As Willow let herself in from work, she met JJ in the doorway.
He walked right on out, barely pushing past her.
"Oh, hey—" she started, then looked over her shoulder to call after him, "Hello to you too!"
She walked further inside until she was in the doorway looking into the living room, where the girls were doing their homework around the coffee table.
She waved and smiled but didn't linger so she wouldn't distract. She knew Tara had a hard time getting Lily to sit long enough to do it all most days.
She went into the kitchen where Tara was stirring her big pot. She was always stirring in that thing; it was the only one big enough to feed them all, particularly since Kayden had come to live there.
"What's got you working out those guns tonight?" she asked cheerily as she left her purse on a stool and came around the island to pop a kiss on Tara's lips.
She smiled when she felt Tara smile into the kiss and looked down into the pot of deliciousness.
"Cheeseburger pasta. JJ's favorite," she noted with a pointed eyebrow as she broke away to get a glass to fill with ice and water, "He has been in a stinker for weeks. What gives?"
"I've tried talking to him," Tara sighed, "He's blocking me out. I was thinking of taking him for a drive and a chat."
Willow leaned her elbows on the island.
"On the plus side, if he's not talking to us, he can't ask for money."
"Willow…" Tara chastised softly.
"Tara…" Willow returned in a playful mocking tone.
Tara's lips quirked up on one side and she leaned over enough to meet Willow for a kiss.
"What can I do?" Willow asked as they parted and was passed a salad spinner.
A little while later, they, Kayden, and the girls were sitting around the dining table watching their food go cold.
"We should eat," Willow said softly when another unanswered call went to voicemail, "He probably just lost track of time."
Tara looked around at the sea of hungry faces and just nodded quietly.
She didn't each much.
It was hours later, with everyone else in bed, when they finally heard the key in the door. Both Willow and Tara ran out from the living room, where they had been pacing.
"JJ!" Willow exclaimed, throwing her hands up, "Where have you been?"
JJ shrugged his backpack off his shoulder and rolled his eyes.
"It's not past curfew."
"Weekend curfew! And less of that attitude, mister," Willow replied with a stern frown, "You didn't come home for dinner."
"You know that's all we ask," Tara said in a soft, concerned tone, "Or at least let us know if you won't be here."
"Our pasta went cold," Willow added indignantly, "Your mom made is especially!"
"And we were worried," Tara pressed, folding her arms across her chest.
JJ didn't meet either of their gazes.
"I was shooting hoops."
"You do that every day. You couldn't take a break to at least let us know you'd be late?" Willow asked, having to work at keeping her tone down so as not to wake the rest of the house, "It's the second time this week you've come home late without telling us."
JJ physically pushed past them both.
"I don't need this."
"Hey!" Willow said sharply, spinning around to look at his retreating back, "We're talking to you."
JJ reached the top of the stairs and turned away toward the steps up to his bedroom.
"Well, I'm not talking to you."
Willow's closed fist flew up and Tara had to put a hand on her wife's shoulder to stop her from running after him.
"Tara!"
"I know," Tara replied, soft but steady, "But whatever is going on isn't going to be resolved by us stamping up behind him."
Willow slowly deflated and Tara moved to rub both of her shoulders.
"Let him sleep. We'll deal with him in the morning. Things always look better in the morning."
Things did not look better in the morning.
By the time breakfasts were eaten and lunches were made and a last-minute kerfuffle surrounding a missing permission slip and a near-meltdown from Lily, neither Willow nor Tara realized JJ had already left for school until it became obvious Kayden needed a ride.
"I cannot believe he went off without you," Willow muttered as she unlocked her car for Kayden to sit in, "Do you know what the hell is up with him?"
Kayden stayed silent. He didn't, honestly, but he did know JJ spent a lot of time on the phone lately and to one particular sandy-haired person. He didn't want to rock the boat, though. JJ had always treated him like a brother, even if he had been more distant lately.
He just shrugged.
Willow's mouth became thinner.
She dropped Kayden off at the high school and continued on to work, still muttering under her breath.
At the office, she had a tidy little pile of cases to distract her and allow her mind a break from the anger to focus on some hotshot who got too cocky defrauding the market.
Just before lunch, she heard a knock on the door and pressed the door release button so whoever it was could come inside.
She turned in her seat just as Jesse stuck his head in.
"Uh, Will? We have a…situation."
A few minutes later, while Willow was sitting in shock, her phone rang. She answered it on autopilot and immediately heard Tara's panicked voice.
"I just got a call from the school."
