Riley had been helping both Buffy and his squad search for Adam in the month since Faith's sudden arrival and subsequent departure, and he felt the tension rising on both sides as their hunting continued to prove futile. He suggested having a party to give everyone a night off, the night successful at getting everyone to relax slightly, dancing and drinking to take their minds off of Adam.

It took them a day to recover from the overabundance of party refreshments, everyone avoiding loud noises and bright lights the next morning. Buffy was back on the streets that night, looking to relieve her tension by getting in a few good slayings, but she was frustrated in her attempt, finding only two freshly turned vampires who didn't give her a good fight. She resolved to ask Giles about it at the Scooby meeting the next day.

They all had class until lunch and Buffy went to Lowell House to pick up Riley while Willow and Tara walked to Giles' apartment together. Willow had a doctor's appointment to get her leg checked out after the meeting and she was bouncing excitedly in her chair as they went through town, hoping to hear that her strained hip had healed enough that she could be released from the cast. Tara gave her a shoulder to lean on while they went down the stairs into Giles' apartment, the redhead's progress faster than ever even in the wake of her strained muscles.

Buffy and Riley joined them only a few minutes after the witches arrived, Buffy telling them about her lack of success at finding anything to hunt, much less finding Adam, while Riley told them that the Initiative was full to bursting with captured demons. In the wake of Professor Walsh's death, the young Marine had given more responsibility to look after his troops, doing his best to keep the whole place from imploding while they struggled to locate Adam and fix the mess their boss had unleashed.

Both Buffy and Riley paused as the door opened behind them. Willow was whispering in Tara's ear but she felt the blonde freeze and she turned her head to see what had captured everyone's attention. "Oz," she breathed as she saw him, her heart suddenly pounding.

Tara had only seen the young man once and he looked much different now, clean and clothed, his hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans, but she recognized him instantly, the whispered confirmation making her heart clench. This was it. She was going to lose Willow. She wondered if it made it easier or more painful that it wasn't because of her demon. At least Willow had been spared ever having to see her like that.

She wanted to bolt, but Willow's hand was still on her knee, the redhead's fingers trembling. The palpable tension in the room broke as the phone rang on the desk. Buffy answered it mechanically, her eyes moving from Oz to Willow.

"Um, yeah, okay, we're on the way," she said. "Will, the doctor," she prompted as she hung up the phone.

Willow's eyes snapped to the Slayer and she took what felt like her first breath in minutes. "Oh, yeah," she agreed. Her eyes moved up when Tara stood, taking her opportunity to get away as Willow moved her hand.

"I-I s-should g-go," the blonde said shakily, shuffling her feet and avoiding Willow's eyes. "S-study g-group…"

She was moving before Willow realized what was happening, out the door and up the stairs before she could go after her.

"Will's got a doctor's appointment so we've got to go," Buffy told Oz, giving the redhead a worried look as she stared after Tara.

"Okay," the young werewolf agreed. "Could I see you later? Tonight?" he asked.

Willow nodded absently, looking up at Buffy in confusion as she tried to catch her breath, the air of Giles' living room suddenly seeming too thick to breathe. Buffy wheeled her out of the apartment, leaving the others to deal with the unexpected arrival while she carried Willow in the chair to the top of the stairs.

"Are you okay?" Buffy asked, dropping to her knees in front of her friend once they reached the sidewalk.

Willow shook her head, distraught. "Tara…Oz…but Tara…"

Buffy frowned sympathetically. "Will…"

Willow shook her head, her eyes clearer when she blinked. "Let's just go to the appointment," she said, her voice sounding choked.

Buffy got them there on time, the x-rays showing that Willow's leg had recovered enough that she could begin her physical therapy. Willow barely paid attention to her now bare leg, listening distractedly to the doctor's instructions for stretching and the schedule of her workouts with the physical therapist.

He excused himself to get some paperwork together, and Willow looked at Buffy, absently rubbing at her right knee, the skin feeling strange after so many months in the cast. "Can you call Tara?" she requested anxiously.

