Michelle - Yeah i know plenty of them here that i'm embarrassed to say i know.
Yeah i thought it was sweet that her instant reaction was to be there for Tara.
Okay onto the promised update, without much further ado...
Title – All You Wanted
Author – Nathan
E-mail –
nathspazz@yahoo.com.au Feedback – Well I am a feedback whore so it would be greatly appreciated
Spoilers – None, it’s AU so yeah
Rating – Between PG and R18+ ample warning will be given.
Disclaimer – Willow and Tara and any other character that appeared in the syndicated television show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is property of Joss and Mutant Enemy, I’m only borrowing them and am not making any money off them. All the others are mine though. Also the title for the fic is a Michelle Branch song so credit goes to her and part names will be named after various songs I like that fit nicely with the story so credit will be given there.
Summary – Set slightly in the future, 24-year-old Willow and Tara run into each other, it’s set mostly in New York so no Sunnydale or hell mouth or anything. Just good ol’ fashioned romance.
Part 3 Creeping Up Slowly (Taxiride)Willow walked into Linda’s office first thing in the morning to give the details on her night out the night before. Linda smiled and waved her hand, motioning for the redhead to make her way over to the desk as she quickly went over some details in front of her before giving her full attention to the redhead.
“Please tell me it worked out with Tara.” Linda said with a hint of desperation in her voice, Willow was confused as only a couple of days ago Linda had been asking her to get the nitty gritty on the newcomer.
“She’s great so you’re not allowed to fire her.” Willow eventually replied, a smile emphasising her good night the night before.
“Really, not fighting, abusive language, offensive gestures?” Linda asked wearily, Willow could tell she wasn’t having a good morning.
“We had an altercation with a couple of lunk heads but me and her, peachy.” Willow smiled and Linda let out a sigh of relief.
“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Willow asked cautiously to her boss.
“Well it seems that one Tara Maclay is the only remaining junior exec. I could have been in a heap of trouble if I had to get rid of all four of them.” Linda explained, somewhat relieved from Willow’s information.
“So what happened?” Willow asked, pushing for answers.
“Well it seems that Michael was constantly trying to get into Rachel’s nickers all night before finally taking things a tad too far. Let’s just say he’ll be wearing sunglasses for a while.” Linda’s face was mixed with disappointment and amusement.
“So what about the other two?” Willow continued pushing.
“Seems Jason and Barry both spent the night in jail last night for being drunk and disorderly, apparently out new comer decided that making a public letterbox into a public urinal was a good idea at the time. Anyway the company doesn’t need that sort of publicity so he no longer has a position here.” Linda continued, she showed more amusement with this story but still had a touch of disappointment to her tone.
“So what about the last one?” Willow inquired, getting rather amused at the stories herself now.
“Let’s just say that the less said the better. Emily is in hospital with scratch marks down her face, a hole heap of hair pulled out and a broken nose, not to mention several death threats from on ex-junior exec.” Linda finally finished and Willow just broke out laughing despite the seriousness of the whole situation.
“Wow Linda, you really know how to pick ‘em don’t ya?” Willow managed to mumble out between her bursts of laughter.
“Yeah, yeah. As long as Tara works out it should be okay anyway, we were hoping that one of them would last a while, we just wanted more than one to last a day.” Linda replied with a half smile.
“She seems really nice and honest, I’m sure she’ll do great here, just give her a chance to settle in properly. It’s a big step moving to New York and I just think she needs time to adjust.” Linda smiled up at Willow and simply nodded. Willow knew the older woman understood and she made her way back towards the exit. She turned around once she got to the door to speak to her boss once again.
“I’m sure she’ll work out.” Willow offered once again and Linda looked up at her.
“I bloody well hope so, for my sake.” Linda simply smiled up at the redhead before getting stuck back into the papers in front of her again. Willow turned and left, as she closed the door she bumped into Tara who was walking past, knocking some papers out of the blonde’s hands.
“Oh my god Tara, I’m so sorry I didn’t see you there.” Willow quickly bent down to pick up the papers but only managed to collide heads with the blonde who had also bent over to pick up the papers.
