Title:
This Look of Love
Rating: PG and that is for a curse word or
two.
Feedback: Go for it. This is for all of you not
me.
Summary: This fic takes place about a year after Willow
and Tara graduate. The entire gang is here from S6. Willow and Tara
are getting ready for a very big event. MAJOR romance... zero ANGST
Author's Note: Some of the events in this fic actually took
place in my own life. Of course some did not. You can use your
imagination and decide which are which. Enjoy
Copyright
Disclaimer: Joss and Company owns all the characters. But they are
alive and happy here. So screw ME. Not me, but you know ME.
Quick
note of thanks to LS for the beta. Hope you all enjoy.
This
look of Love
Chapter 1 The itinerary
"It's not
going to happen." Dawn spoke softly yet firmly looking at her
sister as they walked down the stairs. "I'm certain everything
will go smoothly."
Turning to look with confusion and
flushed with laughter Buffy spoke, "Are you serious? Have you
forgotten where we live?" Buffy fought hard to hold back her
laughter.
"I'm just saying they Love each other way too
much, and there is no way anything will stop this." Dawn looked
directly at her sister spitting the words out at her. "On this day,
I swear, nothing terrible, awful or catastrophic will happen."
"Are
you insane?" Anya screeched entering the Summer's house without
knocking. "Do you want to curse the entire day? God Buffy, haven't
you taught her anything about tempting fate."
"Hello,
Anya." Dawn looked in disgust. "We were actually in the middle of
a private conversation." Dawn looked at Buffy, who was smiling very
largely at Anya. "Anyway, yes I know I shouldn't tempt fate but I
am 100% certain that today will be perfect."
"Oh my god."
Anya spouted again, "will you stop saying that already?"
"Yes
Dawn, please stop saying that nothing could possibly ruin this day,
and that everything will go smoothly now," Buffy said in full on
laughter. "Anya, It's really O.K. as much as I hate to admit it,
I think I have to agree with Dawn on this one. With Willow in charge
of things, the day has been planned to the very second."
"Yes,
I am very aware that the day has been mapped out so that the blind
could find their way," Anya replied, "I just don't like when
she puts bad karma out there in space, especially the space that I
have to occupy. Okay?" Anya turned to enter the dining
room.
"Right," Buffy replied with a grin.
As they
walked into the dining room, all three women stopped fast. Walking
from the kitchen was a vision of bliss. It brought tears of joy to
all their faces. Wide eyed Dawn spoke," Oh wow, you look
amazing."
Tara walked toward them, still in her robe,
blushing and fighting to keep from looking down with embarrassment.
"Thanks sweetie," Tara softly spoke. "I still have to actually
put on my dress though. So hold off on the flattery until then,
okay?"
"Sure," Dawn replied. "It's just that, you
look like a vision. Not like a spirity vision, but you are glowing
and you just look very happy. It's really cool."
"I am,"
Tara replied with the most amazing smile that lit the room. "I do
believe that today, there is nothing that could possibly..." She
was sharply cut off.
"What the hell is the matter with you
people?" Anya bellowed. "Do you want the earth to open up right
here in front of you and swallow us whole?"
Dawn, Buffy, and
Tara looked at each other and laughed. Tara winked at the two sisters
indicating that she was fully aware of the conversation that was
going on while she was in the kitchen.
"Fine, Laugh all you
want, but when you and Willow are saying your vows, and the earth
starts to shake, and things explode," Anya breezed her wild words,
"don't come crying to me. I tried to warn you all."
"I'll
consider myself warned," Tara replied. "Anyway the earth shaking
and the explosions, we'll leave that for the honeymoon." Tara
said with a sly grin.
The crowd in the room stopped, and
looked at Tara with a bit of shock.
"What," Tara said
looking at them with an innocent but sassy half smile.
"Tara!"
Buffy smiled quickly covering her little sisters ears. "Kid in the
room here."
"I am not a Kid!" Dawn quickly spoke.
"Really Buffy, I'm 18. I do know all about these things. I do
have a boyfriend you know. Hello, freshman in college. What do you
think we do on our dates?"
"You play monopoly." Buffy
said fully aware she was lying to herself and everyone else. "I see
lots of board games, and that is all I ever want to know and see. Got
it?"
"Yes, right Monopoly," Dawn laughed. "Got it loud
and clear."
"So back to the honeymoon," Anya interrupted
with her nosy tone. "Where exactly are you two going anyway? None
of us know, and I have to say it's very annoying."
"Yes,
I have to agree with that." Buffy chimed in.
"Me too."
Dawn felt the need to agree.
