FIC: A Firm Foundation (6 of ?)

[Red Willow <st8sboroblues@xxxxxxxxx>]

Title: A Firm Foundation
Author: Red Willow
Archive: www.papa-bear.com/RW/
Email: st8sboroblues@xxxxxxxxx
Disclaimer:  All BTVS characters or reference to belong to Joss Wedon, Mutant Enemy, and all them
other peeps. i'm just using them to make my own fun.  Non-canon characters such as Casey, Claire,
Shelley, Andi, Markus (and co), as well as story ideas belong to me and are simply a product of my
warped brain.  Girl/Girl action. You no like, you no read! 
Pairing: B/W mainly. 
Rating: NC-17 overall.
Summary: Sequal to Filling in the Gaps. Takes place not much later - give or take a week. Buffy
and Willow find out about 'the disc', smut, drama... all the good stuff. 
Author's note: Thanks to Mudrat for the beta. And thanks to everyone else for being so gosh-darn
patient. ;)

***


***

We stood just inside the door, waiting anxiously for the disc.  

"You guys know my brother, Markus." 

We all nodded that we did.  He shifted from one foot to the other and pulled at his faded Dodgers
shirt. I think he looked as nervous as I was.  

"Yeah... hey." He said quickly and then cocked his head before turning. 

We followed him into the kitchen where we met another boy holding a beer. His hair hung in his
eyes, as if he couldn't be bothered combing it, and it hit me all at once that these boys, these
teenaged boys who weren't much older than Dawn, had been watching Buffy and Willow make love. They
were drinking and probably making all sorts of lewd comments about my friends' bodies, about what
they were doing. They probably didn't see them as anything other than objects to... whack off to
as Claire put it.  

The whole reality of it made me sick.  I wanted the disc and I wanted out of there.  

"Yeah... so... um..."  

"Markus," Andi started, growing annoyed already. "You know why we're here. Go get it."

"Right." He nodded and glanced toward the other boy. 

"Oh." Mr. Scraggly-haired said, "I'll go get it. You... um... stay here."

He opened a door that I assumed led to the basement without another word.  I could faintly hear a
few other male voices and some laughing. I thought of them sitting there watching it over and over
again and I felt sick to my stomach. Sick because I had watched them with jealousy and anger. Sick
because I had made Andi and Shell make a copy of the file in the first place. Sick because I had
been so foolish as to lose it and now these boys had been watching it. 

I felt an arm being slipped around my shoulders.  I looked up to see my friends looking at me,
concern evident in their features. Claire was holding me, trying to reassure me with her confident
touch that everything was going to be okay.  

I tried for a smile, but I just couldn't muster it.  I should have been relieved.  I should have
felt the panic and worry leave my body. But it didn't. I was tense with it. 

No one said anything, though. No one offered me reassurances like they had in the car, like they
had all day.  Not one of my friends could reassure me that everything would turn out fine, even
though I was going to tell Buffy and Willow, despite getting the disc back and being able to keep
it a secret if I wanted to.  They didn't really think it would be okay.  And I think, finally, I
wasn't the only one who felt guilty in all this. Finally, they were feeling it too.  And they were
ashamed. 

***

"Oh my god."  

That was me. Me. And my beautiful Willow. Us. Together. There... 

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god..." 

I didn't know what else to say. I didn't know what to do, how to react.  I was in total and
complete shock.  

That was us, Willow and me, making love on that big screen TV.  And those boys were watching us.
Getting off on us. It was like they were watching some sporting event or something. Football or
Basketball... or World Wide Lesbian Loving. Yeah, they could have referred to it as the WWLL and
sold tickets! 

"Oh gods..." I shook my head, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. 

And it hit me. All at once it made sense.  Tara. The party. The "movie" she had for us.  It all
made sense. 

I should have felt sick to my stomach. I should have been outraged.  I should have busted in there
without a second thought and beat them to bloody little pulps and taken that video and destroyed
it. 

I should have. But I didn't. I couldn't. 

