(New Fic) These Days

[I Heart Miss Kitty]

Disclaimers- I do not own these characters, sadly

enough. Joss Whedon and ME own them



Feedback- I am a feedback whore!



Spoilers- Kind of AU, but it sort of follows the season six plot-line. Not too much, so don't worry. It has a happy ending!



Rating: PG 13



Author's Note- Sunnydale and vampries exist, though only magick is mentioned in this story. Any parts that seem confusing at first get explained eventually.



Summary: Read to find out! (Otherwise it'll spoil the plot, silly!)



Italics symbolize thoughts and flashbacks.











These Days







"I can still feel her turn away, hear her silence fill my ears louder than anything she could have said..." -Unknown







Prologue





        A shirt. A simple thing, really, but to Willow Rosenburg, it was euphoria. She clutched it eagerly, like a child with a toy that she did not want to give up.



That statement spoke so many levels.



To Willow, that's what Tara was. Despite how much she hated to admit it, it was true.

Morose jade eyes fell onto a picture in the corner. Then, they drifted to the closet. Open, and only half full.



She was gone.



Her aurora still lingered about the room, like smoke settling after a fire. Try as you might, you can never get it out. It stays in your clothes, your hair...Everything.

The sharp, stinging pain in her heart was unbearable. And the pain in the rest of her body mirrored the pain in her heart. Willow had scrubbed herself till she was nearly raw. She wanted it off her.

The shower though, helped none.

Nothing would.





Part 1



"Will, dinner's ready!" The monotonous drawl traveled up the stairs and into their room.



No, her room. Willow's room.



She chose not to eat dinner tonight. Her hands were shaky, and she doubted she could hold a fork. Plus, signs of depression were not welcome in front of an angry Slayer.

She took a seat on the bed, pulling out a textbook. Maybe she'd be able to start school again...It had been almost five months.

She still remembered what happened when she came back from the Magick Box that day.



If only she had came ten minutes earlier...Or hadn't gone at all...



'I'm home, Tare-Bear!' Willow called, walking jovially into the room. A glance about showed that no one was present.

She expected Tara to come eloquently down the stairs.



She didn't.



After a few moments, Willow trotted upstairs.

No need to worry, Tara was okay.



No one was in Buffy's room.



No one in the bathroom.



No one in Dawn's room.



Then, she reached the last room on the floor.



Their's.



Willow placed one set of shaky digits on the knob. She took a deep breath, and flung the door open.

She could've scream then, but nothing seemed to come out of her mouth. She stood there, dumbly, frozen to the spot.



"Dear Goddess..."









END PT1

[MissKittys Ball O Yarn]

Oh! Oh! Oh! *clapping hands* What a beginning!



My only complaint is that it was way too short!!! hehehe



more please?....please....PLEASE...with sugar on top....and all sorts of crunchy munchy goodies



I eagerly await the next part....



Ps...I sooo love your name....



xoxo

Emms

[astrangerhere]

I am a big fan of fic that deals with Tara leaving Will. I think that the show did a great disservice to both of the characters in not dealing with the complexity of the issue. Having said that, I look forward to what you have planned.



I have no real criticism aside from wishing the update was longer.



As to what stood out to me...

Quote:

---

A shirt. A simple thing, really, but to Willow Rosenburg, it was euphoria. She clutched it eagerly, like a child with a toy that she did not want to give up.

---

This was a fantastic image. Brings to mind Willow inflating Tara's clothes so she could snuggle with them.



Great start, can't wait to see more!



ash

Can you help me with this heart in my chest? It ain't perfect, but you should see me use it.

[TaraBaby77]

What a frilly hecking intro!!! Please oh, PLEASE, update soon!!! An amazing beginning. =)

Aaron

'Tarababy77'

---

"Don't buy into all the media crap. Love yourself for who you are, not what others THINK you should look like. It's DEFINITELY more important in this life to love each other despite our imperfections." - Amber Benson

---

[sam darls]

Oh wow..that was some beginning..I loved it . Love sam xx

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

[I Heart Miss Kitty]

Disclaimers- I don't any characters.



Spoilers- None, really.



Rating- PG13



Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who replied! Invidual thanks will be posted tomorrow!



