Fic: Tears in Heaven

[cesario21]

Awww, thanks for a great update!! So many great fics about at the moment, I feel like a kid in a sweet shop!!



More please!!



Snuggles,

Pillows xxxxx

'...and there's not enough room in this world for my pain...signals cross and love gets lost and time past makes it plain...of all my demon spirits i need you the most...I'm in love with your ghost..' Indigo Girls

[Miss1234Kitty]

**Xita: There is still a lot that Tara isn't aware of, and I think everyone else is worried about her reaction as well as being thrilled that she's alive. I think that for Buffy especially, they're afraid to believe it in case they lose her again. Willow loves Tara so much that she couldn't just not want to see her, but I thought I couldn't disappoint and have her just accept it! That's just not me. I'm too difficult for that. W/T will be happy eventually, but I'm gonna be nasty first. My philosiphy is that you have to be cruel to be kind.



**Mollyig: Yeah, I totally agree. Giles has always seemed as though he can do no wrong with Willow, when indeed he has, so I figured it was time to change that. As for Anya, we never really got much history besides the demon thing. I always thought that she was too smart to grant that kind of wish as well.



**Cesario21: Thank you! Did someone mention sweets? *Looks around* Your comments are very sweet, I look forward to reading them as I do everyone else's.



**Tiredsoul: I guess everyone noticed, huh? I didn't think it was that obvious, but I always tend to have a different interpretation on my writing than the readers. This update should clear up a few questions though.



**Jdcioffi: Guess I shoulda figured that out, huh? Brain isn't in gear yet but hopefully it will be by Monday. A Level courses, Aaargh! As for the trusting me - you're very sweet, but let's see if you still believe that at the end of this fic. There's still a lot more that I've got planned to throw at you all. Have I mentioned that I'm only about a quarter of the way through this fic?



**ImperfectlyMe: Thanks! It wasn't actually so much that Will was afraid of Tara hating her. She was more afraid of Tara hurting in the way that Buffy did when she came back. Remember, Willow thinks she was in heaven. She loves Tara, which is why she'd rather have her happy than she herself being happy.



**4evaWill: Why thank you... haven't seen you around here lately. Guys, this is my baby sister and beta reader. Thank her for every update. I just write the stuff, she's the one that pulls it all together.



**LadyCallie: Jenny-Lou says hi. She is becoming converted. She watched it until Angel left, then sulked. Now she and her sister, who is my sister's (4evaWill) best friend are demanding copies of the updates to this fic as they are written. Glad you like the fic. As for shippy heart, no need to stay still.



**DarkmagicWillow: Cornish pasies are all of the good. Willow and Tara are lovely, but they have a LOT of issues to deal with. See my sig for example!



**Willntlover: I agree. It's my opinion that Anya has very low self-esteem, which I don't think any of them have really helped with. It's good for her to feel useful.



Thanks everyone! Update now.

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[Miss1234Kitty]

Tara stepped into the shower, carefully adjusting the temperature of the water until steam filled the bathroom. Moving under the velvety spray, she pushed her fingers through her wet hair, staring in fascination at the water as it danced over silky skin. To think she might never have experienced something as simple as a shower again was beyond belief. To think that she might never have seen Willow again was unbearable.



“Thank you,” Tara whispered, knowing her mother was listening. “Thank you, Mama.” She kept whispering those two simple words over and over as she sank to the floor of the shower, crying without knowing it, until the water was cold and she was shivering, goosebumps prickling their way up her arms and legs. Reaching up to switch off the water, Tara then wrapped her arms around her legs, carefully wiping away the drops of water from her skin.



For a moment, the water thickened and darkened until it became blood – the blood that she had shed on the day of her death. Tara blinked, and it was water again.



Moving stiffly, she clambered carefully to her feet, the idea of the shower to release tension ruined by her crying bout, Tara exited the shower. Wrapping a thick fluffy towel around her hair – her robe was still behind the door – she left the bathroom and came face to face with Buffy.



