A Fluke Between Two Wiccans by SpikeMe4Now4200

Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: This Story is mine. However, I don't own the Buffyverse or any of the characters created by Joss Whedon et al; you all know who they are. I don't wish to harm them; I simply want to play with them a little :-)
Distribution: http://au.geocities.com/spikeme4now4200/index.html http://mysticmuse.net
Everywhere and anywhere, just let me know where.
Feedback: Yes Please!!!! I would really appreciate feedback on this story; I'll reply to anyone who emails me. Constructive criticisms are very welcomed; outright flames will be ignored.
Spoilers: It would help if you've seen season 3.
Author's Notes: We know Tara was born in 1980; and since Willow graduated in the class of '99; that would mean our blonde Wiccan was 18 going on 19 during that year. Theoretically that would make her old enough to be at college. Furthermore, since it was never established exactly when Tara started college, my storyline could technically have taken place... in my own mind anyway... <lol>
Special thanks goes to Chris Cook of Through the Looking Glass and Artemis for creating the title graphic at the top of the page. Thanks, Chris!
Pairing: Willow/Tara

Summary: What would have happened if Willow and Tara had met at the start of Tara's freshman year at UCSD?

"Not a problem," Faith interrupted, "glad to be of service," she gave the girl a sly wink—purposefully flirting with her.

Tara blushed slightly and giggled nervously. "Well, um…thanks anyway," she mumbled shyly.

Faith grinned, finding the girl's shyness strangely adorable. As they continued walking, she debated what to say to the girl. Tara had once again curled up into her shell of quietness and Faith knew she was probably thinking about Willow. She felt like pressing a few of her buttons…seeing how far she could tease the girl before she broke.

"So…" she ventured. "You're not one for driving stick are ya? Go in for a little girl-on-girl action ay?"

Faith grinned in response—pleased to see she'd gotten the desired reaction out of the girl. "So I'm right?" she chuckled, choosing not to explain how she knew. "Not like I haven't gone down that road myself. When I got an itch to scratch…don't care who scratches it. Know what I mean?" she chuckled again.

"Um, I-I, uh…I…" Tara sputtered, feeling her embarrassment increase even further. Maybe it had been a mistake to ask Faith to walk her home. She wasn't used to someone being so blatantly obvious about their sexuality. Not that she was one to hide from it…but Faith was a little too overbearing for her liking.

"Hey," Faith held up her hands, "I'm just being honest. Where I come from…you learn pretty quick to do what you want and to hell with the consequences."

"What do you mean?" Tara asked softly, sensing a sudden shift in the girl's mood. Faith had apparently had a rough childhood…and that was something she could relate to. In fact, if it hadn't been for her mom, she wondered how she would've survived it at all.

"Well…you know…life's short and you've only got yourself to depend on. Why waste it worrying about consequences when you might not even live to see tomorrow?"

Tara frowned at Faith's words. She wasn't going to argue with the girl though. If that's how she felt…who was she to tell her it was wrong…that there were people out there who could be trusted? She had no idea what the girl had gone through in her life…why she felt like she did. It wasn't her place to judge her.

"I don't," Tara sighed, wracking her brain for a response. "But you're, um…entitled to your own opinion. You must have a reason for how you feel…and I respect that. Even if I don't agree with it," she chuckled.

Faith chuckled too, surprised with the girl's response. She'd expected Tara to launch into some self-righteous speech about how she needed to trust people…how she was wrong to think like she did. The fact that she hadn't, gave her a newfound respect for the girl. There was definitely more to Blondie then met the eye.

"I can't quite peg you," Faith explained. "I'd've thought you'd be more self-righteous…"

"You're one of the Scoobs…you're all into what's good and right and…and you all look at the world through rose colored glasses."

Just then, a couple of vamps jumped them, causing her to forget her thoughts in lieu of fear. Faith instantly sprung into action and before Tara could blink twice—the vamps had been deftly taken care of.

"Good," Faith grinned, returning the stake to her back pocket. "Man I'm frustrated," she sighed as they began walking. "A good slay always does it for me, you know what I mean?" she grinned.

Tara blushed at her words, but didn't say anything. She found Faith's overt sexuality a little unnerving and figured it would be best if she just ignored her.

Faith made that a little difficult though—especially with her next comment. "You wanna help me out with it?" she flirted.

Tara could feel herself blushing from the roots of her hair to the tip of her toes. Was Faith flirting with her? "I, uh…I-I-I-I, um…I-I-I…"

Faith chuckled at Tara's response. "Relax Blondie," she relented. "I was just teasing."

"You need to lighten up a little," Faith continued. "Have some fun…you know…"

Tara just smiled—not knowing what else to say. She was totally out of her element around Faith. She couldn't help liking the girl though…even if it did make her a little uncomfortable. Faith had a lot of personal demons to deal with…maybe she could help the girl…become her friend.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to Tara's dorm. Faith figured she'd teased the girl enough for one night and she might as well leave her to her thoughts. Besides, she needed to focus on sensing the vamps around 'em. She didn't like getting caught by surprise like they had. She should've been more careful.

A few weeks later, Willow found herself knocking on Tara's door at a very inappropriate hour—just past midnight. It was the second night of a full moon and she knew Tara wasn't expecting her. She'd already told Tara she spent those three nights a month Wolf-sitting. Last night however she'd made the mistake of entrusting Xander with the task so she could study. Tonight, Faith was saddled with it. Not because she had to study again, but because a Slayer was needed to guard Oz. And it was all her fault.

This is why she was now standing in front of Tara's dorm in the middle of the night. She'd come to depend on Tara for comfort as of late, and whenever she felt sad or alone, she always gravitated towards her. Tara always knew exactly how to make her feel better, and she was in desperate need of comfort right now.

Tara was surprised to find Willow at her door. "Willow," she ventured, stepping aside to let the girl in. "What are you doing here? Is something wrong? Why aren't you at the library? What happened?"

"It's all my fault," Willow sighed, kicking off her shoes and moving to lie down on Tara's bed.

Closing the door, Tara returned to her bed and sat down next to Willow's prone form. "What's your fault Willow?" she asked sympathetically. "What happened?"