Buffy nodded her head at hospital phone on the wall. "I've been trying while you were getting the x-ray, but she's not answering. I guess that means that she doesn't really have a study group today?"

"No, she just wanted to get out of there," Willow said. "Did you hear her? She hasn't stuttered like that in months."

"She's nervous," Buffy offered. "Oz is back, Willow," she reminded her friend gently.

"But Tara…"

"Tara wants you to be happy," Buffy said.

"She makes me happy," Willow answered immediately.

"So you're not going back to Oz?" Buffy asked, a little surprised at how quickly Willow had apparently made her decision.

Willow groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "I don't know! I can't do this! If Oz is back for good it means something, but Tara means something too."

The doctor returned and Willow quickly signed everywhere he directed her to and wheeled herself rapidly back outside. Buffy followed her quietly, almost tripping when Willow stopped the chair abruptly in the middle of the sidewalk.

"What can I do?" Willow demanded. "Buffy, I don't know what to do!"

Buffy sighed, shaking her head. "I can't tell you. Either way someone is going to get hurt. For today, I would say talk to Oz, see why he's back. You're going to have to make a decision, but it doesn't have to be tonight, okay?" She hesitated. "I could go talk to Tara, make sure she's okay."

Willow nodded, swallowing thickly. "Thanks, Buffy. Tell her…tell her…" She tried to think of anything that she could have Buffy tell Tara that would make everything okay, that would make her feel better, but could find nothing, even with her normally expansive vocabulary.

"I'll tell her that you'll see her tomorrow, okay?" Buffy suggested, seeing the struggle in her friend's face.

Willow nodded and they started moving again, neither speaking again. Willow pushed herself into Stevenson as Buffy kept going to Fike. The witch was unsurprised to see Oz waiting on her in the hallway and she felt her heart squeeze that it wasn't Tara at her door.

His eyes saw her cast-free leg and he smiled, one of his small happy smiles that had always made her feel so good. "You're getting better. I'm glad," he said softly. "Can we talk?"

Willow nodded, unlocking the door and wheeling herself in, leaving the door open for him to follow her. Oz stayed standing until Willow had pulled herself onto her bed, her hand still compulsively stroking the skin of her injured knee, eyes lingering on the red scars.

"Could I sit?" he asked, his quiet voice drawing her attention and she felt herself nod. The bed shifted as he took a seat by her bare feet, but he didn't touch her.

"Where did you go, Oz?" she asked, looking at him finally. "You just left me, and I didn't know where you were, or what you were doing, or if I was ever going to see you again!"

"I've been traveling. Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, Tibet, anywhere I could find a rumor of a cure," he said, crossing one leg over his knee so his fingers could play absently with the fringe of his jeans.

"Tell me about it?" she asked, her eyes back on her legs. Oz had been everything she'd wanted for so long, and now he was back. Her mind reeled at the thought. But could she leave Tara? The blonde witch had become very important to her, too important to lose. But if Oz was cured, they could get back together without the fear of his violent wolf.

She could feel a headache coming and she reached for the backpack on the back of her wheelchair, finding the bottle of aspirin she carried in one of the pockets. She swallowed two dry, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it.

Oz was still in front of her when she opened her eyes and she sighed as she accepted that she wasn't merely having an intensely vivid dream.

"Can I show you something?" he asked instead, eying the imminent sundown outside the window. Willow nodded, curious despite her confusion. He asked hesitantly about her recovery while he waited for the moon to rise, her foot twitching from his touch as he ran the back of one finger across the bottom of her foot. He looked relieved when she told him that she would be able to walk again with practice.

They both looked up when Buffy came in, the Slayer giving them an apologetic smile. "I'm leaving, staying at Riley's tonight, just came to get some stuff and I'm out of here," she said quickly. "Will, Tara said she'd wait on you for those notes whenever you get a chance to go over there tomorrow. She said whether you wanted to stay and help her study or not was up to you." Buffy knew her code left a lot to be desired, but she knew Willow got the message as the redhead nodded seriously.

