(AU): Written In The Stars - 'Does age matter?'

[LesbianJedi87]

HEEY! I was enjoying this! And now POOF! Theres no more to read! "grumbles" I love this!! Buffy is in love with Willow and WIllow is all "lalala I dont care!" That KILLS ME! So I think Willow and Tara need to see eachother.....mmhmm! I do!! HURRY UP AND UPDATE! "sits and waits"

[JustSkipIt]

Hey again,
I'm glad to see an update to this story. I can't believe that Willow is ready to give up on Tara and be with Buffy. Of course, I'm not a B/W shipper and honestly don't ever get a Buffy=gay vibe but if it's driving your storyline, then that's your decision and I like the way you are going generally. Very cute that Tara and Anya see Willow from the street and think she's a guy. Is she taller than on the show because with the exception of Oz, I don't know many guys that short, particularly basketball players. Lol.

It seems as if Tara has been thinking a lot about Willow which on one hand is cute and the other, very creepy. I mean what has she been thinking about her? Hopefully nothing smoochy cause again: creepy.

Now, you seemed to like my prior feedback so I'll give some more. Regarding the middle section where we don't know who is unpacking, etc. I think that there are a few reasons to create suspense but I'm not sure what your motivation was here. Why did you want to write this section this way? It was cryptic but didn't really seem to have a good reason for being so other than piquing the reader's interest. I would say that in creating suspense, you want to ask yourself a few questions such as:

1. What do I want the reader to wonder about?
2. How long do I want her to wonder that?
3. How will it make my story more powerful to leave this as a mystery?

In this case, I think that you unnecessarily challenged yourself into having to write a much more difficult section. You could have just described Tara and Anya unpacking and it would have been more clear to the reader.

Ok, again I say I hope you find my feedback helpful. I see a lot of promise in your writing. Debra

[StarCat]

WOW this fic is really coming along. I am totally hooked. I do agree with Debra in regards to Tara and Anya's unpacking. That did confuse me alittle and I had to go back and check to see if Anya was mentioned earlier. Then I saw that she was at the dinner with Matt and his girlfriend. Then I was really confused because I didn't see the mystery with the person that was with Tara when she moved into the house. Then I told myself, (yes I may do that every now and then ) hey it's ok this is still a great fricking story.

Keep up the good work. You are definately improving.

[ambercissism]

Author's Note: Hi kittens! I just want to inform you guys that the next chapter is already finish, I am just waiting for my other beta reader to finish with the betaing. Hope you'd still all bear with me And thank you so much for those fantastic feedbacks.

watersong84 : Alyssa, thanks for the first feedback! I'm so happy to know that you appreciate Willow looking like a boy. Yup, it's definite, they'll gonna meet on the next chapter, I hope you could still wait for a couple of days. Ok, to answer your question on why won't Tara wear her glasses if she's nearsighted. Coz she's in a hurry and realized that they' a lot of things to do, that's why she forgot it I know, it's lame. But thank you for pointing that out.

AlysonGoddess : Hi Erin! Nice to see that you're still excited to see an update. I wanna apologize that I don't have yet an update posted this time.

cosmic dancer : Hello Sez! First of all, I wanna thank you again for the help.

You could relax now, Tara is not planning on marrying Wesley. Yeah, Tara is still interested to know how Willow is doing, coz after all, Willow had been a part of her life too just like Matt, that's why when Tara saw Matt, she can't help but to be curious on how Matt's sister is doing now.

LesbianJedi87 : So glad to see a feedback from you Umm... Sorry for keeping you hanging. Well, I promise that they'll already meet on my next update. So, hope you could still wait a little while.

JustSkipIt : Wow! Another feedback from you, and it's really driving me crazy! Debra had replied on my humble story again Thank you so much

I'm glad you find it cute when Tara and Anya see Willow from the street and think she's a guy. Ok, I really didn't get your question about the height thing. Ummm... I believe she's 5'6, is that what you're asking? Sorry my mind is not working properly lately...

Tara is thinking about Willow not in a smoochy way, but still as the little girl that she used to know before. Willow had been a part of her life just like Matt is, and when she saw Matt again, Tara became suddenly curious about how Matt's little sister is doing now. But no lusty thoughts on the eight year old Willow.

With regards to the middle part where you say that it's cryptic. I wanted to create a suspense when Tara returns to Sunnydale, I want the readers to wonder who are those people that are unpacking and why they're suddenly there, and I wanted to make a dramatic suspense at the end, when Anya and Tara see Willow. Those are my motivations for creating the middle part. But I guess It confused the readers. Oh well, I'll take note of that... And now that you gave me some pointers about creating suspense, I'm gonna put that in my mind.

I really appreciate the help, and thank you again for sharing what you know. It's really a big help to novice writer like me to receive some tips from a very talented writer like you.

StarCat : Hiya! it's so nice to hear from you again Sorry if you find the last chapter confusing, as what I've mentioned to Debra, my primary motivation is to create a suspense of Tara returning to Sunnydale with Anya, and then finding it in the end Willow... Don't worry I'll try to avoid those confusing cryptic parts.

I_love_Danish : Heya! I'm glad to see a reply from you again. I thought you've already forgotten to leave a reply on my humble story Well, I could guarantee a very exciting and funny chapter on my next update. so I do hope you'd all still stick around.

[Trom DeGrey]

As with Betrothed, I will post my apologies and let you know that the update is waiting on me to finish the beta work on it. I am beta-ing all 7 chapters and am through the first 4 now. I am hoping to be caught up by the beginning of the week. Sorry for the delay.

[Trom DeGrey]

The yoke is off my back, Kittens! All seven chapters have gone through beta, revision and final beta. Start harrassing her for an update!

[ambercissism]

Thanks Trom DeGrey!!!!!!!!! That's so of you with the beta help, and of you to tell the Kittens to harrass me for the update

[ambercissism]

Title: WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Author: ambercissism

Disclaimer: Tara and Willow, and so are the other characters from BTVS are not mine, they belonged to Joss W. and ME, I’m just borrowing them. However, I do own this story and some characters that did not appear in BTVS. I’m not gaining any money from this, just here to provide some Willow-Tara goodness.

Author’s Note: I have been lurking for months now and decided to delurke coz I’d like to share this. This is my first story on Kitten Board, and I hope I could in any way please the Kittens with this fic. It’s totally AU and Romance. Just tell me if this sucks… A big thanks to my talented beta-readers, Rain and Trom DeGrey. Thoughts are in Italics.

Feedbacks: Yes, please. Constructive criticisms are welcome too. I’d be happy to know what are my mistakes and weaknesses in writing.

Rating: It’s G for the first chapter. But it’ll go on to an R. Don’t worry I’m going to give a warning. There's gonna be angst on the later chapters.

Summary: Young Willow Rosenberg had her first crush and tried declaring her love to a beautiful but older girl. Unfortunately, her love was never accepted. A crush developed into an obsession, and now, as an adult, she was given another chance to profess her undying love to the same person… This time, will she succeed?


Chapter 7 [center] The Encounter [/center]



With each step she took... with each breath she inhaled...as her blurry sight adjusted... as the dribbling sound of the ball captured her ears and as the distance between her and the figure that Anya was referring to shortened... Tara almost dropped the two bags of groceries that she was carrying as her sense of sight transmitted the message to her heart. For a second, she couldn’t believe what her eyes were telling her and gasped in surprise. “Goddess is it really her?!” she wondered in disbelief.