"Oh, I don't mean I killed someone," Willow reassured, moving into babble mode. "It was Oz…we think…and…and it was all my fault coz I let Xander watch him last night and he fell asleep and the window was open this morning and Oz could've escaped and so we went to the morgue and looked at the body and I analyzed the fibers and even though it wasn't totally conclusive, all signs point that it was a wild animal type creature who did it and not a vampire, so it could've been a werewolf…could've been Oz and that's why Faith's watching him tonight and…"

"Hey Will," Tara interrupted with a smile, "slow down. So let me get this straight. Someone was killed, and Oz is a suspect. How is that your fault?"

"But you said you left Xander to watch him," Tara pointed out. "It's not your fault Xander fell asleep."

"Yeah," Willow sighed. Tara did have a point. "But I don't like the idea of Oz being responsible…you should've seen him when he found out. He was so upset…"

"You wanna talk about it?" Tara asked softly—pleased that the girl had come to her for comfort.

Willow's smiled as Tara repositioned herself so that she was lying on her side next to her. Willow turned on her own side so that she was now facing Tara. "I just didn't wanna be alone, you know…" she ventured.

"I hate this," she continued. "I don't want Oz to be the killer…I want to reassure him, comfort him…but he…"

"It's just…" Willow sighed as she remembered Oz's reaction to her this afternoon. The look he'd given her as he'd told her to get away from the cage had really hurt her. She felt like he was pushing her away, and even though she knew it was coz of his Wolf—it upset her that he wouldn't allow her to be there for him. She only wanted to help…

"I just wish he'd let me be there for him," she explained. "He gave me this look today…right before he was about to change…and it was so tortured and closed and…and I felt like he was pushing me away…shutting me out. Why does he have to do that? I only wanted to help…to be there for him."

"Maybe he's afraid of hurting you Will," Tara ventured. "He obviously cares for you a great deal. It must be hard…"

"Yeah," Willow agreed. "I know it's hard for him…but it's hard for me too. I care about him a lot…I wanna be there for him, but when he shuts me out…"

"A little," Willow admitted. "Oz is my first real boyfriend and I know he cares about me…I care about him too. Sometimes he'll look at me with so much emotion, so much tenderness and I can almost feel the love. But other times…like this afternoon…when he shuts me out I just don't know anymore. I have no idea if he loves me Tara…and you know the funny part…I don't know if I love him either."

"Oh, I know I care about him," Willow began, "but I get confused sometimes. You see…I've had this massive crush on Xander for most of my life…and then Oz showed up…helped me get over it. He made me feel so special…so cared for…he still does."

"But sometimes I feel like there's something missing," Willow confided. "I don't know what it is though. I've never had a real boyfriend, and Oz was the first guy to ever really pay any attention to me…so maybe I'm just in love with the idea of being in love. You know what I mean? And also, I can tell he's thinking about taking the next step with me…third base type step…and I want to…I really do…but I'm scared. I don't know my own feelings. How can I take the next step…and more…if it's not love? Now, don't get me wrong, I really do care about him…I just don't know exactly what it means…you know?"

"I know," Tara sighed, her heart going out to Willow. She could see how confused the girl was, and she wished there was something she could say to make her feel better. Unfortunately, she couldn't. Willow was the only one who knew her own heart. She had to figure it out for herself.

"I wish I could say something to make you feel better Will," she voiced her thoughts. "But I can't. Only you know how you feel…and deep down you know the answer…know the truth."

"You tell me?" Tara grinned. "I dunno what to say to you Will," she continued with a sigh. "You obviously care about him, and from what I've seen he cares about you too. You should trust in that…and let him know you don't like being shut out. I'm sure he doesn't mean to do it…"

"I know," Willow sighed. "But he does mean to…he's scared the Wolf will hurt me. And I get that, but I don't have to like it. I just wish there was more I could do…more I could say. But for some reason, this is just something I can't talk to him about. Whenever I bring up the Wolfie, he always shuts down. It's so frustrating…"

Tara simply smiled warmly and reached a hand for Willow's cheek. There was nothing she could say that would make her feel better, so she did the next best thing—express her sympathy with a gentle caress.

Willow closed her eyes as Tara's thumb brushed against her cheekbone. She could feel the calming zing of Tara's energy; something she was slowly getting used to every time she became distressed. Tara's energy didn't solve her problem, but it did make her feel better.

Tara smiled in response, but didn't say anything. Words were sometimes unnecessary between them, and she knew Willow understood she was happy to offer her comfort.

"I have no idea how I'd have gotten through this without you," Willow continued.

"Thanks," Willow ventured, feeling a blush creep into her own cheeks. What was it about Tara that always made her feel so fluttery? "You know," Willow continued. "I really do feel a lot better now. Although, I'm still worried about Oz. I don't want him to be the killer. But what if he is? How will he handle it? It's gotta be eating him up inside to think he's responsible."

"I know," Tara sighed sympathetically, as she noticed Willow's mood slip yet again. "But until we know for sure he did it…there's always hope."

"Right…hope," Willow said the word gingerly, doing her best to let it comfort her. It wasn't enough though. "Tara…"

"Hold me?" She asked her friend softly, her voice trembling slightly as tears began to form in her eyes. She was unable to shake the fear of Oz being a killer—and the only thing that ever made her feel better when she felt this bad was being in Tara's arms.

Tara's heart melted at Willow's soft plea. With tears in her own eyes, she reached for Willow and pulled her close. She wrapped both her arms around the girl's back and laid her head against the pillows—allowing Willow to rest her head on her chest. She pressed a soft kiss against Willow's hair as the girl began to cry softly.

Tara held her close all night…even after she'd stopped crying. Every now and then she'd also released a bit of her energy, but only when she'd felt Willow's mood slipping. She cared a lot about her friend, and it hurt her to see her so upset. She was glad Willow had come to her though…glad she'd been given the chance to help. She just wished there was more she could've done.

