ff: Nka (9/?)

["Christeen Demons" <Shyfox30@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Disclaimer: See first eight parts for full. Joss owns Buffy, yay. 
Paramount owns Voyager, yay...I own bubkis.




Chapter nine

?She loves me. She really loves me.? It was all Buffy could think about as 
she sat in her Psychology class, unable to bring her attention to the 
subject at hand. She had hoped...dreamed, that Willow might feel the same 
way, but she hadn?t dared let herself expect it. ?You love me?? she had 
asked, in a quiet whisper, staring at her new lover in a dumbfounded daze.

The red-head had nodded at her, her tears overflowing as her face drew a 
tremulous smile. All Buffy could think to do, was pull her best friend into 
her arms and hold her until the shaking stopped and Willow was able to look 
up at her again. ?Bad timing, huh?? Buffy had asked, a
half smile on her lips, as she chastized herself silently. She?d never 
really had good timing in relationships, sure she could fight with precision 
timing when she had to, she was the Slayer after all, but when she it came 
to putting her heart on the line her timing sucked.

Willow shrugged. ?Not bad, just...? She paused, trying to find the right 
words.

?Bad.? Buffy repeated, firmly. ?In the history of bad timing, mine is the 
worst.?

?Not bad.? Willow said, even more firmly, her green eyes flashing, daring 
Buffy to argue with her. ?It?s just...now I have to find a way to tell Tara 
that even though I love her...I love you more.?

?Will.? Buffy?s voice was husky as she tried to control the rush of 
emotions that swarmed around her at the simple statement.

?I always have.? Willow elaborated gently, meeting Buffy?s eyes with a look 
that conveyed all the love she?d ever felt.

They?d spent precious moments just holding each other after that. Buffy 
savoring the feel and texture of the red head?s soft skin. Now that she was 
granted permission to do this, she wanted to make up for all the times when 
she had wanted to reach out and touch her but had denied herself the 
pleasure. Willow?s hands weren?t idle either, she could feel them floating 
across the skin of her abdomen, and down over the hard muscle of her inner 
thigh. She?d felt shivers running through her from the tactile sensations, 
and had cursed the responsible part of her brain that she thought she?d 
drugged into submission the night before, that was nibbling at her 
subconscious, reminding her beer soaked brain that even though this felt 
nice they both had classes they had to
attend.

She?d let out an aggravated groan, after failing to beat the nagging voice 
into submission, startling the red-head on top of her who looked at her 
questioningly.

?Are you okay? Does your head hurt?? Willow had asked, suddenly 
remembering that Buffy had come home pretty drunk the night before. ?You?re 
not going to throw up are you?? She?d given her lover a wary glance as she 
tried to decide whether or not the Slayer looked green.

?I?m fine.? Buffy chuckled, amused by the worried cluster of questions. ?I 
just remembered that we both have to be in class in half an hour. And I was 
thinking that I really didn?t want to get out
of bed to go sit in a class that I?d probably be bored at anyway, when I 
really could be holding you all morning.? She smiled impishly, hoping that 
Willow would agree to skip class to be with
her.

But, here she was, sitting in her hard seat staring at a Psychology book, 
waiting for the next in a long line of substitutes that had graced the halls 
of UC Sunnydale to come breezing through the open class room door, wishing 
that she?d just stayed in her warm, soft bed instead. She had to chuckle at 
the way Willow had shot her attention up to look at the clock, neatly 
blanching when she had noticed what time it was, then apologized profusely 
as she had leapt out of bed, saying that she really had to get to class, she 
had a presentation due that day that she?d been preparing for weeks, and she 
really didn?t want to miss it. It was fifty percent of her grade after all.

Besides, Tara was in the same class and it would give her a chance to tell 
her what was going on. Not that she was looking forward to that 
conversation. Not in the slightest. In fact, it had made her pale toned 
skin turn even whiter when she had mentioned it, but Buffy could also see 
the determination in her eyes, and she knew that Willow had decided that it 
was better to get it out in the open as soon as possible.

Buffy had smiled weakly at her in understanding. ?I?ll be here if you need 
me.? She?d said to the red head, hoping to offer some small form of 
comfort.

