School was the same hellish stress that it always was, but it was nothing compared to the mysterious blonde woman who had been doing her crazy best to ruin their lives for the last three months, and Willow was grateful for Tara's birthday providing the perfect excuse for a relaxed evening.
She had been meticulous about hiding the party she'd been planning, routing RSVPs to Buffy's house, careful to keep all of the decorations hidden. Joyce's illness was increasing everyone's stress, but it only made Willow more determined to give everyone a good evening.
The party was all planned, everything arranged at the Bronze, and Tara was distracted handily by the unexpected and unwanted chore of helping Buffy pack up and move out of the dorm. Even Xander hadn't let anything slip yet, and he'd been in charge of distracting Tara whenever Willow needed a moment to work out last minute details. She had another day left before Tara's birthday and the actual event, but she was trying to take care of everything early so that she could spend the entire next day with the birthday girl.
Everything was as under control as she could make it, and they were heading toward the Magic Box to meet up with the others. Joyce wasn't feeling well and Tara had offered to make dinner for everyone. The blonde froze as they came through the shop door though, her eyes locked immediately on a young man who was leaning over the table where Xander and Buffy were working.
"Tara, what is it?" Willow asked, glancing around the shop. She noticed the stranger and Tara's sudden paleness, her anxiety obvious. "Do you know him?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
Tara nodded, still without speaking, and Buffy noticed the pair in the doorway, the Slayer standing up at the table. Her mouth was opened to greet them, but she stopped as she recognized Tara's fear, her eyes locked on the strange man.
"Hey, we're closing," Buffy said, ignoring the squawk of protest from Anya behind the counter. "So, you've got to go now," she said, her prompting coming a moment too late as an older man put a hand on Tara's shoulder from outside the store, sending the blonde witch scrambling into the shop to get away from him.
The motion was enough to draw the stranger's eyes and he grinned. "There you are," he said, moving toward her quickly. She dodged his attempt to hug her and he frowned at her. "What's your problem?" he demanded. "You can't even give your big brother a hug?"
"Brother?" Willow questioned, and the edge in her voice was enough to alert Buffy, the Slayer moving quickly to Tara's side.
"I'm not hugging you, Donny," Tara said, her voice surprisingly firm. Her eyes moved to the older man in the doorway and she sucked in a sharp breath. "Daddy…you're here…" Her voice was meeker now, her shoulders slumping slightly.
He moved past Willow into the store, his arms crossed over his chest. "You know what happens tomorrow, of course we're not going to miss your birthday."
Tara shook her head, suddenly speechless. She'd been wondering if she'd ever see her family again, wondering if they'd ever track her down, and now they had. They were in Sunnydale and they were obviously looking to take her back with them.
"How did you find me?" she asked quietly.
"One of your dorm-mates suggested we might find you here," her father said, not answering the question she'd asked, his eyes traveling over the others. Giles and Xander had gotten to their feet, the tension between Tara and her family palpable.
Tara didn't speak again, just stared at her father in growing fear. "I know we've come suddenly, and I don't want to interrupt your plans, but I thought we would have dinner," he suggested, his tone telling her that it really wasn't a question.
"Okay," she agreed before she realized what she was doing, her obedience to her father too deeply engrained to forget.
"What?" Willow asked sharply. "Tara!" She'd been on her feet all day, and had been feeling fine so far, but she was suddenly feeling weak and her hand scrabbled for a grip on the edge of the bookcase she was standing beside.
Tara could see the tremble rock her, and she moved quickly to help her girlfriend. She didn't get a step before her father's hand was gripping her arm firmly.
Willow muttered rapidly under her breath in Latin, a twist of her wrist blasting the older man away from Tara. "Don't touch her," Willow growled at him, glaring down at him as he stumbled, landing hard on the floor.
Donny rushed to his father's defense, shoving Willow back to hit the bookcase behind her forcefully. Buffy hit him hard a heartbeat later, sending him flying. The young man hit the open doorframe of the shop's front door and crashed hard to the floor just inside. The Slayer stood protectively over Willow as Donny shook his head, disoriented.
