Hello, All
Well, I did manage to produce chapter thirteen by the end of the weekend, and hope to have fourteen out on Wednesday. However, I seem to be real life's punching bag at the moment and can make no other guarantees except to tell you that I truly want to continue this story and really want you to like it.
I am thankful for the notes regarding Max. I wish I had spectacular news to report, but he is still in intensive care and they still do not know what is causing this to happen. There is no guarantee that he will come home. With everything else, it would be a reeling blow for me to also lose my dog. I run an animal rescue farm with family, and hold my four legged friends in the same regard as my two legged compatriots. Max is like my child and his serious illness and potential loss is definitely taking its toll on my sanity and my sense of purpose.
Again, writing is an escape and I will continue. I just beg of you to stay with me and please let me know that this story is something you still want to read.
Thank you again.
Nimue
Title: Coffee Talk (Chapter Thirteen of The One)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG -13
Pairing: Buffy/Spike. Most major characters included.
Feedback: Yes, please
For instant notification of fic releases, straight to your mailbox, please visit Always_Everyday@yahoogroups.com
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing. (With, of course, the exception of Emma and William, who belong to Buffy and Spike)
Summary: Spike, Cyrus and Giles try to sort out the shared vision of the night before. Something happens to Buffy before they are able to stop it. Willow and Tara discuss their decision with Oz.
Coffee Talk
Buffy had not been herself all day. The dream had scared her good and proper, Spike thought as he watched her from the doorway of the kitchen. She was sitting on the couch, curled in a ball, watching the tots play on the living room floor. Normally, she would be down in the middle of it. But today, she kept herself closed, like a guardian angel watching from above, rather than a participant in her own existence.
Spike turned back towards the kitchen. Giles and Cyrus had taken over the counter with dusty tomes and piles of note pads. Willow had pulled a chair up and was typing furiously on her laptop. Tara was making lunch. Spike had sent the Harris' home. They might actually be a bit safer there for once.
"What have you found?" Spike asked, settling onto a stool uneasily.
Cyrus sighed. "It seems that the Prophesy of the One is written in an even more archaic text than most," he began. "It has been difficult."
Spike wanted to growl at him, but even with his own proficiency for ancient languages that had come from the joining, he couldn't make heads or tails of the text. "Have you found any-bloody-thing?"
"Willow found a partial translation matrix," Giles answered, trying to make his voice calm and somewhat soothing, despite his frayed nerves. "However, now it is closely akin to reading a book where every other word is smudged. Still, we've hope."
The Vampire took a deep breath, trying to quell his anger. "Is there any mention of . this?"
"Not so far," Cyrus answered. He looked up at Spike, smiling slightly. "Look at it this way. If the Prophesy was a book, the joining is near the end. The finale. What happens next has never been written. As if someone skipped a few chapters and went straight to the story of the Peacemaker."
Spike furrowed his brow. "Not sure I follow."
Giles stood, pouring more coffee into his mug and then filling the others as he spoke. "Spike," he began softly. "You told us that in the vision last evening, the first place that you traveled was to a place with fire where both you and Buffy were children. An ancient place."
"Right," Spike answered nodding, remembering it as if it played in his head as they spoke.
"We believe that to be the First," Giles continued, setting the coffee pot back onto the burner and settling onto his stool again. "And the children, you and Buffy, were the twins then. The original two."
Spike stopped, thinking. "Mummy and Daddy."
"Were gone," Cyrus completed. "When the darkness separated you, they had to remove your parents. The father," he continued, nodding at Giles, "And the mother."
"Anya," Giles contributed. "Really quite natural we found each other again when."
"Tales of the glory days past once this is sussed out," Spike growled, shooting a glare at Giles and then turning his attention back to Cyrus. "Go on."
"From that moment, when the darkness removed you from her that first time, the One had never been rejoined. Until now," Cyrus answered.
Spike sighed, letting his head fall into his hands. "Would you get to the bloody point?" It was more a sigh than a snap. There was too much on his mind to be fussing with semantics.
Willow cleared her throat. "Spike?"
Spike turned his head just enough to eye the redhead without pulling his head from his hands. "Got something to add, Pet?"
