Chapter 7

Everyone stared at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?" Buffy asks.

Tara nodes her head and gives a weak smile. Buffy gets up and runs over to tara enveloping her in a big hug. After she pulls away she goes to willow and hugs her too. All of a sudden everyone is hooting and hollering.

They are about to go to the Bronze when the phone rings. "I'll get it." Tara said as she answered the phone. "Hello." 'Is Faith Eaton there?' "Yes, hold on please." Tara comes out into the room. "Faith, you have a phone call."

Faith walks over to the phone and tara hands it to her. "Hello." 'Faith, its been a long time.' "Why Quinton Travers. I believe it has, and what may I do for you?" 'We need you to come to England for a week. We need to see if you are really on our side.' "Look QT, I am married now so I can't leave." "And to whom are you married too?' "Buffy Summers." 'You and buffy are married? You do mean a different buffy right?' "No, I mean buffy the slayer. We just got married a couple days ago. Why do you want me to leave her now?" 'We need to test you and I do believe a congratulations is in order. All we need is for you to come up for one week to test you and then you can go back home.' "Fine but for one week and this better not be those tests that you put buffy through that almost killed her twice. I die and she comes after you, you do understand that right?" 'We understand, there is a plane leaving for England tomorrow at nine in the morning down there. It is already paid for so all you need to do is pack and show up. See you then.' "What ever, buffy isn't going to be happy about this." 'Yes, well I am sure you will talk to her. Good day.' Quinton hung up the phone and so did faith. She walked in the room and everyone stopped to look at her. "It turns out that I have to go to England for a week so they can test me and see if I am on their side. I have to leave at nine in the morning tomorrow."

Buffy jumped up. "No, you can't. Those tests will kill you and we just got married. Did you tell them that?"

"Yes, I told them everything to try and get out of it. They say congratulations too." Faith said as she put her arms around buffy and kissed her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine and I will be back before you know it. You gotta stay here and keep the fort down."

"Fine but if you come back with a scratch I am going to tear them apart." Buffy said furiously.

"Deal." Faith laughed.

They all head out to the Bronze and have a great time making sure that tara doesn't have any alcohol which was not as easy as it seemed.

The next morning faith was the first one awake. She brought her suitcase by the door and went to the kitchen to get some water and toast before she headed out. She didn't want to wake up anyone so she just went around kissing everyone on their forehead. Willow, tara, bri, and dawn decided to stay there the night so they could say goodbye in the morning.

She was about to head out the door when someone called to her from the top of the stairs. "Do you really think you could get away that easily?"

Faith turned around to see buffy walking down the stairs toward her. "Well, I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful." Faith said as buffy made her put her suitcase down while she wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Don't give me that bull shit. You tried to leave without saying goodbye. You are not a kind slayer and that is what they are looking for, you better be on your best behavior or you will have to deal with me." Buffy said sternly. "Now go up stairs and say goodbye to everyone properly."

Faith nodded her head and went up the stairs, she went into dawn and bri's room and woke them up and said good bye. She then went into willow and tara's room and sat on the side of the bed, woke them up, and said goodbye to them too, she told them all to stay in bed. She came back downstairs and buffy was sitting on the couch waiting. Faith went over to her and stood in front of her. "Ok, I am heading out. I will see you in about a week."

Buffy stood up and embraced faith in a hug. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I'll call as soon as I get there if it's not to late." Faith said pulling back a little bit to look in her wife's eyes. "I love you." Faith kissed buffy passionately on the lips.

"I love you." Buffy said as tears came down kissing faith again.

Faith pulled back when there was a honk outside. "That's me, I gotta jet."

Faith walked away toward the door. "Faith!" Faith turned around when she heard buffy call her. "How are you?"

Faith new what she meant and laughed a little bit before answering. "I'm five by five B." Faith walked out the door as buffy watched from the window. When she couldn't see the car anymore she sat on the couch and quietly sobbed.

Tara came down stairs about five minutes later. She sees buffy on the couch and goes to her sitting beside her rapping her arms around her. "Buffy its ok. Faith will be home before you know it. You need to keep yourself busy. Why don't you help me cook breakfast for everyone?" Buffy nodded and they both got up starting to make breakfast. Buffy started to get in a better mood and kept sneaking tastes of the pancake batter. Tara caught her and smacked her hand playfully. "Hey, no sneaking. Bad slayer."

Buffy started laughing. "But its so good, I like your pancakes."

"Yeah, so does everyone else but they don't sneak. Well, except for willow but she got her ass kicked." Tara tried to sound firm but couldn't keep in some giggles.