"Okay," Willow said softly. "How was her…study group?"

"Um…stressful," Buffy said, struggling to stay inside of their metaphor. "She's pretty worried about a test coming up," she offered.

Willow swallowed, nodding with a glance at Oz. The werewolf didn't appear to notice that they were talking about anything besides a friend and her study group. "Thanks, Buffy," Willow breathed. "I'll make sure to go over there tomorrow."

Buffy nodded, gathering a bag and bolting out the door. Oz got Willow's attention when he touched her hand gently.

"Can I show you?" he asked. She nodded without speaking, pointing to her crutches standing against her desk. He brought them to her, the witch putting her right foot carefully on the floor, closing her eyes as she let her bare foot drag over the carpet for a few seconds before she bent it slightly so it wasn't touching the ground, sure that the weak leg wouldn't sustain any weight.

He followed her out of the room, pointing toward the lobby doors as she hesitated, not sure where he wanted her to go. She followed him outside, the full moon's brightness making it easy to see as the realization came to her.

"Oh my God," Willow breathed, hugging him with her crutches pinned firmly under her arms. "You did it," she gasped. He'd hinted at it, but to see him standing in the moonlight still human was something she'd never really allowed herself to hope for.

"I did it," he said quietly, obviously pleased. "I did it for you, Willow."

Her eyes slipped closed, her face buried in his shoulder. "Oz, I need to tell you…"

"I know we have a lot to talk about," he interjected. "We've got time…"

Willow sighed, trying to muster the strength to tell him the truth. "Come in," she said softly, leading him back inside the dorm. Everything he'd done for her was stunning, and she loved him for it, but she could tell it wasn't the same, couldn't be the same now that she knew Tara, loved Tara. Now she just had to figure out how to tell him.

"Sit down, Oz," she requested, staying on her crutches. "I have something I need to tell you," she started, swallowing thickly. "You've been gone now for a while, and it really hurt, the way you left. You didn't even talk to me. I got hit by a car and you didn't even come see me," she said, feeling all the pain she thought she'd buried rising up. "But I got better. I mean, physically I'm still working on it, but the emotional stuff…It was hard and it hurt, but I got better."

"I'm glad, Willow," Oz said softly. "I shouldn't have left you like that and I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry too Oz, but…I can't do this," she said, gesturing between them. "I know you've done this amazing thing for me, and it really is so wonderful Oz, but I lived for months without knowing where you were, or if you were even alive, and I couldn't live like that, waiting on you."

"You found someone else," he guessed, his face frozen in a stoic mask.

Willow nodded wordlessly, feeling guilty suddenly, but not willing or able to deny her feelings for Tara. "I did. And I love her."

Oz's eyes widened, his jaw dropping. "Her? Her who?" he asked even as he figured it out. "That girl, the blonde. I could smell you on her…" he gasped, staring at her.

"Tara," Willow answered, blushing. "I love her, Oz," she repeated, biting her lip. "I haven't even told her that yet…"

Oz took a deep breath, his eyes meeting hers as his fingers stroked the charm wrapped around his hand in an unconscious soothing gesture. "How did…when, when did this happen? You haven't…" His eyes closed and he swallowed. "Not…"

"Oz, no! Of course not!" Willow protested immediately. "It was after you left. I wouldn't have…not again. You're the one who left, Oz," she reminded him, sighing as he winced back from her accusation. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded. You met Tara the same day I did, Oz. It just…I fell in love with her. I wasn't looking for it, for her, but I really do love her."

"Are you happy?" he asked, and she could hear his pain in his voice.

"I am," Willow said softly. "Oz, you'll always be imp…"

"Don't," he interrupted. "I can't hear that from you." He stood up and took two steps forward, one hand cupping her cheek gently. "I lost you a long time ago, didn't I?" She sucked in a shaky breath and he leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, Willow. I'm so sorry."

"Me too," she said, feeling tears slide down her cheeks. He kissed her, slow and gentle, and she knew it was goodbye.

