Author: Spellbound
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I own nothing except 2 insane cats, fuzzy socks and and a twisted imagination.The songs used in this fic all belong to whoever wrote them and Im just borrowing them, you could sue me but it'd be pointless as I have nothing at all... the only thing of any worth I have is my girlfriend and there aint no way in Hades you're having her!!! Grr Argh!

As Willow turned into the hallway, she skidded to a halt outside Tara's door, suddenly unsure as to what exactly she was going to tell the blonde. She paused for a moment but heard nothing more than the average hustle and bustle of an average apartment building. Taking a deep breath, she knocked loudly on the door and waited.

Tara spun towards the door adopting a fighting stance almost as soon as she heard the knock. 'Oh god, what if it's him?' her mind raced. Taking a huge breath, she crossed to the door and peered through the peephole. A shock of red greeting her senses and she smiled despite herself. "Oh fuck it!" she chastised under her breath, "I was meant to phone her back!" Tara raced to the counter where she had dropped her keys and returned to the heavily locked door. "Just a minute." she called out, hoping that Willow could hear her through the heavy door.

Pulling the door open, Tara was momentarily surprised when it refused to open completely, after a quick glance in its direction, she realised she still had the chain on and pushed the door closed to release it.

"Hey Willow, what's up?" she asked as brightly as possible.

"I got worried when you didn't call back and you sounded a little distressed on the phone so I thought I'd come over and make sure you were all ok, and then I saw the flowers flying from the window and I'm guessing something's gone a little kablooey and wanted to try and help and to make sure you were ok." Willow admitted, her cheeks flushing as she spoke.

Tara smiled sweetly and pulled the door open to allow Willow inside. She fought with herself as to whether or not to tell Willow the truth and decided that since she was a cop, then she might be able to help.

As she fixed the thoughtful redhead a drink, Tara proceeded to tell her all about the man who had been stalking her. 'My god, I have a stalker' she thought as Willow took in the information.

"What does he look like?" Willow asked, snapping Tara out of her impending depression.

"Uh? Look like? He's erm..." Tara's mind refused to recall any details of the man from the club, even though she had seen him almost everyday, she couldn't even remember the basics of his face. "Oooh, I can't remember but he has a blue car!" she continued lamely.

Willow smiled sweetly. "Is he about 6feet tall, well built, dark hair, grey eyes, kinda....." she paused for a moment to try and find the right word. "Lurky?"

Frowning at the perfect description, Tara nodded slowly. "How do you know?" she asked.

"I saw him on the night we went to dinner." Willow admitted, avoiding Tara's intense look. "He was outside and I thought he was going to come into the building but he said not."

Tara gasped, her hand coming to her mouth allowing Willow to notice she was shaking. "But...." Willow continued with a grin and a sparkle in her eye. "I can run a trace on him, find out about him, I got his license plate!" She told the shaking blonde. "I'm going to look after you. Keep you safe." she added quietly.

Relief and joy filled Tara and she rushed across the room and swept Willow into her arms, hugging her fiercely.

As they pulled apart, Tara's gaze darted around the room, her spontaneous physical outburst had left them both shaking and flushed. "I'm sorry." she apologised weakly.

Willow smiled, "You don't have to apologise, I don't mind."

"Let me cook you dinner!" Tara offered loudly, rising to her feet and heading to the kitchen before Willow had a chance to respond. "Y'know, to say thanks?"

In the compact room, she busied herself with pans and pots before realising she had no idea what Willow liked. Popping her head back through the doorway, she grinned. "Stir-fry ok?" she asked.

Willow nodded, laughter playing in her eyes as she watched the blonde try and hide her embarrassment behind cooking.

Preparing the ingredients, Tara turned quickly and knocked the radio on, the ever comforting KLFZ filled the room and she turned the volume down.

From the kitchen, Willow heard a crash and then music fill the apartment and she giggled. "KLFZ." Willow whispered with the merest hint of amusement. She loved the station, always had. With the chaos of her job, it was nice to come home and be able to relax to the laid back tunes that the station played. Currently, her favourite commercial was playing and she sang along quietly.

