Tara
There was a faint tap on Buffy's balcony door. She climbed off her bed, Dawn must have forgotten to take her window key again. She opened the door, surprised to not only see Spike and Dawn standing there, but another girl.
"Who's she?" Buffy asked somewhat rudely as they came into her room.
"This is Tara, she's gonna stay with us for a while," Dawn said. "And you won't have problem with that, will you Buffy?"
Buffy opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. She looked over at Tara. The poor girl was close to crying why would it hurt to let her stay a few nights? "Ok," Buffy nodded. "I'll set up the spare room next door."
"Wow, Pet, you've got a heart after all." Spike muttered. Buffy scowled at him.
~~~~~
It was early morning and Tara was awake. She was curled up in a bawl, sitting on the bed, looking out the window. She hadn't got much sleep last night. Their faces kept coming into her mind and waking her up.
The door opened a fraction; Tara whipped her head round, fear in her eyes. Buffy slipped in. The frightened girl let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey," Buffy greeted her. "How are you?"
"I'm ok," Tara whispered. "Thank you."
"For what?" Buffy came and sat down next to her.
"Letting me stay. Do your parents know I'm here?" She didn't want to get into anymore trouble.
"My dad left at four this morning. His secretary went into labour. My mom's still asleep; I'll talk to her when she wakes up." Tara looked up at the clock, half past six. "So, are you gonna tell me why you ran away?" Buffy asked.
Tara began to bit her nails. She took a deep breath and finally said; "I had to get away from them. my dad." She couldn't go on.
"It's ok." Buffy put an arm round her and gave her a hug. "You can stay here. It's not like we don't have enough space." Tara looked up at her sadly.
"I.I d-don't have anything." She stuttered. Buffy realised what she meant.
"We can go shopping with my friends today if you want. I'll use my Dad's plastic. You'll soon have a full wardrobe of fashionable clothes."
Tara smiled shyly. "That would be wonderful, thank you."
"Don't mention it," Buffy shook her head as she stood up and walked towards the door. "Come down for breakfast when ever you want."
~~~~~
"Willow, Cordelia, Kendra, Xander, Angel, Tara," Buffy introduced them all to each other, unaware that she did it in the same way Spike had done the night before.
"Um. have I missed something but who's she?" Cordelia asked. "Not meaning to be rude," she added.
"Spike and Dawn found her at the Fish Tank last night." Buffy explained. "She lives with us now 'cos her dad was a total scumbag." Tara smiled shyly.
"What's up with the Scooby meeting then?" Xander asked.
"Total wardrobe needed," Buffy said. Xander and Angel looked at each other then back to the girls.
"Then why do you need us?" they asked simultaneously.
"Guys opinion," the four girls said simultaneously before the six of the burst out laughing. Tara had the feeling that they had had this conversation many times before.
"How are we all gonna fit in my Jag?" Willow asked.
"We can take my Limo," Buffy shrugged. Tara was shocked how these kids could talk about such expensive things as if they were penny sweets and matchbox cars.
"Great idea." Kendra said grabbing her Gucci bag and Xander's arm. "Let's go."
~~~~
"Just one more!" Willow called as she pulled the curtain across the changing cubical.
"You said that an hour ago." Angel called back. He turned to Xander, who was slumped against the wall next to him, asleep. Angel elbowed him in the ribs.
"It looks great on you!" Xander snapped as he sat up, pretending he had never been asleep.
"You dozed off again," Angel explained.
"How long's it been now?" Xander asked.
"Five hours!" Angel cried. He glanced at the endless number of bags of clothes at their feet. "I think the girls idea of 'guys opinion' is 'lets bring them along to carry the bags'."
"Why else would we bring you?" Kendra asked from the cubical.
At least this time the girls were telling the truth. That really was the last one and now they were free to go home. They all hugged each other goodbye and went there separate ways.
Tara now had twenty brand new outfits all with matching shoes. She was happy; no, she was more than happy. She had more outfits now than all together in her life!
She was going out again that tomorrow as well. They were all going to the beach for the afternoon. For the first time she actually had friends.
