Hacker Confidential [AU] (Complete)

[Codyteddyh]

Great job. I can't wait to see how Willow deals with the FBI training and not having cuddle's with Tara.

Cody

[vampyregurl73]

The thought of Tara and Willow doing Karaoke just kills me, especially a slightly intoxicated Willow too funny.

I'm still curious as to what you will do with her training in Quantico, what kind of paces they put our friendly little redheaded hacker through as well as just how girly will Tara get planning the wedding will be fun to see too.

[Laragh]

Alex_Vixen –

and AWWWWWWWWWW...........I dont want them to be apart!! Im sad right now!...*pouts*

Aww, don’t be sad. They’ll be okay, promise!

cant wait to see what happens in the next chapter... LOVED this one..

Glad you liked it and hope you enjoy this one!!

rhh21 –

aww that was sad!

I’ll make it better soon!

"I've been doing exercises" I giggled at that too. Thankfully, I was alone this time!

Lol, glad it got a giggle (and that you were alone )

I think Willow was bladdered ha-ha! I could totally picture her doing Karaoke with Tara when she's drunk, bit of Dutch courage lol.

That’s the only way I’d ever do Karaoke too! And I agree, she was quite wasted lol

Again with the awesomeness!!!

Glad you liked

Thanks for your comment!

Zampsa1975 –

Willow sure had a fun night before leaving to Quantico...

Tara had to make sure it was a good one!

I really liked Tara's last message...

Yay

Tara's tongue excercises really made me laugh...

Glad you could get a laugh!

Thanks for your feedback!

taralicious –

It's a security thing. Reminds us of simpler times when we were taken care of and our needs were met by suckling.
Nah, not really. it's from reading National Geographic as a kid the same as Playboy. We say we're reading it for the articles but really we just want to look at tits. I don't know why. We just do.

Hey, I’m with you all the way. Boobs, boobs, boobs!

Long has it been my theory that the only places you see karaoke machines are places which serve alcohol since if you're going to make an ass of yourself, at least you can blame it on the booze afterwards. That accounts for the one time I've done karaoke.

One more than me

Sometimes actual cuddling really means actual cuddling. Who knew?

I know, right? But who doesn’t love a good cuddle that’s just a cuddle every now and then.

Willow and Tara's goodbyes were heartfelt and full of the promise of things to come.

I hope you’ll like how everything pans out

Thanks for all your feedback!

FIRESIGN –

Nicely done! Can't wait for the next installment!

Glad you liked and I hope you enjoy this one!

Thanks for commenting

leonhart17 –

aww, poor sad girls!

They’re sad now but they won’t be for long!

I loved their night out

Yay! I’m glad.

That is my favorite song ever!

Me and my BFF were watching Stepmom (you know the movie with Julia Roberts and Susan Sarandon? It’s really sad. Anyway...) (a few of the characters go around singing the song into hairbrushes - which kind of prompted us to do the same but anyway, I’m going waaay off topic lol) while I was writing the chapter and she was like ‘you should totally have Willow/Tara sing that’ and thus the Karaoke idea was born lol

Thanks for commenting!!!

Codyteddyh –

I can't wait to see how Willow deals with the FBI training and not having cuddle's with Tara.

She’ll be distracted by all the work lol

Glad you liked the chapter and thanks for commenting!

vampyregurl73 –

The thought of Tara and Willow doing Karaoke just kills me, especially a slightly intoxicated Willow too funny.

Lol, me too, I can just see Willow falling over the stage a little bit and missing words. Or getting the hiccups or something in the middle of the song.

I'm still curious as to what you will do with her training in Quantico, what kind of paces they put our friendly little redheaded hacker through

I gotta admit, I’m struggling with how exactly to write that because I’ve tried to research exactly what the protocols are for training but the FBI don’t like to make too many things public or at least available online lol. I’ll probably focus more on the wedding planning, but don’t worry, there will definitely be mentions of what Willow’s doing in Virginia

as well as just how girly will Tara get planning the wedding will be fun to see too.

I’m looking forward to writing the wedding planning, I hope you enjoy it too!

Thanks for your comment!

---

Update Directly Below

[Laragh]

********

TITLE: Hacker Confidential

AUTHOR: Laragh

CHAPTER RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.

SUMMARY: AU, set in contemporary setting. A lot of W/T fluff and some semblance of a storyline.

SPOILERS: AU fic, so at most minor references or pieces of dialogue

FEEDBACK: Yes please

Chapter 15

********


“Hey Tare. How you doing?”


“Fine. I’m fine,” Tara snapped, dropping her bag on her desk, “Why wouldn't I be fine?


Alice grabbed a chair from another desk that was empty nearby and sat next to her friend.


“Because Willow left this morning for two months.”


Tara sighed and typed her password in on her computer.


“I know. But I’m really okay. And I can’t really think about it here. I need to concentrate on work.”


“Okay,” Alice said, standing back up, “I’m here if you need anything.”


Tara concentrated on her computer screen before turning her friends and giving her a grateful smile.


“Hey, Al? Thanks.”


Alice put a hand on Tara’s shoulder comfortingly and smiled back at her.


“No problem.”


Tara tapped her fingers impatiently as Alice left, waiting for her computer to boot before catching a glimpse of an envelope in her bag. Remembering why it was there, she grabbed it, checked the contents to confirm what it was and stood up, going over to Mr. Evans’ office, knocking once and entering the small room. Mr. Evans looked at her with wary eyes.


“Tara, if this is about another ‘off the record’ visit, I know the last one worked out but-”


“I just wanted to give you your official wedding invite,” Tara cut him off with a small smile, “Here it is.”


“Oh,” Evans replied, taken aback as he took the envelope, “Thank you. That was very nice of you.”