Part of me was outraged, though. The nerve of them recording us, whoever it had been! How sick
does someone have to be to do that? To watch someone. To record them and then... what? Make copies
for the neighborhood?! I was pissed all right. 

But more than that. More than being angry. Or shocked at the very reality of what was happening in
that basement.

I was turned on.  I know it sounds sick, but I was. 

They were watching us. They liked... no, they were loving it. Loved watching us fuck. I know that
sounds crude, but that's what it was. We were fucking on that video. I had my whole hand inside
her at one point, and these guys were watching and loving every bit of it. And yeah, that was
turning me on. 

And we looked hot.  I was watching us too; through that tiny window near the ground of someone's
house I'd never been to before. Anyone could come along and see me peeking in through that window.
A peeping Buffy. That's what I'd be. But I couldn't help myself. Willow and I... we were hot. I
mean, I knew this, I knew we were hot together... I couldn't get enough. She couldn't get enough.
If the energy we created during sex could be harnessed, we could light all of California! 

I could feel myself getting wet.  Hunched down near the ground in the dark of someone's side yard,
watching my girlfriend and I have sex in that apartment, without us knowing we were being
recorded. 

I got angry again and put all thoughts of my arousal out of my head. Or at least I tried. I was
going to get that video. But would I destroy it? Or bring it home for Willow and me to watch
together? 

"Oh God, Willow."  

How was I going to tell her? What if she freaked? No, she would definitely freak over this! 

I saw another teenaged boy come into the room. He told the others something and one jumped up,
turning off the video. I figured he must have been retrieving it for Tara and her friends; only
the disc that was handed to him came from the coffee table between the couch and TV, not from the
DVD player. They were keeping a copy for themselves! 

"Over my dead body!" I whispered, jumping up from my crouched position.  

I wanted answers and I wanted both of those discs.  

I went back over to the kitchen window, watching Tara and her friends standing around, waiting.
Claire put her arm around Tara and I could see from my position the worry that creased her faced.
No wonder she had been scared to death at the house earlier.  I was angry with her, but I knew
Tara only ever tried to do the right thing... well, mostly anyway. Memories of her trying to hide
what she thought was her demon side came to mind, and how it almost got us killed. But we forgave
her. She made a mistake. 

A mistake. And I think Tara knew a mistake had been made this time too and was trying to do right.
That's why she came to us to begin with. 

The boy I'd seen in the basement getting the disc emerged and handed the disc to one of Tara's
friends. Andi or Shelley, I'm not sure which one it was. She in turn handed the disc to Tara who
nodded a thank you before slipping it into her bag.  There were a few more words exchanged, but I
didn't stick around to even see if I could make out what they were saying.  I hurried around to
the front of the house and checked myself. A girl's gotta look good, after all.  

I rang the doorbell and waited. I was really looking forward to seeing the looks on their faces. 

***

"You didn't see this." Andi told the boys. "You didn't see this and your friends didn't see this."
She continued, "And if you see either of the girls on this video, you act like you have no idea
who they are. You got that?" 

Markus's friend nodded. 

"But... um..." Markus wanted to protest. 

"No buts." Casey said. "You don't know who they are and you act like you don't know." 

"But I do." Markus said. "Know them, I mean."

"What?!" Andi was shocked. "You didn't tell me you knew them! You said you recognized our guest
room, Mark!" 

"Yeah, I know!" He countered, raising his voice, "But I met those girls just today. The blonde...
what's her name?"

"Buffy." I told him, barely able to create a whisper.

"Buffy!" He said much louder. "Right, that's it. She's Dawn's sister." 

"Dawn?" I asked, looking up at him. "You know Dawn?" 

"She's in my Western Civ class." He shrugged. "They were all at the mall today and I-"

"Oh, great!" Andi threw her arms up, exasperated.  

"Andi..." Markus started, "I'm not going to say anything!" 

We all gave him and his friend a look of disbelief. 

"What?" He looked around at our group.  "Oh, please! I'm not that stupid, y'know!" 