There was a faint tap on Buffy's balcony door. She climbed off her bed, Dawn must have forgotten to take her window key again. She opened the door, surprised to not only see Spike and Dawn standing there, but another girl.
"Who's she?" Buffy asked somewhat rudely as they came into her room.
"This is Tara, she's gonna stay with us for a while," Dawn said. "And you won't have problem with that, will you Buffy?"
Buffy opened her mouth to protest but closed it again. She looked over at Tara. The poor girl was close to crying why would it hurt to let her stay a few nights? "Ok," Buffy nodded. "I'll set up the spare room next door."
"Wow, Pet, you've got a heart after all." Spike muttered. Buffy scowled at him.
~~~~~
It was early morning and Tara was awake. She was curled up in a bawl, sitting on the bed, looking out the window. She hadn't got much sleep last night. Their faces kept coming into her mind and waking her up.
The door opened a fraction; Tara whipped her head round, fear in her eyes. Buffy slipped in. The frightened girl let out a sigh of relief.
"Hey," Buffy greeted her. "How are you?"
"I'm ok," Tara whispered. "Thank you."
"For what?" Buffy came and sat down next to her.
"Letting me stay. Do your parents know I'm here?" She didn't want to get into anymore trouble.
"My dad left at four this morning. His secretary went into labour. My mom's still asleep; I'll talk to her when she wakes up." Tara looked up at the clock, half past six. "So, are you gonna tell me why you ran away?" Buffy asked.
Tara began to bit her nails. She took a deep breath and finally said; "I had to get away from them. my dad." She couldn't go on.
"It's ok." Buffy put an arm round her and gave her a hug. "You can stay here. It's not like we don't have enough space." Tara looked up at her sadly.
"I.I d-don't have anything." She stuttered. Buffy realised what she meant.
"We can go shopping with my friends today if you want. I'll use my Dad's plastic. You'll soon have a full wardrobe of fashionable clothes."
Tara smiled shyly. "That would be wonderful, thank you."
"Don't mention it," Buffy shook her head as she stood up and walked towards the door. "Come down for breakfast when ever you want."
~~~~~
"Willow, Cordelia, Kendra, Xander, Angel, Tara," Buffy introduced them all to each other, unaware that she did it in the same way Spike had done the night before.
"Um. have I missed something but who's she?" Cordelia asked. "Not meaning to be rude," she added.
"Spike and Dawn found her at the Fish Tank last night." Buffy explained. "She lives with us now 'cos her dad was a total scumbag." Tara smiled shyly.
"What's up with the Scooby meeting then?" Xander asked.
"Total wardrobe needed," Buffy said. Xander and Angel looked at each other then back to the girls.
"Then why do you need us?" they asked simultaneously.
"Guys opinion," the four girls said simultaneously before the six of the burst out laughing. Tara had the feeling that they had had this conversation many times before.
"How are we all gonna fit in my Jag?" Willow asked.
"We can take my Limo," Buffy shrugged. Tara was shocked how these kids could talk about such expensive things as if they were penny sweets and matchbox cars.
"Great idea." Kendra said grabbing her Gucci bag and Xander's arm. "Let's go."
~~~~
"Just one more!" Willow called as she pulled the curtain across the changing cubical.
"You said that an hour ago." Angel called back. He turned to Xander, who was slumped against the wall next to him, asleep. Angel elbowed him in the ribs.
"It looks great on you!" Xander snapped as he sat up, pretending he had never been asleep.
"You dozed off again," Angel explained.
"How long's it been now?" Xander asked.
"Five hours!" Angel cried. He glanced at the endless number of bags of clothes at their feet. "I think the girls idea of 'guys opinion' is 'lets bring them along to carry the bags'."
"Why else would we bring you?" Kendra asked from the cubical.
At least this time the girls were telling the truth. That really was the last one and now they were free to go home. They all hugged each other goodbye and went there separate ways.
Tara now had twenty brand new outfits all with matching shoes. She was happy; no, she was more than happy. She had more outfits now than all together in her life!
She was going out again that tomorrow as well. They were all going to the beach for the afternoon. For the first time she actually had friends.