A Witch In LA

Chapter 3


Faith smirks as she sees Gunn look at her with disgust as he walks out of the hotel with Tara. Deciding to tag along, Faith chuckles quietly.


Tara glances up, seeing Faith and smiles warmly. “You going with us to the store?”


“If you don’t mind my tagging along.” Faith offers, completely ignoring Gunn’s obvious looks and watching Tara.


“No, that would be great.” Tara smiles and watches as Gunn opens the door, and Faith hops in quickly to sit in the middle. Tara climbs in beside her and thanks Gunn.


Gunn gives Faith a dirty look as he climbs in behind the wheel.


“So, what time did you guys get in last night from patrol?” Tara asks to cover up the awkward silence.


“Around two.” Gunn answers smiling slightly. “There was a vamps nest in one of the bigger cemetery’s.”


“They do seem to like the mausoleums.” Tara offers smiling slightly as she looks out the window. “I’m surprised you two are up this early if you didn’t get in till late. I know whenever Buffy had a late or rough patrol she could sleep in till ten or eleven.”


“B? I don’t ever remember her sleeping that late.” Faith grins slightly.


“She would usually wake up if she smelled bacon cooking. Seems food was a good motivator.” Tara chuckles quietly.


“I can understand that.” Faith nods her head. “Hungry is one of a slayer’s middle names.” Faith smirks.


“One middle name?” Tara questions the comment.


Faith laughs quietly. Sliding a sideways glance at the witch, Faith smirks. “HH factor. After a good night slaying, Slayers get hungry and horny.”


Tara blushes slightly, turning to look out the window from where she had been looking at the slayer.


Gunn grunts and shakes his head. “Damn, girl. Do you think you could say that a little blunter?”


Faith raises an eyebrow looking at Gunn and grinning. “Yeah, I could. You want me to?”


Tara can’t help but chuckle at Faith’s comment.


Faith smiles genuinely at hearing Tara chuckle at her comment, leaning back into the seat she crosses her arms, happy. “What all we gonna need to pick up?”


“Everything.” Tara grins pulling out a two page list. “Everything from condiments to bread, buns, flour, sugar, meat, cheese, pasta, fruit, vegetables, milk, juice, coffee. I came across this antique coffee maker, but it seemed to work fine when I test ran it with water.”


“Coffee? Real coffee?” Faith groans quietly.


Hearing Faith groan, Tara laughs. “Yes, real coffee. If you like real coffee so much, why didn’t anyone ever buy a coffee pot?”


“Hell if I know.” Faith growls out.


“Probably because you’re the main one that drinks it.” Gunn rolls his eyes.


“Well, I’ll make you a big pot of fresh brewed coffee when we get back.” Tara offers grinning, ignoring Gunn.


“Thanks.” Faith smirks as she sees Gunn’s lip curl up.


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

Tara stops outside the door that belongs to Fred. Gently knocking, she wait’s a couple minutes then smiles softly as Fred opens the door, peaking out. “Hi, Fred. I just wanted you to know I’m fixing sausage gravy and biscuits with scrambled eggs for breakfast if you would like to come down. It’ll probably be done in roughly 15 minutes.”


Fred nervously smiles before glancing up and down the hallway. “I like sausage gravy and biscuits.” Nodding her head she looks up briefly, making eye contact with Tara before looking away. “I’ll be down.”


“Good.” Tara smiles encouragingly at the woman. “We’re using one of the big tables down in the dining room by the kitchen. I’ll see you in a few.”


Quickly heading back down the stairs to the kitchen, Tara chuckles as she see’s Faith filling up a coffee cup and inhaling deeply. Checking the biscuits, Tara smiles as they are almost done. Stirring the gravy, she looks towards Faith. “Want to taste the sausage gravy? I used a mixture of hot and spicy with mild sausage in it.”


Faith’s eyes light up. “Sure.”