“Buffy!” Tara exclaimed, surprised. She immediately noticed that the Slayer had obviously been standing outside the door for a while.



“Oh, hi,” Buffy said uncomfortably. “I was just seeing if you needed anything.” In truth, she’d been waiting outside the door, terrified that something was going to happen to the blonde wiccan. They’d lost Tara twice, and each time situations had worsened in the Summers household. They all needed Tara, and Buffy was determined that she be aware of that.



Tara smiled at her. “No, you weren’t.”



“You always could do that,” Buffy scowled. “It’s cheating. You can’t get anything past you.” Though her tone was joking, her words were not, and Buffy regretted them immediately.



Seriously, Tara replied, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I haven’t noticed a lot, but that’s going to change.”



“It always falls apart,” Buffy admittted.



Frowning, Tara asked. “What does?”



“Everything. When you leave, it all falls apart.”



Guilt spread through her like a disease, and Tara nodded in shame. “I know. I’m sorry.”



Buffy looked at her. “What for? When you come back, Tara, it’s like you put the family back together again. I’m just sorry I couldn’t hold it all together when you were gone. It’s so hard,” she told the wiccan, feeling as though she was admitting a cardinal sin. “I tried, Tara, I swear I did. I wanted to make Dawn proper meals like you did, and help her with her homework like Willow did. When she even thought of you, Willow was happy, and I couldn’t make her that happy. All I did was got her addicted to magick. The only thing I could do was slay, and I didn’t even get that right. Warren took all that was good and pure from us, Tara, and if that wasn’t a force of evil I don’t know what is. I couldn’t even slay any more.”



“What do you want me to do?” Tara asked her bluntly, interrupting the Slayer’s self-pity speech. “Do you want me to say that you didn’t make any mistakes, Buffy? Say that Dawn was ungrateful and I shouldn’t have left, and that Willow’s addiction was all her fault? People make mistakes, Buffy. So do you. You get to be angry at your friends. You get to help them through it. What you don’t get to do is judge them. It’s like…” Tara paused, frustrated at her inability to explain to the Slayer exactly what she meant, “…nothing just happens, Buffy. There are lots of different factors involved in everything that happens in life. Dawn says that you wouldn’t have died if she wasn’t the Key. You might not have died if Willow had cast a better spell, or Giles had more information on Glory. If I hadn’t been brain-sucked, you might not have died. The fact is, all those different factors led up to you dying and being resurrected. Just like there were hundreds of different reasons why Willow got addicted.”



“What I’m trying to say,” Tara continued before Buffy interrupted, “is that it wasn’t all your fault, Buffy. Blame can’t be placed, otherwise you’d go mad trying to find who was at the bottom of it. All you can do is deal with what happens. If you couldn’t hold it together, fine. You do the best you can do, so will Dawn and so will Willow. So will I.”



The Slayer’s voice was strained. “What if it isn’t enough?”



“It has to be,” Tara answered.





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



Running his third red light, Giles drove like the proverbial bat out of hell. They’d managed to get a flight, which was due to leave in half an hour. They had been told to book in an hour ago, but Giles had made some calls, and their seats were being held. Being a Watcher had its advantages, sometimes. Willow was worrying that they were going to miss the flight, that there would be a problem with the plane. That it was all a mistake and Tara was still very much dead. Anya had decided to come to the airport with them, insisting that they needed someone to wave them off. Then she would teleport back to Sunnydale and inform Tara that Willow was on her way.



The car beside them honked loudly. Anya rolled down the window and waved it at him in a way that she’d seen Xander do when people honked their horns at him. She couldn’t quite understand why the man had sworn at her afterwards, or why Giles and Willow were gazing at her in shock.

“Anya, that’s not polite,” Giles rebuked mildly, smiling apologetically at the man. “Aha!” he announced triumphantly, pulling into a car parking space and imitating Anya’s wave at a truck driver who had tried to steal the space from them. Willow raised an eyebrow, mentally discarded her surprise at the Watcher’s action, and leapt out of the car. Abruptly, the world spun for a few moments, and Giles, noticing, quickly caught her. “Are you all right?” he asked, alarmed at her pallor.