Tara smiled and turned to leave, before her boss spoke up again.


“A Tuesday afternoon?” he asked, a joke in his voice, “I bet you just did that so you could take the day off work.”


Tara smirked before a thought occurred to her and she turned back into the room, sitting on one of the chairs opposite him.


“Actually, sir, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”


“I think I can allow you to take a personal day for your own wedding,” Mr. Evans chuckled, “Won’t be a problem.”


“Thank you,” Tara smiled, “But that’s not exactly it. You see, Willow’s starting a new job. She’s going to be an analyst with the FBI.”


Mr. Evan's eyes widened in surprise and he nodded at his employee, impressed.


“The FBI? Well, that’s certainly an achievement.”


Tara couldn't help the proud smile that graced her features as she thought of her fiancée.


“Yea, it is. I’m very proud of her. She’s actually down in Quantico at the moment for training. But, see, when that’s done…well, she could be assigned anywhere.


Mr. Evans leant back on his chair and exhaled slowly as he took in what Tara was saying.


“So you’ll be leaving us?”


“Most likely,” Tara nodded, a sad and apologetic look on her face, “The last week of November would be my final week.”


“Well I’ll be very sorry to see you leave, Tara. You’re one of the finest social workers we have on staff.”


“Thank you, sir,” Tara replied with a smile, “That means a lot.”


Mr. Evans met his employee's gaze, his voice genuine.


“I truly mean it. As soon as you know where you’ll be moving to, let me know and I can try and arrange a transfer. It depends where you’re going, of course, but I can’t envision there being a problem. You’ll be going with a glowing record.”


Tara looked surprised and clasped her hands in front of her.


“Oh. I...I didn’t think I could do that. I figured I’d just have to look for work when we got…wherever.”


“We may be losing you here in Boston but it’d be a monumental loss if you weren’t kept within the DCF family,” Mr. Evans replied, making a small clucking noise and shaking his head, “You have an extraordinary way with children, Tara.”


Tara blushed and shrugged her shoulders slightly.


“I love my job.”


“And you’re good at it,” Mr. Evans replied with a definitive nod of his head, then holding up the wedding invite, "Thank you very much for the wedding invitation. I’ll be there with bells on. Am I going to have to find cover for all my staff?”


Tara smiled and shook her head.


“Just Jamie, Ben and Alice of course. We're keeping it small.”


Mr. Evans nodded and wrote the names down for reference.


“That should be manageable.”


Tara stood up and went over to the door.


“Thanks for everything, sir. I’ll be sure to keep you posted as soon as I know anything.”


“Please do. Oh and I want to review the Kilson case with you and Alice later.”


“I’ll tell her,” Tara said with a smile before leaving the office and going back to her own desk, happy she had some work to get lost it.


It was a distraction and that was exactly what she needed.


****


Willow settled into her plane seat and smiled when she saw she was one of the last people to board and the seat beside her was still empty. Hoping she’d get both the aisle and window seat to herself, she put her bag on the empty seat and fastened the belt around her waist. She was just about to close her eyes to see if she could sleep before the flight actually took off when she remembered the present Tara had given to her, which she’d shoved into the side of her carry-on.


Unzipping the pocket, she took the box out and quietly unwrapped it, revealing a sparkly box that gave away nothing as to what was inside. She took the lid off and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw a blue iPod lying there, complete with tidy earphones and a small post-it note, with what Willow recognised as Tara’s handwriting.


I know music helps calm you down…and that during the plane journey you’d start to get jittery. Didn’t want to be overly mushy but well, I think of you when I see the titles or hear the songs. Love you more than anything. Yours forever, Tara.


Willow felt a single tear come to her eye, but let out a low laugh instead when she turned on the iPod and saw a playlist called ‘For My Love’, the first song being ‘Michael Bolton & Kenny G - Missing You Now’.


“Miss you too, baby,” she whispered into the air, oblivious to the strange looks she got from the people sitting across from her.


She put the earphones in her ears and clicked play, her smile getting wider as she saw the rest of the playlist.


Olivia Newton John – Hopelessly Devoted To You
Mariah Carey – We Belong Together
Barry White – You're The First, The Last, My Everything
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
The Police – Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time
Lifehouse – You and Me
The Pretenders – I'll Stand By You
Captain & Tennille – Love Will Keep Us Together
Willie Nelson – Always On My Mind
The Calling – Wherever You Will Go
Jason Wade – You Belong To Me
Joe Cocker – You Are So Beautiful
Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting
The Vogues – You’re The One
Natalie Cole – This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)


Willow didn’t even notice the plane taking off as she listened to the songs Tara had taken the time to upload for her. Upon further exploring of her new electronic toy, she discovered her fiancée had added all her favourite songs as well and her heart swelled with love at the gesture.


She must've snuck onto my laptop and gotten into my music files. God I love that woman.


She was glad she had the music as well, as she started to feel nervous when she realised they were up in the air, not from any fear of flying, although she did have a particular hatred for turbulence, but from the knowledge that she’d be arriving in Virginia soon and all the new endeavours that awaited her.


It’s all good, Rosenberg. Opportunity of a lifetime. It’ll be a few days of adjustment…living with someone that’s not Tara…be like college again, like living with Becky. All good.


The redhead reached into her pocked and pulled out her wallet, opening it up to look at the photo she kept there of her and Tara and the little piece of paper stretched above it that said 'I love you' in Tara's handwriting. That seemed to calm her nerves, at least for a little while and she relaxed into the seat again, a small smile on her face.


Sure, she felt nervous. But she had to admit, she was getting excited too.


**


Willow dropped her bag on her bed as she looked around the fairly-spacious dorm room, nodding her head in satisfaction. She hadn’t quite known what to expect of the living situation and granted, it was minimal but the room seemed nice, with enough closet space for both her and whoever her roommate turned out to be. She sat on the bed and found that too was quite comfy.


