FIC: Right In Front of You Part 27 (PG-13)

["CDS" <callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hey everyone, finally a new chapter in RIFOY.

Yes, there is a somewhat bad joke, in light of what happened
in the last few episodes of Season 6. However, it was written before
I knew about it, which means it was written awhile back. So why is
the chapter only being posted just now? Short answer: I was having a
pretty tough time with the chapter.

By the by, the polls are still up at my site. Heck, they'll be up for
awhile, so go vote for your fav couple.

Enjoy,

-CDS

? Title: Right In Front of You
? Author: Callisto's Dark Side
? Email: callistosdarkside@xxxxxxxxxx
? Feedback: The more I get, the faster I write.
? Distribution: Can be found at
http://www.geocities.com/callistosdarkside/RightInFrontOfYou.htm (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 Angel & Buffy the Vampire Slayer are
copyright Joss Whedon & 20th Century Fox.
? 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 27


"The crystal's gotta be powerful, considering it completely ignored our
protection spell," Dawn stated, stuffing food in her mouth.

Tara sat across from Dawn on the bed, reading the book intensely.

"The only question is 'How powerful?'" Tara added.

"I'd guess really powerful, cuz it knocked me unconscious. What do you
think?"

Tara didn't respond.

"Tara?"

"Oh, sorry, it's just this book keeps referring to another book."

"What book?"

"The Gateway to Heaven."

"Are you saying that I'm the key to heaven?"

"Not me, the book."

"But how's that possible? I thought I was the key to hell on earth. That's
what Glory keeps telling me, so thankfully she doesn't know I'm the key."

"Maybe in this dimension you're different."

"True, or maybe they think our home dimension is heaven," Dawn suggested.

"If that were true, then they've obviously never been."

"Hey, as long as we get home, I'm game."

"First, we have to find this other book it keeps referring to, and see if
we're right. But most importantly, we have to make sure this crystal
doesn't try to kill you again."

"Are you saying it'll sprout legs and come after me?"

"Probably," Tara smiled.

"What's so funny?"

"Your imagination."

"Well, if it does sprout legs, I'm making you my shield."

"Fine with me, but I have to tell you, I make a very bad shield, as I'm
prone to move out of the way at the last second," Tara teased.

"But I'm the key to heaven."

"We don't know that for sure."

"Until we do, I'm claiming it's true."

"Then I'll just have to go get that book to debunk your claim."

"Debunk?"

"Never heard that word?"

"Yeah, by people older than Giles. Just get that book."

"Fine. Stay here and guard this," Tara handed the book over to Dawn.

******

"Did you get it?" Dawn asked, as Tara returned.

"They didn't have it."

"How could they not have it?"

"One of the librarians told me it was sold to a merchant awhile back."

"A merchant?"

"Care to guess his name?"

"Not really. Oh wait a sec. Are you serious?"

"Uh huh, it's Balon."

"The same guy that sells books to Leanna?"

"Yup."

"We have to go back then."

"Yes we do. Hopefully, Leanna will buy the book, if he gets there before
us."

"What're we waiting for? Let's go," Dawn enthused.

******

Willow buried herself in the bed sheets, curled up, hoping Buffy would think
she was asleep.

She could hear the Slayer enter the room quietly, open a few drawers and
then leave. After a minute, Willow took a peek to see Buffy was really
gone.

Then a few minutes later, Willow heard the familiar sounds of the bathroom
shower, coming from the hallway.

Of course. She just went slaying. She always showers after slaying.
Willow told herself. The redhead's mind kept running through the
conversation she'd just overhead between Buffy and Anya.

Buffy loved her, really loved her, and she didn't know how to tell her.
She'd heard Buffy say it a million times before, but that was different.
She meant it in a friendshippy way, not a romantic way. At least that's
what Willow thought.

Now the words wouldn't be so easy.

After about an agonizing half-an-hour, Willow heard the shower stop, and
minutes later, she heard the door to the bathroom squeak open.

