Chapter 8

About two weeks later and they have never seen Mr. Maclay since. They started to let tara out by herself more and more as the weeks went on and became less nervous every time she came home unharmed. They both still lived in the Summers house just in case while dawn and bri said they would stay as well just to hang out. Tara decided to go out and shop for dawn and bri's wedding presents, she wanted it to be a surprise and willow had to work on a project for the company, buffy and faith were training in the basement.

Tara was walking out of the shop and started walking to another one. She didn't find what she was looking for at the first three shops that she look at, but there was still one more that she knew of. She walked into the almost empty store and started looking. She heard the bell above the door ring and looked at the new comer. Her breath hitched as she recognized them. She gently put the things down and moved as quietly as she could to the back and tried to keep out of eye sight. She goes for her cell phone that willow made her get just in case and called buffy. Mr. Maclay walked through the store that he saw tara walk into. He walked slowly which gave tara time to call and hopefully stall if he found her. She tried to stay as far away from him as she could while she was trying to get out the door. After a couple minutes of avoiding, he finally found her hiding in the corner and grabbed her by the back of the head pulling her up with her hair.

"Well, well. Looks like you are alone. You are coming home with us no matter what. Don't worry, I will give your friends a letter telling them how you wanted to come home and how you will miss them but you know this is the right thing to do."

All of a sudden buffys head came into view. "Now that would be a lie. I really don't think she wants to go." Buffy said.

"Get the hell away from us, you can not mess with tara's affairs." Mr. Maclay said as he started to use tara as his shield.

"Tara is my affair, or something like that. She is my family." Buffy said putting her hands on her hips.

He pulled her hair and made her wince. "She is my daughter and she is leaving with me."

"Not if I have anything to do with it. You are not her family, family would never do this to her. Take her home against her will, beat her, make her do your work. By the way that is pitiful, you have a girl to do your chores, you are weak." Buffy said trying to get on his nerves.

Mr. Maclay laughed. "I am not making her go against her will." He looked at tara. "Tell her tara."

Buffy saw the fear in tara's eyes. "It's ok tara, tell me what you want."

Tara had tears running down her face. "I-I want to s-s-stay h-here." She stuttered.

Mr. Maclay pulled her hair even more and made her yell in pain. Buffy couldn't take this anymore, she quickly hit him in the face making him release tara and made her fall on the floor. Buffy stood in front of tara and stared at Mr. Maclay as he got up. "Get out now. Tara is our family now and she wants nothing to do with you anymore. So pick up everything and get the hell out of our town."

He gave a wicked smile. "And what are you going to do if I don't?"

"I'll have to kick your ass. Why don't you be a man and do your own chores and get donny to help you. Tara is staying here with me and everyone else." Buffy said.

"What do you care, what is she to you?" He asked raising an eye brow.

Buffy looked back at tara who was on the ground with tears in her eyes holding her stomach and looking at her. She turned back and smiled. "She is my sister and the wife of my best friend who I also think is my sister."

"You have no relation to her." Mr. Maclay said getting agitated.

"We are related because we have a heart of love and caring and you have a heart of hatred and distrust. We have a loving family and you have a son who doesn't give a damn about anything. We have everything we need and we help each other out and you need your daughter to do your work for you so you can get drunk and be a lazy ass." Buffy said matter of factly.

He pointed to tara. "This isn't over young lady. You will be punished for running away and under minding me." He walked out the door furious.

Buffy waited for him to leave and knelt down by tara and wrapped her arms around her rocking her back and forth. "It's ok tara, he's gone now. I won't let everyone hurt you I promise."

Tara looked at buffy. "Why? Why don't you let me leave?"

Buffy smiled. "Well one, willow would kick my ass and two, you are my sister and I would never let anything happen to my family no matter what. I love you tara and I don't care if he is your dad, I am not letting him make you do something you don't want to."

Tara wrapped her arms around buffy and started crying even harder. "I love you too buffy, thank you for everything." She said through a muffled voice.

"No problem, we might want to get you home though, willow must be worried." Buffy said as she pulled back from tara to look in her eyes.

"What does she know?" Tara asked not wanting willow to worry to much.

Buffy giggled at the hysteria in tara's voice. "Don't worry, all I told her was that I had to go and I would be back in a few. She doesn't know anything about your dad."

Tara nodded and they both got up and walked out the door in each others arms. Before they walked into the house tara fixed herself up so she wouldn't be that obvious even though they would have to tell them about her dad.

They walked into the house and willow came in from the kitchen. "Hey guys, what's up?" She saw the redness in tara's eyes and knew she was crying. "Tara, what's wrong?" She goes over to her and takes her from buffy and into her own arms. She looked over to buffy. "Buffy?"

"Why don't we sit down." Buffy said as she led the two girls to the couch. She sat down on the coffee table while they sat on the couch. She looked at willow and she could see the worry in her eyes so she decided to start. "Well, we can say that her dad is back."

