Vicarious Smoochies

by: Dacia

BtVS W/T PG-13

WARNING: This story, funny enough, contains some lesbian content and/or themes… hmmm… like all my stories… maybe there's a pattern here somewhere. At any rate, if that ain't your cup-o-tea with a hot buttered blueberry scone, then may I suggest you make liberal use of the BACK button on your browser.

DISCLAIMER: I have absolutely no legal right to play with other peoples' toys, especially not the creations of Joss Whedon, namely Buffy and the Slayerettes. The aforementioned rights to these characters belong to the aforementioned Joss Whedon and Fox, Mutant Enemy, Kuzui… etc.

Please don't sue me for following the Slayer philosophy of Want. Take. Have.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: In addition to the manipulation of certain members of the Scooby Gang (and a callous disregard for the floor plan of Stevenson Hall), there was also some mention of other things that do not belong to me in this story, such as:

The Lost Boys, unleashed in 1987 by Warner Bros.
Star Trek, the original series, copyright Paramount Pictures,
The "classic" Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which I think, is owned by Columbia/Tristar
Bride of Chucky, released in 1998, and E.T. (1982), both by Universal
Bats, brought to us by the letter 'B' and Destination Films, in 1999
And Yentl (sorry Barbra, no harm, no foul?), 1983 by MGM, which also brought us those fine Slumber Party Massacre films, although I don't think there is a Part IV out yet, but watch for it people! *grin*
And I'm sure somebody out there owns the rights to the concept of a 'Teddy Bears Picnic' too, but darned if I know who.

TIMELINE: It is blatantly obvious that this story occurs before the events of the BtVS episode, 'New Moon Rising'. Personally, I'd place it somewhere around the mid-season break after the events of 'Who Are You'.

SPOILERS: I dunno, there really isn't any detailed spoilage going on in here, except maybe for the 4^th season episode, 'Hush'. But hey, if you haven't seen the 4^th season of Buffy then you probably won't know what's going on anyway. There's one mention of Faith, the Kick-Ass Second Slayer in here as well, but nothing to get too excited about

DACIA'S FINAL THOUGHT: Gee, there sure are a lotta disclaimers and stuff before this story… so it must be really, really good. *s*

A suffocating darkness was enfolding her, squeezing the breath from her lungs. Yet, though her sight was removed from her, her other senses were heightened, and she knew, without doubt, that she was not alone in the room.

A second later a sharp line of fire drew up the exposed skin on her throat, somehow she knew it was made by a claw, and she fought the restraints that were holding her down.

The faint smell of rotting flesh tickled her nose just before a voice, like dry leaves, rasped beside her ear, "Soon…"

Inhumanly strong hands grasped her jaw, forcing her mouth open. She screamed as a sickly warm liquid poured in… blood!

*****

Willow awoke with a yell, not the gurgle she'd made in her dream, and bolted upright in her bed.

Snapping on a lamp, the shaken witch huddled above the covers. Her knees were drawn up to her chest, her powder blue nightshirt pulled over her bare legs to stave off the chill, but it was no use, the cold welled up within her… a residue from the dream, the nightmare.

She glanced at the empty bed beside hers, wishing briefly that Buffy was there. Buffy was always good at soothing bad dreams, having some experience with them herself, but she'd left for the weekend, deciding that some quality time was in order with her mother, especially after their ordeal with Faith.

The redhead rocked gently back and forth, oblivious to the passing time, trying to slow the thundering beat of her heart and dispel the coppery taste of blood in her mouth, the cloying sweet saltiness of it. She watched as the long shadows thrown by the lamp crawled up the walls.

Eventually, a tentative knock at the door broke her mood, and a surge of fear-fueled adrenaline rushed through her, until reason chimed in that a demon probably wouldn't knock before coming in and killing her. A second later, her hypothesis was confirmed as a soft whisper wound its way to her ears.

"Willow?" She instantly recognized the voice's owner, and a new surge of adrenaline rushed through her, set off by the realization.

She uncoiled from her self-protective position, and crossed the space from her bed to the door.

"Tara?" She asked hesitantly, as she opened the door.

Her eyes were greeted by the vision of the shy blonde looking down at the carpet of Stevenson Hall. A beat later, Tara met Willow's gaze, and her mouth curled into an almost-grin that all but dispelled any of Willow's lingering fear.

"Hi." Tara said succinctly with an awkward half-wave of her hand.

"Hi." Willow parroted back, intelligent thought suddenly set on the back-burner as she was riveted by the clear, blue sky of the other woman's eyes.

The two young women stood there a moment unconsciously engaging in a mutual stare-fest, until Willow suddenly realized she was being rude.

"Uh, do you want to come in? Or are you playing a revised game of Knicky-knicky nine doors. If so, you should probably try running after you knock on someone's door… I hear that works best." The red-head flashed a quick grin to show she was teasing.

The blonde witch blushed lightly, colouring her fair skin a dusky pink.

Willow stepped back to stop blocking the entrance, and Tara shuffled into the room, her arms automatically folding around her torso. Willow turned to face her after re-locking the door,

"So, not to be too nosy or anything, but, uh… do you often pop by people's dorms at 4 in the morning?" Willow slipped back onto the bed, tucking her bare legs underneath her.

"Not that I'm complaining… I'm genuinely curious, I need something to round out my character profile of you."

Tara started to speak, then paused, digesting what the hacker had just said. Willow had such an odd way of putting things sometimes.

"I had a dream… well, more of a nightmare really." Tara amended her statement with a gentle shake of her head, missing the light of recognition that kindled in her friend's expression. Her hair fell in a shimmering curtain hiding her face.

Willow took the opportunity to look closer, and now she noticed how bedraggled her friend was; how her hair hung loose and only half-brushed, though it still gleamed like spun-gold; and how odd her choice in fashion was, she wasn't even wearing socks, suggesting haste in dressing.

"I had a nightmare too." Willow confided with a shudder.

"I know." The blonde witch said, in a voice barely above a whisper. She raised her head to capture Willow's gaze, "I sensed you there."

The redhead started with surprise. "You were there?"

Tara nodded, obviously disturbed.

Willow rose on her bed preparing to step off, "In the dark? Tied down?"

Another nod.

The hacker was standing now, and moving closer to her friend. Her voice cracked on her last question, "And… th--the blood?"

The blonde gave an almost imperceptible nod of her head, her eyes glued to the floor.

Willow was beside her instantly, her own memory fueling her empathy as she laid a gentle hand on the other girl's forearm.

"Are you okay?"

Tara smiled lightly at the question, and replied in a small voice, "That's what I came here to ask you." She looked up through strands of fine blonde hair.

