Magical Chronicles - Chronicles of W/T beginnings

[shirrey]

Oh these sweet girls... you got the moment just right- I'm so so glad Willow reassured Tara, telling her she felt the same
Looking forward to conjuring katras!

[CopperAndGold]

Oh these sweet girls... you got the moment just right- I'm so so glad Willow reassured Tara, telling her she felt the same
Looking forward to conjuring katras!

I agonized about this episode. Re-wrote it three or four times - I hope you feel the same way for this update! Thank you so much for your feedback.

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Today's Girls (Part 3 of 3)

Author name -– CopperAndGold
Rating -- NC-17

Summary -- ‘Who are you’ Behind the scenes, continued.

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The evening was making itself increasingly foreboding. First, Buffy not being who the blonde witch had imagined when Willow had talked about the Slayer. "... So Willow doesn't drive stick anymore." Ugh. The last thing Tara would have imagined Buffy being was crass. But, it had been the mocking of her nervous stutter at the mention of Oz that really made her to go inward.

At first it had been as a pained reaction -- almost incontrollable, a reaction born from years of having to hide. Her head had simply tilted forward at feeling embarrassed and wanting to hide.

Then she'd closed her eyes, partly hidden by the hair that wasn't pinned back -- just long enough to 'see' and 'feel' it. There were gaps... In Buffy, like pieces not quite fitting. Willow had come back then, alerted the Slayer to a vampire and Tara had exaggerated the truth of feeling 'off'. The witch needed time to think, to assure herself that she wasn't mistaken.

At least, she thought, the air was dry and warm enough. Neither of them had brought jackets, "I'm s-sorry, Willow." Tara still had her arms crossed cold or not, it was more as a self-soothing gesture, "I know you wanted to celebrate." Her eyes were still cast toward her feet, but she was feeling less confused than she'd been twenty minutes ago.

The redhead didn't loose any time waving it off, "Nah, it's okay. At least you got to meet Buffy!" She said excitedly, skipping in place. Tara looked at her and couldn't help but smile before she retreated to her thoughts once more. How am I going to tell her this?

As if her father's God himself were giving her a little hint, Willow piped up, "She really needed to let off some steam, I get that." The redhead was nodding pensively, almost worried, "This past month hasn't... it-it wasn't a good month for Buff." Tara could tell by her facial expression that her girlfriend was blaming herself a bit. She didn't bring it up though, it wasn't her place to put Willow on the spot like that. It would've been rude, wouldn't it?

Instead, as if by their own volition, her arms loosened and her left hand reached out. Tara's fingers touched the redhead's softly and almost by sheer natural magnetism -- they were joined. She gently squeezed the smaller hand in hers, sending a silent message of understanding and support. Willow looked at her and the moment became laden with gratitude and caring gazes.

The College dorms were coming into view, still holding hands they walked the path to Tara's building. "At least Faith is out of the picture." Willow said, holding the door open for the blonde, "Once she gets some R&R she'll be her good old Slayer-Buffy-self again."

"R&R?" Not knowing the acronym, Tara asked for clarification while reaching for her key. One thing she absolutely loved about Willow was, she never made her feel dumb for not knowing something.

"Oh," As always, teaching-Willow was bright and simply pleased as punch to share some knowledge, no matter how small, "Like, R for 'rest' and another for 'relaxation'." Tara stopped short in front of her, making Willow almost bump into her.

Her brow creased with confusion, the blonde looked at Willow with a funny look on her face -- that one eyebrow raised, "So, was she r-resting," Tara asked incredulously before sliding the key in her door and turning the lock. She looked back at Willow shortly, "Or relaxing?"

Willow giggled, not sure what else to call what Buffy was up to. She had to admit her best friend hadn't made the best first impression.

Tara opened the door, steeling herself for what she'd need to convey to her girlfriend. Walking deeper into the room with her arms crossed, again lost in thought.

Willow closed the door behind her, "I'm sorry you're feeling all blechy. But we'll get together with Buffy another time. Sometime soon. I think you'll really like her." She smiled, happy to have broken the proverbial ice of introducing Tara to her friends.

