FIC: Paper Airplanes

[Tiggrscorpio]

Oohh, I really love fics that involve Willow and/or Tara writing letters to each other. This is a great story. I'm glad to hear the angst is minimal and will be over in one chapter. Then, do we get W/T smoochies in the cabin? Please.

*****

She's my everything!

[4WiccanLuv]

I am truly enjoying this fic. Willow's letters are s sweet. Love, ain't it grand?

[mollyig]

Why was Dawn shouting? Oh please don't let some oogly boogly be attacking just when Tara found out how Willow felt about her and is on her way to ask her to the mountains.

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls

[willntlover]

This fic is so cute, it is beyond words!! I love it SO much But one question:





Where is the next part?



If you're still wondering what people want, I want to add my plea.



I want a update daily! Pt 6 today, adn pt. 7 tomorrow!

-Will

[jdcioffi]

fic question though... joyce is alive *and* willow's living at the summers house too? i was a bit confused there...



I caught that after I posted, but didn't wanna change it. I needed to get Tara to the Summer's house. (Bad me -- writer's constructs over holey plots).



I'll try to get a reason in there soon ... or maybe I'll just continue to ignore it.



Eep!



JD



More this afternoon ...

"I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!" (SpongeBob Squarepants)

[Kerrison]

Bad Kerry for not catching that.



Fire me if you'd like. I can take the punishment.



-Ker

[lisa h]

no apologies and no firings please!

just more fic.

perhaps joyce is out of town for the month on a gallery hop?

love it, thanks

lisa

[jdcioffi]

No way, Jose! You're in this for the long haul ...



It was you're idea to keep this fic alive (how many times did I say I'm quitting?) ... Ker, you go, I go.



Update a-comin momentarily.

JD

"I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!" (SpongeBob Squarepants)

[Karzia]

Way cool update is on it's way I am really liking this alot, and I am soooooo pleased you let Tara find the napkin and the airplane

Give into the sunshine....give into the W/T love..let it take over"

--------Sassette

[jdcioffi]

Kittens are the sweetest creatures in the world ... thank you for reading (and giving such happy, positive feedback). I wanna get this up, so I'm skipping the personalized thank you's this time ... but know that each and every response has warmed my heart. You kittens rock!



Alright, here's Part 6.



Tara's breath caught and a lump formed in her throat when Dawn's frantic scream cut the air. Before she had time to think, she was already running down the stairs. By the time she reached the living room, the only sound over the whispers and gasps was the strong voice of the news anchor.



"Once again, flight number 1621 leaving from Sunnydale National has crashed en route to Ontario National. There were 147 passengers on board and, so far, no survivors have been reported. We will have all the latest on this story, including the suspected causes and reactions when more information becomes available."



Stunned, Tara reached for the wall and leaned against it for support. "Willow," she breathed. Still clutching Willow's notes in her trembling hand, she stared off into another world. Her head shook as a small voice escaped her anguished mouth and whispered, "No, no," over and over again.



Buffy turned the television off and threw the remote onto the couch. Then she sprinted out of the living room. "Where is it?!" A strange mix of Buffy's frustrated shout and the sound of her frenzied ruffling of papers shook its way out of the kitchen. Almost as quickly as the noises started, they were gone. Buffy slowly walked back into the living room, pale-faced and wide-eyed, a small yellow paper tighly grasped in her white-knuckled hand.



Dawn's eyes darted around the room. "Bu-Buffy?" The panic in Dawn's voice was too late to break her heart; the paper she tensely gripped claimed that victory.



"Uh," she said, looking at each of her friends. Buffy's voice faltered as she tried to speak. Her mind screamed for her to be strong, but her heart refused to comply. Anger and sadness struggled against each other as her fingers slowly balled the yellow note against her palm. When it was nothing but a small ball of fibers, Buffy closed her eyes and allowed the tears to begin.



Tara's head felt light and she was sure she was going to pass out. Her legs began to give out from under her and she allowed herself to slide down the wall until her knees were at her chest. She pulled Willow's jacket tight around her, stuffed her hands into the warm pockets, and bent her head forward. Even in her cocoon, she could hear the muted sounds of crying.



