Weeks passed.

The girl's stealthy plan continued to work; they'd meet in the forest after class each day to just be with each other and Willow snuck into Tara's room at night so they could kiss and cuddle for an hour before they each went to sleep. They sat at opposite ends of the classroom while in class and avoided each other in the hallways so no one suspected that their 'break-up' was anything other than real. The only thing the girls missed was their weekly trip to the town, but they made up for it by being with each other in the hidden school grounds.

Tara loved each and every day she got to spend with her girlfriend but as January became February and February became March, and now it was only a few days away from the beginning of April, she felt the ever-looming deadline of school ending in June. She knew it was wrong, but she still couldn't bring herself to tell Willow that they'd have to be separate when she was forced home.

She knew she should - she knew she needed to - but how could she ruin what little time they had left? Or what if Willow took it upon herself to try and talk to her father? She could never forgive herself if she was the reason Willow was hurt.

So she kept quiet. What other choice did she have?

You could be a proper girlfriend and do the right thing.

Tara smacked the side of her head to try to stop her conscience from seeping into her thoughts again as she changed out of her uniform and into her regular clothes. It was a Friday, so their standing arrangement to meet at the oak tree stood and Tara was looking forward to just spending the afternoon being with Willow.

She had just pulled her t-shirt over her head when she heard the door to her bedroom open and frowned. She wasn't late yet, and Willow wouldn't risk being spotted coming into her room. She turned and almost fell backwards, her features contorting into shock when she saw who was walking through her doorway.

"D-D-Dad?"

"Tara," James Maclay greeted cordially, though with no warmth, "Hello."

Tara stared at her father wide-eyed, stuck to the spot before snapping to attention as James walked further into the room. She quickly turned the collage photo frame Willow had made her all those months ago - that was sitting on her nightstand – over so the pictures couldn't be seen and shoved her heart toy under her pillow.

"W-w-what are y-y-you d-doing here, D-Dad?" Tara managed eventually, feeling her whole body cower just in the presence of the man.

James turned his nose up at his daughter and looked at her with nothing but loathing.

"I made an appointment with your headmistress back when I spoke to her about that nonsense behaviour that happened at Christmas. I wanted to make sure she knew in person that I was paying for my daughter to learn proper discipline. And to make her understand how unimpressed I was that she put my daughter in a room with a dirty whore," he replied venomously, "I couldn't leave Donny to just tend to the farm on his own, so this was the earliest appointment I could make."

Tara stayed rigid, sweat forming on her brow in terror.

"W-Why d-didn't y-you t-tell me you were c-c-coming?"

"What would it have mattered, I'm here now, though not for long. Wasting my time and money being here," James spat out before fixing Tara with a hateful glare, "I trust that that...behaviour with that...harlot has ceased?"

She's not a harlot! She's the love of my life!

Tara wanted to scream her thoughts at her father but could only muster a meek whisper.

"Yes, s-sir."

"Good," James nodded firmly, "That's what I came to check. You wouldn't lie to my face, would you Tara?"

"N-no, sir," Tara shook her head submissively.

"No," James replied, narrowing his eyes, "No, you know what the...repercussions of that would be."

Tara choked back the tears.

"Y-y-yes, sir."

James clenched his hand at his side threateningly but didn't say anything. Tara understood her father's meaning and her body started to tremble.

"I'm going to see your headmistress now, Tara," James said coldly after a moment, "I'll return to say goodbye before I leave."

"O-okay," Tara replied, before wincing, "Sir."

James looked his daughter up and down for a moment before snarling and turning to leave. Tara sank down on her bed, her heart beating furiously in her chest as she processed the encounter she'd just had before she suddenly remembered something.

Willow!

She glanced at her clock and jumped up when she saw she was super late for their meeting. Which meant Willow would've started worrying about her and had probably started looking for her. She couldn't have her girlfriend running into her father. Even if they didn't know what the other looked like, she couldn't risk her father somehow finding out who Willow was and trying to hurt her.

With that thought in mind she jumped off her bed and ran out of her room, scooting down the hallways and outside of the school building. She was about to run in the general direction of the forest when she heard her name being called.