Willow's eyes closed.
"Let me guess. JJ cut."
There was a pause on the other end.
"Willow, what's going on?"
Willow dropped her head into her hand.
"We need to meet up. Now."
Tara's silence held enough fear for them both.
"I'm coming over there," Willow said, already grabbing her purse, "Can you meet me in the lobby?"
Tara answered with a shaken affirmative and Willow had hung up by the time she reached the elevator.
She drove over to Tara's office building because she was going to have to drive afterward anyway and nabbed a rare parking spot right outside.
At least something was going right for her today.
Tara was anxiously pacing in the lobby when Willow got there.
"Willow," she said through a sharp breath, barreling toward her wife, "What the hell is going on?"
Willow took Tara's elbow and brought her off to the side where it was somewhat more private.
"Okay. We got a call to the office that someone was attempting to visit your father in prison. Jesse knows a guy over there and he keeps tabs on him for us."
Tara's brow furrowed.
"Honestly, Willow, I don't care if he's found some groupie, I'm more concerned about J—" she started but then her forehead started to even out in terror, "No. No, no, no, no, no."
"They're not letting him in," Willow said firmly, keeping Tara's gaze in a strong lock, "Or out, for that matter, until I get up there to kick his ass home."
Tara's cheeks were red and her eyes flashed between anger and fear.
"I'm coming too."
Willow squeezed Tara's upper arm.
"You don't have to. Jesse already offered to come with me to drive JJ's car home."
"I'm coming," Tara repeated firmly.
Willow sighed silently. She'd anticipated that, but she didn't like it.
"Okay," she nodded quickly, "I'll organize cover for the kids. Meet me at home in twenty."
"Fifteen," Tara replied sternly and began to walk away to the back of the building to access the parking lot.
Willow massaged her own neck as she walked back to her car.
Tara was already home when she got there, meaning she definitely broke the speed limit, making fruit skewers and ants on a log for the kids when they got in from school.
She looked as normal as any other day Willow came in from work to see her wife in the kitchen, except she could visibly see the shake in Tara's hands, even from across the room.
Willow wasn't too keen on how she was wielding that knife.
She came over and gently put her hand over Tara's hand, easing it down.
"I'll finish this. You go to the bathroom. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us."
Tara just nodded.
"Who's going to be here for the girls?"
"Dad," Willow said reassuringly, "He's going to pick Kayden up too. His afternoons are always free these days, as long as his golf game doesn't go on too long."
The levity didn't seem to help Tara, who walked off in a daze.
Willow could kill her son for bringing all of this up again for them.
How had he even found out?
This and many more questions plagued her during the uncomfortably silent two-hour drive to the penitentiary.
Tara didn't speak, not once, not even when Willow addressed her directly. She just stared out the window with a look Willow couldn't identify on her face.
Which was scary for Willow, because she thought she knew all of Tara's faces.
Approaching the penitentiary made them both tense. The security gates, the barbed wire, the knowledge that Tara's father was skulking around far closer than could ever be comfortable.
The security guard at the entrance kindly directed them to the right building and Willow pressed the buzzer to be allowed in. Directly inside the door was a long hallway, behind a locked door, and an entrance area with small plastic seats and a desk hiding behind perspex glass.
Slumped on one of the seats, JJ sat with a scowl on his face.
"Jacob," Tara said with relief and bounded over there to hug him, whether he liked it or not.
Willow stayed back a few feet, unsure if she could offer such a warm embrace. She looked to the officer sitting behind the desk.
"Thank you."
"Can I see some ID ma'am before I release him?" the officer asked with an important nod of her head.
Willow fetched her driver's license and FBI ID and slid them under the little slot for the officer to examine. She did and handed it back accordingly.
"Free to go, ma'am. But just so you know, we don't allow visitors to just walk in off the street, or unaccompanied minors to visit without a guardian."
Willow's lips grew thin again. She didn't need to be told that.
"Has the prisoner been informed that there was a visitor for him?"
"No, ma'am," the officer shook her head, "The prisoner has a notation on his file. All visitor requests go out externally for approval. And, uh, it's not visitor day."
Willow just nodded again.
"Thank you."
She went over to her wife and son.
"Come on," she said insistently.
She wanted them all out of this place, now.
She grabbed JJ's arm and dragged him outside.
"I don't know what imbecile thoughts were going through your mind but you are in such big trouble, mister!"
JJ hoisted his arm away aggressively.
