BurningWhiteRose/RaVeN thanks for responding! I agree, just the thought of Tara at a lake (with or without clothes) is
okay, bad bad thoughts are entering my mind now…
Disclaimer: Willow and Tara, and all the great characters of Buffy belong to Joss Whedon and not me. Lucky bastard.
Summary: Willow finds her happiness in a mysterious underworld the likes Sunnydale has never seen.
Note: Sorry for the long delay. I’ve no excuses whatsoever for not continuing. If you’re read this story before and you’re continuing to read it, yippee! If you’ve never read it, and you’re just skimming through this portion, then you’re probably one of these quirky readers who peak at random just to see if they will like the beginning. The beginning is not all that bad, I promise. Try it. Go on, scoot!
A VISION IN THE NIGHT
Willow and Tara reached the end of the tunnel at last, climbed the weathered rope ladder and then stood in the middle of the softly lit woods.
Nalps were carrying on their own business, moving happily through the trees and except for their gray tattered clothes which were wrapped bulkily around them because of the sharp dip in the air, they looked like any normal group of people, out enjoying themselves in the beautiful, crisp night.
Teenage Nalps were socializing in dark corners while their young siblings remained content to run mischievously about. The older Nalps had pushed a few chairs near the warmth of the crackling bon fire, and were drinking wine in large goblets, speaking quietly amongst themselves.
Willow and Tara walked hand in hand passed them, taking in the pleasant atmosphere. A bearded man looked up from the group and winked at them, and the way he did it, it was as though he was trying to say that he knew they were a couple and approved.
Willow smiled broadly and glanced at Tara, who simply squeezed her hand and smiled back. They moved on, through the path that led to the Hidden Barracks just a few yards away. They could see it in the distance, lit up brightly through the trees like a regal castle of some sort.
Willow stared ahead, feeling a melancholy mixture of warmth and sadness, realizing how much she had grown to love the place, and yet too, remembering what had happened there. She snapped out of her reverie when she saw a familiar figure bent near the crumbling stairs. She smiled inwardly, mentally locking away the memories of Tara’s cravings in a precious place in her heart. She was not going to pretend the episode with Tara never happened, because it played an important part in changing their destinies. But she was now ready to move on, to open her heart to new and exciting memories.
Hexall saw them approaching her and froze for a split second. Then she dropped the bucket that she was holding in her hand and straightened her body.
“Bargo,” she yelled excitedly. “They’re here!”
The tiny elf-Nalp hurried out from one of the doors at grinned at them.
About two days after their frightening encounter with Osiris, as soon as Willow felt that Tara was strong enough, she had insisted they visit Bargo and Hexall. She knew that their friends were probably sick with worry about what was happening to them, and so she and Tara made a special trip to see them. There was the initial shock of seeing Tara again, not only human, but healthy and free of cravings. And then the two witches sat their friends down and explained everything.
Bargo and Hexall had wept with joy. Their relief was palpable as they hugged and kissed Tara over and over. Willow herself smiled through her tears as she witnessed the special reunion. The two Nalps loved Tara as though she was their daughter, and Tara, devoid of parents had willingly embraced the role.
Not too long afterwards though, she and Willow had to say goodbye. They couldn’t stay. They still had a lot of stuff to sort out at home and so they left, promising to return a week later. Bargo and Hexall understood, told them not to worry, that the tiny room in the Hidden Barracks was now theirs and would be waiting for them on their return.
And so here they were now, Willow with a gigantic knapsack on her back, her face alive with the largest smile, holding firmly onto Tara who was grinning happily as well.
“Guess who’s coming to dinner!” Willow yelled cheerfully, and then she laughed letting go of Tara as Hexall rushed to hug them both.
*********
“It’s so good to have you back,” Hexall smiled, looking first at Willow and then Tara. “This place was not the same without you two.”
They were sitting on the bare floor in the tiny room, chatting softly. Bargo and Hexall had made some slight changes to the surroundings, and Willow had felt her mouth drop when she walked through the door and looked around her. The space looked warm and cozy, bathed in the soft glow of the candles that were flickering in every corner. The tattered sleeping bags were gone and replaced now with a large mattress that was covered carefully with a thick blanket. The wooden table was still there, but pushed near the mattress and draped with a colorful checked cloth. Real curtains hug over the windows, and there was even a plush rug on the ground.
