First Fic: Wolves (Chapter 12 UPDATED! 2/23)

[dreamspace]

Hi!

This is my first ever atempt at fanfic, so I decided to honor my favorite couple by making it about them.

I'm gonna use some facts of the series, but I'll also add in my own storyline. The fic itself starts at the beginning of the Third Season and I'm changing some facts that happened before and after it. They are:



- Willow was never in Sunnydale 'til now and her last name is not Rosenberg

- Tara's mother didn't die and she got divorce recently

- Angelus never got his soul back so it was him who got sent to hell and he will not return

- Xander and Cordy are still together



Well, the rest you'll find out when you read. The first chapters will be a bit short, but bear with me, they'll get bigger.

Here ya go:



Title: Wolves

Author: Anna Oliveira

Feedback: All constructive critcism is welcome as well as any praise you may want to bestow upon my humble person

Distribution: just ask me

Spoilers: Season Three, I don't think there will be spoilers for any other season but if you spot any feel free to let me know

Rating: PG for now

Pairing: W/T X/C B/?

Disclaimer: Willow and Tara and everyone elso you recognize belong to that Whedon guy, lucky bastard.

Summary: Willow goes on a journey in search of her soulmate (bad, bad summary, I know)





INTRODUCTION - THE LEGEND OF THE WOLVES



When asked about Werewolves, a common people would picture a man that becomes a monster every full moon, slaughtering anyone and anything in his path, that could only be killed by a silver bulled. A more studied person would know that a werewolf is, in fact, a normal man who was bitten and transforms the night before, during and after the full moon and that he can be killed just like any other creature. However, very few know the real story about the werewolves, where they come from, their true origin.



When the world was young, there were lots of non-human people roaming this earth, most of which are long extinguished. There were Centaurs, half-man, half-horse creatures known for their great prowess in battle and love for the stars. Merpeople, with their huge underwater cities.



Then there were the Wolf-people, whose Wolf God, sometimes called the Great Wolf, blessed them with the characteristics of their sacred animal – the wolf. They had great strength and speed, heightened senses of smell and hearing and, above all things, a fierce protectiveness of their families. And they could, at will, take the form of a wolf.



Now, the real question is what they had to do with the Werewolves known today. How did a blessing became a curse? Once there was a young Wolf-man called Lycaon, who in a moment of poor judgment offended the God Zeus, who, instead of striking the young wolf down, applied a much worse punishment: he took the blessing of the Great Wolf and turned it into a curse. He would now suffer painful involuntary transformations three days a month during the full moon, in which he would become a half-man, half-wolf monster with absolutely no control over his form and would pass on the curse to every person he bit. Thus was born the first werewolf.



Since then the Wolf-People were started to be seen as monsters and were forced into hiding. They still exist today, all over the world, now organized in clans depending on the area. Through time the other Gods started disappearing, but the Great Wolf never did because there were still people to believe and honor him. Wolf-People today aren’t largely known, very few humans and halflings – the Cursed Ones – know about their existence.



My father is the leader of the clan in Ireland. Our clan is called Siska, the White Wolves, and it is composed by 17 family-clans, each with its own history and leader, but every clan member, no matter which family they belong, is considered a brother or sister to the rest. Father is the political leader, he deals with all the political matters between ours and other clans. Though everyone has equal rights and duties, there is a certain division by function. We have warriors, scholars, farmers, cooks, healers and priests, each with their own importance. When a young one is old enough, he or she has to chose an apprenticeship.



In my case, I was apprenticed to a warrior and a scholar, Radulf and he instilled into me a love for both the art of war and books. With him I learned to read and write as well as Math, Science, Biology and such. Everything he couldn’t teach me I had a specially hired teacher – the perks of having the Clan leader for a father – to teach me. Then I learned weapons training, hand-to-hand combat, gymnastics, survival and tactics training. All knowledge passed on for generations.



Now I’m coming of age, the age every young wolf has to find a mate. Like the wolves with which we have so much empathy, we mate for life. It’s a bond so strong that one mate can rarely live without the other and even them most that survive the severing of the bond are never the same. When the mating age comes, we go to the Temple of the Great Wolf and ask for guidance as to where we can find our destined mate. Not always the mate is a Wolf-Person or even a Halfling, there are various cases of Wolves mating with humans. I don’t know what to expect of my mate, just that Sunnydale, California is the place where I have to go.



TBC…



I dunno if I explained it all right, please do tell if you don't understand something. I have some more typed, I'll finish reviewing and post it.



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:23 pm

[dreamspace]

Here's chapter one, not much here but it'll get better, I promise. It's still short, but I'm expecting the next will be longer. I'm just introducing my story for now, next chapter will be the real beginning.



Here ya go:





CHAPTER 1 - DREAMS



For the fifth time that week Tara Maclay was having the same dream. She was walking down a street at night, the full moon shining high in the sky. She could feel the wind cold against her skin, blowing her long blonde hair back and over her face. She can’t shake off the feeling that something is missing, that she has to look for something very important. Her hearts aches with a loneliness that almost takes her breath away and she looks up at the silver moon, praying to a unknown deity for guidance. Then she hears the howl of a wolf, a long, haunting sound that instead of scaring her brings a incredible sense of comfort and belonging.



“I’ll find you, I’ll always find you…” comes a bodiless voice, blending with the sounds of the wind and the wolf at the distance.



Then she wakes up. Breathless and sweating, the young woman frantically looks around for the owner of that voice, but as always she finds nothing but her empty room. She sigh forlornly and slumps back against her pillow.



Ever since she and her mother had moved to Sunnydale she had been having these reoccurring dreams. They all seemed so real, she had never felt emotions so strong in her life and it worried her. When she came to her mother, the older woman had no answer for her, but they figured if the dream didn’t scare her or harm her in any way it couldn’t be anything bad.



Still, she couldn’t get that voice out of her mind. Was someone coming for her? If yes, who and what for? Questions and more questions swirled in her mind, not letting her fall back into sleep. So she decided to think about other things. High School for example.



Tomorrow would be her first day in Sunnydale High as a Senior and she was nervous as hell. As happy as she was for having her mother finally break free of her father’s hold she couldn’t help missing her old school, she didn’t have many friends there, but at least she was used to being ignored. Being the new girl would leave no room for being ignored and she didn’t like being at the center of the attention. She just hoped that it wouldn’t last much long.



It was still a long time before she finally fell asleep again with thoughts of her day tomorrow in her mind.





At the same time, in an apartment not far from there, a redhead admired her father’s handiwork. It really paid to be the daughter of the leader, she mused, looking around her tastefully decorated, fully furnished, very spacious new home. Maybe too spacious for just one person. She shook her head, refusing to let the loneliness get to her.