"He's my grandfather! That I didn't even know about!" he shot back angrily, "Cleo said if I felt I needed to know, then I should go! So I did!"
Willow looked bewildered.
"Who the hell is Cleo?!"
"The girl from Hawaii," Tara spoke quietly as she caught up behind them.
JJ gave Tara a strange look.
"How do you know?"
"I spoke to her parents when I saw you both spending time together at Christmas," Tara answered, crossing her arms over her chest as she muttered quietly, "…one of them is very nice."
"You knew about this?!" Willow asked in disbelief, then pivoted her anger back to JJ, "You're letting some girl from Hawaii make reckless decisions for you?!"
"She lives in New York City," JJ replied petulantly.
Willow threw her hands up.
"I don't care if she lives in Timbuktu!"
Tara physically got between them both.
"Stop it," she said, somehow managing to shriek in a tone so quiet her voice barely carried farther than a few inches around them, "Both of you. Right now."
Both of them did. Tara heaved out two short breaths and looked at Willow.
"Drive your car home."
Willow gave a short nod and withering look in JJ's direction.
"Come on, Jacob."
"No," Tara said, putting a hand on JJ's chest to keep him where he was, "You're coming with me."
"Tara—" Willow started to object but Tara held her hand up.
"Willow," Tara said pointedly, "We're sticking to the plan. I'm taking him for a drive."
Tara's Resolve Face was the only one fit to beat Willow's, so — reluctantly and keeping eyes on Tara and JJ the whole way across the parking lot — Willow got back into her car and waited.
Tara directed JJ over to his car and held out her hand for the keys. JJ dropped them in her palm with a scowl and grudgingly got in on the passenger side.
Tara sat in on the driver's side, adjusted the seat and belted herself in. She looked to JJ to do the same, who did it with all of the angst befitting of his age and all of the petulance of someone younger than any of his sisters.
Tara silently started the car and drove out of there with a courteous wave for the security guard.
It took exactly 27.3 miles of staring out at country roads for Tara to feel her fingers loosen enough on the wheel that she thought she could speak without anger.
"Cleo was right," she said, clear and direct though she didn't take her eye off the road.
JJ glanced away from his angry staring out the window for the first time.
"Cleo was right," Tara repeated in a heavily disappointed tone, "But only half so. If you felt you needed to know about my parentage, you should have come to me. Not…whatever research you did to lead you here. Not cut school and come here, to this place! Not shut me and your mother out every time we've come to you to try and work out what was going on with you!"
Her nostrils flared as she clutched the wheel tight again, blinking rapidly to overcome the sudden rush of emotion through her.
JJ looked at her with trepidation, not used to seeing her lose her cool for anything. He turned his body toward her but his arms stayed loosely crossed on his chest.
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
Tara held a hand up helplessly.
"How do you tell a little boy that his grandfather is in prison? A man he's never known, never will know?"
JJ's foot kicked angrily.
"I'm not a little boy anymore."
"You're still my little boy," Tara countered and looked over at JJ with such unwavering love that it made him glance away guiltily.
JJ tried to lower himself in the seat but his long legs only allowed him so much scooting. His eyes moved about fitfully as his own thoughts bounced back and forth until he suddenly straightened back up sharply.
"I know that he shot a cop," he explained, throwing a hand out demonstrably, "But it could have been a dirty cop, maw! There were no trial details! Maybe he was being framed, maybe—"
"He shot your mother," Tara cut him off plainly.
JJ's mouth clamped shut.
Tara continued to stare straight ahead.
"He raised his gun," she said calmly, "At me."
She swallowed deeply.
"He pulled the trigger," she continued, "At me."
Her heart was so loud it was in her ears.
"And then your Momma jumped in front of it."
Her knuckles were white now.
"And it missed her heart by millimeters."
Her cheeks flushed with all of the blood rushing to her head.
"So maybe now you know why we didn't make this a bedtime story."
Her eyes pricked with tears.
"Because it was the worst thing to ever happen to me."
The quiver in his mother's voice was the harshest punishment JJ could ever receive.
"Mom," he said helplessly.
Tara swallowed repeatedly and blinked heavily several times.
"You don't remember, but Nana Rose wasn't always in our lives. I only found her again when I was pregnant with the twins," she said to JJ, whose eyebrows lifted in surprise, "And the love story — the version you know, the only relationship of my upbringing that actually contained love — was Rose and my mother. And it was a lot nicer for you to believe than to know of that awful man who only ever took from me and my family."
JJ looked down but was still bristly.
"You told Kayden."