Early the next morning, Willow woke up to find herself still wrapped up in Tara's arms. She hadn't gotten much sleep last night—and she knew that Tara hadn't either. She couldn't believe how sweet the girl had been though. She'd held her…comforted her, and Willow couldn't even find the right words to express how touched that made her feel. It was obvious Tara cared about her, and she couldn't help but wonder what she'd done to deserve such a great friend.

"Hey Will," Tara smiled as Willow opened her eyes. She'd been awake for the past half hour now, but had been content to just lie there and hold Willow close to her. She enjoyed the sensation, and knew that once Willow woke up—she'd inevitably pull away.

"You're awake?" Willow lifted her head off Tara's chest slightly, so as to meet the girl's eyes.

"Yeah," Tara smiled. "I didn't wanna wake you though," she explained. "You didn't get much sleep last night."

"Neither did you," Willow pointed out with a smile. Suddenly overcome with emotion, Willow leaned down and kissed Tara's cheek. "Thank you," she explained.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Tara blushed as Willow extricated herself and sat up.

"Yeah, much," Willow grinned. "I should get going though. I wanna be there when Oz wakes up…"

"Want company?" Tara moved to a sitting position and pulled the covers off her body.

"Nothing important," Tara said softly, locking her gaze with Willow's. "Just study group this afternoon…and I can call 'em and say I can't make it…they won't mind."

"I don't wanna impose on you," Willow protested half-heartedly. She didn't want to put the girl out, but she totally liked idea of Tara being with her at school today. Having her best friend around for moral support was definitely something she'd welcome. Who knows, maybe Tara could even help figure out a way to find out who was doing the killings. She was an expert witch after all…

"You're not," Tara smiled, getting out of bed. "I wanna be there for you," she continued as she began searching around for something to change into. "Besides, I don't think I'd be able to concentrate on anything else anyway. Not when I don't know what's happening…"

Willow smiled in response, knowing she'd feel the same as well. "Okay then…if you insist…"

"I do," Tara grabbed her bathroom kit—having located a change of clothes. "Give me a few minutes and I'll be ready."

"I really appreciate this," Willow smiled at Tara as they walked through the halls of Sunnydale High on their way to the library.

"I told you," Tara smiled, "I don't mind…really. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate on anything anyway. You know what I mean? I'd probably just spend the whole day wondering if you were okay…if Oz was okay…if anyone else had gotten killed. I'd much rather be here with you…maybe I could do something to help…"

"Enough said," Willow chuckled. "I know what you mean. It means a lot to me that you're here…"

Tara locked her eyes with Willow's as the redhead trailed off—sharing a meaningful look with her. Tara was glad to be of help, and she was even happier that Willow was letting her help. It meant a lot to her that Willow was so willing to accept her into her life…allow her to be a part of her world.

Willow smiled back in response and felt her heart race. Once again, she found herself thanking the gods for Tara's presence in her life. She might only have known the girl a short while, but already she felt closer to her than to anyone else—even Buffy and Xander.

As they entered the library, Willow was surprised to find Buffy and Giles sitting on the steps near the top floor—with Faith nowhere to be found.

"I thought Faith was on duty," she ventured, heading over towards her friend and mentor—with Tara by her side.

"Glazed or cake?" Tara opened the box of doughnuts she was holding, and held it out to the Slayer.

Willow sighed and looked at Tara—giving her a warm smile. "I kept her awake all night. Didn't wanna be alone…needed someone to whine to…"

"I didn't mind," Tara insisted with a smile. "But she was so eager to go and see if Oz was okay this morning…"

"That when we got outside we realized it was still dark out…" Willow explained sheepishly.

Willow chuckled as Tara finished the explanation. "Anyway," she turned back towards Buffy—unaware that Oz was now fully dressed and heading out of his cage towards them. "How come you're the Wakey Girl? I mean, this time, it's not your boyfriend who's the cold-blooded…"

Willow trailed off as she noticed Tara's eyes go wide and a warning expression appeared on her face. Oh my God…Oz…

"Jelly doughnut?" she grabbed the box from Tara and offered it to Oz—who had now come up to her side.

"Yeah," Buffy smiled—anxious to know the answer herself. She'd come across a newly resurrected Angel last night and was scared that maybe he'd been the one responsible for the murder. 'Uh, what happened with the inspection of the body?" she asked.

Willow held up the box of doughnuts—avoiding the question. "Anyone?" she asked oh so cheerfully. "They're yummy…"

"And delicious," Tara piped up, helping Willow with the stalling tactics. She could see the girl didn't want to upset her boyfriend with the news—wanted to be as tactful as possible—and she too didn't want to needlessly cause the poor guy more anguish. It must be terrible thinking you were responsible for killing someone…that a part of you could be so evil that…

Tara's thoughts trailed off as she realized just how much she had in common with Willow's boyfriend. She could totally relate to how he must be feeling right now. She lived in constant fear that her own darkness would inevitably end up hurting someone. She just hoped that when her demon side did eventually rear its head, that she'd be able to control it half as well as Oz seemed to control his. At least Oz only had to control it three nights a month…she had no idea when and for how long she'd have to control hers.

Willow reluctantly set the box down on the table and met Tara's eye. She had no idea what to say…how to break the news.

Tara looked at her best friend sympathetically, and moved to grasp her hand. She squeezed it gently—doing her best to offer whatever support she could.

Oz noticed this and sighed inwardly. He knew it wasn't a good sign to see her stalling. What's more, he was once again witnessing the ever-increasing bond between his girlfriend and Tara. Much as he tried not to read anything into it…a part of him couldn't help but realize something was going on. He couldn't let it bother him right now though…he had more important things to worry about. Like his apparent murder rap.

"Was it a vampire?" Buffy prodded—oblivious to the delicacy of the situation. It didn't matter to her that Oz was in the room…that it might bother him to find out he was responsible for killing a guy. All she cared about was that Angel was in the clear.

"How could it not be conclusive?" Buffy asked with exasperation. "What did it look like? Was he bit?"

"No," Buffy protested, "it's just…" she trailed off as she caught sight of Oz in the corner of her eye. "I'm sorry," she smiled apologetically—finally realizing what was at stake.

Giles sat down at the table as Willow took another deep breath. She looked at Tara for support and the girl gently squeezed her hand again.

