New Fic - Neverland

[Zooeys_Bridge]

I clearly need a re-read of this, because I've forgotten what exactly it is that Willow does. I remember conference calls? Why does Will keep it from Tara again?

I feel ashamed even asking this. Guess I know something to do during spring break...

[masterjendu]

Chapter 22, Rach! 'Course re-reading Neverland is always a good idea!

[Zooeys_Bridge]

thankee, Jen! I'll run to that for a quickie and then the rest another time.

P.S. you're freakishly well-versed in this clearly, you are the kitten master. (and not in the creepy/dirty way)

P.P.S oooooomigod, right. of course! how could I forget? truly touching.

[WillowRTaraM1]

Ohh ya'll are criminal bumping this .. but fun! I think my favorite scene would have to be when Willow was writing on the window. It was so Willow and Tara. Man it's fading from my memory! Off to re read

[LittleBit]

I'm currently going through my 4th re-read of this fic! It's awesome and I really wish Heather would return and provide another update soon! There are so many parts of this fic that really stuck a nerve with me but it's their complete lack of awareness of their respective feelings that gets me. Everyone else can see what's going on except them ... has anyone ever been in their shoes?

[shiraz]

Hmmmm, fave scene? I don't think I can limit it to one...

Willow writing on the steamy window, Tara going all butch in the bathroom at the women's club, hanging the fairy lights in Tara's bedroom, Tara listening to the CD, their dinner out, all the times she cooked for Will...

Heather's writing rocks...shower scenes, the detail with which she explaings the simplest things - when Tara makes coffee or cooks a mealI can smell it and see it, Tara painting, Tara's paintings

Gotta head to work but I love this whole fic and please update soon!

Thanks, Shiraz

[em317]

does anyone know why there are always 6 months between each installment?

[writerfreak]

Creative license would be my guess, I know as a writer myself it isn't always easy to get an update done in any reasonable amount of time. Sometimes that's just how it happens. However I will say that soon I think most of the kittens will really start begging for an update. Yep.

writerfreak

[LittleBit]

However I will say that soon I think most of the kittens will really start begging for an update.

What do you mean soon?!?!? I think the begging began quite some time ago!

Please Heather can we have some more!!!!

[DaddyCatALSO]

em317; I do soem writing also (just hobby so far, so far) and creative blockage explains a lot, but I think it goes beyond that. However, not knowing Heather personally, any speculations would be out of line, beyond saying what she's basically almost admtited, that this story touches on soem personal hot buttons of her own which makes doing the updates the way she wants to do them difficult for her. Probably especially as Willow's confonrtations with Sheila and Buffy get closer.

[restlessminds]

Hmm, there's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said so thanks for what you've written so far.

Now, if you do ever fancy posting an update, I for one will read it with a Smiths song in my heart and a somewhat tense smile on my face.

I am an angst magnet but if this keeps up you may just break me.

Er, if it's not clear already, I kinda love this fic.

[Wicca Ness]

I hope i don't bring any ones hopes up by this, sorry if i do , but i just gotta put my 2 scents in, I hope we get an update soon i need my neverland dose. I love it, i told my best friend it wasnt finished and that our girls were barely getting together, and she said "and it's you're favorite?"
yes, yes it is, it is just that good, so please pretty please, can we have an update?

[fhiwda]

ummm...

AMAZING!!!!

I couldn't stop reading!

[Owl]

Okay, I promised myself that the next time this fic was bumped I would finally de-lurk and contribute to the well deserved praising of it, so here I go.

This story is amazing. I love the way Willow and Tara each have their own lives that they've established and they're both successful in what they do, yet they're each revolving around the other unknowingly in a way that connects them. Like they're alone, together.....well not really alone. I kinda lost what I was trying to say. Anyway, whatever it is, I love it.

Trying to pick favourite scenes was fun. I came up with: (in no particular order) the scene at the gallery where Tara tells Will all about 'Fillmore', the moonlight 'are we friends' scene on the stairs, the afternoon of painting Willows eye colour and the spelling bee and finally the whole last few updates partly because they're really beautiful and fun and partly because I saw The Black Keys a few months ago and it was definitely one of the best concerts I've ever been to, so I'm slightly biased on that one.

Also, those are by far not ALL of my favourite scenes. I could go on forever (seriously) but I don't think anyone really wants that. Suffice to say, I love this fic very, very much and whenever you next update I will be right here reading. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.

[DaddyCatALSO]

I'm still scared about Tara's meeting the deadlines for the show! And this doesn't help :-).

[GreatedEnergy]

Well, since it has been bumped anyway....

I like many of my fellow kittens, do anxiously await the next update... I find myself alternating between pounding my head onto my desk waiting for the LONGEST WEEK I have ever had to endure (namely,waiting for Willow to tell her Mom) to finish...OR wanting to say, "Take your time cause it is worth the wait and I can appreciate the time envolved in writing/crafting such an incredible story".

OR simply.... the concusion from the former is causing me to say the latter. Great story!

GE

[The ear pixie]

Wow! This is totally going on my faves list for fanfic. After I read the first chapter I couldn't stop.... which isn't necessarily a good thing. =P You could take over the world that way, good for you!

[WillowRTaraM1]

Ok I'll be the evil bumping one this time...

I just HAVE to say.. today marks exactly 1 year from the last update

We need more neverland goodness!

[-Always-]

I just wanted to say again how much I've loved this story Heather. I read it for the first time almost three years ago, and it has stuck with me since.
You make their relationship so vivid, and tangible. How you have shaped their individual lives and expanded so realistically on their careers is wonderful. It is one of the few AU stories I've read that allow the demons and Hellmouth to be removed, but still keep the primary character relationships the same.

I'm always keeping my fingers crossed that maybe, just maybe this will be finished some day, but even if it isn't I still think it is one of the best stories out there.
Thanks, and I know I'm speaking for more than just myself when I say I can't wait for another unbelievable update <3

-Kym

[shiraz]

[synthwrr]

a yearrr... :( :(
suchh a good story needs to live!

[Guest]

Dear friends, here follows a very gentle note after something I read this morning:

When you place an order in a restaurant, do you have faith that your order shall be executed or do you follow the waiter to the kitchen, wait to see if he has notified the cooks, watch your food being prepared and placed on a platter and then feel satisfied that indeed your food is coming over to your table

You do none of that of course and simply know that your food will be coming.