Shrugging away his concern, Willow nodded. “I’m fine. Just moved too quickly, that’s all. Come on, we’ve got a plane to catch.” She led the way across the car park, and Giles and Anya glanced at each other in concern for a second, then followed her.





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



Tara looked up sharply as Anya teleported into the room. “Anya, how did she take it?”



“Well, hello to you too,” Anya huffed.



“Anya,” Buffy said warningly, entering the room with a cup of cocoa, which she handed to Tara. Anya promptly stared longingly at the attractively steaming beverage, and Buffy headed into the kitchen to fetch another, figuring it was the least she could do.



“Okay,” Anya sighed. “She didn’t collapse or anything like that. She’s shocked, but that’s natural of humans. Why would she be so upset about good news?” she wondered aloud. She’d thought about that ever since she’d granted that wish, and no-one had ever answered her question. Anya had figured Tara was most likely to try and explain it to her, but if she expected an answer now, she was in for a disappointment.



“She was – uh, upset?” Tara asked fearfully. For the first time since she’d come back, Anya noticed the slight uncertainty to Tara’s words.



“Well, not really upset,” she reiterated. “Just really, really shocked. She and Giles are on the plane now, she should be here by tomorrow.”



“Tomorrow?” Tara wailed.



Buffy re-entered the room, handing the drink to Anya with a grateful smile which said more than any amount of words. “Well, it takes a long time to get from England to America,” she said practically. “Willow can’t just do the poofy thing.”



“Excuse me?” Anya asked indignantly. “Poofy thing?”



“Yeah, the poofy thing,” Buffy said. She paused, remembering something. “Well, she can, but that would require magick and that would be a bad, bad thing.”



“She can?” Tara asked doubtfully.



“Oh, yeah,” Buffy said, exhaling. “There’s a lot you’ve missed over the past two months, Tara. It’s Willow’s right to tell you, though.”

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[cesario21]

Cool post!!! Loved Tara's speech to the Buffster about blame...truer words were never spoken!! Kudos to you for that! :smile



Cant wait to read what happens when Willow finally gets to Sunnydale! Hope it goes well...



, what can I say, I like sweets!! And I love this story...cant stop myself checking for an update every five minutes!!!



Snuggles,

Pillows xxx



edited to add...Gem, I just read what you wrote the other day, when your friend was surfing with you...can I just let these emoticons speak for me? and a big 'hi there' and 'hello' to JennyLou

ps, good luck back at school!!

'...and there's not enough room in this world for my pain...signals cross and love gets lost and time past makes it plain...of all my demon spirits i need you the most...I'm in love with your ghost..' Indigo Girls

Edited by: cesario21 at: 9/5/02 2:16:38 pm

[jdcioffi]

Send her back!?! I never in a million years expected that! Excellent reaction ...



And the Buffy talk was awesome as we all know who the Mama really is within the Scooby gang.



Excellent as usual ... JD

"Was there a voice unkind in the back of your mind saying, "maybe..." (Jeff Buckley - The Last Goodbye)

[xita]

Oh man, Tara doesn't know all the details, I sense angst ahead.. i can take it cruel to be kind.. cruel to be kind it's a mantra now

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

Childie -"Not all girls are raving bloody lesbians, you know!"

George - "That's a misfortune of which I am perfectly well aware."

The Killing of Sister George

[willntlover]

WTF? I bet those elders had soemthing to do with why she didn't see everything willow did. But i have faith, i know you won't make it too bad loved it!



-Will

"Hear that baby? You're my always."

"well, you know, when you play a lesbian witch you've gotta get killed in this fun kind of exciting way, so the heart was the way to go..."

"we have the most amazing fans though they LOVE us."

