tinnakaren – Yes, I like nerve racking a lot! NZ rocks, and no, I’ve never heard of that particular singer but I’m not really a huge music buff. And yes, I do play soccer with a passion.
4WiccanLuv – I know you’ve been waiting for this for ages so here it is! And yeah, I’m not quite sure about the whole hot gay love with no strings attached but I think it was just that Willow and Tara are somewhere where nothing is familiar and so they lose themselves in something that is most familiar to both of them…each other.
barnabasvamp - *chuckles muchly* hmm, I’m pretty sure I can crank it up a notch or two.
sammi – thanks very much, I love playing with characters emotions to the point where it’s almost a little too much but it’s fun to write.
Chapter Fifteen – “Things that go bump in the day.”
Willow blinked a few times, expecting to awaken to sunlight streaming across her comfy pillow. A weight was pressing on her chest and when she shifted a sigh emerged from it…blonde hair, soft skin…Now that was something she hadn’t expected to wake up to…a naked Tara in her arms. Willow was confused for a few moments as she struggled to shake off the last effects of an exhausted sleep. She closed her eyes again to adjust to her surroundings more slowly. Her nose wrinkled as unfamiliar smells assaulted it. Musty, damp…furs…and yet it was mixed the all too familiar smell that lingered in the air the morning after sex with Tara. Her eyes flew open and she was fully awake in seconds…
Wait a minute! Sex…with Tara! That’s a good thing right? Oh, no it’s not…oh bad Willow! Bad, bad, bad Willow…
Her shifting weight drew Tara from her slumber. When she first opened her eyes, the blonde smiled, oblivious to where they were. She nuzzled Willow’s bare breast for a few moments, making small noises of contentment.
Willow closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, willing herself to wake Tara fully and yet at the same time that was the last thing she wanted. Oh god…stop please…no don’t stop! Rosenberg…stop it!
“Tara,” Willow whispered, “Wake up…” baby.
Tara blinked, a little confused before her eyes shot open a little wider. She was obviously thinking along the same lines as Willow when she scrambled backwards and stood regarding her with a look that was somewhere between panic and horror. Willow just sat awkwardly on the furs, her head ducked, hair falling forward over her eyes. It was at that unfortunate moment that Buffy chose to walk in on them with the barest of warnings.
“Will, Tara? You guys in here?” the blonde flung back the curtain and her jaw dropped at the scene in front of her.
For a few seconds the Slayer was goggle-eyed, her mouth worked soundlessly as she tried to comprehend the strange scene in front of her. Willow perched very naked on top of a pile of furs and Tara standing to one side, just as naked.
“Ahhh, Buffy?” Willow tugged one of the furs over her body, face bright red when Buffy didn’t retreat as quickly as any of them would have liked.
Buffy went just as red and she beat a very hasty retreat back behind the leather curtain, saying what she had come to say from the other side, “Um, it’s recon time…night time…Micah says it’s safer…umm, you guys coming? We could use the back up…umm, yeah, it’s just we’re leaving soon…but you can feel free to get dressed first.”
They then heard the sounds of Buffy making a quick and hasty retreat.
Willow watched sadly as Tara turned to face the wall when she pulled her clothing back on. Willow felt more than a little guilty for watching and admiring the way Tara’s naked back looked in the soft torch light and looked away. There were no words she could find to say.
Tara raked her fingers through her limp and very tangled hair when she was fully clothed. Not normally given to vanity, she was nevertheless very glad there were no mirrors in sight. Willow had finished dressing as well and although her natural beauty could never be diminished by any amount of dirt…she was doing a fair impression of looking more than a little worse for wear. There were dark circles under her eyes, her skin was drawn and even paler than usual. Tara knew it was as a result of the magicks rather than an absence of shower facilities.
“Will, what did it feel like…the black Magicks?” Tara paused with her sweater half on.
Willow looked up in fright when she heard a question she never expected Tara to ask.
“I really don’t want to talk about it…” her voice was quiet, sullen.
Tara wouldn’t be put off however, “It felt something like what we experienced last night didn’t it? The exhilaration…knowing you shouldn’t be doing it and yet not wanting to be doing anything else. Craving more as soon as it ends…the panicky feeling you get wondering when you can have it again?”
Willow made the tiniest of nods in reply and said quietly, “Yeah, something like that.”
Tara sighed, focusing her eyes somewhere above Willow’s head and yet not really looking at what was there. Willow knew she was somewhere else, somewhere far away from all of this. Perhaps thinking back to a time when things were simpler…Tara loves Willow, Willow loves Tara. It had long since become a lot more complicated than that. She walked out of the little room, leaving Willow alone.