Tomorrow she would start High School there, though she didn’t really need anymore instruction, her mother thought it would be a good way to get acquainted with people her own age. She agreed, mostly not to discuss with her mother. So her father had arranged for her to be enrolled at Sunnydale High and got her a three-bedroom penthouse apartment in the best condo he could find.



It was very nice, she had to admit. The redhead sniffed the air, getting herself acquainted with her new apartment. Her senses couldn’t help being in alert in an unknown place and it just wouldn’t do not to get any sleep the day before the start of her classes. She wondered if her mate would be at Sunnydale High as well. Her father did a research of the town, a Hellmouth of all things, and figured that she probably would mate a human as there was just one halfling and no Wolf at all in Sunnydale. She had no problem with that, of course, she had many human friends and they were quite nice.



She walked around the apartment, checking out the well equipped kitchen, bathrooms – one of which had a big Jacuzzi – and rooms, finally choosing the suite as her own bedroom, she would decided what to do with the others later. It was obvious that her father had predicted her choice as her things were all stored in the suite. She chuckled to herself, wondering at her father’s resourcefulness and opened a drawer, looking for something to sleep in.



She slipped on a silky black shirt – her favorite sleep shirt – and prepared herself for bed. She fell asleep in her queen size bed a few moments later and dreamed of a pair of beautiful blue eyes.



TBC…



Next one will come in a bit. Let me know your opinion.



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:23 pm

[dreamspace]

TemperedCynic: Greetings! Glad my crazy idea is appealing to you, I don't really know how I thought everything up, just that I mixed quite a few popular knowledges and legends with some Buffy context and here it is.

Quote:

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Looks like the standard Buffyverse exists, with the Hellmouth intact. And possibly a Slayer to help versus evil? She'll need inept but enthusiastic friends at her side.

---

Yes, Buffyverse is mostly intact save the few changes I made.

Quote:

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Will Willow have an Irish brogue, being from Ireland? And what separates the Wolf-People from humans and werewolves? Most important, how will she know her life-mate? By scent, instinct or magic mayhap? I know, too many questions to answer all at once and that would give away the enjoyment of the tale. Please continue, you have my interest.

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Addressing your first question, yes she will, or at least as far as I can make Irish accent, I'll try my best, but no promises about that. Your second question is a bit more difficult, let's see. Wolf-People are basicaly humans that carry a blessing from their God, they're really attuned with their wolf instincts, in a way the blessing changed their true nature (human) and made them part wolf, but not like werewolves, who are cursed by being bit and have no control at all over their form, which is not full wolf like the Wolf-People, more like a half-human, half-wolf thingy (thus the name halfling). Did you get that at all? And as for your third question, well, you'll see.



Thank you for the wonderful feedback!



tarawhipped: Thank you! Yes, well, Willow can't very well walk up to Tara and try a 'Me Wolf, You Jane' on her, I think you'll enjoy Willow trying to win Tara over. Geez, I didn't think I hadn't made that clear enough, sorry! You see, a halfling is how the Wolf-People call the werewolves or the Cursed Ones, so the halfling in Sunnydale is indeed Oz, I like him too much to cut him off the story.



hidden watson: Oh, Gosh, you're making me blush! Yes, I haven't seen many Willow werewolf fics either, I think it's because most prefer to stick with her witchy background. Her being a werewolf kinda complicates things. I'm not changing much of Tara's background, so her father and brother are still bastards and she's still a witch as is her mother, who is alive, alive, alive! The dreams indeed have something to do with her connection to Willow, you'll see it developing in the next chapters and it will cause a few embarrassing situations for our favorite redhead. Thank you for the feedback



Here you have Chapter 2, dedicated to my first three reviewers! Lova ya, guys!





CHAPTER 2 - ENCOUNTERS



It was the first day of classes and Sunnydale High was swamped with students wandering about. Freshmen looked around nervously, jocks roughhoused near the lockers and cheerleaders gossiped about their vacations.



A redhead walked down the hall, looking at her schedule while she tried to figure where her first class – English with Mr. Davis – would be. She wore a simple pair of jeans, white sneakers and a form-fitting, plain white t-shirt. Her long hair was braided over her shoulder and the only jewelry she wore was a silver chain around her neck with her medal of the Great Wolf.



“Hello? Excuse me?” a voice interrupted her thoughts.



She turned around and found a tall young man about her age with shaggy brown hair and big brown eyes. He smiled goofily at her.



“You seem lost. Are you new here?”



“Aye.” She smiled somewhat embarrassedly.



“Can I take a look at that?” He points at her schedule and she hands it to him. “Oh, you got Mr. Davis, he’s nice. I’ll show you his class, it’s my first one today too.”



“Thank ye.”



“No prob. I’m Xander by the way, Xander Harris.” He extended his hand, which she shook readily.



“Willow O’Connor. Nice to meet’ye.”



“Oh, you’re Irish or something?”



“Irish.” Willow answered simply.



“That’s a long way from home, uh?” Xander commented casually.



“Mother thought I could benefit from American education.” She lied smoothly.



“Why Sunnydale, though? It’s not exactly a widely known town.”



Willow thought fast. “A cousin used to live ‘ere, said ‘tis a nice place.”



“Eh, um, that’s a way of putting it.” Xander laughed nervously, making Willow wonder if he knew about the true nature of Sunnydale.



“Well, here we are. Mr. Davis won’t take much longer to arrive, I think, he’s never late.” Xander showed Willow into the room and they both sat on the last roll beside the window.



“Thank ye for helpin’ me.” Willow smiled gratefully.



“It’s ok, I have to show some American hospitality, right?” Xander grinned goofily. “Hey, I could introduce you to the guys later.”



“Guys?”



“Yeah, my friends, I bet they would love you.”



Willow sensed no malice coming from him, but she was wary anyway. “I don’t know…”



“Aw, c’mon, you’ll have to go to the library for your books, might as well introduce you to them.” At Willow’s confused look he elaborated. “We spend a lot of time there, the librarian is kinda our friend and all.”



Willow thought this was strange, but didn’t see any reason to refuse. “Alright.”



Xander gave her a thumbs up, just then Mr. Davis entered the classroom.





In another part of the building, sat on the back of a classroom, listening as the Biology teacher started a review of what was learned the previous year, while she doodled on her notebook.



It had been a stressful morning for her, having had so little sleep she didn’t wake when her alarm clock went off and had almost been late for her first day. Luckily, her mother gave her a lift, so in a few minutes she had her schedule in hand and a helpful student pointed the way to her first period.



She didn’t know how to feel about her new school. It wasn’t bad, well, for now anyway. No one had even acknowledged her yet and she was dreading the moment they finally smell the fresh meat.