There was the once small, redheaded girl now all grown up and surprisingly attractive to Tara’s eyes. Her short red locks were neatly cut in an androgynous style and Tara’s attention was drawn immediately to the freckled neck that was so naked and delicious in her sight! Tara’s heart pounded madly. Her legs trembled in excitement. Her body shivered in a delighted stagger as the unbelievable transformation of Willow was unveiled before her eyes!

Tara had never felt like this before. She couldn’t deny to herself that Willow looked intriguingly hot. “Goddess! She’s gorgeous!” she thought, stunned. She noticed that the softness in Willow’s face still remained despite the shortness of her hair. Suddenly, she felt her heart gave a sudden lurch. “What the hell is happening to me?” she wondered as she felt her heart hammering in her chest. Fascinated, her eyes studied Willow’s every feature, as if she had never laid eyes on her before.

For what seemed like forever, Tara did not lift her gaze from Willow and found herself biting her lower lip. However, before any lusty thoughts could be indulged at the sight in front of her, Tara was distracted when her blue orbs met flabbergasted green eyes. The next thing Tara knew, she felt a tingling sensation between her legs and blushed at the presence of the teenager. She was only a foot away, with just the white picket fence hindering Tara from touching Willow. Her body was reacting wildly to the nearness of Willow who was clad in a sleeveless gray shirt and basketball shorts. She allowed her gaze to caress the young redhead’s lean and well-toned arms that were still drenched in perspiration. “Oh my,” she mused, and found herself sweating in lust.

***********

With her concentration focused on the ball, Willow abruptly refrained from dribbling when she felt a light breeze blow across her cheeks and turned around to face the street. She caught sight of the figures approaching her house. “What the...?” A strange sensation suddenly overcame her and Willow was left paralyzed and completely dumbfounded. “Am I hallucinating?” she wondered. If she was dreaming, she didn’t want to wake up anymore, she told herself. Right in front of her was Tara, as beautiful as ever. Willow noticed how well developed Tara’s body was now as she saw her a few pounds lighter, and yet, the voluptuous figure of the blonde never ceased to arouse her senses. Her eyes then saw Tara’s crowning glory and was amazed to find her once long one-length straight hair now tossed up sexily in a relaxed twist. It caused Tara to look more of an adult compared to the last time Willow had seen her as a teenager. An air of maturity oozed strongly from Tara and caused Willow to feel intimidated as she saw Tara staring at her. Still mesmerized, Willow held her gaze. As the figure approached her, she looked closely to make sure that it was the love of her life. Her heart raced. She yearned to touch Tara, hold her and kiss her there and then! However, Willow was stripped of the confidence that she had, and all that her body could do was…

“Tara?” she gasped.

However, Willow noticed that Tara seemed dazed.

Still another query was made. “What are you doing here?! How long have you been back?!” Willow asked, full of excitement.

“Tara!” Willow was startled at the shout that came from the curly blonde that was standing beside Tara.

Still in a daze Tara shook her head lightly. “Huh?”

“I said, what’re you doin’ here?!” Willow repeated excitedly, with Tara’s presence causing her to be disoriented “I mean… it’s not that you’re not supposed to be here which is strange coz you live in Canada and that you’re making me all excite-y and happy by suddenly showing up in here and staring at me like I’m a guinea pig in a laboratory… But when did you arrive?!”

Recovering slightly, “Oh. Oh!” Tara exclaimed in realization.

“What’s with you?” Anya said irritatingly, standing beside the still shocked Tara.

“I-I’m so-sorry…” Tara declared nervously, her eyes still glued to Willow’s charming face. “I-I’m ju-just so s-surprised to s-see you… umm… you l-look so go-good,” Tara stuttered badly, drowning in embarrassment as she realized that she practically drooled over Willow

“Thanks,” Willow replied, blushing. “You too. You’re still gorgeous!”

Tara would have sworn how those scrutinizing green eyes sent loads of spark solely to inflame her body.

“Would you two like to come in?” Willow offered and headed to the gate to open it.

Tara and Anya agreed and headed towards the gate.

Noticing that Tara was juggling two loaded bags, “Here, let me give you a hand.” Willow offered and took the two bags of groceries from Tara’s hold, and led the way to the main entrance.

“Hey! How about mine?” Anya whined.

“Ahn! Stop it!” Tara contradicted in a hushed tone and was glad that the Willow was already inside the house. “That’s just one-fourth of the weight I’m carrying!”

“She’s gentleman enough to take your bags, why didn’t she take mine too?!” she complained.

“Will you please shut your mouth?” Tara ordered in a subdued tone. “And could you please try, try… to behave yourself.”

“That’s not in my vocabulary” Anya replied sarcastically.

Seconds later, Tara found herself in the living room of the Rosenberg’s. Old memories of her high school days suddenly flashed before Tara’s eyes, with she and Matt studying and Willow annoying her brother and insisting on spending a moment with her. She recalled how adorable Willow was when the young girl apparently ogled her the first time Willow saw her.

Her reminiscing was abruptly hindered when she heard Willow’s voice shouting for her mother.

“Mom! Mom!” Willow called out, after putting the bags of groceries on the center table and ran upstairs while Tara and Anya sat on the couch.

“So, I was wrong…” Anya said, as soon as the redhead was out of sight. “But nevertheless …” she uttered with a hint of wickedness and raised her brows.

When Tara saw Anya’s face she knew instantly that her best friend was up to no good. “What do you mean?” Tara asked somewhat puzzled, but before she could ask further, an older woman emerged from the second floor of the house followed by Willow. Tara stood up, followed by her best friend as the woman approached them. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Rosenberg,” Tara greeted enthusiastically, glad to see an old and familiar face.

“Oh my god, Tara!” the older woman exclaimed in surprise. “It’s so nice to see you again!”

“It’s good to see you too,” Tara returned and gave the older woman a warm hug. “By the way, this is my friend, Anya.” And she motioned to the curly blonde standing by her.

“Please, just call me Sheila.” The redheaded older woman replied and signaled for the two visitors to sit down on the leather couch adjacent to her. “So, what brought you back to Sunnydale?” Sheila asked settling herself comfortably on the reclining chair, with her daughter occupying the armrest of the expensive chair that matched the color of the couch.

“Well, I actually moved back into our old house,” Tara started, trying to concentrate as best as she could on her conversation with Mrs. Rosenberg. However, Tara found herself quite distracted by Willow seated in front of her, studying her silently.

“It’s good to hear that! Does that mean you’ll be staying here for good?” Sheila declared excitedly.

Tara nodded and declared, “Yeah, my mom bought the little shop near the Espresso Pump and she asked me to manage it for her.”

“That’s really wonderful, Tara,” Sheila said.

“And I’m gonna be her business partner,” Anya chimed in, grinning.

Tara darted her gaze to her best friend and flashed a ‘behave yourself’ look, and then smiled back at Sheila. “That’s right,” Tara added nicely.

“Well, that sounds like a good business,” Sheila replied and then shifted her sight to the curly blonde, who seemed to be seeking attention. “And where are you from, Anya?”

********************************************


Tara’s thoughts were floating as they arrived home. She took a seat on the couch, picked up the remote, and turned the TV on. Her mind was disoriented and couldn’t focus on the tube. She just kept on changing the channels. Just last summer, when she and Matt met, she was eager to know how that little redheaded girl was doing. She admitted that Willow had, in a way, touched her life and Tara admired her confidence and charm. She never had a close friend as young as Willow during that time. “As a friend”, Tara thought again. That’s just what Willow was for her then, a little friend. But that was then, and now, she found herself bewildered. “Where the hell did this feeling come from?”