"I did not," Tara replied quickly, surely.
"You told him you had a father," JJ countered petulantly.
Tara closed her eyes for the briefest of moments before focusing back on the road.
"We went through a similar experience with a father figure in our life that should have been loving and wasn't. You can't understand—" she stopped when JJ turned his body away from her, "And you never will if you're not willing to listen."
"I'm LISTENING," JJ blew up, throwing up his hands.
"Then listen to this," Tara replied curtly, "The man you were so desperate to see today is not your grandfather because he is not my father. And the moment you decided to go behind our backs to seek him out you lost any moral high-ground you think you had."
JJ's jaw tensed as he looked down.
"And do not shout at me," Tara added firmly, holding a finger up, "I put up with enough of that growing up with him."
JJ slowly deflated, like a balloon left to die after being forgotten at a party.
"What did he do to you?"
Tara swallowed.
"It would be impossible to condense years into one conversation," she said, her eyes flashing with memories she'd long since buried, "But he scarred me. Physically and emotionally. He struck me and taunted me and starved me and—"
"STOP," JJ cut in, physically clutching his stomach as his own eyes filled with tears he wouldn't allow release due to stubbornness, "I get it, okay?"
"Do you?" Tara asked, looking at him directly when they stopped at a light, "Do you understand the kind of man that you were so determined to meet that you didn't for one second consider why we kept him a secret in the first place?"
JJ's arms crossed over his chest again but he looked contrite.
Tara let another few miles of rolling fields pass by before speaking again.
"Where did you go on Monday?" she asked and caught JJ glancing at her guiltily for a brief second, "When the school called to tell me you weren't in class, they asked if you had the same illness you had on Monday and if it was contagious."
JJ tensed.
"I can take a wild guess given how late you came home that night," Tara began to answer her own question, "You went to New York City."
She looked at JJ to confirm what she was saying.
"To see Cleo."
JJ had paled considerably now.
"…we met halfway."
Tara just nodded.
Not another word was spoken until they pulled into the driveway. JJ unbelted to bolt because the silence had been absolute torture but Tara caught his leg.
"Wait up. You're grounded for a month."
JJ's head flew around, his eyes bugged.
"A MONTH!?"
He'd never actually been grounded for any more than a weekend and even then he'd gotten early release when he finished cleaning out the basement for them.
"You cut school twice," Tara nodded seriously, "You drove halfway across the state without telling us and you tried to visit a prison behind our backs, so yes, you are grounded for a month. I will drop you to school and pick you up every day, you can go to basketball practice and games but any other hoop time is in the driveway. No TV, no games console, no phone."
JJ shook his head and tried to leave the car again.
"One more thing."
"I'm not allowed to pet Woofy either?" JJ asked sarcastically.
Tara arched an eyebrow.
"Don't make me take back what I'm about to say by giving me attitude."
JJ frowned unsurely.
"You may have limited contact with Cleo," Tara said, holding up a hand when JJ's eyes widened, "When, and only when, we meet her."
JJ's brow slowly furrowed.
"How are you supposed to meet her?"
"I'll be speaking to her parents," Tara answered with a nod and glanced away for a moment, "The nice one hopefully."
JJ squirmed uncomfortably. Tara was unrelenting.
"She is clearly an influence in your life and I would like to get to know anybody whom you hold such a high opinion of."
JJ scowled again.
"She's not going to come here just to get yelled at."
"When have you ever known me to yell?" Tara asked with that eyebrow arched again, "I also know better than to try and keep you apart. You are responsible for your own behavior and that's why you're being held accountable. So you can shape up and show some maturity by introducing your girlfriend to us or you can continue to pout like a child and be treated as such."
JJ's cheeks flushed.
"Fine. Can I go now?"
Tara held out her hand. JJ's scowl only deepened as he all but threw his phone at her and hurtled out of the car.
"Don't you dare slam that door," Tara called out and JJ thankfully did have the sense to know better.
Tara exited the car on her side and exhaled a long breath. She felt arms come over her waist from behind and leaned back into them.
"Oh, Willow."
"Are you okay?" Willow asked and Tara could only silently nod.
They didn't get much of a chance to take a breather as the twins ran out into the driveway to pull them inside and show them their latest creations and babble about their school day. Both Willow and Tara did their best to act like nothing was wrong and thankfully dinner was leftovers so there was little to prepare.
It felt like a long, long evening as they prepped everyone for bed and the following day until the couple finally met again in their bedroom.
"I—" they both started at the same time and smiled, despite everything.
