Part 9
That night sleep couldn't find Tara. The blonde had twisted and turned for a couple of hours until she finally gave up hope.
She sat up on bed, rested her head against the headboard and sighed deeply. Her mind was a mess; Faith's kiss had affected her. Maybe she was just feeling lonely or maybe her feelings for the dark slayer had evolved without her noticing it.
She was confused. She closed her eyes and ran both hands through her hair as if trying to clear her mind.
She bent over and reached under the bed to retrieve a box filled with photographs. She opened it and started looking at the pictures.
The first one was from her holding Ariel in her arms; Giles had taken it at the hospital on the day she gave birth. She smiled sweetly remembering how emotional he had been that day; one of the two occasions she'd seen him crying, the other one was the day Buffy died.
The next picture was of the gang. Tara felt a pang in her heart, she missed them, she missed the fun they had together she even missed the scary and hard moments, they were her family.
She dried a tear that had slid down her cheek and grabbed another photo. This one saddened her even more. It was a picture of her and Willow; the redhead was holding her from behind and was laughing.
She remembered the day Xander took it. They were at a barbecue at Joyce's house, the first day of their summer break right after they had defeated Adam.
She sighed despondently, she'd been so happy with the red witch and she couldn't understand how such a wonderful thing ended up so badly.
She fiddled with the pictures and got one of Faith. She had taken this picture during the picnic the brunette had prepared for her few weeks ago. The slayer was up on the horse, holding Ariel tight against her body, both were laughing completely unaware of her taking the shot.
The image brought a smile to her lips and sent a wave of happiness through her soul. Ariel was a blissful child and she could tell that Faith was responsible for a great part of that.
"Maybe it's time to allow myself to feel again" she thought aloud and stiffened a yawn. She put the pictures back in the box, turned the lights off and slept peacefully through the rest of the night.
The next morning Tara had an early class at the university. She was wrapping up the lesson when the bell rang dismissing the group
"okay…chapter seven for next class" she raised her voice "leave your assignments on my desk and have a nice weekend" she told to a bunch of fidgeting students.
Slowly the group did as they were told and little by little they exited the room. When the last one finally left Tara turned to the door to see a figure leaning against the door frame
"Have you come to hand an assignment too?" she asked packing her things
"Actually, I came to hand in an apology" Faith moved towards the blonde
"Apology?" she asked with a raised brow
"For last night" she said stopping in front of the witch
"So, you didn't mean what you said then?" Tara nodded disappointedly
"No…I mean…yes" she sighed "I meant every word" she stated firmly "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable"
"Uncomfortable?" Tara furrowed her brows
"yeah" the slayer nodded and started pacing "and I totally understand if you don't want me around anymore" she rubbed her hands nervously "if you think it's too awkward…I can move out, you know" Tara watched her closely and knew the slayer was nervous "I'll talk to Giles and find a place to stay"
"I don't want you to move out" she said softly and stood in front of the brunette to stop her pacing "and you don't need to apologize either"
"Okay" she sighed again "I'm new at this 'deal with you feelings' kinda thing…help me out, please" she pled rubbing her face in a desperate manner "what should I do?"
"Well…I'm not an expert but…" she ducked her head shyly "when you like a girl, you usually ask her out" she gave her famous lopsided grin
"You mean like a date??????" the slayer was thrown aback
"Uh-huh" the blonde bit her lip not to laugh at the slayers comic expression
"You wanna go out with me on a date?" she checked
"Was that an invitation?" Tara asked cynically enjoying teasing the slayer
"I don't know…would you say 'yes'?" Faith wanted to make sure she was listening correctly
"Maybe if I was asked" she was in a good mood
"Okay" she clasped her hands tightly and gathered some courage "T, would you go out with me tonight?"
"Tonight?" she asked surprised
"Yeah, why? Are you busy?" she asked a little disappointed
"No, but…I just have to check with my nanny" she explained and a saw a smile of relief break into the slayer's face
"I'll take care of that" she offered pleased that Tara wasn't toying with her "don't worry…is eight o'clock good for you?"
"Yes…yes it's fine" she nodded and smiled nervously
"Okay…it's a date then" both women were nodding and giggling like two teenage girls. Faith rushed outside stumbling in a few unwary chairs that were in the way.
She was euphoric; she couldn't believe that it was actually happening.
Back at the house the telephone rang and Simone moved to pick it up
"Hello" she answered and heard someone talking fast and incoherently at the other side of the line "okay…Faith slow down…I can't understand a word you're saying"
"I said that I have a date with Tara…tonight" she repeated in a normal speed
"Bloody hell…that's fabulous"
"I think so too…can you watch the kid?" she asked hopefully
"Oh dear…you said tonight?" she asked with a smirk pleased the slayer couldn't see her face
"Yeah…tonight at eight" she confirmed
"Oh bugger…I'm afraid I have plans…you might just have to cancel your date then" she was trying hard to stiff a laugh
"What??? No…hey, come on Mary Popins…I'll pay you extra…double extra" she offered desperately "you're not gonna do that to me, are you?"
