Eyes of the Soul

Title: Eyes Of The Soul

Author: Jennifer

Copyright (c) 2002 by Jennifer Johnson

Distribution: If you would like to archive this somewhere, please ask my permission first!

Feedback: jennpurr@yahoo.com or truthotheart@aol.com Please, give me feedback. Good or bad. Feel free to tell me what you think. Or just post it here.

Disclaimers: All characters belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy. This is solely for my entertainment. Please do not copyright this story.

The character of Veronica belongs to me. Actually, she is a friend of mine who used to be an EMT. The description of her in the story is how she looks, so I just borrowed her. :)

F/F romance: If the idea of a same sex relationship bothers you, please do not read this story.

Pairings: W/T, X/A

Spoilers: Season 6. This is set after Seeing Red, but Tara never dies at the hands of Warren. The rest is just my own creativity. Oh, and Giles never left.

Summary: Tara is missing, or so the Scoobies think. What will happen when they find her?

Rating: NC-17 and A: for some angst

My Thanks: To Danie. Thanks for being my beta and for helping me out with all the suggestions. You truly are gifted for writing. I hope you continue to do so. ;) And D, don't forget the catnip. ;)

Author's Notes: This is my first attempt at writing Buffy fan fiction, so please tell me what you think. I usually write fan fiction for ER. I apologize for the heavy subject of W/T angst in this story, especially after what has happened to Tara. These thoughts have been floating around in my brain lately and I just wanted to see if I could turn them into a story. Willow and Tara WILL have a happy ending, if that helps. Let's just hope we get that on the show. Some of the inspiration for this came from "Unexpected Consequences" Lisa's a genius. Thanks for your story Lisa. ?

Special Thanks: To Mel (Triscuit) for beta'ing this chapter for me; I really appreciate it girl. I owe you one. ;)

Eyes Of The Soul: Chapter 11/?
By: Jennifer



The dull and faded handkerchief passed over the lenses with extreme care, wiping away the non-present smudges. It was plain to see that this act was being performed out of nervousness and not out of need. Although, the look of worry was ever present on the Watcher's face, he tried not to make his uneasiness too blatantly obvious to his children; he had come to see them as such, anyhow.

He was worried about Tara, for obvious reasons, but he was also troubled for Willow. He had seen first hand that evening, that she was still capable of, whether intentional or not, releasing dark magic. That thought concerned him. 'What if she slips up again? And what is Tara to think? Yes, Willow was extremely pained at the time, but that...'

Buffy was the first to pick up on the Englishman's current demeanor. He wore an expression of deep thought, the look he might wear if she told him that she accidentally set all of his books on fire, or worse, told him an apocalypse was at hand. To say he looked worried was an understatement.

"Giles?" The Slayer reached over and squeezed his forearm.

At first he didn't seem to notice his young charge trying to capture his attention, but when Buffy's hand gripped his arm again, he visibly jumped away from his thoughts and looked up at her. "Hmm? Oh, Buffy. I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

He pulled his eyes away from her face and looked down at his glasses. Satisfied that they were cleaned to his liking, he slipped them back on his nose and pocketed the handkerchief.

Scrunching her eyebrows together, she studied his features carefully. "No, but you have that Gilesy look," she pointed out to him.

"I do not!" he came to his own defense. However, after the words left his lips, he paused. "What look?" the former librarian asked for clarification.

"Like I just told you that an apocalypse was coming again." Buffy watched as Giles turned in his seat, somewhat and faced her more.

"I'm worried about Willow, if you must know," he finally admitted to what had been troubling his thoughts.

"Will? Why are you worried about Willow? Is there something to be worried about?" Buffy started to panic.

"Calm down, Buffy!" He reached over and squeezed her hand. "I was worried about the fact that she is still capable of performing dark magic." Giles wanted to feel that the redhead in question wouldn't slip again, but he wasn't so sure of that fact. His worry was tattooed on his features.

The blonde paused to digest what he had just said, before starting in with the questions. "What are you talking about? I don't even think she's used any magic since we did that fairy light spell?"

"Guiding spell," Giles corrected her. "And you're right; she hasn't done any magic since then, but she has tried to," he admitted in a defeated tone.

"Is there something I'm missing here?" Buffy was obviously taken aback by this bit of information, even though her conscious told her it could be true. Thinking back to how easy the temptation was for Willow before, she guessed it could happen?

The Watcher stood to his feet and walked the short distance to the stairs, looking up them to make sure he could see no one around. Feeling certain that Willow was still in her room with Tara and that Dawn was still asleep, he quietly trudged back to the chair he had been occupying.

Sitting back down, he took a deep breath and addressed the three Scoobies present.

"When Rack was here and Ta... well, Amy, was fighting him..." he paused to think of the right words to use. "Willow almost slipped, but I stopped her," he finally explained.

"What do you mean, slipped?" Xander asked from his position on the couch, next to Anya.

"Just as I said, she slipped. She attempted to do a spell. Dark magic," Giles stated.

"How do you know it was dark magic?" Buffy instantly came to her best friend's defense. "It could have been..."

"Buffy," the Watcher interrupted her. "Her eyes shaded black and she was angered. She was not going to use normal magic, I assure you. However," he emphasized the last word. "She managed to stop before she actually did anything. What I'm concerned about is that it may occur again, in the future. What if she is ill able to stop it again from bubbling to the surface?" His eyes reflected his concern for the young girl.

