Love Through Touch

Disclaimer: See Part 1.

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Buffy and Willow pulled into the seldom used driveway in front of her house and rushed to get out. They were at the front door by the time Buffy realized she needed to turn on the car alarm.

"Tara?" Willow called upon entering the house.

"Upstairs baby" Tara's voice came.

Willow rushed up the stairs with the Slayer on her heels.

"Are you guys" Buffy rushed into Willow and Tara's room steps after the Wiccan "...Okay"

Dawn was standing before the bed dressed in clothes so new the tags were still on them. She modeled before the two women on the bed.

"Do you like my outfit Buffy?" Dawn asked twirling in a quick circle showing off the leather holding the legs of the jeans together.

"Yeah I like. It's definitely you" Buffy assured her sister. She turned to face the two women on the bed and glowered "You should've been home hours ago. But no you can't listen to me. You go shopping?"

Tara and Hyatt cringed at the tone.

"We had weapons" Hyatt began to explain "And crosses-"

"Tara isn't a trained fighter" Buffy yelled over Hyatt explanation.

"I am. Besides neither is Willow and she's with you all the time" Hyatt pointed out trying desperately not to feel guilty.

"Willow was safe in the Magic Box with Anya and you two were out gallavanting around the mall without a care in the world" Buffy spoke loudly and with her hands "Willow was worried."

"I was worried? But Buffy you were-" Willow started.

"I was out patroling and I killed 6 vamps, count them six, in one hour" Buffy cut Willow off "It's not safe out there. I don't want you guys hurt"

"We brought you something" Tara said softly.

"Oh really" Buffy perked up.

Hyatt leaned over the edge of the bed facing away from Buffy and pulled up another shopping bag "For you"

"Oooh" Buffy dug through the multitude of clothes in the bag.

"Does this mean we're forgiven?" Hyatt was hopeful.

"No but your gettin' there" Buffy pulled on a leather jacket identical to the one destroyed.

"What did you get me? Did ya get me anything?" Willow asked hugging Tara on the bed before climbing in her lap.

"Yup" Tara and Hyatt both pulled out bags and handed them to Willow "Apparently your the same size as me so I just got everything I liked" Hyatt blushed "We can share and switch I guess"

"It's cool" Willow pulled out a peasant blouse she'd been eying for weeks "Oh my goddess, I wanted this so badly"

Tara mouthed 'told you' to Hyatt.

"Tara told me we have the same sense of style" Hyatt pulled the last two bags out from behind the bed "These are Tara's, but I had to twist her arm to get her to get them"

"I already have enough" Tara insisted blushing.

"Oh honey never look a gift horse in the mouth" Willow instructed.

"Yeah it might kiss you" Buffy said pulling more outfits much to her liking from the bag "I could kiss that damn horse right about now"

"You could?" Willow and Tara sounded hopeful.

"Yeah if I wasn't so mad at her" Buffy growled.

"But you can't be mad Buffy" Dawn rushed to Hyatt's rescue "She was late because she wanted to surprise you"

"Yeah" Tara agreed "She came bearing gifts"

Buffy sighed deeply "What do you think Willow?"

"I think we should give her another chance. I mean Tara's safe, she got you a new jacket" Willow took a long breath "And you like her too much to throttle her"

"You would remind me of that" Buffy muttered "You're getting off easy this time Hyatt" she growled "But next time"

"You'll spank me for breaking curfew?" Hyatt helped.

"Yeah" Buffy nodded.

"Careful I might like it" Hyatt said sexily.

"Oh god" Buffy groaned.
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"Are you g-going h-home tonight?" Tara asked when they all headed down stairs for some 'girlie movie time' as Buffy put it.

"And get my head chewed off?" Hyatt scoffed "I might as well stay out all night and make it worth the beatin' I'm gonna get"

"You might as well" Tara nodded towards Buffy and Willow "They w-won't mind you staying. In fact I don't think they ever want you to leave"

"We're watching 'Reality Bites" Willow argued with the Slayer.

"No we're watching 'The Deep End of the Ocean' we can watch the other one next" Buffy grabbed her tape and headed for the VCR.

"Why don't we ask Tara and Hyatt?" Willow pouted "Since we can't be fair and choose"

"Okay fine. Which do we watch first?" Buffy held up both movies.

Tara and Hyatt looked at each other then at the collection of movies on the table. They both reached for the same tape.

"Rainbow Brite" they said in unison.

Willow collasped on the couch groaning. Buffy eyed them both "Is there any way I can change your mind?"

Tara giggled and nudged Hyatt. "No" Hyatt whispered laughing. "Why not" Tara urged. "It's weird" Hyatt giggled "Chicken" Tara taunted. Hyatt stuck out her tongue.

"I got the popcorn" Dawn said exiting the kitchen "What are we watching?"

"We don't know" Buffy rolled her eyes "We can't decide on what to watch. The Giggle Bunnies over there" she motioned towards the two giggling young women "want to watch Rainbow Brite. Willow wants Reality Bites, and I wanna watch The Deep End of the Ocean"

"Oh. That would be trouble" Dawn agreed.

"Giggle Bunnies?" Hyatt managed to choke out between giggling.

