Here it is Kittens. Have fun...
Chapter 2c - Take My Hand (rated PG13 - R)
The blonde’s movements were unhurried as she followed in the wake of her classmates. A good class tonight, she decided, if not exactly where she really had wanted to be. Fortunately it was large enough that she doubted the professor had even noticed that she had yawned her way through the last hour. She pulled her shoulder bag up a little higher and pushed open the door to the outside.
“Tara.”
One word – just her name – and her heart skipped. “Willow, love.”
The redhead dropped her bags and stepped forward, reaching, an action she mirrored without thought. Their fingers touched and curled in little miniature hugs. Eyes bright, lips curved in a smile, utterly and completely still, Willow gazed at her.
“I missed you. Too long without Tara.”
“Not so long really, not even eight hours,” Tara countered.
“Seven hours and eight minutes. Much too long.”
Tara chuckled and swung their arms. “Counting, were we?”
“Uh-huh. You weren’t?” Willow stepped closer, forcing her to stop swinging. The redhead’s hands slipped over hers, then up her forearms before abandoning them for her waist.
“Um, I knew it wasn’t eight hours yet.” She rested her own hands on her lover’s shoulders.
“Okay, I’ll let you off the hook this time.” Willow’s mock-stern look shifted to a wide smile. “Can we be kissing now?”
“Y-You’re sure? H-Here?”
“I think we’re already conspicuous as hell …,” green eyes searched her face, “… but if you’d rather wait ….”
“No.” Tara slid her hands up and cupped Willow’s face. Gently, softly their lips met and caressed. She entwined her fingers in the red hair as the kiss deepened. Willow’s hands slipped over her hips and pulled her in tight until she could feel the entire line of the redhead’s body with her own. With a small sigh, she slipped her tongue between strawberry lips. Her left hand stroked down Willow’s slender back and then began traveling up her side until she could just caress the underside of her lover’s breast with her thumb.
Her bag chose that moment to obey gravity and slide off her shoulder. Falling onto her arm it was heavy enough, distraction enough, to pull them apart.
“Oh,” Willow sighed.
“Oh, yes.” Tara sighed back. They gazed at one another for a long moment. Then Tara let the bag drop completely to the ground and used both hands to pull Willow back into an embrace. She hesitated a moment then, brushing her lips over the redhead’s, she murmured softly, “You taste like peaches.”
Willow giggled. “Yeah, well, I was trying to have des….”
“Shhhh, let me taste some more.” She lightly licked Willow’s lips, which parted under her gentle assault. Tara kissed her lover, alternately licking and probing with her tongue. Slowly and hungrily she tasted Willow. She felt Willow’s hands in her hair, pulling her lips, her mouth closer. She resisted just a little, wanting to nibble, but gradually gave in. Willow-tongue met Tara-tongue and together they danced. Together they feasted on one another’s mouth. Until Willow-eyes – shining, bright – looked into hers, Willow-voice hoarse with lust whispered, “Tasting’s good.”
“Yes – but I want – to taste all of you.” Tara murmured back in a voice she barely recognized.
“Bravo. Bravo.” A blond man – lean and dangerous-looking – emerged from the shadows behind Willow. “What’d I say, Red? You’re quite yummy, you are. Your bird thinks so too.”
Willow turned abruptly, pushing Tara a little more behind her. “Oh, for god’s sake!” she exclaimed. “Spike, so help me …”
“Y’need help? Looked like you two birds were doin’ just fine from where I stood.”
“Damn it, Spike!”
Tara looked on in alarm as Willow took another step towards the grinning man. “W-W-Willow …” Her blood had turned to ice.
“S’okay, Tara, even I can beat up Spike.”
“Hey!” The blond man protested – but he didn’t advance on them. “No need to be cruel, Red, just ‘cause this bleedin’ chip in my head keeps me from eating you.”
“”Y-You’re a v-vampire.” Tara stammered.
“Dead right I am!” Spike confirmed. “And you’re Red’s bird. Tara, if I heard her right?”
“You don’t have to answer him.” Willow looked furious. “You should have left the first time, Spike. Why don’t you try again?”
Tara looked from her lover to the vampire and back – and wondered about the history between them. Scooby stuff – again. She made up her mind, and nodded as she stepped up beside Willow. “Y-Y-yes.”
“See, Red, that’s how it’s done. Talkin’, civil like. Your bird seems right polite.” Spike pulled a cigarette out of a pack and lit up. “As for leavin’ – why would I, Red? You sittin’ out here, obviously waitin’ for someone. A fellow gets curious. So I hung about to see who it was. Got some entertainment for my trouble, too.” He drew deeply on the cigarette.