Still looking away, Tara felt like she should really say something now they were in the safety of her room. "She's not your friend." Really, you couldn't get more straight-forward than that.

That didn't mean Willow would interpret it the way she meant it, though, "I may have overestimated the 'you liking her' factor." She sounded a little sad, maybe confused.

"No, no. I mean, I don't..." Still holding herself, Tara sighed and continued, "I don't think she's...her." Her eyes pleading understanding as she shrugged, not finding another way to put it right then.

Willow couldn't help her, "You lost me." She gripped her fingers, still confused but willing to listen.

"Well, um, a person's energy has a flow, a unity?" Tara tried to slow her thoughts enough to perceive the details that, once chained together, had formed her conceptual understanding.

"Buffy's was..." She looked for the word she needed and sighed, "Was fragmented. It-it grated, like something forced in where it doesn't belong?" Expressive eyebrows asked, 'make sense?' -- there was also this fact; the final nail in the coffin that had been the simple fact that, who was supposed to be Willow's most esteemed friend had been... "Plus, she was, um," Sighing, she crossed her arms, "She was kind of mean." Tara's voice ended in an almost silent, mirthless snicker.

Trusting her girlfriend's judgment, Willow asked her quickly for clarification, "So you think Buffy's not herself? Like she's been possessed or something?" She asked, her expressive face showing years of experience and worry.

But, Tara couldn't say she was certain at all, "I'm not sure." Her tone sounding like a plea not to jump to conclusions on her account.

"You didn't sense a hyena energy at all, did you?" The redhead's experience with possession was not something she wanted to live through again, "Because hyena possession is just...unpleasant." She finished lamely, pulling a face. I'll have to tell her about that another time...

Trying to come up with a solution, quickly understanding just how worrying the idea of a Slayer not being 'herself' was to Willow, Tara had a thought, "Do you have anything of hers?"

"Of Buffy's?" Willow looked down at herself, searching for something, "Uh. Oh! This ring." She reached up with her hand, showing her girlfriend the ring.

Tara had something in mind. She started walking away from her toward the desk, "I-I think there's a way we can, hmm..." Reaching for a book, she opened it and flipped pages, looking for something specific.

She found it quickly enough, pointing at the titled page and reading, "'The passage to the nether realm.' There-there's a ritual." Tara turned to look at Willow fully, "If you can find Buffy there, you should be able to see."

Willow's mind had already been made up, "If it'll help her." She nodded her acquiescence.

Tara was worried, knowing how disorienting and confusing the different planes could be -- she needed to make sure her girlfriend understood how all-consuming it could become.

When Willow noticed the blonde's lips being pressed together, her brow creasing -- She's worried. "What?"

Her spell partner answered, "Well, the nether realm exists beyond the physical world. Accessing it is..." Tara looked up, searching for the right terms, "I-it-it's kind of like astral projection, It's very intense. I'd have to be your anchor, keep you on this plane?" It was a question, wrapped in a promise. With my life, I'll protect you. But, one ounce of doubt or fear from Willow would put a stop to the whole idea.

Willow understood very well, "I trust you." She'd done intense, she could do intense - especially with Tara there to guide her there and back. Right-hand path magic with Tara is just... Right. Why do I always find myself pulled to the left? If Tara hadn't spoken up right then, she'd have been lost in thought of past spells she'd unfortunately had to cast and how each had been more or less necessary.

But, as it was, Tara needed to be reassured that Willow understood just how... well, dangerous it could be, "It-it's not like anything that we've ever---" But, she never got to finish her thought.

With a smile that reached her eyes and made them glisten with meaning -- Willow simply repeated, "I trust you." Highlighting the fact she was being serious.

Tara's small lopsided smile made her eyes gleam. "Okay." The blonde looked down, but she'd pinned her hair back so was without the protection of her hair-curtain.

She felt Willow reach for her hand and take a step closer. Tara took it, and as she lifted her head her lips were being kissed tenderly. They embraced and kissed, chaste yet meaning-laden for only a few moments.

They needed to get things ready, "Will you close the curtains?" The blonde witch asked softly while she started gathering ingredients for the ritual and lighting candles. The atmosphere had to be exact -- relaxing, cradled; like floating in water at body temperature. Womb-like: comfort and safety.