Tara pulls the biscuits out and sets them on the stainless steel counter before pouring the eggs into the skillet and throwing the cheese she had grated previously in with them. Grabbing a bowl down and a spoon, she grabs a biscuit off the pan, tossing it between her hands to try and cool it down.


Faith chuckles watching the witch play hot potato with the biscuit. “Here, let me have it.” Faith reaches out and grabs it out of the air and quickly tears it into a few pieces throwing it in the bowl.


Scooping out some of the sausage gravy, Tara pours it over the biscuit and hands Faith the spoon. Moving to the skillet with the eggs, Tara flips them.


Faith licks her lips as she finishes the biscuit and gravy. “Hope you fixed plenty of this. I can probably eat a couple dozen biscuits with gravy.”


Tara chuckles turning to the slayer. “I made four dozen biscuits and of course this big pot of gravy. Along with the two dozen scrambled eggs with cheese.” Turning and scooping the eggs out into a bowl, Tara grabs it and carries it out to the table before coming back in and scooping the sausage gravy into a big bowl.


“Want me to do anything?” Faith offers, setting her bowl down.


“If you want to put the biscuits in that basket and put them and the gravy on the table, I’d appreciate it.” Tara smiles as she turns to the refrigerator pulling out a gallon of milk and orange juice. Following the slayer as she carries the other items out to the table.


After setting the table, Tara smirks as Faith sits down and starts helping herself. Looking up as the doors swing open, Tara watches as all the AI team, Angel included walk in and sit down. Tara walks up to Angel “Would you like me to heat you up some blood?”


“You don’t have to.” Angel shakes his head.


“Angel. Would you like me to heat some up?” Tara puts her hands on her hips and raises an eyebrow.


Angel looks embarrassed slightly. “If you don’t mind. But I don’t expect you to wait on me.”


“That’s okay.” Tara smiles softly before heading in and filling a mug with blood and putting it in the microwave she’d commandeered from the break room for now. Setting down the warmed blood in front of Angel, Tara sits down in the last seat open by Gunn.


Cordelia looks at the food surprised. “This actually smells edible.”


“Nice, Queen C. Live up to your name.” Faith growls out as she scoops up another bite of gravy with biscuits. “It’s great, Blondie.” Faith glances across the table at Tara before narrowing her gaze on Gunn. She had watched him hold back as everyone sat down and took the seat that would have Tara sitting by him.


Tara grabs a biscuit and places it on her plate before looking for the apple jelly she had placed on the table. “Gunn, could you pass me the apple jelly, please?”


Gunn grins grabbing the apple jelly and handing it to Tara. “Do you need anything else?”


“No, thank you.” Tara smiles gently as she separates the biscuit and scoops out a small amount of jelly, spreading it gently over the two halves of the biscuit.


Cordelia finishes the eggs and biscuit that she had scooped out on her plate and drinking her juice, noticing everyone seems to be eating like there is going to be no tomorrow. “Tara, I must admit. This was very good.”


“Thank you.” Tara blushes slightly as she finishes her biscuit.


Faith frowns, watching as the witch is obviously only planning on eating a biscuit for breakfast. Slowly reaching out, Faith grabs three more biscuits, tearing them apart and placing them on her plate before looking at Wes. “Can you pass the gravy, W?”


Wesley looks up and grabs the bowl, handing it to Faith, as he finishes his eggs and cup of tea. “This was quite delicious. Thank you Tara.”


“Good, yes good.” Fred glances up before finishing her milk. “Thank you.”


“Thanks.” Faith mutters to Wes before scooping some more gravy over her biscuits. Looking out over the table, she notices that the eggs are completely gone and from the looks of it, the biscuits and gravy wouldn’t make it. Of course, if she cared to count, Faith knows she probably ate two dozen biscuits herself. Looking up and seeing that Tara had finished her biscuit and was sipping her orange juice, Faith frowns again.


“Blondie, you need to have some of this gravy. Here.” Faith doesn’t give her a chance and puts a biscuit on her plate and scoops some gravy over top of it.


