Heh ... I had to look up which vignette number I was on *G* Anyway, some replies ('cuz all y'all rocketh muchly) and then the vignette.
**Mix: Heh ... thank you *G* Little Rose(Willow)/Tara are a whole lot of fun for me ... and I'm really happy I have readers who actually like them, as it's a little bit weird. Kid stuff isn't everyone's cup of tea, I know, but I like writing it, and lots of you like reading it, so that's all good.
**Bookcat: Heh ... that was a fun exchange - I have to admit, despite it having been a request, I probably would have put of writing that if it hadn't been for the fact that FX had >just< reshown it, and by some odd change of nature, I actually caught it. And thank you again for the thesaurus entry - I love that *G*
**witchbitchwillow: Actually, I don't think you fell behind ... iirc, I posted those on the same day *shrug* I was in a writing mood. But thank you - though, don't hold your breath for getting a Naughty Willow on your 20th birthday - I didn't get one on mine, so I don't think anyone just hands them out when you turn 20. Though, that would be >extremely< cool *G*
**BoredNow99: Why, thank you *G* And 'stupendous' is a great word - doesn't sound stuffy and British at all.
**The Rose24: Oh, it's definitely one of my favorite eps, too, though I've only managed to catch it twice.
**earthlovinwicca: What was under Willow's dress? Heh ... ask Autumn. I'm sure she has a much better idea than I do *G*
**4WiccanLuv: Thanks! And yeah, I'm sure Rose/Tara could be cuter ... I just, personally, have no idea how, or I'd have them do it *G* Suffice to say, they're as cute as I can possibly imagine them being.
**KathleenWolf: Gosh, thank you *G* And yeah ... the whole 'happy tears' thing is way confusing ... it's always best to ask and find out, so you know if you need to panic or not *G*
**Katharyn: Heh ... thank you *G* And, ummm ... should I be worried that my best stuff is plotless? Gosh ...
-Sass
Series: Vignettes
Number: 18
Title: Unwinding
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to
pink_overalls@yahoo.comSpoiler Warning: None
Summary: Tara had a hard day at work. And no, I don't know where she works or what she does for a living … I don't >have< to think of those things - it's a vignette.
Disclaimer: I didn't create these characters. I do, however, love them, and as they reside in my heart, they belong to me. I'm not making any money off of them, though.
Rating: PG-13
Unwinding
Part 18 of the Vignettes Series
by Sassette
"You, Ms. Rosenberg, are a saint," Tara sighed, then groaned as Willow's fingers dug into the arch of her foot. She bit her lip, her eyelids drifting closed and let out a tiny whimper, Willow's hands massaging her feet through her pantyhose.
"Yes, yes I am. The first Jewish Saint," Willow said, raising an eyebrow and casting an amused look at Tara as Tara continued to be very vocally appreciative of Willow's efforts. Of course, if she were honest with herself, it was turning her on, but she tried not to think about it. Tara had come home, plopped down on the couch, thrown her arm over her eyes, huffed once, then didn't move. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Tara had had a rough day.
Tara cracked a slight smile at Willow's rejoinder, her eyes still covered by her arm. "Thank you," she murmured happily. "This feels wonderful."
"Oh, the pleasure's all mine, Miss Tara," Willow said, her voice light and playful. "I like rubbing you."
"I take it back," Tara said, lifting her arm slightly and peering at Willow, her eyes twinkling. "You can't be a saint, because you are a wicked, wicked woman."
"I am, and you love it," Willow said, switching to the other foot.
"You're gosh darn right I do," Tara said, grinning broadly and letting her arm drop back down over her eyes. "How'd I get so lucky?" she asked rhetorically.
"Well, you see," Willow said slowly, a sly grin crossing her face. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Tara."
Tara snorted indelicately, lifting her arm again to grace Willow with a dubious look.
"Stop it," Willow admonished, swatting her leg. "It's my story, and I'll tell it as I see it. You just lie there and look yummy, okay?"
Tara giggled in response, letting her arm drop again and grinning widely as Willow continued.
