Chapter 4

A/N: I am a jerk, you'll see why later.

REVIEWS:

Samara Hime: Thank you I don't speak much Spanish so I'm sorry. I should be uploading a new chapter every other weekend (I've gotten very bust so it should be easier to maintain this way) but I kind of fell behind and haven't worked in it for two weeks because I've been sick and sleeping, my internet was down for a while, I got sick again, and then there was holidays. I'm feeling better and working on new chapters now. Thank you again. I hope you enjoy this update. (I also really like writing dramatic things, I like to write beginnings full of angst but things will get less with the angst and more with the fluff and occasional angst).

Like I said I got sick, temporary internet loss, sick again, and then I ate a lot because Thanksgiving, so without further ado here is chapter 4. (P.S. I'm sick again)

After school Giles drove Buffy, Tara, and Willow to the Maclay home with Tara's direction while Xander and Anya followed in his car. Tara unlocked the front door warily. Tara walked back through the house slowly, everyone else close behind her. When they walked into the living room her father saw Tara but not those behind her.

"What are you doing home this early? I told you not to come home late do I have to teach you not to come home early too?" Tara backed up into Willow.

"See, Mr. Maclay, I don't think I would advise that" Giles came from behind Willow and Tara cleaning his glasses and setting them back upon his face.

"And just who the hell are you?" Her father exclaimed outraged at the strange man that was in his house and dared speak out against him "Tara what the hell is this old coot doin here?"

"Well this 'old coot', my best friend, and I are here to pick up Tara's things, Mr. Maclay" Buffy stepped out from behind Giles Willow followed close behind, forming a wall around Tara to protect her. "I mean she's 18, you no longer own her"

"Who do you think you are? I'm her father, her blood!" Mr. Maclay was livid and couldn't wait for Tara's "friends" to leave, he had to teach that girl a lesson.

"We're her family, you wanna try to take her, to hurt her? Go ahead" Tara and Willow looked at Buffy in shock and then Buffy continued "But you gotta go through me"

"And me" Willow spoke for the first time since they entered the house.

"You don't want to mess with us. She's a hair puller." Buffy mater-of-factly said

"What two little girls are gonna keep me from my daughter?"

"It's not just two little girls you're facing Mr. Maclay" Giles looked Mr. Maclay in the eyes

"It's all of us" Xander stepped from the shadows and put an arm over Tara's shoulder, Anya stepped out too.

"I don't like him" Anya looked Mr. Maclay up and down "This is exactly the kind of man Hally and I would strike vengeance down upon, sure abused children was really Halfreks area and scorned women was mine when I was a vengeance demon but it applies to both. Okay not really I just don't like him and want to hit him with his rib bones while he begs for forgiveness and for me to stop." Everyone looked at Anya, Tara and Mr. Maclay looked with confusion while everyone else looked at her with faces that said "AHN SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Ahn, honey," Xander spoke gently to Anya "You don't talk about being a demon and beating people with their ribs in front of others outside the Scoobies, remember?" Anya huffed but agreed.

"Now, Mr. Maclay, we are going to pack up Tara's things and leave. If you try to stop us, hurt us, or come after her" Buffy explained "The Sunnydale Police Department will be involved, pictures amongst other evidence will be provided to them, and you and your son will never see the light of day again. Understood?" Mr. Maclay nodded violently.

Willow was packing Tara's bedding and reached under the bed to pack the things there, she accidentally cut her finger on something sharp under the bed, she froze when she saw what it was.

R-Razors? What else is down here? Willow thought before grabbing the rest of the items Bleach… Alcohol… A bottle of… pills? Oh my god… Oh my god! Tara was going to…

Willow hid the things away before anyone saw them and started sucking on her finger to stop the bleeding but Tara saw her shove the things back under the bed and then met Willows eyes. She was shocked at the understanding, compassion, and pain in Willows eyes, she saw the finger in Willows mouth and kneeled down next to her.

"W-Willow… A-are you o-okay?" Tara saw tears welling in Willows eyes and cast her eyes down. Willow pulled her finger out of her mouth and pulled Tara into a hug, careful to keep the bleeding finger off of Tara's shirt.

"I'm fine, just accidentally cut part of my finger off… Are you okay?" Willow asked barely containing the sorrow in her voice and Tara shook her head side to side, tears flowing down her cheeks

"Hey gu- What's going on over here? Are you two okay?" Buffy walked over to ask if they were almost done when she saw the tears staining both girls' faces. Willow spoke up.

"Yea, just give us a few minutes to grab the last of her stuff" Buffy nodded slowly

"Whatever you guys need, I'm just gonna grab the bags and stuff that are already packed," Buffy started to walk away before turning back "I understand things are hard, Tara, I have no idea what you're going through but I know it's gotta be hard and I'm sorry that you had to go through all this." Buffy scurried away carrying bags that weighed as much as her with seemingly no effort, which Tara though was strange.

"We can talk about this stuff later… What else do you want and need?" They grabbed a few other things before Tara pulled out her book on Magick that her mother gave her and tried to hide it but Willow saw it. Tara stumbled to give an excuse.

"I-It's just a-a book, my m-mother gave it t-to m-me" Willow giggled and Tara furrowed her brow "W-Why are y-you laughing?"

"Because… that was a horrible excuse. I knew you were a witch the moment I touched you, there was this rush that went through me, I felt your magick. You have nothing to be afraid of, Anya announced that she was an ex-demon and you are afraid I'm gonna judge you for being a witch?" Tara looked at Willow in disbelief and she remembered she had felt power when they touched too. Seeing this thought go through Willow continued. "You're not the only one."

A/N: Yep leaving it right there, understand why I am a jerk now? Thought so :P REVIEW PLEASE!

ALSO! I might start working on another fic for another fandom, in other words, I might get very distracted from this. BUT I will try to still update on regular intervals. Yea and sorry for sadness...