Title: Extra Outfits (1/1)
Author: Saturn Girl
Email: saturngirl9@hotmail.com

Summary: Dawn finds out about Willow and Tara's relationship
Spoilers: Early fifth season
Pairing: W/T
Rating: PG-13 for language and mature situations (but no smut)

Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer don't belong to me, but I can't help getting involved in their stories. I'm not profiting from this little tale of mine one bit, and no copyright violation is intended. This is just for fun, folks! Feedback welcome, unless it is an anti-Willow/Tara flame. I think those girls are adorable together!

*****

As Tara and Willow walked past the store windows on their way to the Magic Box, the red-haired Wiccan spied an object that made her green eyes widen with delight.

"Oooh!" she squealed as she stopped in front of Pedro's Pet Palace. "Fluttery, feathery kitty wands! The kind scientifically proven to make them perform the cat dance of joy! Miss Kitty Fantastico would absolutely love that. Can we, can we??"

"Hon, don't get me wrong, I'm a cat-dancing fan, b-but don't you think the $60.00 we've already spent on cat toys this week is enough? I think Miss Kitty will have plenty of joy dance inspiration." Tara took Willow's hand and smiled meekly.

Willow shrugged and grinned at her girlfriend. "I suppose you're right. I just want to make sure she has the perfect birthday party tomorrow."

"Purr-fect?" Tara trilled, as she leaned closer to Willow, touched their noses together and smiled. "You are just so cute." The blonde girl kissed Willow lightly. "Have I told you that enough times today? B-because I can't ever say it enough."

"And I'm always happy to hear it." Willow's attention was diverted as she noticed a familiar face. "Hey, there she is. Dawnie!" Willow waved at the young girl across the street.

Dawn grinned when she saw the Wiccans, paused at the entrance to the Magic Box, and hitched her backpack over her shoulder to wave back.

Hands clasped and swinging, the couple started across the crosswalk to meet Dawn. Suddenly, a battered blue Camaro zipped in front of the two women. Before they could react, a laughing young man flung a Big Gulp container filled with cherry Slurpee at the pair, smacking Willow square in the jaw.

"DYKES!" shrieked the man as the car zoomed away, leaving both of the shocked girls doused with blood-red liquid. Howls of cruel laughter and the blare of a car horn sounded from the fleeing Camaro. Willow, surprised by the blow, gulped air in deep, audible breaths, her eyes tearing up.

Dawn rushed forward, yelling "JERKS!" But the car had turned a corner, and was already out of sight. The teen ferried the drenched couple over to the sidewalk. "Ohmigod! What did those guys say to you? What were they thinking?!!"

Tara looked down at the ground sadly as she pulled a shocked and trembling Willow closer, wiping the cold Slurpee off of her face. Shoppers and bystanders regarded the dripping couple with curious stares as Dawn searched her backpack for something to clean up the mess.

"They...they...had no right to do that! They...they...RUINED the new skirt I bought you! W-why...do they have to be so...mean!" Willow dejectedly tried to wring out her sweater. "I never did anything to them," she said in a frightened little voice. Willow then did a 180 degree turn and yelled in the direction the Camaro had headed, "HEY! DIDN'T YOU JERKS EVER SEE THE MOVIE CARRIE!!"

Tara put her hand to her lips and giggled at Willow's outburst. "It's over. Before you get any ideas about magically setting their car on fire, l-let's get inside and clean up. This way," Tara pointed.

"Jeez, I'm so sorry. Are you guys okay? Why did they do that?" asked Dawn as the trio headed to the back entrance of the Magic Shop.

"Ummm..." Tara hesitated. Although they didn't try to hide it, she and Willow had never explicitly told Dawn about the nature of their relationship. Tara wasn't sure how the girl would react to the news that she and Willow were lesbians. "Yeah, we're okay. I think I read somewhere that Slurpee showers are...are really good for your hair. You know, bringing out the natural red highlights and all."

The back entrance was locked, but Tara waved her hand over the knob and recited a brief spell. A faintly audible "click" on the other side of the door indicated that it was unlocked. She opened the door and the group started inside.

"Cool!" said Dawn as she followed the women into the back room. "I wish you were around when I lost Mom's keys last week!"

A startled Giles greeted them wielding a mop handle, ready to strike. "Good God! I thought I was being burgled." His face softened when he noticed the sopping wet state of the two Wiccans. "I say, what happened here? Come, stand over here on the tile and I'll fetch you some clean towels." Giles moved to the utility closet. Dawn took the mop and pushed at the melting wet dribbles on the floor.

"Sorry, Mr. Giles. We broke in the back way because I didn't want to stain the carpet out front. B-but you have perfect timing with the mop!" apologized Tara.

"We were attacked by a ferocious band of Camaro-driving, Slurpee-throwing, mullet-headed rednecks!" Willow exclaimed as she accepted a towel from the Englishman. "Thanks. I haven't mastered any anti-Slurpee spells yet, so I guess I'm going to have to dry off the old fashioned way."

"Yes, well, I appreciate your concern for the well-being of my carpet, but are you two alright? Can I get you anything else?"

Tara and Willow both shook the heads. They'd managed to sop up all the liquid, but their clothes were permanently stained.

"All right then. I'll leave you three here, but I must get back up front. It's been an absolute madhouse today...we're having a 30% off sale, and customers are crawling out of the woodwork. Not literally, thankfully. I don't need to deal with any wood-boring Frugnok demons today. Anyway, if there's anything you've had your eye on, you'd better snap it up before it sells." Giles turned to leave, but hesitated, a question mark plastered on his face.

"Ahem...what exactly is a mullet? Oh, never mind. I probably don't want to know." The confused Englishman returned to the store lobby, leaving the three females behind.

They walked over to Buffy's training room and dumped themselves on the huge mat rolled up against the wall.

"Well, that was completely non-fun," sighed Willow. "Remind me to put that down on my list of 50 things I'd really rather not experience ever again."

"Check." Tara patted the redhead's knee gently.

Suddenly shy, Dawn looked over at Willow and Tara. She paused for a moment before she asked, "Why did those boys call you dyk...um, what the called you? I mean, why would they think that? You're just friends...right?"

Willow and Tara looked at each other, searching each other's eyes for an indication about how to respond. Willow nodded at Tara, her eyes steady and a small smile on her lips. Willow took the blonde girl's hand and turned back to face Dawn.

"Dawnie, Tara and I are...more than just friends. I...I love her." Dawn's eyes widened with surprise. "Does that...bother you?" asked Willow gently.

"NO! No. This is me not being bothered, Will. Really." Despite her words, it was clear that the teen was startled by Willow's revelation. "I mean, I'm cool with the whole celebrating diversity, alternative lifestyle, rainbow coalition thing...I just...whoa." Dawn stood up from the mat and walked over to Buffy's practice dummy, away from Willow and Tara.

Sensing the girl's nervousness about the situation, Tara asked Willow softly, "Should I go?"

"No. Stay." Willow squeezed Tara's hand, and addressed the uncertain young girl again. "Dawnie, I know this is new for you, but you can talk to us. We're all friends. Is there anything you want to ask?"

Dawn sat down on the floor in front of the dummy, cross-legged, and picked at her sneaker laces. "I guess I always kind of knew that you two were, you know, together." She looked up at Willow with questioning eyes. "But how? I don't understand. I mean, you and Oz? He was your boyfriend! Or...or that you were in love with Xander for practically your whole life? How can you be...*gay* but still like boys?"

Willow smiled. "I've asked myself that many times. This is all new and confusing for me, too. I didn't wake up one day and decide to be a lesbian. "Ooh, boys are icky - girls rule!" No. It just felt like a completely natural progression in our relationship." She leaned her shoulder against Tara's. "The more time I spent with Tara, the more I realized what a completely special, wonderful person she was, and I knew that all I wanted to do was be with her. The fact that she was a girl...and I was a girl...well, it didn't seem to matter."

"Does this mean you don't like boys anymore?" asked Dawn.

"Dawnie, there are no rules about this. I can't speak for anyone else, just me, but my loving Tara has nothing to do with gender. I fell in love with the person, not the package. So if loving a woman makes me gay, then yep - gay now! But I can't rule out that one day, in a very sad future that will certainly not ever happen because I intend to spend every single day with my sweetie, that I won't fall in love with a man. Did I mention that is a future that won't happen?"

Tara smiled and nuzzled Willow's shoulder. "Never happen. Got it. I'm not going anywhere."

Dawn looked at the happy couple. "Does it bother you when people treat you differently because you're together? I mean, aren't you scared of the people like those Slurpee Psychos that hate you just because you're not straight?"

"Yes, of course they scare me," admitted Tara. "I've had people do even m-meaner things to me because I'm gay. Like this one time, someone broke m-my windows, slashed my tires, and wrote QUEER on my car with lipstick. B-but I have a right to love the people I want to love, and I'm not going to let anyone intimidate me and force me to live a lie. Being with Willow is worth putting up with a bunch of close-minded assholes."

Dawn and Willow both giggled hysterically, not used to hearing mild-mannered Tara curse.

"So, are you okay with this, Dawn?" inquired Willow.

Dawn pulled herself up from the floor, walked back to the mat, and sat down next to Willow again. "Yeah, I am. You're still Willow. I'm glad you told me. Besides, if I was a lesbian...I said IF... I think I'd want a girlfriend like Tara, too. You guys are really cool."

"And we are definitely cooler after being covered with Slurpee," giggled Willow. She looked over at Tara. "C'mon, let's borrow some of Buffy's extra sweats until we can go back home after the Scooby meeting and shower."

"You know, I thought of something else really cool about being a lesbian, too," offered Dawn. "You guys can share clothes and instantly double your wardrobe! Wow, access to twice as many outfits. Does Buffy know about this? Cause the extra clothes thing I can really see her going for..."

"Well, there's much more to the woman-loving lifestyle than the extra clothes that I don't think Buffy would dig so much," replied Willow as she pulled out some of the Slayer's things from a wooden chest. "Although Xander has expressed a lot of interest in the details of lesbian relationships...but we won't go there."

As Tara ducked into the bathroom to change, Willow patted Dawn's hair. "Thanks for not being weirded out, Dawnie."

Dawn hugged Willow. "Thanks for being honest, Will. I admit it's different, and it'll take me some time to get used to the idea, but I'm glad you have someone in your life who makes you happy. Because that's all that really matters, right?"

"You got it, sister. Hey, you're coming to Miss Kitty Fantastico's birthday party tomorrow, right?"

"Wouldn't miss it! I can't wait till she sees what I got her from Pedro's Pet Palace...she's going to love it!" gushed Dawn.

"Did someone say party?" interrupted Buffy, who was now standing in the doorway. "Tara, please tell me you're going to make your awesome carrot cake for the Miss Kitty party, right? I am so willing to give up two hours of slayage if I'm tempted with carrot cake made with real cream cheese icing, even if I do think having birthday parties for cats is kind of insane."

The topic of the conversation now changed, the friends talked excitedly about cats, cakes, and party plans. And how lucky they were to have extra outfits, too.