Tara always enjoyed making breakfast. It helped calm her down, and it
helped cast the illusion that Tara was just your average woman. She
enjoyed helping her lover and friends fight the forces of evil, but
sometimes she just liked to sit back and enjoy the simpler things in life;
say, for example, the sizzling sound of bacon being cooked. Tara always
found it so amazing that seemingly unimportant tasks like cooking breakfast
and brushing your teeth could make you forget that you very easily could
have been drained by a vampire the night before.
Tara thought of the way Willow had saved Anya and shuddered. Tara loved Willow in every way possible and knew that her lover was one of the most powerful Wiccans in the Western Hemisphere, but the fact was that Willow sometimes scared her. The lightning Willow had wielded against the vampire was incredibly powerful; perhaps too powerful. Just the slightest miscalculation could have resulted in Anya's having been the one to become dust.
Tara was afraid of how powerful Willow had become. She knew that while there was no way Willow would ever intentionally hurt someone she loved, there are no guarantees when it comes to magic. At times Tara found herself jealous at how inferior she was to Willow when it came to witchcraft, but at other times she felt relieved to know she wasn't in possession of that much power. If one of Tara's spells were to go awry, the worst that would happen would be that somebody's hair would fall out; if one of Willow's went wrong, somebody could very easily lose their life.
Tara wanted to warn Willow that she had to be careful with her magic, but she didn't dare. On the one hand, she knew Willow was always careful; on the other, Willow wasn't the same person she was before Buffy's death. Willow still made Tara feel like the happiest woman on earth, but she also had a way of draining the joy out of any room. She acted as though it were her responsible to protect the Hellmouth with the Slayer gone.
Tara was disturbed from her thoughts by the steady drum of feet coming down the stairs. A moment later, Dawn Summers was in the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?" the youth asked before her eyes were drawn to the kitchen table. Tara turned to see what Dawn was staring at, and her face turned a bright shade of crimson.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Tara said, making her way over to the kitchen table to pick up the Buffy-Bot. She quietly placed the Bot in the kitchen closet. "Willow still hasn't got it to working properly. She was planning on working on it this morning, but she wound up sleeping a bit later than she intended."
"I don't see why we have to keep the stupid thing," Dawn mumbled. "All it does it make me think of." Dawn stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished. Tara felt a pang of guilt for having not placed the Bot out of view before the teen had awakened. Dawn had trouble looking at the Bot, as it was a constant reminder of her sister. Tara almost wished it weren't so important they keep the Bot around.
She thought of trying to explain once again why the Bot remained in the house, but she decided against it. Dawn knew all the reasons as it were. The first was the fact that they didn't want any demons to know the Slayer was out of commission. While there would always be demons drawn to the Hellmouth, there were also those that stayed out of town for fear of running into the Slayer. If they knew the Slayer was no longer among the living, there's no telling how many demons would invade the town.
The other reason, which Tara actually considered the more important of the two, was the fact that they needed the Bot to fool the social workers. Every so often, a social worker would come in to make sure Dawn was being taken care of properly. It was quite clear that Dawn's father, Hank Summers, had no intention of raising his daughter, so that left only Buffy. If it was discover Dawn's sister was dead, she would likely be taken from the home and placed in foster care.
Tara sometimes wondered if perhaps that would be for the best; she loved Dawn with all her heart, as if the teen were her own sister instead of just a dearly departed friend's, but she also feared that by keeping Dawn around, they were actually putting the child in danger. But on the other hand, Tara realized, placing Dawn in a foster home was no guarantee from an attack. Just because Glory was gone didn't mean there wasn't something else out there looking for the Key, and Tara knew that your average stepparents weren't going to be able to protect her from some big bad demon looking to sacrifice Dawn for who knows what reason. The fact was that with Buffy gone, Willow and Tara were the most capable of keeping Dawn safe.
Finishing breakfast up, Tara sat down with Dawn and ate together. They talked about their fears of starting the new school year. Tara was just preparing for her junior year of college, while Dawn was preparing for her first year of high school. Dawn was far more nervous than Tara, which Tara fully understood. Though the old high school was now in ruins, that was no guarantee that Dawn's new school wouldn't act as a magnet towards demons. Tara was glad that she had been raised in Alabama instead of on the Hellmouth, and a part of her wished that Dawn would be able to attend school somewhere a lot safer.