Willow's smile, however, was pained.
"I have more bad news."
Tara's eyes sunk.
"What?"
Willow nibbled on her thumb nervously.
"I mentioned to Xander on the phone that we're going down to the cabin in a few weeks."
"And?" Tara prompted.
"He kind of took it as an invitation," Willow blurted out at once, "Booked a cabin too."
Tara groaned.
"Didn't you mention it was for our anniversary?"
"Yep," Willow nodded quickly.
"But you were going to ask if the girls could have a sleepover," Tara said helplessly.
"Now they don't have to," Willow replied with fake chipper, "Because we'll all be at the cabin together."
Tara was too tired for this.
"Fine," she threw her hands up, "Fine. The kids love it up there anyway, we might as well bring them. You better book the family cabin instead of our delightful little love nest."
Willow put her hands on Tara's upper arms and rubbed up and down.
"You need a hug," she said softly.
Tara gently pulled Willow in by the waist.
"I need this."
She landed her mouth on Willow's and kissed her deeply. Willow willingly gave everything back and stumbled gently into Tara's arms.
"Wait, what was your thing?" she asked as they parted.
Tara sighed.
"Oh."
She swallowed and composed herself.
"I spoke to the Pierez's," she said with a definitive nod, "They weren't too happy to hear from a stranger that their daughter cut school this week and got a train hours away to meet a boy they barely remember from vacation. I think I learned a lot of new swear words in Spanish."
Willow arched an eyebrow and Tara just shrugged.
"But I did convince them we're better off making friends than enemies of the kids. It sounds like they were together when they were JJ and Cleo's age so they probably have a unique perspective. Anyway, they agreed they'd rather they be together in the open than hiding together in the bushes."
Willow frowned.
"What does that mean?"
Tara looked back at Willow with another sigh.
"It means we're going to New York City."
"This still feels like we're rewarding him."
Tara flung the excess water from her hands after washing them and went over to the paper towel dispenser.
"Willow, don't you want to properly meet the family of the girl our boy is dating? I do," she said as she waved her hands about to find the sensor, "I only chatted with her mothers very briefly in Hawaii and that was just to make sure they were aware of things so they wouldn't miss any shenanigans."
Willow frowned contemplatively.
"What were they like?"
Tara breathed softly.
"One called me a troll and told me to get out of her sun because she was getting her tan on," she answered honestly, "The other one said she hopped Cleo didn't pop a hip."
"Doing what?" Willow asked in confusion, then her eyes widened in horror when she saw Tara cringe, "DOING MY SON?!"
She threw her arms in front of her petulantly.
"I hate them already."
"Willow," Tara chided softly, "We have to be nice."
Willow shook her head.
"He better not think he's going up the Empire State building or seeing a Broadway show."
"One of Cleo's mothers acts on Broadway," Tara answered, then added bashfully, "I, um, Googled her."
Willow arched an eyebrow.
"Find anything juicy?"
Tara smiled cordially.
"It seems they've led an eventful life."
Willow frowned skeptically.
They exited the airport bathroom and gestured for JJ to come back from the bench he was sitting on opposite the bathroom.
They'd all come through JFK quite a few times on the way to vacations but actually leaving it was a first for them all.
Willow and Tara had always talked about a visit when they lived in Boston but life went on and finances got in the way and they never had. Buffalo, and Rochester when growing up for Tara, had always been quite a bit enough away to dissuade any casual road trips.
JJ sat in the front seat of the cab as they drove into the city and craned his neck about to take in all of the large buildings and flashing lights.
There were occasional glances out the windows from the back seat but Willow was busy on her phone and Tara was retouching her appearance with a little hand mirror.
No one was paying attention to the taxi driver, but that didn't stop him going on a long rant about salami vs pepperoni on pizza.
"I'm just saying," he threw his hand out the window and gave the finger to someone as they beeped at him, "One's for a hoagie, one's for—"
"STOP!" JJ suddenly exclaimed and the cab screeched to a stop, thankfully with no cars behind it.
"No way, bucko," Willow said sternly from the back, "We go there, we go back. No stop-offs. This isn't a vacation."
JJ looked into the back pleadingly.
"I-I just want to get some flowers for her moms."
Both Willow and Tara glanced out of the window where a flower shop was displaying its wares brightly on the street.
Willow glanced at Tara who gave her a sincere nod.
"Fine," Willow sighed.
JJ jumped out before permission was taken away again. He spent a few minutes talking with the vendor before returning to the cab, fighting with a bunch of lilies to fit in the seat with them.