"Giles..." Buffy waited until his eyes captured hers. "Will, has been doing really well. Maybe she did slip, but now that Tara is here, I don't think that will be an issue anymore. I mean, I hope it wouldn't be. Maybe since Tara is back she could help her?" The blonde wore a hopeful, yet concerned look on her features.

"Do you think Will, can ever get to that point where she doesn't want to use the darker mojo?" The Slayer sympathized for her friend, as she asked the question that all the Scoobies had been pondering, even Giles.

"Buffy, I honestly don't know. I'd like to think that since Tara is back and is... well, Tara... that they can be there for each another, but I seriously cannot answer that. There is something that I have often thought about and I have more than once come to the same conclusion that, Tara seems to be her balance, her anchor. I think it's quite possible that she can be that for her now. It is mainly for Willow to..." his words slipped away, before he could finish them, as two feet could be heard padding down the stairs.

"Buffy? Is that you?" Dawn's head poked around the corner and caught sight of Xander and Anya sitting on the couch. She quickly took to the stairs two at time, until she reached the bottom and strolled into the living room. "What's going on?"

The Englishman breathed a sigh of relief. He really wasn't comfortable discussing the matter of Willow's almost slip up and wanted to steer the conversation elsewhere. "Ah, Dawn. How are you? Shouldn't you be asleep?" He gave her a firm fatherly nod.

"I couldn't sleep. My tummy's all rumble-y." The teenager rubbed her stomach to prove her point. "Very acidy."

"Awww, Dawnster, want some juice or something?" Xander asked the young teen.

Frowning, "There's only one thing that can make me feel better. Tara-hugs and she's not here to give me one." Dawn looked as if she could cry at any given moment.

"She is here. She's upstairs," Anya said cheerily, before receiving a glare from Buffy.

"She is?" the teen squealed. "I want to see her." Dawn quickly turned and was about to make a dash for the stairs when Buffy's voice stopped her.

"Dawn, no! Not now. You can see her later," she promised.

"...But, I wanna see her now," the brunette whimpered, her eyes full of sadness.

"Dawn, I promise you that you can see her later. At the moment, she is upstairs with Willow and she wishes not to be disturbed." Giles tried to make her understand. "They need time to talk and be alone," he pushed, gingerly.

Wiping the freshly fallen tears from her eyes, Dawn just nodded her head, her hair dancing on her back. "She's really back?" she questioned softly, as if she said it too loud, it wouldn't be true.

"She is." Buffy went to her sister and gave her a hug, which the young girl gladly accepted. "You feeling better now?" the Slayer asked as she pulled away from the embrace.

"Yes!" Dawn practically squeaked and hugged Buffy again, before running over to Xander and throwing herself into his arms.

"Whoa there, Dawnster." The carpenter gulped audibly, as the teen squeezed him for all she was worth. "Feeling the need to breathe here!" he exclaimed.

Pulling away, she anxiously jumped up and down on the heels of her bare feet. "I feel like I just won the lottery!" the brunette said, excitedly.

"Oooh, the Tara-lottery!" Anya threw in, rather enthusiastically. "Of course, it's not as good as actual money, which can be very heartwarming."

Suddenly Xander let out a yelp. "OW! An, what was that for?" he asked, after she had slapped his arm.

"Why haven't we ever won the lottery? It could give me a lot of money. Money I could use to..."

"Okay, for one, I know what you could use the money for and two, we've never bought a ticket!" Xander gave her the facts, as he continued to rub his abused flesh.

"Oh, well, then we should buy a ticket. I want to win," she told her fiancé.

"I'll buy you a ticket tomorrow," he promised her.

Anya beamed, as she lightly bounced up and down on the couch from her sitting position.

"Yes, well, now that that is settled, why don't we go over to the hospital and check on Amy?" the Watcher suggested to the group.

"Can I stay here?" Dawn asked, hopefully, her blue eyes looking soulfully into her sisters.

Placing her hands on the teen's shoulders, Buffy spoke to her calmly. "I want you to come with us to the hospital. You can see Tara when she comes down with Will, okay?"

The brunette girl just nodded her head, her eyes filling up with tears.

Giles approached the two girls and waited for them to look at him. "I'll stay here and look after them."

Buffy quickly hugged the man who she looked up to as a father to her. "Thanks, Giles."

"You're quite welcome," he said, somewhat embarrassed at the show of affection, but returned the hug affectionately. "Alright, why don't you all get a move on and call me if you need anything?"

The blonde pulled away from the older man and smiled at him. "I know, not big on the hugging." She winked at him. "Okay, let's go guys. We'll see how Amy's doing and then come back."

"Then can I go up and see Tara?" Dawn almost pleaded her question.

"Yes. Then you can see her," Buffy said with a smile, as she watched her sister quickly go upstairs and a few seconds later, reappear with her shoes and a jacket around her shoulders. "Let's go," she said, as she followed the young teen out the front door.

Following behind her were Xander and Anya.

Giles heard Dawn yell, "I've got shotgun," as the door firmly snapped into place. Letting a heavy breath fall from his lips, he walked into the kitchen to fix him some tea. He made a promise to himself to speak to Willow later about the magic slip.

