Author: Moose
Title: Tara Part 3: The Challenge
Notes: Post "Gone"
E-mail: moose_loose_goose@yahoo.com
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Tara Part 3: The Challenge
Willow and Tara walked hand in hand to the Magic Box. A playful smile was showing beneath Tara's furtive glance at her lover.
"Um, Will?"
"Um, what?"
"You do remember your promise, right?"
Willow sighed. "Do I have to?"
Tara suppressed a smile. "Yes."
The bell above the door rang as they entered the Magic Box causing Anya to look up. A big grin suddenly appeared on her face.
"Willow!" Anya said, running up to her and throwing her arms wide. "I'm ready for my hug now!"
*****
"This is bloody stupid," Spike growled as Tara squeezed him in big bear hug.
"Shut up, Spike," Tara said, smiling. She gave him one more good squeeze before letting him go. Tara thought she could actually see him blushing. He noticed her look.
"I just fed!"
Tara laughed. "Sure, Spike." He tried to growl but it came out closer to a purr so he stopped and lit a cigarette instead.
"Porch," Tara said firmly. He gave her a rules-be-damned look until she opened the kitchen door and ushered him outside into the night.
Buffy was patrolling as Tara had moved the rest of her things back into the house. Willow had been ecstatic, fawning over her like a puppy, but Tara had sent her out of the house with a long grocery list after Spike appeared. She knew he would want to talk to her.
"So?" Tara asked with a raised eyebrow once they had both settled down on the porch steps.
"So what?" Spike replied, then averted his eyes as she glared at him. Witches, Spike thought. Then he sighed.
"No," Spike said. "I haven't yet."
"Day's almost gone, Spike," Tara said, trying to look stern, but smiling instead. To think, after all he's done, he's afraid to...
"She won't like it. She'll stake me," Spike protested.
"No more excuses," Tara warned, then she softened. "We're friends, right?"
"Well, I don't want to be a toad right now so yeah, we're friends," Spike answered with a wry smile.
"Then trust me."
Spike sighed. "Alright. But if I end up dust, put me in a nice urn, okay?"
*****
Buffy had found several vampires loose in the cemetery that night, freshly risen. She corned the last one against the wall of a crypt, her heart pounding with excitement as she plunged a stake into its chest. Buffy loved that feeling, right before they exploded into dust--looking into their undead eyes, seeing her feral self reflected back, and that quick convulsion as whatever magic held their corpse together in death ripped through their bodies and blasted them to dust. Much better than a smelly demon corpse, Buffy thought happily. Much, much better.
Buffy whipped around, abruptly aware that she wasn't alone. She saw Spike striding towards her, his gaze firmly on the ground ahead of him. Great, she thought. Just what I need. Another Spike fight.
But Buffy found herself not unhappy to see him. Alone that is. She had quickly realized Tara meant business with calling Spike "family." Over the past few days, as the Scoobies met to research this demon or that, Spike was always there. He joked with them, making wisecracks--usually at Xander's expense--and giving Buffy heavy glances when he thought she wasn't looking. However, he did help with the research and surprised them all by how much information he possessed. It was almost like having Giles back, Buffy thought. If Giles was a sarcastic, leather wearing bleach blonde with black painted fingernails.
"What are you doing here, Spike?" Buffy asked, trying to sound annoyed and failing. Something's wrong, she thought. Why isn't he looking at her?
"I..uh...Buffy," Spike muttered still staring at the ground in front of him, shifting uncomfortably. Suddenly he reach out and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her. Buffy stiffened in surprise, unsure what to do. He wasn't try to kiss her, he was just gently squeezing her in a non- violent, non-fatal kind of way. It was...nice, she thought. And for a moment she relaxed despite herself and softened against him.
But then she broke away, abruptly shoving Spike off her. He tripped backward and fell on his ass, hard. He looked up at her in shock, a hurt expression crossing his features.
"What the hell are you doing?" Buffy demanded.
Spike got up slowly, brushing himself off. He took one long, indecipherable look at her then spun around and strode away in a flurry of leather.
*****
Buffy arrived home finding Xander and Dawn together in the living room.
"Hey, guys."
"Hi Buff. Quiet out there tonight?" Xander asked.
Buffy shrugged. "Not really. Lots of new vamps." And one old one, she mentally added with a sigh, but quickly pushed it out of her mind.
"Any Scoobie assemblage required?" Xander asked. That question brought her thoughts back to Spike again. He would be there if they had to research. Buffy suddenly didn't know if that was a good thing or not.
"No...not a big. They're all dust-bustery," Buffy said, distracted. Xander got up to leave.
"Willow and Tara should be back in an hour or so," Xander explained.
"Thanks for staying with Dawn," Buffy said, remembering her manners.