[4evaWill]

Edit cos I realised I was logged on in my sisters name instead of mine

Edited by: 4evaWill at: 9/6/02 12:49:12 am

[Miss1234Kitty]

**Cesario21: I figured SOMEONE had to get Buffy out of the 'Me, me, me' mode, and who better to do it than Tara? Um, as for when Willow gets to Sunnydale... I think I'm gonna post three updates at once as I can't wait for the reaction to the newest plotline. Surprisingly, no-one noticed the little hint of more to come in there. Tee-hee. No, I'm not explaining. Jenny-Lou says hi. She also asked me if she could borrow my tape of Hush, so I'm thinking... yay!



**Jdcioffi: . You're so sweet. As for the Buffy talk, I realised that Tara hasn't actually really TALKED to anyone about their feelings, though she will when - if - Willow returns. Willow's reaction might have been unexpected, but I was going for drastic which I figured would be the way that she would react, and I reckon I got it!



**Xita: Cruel to be kind, cruel to be kind... that's it. As for angst, I didn't say they'd be any of THAT. I just said that Tara wasn't clued in on all the details. Don't worry, that won't happen until Willow's return. It's her right to tell Tara.



Oooh, just realised that Xita didn't get an emoticon. That's not fair. Here you are, Xita



**Willntlover: Yes, the Elders were meddling again. In a good way, though. You have Faith? Oooh, you wanna lend?

... sorry. Stopping now.



Gem

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[cesario21]

Ooo, cant wait...three updates at once?!?! LOL! I shall have to try and contain my excitement seeing as I'm at work now!!



Hi to Jenny-Lou! hope she enjoys Hush! Ahh, another convert on the way!!



Look forward to next update...



Snuggles,

Pillows xxxx

'...and there's not enough room in this world for my pain...signals cross and love gets lost and time past makes it plain...of all my demon spirits i need you the most...I'm in love with your ghost..' Indigo Girls

[mollyig]

So glad that Buffy and Tara had that talk. Tara is so wise, she knows that they all need to put the past behind them, and look forward, and they can't do that by wondering how everything came to be.

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

[LadyCallie]

: hits the floor::



Holy wow.........wasn't expecting that from WIlls......oh wow.



::think face:: Am I going to make it through the reunion??? Or will I passout from ship?



-LC

~*~

RealLiveTara is my RealLiveGirlfriend! :)

"It doesn't have to be a really frenchish french, I just wanna feel your tongue."- my grilfriend last night.

Moderator of the
Dark Angel Fanfiction Board and Boo's Corner.


~*~

[Imperfectly Me]

Can I have more soon please?



Aim

[Miss1234Kitty]

**Cesario21: I'm afraid those three updates aren't coming now. I know what I want to write - unfortunately, I got ahead of myself and realised that I needed to actually write some more updates before I can get to that place. However, the upcoming reunion is near. As for Jenny-Lou, I'm afraid that she has now decided she prefers Oz. Bad Jenny-Lou. I now have to make her watch New Moon Rising, see what she thinks of that. Love ya really.



**Mollyig: Couldn't agree more. The Scoobies have been acting like children since she died. I think in a way her death was needed, in order for Willow to get more help with her addiction, and for Buffy to realise that she wants to live. Still, her return is needed even more. *sulk* I'm quoting Sass here as otherwise I will get depressed. Tara isn't dead, she just has a new set of writers. Including me, yay!



**LadyCallie: Funny you should mention passing out... That wasn't a gutter-mind comment, I promise. You'll find out later. As for the reunion, you'd better make it, because I want lots of comments.



**ImperfectlyMe: Yes, you may. There is an update coming tonight. I just need to log off for a while to type it up, and then it'll be posted.



Thanks, y'all!



Gem

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[Miss1234Kitty]

Tapping her arms impatiently on the armrest of her seat, Willow glared towards the front of the plane. “What’s taking so long?” she wondered.



“Flying the plane?” Giles suggested mildly, folding up his newspaper and placing it on the empty seat beside him. Removing his glasses, he turned to look at Willow, a serious expression – did he have any other expression, Willow giggled to herself – on his face. “I know you’re terrified, Willow. No-one would expect you to be anything but scared. Still, you need to try and relax. Worrying is not going to help you, nor is it going to make the plane fly faster.” He glanced at his watch, scowled, and replaced his glasses to check the time. “Have you taken your meds?”