Willow's heart was palpitating, as brave as she tried being she couldn't help but be nervous. She was about to leave her body, after all. What she'd be seeing would surely be strange and otherworldly. Will I even actually 'see'?

The redhead took a seat on the edge of the bed, watching Tara mix oils in a ceramic bowl. She found the sight to be strangely sensual which did nothing to steady her heartbeat. She could feel her cheeks burning.

Tara looked to the book for reference once more as she related the details of the ritual. "First, I-I'll anoint you with the oils," She said, pointing at the small ceramic bowl sitting to her bedside table.

Looking into Willow's eyes was becoming a bit distracting, feeling a flush over her chest and cheeks. She busied herself with explaining the anointing, trying diligently to ignore everything but her responsibility to protect the girl. Her hand moved slowly upward and pointed to her forehead, "Mind," then her lips, "Spirit," lastly, her chest, "Heart."

Seeing Willow nod along, she smiled and smoothed her skirt before kneeling on the floor at Willow's feet, next to the bedside table and the oils.

"Once that's done," Her gaze lifted from the ground, back to meet the redhead's, "We m-move to the foot of the bed where there's more room."

Willow was starting to feel as though she was swaddled in cotton. The way Tara was so sure of herself, so calming and still, yet serious. Seriously hot... I should concentrate. No distractions, remember. She's- her lips are moving, I kiss those lips. Me, I do- can I right now? Moving lips... talking, she's talking!

"It's r-really important to not get distracted," Tara held Willow's stare, her voice carried weight, emphasizing the seriousness of the warning. Yet there was a knowing little gleam in her eyes that made Willow blush even harder.

Once she had the girl's full attention once again, Tara continued softly, "Especially once we start the ritual. Once you um, leave? Everything will be different and very distracting..." She wished then that she had more experience with the ritual. All the witch knew about it was in the book from which she read.

"Focus on your reason for going, only Buffy. Then, when you've seen what you need to know, move your focus to me. You'll start feeling me..." She looked up quickly, snatching a word out of the air, "Pull you b-back, slowly." Tara finished, looking up into slightly worried eyes. "I won't let you go." She promised. Can't be distracted - I'm the anchor.

I'm her way back.

Tara felt herself shaking a bit under the pressure of her own thoughts, but it was Willow's soft fingers that gently pulled her chin back up so they were now looking into each other's eyes, "I said I trust you, and I meant it." Her brow raised then, having glanced down when Tara had wet her dried lips. The mouth she was intent on yet again, was now pulling up on one side in a lopsided grin.

Willow had felt herself sink deeper and deeper into the calm certainty of Tara the more she'd explained the ritual. She couldn't help but find the girl attractive. Not sexually, well yes sexually -- But, this was more of a tug from her middle -- a draw. Seeing that grin, she wasn't able to resist from pressing her mouth against it; from kissing Tara.

The blonde witch let out a short, surprised moan and gently pushed her girlfriend away, "B-bad," She blinked quickly, trying to recenter herself and looked at Willow whose mouth was still puckered. The redhead was looking slightly dazed and it made her want to laugh.

Tara raised a finger between them and wagged it disapprovingly, "You got distracted." She tried to hide her smirk but was too transparent to pull it off. The redhead looked a little guilty and Tara wished they could just forget the ritual and do something else... Now I'm getting distracted.

They both cleared their throats then, looking away as if to reset the atmosphere back to room temperature. "Remember the w-words to recite?" Tara didn't want to mess it up, it could actually be dangerous for Willow and, well -- extremely painful for herself.

Ayala takes great offense when the link is severed and one is lost. It often meant the human left behind would soon call on Her again for yet another 'favor' -- which are not meant to be seen as such. There is always a price, but when this price is too small or intricate for someone to notice easily -- those incurring them often continue using the Goddess ignorantly. When the price becomes too high, it's often too late and the consequences where already being felt.

There are no favors where deities were concerned. The price of this ritual being ruined was a mighty tearing of the caster's psyche.

