Disclaimers: I don't own any Buffy the Vampire Slayer character, I just like writing about them... They (and a lot of dialogue taken directly from the episodes "Entropy" and "Seeing Red") belong to Joss Whedon, etc, but the story itself belongs to me and is copyright 2002 Kimyoo Films. So there. =P

Pairings: canon

Rating: PG-13...language, F/F love

Spoilers: This is pretty much an A/U version (re-version ;) of "Seeing Red" with a little bit of "Entropy", but still contains information that is spoilerous. In fact, large chunks of dialogue-y goodness. You have been warned.

Distribution: If I haven't sent it to you and you have it and want to put it on a site, lemme know at the_AURYN@angelfire.com, please. Thank you.

Notes: For one thing, I was told that "impetus viscus" means "the most invasive". It's the name of a techno song. I don't care so much for the song, but I like the title. *note - I just went to an online translation site and the title translates to "to attack the flesh/heart"…both fit; however "the most invasive" is more poetic…eh, whatever… ;)*

For another thing, this is just a crazy idea I had at work one night and I wanted to see how it went.

Lastly, lemme just say that I'm all about Amber and Tara, regardless of how this story turns out.

Synopsis: "Seeing Red" was just a dream...Tara's. However, when things start to happen in waking life exactly how they happened in her dream, and more things are revealed to her beyond Willow's future as Earth-breaky Willow, she has to make a choice...

"Impetus Viscus" by Magenta
copyright 2002 Kimyoo Films
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey! Clothes!"

"Don't get used to them..."

"Ooh...yes, ma'am..."

The redhead's delicately strong arm reached out and hooked a finger through her belt loop and pulled her close for a lingering kiss and a gentle, life-affirming embrace. The entrance of the only male Scooby in California into the backyard of the Summers' home took her attention away from the warmth of the moment.

"Xander."

The redhead pulled away. "Okay, not the reaction I was fishing for..."

"No, he's here," the blonde replied as she stepped toward the window to peer out at his approach towards Buffy who was poking at flower beds and menacing ceramic gnomes with a sharp stick.

With a smile, the redhead turned towards her girlfriend. "You think they're making up?"

The blonde turned, a giant, beautiful smile of her own lighting up her face, and said, "I hope so...it's the best part..."

They spent a long moment gazing into each other's eyes when suddenly something from somewhere splattered onto Willow's shirt and, in the back of Tara's mind, an incredible pain was being processed with the thought of the splatter being blood. Her own blood.

"Your shirt..."

*****

She bolted upright in her bed and clutched at her chest, over the place where, in the dream, a bullet ripped into her. She looked at the clock and saw that it was still early - one in the morning which, by Slayer household standards, IS early unless you're Dawn - and made a decision.

Tara jumped out of bed, dressed quickly, arranged her hair and ran out of Stevenson on her way to Buffy's, and Willow. Something in her dream set off her mental alarms, especially as it concerned her former girlfriend, but she couldn't quite put a finger on what was bothering her, or what impelled her to the house.

The blonde slowed to a walk to try and figure out her dream, a hand on her nighttime survival kit and a wary eye on her surroundings. Her brow furrowed in thought as the dream, or what she could remember, was replayed in her head: she and Willow were back together, something had happened concerning the Empire of the Nerds, and something happened to make Xander and Buffy have a fight and need to make up.

Frustrated that she couldn't remember more of her dream, Tara sighed and picked up the pace to the house. The fact that she still couldn't place why she was so worried about Willow and why this sense of anxiety grew did nothing to help matters...

*I need to talk to Will about this dream, see what she thinks. No one is as good as she is at deciphering dreams...not even my mother...*

Tara ran up and, using the key to the house that was still in her possession, she unlocked the door and went in. She heard voices belonging to Buffy and Dawn in the backyard and left them a note to say that she was there and didn't want to disturb their talk, but needed to see Willow. Then, she quietly went up stairs and approached, cautiously, the door to the room they used to share and now belonged solely to Willow.

The former Wiccan was on the bed, reading a book. Tara studied her for several long moments...and whatever she had planned to say was completely gone from her head. Her dream seemed to disappear as she watched Willow read. Suddenly, her heart and soul refilled themselves to near bursting with the love she had for the redhead. The power of the feeling almost made her cry in joy as she realized that the love never left her, it was just waiting for the right moment to make its presence known again, the time when they were both ready.

"Things fall apart…they fall apart so hard."

Willow, slightly startled by the sound of the blonde's shaky voice, turned at the sound. "Tara?"

"You can never put them back the way they were."

The former Wiccan was needless-to-say surprised to see Tara in front of her so late…not to mention at all. "Are you okay?"

Tara stepped into what was once their bedroom and sauntered over to a space opposite Willow. A million memories of things that happened in that very room flooded her conscience, but she pushed them away. She NEEDED to say what was now on her mind. "I'm sorry. It's just…you know… It takes time. You can't just have coffee and expect-"

"I know," Willow interrupted, a little too eagerly.

"There's just so much to work through. Trust has to be built again, on both sides. You have to learn if-if we're even the same people we were…if we can fit in each other's lives. It's a long and important process…and can we just skip it? Can you just be kissing me now?"

*This is the room where we tell the truth…* the blonde thought while conveying with a mere look that she meant what she said.

*…completedrepaireddesiredwholesafecravinglovedwantedpassionatefree…*

These words ran through Tara's mind when their lips finally met. She felt a weight lift off of her shoulders and heart, but something still tugged at the back of her mind. The tug wasn't persistent enough, however, to tear her away from the lips, tongue, body and soul she'd craved for so long.

Willow pushed the black leather duster off of Tara's shoulders and into a heap on the floor, then kicked the bedroom door shut with a foot. The action knocked the two women around a little as they kept their lips together and sought to divest each other of the last barriers between their bodies. They giggled, but could not tear themselves away from each other.

Clothes were literally ripped asunder as their passion took over. Bras and socks found their way onto lampshades as pants, underwear and shirts were strewn all over the floor. Fingers gently, teasingly trailed after lips as they explored each other, afraid that everything was a dream and they'd wake up just as alone as they were before.

They stumbled to the bed and Willow gently laid Tara down, then hovered over her.