“It’s good to be back,” Tara sighed quietly. “This is my second home now. I don’t think that will ever change.”
“You look so healthy,” Bargo said, nodding with approval. “And I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so calm.”
“Or this happy,” Hexall added with a teasing wink. Her eyes twinkled. “But then, that has nothing to do with seeing us, or being human, or even being free of cravings, has it?” The good natured Nalp raised her eyebrows knowingly in Willow’s direction, and Tara looked up at her, caught what she was insinuating and blushed slightly.
“I always believed this would happen,” Hexall continued. “That the two of you would be here one day, visiting us and Tara would be human again and free of cravings.”
“Yeah,” Willow said softly. “You never gave up hope, even when things looked pretty bleak.”
“I believed in your ability, Willow.” Hexall replied. “Besides, one just has to stay around you for a little while to realize how much you love Tara. A force like that can move mountains.”
“And it did,” Tara said softly, glancing proudly at Willow.
“I’d so like to take the credit for everything that happened,” Willow said. “But actually, all I did was summon Osiris, and then he did all the work. Granted, the entire episode was creepy and scary, and Osiris himself was creepy and scary, in a kind of very unhuman, nebulous sort of way, and any normal person would have probably peed in their pants seeing that strange force above their heads, but still,” she pulled in a breath. “I didn’t do all that much.”
“You did so much,” Tara said, and her eyes flashed incredulously, as though what she really wanted to say was, ‘
are you kidding me?’ “I-I don’t think I would have had the strength to do what you did. I would have been a bag of nerves. But you held it all together, and you figured out everything and it takes a really strong person not to just flip out. Don’t undermine what you did, Will. Or what you went through.”
Tara was watching Willow intensely, her full lips pressed into a resolute line, and Willow couldn’t help but smile at her expression. They both went through hell, Willow concluded, and she was just grateful that they had survived it together. Things could have been so much worse. She reached out and ran her hand gently across Tara’s back.
Tara leaned back slightly against her touch, causing Willow to slip her fingers unthinkingly underneath her shirt.
The feel of Tara’s warm body beneath her palm was so deeply comforting. So much so in fact, that her hand slid to the front slightly, to Tara’s stomach, and a second later she caught sight of bare skin, and realized what she was doing. She was exposing Tara quite erotically in front of their two, very amused friends.
“Hey!” Willow pulled her hand away quickly, and sat up. “So what-what’s been going on since we’ve been away? I mean, things looked pretty okay on our way here, but then you never know. Have there been any encounters with these icky pale creatures of the night lately?”
“Not really,” Bargo replied with a relieved sigh. “We haven’t had any new cases of vampire attacks so we’re feeling very comfortable.” His face twisted slightly with concern. “This could be the quiet before the storm, but I go out occasionally to see that the Nalps remain alert. We can never keep our guard down completely.”
Willow nodded. She bit her lip thoughtfully. She hated what the Nalps were going through. They were being hunted like animals, and she wanted to put a stop to it. She remembered the promise she made to Osiris and that fuelled her determination.
“Bargo, is it possible for Tara and I to visit the elders sometime?” She asked. “I know they select who they speak to, but I would really be grateful if Tara and I could meet them.”
“I don’t think that will be a problem,” Bargo relied.
“Bargo has a lot of influence among the populace,” Hexall spoke up.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” Bargo said modestly. “But they listen to me. I only have to tell the elders that you’re friends with the Slayer and I’m sure they would welcome you with open arms.”
Willow and Tara smiled at each other. Bargo and Hexall had joined the list of Buffy’s ardent fans. Although they had never been formally introduced to her, (something that Willow knew would change with time) they had grown to respect her immensely for what she had done to help Tara.
“Well,” Willow grinned. “If using Buffy’s name is gonna help us, I say use it whenever you can.”
Bargo nodded quietly.
