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Sapphic Stories |
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Happily Ever After
With love, it flourishes, filling the void in its creator's heart and soul, an animal, pure in its ferocity driven entirely by the eternal heartbeat of love. Together, love and revenge are one, and all consuming force. In love you will perish and from the ashes, the phoenix of revenge will raise its head and scream. Time — Said to be a healer of broken hearts. The clock remembers nothing, foretells even less, ticks away the lives of mortals and the ages of history, each second forcing the hand of man. In one, you find eternal happiness, the next, your world may be shattered, fragmenting your life and engulfing you in darkness. Time will guide your destiny and dictate the path of your love. The phoenix of revenge waits in the ashes, its time to fly born only with the passing of hours, its resentment and hatred spawned after months and its first and final flight — the most vicious creature born through the power of love and time only comes with years. The only death for the phoenix can be its creator, to strike at the wrong moment will only empower the monster, leaving the unworthy as food for its fire. To strike and destroy and, ultimately triumph is to know time, understand its power but, most importantly, one must know love, equal or greater that that of the phoenix's creator. To be a champion is to embrace the fire of love, knowing that you will, one day, perish. To be the ultimate champion is to embrace the fire of love and stand against the phoenix of revenge, facing its fury with nothing more than the knowledge that the consuming fire of love will save you. _____________________________________________________
Willow awoke from another nightmare, her skin bathed in sweat. Sitting up slowly, she reached out, her hand
finding Tara's and grounding her. Beside her, the blonde stirred but did not wake for which Willow was thankful. She scrubbed
vigorously at her eyes, forcing them open sharply. After placing a feather light kiss on the forehead of her sleeping lover,
she slipped out of bed and headed into the shower, hoping that Buffy hadn't used all the hot water.
In the kitchen, Buffy was hanging up the phone, she had called into work claiming to be ill. She needed to speak with Willow and she couldn't do that while she was working, besides, if one of her oldest friends was about to walk out of her life, possibly for the last time, she wanted to be there to say a proper goodbye. As if she'd known that Buffy was thinking about her, Willow emerged in the doorway, her bright red hair still wet from her shower. "Morning." Buffy offered gently, "How are you feeling today?" Willow had spent the entire time she was in the shower contemplating this question, and she didn't know for sure. "Ok, I guess." she said eventually, her tone non-committal and prone to change. Buffy smiled weakly, it was more than clear from Willow's reaction last night that she hadn't worked through her issues, instead she had left them all in Sunnydale and simply repressed them rather than standing up and fighting her demons. Buffy had to admire that, everyday of her life, a small part of her had wished she could just pack up and leave, much like Willow had done all those years ago but she knew that that just wasn't an option open to her. "Do you still want to leave today?" Buffy asked eventually, knowing that when Willow left Sunnydale this time, she would never return. She had expected an immediate answer and when Willow offered nothing more than a shrug, Buffy saw a tiny spark of hope. "When did you last see him?" Willow asked in a barely audible whisper, despite its volume, Buffy could hear her voice shaking. "About seven years ago. So much went wrong after you left." she told the redhead. "He wigged out big time, every time he heard your name or saw a picture of you, he'd wolf." Buffy told her sadly. Willows eyes stung with tears, Oz had been her first real love and first and only male lover and a part of her still felt something for him, well, the him he had been before she told him she was leaving. "He went away for a long time," Buffy continued, offering Willow s sheet of kitchen paper to wipe her eyes on. "He said he wanted a cure, wanted to be in control again." Willow looked up at her hopefully. "It worked... for a while," the Slayer continued, "Then we had some big boiling evil and he was trapped in his werewolf self for a long time. Since then, he seems to have had less and less control over the wolf." Willow shuddered at her words and Buffy crossed the room to lay a supportive hand over the shoulders of her friend. "We fought for a while and he went away. No one has seen him since." she concluded. Willows mind took a while to process the information, Oz had no way to know she was in Sunnydale, no reason to suspect she'd come back. He mind told her that what they had heard the previous night must have been a dog, but if it was a werewolf, there was no need to think it would be Oz. Somehow, she relaxed, content for the time being to believe her flimsy story. Before she could question or examine it too closely, Tara emerged, casually dressed in jeans and a fitted tee. "Morning!" she said brightly, flashing Buffy a perfect smile before kissing Willow deeply, her lips sending bolts of electricity through Willow and making the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Buffy turned away respectfully and fixed orange juice for everyone. With the full glasses, she turned back and found they had pulled apart. "So, I got the day off, what do you ladies fancy doing?" she asked brightly. Tara shook her head, after the events of the previous day, she was reluctant to suggest anything as it seemed clear that there was very little to actually do in Sunnydale. "I have to pick some things up from my parents house then I'm free." Willow said, but offered no suggestions for an activity. "So, shopping then!" Buffy cheered, "It's not gonna be like LA but it's something!" Her excitement was contagious and by the time Willow had collected her things together, they were all excited about the days shopping. Buffy and Tara had remained at home while Willow made the short journey to her parents' home. Tara had tried to insist on going with her but Willow realised this was something she must do alone, primarily to convince herself that Oz had really gone and that she could walk 7 blocks in the daylight without the world ending. Knocking on the large oak door, Willow found herself breathing a sigh of relief, she hadn't realised that for most of the journey she had been holding her breath. Her mother answered the door and invited her in to collect the few pieces she had set out for her daughter, including a wedding dress that had been passed down through the generations of her family. "I'm afraid I must go, Willow. I have a business meeting that is being delayed so you can collect these things." her mothers tone was clipped and uncaring and Willow remembered exactly why she had decided that she would leave Sunnydale. Originally it had been to get away from her uncaring and mostly absent parents but after the revelation that all the monsters and demons she'd had nightmares about as a child, she swore that on her last day of high school, she would bid a welcome farewell to the town. Willow only nodded as picked up the large box her mother had prepared and cursed herself silently for not bringing the car. She could phone Tara and ask her to collect her but that seemed, in her mind to be a defeat of the task she had set out to do. "Thanks for the stuff, we'll speak nearer the wedding." Willow said as her mother held open the door for her daughter. "I doubt that your father and myself will be able to make it, what with work and all." Mrs. Rosenberg stated as she opened the door. "Goodbye Willow." she said as Willow stepped onto the sun dappled porch and turned to face her mother with wide eyed shock. Fair enough her mother had previously ignored almost her all of her life, but this was her wedding, an event that Willow was only ever going to do once and her mother was telling her that she wasn't going because of work. She was surprised despite herself. "Fine!" she said sharply, turning her back on the woman who had given her life. "If that's how it's going to be." Sheila Rosenberg began pushing the door closed slowly, "That's the way it must be!" she said, a hint of sadness tinting her voice before she closed the door on her daughter forever. More through anger than sadness, Willow felt tears stinging her eyes as she marched purposefully back towards Buffy's home, the large box making it difficult to see where she was walking. Less than two blocks from the home of Sheila and Ira Rosenberg, Willow would no longer think of them as her parents, she crashed into an unseen body, dropping the box and her victim to the floor. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" Willow said as she helped a young girl back to her feet. "Are you ok." Crouching down to the level of the small child she had accidently crashed into, she saw that she had a small scrape on her knee , but no other injuries. To her credit, the girl was fighting the urge to cry and Willow gave her a small smile and wiped the tears that were swimming in her crystal blue eyes. "What the hell are you doing with my daughter?!" a woman came thundering out of the house to her right, making Willow visibly jump. Standing immediately, Willow started backing up, her hands in front of her defensively. "Hey, hey, calm down." she offered a smile, hoping that the woman would find it hard to yell at a friendly face, "I bumped into her, I was carrying a box and didn't see her, that's all. I wasn't doing anything wrong!" The glaring woman studied Willow and she felt herself shrink under the furious gaze, before looking to her daughter. "You ok honey?" she barked, never taking her eyes from Willow. The child appeared at her mothers side, slipping her tiny hand into the shovel sized hand of her over protective parent. "I'm ok mommy!" she said sweetly. Without another word, the large woman scooped her daughter into her arms and disappeared back into her house leaving Willow to collect the box's contents that had spilled onto the sidewalk. As she resumed her trip back to Buffy's, she absently wondered what else could go wrong on the journey back. All thoughts of the previous nights events had been pushed out of her mind. She turned the corner onto Revello drive and noticed a single car parked in the street, its back door open but no one around. Frowning slightly, Willow wondered who would leave their car doors open then decided that the owner had probably popped back inside to fetch something before returning. Making a mental note to be extra cautious as she approached the car, Willow failed to notice the short but muscular man step out in front of her and she barrelled headlong into him, this time it was she who hit the ground, coming to a painful halt next to the awaiting vehicle. "I'm so, so sor....." she began, turning to see what unfortunate individual she had run into this time. Standing before her, legs shoulder width apart was the undeniable form of Daniel 'Oz' Osbourne. Over time he had grown more muscular and an ugly scar twisted down the left hand side of his face, making the once timid man look dangerous and unpredictable. Willows words froze in her throat, making breathing difficult but not impossible. "Welcome back!" he said, grabbing her and bundling her into the waiting car before she had a chance to even try and scream. 7. Love and Revenge - Part Two
"One. Two. Three. Four, I declare a thumb war!" Buffy and Tara had resorted
to thumb wrestling while waiting for Willow to return. Neither of them had noticed the time, had they, then they would have
realised that Willow had been gone for over an hour.
Willow remained frozen in the back of the car, wherever she was going, she was headed there fast. To her credit, she hadn't screamed, for which Oz was grateful. He had heard Willow screaming only once before and it had hurt his ears and made them ring, he dreaded how much worse that would sound with his enhanced werewolf hearing. Instead, she had sat in silence, staring at him with wide eyed fear. Her heart raced uncontrollably, the blood pounding deafeningly in her eyes and making dark spots swim in front of her eyes. She fought the urge to vomit and pass out, the rational part of her brain telling her to pay attention to where she was going, to look for some sign of where she was heading so that she could maybe plan her way back if an escape made itself available. Oz had said nothing since they'd gotten into the car, his eyes remained locked on her, examining and studying her. Somehow he had managed to keep reasonably cool and calm, his features staying looked in their more human form. As the car slowed, Willow thought she was going to have a heart attack, the blood pounding painfully quickly through her veins. She hadn't realised that she had pressed herself up against the door, her body automatically going into a self preservation and trying to get away from her kidnapper. As the door was ripped open, she spilled into a dark room, from the smells that flooded her senses, she knew without doubt that she was in a garage. Oz walked slowly around to stand above her before grabbing her arm and dragging her into a room, a heavy metal door slamming loudly behind them, leaving her trapped. For the first time she open her mouth and screamed! "Why isn't she back yet?" Tara had seen the time and was pacing the kitchen frantically. Buffy could only shrug, she wanted desperately to provide some answers, to comfort the panicked woman but she had no answers, her brain not working quickly enough to supply a supportive word. "I'm sure she's fine." Buffy offered, immediately making Tara rush for the door, the slightest tremble in her voice had told Tara that Buffy was as far from sure as she was. "I'm going to find her." Tara declared, storming towards the front door, leaving Buffy with no other option than to chase after the blonde. As soon as Willow had started screaming, Oz had lost the control he'd fought so hard to maintain, his face twisted and contorted onto that of the wolf. More often than not, his primary appearance had been half wolf, half man, most comfortable in this form, he had the power and fear factor of the wolf and the clarity and control of a human. "Shut up, bitch!" he snarled, his jaws gnashing as the woman who had so much control over him. It was because of her that he had lost control of himself and her unwillingness to compromise over her leaving all those years ago had twisted him into the man he was today. Willows mouth clamped shut but in her head the scream continued and made her dizzy. "Why are you screaming? You made me like this, it's because of you." he snapped, "It's always been because of you." he added under his breath. Willow found herself trapped in the corner; she had been totally unaware that she had been moving until her back hit the wall. "Why, Oz?" she whispered, bile burning the back of her throat as she spoke. "Why do you want to do this?" the young mans eyes flashed red with fury. "Why?" he bellowed, the word ending in a growl that chilled her to her core. "You left, you tortured me by leaving, and now....." he paused briefly, "It's time for me to show you what that's like!" He pulled her viciously to her feet before pushing her back into a high backed chair that sat in the centre of the room. Willow began screaming once again, and Oz reached for a roll of industrial duct tape, her screaming pierced his ears and threatened to force him over the edge. As he taped her mouth closed, he sighed. "You said you loved me." he told her, pacing back and forth in front of her. "You kissed Xander and I forgave you." Unable to scream, Willows