"Is this really real?" she breathed, too afraid to speak any louder. She fingered soft blonde hair as she stroked Tara's neck and shoulder. "Are you really here?"

Unable to give voice to her emotions, Tara smiled and nodded, a tear rolling from deep blue pools. Willow smiled, her own sea green welling up, and kissed away the wet trails, ending on the blonde's full, precious lips.

Once they realized that the skin they were tasting was real, that the love they were feeling was real, they took their time with each other, confident that they had the rest of their lives to make up for the time they'd lost.

*****

"How? How is this natural?!" the redhead screamed at a formless cloud that hovered over her in their room.

The face of Osiris loomed over her, angry that he was called for a task such as this. "It is a human death by human means."

"But, I-"

"You raised one killed by mystical forces. This is not the same - she is taken by natural order. It is done," Osiris' countenance explained.

"NO…there's got to be a way!"

"It is done."

Willow screamed, her voice filled with the agony she felt. Osiris, the God of the Dead, also howled, but his howl was of pain and death.

She watched all this disconnected. Literally. She saw her body lying limp in Willow's lap and knew she was dead, but could not quite believe it. She felt dark energy swirl around her and gasped, especially when she took a closer look at the love of her life.

Eyes that were shining bright with hope and the promise of a new day mere minutes before were now clouded over red. Not blood shot, but red. Evil red. And an overwhelming fear bubbled inside of Tara.

"Oh, Willow…no…oh, God, please no…"

Gently, reverently, Willow moved away from her girlfriend, placing the limp body back onto the floor, then stepped away to stand. She cold no longer feel the sadness pouring off of Willow. All she felt was rage and vengeance. Slowly, almost carefully, the red-eyed redhead walked out of the room, her aura pulsing with dark magicks.

She wanted to do something, but what could she do, she was dead and she knew it. There was no concentrating all your energy into moving a penny, there was only this remaining.

"You can do something, you know," came a familiar and much-needed British accent from behind her. Tara spun around and found herself face to face with the only father she'd ever known.

"Mr. Giles!" she exclaimed, wrapping herself around him gratefully.

Smiling, he returned the hug. "It's good to see you, too, Tara."

"What is going on? Am I dreaming? I must be dreaming, you're in England…and I'm dead…" she asked as she pulled away to look at him.

"Well, you are dreaming…but the events of your dream could become quite real. Frighteningly real. A coven in England has felt this coming for a while now, but there are a lot of things to consider. Willow, though she had done well in giving up magicks, is still steeped in enormous power. It lies there, dormant, ready to spill out when something comes crashing down again. And it does."

Tara frowned. "What happens?"

The Watcher sighed. "Warren tries to kill Buffy and accidentally shoots you through the window…your murder drives Willow insane with grief so she turns to vengeance, like any human would want…except her power seizes the opportunity to assert itself and without you, Willow doesn't care about anything anymore. All she sees is your death and your blood on her blouse."

"Does she…kill him?" the young blonde asked with trepidation.

"It's still too far off to say for certain, but from what we've gathered, she does quite a bit more than simply kill him," he replied.

Tara collapsed to the floor, her strength having left her. "I shouldn't have come back…this is all my fault."

Giles kneeled next to her and wrapped his arms around her in a fatherly hug. "No, Tara. It's not your fault. None of it is or will be your fault. It's Willow, or more specifically the power within Willow… Even if you hadn't gone back, Warren would still show up, packing a gun."

Tara looked up into his eyes, tears streaming down her face. "What would happen if she and I don't get up?"

The Watcher sighed again and pulled away to clean his glasses. He then sat down next to Tara. "There are millions of things that could happen, but only one has the outcome that is the least of all the evils. If you two don't get up, maybe Dawn is shot. Or perhaps through a series of ricochets, Xander is shot…or perhaps Willow is killed. The point is, Tara, that anything can happen…time hasn't set anything in stone yet, but before you do anything, there are things you need to know…"

*****

Suddenly, the blonde jerked awake and she looked around. Nothing in the room, that she could see, could have woken her up, not even the redhead curled up in contented sleep by her side. Tara sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to remember her dream.

Giles was there…that much is certain. And she remembered red eyes, but not whom they belonged to. Then, a sentence flitted through her mind, making her stomach lurch and her head spin.

"The point is, Tara, that anything can happen…time hasn't set anything in stone yet, but before you do anything, there are things you need to know…"

Tara snuggled back down into the bedclothes to try and get back to sleep, to see if she could pick up the threads of the dream, but to no avail. The sun was too bright and the body next to her too distracting. She gave up, hoping that the details would come back to her as the day progressed. She never used to be so bad at remembering anything, much less dreams, so she couldn't understand why it was happening now, especially when the dreams seemed so important.

*Maybe it's an aftereffect of Willow's spell…* her brain said, reminding her of all the pain that she and Willow had just finished going through. She had to remain hopeful, though. After the energies that had passed through them last night, and the love and words they'd whispered about, she had to believe that everything was going to be okay…

…but a feeling in the pit of her stomach wasn't letting the idea wash over her, like it did in her fantasies of the morning-after, although there was a feeling there. The feeling was dread and it was persistent.

*Well, if it's meant for me to know, I'll remember…* With that, she gently slid out from under Willow's limbs and headed to the bathroom.

Slowly, the red head opened her eyes, being awakened by the lack of warmth next to her, and felt around for Tara. When she felt nothing, she bolted upright and looked around. "Tara?"

"I'm right here, baby…" came the blonde's answer from the bathroom. She poked her head around the door jamb and smiled at Willow, who gave Tara a smile of relief when their eyes met.

"God, I thought it was all a dream… Come back to bed, baby," Willow entreated, pulling the silky red sheets back to admit Tara. With a smile borne of overwhelming love, the blonde climbed back into bed and snuggled up with her girlfriend, her back against the headboard.

They stayed like that for a long moment, content to lie there and absorb each other's presence. Tara gently stroked Willow's side and back, running her fingers through the hair she missed so much, massaging her scalp. The former Wiccan closed her eyes and moved her head this way and that, a low almost-purr coming from the back of her throat.