"Xander?" Anya looked at him in disbelief. "She wasn't sick, Xander. Or old. Or evil. Or anything that requires death," Anya stopped listing reasons that Willow would be killed.



"Ahn, baby," Xander wrapped his arms around his teary girlfriend, "I can't, I just, I don't know." He was confused at how his heart could be broken into a million pieces yet still be beating so wildly.



Dawn made her way to Tara's hunched over form and slowly sat next to her. She scooted so that she was sitting right next to her and leaned against the older girl. She looked up at Buffy with pleading eyes and watched as her sister slowly moved to sit beside her. Dawn pulled her sister closer to her, so she was securely nesteled between Tara and Buffy.



Dawn didn't know how long they had been huddled together on the floor. She was sure that the news had been over for at least an hour. She wondered if SpongeBob SquarePants was over too. Lifting her eyes to look at the couch, Dawn imagined herself sitting between Willow and Tara laughing at the little yellow sponge's antics.



Instead of laughter, however, there was nothing. A few sniffles here and there, but no real sound. Xander was quietly leaning on the arm of the couch, carefully cradling Anya, who was staring at a spot on the floor and idly rubbing her hand up and down Xander's arm. The distinct lack of noise beared down on her as a fresh round of tears well up. She slipped her hand into Buffy's and allowed the sorrow to wet her face.



The silence was broken by the sound of someone attempting to open the front door. The knob turned a few times before it was pushed open.



"Help! Got stuff here and it's falling," Willow cried out as the bags she was carrying started to slip. Her face was partially covered by a loaf of bread that stuck up out of one of the bags. "Anyone? I need," the bags slid from her hands, "some help," she finished in a defeated tone.



Four bodies were immediately pressed against hers. She stood rigidly in place, her eyes wild with suprise. "Uhm, hey. It's just some food, guys. We eat it all the time. And, honestly, it wasn't even for you," Willow said. Remembering the last time she was presented with such affection, she said, "There isn't a skanky me running around again, is there?"



Without releasing her from their embraces, everyone began telling her about the plane crash.



"And the people who survived, well, there aren't any ..."



"And you were dead, but now your not ..."



"And you made me cry and that's a mean thing to do because I don't like to cry ..."



"And I didn't know what to do ..."



"Wait!" Willow said as she threw her hands in the air. She looked at Anya and smiled warmly. "I didn't mean to make you cry." She turned her attention to Dawn and touched her cheek. "And I wasn't dead." As she pulled both Xander and Buffy into a hug, she saw a lone form slumped over on the floor.



"Tara?" Willow moved from Buffy and Xander's embrace and walked over to her friend. She placed her hand on Tara's back and could feel the blonde shaking under her fingertips. "Tara. Hey." Willow ran her fingers through her friend's golden locks. At the touch, Tara lifted her head. She looked at Willow as if she was a ghost. Tara's soft weeping quickly became heavier sobbing. Willow's heart was breaking to see Tara like this. "I'm here. I, I never left," she explained.



Tara's eyes searched Willow's as her brows furrowed. "Willow?"



Willow smiled impishly at Tara. "My parents decided to vacation at work,

again."



Tara slowly reached up with trembling hands and touched Willow's neck. As she reached down toward the collarbone, she found what she was looking for. Her eyes lit up as she pulled the the amber necklace out of Willow's collar.



"You wore it."



Willow wasn't sure if Tara was asking a question or simply making a statement. "Of course I did. It was part of the deal. I wear the necklace

and you wear the jacket. And, after vacation, we return them safely to each other. Remember?"



Willow reached up slowly and dried Tara's tears. Tara dipped her head at the contact and blushed furiously. Willow grinned as she pulled the collar of the jacket away from Tara's face. "Don't hide. Big Bear is no fun if you're hiding in a stuffy jacket all the time."



"B-big what?"



