"Dawn! Did you put the blanket on the couch like I asked?!" Willow called from the bottom of the stairs.

Dawn stuck her head out her door. "I couldn't find one! We'll just have to use a sheet or something!"

Willow sighed. She and Dawn had noticed that kids were getting antsy from being cooped up in the house all day, so they decided to take them to the park for the afternoon.

Dawn appeared at the top of the stairs with a bundle in her hands. "You don't mind sitting on a Minnie Mouse sheet, do you?"

Willow chuckled. "If it works, I'll sit on it."

"Great. Oh, and I found Tara's jacket. It was in my room."

"Perfect. Now, all we need to do is find Buffy's shoe."

"I hear that it's always the last place you'd ever look."

Willow grinned. "That could be anywhere."

Dawn shrugged. "It's a start."

Willow walked into the living room and started to look for the missing shoe. Not under anything. Not behind anything. Not inside anything.

"It's not in the living room!" Willow called.

"It's not in the kitchen!" Dawn replied.

"I found it! I found it!"

Willow and Dawn both came together in the hallway.

Buffy stood between them, the shoe in her hand. "I found it."

Willow squatted down to Buffy's eye level. "You sure did, Buff. Now go find William and we'll be ready to go."

"Okay." She took off through the house.

Willow stood back up and she exchanged a look with Dawn.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Dawn questioned. "I mean, remember what happened last time we took them out? At least at the mall they had cops and stuff looking for them. The park is right next to the woods."

"I guess we'll just have to keep a good eye on them, then. We can't keep them cooped up all month. That's torture to a little kid."

"Yeah, but taking them out is torture to us. Especially with Spike and Buffy always running off and getting into stuff. It's like the 'terrible two's times a thousand!"

"We can handle it," Willow said confidently. "We just make sure to keep them in sight at all times."

"What if there's a lot of people?"

"Then, we'll deal. Right now, we just need to get them ready and to the park."

"You think we can do it?" Dawn asked.

"Shouldn't be too hard."

Just then, a loud wail sounded from somewhere upstairs. The cry was so loud, they couldn't tell if it was female or male.

Willow and Dawn exchanged a glance before dashing up the stairs. Once they got to the top, they managed to make out that it was two voices.

"William! Buffy! Tara!" Willow called out.

Dawn followed the voices and came into Willow's room. Tara and Spike were on the floor, crying, and Buffy was watching.

"What happened?" Dawn asked.

Buffy pointed to the pair. "They go boom!"

Willow scooped Tara up and rocked her back and forth. Dawn picked Spike up and rubbed the back of his head.

"They go boom?" Dawn questioned Willow.

Willow noticed a small, darkened area of Tara's forehead. She looked over at Spike and he had a similar spot.

"Looks like they knocked head," Willow told Dawn.

"And you were saying this wasn't going to be hard. They've already had their bruise of the day!"

"We're still taking them," Willow said firmly. "They need it."

"What they need are some crash helmets."

* * *

Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the park. It was only a few blocks away, thankfully. Of course, nothing's as easy as it seems.

"I'm ti-erd!

(A/N: Not a typo. If there is ever any miss spelling, and it's the kids talking, I'm probably writing it the same as it would sound.)

"Buffy, we're almost there," Willow assured her. "You've walked farther than this."

"My leg hurts!"

"I can't carry you, Buff, I have Tara."

"And my hands are full," Dawn said over the pile of blankets and baskets piled in her arms.

"It hurts!"

Willow and Dawn just ignored her and kept walking. The park was just across the street. Buffy could wait a little longer.

Buffy plopped down on the ground. "It hurts!"

"Buffy, come on. It's just across the street," Willow pleaded.

People looked back at the screeching child, giving Dawn and Willow disapproving looks.

"Oh, get up, you big baby!"

Dawn raised her brow at Spike, who was standing with his arms over his chest and a scowl planted firmly on his face.

"I'm not a baby!" Buffy shouted back, her "injury" forgotten.

"Prove it."

Dawn and Willow exchanged a look and waited to see if the idea would work.

Buffy made a big show off climbing to her feet and standing with her 'hurt' leg bent slightly so it looked like she was in pain.