"She said it was hard to tell," Tara explained softly—speaking on Willow's behalf, "right?"

"Right," Willow smiled gratefully. "I mean I…I found some fibers…some hair but…"

"Um…well…" Willow hesitated. "There weren't any fang marks," she turned towards Buffy, "so I…I don't think it was a vampire…"

"But that doesn't mean it was a werewolf," Willow turned back to face Oz. "Like I said, it um…it wasn't conclusive…"

Willow let go of Tara's hand and moved towards Oz—wanting to offer him comfort. "It could've been anything," she reached for his hands.

Oz turned away from his girlfriend—missing the way she flinched at his apparent rejection. He didn't want to be comforted by her though—he didn't deserve it. He was a cold-blooded killer…

"I'll see you later," he said over his shoulder as he left the library—not offering up an explanation as to his departure. He just needed to be alone for a bit.

Tara watched all this in silence—her heart going out to both of them. She could see how hurt Willow was, but she could also understand Oz's reaction. The young man obviously hated himself right now…thought he didn't deserve affection…comfort. Tara knew that's how she probably would've felt in the same situation.

"He's not upset with you Will," Tara walked over to her friend and grasped both her hands. "He just feels like he doesn't deserve you…"

"He thinks he's a killer," Tara explained—gently squeezing Willow's hands. "He hates his dark side…hates what he's capable of and…"

"But its not his fault," Willow insisted. "It's the Wolfie and…and we're not even sure that he did do it…"

"But that's not the point," Tara continued gently. "Even if he didn't do it…he's still capable of doing it. That's what's bothering him. He cares about you a great deal. That's why he pulled away now…why he pulled away from you yesterday. He's afraid to hurt you…"

Willow smiled at Tara, realizing she was right. "You're right," she sighed. "I just wish there was something more we could do…some way to help him…"

"The best thing you can do right now is to let him be alone," Giles interjected from where he was still sitting at the table. "I think that it must be a terrible strain on him to feel like he's responsible for killing a young boy…someone he actually knew. I don't think there's much else we can do but wait and see…"

"Wait for what?" Willow frowned, letting go of Tara's hands as she headed back towards the table. "What can we wait for?" she sat down at the table—with Tara following her lead. "I can't just sit around and do nothing…"

"I don't know—" Giles began, only to be interrupted as Willow turned towards Tara.

"Maybe there's a spell we could do?" she asked her Wiccan teacher. "Do you know of anything that could um…you know…search for a specific killer…a kind of locator spell? Or maybe some other type of spell? There's gotta be something we can do to help…"

Tara frowned in response. "I don't know Will," she sighed. "That sounds very complex. But I can look if you like," she continued off Willow's look of disappointment. "It's just…"

"I don't like messing with powerful m-magicks," she explained. "There's always a consequence when you do something that's highly advanced and…and I'm not sure I'm ready for it. If we're ready for it…"

Willow sighed in frustration. She suddenly felt as if everyone was ganging up on her. She had expected Giles to react like that…but Tara…?

Tara noticed this and immediately regretted her words. Willow could be very sensitive at times, and now was one of them. She'd totally misunderstood her concerns. "Will…" she ventured, reaching her hand for the girl. "That doesn't mean I won't look," she explained.

Tara smiled back and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I've got some spell books in my room. I'll go home and bring them here if you like…" she turned towards Giles before continuing. "If you don't mind Mr. Giles…"

Giles smiled at the young Wiccan. He could see her reluctance to delve into anything dangerous, and that comforted him. He knew that it was only her compassion for her friend and for Oz that had allowed her to relent and agree to Willow's plea. He couldn't blame her for that. Truth was, he too wished to help the young man out…to find out what was going on. Who knows, maybe they could find something useful in one of her books…something that wasn't too dangerous even.

"Of course not," he replied. "Maybe we can find something useful. I'll be happy to help you research."

"That's settled then," Buffy stood up. "You and Giles can do some research, while Willow and I head off to class…"

"Right," Willow stood up. "I'll stop by in between classes to see how you're going..."

With that, the three girls headed out of the library and went their separate ways.

Late that afternoon, Tara and Giles still hadn't found anything useful. Faith had shown up around lunchtime to do some training but had been roped into research instead—despite her protests. At three o'clock, Willow had come back to help as well, but she too hadn't had much luck. A while later, Buffy had shown up with news that the school shrink she'd been going to had been murdered.

"This creature is especially brutal," he noted. "I believe the phrase coined by the corner when describing Mr. Platt was 'pureed'. But he did confirm that Platt was killed shortly before Buffy found him."

"Sorry," Willow looked around the room as she lowered her fist—noticing the bemused glances her friends were giving her. "I've just been…it's horrible, horrible," she swallowed, doing her best to keep from laughing out loud.

Tara reached for her friend's hand and squeezed it gently. "It's okay, Will," she said softly.

"Indeed," Giles interjected, glancing down at his watch. "Shouldn't he be here by now? The sun sets at 5:30."

Giles nodded before returning back to business. "Well then," he ventured, "our task now is to determine what sort of killer we are dealing with. Clearly, we're looking for a depraved, sadistic animal."

Willow grinned and let go of Tara's hand. She pushed past Giles as she bolted towards her boyfriend's side.

"Hey," Oz continued good naturedly, "I may be a cold-blooded jelly doughnut, but my timing is impeccable."

Willow touched his shoulder with both hands, her elation clearly evident in her expression. "But you aren't!" she exclaimed. "I-i-it's-it's a kill-in-the-day monster! A hundred percent for sure."

Oz took in his girlfriend's words and felt a warm rush of relief flow over him. "Okay," he smiled as Willow put her arm around him. He could barely express how pleased he was.

"Uh," Giles interrupted their good cheer, "I wish we had time to celebrate properly. However, we have two victims. Jeff Orkin, and uh, now Platt. Uh, maybe there's something they had in common…"

Giles looked at the young man curiously, wondering how he'd gotten such an idea.

"Well," Oz explained, "victim number one, Jeff. He was in jazz band with us. They used to horse around…"

"I don't think so," Oz replied stoically, "but he hid her music comp book once," he quipped.

