Well I'm a combination of excited for me and excited at the future. Because: I expected that! Absolutely expected chapter 14 to be the chapter where Willow finds out that Tara is dead (of that young Willow sees Tara hit by a car (which may still happen in chapter 15)). Which is quite unusual for me. I'm generally terrible at knowing what will happen in a story. So I'm out of character.



Anyway... enough about me.



Well done. I love the description of Willow going the gallery and her shock at find the art work. And then the bumbling and bothersome but (slightly) informative curator. Now, I only hope that Willow will get some answers about how, when, and why Tara's life was cut so short.



So these are the sketches Tara did in Houston? What makes them unfinished? And her imagination must have been working well to come up with the lustful look one. Well done, Tara!



Good update. Can't wait for more. Debra

Contact your Senators to support the Constitution



"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” - Martin Luther King

Well...that is not of the good (my early entry for understatement of the year). I'm still a little surprised that Willow's albeit small amount of research didn't turn this up. Perhaps bad luck...or something else. Curious to see reactions and the next development. Wonderful.



~Cyd

I had a feeling she had died, though I was hoping that that feeling was wrong. I really liked how you described the artwork, I could totally visualize them in my mind. Willow had been so hurt when Tara didn't show up and come to find out she had a really good excuse of being dead How is Willow going to warn her? Tara isn't planning on checking the box anymore right? I'm hoping that younger Willow can help save Tara...that by them talking more and maybe forming some sort of a friendship/aquaintence thing, it will cause a ripple, even a small one, to change that teensy weensy fact of Tara dying *hopeful look* And the plot thickens, just as you said, but that's what makes this story so great



**Michelle

"these wounds won't seem to heal,

this pain is just too real,

there's just too much that time cannot erase"--Evanescence (My Immortal)

She's not dead.

Continuous Train of Thought





terra

What the heck? Okay I thought perhaps that might be true, however I was still a little shocked. How absolultely aweful! Time for some serious research so Willow can save her in the past, screw the consequences.

-anna

enjoyed willow's exploration of the gallery very much, seems a good look at the thoughts of a very bright person who hasn't been exposed to the art vocabulary. and then discovering the portraits of herself, catapulting her from her detached explorations to her most tangible connection to tara yet. reminded me a little (in a good way) of debra's "paths" fic gallery scene.

and then of course you had to drop the hammer. an expected hammer, but still big with the pain. i think it's officially time to start messing with the time line. time space continuims and paradoxes be damned, this isn't star fleet, let's start thwarting the timeline immediately! after all, a world with tara is a better world. ok, now i'm flashing on christopher lloyd in "back to the future" with his ripped up letter, that's surely a sign to end feedback.~mary

hey girl, get on the dance floor
rip it up girl
that's what it's there for~razorlight

I like that Willow got to see how Tara saw her. I think Willow didn't truly get that until now. She's still confused mightily about lots of things.



I can soooo identify with Willow when she walked into that art gallery Knowing what you feel about some painting but hardly being able to put that into words.



I do wonder why some of Tara sketches are unfinished. The gallery owner did mention it was "Ms Maclay's early work", which begs the question; where is her "later work" ?? And if there IS later work, why was some of her earlier work never finished ??



Willow now has several difficult choices; does she tell Tara about this and secondly, will she do anything to prevent events from taking their tragic course ??



She needs to stay focussed long enough to ask the owner what he knows about the cause of Miss MaClays dead. She can decide to prevent certain things from happening, trouble is she doesn't know what that will cause...



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

beautiful gallery scene. Though there are hints and warnings, the end came as a total shock to me!



grrrr, the suspense is killing me. Please update soon, with good news !

Mental image: Willow convincing young Tara to make a full connection with her younger self, thereby ensuring that her current reality is erased and perhaps forestalling Tara's death. Selfless sacrifice giving both Tara and her younger self the opportunity for a happy alternate future together.



Yes? *Very hopeful face* I'm sure you all agree...