Dawn had already finished up breakfast and Tara had only a few bites left when Willow finally came down the stairs. "There's some bacon and pancakes on the counter," Tara informed her girlfriend, "or if you'd prefer, I can fix you up an omelet real quick."
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Willow responded; as usual, the witch seemed a bit distracted. Willow's eyes shot to Dawn, who was sitting where Willow had last left the Buffy-Bot. "Where's the Buffy-Bot?" she asked Tara. "I told you I was planning on working on it this morning."
Dawn looked down, and Tara knew that even mentioning the Bot was like telling Dawn her sister was never coming back. She rose from the table and pulled Willow out of the room. "Sweetie, you really should give it a rest," Tara said. "You know seeing the Buffy-Bot tends to freak Dawn out."
"Well that's just too bad," Willow responded, a bit louder than Tara would have liked. Tara hushed her, hoping that Dawn hadn't overheard, but Willow went on. "She knows that we need the Buffy-Bot around, so she's just going to have to get over it."
"But we don't need the Bot around all the time," Tara argued, making sure to keep her voice low and hoping that Willow would take the hint and lower her own voice as well. "And besides, I think you should quit working on it for a while. You've been obsessing about it way too much; I'm getting worried about you. You really should take a break for a while."
"I can take a break when the Bot is finished," Willow said. Tara started to open her mouth to argue some more, but this time it was Willow that did the hushing. "I don't want to talk about it any more," she said, walking into the kitchen. She walked straight to the kitchen closet and pulled out the Buffy-Bot.
"Do you really have to work on that now?" Dawn asked. "Can't you wait until I go to school or something? I'm so sick of seeing that stupid thing. It makes me want to vomit."
"You just have to deal with it, sweetie," Willow responded as she started to work on the Bot. "You know why we have to keep it. We don't want you being taken away, now do we?"
"I'd rather live in a foster home than to live here with that," Dawn said, gesturing to the Buffy-Bot.
"Honey, you don't mean that," Tara responded, trying her best to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"Yes I do!" Dawn responded. "You know I love you guys, I always will, but that thing is driving me crazy. If you have to keep it around, I'd just rather just live somewhere else!"
"God, will you stop your whining for two seconds?!" Willow demanded. Both Tara and Dawn's eyes lit up at the witch's outburst. Willow hadn't been herself lately, but she usually managed to keep her cool. Tara didn't think she had ever once seen Willow actually lose her patience. "Look, I'm sorry if the Bot makes you uncomfortable, but would you at least try to understand we're doing this for your best interest and quit being such a brat about it?!"
"Willow!" Tara gasped.
"What happened to you?" Dawn responded. "You used to be so likeable, so nice. Now you're just a." She stopped before continuing. "Just a bitch."
"Don't you talk to me like that!" Willow snapped back. Dawn's remarks had been about the only thing that could draw the Wicca's attention away from the Buffy-Bot. "I'm getting tired of your attitude, Dawny. When you get off school, I want you to come straight home. You're grounded."
"You can't ground me!" Dawn fought back. "You're not my mother!" And with that, the teen was out of the door. Tara was momentarily stunned, but a moment later she went rushing out the door in search of Dawn.
It proved to not be a long search, as Dawn was sitting on the porch crying. Tara wasn't sure what to do at first, but she eventually sat down next to Dawn and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. She just sat there with Dawn in silence for a moment; she figured it would be best if she just allowed Dawn to break the silence. It was several seconds before she did so.
"What happened to the old Willow?" Dawn said at last.
"I don't know," Tara sighed, hating to admit the truth. "She's just had a hard time coping the last few months. I think she feels like she's in charge of protecting the town now that." Tara stopped in mid-sentence; she hated to ever reference the fact that Buffy was dead. "She's just having a hard time dealing with the pressure, is all. Give her a while; she'll be back to her old self in no time."
"I hope so," Dawn muttered. "I miss the old Willow. I hate the new one."
The words nearly broke Tara's heart, despite the fact they didn't exactly come as a surprise. Willow and Dawn hadn't gotten along very well at all since Buffy's death and had argued frequently, though none of the same caliber as this one. "You don't mean that," Tara said, managing to keep her voice calm.