"Bear. Big Bear. It's where we're spending vacation," Willow stated. "Oh, if you want to, I mean. I'm not forcing you or anything, it's just that my parents have that nice cabin and the car's all gassed up and, look," she pointed to the bags that had fallen and smiled as she watched four pairs of hands trying stuff the food back into the ripped bags, "food. We, uhm, had food, but I can get more with this nifty thing my mom gave me. It's called a credit card and I can buy all sorts of goods with it. And now I'm starting to sound like Anya, so I think I'll stop talking and you can talk now, if you have something to say. Like maybe if you want to go or something. You don't have to want to go, I mean, after all of this, I wouldn't blame," Willow was cut off by Tara's soft giggle.



"It really is you," she said with a smirk. "Driving, right? Is the car big enough?"



Willow smiled, "It's an okay size. It's a small SUV, so there's plenty of room for our stuff and even a cat carrier. We don't need that much room, I mean, how much do you plan on taking?"



Tara's heart jumped when she realized that Willow was asking her to go on vacation with her. She wasn't asking the entire Scooby Gang, just her. "You mean, just you and me and Miss Kitty, then."



"Unless you want to invite someone else. Is there someone I should know about?" Willow teased.



"Yes, but we can talk about that later," Tara said quietly. She noticed

Willow's smile fade a little. "Just you, me and Kitty sounds perfect." The two friends smiled at each other and sat together, enjoying each other's

presence.



Anya stuck her elbow in Xander's side, "See? I told you." Dawn looked at Willow and Tara and then look back at Xander and Anya confused.



"See what?" she asked.



Xander grabbed the offending elbow and whispered from the side of his mouth, "Quiet Ahn. They're just talking."



"Buffy, what does she mean?" Dawn asked Buffy, pointing at Anya.



Buffy sighed and said, "Nothing. She doesn't mean anything and even if she did, it would be none of our business. Right, Anya?"



"Yeah. Okay." Anya held her hands up to shield herself from the verbal attack she felt might be coming. She shook her head and flopped herself on the couch. Staring at the two witches, she said emphatically, "Spells, right. Just friends, uh huh. Sure." She quietly added under her breath, "like me and Xander, just friends, doing some spells."



**End Part 6**

"I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!" (SpongeBob Squarepants)

[ExtraFlameyWT]

Woo Hoo!! Great update, JD!!! It was so sad when they thought Willow was dead..it was beautiful when Tara realized that she wasn't dead, and it really was her. *sigh*



I can't wait for more..mmm...Willow and Tara alone at a cabin.



-Aimee

*****
"Pope John Paul today confirmed his opposition to gay marriages, said they're unnatural. Gay marriage is unnatural. Then he put on a pointy hat, his dress, and returned to never having sex at all." -Bill Maher

[fidds]

Great update! Yay -W/T all happy + get to go home to Miss Kitty ! (can't forget her)



*Hannah*

[willntlover]

Gotta say didn't see that coming Cool update!

-Will

[hellmouthhottie20]

yippiee. Willow and tara going to be all alone in a cabin!!!

I love the way you do anya. shes so perseptive



Caz

one by on the penguins stole my sanity

So what if my grades are lousy, you always said its not what you know its who you know - my little sis

[snuggle79]

great update! Can't wait to see what our girls are going to do on their vacation...

Oh baby, want me to rub your tummy? She likes it when I ... stop explaining things.

Hi, um Tara..how are you? well...I was wondering maybe you want to go out some time...for coffee? food? Kisses and gay love?


Looking down and hungry for your love, but no way to feed it...

[lipkandy]

so much amazing fanfic going on right now!! I love this fic (so much that I had to de-lurk). the dialog is right on and the characters and their relationships with each other are so pitch perfect *swoon* I've become obssesed with checking this thread, like, a thousand times a day. so let me join the chorus:

MORE PLEASE!!

[jdcioffi]

My wonderful kittens, Part 7 is quite long, so I am breaking it up into 7a and 7b.



I don't know if I will have time to post tomorrow -- myboss is returning from a trip and that usually means extra work for me. I will get Part 7A/B up tonite just in case.



I'll have Part 8 to the editor this evening or tomorrow morning. Thanks for reading thus far!



lipkandy: I actually de-lurked someone! Thank you for coming forward for this story ... it, and I, appreciate it.



