TITLE: Liquidating the Group

AUTHOR: Jesmin

CATEGORY: This is not a relationship story, but it revolves around Willow and Tara. Plus, there is a guest appearance by a few others. Read more to find out who!

RATED: PG (mild language)

SPOILER: Happens somewhere around "Doomed" and "A New Man" in season 4.

DISCLAIMER: Willow and company are owned by Joss, Fox, the WB and a few others that I know I am forgetting. If I left any out, I am sorry, but it isn’t like I am the one making the big bucks. I promise to return them whole when I am done - at least in this story.

SUMMARY: Willow and Tara are down at their Wicca group’s bake sale and decide to have a little fun.

DISTRIBUTION: Charity’s Site, Temptation Embraced, and my own site that I am just putting together. If you would like to post this, please ask nicely and I shall comply.

FEEDBACK: Please!!!! I love feedback and usually don’t get a lot.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: This was just a short fic that I came up with after watching "Hush" for the millionth time. It is a stand alone to relieve my writer’s block for a night.

Willow leaned back in her chair and sighed as she stuck a large cookie in her mouth from her and Tara’s Chocolate Chippy Goddesses booth. It was now time for the newly annual Wicca Group bake sale. They had decided on this when they came up short for the dance recital. Actually, the group decided to do this, not Willow or Tara. For all Willow cared, she wished she could be elsewhere. After this, it was definitely time for her to say goodbye to this group. No more uneventful bake sales in the community room at the student union at some indecent time of night. Whose idea was it to have this event at nine in the evening anyway? Most people were starting their party route by now, and a little bake sale was not being included. She could count how many customers they had come by on one hand.

Tara turned to her, a little bored herself, "You know, it isn’t good to eat the merchandise?"

Willow laughed and took another bite out of her cookie before remarking, "They asked us to make five dozen and we have only sold a bag of four."

Tara helped herself to a cookie. "A very good..uh..fifty cents made."

Willow crossed her arms and pouted, "But I was hoping to make more than Miss I Make An Empowering Lemon Bunt Cake."

Finishing off her first bite, Tara pointed at their subject of discussion, "Yes, but she has only sold one slice and is charging more."

Making a snarling noise, Willow remarked, "Yeah, but I can’t stand her, or most of these other people. They’re all Wiccan wannabe’s, thinking they’re sisters to the dark side, when none of them really realize what Wicca is about or even what is out there on the dark side." Turning to catch Tara’s gaze, she added, "I swear, if I hear one more thing about Gaia, woman power, or moon crap - blah, blah, blah - I am going to liquidate them."

Tara almost bounced in her seat as her smiled beamed, "Oh, please, can we!"

Willow grumbled, "No. Buffy would think I’ve really gone to the dark side, and we wouldn’t want to attract Riley and his initiative buddies."

Deflating, Tara turned back to staring out of their booth as one of their fellow Wiccan sisters walked up. She smirked down at Tara, "Oh, hi Tara." Giving her full attention to Willow, she commented, "Willow, I have been helping with the Gaia newsletter, and we have been thinking that maybe you could write an article on your views of Wicca beliefs and rituals. It is a new way we can introduce our new sisters to the rest of the group. I mean, we know that your beliefs are different from the rest of us, so I am sure that it will be a real fun article. You know, a way to look into the misconceptions of our religion. I’m sure it would be really empowering."

Willow smiled falsely at the girl. "Well, you’ll just have to find something else empowering, because I want nothing to do with your damn newsletter."

Watching as the girl walked away, Willow rolled her eyes and spoke under her breath. "Athena, Goddess who watches and protects us, please rid us of these false sisters before I take matters into my own hands."

In a blink, Willow and Tara were the only people in the room. Gasping in surprise, they turned to each other. Tara’s mouth dropped open. "Is what just happen what I think just happened?"

Nodding, Willow said quietly, "I think I just prayed the group away."

In a manner Tara only acted like while alone with Willow, she jumped up. "You liquidated the group!"

Willow, still freaked out, sat with a look of horror on her face. "I didn’t mean to."

Tara laughed and jumped from behind the booth. Reaching out her arms and celebrating the demise of those who had picked on her, she turned in circles as she squealed, "Time to party!!" Stopping and looking at Willow with her face full of happiness, she commented, "I think we need some music." Snapping her fingers, music started to fill the room. Tara started to dance to it as she yelled over to Willow, "And now for the lights."

Willow watched as all the lights in the room went out and out of nowhere, candles appeared, giving the room a soft glow. It was at times like this that her newest friend surprised her. Tara had such magical power and rarely let on how much she had. And then there was her meekness. Now, the quiet and shy girl was dancing without a care in the world. Letting her guard down and enjoying herself.

Laughing, Willow shook her head and decided to enjoy herself. Jumping from behind the booth. She joined her friend, commenting, "I think I prefer something with a quicker beat, and maybe something a little more flashing in the light department."

Tara still dancing, smiled at her friend as she nodded. "Fine. Done." The music picked up beat and from nowhere, rainbow type lights started to strobe through the room.

Willow laughed and started to dance to the music, all of a sudden pushing the thoughts of her now vanished Wicca group from her mind. She danced through the room, not paying attention to anything but the beat of the music. Her mind was free of all the thoughts that usually bombarded her during the day. There was no lists of ingredients being filed in her mind for Giles. Buffy was pushed back, duties and all. Even her latest papers were far away. And then, all of a sudden, a new image invaded her mind. "Riley!"

Screaming as he had snuck up behind her, she finally caught her breath. Looking around the room, she saw that Tara had retreated to the booth and was sitting quietly with a frightened look on her face as Riley’s friend Forrest stood above her. Willow straightened her outfit as she looked up at Riley and his other friend, the one Buffy had pointed out as Graham. "Oh, uh, hey, Riley. What brings you and your, uh, friends by?"

Graham, Riley’s friend, stifled a snicker as Riley gave him a dirty look and then answered Willow. "Our scanners show a huge magical signature on this room. Please tell me you don’t know what is going on."

Turning red, Willow answered, giving him her I’m Sorry I Screwed Up Look, "I kind of had a prayer go awry."

Looking around at the strange strobe lights, Graham sarcastically joked. "What, you didn’t like the lighting?"

Willow covered her face and mumbled into her hands. Pulling her hands away, Riley asked, "What happened Willow?"

Tears started to stream down her eyes as she commented, "I mistakenly vanished my Wicca group."

"And the lights and music?"

Tara raised her hand as she looked down at the floor and answered, "My fun. Not Willow’s."

Riley shook his head as he saw Willow start to fall apart. Beside him, Graham stirred and moved next to the girl, trying to hold her up as she got more upset at what she had done. "I just prayed that I was ridded of my sisters."

"Can’t you just pray for them to come back?" asked Graham.

"I could try."

"Good, do that and then we are going to take you by the initiative," commented Forrest.

Riley shook his head. "Willow and Tara aren’t going anywhere. All we saw here was a false reading.

"Riley, don’t make me pull rank."

Graham snarled as he looked back at his friend. "Shut up, Gates. I think Riley is making a good choice here. It was just a spell going awry."

Forrest snorted, knowing he wasn’t going to be able to pull rank with Graham on Riley’s side. "Sure, groovy spell."

Ignoring Forrest, Willow started to the booth and then sat down. The three initiative members watched Tara blink away the music and the lights as Willow started to pray. Riley placed his hand on her arm and stopped her. "Willow, wait. We can’t be seen here."

Graham looked down at their booth. "What are you doing here anyway?"

Willow frowned. "Selling cookies for the bake sale."

"How many have you sold?" asked Riley.

"One bag for fifty cents," answered Tara.

Graham smiled. "How much for the whole lot of cookies?"

"Only seven fifty," answered Willow.

Forrest shook his head as Graham and Riley started to dig through their pockets. After combining their money, they handed Willow about twenty three dollars. "Man, you guys have lost it."

Riley shook his head at Forrest as Graham shrugged. "Take the money and get out of here. Tell them you got a big tip when they weren’t watching."

Shaking his head, Forrest commented, "Okay, guys, let’s get out of here." As the two caught their fellow member’s cue and started to leave with their cookies, Forrest turned around and stated to Tara and Willow. "We will be back in a few, dressed as civilians. Everything better be back."

Willow watched as they left. Angered at Forrest, she saluted and looked at Tara. "Do you think they bought my act about being all sorry."

Tara nodded, "Oh yeah, I sure did. And that Graham guy, he seemed really into you."

Laughing, Willow turned red. "Tara, you know how I feel about relationships after Oz."

Tara just smiled at first. She knew that Willow had been really hurt when Oz left her. Part of Tara wished she would have known Oz, that way she could at least try to understand why he had done such a thing to her sweet friend. It would also have given her some answers when it came to some of Willow’s cryptic explanations. Changing the subject, she asked, "Do we have to bring them back?"

Willow nodded and then started to pray. "Athena the goddess which watches and protects me. Please return my fellow sisters to their right place. I was wrong in my asking you to do away with them. Please forgive me." Before she could finish the last statement, the Wiccan sisters reappeared.

Not waiting for Riley and his gang to return, Willow stood up with Tara following in action. Walking to the main table, Willow laid her money down in front of their group’s leader. "Here is the money from our sales."

The sister looked up at her confused. "How did you sell all those with out us seeing, and what is this extra money?"

Willow shrugged. "The extra is a tip. Think of it as our "this group can kiss our ass" donation." As she started to walk away. Willow turned and added, "Oh, and the selling part was pure magik."

Tara nodded as she followed Willow out the door. Turning only to repeat Willow’s words as she left the room, "Pure magik."