The blonde gently bent her girlfriend's face towards her and leaned down to kiss her, a lengthy exploration of mouths and souls. Soon thereafter, they parted and sighed, giggling a little.

"When did morning happen?" Willow asked. Her sense of time had always been different when she was around Tara.

"After the moon went down…" came the smart-assed reply. Willow giggled again and leaned up to share in another kiss, though much shorter, but just as full of love as any one they'd shared before. The redhead scooted down Tara's body and lay her head on a sheet-covered thigh, her hand gently caressing the soft flesh of the blonde's other knee.

"I'd forgotten how good this could feel. Us. Together…without the magick," she added, regret tingeing her voice.

"Oh, there was plenty of magick." Tara stroked Willow's hair and shoulder, almost as if she were reaffirming that everything was real.

Willow threw a look at the window and the angle of the shadows made by the rapidly rising sun. "It's getting late."

Tara half smiled. "Wanna get up?"

Willow gasped. "No…God, no. I was just thinking about Buffy."

"Oh," the blonde said, glancing at the clock and noting the time. "She's still not back?"

Willow shook her head slightly. "I didn't hear her… She wouldn't talk about what happened at the magic shoppe when she got home last night. She just wanted to know how close I'd gotten to tracing the cameras back to the Empire of the Nerds…then she left again…"

"I'm sure she'll be okay…" Tara supplied. She had a feeling that Willow needed to hear it, regardless of her knowing that Buffy was a Slayer.

"I'm not worried about her going up against Warren and the others. I know this is going to sound crazy, but…I think there might be something going on. With Spike and Buffy." Okay, so she said it out loud and prepared herself for the hysterical laughter…which didn't come. Maybe Tara didn't notice what she said. "I mean, she looked so hurt when she saw him with Anya. I think maybe-"

"They've been sleeping together," blurted Tara, her discomfort at keeping a secret from her lover overwhelming…especially as it concerned Willow's own best friend.

It was Willow who laughed at the idea. "No…I don't think I'd go THAT far…"

"No, I mean, she told me they'd been sleeping together," Tara clarified.

"Sleeping together? You mean, the naked kind of together?!" the redhead asked when she pulled away to look into Tara's eyes, her face wrinkled in disbelief.

The blonde sighed as though a weight had been lifted from her chest. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I promised her I wouldn't."

"Does everyone else know? Am I the only one she didn't-"

"No! God!" the blonde interrupted. "She didn't even mean to tell me…it just came out."

Willow contemplated the news for a moment before asking, rhetorically, "How could she hide something like this from me?"

Feeling like she needed to answer anyway, Tara replied, "Maybe she was afraid of the look you'd get on your face." Willow's brows scrunched together in confused thought. "Kinda like the one you're wearing now…" the blonde added.

"Oh, no, I'm-" Willow sighed, her thoughts tying her up. "I'm just trying to understand."

"So is she…"

"She probably really needs someone to talk to, huh?"

"Probably…"

The simple statement made the redhead's mind go into super hyperactive thinking mode, which Tara instantly sensed. "We've been kinda busy…maybe we didn't hear her come home?"

Willow kind of half-nodded and thought a little more before sliding up and kissing her girlfriend briefly. "I'll be right back."

"I'll wait right here."

The redhead stopped grabbing for something to wear and turned to look at Tara, tears sparkling in the morning light. She dropped what she had picked up and crawled back onto the bed and towards her lover, stopping only when their noses were scant millimeters apart. Green eyes caressed blue as they breathed each other in and exhaled fear and doubt.

Willow balanced herself on one supporting arm as she slowly and gently reached up to stroke a feather soft cheek. "Forever?" It was more than a question of duration…it was a question of commitment.

Something welled up inside of Tara and poured out through her eyes, as if her tears believed that forever wouldn't last too much longer. "Forever," she managed to choke out.

Willow leaned forward and pressed their lips together gently, as if sealing the deal with a kiss. She then pulled away, grabbed a pair of underwear from her drawer and a jersey and dressed to talk to Buffy, if she were back.

As soon as Willow left the room, Tara curled up into a silent, sobbing ball. It was as if the dream washed over her and left nothing to her memory but despair at what was to come. She closed her eyes and willed herself to stop crying. *There's got to be a way out of this,* she thought as she sat up with a new resolve.

The blonde grabbed a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her before turning on the bathroom light to wash her face. She left the light off on purpose before and now, well, she had the blanket to hide what she didn't want to see…regardless of how many times Willow tried to reassure her that she was beautiful, Tara just couldn't see it.

Washing her face to rid herself of the tear streaks and flushed cheeks, Tara sent out a silent message to Giles. *What am I supposed to do?*

Satisfied that she looked presentable, she gathered the blanket around her tighter then went to peek out of the door to check on Willow, to see if Buffy was home or if they'd have to start calling the cavalry. Without really even checking, however, Tara asked, "Is she back yet?" Then she saw Willow talking to Dawn.

"Oh…hey!" she exclaimed while she thought, *Okay, great, let me try to not be completely uncomfortable with the naked-but-for-a-blanket in front of my little sister…oh god, did she hear anything?!*

Dawn stood there, stunned, her mouth working, but no sounds were coming out.

*I'll take that as a no,* Tara thought.

"You…you an'…"

*Oh God…* "Uh…that's my cue to go put some clothes on," Tara said, sure that her cheeks were as red as her face.

"NO!" the young Summers girl shouted. "N-n-no! I'm totally not here! You guys, you do whatever you want, I'll go watch TV, downstairs, really loud, in the basement, so I won't hear anything! Omigod!" Dawn started to head back into her room, and Willow and Tara to their room, before the teenager peeked back around the corner and squeaked, "I love you guys!"

Giggling, The redhead and the blonde went back into their bedroom and shut the door behind them. "Well, she certainly knows how to make a gal feel loved," Willow said, glowing at the positive attention from her young pseudo-sister.

"Oh, well, if you want to be left alone," the blonde quipped, her half-smile giving away her ruse, but still she headed toward the door.

The redhead grabbed Tara's arm and spun her into her arms. "Oh, no you don't…you're not getting away so easily…"

The blonde smiled and opened her arms and the blanket to draw Willow in and surround her. Red hair fell against her bare chest as her girlfriend lay her head on her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her. They began to sway to the beat made by the synchronicity of their hearts.

