Author: JustSkipIt
Rating: NC-17
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the Survivor - Ash Island thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters nor do I own Survivor. And believe it or not, I also don't own any small islands. On the other hand, this island is fictional so let's say I own it. I'm making no money from this fiction and intend no copyright infringement.
Note: Can you identify the movie reference?
Note #2: Rachel felt that I should use the word 'defenesterated' in my next update...

"...and perhaps the most unlikely alliance seems to be that between Faith Lehane, a bold, outspoken personal trainer from Boston, MA and Tara Maclay, a 25 year-old quiet single-mother from a suburb of Columbus, OH. Of course, it still stands to be seen how long this alliance will last," Tara snorted silently through her nose at the ridiculous article and wondered again why she had picked it up. She'd even brought a novel to read, Bellwether which a friend had recommended as being very funny, but at the airport had changed her mind. She didn't know that she wanted to become involved in a new book on her way to Atlanta. So she'd stopped into the airport newsstand and picked up a copy of People. What could she expect from People? It wasn't exactly gripping journalism. It was more... well as Jeff Goldblum said in that movie... their editorial policy was no articles longer than the average person takes to have the average shit. Or something to that effect.

"Bets around our water cooler center on how long it will take the dark-haired Survivor to double-cross her alliance members." Tara snorted again and tucked the magazine into the seat-back pocket in front of her.

"Excuse me," the young man sitting next to her said.

She looked over at him in what she hoped, but doubted, was an intimidating and non-friendly way.

Apparently neither intimidating nor non-friendly. "Aren't you on Survivor?"

"Um, yes," Tara responded tiredly.

"You're Tara," he declared, as if she didn't already know this tidbit of information.

"Yes," she again responded.

"I'm a huge fan of Survivor," he declared, "I'm Troy." He stuck out his hand and vigorously shook hers. "Probably my favorite season was All-Stars but the Australian Outback was really good. It didn't seem like you had it that hard actually." She looked at him and wondered if not answering would seem sufficiently discouraging.

Again apparently not.

"So can you tell me if you won? Or who the final two are? I mean we know that you don't even know if you won yet," he said, "but you know who are in the final two."

"I can't tell you a-anything," she said in a very bored voice.

"Because of the non-disclosure agreements?" he suggested. "Come on," he encouraged, "I mean a random guy on a plane. How will they even know? I mean CBS doesn't really monitor all your travel do they?"

"You know," she hinted, "they could have spies anywhere."

Troy nodded thoughtfully. "I guess I hadn't thought about that." He nodded a few more times. "Are you going to Atlanta or just making a connecting flight? I'm from Atlanta if you want someone to show you around."

"That's um really nice, Troy," Tara attempted to keep from laughing, "but I have plans for the weekend."

"Publicity trip, huh?"

"Sure," she agreed, "um... C-CBS has us all booked the entire weekend. I don't know if I-I'll have any free time at all."

Troy pulled a card from his bag. "Well if you do," he offered, "just give me a call." Tara looked at the card. Troy, not surprisingly, sold life insurance. "Hey," he said, "look we're landing in a minute." He pointed at the seatbelt light.

Again not surprisingly, Troy spent the remainder of their landing time regaling Tara with his prowess at Survivor trivia-a true fan, it seemed. She spent her time chewing gum and attempting to not laugh at his assumptions regarding the outcome of Survivor's current incarnation. Once the plane taxied to the gate, she attempted to allow Troy to exit first but he insisted on helping her get her carry-on bag from the overhead compartment. "Did they send a limo to pick you up?" he asked, "because I could give you a ride to your hotel."

"A f-friend is picking me up but t-thanks, Troy," Tara attempted to brush him off.

"Well maybe I should make sure your friend is here," he suggested.

She sighed and realized there was just no way out of this short of telling a security guard that Troy was bothering her and he did seem star struck but harmless. "Sure," she said, "that would be r-really nice."