Willow nodded that she remembered, "And-and the hand movement, the synchronized breathing then woosh, I'm spirit-detective Willow, on the case in kaleidoscope world." The smile was small, but brave.

Tara grinned, then sobered a bit and closed her eyes. Taking three deep breaths, opened her eyes again and asked, "Ready?" The redhead's chest started heaving, her breath coming in shallow -- she nodded, very nervous but ready to...

"I've never done anything..." Willow took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out in a controlled way, "No hallucinogenic drugs, no trips of any kind - good or bad. I-I've never been very naughty at all."

Tara looked both sympathetic and amused, shaking her head. She reached for Willow's knee, squeezed it, "It's not the s-same thing," A grin on her lips, she needed to reassure that this was nothing like doing hallucinogenic drugs.

"It'll be w-weird, disorienting and probably very distracting. But," Tara's hand moved to her own temple where she tapped a finger, "Your thoughts and intentions are your way to interact with the nether-realms. Any intention will make the realm try to fulfill it."

"Oh," Willow licked her suddenly dry lips, nodding her head that she understood -- still scared, but she realized she was only putting off the inevitable. "Alright, I'm ready." Her voice was barely audible, she'd spoken so softly. Don't think thoughts, just: Go see Buffy. Buffy, Buffy, Buffy.

With a slight nod, and a small smile -- the blonde witch reached for the oil from her place at Willow's feet. She dipped the pad of her thumb in the warm mixture, instantly feeling its numbing-like effect. With the now oily thumb, she anointed her girlfriend.

First, Tara blessed Willow's mind, then her spirit -- a willful spirit who'd pursed her lips, ever so slightly kissing the pad of Tara's thumb. The blonde felt the tiny movement as it caused a shiver to run up her arm. The skin of her arms exploding into goosebumps as she moved to bless Willow's heart. They sat there, holding each others gazes -- a need forming against a stedfast resistance, their breaths starting to synchronize naturally.

Willow reached for the blonde who took her hand and stood up. Tara brought the small pillow she'd been kneeling on with her as they made their way to the foot of the bed. She dropped it behind where her girlfriend would be sitting, adding it to the pile placed there earlier.

They sat cross-legged on the rug, side by side and facing the opposite direction than the other -- the warmth of their combined body-heat making the the length of their thighs where they touched tingle. Each closed her eyes and after a short pause they new to start the incantation.

"The inward eye, the sightless sea -- Ayala flows through the river in me." Tara's right hand formed an arc at her side, front to back, in rhythm with the words and their breaths.

"The inward eye, the sightless sea -- Ayala flows through the river in me." Willow's right hand formed an arc at her side, front to back, in rhythm with the words and their breaths.

Both felt a slight thud in their chests, their heartbeats having synced -- the temperature rose in the space around them. One last time, they recited as one, "The inward eye, the sightless sea, Ayala flows through the river in me."

A pulse shimmered the air making the dim lighting of the room dance on it. The arcs they'd been signing on the floor met and formed a circular space around them in which their combined energies would be restricted. The force of the ritual building with each breath, each rising pulse of intensity thrumming their bubble with light.

Willow's left outer thigh vibrated and felt liquefied where it touched Tara's, her skin seemed permeable. She was dripping outward, through her skin. Willow was liquid and her breaths were waves, lapping at the air around them making it glisten.

Her lips tingled with pinpricks as if she were being persuaded, seduced out through each exhaling breath. Willow broke out in a sheen of sweat, the feeling in her middle was akin to separating the yolk from an egg -- her only point of reference to her body was Tara and her hand. Overwhelmingly vulnerable, the moment was so intimate she needed to look at her girlfriend. She felt like crying, Tara was glowing.

Tara's eyes opened, the vision in her mind that of Willow's yolk tucked into her egg, right next to her own -- safe and anchored in the world. She turned, sensing her beautiful girlfriend's eyes on her. The feelings coursing through her hand and body fiercely possessive and protective. When she met Willow's eyes, their channels opened up instinctually - all at once.

A river of their combined currents of energies running through their veins, pooling around their joined hands. Panting from the intensity of the ritual, a rush of blood making their skin flush and pupils dilate. The world tunneled around them.