She heard him leaving the room but she kept her eyes closed, tears sliding from the corners of her eyes and dripping from her jaw. Her hands were trembling against the grips of her crutches, but she couldn't bring herself to sit and rest without reassuring Tara first.

She moved as quickly as she could down the sidewalks, realizing in her haste that she had no weapons on her. She could hear Tara moving around inside the room when she got there, the motion stopping when she knocked on the door.

Tara opened it a crack and Willow could see that she'd been crying. "Tara, can I come in?" she asked, shaking on her crutches.

"B-Buffy said y-you w-were going to t-talk to O-Oz t-tonight," Tara said, not moving out of the doorway.

"I did," Willow said. "I told him…"

"I-I c-can make it e-easier," Tara interjected, not wanting to hear the words she was expecting. "I-I'm g-going," she said, letting the door swing from her suddenly nerveless fingers.

"What?" Willow gasped, seeing the packing Tara had already started. "Why?" she demanded.

Tara closed her eyes, knowing she'd never be able to say it if she looked at Willow. "I'm a demon, Willow." A crash in the hall sent her eyes shooting open again and she moved before she realized she'd intended to, dropping to her knees next to Willow where the redhead had hit the wall and slid to the floor, legs sprawled in front of her.

"Are you o-okay?" Tara asked, one hand landing unconsciously on Willow's thigh while the other pushed hair back from her face.

"Demon?" Willow repeated slowly, the pieces falling into place in her mind. "That's why you didn't want to do the demon locator spell," she realized. "You were trying to hide."

"You d-deserve better than a d-demon," Tara said, pulling her hands back from Willow's body.

"You're not a demon," Willow objected. "There's no way! I'd have noticed something!"

"It doesn't a-appear until I t-turn twenty," Tara said, trembling even as her voice shook.

"No!" Willow insisted. "Tara, you can't leave! Oz, I told Oz I had someone else, had you - have you," she corrected herself quickly to the present tense. "He's gone," she said rapidly.

Tara shook her head. "That d-doesn't mean I should s-stay. You d-deserve better…"

"Oz was a werewolf!" Willow protested. "That's not technically a demon, but he was still a wolfy monster three nights a month! I don't care if you're a demon, Tara. I love you."

Tara winced back from the words, knowing that they were true, but knowing how much harder it was going to be to leave now that they'd been spoken. "Willow, no…"

"No, Tara! You may or may not be a demon, but that doesn't change that I love you. I'm in love with you, and I sent Oz away for you, because I only want to be with you," Willow stated firmly, voice growing faster. "If you're a demon, we'll deal, but I won't let you walk away from me because you think you're not worthy or something ridiculous like that," she said fiercely, pushing herself shakily to her feet and hopping on her strong leg into Tara's room, leaving her crutches in the hallway floor.

Tara stared after her in surprise, hurrying to catch her and snatching the crutches. Willow collapsed ungracefully into the bed before she could get there, the redhead breathing hard. Tara gave her a stern look, surprising Willow by throwing the crutches down on the ground angrily. "Willow! You just got the cast off! You better not take one step without those crutches again or so help me…"

"Guess you'll have to stick around and make sure I don't break my neck," Willow challenged instantly. They glared at each other for a long moment before Willow stubbornly pushed herself to her good foot again, daring Tara to do something about it.

"You're not going anywhere," Tara stated immediately, pushing the door closed behind her.

"Are you going to stop me?" Willow demanded, breathing shortly. Tara's answer came in the form of a light shove to her shoulder, a move that normally wouldn't have wobbled her, but now sent her falling back into the bed. The redhead snatched Tara's wrist in a lightning fast grab, pulling the blonde down on top of her.

"Willow!" Tara chided, unable to escape from the redhead's arms. "Let me go!" she said.

"No," Willow stated firmly. "Not going to happen. Demon or no, you're stuck with me, baby!"

