Sarah
Disclaimer: The characters from Buffy are not mine, sadly. They belong to the people at Fox, the WB, UPN and of course the Evil Tyrant of all things Buffy, Joss Whedon.
Description: Willow/Tara and possibly Dawn/Sarah.
Spoilers: The entire season six. BSD fully revealed. Set after the Tara Trials (if you missed them, they basically tell how Tara came back to life).
Rated: PG
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"So," Dawn said nervously, "Tara this is Sarah. Sarah, Tara." Dawn laughed. "Hey that rhymes. Anyway she's spending the night. That's ok right?"
Tara gave her a bit of a sly look, but Dawn shook her head to indicate it was not *that*. "Of course. Willow and I were just about to go out. Will you be ok until we get back?"
"Of course. We can order pizza or whatever."
"Then you two have fun. Don't do anything that I wouldn't." Tara gave Sarah a once over. Obviously human, not that Dawn couldn't have taken care of her if she wasn't. Very cute, with long blond hair, green eyes and a few scattered freckles. A clean aura. And she certainly seemed nice enough. Dawn had good taste in women. She extended her hand. "It was nice meeting you Sarah."
"Nice meeting you too," Sarah replied.
Willow rushed down the stairs. "Honey does my hair look like Little Orphan Annie on crack?" She had gotten a tad bit overzealous with the curling iron.
"No, you look fine. We'll just comb it down a little." Tara brushed through the curls with her fingers, loosening them a little. "See, now you look like a redheaded angel."
Willow smiled. "And you should know." As she leaned in to kiss Tara, Willow noticed Sarah for the first time. She pulled back, not wanting to frighten off their house guests with too many gratuitous PDAs. "Hi Dawn's friend."
"Sarah, Willow. Willow, Sarah," Dawn made the introductions.
"Oh hi," she told Sarah. "I'd love to stay and chat, but my little hair fiasco has cost us valuable time, and the movie starts at seven. You two will be alright?"
"Why does everyone keep asking that?" Sarah inquired.
"Very thorough parenting," Dawn explained. "We'll be fine. She likes the sunlight, don't you Sarah?"
"Yeah," Sarah answered, not sure what that had to do with anything.
"Then we're off. Bye!" Willow grabbed Tara's hand and the girls rushed out the door.
"Are they your sisters too?" Sarah asked.
"No, they're friends. And they live here."
"Oh, they just seem so ... close."
"Well, they're ..." Dawn hesitated. How Sarah took this news would greatly influence if and when Dawn spilled the news of her own. "They're lovers."
"Wow. Really?" Sarah seemed a little startled. Well, it was better than an ewwww or a lecture about sin.
"Yeah, they're really great together ..."
"So does your sister live here too?"
"Oh. Yes. She's out slay--slaving over burgers right now."
"So, what kind of pizza do you want to order?"
* * *
"That Sarah is a cutie-patootie," Willow commented as they speed walked to the movie theatre. "Too bad Dawn doesn't like girls."
"Yeah. Do you think we have time to grab some popcorn. I don't want to miss the previews."
Willow gave Tara a closer look. She never changed subjects so abruptly. "She doesn't, does she?"
Tara was caught. "Look whoever Dawn likes and doesn't like is her own business."
"I can't believe you didn't tell me. I can't believe she didn't tell me."
"Why?"
"Well ... y'know. Moral support."
"Honey." Tara took a break from walking. If they missed the previews, so be it. "Dawn is a teenager. You remember what that's like. You're trying to figure out life and yourself a the same time. If and when she has anything to tell, I'm sure she'll tell you. Give her the space she needs until then."
"Alright," Willow reluctantly agreed. "You know, I always sort of wondered if she might be ..."
"Sweetie!"
"So popcorn? Do you want to get extra butter. I'm sure we can work it off later."
* * *
Dawn and Sarah were sitting watching The Princess Diaries while devouring the Hawaiian pizza. Sarah had explained that it was healthier that way because the pineapple gave you your fruit for the day.
"Not to mention the orange in the orange soda," Dawn joked.
"Nah, that's just sugar and sparkling water. But water is very important. You can't survive without it."
"What about the sugar?"
Sarah took another sip. "It'll keep us up all night!"
"Can you believe that?" Dawn asked. "What, she takes off the glasses and straightens her hair and suddenly she's a hottie? As if she weren't a knock-out before."
"I don't know. I guess guys don't like frizzy hair."
Dawn paused. "I bet they think it's alright."
"So, do you like any of the guys in our class?" Sarah asked.
Uh-oh dangerous territory. "Not really."
"I know what you mean," Sarah agreed. "Most of them are just dorks."
"I did used to like an older guy," she said quite honestly.
"Oooh, how old?"