Thoughts and flashbacks are in italics









Part Two





Willow shuddered at the very thought. Closing the textbook in her lap, she rolled over on her side. Blank jade eyes stared off into nowhere.

Why, baby, why'd you have to leave me so soon? It hurts so much....

Willow blinked, expecting an onslaught of tears to attack her.

It was then that she realized that she had grown numb.

Her body still grieved, but after bearing five months of tears, it could bear no more. She felt that pang of grief, though it numbed her to the point where she felt nothing else.

Nothing.



Though it took a while,Willow managed to sit up. She took her laptop from the nightstand, and plugged it into the wall. She turned it on, and it beeped to life and signed her online.

Thin digits tapped out the words 'www.google.com'.



She stared quietly at the screen, her face drawn and pale. For a moment, she saw her own reflection in the monitor.

She was so pale, that one could easily mistake her for a vampire. She had lost so much weight over the past months that she was rack thin. Her clothes no longer were form fitting, but baggy and over-sized.

A sigh escaped thin, drawn lips.



The website blinked into existance onto her screen. She typed the words 'Tara Maclay' into the search engine.

This was one of the things Willow would do to remember Tara. Though small and seemingly pointless, it was a reminder that Tara was always a part of her.



6,048 sites found.



The first one though, had the name Tara Maclaton in bold print.

Out of sheer boredom, she clicked it.

It wasn't Tara's name, after all.

Anything, though, to remind Willow of her blond Goddess.



It was the website for an upper-class bar/strip joint somehwere in the South, called Ruby Tuesday.

There were pages that housed pictures of the tenders, managers, and waitresses.

She browsed through most of the workers, and found nothing of intrest.

Then, she came to the last one, Tara Maclaton.

There was some information about her; age, birthday, etc, that Willow skimmed through.



After a moment, her eyes fell upon the picture nestled at the bottom of the page.



The mouse noisily dropped to the floor.







Willow stood, frozen in her doorway. Her limbs wouldn't move, and her lips wouldn't part to let a scream escape. She begged, though, to let her brain work.



It didn't abide to her pleas. A small whimper, though, managed to escape. Her mouth had suddenly gone dry, and the scream that followed was cracked and harsh.



Something could be done...She could do something. She wanted to run...She wanted to run so bad.

She wanted to get away from this room, and just run till she'd collaspe into Tara's arms, and Tara would explain it all...



Tara wasn't dead.



No...It couldn't be...No.



A pool of sparkling crimson liquid sooaked through the carpet. The same liquid splattered the walls in ghostly, uneven patterns, as if there was a struggle...



There was no body.







Willow could still remember the funeral. Instead of Tara in the casket, Willow placed Tara's favorite tan peasant top and emerald hued skirt inside. It tore her heart in two to do so...She didn't have the same closure that she would've had seeing Tara in that casket.



Tara, with cold, unblinking eyes, and cold, pale skin. Then, Willow would know.



But Willow never got to experience that.



Willow placed white roses, thornless, on the casket before they buried it.



She had them specially arranged so they were thornless, because they were exactly like Tara. Beautiful and flawless in every way.

She once heard that every rose has it thorns, but Tara didn't.



There wasn't one thorn on her angel.



Even though a twinge of hope lingered within her heart, it dissapated after a three month search for Tara.



Like Willow knew deep down, they came up empty handed.



She was just going to have to accept the fact.



Tara was gone.





"Tara?" The words rolled off Willow's tongue unsurely, as if she had spoken a taboo.



The picture of an ashen-blond haired, azure eyed girl sat before her. She didn't look particularly happy, and a fake smile was plastered onto her porcleain face. If one were to look close enough, they would have noticed her hands were clasped nervously together in her lap.



Willow did a double take, and then checked the date on her computer.



May 28, 2004.



She scrolled down unsurely to the bottom of the page.



Page Last Updated:



May 27, 2004









END PART TWO

[DreamsToDream]

OMG!..... Tara (or someone that looks like her with strangely a similar name) works at a bar/strip joint??? Hmmm..maybe she doesnt actually? There was no body right? just blood? so maybe she didnt die? I hope she didnt and poor Willow!! It makes me sad. PLEASE update soonish?

