CHAPTER TWO - Tie Me Up Tie Me Down
Tara's POV
So, remember in all of those romantic comedy chick flicks that seem to saturate the movie theaters year round? How you could easily tell that the two stars on the big screen were perfectly meant for one another, but there was that something that held them apart. It was never anything major or insurmountable, but it was there still. A lock on the door... this was not one of those. Nope. No matter how hard I might wish, I couldn't be stuck in one of those. This was more like the romantic drama that was leading up to the crying and nose-blowing and other shit that only happens to guys during baseball movies.
The uneaten and now cold box of pizza still rested on the coffee table. The once cold beers had warmed. The television was still on, the movie on HBO playing along though no sound could be heard from the muted display. Tara sat alone on the couch; Anne was in the bedroom. The last Date Night they had before working and real life was reasserting itself had fallen apart before it had even had a chance to start.
And the muffled sounds of Anne crying in the other room was breaking her heart.
Tara had known that everything that she had encountered at the Magick Shoppe, especially considering the ludicrous idea that Anne's mother was married to her former Watcher, and that Tara had met both on her first outing into the town away from the sanctuary of the apartment and Anne's loving and protective arms, had to be shared immediately.
She hated ruining the seduction scene her lover had created. Lights low, the room all a-glowy from the various non-magick candles lit about the living room. The pizza box was open and actual plates and utensils were set next to one another. Anne had pulled just about every pillow in the entire apartment and had them laid out everywhere... with her reclining across the couch, her head propped up by her hand. Oh, and only wearing the teddy that Tara had bought for her a few months ago... her favorite scrap of clothing that left nothing to the imagination. But ruin it, she did.
Nothing went well in the conversation. It had only been through an amazing act of the Goddess apparently directly intervening that helped Tara to prevent Anne from packing a small suitcase and running away again. And that was only after the information about Mister Giles. The news about her mother and the two's marriage to one another had sent Anne into a downward spiral that seemed to suck the very life out of the petite girl. And Tara had tried to be comforting, to offer any type of support a needy Anne might want or need, but the other girl wanted only to be left alone; alone to, what currently seemed like, empty her body of tears.
Maybe Sunnydale was too much too soon. Anne was never going to be able to stand it... and Tara was a horrible girlfriend for in even the slightest way of encouraging the move. She was being selfish to the bitchiest degree, Joan Crawford level, to put college and her own wants ahead of considering the myriad of emotions, each and all bad, that Anne would have to go though.
"Baby..."
Tara quickly swallowed away the tears that had been threatening to spill over, her hands rubbing across her cheeks in the vain hope of hiding how hurt she was. Before she could turn, she felt Anne's arms wrap around her from behind, the feel of skin-to-skin contact healing the inner turmoil a bit.
"I'm sorry." She gasped at her lover's apology. Tara's heart broke. She couldn't let her take the blame. Anne had every reason to be worried.
"No, Anne. No. Don't apologize... I'm sorry. Sorry 'bout this whole move here. We can go. You and me. Forever, right?"
The smaller woman physically turned Tara around so that they could properly hold one another. "No, baby... we're gonna stay. I gotta face 'em sooner than, ya know?" She pulled a hand from around Tara and wiped at her nose, sniffing. "And yeah... forever. Forever at the least."
"But I ruined tonight." Tara whined.
Moving so slow that it was like a tantalizing tease, Anne ran the back of her hand along Tara's cheek. "Yeah, well... now we can get to the make-up bumping portion of the evening."
"So sure of yourself, are you?"
Anne nodded as she lightly brushed her lips against her own. "Yeah. See. I'm about to take this thing off," She gestured to the lacy outfit she still wore. "And I was going to grab some of that mango-scented oil that you like so much..." Tara could feel her heart start racing, her breath quickening, not to mention her panties dampening hotly. "Plus there's a few toys in the nightstand that might see their way inside of my tiny, little pussy... and..."
