FIC: The Ties That Bind (5/?)

[~~Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: The Ties That Bind (5/?)
AUTHOR: Kimber (kacoe@xxxxxxx)
DISCLAIMER: All BTVS characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

RATING: High PG
SUMMARY: The Scoobs are torn apart and try to come together five years
later to save their relationship and an old friend.
SPOILERS: Branches off to an alternate reality during the Yoko Factor.
DISTRIBUTION: Pat Kelly, Rodrigo, Gary Thompson, Syrenslure,
Serendipity and J&J Xena Site. Anyone else, e-mail me please.

-----------

After standing in front of the guestroom for a half hour begging Tara to
be let in, Willow decided that it was useless. She grabbed her jacket
and headed outside to the swing set. It was only 10:30 in the morning,
but she could feel the heat beginning to build up already.

She walked over to the swings and sat down on one, absentmindedly
dragging her feet back and forth in the dirt. She didn?t even notice
the figure approach her and sit on the swing next to her.

"Hey."

Willow knew that voice anywhere but she refused to look up. "Hey
yourself." She said quietly.

"Looks like it?s gonna be a nice day."

"Uh huh."

"Maybe we should try and plan a picnic or something."

Willow huffed. "After the overwhelming success of breakfast? Thanks, I
think I?ll pass. Giles sent you out here. Didn?t he?"

"No, I came all by myself. Having free will and all I tend to do that
sometimes." She smiled but Willow didn?t respond. "I?m just. . .a
moron. The Captain of the morons. . .the General even! I don?t know
what gets into me sometimes. I mean, before I know it all this stuff is
flying out of my mouth and I don?t have any control over it. It?s not
like I intended to ignore Tara it just sort of happened." Buffy looked
over at her. "And there was supposed to be an apology in there
someplace." She paused a beat. "Will. . ."

"Buffy, can we. . .can we just not? I can?t fight with you, I don?t
have the strength for it and honestly it?s getting a little irritating.
This isn?t what I came here for."

Buffy was taken back for a moment by the tone of her voice. "Then why
did you come here Will?"

"Giles told Tara that you?ve been out of town more and more in the past
year and a half. He figured that if you knew I was coming for a visit
that he?d get to keep you around for more than a week." Willow
hesitated for a moment. "But that?s not the real reason."

"Then what is?"

Willow sighed and got off the swing. It was easy to fall into old
habits and this was one of them. Telling Buffy all of her troubles was
like second nature, like breathing. She didn?t have to even think about
it.

But that was then and this was now.

And in the now, they had just spent the past ten minutes talking without
a fight for the first time in five years. "Buffy it?s. . .complicated."

-------------

Tara emerged from the backroom and motioned for Giles to come with her.
She walked him over to the window and he looked outside. "Well, they?re
actually speaking. Looks as if miracles really do happen in modern
times." He smiled and looked over at Tara. "While they?re, um,
occupied, would you care to fill me in on the situation."

She nodded and smiled. "Sure. I got a better look at the mark. I
think I could probably draw it for you."

"Yes, very well then." He motioned to the door. "Shall we?"

-------------

Buffy walked up beside her. "It feels like yesterday when you could
come to me with anything. . .any little problem you had. We used to
work on things together because that?s what best friends are for." She
looked Willow straight in the eyes. "What happened to us, Will?"

Willow shrugged and smiled a little sadly. "We grew up I guess."

"If this is what growing up is all about I wish someone would make me
eighteen again. Mostly because of the not having fun tension filled
factor."

Willow smiled genuinely. She?d forgotten all about the Buffyisms.

"Hey. I was wondering where that was."

Willow looked at her confused. "What?"

"Your smile. I haven?t seen it in. . . a really long time." Buffy took
a tentative step closer to the redhead and when she didn?t run away,
placed her hand on Willow?s shoulder. "Five years Will. Has it really
been that long?"

Willow thought for a moment then nodded. "Yeah, about that. I haven?t
really been keeping track." Buffy gave her a disbelieving look. "Four
years, two months and three days." Willow added under her breath.
"Well, not counting last night."

Buffy smiled. "Will. . .I missed you. So much."

