A/N: Here's part 3! It'll be the last part, I swear! Err, well, I was thinking of making an epilogue or something...
I might do more of these later. It's kind of fun taking a few songs and putting them together to make a good story.
This time, I'm using Billie Myers' "Kiss The Rain." I recommend getting the 2 previous songs if you can find them, but I recommend this one the most.
That should be everything. Now, on to the fic!
Spoilers: Absolutely nothing. We're now into a completely AU. Enter at your own risk
Disclaimer: I don't think Joss et al. is dumb enough to waste his time on some lowly creature having fun with his world that he so obviously messed up, so I'm not going to say anything to save me from that. However, because I respect the owners of the site, I'd just like to mention that I got a lot of the information for my stories from www.buffyworld.com/. Thank you guys for your wonderful transcripts, even if the fight descriptions suck! :)
Summary: A phone call, and freak incident threatens to pull the chord completely between Tara and Willow. Could a single phrase bring them back together in the end?
Legend: Song lyrics will be in bold, while thoughts will be in italics. Hope that's simple enough.
"Hello?"
"Willow?" Tara whispered. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.
There was a long pause before she heard Willow speak again. She could barely make it out, but she had a good idea what she said.
"Tara?"
Well, duh. Of course it's her. It's her place! Tara told herself, as she still tried to find something else to say. Something that didn't involve a name. Something that she could actually say above a whisper.
"Uh. Yeah. Um, h-how are you?" Tara finally said, a little too loudly as the looks from passers-by told her.
Hello?
Can you hear me?
Am I getting' through to you?
A good thirty seconds went by, and she still didn't hear anything.
"Hello?" Tara tried, "Are you still there?"
"Y-yeah, I'm h-here," came the stuttered, somewhat forced voice.
Hello?
Is it late there?
There's a laughter on the line,
Are you sure you're there alone?
Suddenly, there was a sound in the background. It sounded faintly like a laugh, but Tara wasn't sure.
"W-what was that?" She asked.
"What? Oh, just, just my computer," Willow replied. "I got mail."
"You, you sure?" Tara said. She started to panic. What if Willow was with someone, doing, well, other stuff?
Cause I'm,
Trying' to explain.
"Sure I'm sure," Willow replied. There was something in her voice though.
Something's wrong,
You just don't sound the same.
"A-are you ok?" Tara asked. Well, that's the dumbest question of the year. You spend 3 years away from your lover, and you ask if she's ok.
"Fine. Fine-y McFine fine." Willow replied. Her voice didn't portray the giddiness of her words, though.
Why don't you?
Why don't you?
Go outside.
Go outside.
Suddenly, there was a click on the other end,
"Hello?" Tara asked, afraid that Willow had just hung up on her.
"I-I'm still here, just, um, stepped outside," Willow replied. Her voice was still void of emotion, and it was causing Tara to worry a little.
Then, suddenly, it all came out.
Kiss the rain.
Whenever you need me,
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so lost without you, Tara. I've tried, and I've tried but," Willow paused for a couple seconds. When she spoke up again, her voice was hoarse, sounding like that of a child; "I need you."
Kiss the rain.
Whenever I'm gone too long.
Tara couldn't help her next move. It was instinct, really. In one smooth motion, without thinking, she hung the phone up.
Shocked at her own move, Tara looked at the phone with her mouth agape. She started to reach for the phone again, but then stopped herself. I just hung up on her. She put her heart on the line and I hung up on her.
Even if Tara did call her back, and Willow did answer the phone, it was pretty probable that she would, in turn, give Tara a taste of her own medicine. Chances were, though, that Willow probably wouldn't answer in any case, though.
I've been gone too long, Tara decided. Willow had said she was sorry, and there was no doubt in Tara's mind that she really was.
Quickly holding her hand up, Tara hailed a taxi. Getting in, she didn't even look at the driver.
"Where to, miss?" The driver asked cheerily.
"Sunnydale."
If your lips,
Feel lonely and thirsty.
Kiss the rain.
And wait for the dawn.