Tara forced a kiss to stop Anne from continuing, her tongue driving harshly into the Slayer's mouth, the desire... no, the need to touch her, to love her. She was like the ultimate aphrodisiac, constantly forcing Tara to experience every sexual kink and deprivation that the two could get themselves into. Her hand drove through Anne's hair, gripping them tightly as she forced the shorter girl's head back. Tara loved dominating Anne in their love life, the absolute trust and faith that the more physically powerful one offered in yielding to Tara's demands. It had been liberating to both in so many ways, plus had led to an unexpected breakthrough for the witch to get over her shyness and to assert in some many other facets of life, not just in their sexual adventures.
She felt her body flush in excitement as Anne whimpered inside of the kiss, her hands resting lightly on the taller girl's shoulders. Moving her lips away from Anne's, Tara trailed her tongue down across her jaw and began nibbling at her neck... the moans and soft gasps drawn from her enough to spur Tara on, her hand tightly tugging Anne's hair and head to the side, forcing her lover to offer herself up more... to submit.
There had been so many conversations regarding sex and their sex lives after the two of them became involved, not all of which had been very easy... for either of them. For Tara, Anne was definitely not the first female lover she'd had, though the extent of her past experiences had been a single night of fumblings and limited satisfaction with a girl she'd gone to high school with; the other being a three month relationship between her junior and senior year. Nothing laying on the couch to talk about worthy, but open and honest, right?
For Anne, there could easily have been several two hundred buckaroos per hour chargings for what she'd gone through. There had been a few jock types she'd dated when Anne had been a cheerleader at Hemery High, her desire to be popular allowing for all the wrong choices to be made. Then the quick relationship with the guy named after a fish; Oliver Bass or something... but he'd not been what she needed at all. And that left Angel. That was a psychiatrist's dream of psychosis to treat. Through it all, Anne had admitted that it was not necessarily the dangerous nature of the choices she wanted, though at first glance it might appear as such, but in actuality, her significant others all were so controlling... she craved that controlling nature. Tara had been dumbfounded at the admission. Anne wanted to be dominated; she wanted someone else in charge, someone else to step up and accept responsibility and direct her towards what they both wanted. To tell Anne what she wanted.
Anne had been thrust into the position of the Slayer, all eyes turned towards her, expecting her to make all of the hard decisions... the life or death of so many others depended upon what she decided to do. It was everything that she had never wanted. So, she had compromised quietly within herself; she'd be the Slayer and find a way to have what she wanted outside from that. And Tara had to agree to some level, it might have worked, but that Angel for all of his controlling wasn't much of the domineering type. Well... not until he'd lost his soul. See, Angelus had been exactly what Anne had wanted... minus being, ya know, evil and murderous and stuff.
So, Anne wanted love, but she wanted a lover who could be the man, so to speak, of the relationship. She wanted to be the girl who was taken care of, that was... well, when you threw in some of the kink and sex and stuff, Anne wanted to be topped.
That had led Tara to have to take a serious look at herself, to see what she wanted from Anne, both in and out of the bedroom. Could she do that? Was that something that she could really offer? Did she want to try to enter that style of lifestyle? It had been a whole new world to explore and one that she wasn't sure that she could handle. Worse than the worry about trying to top Anne was the real fear of trying and failing. Would Anne leave if it didn't work?
"Baby, please." Anne moaned. "I need you to fuck me. Now." Grinning, Tara pulled her lips from where she was currently marking Angel's bite with her own, a personal goal of hers, for Anne to never go without an obvious sign of belonging to her. Without a word, she carefully pulled her teeth away, pride filling her heart at the hickey that was already forming over the vampire's bite scar. Anne was hers now.
Anne began to try and direct them both towards the bedroom, but Tara stood her ground, refusing to be directed. It had been an emotional night, full of tears and fears... ignore the rhyme. Her lover was going to need to feel safe, secure in that together they could meet any obstacle; even her own mother. At Anne's inquisitive look, Tara shook her head and directed Anne to sit back in the corner of the sectional sofa.
"We need to reset our foundation, love."
If there had been any doubt that Anne needed to be made subservient tonight or not flew right out of her head at the grateful sparkle that suddenly filled the young girl's face. It was definitely a bonding night.