Tara sighed, tuning out the teacher, who was really quite nice, but she just wasn’t focused enough. Her thoughts were on her mysterious dream. What did it mean? She had tried analyzing it over and over again, but didn’t find any real meaning behind the full moon or the wolf howl or anything else. It was really bugging her that she didn’t even knew why it was affecting her so much.



Three periods later, Tara entered the cafeteria with her head lowered, trying her hardest not to catch anyone’s attention. Of course, that wasn’t her lucky day.



“Hey, who’s the hippie?”



She gulped, glancing briefly at her clothes – a long skirt and a colorful sweater – and tried ignoring the blonde girl who made the comment.



“Must be new, a loser like that isn’t exactly easy to miss.”



Tara gripped her lunch tray hard and headed for an empty table, pretending not to hear the giggles and snickers on her way. She gulped down her lunch quickly, she still had to go to the library to get her books.





“Guys, this is Willow. Those are Buffy, Oz and my wonderful girlfriend Cordelia.” Xander gave the brunette in question a big grin.



Willow smiled to all of them, pausing briefly on Oz as a familiar smell reached her nostrils. The halfling, she thought, giving the green haired teen a dip of her head in respect, not really caring if he understood the gesture.



Oz sniffed the air and looked at the redhead strangely, not comprehending what he was smelling. It wasn’t human, but it wasn’t vampire either, it was like nothing he’d ever smelled before and it seemed a strangely appealing scent. Maybe… Could she be a werewolf like him? He decided to have a chat with Willow later.



“So, where’s Giles? Willow here needs her books.”



“He’s in his office doing whatever.” Buffy shrugged, pointing at a closed door behind her.



Willow nodded her thanks and headed for said door, knocking politely.



“Um, enter.” Came a British accented voice from the inside.



As she entered the office she encountered a forty-something bespectacled man wearing a tweed jacked.



“Mornin’, sir. I’m Willow O’Connor.”



“Ah, yes, good morning. Rupert Giles. Are you in need of anything?”



“My books, sir. Need ‘em, I’m ‘fraid.” She grinned.



“Oh, yes, I’ll get them for you. Could you wait here?”



“‘Course, sir.” Willow nodded and the man walked out in search of her books.



Willow absentmindedly looked around the tidy office, humming an old tune from her homeland. She spun around quickly when the door was opened, thinking the librarian was already back, and her world stopped for a long moment. In came a beautiful blonde girl with downcast slate blue eyes.



“Those eyes…” she murmured, her heart hammering. Her lungs were filled with an irresistible scent of peaches and honeysuckle.



“Oh!” Tara looked up and found herself lost in a pair of intense green eyes.



The pair gravitated toward each other, never breaking eye contact.



“I’m Willow.” The redhead murmured, slowly lifting her hand toward the blonde.



“I’m T-Tara...” Tara stuttered slightly, closing her own hand around Willow’s.



A current of shock passed through them. Something primal and unique that they’d never felt before. In that instant Willow knew that shy girl was her mate. Her father hadn’t told her how she would know, just that she would. It thrilled and scared her. She’d finally found her mate, but know she didn’t knew what to do, how to act. She sent a silent prayer to the Great Wolf and lifted Tara’s hand to her lips, kissing it delicately.



Tara shivered at the soft contact of those warm lips on the back of her hand. She swallowed hard when those eyes rose to meet hers, feeling completely tongue-tied.



Oh, Goddess, what do I do? Willow heard in her mind and her eyes widened. The Bond! It was already forming. The redhead knew Tara wouldn’t be ready for this development, so she put up her strongest mind shields, they would work for now as the Bond was just formed. It pained her to block her mate, but she didn’t really have any choice. Not so soon.



“Yer new ‘ere too, aye?” Willow asked the first thing that popped into her mind.



“Y-Yes.” Tara finally found her words. “Mr. G-Giles said I s-should wait here for my b-books.”



“I met ‘im, nice bloke. Bit twitchy, though.” Willow commented, making Tara giggle.



“You h-have a c-cute accent.” Tara said and then blushed hotly as she realized what she had said. She ducked her head. “S-sorry.”



“Hey now, none o’ that.” Willow gently lifted the blonde’s chin and offered her a large grin. “Thank ye, sum people think my accent a tad irritating, glad ye like it.”



“Eh, um…” Tara forced herself to not break eye contact.



“Yer very beautiful.” Willow whispered quietly.



Tara took a step back, her face as red as a ripe apple. “I, I…”



They were saved from further embarrassment when Giles reentered his office with a pile of books in his arms. The Englishman quickly and efficiently gave the books to each girl, the two thanked him and went their separated ways, but not before sharing a meaningful look. They both knew that they would meet again and often.



TBC…



So... Is Willow's accent good enough? Anyone from Ireland want to help me with that?

I'm not really sleepy, do I'll start on chapter three right now, the ideas just keep coming!



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:23 pm

[TemperedCynic]

An auspicious beginning. Quite daring to take a well-known legend like werewolves and weave a compelling rede that taps into ancient Celtic folklore.



Looks like the standard Buffyverse exists, with the Hellmouth intact. And possibly a Slayer to help versus evil? She'll need inept but enthusiastic friends at her side.



Will Willow have an Irish brogue, being from Ireland? And what separates the Wolf-People from humans and werewolves? Most important, how will she know her life-mate? By scent, instinct or magic mayhap? I know, too many questions to answer all at once and that would give away the enjoyment of the tale. Please continue, you have my interest.

---

More than any other time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, to total extinction. Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly. Woody Allen (1935 - )

[tarawhipped]

This is off to a very intriguing start, and I'm really looking forward to where you take it from here. Love the setting and the AU changes to the background story as well as your writing style. Can't wait to see how werewolf Willow pursues Tara. I'm also curious as to who the one halfling in Sunnydale is...if Angelus is out of the picture, it can't be him, and no other wolf in town means no Oz, I assume? I could guess all day, but I'm gonna keep my trap shut and just wait for more!



Excellent start!

-Cameron

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What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[hidden watson]

What an original idea! I don't think I've read (m)any fics with Willow as a werewolf, which by itself is surprising cos of the Oz connection (it would have been all too easy for him to bite her accidentally - okay this is giving me ideas), so I'm liking this already.



Tara having the same dream 5 times? Does it mean she has prophetic powers and can feel her mate is near? I wonder if she will be a witch in this fic. Because a wolf and a witch ... wow and yum!



Please continue.

------

quiet thoughts

[Tempest Duer]

Irish Willow? That's so cute! And she's a puppy! I hope Oz doesn't start with his wanting her for himself... but of course that's going to happen. I think we should just Oz before any of that happens but of course he hasn't actually done anything bad yet...



And I don't know about everyone else here, but I'm hearing a lovely Irish brogue for Willow here. Irish Willow! Yayness!

I got bitten by a drunk lesbian! Does that mean I'll turn into one?



~my friend Mary

[watersong84]

I love it! Willow? Irish? Great!



