Chapter 7

Tara got up and walked around the table to come face to face with Willow, shutting out the room around them.

"Different dimensions or lifetime. It doesn't matter….You always have been and always will be my girl…And we both know it."

The declaration spoken with such confidence, such certainty caught Willow off-guard.

In a certain way, she was put off by the arrogance this Tara projected. Yet on the other hand she found it…stimulating? Is that the right word? Willow considered how to respond.

Did this Tara want her? Did she plan to stay? And if she did stay what did that mean for her and Kennedy?

On the exterior Kennedy seemed brash but in private Willow knew how gentle and caring the young woman could be. She also knew how passionate the potential felt about her too. Tara loved her and she did desire her. But Tara lacked the 'go and get her' attitude that Kennedy had – the attitude that Willow had to admit was quite appealing - the same attitude that this Tara was emulating in a not so subtle way at this very moment.

"Who are you?" she asked Tara, a slight hint of wonder in her voice.

Tara knew she had Willow intrigued and she gave the redhead a wicked, vixen smirk that Willow knew all to well. Another Tara or not, Willow was certain it meant the same thing.

Giles spoke up when Tara didn't answer the question as Kennedy returned with Willow's water, handing it to her.

"Would you like the long version or the short version?" Giles asked her.

"Long and with great detail," Willow answered, unable to take her eyes off of Tara who still grinned soaking in Willow's presence.

She's undressing her with her eyes, Kennedy thought as she too watched Tara. And if she doesn't stop I'm gonna poke her eyes out.

Giles felt the tension in the room along with everyone else and in a quick, nervous voice began to speak.

"Well it appears that Tara's family moved to Sunnydale after her mothers death when she was 17. She arrived as a Sunnydale High School Junior when all of you were still in the Freshman Class. That's when she received her calling as the Slayer and became my charge. The two of you became…intimate…your sophomore year and when your parents found out they asked you to leave."

Tara harrumphed. "They gave you the boot big time Will."

"Yes well…" Giles continued, "You moved in with Joyce, Dawn and Buffy originally but then moved in with Tara at the college dorms your Senior Year."

"What about everyone else?" Willow asked finally pulling away from Tara to look at Giles.

"It seems Buffy practiced witchcraft with you and is quite skilled. As a result Tara also helped you with spells she'd learned from her maternal side of her family. Her mother and grandmother were both Wiccans. The summer before you headed off to college the four of us went to England and all three of you studied with the Coven of the Council." Giles paused a moment and turned to Tara. "Am I leaving anything out?"

"Doing great so far," she grinned at him.

"Well, how did she get here and what dimension is she from?" Willow asked.

"That we don't know," Giles confessed. "But the lives you've lead are very similar – a battle with the Master, the Mayor, Dr. Walsh's humanoid Adam – Tara's faced them all and won each battle just as Buffy did. And we've all known each other for years."

"Where do Anya and Xander fit in?" Willow asked.

"Well let me back up a moment…Buffy moved to Sunnydale from L.A around the same time as Tara. They were the new girls so they had something in common. They actually became friends with you, Anya and Xander not long after that when Xander began tutoring Buffy in computer class. And Xander seems to be very skilled with computers and he's taking courses at the community college instead of the university since he's putting himself through school. He's also been dating Anya since their junior year with plans to marry."

"And Buffy?"

Giles looked to Tara for confirmation.

"She's never had a real steady person in her life," the quasi Slayer answered. "Well Angel but that ended badly."

"Shocking huh?" Buffy quipped.

Willow pointed to her best friend. "And I've known Xander-?"

"Your whole life," Tara offered. "Knee high to a grasshopper."

"What about you Giles?" Willow asked before turning to him. "What's your story?"

"I'm married to Miss Calendar. Well, Mrs. Giles now in Tara's world."

"Angelus never killed her?"

"He couldn't," Tara answered. "I killed him first before he did any serious damage according to the time tables we've been going over. He got evil and I took him out...Angel was a good vamp. He helped us out quite a bit but he got his rocks off with Buffy and took a dive to the dark side. I didn't have much choice… She hated me for months but…we worked through it. Like I said, no choice. It had to be done."

Willow gave a deep sigh. "This is just…surreal."

"Pretty bizarre. I know." Tara nodded.

Buffy turned to Giles. "I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Sorry?"

She nodded to him. "If had done my job. If I'd been the slayer and done what Tara had then obviously Miss Calendar would still be alive. I had the chance but I didn't take it. Tara did…It's my fault Jenny died Giles."

"Buffy," Giles began. "Whose to say things would have been different? In all honest we don't know what would have happened in this world. Yes the events from our world and Tara's seem quite similar but they are different. We are all different people really, truth be told."

Dawn cleared her throat. "Does this mean I don't have to go to school today?"

"No," Willow and Buffy both answered which dropped Dawn's hopeful expression.

"Get your book bag," Buffy told Dawn before turning to Willow. "You still need a ride to the campus?"

"No I think I'll sit today out," Willow told her.

The smile that Tara gave her suddenly made her think twice. Did she really want to get to know this Tara and spend the day with her? Suddenly she decided school was better.

"On second thought I think I'll go. It won't take too long and there's not much more we can do at this point."

"Early day today?" Kennedy asked, turning to Willow.

"Yeah - just two courses." Willow gave her a reassuring grin.

"Alright then. The girls are waiting out back to start morning warm ups."

Kennedy began to turn but Willow grabbed her by the arm, making her stop. She leaned down and placed a lingering kiss on Kennedy's lips. "Be careful," she added softly.

"It's just warm ups." Kennedy grinned.

"I know. Just be on your guard right now… with the First running around...and-."

"I'll be okay," Kennedy told her, reaching up to stroke her face. "Go fill that pretty head of yours full of knowledge. We'll have lunch…if that's okay."

"Sounds good," she told her, turning her head slightly and kissing her fingers. "I won't be gone long."

Willow didn't even look in Tara's direction and just walked to the door where Buffy was waiting. She couldn't. The sight of this woman brought back too many memories and she silently reminded herself that this woman wasn't the same woman at all, not really. Of course there was one way to find out – talking to her. But Willow wasn't ready just yet. She had too much to sort through and perhaps a mindless class or two would give her the time she needed away from the house to decide just what she really felt.

Where do you want to go from here?

Willow MIGHT still be Tara's Girl    Willow WON'T be Tara's Girl

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