"A-Are you guys ready to cross the street?" Willow asked, adjusted Tara in her arms.

They both nodded.

Willow and Dawn made sure the toddlers were in front of them and started across the small street. Buffy was walking with an exaggerated limp.

Once they reached the park, Dawn laid out a sheet and started to set out the snack food while the three kids ran off to the nearby playground. Tara climbed onto a swing.

"Can I push you?" Spike asked shyly.

Tara nodded.

Spike grinned and came behind her, grabbing the sides of the swing and pushing it as far as he could, then running away before it could come back and knock him over. Once the swing got going in a smooth rhythm, Spike stood a small distance for the swing and pushed it when it came to him.

Buffy watched from the top of the jungle gym. Jealousy crept into her stomach, making it churn. 'Since when does he play with her?' she thought angrily.

Tara squealed with laughter as Spike pushed her a little higher. "Wee!"

Buffy's eyes narrowed. But she wasn't mad at Tara. How could she be? Tara was so nice and quiet and pretty. No. She was made at William. He was completely ignoring her.

Willow nudged Dawn and gestured to Buffy, who was perched at the top of the jungle gym and sending the other two evil looks. "Looks like someone's not getting enough attention."

Dawn giggled.

Finally, Buffy slowly made her way down the jungle gym and walked over to the swings.

Dawn and Willow exchanged looks. Willow climbed to her feet.

"I'm gonna go check on them. Make sure-"

"Buffy doesn't kill Spike," Dawn finished, a smile on her face.

Willow nodded and walked over.

Buffy walked over next to Spike and tilted her head to the side. "Can you push me?"

Spike turned his head, "But, I'm pushin' -" He was cut off as Tara's swing gently collided with his chest and knocked him on his butt.

Buffy's hand clamped over her mouth with a giggled.

Spike coughed a few times and shook his head.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, who had burst into a sprint when Spike had fallen.

"Uh huh," Spike answered.

Buffy clamped onto his arm and pulled him to his feet.

Tara's swing had slowly come to a stop. "Push!"

Willow's head snapped to the side. "What?"

Tara's gave her a distressed look. "Push," she said pathetically.

A smile spread over Willow's face. That had been the first word she had said since this whole thing had started.

"Sure, I'll push you," Willow said softly. She pulled the swing back and let Tara glide through the air.

"Weee!"

Buffy turned to Spike once more, who had backed a few feet away when Willow had started pushing Tara. "Will you push me now?"

His eyes widened a little. "Uh, I don't -"

"Please?" She jutted her lower lip out and ducked her head slightly, making fine strands of blonde hair fall in front of her eyes.

Spike rolled his eyes. "Fine."

Buffy cheered with the victory of not only getting Spike to push her, but now she also knew how to get him to do whatever she wanted. A little lip, a little coy, and he was won over.

Buffy hopped up onto the swing and Spike began to push.

After about thirty minutes of swinging, running around, and yelling at the top of their lungs, Willow ushered them back to the blanket to eat.

Dawn had brought just about everything they had to make sandwiches, hard- boiled eggs, potato salad, apples and pears, and carrots and celery.

After eating their fill, Spike, Buffy, and Tara walked into the middle of a meadow and laid on their backs, staring at the clouds. They were laid out with Buffy's head on Spike's shoulder, and Tara's head right in the small nook between Buffy and Spike's arms.

"Puppy!" Buffy cried, pointing to a shapeless, white cloud drifting through the clear blue sky.

"Pup-pee!" Tara repeated.

Buffy glanced down at Tara, surprised to hear her talking.

"Tat looks like a tiger," Spike said, pointing to another pile of fluff.

"Tigger!" Buffy chirped, the cloud reminding her of Winnie-the-Pooh's friend Tigger.

"Look over there," said Spike, but he wasn't pointing to the sky, he was pointing to the creek about fifty feet away.

"I bet it has fishies innit," Buffy said.

"Let's go look."

They all helped each other up and started towards the creek, neither Dawn nor Willow noticing.

The creek was about teen feet wide and about a foot wide on the shallow area, and a little deeper in the middle.

"Frogie!" Buffy cried, pointing to a frog perched on a rock a few feet away.

