Note : Okay, now you know the deal : I originally wrote this story in french. As I do not speak english fluently, you may find english mistakes. Feel free to tell me about it
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 3: Kitchen conversations
Three weeks after her arrival, Tara seemed to begin finding some landmarks at the Hyperion. After the attack she had been victim of on the day of her arrival, she had lost quite a lot of blood, and needed to spend some days in bed. Most of the time, Wesley and Fred looked after her, allowing her to make some acquaintance with them gently.
Fred mainly spent a lot of time with her and both young women enjoyed the other one's company, even if it was often silent. But it was not really important for any of them, silence being comfortable and their conversations, however rare they were, always interesting.
Thanks to Fred's presence at her side, when Tara finally got up, she had been taught a lot about the habits of everybody.
When the witch finally decided to go out of her room and to venture into the hotel, five days had passed since the incident at the bus station. Tara knew that two days would have been undoubtedly extensively enough for her to get back some forces. But she had pushed back the instant to come back in the world of the living at the farthest, as it was so good for her to feel so cosseted. Furthermore, after having lived alone during all these weeks, the fair-haired woman was not sure she would find sufficient social skills in herself to fit into this group and she really feared to feel rejected by Angel's gang. Sometimes, she even wondered why she had agreed to come here rather than elsewhere. But she knew it was probably because anywhere sometimes meant nowhere. But she had finally to resign herself to accept the judgment of Wesley who said to her that everything went well now and to confront the gang.
And it went off much better than she had expected it. Angel was immediately concerned to put her at ease and was particularly attentive to the slightest situation where she could not be. Tara could not help thinking that Dawn, or perhaps even Buffy, had broadly insisted nearby the vampire on Tara's shyness and on the importance to put her at ease.
Her relations with Wesley had been easy right away, on one hand because of the time he had spent with her to be sure that she went well, on the other hand thanks to the interest he had in magic and which gave them right away a point of anchoring. As for Gunn, you couldn't dream about nicer boy and he settled himself immediately as a true gentleman for her.
The only slight problem was on the side of the girls. If her relationship with Fred had been nice and easy right away, it was a wholly another thing with Cordelia and Faith.
Not that Cordelia was particularly unpleasant. Of course, she made some biting or clumsy comments on her clothes, her stammer or her past in Sunnydale from time to time. But she never made it with intention of hurting and every time, it had worth her a black look on behalf of all the boys, punctuated by a ' what? ' indeed surprised from her part. No, Cordelia was not so bad. And Tara suspected that the feeling of uneasiness she felt with her was only on her part, and came from the fear she had to see the former cheerleader making fun of her as in all these stories she had heard on her account. Remained Faith. And really, after three weeks in the hotel with the group, there was nothing to be said about her. Since their first meeting the day of her arrival, Tara was not sure that they indeed have opportunity to speak. The Slayer had no same timetables as her, often sleeping in the daytime and being on patrol at night in search either of some demons to kill, or of a man to take to her room for a quick fuck. And even when all the gang was gathered in research mode in the library where Tara tried to show herself under her best light, Faith stayed apart and always contented herself with the minimum to be said if somebody – and Tara particularly – spoke to her.
Research was not the only domain where Angel and his gang had appreciated the reinforcement of Tara. The witch had quickly offered her help to improve the daily of the team and even Cordelia had only been able to herself express her admiration when the fair-haired woman had put on in stoves for the first time.
Since then, Tara had become more or less the official cook of the team and she was happy to tell herself that there was at least a domain where her talents were appreciated. Even Angel had extolled his deserve and was silently thankful to her for always thinking of bringing him some blood from the butcher without him never needing to ask for anything.
Tara so spent a lot of time in the kitchen of the hotel, from time to time helped by Fred or even Cordelia, but mostly alone, and she appreciated this time spent with herself.
« So, you come from Sunnydale? »
Absorbed in the preparation of dinner the group would take before going out on patrol, Tara had not heard somebody approach and she could not help jumping shortly at the sound of this new voice. She turned round trying to tranquilize her pounding heart and saw Faith who was standing in the opening of the door. The Slayer raised her hands in front of her, with opened palms, as if to point out that she came without aggressive intention.
« Easy, Blondie. I didn't wanna frighten you. »
She got ahead slowly in the room, watching Tara trying to take back control of herself.
« I… I didn't hear you » Tara explained while trying to control her stammer with a relating success. « Y-You su-surprised me. »
« I got that part » Faith said, allowing a light fold of her lips.