Willow began breathing rapidly again.

Buffy walked into the dark room, her steps quiet, but seemingly louder than
ever before.

Willow hid beneath the blankets, unmoving.

The Slayer inched closer to her bed. Gently, Buffy slid onto her side of
the bed, the side closest to the window.

The Slayer stared at the huddled mass of nervousness beside her. Her Slayer
senses, told her Willow was awake.

"Will?"

Willow's heart jumped out of her chest.

"Will?"

Willow held on tightly to the rolled up piece of blanket in her hands, but
didn't say a word.

Buffy slowly peeled away the layer of blanket covering Willow's tense body,
slipped her arm around the redhead's body, and pulled her close, allowing
the blanket to fall over both of them.

Willow felt Buffy's comforting arm envelope her body. The Wiccan first
tensed up, but then relaxed to the softness of the embrace.

The Slayer noticed the almost sudden change in Willow's body, and smiled,
planting a soft kiss on Willow's neck.

"Willow," Buffy whispered into Willow's ear, "I need you to know something."

Willow gulped, before turning her head to meet Buffy's watery eyes in the
moonlight. The sincerity and love in the Slayer's eyes melted the Wiccan's
heart.

"I know," Willow whispered, releasing her grip on the blanket and bringing
her fingertips to Buffy's lips. "I love you too."

Buffy smiled, more than she had in her entire life, before pulling Willow in
for a deep kiss.

******

"I can't believe you two are finally girlfriend and girlfriend," Anya mused,
sitting across from Buffy and Willow at their table in the Magic Box.

Buffy and Willow blushed, holding hands underneath the table.

"I mean, now you two can have all the sex you want," Anya enthused.

Willow frowned, "Well, we haven't exactly?"

"Why not?" The ex-demon demanded.

"Because," Buffy interrupted, "It's none of your business."

"How is this none of my business, and what does that have to do with whether
or not you two have had sex? You should be thanking me for getting you two
lonely bears together."

"That's birds," Willow corrected.

"Whatever," Anya brushed off. "Just have sex already."

"Okay, not the poster demon for abstinence," Buffy quipped.

"Abstinence is for those who can't get any," Anya countered, "and from my
count, you two aren't virgins anyway."

"Do I sense peer pressure?" Willow drawled.

"Technically, she's a thousand years old, meaning she's not really our
peer," Buffy pointed out.

"You two are hopeless," Anya huffed, stomping away back to the cash
register.

Willow grinned at the spectacle of Anya, before turning to Buffy, "Ice
cream?"

"Anything you want," Buffy smiled, pulling Willow in for a soft, sensuous
kiss.

******

"Kid, if you're lying, I swear?" Glory glared menacingly at little Anna,
while standing over her in the living room.

"I'm not," Anna squeaked. "I don't have your shoe."

"Then where is it?"

Anna shrugged her shoulders.

This scene had been played out over and over again ever since Glory lost her
red pump. Although the heel was broken, she figured she could find someone
to fix it, but it went missing instead.

Glory shook her head, and waved Anna away, "Go lose yourself. A Goddess has
gotta think."

Anna immediately ran out of the house.

******

The sound of a horse galloped outside the homestead, which peaked both Glory
and Leanna's curiosity.

As the two looked outside, they saw Tara and Dawn approach on their horse.

"We're back!" Tara and Dawn shouted.

Leanna sped outside, helping both girls awkwardly off the horse.

Glory glared at the two women, "Where's my dress and my shoe?" The former
Goddess demanded.

"Dunno about the shoe, but your dress now belongs to the horse," Dawn
motioned towards the horse's neck, where the dress had been stretched and
manipulated to cover the horse's mane.

"Okay," Glory ground her teeth, "you now have exactly one second before I?"

"Do nothing," Tara stated, glaring at Glory.

Glory glared back, but then huffed, and walked back into the house.

"So how was your journey?" Leanna inquired, while helping Tara unload the
horse.