Before Tara has a chance to refuse, the food is sitting in front of her. Looking up into the slayer’s eyes she notices under the thin layer of who gives a shit, that she can see worry. Finally smiling slightly, Tara cuts up the biscuit before slowly eating the biscuit and gravy.


Faith smiles as she looks back at her plate, finishing the food.


Gunn grabs the last couple of biscuits and puts them on his plate before scooping out the rest of the gravy over them. “Tara, I have to say this is the best sausage gravy and biscuits I’ve ever had.”


“Thanks, Charles.” Tara finishes eating her biscuit and gravy.


Angel quietly sits watching the people that work for him and help save the world. Watching the obvious flirting that Gunn is doing. Pretty much everybody else was chowing down, except for Faith. Not that she wasn’t eating. By his figuring she pretty much is eating half of the food. But for some reason she seems to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to Tara. Frowning slightly he contemplates the slayer. Shaking off the thoughts running through his head, he finishes his blood and watches as the rest of the group gradually leaves one by one. Leaving Tara, Faith and himself the last ones sitting at the table.


Angel stands up and takes his mug into the kitchen, placing it in the sink as he quickly follows the rest of the group out. “Guys meet me in my office.” He demands, quickly walking to the door, as Cordy, Gunn, Wes and Fred enter his office. Closing the door, he works his way to the desk sitting down, he laces his fingers together, and looks from one person to the next until he’s looked at every single one of them.


Leaning back in his chair he shakes his head. “I’m going to say this once, and only once. Tara was kind enough to offer to fix food for you guys. The least you lazy asses can do is help clean up afterwards. She isn’t a maid and I’ll be damned if you’re going to treat her as one. Get out of here.”


Cordy frowns and looks at the vampire. “Why aren’t you telling this to Faith, also? I mean she ate the majority of the food.”


Angel looks in surprise at Cordelia. “You are not that clueless, are you?” He questions in a low, rough voice. “Faith scrubbed out the refrigerators and freezers by herself. She helped Tara wash all the dishes and pots and pans and everything else down there in that kitchen. She helped set the table this morning and brought out the food. So tell me, should I tell her to get off her lazy ass? Seems to me she’s the only one that’s helped.”


Cordelia’s mouth opens and closes the whole time Angel is ranting at her.


Wes, Gunn and Fred have the good grace to look ashamed.


“I’ll even be willing to bet Faith is helping Tara clean up now.” Angel stands up pacing back and forth. “I don’t care how it happens, but if you guys are willing to eat the food that you so obviously enjoyed, you need to help clean everything up afterwards. It’s only fair. If you guys want to split it up between you, go for it. If you want to alternate cleaning up, that’s fine. I don’t care. But I do NOT expect Tara to be the one left with clean up. Understood? I‘ll be willing to bet they probably have the majority of the cleaning done by now, so I suggest at lunch time you guys don‘t offer, you just do.” As everyone nods, even Cordelia he sits back down. Flipping open a file he glances back up at the group. “What are you guys waiting for?”


After the group leaves the office, closing the door behind them, Angel chuckles quietly.


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


Faith watches as the rest of the group walk out the door, leaving their dishes on the table. Growling low under her breath, she shakes her head. Pouring herself another cup of coffee, she watches as Tara starts gathering the dirty dishes, picking them up before taking a handful into the kitchen. Bitching about inconsiderate co-workers, Faith stands up and quickly gathers the rest of the dirty dishes and follows Tara.


Reaching around Tara to place the dirty dishes in the huge industrial sink Tara is running the water in, Faith reaches down grabbing the wash rag, accidentally brushing against Tara. “Let me wipe down the table.” Faith growls out quietly, enjoying the brief contact more than she would have thought.


Tara’s surprised at the close proximity of the slayer, smiles her thanks. “You don’t have to, you know.”


“No, but it ain’t right you cookin’ and havin’ to do the cleanin’ on top of it.” Faith shakes her head before going to wipe down the table, grabbing the empty pot of coffee and her cup.


