Aeternum Vale (AU)

[FlyingPoppy]

sam darls - Thank you Sam. For everything. There's much more talking to come, from both Willow and Tara.



astrangerhere -Hey! Um, maybe you're going to have to start giving a cliffhanger meanie rating out of 10 or something. Just so I know when I get to the really big ones. They're a comin'!

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On the other hand, I am just waiting for the moment when Willow realizes just how much Tara hasn't told her. That, i assume is when it will all go to hell, as well as when we see the continuation of the opening scene from chapter 1. Whoa, sorry, ran away into speculationville there for a moment.

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Well, you know that scene's four months from the start of the story proper. We're, what? a month or so in now. We have a way to go until we get to that point. Full of lots of other stuff. Not all of it nice.

Is Molly a red-herring? You really think I'm going to tell you

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Second, I am starting to think I might have an idea how much different Tara's family background is from the Tara that we know.

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Oh, you do? Time will tell...



mollyig - Yeah, they're nervous. I think Willow's less reluctant because she's decided she wants help. We don't even know what's 'wrong' with Tara yet, if anything. The overriding thing for her is that she wants to help Willow. Whatever problems she has come second.



Yes, Tara is staying at the Bellion. I was surprised no one else mentioned this and wondered why she's staying there or anything.



astrangerhere - Well, you can be my number one fan, as long as you don't go all Kathy Bates on me or anything. I like my feet just fine the way they are, thank you! Thanks for recommending me Tomorrow is Tuesday, not long to wait now...



samiamiguess - Yes, it's dark. It's gonna get darker too but hope will rule the day, this IS pens after all.



bijoux2 - Hi! Glad you're liking it. This idea developed out of a different (non-W/T) story I wrote. I'm pleased it's interesting and intriguing Update will be tomorrow morning (UK time).

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[pipsberg]

This is a very intriguing story. I like your style and the suspense is palpible. I can't wait for more!

-pipsberg



"We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep - it's as simple and ordinary as that."

Michael Cunningham, The Hours

Edited by: pipsberg at: 4/19/04 11:13 pm

[FlyingPoppy]

pipsberg - Thanks for reading and you shall have to wait no longer...





•Title: Aeternum Vale - Chapter Five

•Author: FlyingPoppy

•Feedback: Here or by pm is fine.

•Distribution: No, thanks. It's just for Pens.

•Rating: R

•Pairing: W/T

•Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Willow and Tara, they belong to ME/UPN/whoever. All other characters belong to me. I'm just writing a story to keep myself out of mischief, I'm not making any money from it.

•Summary: This story is totally AU and will be long. Two girls meet and fall in love, but all is not what it seems.

•Notes:

- The hellmouth does not exist in this story but evil certainly does. A happy ending for W/T is certain, it's going to be a bumpy ride, though. Turn back now if your vehicle doesn't equip the suspension to deal...

- Thoughts in

- Many thanks to Kita for her beta work





Chapter Five - Nullus Est Instar Domus





Just as Willow was about to settle down with some coffee, the phone rang, almost making her spill the drink. She set her cup down on the floor and crossed the room to answer the insistent ring.



"Hello?" she said in a slightly gruff tone of voice.



"Hi, Willow? It's Tara, you ok?"



"Tara! Hi! Yeah, just nearly pouring hot coffee all over myself." The tone of Willow's voice changed immediately she realized who was calling. She felt a grin spread over her face. It had been merely hours since they had last seen each other, to strengthen the spell, but the redhead found herself wanting to spend an increasing amount of time in her new friend's company.



"So, are we still on for taking a look at some apartments?"



"Of course, I've been looking forward to it," Willow assured her.



"Maybe we could refresh the spell afterward, get it done a bit earlier today than we did last night."



"Sure, I don't have plans for tonight. How would you feel about having a Willow-cooked meal this evening?"



Tara could hear the smile in Willow's voice, as plain as if she were standing before her, and grinned herself. "Trepidatious...I think, would fit."



"Are you mocking my cookery skills? Pfft, piece of cake," Willow boasted.



"Time will tell."



"Tara!" she grinned in mock indignation at the banter, pleased at the ease with which they seemed able to communicate.



"So, I made some appointments to see a few places, I wasn't really sure about what areas are...um...seedy?" Tara changed the conversation back to the subject at hand.



"Tara, I don't know where you think you've moved to, but Ukiah doesn't really have a 'seedy' side. Atmospheric, maybe...well, unless you count the warehouse dist-"



"Willow..." Tara interrupted, "I'll come there first then? Maybe bring some lunch...bagels...muffins...something along those lines?"



"Mmm, yeah. Maybe some mochas?" Willow's voice rose in question.



Tara laughed, "Maybe some mochas. So, I'll see you in about thirty minutes?"



"Count on it."



Willow hung up the phone and sat back on the couch, already watching the clock.



~~~~~~~~~~



"Like I said, I've marked some in the paper that sound worth a look. I made appointments for a couple that are nearby. I figured it was ok around here."



Willow nodded in response, then took a sip of her mocha.



"Mmm...this is good."



Tara ducked her head before lifting her eyes to meet Willow's, drawn to look by some invisible force. She was greeted by the sight of green eyes gazing upon her intently.



"Do I have something..." Tara began, wiping at her mouth with her hand.



"No," Willow replied as she shook her head, "it's just...you're..." she paused and concentrated on her breathing for a second before changing the subject completely. "Do you want me to look? At the ones you've marked?"



Tara nodded, a little confused, handed her the paper, and pointed out the few adverts that she had underlined. "I would say those two downtown are out," Willow continued, "unless you like plenty of action...um action in the sense of people around until late at night, I mean, not any other sort of action you might be thinking of indulging in."



"You're adorable," Tara laughed. "The way you get so worked up about things you've said. " She ducked her head slightly, then looked up at Willow to gauge her reaction.



Willow's face turned serious again. The two girls were sitting on the small couch, surrounded by bits of newspaper and Willow's laptop computer. She turned to face Tara, their lips mere inches apart. Slowly, in a sudden fit of bravery, Willow reached out a hand and gently cupped Tara's cheek, lifting her face toward her. Looking deeply into her eyes for the sign to pull away, but seeing no evidence of it, she gradually drew her thumb across her skin, reveling in the softness of the beauty before her. Tara's eyes held hers for what seemed like hours, lost in their depths. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. All the worries that had plagued her short life were gone, all that was left was Tara and those soulful eyes. Something had happened. Something she wasn't telling her about her family, or her childhood. It was definitely there, written on her very soul and Willow glimpsed it for a brief second before she blinked and pulled her hand away.



"Wow." Tara sighed.



It was Willow's turn to duck her head. "That's what I thought."



"I've never....your very touch is electrifying....did you feel it too?" Tara questioned.



"Yeah. You think maybe the spell?"



"I don't think so," Tara started, shaking her head slightly. "I've done spells with other people before but I never....nothing even approaching this." Then Tara felt something soft on her lips. Willow. Rather, Willow's lips. Just a very faint brush. Then again, a more definite touch this time. Slowly, Tara raised her hand to touch Willow's neck, the sensation causing a slight gasp from the redhead's lips on her mouth. Thinking she'd done something wrong, Tara pulled back and looked into near tearful eyes.



"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I..." Willow sighed, not sure of the words to describe how she was feeling.



"It's ok, I liked it....you liked it too, didn't you?" Tara was worried that the other girl regretted her actions because of how it made her feel, not because she thought Tara didn't want her to do it.



She saw Willow almost do a double take at her words, disbelief written plainly on her face. Then a subtle nod of her head. Tara knew how vulnerable Willow was feeling, and didn't want to scare her off. So she considered how to word her next question very carefully before speaking.



"We should actually go to see some of these places, so I have somewhere to cook for you. Would it be ok for me to have somewhere to cook for you?" Tara asked hopefully, knowing there was more to the thinly veiled question.



Her features softened and a broad smile replaced the slight frown that had been dominating "It would be way more than ok. Essential in fact. You know Molly's gonna freak."



"Oh, you want to tell her something?" Tara teased, she felt a little more comfortable now Willow was smiling.



"Well we do have something to tell her....don't we?" Willow suddenly wasn't sure that Tara was feeling quite the way she was.



"Oh yes." Tara exhaled with a slight sigh. Willow had never heard a sweeter sound.



"You're right though, we should go, time's getting on. I don't want my gir....Tara living in a skanky old motel." Willow's heart soared at the idea.



Willow. lost in thought, missed the look that crossed Tara's face at the mention of her accommodation.



Tara looked at her watch and nodded. "We have about 20 minutes to get to the first one, over on Maple."



"Hmm? Oh yeah, sure. Let's go." Willow snapped from her daze and, gathering up the papers, followed Tara out of the door.



~~~~~~~~~~



As they approached the fourth apartment on the short list, Tara was growing despondent.



"I'm never going to find anywhere," she almost whined.



"Sure you are, Tare. We've still got lots to look at, here, this one seems nice."



