Tara pace back and forth. Willow was supposed to have met her over two hours ago. The sun had long ago set. The air was taking on the December chill. She stopped and looked around. 'Maybe I should go back to my room and see if she left a message.' Tara was about to do so when she heard a rustling in the bushes. She took a step closer.
Something strange leapt out at her. It was human, but yet its forehead had an ugly appearance. The thing even growled at her. The thing tackled her to the ground. A scream escaped her. She started beating at the thing with her hands. It simply leered at her. "Now, now little girl. I don't like playing with my food."
Tara again screamed as the thing bared its fangs and came closer to her neck. Suddenly, there was nothing but dust falling on her. She blinked in disbelief. Standing over her with a pointy wooden stick was Willow. Willow smiled as she helped the blonde up.
"Are you all right?" Tara was physically shaking. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to come when I was supposed." She looked Tara in the eyes. "It's a good thing I came when I did."
Another girl's voice startled Tara. "Willow, did you find the vampire?" Tara turned to see a dark haired girl. She couldn't be more than sixteen. The girl looked at Willow and than at Tara. "Sorry. Thought you were out her alone."
"It's all right." Willow held tight to Tara's hands. "This is Tara. She's.." Willow looked again into the blonde's eyes. "She and I are friends. Tara, this is Heather. She and I are sorta friends as well."
"Don't be going that far. We work together. You don't really care much more than that." The girl turned to walk away. "I'll finish patrolling. You two can have the rest of the night alone." She paused and turned towards Willow. "Go ahead. Tell her about you and me. I've got to give Wesley a call later. He'll be so thrilled that the secrets out." Quickly, Heather took off.
"Sorry about all this. But this is part of what I wanted to tell and show you." Willow waited for a response. "Tara? You still with me?"
Finally, Tara nodded. "S-so. That was a vampire?"
Willow nodded. "Let's go to your room where we can talk privately."
A few minutes later, they both sat on the end of Tara's bed. Willow kept taking deep breaths. "This isn't easy for me to talk about. Not since..." Tara took her hand. Willow looked up into her eyes. "You see, the pain started about six months ago. But to know the whole story would probably be best." She quickly explained about meeting Buffy and the slayer thing and Oz and all that they had gone through. And than the big fight. How she closed herself off to the new slayer and helped only when she had to. Like tonight.
"So you see, it's been really hard for me to let anyone in. I mean, to even really talk with them." Willow looked down at the floor. "I just go through the motions because it would hurt too much to lose anybody else that I loved."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Tara forced Willow to look at her. "Sweetie, I do understand. Only in my case, there were some not so good people in my life. I'm not sure if I can trust anyone anymore, either." A small tear formed in her eye.
Willow instinctively reached up and wiped it away. "But you seem so different than everyone else I meet. There's something so special about you."
"M-me?" Tara asked. "B-but I'm nothing special. You are the one that's very special. I felt it the first time you looked at me."
"Funny, me too." Both women stared at each other for a moment. Than slowly, they leaned in towards each other. There lips lightly touched. Than, more passionately than Willow had ever kissed Oz. She began breathing heavily. She pulled back suddenly. "I.." She looked at Tara's hurt face. "I'm sorry." Willow bolted out the door. Tara stared after, tears now freely falling.