"You only missed pieces of me."

"What?"

Willow turned to her. "You missed the computer hacker, the wiccan, the
roommate and maybe even a little of the babbler. . .but there?s a lot
more to me than that."

"I know that Will. There?s a whole bunch of layers to you, but I still
don?t understand."

"Tara." Willow stated simply.

"Oh."

"Buffy, I?ve been gone for five years. . .I?ve spent those five years
with Tara, living with Tara, working with Tara, going home to mine and
Tara?s bed. . ."

Buffy held up her hand. "Okay Will, I get the point."

"See? That?s just it. You don?t get the point. You don?t get that
she?s a part of my life, a part of me that you just can?t accept."
Willow walked off a few paces and left Buffy to think about what she?d
just said.

Buffy approached her. "Will. . ."

She turned to Buffy with tears in her eyes. "It?s not about being gay.
It?s not about making a conscious choice about loving a woman or a man.
I don?t love Tara because of her gender, but in spite of it. I love the
person who can make me laugh, make me smile and make me shiver with just
one look. Her being. . .a her is secondary. You loved Angel for who he
was inside and it didn't matter to you that he was a vampire. I always
thought that you of all people would understand."

"I do understand Will. . .now. It may have taken me almost five years
to get it through my thick skull but I understand." Buffy sighed. "I'm
sorry. Okay? I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you were going
through this huge thing, I'm sorry I freaked out, and I'm sorry I said
all those horrible things to you that night. God, I wish I could take
it all back but I can't, nothing I do will ever take it away. My
thickheadedness kept you away for five years. . .please don't stay away
for five more. I need you in my life. . .I need my best friend back in
my life. I need you."

Willow paused a few moments. "I need you too Buffy."

"So how about coming over here and giving me a hug? Cause I could
*really* use a Willow-hug right now."

Willow walked up to her and smiled. Tentatively she put her arms out
and Buffy fell into them. "I love you Will."

Willow smiled into blond hair. "I love you too Buff. . .thick head and
all." Buffy chuckled and held on tighter. Neither one of them were
about to let go anytime soon. They had five hug less years to make up
for.

----------------

"Ah ha! I've found it." Giles pointed to a passage in the book he was
reading. "It's the mark of a X'etari demon. . .and it's. . ." He read
quietly to himself for a few moments. "Oh, as usual, dear."

"What is it Mr. Giles?"

"X'etari demons are in the same class as Mohra demons only they are, um,
smarter. Or so it seems."

"Apocalypse demons Giles?" Xander got up from his chair and walked over
to him. "Can we say 'been there, slayed that'?"

"not necessarily Xander. X'etari demons use other avenues available to
them to achieve their desires. Namely humans."

"So this demon is using Willow to do what?"

"I suspect only Willow can tell us that. You cannot get the mark of the
demon without consenting to being marked. Whatever she's doing, she's a
willing participant although I don't believe she knows exactly what this
demon's motivations are."

"Of course she doesn't." Tara looked up at him. "You can't believe
that she'd actually. .I mean on purpose. . ."

Xander made a face. "He didn't say that. Weren't you paying
attention?" He mad a little tsking noise.

"Xander." Giles warned.

"What?" He put his hands in the air. "If your gonna be a member of the
scoobs you have to pay attention to detail. That's all I'm sayin."

"That's quite enough." Giles looked at him seriously.

"Gimme a break G-man. Do you honestly believe that *she* had nothing to
do with this mark Will has? Or that she had nothing to do with Will
leaving?"

"I honestly don't Xander. And you'd fair well to keep your mouth shut."

"But Giles. . ."

"You might want to listen to him, Xand." Buffy said from behind them.
She and Willow were standing in the doorway.

Xander turned around ready with a witty comment then froze when he saw
the look on Willow's face. "I, um. . when did you guys get back?"

Willow crossed her arms across her chest. "Somewhere between not paying
attention and it's Tara's fault I left."

"You'll never learn, will you Xand?" Buffy shook her head.

Willow walked over to Tara, took her hand and led them to the back room
closing the door firmly behind them.