Andi started to say something to counter her brother but he continued, ignoring her. 

"What do you think I'm gonna say, sis?" He asked. "Hey Dawn, how ya doin'? Oh, I saw your sister
fucking her girlfriend on a video my sis recorded... Wanna go out Friday night?" 

No one responded to his sarcasm. 

"Just don't let this get around guys." Andi told them. 

"Please." I said, stepping forward. "Just forget about it. Forget you ever saw the damn thing!" 

I swallowed back the tears, turning from them and was about to head toward the door when the
doorbell rang.  

"Fuck, what now?" Markus growled. 

"I'll get it." 

I looked back over to see another boy Mark's age coming from the basement door. 

"Hey." He gave everyone a quick wave. "I'm Jay. I live here." 

We all nodded or said hey, but we followed him toward the door. I know I for one was ready to get
out of there. To get away from these boys and the reality that they weren't going to just forget
what they'd seen on the disc. They would talk about it and probably tell some of their other guy
friends about it as well. 

Jay opened the door to find Buffy standing on the other side.  My heart stopped beating. I was
sure of it. 

"Just the folks I wanted to see." She said before grabbing Jay by the collar and lifting him up
into the air. 

"Hey!!" He shouted, fear in his voice. "What the fuck?! Put me down, bitch!!" 

"No." Buffy said simply. "I don't think I will." 

Jay continued to struggle, putting both his hands on her wrist and trying to force her grip free. 


Buffy looked at me. There was a mixture of anger and disappointment in that look. 

"Tara." She started, "I believe you have something for me in your bag." 

I stumbled. She knew. She knew about the disc. Knew I had it. Knew that these guys had had it. 

"I-I-I..." 

"In your bag, Tara." She pointed with her free hand, as if telling me where I had put my car keys.


"Hey Buffy..." Casey started, "Maybe you should..."

"Should what?" Buffy asked, leaning forward, acting like she was really interested in what Casey
had to say. 

"Put him down?" Claire finished the offering. 

"Hmm..." Buffy pretended to think about it. "Okay!" 

She tossed Jay to her left, where the living room was. He landed with a thud, hitting the back of
the couch and crying out in pain. 

"I-I... uhh... B-B-Buffy..." I tried to speak, to say anything, but I couldn't form the words. 

"Tara." She started, stepping toward me. "Just give me the disc, okay?" 

"Hey, don't touch her." Casey challenged, stepping close to me. 

Buffy rolled her eyes. 

"Oh, please. I'm not going to hurt her. I may feel like using one of you for a punching bag, but
I'm not going to take my anger out on Tara." 

"Y-y-you're not?" 

She looked at me, her anger softening. 

"No. I just want the disc." She looked over to where Jay was rubbing his leg. "And I want the
copy." 

Copy? What copy??  I had to smack myself in the head at that. Of course they had made a copy! Who
wouldn't?! 

Jay shook his head, and then looked to Markus and Mr. Scraggly for support. Neither of them said
anything, too scared. 

"Don't try to outsmart me," Buffy chastised, wagging her finger. "You'll always lose. Now go
downstairs and get me the copy that's sitting in your nice, new DVD player."

"What? No... there's no..." 

Jay tried to deny it but Mr. Scraggly didn't let him. 

"Dude! Just go get it, already!" 

Jay looked outraged, but one more glance in Buffy's direction and he quit trying to deny the copy.


"Fine!" He shouted, "Fuck you both!" 

With that he was off to get the copy from the basement. 

Andi turned toward Markus. 

"I can't believe you guys made a copy!" She shouted in disbelief. 

"And I can't believe you guys recorded us!" Buffy countered, pulling Andi's attention away from
her brother. 

Andi stood still, shocked.  She didn't know what to say. Neither did Shell who just looked down at
her feet.  

Buffy began to pace. 

"You had no right to do that." She said. "And even if you did think you had a right..." She turned
suddenly, pointing her finger at me. "What the hell were you doing with it?"

