FIC: Right In Front of You Part 16

["Callistosdarkside" <callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxx>]

More fast paced action. Hope ya like.

As always read here, or at my site:
http://www.geocities.com/callistosdarkside/RightInFrontOfYou.html

-CDS

. Title: Right In Front of You Part 16
. Author: Callisto's Dark Side
. Email: callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxx
. Feedback: The more I get, the faster I write.
. Distribution: Can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/callistosdarkside/RightInFrontOfYou.html (My Site),
http://www.geocities.com/last_days_of_pern, and
http://www.peccath.com/extraflamey/mainframe.htm
. Spoilers: All of Season 5, but events take place before some events in
Tough Love.
. Rating: R
. Pairing: W/T & B/W
. Disclaimer: All characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer belong to the
almighty Joss Whedon and Company, and are only being borrowed for the fun
and enjoyment of us, the super fans.
. Summary: Willow/Tara fic in which the two love birds must manage to deal
with the consequences of a spell that threatens to tear them apart forever.


Chapter 16

"Excuse me, sir," Willow said innocently.

"Well, hello there missy," The Zookeeper smiled, turning around to see an
attractive redhead.

"Do you happen to know where I am? I believe I'm lost," Willow batted her
eyes, which was the signal for Buffy.

The blonde Slayer immediately hopped the fence and snuck into the bird
sanctuary. Buffy looked around, searching for the eagle cage.

"Bingo." Buffy raced across the sanctuary. A single eagle feather was
lying in the centre of the large cage.

The Slayer looked around for a key, but didn't see any in sight, so she just
banged on the lock to open it.

"Now don't go pecking or clawing at me birdies," Buffy joked, as she entered
the cage and shut the door, racing to the centre, picking up the feather and
returning to the lock-door as fast as possible.

"Woo, Hitchcock flashback," Buffy drawled, wiping her brow, and putting the
broken lock back in place, as she snuck out of the sanctuary.

"That is so funny," Willow laughed, giving the Zookeeper a playful slap on
the arm.

"There're more jokes where that came from," The man replied, hitching up his
pants.

"I would hope so," Willow smiled. "Oh, it looks like I don't need your help
after all," Willow apologised, as she saw Buffy hopping the fence back out.

"You don't?"

"Nope, my friend's found me," Willow answered, "but thanks anyway."

"Wait a second," The Zookeeper called after the fleeting redhead, "Do you
want to go out some time?"

Willow turned her head slightly, but continued walking, "Sure, I'll call
you," The Hacker replied as she looped her arm with Buffy's and hightailed
it out of the zoo.

The Zookeeper could only scratch his head, as he never gave her his number.

******

"Tell me again why we couldn't have just asked for an eagle feather," Willow
questioned Buffy as they headed to the cemetery.

"Because, then I wouldn't have had the pleasure of seeing you seduce a
zoo-man," Buffy drawled.

"He was falling head-over heels in love with me, you know?"

"I know. Guys will go for anything in a skirt."

"So are you saying I'm not pretty?"

"Of course not Will. I'm just saying guys are hormone bags ready to pounce
the first thing that looks their way, pretty or not."

"Oh, but I'm pretty, right?"

"No, you're beautiful, Will," Buffy assured, turning her head and looking
the redhead directly in the eyes.

After what felt like an eternity staring into soulful depths, the Slayer
forcefully pulled her eyes away, afraid she'd lose herself in the blue-green
eyes of her best friend.

"Umm, what do ya say we go pull some vamp teeth," Buffy suggested
sheepishly.

"Sure, just lead the way."

"You have the pliers, right?"

"Mmm hmm," Willow murmured, holding up the shiny new pliers they bought at
the store.

"Someone's got an afternoon dentist appointment," Buffy drawled, as she
headed for the nearest crypt.

******

"What're they doing?" Ben asked his minion, while hiding in the bushes.

"They're acquiring the ingredients for the location spell."

"How many are there?"

"I believe there are 7, Master."

"How many do they have now?"

"This should be their second one, so they have 5 more to go."

"I can count nimrod."

"Of course, your Benificus, I was only trying to be specific."

"So what're the others."

"Along with the eagle feather and vampire fang, they require the blood of a
sacrificed pig, the nail of a Talonse Demon, the horn of a Cathra Demon, the
hair of a virgin human girl, and the Eye of Venus."

"The Eye of Venus?"

"Yes, it's been rumoured to be in the possession of a. Wolfram and Hart, a
law firm based in LA"

"Then that's where we're going," Ben replied, patting his minion on the
shoulder.

******

"Twenty gorans?" Dawn frowned, looking at the fifteen gorans in her hand
that Leanna had given her for the market.