In a similar way, let us keep faith that Neverland shall be updated when the author feels ready and willing to move forward with it.

[writerfreak]

Or we could also try and remember that authors like it when people post in their stories about updates because it reminds them they still have a loyal audience that is very much interested in having more updates.

It's a wonderful story and many many kittens I'm sure are silently wanting an update as well. We miss you hon but take your time for perfection.

writerfreak

[shroomgirl]

Heather has not let us down in all the years this story has spanned. She will be back when she has time and something worthy to continue this AMAZING story.
And, like many others, I will be here to eagerly devour every word!

Shroomgirl

[Renatecs]

Still it doesn't hurt to bump this amazing fic every now and then so no one can forget about it.

[Samcat]

Hi Kittens,

Well first, I must apologize -as you can see, it's not an update. Sigh.
I hesitated a lot before writing this review. Because I'm such a lurker -I usually don't review, which is bad, considering the number of fics I've been reading these past years.
BUT as many of you, I'm longing desperately for a "Neverland" update.
I don' t know if Heather comes back here sometimes, I hope so, and I hope she's fine. It has been said thousand times here, but I have to say it again: this story is wonderful, and the writing is truly amazing.
I don't know if you will read this, Heather, but if you do, you must know that "Neverland" has affected many of us (in a very, very good way) in our lives. I was so moved when I read this story for the first time. And it was the same a few months later, when I re-read it. And you know what ? This story is beyond the W/T fans, or the gay community. See, I'm not gay myself (but I'm a real W/T shipper from the very beginning - because when it's true love, it's true love, and I fall for that...), but I came here to read this fic and I discovered other nice stories. But Neverland is special. Last time I read the 48 chapters in a row was in May, during a plane trip (I was going from Paris to San Francisco -yes, the very city where our girls live in this AU...). Time stopped during this 12 hours trip. And I was so moved. Again. I'm going through rough times actually (with my mum having cancer, and other stuff) and this escape in the land of fanfiction was a real blessing. So thank you, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story. My only fear is if Neverland...never ends... But it won't, right, Heather ? Even if it takes 5 years or so (but of course I hope it will be much less), I will wait for updates, because this amazing fic deserves an beautiful end. (In many, many chapters... cos it's so good...).
Thank you again and... we're waiting (but, as Xander said to Buffy once: "but, no pressure"!!)

Anne

(Sorry for the spelling and/or grammar mistakes, English is not my first language. And, I hope you kittens are OK for a straight girl posting here ??

[AmberGoddess]

This story is amazing, and I hope for an update someday!

[Renatecs]

Uch (coughing) bumping Uch (coughing some more)

[EasierSaid]

Kittens *tap, tap, tap* Is this thing on? So… where the hell have I been, right? Gah. So, so sorry for the long, loooooong absence! Real life sort of swallowed me whole, like Jonah and the Whale. Since my last update I have: Gotten married, bought a house and had a baby. Not a lot of time in there for writing, unfortunately. (Though, I have become quite proficient at one handed typing whilst holding the baby. Just, excuse the typos! [Especially as my text program auto-corrects; we might see some interesting auto-corrections up in here.]) Though no writing, it was a pretty successful hiatus, if I do say so myself.

I want to say, before I get to the individual replies, that I fully intend to finish this story, even if it takes me forever and a day to do it. I know, I know, you've heard it before, but I truly do mean it. First, because I very selfishly want to know how it ends. I mean, I know how it ends, but I want to enjoy the getting there. So many moments left to experience, and I want to experience them, too. I mean seriously, what happened that day in the park? Second, I'd like the satisfaction of seeing it in the Completed Fic section. I can't wait to type, "Can a moderator move this to Completed Fics? Thanks!" Third, I sort of owe it to the universe. Not to sound too cheesy, but without Neverland, I may not have met my wife and had my son, and they are the best things ever. Ergo, I really have to finish Neverland as a thank you to the fates for bringing them into my life. Fourth, the wife wants me to, and I like to make her happy.

So, thank you to everyone still reading and still caring. I really, really, really appreciate it times a googolplex! (That sounds trite, but I really do mean it. Times a googolplex.) And, apologies to those who have given up or are no longer around; I hope one day you make it back, read the end and are satisfied with how it came to be. To the replies!

TinyAnt Yay for first to comment, and sorry it took me so long to reply! I like all of your date permutations - I think the answer is "all of the above!" First date, sneaky date, closeted date - yes please. Yay for jumping in chairs as well - just be careful! Thank you for the very kind words. It means a lot to know that the writing is resonating. I absolutely enjoy writing this as much as you enjoy reading; it's one of my favorite things to do. I love trying to figure out how to describe something in a way that is as vivid as possible. I can see it in my head, you know - want to try and share the experience! Again, much appreciated - please enjoy the next update.

StaceAngel Hi Stace - been well, though tired, how bout you? Thanks very much, I'm glad you liked the last update. I'm really glad you liked that passage. As for the getting suspicious… next update? Maybe, a sliver of a clue? I love your description of The Fillmore as rich yet seedy. I think that nails so many music venues by default. Always with the dark colors and corners to get lost in. Good times! Please enjoy the next update and thanks again!

writerfreak Another update so soon… and then nothing for more than a year. Damn. I wish I could say that it was just creative license or blockage, but alas, life is more powerful than both. Please enjoy the next bit!

singgirl Glad to put a smile on your face, though sorry to have updated and then disappeared. Life, whatareyougonnado, you know? Please enjoy the next update.

TinyWillow Thanks very much; I'm so glad you liked those two lines. It's always hard to try and think of ways to describe music, so I'm glad that the second one resonated. Thanks for waiting patiently (hopefully, you're still around!); please enjoy the next bit.

Renatecs Gah, sorry - 2 updates in short time and then nothing for like, ever. I hope you enjoy the next bit, thanks!

Zampsa1975 Thanks! Tara has garnered a clue… can Willow be far behind? Dun dun duuuuun! Tune in this next update. As for Morgan… only time will tell. Hope you like the next update.

WillowRulez I'm with you, I usually hate to miss the opening bands because what if it's a diamond in the rough, you know? However, I think in this case it was no big loss. Yay for Tara suspecting Xander's friendness! It's an interesting thought, if they'll consider these as dates. I'd lean towards yes. As for number of updates till Willow comes out to her Mom… man, I wish I knew. Have to just write and see! Thanks, and please enjoy the next update.