It was early in the morning when the taxi finally pulled up to the house that Tara had pointed out on a map. The driver had agreed right away to take her all the way to Sunnydale, even though it was an extremely long distance to go.
Tara hadn't even gone back to her rented apartment to pick up her clothes. It would just be more wasted time, she'd decided.
Now, as she got out of the vehicle, she looked at the house with a strange sense of awe.
It was Buffy's house. Looking pretty similar on the outside. Though she wanted to see Willow, Tara didn't know if she was ready just yet. Besides, the phone number she'd gotten from Giles did not come with an address. Perhaps she might even find Willow there, though she didn't think so.
Knocking twice, a little rougher then she wanted, Tara stood back nervously, waiting. She heard groggy moan, a grunt and then a couple shouts coming from the other side:
"Mmmmmmm, do people have to knock at this hour?"
"Hrrrrrmph."
"HEY, watch it!"
"Sorry!"
Finally, the door squeaked open. "Nose ales minnow loud," came the voice of a groggy Buffy.
"Huh?" Tara asked, confused. Then, the nervousness kicked in as Buffy raised her head.
"I said..." Buffy trailed off as she met Tara eye to eye.
"Umm, h-h-hi," Tara somehow managed to reply.
Keep in mind,
We're under the same sky.
Tara held her cup of tea loosely, as she watched Buffy sit down. In the other chair, a wiser-looking Dawn sat. Her response hadn't surprised Tara. A loud shout, two-stride sprint and bear hug had greeted her at the door.
They'd gone through the standard procedure. Cross, dab of holy water. Everything checked out.
Now they were busy catching up.
"Were have you been?" Buffy asked after a few moments of silence.
"Many places. I was in San Diego when, um, I decided to come back," Tara said, not sure how much she should mention.
"You've been around here all this time?" Dawn asked, shocked.
"M-more or less, yeah," Tara replied, nervousness creeping in again. "I-I didn't have anywhere else to go. Most of the jobs I got just gave me enough for food and bills."
A few moments of silence followed, before Tara decided to bring up the topic she knew she'd have to sometime.
"H-how's..." Tara paused, taking a long breath. "How's Willow?"
A moments silence filled the place, before Buffy spoke up. "She's good. The Coven in England helped her out a lot, and she'd been busy since she got back..."
Tara cut her off. "The Coven in England? Th-that's only for seriously troubled witches."
Hanging her head, Buffy replied. "Yeah, uh...That was kind of our fault."
Buffy proceeded to tell Tara about Willow's rampage.
"B-but she's good now. She's gotten it all under control," Dawn spoke up.
"Yeah, she's even got her own Coven here, too," Buffy added.
"Sh-she does?" Tara replied. If she could see her face, she was positive it would be gleaming. She hadn't felt such a wide smile on her face a long time, nor had she felt so positively happy.
"She does," Buffy replied, catching Tara's gaze. Suddenly, the smile disappeared, though, and was replaced by a look of determination.
"Where is she?" Tara asked. "I-I have a phone number, but th-that's about it."
"A phone number?" Dawn asked, curiously.
"Yeah. Um, Giles gave it to me," Tara replied.
"Giles? When?" Buffy inquired.
"About a year ago. I-I called last night. I-it didn't go well," Tara explained.
"She's got an apartment down the street," Buffy said, handing her a slip of paper. "I-it's not hard to find.
"T-thanks," Tara said, getting up.
"W-why don't you stay here and sleep for a bit? We've got an extra bed, and besides, it's still rather early," Buffy offered, giving a warm smile. "And our beds are probably much more cushioned than in a hotel."
"I-I think I will," Tara replied, returning the smile. "Thanks."
And the nights,
As empty for me,
As for you.
Borrowing one of Buffy's extra PJ's, Tara slipped into the cozy, soft bed. Buffy was right when she said it was softer than the rocks she'd dealt with on her 'vacation', and she was somewhat happy that she was offered the chance to sleep here tonight.
Despite all that, though, it still felt as empty as every bed did in the past 3 years. Perhaps even longer than that.