*****
When Willow finally joined the others in the main cavern, everyone else was already assembled. Xander was facing off with Buffy, a determined expression on his face.
“I am coming, if there’s a scoobie mission afoot then I am coming with you. You can’t possibly think I’m going to be left here!” Xander stamped his foot.
“I’m not asking whether you want to come Xander, especially not with your arm. I’m telling you to stay. Spike and I will go.”
Anya stood beside Buffy with her hands on her hips, clearly in the ‘Xander’s not going’ camp, “Xander, what good can you do? You’ll just end up dead…well, we’re all going to die, but I’d rather you died with me.”
Xander held up his hands, “Okay, not fighting both of you…I’ll stay…and sharpen lots of stakes, a little whittling will do me good…but I’m not happy about it!”
Willow glanced across to Tara and raised her eyebrows ever so slightly in a wordless question, Tara nodded curtly. Willow looked to Buffy with a resolute expression.
“We’re going as well, Tara and I,” Willow doubted whether she could actually do anything…but the Horn was technically her responsibility, she had to do this. Besides, the thought of spending anymore time couped up underground was beginning to feel far worse.
She took the crossbow Micah held out to her and the smooth wood felt cold, like her heart. Tara’s reassuring presence was at her back and Willow knew that wherever she went, Tara would be with her. This was even despite the fact that just being in the same space together was painful. Willow breathed in Tara’s scent as the blonde brushed past her on the way out the door and felt her heart wrench…unbearably painful.
*****
The Scoobies and Micah were joined by two others, Joshua and Caleb. They had no lights, only that which the strangely ever-present moon could provide. Micah couldn’t stress enough times how dangerous it was to be on the surface at any time. However there was something he wanted to show them, a place that this Horn of theirs might very well be found. Buffy was anxious to be informed of absolutely everything but any questioning proved fruitless. For some reason Micah was reluctant to tell them anything.
“I have to show you,” was all he would say about it.
Willow held the loaded crossbow tightly in her hands, it didn’t really make her feel all that safe but what else was she going to do? It wasn’t like her mojo was running hot at the moment. She doubted she could even summon enough of the magicks for teeny tiny tinkerbell lights as Tara called them. Still, she thought as she peered into the darkness around them, even teeny tiny tinkerbell lights would be nice… A chil ran down her spine, she shivered and speed up her pace to walk closer to Tara. The blonde was talking in soft tones to Micah, the only sound that broke the night’s silence.
“The children can’t stop talking about you, the story you told…who would have thought an ogre and a talking donkey…you have a wonderful imagination…” Micah’s voice was soft, barely above a whisper and even as he talked his eyes were constantly scanning the darkness.
Tara managed a small smile at her plagiarism, “Hardly…but kids, yeah I like kids a lot.”
“Well, you’ll make a wonderful mother,” Micah replied matter-of-factly.
Tara risked a glance back over her shoulder. She watched Willow walk, the redhead pointing her crossbow determinedly in the direction of any sound. A small sigh escaped her throat, she had always imagined having children with Willow…but now, it was something she knew would probably never happen.
“She loves you very much,” Tara’s staring was interrupted and she spun around to look at Micah. He was regarding her with his annoyingly steady gaze.
Tara brushed her hair out of her eyes, “Yes…she does.”
But whether we loved each other enough was never an issue between us… Not even for a split second had Tara ever doubted that Willow loved her. Despite the forgetting spell…even throwing her across the room…masochistic Rack said, maybe I am?
“So, have things always been this way, I mean…living below ground…hunted?” Tara was eager to change the subject, especially when she began imagining red haired children snuggling close as she told a story, green eyes shining up at her.
“Forever,” Micah replied, it was obviously a painful subject. He spoke in clipped tones, “As far back as man has memory…except there used to be more of us. They’re getting impatient…seeking us out with greater intensity…soon, there will be none left at all.”
“Not if we have anything to do with it,” Buffy spoke up firmly, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Micah lead them over a small rise, peering intently into the blackness. He crouched low to the ground and the others followed suit. It was almost pitch black, the moon had disappeared behind clouds. The group crouched, waiting…
“So, what are we supposed to be looking for?” Buffy asked Micah peering into the blackness, her impatience getting the better of her.
Almost on cue, the clouds parted and the moon shone brightly once more. All four of them were struck speechless when it illuminated a huge castle straight out of the middle ages. Willow felt like reaching out for Tara’s hand and wasn’t at all surprised when Tara made the first move, cold fingers closing over Willow’s, seeking warmth and reassurance. If there was ever a more fitting symbol for a power obsessed master vampire, then this was it.
“There,” Micah whispered.
“Ah, yeah, seeing it,” Buffy nodded, jaw working soundlessly.