Michaela



PS

I'm sorry I've been so slack with feedback but I love this fic! I can't even remember if I've given any up to this point...

Please don't hit me!

"No dancing naked, huh? Sigh. It just won't be the same." - Willow

"That's all right, we can save it for later." - Tara

(Wilderness Part 1 by Amber Benson & Christopher Golden)

Great fic i'm loving it. Very original and it well and truly has my attention. Can't wait to see where you go with it but i'm definitely coming along for the ride.

When oh when Watson! When will you come back and sort this out for us! I need an update! We have to find out about Tara! .....okay...now I will go back to waiting patiently.....



xoxo

Emms

I can wax philisophically on a variety of different subjects...that doesn't,however, mean that I have anything constructive to add to the conversation.

--- Me

Woo hoo an update! And I'm first to comment.



... now I can read it.



Back to say. Wonderful and extremely powerful. It's so easy to associate with Willow's emotion and grief and panic. As she was racing toward the mailbox I was thinking "as soon as she shuts the lid, it changes history." And that's exactly what happened. Well done.



Now it will be interesting to find out what Tara has now been doing for three years.



My quantum question is this: since Tara decided to visit Willow we know that her last 3 years haven't existed right? But did they before she agreed? Because before she agreed she still didn't meet Willow at the EP (in Willow-time). So why didn't they exist then? Hmmm...

"Most editors are failed writers--but so are most writers." - Thomas Stearns Eliot

"Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but unlike charity, it should end there." - Chare Booth Luce

Contact your Senators to support the Constitution

Edited by: JustSkipIt at: 2/16/05 6:15 am

Initially I thought I had to don bullet-proof vests with kittens shooting hate arrows my way. I guess it just shows how smart regulars and non-regulars are on this board, a lot of you guessed in the right direction. Or may be it's because I wrote an awfully cliché story, I dunno. Anyway, sincere thanks to everyone who left feedback. Replies then it's onto Part 15.



Viximon - please don't die! I'm a meanie, I know. But I will have better news soon, I promise.



russ - yikes, sorry for wearing down the fingers . I think that up to this point, Willow is aware of her feelings for Tara, but she's not entirely sure how much. As for why the news hadn't turned up in Willow's research, that's kind of my fault, it should have been the first thing she came across, I guess I'll have to put it down to bad karma. More will be revealed in the next part.



Willow18 - I love your reaction to lawyers, that's so funny . Glad you liked Willow in the gallery and yeah, I'll make it right soon.



Missocki - I'm not trying to kill the kittens, really! Please believe me! Don't hate me! And unlike some asshat I will make it right at the end, I don't want to be hated by the kittens ...



Traveler4069 - I knew it was half expected but I hope the way Willow found out was through an offhanded remark, like the gallery owner thought she knew.



behindhereyes - hi Kim, sorry it was a jolt for you, but I was hoping for the unexpectedness to come through. The world will stop askewing soon.



thebardgirl - *hugs elizabeth* poor sweetie, didn't mean to make you cry ... well, with a storyline like that of course I'm a meanie, you can hit me as much as you want

. But, it'll be alright with the world soon.



the hero factor - that's what I was trying to go for, how the shock of your life can happen just like that, with one remark out of nowhere.



wimpy0729 - that does explain Tara's non-appearance at the Espresso Pump. But we're gonna have to fix it soonest.



bluemote - oooh, a bottle of Laphroig. For that, yeah, happy ending is a big possibility.



WillowNTara4ever - surprise! it's an update!



Under Their Spell - oh my, I made you leave the comfy zone of lurkdom! Thank you! To be honest, I myself only have a tenuous grasp of the time crinkle concept here, been caught out by smart astute ones like Grimmy and russ already. But I try. And don't worry, I plan to finish this fic, I won't leave anyone hanging. We're getting towards the climatic end already ...



