Willow wandered into the library, a smile on her face. It had been the first time she'd slept well after Tara's death, and she knew Bella was to thank. She looked around the library, the sun poured through the windows, it was a beautiful morning. She knew Bella was in there, she always was. It was just a case of finding her, you had to search in the tiniest places because Bella hated being obvious.

Willow looked under desks, behind bookcases, in the book cage...everywhere. Then she finally saw her.

Bella was crouched down between two bookcases, reading a textbook. Her back was facing Willow, so she could lean over and see what Bella was reading.

Willow had always wondered where Bella went when she wasn't with her, she always seemed to disappear into thin air....

She leaned over to get a closer look. She noticed the page Bella was reading, it was the Famous Witches book, where she had discovered Bella's past. It was open on Bella's page, there was a picture of her in her dress, and a picture of her and a man, Willow hadn't noticed the second picture before. In that picture Bella had her arm around a handsome man, dressed just as well as she was. They were smiling happily, and Bella had her head rested on his shoulder, the couple looked totally relaxed. Bella was stroking the picture of the man, she kissed her fingers then placed them on his face.

Willow suddenly clicked. It was Gregory.

She couldn't see Bella's face, but she could tell she was crying. Her body was trembling slightly and Willow could hear gentle sobbing.

"Bella, are you OK?" Willow asked softly.

Bella nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned around sharply, dropping the book.

"OHH! Willow! you startled me!" Bella said, trying to wipe her eyes.

It was too late. Willow knew she had been crying. "Bella.....was that Gregory?"

Willow waited for an answer.

Bella avoided eye contact with Willow. Slowly she picked up the text book, and looked at the picture again. Then she gradually nodded her head.

"This was the only picture we had. I bribed the artist to do it. We couldn't get an official potrait because no-one approved of us. But we never got to see the painting. It was finished after we died. It says in this book, that the painting was recovered by Gregory's brother, who wanted what was best for Gregory. He was the only one who approved of us, he wanted Gregory to be happy. It says he hid the picture in his room, until both mine and Gregory's parents died. Then he hung it in his home, and told his family that we were the real Romeo and Juliet....."

Willow hugged Bella. She felt guilty for it, because she was enjoying their hug. She knew Bella was vulnerable and she was taking advantage, so she gently broke off.

Bella's eyes filled up again. "This is the first time I've seen Gregory's face in 200 years...apart from in my dreams."

Bella paused. There was an awkward silence.

Willow felt awful...she was finding herself attracted to Bella...but she couldn't do anything about it. Bella was in love with Gregory. Willow tried to push her feelings back down, but it was impossible. Her stomach backflipped everytime she saw her, she just wanted to reach out and hold her. But she couldn't....

Bella suddenly bounced up. She laughed. "Anyway its funny how they talk about sex in that book...proceeding sexual intercourse...why don't they just say having sex?" Bella said, trying to avoid the whole Gregory issue. Willow admired that Bella did her job even under the worst circumstances.

"Now. Willow. Come here" She took Willow's hand and led her towards a desk. Willow's pulse doubled in speed when her hand met Bella's.

Willow looked at the empty desk. "What am I supposed to be looking at?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "This" she clicked her fingers.

On the table, different objects slowly started to appear. Willow's heart stopped.

They all belonged to Tara.

Willow walked slowly to the table and picked up the items one by one. First, she found Tara's hairbrush. She picked it up and held it to her chest, if she looked carefully she could still see random strands on her hair caught in the bristles. Willow's eyes began to fill up with tears.

Everything on the table belonged to or remindeded her of Tara. There was her teddy bar, a fake flower she had once given Willow, a sweater Willow had once lent her, a photograph of Willow and Tara hugging. They were laughing in the picture, probably about a silly joke that wouldn't be funny to anyone else. That was their special bond.

She picked up the items one by one, stroking them gently, inspecting them as if they were really Tara.

The sweater still smelt of Tara. She slowly picked it up, gently caressing the soft material. She pulled it over herself slowly, hoping it would feel like Tara.

It didn't.

Willow broke down crying. Hysterically sobbing. Bella ran over to her and hugged her, "what's wrong?" she whispered, trying to comfort Willow.