Willow's body was thrown backward, her back arching up against the floor with a ragged moaning breath, she felt like she might suffocate until the release. A flood of excitement made her heart thump her chest like a gong, she felt its echo in her fingertips where she was still connected to Tara's digits -- fingertips pulsing. Waves of sensual tenderness and love scooped the redhead's spirit from her body.

like a drop of oil in water -- she was suddenly buoyant and surrounded with what felt like warm honey. Willow was floating formless and warm. All around her, shapes and colors that weren't right and movements that looked unnatural -- euphoria making her want to laugh with maddened joy. Some colors became animated, shaped into beings -- they beckoned the redhead. This feels so nice.

As if the realm she now inhabited were made for only her, her exuberance only doubled. Willow would have laughed if she'd had a mouth.

***

When Willow had fallen back, Tara received a great big yank at her chest. She winced, focusing on the space just above the redhead's crown, holding on. When she'd seen the spasms and moans, it wouldn't have taken much for the blonde's thoughts to wander. She'd had to look up, and focus on something else -- the shimmering colors crowning her girlfriend's head.

After the initial sudden pull, the tension against Tara's hand, still raised in the air, lessened. A warm trickle of something oily up her back, across her shoulder to the hand. She was panting still -- no matter how she tried to slow her breath. One look toward Willow was all she needed to confirm that she too, was breathing rapidly.

The blonde witch sat still for only a few moments until the urge to laugh hit her. She fought against it, sending out a small warning and reminder along their link -- conjuring the blonde Slayer in her minds eye: Go to Buffy.

Thrice, she repeated in her mind: Go to Buffy. Willing her spell partner back to awareness. Buffy, Go to Buffy. When the intense urges and feelings of awe abated, the skin of her chest above her heart warmed slightly. Tara's breath calmed a bit.

***

Willow was seeing and hearing things that piqued her curiosity to no end. Things that just didn't make any sense, and they only kept beckoning her to figure them out. The intensity of glowing colors making it difficult for her ephemeral self to simply ignore. Emotions were easily attained, received and felt -- the colors making those emotions explode inside her little glowing bubble.

One of the colored light beings became dimmer, distinguishing itself from the miasma - its color changing along with Willow's emotions -- the being approached, was chastising her she knew -- but why? The space became less enjoyable, muted and serious and one thought came to her: Go to Buffy.

When nothing happened, she wondered at the reason. All sorts of solutions to the problem kept coming to her, each less reasonable than the next but convincing nonetheless. Then she remembered, Intention -- not only thought -- lets you interact.

She set her intention on going to Buffy, as if she were taking a step in that direction -- and in the same moment, she was somewhere else. A darker space, straight edges everywhere. Hard matter, metal composites, plastics. Willow was too close -- she lifted herself above and around her was a warehouse. Bringing her awareness inward, she was now inside a box of some sort. Inside the box, she wasn't alone -- something conscious and sentient she willed her awareness at.

It was Buffy.

It wasn't Buffy like she'd known her. Willow only recognized her best friend because of the way she was raging against her surrounding -- the feel of her fear. Willow told herself to hear, and she heard voices of men. Heard one call Buffy, Faith. Keeping focus on what she could tell was the blonde Slayer, Willow told herself to see -- and there it was.

Faith, chained to the inside of a container of some sort. Looking scared, and worried sick -- only, it wasn't Faith, was it. Fierce anger assaulted her, the kind of anger that comes from fear -- Faith was out there with Buffy's exterior. Doing, who knows what with it!

***

Tara was quickly wilting under the intense feeling of being pulled at. She felt like warm taffy, her awareness started thinning when she realized she was losing the link. Fighting with all her might to hold on. Something had just happened -- a shift in Willow's crown, reds and darkened hues emerging.

Whatever her girlfriend had found, it was time to come back. Although physically exhausted, Tara gave Willow more time to decide to come back before expending the energy to warn her again. She really hoped it would be sooner than later.

***

Anger lessened, worry with it -- Willow started pulling back again, now with sight she could tell Buffy didn't have long spare. The council's men were armed, and talking about protocols. A sudden feeling of being pulled like putty scared her.