"I think what they are trying to say is that, um, there isn't much after the joining because it never happened before. Sort of like. Well, until we met you, there was little information about Slayers' last battles because, well, they didn't make it and their Watchers couldn't tell the tales. So, the prophecy only seems to be talking about what happened in the original joining and then what it would take for you to re-join," Willow stumbled through the words, trying to make it make sense. "I guess that they didn't really know what happened next because it never happened."
Spike turned his head, laying his cheek in his palm and watching Willow. "Thank you."
"For what?" Willow asked, smiling brightly.
"For telling me what these gits wouldn't and that's that you just don't bloody know," Spike responded, anger and resignation mixing in his tone.
"I do believe," Giles interrupted, "That there are parts of the interim text that might explain what you saw in the vision. We just haven't seemed to be able to find them quite yet."
Everything in Spike wanted to snap and verbally brutalize the Watchers, but he held his tongue. It wouldn't accomplish anything. Not even really make him feel better. At least not for long. "So, you think that there might be a clue as to what is happening, or what may happen, in the text?"
"Yes," Cyrus answered. "But Spike, we cannot overlook the thought that this dream was a combination of two separate visions. A memory of the past and an unrelated vision of the future."
Spike's head snapped up. "I won't let her be turned. Not a Vampire in this World could do that. Not with me around."
Cyrus nodded, backing down a bit. "Just remember, Spike, to be particularly observant."
"The more I think about it, the more I think that this is some aberration of the Prophesy. An anomaly. It was part of the original dream, correct? Fluid with the vision of the First?" Giles asked.
"Yeah," Spike sighed. "One big, sodding nightmare."
"Which tells me that it should be connected," Giles continued. "That there is a reason for this."
Willow looked down at her watch and jumped a little with surprise. "I've got to go!" She stood, knocking the stool down and grabbing her coat. "I. I'll be back.I promise.. I just have.There's something.."
Giles smiled softly at her. "Go. We'll be here when you're back."
Spike snarled at that thought.
Willow nervously grinned and took off towards the living room, passing Buffy and kissing her cheek as she ran past.
"What was that all about?" Buffy asked, trying to smile weakly.
Spike stood, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around Buffy's waist, his body settling against hers perfectly. She sighed involuntarily. "Red had an appointment. Not to worry, Pet. Got the rest of us slaving away."
"It's all right," Buffy whispered, letting her head rest against his chest and closing her eyes. "Any luck?"
"Not yet, Love," Spike answered, stroking her hair. "We'll suss it out. You know that."
She moved her head back enough to look up at his crystal blue eyes. "I know." She paused a moment and then dragged her body away from his warmth. "Think I'm going to take the kids out back with Pony. I need some air."
"Right then," Spike agreed, nodding. "They got their jackets on?"
"I said the word out and they were in coats and shoes before I could stand," Buffy chuckled, feeling a little better. She clutched her sweater over one arm. Spike watched her. Her knuckles were white, her hands balled into little fists. He hated that she was frightened and there was nothing he could do to change it.
"Let me get that," Spike said softly, loosing the sweater from over her arm and opening it up, helping her to put it on. He could feel the nervous energy flutter around her like terrified butterflies. Soon that fear would turn to anger. But for now, she was vulnerable. "You be all right?"
Buffy turned back to face him, drawing the long, heavy sweater closed around her. She smiled, weakly. "Yeah." She took a deep breath and turned to the living room. "Well come on," she shouted to the kids. "You wanted to go out, right?"
Two blonde heads tore at mock speed through the living room and to the kitchen, giggling all the way, brushing past their parents and bustling towards the back door. Spike shook his head, watching William try to keep his balance with that huge yellow cast strapped to his little body. "Got a bit of energy?" Spike asked sarcastically.
"You have no idea," Buffy sighed, smiling and following the kids to the back door. She opened it into a beautiful day, the kids tearing onto the porch before she could finish opening the door. Buffy took a step and felt it. Her body felt.strange. Hot. Warmer than it was outside. Her skin was tight and burning. God, it burned. She took another step to the porch and took a breath, screaming.
Tara sat in the corner booth of the quiet coffee shop. The outdoor mall was bustling, but the shop was dark and quiet. It seemed to be a rule of cafes. The people in the corner booth were there because it was private. They didn't want to be disturbed. They had words meant to be whispered only to each other.
Willow smiled as she eased into the booth next to Tara. "Hey, baby."
"Hey," Tara answered, leaning forward to kiss her lover's cheek. "How is everything with."
