Chapter 6

It's been about a year since everything had happened. Willow and tara are making a great living, buffy and faith are going to get married in a couple of weeks, dawn and bri are going to be out of college in about a month and each turned twenty one not to long ago. Willow got dawn a job at her computer company since dawn majored in computers in college, bri got a job with faith and buffy in their weapon shop that they opened not to long ago. Xander and anya came back down to get married and hang out with their friends before they went back to LA. Willow and tara are over at buffy and faith's house while dawn and bri are at school studying for finals.

They four girls are watching TV when a commercial comes on of the computer company willow and dawn are working at. "Oh, me and dawn are in this!" Willow said excitedly.
Everyone looked at the TV and saw willow and dawn working at their computer in their office.

Tara looked at willow. "Wow will, it looks like you are a TV star." Tara giggled sarcastically.

"Shut up, I never said I was going to do anything special. I just said we were in it. Don't make fun of me." Willow pouted with her bottom lip sticking out.

"Sorry baby, I loved it and I am sure buffy and faith did too." Tara said looking over at buffy and faith who were giggling.

Buffy realized that tara was talking to her. "Right, I thought it was amazing how you sit there and type, I never would have been able to do that." Buffy said as she started a fit of giggles between her and faith.

"Oh stop it buffy." Tara said firmly trying to hold back her giggles.

Willow sighed. "Hey, if you guys don't like it I can leave."

"Sorry will, tara is the one who started it, we just followed along. Don't go, we'll miss you." Buffy said looking over at her best friend.

Dawn and bri walked into the house with books in their hands. They put the books on the table by the door and walked into the living room. "Hey guys what's up?" Dawn asks.

"Oh nothing, we just saw your commercial with willow." Faith said.

"Yeah, and making fun of it. You guys are so rude you know that." Willow said pouting until tara kissed her cheek.

"We're sorry, we didn't mean to hurt your feelings." Tara leaned in and whispered in willows ear. "Can I make it up to you later tonight?"

Willow nodded her head and looked up at dawn and bri who came in sitting on the couch next to buffy and faith. "So, how did studying go?"

"Great actually, I have a feeling we are both going to ace all of out tests." Bri said putting her arm around dawn.

"Well good, hey if you both get high marks I'll take everyone to the bronze, my treat. When's your first test?" Faith asks.

"In a couple of weeks. We wanted to get an early start." Dawn looked at her girlfriend and smiled.

Buffy smiles. "It looks like someone is becoming a young willow."

"There is nothing wrong with starting early. Stop being mean to willow." Dawn said firmly with a smile plastered on her face.

"Yes, listen to her, she is very smart." Willow stuck out her tongue playfully toward buffy and faith.

Tara snagged the tongue with her finger and held it there. "Now that's not very nice is it?"

"Ey, gi me mi tunge ba" Muffled willow trying to talk.

Tara let go of her tongue and gave her a kiss. "Be a good girl."

Willow smiled. "Yes, mom."

Tara gave her a playful grin and turned to face everyone else. "So what are we going to do tonight?"

"Bronze as always I guess. I heard that a band called 'Dingoes ate my baby' is playing tonight. What kind of name is that?" Bri asked with a snicker.

Everyone else took in a large gasp of breath except for tara and bri. Tara looks at everyone and then back at willow who looked like she saw a ghost. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Willow snaps out of it and looks at tara. "Nothing, I don't think I want to go to the Bronze tonight."

"Oh come on will, I am sure he's not even there. And if he is so what, you love tara now." Buffy said trying to comfort her best friend.

Tara looks at buffy. "What's going on?"

Willow answers before buffy could. "Remember oz?" She got a nod from tara and continued. "Well, he is the lead guitarist in the band."

"Oh." Is all tara could say.

Willow saw the fear in tara's eyes. "But I am not going so no need to worry."

"Willow, I think you need to put this behind you, just go and if you happen to get together you can talk. What is the harm in two friends talking?" Buffy said reassuring that nothing wrong will happen.