“Bloody hell,” Spike fished in his coat for his cigarettes and uttered a low growl when he came up with nothing. He remembered he had smoked his last hours ago and realised that he wanted to get home as much as anyone else, “Mad now, watcha say we go kick some arse Slayer?”
“Yeah…sure,” Buffy was still transfixed.
The castle was immense, thrusting up into the sky, dominating the horizon. Narrow slits of light shone out from all over it…someone was definitely at home. Willow wanted to look away and yet she couldn’t. The Horn…she felt it calling to her, whether it was calling for her to find it or drawing them to their graves…she couldn’t tell. All she knew was that monstrosity was where it was. Willow gulped, her palms growing sweaty.
Tara looked across at Willow, the redhead had gone stark white and her hand trembled within hers. Without being told, Tara knew it was the Horn calling to Willow. She held the small hand tightly, willing that some of her strength would pass into the other witch. Nothing happened however, Willow may not have been able to work magic of her own but she was fully able to say no to Tara. The redhead looked across to Tara knowing full well what she was trying to do. She refused to accept the transfer with a firm shake of her head.
“You need all your strength…I have enough,” although having seen where she had to go, Willow doubted this.
Willow almost squealed and jumped into Tara’s arms a few moments later when a gut-wrenching howl split the night air. Buffy and Spike were scanning their surrounds, looking for the source. Their three companions merely looked resolute.
“They smell us,” Micah said calmly, his ear cocked, listening to the howls, “It’s almost daylight, we need to move.”
No one protested at what was obviously the best suggestion they had heard all day. With their last looks at the castle for now, all them backed away slowly. As they turned to wander down the rise, a howl almost blew them off their feet. Willow instinctively shoved Tara behind her but felt inadequate pointing her crossbow at what stood in front of them.
“Holy friggin heck!” Buffy spun and adopted an aggressive stance, the axe clenched in her fists, “What is that?”
Whatever it was, it was shaped like a very large wolf. Although it’s shape was really the only resemblance. It was very much real and solid and yet all the surrounding light seemed to be sucked into the darkness at the centre of the creature. Light, colour, it was all gone into nothingness except for a huge pair of yellow eyes regarding them emotionlessly. A low rumbling growl that seemed to shake the earth beneath their feet issued from its throat in challenge. Its jaws were huge and powerful, teeth bared.
“That…that is what guards the vampires while they sleep, they have no name…we just fear them.”
“Please tell me they can be killed,” Buffy hefted her axe.
“They can but not easily,” Micah replied, watching for the slightest movement from the creature, “Their eyes are vulnerable…then…the heart.”
The animal regarded them through huge yellow eyes, Buffy and Spike reacted instantly. They moved to circle it. It was a fearsome opponent but a Slayer and a vampire weren’t exactly a pair of puppies. Micah quickly directed the situation,
“Split up…Joshua, Caleb, take the two girls, get them to safety. We’ll deal with this one.”
Willow was about to protest that she didn’t belong in the category of ‘girls that needed to be escorted to safety’ when Joshua grabbed around the waist and propelled into the woods. She glanced over her shoulder to check Tara was close behind her. She gave up struggling when she realised she was being stupid. There was nothing she could possibly do anyway besides stay as close as possible to Tara.
Willow had never been one for running and yet now, she ran as fast as she could…feet flying over the earth. At least she could see where she was going, the very first rays of dawn had begin to creep over the horizon. Sunlight however didn’t make her feel any safer. Joshua kept his large arm firmly around her waist, almost carrying her. Suddenly the supporting arm disappeared and Willow tripped, falling heavily to the ground. Rolling over she saw Joshua swept off his feet by a huge dark shape. The wind knocked out of her, she clutched her stomach and gasped for air.
“Willow!” she heard Tara shouting but it was very far away.
Hearing Tara’s panicked shout gave Willow the strength she needed to scramble to her feet. She stopped short when she came face to face with a pair of those huge yellow eyes trained solely on her. You’re about to become a tasty doggy treat Rosenberg…ideas…spells…miracles even? Transfixed she backed away until her foot caught on a tree root and she crashed back to the ground. As with anyone faced with impending death and dismemberment, Willow felt terrified and yet at the same time a distinct sense of regret. All this talk of dying, and when it comes down to it…I really don’t wanna die…
*****
TBC in Chapter Sixteen – ‘It’d be like suicide.”
Tara: “Nobody messes with my girl.”
Bargaining
WooHoo, it's back! Damn, I knew it wouldn't be sunshine and puppies the morning after. 
You're breaking my heart. 
OMG, I hope Willow's okay. 
Alcy 
Stay tuned to find out who it is.
Hey
at: 5/22/04 7:15 am