Willow said warmly, "I'll be okay, now."

She added with a touch of awe, "I can't believe you walked over here after that dream. I would've have been all with the 'cluck-cluck' and huddled under the covers."

Tara's smile widened, "It was no biggie, but you told me Buffy wasn't going to be here… you're, uh, sure you're okay?" Her brow furrowed, hinging on the other Wiccan's reply.

"I think so, yah." Willow squeezed her arm in reassurance, and then turned back to sit on her bed.

Tara played with the cuffs of her shirt looking uncomfortable when neither of them made to speak, "Well, I should, uh, probably go, if I'm going to get anymore sleep tonight."

"Don't go." The redhead whispered, surprising herself.

Tara's startled gaze locked with hers, and Willow suddenly found herself stammering,

"Uh, I me--mean, it'll take you another half an hour to get back to Rideau, and since Buffy isn't here anyway…" She looked pointedly at the empty bed beside her, gesturing widely with her hands.

The blonde spared a glance at the extra bed, and a brief flash of some emotion graced her features… disappointment?

"Ok." She agreed simply.

Willow nodded sharply, "Ok." And then uncertainty gripped her once more, "Uh, I guess you'll need some jammies, I have some extra…"

Tara gave her a self-conscious grin, her hands picking lightly at her shirt, "Actually…"

Willow caught her meaning immediately, and smiled broadly, "I was kinda wondering about the Teddy Bear Picnic across your chest there."

The redheaded witch's smile was infectious, so Tara joined her, "Yah, uh, I have this Aunt in Canada… for every Birthday and every Christmas she sends me pajamas."

Willow jumped in enthusiastically, "My grandmother used to be the same way about Hummel figurines."

"Yah, well, I could keep the entire state of California in flannel for a year with the backlog."

The blonde pulled the nightshirt out from where she'd tucked it into her pants, "You're looking at 1996's special."

"Christmas or birthday?"

"Christmas… I think."

They shared another smile, and Willow reflected, she came over here in her nightshirt just because she was worried about me. Her smile deepened, and a warmth welled up within her chest.

On impulse, she pushed off the bed, and wrapped her arms around the other witch's waist. Tara stiffened for a moment, but melted just as quickly, her hesitant arms coming up to return the embrace. Willow's hands seared through the fabric where they rested on her back, heating the skin underneath.

When they broke apart, she questioned, genuinely confused, "What was that for?"

Willow's mouth twitched into another grin, but her words were solemn, "For worrying about me."

"Oh." The blonde was still confused, but clearly pleased by the answer.

Willow took a deep breath, "Well, I guess we should grab some sleep. You have a Psych class at 10, don't you?" Her eyebrows lifted in question.

Tara sighed, "Yah, and you have a class at 9."

Willow gave a quick nod, and then sat down on her bed, tucking herself under the covers.

Aware of the other girl's eyes on her, Tara self-consciously tugged at the draw-string on her cargoes. Shuffling out of her pants, she followed Willow's lead, and slipped under the covers of the other bed.

When they were both settled, Willow snapped off the lamplight.

"Goodnight Will."

"Sleeptight." Came the automatic reply.

"Don't let the bedbugs bite." Tara finished gamely.

Or anything else. Willow thought silently, before allowing herself to be cradled in Morpheus' sweet embrace.

*****

Dawn's rosy fingers still caressed the Earth, as Willow rose through the thick layers of sleep to full consciousness, lured by the siren song of… AC/DC?

Willow sat up in her bed, confused, until she realized her radio alarm had gone off. I have got to change the station one of the these days. Unfortunately, Sunnydale wasn't exactly a hotbed of new music, unless you had a penchant for Ricky Martin.

The redhead flicked off the alarm, sneaking a quick glance at her ad hoc roommate, relieved that it hadn't awoken her friend. Although how anyone could sleep through "Highway to Hell" was beyond her.

She sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed to observe her sleeping roommate, riveted by the sight.

Tara was lying on her back, the covers loose across her chest, yielding a hint of Teddy bears frolicking at their ceaseless picnic. One arm lay slack on her abdomen, while the other was thrown carelessly above her head. Her fingers were casually entangled in her long blonde-streaked hair, that was fanned like a sunburst behind her.

Tara murmured softly in her sleep, her lips curving into a gentle smile.

She looks cute when she's sleeping, Willow thought idly, but then she looked closer.

The blonde's pink tongue had slipped out to wet the corner of her mouth, and a familiar heat infused the redhead's body, familiar, yet bemusing. Suddenly, Tara was no longer just cute, she was actually… rather… sexi. That was it, sexi, spelt with an ' i ' no less, giving it all kinds of saucy connotations in Willow's mind.

Will turned away, confused by the flush that was diffusing throughout her body. Sure, she'd been attracted to women before, enough so that she wasn't able to kid herself about it. But it hadn't happened for quite some time, and she'd thought she'd gotten a handle on it. Wasn't it just a phase, a phase that everyone went through eventually? It didn't have to mean anything that she thought her friend's lips looked immeasurably soft and oh-so-smoochable. It didn't have to mean anything at all. After all, wasn't there an element of attraction in all friendships?

She shook her head lightly, as if to jar any errant thoughts loose.

Slipping from her bed, she headed to the bathroom to take her morning shower, debating whether or not to use exclusively cold water. Pulling her nightshirt over her head, she opted for her usual scalding spray, deciding that taking a cold shower would be tantamount to admitting something she wasn't entirely certain she wanted to admit to just yet. Besides, cold showers weren't any fun.

Turning on the dial, she stepped into the stall. Willow enjoyed the sting of hot water on her body, but what she relished the most, was that first pass through the cascading stream to get her hair wet.

Tipping her head back into the spray, she shivered in delight, as she always did when the water slid down over her forehead and the back of neck. She turned, so she was now facing the wall, and braced herself as the liquid sluiced across her back.

Willow loved water. Sometimes, when she was taking a shower, she all but forgot that the primary purpose was supposed to be hygiene. It just seemed so intimate, the feel of the liquid slipping over her skin, entering all the empty spaces it found, like a caress... Unbidden, the sensations of tender fingers on her skin, lips bruising her own, came flooding in.

Pushing off the wall, she turned and took a deep steadying breath. She was dismayed to notice how quickly her body had responded to her erotic thoughts; her nipples tightening into two hard peaks.

What confused her the most though, was her uncertainty as to whose fingers, and whose lips she'd been imagining.

In the last few months she'd frequently caught herself fantasizing… remembering, always it had been about Oz. Textures and tastes… his spiky, short red-hair, the velvety feel of the inside of his mouth.