D2D



Damn You Vile Woman!!!- Stewie Griffin



I Try My Best To Feed Her Appetite, And Keep Her Coming Every Night... - "This Love" By Maroon 5

[MissKittys Ball O Yarn]

heheh *pardon my French* *Doing a little happy dance and singing...* Tara's alive Tara's alive lalalala la la



man....*Shaking head*....I don't know how Willow managed all this time wandering where Tara was...did she at least go and look for her? thoroughly I mean? cause...bodies don't just up and walk away...unless she's ...a....you know....vampire or something ohhh!!! maybe Tara has amnesia!!!



more soon? cause you're making me hehehe.



love this fic by the way! keep it up!



xoxo

Emms

[TaraBaby77]

WOOHOO!!!! You just keep us guessing, don't ya??? Great update. I like the style of writing you have. Anyhoo, I'm going to stop babbling and start begging for another update. Hope to see more soon. =)

Aaron

'Tarababy77'

---

"Don't buy into all the media crap. Love yourself for who you are, not what others THINK you should look like. It's DEFINITELY more important in this life to love each other despite our imperfections." - Amber Benson

---

[I Heart Miss Kitty]

Disclaimer- I own nothing, sadly. ;.;



Rating- R! I didn't expect this to happen, but well, there's nudity!



Author's notes- Thanks to everyone who read this! See, I have a long update!

(Also, the place Reading, Texas probably does not exist.)

Also, this is NOT the end of the fic! I just left you with a happy ending for once.



As always, thoughts and flashbacks are italicized





Replies



MissKitty's Ball O Yarn- Thank you so much for your wonderful replies! I am glad to hear that you like the story, and hopefully this new update will meet your standards as well. It was nice chatting with you the other day, and I'm proud to be the first kitten to ever IM you! Im sorry this has to be so terse, but my comp sucks so I wanna get this posted!



astrangerhere - I agree totally. The fact that Tara is gone kind of makes Willow realizes a lot of things, and it makes for very interesting stories. Life wouldn't be life unless there were some hardships, and we'd all be aliens if everything was perfect. I'm glad you are enjoying the story, because I'm enjoying writing it!



TaraBaby77- Well,thanks for readin'! I really like your screen name. (Don't we all wish we were Tara's baby, hehe? ::Le sigh: ) Also, your icon is absolutely adorable! Keep up with the FBing, teehee! I'm glad someone likes my writing style, (my English teacher sure doesn't) I love to keep readers guessing, it amuses me greatly. ^_^



sam darls- Thanks, Sam. I glad you enjoyed it. My goal in life is to make people happy, so of course Im glad to know you enjoyed my story!



DreamsToDream- I'm sorry my first two updates seem confusing, but this update explains quite a lot. Though, don't get fooled into thinking everything is hunky-dory now! Yes, Tara works at a strip-joint, weird to think of that, huh? *Pats you*



On to the story, Kittens!















Part Three





Willow still found herself staring at the webpage.



Should I tell Buffy? No...Bad idea.



A bit after Tara's death, Willow began to use the Dark Magicks. Though it only lasted for a brief period of time, Willow indulged in many things she shouldn't have. Because of this, Buffy began to despise the Wicca. Ever since then, if Buffy were speak to her, at all, her sentences would be terse and sharp. She would call her only for dinner, and didn't care when Willow didn't eat. Willow was surprised that Buffy let her stay there, until she realized that Buffy was just doing it to make her look good. What kind of person kicks their best friend since high school out of the house? The Scoobies wouldn't appreciate that, and Buffy knew it.

And of course, Buffy looked down on Willow, as if she were some demon, some low-life. Despite how much Willow hated it, she never said a word.



She'd just have to find Tara on her own.



She went online to Mapquest.com, remembering how the website said Ruby Tuesday's was located in Reading, Texas. Then, she checked the Greyhound bus routes, and found that if she were to take a bus to Texas, it would conviently leave her a cab ride away from Ruby Tuesday.

Willow also planned on bringing some of Tara's clothes with her, along with a lot of money. She wasn't going to get a good motel or anything like that, but she figured she'd need it for something.