"This feels nice," Willow mumbled against the warm flesh of Tara's neck. An appreciative humming sound was the response the redhead got, but with her eyes closed, she could not see the tears welling up in slate blue eyes.

"Will, we need to talk…"

The former Wiccan pulled back, her stomach hitting the floor in fear of what those words could mean. If it were possible, Willow turned even more pale than she was normally. Tara wiped the bothersome tears from her eyes and cradled her lover's small face in her hands.

"No, baby, no…nothing like that…" Tara summoned up a reassuring smile for Willow, even though that was not what she was feeling. "C'mon…let's sit down, okay?"

The blonde guided them to the bed and sat against the headboard. Willow took up her position of half an hour before, with her head cradled on her girlfriend's thigh, gentle fingers brushing through her hair.

"I had a weird dream. Mr. Giles was in it," Willow smiled…she loved it when Tara called the former Watcher 'Mr. Giles', "and, uh…h-he said th-that there w-were a few things I sh-should know…"

The stutter and the quaver in Tara's voice frightened Willow. She sat up and turned so she could look her in the eyes. "Baby…?"

"I'm scared, Will. I'm really scared…"

And before the tears could fall to her cheeks, Willow had wrapped Tara in a comforting embrace. "It's okay, Tara…it's okay…shhh. It was just a dream, right? Giles isn't here…he's in England and Buffy's gonna deal with Warren and Andrew and Jonathan, and we're together…nothing could happen, right?"

The blonde pulled away and looked deeply into Willow's eyes. "What would happen if I died?"

Willow felt like throwing up at the thought. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what would you do if I died?"

"Tara, I-"

"Please, Will…I need to know."

The redhead sighed. "That's just it…I don't know, baby…"

"Take a guess, then?"

"I'd probably go crazy without you-"

"-but you've gotten through the past few months…"

"Barely and only because I was able to see you every once in a while…" The former Wicca's delicate brow furrowed. "Tara, is there something you're not telling me?"

The blonde didn't know what to say…so she shrugged. "The dream really got to me…I guess."

"Don't worry…dreams are weird things," Willow said as she scooted up to hold her girlfriend. "I once had a dream that Miss Kitty had been Turned and she was coming after me. I couldn't hold her for a week afterwards."

Tara giggled, though the dread remained. "I remember that."

"So, there, you see? Miss Kitty is fine, she's not Cat-icula or anything, but it freaked me out majorly. Every once in a while, after I'd gotten over the dream, I thought I'd catch her eyeing my throat…"

Her eyes sparkling mischievously, the blonde looked up and gave the redhead the smile that always made her toes curl. "I'm eyeing your throat right now," she said, before dropping her voice. "Does that make me a vampire?"

"You'd be really, really good at it…" Willow said as the two of them slid down the headboard and onto the pillows, Tara hovering over her.

"You think?" the blonde asked before pressing her lips to a sensitive earlobe, then to an even more sensitive neck, marking her girlfriend for the world to see.

"At the moment? No…" Willow then tightened her embrace on Tara, pulling her fully on top of her.

Downstairs, the front door opened and closed and the voice of Buffy Summers echoed through the house. "Dawn? Willow? Anyone home?"

They then heard Dawn's frantic footsteps run towards her and whisper, in her loud, teenaged way, "Shut up! Willow's with Tara…upstairs!!"

"Oh?" the Slayer said, not comprehending what that meant…until like the light of the sun, it dawned on her. "Oh! Oh!! Right…uh…basement?"

"No…the insulation's really good…we can stay here…"

Willow and Tara giggled at the exchange, then looked deeply into each other's eyes. At the risk of embarrassing themselves to Dawn, the redhead suggested, "Hey…you wanna try out that insulation?" adding an eyebrow waggle for emphasis.

"More than anything," came the reply…and it was the truth.

And with a kiss, the dreams and fears that plagued her faded away, to be dealt with later, if at all. Willow always gave her hope for the future, so why should that be any different now?

*****

The dream was the same. She lay limp in Willow's arms and she watched the proceedings with dread. She knew what was going to happen next.

"It is done."

"NO!" the redhead screamed, sending energy out to destroy Osiris. Then, numb, she stood and left, presumably to find the one responsible.

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling as though her soul had been ripped from her body through her stomach. "Oh God…Willow…"

"Tara," said Giles from behind her, "we must talk…"

Slowly, the blonde witch turned around to face him. "Let's get to it, Mr. Giles. I want to save her…"

The Watcher worked his jaw a little before he took his glasses off and started to clean them. Even in a dream, he still has his little personality quirks. "Let's sit, then, shall we?"

Tara nodded and they sat at a table, surrounded by darkness.

"There's no easy way to talk about all of this so I suppose we , well I, should just get down to it. We, that being the Coven and myself, have discovered what's to happen when…if…you die. And also what might happen if you don't. The outlook is bleak on both counts, Tara, but one is much more dangerous…"

The blonde said nothing. She didn't know what TO say. She just looked at Giles, awaiting a show, something to let her know what was going on, what she could do to prevent her lover from destroying everything.

"Willow will destroy the world, Tara…one way or another, when you die. We have a better chance to save it if you…if, you…uh…"

"Die by Warren's bullet…" Tara finished for him.

Giles cleared his throat. "Yes. I'm so sorry, Tara. I'd hoped, I'd prayed, that as the visions came to the Coven, we'd be able to find a better way out of this…but now it seems that all we've done is hurt you more…"

Tara sighed, but she shook her head. "No. It hurts, but at least with this knowledge, I'll be spending the rest of my time with Willow…" She swallowed her tears as she thought about how she and Willow'd always talked about being together forever. Now, forever didn't seem like such a long time. She didn't know if she would be able to avoid it…Giles implied that it could be so much worse later…

"What if I don't die?"

The Watcher worked his jaw for a moment, thinking about how to phrase it. "The Coven has discovered that if you don't die by Warren's bullet, you will die on Samhain, the most powerful night for witches…as you, uh, as you're well aware. Willow will go mad, but her powers will be magnified by that night. No one would be able to stop her…"

Tara sighed, her eyes down-turned. She didn't want the world destroyed in her name…and she didn't want Willow to lose herself in the Darkness…not again and not forever. If this offered the best opportunity to save her beloved…

"Mr. Giles?"