“You are creepy and disgusting and …”
“Willow, hey,” Tara put an arm around her lover’s shoulders, “he hasn’t done anything, sweetie.”
“Not yet,” Willow objected.
“That’s right! I might. Y’ never know. I’m evil.” Spike tossed the butt on the ground. “And y’know, Red, I think she’s good for you. Put some color in your cheeks. ‘Bout time you started showin’ this side.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Willow snarled, shaking off Tara’s arm.
Spike’s blue eyes met and held hers for just a moment. Tara lifted both eyebrows in a silent question, curious in spite of her lover’s hostility.
Spike was apparently willing to oblige. “You know exactly what I’m talkin’ about, Red. Y’know, your evil twin,” he clarified.
“How …” Willow actually seemed at a loss for words.
“Oh, me and Xander’s bint were doin’ some talkin’ one night at the Bronze after you lot let me go. She told me all about your evil self, likin’ the girls an’ all. Way I see it, dog-boy never really had a chance.” Spike was grinning from ear to ear as he spoke.
“Damn her! And damn you too!” Willow advanced purposefully on the vampire.
Tara caught up Willow’s hand and held her lover back. “Willow, stop, just stop a minute and think,” she suggested. “He’s what he said. Evil. H-He’s just trying to make you mad. To make m-me mad. At you.” She looked at Spike, really looked at him, her chin coming up. “Y-You should leave.”
“And you’re gonna make me, little bird?”
“No.” Willow gave her hand a squeeze and spoke evenly, if not completely calmly. “And I won’t either.” She grinned nastily. “But then, WE don’t have to. I think those Army guys have spotted you. You’d better scoot unless you want to end up in a cage again.”
“Where?” Spike whirled about.
“You just can’t leave things alone, can you? What did you do, waltz through some dorm? You know they patrol the campus. What are you, stupid?
“No, just evil. Now. Where. Are. They?”
Willow frowned. “You know, I really shouldn’t …” But she lifted her free hand a bit and pointed. “There, over to your right, in the bushes by the quad.”
Together they watched their erstwhile tormentor melt back into the shadows and scurry off.
So that’s what she looks like when she’s mad and defensive, Tara thought as she gazed at Willow’s face. She had questions – lots of them – but now was not the time. Except for one. One that had potentially personal ramifications.
“Why did you warn him?”
“No one, Tara, not even Spike, deserves to be kept in a cage. And I know him – I don’t like him, but I do know him – which makes the thought even worse. I couldn’t do that.”
Tara felt a wave of relief sweep through her, but it wasn’t quite enough to erase years of self-doubt. She bent and picked up the strap of her bag, as Willow snagged her own and shrugged into her pack. “Walk me home, sweetie?”
“Absolutely.”
*******
They kept to the well-lighted main path as they walked, but Willow couldn’t help looking wistfully off to the sides where other less illuminated paths lay. She heard Tara sigh, and smiled as she caught her girlfriend looking at a nice large patch of bushes. Nice to know that simply holding hands wasn’t cutting it for her either.
But hand holding was all she really felt comfortable doing here and now, and much as she hated to admit it, Spike was right. In the bushes or the shadows, they would be appealing monster munchies. The path they walked wasn’t swarming with students like it would be during the day, but there were enough people around to make it awkward for any of Sunnydale’s non-human residents who were shopping for take-out.
The guy approaching them was big enough to be considered super-sized. Tall, broad, big-boned, he was one of the most impressively large people she’d ever seen. Like one of those football people.
She felt Tara tense and looked at her quizzically. Willow prepared for Tara to release her hand, but instead her girlfriend gave it a quick squeeze.
“Hi, Tara – hi, Willow.” His voice a deep rumble, he broke stride as he met them.
“S-Scott, hi.” Tara said softly. “G-Gaming again?”
“No, I’m off to the library for a few hours.” He smiled gently at her girlfriend and then at her.
Willow’s brow furrowed. It’s almost like he knows me ….
“B-Be c-careful coming b-back.”
“Always. And, Tara – have a good night.” His smile turned into a blinding grin for just a second and he sauntered off.
Willow looked over her shoulder and watched him with a slight frown. “You know, this night has just been sooo weird. I don’t know him – at least, I don’t think I know him. How did he know me?” She heard what sounded like a muffled snort from Tara. “What?”
“N-Never mind, Willow. I’ll t-tell you later.”