Having lived with Tara for the past seven years, Anya knew when her friend was bothered. She took a seat beside her and watched as her friend absent-mindedly switched the channels of the television continuously.

“You like her, don’t you?” Anya asked directly.

“Wh-What?!” Tara blurted, torn from her thoughts

“Admit it Tara, your gay days aren’t over,” Anya retorted. “You never graduated from it!”

“What are you talkin’ about?” Tara snapped.

“Oh come on! Don’t tell me you don’t have a thing for Willow!” Anya retorted.

“I’m so do not!”

“Oh yeah?!” Anya retaliated. “So, you won’t mind if I go after her.”

This time Anya had Tara’s undivided attention. “You’re not even gay!” Tara shot back with great annoyance and glared at her best friend.

“I could be! I could switch teams too!” Anya returned. “Do you think you’re the only one who could enjoy it?!” Anya challenged, knowing that Tara had always preferred girls to boys. “I think Willow is a hottie.”

“Don’t you dare Anya,” Tara warned seriously. “Don’t you dare experiment with her!”

“Who says I’m gonna experiment with her?” Anya shot back. “And who are you to stop me? You’re not her girlfriend!” Anya retorted bluntly.

Tara was left dumbfounded. Since college, Anya had known everything about her love life. She had had a couple of girlfriends, but the last one had deliberately hurt and crushed her heart, causing Tara to renounce her interest and love for the same sex and switch to the testosterone team.

“Teenagers are exciting and daring, coz they’ll do anything,” Anya related. “I wonder if Willow had already seen a pussy?”

“Damn it Anya!” Tara growled, fuming with anger. But before she could utter another retort, Anya left her side and proceeded upstairs.


****************

That night, Tara’s once uncomplicated life seemed to be drifting. After that argument with Anya, she couldn’t sleep and decided to get some air.

Though autumn had already arrived and the air was quite chilly, she found the weather in California still amazingly wonderful and it felt as if summer hasn’t gone away yet. She walked barefooted on the Bermuda grass-covered lawn and enjoyed listening to the crackling sound of dry leaves as she made each step leading to the garden. Then, she took a seat at her favorite resting spot, the bench under the Mulberry tree. Tara noticed that half of its bountiful leaves had already fallen out. The evening was calm and soothing and she gazed up. “It’s so beautiful,” she mused, looking at the bright stars that were scattered in the clear dark sky.

Deeply engaged in her thoughts, Tara did not notice someone standing a few feet behind her. “Hi!” the sweet voice greeted.

This time, wearing her eyeglasses, Tara was immensely surprised and her heart shouted with joy when those excited blue eyes met those innocent green orbs.

Pretending that she was not fully affected by Willow’s sudden appearance, Tara calmly asked, “Hey, what’re you doin’ here?”

“I... I’m... I’m stargazing. You know… beautiful night, lovely weather...”

“Really…” Tara uttered in suspicion and raised her eyebrows. “So, why are you still up? Waiting for someone, I guess?”

“Nope!” Willow said and moved closer to her. “May I?” Willow queried, asking permission to take a seat next to her.

“Oh! Yeah! I’m sorry.” Tara made a space for Willow to sit. But as Willow’s body neared hers, Tara couldn’t help but feel agitated at the warmness that was emanating from Willow’s body. “It’s strange, you know?”

“What?”

“The last time I was sitting here, I was talking to a cute little girl with long red hair and beautiful green eyes,” Tara declared, and gave Willow a lopsided grin. “But now, I’m so surprised to see her all so grown up and...” she then refrained herself, afraid that she might be going too far.

“And what?”

“Never mind,” Tara replied and shook her head lightly. “So, you’re still in high school, eh?” Tara changed the subject.

“A senior to be exact,” Willow uttered right away, as if wanting to clarify that she was just months away from being in college.

“So, that makes you, what? Seventeen?”

“Umm... yeah. But it’s just a few months till I’m 18 and… And why are we talkin’ about this?” Willow asked, looking suspiciously at Tara.

“Umm... n-nothing. You know... I-I just can’t believe how time flew.” Tara immediately dodged the question, taking them away from the topic. “Matt told me that you’re playing for the girls’ varsity team.”

“That’s right! Sunnydale’s girls’ basketball team,” Willow declared.

Curious, Tara asked, “I bet there are a lot of boys who have a crush on you now, hmm?”

Suddenly Tara saw Willow blush and tear her sight from her. She realized that she had touched a sensitive topic.

“Well, there are some,” Willow admitted. “But they’re not usually boys,” she said and grinned at Tara.

”Oh! I see,” Tara smiled back. “So, did you date them all?”

“Oh no! I’m... I’m dateless... I mean, I only consider them as friends, on various occasions they lose their minds and act crazy in front of me, but I never go out with anybody. Coz... I’m only in love with just one person,” Willow babbled defensively.

How she missed that babble, Tara thought amusingly. But a piece of that information pained her. “So she has a girlfriend?” the blonde thought disappointedly. “What am I thinking?” she mused on. She suddenly realized that she found herself dwelling on the past and expecting Willow would still have a crush on her. She still remembered everything that the small girl had promised her nine years ago. Her anxiety grew more when...

“Darn!” Willow exclaimed, disappointed at the sudden interruption, as she felt her cell phone vibrate in her jeans’ pocket. She frowned when she saw who was calling. “Umm... could you… could you excuse me for a moment?” Willow unwillingly requested.

Tara just nodded and her curious eyes followed Willow who walked a little farther from her, not too far, but just enough for her not to hear the conversation and make her wonder.

After a few minutes, Willow returned with the cell phone out of sight, but she seemed a bit restless.

“That was…” Willow said, wringing her hands. “Buffy.”

“Ah,” Tara acknowledged, suddenly hiding her worries. “That must be the girlfriend,” she thought dejectedly, recalling the little blonde that had often played with Willow.

“She kinda needs me... now.” Willow returned, not sounding happy that she had to leave Tara earlier than she intended. “Um, I really wanna stay longer, but…”

“Oh! It’s okay, we could talk some other time,” Tara filled in with a slight disappointment in her voice.

“I’ll… I’ll see you around,” Willow proclaimed, advancing towards the gate. “Goodnight. Umm… I’ll… I’ll try to drop by again,” Willow assured, scrambling in her mind for a reason to come and talk to Tara again. “By the way, cool glasses!”

Tara became a little self-conscious after Willow’s remark about her eyeglasses, and reddened a bit. “Goodnight.”

She watched Willow until she disappeared into the darkness of the night. Tara decided that it was time to give her body and mind a much deserved rest and walked towards the door. The events today had proven too much for her. There was a strange sensation tormenting her now and she was worried about Anya being serious about hitting on Willow. And Buffy calling Willow on the cell phone surprisingly disturbed Tara. But where were these emotions coming from? She wondered. Why did it suddenly occupy her heart?


TBC

[watersong84]

Mmm... Tara in glasses. Swoon.

Yay! They finally met! Did i mention yay?

“Oh yeah?!” Anya retaliated. “So, you won’t mind if I go after her.”

Now that would be funny!

I hope everything gets cleared up soon about Willow and Buffy... hopefully. And I hope Faith comes back (because I know that was Faith) so that Buffy doesn't have to keep pining over Willow.

Update soon, please!

-Alyssa

[r0ckin_penguin1o18]

hey this is a totally awesome fic. i hope you continue with it. and willow and tara are really written in the stars for this one. i love it and i can't wait for you next update. i just know willow and tara are gonna be together soon great job!