"Touch either of them and I'll break you in half," she promised seriously. She spared a miniscule glance for Dawn, making sure that the youngest girl was close to Giles, before she glanced down at Willow.
Tara had been only a split second behind the Slayer in getting to the redheaded witch, and she helped Willow sit up slowly, sliding herself between Willow and the bookcase she'd crashed into. "Are you okay?" she asked, anxiously watching Willow grab compulsively at her knee. "Is it…?"
Willow let her head fall back against Tara's leg, hissing in pain. "It's okay," she said through gritted teeth.
Xander shoved Donny back down as the other man tried to stand up, poking him hard in the chest with the tip of Willow's cane. "Stay down," he ordered angrily, handing the cane backwards to Buffy.
She leaned it within reach for Tara, keeping an eye on both of the Maclay men. "I think it's time for both of you to leave," Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest.
Tara's father scoffed, getting defiantly to his feet. "You've got no right to tell me what I can do with my own daughter. She's our concern."
"That's not true," Willow said, struggling to push herself up. Tara kept a restraining arm around her shoulders, holding the redhead down. "She's my…our concern too. Because we love her."
"It's none of your…" He started to argue with her, taking one step toward the pair on the floor before Buffy intercepted him, one hand on his chest sending him stumbling back several steps.
"You're not…" Willow protested loudly from the floor.
"I'll go," Tara said softly, stopping everyone. Willow stiffened in her lap, looking up at her sharply. "To dinner," she assured her quietly, brushing her fingers soothingly over Willow's neck. "That's it. I'm not going anywhere," she said firmly.
Willow swallowed thickly, glancing nervously at the Maclays. "Are you sure?" Tara nodded, hugging her gently around the shoulders. "Can I go with you?" she asked compulsively, knowing that she was intruding on Tara's business, but anxious that the two men would somehow find a way to take her away.
"Willow, you're lucky I haven't called an ambulance for you already," Tara said. "Are you sure your leg is okay?"
Willow nodded distractedly. "Yes, it's fine. Want me to walk around and prove it?" The truth was that her leg was throbbing painfully and she wasn't sure she could take more than two steps without the cane, but she didn't want Tara to leave her behind because she was hurting.
"No," Tara said, pursing her lips. "I know you can't do it," she said firmly. "Buffy?" she asked, shifting her eyes to the Slayer. The blonde nodded, helping Willow to her feet carefully. Tara slipped herself under Willow's arm a second later, supporting her into a chair. "Do we have any of her medicine here?" Tara asked, glancing to where Buffy was still keeping herself between her and her father.
"Behind the counter, maybe," Buffy answered.
Dawn jumped forward to check, throwing herself on her stomach on the counter and rooting through the drawers with both hands. She popped up a moment later with a bottle triumphantly and handed it over to Tara immediately.
"It's going to make you sleepy, but you need to take it," Tara directed Willow firmly as she read the label, shaking one of the pills into her hand.
Willow promptly sealed her lips, shaking her head. "Mmh-mh," she hummed, scowling. She continued trying to speak with her lips closed, pausing as Tara put her empty hand over her mouth gently, thumb brushing over her lips.
"I'm not going to force feed it to you, Willow," she said, smiling in amusement.
"I can't just be sleepy and go to bed when you're going out with them," Willow stated quietly, glaring at Mr. Maclay over her girlfriend's shoulder. "What if they take you away from me?"
Tara sighed, leaning up to kiss her softly. "I'm not going anywhere, Willow."
"But they're both bigger than you, and you don't hurt people, even people who deserve it, and they could take you without you wanting to go," Willow said, her voice growing high pitched.
Tara shook her head, hushing her with a gentle hand. "Shh, sweetie, that's not going to happen." She smiled encouragingly. "You'd find me, right? You'd get me back."
Willow nodded, her eyes sliding closed. "I will always find you."
"That's right," Tara whispered, kissing her again.