"Well, actually we have told
someone, but they took a vow of silence." Tara confessed walking
into the living room. "Willow and I wanted to be certain that NO
Scooby tricks would be played on us." Tara turned to focus on Buffy
and Anya. "So the secret is locked away, and it will not be
revealed. Got it!"
"Oh, we got it," Buffy snickered.
"But we will find out, and now when we do, you are so going to be
sorry you didn't spill."
Tara reached forward to grab
Buffy and squeezed her into a tight hug. "You can try," Tara
whispered, "but I am very certain that you won't find
us."
"They're going to do a spell," Dawn yelled.
"Duh," Anya spat loudly. "It is their honeymoon, of
course they are going to do spells."
Silence fell over the
women, as they gasped. Then a roar of laughter filled the house so
loudly that it could be heard outside.
"Not spellllls,"
Dawn said as her face flushed from embarrassment. "I meant that
they are going to do a masking spell, so that we can't find them."
"You two suck," Buffy said a little grouchy as she
realized that Willow and Tara had planned to be ambushed by the
Scooby gang. "Sure the witches can hide and they know we can't
find them. That's just not fair. You had no problems when we
ambushed Xander and Anya though, did you?"
"You're right
Buffy," Tara said happily. "But it is the only way that Willow
and I are going to get any peace from the rest of you terrible
tricksters."
"Well you are certainly not getting a piece
from me missy," Anya said straightforwardly. "Only one getting a
piece from me is Xander, and with the wedding and all he might
actually get two." Anya tilted her head and smiled at the
excitement of having her Xander as often as she liked.
"OK,"
Buffy interrupted. "Anyone else ready to change the subject."
Tara
and Dawn sharply raised their hands as a knock came to the front
door.
"Hey Anya," Buffy turned to look at her. "That's
how you should enter someone's house, by knocking first." Buffy
laughed and walked over to answer the door. Giles was standing in
front of the door brushing off his jacket.
"Hello ladies."
Giles entered with a smile. "Are we ready to go to the church? I
have the car out front." I'm 5 minutes early, I knew I should be
if I wanted to keep the brutal schedule Willow made out for me."
Giles thrust the four page single spaced itinerary in their
faces.
They jumped back in mock shock shaking their heads. In
laughter they all fumbled for their copies surprised when Tara didn't
present one.
"What?" Tara looked at them
questioning.
"Where is your catalogue of tasks?" Dawn
questioned shocked that Tara had lost hers.
"Oh, mine."
Tara smiled brazenly pulling a small piece of paper from her robe
pocket. "This," she stated simply.
"That" Dawn said in
shock. "That is your Itinerary? You are getting married today,
aren't you?"
"Yes sweetie," Tara replied with a smile.
"Would you like me to share it with you?" The room was filled
with heads nodding yes. Tara read the letter as everyone crowded
around her.
My
Love,
Your
only responsibility today is to be blissfully happy, and to be on
time of course. I have planned for everything. I have surrounded you
with people who will take very good care of you until it is my turn.
When it is mine I vow to do it eternally.
You
are the love of my life.
Your
Willow
"That
was beautiful," Dawn smiled with tears in her eyes. "Wow, the two
of you are so lucky."
"Yes, I have to agree with my little
sister here." Buffy said as she wrapped her arm around Dawn. "You
are really great together."
"That just sucks." Anya
blurted out with disgust. The rest of the room got wide-eyed in
shock. "When Xander and I finally tied the knot, I worked my ass
off. I guess we know who wears the pants in this relationship."
Tara
just looked at Anya with a disapproving raised eyebrow.
"Well
if the truth be told," Dawn interjected. "Actually neither of
them wear pants very much, didn't you ever notice that." Dawn
laughed at her joke that everyone but Anya thought was funny.
"Ha,
ha, ha," Anya said unamused. "Yes let's all make fun of the
ex-ex-ex-vengeance demon." "Lets laugh at her, ha, ha, ha.
Giles
loudly cleared his throat, "Ah hmm. Well then ladies I believe we
have a schedule to keep."
"Well some of us do," Anya
spouted once more in disgust. "Others get to trot off in la-la land
all day."
Everyone just grinned at Anya as they walked out
the front door. Anya grabbed the doorknob giving it an extra slam to
make a final point.
"The car," Anya spun to look at Giles
completely green with envy. "That's a limousine, it is so much
more than a car. Did you know she was sending you a limo?" Anya
turned to Tara.
"No, actually she just said that she would
send someone to pick us all up," Tara looked at all of them. The
day is just getting better and better Tara
thought in her head. She smiled and climbed in followed by the rest
of the wedding party.
"Well you know," Buffy chimed in,
"now that Willow is writing software for that security group she
can afford these little luxuries. Anyway if you hadn't been in such
a rush to get Xander to say the 'I do's' you might have been
pampered a bit."