She signed offline, cradling the phone's reciever on her shoulder as she dialed. A woman picked up on the other line, her tone rather chipper.



"Two round trip tickets to Texas, please."

--------









It took Willow serval days to get to Texas by bus. She had packed two suitcases; one for herself, and one for Tara. She withdrew exactly 3,000 dollars from the bank, incase there was a ransom for Tara, which she doubted. She figured it'd be small if there was one at all.

She would've taken a plane, but she wasn't too fond of flying, and plus, it was pretty expensive. Willow did want the fastest way to get there, but she was sure it was too last minute to book a flight.

She just wanted to get to Tara as soon as possible.

During the whole bus ride, Willow was filled with excitement. Not in the 'I'm getting a million dollars' kind of way, but more so in the unexplainable 'Oh my Goddess my life doesn't suck' kind of way. It's like those people on TV who find a long lost relative, or whatever.



Tara is alive.



She let the words sink into her very soul, relishing in the benevolent feeling that followed soon after. Willow was going to save Tara, and they were going to go home together, and everything would be okay again.



------







A very sleepy Willow awoke many hours later to the sound of a gruff voice calling out her stop. She rose awkwardly to her limbs, and stumbled off the bus, still very much in a daze. She hurriedly grabbed her luggage and walked a few blocks from the bus terminal. It was 1am, and the neighborhood didn't exactly look the best. There were obviously prostitutes on the corner across the street from where she stood, along with a few drug dealers here and there. She wondered if some people found drug dealers scarier than vampires. That thought made her snicker internally.

Willow had rented some scummy motel for a week, just in case she didn't find Tara right away. She paced over to a payphone, inserted some coins, and called a cab.



Time to go to Ruby Tuesday's.

---------





The bouncer gladly accepted a fifteen dollar tip from Willow, along with the mandatory twenty dollar entrance fee. Willow wasn't sure if that was pricey for around here, but she sure thought so.

The atmosphere was dingy, but it still somehow managed to appear upper-class. Waitresses in skimpy, black leather skirts and overly tight, low cut, white shirts, walked around and served drinks. The skirts were so short that you could easily see their asses without even trying to look up the skirt. Also, each girl wore an excessive amount of make-up, much to Willow's distaste.

The lighting was practically non-existant, except for the bright, flourscent lights emitting from the stage. No one was stripping on the stage as of yet, but a pole with lingerie wrapped about it proved that someone had just walked off.

The stage was lighted in a guady, Broadway-esque manner, though Willow couldn't quite fathom why.

Keeping her eyes peeled, she wandered over to the long, cobalt hued bar and ordered herself a martini. The tender was kind, and immediately asked her name.



"Me?" Willow chirped, glancing about frantically. She hadn't expected this to happen. "Umm..." She faltered, glancing at the bartop. "Anne."



The stocky man grinned broadly. "Andy." He extended his hand to Willow, which she accepted. "So," Andy continued with a chipper southern accent, "What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"



Willow hesitated. "Oh...Uh...Just stopping by for a drink."



At that exact moment, a skimpily clad blond caught Willow's eye.



"Andy, who's that?" Willow asked quickly.



"Oh, her? That's Tara. She's up next." Andy stated casually, nodding as the pair watched Tara disappear backstage.



"For what?" Willow asked, naivity in her every tone.



Andy chuckled deeply. "She's the next stripper up. Man, you really are naive. She only takes her top off, pretty much, so don't worry."



Willow nearly choked on the olive from her martini. Her Tara was going to strip? In front of all these googly eyed men? With their big, reachy paws? Paws that are going to go near places only Willow should touch?

A part of her wanted to jump up there to stop this, but well...That would blow her whole plan. Sighing, defeated, she attempted to relax in her chair. Maybe Tara wouldn't strip at all...



"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to Ruby Tuesday's! In a few moments, we will have one of our most popular girls on stage, Miss. Kitty! Remember, this girl does top only, and private sessions are one-hundred dollars. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!" A loud, announcer voice boomed over the PA system.

The words 'private session' rang in her mind like bells going off. She hoped that men didn't regularly take private sessions with her...She had to close her eyes to stop thinking about it.

Many men began to cat-call and whistle, causing Willow to shudder involuntarily.