“Keeping secrets, huh? Well, okay,” she released Tara’s hand and gave the blonde a hug and a quick kiss. “But way later, okay? I’m not much in the mood for Q & A.”
“Other things on your mind?” Tara asked, her lips curved in a delightfully wicked smile.
“Yes, ma’am.” She grinned back. “I’ve been thinking about you and … things … all day.”
“Good things?” A dark blonde eyebrow lifted.
“The very best.”
“Then why are we standing here just talking about … things?”
“Good point.” Willow grabbed Tara’s hand again and pulled her along. Tara’s giggles at her sudden rush made her heart skip and she grinned to herself. Tara-giggles. Tonight, she was going to tickle her lover until …
“Oh no.” She stopped so quickly that Tara bumped into her.
“Wh-Wh-what’s wr-wrong?”
“Damn it, why me?” Willow moaned. “Why us?”
“Sweetie, wha…”
“Buffy, over there, at the steps to your dorm.” Willow didn’t even try to keep the plaintive whine out of her voice. “Why now?”
“Oh.” Tara projected a world of disappointment in that small exclamation. “Y-You’re not g-going to b-b-be able to s-stay, are you?”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged, then conceded in a miserable voice, “How can I? I don’t know why she’s here, but she’s going to expect me to go back to the dorm with her.”
“M-Maybe you can s-stay. W-We should go see wh-what sh-she wants.”
“It had better not be another apocalypse. We just did that last month.” Willow ran her free hand through her hair. She gave Tara’s hand a firm, if slightly sweaty, squeeze, then released it as they walked over to meet her best friend.
Buffy was perched on the retaining wall by the steps and very obviously in a brown study. For a moment Willow thought hopefully that maybe they could walk right past her and she wouldn’t notice. Bad Willow, she chided herself. As they neared, Willow saw her brush her cheek. Crying again, she thought. Oh, lord …
Tara swung her bag up into her arms, a move Willow was quickly learning to recognize as a response to feeling awkward and uncomfortable. Arms crossed over the bag, which she kept firmly pressed against her chest, her girlfriend’s defenses were clearly up.
“Hey, Buff. What’s up?” Willow tried to put a happy face on over her disappointment.
Buffy roused herself, seeming surprised at their presence. “Willow!” As she stood up she collected a cloth bundle that had been hidden behind her. “Hi, Tara.”
From the corner of her eye, Willow saw Tara lift her fingers from where they clutched her bag and give the Slayer a little wave. “H-Hi B-Buffy. Is everything okay?”
“Huh?” They could see the wheels turning as Buffy processed the question. “Oh! Oh – yeah. Things are fine, no emergencies or anything. I just was thinking that when we were riding to the church together I never did thank you for what you did the other night. We barely had time for names.”
“I-It was m-my pleasure, B-Buffy.”
Willow caught the snicker that threatened to emerge and beat it and a fit of giggles back into place.
“I’m just glad your last name’s sort of unusual … actually really unusual since there aren’t even any other Maclays at UCS, let alone any Tara Maclays. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to find out which dorm you were in …” Buffy rattled on.
Typical Slayer in hyper mode, Willow thought. At this rate they’d be here forever. “You could have just called to thank her,” she interrupted. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tara frown disapprovingly. Great … now you’ve made me piss off my girlfriend. She was starting to get really cranky.
“Will, what are you doing here?” Buffy asked, a puzzled look on her face.
“Oh.” Willow scrambled mentally. “Uh – it’s just with it being Sunnydale and all, well, I decided that it might be safer if Tara had someone to walk with after class. You know, someone who knows the routine. A Scooby guard.” She lifted both eyebrows earnestly, willing Buffy to buy this one.
“Yeah, you’re right, Wills, that’s good thinking.” Buffy nodded in understanding. “But I couldn’t just phone. This won’t fit in one of those little wires.” She handed the cloth bundle to Tara. “Just something to keep you safe when you don’t have a Scooby handy.”
Tara juggled her bag and the package awkwardly. “Uhhh.”
“Here, let me hold something,” Willow offered. She appropriated the shoulder bag, her hand lingering a little on the blonde’s arm.
Her lover shot her a lopsided smile. “Th-Thanks.”
The cloth was rolled around the items, not folded, so that as Tara unwrapped it, they threatened to fall. The blonde stared at them for a moment with a bemused expression.
Buffy gleefully explained the presents: “The cross, well, vamps really don’t like having that shoved in their face. Makes ’em back up fast or keeps ’em from getting too close in the first place. The holy water is an even better discourager … is that a word? That will burn them good. And the stake is sort of a last resort thingy. Just remember, aim for the heart and …. POOF! Vamp is dusty.”