"Yes, Tara?"

She looked up and into his eyes, sad. "Willow will need you…"

The Watcher smiled wanly. "I'll be there as soon as I can… I must confer with the Coven."

Mutely, the blonde nodded. She looked behind her at the bedroom, empty save her dead body. "Promise me you'll help her, Mr. Giles. I'm trusting you with the most precious part of my soul."

Giles put a comforting hand on Tara's shoulder, making the blonde turn around to face him. "There's no question, Tara."

The Watcher them pulled the witch in for a hug. She broke down in his arms, her tears flowing freely. He placed a fatherly kiss on the top of her head and held her tightly, his heart breaking for this kind soul who never harmed anyone.

*****

Willow was awakened by the sobs coming from her girlfriend. She leaned over and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her and to wake her up.

"Willow," the blonde breathed through her sobs. She sat back and looked at the redhead, moving to cradle her lover's delicate face.

"Baby, are you okay? You're looking at me like you're never going to see me again…"

Tara gave her lover a small half-smile then pulled her forward for a sweet, lingering kiss. "Yes…I'm okay. I'm with you." She pressed their foreheads together and willed her tears away.

*For now,* she silently amended.

Willow knew better than that and for a brief moment Resolve Face flittered over her features, ready to get to the bottom of Tara's dream, but the look in the blonde's eyes stopped her from asking anything. There was no way for Willow to describe the look, but it alarmed her…made her feel like she shouldn't leave Tara's side. At all. Not until that look was completely gone.

"Hey…maybe we should get dressed and see if Buffy got any leads…" Tara suggested.

"Yeah…I guess…I thought I heard her come home. But I don't wanna get up."

Tara smiled. "But we can head over to my dorm room…no unwilling eavesdroppers."

"Good point," Willow conceded. The blonde nodded and turned to get up and get dressed, but Willow pulled her back for another sweet kiss, her eyes trying to convey to Tara that everything was going to be alright.

The blonde smiled, but her eyes seemed to reply, "I hope so."

*****

Everything with Buffy and Dawn, and the walk back to the dorm, was a blur. She vaguely remembered talking about the Empire of the Nerds and Anya and Spike and Willow's vehemence that they go back to Tara's dorm room for their part in research, but her mind was preoccupied with thoughts about what was to come.

She finally snapped out of it when she fully realized that she doesn't have that much time left with Willow. She didn't know what day this thing with Warren was supposed to go down, but she had to assume it was going to be soon. Could be today, it could be tomorrow…there was no way of telling.

The blonde smiled and caressed Willow's knuckles as they held hands waiting in line at the Espresso Pump, eager to get their caffeine and muffins. Caffeine meant no sleep...no sleep meant no dreams and that suited Tara just fine. She leaned over and whispered things that made green eyes flutter and smooth, pale cheeks blush a pleasing red. Tara decided that she could have been a spy with the many covert ways she found to touch her lover in public.

By the time they made it to campus, Willow was practically dragging an evilly giggling Tara to the dorm, throwing her down on the bed as soon as possible.

The coffee and muffins were forgotten as they feasted on each other, both feeling the urgency, but only one knew why.

*****

Later…much, much later…with books and papers scattered all around them, Tara and Willow switched into research mode, though they were still naked, their legs wrapped around each other under the blankets.

"It's a mess…"

Tara smiled at her girlfriend, who was perusing the contents of some of the Nerds' CD-ROMs for clues. "These things take time. We'll figure it out."

Willow nodded once. "Sure…we'll decipher codes and foil evil schemes…"

"...and finally get out of bed," Tara added jokingly.

Willow half-rolled her eyes. "I was with you up until there…" Then, the hacker's computer screen flashes, she'd finally beaten their encryption code. "Whoa…"

Tara leaned forward. "What is it?"

As she sifted through the images, the redhead frowned. "One of their data CDs…it's filled with encrypted blueprints…schematics…"

"To what?"

Willow sighed. "Not sure. Their designation's been stripped."

Tara frowned. "Is there a way to cross-reference them with the county clerk's office?"

"Would that involve getting up?"

*She's shirking Scooby business for me…in a way, I'm totally flattered…but we need to find Warren…* Tara thought as she smiled and replied, "Eventually…"

"Then I'm coming out firmly against it."

The blonde smiled. "What about the Trio's evil scheme?" she asked, dropping her voice and playfully mocking her girlfriend.

At this, Willow started to turn around. "Kinda busy working on my own…" she retorted before disappearing under the covers, to Tara's immense pleasure.

"B-Baby…we…uh…we really should…uh, Gods…take all of this to Buffy…" Tara struggled to get the words out, her body screaming for her to shut up.

Suddenly, all movement between her legs stopped and Willow hopped out from under the covers to get dressed. "Yeah, you're right." She send an evil grin over her shoulder as she disappeared into the closet to get something to wear.

"THIS is your evil scheme?!" Tara shouted, frustrated, hot, and definitely giving serious thought to forgetting the whole Scooby thing for the rest of the night.

Willow walked out of the closet fully dressed. "Yep."

"You are so going to get it…" the blonde threatened as she got out of bed to also put on some clothes.

The redhead sat down to get her shoes on and smiled. "Yeah, I know."

*****

They rushed over to Buffy's house with their new load of information and rushed upstairs to find Xander standing by the doorway to the bathroom and the Slayer on the floor. Both were battered and Buffy was crying, her bathrobe torn.

As Buffy finished dressing, Xander filled the former witch and her girlfriend in on Warren's super-strength and the tousle with Spike.

"I can't believe him…that son-of-a-bitch!" Willow exclaimed with quiet vehemence, although she knew that the Slayer heard her anyway.

Buffy walked out of her bedroom, adjusting the collar of her sweater. "Now isn't the time to deal with him, Will…I'll take care of him after I've taken care of Warren and the others." And Willow was right.

They headed down to the dining room and started setting up the evidence pile while Xander grabbed an ice pack for his eye.