She sat back uncomfortably in her chair, gulping as the lights dimmed,the only illumination coming from the stage.



A shapely, well curved figure stepped onto the stage. Dark green, heavy eyeshadow was applied to her eyes, and she was also heavily mascarred. She wore a deep, rose hued blush, and cover up, making her face seem fake and flawless. Her long, ashen blond locks were swept into a bun, and two pieces hung down to perfectly frame her porcleain face. She wore the same uniform as the others, except her shirt was button down, and to Willow, the whole outfit looked skimpier than the rest of the girl's.

The minute Tara walked on stage, an onslaught of cheers and whistles accompinied her. She didn't look exactly happy doing this, but what forty year old man cared when he got to see a pair of tits on a hot girl every night? And, if he had one hundred dollars or more, a chance to score with a hot girl?

Willow made a disgusted noise, but focused nonetheless, on the stage. She didn't want to think about the fact that some dirty old man probably touched her baby where only she had the privelage to. It made her want to slap every guy here, but she fought that urge.



When Willow looked up again, Tara had one leg up on the pole, and was grinding rather provactively with it. From where Willow sat, she could easily see up Tara's skirt, revealing that she wore a black thong. Again, she fought the urge to blindfold every man there. A few guys threw some money on stage. Apparently, the place had a 'hands off' rule, so that meant no shoving twenties down some girl's bra.

Tara curved her shapely form about the pole, swinging around it in a rather classic move. Since she wore no shoes, it gave her easier access to swing about the pole, and dance...Rather sexily with it.

Her hips grinded against the pole as she slid up and down it, in a way Willow never experienced during their love making sessions. Then again, she was stripping and that was different...Still...Willow had to admit she looked sexy as hell.

Tara wrapped both of her legs about the pole, and somehow manuevered so that she could hang upside down. As she did this, she unbuttoned her shirt and threw it into the auidence. She still had a bra on, though, which was black like the thong.



Once she had taken her shirt off, she dislodged herself from the pole, and stepped down off the stage and into the audience. Willow was pretty sure that Tara wasn't supposed to be doing this, but it seemed as if she had something up her...er..sleeve, so to speak.



She passed by googling men, purposely shoving her large, full breasts into their faces. Every so often, she stop and slide into a man's lap and grind against him, only for a bit though, then she'd move on.

It took Willow a while, but then she realized that Tara was coming towards the bar.

Her eyes fell upon her partially naked girlfriend, swallowing the lump in her throat. Tara sauntered over to Willow, carefully placing her legs around the redhead's waist. She grinded against Willow, and Willow couldn't help but be reminded of the last time they had sex. Tara leaned down and nipped at Willow's neck, causing her to shiver a bit. She then moved up and began to nibble on Willow's earlobe. Instead of a sultury tone, a worried one escaped the blond's lips as she whispered into Willow's ear.



"What are you doing here?" Tara asked, still giving Willow the lap dance of sorts.



"I'm here for...you..." Willow responded, very much preoccupied with the fact that her half-naked girlfriend was grinding against her.



Tara moved Willow's hands to her back, forcing the redhead to undo her bra. It dropped to the floor, and she raised up a bit so that her breasts were pointedly in Willow's face.



Okay, so you come to save her and she's working at a strip joint. You're excited to see her...And now you're excited in more than one way because of this...Shall I touch her or stay still...I mean...It's not disrespectful or anything...She is my girlfriend...



Willow allowed one free hand to roam over the blond's back, then up the back of her neck. She reached in her hair and pulled the clip that held it in a bun out, causing her blond locks to cascade down her back. She ran her tongue slowly across the blond's neck, causing a faint moan to escape from her rogued lips.



"I missed you...Are you playing along or am I really turning you on?" Tara purred into Willow's ear. Conversation had to be short; Andy was standing a few feet away. Tara held back the urge to hold Willow for hours on end because she knew she had work to do.



Willow's cheeks turned two shades darker than her hair. "Uh...Hehe...Both?" She offered timidly, looking up at the blond.



Tara grinned, somewhat amused, at Willow. "Well, sorry to say...But I have to go. My time's up..." She winked as she lowered off of Willow's lap. "See you soon."