"Roll over across the back of the sofa, love." Anne didn't move yet. She'd learned when they played to wait for Tara to be finished. "Go ahead and strip and have your hands behind your back. I'll be right back."
Not even waiting to see if she complied with her instructions, Tara knowing without a doubt that Anne would be ready for her before she returned to the living room, she made her way into the master bathroom that was connected to their bedroom. The immediate reaction to the view of the mirror had her clean up, a nod to her vanity, before she carefully threw her clothes in the hamper before opening her playbox from the closet. Wanting to keep it simple for tonight, more about helping Anne calm down and reassert her strength in this place.
Tara smiled as she felt the studded latex gloves fit firmly along her skin, the material tightening nicely as she drew the fingers into fists. There was no need tonight for any of the whips or other toys. Those could wait for later. From the visual signs she'd seen tonight, as well as how emotionally unstable Anne had been when Tara mentioned meeting her mother, Anne needed it simple... back to basics. Tonight would be very similar to a more vanilla night of kink, rather than some of the more elaborate games and playing that they got into... and the scented oils could be for later.
Pulling her blonde hair back into a loose bun at the back of her neck, she smiled to find her lover... her life-mate... naked and leaned across the far edge of the sofa, her ass aimed towards the bedroom door. Possibly without even realizing what she was doing, though considering how horny Anne often seemed she might, Tara noted how in her current position and direction she was facing, she was giving Tara control even over when she'd be allowed to lay her sights on her mistress.
The sight was one that immediately had her wet, Anne's legs were slightly apart... knees dropping into the cushions and her hairless sex already showing signs of anticipating Tara's attention... while her backside was slightly raised and ready for whatever she deemed it of deserving. Just above, Tara smiled at the tattoo of her own name painstakingly designed in an elegant script, the blending of three different colors to give the ink a raised look. Anne had her hands clasped behind her back. She was as helpless and docile as she could make herself.
Marveling at how much she came to enjoy her times as Anne's mistress, she decided to stop wasting time and moved as silently as possible and quickly slapped Anne on the left cheek, the satisfying crack of the studded latex on her bare skin filled the room.
Anne whimpered loudly at the contact. Tara merely lifted her eyebrow at the Slayer's sound. She knew better than to make noise without leave. It was definitely time for a refresher course.
"Quiet." She barked.
Without waiting for any type of verbal affirmation, Tara struck Anne five quick times, enjoying how her buttocks was glowing already... Anne's Slayer-ness would heal it quickly, but Tara could enjoy it for the moment.
Using her other hand to reach over and grab Anne's hair, roughly pulling her head back, forcing her petite body to arch and contort to Tara's whims, she whipped her hand against Anne's rear several more times, not bothering to count, until she could feel Anne trembling. Shaking. Not one to waste time, especially with a compliant and willing lover, she quickly thrust two latex-covered fingers into Anne's sopping hole... enjoying how her lover pushed her ass back to meet each thrust, every invasion into her tiny body.
She couldn't help but revel in the thrill of her lover reacting to the things she was doing to her, the absolute trust that she placed in Tara, how she would give over all that she was... could be, all that Tara wanted. It was all for them both to enjoy... and that it was Anne who gave Tara that power.
"Come for me." Tara whispered.
The reaction from the smaller girl was immediate, the cry that filled the room as Anne's body answered to her command. The relief she could visibly see caused her own loins to moisten and begin to heat up in the most pleasant of ways. Withdrawing her fingers, she pulled Anne's head around by the grip of hair she still held and pushed the powerful Slayer to her knees, allowing her to lick away her own juices from the latex. Anne's eyes were open and looking adoringly up at her... visual validation that she was enjoying her domination as much as Tara was at giving it.
Date night may have started of the horrible variety, but was definitely going to end with a smile on each of their faces.
...ooo000OOO000ooo...