Willow gives a weak smile. "Fine, I will go and talk to him if he come up to me." She turns to tara. "But I promise you that nothing will happen. It would be like I was hanging out with buffy." Willow grabbed tara's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

That night at the bronze the group was sitting at a table while willow got their drinks. Willow came back and gave everyone there drink when the band of the night came on.

Buffy smiled at willow. "Look will, oz is up there."

Willow looks up at the stage and sees oz looking around the audience. When they made eye contact he looses himself and stops playing until willow turns away. "Um, I just remembered I had to do some work."

Willow turns to go until buffy grab's her arm. "Oh no you don't, you are staying here."

"Buy buffy, this is weird and I am married now. I don't need to go down memory lane to my high school days." Willow pouted.

Buffy laughed a bit. "Will, you need to close that chapter in your life. You need to make amends so that if and when you see him again then it wouldn't be as hard as it is now. I am not asking you to date him again I am just asking you to talk to him, find out what has happened in his life so far." She looks over at tara. :I am sure tara won't mind. She knows you love her and you wouldn't leave her for anything or anyone."

Tara nodes. "Buffy's right, I want you guys to be friends. Talk to him and get to know him again. I trust you and I want you to be happy and if that means talking to your old boyfriend then I am ok with that."

Willow smiled and kissed her. "Thanks baby, see this is why I love you so much." Willow kisses tara again.

They all listen to the music and talk about high school days. "Oh, remember at the homecoming dance and you put me and cordy in a limo together to try and solve our problems but we ended up being hunted instead." Buffy laughed playfully hitting willows arm.

Willow laughs. "Yeah and you guys still didn't win homecoming queen. Oh, and I thought it was really cool how they gave you that class protection award."

"What?" Tara asks.

"Oh, at our prom the senior class gave buffy a class protection award because we had the lowest death rate since she has been there. It was this little golden umbrella with sparkles on it, it was kinda cute and…" Willow was cut off by someone taping on her shoulder.

She turned around and saw oz standing there expressionless as always. "Hey, I was wondering if we could talk." He looks at everyone and furrows his brow.

"Um, sure." She noticed him looking at everyone. "Oh, well you already know buffy and faith, this is buffy's little sister dawn and her girlfriend bri, you have already meet tara but now she's my wife."

Oz raises his eyebrows. "Wow, your married." He looked at everyone else. "Hello all."

"Hey." Everyone said in unison.

"So you wanted to talk." Willow said trying to loosen the tension in the group.

Oz looked back at willow. "Um yea, I was wondering if I could meet you somewhere? I have another set to do before the nights over."

"Oh yeah sure, can we met tomorrow for brunch?" Willow smiled.

Oz gave a weak smile. "Yeah sure, I'll come pick you up, were do you live?"

"Do you remember were giles house is?" Oz nodded his head. "Well, he gave me and tara his house when we got married so we live there now. He moved back to England so he had to give it to someone."

"Wow, ok I'll see you then." With that oz left for the stage to start playing again.

Buffy looks at willow and smiles. "Now that wasn't so hard was it?"

"Yeah it was, I can feel all the emotions coming back like it did when he last visited." Willow looks at tara. "But don't worry, I am yours and only yours."

"I know, so you wanna dance?" Tara asks. Willow nodded and they went out on the dance floor.

The next day oz came to pick willow up and they went to brunch. When they got there they ordered and began talking about everything that went on in their life since they last saw each other.

"So let me get this straight, you get married, you have your own house, and you have a job at the company who came to us in high school." Oz said amazed.

Willow nodded. "Yep, that's pretty much it. What about you, you can control your werewolf, and you get to travel around in the band."

"Yeah, its not bad. Actually I also got veruca to go were I went and learn how to control her werewolf. I wanted to apologize again for that day. Buffy told me that you walked out in front of a car after you saw me and her in the cage. Maybe if I didn't make her come in the cage things would be different between us."

Willow nodded her head again. "Well, yeah I did walk in front of a car but I thank god riley was there. And in a way I am glade you did, I would have never got an interest in tara. She's my soul mate and don't worry, you'll find yours someday."