Zooeys_Bridge I'm really, really glad you liked the olive twist; I was worried that it was going to come off as really stupid. I mean, I have moments like that all the time… but not sure everyone else does, or would understand how something so insignificant could spark such a powerful memory/emotion. Thanks, and enjoy the next update.

wimpy0729 Wimpster! I spoil, and then taketh away. Or… something. Thanks so very much for the kind words - I truly do appreciate them. Very cool memory about seeing Joan Jett, thanks for sharing. That's exactly the vibe I was going for. And yay for the clue train. All aboard! I'm glad their date gave you the warm and fuzzies. Hope you enjoy the next bit!

kimmy_s Thanks Kim! I'm glad you liked the concert and liked the description of The Fillmore - it's such a wonderful place to be, can only imagine being there with the one you love. (One day, I'll manage to make a show with the wife…) Please enjoy the next update.

silverwally Thanks so much! Hope you like the next update.

EmsInNZ Thanks re: the date; I like that, "The Big Flirting Woman." No kiss in the next update, but hopefully you'll enjoy it all the same.

Paint the Sky Thanks so much. "Weighty with importance" - it's the little things in life, you know? I can remember every detail of those; much more so than the big grand gestures. They seem to have more meaning. So sucky about getting stuck behind the tall guys at the Madonna concert - been there, done that. (Er, been behind tall guys, not those tall guys at Slane Castle!) Please enjoy the next update and thanks again.

JustSkipIt Two updates and then nothing Debra! Gotta keep 'em guessing… yeah… that's the ticket. Lightening and opening. Sounds like a yoga instruction, but so applicable here! Morgan - the hump that needs to be leapt. Hopefully that whole situation won't get too out of hand… we'll see! Thanks so much.

Kajun Long time no see! I hope you're still reading - love hearing from the back-in-the-day crowd! Very cool about Googling The Fillmore - I'm nerdy, and have done that too. And hehe re: ZZ Top. I'm glad you liked the allusions to past events. Part of that is to remind me of how I got to the present update and stay true to their history, part of it is just how I think they'd see things, you know? That little bracelet has history now; of course, wearing it or seeing it is going to attach more meaning than just, 'pretty bracelet' and so wanted to show that. Nights not over… more on that in the next update.

nothingtosay Yay for angst-free! Boo for more than a year breaks! Thanks for reading - please enjoy the next part.

SylverMaki Thanks so much and good to see you! So glad you liked the date, and Tara's awakening. To be fair to Buffy though, Xander and Willow haven't exactly kept her in the loop, you know what I mean? If only she had more information! Hope you enjoy the next update.

LittleBit Aw shucks. Both to your incredibly, incredibly kind words and my over-a-year absence. I mean, pssh, why update in 6 months when you can wait over a year! Er… sorry. :( Hopefully the next update will make up for my absence a bit, though. Enjoy!

ophelia11 Thanks so much! Both for reading and leaving feedback. I loved Yesterday's Tomorrow - great work on that. Thanks for the very kind words - I think they're on the right track, but after this next update you'll have to let me know, you know? And yay for Xander advice - only takes Willow forever (literally with my slow writing) to listen and actually enjoy herself. Not sure about angst; I wish I were evil enough to know, but we'll just have to see once I've written to that point. (Though, I suspect there will be some angst, some time, as this is a coming out story.) Thanks again - hope you enjoy the next update!

watty Yay, another way-back-machine name! Thanks so much for the uber-kind words, and please, no apologies for late feedback. Seriously, unless I'm updating at a feverish pace, no one can apologize for late feedback. (And even then - I'm truly just happy that you're reading and enjoying, and not in the rabid dog sense. )As for a kiss… not yet, but hopefully the next update contains something that will suffice, for now. Thanks so much watty, great to see you. (And I saw you have a new story - er, well new to me - White Screams. Hope everyone checks it out! http://thekittenboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=5752)

Wicca Ness Thanks so much! They are indeed getting closer, one small, itsy, bitsy, baby step at a time! Please enjoy the next update.

whatmakesyouhappy No, THANK YOU!

shiraz I'll color you happy if you color me embarrassed for falling off the face of the damn Earth! Eesh. Thanks so much for the kind words; I'm so glad you liked the touching. Re: Tara's sense of humor - I have a lot of fun with that. She's fun, in a slightly oddball way which I really appreciate. The 70s band (real band!); I hear you, god bless them and their bad music, courageous souls that they are. And iTunes… Two words for you: Sheena. Easton. I'm glad you found pics of The Fillmore; it's such a fun place, every music lover should check it out some time. You're totally right, they're both getting that the feelings are mutual - more on that in this next update. Thanks so much, great to hear from you. Hope you enjoy the next update.

bessa Thanks so much. I'm glad you liked how Tara experienced The Black Keys. They're so awesome, it's hard not to have a visceral reaction, you know? The opening band was The Cuts, and the song Willow had on her computer was "How Can I Get Through." I'm sure they're a lovely band, but seriously, they were so bad when I saw them that I just had to write them in here. I'm really glad you liked the touches and that early-in-love revelation stage. It's a great, great stage to go through. Hope you enjoy the next chapter and thanks again!

Sandman78 Thanks so much! Please enjoy the next bit.

nimloth Thank you for the very kind words. I've never thought of myself as an imagination nourisher, but darn it, I will now! I'm really glad you liked the date and them both choosing what to fixate on and what to let slide. Xander and Morgan… yes, some dissipation, but it's not all the way gone and woe to those that forget that, you know! Thanks very much Vi', hope you enjoy the next bit.

histchic I know! I updated twice and then, poof, nothing. Damn shame, that. But hey, back! Glad you enjoyed Tara's WOO HOO moment. So funny about the rereading and coming up with a timeline, etc. My wife reread the story recently, which made me want to update and going back and figuring all that stuff out… let's just say, I can guarantee that there are some out there that know this story better than I do. Thanks for sharing the "most intimate, most universal" - that's very cool. With the writing… I just try and write what feels honest, you know? I'm glad you think that's coming through. Thanks so much Beth - I really hope you're still around after this most recent "simmering break" - please enjoy the next update.

WillowRTaraM1 Yay for grinning like a kid, and wow to favorite update yet. So glad to hear that. I'm glad you liked all of the stolen touches, etc.; that was so fun to write. And awww about you and the wife - that is so beyond cool. Thanks so much Jackie, means a lot. Please enjoy the next bit.