I must admit, I'm a little worried about Oz. I can sense the trouble-a-brewing. Oh well, I guess it will be dealt with... hopefully.



Great start!

[Brandnew]

What and awesome idea, I can't wait to see where you take this please update soon!

[dreamspace]

Tempest Duer: A puppy? That's a way of putting it, I think. Well, I'm sure you remember the Veruca thing, so you know Oz's inner wolf will be just twitching at the sight of a female wolf. No worries, though, he'll be barking up the wrong Willow tree. Thank you, I quite like Irish Willow myself, the accent is cute but I don't know if I'm writing it correctly. Thanks for feedbacking!



watersong84: Yes, Oz will indeed stir some trouble later on. Just wait and see, our redhead will put him in his place.



Brandnew: Many thanks! I hope you stay with us for the ride. Here's a dancing banana for you:



Chapter 3 is done, enjoy it and leave me some feedback, please!





CHAPTER 3 - FLIRTING



“Hey, why don’t you go to the Bronze with us tonight?” Xander asked as their last period ended.



“The who?”



“The Bronze, it’s the best hangout around here-“



“Not that there’s much competition anyway.” Cordelia remarked dryly.



“Anyway, it’s a cool place. What do you say?” Xander looked at Willow with his best puppy dog look.



“Hm…” Willow considered. “No, I don’t think so. I’d like to ‘ave a quiet night home.”



Xander’s shoulders slumped. “Alright then, your loss.”



“Maybe another time.”



“Just a piece of advice, don’t go out alone at night.” Buffy said seriously.



Willow stared at her for a long moment before nodding. “I’ll keep yer advice in mind.”



“Good. Well, guys, I have to go. Things to do, people to see. It was nice meeting you, Willow.” Buffy waved goodbye and went on her way.



“Aye, I ‘ave to go too, promised father I’d call ‘im.”



“Willow, can I talk to you?”



The others gave Oz a strange look, but Willow had seen that coming and wasn’t at all surprised.



“Aye, let’s take a walk. I’ll see ye tomorrow.” She nodded to the others and walked away with Oz on her tow.



“What did’ye want to talk ‘bout?” Willow asked casually.



Oz stared at her seriously. “What are you?”



Willow sighed. “What do ye think I am?”



“Are you like me?”



“More or less.” Willow stalled. “Can’t talk ‘bout it, sorry.”



Oz nodded solemnly, but clearly wasn’t buying it.



“Just know that I’m not ‘ere to do ‘arm.” Willow bowed her head. “Be seein’ ye ‘round.”





Tara was getting restless. She had been waiting for Willow to show up for fifteen minutes. She didn’t exactly know what she would do once she saw the redhead, she just knew she had to see her, even if it was just a glimpse before she went home. After that first encounter with the Irish girl in the library she hadn’t been able to take her off her mind. When they touched she felt an incredible connection with the redhead, it was so intense that it sent an electric current through her body. And then it was gone. She didn’t understand what was happening, how could it be gone just like that? She couldn’t have just imagined the whole thing, could she?



“Waitin’ fer sum’one?”



Tara almost jumped out of her skin at the unexpected question. She was so absorbed in her thoughts she didn’t even see Willow walking up to her until she spoke up. Suddenly she didn’t know what to say.



“Eh, I… um...” she blushed and ducked her head, hiding behind a curtain of blonde hair.



“Yer always this articulated?” Willow joked.



Tara looked up, a new fire in her eyes at the challenge. “Just near very beautiful ladies.” She murmured without a hint of stutter. The blonde watched in amusement as Willow’s eyes widened in surprise and a blush covered her neck and cheeks, then the redhead laughed at her own predicament.



Willow bowed her head, recognizing defeat, and looking at the blonde in a whole new light. “Yer more than ye look like.”



Tara smiled lopsidedly. “Isn’t everybody?”



Willow chuckled. “Aye, but sumhow I think yer more than everyun’ else.”



Tara raised her eyebrows. “I could say the same of you.”



“Yer not stutterin’ anymore.” Willow observed.



“I’m not nervous.”



“Good.” Willow grinned. “How ‘bout I walk ye ‘ome?”



“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Tara smiled bashfully.



“‘Tis no problem at all.”



“Um, alright then.”



“Lead the way, m’lady.” Willow offered her arm playfully, which Tara accepted with a mock curtsy.



“So, um, are you here with your parents?” Tara asked as they walked arm-in-arm.



“No, I’m on my own. My parents cannot leave ‘ome.”



“Why not?”



“They ‘ave work to do in Ireland.” Willow said.



“So you’re parents are important people or something?”



“Aye, ye could say that. How ‘bout ye? Yer ‘ere wit yer parents?”



“I’m with my mom, she, um, divorced. My d-dad wasn’t really n-nice.”



“Oh.” Willow was silent for a moment, anger filling her entire being. In that instant she wanted more than anything to rip apart the man that caused that look in her mate’s eyes. She closed her eyes and asked the Great Wolf for calm, she didn’t want to scare the blonde away.



“Are you ok?”



Willow’s eyes opened to find Tara’s worried gaze on her face. She realized then that she probably wouldn’t be able to block bouts of strong emotions and the blonde must have felt an echo of her distress. “Tha’ should be my line.”



Tara blushed. “I’m fine.”



“Yer certain?” Willow looked at her sideways.



Tara nodded and they walked in a comfortable silence.



“We’re here.” Tara announced as they reached a small, homey looking pale blue house.



“Nice ‘ouse.” Willow complimented walking her to the door.



“Thank you for walking me home, Willow.”



“T’was a pleasure, m’lady.” Willow smiled and lifted Tara’s hand to her lips, kissing it gently.



Tara blushed hotly. “I-I’ll see you tomorrow, um, at school.”



“Aye, ‘til tomorrow, m’lady.” Willow bowed and turned on her heels to walk back to her own home, which coincidently wasn’t that far from Tara’s, just a couple of blocks.



Willow walked at a leisure pace, enjoying the late afternoon sun. Night would soon come and she wanted to go home, take a shower and put on a clean set of clothes. Then she would explore The Hellmouth’s night life. Or unlife in this case. She hadn’t encountered many vampires before, the Clan Sanctuary was, after all, very well protected. Radulf had occasionally taken her out to show her what she could be fighting against someday. She had fought vampires and demons, but not many as her parents tended to be quite overprotective and immediately vetoed hers and Radulf’s outings. Sunnydale would be a good place to hone her fighting skills, she decided, and her parents didn’t need to know about it.



A couple of hours later she was ready to go. She had put on a tight pair on black jeans, her favorite combat boots and an Anarchy tank top that accentuated her modest bust. She tied her hair back in a loose ponytail, threw on a jacket and walked out.



