FIC: The Ties That Bind (6/?)

[~~Kimber <kacoe@xxxxxxx>]

TITLE: The Ties That Bind (6/?)
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.

-----------

Five years previous. . .

Buffy had been gone for three days. She didn't tell anyone where she'd
gone and they were all worried. All except for maybe Willow. If she
was worried she wasn't showing it. 

Xander decided that it was about time he had a talk with his best
friend. Some of the stuff she'd laid on him three days ago was still
swimming around in his head and he needed some answers. He knocked on
her door at the dorm and wasn't at all surprised when Tara answered it.

"Is Willow here?" He peeked in.

"I'm right here Xander." Willow called from her desk.

"Can I come in?"

Tara backed away from the door to allow him entrance. He made a quick
survey of the room and noted that both beds were made. There were
snacks lined up on Willow's desk and she was typing away at her laptop.

"I was hoping we could talk." 

She looked up and sighed. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

Tara grabbed her backpack. "Um, I should go."

Willow shook her head. "No, you don't have to."

Tara quirked her head to the side. "You should talk with Xander. I
have some books to get at the library. I'll be back in a half-hour."

Willow sighed. "Okay. Half-hour or I'll send the troops after you." 
She smiled.

Tara slipped quietly out the door and closed it behind her.

Xander sat down on the edge of Willow's bed. "We um, made it through
the whole Adam thing alright. Just in case, you know, you were
wondering."

Willow stopped typing and swiveled around to face him. "I know. I
called Giles. I hear Anya did the enjoining spell perfectly."

Xander nodded. "Yeah, guess a thousand years as a demon gives you some
time to practice your magick."

"How's the arm?"

Xander looked down at his left arm that was wrapped in a cast. "Fine. 
I get it the cast off in six weeks. Who knew vampires had such solid
jaws." He smiled.

A few awkward moments of silence passed between them. Willow got up and
grabbed a soda from the mini-fridge and sat back down again. "So why
are you here Xander?"

"I need an excuse to visit my best bud in her dorm room?" She gave him
a disapproving look and he knew she wasn't buying it. "I was worried
about you. After the fight you and Buffy had, I just wanted to know if
you were okay."

"I'm fine. I spent that night at Tara's and when I got back here in the
morning, some of Buffy's stuff was gone." She shrugged. "Guess she
took off for a while."

"Will, about Tara. . ." Xander began.

"After finals, Tara and I are taking off for the summer. We've been
saving our money and decided to go to New Orleans to take in the
sights."

"Just like that? You're gonna pick up and leave with her?" He stood
up.

"Yes Xander, just like that. We've been planning this for a while and
there's no sense in putting it off."

"Will, there's perfect sense in it! You, Buffy and I. . .our friendship
is falling apart at the seams. This never happened before when. . ." 

"Before what?" She stood up. "Before when I was with Oz and not Tara? 
Is that what you mean? Don't even try to pin all of this mess on her. 
None of it is her fault."

"Then who's fault is it Will? How did we get to this? What happened to
all of us?"

"It's no one's fault Xander. Things change. You've been dwelling in
the basement all year with Anya, Buffy practically lives with Riley now
and where does that leave me? I found something that's mine, something
I could do on my own and call mine. You should be happy for me."

"Happy? I don't even know who you are anymore Will! One minute your
dating Oz, the next minute we're fluking and the next. . .you're with
Tara. What is it between you two anyway? It doesn't make any sense. 
You're not like that."

Willow became enraged now. "Like what? You think it's not like me to
love someone? To want to be in their company? To get excited every
time we're together? Cause that's what it is Xander. She's a person in
my life that I love and want to be with. When Oz left I was destroyed. 
You don't know how hard it was. Tara. . .what I have with Tara came out
of the blue when I least expected it and wasn't looking for it. Do you
think for one minute I'd turn it down because she's a . . .she? That's
narrow-minded."

"I can't wrap my head around the fact that you're with. . .a girl. I've
seen some pretty freakish stuff in my day but boy this takes the cake."

"Freakish? You think I'm a freak?" 

"I didn't say that Will. I just. . .this isn't you, not my Willow
anyway. I mean, what do you two do together?"

Willow shook her head. She couldn't believe how he was acting. "First
of all, I'm not 'your Willow' anymore and I haven't been for a long
time. You don't own a person Xander. Second we do everything
together. We practice magick, talk for hours, study together, eat lunch
and dinner together and sleep together. The same as any other normal
couple would."

"You've had sex with her? That's impossible."

"Not that it's any of your business Alexander Harris but no we haven't
had sex. And it's not impossible. What? You think just because part A
doesn't fit inside of part B it's not sex? I said sleep, as in
sleeping."