She remembered her goal had been met, and wanted to return to Tara. First, she had a chest then a hand -- Willow was making her way back in waves that sounded like her breath.

The was a sudden slack in the link as if it had been cut -- Tara almost screamed, so sure was she that she'd lost Willow to the nether-realms. But, just as soon as the feeling of dread came, the redhead opened her eyes slowly and let out an audible groan that, to Tara's ears sounded like the joyous sound of a baby's laughter. Relief suffused her whole being.

As Willow came back, Tara fell backward onto the floor -- her legs still crossed. Chest heaving with her eyes shut. Tara was absolutely battered but could relax now it was over - now her girlfriend was safe. Her throat being dry made swallowing a scratchy experience that made Tara cough lightly, a groaning exhale before coughing once more.

Hearing the cough, Willow was alerted to the fact Tara had fell back and was now feeling the effects of the ritual much like herself. She couldn't summon the strength to sit up. The frustration at her body's refusal to get up was compounded by the worry thick in her throat for her best friend and now, her girlfriend -- all of it was too overwhelming.

Willow's only option was to cry softly.

The room felt colder than before the ritual, the witches stayed on the ground slowly regaining some semblance of strength. A few moments passed before Tara heard a sound she'd never heard before, one that broke her heart. "Mffk," She's crying? Willow...

Tara's legs were asleep from being bent as they were, but her upper body had regained enough strength for her to move onto her side -- toward Willow. She paused then, her breath still difficult to maintain. "Willow?" She croaked, what she would do for some water.

She unfurled a leg, and raised an arm shakily. Willow's breath hiccuped on her tears, "Ba..." Her ankle felt the warmth of Tara's hand clasping it gently, the feeling reminding her of a moment not that long ago -- in a laundry room. With another wave of emotions, her subdued tears gave way to a heaving sob.

Curling onto themselves, they reached for each other -- their bodies straightening side by side. Both took the other in her arms, holding on with a ferocity that proved their physicality. Willow's tears slowed until they stopped completely. Her ear pressed to Tara's chest, she listened to her heart beat and breathed a deep ragged breath.

"We, the bed," The blonde pushed out, her eyelids incapable of staying open. "Sleep." Words tumbled out on each of her exhales, wanting desperately to move.

"Yeah, okay," Willow pushed her forehead against Tara's chest, pressing down with her arm to push up. "Let's go." The body next to hers was rousing slowly, both of them using each other for balance in order to stand up completely.

Thankfully, the distance was short and - between their current place and their destination -- there were plenty of steadying surfaces on which to rely. As Tara felt the edge of the bed, she sat down bringing her girlfriend with her. Her arms clasped behind her back, she rolled over and Willow found herself on her back, in Tara's arms and in bed.

Both secure in their ability to let go safely, they fell into a deep sleep.

***

The candles had burnt out, the room darkened but for the one string of lights Tara had left on. Willow's first thought, before she opened her eyes was that she'd slept for days.

The feeling of being awake felt oddly disorienting. Opening her eyes was as if she'd turned her senses on one by one. She could feel Tara pressed against her, the sound of her breath, the smell of her hair. Then she thought about the ritual and Buffy which made her body jolt from its relaxed state within her girlfriend's arms.

Willow heard the blonde make a small sound, her arms tightening their hold. Now I woke her up.

"Wi-low" Tara cleared her throat and tried again, "Willow, you okay?" She raised her head to see that it had been two hours since the end of the ritual. They could both do with much more sleep.

"You were right," The redhead pulled back slightly, looking up into sleepy blue eyes. "She wasn't herself." Her frown trembled a bit, tears fighting to escape. "Faith switched their bodies."

Oh, no... "W-we'll figure it out," Tara instantly tried to soothe, "Once we get more sleep and-and we have the energy..." Her words cut short, her hazy mind trying to make sense of what her body was telling her Willow was doing.

As if she needed to prove it to herself, Tara glanced down and sure enough, the redhead had pressed her face into her chest, holding a breast gently and smoothing her cheek along the swell. "Uh..." I can't- I mean, I'll give it my best but... so tired, sweetie.