Across town, another figure lay in a soft bed. Unlike her counterpart, though, she was tossing in bed, still attempting to fall asleep. It wasn't working, as every time she finally drifted off, she found herself awake again 5 minutes later, reaching over for someone that wasn't there.
The nights had been hard before, but never this bad. Willow had been able to cry herself to sleep those times, and though she always woke up tired in the morning, she normally had dreamless sleeps.
This night, though, Willow found she couldn't get the tears to come anymore. She was certain Tara was gone for good. Her last contact with her had left her in a mess, and after an hour she found she'd run dry.
If you feel,
You can't wait till morning,
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain.
Now, Willow was frustrated, angry, sad, and almost every emotion she could think of. Roughly pulling herself up, she wrapped a blanket around herself and put on a pair of rabbit slippers that she'd gotten for the sole purpose as to keep Anya away from her place, pulled open the door, and crept downstairs.
Reaching the front door, she pulled it open and sat on the front steps. Morning couldn't come soon enough for Willow. The fact was; trying to go to sleep was, in her mind at least, slowing time down, so she decided to watch the sun rise. She, of course, had her cross with her to keep her safe.
Hello,
Do you miss me?
I hear you say you do,
But not the way I'm missing you.
Back at Buffy's house, Tara had begun to toss as well. She had less success, though. She had been trying to get to sleep for the better part of the hour, but she couldn't stop thinking about the conversation she had with Willow five hours previous.
I've never heard her that hopeless, or that vulnerable. Even when Joyce died, she still had something to keep herself up, but now... Tara stopped her train of thought momentarily, before it forced itself onwards. But now, she probably thinks I'm gone for good.
What's new?
How's the weather?
Is it stormy where you are?
She still didn't know what to think. She'd been gone for three years, and for two of them, Willow had been rehabilitated, as Tara decided to put it. She'd heard about the Coven from her mother. A lot of other witches she'd known from her childhood had ended up there, and though her mother never saw them afterwards, she'd heard wonderful things about the place. She had no doubt that Willow was better, at least magically.
But spiritually, how long would she hold out? And just how likely was it that Willow would take her back?
I need you!
Tara had almost forgot about the moment that had caused her to hang up the phone back in San Diego. Sh-she needs me. And I need her. No, we'll be fine, Tara decided. We have to be.
Lying her head back down on the pillow, she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep again.
Cause I'm so close,
But it feels like you're so far.
Staring at the sky, Willow began unconsciously picking out the constellations. First the real ones, then the ones that belonged only to Tara and herself. The Big Pineapple...um, Short Man Looking Uncomfortable...Big Flaming Meteor.
She thought about Tara again, thinking of where she may have called from. Where she may have traveled. It had been 3 years, after all, so somewhere like Australia, or perhaps Italy or France didn't seem too unlikely.
Oh, would it mean anything,
If you knew,
What I'm left imagining?
She still couldn't believe it. She accepted it, though. She'd done too much, but she had always prayed that if Tara had ever shown up again, she'd accept Willow back with open arms. That illusion was shattered when the dial tone rang in Willow's ears. The sound was harsh to Willow, and at the time, all she'd been able to do was imagine it hadn't happened.
In my mind,
In my mind,
Would you go?
Would you go?
Kiss the rain.
Getting up, Tara wrapped the blanket she had around herself as well, and climbed quietly down the stairs. Opening the front door, she went out and sat on the porch, staring at the stars that were just beginning to disappear.
Reaching into her pocket, Tara pulled out the paper Buffy had given her. Glancing at it, she noticed that it was probably a short walk. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself as she stood. Looking down at herself, she groaned.
I've already been sitting around too long. Walking around in a pair of pajamas is not something to worry about, Tara told herself.
Willow looked back at the stars, as she named off a few more constellations. She then just stared for a few minutes, taking in the sight, waiting for the sun to rise.
As you fall over me,
All the way over to the apartment, Tara has been berating herself. She hadn't even thought of what she would do when she reached Willow's room. All she could think of was how stupid it had been to stay away for so long. If she'd stayed around, even down the street at this apartment or in her dorm room or something, perhaps everything would be perfect.