?Oh, believe me...I?ll need it.? Willow had said, before she?d slipped out 
of the dorm room, leaving a fretting Slayer sitting on the bed staring after 
her.

?Good Morning, Class.? A strong vibrant voice echoed throughout the 
classroom, gaining Buffy?s as well as everyone else?s attention instantly. 
An older woman stood poised in the doorway, surveying the room with eyes the 
color of cobalt, resting briefly on each and every one
of the students, until they came to Buffy and stopped for a split second 
longer than she had with the others. Buffy felt her senses shoot through 
the roof as she stared into eyes that were deeper than any ocean, and more 
wise than a million stars. ?My name is Katheryn Janeway...? She said, 
stalking across the room like she owned it while making her way to the 
podium. ?And I?ll be your teacher for the foreseeable future.?

*****

?Hey.? Willow said nervously as she came upon Tara in their computer class.

?Hey.? She said back, eyebrows raised. ?I was beginning to think you 
weren?t going to make it.?

?Well...I...um...I kinda got hung up.? Willow mumbled hastily before taking 
her seat in front of her computer.

?What happened with Buffy last night?? Tara asked, blue eyes skittering 
over Willow?s face. The drone registered a flare of heat from her prey 
noticing a sudden tightness in the skin. She filed it away for further 
contemplation before asking her next question. Of course, this all
happened in the matter of a nanosecond. ?Did you and Buffy get into a fight 
last night?? This time the eyes lit with a predatory gleam, which Willow 
failed to notice.

?Uh...well, sort of.? Willow glanced around the room, unable to meet the 
ashen blonde?s eyes. ?Can we talk about it after class??

?Okay.? She agreed, her voice hesitant. The drone noticed the tone of her 
prey?s voice was off, and the blood pressure appeared to be elevated. 
Something had happened to make her upset. The signals that she was picking 
up from her prey gave her encouragement that things were going according to 
plan.

She would have pressed the conversation, but the class grew suddenly silent. 
Their attention drawn towards the entrance and the woman that was taking 
up most of the door frame. Willow gasped as she encountered the stunning 
ice blue eyes. She felt their cold regard as she was
examined in minute detail, feeling curiously like a lab rat that had just 
been disected and left feeling unworthy. Willow felt her face heating as 
she allowed herself to examine the rest of the woman?s statuesque form. 
Shining gold hair was tucked up into a severe bun at the nape of her neck, 
accentuationg the beauty of the woman?s pale complexion. Curves were clearly 
outlined by the blouse and slacks the woman wore, giving substance to the 
large amounts of energy she felt
radiating from the woman?s presence.

Willow had to forcefully snap her mouth shut as the blonde moved past her, 
unconsciously following the way her hips swivelled as she walked, feeling 
her face flush even brighter with embarrassment when she caught herself 
doing it. ?What happened to Mr. Gregor?? Willow asked
herself, noticing the absence of the sixty year old computer lab teacher 
that would never have elicited such a response from her. Her reaction to 
the svelte blond had left her feeling overly self-concious, and not a little 
bit ashamed of herself. First Tara, then Buffy...now she was having this 
very strange reaction to what appeared to be a substitute teacher.

?What is it, a blonde thing?? She asked herself snidely, shaking her head 
to clear it, just as the woman started talking.

?Good morning.? The voice was clear, crisp and to the point. Each syllable 
accounted for. ?I am sorry to announce that your teacher, Mr. Gregor, has 
taken a sudden sabbatical. He should return soon, but until then, I have 
been asked to take over his duties. Are there any questions??

Willow hesitantly raised her hand, drawing the attention of the ice blue 
eyes once more. A blonde eyebrow arched, before a quick nod gave her 
permission to speak. ?Our presentations were due today, are they still 
going to be done...Miss...? She wasn?t sure what to call her, so she 
stopped, uncertain.

?I apologize. My name is Anna Durr...but you may all call me Anna. And 
yes, we will be doing whatever you already had scheduled today.? That 
should at least make the class go along easier, Seven thought, still nervous 
about being in front of all of these college students. Although she had 
agreed to Tom?s plan to set up Janeway as her ancestor?s teacher, she hadn?t 
counted on being pulled into the plan. She still wasn?t used to the 
?acting? necessary with some away missions, and
became uncomfortable when she had to act in such a capacity. But Katherine 
hoped that by assuming these roles they would have a better chance to get 
acquainted with Buffy and her friends, and be close enough to stop the Queen 
before she made her move.