**Part 7A**



The drive up to Big Bear was as beautiful as the girls thought it would be. New flowers pushed their colors onto the dark highway and the sky pressed its blue upon the drab black and white road. The crisp spring air rushed into the open windows of the car, carrying with it the smell of early morning.



The two friends reveled in each other's company. They spent the first few hours of the drive in “road-trip-sing-a-long" mode. Willow put Tara in charge of the music and was amused by her friend's eclectic taste. As Willow was settling into the soft crooning of Sarah McLachlan, Tara popped the CD out and blasted her with Unwritten Law. Willow was a little more than surprised when Tara didn't skip over the words that earned the CD a parental warning sticker.



A rest stop, map check, visit to a farmer's stand and driver change later, the girls arrived at the cabin. It rested quietly nestled within rows upon rows of tall oaks. The guest cabin peeked out from behind the larger main cabin, like a curious child sneaking a peek at the two strangers.



"Wow," Tara whispered, as she looked straight up into the leaves above her. Her blue eyes caressed a bundle of leaves that hung tightly to a knuckly branch. She took a deep breath and hugged herself. "This place is perfect, Willow."



Willow tilted her head and studied her friend. Tara appeared to have gotten over the shock from the previous day and was back to her usual calm self. She smiled at the sight of the blonde hugging herself like a joyous child. Tara seemed so content just looking into the sky, like she finally came home after a long trip.



Hating to interrupt Tara's reverie, Willow slowly walked over to her. "Hey," she said. Tara half-smiled at Willow as her hug turned into her arms resting folded across her stomach. "What do you say we get our stuff inside and get settled? If it's not too dark, we can go for a walk or something after, okay?"



"Sounds good to me," she said, smiling widely. She unfolded her arms and touched Willow's arm gently. "I'll get our stuff. Can you get Miss Kitty?"



Willow nodded and climbed into the backseat to unfasten the safety belt that Tara made her place across Miss Kitty's carrier. Tara opened the trunk and smiled as she heard Willow cooing to the kitten about bug chasing, organic grass and stairs for the kitten to conquer.



With her hiking backpack firmly strapped on and Willow's duffel bag under her arm, Tara waited for the redhead at the front door. Willow finally emerged, triumphant, with the cat carrier and Miss Kitty's small bag resting atop it.



Willow fumbled in her pocket for the cabin key and, when finding it, held it up proudly for Tara to see. She quickly unlocked the door, nudged it open with her foot and moved aside so Tara could go in first.



"Wow, Will," Tara breathed. The front room of the cabin was spacious and seemed enormous under the vaulted ceiling. In the middle of the room sat stairs that led to the lofted bedroom. Tara quickly made her way up the stairs and peered over the half-wall into the living room. She saw Willow holding Miss Kitty and, after planting a kiss on the kitten's head, explaining that she wasn't allowed to chew, scratch or potty on anything as they didn't own it.



Tara spun around, her eyes wide. A deep cherry wood dresser with matching chest rested in the far corner of the room. A California king, cherry-framed canopy bed was fitted with a dark green bedspread and matching throw pillows were huddled together its head. On the wall over the headboard was a large charcoal sketch of the cabin and its smaller counterpart that sat behind it. At the foot of the bed sat a trunk, with a patchwork quilt gently resting on it.



With a shrug, her backpack slid off onto the bed. Tara laid Willow's duffel on the other side of the bed. Not sure how Willow would react to sharing a bed with her, Tara grabbed the bag and started to place it on the trunk. Before setting it down, she changed her mind again. She didn't want Willow thinking Tara didn't want to share the bed with her. On her way to the stairs, Tara grabbed the quilt from the trunk.



"We almost settled?" Tara asked hopefully.



Willow had finished putting groceries away and finding a good corner for Miss Kitty's belongings and was sitting on the oak rocker, bobbing her head as the chair moved her backward and forward.



"All settled," she declared, patting the armrests.



"I, uhm, hope you don't mind the right side," Tara said, watching Willow intently for a reaction.



"Right side?" Willow asked, looking to her right. "Of what?"