eyes darted around the room looking for an escape route, there were no windows, no doors other than the huge steel once they had entered through. No hope. "I gave you everything I had." he continued, his face darkening with every word. "And you walked out, without a second thought to me or your friends." Behind her gag, Willow whimpered in disbelief, so much time had passed and he was still dragging up the past and now, trying to punish her for it. "And now," his voice had taken on a much more menacing quality that sent shivers through Willow and chilled her very soul. "I find you are back. Not to look me up, say; 'Hey Oz, I'm sorry for destroying your life.' but you're here, carrying on like nothing happened and fucking around with A WOMAN!!!" his last two words erupted from his chest and he had crouched down so that his face was only inches from her own. Willow could smell death and decay on his breath and guessed that he hadn't long eaten, hopefully it was a something as opposed to a someone. "I should make you feel the pain that I felt." he said after many minutes of silence. "The pain that I feel. To rip your heart like you ripped mine." He wandered around the room, prowling like a caged animal over to a shelving unit that Willow had, until that moment, not seen. As Oz turned back to look at her, she saw the light glinting off something metallic, as he took a few steps nearer to her, she saw a long blade knife in his hand, his blade sharp and serrated and reflecting the dim light. Tara had burst into the sunshine and almost immediately seen a large box lying in the street, its contents spilled over the pavement for the world to see. Instinctively she knew that Willow had been carrying it back from her mothers and ran towards it, hoping to see some sign of what had happened to her one true love. As she reached the box, she discovered that the large ivory material that was strewn across the pavement was a wedding dress and her knees buckled, spilling her onto the floor. Buffy had caught up with her, apparently slayer speed was no match for the blind panic of lost lovers. "You still sure she's fine?" Tara snarled up at her, the anger and hatred spilling from the woman before her actually startled Buffy and made her take a back step. "Tara, I...." Buffy stuttered, "We'll find her!" Buffy stated, her voice had taken on a hard edge that come from knowing that, as the Slayer, she would triumph, she had to — failure just wasn't an option! The knife cut through the air and instinctively Willow pushed herself backwards, toppling from the chair and landing heavily on her side. Oz snarled, after the reaction Willow had had the night before, he wasn't expecting her to be this much trouble. He had looked forward to changing Willow the way she had changed him, but now, she just wasn't cooperating. To her credit, Willow had managed to get to her knees and was crawling for the door, but Oz knew that, even if she reached it, she wouldn't be able to open it. The room had been designed especially to contain him during the full moon before he'd given in to his darkness. Oz growled as he grabbed the delicate ankle of the redhead and dragged her backwards, scraping the skin on the palms of her hands as he did so. In one fluid movement, Willow found herself flipped onto her back and staring up into the enraged, half wolf face of her first lover. His hand came down and the knife it contained sliced through her shirt effortlessly, leaving a thin trail of blood in its wake. Pinning her to the floor, Oz sat astride the terrified woman he had once loved and stared down at the fresh wound across her collarbone. Cocking his head like a curious puppy, he studied the rich smelling life fluid before leaning in and licking her wound clean. Pulling back, Oz panted, actually panted, his features contorting into a hideous grin. Willows eyes widened further in terror and the knife came down for a second time, opening a larger wound across her chest from which he lapped the scarlet fluid greedily. 'Oh god, this is it, this is how I'm gonna die.' Willows mind told her, 'I'll never get to see Tara again, to tell her what she means to me. As the image of the blonde woman filled her mind, Willow found a new strength and courage from deep inside her. I will get through this.' she screamed to herself, 'I will marry Tara!!' Willow brought her knees up to her chest as best she could and kicked up into the soft belly on top of her sending Oz flying across the room and landing in a bone breaking heap in the corner. She struggled to her feet and ripped the tape from her mouth. Oz was shaking his head as he climbed to his feet. "You think you can come back here and rub your perfect life in my face?" he shouted, approaching her more cautiously. Willow went on the defensive, circling the man-beast before her hoping that she would get a total look at the room and maybe find a weapon or something that she could use to defend herself. "You know what, Oz?" she said, hoping she could find a way to talk herself out of the deadly mess she was in. "I did love you, I left because of the Hellmouth, not because of you and if you had spent one second to listen to my reasons instead of freaking out, then maybe things would be different." Her eyes never left him as she completed her first circuit of the room, her eyes catching a glimpse of a large metal bar. In the brief moment when her attention wasn't entirely on him, Oz took his chance and leapt at her, flying across the gap between them and knocking Willow to the ground, landing on top of her snarling and drooling. Buffy had decided that if Oz was responsible, then there was only one place in the world he would have taken Willow. One place that was far enough away from people to do whatever it was he was planning, and one place where she would be completely trapped. Despite her best efforts to dissuade Tara from coming along, she was there, alongside Buffy in her travels. To her credit, she kept pace remarkably well and the fear that she was undoubtedly feeling was well hidden. As they rounded a corner into the dockyard, Buffy pointed out the abandoned building in which Oz had a secure room. "That's it." Buffy said, pointing out the building that was their target. Tara hadn't spoken since they had left and now she picked up the pace, sprinting towards the building with a speed that had Buffy jogging to keep up with her. Under the snapping, snarling body of Oz, Willow mentally chastised herself. 'oh good going Will!' her mind berated her, 'You couldn't have kept your mouth shut?' Images of Tara flashed into her conscious once again, giving her the will to carry on and fight, it was the only thing that stopped her eyes rolling back in her head and her passing out. Something smashed heavily into the door and made Oz jump off of her, his wolf instinct turning at the sound and trying to attack it, giving Willow the chance to take a swing at him, knocking him once again, off his feet. She ran across the room, snatching up the metal pole she had seen and wielding it like a baseball bat, turning on the ball of her foot to face Oz. By now, he had given in to his animal instinct and transformed completely, now a full werewolf, Willow had never seen anything so terrifying in her life. Outside the door, whatever it was that was trying to get in, was succeeding, the door open half a crack and flooding the room with natural light. Oz howled, his confusion and rage pouring from the spine chilling howl. "Willow!" Tara's scream broke through the spine chilling sound and kept Willow grounded, forced her to focus and suppress the bile and vomit that stung her taste buds. "Get away baby." Willow yelled, the sound of her voice dragging Oz away from the door and snapping his attention back to her. He attacked without a second thought, she swung the bar with everything she had and rejoiced when it contacted the side of his head with an audible 'crack!' sending him sprawling across the