Author: watson (hiddenwatson@yahoo.com)
Rating: NC-17
Distribution: This one's for Pens, please email me first if you want to archive it somewhere else
Disclaimer: BtVS characters, concepts and dialog belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others.
Summary: This is set in the Tabula Rasa universe but the memory loss isn't due to Willow's spell. So, well, some of it is based on TR anyway. I hope the name changes aren't too confusing.
*****
"Wham!" and the heavy wooden door splintered into hundreds of pieces.
"I could get used to this superhero business," Joan smirked. "I feel my powers getting stronger every time I use them."
"Not to mention your cockiness," Randy retorted. They were getting used to his vampire face now, Alex, Anya and Umad screamed their lungs out when he and Joan returned from their fight with Mr Shark's minions. Just as well, because he was unable to whoosh back to his human face no matter how hard he tried.
"Less talking more hurrying. Come along people," Rupert instructed in his clipped headmaster voice.
"Oh will you shut up, who made you the boss of us?" Joan challenged. She peered through the gap she just made and saw only blackness.
"We all did," Anya replied. "We all voted, back at the Magic Shop that Rupert and I own jointly, and everyone said Rupert should be the boss because he's the oldest and sexiest and even though he's over 40 his rugged handsomeness and skill with the sword makes him the superior choice."
"I'm sure I never said anything about rugged handsomeness," Alex whined.
"It was a rapier, Anya. Now will you all please shush!" Rupert whispered loudly, as he tried to light the paraffin oil lamp he conveniently found under a cupboard at the Magic Shop.
Joan was about to utter a protest when a loud groan reverberated from somewhere beyond the darkness of the tunnels in front of them. The group (save Joan, who was a superhero, and therefore immune to fright, of course) involuntarily jumped back a step at the scary noise.
Tara almost bumped right into Willow, causing her to lose her balance. When she reached back to stabilize herself, her hand found touched a soft mound of flesh. She blushed as she realized it was one of Willow's breasts. Her first reaction was to quickly let go, but the feeling was so enticing she didn't want to move her hand away from the warmth.
"Are you scared?" Willow whispered.
"Yes," Tara replied, her voice trembling.
"Don't worry, Joan will fight the monsters that come our way, and I'm here for you," Willow said. "I want to be here for you always," she added, her voice barely audible.
They smiled shyly at the memory of their almost-kiss on the floor of the underground tunnel, one that was so rudely interrupted by Alex's shout. It had been a mighty strange day, and they knew the strangeness wasn't going to end soon. At least, not until they got their memories back. Willow put her hand gently and tentatively on Tara's back, not sure if it was acceptable, but relaxed when Tara didn't protest. May be we are more than study buddies.
The echoing groan stopped and Rupert led the group of unwilling adventurers through the tunnels, with Joan at his side and Randy picking up the rear. No one wondered why they allowed a vampire to walk freely behind their backs, it was a wordless agreement that Randy was harmless.
Umad inched closer to Tara. "What's happening?" she asked in a small voice.
"I don't know Sweetie, but I'm sure we'll be fine," Tara comforted. Comforting Dawn, or Umad as the teenager insisted on calling herself, came naturally to Tara. She wondered if they were related.
"We got away from the nasty vampire, didn't we?" Umad said.
"Yes, we did. And now we're together as a group again, we're strong," Tara added.
"I can't believe I have a superhero sister, why does it have to be her? Why can't I be the one with superpowers?" Dawn started to whine.
Tara stroked her long, shiny hair and resisted the temptation to pull it back violently. Huh? Where did that come from? "I'm sure you're special in your own way," she re-assured.
Umad sniffed and nodded. They walked on.
The tunnels were unending. Dark. Damp. Claustrophobic.
After what seemed like hours and hours, they noticed a slight upward slant on the pathway. The tunnel ended abruptly at a dead end.
Rupert shined the paraffin lamp around the area and discovered footholds bored into the side of the wall, going up. Even straining his eyes, he could not see how tall the opening was.