"Even though you didn't need to..." Dawn grumbled.
Buffy gave her a look. "Yeah, cuz you're never in trouble..." she said sarcastically. Dawn stuck her tongue out at her.
"Oh!" Xander exclaimed. "I almost forgot. Dawn, c'mere."
"This is so lame," Dawn protested, but she stood up and Xander embraced her affectionately.
"Tara's orders," Xander said with a grin, giving her a squeeze until she laughed and shoved him away. Buffy winced, the memory of pushing Spike to the ground flashing before her.
"See ya, Buff," Xander said.
"Bye." Buffy closed the door behind him then turned to Dawn, a question crossing her face.
"Tara's orders?"
*****
When Willow and Tara arrived home, Buffy was waiting patiently in the kitchen.
"Hey," Willow said.
"Hi guys," Buffy said, as the two wiccans both grabbed bottled water from the fridge.
"Uh, Tara? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Buffy asked, hesitantly. Tara smiled. She had a good idea already what Buffy wanted to talk about.
"I'll be up in a minute, Will," Tara said, then seductively added, "Don't start without me." Willow flashed her a coy smile and went upstairs.
Tara examined Buffy, noting the tension in her shoulders and face, sighing inwardly. Either Spike didn't have the courage or she...
"Why is everyone so...huggy?" Buffy asked directly. Dawn hadn't been real big on the details earlier, telling her to ask Tara instead.
"Just something I think we needed," Tara responded. "Everyone has been so distant...and that isn't good, don't you think? I thought this might...you know, get stuff out there. Make us all bond again."
"So it's an experiment?" Buffy asked confused. Some college psych experiment? Spike hugged her because of a...
"No, nothing like that," Tara said as if reading her thoughts. "Just...some things...Dawn for example. When I told her, she th..thought it was stupid. But I think it's good for her, ya know? Xander's like a role guy for her. Male figure to look up to. And the others...I think we've...drifted? I thought it couldn't hurt, right?
"Right," Buffy said, grimacing. Unless someone does something stupid like knocking someone else on their ass just because...
"You okay," Tara asked, concern filling her voice.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Um...Tara? Who...who do I get? I mean, everyone has to hug someone...how often?"
"Every day."
"Every day?" Buffy's eyes got big. Okay, she thought. So that means tomorrow Spike is going to...well maybe not. Not now. Not after...
"Well, this is a bit embarrassing," Tara said, hiding a smile. "I sorta forgot..."
"Me?"
"Yes. I'm sorry..." Tara said apologetically. "But hey, you can switch with me, if you want. Okay?"
"Okay," Buffy said, strangely relieved. For some reason the thought of her not having someone assigned to hug like the others left her feeling incredibly lonely.
"So, who do you have?" Buffy asked brightly.
*****
Spike was restless. The night was yielding little violence for him. The Slayer's sweep had sent the beasties slinking off to whatever hiding place they could find.
"Right when I could really use a spot of violence," Spike said to himself. Damned inconsiderate of her, he thought. Killing everything before he had a go.
Then he saw someone approaching fast. It was Buffy. Her face was tight and lips pursed. He had seen that look before.
Bloody hell, she's gonna stake me! Spike thought.
When she got close enough Spike yelled out, "Whatever it is, Slayer, I didn't do it!" He backed away from her but stopped as she pulled up short and stared at him. He flinched looking into her sharp eyes.
Spike held his ground despite the sudden weakening of his legs. She's taking her bloody time about it, he thought. Suddenly she lunged forward and he knew he was done for, that this was it for him. He briefly hoped she would choke on his dust.
But she didn't stake him. And after a shocked moment, Spike realized she was squeezing him tightly. He started to struggle.
"No! Please? Please let me. Tara...Tara said," Buffy protested burying her face in his chest. Spike couldn't see her expression, but he could feel his shirt become moist under her.
Tara said? A wild thought flittered in his head like a caged bird. Would you love me if Tara said?
But Spike remained silent. Instead he shifted her arms higher so that his were free, then wrapped his arms completely around her, holding her tight.
She's so small, he thought, embracing her.
Buffy was always larger than life to Spike. Impossibly huge. Mountains and hills and valleys huge. But as she melted against him, all that evaporated. The powerful woman that clung to him now was like a small, little girl, vulnerable and afraid. He had never seen her like this. It terrified and excited him all at once. He could hear her heart furiously pounding against his dead chest. And when he closed his eyes it was as if her heart was beating inside him--beating inside both of them. He kissed her hair, bemused at the feeling coursing through him, hoping beyond hope that it would last forever.
He felt alive again.
The end.
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Feedback is appreciated! If you liked this, please check out my other stories.
-Moose