Tara continued to stare. “Uh, B-Buffy, I’m n-not Christian.”
“Oh, that.” Willow dismissed the objection. “Jewish here, but it doesn’t seem to keep it from working. I’ve got all the same stuff in here.” She tapped her backpack.
“And Tara?” Buffy stepped forward and gave the blonde a quick hug. “Welcome to the Scoobies. That is, if you want.”
“Oh.” Tara looked surprised, then thoughtful. “Y-You’re s-sure?”
“You’re a witch; seems to fit, right, Wills?”
“Uh-huh.” She didn’t think she could grin much harder, and gave Tara a hug herself – although hers wasn’t quite as quick as Buffy’s. As she released her, she trailed her fingertips over the blonde’s body and arms and saw the blue eyes turn smoky.
“Think about it, Tara. I can understand the not wanting to, if you decide not to.” Buffy turned to Willow. “So, shall we head back, now that Tara’s safely home?”
Willow stared in utter frustration at her best friend and felt like crying.
“Uh, W-Willow, we can do that s-spell t-tomorrow. I have that r-really early c-class and y-yours aren’t m-much b-better. W-We sh-should r-rest up.”
“I don’t know how the two of you do it. Morning classes, ick.” Buffy shook her head. “I only have afternoon classes tomorrow,” she added, a little smugly.
Willow looked back and forth between the two women before gazing intently at Tara, her eyes flashing promises. “Yeah, okay, you’re right, it could get tiring, especially if we have to do it more than once.”
“After n-noon?” Tara asked, glancing quickly at the Slayer and then back to her.
“Sure. Here, right, ’cause you’ve got your mother’s books?”
“Okay.” Tara retrieved her bag. Her girlfriend’s face turned away from Buffy, Willow saw her mouth, “Sorry, sweetie.”
Buffy was starting to bounce, hyper mode slipping into impatient.
“Oh, I almost forgot. Here.” Willow handed over the zippered bag she’d been carrying. “Supplies. For the spell.”
“G-Good. B-Be sure to w-wear s-something comfortable.” Tara advised with a lifted eyebrow.
“Come on, Willow. I’m a sleepy Slayer.” Buffy reached out and snagged her arm. “G’night Tara.”
Willow found herself pulled away unable to even say good night. The Slayer babbled brightly as she walked, “You know, sometime I’d like to watch the two of you do a spell. I think that would be really neat.”
From behind her, she heard Tara giggle.
**********
Tara walked down the hallway wiping tears of laughter from her eyes. At least she’d managed to place a door between them and her before she’d been overcome with giggles. Oh, by all the little hairy gods, the Slayer wanted to watch … perhaps she and Willow should oblige! That set her off again.
Somehow she got to her door, giddy with mingled amusement and frustration, and fumbled her key into the lock. She was unsurprised to hear Jo open her door.
“Hey, Tara. Are you all right?”
“H-Hi Jo. F-Fine. I’m just fine.” She smiled at the other woman as she pushed open the door and paused for a moment in the doorway. “Life’s w-weird is all.”
“So those tears don’t have anything to do with that little blonde?” Jo asked
“Umm, k-kind of, b-but in a h-happy way. Does that m-make sense?” Tara wasn’t willing to share her image of Buffy watching, especially with someone who’d been listening!
“Happy tears. I’ve been there.” Jo paused. “I was worried when she showed up looking for you.”
“Sh-She brought me a present.” She showed the other woman the bundle.
“Oh. Okay, then. But you and Willow …” Jo’s voice trailed off.
“N-Not t-tonight.”
Jo grinned. “Poor baby. Well, at least try to have a good night.” She pulled her door closed leaving Tara alone in the hall.
She shook her head and sighed. She just wasn’t used to being a source of entertainment for anyone – not when it wasn’t malicious. Jo and the others were so good-natured about their teasing that she rather enjoyed it. Pulling the door closed behind her she looked at her room – her Willow-less room – for a moment, then crossed to the bed. Dropping her stuff beside it, she pulled the covers down and flopped across it. Inhaling, she could smell herself and her Willow. Their scents perfumed the sheets.
Smiling at the memory of their lovemaking, she gazed at her fairy lights. Tomorrow. Not so long a wait. She’d manage.
But poor Willow!
Eh... I'm okay. Could be better, though. 
... The whole ice cream thing. That was very cool! 
And Willow had it right, accept no substitutes! 
She always has the worse timing.