"These should lead us back up to ground level," he said.
"Let me," Joan offered to go first.
They climbed up the steep vertical walls, getting dirt all over themselves in the process, at the top Joan pushed at the cover and hauled herself out. The others followed and were stunned at what they saw.
"What the hell," Randy exclaimed.
"Yeah, we said that already in the tunnel," Alex said.
They were at the sidewalk of an ordinary street, the sun had already gone down (much to Randy's relief) but the streetlights were barely on. However it was light enough to see their location.
They were right in front of the Magic Box.
"What the hell," Randy said again.
*****
They walked through the rest of the town, but it appeared to be deserted. No people, not even animals, no cars, and no sound. Their footsteps echoed loudly amidst the silence that surrounded them.
"I almost expect a sudden desert breeze to engulf us in a dust cloud, and when the dust settles tumbleweeds are rolling across our path," Alex commented.
"You watch too much Bonanza," Anya interjected.
"How do you— wait a minute, how do you know I have a Little Joe fantasy?" Alex asked, worriedly.
"I don't know Alex, we lost our memories, remember?" Anya snapped back.
"Now, now, dear, don't lose your temper," Rupert tried to sooth his fiancé.
Anya angrily shook off his hand and turned her back on him.
They came to a coffee shop, empty of course. "Espresso Pump," Umad read the sign in front.
They discovered they were starving, and helped themselves with the pastries and coffee at the counter.
"What about paying? I only have $2," said Tara.
"I have $5," Willow said, handing her the note. Tara smiled, and their breaths shortened as their fingers brushed in contact.
"Let's worry about paying after we a) find out what freaky place we're in and b) get our memories back!" Randy snapped.
Willow shot him a dark look. "Do not talk to Tara like that. Ever," she said with a quiet menace that surprised even herself.
Randy was so taken aback by the redhead's abrupt change of demeanor that he didn't know how to react. He could swear that for a brief moment, even her eyes turned black.
"Randy's right, he just said it badly. I'll make sure we come back and pay the proprietors," Rupert said to Tara.
"The proprietors are not here at the moment, I am in charge, and you have to pay, otherwise I will use my satellite phone and call in the debt collectors," a perky but unfamiliar voice piped up. They followed the voice to find a small blonde girl who looked exactly like Joan, but with wavy hair and an overly cheerful smile.
"No, no need to call the cops, we'll pay you, just not now," Alex said.
"Absolutely not!" the girl barked. "Goods and services at the Espresso Pump must be paid for prior to consumption. No food or drink from outside sources to be consumed on premises."
"Look, doll, I don't know if you've noticed, but there's something wro—" Randy was explaining but he was rudely interrupted.
"SPIKE!" the girl screamed. "How I have missed you my handsome lover! Where have you been, my darling honeypot?"
"Ooof!" he let out a puff of air as she threw herself forcefully into his arms. "Er, do I know you?"
"Oh Spike, my creator, my sun, my moon, I am Buffy, the object of your lust and desire. Have you forgotten so quickly?" the girl swooned.
"Huh?" Randy said, but then an evil grin spread over his features. "Oh, B-buffy," he savored the new word on his tongue. "Sure, I, um, know you."
The others, save Joan who wore the darkest of dark looks on her face, were sniggering by now.
"Um, Buffy, can you tell us where everyone in this town have gone?" Rupert interjected.
"The big melty wobbly monster came in the jingly van and they all went with him," she said, with a tinge of sadness.
"And they left you all alone?"
"Oh no, I didn't want to go with him, he's all melty and wobbly. I want to wait for my Spike, all soft and hard, with his big soft heart and big hard co—" Randy's hand over her mouth stopped further narrative. She glared at him, at first irritated, but dissolved into utter devotion within a matter of seconds.
"So, pet, can we have some of the food?" he asked.