“We’re here for five days,” Willow continued, suddenly serious. “There’s so much I want to do but I don’t know where to start. Things have to change here a bit,” her face twisted with tension. “First of all, the Nalps need a kind of alarm system so that they can be alerted whenever the vampires attack. Also they have to find same way of being self-reliant. Granted, they don’t need food, i-in the general sense of, you know food, but they do need clothes and a roof over their heads. And also, they have to learn to defend themselves when vampires do attack. They’re way to vulnerable now. I know the Nalps are by nature very gentle people, but they have to toughen up a little…”
“Baby,” Tara noticed that Willow was getting worked up and reached out and placed a steady hand over hers. “Slow down.” She squeezed Willow’s fingers gently. “We have our whole lives to repay our debt. We’ll find a way to help the Nalps, I’m certain we will. B-but we can’t do it right this minute, you know?”
“Yeah,” Willow said, sheepishly. “You’re right.”
“Besides, I don’t think Osiris meant for us to perform miracles. There’s only so much we can do. I think just us helping in any way we can, is the most important thing.”
“Yeah,” Willow said again, nodding vigorously. She bit her lip again. Of course Tara was right. Helping the Nalps was a gradual process and she would have to learn to control her impatience if she was to be of any use to them.
The topic of conversation changed to a much less intense one and before long they were all relaxed and laughing again. Finally, when it was about ten o’clock in the evening, Bargo got up and stretched his hand out for Hexall.
“We can stay and chat forever,” he said with a smile. “But I know you girls are tired, and want to settle down. Hexall and I have our own room now, so we’ll see you in the morning.”
“Oh,” Willow said, slightly disappointment. She had been looking forward to talking to the two Nalps for a lot longer. But then she suddenly remembered something and her face lit up again. “Oh… er…yeah. We’ll…um…see you guys in the morning. Tara and I had a long walk here and we wanted to go take a dip…at the lake…” She gave Tara a meaningful look, but Tara simply looked back at her and smiled.
“That reminds us of something,” Hexall said, mysteriously. “Bargo has a little surprise for you. He’s been working on it for days now.”
They guided the two witches out of the room, and they walked a short corridor with rooms on either side, until they reached the end of the Barracks and stepped outside. At the back of the ancient, crumbling building, the surrounding trees swayed and rustled in the cool night air. A flickering lantern guided their way. It was hanging from one of the trees, and as soon as they reached it, Bargo stopped. A crudely constructed enclosure was erected against the building, very much like an outhouse, and when Bargo opened the shaky wooden door they saw inside, a giant barrel sitting carefully on a ledge at the very top, it cocked side fitted in with a shiny gold pipe.
Willow looked at the contraption before her with total confusion, until Tara burst out laughing and said with glee,
“Oooh, how ingenious. A shower.”
Willow raised her eyebrows and said slowly, “That’s a shower?”
“You can bathe here,” Bargo confirmed, excitedly. “It’s not the most luxurious, but it will get the dirt out.”
“Thank you,” Tara reached out and kissed him on the cheek. “This is very thoughtful, Bargo.”
The Nalp glowed proudly. Then he said with a large smile on his face, “I’ll get some more lanterns so it won’t be so dark out here.”
*********
When they got back to their room, Tara immediately began unpacking the large knapsack. She took out the food first, wrapped carefully in zip-lock bags, and placed it on the wooden table. Then she dug inside the bag again and began pulling out clothes.
Willow watched her thoughtfully from the mattress where she was lying. After a while she got up, moved across the room, stood behind Tara and wrapped her arms around her.
“I hope you packed our bathing suits,” she whispered, softly. “Unless you want us skinny dipping at the lake.”
Tara smiled, and tilted her neck. She felt Willow’s body tighten around hers. Then she reached up and gently swept the long strands of hair away from Tara’s shoulders, brushed her soft lips across the exposed skin.
“Hmmmm,” Tara felt a warm tingle of pleasure run through her body. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly.
“I’m all for skinny dipping,” Willow continued, nibbling Tara’s earlobe. “Skinny dipping’s good. Actually anything that involves Tara nakedness is good.” She moved her lips slowly, teasingly, across her shoulders, brushed them lightly against the faint knobs that began her spine, slowly up the nape of her neck.
