First fic: Isla del Encanto (AU)

[barnabasvamp]

Excellent, this just keeps getting better!

BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West

[bluewillowwitch]

No,

Cliffhangers are just mean! I have to know what happens. Can't wait for the next update.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[onyxsundrops]

Notes: Cliffhanger, as usual...I know, I know...you’re probably getting tired of them.





The flash exploded into every corner of the office. Tara gripped Willow’s hand as they stared, open-mouthed, into the haze. Patricia and Jeffery also looked on as the green faded into red then back to green. When the green shimmered away like smoke, a circle of people were left surrounding the group.



Tara gasped, pulling Willow more into her body. They were both horrified and awed by what they were seeing. The people stood before them and from their style of dress, Willow figured that they were all from a different era. Both men and women stood within the circle, their eyes white as chalk and their faces were empty and emotionless.



Jeffery and his mother, scrambled backward in an attempt to flee. Not paying attention, Patricia bumped into one of the men behind her. The man was dressed in a blue tunic and as soon as Patricia’s back grazed his chest, the white in his eyes melted away, leaving dark brown irises.



The woman screamed when she saw the transformation, but she still continued to back away, hoping to find a gap that she could squeeze through. However, every time she touched the man, the features on his face became more pronounced. He blinked, though the others around the circle, remained the same. Tara thought that it was almost like he was waking up. She watched as Patricia once again tried to push through the circle of stiff bodies.



“Don’t touch them!” The blonde didn’t know how she found her voice, but she was grateful when Patricia stopped pushing and turned to her. “Don’t touch them! I think every time you touch him, you’re waking him up.” Though she was nervous, her words were clear.



“Who are they?” Patricia asked in a forced whisper. She wanted nothing more than to throw herself through the wall of bodies and escape.



“I don’t know,” Tara paused to glance around at each individual. “I think they’re the souls from...from the ring.”



“That means she’s dead,” it was the first time that Jeffery had spoken. After he saw the man’s eyes change, he moved by the two girls in the center of the circle.



“If she’s dead and they’ve been released...shouldn’t there be more of them,” Willow couldn’t help but add, “And why aren’t they killing us?”



“I’m not sure...maybe...maybe she’s not c-completely dead,” Tara pushed back the feeling of failure, hoping that it wasn’t too late to return the ring. “I don’t think they’re completely connected to our world,” she looked at Patricia, “When you touched him, you exposed him to our physical world.”



“So if she’s not dead, this is what? A preview of what’s to come?” Willow sighed when Tara nodded. “Okay, but how do we send them back?”



“I don’t think we can,” Tara ran her fingers through her hair, “The ring released them and only the ring can send them back.”



“I guess, we’ll just have to wait until she regains some of her energy or life-force or whatever she needs to make them go poof.” Relenting, the girls took a seat on the floor.



“That’s it? We just wait? What if she dies or never gets her energy back?” Patricia turned back to the man she had bumped into. His eyes were still blinking, but they were unfocused and his body hadn’t moved from its position. “I say, we take this guy out and get the hell out of here. With the four of us, we should be able to push him out of the way.”



“We? We wouldn’t even be in this situation if it weren’t for you!” Willow expressed her agitation toward Patricia. “I mean, first you send your son to kill us, and suddenly we’re supposed to help you?”



“Well, it’s better than sitting here and doing nothing, besides waiting around for some woman to die,” Patricia bit back.



“She’s not dead yet, so we still have some time left. And besides you-,” Willow was cut off by Tara, who was getting tired of them arguing back and forth.



“Willow, sweetie, arguing is not going to change her mind,” Willow pouted, but didn’t speak. Tara then turned to Patricia, “Look, if you want to take your chances with him,” she pointed to the man and the sword connected to his belt. “And get sliced to pieces, while we all watch...then go ahead. If not, then would you please sit down and shut-up!” Everybody stared at Tara, and though Willow’s look was full of smugness and respect, Jeffery and Patricia stared in shock. Not able to think of a quick comeback, Patricia huffed before lowering to the floor with Jeffery following.



****



“It’s been an hour and we still haven’t found them,” Buffy and the others had gone back to their rooms, hoping that Willow and Tara had come back. After finding the rooms empty, they went back out to search again. “Let’s split up. Anya and Xander, you check the wings on the third and fourth floors and Faith and I will check the lower levels.”



The couples agreed to meet back in the lounge in thirty minutes and went their separate ways. “Let’s go check the hallway’s by the cafeteria,” Buffy took Faith’s hand as they walked through the lobby.



****



The ring, which had fallen to the floor next to Tara’s foot, began to shake once more. The sudden vibration against the sole of her shoe, made the blonde’s body jerk forward. Raising her head from Willow’s shoulder, Tara held the ring in her hand. By now, the others had noticed the ring shift and slide across Tara’s palm. Streams of green flowed from the stone as they braced themselves for the blinding light. The streams exploded into blue sparks, illuminating the office.



****



Faith noticed a glow further down the hallway that they were searching. Getting Buffy’s attention, the girls cautiously walked down the hallway. It was obvious that the glow was coming from behind the door, and even more obvious, was the name printed across the door. As soon as Buffy touched the doorhandle, the light disappeared. She twisted the handle, pushing forward as she stepped over the threshold. The two girls stood in the doorway, frowning as they stared into an empty room.

[sailor80]

Oooh, things are getting really interesting now.



I've been enjoying this. Keep up the good work!



Mary Frances

[bluewillowwitch]

HeyLove he update. Can' wat to see what happens to and and the rest of the gang. Keepup the great fic.



bluewllowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[barnabasvamp]

Oh jeezz, now they have all been transported somewhere else.

Lots of souls in that ring to confront, should be interesting!

BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West

[onyxsundrops]

*Sorry, I'm not feeling that well, so it’s kinda short*



****



“We have a problem!” After leaving the room, Buffy and Faith met up with Anya and Xander to explain what happened in Patricia’s office.



“And you didn’t hear anybody in the room?” Xander asked after hearing the story. The group was now on their way back to the office to search for any clues to determine what might’ve happened.



“No, all we saw was this weird blue light. No screams, voices or anything else.” Faith pushed the door open, waiting for the others to follow her in, before closing and locking it. “I think the answer to whatever happened, is somewhere in this room.” They began skimming through the loose papers and folders within the desk drawers.



“I found something,” Anya held up a black notebook, “I think it’s a journal,” she said flipping through the pages.



“Its Jeffery’s journal,” Xander announced. He saw the man’s name scribbled at the bottom of some of the pages.



“Hold onto it,” Buffy paused, “If there’s anything incriminating in there, we might be able to use it for leverage.”



“Leverage?” Xander asked.



“For when we find Willow and Tara,” Faith answered before Buffy. “If something’s happened to them, we can use the journal as evidence against Jeffery.”



“If we ever find them,” Anya muttered too low for anyone to hear. Tucking the book under her shoulder, she walked across the room to check the filing cabinets. She was unaware of the silver ring next to her foot as she and the others continued looking around.