Tara watches as Faith walks back into the kitchen. “Would you like some more coffee?”
Faith’s eyes light up, making Tara giggle. “Give me the pot, Faith.” Tara takes the pot from her rinsing it out before readying the coffee machine. Setting the brew function, Tara turns to see Faith already elbows deep in water washing the dishes.


Grabbing a towel, Tara starts drying the dishes and putting them away. Glancing at Faith, Tara smiles softly. “What would you like for lunch, Faith?”


Faith glances up from the pot she’s scrubbing to look at Tara. “I ain’t the only one that’s eatin’ here.”


Tara grins wickedly. “Maybe not, but you’re the only one helping clean up. Gives you an in with the cook.”


Faith chuckles quietly before laughing out loud. “Payback is a bitch.“ Shaking her head she smiles before commenting “I don’t know.”


“Would you like me to make some Cheese Steak sandwiches?” Tara offers leaning on her hip against the sink facing the slayer. “I’m not going to guarantee they’ll be as good as the ones you had in Philly…”


“I’m sure they’ll be great.” Faith shakes her head facing Tara. Frowning looking at the witch’s fingers, she hesitantly reaches out, running her hand over them. Looking back up into surprised blue eyes, Faith whispers. “How did that happen?”


Tara frowns looking down at her fingers before glancing back up. “Glory again. She crushed my hand.” Tara answered quietly.


Faith reaches down, gently clasping the hand bringing it up to inspect the fingers, seeing the scars. Running her fingers over the scars, Faith frowns. “Did this happen at the same time…”


Tara swallows and nods her head. “Yes, she thought I was the key and crushed my hand when I wouldn’t tell her who was. After crushing my hand she sucked my sanity away.”


“You’ve been through hell, literally. And you‘re still willing to help.” Faith quietly states, continuing running her fingers over the witch’s hand. “What did you go through in your life to make you so strong?” Faith asks seriously looking into the blue eyes.


Tara looks at the sorrow filled eyes of the slayer and uses her words back. “Went through hell, literally.” Tara whispers before glancing down watching the strong hand of the slayer. The hand that is used to beating, crushing and killing, that is now gently holding and caressing hers.


Faith nods and swallows before gently raising the hand to her lips and placing a gentle kiss on the fingers. “I get that.” Faith murmurs as she releases the witch’s hand and turns back to finish scrubbing the dishes.


Tara stands there in stunned silence for a few moments, a tingling sensation in her hand from where the slayer had kissed her fingers. Silently contemplating the now silent slayer, Tara tilts her head watching her. Deciding for now not to question the slayer about what just happened, Tara turns to dry and put away the dishes that had built up in the time of her contemplating the woman.


As she’s putting up the last of the dishes, she watches Faith rinse out the sink. “How many sandwiches do you think you’ll be able to eat?”


Faith smirks glancing up at the witch. “Why are you askin‘?”


“Oh, I just thought I’d be sure to make enough.” Tara tries to hold back a grin glancing out of the corner of her eye at Faith.


“Hmmm. Almost sounds like you’re sayin’ I eat a lot.” Faith’s lip quirks up in a half smile.


“I wouldn’t say that.” Tara’s eyes twinkle as she makes eye contact.


“No, you wouldn’t. You’d just hint to the fact.” Faith chuckles quietly. “I could probably eat four or five.”


“Good. That’ll give me an idea of what to cook.” Tara watches Faith.


“Would you like help? I’m handy with a knife.” Faith tries to keep a straight face.


“I’m sure you are. The thing is are you good at slicing?” Tara feels the laughter trying to break free.


“Slicing, dicing, stabbing. I’m a regular veg-o-matic.” Faith starts laughing.


Tara can’t help but laugh with her. “Actually there’s a slicer. I just need to take it apart and clean it good. It’ll probably make short work of slicing the rib roast baking in the oven.”


Faith looks up surprised. “You were planning on the sandwiches anyway, weren’t you?”


Tara quirks an eyebrow at the slayer. “Maybe.”