*****
They feasted on danish and muffins and coffee, or in the case of Umad, reheated cream of asparagus soup, which was also available on the menu (Mrs George's Homemade Special!!!, said the blackboard.). They sat in their little groups, Rupert and Anya at one of the tables, rather awkwardly trying to maintain a conversation; Randy and Joan, who had recovered from her shock of discovering her twin, excitedly retold their fight with Mr Shark's minions to an adoring Buffy; Alex and Umad explored the backrooms.
Willow and Tara sat at the deep, soft couch at the back.
"Strange day," Willow started.
"Yeah, I hope it doesn't get stranger," Tara said.
"I wouldn't put too much hope in that," Willow replied.
"Feeling full is the best, I'm feeling less panicky now," Tara smiled.
Willow smiled back. "I feel like we do this all the time, I mean not running around a deserted town with no memories, but coming to the coffee shop, just you and me, it feels comfortable and you know, natural," Willow moved her hand a little. How she wanted to take Tara's hand, but something was holding her back.
Tara noticed Willow's hand movement, how could she not? Ever since waking up at the Magic Shop, finding out about the memory loss, even running away from the bad vampire, all she noticed was Willow. She frowned internally, then brightened up. She inched her own hand towards Willow's.
"Nothing, not a thing," Alex plopped down on the armrest next to Willow, both girls jumped at his sudden appearance. "Well, except the remains of a bookcase, a bunch of old blankets and some power tools."
For the second time in a day, Willow wanted to throttle Alex for ruining an almost perfect moment with Tara, whom she was convinced by now, she shared a special relationship with.
"Alex, go and explore some more, I'm talking with Tara," Willow admonished.
"C'mon, a guy can't be with his girlfriend, oh I see, I was interrupting girl talk," he smirked.
"I'm not your girlfriend," Willow protested, looking anxiously at Tara. Tara's eyes were fixed resolutely on the linoleum.
"Then why were you wearing my jacket? And we woke up with you in my arms," Alex pointed out.
"I'm sure there's a good explanation, and when we get our memories back it'll all be fixed," Willow replied.
"Alright, be that way," he snorted and slid off the armrest.
She turned back to Tara but the moment was gone.
"S-s-so, what do you think we should do?" Tara asked.
"It'll be night-time soon, we have to decide if we're staying here, or go elsewhere. Let's talk to the others."
Alex pointed out that the town at night was probably even more dangerous than during the day, and they should stay put.
Rupert argued that staying at the Espresso Pump did nothing to help them with finding a solution to their situation.
Joan was adamant that whatever happened, they needed to protect Umad. "At all cost?" asked Randy. "At all cost," Joan answered.
Finally they decided that Joan, Randy, Alex and Rupert would explore the town for alternative hideouts, while Anya, Umad, Buffy, Tara and Willow would stay and wait for the patrol to come back.
Joan and Buffy compared strengths and discovered that Buffy was almost as strong as Joan. On one hand it pleased Joan, on the other, she felt a pang of jealousy that she wasn't the only superhero.
"Be careful," Anya said to Rupert. The others discretely turned away as she tenderly kissed him. Well, all except Randy, who was openly leering. Joan elbowed him hard at the kidneys and he clutched his side in pain.
"Don't forget the secret password," Umad reminded Joan.
"Make sure you lock up," Joan said.
Willow had already gone into the backroom to see what she could use.
*****
"You're awfully butch, both of you, with your tools," Anya commented, while gorging herself on a bag of chips. "Butch and butcher, no, that doesn't sound right. You don't have the correct clothes or hair length. And neither of you are wearing flannel shirts."
"Anya, if you can't help us, please don't make disturbing comments," Willow seethed.
"All I'm saying is how hot you look, with your power tools. Tara thinks so too, don't you Tara?" Anya turned her attention to Tara.
When Willow stripped down to a white, almost translucent, tight T-shirt, Tara almost fainted with drool, but she wasn't going to let Anya have the pleasure of teasing her, so she said nothing. She helped Willow hold the bookcase steady while the redhead expertly powered up a jigsaw to cut it up into 2x4 planks.