Willows eyes went wide. "Oh god, what did that basturd do. If he did anything I will kill him." Willow started to get really angry.

Buffy put her hands up to come her angry friend down. "Hold on there, he didn't do anything that would hurt the baby except the part where he pushed her on the floor but she didn't fall on her stomach."

"What!" Willow yelled.

"Come down will." Buffy said.

Willow took in a breath. "Ok, what happened in detail?"

"Well, when I got there he had her by the hair and was trying to get her out the door, but then stopped when he saw me. We had a verbal fight and then when tara said that she didn't want to go he pulled her hair even more so I punched him and before he fell he threw her on the floor. I tried to catch her but I didn't make it. We had another verbal fight and he left." Buffy stated in a proud voice about her win. "Before I got there, she told me that she saw him come in and did the right thing by calling me and tried to get out the door while trying to stay out of his eye sight. He caught her a few minutes before I got there."

Willow griped tara's waist and looked into her eyes. "Are you ok baby?"

Tara nodded. "The baby is too." She cupped willows face. "Don't worry will, we are fine."

Willow sighed. "I know, but for how long." She looked at buffy. "I mean, how hard is it to see that she's not going back with him." She looked back at tara. "You can't stay in the house all your life. You need to go out and with me and us and by yourself. I don't want you to be scared to go outside just because your dad, I won't allow that."

"Sweetie calm down, I am sure buffy and faith will take care of it. I will be able to go out side again." Tara stated.

Buffy nodded. "Yes, faith and I will take care of it, don't worry."

Willow shook her head. "I don't know, he is pretty stubborn. Where did he go anyway. I just want to talk to him."

Tara shook her head. "No willow, you will not go to see him on purpose, especially alone."

Willow shrugged. "So I won't, buffy can come with me." She saw the firmness in her lovers eyes. "Tara, all I want to do is find out what his problem is. We help people and that is what I am going to try and do. I want to get inside his empty head and see what makes him tick so I can fix it. He must have something deep down inside that makes him the way he is and I want to find out so maybe he can leave us alone. Buffy can be my body guard while I help him." She pointed to buffy.

Tara shook her head. "No willow, promise me you won't go and see him. I understand what you are trying to do but there is no getting through to him."

"But…" Willow started.

"No, promise me." Tara said more firmly.

"Fine, but I am telling you now that if he lays one finger on you again I will kick his ass. And believe me, I can." Willow said with anger in her voice.

Tara sighed. "Will, don't go near him again no matter what. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I would do."

"Well how do you think I feel." She stood up and walked to the middle of the room and turned to look at them. "My wife is being tracked down by her own father that wants to beat the shit out of her and you tell me I can't do anything about it. Tara, I can't take this anymore, I can't take it when you have to stay inside and be scared of your own father. I can't take it that I have a kid on the way and I have a crazy psycho dad that wants to take its mother away from us. I can't take the fact that this is our lives and he is making it hell for both of us. I just can't take any of this." Willow walks to the door, grabs her jacket, and walks out slamming the door behind her.

Buffy looks at the door and then looks at tara. "That went better than I expected." Tara looked at her like 'yeah right' and gets up. Buffy grabs her hand and shakes her head. "I think she needs a breather, she has a lot to take in right now."

"Buffy, my dad is out there. I can't let him hurt her." Tara said worriedly.

Buffy shook her head. "I will go with her and talk to her later, she needs to be alone. I will go find your dad and make sure he doesn't do anything to her, you have to stay here with faith and wait for us. I will call if anything happens."

Tara nodded. "Where's faith anyway?"

Buffy pointed upstairs. "She's taking a nape. We had a rough patrol last night and she has some bruises that she is mending. I will tell her about everything and go watch your dad."

Tara nodded again. "Just be careful."

Buffy nodded and rubbed tara's arm. "I will, I love you."

"I love you too." Tara said as she went up stairs to her room while buffy went to tell faith everything and went out side to watch Mr. Maclay.

Willow was walking down the sidewalk with her arms wrapped around herself. She was thinking about everything that happened earlier that day and everything that had happened in her life. She wasn't really scared about tara's dad because she knew she could take him, and she had her cell phone. She decided to get a mocha and think some more about everything. She ended up walking for the entire day and didn't even notice how late it was.

Buffy was keeping an eye on the Maclay boys and they hadn't done anything that would need a slayer. They were in a camper in the park while buffy was standing by a tree. Her cell phone rang. "Hello." 'Hey buffy, has anything happened?' "No, they are still in the camper. You sound worried, what's wrong?" 'Willow hasn't come back yet, I am really worried.' "Tara don't worry, I am getting a little bored here so I will go out and look for her. I'll bring her home as soon as I find her and we'll talk." 'Thanks buffy, I don't know how she got so mad before.' "She is just worried about you and feel that you should be able to go out whenever you want to and not be controlled by your dad, she wants you to have fun and live your life outside the house like everyone else." 'I know, I am just scared she might do something about it.' "Well, she hasn't done anything about it yet. Nothing has really happened today. I'll see you when we come home." 'Ok, bye buffy.' "Bye" Buffy hung up the phone and went in search for willow.