****



It was almost like free falling or a thrill-ride that made you want to scream and laugh at the same time. At least, that’s what Willow thought before her body suddenly dropped to the ground. Ignoring the ache in her arm, she looked up at the others who were already standing.



Willow watched the different expressions play across Tara’s face, but they all showed the same emotion...fear. The redhead frowned, wondering what was causing her girlfriend to be so frightened. She looked over at Jeffery and Patricia, whose expressions mirrored Tara’s. When she finally turned to see what they were all looking at, her jaw dropped as she got up from the ground.



Before them, stood what seemed to be more than a thousand bodies, all lined together and stretching as far as the eye could see. They remained dormant like the others at Patricia’s office, only without the white eyes.



“Uh, Tara?” Willow’s head turned slightly, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away from the scene.



“Huh?” Tara’s voice was short and distant, and she was also unable to turn away.



“Where are we?” Willow inched toward the blonde, wanting to feel that she was really there with her.



Tara welcomed the closeness, “I don’t know,” she grabbed for Willow’s hand but pulled away when she felt her girlfriend wince in pain. The action tore her away from the others as she focused on Willow. “Are you okay?”



Willow rubbed the tender spot, “Yeah, I just landed pretty hard.” She caressed Tara’s cheek with her uninjured hand. “What about you? Are you okay?”



Tara leaned into the touch, “Yeah,” she smiled nervously, “I mean, I don’t know where we are or why we’re here...but I’m okay.”



“Good,” Willow moved forward. It seemed like so long since she’d kissed her girlfriend. And though she knew that it was hardly the time for it, she really needed to feel that Tara was with her. The blonde understood and grazed her lips against Willow’s lips, losing themselves until Patricia cleared her throat.



“This isn’t the time for snuggles,” she grumbled. Patricia nor Jeffery had spoken since they arrived, which made it easier for the girls to forget that they were there. “We should be doing something...trying to escape.”



“There’s nothing we can do! We’re surrounded and there’s no way to escape,” Tara sighed as she looked up. It was the first time that she actually looked at the sky. It was dark green, adorned with sprinkles of white and light brown.



“Where’s the ring?” The question had suddenly popped into Willow’s mind. “Tara, do you have the ring?” When Tara silently shook her head no, Willow frowned and followed her gaze upward.



“Well, it’s around here somewhere,” Patricia searched the ground, keeping a distance between her and the row of bodies in front of her.



“I don’t think it is,” Willow continued to stare up, wondering if Tara was having the same thoughts as she was.



“Why not?” Patricia was getting impatient. Here she is, worried about the ring, while the others stare into space like fools. "Why isn't the ring here?" She asked again.



“Because we’re in it,” Tara put her dreaded thoughts into words.



Patricia paled, “We can’t be inside it, that’s not possible.” She frantically shook her head in disbelief, “They’re all dead! We aren’t dead!” She paused in uncertainty, “Right?”



Willow and Tara turned to each other, both confused and not knowing how to answer Patricia.



"No, you aren't dead...yet." Their eyes grew wide as they slowly turned toward the voice.

[bluewillowwitch]

Hey,

Lovethe update. OMG! Can't wait for more.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on hapening."--Anita Loos

[onyxsundrops]

“No, you aren’t dead...yet,” the group turned toward the voice, which belonged to a young man. He was tall and muscular, looking as if he were in his late twenties when he died. His black hair complimenting his dark blue eyes and low trimmed beared.



“Who are you? You’re not one of us!” He eyed the group suspiciously, “How did you get here? Why are you here?” He shouted question after question with his hand on his sword, ready for any possible threat.



Tara and Willow moved back in panic. Jeffery moved by his mother, trying to pull her back but she pulled from his grip. She pushed him aside to point an accusing finger towards Tara, “It was her! She did something to the ring.”



The man’s icy blue eyes turned to Tara with a dangerous glare. “I-I didn’t d-do anything,” the blonde tried to defend herself but the man stepped forward. “Quiet!” He demanded, stepping closer. “You’ve upset the balance...only souls belong here. You being here, has woken me and soon the others will awaken, as well.” The clink of metal was heard as he pulled his sword from its sheath. “There is only one way to restore the balance.”



Seeing her lover in danger, Willow moved in front of Tara. She defiantly held the man’s gaze as if to challenge him. He raised an eyebrow at the redheads’ boldness, but truth be told, he didn’t care who his first victim was. Willow’s resolve crumbled when he raised his sword, “Wait! Nobody has to die...c-can’t you just send us back?”



The man paused but didn’t lower his weapon, “Only the person who possesses the ring can return you to where you belong.” He turned sharply, at the sound of a groan behind him, “They will awake soon, either face me or all of us.”



“B-but this isn’t right...this isn’t supposed to happen,” Tara stepped in front of Willow as she spoke. “I’m supposed to return the ring to Cynara.”



Hearing Tara speak Cynara’s name caused the man to hesitate “She is weak,” his features briefly softened, “And for that reason, the ring will continue to release and recapture souls. I understand that you are here by mistake.” His face hardened once again, “But the balance must be restored.” He moved forward to strike.



****



“Junk...junk...junk,” Anya was tossing papers onto the floor as she searched through the cabinets. “Geez, everything in here is bills. Bills...bills,” she continued to toss the papers to the floor.



“Anya, could you at least be considerate and put the papers back after you’ve read them,” Xander asked his girlfriend. Anya huffed before gathering the loose papers up from the floor and stuffing them back into the drawer.



Buffy noticed something as Anya finished refilling one drawer and begun to pull another one back. “Anya, don’t step back!” Buffy’s warning immediately stopped Anya, with her heel hovering above the floor.



“Is it a rat? It’s a rat isn’t it?” She blanched, “I hate rats. Kill it!” She squirmed as Buffy kneeled beside her.



“It’s not a rat.” She picked up the object, “It’s a ring.” Buffy turned so the others could see the ring.



“Do you think it’s-,” Xander was cut off by Faith. “Yes, it’s the same one.”



“Why is it here and why was it on the floor,” he took the ring from Buffy’s hand as he spoke.



“I don’t know,” Anya grabbed the ring from Xander. “It’s pretty,” her eyes sparkled, fixated on the stone.



“No, you can’t keep it,” Buffy snatched the ring back after noticing the gleam in Anya’s eyes.



“I know, I know,” the blonde rolled her eyes, “I was merely making an observation.”



“So we have the ring, but we still haven’t found Willow and Tara,” Faith sighed as she pointed out the obvious.



“It’s getting late, we should pack up before Patricia gets back,” Buffy rubbed some of the tension out of her neck. “As for Willow and Tara, it’s likely that they were here at some point, but we have no idea where they are now. We should just head back to our rooms and hope that they show up soon.” Buffy helped straighten up the office as best she could before following the others back upstairs.