Buffy raised an eye brow at her. "You think you can take me?"

"I might." Tar said challengingly.

"Come on then." Buffy said.

Buffy and tara got in a fighting stance and buffy went in for the kill. Tara got buffy in a head lock and kept her there until willow walked in. "What's going on, buffy did you sneak a taste of her pancake batter?"

They both let each other go. "Yeah how did you know?" Buffy asks fixing her shirt.

"I was in the same position when I tasted it. This lady means business." Willow pointed at tara.

Tara laughed. "And don't you forget it."

They all laughed while dawn and bri came down.
Dawn looked at everyone. "What's so funny?"
Willow tried to calm down. "Buffy just learned the hard way never to touch tara's pancake batter."

Bri laughed. "Oh yeah we both have been there. Tara is a hard ass when it comes to cooking."

Tara furrowed her brow. "I resent that."

They each had their breakfast and decided to go walking down main street to look through store windows to see what they can't have.

They were walking down main street talking about god knows what. Buffy and tara were in the front talking while dawn, bri, and willow were talking in the back. They heard a commotion up ahead so they ran toward the noises. The were across the street from a bank when a guy jumped out of the broken window with a bag full of money in one hand and a gun in the other. By this time willow was by herself in the back while everyone stood in front of her just trying to see what was going on. The man fired five rounds and three went into another store not hitting anyone but two went somewhere else. The man ran away with the police on his tale after he ditched his gun. Buffy was around making sure everyone else around was alright with bri and dawn helping her. Tara was frantically looking around looking for willow when she turned around and she wasn't there. She looked down and saw willow on the ground bleeding from her shoulder and stomach. "Willow!" Tara screamed as she ran to her fallen lover. Tara tried to stop the bleeding the best she could but it was no use. She looked around and found buffy looking in a building. "Buffy, get your ass over here now!" Tara had tears running off her face like a river.

Buffy heard tara with wide eyes but then saw willow on the floor and realized why tara used that language. She ran as fast as she could and fell to the ground next to willow. "Will, stay with us well get help." She looked at dawn and bri who were running up to them. "Call 911 now!" While dawn called 911 buffy tried to help tara stop the bleeding a little. She looked at tara who was hyperventilation. "Tara its going to be fine, she's a trooper."

The EMT's came and attended willow. "Who's coming with us?" One of them asks as they loaded her up in the truck.

"I am." Tara said as she came forward.

The man looked at her. "Are you related?"

Tara looked at him sternly. "I'm her wife!"

"Ok, get in." He looked at the others. "You guys gotta get there another way." The man ran in the truck and drove away.

At the hospital they took willow into the emergency room while tara waited in the waiting room. Buffy, bri, and dawn ran in and went straight for tara. Dawn and bri cried with each other on the couch while buffy tries to comfort tara while they sit next to each other in chairs holding on to one another.

"Tara she is going to be fine, she can't leave when you got a baby on the way. There is no way she is leaving you, the baby, or us. She'll fight."

"I can't do this buffy." Muffled tara.

"Ssh, yes you can. I am here for you, don't worry. Just let it out, I owe you for comforting me with faith leaving. Ssh." Buffy rubs her back.
After a couple hours the doctor comes out and tara stands up and walks to him with buffys help. The other girls were asleep. "Are you guy's family?"

"Yes, just tell me how my wife is." Tara said firmly.

"Mrs. Rosenburg-Maclay was lucky that the bullet that went in her stomach didn't hit any major artery. We were able to get it out and the bullet in her shoulder didn't go in to deep, we were able to remove that easily." The doctor said proudly.

"Just tell me if she is going to be ok." Tara said impatiently.

"Well, she is going to have scars were the bullets were and she is going to be in pain for quite a while but she should be fine. She's not going to leave the hospital until she can walk on her own to feet though." The doctor said.

Buffy looked at tara and then at the doctor. "Can we see her now?"

"Yes, I will allow two at a time." The doctor left the waiting room while tara and buffy fallow after they told dawn and bri everything.

They walked into the room and saw tubes and wires everywhere. Each went to separate sides of the bed to hold her hand. They both started crying but buffy went to talk first. "Hey will, you gotta get up. You got a baby on the way and work. You got a wife and family who cares about you so much, come on will, you can fight this. Don't worry about tara, I'll take really good care of her but you just work on getting better. I'm gonna leave you alone with your wife right now. I love you will, and don't ever think anything different." Buffy starts a fresh round of tears as she kisses willows head before she left.