"Buffy is all down and Spike is wound tight and ." The redhead sighed. "We couldn't figure it out."
"You will," Tara encouraged, her smile so soothing and sweet. She took Willow's hands between hers. "You sure about.about this?"
Willow took a deep breath. "Ready."
"For what?" A familiar voice said, standing with his hand on the creaky faux leather of the booth. Both girls stared like fawns in the glare of high beams, but managed to smile. Oz returned it warmly, settling down across from them in the semi-circular booth.
Willow blushed, deep and blood red, swallowing hard. "Oz, um."
The waitress came to the table, a green apron tied neatly around her waist. "Get anything for you?"
"Coffee," Willow muttered. "Lots. Um, and sugar."
The waitress raised an eyebrow, smiling softly. "That's generally the stuff we have around here."
Tara chuckled. "Two tall lattes and." she nodded at Oz.
"Just a plain coffee flavoured coffee," Oz answered a smile in his voice. The waitress nodded, walking back towards the main seating area. "Will, you okay?"
"F...fine," Willow stuttered, her hand suddenly hot and damp in Tara's. Tara squeezed it softly and smiled.
"Oz," the usually shy girl began. "We called you, um..."
"Because of the offer," Oz helped, leaning back in the seat and stretching his legs under the table.
"Right," Tara answered, smiling and looking down for a moment. This was not going to be easy. But like all major decisions, once the cards were on the table, they were just cards. It would be easier once they said it. "We've decided to.to take you up on it."
A mixture of expressions passed over the werewolf's face. Surprise, shock, interest, happiness, fear, lust.. Hold that one, he thought, wondering what their plan was. "Um, okay," he responded, nodding, his own palms beginning to get warm. "Good."
Willow smiled nervously, her body twitching with nerves. "I think it was really. I think that you. It is a really nice thing you offered..."
"Spike's idea," Oz answered, playing with the sugar caddy to disperse some of the nervous energy. "But thanks."
"Still, it was you who agreed," Tara answered, still not quite meeting his eyes.
The waitress returned to the table and set the cups down. She looked at the group for a moment and could feel the tension like a rubber band waiting to snap. No more witty banter at table seven, she thought as she nodded and walked away.
Oz was thoughtful for a moment, now turning the mug back and forth between his palms. "How. I mean. what do you need me to do?"
Willow and Tara looked at each other, uncertainty passing over their faces. They had talked about this a million times now, but when it came down to it, they didn't know how to make it all make sense. How to put it into words. Whether or not it was too crazy or too sane. "Um..." Willow stuttered.
"Do you want me to go to the clinic and." The thought was a bit disturbing. Not that he hadn't done it at least a half dozen times. this month. but thinking about doing it in a clinical, sterile setting gave him a shot of nerves.
Willow swallowed her body as tight as wire. Still, she clutched Tara's hand. "No," the redhead finally answered. "I mean, not unless you would rather."
Oz chuckled. "We may be willing to do that at a moment's notice, but we'd rather have more than just ourselves involved," he stated, chuckling.
Both girls blushed. "Oh," Tara said quietly, one hand wrapped around the warm coffee mug and the other around Willow's even warmer hand.
"So you want to." Oz questioned, trying not to betray the appeal of the thought. These women belonged to each other and would never be anything but what they were. But still, they were hot.
"Yes," Willow answered, a long breath escaping a sigh to go with the word.
"Yes?" Oz asked, a little surprised and a whole lot happier. This would be far more interesting than the clinic. The sterile clinic. Why did the word sterile keep jumping to mind?
"Yes," Tara agreed, nodding softly.
"I see," Oz commented, leaning back against the booth again. "Um, you sure?"
"Yes," Willow answered again, only able to make monosyllabic words out of her rattled thoughts. She smiled nervously.
"Okay," Oz drew out, taking a sip of his coffee. "This is going to sound really. well, this . how do we do this?"
Tara smiled, her grin brightening up the room. "I was hoping you could tell me," she joked, her voice thready and nervous.
That took him off guard, Willow thought as Oz's eyes opened wide. "What.I. I thought that. well, I assumed that."
"What?" Tara asked, taking her momentum and a little bit of courage.
"That, if you decided. that.I figured. it would be Willow," Oz answered, flustered, his eyes darting from one woman to the other. "I mean, not that I mind. I mean, this isn't about me. but."