*****

"TARA, NO!!" Willow screamed as she sat bolt upright in the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her forehead was damp with perspiration.

Tara was startled out of her slumber by her lover's scream. When she opened her eyes, she found Willow visibly trembling with sobs. Immediately, she sat up, her arms encircled the redhead and pulled her close into a tight embrace. "Willow, shhh. I'm here, sweetie."

The hacker's body stiffened at the first touch from Tara, but within seconds she relaxed and slumped sideways into the other girl's arms. "Tarrra," was the only word that rolled off her tongue as she wept.

The blonde just held her close, rocking her gently, and let her cry. "It's okay, darling. I've got you," she said, kissing the top of Willow's head.

"It was horrible and I..." Willow couldn't finish her sentence; she just buried her face into Tara's neck.

"What was horrible?" Tara asked gingerly. She didn't want to upset the other girl any further, but needed to know what had upset her love to this degree.

"He... He... you were... you were dead," the redhead whispered between sobs. "You were dead. Rack killed you," she said, angrily.

Shivering was the only reaction Tara's body knew. This wasn't something she heard everyday, even if the murder did happen in a dream. She quickly reassured the frightened girl in her arms. "I'm right here and I'm alive."

"I know, but you... and he... Oh, Tara." Willow's tears continued to fall, but she pulled away from her girl's warm neck to look at her. "I hate him," her voice spilled forward, venomously.

Tara was abruptly taken aback by the hate that was present in her lover's voice and face; the hacker's eyes were cold with anger. She untangled her arms from Willow's back and cupped her face. Tara's thumbs wiped away the runaway tears as she spoke. "Willow, that's over. It was a dream; it wasn't real. I'm still here and very much alive. I don't want to hear you talk like that, ever again, okay?"

A look of disbelief impregnated itself onto the redhead's features and she pouted, releasing a grunt. "Tara, but he took you away from me. And then when I found him, I... I almost..." she couldn't continue.

She was no longer speaking of the dream that she had woken up from moments before. No, now she was recalling when Rack showed up outside the house. She wasn't quite sure if Tara had caught on yet, but she didn't have any idea how to confess to what lengths she had almost succumbed. 'What if Giles hadn't been there?' Her conscious asked her. 'She'll hate me if I tell her the rest.'

Willow let her head drop as she worried with her thoughts.

Tara's hands lifted her face again and when their eyes met, she pulled her into a tender kiss. Her lips lingered on Willow's, as she tried to reassure her. Pulling away from the kiss, she found the green orbs adjacent to hers. "First of all, I could never hate you, Willow. I love you, way too much. I might get angry with you at times, but I could never hate you, okay?"

The hacker just nodded her head, a tear sliding down her cheek as she did so.

"And second, please don't ever say that you hate anyone," Tara's voice trembled with the words. "There's enough of that in this world and I w-won't have the woman I so desperately love f-feeding it." The blonde wore her resolve face in plain view until she had gotten her point across. Then with a small smile, she brought their lips together again.

Willow's hands joined Tara's on her face and she squeezed them, before regretfully removing her lips from the other girl's. When the redhead pulled back, she closed her eyes briefly before looking into her lover's eyes. She held them for a moment and when enough courage manifested itself, she finally tesher her voice. "I love you, Tara," she said with all she had.

Tara's heart literally stopped beating at the redhead's admission. She had never doubted it wasn't true, not for one millisecond. "I love you, too."

Sighing, Willow decided to go for it. "Baby," she started, but paused. 'Goddess, this is so hard. How do I tell her? She'll want to leave me again.' A whimper fell from her lips, as she stared into Tara's eyes.

Caressing her cheek, the gentle blonde spoke, softly. "I've already told you, I'm not going to leave you again. I can't live without you," she said, truthfully. "Just tell me. Please," Tara pushed.

Willow pulled the covers off of her body and got out of the bed and walked to the window, her back towards Tara as she spoke again. "I almost..." were the only two words audible in the air. The rest faded away.

From the bed, the blonde watched as her girl hugged herself, her arms across her stomach. Her shoulders were squared; the muscles visible were taut. Her posture obviously screamed, petrified.

Tara scooted to the edge of the bed and hesitated momentarily before giving in to her heart's demands and lifting herself to her feet. She cautiously approached the other girl and when she was stood right behind her, her arms snaked around the naked stomach of her girl and pulled her against the front of her body.

Willow pulled herself from her selfish reverie and tried to pull away from the blonde's arms, but Tara was having none of it, as she firmly held her in place. Grabbing onto the blonde's hands, she tried to pry them away, but failed.

With an audible sigh, she gave up, dropping her arms to her sides. "Tara, let me go. Please," she whimpered. "I did it again. I betrayed everything that we have. Your trust in me... I made it go blooey. I won't blame you if you never trust me again. I deserve it for what I almost did, but you have to let go of me. I don't want you to..." the rest of her words were muted, when a strong hand covered her mouth.

"Willow, stop. Just stop." Tara's voice was even, not angered, but firm. "Now, I'm not letting go of you, so just get used to my arms around you."

The redhead breathed through her nose and lifted her hands to the one across her stomach. She intertwined the digits of her left hand with Tara's and squeezed it, to let the blonde know that she agreed.