She went everywhere that she knew of where her and willow use to go. She couldn't find her anywhere and soon it was one in the morning. Tara has called about three times since the first time and she is getting more worried every time. She started to get frustrated and threw her arms up in the air. "What the hell will, where would you go that I couldn't even find you?" She asked herself. She asked tara and she also cheeked out all the places they went but no willow.

She was walking around back to the house to see what's going on when she passed the high school. It was still the same way it was when she blew it up and while ago and no one cared to fix it. She carefully walked through the halls but didn't find her. She thought about the places that willow like to be most through the school years. 'Ok, she liked the library and the computer room.' She walked to the library first and went into the cave that was leading to the hellmouth. Still no willow so she moved into the halls again and walked through to the computer lab that willow taught in.

She walked into the class room and found willow sitting at the front desk with her head in her hands. Buffy was a little amazed that the desk was still there but didn't think anything of it. She walked over slowly, she didn't want to scare her and knew she was deep in thought. "Hey will." Willow looked up with a tear streaked face. Buffy went over to her and put her arms around her. "Will, what's wrong?"

Willow shook her head. "How did you find me?"

Buffy shrugged. "I actually used my brain, can you believe it." She said trying to lighten up the mood.

"I can't take this buffy, I just can't" Willow said through a muffled voice.

"Can't what will, together we can do anything." Buffy said.

"I can't stand here and watch my pregnant wife go through this. She has been through hell while she was a kid and now her past has come back to put her through more hell. I know I promised her but I have to do something." Willow started a new line of tears.

Buffy wrapped her arms around her even more to try and comfort her. "Will, we will do something about this but I agree with tara, I don't want you anywhere near him. I am sure everyone else will agree with us too."

Willow quickly got up and looked at buffy. "Yeah well I don't agree. Buffy, when you have a baby on the way and faiths past comes to bite her in the ass again then we can talk, but until then stay the hell out of my life. I am not going to stand for this." She starts to walk out.

"Willow, where are you going? Tara is going to be mad at me if I don't bring you home tonight." Buffy said with hurt in her voice.

Willow turned around. "Go home and tell tara that I am not coming back until I either help him or get him out of here." She turns back around.

"Wait!" Buffy yelled. Willow turned around so buffy continued. "Willow I can't let you do that."

"Buffy, I am a grown woman and I can do what ever the hell I want to. Go home and tell tara that I love her and I will see her when I am done. And if I see anyone checking up on me or trying to stop me, you are going to see a very angry willow." Willow said angrily.
Buffy sighs. "Willow." She walks out of the school and headed home. "I am going to be in so much trouble it's not even funny." Buffy got home and told tara everything. As she expected, tara yelled at her. She did apologize for her and willow and was about to go out looking for her until buffy stopped her. Buffy knew that this is what willow had to do and tried to explain it to her. Tara finally got it but swore that if anything happened to willow that she didn't know if she could go on, especially with a child to take care of.

Willow walked to the park and found the camper. Tara's dad was in a chair in front of it with a drink in his hand. She was hoping that he wasn't to drunk so they could talk. She walked up to him and looked straight at him. He looked up at her and raised an eye brow. "What the hell do you want?" He asked.

Willow took in a deep breath. "I want to talk to you." She said simply.

He laughed. "Oh, and what about?"

"About why you are the way you are. I know you don't like me and I know that I don't like you but both my parents are good at these types of things." Willow stated.

"What type of things?" He asked looking her up and down.

She noticed his eyes roaming and stepped back a bit. "I want to help you figure out why you are like this. Why you would beat your own daughter and take her away from her friends and family."

"I am her family, there is nothing wrong with me." He tried to convince himself that too.

Willow sat down on a stump that was near by. "I am also her family, I am her wife and we have a baby on the way."

"I don't really…" He interrupted but got interrupted himself.

"Let me finish please and then you can comment. Look, I know that you feel that you have to be a man and be strong and stuff like that but not so strong to beat her. She did everything you told her to but you still hit her and that's not ok. I realize that I don't like you because you did that but I am willing to let you in our family if you just apologize and stop trying to take her away from the people she loves. She is a wonderful woman and you would notice that. You don't have to have a farm, you can move here and get a job and have a good life. I am going to help you no matter what it takes, my parents aren't around a lot and I want a dad or dad-in-law that I can love, and in a few years if you behave yourself then we can all be a loving family, what do ya say?" Willow takes a breath and waited to hear what he has to say.

Mr. Maclay thought about this. He wanted to have a great life and he might get it. He looked at willow and furrowed his brow. "How can you help me?"

Willow gave a little smile. "Well, first we could talk about why you do the things you do. Then, you can get reacquainted with your daughter once I am sure you won't go crazy. Then, we can become a family after you get a job and a house or something either here or close by."

