Tara sat on her bed and tried her best to ignore the terse phone conversation going on behind her. She knew that everything that had happened yesterday at Mr. Giles's had really hurt her girlfriend deeply. It had taken hours for Willow's angry ranting to turn into shuddering sobs last night before she finally fell into a fitful sleep in Tara's could hear that pain and exhaustion creep back into Willow's voice as the continued her conversation with Buffy. She sighed when she heard Willow agree to meet the Slayer. Tara knew how much Willow's friends meant to her and could only imagine how Willow had felt about their less than spectacular reactions to her coming out yesterday, but her heart lifted somewhat at the thought of them working out their differences. These people were Willow's family and Tara couldn't be responsible for taking Willow away from the people who loved her. She wasn't that selfish.
"Yeah, okay," Willow said hanging up the phone. She took a deep breath and flopped face forward onto Tara's bed. Her cheek hit the corner of her laptop, but she didn't notice. When she finally resurfaced she just looked up at Tara for several long moments. Sighing again she got up and started to gather her things from where they had spread out during the course of the morning.
"I should get this stuff to Buffy," Willow said as she knelt down to collect her laptop off the bed. She stilled her hands before looking up apologetically at Tara. "I'm so sorry about yesterday. They shouldn't have..I mean I didn't think…"
"It's fine," Tara cut her off gently. Willow had apologized more than enough the night before.
"No it's not fine," Willow said firmly. She put her hand on Tara's thigh. "But it will be. We will be," she affirmed.
Tara smiled softly, leaned forward, and kissed Willow. When she felt Willow begin to deepen the kiss she reluctantly pulled away. "You should go," she reminded softly.
Willow pouted and nodded her head. "Yeah. I'll call or come over when I'm done, okay?"
"Okay," Tara nodded. Willow leaned forward to kiss Tara once again before getting up and leaving the room.
Several hours later Tara was pacing across the floor in front of her bed. Willow had just called to tell her that she and the Scobbies had reconciled, that they had come together to defeat Adam, and that she was spending the night at the Summer's home with the gang.
"It was incredible," Willow had gushed, "It was like nothing I've ever felt before. God, being connected to such a powerful source, it was – Oh! I guess I'll tell you more about it tomorrow. Xander wants to use the phone. I love you, baby. Good night."
The moment Tara had put down the phone, she began researching. Although Willow hadn't been very specific, Tara knew that whatever Willow, Buffy, and the rest had done had been immensely powerful. She'd felt it earlier and had been a nervous wreck until Willow called to tell her that she was okay. Everything Tara knew told her that the magicks that they called upon to forge the kind of connection Willow had talked about was incredible, dangerous, and should have been well beyond the skill of someone who had only been practicing for three years.
Suddenly exhausted, Tara stopped. She was worried about Willow, but as she got herself ready for bed she couldn't help but think that if Willow's powers continued to grow that when it came time she would be strong enough to control the demon or even stop it from even manifesting. She pulled the covers over herself to fight off an unusual chill and fell asleep hopeful for the first time in a long while.