Now, she wasn't so sure. The ghostly sensation of long hair slipping through her fingers teased the corners of her mind, the unfamiliar press of a warm body that was soft like her own.

She shuddered, overwhelmed, and stepped out from under the cascade. Running her hands over her face, she swept away the excess water that was clouding her vision, and smoothed her hair back.

Slowing her ragged breath, she reached for the shampoo, and concentrated on the more hygienic aspects of showering.

*****

Willow tucked the corner of the towel into the remainder of the fabric, checking to make sure it was secure before she emerged from the steaming bathroom.

"Hey." A soft voice greeted her, as she entered the room.

The redhead focused her attention on her guest. Tara was still lying on her back, but now her eyes were open, though slumberous.

"Hey, yourself." She responded with a quick grin. "How ya doing, sleepyhead?" She asked as the blonde witch stifled a yawn.

"Mmmmpppff… tired." She mumbled, burying her face in the covers.

Willow grinned again, and then padded her way over to her dresser, to begin rummaging through the drawers for something to wear. When she had found what she wanted, she turned once more to face the room, and froze.

Tara had sat up, the blankets pooled around her waist and legs, and was in the process of doing a full-body-first-thing-in-the-morning-all-out stretch .

The girl's eyes were closed, and her back was slightly arched, pulling her nightshirt taut against her chest. Her head was tipped back, letting the ends of her long hair brush against her clothed back, while exposing the tender column of her naked throat. Her strong hands were splayed open on the white sheets. What had Willow riveted though, was the beatific smile teasing the corners of the other girl's mouth, and the small sigh of pleasure that slipped from her lips.

When the Wiccan's smoky blue eyes finally opened, Willow's own slid away guiltily. The hacker was suddenly thankful she'd taken a hot shower, as its lingering effects hid the flush that rose on her skin.

"Morning." Tara said, a little more coherent than the minute previous.

"Uh, good morning." Willow searched for a neutral and grounding topic as she beat a hasty retreat back to the bathroom to change, "How did you sleep?"

"Not too bad."

Willow partially shut the door as she slipped into her clothing, "Any more dreams?"

Tara's response was muffled when Willow pulled a red sweater over her head. The redhead emerged from the bathroom a moment later in long black skirt emblazoned with a bright green dragon curling around her legs, and a loose knit red sweater.

"Sorry, what?"

"No more dreams… at least, none that I remember." Tara shrugged from her vantage point on the bed.

"How 'bout you?" She queried.

"Nothing demon-y…" Willow responded quickly, "Although, I do think I was having a spirited argument with my 8^th grade gym teacher. Something about dodgeball…"

Tara stood up, her blue eyes flashing with amusement, "Yah, you were kind of peeling the paint in here."

Willow blushed, "I'm sort of a babbler in real life, I guess it makes sense for the verbal assault to continue even when I'm unconscious. I didn't muck up your catching some Zzz's, did I?"

"No, not at all." Tara gestured vaguely with her hands. "Actually, it was kind of cute… even, uh, with all the four-letter words." She finished with shy smile.

Willow couldn't help but smile in return. She called me cute. The redhead tamped down on the tingle that thought sent through her body.

Tara was roaming around the room now, the smile lingering on her lips. Her fingers trailed over the window sill, and the desk in the corner. A hand floated up to touch something she'd seen there, but it hesitated, and then pulled back. The blonde's brow furrowed briefly, and her head dipped low.

"Mind if I borrow your bathroom?" She asked abruptly, her voice hovering at a whisper.

Willow took a step towards her, concerned by the sudden shift in her friend's demeanor.

"Sure. Go ahead. Sorry I didn't get you up earlier, I didn't know if you'd want a shower or not."

Tara slipped around her, avoiding eye contact.

"That's okay, I'll take a shower at my room during my class break." She said softly, disappearing into the bathroom behind a closed door. The sound of the tap running could be heard a second afterward.

Willow walked over to the desk, curious to see what was there that had disrupted her friend's mood. Her search was short, as her gaze was immediately drawn to the picture of Oz on one of the shelves. The hacker picked up the photo, one fingertip tracing the outline of her former boyfriend's cheek. The musician stared back at her, an unreadable expression on his face.

Willow replaced the picture, turning it face down.

"So, uh, you wanna grab some breakfast before class?" Willow called over her shoulder.

She started when a reply came from directly behind her.

"I should probably hustle back to my dorm, grab some clothes."

Tara laid an apologetic hand on the hacker's shoulder when she realized she'd startled her, "Sorry."

"S'okay." Willow felt a lazy fire re-kindle below her stomach when Tara didn't remove her hand immediately. What are you doing, Rosenberg? You have one slightly naughty, but mostly PG type-thought about the girl, and now you can't seem to evict your mind from the gutter it's taken up residence in.

She temporized, trying to reign in her physical responses, "Uh, y'know, you could, um, borrow some of my clothes if you wanted… "

"That would be very cool." Tara looked down at her nightshirt, and held out the frolicking decal with both hands, "Although, I'm sure this would put my haute-couture points over the top for this Spring."

Willow gave the shy blonde a gentle swat with the back of her hand.

"Well, pick out whatever you want. I'm just gonna dry my hair, and then we can check out today's special at the caf. I hear we're in for "Mystery Meat… The Return" today." She confided solemnly, and then escaped once more into the bathroom.

Once there, she plugged in the dryer, and set her body to the task of taming her fly-away hair, while her mind focused on other more important matters. Let's re-cap this morning's events, shall we. Hmmm… epiphany at daybreak, 'Newsflash- Willow likes Tara'. Followed by idle erotic speculation, and a brief, but concerted effort to ignore said epiphany and speculation. She let out a long defeated sigh, Right. That strategy lasted all of 5 minutes. So, where does that leave us?

With that question she suddenly realized two things; first, that her hair was now threatening to commit hari kari if she applied any more heat, and second, that she didn't have an answer to that particular question just yet.

She put the dryer back in its drawer, and caught her reflection in the mirror. Focusing on her illusionary twin, she took a deep, fortifying breath. Outwardly, she thought she appeared sufficiently calm and casual.

She cleared her throat quietly, and then spoke, her clear green eyes still locked with her mirror-image's, "Hey Tara…"

"Yah-huh." Came a response from beyond the bathroom door.

Casual, keep it casual. "Uh, are you doing anything tonight?"

The door opened with a quiet creak, and the hacker turned away from the mirror, a little guiltily.

"Not that I know of ."

Willow was facing the other girl now. Her eyes roamed up and down the blonde witch's body, openly appraising her wardrobe selection, amongst other things… Why doesn't that shirt look that good on me?