Feeling the supple body in her arms tense slightly, Willow realized what she was doing and how it had made her feel. Embarrassed, she needed for Tara to know why she desperately wanted to continue -- to be comforted by her body.

She was too tired to simply shy away, too ragged to not ask for what she needed. "I- sorry -- it's not what you think." She looked up and caught Tara's eyes, "It's not sexual at all, I swear." Her head shook, and she looked back down to her chest-pillow. "Your breasts, for some reason, comfort me like nothing ever has." She felt so small and the whole endeavor of understanding why she felt the way she did seemed insurmountable. Let alone explaining it to her girlfriend. My girlfriend.

Tara remembered the girl having said much the same before. It hadn't lasted long, they'd moved on from the moment but Tara had listened and understood as much as she'd needed. She ran her fingers through red hair, kissed Willow's forehead and said, "I remember," before sitting up slightly, long enough to pull off her shirt and bra. She lied back down and Willow was instantly in her arms again, pressed against her chest.

"Hmmph," Willow sighed loudly, a deep relieving breath and kissed the skin against her cheek once before resting against it again. "You're amazing." She said softly, but all she could hear in response was Tara's shallow breaths as she slept.

***

A throb, her body compelling her to move. She saw as Willow arched her back and moaned, and felt as thighs tighten around her head -- giving pleasure had never felt so good, the girl's muscles rippled under her fingertips, taught stomach muscles jumping with spasms as she loved her most sensitive and intimate of places. She was surrounded in Willow, her cries spurred her on -- she wanted, Tara wanted so much.

Willow's body woke her up. Her body's noticing of how her bedmate was moving. Her gripping hands, Tara's pelvis unconsciously pressed itself against the leg the redhead had moved during sleep. Her groan and the intensity behind her restrained movements causing a flush of heat to cover her whole body. Instantly aroused and rested enough to move along with Tara, she pressed in with her leg and the resulting moan caused her to reply in kind.

Tara reached for her and rolled fully onto her back, hand firmly holding onto Willow's leg. She woke with a moan, feeling the girl's face against her breast -- her moist breath against her nipple. Her fingers combed through red hair, pressing softly against Willow's head -- begging and desperate until the redhead was fully on top of her, rocking her hips. "Willow," A plea, grasping hands at the hem of the girl's shirt, at the edge of her skirt.

"I'm here," Willow's deep green eyes looked down at her, a passion filled gaze that made Tara melt. She felt the redhead shift in bed, taking her top off and laying back down -- their bare chests pressed against each other, the feeling of their skin touching so alluringly sensual it only spurred them on.

They kissed deeply, passionately caressing each other's tongues, the building intensity of their want of the other in opposition to the restraint of the skirts they were both wearing, it all heightened their need--

Willow took hold of Tara's breast, her nipple now firmly in her mouth laving it with her tongue. She loved the other with her hand and moaned loudly as she bore down onto the blonde's tensed up leg as much as she could, the fabric of her skirt impeding her downward movement.

"Mmahh," The blonde's breath came in ragged when she felt a hot hand against the inside of her thigh she moaned softly, a sound pulled from deep in her belly. Willow's hand gripped and released, gripped again in sync with their hips.

Higher still, the hand traveled and teased her covered core with curious fingers. Her breasts still being stimulated with a wonderful mouth, Tara felt she would burst from want. She reached down and yanked at her skirt, pulling it all the way up to her hip when her girlfriend's hand cupped her sex. She let out a loud and ragged moan, and pulled Willow's mouth to hers.

They kissed among clumsy movements pulling at fabric. Too much between them, Willow unhooked her skirt and lowered the zip before pressing a hand against the mattress. Pulling away from Tara's mouth, panting and resting their foreheads together. She kicked the material off her legs before leaning back in, and kissed Tara with an audible groan.

The redhead could feel how hot and wet her girlfriend was against her thigh, the thin cotton of her panties doing little to hide how aroused Tara was. She wanted to feel it, to feel Tara with her hand completely. The thought of it so arousing, so alluring her hand moved before having consciously decided to touch.