"I-I... I w-was..."

"You were bringing it to me and Willow?" 

I nodded emphatically. Yes! That was it exactly!

"I figured." She nodded. "I still don't get why there's a disc floating around to just fall into
anyone's hands... anyone of course being these hormonal teenage boys!"

"Buffy, we didn't mean..." Claire started. 

"Yeah, you didn't mean for it to happen, I know. Just like I'm sure these two over here didn't
mean to record me and Willow! Just like these boys here didn't mean to watch it... or make a copy
of it!" 

She was fuming. Working herself up into a fury. I wasn't surprised, just getting scared that she
was going to take back what she said about not using me for a punching bag.

"I-I'm sorry!" I said suddenly, finding my voice. "Buffy, I'm s-s-so sorry! I'm s-sorry for all of
this!" 

I couldn't hold the tears any longer and I didn't wipe them away when they started to fall.  No
one, not even Buffy said anything. 

I took the few steps to where Jay had been moments before and sat down on the arm of the couch,
sniffling. 

"Here."  

We looked up to see what I assumed were the rest of Mark's friends. Jay held the disc out in front
of him while the other boys stood behind him.

Buffy took it, grabbing his wrist at the same time. 

"I'm only going to say this once and I want you to listen very, very carefully." She told them.
"Can you do that for me?" 

She glanced at each of them individually and didn't continue until she got a nod from all of them.


Meanwhile, Casey and Claire had come over to me, offering their support, but I hardly noticed. I
felt like shit. And I just wanted to disappear. 

"You forget about this. You forget there was ever a video. You don't talk about it. You don't tell
anyone about it." Buffy told them, speaking slow, but sternly. "If I hear anything about it... and
believe me boys, I hear a lot in this town...  I will come back here... I will hunt each of you
down and have a nice little chat with you.  And I really don't want to have to do that. And I'm
thinking you probably don't want that either."  She looked at them all again, before adding, "Do
you?" 

There was a chorus of "no."  Buffy smiled that signature, cheery smile and released Jay's hand
before spinning around and coming toward me. 

I could physically feel Casey tense up.  She was still under the delusion that she could fend off
the Slayer if need be. 

She held out her hand and I handed over the disc, adding to the copy already in her possession.  

"Thank you. Now, I'm going to leave and I think you should come with me."  

I looked up, unsure if she meant me or all of us. 

"Excuse me?" Casey's attitude was starting to show. 

"I think you three should come back to my house and tell Willow. Just like you were going to do
before. Only this time, you have... well, I have the disc."  

We glanced at each other. 

"Y-you want us t-to go back with you?" 

"Yes, Tara." Buffy nodded. "I figure, the reason you three came to see us earlier had to do with
this. Am I right?"

I nodded. No, she was definitely right about that. And I shouldn't have been so shocked that she
wanted us to tell Willow. I had planned on doing just that before she rang the doorbell. 

Buffy turned toward the rest of the group. 

"Remember what I said, boys."  

They all nodded, uncomfortable to still be a part of the whole awkward situation. 

"And you two," Buffy addressed Andi and Shell, "I don't think I want to be seeing you either.
You're Tara's friends and ya know... whatever... but you're not mine. What you did... recording my
girlfriend and me for... your own pleasure... it was wrong. So very wrong and I don't want to have
anything to do with you again." 

They looked at each other but were too ashamed or pissed off - I couldn't' tell which - to look at
the rest of us. 

"Yeah." Shell said. "Whatever you want."  

They got up and slipped out the door without another word. Quickly, Mark headed for the door as
well. 

"I think I'll follow my sis..." He mumbled. 

"Yeah, you do that." Buffy encouraged him. "And don't even think about calling my sister." 

Markus turned around, all of a sudden looking wounded. He didn't say anything though, just nodded
that he understood before escaping into the night. 

"Now," Buffy began, "How about that ride back to my place?" 


tbc...








=====
"Everyone's gettin' spanked but me."  - Willow

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