Tara chuckled. "Uhm, the bed," she clarified. "There's just the one." She pointed to the loft. "Maybe the guest cabin has two ..."



"No! No, the right side is fine," Willow announced, a little too excitedly for her liking. "I mean, I like the big house. Cabin, not house. Big house sounds like jail and ..."



"Picnic now?" Tara said calmly, over the monologue about prisons the redhead had started to babble her way into. Her wide blue eyes narrowed and she laughed internally at her friend's expressions as she backtracked and tried to explain what she meant to say. Tara reached her hand toward her friend and lifted her eyebrows in expectation. "Will?"



"Mmm hm?" Willow said, after clamping her mouth closed and pursing her lips. She looked up at the blonde and was amazed by the smile she was offered. Even if she had wanted to, Willow knew there was no way she could keep herself from grinning wildly. She reached up and allowed Tara to pull her out of the rocker.



"It's getting dark outside, so, if you light the fireplace, I'll set up the picnic in here," Tara offered.



Tara made herself busy in the kitchen gathering sandwiches and drinks, while Willow was piling logs into the fireplace. On her return to the quilt, Tara shut off all the lights and smiled approvingly at the fire Willow started. The two friends quietly enjoyed their picnic, volleying smiles back and forth between each other.



"Nice," she whispered, noticing how much more red Willow's hair looked in the firelight.



Thinking that Tara was referring to the fire, Willow nodded. "Yeah," Willow agreed. "I love the smell of firewood burning."



Tara's eyes twinkled in the firelight and Willow smiled as shadows danced over the blonde's soft features. While Willow was enjoying the impromptu picnic that she and Tara set up, her mind wandered back to the prior day and Tara's admission to having someone in her life. A pair of auburn brows furrowed as she racked her brain for the identity of Tara's "special someone."



**End Part 7A**

"I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!" (SpongeBob Squarepants)

[jdcioffi]

"Uhm, Tara," Willow began, nervously. "Who is she?"



"She?" Tara asked, crinkling her nose in confusion.



Willow audibly swallowed and her eyes got wide as she blurted out, "Oh! I mean, he. Of course, stupid me. Just because you never mentioned anyone doesn't automatically mean there's a she. It's a he. Yeah. He. As in male." Willow added emphasis to the last word by saying it really loudly and opening her eyes extra wide. "He, right! He. Could be a he. He or a him. Not a she or shim ... or her. A he. He. " She was trying to stop saying "he", but her brain wouldn't allow it.



"He? What?" Tara's eyes narrowed as the redhead's face turned red from embarrassment.



"He, stupid, of course, he." Willow was shaking her head, muttering to herself. She shook her head and tried to figure out the best way to explain, now that she had dug this whole for herself. "He," she tried to explain, focusing her eyes on the quilt and her words on the confused blonde in front of her. "He, the special someone you might want to invite up here that you said you'd tell me about later. He. Or him. Or ..."



"He?" Tara said incredulously.



"Yeah. He," Willow winced as she whispered the last word.



"Willow, there's no 'he'," Tara explained.



"So, you're not in love with anyone?" Willow asked for clarification.



Tara laughed. "I didn't say that." Her blue eyes bore into the green that stared back, searching for meaning. Taking a deep breath, she quietly admitted, "I am very much in love with someone. And, uhm, and you were right the first time, by the way." She chuckled and looked at her hands. "She. And I've loved her for a long time."



Willow wasn't sure if she should smile or cry. She was so happy to hear that Tara liked "she", but was hurt thinking that the blonde was someone else's treasure. "Oh," Willow said, trying to sound unemotional. As Tara raised her eyes, Willow’s eyes shot downward.



Tara ducked her head, trying to make eye contact with the redhead. Willow refused her this simple connection and stared at the patchwork under her fingers.



"Willow, she's my best friend. She's, " Tara was at a loss for words, "she's so special. There's no one like her in the entire world."



Willow nodded and forced a smile. "So, she's from back home then?"