Tara's POV
So... warding and blessings would need to wait. Besides the fact that it was now very early in the morning and no preparations had they set up, being able to actually move would be necessary for getting the spells accomplished. Oh, her body ached in such a delicious way. Anne was currently curled up in a fetal position, snuggled into a pillow, Tara draped over her from behind, spooning as much skin-on-skin as they could get. They really should have showered before falling asleep, the amount of body fluids and citrus smelling oils that was now drying across their bodies was gonna feel icky, but that was now a problem for morning... about four hours from now when that damned kitty cat alarm clock Anne bought would go off.
It was crazy how excited and terrified she was for work now. After much... we'll call it persuasion, Tara had finally convinced Anne to continue with the grand master plan, as they had now nicknamed it, and just change some of the variables that they had considered unknown before the move.
Spying... such a dirty word... but anyway, the spying would be more hands on in approach since she was now employed and would be seeing both her former Watcher and her mom, though all references to the two of them being married was a no-no touchy subject. Trying to locate and gather of the intel on all friends and such was now a hands-on mission, not the long-range sniper style that was conceived earlier. Tara smiled to herself in the dark, her eyes trailing over the green and blonde streaks of her lover as she considered how well things could turn out.
Was it wrong to hope for a happily ever after? Surely the decades of cutesy cartoon movies couldn't all be wrong. Goddess knew that Anne had dragged her to enough renditions on ice that she could get tickets for.
Tara leaned over and kissed Anne's shoulder. "Love you, Anne." And then promptly fell asleep.
...ooo000OOO000ooo...
Tara's POV
The wear that keeping a secret had upon Tara's mind was worse than trying to smile and pretend that Anne's cooking was even remotely edible; Goddess above, that girl could ruin boiling water to the point of being considered food poisoning. But it wasn't protecting her girlfriend's sensibilities towards the culinary arts, but rather keeping her promise to that same woman that they would watch and wait for a good time to pull back the curtain for the big reveal. And, truth be told, Tara could understand Anne's desire for the recon mission that they had going, to scope out the lay and such… but she was naturally an open and honest person, and having worked for Mister Giles for as the week that she had so far, not to mention the daily doses of Anne's Mom, she just felt it was already time. Let the chips fall as they may.
This morning was probably the hardest time to keep back the secret. Joyce came into the store, her gallery closed on Thursdays, and spent the morning getting to know Tara. It was like a Lifetime Original Movie moment… Tara could feel the older woman's desire to bond for the moment she walked into the back room, Tara busy going through inventory to put out on the shelves, but the conversation seemed to flow between them while the two made notations of what they had, what needed to be ordered, and what should be tossed due to being too old or in poor condition.
It was instances like this that she was so unsure of exactly what to say, to not lie, per se, but to slowly reveal some of her life… and ultimately Anne's life, to the woman. She didn't want , for all intents and purposes, her future mother-in-law, to despise her for keeping her only daughter from her. And to make matters worse, she decided that today would be the day to start talking about her Buffy… Tara's Anne.
"Are you happy, Tara?"
At Joyce's question, the witch shrugged her shoulders. "I am, more-so than I really ever thought I might be. I'm excited about classes and moving forward. Things are mostly great between me and Anne, though she is still dealing with… well, she misses her family."
"Because of the move and going to the university?"
"Yeah. We didn't have a lot of money or anything, working a lot and living in a small place. The scholarships we qualified for has changed everything, but she wasn't sure about Sunnydale. She fought a bit to either stay in LA or try somewhere else."
"She not like the sun?" Joyce smiled. "More of a night person?"
"That, too." Tara shifted so that her shoulder was leaning against the wall. Unconsciously, she had bowed her head so that her hair was shielding her face. "But there were other, uhm, factors, I guess. And Anne and her family fought before." How much could she say? "And now, she's afraid too much time has gone on to fix anything. She's scared. And with everything that happened with me and my family… its funny that I can talk about it. Anne forced me to confront so many things. But I know any chance with my family is gone. I just hope we can find a way to heal what happened with hers."
"You sound like you're in love."
"I am." Tara didn't try to force down the goofy grin she knew she was wearing. "She's my everything."