floor, dazed and confused. Buffy ripped the door open in time to see Oz flying across the room and a jubilant smile spreading momentarily over Willows face. Tara rushed into the room, grabbing Willow and kissing her fiercely, before anyone had a chance to react, Oz had shaken off the blow and was steeling himself for a second attack. Tara turned to see him shaking the final dizziness from his head and crouching slightly to launch himself for a second attack. He growled at her, his eyes flaring red as she took a step between him and Willow. Balling her fists she took a single step forward, as did Oz who growled once again. To the total astonishment of everyone present, Tara growled right back at him and punched the wolf in the muzzle, drawing blood from beast. Even in his wolf form, Oz paused regarding this strange blonde with a confused and astounded expression that neither Buffy nor Willow had ever seen on the face of an animal. Tara was beyond furious, this pitiful creature was trying to exact revenge on a woman who no longer existed and for what? For wanting a better life without death and demons on your door? The selfishness of the man incensed her and she had really hadn't considered the ramifications of punching a werewolf. Luckily, Buffy had regained her Slayer sensibilities before Oz. She took aim with the axe and swung, hitting the wolf firmly in the back of the neck, slicing his head cleanly from his body. His body hit the floor solidly. Willow sank to the floor, her mouth still gaping at what she had just seen. Tara's knees also lost the ability to hold her up and she dropped to the floor next to Willow. "I can't believe you did that." Willow whispered as she wrapped Tara in a hug, "You punched a werewolf.... for me!" she met the smoky blue expense of Tara's eyes and saw her own surprise mirrored there. "I did!" Tara replied, her voice shaking and stunned. Willows hands reached for the soft face of her fiancée and cupped it softly, her thumbs caressing her cheekbones. Neither woman spoke, Willow leant in and kissed the full lips of her angel, her tongue gently pushing past them to start the seductive dance of passion that they had choreographed perfectly over the years. Tara's hand followed an automatic step, coming to rest on the nape of Willows neck, stroking gently and eliciting a soft moan. As they pulled apart, they were almost surprised to find themselves in a dingy room, with a decapitated werewolf on one corner and Buffy stood, grinning in the doorway. "Let's get out of here!" Buffy said as the women separated from their embrace. They didn't need to be told twice and helped each other to their feet. With one final glance at the wolf, the three friends stepped out of the solid steel door, slamming it forever behind them. ____________________________________________________________ Life is ultimately the death of us all, people find it in many different forms, addiction, phobia, hate, or obsession. Each soul battling through each second on a desperate hunt for its other half, for the one thing that will make it complete. From love comes the clouded vision of eternity, the brutality of passion and the clarity of hate. We are all slaves to our emotions, chasing the impossible dream, only to have it destroy us. In the end, all we have is the terminal longing for a love that will end us all. 8. Sunny Bye Bye
Buffy, Tara and Willow emerged into the almost silent dockyard, the only real
sounds were of water slapping gently against the hulls of the few boats moored there and their rhythmic footsteps against
the concrete. As they walked, they found themselves heading towards Main Street, from out of nowhere it seemed, people hustled
and bustled around, going about their daily lives without the first clue what the trio of women had been through.
"Mochas?" Willow asked cheerfully, making both Buffy and Tara jump. Despite her ordeal, Willow felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders, the encounter had allowed her to face the truth of the world that few people knew and acknowledged and she had conquered the fear accompanied with it. "I'm a-buying!" her voice was almost childlike in its sing-song quality. Buffy frowned, she was having a hard time believing that what she was seeing from the vivacious redhead was the truth. She nodded slowly and followed Willow as she skipped into the Espresso Pump. As Willow waited patiently to be served, Buffy turned to regard Tara who, as yet, still hadn't said a word since leaving the warehouse. As she opened her mouth to speak, Tara fixed her with a solid gaze, and as if she knew what the Slayer was about to say, she responded; "She's fine!" a huge grin, bigger than any Buffy had seen on the longest time, spread over her face, highlighting her already captivating eyes and brightening the very air around her. "I don't know how, but she is. She really is!" Tara announced, a little too loudly, drawing impatient looks from the patrons sat around them. Before Buffy had a chance to respond, Willow returned, armed with a tray filled with three tall mugs and various sticky pastries. She slumped down on the sofa next to Tara and handed out the beverages, offering each woman their choice of pastry before choosing the large, cream filled éclair topped with dark chocolate. Finishing the first bite, Willow returned Buffy's puzzled look with a grin, not dissimilar to the one Tara had flashed her only minutes before. "It's ok, Buffy." she said, her anticipation and the similarities of the exceptionally rapid response made Buffy feel a little uneasy, although she had no idea why. "I'm ok, really. I've dealt and moved on and I really don't want to talk about it expect to say that...." she paused briefly to take a sip of her mocha before continuing. "I now don't have a reason not to visit more often!" the mischievous glint that danced in her eyes made Buffy smile before the words she had spoken had fully reached her brain. "Oh Will." She beamed, leaping from her seat to hug Willow tightly, the joy written clearly over her face. For the remainder of their drinks, and a good few afterwards, Buffy, Willow and Tara chatted. Not about demons, vampires, werewolves or the past but about things that the regular people chatted about. Movies, their jobs, their future plans. As the sun began its descent behind the Sun cinema, the trio gathered themselves up and headed back to the Summers' house for one last evening together before Willow and Tara returned to LA and back to their Hellmouth-free lives. Willow, always the sensible one, had declined the offer of mass alcohol consumption in favour of pizza and a movie, her primary reason being that they had a long drive ahead of them the following morning and, after getting lost twice on the way there, she wanted to have a clear head for the return trip. Xander had volunteered to fetch the snacks and evenings entertainment with minimal fuss, and it had resulted in much in the way of ribbing from the ladies. They had playfully made him their servant for the evening and delighted in making him run errands for them. To his credit he had played along, right up until the point when Buffy, who had cracked open one too many beers, had decided that they should dress him up to fit the part. At that point he officially cut her off. Two films and more pizza and popcorn than the human body should be able to handle and both Willow and Tara said their goodnights, before heading upstairs, showering quickly and collapsing into bed, the efforts, both mental and physical, of defeating Oz had left them both drained and totally exhausted. Willow recalled only one other moment in her life when she had felt this tired. It had been the night that Tara had proposed to her. They had been to Tara's first art show and she had been a phenomenal success, from there moving onto Willows favourite restaurant to celebrate her 30th birthday. Tara had organised everything as a surprise, a long white limousine had ferried them