"And we know that Debbie knew Platt," Buffy voiced her thoughts. "I mean, she was seeing him and way vocal about not having love for the guy."

"Add this and stir," Oz continued. "I just saw Debbie a minute ago sporting a nasty black eye."

"Okay," Willow pondered, "so pretend Debbie wanted Platt dead. Maybe he fought back…?"

"No," Buffy shook her head in response. "Platt was dead in an instant. He didn't even drop his cigarette…" she trailed off as a thought hit her. "Now, what if boyfriend Pete's the one doling out the punishment?"

"We should find them both immediately," Giles reached for his coat—as did Buffy.

"All right," Giles replied. "We'll split up. Um, Faith, you and I team. Willow and Tara…you stick with Buffy…"

Willow gave her boyfriend a sympathetic look, feeling utterly helpless. Tara noticed this and reached for her hand. Willow smiled at the comfort she was being offered and squeezed Tara's hand in gratitude as they headed out of the library.

Willow and Tara followed Buffy into the girl's locker room, hoping to find Debbie there. They were in luck. The girl was standing in front of a mirror doing her best to cover up her black eye with some makeup.

"It's tricky," Buffy ventured, coming up behind the young blonde, "covering a fresh shiner like that. You know what works?"

"Don't get hit," Buffy quipped. "What's going on, Debbie? I'll bet the farm you know."

"Normally," Buffy ventured, "I'd say, you wanna play 'I have a secret'?' Fine. But people are dying here."

Debbie glanced at Willow and the unfamiliar blonde next to her, before looking away again. "It…it's not his fault. I mean, he's not himself when he gets like this."

"It's me," Debbie forced back her tears. "I make him crazy. He-he just does what he does because he loves me too much…"

Tara listened in silence, feeling her heart pounding like crazy. She'd heard those words before…heard them coming from her mother's mouth in fact. She'd said them every time her dad had hit her. 'It was the magicks' she'd said. 'The magicks made him crazy…it was her fault for using them. She was bad…evil…and he was the only one who could control her.'

She'd grown up seeing her dad hurt her mother almost every day and she'd hated it. She didn't think her mom was evil…and she hated her dad for hurting her. But what could she have done? She was just a kid…and what's more, she was just like her mother. What if she was evil as well? Well, that's what Donny and her dad had told her once they'd caught her levitating a pencil in her room one day. They'd done their best to instill in her that she was evil…that they only wanted what was best for her.

A part of her refused to believe it though. She didn't want to be evil…didn't want to hurt people. This is why she'd studied so hard in high school…why she'd done her best to get away from it all…earned that scholarship to UC Sunnydale. She was glad to be away from them…but they were still her family. She still loved them, and a part of her would always wonder if maybe they were right—hence her massive research into finding a cure. She didn't want them to be right and if they were—she didn't like their form of control. There had to be a better way of controlling her demon half than by getting beaten to a pulp and worked to the bone.

That's what had killed her mother. Her death had been sudden…and yet it hadn't been a surprise. She'd known her mother's days were numbered…known that one day her dad might go too far. He worked her day and night, beat her constantly, until she'd no longer had the will to live. Which is why, when she'd caught pneumonia, she'd refused medical attention. She'd just allowed herself to get sicker and sicker, telling her that it was better this way. At least she'd be gone…she wouldn't have to be controlled anymore. And she wouldn't be afraid of hurting anyone ever again.

Tara had rebelled then…after her mother's death. She'd blamed her father—knew it was all his fault—and yet she hadn't been able to do anything about it. Despite her anger though, she still loved him—he was her father after all. This is why she'd been so torn. She hadn't known what to do, so she'd done her best to avoid her family…her responsibilities. She'd stayed back in the library every day after school—studying. After it had closed, she'd catch the bus and go out of town to a youth club. She'd just sit on a secluded couch and read in the corner—drinking the occasional mocha and doing her best to remain inconspicuous.

She'd gotten attention a few times though…gone on a few dates, but nothing had ever lead to anything. She'd been glad of it though—glad to get away from her problems. Her father had beaten her senseless the first time she'd stayed out all night, after that though, she'd learned from her mistake. She didn't like to use magick to cloud people's minds, but she'd felt she had to in this case. Her anger at her father had fuelled her to cast a small curse…causing her father and Donnie to forget to check if she was around. Whenever they felt like looking for her, they'd instantly become distracted with something else.

She wasn't too proud of herself for doing that, but she hadn't known what else to do. Besides, if they were all so insistent that she was half evil—then a small curse like that was child's play…right? That still didn't make her feel better about it and after her rebellious phase had worn itself out, she'd removed the curse post hasty. Although, when she'd left for UC Sunnydale, she hadn't been able to resist putting a similar curse back on her family. It was just a small one…so that she wouldn't keep getting bothered with phone calls and letters and visits. She needed time to figure out how to rid herself of evil once and for all, and she was terrified her family would come for her and take her away before she had the chance to do so.

Willow turned to look at her friend, sensing a shift in her energy. There was a look of both sadness and compassion in Tara's eye—almost as if she could relate to Debbie's predicament. She wondered why that was, and figured she'd ask her about it later. Right now they had more pressing matters on hand.

"I-I've gotta go," Debbie grabbed her purse, realizing that these girls knew more than they were letting on.

Buffy grabbed her arm though, preventing her from moving. "You have to talk to us," she ventured.

Tara took a step towards the girl and laid a gentle hand against her arm—the one Buffy wasn't holding on to. "If Pete kills you," she said gently, releasing a little of her energy to help relax the girl, "it'll pretty much be too late…" She didn't want to see the same thing happen to Debbie that she'd seen happen to her mom. And she wished to the gods that this girl would let them help her.

Debbie didn't know why she started to feel a little calmer, but there was just something about this blonde stranger that she found relaxing. It was almost as if the girl could understand her…knew what she was going through.

Tara looked at Buffy and then glanced at Debbie's arm—asking her silently to let the girl go.

Buffy did as she was bid, knowing she could easily grab onto her again if she made a move to leave.