DC Thank you very much. Yay for another favorite update - that's so cool. I'm really glad you enjoyed, and hope you've gotten a chance to hit up The Fillmore! Please enjoy the next update.

sdvny620 Thanks so much; I hope you have gotten a chance to write! (Everyone should, it's cathartic or something.) Hope you enjoy the next update - a ways away from coming out to her mom, but hopefully enjoyable all the same.

Artemis Chris! So great to see you. Hope all is well in your world. Thanks re: the magic in ordinary moments - that means a lot. I really like how you describe it; exactly what I'm going for. Thanks so much. I hope you enjoy the next update.

pipsberg Hi. No apologies necessary. I happen to know you're quite busy, lady. I'm really glad you liked the last two updates and never been to Fillmore?! Someone is failing you miserably; a date is in order. Thanks re: Willow and Morgan - it seemed like time Willow got her confidence on. Haha re: Xander being a man-shaped Willow friend; Tara is definitely starting to clue in on that bad boy. They are definitely starting to flirt, thank god. Going to be interesting to see where/how that goes. I'm glad you liked the touches; that was so fun to write. Thanks so much my inspirational muse type person. Hope you enjoy the next update.

GinnerWTluv Hi Jen - thanks for the very kind words. Glutton for punishment - yup! But, I'm thankful you are. Hope you like the next bit.

key03grl Thanks! Update after these - hope you enjoy.

synthwrr Definitely to be completed… eventually. Sigh. I see 2004 and I really, honestly, truly can't believe it's been that long. My whole life has changed, yet… here is Neverland, still chugging along. If you had told me that this was going to be unfinished in 2010 back then, I woulda died laughing. Thanks very much for the kind words. Not sure on Xander and Anya. I always liked that match on the show, but not sure if it'll happen here. Re: BART - even the car owners in SF take public transportation for work, social events, etc.; cheaper than parking downtown, hassling with traffic, etc. However, nice to have a ride when needed/wanted. Thanks for the grammar tip. You know, I try, and for the most part I think I'm like, 90% there, but things slip through. To be honest, though, that is a rule I abhor. It is so offensive to the eye, you know, and for me, really interrupts the flow. Why a capital letter? I know, because it's the beginning of a sentence, but in the middle of a sentence… etc. Bah. I hope it eventually makes it's way out of "proper" grammar soon. (Love the evolution of language!) Hope you enjoy the next update.

edgyqueen Thanks for the kind words and so sorry to make you wait! Are you still waiting? Hopefully you'll still be interested once this sucker is finished. I hope. Please enjoy the next update when you do get to it!

masterjendu So cool about seeing Hawksley Workman; never seen live, but always wanted to. Thanks for the very kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed those moments; I especially liked sticking in a shout out to Gingerbread! Was fun trying to make that work. Very funny about getting folks to recount their favorite scenes. I like the work-reveal one too. That was so fun to write, though nerve racking because I thought everyone was going to think it was lame and trite. Glad to see I was wrong. So glad you liked - please enjoy the next bit.

MagicPancakes Hiya Emily! Thanks for the very kind words. I can't believe you printed this bad mamajamma out! Hopefully you didn't get fired for extreme abuse of office resources. Thanks, please enjoy the next update.

EvilKittycatofdoom Thanks so much, and I can think of worse fates than having "Smoke Baby" stuck in my head or seeing a concert at The Fillmore! (I really hope you've had a chance to go - such a great venue.) Enjoy the next bit!

StrickingFancy Thank Jebus indeed! Thanks so much, and welcome. I really appreciate the very kind words; I hope you stuck around and enjoyed some of the other stories on the site; there are a lot of great writers here. Please enjoy the next update!

Alice Yay for shirking responsibility! Thank you for the compliments, and yes, will finish, come hell or high water! Enjoy the next bit.

DaddyCatALSO The new Academy of Sciences… such a good idea. You know what's sad, is when I first started this, the old building was just being torn down I believe… and now, a whole new, vibrant building is in its place. Time passing, right there, before our eyes… (And your 2013 prediction… not looking too pie-in-the-sky now, is it!?)

taraslove Crazy life - I hear you - and if you're a day late and a dollar short, I'm like… so in debt right now. I'm really glad you loved the bus ride and how the music affected Tara. Both very fun to write. I'm also glad you liked the Xander realization. Hopefully you'll like this next part, too!

toasterovnofdoom Hope you're still around - please enjoy the next bit!

Mestiza Ain't that the everlovin' truth! Though, they will get together, I promise.

Alicepire Thanks so much for the very kind words. I know what you mean about fiction and blunt objects; it's hard not to get involved, but I'm glad you are enjoying the 'realness' of this pairing. What I'm striving for! As I've said in the past, it's definitely about the journey. Please enjoy the next part.

dragonfly Clau! No apologies necessary, if anything, let me apologize to you for disappearing. Thanks very much for the kind words - yes, definitely about the journey, though, hopefully the destination will be nice, too! Please enjoy the next bit!

[blwordemort2 [/b] Thanks very much - hope you enjoy the next part.

ObsidianEsper Bump! Er, update! See, even I'm getting confused these days. Please enjoy the next update.

SickSadGirl Yay! Yay for coming to the site for Neverland and getting hooked on others - there are a lot of great writers here, so glad you're enjoying them. And wow to nine times. That's… unbelievable and cool. Thank you. Aw shucks re: the music; it's fun to write about, and I'm glad you think the music is good. Definitely both girls are focusing on the now; as you'll see in this next bit. Enjoy!

cperrins78 Dude, SIX years as of a few days ago. SIX. That's just… SIX. I can't even get over that. I hope you come back and see this sucker updated, and eventually finished. Thanks Christina.

em317 Sorry, no update then… but update now! Enjoy.

Nue Thank you kindly! Please enjoy the next update.

truck_driving_magic_mama Thanks for the warm wishes, and lookey, a moment to write! Hope you enjoy the next update, thanks so much for reading.

irishgrl3 Anna! Hope you're still around and reading. No worries about being away, as you can see, I've been away myself. So glad you liked the dream and the date. The dream was hard to write, the date super fun. Xander = friend indeed, and poor Morgan! I can't imagine anyone who wears so little clothing would fare well in Siberia. (Hehe.) Thanks so much - I hope you like the next update.

restlessminds Woot to The Smiths! Good choice for what to put on. Thanks for the kind words; I really hope you like the next installment.