Tara's internal drool intensified as Willow reached up to hammer the planks over the windows for protection. The already tight T-shirt tightened even more, and the hem rolled up to reveal desirably creamy white flesh. Tara swallowed hard.
"Oh yes, Anya, I totally agree. Willow is very attractive, and with the addition of cordless power tools as prop, is probably too much temptation for Tara. But because she's my best friend and recently gay, I'm not going to make further provocative statements about her," Buffy stated.
"She's recently gay?" "She's your best friend?" Anya and Umad said together.
Tara could stand it no more. "Please, just stop it. We're in a dangerous situation here, can we just get the shop secured?" she pleaded.
"Hey, just ignore them," Willow said to her, her exertion causing her to sweat a little, and her T-shirt had an alluring "V" of dampness and when she moved closer to Tara, the blonde could smell the heat and see the bead of sweat forming at the redhead's brow. I wonder where the wettest place is, between the two of us.
Willow gave Tara a small squeeze on the arm as she switched tools, grabbing a hammer drill and proceeding to drill holes in the planks. At Tara's puzzled look, she elaborated, "so we can look out to the street, it's useless if we can't see our enemies approaching."
She's so smart.
"I'm going to clean up, there's a small shower in the staff changing area in the back," Willow said.
Tara waited the required two minutes before heading towards the back. Anya and Buffy's attention had turned to Randy (or was it Spike now?) and Umad was pottering around.
"Sweetie, not too close to the windows, okay?" she reminded Umad. The teen nodded and grabbed the deck of cards for a game of solitaire.
Tara took a cleansing breath before entering the changing room. It felt right. Somewhere at the back of her mind she had done this a thousand times. Yet it felt sufficiently different to give her the same level of excitement as a first time.
She smiled to herself at the sight of clothes discarded with gleeful abandonment. Her own clothing soon joined the ones draped loosely on a chair.
"I know you said the shower is small, but I'm pretty sure it'll fit both of us," she said to a shell-shocked redhead, whose lips she captured immediately. "Hmm, finally we don't get interrupted."
"What about the others?" a quickly recovering Willow asked.
"I locked the door."
"Good."
It was a first kiss, yet so familiar. It was a first touch, yet in the right place to elicit that special feeling in that special area. No more words. No need for memories.
The kiss turned passionate almost straight-away. As one, they opened their mouths and tongues soon joined in the thrilling first-time party. The heat of the water pounding on their skins matched by the heat generated between two bodies coming together for what seemed a long time apart.
Tara pulled away first, to regard her lover with a soft, sensual smile. "Let's get you cleaned."
And so she proceeded to worship the body that her sense-memory would not let her forget. She washed and rinsed the red hair slowly, taking her time to give a brief head massage. Then she moved to the face, and neck, and shoulders, and arms, and perk breasts with tips standing stiff and hard. She remembered how soft they felt, when she touched them earlier in the day, in the tunnels. She wondered if Willow remembered.
Hot water rinsed away the soap suds and hot, wet kisses followed the trail of water.
She turned her lover around and equally carefully, washed her back, using her fingernails to stroke a shuddering, shivering path up and down the slender, freckled back.
Thighs, knees, ankles, toes, all received the same level of attention.
By that time Willow was a melty, wobbly, squirmy, aroused puddle of want. But Tara was taking her sweet time. More kisses, some soft, some harder, all over her. She never knew where Tara was going to kiss next, she closed her eyes and reached up to the top of the rail to steady herself.
"I think we're done now," Tara murmured, and moved away.
What?
"Don't you fucking dare," Willow breathed as she reached out, ensnared Tara around the waist and made her point with a feverish kiss. Time for slow torture was past.
Her hands kneaded Tara's breasts roughly, until her nipples were as sharp and taut as hers. As soon as that objective was reached, she reached down to find Tara's clit, which she rubbed equally roughly.
Tara squeaked at the sudden pressure, then moaned as a orgasmatic shudder traveled up from where Willow was touching her. Her mind cleared a little from the steam- and desire-induced fog and she too started to match Willow's ferocious attention.