Dawn was silent at first, but eventually relented. "No," she admitted, "I don't hate her. But I don't like her, either. She's just so unbearable!"
"I know honey, I know," Tara responded.
The two sat there in silence for a few moments before Dawn eventually managed to stand up. "Well, I guess I better head for school," Dawn said. "Don't want to be late."
"Yeah, you probably should get going," Tara said, also rising to her feet. "Do you want me to walk with you? Or give you a ride? You just say it, you've got it, sweetie."
"Thanks, but no," Dawn replied. "I'd actually rather be alone right now."
"I understand," Tara said, giving Dawn a hug goodbye. "And I want you to know that despite how she's been acting, Willow loves you. A lot. We both do."
"I know, I love you guys too," Dawn responded. "See ya." Tara watched Dawn until she was out of sight, and then headed back inside. Willow was back working on the Buffy-Bot. She didn't seem to notice Tara had even come in at first. It wasn't until Tara sat down across the table from Willow that the witch looked away from the Bot, though only briefly.
"Did the baby leave for school?" Willow asked, turning her attention back to the Buffy-Bot.
"She's not a baby!" Tara said, growing even more furious at her lover. Willow and Tara had only argued once, and Tara shuddered just thinking about what that had resulted in, but the time for silence was over. Willow was starting to act like something that sounded a lot like the word witch. "She's not a baby, so don't call her one."
"Maybe if she didn't act like one, I wouldn't," Willow responded. Willow looked up and saw the glare Tara was giving her, which seemed to stump the witch. "Now what did I do?"
"You've changed," Tara said. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't. Now wasn't the time for arguing. "I can't talk about this right now, I just can't," Tara said, exiting the room. Willow stayed on her knees for a while before finally getting up and joining Tara in the other room.
"What is the matter with you?" Willow demanded. "Why do you always side with Dawn?"
"This isn't about sides."
"Yes it is!" Willow snapped back. "You're always siding with her. But I'm your girlfriend, you're supposed to side with me! You two act like it's a major chore even being around me!" When Tara didn't immediately respond, Willow's eyebrows rose. "You don't like being around me any more?"
"I didn't say that!"
"If being around me is such a hassle, why don't you move out?!" Willow barked.
"If I didn't love you so much, I would!" Tara said before running upstairs. Willow's words had cut a hole in her heart and Tara wanted to cry, but she'd be damned if she let Willow see her so weak. She slammed the door to their bedroom before flinging herself on her bed.
A moment later, Willow was in the room laying down next to her lover.
"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized, wrapping her arms around Tara; despite the fact Tara wanted to pull away, she didn't. "This is just so hard for me," Willow admitted. "My best friend's dead, and now it's like I've got a baby sister and a daughter rolled up together that I have to take care of. It's hard. I don't know what to do."
"First thing is calm down," Tara instructed, rolling over to face her girlfriend. "You're running yourself wild with all the patrolling, and worrying about the Buffy-Bot. It's not healthy, for anyone, for you to be this way. You have to chill."
"I will, baby," Willow promised. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bitch. I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you have to apologize to," Tara responded.
Willow nodded. "You're right," Willow realized. "I'll have a talk with Dawn first chance I get. Promise." With that, Willow leaned in and gave her girlfriend a kiss. "Now don't you think you better get ready for class?"
"What about you?" Tara asked, sitting up in bed. "You have class, too."
"I know, but you're right," Willow said. "I really should rest for a while. I think I'll skip history. Nothing really important going on in there, anyway; just talking about things in the past."
"What about advanced trig?" Tara asked. "Didn't you tell me you have a test this afternoon?"
"I totally forgot!" Willow sighed. "I guess I better go to that one. Professor Stevens said if anybody misses, they fail the class automatically. So much for resting today, huh?"
"Not necessarily. You can still rest for a few hours. It's better than nothing." Willow merely nodded as Tara climbed from the bed and retrieved her bag from the closet. "I'll see you later, sweetie," Tara said, and with that Tara was on her way downstairs.
Willow looked out the window and watched as Tara began the walk towards campus. On the street, Tara caught sight of her lover and gave a wave, which Willow enthusiastically returned. Once Tara was out of sight, Willow was on her feet, down the stairs, and out the door.