"It will be," Willow answered, bailing him out and smiling reassuringly.
Oz relaxed a bit, getting a hold on his reeling thoughts. He sighed, slumping into the chair. "I'm confused. She said."
The women looked at each other a long moment... Finally, Willow spoke. "Oz, we're. we're a couple. Forever. That's not going to change. We.we thought about this so much.and we can't. we couldn't.."
"Decide," Tara completed. "I mean, we got the how down, but the who."
Oz quirked a brow, a sudden thought occurring to him. "What are you trying to tell me? Exactly."
Tara looked at Willow. Willow looked at Tara. They both turned back to Oz. "That it's the package deal," Willow said nervously, a little nervous laugh escaping from the last word.
The werewolf looked gob smacked, his eyes as wide as saucers and his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't think that they would go for it at all. If they did, they'd certainly make him go to the sterile clinic. The best he could have hoped for from the deal was a one-night walk down memory lane for him, and a baby for his ex. But now. "You're serious?"
Tara smiled nervously. "I.I don't know much about."
"It will double our chances," Willow blurted, trying to be reasonable. "I mean, if it even works at all."
The blood was rushing out of Oz's brain as he tried to grapple with this one. Two beautiful women. One of which was completely untouched by a man and the other his first love. This was. did he fall asleep at home with Skinemax on again?
"Oz?" Willow's concern came through in her tone.
His eyes fluttered back to her. "Uh, yeah."
"You all right?"
He took a deep breath. "Can you run this by me one more time? I think I confused it with some movie I was watching."
Tara blushed, her pretty face even prettier for the colour. "We'd like you.we want your help. We want to do this. And we want to do this together."
Oz stared for a moment. Close, but he wanted to be sure that he wasn't the kid that thought he was getting the BMX for Christmas and ended up with a pink big wheel. "All three of us?"
Willow nodded slowly, a little embarrassed, and, frankly, a little excited by the thought. "Yeah," she confirmed softly. "Would you still help us?"
That got a chuckle from Oz. "Willow, I think you're confused on who's getting the gifts.."
To be contd.
Well, I did manage to produce chapter thirteen by the end of the weekend, and hope to have fourteen out on Wednesday. However, I seem to be real life's punching bag at the moment and can make no other guarantees except to tell you that I truly want to continue this story and really want you to like it.
I am thankful for the notes regarding Max. I wish I had spectacular news to report, but he is still in intensive care and they still do not know what is causing this to happen. There is no guarantee that he will come home. With everything else, it would be a reeling blow for me to also lose my dog. I run an animal rescue farm with family, and hold my four legged friends in the same regard as my two legged compatriots. Max is like my child and his serious illness and potential loss is definitely taking its toll on my sanity and my sense of purpose.
Again, writing is an escape and I will continue. I just beg of you to stay with me and please let me know that this story is something you still want to read.
Thank you again.
Nimue
Title: Coffee Talk (Chapter Thirteen of The One)
Author: Nimue
Rating: PG -13
Pairing: Buffy/Spike. Most major characters included.
Feedback: Yes, please
For instant notification of fic releases, straight to your mailbox, please visit Always_Everyday@yahoogroups.com
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy, UPN, Fox... Just Borrowing. (With, of course, the exception of Emma and William, who belong to Buffy and Spike)
Summary: Spike, Cyrus and Giles try to sort out the shared vision of the night before. Something happens to Buffy before they are able to stop it. Willow and Tara discuss their decision with Oz.
Coffee Talk
Buffy had not been herself all day. The dream had scared her good and proper, Spike thought as he watched her from the doorway of the kitchen. She was sitting on the couch, curled in a ball, watching the tots play on the living room floor. Normally, she would be down in the middle of it. But today, she kept herself closed, like a guardian angel watching from above, rather than a participant in her own existence.
Spike turned back towards the kitchen. Giles and Cyrus had taken over the counter with dusty tomes and piles of note pads. Willow had pulled a chair up and was typing furiously on her laptop. Tara was making lunch. Spike had sent the Harris' home. They might actually be a bit safer there for once.
"What have you found?" Spike asked, settling onto a stool uneasily.
Cyrus sighed. "It seems that the Prophesy of the One is written in an even more archaic text than most," he began. "It has been difficult."