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry again.” Willow said, very upset with herself. Tara just had a grin on her face as she struggled to keep her giggles under control.
“When you bump into me, you really bump into me don’t you?” Tara smirked as she rubbed the spot where their heads had collided.
“I’m a dolt okay, so sue me.” Willow smiled in response once she seen Tara’s expression; she had also been rubbing her forehead.
“Hey I had a great night last night, well except for that last part. I’m really sorry I over reacted there, it’s just new and different and I gotta kinda scared there.” Tara mumbled; embarrassed with herself for the way she acted.
“No hey, don’t apologise, those guys were creeps and you had every right to be scared, I mean I know I was.” Willow offered in sympathy.
“What, you were so brave standing up to them like that, you weren’t scared.” Tara responded as her mind raced back to the events of the night before.
“I was, I was petrified I mean how could I not be, I was only brave because I knew if I acted scared it would’ve only made you feel worse.” Willow continued in her sympathetic tone.
“Wow, that is so sweet, I can’t believe you would do that for me.” Tara replied her voice full of awe and adoration.
“Yeah well, I’m a big ol’ softie. Hey it seems you’re the only junior exec left now.” Willow quickly changed the subject, Tara’s face contorted to one of confusion, Willow couldn’t tell if it was because of her previous statement or if because she had changed the subject so quickly.
“Why, what happened?” Tara asked in response to the redhead’s statement.
“For some reason or another, they weren’t very nice people. Seems you were the only nice one they hired.” Willow smiled meekly.
“Well at least they didn’t fire me I guess.” Tara replied the shock of the situation still setting in.
“I put a good word in for you.” Willow smiled proudly but Tara’s face grew even more worried.
“What they were thinking of firing me, what did I do, why did you have to put in a good word, what the hell is going on?” Tara’s voice grew angry and she didn’t know what was going on and didn’t want to believe that the redhead whom she’d had a great time with last night was holding something back from her.
“No, you got it all wrong Tara, Linda keeps all her new employees under a trial type period and well the other three totally screwed up last night and she naturally wondered what you were like and I just told her how great and nice you were.” Willow quickly babbled and Tara seemed to calm down somewhat.
“So you wanna tell me what happened with the other three?” Tara asked cautiously as looked the redhead up and down.
“Over lunch?” Willow asked meekly, almost afraid of the answer. Tara’s now calmed down completely and offered Willow a smile to let her know.
“You better tell me though.” Tara continued to smile as she quickly gathered her papers and made her way to her office. Willow watched the blonde exit and turned to move to her cubicle when she noticed Sam stealthily slink into her own cubicle. Willow wondered over to investigate the whereabouts of the brunette for the morning.
“So missy, where have you been?” Willow asked the brunette who was wearing scarf and dark sunglasses and had her hand across her throbbing forehead.
“Did Linda see me come in late, is she in a pissed off mood?” Sam asked, barely able to make coherent words her mouth was that dry. Willow walked over to the water cooler that Sam kept in her cubicle and poured her friend a cup full and gave it to her.
“Thanks” Sam replied as she greedily gulped down the cup in one go.
“To answer your question, she is pretty pissed off.” Willow smirked at the “Oh no” look her friend gave her. “But she had to fire three of the junior execs so she was probably to busy to notice you not here this morning.” Willow added and watched the brunette pump the air in glee.
“So did yours survive the cut?” Sam asked, her voice sounding much better after the cup of water.
“I’m having lunch with her today.” Willow stated but Sam continued to look at her, as her question had still not been answered.
“Yes she’s still here.” Willow added as if it were obvious, Sam wondered how she didn’t realise before. Willow’s smile was a dead give away.
“So you two had fun last night?” Sam asked as she noted the glow the emanated from the redhead.
“Not as much as you apparently.” Willow smiled and Sam just groaned as if she needed to be reminded.
“So how did your date go?” Willow asked, adding to the brunette’s relocation trouble of the previous night.