Tara brings a chair to the side of the bed and leaves a lingering kiss on willows lips but getting no response. Tara sits down and grabs willows hand. "Hey baby, you need to get better. Josh tells me he is coming back in a month, you guys have become so close talking on the phone and e-mail I am so happy. I love you so much." She starts crying again a looks down at the floor.

Willow slowly opens her eyes and looks around her. She sees tara and heard everything that has been said in the room. "I love you too sweetie."

Tara looks up and sees willow smiling at her. She gets really excited and jumps up to leave a lingering kiss on willow lips. "Your ok, I love you so much. I knew you wouldn't leave you."

"Leave you, we have a baby on the way and I love you to much. I have to fight for what I want and what I want is in this room with me and in the waiting room. Now, give me another kiss before I freak, I can't move very much." Willow smiled.

Tara smiled as well, she went in for another kiss but was interrupted when dawn and bri knocked on the door and came in with buffy behind them. "He guys, she's awake."

Everyone piled into the room going around the bed. Buffy went to the other side again and grabbed willows hand. "Hey will, how you feelin?"
Willow squeezed buffy's hand as much as she could. "I'm better with everyone here."

Buffy smiled. "Glad to here it. We're here 24/7 nonstop." She said enthusiastically.

Willow smiled and looked around. "I love you guys."

"We love you to. You need to get better though, you got a baby on the way in about nine months." Dawn said as she put her hand on her legs shaking it a bit.

Willow looked at tara and smiled squeezing her hand. "I know, I can't believe it. I'm gonna be a mommy." She said with a glow.

"And I'm gonna be a mama. Buffy, faith, dawn, and bri are aunts, and then when buffy and faith or dawn and bri have a kid then they can be cousins." Tara giggled a bit.

Buffy raised both eyebrows. "I better not hear about any kids from you two for a while." Buffy said pointing to dawn and bri who just giggled.

"Don't worry buffy, we're just engaged not pregnant." Bri laughed.

"Good." Buffy said.

Tara noticed willow yawn. "You tired baby?"

Willow nodded. "Yeah, its something about getting shot that gets you tired."

Tara giggled. "I know how you feel. When I was shot I felt tired the whole time until I got out of the hospital."

"Well, this looks familiar, you guys really are made for each other." Buffy said furrowing her brow.

Tara looked at buffy. "What do you mean?"

Buffy went to the other side of the bed with tara. "Well let me show you." She moves over to tara and brought her shirt down over her shoulder to show a scare where she got shot. Then she went over to willow and slowly did the same. She showed the same scare but still bruised and pointed to both of them. "See, you both have the same scar in the same place. It's just willow has another on her belly and you don't."

Tara went wide-eyed. "Wow, we are a like in many more ways then we thought."

Willow smiled. "Maybe that's why we're soul mates."

"Maybe." Tara said.

Buffy smiled and looked over to dawn and bri. "Ok, I think we should go and leave these two alone." She looked back at willow. "We'll be back later will, we're glad you are doing better." She leans down and kisses her on the forehead before she left with bri and dawn behind her saying bye.

Once they left tara looked back at her wife. "Everything is going to be fine. Your going to get better, we are going to have a health baby, and we have everyone here who loves us."

Willow smiled. "And you said josh was coming. You know, I can see how you like him. He is interesting, smart, funny, fun, and everything else good."

"Well I am glad you like him, he's the one who helped me when my dad was umm, doing what he was doing to me. He practically saved my life." She tensed at the memory.

"I am glad, if he didn't then I wouldn't have you." Willow pulled tara to her and left a sweet passionate kiss on tara's lips.

Tara pulled back a little. "And I wouldn't have you." Tara went back in for another kiss and stayed until they both were out of breath.

A month later and willow is finally out of the hospital but still has to stay home, with tara helping her out. Dawn and bri have planned a wedding for three months from now and have decided that they only had their honeymoon at their apartment with no one bugging them for a week. Faith is back and heard of everything that happened, she told everyone what happened up there and it turns out they trust her and she is a free slayer now like buffy without anyone watching her.

Willow was up in their bedroom while tara was making some lunch. "Buffy should be over soon so I can go out shopping!" Tara yells up to willow.

Willow was trying her hardest to get down the stairs without so much pain but she was really hurting. "Ok, maybe she could help me again with the healing, she does have all that slayer strength and all."

Tara heard the pain in willows voice and heard that she was closer than she should. She looked up to see willow slowly coming down the stairs wincing in pain and ran over to her helping her down. "Will, you know your not suppose to come down without someone helping you."

"I know but I just didn't feel like staying in bed and I didn't want to bother you." Willow winced again and almost feel but tara held her up.

"I don't care what I am doing, you are way more important to me than anything else." Tara stated as she helped willow to the couch and sat her down.