Wicca_Ness Thanks, despite the unfinishedness of this story! I hope you like the next part.

fhiwda Aw, shucks. /kicks dirt Thanks so much!

Owl Thank you so much. I'm really glad you like the premise. I was worried when I first posted, like, what the hell am I doing? So... so glad that it's worked out! Alone, together - that pretty much nails it. Thanks for sharing your favorite scenes; fun to look back and think how much I enjoyed writing those. Makes me want to write more! Thanks again - please enjoy the next update.

GreatedEnergy Gah, don't pound your head too hard! And I know, right, longest week ever. Sorry! Though, thank you for the 'take your time'; I feel bad about not updating, so it's nice to hear. Thanks so much. Hope you enjoy the next part.

The ear pixie Thanks! (And cool nic!)

~Always~ Three years - wow, so amazing. Thanks so much for the very kind words, and of course, for sticking with this thing! I'm so glad you like the AU setting, and the relationships in that setting. It feels right when I er, write, so I'm glad that is coming through. Hope you're still around, and that you enjoy the next update Kym.

shroomgirl Aw, thanks! Honestly, this story has been in the back of mind, despite the many life distractions. Feels good to jump back in. Please enjoy the next bit!

Samcat Hi Anne! Welcome - lurker or not, it's great to see you here. Thank you, so much for your very kind words. It really means a lot. I'm sorry to hear about your mom; hopefully she has beaten the cancer and is doing well. Sometimes when I read sentiments like yours… honestly, I'm just blown away. It's amazing that my little hobby has resonated! Deeply, deeply appreciative. (And I thought your English was awesome, and even awesomer about being straight. Pens is an all-inclusive place, so definitely cool that you're here.) Thanks again. Wow. Please enjoy the next update.

AmberGoddess Thanks so much - update after the replies!


Okay gang... let's see if I remember how to do this...

[EasierSaid]

Title: Neverland
Author: EasierSaid
Feedback: Yes, please.
Spoilers: None.
Setting: AU. There is no Hellmouth, there is no slayer and no magic of the wicca variety. Just our girls and the rest of the Buffy characters living and loving in that great city by the Bay, San Francisco.
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Please don't sue me Mutant Enemy.
Notes: What, this old thing?

Thoughts in italics

PART 49

The girls entered the apartment giggling, their faces misty and wet. The sound of their soft laughs bounced around the once-still apartment, the newly turned on overhead lights pushing the darkness back out the large windows across the room. Willow hooked her small purse onto the corner of the chair in front of secretary table and with a tug, began to undo the now-suffocating scarf around her neck as she walked more fully into the space. She quickly unbuttoned her jacket and sloughed it off her shoulders, scattered drops of piggybacking rain dripping around her. "Ugh," the redhead said dramatically. "It is never going to stop raining." Tara chuckled.

"Think of it as, um, drought relief," the blonde replied, stepping away from the now-locked door and starting on her own coat.

"Drought relief." Willow said, her tone dubious, her smile unintentionally flirtatious.

"Every drop out there is another minute in the shower someday?" Tara half smiled, stepping toward the kitchen counter. "Or, something that makes more sense, mathematically."

"Very positive way to look at it," Willow said, smiling widely, thrilled at their easy conversation.

Tara pulled the slightly curved posters from beneath her coat and laid them flat on the kitchen bar. She ran her hands lightly over the thin cardboard stock, smoothing the edges. "Little moist, but salvageable." She smiled and stepped back from the bar, taking off her own jacket and scarf and hanging them near the secretary table.

"Thanks, for that," Willow said, pointing at the red and black posters on the counter, her jacket still in her hands. "They would have been soaked and mangled if I had tried. Little, piles of pulpy mush." She held one of her hands out in a loosely cupped position, to show exactly how malformed the posters would have been in her care.

"No problem." Tara smiled, smoothing her hands over her stomach as she stepped back to the kitchen bar and Willow's side. "Years of experience."

The redhead nodded, noting with a rush of flutters to her stomach how warm Tara's presence made her feel. "I'm sorry that that super giant stood in front of you towards the end of the show." She made her way back to the secretary table and hung her jacket, then quickly returned to the kitchen counter.

The blonde smiled, watching her roommate move. "That's okay, they sort of, gravitate to the spot in front of me at every show." She bobbed her head, resigned. "It's sort of inevitable. I don't even worry about it anymore."

"I don't think I could be that patient," Willow said, brushing the hair from her face as she stopped feet from Tara's side.

"Um, you weren't," the blonde said, her eyebrows inching up in mock reproach.

Willow looked mortified, a bashful blush creeping crimson across her cheeks. "I barely brushed him with my arm—" Tara's brows shot up. "Elbow," the redhead grumbled in correction. "It was an accident." The blonde's lip quirked in disbelief. "I stumbled?" Willow asked, innocently.

"Uh huh," Tara said, smiling slyly. Adorable… "Well, thank you for trying to move him. His poor ribs…"

"I actually got his belt." The blonde looked confused. "He was that tall," Willow earnestly explained.

"Ah," the blonde clucked. Tara looked across the bar and noticed a message blinking on her answering machine. The message, inevitably, from Morgan. Her stomach clenched slightly and she quickly returned her gaze to the redhead, whose own eyes had gravitated to her forgotten cell phone on the counter. The blonde nodded to Willow's phone. "Miss a call?"

The redhead picked up her phone and quickly thumbed through the menu. "A text. From Buffy," Willow said, reading the petite blonde's response to her earlier text about Xander's new job. 'Neat.' She quirked her brow at the terse reply before looking back up to Tara with a covering smile, making a show of only briefly checking her phone by swiftly pocketing the device. She momentarily thought of mentioning Buffy's reply, inquiring about the tone, but remembered her earlier conversation with Tara about possible tension between her two best friends and thought better of it. Maybe Buffy is mad at Xander… She imperceptibly shook her head. Something she'd need to bring up with the petite blonde sometime soon.

The redhead noticed the blinking light on Tara's land line machine out of the corner of her eye. "Hey, you have a message." She started to put her hand out and lean toward the machine. "Do you want me to--"

"That's okay," Tara said, interrupting, Willow pulling her hand back. "P-Probably a work thing," the blonde said casually, an easy smile reassuring the redhead that the playback could wait. It's work… or Morgan, she thought, her stomach again flip flopping. Just calling to see when she can come over for your working date...

