A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update guys, I had a severe case of writer's block. I think that's over now, though, so here it is chapter 3! I start school on Monday so the chapters might be a little slow in coming from now on but I swear I'll try to keep up.
Willow slowly lifted her head up off the kitchen table, blinked to get her eyes to focus, and looked around.
She sighed as she began to stand. It was only a dream, Willow thought sadly, then again if someone did give me back, Tara I'm not so sure I'd want it to come from an echoey voice promising doom and gloom…
"Hey." Tara smiled at Willow as if she would burst with excitement.
Willow shook her head thinking she must have hit it too hard on the table when she had fallen asleep. It can't be, it can't be, it can't be… She attempted to reassure herself over and over again, shutting her eyes tight and balling up her fists, like a little girl trying to make a nightmare disappear.
"Will?" Tara questioned, her voice now laced with worry as she touched the redhead's arm.
Willow heard Tara say her name and shivered as the blonde's fingertips brushed her arm, making the hair on her arm stand on end. Slowly Willow opened her eyes.
"Tara?" her voice shook with emotion as she realized what she was seeing was one hundred percent real. "Tara?" she said again, as she pulled the blonde in to her arms.
Tara felt Willow's body shake against hers, and she knew that the other Wicca was crying. Tara felt a wet tear slide down her own cheek even as she tried to comfort the woman she loved. "Shh, darling," she whispered against Willow's hair as she breathed in the intoxicating scent of her strawberry shampoo, "it's alright, I'm here now and we're together again."
Willow reluctantly pulled back from Tara's embrace, "But how? I mean you were- you were-" Willow faltered unable to complete her thoughts as the image of her lover falling toward her with that horrible read blotch on her chest flooded her mind.
Tara smiled reassuringly, as she reached out and began to softly caress Willow's cheek. "I don't know," she began speak softly, as though she was trying to get used to the sound of her own voice again, "all I remember is falling toward you as the world started to go black," Willow breathed in sharply at this as she covered Tara's hand with her own and leaned into Tara's hand slightly, "then suddenly I felt my essence being pulled back into my body and the next thing I knew I was here in front of you."
Willow turned her head to kiss the girl's hand then took it in her own. "Oh, Tara," she began, finding that perhaps she didn't trust her voice either, "so much has happened, there's so much you don't know, so much I need to tell you….there's me evil, Xander saving the world, Spike saving the world, slayers all over the world, Xander becoming a pirate, well not really becoming a pirate but…
Willow barely took a breath as Tara listened trying to sort through the redhead's babble. Tara smiled as she realized how much she had missed trying to decipher a good Willow babble, and she wondered how long she had been gone. She breathed in sharply and subconsciously as the thought hit her that, if she had been gone long enough, Willow may have moved on!
Willow noticed Tara's intake of breath and became worried, maybe her reader's digest version of the time since Tara's death had been too much for the blonde to handle. Willow silently cursed herself as she took a step back toward Tara, why do I always have to start babbling like an idiot?
"Tara, what wrong?" Willow questioned, placing both hands gently on Tara's shoulders and searching those beautiful blue eyes worriedly.
Tara waved her hand, embarrassed that she had caused Willow worry. "It's-it's n-n-nothing," she said, stuttering slightly and hoping she sounded more convinced than she felt, she took a deep breath to control the stutter and said, "why don't we sit down and you can start from the beginning."
Tara took a seat at the table and motioned for Willow to do the same. Willow took a deep breath to calm her nerves, but she started to get dizzy as she looked across the table in to those baby blues she had missed night after night.
Thank you goddess for- but Willow thoughts stopped short, she had almost forgotten in all the excitement that it wasn't the goddess she had to thank. Suddenly the final words of the ominous, echoey voice replayed in Willow head. She began to panic as she stood. A price! This was a definite job for the Scooby gang, and one the needed to get on ASAP.
"I need to call, Buffy." Willow quickly answered to Tara bewildered look when she stood.
Tara's heart sank even lower as Willow turned and grabbed the phone. Could Willow have moved on with Buffy! Her Willow, with Buffy!
Tara swallowed hard at the thought and tried to wipe it away, as she heard Willow say, "Hey, Buff, I've got big news. You'll never believe… What? Oh you do too? Okay…okay…we'll be right over. Bye."
Willow hung up the phone, stood, and started to walk toward the door. Tara, her head still swimming with thoughts it broke her heart to entertain, didn't follow. When Willow realized this she turned back to look at the blonde and furrowed her brow with worry, "Tara aren't you coming?"
"Of-of-c-course," Tara stammered as she stood, and followed the redheaded Wicca out the door.
At the Summers' house, Buffy turned back toward an expectant group.
Buffy scratched her head wholly confused, "That was Will. She says she has big news too.
"So what?" Spike replied, "Even without bloody Sunnydale around, somethin's always brewin'."
"Well, it's just that," Buffy continued still uncertain if she had heard right, "Willow said 'we'll be right over.'"
"But I'm already here," Xander protested, and then to the duh looks he received he added, "I just wonder who she could have meant that's all."
Buffy shrugged, "Guess we'll find out soon enough."
TO BE CONTINUED….
A/N: As always let me know what you guys think. Also, ideas for the story itself are always considered, and they may help hinder my writer's block. I'll try to get another chapter out next week. Until next time ladies and germs, I love you all-shiney1983
