Chapter Fifty-Three

"Lies my parents told me"

A/N There really wasn't lot to rewrite in this one, the whole episode is just Robin and Spike, so the only like 'Willow' thing was her leaving for LA. And I thought about doing Orpheus from Angel, but Willow wouldn't bring Tara so it would be the same. I will be adding the scene where Faith escapes from prison because from the Buffy perspective we have no idea how she got out. And I always wondered until I watched Angel so.

Sunnydale, the world without shrimp 2003

After the phone with Fred, Willow knew she was needed in LA. For some unknown reason Angel Investigations had decided to resurrect Angelus in order to deal with 'the beast.' It was a big ol' mess down there and she was supposed to go down there and fix it. She was the only living person to have ever restored a soul to a vampire so it was a mystery why they'd waited so long in calling her. But Willow was happy to go, her magic would stand up, her and Tara had been training and strengthening their power. Plus it served as a distraction to go and help avert another apocalypse. All these apocalypses happening at one time, how is one supposed to keep up.

Tara decided she didn't need to be there to help, Willow could handle herself on her own, she didn't always need someone else there. She'd thought staying behind would be best because Buffy needed all the help she could get, the First was coming for them, they could all feel how soon it was going to be on their doorstep. The difficult thing now was saying goodbye to each other. Saying goodbye at all was becoming more and more difficult for anyone now the end of the world was approaching, yet again. No one knew when they would see each other again, and if the time they thought they'd be back would be true. Tara was worried that if Willow went to LA now, there was every possibility she might not come back, which is true about anywhere but the stakes had been driven ever higher.

They were upstairs sitting on their bed, Tara by the pillows and Willow sitting beside her, all ready to go. She wouldn't be gone longer than a day or two, so there wasn't much she needed to bring. "Baby, don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Willow could see the look of worry on Tara's face but deep down the blonde knew Willow would be fine, she could handle herself. The worst things just came to her mind sometimes.

Tara nodded, clutching at Willow's hands as she traced circles on the smooth skin with her thumb. "I know, I do know that. We've faced this stuff before, I don't know why I'm so nervous, must be something in the ether I can feel."

"Come here." Willow replied pressing their lips together softly, her tongue sliding through into Tara's mouth was a quiet shock but she took it eagerly - trying to keep their lips in a tight seal. She didn't want to let Willow go just yet, the warmth of her body was comforting.

"Mmm, please don't go." Tara mumbled against warm lips, she was holding Willow's cheek now. There weren't any tears because she knew it wasn't earned. Willow wasn't leaving her for long but there was a sadness. A fear. And there was a selfishness seeping through, that she alone wanted Willow for herself, just once. That's what she hoped for in their future, that someday the evil would be left to someone else to control. But she knew whilst Buffy was the slayer in charge, Willow would never leave her to control the darkness alone.

"I know, I don't wanna move either, I just got comfy." Willow pulled Tara into a hug, her arms reaching around tightly as she rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. Pulling back only to kiss her one last time before reaching for the bag resting on the carpet. Tara stood up and grabbed her hand walking her down the stairs before they said goodbye again at the car. Tara knew it would be ok in a while, it was just hard now.