"Okey dokey." Willow said cheerfully, rocking on the balls of her feet. She rubbed her hands across her thighs, before clasping them before her. Her mind was racing, skin buzzing, heart thumping. She looked to the clock, still shy of midnight and then back to Tara. Sleep was the last thing the redhead wanted to do, however, it was late and the blonde needed her rest. After all, tonight was about giving the blonde a break from the pressure to create, not make her so tired she wasted tomorrow and got even more stressed. Willow thought about the amount of coffee the blonde had downed that morning, about how hard she had passed out on the couch that afternoon. No, best to end things now and give the girl she loved time to recharge.

"Well, it's late, so…" the redhead forced a yawned and stretched somewhat awkwardly, her clumsy attempt to show she was sleepy bringing a soft smile to Tara's lips.

"Yeah," the blonde nodded, an action in stark contrast to every fiber of her being yearning for the night to never end. "I should probably go check on the studio, make sure I'm ready for tomorrow." She half-heartedly thumbed toward the hallway, her eyes glued to the redhead's face for any indication that she wanted to continue the evening.

Willow nodded. "Sounds like a sensible plan." She smiled warmly at the blonde, picked up her poster and started for the stairs, Tara falling into step next to her. As they neared the stairs, the redhead simply said, "goodnight." She smiled softly and started up the steps.

Tara continued several steps toward her studio before turning and blurting, "Willow." She paused as Willow turned toward her, surprised, the redhead's body's balance split between the first and second step, her neck craning back to take in her roommate. The blonde ducked her head slightly, her mouth suddenly dry. After a moment spent trying to think of what to say, she closed the distance between them, the redhead returning to the apartment's first floor, her fingers holding the poster lightly in front of her. "I." The blonde took a deep breath and nervously smiled, bringing her gaze up and making eye contact. "I had a really great time tonight."

Willow's head cocked slightly to the side. Her brows came together, and a sincere, proud smile graced her lips. "I'm glad." She slightly gestured with her her clasped hands and poster. "That you had fun. Was my intention, that we have fun."

"Thank you." Tara said. She allowed herself to take in the green of the girl's eyes, the freckles on the bridge of her nose. Simply stunning.

Willow beamed, bathing in the attention, her heart thumping against her chest. "You're welcome." She playfully waved her hand. "Any time."

The blonde smiled and nodded her head. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt as they stood awkwardly in the hallway, both girls wanting to say more, yet unsure of the next move. The redhead's eyes were drawn to the blonde's hem, and the thin, strong fingers that fidgeted with it. Willow couldn’t help but wonder, as the digits moved over the teal shirt's surface, what masterworks were trapped within those fingers. It was almost like the fidgeting was fighting against the artist’s idleness. Like they moved now with such urgency because they ached to create, yet were prevented from doing so by an uncooperative mind. Some time soon those fingers would create something beautiful and expert, imaginative and extraordinary. As she drew her eyes up to meet the blonde girl's gaze, Willow fought the overwhelming urge to reach across the space between them and take the fidgeting fingers in her own.

Mindful again of her roommate's looming deadlines, Willow again swallowed the urge to ask Tara to have a cup of tea, or watch the rain, anything to prolong their contact and conversation. "I should probably, get to bed," the redhead said, thumbing with her one free hand toward the stairs. Tara nodded, and just before Willow turned for the stairs, the blonde pulled her roommate into a sudden, surprising hug.

To say Willow was caught off guard would be an understatement, but the shock quickly wore off as she reveled in the feeling. Of the blonde's curves, the artist's hands holding her own slight frame close. She could feel the beads from the bracelet she gave Tara through her shirt as the blonde moved her hand along her back and she smiled. It was unexpected, and bliss.

When the time came where most normal people would pull away from a friendly, end-of-the-night hug, not wanting to linger and turn the plainly platonic into perhaps something more, Tara inexplicably pulled Willow closer. It was a subtle move, a slight shift in balance, hands sliding almost imperceptibly together, but the result was the two women nestled together, the blonde's two, strong hands gently pressing into different points on the redhead's back. Willow slid her own free hand an inch or so tighter and cursed the poster in her other hand. Why am I always holding things when she wants to hug!? She let go of the thought though when Tara rubbed her left thumb up and down in the small of her back, the redhead relaxing into the embrace, a slight, silent sigh escaping her lips. The rain beat against the glass across the room, the lights above them brightly illuminated their forms, and they stayed silent, together.

It lasted a minute, but each felt the seconds pass acutely. Each moment was cherished and painful, a promise and a tease. Rogue blonde hair, escaped from the artist's ponytail, lightly brushed against Willow's face, while the smell of the redhead's shampoo infiltrated the blonde's nostrils. Willow closed her eyes to enjoy the feeling of the girl holding her, of their bodies molded together, and she felt a tickle deep in her brain, a tickle like the one she felt this morning, the one she felt as she tried to remember something. Without prompting, the thought floated into her consciousness, like a submerged rubber ducky returning to a bath water's surface. "I think you like me. Or, that you're starting to like me, at least. In a maybe, more-than-friends way..."

The blonde's thumb rubbed against the redhead's back again and Willow fought the urge to stiffen, the words and the actions jolting her mind like a rock on a railroad track. Um, what? She willed her body not to react, to be the antithesis of her suddenly frantic brain. Tara likes me!? Willow thought, before another voice, this time Tara's , whispered inside her mind. "Kiss me." The redhead swallowed a gulp. The voice felt so real, too real, yet she knew it was just a thought. She felt her dream from the night before deeply, suddenly, and the hair on the back of her neck rose as Tara started to shift, and pull away, the blonde's soft skin starting to slide against Willow's cheek. The redhead ducked her head and looked away, fighting her own urge to turn into the blonde and capture her full lips in a searing kiss. The voice rang in her ears again. "Kiss me."

Tara wished she knew how many times her heart had beat since she was introduced to Willow, because she was certain her racing heart had met and surpassed that number in the brief moment the redhead had just held her close. She imagined her heart would have burst from exertion, or just plain stopped out of surprise, if Willow had turned her head into the blonde's lips, as she had trailed them just above the redhead's jaw, the fine hair on the redhead's cheek tickling the corner of Tara's lips. She had dreamed of kissing Willow every day for three years, but to be that close, to feel the heat from the redhead's skin even as it dissipated as she pulled away from their embrace was more than she could ever have dreamed. Pulling away at that moment, although deeply, deeply frustrating, was better than any lean in she had ever fantasized about.