“I remember drinking.” Sam removed her glasses to show Willow her bloodshot eyes from excess drinking and not enough sleep. “Definitely plenty of sex.” Sam smiled at the thought of her love making sessions and removed her scarf to reveal several hickies on her neck. “Then I’m pretty sure there was more drinking and more sex, but I think with another person, or possibly people, I kinda gets fuzzy after the first time.” She smiled up at her friend who stood just nodding her head. Willow thought she should be shocked but this is Sam we’re talking about here and nothing surprised her about the brunette any more unless of course she wanted to settle down and have kids, that’s shock her.
“Just another night out on the town then?” Willow smiled and Sam just groaned, her obvious attempt to shock her friend had failed and now the resounding beat of that hammer in her head once again became her main focus.
“So what about you, you finally cut loose on the town?” Sam managed to ask before slumping her head onto her desk.
“Well we had a meal, went to a club, danced, had a few drinks and almost raped so yeah not a bad night.” Willow replied pretty nonchalant, Sam’s ears perked at that last comment and raised her head rather quickly, she took a moment to refocus after the dizzy spell and stared at her friend.
“Almost raped, what happened?” She asked full of concern.
“A couple of guys wanted to get lucky and we didn’t want to be lucky so they tried to take it.” Willow responded a hint a bitterness creeping into her voice as she thought of the two creeps.
“Then what happened?” A concerned Sam pressed for more answers.
“I told them in no uncertain terms to leave us alone.” Willow said proudly and Sam smiled up at her.
“So you got all large with the butch huh, did ya give ‘em a flogging to go with it?” Sam asked, surprisingly chirpy all of a sudden.
“No, no flogging just a verbal assault.” Willow smiled still but not as convincingly before.
“Come on Will, a knee to the mummy, daddy button normally does the trick.” Sam continued to smile at Willow who returned it with one of her own. Willow had seen Sam’s knee in action plenty of times to know it worked like a treat.
… … … …
“What, they really all did that?” Tara exclaimed as she had just heard the whole story from Willow about what had happened with the other junior execs. Willow and Tara each had a salad as they sat opposite each other at an outdoor café quietly eating their lunch.
“Uh huh, kinda hard to believe I know.” Willow smiled as she ate another forkful of salad.
“Wow, it’s kinda odd I guess, being the only one left.” Tara said, sounding a bit unsure of herself.
‘I think they really only wanted one anyway, just they wanted to find the best one, guess they found out pretty quick.” Willow smiled and Tara blushed at the redhead’s comment. Tara found herself incredibly comfortable around the redhead and was glad to have found a friend so quickly once moving to New York.
“Where’s Sam?” Tara asked trying to continue their conversation down a different path.
“Incredibly hung over from a date last night, she says when she walks she feels incredibly dizzy so she decided it best if she have lunch in her cubicle.” Willow responded, playing with a bit of lettuce on her plate with her fork.
“So what does Linda have you doing at the moment?” Willow asked Tara.
“Nothing major, a few reports that she wanted done, but generally at the moment she’s going easy on me.” Tara replied and leant over the table slightly, pinching the last bit of tomato from Willow’s plate.
“Hey missy that was mine.” Willow responded playfully.
“Yeah and I ate it.” Tara grinned up at the redhead. Willow leant over the table and took the last two pieces of cucumber from Tara’s salad and promptly stuck them in her mouth.
“Hey cucumbers my favourite.” Tara retorted in her own playful voice.
“You want it back?” Willow poked out her tongue to show of two perfectly shaped pieces of cucumber, Tara noticed that Willow hadn’t yet mashed into them with her teeth and quickly pinched a piece from the redhead’s mouth.
“Okay weren’t expecting you to do that.” Willow replied as she fought a choke as she gagged as Tara took the piece from her mouth. Tara ran the piece over her lips and then let her tongue gently lick it before eventually popping the piece in her mouth. Willow had never felt so aroused watching someone eat a cucumber, well not a little piece anyway.
“You do realise that piece was in my mouth?” Willow asked trying to make sure that, that piece of information hadn’t slipped passed the blonde.