"Good." Tara lifted her hand away from the girl's mouth and let it encircle her abdomen again. "What did you do?" She readied herself for whatever reply found her ears.

Willow began to shake with fear. This was it. Once she told her that she almost used dark magic again, that would be it. Tara would leave her again and everything that they had both worked for would have been for nothing. "When Rack was here and I thought Amy was you... I... I almost did a spell. I could have... I could have killed him, Tara. You probably hate me now and I don't blame you, but please, if you're gonna leave just..."

The blonde pulled her arms away from Willow's body and she stepped away from her. She froze for a minute, before walking to the door and stepping out of the room.

*****

Failure and regret, that's all the hacker was feeling as she dropped to her knees. Her hands came up to her face and she cried. Everything that she had feared about telling the truth was now coming true.

'She left again. Rosenberg, you're so stupid. When are you gonna learn?' she chastised herself. Just when she was about to mentally scream, she heard the bedroom door shutting again. She yanked her hands away from her face and turned her head around.

Tara walked back over to her, a damp washcloth in her hand, and knelt beside her girl. "Stand up, sweetie." She stood back up and offered her, her free hand.

"Tara, what are you..." taking the offered appendage, she stood, looking confused.

Before answering the other girl's question, the blonde pulled her towards the bed. "Come here." Dropping her lover's hand, she slid onto the bed and patted the space in front of her.

Willow, however, sat on the edge of the bed at the very end. Distance, was the operative word.

Hurt by this, the blonde softened her voice and spoke again. "Willow, come here. Sit in front of me."

The only thing she felt she could do, was do as she was asked. Swinging her legs up onto the bed, Willow scooted sideways until she was in the middle of the bed. Then putting on a brave face, she inched her way forward, placing a leg on either side of Tara's knees, and sat directly in front of her. Their eyes locked.

Tara laid the washcloth on the bed beside her, before placing a hand under both of the redhead's knees. She pulled them up onto her thighs and then pulled the girl towards her. She then snaked her arms around the redhead's waist and helped ease her into her lap.

Willow's eyes never left the blonde's, as she sat there in wonder. She watched as Tara reached for the washcloth again and slowly brought it to her face.

Gingerly, Tara wiped the cool material across the hacker's forehead, cooling it instantly. She ran it back over that patch of skin, before bringing it down and passing it over her cheeks. The material soaked up Willow's silent tears and left her flesh tingling and cool.

Wrapping her legs around the blonde's back, the redhead rested her hands on her thighs, closing her eyes as Tara ran the cloth down her neck and over her bare neck line, leading down to the middle of her chest. Willow shivered slightly, when the air met the dampness, causing goose bumps to form on her arms.

Opening her eyes, she brought her arms up and rested them lightly on her lover's shoulders.

"Tara?" Willow tested her voice.

"Shhh..." The blonde passed the damp cloth down the valley of the redhead's breasts and then gently, one at a time, circled each of the fleshy mounds with the material.

Willow gasped slightly, when it raked over her nipple. A shiver ran up through her spine and she briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found a smile gracing her lover's lips. She smiled at her, before letting go of another gasp when Tara did the same to her other breast.

"I want you to relax, Willow. Do you trust me?"

"Always," the redhead vowed.

Tara smiled; she knew the answer to that question, but she wanted to hear the other girl say it. "Sweetie, unhook your legs and lay back."

"W-what are you gonna do?" asked Willow, timidly, before doing what her lover asked.

"It'll be okay. Just relax, okay?"

The redhead nodded, a little nervous at what the other girl had planned.

After placing the damp garment in her hand on the table beside the bed, Tara looked back to her lover, who was propped up on her elbows and looking at her in question. "Willow, there are some things you need to know and I'd like to tell them to you, but no interrupting, okay?"

Willow just nodded her head again, not wanting to chance her voice right now. It would probably just come out in a squeak.

The blonde rested her hands on her lover's thighs and kneaded the flesh. She watched as the redhead sighed, obviously content with the ministrations. "Magic and dark magic are two different things. One is based in good; the other is not. They can both be bad though." She paused to see if the other girl was following her, which she appeared to be.

The hacker avoided Tara's eyes and looked at anything else, but her.

This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde, however, and she gently called her on it. "Sweetie, will you look at me? I'm not telling you any of this to make you feel bad or guilty, but we need to talk about this."

Willow relented and brought her gaze back to her lover, who was waiting patiently.

"The difference between them is that, one is always inside of you and the other has to be called upon. Your magic, your Willow-magic, is always with you. It's okay to have it with you. It's a part of who you are, and I love it. The magic doesn't make you who you are though. I fell in love with YOU, Willow, every part of you."

Tara dropped her hands to the bed, on either side of Willow's thighs and pushed herself up onto her knees and leaned forward, hovering close to the other girl's face. She rested a hand on the right side of the redhead's shoulder for balance, as she began to speak again.

"It frightens me a little, that you almost slipped. I won't lie to you, but the fact that you stopped it in time, makes me proud of you, Willow." She looked deeply into her eyes and held them. "You're magic comes from here," she said, pointing at her chest and making small circles around where her heart would be. "Willow-magic."

Leaning down, she kissed the flesh there, before pulling back. "The dark magic comes from here." Pointing at her forehead, she leaned in and kissed it tenderly. "You just have to learn to control them, Will. And I'll help you. We'll get through this," she promised and then leaned in again and this time placed a lingering kiss on Willow's lips. It conveyed her promise and her love.