"We were able to decipher pretty much everything except these…" the redhead informed, showing Buffy a paper with strange writing on it. Xander leaned over and started to examine it as well.

"It's not written in any ancient language we could identify," Tara supplied.

Xander giggled. "It's Klingon. They're love poems…which have nothing to do with the insidious scheme you're about to describe." It's a good thing he had the ice pack on his face…it hid his embarrassment well.

Buffy eyed the poem again briefly before asking Willow, "What do you got that doesn't rhyme?"

Holding up a CD, Tara replied, "This." Willow then handed the Slayer a pile of papers. "It's filled with encoded blueprints and schematics," the redhead provided as Buffy started to shuffle through them.

"To what?"

"Banks…armored car routes…corporate vaults. This is big," the blonde replied.

"They're looking to score some serious dinero…I don't think they're planning just one job," Willow said as she started to go through her laptop.

Xander smirked. "Spree, anyone?"

Wide-eyed in disbelief, Buffy held the blueprints and remarked, "I can't cover all of these at once…"

As she found what she was looking for in her laptop, Willow replied, "You don't have to…there's one we think they're going to hit tonight." She then turned the computer so Buffy could see what she was talking about.

"It's time sensitive," Tara informed.

Xander stepped forward, still clutching the ice pack to his jaw. "Be careful. Warren's gone all Mighty Mouse…emphasis on the Might."

"Good," the Slayer said, "then I won't have to hold back." She then stands and stalks over to the coat closet, grabbing a jacket and a hat. "Can you guys stay here tonight, in case Dawn comes back…or Spike-"

"Don't even worry about it…we'll be here," Willow interjected.

Buffy gave them all a quick smile before saying, "Thanks…" and leaving.

When the Slayer left, the quiet became awkward as the three of them sat in the TV room. Tara became aware of the feeling that Xander wanted to talk, but was afraid to. She stood and excused herself by asking, "I'm going to get something to drink…you guys want anything?"

"No, thanks," was the reply from both.

"Xander, you want me to take that ice pack back to the kitchen?" Tara felt Willow eyeing her and she fought the blush that threatened to creep up her neck.

"Uh, yeah…thanks, Tara," Xander replied as he handed over the pack. She smiled at them and covertly winked at Willow before heading into the kitchen.

Xander studied Willow as she watched her girlfriend walk away. "I'm glad you're back together, Will…in more ways than one," he started, although there was an air of foreboding that he could not quite understand.

The redhead smiled at him. "Thank you, Xander."

"Hey…maybe I can be your best man at your wedding?" he giggled, trying to lighten the mood.

Willow smiled. "Of course."

There was silence for a moment. Out of the corner of her eye, Willow saw Tara peek around the corner of the kitchen and smile at her. She was giving them time to talk. *God, I love her,* the redhead thought.

"How did we get here, Will? How did things end up so screwed up?"

She stayed silent, letting him vent as she knew he needed. Tara ducked back into the kitchen, a sad smile on her face.

"It's the fucking Hellmouth. The gate may be seals, but it's power is still there, pulsing underneath us. Why don't we leave? As soon as Buffy beats the Trio, we should all just pack up and leave. The Council has Faith and countless other girls waiting to be Called to take her place. Let THEM deal with Sunnyhell… Let's just leave!" He then started to cry. Willow pulled him to her, cradling his head to her shoulder. He balled her shirt up in his fists as he poured his heart out through his eyes.

"Why, Will?! Why?! Why did Giles leave? Why did you lose yourself in magic? Why did I have to do what I did to Anya? I don't understand, Will…I don't understand any of it. Why don't we leave…?"

Now, she knew it was her turn to speak. She pulled him away from her chest to look into his eyes. "Because the world is a crazy place…but it needs Buffy to stay here, to protect it…and she needs us to help her. I don't know if I can say anything to make you feel better because I ask all those questions all of the time. It's confusing and messed up, but that's what life is. Without these things, we might as well be dead…
"Do you remember what Dawn said Buffy's last words to her were before she-"

"Yeah…I do," he interrupted, to Willow's relief.

"The hardest thing in this world is to live in it. She's right and she's the one with the biggest burden of all of us… We can only keep doing what we've been doing and living this life so others have the chance to do so as well."

Xander nodded, his eyes on his hands which he had since unballed from Willow's shirt and put into his lap.

"Thank you, Willow." His voice was small, afraid.

She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Anytime. I love you, Xand-man."

The young man smiled and lifted his eyes to meet hers. "And I love you, Will-o-the-wisp."

They hugged, giving thanks for the comfort, then came the sound of pots and pans from the kitchen and a quiet "Shit," from Tara.

Xander smiled. "Apologize to Buffy for me, will ya?" he requested as he stood and walked to the door.

"Why?"

"I'm gonna head home and take a shower…get some sleep…"

"…and leave Tara and I to ourselves…you sly dog," she smiled.

The construction worker shrugged. "You need the time together. Alone. There's plenty of time to hang out, right?" He gave his best friend another hug. "Thank you, Willow. You wanna get breakfast tomorrow? All us Scoobies?"

"Sounds great…when?"

"I'll come by 'round eleven?"

Willow nodded and smiled. "See you then…"

Xander gave Willow a little wave before stuffing his hands into his pockets and heading towards Uncle Rory's car. Willow leaned her head against the door and sighed, waving to him as he pulled away. She closed the door and locked it, then walked through the house to the kitchen and stood at the archway, watching her girlfriend clean and peel potatoes in the sink.

The redhead smiled and snuck up behind Tara, wrapping her arms around her waist and pressing herself against her…a perfect fit.

"Whatcha doin'?" Willow asked as she brushed her lips against the soft flesh of Tara's neck.

"I'm winning the Academy Award…see?" She held up a half-skinned potato. "Isn't Oscar cute?"

"Not as cute as you, baby," Willow replied as she took a sensitive earlobe into her mouth. Tara nearly dropped the potato and peeler.

"But...Xander…" the blonde reminded, her eyes closed.

Willow released Tara's earlobe long enough to reply, but that didn't stop her hands from roaming. "He's not invited…besides, he went home…give us some alone time…"

Tara smirked. "What a nice guy."