"And she feels the same?"
The witch nodded. "I think so. We complete each other. Our dark and lights. Highs and lows. It just… we fit. Ya know?"
"She sounds lovely. And I can say from what I've already seen that she's very lucky. I think you and she should come over for dinner soon. Especially before your classes start."
Tara took a breath and tried to steer the conversation away from the invitation. "You're okay with the girl liking girl stuff? Me being gay?"
Joyce laughed. "I work at an art gallery. I deal with artists and critics every day. Homosexuality is nothing to be ashamed of." She took a deep breath. "I thought for a while there that I was going to be the mother of a gay daughter."
Tara almost choked. "R-r-really?"
"Oh, yes. The way she was so secretive, hiding. Sure, she dated, but nothing very serious… not until we moved here, and even then, I was not really very ever sure that it was a real relationship as it might have been a… cover, you understand." Tara could only nod. "I foolishly thought she was hiding how she felt inside… and I was right, but in such a wrong way."
"You couldn't have known, dear." Rupert Giles stated from the doorway, a caring but apologetic look on his face. "She couldn't tell you. I wouldn't let her tell you."
The blonde woman looked over at her husband and smiled. "I know. I don't blame you anymore. But it hurts. I want her back."
"What happened?" Tara asked.
"I lost my daughter over something stupid." At that, Tara looked up at Joyce, both women ignoring Mister Giles' snort. She wasn't as successful at trying to ignore how her heart was racing… so fast. "Yes. I have a daughter. Buffy." Joyce mistook Tara's wince. "Not the best of names, I know, but her father's mother was named Buffy. I let it happen."
Joyce moved over to one of the chairs against the wall and sat.
"Whoo. That talk already." Tara watched as she absently brushed some imaginary lint from her pants, nervous. "You know about this world we live in. How things aren't always what they seem. I never knew how much a part of these evil things that go on all around us my daughter was involved with."
"You thought she was evil?" Tara almost yelled.
Mister Giles said "absolutely not" just as she answered, "No!" Luckily for her, Joyce sounded appalled at such a thought. "I just didn't understand. All at once, I learn that vampires and demons are real… that the monsters I told her were imaginary all were real. And it was up to her to save us all."
"One girl. Chosen. In all the world. She will be the defender of humanity."
It had been spoken so quietly, it still weighed heavily inside the room. Looking over at the British gentleman, Tara spoke softly. "She's the Slayer."
At the word, Joyce's eyes teared up. "Yes."
Her boss took his glasses off and wiped them gently with a cloth from his pocket. "She was the Slayer… and in the few years that she was here, she stopped more threats than most others ever faced in their lifetimes."
"What happened?" She desperately wanted to know Joyce's view of events, how they compared to Anne's.
"According to Rupert, he knew well before I did… but that doesn't matter. Buffy, she said she had to stop a vampire from ending the world." Joyce laughed harshly. "That I can say that now and not be a candidate for a mental hospital." She sniffed loudly. "We argued and I told her not to come back if she walked out the door." As the woman finally broke down, crying, Tara instinctively moved over and pulled the older woman into her arms.
"It was an impossible situation, dear."
"She's gone." She cried. "My little girl is out there, alone. And we looked and looked. Rupert and the Council and everyone. Nobody could find her. Even using witchery failed and we looked for so long." Tara ran her hand soothingly over the older woman's back. "We know she's alive, but nothing else. Nothing works. Rupert and I pray every night. My poor baby. And you're so like her…" At that, Tara felt like she'd just been kicked in her stomach. While there was never a question in her loyalty to Anne, her lover would always come first, she had, in such a short time, come to really like the former Summers woman, and she so desperately wanted to ease her needless suffering.
Mister Giles slowly moved over to put his hand on his wife, the look of absolute love he had for the woman was astounding to Tara, that it almost made up for the pain, direct or by accident, that he had caused. "Things were hard. After Buffy ran, things around here were barely contained. A few others in the know helped out, but it wasn't until… well, we gained some assistance later on, but things were never the same.