She’d been taking anti-depressants and non-prescription sleeping pills since Buffy had insisted that she see a doctor, a week after Tara’s death. Since coming to England, though, she’d found she had no need for them. Tara was all she thought about, but in unfamiliar surroundings, she wasn’t struck with a fresh memory and the pain of loss wherever she went. Tara was alive, now, but Willow wouldn’t truly believe that until her beautiful soulmate was in her arms.



“I don’t need them,” Willow protested, realising that Giles had asked her a question. Besides, they tasted awful. Giles didn’t reply, picking up a thick book instead and studying it intently. "I don’t,” she argued in response to his pointed silence.



“I didn’t say anything,” he remarked, seeming to pay little attention to her. In truth, he knew the redhead far better than she gave him credit for, and he knew how to change her round to his way of thinking.



“No, Giles, I really don’t,” Willow attempted to reassure him. “See, I only needed – well, I didn’t even need them, really – I only took them because they helped me sleep, and I wasn’t thinking about Tara all the time. Only it’s all right now because she’s alive, and I can think about the good times and not get depressed. Because now she’s alive I know there’ll be more good times, and it doesn’t hurt so much. So pills would really be a bad thing because then I’d sleep and probably dream about when she died. So I’d be depressed again. In that case, pills would be bad because they’d make things worse and not better, see?”



Giles paused as he ran over the conversation in his head, trying to make sense of it. Willow was undeniably out of breath, but something felt… right. The WillowBabble had returned, and by God, he had missed it. Willow grinned at him, looking happier than he’d seen her look in a long time. She still looked white and somehow incomplete without Tara at her side, but soon she would be there. That was all that mattered. The Watcher let himself slip into his own dream world, thinking over the events of the past ten hours, as Willow slid into a deep sleep, filled not with dreams of gunshots and magick, but of extra flamey candles and roses.

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[xita]

Willow's so cute, that was sweet, roses and candles

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

Childie -"Not all girls are raving bloody lesbians, you know!"

George - "That's a misfortune of which I am perfectly well aware."

The Killing of Sister George

[eccentrictulip]

WILLOWBABBLE!!!!

*please use both hands....*

[LadyCallie]

Willow babble! She's back! Huzzzzzaaa!!!



Oh thank you Gem! This has brightened me day so much!!! Thank you!!! ::cyber hugs Gem::





What's this about passing out???

-LC

~*~

RealLiveTara is my RealLiveGirlfriend! :)

"It doesn't have to be a really frenchish french, I just wanna feel your tongue."- my grilfriend last night.

Moderator of the
Dark Angel Fanfiction Board and Boo's Corner.


~*~

[4evaWill]

Hey! That's evil stopping there, I hate when you do that! Am I gonna have to wait another 2 days until you post up your next part, sis? Or can I take a sneak look? He he. Anyways, Willow babble, yay! Soz, I'm in another hyper mood. Please continues! Woo-hoo!



4evawill



Will: What's with the sudden calisthenics? Aren't you sort of naturally buff, Buff? (smiles and giggles) Buff buff.

[Miss1234Kitty]

Three whole updates! Well, it's all in one, but it's three episdodes that I had intended to post separately. Uh - big shock on the way. Cliffhanger warning. *Evil laugh*



Gem



“Tara, please sit down,” Dawn begged as she watched the blonde wiccan pace around the living room. “You’re making me dizzy.”



With a frustrated sigh, Tara perched on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands in her lap. After a moment, she glanced up and saw Dawn gazing at her anxiously. “I’m sorry, Dawnie,” Tara apologised guiltily. “I’ll try to calm down.”



“I wouldn’t mind if it weren’t for the fact that you’re wearing a hole in the very expensive carpet,” Dawn reassured her. “Besides, it’s another hour until we need to go and collect them. You’re worrying so much that your head’s gonna explode.”