She stood up again and started unpacking, arranging her clothes by type on the bed. Organising always gave her a sense of order and control and as she separated her t-shirts from her sweatshirts, she found the excitement starting to build all over again. She’d only seen a small area of the Quantico grounds, but she was impressed so far and was definitely looking forward to being in the classroom setting once again.


As much as Tara would tease her about it, she truly did love learning and getting to do so with one of the most prestigious organisations in the country was certainly something she was proud of. She was just about to walk over to the closet to start to put her clothes away when a petite blonde burst through the door and threw her bag on the bed opposite.


The girl looked around the room for a moment, checking out the space before turning to Willow with a broad smile on her face and extending her hand in greeting.


“Hi, I’m Buffy Summers. Looks like I’m your roommate!”

[leonhart17]

I was not expecting that, but I'm super excited about it! Yay Buffy! This was a sweet chapter! Poor girls :( The ipod was cute! And I love the music!

I have seen that movie - that's a good scene but that movie is SO sad! I love the song though

[rhh21]

whoop whoop! Update!!!
I was kinda sad for Tara I hate leaving a place when you got on well with everybody.
The playlist was sweet, such a thoughtful thing to do!
God help Willow, Buffy as her room-mate. I'd last a week and sufficate her in her sleep! ha-ha.
Keep up the awesome-y awesomeness!!!!
Rhiannon x

[willowtarabuffyfaith]

WOOOOP! i love this story sooooo much!! keep up the EXCELLENT work!

[FIRESIGN]

Excellent way to bring Buffy into the mix! Keep up the great work!

FIRESIGN
aka Cin

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for excellent update-y goodness... The ipod was really a nice gift and most importantly those songs mean so much to them... I hope Buffy doesn't try to hook Willow up with the guys on Quantico...

[vampyregurl73]

LOL, I love it.

The ipod was so sweet and sappy, and I dunno about you but I've done it along with mixed cd's blah,blah,blah. Along with several other romantically intended horrors, lol

I love how you brought Buffy in. As for Quantico, I'm a military brat so I can supply some information if you like and I have a cousin that works for the FBI so I can get generic information since he won't be able to be specific. If you also have the time you may also want to check out the library.

So MORE please!

[Alex_Vixen]

WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!! UPDATE!!!!!!!!

LOVED IT!!!!!! AWWW... Poor Tara!! And WOHOO, Buffy's here!! AWESOME, DUDE!!!!!!

I cant wait for the next update!!

[sapphoselene]

loving this new vision of the Willow/Tara dynamic... Can't wait to see what develops with Buffy as Willow's room mate

looking forward to the next update

[taralicious]

Tara has earned, and rightfully so, the respect of her boss as he gladly offers to transfer her to another state DHS agency since a genuine and willing talent such as Tara's compassionate and winning way with children needs to be encouraged and allowed to flourish.
It is currently the 'in' thing to do to say that the mix tape is old-fashioned but you must dig that it is not a fashion in the first place, it is a feeling and if it was good enough in the past it's still good.
Nice collection of love ballads to keep Tara in WIllow's mind.

[love_2003]

Awesome update. With good friends like Alice Tara will be able to get through the two months without Willow. Also with a great boss like hers she wont have trouble finding a job wherever she and Willow have to relocate to. Excited that you brought Buffy into the story to be Willow's roommate. Great idea. Looking forward to the next update.

[Codyteddyh]

I'm so excited to see what happens next and it's great that Willow and Buffy met at FBI training.

Cody

[abarda]

I spent three days reading all the chapters...
I'm enjoying the story very much, it's cute.

I guess it will be a hard time for the girls, to be away from each other for 9 weeks...
And I liked that Buffy is Willow's roommate. It will be interesting.

[Laragh]

leonhart17 –

I was not expecting that, but I'm super excited about it! Yay Buffy!

Glad you liked the twist! I’m looking forward to including Buffy

This was a sweet chapter! Poor girls :( The ipod was cute! And I love the music!

Well I’m happy you liked it (and the Ipod lol) The girls will be happy, don’t worry (and together soon!)

I have seen that movie - that's a good scene but that movie is SO sad! I love the song though

Oh my god, I know, right? I bawled my eyes out (not that that’s hard, I bawled my eyes out at ‘Up’ too lol)

Thanks for commenting!

rhh21 –

I was kinda sad for Tara I hate leaving a place when you got on well with everybody.

Don’t worry about her, she’s gonna get on good in the new place too

The playlist was sweet, such a thoughtful thing to do!

Glad you liked!

God help Willow, Buffy as her room-mate. I'd last a week and sufficate her in her sleep! ha-ha.

Lol, so would I!

Thanks for your comment!

willowtarabuffyfaith –

WOOOOP! i love this story sooooo much!!

Yay

keep up the EXCELLENT work!

Thanks for your kind words.

And thanks for commenting!

FIRESIGN –

Excellent way to bring Buffy into the mix!

Glad you think so!

Thanks for your feedback!

Zampsa1975 –

The ipod was really a nice gift and most importantly those songs mean so much to them...

Glad you liked the gift idea

I hope Buffy doesn't try to hook Willow up with the guys on Quantico...

Don’t worry, Willow’s gonna make it clear she’s a woman’s woman. And a one-woman woman at that (that was unnecessary complicated but you know what I mean, right?)

Thanks for your comment!

vampyregurl73 –

The ipod was so sweet and sappy, and I dunno about you but I've done it along with mixed cd's blah,blah,blah. Along with several other romantically intended horrors, lol

Oh I’m with you on the romantically intended horrors thing. Carving initials into trees, writing ‘epic’ poems that you think describe exactly how you feel...