"From the outside, maybe," Tara replied, uncharacteristically cynical, "it might be another one with damp walls, no light and peeling ceilings inside though." The state of the apartments she'd be able to afford had so far left a lot to be desired.



The realtor was waiting by the small set of steps that led to a freshly painted door, the smell still emanating into the atmosphere. She held out her hand as the pair approached.



"Miss Maclay?"



Tara stretched out her hand to shake the other woman's. As she walked up the small steps the uneasiness began. It soon turned to turned to downright despair as she crossed the threshold into what appeared to be a large living area.



"I have to get out of here Willow," Tara managed to blurt out as she turned and ran from the room. Willow offered her apologies to the stunned realtor, then swiftly followed Tara, finding her leaning on the mailbox at the end of the path. Not sure what to do, Willow uttered a soft "Hey" to alert Tara to her presence and rested her hand on the small of Tara's back.



"Something bad happened in there, it's all over it. I can't go in there again," Tara almost sobbed.



"It's ok, we don't have to go back in. How about we call it a day and go back to mine for food?" Willow tried to soothe her, rubbing her lower back.



"Not yet, we should look at one more place, so that one isn't the last thing in my head. We have one more appointment." Tara reasoned.



"Well if you're sure. It's your choice."



"I just need to catch my breath for a minute," Tara admitted, as Willow continued to rub her back. The electricity from earlier was still there, but as a subtle undercurrent, both women were still able to feel it though, despite Tara's distress. In fact, it was what helped her to calm down and recover more quickly.





"Why don't we go for coffee or something before we go to the next one. We have time. There's a coffee shop near this one," Willow gestured at the address of the next apartment Tara had an appointment for.