They each talked for another hour until oz had to go. They both left their separate ways hoping to see each other again. Willow went to her house and found everyone waiting for her.

Buffy was the first to break the silence. "So… How did it go?"

Willow smiled and went over to the couch to sit next to tara. "It went pretty good. We talked about each others lives and our past. It was nice catching up with him again."

"No kissing right." Tara said firmly but playfully.

Willow giggled and grabbed her hand and kissed it. "No, no kissing. I promised you I wouldn't and I didn't."

"So does he have anyone new?" Buffy wondered.

"No, he's just been going everywhere with the band, hasn't really had time to settle down like me. Oh, but he did help veruca with her werewolf. " Willow looked over at buffy and then at tara while smiling.

"Who is veruca?" Tara wondered.

Willow looked at her. "The girl who I caught him with."

"So, tell us all about it." Bri said. Trying to change the subject.

Willow told everyone what happened at brunch. Each one that knew oz before was amazed that he hasn't changed since the last time they saw him while willow changed a great deal. Dawn and bri had to go to school to study more so they left early while buffy and faith decided to go work on there wedding plans. Willow and tara were left at home sitting on the couch.

Willow looks over at tara. "Ok, it has been at least a year since we talked about this and I think I am ready."

Tara furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Kids, I think I am ready to have kids." Willow said excitedly.

"Are you sure?" Tara said , she wanted to have kids but only if they were both ready.

Willow smiled. "Yes, I am totally ready. But if your not then I can wait. I only want this if both of us do."

"Of course I want this, I was just checking. So when do you want to do it." Tara asks also getting really excited.

"Well now, but we have to go over to buffy's to get the stuff we need. But I don't want anyone to know unless we are sure your pregnant." Willow stated wondering how they are going to do it.

Tara nodded her head. "I understand. Well, we just go over there and while I am talking to them you can go get the stuff."

Willow grinned. "You are an evil genius and I love it." Willow took possession of tara's lips in hunger.

Dawn went to school to study and bri took this time to talk to buffy. Bri went over to buffy's house making sure dawn was studying so they wouldn't be interrupted. Bri walked inside and saw buffy talking to faith in the living room grabbing their weapons to go on patrol.

Bri walked to the entrance of the living room. "Buffy."

Buffy looked up at bri. "Yeah."

"Can I talk to you?" Bri asks nervously. "It'll only take a second."

Buffy nodded and they walked outside in the backyard and sat on the steps. "So, what's on your mind?"

Bri took in a breath. "Ok, remember a couple years ago when you said that you wanted me to ask you something before I did it?"

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, wait, are you asking me what I think you are?"

Bri nodded. "Yeah, is it alright with you if I ask your sister for her hand in marriage?" Bri was really nervous now.

Buffy jumped on bri with a big hug. "Of coarse you can, I was wondering when you would ask me." Buffy got really excited. "When are you going to ask her, and when are you going to tell everyone else?"

Bri looked up at buffy. "Well, I have planed at nice romantic dinner for us on the day we met two years ago and I was going to slide her the box and while she opened it I was going to get on my knee and ask her. If dawn says yes which I know she will then I plan to tell everyone the day after. What do you think?"

"What do I think!" Buffy hugged bri again. "I think my sister is going to fall in love with you all over again." Bri smiled at buffy as they stood back up and went inside.

Willow and tara were walking hand in hand down main street after the just went out for breakfast celebrating that they tried to get pregnant last night and hoping it worked.

They were walking and talking about everything when tara noticed someone coming toward them that she recognized. "Josh? Josh Light, is that you?"

Josh look at who was calling his name and smiled. "Tara Maclay!" Tara ran over to josh as he did the same and embraced in a big hug. Josh swung her around a couple of times before putting her down. "How have you been, I haven't seen you in ages!?"

Tara smiled. "I've been good, how about you!? What are you doing here!?" Tara said playfully hitting him on the shoulder.