Tara crinkled her forehead in confusion, wondering how Dawn had managed to come up with that particular metaphor. “Well, it could happen,” Dawn said defensively. “It could,” she protested in response to Tara’s raised eyebrows.



“No, not that,” Tara told her, gazing thoughtfully at the brunette. “I was just thinking how alike you and Willow are.”



Dawn’s eyes lit up in a way that Tara couldn’t quite understand. “Really?”



“Really,” Tara confirmed.



Dawn looked at her, and Tara looked straight back, realising for the first time how grown up she had become. A little voice inside her said that sixteen year olds should be worrying about boys and school, not nervous breakdowns and the end of the world. In her short life – after all, she was technically two years old – she’d seen her mother, sister and friend die. She’d watched her mentor try to kill her and her friends. Dawn herself had killed her first ever crush. Another part of Tara said that Dawn was going to be exposed to these things whether they hid them from her or not. It would probably cause a lot more damage if she lived on the Hellmouth and was denied the right to fight for her home and life.



“I don’t know what it is, exactly,” Tara struggled to explain. “You’re both so smart, and you’re so… determined. I remember Buffy told me, when Will and I had split up, that Willow gave up the chance to go to a good college in order to stay here and fight the good fight. I can picture you doing that. Not that I want you to,” she hastened to explain, “because I hope that you’ll go out and make a life for yourself besides putting yourself in danger every Friday night. I know that you’ll do what you want to do, and not what you think you should do. That’s what Willow did, and I love her for it.”



“You love her for everything,” Dawn reminded her dryly, before turning serious. “You two have always been my idols. You’re so different, and that’s why you kinda – I dunno, mesh? No person can have every possible attribute but together you two do. Willow’s so smart – not that you aren’t, too,” she reassured Tara quickly, “but, you know what I mean, and you’re so homely and mommy-like. You two are like the best parents anyone, including me, though no-one could replace Mom could ever ask for.”



“There’s Buffy, as well,” Tara reminded her gently, well aware that Buffy’s slayer hearing was picking up their entire conversation from the kitchen.



Dawn shook her head. “Buffy’s my sister, and she’ll never be my parent. I don’t want her to be either. A sister’s enough for me, but I don’t think I could manage with a sister who won’t be a sister any more.” She frowned. “Did that make sense? I think I got lost somewhere in the middle.”



“Yes, it made sense,” Buffy told her as she came out of the kitchen, slinging a dishtowel over her shoulder.



“Were you eavesdropping?” Dawn asked accusingly.



Buffy looked sheepish. “No, of course I wouldn’t,” she lied indignantly. “Because that would be wrong, and non adult-y like, and setting a bad example to the younger ones and all. So of course I would never eavesdrop, and – I’m sorry.”



Dawn frowned in confusion. “What, for eavesdropping? It’s okay, I’ll forgive you.”



“No – well, not entirely. I’m sorry that I haven’t been a proper sister, and if you’ve got parents in our favourite wiccans, then I’ll be a Buffy-sister with parental responsibilities such as grounding and chores.”



Her sister rolled her eyes. “Dork.”



“It’s hereditary,” Buffy shot back. “Now go help Anya dry the dishes,” she insisted, throwing the dishtowel at the brunette. Dawn opened her mouth to protest, caught Tara’s eye, and headed into the kitchen meekly. “How did you do that?” Buffy demanded once she had caught her breath. Tara shrugged. To be honest, she had no idea. Buffy sat down beside Tara, and cuffed her lightly on the shoulder. “Thanks.”



Tara cuffed her back, well aware that the Slayer wasn’t exactly comfortable with the range of emotions flying around at the moment. “You’re welcome.”



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



When they eventually reached the airport, Tara was close to resembling a nervous wreck. She and Dawn stood at the floor-length windows and watched as the plane landed, but when the passengers began to exit the plane, the four found themselves pushed to the back of the throng of anxious friends and family.