Lost in her thoughts, she hadn't even noticed where she was walking, and the somehow managed to trip over someone.
"S-sorry," she said, turning around, and offering her hand.
Think of me,
Think of me,
Think of me,
Only me.
The eyes looking back at her shocked her, delighted her, frightened her and melted her all at the same time. Willow.
Willow, meanwhile, was wondering if she'd actually managed to fall asleep. Stupidly, she pinched herself, not realizing that she has already been knocked for a loop when Tara had run into her. Looking up once more, she did the only thing she could. She grabbed Tara's hand, pulled herself up, and in one swift motion, kissed her hard on the lips.
Kiss the rain.
Whenever you need me,
Kiss the rain.
Whenever I'm gone too long.
When the pair parted, Tara looked into Willow's eyes, and for the first time, Willow felt herself truly happy again.
She was still not a genius for no reason though, as her curiosity got the better of her. "Why are you here?"
"I-I realized, I need you, too," Tara said, grinning from ear to ear. "I'm sorry, as well. I shouldn't have stayed away so long. B-but I'm back. And I'll never go again."
If your lips,
Feel lonely and tempted.
Kiss the rain.
And wait for the dawn.
Keep in mind,
We're under the same sky.
And the nights,
As empty for me,
As for you.
If you feel,
You can't wait till morning.
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain,
Kiss the rain,
Oooooohhhhh,
Kiss the rain,
Oooooohhhhh,
Kiss the rain.
That morning had ended up being well worth the wait, as both later admitted. Even though they'd spent it just lying in a small, twin-sized bed, arms wrapped around each other, eye on eye, they'd never felt so complete.
They'd been so caught up in each other, they didn't notice the sun had risen until it landed on Willow's face, which caused her to blink a few times before turning her head towards her window.
"Damn shades and their lack of sun-blockage," Willow muttered, enticing a laugh out of Tara. Willow grew serious now, though. "I-I really am sorry. I know I can't do anything to make up what I did, but do believe I'd never do that again. I-if you need time, I'll wait..."
Tara silenced Willow with a soft kiss. Pulling back so that her lips were still tempting Willow's, Tara replied; "We've both waited long enough, Willow. I'm willing to start again from where we left off..." She paused, looking away. "I-if you want to."
There was no verbal response forthcoming, but in the following minutes, Willow made sure her answer was crystal clear.
As the pair caught their breath, the phone on the side of the bed rung, and Willow, mostly out of instinct, reached over and picked it up.
Hello?
"Hello?"
Can you hear me?
"Willow," Buffy's voice came through from the other end, rather panicked. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something. Ta-Um, someone is missing. I was wondering..."
Buffy's voice trailed off as she heard a clunk at the other end of the phone, and, to her surprise, a few sounds that she recognized.
Can you hear me?
"Willow? Hello?" Buffy shouted, agitated. "Tara, damn it. I told you to wait until later. Willow? ANYONE?"
Can you hear me?
All she got was a chuckle, and a few more sound effects.
A/N: It's 11:00pm, and I'm finally done. I think this was the best one of the group. Perhaps it's just because Tara and Willow got bad together. Well, whatever.
Couple of notes:
First off, I've decided, after a few days of deliberation, that "BtVS: My Way" will NOT be a W/T-centric fic. That means, some plots will not involve them at all. There will be something for them in each chapter, but they won't necessarily be anything more than a pointless scene, or just a little bit of fluff. This will be evident in chapter 3, which should be out by the end of the weekend (Christmas break and all should give me a LOT of time).
Secondly, I've had this thought before, and I'd like to put it out in the public. I'm no good at the sex scenes, so I usually just put a line or two to suggest it happened, or something. However, if anyone out there would like to, or would be nice enough to offer to write a short scene for this or any other story later one, I wouldn't hesitate to allow you, and to put it in with full credit. My contact information is on my main page (www.fanfiction.net/~Leafsdude).
That's about all. Thanks, and happy reading!