Tara gripped Willow's rocking hips, feeling her girlfriend's arousal against the skin of the thigh, her breath and small sounds against her throat. Then, a tentative finger slipped under the fabric of the blonde's panties, where they covered her sex. The sensation making her hips dig into the mattress -- pressing against the probing digit.

Tara slipped her hands down to the hem of the redheads panties, wanting them off so badly. Wanting so much to just make love to Willow right then, take her fully and feel her completely. Relax, slow down -- it's up to- "Oohhh,"

Willow's courage hadn't been hard to find once she'd heard Tara's needy cries and oh, how lovely she felt against her hand. Hot, needy and slick with wanting her. She started to move her fingers within the warm confines of the blonde's panties, soft short hair tickling her skin until she found her. Not knowing much else but how she liked being touched -- she did so for Tara. The resulting reactions from her girlfriend soon alleviated her worries, and she let herself, her body and hand, respond to Tara instinctually.

She kissed the neck she was nuzzling, "You feel so good," she said shakily against heated skin. Her pelvis thrust forward with a small cry, grinding into the thigh pressing harder against her.

She felt Tara's hands slip under her panties, over the swell of her ass and groaned at the sensation of her cheeks being squeezed and groped passionately. The hips working against her hand grew more desperate, Willow pressed with her fingers and moved them in slight movements over the small palpitating bundle, with Tara's heartbeat in her hand she felt herself tumble and shake -- about to reach climax. The feeling against her fingers so completely different, so excruciatingly delicious.

The blonde cried out her own release while gripping and pulling at Willow's bottom, shivering as spasms ran through her nervous system. So sexy... she's, so... Another thrust with her hips and the redhead came with a keening cry, mouth pressed against Tara's neck. Her body convulsing, goosebumps spattering her skin.

They lied there, unmoving but for their combined breathing and Tara's fingers in her hair for what could have been hours for all she knew, "Wow." Willow's small voice broke the silence, and then Tara's giggle. "What an amazing way to wake up." The redhead continued, and stretched with a squeak.

The blonde rolled onto her side and propped herself up to look down at her beautiful girlfriend, "Agreed," She smiled and ran her hand along Willow's stomach in small circles. "I'll be right back," Tara got up and walked to the mini fridge, "Do you want something to drink?" she asked while reaching for a bottle of water for herself.

"Can we share," She asked when she saw the water in Tara's hand, "I don't want a full drink, just a bit dry." Willow asked with a mock pout. Tara swallowed a few gulps around a grin before offering Willow the bottle.

The blonde crawled back into bed while the redhead drank, "I guess we're up now." she said, incongruously laying her head back down onto her pillow and yawning. Buffy's body-swap problem... I wonder if we could...

Placing the bottle on the bedside table, Willow said, "We are and I need to find a solution," Having said that, she was up and pulling on her shirt, "There's got to be a way to swap them back."

Foregoing a bra, Tara pulled her shirt on as well and stood from the bed, "There is, I just don't know what it is." She walked to her desk, took a book from it, then walked to a small bookshelf for another. "It's probably in one of these b-books," She handed one to Willow, "We can research at the same time, if you want."

The redhead seemed to contemplate that idea, "I don't know about you, but I'm starving." She said with a little annoyance that her stomach would interrupt their rescue mission. "Wouldn't mind uh, changing either." Waving down her body, she cringed a little.

Tara nodded that she felt the same, "Shower, then food?" She would love a good shower, if her girlfriend didn't feel it would take too long. But, she'd been worried for nothing by the look on Willow's face.

"Okay, yeah I could use a shower then food," Willow was decided now, nodding along, "Then research for a solution on a full belly, and in a comfy body." Her smile brightened her face and lifted Tara's heart.

They busied themselves with gathering their respective shower items, leaving the books behind for the time being.

***

Willow was chewing on her sandwich when she read through a few lines of a new page. Her brow creased, she re-read the same few lines again. "Katra?"

The blonde witch was putting her wrapper in the garbage bin, having finished her lunch. "What's that sweetie?" She asked, not having heard her clearly.

"I think," She turned to look at Tara, "I think I found something." Willow's smile and little happy hop in bed made her girlfriend laugh. "It's called a katra!"