from the gallery to the restaurant where they had the V.I.P area completely to themselves. After a perfect dinner, Tara had arranged for one of Willows favourite singers to serenade her before Tara had stepped onto the stage herself. Stealing a glance at the woman she considered to be the most perfect creation in the universe, Willow felt a pang of disappointment to see that Tara was already asleep. Willows mind wandered back to that magical night. In her mind it played like a movie, everything was in total surround sound and she could smell the chocolate of her cake and the faintest aroma of incense — vanilla and apple — Before her, Tara emerged onto the stage, her long black dress flowing from her as she had glided into the spotlight. Tears stung her eyes as she took in the beauty of the goddess standing before her, the dress sparkling in the soft light, Tara's deep blue eyes swimming in love, seeing nothing but her as she began to sing Willows favourite song; Elvis Costello's 'She'. Tara had crossed the room on invisible wings as she sang, coming to a halt in front of her as the song had ended. Willow could never remember if she had spoken, couldn't remember what she had worn, or anything. Her mind only saw Tara, her words etched for eternity in her mind. "Willow," Tara had said, her voice shaking clearly as tears seeped from her eyes. "I never thought I would find something so special in my life, never believed I was worthy of the love you show to me every day and in so many ways. Before I met you, I thought true love and soul mates were the things of fairy tales, but you have shown me that they are real. You make me feel safe and warm and loved, when I'm with you I'm home, only to no home I've ever known.... Until you!" Everyone had cried, that much Willow could remember, Tara had gracefully dropped to one knee before continuing. "I love you, I have always loved you. And if you give me the chance I will spend the rest of my life trying to make you has happy as you make me. Willow Rosenberg, will you make me the happiest woman on earth. Will you marry me?" Of course she had said 'yes'. What else could she have said to the blonde haired angel before her? Their friends had made various excuses for not returning to the house with them, although it had been Vince who was the most honest about it, maybe the large amounts of alcohol had helped loosen his tongue more than usual but he had told them; "We don't really wanna hear you two fucking all night!" as he'd been dragged into a cab by his girlfriend. On returning home, that's exactly what Willow and Tara had done, although Willow preferred tried think of it as making love, she knew that the raw, animal passion that had ripped Tara's beautiful dress beyond repair and destroyed her couch was definitely not 'making love. They had spent the remainder of the night and all of the following morning 'celebrating' their engagement, stopping only when they could physically no longer move or breathe, only to pick it up again on recovery. As the night replayed itself in her mind, Willows arms reached for Tara, wrapping around her waist as she fell into the first peaceful sleep she'd had since reaching Sunnydale. The sun rose early, forcing everyone up a little after dawn. Bleary eyed, they stumbled into the kitchen and sat around the island in its centre, trying to wipe the sleep from the eyes enough to focus to pour coffee or OJ. Willow had told Buffy that she had to return home that day, she had meetings and other engagements to attend and their 'cat-sitter' had to leave town that night for her own business reasons. Buffy had tried to convince her to stay, of course, but in her heart of hearts she knew that she must, once again say her farewells. As Willow and Tara fixed breakfast, Buffy watched them in happy awe, they moved as one fluid unit, automatically knowing where the other was and gliding effortlessly around the other, never bumping so much as an elbow. In watching the two women, Buffy knew that this is why she got up every morning, this is what she wanted. Not a lesbian relationship but the kind of love that Willow and Tara had. Lost in her own longing, Buffy was snapped back to reality when a huge plate of food was placed in front of her. They ate in reasonable hush, each content to enjoy the comfort of one another's company. The morning passed by in a blur and before she knew it, Willow and Tara had packed up their car and were ready to leave. Tears choked Buffy's throat and she wanted more than anything to have Willow stay. As she hugged the redhead for many minutes, the tears flowed freely from her eyes and she made no effort to try and cover them. In the short time that they had been there, so much had transpired and joined them, forced them to bond and survive, or split off on their own and risk death. It was one of the best things about the Hellmouth, the friendships you formed on it were powerful and forever, once you made a friend, you had them for life — proving they didn't get killed by a hell beastie or turned into a vampire! "I love you Willow." Buffy said as she eventually pulled back from the hug, a smile spreading her lips. Willow returned it with a grin. "So, we'll see you in 6 months at the wedding!" she beamed. "Not if I come up there first!" Buffy laughed as Willow walked slowly down the path to the car. Turning to Tara, Buffy felt at a sudden loss for words, her coming to Sunnydale had, undoubtedly changed her forever and Buffy felt oddly guilty. Before she had time to dwell over her feelings, Tara wrapped her in a firm yet gentle hug. "Thank you, Buffy. For everything." Tara had whispered, her breath tickling the Slayers ear and making her realise how easy it had been for Willow to fall in love with her. In all her life, Buffy had never felt safer than in those moments. Pulling back, Tara grinned and gave Buffy a playful wink, almost as if she had known what she was feeling. "You look after my girl!" Buffy yelled after Tara as she hoped into the passenger seat of the car. "I always do!" Tara yelled back as Willow revved the engine and, with a final wave, they disappeared into the distance. A puncture, road works and a multitude of accidents on the freeway meant that it was almost 6 o'clock when they arrived back at home. "Blaze is going to be sooo mad!" Tara said as they pulled into the driveway. "She had a gig at 10, she'll never make it in time." they dragged their bags from the car and were met in the doorway, not by an enraged woman who was late for her job, but by the ever grinning Vince who swept them both into a hug before dragging their bags inside and ushering them into the living room. Shortly after Willow and Tara had got engaged, Vince and Blaze had returned to the area but they still too far away, at least for Tara who resented having to drive over an hour to see him. "Lovers! ladies! How was your vacation?" he asked, sounding more like a ringmaster in the circus than a friend enquiring over a holiday. They beamed at each other for a moment, before turning back to him, their eyes shining with conspiracy. "You wouldn't believe us if we told you!" the giggled in unison. Vince, despite his urgency to find out all the gory details of their time away had left a little after an hour since their return. Willow looked exhausted and he knew that they would want time to re-bond with Miss Kitty and probably get an early night. Tara's constant yawning had confirmed this and he had excused himself in a flurry of thank you's. As she pushed the door closed, and locked it behind Vince, Tara turned to Willow, who appeared to also have been pretending to yawn. A naughty grin spread over her face as Willows eyes met hers. "Lets go to bed!" she purred softly, grabbing Willows hand and dragging her into the bedroom. 9. Welcome Home, Miss Kitty Style
Despite both women pretending to yawn, by the
time they had showered and collapsed into bed, they were exhausted and fell asleep almost instantly.