Mr. Maclay nodded his head. "I think that might work. I hate working on the farm and I think donny does too."

"Oh, what about donny. Can you talk to him?" Willow asked.

He nodded. "Donny!" He yelled.

Donny came out and looked at his dad. "Yeah dad?"

"Come here." He told his son as he pulled out another chair for him. Donny came over and sat down looking between his dad and the redhead. "Donny, you remember willow, tara's wife." Donny nodded his head and gave her a dirty look. "She is going to help us."

"Help us with what?" Donny asked.

Mr. Maclay sighed. "About us beating up tara. I think that I would like to change my life and get back with my daughter."

Donny stood up. "What the hell dad, first we hate her and now you want to be friends with her. What ever, I'm out of here." He walks of into the night.

Willow shrugged. "He is going to take some time." She looks at Mr. Maclay. "I need to know that you are actually going to do this and work with me, and your not just doing this so you can get close to tara and then break her again."

Mr. Maclay thinks about it. He could do that and get tara to come back with him over time or he could work with willow and get his daughter back and work in a real job and live in a real house. He nodded his head. "Yeah, I am in this."

Willow nodded enthusiastically. "Good, I will be back in the afternoon tomorrow so we can start."

"Do you think we can meet more private, I don't really want to talk about everything in public." He asked kinda nervous.

Willow nodded and stood up. "Yeah umm, my parents are out on one of there month long trips so we can meet there. You can pick me up at buffy's house tomorrow afternoon and we can go there."

He nodded. Ok, you might want to tell them I am coming over so they don't kick my ass."

Willow nodded and giggled a little bit. "Yeah, sure. See you tomorrow." She said as she waved and walked away. Mr. Maclay waved back and smiled.

Willow walked through the door and buffy came to her from the living room. "Will, what happened? I thought you weren't coming back till you fixed this."

Willow nodded. "And I am, I have a meeting with him tomorrow so we can talk. He is picking me up here and we are going to my house and talk." She looks around. "Where's tara?"

Buffy sighed. "Upstairs really upset. She took it out on me and apologized for both of you but she is still upset that you lied to her and went to see her dad anyway. You might want to talk to her."

Willow nodded. "How long as she been up there for?"

Buffy looked at the clock and turned back to willow. "About three hours. I don't know if she's asleep but I don't think you should let her, she's pretty heartbroken."

Willow made a sour face. "Ey, that's not good. Ok, you might want to get faith and dawn out of here, there might be some yelling." She furrowed her brow. "Were is dawnie anyway, I haven't seen her in a while."

Buffy laughed. "Her and bri decided to hang out at the apartment tonight after tara kinda exploded."

Willow went wide eyed. "It got that bad that dawn and bri left for the night. Wow, do I even want to go up there?"

Buffy put her hand on willows shoulder. "Your going to have to. Faith is already in bed so I am going up there too, don't worry everything will be fine." She said as she walks up the stairs.

Willow looked up at her. "Buffy." Buffy looks back at her so she continues. "I am sorry for what I said at the school today, I want you in my life always. Never forget that."

"No problem." Buffy said as she walked up stairs and into her room.

Willow walked up the stairs and slowly opened the door to see tara sitting on the other side of the bed. Willow slowly closed the door and moved close. "Tara?" Willow said not wanting to startle her wife. Tara didn't move so she tried again. "Tara, are you ok?"

Tara finally turned around. "Ok, ok, will, you lied to me and you put yourself in danger, I yelled at buffy, faith, dawn, and bri just because of you walking out. I can't believe you."

Willow sighed. "Tara, I'm sorry, I yelled at buffy too. I really am sorry but I think I finally got through. You dad is going to pick me up tomorrow so we can go to my house and talk about his problems, I can help him so he won't hurt anyone anymore. I might be able to get him to give up the farm and move into a house around here and help him get a job. He could be the dad you always wanted and it is all because of what I did."

"Your going to see him again! I can't believe you willow, how could you do this to me? He can never be the way I want him to be because I will always remember everything he did to me!" Tara yelled.

"Tara, I am doing this for us. I want to have a father-in-law! You want a dad that will love you and not beat the shit out of you!" She saw the hurt in tara's eyes. "Tara, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it like that I just meant that I am doing this for both of us. I walked around all day thinking about what to do and this was the thing that popped into my head every time. I know that I lied and I am so sorry for that but I feel I can get through to this guy."

Tara shook her head. "What if he is using you to get to me?" She asked more calmly.

Willow gave a little grin and moved closer. "I already have that all planned out. Remember that demon that buffy fought in high school and if you touch its blood then you can read peoples minds, well I am going to use that tomorrow."

"But didn't that make her crazy?" Tara asked.

"Well yes, but I am going to cure it that night and then do the same thing the next day so I can know for sure. Giles saved some blood and heart from the demon just in case. It's in the basement at our house." Willow said as she moved a little bit closer.