"Back home?" At first Tara wasn't sure how to answer. To her, a person's home was where family was. Tara smiled widely and said purposefully, "Yes. My best friend from back home. She was my only friend for a while. Her friends became my friends. She gave me a family when I didn't have one."



Tara's words crashed into Willow. Not only did Tara's heart belong to someone else, but now Willow didn't even have the "best friend" parting gift. She knew how important family was to Tara, having seen the way she reacted to her father's arrival on her birthday. Willow nodded, trying to show Tara that she understood, but also trying to clear her mind.



"Will," Tara coaxed. "What are you thinking?" Tara reached over and laid her fingers across the back of Willow’s hand.



Willow's head shot up and she looked like a deer caught in headlights. She didn't expect Tara to ask her that. She expected to hear about this girl, this special, perfect, best friend, girl. Her slight frame bounced as she shrugged at Tara's inquiry.



"Tara?" Willow whispered. It was so quiet, the blonde wasn't sure her friend said anything at all. "Why did you stay in Sunnydale if the person you love is back home? I mean, wouldn't it be kinda nice to be with her? All you have in Sunnydale is ..." Willow left her sentence unfinished and sighed.



"Family," Tara said softly, finishing Willow's sentence. "You, Buffy, Dawnie. Xander and Anya. Even Spike, kinda. That's why I stayed. Those other people, that other place. It's not home, Willow. You ... Sunnydale is my home now."



"But you said," Willow stopped mid-sentence, trying to figure out what she was missing. She started piecing it together in her mind. Tara is in love with a girl. The girl is her best friend. The best friend gave her a family and they all live back home. Back home is Sunnydale. Two plus two equals …



Willow's eyes darted to the blue eyes that were waiting patiently for hers. "Tara?" Willow asked, wanting to believe her own logic, but fearing it a case of wishful thinking. The redhead’s face was a rotating canvas where every emotion was painted and quickly replaced by another. Her body was completely still, backlit by the fire, but under her furrowed brow, her eyes were wildly darting back and forth, as though she was speed-reading invisible words on the quilt.



Tara simply smiled at the redhead. “I wish I could draw you right now,” she quietly admitted.



“Are you changing the subject on me?” Willow moved her hand out from under Tara’s long fingers. Her voice came out more accusatory than she had expected. “Tara, you can’t change the subject now. Not to sound all When Harry Met Sally, but it’s out there! Something, I don’t know that I know what, but something’s out there. I mean, something is out there, right?”



Tara pulled herself up so she was sitting cross-legged in front of her friend. She slowly reached out to Willow, as though she was approaching a stray dog, and pulled the redhead’s hand into hers. “Willow,” she started to speak but faltered, unsure of exactly what she wanted to say, “yesterday … I was so scared … and the plane … I was angry … hurting … and, and you were gone.” Tara confessed, “I thought I lost you.” She felt Willow squeeze her hand and she let out a quiet chuckle. “And it’s not like you were mine to lose.”



The redhead’s green eyes softened and her heart felt like a balloon being inflated. Two plus two equals … me, she thought.



“Tara,” Willow breathed her name, “I am yours. I mean, I could be …”



Tara felt her cheeks burn and, against her will, she looked down at the quilt. She hid her face as a smile crept its way across her features, starting with her mouth, and reaching up to her eyes.



“I could, too,” Tara whispered, not ready to look up, “uhm, yours, I mean.”



Willow tilted her head to the side, her eyes searching Tara’s form. She wanted nothing more than to see Tara’s clear blue eyes. “Tar?”



Turning only her eyes up, Tara let out a breathy chuckle. “You’d think, uhm, I’d be less nervous, y’know, the hard part being over.”



“The hard part?” Willow inquired.



“The, uhm, actual telling. The not just thinking part,” the blonde clarified, before allowing herself to let out a small giggle. “All the little things, the, uhm, hints. I thought you’d notice that I tend to look at you just a little too long. I was sure one day you’d catch me watching you disappear down the hallway. I never closed my door until you turned the corner,” she admitted. “You … you really didn’t know?”