"Well if Xander wasn't such a chicken
shit, we would have gotten it right the first time." Anya blurted
out her frustration sending the entire group into fits of laughter.
"What? Why are you laughing I am totally serious."
They
just shook their heads and changed the subject.
"So Anya,
did you call and make sure the dresses were delivered to the cultural
center this morning?" Buffy asked.
"Of course I did,"
Anya pulled out her itinerary shoving it in Buffy's face. "See
it's number one hundred and thirty six. If it's on here, I did
it. Wouldn't want to bring down the wrath of Willow the
Bride-groom-bride." Anya spoke in a softer tone. "Or is it
Groom-bride-groom. I don't get all this lesbian mumbo jumbo."
Tara
just looked at Anya with a pleased smile, knowing how entertained
Willow would be for causing such frustration to their friend. The
rest of the drive was short and uneventful as they pulled up to the
front of the building. Buffy climbed out looking around for Willow
and Xander.
"Buffy, don't worry according to the itinerary
they won't be here for forty-seven minutes." Giles softly spoke
from the car. "So we should be fine."
"Right," Buffy
replied. "If it's in the itinerary, it's good as gold. I got
that, lets get inside then."
They entered the front of the
cultural center. It was a beautiful brick building that at one time
had been a church. It was renovated to house an organization of men
and women united to celebrate ethnic, gender and cultural diversity.
Tara and Willow loved the place. It's where Tara had worked since
graduation, and where Willow volunteered most of her Saturday
mornings.
"Which room do we use?" Anya yelled.
"My
itinerary says # 115." Buffy spoke with a whisper.
"It's
not a church or a library Buffy," Tara leaned over to Buffy. "You
don't have to whisper. Anyway, I'm sure only a handful of people
are here right now."
"Oh sorry," Buffy straightened up.
"Habit I guess. I just saw all the religious symbols and stuff on
the walls, made me go into quiet mode. What's all of that there
for?"
"Well every time we introduce a new person or family
to the center, we ask them to bring a symbol of who they are
emotionally or spiritually." Tara explained. As the group walked
down the hall Dawn noticed all the different representations on the
wall. They walked passed the office doors, and Dawn stopped in front
of Tara's.
"Did you see this?" Dawn asked looking at
Tara.
"No what sweetie?" Tara replied.
"The
plaque on the door." Dawn smiled as she read it, "Tara
MaClay-Rosenberg."
"Where," Tara smiled stepping forward
to look. "Wow, Willow must have snuck in here and put that up this
morning." A tear came to Tara's eyes.
"She really thinks
of everything," Dawn looked at them with dreamy eyes.
In the
background Anya was flipping through her itinerary. She stepped
forward to look at all the other packets everyone was holding,
smirking at Tara as she passes. "Nope, I don't see it on any
itinerary here," Anya spouted out. "So it was either Xander or
your betrothed. Hey, that's Xander's craftsmanship
there."
"MaClay-Rosenberg?" Anya read it sarcastically.
"I guess the pants question as been answered."
"The what
now?" Buffy answered.
"Well when you hyphenate," Anya
answered," The man's name comes last. So Willow wears the pants I
guess? HUH," Anya crossed her arms triumphantly.
"If truth
be told," Tara confessed. "It's numerical and
alphabetical."
"OK, it would have to be if Will is
involved," Buffy gave a mocking laugh.
"No really, we had
a hard time deciding how to order our last names." Tara explained.
"I wanted Willow's first for me, and mine first for her. She
wanted it the same for both of us. After hours of conversation, we
finally decided to solve it scientifically. This is the
result."
"How is it scientific?" Dawn questioned the
logic.
"Simple sweetie," Tara explained. "Numerically I
have fewer letters, and alphabetically I come first. Simple
science."
"Sounds more like Willow logic to me," Anya
added sarcastically. "Pants," she said referring to their earlier
conversation.
The crowd just smiled, shook their heads and
moved on toward room 115. As they walked through the doors all the
dresses were hanging across a rack. Everything was pressed and
wrinkle free. Tara had a full length white dress very simple yet
elegant. On the table in the room was a very large box. Tara smiled
as she approached it, she could smell the sweet scent of roses. On
top of the box there was an envelope the name Tara written simply on
the front. Tara immediately recognized Willow's handwriting.
Tara
walked over to the couch and sat down to read it.
My
Darling,
Everything
that we have dreamed and planned for today will come to spectacular
display in a short time. I have dreamed of you always. You are my
everything and you will always be. I will see you very soon and we
will be together. I love you.
Your
Willow
Tara
slipped the note into her pocket, as a tear of happiness slipped down
her cheek. "I love you too," Tara whispered quietly knowing the
words would find their way to her beloved.
TBC