Tara had picked out fitted pale blue blouse with 3/4 length sleeves, and a wrap-around skirt, similar to the one Willow was wearing, but where the one was black, this one was navy with a faint silver print of Buddhist temples trailing around the sides.

Willow suddenly realized that she was staring, and tore her eyes away. Focus!

"Is this ok?" Her friend asked, looking down at the clothing she'd chosen.

"Yah, uh… totally. You-- you look really good." Willow managed to stammer out.

Tara blushed lightly at the compliment, despite the fragmented delivery.

"Thanks… uh, so what about tonight?" The witch shuffled one foot.

Willow looped her arm through Tara's to lead her out of the bathroom, "Oh, nothing especially special, I was just wondering if you wanted to do something…" She dropped her arm back to her side, and stepped back when they were in the center of the dorm room.

"Sure." Tara agreed quickly. "Whatever you want."

Willow bit her lip lightly, "Um, well… since Buffy isn't going to be here all weekend, I was thinking, maybe we could have, y'know, a sleepover."

She chanced a look at Tara's reaction. The blonde seemed somewhat nonplussed, so she continued talking, "You know, like when we were little… stay up all night, do the girl-talk thing, watch scary movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre or E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial."

Tara smiled at the last remark, trying not to roll her eyes in disbelief.

"Hey, I know he was supposed to be all cute and everything, but I mean really. Who wouldn't be frightened of some shriveled little alien chasing after them with a glowing finger and calling out their name in that eerie voice?"

To demonstrate, Willow waved her index finger in front of the blonde, and drawled out, "Taaaraaa… Taaaraaaa…" But her victim only erupted into giggles.

The redhead huffed in mock grumpiness, "Fine. Laugh if you want, but that movie caused permanent psychological scarring."

"I believe you." Her friend held up her hands in mollification.

Willow sniffed in disbelief.

"I feel your pain." Tara added solemnly, but was unable to maintain a straight face. She covered her mouth, trying to smother her giggling, but to no avail. Willow gave an overly stern frown, but then broke down, and joined her.

When they both a little out of breath, the redhead asked again, having not received an answer yet, "So, how about it?"

"Sure." Tara said confidently, but then confided in a smaller voice, "I've never had a sleepover before."

"Never?" The hacker couldn't believe it.

Tara looked down at her hands that were picking at the hem of her shirt. "No. No one's ever asked me." Her words descended into a whisper.

Willow regarded her openly, a warm tingly feeling spread through her chest.

It always blew her away, every time the blonde witch shared another part of herself, all kinds of protective instincts kicked in. And the redhead had to admit, she'd never felt this way about anyone, not even Oz; all she wanted was to shelter and safeguard this gentle, shining soul, and to repair any damage that had already been done.

Without another thought, she reached out and curled her fingers around the other girl's. She waited, feeling the heat radiate from the contact, until Tara looked up. The vulnerability in those blue orbs almost made her forget what she was going to say, but Willow recovered sufficiently to smile gently and murmur,

"Well… since this is your first time, we'll have to make it extra special then."

Crinkles appeared around the blonde's eyes, as she smiled broadly.

The warmth in Willow's chest spread throughout her body at the sight, until even the tips of her toes were tingling.

She gave the hand in hers one last squeeze, then let go. Immediately, the sensitive skin mourned the loss.

"Willow…" Tara tucked her hair behind her ears as she spoke. "Um… since, you -- uh, let me stay here last night… why don't we have the sleepover at my dorm tonight?"

"That'd be cool. Your place has more atmosphere than this cookie-cutter co-ed depository anyway. How did you get them to let you paint your room black?"

"Someone might have cast a spell changing dorm policies… after exhausting all normal and legal routes, of course…" The blonde shuffled her feet, as she tried to look innocent.

"Of course." Willow agreed seriously, then grinned. "Well, we'd better make like trees if we're going to hit the caf before class. As it is, we'd be in for brain cramps for sure if there was a one hour rule about eating and learning."

"It wouldn't matter, there's not a lot of learning going on in my Introductory Psych class anyway."

"Touché." As soon as the word was out of her mouth, Willow laughed self-consciously, "Touché? Witness the influence of Giles."

Tara gave her a fond grin, and made a broad sweeping gesture towards the door, "After you."

They exited the dorm room.

*****

The witches grabbed a quick breakfast at the cafeteria, making sure to avoid any unidentifiables, sticking mostly to fruit, and things sealed in vacuum wrap with the ingredients clearly listed.

Once seated, they ate in relative silence, a very comfortable silence, where neither of them felt the need to fill the conversational void. They were simply content to enjoy each others' company. Although Willow did have to make certain not to stare too much at her friend, yet she couldn't help but be entranced by the way Tara delighted in her food; savouring each spoonful of her blueberry yoghurt, each bite from her banana muffin, and licking the crumbs of the latter from the corners of her ripe mouth.

She was diverted from her silent self-deprecation by her companion's soft voice, "So, I'll see you at 2 o'clock? My room?"

She nodded vigourously, "Ya-huh, right after my last class. We can get a little studying done, and then grab some dinner. Oh, and a couple of scary movies." The redhead grabbed her knapsack, and stood up.

"Ok… but not E.T., cuz I hear that causes 'permanent psychological scarring'." Tara's eyes twinkled with mischief, and a sly grin crept across her features.

Willow waggled her index finger in blonde's direction again, " Taaaraaa… Taaaraaaa…"

The Wiccan giggled softly from her seat, while Willow slipped her pack onto her back.

"See you later." She said before turning to leave.

Tara observed her retreating form with a wistful smile, "Later…"

*****

The rest of the day passed by in painful slowness, lectures dragged interminably, as both witches were looking forward to their evening together.

Willow allowed herself to drift during her last class, lulled by the professor's monotonous drone as he dictated verbatim the textbook for those unfortunate few who were either illiterate or unable to afford the class materials.

She found that her wayward thoughts were dominated by her newfound, or not-so-new-found, attraction to her friend; and an unconscious furrow formed between her brows.

She'd never really thought of herself being like that before… being… gay. Especially not when she was with Oz. Their relationship had seemed like the most natural thing in the world, aside from the full moon wigginess, and the odd near death experience catalyzed by her Wiccan ways.

Yup, she'd always thought of herself as a relatively straight chick, a white-picket-fence and possibly a two-point-four kids kinda gal.

So, why was it that a certain shy blonde kept creeping into her thoughts?

An image from earlier that morning tip-toed through her mind; a vision of Tara sleeping, her shining hair fanned out behind her, and a smile kissed upon her lips. That memory alone was enough to touch off a tingling warmth in Willow's middle.