[freakgirl105]

Tara is totally in love with Willow! Hee hee hee! I love it! Anya and Willow girlfriends !!!!! Love it! WOoooooooooooo! Tara's back in town, and Willow is so going to get her girl in the end!

[AlysonGoddess]

YAY Great update!!! Im glad willow and Tara got to see eachother again i wonder how there gunna get together update soon plz!!! preferably before friday cuz im going to college Summers almost over

ERIN

[LesbianJedi87]

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE! Im way too happy to give proper feedback, but Ill try to talk and type properly!
This was just so awesome! I love the fact that Tara totally WANTS Willow and doesn't think of her just as a friend and all. And damnit Willow does sound hot lol Willow should hurry and tell Tara she loves her, they should have some hot hot sex and that'll be that I hope you update soon!! This is just awesome!

[cosmic dancer]

A really good update

Tara really didn't expect to feel as she did, she currently seems more confused than Willow. Willow did at least always have a crush on Tara.

Tara needs to check her hearing though!

Willow said:
“Oh no! I’m... I’m dateless... I mean, I only consider them as friends, on various occasions they lose their minds and act crazy in front of me, but I never go out with anybody. Coz... I’m only in love with just one person,”

but Tara thought:
“So she has a girlfriend?”

Where did she get that from?!

Clearly Willow is still in love with Tara and that is the person she was refering to.

I look forward to the next installment.

~Sez

[eirnlove]

argh! misunderstandments! killing me!

[YMKA]

Hey!

Just found this fic (read most of it at work.....bad me )... At first I thought it was ...strange...the idea of them having 10 years (or so ) in between them. But that was also the thing that attracted my attention....I'm just really interested in seeing where you going to go with th story... Sometimes I got confused with the time and how old each of them was, but I kinda got it eventually Oh...and who was that mysterious girl?....I was thinking Faith...and Buffy's having a crush on her....but I was wrong.... Buffy has a crush on Willow .. Oh and another question, if Buffy was having feelings for Willow forever ("“After all these years, you still don’t have a clue?!”").....why was she dating every single boy? What? To make Willow jealous? Well...many questions Hope to find answers in the following updates!!!

Thanks!
M.

P.S Btw.....NEW JERSEY ROCKS!!!!!

[JustSkipIt]

Hey there,
Well I can see Trom's influence in this update. It reads much cleaner and clearer. It's quite good to find out that Tara is (or was) gay so at least that won't be too much of a surprise. I can't believe Anya is saying that she'll hit on Willow now. What a jerk. You do a very good job of portraying the connection between the girls and in showing Willow's confidence. I'm looking forward to more.

[StarCat]

I have to really applaude you on this update. You are really talented and this is one of my favorite stories. You couldn't have made Willow and Tara's reunion any better. It was written very well. After that great update, you definately deserve this ---->

I can't wait for the next update. I'M ADDICTED !

[kristyn]

Keep up the good work.

I'm very much a fan.


-Kristyn

[ambercissism]

Hi Kittens! I know you're all waiting for the next update. I've already sent it for the final betaing. So hopefully you'll have it within this week.

I'd like to thank you all for those wonderful replies you don't have any idea how happy I was reading your replies! You're all so nice THANK YOU SO MUCH!


watersong84: Thanks again Alyssa for the first reply It sounds like you enjoyed Anya's presence in the story. With regards to Willow and Buffy, you'll find out in the later chapters what really is going on between them. don't you think is hot in glasses?!

r0ckin_penguin1o18: Hey there! Thanks for the reply I'm glad you find it awesome. It sure is nice to see that there are more kittens who appreciate my writing through their replies. You're right about that, is really written in the stars.

freakgirl105: Hiya! Thanks So happy to know that you love it. You're right about that, is totally in love with , but can't accept it yet.

AlsonGoddess: Hello Erin! First I wanna apologize for not updating before the day that you preferred. But I do hope everything is going well in college. Oh! And thanks!

LesbianJedi87: I'm so happy to read your feedback too! Thanks for that awesome reply. Well, you did managed to give a proper feedback But with regards to "hot hot sex" . We have to wait for to become 18, so that in that way everything would be legal

cosmic dancer: Hello Sez! Thanks! It's so nice to hear from you again you're absolutely right about Tara being more confused than Willow.

Well, Tara is so bewildered with what she's feeling now, that's why everything around her is not clear.

Please PM me when you already post your story.

eirnlove: Hi! Thanks for leaving a reply Misunderstanding? Well, that's really frustrating And you'll see more of that soon.

I_Love_Danish: Hallo! It's so nice to hear from you again Aw, thanks for letting me know that you're a reliable keeper-ish person i'm glad you liked the update. Yup! is still with

YMKA: Hi! I'm so glad that you found my humble fic and took time reading it. And thank you for the nice reply. I'm flattered that it made you interested and even read most of it at your work.

Buffy realized that she's attracted to Willow, when Willow cut her hair. At first (when they're still freshman) Buffy's slowly developing her feelings to Willow but she's not yet ready to tell it to Willow. So, Buffy still went out with the boys, trying to figure out if this feelings she had for Willow was just a phase. But as the years went by, she fully realized that she likes Willow. That's why she decided to break up with Scott.

If there's anything more that is not clear to you, I'd be happy to explain it Just let me know.

JustSkipIt: Hey Debra! I'm so happy and excited to hear from you again! Thank you for leaving a reply again to my humble fic

I'm glad you like the last update.

StarCat: Aww, thanks It's wonderful to know that my fic is one of your favorite stories. It really feels good to know that. Thanks again.

kristyn: Thank you Kristyn. It feels amazing to know that my fic had a fan. That's so nice of you to tell that. It makes me more inspired to write

[ambercissism]

Title: WRITTEN IN THE STARS

Author: ambercissism

Disclaimer: Tara and Willow, and so are the other characters from BTVS are not mine, they belonged to Joss W. and ME, I’m just borrowing them. However, I do own this story and some characters that did not appear in BTVS. I’m not gaining any money from this, just here to provide some Willow-Tara goodness.

Author’s Note: I have been lurking for months now and decided to delurke coz I’d like to share this. This is my first story on Kitten Board, and I hope I could in any way please the Kittens with this fic. It’s totally AU and Romance. Just tell me if this sucks… A big thanks to my talented beta-readers, Rain and Trom DeGrey. Thoughts are in Italics.

Feedbacks: Yes, please. Constructive criticisms are welcome too. I’d be happy to know what are my mistakes and weaknesses in writing.

Rating: It’s G for the first chapter. But it’ll go on to an R. Don’t worry I’m going to give a warning. There's gonna be angst on the later chapters.

Summary: Young Willow Rosenberg had her first crush and tried declaring her love to a beautiful but older girl. Unfortunately, her love was never accepted. A crush developed into an obsession, and now, as an adult, she was given another chance to profess her undying love to the same person… This time, will she succeed?


Chapter 8 [center] Closer or Further[/center]


It was a pleasant evening with a crisp autumn breeze blowing gently through the open window of a bedroom, playing with the curtains surrounding it.

‘ How strange’, Willow thought, as her eyes stared blankly at the cream-colored walls of her room. Just last summer, she had tried to eradicate Tara from her mind. She had thought that her love for Tara was hopeless, as if she was chasing a star that was unreachable. And now, fate seemed to be mocking her, as the source of her obsession had reappeared, making her life more complicated.

Willow tossed around restlessly against the softness of her bed. She couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge that the love of her life indeed had returned. A part of her had died of frustration every time she had dreamt of Tara. There were so many times that Tara has visited her in her dreams, thoughts, imagination… but only to be thwarted at the end as reality pulled her away from her delusion.