"New threats came up, and they were dealt with, but the strength of what had been before was broken."
Joyce nodded, her hand wiping the tears trailing down on her face. "All of Buffy's friends; Willow is gone. Xander never comes around anymore unless his girl comes to the shop. And the others all spread out."
Tara couldn't help asking, even having a pretty good idea of who they were referring to. "Others?"
"Her friends. They all were in on helping her, but after she left… well, they tried, but after Faith and, yeah, there was Wesley."
Tara started to ask about the new names, but Mister Giles cleared his throat, smiling at both of them when they turned back towards where he was standing behind Joyce. "I think that's enough about things right now. Tara," He looked up from his wife. "Why don't you go straighten the shelves out front."
Getting up to go back to the front, she passing saw Mister Giles calmly speak to his wife and take her back into his office, sharing a smile of gratitude towards Tara. In that look, she'd seen all that she needed… she knew now that it was wrong to try and help keep them apart. Tonight, Tara would insist that it was the correct time to start the plan. It would be difficult, she knew, and there would be a lot of hurt feelings on all sides, but with Joyce and Mister Giles leaning on one another and with Anne having her, she knew the Goddess would help with the love and forgiveness.
Reaching into her pocket, Tara felt along the glassy photo that she had swiped from her boss' desk earlier that morning. She had immediately fallen in love with the simple picture that had to have been taken shortly before she left Sunnydale; Anne and her mother somewhere with a beach, both woman smiling and laughing. What made the picture, however, was the overly large sunglasses covering both of their faces. Their apartment was devoid of many personal photos from before they were together, nothing of when Anne was growing up. So few personal mementos that made up her history. Anne said it didn't matter, but Tara knew that she missed so many of the things she grew up with. Maybe the picture would help bring about some type of beginning. Anne couldn't think her mother and the others hated her when they kept reminders of her around everywhere… from what Mister Giles had said after his wife had calmed down in his office, Anne's room was just as she'd left it.
It was time to change. There was too much hurt going around… and besides, Tara was excited on having parents again. Picking up the pace, she ran over towards the tiny corner deli that Joyce had told her about. Maybe after a quick bite, she could call Anne and see about setting up a meeting for sooner, rather than never.
…ooo000OOO000ooo…
Tara's POV
Was it really so easy to feel such polar opposites in regards to emotions?
Really?
Anne had said yes. Sure, there had been a lot of not-yelling, not to mention a lot of tantruming and the promising of favors, mostly of a kinky and panty-dampening nature... and, lest she forget even to herself, that there was quite a bit of agreements that would allow Anne to get her way for the better part of the next decade. But it was all worth it.
Now all she had to do was to figure out the best way to even begin to broach the possibility of putting them all together. Initially, she and Anne were going to try and approach her friends; Willow or Xander or someone else, to see if they could help act as friendly co-conspirators on the make-up with Mom grand master plan, but after what Tara had learned today, that was out the window. But it was not all of the bad. Anne was full of happy tears on hearing what Tara had to say about the conversations with her mother.
So, what would it be?
Tara entered the shop, ten minutes to spare on her lunch hour, a bounce in her step and a smile upon her face. Laughing silently at the tinkle of the bell as she opened the door, she immediately noticed that there were several customers in the store... not the immediate norms that she was used to seeing over the week, but rather several... well, different characters, all talking quietly and urgently with Mister Giles. Not wanting to interrupt, the young witch carefully brushed her hair away from her face and moved silently towards the back room and the store's office, the plan was to set her purse down on the cabinet set aside for her use, and then head back out front and get back to stocking the display shelves.
The best laid plans, however, as she barely made it three steps into her plan.
"Tara, dear." Mister Giles called over to her. She immediately changed direction and headed to where her boss stood. "I'd like to introduce you to a few people from around the town."
Pointing a a young man with a nice smile, he started the introductions. "This is Xander Harris. One of my former students from when I worked at the local high school." She nodded at one of Anne's former friends. "And the young lady with him is his girlfriend, Verruca."
"No salt jokes, please."