"I don't know about this. My father is not the one to just give in." Tara said worriedly as she sat back down on the bed.

"You know me, I try and win everyone over. I will try my hardest and be careful at the same time, I promise." Willow said sitting down next to her but not touching her.

Tara shook her head and stood up to look down at willow. "How can I trust you again. You lied to me and now you promise again, how can I trust you willow?" She asked sadly.
Willow stood up and grabbed tara's hands, surprised that she didn't pull back. "I know that I don't deserve your trust but I will be careful." She put her hand on her wife's stomach. "We have a baby on the way, I have to be ready for that. And believe me when I say that I will earn your trust back however long it takes. I don't care, all I want is your love and trust."

Tara smiled and put her hand over willows. "I already love you, but the trust needs a little work. I will allow this but you will not stay with him for very long, I will allow two hours at the most."

Willow nodded. "I can live with that. I love you and I am sorry for my behavior today." She puts her arms around tara. "I just don't like the fact that he is hurting you so much and I want to try and fix it." She gave a small peak on her lips and smiled.

Tara smiled and kissed willow again. "Your are my little fix it aren't you."

Willow gave a sexy grin. "Can I fix something else?"

Tara furrowed her brow. "And that would be?"

Willow kissed her again but lingering there for a minute. "Your bad mood. I want to fix it and make you feel good."

Tara gave her famous tara grin. "Well, I think you can fix that."

"Great." Willow said as she led tara over to the bed and set her down. They both met in a searing kiss while they leaned back which ended up with willow on top. They ended up making love again and again and again.

The next day willow told everyone about her plans and got the demon blood. Tara insisted that buffy at least stand outside the house or close by just in case and willow agreed as long as she doesn't hear anything. It was almost noon and willow was already hearing voices but blocked them out.

The door bell rang and buffy answered the door. "Hello." Mr. Maclay said.

"Hey, if you do anything to willow, I'll kill you myself, just a warning." Buffy said as she put her hands on her hips.

"Down super slayer." Willow giggled as she and tara made there way down the stairs hand in hand.

Tara looks at her father and her memories come flying back. Willow squeezes her hand to try and comfort her and it did help a little. "D-dad." Tara said.

He gave a nod. "Tara umm, how are you?" He tried to ask sincerely.

"F-fine, you?" She tried not to stutter but it was really hard.

He nodded again. "Good, good." He looked at willow. "You ready to go?"

Willow nodded. "Yep." She turned to tara. "I should be back in a couple of hours baby, have fun." She kissed her wife and moved closer to the door. "Ok, lets go and get started." Mr. Maclay nodded his head and they both left with willow giving another wave and closing the door. Buffy waited another three minutes before she left to follow them. She promised she would be out of slayer hearing but if she heard screams then she would run straight in. Willow and Mr. Maclay walked into her house and sat on the couch. Willow got them both a drink and tried to hear his thoughts. She could hear them but only picked out the important ones.

Willow was sitting there in a chair watching his movements on the couch. She kept hearing a worried tone in his head about talking to her so she started out with a statement that might make him more comfortable. "Mr. Maclay, I would like to point out that everything that we say in here will never leave this room. Our talks are very personal and no one will find out, not even tara. I will not tell anyone about our talks so you don't have to worry." She gave a small smile and also got one back from him.

He nodded. "Ok, that should calm me down a bit." He said.

"Great, now lets start at the beginning. How did you and Mrs. Maclay meet. You can work up from there." Willow said getting out a paid.

He pointed to it. "What's that for?"

"It's for key points. I am going to try and find out why you do the things you do." She said as she got out a pen and got ready. "Start from when you guys first met and go up to now."

He nodded and started telling his story. At the beginning it was really good, he was happy and fun, he never had any violence issues or anything like that. After they got married and they got the farm, he started to get stressed out and getting drunk a little bit more often. They had donny a couple years later and they got him to help his dad on the farm which made him a hard ass and started to get in trouble with the police. After they had tara Mr. Maclay started to get even more drunk because he didn't really want a daughter, he wanted a son to help him on the farm. Once she got old enough she did start working on the farm but not the way he wanted her to so he started to beat her privately. Once tara's mom died, she started to slack at her work and he got so depressed and stressed that he kept getting even more drunk and violent than before. Soon he didn't really care and started to beat her in front of donny and got him into it. After tara turned eighteen, she left and they never heard from each other again until now. He couldn't work the farm by himself and donny was getting into even more trouble than before so he didn't help that much. They came to try and get her back and when they realized that she had a perfect life they both got jealous.

Two hours later and a couple note pads later they were finally getting somewhere. All during the story willow read his mind and all she could get was worry's and fears and hatred, but not toward anyone but himself and donny. She wrote down the key points of the story and what she read in his mind to try and put stuff together and she was really happy that she could help someone that really never mentioned it but needed it non the less. He finished his story and she closed her pad. "Ok, this is going really well. I feel that we are getting somewhere and with a few more sessions, I believe we could get somewhere with our relationship. We will meet the same time tomorrow and this time bring donny. He needs to get help too." Willow said as she put her stuff in her bag and stood up to put it over her shoulder.