"Kiss me." Willow couldn't speak. The phrase, 'I love you,' seized her tongue, the words heavy and restless in her mouth. If she parted her lips they would escape, spill forth with force. They would reach Tara's ears and she wouldn't be able to take them back and she knew she was unprepared to deal with whatever may come after that. The redhead cleared her throat slightly as she stepped back, her eyes flicking up and then back down. She cleared her throat again, self-control returning to her mouth, the phrase, "kiss me," fading back into her memories.

The redhead kept her head low, but looked up, her gaze naked and evaluative as she looked into her roommate's clear, blue eyes. Tara returned the contact, and the blonde's brow quirked slightly at the sight. What is she thinking? "You okay?" The blonde asked, hopeful that she hadn't lingered too long, hadn't made her own feelings too plain with her earnest embrace. She couldn't figure out the look on her roommate's face, the way the green eyes intently met her own.

Willow quickly smiled, her lips closed, her posture straightening. "I'm fine." She sighed loudly, shrugged her shoulders in what she hoped was a slightly goofy gesture and said simply. "Goodnight."

"Night," Tara replied with a nod and step back. She watched the redhead take the first couple steps up the stairs and then turned for her studio.

Willow took the stairs quickly and quietly, her brain bouncing around like a ping pong ball in a bingo cage. Tara likes her? But… that was a dream. Up until this very moment it had all been speculative. Dreams. In the future. When I come out, maybe she'll like me. Maybe when she knows I'm gay she'll see me in a different light. But now, after the touching at the concert—because how could I have missed those touches?—and the looks... Tara liked her now?

The redhead quickly stole into the bathroom, washed her face and brushed her teeth. That done, she headed to her bedroom, a furtive look to Tara's bedroom—the open door showing the fairy lights on—slowing her momentarily. She shook her head softly as she closed the door behind her and disrobed. Sighed in disbelief as she picked out her pajamas and pulled them on. Tara likes me? As she pulled on her last sock she sat on the edge of her bed, shocked. It seemed so improbable, too implausible, yet here she was allowing the thought, the dream to bleed into reality. She thought back to the concert, the featherlight touches on the seams of her pants, the bus ride home and their proximity around the pole. The hug at the bottom of the stairs, the way the blonde's fingers lazily tensed against the flimsy material of her shirt, the way the bracelet's beads imprinted on her skin. She shivered and gulped, her face hot and flush. Tara… maybe… likes me?

She looked to her desk, where she had placed her phone when undressing. She stood and flicked off her lights, then moved to climb into bed. On her way, she grabbed the little device and cradled it in her hand. She pulled back the covers and then made herself comfortable, the warmth of the weight settling into her, the mattress's softness pulling at her bones to rest. She let her head nestle into her pillow and she stared at the ceiling in the darkness, the rain's pitter patter matching her erratic, yearning heartbeats. Was this something that just happened tonight? Or has this been going on longer? Or Willow thought, self doubt creeping across her goosebump-raised flesh, is this my hopeful, lovesick imagination playing tricks on me? She sighed, the phone held against her chest with both hands. "Kiss me." She sighed again, her hands turning the phone end-to-end, her mind whirling.

Tara… likes me?

************************

The check of her studio was both necessary and unnecessary. Necessary, in that Tara knew she needed physical distance from Willow, to be in her own space, away from the sounds and urges that inevitably distracted her as they prepared for bed together, separately. Unnecessary, in that she was far too discomposed to work. She ran her fingers along her desk, let her thumb run over the pages jutting out of her scrapbook. She took in the tubes of paint lined neatly in their open cases on the floor, the colors seeming to run into each other as her gaze moved over them. The rain tapped and rattled around the drain outside, and the space seemed to buzz like something was going to happen, like a speaker waiting for a guitar pick to strike strings. She wanted to paint, her fingers itched as she eyed her brushes but her mind was so jumbled with emotions, her heart suffused with too many details. She frankly couldn't see straight.

The night had been perfect, and the hug that had ended it unplanned. She wasn't sure what possessed her, other than an overwhelming urge to hold the girl she loved. To let her fingers cup the redhead's elbow and pull her into the softest embrace she could imagine. The blonde lightly touched her fingertips to the patch of skin behind her ear, just above her jaw, and she swore she could still feel Willow's breath there. Could still feel the crook of the slim girl's arm brush up against the curve above her hip, feel the buckle of Willow's pants press into her waist.

She wandered to the middle of the room and took in her latest work. She let her mind get lost in the swells of paint, the shadows a sharp contrast to the spots shining bright below the lights above. Her whole body hummed, and she swayed as she spaced out, the twin toms of the music Willow had given her, the song that had compelled her to ask the redhead for an evening out, giving her movement. She thought about putting on her oversized headphone and listening to the song, however, the impression of it in her mind as she tried to piece it together from memory was better than having it served to her on an aural platter. She smiled softly as she remembered the soft tish of a tambourine.

After a long moment spent reveling in her feelings, doubt and self-reproach absent from her conscious mind, she stretched her hearing for the sounds of the redhead preparing for bed. Hearing none, and assuming that meant she was free to use the bathroom, the girl headed upstairs. She noticed right away as she entered the top floor Willow's closed door, and she snuck in to the bathroom to brush her teeth like a thief in the Louve, trying to pad her footfalls so as to not bother the possibly slumbering redhead. Her time in the bathroom done, she stole down the hallway, quietly shut the door behind her and sighed.

Her body was humming. She felt like a live wire, sparking and dangerous. She held her hands against her stomach and swore she could feel flutters, brushed her hand across her forehead and almost felt faint. Get a grip, Tara, she instructed, her deep breaths designed to try and return her emotional and physical equilibrium. After a few moments she sighed, and moved to the armoire where she undressed and changed into a nightgown. She didn't' usually wear them, preferring instead cotton pajama bottoms and a shirt, however, tonight she wanted the freedom and warmth only a cotton nightgown could provided. She thought about wearing underwear, but then decided against it, the extra material unneeded as she slept.

She moved to her dresser and removed her glass bead bracelet. She smiled, remembering how Willow had noticed it, how she had tried, so self-consciously to subtly show it off. She traced her fingers across the surface of the bauble for perhaps the hundredth time since it had been given to her. It was unbelievable how much a thing could make her feel special.