"That would be nice," Tara acquiesced, as she stood to her full height. She then took Willow by the hand, ready to journey to the next apartment and the coffee shop.



~~~~~~~~~~



By the time they reached the coffee shop, having decided to walk, Tara was almost back to her usual self. The overly oppressive atmosphere of the apartment pushed to the back of her mind for the time being.



After finding a decent table, Willow proceeded to the counter to get the drinks, leaving Tara deep in thought.



"This next place looks like it's going to be nice," Willow said when she returned, putting the two steaming mugs of coffee on the table and handing Tara a stirrer.



"I hope so. It's so disheartening going from place to place and them all being so dingy and dark," Tara sighed.



"Well, we could always paint it..." suggested Willow.



Tara's eyes brightened, "You'd do that?"



"Of course I would. I'm a painter extraordinaire you know! Didn't you notice the great paint job at mine?" Willow wiggled her eyebrows as she spoke and Tara couldn't help but laugh.



"You have this knack of saying the exact thing to cheer me up. It's wonderful. Thank you." As she held her hand, Tara lovingly stroked her thumb back and forth over Willows knuckles, becoming more amazed with every passing minute by this woman she had somehow been blessed with meeting.



"Ready to go?"



"Anywhere with you," Tara replied, without even thinking of the words that were flowing from her mouth.



Willow's breath caught in her throat, not for the first time where Tara was concerned. Things really were starting to look up for her at long last. If they could just find out who was behind the attacks...



As the made the short walk to the final apartment of the day, they discussed what meditations they would do that evening before refreshing the spell. Tara admitted that the events of the previous house had indeed left her shaken and she felt she would need to cleanse herself before they completed the ritual. Although Willow suspected as much, this news made her wrap her arm around Tara's waist a little more tightly.



"Is this it?" Tara spoke after a long silence.



Willow checked the address, "Yes, it seems nice round here. I haven't really been over this way a lot, but it's fairly close to where I am."



"Well that's a good start," Tara winked.



"Oh I didn't...."



"It's ok, Willow, I was just joking." Tara quickly added, giving Willow a way out if she needed one.



"Not that I'd like you to be far away or anything," Willow conceded.



As they approached the property, a man got out of a car and walked up to them. "Dave Franklin," he said in introduction, "Tara, I presume?" Dave reached out to shake Willow's hand, she pulled it back and gestured to Tara.



"Hi, um, I'm Tara Maclay."



"Shall we?" Dave held his hand out, showing the way through the gate toward the small house.



Walking round to the back of the property, Willow followed Dave through into the house and found herself in a fairly spacious kitchen. It looked as though it had been recently refurbished, but was indeed in need of a coat of paint. Tara followed her in and immediately relaxed. It felt like home.



"Oh this is the one," she grinned.



"But we've only just looked in one room," Willow objected.



Tara moved quickly into the next room, the grin still plastered from ear to ear, Willow close behind, looking at her in bemusement. The decor really did leave a lot to be desired, almost as if no one had lived here for a few years, but it didn't seem to put Tara off, after their earlier conversation about painting, she knew it wasn't a problem.



"Don't you feel it, Willow? This place almost sings to me!"



Willow concentrated on her surroundings, trying to get a feel for the place. She could feel nothing but the slight draught creeping round the house from the open door.



"I don't know Tara, it's just a house."



Tara traveled further into the house, up the stairs into a small bathroom, then on to a medium size bedroom that practically crackled with energy.



"Someone powerful lived here. It's in the walls, everywhere."



"But how can you tell that?"



"Like I said before, magick leaves its mark Willow, it doesn't just dissipate when the spell is over, Some of it is absorbed by your surroundings. If you practice indoors, that means the very walls of the house become..." Tara searched for the word, "...imbibed with magic. This place feels wonderful, I have to have it."



"We have a winner," Willow smiled.



"Oh we do." Tara returned the smile, her mouth turning up on one side only. Willow had never seen a sight more beautiful.



"You want to go and make Dave's day then?"



They both walked back down the stairs and found Dave on his phone in the kitchen. He made his excuses and hung up when he saw them approach.



"I'll take it."



"It's one month's rent in advance and one deposit," he explained.



"That's fine."



"I'll call the office, tell them not to arrange any more viewings. If you'll excuse me?" With that, he walked into the living room to make the call.



"You should call Molly, tell her you've found somewhere. Do you have a cell?"



Tara looked a little confused.



"A cell phone, do you have one?" Willow asked again.



Tara shook her head.



"Here use mine, her number's speed dial 2." Willow offered.



"Thank you." Tara took the phone and looked at Willow, still seeming confused. "I've never...how do I..."



"You've never used a cell phone?" Willow asked. "Ok, you just press this here to dial the number, when you've finished press the red one and it will hang up." Willow looked seriously at her-



She watched as Tara dialed the number and spoke to Molly with a smile on her face throughout the conversation. As Tara passed the phone back to her, she was still smiling.



"I take it she was pleased for you," Willow stated.



"Definitely," Tara almost purred. "I have offers of help to move."



Dave re-entered the room, holding a clipboard. "I just need you to sign this, then if you could come into the office on Monday sometime to fill out all the paperwork, make the deposit..."



"That shouldn't be a problem. Thanks for your help."



They'd left the house and were on their way back to Willow's house when she suddenly felt herself almost knocked to the floor. When she recovered a little she realized she was enveloped in the most awe inspiring hug she had ever received. In fact it was more than a hug. She felt like she'd been wrapped in love, all warm and snuggly. She'd never felt anything like it in her life and never wanted it to end.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[pipsberg]

Oh wow, a comment before AND after an update. That's a first for me. I loved it!

Quote:

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Willow looked seriously at her- What? What should I call her? Friend? Girlfriend? Yumminess on a stick? Ok so that one might be going a bit far

---

Yumminess on a stick - hilARious. Thanks so much FlyingPoppy, can't wait for more.

-pipsberg



"We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep - it's as simple and ordinary as that."

Michael Cunningham, The Hours

[mollyig]

Willow watching the clock awaiting Tara's arrival just after hanging up the phone seems like a typical Willow thing to do. Wonderful that she found the courage to show Tara how she feels.



So Tara has found a place she likes. I wonder who might have owned it before her. She said she sensed that someone powerful lived there. I'm sure it was a good powerful, or she would have felt it.



Thanks for the update.

---

"Love is just like breathing when it's true" Indigo Girls

[sam darls]

Honey, that was so adorable..I love the way you write Willow and Tara in the way of not knowing what the other feels..so beautiful. And you're very welcome..anytime. Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

[astrangerhere]

Poppy,



Cliffhanger rating of oh, 7 or 8 of 10 as per your request... I knew it was coming. It was such a warm fluffy chapter, with the exception of the apartment where the nastiness happened. Then you whack my upside the head with this:

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They'd left the house and were on their way back to Willow's house when she suddenly felt herself almost knocked to the floor.

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However, you left me with one of my favorite moments thus far just after with this:

Quote:

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When she recovered a little she realized she was enveloped in the most awe inspiring hug she had ever received. In fact it was more than a hug. She felt like she'd been wrapped in love, all warm and snuggly. She'd never felt anything like it in her life and never wanted it to end.

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I dont think I have ever heard a protection spell or a hug (whichever this describes, if not both) depicted so beautifully before.



Other things that stuck out to me were the brilliantly understated moments of emotion. This, i think was my favorite...

Quote:

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All the worries that had plagued her short life were gone, all that was left was Tara and those soulful eyes.

---

Never mind that you followed that moment with a little mini-cliffhanger of Willow "glimpsing something," but your number one fan has faith that you will reveal all.



I think the other thing I like so much about this part is that they are falling so hard in love they are tripping all over one another. I am just waiting for this scene when they both fall and land together in one place in one beautiful moment.



Thanks much for the timely updates (they are highly underrated round here)! Lookin forward to more!



a.s.h.

[Grimlock72]

Good stories keep escaping my attention it seems, got to work on that Just found this one, seems packed with angst at first sight though...



I feel so sad for Willow, lines like these: " I don't like to spoil my friends free time. Friend...I only have one...", makes me want to hug her and keep her safe. Good thing Tara is around to do exactly that, heh



I wonder whats wrong with Willow, is she really being attacked or is it magic overflowing inside her all the wrong way ? After all, why would someone attack Willow for such a prolonged period? I'm not sure about Molly and/or Nat. but I don't know why yet... (could be they happen to be the only other people we know in this fic :-)



The love-story is sweet, both girls obviously attracted but nervous. Willow needs every support she can get, Tara seems better at hiding whatever problem is in her past. Thats okay, not all problems need resurfacing to be resolved.



So Tara's new house was home to a powerfull magic using person. We also know that the town they're in is rather small, that makes me VERY interested in why loved there and how they died or why they moved out. Must be upsetting for Tara to feel so much of events from the past, can upset your life quite drasticly if you can't shield it.



Lots of interesting setup indeed. I usually don't like flashback setup like this because I tend to want to read the flashback as fast as possible to get to the current. If that made sense... anyway, I do like this one, the road followed seems interesting enough to explore slowly. (and trust me, thats rather unique with me.. being impatient and all :-)



Grimmy

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"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

[Footman311]

Hey this story has definatly got myattention, makes you think, like what is really happening with Willow? who is trying to hurt her? why are they trying to do it? hope we do't have to wait to long for the anwers to these questions



It was good that Tara got a house that she liked and a magic person had once used, a place that she is comfortable and Willow can be too



Anyway, I love ths story and can't wait for the next update hopefully soon?

Lifes a bowl of punch G'head and spike it-Nick Hexum

[barnabasvamp]

Finally caught up on this story, and I must say it's addicting!



Typical that Tara would be the one to first feel the magic and power, but it will be very interesting to find out exactly what Willow's feeling. I'm kinda thinking the hug might be from Tara!!



BV

It's the passion in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.

[Guinevere]

I love, love love this story! I just read all of it so far, and I can't wait to read more!

And I agree with the "yumminess on a stick" part. Definitely .

[FlyingPoppy]

pipsberg - Thanks for reading. The waiting is nearly over, update tomorrow.



mollyig - I think it's safe to say that Tara would have sensed if it was a bad kind of powerful. I don't think I'm giving much away by saying that!



sam darls - It makes me smile to see you here. You're very sweet, thank you!



astrangerhere - Oh yes, there will be some warm fluffy chapters, or, rather, parts of chapters. I don't feel like it's something I write too well, so maybe I should take this opportunity to get some practice in. On the other hand, I don't feel like I write anything too well. Glad some people seem to disagree with that little voice in my head!



Oh, don't you worry. All will be revealed eventually. Gonna take a hell of a long time but I have it all planned out.

Quote:

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I am just waiting for this scene when they both fall and land together in one place in one beautiful moment.

---

Hope I can live up to expectations



Grimlock72 - This story will be pretty angst-ridden, things are going to get worse before they get better. A lot worse. I think the sweetness of their love story brings a lot of balance to that, though. Tara will be doing some investigating into who lived in the house and why they were so powerful, where they are now, stuff like that. Things are going to crop up that won't be explained for quite some time, hopefully people will stick with it! Glad you're liking it and thank you for your considered response.



Footman311 - Bad news! Some of those questions are going to be flying around your mind for some time, especially the who and why. We have a long, twisty, turny road to travel before everything is resolved!



barnabasvamp - Cool! I have an addictive story! You know, I worry that I'm going to be making things too complicated, I keep thinking of stuff that I need, or want, to happen and that just keeps making this story longer and longer and longer...



Guinevere - Why thank you Wiggy board excepting, update will be in the morning UK time.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[astrangerhere]

Poppy-



As promised, i have re-read all five chapters...and done some homework. I checked on all the latin phrases, and just loved the ones you picked. I can also see little hints emmerging that i missed on the first and second reading. I am keeping those to myself at the moment, though. I worked hard for them, and if kittens want them, they can go do the rereading .



Number One Fan out.

(user previously known as a.s.h.)

[FlyingPoppy]

Number One Fan - Oh yes, there are lots of little hints...whether we think they are hinting at the same thing is a different matter, though!



I need to say a big big thank you to Patches From this chapter on she's been betaing for me aswell as Kita, really pushing me and let's face it, I need it. Thanks hon!



•Title: Aeternum Vale - Chapter Six

•Author: FlyingPoppy

•Feedback: Here or by pm is fine.

•Distribution: No, thanks. It's just for Pens.

•Rating: R

•Pairing: W/T

•Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Willow and Tara, they belong to ME/UPN/whoever. All other characters belong to me. I'm just writing a story to keep myself out of mischief, I'm not making any money from it.

•Summary: This story is totally AU and will be long. Two girls meet and fall in love, but all is not what it seems.

•Notes:

- The hellmouth does not exist in this story but evil certainly does. A happy ending for W/T is certain, it's going to be a bumpy ride, though. Turn back now if your vehicle doesn't equip the suspension to deal...

- Thoughts in

- Many thanks to Kita and Patches for their beta work.





Chapter Six - Arduum Sane Munus



After a quick stop for some groceries, they were soon back at Willow's; Tara still buzzing from the energies she'd felt at the house. They decided to eat before going upstairs to start the ritual to strengthen the spell. Tara soon joined Willow in the small kitchen. The redhead was standing at the only clear counter in the room, by the window, chopping vegetables. As Tara entered the room, the brightness glaring through the small window shone directly into her eyes, causing a moments blindness. Blinking rapidly to recover, she tried to round the small table that took up most of the available floor space but banged into its side. The table pushed her away, almost angry at the intrusion and drove her body into contact with Willow's. The forced closeness charged the atmosphere and caused both women to breathe a little faster; hearts beat more quickly, the effect they had one another could be denied no longer.



After a moment, Tara took a half step back and spoke, "Want any help? I felt kind of lazy just sitting in there." She waved her hand in the direction of the living room.



Willow was lost in thought, trying to make her heart slow. It was still pounding from the brief contact, Tara's warmth so close. So lost she almost jumped at the sound of speech and then turned, meeting Tara's eyes with a blush.



"Oh...um, I've got it covered, thanks," Willow smiled.



"Willow, a-are you busy tomorrow evening?" Tara ducked her head a little as she spoke; afraid of the rejection she was sure would follow.



"Well I have a spell to do with a certain blonde Goddess," Willow grinned.



"I...oh you do?" Tara choked out, "th-that's ok. I mean you have a l-life, I know." She turned to return to the living room, ready to beat herself up over being so stupid.



Tara jumped halfway out of her skin at a delicate touch on her shoulder. She felt a gentle hand pull her around to face the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. Willow. Smiling. At her. Then Willow's lips were on her mouth, gentle, just a soft touch. And then they were gone.



"I meant you, silly. No need to freak out, I'm sorry. I have this habit of screwing things up," Willow apologized.



"No, it's me, I'm too sensitive. I can't quite believe this is happening."



Willow reached out a hand to lightly hold Tara's arm, pulled her closer. Just a little, their bodies facing each other, almost touching. Tara's breath hitched when she saw the look in Willow's eyes, pure, undeniable want.



"Believe it." Willow's husky voice in her ear was sweet as honey. Pulling back slightly, Willow looked right into Tara's soul, once again seeing there something she couldn't quite place. Something that almost scared her.



Then the feeling came. Just a gentle tugging at the back of her mind to start with, swiftly growing stronger. The inevitability of it soon struck, the feeling now in the ascendancy over her. Reaching out for Tara, Willow felt compelled to grasp the pendant that should have been offering protection and tried to concentrate on the feeling being deflected away from her, back where it had come from. Slowly she felt her consciousness beginning to ebb, starting with thin threads of darkness pulling at her mind, quickly growing thicker, starting to pull chunks out from her mind, until the darkness threatened to envelope her.



She hung desperately to Tara's arm; a tiny shining light in the darkness was all that remained. It flared briefly, almost blinding her with its brightness. It was Tara, so pure and light but just as quickly as it came, it was gone - darkness taking every corner of her mind and soul.



~~~~~~~~~~



Tara stood, shocked. Unable to take in what Willow had just said. Two words, "Believe it." Immediately that the words were out of her mouth, Willow got a strange look in her eyes. A kind of far away look, pupils fully dilated so that beautiful green was hidden from Tara's stare. Then it started. Willow's hand shot out and grabbed Tara's arm.



"Willow? Willow, sweetie, what's happening?"