"Thank you, it felt good to get it off my chest." Mr. Maclay said as he saw her put the books over her shoulder. "Your not bringing those home are you."

"Oh don't worry, no one will see them. I need to go over them for tomorrows session. You can go home now but I don't want you getting drunk anymore." Said willow as she led them both out the door. They both walked down the sidewalk and he turned of to go home leaving her to walk the rest of the way.

Once buffy saw that he left, she came in and started walking next to willow. "So, how did it go?" She asked.

Willow nodded. "Good, I learned a lot about tara and her family, I think I am actually getting somewhere with him."

"Wow, are you becoming your parents?" Buffy giggled.

"Yeah right, I am actually interesting and I will take interest in my kids life unlike them." Willow said.

'Man I wish she would tell me what they talked about.' Buffy thought.

"I can't buffy, it's personal." Willow said laughing.

"Fine." Buffy pouted as they entered the door.

They both walked in and tara come in from the living room with faith. "Hey sweetie, how was it?" Tara asked putting her arms around willow.

Willow put her arms around tara and kissed her. "Fine, we are getting somewhere and I think he should be fine with a couple more sessions, donny might take longer."

Tara gave her a puppy dog pout. "Can't you tell me more, please?"

Willow laughed and shook her head. "Nope, and no fair. These are personally sessions and I promised him that I wouldn't tell anyone, not even you."

'You broke your promise to me, can't you do it with him?' She thought.

Willow broke out of tara's arms and walked to the kitchen to get the cure so she can't hear anymore minds. "No tara, I can't tell you or anyone else of what we talk about and I don't think it is fair to keep asking me like that." She said a bit to harshly.

Tara put up her hands. "Hey, I was just wondering. Will, you are trying to turn my dad from evil psycho maniac to nice gentle man. I worry and wonder."

Willow sighed and moved over to her wife. "I'm sorry, you don't have to worry and you can wonder but I can't tell you anything, everything we say is personally."

Tara raised an eye brow. "Wait, how personal?"

Willow giggled. "Don't worry, it is his personal life not yours, though you are in it, so is donny and your mother. That's all I can say."

Tara raised her eye brow again. "Wait, how personal?"

Willow took both of tara's hands. "Nothing like that, I know all of that personally stuff. And nothing that personal about your dad and mom but I still can't tell you. I am going to take the cure and go up stairs and work on my notes. No one is aloud to come up." She looked around to everyone and then back at tara. "Not even you."

Tara nodded. "I understand."

Willow nodded. "Good." She goes over to the cup she made and drank it all.

She almost fell until buffy caught her. "I remember when I was cured. I felt really weak." She said. Buffy picked her up. "Where to?"

"Upstairs at my desk." Willow said as buffy brought her and her stuff upstairs and sat her down at the desk. "Boy, I sure am glad you have slayer strength."

"Yeah, me too." Buffy giggled.

"Thanks buffy." Willow said as she looked at her friend.

"No problem, I'm glad you had a good first day." Buffy said as she walked out.

Tara walked in. "Hey baby, I'm just getting my book. I want to go down to the espresso pump and read." Tara walked over to her side of the bed and went to the nightstand to get her book.

"That's ok, I am sure you won't be getting any unpleasant visits, remember your cell phone though just in case." Willow said with seriousness in her voice.

Tara walks over to willow and kissed her. "I will, I love you."

Tara kissed willow again. "Mmmm, I love you too." Willow said as tara smiled and left closing the door behind her.

Willow got to work at looking at everything and tried to figure out everything she could. It took her about an hour but she finally finish and wrote tomorrows plans down before she packed everything away and hid the books in between the mattresses of the bed. She went downstairs to find buffy and faith making out on the couch before they had to go patrol. She grabbed her purse and went out the door.

"Dad!" Donny yelled from outside the camper when he saw his dad coming home.

"What!" He asked.

"Where have you been? I saw tara go into a coffee shop alone. Lets get her and leave already." Donny said.

His dad got closer and sat down in another chair. "We're not going to chase after her anymore. I had a session with willow and she helped me see my problem, that's why you are coming with me tomorrow."

Donny stood up. "Screw that, I'm not going to some stupid shrink."

His dad also stood up. "You will do what I tell you to do and like it. Willow helped me and she can help you. You are going to stop with the police and start with a job. We are going to sell the farm and we are moving here to get a house and get jobs. We need a change in our lives."

Donny sat back down with his arms over his chest. "Whatever."

Tara was sitting at a table reading and sipping coffee when a stunningly handsome man with brown straight hair come up to her. "Hi, I'm mike." He said sticking out his hand.

Tara took his hand and shook it. "Tara."

"Tara, what a beautiful name." He looks at the book. "What are you reading?"