I love how you brought Buffy in.

Yay, I’m glad

As for Quantico, I'm a military brat so I can supply some information if you like and I have a cousin that works for the FBI so I can get generic information since he won't be able to be specific.

That’s so nice, thank you so much You know when you have a chapter outline in your head though and it gets all complicated when you diverge from that? I kinda planned not to go into the specifics of Quantico but your offer to supply info is very, very much appreciated!!

If you also have the time you may also want to check out the library.

Thats a very good idea. And seeing as I live all of 100 feet from the library I really have no excuse not to lol.

Thanks so much for all your feedback and support!

Alex_Vixen –

LOVED IT!!!!!! AWWW... Poor Tara!!

Don’t worry, Tara’s gonna have plenty to distract her with the wedding!

And WOHOO, Buffy's here!!

Glad you like the addition!

Thanks for commenting

sapphoselene –

loving this new vision of the Willow/Tara dynamic...

I’m glad

Can't wait to see what develops with Buffy as Willow's room mate

Hope you like how it all pans out!!

Thanks for commenting!

taralicious –

Tara has earned, and rightfully so, the respect of her boss as he gladly offers to transfer her to another state DHS agency since a genuine and willing talent such as Tara's compassionate and winning way with children needs to be encouraged and allowed to flourish.

She has indeed

It is currently the 'in' thing to do to say that the mix tape is old-fashioned but you must dig that it is not a fashion in the first place, it is a feeling and if it was good enough in the past it's still good.

Nothing beats a good mix tape! Except not many people have a cassette player anymore lol

Nice collection of love ballads to keep Tara in WIllow's mind.

Glad you liked

Thanks for your feedback!!

love_2003 –

With good friends like Alice Tara will be able to get through the two months without Willow. Also with a great boss like hers she wont have trouble finding a job wherever she and Willow have to relocate to.

They’ll both survive and their relationship will flourish once it’s all over

Excited that you brought Buffy into the story to be Willow's roommate. Great idea.

Glad you think so and I hope you enjoy how everything starts to pan out!

Thanks for your comment!

Codyteddyh –

I'm so excited to see what happens next and it's great that Willow and Buffy met at FBI training.

Hope you enjoy how the story develops and glad you like the new development!

Thanks for commenting!

abarda –

I spent three days reading all the chapters...
I'm enjoying the story very much, it's cute.

I’m glad you caught up and are enjoying the story!

I guess it will be a hard time for the girls, to be away from each other for 9 weeks...

Yea, but they’re gonna get through it, don’t worry

And I liked that Buffy is Willow's roommate. It will be interesting.

Glad you like the dynamic and hope you enjoy how it develops.

Thanks for commenting!

---

Update Directly Below

[Laragh]

********

TITLE: Hacker Confidential

AUTHOR: Laragh

CHAPTER RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.

SUMMARY: AU, set in contemporary setting. A lot of W/T fluff and some semblance of a storyline.

SPOILERS: AU fic, so at most minor references or pieces of dialogue

FEEDBACK: Yes please

Chapter 16

********

Previously:

She was just about to walk over to the closet to start to put her clothes away when a petite blonde burst through the door and threw her bag on the bed opposite.


The girl looked around the room for a moment, checking out the space before turning to Willow with a broad smile on her face and extending her hand in greeting.


“Hi, I’m Buffy Summers. Looks like I’m your roommate!”

---

“Oh,” Willow said, putting her clothes back on the bed and taking Buffy’s hand, “Hi! I’m Willow Rosenberg.”


Buffy shook the redhead's hand firmly, then smiled and retracted her hand, flopping down on the bed.


“Nice to meet you, Willow. So, check out these digs, huh? I was expecting military bunks or something.”


“Yea, they’re pretty nice,” Willow replied and followed suit, sitting on her own bed, though with more caution than the blonde had since a lot of her clothes were still folded on it, “So, um…you’re a future-technical analyst too?”


Buffy was slightly distracted as she continued to look around the room, Willow's words just registering in her mind before she focused back on her new roommate.


“Hmm? Oh no. Language analyst. It’s all very surreal, though. I mean, I applied and then all the interviews and stuff but now I’m actually here.”


Willow looked suitably impressed at the blonde's reason for being in Quantico and nodded her head in agreement to her last statement.


“Oh right, yea. I only found out a couple of weeks ago I’d be coming here at all. So definitely with ya on the surreal front.”


Buffy gave a single nod before her eyes narrowed slightly and a look of confusion fell on her face.


“A couple of weeks? How’d they fit in all the rigmarole-y stuff in two weeks? I’ve been going through the motions for like six months.”


“Um, I dunno,” Willow replied, suddenly nervous, wondering how much she should or was even allowed to say, “I was kinda recruited and it was pushed through from there.”


Buffy continued to seem confused for a moment before shrugging her shoulders, seemingly accepting the answer.


“Oh. Cool.”


Willow nodded and rubbed her hands on her jeans, before deciding to change the subject.


“So a language analyst, huh? What languages do you speak?”


Buffy seemed to perk up at this and sat forward in the bed.


“German, Russian, Arabic and Korean, fluently. Oh and English of course. School-level Spanish. I was an army brat growing up, so I picked it up. Never thought I could make a career out of it, though. Guess my Dad was actually good for something.”


Willow chuckled and smiled, she liked this Buffy and was glad she seemed to have a nice roommate, otherwise the next nine weeks would’ve been unpleasant to say the least.


“So, tell me about yourself,” Buffy continued, picking a piece of lint off her sweater, “Since we’re gonna be living with each other for the next two months. I hear this training is pretty intensive, too. Might not be a lot of time for chatting.”


