye,"



"Tara, wait," James sat up in her seat as Tara turned to go. She shook her head and looked penitent for a moment, although whether she meant it, Tara wasn't sure. "I'm sorry. I always come on too strong, I don't know why. It's something I've got to work on. It's just that I've seen you around before, and I wanted to get to know you. I guess I'm too blunt but I hate wasting time. I figure if I'm interested, why hide it."



"Jamie," Tara said, and sighed.



"James," the girl corrected.



"James, I'm flattered, I truly am," Tara said. "But I already have a girlfriend. I love her very much. She makes me extremely happy and there's no other person I'd rather be with, so you're just wasting your time."



"Fine," the girl said, but her dark eyes seemed far from disappointed. In fact they only seemed more determined than ever. "I'm not asking you to marry me or anything. Can't we be friends?"



"No," Tara said abruptly. The girl's brooding good looks and obvious determination made that a virtual impossibility.



"Why not?" She frowned. "There's no harm in that, is there? I have lots of friends, and I want you to be one of them." As she spoke, she pulled out a pen and card from her pocket and scribbled something down, and then handed it to Tara.



She had written behind the card: James Taylor, and then her telephone number. Tara looked down at the information without a word. Then she turned around and walked away. She walked passed the tables, knowing that James was watching her all the time, and then moved outside the cafeteria.



When she reached the main hall, just before she entered one of the class rooms, she threw the card in a trash bin.





******



She had three more classes to attend to, and by the time she was finished attending all of them, it was seven o'clock in the evening.



Tara walked quickly across the elegant parking lot of U.C. Sunnydale, found the silver Honda civic that she and Willow had saved to buy, and hopped inside. Normally, they would have gone home together, but Willow had no classes today, so Tara placed her book bag on the passenger seat, started up the engine of the tiny car, and pulled away from the university.



She got home twenty minutes later. As she walked through the door, she was hit by a wonderful, mouthwatering aroma of something cooking, and almost instinctively, her stomach growled.



She took in a deep breath as she moved passed the foyer. There was no one sitting in the living room, so she walked towards the kitchen and found Willow there, busily moving around the stove. Almost immediately, Tara felt the warmth of love consume her body, like a comforting, soothing blanket, and she dropped her bag on the counter and said, "Hey," walked up behind Willow and wrapped her arms around her.



"Oh no," Willow groaned, stirring a pot of pasta. "I thought I would be done by the time you got here."



"Is this a surprise?" Tara asked teasingly, as she noticed Willow's cute polker dot apron and the way the heat from the stove had printed two flush spots across her cheeks.



"I'm cooking," Willow revealed proudly, tilting her body so that she could glance at Tara. "I've decided to cook."



"Yeah, sweetie," Tara kissed her neck softly, then looked up at the steaming pots and pans. "I see that."



"Just for us."



"Where's everyone," Tara pressed her lips against Willow's neck again, breathed in deeply for a moment or two, and then pulled away reluctantly.



"Xander is spending the night at Anya," Willow moved over to the sink so that she could drain the pasta. "And Buffy and Dawn went to see a movie."



"All aloneness," Tara smiled, sitting down near the island. "I love all aloneness time."



Willow looked at her and smiled back. Then she dumped the noodles in a large dish, looking all intense, and reached for another pot on the stove.



"How was your day?" She asked.



Tara sighed. "I have a paper to write for Professor Bennett," she said. "A review on Albert Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus. The section on absurd creation, in particular."



"Oooh," Willow's face brightened enthusiastically. "The Myth of Sisyphus. I love that book. So enlightening."



"Willow," Tara said dryly. "You must be the only one of earth who loves that book."



"Really?" Willow frowned sheepishly for a moment.



"It's deep and whacky. It's gives any normal thinking person a headache to read, much less review."



"Oh," Willow said, slightly embarrassed. "Did I say I loved it? I-I mean I sort of...kind of...liked it."



Tara tried not to smile. "My girlfriend the genius," she said proudly.



Willow grinned, reaching for yet another pot. "And chef," she said. "Don't forget chef."



Ten minutes later, she laid out all the food on the dinning room table. Then she grabbed Tara's hand and guided her to one of the seats. Tara stared at the wonderful spread before her, touched that Willow had gone through all that trouble just to surprise her.



As Willow sat down, Tara looked across at her and whispered softly,



"Thanks, baby."



Willow's face flushed with pleasure. "Dig in," she said, "and tell me what you think."



Tara swirled the pasta Alfredo with her fork, brought a large portion up to her mouth and then groaned with pleasure.