"Umm, the green mile." Tara said smiling.

"Steven King, he's not a bad writer actually." Mike said as he sat down on the other side of the table.

Tara started to get nervous. "Yeah, he's a great writer."

Mike nodded. "Yeah he is really, I have read most of his books. Wow, we already have something in common. Can I get you a refill." He said pointing to her almost empty cup.

"Uh mike, there is something we don't have in common." Tara said trying not to hurt him.

"Oh yeah, and what is that?" Mike asked.

Just then willow came in and stood next to tara with her hand on her shoulder. "I'm married and pregnant, your not." Tara said. She looked at mike and smiled. "Mike, this is my wife, willow. Willow, this is mike."

"Nice to meet you mike." Willow said as she gave him a smile.

"Same here, I will just be leaving now. I hope to see you two around." Mike walked away and whispered. "I can't believe I fell for a pregnant lesbian."

Willow watched him leave and sat down right next to tara. "What was that all about?"

Tara giggled and looked at willow. "He was hitting on me."

Willow playfully hit tara on the arm. "No way, you still got it."

Tara looked at her. "Got what?"

"Remember when you sang to me because of that demon thing xander summoned. You had guys looking at you then too." Willow said remembering that day.

Tara smiled at the memory too. "Well, they can't have me."

"Damn straight." Willow said as she put her arms around her wife. "What were you guys talking about?"

"Steven King, he reads him too." Tara said smiling.

Willow kissed her cheek. "I think he was just saying that to flirt with you."

Tara turned her head to look at her wife. "Why are you taking this so well, when we were dating and a guy came up to me I would have to hold you back or you might kill him. What's changed."

Willow took tara's left hand and pointed to the ring. "This, this little ring changed everything. The minute you and I said 'I do' I knew that no matter who came up to you that you would always be mine." Willow smiled and kissed tara.

Tara pulled back and looked into the green orbs that she fell in love with all those years ago. "Baby, I wouldn't leave you even when we were dating."

"I know but this is proof. I don't care who flirts with you, as long as I'm the only one getting any then I am fine with it." Willow laughed.

Tara laughed as well. "You're the only one I ever want to give myself to." Tara said as she pulled willow in for a searing lingering kiss.

"Bad public display of affection." Said a familiar voice from the other side of the table.

They both looked over to see dawn and bri with a cup of coffee in their hands. "Well, if it isn't the almost newlyweds." Willow said pulling away from tara just enough to take a sip of tara's coffee.

"Well?" Dawn asked.

Willow furrowed her brow. "Well what?"

"Buffy told us about the whole thing your doing with tara's dad and we were wondering if it was safe to have a wedding yet." Bri asked sitting down with dawn sitting next to her.

Willow nodded. "Totally, Mr. Maclay is totally ok now. He hasn't come after us yet so I think he is good to go. I have to go in with him and donny tomorrow so I don't know what will happen."

"Well good, I want to get married already. Everyone else is and I love bri to much to wait any longer." Dawn said as she kissed bri and looked over at the other two who were smiling.

Just then they heard a familiar voice form the front door of the coffee shop. "Willow."

Everyone turned their heads and looked at the entrance to see donny standing there. "Yes?" Willow said.

Donny walked closer and looked around. "Umm, can I talk to you in private for a minute?" He pointed to a deserted corner in the shop.

Willow nodded. "Yeah, of coarse." Willow looked back at tara and gave her a reassuring smile before her and donny went over to the corner. Willow looked at him. "What's going on?" She asked.

Donny looked down. "Umm, my dad said you helped him today and I was wondering if you could help me too. I don't like getting in trouble that much but it is the only thing I can do. After my mom died…" He was cut off.

"Why don't we talk about this tomorrow. Why don't you come with your dad tomorrow like I told him to do today and we can talk about this some more, ok." Willow said putting her hand on his shoulder.

Donny shook his head. "No, I can't do it with him there. I need to talk to you alone."

Willow nodded and looked at her watch. "Ok, it is about five now so can you meet me at buffy's house at eight and we can go to my house to talk. And just like I told your dad, this is all personal, no one will ever hear of what we talk about, not even tara."

Donny nodded. "Yeah thanks, I'll meet you there."

Willow smiled. "Good, you can get a fresh new start in your life but it's going to take some work." She said giving him a hug. Donny didn't pull back and she was amazed that he didn't try and do anything to her. They pull back and donny walks out of the shop with everyone watching him. After he left, everyone turned to face willow who was walking back over to them.

Tara held out her hand and grabbed willows when she got close enough. "What was that about? You hugged my brother."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "You jealous?"

"Well, you do have a thing for Maclay's." Tara stated mater of factly.

Willow giggled and sat back down next to her lover. "Maclay women, not men. He just wanted a private session with me instead of going to one with his dad."

"And when is this?" Tara asked raising her eye brow.

Willow looked down and muffled. "At eight to eleven."

"Willow!" Tara yelled.