“Sure,” Willow said with a smile, sitting up more on the bed so her back was against the wall and grabbing a pillow, cradling it to her front, “Well, I’m twenty-four. Twenty five next April. Jewish. I’m from California originally but I’ve lived in Boston since I started college, when I was eighteen.”


Buffy got a smile on her face, leaning forwards almost excitedly.


“Hey, I lived in Boston for a while when I was sixteen. Awesome city.”


Willow nodded, smiling as well as she thought of what had become her home.


“Yeah, I love it. So, um, went to Boston University. Got a degree in psychology. Then I kinda struggled finding a job. Applied everywhere; Starbucks, fast food joints etc but never got anywhere serious until two guys in suits show up at my door and next thing you know I’m shipping out to Quantico. What about you?”


Buffy leaned back as she got ready to launch into her (condensed though it may be) life story, taking a moment to gather her thoughts in her head.


“Oh well, like I said, army brat. I’ve lived on every continent apart from Antarctica, never in one place for more than a year, usually no more than 6 months though. Then college came around, I moved to Chicago…it wasn’t exactly my favourite thing in the world but I managed to get through it and came out with a business degree. It was never my first choice, but Daddy was paying, so I kind of had no choice,” she replied with a roll of her eyes, “Anyway, I just finished up there – oh, I went to Northwestern, by the way - in the summer and knew I didn’t want to get into management or anything so I applied for here and got in. Oh and I’m twenty-three. Apart from that, I have my boyfriend, Angel, we’ve been dating for about a year.”


“Angel?” Willow asked with a smirk, “Interesting name. Not that I can talk.”


“Yea. His parents kind of got lost in the sixties and stayed there. What about you? Is that an engagement ring I see on your finger?”


Willow looked down at her finger and smiled as she played with her ring.


“Yea, it is. I’m getting married when this is all over.”


“Ooh,” Buffy said excitedly, “Spill! Details, details! What’s his name?”


Willow bit her lip and gave her roommate a nervous smile.


“Tara.”


Buffy once again got a confused look on her face, mulling over the name.


“Tara? That’s a weird name for a…oh.”


Realisation dawned on the petite blonde, her mouth forming an 'o' shape, which Willow mistook as a bad sign, her nervousness instantly sending her into babble mode.


“Are you freaked? You’re freaked, aren’t you? I’m not gonna jump you or anything. I mean, not that you’re not pretty, you are, very, I’m just very much taken and very much in love with my fiancée and you don’t even like girls and have a boyfriend so it’s not like anything would happen and hey, isn’t fraternisation like against the rules anyway? So another reason but the biggest being, and I repeat, I’m very much in love with Tara but if you’re still uncomfortable maybe they could put you in a different room or maybe-”


“Whoa there, Will,” Buffy said, holding up a hand, “Can I call you Will?”


Willow took a breath and nodded quietly.


“Um, sure.”


“I’m not freaked. I think that’s great. Love is love. You got any pictures?”


Willow’s face broke out in a big smile and she nodded enthusiastically, reaching for her bag where she took a framed photograph of her and Tara that she’d brought out and handed it across to the blonde. Buffy took it and examined the photo.


“She’s beautiful,” Buffy said after a moment, handing the frame back, “How long have you been together?”


“Five years in the spring,” Willow replied excitedly, happy Buffy was cool with her admission, “We met in college.”


Buffy grinned and pointed at Willow's ring.


“And who proposed to who?”


“I did,” Willow replied, biting her lip and tapping her fingers against the band around her finger, “Well, I did first. Then she did.”


“Aww. That’s so cute,” Buffy replied, holding one hand to her heart, “What does she do?”


“She’s a social worker. A great one," Willow said, looking off for a moment as she thought of her fiancée, “What about your guy? What does he do?”


“He’s a private investigator. It’s actually how we met, my father hired him to make sure I was ‘behaving appropriately’ while I was in college. After a little bit of drama, yelling at my Dad and punching Angel in the stomach for lying to me, I kind of had to admit there was a spark there and agreed to go on a date. A year later, we’re still strong,” Buffy said, then sighed, “I guess this’ll be a real test, though. First assignment and all, doing the long distance thing.”


Willow nodded in understanding, before asking the question on her mind.


“He wouldn’t move with you?”


Buffy cocked her head to the side in thought.


“You know, he probably would. But we don’t even live together, you know? I couldn’t ask him to uproot everything. We agreed when I got in that we’d do our best to make it work and go from there.”


“Well that’s very mature and responsible,” Willow said with a reassuring smile, “You gotta trust that it’ll all work out.”


“Yea. How does Tara feel about moving?”


Willow glanced at the photo and sighed.


“Nothing but supportive. Wants to be wherever I am.”


Buffy looked at what she considered to be her new friend strangely.


“What’s with the frown-y face? That sounds like a good thing.”


“It is,” Willow replied, with another small sigh, “She’s amazing. I just feel bad that I’m taking her away from Boston. I know she loves it as much as I do.”


Buffy opened her mouth, then closed it, then opened it again, deciding to voice her opinion as Willow seemed willing to listen.


“Well, I know I’m pretty much a stranger here, but I believe in straight-shooting...or, um, gay-shooting as the case may be...Anyway, I can tell how much you love her just by the way you say her name. And if she feels the same, then I’d believe her when she says she just wants to be wherever you are. And hey, you’re getting married. Most married people don’t live apart.”


Willow's face broke out in a small smile that grew wider and a small giggle escaped her mouth.


“You know what, Buffy? I think we’ve got the start of a beautiful friendship here. I’ve never felt so comfortable around someone so quickly. Even with Tara it took me a few days to not worry about every single word that came out of my mouth.”


“Yea,” Buffy replied with a smirk, “But that’s just because you wanted to get into her pants.”