Tara started to protest, despite how much she wanted to accept what Willow was saying, her words and actions flying in the face of everything her father had said about her demon side. Willow still loved her, regardless of the demon revelation, and it was there in the redhead's eyes, in everything she was saying.

"Willow…" she pleaded softly.

"I'm not letting you go," Willow interrupted. "Turn into whatever kind of demon you want to, but I'm not letting that be the reason you break my heart," she said. "If you don't want me, don't love me, I'll go and you'll never have to see me again, but you can't leave because something gets hard. That's what Oz did to me, and I won't let you do it too," she said, feeling tears rising up to choke her.

"I love you, Willow. God, I love you so much," Tara gasped, burying her face in Willow's shoulder.

"So don't leave me," Willow requested, scattering kisses everywhere she could reach, her hair, her ears, her cheeks, finally finding her lips as Tara lifted her face.

"I won't," Tara groaned into a kiss, making up her mind suddenly. Willow had made her decision, had come back to her, staying even after learning the truth about her. And she wanted nothing more than to stay with Willow.

Willow's hold on her that had been restraining and firm loosened, the redhead's hands roaming over her back as they kissed and Tara let herself melt into Willow's arms, willing to follow her anywhere.

The next morning Willow took distinct pleasure in putting Tara's stuff back where it belonged while Tara was still asleep, returning to the bed as the blonde stirred. "Willow?" Tara asked sleepily, reaching for her but finding only empty sheets.

Willow sat down beside her, smiling down at her lover, brushing the back of a hand over her cheek. "I'm here," she said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Are you done being a dummy?" she asked softly, leaning over immediately to kiss her.

"I am a demon, Willow," Tara said as they separated.

Willow shrugged. "I don't care," she said sincerely. "If you are, then you're my demon, and we'll figure something out, some way to deal." She let her hand trace through Tara's hair slowly. "I talked to Giles though, and he said a demon would have shown up on the demon locator we did, even if it hadn't manifested," she added, her eyes not meeting Tara's.

The blonde stiffened, sitting up and curling her arms around herself, fingers playing with the hem of her shirt nervously. "Y-you didn't…"

"I didn't say your name, I wouldn't do that. I just proposed a hypothetical situation," Willow said. "Adam's mechanical stuff keeps me from finding him that way, but Giles said any other kind of demon, even one that can successfully maintain a human appearance, would have shown up."

"I d-didn't…" Tara said softly, trying to wrap her head around that fact. "I-I wasn't t-there." She knew Willow wouldn't lie to her, and Giles had no reason to lie to Willow, but could her father and brother have been lying to her this whole time? "Oh my God," she breathed as the truth became clear. They'd kept her in near slavery all those years, for nothing?

She collapsed in on herself, suddenly sobbing bitterly and she felt Willow curl around her protectively, breathing soothing reassurances into her ear. She couldn't have said how long she cried, hiccupping when she had no more tears left. Her body was shaking, but Willow was still holding her, pressing kisses to her neck and shoulder.

"Willow, they b-beat me, they h-hated me, they made me h-hate myself. I w-worked for them every s-single day. I ran away the f-first time I ever had a c-chance, but they c-caught me, d-dragged me back, made me r-regret ever being b-born, and it w-was all for n-nothing."

Willow didn't speak, just held Tara closer, resolving silently that nothing like that would ever happen again to this sweet, precious angel in her arms. "I love you, Tara," she breathed as Tara's trembling sobs eased. "They'll never touch you again, I swear. You're perfect, Tara. I don't know how evil people like that ever managed to be given such a wonderful person like you, but hearing what you come from, it makes me love you more," she whispered. "How could I have ever gotten so lucky to have found you?" she asked.

Tara snorted, shaking her head as she sniffled back fresh tears. "I w-wouldn't call it l-luck, sweetie. Your b-boyfriend cheated on y-you and y-you got hit by a car," she reminded her.

"Yeah, well then a goddess brought me a cake and made everything in my life better," Willow answered. She hesitated, finding Tara's eyes. "What can I do? How can I make it better for you?"