"My name's Tara," she said softly. "I know you love him…but you need to help us find him. We don't want to hurt him…we just want to stop him from hurting someone else."

Buffy had heard enough. She had no time for gentleness—like Tara. She needed results now.

Tara turned to face the Slayer and sighed. "No…" she ventured softly, pleading with Buffy to let her handle this. She didn't want the girl to get hurt. And she could tell that she was close to reaching her.

"There's no time," Buffy explained as she grabbed Debbie's arm again and ripped her out of Tara's grasp. She then pushed her up against the sink and forced her to look into the mirror.

"Look at yourself," she said harshly. "Why are you protecting him? Anybody who really loved you couldn't do this to you."

Tara sighed, as she listened to Buffy's words. They cut so close to home. She'd thought like Debbie at one stage—thought that her beatings…her mother's beatings…came only because her dad loved them. Her opinion quickly changed though when her mother had died. She'd seen his actions for what they were, but she still had a hard time accepting the truth. It was difficult to believe that her own father didn't love her. In his own way he did…he just showed it differently than others.

Willow noticed Tara's sigh and took a step towards her friend. She reached for her hand and asked her silently if she were okay—lifting her eyebrow in question.

Tara squeezed Willow's hand in response—giving her a soft smile. She could tell that Willow sensed something was up with her, and she knew she'd have to explain everything later. Although, she had no idea if she was ready to do that. She could see that Willow didn't have much respect for Debbie's attitude…didn't understand why the girl felt like she did…why she found it so hard to get out of an abusive relationship. Would Willow understand about her…about her mother…her father, if she told her? She didn't think so.

"Would they take him someplace?" Debbie turned around to face them—breaking Tara out of her thoughts.

Debbie shook her head in response as she began to sob. "I could never do that to him."

Willow sighed in frustration. A part of her felt sorry for the girl, but another part couldn't understand her. Why would anyone stay in an abusive relationship? She turned towards Tara then, expecting to see the same look of confusion and frustration in her eye. She was surprised to see only compassion. What was going on here? Why did Tara seem so understanding? Had she gone through this herself? That thought confused her even more. Tara didn't seem the type to be involved in an abusive relationship. She'd have to ask her about it later. There was definitely something going on here.

"Great," Buffy spat out in disgust. "So what, you two live out your Grimm fairy tale? Two people are dead. Who's gonna be next?"

Debbie couldn't take it any longer. She was torn. She loved Pete. Pete loved her. She couldn't do it to him. She couldn't. He loved her. That's why he hurt her. Why he killed them. He did it all for her…right? With a sob, she collapsed onto the nearby changing bench and curled herself up into a small ball—hugging her hips tightly.

"He does love me," she began to chant. "He does love me. He does love me. He does love me. He does love me…"

"This is useless," Buffy exhaled in frustration. "We have to go. I have to find Pete."

Looking at the poor girl sobbing, Willow began to feel sorry for her once again. She looked up at Tara and expressed her compassion silently.

Tara looked at Willow in surprise—not expecting to see compassion in her gaze.

As of one mind, they both moved towards Debbie and each placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Debbie," Tara insisted, following Willow's lead and trying to lift the girl up.

Buffy stopped walking momentarily and looked back at Willow. "I think she was broken before this," she ventured, before exiting the locker room.

Willow and Tara shared another look of compassion before returning their attention back to Debbie. "Come on Debbie," Tara said softly, placing her hand back on the girl's arm. "It'll be okay."

Willow smiled and followed Tara's lead, placing her own hand against the girl. She suddenly sensed a flow of energy emanating from Tara, and realized what her teacher was up to. She quickly followed her example and began releasing a little of her own energy.

Within moments, Debbie had stopped chanting and stopped resisting their attempts to lift her up. She remained silent though, and just stared off into space as they guided her outside towards Buffy.

As they walked down the halls of Sunnydale High in search of Pete, the four girls heard a loud scream coming from the library. They quickly rushed towards the sound as Giles and Faith joined them from another hall—also having heard the scream.

It didn't take them long to reach the library, and once they had, they noticed that Pete and Wolfie Oz were going at each other on the stairs.

Debbie couldn't let Buffy do this. Despite knowing he was in the wrong, she still loved Pete. She had to protect him. With that thought she shoved the Slayer's hand as the girl pulled the trigger and yelled out to her boyfriend.

"Oh, right. Bloody priceless," Giles replied as the drug began to take affect. He staggered in place and fell to the floor, inadvertently pushing a table against Wolfie Oz as he attempted to run after Pete.

Buffy lifted the rifle again, this time aiming for Willow's boyfriend instead of Debbie's. She couldn't get a good shot of him though and he managed to escape from out of the library.

She didn't have time to try again though, so she tossed the rifle to Faith. "You get the Wolf!" she instructed, before running after Pete.

Without a word, Willow and Tara followed after Faith as she ran out of the library to chase Wolfie Oz. Willow screamed once they'd finally reached her. Faith was on the floor doing her best to avoid getting bitten by Oz and yet keep him at bay. Apparently Oz had caused her to drop the dart gun at one stage.

"Get off her!" Willow exclaimed, grabbing Oz by the tail and yanking him away from Faith.

Wolfie Oz didn't like this and turned his attention away from Faith. Willow began to run down the hall as Oz chased after her. "Get the gun!" she called over her shoulder. "Get the gun! Hurry!"

Faith scrambled to grab the rifle, but Tara had already beaten her to it. The sight of Willow being chased by her werewolf boyfriend had caused something to snap inside her. So, without thinking she'd lunged for the rifle and was now aiming it at Oz. Going on pure adrenaline she pulled the trigger and hit Oz square in the butt. She'd practically willed her aim to go straight and had unwittingly used her energy to guide the dart straight towards its intended destination.

She watched in silence as Oz yelped and whimpered for a few moments, before falling unconscious.

"That was some shot Blondie," Faith grinned—highly impressed with the girl's marksmanship.

"I…" Tara looked at the gun in her hands and extended it towards Faith. She couldn't believe she'd shot Willow's boyfriend. She'd never shot anyone before in her life. She had no idea how to respond to Faith's admiration. "I've never shot anyone before…" she said softly as Faith grabbed the gun off her.