Tara sucked in a sharp breath, and leaned her body weakly into Willow. But then, just as Willow’s cool lips reached the base of her ear again, she squirmed and pulled away.
“Will,” she said breathlessly, her face flushed. “We can’t go to the lake now.”
Willow stared at her. “What?” No lake? Noooooo
“We can’t go to the lake,” Tara repeated, lowering her voice. She glanced guiltily at the door, which was firmly shut. “Not after all the trouble Bargo went through to build the shower for us to bath in.”
Willow continued to stare at her, unconsciously squeezing her legs together so that she could stop the burning that had started along her inner thigh. She said in a tiny voice, “But what-what about all the things you were going to do to me...?”
Tara giggled and moved towards her again. She grabbed Willows hands and interlaced them with hers. “Baby, we’re here for five days. We’re bound to go to the lake sometime.”
“Oh no,” Willow rolled her head back and groaned with frustration. “Tara…I…I want to go to the lake…”
“I know,” Tara squeezed her fingers sympathetically. But there was a hint of a smile on her face, as though she was enjoying Willow’s frustration. She’s smiling. She thinks this is funny?! “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” She dropped Willow’s hand all too quickly, reached for a towel and some clothes from the pile on the wooden table.
“I’ll go shower first,” she said, then headed across the room.
Willow watched her slip out the door, and then she slumped down again on the stiff mattress. She rolled on her back, trying to ignore the dull, insistent ach of arousal. She had built up herself for what was going to happen at the lake, and now she was going to have to wait at least one more night before she found out what mind-blowing, seductive surprises Tara had in store for her.
“Damn shower,” she muttered to herself, staring up at the wooden ceiling with frustration. Then she let out a long, unsteady sigh. “Oh god, I hope the water is really, really cold.”
***********
The water was cold indeed. Willow allowed it to splatter on her face and chest. She soaped her skin quickly, feeling the goose bumps along her arms, and then she let out a loud, “brrrrrrrr,” as she doused her back. Well, this is exactly what I need. She was reluctant to wet her hair. She had visions of herself towel drying for hours, and so she decided against it, ducking out of the way as she turned around again. But then she soaped her face again, and washed it under the icy water and inevitably the sides of her hair got wet. After one last rise, her shower was done.
She stood in the dark confinement, pressing the warm towel against her face. Bargo had strung a line of lanterns along a nearby tree and she was able to see them from a wide gap in the wooden door of the shower. The happy lights had broken the surrounding darkness, and as she watched them swaying in the night air, Willow couldn’t help but smile. Lanterns in the middle of the woods. What was more festive, or romantic?
She ran the towel along her arms and legs, then slung it carelessly over the door, and quickly began dressing.
When she was done, she pushed the door open and tiptoed out. She slid her feet in slippers that she had laid not too far away, then carried the towel and her tiny buddle of dirty clothes with her inside the barracks.
She walked quickly down the ancient corridor, with its mysterious rooms on either side, finally reaching her and Tara’s quarters. She didn’t think of anything much when she saw the three tee lights burning in a horizontal row right in front of the door. In fact she jumped over them, her head bent as she pushed open the door, but when she looked up again she froze in the threshold.
Her eyes widened, and she almost dropped the clothes she was holding when she saw the sight before her. Tara was sprawled on her side on the mattress, wearing nothing but her panties and a skimpy sleeve-less shirt that stopped short above her flat stomach, the thin material explicitly revealing the sensuousness of her full breasts. The room was aglow with tiny mesmerizing lights. They were flickering everywhere, on the wooden table, along the corners of the floor, scented flames positioned carefully so that a path was created, stopping about a foot from the mattress.
Willow blinked mutely from the tiny candles and then back to Tara.
“I’m a woman of my word,” Tara whispered, lowering her voice for effect. But then her beautiful face broke out into a smile even as she was trying to be seductive. “We don’t have a lake, but we have a room all to ourselves…”
to be continued…
*hope you like and hope the update will be a lot sooner 
Edited by: bijoux2 at: 10/14/04 5:16 am
by bijoux2 » Thu Oct 14, 2004 6:08 am 
hmm, don’t think so, but thanks for suggesting it any way 
Happy you enjoyed it. Thanks!