But then the guilt came rushing in behind. What am I doing? I'm her friend, I shouldn't be thinking like this.

Besides, the last time she'd experienced even a mild attraction for another woman had been when Faith first came to town, and look where that had gotten her? A big nowhere, unless you considered being held at knife-point a prelude to intimacy, and knowing Faith, she couldn't entirely rule that out.

Who am I kidding? Tara and Faith are 'apples and oranges'. Besides, how could anyone not be attracted to Faith, the way she puts herself out there? Even Buffy seemed to be under her spell. Buffy…

Willow's thoughts turned briefly to her best friend.

She had to admit, she might have been attracted to Buffy in the beginning if she hadn't been so enamoured of Xander, but by the time that was over, it was too late, she was still dating Oz, and Buffy had long ago slipped into the 'Friend Zone' with nary a bump. Though she did occasionally catch herself admiring the blonde's athletic form.

Even as she thought it though, she knew it wasn't just in an estrogen inspired frenzy, not when it came to Tara.

Willow chewed her pen. What was I thinking about?

It took her a moment to collect her de-railed train of thought, and shoo all the passengers back on board.

Willow was good at science, so hopefully this wouldn't be too hard.

An evil little voice in the back of her mind piped up, y'know, 'experimentation' is an important scientific tool…

The redhead did her best to ignore the thought, but the idea did bring a light flush to her fair skin; maybe when she met up with Tara later, they could skip the studying and just go back to her place…what's that old line? 'You study history, and I'll study you'?

She shook herself lightly, concentrate, Willow. Now, what's the question?

That's a good question. She replied to herself, silently, and then almost giggled; the hacker always felt it was rather strange when she had internal conversations, like there were ten different people inside her mind, but only one was able to control her body.

Well, that was an easy question to answer, right? She'd only just noticed that morning, when she'd watched her friend sleeping.

But as she pondered the matter further, she realized that she'd always thought the blonde witch was fairly cute. Like when they'd first spoken, after the weirdness with The Gentlemen, and the shy girl had confided that she'd been looking for Willow when they'd collided in Stevenson Hall.

She had to concede that she'd thought Tara was pretty cute then.

Of course, if they hadn't been in imminent danger of having their hearts cut out, Willow might have enjoyed it more.

Her internal monologue-self rolled her eyes, 'doesn't have to mean anything'… ri--ight.

Willow went on the defensive in the face of such blatant sarcasm. Wha-- well, maybe I didn't ask the right question. Maybe I should make this more of a problem-solving exercise.

Part of her cringed at the implication that Tara was a 'problem', but she continued anyway.

How about this… 'Using only your personal knowledge and observations, prove that Willow Rosenberg is attracted to her friend, Tara.' She stifled a snicker when her mind added a beat behind, 'Answers must be in blue or black ink, and point form only.'

Willow pulled out a sheet of loose-leaf, and wrote down a large '1' on the first line, and circled it.

Another version of herself chimed in, Why don't you start with this morning?

The memory of Tara sleeping immediately popped back into her mind. She started scribbling, Hair. She's got nice hair, nice, blonde, long, soft, sun-kissed hair. I like the way she tucks it behind her ear sometimes when she's nervous.

She circled a large '2' on the next line. Oh, and her eyes, they're that beautiful shade of blue, the colour the sky gets just around twilight. Her right hand dutifully noted her thoughts.

And her lips, Tara has nice lips. Willow nodded to herself, as she wrote down her third point, 'Tara has nice lips'. She stared at the last two words for moment, and then underlined them twice for emphasis.

The redhead spent a few more minutes, jotting down her thoughts, until the list before her had grown significantly. She paused on the 24^th point, having become stuck on precisely what it was about the way her friend chewed gum that she enjoyed so much, maybe it's the smacking noises?

She suddenly realized that lecture hall was preternaturally silent, and looked up from her paper.

The theatre was empty, not even the professor was lingering, she must've remained oblivious through the obligatory question period after the lecture as well.

Grabbing her knapsack, she hastily stuffed her clipboard and notes inside, and slipped the straps around her shoulders.

Then, her eyes darted to the clock on the wall, the hands read five past 2 o'clock.

"Oh h--"

*****

"Hello."

The redhead barely heard her friend's greeting, as a stream of apologies flowed immediately from her lips upon the opening of the door.

"I'm so sorry I'm late. I got a little caught up in Professor Vanderspoel's hypnotic speech patterns. I think I'm still a little dazed, that man is unnatural, he never breathes, he just talks in one long unbroken sentence using only enough inflection so you know he isn't a cyborg or something…"

Willow stopped when she realized she was babbling.

"Anyway, sorry for the lateness."

Tara gave her that soft smile of hers that all at once, let Willow know that she was forgiven, and that the blonde was happy to see her.

"S'okay, Willow. I was late getting out of my History class too. I was worried that you'd have to wait."

The hacker missed most of what the other girl said, as she reflected internally,

"Willow?"

"Willow."

The redhead suddenly realized she was being addressed. She blushed ten different shades of red.

"Are you going to come in?"

"Um, yah, just as soon as I find the 'ON' switch for my brain again. Ah, there it is."

She made a self-conscious 'click' noise, and then slipped past the threshold into the dorm room.

"So, uh, studying first?" Tara asked as she closed the door.

"Yah-huh. Unless you want to skip out and grab the scary movies."

"No, that's cool." Tara replied with an easy smile, before stepping around the redhead, and flopping back onto the bed.

Willow dropped her bookbag on the floor, and took up residence beside it on a plush carpet. She noticed that her friend already had an assortment of texts laid out on her bed for easy access.

The hacker propped herself up against the side of the bedframe, pulled out her Chemistry manual, and began reading. After a couple of minutes, she heard a soft voice amidst the silence,

"Hey Willow…"

"Yah, Tara?"

"I'm glad you're here."

The redhead shifted so she could see the blonde, and replied with a wide smile that reached all the way up to her green eyes. Tara responded in kind, her irises a deep, rich blue. They locked gazes for a minute, and then Willow cleared her throat and returned her attention to hybrid orbitals and hydrogen bonding, a smile plastered across her face.

*****

"What about… Bride of Chucky?"

The blonde didn't even dignify her suggestion with an response, although Willow was certain she saw her friend's eyes roll, even from across the movie store.

She tried again, "Bats?"

Tara walked over to her position, a cassette held out. "What about this one?"

Willow looked down at the movie title and confided as gently as possible, "I don't know if I'm really in a 'Yentl' kind of mood…"

She added as an afterthought with a quirked eyebrow, "Although, Barbra Streisand dressing up as a man could qualify as 'scary'. "

The redhead reached out and touched the crestfallen blonde's forearm briefly, "Tell you what."