Willow scoffed and gave a playful chuckle before picking up the pillow she was holding onto and throwing it across the room, hitting the blonde square in the face.


Buffy squealed and picked up the thrown pillow, jumping up and leaping across the room, hitting Willow with it. The redhead giggled and put up a fight against the invading pillow for a few minutes before putting her hands up in surrender.


“I give, I give,” she said, slightly out of breath, “You’ve got some pillow-fighting skills.”


“Boarding school for a year in Sweden,” Buffy said with a confident smile, “It’s kill or be killed in that kind of environment.”


“I can imagine,” Willow said seriously, “Your ability is quite enviable.”


“We can have pillow-fighting secret study sessions at night,” Buffy replied, in an equally serious tone, “Then when you go back to your honey you can wow her. I mean, that is what two women do together, right? Have pillow fights in their underwear?”


“Oh yes. And on special days like birthdays and anniversaries we braid each other’s hair.”


The two girls burst out laughing at the ridiculousness of their conversation and Buffy sat on the redhead’s bed beside her, carefully avoiding the clothes that had been placed orderly at the end there.


“You know, you’re pretty cool, Willow Rosenberg.”


“Yea?” Willow asked with a small smile, “You wouldn’t have thought that if you met me in high school. I was the kind of nerd who would’ve asked if you wanted me to move if you sat down beside me. College brought me out of my shell. Tara even more so.”


“Well, friend-o,” Buffy said, putting a hand on Willow’s knee, “There’s a seat for you next to me anytime.”


“Thank you, Buffy.”


The two new friends shared a look of understanding for a moment before Willow jumped up and went to grab her clothes again.


“If we’re gonna be FBI professionals, Buff, we should probably start by getting properly unpacked.”

[Zampsa1975]

Yay for great update-y goodness... Good that Willow & Buffy became instant friends... I hope Willow very soon informs Tara to add Buffy and maybe Angel to their list of wedding guests...

[angieb86]

Yeah....Pretty much AMAZING!

That's all I gotta say about that!

Can't wait for the next chapter!!!

[vazy]

Totally n00b to the site here. I blame you for that, thank you Anyway, love the story so totally awesome. Love that cha have stuck Buffy in to the story. Don't know if you've answered this before but any Xander or Anya? Anyway can't wait for more! Keep up the good work.

[leonhart17]

Aww! Yay! I love their instant best friend-y-ness! <-totally a word!

This one was so cute! Love it! I hope Buffy and Angel get to come to the wedding!

Aww, Up made me tear up a little bit too! (don't worry)

[taralicious]

“I was kinda recruited and it was pushed through from there.”

Willow is the person that any team would set aside the rigorous admittance procedures for in order to avail themselves of her natural abilities.

that is what two women do together, right? Have pillow fights in their underwear?”...Oh yes. And on special days like birthdays and anniversaries we braid each other’s hair.”

This made me laugh out loud in a tea coming out of my nose sort of way.
And the fun level rises depending on where the hair is they're braiding.
Again you have a natural way of fleshing out the Willow/Buffy best friend thing so it seems completely relaistic that they could have met this way and had the instant chemistry that they do.

[rhh21]

yay! update!
So, this Buffy doesn't seem that bad (thank God!)
I actually kinda like her in your story, and she's with Angel? Interesting choice lol, I was always kinda a Spike fan ha-ha.
So will the next update be centered on Tara again or will you split it in half??
Keep up with the awesomeness!!!
Rhiannon x

[abarda]

I liked Buffy in this story. Generally I hate her...
And Buffy and Angel's story kinda reminded me about the movie "First daughter", with Katie Holmes and Marc Blucas... LOL.
Nice chapter. I'm waiting for the next!

[love_2003]

I can totally see Buffy growing up an army-brat. Glad that Willow is already comfortable around her. Being away from Tara for two months, Willow is going to need someone to talk too. Looking forward to the next update.

[sapphoselene]

wonderful way to start their friendship... good job on bringing their personalities out so strong so quickly... i can't wait for the next update...

[Alex_Vixen]

WOOHOOOO!! UPDATE!!!!!!!!! *runs circles around the KB*

That was awesome!!! I LOVED how they got along so well!! Dude, you make it so real...it's awesome.... I SOOO totally can see Buffy as an army brat! LOL... And I agree with the guys...I hope Buffy and Angel will be invited to the wedding.

AWESOME UPDATE!!

[Laragh]

Zampsa1975 –

Good that Willow & Buffy became instant friends...

Glad you liked

I hope Willow very soon informs Tara to add Buffy and maybe Angel to their list of wedding guests...

I think that’ll probably, most likely happen

Thanks for your comment!

angieb86 –

Yeah....Pretty much AMAZING!

That's all I gotta say about that!

A girl of few words...i like that lol, I’m glad you’re enjoying it!

Can't wait for the next chapter!!!

I hope you like it!!

Thanks for commenting!

vazy –

Totally n00b to the site here. I blame you for that, thank you

I’m happy to be blamed for getting someone new on the site

Anyway, love the story so totally awesome.

Yay

Love that cha have stuck Buffy in to the story. Don't know if you've answered this before but any Xander or Anya?

You’re the first to ask and...you’ll just have to wait and see! (But I do know whether they’ll be included...and let’s just say it looks good )

Thanks for your feedback, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

leonhart17 –

Aww! Yay! I love their instant best friend-y-ness! <-totally a word!

Totally a word! Glad you liked!

This one was so cute! Love it!

I hope Buffy and Angel get to come to the wedding!

I think they will

Aww, Up made me tear up a little bit too! (don't worry)

Lol, well at least I’m not the only one. I’m the biggest girl when it comes to sad movies...or books...or songs...lol, I just cry at everything.