Spike wanted to growl at him, but even with his own proficiency for ancient languages that had come from the joining, he couldn't make heads or tails of the text. "Have you found any-bloody-thing?"
"Willow found a partial translation matrix," Giles answered, trying to make his voice calm and somewhat soothing, despite his frayed nerves. "However, now it is closely akin to reading a book where every other word is smudged. Still, we've hope."
The Vampire took a deep breath, trying to quell his anger. "Is there any mention of . this?"
"Not so far," Cyrus answered. He looked up at Spike, smiling slightly. "Look at it this way. If the Prophesy was a book, the joining is near the end. The finale. What happens next has never been written. As if someone skipped a few chapters and went straight to the story of the Peacemaker."
Spike furrowed his brow. "Not sure I follow."
Giles stood, pouring more coffee into his mug and then filling the others as he spoke. "Spike," he began softly. "You told us that in the vision last evening, the first place that you traveled was to a place with fire where both you and Buffy were children. An ancient place."
"Right," Spike answered nodding, remembering it as if it played in his head as they spoke.
"We believe that to be the First," Giles continued, setting the coffee pot back onto the burner and settling onto his stool again. "And the children, you and Buffy, were the twins then. The original two."
Spike stopped, thinking. "Mummy and Daddy."
"Were gone," Cyrus completed. "When the darkness separated you, they had to remove your parents. The father," he continued, nodding at Giles, "And the mother."
"Anya," Giles contributed. "Really quite natural we found each other again when."
"Tales of the glory days past once this is sussed out," Spike growled, shooting a glare at Giles and then turning his attention back to Cyrus. "Go on."
"From that moment, when the darkness removed you from her that first time, the One had never been rejoined. Until now," Cyrus answered.
Spike sighed, letting his head fall into his hands. "Would you get to the bloody point?" It was more a sigh than a snap. There was too much on his mind to be fussing with semantics.
Willow cleared her throat. "Spike?"
Spike turned his head just enough to eye the redhead without pulling his head from his hands. "Got something to add, Pet?"
"I think what they are trying to say is that, um, there isn't much after the joining because it never happened before. Sort of like. Well, until we met you, there was little information about Slayers' last battles because, well, they didn't make it and their Watchers couldn't tell the tales. So, the prophecy only seems to be talking about what happened in the original joining and then what it would take for you to re-join," Willow stumbled through the words, trying to make it make sense. "I guess that they didn't really know what happened next because it never happened."
Spike turned his head, laying his cheek in his palm and watching Willow. "Thank you."
"For what?" Willow asked, smiling brightly.
"For telling me what these gits wouldn't and that's that you just don't bloody know," Spike responded, anger and resignation mixing in his tone.
"I do believe," Giles interrupted, "That there are parts of the interim text that might explain what you saw in the vision. We just haven't seemed to be able to find them quite yet."
Everything in Spike wanted to snap and verbally brutalize the Watchers, but he held his tongue. It wouldn't accomplish anything. Not even really make him feel better. At least not for long. "So, you think that there might be a clue as to what is happening, or what may happen, in the text?"
"Yes," Cyrus answered. "But Spike, we cannot overlook the thought that this dream was a combination of two separate visions. A memory of the past and an unrelated vision of the future."
Spike's head snapped up. "I won't let her be turned. Not a Vampire in this World could do that. Not with me around."
Cyrus nodded, backing down a bit. "Just remember, Spike, to be particularly observant."
"The more I think about it, the more I think that this is some aberration of the Prophesy. An anomaly. It was part of the original dream, correct? Fluid with the vision of the First?" Giles asked.
"Yeah," Spike sighed. "One big, sodding nightmare."
"Which tells me that it should be connected," Giles continued. "That there is a reason for this."
Willow looked down at her watch and jumped a little with surprise. "I've got to go!" She stood, knocking the stool down and grabbing her coat. "I. I'll be back.I promise.. I just have.There's something.."
Giles smiled softly at her. "Go. We'll be here when you're back."
Spike snarled at that thought.
Willow nervously grinned and took off towards the living room, passing Buffy and kissing her cheek as she ran past.
"What was that all about?" Buffy asked, trying to smile weakly.
Spike stood, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around Buffy's waist, his body settling against hers perfectly. She sighed involuntarily. "Red had an appointment. Not to worry, Pet. Got the rest of us slaving away."