Willow shifted her weight to her right elbow as she lifted her left hand up to Tara's face and cupped her cheek, holding her in place. She moved her lips against the blonde's and kissed her slowly.

After pulling away, her voice cracked with emotion, as she spoke two words, "Thank you."

"For what?" the blonde Wicca questioned.

"Making me want to understand the magic's. I need you, Tara. Thank you for not leaving me again. I know I've messed up, but I promise I'll do my best to control myself from now on. A-and I'll keep going to my meetings and I'll keep getting better. For myself and us. I'll do it for us. The way..."

Tara placed a finger over her lover's lips, silencing her babbling. "Willow..." her voice was sultry, almost like a purr. Once she had the other girl's full attention, she whispered, "We'll talk about this later. Right now, can you just be kissing me?"

The redhead's features lit up and her eyes focused in on, just how close the other girl's face was in proximity. She didn't hesitate any longer. Leaning forward, her lips were now a hairsbreadth away from the blonde's.

Tara tried to close the remaining distance between them, but Willow pulled back before contact was made.

Smiling devilishly at her lover, the hacker leaned forward again, but stopped in the same pose as before.

Again, the blonde tried to swallow the space, but just as she was about to reach her goal, her lover pulled away. Frowning, she let out a whimper in protest. "Kiss me... please..." It came out like a plea.

Willow kissed her left index finger and placed it over Tara's full lips and watched as the girl kissed the digit in the same place.

Tara peppered kisses over the offered flesh; its warmth warmed her fleshy, full lips. Slowly, the tip of her tongue eased forward and tasted her lover's finger. She moaned at the contact and ran her tongue, up and down the slim plane of skin.

Watching the blonde do this was completely arousing to the hacker. Goosebumps ran through her body and she felt her stomach flutter. She choked back a moan when she saw her finger become engulfed by the other girl's mouth. The slippery warmth coated it and made her flesh hum.

Tara sucked on it lightly, before pulling her mouth away and locking eyes with her lover.

Keeping her finger in front of her girl's lips, Willow leaned forward and let her own tongue taste what the blonde left behind. Her pupils enlarged when she saw Tara lean in as well and do the same. They were on opposite sides of the digit, but soon their tongues came in contact.

Willow took her index finger away and slipped her hand to the back of Tara's head and held her in place, as their tongues continued to meet gently, over and over again on the outside, in a slow dance.

The blonde Wicca sighed and leaned in even closer, closing her mouth.

The redhead whimpered at the loss of Tara-tongue, but seconds later she was rewarded with the feeling of two lips softly whispering against her own. She lingered there momentarily, before pulling back.

She looked into Tara's eyes, which were now somewhat glazed over, a look of desire and unconditional love present in the blue pools.

"I love you," Willow declared and gingerly began to pull her love to her, wanting to have the blonde against her skin.

"I love you," said Tara. She placed her right hand on Willow's chest, over her heart and softly pushed her down until her back met the bed. Then lifting her hand and putting it on the bed next to the girl's shoulder, she raised herself. Her right leg parted Willow's legs, before slipping hers in between them and hovering there.

"Sweetie, you mentioned meetings. What meetings were you talking about?" the blonde inquired and lowered herself down, resting most of her weight on her elbows.

The redhead's arms came up and wrapped around Tara's back, pulling her in closer. As she did so, she felt the other girl's wt set settle fully on top of her.

"Witches anonymous. I started going... the week you disappeared." The last part was spoken in a sad tone, as a frown covered the redhead's mouth.

"Darling, I'm here now. You don't have to frown anymore. What can I do to make you smile?" Tara's right index finger traced Willow's lips, as she looked deeply into her eyes.

"You can show me just how much you missed me," said the redhead, her frown instantly replaced with a goofy Willow-smile.

"Vixen," she smiled too, but then her features took on a more serious definition. She smiled again, but this time it was different. The look on her face now, was a look of absolute adoration. "I'm so proud of you, Will; for going to these meetings and for being honest with me. You will learn to be strong."

"Strong like an Amazon?" Willow remembered back to the last time she had asked Tara that. Although the circumstances were different now, she still found it fitting.

The blonde smiled. She remembered that time, too. "Strong like an Amazon, right."

"I love you, Tara."

"I love you, too, Willow."

The hacker cupped her lover's cheeks with her hands and pulled Tara's face to her own. She nipped the tip of the other girl's nose with her lips and playfully growled.

Laughing, "Let me help you out with that growl," said the blonde, as she met Willow's lips in a passionate kiss. They kissed lightly at first, letting their lips become reacquainted, in a dance they knew by heart.

Tara shifted her body, slightly to the left and bringing her right hand down, she started to make small circles on the redhead's stomach.

"Mmmm," Willow appreciatively mumbled, into Tara's mouth, her thumbs massaging the flesh of her lover's cheeks. Her skin shivered in anticipation when she felt the other girl's hand start to creep up her chest.

Reaching its destination, the blonde Wicca cupped Willow's breast in her palm. Her fingers lightly massaged the tissue underneath. She felt the redhead's tongue sneak out and snake across her lower lip. Smiling into the kiss, she opened her mouth and accepted the new offering, their tongues automatically finding one another and dancing together.