TBC…



Next chapter Willow will take her night stroll and check out the Hellmouth. A cookie for the first to guess who she will find!



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:26 pm

[tarawhipped]

Sorry I misunderstood the halfling/wolf distinction...it wasn't your writing, it was me (I have to stop reading things before I've had my coffee ).



*sigh* I'm all swoony over gallant Willow. It's nice that Tara seems to be as intrigued and trusting of Willow as Willow is of her. I wonder how much that might change after Willow's er...pedigree is revealed. Does Tara still believe she's part demon, or not? That might make a difference in her acceptance.



Hmmm...what will Willow find on her walk? Um...COOKIES!!! No...wait...that's the reward. Ooh! How 'bout a rare first edition copy of Little Red Riding Hood in mint condition??? No? Oookay...then I'm guessing she'll run into Buffy slaying vampires. If I win, can I have Oreos?

-Cam

---

What should I be but just what I am? - Edna St.Vincent Millay

[watersong84]

Hmmmm... Cookies, eh?



I'm thinking I will have to guess that she'll run into Buffy. She seems to stroll the town a lot at night, looking for those pesky vampires.



I'm really enjoying this fic! Keep going!

[Tempest Duer]

Willow's going for walkies? I'd go for walkies with Willow.

I got bitten by a drunk lesbian! Does that mean I'll turn into one?



~my friend Mary

[hidden watson]

This is a strong, superstrength Willow who can do real good on the hellmouth. I like. I think she'll bump into the slayer on patrol, may be even with Xander, Oz and the rest. Will they join together to fight the big bads? Will there be a power struggle for who is alpha? From what I've seen so far, not likely, both Willow and Buffy seem to be sensible types.



Like that Oz is suspicious, can't be too careful on the hellmouth. Like that they recognize each other immediately and the respect Willow shows him, both this time and their first meeting. If he wants to, she has much to teach him on the wolf lores.



Like like like the W/T exchange. Full of undercurrent, hidden meaning and subtext.

Quote:

---

“Yer more than ye look like.”

“Isn’t everybody?”

---

So true, so true.



Seems all I can say is 'I like.' I do. Like, I mean.

------

quiet thoughts

[photographer02]

I haven't been giving feedbacks for quite some time but I always seem to get attracted about wolves. SO...I'M LOVING IT!! Willow + Irish = cute!! Please update please?



photographer02

[Still Waters T]

I'm in love with your fic! I love wolves too. Willow as a wolf, with the Irish accent, aw man, YAY!!



I like the whole finding her soulmate thing, and making sure to not overwhelm Tara totally with the Bonding. Aww. And the flirting, all cute.



I can't wait to read more!



Livvy

[Irishgrl3]

Wow, I just found this fic and am really digging it. I have to agree I haven't seen anything like it either and can't wait to see where the story goes. Looking forward to the next update. Great job!

[dreamspace]

Hey all!

Wow, so many left feedback, yay! I'm sorry, but right now I'm in a hurry, just finished chapter 4 and I have to go before my mum bites my head off. I'll post individual answers later. Thanks for feedbacking!



No one guessed who Willow would meet right. Tsk, tsk, no cookie for you. Maybe next time.



Here is chapter 4, enjoy.





CHAPTER 4 - FRIENDS





The wind feels good on my face, blowing my hair back, loosening a few copper strands from my ponytail. I sigh, tucking my hands in my jacket’s pockets. I’m feeling really content for some reason. Some reason? Who am I kidding, I know exactly what, or better yet who is the reason. Tara. Sweet, gentle Tara. My mate. It feels so good to finally be able to say it, I have found my mate, the one who makes me complete. Now I just wonder how I lived so long without her. It’s wonderful and absolutely terrifying this connection we have. I never felt anything so strong and I keep wondering, what if I don’t do it right and she doesn’t want to be my mate? I mean, it’s obvious she feels the connection, but what if when I tell her my true nature I end up scaring her off? What if she decides she’d rather be with someone normal?



The Bond is a serious matter, it ties two people’s souls together, binds them beyond the physical realm, mind, body and soul. You can’t go back on a Bond, once it’s complete, it’s forever. My worst fear, I think, is the Bond being one sided. It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes the connection only affects one person and the Bond is rejected. I still remember poor Tristan, he never recovered from the rejection and… killed himself two weeks later. What if that happens to me? I know she felt something, but… I can’t help being afraid.



I’m so pathetic. I’m supposed to live up to my Clan. Surrender only to death, that’s what I’ve been taught all my life and here I am, feeling sorry for myself because of something that might happen. Absolutely pathetic. Radulf would kill me if he saw me now. He’d say Chin up, kid, you’re giving up before the battle even begins. That’s exactly what I’m doing, isn’t it? Well, I won’t, not anymore. Starting tomorrow, I’ll forget my fears and court Tara. I’ll show her how important she is to me, how beautiful and wonderful I think she is and… When I tell her the truth and… if she doesn’t want to be with me… I’ll deal with it if it comes to pass. I will.



Suddenly I hear a sound. Like a fight. I look around, I hadn’t even realized that I’d entered a cemetery. Sounds like a vampire is playing with his food. I follow my ears, walking without making a sound, depending on the number of my opponents the element of surprise may be crucial. I stop short at what I see.



A young woman, brunette, average height, wearing leather pants and a black tank top, surrounded by four vampires. Now, that wouldn’t have shocked me if she hadn’t been fighting them or more likely beating up on them. She moved with impressive agility, every punch and kick delivered with massive force and she was enjoying it. It was obvious that the fight had been going on for sometime, she was tiring and one moment of distraction could be her last. So I decided to step in.



I want to get it over with, so I deliver a roundhouse kick at one of the vampire’s head, cracking his skull and sending him flying against a tree. The girl looks at me astonished as I grab another one in a headlock and almost twist his head clean of his shoulders. As he crumbles into dust she recovers from her shock and gives me a feral grin, backfliping impressively over a vampire and kicking him between the shoulder blades. The remaining vampire look at me and start to run, but I kick him on the back, sending him sprawling onto the ground. I grab a stake from the inner pocket of my jacket and finish him of quickly. I look up and find my companion on top of her vampire, so I throw my stake at her. She grabs it in the air without even looking and in less than I second the vampire is dust.



She stands on her feet, patting her clothes to get rid of the dust. I snatch my stake from the air as she throws it back at me and pocket it.



“Thanks.” She said. “But I could have finished them off myself.”



“I ‘ave no doubt o’ tha’, but I could use sum fun.” I responded amiably.



She grinned. “I’m Faith. You’re Buffy, right?”



I frown. “Buffy? I’m Willow.”



She looked at me with a perplexed stare. “What do you mean, you’re not Buffy? So you’re not the Slayer?”



Slayer? “Slayer?” I didn’t even know the Slayer was in town. Wait a minute. “Buffy is the Slayer?”