Willow shook her head, red hair falling into her eyes. “No, see, I’m a dummy,” she said, through a dazzling smile. She wanted to explain properly. She wanted to tell Tara that she never thought anyone so wonderful could care for her. She wanted to tell the blonde everything, instead her eyes widened and her mouth took over, “I never would have guessed, I mean, you’re so … and I’m just ... and it’s not like I ever … I probably don't even know how ... but I do, and I didn’t know I could, or would want to, but I … I do. So much.”



Tara looked up at the round-eyed hacker-turned-witch and shook her head. “But you’re so, and I, uhm, do,” Tara said.



“Have you before?” Willow asked, not sure she wanted to hear the answer.



Running her thumb along Willow’s knuckles, Tara replied, “N-not like this. Not, uhm, so much.”



“And boys?” Willow ventured. “Have you, for a boy, ever?”



Tara shook her head and shrugged. She had never had an interest in boys, and she never pretended she had. “No, I like them, I just don’t, y’know, like them,” she commented breezily.



“So,” Willow stopped. Her mind raced as she wondered how ready she was to keep her line of questioning on this track. She looked thoughtfully into Tara’s eyes and her stomach did a tight somersault. “So, you never wondered what it was like to ... I-I don’t know ... kiss a boy?”



Not sure where Willow was going, Tara decided to take the honest route. “I didn’t really think about it. I mean, I was more interested in what it would be like to kiss a girl.”



Swallowing hard, and biting her lower lip, Willow nodded. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but her stomach’s somersaults quickly turned into a floor routine at the Olympic trials.



“And that?” Willow asked.



Tara furrowed her brows, not understanding Willow’s query. The path this discussion was taking was making Tara nervous. She knew Willow had never liked a girl, or at least never admitted to herself that she did. So, logically, Tara figured that Willow never kissed anyone of the non-male type.



“That’s like …” Willow said, leading Tara to her meaning.



“That’s like,” Tara began, before realizing what ‘that’ was, “Oh! That!” Tara blushed and nodded. “It’s … that’s ... nice. I don’t have, y’know, a lot of experience, but, I mean, I like it.” A quiet chuckle escaped her, releasing some tension that had built up in her chest.



Willow merely nodded. Her body was still, but her mind was everywhere. Staring at Tara’s mouth, she thought of Oz-lips and Xander-lips. The redhead pondered how different Tara’s lips looked from theirs. They were fleshy and full, not like the thin, narrow lips she’d known before. The smooth skin above Tara’s mouth contrasted to Oz’ wiry moustache, and Willow remembered how the bristles itched. Adding everything together, Willow came up with an answer to her internal quest.



“I would,” Willow said, surprised to hear her own voice.



“You would,” Tara fished for a meaning, “what?”



“I would like it,” Willow said, calmly before admitting, “I just don’t know how to start.”



Realizing what Willow was hinting, Tara took a deep breath. “Oh, uhm. Oh.” Blue met green and Tara whispered, “You don’t have to, I mean, we don’t … I don’t want to go too fast, Will.”



Squeezing Tara’s hand once more, Willow held Tara’s gaze. She quirked an eyebrow and smiled. She looked into concerned blue eyes with confidence bringing out the green in her eyes.



Taking her cue, Tara leaned forward slightly, pulling Willow’s hand closer to her. She glanced down before smiling shyly and looking up through half-lidded eyes. She concentrated on the redhead, sitting patiently, albeit expectantly, in front of her. “I, uhm,” she giggled slightly, “I’m a little nervous now.”



Willow replied with an understanding smile. Placing her free hand on both of Tara’s, she scooted closer so that her knees touched the blonde’s. “Better?” Receiving only a quick half smile.



Not sure she was ready to make the first move, Willow smiled impishly. Her mind kept telling her she didn’t know how to do it, but her heart screamed not to listen. Her eyes focused on the wavering smile in front of her.



“Hey,” she whispered. “Why are you nervous, I mean, you’ve done this before, right?”



Tara nodded slightly and looked thoughtfully at the redhead. “N-not with you,” she breathed. “I-it’s like I never … so new, y’know. And I want it to be …” Tara stopped and shrugged. “I don’t know, r-right, I guess.”



“Me too,” Willow responded, leaning forward slowly.