The cab driver looked at him skeptically and pulled away from the curb again.
"Like I was saying, it's all about the surface area of the meat relative to the bread…"
He droned on some more until he pulled to a stop again.
"And don't get me started on chorizo—"
"Thanks!" Willow cut him off and shoved some bills at him as she followed Tara out of the car.
The driver noted his tip and smiled.
"Hey, no problem lady!"
On the street, JJ looked all around the quiet street, so different from the bustle in the heart of the city they'd just driven through. The street was all redbrick residential buildings with vibrant green trees and picturesque street lamps.
Right outside of the building they'd been dropped at, a doorman stood and gallantly swung the door open for them to walk inside.
JJ went in first with Willow and Tara at his heels.
The lobby was grand and elegant, all sleek with marble finished surfaces. A concierge sat behind a big round desk and waited patiently for them to approach. JJ did and couldn't help but smile a little excitedly.
"Uh, the Pierez's. 402?"
"Name?" the concierge asked.
"JJ—Jacob," JJ corrected himself a bit gruffly, "Jacob Rosenberg-Maclay."
The concierge made a discreet phone call, then nodded.
"You can go on up, sir," he said cordially and nodded as Willow and Tara came up behind him, "Ma'ams."
They stepped into the elevator and JJ checked his appearance in the mirrors on all three walls.
"Snazzy," Willow commented on the gold plating.
"It's a very nice building," Tara added with a gentle smile.
They stepped off on the top floor and JJ's eyes were quick to follow the numbers on the door to the right one. He knocked quickly and took a step back, fixing the skinny tie he'd spent the whole flight adjusting.
When the door opened, his eyes became heart-shaped.
"H-Hi."
"Hi," Cleo smiled softly.
Tara raised her hand in greeting to the other two women, a tall blonde woman and shorter Latina woman.
"Hello again. Thank you so much for having us."
"Anyone who likes sweet lady kisses is welcome in our home," the blonde woman said sweetly, "I'm Brittany and this is my wife Santana. You already know Cleo, it seems."
JJ managed to pull his attention away long enough to thrust the flowers at the women.
"Cleo said you like lilies."
Brittany accepted them gratefully.
"Because they're the lesbians of flowers."
"Maybe that's why we named our daughter after one," Willow quipped a bit apprehensively, "Hi I'm Willow."
Brittany glanced at her wife knowingly.
"The lesbians of trees."
Willow frowned unsurely.
There was some form of introductions from Willow and Tara but JJ couldn't recount a single word of it. His eyes just hopelessly followed Cleo until she managed to drag him over to the couch for a little privacy.
JJ glanced over his shoulder unsurely at the congregation of moms.
"Are you also terrified about what they're talking about?"
"Nah," Cleo brushed off easily, "My Mom says the only thing I did wrong was not telling them I was cutting school because they didn't know where I was. She says she would have driven me to meet you."
"Really?" JJ asked, his mouth opening slightly in disbelief, "I wish my parents were that cool."
Cleo smiled smugly.
"Well, your mom's father is in prison. That's pretty cool."
JJ's face suddenly fell.
"No, it isn't."
Cleo's body writhed unsurely.
"It's not like he even killed that cop."
JJ looked down. Cleo put a hand on his knee and he looked up again.
"It wasn't a cop."
Cleo frowned.
"What?" she asked with her eyes narrowing in confusion, "The article I found for you said it was an FBI agent."
"FBI analyst," JJ corrected with his body slumping forward, "As in my Momma."
"WHAT!?" Cleo exclaimed loudly, only narrowing missing gathering attention onto them, "Why didn't you tell me that?"
"My phone use is supervised!" JJ hissed quietly.
Cleo's face set like stone.
"I feel like going what my Mami likes to call 'all Lima Heights Adjacent' right now."
JJ's eyes lit up with delight, and perhaps something more.
"Really?"
"That's my man's Momma!" Cleo puffed her chest out.
JJ grin turned dopey.
"I'm your man?"
Cleo put her hand on JJ's cheek and his eyes closed softly.
When they were closed, he could pick out Tara's voice; warm and gentle and kind. She knew it was her who had convinced Willow to do this.
"There's more," he said, his green eyes opening with a shimmer, "He was abusive to my Mom growing up. Like, bad."
Cleo looked troubled and JJ's heart sank.
"I don't think…that he did…that…but…she cried, Cleo. I-I made her cry. I don't ever want to do that again."
