Author: Dark Magic Willow
Email: darkmagickwillow@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Pairing: W/T
Spoilers: This story happens between seasons 5 and 6, but there shouldn't be any spoilers.
Feedback: Yes! Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Summary: Willow watches too much Xena before bedtime, leading to an interesting dream.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the copyrights, characters, or anything else associated with BtVS or X:WP. All rights lie with the respective production companies and writers.
ThanksTo: Thanks to Dixon for coming up with the name "Willow: Warrior Wiccan" which made me think of this story to begin with and to Leatherqueen for beta-reading this story for me.
Tara and Willow sat cuddled together on the couch, watching the end of Xena. Across from them on the other couch were Anya and Xander. Watching Xena had become a post-slayage ritual for them this summer. They were usually tired after patrolling but too excited to go to sleep and for some reason, watching someone else fight on television was relaxing. Dawn liked the show too but she was already asleep upstairs.
Once the show finished, Anya and Xander got up to leave. "Goodbye guys, see you tomorrow night same time?", Xander said.
Willow murmured sleepily, her head resting softly on Tara's shoulder, "Sure, same time."
Tara waved goodbye as Anya and Xander departed then looked down at Willow whose eyes were already closed. She said softly, "You have to get up so we can go to bed, love."
Willow scrunched up her face, not wanting to move from her comfy spot, and said, "What kind of logic is that? Getting up to go to bed? If you're going to sleep, you shouldn't get up, that's what you're supposed to do in the morning when you wake up, not in the nighttime when you're going to sleep. It just doesn't make any sense and..."
Tara kissed Willow softly, silencing her mid-babble. Pulling away from Willow's lips, she looked down into her lover's now open green eyes and said, "There are more kisses upstairs. Is that enough reason to come to bed?"
Willow nodded earnestly, "Oh, yeah. That's more than enough reason."
They walked upstairs, hand in hand, and quickly brushed their teeth and changed for bed. When Tara emerged from the bathroom, she found Willow already asleep in their bed. She shook her head and smiled at how cute Willow looked sleeping though she was a little worried at how tired Willow was these days with all the responsibilities she'd taken on now that Buffy was gone. As Tara got into bed, she made good on her promise of more kisses by gently kissing Willow goodnight. Then she laid her head down on Willow's shoulder and went to sleep.
* * *
"Willow, wake up!"
Willow turned over groggily, murmuring, "Just a few more minutes..."
"Come on, Willow, it's already after dawn and that village needs our help."
Willow wondered why she had to wake up just after dawn. She had been up all night patrolling and she deserved to sleep in. Then the other part of the statement hit her. Willow sat up and opened her sleepy eyes, asking "What village?" She saw Tara looking down at her which was normal enough for the first thing in the morning, but something was very odd. Tara was dressed in a green halter and tan skirt, showing far more sexy Tara belly than Tara had ever been comfortable showing before, and she was leaning on a tall staff.
Tara looked concerned, "Are you sure that giant didn't hit you on the head yesterday? You seem out of it this morning, Willow."
Willow felt confused, "What giant? And where did you get that outfit? I mean...I like it, I really do, but it doesn't seem like something you'd wear, you know what I mean?"
Tara replied, "It's the outfit I always wear. You really did get hit on the head, didn't you?"
Then Willow looked down and blushed as she saw what she was wearing. She was dressed in dark leather and showing much more cleavage than she was comfortable with. How did I get dressed like this? I'm sort of dressed like vampire me, except I'm out in the sunlight so that can't be it. I'm really dressed like, well, Xena, except for the metal bits. Oh, there they are by my sleeping roll. I guess it's hard to sleep with a breastplate and all that.
Tara was waving her hand in front of Willow's face, trying to get her to respond. "Willow? Warrior Wiccan?"
Willow thought, Willow: Warrior Wiccan? Is that me?. Then she responded, "Yes, I'm fine. I was just out of it for a minute there." She thought that response would get her a few minutes to figure out what was going on here.
Tara said, "Okay. Get your armor on and I'll finish making breakfast."
Willow was glad Tara was busy over the cook fire while she struggled to figure out which piece of armor went where and how to keep it in place once she found where each piece went. Finally, she got her sword in its sheath attached to her back where she remembered it went from watching too much TV. This is so weird, but at least Tara is with me even if she doesn't seem to know I'm me.
Breakfast was familiar and the conversation went well enough as Willow carefully avoided mentioning vampires and Sunnydale while she tried to figure out where they were going and what they were going to do once they got there. It seemed like a warlord and his band of warriors had taken over a small village nearby. That seemed like a normal enough scenario for Xena, but Willow wasn't certain if she could use this sword to any effect and wondered if she could cast spells instead.