Troy beamed and followed her from the plane. Since she had no checked luggage, he declared that he would come with her to make sure her friend showed up and then go back to baggage claim to get his. They walked out past the security checkpoint and her face lit up as she spied Willow leaning forward on a chair. The redhead wore a pair of faded but very tight fitting jeans, a green summer sweater, and Tara was pretty sure no bra. Her mind clouded for a moment as she walked toward the girl, Troy keeping up stride for stride.

"Hey, there," Troy greeted Willow immediately, "Willow, right? I'm Troy."

Willow looked at Tara with a look of utter confusion. Although her mind was very firmly fixed on Willow's appearance, Tara attempted to get them out of the current situation. "Hey, Willow," she said pointedly, "are we l-late for that thing?"

"That thing?" Willow repeated dumbly.

"Yeah," Tara repeated, "that publicity thing."

"Ohhh," Willow answered, "that thing." She looked at her watch: "I think we have just enough time."

Tara turned to the nice, if persistent young man. "Thanks so much, Troy," she said. She turned back to Willow and addressed her hoping that Troy would take the brush-off. "So we need to go now?" she suggested.

"Yep," Willow shook her head, "right now." The two girls turned and walked away from the star struck young man who turned and went back to the baggage claim.

"Troy?" Willow asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Big fan," Tara answered, "did you know sitting on a plane you are trapped next to someone for hours?"

Willow giggled. "I've noticed that," she agreed.

They exited the airport and quickly found Willow's car. After the redhead let Tara in she got in her own side and turned to her guest. "Hi, baby," she smiled, "welcome to Atlanta."

"Very glad to be here," Tara purred as she leaned forward to kiss her host.

After a few minutes Willow pulled away and drove from the parking lot. "Are you hungry, baby?" she asked.

"Actually, yes," Tara said.

Willow nodded and turned right at the next intersection. "I can't believe you came to visit, Tara," she commented almost to herself.

Tara picked up the hand she had been holding and kissed it lightly. "Why is that, Will?"

"I guess, it's not so much I can't believe," Willow amended her statement, "It's I'm really happy you did."

"Me too, sweetie," Tara agreed. She looked around at the scenery as Willow drove. "I gave my mom and Kent your numbers, ok?"

"Definitely," Willow said. She teased, "That's probably why I suggested it last night."

"Smart-ass," Tara playfully said.

"Seems like you like it," Willow teased back.

"Mmm," Tara flirted, "just one of the parts I feel particularly fond about."

Willow smiled and blushed at Tara's leer. As she drove she reached behind her and pulled out a small box and handed it to Tara. Before the blonde could question it, she handed her another package. "This one is for Ariel and this one is for you," she explained.

"Willow," Tara admonished, "you shouldn't be getting us presents."

"Don't be a humbug," Willow joked, "the one for you is just as much for me and the one for Ariel was irresistible."

Tara quirked an eyebrow at Willow's statement then carefully opened the bag containing Ariel's present: a copy of How to Eat Fried Worms. "I loved that book as a little girl," Willow said excitedly. "And I thought, 'Island food. Bugs, worms, icky things.' I guess it's a theme present."

Tara laughed at Willow's explanation. "I'm sure she'd l-like it if you read it to her," Tara said.

"So I guess she liked me? I mean she hasn't decided we should never see each other again or anything?" Willow said.

"Oh no," Tara deadpanned. "She says I should marry you." Willow smiled, happy that Ariel approved of her. "Should I open the other one?" Tara asked.

"Yes," Willow answered, "We'll be at the restaurant in a few minutes. Caribbean food ok?"

"I've never had it. They have vegetarian?" Tara ensured.

"Oh yeah," Willow assured her, "just no air conditioning."

Tara looked at the light summer dress she was wearing and shrugged. "Can't really be hotter or more uncomfortable than on the island can it?"

"I wouldn't ask that in Atlanta in the summer," Willow joked. "Seriously," she continued, "you know what was worst about the Island? The bugs. I can't believe you gave your team bug paste and not us."