“Well, yeah. You know her?”



“I met ‘er today. At school.”



“So you’re not her. My watcher told me she was blonde anyway.” Faith shrugged, seemingly not very preoccupied with the situation.



“Yer… Yer watcher? I thought ye said Buffy was the Slayer.” I shot her a confused look.



“Oh, she is. I’m Slayer number two.”



I blinked. “‘Ow ‘tis possible? Two Slayers?”



“I dunno, really. Something about she dying and coming back or whatever.”



I’ll have to look into that. “Hm…”



“So, you going to tell me how you did all those things?” she asked walking beside me as we exited the cemetery.



“I’m special.” I said simply.



She stared at me for a moment, then shrugged. “Cool.”



I looked at her strangely. “Yer not bothered by this?”



“As long as you don’t use your moves on me, I’m cool.”



I smiled at her. “Thank ye.”



She waved at me noncommittally. “You don’t seem like a threat, plus you saved my ass back there, guess I owe you one.”



“T’was nothin’. An honor battlin’ wit the Slayer.”



I swear she looked almost embarrassed at that, but she hid it well. “One of them, you mean.”



“Yer the Slayer, whether Buffy was brought back or not the legacy is yers.” I looked at her seriously. It was the truth. If Buffy was really dead and then brought back to life the legacy of the Slayers belong now to Faith.



“What do you mean.”



“If Buffy dies again, ‘nother Slayer won’t be called. That legacy belongs to ye now, yer the Slayer.” I stated firmly.



Faith was silent for a long moment, pondering my words. I noticed one thing about her then. In all her life, she’d always been the second everything, even her own Calling. It was nice to be able to give her this one thing.



“Thanks, Red.” She said finally.



Red? “Red? Yer goin’ to ‘ave to be more original than tha’ if ye want to give me a nickname. My whole family ‘as red hair.”



She smirked at me. “You’re nickname has nothing to do with you hair, Red.”



I laughed, but decided not to ask. “So… ye just arrived?”



For a moment she looked somber, then she shrugged it off with a grin. “Yeah, still have to check on a motel.”



“Motel?”



“Well, yeah, it’s not like I have any other place to crash.”



“What ‘bout yer watcher?”



She flinched slightly and covered it so quickly that I wouldn’t have even noticed if I hadn’t been trained to watch people all my life. “She’s on v-vacation, some watcher vacation thing or whatever.”



I felt something painful was buried there, but decided not to pry. For some reason I wanted her to be comfortable around me. “Lazy Brits.”



She chuckled somewhat uncomfortably at my comment. I can see she’s relieved. “Yeah.”



“Well, ye could always ‘crash’ at my apartment if ye want.” I offer, feeling a bit strange with my usage of American slang, who understand these Yanks and their language? Ugh.



Faith looked at me like I had three heads. “What?!”



I shrugged. “I ‘ave spare bedrooms ye could use.”



She scrutinized me with her eyes. “What’s the catch?”



“‘Catch’?” By the Great Wolf, what is it with Americans and the proper use of the language?



“Yeah, what do you want from me?” she asked suspiciously.



Oh. Now I understood. Great Wolf, what kind of life must she have had not to trust anyone like this? “I could use a friend. I’m new ‘ere too.” I said simply, hoping that she would believe me.



She blinked, looking at me incredulously. “Friend? Is that all that you want?”



“Tis not easy to live alone, I like to ‘ave someone to talk to sometimes.” I said sincerely.



“Why are you being so nice, Red? You don’t even know me.”



“I’d like to.”



Faith stared at me, then took a deep breath. “Alright, Red.”



I grin at her happily. Then I remember something. “Well, I do ‘ave one condition.”



She raised a questioning eyebrow at me.



“Ye ‘ave to teach me tha’ backflip ye did.”



She laughed then. “No problem, Red. I’ll teach you my Xena move.”



“Xena?” I asked confusedly. What in the Nine Circles of Hell is Xena?



She laughed even more. “You have much to learn, Red, much to learn.”



I shook my head, thinking that I really should have studied more about the Americans before coming to Sunnydale.



TBC…



This is me changing Faith, Hope and Trick. Faith didn't go to the Bronze (the Scoobies did), she met Willow at the cemetery, so there. Next chapter more W/T interaction and more of Faith, don't you just love her?



See ya!



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:27 pm

[SaraBiga]

Willow O'Connor?????

An Irish Willow???

This is brilliant!!! Absolutely!

Been in Dublin for a few months now, and hearing Willow's brand new accent literally cracked me up!

Being Italian, I can't help you with the accent thing, but looks like you're doing a pretty good job there. Seems a bit strange she hasn't said a "thanks a million" yet, though. And remember, you can go through 70% of an Irish avarage conversation with two basic words: "grand" and "brilliant".

Well, at least that's what my Doobliner mates do...

Oh, and all her comments on Brits and Americans...



Ok, I really LOVED what you've done with Faith. That's the treatment that poor hottie has always deserved, not closet-case Buffy's denying of their most amazing UST!

Really happy to see 'em getting along this well, looking forward to see how it's like the two of them living together.



So, lemme guess, who's gonna live in the third bedroom?



You're gonna update soon, right? Right??!?

____________________________



"I love slow, slow but deep, feigned affections wash over me" Dead Can Dance



Einstein was right.

Edited by: SaraBiga at: 2/8/05 1:10 pm

[silentinformer]

Oh Wow I Have been AWOL Lately and missed this lovely gem but now that i have caught up again I say WOW . Wonderfully crafted and not rushed and A likeable faith (who next to willow and Tara is my favorite character) Irish Willow doesn't hurt either cause I sorta have a weakness for accents especially irish . Interesting twist to with the wolves and their mates can't wait to see the bond develop more



Update please



Silent

It's like I can't breathe, It's like I can't see anything, Nothing but you, I'm addicted to you



- Kelly Clarkson "Addicted"

[hidden watson]

How fitting that the 'outsiders' meet. Faith was a little blasé about Willow's powers, she was like "another girl with super strength and agility, yeah whatever." Though I think as a slayer she should have been a little more careful, but it may be slayer intuition, or just Faith. Probably the latter. Wait till she finds out Willow's a wolf though :).



This is fun, and you're updating often. Fantastic!

------

quiet thoughts

[watersong84]

Great update! I can't believe I didn't even think about Willow meeting Faith on her "walk". It's interesting to have them both (along with Tara) arrive in Sunnydale at the same time. And Willow and Faith living together -



Keep updating - this is great!

[Irishgrl3]

Nice introduction of Faith! It seemed natural for Faith to assume that Willow was Buffy because of her fighting skills. I wonder how she'll take it when she finds out the the truth, same for Tara I guess. Although no doubt Tara will be able to resist the charm that is Willow even with her secret. Great update, looking forward to the next chapter!