“Uh huh, I’d get more germs from kissing you.” Tara replied very nonchalant as she picked a piece of lettuce up with her fork and began nibbling at the sides of it. Willow on the other hand was having a few troubles breathing. Those butterflies in the pits of her stomach had returned and it seemed as though Tara was doing nothing out of the ordinary, not counting sensually eating cucumber and talking about kissing her. Willow had felt a shiver run down her spine when Tara had mentioned the part about kissing as a vivid visual ran through Willow’s mind and those seeds of confusion once again started to grow. Willow found herself unable to look directly at the blonde girl across from her but the pull she had on her was near overwhelming.
“You okay Will?” Tara asked as she noticed her friend’s flushed face for the first time. She wondered if she’d taken her playful flirting too far and silently chided herself, though she knew that for some reason she’d been flirting with the redhead a lot more than she normally did and her own set of doubts started to sink in. As both girls pondered their current situation a sudden uneasiness crept across the table as neither found themselves able to look at the other. Neither denied the facts that the other had adverse effects on them and they were doing things they didn’t normally do.
Willow kept telling herself that it was just the fact she’d not been with someone in so long and her body craved the closeness of another person that Tara seemed readily open to give. Her mind however tried to rationalise things and put things in perspective, she reminded her heart what happened last time she listened to it and reminded that feelings like these could get in the way of making her way up the corporate ladder. After finally pushing these feelings aside Willow managed to fix her eyes on the blonde across from her.
Willow saw that Tara was looking in every direction but at her. She noticed those blue eyes dart from a passing bird to the sound of a mother and child as they walked by. She noticed how Tara’s mouth turned into a silly half smile when she was obviously about thinking something that made her feel good. She noticed how she had to keep brushing her long blonde tresses out of her face because of the blowing breeze. Before long Willow realised that she was fixated on the beauty that was Tara.
Tara’s mind was a blur as she pondered the different feelings for the redhead. She’d never had feelings for a girl before but she wasn’t naive enough to put these of as a passing thing. She tried to rationalise that it was just because Willow had been so nice to her since moving here but her heart wouldn’t have nothing of it. Her mind raced to the previous night and the safe feeling she’d felt in the arms of the redhead despite everything that had gone on. Tara’s open mind wondered at the possibilities of a relationship with the redhead but wondered if Willow shared similar feelings as herself.
“Hey look, lunch is nearly over. We should probably make our way back to the office.” Willow interjected Tara’s line of thought with the statement. Tara looked at her watch and realised the redhead was right.
“Yeah I guess so.” Tara replied as she pulled out some money for the bill and a small tip for the waiter. She flopped her money onto the table only for it to land on a pile that Willow had already placed there.
“Oh no, it’s my shout.” Willow insisted but Tara would have none of it.
“No, no I’ll pay, you take your money back.” Willow smiled at Tara but did not make any effort to retrieve her money.
“Looks like the waiter is gonna have a hefty tip then doesn’t it?” Willow smiled as did Tara, they got up to leave and both noticed the happy smile on the waiter’s face as they watched his response when he picked up the bill.
“Come again anytime.” He yelled back after them, the two girls just giggled. Their charity for the day gave them a good feeling and distracted them from their problems of the heart.
… … … …
“Ah I knew I should have brought a drink at lunch.” Tara grumbled as they walked back into the office, licking her dry lips trying to extract every last bit of moisture from them.
“Don’t fret, Sam has a water cooler in her cubicle.” Willow replied nonchalantly and pulled Tara in the direction of her friend’s place of work.
Willow pulled Tara in behind her and both girls couldn’t help but giggle at the sight before them. Slumped over her desk in an easy slumber, Sam quietly slept her mighty hangover away.
“Does she do this normally?” Tara whispered to Willow, making sure not to wake the brunette.
“I’ve not caught her before, but I could have sworn she’d done it before though.” Willow giggled lightly. Tara just stared at the brunette as Willow made her way over to the water cooler and poured a couple of cups, she handed one to Tara and kept one for herself.
“Thanks.” Tara replied as she took the cup from Willow’s hand and proceeded to gulp down the cup quickly before making her own way over and refilling it with the cool refreshing beverage.