****



Willow pushed Tara to the ground and dived to the other side, barely missing the sword as it sliced through the air. Their attacker spun around temporarily surprised before he set his sights on Patricia and her son. The woman roughly grabbed Jeffery as he tried to get away and shoved him in front of the approaching man. He snarled, pushing Jeffery to the ground and continued toward Patricia.



“Listen, if you surrender, I’ll make it quick,” he had Patricia blocked in between himself and the row of bodies behind her. With his victim within his grasp, he reached for her but was pulled back by the sudden weight on his back.



Willow and Tara watched as Jeffery wrapped his arms around the man’s neck, trying to pull him back. Because of the difference in size, Jeffery was left dangling against the man’s back like a flimsy rag-doll. Jeffery cried out when the man elbowed him in the stomach, but he tightened his hold and eventually pulled the man back until they both toppled to the ground. With the man laying on top of him, Jeffery squeezed his arms tighter.



“You,” the man struggled to speak. The pressure against his throat made his words strained, “You can’t kill me,” he forcibly jerked his head back, hitting Jeffery in the face, “Because I’m already dead.” Jeffery released his arms to cradle his face from the recent blow. The man rose, once again stalking toward his target.



Willow and Tara were pulled away from the scene, by a loud roar and the sight of another man rushing at them. He was tall like the other man, but was more muscular and swung a large ax. Tara screamed and jumped back when the man charged at her.



Hearing the scream, the man advancing on the cowering form of Patricia, turned to see Willow being chased by another man. “There will be more of us,” he glanced around. “Surrender now and it will be quick!” He urged, knowing that there wasn’t much time until the other souls awakened.



Dodging another swing, Willow fell to the ground beside Jeffery, who had remained on the ground after being hit. She mentally chastised herself for all the times she browsed through her magick books and never took the time to memorize a single spell. Wondering if Tara knew any, she picked herself up and jumped back into the fight.



****



“Something’s happening!” Buffy had been sneaking glances at the ring as the others watched television. “It’s glowing.”



The ring started to shake on top of the table. Not knowing what to expect, Buffy almost tripped over the edge of the bed as she and the others rushed toward the door.



****



Tara crawled backwards in an attempt to escape her pursuer, “Tara, can you do a spell?” Willow shouted, dodging another soul that had awakened. Tara whispered under her breath, frowning when nothing happened. “It didn’t work,” she yelled back to Willow. Continuing to crawl backwards, Tara bumped into something behind her. Looking up, she stared into a pair of eyes; one of which, was brown and the other was completely white. The woman stared down at her, raising a knife above her head.



Tara took a final look at Willow, before squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the impact. After several minutes, when the impact never came, Tara opened her eyes. The knife was only inches away from her forehead, but it was stuck in midair. The souls had returned to their dormant positions, scattered around in different poses like statues.



Tara noticed something else...she was alone. No Willow. No Patricia. No Jeffery. She wiped away the tears that she didn’t know had fallen. Her hand flickered in and out before her eyes, the bead of water on her fingertip becoming transparent. Understanding what was happening, Tara let go as she too, disappeared.

[bluewillowwitch]

OMG! I have to know more. What happens next? I can't wait to see the next update.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[jessan15]

Ack! I must agree....how could you just stop it like that? You clearly have the cliffhanger concept down to a T.



I'm dying to read more....I love seeing them in more of a Scooby-Doo type setting...not sure why, but I do.



Oh, and I absolutely adore your Anya...some other writers have done her as a "never been a demon" character, but not gotten it quite right. You have it dead on in my opinion. All hail!



Looking forward to more.

Love Will Find a Way

[onyxsundrops]

-Sorry it’s late...I spent the week helping my sister move...anyway, here’s the update!



****



The ring shifted and slid across the tabletop, shooting green rays into every direction. The four individuals near the door, stared into the blaze as it bounced off the walls and covered the whole bedroom. The light lasted only for a few seconds until the gleaming haze began to clear, leaving four people standing on the other side of the room.



The new arrivals were feeling light-headed from the trip. Willow stumbled forward, but Tara caught her, making sure not to touch her injured arm. They all looked around the room, realizing where they were and noticed the shocked group standing in front of them.



After seeing the others suddenly appear in front of her, Buffy took a minute to process what had just happened. Unable to think of a solid explanation, she voiced her thoughts. “Okay, what the hell just happened?” The three beside her, nodded, also wanting to know what was going on.



Willow and Tara looked at each other, “It’s hard to explain,” Willow was the first to speak, before Patricia erased the ‘hard to explain’ theory with four words. “The ring released us.”



“Okay, maybe not that hard,” the redhead muttered.



“What? How? I mean, why were you even in the ring?” Buffy asked, moving forward now that she knew there was no threat.



“Well, at least that part’s hard to explain,” Willow said, before launching into the story of what happened.

****



The group listened as Willow told the whole story, everything from when the two girls went to Patricia’s office, to the events that transpired inside the ring.



“I think we should return the ring as soon as possible,” Faith said, once Willow finished her narration of the past two hours.



“How about as soon as...now.” Anya got up from the floor as she continued, “I don’t want to be sucked into zombie land when the ring decides to go schizo again.”



“They’re souls, not zombies,” Xander corrected his girlfriend.



“Whatever, they’re still dead, aren’t they?”



“I’m with Anya,” Buffy said, slightly raising her hand.



“Me too,” Faith added.



“I think we should keep it and put it on display,” Patricia paused, “It could be really profitable for me...for us,” she added quickly.



They all gave the older woman an incredulous glare. “Are you insane?” Willow almost shook with anger, “Did you forget everything we told you? Everything that just happened? And you still want to keep it?” Patricia backed away from the angry redhead. Tara took Willow’s hand, deflating her rising temper. The blonde chose not to acknowledge the woman’s request and instead, focused on comforting her girlfriend.



“We should do it now since it’s obvious that we’re running out of time,” Buffy turned to the blonde, “Tara, you do your little dream-catcher thing and-.”



“Dream-walk,” Xander muttered.



“Whatever!” Buffy sighed, “Tara, you do your dream-walk thing, so we can get the hell off this island. I never thought I’d miss Hudson so much in my entire life.”



“H-honestly,” Tara stuttered, sensing the hostility in the room. “I-I’m so wired, I don’t even think I can sleep right now.” The feeling of Willow’s thumb, rubbing her hand, helped Tara finish the sentence, smoothly.



“I have some sleeping pills,” all eyes turned to Anya. “What?” She shrugged, “I need something to make me sleep, on those nights when Xander doesn’t last as long!” Their eyes shifted to Xander, who was carefully examining the carpeted floor. “Anyway, they’re completely safe...I’ll go get you one,” Anya left before Tara could protest.



“Well, what am I supposed to do?” Patricia asked. She had been standing by the wall, the whole time Anya had been discussing her sex-life or lack of. And now she was waiting impatiently, wondering why she was still in the room with these annoying kids.



