"Okay, so we've got the room for the weekend," Willow said as she opened the door to their hotel room, "We can figure out exactly or at least temporarily what we're gonna do over the next couple of days. If we decide to stay we won't be able to go apartment hunting 'til Monday anyway and if we're leaving, well...we can work that out later."
Tara nodded her understanding as she walked into the decent-sized hotel room. When they'd landed in London, Willow had gone straight into productive mode and hooked her laptop - which she'd carried on the plane for fear it would get broken – up to the airport wifi, finding a bunch of nearby hotels and booking them into one of them. She'd changed some of her money, but had her credit card as well so she didn't change too much since she didn't know how long she'd be staying. She could always change more if they needed it.
"I saw a payphone in the lobby," Willow continued as she dropped her suitcase at the foot of the bed, "I'm gonna go do the parental phone call, get it over with. Do you wanna order us some room service or something? I could do with a bite. They have my card on file so it shouldn't be a problem."
"Sure," Tara nodded, before dropping her head slightly, "Willow, I don't expect you to pay-"
"Tara," Willow cut her girlfriend off with a smile, "I know. And when we've figured out what it is we're doing, we can both look at getting jobs. But it's also important that we know my trust fund is there if we need it. Now we're both tired and hungry and I could really go for a turkey club."
"Okay," Tara smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I can manage that."
Willow grinned and walked over to Tara, standing over her and leaned down for a quick kiss.
"That's my girl. Okay, I shouldn't be too long. Love you."
Tara nodded as Willow started walking towards the door.
"Love you too."
Willow left the room with a smile and wave and Tara flopped down onto the bed.
Hmm, double bed...plenty of room...I would've made love with her earlier. Not just because I thought it was goodbye. I'm ready. I love her. I want to make love with her. I've wanted to make love with her for months... 'When we're both ready and the time is right, we'll know', that's what she said. Well I'm pretty sure we're both ready. Is the time right?
Tara contemplated the question as she picked up the phone by the bed and rang down to reception, ordering their food. It was only a two hour flight from Switzerland to London, so they hadn't been given any food and neither had eaten since lunch time at the school and it was now well into the night. She walked over to the window in the room and looked out at the twinkling lights of the city in the dark sky for a few moments.
This is where you grew up, Mom. You loved living here, you told me. Maybe me and Will could love living here too?
Tara felt a warmth spread throughout her body and smiled.
"I hear ya, Mom," she whispered into the air, "I know you sent her to me."
"Talking to yourself?"
Tara spun around at the sound of her girlfriend's voice and saw her walking back through the door, grinning.
"Just um...admiring the view."
"Ah," Willow replied, walking over and looking out the window with the brunette, "I promised I'd take you here someday. Didn't think it'd be so soon but I'm glad we're here."
"Me too," Tara responded, taking the redhead's hand, "I know we're gonna make proper plans over the weekend but I'd like if we could see the city a little before we leave. If we decide to leave."
"Definitely," Willow smiled before there was a knock at the door and she felt her girlfriend tense, "Don't worry, baby, it's just the food. You ordered, right?"
Tara nodded, exhaling as the jolt of dread that had shot through her dissipated.
"I ordered."
Willow walked over and opened the door, smiling when it was indeed the food. The bellboy placed the large circular tray he was carrying on the table in the room and Willow slipped him a note as he left the room again.
"Did you get bacon on my sandwich?" Willow asked as she took the top off the tray.
"And honey-mustard," Tara replied with a nod, feeling more at ease, "I know you like it."
Willow picked up her plate and brought it up to her face, inhaling the aroma as she sat on the edge of the bed.
"Oh yea. You're definitely a keeper."
Tara giggled and sat on the chair next to the table as she picked up the pesto chicken panini she'd ordered for herself before suddenly remembering why her girlfriend had left the room before.
"Sweetie, what did your parents say?"
Willow took a bite of her sandwich and rolled her eyes.
"They didn't even know that we'd left the school. My dad was all 'so that's why I was left so many messages by your headmistress'. Anyway after I convinced them that we weren't playing some colossal prank and not just hiding someplace on the grounds, and after demanding that I get my ass straight back to the school and I flatly refused, they said that if I chose to throw my life away by not finishing my education that I wasn't welcome in their home. Like I ever planned on setting foot back there again. Well that's what my Mom said anyway. My Dad said that he definitely didn't approve of what we'd done and that we were stupidly young and naive and had no idea what we were doing but I told him about you know, the circumstances? I dunno, I actually heard emotion in his voice for the first time like, ever. He said to make sure I took care of you and that if we ever got ourselves in a bind that we could give him a call and he'd help as best he could. Oh and he's not gonna tell the school where we are, so there's no way your father can find out where we came to."
