Moving Forward

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the Evil Tyrant of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.

Description: Willow/Tara and possibly Dawn/Sarah.

Spoilers: The entire season six. BSD fully revealed. Set after the Tara Trials (if you missed them, they basically tell how Tara came back to life).

Rated: PG-13

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Willow and Tara were bringing home their groceries when the redhead froze.

"Honey, what is it?" Tara asked.

"It's Rack's place." Willow's voice was barely audible, hardly more than a whisper.

Tara felt an unusual chill touch her. Indeed, there was the hum of magic around her. Why hadn't she sensed it before? "But I thought Rack was gone."

"Oh he is," Willow said, trying not to think about the way she had rid herself of him. "But his place is enchanted to move around forever, or until someone destroys it. I'm sure he's not ... there are probably just squatters there, or a new warlock - let's go."

Tara took her hand and they sped home.

"You ok baby?" she asked.

"No," Willow answered. "The magic, how come I could still feel it?"

"You had a big attachment to that place, that's why you could sense it. And even if that's not the reason, if you got your powers back, I would trust you."

"You shouldn't." Willow started crying. "I don't deserve it. These last few weeks I've been so happy. But I don't really deserve that either.."

Tara pulled Willow in close to her, protecting her from the storm of emotions that raged about her.

"I forgive you Willow. Everything you did, I forgive you."

"But I hurt people. I killed people. And I tried to end the world ..."

"You were lost in pain and magic. I understand, or at least I think I do. Because if it had been reversed, and you had been shot, I would have been out of my mind as well. I probably would have done worse."

"You wouldn't have," Willow disagreed, "You never would have gone that far."

Tara took her lover's face in her hands. "You have suffered more than any other person I know. But you don't have to anymore. I'm here with you, now and always. We're one. So forget the hurt and let yourself be happy, for me?" Tara pleaded. "This isn't some Greek tragedy where suffering is rewarded. This is life."

It was sound advice, and Willow took it. They began kissing. And kissing. And kissing. The frozen vegetables were long forgotten.

Tara leaned back against the kitchen counter as Willow attacked her lips with a delicious passion. Tara's beautiful breasts were cupped by Willowhands. Willowhands that started traveling slowly southward.

"Hey guys I just stopped by to ... Yowza!"

Xander had dropped by to visit Willow, but realized that Willow was already in the midst of visiting Tara.

The girls didn't even notice at first.

"Um," Xander said, "I'll just come back later after a long, cold shower..." He bumped into one of the grocery bags, and sent apples, a couple of yogurts and a jar of pickles crashing to the floor.

That got their attention.

"I was just going," Xander explained, picking up the fallen food. The apples were a little bruised and the pickle jar was broken. The yogurts had stayed intact.

"Oh. Hi Xander." Tara was blushing a deep crimson. "Let me help you clean that up."

"So I take it you guys were the only ones home? Don't cut yourself on the glass."

Willow handed them a roll of paper towels.

"I think so. We didn't really check." Tara mopped up the mess.

"Oh. Because I wanted to see if Dawn wanted to go to the movies."

Poor guy. Since Anya had left him, he'd been extremely lonely.

"She's out."

"Out out?"

Willow and Tara exchanged a look, and tried not to giggle at the double meaning. "She's over at Sarah's."

"They sure spend a lot of time together," Xander commented.

"Yeah they do. Hey, why don't Will and I go with you?" Tar suggested.

"You sure you want to? I don't want to be a third wheel."

"You're not a third wheel. You're like those little training wheels that support the bike and help it on its way." Willow quickly realized that her metaphor was not as brilliant as intended. "Not that you're little or, you know, like training for anything. What time does that movie start?"

Tara laughed. "We love being around you. You're not any sort of wheel." Tara gave her lover a look that said there was going to be much teasing over the "training" comment.

* * *

"Soy muy estupido!"

"You're stupid? And a guy?" Sarah asked.

"No, this is stupid. Spanish is stupid. I mean when am I going to ever go to Mexico?"

"Well, lots of people go to Tijuana to get drunk," Sarah pointed out.

"I know dos cervesas por favor," Dawn told her.

"You have to learn it to graduate from high school."

Dawn pouted. "I wish they taught Latin. Now that would be useful."

Sarah was confused. "It's like, a dead language."

"Yeah, but lots of interesting things are written in it." Like spells. And slayer lore.

"You're weird," Sarah pointed out.

"I know. I am so over this assignment! Let's do something else."

"Like what?"

Dawn had many interesting things in mind, but suggested none of them. "I don't know."

"We'll I don't know either." Sarah sat in silence for a moment when inspiration struck. "Hey, let me do your hair!" Sarah sat behind Dawn on the bed and started braiding it. "So I'm dumping Ian."

Dawn got a big goofy grin on her face. Yes, yes, yes and a YES!!!

"He actually tried to grope me in the hall the other day. In front of everyone. Can you believe that?"

Dawn could believe that indeed. "And he totaled his car," she added.

"And he totaled his car, which was just about the only interesting thing he had going for him. I guess I'm a free agent now."

"Anyone in mind for the rebound?" Dawn asked, deeply curious.

"Not really. I think your no high school guys policy might be a good one."

Dawn started feeling warm all over, as Sarah finished the first braid and moved on to the next. It was the fourth best news of her life! Things were looking hopeful. Should she tell her? Should she tell her?

"It's an excellent rule," Dawn proclaimed.

"You've really stuck to it too. I know there are lots of guys at school who like you."

Dawn gathered her courage. "Yeah, well I don't like them."

Sarah finished. "Here, turn around, let me look."

Dawn knew the moment had come, to spill everything to her. But as Sarah tucked a few loose strands of hair behind Dawn's ears, her racing pulse drowned out her ability to speak.

"Hey, that's pretty cute on you," Sarah said. "You should wear your hair in braids more of-"

Dawn kissed Sarah. Not a little peck either. If she was going to go out on a limb, she decided, best to go *all* the way out on it.

Sarah pulled away from her.

"What. Are. You. Doing?"

There was no turning back now. "I like you Sarah. I really, really like you."

"Um, right. Ok. You know it's getting really late. Doesn't your sister worry if you're not home by 10:00?"

"You're freaked out, aren't you?" Dawn asked.

"No. No. I just, need to finish studying."

Dawn started panicking. "Are we ok? Tell me we're ok. You're my closest friend, and I don't want this to be all messed up, especially since-"

"Could you leave?" Sarah asked, rather coldly.

"Yeah, I can do that."

Dawn stormed out. Once she reached home, she went into her room and shut the door, crying for the rest of the night.

TBC... (Don't worry, it gets happier!!!!)