Willow had spent most of her teenage life nurturing her love for Tara and declining every potential lover that came her way. Now that Tara was back, Willow realized that the feelings she had treasured for so long were still intact and preserved in her heart. It was undeniable that Tara was the only one in her life that she had ever dreamt of having and now, she would spend forever holding on to those feelings and fighting for that love if she had to. How she yearned to make Tara hers now! She had waited for so long to make this dream come true, there was no way that she would allow this chance slip away..

****************************
The following day, Willow was busy daydreaming about Tara when a loud voice startled everybody in the room. A beautiful lady with dark hair arrived in the classroom.

“Miss Summers and Miss Lehane, you’re both needed at the principal’s office!” Ms. Calendar declared.

Willow turned to Buffy and gave her best friend a questioning look, then mouthed the word, “Why?”

“I’ll fill you in later,” was Buffy’s worried but firm reply. She then rose from her seat and walked out of the classroom, followed by the other student that was called.

“What in the frilly heck is going on here?” Willow heard the question from the dark haired guy who was seated behind her.

“You’re asking the wrong person,” Willow replied, shifting her sight back to the teacher, who had already started with the lecture. “I think you should ask Buffy,” she mumbled back.

“You bet! Coz I’m tired of you girls going all whispery behind my back!”

“Xander! Do you want to join them too?!” Ms. Calendar threatened, leaving no room for argument.

“Oops, sorry.”

*****************************************
After her class and an unsatisfactory explanation from Buffy, Willow snuck away from her friends. She hadn’t mentioned a word to anyone that Tara was back in Sunnydale. She thought that she would take time for a while to enjoy having Tara to herself without having to deal with any unnecessary criticism from her friends. If her hunch was correct, and if she remembered her mother’s conversation with Tara and Anya yesterday, they would be busy preparing for the grand opening of their business.

Instead of taking the school bus, Willow chose the route that led to the Espresso Pump. After walking for several minutes, she was excited to see the Magic Box. Willow remembered the little shop from when she was a kid, but had never gotten the chance to go in. But now, she would definitely go there more often, she said to herself and grinned at the thought of it.

Her hunch proved right, as she peeped through the Venetian blinds-covered window of the shop and saw Tara and Anya arranging and unloading items from inside boxes which were scattered all over the little gift shop. Willow’s heart raced with anticipation as she gazed at her beloved. She had never seen Tara look so sexy and stunning in her life. Before making her appearance, Willow indulged in the sight of Tara first and scanned her curvaceous physique. It was causing her to become disoriented. ”Her hands are so graceful,” Willow thought and sighed. She stared with amazement at the feminine elegance of Tara’s hands putting each item that was in the box onto the shelf. “I could go on like this,” she thought, gazing tirelessly at the love of her life and finding every movement of Tara’s fascinating and dazzling.

Willow realized that she had ogled long enough when she felt a tingling sensation in her center and discovered that she was shaking with arousal. She tried to compose herself. After a few deep breaths, Willow headed towards the door and knocked hard. A few seconds later, a curly blonde answered the door, and to Willow’s surprise the woman was ogling back at her. Feeling guilty at having ogled at Tara before she came in, Willow was in a state of panic as she found herself the one being ogled. It gave her the creeps when she caught Anya’s eyes leering at her whole body frame.

Still flushed, Willow gulped, gathered all her strength and said, “Hi! Is… is Tara here?!”

The look on the Anya’s face changed at the mention of Tara and she said, “What if I said no?”

“Umm… But I just saw her. Can I come in?”

“I should’ve known…” The comment was left unfinished as Anya pulled the door wider, allowing Willow to enter.

As she walked further, Willow’s face beamed at the sudden appearance of Tara as she emerged from the room at the farthest end of the shop.

“Hey kiddo! What’re you doin’ here?” Tara said.

Willow heard Tara’s surprised and enthusiastic remark and felt giddy to find her in such a good mood.

“I just finished school and figured that you guys might be here,” Willow said.

“Well, I’m glad you dropped by. We could use a little help,” Tara said and flashed a lopsided grin.

“Oh! Helpy, that’s me! I’d love to! If there’s anyone you should call, that’s me!” Willow returned instantly in her cute hyper childish voice. “So where do you want me to start?!” she asked, settling her books and backpack on the wooden round table.

“You could start with me,” Anya’s remarked.

“Come again?” Willow asked. She darted a look behind the counter and saw Anya smiling back at her naughtily.

Tara shot a glare at her best friend, warning Anya to behave.

“Willow, don’t listen to her!” Tara said. “Come here, I’ll show you where to start.” Tara then beckoned her towards the other room.

“Oh, that’s right! Go ahead and lock Willow up with you!” Anya declared. “You’re so selfish Tara!”

“What’s with her?” Willow queried as Tara closed the door behind them.

“It’s a full moon tonight,” Tara replied nonchalantly.

Willow worked more than three hours at the Magic shop and she was happy and proud to have helped Tara. When the clock turned seven thirty, Tara decided they should stop and they all proceeded over to the Maclay’s house.

Thirty minutes passed by and Willow found herself relaxing on the couch watching something on the tube, with Tara sitting between she and Anya. “I love this,” Willow mused and stole another glance at Tara who was sitting beside her, with only a throw pillow keeping them apart. From where she was sitting, Willow could smell the scent of light jasmine perfume emanating from Tara. She longed to put her nose onto that creamy neck. But Willow’s reverie was interrupted when the doorbell rang.

“Tara, hurry! That must be the pizza guy!” Anya blurted out, motioning for her best friend to stand up and get the door quickly. “I’m starving!”

Tara rose and went to answer the door.

Willow’s stomach suddenly growled and she realized how hungry she was. Her nose caught the smell of pepperoni pizza lingering in the air as Tara came back into the living room carrying the box.

“Hungry?” Tara asked, placing the box of pizza on the wooden fir varnished center table.

“Yup! My tummy is rumbly,” Willow replied excitedly, as Tara opened the box right in front of her and revealed a large pizza.

“It’s about time,” Anya murmured.

Tara took the biggest slice and handed it to Willow with care “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Willow uttered and looked up at Tara who seemed amused seeing her giddy over the sight of the pizza in front of her.

“So where are our drinks?” Anya chimed in.

“Oh yeah,” Tara acknowledged and was about to run towards the kitchen but turned back towards Willow. “Willow what do you want to drink?” she asked.

“Milk, please?”

“Of course!” Tara commented as she remembered the last time she served Willow a glass of milk. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Tara smiled back at Willow and was about to fetch the drinks in the fridge when…

“I could breastfeed you, if you want,” Anya offered boldly, and gave Willow a lascivious grin.

Willow instantly blushed at Anya’s half-witted comment and focused her eyes on the pizza in front of her as if it was the most interesting thing in the whole universe.

“Anya! Stop that!” Tara reprimanded and beckoned for Willow to follow her. “Come here Willow, it’s not safe for you to be around my lunatic friend.”

Willow rose from her seat, carrying her pizza and went over to Tara. Tara wrapped her arm around Willow protectively and led her to the kitchen.

“Does that mean Tara’s milk is better than mine?!” Anya uttered.

“Shut up!” Tara yelled back. And then turned to the teenager and looked at Willow with worry. “Are you okay?” Her voice was comforting.

Willow just nodded and grinned back at Tara, who was making her hot and stirred up at the sudden contact of her arm over her shoulder. But Willow was disappointed as they reached the dining table and Tara released her.