"Good," Tara answered. "We think we've found something."

"Really?"

"Yes, but we need to find someplace more private to discuss this," Tara
whispered.

"Very well," Leanna agreed.

"Oh, before we leave, did Balon come by while we were gone?" Tara asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I bought several books from him."

"Great!" Tara and Dawn beamed.

"I'm glad you're glad," Leanna said, "I'll go get them."

Tara and Dawn watched as Leanna walked back into the house.

"Dawn," Tara turned to her fellow brunette, "Can you stay here and distract
Glory while Leanna and I talk privately?"

"Fine, but I can't promise it'll be pretty," Dawn breathed.

******

Leanna handed the book over to Tara in the privacy of the forest.

Tara quickly flipped the pages and found the exact same picture of the
crystal as in the other book.

"This is it," Tara muttered.

"What is it?" Leanna inquired.

"It's the crystal we saw in the temple at the Capitol."

"What's so special about it?"

"I think it's our way back home."

"What makes you think that?"

"It's complicated, but when we saw it, it was glowing and it seemed to have
a life of it's own. It's green aura?"

"Green aura?" Leanna interrupted.

"Yes, green aura. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, except that it's supposed to have a white aura."

"When we saw it, it was green."

"So it must be true then," Leanna murmured dejectedly.

"That it's green?"

"No, the legend."

"What legend?"

"There's an ancient legend surrounding the Heaven's Gate Crystal. No one
really ever believed it though."

"What's the legend say?"

"It is said that two powerful women, will one day come from a foreign shore,
and claim what is rightfully theirs. And when they come, the Heaven's Gate
Crystal will show it's true radiance, granting it's powers to the two
women."

"You think Dawn and I are those two women?"

"I have never known two women more powerful than you and Dawn."

"Does the legend say anything more about the powers this crystal is supposed
to grant?"

"That part is unclear."

"Great," Tara breathed.

"Are you alright?" Leanna placed a consoling hand on Tara's shoulder.

"Yes," Tara shook her head, "No. Actually I'm not. I haven't been alright
for a long time."

"What's wrong?"

"I miss her?" Tara trailed off.

"Your lover?"

Tara nodded silently.

"I try my best to stay strong, for Dawn, but it's hard to stay strong when
we've been apart for so long."

"Well, if the legend holds true, you may not be apart for much longer."

"What if the legend doesn't hold true? Or what if it means something else
entirely?"

"Then you can stay here. You'll always have a place in my home," Leanna
stated sincerely.

"I know," Tara replied sombrely, "I just wish I could be?" Tara sniffled,
before breaking down in Leanna's arms.

******

"So what's the what with the books?" Dawn inquired, sitting at the edge of
the stream, while Tara bathed in the cool water.

"From what I can tell, the prophecy in the two books say that when the lock,
i.e. the crystal, and the key, i.e. you, come together, we'll be granted the
powers of the crystal."

"What does that mean?"

"I think it means we can go home," Tara replied, straining some water from
her hair.

"But didn't the book say I'm the key to heaven?"

"Yes."

"So wouldn't that mean we'd be opening the door to heaven?"

"Maybe, but you have to remember. Prophecies tend to be? well? not what
they seem to be."

"So we could really be opening the door to hell?" Dawn drawled.

"Maybe."

"Plus, who knows if this prophecy is even right."

"Well, it did get the part about the crystal showing it's true colours when
two powerful women from another dimension came to see it."

Tara stared silently at her reflection in the water, grasping the locket
around her neck, before lifting her head to meet Dawn's eyes.

"Dawn, I think we should go tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes, I think we should leave as soon as possible."

"Okay, but?" Dawn started, but stopped when she heard some rustling in the
bushes. "Tara, over there!" Dawn pointed to the movement in the bushes on
the other side of the stream.

Tara's eyes flashed wide open as she cast a spell, binding in place whatever
was hiding in the bushes.


To be continued.