"Hey," Tara appealed, "it was team versus team." Before Willow could argue again, the blonde unwrapped the box to find a cell phone inside. "Willow," she said, "you shouldn't be getting me a phone."

"No," Willow disagreed, "I really should. I went way way way over my minutes for the last month and a half. We're on a 'couples plan' so our minutes are free." She pointed at the phone and said, "I programmed my number in already but I didn't know your mom's or Kent's." She pulled out her phone and hit a speed-dial button smiling when Tara's phone began playing the Survivor theme song.

Tara laughed and looked at the phone, guessing correctly that the green phone icon would answer the phone and pressing it before raising it to her ear. "Hello," she said.

"Hey, sexy," Willow purred, "how about a hot lunch date?"

"Mmm," Tara said back in a tone that was definitely true to her pet name, "I already have plans for the weekend but perhaps you could call me later." She hit the red button to end the call as Willow parked the car. She put the phone in her pocket and climbed out of the car to meet Willow.

They went inside the restaurant which, as billed had great food but no air conditioning. "This is really f-fantastic, Willow," Tara said as she took another bite of the grilled tofu.

"I know," the redhead agreed. "Right after I moved here, I decided that I would find my way around Atlanta." Tara listened to Willow's story. "I had this sort of Baedeker with me and it had the Martin Luther King center and Jimmy Carter presidential library in it," she continued. "And I walked all over that day until I was really hot and really tired. So I stopped in here thinking I'd cool off and eat something. Well of course the food was great even without AC and I had finished eating before I even noticed that I was the only White person in the place."

"How long have you lived here?" Tara asked, smiling at Willow's story.

"Two years," Willow answered. "I went to RPI in New Jersey and moved here when I graduated. Joan had a job offer and I thought, 'why not? I can work anywhere.'"

"So you graduated from college at 19?" Tara confirmed.

"I was close to 20," Willow corrected.

"And now you own a software company?"

"Two actually," Willow again corrected. By now she had paid for lunch and the two girls were driving toward Willow's apartment. "Both turn a profit and hopefully next year I can hire someone else to do the sales work and I can concentrate on development."

"You're really amazing," Tara said.

Willow smiled as she let the blonde out of her side of the car and led her to her apartment. "Believe me when I say that the feeling is quite mutual," she said.

As soon as Willow had opened the door, Tara looked around the apartment. The redhead had described it well and Tara slowly walked around taking in the sparse but tasteful decorations. Willow had a few pieces of art hung on white walls in the large downstairs living room. The entertainment center on one side of the room looked large enough to hold a television and stereo but the doors on it were pulled closed to keep it from overwhelming the space. The decoration was very clean and modern so that it looked like each item in the room was carefully placed. Tara stopped in front of a Kandinsky print and studied it. After a few moments she felt Willow's arms wrap around her waist. "Mmm," Tara murmured.

"Welcome," Willow whispered as she kissed the back of the blonde's neck.

"I haven't even said 'thank you,'" Tara joked. She turned in Willow's embrace and looked into her green eyes. Softly she raised her hands to stroke the redhead's face. "You're so beautiful, Willow," she whispered before gently pressing her lips to Willow's.

Willow allowed Tara to take control of the kiss, to lead her. She felt the softness of Tara's lips pressed against hers. Then the blonde parted her lips slightly and Willow mirrored her action. As Tara's tongue slowly began to trace her lips, the blonde moved her hands to wind them in Willow's short hair. One of them made a low moan. With excruciating slowness, Tara allowed the tip of her tongue to delve just inside Willow's mouth. Feeling how the redhead was yielding to her desires, she ventured deeper, tracing each of her teeth. She felt Willow's hands stroking her back and began stroking her tongue along the other girl's tongue in a matching rhythm. Her hands moved from Willow's hair down her back and to cup her ass. Smiling she broke the kiss just enough to whisper in Willow's ear: "Your ass," she squeezed slightly with her hands, "looks just amazing in these jeans."