"Very old. He used to go out with my sister, but he turned out to be a real jerk."
"What did he do?"
Dawn frowned. "You don't want to know."
"Want to fast-forward to the part where she starts messing up the big dinner?"
"Ok." Dawn grabbed took control of the remote.
"I wish I was a princess," Sarah grumbled.
"You should be careful what you wish for," Dawn said. "And if you do make a wish don't tell anyone out loud. Especially if you've just met them."
Sarah gave Dawn a weird look. "Why?"
"Because then it won't come true, duh!" Dawn covered, knowing the exact opposite was the case. "Besides, you don't need to be a princess. I think you're pretty cool the way you are."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Sarah elbowed her. "You're pretty cool yourself. Oh wait, you're going to fast-forward too far! Ooh, I love the part where she breaks the glass." The two girls laughed over the series of slap stick events. When the scene was over, Sarah asked her, "So how come you always skipped school before?"
"I don't know. I don't really like school."
"I don't either, but I want to graduate."
"I know. I have a lot of summer school left to do in order to catch up."
"Did you fail your classes?"
"Just bio and PE."
"PE? Yuck. That's one class I never want to have to take over again."
"Me either," Dawn agreed, "but at least I never went to it in the first place."
"I cannot eat any more pizza!" Sarah groaned, rubbing her stomach.
"Me either." Dawn mentally slapped herself. What was she, a broken record. "I'm so stuffed. But maybe we can have some ice cream later."
"You have ice cream?" Sarah perked up. "That sounds so good. Lead the way, I can make room."
Dawn dug the ice cream out of the freezer for her, and found a clean spoon.
"I normally just eat it out of the carton, but if you want a bowl ..."
"This is fine," Sarah said, taking a bite. "It's good." She offered the spoon to Dawn. Dawn wasn't the slightest bit hungry, but she accepted the spoon took a small taste.
On the bright side, Dawn thought, their lips had both touched the same spoon. It was sort of like a long distance kiss.
"Guess what? Ian asked me out yesterday."
Dawn's heart sank.
"And I was thinking," Sarah continued, unaware of Dawn's sudden depression, "maybe we could make it a double date. He has a brother. And *older* brother."
"Do you like him?" Dawn asked.
Sarah tossed her head around. "Eh, he's ok. But he has a car. A nice car. And it's just a movie, it's not like I have to marry him or anything. What do you say?"
"I'll pass."
Sarah noticed Dawn's shift in mood. "You really don't like high school guys, do you?"
"Not really."
"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."
The kitchen door flew open, and Buffy came in, her shirt slightly ripped from battle. "Dawn, you won't believe it. I had to kill the biggest-"
Dawn cleared her throat loudly and gestured to her friend. Buffy took the hint.
"-cockroach."
Dawn mimed burger motions.
"At the Doublemeat," she concluded. "Have I met you before?" Buffy asked.
"Buffy, this is my friend Sarah. Sarah, this is my sister Buffy."
"Nice name," Buffy commented. "Well girls it's pretty late. Sarah should be getting home before her folks start worrying."
Dawn tried not to show her impatience and embarrassment. "She's spending the night."
"I don't remember you asking me about that."
"I asked Willow and Tara," Dawn replied. She could sense that Buffy was not pleased with that answer.
Thankfully Buffy chose not to embarrass her further. "Oh. Well it's still high time you too got to bed."
"Right."
Dawn and Sarah got into their PJs. Dawn was ill at ease. She knew that the moment her friend left Buffy would pull out the old "Willow and Tara are not your guardians, I am and how can you invite someone in the house I don't know they could be a vampire" speech. She drifted off to sleep thinking sad thoughts about double dates and lectures.
* * *
"Well?" Tara asked over cornflakes.
"Well what?" Dawn answered.
"Well how did it go with Sarah?"
"Not so well." Dawn slumped down in her seat. "She kept talking about boys. I'd say I'm just about 99% sure she's straight."
"Oh, I'm sorry Dawnie," Tara told her. "But at least you made a new friend."
"I know, but it's hard," Dawn pouted. Tara let her get away with it this time. "You like her, right?"
"I do. I think she's sweet."
"I don't think Buffy likes her very much," Dawn told her.
"Buffy had a hard night and wasn't expecting to meet her. I'm sure she'll love her as soon as she gets to know her." Tara gave Dawn a winning smile.
Dawn couldn't help but smile back. "We did have a lot of fun. And I don't know for sure that she's straight. She could, you know, just be talking about boys because that's what girls are supposed to talk about. She doesn't really like any of the guys in school either."
"Well there you go!"
Dawn had cheered up considerably. "You really like her?"
Tara laughed. "I really do! Now stop worrying about it. You have mush more important things to worry about, like that Bio exam!"
The girls both burst into laughter.