"Can Buffy go to dinner?" Willow asked as they separated. Tara shook her head quietly, smiling. "Phooey," Willow complained, returning the smile weakly. She finally took the pill, swallowing it and lifting her tongue obligingly to show that she wasn't just holding it in her cheek.
"Thank you, sweetie," Tara said, brushing her hair back gently as she stood up. "Buffy, are you guys going to be okay picking up a pizza tonight? I'm sorry…"
"It's fine," the Slayer assured her, waving it off. "We'll see you tonight though, right?"
Tara nodded, glancing down at her girlfriend. "Yeah. I'll come pick her up in a while. Can you get her back to your house?"
Buffy nodded. "Of course. We'll see you later," she said, nodding to Xander to let Donny up, the Scoobies watching closely as Tara joined her family. Her father lifted one hand toward her arm, but she stepped back at the same time that Buffy stepped forward and he let his arm drop.
"If either one of you touch me, I'm gone. Go ahead of me," Tara directed them, following them out of the store with a lingering look at Willow over her shoulder.
As soon as the door closed behind Tara, Willow pushed herself to her feet, wobbling for a second before she dropped back into the chair. Buffy put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Will, just calm down. She's going to be fine, I promise." She dropped so she was at the redhead's eyelevel. "I'll keep an eye on her, okay? We'll get you home, and I'll make sure to patrol downtown."
Willow nodded, biting her lip. "Thanks, Buffy," she said quietly. Xander and Buffy helped her up, Xander staying on her weak side.
"Let's go home," Buffy directed them, curling an arm over Dawn's shoulder as they left the shop.
Willow was barely holding her eyes open by the time they made it back to the house, and Xander guided her onto the couch, hushing her murmured protests, the words unintelligible. He exchanged worried glances with Buffy as the Slayer joined them, sitting himself on the edge of the couch with Willow and brushing hair back from her face.
"I'll call for the pizza," Xander said quietly.
"Okay," Buffy agreed. "Keep an eye on her. I'm going to go check on my mom."
He nodded, dialing the phone as she bolted up the stairs. Willow was stirring uneasily despite the medicine induced sleep. Buffy returned after a few minutes, helping her mother down the stairs. The older woman looked instantly sympathetic, and Xander moved out of the way so Joyce could sit down on the couch.
"Tara's family?" she asked quietly, looking between the three friends as she shifted the sleeping witch's head into her lap.
Buffy crossed her arms over her chest. "They're out at dinner. I'm going to head that way and keep my eyes on them," she told her. "As long as you're okay, Mom."
Joyce waved her away, smiling weakly. "Go, Buffy. We'll be fine here. Is Dawn here?"
Buffy nodded. "Yeah, she's in the kitchen. She shouldn't mind staying in tonight as long as Xand is here," she teased, nudging the carpenter with an elbow and a grin.
Joyce laughed as Xander grinned sheepishly. "Well, you be careful out there. We'll be here," she assured her as Buffy's mouth opened to warn them to stay in the house until she got back.
The Slayer grinned sheepishly, nodding. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she promised.
Willow had only just started to wake up whenever Buffy returned. She blinked blearily at the Slayer, pushing herself up on her hands. "Buffy? How was patrol? Where's Tara?" she asked as she sat up, rubbing at her hair.
"I'm right here," Tara answered, coming in from the kitchen with a smile. "I told you I was coming back." She gave Buffy a sideways smile. "And you still sent a Slayer to keep an eye on me."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Buffy objected, winking at Willow. "You know I have to patrol for that crazy blonde lady. It was just good luck that I ran into you coming out of the restaurant." She grinned over her shoulder as she left the room, giving the two privacy.
Tara shook her head, taking a seat next to Willow and handing her the plate she was carrying. "Fine, I'll pretend to believe that," she agreed.
"I was just worried about you," Willow protested weakly, dropping her head against Tara's shoulder as the blonde pulled her gently to lean against herself.
"I know," Tara whispered, nodding. "But I'm right here and you should go back to sleep."
Willow nodded, picking at her pizza. "How was your dinner?" she asked instead, playing with her food rather than eating it.