Tara thought of the way Willow had saved Anya and shuddered. Tara loved Willow in every way possible and knew that her lover was one of the most powerful Wiccans in the Western Hemisphere, but the fact was that Willow sometimes scared her. The lightning Willow had wielded against the vampire was incredibly powerful; perhaps too powerful. Just the slightest miscalculation could have resulted in Anya's having been the one to become dust.
Tara was afraid of how powerful Willow had become. She knew that while there was no way Willow would ever intentionally hurt someone she loved, there are no guarantees when it comes to magic. At times Tara found herself jealous at how inferior she was to Willow when it came to witchcraft, but at other times she felt relieved to know she wasn't in possession of that much power. If one of Tara's spells were to go awry, the worst that would happen would be that somebody's hair would fall out; if one of Willow's went wrong, somebody could very easily lose their life.
Tara wanted to warn Willow that she had to be careful with her magic, but she didn't dare. On the one hand, she knew Willow was always careful; on the other, Willow wasn't the same person she was before Buffy's death. Willow still made Tara feel like the happiest woman on earth, but she also had a way of draining the joy out of any room. She acted as though it were her responsible to protect the Hellmouth with the Slayer gone.
Tara was disturbed from her thoughts by the steady drum of feet coming down the stairs. A moment later, Dawn Summers was in the kitchen. "What's for breakfast?" the youth asked before her eyes were drawn to the kitchen table. Tara turned to see what Dawn was staring at, and her face turned a bright shade of crimson.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Tara said, making her way over to the kitchen table to pick up the Buffy-Bot. She quietly placed the Bot in the kitchen closet. "Willow still hasn't got it to working properly. She was planning on working on it this morning, but she wound up sleeping a bit later than she intended."
"I don't see why we have to keep the stupid thing," Dawn mumbled. "All it does it make me think of." Dawn stopped, leaving the sentence unfinished. Tara felt a pang of guilt for having not placed the Bot out of view before the teen had awakened. Dawn had trouble looking at the Bot, as it was a constant reminder of her sister. Tara almost wished it weren't so important they keep the Bot around.
She thought of trying to explain once again why the Bot remained in the house, but she decided against it. Dawn knew all the reasons as it were. The first was the fact that they didn't want any demons to know the Slayer was out of commission. While there would always be demons drawn to the Hellmouth, there were also those that stayed out of town for fear of running into the Slayer. If they knew the Slayer was no longer among the living, there's no telling how many demons would invade the town.
The other reason, which Tara actually considered the more important of the two, was the fact that they needed the Bot to fool the social workers. Every so often, a social worker would come in to make sure Dawn was being taken care of properly. It was quite clear that Dawn's father, Hank Summers, had no intention of raising his daughter, so that left only Buffy. If it was discover Dawn's sister was dead, she would likely be taken from the home and placed in foster care.
Tara sometimes wondered if perhaps that would be for the best; she loved Dawn with all her heart, as if the teen were her own sister instead of just a dearly departed friend's, but she also feared that by keeping Dawn around, they were actually putting the child in danger. But on the other hand, Tara realized, placing Dawn in a foster home was no guarantee from an attack. Just because Glory was gone didn't mean there wasn't something else out there looking for the Key, and Tara knew that your average stepparents weren't going to be able to protect her from some big bad demon looking to sacrifice Dawn for who knows what reason. The fact was that with Buffy gone, Willow and Tara were the most capable of keeping Dawn safe.
Finishing breakfast up, Tara sat down with Dawn and ate together. They talked about their fears of starting the new school year. Tara was just preparing for her junior year of college, while Dawn was preparing for her first year of high school. Dawn was far more nervous than Tara, which Tara fully understood. Though the old high school was now in ruins, that was no guarantee that Dawn's new school wouldn't act as a magnet towards demons. Tara was glad that she had been raised in Alabama instead of on the Hellmouth, and a part of her wished that Dawn would be able to attend school somewhere a lot safer.
Dawn had already finished up breakfast and Tara had only a few bites left when Willow finally came down the stairs. "There's some bacon and pancakes on the counter," Tara informed her girlfriend, "or if you'd prefer, I can fix you up an omelet real quick."