Willow quickly reached Tara's side, feeling a newfound respect for the girl. She hadn't known Tara was such a good shot—the girl had saved her life. She was about to say just that, but was surprised to notice her sudden distress.

"It's okay Tara," she said softly, realizing the girl was feeling a little shaken up. "He's gonna be okay," she soothed. "I mean, it's not like he hasn't been shot before," she quipped. "You know, even I've shot him once."

Not wanting to be witness to their emotional moment, Faith headed over towards Oz. "I'll drag him back to the library," she called over her shoulder.

Tara smiled, feeling a lot better for shooting her best friend's boyfriend in the ass.

Later that night, Willow smiled fondly at Tara as they took a seat at the table nearest to Oz's cage. It would be a few hours until the effects of the tranquilizer dart wore off and Tara had offered to stay with her to Wolf sit. The same could not be said for Giles though. Unfortunately, he'd probably be asleep for the rest of the night. Wanting to make him as comfortable as possible, she and Tara had made a makeshift bed for him in his office—using a few soft covered books as pillows.

Faith meanwhile had gone in search of Buffy—curious to know what had happened with Pete and Debbie. It hadn't taken her long to come across Debbie and Pete's mutilated body. Buffy however was nowhere to be found. Shrugging it off, she made her way back towards the library to let Red and Blondie know what she'd seen.

"So," she greeted the two young Wiccans as she entered the library. "Looks like Pete and Debbie are both goners," she plonked herself up on the table, not wanting to bother with a chair.

Tara frowned at this, upset that they hadn't been able to save Debbie. "Y-y-y-you mean they're both d-d-dead?" she forced herself not to tear up.

Willow looked at her friend and reached for her hand, noticing her sudden distress.

"Yep," Faith replied absently, oblivious to Tara's reaction. "There was like blood everywhere. I think Pete ripped Debbie's head straight from her neck…and the funny thing is…it looked like the same thing happened to him. Don't think Buffy did it—not her style—must've been some other beastie. Whatever it was though, it ain't around anymore. I've done a thorough perimeter search and came out with nothing. Buffy's gone too. Probably went after this new Beastie…"

Tara trembled as Faith described Debbie's murder in gruesome detail. She could feel her insides churning at the thought of it and was glad to have Willow's silent support. As the girl squeezed her hand, she found herself calming down somewhat. However she still couldn't shake the feeling of nausea.

"I'll be back," Tara stood up abruptly, interrupting Faith's explanation. She quickly turned around and headed towards the nearest bathroom.

"Good one," Willow criticized Faith as she watched Tara bolt from the room. "See what you did."

Willow held up her hand, silencing Faith's protest. "Can you watch over Oz while I check to see if she's okay?"

"Whatever," Faith rolled her eyes, pushing down the instinct to tell Willow where to go. She wanted to be the one to go after Blondie, but realized that Tara would probably prefer Red's company instead.

"You in here Tara?" Willow asked as she entered the nearest bathroom. She winced as she heard the sound of her best friend dry heaving. She took a few steps towards the sound and moved to stand in front of her stall door. "Tara…you okay?"

Tara closed her eyes as she forced down yet another wave of nausea. Debbie's death had been so brutal…so gruesome and so unnecessary. Just like her mother's. All the feelings she'd had when her mother had died were once again being dredged up and she cursed herself for not being able to help. She should've helped Debbie…just like she should've helped her mom. There had to have been more that she could've done…there had to…

"Tara," Willow said her name again when she didn't answer. With a gentle push, she opened the stall door, to where Tara was sitting down on the lid of the toilet, her head between her legs. "Hey," she knelt down next to her friend and placed her hands gently on her knees. "You okay?"

"I know," Willow whispered, feeling herself tear up as she witnessed the utter anguish in Tara's eyes.

This confused Willow and she lifted a hand up to Tara's cheek, wiping away at a tear. "How is it your fault? Pete killed Debbie…"

Tara just shook her head, unable to think straight anymore. In her mind, Debbie's death and her mom's death had become all jumbled and the guilt and emotion which she'd been bottling up for so long had now finally broken her. "He b-b-beat her and he beat her and she just wanted to die. She wanted to die and I didn't help her. I just let her die—let him beat her. I-I-I…oh, it's all my fault. I let her die…"

"Let who die, Tara?" Willow prompted gently, lifting her other hand to Tara's cheek well. Why was Tara so upset? This was definitely not just about Debbie. She recalled Tara's reaction in the locker room earlier that evening. It was almost as if she'd been able to relate to Debbie. Had Tara been abused…witnessed abuse before? What was going on? She felt totally helpless at the moment, and all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around Tara and make all her pain go away.

"Hey, c'mere," she moved her hands and wrapped her arms around Tara's neck, pulling the girl into a warm embrace. "Shh…it's okay," she whispered against her hair as she began to cry. "It's okay…whatever it is, you can tell me. It's gonna be okay…"

"I let her die, Willow," Tara sobbed, not caring anymore if Willow found out how terrible her past was. She just couldn't hold it in.

"My mom," Tara mumbled against Willow's shoulder—her sobs becoming even more pronounced.

Willow exhaled sharply at Tara's revelation, finally beginning to get the picture. Her dad must've been the abusive kind…must've hurt her…hurt her mom. Oh God, her sweet Tara had grown up in an abusive household. She'd never hated anyone more than she hated Tara's father at this moment. "Hey," she whispered reassuringly, "it's okay, it's okay. You didn't let anyone die, Tara. It wasn't your fault…"

Willow had no idea what had happened, or why Tara blamed herself. All she knew was that there was no way Tara could've been responsible for what had happened to her mom. She didn't know what to say though—wouldn't know until Tara had told her the whole story. However, that wasn't going to happen just yet, so she simply tightened her hold on Tara and held her close as she cried.

After a while, Tara began to feel the gentle zing of Willow's energy engulfing her and she began to cry even harder. She didn't deserve this comfort…but she just couldn't bring herself to break away from the embrace. Willow's arms around her felt so good and her energy was so soothing. This is why she just continued to sob against her shoulder, letting her guilt and her sadness wash over her and release itself.