Two sets of fingers pushed deep inside each other, two palms flat against clits, lips firmly locked, they blasted together in an interlocking orgasm that didn't seem to want to end.
An aftershock as hands shifted a fraction. Another as fingertips brushed against sensitive parts. Yet another when breasts heaved against each other.
They held tight. Supported the other, making sure shaken legs slowly regained their function.
And finally the kisses turned more gentle, loving, warm.
They couldn't wipe the smile off their faces for a long while.
*****
"Bam bam bam!" as the door shook.
"Wha—" Anya jolted from her sleep.
"It's the others, and Spike is leading everyone in his heroic deeds," Buffy gushed as she peeked through the spy-holes at the window planks.
"Knock knock," came the request from outside.
"Who's there?" asked Anya.
"It's us."
"What's the password?"
"The Martilicky monster will be mauled in Morocco."
"Okay, let me get rid of these planks," Anya, Buffy and Umad pulled the planks that Willow tightly nailed to the door frame to admit the returning patrol.
"So, anything?" asked Umad.
"Yes actually," said Rupert as he stepped in.
Anya and Umad blinked as, not four, but five, people entered the Espresso Pump Fortress. The new addition was a brunette girl in her early twenties, in a doctor's lab coat and heavy boots, they couldn't tell if she was wearing anything underneath the lab coat.
"This is Belief, we found her on our patrol, she can help us," Joan said.
"How?" asked Anya excitedly, as she gave Rupert a kiss and brightened up at the news.
"Why don't we wait till we have everyone, where's Willow and Tara?" Rupert asked.
"They disappeared into the changing room," Umad said.
"To have sex," Anya added.
Rupert, Joan and Randy scowled at Anya's comment, while Alex's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Let me get them," Buffy offered, tearing herself away from Randy. She had attached herself to him as soon as she saw him.
A short while later, two blushing but well scrubbed girls came out with Buffy. They were holding hands though. Alex's hands swiftly went to his pants pockets as he felt the need for rapid adjustment.
Rupert introduced Belief. Willow's eyes strayed to the new girl's very obvious global assets, she could tell there was nothing beneath the lab coat.
Tara gave her a glare, "Are you checking her out?" she said from the corner of her mouth.
Willow quickly averted her eyes. "Um, not anymore," she said sheepishly.
Rupert explained that they ran into Belief at a cemetery, fighting a group of vampires. With the help of Joan and Randy, the monsters were quickly dispatched. It turned out that Belief was a superhero too, and she was able to hide when the melty wobbly monster in the jingly van came to town. What's more, she followed the monster and found out where he lived.
"A cave in the middle of the woods?" asked Umad.
Belief shook her head.
"A castle on the hill that suddenly appeared," asked Alex.
Nope.
"City Hall?"
No way.
"Then where, dammit!"
"The Amusement Arcade, down by Main," said Belief.
"What?" eight voices shouted as one.
"Whoa, no need to shout. Look, I followed him and he went into the arcade, why would I lie to you?" Belief asked pointedly.
"We don't know who you are," said Anya.
"Listen, I'm going to take him down anyway, and I 'm here cos the cute blondie," her eyes turned to Joan, and then Buffy, "well, one of them anyway, persuaded me that it's stronger as a group. If you guys want in, that's helpful, cos strength in numbers and all. If you're gonna discuss this in a committee, that's five by five too, cos I'm going over there at sundown, with or without you."
"I think we can trust her," Willow piped up. "Besides, we don't have a better plan, do we?"
There really wasn't an answer to logic like that.
*****
"Crack!" Joan again kicked the door in.
They rushed inside, weapons at the ready.
Empty. The games machines, though, were in full operational mode. The din of bells and whistles and music filled the arcade.
"What the hell," said Randy.
"We said that already," Alex retorted.
They tried the doors leading from the main arcade, all locked.
"What next?" asked Tara.
The decision was made for them as a strange voice suddenly rang out from above them.