“You’ll be safe here,” Tara proclaimed and gave her a lopsided grin. Tara pulled out a chair for Willow to sit in. Willow obeyed like a little girl and sat, while Tara took two canned sodas and a carton of milk from the fridge. She placed them on the table and went back to grab a glass for the milk from the cupboard.

Willow was glad that Tara had decided to leave Anya in the living room. Now she had Tara all to herself.

“Here’s your milk,” Tara said, pouring the milk and sliding the glass to Willow.

“Thanks.”

“Could you just wait for me here?” Tara asked. “I’ll just give this to Anya,” she said referring to the can of Sprite on her hand.

“Okay.”

A minute later, Willow felt Tara’s presence behind her. The next thing she knew, the chair beside her was pulled out. Willow was delighted when Tara sat down next to her.

“I brought you some more,” Tara explained and handed another slice of pizza to Willow.

Willow felt overwhelmed at the sight of Tara offering her more food and making sure that she was all right and stuffed. Willow wished that she lived here. She ate the pizza in front of her as if it was the most delicious meal she had ever eaten.

“Will you be working again at the shop?” Willow asked after swallowing the last bite.

“No, it’s almost done,” Tara responded in between chewing. “By the way, thanks for helping.”

“Don’t mention it,” Willow returned with a smile. “So, what are you doin’ tomorrow?” she asked not wanting to waste a moment of not being with Tara.

“Tomorrow? Let’s see… I’m gonna stay here and make some calls for the opening of the Magic Box,” Tara started, as she paused in between to swallow the pizza. “And Anya is going to LA.”

“Los Angeles?” Willow remarked. Anya being away would give her a chance to be totally alone with Tara. “Is she coming back on the same day?”

“The following day,” Tara continued and then glanced at Willow who seemed to be contemplating. “I could use some company,” she added with a smile. But then, Tara got bewildered. ’Do I really just need some company?’ For the passed few days, it seemed like she had been continuously craving Willow’s presence.

Willow’s ears seemed as if they were flipping in joy when she heard the request and gazed at Tara with so much hope in her eyes.

“I would love to,” she replied and displayed her Willowgrin.

“You’re really so cute when you smile like that,” Tara uttered and gazed adoringly at Willow’s face.

Willow instantly blushed at the look that she received from Tara, and had to hide her cheeks and ducked her head a bit. Unintentionally, her eyes caught sight of the watch on her wrist and she almost jumped at the time.

“Whoa! I think I better get going now,” Willow exclaimed, seeing it was almost eleven at night.

“Oh my gosh, Willow! I’m sorry to keep you so long,” Tara apologized. “Does your mom know that you’re here?”

“Err… no,” Willow replied feebly.

“I think you better go home,” Tara suggested as they stood up. “She might be worrying by now.”

*****************************************

It had rained all day, leaving everything in sight completely soaked, glistening when the slightest amount of light touched upon the wet surfaces. When evening came, her hopes of seeing Willow ran low. Tara had waited for her with eagerness and excitement as if she hadn’t seen Willow for a long time. She continued pacing back and forth in the living room, stopping only when the doorbell rang.

Expecting that it was Willow, Tara opened the door wearing the sweetest smile. But all her excitement vanished when a tall dark-haired man instantly wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Wes… Wha-What are you doin’ here?” Tara questioned, looking at the familiar figure in complete shock.

“I came to surprise you!” he responded. “May I come in?”

“Su-sure.”

“So, this is your house.” It was more of a statement than a question as the man roamed his eyes around the cottage-style house. “It’s fabulous.” He took a seat and smiled at a dazed Tara.

“How did you find out my address?” she queried.

“I called your mother,” he returned. “Tara, I know that the last time we talked was very unpleasant.”

“What else do you want?” she said, dismay clear in her voice. “You’ve already made your point.”
“I know, and I was wrong. That’s why I’m here.”

“Wes, if you’re going to insist again that I move to London with you, it won’t happen.”

“I totally understand that. And I’m aware that my job was the one that was keeping us from being together, that’s why I quit!”

“Yo-you did what?!”

“Tara, I want to be with you,” Wesley proclaimed and took her hand. “I realized that for this relationship to work out, I needed to be near you.”

“But you can’t do that!” Tara blurted. “I mean, that’s a family business. You can’t just leave your company for me,” she tried again.

“I don’t care, I love you Tara.”

“Oh. Umm… you know… I think we need to talk.”

“That’s why I’m here.”

“Oh my god.” Tara sighed. Just when she thought that everything was all right, along came a part of her past that she thought was already over. “So, where are you stayin’?”

“I didn’t book a hotel,” he answered. “Can’t I stay here?”

But before she could utter a reply, the phone rang. “C-could you e-excuse me f-for a m-minute?”

“Sure.”

“H-Hello?” was her agitated answer.

“Tara?” she heard the voice, and just the mere sound of it stirred her. “It’s me, Willow.”

“Oh. Hey.” Her voice suddenly mellowed, but was still shaking.

“Are you okay?” Willow asked. “You sound a little jumpy.”

“Umm… I-I’m o-okay,” Tara replied. But then there was a sudden pause, as if the person on the other line was not convinced.

“You sure?”

“Ye-yeah.”

“I just called to tell you that I’m on my way now,” the enthusiastic voice informed. “My mom asked me to do some errands. That’s why I wasn’t able to come sooner than planned.”

“Oh, about that. Umm… maybe you should just stay home,” Tara returned. “Coz it’s raining hard outside and I don’t want you to get sick.”

“But I want to come, and I don’t get sick by the rain,” Willow insisted.

Tara was paling from the tension of having Wesley inside her house and Willow insisting on coming over. She couldn’t even make a simple plan and was left blank for a moment. But then, Tara’s attention was distracted by the voice on the living room.

Seeing that Tara was worried, Wesley asked, “Tara, are you all right?”

“Ju-just a minute!”

“Is Anya home?” Willow inquired.

“Umm… N-no. Willow, I-I th-think this is n-not the ri-right ti-time for y-you to c-come,” she stuttered badly. “I-I’ll call y-you to-tomorrow. Bye.” She hurriedly put the phone back on its cradle, not waiting for Willow to respond. Guilt was rapidly spreading through her body and she was in total distress.

*********************************************

Not being able to sleep well, Willow left her house early and decided to drop by Tara’s house first before going to school. On her way to Tara’s home she couldn’t help but worry. Last night Tara’s bizarre action of cutting their conversation short baffled her.

“Something is not right,” she muttered. She had felt like that since last night.

With a backpack and her Advanced Physics and Calculus books in her hand, she opened the gate of the Maclay’s and went to the front door. Before knocking, she fixed her hair first and sprayed some mint in her mouth. After she made sure that she was presentable, Willow knocked on the wooden door. For a minute, nothing seemed to be moving inside. Again, she knocked and a few seconds later, she heard the sound of the locks open. She looked forward to seeing Tara first thing in the morning.

But everything seemed to fall apart when she saw a male figure standing in the doorway dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts, his hair disheveled and his eyes half opened,

“Yes? May I help you?” the still groggy man asked.

“Is…Is Tara there?” she queried, while her eyes surveyed the man.

“She’s still sleeping, could I just take a message?”

As the words registered to her mind, only one conclusion was made in her thoughts. Without giving a reply, Willow turned and walked away, leaving the man puzzled.