“You should be thankful that we’re not calling the cops on you and your son, right now!” Willow snapped at the woman for the second time since returning.



“Me? What did I do?” Patricia steered clear out of the redhead’s reach.



“Hmm, let’s see...conspiracy to commit murder, you were an accomplice to your own husbands’ murder and his son, and there’s probably countless other cases of extortion and fraud, that we don’t even know about.” Willow watched as Patricia paled.



Tara smiled, leaning in to whisper into Willow’s ear, “That was good, sweetie.” Willow smiled back, tempted to steal a kiss, “I took a criminology course, freshman year.”



Patricia studied the pair. How did they know about the boy? And worse, did they know anything else that could incriminate her? She regained her composure, trying to save herself, “I had nothing to do with that! It was all Jeffery...he killed them. He wanted you dead, not me!” Jeffery, who hadn’t said anything during the conversation, stared at his mother, unbelieving.



Anya heard most of what Patricia said as she walked back into the room. “Drop the act, we know you were involved...you just made him do all the dirty work.”



“You have no proof!” She retorted, smirking at the group.



“No,” Faith cut in, “But I’m sure Jeff over there, would be more than willing to rat you out.”



Patricia turned to her son, who was looking at the floor, lost in his own thoughts. “He wouldn’t do it. He doesn’t have the balls.” After hearing his mother’s harsh words, Jeffery fixed her with an intense gaze before returning to his thoughts.



“We’ll see about that,” Faith returned Patricia’s smirk.



“Whatever, I don’t have time for this! You don’t have any proof...and you never will,” nobody stepped forward to stop Patricia as she marched toward the door. “Let’s go Jeffery!” The young man’s shoulders slumped as he followed his mother out of the room.



****



After taking the pill that Anya had given her, Tara’s eyes were fighting to stay open as she gripped the ring in her palm. But the outside world soon melted away as she succumbed to the pills affects. Everything was the same as she remembered, except this time, there were no images. She stood under the light of an invisible lamp, surrounded in darkness. She looked around, waiting, until a cold chill ran up her spine when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning around, Tara gasped, as she stared into the face of a different woman.

[Washi]

My lack of feedback is bad, really bad! I've been reading verything, and you sure know how to make a cliffhanger! Kudos, love the story!

---------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[onyxsundrops]

Note: There’s an Nc17 warning and there’s no cliffhanger...at least I don’t think it is...anyway, here’s the update!



****



The woman that stood before Tara was very different from the last time, they had shared a dream. Cynara didn’t appear as the same strong woman that walked high, giving off waves of confidence. Instead, this woman slouched forward, drenched in vulnerability. She was ghostly, as if her dream-self was deteriorating with her physical body, leaving nothing but a shell in its aftermath.



Tara felt a twinge of pity settle in her stomach, as she stared at the fragile woman. She loosened her grip on the ring within her palm, just enough for Cynara to catch a glimpse. The woman stepped forward as she spoke.



****



“She’s dreaming,” Willow observed the way Tara’s eyes shifted under the closed lids. The redhead sat beside the bed, gently stroking Tara’s forehead as she dreamed.



“Let’s hope she’s not too late,” Anya whispered, as the images of souls continued to flicker in and out around the room. She hoped the others on the island weren’t having the same experience as those in the room. Glancing out the window, she was relieved that she hadn’t seen any of the guests running around screaming in hysteria. Everything was peaceful...a huge contrast to what was occurring before her eyes.



Willow and Anya were the only two inside the room with Tara, the others had decided to wait across the hall in Faith’s room. The blonde watched Willow comfort her sleeping girlfriend, and nearly screamed when one of the souls blocked her view for a split second. From the corner of her eye, Willow noticed Anya jump back. She was thankful that the other girl had decided to stay with her, if she had been alone, Willow knew she would’ve gone crazy by now.



She lightly kissed Tara’s lips, “C’mon baby,” she whispered, her eyes searching her lover’s sleeping face.



****



“My appearance frightens you?” Cynara croaked, her voice was dry and raspy.



“I-I just didn’t expect-,” Tara cut herself off, noticing the sadness in the woman’s eyes.



“This is what death looks like,” her soft chuckle turned into a cough. “So you found it,” she gestured toward Tara’s hand.



“Yeah, I...we found it,” the blonde uncurled her fingers, as Cynara reached for the ring. Her cold fingers grazed Tara’s palm, as she smiled up at the young woman.



“We?” She questioned, breathing deeply once the ring was completely in her grasp.



“My friends...and Willow,” Tara smiled, a slight tingle caused her to trace her fingers over her lips.



“Willow?” The woman slid her finger through the ring. Relief washed over her when the stone shimmered, causing the silver to heat against her icy skin. “Who’s Willow?” She turned back to Tara, wanting to know more about the young woman who helped her, also knowing that if she perished at that very moment, everything would be okay.



“She’s,” Tara paused to gather her thoughts, “She’s my everything!” Her eyes twinkled as she smiled.



“She must mean a lot to you,” Cynara pushed aside the small tremor of envy that she felt. She had never experienced that kind of love, but she couldn’t fault the girl for something she would never have. “Is she the redhead?” She smiled at the surprise etched on Tara’s face, “I peeked into your dreams a few times, while you slept.” The blonde could only nod. What exactly did she see? As if she could read minds, Cynara quickly reassured Tara, “Don’t worry, I never stayed long enough,” she winked and Tara blushed in embarrassment.



“I should go,” the woman felt something pulling her. She awkwardly stepped forward to embrace Tara. In understanding, Tara wrapped her arms around Cynara as the woman whispered. “Take care of each other! I didn’t get a chance to sneak into her dreams...but I know she feels the same.” She felt the woman’s body stiffen, “Thank you,” a tear splashed onto Tara’s shoulder as Cynara’s body disappeared from her arms.



****



Once the connection was lost, Tara’s eyes snapped open. She smelled familiar shampoo as she looked down to see Willow’s head laying on her chest with her hand drawing circles on her stomach.



“Hey,” Tara whispered below, glad she didn’t startle Willow, who was now staring into her eyes.



“Hey,” Willow lifted her head onto the pillow beside Tara’s. “How are you feeling? Is it-,” she trailed off.



“Yeah, it’s over,” Tara smiled, knowing that Cynara was finally at peace. “Where is everyone?” She turned onto her side to twist her fingers in the pool of red hair.



“They’re all asleep,” Willow replied, enjoying the feeling of Tara’s fingers. When the souls had stopped appearing, she had sent Anya away, figuring that the others had already went to bed. “Are you tired?”



“Not really,” Tara’s eyes shifted from the redheads lips back to her eyes. “Are you?”



“Not really,” they smiled at the mirrored response. “What should we do?” Willow asked innocently.



“Well, there’s something I’ve been wanting to do lately.” Before Willow could ask what it was, she felt Tara’s lips capture hers in a heated kiss. Their lips fought for dominance as Willow rolled Tara onto her back. After a few seconds, they pulled apart to breathe, only to dive back in.