"Where was I?" Willow said dramatically, stopping her foot rub for a moment to raise a finger to her chin as she pretended to be deep in thought. Tara wiggled her feet on Willow's lap, silently demanding that the special treatment continue, and Willow complied, starting up again. "Right. A beautiful princess named Tara. Anyway, Princess Tara, though very shy, was also very, very brave, and she traveled the land looking for her one true love. She came to a place called Sunnydale, and it was a bad place, full of evil beasts and demon-type things and all scary and wrong. But Princess Tara was not afraid, for she knew that she must have found Sunnydale for a reason - that fate must have guided her there. And so she stayed, taking classes and trying to get her college degree, for Princess Tara was also a very smart princess, who knew that a career was very important for a modern woman, princess or no."
Tara laughed silently, her belly shaking as Willow rambled on, wondering what kind of silly and somewhat twisted things Willow would come up with when relating the story of how they met in the form of a classic fairy tale. Somehow, Tara suspected it would be rather unique.
"But Princess Tara knew that classes weren't enough - oh no! - classes weren't everything," Willow went on grandly. "If Princess Tara were going to meet her one true love, she would have to join some of the campus clubs, and meet people of similar interests. It wouldn't do to find her one true love, and then realize later that they had nothing in common - no, Princess Tara would join the clubs and find her one true love among the members. But what clubs? What clubs could she possibly join?"
"The Wicca Club," Tara stage-whispered, a small smile playing about her lips. "Princess Tara should join the Wicca Club."
"The sewing club?" Willow asked, her head tilting to one side as she pretended to consider the idea, continuing to rub Tara's feet. "Princess Tara did think it would be useful if her one true love could sew, because she could do buttons, but nothing bigger than that," Willow said with a smirk. "But she really had no interest in sewing, so she decided against it."
"The Wicca Club," Tara said louder this time, pouting playfully.
"Hush - we're not at that part yet," Willow stage-whispered, giving Tara's foot a little squeeze. "So," she continued on in her storyteller's voice, "Tara considered the basket-weaving club. She rather enjoyed weaving baskets, because they were all reedy and fun, and when she was done, she had a nice pretty basket to show for it," Willow went on.
"Basket-weaving?" Tara asked incredulously, lifting her arm again and giving her lover a stern look. "Is that some kind of hint? Do you want me to start weaving baskets?"
"Someone's speaking, but tra la la, I don't hear them," Willow said, shaking her head from side to side, "because the person who spoke is not the storyteller, and if they're quite finished interrupting, I'd like to get on with it."
"I've got the conch! Let me speak!" Tara said with a laugh, remembering reading 'Lord of the Flies' her freshman year of high school. Oh, how she had hated that book.
"Nuh-uh," Willow said, shaking her head again. "You are chonch-less. Completely without conch. I am the only conch-ful person in this room. I'm chock full of chonchy goodness, and so I get to tell my story, and you get to listen. Or no more foot rubbing," Willow added when Tara looked like she was going to say something more.
"Right," Tara said, a fondly amused smile crossing her face. "You're conch-girl, and I'm listening," she said, then lifted a hand to pantomime zipping her lips shut.
"Good," Willow said with a little nod, mollified by Tara's agreement. "So, Princess Tara considered basket weaving, but then realized that her one true love couldn't possibly do something as mundane as weave baskets. Sure, there was nothing wrong with a good hearty weaving session, but that wasn't what Princess Tara wanted from her one true love. Princess Tara thought and thought and though, and then she realized she knew what she wanted - she wanted passion, and tenderness … beauty and wonder. Princess Tara wanted magic."
"Oooh, smart girl," Tara murmured, a small smile crossing her face and a happy sigh issuing forth as Willow started rubbing her toes. Lucky girl, too, she silently added.
"And so Princess Tara joined the college wicca group, which we all know is really more of a lonely hearts club for lesbians," Willow added conspiratorially, her statement earning an outright belly-laugh from Tara. "Princess Tara went to the first meeting, and looked around, but she did not see her one true love. And, frankly, she didn't see any magic, either, for the college wicca group was more interested in baking than spells, and Princess Tara was frustrated. But, being a polite and kind princess, she said nothing, instead going to the meetings each week, hoping that one day, her one true love would join the group."