Willow took a sip from her own cup as she started to wonder around the cubicle, never taking her eyes of the sleeping brunette. Tara noticed the glint Willow got in her eye as she continued to circle Sam like a lion figuring out which part of the down zebra to eat first. Willow smirked evilly as she eventually made her way so she was standing directly behind the brunette and with the index finger of her right hand proceeded to slowly pull back the collar of her friend’s blouse. She then slowly and carefully poured the remaining water down her friend’s back; Sam’s eyes jumped open the moment the cold water touched her skin. Before she had time to react, the back of her blouse was drenched and a massive wet stain filled the peach coloured blouse.
“What the…” Sam turned around, almost shouting the words out as she saw Willow standing over her with an empty cup and a devilish grin spread across her face.
“I couldn’t help myself, the opportunity arose and I grabbed it, I must say though I learn from the master.” Willow continued grinning at her friend who returned her look with a sly grin of her own.
“You wait Willow Rosenberg, turnabout is fair play and you’ll get your’s.” She warned the redhead, though Willow was too busy being proud of herself to take much notice. For the first time since she was so rudely awoken, Sam noticed the blonde standing in the corner of her cubicle sipping away at a cup of water.
“Hey if it isn’t miss junior exec.” Sam smiled up at the nervous blonde. “Samantha Pickering, nice to finally.” Sam extended her hand smiling and Tara nervously responded.
“Tara Maclay.” She answered as she shook the other ladies hand.
“Were you party to this?” Sam smirked as she motioned to the wet stain down her back.
“I had no intension of getting you wet.” Tara was now feeling a little more comfortable with the brunette’s easy going nature and smirked at her comment.
“No I’m sure one of us is enough.” Sam replied, Tara looked confused at Sam’s comment but Willow however blush profusely.
“So Willow tells me you’re from Cleveland, please don’t tell me you follow the Indians.” Sam said, an almost threatening tone to her voice.
“I don’t really follow sport that much.” Tara replied meekly.
“Either do I but I know enough that Yankees rule right?” Willow responded as she looked at Sam as though she was making sure she got her lines right rehearsing a play.
“Yeah baby, of course Yankees rule.” Sam said joyfully, forgetting for a moment her resounding headache and her saturated blouse. Tara couldn’t help but giggle at the funny sight the brunette was.
“So Tara are you and that guy that we saw you with seeing each other?” Sam asked hopefully.
“What Alex, well I see him everyday as we live together but I’m not “seeing” him.” She quoted the “seeing” with bunny ears.
“Okay so maybe you could set us up then.” Sam pondered playfully.
“Maybe, but I’ll need full access to your water cooler while I think about it, the company one isn’t even on this floor.” Tara smiled as she refilled her cup.
“Help yourself, Willow does.” Sam smirked and threw the empty cup that Willow had dropped after saturating her at the redhead.
“Hey, I’m just testing it to make sure it’s not vodka.” Replied Willow.
“Yeah and if it was?” Smirked Sam.
“Then you’d probably see me in here a bit more often.” Willow replied and all three ladies broke out into a fit of giggles.
“Did I miss my invite to this mothers meeting?” Asked Linda from the entrance to the cubicle.
“Busted.” Willow let out as Sam turned to her computer to try and pretend she was working. Tara wasn’t sure what to do and nervously started chewing the lip of her cup.
“Willow, Tara I need you two in my office.” Linda motioned to the two ladies and exited the cubicle. Tara gulped at the meaning of the meeting and studied Willow’s reaction. The redhead seemed bemused by it all and stared after the retreating older lady. She started making her way for the office with Tara quickly on her heels.
TBC…
Next update will hopefully be Friday as tomorrow is my grandparents 49th wedding aniversary and i'll be spending the evening helping them enjoy it
So until later
& 
to you all
Cheers
Nath
Isn't it funny how you feel your most tired five minutes before you have to get up.
by MissQuirky » Mon Aug 19, 2002 1:42 pm 
I want some more of that!! 
Can't wait 4 ur next update!! 
Yes Poor Tara but you're right she does have Willow there to proctect her. 
I guess I'll just have to quit so I don't miss the next one 
. Great fic, Nath. Keep it coming.
Anyway, great update Nath!! 
'Specially Willow's reaction to the cucumber thing!
I'm really not all THAT worried since Willow's "bemused" ... 