Xander Harris was probably almost exactly how he had been described to her. Tall and fairly nice-looking, a little bit of that sweet nerdy type that no one ever appreciated in high school, but he seemed fairly at ease with himself. And by the look of his girlfriend, apparently the type to go for the bad girl... who, while attractive, was not at all what Tara might find attractive. Verruca was pretty, in a very butch style of dress.
"Got it. Willy Wonka bad." Tara grinned. She was happy to see that the young redheaded woman's eyes sparkly in appreciation at having her own joke thrown back at her.
"Quite." Mister Giles offered. "And this is Michael, yet another former student."
Tara turned to take in the smaller teenager, trying to hold in her immediate distaste for the full on goth motif and faux-vampire style of dress he wore. By his scent... a mixture of rosemary and sandlewood, as well as the slight chill of magick she could feel sputter around him, he was obviously a practitioner in some manner or another. She was glad that he didn't offer to shake her hand, nor even really acknowledge her presence.
"Nice to meet you." Xander offered, his smile slightly lopsided in a puppy dog, adorable kind of way. She wondered idly if Anne would let her keep him.
"You, too."
Before she could turn back to Verruca to try and ascertain more about the intriguing woman… her aura smelled wild and dangerous, the other figure, a slightly older gentleman, though not nearly as old as Mister Giles, stepped forward, his stance way too prim and proper not to have been made fun of all of his life, nodded his head in greeting.
"Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, at you service, Miss Maclay."
Unsure of exactly what to say or do, Tara simply smiled in welcome. She was saved from having to do too much of anything as Joyce Giles chose that moment to exit out from the stock room carrying a basket that seemed full of spell components, calling out to her, pulling her safely away from these new people.
"Tara, dear. Can you help me?"
"Of course." She called to Anne's mother. With a smile and nod, she moved from the group and walked over to help relieve everything that she was carrying, moving the basket towards the register counter. She did her best to focus on what to do about getting Anne and her mother together, wondering if maybe she should now wait since Xander had made an appearance.
From behind where she was standing, she could listen to the conversation taking place.
"The signs are all there, Rupert." Mister Wyndam-Pryce was saying. "Even with only the one small quake, all of the signs in the codex agree... the Hellmouth will open again."
"Yes. I'm sure that it will. And you have your Slayer to deal with it." So the younger British guy was the new Slayer's Watcher.
"Rupert?" Joyce's voice was concerned.
"Mrs. S... well, Mrs. G, now." Xander broke in. "We got it handled. Mikey here throws around some of the mojo stuff and Faith'll kick aaaaa...achoo, maybe." He covered that slip like an untrained apprentice. "Kick booty, I'd say. Ver and me can act as backup. All's good."
Tara felt her breath catch when she heard Verruca snort under her breath. "Yeah... like after dealing with Camazotz."
"And where is Miss Lehane?" Mister Giles asked, eliminating any chance she might have to ask the young woman about the name she had muttered.
"Not that it is your concern any longer, Rupert, but Faith is resting, as instructed. We were quite busy during patrols late last night. I sent her home well after two this morning."
"Of course."
Verruca snickered loudly. "Riiight. Sleeping. More like passed out after drinking and dancing till dawn at The Bronze."
"Can we get the stuff and go already?" Michael suddenly chimed in. "I'd like to have time to double-check everything in the book you lent me."
"Of course." Mister Giles answered. "Adding it to your account?"
Someone must have silently nodded, as Tara watched her boss move over to pick up the basket and hand it off to Xander. Joyce took that moment to step closer to the young man and hug him around the neck. "I swear, you're getting more handsome every time I see you. I wish you wouldn't be such a stranger and come by for dinner one night."
Tara felt her stomach drop at the sudden gleam in her eyes. Trouble. Oh, yes, here it came. "I have the most wonderful idea. Xander, you and Verruca should come to dinner at my house on Sunday. Tara and her girlfriend, Anne, will be coming and this would be a great time for you to all meet. Tara is new in town and, since she and her girlfriend will be attending the university next semester, you could introduce them around town. Maybe we could invite Faith, too."