Emms - it's just a story but we all know how caught up we can all be, like the many ones you have on the board, they're as real to me as my RL, to be honest. Quite a few kittens figured out about Tara's death, Debra being the first, after only a couple of parts. The great thing about fics on the kittenboard is, we're guaranteed a happy ending, so there is a comfort zone there. I'm glad you liked Willow's take on the sketches, as a non artistic person it was a challenge for me to describe them in a way that vaguely made sense.



Debra - well, you were right about Tara's death. Very well spotted and great call ! I must admit, after I read the gallery scene again, and (after Mary's comment) reading your gallery scene in Paths, it's similar. Ooopsie. I must have been subconsciously channeling your fic! Never meant to copy, trust me. Yours has more impact, and is so integral to the story, as it was when Tara realized the images she's been dreaming were actually real. Mine pales into insignificance.



Anyway Tara's sketches were from course at Houston. My belief is that she left them unfinished because they were painted under certain circumstances and has special atmosphere and meaning. To go back and touch them up will take away the spontaneity -- some of them were painted within only 30 seconds. It's like writing a story or a poem on pure instinct, the more you go back and edit, even though it may make it more polished, the rawness is gone. Does that make sense?



Cyd - I'm the one guilty of overlooking that Willow should have found out about Tara's death very easily, with her experience and ability. I'm just gonna have to claim writer's privilege and say it was bad luck. Glad you're enjoying the story though.



Michelle - thank you! I suck at art, so it was a challenge to write about the sketches. Glad I did okay. The plot does thicken, but better things are on the horizon.



terra21 - I love the certainty and finality of your statement. Love it ! May be you'll be proven right? May be not?



Anna - Willow and research seems not to have delivered the goods in this fic. I'm not sure of her state of mind right now, but when/if she calms down. More to come.



Mary - I totally didn't know I was channeling Debra's gallery scene in Paths, you're so right! I love the Back to the Future reference, I liked the first one but not too keen on the sequels. Willow will have to do something about the news, what it is, wait and see ...



Grimmy - the 'early' reference is probably just relative, cos there aren't that many Tara Maclay works out there. Tara's sketches are unfinished, like I commented to Debra, because they were created quickly and are fresh and raw. I could totally see her deciding not to go back to mess around with them cos it'll take the energy away.



bullko - your wish is my command, update coming up right away.



Michaela - like your mental image, all I can say is, the alternate happy future together will happen, as for whether it's younger Willow who is responsible, I'm not saying, just yet.



veiled isis moon - thank you for coming for the ride. Update is just below.



Emms returned - yes ma'am! Your work ethic is an inspiration to us writers and I promise to work harder at posting updates. In fact, it's time.

------

quiet thoughts

Title: Common Areas

Author: watson (hiddenwatson@yahoo.com)

Distribution: please email me first

Rating: PG-13 to R

Summary: Sunnydale, AU. Set during 2001/2 and 2004/5. Willow and Tara find each other through time.

Disclaimer: This story is inspired by and adapted from a Korean film called Il Mare. The story premise, of 2 people who connect across time, belongs to Lee Hyun-Seung, although I have deviated from the story somewhat. BtVS characters belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others. I own nothing. I am nothing.

Notes: I don't really believe in dragging things out.

Warning: A fair bit of angst, a little cliffhanger, some sad bits but perhaps a tidbit of hope?





Part 15



Willow could not control herself. She was physically sick and was shaking all over. She could not breathe, a shudder traveled up her spine and exploded just below her neck.



She felt blackness closing in, she was a heartbeat away from allowing it to flood over her.



She staggered out of the gallery in a daze, the stunned and concerned owner following right behind her. She grabbed the nearest inanimate object, a lamp post, and held on for dear life. Nausea overcame her again and she felt bile rising up from her stomach. She tried to be sick but nothing was left, she had emptied the contents of her stomach several times over already.



Fragments of the newspaper cutting the gallery owner showed her echoed through her mind.



"... senseless drive-by shooting just outside the bank, a few doors from the Espresso Pump ..."



"... through the heart, it was instantaneous ..."