"Oh God," Willow groaned as she began kissing the blonde's neck. "I um really hate to say this but believe me I would love to stay here and keep doing this," she punctuated every word with a kiss and most with a breathy moan, "but I um got us uh tickets to see Cirque Du Solei this um afternoon."

"Right," Tara agreed without stopping her hand's motion nor stopping Willow from this exploration of her soft neck, "a um m-matinee?"

"It was," Willow continued kissing a path down Tara's chest, unbuttoning her blouse as she went and stroking the edge of her bra, "the the evening show was sold out."

"Sold out," Tara echoed, "and it's s-supposed to be really good so we should g-go." Her hands had by this time pulled the edge of Willow's shirt from the waistband of her jeans and were pushing it up her back, revealing that her guess was correct and the redhead was definitely sans bra.

"Right," Willow agreed, "should go. Definitely." Her fingers deftly releasing the front clasp on Tara's bra seemed to disagree with her words.

Tara brushed her fingertips along the sides of Willow's slight breasts. "We could continue this l-later," she whispered.

Willow gulped in response before forcing herself to pull her hands and mouth away from Tara's skin. "Very mature thinking," she agreed, her heart beating in her chest. As both girls attempted to calm their breathing they looked into each other's eyes. After a few seconds they both began to smile and then blush.

Note: While I took a turn on a computer game, Rachel helped me write. This is what she inserted:

Then they went to Cirque, which sucked cause they had bad seats, and they both wished they had stayed home and fucked like bunnies. But they didn't, so they cried and cried and cried.

The End

"Why don't I show you the rest of the apartment," Willow suggested, taking Tara's hand and leading her up the stairs.

"First your hotel room, now your apartment," Tara teased.

Willow ignored the teasing and pointed out the bathroom and then her bedroom. As she had described it, the room was large but not too large. A queen-sized sleigh bed was placed in the exact center of the room. An elliptical machine and a rack holding various dumbbells were on one side of the room while the other contained an oak dresser. She set Tara's overnight bag on the dresser and pointed to the door connecting to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower before we go," she explained, "We have time if you'd like to also."

"You wouldn't like to shower together?" Tara teased.

Willow softly kissed the blonde. "I would but we definitely wouldn't make it to the show," she said. She winked and walked over to pull some clothes from her closet and dresser. "Do you need anything?" she asked.

Tara shook her head and lay down on the bed as Willow went into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes or so later, Willow came out, toweling off her hair. "Hey, baby," she said, "I set some towels and stuff on the sink for you."

Tara looked up and smiled. "Thanks." She held up the phone. "I think I programmed some numbers into my phone but I don't know my number."

Willow walked over and took the phone and hit a few buttons. "I programmed it in as 'my phone' so you couldn't forget it," she explained and kissed the blonde on the forehead.

"Thanks," Tara said as she kissed Willow back. She walked over to her bag, pulled out some clothes, and went into the bathroom.

By the time both girls had showered and dressed, made out a bit more, and got into the car, they were nearly late for the show. Both were incredibly glad that they had made it, however, as they watched the amazing acrobatic feats. "It's like a dream, isn't it," Willow whispered at one point as she held Tara's hand.

Tara looked at the girl, smiling before answering: "Every bit of it."

After the show they had dinner at one of Willow's favorite Thai restaurants. They were about half-way through their meal when they were interrupted. "Excuse me, aren't you two on Survivor?'

Willow recognized the voice immediately and gritted her teeth as she answered her best friend: "Joan, what are you doing here?"

Joan inexplicably pulled up a chair and reached over to help herself to a dumpling. "You're all mystery woman these days," she explained, "but you don't have to have a 190 IQ to conclude that you must be staying in town for the weekend or you'd ask me to feed Gato." She turned to Tara and stuck out her hand, "I'm Joan. You're 'Tara Maclay-a 25 year-old single-mother from Columbus, Ohio.'"