After breakfast came the hard part. They packed up camp and Tara placed their belongings on Argo. Then Tara looked expectantly at her, asking, "Well, aren't you going to saddle up?"
Willow stammered, "S-saddle up, like on a horse? No, not me."
Tara looked surprised, "What's wrong?"
Willow temporized, "Ummm, I just thought you should ride that, that's all." She thought to herself, Anything to keep me as far away from that arm-eating beast as possible.
Tara said, "Oh, okay." then skillfully mounted the horse.
They traveled down the trail towards the village Tara had told her about, Tara riding happily on Argo and Willow walking beside her a safe arm's length away from the horse. They had been going in a comfortable silence for an hour when they heard a man singing as he came down the trail towards them:
Xander the Mighty
Roams through the countryside
He never needs a place to hide
With Tara as his sidekick
Fighting with her little stick
Righting wrongs and singing songs
Being mighty all day long
Tara looked down at Willow with a horrified look on her face at the same time that Willow looked curiously up at her, asking, "It's him, isn't it? And since when were you his sidekick?"
Tara responded hotly, "I'm not his sidekick!"
Willow put her hands up placatingly, "Okay, okay, you're not his sidekick." She grinned as she looked into Tara's blue eyes, "You're my sidekick."
Tara answered, "I am, you know."
Willow asked, "What?"
Tara replied, "Yours."
They shared a love-filled look for a moment before Xander came into view, still singing. He was dressed in an odd assortment of leathers and armor, wearing a metal helm with funny side flaps and a dented round metal breastplate. Xander said heartily, "Hello, my friends. What quest are we on today?"
Tara sighed, "It's him, all right."
Willow answered Xander, "The usual. We're saving a nearby village from a warlord."
Xander declared in a deep voice, "Then you shall have the mighty sword of Xander by your side."
Tara leaned down and whispered to Willow, "Do we have to?"
Willow whispered back, "He's our friend and we don't want to hurt his feelings."
The three of them resumed their quest, but didn't get more than a mile down the trail before they heard a voice call out from behind them, "Warrior Wiccan, time to die!"
They turned around to see Harmony who to Willow's shock was dressed as Callisto. She was wearing a black studded leather halter and skirt along with black bracers on her forearms. Harmony carried a sword in one hand while a dagger hung at her hip. Willow tried to decide whether to laugh or be afraid. Harmony is my arch-nemesis? What kind of Warrior Wiccan am I anyway?
While Willow was thinking, Xander attacked Harmony, swinging his sword wildly. Harmony quickly disarmed him and kicked him in the stomach. Xander collapsed on the ground, holding his stomach. Harmony taunted Willow, "That's one sidekick down."
Willow said, "He's not my sidekick!" at the same time that Tara yelled, "He's not her sidekick!"
Harmony shrugged, "Whatever he was, you won't do any better."
Now Willow was annoyed. No one could disrespect the Warrior Wiccan like that and get away with it! She pulled her sword from its sheath on her back and attacked, hoping she remembered how to use it. Fortunately, Willow had better luck with the sword than she had with her armor this morning and she pushed Harmony back several feet before her opponent could regain the offensive. The fight was going well until Harmony smashed Willow in the face with her fist, knocking her to the ground.
Harmony swung her sword down towards Willow's neck, clearly intending to end the fight immediately. Willow thought this was the end of her career as Warrior Wiccan when the blade was stopped inches from her throat by Tara's staff. Tara pushed Harmony away from Willow with a few quick swings of her staff, but Willow was still feeling out of it from the head injury. In fact, she thought she heard a familiar voice calling her name...
* * *
"Willow, wake up, it's almost time for class."
Willow murmured an almost incoherent protest, "But I already got up today..."
"Getting up from your evening nap to patrol doesn't count, love. Come on, I'll make pancakes."
At the mention of pancakes, Willow's eyes opened to see Tara dressed in her normal peasant blouse and long skirt. Willow said, "Hey, you're dressed like you again."
Tara smiled at Willow, "Of course I'm dressed like me, silly. Now come on downstairs and I'll make pancakes for you." Tara left the room for the kitchen.
Willow shook her head, "It was all a dream? Of course it was all a dream, unless this is the dream that I'm dreaming right now and I really am the Warrior Wiccan fighting for good in an ancient Greece that never was..."
DarkMagicWillow
--
"Chemistrys easy. Its a lot like witchcraft, except less newt."
forever
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