Her mind returned to the hug she had shared with Tara only moments before, she with the blonde in her arms, she'd felt safe and warm but also needed and strong. More than anything, she wanted to feel her close again, feel their heartbeats so close and even matched. The smell of her hair filing her nostrils.

Willow was pulled from her fantasy as the music grew louder and she couldn't suppress a grin. In all her time on the force, she knew how badly a stalking incident could affect the victim, how they would often end up feeling small and terrified, hiding away from the world and losing all confidence. The song that emerged from the kitchen was the perfect antidote to a stalker and Willow hoped that Tara was listening and hearing its lyrics.

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leaves you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Crossing to stand in the doorway, Willow watched as Tara stared into the fridge. The blonde looked up as her peripheral vision caught Willow's movement.

Holding out her hand, Willow smiled softly as Tara's slipped into her own.

Moving towards the centre of the room, the became entwined within the other, swaying softly to the music.

I hope you dance....
I hope you dance,

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Living might mean taking chances but they're worth taking,
Loving might be a mistake but it's worth making
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter
When you come close to selling out reconsider
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance...

For the first time in a long time, Tara felt safe. Willow's arms wrapped securely around her waist, her even breathing tickling her lips and those perfect emerald eyes captivating her and filling her with love. Pulling the redhead in closer, Tara rested her head on her shoulder and let her fingers play slowly over the nape of Willow neck and the movement drawing a small shudder from the other woman. Noting the increase in Willow's heart rate, Tara grinned. 'Don't fall for her.' she told herself, 'She's just made you a work case. Don't fall for her!'

I hope you dance....
I hope you dance,
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance,

'Too late!!!' she told herself.

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance....

Willow caught her breath as Tara pulled her in closer, her blonde hair tickling her nose and her magical fingers teasing the nape of her neck. 'Oh god, don't do that.' she thought as a shudder rippled through her body.

'Don't make me want you more.' She swayed with the blonde in her arms, her heart pounding the blood through her veins as they moved even closer.

The song was drawing to its conclusion and she was unsure as to how they were going to end this moment. 'Should I kiss her?' she asked herself. 'Yeah, good going Red, take advantage of this beauty while she's obviously distressed.' her mind chastised her.

'Too late now!' she thought as the last lines of the song filled the small room.

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years
and wonder where those years have gone.

I hope you dance,
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance,
I hope you dance....
I hope you dance,

Tara pulled back and searched the green eyes before her, looking for any sign of doubt or uncertainty. Seeing none, she leant in; pausing only briefly to see if Willow would pull back, when she didn't she carefully placed a delicate kiss upon the inviting lips of the redhead. Sparks shot through both of them as their lips met.

Taking Willow's bottom lip carefully between her own, Tara moaned slightly as she felt the soft tongue of the redhead shoot out and taste her top lip. Sucking gently on the soft flesh, she felt Willow's hands rake through her hair and she felt her control leaving her. Kissing the redhead deeply, Tara knew that this was why people searched for the impossible dream, this moment of forever that could last only a second, or even hours and yet feel like an eternity. As their tongues began a sensual dance, Tara forgot everything. Her stalker. The flowers. Her name. Everything.

This is all that mattered any more.

Willow pressed her feet hard into the ground, she felt as though she was floating and her head felt strangely detached although the hormones and sensations shooting from her brain confirmed that it was still firmly attached to the rest of her body. In that one moment, she forgot what had pulled her here. The danger and uncertainty that Tara was to face before she would be free of her stalker. Melting into the blonde, Willow felt, for the first time in her life what love could and should really be.

Minutes, maybe two or three had passed. Smoke filled the kitchen and the smoke alarm on the ceiling erupted into life, snapping the women from their embrace. The chicken that Tara had place in to cook, could be classed as 'done' and the first flame licked the edge of the wok. As they regarded the impending fire, Willow stifled a giggle. "Take away?" She asked as the flame developed a friend and engulfed the now ruined chicken.

Throwing the flaming wok into the sink and running the cold tap, Tara laughed. "What?" she asked through her laughter, "It's flambé!!"

And with the fire out, the women left the apartment, their fingers knotted together in a bond of union stronger than either one had ever felt before.