"It's all right," Buffy whispered, letting her head rest against his chest and closing her eyes. "Any luck?"
"Not yet, Love," Spike answered, stroking her hair. "We'll suss it out. You know that."
She moved her head back enough to look up at his crystal blue eyes. "I know." She paused a moment and then dragged her body away from his warmth. "Think I'm going to take the kids out back with Pony. I need some air."
"Right then," Spike agreed, nodding. "They got their jackets on?"
"I said the word out and they were in coats and shoes before I could stand," Buffy chuckled, feeling a little better. She clutched her sweater over one arm. Spike watched her. Her knuckles were white, her hands balled into little fists. He hated that she was frightened and there was nothing he could do to change it.
"Let me get that," Spike said softly, loosing the sweater from over her arm and opening it up, helping her to put it on. He could feel the nervous energy flutter around her like terrified butterflies. Soon that fear would turn to anger. But for now, she was vulnerable. "You be all right?"
Buffy turned back to face him, drawing the long, heavy sweater closed around her. She smiled, weakly. "Yeah." She took a deep breath and turned to the living room. "Well come on," she shouted to the kids. "You wanted to go out, right?"
Two blonde heads tore at mock speed through the living room and to the kitchen, giggling all the way, brushing past their parents and bustling towards the back door. Spike shook his head, watching William try to keep his balance with that huge yellow cast strapped to his little body. "Got a bit of energy?" Spike asked sarcastically.
"You have no idea," Buffy sighed, smiling and following the kids to the back door. She opened it into a beautiful day, the kids tearing onto the porch before she could finish opening the door. Buffy took a step and felt it. Her body felt.strange. Hot. Warmer than it was outside. Her skin was tight and burning. God, it burned. She took another step to the porch and took a breath, screaming.
Tara sat in the corner booth of the quiet coffee shop. The outdoor mall was bustling, but the shop was dark and quiet. It seemed to be a rule of cafes. The people in the corner booth were there because it was private. They didn't want to be disturbed. They had words meant to be whispered only to each other.
Willow smiled as she eased into the booth next to Tara. "Hey, baby."
"Hey," Tara answered, leaning forward to kiss her lover's cheek. "How is everything with."
"Buffy is all down and Spike is wound tight and ." The redhead sighed. "We couldn't figure it out."
"You will," Tara encouraged, her smile so soothing and sweet. She took Willow's hands between hers. "You sure about.about this?"
Willow took a deep breath. "Ready."
"For what?" A familiar voice said, standing with his hand on the creaky faux leather of the booth. Both girls stared like fawns in the glare of high beams, but managed to smile. Oz returned it warmly, settling down across from them in the semi-circular booth.
Willow blushed, deep and blood red, swallowing hard. "Oz, um."
The waitress came to the table, a green apron tied neatly around her waist. "Get anything for you?"
"Coffee," Willow muttered. "Lots. Um, and sugar."
The waitress raised an eyebrow, smiling softly. "That's generally the stuff we have around here."
Tara chuckled. "Two tall lattes and." she nodded at Oz.
"Just a plain coffee flavoured coffee," Oz answered a smile in his voice. The waitress nodded, walking back towards the main seating area. "Will, you okay?"
"F...fine," Willow stuttered, her hand suddenly hot and damp in Tara's. Tara squeezed it softly and smiled.
"Oz," the usually shy girl began. "We called you, um..."
"Because of the offer," Oz helped, leaning back in the seat and stretching his legs under the table.
"Right," Tara answered, smiling and looking down for a moment. This was not going to be easy. But like all major decisions, once the cards were on the table, they were just cards. It would be easier once they said it. "We've decided to.to take you up on it."
A mixture of expressions passed over the werewolf's face. Surprise, shock, interest, happiness, fear, lust.. Hold that one, he thought, wondering what their plan was. "Um, okay," he responded, nodding, his own palms beginning to get warm. "Good."
Willow smiled nervously, her body twitching with nerves. "I think it was really. I think that you. It is a really nice thing you offered..."
"Spike's idea," Oz answered, playing with the sugar caddy to disperse some of the nervous energy. "But thanks."
"Still, it was you who agreed," Tara answered, still not quite meeting his eyes.
The waitress returned to the table and set the cups down. She looked at the group for a moment and could feel the tension like a rubber band waiting to snap. No more witty banter at table seven, she thought as she nodded and walked away.