Tara tried to reach out and hold Willow, but was frozen to the spot. Unsure what was happening, what she should do. She took a deep breath and looked into Willow's eyes. Such a far away look. There was something there, though. Something Tara almost recognized. Tara calmed her breathing further and closed her eyes, knew in that moment that whoever was attacking Willow was attempting once again to break her. Though it felt like minutes, a split second was all it took to decide on the best tactic. Tara lowered her voice and spoke gently, "Willow, if you can hear me, hold the pendant and imagine all of the power flowing back in the direction it came from. All of it's flowing away from you."



"Ok, good that's it," Tara encouraged, seeing Willow raise her hand to the pendant. She knew the pendant wasn't as strong as it could be, but with the added visualization there should be enough energy to keep the attacker at bay.



"It's all flowing away Willow. There's a bright light. Can you see it? It's just a small point in the distance but it's getting closer, taking over the darkness. Pure white light. Cracking the darkness to pieces. Breaking through it in every direction. The light's getting stronger and brighter, Willow, coming towards you, pushing the darkness back, until the light is everywhere, is everything. Can you see it? It's so beautiful."



Trying to stay focused, Tara also saw the darkness flowing out of the shell of the woman before her. Suddenly, she felt it herself; darker than anything she had ever imagined. Then Willow was on the floor, in a ball, muttering something under her breath. Words that Tara couldn't make out. Bending down, Tara carefully scooped up Willow up in her arms and carried her into the living room as though she were weightless. She set Willow down on the sofa and moved quickly to collect a few things from the chest of drawers under the window that Willow kept her spell supplies in. As she did so, panic began to set in. What the hell was happening? How could anyone be doing this to such a sweet young woman? Was there something going on that she didn't know about; that Willow hadn't told her? Something Willow didn't want her to know?



Tara pushed the growing concern from her mind. Right now, she just had to help Willow. Bring her back from wherever she had been taken. Now wasn't the time for questions; questions that were piling up faster by the second.



Tara lifted the seemingly unconscious woman once again and made her way upstairs, to where Willow's altar was set up. She knew there was no way she could do anything with her emotions running as high as they were, fear and panic ran rife through her mind. She had to dispel them before she could carry out her plan, before she could do anything to help. She placed Willow gently in the corner of the spare room and looked out of the window to get her bearings. After making few preparations, then moving Willow to the center of the room, Tara stood tall and faced East.



Taking deep, calming breaths, Tara concentrated and began to center herself.



"I am grounded in the center of my being."



She pictured energy crackling all through the Earth below her. Though the situation was far from ideal, her being a flight of stairs away from the ground, Tara was experienced with this kind of centering and soon began to see waves of energy flowing up through the house and reaching up to her feet, joining her with the Earth below.



"I am supported by the powers of below."



Looking upwards, straight through the roof, Tara pictured the Goddess and God above her, their energy flowing down, strengthened by their succor. As the tendrils made their way down towards Tara, they grew thicker and stronger, finally making contact and flowing through her, joining with the energy from below. Tara stood with her feet shoulders width apart, arms raised. The blue threads of energy flowing down from above, through her fingertips, flashes of translucency traveling down her arms, joining the greener energy flowing from below. Wide eyed and completely at ease she stood, at one with the power flowing through her.



"I am guided by the powers of above."



Tara kept the image in her head for a few moments. Her standing with the joint energies flowing through her, in perfect balance, becoming one entity. Intertwined they ran throughout her, twisting and turning, filling her body and soul.



"I am balanced in the axis of my being."



She stretched out her right hand in front of her, drawing the powers of the elements towards her, and could feel perfect clarity.



"I am inspired by the powers of Air," she paused, concentrating on her visualizations. Seeing the energy crackle, feeling the power flow from above and below, knowing the elements were beginning to join with her.



"I am enlightened by the powers of Fire,

I am renewed by the powers of Water."



She finally felt the strong, nurturing and stabilizing power of the Earth below her, connecting with her, reaching up to her.



"I am nurtured by the powers of the Earth."



Next, she pictured all of the energies coming together with her in perfect balance, herself and the elements as one. Everything was her. She was everything.



"The forces are in balance within and about me,

The Sphere is placed,

The Temple is established,

I am the Temple."



Tara turned to face the small altar that Willow had set up as a permanent fixture, ready to banish that which had taken what was hers, her eyes even wider, flashes of energy sparking, green and red mixed with her blue. Her body glowing with the energy's light, pulsating just beneath her skin. It was time to put an end to it.



~~~~~~~~~~



Tara cast a quick glance over at Willow, then, focusing on the task at hand, turned back towards the altar. All the time she tried to think of ways to make what she was about to do more effective.



First, she lit a sage stick and placed it in the West of the circle, then quickly lit three candles, one white, one gray and one black. After placing the white one in the East, the gray in the South and the black one in the North, she returned to face the flame of the white candle in the East.



A look of total calm washed over her face as she stood there, arms by her side, visualizing an energy field of pure white light around her and Willow, layer upon layer of white light, growing thicker and stronger. As she did this, she spoke;



"Core go round,

power be bound,

by the number of three.

What harm comes our way

shall not stay,

and returns to thee,

so mote it be."



She then turned to the gray candle and repeated the process, before doing the same at the black candle. Tara turned back to the West and picked up the sage stick. She wafted its smoke over herself and Willow as she pictured the white energy still surrounding them. Concentrating again on the energy of the Earth, Tara felt herself become one with it once again, her energy reaching out to connect with the strong waves of energy that were coming up from beneath her. She then snuffed out the candles and extinguished the sage stick on the floor. Finally, she released the circle, just managed to keep her eyes open long enough to see Willow's flicker open before collapsing, totally exhausted, on the floor.



~~~~~~~~~



Willow felt her head pounding long before she felt or saw anything else. She slowly became aware of Tara moving around her but was unsure of exactly where she was or what was going on. The smell of sage was strong in the air and she could feel a strong build up of energy, though she wasn't quite conscious enough to know whether it was whatever attacked her, or Tara's doing. Gradually, she managed to push back the pain that was cutting into her mind and force her eyes open, only to see Tara fall to the floor right in front of her.