"Of course not…" she laughed "I'm just messing with you dumb ass…sure I'll baby-sit tonight"
"You realize I'm gonna kill you, right?"
"No you're not…cause I'm gonna help you prepare a perfect first date for your girl" she smiled sweetly "now get your slayer butt over here and let's set everything for tonight"
"Be there in ten minutes" she hung up and rushed home
At ten to eight Faith walked into the living room. The slayer was wearing her traditional pair of black leather pants with a silk sleeveless and very feminine blue blouse, her hair was tied up in a ponytail style and she was wearing very light make up
"Hey, look at you all dressed up" Simone greeted her
"How do I look?" she asked surprisingly insecure
"Gorgeous…absolutely gorgeous" the nanny tried to put her at ease
"Please" she snorted and rolled her eyes "I may settle for hot…but gorgeous, nope" she shook her head "Tara is…" she stopped amazed by the sight of the witch entering the room wearing a black halter neck dress, soft make up and with her hair tight in a single braid "gorgeous"
"Hi" she smiled shyly waiting for the slayer to say something. Faith seemed to be entranced by the sight; she only reacted when Simone bumped her with her shoulder
"Hi…hi" she swallowed dryly "you look…amazing" she complimented and smiled when the witched blushed up "shall we?" she offered softly receiving a nod from the other woman
"Uh…Simone, are you sure it isn't…" she was cut by the nanny
"Yeah, yeah…it's okay Tara" she waved a dismissively hand at the blonde "I love to watch Ariel, besides a couple of Disney movies and a sugar free diet, she'll be out like a light"
"Okay then" Tara relaxed and Faith brought their coats. They walked to the door and stepped outside
"Have fun you two" Simone said
"Thank you" Faith replied and received two thumbs up before closing the door behind her
Faith took Tara to a nice and cozy restaurant downtown. It had minimalist décor and candle lit tables that created a relaxing atmosphere. The draped booths and the intimate lighting provided the perfect backdrop for a romantic evening.
"Faith, this place is wonderful" Tara complimented pleased "how did you find it?"
"Mary Popins recommended it" she sipped her wine "she said it would be perfect for a first date"
"Good taste" she said cleaning her mouth with her napkin
"She's not British, is she?" Faith asked curiously
"No…French" Tara answered tasting a piece of the vol-au-vent they ordered as an appetizer
"Figures" she shrugged and bit a piece of the French pastry
"Yeah…when I moved here, it was just me and Giles" she explained "but after Ariel was born, I needed help" the slayer nodded fully interested "she came very well recommended from the coven"
"Do you think she and Giles are…" she raised an eyebrow funnily "you know"
"Have you noticed anything?" Tara asked curiously
"Well, they try to cover it but I think even the kiddo knows there's something going on there"
"True" Tara smiled from behind her glass hem
"You have a beautiful smile" Faith complimented and Tara blushed "who did you get that from?" she continued captivated by the blonde's beauty "your mom?"
"Yes" she nodded "she was so beautiful"
"Was?"
"Yeah…my mom died when I was sixteen" she said playing with her napkin
"I'm sorry to hear that" Faith offered honestly
"Thank you" Tara whispered and looked at the slayer "she was a witch…taught me everything that I know" she sipped her wine before continuing "after she passed away I started practicing very little, so I dedicated myself to the books until I moved to Sunnydale and met…Willow" she squirmed after mentioning the redhead's name, she didn't want to cause any awkwardness and ruin the night. Faith sensed the blonde's discomfort and decided to change the subject
"Shall we order?" she asked hurriedly
"Yes, I'm a bit hungry" she chuckled relieved that Faith let it pass without commenting. The rest of the night went on smoothly. The food was delicious, the talk was nice and their date, perfect. They walked back home in a very comfortable silence, both enjoying the walk not minding the chili evening. They arrived at the house and Tara proceeded to open the door. She stopped and turned to see Faith standing still at the front porch
"You're not coming in?" she asked intrigued
"Nope" Faith shook her head
"Because…" she motioned for the slayer to explain
"you know…according to the book of dating rules, in a first date, you're supposed to walk the lady to her door, kiss her goodnight and pray for her to call you in the morning to set a second date"
"You read the book?" Tara asked amazed, totally enjoying the playfulness
"Read it…heard about it…same thing" she said shrugging. Tara giggled and Faith smiled. She stepped towards the blonde and looked deeply in her eyes; Tara locked their gaze and felt her heartbeat accelerate. Faith kept her stare and tried hard not to shake. She reached down and took Tara's hand in hers. She looked at their entwined fingers and then back at sapphire blue eyes. She leaned over and captured the blonde's sweet lips. The kiss was very sensual, but the slayer made no attempt to deepen it. She let it last for a few seconds and pulled back gently
"Goodnight" she said stepping down the stairs
"Where are you going?"
"Patrolling" she informed and smiled charmingly "call me in the morning?" Tara nodded and grinned back at her
"Watch out for demons carrying blades" she teased
"Wise ass" Faith replied and left feeling very pleased with their first date