As promised, here’s the unbeta’d update. I hope my betas won’t kill me for doing this.
I just wanna give something for you kittens this Holiday…
To: tru2urheart, AlysonGoddess, k-prime, Kaia, tarawillowfan562, LittleKitten85, Drut, willow_tara_always, LesbianJedi87 and I_love_Danish. This chapter is specially for all of you! Thanks for letting me know what you all think…
Author's Note: I just wanna put a note here so it won't be confusing. It said above that it was unbeta'd. But what you're about to read now was the beta'd update.
Chapter 12 [center]Choices Of The Hearts[/center]
Willow was absent-mindedly watching the late night talk show when the phone startled her.
“Who could this be?” she wondered as she glanced at her wristwatch and saw that it was way past eleven. The ringing persisted and Willow idly stood up and decided to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
*****
“H-hello?” Tara stuttered. “It’s…me… Tara,” she fumbled for words and doubted if she had really done the right thing. “I hope I d-didn’t wake you,” she whispered. “I was hoping you…” Another pause occurred, and then she took a deep breath, "… might have time to meet me tomorrow?”
After receiving a reply, she said, “Y-yeah, that’ll be g-great. I’ll s-see you then.” She breathed a sigh of relief as she hung up the phone.
*****
“Hello?” Buffy uttered softly. Hearing just a single word, she knew that she had upset this person and she began to feel nervous. “I’m… I’m sorry I haven’t called,” she began to apologize, and yet there was still silence on the other line. “It’s just that… I freaked out… when you told me that… you know,” she babbled. “I was… kinda wonderin’ if we could talk… tomorrow… before my first period?”
*****
No matter how hard she tried to doze off, Tara sensed that this would be another difficult night for her. She was agitated. She had been brave enough to make that call, but hadn’t really considered what the outcome of that move might be.
“What have I done?!” she started to panic.
Sometimes Tara hated when she would just decide on impulse. But she had to do this, to find out what she really wanted and if she ever really had these feelings for this person or not.
Her heart had been yearning for something. A part of her was searching for her shining star and she was bound to find that, or else she will remain lost and heartsick.
*****
The annoying sound of the alarm clock woke Buffy up from her deep slumber. She slid her left arm from under the warmth of her comforter and turned to the other side of the bed.
“Aargh, why do I have to go to school?” she grumbled and gave the clock a thump to silence it.
Buffy remained in bed for a while as she recalled the events from yesterday and gradually woke up.
Something deep inside her had been searching for the right answer that she was feeling for Willow right now. Buffy had never thought this would happen.
*****
Tapping her fingers on the table, Buffy sat anxiously in the Sunnydale High cafeteria. She had been waiting for ten minutes now and she had less than fifteen minutes left before her class started. Suddenly, her thoughts drifted and were filled with Willow. For every single day that she had to spend with Willow, Buffy always looked forward seeing her best friend. It wasn’t just that Willow had been her friend for such a long time, but Willow’s presence always sent a shiver through her. It had happened when Willow had changed her image and finally came out. Buffy never expected that Willow’s coming out would have such a great effect on her too. She always looked forward going to school because of Willow. Buffy admitted that a part of her was always excited to see her gorgeous best friend. But lately, the excitement had surprisingly dissipated. It wasn’t that she didn’t miss Willow. They have been the best of friends since they were kids. It was just that recently Buffy didn’t feel this kindle interest for Willow anymore. She wondered why. And at last, she finally realized, as her heart pounded madly when she caught sight of the hot brunette in a black leather jacket and pants crossing the room in her direction.
“Hey.”
“Hey!” Buffy greeted and grinned at the person in front of her. As she stood up and got closer, the nearness of the girl inflamed her. “You came!” she exclaimed, her heart racing as they came closer.
“Of course I came,” the brunette returned. Her expression was still serious despite seeing a cheerful Buffy. “So, is there something you wanna tell me?” she asked nonchalantly.
“I’m sorry about what happened… I…” Buffy tried to explain.
Growing frustrated, “Look B! I get it, all right?!” the brunette cried. “You’re here to tell me that you’re not into this!”
“Will you shut up and listen to me first!” Buffy commanded, and took a quick glance around the cafeteria, trying to find out if she had caused a scene. Luckily it was just the two of them and a person behind the counter. “That’s not what I’m here for.”
“Then what?” she smirked, waiting impatiently for Buffy’s response.
“This,” Buffy replied and grabbed the brunette’s waist, planting a deep hot ferocious kiss on the lips of the upset girl. “I want you Faith Lehane!” she declared after releasing her lips.
Stunned, “Whoa! Do you wanna go back to the principal’s office?” Faith asked breathlessly still trying to recover from that fervent kiss from Buffy.
“As a matter of fact, I do!” Buffy replied, holding Faith’s face and kissing her again, not caring who caught them. All she wanted now was for the world to see that she was in love with Faith and ready to tell them that she was her girl!
*****
“It’s good,” Tara uttered, after sipping the red wine from the glass. She had been feeling uneasy. And she didn’t even know how to start a good conversation. They had already started with the entrée, and yet, those were the only words she had said since they had arrived at the fancy restaurant that her companion chose.
“I’m absolutely glad you called.”
Tara could hardly hear what the other person was saying as her thoughts continued to sway into something else. She then shook her head and looked at the person sitting opposite to her. “I… I’m sorry, you were saying?” she returned ashamedly.