TBC

[LesbianJedi87]

heeey cliffhangers are MEAN!! YAY update! woot! Ugh Wesley...ew ew ew....and funny Anya hitting on poor clueless Willow! Love's it!! Im oh so happy this was updated, I needed something great great GREAT to read!! Thanks a bunch! I look forward to the next update which I hope will be soon!!!! It'll be soon right??? Are ya nodding yes? Ok!! "sits and waits"

[Krokador]

whaa! No, not wesley! You don't have the right to put wesley between Tara and Willow that's sooo mean

But I love the fic, keep this going, I looove updates as much as I hate cliffhangers (but I can stand them, just, can't wait for the next update y'know )

[cosmic dancer]

I can't believe you left such a big cliffhanger , but ... wow ... what an update! I really enjoyed reading that. I love angst!

Poor Willow:

But everything seemed to fall apart when she saw a male figure standing in the doorway dressed only in a pair of boxer shorts, his hair disheveled and his eyes half opened,

You can easily see how she could have got the wrong idea. I think anyone would have done. I don't think she really has any idea yet that Tara might be interested in her and now she must think that she has a boyfriend and never told her. Willow must really be suffering. I'll be interested to see what Wesley tells Tara about Willows brief visit and how Tara responds. I'm also wondering how serious the relationship between Tara and Wesley was. He must think it was really something to chuck in his job to be with her.

I like the idea of Tara running Magic Box. Does this mean that you'll make at least one of them a witch? You haven't mentioned any magic at all so far.

Also I hope that you will let us know at some point why Buffy was in trouble at school. I'm interested to know what she did, even though she isn't a main character.

I'm wishing I could read the next chapter already! I hope it's not too long coming

~ Sez

[StarCat]

What is it with guys answering other people's doors. First Oz, now Wesley. But I do like the way you are throwing in little obstacles in their path to each other. I got to say you really caught me off guard on that one. I thought for sure that Buffy will be causing the trouble. I just hope Tara eases Willow's mind soon about Wesley. But then again, why would she? Tara has no idea that Willow loves her. Oh this is so not good. Awesome update. Nice Job !

[JustSkipIt]

Hey,
Well that seems quite frustrating. I mean obviously Tara doesn't want Wesley but he's here anyway. I mean I'd guess he's staying on the couch until she can send him on his merry way. But poor Willow doesn't know that. Hmmm... angst ahead.

[r0ckin_penguin1o18]

awesome cliffhanger!!! woo and hooo! rock on..keep it up..it's sooo good! more gimme..i want more...gimme

[AlysonGoddess]

WOW YES! AN UPDATE!!!! And a really great update but with a grr argh cliffhanger at the end! What was Wesley doing in his boxers!? hmmmmm Hopefully he wasnt doing what im thinking cuz grrrrr. Omg update soon please!!!! And thanks for the long update that was super awesome!!! Please please continue whew ok im out Peace!..Oh and by the way college is super

ERIN

[ambercissism]

LesbianJedi 87 : I knew you’ll gonna react to the cliffhanger! You know what, your reply always makes me laugh, coz you seemed full of spirit and likes “Written…” so much (am I right?). Thanks for considering it “great”, and you’re welcome too about the update.

Krokador : Hey there! I’m happy to see a new name on the reply thread. Thank you for the feedback, I really appreciate it. Every time I see a new name, it makes me happy to know that there are more kittens who appreciate my writing. Sorry for the cliffhanger, but I got an update now. Hope to hear for you again.

I_love_Danish : I know that you’re still on your holiday when I post this update. I wanna make sure that you’ll have an update to read by the time you return. Hope you won’t miss this.

Aww, that’s just a wonderful feedback. I’m glad you still love this story. Well, I hope you’ve had a fantastic holiday!

cosmic dancer : Hello Sez! It’s so nice to hear from you again. I really liked the long feedback. Yeah, I know, it’s so mean of me to leave you kittens with a cliffhanger. But I hope the update makes up for it.

You can easily see how she could have got the wrong idea. I think anyone would have done. I don't think she really has any idea yet that Tara might be interested in her and now she must think that she has a boyfriend and never told her. Willow must really be suffering

.

I like that you noticed Willow’s reaction and jumping into conclusion when she saw Wesley in boxers. It seems you feel the pain too that Willow feels. Your question would be answered on this update, and the rest on the later updates. I’m gonna insert it in the coming chapters.

No, there won’t be any witch in this story, and no magic either. I usually write AU stories. I like basing my stories in real life, coz I find it challenging. But sometimes it’s hard too, coz I need to be more realistic than real life.

Oh yes! I’ll go through Buffy’s character sooner. I just need to put something there in preparation for the coming updates. Hope it’s not confusing.


StarCat : Hiya! Thanks again for your awesome reply it always gives me the “happy feeling”.

What is it with guys answering other people's doors. First Oz, now Wesley

When I read it, I was confused coz I never mentioned Oz in the story, and then I suddenly remember that you’re referring to the scene in New Moon Rising where Oz answered the door at Willow’s dorm when Tara came to see Willow. So, yeah, that made sense to me now.

I hope you’ll like this update more.

JustskipIt : YAY!!! Hi Debra! Honestly, whenever I see your name on the reply thread, I always feel more inspired to write.

I mean I'd guess he's staying on the couch until she can send him on his merry way

You have guessed it right. Yup! You’re now entering the angst zone.

Btw, advance Happy Birthday!


r0ckin-penguin1o18 : I’m so happy to hear from you again. Well, it seems you enjoyed the last update very much… Let’s hope you’ll like more the new update. Tell me what you think, if this is worse than the last one. The cliffhanger, I mean.

AlysonGoddess : Hi ERIN! I knew you’ll gonna love the update. Thanks again for that “excite-y” feedback! Well, this one is not that long as the other, but hope you’ll like it too. It’s nice to know that college is super!

[ambercissism]

Hello kittens! I'm so pleased to receive all your wonderful replies/feedbacks. Thanks again. It really is a good motivator. I just wanna put a warning. You're now entering the "angst zone". Enjoy the update.


Chapter 9
[center]SHATTERED DREAMS[/center]


“Good morning!” was the blissful remark that greeted Tara as she descended downstairs and saw the dark-haired man, half covered with a comforter, still lying on the couch.

“Good morning,” was Tara’s feeble reply, as her feet touched the first floor. “Did you…did you sleep well?”

“I did. Thank you very much for letting me stay last night,” he replied. “By the way, someone dropped by earlier.”

“This morning?” was her curious remark. “Who could that be?” she mused, but was suddenly distracted when Wesley rose and the comforter slid off of him and she caught him just in boxers. Tara averted her eyes.

“Oh! I’m terribly sorry,” Wesley exclaimed and grabbed the polo shirt that was laid on the other end of the couch, followed by his trousers.

When the awkwardness dissipated…

“As I was saying,” he proceeded while buttoning his shirt. “Someone came by and when I told her that you were still sleeping, she just left without saying a word. It’s so strange because…”

“Wait a minute! You said her?”

“I suppose so,” Wesley remarked and was now tucking the shirt in his trousers. “Though she looked quite like a boy.”

A profound anxiety came rushing her and Tara instantly knew who the person was. However, she found herself fidgeting and wondered why Willow didn’t ask and wait for her to wake up. “Did she…. Umm say something?”

“No, I actually asked her if she had a message for you, but she just took off,” Wesley returned.

“Oh no!” Distress surged inside her body with the image of a bewildered Willow. Tara hoped Willow did not jumped into conclusion by thinking that Wesley slept with her.

*****

After giving Wesley a short tour of the Magic Box, Tara felt a little relieved when she saw Anya enter the shop.