“I believe you are a very wicked witch.” Faith appraises the woman grinning.


“Probably.” Tara smirks slightly. Turning around, she walks over to one of the other tables and uncovers the equipment there. Tilting her head at the slicer she frowns slightly.


“Here, let me. I’m pretty good at mechanical things.” Faith offers walking over beside the witch. Making sure it’s unplugged, Faith starts tearing it apart and taking the pieces over to the sink to wash. “Do you have some Vaseline? We’ll probably need to grease the gears.”


“I have some upstairs.” Tara nods her head as she runs some fresh dishwater over the parts.


“I’ll get this, you go ahead and get the Vaseline.” Faith finishes taking the slicer apart and sets the pieces in the water before shutting the water off and taking the rag back over to the slicer, wiping it down and continuing to wipe down the table real good. Looking over at the boom box, Faith grins and throws in Kid Rock’s Cocky CD. “Can’t believe the witch knew all the words to this CD. She definitely aint the sweet innocent that she looks saying them kind of words.” Faith growls out before she starts singing and dancing in place to the music as she washes the parts.


**********


Tara quickly heads down the stairs from her room when Angel stops her.


“Tara, may I talk with you for a moment?” Angel tilts his head towards his office.


“Yes, sir.” Tara follows Angel.


Angel shakes his head smiling. “Don’t sir me. Just Angel, please.”


“Sorry.” Tara looks down briefly before looking back up making eye contact. “What did you need, Angel?”


“I want to apologize for the rest of the group here. There is nothing I can say, but if anything like this morning happens again, please let me know.” Angel gets straight to the point and smiles apologetically at the witch.

Tara looks in surprise at Angel and smiles in appreciation. “Thanks Angel. Is that all you wanted?” At Angel’s nod, Tara stands up. “Well, I better get back downstairs, Faith being left alone for too long in the kitchen is just a recipe for disaster.”


Angel opens his hearing up and chuckles quietly. “Actually she seems to be singing and the lyrics are… You ain’t never met a mother…ooops sorry.”


Tara chuckles “Kid Rock. That’s also the title of the song.” Tara smiles then frowns. “Damn, I missed the song Lay it on Me. I’ll have to kick it back.” Tara jumps up and heads out of the office, leaving a confused vampire sitting in his office alone.


“You are definitely not quite what you appear to be, are you Tara Maclay?” Angel chuckles quietly. “But I have a feeling it’s going to be interesting having you around.”

**********


“What do you think you’re doing playing this without me being here?” Tara growls out before running over to the CD player and starting it over again, interrupting the song Picture.


Faith jumps slightly at the witch growling out loudly at her before grinning. “Well it took you long enough to get back. If you had come back right away you wouldn’t have missed your song.”


“Angel’s fault. He knows better now.” Tara states before laughing. “Here’s the Vaseline.”


Faith finishes drying the last piece and walks over to the slicer. Opening the jar of Vaseline, she generously coats the gears before closing the jar and setting it aside. Looking over the parts she puts them in the order that they need to go in. Quickly putting the slicer back together and making sure the pieces are snug, Faith turns and grins at the watching Witch. “Moment of truth.” Faith plugs the slicer in and flips the switch. As the blade starts spinning, she chuckles.


Tara watches as the slicer starts up and the blade starts whirring. Grabbing Faith, Tara hugs her tightly to her before releasing her. “Looks like we got a slicer! You’re a genius.” Tara smiles hugely at the slayer, before turning the slicer off.


“All I did was clean it.” Faith shakes her head slightly.


“Faith, I know you did more than that. The slicer didn’t work before.” Tara smirks slightly.


“You knew it didn’t work?” At Tara’s nod Faith rolls her eyes. “It had a couple loose wires. I reconnected them.”


“Figured as much.” Tara grins. Looking over at the huge mixer, she plugs it in and flips it on. Frowning she looks at Faith. “Could you look at this, see if you can get it working. I saw the loose wires on the slicer, so I hoped that wouldn’t be a problem.”