"Hey," Willow smiled as Tara eventually pulled away. She leaned forward and pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. "You wanna talk about it?"

Tara didn't particularly want to tell Willow all the sordid details of her family's rotten past. However, she'd already revealed far too much to back down now. She couldn't tell her everything though. The demon part was something she'd have to leave out…that was something she'd never be able to tell her about…never be able to tell anyone about.

"I…It's hard to t-t-talk about," she decided to be honest. "I've n-n-never told anyone before and I…"

"Hey," Willow reached for Tara's hands and squeezed them gently. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. It's okay…"

Tara smiled and felt herself relax a little. "Thank you. I just…it's hard to r-r-remember and…and seeing Debbie brought back so many m-m-memories…"

"Why do you blame yourself for your mom's death?" Willow ventured, hoping she wasn't being out of line with her question.

Tara sighed again before answering. "My dad, um…he hurt her sometimes…hurt her so much that um…that when she got sick one time she just let herself die. She didn't wanna live anymore and I did nothing to stop her…to stop him. I could've insisted she get help…could've done something but I…I just…"

"Oh Tara," Willow reached for her as she began to cry again. "Shhh," she whispered into her ear, "it's okay…it's okay…shh…shh Sweetie, it's okay. It's not your fault, there's nothing you could've done. Oh Tara…I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Please don't blame yourself. I don't know what to say to make you feel better…don't know what happened. But I know you. You're the kindest, sweetest person I've ever met and…and you could never be responsible for something like that. Please believe me…oh Tara. I wish I could make it all better. Tell me what to do…what to say."

"Oh Will," Tara mumbled against Willow's shoulder, feeling comforted despite herself. "I was w-w-weak. I always th-thought my d-d-dad did what he did coz he l-l-loved us. But when my mom died…"

"So you got away from him…came to Sunnydale. How'd you do it?" She pulled away from Tara slightly so that she could look into her eyes as she spoke.

"I studied really hard," Tara explained. "Earned a scholarship and…well, you know the rest."

Willow smiled proudly at her friend. "I figured as much. But what I meant was…I mean, from what you've told me…it doesn't seem like he'd let you go off to school without making a fuss or something. You know what I mean?"

Tara hesitated before speaking. She wasn't proud of her actions, but she knew she owed Willow the truth. "Well," she began sheepishly. "I uh…I kinda did something I'm not too proud of…"

"I kinda p-p-put a spell on my f-f-family…well, more of a curse actually. It's just so that they d-d-don't think about me…so they ignore me and not come looking…"

Willow chuckled at this, unable to stop herself from feeling proud of her friend. The girl sure had guts to stick up to an abusive father…to even go to such lengths as putting a curse on him. In her opinion, a man like that deserved everything he could get. "You shouldn't be ashamed of it Tara…"

"But curses are wrong," Tara insisted. "M-m-magick should never be used for something like that, but I…I just felt I had no choice…"

"Well, I'm glad you did." Willow grinned. "I never would've met you otherwise…"

Tara leaned down and went back into Willow's arms, holding her tight. "Thank you," she whispered into her ear.

"Oh Tara," Willow sighed, tightening her hold. "I'm just glad you trusted me enough to tell me about it. It must've been so hard for you and if you ever wanna talk about it…I'm here for you."

"Thank you," Tara smiled as she pulled away. "But I…I don't like to talk about it. It's something I…I wanna forget."

"I get it," Willow said softly. "And I'm not gonna push. Just know that I'm here if you want to…okay?"

"Okay," she said softly as she moved to stand up. She'd had enough talking for one night though. She felt so much closer to Willow now, but she meant what she'd said—she just found it too hard to talk about—wanted to forget about her past.

Willow released her hold on Tara and followed her out of the stall. She waited patiently for Tara to rinse her face a few times and made sure to be there with a few paper towels when she was done.

Willow looked at Tara through new eyes now. She couldn't even begin to imagine the pain she must've gone through growing up in an abusive family. To have gotten away from that…to turn out as well adjusted as she had…well, that made her feel so proud of her.

"To have gone through all that…to have escaped and…and to turn out like you have. Well, it's amazing. You're amazing Tara. You know that?"

"Come on," Willow grinned noticing she'd embarrassed her friend. "Lets head back to the library. I'm sure Faith's getting antsy wondering what we're up to."

"Okay," Tara smiled as she followed Willow out the door. "But I…I don't feel like going home just yet…I don't think I could sleep."

"I'm sure she wouldn't mind the company…or the relief from duty. You know what Faith's like, she'll probably get bored of being cooped up for so long and wanna head out for patrol."

"You're right," Tara agreed, pleased that Willow had decided not to push the issue of her past. She could sense that Willow wanted to know more, but she just didn't feel up to talking about it. It was great having a best friend who actually cared about her though—who felt proud of her.

Willow had been right about Faith. After an hour had gone by, she'd started pacing the library like a caged animal herself. It wasn't long before she'd grabbed her jacket and headed out the door.

Once Faith had left, Willow and Tara sat themselves down in a cross-legged position on top of the table. They went into their usual training routine—seeing as they'd skipped it this afternoon. They meditated, practiced some levitation, some control techniques…the usual. Once Oz woke up though and began pacing in his cage, it became a lot harder for them to concentrate on magicks.

"Yeah," Tara grinned. "I'm really glad he wasn't the killer though," she expressed her thoughts.

Willow grinned in response. "Yeah! I don't think it would've been much fun taking a cold-blooded killer to the homecoming dance next week," she quipped.

"So what do you wanna do now…I don't think I can concentrate with his growling in the background."

"Right," Willow stood up and headed towards the front counter. "That's a great idea. I've actually been reading to him lately. It seems to make him calmer."

With that, she quickly located the book she'd left behind the front counter and returned to her position on the table. She and Tara consequently spent the rest of the night taking turns at reading out loud from 'Call of the Wild.'

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A Fluke Between Two Wiccans

By SpikeMe4Now4200

Copyright © 2003

Spikeme4now4200@yahoo.com.au