-anna

[stillrunning]

This is brilliant! I just read this fic and couldn't get over it. Irish Willow to me makes a LOT more sense...I always thought she looked massively Irish. And I love the whole premise of the wearwolf legacy and how you've sort of changed it around to fit your needs. Awesome job and great ideas!

"Heaven's not a place that you go when you die...it's that moment in life when you actually feel alive"

[dreamspace]

SaraBiga: People seem to like the idea of a Irish Willow a lot, I'm glad. Thanks for the tips accent-wise, I'll try and put more grands and brilliants on my story, heh.

Quote:

---

Ok, I really LOVED what you've done with Faith. That's the treatment that poor hottie has always deserved, not closet-case Buffy's denying of their most amazing UST!

---

I couldn't agree more. I really like Faith and I didn't like the way Joss treated her, so I'm doing things as I think they should have been. I always thought Willow and Faith had potential for being friends, I think the only thing separating them was Buffy.

Quote:

---

So, lemme guess, who's gonna live in the third bedroom?

---

Who indeed.



silentinformer: Welcome aboard, I hope you stay with us for the whole ride, wherever it will take us I don't know yet, but it's bound to be fun. Oh, Faith is one of my favorites too and you'll see a lot more of her on the story. Thanks for the feedback!



hidden watson: Hello again! Indeed Faith was a little blasé about the whole thing, but that's just her way of doing things. Willow helped her and she didn't sense any threat from her, so she figured, "well, she has secrets, but then, so do I." They will get along fine and when Faith finally finds out... Well, you'll see.



watersong84: Yes, I didn't really think anyone would think about Faith, since Buffy is the "main slayer" and all. I suppose I could have made Willow meet Buffy instead, but then it would spoil the surprise of Willow's true nature. Yes, yes, Willow and Faith living together will be very interesting, just imagine Faith teaching Willow about the joys Xena. That's one of the things I intend to show. The rest is surprise



Irishgrl3:

Quote:

---

Nice introduction of Faith! It seemed natural for Faith to assume that Willow was Buffy because of her fighting skills.

---

Yes, I thought so too. Faith's watcher probably didn't tell her much about Buffy, so I think Faith only figured it out on Faith, Hope and Trick because of the stake thingy. Kinda obvious, Slayer = stake. In my story she met Willow first, so she put two and two together and came up with five.

Quote:

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Although no doubt Tara will be able to resist the charm that is Willow even with her secret.

---

Obviously, it will be quite a shock to Tara, but who can stay mad a Willow for long? Or at all?



stillrunning: Thank you! I love the idea of Willow being Irish. I've read some fics where that happens, but there's not too many so I thought I'd make one myself. How am I going so far?



Thank you all for the wonderful feedback and for you who were anxiously waiting, here is chapter 5. Enjoy!







CHAPTER 5 - GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER





Tara’s POV:



Once again I had little sleep last night, while before it had been because of my strange dreams – which, by the way, are suspiciously gone – now the reason of my insomnia was completely different. Yesterday was my first day at Sunnydale High and it was not as bad as I’d expected, I got some teasing, but was left alone most of the time. The highest point, of course, was when I met this girl, who coincidentally was new in Sunnydale as well. She was slightly shorter than me and her red hair was straight and shiny, almost reaching her waist. But what liked most about her was neither her elfin beauty, nor her quick smile and quirky sense of humor, it was her eyes that attracted me the most. Deep, intense green eyes that could pierce my very soul with just one glance. I could probably stare at them all day without getting tired, just counting the several flecks of gold inside her deep emerald pools.



Oh Goddess, I sound so lovestruck that it’s corny. How can she fascinate me so much after only one day of meeting her. Okay, she was incredibly sweet walking me home – why was I waiting for her anyway? – and she made me feel so comfortable that I forgot all about my shyness. Goddess, I think I even flirted with her a little. This is so unlike me, I shouldn’t be doing this, it’s bound to go wrong. It’s no good to be pinning after a girl I just meet, even if it’s an incredibly sweet, funny, beautiful girl with the cutest accent ever.



Last night after she had went on her way I was practically floating as I entered home. I was giggly, for Goddess’ sake, I don’t do that. I’m introspective, quiet and shy, not giggly at all. Mom, of course, was suspicious and asked me right away what had happened. I think I never stammered or blushed so much. Obviously, I had to make up some ludicrous story to convince my Mom that nothing unusual had happened. I still haven’t told her about me liking girls and I don’t really know how to approach her. I figured if I was going to be single my whole life, why bother? This thing with Willow may not even work out, I mean, for I all know she’s straight and absolutely not interested. Plus I don’t really know what Mom’s reaction will be, she’s always been very understanding and always told me to do what makes me happy, but… This is different and I just don’t know how to approach the subject, I can’t very well say ‘Hey Mom, how was you day? And by the way, I’m a lesbian’.



Why life has to be so complicated? A few months ago I was still scared to death of my father, who told me my whole life that I was nothing more than a demon and that I would end up killing my whole family. My mother was really sick and I had almost lost all hope that she would ever get better, then she did and my life changed for the better. She divorced and moved us to California. Now here I am spending sleepless nights thinking about a girl I barely know. Who would have thought?



Well, I better not dwell on this. I still have some time before the bell rings and I don’t want to waste much time on this. Better go with the flow and see what happens. Maybe, just maybe she is interested in me, but I’m not getting my hopes up. Good things usually don’t happen to people like me. Sigh.



My gloomy thoughts are immediately dispelled when I see Willow sitting on a bench just outside the school. Suddenly the whole day seems a lot brighter. Her hair is down today, falling in waves over her shoulders and down her back. She’s dressed simply, much like yesterday, a pair of jeans, a dark blue tank and sneakers, but she’s so beautiful. Her eyelids are closed, hiding those sparkling green eyes and she has a serene expression on her face.



“Good morning.” I said, walking up to her.



Her eyes remained closed and she didn’t move an inch, as if she hadn’t heard me. I frowned, was she ignoring me? Then I noticed she was wearing earphones that were almost completely hidden by her hair. I smiled and reached for her shoulder to get her attention. She surprised me by intercepting my hand before it touched her and she smiled up at me.



“G’mornin’.”



“How- How did you?” I sat beside her, absolutely baffled.



She grinned and tapped the side of her nose. “Smelled ye comin’.”



I blinked, not expecting that answer. She’s so mysterious, I don’t really understand her most of the time. I changed subjects. “What are you listening to?”



She simply took off one of her earphones and hooked it gently on my right ear. I instantly recognized the melody.



Fingers trace your every outline

Paint a picture with my hands

Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm

Change the weather still together when it ends



That may be all I need

In darkness she is all I see

Come and rest your bones with me

Driving slow on Sunday morning

And I never want to leave



I looked at her curiously. “Maroon 5?”