Willow quickly pulled Tara’s shirt over her head before planting kisses along her collarbone. Soon Willow’s shirt was also removed as Tara cupped her breasts, tugging on the light purple bra. Willow sat up so Tara could unhook her bra while she pulled Tara’s bra straps down the blonde’s shoulders before reaching behind to unhook it.



Both completely topless, Willow lightly pinched Tara’s nipples before taking one into her watering mouth. Tara moaned, sliding her hands under Willow’s jeans to pull her more into her body as she began grinding her hips against Willow’s. She cried out when Willow’s teeth gently pulled on her nipple before sucking it harder. In a fluid motion, Tara was hovering above her intensely aroused girlfriend. She returned Willow’s previous actions, by taking the redhead’s nipple into her mouth. Her tongue swirled around the hard nipple before slowly licking the valley between her breasts and concentrating on the other one.



Willow squirmed, feeling her wetness soak through her panties. Whimpering, she tugged on Tara’s jeans and freed the button and zipper. Before she could slide her hand through, Tara gently grabbed it and placed her hand to the bed beside her head. The blonde gave the nipple one last flick, before straddling Willow’s hips. She stared into her lovers eyes as she took her time undoing the button and lowering the zipper. Once free, she continued to stare into Willow’s eyes as she pulled the jeans and panties down to the redhead’s feet. With a final tug, she pulled them completely off and tossed them to the floor. Rising from the bed, Tara removed her own jeans and panties before crawling back up to her prone lover.



There was something predatory about the way Tara crawled up to her, but Willow loved every second. Grinding her wet center against Willow, Tara groaned as her clit rubbed against Willow’s trimmed hairs. Unable to stay still any longer, Willow pulled Tara into a passionate kiss. Her tongue reached out to trace Tara’s jaw before plunging back into her mouth.



Tara’s hand lowered between Willow’s thighs, as she started to rub her middle finger between the soaked lips. The sudden sensation made Willow buck and Tara press in harder. Lost in the wetness, Tara pushed two fingers into the folds, gently stroking but not fully entering her lover. Willow was warm against her fingers as she finally entered her girlfriend and began grinding against her own hand to add more pressure to her pumping fingers.



Willow was speechless, unable to do anything but twist and buck harder under Tara. The feeling of Tara’s body grinding against hers was incredible, and from Tara’s ragged breathing, she knew her girlfriend was close to her own orgasm. Willow inserted two fingers into Tara’s dripping center, causing the blonde to throw her head back in ecstasy. She rode the fingers harder and every time her hips dropped hard on Willow’s fingers, it jolted her own fingers deeper into Willow.



“Look at me,” Willow’s voice broke through the fog inside Tara’s mind. Even from her position, Tara felt as if she could feel Willow’s hot breath tickle her skin. “Come with me,” Willow’s thumb rubbed against her clit as she spoke. “Oh Goddess,” Tara rode harder, feeling a flush cover her whole body. She pumped harder into Willow, feeling the tightening around her fingers. Leaning down to kiss Willow, they gave a final thrust before screaming into each others mouths. Their eyes closed tight as wave after wave washed over them until they could barely move. Tara slumped forward, resting her head under Willow’s chin as she caught her breath.



“I love you,” Willow whispered sleepily. Tara kissed Willow’s chest, “I love you, too.” After a few minutes, their breathing returned to normal. “Willow..,” Tara looked up when the redhead didn’t respond. She smiled down at her sleeping girlfriend, soon following her lead.



****



Far away, a silver ring appeared on a young woman’s body as it was cast into the flames.

[greenwitch]

Hi there,



I just wanted to let you know that i've really been enjoying this story. its well written and i must say you've really got a hang of the cliffhangers!



perhaps this is a little late, but i think more people would have a chance to read this wonderful little fic if you posted on the update thread every time you update the story. that way people will know that a new section of your story is up!



greenwitch

[bluewillowwitch]

Hey,

Just caught up with the story after a couple of days of being gone. Love the last to updates! Can't wait to see what isgoing to happen to the group next. Can't wait for the next update.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[Stroke of Luck]

I was reading 4-5 update and damn every cliffhanger was But the best thing was i could read further, so your cliffhangers werent that bad for me



But damn i hated Jeffrey for that thing he does to Willow and Tara.



And that love scene they are so gorgeous together.



Cu

SoL/Natti



You'll follow your heart and don't worry about me."

"You're part of my heart."

Gabrielle and Xena in "Ulysses

[onyxsundrops]

Hey

Thanks for the advice, greenwitch, I'll do that the next time I post,which should be later tonight or tomorrow.



Okay so, I have a question for the readers: Since the story will be ending soon, should I continue with a part two? (probably with a different title) It'll be set back in their own town, with the group discovering what really roams in the night .

Please let me know if I should or shouldn't.



Yvonne

[Stroke of Luck]

Hey Yvonne



I wanna have a seaquel, please go on. Your story is



Cu

SoL/Natti



You'll follow your heart and don't worry about me."

"You're part of my heart."

Gabrielle and Xena in "Ulysses

[greenwitch]

sequel please!!



i'd really like to see how they react. right now you've set up the framework for their relations, and i'd like to see how that grows and changes as they find out what really walks around after dark. in the show, that framework, that intial connection between the scoobies formed from battling vamps and demons, but since you've already set that up, you would be approaching the issue kinda backward. i think that would be interesting. does that make any sense?



anyway, i love the story and i can't wait for your next update!



greenwitch

[barnabasvamp]

Great update, Tara was obviously the right one to have the connection, and return the ring.



Definitely think you should continue to write, and follow this story with another!

BV

"When choosing between two evils, I always like to take the one I've never tried before"-Mae West

[onyxsundrops]

*Thanks for the feedback about a sequel, I've already gotten started on a few ideas.

****



The next day, as rain splashed hard against the concrete outside, a low grinding sound echoed throughout the side-hallway of the first floor. Patricia cursed under her breath as she stuffed paper after paper into the small electric shredder in her office. When she returned to her office in the early morning, it was clear that somebody had been in her filing cabinets. Knowing who it was, irritated her even more as she searched through the messy documents.



“What are you doing?” Jeffery’s sudden appearance, startled his already jumpy mother. The papers in her hand fell to the floor, scattering across the carpet.



“Dammit Jeffery, don’t you know how to knock?” Patricia yelled, “That’s usually what people do when the door’s closed!” She dropped to her knees, gathering the fallen papers in her arms as Jeffery remained standing in the open door. “Close the door!” Patricia’s nerves were already shot and she didn’t need Jeffery’s stupidity adding to her agitation.



Jeffery followed his mother’s orders and closed the door quietly, fighting the urge to slam it shut. “What do you want?” Patricia continued shredding the loose papers.



“I’ve been thinking...,”



“That’s the first!” Patricia added bitterly.