Thanks for commenting!

taralicious –

Willow is the person that any team would set aside the rigorous admittance procedures for in order to avail themselves of her natural abilities.

Sometimes special circumstance just win out.

This made me laugh out loud in a tea coming out of my nose sort of way.
And the fun level rises depending on where the hair is they're braiding.

Glad I could give you a laugh and very true

Again you have a natural way of fleshing out the Willow/Buffy best friend thing so it seems completely relaistic that they could have met this way and had the instant chemistry that they do.

Glad you like how it was portrayed! I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Thanks for your comment!

rhh21 –

So, this Buffy doesn't seem that bad (thank God!)... I actually kinda like her in your story

I always wanted Buffy to be a better friend. Like the whole show was supposed to be revolved around the fact that she had these great friendships but I always felt like she let the others down in that department. Anyway /rant lol.

she's with Angel? Interesting choice lol, I was always kinda a Spike fan ha-ha.

I was always a Bangel (boo Spuffy ) fan lol. The only problem is I find it really hard to write Angel so whenever he’s included he’ll probably seem a little OOC. But I guess this is an AU so I have a bit of leeway lol.

So will the next update be centered on Tara again or will you split it in half??

Tara-centered! But I probably won’t end up switching each chapter, more likely to have more wedding-focused ones.

Glad you’re still liking the story and thanks for your comment!!!

abarda –

I liked Buffy in this story. Generally I hate her...

I was never her biggest fan either, but I love the general idea of her character (the bad-ass petite blonde) I just think that character got worn by the drama of the show. So I’m hoping to do her a little bit of justice

And Buffy and Angel's story kinda reminded me about the movie "First daughter", with Katie Holmes and Marc Blucas... LOL.

Lol, well I didn’t channel that movie intentionally but I have seen it so maybe it was there subconsciously in my mind. My mind must have used the Marc Blucas connection lol.

Nice chapter. I'm waiting for the next!

Hope you like it

Thanks for your feedback!

love_2003 –

I can totally see Buffy growing up an army-brat.

I’m glad it seems like a realistic interpretation I thought it worked for her too.

Glad that Willow is already comfortable around her.

They’ve got an instant best-friend connection

Being away from Tara for two months, Willow is going to need someone to talk too

Very true, it’s good she has Buffy there.

Thanks for your comment!

sapphoselene –

wonderful way to start their friendship...

Glad you think so

good job on bringing their personalities out so strong so quickly...

Thanks for your kind words

i can't wait for the next update...

I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks for commenting!

Alex_Vixen –

I LOVED how they got along so well!! Dude, you make it so real...it's awesome....

Glad you liked

I SOOO totally can see Buffy as an army brat!

Me too lol

And I agree with the guys...I hope Buffy and Angel will be invited to the wedding.

I think they will

Thanks for commenting!!

---

Update Directly Below

[Laragh]

********

TITLE: Hacker Confidential

AUTHOR: Laragh

CHAPTER RATING: PG-13

DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.

SUMMARY: AU, set in contemporary setting. A lot of W/T fluff and some semblance of a storyline.

SPOILERS: AU fic, so at most minor references or pieces of dialogue

FEEDBACK: Yes please

Chapter 17

********


“What about this one?” Tara asked, twirling around for full effect, “Do you like it?”


Brian dropped his head into his hands and sighed.


“Shouldn’t one of the girl’s be helping you with this? Wedding dress shopping is not exactly on my list of special skills.”


“They’re both busy,” Tara replied, smoothing out the lacy white gown she had on and looking at herself in the mirror, “I know this isn’t your idea of heaven but I really need another set of eyes on this. Eyes that aren’t trying to make a commission. And I need to organise my dress like yesterday. God, this isn’t right, none of them are right.”


“You look very pretty,” Brian said, caringly, “I like the little bead-y things on the sides.”


Tara smiled at him in thanks before going back behind the curtain to change out of the dress.


“I really appreciate you coming with me for this,” she said over the curtain as she stepped out of the fabric, “I owe you one.”


“It’s really no problem,” Brian replied, his tone genuine, “I know I’m whining, but that’s just because I don’t want the snooty saleswoman to think I’m not a real man ‘cause I don’t mind going dress shopping with someone who isn’t even my girlfriend.”


Tara dragged the curtain back and handed the dress to a saleswoman who had been hanging around near-by and was currently shooting daggers at Brian for calling her snooty.


“How about I buy you lunch as a thank you? Then there’s just one more store I want to check out and if I can’t find anything there...well then I’ll have to consider the possibility of getting married naked.”


“I’m not sure Willow would like that,” Brian grinned as he held the door open for his friend and fell into step with her on the sidewalk, “Then again…”


Tara playfully hit him on the arm with a giggle.


“Where do you wanna eat? There’s a great sushi place around the corner.”


“Sounds delicious. Lead the way.”


Tara walked them around the block to a small sushi bar and they both sat at the counter, plates of food revolving around them. Tara grabbed a couple of pairs of chopsticks and gave one set to Brian, picking up a California Roll with her own and popping it into her mouth.


“So how’s Wills getting on?” Brian asked, picking up a spicy tuna roll.


“She’s doing great,” Tara said with a fond smile, “She calls me every night. She said the first week was really hard but that this week is much better now she’s gotten used to the schedule and everything. And she says her roommate is awesome, they’re really great friends already.”


“You must be really proud of her.”


“I really am.”


The two friends shared a smile until Tara suddenly remembered something.


“Hey, whatever happened to that girl Becky was teasing you about? You haven’t mentioned her since...since Willow’s last night.”


“Oh, yea,” Brian said, looking down, “She just wanted a ‘no strings, fun’ kind of thing, so I called it off. As tempting as it was, I want more, you know? I want what you and Willow have. I want real love.”