“I can’t see,” Tara complained, peeking over Dawn’s head. “Dawn, move over, you’re taller than me.” Dawn complied, aware that Tara was far more anxious to see Willow than she was.



Anya rolled her eyes. “Tara, you’re a witch,” she pointed out, amidst loud hushings from the others as they received an alarmed glare from the woman beside them. “Just do the floaty thing that you did at your birthday.”



It wasn’t just at my birthday, Anya, Tara thought wickedly, but considered the idea briefly before discounting it. Too many people could notice – besides, what if Willow came out just as she was using magick and it set her back? “Too risky,” Tara said briefly, and stood on her tiptoes.



A flash of red caught her eye, and Tara spun to see it, only to see an elderly woman leaving with her husband. Dissatisfied, Tara turned again to the exit, and was rewarded with a small glimpse of Giles, though Willow was nowhere to be seen.



Suddenly, there she was. Looking very tired and leaning slightly on Giles, but it was still her Willow.



Moving almost in slow motion, Willow turned to see Tara, and her breath caught. She’s alive.



She’s alive.



She’s alive.



“Thank you,” Willow whispered, dropping her bags to the floor. Tara stood still, no further than ten metres away. No woman seemed to want to move, instead happy with drinking in the sight of each other, both safe and desperately happy. Who moved first, they never knew – Dawn always swore that Giles had physically pushed Willow towards Tara.



Clutching Willow in her arms, Tara closed her eyes. Thoughts were too much to consider right now. All that she needed to know was that she was here, alive, and Willow was in her embrace. She’d never been happier.



The two women rocked from side to side, neither willing to release the other, as the rushing crowd respectfully avoided the two, even strangers aware that something magickal was taking place. So involved were they in trying to give Willow and Tara privacy that they didn’t notice the two witches slowly start to raise off of the floor until they were hovering in the air, still so tightly entwined that they seemed to be one.



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



Buffy shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as they waited – patiently in Giles’ case, impatiently for the rest of them. She’d greeted Giles by flinging her arms around him, and he had lifted her off the floor. There had been no pleas this time. She hadn’t begged him to stay longer, or to move back to Sunnydale. It would be his decision. Dawn had greeted him in a similarly enthusiastic manner, as had Anya. Xander had reverted to a manly handshake. Now they stood waiting for Willow and Tara, and Dawn was clutching Giles as though she never wanted to let him go.



“We should probably go home,” Tara whispered into Willow’s ear as they embraced.



“Home,” Willow sighed happily, snuggling further into Tara’s arms. “That sounds nice.”



Tara giggled. “Yes, it does,” she murmured, tightening her arms around Willow’s body. She started to pull away, uncomfortably aware that they were attracting stares, but somehow not caring as long as she was with Willow.



“Just a minute,” Willow whispered. “I wanna hold you some more.”



“I’ll hold you all you like when we get home, baby,” Tara said. “Right now, though, it’s late. Dawn has school in the morning and we should eat something.”



“I’m gaining weight,” Willow pointed out. She pulled back and frowned. “You’re not, though. Okay, we’re going home to get some yummy food goodness for Tara.” Tara positively beamed, and Willow rolled her eyes affectionately. “Later, honey. First you need to eat some real food.”



As they turned towards their friends, Willow slipped her hand into Tara’s, their fingers entwining naturally. Tara smiled at her and squeezed the cold hand. Suddenly, she frowned, and concern crossed her features. “What is it?” Willow asked, alarmed.



“Are you okay?” Tara queried, stopping abruptly and pulling on Willow’s hand to get her to pause as well. “You look very pale, honey.”



Willow frowned. What was Tara talking about? She felt fine. Okay, a little woozy, maybe, but not too bad… and suddenly the floor seemed very near.



Dizzily, Willow let herself stumble and fall, trusting that Tara would catch her.

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[Miss1234Kitty]

**Xita: Willow is adorable, isn't she? I watched New Moon Rising again, and I wanted to bring the hope that they both felt into my fanfiction, even if it's only through Willow's dreams.