Despite the insult, Jeffery went on, “I was thinking that maybe we should leave. Sell the property and just go away.” He inwardly cringed when he saw the look on his mother’s face.



“Are you crazy? I’m not leaving!” At least not with you, she added in her mind. After shredding the last paper, she looked back at her son.



“But....”



“No,” she walked toward him, her voice softening as she continued, “We have nothing to worry about.” She needed to make sure that he was still on her side...after all, she still needed him to take the fall for the murders if the police got involved. “Those kids are probably already making plans to leave, and once they’re gone, everything will be fine.”



“What if they don’t? What if they go to the police?” Jeffery’s voice was barely a whisper.



“Then we make sure they don’t!” Patricia paused, “Jeffery, you’re my son and I love you. We have to stay together! We have to be there...for each other!” She smiled on the surface and laughed inside. It was so easy to bait him, almost too easy.



“Once this is over, we’ll take a trip,” she lured him further, “We can go back to the states for a while. Or Europe. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Patricia smiled in triumph, when Jeffery’s face lit up in a child-like manner. Others might have called it adorable, but she saw it as weakness. Patricia pushed the thought aside before continuing, “Now, this is what we’re going to do...”



****



“One down and two to go,” Buffy said as she took a seat on the floor. They had planned on having a picnic outside, but the sound of thunder, quickly changed those plans. So now they all sat in the carpeted hallway of the third floor. Even if it was just a hallway, the group needed a change of scenery, other than the four walls of their rooms. So it was either the lounge: where they wouldn’t have any privacy; the cafeteria: where they were likely to run into Patricia or Jeffery; or the hallway.



Leaning against the wall, Buffy cradled a cup of coffee in her hands while Willow and Tara had opted for mocha’s and the others had soda.



“Look, maybe we should just pack up and leave,” Xander said after taking a sip from his cup.



“And just let them get away with what they did?” Willow’s head shook in disbelief, not believing that Xander could forget everything so easily.



“After all that’s happened, do you think it’s even worth it?” He held Willow’s gaze, until Tara spoke up.



“Isn’t justice for the victims, worth it?” She stared at Xander, almost challenging him.



“But we don’t have any proof?” Xander backpedaled. He wasn’t prepared for the double team between the two girls.



“We have the journal,” Anya jumped in, though it wasn’t in her boyfriend’s defense.



“What journal?” Willow frowned, somewhat upset that nobody told her about the book.



“We found a journal in Patricia’s office. Jeffery’s journal,” Faith piped in.



“What’s in it?” Tara asked, grabbing Willow’s hand as if she knew why her girlfriend was still frowning.



“We haven’t had the chance to read it yet,” Faith paused, “Did you read it?” She looked at Anya, who had already begun walking to her room.



“No,” she grabbed the book from the table, before going back to her previous position on the floor. “What was the date?” Anya asked as she flipped through the pages.



“August 16.”



Anya began looking through the pages for the date Willow had given her. “Okay, I got it,” she read the first few paragraphs to herself, “I don’t get it. If you’re going to kill someone, why would you be stupid enough to write about it,” Anya shook her head as she stared down at the text. “I mean...sure some sicko would pay a lot of money for it but-.”



“Anya...,” Xander sighed, leaning in to read the journal.



“Okay, okay,” she finished reading the entry, “Well, we have enough evidence against Jeffery, but what about Patricia?” She handed the book to the others as she spoke. Faith and Buffy read it silently, before handing it to Tara, who shook her head no, indicating that she didn’t want to read the details. Willow, however, gave into her curiosity and skimmed through the journal.



The sudden loud crackle of thunder caused everybody to jump apart. Not even a minute later, the hall lights flickered before going out. “Just great,” Willow muttered before closing the book.



“The storm must’ve knocked out the power,” Buffy sat up, making sure she didn’t spill her coffee.



“W-well, shouldn’t the emergency lights be on by now?” The worry was evident in Tara’s voice as she searched for Willow’s hand in the darkness.



Anya’s door was the only one open, allowing a little light to shine into the hallway, but not enough, because of the closed curtain. They sat for a few minutes, waiting for the back-up lights to come on, when the sound of a door closing, alerted their attention down the darkened hall. Something didn’t feel right to Buffy, and Faith was sensing the same vibes. “Get inside!” The urgency in her voice, resulted in no hesitation from the group as they scrambled for Anya’s room. Xander and Anya made it to the room first, followed by Faith.



“Willow?” In all the panic, Tara hadn’t realized that Willow wasn’t holding her hand anymore. Buffy noticed the outline of someone walking toward them, “Who’s there?” Not getting any response, she reacted in instinct. Tara saw Buffy tackle someone to the ground, struggling with the attacker. The blonde could hear Faith telling her to get inside, but she ignored the voice. “Willow?” She slowly turned around, after hearing movement behind her. But before she could speak again, there was a quick flash and loud pop before something warm and wet splashed against her face.

[bluewillowwitch]

onyxsundrop,

You are such a little . You just can't do that. These cliffhangers are killing me. I can' wait to see what happens to the group next. is calling for . Where is she? I love this fic can't wait for more. .



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

Edited by: bluewillowwitch  at: 5/5/03 8:29:34 pm

[nika]

Isla del encanto has me 'encantada' Ay-ay-ay what cliffhangers! Please let that wet stuff not be blood from one of the gals I've had enough of that on the damn show.

[onyxsundrops]

Hey,

Just stopping by to say that I'll have an update posted by tomorrow(Wed). I have at least two more updates before the story's finished...but I might just combine the two. We'll see what happens...anyway, I hope you're enjoying the fic. Fair warning, the last part will have some angst, but not too much.



Yvonne

[onyxsundrops]

Chap. 28. Part 1 of the finale.

Note: Sorry, something came up yesterday, so I couldn't update. But here's the next part. There is some mild to graphic imagery...depends on how you read into it.

****



Still in a state of shock, Tara closed her eyes and ran her shaking fingers over her face. When she pulled the hand away, she opened her eyes to see red drops smeared across her fingertips. Her stomach twisted with fear as she once again called out to her lover, “Willow?” With trembling lips she prepared to call again. “T-tara?” Relief washed over her when she heard her lovers voice, but the fear still gripped her soul.



The emergency lights blinked off and on like strobe lights, before finally clicking on, dimly lighting the entire hallway. Faith and the others moved into the doorway, all gaping at the sight before them. Buffy stopped struggling with her assailant...her attention moving elsewhere. Slowly, they moved in closer to Willow, who stood frozen in her spot. Patches of blood covered the left side of her face and mixed into her hair, also staining her shirt. Afraid to turn around, Willow couldn’t speak as memories of what happened, played through her mind in slow motion.



****



“Get inside!” Once hearing Faith’s voice, Willow hurried to her feet. She moved forward to reach for Tara, when a strong hand clasped over her mouth and cold metal dug into her neck. Her attacker stepped further into the dark hallway, pulling her back as well. Through frightened eyes, she witnessed the scene unfold.