Tara looked up eagerly.

"If you can agree that we're here to find a scary movie, then we'll get which ever one you pick out. Deal?"

Her friend studied her closely for moment, measuring her sincerity, and then answered solidly, "Deal."

"Good. Great. So… what do you want to get?" Willow steered the other girl into the Horror section and gestured widely at the array of titles.

Tara turned and gave her a steady look, before dissolving into an embarrassed grin, "I have no idea."

"I never watch scary movies." The blonde confessed.

The hacker touched her arm in reassurance, "No problem. We'll just use the patented 'Willow Rosenberg Method' to choose a movie."

"Oh… and what's that?" Tara inquired half-seriously.

The redhead maneuvered her friend into the middle of the Horror aisle, relishing the warmth under her fingertips as she positioned the girl, holding onto her shoulders.

"Close your eyes." Willow directed with a soft smile.

The Wiccan seemed dubious, but complied.

Willow studied the other witch's face for a moment; noting the slight quirk to her lips, and the gentle intake of her breath. Then the redhead leaned in towards the other girl's ear, keeping her voice low, "Okay. Now, I'm going to spin you."

One of Tara's eyebrows lifted in question, her voice trembled uncertainly, "Spin me?"

"Uh-huh." She whispered with a grin.

A little shocked by her own boldness, nevertheless, she moved her hands to the blonde's waist. Giving her a gentle push, she turned the other girl in a small circle. Her fingers trailed lines of fire across Tara's abdomen, and slid around the Wiccan's back as she spun around twice, slowly, and then came to a stop when directed.

"Okay. Now… point."

Tara's right arm drifted up level with her chest, while her fingers folded under, leaving only her index finger exposed. Willow followed the line of the extended digit until her eyes came to rest on one movie, Slumber Party Massacre IV?! We can't watch that... I haven't even seen the other three.

The red-haired witch decided to fudge the angle a little, and picked up the nearest tape on her left. She scanned the movie summary.

"Willow?"

"Yah-huh?" The hacker replied distractedly as she continued reading.

"Can I open my eyes now?"

Willow flushed guiltily, and answered in a rush, "Oh yah, sorry, of course you, uh… can."

Tara's eyes fluttered open. "Cool. So, what'd I pick?"

Willow gave her a big grin, and flashed the movie at her, "Vamp flick!"

The blonde groaned melodramatically, but followed her friend to the cash register.

*****

"Watch out!" Tara exclaimed as the vampires prepared to attack their unwary victim.

Willow grinned indulgently at her friend, "I don't think they can hear you." She waggled the video box in front of the agitated blonde, "Besides, any warning you give is wa--ay out of date. I'm afraid that guy bit the dust in 1987."

The Wiccan responded with a raspberry, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Willow watched Tara watching the movie. She's so cute when she's concentrating. That should be Point 25. Her forehead scrunched up in thought. No wait. I already have a Point 25, don't I? I'd better start writing these down before I forget.

"Be right back."

"Yah-huh." Came the distracted reply, as Tara was now focused almost completely on Jami Gertz's 'Star', as Jason Patric chased her through the carnival grounds.

Willow smiled, and shuffled to the opposite side of the room beside the bed, where she'd left her schoolbag. With a quick glance, she made certain that the blonde was still engrossed by the show, and then pulled out her clipboard and opened it to the first page.

Now… what was 'Point 25'? The red-haired witch chewed on the end of her pen, until it came to her, the way she says my name!

She faithfully recorded both Points 25 and now 26, and then looked over the remainder of the list. She glanced over each number, starting at the bottom, until finally her eyes came to rest at the top.

Well, I guess that settles that question. Or is 26 points not enough for ya?

Before she could respond to her sarcastic inner voice, a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts, "Pizza."

Putting down the her notebook she queried in the direction of the TV, "You want me to get that?"

"Yuh-huh." Came the mumbled reply. Jami Gertz was now entreating Jason Patric not to drink the 'wine' offered by Kiefer Sutherlund.

Willow answered the door, and paid the delivery man, breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't Xander at one of his many odd jobs.

She brought the box over near the TV, and sat down beside the blonde.

"We have pizza!" She declared proudly.

"Oh no!" Tara exclaimed.

"Or not. We don't have to have pizza… we could have nice healthy broccoli instead?"

The other witch turned to at her with a quizzical look on her face.

"You know, broccoli? Leafy green vegetable commonly found in the food arsenals of mothers?"

Tara gave a lopsided grin, "Yes, I know broccoli… but I was talking about the movie. He drank the wine, and now he's going to be a vampire!"

"That's not how it works." Willow said, a little indignant.

"Yes, it is."

"No it's not."

"It is in this movie, Willow."

"I'm just saying-- mmmpppffh!" The redhead glared as the other girl stuffed a piece of pizza in her mouth.

"Watch the movie, Willow."

Willow watched the movie.

*****

It was after midnight when the movie finished, and the two witches decided to change into their pajamas. They didn't retire right away though, but flicked through a series of cheesy late night movies and talk shows, both seemingly reluctant to turn in just yet.

The redhead was currently paused on a re-run of Star Trek, where Captain Kirk was engaged in one of the hundred different battles where his shirt 'accidentally' tore off, when Tara ventured to speak in her typically soft voice,

"Willow?"

"Yah-huh." The redhead looked away from the screen.

"You know that dream, the nightmare we, uh, shared last night?"

The sudden sensation of a claw trailing across her face and a thick warm liquid being forced down her throat flashed through Willow. She hesitantly nodded her recognition, wondering what her friend was going to say.

"I think I know a way to prevent us from having it again."

Willow was instantly intrigued, sensing the potential for new magicks, "How?"

Tara stepped closer and came to rest Indian-style, opposite of the other Wiccan. "Well, it's not uncommon for witches to be targets for supernatural forces. We're centres of power, like, uh… mystical lightning rods." The blonde related enthusiastically.

Willow grinned at the analogy.

"So, we sometimes we attract the notice of the less… pleasant elements of the spiritual world."

"I'm with ya so far, but how can we protect ourselves in our dreams?"

Tara gave her friend a 'I-was-getting-to-that' look. "We can ward our dreams. Set up magical barriers to prevent anyone or anything on the outside from interfering with them."

"Oh…." Willow digested the idea a little further, and added with a smile, "Cool…" Then, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion, "How?"

The blonde raised herself into a crouch, holding one finger up to indicate that Willow should wait. The other Wiccan complied, but couldn't help but raise a bemused eyebrow when Tara slid onto her stomach beside the redhead, and starting groping around underneath the bed.