"I am here for a business trip. I work for a traveling company and I came to see were I was sending my clients." Josh said as he hugged her again. "What about you, what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh sorry." She looked at willow who was standing back watching them and grabbed her hand bringing her closer. "Willow this is my closest friend and ex boyfriend Josh Light, Josh this is my wife Willow Rosenburg-Maclay."

Josh shook willows hand and smiled at tara. "Wow, you are married? And not to sound rude but to a girl. Wow, you have changed a lot haven't you."

"Well, yeah. I moved here and we met and everything started to go up from there." Tara smiled as she looked over at her wife.

"I should get going but it was really great seeing you, we should get together before I leave." Josh suggested.

Tara nodded. "Yeah totally, why don't you come over our house tonight, you could stay for dinner." Tara looked at willow who nodded.

"Sure, were do you live?"

"Oh, why don't we meet back her at say five thirty tonight and we can walk back." Tara really wanted to get in touch with her friend.

Josh nodded and smiled. "Yeah ok I'll see you then." He looks over at willow. "It was nice meeting you, you obviously make her happy."

"Nice to meet you too." Willow said as joshed turned and walked away. Willow looked at tara and raised an eye brow. "Ok, start explaining."

Tara laughed. "Will, you don't have to worry. We dated back in high school for a couple of weeks but we have been friends since elementary school. We decided to break it off because we were better as friends. He is a really sweetie and you don't have to worry."

Willow looked at her. "How can I be so sure."

"Well hello, gay now." Tara laughed. "And I am married now."

"Yeah that's true, ok I approve. I feel bad that me and the others talk about our past that you have no clue about so I think it would be good for you to have a friend to talk to about yours. And josh seems like a nice guy." Willow said.

"He is, he is so sweet and sensitive and kind." Tara looked up dreamily.

Willow looked at tara. "Ok sweetie, I am starting to not like this guy."

Tara giggled. "Oh stop, I am not going after him. We are like you and zander, we have known each other about our entire life."

"Ok, so what are you making?" Willow asks loving everything that she makes.

Tara wonders. "Well, I was thinking of chicken with green beans and potatoes. How does that sound?"

"Yum." Is the only thing she can say as she licks her lips.

Tara giggles. "You are a nut you know that?"

"I am your nut."

"Yes, you are my nut." Tara put her arm around willow as they walk back home.

Tara went to pick up josh and they came home about a half our later for dinner. Tara and josh both walked in laughing as willow came down from there bedroom. "He guys, have fun walking and talking?"

Tara was still laughing. "Yeah."

Willow smiled. "Well, after dinner I am planning to go to buffys and at eight we are going to the Bronze so if you guys want to come. You could show josh the hottest place in town so he can send more people down here."

"Yeah that's a good idea." Tara looks over at josh. "You wanna come to the Bronze? It is this club that everyone goes to."

Josh shrugged and nodded his head. "Sure, why not."

"Ok dinner should be ready soon, you and willow can talk." Tara smiled and walked into the kitchen checking on her food.

Willow sat in the chair as josh sat on the couch. There was a silence that josh happily broke. "So how long have you two been married?"

"Almost two years, our second anniversary comes up in about two weeks." Willow said smiling.

Josh smiled. "Wow. You know I never would have guess tara would have become gay but it is obviously working for her. She couldn't stop telling me how much you mean to her, and I can't tell you how much it means to me that you took care of her, she is like my sister that I never had. Especially with her dad. She told me that you found out she wasn't a demon and got her dad to leave." Josh laughed at the thought.

Willow laughed at the memory. "Yeah, it was pretty funny, you should have seen his face. And you don't have to worry about tara, she is in good hands."

Josh nodded. "I see that. So if I may ask, how did you to get together anyway. Was she already gay? Sorry for asking but I am interested."

Willow shook her head. "No problem, we met in a wicca group and started to hang out and then got together. That was the short version, the long version is longer than you think." Willow laughed. "It took us a while to get together. I wasn't even gay when I met her, in fact I was just coming off a relationship and there she was."

"Wow, I am happy for you guys. It is like she is glowing when she is near you. It makes me happy to see her happy, I love her and really care about her a lot." Josh said.