Oz was thoughtful for a moment, now turning the mug back and forth between his palms. "How. I mean. what do you need me to do?"
Willow and Tara looked at each other, uncertainty passing over their faces. They had talked about this a million times now, but when it came down to it, they didn't know how to make it all make sense. How to put it into words. Whether or not it was too crazy or too sane. "Um..." Willow stuttered.
"Do you want me to go to the clinic and." The thought was a bit disturbing. Not that he hadn't done it at least a half dozen times. this month. but thinking about doing it in a clinical, sterile setting gave him a shot of nerves.
Willow swallowed her body as tight as wire. Still, she clutched Tara's hand. "No," the redhead finally answered. "I mean, not unless you would rather."
Oz chuckled. "We may be willing to do that at a moment's notice, but we'd rather have more than just ourselves involved," he stated, chuckling.
Both girls blushed. "Oh," Tara said quietly, one hand wrapped around the warm coffee mug and the other around Willow's even warmer hand.
"So you want to." Oz questioned, trying not to betray the appeal of the thought. These women belonged to each other and would never be anything but what they were. But still, they were hot.
"Yes," Willow answered, a long breath escaping a sigh to go with the word.
"Yes?" Oz asked, a little surprised and a whole lot happier. This would be far more interesting than the clinic. The sterile clinic. Why did the word sterile keep jumping to mind?
"Yes," Tara agreed, nodding softly.
"I see," Oz commented, leaning back against the booth again. "Um, you sure?"
"Yes," Willow answered again, only able to make monosyllabic words out of her rattled thoughts. She smiled nervously.
"Okay," Oz drew out, taking a sip of his coffee. "This is going to sound really. well, this . how do we do this?"
Tara smiled, her grin brightening up the room. "I was hoping you could tell me," she joked, her voice thready and nervous.
That took him off guard, Willow thought as Oz's eyes opened wide. "What.I. I thought that. well, I assumed that."
"What?" Tara asked, taking her momentum and a little bit of courage.
"That, if you decided. that.I figured. it would be Willow," Oz answered, flustered, his eyes darting from one woman to the other. "I mean, not that I mind. I mean, this isn't about me. but."
"It will be," Willow answered, bailing him out and smiling reassuringly.
Oz relaxed a bit, getting a hold on his reeling thoughts. He sighed, slumping into the chair. "I'm confused. She said."
The women looked at each other a long moment... Finally, Willow spoke. "Oz, we're. we're a couple. Forever. That's not going to change. We.we thought about this so much.and we can't. we couldn't.."
"Decide," Tara completed. "I mean, we got the how down, but the who."
Oz quirked a brow, a sudden thought occurring to him. "What are you trying to tell me? Exactly."
Tara looked at Willow. Willow looked at Tara. They both turned back to Oz. "That it's the package deal," Willow said nervously, a little nervous laugh escaping from the last word.
The werewolf looked gob smacked, his eyes as wide as saucers and his heart pounding in his chest. He didn't think that they would go for it at all. If they did, they'd certainly make him go to the sterile clinic. The best he could have hoped for from the deal was a one-night walk down memory lane for him, and a baby for his ex. But now. "You're serious?"
Tara smiled nervously. "I.I don't know much about."
"It will double our chances," Willow blurted, trying to be reasonable. "I mean, if it even works at all."
The blood was rushing out of Oz's brain as he tried to grapple with this one. Two beautiful women. One of which was completely untouched by a man and the other his first love. This was. did he fall asleep at home with Skinemax on again?
"Oz?" Willow's concern came through in her tone.
His eyes fluttered back to her. "Uh, yeah."
"You all right?"
He took a deep breath. "Can you run this by me one more time? I think I confused it with some movie I was watching."
Tara blushed, her pretty face even prettier for the colour. "We'd like you.we want your help. We want to do this. And we want to do this together."
Oz stared for a moment. Close, but he wanted to be sure that he wasn't the kid that thought he was getting the BMX for Christmas and ended up with a pink big wheel. "All three of us?"
Willow nodded slowly, a little embarrassed, and, frankly, a little excited by the thought. "Yeah," she confirmed softly. "Would you still help us?"
That got a chuckle from Oz. "Willow, I think you're confused on who's getting the gifts.."
To be contd.