With that said, she gathered her bra and walked back stage to change. Andy had been watching Willow the whole time, and he grinned at her shocked expression.



"She's good, isn't she?" He spoke in amused tones, his amber eyes twinkling.



"Yeah...Hey, Andy, can you go get your manager?" Willow asked, eyes still focused on the point where Tara once stood.



"Sure!" And then he scampered off.



He returned minutes later with a man with a build almost the same as his, his hands shoved in his suit pants. His eyes were small, and they seemed to disappear in the folds of his skin.His crisp, white long-sleeved shirt was buttoned all the way, and a green tie hung loosely about his neck. His gray suit jacket was slung casually over one shoulder. Knee-high, brown cowboy boots clunked noisily in his wake.



"Good evenin', ma'am. I'm Mr. Maclay, what might I be able to do for ya' tonight?" He drawled, standing, all business-like, in front of Willow.



Willow stood up, facing him. "That girl, Tara...I'll give you one thousand dollars to let me take her home for the night. I just want her for a few hours." Willow said, equally as serious. No introduction was needed. He didn't need to know who she was.



Mr.Maclay coughed, nearly choking on his drink. "Ma'am...Are you..."



"Yes," Willow interrupted. "I'm positive."



"Well, uh, y'see..." He hesitated. He was looking for more money, and Willow knew it.



"One thousand five hundred dollars, that's my final offer. I'll bring her back tomorrow." Willow stated sternly, pulling the wad of bills from within her jeans. "Take it, or leave it."



He greedily pulled the wad of bills into his pudgy hands, beginning to count them. His focus wasn't on Willow anymore. "I'll go get her."



He wobbled over to Tara, a very prominent limp tainting his step. A sparkle shined in his pig-like eyes. Willow took anothre glance about the bar.



Andy stood a safe distance away, arms folded over his broad chest.



There was something...off about this.

First off, she was a girl in a strip joint. Not that it wasn't uncommon, just odd, considering how she's dressed. Just in plain jeans and a tee shirt. She doesn't look like she'd have that much money just to throw around. Also, she's very attractive, and she probably doesn't need to pay for services. Any guy would screw her in a second.



What the hell is going on here...

-----







"Now, you do whatever she wants you to, y'hear?" The stout man growled. He was threateningly close to Tara's face. Each word was emphasized, his tone menacing.



"I k-know." Tara responded, glancing about the janitors closet. The smell itself was enough to make her heave. It reeked of sex, beer, and vomit. She just wanted to get out.



"And get rid of that damn stutter!" He yelped.



Tara attempted to leave, but one of his over-sized paws shot out to grab her wrist. A malicious glare lingered in his cold eyes. Tara trembled beneath his grasp, feeling the bruise stinging beneath her skin. It had just begun to go away, and yet it returned once more. Her gaze lowered unsteadily to the sticky, un-mopped floor.



"Understand?" He barked.



"Yes, sir." Tara morosely responded, hurrying to leave the room.



It was odd to see the transformation that occured once Tara was around her father. She had grew a backbone, so to speak, but once around her father, she was that shy, awkward girl that was burrowed deep down inside her. And that damn stutter that she despised so much. Around Willow, though, it was nonexistant.



Her father followed after, lingering behind Tara as she approached Willow. Willow glanced over at him, disgust etched in every single one of her features. He reminded her of a used car salesman, and that's exactly what he thought he was; he believed he was selling something for more than it was worth.



That stung Willow deep in the bottom of her heart.



He considered Tara a possesion.



"All right, Ms..." He trailed off, unsure of her name. A fake smile was plastered on his rounded face.



Willow paused, a smirk tugging at the end of her lips. "Ticdote." She responded.



He nodded, looking over Willow and Tara. "Now, Ms.Ticdote, may I have your address?" He asked, smiling sweetly. "In case there are any..." A pause. "Problems?"



Willow's eyes narrowed to perturbed slits. "Do you want to keep that money? I'll have her back tomorrow, at 12pm on the dot. You have my word, Mr.Maclay."



Willow sauntered out of the place, Tara following after, very much a puppy romping behind it's owner.



-----





Mr. Maclay glared over at Andy. "Follow them." He stated tersely.