"Yeah…they should bronze him...so, I ask again…whatcha doing'?"

"I'm making dinner. Willow must be fed to keep up her energy."

Willow smiled wickedly. "Uh huh…" she replied before firmly attaching her mouth to Tara's neck.

The blonde rolled her eyes, but smile and leaned back against her lover. "Hungry?"

"Mmmhmm…famished."

"Leg or breast?" Tara asked.

Willow's mouth stilled as she pretended to think. "Can't I have both?"

"Whatever will satisfy my hungry Willow," Tara replied, then giggled.

"What?"

"Just a mood breaking thought…"

"What?" Willow pressed.

Tara giggled and shook her head. "The Hungry Hippos song…except hungry, hungry Willow…" Both women laughed then.

"Seriously, I want to cook dinner for Buffy so why don't you go find a video for us to watch and check your e-mail while I start dinner?"

Willow smiled. "I love you Tara. Always and forever."

The sincerity in the redhead's words made Tara turn in the circle of her arms to look into shining green orbs. "I love you, Willow...forever and always."

They kissed and regretfully parted as Tara turned back to her potatoes and Willow went to the Scooby video collection to pick something. When she was out of the kitchen, Tara began to sob.

The redhead stared at the collection, daunted. "Honey? What do you want to watch?"

Controlling her voice, the blonde replied, "Something happy! Please!"

"Okay!"

*C'mon Tara…there will be plenty of crying later. Only happy times with Willow…* she thought as she pulled herself together and continued to peel potatoes.

Soon, Willow was back at her side. Tara looked at her and smiled. "I got lonely…and I'd rather be in here than checking my emails…so gimme something to do to help."

Smiling, Tara gave Willow little things to do, grateful to have her near. *I can only hope that when It happens, whenever It is supposed to happen, that you come through It okay…the world needs you, Willow…*

*****

With dinner made and a plate of food ready for Buffy in the fridge, Tara and Willow sat down to watch the video and eat.

"What did you pick?" the blonde asked, afraid her girlfriend picked some tepid teen comedy, as was usual Scooby fare.

Willow smiled enigmatically and replied, "Wait and see…"

Suspicious, Tara nevertheless lay down on the couch behind Willow, who pushed play on the remote. They paid no attention to the trailers, just fed each other and cuddled under the blanket. Finally, the opening to the film started and when Tara recognized it, she gasped.

"Amelie?! We're really - YOU're really - going to watch Amelie?!"

"Surprise!" Willow smiled, her heard glowing with Tara's enthusiasm. The blonde hugged and kissed Willow, then settled back to watch the movie.

"Ooh…subtitled, too! Willow! I'm impressed!"

"I just wanted to make you happy…" the redhead replied, a bit of sadness in her voice.

Tara smiled and pressed her lips first to Willow's forehead, then to her lips. "You make me happy. No more sad thoughts…watch the movie, baby."

Willow smiled and kissed her girlfriend again before turning back to the movie and dinner.

*****

Slowly, the dinner was consumed and the end of the movie came and went, but Willow and Tara paid it no mind. The redhead had turned for a quick kiss halfway through the movie and the simple peck turned into a slow burn fuse of arousal. Eyes were closed in sensory overload and their breathing was fast, but they didn't hurry in their familiar exploration of each other.

So caught up were they in their love that they didn't hear when Buffy came back from patrol.

"Hey guys, what's - oh, god…I'm sorry!" the Chosen One said, practically slapping her hand over her eyes.

"Buffy?" Tara said, surprised. Willow was so shocked that she fell off of the couch and Tara.

"Buffy! Hey!" said the redhead from the floor.

"Hey, uh…where's Xander?" she asked as she peeked through her fingers.

"He said to apologize for him because he wanted to go home," Tara replied as she sat up and moved over to make room for Willow. "I made dinner for you, there's a plate in the fridge all ready to be heated up…make sure to take the plastic off first."

Buffy smiled, her hand still over her eyes. "Thank you, Tara."

"No problem…oh, and Buffy?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not naked…you can put your hand down."

The Slayer first checked to make sure they weren't lying, then dropped her hand to her side and smiled.

"Is everything okay? How it go with Warren?" the hacker asked.

"You make it sound so romantic, Will. Well, let's just say that Mighty Mouse flew away, but Dumb and Dumber are in jail. At least I smashed his orbs, that rotten jerk…"

Tara frowned. "Yeah…nerds procreating. Bad."

Willow looked affronted. "As a nerd, I'd appreciate it if you retracted that."

"You're a dork, baby…that's good. Nerds are unstable. How'd he get away?"

"Jet pack…it was a thing. Well…two out of three ain't bad, I guess…"

Tara smiled. "Yep…that's what Meat Loaf says, anyway…"

Buffy smiled, but she was obviously tired. There was a moment of silence as the one-third defeat sunk in.

"Well…I'm beat…" Willow said as she stood and took Tara's hand. With a wicked grin, they started towards the stairs. "G'night, Buffy."

Tara smiled as she stepped past the Slayer. "Night."

"Night guys, sleep well."

"Don't you worry… we will… Oh! Xander's gonna be here to take us all to breakfast at eleven tomorrow…"

"Okay…" Buffy smirked as her friends went to bed. She then stepped towards their plates to put them in the sink when Tara called out, "Don't you dare touch those plates! We'll get them in the morning!"

The Slayer shrugged and went into the kitchen to reheat the dinner Tara made for her.

*****

Tara sat Willow on the bed, then closed and locked the bedroom door.

"Tara…?"

"Yes, baby?" she replied as she knelt to take her girlfriend's shoes off.

"I need to ask you something…something important."

Frowning and concerned, Tara sat next to Willow and faced her, giving her her full attention.

"I'm not prepared for this in terms of money and stuff, but this is something I've been wanting to ask you for a long time…" Willow smiled and motioned for Tara to stay on the bed as she stood to go to their dresser.

"I bought this the day Xander summoned Sweet to help us work out our problems. It was quite a song I sang, believe me." Willow turned around, but kept the surprise behind her back. "But then, everything happened…and I shattered us…and we lost each other…and I'm not willing to let that happen again."