Tara snorted softly and blushed.

"Ok fine, how 'bout we watch whatever's on the TV" Willow said turning on the set.

They all turned and cringed.

"Deep Space Nine? It was the worst Trek show ever" Tara joined Willow on the couch.

"I preferred Voyager" Hyatt sighed and slid on the couch next to Tara.

Dawn took the chair next to the couch while Buffy slid onto the end next to Hyatt.

"Yeah. Seven of Nine was yummy" Willow sighed.

"B'Elanna was so hotter than Seven of Nine" Buffy pointed out.

"Yeah she was" Hyatt ag "S "Seven had nice legs but B'Elanna had the butt, the walk, and the attitude"

"You liked her attitude?" Willow chuckled.

"Yeah. But not her love interest. The Helmrat? Please" Hyatt rolled her eyes "Strong women are sexy"

"So are quiet ones" Tara added snuggling into Willow's side.

"Yeah. Smart chicks are sexy too" Buffy said pinching Hyatt's jump starts.

Hyatt squealed and curled towards Buffy pressing her back against Tara bringing her and Willow closer together.

"I wonder how far down those spots go" Dawn said to no one in particular.

"All the way down" Tara said gravely serious "And I mean all the way"

"And how do you know this?" Buffy said laughin
"
"Fanfiction" Tara smiled knowingly.

"It's an addiction" Hyatt said melodramatically.

"Oh. You guys are so cute. It's like having two Tara's" Dawn surprised everyone.

"Nuh uh. I'm shorter than Tara" Hyatt argued.

"But just as sweet" Buffy pinched Hyatt's cheeks and hugged her.

Willow and Tara watched the exchange for a few moments, before exhanging knowing looks.

They never did watch the movies.
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Willow snuggled into Tara later the night. They lay in their bed, Tara was running her fingers through her girl friends fiery locks and thanking whatever gods that were listening, for letting her find her.

"I can't believe they're in the same bed" Willow whispered.

"They're not doing anything" Tara whispered with a laugh.

"So. Buffy is in the same bed with another girl" Willow pointed out.

"She's slept in the same bed as you" Tara countered.

"Buffy was never attracted to me" Willow strechted.

"Are you sure?" Tara asked quietly "The way she looked at you-" her voice trailed off.

"Buffy only ever looked at me as a friend" Willow said panicking "Didn't she?"

"Sometimes, it was in her eyes" Tara said sadly "I used to wonder when she was gonna take you back from me"

"Oh no Tara- honey- I love you" Willow started kissing Tara from her brow to her heart.

"I know that now" Tara smiled as Willow continued to worship her skin with light kisses "But now I want Buffy to have someone to love like I do"

"Yeah. Dawn was right when she said they're cute together" Willow stopped her kisses.

"I don't think they even realize what it is that's between them" Tara said softly "Buffy's so caught up with slaying and Hyatt-"

"What about Hyatt?" Willow asked when Tara didn't finished after a few moments.

"Hyatt has family trouble" Tara sighed.

"Family trouble like you had?" Willow asked hoping she was wrong.

"Something like that" Tara said softly "She's getting out. She's stronger than she seems"

"She's sweet. I hope she knows she's welcome here" Willow turned into Tara's body burying her nose between the other womans neck and shoulder.

"She knows" Tara assured her "But now. How do we get the slayer to realize she's in love with our new friend"

"I have the greatest plan" Willow sat up. Planning was something she was good at.
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They shadows moved quickly across the yard, engulfing everything in it's path in the suffocating abyss of it's mass. It crept towards the front stairs of the house and froze in it's tracks. It throbbed and grew as it attempted to mount the stairs. Slowly it backed away and tried again from several directions.

Through out the night the shadow attempted enter the shelter of the front porch and the back porch. It slightered further away and became weaker as the sun rose.

The slayer and her family slept unaware that there was an attempted attack on them. Or that they were somehow protected.

"Dammit" the woman kicked over the golden chalice "What the hell is keeping me from entering the house and doing away with the Slayer"

"Perhaps the same reason that we can't retrieve our car" the minion said never raising her eyes from the floor.

"What kind of protection would keep the rightful owner from retrieving stolen property?" she paced the tomb growling lowly.

"I don't believe it's a protection spell. It's possible it might actually be a person" the minion sat up halfway. She bent over her kneeling knees and began to draw a sign in the accumulated dirt.

"A person? Like a knight? Or perhaps a key?" She stopped pacing and stood silently behind the kneeling woman.

"I'm not sure" the dirt began to sift, like sand on a beach and the sign changed. It began as a complex geometric design and morphed into a swirling henna "It appears elemental. It could be a key" the minion's voice took on an amazed quality.

"The word on the street is: The key to hell resides in the home of the slayer. Protected and untouchable. Now more than ever" she paced again, the shadows she wore in lue of clothing swirling behind her in a non-existent breeze. An action telling of her mood.

"It is quite possible" the minion hunched over again, limp as a rag doll.

"Then we'll get rid of it" she swarmed -there was really no other word for the action- and gathered her shadow into the large throne "Before she or it knows what I am or how to stop me"
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