"What?" Xander looked between Buffy and Giles.

"It's gotten old Xand. Aren't you tired of being mad yet? I know I
am. Willow and I just had a great conversation and she made me see a
lot of things differently. You should try it."

"I'm not mad at Will."

"No Xander, your just mad. . .and you don't know who your mad at
anymore, do you? Don't you miss her? Cause if you ever want to get her
back in your life, you're not going about it the right way. I can tell
you that for sure."

----------

"So things with Buffy are. . . ?"

"Getting better. But we still have a long way to go." Tara smiled at
her.

"Good."

"About Xander. . ."

"Don't worry about it. I'm okay." Tara cut her off. "Besides, he's
your best friend and he's worried about you. That's all."

Willow shook her head. "It's no excuse. Neither Xander nor Buffy are
my best friends anymore." She shrugged. "Sometimes things change."

"They are Willow. Maybe they're hard to take but it's your best
interest they have in mind."

"Tara. . .think about who they're trying to protect me from. You. And
besides, I've been without them now longer than I was with them." She
reached for Tara's hand and took it in her own. "You?re my best
friend. Don't you know that?"

Tara blushed and ducked her head. "Really?"

"Yes really. I may not say it all the time and I certainly haven't
showed it but. . .I love you. . .you have to know that. In here."
Willow pointed to Tara's heart.

"I do. Most of the time. . .but."

"But when I treat you. . .badly, it's hard. I know." Willow pulled her
into a hug. "I'm sorry I've put you through this for the past year. I
never meant to take it all out on you."

"I know and it's not your fault. I mean, you don't mean to act the way
you do. It'll get better, I promise. Mr. Giles found the breed of
demon."

Willow pulled back to look at her. "He didn?t have to. I know what it
is, but it's not important right now."

"It's very important! What could be more important than?" She was cut
off by Willow placing her finger across her lips.

Willow leaned in and kiss her softly. "This?" She kissed her again.
"*Nothing* is more important than this. Not even talking about a nasty
old demon." Before Tara could protest again, Willow increased the
chaste kisses to not-so-chaste. Demons and old friends and everything
else could wait for now.

Tara pulled back and tried her best to grab some oxygen. "Wow." She
blinked a few times. "I mean, wow. You haven't, I mean, we haven't
done that in. . ."

"Too long." Willow blushed a little and smiled. "I've been distracted
and I fully intend on making it up to you."

"Really?"

"Really. Now why don't you go over there and lock that door. Unless of
course you'd like to give my friends an anatomy lesson?"

"No, no. . .that's fine by me." When Willow got an idea in her head,
Tara learned that it was best not to argue.



--
Your humble bard and Rodrigo's dedicated love slave,
~~Kimber

E x q u i s i t e + C o a l e s c e n c e
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
http://www.redrival.com/exquisite
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F/F Slash fiction & artwork for the Buffy and Angel show

- Eternally jealous of Erin 'cause Joss and Fury impersonated her.
*grumble*
- Member of THE CITIZENS OF KANE - I have Christian's tousled hair on
retainer
- Member #102 of the Amber Benson is a Hottie Club
- Humble reciever of Joss love --- Joss says: (Wed May 17 14:05:24
2000 152.163.205.76) Hi, Kimber. I give you love. There is a squishy
element to it that I'd rather not discuss. But it's pudding-free.
- VERY humble reciever of an e-mailed "DAVID FURY-LOVE" ---I love you,
Kimber. There, happy? :-) Fury --
- SO's to all VIPS - Alyson, Amber Benson, James, Nicholas, Anthony,
Jeff, Joss, SMG, Eliza, David, Seth, Marti, Jane, Sophia, Fury and last
but never least, Erika from Velvet Chain (my fellow Duran Duran
lover)!!!!!!
- Keeper of Tara's ability to make Willow's eyes sparkle in "Superstar."

- Keeper of Tara's smokin sleeve ability in "Superstar."
- Keeper of Tara's stutter when she says the word Scoobys in "New Moon
Rising."
- "Heavy lesbian witches rock!"

Final thought:
"One out of every ten people are born to give the other nine trouble.
Guess what number I am."