She still went up, still with delicacy till the point she was standing enough near Tara to see what she was cooking.
« Then, what's the menu? » she asked on a tone she wanted nice.
The witch seemed to relax at this insignificant question.
« I'm cooking a calf roast » she explained. « With potatoes and cream »
The look of Faith started to shine at the witch's words, which this view ended up putting at ease.
« This looks to please you » she commented.
Faith nodded her head vehemently.
« I'm not particularly difficult. » she explained. « With the Slayer's appetite and all, I could eat anything. But I never get to eat that good before you came"
The sincerity of Faith's words was obvious and Tara was affected by the compliment.
"Thank you " she said simply.
Faith relaxed in her turn and perched on the bar next to dishes Tara prepared.
« The girls don't help you? » she asked.
« Fred was tired and Cordelia is at her place » Tara explained quickly. « And you, I don't know » she added after a time of hesitancy.
« We prepared weapons for this evening » Faith answered quickly, a bit ashamed suddenly « And I thought Fred and Queen C helped you »
"Undoubtedly "
Tara thought that Faith was probably the last person who cared to know if she needed help or not. But this wasn't important. Tara preferred undoubtedly that things were this way. She was still not very comfortable when Faith was around.
« Then, Sunnydale? » Faith asked suddenly, after a long silence she occupied to watch the fair-haired woman cooking.
« What Sunnydale? » Tara asked.
Faith was taken aback by the insurance and the sharp tone she felt in Tara's voice. Since her arrival, Faith had never heard Tara using such a firm tone with anybody. She frowned, hesitated one second then persisted in her idea:
« How are things there? » she asked once again. « I mean, Queen B? Red? Xander? Giles? »
Tara shrugged lightly but raised her head to look at Faith straight in the eye.
« We'll say that there were happier times » she said simply.
Faith answered nothing at first, still a little bit uneasy after hearing Tara's determination. But her curiosity was stronger:
« B? How's B? »
« I guess you're speaking about Buffy? » said Tara, lightly entertained. « She needs a little time to get better I think. »
Faith nodded.
« Giles left again for England » Tara added.
« Oh! »
She raised her eyes towards Faith once again, hearing her to cry so.
« This, this is a surprise » she granted.
Tara approved with a sign of her head.
« For all of us. »
The witch went back to her roast. Faith waited that she went on but nothing came. She remained there, sat on the bar, to watch at her putting the roast in the oven, peeling and cutting sweet potatoes, preparing a sauce with cream and herbs. After undoubtedly at least half an hour of complete silence between them, Faith managed to agree with herself about what she wanted to say.
« I remember you » she said finally.
"Ah " Tara answered simply without turning away from her task, looking at her even.
« It was at the Bronze » Faith went on. « I was in the Buffy's body and you, you were with Red »
Tara neither confirmed nor preempted Faith's statements, going on cooking as though Faith was not even there.
« I think… » Faith began after a silence.
« Well... I mean… I think I wasn't very nice to you that evening. » she admitted.
Silence fell once again. Tara seemed not to react but Faith could guess nonetheless that she had picked up her attention with the short look the witch had thrown her.
« Humph, I … »
Faith hesitated, turning and turning words in her head once again, not knowing how to formulate them without seeming stupid.
"I…" she began again before failing once again poorly.
A light smile appeared on Tara's face who tried to hide her entertainment from the nervousness of the Slayer. She had still never seen her in such a situation and could not help finding her tries for apologies strangely cute.
« I wanted… » the Slayer still took back, looking at her hands. « I just wanted … »
Tara hesitated over the behavior to adopt. A side of the witch found that looking at a so uneasy Faith had a very delightful side but another part of herself wanted to help her. And it was this part, which won after Faith had mumbled the beginning of a sentence for the tenth time.
« You wanted? » Tara asked mildly.
Faith raised her head and looked at Tara with astonishment.
« It was a long time ago » Tara said again on the same tone. « And I'm not very resentful. Not really. Then, let me say that you've nothing to fear by saying whatever you're planning to say. »
Faith remained one instant to consider the look and pleasant face of the witch who encouraged her to say whatever she had to say.
« I'm sorry » she gave way finally suddenly, without her really knowing from where it came.
The big benevolent smile Tara gave her was her reward.
----------------------------------------
If it had been said to her before, Faith would not have believed one second that those three words could change so many things in her relationship with someone.