She just shrugged. “Kevin thought tha’ if I was goin’ to America I should listen to American music. T’is not tha’ bad.”



“Kevin?” For a moment I thought she was going to say this Kevin was her boyfriend and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.



“My brother, ‘e is twelve. Kevin likes American popular culture way too much.” She frowned cutely, luckily not noticing my relieved sigh as she put her earphones back into her pack with her diskman and books.



“Oh. I didn’t know you had a brother.” I stated the obvious. I mean, duh, of course I didn’t know, we met yesterday. I’m so lame.



“I ‘ave three siblings. Kyran, my oldest brother, who’s twenty-five, my sister Erin is sixteen and then comes Kevin.”



“Wow, it must be nice to have a big family.” I commented wistfully.



“Sumtimes. Kyran is actually livin’ ‘ere with ‘is m- I mean, wife.”



I frowned. She was going to say something, then stopped herself. However, I decided not to pry, but even then I was getting more and more curious about this girl.



“Really? Where?” I asked to cover for my curiosity.



“San Francisco. ‘e works for a big software company, loves ‘is computers.” She smiled fondly, making me wonder what it would be like to have a close relationship with my brother as she obviously had with hers. “What ‘bout ye? Siblings?”



I swallowed. Thinking about my brother always made me uneasy. “I have a b-brother, Donny. We aren’t very c-close.” I cursed myself for my stutter, I’m so pathetic. Then I felt Willow’s hand on mine, squeezing gently. I looked at her and the raging emotions in her eyes confused me. Sadness and sympathy I could understand, but she was also… angry. Her jaw was tense as if she was controlling herself not to do something harsh. Goddess, what does that mean? First when I talked about my father, now this?



“I shouldn’t ‘ave asked.” She said quietly, obviously feeling guilty for my distress.



“It’s not your fault.” I was quick to reassure her. “It’s just… It was a difficult time when I lived in my father’s farm. I’m just glad it’s over.”



“Ye shouldn’t ‘ad to go through tha’ at all. Family’s supposed to protect ye, not to cause ye fear.” She said fiercely, lacing our fingers together.



I don’t know if it was the protectiveness in her voice or the warmth of her hand in mine, but I suddenly felt a lot better. I had the feeling that Willow would protect me from everyone and everything and I never felt safer.



The bell rang, signaling the start of the classes. We sighed in unison at having out talk interrupted, but before we walked to out separated classes we promised to meet at lunchtime in the library, so I was not so sad when we finally parted.





General POV:



The classes flew by and before they knew it was lunchtime. Willow got to the library first and to her dismay it was already occupied by the Scoobies. She cursed inwardly for forgetting that this was their meeting place. She wondered if she could slip out before they noticed her, but no such luck.



“Hey Will!” Xander spotted her and waved her over.



She signed and walked to their table muttering a dozen of different curses in her mind. Just bloody brilliant.



“How’s it going? We didn’t have any classes together today.”



Before she could answer, another person entered the library. It was Faith, wearing her favorite leather pants and a white tank top that didn’t leave much to the imagination. She scanned the library and grinned when she spotted Willow.



“Hey Red!” she greeted, walking over.



Willow gave the brunette a quirky smile. “I see ye found the library. Finally got out o’ the bed?”



Faith pretended to be offended. “I need my beauty sleep, ya know?” she glanced at the bemused Scoobies. “So… which one is her?”



“Tha’ one.” Willow pointed at Buffy.



Faith stared at Buffy for a moment then raised an eyebrow. “I thought you would be taller.”



Buffy’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”



“You don’t look like you could hurt a fly, much less fight vampires.”



“What?!” Buffy got up so fast that her chair fell to the ground with a resounding bang, rousing the librarian from his office.



“What seems to be the problem?” Giles asked, looking at the blonde Slayer disapprovingly.



“She… She…” Buffy pointed at Faith, not quite knowing what to say.



“Knows about the Slayer gig.” Cordelia supplied, not even remotely worried by the fact.



Faith shot Giles a winning smile. “Hello, I’m Faith, the Vampire Slayer.”



“The what now?” Xander looked at her wide-eyed.



“Another Slayer? Yes, yes, you must have been called after Kendra…” Giles muttered to himself.



Willow just watched slightly amused as the introductions were made. She wondered briefly what would happen when Tara arrived and what was taking her so long.



“So, um, how do you know Will here?” Xander asked.



Willow jumped in before Faith could answer. “Faith saved me from vampires last night.”



Faith looked at Willow curiously. The redhead shot her a pleading look, so she didn’t comment.



“You know about vampires?” Oz spoke up, his face stoic.



“I know enough.” Willow answered cryptically.



Giles was about to ask when Tara finally came in. Willow sent her thanks to the Great Wolf and made quick excuses before taking the bewildered blonde by the arm and leading her out of the library as fast as she could.



“So…” Faith broke the silence that had befallen the library. “What’s up on the Hellmouth?”



TBC…



Just for the record, the song Willow was listening was Sunday Morning by Maroon 5, it doesn't really add anything to the story, but it's one of my favorites.



Updates coming faster than I had thought, I hope I don't run out of ideas. *knocks on wood* Geez, better not jinx it.



So, how is it so far? Hey, does anyone know what day of the week was the Homecoming on the Third Season? It's not crucial information, but it would be nice to know. *hinthintnudgenudge*



See ya!



Anna

Edited by: Warduke at: 3/11/05 7:29 pm

[ultimatecouple]

Very original! We enjoyed it immensely ....

[watersong84]

Great update.

What's up with Willow's evasive answers though? Seems like it would be better to just at least come clean with the fact that she can fight and stuff. Maybe the Wolf stuff she could leave out for now... she's probably all uncomfortable.



Update soon!

[Tempest Duer]

I'm liking this so far. I'm hoping you don't run out either. *knocks on wood for your luck*

I got bitten by a drunk lesbian! Does that mean I'll turn into one?



~my friend Mary

[hidden watson]

Love giggly, flirty Tara. Wonder what she told her Mom and how she (both Tara and her Mom) will react when she learns that she's Willow's mate.



The Scoobies' reaction to Faith were spot on. Buffy's disbelief, though I expected more mistrust, may be that's to come; Giles immediately looking for a reason, Xander's wide eye (and probably drooling) response and best of all, Cordelia's matter-of-fact indifference.



Best news of all, that you have lots of ideas and we can look forward to more updates. Can't wait.

------

quiet thoughts

[Irishgrl3]

Tara's Pov was great! She's crushing already.

Loved the line;

Quote:

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“Smelled ye comin’.”

---

Faith coming out (so to speak) to the Scooby's was classic. Each character was written nicely! Can't wait for the next update.

-anna