"No thanks, I'm not hungry," Willow responded; as usual, the witch seemed a bit distracted. Willow's eyes shot to Dawn, who was sitting where Willow had last left the Buffy-Bot. "Where's the Buffy-Bot?" she asked Tara. "I told you I was planning on working on it this morning."
Dawn looked down, and Tara knew that even mentioning the Bot was like telling Dawn her sister was never coming back. She rose from the table and pulled Willow out of the room. "Sweetie, you really should give it a rest," Tara said. "You know seeing the Buffy-Bot tends to freak Dawn out."
"Well that's just too bad," Willow responded, a bit louder than Tara would have liked. Tara hushed her, hoping that Dawn hadn't overheard, but Willow went on. "She knows that we need the Buffy-Bot around, so she's just going to have to get over it."
"But we don't need the Bot around all the time," Tara argued, making sure to keep her voice low and hoping that Willow would take the hint and lower her own voice as well. "And besides, I think you should quit working on it for a while. You've been obsessing about it way too much; I'm getting worried about you. You really should take a break for a while."
"I can take a break when the Bot is finished," Willow said. Tara started to open her mouth to argue some more, but this time it was Willow that did the hushing. "I don't want to talk about it any more," she said, walking into the kitchen. She walked straight to the kitchen closet and pulled out the Buffy-Bot.
"Do you really have to work on that now?" Dawn asked. "Can't you wait until I go to school or something? I'm so sick of seeing that stupid thing. It makes me want to vomit."
"You just have to deal with it, sweetie," Willow responded as she started to work on the Bot. "You know why we have to keep it. We don't want you being taken away, now do we?"
"I'd rather live in a foster home than to live here with that," Dawn said, gesturing to the Buffy-Bot.
"Honey, you don't mean that," Tara responded, trying her best to keep the hurt out of her voice.
"Yes I do!" Dawn responded. "You know I love you guys, I always will, but that thing is driving me crazy. If you have to keep it around, I'd just rather just live somewhere else!"
"God, will you stop your whining for two seconds?!" Willow demanded. Both Tara and Dawn's eyes lit up at the witch's outburst. Willow hadn't been herself lately, but she usually managed to keep her cool. Tara didn't think she had ever once seen Willow actually lose her patience. "Look, I'm sorry if the Bot makes you uncomfortable, but would you at least try to understand we're doing this for your best interest and quit being such a brat about it?!"
"Willow!" Tara gasped.
"What happened to you?" Dawn responded. "You used to be so likeable, so nice. Now you're just a." She stopped before continuing. "Just a bitch."
"Don't you talk to me like that!" Willow snapped back. Dawn's remarks had been about the only thing that could draw the Wicca's attention away from the Buffy-Bot. "I'm getting tired of your attitude, Dawny. When you get off school, I want you to come straight home. You're grounded."
"You can't ground me!" Dawn fought back. "You're not my mother!" And with that, the teen was out of the door. Tara was momentarily stunned, but a moment later she went rushing out the door in search of Dawn.
It proved to not be a long search, as Dawn was sitting on the porch crying. Tara wasn't sure what to do at first, but she eventually sat down next to Dawn and put a hand on the youth's shoulder. She just sat there with Dawn in silence for a moment; she figured it would be best if she just allowed Dawn to break the silence. It was several seconds before she did so.
"What happened to the old Willow?" Dawn said at last.
"I don't know," Tara sighed, hating to admit the truth. "She's just had a hard time coping the last few months. I think she feels like she's in charge of protecting the town now that." Tara stopped in mid-sentence; she hated to ever reference the fact that Buffy was dead. "She's just having a hard time dealing with the pressure, is all. Give her a while; she'll be back to her old self in no time."
"I hope so," Dawn muttered. "I miss the old Willow. I hate the new one."
The words nearly broke Tara's heart, despite the fact they didn't exactly come as a surprise. Willow and Dawn hadn't gotten along very well at all since Buffy's death and had argued frequently, though none of the same caliber as this one. "You don't mean that," Tara said, managing to keep her voice calm.
Dawn was silent at first, but eventually relented. "No," she admitted, "I don't hate her. But I don't like her, either. She's just so unbearable!"