The sun rose high the next morning, although Willow and Tara had no idea thanks to the heavy drapes at the windows. Willow was the first to wake, she blearily opened one eye and yawned, Tara was sleeping soundly next to her and a small snore escaped the woman, making Willow grin. She slipped silently from under the soft silk sheet and padded to the bathroom. When she returned, Tara was still fast asleep. The clock next to the bed told her it was a little after 10am. "Wow. That's a whole lotta sleep." she whispered. Shrugging, she slipped back under the sheet and snuggled in close to Tara who moaned softly as her cold hands snaked around her waist. Nestling her face into the warm, silky neck of the woman she loved, Willow purred. "Morning beautiful." Tara stirred slowly, turning to face the emerald swells before her. "Mmm, morning." she replied, her voice heavy with sleep. Willows fingers absently traced a gentle path across the collarbones of her lover, drawing another soft moan as she kissed the exposed neck before her. Tara shifted once again, the sheet sliding softly over her firm breasts and caressing the increasingly firm nipples making her gasp softly. Willow grinned, she loved the way that, even after so long together, Tara was so responsive to her. "You ok baby?" she whispered seductively. Tara moaned as Willows fingers traced down the valley between her breasts and then back up before slowly exploring each one with the tips of her fingers, giving the nipple the barest touch before moving on. Despite Tara's best efforts to gain more contact, Willows graceful digits escaped her, her moans of pleasure did nothing but make the redhead tease her further. "Did I thank you for saving my life?" Willow purred, her voice dripping with promise and passion. Although it was a question, Tara was glad it was a rhetorical one as she didn't think she could form any words to answer it, instead, she shook her head. Willows fingers continued exploring her body, stroking over her smooth stomach and down to just above her pubic region, forcing an aroused gasp from Tara before heading back up the path they had just travelled. As Willow gently nibbled her earlobe, Tara felt herself getting wet and squeezed her thighs together in a bid to relieve the building pressure. "Don't you wish I would?" Willow continued after several torturous minutes of teasing. Tara's eyes, which up until this point had rolled back, snapped open, connecting instantly with the green that she loved so much. "Oh y-yes!" she exclaimed. Her stutter had all but gone, except in times of incredible stress or excitement. Kissing the pulse point at Tara's ear, Willow grinned as she shifted slightly so that she could prop herself up and look down at the blonde goddess. The desire smouldered in the blue eyes before her as her fingers, once again, stroked and teased the firm breasts of her lover but never actually allowing the contact that she so desperately wanted. Without warning, Tara forced herself up, her hands grabbing for Willow and pulling her close as she kissed her, nipping her bottom lip gently before pushing her tongue into the startled woman's mouth. With Tara caressing the nape of her neck, Willow couldn't help but moan into the kiss, the sensation sending vibrations through her lips and tongue and making Tara shudder in her arms. Willow managed to regain some of her composure as Tara pulled back, breathless. The feral look in her eyes driving the redhead wild and increasing her own wetness. Willow guided Tara back, drinking in the vision before her as she leant in to continue the kiss, her hands never stopped moving. Willow pulled back and kissed along Tara's jaw line before moving down her neck., taking gentle nips and leaving a tiny, faint trace of her presence as she went. Under Willows attention, Tara felt herself go weak, her head spun and the increasing wetness between her legs seemed to beckon to Willow. Kissing slowly down her lovers throat, Willows hand caressed the outside of Tara's thigh. She had to fight the urge to slip her fingers between Tara's legs and, so far, she was winning. At her touch, Tara's leg moved up, pulling Willow up on top of her and forcing the redhead to grip the taut muscle, her perfectly kept nails digging slightly into the smooth flesh and causing Tara to moan. Willows breath shortened at the sound, her clit throbbing and begging to be consumed by the stunning blonde. Instinctively, Willow knew what Tara wanted, it seemed that she always had, from the minute they met, she had just known. As Willow took one erect nipple into her mouth, Tara bucked her hips, trying to force Willows hand and react to the fire she needed quenching. Willow played the nub firmly under her tongue, her hand still softly stroking the outside of Tara's thigh as she nipped and pulled the nipple with her teeth. "Oh god, Willow." Tara moaned beneath her, her voice sounding distant and heavy with lust. Willow was rapidly approaching the end of her calm, the overwhelming urge to satisfy and taste her goddess was only spurred on by the moans and throbbing in her own clit. Looking up to find smouldering blue eyes, Willow licked her way down, finding Tara wet, warm and ready. Never letting go of the eye contact, Willows tongue flicked quickly over Tara's swollen clit, drawing a gasp from the blonde. Urging her on with her eyes, Willow flicked again, drawing a growl from the woman before her, breaking her resolve and releasing a wave of wetness between her legs. Reaching up to caress Tara's firm nipples, Willow was surprised to find Tara's own hand there, pinching and massaging the full breasts, her tongue moved faster, teasing the swollen clit under it, mirroring Tara's movements