"Oh, it's so suspenseful," Tara said, smiling wickedly.
"If you're not quiet, no ending for you," Willow said, pinching Tara's toe lightly.
"I was merely showing my appreciation for your fine storytelling form," Tara protested. "It >is< very suspenseful. I can't wait to hear whether or not Princess Tara's one true love shows up."
"Well, if you're quiet, I'll tell you," Willow said with a smile, her heart feeling full and happy at this quiet time spent with Tara. It was silly, yes, but Willow was having a great time, just seeing where she could take this story, and admonishing Tara for interrupting. "Then one day, a rather foolish girl game to the meeting," Willow said.
"Foolish?" Tara asked, frowning and lifting her arm to look at Willow, a concerned look on her face. "Sweetie -"
"No, just listen," Willow said with a little smile, waiting until Tara's arm covered her eyes again before continuing. "This foolish girl knew all about magic, or so she thought, and so she had joined the wicca group hoping to improve her spells so she could do more to help the bravest knight in the land, who fought the evil beasts and assorted nasties that inhabited Sunnydale."
"You have about three seconds to take this somewhere I don't disagree with," Tara said quietly. It had taken them so long to work through Willow's lingering issues regarding self-image that Tara found the turn the story had taken a little disturbing, despite Willow's reassurances.
"But that wasn't the foolish thing about the girl, for she had not been raised to magic as Princess Tara had, and so her ignorance could not be held against her," Willow added.
"Better," Tara said with a little nod.
"No, what was foolish about this girl was that she sat down, and she looked across the circle, and her eyes met Princess Tara's. There was something there, but the foolish girl had no idea what it was - for you see, she was too foolish to know her one true love when she saw her. Princess Tara, however, was not so foolish, and recognized right away that she had finally found the one she had sought for so long," Willow went on, earning a tiny grin from Tara. It was a long-standing joke between them that Tara had recognized her feelings for Willow right away, and that Willow had remained baffled for so long.
"So then what happened?" Tara asked when Willow fell silent for a few long moments, the red-head's mind thinking back to that time, wondering how she hadn't seen something that was so very clear now.
"Oh, right," Willow said sheepishly, finding the thread of her story again and resuming. "Princess Tara was still very shy, though, and so she said nothing to the foolish girl, but found out her name. Willow. Princess Tara hugged the knowledge to her, drawing little hearts in the margins of her notes and writing Willow's name over and over, and generally doing all the silly things that college girls in love do - not caring that it was conduct unbecoming a princess," Willow teased, remembering the time she had found one of Tara's old notebooks. A pleased smile had crossed her face when she had noticed Tara's doodles. And then her jaw had dropped when she noticed the date on the paper.
"I'm never going to live that down, am I?" Tara said with a mock-aggrieved sigh.
"No, you are not," Willow said, deciding to skip the lecture about the interruption this time. "So anyway, that night, very very scary, and very very bad things came to Sunnydale, and the monsters stole everyone's voices away. With no voice, Princess Tara could not tell her one true love of her feelings, or even just say hello if she chickened out," Willow went on. "Needless to say, Princess Tara was perturbed."
"Perturbed? I think I remember being scared out of my mind. Or maybe even petrified … but I don't think 'perturbed' is the word I would use," Tara said wryly.
"Oh, but you see, that didn't matter - because Princess Tara is a very very brave princess, and so she went to find Willow, hoping they could somehow stop the creatures. And so, in the dark of night, with evil beasts all around, Princess Tara snuck out of her castle, and made her way to the castle where Willow lived," Willow said.
"What did Willow do at the castle?" Tara asked.
"Huh?" Willow asked, a little thrown by the question.
"Well, Princess Tara was a princess - what did Willow do at her castle?" Tara repeated dutifully.
"Oh, umm," Willow said, her mind casting around for what she did. "Willow was the Grand High Geeky Computer Consultant for King Giles the British, as well as the best friend of Princess Buffy, who was also the bravest knight in all the land," Willow decided after a moment.
"You are not geeky," Tara said with a little frown.