"... perpetrators were never caught, though the police was looking for a white van with a spaceship design seen in the vicinity in connection with both the shooting and the bank robbery ..."



It hit her like a speeding bullet. Or a thousand ton freight train going at full speed.



She was on her way to see younger me. The white van, the robbery, shit! The nerds! The nerds shot Tara! Oh god, oh god, oh god!



She felt the blackness at the edge of her sanity again.



Then a sudden slap of realization.



I've got to stop her. The mailbox.



She ran and ran and ran, faster than she had ever run, faster than when she was chased by the deadliest demons. She would have flown if she knew how to fly. But still she was not fast enough.



She jumped in front of the nearest taxi and opened the door with such forcefulness it might have broken off its hinges. Almost out of breath she gave the address to the driver, who took one look at the desperate and petrified looking young woman and decided to shut his mouth and drive fast.



She managed to find a pen and a scrap of paper in her pocket, a receipt from the Magic Shop, she could not remember what. Her fingers were trembling so violently she was having difficulties writing. The words were all over the place, like the mad scramblings of a toddler just learning how to write, but just about legible.



She held onto the note with dear life, as if her entire life depended on it. And yes, her entire life did depend on it.



She's the most important person in my life.



The journey was the longest she had to endure all her life, even though it was no more than 10 minutes. She felt the seconds slipping away, and glared at the driver impatiently through the rearview mirror, even though he seemed to be breaking every traffic law already.



She jumped out of the cab even before it had stopped fully, hastily handing over a twenty to the driver and not bothering about the change. It was not the time to worry about things like that.



She tripped and scraped the bottom of her palms on the concrete pathway when she reached out her hands to steady herself. She thought her jeans may have been ripped too. But there was no time to clean the grime off, no time to tend to the broken skin, no time to wipe the blood off. Pain was not an option.



In her mind was one single task. Get to the mailbox, open the mailbox, put the note inside.



Her hands were shaking so much she had trouble with the catch, she angrily shook the box for being so unyielding, before finally negotiating the catch and got the door open. She struggled also to deposit the thin strip of paper, instantly regretting that she did not have a larger piece of paper, or an envelope or just something to make sure it did not get lost. In a moment of clarity, she put the pen on top of the paper to hold it down, wishing with all she had that it was sufficient.



She closed the catch of the mailbox and collapsed on the ground, totally drained and lacking in energy to even move. She knew she should be praying to God, the goddess and any other deity who was listening, to please get the note to Tara before she leaves for her appointment. To please please please not let Tara die. That she would never forgive herself ever, for causing Tara to die. But she was too exhausted to muster even a single word. It was all she could do to continue breathing and not pass out.



She did not notice the sky becoming suddenly pitch black or the mailbox becoming superheated as she sat limply on the ground. Or how in the next second it was back to normal again.



How she got home, she could not remember. She had no idea what time it was, how long she had remained in her fetal position on the couch. She did not even have the presence of mind to take off her coat and shoes.



How could she be so stupid. So selfish. Why did they have to take her away, so sweet and funny and wise and oh my god I'm going to be sick again.



She did not have the energy to go to the bathroom, but it did not matter, she had nothing left inside her and all that came out were dry heaves and wheezes.



She knew tears were not too far away but also knew that once the floodgate opened she would have a hard job stopping it. But right now, tears eluded her, feelings were jumbled up, all she felt was numb and dead inside.



She curled up further into the couch, as if wanting to retreat into a cocoon, away from the realities of the outside world. She did not hear the insistent buzzing of her buzzer, or the chiming of her doorbell.



In the hazy fog of her mind, she felt, rather than heard, her front door slowing opening, followed by a hesitant soft voice.



"Hello? Hello?"



Shit! I forgot to close the door.



She leapt up suddenly from her crunched up position on the couch and almost fell over because of the speed of her action and the dizziness that followed. Her defenses all of a sudden rearing up and ready to attack whomever the intruder was, in her haste she had forgotten that it could not have been a vampire.