Tara swallowed the food in her mouth, her eyebrows raised.
"That's..."
"Weird, I know," Willow replied as she finished her sandwich, thinking to herself that she'd have to hack into the airline system and delete their names from the passenger list, just to be on the safe side, "I guess not even the most emotionally stunted people have no reaction at all when abuse is mentioned."
Tara winced at the word 'abuse'. Willow noticed and put her plate on the floor.
"Shit, Tare, I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Tara shrugged, her eyes downcast, "That's what it was."
Willow moved off the bed and sat on the chair opposite the brunette.
"You know you can talk to me about it, right? I know I only found out today that it was happening, which, I feel stupid for not realising sooner, but I'm here."
"Don't feel stupid," Tara replied with a frown, "Please don't. I was the one who kept it a secret. I know I shouldn't have. I was just so consumed with being happy, for the first time since...for the first time ever really. I didn't want to ruin it. You didn't fall in love with the girl who let herself get hit-"
Tara cut herself of as a quiet sob rose in her throat and Willow quickly rushed to hr side and pulled her into an embrace.
"I fell in love with the beautiful, strong person you are. I can't even...I don't know how long it went on or what exactly..." Willow trailed off and exhaled slowly for a moment, "Tara, he never...he never..."
She couldn't finish her sentence but Tara understood and shook her head.
"No. It was never sexual."
Willow felt a tear come to her eye in relief but blinked it away, thinking it was wrong to feel relief when her girlfriend had still had to endure everything she had had to.
"Tara, none of...nothing that happened is your fault. Okay? And I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. I know I didn't even know you, but I'm still sorry. And we're a team now, okay? Completely and fully. We'll deal with everything together. Or if you need to deal with things on your own, then I'll just hold you while you do. But no matter what, I'm always here for you. You got that? This is it, baby, I'm in this for life. Forever. We're really forever. And everything you thought was stopping that being true before..." Willow gave a small smile and clicked her fingers, "Poof. They're gone. 'Cause even if your father somehow finds us, he will never hurt you again. I promise you that, I will protect you with my life. So, you got it? Me and you, forever and ever?"
"I got it," Tara replied in a awe-filled whisper, moved beyond words by her girlfriend's speech and how she could truly feel the future she knew she'd have with the redhead, "And I will talk to you about it. Explain...everything. But um, not tonight?"
"Yea," Willow chuckled, "Probably enough emotional turmoil for one day. I'm here to listen whenever you want, though."
Tara raised her head and smiled.
"Thanks."
Willow just leaned over and pulled Tara into a tight hug.
"Always."
The redhead placed a soft kiss on the bridge of Tara's nose before standing up and stretching.
"I'm gonna go brush my teeth, they feel kinda grimy after that sandwich. I hope the hotel has toothbrushes, I think I forgot mine in the hurry..."
Tara watched as Willow disappeared into the bathroom and jumped out of her seat when the door closed as a sudden rush of confidence and feeling rushed through her.
It's definitely the right time.
She took a few deep breathes before pulling her shirt over her head and slipping her skirt off of her body. She hung both garments over the chair, then snapped her bra off, letting it join her other clothes. Another deep inhalation was taken before she stepped out of her panties, then pulled the covers on the bed up and slipped between them and the sheet.
She sat with her back against the headboard and ran her hand through her hair a few times to smoothen it before she clutched the blanket to her chest, holding it in place. She waited a few nervous seconds before the doorknob of the bathroom started to turn again and Willow walked out.
"They have toothbrushes. There was a white one and a blue one, I took the blue one, hope you don't mind, it just reminded me of your eyes and..." Willow's own eyes widened as she finally looked up and she gulped when she took in the sight of her girlfriend, "You're naked."
Tara looked down; her body was covered but she was indeed naked.
"Yea."
Willow chuckled nervously, rooted to the spot.
"You never used to sleep naked."
Tara fixed the redhead with a steady gaze.
"I don't want to sleep."