"I-I thought it would feel like Tara hugging me, holding me, but it doesn't. Its just a dumb sweater." She pulled it off and threw it across the room. It bounced off the wall and fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

Bella fetched it and placed it back on the table. She wiped Willow's tears with a tissue, and sat her down on a chair at the head of the desk.

"Shhh Willow, shhhhhh" she whispered, stroking her hair.

"This the beginning of the healing process, OK? I have selected these objects because I know they remind you of Tara. Now, this may be difficult, but I want you to pick up each object and tell me a good memory you have from it. Can you do that Willow? I know its hard, but the best thing you can do to stop grieving is to think of the good times rather than the bad, I know thats a cliché but its the truth."

Willow nodded. She picked up the flower, and thought hard. "I remember the night she gave me this. We were at the movies...on a regular date...and she just surprised me with it afterwards. Its not real because I always hated it when flowers died, because you have to throw away a present. So Tara got me this one so it would last forever".

Bella nodded, smiling. She noticed a small, lopsided grin forming on Willow's lips as she told the story.

Willow reached across the table. "And this teddybear, Tara slept with this. Then one night I slept in her bed with her...we didn't do anything. We just cuddled and fell asleep in each other's arms. It was magical. Then she threw the teddy bear out of the bed......"

Willow paused. "And then what?" asked Bella.

Willow smiled. "And I asked 'Why did you do that? you've being sleeping with that for comfort since you were five'. And she looked at me, and I'll always remember her next words. I don't need him for comfort anymore....because I've got you."

Bella smiled at her. Willow smiled back, tears welled up in her eyes again, but they were good tears. As hard as it was, this little exercise was definately helping.

"How about this photograph?" Bella asked, handing the picture to her.

"Oh!" replied Willow, accepting it. "I remember now. This wasn't anything special. We were just kinda like being stupid in the park. I can't remember who took the picture....could've just been a stranger, I-I dunno. But it was fun, thats for sure."

"OK, thats cool. You gotta have fun, and this sweater? why this sweater?" She picked up the sweater and handed it to Willow. Willow held it to her chest, inhaling the smell. She smiled, a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, quit crying on the bloody jumper. You'll get it wet!" laughed Bella.

Willow smiled. "This is mine. Tara was wearing it that day Oz came back, the day he chased her. That's when he guessed our relationship. Oz was great, but our love had sort of like, I dunno, just fizzled out. When I picked Tara over him, she was still wearing this. It was the day we found out just how strong our relationship was...."

Willow trailed off.

Bella looked at her. "Do you feel better, Willow?"

Willow nodded. Strangely, she did.

"OK. Now I want you to keep this stuff. And everything time you feel upset about Tara, grab Buffy or Xander...or anyone who's near. And do this again, OK? Forget the bad stuff, remember the good stuff."

Willow smiled. A million memories shot through her head. Tara's smile, she and Tara laughing.....

"We'll still got a lot to do, though Willow."

Willow nodded.

"But that's it for today."

Willow stopped. "It is?"

Bella nodded. "Yep. The whole idea is to get back into a normal life. You need to get back into a routine. If you're spending all your time with a 200 year old dead girl, that's not normal. So go off, do whatever you do. College, work, friends...whatever."

Willow felt a little disappointed. She did love spending time with Bella, no matter how upset she was about Tara. It dawned on her that someday Bella was going to leave her.

"I wanna see you tomorrow, but at the cemetery."

Willow stared at her. "The cemetery??"

Bella nodded. "That's what I said."

Willow looked confused. "Why?"

Bella just smiled. "You'll see."

"You're not gonna drag up Tara's corpse, are you?"

Bella shot Willow a 'Duhhh' look. "No...Willow. I'm not the anti-christ."

Willow blushed. "Ohh sorry".

Bella laughed, and with a click of the fingers...disappeared.

Willow was left alone. She sat on the desk and began to fondle Tara's objects. She was as confused as ever.

Why the cemetery?

I love Tara, but I love Bella too. I think I love her, anyway. But Bella loves Gregory, but she will never see him again.... I will always love Tara, but its time to move on, like Bella says. Is that such a bad thing? Willow hated herself for thinking that, but it was the truth, wasn't it?

continued