"Yes, I am," Willow disagreed. "But I'm damn proud of it, and I make a heck of a lot more money than all the people who made fun of me in high school, and I have a hotter girlfriend, too," she said with a little smirk.
Tara laughed, a light blush covering her cheeks, then waved her hand imperiously. "You may continue your story, Grand High Geeky Computer Consultant from the court of King Giles the British."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Willow said with a little grin. "So, Princess Tara braved the perilous journey, finally arriving at the castle where Willow lived, but alas, Princess Tara was set upon by the vile, foul creatures. The alarm was raised, and Willow awoke in the ruckus."
"Ooh, ooh, lemme' guess!" Tara said, raising her hand in the air. She knew Willow wasn't actually annoyed with the interruptions, and Tara was having far too much fun to just sit quietly.
"No guessing," Willow said sternly. "Willow awoke in the ruckus," she repeated, continuing on. "Willow found Princess Tara, but Willow lived in a cowardly castle, and all the brave knights were out trying to track the beasts, and so they all stayed in their beds despite the alarm. And so Willow and Princess Tara ran, with the creatures right behind. Willow fell, but Princess Tara would not leave her one true love, and helped her rise again, and they hobbled away as best they could."
"You seem to be glossing over the fact that if Princess Tara had just stayed home, none of this would have happened," Tara pointed out.
"Ah, yes," Willow said, raising a finger in the air like she was about to make an all-important point. "And it would not have, but as we shall see, it had to. For if Princess Tara had stayed home, and Willow and Princess Tara had not faced the peril together, they wouldn't have gotten to the smoochies just a few weeks later," Willow said.
"Good point," Tara said with a laugh. "Because nobody wants delayed smoochies."
"Right," Willow said with a nod. "Princess Tara and Willow found a little room, full of machines that did the work of twelve washer-women … not that men are incapable of doing laundry by hand, mind you, but that has nothing to do with the story, so I'll move on … and they realized their only exit was now blocked by the creatures."
"Oooh … trapped. That's not good," Tara said with a little smile.
"Yes, trapped!" Willow said dramatically. "And so Willow threw herself at the altar of sugary caffeinated soda goodness henceforth called simply 'soda machine', and Princess Tara moved to help, only to find they did not have the strength of arms to move it."
Tara giggled helplessly at Willow's serious description of the soda machine, then subsided, knowing Willow was giving her a mock-glare, even though her arm was still covering her eyes. "Sorry. Continue," Tara said with another giggle.
"Willow tried valiantly to move it with her magic, but it was not strong enough, and so defeated and weary, her ankle bruised and demons at the door, she fell against the machine that did the work of twelve washer-women, sliding to the floor. Princess Tara could not say anything, though she longed to give words of hope and encouragement to her one true love, so instead, she sat near her. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Princess Tara, and tentatively, she held out her hand, taking Willow's in her own and twining their fingers together," Willow said.
"I like this part," Tara said happily.
"Willow could feel the magic in that touch, and it flowed through them, bright and full of power. As one, their heads turned, and the 'soda machine' flew through the air, blocking the door and keeping the demons from reaching them. And so Princess Tara, through her bravery and determination, found her one true love, and they lived happily ever after," Willow finished grandly. "Well, except for the part where Princess Tara's one true love's ex-boyfriend came back, but they got through that okay, and >then< they lived happily ever after."
Tara giggled again, far past the point where memories of that time bothered her - in fact, she and Willow still exchanged Christmas cards with Oz and his family. "Bravo," Tara said with a laugh, clapping her hands and smiling at Willow.
"Thank you, thank you," Willow said, bowing her head as she continued working on Tara's feet. "I'll be here all week. And next week. Oh, and the week after that."
"And the week after that?" Tara asked happily, the story and the foot rub having worked in raising her spirits and making her forget all about her bad day.
"Every week for the rest of your life," Willow promised.
"Mmm … deal," Tara said.
______________________________________
I Think The Hellmouth Tastes Like Chicken -- Autumn
by oneinten » Wed Jun 12, 2002 8:41 am 
That was wonderfully adorable. 
I loved this, Sass. 
FAWN 
at: 6/16/02 9:40:43 pm