Willow looks up at tara. "I love you, do you know that?"

"Yes, I love you too." Tara went down and kisses her wife.

Buffy walked in and saw them kissing. "Hey you two." She walked over to willow. "So how are we feeling today?" She put her hand on both willows shoulders but not so hard because of the wounded shoulder.

Willow looked up at buffy. "I am better."

Buffy smiled. "Good, I made sure I saved more strength so you can take it while tara is out shopping with dawn and bri. Faith is out taking care of the shop."

Tara went to get her purse and then came to give willow a kiss and then kissed buffy on the cheek. "Thanks buffy, don't let her take to much though, you need it to save people."

Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, I am sure faith can handle patrol. I am fully devoted to get willow to feel better."

"Ok, love you both. I should be back in a couple of hours. Do you guys want anything?"

"Mocha, please!" Willow yelled in a childish tone.

Tara laughed. "Ok, what about you buffy?"

"Mocha, thanks."

"Ok, see you guys soon." Tara said as she closed the door behind her.

Buffy sat down next to willow. "Ok, lets get going. I have a feeling I am going to be really tired but I don't care."

They both got in front of each other on the floor and sat indian style. They grabbed each others hands and concentrated. After a while buffy was still strong and willow was feeling a little bit better. After about an hour buffy was really tired so they stopped. Buffy was able to get on the couch and lye down but was to tired to move again. Willow got up the strength she just got from buffy and got in a chair. They both started to watch TV until buffy fell asleep and willow turned off the TV to watch her.

Tara walked in and saw the scene in front of her.
Buffy was lying on the couch asleep with willow watching her. "I take it you took all of buffy's strength?"

Willow giggled a bit. "I did not. Well, maybe but she never told me to stop."

"Well as long as you didn't kill her I am fine." Tara looks over at buffy and smiled. "She looks so peaceful. I can see how faith likes her so much."

Willow looks at buffy too. "I know." She looks at tara. "So, how was shopping?"

Tara smiles and sits next to willow. "It was good. Dawn, bri, and I just went for some groceries and then they wanted to look at rings."

Willow put her arm around tara. "Did they pick any out yet?"

Tara shook her head. "No, they said they wanted to do it separate for some reason."

"Well, it might be because they want to pick out the ring for the other without the other seeing it, maybe they wanted to surprise each other." Willow stated.

Tara shrugged. "Maybe. You feeling any better?"

"A little bit, I still hurt but then again duh, I got shot what else do I expect." Willow said a little harsh.

Tara frowned. "Oh pour baby, don't worry you'll be your old willow in no time."

"Well, you know how impatient I am. We can't do anything that we normally do, like at night in bed." Willow gave a little hint.

Tara laughed. "Yes true, but that will make it even better when we can again. Don't worry, it didn't take long for me to heal. You and buffy helped me get my strength so we will help you. It just might take a while longer for you because you got shot twice, me only once."

Willow leaned against tara. "I know, it hurts you know. Every night I keep having dreams about when you got shot and its like I got shot with you but it was my heart instead of shoulder. It's like I die every night."

Willow started to cry while tara put her arms around willow and rocked her back and forth. "I know, I have the same dreams only its of the day you got shot. I felt so lost when I was waiting for the doctor to tell me if you are going to make it or not. And when I saw you on the floor in a pool of blood I almost died." Tara started crying too.

A month and a few weeks later dawn and bri have already planned their wedding and invited everyone they know from school and anywhere else. They wanted to keep up the tradition of getting married on the beach that willow, tara, buffy, and faith have already done. Willow was better now, she could walk on her own without very much pain which was great for willow and tara because they could get back to making love without having to stop because willow got hurt. Tara was starting to show more and defiantly have the cravings and mood swings that were expected.

Dawn was taking tara out for brunch leaving willow to hang out with everyone else at the weapon shop while they worked. Dawn and tara were walking down main street coming back from brunch talking.

"Ok, so when are you going to pick up your ring?" Tara asked getting excited.

Dawn laughed. "Well, I was hoping right now." She looked over to tara with pleading eyes. "Will you please come with me? I love the ring you picked for willow and you also helped faith and I love that ring, so I was hoping you could help me."

"Yes, I will help but like I told faith, you must pick from your heart and see which one matched you." Tara said laughing putting her arm out for dawn.

Dawn put her arm through tara's arm and they kept walking. "I know, I know, you picked your rings out to match your eyes so maybe I could do that."