But it was however definitely true. This abscess pierced between Tara and her, both young women could felt that they were both consequently more comfortable when they were together. The change did not roughly make them inseparable friends and it was even probably indiscernible for other members of the group. But for each of them, it was obvious. Tara did not stutter any more when she spoke to Faith. She did not any more expect mockery and sarcasms from her part if she opened her mouth in her presence. As for Faith, she did not feel the need to escape Tara anymore to avoid a reproving or accusatory look from the witch whom she had so cruelly made fun of two years earlier. Which made easier for her, her greatly task to come to seep through in the kitchen when Tara was in full cooking mode and even after a time – not a long time - to stole in dishes, first inconspicuously, then openly in front of Tara which made as if to reprehend her while Faith gave her a perfectly innocent face.
« I need my energy » Faith argued while knocking her stomach with contentment. « I'm a Slayer. I have more appetite than average »
Tara smiled then and let her do. She had already could see what was a Slayer's appetite in Buffy's presence but nothing compared to Faith on that matter. Tara tried unsuccessfully to increase regularly the doses of what she prepared, but nothing seemed to overcome the appetite of the dark-haired Slayer, and dishes always returned emptied in the kitchen.
« Faith, could you help me, please? » Tara asked suddenly after Faith spent two complete weeks to look at her cook, stuck on the bar.
« Help you? » Faih asked and frowned. « In what? »
« Obviously, cooking » Tara answered on an ironic tone.
« Cooking? » Faith asked. « You undoubtedly mean, carry dishes, set the table, open bags? »
Tara smiled at her with entertainment.
« No. Cook. Take a knife. Cut, wear thin, hack, blend, season. That sort of thing »
« I don't think that's a very good idea, Blondie » Faith answered still without moving. « Cooking's not really my thing »
Tara raised her eyes to the sky.
« I know, I know the refrain. Your thing is to kill creatures of darkness. And I guess that not, cooking is not a Slayer's thing »
Faith bent an eyebrow at this remark.
« What, Queen B's not a perfect cook? Careful, Tara, you're going to make a myth fall »
Tara smiled more broadly and tried to remember a concluding try from Buffy in a kitchen. But in spite of all her efforts, nothing came back to her.
« No, Buffy neither was not so good in a kitchen. »
Faith tilted her head on the side, pointing out that she was thinking about that.
"Not surprising" she ended up saying. « With a mother as hers, no need to cook. Joyce was a killer in a kitchen »
« You know, my mother also was a 'killer ' in a kitchen and liked to make us courses. And that doesn't prevent me from cooking myself »
Faith shook her head and remained thoughtful one second, letting the words of the fair-haired woman immerse herself.
« Therefore, I guess that the past in this sentence means that your mother also died? » she asked abruptly.
Tara shook lightly and nodded her head without looking at the Slayer who regretted her question one second. But without her really knowing why, Faith felt grow her curiosity in for Tara.
« And the rest of your family? » she asked trying to soften her tone.
« My mother died when I was seventeen» Tara answered finally still without looking at the Slayer. « And I… I don't see very often my father and my brother »
« You've got a brother? » Faith exclaimed on an almost enthusiastic tone. « Younger or older? »
« A little older »
« This must be very cool to have a brother » Faith commented thoughtfully and without noticing the slight quiver in Tara's shoulders. « I might have turned less badly if I'd had a brother. »
« Humph, perhaps » Tara answered absent-mindly while Faith seemed to imagine the brother she never had.
Taken in her fantasy, she didn't notice the dark air Tara tried to hide by concentrating on her cooking.
-------------------------------
Cordelia parked her car in front of the hotel with delicacy. She then went down and caught several bags carrying the mark of big stores while Tara and Fred went down of the vehicle. Both girls relieved Cordelia of several bags and the three young women climbed up the steps to the hotel door that Cordelia pushed.
Faith and Gunn both were sat in suit on the couch, cleaning weapons. Gunn had a broad cut on his left forearm and the new comers could realize that Faith's face was badly bruised when this one turned her head to them.
Cordelia grimaced and passed in front of the chesterfield while Tara and Fred stationed themselves in front of Gunn and Faith.
« You look like shit Faith » Cordelia said on a casual tone while she put her bags on the bar.
« Are… are you ok? » Tara asked quietly while checking out the Slayer's face.
« What happened? » questioned Fred while sitting down on the ledge of the chesterfield.
« Demons' attack obviously » Faith answered ironically.