Pulling her hands away from Tara's cheeks, she ran them down her lover's back, trying to pull her in even closer. Her body wanted to feel every part of this incredible woman. She couldn't believe that after everything that she had told her, that Tara was still here. She hadn't left her.

Willow made a vow to herself, that she would always do her best to show the blonde that she would never regret that decision.

"Mmmm, baby," said Willow, pulling away a little to breathe.

"You okay?" Tara asked, worried that she might have overdone their kissing.

Squeezing her love, she reassured her, "I'm fine." The redhead gently kissed her and pulled away again. "More than fine," she smiled.

"Good. Don't wanna break my sweetie," she said with a wink. Looking away from Willow's eyes, she looked down at her hand. Rolling her palm over the already erect nipple, she heard her lover moan, deep in her throat. "Does that feel good?" Tara asked, repeating the movement.

"Yes," Willow whispered.

"How about this?" She slid her palm down and gripped the pink nub between her index and middle finger, pulling on it gently.

"Tara," the redhead whimpered, arching her back slightly.

Tara continued her ministrations, repeatedly sliding her fingers up and down, making Willow moan again.

The redhead could feel the all too familiar feeling of arousal, pulsating in her groin. She closed her eyes and tipped her head back a little, taking in deep breaths.

Lifting her head to look at Willow, she found her bare neck staring at her. She smiled her half grin and then leaned in, whispering into her skin. "Willow-neck," said T bef before running her tongue up the exposed flesh and then back down, stopping at her pulse point.

Extracting her fingers from her lover's breast, she brought it up and entangled it in the redhead's locks, as she started to suck on her girl's pulse point.

"Mmmm," Willow moaned. She flattened out her hands on Tara's back and ran them both down the silky skin, until they reached her buttocks. Cupping them in her hands, she squeezed the flesh there and just let her hands rest briefly.

Running the flat of her tongue from Willow's neck, up to her jaw line, she started to place feather light kisses there as she made her way back to the hackers lips.

Opening her eyes again, she looked into her girl's. "H-hi," the redhead stammered.

"Hi yourself, you naughty witch." Leaning in, she placed a quick kiss on those lips.

"I'm only naughty for you, baby," Willow cooed. She pulled her hands back up Tara's back and ran them up into her hair, sifting through the baby soft follicles.

"Only for me, huh?" Tara gave her a knowing smirk.

"There is no one else I'd rather make love to, then you, Tara Maclay." This was stated with as much pride as the redhead could find in herself. She was the luckiest girl in the world to have Tara at her side. She knew this and she thanked the Goddess every day for her. "I'm yours."

Smiling, she leaned in for a kiss, brushing her lips against the blonde's.

Pulling her hand from Willow's hair, she brought it down and cupped her cheek, gently pulling out of their kiss. "Good answer, Miss Rosenberg," she teased. "Mine," Tara stated, possessively. "And I'm yours."

"All mine... my, Tara. I missed my, Tara." The hacker's lips formed a frowning smile, her fingers massaging the other girl's scalp, calmly.

"I missed you, too. We're together now, though... let's make the most of it." Running her thumb over her lover's lips, she sighed. She was happy to be home, home in Willow's arms. As she felt the other girl kiss her thumb, she knew this is where she belonged. Here, with Willow, loving her and letting herself be loved in return.

Tara could deal with the magic; she could deal with helping the hacker get through this, because there was nothing more important in the world to her, then Willow Rosenberg. She was her life, no matter how many ups and downs they might have in the future; no matter how many life or death situations they may find themselves in, it was all worth it in the end.

Her soul was complete with the redhead by her side and...

"Baby, you okay?" Concern was tattooed on Willow's features, as she studied her quiet lover. Tara's face had worn so many different expressions in the past few seconds that she didn't know what was going on in the blonde's mind.

Smiling, Tara focused on the redhead beneath her. "I'm fine."

The hacker seemed happy with this response. "Tara, make love to me?"

"Always," the blonde whispered and leaned down again, softly touching her lips to Willow's.

Willow ran her fingers through the length of Tara's hair and then brought them back up to her shoulders, pushing her hair away from her face, continuing to kiss her lover back.

Rubbing her thumb across the smooth skin of the redhead's cheek, "Mmmm, Willow," she said without breaking the kiss. As she continued to move her thumb back and forth, Tara deepened their kiss. Her tongue probed at her lover's lips for entrance. She licked across the other girl's top lip, until she felt her mouth open. Entrance granted, she slipped her tongue inside and massaged Willow's with her own.

The redhead moaned deep in her throat and pushed her hands back down the blonde's back. When she reached her lower back, her arms wrapped around and hugged Tara close.

Pulling her hand away from the red locks, Tara snaked her way back down Willow's front, claiming her breast again. Taking the pert nipple between her fingers and gently tweaking it.

Willow reluctantly broke her lips away to breathe and bit off a moan, when her lover's mouth found her pulse point again and began sucking on it. "Oooh, Tara."

"Mine," the blonde Wicca hummed into her girl's neck.

As Willow closed her eyes, she tilted her head a little bit to the right to give Tara better access.

"You're so beautiful, sweetie." Tara kissed and licked her way across the other girl's collarbone, her hand making slow circles against the redhead's breast.