"Tar..." Willow could barely speak, let alone move. Try as she might, she couldn't even raise her hand. Tara didn't look hurt but neither did she, she suspected. Closing her eyes again to focus, Willow stilled her breaths to listen. She could hear Tara breathing heavily and could sense no sign in the room of the darkness that had previously permeated her very soul. Whatever Tara had done, it appeared to have worked. Satisfied that Tara was indeed ok for the moment, she felt an immense tiredness overwhelm her and could do nothing other than give in to it.



~~~~~~~~~~



Tara slowly awoke, became aware she was lying on some pillows, piled carefully around her. A thick blanket spread over her. She felt completely drained and, as she tried to lift her head, more than a little anxious. Where was she? Who had placed the pillows around her? Slowly, she regained her senses, remembered she was at Willow's house. That accounted for the pillows. The spell! Had the spell worked? Details of the room came to her gradually, her eyes focused. She could see Willow curled up in a chair in the corner. She looked more than a little the worse for wear - but if she was in the chair, then things had gone well, hadn't they?



Tara called out, not trusting her memory that things were ok, wanting to hear Willow say it. "Willow...Willow!"



Willow's eyes shot open and turned toward Tara.



"What? Are you ok?" Willow rose unsteadily to her feet and crossed the room to Tara's side. Sitting by the edge of the blanket, she held out her hand and took Tara's in it, giving a gentle squeeze.



"I just didn't want you sleeping there on the chair. You need some proper rest."



Tara made as if to get up.



"No, stay there, you collapsed."



"I was just tired," Tara explained. A half smile came across her face, "How about you join me?"



Willow looked a little unsure of what was expected.



"To sleep Willow, nothing more. If you won't let me move, I'll at least feel better if I know you're comfortable too." Tara was tired and there was no hiding it. Her eyes dark-set, half closed. She fought to keep them open.



"What did you do back there Tara? That's the quickest it's ever gone away," Willow was amazed, she'd tried many things to keep it at bay. Things that had never worked. She let out a small smile, unable to hold it in. Here was a woman who could really help. Not just offer false platitudes, hope when there was none. Their eyes met, held each other for a moment.



"It can wait until morning, sweetie," Tara said as she caressed Willow's arm with her free hand. A smile spreading over her own face in reply to Willow's.



"Why don't we move all these pillows to my bed and rest there then. It'd be more comfortable." Exhaustion began to set in once again. If they were going to move, they needed to do it soon. Willow stifled a yawn, causing Tara to follow suit and offer little resistance to the suggestion.



"Well, if you're sure you don't mind." Tara looked deep into Willow's eyes as she spoke, sure that hers looked just as bad, worse if the thumping in her head was anything to go by.



"I'm sure I don't want to let you out of my sight tonight," Willow said, in all honesty. She was petrified of what she might have done while she was out, but Tara still seemed to be quite comfortable in her presence. "I...I thought this would be over, that it wouldn't happen again. I don't remember what happened."



Tears sprang to Willow's eyes, filling them and spilling out to leave a watery trail down her cheek.



"Willow, don't. I'm certain that whatever it was won't bother you again. Can we talk about it tomorrow? I can hardly keep my eyes open."



Willow looked to Tara, saw the rings round her eyes, the beginnings of dark bags beneath them, Tara's drawn, pale face telling her it was the truth. With a quick nod and a sniff, she was on her feet again, gathering up the pillows and blanket, helping Tara to her feet. "You managed to break the circle before you collapsed?" Willow asked.



"I did," Tara smiled, "I would never leave things unfinished."



"I didn't mean to question you, I was just amazed that you could have done, you were totally gone there for a while. It must have been a pretty major spell you did," Willow fished.



"It was, but I'd really rather talk about it in the morning. Can't we just get some sleep now?"



"Of course, I'm sorry."



Taken over by a sudden wave of bashfulness, Willow sighed and carried the pile of bedding into her room, inviting Tara in with a wave of her hand, "It's not exactly the Hilton."



Tara entered the room, glancing around as she did so. It was the only room in the house thoughtfully decorated. The ceiling was very slightly off-white, contrasting with the deep purple of the walls. There was a pale mauve border about three quarters of the way up the walls, the look being completed by a cream deep shag carpet. Willow dumped the pillows on her bed and moved across the room to close the blinds, completely shutting out the harshness of the streetlight immediately outside, plummeting the room into complete darkness. Tara pressed the switch by her head, lighting the room in a warm glow. She could see Willow's blush from where she was standing.



"Thanks, I didn't think," Willow goofily explained. She made her way back towards Tara, opened a drawer and took out some nightclothes. "Do you need something? Well obviously you're going to need something, like you're going to be out house hunting and just happen to have some spare jammies in your bag." Willow blushed profusely at her use of the childish word. Tara simply looked on, wordless, smiling at the state Willow was quickly working herself into. Such a cute thing to do, especially considering the mess she had been in mere hours before.



"A t-shirt will be just fine thank you. I haven't really adjusted to the heat here yet." It was now Tara's turn to blush, she did indeed feel the heat rise in the room, but it had nothing to do with the weather.



Willow rummaged in the drawer, looking for a t-shirt that would leave at least some of Tara's dignity intact. She finally pulled one out and held it up; satisfied that it would be ok. Tara took the offered item and gestured into the hallway.



"Um...your bathroom?"



"Oh yeah, first on the right. Just use my toothbrush if you want, I have a spare one somewhere."



Tara smiled and turned to leave the room, pulling the door shut behind her. The realization that Tara was going to be sleeping in her bed, with her, in nothing but a t-shirt that was probably at least a size too small hit like a ton of bricks. Almost swooning, she fell back onto her bed, grinning like a love-struck teenager crushing out on the quarterback.



Knowing that Tara would soon be back, Willow quickly removed her shoes and clothes and replaced them with a pair of pajama bottoms, covered with cartoon pictures of cows, and a white tank top. Feeling a little exposed, but agreeing with Tara's assessment of the weather, she slid into bed, staying as close to one edge as she possibly could. As she heard the click of the door handle, a shiver passed through her, before a soft voice called out, "Is it ok to come in?"



It was such a warm and loving voice, Willow sighed internally. "Sure, I'm all done," she finally answered.



The door opened a crack, letting the small amount of light that was out in the hall filter through into the bedroom. As Tara pulled the door shut, the room was returned to its previous state of semi-darkness. Willow had switched off the overhead light and turned on a small blue lamp that sat on a table next to her bed. From across the room, Willow could sense the blush rising in Tara's cheeks as she realized just how small the t-shirt really was. Tara quickly made her way to the bed and paused by the side of it.



"Hop in, I don't bite," Willow wriggled her eyebrows, then, realizing what she had said, pulled the covers up a little higher and let out a sigh. she admonished herself.



Tara gave a wry smile and knowing look, one eyebrow raised, before pulling back the sheet and getting into bed. The exhaustion she had felt earlier beginning to return once again.



"Goodnight, Willow."



"Sweet dreams." Willow replied, then heard the slowness of Tara's breathing immediately after, indicating that she had already fallen into a peaceful sleep.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[mollyig]

Okay, so it seems that Tara was successful in banishing whatever it was that was draining Willow. Hmm, maybe I'm just naturally suspicious, but I'm not sure it's all over yet.



So cute that despite their exhaustion they were still all fluttery and nervous about sharing a bed.

---

"Love is just like breathing when it's true" Indigo Girls

[sam darls]

Sweetie, again that was an amazing update..and Tara was so cute during the end..awww And you're very welcome..Love sam xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

[astrangerhere]

Well, Poppy, you've done it again... you have been a cliffhanger meanie throughout an entire chapter. All we gathered from it was that something attacked Tara's Willow (since they seem to be using those terms, so will I) and Tara killed it. Well, seeing as we still don't know what -or who- it was, i won't say she killed it because i dont know if "it" can be killed. However, you took us on a wonderful ride.



As to specific comments... I am starting to think you have a thing with tables. That or I do, because moments with tables keep sticking out to me. This one in particular:

Quote:

---

The table pushed her away, almost angry at the intrusion and drove her body into contact with Willow's.

---

I loved the image of the table being all huffy that it got bumped and shoving the erstwhile Tara back for her trouble.



And then there was the bright glare of their insecureties buttressed beautifully with attempted flirting:

Quote:

---

"Well I have a spell to do with a certain blonde Goddess," Willow grinned.



"I...oh you do?" Tara choked out, "th-that's ok. I mean you have a l-life, I know." She turned to return to the living room, ready to beat herself up over being so stupid.

---

Just priceless.

I think perhaps my favorite moment was Tara awaking to find herself wrapped in blankets and surrounded by pillows. Such symmetry in the way they are already trying to take care of one another. Tara's first thought was Will and Will's was Tara.



Even though i have to give you a cliffhanger rating of 8 for not telling us a thing about the actual attack, I am still loving it!



a.s.h. (aka Number One Fan)

[pipsberg]

Love it! Tara's taking care of her girl and it's so sweet. I can't wait to learn more about Willow's mysterious problem and how Tara fits into it all.

-pipsberg



"We live our lives, do whatever we do, and then we sleep - it's as simple and ordinary as that."

Michael Cunningham, The Hours

[Grimlock72]

Well it seems Tara has at least pushed the darkness out for now. For some reason I doubt thats permanent however, any form of rest is welcome for Willow of course.



The good thing about Tara being there when the attack begun (aside from the obvious) is that she might have a better idea of where the attacks are coming from. Willow herself isn't in any state to know or remember that at such times so maybe a semi-outsider can see better. That still leaves a fairly HUGE question of 'why'... can't see any point or reason in attacking Willow at the moment.



It figures Willow would make sure Tara's at least on some pillows once she awoke. Willow having more experience with awakening from magic exhaustion and such, though reading them yawning pretty much at the same time was cute .



I'm not sure what kind of spell Tara did there, banishing won't work long term I think since it's an attack from the outside. It did work in repelling the current attack though, which is good. It seems Tara has more practical knowledge on what and how to do magic. Logic dictates that if Willow and Tara combine there power they should be able to protect Willow better (lets hope the attacker won't switch to Tara then).



Wonderfull to see them take care of each other, the fact that we don't know who's attacking Willow or why is distracting though .



I also keep wondering about that restaurant scene a couple of chapters back, the one where Molly asks Willow to help out in the shop during weekends. It's almost as if that question triggered an attack, which is odd. Even worse is that that reaction seems to have happened before, Molly appears to recognize it. However, such triggering is inconsitent with random outside attacks.... puzzling. And yet another reason to keep on reading..



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

Edited by: Grimlock72 at: 4/29/04 4:29 am

[astrangerhere]

Quote:

---

I also keep wondering about that restaurant scene a couple of chapters back, the one where Molly asks Willow to help out in the shop during weekends. It's almost as if that question triggered an attack, which is odd. Even worse is that that reaction seems to have happened before, Molly appears to recognize it. However, such triggering is inconsitent with random outside attacks.... puzzling. And yet another reason to keep on reading..