"Hmm, heavenly," she said, with her mouth full.



"Is there no end to my many talents?" Willow smirked.



Tara picked up a slice of garlic bread and bit into it hungrily.



"I'm sure that I can find something that you're bad at, if I think long enough," she said teasingly.



Willow ate heartily, and she looked so happy and pleased that Tara couldn't help smiling herself.



They slipped into a short silence. After a while, Tara wiped her mouth with her napkin and then she said, a bit hesitantly,



"Will?"



Willow looked up at her. "Yeah?"



"D-do you know a girl named James Taylor?"



Willow frowned in confusion. "A girl named James?"



"Well," Tara said. "H-her name is Jamie, but she prefers James...or s-something like that."



Willow stared at her blankly for a moment. And then she said,



"Oh, I think I do know her. Dark hair, not bad looking in a kind of dark, unconventional, mysterious sort of way?"



"Yeah," Tara said softly. "That's the one."



"What about her?"



"She come on to me at lunch today."



Willow chewed slowly and swallowed, and then her eyes searched Tara's carefully for a moment.



"I told her I had a girlfriend," Tara continued, remembering her interaction with Miss Jolie Wannabe hours earlier. "But she wouldn't take no for an answer."



"We share a physics class together," Willow said solemnly.



"She's a very s-strange girl," Tara mused.



"Strange in a good-looking modelish way, though." Willow muttered.



Tara looked up at her quickly and noticed the jealous flush creeping slowly across Willow's cheeks.



"Darling," she said, covering her fingers over Willow's. "Believe me, you don't have to worry about that girl at all."



Willow said nothing, but her cheeks grew brighter and brighter causing Tara to regret that she had ever opened her big mouth.









to be continued...

Edited by: bijoux2 at: 3/11/04 10:55 am

This is looking kinda good! Hmmmm a ring? sounds intriguing....keep it acomin'!!



Wired xxxxx

Awww..lovely update..and Willow cooking.. . Love sammi xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

ooooh Willow's jealous, i feel a big explosion rising! this is great, i love how Jamie is 'well known'. keep writing



wired xxxx

Ok i really, really, really dont like James *hmpf* and i get that Idea, that this wasnt her last word /visit



And to see Willow totaly jealouse is kinda strange, cuz she should know that SHE is the only person for Tara, but love is a mysterious (being jealouse etc), no? Just hope that they will talk a bit about it, so Willow will know that shes definitely the No. 1



CU

SoL/Natti

This is a duet, Amber! You need to sing!"- Tony

Love the way Tara turns James down.



I hate to see what Willow will do. She seems really angry.

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.


Tara: Willow, I got so lost.

Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Oh dear! I feel like Jamie is gonna cause some trouble with our lovely girls. I hope Willow doesnt go too butch ( no I hope she does and Jamie gets the message!

bijoux ,

I loved the update! is going to kill James for hitting on . I can see it now. I hope there isn't so much blood that she can't hide the body quickly. Can't wait to more. Update soon, please?





Grace

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

Nice fic...ooo..Willow is either embarrassed or I feel a shovel moment coming on...I'm kinda surprised at the way Tara turned down James..she's grown alot in your fic from the Tara on the show..I like it...Update soon please..I really want to see where this fic is heading..





Tisha

ooo... i like! i like! MORE! MORE! PLEASE.. ...

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/17/04 9:12 am

hehe... i can so related to Willow... if i had a girlfriend as gorgeous as Tara, I'd be burning up and smoking from my ears with jealousy. I don't like that girl James character...but then, most of the villains are easy to hate. They would be so irritating, especially ones that don't go poof.

CheerZ

Shinnen



She's the most amazing girl in the whole world. She's the only girl who makes my heart beat faster and slower at the same time. When I'm not with her, I'm not living. I'm not existing until I can hold her in my arms again.

hi kittens, sorry about the delay between updates. I planned to write a lot quicker than that but I'm a little distracted at the moment. Please forgive.



sam darls: I agree. Willow cooking...turned me on too



Wired Vixen: Well, there's not really going to be a big explosion as such. But there's definitately a confrontation between Willow and Jamie in the not so distant future.



Stroke of Luck: I guess you're one of those readers who totally detests James. Try not too worry too much. Think drama. We writers need it to create a bit of conflict.



The Rose: Glad you liked the way Tara turned down Jamie. Hope you continue reading.