Tara extended her left hand so both of them could look at the emerald diamond. "She picked the ring out to match her eyes because that is one of the things I fell in love with. You could put me in a room of people that look the same and all I have is their eyes, I could pick willow out just like that. You need to do that with bri, and I don't think brown is a good or common color for a ring. Why don't you get a regular diamond ring?" Tara questions.

"But that wouldn't be a reminder." Dawn furrowed her brow.

"Yes it is, she will for always remember when she got married to the most beautiful girl in her book, second to me." Tara got a hurtful look from dawn. "What? Willow is my number one just like bri is to you."

Dawn smiled. "Yeah, I guess your right."

Tara nodded. "In the words of willow, damn straight."

Dawn laughed. "Your such a goof ball."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I got it from you ya know." Tara poked dawn in the stomach and they both started bending over and laughing. "Ok, now lets get the ring of…" Tara was cut off.

"Tara Maria Maclay!" A man with salt and pepper hair yelled at her.

Tara felt her stomach turn when she heard his voice. She turned and saw her father walking up to them. "D-dad, how did y-y-you f-f-find umm w-why are you h-here?"

Dawn noticed the stutter and she was also scared, tara hadn't stuttered in years which freaked dawn out even more. They met her dad before and kicked him out of the magic box and he was not a happy man to be around.

Mr. Maclay walked up to them both and looked at tara's stomach noticing how big she was. "What the hell is this, your pregnant? Where is this bastard who you are fucking around with, he's going to have to deal with me now."

Tara was really nervous. "I-it wasn't a g-g-guy, s-sir."

"It had to be a guy because a girl certainly couldn't do that. How dare you say I was wrong."

He brought his hand up to slap her. Tara closed her eyes waiting for the blow that never happened. "What the fuck."

Tara opened her eyes to see willow standing in front of her with her hands on her side. "Now it's not very smart to hit a pregnant woman, or any woman for that matter."

"I remember you, you're the bitch that got tara to stay. Well its not going to work this time, I am not leaving without her this time." He looked over willows shoulder at tara. "Donny is also looking for you. I told him to use any means necessary, you might want to be ready for some bruising. The only way we won't hurt you is if you come with us now."

Willow looked straight into his eyes. "She's not coming with you. She has everything she needs here."

He looked down at her. "Oh, and what does she have?"

"She has a wife who happens to be me, a baby on the way, and a lot of loving and supporting friends who we call our family." Willow stated.

He looked at tara. "You got married without asking me, that still doesn't explain how she got pregnant."

"She is an adult and doesn't have to ask for your permission nor did she want it, oh and how she got pregnant, we used magic." Willow said with a smile knowing she is getting on his nerves.

You could see the anger coming off of him. "I told you never to use that stuff again. I'll be back and next time not so pleasant." He walked past willow and before anyone could do anything he punched tara in the nose making her stagger back a bit but thankfully not fall.

Willow saw this and yelled at the man before she went to tara. Tara was in tears and she had a bloody nose. Willow and dawn brought tara over to a bench and sat her down. "Baby, I am so sorry. Lets get you over to buffys." She looked over to dawn. "Dawn can you go get buffy and faith and tell them they need to close the shop and protect tara. Her dad will go to anything to get her. Two slayers on our side might be a big help." Dawn nodded and ran off. Willow helped tara up as they walked to buffy's house waiting for their security. Willow sat tara down on the couch and went to the kitchen to get a washcloth. She came back and sat down right next to her and gently cleaned off the blood. "I'm so sorry. I promise he will not hurt you again as long as I am still breathing."

Tara tried to smile. "I know, I can't believe he's back, I haven't stuttered in years and then when I saw him everything came back again. Will, I don't know if I can see him again without feeling like hell."

"I know and that's why you aren't, we're going to stay here with buffy and faith and you are not answering the door or going out side without me buffy or faith." Willow said worriedly.

Buffy, faith, bri, and dawn come running in the room. "What the hell, he couldn't handle being kicked out before he had to come back again. What is his problem anyway?" Buffy asks.

Tara looked up at her. "He wants me to come back and take care of everything so he doesn't have to. He's not the kind of person to give up and he'll get me no matter what."

Buffy sat on the coffee table. "Well I don't care what he is going to do, he's not getting you. Faith and I are your personally guards until we are sure he is gone."

Tara smiled and grabs buffy's hand and squeezes it. "Thanks buffy."

Buffy smiles and squeezes her hand too. "No problem, you're my sister and I won't let anyone hurt my family, no matter if they do have your blood."

They stayed in the house for the rest of the week. Buffy or faith went out to patrol while the other stayed at the house. Dawn and bri were getting married soon but said they would postpone if her dad was still there, it was the least they could do after making willow and tara wait because of dawn.