"You... beautiful," she breathed out and let her hands roam again, mapping the short distance to the blonde's ass cheeks. Cupping her hands around them, the hacker pulled her against her thigh.

"Willow," Tara whispered and pulled her head up, looking down at her lover. "Such grabby Willow-hands." After saying this, she focused in on her hand again, allowing it to search for the mattress beside the redhead's torso.

After shifting her weight up and over somewhat, the blonde hovered there, making eye contact with her girl. Seeing the silent question answered, she smiled and leaned down.

Tara peppered kisses over the surface of Willow's areola, before settling in and lightly running the tip of her tongue around the nipple of her left breast.

The hacker's back arched and she moaned when Tara's lips closed around the nub of flesh and began a gentle suckling motion. "Mmmm, that feels good..." her voice trailed off.

Moving downward, Tara licked the underside of her lover's breast with the flat of her tongue, making love to the flesh there. She felt Willow's hips lightly buck up against her. The blonde moved her mouth away and looked into her eyes. Holding them, she slipped her thigh between the redhead's legs and brought it up, pushing into her center.

"Mmmm, Willow... you're so wet," she said and leaned in for a kiss.

"You... it's because of you." The redhead lifted her head up for another kiss, lingering there. She whimpered when she felt Tara take her thigh away and settle back to where she had been before.

"So impatient," the blonde said, breaking their kiss. She rested her hand on her lower abdomen, making tiny circles again. Her fingers brushed over her lover's red pubic curls a few times, making Willow's breathing hitch.

Leaning in, they met in a passionate kiss once again, Tara dominating it. As she continued to make the circles with her fingers, she stopped at the next contact with the hacker's curls and let her hand rest there.

Willow brought her left hand away from the other girl's ass and rested it on top of the blonde's.

Pulling out of the kiss, blue eyes met green and held them briefly, before Tara spoke. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "Is there something you wanted?" asked Tara, coyly.

"Ta-ra," was the only word the redhead could manage.

"What do you want, Willow?" The blonde smiled at the somewhat frustrated look on her girl's face. She knew good and well what the other girl wanted, but there was something about hearing her ask for it, that turned her on.

"P-please," Willow stuttered, her hips squirming a little as she tried to get Tara's hand to move down further.

"Please, what? I wanna hear you say it."

"Please, Tara... touch me," she breathed out. The redhead's hand gripped the blonde's more firmly than before.

The blonde Wicca just smirked. She loved the affect she could have on her girlfriend at times, even if it was evil to tease her. Moving her fingers a little closer, she stopped again, "Here... you want me to touch you here?"

"YES!" Willow squeaked. If Tara didn't stop teasing her, she was going to have to take matters into her own hands and then get her revenge. 'Oooh... that would be fun though.' She chastised her mind when she realized she had thought that; she knew Tara heard her.

"And just what would be fun, Miss Rosrg?"rg?" Her eyebrows knitted together, a half grin forming on her lips.

"Uh... um... nothing?" The redhead knew she was caught.

"I'll show you nothing." The blonde yanked her hand away from Willow's and began to tickle her ribs.

"Ahhh... Tara... stop. Tara please, just touch me. I need you; I need you to make love to me, NOW! Please?" The hacker giggled as she pleaded with her lover.

Stilling her hand, she leaned in and stole a kiss. Lingering there briefly, before pulling away and looking into the other girl's eyes. "Anything, for my Willow." Keeping eye contact, her hand found it's way back to where it was before, this time she moved down even further and cupped her lover's mound in her palm. She ran her hand up and down the length of her lover's outer lips and listened as Willow's breathing became more labored.

"Goddess, you're so wet."

The redhead's eyes, glazed over with lust, rolled back into her head for half a second, before settling on Tara's again. "Oh, Goddess... Tara." A whimper escaped her, when the blonde's index and middle fingers parted her pussy lips and slid up and down her center, exploring her lovingly.

"Mmmm, sweetie." Tara leaned down and pressed her lips to her lover's, kissing her tenderly. They kissed slowly, as the blonde's continued to explore her lover.

Willow moaned into her girl's mouth and parted her legs more, giving the blonde more access. Shifting her weight somewhat to her right side, she bent her left leg at the knee and rested her foot on the bed, opening herself wider.

Breaking away from the kiss, Tara gazed into her lover's eyes as her hand thoroughly explored the redhead's pussy. Her thumb brushed up against Willow's clit, bringing a moan from the other girl.

The hacker moved her mouth down to Tara's neck and sucked on her pulse point, marking her as her own. She bucked her hips when she felt the other girl's finger tease her opening. Whimpering, she buried her face in her lover's neck, nuzzling the exposed skin.

"Willow, are you okay?" The blonde asked, stilling her hand briefly, as concern washed over her. 'Did I hurt her? Oh, Goddess... I didn't mean to...'

Lifting her face from the warm confinement, she kissed Tara passionately and spoke through her mind. 'No, baby, you didn't hurt me. Please, don't stop. Please...'

'O-okay. Don't scare me like that, Will.'

'Got it... no more scaring. Please Tara, I need you...' Willow pleaded in her mind, desperately. Her body was now trembling, with the orgasm she knew was coming.

"Mmmm," the blonde Wicca pushed onto the redhead with all of her weight as she started her ministrations again. She entered her lover gently, with two fingers, bringing them in and out of her core slowly. Her thumb made small circles over her clit. Tara swallowed Willow's moans of pleasure.