"It was okay," Tara said, trying to be as vague as possible. She had never wanted to see her father or her brother again, and spending two hours with them had been much longer than she had ever expected to give them. "They're…stressful for me…" she confessed with a tired smile.
"I would think so," Willow agreed, glancing up at her shyly. "They didn't…hurt you, did they?"
Tara shook her head, leaning her head against the top of Willow's head. "No, sweetheart. They didn't touch me, not once." She curled an arm around Willow's shoulder, bending it at the elbow to slide her fingers into Willow's hair. "Can we not talk about them? I'm back with you and I just want to forget that they were ever here." Her eyes fell to Willow's leg. Joyce had considerately put her knee brace on while she'd been asleep and Tara sighed. "I never expected them to show up here. I never expected them…I'm so sorry they hurt you, Willow."
Willow blinked in surprise, shaking her head. "I'd have gotten hurt worse to keep you safe," she said simply.
"You can't get hurt worse," Tara objected. "You just got back on your feet." Willow opened her mouth to protest, only to be stopped by Tara's free hand. She bit her lip as Willow kissed the palm of her hand, trying not to smile. "Just take it easy for a few days, okay?" she requested. "For me?"
Willow nodded behind her hand but was pouting as Tara let her hand slide down, resting lightly on the redhead's neck. "I like the other way of stopping me from talking better," Willow complained, poking her bottom lip out exaggeratedly.
"Oh yeah?" Tara asked, laughing quietly and leaning up, sliding out from behind Willow and turning on the seat to face her. Her hand in Willow's hair pulled her in and they kissed. Willow chased her lips as Tara tried to keep the kiss brief, whimpering quietly. Finally, Willow let her go, dropping her head forward against her shoulder. "Better?" Tara asked, smiling as she smoothed her hands through Willow's hair.
"Much," Willow agreed breathily. "Much, much better."
"So glad you approve," Tara said, laughing. "Do you want to go home? How are you feeling?"
"Much, much better," Willow repeated, yawning. "We should go home though," she agreed. "Tomorrow's a big day."
Tara arched an eyebrow at her, smiling crookedly. "It is?" she asked in genuine surprise. Her family had never been big on birthdays, and hers had always just signaled the loss of another year of her humanity. Now though, it was more than that. It was another year of time she could spend with her new family, and with Willow.
The redhead nodded, smiling. "Of course it is," she said seriously. "My girlfriend is turning twenty. That's a big deal." She smirked teasingly. "And you'll officially be dating a teenager," she joked, clicking her tongue.
"I'll be living with a teenager," Tara mused, playing along. "Maybe Buffy and Joyce can give me some tips on how to deal with that…"
"Hey! I'm not that bad to live with," Willow protested, nipping at her neck teasingly. "You don't seem like you complain much, living with me." She pressed a kiss to her skin. "You seem…satisfied with everything," she said slowly, teasing.
Tara's eyes slid closed. "Willow, can we go home now?" she asked quietly.
The redhead nodded against her shoulder, sucking briefly on her skin. "Sure, Tara. Anything you want."
"I'll show you just how satisfied I am," Tara promised, surprised when Willow shook her head.
"It's your birthday. You get anything you want on your birthday," Willow said, tilting her head back to grin playfully. "I will need just a few hours of sleep though. I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow to give you the best birthday of your life."
Tara laughed, shaking her head. "Your work is done, my love," she promised. "It's already my best birthday ever. I'm with you. That's all I want, and more than I ever expected from my life."
Willow shook her head back at her, smiling lovingly. "That's not how it works anymore, Tara," she said softly.
The blonde smiled, her fingers moving slowly through Willow's hair. "And how does it work now?" she asked curiously.
"Anything that makes you happy, you get it," Willow said easily. "Anything that keeps you safe, I do it."
Tara leaned her forehead against Willow's taking a deep breath. "You're sweet baby, but I don't need anything but you to be happy." She curled her fingers through Willow's hair. "And I've got you and I intend to hold onto you."