**Eccentrictulip: Yes, it's baaaaaaa-aaaaack! Yay!



**LadyCallie: Aaah, thank you. *Cyber hugs Lady Callie back* As for the passing out, you have to read the update.



**4evaWill: Update's here, but you can't read it cos I'm on the computer! *Evil chuckle* Oh geez hyper mode. Great. If any of you kittens are wondering if it's possible for someone to babble more than Willow, look no futher than 4evaWill.



Thank you!



Gem

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[Imperfectly Me]

beautiful beautiful update. More soon, I hope.



Aim

[Tulipp]

I've just caught up, and I thought your take on Willow and Tara's reunion was simply lovely. I have tears in my eyes now as I type this: what a great way to revisit the floating. Beautiful.



I have to confess, too, that I just went back and read a comment I made many chapters ago and realized that I wrote the word "worse" regarding Xander's reaction to Willow, when I should have written "works." I've just changed it, but it must have seemed like I was being critical, and it was just bad editing. It worked, it worked. Sorry about that!



This is a great story; among other things, you do a great job with Willow's babbling, and you're generous and understanding with the characters. I love that. Thanks.

[xita]

Sweet reunion, but Willow fell.. magic takes it toll I suppose.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
Tara and Willow

Accept NO subsitutes

[Imperfectly Me]

Xita...I don't know if I've commented on this before, but your avatar is completely breathtaking.



Aim

[mollyig]

I agree with Giles, its nice to see the return of Willowbabble!



Wonderful how when our girls were reunited they fit so seamlessly together again. Am concerned about Willow's dizziness though.

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

[cesario21]

Update!!! Yay!!!! Oh, Gem, you made me go all teary!! That was so worth the wait!!! Awww, but Willow collapsed, and now I'm all anxious!! Going to have to put on my patient hat!!



Have I mentioned how much I this story?!!!



Snuggles,

Pillows xxxx

'...and there's not enough room in this world for my pain...signals cross and love gets lost and time past makes it plain...of all my demon spirits i need you the most...I'm in love with your ghost..' Indigo Girls

[eccentrictulip]

Quote:

---

The two women rocked from side to side, neither willing to release the other, as the rushing crowd respectfully avoided the two, even strangers aware that something magickal was taking place. So involved were they in trying to give Willow and Tara privacy that they didn’t notice the two witches slowly start to raise off of the floor until they were hovering in the air, still so tightly entwined that they seemed to be one.

---

amazing. this was my favorite update. very well done, and with a lovely cliffhanger at the end to boot.....heh. i love that you mixed seeing giles again in with the w/t reunion. thank you, thank you.....i hope there's more soon!! this fic gets better every time i read it!! and i hope willow is ok.....

*please use both hands....*

[Miss1234Kitty]

Thanks to ImperfectlyMe, Xita, Tulipp, Cesario21 and Eccentrictulip for all the replies. School has started again, but I'm gonna try and get the next part posted within the next couple of days. Replies are also on the way, but right now I'm supposed to be researching. *Gem glances guiltily over shoulder at evil librarian who is now setting up camera in order to see what is on computer screens!* Eeek!



Thanks, y'all, and... can't think of anything cool to say, so I'm gonna quote Buffy.



Buffy: Tell him I said... well, I don't know. Think of something cool and tell him I said it.



Gem

Tara: There's just so much to work through... and can you just be kissing me now?

[justastraightdog]

Tears in Heaven...



Gem, you not only write a beautiful and touching fic, you also made an old Slowhand fan very happy by reminding him to listen to some of his old and dusty LPs.



A little info about the song that wasn't mentioned in your disclaimer: Clapton wrote "Tears in Heaven" as tribute to Conor Clapton, his 4 years old son, who died in an accident in 1991. It was his way of pouring his grief and growing acceptance of Conor's loss into his music.

_________________________________
Life's a laugh and death's a joke. It's true. You'll see it's all a show.

Keep 'em laughing as you go. Just remember that the last laugh is on you.