« In broad daylight? » Tara asked.
« Hey yes » Faith forced in a half smile. « These demons respect no rule. »
« And you girls? This shopping? » Gunn asked by turning to Cordelia.
« Oh, my God! » the young woman exclaimed. « It was really time that somebody takes Tara out in the world, you could think she had never seen a store in her life! a real store I mean. Not these greasy spoons of Sunnydale … »
Fred, Faith and Gunn turned to the witch with a small embarrassed smile.
« Cordelia is sometimes just like that » Gunn explained with an apologizing smile. « She's kinda lacking tact. »
Cordelia deeply turned to Tara then to Gunn with a stunned look, searching any obviousness where she made an odd.
"It's nothing " Tara said trying to show a reassuring smile. « She's not really wrong. I never came in such a big city before. »
"See" Cordelia confirmed on a sure tone.
Gunn and Fred exchanged a look and a knowing smile.
"Therefore " Cordelia added
And she launched into the listing of shops in which she had led her two friends away. Nobody were listening any more when Angel appeared in the room, followed nearly by Wesley.
« Then girls, this exit in city? » the vampire asked when he saw the put together group.
« Cordelia had already told us everything » Faith hastened to specify. « You should have arrived earlier »
Angel looked alternately at Cordelia who had opened her mouth to launch into a new diatribe on her shopping afternoon between girls, and at Faith who looked at him with an air challenging him to ask Cordelia to begin her tale again.
« Definitely, I'm sure it was brilliant » he resigned himself. « I have news » he added just after.
Everybody's attention turned to him
« News? » Gunn questioned. « Bad news? »
« No. Rather good. The entire group is invited this weekend in the residence of the Bradley family. »
« The Bradley family? »
« A rich family who wants to thank us for helping them some months ago » Angel answered. « They own a superb villa some hours across from LA and give a big reception there tomorrow evening. And they would really like if we were present. »
« Brilliant! » Cordelia enthusiastically exclaimed. « For once this work gives us a little of entertainment. »
« « It would be opportune that we get all dressed up » specified Angel.
« Perfect! » Cordelia went on. « I have all that anyone needs for this and the dresses I made buy to these young ladies should be good. I must have a sixth sense for this type of things » she finished, obviously very content with herself.
She was silent one second and considered the assembly around her.
« You boys, should all owe allowable costumes. Remains Faith problem … »
Her look fell on the Slayer and her white cotton docker and washed-out blue jeans.
« What Faith problem? » the girl spat out.
« I should have a dress to lend you so that you don't stand out like a sore thumb. »
Faith threw her a bloody look but Wesley interrupted any bloody answer she would have been able to prepare.
« There's no Faith problem » He made indifferently. « Faith won't come. »
« What? » Faith muttered, trying to feign indifference.
« Why? » Cordelia questioned on an incredulous tone. « This would make her the biggest good to see something else than monsters and a bunch of freaks running after monsters. »
« Thank you for your solicitude Quenn C » Faith said on a caustic tone and raised her eyes to the sky.
« Faith has her appointment with Morris tomorrow evening. Angel called him to ask him to delay it to Monday, but he was intractable. Therefore she can't leave the city. »
« Not a problem » Faith threw with an unconcerned air while sinking comfortably in the armchair. « I and society events anyway … »
« Well with the face you have to wear, it may be for the best that you stay here » Cordelia added.
New murderous look from Faith, which the former cheerleader accepted by answering with an entertained grin.
« But you… you are going to stay here all alone? » asked then Tara.
« Don't worry for me Blondie, I can handle myself. I shall order pizzas »
« I could… Maybe I could stay here also? » Tara said while turning to Angel and Wesley.
« Tara, I think that Faith.. » Angel began.
« I would keep her company » Tara interrupted. « And then I don't know these people, I'm not really part of the group … »
« Our home is your home » Angel said to her firmly. « As long as you are here, we consider you as part of the group. »
« It's all good Tara » Faith added. « I can really handle myself »
Tara turned to Faith one second.
« I'm sure » she answered her with a half smile, before turning once again her little worried face towards Angel and Wesley. « But I really think I'd prefer staying »
The vampire and the watcher exchanged a look.
« Good. As you want Tara » Angel concluded.
« Preferring a whole weekend alone with Faith rather than a party in a manor in the campaign? » Cordelia concluded on a sarcastic and incredulous tone. « I knew this girl was crazy. »
-------------------------
Next chapter coming next week !