Willow nodded against her. "You'll never see me trying to get away," she said happily. "Can we go home now?"
"Of course. Are you still sleepy?" Tara asked considerately, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
Willow shrugged. "Kind of. This night did not turn out like I was hoping. I'm just going to have do my best to give you some good memories to make up for the crappy ones."
Tara helped her up, grateful to see that Willow was steady on her feet, but pale and obviously tired. "You're very sweet, baby. Thank you," she said, swapping the plate of uneaten dinner for Willow's cane. They went into the kitchen together, saying their goodnights to the others.
Buffy pulled Tara aside, checking on both witches. "I could take another patrol across the campus, if you think they'll show up again," she suggested quietly, watching Willow across the room.
Tara smiled, watching her as well, and she shook her head. "No, they won't come around again tonight, at least. Thanks for keeping an eye on them for me."
Buffy nodded, smiling tiredly. "Sure, Tara. Let me know if you need anything from us, okay?" She grinned. "And happy birthday," she added.
Tara laughed, turning her eyes from Willow to Buffy. "Thank you," she said, glancing down as Willow curled an arm through hers.
"We'll see you guys tomorrow," Willow said, winking at Buffy as she pulled Tara away willingly.
The fall night was breezy, but not brisk, and they walked slowly back to the campus, keeping a cautious eye out for vampires. Willow was dismayed to realize that her medicine was wearing off and her knee started throbbing as they climbed the stairs to the second floor. Tara opened the door for her and she sat down weakly on the edge of their bed, sighing heavily in frustration. "I thought I was doing better than this," she said, massaging her knee with both hands.
Tara watched her quietly for a moment, shaking a pill into her hand before she moved to stand in between Willow's knees, drawing her eyes up with a gentle hand under her chin. She grimaced guiltily to her girlfriend. "You were until my jackass brother hurt you," Tara said, brushing her free hand through Willow's hair. She pressed the pill against her lover's lips, giving her a pleading look as Willow frowned at the medicine, relenting with a sigh and letting the pill slip between her lips.
She swallowed it dry, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry, baby. This wasn't I had in mind for tonight," she apologized.
Tara shook her head, frowning down at her. "Stop it," she said quietly. "You wouldn't be hurting if Donny hadn't shoved you." She leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry you feel bad, but do you know what I would love?" she asked, moving her next kiss to Willow's lips.
Willow responded slowly, feeling Tara pressing them back onto the bed. The kisses kept coming, slowly driving every thought from her brain. When they shifted to her neck, she managed to take a much needed breath. "I've got no idea, but I'm dying to find out," she gasped.
Tara lifted her head minutely, but not enough to put space between her lips and Willow's skin, letting her lips drag over the freckled neck as she spoke. "What?" she asked, too wrapped up in her task to remember her question.
"You were going to…oh God, you were going to tell me what you would love," Willow moaned, arching her back under Tara's attention.
The blonde remembered vaguely, shaking her head against Willow's neck. "I don't remember, but I know I love you, and I love doing this," she said in between sucking kisses to Willow's neck. She remembered the cause of her hesitation as Willow's weak knee jerked, drawing a hiss of pain from the redhead.
"No, don't stop," Willow gasped, huffing in frustration as Tara rolled to the side, shaking off Willow's restraining hands. "Sorry," she offered meekly.
Tara shook her head, breathing hard. "No, sweetie, it's not your fault," she said, finding Willow's wrist with one hand. "Come here," she prompted, pulling Willow gently onto her side, their lips meeting again. She hadn't intended to start fooling around again, but Willow was difficult to resist at the best of times, impossible to resist when she was disappointed.
Another moment had them back in their previous position, however, this time Tara let her weight settle on Willow's thighs, coaxing the redhead up into a sitting position. Willow was eager to comply, curling both arms up Tara's back, holding her close.
"Tara," Willow panted, and the sound brought the blonde sharply back to the present.
"We should stop," she said, breathing hard.
"No," Willow pleaded, her hands on Tara's hips to keep her from moving. "Tara, come on. It's your birthday and I want to be with my birthday girl."
