Return to Love Thy Neighbour Chapter Ten



Love Thy Neighbour
CHAPTER ELEVEN

Author: Shai
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All the characters belong to Joss, that lucky man!


Willow turned on her side to get a better look at Tara. "I swear if someone hadn't already written Sleeping Beauty I would've done the job."

It was true, Tara snoozing on the easy chair was inspiration enough to any writer!

Willow had a sudden brainwave. Slowly she sat up and moved her legs over the side of the bed. Remembering this time not to put her bad foot down, she reached over for her crutches and rose slowly, making her way out of the room, towards the kitchen.

Once there she put her crutches onto one side and set about making waffles and coffee.

Half an hour later everything was almost ready. And Willow was just about to put the plates in their places when a groggy voice asked "Since when do I have a cook?" Willow turned around to see a still sleepy eyes Tara smiling at her.

"God it is just me or does this woman actually get more beautiful by the moment? Probably the latter" Willow thought to herself. Returning the smile she said "Well I thought that maybe for a change I should do something helpful around here... and it so happens that breakfast is my speciality! Now come here and dig in gal!"

Still smiling Tara sat down and was handed a plate with two waffles on it. "Butter, maple syrup or honey?" Willow asked.

"Butter and maple syrup please...and you joining me at the table would be nice too!" Tara laughed. Willow sat down with her own plate, handing Tara the bottle of syrup and the butter, and began to eat. "Mmm... not bad if I may say so" Tara said after swallowing her first bite.

Willow grinned and said nothing, but was visibly happy with the compliment. "So how are you feeling now?" Tara asked, taking another bite.

"Great! I could run a mile if it wasn't for the sprain," Willow exclaimed.

Tara smiled "So the headaches gone?"

"Yup! I told you, I'm feeling fit as a fiddle! Wanna arm wrestle?" Willow joked.

Tara just grinned and helped herself to another waffle. After a few moments of savouring the taste of her own cooking Willow asked "So what are your plans for the day?"

Swallowing her bite Tara replied "Monday's are usually busy days, since all the tournaments taking place through the week get over on Sundays. So I'll be leaving for work as soon as I shower, which will be right after I get my hearts fill of these delicious waffles!"

Willow grinned while thinking "She's gonna be gone all day... why oh why can't she stay?" She stopped her flow of thoughts when she realized that Tara was speaking again.

"I found the number for a place that rents out DVD's. I'll leave it with you before I leave for work. Call then up and rent out whichever movie you want. You don't have to pay them since I just started an account with them by which I have to pay them a total amount at the end of each month.

Now, what would you like to eat for lunch?" Tara asked.

"Well, usually when I'm home I just make myself sandwiches for lunch. Do you have salami and mayonnaise at home?" Tara nodded. "Then I'll be fine. I'll just make myself a sandwich when I get hunger pangs, and I'll wash that down with a glass of good ol' milk!" Willow finished.

"You're sure?" Tara asked, wondering if Willow was just being polite so that she wasn't inconvenienced.

"Positive. Don't you worry about me Tara!" Willow reassured her.

"Like that's possible" Tara thought, as she rose to put her plate in the sink. "Ok then" she said aloud. "I'll just go take my shower then", and with that she was moved out of the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later she pulled out of her drive way, on her way to another day of work.


"She's back!" Willow thought, when she heard a car pull into Tara's driveway.

She waited, almost patiently, for Tara to come to her room, and sure enough five minutes later a golden head, followed by a body walked into her room.

Willow smiled the widest grin of her life when she saw her, but got worried when she noticed how Tired Tara looked. "Hi," she said, "Hard day at work?"

Tara nodded and attempted to give a small smile "How are you today?"

"I'm good... basically relaxed all day... I rented out Rocky IV! You wanna watch it?"

"Maybe after I take a dip and a shower, that always helps to relax me. Do you want to eat first? I picked up some burgers on my way home, so if you're hungry we could eat first."

Willow shook her head. "No, you go freshen up first." Tara smiled and left the room. Willow was concerned about how fatigued she looked. She's never realized that Tara's job was tiring... but then most people never realized that her own job was tiring either. "Most people only look at the glamour part of the job... the autograph signing, the pictures and interviews in the papers... but there's so much more to it... it's all hard work really... real hard work... hard, hard work... Great, now I'm even babbling in my head!"

A couple of minutes later Tara was back, carrying two plates with burgers and fries. "Done so fast?" Willow asked, surprised to see Tara so soon.

"Well I didn't really swim. I mean, my backs been kinda hurting today and the minute I got into the pool I realized that it was a bad idea," she handed Willow her plate and sat down with her own, "so I just got out pronto, showered and here I am now, ready to eat!"

All that Willow's mind grasped was that fact that Tara had said that her back hurt. "Your backs paining? Well then, as soon as we're done with dinner I'm giving you a massage".

Tara opened her mouth to protest but was silenced when Willow finished "And I'm not taking no for an answer." Tara looked up to see Willow's face set in what she could only call a 'resolve face' and decided that for the rest of the meal she's try to avoid the subject of her aching back, and maybe that way Willow would forget all about it. but boy oh boy was she wrong! Throughout dinner Willow plagued her with questions... how the pain started... when it started... why it started... what could have caused it...

As soon as the meal was over she ordered Tara to lie down on the other side of the bed and gently began massaging her lower back.

"Oh God... her hands feel so wonderful... I think the pain's already gone," Tara thought, as she closed hr eyes and gave into the lovely sensation.

Meanwhile Willow was overjoyed to be so close to Tara. "She's so soft" she thought as she glided her hands up and down her back, making sure they were gentle. She massaged on, and ten minutes later she realized that Tara's breathing had evened out. "Oh... she's fallen asleep... how sweet!" Willow smiled to herself. Moving off the bed she slowly made her way to the light switch, flicking it off before turning back to walk to her side of the bed. She lay down and closed her eyes, able to feel the warm presence of Tara's body so close to hers, and was comforted by the feeling. A few moments later she too was asleep, content and happy.

The next morning Willow awoke to the feeling of comfort and warmth.

Something felt different about the bed. Different but nice... still sleep, Willow opened her eyes and realized that she was snuggled up to Tara, with her hand lying across Tara's tummy and her head on Tara's arm, her face just inches away from Tara's neck...


Continue to Love Thy Neighbour Chapter Twelve


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