Tara melted into her arms. "Just stay w-where you are," she requested, resting her head on Willow's chest.

"I can do that," Willow promised.

They were quiet for a long time, each struggling to deal with everything that had happened. Tara's hands started moving slowly, tracing over Willow's side, fingers trailing hesitantly past the boundary of where the cast had been. Willow didn't speak, just tilted her head down to watch Tara's fingers trace her scars.

"I guess it went okay at the doctor," Tara said, sliding down to reach Willow's foot, dragging her fingers from her foot all the way up her leg.

Willow nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yeah. I'm starting physical therapy soon. I don't remember the dates exactly, I was pretty distracted during the appointment, but I've got them written down," she said, her voice squeaking as Tara's fingers started the return trip to her foot, followed this time by her lips. "If I hadn't come here last night, would you have been gone when I came looking for you today?" The question was torn from her lips before she recognized that she had spoken, and Tara's kisses paused at her knee.

"No," Tara said, voice muffled and her lips dragging over Willow's skin. "I wouldn't have left without telling you why."

"Good," Willow said. "I would have followed you," she said. "If you'd actually walked away, I would have followed you, brought you back."

Tara smiled up at her, pressing a kiss to the skin below her kneecap. "That doesn't surprise me."

"Aren't you glad I saved us both that time?" Willow asked, smiling back at her.

"Very," Tara breathed. "It gives us more time for other stuff," she said, smile turning wicked as she resumed her previous activities. Willow jumped as Tara's fingers tickled over the arch of her foot, groaning as her knee jerked reflexively. Tara sat up quickly, one hand covering her mouth while the other braced Willow's leg gently. "Oh, baby, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just…I think he said something about stretching or something, but I really wasn't listening," she groaned, back arching under her girlfriend's hands.

"I'll call Buffy," Tara said, moving off the bed and lifting her phone.

"She's at Riley's," Willow told her, rolling onto her good side, both hands holding her knee protectively.

Tara punched in the right number quickly, waiting impatiently for someone to answer. "Hello?" Riley asked as he picked up the phone.

"Hey Riley, is Buffy there? I need to talk to her," Tara said quickly.

"Oh yeah, she's right here," he said and Tara could hear him handing the phone off.

"Tara?" Buffy asked, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Willow's leg. She jerked her knee, but she can't remember the stretches the doctor told her," Tara answered, watching Willow.

"Oh, he gave me a sheet, and some braces too, for her ankle and her knee, if she needs them, but I left them somewhere…I mean, they're either in my room or yours, actually. I can't remember if I put them down when I was in there. Is she okay? Do I need to come?" Buffy wanted to ask about Oz, but the fact that Willow was in Tara's room seemed like a pretty clear indicator of what her friend had decided.

"Baby, do you want Buffy to come get you?" Tara asked, and Buffy smiled on the other end of the phone at the confirmation.

"No," Willow groaned through gritted teeth, her eyes squeezed closed. "I can handle it."

Tara sighed into the phone. "She's being stubborn, but I'll take care of her."

"Thanks, Tara," Buffy said. "I'll come check on you guys later. Call me if she needs anything, okay?"

"Yeah, I will. See you later, Buffy," Tara said, hanging up the phone and getting back on the bed. "Willow, let me," she said, putting one hand on her knee, Willow feeling the heat radiating from her lover's palm.

Willow groaned, letting her head fall back as she relaxed, her pain shrinking back as Tara's magic took it. "Thank you," she panted, one hand finding Tara's and dragging it up to kiss the back of it.

"Of course," Tara said, smiling sheepishly. "I'm going to say that tickling is off the table until your leg is stronger."

Willow pouted, but nodded. "That might not be a bad idea," she agreed reluctantly.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, baby," Tara said, taking Willow's foot with both hands and rubbing her thumbs into the arch of her foot gently.

Willow groaned again, but it was nothing like the groan of pain she'd made earlier. "You can make it up to me if you want to keep doing that," she offered, stretching.