"I know honey, I know," Tara responded.
The two sat there in silence for a few moments before Dawn eventually managed to stand up. "Well, I guess I better head for school," Dawn said. "Don't want to be late."
"Yeah, you probably should get going," Tara said, also rising to her feet. "Do you want me to walk with you? Or give you a ride? You just say it, you've got it, sweetie."
"Thanks, but no," Dawn replied. "I'd actually rather be alone right now."
"I understand," Tara said, giving Dawn a hug goodbye. "And I want you to know that despite how she's been acting, Willow loves you. A lot. We both do."
"I know, I love you guys too," Dawn responded. "See ya." Tara watched Dawn until she was out of sight, and then headed back inside. Willow was back working on the Buffy-Bot. She didn't seem to notice Tara had even come in at first. It wasn't until Tara sat down across the table from Willow that the witch looked away from the Bot, though only briefly.
"Did the baby leave for school?" Willow asked, turning her attention back to the Buffy-Bot.
"She's not a baby!" Tara said, growing even more furious at her lover. Willow and Tara had only argued once, and Tara shuddered just thinking about what that had resulted in, but the time for silence was over. Willow was starting to act like something that sounded a lot like the word witch. "She's not a baby, so don't call her one."
"Maybe if she didn't act like one, I wouldn't," Willow responded. Willow looked up and saw the glare Tara was giving her, which seemed to stump the witch. "Now what did I do?"
"You've changed," Tara said. She wanted to say more, but she couldn't. Now wasn't the time for arguing. "I can't talk about this right now, I just can't," Tara said, exiting the room. Willow stayed on her knees for a while before finally getting up and joining Tara in the other room.
"What is the matter with you?" Willow demanded. "Why do you always side with Dawn?"
"This isn't about sides."
"Yes it is!" Willow snapped back. "You're always siding with her. But I'm your girlfriend, you're supposed to side with me! You two act like it's a major chore even being around me!" When Tara didn't immediately respond, Willow's eyebrows rose. "You don't like being around me any more?"
"I didn't say that!"
"If being around me is such a hassle, why don't you move out?!" Willow barked.
"If I didn't love you so much, I would!" Tara said before running upstairs. Willow's words had cut a hole in her heart and Tara wanted to cry, but she'd be damned if she let Willow see her so weak. She slammed the door to their bedroom before flinging herself on her bed.
A moment later, Willow was in the room laying down next to her lover.
"I'm sorry, baby," she apologized, wrapping her arms around Tara; despite the fact Tara wanted to pull away, she didn't. "This is just so hard for me," Willow admitted. "My best friend's dead, and now it's like I've got a baby sister and a daughter rolled up together that I have to take care of. It's hard. I don't know what to do."
"First thing is calm down," Tara instructed, rolling over to face her girlfriend. "You're running yourself wild with all the patrolling, and worrying about the Buffy-Bot. It's not healthy, for anyone, for you to be this way. You have to chill."
"I will, baby," Willow promised. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to be a bitch. I'm sorry."
"I'm not the one you have to apologize to," Tara responded.
Willow nodded. "You're right," Willow realized. "I'll have a talk with Dawn first chance I get. Promise." With that, Willow leaned in and gave her girlfriend a kiss. "Now don't you think you better get ready for class?"
"What about you?" Tara asked, sitting up in bed. "You have class, too."
"I know, but you're right," Willow said. "I really should rest for a while. I think I'll skip history. Nothing really important going on in there, anyway; just talking about things in the past."
"What about advanced trig?" Tara asked. "Didn't you tell me you have a test this afternoon?"
"I totally forgot!" Willow sighed. "I guess I better go to that one. Professor Stevens said if anybody misses, they fail the class automatically. So much for resting today, huh?"
"Not necessarily. You can still rest for a few hours. It's better than nothing." Willow merely nodded as Tara climbed from the bed and retrieved her bag from the closet. "I'll see you later, sweetie," Tara said, and with that Tara was on her way downstairs.
Willow looked out the window and watched as Tara began the walk towards campus. On the street, Tara caught sight of her lover and gave a wave, which Willow enthusiastically returned. Once Tara was out of sight, Willow was on her feet, down the stairs, and out the door.