Willow nodded and smiled while she looked into the kitchen at her lover. "I know what you mean."

Tara came out into the living room. "Ok you two dinners ready."

They both walked into the kitchen and was overtaken by the smell. "You are the best cook I have ever met Tara Maclay. Have you ever considered this as your job?" Josh wondered as he sat down.

Tara smiled as she and willow sit down also. "Tara Rosenburg-Maclay and actually, I have but I am waiting until I know for sure I can do it while willow's also at work."

"You never told me that." Willow said looking at her wife.

"Sorry sweetie, I didn't want to say anything until I was sure it is what I wanted." Tara said with an apologetic smile.

"No worries, if it is what you want to do then go for it." Willow said digging into her food.

They all ate and talked about different things until it was time to go to the Bronze. When they got there tara introduced josh to everyone.

Everyone was sitting at the table when a slow song came on. Josh turned to tara and smiled. "May I have this dance?"

Tara looked at willow and then at josh. She nodded her head and they both went out to the dance floor with is arms around her waist while she lazily held her arms on the shoulders. Everyone watched them while buffy spoke. "So will, you jealous?"

Willow shook her head. "No, he seems really nice and sweet. I like him."

Everyone watched the two dance. Before the night came to an end everyone had a dance or two and a couple of drinks but they realized it was getting to late and they needed to be ready for the wedding in a couple of days.

It was the day of the wedding and everyone was there. Josh even got invited when he and buffy got to talk about different things and buffy started to like him. Faith had to stay away from buffy for a while and get ready so this would be the first time she would see her in a couple of days. Everyone was around the alter since this was not a wiccan wedding they had a regular gay wedding at the beach were willow and tara got married.

The wedding went perfectly, they both remembered their vows and the lines that the minister told them to say. This time they had the reception at willow and tara's house with a big dinner that tara had made.

Willow stood up and clicked her glass with her fork getting everyone's attention. "Boy, doesn't this look familiar. About two years ago me and tara were in the same position with buffy standing here with her glass in her hand." Everyone laughed. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you two, and to tell you the truth you remind me of tara and I. You both have been through so much yet you are still in love. I remember when you guys first met. We saw her dancing with a guy that should be dancing to some 60s music and we were just sitting there watching until she went outside with him, once we rounded the corner she was kicking his ass like you." She pointed to buffy while everyone laughed. "So she gets the guy and then you feel like she is taking over your life. Now look at you, your in love and married to the same woman. So here's to many happy years together, I love you guys and I am deeply happy for you both." She raised her glass as everyone did the same saying 'here, here'

Like always they did the first dance for the newly wedded couple and then everyone else started to join in.

Tara and willow walked over to the other two girls. Willow patted buffy's arm. "May I cut in?"

Buffy let go of faith and willow took faith while tara put her arms around buffy. "Ok so tell me, how does it feel to be married?" Tara asks.

"You should know." Buffy said sarcastically.

Tara giggled. "I want to hear how you feel, I know how I felt but what about you?"

"I love it, I feel like a regular person instead of just the slayer on a mission. I love the felling of waking up in the morning and having someone right next to me I can call my wife. I like the felling of knowing that one day I can have a family of my own and have more than my parents had." Buffy said taking a breath.

Tara laughed. "That's exactly the same way I felt, except the part about the slayer on a mission, it was more like a witch on a mission."

They both laugh as they kept dancing. Dawn and bri had to go early because of a test they had to take so they gave there best to buffy and faith before they left.

Dawn and bri were walking along the sidewalk heading for their test when bri broke the silence. "Hey dawn, you wanna go out to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

Dawn looks over at bri and takes her hand in hers. "I would love to. What's the special occasion?"

Bri smiles. "Do I need a reason to take my girlfriend out for a romantic dinner?"

Dawn laughed and shook her head. They headed for there test while bri was trying to sort through her thought of asking dawn and her test.