Debating if she should help, Willow suddenly found her eyes drawn to where Tara's long skirt was hiked up from her exertions. The smooth, fair skin at the back of the Wiccan's calves drew the redhead in. She was mesmerized by inherent promise of immeasurable softness in the exposed skin. Maybe I'll have to add that to the list… 'Point 27: Tara has nice legs.' Wait, legs are supposed to be 'shapely', aren't they? Alright, 'Point 27… shapely legs'… this is going to be a long list.

While Willow ruminated, a nagging thought was working its way up through the dark recesses of her mind, until it appeared like a flash of lightning. THE LIST! I left it out!

Her frantic eyes darted to her backpack, instantly latching onto the sight of her clipboard, the back cover folded over, and the top page left exposed.

The redhead indulged in a few silent, but choice expletives like 'fudge cookies' and 'oh my word'. While Tara picked that moment to emerge from under the bed with an ancient, dusty and frighteningly large tome in her hand, "Success!" She beamed.

Willow froze, doing her best deer-in-headlights impression.

The other girl's expression altered immediately to one of concern, "Willow?"

Be casual, Rosenberg. The hacker melted into a forced smile and feebly pumped a weak fist in the air, "Success." She echoed. She added a 'whoo-hoo' to help allay her friend's worry.

Tara regarded her skeptically for a long moment, but allowed her to pass muster. She dusted off the ancient text, which looked like it hadn't been read since the mid-16^th century, and then cracked it open in her lap.

"There are several different types of warding spells; some keep out specific elements, like other witches and sorcerers, while others are more general…"

Willow vainly attempted to follow her friend's speech, nodding in all the right places, but her mind was preoccupied, and her eyes kept darting to the open clipboard that lay just to right and slightly behind the other witch.

"… and I was all 'ewww' and I don't know where we'd get powdered lemur bones from anyway, so I figured we could do this first spell… Willow?" The blonde followed the distracted witch's sight-line to the open clipboard beside her, "Do you want this?" She said, hefting the notebook in front to her lap.

"No!" Willow blurted out. "I mean, yes, I mean, uh… maybe?" She stammered as Tara glanced down at the paper she held.

Willow debated snatching the list out of the other girl's hands, but the damage was already done, as Tara's wide eyes were now firmly affixed to point number three.

An agonizing minute passed during which the redheaded witch threatened to wring her hands into oblivion, before the blonde asked in a soft, incredulous voice, "I have 'nice lips'?"

"Why-- why would you ask me that?" Willow squeaked as nonchalantly as possible.

"Because you, uh, kinda, wr-- wrote it down here." She gestured at the paper in her hands.

"Wha-- well, how do you that's mine?" She stuck her chin out defiantly, daring Tara to refute her.

"You put your name and date in the corner." The blonde answered dryly.

"Oh." Willow's shoulders sagged. "I can't deny your logic." She sighed.

Tara was silent again for a long moment, as an indecipherable myriad of emotions played across her face. She opened and closed her mouth several times, until finally she succeeded in asking, "Willow, wha--what does this mean?" The blonde held out the list, genuine confusion gracing her features.

"Well, uh…" Willow started slowly, trying to think of what to say, "I, uh, guess it means, that maybe, I kinda think you have, y'know… nice lips?"

Willow was picking at the hem of her shirt, her green eyes welling with moisture; she was unwilling to look up, fearing somehow that she would see pity or revulsion in her friend's expression.

Yet, when another minute passed, and Tara hadn't stormed out of the dorm room or renounced their friendship in flurry of moral condemnation, the redhead chanced a glimpse at the Wiccan's reaction.

The blonde seemed a stunned, but not unpleasantly so, in fact her eyes were shining and tinged with awe. The sight filled Willow with renewed courage.

She reached out with a trembling hand to take hold of the list that Tara still held between them. Placing it on the floor, the redheaded witch scootched closer, and risked another revelation, "I think, maybe, it also means… that I, uh, like you a lot… more than a lot." She amended.

Tara's brow wrinkled and drew together, "Oh…"

Instantly Willow started recanting, afraid she'd stepped over the line, "Well… maybe… uh, not 'like' you 'like' you, although as your friend of course I would you know 'like you', but I may have been overstating things just a little bi--"

The redhead suddenly found her rambling cut off, as Tara leaned forward to press her lips firmly against the hacker's.

Willow stiffened in surprise, her eyes wide open. Sensing her reaction, Tara pulled back quickly, a light flush on her skin. Her eyes dropped to the book that still rested on her legs, and she mumbled a quick, 'sorry'.

"No, no, no… don't be sorry, you, uh, just caught me off guard, that's all. Please, don't be sorry."

Unsure if her words were reaching the other girl, Willow leaned in closer. Lifting the dusty tome from her friend's lap, she left it forgotten once more, under the bed. Then, she placed a gentle, but firm hand on the other girl's face, turning it upward until their eyes met.

The softness of Tara's smooth cheek was electrifying, but no more so than the vulnerability Willow perceived in the witch's liquid blue eyes.

Feeling somehow, that words would be inadequate for what she wanted to convey, Willow remained silent. Instead, she slowly, but inexorably drew Tara closer with her velvet touch, until they were a breath apart, and drowning in each other's eyes, sea-green on ocean-blue.

Every inch of Willow's skin was humming in anticipation as she bridged the final gap between them, with Tara's whispered name preceding the tentative caress of her lips.

Something delicate hung in the balance, as Tara wavered and then melted under Willow's soft touch, her lips yielding in a breathless sigh filled with yearning.

Encouraged, the redhead nuzzled the full flesh of the other witch's bottom lip between her own, and savoured the searing heat from Tara's hand as it floated up to cup her cheek.

The kiss lasted only seconds, but when her eyes fluttered open, Willow knew that her world had been changed, something deep inside of her had finally awakened. Tara's eyes were still closed, but the angelic smile that ghosted her lips was all the confirmation Willow needed.

There was something between them, something powerful, and different from anything she'd ever known. She'd felt it from the first time they'd combined their abilities to move the vending machine in the laundry room. It was an undercurrent of energy, a river of power flowing between them, and it was always there, whenever they did magic together, or even when they didn't.

But it wasn't just power they shared, it was so much more, and in touching Tara, kissing her, Willow had gained an inkling of what it could be.

At last, the blonde's eyes opened, her irises a swirling dark blue that threatened to steal Willow's breath away, had she any left to steal.

"Wow." She whispered reverently.

Willow nodded, mutely mouthing the same.

"I've never--"

"Me neither--"

"That was--"

"--wow." Willow finished.