She and Buffy noticed the approaching figure at the same time, before the blonde called into the darkness. Within seconds of not receiving an answer, Buffy lunged at the dark silhouette and they both fell to the floor. When Tara began calling for her, she tried to speak but kept silent when the hand squeezed tighter around her mouth. Swallowing hard, Willow silently pleaded for Tara to listen to Faith, when she urged her to get inside Anya’s room.



Because the small amount of light from Anya’s room, lightened the section where Tara was standing, Willow could see the panic on her girlfriends face when she turned toward her. The redhead automatically stepped forward, but was roughly pulled back into her captors body. Suddenly a brief flash and loud bang came from Buffy’s direction. Something swiftly whistling past her ear caused her to shriek, before the grip over her mouth, released and fell away. She heard a soft thud behind her, followed by Tara’s voice, calling to her again. Now able to speak, Willow found her voice and called out as the lights flickered on.



****

Snapping out of her reverie, Willow still refused to turn around and watched as the others crowded around her to look down.



“Mom?” Jeffery dropped to his knees beside his mother’s fallen body, with the small gun still clutched within his hand.



“Mom,” he shook her harder, searching her vacant eyes. Willow finally turned around, joining the others as she stared at Jeffery desperately trying to revive his mother. “Call an ambulance,” her voice was distant but clear. Nobody moved as Jeffery sobbed and continued to shake the lifeless body. “Call an ambulance,” Willow said more forcefully. Xander tried to compose himself by taking a deep breath before running back into the room.



“She’s dead,” Anya whispered, supporting herself against the wall. It was one thing to wish somebody was dead, and completely different to actually see it. And though Patricia wasn’t her favorite person, she still couldn’t fight the sickness she felt inside.



“No, she’s not dead,” Jeffery sniffed, “She’s...she’s just in shock. Right?” He glanced at the others for some sort of confirmation. “She’ll be okay,” smoothing her hair back he continued, “She just needs to get to the hospital...that’s all.”



“There’s so much blood,” Anya was unaware that she was speaking aloud as she observed the body.



“Shut up!” Everyone back away when Jeffery rose to his feet and waved the gun around, shouting in denial. “She’ll be okay,” he repeated the words though he knew they weren’t true. He stared down at his mother, and blinked in understanding. He knew what he had done. Without thinking, Jeffery bolted for the stairway exit, dropping the gun as he fled.



Xander walked back into the hallway, “They’re coming,” he spoke solemnly, then noticed Jeffery’s absence. “Where did he go?”



“He’s gone.”



“What should we do?” He didn’t want to look down, so instead he looked at the girls, hoping one of them would have an answer.



“I don’t-,” Buffy paused, taking in the sight of the two girls beside her. “Oh god,” she stared at the blood covering Willow and Tara, unsure of why she hadn’t noticed before. The couple had forgotten about the blood as well, but were now fiercely trying to rub it off. “Y-you should go get cleaned up. When the police arrive, we’ll tell them what happened.” They nodded numbly and tightly held each other before going to Willow’s room.



****



Tara rinsed shampoo from her girlfriend’s hair for the fourth time. She knew it was clean, but Willow still insisted that it needed to be washed again, so she lathered her hands for the fifth time. The shower pouring down on them was the only sound in the small bathroom. Willow stared ahead into the stream and broke the silence.



“What?” Tara asked, not hearing what Willow said. Willow turned to look into Tara’s eyes. “She’s really dead,” she repeated what she said, but it was more of a question than a statement. Tara nodded, remembering the emptiness in the woman’s eyes. “That’s not what I wanted,” the redhead paused, “She was supposed to go to jail, not...not die.” The last word was uttered so softly, Tara could barely hear it. “She wasn’t exactly a saint, but she didn’t deserve that. And Jeffery...oh god,” she couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the young man.



Willow traced over the water drops on Tara’s chest, but there was nothing sexual about the touch. “I just...,” her voice became thick with emotion. Tara, not knowing what to say, pulled her girlfriend into her arms. Sinking to the floor, they held each other and let their tears fall.



****



Xander hesitated, then knocked on Willow’s door. After a few seconds, Tara opened the door, letting the gloomy-looking group enter. It was obvious that a few of them had been crying, and even Xander’s eyes were red and rimmed with sadness.



“They just took the...they just took her away,” he didn’t want to say ‘they just took the body’.



“We told them everything that happened.” Buffy thought about the ring, “Well, almost everything. Anya gave them the journal, so they know about the fire.”



“Wh-what about Jeffery,” Willow asked. She combed her wet hair back into a ponytail and curled on the bed against Tara.



“They’re looking for him.” Faith looked through the window, then turned back to the group. “The detective said that we should probably leave. Since they have the journal and the gun, they have enough evidence against Jeffery. And now that Patricia’s...gone. There’s nothing left for us to do.” She told herself that she was never taking another free trip again...the exact opposite of what she had said when she first arrived.



“The police are dealing with the tickets. If the rain lets up, we should be able to leave in two days, at the latest,” Buffy continued where Faith left off.



“Two days?” Anya had been in the room with another officer when Buffy talked to the detective. “Why can’t we go tonight?”



“The pilots won’t fly in this kind of weather,” Xander answered his girlfriend.



“Well, what if Jeffery comes back.”



“He won’t,” Tara spoke softly, from the bed. “He’s scared. I don’t think he’ll come back.”



“I wouldn’t either,” Buffy said. Thinking about the condition of the hallway, she remembered something else. “Oh, and they’ll be moving all of us to the second floor. He said that this floor was ‘officially’ a crime-scene, so we should pack up before they start taping everything off.” After filling in the other details of what was said, the group split up to gather their things. They all had the same thoughts...hoping that nothing else would happen before they left.

[Washi]

OMG! For a second, I thought that was Willow's blood. Great update!

---------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa

[bluewillowwitch]

OMG! OMG! I can't believe that update!!!! I was so scared there for a minute. and the rest of them are going to be fine, right? I can't wait for the next update! Gret jobon thisfic. I'm hooked.



bluewillowwitch

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

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[onyxsundrops]

Note: This is the final part of the Isla story...If you’re left wondering why the end seemed too much like a ‘happy ending’ scenario, with regard to what happened in the previous updates, it’s because I’m setting the basis for the sequel.

****



“Hey,” Xander knocked lightly on Anya’s open door, before entering. Observing the items scattered on top of the bed, he looked at her somewhat amused. “What are you doing?”



“It’s tradition,” Anya indirectly answered his question. Thinking it was quite obvious what she was doing, she glanced up at him, then continued rearranging the items.



“Tradition?” Xander bit his lip to keep from laughing. He cleared a spot on the bed and took a seat, toying with one of the small objects.