over her nipple. Tara's breath came short and ragged as Willows tongue found its way down, teasing the soaked entrance, somehow she managed to keep her eyes open and through them beg with Willow for more. "P-please...." Tara managed, that single word seemed to drain her entirely. Willow pushed the very tip of her tongue in, Tara tried to force her further but almost as she'd thought to move her hips up for more, Willow pulled back, and continued teasing. Willows eyes burned with carnal lust, her left hand slipping, unnoticed to the chest at the end of the bed, before returning with a special surprise. Trying her hardest to conceal the dildo, Willow kissed back up Tara's body before finding her mouth, open and panting. Pulling back from the rough kiss, Tara seemed confused despite the passion burning within her. "W-what are you doing up here?" she gasped while trying to push the redhead back down. A predatory grin spread over Willows face but she didn't reply, only leant in to kiss the woman deeply, passionately. Tara bucked her hips, trying to gain any contact between herself and the woman who had driven her so wild and brought her so close to climax. On her thigh, Tara could feel Willows own wetness and moaned deeper into the kiss. In response, Willows fingers traced up the inside of her thigh, teasing the wet outer lips before finding their way to her engorged clit, causing the blonde to tilt her head out of the kiss and fight for breath. "Willow...." she growled. The very tone of her voice at that time was almost enough to send Willow over the edge, and she struggled not to ravage the woman she loved. "Mmmmm?" Words had left Willow and she found herself breathing hard. "Need. More. Need. All.... of you." Tara panted, fine beads of sweat dancing over her forehead. Willow abruptly pulled her hand away, and reached further down the bed for the dildo she had carefully laid between Tara's legs. As she picked it up, the wetness from her hand helped to lubricate the head and returned her gaze to Tara. "Really baby?" she purred, her voice a soft velvet whisper that caressed Tara's senses and made her clit throb harder than she could have imagined possible. Foregoing all words, mainly due to her total inability to form them at that time, Tara grabbed a handful of Willows hair and pulled her close. As she nibbled the milky expanse of the redhead's neck, she felt a warm pressure between her legs and pushed towards it. Moving in perfect synchronicity, Willow equalled her motion and slid the dildo into her lover who bit down painfully on her neck as a tidal wave of pleasure engulfed her. Sliding slowly at first, Willow moved with Tara, letting her guide and control the depth and pace until she was sure she was really ready. Her cue came when Tara threw her hands over her head, grabbing onto the headboard and growling, an animalistic sound that shattered any control Willow had left. Thrusting the toy deeper and harder into the blonde, Willows mouth found and nibbled a nipple gently, a direct contradiction the motions of her hand. Tara felt her body go into overload, every nerve, muscle and organ buzzing with arousal. Her head felt strangely unattached to the rest of her body and for the briefest second, she could swear she was flying. Suddenly coming crashing back to reality, she knew that she was close to climax. Her eyes locked on Willows and the hungry look she received pushed her to the very brink. As her hand found, and stroked the nape of Willows neck, her orgasm exploded through her like an express train as Willow flicked her clit gently with every inward thrust. Normally, she had no problem being vocal at the point of climax, but this was a new one on her and all the air vanished from her lungs, "Willow!" she croaked, pulling the sweat coated redhead into her chest. "Oh god, Willow." she whispered into her ear. Willow felt her own climax building as she rode out Tara's orgasm. Tara knew that Willow was also close, her hand reaching between them to find the redheads throbbing clit which got the briefest of attentions before she slid two fingers deep into Willow and returned to nibbling and sucking her neck. "Oh fuck, Tara!" Willow growled deeply, as the first waves of climax hit her. Thrusting hard, Tara found the spot and brought Willow to a stunning orgasm. As they lay, entwined in each other and coming down from their exertions, Tara heard a familiar, but faint jangle. She nudged Willow gently gesturing towards the doorway. "Miss Kitty." she called out and the black and white feline emerged into the room, carrying something in her mouth. "What's she got?" Willow asked cautiously, straining her eyes to try and see. Tara studied the cat but couldn't work out what she was carrying. Miss Kitty leapt onto the bed, the delight at seeing her owners clear. As she crawled up between them she dropped a dead mouse on the sheet and sat down, meowing up at them happily. Both women jumped with a startled 'Eugh', more out of surprise than fear. "I guess she's glad we're home!" Willow said after a long pause, a giggle in her voice. Scratching the now purring cat's head, Tara laughed. "Oh Miss Kitty Fantastico, sometimes you are terrible!" The giggles continued long after Willow had got up to dispose of the dead rodent. 10. The Countdown Begins
With the dead rodent disposed of, the sheets bagged
for dry cleaning and finally showered and dressed, Willow cleared away their breakfast things, well, lunch things while Tara
showered. After loading the dishwasher, she pulled open the front door and was, momentarily blinded by the brilliant sunshine.
Squinting into the light, she took a moment to allow her eyes to adjust before heading down the path to fetch the mail.