*****

?Well, that was an interesting class...don?t you think?? Willow asked, 
nervously, unable to meet the blonde?s eyes as they sat in the now vacated 
class room. ?I...I think we did well on the class
project...well...coming from a hacker, it was easy.? She continued, feeling 
not just a small dash of pride at her own intelligence. ?But you...you were 
amazing, I didn?t know you knew so much
about computers.?

?They?re so primitive.? The drone thought with disgust, paying attention to 
the red head?s babble at the same time. She recognized the nervous babble, 
having put up with it for so long. It really
grated on her nerves the way the red head never could come to a concise 
point. ?You said you wanted to..to talk to me about something?? The drone 
asked, trying to hurry the red head along.

Willow?s eyes shot over to Tara, taking in the nervous slouch of her 
shoulders. She really didn?t want to have to do this...she didn?t want to 
hurt her in this way. But she knew she didn?t have a choice. ?Oh...right. 
Yeah...I did.? She paused, to gulp nervously, feeling a tight ball of 
tension starting to form in her gut. ?This isn?t easy for me. And I want 
you to know that you will always
be special to me.?

Tara?s analytical borg mind was rapidly trying to analyze the logical 
conclusions to the statements Willow was making. The data was still too 
unclear to process, but clear enough so that she could tell she didn?t like 
the direction the conversation was heading in.

?But...Buffy admitted something to me last night that took me by surprise. 
Something that I never thought that I would hear in my wildest dreams.? She 
took another uncomfortable pause, searching for a way to say it that 
wouldn?t hurt her friend as much. ?Buffy told me that she loved me last 
night, and that she has been in love with me for a long time. She just 
never had the courage before to say it. And...I?m really sorry...but I?m in 
love with her too.?

Tara knew she wouldn?t be able to hide her expression, so she bowed her 
head, focusing on the hands clasped tightly in her lap, while her analytical 
mind sorted over the information faster than a human could blink. The truth 
had been revealed, and with it the Borg Queen?s plans had shifted. She 
conveyed the information to the Queen waiting for her next instructions.

Willow took in Tara?s posture, the bowed head, the defeated air and felt a 
huge wave of guilt and shame wash over her almost drowning her in it?s 
bitterness. She felt tears stinging her eyes as she tried to find some way 
to console her friend. ?Tara...? she choked on the name, tears clogging 
her throat. ?Tara....I?m so sorry.?

But Willow?s sorrow turned to fear as the blond head lifted to stare at her 
unflinchingly. Peices of metal started to bore through the skin of her face 
as it blended, molded and shaped it?s way onto the once clear face. One 
blue eye had gone completely dull, and a metallic object was in the process 
of pushing it?s way through it until it ended up covering the eye 
completely. Her skin was breaking out all over with bits and pieces of 
machinery, as if they had just been lying just beneath the surface, waiting 
dormant for just such an occasion. ?Tara?? Willow questioned, looking for 
her friend she had known, even as she struggled to back away from her. But 
Tara?s face wasn?t the only part of her body that had sprouted metal, one 
hand was completely covered in machinery and it had reached out, grabbing 
her arm painfully to hold her in place.

?We are the Borg.? A voice that was one, yet a millon voices at the same 
time spoke chillingly. Willow?s heart hammered so hard in her chest she 
thought it would explode as she struggled futilely agains the iron grip. 
?You will be assimilated.? It warned her, even as the Tara/drone
brought up her other arm and Willow looked in horror at two wormy looking 
wires that hovered increasingly near her neck. ?Resistance is futile.? It 
assured her, even as the tubules sank deep within her neck, and Willow 
howled like she had never howled before, feeling the pain of the invasion 
down to her very soul.

She fought against the pain, against the voices that invaded her head, but 
as Tara had assured her, resistance really was futile and as the soothing 
tones of the Borg Queen washed over her soul she found her resistance 
crumbling along with her humanity.

...to be continued.:-)


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