Tara put one of her hands on the boy’s shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.


“You’re gonna find her and have that. I know you will, you’re a catch.”


Brian smiled again and let out a laugh.


“Jeez, dress shopping, talking about my feelings, bitching about wanting commitment. It’s official, I’m a girl.”


“You’ve always been one of the girls,” Tara replied, laughing along, “Thank god you’ve finally accepted it.”


“What can I say, I can deny who I am no longer,” Brian said with a flourish of his hand, “So how goes all the wedding plans? Is the dress conundrum the only thing you have to contend with?”


“I wish,” Tara responded, rolling her eyes, “I still need to find somewhere to host the reception, find a rabbi who’ll marry us, get the cake ordered, get the flowers sorted, find a DJ or band of some description for the reception, I don’t even know where to start there…I’m still waiting on confirmation that we’re okay to have the ceremony in the Public Gardens. Then I need to organise the actual reception, I mean, there’s not that many people but I need to make sure we have enough food and a bar there so that everyone’s happy. The only thing I actually have done is the sending of the wedding invitations – you got yours, didn’t you?”


“Yes. I like the silver writing. Very cool.”


“Thanks. But yea, invitations and wedding rings are the only things done. And even then, the rings are still being engraved so it feels like I have nothing done.”


“You’re stressing pretty hard, huh?”


“A little,” Tara admitted, then relented off the look she got, “Okay, a lot. I’ve got a heavy caseload in work as well at the moment and you know, no one to unload on when I get home.”


“Call me anytime,” Brian offered with a warm smile, “I know I can’t cuddle it better but you can bend the ear offa me anytime you want.”


“Thank you, Brian. You’re a great friend.”


“I know I am,” Brian said in a campy voice, “I’m just fabulous.”


Tara laughed once again, inwardly delighted that the girls had been busy that day. It wasn’t that she didn’t like hanging out with them, she did, very much so, but she was having a great time with Brian and was laughing a lot more than had been normal since Willow left. She could feel all the stressors she had been feeling weighing down her shoulders start to drift away as she continued to talk to her friend and eat the sushi laid out in front of her.


They both ate their lunch leisurely, enjoying each other’s company and the relaxed and easy way they were chatting until Tara glanced at her watch and saw that there was only an hour left until the shop she wanted to visit, closed. Upon realising that, she swiftly went to pay for the food before grabbing Brian and dragging him out of the restaurant and across the road.


“Jeez, Tara, I just ate. Slow down!”


Tara eased her pace and shot an apologetic smile at her friend.


“Sorry. I just literally have no other time to do this.”


“Chill,” Brian replied, linking Tara’s arm as they walked down the street, “We have time now.”


“This is it,” Tara responded, stopping outside a bridal shop that had an explosion of white in the window, “Wow. That makes my eyes hurt.”


“You’re telling me. Right, well, in we go.”


They both walked inside the relatively small store and a saleswoman was upon them immediately, her grin brighter than the window display.


“Good afternoon, my name is Nichole. Welcome to Rashida’s Bridal. How may I be of service?”


“I need a wedding dress,” Tara said with a courteous smile.


“Wonderful,” Nichole replied, clapping her hands together. Tara could practically see the dollar signs light up in her eyes, “Do you know what exactly you’re looking for?”


“Simple. Just plain white. I don’t mind a small train, but nothing ridiculous. And no frills. I have definitely decided against frilly stuff.”


“Well, I think we can accommodate that. We have a wide selection of bridal wear,” Nichole said, then glanced at Brian, “Um, does your fiancé want to maybe get some coffee while you try things on? You know, bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the day and everything…”


Both Tara and Brian’s heads jerked to the side, looking at the entrance as if they expected Willow to be standing there.


“My fiancée…” Tara asked, confused, then glanced at her and Brian’s still-conjoined arms. Holding back a giggle, she slowly extracted her arm, “This isn’t my fiancée. This is my friend, Brian. He’s my spare pair of eyes for the day. As for my actual fiancée…I’ll make sure she doesn’t see it.”


Nichole seemed to pale and almost back away from the blonde, as if she was afraid she would catch something, before the prospect of those dollar bills flashed in her mind again and she jumped forward.


“Well then, let’s get to work. I’ll go arrange an ensemble for you to look at.”


Tara nodded her head, agreeing to the arrangement.


“Thank you very much.”


Tara watched the small woman depart and glanced at Brian, shaking her head as a stray giggle left her mouth.


“Did you see that? I think she thinks being gay is contagious.”


“And she thought I was your future husband,” Brian replied, not able to hold his own laughter, “I can’t wait to tell Willow that.”


“Oh, you should email her. I’ll be talking to her anyway, she’ll love getting the story from you.”


“I’ll do that.”


The two regained their composure again as Nichole returned with a rack of white dresses. Tara walked over to them and picked up the first one. She smiled, it looked quite nice on the hanger, but then again, so had a lot in the three other stores she’d been to that day.


“In here?” she asked, pointing to what she presumed was the changing room.


Off Nichole’s nod, she entered and stripped down to her underwear, before pulling the dress over her head and doing the zipper up her side. She instantly felt almost a connection to the dress. It seemed to fit her perfectly already, and though she couldn’t see herself since there was no mirror in the room, glancing down she definitely liked what she saw.


She left the small room, holding the fabric around her thighs so she didn’t step on it and heard Brian gasp as soon as she came into view. She turned and looked at herself in the full length mirror that was set up there, a slow, delighted smile forming on her face.


The dress was a simple white and flowed down to her ankles and fit her perfectly, thick straps holding it in place around her shoulders as the neckline plunged slightly, showing off her cleavage. She turned, biting her lip excitedly and nodded at Brian.


“This is it. I found my dress.”