Xander walked up to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "What's
going on Will? What has she done to you to make you like this?"

Willow pushed him away. "Done to me? She hasn't done anything Xander. 
How can you ask that? You're supposed to be my best friend. How could
you not know stuff was happening with me - important stuff!"

"She's done something to you, she's. . .she's changed you Will. What
was it? Was it a spell or something?"

"Xander, do you hear yourself right now? Under a spell? You've got to
be kidding, please tell me your kidding." She looked at the disturbed
expression on his face and realized he was dead serious. "You can't
think. . .how could you Xander?"

Tara chose this moment to walk back into the room from the library. She
saw the look on both of their faces and panicked. "I, um, c-can come
back l-later?"

"Why don't you just not come back at all!"? Xander screamed.

"Xander!"

He walked up to her and grabbed her arms. "What did you do to Willow? 
Answer me!"

Willow grabbed the closest and heaviest book she could find and threw it
at him. "Get out of her Xander. And don't come back!"

"I walk out that door Will, it's for good. I can't stand to see you
like this and I'm not coming back until you come to your senses."

"Goodbye Xander." Willow stood indignantly in front of Tara. 

Xander gave her one last look and walked out the door. That was the
last time he saw her up until last night. . .

--------

Present day. . .

There was a soft knock on the bedroom door about an hour later. Willow
turned over and grumbled something not too nice. "Who is it?"

"It's Buffy, Will. There's a call for you from your shop."

"I'll be out in a minute." She turned back to Tara who was laying on
her back with the most contented look on her face. "I have to get
that."

"I know." She smiled. "Go ahead. We should probably come out of this
room sometime today anyway. Your friends are gonna think. . ."

"Who cares what they think?" Willow cut her off with a kiss. "I sure
don't." She got up and wrapped her robe around herself.

Tara sat up. "You're gonna go out there. . .like that?"

Willow gave her an evil little smile and walked out the door.

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

Buffy looked up and saw Willow walking down the hall. "Yes, nice
talking to you too. Here she is." She gave Willow an odd look before
handing over the phone. "Hope I didn't interrupt."

Willow smiled and took the phone from her. "No. You would have about
ten minutes ago though. Good timing Buff." She was pleased with the
shocked expression she got from the Slayer and placed the phone to her
ear. "Hello?"

Buffy moved away to give her some space and sat down on the couch next
to Xander. She could almost imagine that her expression wasn't quite
unlike his own. "Don't say it Xand." She warned.

"They were." He pointed to Willow.

"Probably. That's not a visual I'd care to have right now. Just don't
say it." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Willow walked over and sat down next to Buffy. "The supplier is giving
them trouble. I'm gonna have to go back and deal with him."

"I'll go." Tara was standing in the door frame with a robe on that
matched Willow's "You should stay here. . .be with your friends."

"Yeah, let her go." Xander blurted out. He noted the angry faces of
Buffy and Willow and added. . ."I mean, you just got here Will. We have
a lot of catching up to do. Since. . .Tara is volunteering to do it,
you should take advantage."

Buffy smiled at him slightly. "She can come back when she's done. It's
not like it'll be forever."

Willow sighed and looked over at Tara. "Are you sure? You know how
Byron can get."

"I can handle him. If he doesn't behave I'll just. . ."

"Don't finish that sentence." Willow held up her hand and smiled. "I
remember what you did to him last time."

"Okay. I'll go pack now."

"I'll call the airlines. I don't like you driving alone, especially if
it's for three days."

Tara smiled. "Yes mom." She disappeared into the back bedroom again.

"Will? What did she do?" Buffy's curiosity was piqued.

"Well, she, um. . .turned him into a snake."

"A snake?" Xander's eyes bugged out of his head.

"He made a pass at her and she called him a snake. He asked her if she
wanted to see what a 'real snake' looked like and well, she took him
literally." Willow shrugged. "She can handle him." She walked off to
the phone to make flight arrangements.

Buffy nodded in awe. "I'll bet."

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


-- 
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
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Your source for fanfiction based on the Buffy & Angel shows.

FOR THE BUFFY/WILLOW 'SHIPPERS
"I just realized, that's what I wanna do. Fight evil - help people. I
think it's worth doing, and I don't think you do it because you have
to. It's a good fight Buffy and I want in!"
"I kind of love you."
Willow and Buffy in "Choices"
-----
FOR THE TARA/WILLOW S'HIPPERS
"No candle? I brought you one. It's extra flamey. Tara, I have to
tell you. . ."
"No, I understand. You have to be with the person you love."
"I am."
"You mean?"
"I mean. Okay?"
"Oh, yes."
Willow and Tara in "New Moon Rising"