Chapter 7- Truths
Disclaimer- I own nothing Buffy, Legrena is a real place but I know nothing about it, I'm just using its name.
Recap-
With their body fitted together in a hug, Buffy whispered into Tara's ear.
"Let's go home."
They had finished with the store and had told Marc they were going to the park.
And after a short thumb war as to how they would get there, Tara won, her choice, the scooter. Starting up the little red scooter and handing Tara the only helmet they set off.
The park was located almost in the center of the city. The greatest thing about Legrena was that it was an out of the way city, it still held onto most of its roots, like its park.
Some of the town's people say that it's never been touched and they let it grow how it wants and they work around it. Some of it has even started to grow over the roof tops. There was a story about the heart of the park held a mystical place, but only to lover.
Parking the scooter on the side walk and pulling her hair into a ponytail, Buffy waited for Tara to grab the small picnic that they had brought. When everything was set Buffy took Tara's hand and led her into through the gates.
Next to sailing this was her favorite place to be. The park was like a small forest, and whenever Buffy came here, she felt calmer and more at peace with herself. She also knew that the story about this place had some truth to it. The power that ran through this place was testament to that.
"Buffy, do you feel that" the awe in her voice was noticeable.
"Yes I do" they had reached the old willow tree that grew in the heart of the park.
"What is this place?"
"The locals say that it had been here longer then the even the Greek history."
"That's a long time, but this tree dose look like its seen many years."
The willow trunk was so wide around that you need about 5 to 6 people to ring it comfortable. The branches were gnarled and thick, forming a canopy over a small stream that ran along side it.
Tara took a deep breath and became dizzy with the freshness of the air.
"My goddess Buffy, it's beautiful."
Buffy pulled out a ham sandwich and slowly peeled away the plastic. She knew what was to come next, and she knew she had to fess up.
"Buffy you know you can't stay here" the concern in Tara's voice made her sigh and sit at the base of the tree.
"I know."
They only sound that they hear was the soft bubbling of the stream. The Tara once again broke the silence.
"Buffy, what happened to you?"
Buffy said nothing as she took a bit of her food.
"Buffy… please talk to me" that worked.
"You were wrong… I did come back wrong… or different any way."
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know really, but I do know that when I came back something in me was changed. At first I thought it was being pulled from heaven, but one night as I was patrolling, something happened."
Tara sat on a large rock and stayed quiet, knowing that's what Buffy needed.
"I was surrounded by vamps, I was losing, and badly, but at that one point I didn't care. I just wanted it all to end, but, as one of the vamps took a cheap shot at me to the ribs, something snapped in me, or woke up more like it. The next thing I know I'm ripping them to shreds with claws and fangs."
She stopped to shack the memory away. That night had almost made her run made her see that she had come back wrong.
"Then I ran into Spike and… and he knew he was able to hit me, so using that and what I had just learned, well I wasn't in the best of places."
Balling up the wrapper and shoving it into her pocket, Buffy bought some time.
"After everyone found out where I was and what I was doing with Spike… you leaving… I… just broke, remember, that night, I kept asking you not to forgive me?"
She remembered, and well, that was the night that she was going to tell Buffy that she was going to leave and this time, she was not coming back. But when she saw Buffy's aura, everything was so disjointed and off that it almost made her sick to watch it jerk and tear right in front of her. When Buffy had cried in her lap, her heart was torn.
Willow was using magic left and right without a care, Xander had run off leaving behind a shattered Anya, Dawn was acting up to get attention, and Buffy… Buffy needed her, they all needed her. It was too much for her, she could only stretch so far.
But that night also reinforced her choice to leave, because that night… she had found her true soul mate. And it scared the shit out of her. Because all this time and she had never seen it, but she loved Willow. Somewhere between her gentle shootings and tears, an infant bound had formed. She had felt it that night, the beginnings of the shift, but she had written it off and the soul bound.
Sighing Tara got up and sat next to Buffy.