“What took you so long?” Tara asked her best friend immediately. She had been distracted since this morning and she didn’t even bother asking Anya how the trip went. What mattered to her now was finding Willow.

But instead of answering Tara’s question, Anya’s probing eyes diverted to Wesley. “So, what do we have here?” she asked in surprise as Wesley gave her a nod and warm smile. “Did you just come all the way from London?”

“Yes, I did,” he replied, and gave her a proud smile.

“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Anya returned. “You’re not planning on reconciling with Tara, do you? Coz she’s alr…”

Anya’s mouth was instantly covered by Tara’s hand, “Could you give us a minute?” Tara said to Wesley, as she hauled her best friend to the farthest corner of the room, while Wesley continued studying every item on the shelves.

“Will you please shut your mouth!” Tara mumbled. “There will be no reconciliation and I don’t want you giving any comments about anything to him, understood?”

“Alright! I get it!” Anya uttered, and brushed Tara’s hand off of hers.

“By the way, I have to do something,” Tara informed. “Could you just keep him company?”

“Yes, I will. But this is gonna cost you,” Anya retorted.

Tara just glared on her and approached Wesley, who was still preoccupied by the things that he had seen around him.

“Umm… Wesley,” she called and he turned around and faced her. “I… I-I got th-this thing to do. I- I’ll see you la-later.”

“Oh. Do you mind if I come along then?” Wesley wished.

“Well, it’s… it’s kinda not a good idea,”

“Why?”

“Umm… coz I’m… I’m helping someone…” Tara reasoned out. “This g-girl asked me to h-help her with her pro-project,” she explained as calm as she could and then glanced at the wall clock on the shop. “Oh! She’s already h-home by now, I-I th-think I better g-go.”

Tara had already stepped up and was about to head for the door, but she felt someone grab her arm.

“Will you be back right away?” Wesley asked, holding her arm as if not wanting Tara to disappear out of his sight. “Coz I was thinking… perhaps we could have some dinner tonight.”

“Oh… umm… I’m not sure… talk to you later, okay?” Tara rationalized and ran towards the door before Wesley could grab her again.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Tara’s worries couldn’t be appeased. It was nearly dark and she knew that Willow would have been home by now. She knew that she should have called first, but with Wesley around her it would have been distracting.

Striding on her way, “Why am I doing this?” she wondered suddenly. It was crazy that she was drowning in worries about Willow seeing Wesley in her house! It didn’t make sense, she mused on.

*****

Lying on the couch and wallowing in pain in the emptiness of their house Willow had decided not to go to school. ”What’s the use, when your mind is disoriented today,” she said to herself. Her mother had left earlier and she was thankful for the temporary solitude that she had right now.

How painful this day was for her! Willow had longed for Tara, cared for Tara like she had never cared for anyone before and when she saw Tara once again on that Sunday afternoon, everything seemed to brighten up for her and she had thanked the fates for bringing Tara back into her life. Willow had thought that Tara’s return to Sunnydale was the beginning of her dream becoming a reality, of her wish being fulfilled.

Holding on to her dreams was what she had been doing ever since she was eight. Willow had always cherished and protected her dream, believed in it, had faith in it and even saved a place in her heart for it. Some called her crazy for doing this, but that’s what she believed.

However, the plaguing thought of Tara lying beside a man had shattered that dream. What could have been more excruciating to witness other than catching the sight of the man that had just slept with the one that she loved? “How cruel love is!” Willow thought. No matter how hard she tried, how long she had waited, how tight she had gripped, Willow just couldn’t imagine that love would betray her.

“Why can’t you just be the one to love me?!” Willow hoped, wishing that she did not have to feel this way. It made her feel like dying, to be in love with Tara, and yet, Tara didn’t even notice!”


How was she supposed to feel secure and go on with her life now? Willow always wondered when Tara would ever love her back. Willow had waited for so long, suffered for so long, deprived herself for so long of the good things that life could offer her. She had turned her back on all those people who have offered love to her, resisted the temptations knowing that she wouldn’t be happy and complete without Tara in her life, without Tara’s love, with out Tara’s touch. How Willow longed to be hers! But what would happen now? Could she still hold on to it?

It was a hard reality now, seeing that even if her Tara was there to stay, Tara wasn’t hers to claim.

*****

“So, what did you do in LA?” Wesley asked, sitting at the stool beside the counter.

“Business trip,” Anya replied dryly, while arranging the jars behind the counter. “Although I didn’t gain any money from it.”

“And may I ask, why?” Wesley asked.

“Coz we’re trying to find another business partner,” Anya returned nonchalantly. “But this guy in LA backed out.”

“Hmm… quite interesting,” he commented, contemplating what Anya told him. “So, tell me, what exactly are your plans?”


*****

It was so strange that Willow was absent today and not answering her cell phone. At home, Buffy hit the redial button for the seventh time, hoping that Willow might be home now. Still, the ringing just persisted. As soon as she arrived home, the first thing that she had done was dial Willow’s cell number and the telephone number of Willow’s house.

“This isn’t good,” Buffy told herself. She had been trying to get a hold of her best friend ever since this afternoon and right after their class finished, but all her attempts had failed. Not waiting another minute, Buffy put on her sweater again and left the living room.

“Mom! I’m goin’ to Willow’s!” she shouted toward the kitchen, as she walked towards the door.

“All right! But don’t stay out too late!” Joyce’s declared.

“I won’t!” Buffy shouted back.

Once outside, Buffy couldn’t help wondering what had happened to her best friend. Whenever Willow was not in school due to sickness, she always told her. Willow rarely took an absence without any valid reason and Buffy felt something was really wrong.

“Hope nothing bad happened to her,” Buffy worried along the way.

After more than ten minutes, Buffy found herself in front of the Rosenberg’s main door. She knocked and waited for an answer. After a few minutes of not receiving a reply, Buffy pressed her ear to the door, hoping to find out if someone was home. Buffy lightened a bit when she heard music playing and recognized Allison Krauss’ That Kind of Love playing. Buffy knew without a doubt that Willow was inside and banged on the door again.

“Willow! Open up!” Buffy shouted and continued knocking hard and didn’t stop until she heard the locks on the other side click open.

A few seconds later, the door opened and there, Buffy saw her best friend’s haggard feature and Willow’s sad soulful green eyes staring at her languidly. Willow’s face was soaked with tears streaming from her melancholy eyes.

How fragile Willow looked and as Buffy was about to ask what happened, Willow threw herself on Buffy and wrapped her arms around Buffy’s waist, weeping like a child on Buffy’s shoulder.

“Hey, what happened?” Buffy whispered tenderly in Willow’s ear, but didn’t receive a reply as Willow’s weeping continued. Seeing that she couldn’t coax an answer out of her, Buffy held Willow tighter, “Shh… It’s okay. I’m here,” Buffy consoled and stroked Willow’s hair.

Buffy had never seen Willow this vulnerable before and it worried her. She just let Willow wail openly on her shoulder. As this comforting moment between them transpired, Buffy had no clue that the person who was causing her best friend’s agony was just meters away from getting to them.

Sweating in distress and desperate to explain everything to Willow, Tara slowed down and was confounded when her sight caught the two figures by the front door of the Rosenberg’s house.

Tara felt a searing pain piercing through her heart as she took another step, neared Willow’s home and perceived who the figures were. She was left distraught upon witnessing Willow’s arms tightly enclosed around Buffy’s waist, while her eyes pained at the sight of Buffy caressing Willow’s back and hair. And how her heart bled as she witnessed Willow’s face nuzzled protectively at Buffy’s neck!

TBC