The frog croaked.

"Ribbit!" Buffy mocked.

It croaked again.

"Ribbit."

"Look!" Spike cried, pointing down the creek a small ways. There was a large log that lay over the creek. The water splashed up against it before trailing around the sides.

Spike turned back to Buffy. "Let's cross it."

Buffy looked hesitant for a second, glancing at the deeper water in the middle. Then a firm look crossed her features. "Okay."

"Coming?" Spike asked Tara.

She looked fearfully from him to the water, to the log, and back to him.

"It's not gonna hurt you."

When Tara didn't reply, Spike shrugged and he and Buffy walked the small ways down the creek. The log was about a foot high, almost up to his waist. Buffy helped hoist him up ad he pulled her up by the arm.

"Uh! Uh! Uh!"

Buffy looked back to see Tara with her arms held out. She smiled and lifted the small girl up easily.

It was only then that Dawn and Willow noticed where they were.

"You guys, no!" Dawn cried, sprinting towards them with Willow behind her.

Spike and them didn't hear them and continued across the log. Spike jumped off the end and smiled triumphantly. "I did it!"

Buffy was almost at the end when she heard a shriek. She looked back just in time to see Tara lose her balance and fall into the freezy water.

The water was much deeper than they had thought. It was about three feet deeper under the log, and the current of the water carried Tara under the log.

"Tara!" Willow and Dawn cried, still a hundred feet away.

Buffy dropped her stomach on the log and grabbed Tara's sweater as she surfaced just on the other side of the log. The current had Tara moving so fast that Buffy almost fell in also, but Spike had latched onto her foot, holding onto a stick protruding from the log.

Tara was limp in Buffy's hold. Her head was just above water and her lips were turning blue, her eyes closed.

Willow and Dawn finally reached the creek. Dawn stepped up and jumped over the log, and into the freezing water. She had to grip the log as the strong current, though only a few feet deep, almost swept her off her feet. She quickly grabbed Tara and handed her up to Willow, who was on a shallower side of the creek.

"Baby!" Willow cried, shaking Tara gently.

"Do you know CPR?" Dawn asked frantically, trying to remain calm as she helped Spike and Buffy off the log.

Willow took a few breaths and nodded. She laid Tara on the ground, hot tears flowing down her cheeks. Willow tilted Tara's head back and leaned down to see if she was breathing.

Nope.

Willow blew two small breaths into Tara's small mouth, found the place on her chest, and pressed lightly fifteen times. Then she breathed two more times, and listened for breath.

Still none.

"I'll get help," Dawn said, taking off.

Spike and Buffy inched closer as Willow continued CPR.

"Tara?" Buffy whispered softly. She reached out to touch her cheek, but recoiled at the coolness of the soft skin.

"Come on, baby," Willow cried. "Wake up."

Two more breaths.

Coughing.

Willow's heart leapt as Tara started coughing, choking on the water that had filled her lungs. Willow turned her so she could spit the water out.

"Tara," Willow cried, this time for joy. She pulled her into a hug, noticing how heavily she was shaking.

Willow heard sirens in the background as an ambulance arrived, pulling over the curb and driving through the sunny meadow.

Willow stood, holding Tara tightly to her chest. Spike and Buffy stood behind her knees.

Dawn was soon back also.

The paramedics looked Tara over, said she would be fine, but took her to the hospital just in case. Willow rode with Tara, making sure that Xander was coming to pick up Dawn and the remaining children.

* * *

Tara has been signed out of the hospital. Willow had been advised to keep an eye on her health in case the water had gotten anything in her system. But mainly just to get some rest.

Willow was sitting on the couch, Tara's head on her thigh. It was almost two o' clock in the morning and Willow didn't have the heart to wake her up, but she couldn't fall alseep in the position she was in.

Dawn had gotten up to get something to drink when she had seen Willow on the couch, staring intensely at Tara's small form.

"You know how you said they needed crash helmets?" Willow asked, acknowledging Dawn's presence without looking up.

Dawn shrugged. "Yeah."

"You were wrong." Willow looked up, a smile curving her lips. "They need to be kept in a bubble."

Dawn laughed. "They'd probably bust it."

TBC....