Reaching down, the hacker gripped on to her lover's forearm, as it continued to move in and out of her, bringing her closer to her release. Breaking their kiss, she feathered kisses all over her girl's face. She kissed her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks and then finally her lips again, before pulling away completely and resting her forehead against the blonde's. "Oh, Tara..." she moaned.

Feeling the inner walls of Willow's pussy tighten around her fingers, Tara let her fingers move in and out a little faster and put more pressure on her lover's clit with her thumb.

The redhead could feel it coming; it was boiling up to the surface. Her breathing was somewhat erratic; it wouldn't be long now.

Tightening her grip around Tara's forearm, she felt herself orgasm. Her juices flooded the blonde's hand as she buried her face in her neck again and wrapped her arms around her back, pulling her close.

She cried into her warmth, all of her emotions flooding to the surface. She had so desperately missed this woman and now she had her back.

Willow whimpered when Tara removed her fingers.

The blonde rolled over on her back, bringing the redhead with her, as she tightened her arms around her and held her close. She let the other girl's tears subside before she e age again. "Honey, are you okay?"

Wiping her eyes against Tara's neck, she kissed her there tenderly, before pulling away and looking down into her blue eyes. "Yeah," her voice was somewhat strained. "You?"

"I'm good," the blonde said with a smile.

There was a moment of silence. Both girls just stared into each other's eyes, holding contently to one another. It was Willow who broke the silence.

"Just good? I want you to feel excellent." There was a hint of playfulness in Willow's voice, as she smiled wickedly and started to snake down the blonde's body. She bypassed her breasts and went straight for her target, knowing Tara would probably be fully aroused and wouldn't take long to release.

"Oh, Goddess," Tara breathed out. Willow always knew how to read her well. The blonde was so turned on with arousal after making love to the redhead. She parted her legs and watched as her lover settled down between her thighs.

Her hips bucked slightly with the first touch of the other girls tongue.

The hacker gripped on to Tara's thighs, as she ran the flat of her tongue over her lover's slit and up to her clit. She repeated this several times, before taking the blonde's clit into her mouth and sucking on it gently. Reaching up with her left hand, she wiggled her fingers at the other girl.

Tara arched her back and moaned, when she felt Willow's tongue enter her opening, teasing her. Reaching down, she intertwined her fingers with the redhead's, giving her hand a strong squeeze. "Mmmm, Willow..."

Sweeping her tongue back up the blonde's pussy, she closed her lips over her clit and entered her with two fingers, moving in and out of her at a somewhat fast pace.

A shiver ran through the blonde's body and she arched her back. Her free hand found its way down and entangled itself in her girl's hair, pulling her mouth closer. Tara tried to hold on a little bit longer, but it was useless. She dug her heels into the bedspread, as an orgasm rippled through her body, leaving her breathless. Her juices flooded her lover's hand and she felt the redhead gently lap them away.

Willow slowly extracted her fingers from Tara, causing the blonde to whimper in protest. Bringing the wet digits to her mouth, she licked them clean, before lifting herself up to crawl up the other girl's body.

Leaning her head down, she kissed Tara's stomach.

"Willow... come here," Tara breathed out, her breathing still somewhat ragged.

Without hesitation, the redhead did just that. She climbed her slowly and once her eyes met those blue pools she loved so much, Willow lowered her arms and tenderly met her girl's lips with her own.

They kissed slowly, savoring the emotions of the act. Tara could taste herself on the hacker's lips. Wrapping her arms around the petite redhead's back, she pulled her closer.

Willow allowed her body to fall to the side of her girl's, her right leg entwining with her lover's as they continued their kissing.

The blonde's tongue snaked out and slithered over the other girl's bottom lip, gently taking it into her mouth and suckling on the tender flesh.

Moaning her approval, the hacker brought her right hand up to Tara's cheek, caressing it lovingly.

With a sigh of regret, the blonde pulled her lips away from Willow's and breathed in some much needed oxygen.

Brushing her hand up and into Tara's hair, the redhead frowned slightly. "You okay, baby?"

"I'm fine, sweetie. More than fine." She kissed her love tenderly, before pulling her head down to her chest.

"I love you," Willow cooed into Tara's chest, kissing the flesh over her heart, and then resting her ear there. She listened to the blonde's heartbeat; it's rhythm back to normal.

Pulling her hand out of the other girl's locks above her, the redhead brought her arm down and rested it over Tara's stomach.

"I love you, too, Willow."

The hacker just smiled and closed her eyes, her senses focusing on the soft thumping under her ear. 'What a wonderful sound that is... and it's all mine. Mine!' her thoughts reveled.

"Yours," Tara wholeheartedly agreed and closed her heavy lids; her right hand rubbing up and down Willow's back as the other reached down and entwined with the redhead's over her stomach, their fingers automatically interlocking.

As she continued to lie there, Willow suddenly felt somewhat of a vibration against her cheek. It sounded and felt like the soft fluttering of a fan. Lifting her head, she looked up; her expression puzzled, as she spoke. "Tara?"

"Yes, sweetie?" The blonde opened her eyes and met her lover's gaze.

"Did you just purr?" Willow's brow furrowed in question.

*****


End of Part 11