Tara laughed at the familiar patter and returned Joan's handshake. "I've heard a lot a-about you," she told Willow's friend.

"Not me," Joan said, "Willow tells me nothing. She's all mystery woman ever since she got home from the Island."

"You were the one who submitted me for the show," Willow argued.

Joan told Tara conspiratorially. "Let me tell you, sweetie," she said taking another bite of their dumplings.

"Here," Willow said pushing the plate across the table, "why don't you help yourself?"

"I think I will," Joan agreed as she pointed at their wine glasses. "You didn't get me any wine?"

"We didn't invite you," Willow fumed playfully.

"I was saying," Joan said to an amused Tara. "This girl moved to Atlanta a few years ago and began cutting a wide swath through the community. Then she goes on Survivor."

"Fascinating," Willow said through clenched teeth. "We can call the manager over if you want," she offered Tara.

Tara pushed the dumpling sauce at the other girl. "Oh this is very interesting," she said teasingly. "Please go on," she told Joan.

"So she comes home a few months ago and she's downright introverted. I mean I can understand the wish to eat and bathe and all that because 'ick' but she didn't have the same 'interests' as before if you know what I mean," Joan confided. "She hung up this calendar and numbered it in red the days until the show started. One time I saw her computer screensaver and she had it programmed down to the second to show the time until the premiere."

"Hard to believe she's never been defenestrated isn't it?" Willow whispered to her date.

Tara smiled at the description of Willow counting down the time and the obviously playful banter between the two friends. Before she could say anything else Joan stood up and waved at the two of them. "Nice to meet you, Tara Maclay from Columbus, OH," she said. She turned and left the restaurant as quickly as she had arrived.

"You counted down the seconds?" Tara asked disbelievingly.

"Not like by hand," Willow pleaded, "I mean the computer did the calculation."

Tara smiled at the redhead before using a very sexy voice: "Take me home, Willow Rosenberg."

Willow took a second to react but quickly waived the waiter over for the check. "Oh, your friend took care of it," he said.

"Really?" Willow asked. "Joan paid?"

"Really," he assured her.

The drive home was quick, proximity to her house being one of the reasons that it was Willow's favorite restaurant. Once inside, the two women went silently up the stairs until they reached Willow's bedroom. "You can get ready for bed first," Willow offered, "if you want."

"Ok," Tara responded stepping closer to the redhead.

"Um," Willow said, "it's um that way ..."

Her words trailed off as Tara placed her hands on the redhead's hips. "Yes," Tara whispered before placing a gentle kiss on Willow's neck. Her fingertips immediately brushed the hem of Willow's shirt up to find skin underneath as her mouth left a trail of kisses along the redhead's jugular.

"What... um... are you..." Willow tried to form a coherent question.

"Something I've wanted to do since at least day eight," the blonde teased as she began unbuttoning Willow's shirt from the bottom.

Willow smiled as she decided to tease Tara a little bit, her own hands cupping the blonde's ass: "What's that?"

Tara's lips moved to the soft spot at the base of Willow's throat so that the vibrations of her whisper tickled the pale skin and freckles she found there. "You've slept with half the women below the Mason Dixon line and you can't recognize a pass?"

Quickly the redhead unzipped Tara's skirt as she teased back: "Only half the lesbians. Not half the female pop... Oh God..." The final words were spoken as Tara eased her lover's shirt off her shoulders and began stroking the skin along the edge of Willow's silky bra. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed with the pace, Willow raised her hands to clasp Tara's cheeks and bring their lips together. As they kissed, she began backing them toward her bed. She slid Tara's skirt off completely; barely missing a step as the blonde smoothly stepped from the garment. By the time her legs contacted the tall piece of furniture, Tara's blouse as well as her own shirt, belt, and bra had joined it.

Tara unzipped Willow's slacks and slid her hands inside. "These... must... go," she gasped between kisses.

"Yes," Willow agreed as she lifted her hips from the bed. As soon as Tara had pulled the smaller girl's pants off, Willow scooted backwards to pull the blonde up with her.