"Tara!"

She spun around and saw Willow running towards her, looking flustered and worried.

"Tara, baby, are you okay?"

"My father's here," Tara got out quickly, "He just showed up. He has a meeting with the headmistress, but Willow, he can't know who you are. Just...please, he can't know who you are."

"Uh..." Willow said dumbly, processing the sudden influx of information, "Um, okay."

"He'll be gone soon," Tara replied, seeing the bewildered look on her girlfriend's face, "We just need to stay away from each other until then."

Willow got a frown on her face but reluctantly nodded her head.

"Okay. Um, I'll...I'll just go back to my room."

"Yea," Tara nodded too, sighing in relief, "That's a good idea."

She saw the confusion and hurt on her girlfriend's face and looked around them. Seeing there was nobody in their general vicinity, she pulled Willow to her and planted a quick but warm and loving kiss on her lips.

"I love you, Willow."

Willow managed a small smile.

"I love you too."

Ten feet away, James Maclay felt a surge of anger swell within him as he saw his daughter kiss a redheaded girl through a window. The two girls obviously hadn't noticed they had been standing in full view of anyone looking through the glass.

He watched as the redhead placed another kiss on his daughter's lips before she ran off somewhere. His fists balled at his sides and he stamped out of the hallway he had been walking along, through a set of doors so he was outside and turned to where his daughter was still standing outside the window.

"Tara Elizabeth Maclay!"

Tara spun around in fear at the sound of her father's voice and could only watch as he bounded towards her and his palm connected sharply with her cheek. She whimpered and brought a hand instinctively to her cheek but her father batted it away and harshly hit the back of her neck, making her fall forwards but James just pulled her up roughly.

"I saw you, Tara," James spat, his voice low, not wanting to attract attention, "Kissing that child of Satan. Not only are you still sinning but you lied to me! To my face! I am your father, you will respect me!"

Tara had never been more terrified in her entire life. She knew she could take whatever her father would throw at her. But now he knew what Willow looked like. And that frightened her more than any pain she might experience by her father's hand.

"I-I-I, I-I'm-"

James slapped his daughter sharply again.

"Not a word, Tara! I never should have sent you here, you're not worth it, you never were. A tramp, just like your mother," James said cruelly, "Well you won't be staying here another day, Tara. It's clear the only discipline you'll respond to is by my hand. You have an hour to pack your things while I go tell your headmistress you'll be leaving this monstrosity of a school!"

Willow stopped in her tracks and ducked behind a bush when she saw a middle-aged man talking to, or rather at her girlfriend. She'd left for her room, as Tara had asked her to, but had quickly run back to tell the brunette to log onto facebook whenever she was free again so she'd know everything was okay. She'd expected to see her girlfriend still standing there or be not too far away, but this new man in the mix had thrown her.

Shit, is that her father?!

She was about to turn and run again before Tara's father saw her when she saw him raise her hand and strike her girlfriend across the face, Tara cowering when he did so. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung open as she processed what she just saw.

Oh my god. Oh. My. God. He hit her! He hit her, he...oh my god. He hits her. The, the bruises her first day and the flinching and the not liking violence! And she gets so upset anytime her family gets mentioned. Fuck, Willow, how the hell did you miss this?! Oh god, poor Tara. She's had all this to worry about. I should've realised sooner. Oh god.

Willow's mind continued to race and she winced, a silent cry rising in her throat when she saw Tara get slapped again. She was about to jump up and do whatever she had to in order to protect her girlfriend when she started listening to the conversation, or rather James' ranting.

He saw us kissing. Shit. Shit. This is my fault. If I go out there now it could just make things a whole hell of a lot worse for her...but I can't just let her get hit! What the hell do I do? Wait...wait, what? He's taking her home?! Like hell he is! Oh baby, I'll protect you, I promise, I won't let him take you. Do I tell a teacher? Even if I do that, they can't do anything straight away. She'll still have to leave with him. No, I can't let that happen. I can't.

Willow could only watch as James grabbed Tara and pulled her back towards the school before she sank down to her knees, trembling.

She had an hour. She needed a plan. Fast.