Author: Vryce
Disclaimer: Faith, Buffy, Angel, the Scooby Squad, and all the rest are property of Joss Whedon, the WB, UPN, the Kazukis, Sandollar, Mutant Enemy, and whoever else they belong to. This story was written purely for entertainment purposes and is not profiting me, the author in any way. So please don't sue me.
Distribution: Take it if you must. Just please leave my name and Disclaimer on it.
Feedback: Critiques and the like aon any and all areas welcome.
Author's notes: "Elseworlds", a term coined years ago by DC comics is a term that I shall also be using for this vein of storytelling. But fear not. These stories will NOT be comic book based or comic book like. (I hope)





Elseworlds: Tara





Her heart was racing in her chest, her pulse quickening as the other woman's lips drew nearer to her own. She could feel the warm life-breath of this kindred spirt as clearly as she could smell the earthty scent of Autumn leaves in the slighty smaller female's hair. She was a cutie, this one, her slender form curving and swaying against her own beneath it's red robbing. Her firey red hair playing in the sunlight. And those eyes! Those eyes in which she felt she could get lost forever. Tara drew a quick breath as her enchantresses's lips drew ever closer to her ear. Whispering. Whispering. Whispering......

"TARA WAKE UUUUUUPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!"

"Aaaahhh!!" was the only sound to escape her as her eyes suddenly popped open and her balance vanished. Before she could even fully comprehend what had just happened she found herself sprawled out upon her bedroom floor, her loose fitting green nightgown ruffled, her hammock swinging above her wildly, and her little sister looking down at her with a lopsided grin. She opened her mouth to say something spiteful, but her own words got in her way, tripping over themselves and refusing to advance past the first letter in some cases. It didn't matter though, as by the time she had righted herself her sister had long fled the room, the light sound of her gigglng floating back in on the air.

Tara McClay looked around her small bedroom half dazed for a moment, the surroundings looking all to unfamiliar to her. Of course, the soft sounds of her mother's footsteps comming up the stairs was unmistakable, and served as the proverbial splash of cold water on her conciousness. It was still a school day and judging by the angle of the sunlight pouring in thru her window she had overslept again. She was sure to be late for her schoolings now, And worse yet, her mother was almost upon her door while she was still in nightgown!

Her mind, much to it's credit tried it's best to franticly search for a way out of this mess but, as it had done so many times in the past, went totally blank leaving her there with a somewhat lax look on her face as her mother came peeking in.

"Taraaa..... Come now, how many times have I asked you to lay your head early so that you might be on time for your schoolings for once?" her mother asked, arms crossed about her chest and hip angled slightly as she took on that 'bad puppy' look that only mothers can. She was, in and of herself, quite attractive. Long auburn hair that reached well past the middle of her back rested upon her right shoulder, bound together in three places with white ribbon. Tara couldn't help but notice how much she reminded her of father in that moment, though that might have been from the plain trousers and worn green tunic she wore. Of course, when one looked at her face with it's high cheekbones, slender brows, and elegant nose there was no mistaking her gender.

"I-I-I-I did mother. I-I-I swear I did. It's just....I have these d-dreams sometimes that make me feel as if I were wake and I ca..." she started, her words stammering out here and there as they often did when she was nervous. She didn't notice it at the time but her head had tilted forward slighty as she started to look at the floor, her hands nervously playing with the fabric of her nightgown as she spoke.

"I have little need of explinations young lady. What I need now is for you to get dressed and off to class." her mother cut her off, her own voice firm and steady, but light and airy at the same time. It was the voice of a mother who wanted to make her disappointment known, while at the same time let a child know that she wasn't chastizing them.

"Yes mother." Tara replied quietly, quickly setting about to get herself ready for the day. She nimbly stepped about small crystals and pendants that lay on the floor as her mother turned and left, a hint of her sister's giggling slipping in through the still cracked door. The smell of Black Cherry lingered in the room, the stick of inscense from which it came long burned out the night before, and various books lay open here and there about the room, some on her dresser, others on the table, still more about the floor.

She cursed herself in her mind as she pulled the straps of her nightgown off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor and stepping out of it as deft fingers quickly withdrew a light blue dress from her closet. She turned to cross her room again as she pulled the clothing over her head, a cool breeze whisping in through her window and catching her naked form before she could finish dressing. She drew a short breath as she quickly glanced about, looking for her bag and trying to remember what she would need for the day. Chilled toes guided her feet into their proper sandals, her left foot first as she now hopped across the cold oakwood floor towards her other sandal, hands stuffing books and papers into a bag retrieved from a table in the center of the room. Mother was right. Her room was a sty.

'No matter now' she thought, exiting her room and pulling the door closed behind her. Her stomache knew of he bacon sitting on the table downstairs almost before her nose did, her lightly clad feet pitter-padding down the stairs in a rush. She sighed lightly to herself knowinf she'd have no time for breakfast if she was to make school on time. She raced towards the front door, her mind going in seven directions at once trying to make up for lost time, and almost ran directly into her mother. Luckily for both however, mother was quite used to Tara's tardy tendencies and slipped her body out of the way and a biscut into her daughter's hand just as she was crossing the threshold. The buttery morning bread was cut in half as she reflexivly took a bite from it, her voice a muffled moan as she tried to cry out a goodbye to her mother and sister.

She couldn't see them for the urgency in her manner, but there they were, standing at the door waving her off as she sprinted across the feild desperately wishing she'd checked the temperature of the biscuit before taking such a large bite. The grass beneath her feet whipped past her toes as she ran, her bag bouncing haphazardly on her right shoulder threatning to come off. It was seriously throwing off her stride. Not that she was the fastest runner, but as late as she was every minute counted. She quickly choked down the rest of her breakfast and seized the bag's other strap in her left hand, slipping her arm through the hole and the bag up onto her back than she could have expected. Running at her best now, she felt a bit more confident in her chances of making it on time, but once again wished she had remembered the temperature of the buscuit.