"Who dares enter?" it boomed.
"Oh for god's sake, why do baddies always have to pile on the theatrics? Just show yourself, get your ass kicked and we return to normal," Joan quipped.
"Oh you're good. Very well then."
The lights dimmed dramatically (Joan and Buffy both sighed) and a melty, wobbly blob appeared at the doorway of one of the previously locked door. Without a word it turned and went back through the door.
They looked at each other and followed.
To find themselves in the desert, with rolling sand dunes in the background.
The blob morphed into a mountain lion, then a primitive black woman, then a bald man wearing black glasses and carrying a briefcase made from cheese slices, finally dissolving into Tara.
"Now that's unsettling," Willow muttered.
Tara, the Tara who was holding Willow's hand tightly, stiffened in fear.
"Now, what can I do for you?" asked the fake Tara.
"C-c-can you turn into something other than me?" the real Tara said.
"But you're the guide. Oh well, as you wish, and don't say I'm not accommodating," the fake Tara said as it turned into a young girl in a pinafore and carrying a small cubic box. "Okay now? Like I said already, what can I do for you?"
"Why did you kidnap all the people in this town?" Rupert asked.
"That's not the question you are looking for," the girl-shaped entity answered.
"Where are we?" Umad asked.
"That's not the question you are looking for," the entity answered again.
"What's happening?" Alex asked.
"That's not the question you are looking for."
"This is about us, isn't it?" Willow asked.
"That's not the question you are looking for."
"How do we get our memories back?" Tara asked.
"Ah but how do you know they are yours?"
"That's up to us to determine, they're not yours to take."
"But you realize, none of what you thought were your memories, none of that place I allegedly took you away from, none of that is real?"
"It's the only reality we know," Tara said.
The girl-shape considered this for a moment. "We can go on arguing deep salient points about life, the universe and everything, but it's getting late, and we've used up way too much bandwidth and the readers' patience already. So I'll accede to your request to return to the reality you were before," she said.
Loud cheering and high fives abound. Oh, an a very sweet kiss between two no longer embarrassed lovers.
"But," the girl-shape said quietly. Their cheering stopped. "But, there will be a test."
Silence. Deafening silence.
"Well, aren't you going to ask me what the test is?" she pouted.
"You'll tell us anyway," Tara deadpanned.
"Smart. Step into the one that is most like Life." With that she waved her arms and disappeared.
In her place were three inflatable baby pools, the kind that took an adult half an hour to blow up and a child one second to 'accidentally' deflate. Different fluids filled the pools.
Randy, being one of the undead and therefore immune to poison and other potential hazards, was nominated to investigate the contents.
The first one was filled with a clear liquid. "Water," he shouted.
The second one was filled with ice cream. "Chocolate, and melting quickly," he yelled.
The third one was filled with jello. "What flavor?" asked Umad. "Strawberry," he reported.
"Step into the one that is most like Life, which one is it?" Alex asked.
"Water, it's the source of life," Joan said.
"Ice cream, it's solid, then liquid, and it's chocolate," said Umad.
"No, it's the jello," Tara said firmly.
"Why?" they all asked.
"Hard to explain. I just know. I'm going in that one, do you trust me?" she asked Willow.
"Yes."
You're the guide.
Anya was about to argue when the others followed. She shrugged and joined in as the stereotypical white flash accompanied by commensurate thunder and lightning appeared and they fell through an inter-dimensional tunnel.
This time, Joan didn't need to kick any doors in.
*****
The moral of the story? Jello is like Life because you can mold it the way you want, but once set, is virtually impossible to change.
Or, something deeply philosophical but ultimately meaningless like that
.
*****
The End
I just hope that "that little horny-looking blonde" is supposed to be Ang, cause otherwise I may have my chat priveleges revoked. 
Good on ya!!
OMG too funny!
I love the song you picked for this scene.. it's so loving and endearing and just what Willow needed to hear. Annnnd....I know I won't ever think of those lyrics the same way again. 