Tara looked down at her lover with a predatory smile before bending her mouth to the girl's small chest. Gently, so lightly Willow could hardly feel it, she began placing kisses on the white skin surrounding the girl's nipples. Willow's hands caressed the back of Tara's head and trailed down her smooth back. When Tara kissed the tip of one nipple she allowed a low moan to escape her lips and when the blonde's mouth closed around the same protrusion her hips arched from the bed.

Even as she sucked Willow's hard nub deep into her mouth, Tara took the opportunity to pull the redhead's panties down her legs and drop them on the floor. She inhaled deeply through her nose, nearly salivating at Willow's scent surrounding her. Trying to resist the temptation to slide down the bed and begin licking Willow's essence direct from her source with so little foreplay, she forced herself to move her lips to the girl's other nipple. Once there she slowed her pace, lightly kissing the tip of the nipple and licking broad strokes.

"You're overdressed," Willow gasped, her fingertips tracing the waistband of Tara's panties.

"What do you think we should do about that?" Tara whispered.

Willow smiled before rolling over on top of her lover. "I... think... we... should..." Each word punctuated her tongue circling one of Tara's nipple. As she said the final word, she pulled off the only remaining clothing either of them wore and tossed them to the side. She couldn't resist commenting, "Oh God, Tara, you smell so wonderful."

The smaller woman brought their lips together again as she began rocking her hips against Tara's. Their bodies set a rhythm and each woman could feel the other rubbing against her center, their wetness mingling together with the scent of shared pleasure.

Tara could feel herself losing control. "I wanted to g-go slow," she gasped even as she felt body reacting with anything but restraint. Her fingers mirrored Willow's actions as each woman began stroking the other's center.

"We did," Willow responded, "now I want to be inside you."

"Oh yes," Tara whimpered as she slid one finger gently inside Willow as the redhead kneeled above her.

Willow moaned as she felt her lover inside her. Tara quickly added a second finger and Willow knew she must be wondering what was keeping the redhead from matching her actions. Willow leaned forward so that her mouth was just next to Tara's ear. Her fingers waiting at the blonde's very wet entrance.

"Before I go..." Tara's fingers's movement inside her made coherent speech somewhat difficult. "... inside you... I-I-I love you," she gasped as she slid two fingers inside Tara. She felt Tara's body tense and heard her sudden intake of breath and didn't know if it was surprise or pleasure. She knew that Tara's softness and wetness was a mirror of her own and began moving her hand in rhythm with the blonde's.

Tara heard Willow's proclamation of love as she felt the girl's fingers slide inside her. She was overwhelmed with the perfection of the feeling. Knowing she wouldn't be able to speak to express her feelings, she raised her lips to again capture the redhead's. The pace quickly increased until each woman was thrusting forward to the other's rocking hips and pulling back to meet again. Tara could feel her orgasm building inside her. She clutched at Willow's hip with her free hand to pull the smaller woman closer. When she felt the first flutter of Willow's inner muscles, she let go herself.

"We should try laying the right direction on the bed," Willow joked a few minutes later as she languidly stroked Tara's stomach, enjoying the fluttering aftershocks that passed through the blonde's body as she did.

"Hey," Tara responded, "we're on a b-b-bed. That's a big step in our relationship."

Willow laughed as she considered it. "I think it's a step for the better," she concluded.

"You know what would be another good step?" Tara whispered. When Willow shook her head Tara told her: "My telling you I love you too, sweetie."

Willow's face split into a huge smile as she heard Tara's words and she immediately kissed the blonde again and thoroughly. As they broke the kiss she looked at the blonde with a flirtatious look. "You know one good thing about lying sidewise on the bed?"

Tara shook her head no.

"With the foot board," Willow declared as she slid down Tara's body to kneel on the floor, "I couldn't do this." With Tara's legs over her shoulders and her thighs against her ears, she couldn't hear the blonde's answer but her response was definitely what the redhead was expecting.