Back at the house everyone left to give buffy and faith some privacy and they needed it. Once they got in there room they didn't like the clothes that barricaded each other from skin to skin touch so they used their slayer strength to rip it off. They moved their hands up and down each others body caressing it until they couldn't take it anymore and made their way to the bed. Buffy pushed faith onto the bed and straddles her waist and leans in to capture her lips for a hot and passionate kiss. They gave each other a happy more than once and were wiped out and ended up falling a sleep in each others arms

They stayed that way the next day, no one came to visit because that was their honeymoon. Willow and tara stayed at home and hung out with josh before he had to go, willow was starting to like josh and made sure he came to visit them later on.

Dawn and bri were at home getting ready for their date and bri made sure she had everything. She promised buffy she'd call before they left so she went to the phone and called buffy. After a couple of minutes of chatting she got off the phone.

"Come on dawnie we have reservations!" Bri yelled into the room.

"Ok, I'm coming!" Dawn yelled back as she came out.

Bri's jaw dropped when she saw dawn wearing a silk blue dress that went to her calves with black high heels on. "You look gorges."

When dawn came out and saw bri she looked up and down trying to take everything in. Bri was wearing a velvet red blouse and a black dress coat with black dress pants and black shoes. "You don't look half bad yourself."

Bri smiled. "Shall we go then?" Bri extends her arm out so dawn can put her arm in it.

Dawn nodded as she put her arm through bri's and they both walked out of the apartment and down to the surprise awaiting them. They walked out of the front door of the building and there was a black limo waiting to take them to the restaurant.
Dawn gasped and looked over at bri. "Is that ours?" Dawn asks excitedly.

Bri nodded. "We have it for the whole night which isn't very long but I figured we'd be coming back home after dinner anyway." Bri giggles a bit when dawn grabbed her in a fierce hug. When they got in the limo and got to the restaurant, they were seated immediately and ordered their drinks. Music started to play in the background and it sounded familiar to them both. Bri took both of dawn's hands into hers. "Dawn baby, do you remember how we first met?"

Dawn looked into bri's eyes and as always, she melted. "How could I forget, you came up to me at the Bronze about two years ago and asked me to dance. Then that night you told me you liked me and I kissed you. I will never forget it."

"Do you remember this song?" Bri asks taking a glance at the musicians before she looked back over at her lover.

"It was the song that was playing the first time we dance. And it was also the song you got the DJ to play when ever you felt like surprising me, even though you could never stop surprising me."

Bri gave her a wicked smile. "One last question, well second last question. Do you remember what day this is?"

Dawn thought for a minute and then smiled. "Exactly two years today since we met."

Bri let go of one hand and pulled it to her pocket to take out a small black velvet box and put it on the table. "I have another surprise for you. For the last two years you have been talking about getting married and I told you we will some day. Dawn, I love you with all of my life and more. I just met you two years ago but I feel that I have known you my whole life. I feel that you and I can grow as adults and have a family of our own. I have one last question to ask you before we have dinner." She gave dawn the box and while dawn opened it with tears in her eyes bri got down on one knee right beside dawn. "Dawn Elizabeth Summers, will you marry me?"

Dawn looked at the diamond ring and looked down at bri kneeling before her. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes." Dawn said as she pulled bri up from the ground and pulled her into a passionate and possessive kiss. When they finally pulled back bri took the ring out of the box and put it on dawn's ring finger. Dawn extended her hand to admire her ring and turned back to bri. "I love you so much." Dawn had tears streaming dawn her face as did bri.

Bri stole another kiss from dawn before she moved back to her seat. "I love you too baby."

They ate their dinner in silence and conversation talking about their life together. They finish up and made their way to the apartment wanting to do a little more celebration.

The next day bri decided to tell everyone so she gathered all of them at buffy's house. When everyone was there both dawn and bri stood up and held hands. Dawn took a breath and looked around at everyone before looking at bri and then back at everyone else. "Everyone, bri and I are engaged."

Everyone started cheering and hugging and congratulating.

"I say we go out to celebrate. Drinks are on me." Buffy stated.

Tara stands up and walks over to where dawn and bri were standing in front of everyone. "Actually, willow and I have some news too." Willow walked over and gripped her hand. Tara took a deep breath and began. "I am pregnant."