“Yes, it’s customary,” she silently cursed, realizing she was running out of space. Noticing her boyfriends look, she continued. “They expect us to do it...why else would they leave things laying around.” She spoke with certainty as she stuffed another packet of soap into her suitcase, courtesy of the hotel. Shaking his head, he continued to watch item after item being stuffed into the medium sized bag. If it wasn’t nailed down, he was sure Anya had it.



The past two days had gone by without incident. After hours of fruitless searching, the police had postponed the search for Jeffery, only to find out that the young man had turned himself in. Being that it was such a small island, there was no federal prison, so Jeffery had been relocated to the local jail. Because of his confession, the case wouldn’t go to trial, so the group was allowed to leave as soon as the storm had passed.



“Help me with this,” Anya climbed on top of the suitcase, pressing down with all of her weight. “See if it’ll zip-up now.” She stuffed in the material that was sticking up out of the bag, and looked at Xander expectantly. He fought back his laughter again, knowing that Anya was actually going to go through with her plan. A ‘free gift basket’, is what she had called it. Xander effortlessly zipped the bag up, smiling when Anya beamed at him. He had to admit, she was very ‘different’, but it was one of the reasons why he was starting to fall in love with her.



“So that’s everything?” Xander carried the bag to the door, setting it next to his.



“Yeah,” she paused, checking her mental list of things to get. “Yeah, that’s it.” They shared a kiss, both glad that they were finally going home.



****



“Are you all packed up?” Buffy asked, looking up at Faith as she got a soda from the vending machine.



“Yeah,” the brunette took the can of soda that Buffy was offering. “I think it’s safe to say that we’ve overstayed our welcome.” She joked, popping the lid.



“So what are you doing when you get back to Hudson?” Buffy paused, nervously. “Maybe we could hangout sometime.” She smiled, not sure why she was so nervous. After all, they had already slept together...a topic that neither one of them had brought up since the incident.



“I’d like that,” Faith nodded, sensing Buffy’s nervousness and suspecting that she knew the reason why.



“So do you have anyone? You know...back home,” the blonde took a sip from her drink to calm herself.



“No,” Faith smiled. Of all things, she hadn’t expected Buffy to be so fidgety. “No, I don’t have anybody.”



“Good, good.” Her eyes grew wide, “I mean, not good that you don’t have anyone...because everybody needs someone,” she stammered a bit, “Oh, screw it!” With that said, she pulled Faith into a deep kiss. Their can’s spilled to the floor, but neither cared as they lost themselves in the kiss.



“I was wondering when you were going to do that,” Faith said, once she pulled away to catch her breath.



“Yeah, well...it kind of just came to me,” Buffy smiled sheepishly.



“I’m glad,” Faith whispered. This time it was she who pulled Buffy back in for another kiss.



****



“Are you sure you want to do this?” Willow asked once they entered the building.



“Yes,” Tara said for the tenth time since arriving at their destination. “I-I just feel like I owe-.”



“You don’t owe him anything Tara,” the redhead spoke furiously, but her words held nothing but reassurance.



“I know,” Tara sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I just...How would you feel?” Her eyes shone with compassion, “Willow, put yourself in his shoes. Wouldn’t you want somebody to forgive you? Even if it was just the forgiveness of one person...wouldn’t you still want it? I know it wouldn’t cure everything or take away what he’s done, but maybe it’ll dull some of the pain.”



“Okay,” Willow nodded, squeezing her girlfriend’s hand as they followed the officer down the hallway.



****



“You have visitors,” the muscular guard tapped his baton against the metal bars of the jail-cell. He turned back to the couple, “Five minutes.” The guard didn’t leave, but politely backed away, out of earshot. Jeffery looked up at Tara and Willow, not saying a word before lowering his head once again.



After a quick worried glance to Willow, Tara broke the silence. “W-we just came to say sorry...about your m-mother and everything that’s happened to-.” Her words were cut off by Jeffery who stood from his bed.



“I don’t want or need your pity,” though his words were strong, he fidgeted with his blue uniform.



Tara sighed in defeat, “It didn’t have to end like this.”



“Well, it’s a little too late for that, isn’t it,” Jeffery bit back, causing Tara to flinch.



Willow was fed up with Jeffery’s bitter remarks. “Look, we just came here to offer you an apology, but obviously you don’t want it. Which is just fine by me! I won’t force it on you, but don’t blame this on us. This all started before we came here and you had a choice to end it then, but you didn’t. You fucked-up your life...not us! And it’s you, who will have to live with it.” The redhead was fuming, but instead of firing off another round, she took a deep breath. “C’mon, Tara,” her voice was much calmer, but still held traces of agitation.



Tara was slightly surprised by Willow’s outburst, but she could understand the reason. Taking her lover’s hand, she looked sadly at Jeffery, who had returned to his bed with his head down. The guard had heard the last part of the conversation, but stayed back, allowing the young woman to vent. “Time’s up,” he stepped forward when the girls turned to leave.



“Wait!” They all looked at Jeffery. Tears streamed down his face, “Thank you,” he uttered softly, “I...Thank you,” he repeated, not knowing what else to say. Tara could see in his eyes that he really meant it. She nodded, before following the others down the hall.



****



“Good, we’re all here,” Ms. Robertson noticed the two girls joining the group. They were all standing outside the small airport, waiting for the pilots to finish refueling the small charter plane. She noticed that the students seemed closer and more friendly, and that some of them were even holding hands. She smiled inwardly, at least something good came out of this...tragedy. She had flown out to the island, after hearing several rumors about Mrs.Collins and her son, only to find out that they were all true.



“Pardon me,” Ms. Robertson snapped out of reverie, when one of the students asked her a question.



“What’s going to happen here? To the island?” Willow’s question perked the curiosity of the others.



“There are a few bids, but the buyers are still negotiating a price.” The answer seemed to satisfy the group, as they continued talking softly amongst themselves.



A short time later, they finally boarded the plane. Much to Anya and Xander’s delight, there was a different pilot and flight-attendant. They were both showered with bags of snacks, as they took their seats in the very back. Faith and Buffy were simply enjoying each others company, already making plans for their first ‘official’ date.



Tara snuggled more into the comfort of Willow’s body. “Will things be the same when we get home?” The thought had been running through her head for the majority of the day.



Willow leaned her head against the top of the blonde’s, “Do you want them to?” She smiled, already knowing the answer before Tara spoke. “I do. D-do you?”



“Of course,” She turned to kiss the top of Tara’s forehead. “I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.”



Tara smiled at her girlfriends response, then remembered something. “Thank you.” The redhead lifted Tara’s chin, so they were eye-to-eye. “What for?”



“The promise.” Willow looked confused, then smiled in realization. She thought back to the promise that she gave Tara, when the situation had first started. “Together,” they said in unison, before sealing the vow with a kiss. The plane took off a short time later. All three couples were lost in their own worlds as they headed home.

[bluewillowwitch]

Hey,

Great update. That can't be the end. an't wait for the sequel to start so I know what happens to and and th gang.





bluewillowwitch

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"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos