Tara's hospital room – Sunnydale Hospital
"I hate you!" Tara screams angrily at her father. "You have no right!"
"NO, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" Mr Maclay yells back. "I knew I should not have left you with those people, being a disgusting and impure influence on you!"
"I-I was the influence," Tara speaks quietly.
"What was that, Tara? If you want to speak to me then speak up!" Mr Maclay spits.
"I was the influence." Tara retorts in spite, her stutter completely dissolved in the anger.
"How so?" He asks intrigued.
"I..." Tara pauses and takes a gulp, her mouth suddenly dry. "I'm a lesbian."
Mr Maclay stares at his daughter, shell-shocked. His face is still red and his eyes still hold a fury within them. He speaks, this time in a softer tone, his voice almost horse, "Your mother..." he coughs to clear his throat. "Your mother would be so disappointed in you." He simply states.
There is a working silence, cogs meshing in both Tara and her father's minds, "She knew." Tara finally replies.
"How?" Her father retorts, this time the anger in his voice is back.
"She was my mom, she knew." Tara states her eye gazing into the past.
I sit alone in my bedroom doing homework. Sat on my bed with my legs crossed and working off my lap, maths – great! Only a couple more months to go before I finally graduate and then I can finally get out of this place and go to college. Sure, I love my mum and it is going to be hard leaving her, but it is about time I try to make something out of my life before the monster inside consumes me.
There is quiet tapping on the door.
"Come in." I holler, expecting my nuisance of a father want something done with the snap of his fingers, either that or my pain in the ass brother, wanting to get on my very last nerve.
To my surprise it is my mother who enters my room. She has been bed ridden for days due to a severe migraine but my father explains it as her inner demon causing her havoc, I disagree.
"Hello, Tara." My mother utters weakly.
"Mom?" I sceptically retort. "Come sit down."
My mom slowly wades over to my bed at perches herself at the end. She sways dazed a little before the steadies herself.
"Mom, are you okay?" Is all that I can manage to articulate.
"Honestly, Tara. I'm not sure." She looks at me and feigns half an extinguished smile.
I scoot a little closer to her and she takes my hand in hers, bringing it up to her lips she places a small kiss on it, she is much smaller then I remember, frail and cold.
"Tara, I need to ask you something and I need an honest answer." She addresses me, looking me deep in the eyes.
"Sure, mom. Anything." I reply honestly.
"I've noticed things as your mother. You don't get out much and socialise," She pauses, contemplating the best thing to say next. "I have also noticed that you don't have many male friends..." She trails off, still not certain to what to say.
"Where is this going?" I ask, knowing well and truly where this conversation is going... GULP
"I've seen your friend, the tall girl with the long brown hair come around here a few time – as much dismay to your father – I invited her into our home, because I know how much it means to have friends as a teenager. Although, she's not just your friend though, is she..? I mean, I have seen the way look at her. My question Tara is..." She trails off again, her eyes deep in thought of how to get the question across correctly.
"Yes." I simply reply before she asks. "I like girls."
My mom looks at me for a second, not really able to read her facial expression, but then she smiles at me, "Don't let anybody tell you that you can't be who you want to be; even if it turns out to be your father one day." She smiles again. "I will always be proud of you," She states, leaning in to me and kissing me on the forehead. "Remember that."
Tara's hospital room – Sunnydale Hospital
"She confronted me about it," Tara tells her father honestly. "Right before she was diagnosed, she came to my room to ask me about it."
"And she was disappointed and disgusted with you?" He asks spitefully.
"No." Tara simply retorts. "She supported me up until the day she died." Tara smiles, recollecting the conversations she shared with her mother, glad that she didn't have to hide who was anymore.
"Why did you not tell me?" The anger in his eye apparent again.
"Because I knew that you would lock me in my room indefinitely, cursing me that the devil was inside of me." Tara utters angrily. "I'm what, twenty two now? Where is that demon you insisted would consume me? I see no demon in me!"
"I guess that you were lucky then." Mr Maclay states matter of factly.
"I really need to sleep now, I am exhausted." Tara yawns, her eyes getting heavier by the second.
"I will outside if you need anything." He replies exiting through the door, shutting it behind him.
"Willow, where are you?" Tara speaks softly as though speaking to the heavens.
Tara slides down into her bead and puts the covers to up under her chin, her eyes are getting heavier and heavier until eventually she circum to sleeps.
"Tara, look at me." Willow says determinedly addressing me.
I peer up reluctantly, Willow staring into my soul.
"I trusted you more than anyone in my life," She states. I can see the tears threatening to spill over in her eyes, "Was all that just a lie?"
I look at her there is no need to contemplate the answer; I answer it from deep within my heart, "No."
"Do you wanna' leave?" She enquires the sadness eminent on her face.
"It's not your decision, young lady." My father calls out.
"I know that!" Willow snaps back at him before looking back at me, "Do you wanna' leave?" She asks again, trying her hardest to fight the tears.
I look back at her and shake my rapidly, tears spilling down my cheeks at the thought of losing her.
"You are going to do what is right, Tara," My father demands. "Now I'm taking you out of here before somebody does get killed! The girl belongs with her family. I hope that's clear to the rest of you."
I look at willow and she looks back, I can feel her holding me back with her eyes.
"It is," Buffy states. "You want her Mr Maclay? You can go ahead and take her..."
I knew that that spell would make them hate me even more... I am ready to leave.
"You just gotta' go through me." She continues.
"What!?" My father utters in disbelief.
"You heard me." Buffy retorts.
I can't believe what my ears are telling me, they like me, they really do like me.
"You wanna' take Tara out of here against her will, you gotta' come through me..."
"And me!" Dawn pipes up.
I look at my two friends standing up for me, and I feel accepted.
"Is this a joke?" My father asks. "I'm not gonna' be threatened by two little girls."
"You don't wanna' mess with us." Dawn announces.
"She's a hair puller." Buffy backs her up.
"And, you're not just dealing with two little girls." Giles stands forward.
"You're dealing with all of us." Xander protests
"This is insane. You people have no right to interfere with Tara's affairs, we are her blood kin!" My father states looking at me, "Who the hell are you!"
"We're family." Buffy retorts back proudly.
I can't believe it, I look at Willow and she gives me a smile, she and I are both eminently happy that I get to stay, and the fact I have been accepted into the group.
"Dad?! You just gonna' let em' just...?" Donnie asks walking over to me, "Tara, if you don't get in that car, I swear to God I will beat you down."
"And I swear by your full and manly beard, you're gonna' break something trying!" Xander concludes.
"Well. I hope you'll all be happy hanging out with a disgusting demon," Beth intervenes.
"Excuse me, what kind of demon is she?" Anya asks .
"What?" Beth retorts bewildered slightly
"What kind of demon is she? There's a lot of different kinds," Anya continues. "Some are very very evil and some have been considered to be useful members of society."
"Well... I ... What does it matter?" Beth stammers.
"Evil is Evil." My father announces.
"Well let's just narrow it down."
"Ah..." I hear Spike thinking out loud, "Why don't I make this simple?" He announces.
He walks over to me, pokes me on the shoulder and as I turn to look at him –Whack- A punch in the nose.
"Hey!" willow shouts at Spike angrily... "Hey..." Willow catches on.
"He hit my nose." I announce, holding my now throbbing nose.
"And it hurt, him – I mean.!" Willow looks at me and smiles.
"And that only works on humans." Buffy announces to my father.
"There's no demon in there," Spike concludes. "It's just a family legend, am I right? Just a bit of spin to keep the ladies in line?"
"I'm not a demon." I announce to Willow.
"You're not a demon." Willow confirms...
"He hit my nose." I state to her.
"Oh..." Willow empathetically moans.
I can't stop looking at Willow recognising the person I nearly lost.
"Yeah? You're welcome." Spike announces.
"Mr Maclay. I would say your business here is finished." Giles announces.
"Tara, for 18 years your family has taken care of you and supported you. If you wanna' turn your back..."
"Dad," I utter softly, "Just go..."
He turns and heads towards the door, "Magic!" He spits in disgust.
Beth turns to me, "Are you happy now?" And I can't seem to from a response to this, I just smile. For once in a very long time I have a home, with a loving family.
Buffy's hospital room – Sunnydale Hospital
"Have I mentioned how much I can break his face?" Buffy says grinding her knuckles.
"Once or twice." Willow chuckles back.
"Tara's old enough to fend for herself, why has her father decided to show up after all this time, just out of the blue," Buffy enquires. "Have I mentioned I can break his face?"
"Think about it, he gets a second chance of controlling his daughter," Willow states. "He has obviously been contacted by the hospital, and has heard that she is suffering from some short term memory loss, what a great way to try to patch up their shattered relationship when she can't even remember what he did. He's not stupid; I have to give him that." Willow retorts angrily.
"Yes, but he is stupid if he believes that we won't fight tooth and nail to keep her like we did last time." Buffy replies.
"He won't let me anywhere near her room. He's sitting outside her room like a guard dog." Willow states.
"Well then, we need to figure out a way to get the guard dog away from his post, and I know how." Buffy cunningly brews a plan.
Just a short chapter. I really enjoyed working on this chapter and introducing the character of Tara's mum.
I hope to give you another chapter shortly as I made my way slowly but surely towards the finale. Enjoy