She climbed into bed, pulling the covers up over her snuggly. She decided to try and read, but after repeating one paragraph three times in a row she knew reading wasn't an option for her distracted mind. She placed the book on her nightstand to the right then looked left, to the window. The room was lit up only by the fairy lights, their glow canceling out any light filtering in from the street lights below. Her mind hop scotched from detail to little detail. Willow's nimble fingers holding an olive. The sound of the din surrounding them as they looked over the posters on the balcony level. The beautiful, stunning way the redhead managed to sparkle, no matter the situation or setting.

Tara sighed. She sat up, the covers rustling around her and falling to her waist, her eyes training to the bottom of the door in the hopes that she'd see a dim light, an indication that Willow was up, either with her bedroom door open or the bathroom light on. Darkness peered back at her. Oh well, she thought, as she burrowed back into bed. Was worth the shot…

I love Willow.

The blonde allowed the thought to fill her mind, swell her chest and escape into the room and fill every corner of her space. She didn't fight it or disparage it, deny it or dissuade it. It was her most valuable truth, and she let it be in the near-quiet of the night. After a long moment, she reached her arm out from under the cover and flicked the dial on her fairy lights. The room went dark instantaneously.

She wanted Willow.

Tara swallowed hard and slightly arched her back. She was already wet, incredibly wet, and had been since the first chord of the headline band's set hours before. Had the redhead noticed? The blonde swallowed again, her legs falling open beneath the covers. She reached down her body slowly, her hands brushing over the flimsy cotton of her nightgown. Her nipples stood erect, her skin covered in a light layer of goose-bumps. She shifted a few times, as her hands brought up the bottom of her gown, the material bunching and pooling around her waist. She reached down and brushed the inside of her thigh, her left hand pushing the covers back from her torso, the material all the sudden too warm and confining. She sighed with pleasure as her hand brushed against her curls.

Willow would come to the door, and see her like this. Spread wide, hand between her legs. From where the redhead stood she would see everything. The blonde shivered, and dipped her hand lower, deeper and the touch made her skin sing.

Willow would walk into the room and stop abruptly at the end of the bed. She'd open her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out. Her eyes would rake the blonde's body. Tara's red lips, her full breasts, rising and falling with her shallow, excited breath, and her hand, situated between her legs—the redhead would see it all and it would drive her wild. Willow would bring her eyes back up to meet the blonde's gaze, and the redhead's freckled hand would reach down to her own pajama's waistband without breaking their gaze. She would yank the tie free, and pull her pants loose with a tug. They would drop to the floor with a soft rustle, past the woman's slim hips, her naked lower body visible only in the dim light from the street below. Willow would then reach up and pull her top over her head, tossing it behind her as she stepped out of her pajama bottoms and hungrily climbed up onto the bed, her clothes and modesty forgotten.

Her movement would be purposeful, her legs straddling the blonde's left leg as she moved upward, careful that her body didn't lower to connect with the blonde's skin. Willow wouldn't stop to ask if Tara wanted her, wanted this, her movement would be in no way tentative. She would duck her head down, lave the blonde's right nipple with her pretty pink tongue and as the blonde gasped, the redhead's freckled hand would caress Tara's hand between her legs. After two gentle strokes together, their fingers mingling and wet, she'd gently but firmly push the blonde's hand away and her own would slide into it's place. Fingers would rub into her, slipping between her lips, slowly circling over her clit, a gentle fingertip dipping to rub around her opening.

Tara arched her back in the dark as she imagined Willow's lips suckling her breast, her thin, freckled hand rubbing her expertly. The blonde's own hand moved in her wetness, her fingers moving over her clit, her other hand holding onto her full breast, brushing against her nipple as she swayed. The feeling was intense, the Willow of her imagination, her fantasies, real in the moment. The blonde bucked and silently gasped as she imagined Willow push her hips down against the blonde's skin, the redhead's thrust sliding her own wetness against Tara's thigh. The thought of Willow grunting and thrusting wetness against her, the woman's thin lips and thinner fingers loving her so completely sent Tara over the edge with a sharp gasp and shudder. She stilled her hand, feeling her body jerk again as she tried to hold still, and her mind swam, euphoric, sparks raining down behind her eyes.

After a long, still moment, she allowed herself movement, taking deep breaths to calm down, and the room began to cool and darken around her. Her heart settled, a regular rhythm thumping in her chest. She gingerly pulled her hand away from herself, and as she blinked her eyes open, she accepted how very alone she was. She swallowed hard, and sighed. Willow had been her constant companion in bed for years, but it had never been this intense. This close to being real. She closed her eyes and instead of crying, of feeling the sharp pang of loneliness that she had felt since loving Willow in this way since the redhead moved in, the blonde saw movement. Color. Willow's red hair under The Fillmore's purple and yellow chandeliers. The blur of the semi-silhouetted crowd swaying and bobbing. The joy of Willow's wide, beautiful smile.

The blonde got up out of bed with a start, and immediately moved to her armoire. She quickly shucked her nightgown and pulled out a pair of cargo pants. She roughly pulled them on, in such a hurry that she almost fell. She felt the stickiness on her thighs, and thought briefly about putting on underwear, but she truthfully enjoyed the feeling. The feeling of how much she desired Willow. Of how much she loved the girl. She threw on a sweatshirt, slipped on some socks and stealthily headed downstairs, a pair of paint-splattered gardening clogs in her left hand.

The blonde breezed urgently into the studio, flicking on the lights and immediately zeroing in on a blank, treated canvas along the opposite wall. She started to move toward it when she stopped. She had been quiet in the hallway, quiet down the stairs, and was about to be quiet to her studio when she remembered the CD on the kitchen counter. The CD Willow had made her of the band's most recent set. She quickly darted back out into the dark main room and over to the kitchen, her clogs still in her hand. She grabbed the CD off the countertop with her free hand and then scampered back into the studio. She closed the door behind her as quietly as she could with her hands full, slipped on the clogs and then moved quickly to the stereo. With fumbling hands she put the CD in, put her headphones on, closed her eyes and pressed play. The buzzsaw guitar greeted her and she took in a deep breath as once again lust accosted her. She shifted and felt the wetness between her legs. Luxuriated as the rain of sparks behind her brow returned and cascaded before her. She opened her eyes, moved to the far back wall of the studio and got to work, a frantic, frenetic energy pushing her to capture the feelings coursing through her blood, her mind sparkling with a clarity she had almost forgotten existed from three years before.

By the second song, she was as turned on as she had ever been all over again, her hand moving, wet with paint.