---

Grimmy got me to thinkin about that one. The only thing I can think is that Will went all internal because she was going through the mental rant of "can't be with people that long, can't ruin anyone's time." I had not thought of that at all as what actually started the attack.



Its puzzling, because I know I should be suspicious of someone, but i just have no idea who.



a.s.h.

Can you help me with this heart in my chest? It ain't perfect, but you should see me use it.

[FlyingPoppy]

Ok, I'm even less mobile than usual - the fates decreed I needed to actually keep this arse of mine sitting still for five minutes, so here are some replies...



mollyig - You're right! It's not over. This fic is going to be around about 100 parts, maybe a little more as I work some more things out. We've barely started yet! Hopefully no one will get too fed up...



sam darls - Aw! Always making me smile, which is no mean feat, thank you!



NumberOneFan - Hey you! I worry for your sanity if you think these cliffhanger meanie moments are bad...glad to know I can keep it up for a whole chapter though

Did I tell you how much I love your feedback? Really lets me know what I'm doing right. Do feel free to tell me anything that's wrong, though! Same goes for everyone.



It may appear as though Tara has extirpated whatever/whoever was attacking Willow. Might only be a fleeting victory though...I'm not telling!



Patches can be thanked for the table bit. She wanted me to show how they were forced together in the confines of the kitchen, not just say "they were standing right next to each other." So, maybe it wasn't that bad, but it led me to come up with the "huffy" table. And that's exactly the image I had in my head when I wrote it. Her powers of descriptive writing leave me stupefied, if only to be half as good...



Ok, confession time. The tables are the evil ones in this story. They're gonna attempt to take over the world and turn Willow and Tara into trees so they can also be made into tables. The tables will be foiled in the end, Tara discovers the leader is a fold-up and can only do magic with it's legs down. The girls perform a spell to fold said leader up, then get their axes out and set to work on the assembled hoardes, finally sailing off into the sunset, eating from trays on their laps because they destroyed all the tables in the world. That's why it's so long, do you realise how many tables there are???



Damn, I gave the end away...better get re-writing.



Pipsberg - It's going to be a fair while before we learn much more about what's bugging Willow I think. Many more questions will be presented in the meantime. I kind of worry that people will get fed up waiting for answers that are not going to be appearing in the immediate future, hopefully I have enough coming up to make some of those questions be the last thing on your minds!



Grimlock72 - Yes, Tara performed the spell successfully, exactly what she did and why will be explained a bit in the next chapter. It was a big spell for her, we don't really know how much magic she has performed in the past yet, so just how big it was for her is unknown. Though, by her state of exhaustion after, I think it's fair to say was a pretty big thing.



From what has been told so far, you're right, there is absolutely no obvious reason for anyone to be attacking Willow. But they are doing, so there must be something somewhere. Thanks for your comments



NumberOneFan - I told you! It's the tables!!!!



You know it's rumoured that there are going to be more characters added to this story at some point...then you'll have even more people to be suspicious of!

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[astrangerhere]

Poppy-



HA, I KNEW it was the tables!



You do something wrong and I will tell you. I promise you, if you miss a parallel or mess up your continuity, I will nail you. However, as of yet, I have nothing to complain about.



a.s.h.

Can you help me with this heart in my chest? It ain't perfect, but you should see me use it.

[FlyingPoppy]

Before I update, I just wanted to say something. This story is planned out at 100 Chapters so far. It may get longer. There are going to be no quick resolutions. Questions may be asked that aren't answered until the last third of the story. I don't want people to be disappointed when there are no immediate answers to some of their questions. For now, I'm going to keep asking more and more questions, some will be answered soon, others will take longer, much longer. Just know that by the end, everything will be clear.





•Title: Aeternum Vale - Chapter Seven

•Author: FlyingPoppy

•Feedback: Here or by pm is fine.

•Distribution: No, thanks. It's just for Pens.

•Rating: R

•Pairing: W/T

•Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Willow and Tara, they belong to ME/UPN/whoever. All other characters belong to me. I'm just writing a story to keep myself out of mischief, I'm not making any money from it.

•Summary: This story is totally AU and will be long. Two girls meet and fall in love, but all is not what it seems.

•Notes:

- The hellmouth does not exist in this story but evil certainly does. A happy ending for W/T is certain, it's going to be a bumpy ride, though. Turn back now if your vehicle doesn't equip the suspension to deal...

- Thoughts in

- Many thanks to Kita and Patches for their beta work.







Chapter Seven - Post Tenebras Lux





"You think there's something going on with them, then?" Natalie questioned, as she picked up an orange from the fruit bowl and placed it in the juicer. "You want some?" she added to her earlier question, twisting her head to look at Molly



Molly was sitting at the breakfast bar reading her latest trashy novel, and sipping from a cup of coffee that was a little too hot. "No, thanks, to the second one...you should have seen the way they were looking at each other. I swear, if there's not something going on now, there will be soon," Molly said with a grin. "I just want Willow to be happy. Tara's a great girl. Very calming, they'd be good for each other. Plus, the sparks were really flying," she continued with a cheeky smile, trying to blow on her coffee at the same time.



Movement caused her to cast a glance to the open kitchen door, out into the small garden. The early morning sun was shining through the opening, not quite making it halfway to Molly's seat. She was itching to get out into the sunshine, maybe sit on the grass and read for a while, play with Grace, or even pull up the few weeds she'd seen making an appearance by the back fence. Right on cue, Grace ran in through the doorway, legs everywhere, and crashed into the breakfast bar. It earned her a "Slow down, young lady!" from Molly and a stern glare from Natalie, who was now picking through the fruit bowl in search of another juicy looking orange.



Grace sat by Molly's feet then rested her head against her owner's leg, searching for forgiveness. Molly reached down and ran her fingers through the soft fur on the pup's head, unspoken forgiveness granted. Her aim achieved, Grace pulled herself to her feet and caught a strange smell in the air, something didn't belong. On the seat beside Molly, that mornings newspaper lay, the scent of the delivery boy overpowering to the dog's sensitive nose. She sniffed tentatively at it, and started to open her mouth to rid the room of the offending item. Maybe if she buried it in the garden? Suddenly, the newspaper was wrenched from her grasp and moved out of reach. Finding nothing else interesting to occupy her, she once again resumed her hunt for any intrusion outside.



"Willow deserves to be happy," Natalie finally conceded, putting the last of the oranges she had selected into the juicer. "She's not exactly had the best of times, I know. Maybe that all turned around when you found her." She turned to the cupboard above the microwave and picked out a small glass, examining its cleanliness before shutting the door once again with a gentle bump.



"She still has problems, Nat. I'm not sure exactly what's going on, I mean she never really talked to me about it. I know she had blackouts, I presume she still does, I don't know." Molly put her book down and sighed, thinking, not for the first time, of any way she may be able to help. "As far as I know, no one's ever been able to tell her what causes it to happen. She hasn't seen her parents since she was 16, they were convinced she was a drug addict, made her have blood tests to prove she wasn't, then still didn't believe her when they came back negative. They insisted she had somehow switched the sample."



Natalie stopped what she was doing and looked genuinely shocked. "I didn't know," she apologized in a quiet voice glass in one hand. The juice momentarily forgotten. Her other hand started to pick at a piece of lint on her sweater, lint that was invisible to all but her. Natalie wasn't a nasty person; she and Willow simply got off on the wrong foot, neither of them had ever been willing to be the first to make the much needed approach, Afraid, now, that things had gone too far to be resolved.



"Sweetheart, how could you have known? I guess there are things we should have talked about by now, but haven't." Molly folded her arms across her chest, waiting for her partner to interrupt, like she knew she always would. The interruption never came.



Molly stayed silent for a minute then took a deep breath in preparation for what she was about to say. Just at that moment, Natalie pushed the button on the juicer; its noise rendering all attempts at conversation impossible. She eventually removed the small glass she'd placed underneath and approached her girlfriend, eyes downcast. She took a seat next to her love and reached out to lightly stroke Molly's arm; a silent offering of more unneeded apologies,



"I know you two don't exactly have the best of relationships..." Molly thought carefully of how to word what she needed to say, knew that it wouldn't take much to set Natalie off on the self-depreciating route she could be so fond of at times.



"I was just jealous...I'm an ass," Natalie goofed as she lightly squeezed Molly's arm. Her hand still in place from moments earlier, she continued stroking up and down, trying to lighten the mood of her reply. Molly didn't fall for it; knew this woman too well. Molly uncrossed her arms, stilled Nat's hand with her own and looked deep into her eyes. Unable to meet the gaze, Natalie dropped her head down to look at the floor.



"Baby, I love you. You. Not Willow. Not anyone else."



Molly grasped Natalie's chin and forced her to look directly into her eyes, "You. I'm in love with you, Natalie. No goofing about, no lies. Nobody else. Ever."



Leaning forward, Molly placed a soft kiss on Natalie's lips and released her chin. Natalie fought the urge to look down again, ashamed.



"Molly, I..." Natalie closed her eyes for a second, composing herself, and trying to find the correct words to explain. "I know Willow thinks I'm like this bitch monster from Hell or something..."



"Na..." Molly started, shaking her head.



"No. Let me finish. Ok, when I first met you and you two were all pal-y and close, I felt like I couldn't even get my foot in the door. You had something special and I took it for more than it was. Even when I found out you'd never been lovers, I was still jealous. I'd never had anything like it. It scared me and I scared Willow off. She's afraid of me and has never made the effort to get to know me." Natalie's eyes still met her lover's, in a more steady gaze now, the love she felt obvious for Molly to see.



Molly glared at her and was about to speak, but Natalie continued, eyes imploring, "Let me finish, I'm not blaming her or anything, I know I come across a bit strong at first. The last thing I want to do is come between you." She looked desperately into Molly's eyes, looking for a sign that what she said was understood and accepted, that Molly wasn't angry with her. Molly's eyes held only sorrow, though.



"Honey, it's not me you need to say that to, it's Willow. She doesn't trust people. In her mind you are exactly the way you acted that first day you met. She's never going to come to you and try to make things right, she has...issues...that won't allow her to do that. You have to make the first move, that is if you want to-"



"I do," Natalie interrupted, "I feel like I'm missing out on a huge part of your life, I don't want that to happen. I want to be part of it all, share everything."



"How about dinner one night? We could invite Tara too, you'd love her."



"Not as much as you'd love the two of them getting together it seems," Natalie raised her eyebrow, feeling more at ease. "Sure, ask them. It can't do any harm right? Mol...we're ok aren't we?" Her tone switched to a more serious one as she took Molly by the hand, fingers stroking, her eyes asking questions she needed answering.



"Did you happen to miss the whole 'I love you' speech back there?" Molly questioned back, before launching into a full fledged tickle attack. Breakfast was soon forgotten as the sound of laughter filled the house.