"Sorry, I tried the bell, and the door was open," the voice explained nervously.



Very slowly the figure came into focus through the fog and in the semi-darkness. She knew she was going to black out again as she tried to reach out behind her to find something to steady herself.



Even under the dim fluorescent lighting coming from the corridor she could see the radiance and splendor of the newcomer. If there was any hint of thought left in her conscious mind, she would deduce that she was seeing a ghost. As it was, she stood there, stupidly gawking at the figure standing awkwardly just inside her front door.



For a long moment, 20 seconds, a minute, they regarded each other with the shyness of a first real life encounter.



One of them had to say something. "Willow?"



"T-t-tara?"



*****

------

quiet thoughts

OMG! *squeals* Tara!!!





Okay, I was about thisclose to my screen reading the update. Poor Will. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster. Tara can make it all better. *wink wink, nudge nudge* Right?





Yeah, in the last update, as soon as they mentioned lawyers, I knew that Tara was not of the living, shall we say. Glad to see a remedy for that. Tara and Willow in the same time and together. Yay!

My God and I thought I was tense before I read the update!

Phew! Talk about raising the bar and considering where you had it set already, we're talking lack of oxygen up here.

That was truly fantastic. Such a gutteral reaction from Willow, every second seemed too long as she stumbled along in sheer desperation and blind panic.



OK, Ok, I can be patient...I think I need a massage.



...

Maybe not so patient.



Ah hell, who'm I kidding - I'm dying to know what's happened as a result of Willow's actions!



Michaela

"No dancing naked, huh? Sigh. It just won't be the same." - Willow

"That's all right, we can save it for later." - Tara

(Wilderness Part 1 by Amber Benson & Christopher Golden)

that was amazing... I could feel how Willow felt... Great writing Watson...



Im on the edge of my seat.. literally waiting for the next update....



edited to add... Tara! there! OMG! OMG! I can't believe it! YAY! YAY! *takes deep breath* YAY! YAY! YAY!



xoxo

Emms

Edited by: MissKittys Ball O Yarn at: 2/16/05 8:35 am

Ooohhh...very intense progression that led to a very good cliff. Yay! Tara's still alive and Willow is too...that's the important part. It's a gross understatement for me to say that I'm curious to see what has been altered. Fascinated beyond belief is a little closer. Sending lots of adoration your way...



~Cyd

---

When I'm sitting here with you, I don't even think about the slime people.

~The very romantic lead in The Slime People (1962)



Altered Shadows

Ooooooh....what was that all about?? I can't cope with these gaps in updating goodness, even if they are little tiny gaps!

*gasps, inhales sharply* *eyes roll back as missocki forgets to exhale and breathe* OMGOMGOMGOKMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!! S-s-she-s-s A-alive WOOT!!!

YAY!! I no longer wanna hit you for her dying! (Joss did that enough for one lifetime) I so happy, your last update left me well...

Willow finally being able to stop Tara's needless death by nerds, kick ass!!

"I think when I cease to go to the bathroom, then I can call myself famous." -Amber Benson

"Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly." -Rose Franken

AAahhh Tara's there!! TARA'S THERE AND SHE'S ALIIIIIIVE :')



I have no idea what's going on with the timeline... I suppose all will be explained and if not I'll still patiently wait for mmm smoochies and snuggles

------------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm realistic about love. People shape love into what they

want love to be and it always bounces back to its natural

shape and smashes you out of the way."

Yes! She made it in time! (whatever that may mean in this context).



Debra's "quantum question" is an interesting one. Is it that Tara "always had" agreed to meet younger Willow; i.e., that agreement was part of the original time line? Then what about the time line that would have been if not for the magic mailbox? Would Tara have survived in that history, to perhaps meet Willow in a more normal way, or would she have died anyway?