"I can do that," Tara agreed, massaging her foot carefully. Willow's eyes closed, breathing deeply and Tara kept her hands moving up Willow's leg, rubbing her sore muscles and pressing kisses over the thin scars where the doctors had put pins in her leg. "I love you," she murmured against the pale skin, heart beating faster when she heard Willow say the words back to her.

Willow was still and quiet as Tara loosened up her leg and the blonde wasn't sure her girlfriend wasn't asleep when she finished. She decided it didn't matter as she slid up next to Willow, the redhead curling into her, muttering quietly. "Mine," Willow breathed, sliding her arms possessively around Tara.

"That's right, Willow," Tara agreed softly. "Just go to sleep. I'm right here and I'm yours."

"Don't want to sleep," Willow said even as she snuggled her head into Tara's shoulder with her eyes closed. "Just want to lay here with you. Thanks for fixing my leg," she mumbled.

Tara smiled, pressing a kiss against Willow's hair. "You're welcome, sweetie. You should sleep if you're tired though."

"Not sleepy," Willow insisted softly. "Just relaxed and very, very happy. I should have told you I love you a long time ago, Tara," she said. "But someone told me I shouldn't. I think she was trying to make it easier on herself to leave me…"

"I'm never going to get off the hook for that, am I?" Tara asked, laughing when Willow shook her head.

"Nope," Willow said cheerfully. "Just know that it would have been much, much worse if you had actually made it out the door."

"I'll keep that in mind," Tara agreed, squirming as she felt Willow pressing kisses over her neck slowly. "Feeling better?" she asked. Willow nodded against her, thin fingers trailing up her side, pushing her shirt out of the way.

"I'm feeling great," Willow sighed softly. She moved slowly, Tara stopping her before she could slide up onto her knees.

"I don't care how great you think you feel, I'm not going to let you do something you'll regret," Tara said.

Willow smirked up at her, shaking her head. "Oh, I'm fairly certain I won't ever regret it," she disagreed softly.

Tara kissed her gently, moving her onto her back firmly. "You know that's not what I was talking about, you goof," she said, laughing. "Your leg isn't strong enough, not yet."

Willow winked at her. "It will be soon," she promised.

"I can't wait," Tara said against her lips, kissing her softly, the kiss growing deeper and more passionate as Willow pushed her way into Tara's mouth. Willow's good knee bent, curling around Tara's hip to hold her close. "Willow," she groaned as her lover's hands tugged at her clothes. "Slowly."

Willow shook her head, diving back into the kiss. "We can go slow later. Want you," she moaned. "I'll be careful," she said, dutifully keeping her right leg still.

Tara knew that was the best she could hope for, knew that she really didn't want to stop, and trusted that she'd be able to tell if Willow was in pain. Willow could feel her give in, Tara's smile against her lips as her hands pulled her closer.

Despite the drama of the day, by nightfall everything felt as familiar and safe between them as it always had. Tara was doing laundry while Willow read a book stretched out on the bed. Tara had caught Willow watching her several times during the day though, and she stopped folding her laundry to meet her lover's eyes.

"What is it?" she asked. "You've been watching me like a hawk all afternoon."

Willow shrugged. "I can't look at my girlfriend?" she asked, skirting the issue with a smile.

Tara shook her head as she joined Willow on the bed. "Of course you can, sweetie, but this isn't just looking. It's like you're waiting on something to happen, for me to do something."

Willow glanced down at her hands, eyes finding Tara again as the blonde slipped her hand into Willow's. "I just want you to be okay," Willow said softly.

Tara frowned, confused. "I am okay, Willow." She sighed, free hand brushing hair back from Willow's face. "You mean about my family…" Willow nodded silently, looking almost guilty. "Willow, sweetheart, come here," she prompted, pulling Willow into her arms gently. "I'll never be able to forget what they did to me, but I haven't needed anything from them in a long time."

Willow smiled against her neck. "You're so strong, Tara."

"Well, thank you, baby," Tara said. "But I only did what I had to do." She pressed a kiss to Willow's hair. "And I've got much better people in my life now. People that I love more than I've ever loved anything."