~~~~~~~~~~



Tara's eyes slowly flickered open and she was filled with the warm sense of love. Sometime during the night, Willow had scooted across the bed and was now snuggled right up against her. Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined waking up this way everyday; she couldn't conceive of a better way to start the day. Not wanting to embarrass Willow, she carefully pulled back the sheet and climbed out of bed. After tucking the sheet back around the sleeping redhead, she gathered her clothes and left for the bathroom, carefully clicking the door shut behind her.



Feeling her stomach rumble, she remembered that with everything that had happened the previous night, they hadn't actually got around to having anything to eat. Having expended so much energy, she was now nigh on ravenous. What better way to wake Willow than with some breakfast, it was Sunday morning so Tara gathered that Willow didn't have anywhere to be at such an early hour.



After she had a quick shower and dressed, Tara peeked her head back into Willow's room to find her soundly asleep. She carefully closed the door behind her and made her way down to the kitchen. The preparations for last night's dinner were still in place, so Tara quickly tidied up all evidence of the evening's events, just in case Willow awoke and stumbled upon the scene.



After opening and closing a couple of cupboards, Tara finally found a few cans of food, coffee and some bread. The humming fridge revealed nothing more than butter and milk. So toast it was to be. The bread was a day or so past it's best, but still quite acceptable for toasting. Tara took a few slices from the bag and returned it to the cupboard. Her search had turned up no toaster, so she turned on the grill and slid the bread under. She then prepared the coffee maker and flicked the switch. The smell of toasting bread and freshly brewed coffee soon began to permeate the atmosphere, wafting through the door and up the stairs to where Willow slept. It tugged at her nostrils until she started to rouse herself; eyes flickered open, the smell of coffee soon bringing her to her senses. She made her way down to the kitchen to find Tara turning over the half done toast.



"You're still here. I...I half thought it was a dream," Willow said, rubbing her eyes, still dressed in her pyjamas.



Tara poured some coffee and handed a cup to Willow, who was still lurking in the doorway.



"I woke about an hour ago, I didn't have the heart to wake you. I was gonna bring you breakfast," she added with a grin.



"That's so sweet, but you shouldn't have. Can I do anything?"



"All under control. You don't really have much in, so it's just toast I'm afraid," Tara replied. "Actually you could take the coffee through, I don't think I can manage to carry that as well. I'll be done in a minute."



Willow took Tara's coffee from her and went through into the living room. She put the coffee down the floor and moved a small wooden table in front of the couch before taking a seat on the threadbare couch.



A minute or so later, the door swung open and Tara appeared carrying two plates, piled with toast.



'Hungry I take it?" Willow questioned, sitting on the edge of the couch.



Tara sat down, nodding profusely and handed a plate to Willow, who visibly relaxed when Tara sat next to her.



"Thank you, Tara. Not just for this, for everything." Her eyes conveyed just how much Tara's actions meant to her with far more emotion than mere words ever could. They were almost pleading with Tara, unsure if she knew just how much she had done - how effective the spell had been.



Tara had a mouth full of food, so took a second to reply. "It's ok, Willow, how could I possibly stand by and not do anything? When you were hurting..."The memory caused Tara to briefly reach out to Willow, brush a hand against her leg, make sure she was still there, still ok.



"What did you do last night?" Willow put down the piece of toast she was about to take a bite from and concentrated all of her attention on Tara, desperate to know just how she had made the darkness dissipate so quickly.



"I took care of you." Tara stated plainly, sitting back in her seat and continuing to eat. Stopping only occasionally for a mouthful of coffee.



Willow took the hint for now and she too concentrated on eating her breakfast, realizing just how hungry she had become. When she'd finished Tara took her plate and disappeared into the kitchen. Just as Willow was about to get up and follow her, she returned and reclaimed the seat next to Willow, a little closer now.



"I was scared last night, you were taken away somewhere. I've never felt anything like it," Tara began to explain. She half turned in her seat and continued, taking Willow by the hand to offer some comfort. "The spell we've been doing obviously isn't strong enough to protect you, in normal circumstances it would have been enough to repel the attack, even more so as you were using visualization techniques as well."



"That was you," Willow realized, slack jawed. "I saw you through the darkness." Her eyes widened as the thought sunk in. The light was Tara, trying desperately to help.



"It wasn't enough, I felt it reach out to me, too, it cut me off from you and took you. I brought you upstairs and did a three-stage spell. It's very powerful and should really only be a last resort, if I'd had time to think maybe I would have tried something else, but I couldn't bear to see you like that." As Tara talked, she started to become more emotional. The usual cadence that her voice carried was gone. Her brow furrowed, eyes pleading with Willow to understand that she'd done all she could.



"You get used to it." Willow tried to joke.



"I refuse to get used to it. We will stop it, I promise." There was no way Tara was going to joke about this, anger bubbled under the surface. Anger that Willow was in this situation. Anger that she didn't know what more she could do to help; how she could find out who was doing this.



Tara had moved fractionally closer to Willow as she spoke and reached out with her other hand to hold Willow by the arm, always stroking. Her right hand still held Willow's tight as she tried to think of a way to explain what she had done without making it sound too dangerous. The last thing she wanted to do was worry Willow further.



"The spell is very powerful, as I said. It's done by using three candles. First, a white one to counteract the negative forces, then a gray one to neutralize it and finally a black one to banish it. The layering of the spell bounces the negativity back to the sender. I would imagine whoever it was is feeling pretty rough this morning. It totally wiped me out. I've never had to do it before. It worked though." Tara finished, proudly.



"Was it dangerous for you?" Willow asked with trepidation, her eyes searching Tara's for any sign that she was playing this down.



"Not so much dangerous, very draining. I prepared well beforehand, especially after that house yesterday. Then seeing you like that, it was a little..." Tara wanted to say heart wrenching, but thought Willow might find it a bit much. Then again, it was the honest truth and Willow hadn't exactly rebuffed anything she'd said up until now. "It was scary, Willow," she softly finished, eyes closed.



"What was it about that house? What happened there?" Willow had been wondering just why Tara had become so upset whilst looking at the house the previous day, but hadn't wanted to risk upsetting Tara when she was so happy later that afternoon.



Tara took a deep breath and opened her eyes, meeting Willow's green. "It...it felt like the place was on fire, I couldn't breath. There was a family...they...d-didn't make it." Tara's back hunched, almost in defeat, as she explained. The feelings that had been forced upon her earlier in the day threatening to break loose once again.



"What, all of them?" Willow felt saddened by Tara's statement. She put her hand on Tara's back, offering her support to continue. "Why didn't you say anything?"



"Willow, I just wanted to forget about it, I could hear their screams, smell the smoke. I could smell their flesh as it burned." She bent over, head resting in her hands, and let out a deep sigh. Then sat up and leaned back in her seat and took a deep, shuddering breath.



Willow raised her eyes to look at Tara's and saw the unshed tears building. She lifted a hand and wiped away the first tear as it fell, moving her hand round to the back of Tara's head and pulling her into a close embrace. As Tara gave in to the motion, Willow wrapped her other arm around her and lowered her chin to rest on top of Tara's head.



"Shh, it's ok, baby." Willow didn't even notice the term she'd used, it falling from her lips as naturally as it was for her to draw breath.



Tara cried in silence as Willow tried to comfort her, holding her close, stroking her hair, whispering cooing sounds in her ear.



"I'm so sorry I didn't protect you better," Tara finally admitted, the last of her resolve crumbling, the need to protect Willow overridden by the need to get out the hurt, the pain of what she had experienced the previous afternoon.



"Tara...please...don't. Imagine if you hadn't even been here, you've helped me so much, I don't know what I'd do without you. Where would I be right now? Out in the streets somewhere, probably only just waking up, feeling all hollow and alone. Like I've always felt..."