By the time she had fought to get all the letters and a parcel that had been crudely crushed into the box, Willow was sure that Tara would be out of the shower. Closing the door behind her, she was mildly surprised to find that Tara was still basking under the hot water. Willow shrugged and headed back into the kitchen, sitting herself on one of the stools at the island, she began flipping through all the post they had received while they had been away. He right hand went idly out for the radio and switched it on. The recognisably voice of Steven Tyler from 'Aerosmith' filled the silent room and made Willow grin. She grinned as a memory of a very drunken night at a local karaoke bar. This song had been the one she had gotten up and tried singing for Tara, she hadn't known then how foretelling the words would be. come and save me tonight, You're my angel, come and make it alright, You're my angel, come and save me tonight. And now, almost 2 years since she had gotten up and made that plea, Tara had done just that. Forgetting the mail for the moment, Willow grabbed a banana and began dancing around the kitchen, using the ripe fruit as a microphone. Unknown to her, Tara had finished her shower and was stood, fully clothed in the kitchen doorway watching the impromptu performance. Adopting her best Tyler stance, Willow continued. The state of permanent excitement she had felt since Tara had proposed often took control of her, making her have 'mad moments' as Vince had called them. You're the reason I die, You're the reason I give, when I break down and cry, Don't need no reason why. Baby, baby, baby. Willows voice cracked a little and she coughed, trying to clear her throat so she could continue. Tara's giggles in the doorway made her jump, dropping the banana which Miss Kitty stared at for a moment before returning her confused gaze to her redheaded mistress. "I.... erm, well, I." Willow began, her cheeks flushed deep crimson at having been caught in her 'concert' Tara grinned as she entered the room and fetched herself another glass of orange juice before turning back to Willow who was staring in surprise at the banana that was resting under the stool. Placing her glass down and turning the vivacious redhead to face her, Tara whispered; "I know." before kissing the hot lips of her lover. Within the very Tara-ness of her life, Willow knew that, in that moment, Tara did know, understood perfectly, not just the insanity of her singing but her past, her reasons and, well, her. As they pulled back from the kiss, Tara noticed the huge pile of mail that was laid out on the counter. "Wow, post uh?" she said, flopping down on one of the stools. Willows excitement flooded her veins like electricity, "Yeah, it looks like loads of RSVP's for the wedding. Woohoo, we're getting married, in...." she paused briefly and Tara fixed her with a stern look, hoping that she hadn't forgotten the date. "17 days, 23 hours and...." looking quickly at her watch, she continued, "18 minutes!!" Tara grinned, an expression that turned into laughter as Willow began dancing around the kitchen once more, sweeping Miss Kitty up and spinning her carefully before plopping her back on the floor and dropping into the stool next to Tara. They had entrusted Vince with the posting of all the invitations over two months ago and he had popped them in his bag, promising to deliver them on his way home. On his way back, he had been involved in a minor accident and the invitations were forgotten in the chaos, it had been only two weeks since he had posted them, the realisation of his mistake only came when he had joined a gym and got the bag from the boot of the car, opening it to find it full of invitations that should have been posted 6 weeks previously. Thankfully, both Willow and Tara had understood and had called everyone to check they had received the invites before he'd realised. A large proportion of the inviting had been done over the phone, and hadn't set the wedding plans back at all. Caterers had been organised and numbers tallied, the written RSVP's were just polite protocol from their friends. The only one Willow was waiting on, one she herself had posted so that she could be as certain as possible that it would be on its way to its destination. One person from her past that she insisted on being there. It was her telling Tara that she wanted him there that had spurned Tara's insistence on going back to Sunnydale. So far he still hadn't replied, no RSVP, no phone call, no page, no email, nothing. Willow had thought that maybe he had forgotten about her, it had been so long since they'd had any contact that that was a perfectly plausible option. Willow tried to fight the disappointment, refocusing her mind on the day and the woman whom she loved more than anyone or anything in the entire world. She forced herself to open a gas bill, then the telephone bill, then her credit card bill before digging into the ivory coloured envelopes. Tara had fetched the pad on which they had written down the confirmations they had received already, either by email or phone and was double checking against the names on the invites before her. As the blonde crossed off another name, Willow found her attention on Tara, the sun shining through the kitchen window and framing her in a perfect halo of golden light. Propping her head on her hand, Willow drank in the goddess before her, her blue eyes twinkling like stars as the sun reflected from her hair. "Who'd you know in England?" Tara asked, turning to face Willow who was still staring lovingly at her. It took a moment for Willow to realise that Tara had spoken, "Uh?" she asked, smiling. Tara rolled her eyes, "Concentrate sweetie," she said with a giggle, "On the invitations..." she added as Willow seemed to be returning to her day dream. "Who do you know in England?" she asked again, slower this time as Willows eyes still held that far away stare. Her question snapped Willow back to reality, "England?" the excitement bubbling within her threatened to spill out and cause more dancing, singing and who knew what else. She grabbed at the envelope and stared at the postmark before ripping the envelope open and pulling its contents out. Tara stared at her, her beautiful face crinkled in confusion. "Erm, Will?" she asked, but it was obvious that Willow was too engrossed in the letter she had pulled from the envelope to hear her. Firstly, congratulations on your big day, I would be absolutely delighted to attend your ceremony. I am so very sorry that we lost touch, I did mean to get back in contact with you, but as time passes these things become much more difficult, I am sure you know how it is, 'real' life gets in the way and then, before you know it, years have passed and it seems almost awkward to delve into your past. You can imagine how thrilled I was to receive your letter and good news, I actually danced, if you can imagine that? I will be in America the week before your big day, Buffy has invited me to stay with her and Dawn so I will be there if you need any assistance at all. I am very much looking forward to meeting Tara, from what you said in your letter, she sounds wonderful. I wish you both all the happiness in the world, it fills my heart to know that you have done so well for yourself and have found your 'true love'. Until we meet again, Your old friend, Rupert Giles. The silence that had filled the kitchen was shattered when Willow leapt from her chair, whooping and cheering. Tara visibly jumped and knocked her orange juice over with a loud clatter. Willow seemed oblivious to the mishap and clambered up onto the island, turning the radio up as she went. "It's gonna be perfect!" she sang, gyrating her hips and waving her hands, one still holding the letter. "It's gonna be perfect!!" Tara stared in open mouthed astonishment as her fiancée put on the second impromptu show of the day. "Erm, Willow? Sweetie?" she called up to the redhead, her hand gently coming to rest at the back of her knee. "Who's the letter from?" Willow jumped down from the counter and grinned widely, "It's Giles!" she replied, her voice bubbling from excitement. "He's coming!" Willow couldn't repress the dancing any longer and leapt back to her feet, dancing like a thing possessed. Tara frowned slightly, "In England?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to get Willows attention. In all the explaining Willow had done about Giles, she had neglected to mention that he was English. Tara had assumed that he was American and, not being told any different, assumed that he also lived in or near Sunnydale. Willow managed to stop dancing for a moment. "Yeah!" she said, panting slightly, "He's English, that's a good place for the English... England!" she giggled before her uncoordinated dance continued into the living room. Tara just shook her head, obviously she wasn't going to get any sense or static from Willow until she had calmed down and so she returned to the invites, a broad smile playing across her lips as Willow picked up singing in the living room. |
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