Willow shrugged her shoulders. "What, I had to so we could go out to dinner and hang out with our friends."

Tara sighed. "Fine, I guess I won't get my willow snuggles tonight."

"Yes you will, I'll just be there a little late." Willow said putting her arms around tara and bringing her even closer to give her a chaste kiss. "Hey, it's either this or your father and brother stay the way they are and you have to be scared for the rest of your life. You can't do that now that we have a baby on the way, we have to be scared for it, not us."

"It, why are we calling the baby it? We should know what it is." Tara said putting her hand on her belly.

Willow put her hand on her wife's belly also and rubbed it. "I know but we wanted to be surprised. We'll know what it is by next month. How are you feelin baby?"

Tara shrugged. "No major pains, just some cramps here and there."

"Well, in a month you will be all better again." Bri said. She looked over to dawn. "We better get to class."

Dawn nodded her head. Willow furrowed her brow. "Classes, I thought you didn't have them anymore. You haven't gone in a while."

Dawn looked at willow. "Yes we have, we just go on our own without telling anyone. We still have like two more years of college left."

"Sorry dawnie, I don't know where my mind goes these days. How are you guys doing?" Willow said apologetically.

Bri nodded. "Pretty good, we have each kept a B average in each class so I guess that is good."

Willow playfully hit bri's arm. "That is great, you guys need to keep that up."

Bri nodded and stood up bring dawn with her. "In order to do that, we need to get to class in about ten minutes."

They both left to go to class while willow and tara stayed there. Willow took another sip of tara's coffee. "So, where do you want to do out to eat tonight?"

Tara shrugged and took a sip of coffee after willow. "I don't know, something not to fancy though."

"How come." Willow asked.

Tara shrugged again." I don't know, I guess I am to tired. Worrying about you in the same room with my dad and brother, the baby, and everything else is getting me a little more tired then before."

Willow rubbed tara's back to sooth her. "I'm sorry baby, why don't we just get dinner here and then I'll take you home and you can get into bed and read for a while. I know how much you love Steven King."

Tara smiles. "That would be good, I love you."

Willow smiled and leaned in for another kiss. "I love you too baby. You are my always."

"And you are my forever." Tara said as she once again kissed willow.

They ordered their food and ate. They went home so willow could get ready and tara could get some rest. A little before willow left, she touched some of the demons blood again and waited to hear someone's thought. She was lucky enough to hear buffy's which was just what she wanted to do tonight which was patrol. Once donny came to pick her up and they went to willow's house with buffy right behind them, they got started on the session talking about anything and everything that happened in his life that would make him like the way he is. She started to concentrate more on his mind and getting disturbing thoughts. They weren't about hurting anyone or not wanting to get better, she knew he wanted to but these were about her. He kept thinking he wanted her and how he could make her happy and he would like to be her boyfriend.

Willow and buffy have this thing that if she didn't like something, then she would push a button on her cell phone that would make buffy's cell vibrate. When it did, buffy would knock on the door to get willow and see what's up. Willow pressed the button so donny wouldn't notice and about a minute later there was a knock at the door.

Willow stood up. "I'll be right back, I told them to come only for an emergency." She got a nod from him and went to the door feeling him watching her. She opens the door. "Buffy, what are you doing here?" Willow asked trying to look surprised.

"I have to talk to you will, it's important." Buffy said firmly to make sure she was convincing enough. Willow nodded and closes the door behind her as she went outside. They walked away from the door a little bit and buffy furrowed her brow. "What's up?"

Willow sighs. "I think he likes me." Buffy starts laughing like crazy and willow hit her arm. "I'm not kidding, he keeps thinking how he wants me and how he wants to be my boyfriend and stuff like that."

Buffy straightens back up and looks concerned. "Is that the only reason why he wanted to met you?"

Willow shakes her head. "No, I can tell he wants to be good again but I also know that he wants me too."

"You have to tell him that you are married and nothing can happen." Buffy said.

Willow looked at buffy. "And what am I going to say? He is going to wonder how I know, he doesn't show any face emotion what so ever. He's kinda like oz but with more anger."

Buffy nodded. "You got a point there. Well, I am sure that when he is done recuperating or sometime before that then he will ask you out and then you can tell him. He might not use force until after if he does at all."

Willow sighs. "I hope he doesn't do that. I just have to break it to him softly."

Buffy nodded. "There you go, now get back in there and remember, if you need me I am right out here."

Willow nodded. "Ok, here I go." She walks back inside to finish the session.

She kept getting the same thoughts as before and got all the notes she needed. She ended the session a little after eleven and they both walked home. Buffy met up with willow once donny was gone and they talked the rest of the way. When they got home, willow took the cure and buffy went out to find faith and patrol with her since she was already out there. Willow knew tara was already in bed so she decided to go to bed now and work on her notes tomorrow before she had another session. She went into her room and put her books down by her bed and got ready for bed. She got into bed and snuggled up to tara and fell into a peaceful sleep.