This was a very effective, powerful chapter. You handled it just right, jumping the action ahead from ch. 14 so that we see the aftermath of Willow's learning of Tara's fate. (Let's take a moment to pity the poor gallery owner, a decent guy who didn't go to work that morning expecting to have to mop his floor and air out the gallery.)



Then the "slap of realization" that there may be time to change history. You convey so well the panicked, desperate rush to the mailbox, the message scribbled with shaking hands, and the shock of reaction when she finally posted it, and knew she had done all she could.



And so Willow finally meets "the most important person in [her] life." While there will be a lot to discuss and catch up on (like what has Tara been doing for the three years that she didn't have that morning), the important thing is that now they are alive and together.

Russ



When we love and give it everything we've got, no matter what the consequences, we are doing what we were put here to do -- Geneen Roth

Ok this is getting bette rand better you cant just leave us here again, dang it who ever invented cliff hangers suck lol pleasee update soooooon

wow, if willow had been unsure of her exact feelings for tara before, she certainly got that cleared up for her, her very physical response to tara's death was powerful and visceral. but i still feel more sorry for tara. willow has clearly had a horrible day,worst of her life even, but tara's been sitting on her hands for 3 years. so intense when they finally came face to face (and thank you for not spinning this update out into 2 or 3 segments, much prefer the happy cliffhanger of this one). have to admit, part of me is just really hoping willow found a few moments in her grief enduced haze to use a toothbrush. still wondering if they will keep investigating the circumstances of the mailbox, or skip on to the happier ever after.excellent update!~mary

you're dangerous, 'cause you're honest
you're dangerous, you don't know what you are U2

AH HA! I knew it! Well I really didn't knew it, but AH HA!



*sings* Go watson, it's ya birthday, get busy...

MYODOGOOoG!! I mean. Oh my god!

In a good sense YIPIE YIPIEEEE!!!



Yes, you're a meanie but coz that chapter I forgive you everything.





Hahaha, I was thinking...Poor Tara is going to "meet" Willow in quite of a state, all dirty, dizzy, sick and mostly shocked (If I was her I think I would had passed out already )



Wonderful. Continue soon soon soon, neh?

Wow, that was a cliffhanger of the great variety! Willow made it time, yay. I can't wait for the conversation between them, lots of fill in the blanks and making up for lost time.

-anna

Mustn't forget to get back to the gallery owner and apologize (and tell him Willow is alright, the man was clearly worried).



The Willow-run was very nicely described, the speedy-ness of it was very appearant. Whatever did she write on that note by the way?



Am I truly the only one to have suspicious about the car owner by the way?

Quote:

---

with a spaceship design

---

Sounds mighty familiar...hmm...



So Tara did get initially shot when she was at a meeting Willow proposed through the MagicMailbox. Now what would happened to Tara without the mailbox altogether ? She would not have had that date at the coffee-shop, hence never been shot nor needed a warning of said accident... confusing.



Tara comes into Willow's house hesistanly, meaning they haven't become closer in the last three years. What happened to youngWillow in those three years??



Two Willows together... would be a bit much for the world



Grimmy

--
"You hurt Tara," Willow said too calmly. "The last one who tried that was a god. I made her regret it." -- Unexpected Consequences by Lisa of Nine

That was absolutely one of the best updates I've ever read by anybody EVER!!!



I was practically bent over with sympathy pain as Willow struggled to get to the mailbox with the note, feeling every ounce of anxiety and pain she was going through. I'm still trying to catch my breath.



And then the end...amazing! I still have goosebumps.



Can't wait to see the explanation of the timeline and the changes.



Wimpy

Okay - I realize it is a kitten law that W/T have to end up together and happy, but I sooooooo sighed a hugh gasping relief when Tara walked in. That was beyond stressful!! I can't wait to see how they move on from here



-shuyaku

Oh God, Willow—you’re giving me the gift of Karen Carpenter. Just when I think I grasp the full extent of your love." - Tara

"Why do birds suddenly appear? It’s because, you are queer…" - Willow (Gods Served and Abandoned by AntigoneUnbound)