AN I'm back with another quick chapter. Only one review, but thanks for all that have read. I'll try and keep them coming. Not sure how often. Let me know what you think. And tell me what you think should happen. Always glad to hear suggestions.

Willow picked up the phone and set it back down again. She was so nervous about calling the other witch. And she could not understand why. Tara was just another girl that also happened to be a witch. Why was she getting so nervous?

Buffy walked in just as she picked up the phone again. "Who ya calling?" The slayer came and sat on her bed staring up at Willow.

"No one." Willow put the phone back down again. "Just, actually." She sat down on her bed. "It's just that I've got a new friend. And I'm kinda nervous about calling her. Does that make any sense?"

"Are you kidding me?" Buffy looked the redhead right in the eye. "Do you know how nervous I was when I came up to you at school that first day? And than at The Bronze? It gave me the big time wiggins."

"Really?" Buffy nodded. "Well, I guess. It's just that you and Xander really have been my only friends since well forever. Meeting someone new is well different for me."

"So, tell me about her." Buffy pulled herself up onto the bed and sat indian style. "I'm all ears."

"Careful what you say, we are on the hellmouth." Buffy rolled her eyes at the redhead. "Well, the short of it is that her name is Tara and we met at wicca last night. Actually, she kinda helped me out when those creeps were going around. She saved my life."

"Really?" Buffy looked really interested. "How exactly?"

"Well, we were running from the baddies." Willow smiled at the thought of the blond's touch. Why, she had no idea. "And we ended up in the laundry room. I tried moving the soda machine by myself, but remember, can't float anything bigger than a pencil. Well, Tara took my hand. We both concentrated on it. It moved quickly and blocked out the baddies until you did your thing."

"Wow." Buffy looked impressed. "So she's the real deal, huh? I mean, another real witch and not a wannabe. That's cool. You should so get together with her. After all, tonight is a wolf night and I'm patrolling with Riley."

"Gee, and I thought the earth stopped rotating." Willow smiled big at her friend.

"Ha, ha." Buffy shook her head. "Very funny. And look who's talking. When it's not the night of the wolf, I know someone else that is all with the boyfriend."

"Well, you know." Now Willow was blushing. "I like my Oz, what can is say."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm heading out. You should finish attempting to try and call Tara. Phones actually work when you dial a number."

Willow could not help but laugh as she watched Buffy grab her slayer bag and walk out the door. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone. This time she managed to dial. There was that sweet voice on the other line. "Tara, it's Willow. You free tonight?"

*****

An empty pizza box sat on Tara's dresser. It had long ago been emptied of its contents. In fact, the sun had long ago went down. And in a short while, it was going to come back up again.

The two witches were in the middle of doing yet another spell. They did not even notice what time it was. They were so wrapped up in the magicks and each other that nothing else seemed to matter at the moment.

The rose floated gently into the air. The two witches let go of one another's hands. "Now for the hard part. The petals." Both concentrated. Willow could actually hear the blond's voice in her mind saying the same thing that she was thinking and at the same time. It was as if they were in perfect sync with one another. It was something that the redhead had never felt before.

They both watched amazed as the petals slowly peeled off from the rose. It cascaded slowly down like a little shower of red spring showers. There was also the scent of the beautiful roses that wafted up from the rose as the stem slowly floated down to lay on the fallen petals.

"Wow!" Willow was the first to find her voice. Of all the spells that they had done, that was the most amazing one. It had been beautiful, as she had predicted. But it also had been amazing finding the two of them so connected and so as one. "That was amazing." She turned to the blond who was now staring at her. "I've never felt anything like that, have you?"

Tara shyly shook her head. Her cheeks reddened a little. "It was nice. I've never felt connected to anyone like that. It was amazing." She brought her eyes to find that of the other witch still looking at her.

"I know the feeling." And it was true. For whatever reason, she had felt more connected to Tara than she ever had to Oz. But that just had to be the magicks, right? It could not have been the fact that she and Tara had a connection. After all, dating a werewolf here.

That brought a small smile to the blond's face. She felt exhilarated and exhausted at the same time. For her, she also knew that it was being around the redhead. The two had just met so it was too soon for her to tell the other witch that she is gay. Willow seemed like a very good person, but she had met so many people that seemed good and in the end hurt you anyways.

Finally, Willow noticed the time. "Wow! We did spells all night long." The room was still dark because of the way that Tara kept it. "I should probably get going. Not that I didn't have a good time. But Oz will be back soon and I want to be there to greet him." She could not help but wonder if that sounded rushed or in a hurry in anyway. Why did the blond make her nervous all the time. Just a new friend, right?

"T-that's cool." Tara stood up and stretched. It had been a very long night indeed. She could not help but wonder what if. What if Willow was not seeing Oz. What if the girl was also gay. But that kind of thinking only lead to pain.

Willow could not help but smile. The stutter that she sometimes had was so cute. She shook her head at the thought. "Well, I can't wait until we get together next time. Oz is busy sometimes so we can get together than. If you'd like to again."

"Oh yes!" Again, cheeks reddened as she spoke so quickly. "I mean, I-I'd love to. You're the f-first witch since my mom."

"The only other witch I really knew is still a rat." Tara looked at her curiously. "Oh! Maybe that's something we could work on together. If you want. See, my friend Amy turned herself into a rat. And I've been trying to derat her. But I've been having no luck. Maybe with your brain power and your witchy power we could figure it out together."

"I'd like that." Tara smiled at her. "Say hi to Oz for me."

Willow smiled back. "Will do. Until next time."

Tara watched the door close behind her and sighed heavily. "Until next time."

*****

It was just like old times. Willow, Xander, Buffy, Oz, Riley, and Anya were all at The Bronze. Well, not exactly like old times. It had just been the three before Willow had started dating Oz. And now, these times where all six were available for a night out were rare.

And everyone was laughing and having a good time. Except for the redheaded witch. She was really distracted. It could simply be because she was so tired. She had not gotten much sleep because of doing the spells all night with Tara. And no complaints about it.

But the thought of the blond was suddenly making her think. Was the girl all alone as she always seemed to be. She could remember what it was like to not really have any friends. Before Buffy came along, it had been just her and Xander and Jesse. And that had meant quite a few nights by herself while the guys did their thing.

And Tara had just moved to California. From where, she did not know. But they had only known each other for a little while. So it was not unusual that she did not know that much about her. And why was it suddenly so important that she know so much about the other girl.

"Earth to Willow." Xander stared at his best friend who was staring off into space. "Did someone take off with her mind? This is the hellmouth, it could happen."

"What could happen?" Willow finally snapped out of it at the mention of the hellmouth. "Is there something all evilly brewing that we need to take care of?"

"Only your attention span." Xander smiled at her. "Where have you been all night. We've been here at The Bronze and having quite a good time in fact."

Willow's cheeks reddened. "Just tired. Guess I've got a lot going on in my brain."

"I could help you with that." Oz offered. Willow only smiled at him but did not say yes.