AmberAlysonlover: Jamie is not going to give up so easily so she may very well cause some trouble. How much, is left to be seen.



bluewillowwitch: Haha! Willow killing James...and the whole body thing. Way funny. I think. You were kidding, right? Seriously, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Hope you read on.



Seldomly Naughty: Funny thing. I was writing this fic and I thought the same thing you did, that Tara seems a lot more mature and confident. I didn't mean for it to happen, but I'm glad you like her that way. It's amazing how many things you kittens notice.





lil wiccan: Happy you like. Here's more!



Shinnen: Yeah, Willow's not too happy at the moment. It's unusual for her to feel this jealous, but people in love act a little strange sometimes. (That last line sounds a bit familiar. Wonder where I heard it )





Disclaimer: as before





That Crazy Thing Called Love





Willow said nothing, but her face grew brighter and brighter, causing Tara to regret that she had ever opened her big mouth.



*****



Half and hour later, they cleared the table, washed up and then headed upstairs. They took turns in the shower, and then Willow flicked on the television set, laid down on her stomach in her jamies, and watched the screen silently. She bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows, but Tara knew that she was not following the movie that was playing.



She watched Willow thoughtfully in the mirror as she brushed her hair. Then she placed the brush down on the vanity-table, moved over towards the bed and crawled in beside Willow.



Willow turned, and they kissed each other softly for a moment. Then Tara leaned in further and landed a series of small kisses on the nape of Willow's neck.



"Did I ruin dinner?"



"No," Willow said, shaking her head. "Dinner was beautiful."



"You haven't really spoken to me since then," Tara said. "Well, except for a few inaudible grunts. And not only that, you have two very strange red spots on your cheeks."



Willow reached up quickly and touched her face. "I have red spots?"



"Yeah," Tara nodded solemnly. "And it's making you look very angry right now."



"I hate my fair skin," Willow muttered.



"That's one of the things that makes you a cute red head, sweetie," Tara smiled, pulling back to look at her. Then she sighed and traced the fading spots on Willow's cheeks with her fingers. "I s-shouldn't have told you about J-Jamie."



"I'm glad you did."



"But now you're all moody and quiet."



"I'm just thinking of all the horrible things I'm going to do to that girl for hitting on you," Willow said. And then she looked at Tara and smiled sheepishly. "I guess it's safe to say I'm burning up with jealousy."



Tara brushed a strand of hair away from Willow's face.



"I've seen that girl," Willow went on. "She's all popular and good looking. A lot of people want to be with her."



"Yeah," Tara said. "Maybe. But I don't, because she's not you."



Willow frowned with uncertainty, reached for Tara's hand and fiddled with the ring around her finger.



"I love you, Will," Tara said softly, noticing her expression. "I thought you knew that."



"I know," Willow said, but she was still staring at Tara's fingers, now intertwined with her own.



"I thought you knew how much," Tara said. She placed her hand under Willow's chin and turned her head so that they were looking at each other. "It's scares me sometimes," she whispered. "Sometimes I can't believe I can love someone so much. It feels so intense that it takes my breath away. I look at you and then I can't breathe."



Willow's eyes filled with tears, and then as if finding no other word to express what she was feeling, she said simply, "Tara..."



"It's true, baby," Tara said. "You make me happy and contented. There's no other person I'd rather be with."



They kissed again, tongues brushing softly, lips parting and then meeting again with crushing passion. Then Tara guided Willow gently on her back and moved on top of her. The flickering light from the television set danced across their bodies.



Tara unbuttoned Willow's pajama top, pushed it aside impatiently and slid her hands across Willow's smooth stomach and then over her chest, feeling her nipples responding immediately to her touch.



"Baby," Willow said breathlessly, her eyes shinning with desire in the softly lit room "That's like the fifth night in a row we're doing this."



"I guess that's the reason I'm happy and contented, sweetie," Tara said, pressing her lips against the sensitive spot behind Willow's ears. Then she slipped her fingers down Willow's pajama bottoms, raised her eyebrows teasingly. "You want me to remain that way, right?"



Willow sucked in her breath sharply, pulled Tara towards her.



"Come here," she growled.











to be continued...

Edited by: bijoux2 at: 3/16/04 6:26 am

Awww..I adored this update..so lovely, and so sweet Love sammi xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

A very interesting, well written story.



I love jealous . Although, I must say, I don't like that James woman, she's sorta . I mean, hitting on people in a relationship ....that's not nice and it's not .



I sure hope will her...I don't know, work some evil mojo on James' ass.



More please! I love LOVE scenes...and it just gotten HOT.

I can take care of her...even if she never...she's my girl.