“I’m so delighted that you’re here.”
Tara felt even more agitated as she saw the happiness of her companion. She forced a smile. “Me too,” she mumbled and looked down at her chateaubriand. She was hoping that somehow, she could make herself pretend that she was glad to be there, but she was not a good liar. She was about to excuse herself and planned on going to the powder room, but she was halted when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.
“Tara! How are you?”
She heard a female voice and turned around to see who was it. Tara felt even more stressed when she saw the woman. “S-sheila! H-hi!” she greeted back and stood up to introduce the woman to her companion, who had just stood from the seat. “Umm… She-sheila, th-this i-is,” she swallowed and tried to form the words as she saw the two people in front of her waiting to be introduced at each other. “W-we-wesley,” she struggled embarrassingly to get those letters out.
“A pleasure to meet you,” Wesley uttered and smiled back.
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Sheila replied, took the offered hand and shook it. “I’m sorry to disturb your dinner.”
“Oh no! Y-you didn’t,” Tara corrected after recovering from one of the worst stuttering moments of her life. “So, are you here with s-someone?” she asked and glanced anxiously around, hoping immensely that her neighbor’s daughter was not around too.
“I just had a business dinner,” Sheila said. “I was about to go, then I saw you.” She smiled at the couple. “Oh, by the way where are you going to celebrate Thanksgiving?”
With all the complexities going on around her, Tara had almost lost track of the days. “Oh. Thanksgiving,” she said. “Umm… I actually don’t have any plans yet.”
“Well, that’s good, coz you can celebrate it with us,” Sheila declared eagerly. “Matt is not coming home and it’ll be lonely with just me and Willow,” she said and then looked over at Wesley. “You should come too,” she said and smiled at him.
Panic struck as Tara heard the last sentence, “Oh no!” she worried in her thoughts, and tried to think of any possible reason to refuse the invitation. “Thanks for the offer, but we…”
“Would absolutely love to come,” Wesley assured Sheila.
“That’s great! I’ll see you on Thursday then.” Sheila instantly beamed at the confirmation and started making her way out.
As soon as Sheila’s form disappeared out of their sight, and before Wesley could sit back down on his chair, Tara irritatingly confronted him. “Why did you tell her that we’re coming?!”
“Well, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t,” Wesley reasoned. He knew that he had done the wrong thing, but he wanted to make sure that he could spend time again with Tara. And he saw that opportunity in Sheila’s invitation. “She seems like a nice lady and it’s always lonely when it’s just two of you on holidays,” he rationalized and sat in his chair, avoiding Tara’s piercing eyes. He resumed eating his food.
Seeing that he would not admit his mistake, Tara asked “How could you decide for me, when you don’t even know what I’m going through right now?” She sat back down. “I’ve still got so many things to do!”
“Like what?” Wesley defied and stared at Tara, waiting for her reply.
Tara was caught off guard. It slipped in her thoughts that all she had done for the past few days was deal with her emotions. She had let Anya do most of the work in the Magic Box, while she wallowed in the pain of seeing Willow in another girl’s arms. She did not even bother to follow up with Anya’s so-called business meeting. Guilt started to overcome her. Her face suddenly lit up and remembered something. “That’s it!” she thought. “Well, we’re about to open the Magic Box, and we’re still searching for another business partner,” she retaliated, recalling the note that Anya left for her on the post-it.
“Well, you don’t need to,” Wesley reciprocated and gave her a devilish smile.
Tara’s brows suddenly contorted with curiosity. “Don’t need what?”
“To find another business partner!” he declared and resumed eating.
Suddenly, Tara hoped that her guess was wrong, “What do you mean? Don’t tell me… no.” she declared and started to shake her head, as if not wanting to accept the truth.
“Well, you’re in need of a business partner,” Wesley started, while cutting the meat on the plate. “And I’m out of job.”
“Wait a minute!” she protested, not believing what her ears just heard. “Did… did Anya tell you?” Wesley looked at her and just nodded in confirmation.
“
Anya Jenkins, I’m gonna get you for this!” Tara thought angrily.
*****
“Here you go,” Willow uttered as she gave Xander her notes.
“Thanks Will,” he said, as he lay on his bed. “I hope I didn’t disturb you last night.” He apologized when he told Willow that he couldn’t come to school and asked if he could borrow her notes since their test was coming up soon. He knew that his best friend always went to sleep early.
“No, you didn’t” Willow assured as she took the computer chair and moved it near Xander’s bed. “And besides, I couldn’t sleep either.”
“By the way, where’s Buffy?” he asked in a hoarse voice, expecting that his other best friend would be present too. Ever since they were kids, whenever one of them was sick, the three of them always made sure that they hung around and visited whoever was sick.
“I have no idea,” Willow replied nonchalantly. “I didn’t see her in class today.”
TBC 
by tarebear » Sat Nov 26, 2005 11:38 am 
Woo hoo what a spiffy thing to read first thing in the moring even if it is almost 12 pm hehehe!!! OK on to proper fb giving! "stops bouncing"
I can only guess! No really I can only guess! hehe Well I hope you can update soon! Im looking forward to seeing what happens! "climbs back in tent" 
? 
or Buffy? And who is the other one calling? Oh this is killing me. Update soon, please!!!! 
in the not-to-distant future?