Willow pressed her mouth gently to Tara's and opened her lips in invitation. The soft warmth of Tara's tongue fluttered over them, then further, slowly stroking, probing. Willow gradually relaxed into the feeling, let her emotions take over, stopped thinking about what she was doing and just went with it. She lifted a hand, cupped Tara's head, pulled her closer. Then pushed Tara's tongue gently back with her own, back into Tara's mouth. Exploring. Her heart began to beat faster, lost in the exquisite feeling. A delightful quiver started in Willow's stomach, proclaiming she needed more, heart now pounding in her chest. She needed more of Tara. And more she took. Encouraging Tara's tongue deeper. Insistent. Desperate. As if her life depended on it. All of the pain fading. If she could just get enough of Tara, get far enough away, the pain would be gone. Before Willow could think further, Tara was pulling back slightly. Reluctant to let her go, Willow pulled her own head back a little, looking into Tara's eyes, almost sure she would see regret written in them. She took in huge gasps of air, her heart still pounding.



Tara herself was breathing quickly and deeply, almost panting, her chest rising and falling sharply. It was the most erotic sight Willow had seen.



"You don't have anything to be sorry for," Willow reaffirmed, sealed with a kiss to Tara's forehead.



Tara nodded that she understood and settled back in Willow's arms, her breathing slowing, content that the other woman believed what she was saying, even if she herself did not.

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.

[mollyig]

Nice to see Natalie is willing to try bridge the gap between herself and Willow. It's good that she and Molly discussed this, as Molly is right Willow would never approach Nat herself.



Tara seems even more resolved now to help Willow, her uncharacteristic anger shows this. Loved that she allowed Willow to comfort her while she cried, this shows the depth of trust between them.



Thanks for this.

---

"Love is just like breathing when it's true" Indigo Girls

[astrangerhere]

Poppy-



Fabulous as always, but there were a number of things that really stuck out to me.



First- The interaction between Nat and Molly. I hadn't really seen before now how much you wanted to use of these characters. But you are focusing on them now, and I expect to see them playing into the story more in the coming chapters.



Second- Willow and her toughness to have endured all of this thus far. She is almost flippant about the things she has been through, but just as quick to want to run to Tara's emotional aid as Tara was to her. I will spare you and the readers numerous quotes demonstrating this as I want to quote some of the Tara passages in my next point.



Third- Tara, Tara, and Tara. I really felt like we got into her head in this chapter. And what a place it is to be. I am starting to see a much more tortured Tara emerge than I had originally expected.

Quote:

---

"Willow, I just wanted to forget about it, I could hear their screams, smell the smoke. I could smell their flesh as it burned." She bent over, head resting in her hands, and let out a deep sigh. Then sat up and leaned back in her seat and took a deep, shuddering breath.

---

I get the feeling that is not the first time Tara has just wanted to forget about "it," not necessarily knowing what that "it" is.



Fourth-- and then there was the last line that is more loaded than a WWII battleship in the South Pacific. In response to Will's reassurance, we get this:

Quote:

---

Tara nodded that she understood and settled back in Willow's arms, her breathing slowing, content that the other woman believed what she was saying, even if she herself did not.

---

I really feel like this has alot more to do with Tara's reasons for being there than we think. I mean, yeah, Tara is sad that she could not protect Will more effectively, but I really think there is more behind it.



You've given me much to ponder, and after re-reading , i am sure something else will hop out at me.



Thanks again for a great Tuesday read!

Can you help me with this heart in my chest? It ain't perfect, but you should see me use it.

[skittles]

Oh, Poppy... guess what I found?? Your Story!!! YAY!!!



yes, I'm reading it... and I love it!! Yes!!



I do have one observation to make... in your "Chapter Four Replies" you say

Quote:

---

astrangerhere - Well, you can be my number one fan, as long as you don't go all Kathy Bates on me or anything. I like my feet just fine the way they are, thank you! Thanks for recommending me Tomorrow is Tuesday, not long to wait now...

---

What are you??? psychic??



Now, I've got some serious reading to do to completely catch up!!! (and some latin to look up )

skittles



If you tell a joke in the forest and nobody laughs, was it a joke?

[barnabasvamp]

Poor Tara, feeling bad because she didn't protect Willow well enough, and Willow's just lucky she was there!!



I'm really curious about where this spell is coming from, and just how bad this person felt after getting a dose of their own medicine!



BV

It's the passion in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it.

[sam darls]

Sweetie, that was so good . Aww, I loved the way Natalie and Molly were with each other, and the way Willow didn't even notice when she said baby..so cute . How are things with you hon? Love sam, xx

"Sometimes things happen between people that you don't really expect. And sometimes the things that are important are the ones that seem the weirdest or the most wrong. And those are the ones that change your life." - Jessie Sammler (Evan Rachel Wood)

[Grimlock72]

Wow, hundred chapters planned.. oh joy oh bliss... . Won't hear me complaining about that, I just wonder how I'm going to remember all my questions that long



About Natalie and Molly.. it's stupid when I truly think about it but I keep feeling somewhat suspicious about those two. It's mostly due to lack of other suspects I suppose, which is a silly way of reasoning of course . The fact that Willow and Natalie don't get along well, doesn't exactly endear me to Natalie either... horribly biased here .



Natalie said some interesting things, like "I know Willow thinks I'm like this bitch monster from Hell or something... ".. now why would Willow think that? Did Natalie give her reason to have such an impression ??



Could it possibly be related to this quote: " I know I come across a bit strong at first. The last thing I want to do is come between you" ? I doubt Natalie didn't want to come between them though, seems to me like that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to be Molly's girlfriend and saw Willow (wrongly) as a competitor. Nothing inherently wrong with that, it's just that she's not being entirely truthfull about 'last thing...come between you'. Heck, she thought she had to work her way in-between Molly and Willow. At least that is the way I read that part.... I won't trust either Natalie or Molly until I've figured out what happened at that restaurant-meeting, it still bugs me.



I liked how you described Grace's way of thinking, got a dog yourself perhaps ??



On to our two girls (see what you did there ? have me think about other charachter... tsk tsk :-).... Tara must have difficult life if she picks up bad emotions so easily. And in such detail too, maybe that explains why she lives in such a small town? Living in LA or New York would be hell for her, even worse. At least she can avoid emotional places in this small town. So we think at the moment anyway :-)



Interesting to see that Willow can appearantly withstand several attacks like the last one (no reason to think this one was much stronger than the others). That either means she is capable of more than she realizes, or repelling such an attack is much more work than enduring it. Given that it took Tara a HUGE amount of energy to help Willow.... the image of someone else having a hang-over due to backlash was fun. Now lets go walk through the town and inquire as to who has a headache, heh.



Stories like this bring out the detective in me, getting more curious per update. Heh, I'll be verrrrrrry curious near the end then .



I'm afraid we simply have not enough information for a proper guess. Trouble is that I (much like Tara) want Willlow safe from whomever is attacking her, quite willing to skip some evidence-rules to get there..



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

[FlyingPoppy]

mollyig - They do seem to have come to trust one another very quickly, especially considering how Willow has been with people in her life up until now. Has been known to cause trouble.



numberonefan - To get a 'fabulous' from you makes me smile see?



Nat and Molly are going to play an integral part in this story, so yes, there will be much more of them in coming chapters.



As far as Willow goes, I think you get to a stage where you almost have to react in that way, otherwise you'd go crazy. Tara's the only person who's ever been able to help her, in any practical way, to repel these attacks, so naturally she wants to reciprocate.



Tara comes from a small community. While she will certainly have experienced this sort of thing before, it's in no way an everyday occurrence for her.



skittles - Hey you! Nice to see you here and I'm glad you're liking it If I am psychic, why oh why can't it be about good things??? Oh no, it has to be about bloody broken bones!



barnabasvamp - Yeah, Willow's lucky Tara was there, otherwise we she may have gone missing for a few days, woken up all alone yet again. I think any sensitive person would feel bad that they weren't able to do more to prevent it happening in the first place, rather than feel good that they managed to curtail it. Where the spell is coming from is, obviously, the key to making Willow safe. While Ukiah is a small town, it still has thousands of people in it, many of whom may have hangovers/be ill/unconscious on any given day.



sam darls - Hey there! More cuteness coming up next chapter. How am I? Um, things are still going. That's about the most polite I can be. I have a hospital appointment on Tuesday, so things seem to be moving along once again.



Grimlock72 - Hey. Well, I am taking note of all questions asked and will make sure they are all answered before we come to an end...well, that's the plan anyway!

I'm not planning to give an overly detailed recount of what happened between Nat and Willow. It will, however, be discussed in the future. Maybe at first Natalie's intention was to come between Molly and Willow, it seems that now she has seen the error of her ways and doesn't want to cause any further problems. Not only that, she is willing to be the one to reach out the olive branch.



I can see exactly how Grace thinks. I had the most wonderful dog there ever was. Unfortunately, I had to make the decision to have her put to sleep last July. Nearly a year and it still hurts like hell.



I will be going into what exactly has happened to Willow in previous attacks. You're right in thinking this one was no worse than others, infact if anything, because of Tara's actions, it was less severe.



Not enough information yet for a proper guess, no. I wouldn't expect anyone to hazard a guess as to what is going to happen. Well, apart from W/T happiness in the end



Thanks for making me think!

For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision; but today well lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness, and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
It's never too late to be who you might have been.