“Yeah, I’ll look at it. Anything else you want checked out?” Faith walks over to a supply drawer she remembered seeing some tools in. Grabbing out a couple screwdrivers she heads over to the mixer.


“I think that’s pretty much it. The refrigerators and freezers are working, the stove and oven works. The deep fryer works. One thing good about gas appliances, not a lot to go wrong with them. You have the slicer working and the coffee pot works.” Tara grins.


“Yes, the most important thing. Coffee.” Faith looks up grinning from where she’s just finished with the last screw and pulls the casing off the mixer.


Tara grabs the couple pints of strawberries out of the refrigerator, cleaning and slicing them. Adding sugar she covers them and throws them back in the refrigerator.


Faith glances over as Tara puts the strawberries back in the fridge. “What’s that for?”


“I bought a couple pound cakes. Thought we could have strawberry shortcake later.” Tara glances up eyes twinkling. “And if the rest of the group helps clean up, they might get some too.”


Faith grins. “You are very, very evil.”


“Wicked witch, remember?” Tara reminds the slayer of her earlier statement.


“Okay, wicked witch.” Faith glances back down looking at the mixer. “Looks like this thing is fried.”


Tara comes over to stand beside the slayer and sees the scorch marks and burnt wires. “Good thing there wasn’t enough of a connection when I plugged it in, with my luck I would have started a fire.”


Faith shakes her head, “we were both here, we would had it unplugged in plenty of time. Want me to take this thing out to the dumpster?”


“If you don’t mind. It isn’t any good.” Tara looks at the attachments. “Do you think we should keep the attachments?”


Faith shrugs, “Don’t know. If we got another mixer that they fit with, they might come in handy. But with this thing being so old, would they have changed?”


Tara shakes her head. “I guess we’ll keep them. It isn’t like we don’t have the room for them.”


Tara turns off the boom box as she follows Faith upstairs, knowing the meat would need another couple hours cooking before it would be done.


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


Tara walks up to Angel’s office door and knocks before poking her head in. “Can I speak with you for a minute?”


Angel leans back and slides the folder onto his desk waving her in.


“Should I try and set up standard times for meals? I know things happen, but if everyone knows the round about time food will be ready…” Tara smiles crookedly at the vampire. “Of course it doesn’t matter to you.”


Angel chuckles quietly “That’s true. Breakfast and lunches there shouldn’t be much of a problem with. Most problems happen later in the day and around dinner-time. And let’s not forget the middle of the night. So if you want to set times, I don‘t see a problem with it. If they can‘t make it, they‘re on their own.”


Tara smiles slightly. “Isn’t that the way it normally is?” Looking up her eyes twinkling she looks at Angel. “So, what did Lorne see when I sang for him?”


Angel looks at the witch with surprise, then shakes his head actually laughing. “Should have known better.”


“I am a witch Angel. I knew of his abilities when he touched me.” Tara leans back against the wall, waiting for an answer.


Angel sighs quietly. “Actually, it seems there isn’t anything clear cut. Just that it was definitely the right thing to bring you here and that you were going to be a big help.”


Tara raises an eyebrow at the vampire, watching him quietly.


Angel feels uncomfortable, and shifts slightly, not used to that feeling. “Honestly. He said there was at least ten different futures that he saw. All depending on your choices.”


Tara nods her head quietly. “I don’t know what all Buffy told you about me, but I decided I’m not going to be a door mat any longer. I need to take control of my life, my future. I’m doing it now.” Standing up straight she smiles, to lessen her next statement. “I suggest you ask before doing something like that again.”


Turning to walk out of the office, she’s stopped by Angel’s hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. And just so you know, I appreciate you.” Angel pulls his hand away.


Tara nods her head smiling. “Thank you Angel. I’m not one to hold grudges, in case you’re worried, at least not over something like this.” Looking up at the vampire Tara grins.


Nodding his head in appreciation of the statement he watches her walk out across the lobby. “There is definitely more to you than anyone realizes.”


**********