Cleo put her arm around JJ's back and pulled herself into him. They hugged for several peaceful moments until a voice called over to them.
"Cleo, baby," one of Cleo's mothers — the nice one, Brittany — said, all childlike and enthusiastic, "Come have lunch with us. We want to meet the boy who makes you feel like chocolate pudding doing a handstand."
"MOM!" Cleo protested loudly, her pale cheeks flushing red as her head swung around to glare at her mother.
She let her fingers twine with JJ's and gave him a gentle tug to join her in walking across the apartment to the dining table where the food ordered from a local deli had been laid out for everyone.
The pastrami looked great, but so did everything in this place. It had very modern decor, all glass, and sleek lines, but there was a lot of warmth in the artwork and furniture. JJ felt intimidated and welcome all at once.
He said 'thank you' when the potato salad was handed to him and gave nervous but perfectly polite answers to the questions he was asked. Cleo's darker-toned mother, in both looks and spirit, Santana, didn't look like she was convinced JJ was good enough for Cleo, but JJ wasn't sure he was either, so told her they had some common ground. That one even produced a smile. Or a smirk, at the very least.
After everyone had eaten, Cleo was able to snag JJ away again under the guise of washing the dishes together. They had a dishwasher, of course, but it was a lot more fun to get their hands dirty.
"You did great," Cleo bumped her hip on JJ's, making him blush, "Do you think your parents will ever get over what happened and like me? Your Momma's got a killer death stare."
"I don't know," JJ answered honestly, "But Mom wanted to have this get-together, so maybe?"
Cleo nodded silently.
"Uh, babe?" JJ asked as he handed off a plate, "Could you tell me where the bathroom is?"
Cleo nodded toward the hallway.
"The closest one is right down the hall."
JJ smiled gratefully and hurried out.
Cleo cleaned the same plate over and over again just so she wouldn't finish and they'd be able to continue. She smiled stupidly at her own thoughts; she wasn't sure she'd ever actually washed a dish at all before today. They had a dishwasher. She looked down at the plate, wondering if she was even doing it right.
"Need a hand?"
Cleo nearly dropped the plate at the unexpected voice but managed to compose herself as she turned around to face Tara.
"Oh," she gulped nervously, "JJ just went to the bathroom."
Tara smiled kindly.
"He's probably checking his hair. He might be a while."
She stepped up and picked up the dishcloth JJ had left there, beginning to dry a knife.
Cleo had a wild thought that she was trying to be intimidating, but Tara's demeanor was so gentle she shook her head of it. Plus, Tara moved onto a spoon pretty quickly.
She stayed tense and silent until Tara spoke.
"Thank you for having us in your home."
Cleo's mouth opened and closed.
"Oh, it's…I mean…um…"
"You and JJ are so young," Tara smiled fondly, ignoring Cleo's stuttering, "I know at that age…even though I didn't have her…I still could have used my mom."
She moved onto a cup, giving her more surface area to cover.
"I bet you still need your moms sometimes too."
"Not for everything," Cleo defended, "Some things…some things are not for moms."
Tara nodded easily.
"You're JJ's confidante. I wouldn't ask you to go against that," she said sincerely, "But sometimes there are things you, or even he, aren't privy to."
Cleo's face grew ashen.
"I wouldn't have…" she glanced at Tara with a pained face, "If I'd known…"
Tara's eyelids flickered with emotion at her past having obviously been shared.
"That's my point," she said definitively, "We're not the worst parents in the world. Maybe encourage him to come to us if he's having an issue involving us. He always has in the past. And I have no interest in competing. I just want what's best for my son."
Cleo scowled but had the good grace to direct it to the floor.
"And you don't think that's me."
Tara shook her head.
"I don't think that at all."
Cleo looked up in surprise.
"That one is not my call to make," Tara continued softly, "It's his. He'll have my support no matter what. He always has."
JJ returned at that moment and stalled upon seeing the two ladies in there.
"Oh. Uh…"
Tara put the well-dried cup down and stepped aside.
"Your mother has promised to show me her album of cats once she and Willow stop discussing differential equations."
"Oh…" Cleo replied, a pained look on her face, "That's…that's a long album."
Tara nodded cordially.
"I'm sure it's delightful. I always wanted a kitty."
She left them to it and rejoined the adults.
JJ mouthed 'what just happened?' to Cleo, who shrugged but seemed pleased.
Perhaps thankfully for Tara, they only got halfway through the 'Kitten Around' album before they needed to leave for the airport.