"Yup, it's twenty or nothing." The merchant crossed his arms.

"Fine, then it's nothing," Dawn said, walking away.

"No wait, how about eighteen gorans?"

"How about, no?"

"You won't find better paper anywhere else."

"So, make it ten, then."

"That's robbery, I'll go down to fifteen, no more."

"Good, cuz that's all I have," Dawn smiled, slapping the coins down on the
table and grabbing her new diary.

******

"So how many books do you think you'll be able to get us?" Leanna asked her
travelling merchant friend, Balon, while Tara stood behind her, smiling
awkwardly.

"Depends on how many I can find," Balon shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, find as many as you can, because we really need them," Leanna
pleaded.

"I'll try, but I don't see why you need spell books that don't work."

"It's an experiment we're trying," Leanna answered.

"Good enough for me, as long as you can pay."

"I can. I promise."

"Very well, then I'll see you next month, hopefully with plenty of books."

"Thank you, Balon, I really appreciate it."

"No problem," The merchant replied before moving onto the next customer.

"Thank you," Tara spoke up, clasping Leanna's hands, "I really appreciate
you helping us. Dawn and I really appreciate you helping us."

"It's the least I can do for the woman who taught me magic."

"And there'll be more where that came from, if we can find the right
ingredients here."

"It shouldn't be a problem, I know where we can find the most unusual
goods."

"Good," Tara smiled.

******

Anna glared at the merchant holding the pair of pearl necklaces she wanted,
"Five gorans," The six-year-old demanded.

"Five, are you crazy little girl. I may know your mother, but five isn't
even close to what I paid for them. The price of these necklaces are thirty
each."

"Five," Anna demanded again.

"Look, little girl, if you bring your mother along with more money, I might
lower the price, but five is out of the question."

"Five," Anna screamed, tears beginning to flow from her eyes, causing the
crowd rustling in the market square to stop and turn at the spectacle.

"If you're trying to make me feel sorry for you, it won't work. Where would
I be if I let every poor little girl convince me to sell below market
value?"

"Five," Anna breathed raggedly, a precursor to more tears.

"Look, just find your mother, and I'll lower the price, I promise," The
burly merchant began to shake.

"Five."

"I'm not selling them for five gorans, not even if you give me five each."

"Five."

The burly man flushed at the attention he was getting, realising it wasn't
good for business, nor his reputation to be bartering with a six-year-old
girl, who was on the verge of bursting into tears.

"Okay, I'll sell them to you for fifteen each, that's half of what I was
asking before."

"Not good enough," Anna pouted.

"Well it has to be, because I'm already losing five gorans each on them if I
give them to you for fifteen, cuz that's what I'll be doing, giving them to
you."

"Ten," Anna bartered.

"Ten? As in total? Hardly."

"No, ten each," Anna proudly displayed the twenty gorans in her hands.

The burly merchant pulled at his collar and wiped the sweat from his brow as
the crowd continued to stare, whisper, and point.

"Okay, fine, ten each, just get out of here," He conceded.

"Yay, thank you," Anna shouted triumphantly as she dropped the coins into
the man's hands, grabbed the two pearls necklaces, and skipped off to find
Glory.

******

"You know, red, as in the colour I'm wearing right now?" Glory sighed.

"But we don't have that colour," The lady merchant apologised.

"No kidding. I'm surprised your fashion deprived world even has the concept
of colour. You know what, forget about the colour, just show me something
black and silky, like that over there." The blonde goddess pointed to a sexy
black dress behind the merchant.

"Of course," The lady obeyed immediately, carefully handing the fine
material over to the angry woman in red.

"Hmm, not as soft as I'm use to, but it'll do. How much?"

"Fifty gorans," The lady responded.

"Fifty what?"

"Gorans."

"Don't you people at least deal in currency? Why do you have to deal in
animals?"

"Animals? Gorans are these," The lady showed Glory the shiny coins.

"Oh, then I'll go get someone who has them. Just don't let anyone buy it
while I'm gone." Glory glared as she handed the woman back the dress.

"Of course, we'll reserve it especially for you."

"Damn right."

******

"Cordy!" Angel shouted as he lunged across the room to catch the falling
brunette.

"Ahhh!" Cordelia slumped into Angel's arms, grabbing her forehead in agony.

"Eye. blue." Cordelia spoke raggedly, trying to determine as many details as
possible about the mind-numbing vision.

"What else?"

"Lawyers. Wolfram and Hart," Cordy spit out, before collapsing.

"Good. You did good Cordy," Angel soothed, hugging the fallen brunette.

To be continued.