Willow knelt before Tara and produced ad black felt ring box and smiled when the blonde gasped. She opened it and produced a small silver band inlayed with black onyx and gray/white moonstone.

"I feel kinda dumb, and even a bit clichéd at the moment, but please marry me, Tara. I promise to make you happy…hell, I promise that without this ring, but I dunno...I guess I'm just feeling dumb…"

Tara leaned forward and cupped Willow's face with her hands, pulling her forward and into a kiss. "Yes…"

Willow frowned. "Yes, I'm just being dumb?"

Tara giggled. "No, you dork. Yes, I'll marry you."

A beautiful smile bloomed on Willow's face as Tara's acceptance sunk in. With shaking hands, the redhead pulled the ring from its box and slid it onto her girlfriend's finger.

"I love you, baby," the redhead sighed as she wrapped Tara in a warm embrace, which the blonde lovingly returned.

"I love you, Willow-tree."

Like the inevitability of the sea crashing to shore, Tara and Willow kissed again, deeply, easily recapturing the slow, all-consuming passion from downstairs.

*****

Her sleep was blessedly uneventful this time. She felt Giles' arms around her still and he protected her from the nightmares and dreams she would normally be having about the future.

"Thank you, Giles," she whispered with a smile.

"Giles? Are you having a sex dream about Giles?!" asked Willow's joking voice through the Watcher's mouth, which Tara found particularly weird because of the lack of an accent.

Then she woke up.

Tara's body was spooned in the warmth of Willow's love as strong, soft hands stroked her arms. "NO, I wasn't having a sex dream about Giles. I think that's your department," the blonde quipped before turning around for a good morning kiss, knowing all about Willow's little crush. She, in turn, wrapped her arms around the redhead and they held each other closely.

Willow blushed. "Oh yeah? Well...you, uh…"

"Yeah? I what? Tara goaded.

"You…are too darn cute to play-fight with so early," the hacker replied as she leaned forward and they kissed, fleeting loving kisses, then lay there content in each other.

Tara eventually lifted her arm to look at the ring. "So…when do you want to get married?"

She felt Willow smile. "Today."

"Okay. No, we really should wait for Giles or something…" the witch replied.

"Or we could just video tape it and send it to him." Tara playfully slapped her girlfriend. "Well, I just don't want him too close to you since you're having sex dreams about him and all."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Seriously…when do you want to get married?"

"June 14."

Tara gasped…that was her mother's birthday. "Oh, Willow…"

"I'm thinking the beach…at night. Tiki torches. The Big Pineapple shining down on us," Willow smiled. Tara started to cry. She gave her fiancée a long, deep kiss, tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks and onto their pillow.

They parted and looked into each other's eyes. The movement of the number on their alarm clock attracted Willow's eye. "Xander's going to be here in a little while, baby… And we can tell everyone at breakfast."

Biting her lower lip, Tara nodded and, reluctantly, they got out of bed to grab a shower, with Tara heading in first…or so she thought when she saw Willow following her in. "Baby, won't it be counter-productive if you come in with me?"

"Depends on what you're expecting for an outcome…" the redhead retorted as she wrapped her arms around Tara and practically carried her into the bathroom.

An hour and a half - and a lot of water - later, Tara and Willow were clean and their hair was dry as they picked out their clothes for the day. Déjà vu swept over Tara as she picked her olive green slacks and a blue shirt to wear…but she couldn't place the feeling.

"Hey! Clothes!"

Alarm bells were going off in Tara's head. *Oh Gods! Not today! Please!!!* she thought as she remembered Buffy saying he got away the night before. *DAMN YOU, WARREN!!*

"Don't get used to them…"

"Ooh…yes, ma'am," Willow replied as she pulled Tara in for a kiss.

*Mr. Giles! It can't be now! Not NOW!*

"Mmm…Xander!" the blonde said as she thought, *This is the last time I get to hold her…*

"Okay, not the response I was fishing for…" Willow said, pulling away and heading to their dresser.

*Remember your promise, Mr. Giles…and tell her that I love her…* Tara sighed and composed herself as she walked over to the window. "No, he's here."

"Do you think they're making up?" Willow asked her, with a heart-breakingly hopeful smile.

"I hope so…it's the best part."

*Good-bye, my Willow…*

Pain. Burning pain…but all she could say, in the jumble of words that rushed to her head was "Your shirt…"

It wasn't just the physical pain of the bullet ripping through her…it was the feeling of being ripped from her soul mate, regardless of how well she was prepared or how much she knew. It hurt.

Just like in the dream, she stood off to the side and watched as Willow cradled her dead body…argued with Osiris…then succumbed to the Darkness and left in search of more power…and Warren.

She could feel Giles around her, trying to off some sort of comfort.

"We were going to get married on my mother's birthday"

And she cried. Cried as she never had before.

*****FiN***** AUTHOR'S NOTES:

I AM considering sequels - re-versions of "Villains," "Two to Go" and "Grave" - but I haven't watched those episodes in a while… I have a lot of ideas floating in my head, but they'll take a lot of time. This story took a LOT of time to write.

The main musical inspiration, especially for the last, like, ten pages, comes from the Hooverphonics song "Visions," the lyrics to which I'll put here.

"Visions" by Hooverphonics, a bonus track on The Magnificent Tree.

Accepting new ideas is hard
Holding on to the past.
It's too easy can't you see…
We've got to move on.

Our world is constantly speeding.
The stars are still intriguing.
The tears in our eyes
Feed happiness for the next miles.

These visions make us desperate,
Give us hope.
The end is always the start of a
New episode.
Feel free to interact with the plot.
The choice can really mean a lot.
Just try to translate this secret code.

These prophecies are frightening.
Evoke artificial lightning.
Watch out cause it can strike you.
The remedy is inside you.

These visions make us desperate,
Give us hope.
The end is always the start of a
New episode .
Feel free to interact with the plot.
The choice can really mean a lot.
Just try to translate this secret code.

These visions make us desperate,
Give us hope.
The end is always the start of a
New episode.

Feel free to interact with the plot.
Your choice can really mean a lot.
Just try to
Just try to
Just try to translate this…

Buffy home: Frames, No Frames
Xena home