Willow raised an eyebrow at her. "People?" she asked teasingly.

"One person in particular," Tara corrected herself with a smile. "She's really important to me. She's strong, and sweet, and beautiful, and I'm completely crazy about her."

Willow smiled up at her. "Anyone I know?"

Tara poked her gently in her side, squeezing her. "I think you might have met her once or twice," she agreed.

"She sounds great," Willow said. "Maybe you could hook us up," she suggested teasingly.

Tara squeezed her tighter, both laughing. "You know it's you," she said, hearing Willow's laughter fade as they curled together. "I promise that I'm fine, Willow," she said before her girlfriend could ask.

Willow nodded, pressing a kiss to her neck. "Just please know that you can talk to me, about anything, anytime you need to, okay? I love you, and I just need you to be okay, but there's no reason you should be, and I just want to help you any way that I can," Willow said.

"You do," Tara said, leaning up on one elbow. "You help me every single day." She took a deep breath, meeting Willow's eyes. "Part of me still believes that I am what they always said I was," she confessed softly. "I know Giles wouldn't lie, and you wouldn't lie to me," she said quickly, cutting off Willow's objections. "I just…it was all I knew, my whole life. 'I am a demon.'"

"Don't ever say that again," Willow interrupted her, voice firm. "I'll find a way to prove it to you."

Tara grinned crookedly. "Spike could punch me in the face," she suggested, laughing weakly.

The redhead scowled, shaking her head. "No way!" she protested. "He's not touching you. What about symptoms?" she asked. "Ever had any?"

Tara laughed again, bitter this time. "No. Daddy always said that nothing would show up until I turned twenty."

Willow hesitated, drawing in a deep breath. "What about your mother?"

Tara didn't speak for a long moment. "She never said a word. And I never noticed anything, but I wouldn't have. Daddy having to 'deal with us' was the way it always was, I never knew anything different." She drew in a shuddering breath. "Will, can we - can we just not talk about this right now?" she requested. "I just found out that I might get to stay with you. I just want to focus on that."

"I'm not going anywhere, Tara," Willow promised earnestly. "There's no 'might' about it, okay?"

Tara hushed her gently, resting one hand on her chest. "I just…give me some time, okay? I'm not even sure I'll be sure you're right until my birthday." Willow looked stung and Tara continued quickly. "Not that I don't believe you, or think you would lie, I just have believed it for so long, even though it's horrible, I can't let it go so easily." She sighed, letting her head find it's place on Willow's shoulder. "You'll help me, right?"

"Of course I will," Willow agreed. "I just…even apart from the demon stuff…you lost your family and I hate that for you."

Tara shrugged. "Your parents aren't around much either," she said softly. "I have an idea though. How about you can be my family, and I'll be yours," she offered. "Would that be alright?"

Willow blinked, suddenly overcome. "Yeah," she said softly, her voice choked up. "I think that sounds perfect."

"Good," Tara said, giving her a kiss. "You and me then." She snuggled into Willow's side, her head finding its place on the redhead's shoulder. "I had something I was going to ask you yesterday, before everything…happened…"

"What was it?" Willow asked, smiling peacefully, Tara's tone reassuring her that it wasn't anything bad.

"Do you like cats?"

Willow smiled down at her, shrugging minutely. "I'm more of a dog person myself, but I'm not like, 'death to all cats.' Why?"

"Cause I was thinking of getting one," Tara said softly. "But I wanted to ask you about it first," she said, giving Willow a soft kiss. "Because you're my girlfriend, and I'm in love with you, and I want the room to be Willow-friendly," she continued, exchanging kisses between words.

Willow nodded happily. "Fun! I'm in," she agreed, voice soft. "Kitty can be in our family too!" she announced, giggling.

Tara leaned up to kiss her again, Willow's arms holding her close as they kissed slowly. "I like the sound of that," she murmured as Willow kissed her again.

Next Time: Tara does something that Willow doesn't like…