Tara subconsciously licked her lips, her tongue drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. The green eyes she had been lost in were hid behind pale lids and Tara’s eyes wanted to close too. Raising her hand, the blonde traced Willow’s jaw line with the tops of her slender fingers and felt herself drawn forward. Resting her lips gently on Willow’s, she could feel the redhead smile against her lips. Tentative, shy kisses became more confident as the girls got lost in each other.



**End Part 7b**

"I smell the smelly smell of something that smells smelly!" (SpongeBob Squarepants)

[AmberBensonRockzMyWorld]

WoW, I LOVE the update. Especially 7B. WoW, I can't wait for the next update, I'm addicted to this fic. You rock. I love ya. This Rules. Please hurry with the update.

Much Love,

Lisa



I / Amber 4 Life

This is our Last Embrace, Must I dream and Always see your face.~ Jeff Buckley "Last goodbye"

[Kendahl897]

Thank you...at a time like this, it really means alot..........................

[ExtraFlameyWT]

Wow..once again I say great updates! Aww, they're so cute! I love shy and nervous Willow and Tara!



-Aimee

*****
"Pope John Paul today confirmed his opposition to gay marriages, said they're unnatural. Gay marriage is unnatural. Then he put on a pointy hat, his dress, and returned to never having sex at all." -Bill Maher

[UnrealisticExpectations]

*Sigh*..... So..... Beautiful.

[Karzia]

Ahhhh the first kiss of new love thats always a specail kiss Thanks for sharing this moment with us

Give into the sunshine....give into the W/T love..let it take over"

--------Sassette

[Scout]

Such a nice big update! Poor Tara with the plane. For once Willow's parents did a good thing.



Wonderfully sweet and cute with their first kiss. Can't wait for more!

----------------------------------

"Tara's not dead at all - she just has a new group of writers." - Sassette

[The Rose24]

Part 7a is great. I wasn't too worried about the plane crash because I knew Willow wasn't on it, but I can imagine Tara was devastated. Thanks for not letting anything happen to her Willow.



Part 7b is soooo adorable. The nervousness and tension between W/T is overwhelming. Superb job!!!!

Tara: My heart doesn't stutter.

Tara: Willow, I got so lost.
Willow: I found you. I will always find you.

Willow: Hi, um Tara. I was wondering maybe you want to go out some time for coffee? food? Kisses and gay love?

[LeatherQueen]

God, those were adorable! I loved these updates... the first was heart-wrenching even tho I knew what was going to happen. And the second... So very sweet.

--------------------------------


"But when they're playing your song on the jukebox in Hell, you might as well dance." - K. Simpson


"Futile... like a FOX, baby!" - Tara in The Late Shift by wiccachica

[Sassette]

jd - this fic is just lovely. Your W/T are just so adorable, and I just can't help but love our little Willow writing love notes on any scrap of paper that's handy, chickening out in handing them over. *happy sigh* Oh so sweet *G*



-Sass

[lipkandy]

lipkandy: I actually de-lurked someone! Thank you for coming forward for this story ... it, and I, appreciate it.



"...You’d think, uhm, I’d be less nervous, y’know, the hard part being over..." the hard part for me being posting for the first (and now second) time. but thank you for another beautifully written update *sigh* I can go to bed now and then wake up to begin obsessively checking for updates again

and btw I've been lurking for over a year. kinda shy...

-+>melissa

[Mix]

Dramatic Irony, Gotta love it! This is a fantastic Fic, I love the Plane references and Willow writing the notes, I suppose it's a way of admitting her feelings to herself, the fact that Tara has now read them is just a bonus.



M

PS, *WOW*



________________________

If you love men so much, go love men! - Anya before walking off with Willow's coffee in Entropy

[mollyig]

Aw they're so adorable with the nervousness and all. Lovely stuff!



And may I just say that I like how Anya was perceptive enough to see the romance blossom before anyone else. Of course when the rest of the Scoobies find out for sure Anya will be unbearable with her "I told you so"s

Adding up the total of a love that's true, multiply life by the power of two
Indigo Girls