Andy paused. He knew Ms. 'Anne Ticdote' didn't want sex with Tara. She wasn't paying one thousand five hundred bucks to have an all nighter with her. He knew that for damn sure. He could tell just by that look in her eyes. She wanted something else. But, what else could you want Tara for? All she was good for was waitressing and stripping, so Mr.Maclay had said the day he brought her in. She wasn't supposed to do anything else but waitress and strip. She brought in the big bucks.



I sure as hell don't know what's going on, but I know it ain't good.



Andy quickly pulled his overcoat from behind the bar, and throwing it over his shoulder, he moved towards the exit.



----





Willow pulled Tara to a halt in the alley next to Ruby Tuesday's. She retrieved a tissue from her pocket, and quickly began to remove some of the makeup on her face. Willow's free hand pulled Tara's skirt down a bit, covering all that should be covered.

Tara's eyes warmed at Willow's touch, and the hint of fresh tears sparkled in her eyes.



"How did you find me?" Tara whispered, very much in awe.



Willow didn't answer. She threw her thin, pale arms around Tara's waist. Nuzzling her nose in her hair, she closed her eyes.

She breathed in deep, letting the blond's scent fill her very being. She still smelled exactly the same. It was just as if Willow had come home from the Magick Box on January 20th, and Tara had bounded down the steps to greet her.



Time had started once more.



Nightbirds chirped omniscently in the distance. The trees rustled a reply to the whisper of the wind. Cars zoomed by, distubring days of litter, and people threw more to add to the pile as she bustled on by.



Then, the darkened alleyway was illuminated by a bright flourscent light.



Tara pulled back just a bit, never letting go of Willow, and she smiled.



She smiled.



Tara was home.





[END PART 3]

[DreamsToDream]

Poor Tara! Im Glad Willow Found Her So Now They Can Go Home And Be Happy!! I Have A Feeling Thats Not Gunna Happen But Thats What Im Hoping Might Just Happen. Pulease? Good Update Anyways!!

D2D



Damn You Vile Woman!!!- Stewie Griffin



I Try My Best To Feed Her Appetite, And Keep Her Coming Every Night... - "This Love" By Maroon 5

[snuggle79]

Awesome idea and excellent story!

I'm so glad that Willow found Tara. Can't wait for more!



s79

I look at horses and I see really big ponies.

The greatest thing you'll learn, is just to love and be loved in return.

[wimpy0729]

Oh, this is soo good!!!







This is one of those stories that gets you instantly addicted.

Willow finally found her -- and what a way to find her



So, those damn Maclay men are hopefully gonna get every square inch of their asses kicked soon (I hope!)



Go Willow! Save your girl! Now she just needs a white horse to ride in and swoop her away (if she can get past the horse fear long enough to do it -- she could do it for Tara!! )



Yay! Lovin this!



Can't wait for more!



Wimpy

[MissKittys Ball O Yarn]

Hey girl! Loved it! .... but......one little Itsy bitsy thing.....I mean...it's nothing practically....but I was just wondering...



shouldn't Tara be more.....I don't know.....Excited to see Willow?



......and....a martini?.......Willow thought Tara was dead.... then she finds her....she hadn't even looked around the room yet....and the first thing she does is order a Martini? hehehe



maybe she developed a drinking problem cause she missed Tara so much...? thats why she couldnt resist the allure of the martini....? maybe??? :o)



I love your writing style Amb and I'm really really liking the concept of your story. Keep up the good work!



oh and.....PS....How's the pinky thing commin'? *Passes another cup O Tea. Enjoy.



xoxo

Emms

[BurningWhiteRose]

Tara as a stripper.... ...







This is going really well. I like how Mr. Maclay is still a jerk... I hope Will and Tara get back to Sunnydale, and feed Willow a whole plate of pancakes.



Sincerely,

BWR

[DarkChild]

I really like this so far. Poor Tara though... Glad to see Willow come to her rescue.



But why'd she run away and become a stripper???



Update soon! I need to know!!!!

---

"Death cannot stop true love. It can only delay it." The Princess Bride



*****



BeastBoy: She thinks I'm funny.



Raven:Statistically, I suppose, somebody has to.