Tara smiled shyly, looking down at her hands which were playing with a loose thread in the carpet. Her soft gold hair fell across her face in a shining veil.

The redheaded Wiccan reached out and did what she hadn't even realized she'd been wanting to do for months; she gathered up the silken strands of hair, letting them slip across her sensitive fingertips, and tucked them behind one delicately formed ear.

Then, she trailed her hand down the perfect column of the blonde's neck, letting her fingers rest against the wildly beating pulse sheathed beneath soft skin.

"So… this is okay?" Willow asked, her uncertainty cropping up again.

"Oh yes." Tara nodded vehemently.

The shy witch lifted her eyes to match Willow's, "I never thought this would ever happen." She confided in a fragile whisper.

Willow's heart expanded to almost bursting inside her chest at the other girl's admission.

"But it has." She replied with a tender smile, while her hand traveled up to caress a warm cheek.

Tara leaned into the touch, her eyes closing briefly, and then re-opening a deep smoky blue.

"Willow…"

"Yah, Tara?" The hacker responded somewhat distractedly, as she was now running the pad of her thumb across the blonde's parted lips.

"Could we, uh, do that again?"

"Do what again?"

Tara kissed the end of her thumb, letting the moist heat of her lips linger for a moment.

Willow grinned, "Oh, do that again. You betcha."

The blonde pressed forward and was met halfway by the other witch.

Willow's eyes fluttered shut as she was lost in the dizzying sensation of Tara's lips moving against her own, and her lips parted unconsciously.

The other girl nibbled lightly on the proffered flesh, and then made a tentative foray with her tongue, tracing a line of fire across Willow's bottom lip.

The hacker made a noise of encouragement and her hand wound its way upward to bury itself in Tara's long golden hair.

The blonde pulled her closer, until Willow was almost resting in her lap, while their lips never parted; her hands moved restlessly on the redhead's back.

They continued kissing, alternating fierce urgency with intense tenderness, until they were both out of breath, and in danger of passing out.

As they withdrew, they regarded each other with silent appreciation.

When Willow finally spoke, she questioned gently, "How long?"

The blonde's eyes grew hazy for a moment, and a soft smile wound it's way across her lips, "Do you remember when I told you that you were special?"

"Yes…"

Tara waited.

"Oh…" A delighted twinkle entered Tara's blue eyes as Willow was obviously pleased by the knowledge; she reached down to capture the redhead's hand firmly in her own.

The two women sat there another moment gazing at each other with new eyes while Tara's thumb traced idle patterns on the back of Willow's hand. Willow basked in the sensation, feeling an almost giddy contentedness, and then promptly covered her mouth and yawned.

She quickly apologized, but Tara gave her a fond grin, "Well, it is almost 3 am."

"Yah, but I'm so happy, shouldn't that negate the need for sleep?" Willow replied grumpily.

This time it was the blonde who yawned. She gave a quick laugh right afterwards, "I guess not."

"C'mon…" Tara stood up, pulling Willow with her.

"Where are we…" Willow started to ask, but then Tara sat down on the bed. Willow raised an eyebrow.

The blonde witch gave her a bemused gaze, "Um, I just thought, we're tired, ergo…sleep, uh, in the bed, the place where sleeping occurs…" She trailed off with a light blush, looking everywhere but at the other Wiccan.

"Okay." Willow agreed simply and sat down beside her.

Tara responded eagerly, "I'll get the lights."

A second later, they were engulfed in darkness when Tara hit the switch.

Willow remained still, waiting for her eyes to adjust, but before they could, she felt a light touch on her shoulder. She turned towards the warmth like a flower to the sun, and strong arms wrapped themselves around her in response. Gentle breath slipped past her ear, tickling the delicate skin there, and sure fingers ran through her hair in even motions.

Her eyes could focus in the dark now, but the confines of the room were fuzzy and indistinct. It was like they were the only two people in existence, living on the edge of forever, and all that mattered was how she felt, here with Tara.

Willow would have fallen asleep right there in that soothing embrace, but Tara pulled back hesitantly, and guided them both to lie down in the bed.

Willow felt the girl beneath her sigh as she snuggled close into her side, her head coming to rest on soft shoulder. She also sensed a muffled giggle when her arm snaked out across Tara's middle, but resisted the devilish urge, although she did file away the information for future use, never hurts to know someone's ticklish spots…

Lying there, content, it took only moments for Willow's eyelids to grow heavy, and for sleep to begin to pull its welcome blanket over her mind. Yet, before she drifted off completely, a happy whisper wound its way to her ears,

"Willow?"

"Yah, Tara?"

"I think I like 'sleepovers'."

"Me too."

Willow felt a gentle kiss being placed on her hair, and then their breathing synchronized as they slipped into a deep slumber.

*****

The darkness enfolded her, squeezing the air from her lungs while it seemed to breathe around her. Yet, though her sight was removed from her, she knew she was not alone.

As if to confirm, a woman screamed, but although it was near, perhaps even right beside her she couldn't pinpoint the source, it reverberated everywhere, growing louder.

A name wended its way up through the confusion clouding her thoughts, Willow!

She wrestled violently against the restraints she suddenly realized were pinning her down; she wrenched and tore her flesh fighting the iron bands, but they moved not an inch. Then, the scream ended, descending into a wet gurgle, and her heart seized in her chest.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!" Her cry was swallowed by the darkness, as though it were never issued.

A second later, a sharp line of fire drew up the exposed skin of her throat, somehow she knew it was made by a claw. The faint smell of rotting flesh tickled her nose just before a voice, like dry leaves, rasped beside her ear, "Tara…"

Inhumanly strong hands grasped her jaw, forcing her mouth open, as a sickly warm liquid poured in… I KNOW YOU!

*****

Tara awoke with a silent scream, her body drenched in sweat. She felt Willow beside her, clutching desperately, her eyes were wide open.

She pulled other girl as tightly to her as possible, and the two witches lay there until dawn, drawing as much comfort as they could from each other. In the end though, it wasn't enough…

Continued in... Hungry Ghosts

ADDITIONAL NOTES: I recently read a rather good piece of W/T fan fiction that also mentioned Tara as having some kind of 'Yentl' fetish… but honest folks, I didn't rip this off, I guess Tara just puts out that Barbra-Streisand-fan vibe. If you want to read that story, which is by A.M. Glass, then go here. I highly suggest you do read it, it's a very sweet, short piece of W/T lov'n and it made me smile at the end... what better recommendation could there be? *g*

Please take a moment to:

She enjoys most of the major food groups, including Criticism and Praise, however Flames and Hate Mail give her indigestion.

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