At the door, everyone said goodbye politely. They would never be best friends, and each couple thought the other was odd in different ways, but it was friendly.
As they were leaving, Brittany shoved a tube of something from a wicker basket on the table near the coat rack.
"Here. We give it to all of our guests."
Tara took it and turned it in her hand to see what it was.
"Oh," she said with a soft exhale, "Yeast infection cream."
The mean mom — though it felt wrong to call her that now…Santana, Tara reminded herself — crossed her arms across her chest.
"I got a lifetime supply for a commercial I did once."
Willow snapped her fingers.
"That's where I recognize you from!"
Santana gestured down herself with a smug smile.
Everyone said their goodbyes and when Tara saw JJ and Cleo hovering awkwardly, she tugged gently on her wife's sleeve.
"Willow," she called softly.
"What?" Willow asked with a frown.
Tara turned her head to the side indicatively and took Willow's hand to pull her around the corner to wait at the elevator. Willow spluttered in protest.
"Rewarding, Tara!"
Tara gave Willow a look, who sighed and relented.
JJ didn't push his luck and jogged around the corner about two minutes later with a winning smile and flushed cheeks.
Even Willow had to smile. But she hid it. It was easy when moments later they heard a yell of:
"Oh and never forget, I have razorblades hidden in my hair!"
JJ looked appropriately terrified but that smile returned to his face again when Cleo's head popped around the wall.
"That's just Mami being Mami. She's kidding…usually."
"No I'm not!"
The elevator door opened and Willow ushered her family in quickly.
The sun had gone down and so during their ride back to the airport they were treated to views of the glistening lights of the city that never sleeps. JJ was mesmerized. The smile never left his face once.
Once they were on the plane, he leaned forward in his seat to the two seats in front, where Willow and Tara were sitting.
"Moms?"
They both looked back at him.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
Tara smiled and Willow looked at him wryly.
"You're still punished."
"I know," JJ answered with a resigned nod, "Can I listen to music?"
Tara took JJ's phone from her purse and handed it back to him.
Willow looked at her incredulously.
"It's on flight mode," Tara said quietly with a smile that said 'chill out'.
Willow looked sheepish and leaned back in her seat.
"I'm surprised you even know what 'flight mode' is," she replied with some faux haughtiness, then looked over at Tara quizzically, "Her parents were a little kooky, right? It's not just me?"
"Some people say that about us," Tara replied and Willow looked offended.
"First trip to New York City and I didn't even get a pretzel."
"Maybe we could come back someday," Tara shrugged softly.
"He'll certainly be wanting to," Willow threw her shoulder back indicatively, "We need to establish a lot of ground rules."
Tara nodded.
"Yes."
"No gallivanting off on flights of fancy," Willow said sternly.
"Definitely not," Tara agreed.
Willow threw Tara some side-eye.
"Why are you so calm?"
Tara turned her head toward Willow and looked at her adoringly.
"Because I keep thinking about what we would have been like if we'd met on vacation at 16."
Slowly, very slowly, Willow's face broke out in a smile. She glanced behind to make sure JJ wasn't listening.
"I would have chartered a plane," she said conspiringly, "And there's only a small chance my parents would have even noticed."
Tara put a hand on her heart.
"You would have chartered a whole plane?"
"A spacecraft even," Willow nodded seriously.
Willow put her hand on Tara's arm and squeezed.
"Maybe there's an alien Willow and Tara out there somewhere."
Tara smiled easily.
"A Willow and Tara for every world."
Willow sighed happily.
"That sounds like heaven to me."
Tara nodded and very slightly arched her eyebrow.
"So let's remember he feels that way too."
"We have over twenty years on him," Willow argued with a serious nod.
Tara leaned in and pecked Willow's lips very softly.
"I loved you like this the moment I set eyes on you."
Willow's lip curled up in distaste.
"Crap," she said sheepishly, "Me too."
Tara covered Willow's hand and squeezed.
"Let's meditate on that for a while."
Willow nodded and smiled tiredly.
"Does that meditation involve some head-on-shoulder action?"
Tara cocked her shoulder alluringly, or at least alluring to Willow.
"Shoulder is ready and waiting."
Willow rested her head there and mumbled happy noises.
"Your shoulders are so soft," she said in appreciation, "They feel like they just walked out of an 80s movie about an empowered woman."
"Feel better?" Tara asked gently as she put her opposite arm around Willow's waist to hold her in that spot.
Willow locked arms with Tara. She could stay in that spot forever.
"Right here? I feel perfect."