"Dear." Rupert tried to interrupt, but at a stern glance from his wife, fell silent.
She decided to veer off the possible incoming danger. "Mrs. Giles. Joyce. I haven't spoken to Anne about your invite, yet. I can't promise we'll be able to be there."
"Don't worry, Mrs. G." Xander suddenly decided to throw his two-cents worth in. "For one of your home-cooked meals, me and Ver can drag Tara and her girlfriend to you." Verruca was nodding along with her boyfriend. No help there.
"But..."
"Thank you, Xander." Joyce said sincerely. She then turned to look at her. "And Tara, don't make me pull out my secret weapon. Mother's are the best at guilting their way to getting what they want."
"Fine." Tara mumbled. Anne was going to kill her... and not in a good way.
"Wonderful. Now that that is settled, I can get to planning on a meal to make Thanksgiving look paltry in comparison."
Soon after, Joyce left in a very happy mood, a wonderful sight to see considering the dark and emotionally explosive morning that had occurred in the back room. The group of defenders, as Tara had silently named them, had all talked for a few minutes before eventually leaving... Xander making a point of giving Tara his telephone number saying that she and Anne could call to get together with him any time. She wondered how available that invitation would be once Anne's identity came out.
And after what seemed like no time, the work day had passed. For such a small town, Tara was amazed at the number of people that stopped by and made purchases. From amulets to minor protection spells; there was even the occasional person that seemed more in the know looking for the darker aspects of magick. Tara was fairly sure that she sold a few of the more rare and expensive components for a resurrection spell... something that was more dangerous and difficult to cast than many realized.
"Ready to lock up?" Rupert Giles asked, his query causing all of the nervous bunnies inside to start hopping around again. It was now or never for today... and with the potential disaster of the Sunday dinner coming up, there was really no more time to waste.
"Can we talk for a second?"
She watched as he paused at the door, flipping the sign over to say "closed" and locked the door. Once done, he looked carefully at her and smiled. "Of course, Tara. Is anything the matter? Are you okay? Is it Anne?" He was quiet for a moment. "Are you needing me to get you out of dinner? She'll be disappointed, but I..."
"No. Not that." She interrupted. Goddess give her courage. "I w-wanted to take... I mean talk, to talk to you about B-B-Buffy."
"Buffy?" He asked, perplexed.
"I know her."
Silence filled the room, much like Tara expected death must sound like. She kept her gaze averted, too terrified to look at the man she had come to respect so quickly. She had not understood Anne, the heartbreak she felt over someone that was assigned to watch her. To teach her. Why would Anne feel so hurt at having left him behind? Her understanding was, in part, one of the driving forces in what she was doing now.
Unable to take the silence for too much longer, it feeling like an hour had passed since she'd called Anne by her first name, she looked up into the dumbstruck face of Anne's former Watcher.
Finally, he spoke. "You... you say you know Buffy. Buffy Summers?" Tara nodded. "Uh... Wha... wai... no. Could you explain this to me, please?"
Tara shrugged, her heart racing. "We needed to find out what things were like now. If she could come home. You know, if her Mom still hated her." And just like that, she was vomiting words like Anne would. "She's so lonely. I mean, she has me and I think that's enough, but I can see it in her eyes that she misses you and her mother... when I talk about her when I come home, and you, too. You must know that. And now I've met Xander... and somewhere there's Willow. She's scared, Mister Giles. Scared of everyone not loving her, that the new Slayer has completely taken her place... and that..."
"Wait." He finally stopped her. "When you talk to her? At home?"
Tara nodded. "Yes, sir. At home. My Anne. Buffy Anne Summers..." She took a breath. "Well, Anne Jones, now. But she was Buffy."
It finally seemed to click for him. The light bulb had finally turned on. "Buffy. Your Anne is my Buffy? Joyce's Buffy?"
The look in the older Englishman's gaze suddenly scared her. All that was left was her terrified reply.
"Uh-huh."
...ooo000OOO000ooo...