"That night was the beginning, wasn't it?"
"Yep, I held together long enough to see everyone settled and then I ran."
"Why Greece"?
"A boat ride and months of walking and bumming rides, I just found myself pulled here."
"Pulled here, how so?"
"I walked till I felt this pull in my chest, sometime to the point of pain. And so I followed it because when I did it went away."
"Kind of sounds like you were meant to be here" it made since in a way. This place felt like Buffy… and herself.
"How are you not dead?" always that tough questions.
Smiling slightly Tara titling her head forward to hide her face behind her hair, Tara shyly said.
"There was too much going on, you, Willow, and then add in the link between us and the possibility of Willow finding out, well that would have been 'not of the good' as you say" then sighed as Buffy brushed away the curtain and fit it behind her ear.
The connection rang softly, from just Buffy's gentle hand on her face, the bond was growing, but she knew that it was not even close to being done. Opening her eyes, she looked out into the woods then to Buffy.
"I Left that night, I left a note, but I guess you never got it" Buffy nodded.
"After that I went to Main, there I meet up with a coven, I spent a few years there, learning to sharpen my skills. When they had nothing more to teach me I went to and saw the coven in Scotland, Mama said that I had family there, I got to see my grandmother." She smiled at that happy thought.
"I had been staying there, for six years I think" shrugging, give or take she wasn't sure.
"Then one night I had a dream, of me and another on an island, and a small boat with a Greek flag" at this Tara's smile glowed.
"When I saw your face, I knew that I had to find you. So that morning I talked to my family and got on the fasted flight here." Laughing softly Tara went on.
"You are a hard person to find when you don't want to be found, I knew you had a boat, so I drove along the coast."
"How did you know I was here Tara?"
"I felt you, the bond between us may have still been small but I still felt you, so I sold my car in the next city and took a taxi back, two hours later I'm looking at you through the window and thinking, 'My goddess, she is breath taking'."
Buffy said nothing to that, she still thought herself unworthy of any kind of love or affection like that. Tara hit her.
"You are, you stubborn slayer, you more than anyone are worth it and more." The sweet kiss that landed on her forehead made her smile, and then she frowned.
"How…?" then shook her head.
"The bond is getting stronger." At Tara's yes she turned and tucked her head into her shoulder and breathed in her sandalwood scent that was pure Tara.
"What are we going to do now Buffy?"
"You want there to be an 'us'?"
"Yes us, what you think I'm going to let you go, Buffy you're my soul mate, and I love you, I want to stay by your side." Another kiss landed on lips.
The line surged, a sweet kiss turned passionate, passionate turned raw. Tongues battled and hand moved, cloths being pushed aside, burning flesh meeting burning flesh. Throbbing was happing in more than just their bond.
When they reluctantly pulled away for air, their bodies had come together as much as they could without being inside the other.
"Oh god Tara…" gasping for breath she still felt the bond pulsing.
"W-when the time is right B-Buffy, will f-finish the bonding."
"You're stuttering" she had noticed that the once shy blond went without it, but there it was now.
"I'm, j-just a little over whelmed Buffy… I can feel you." Mix together like they belonged, their emotions hummed through them both.
"I feel you to Tara, I feel you to" looking up at the canopy, and at what little light that came through, they had to go.
Gently ungluing themselves, they stood, shared a short but no less loving kiss, and then picked up their picnic.
"We should pack Buffy…"
"Ya, we should… do you think that they will welcome us back?"
"I don't know, but I think Willow will have a hard time of me being back, but they will take you back Buffy, because, well your Buffy" that got a smile.
Taking Tara's hand and gently kissed it, then held to her heart.
"Come on, we have a lot to do."
They both left the park, starting up the little red scooter and handing Tara the only helmet they set off.
(Man, I don't much like how this chapter turned out, but I had slug through, I'll do better next time, I hope, any way please feel free to review. Thanks for reading.)