"You're hurt," Tara protested weakly, wanting nothing more than to give in.
"My medicine is working, I'm fine. I didn't mean to groan like that. I promise it doesn't hurt," Willow said quickly, scattering rapid kisses across Tara's face. She caught her lips suddenly, kissing her deeply. Tara's surrender was a heartbeat later and Willow let her hands roam under the hem of Tara's shirt. "Happy birthday, baby," Willow breathed happily into a kiss.
An early knock on the door dragged Tara from the bed much earlier than she had anticipated waking up. Willow didn't have class until ten, so she was still sleeping, although the alarm would be going off by nine. However, at the moment, it was only a few minutes past seven.
She slid into a pair of slippers, prudently covering herself with a robe and making sure that Willow was covered in the bed. The knock was repeated and the redhead stirred before settling deeper into the blankets with a quiet incomprehensible whisper.
Tara smiled affectionately over her shoulder as she moved to answer the door. She couldn't have been more surprised to find her father and Donny on the other side. She didn't come into the hallway, one hand still holding the doorknob and she contemplated slamming it in their faces, but the compulsion of obedience was still too deeply built in and she left it open.
"Tara, you're coming home with us," Donny stated, his arms crossed over his chest.
She blinked at him, her free hand holding her robe closed at the collar. "I told you last night that I'm not. I have a life here, and I'm not giving it up."
"This is the gratitude you have for your family?" her father demanded. "We sheltered you and protected you for eighteen years…"
"You lied to me for eighteen years!" Tara objected, her voice louder than she'd realized and she gave a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure that Willow was still asleep.
"This isn't the place for this." Her father stepped closer, trying to get her to relent, take a step back from him.
"You're not coming in this room," Tara stated. "Willow's asleep."
"Willow?" Donny demanded. "What kind of name is that?"
Tara flushed, suddenly angry. It was one thing for them to try and control her, that was nothing new, but she'd be damned if she let them say one thing against Willow.
"Don't talk about her," she said firmly, her voice low. "She just…and you hurt her…" She stopped herself, taking a deep breath. "You don't talk about her. In fact, don't talk to me, period. Just go. I'm not going anywhere with you, and I'm not turning into a demon, and I'm not going home to be your slave."
The elder man took another step forward, trying to use his proximity to frighten her like he'd always found so easy to do when she was younger. There was a flash in his daughter's eyes and he found himself pinned to the far wall of the hallway. Donny jumped toward her and found himself in the same position, both trapped, only able to move their eyes.
"Don't come near me, or any of my friends again," she said quietly. "Next time, I won't just send you five feet away. Leave town, now."
She let them down after a moment, meeting her brother's glare solidly. "You ungrateful little bitch. You run away from your family to join a bunch of freaks. That girl in there isn't your roommate, is she Tara? I always thought you were worse than just being a demon, and now I know I'm right! We saw how you were touching her yesterday in that store…"
Tara squared her shoulders, her spine tense. "Do you really want to bring that up, Donny? After everything you did to me our whole lives, I'm the freak?" she demanded harshly. "Willow's my girlfriend, and I won't deny it, but if you say one more word about her, it'll be the last thing you ever say," she promised.
"You can't think we're just going to leave because you say so," Donny said. "I'll drag your ass out of here myself."
"You'll break something trying," Buffy's voice promised suddenly from the top of the stairs. Her hands were full, but Tara knew that wouldn't stop the Slayer if violence became inevitable. Xander and Dawn appeared behind her, followed finally by Giles and Anya. A noise behind her told her that Willow was awake, and the little redhead squirmed her way under Tara's arm a moment later.
"Go," Tara said simply.
"Before we make you," Dawn added, crossing thin arms over her chest. Tara could see her father's eyes contemplating the group, and he finally looked back at her, glaring at Willow before meeting her eyes.
"We're your blood kin," he said sternly.
Tara nodded, curling her arm around Willow's shoulder. "They're my family," she stated. She maintained eye contact with him until he broke it, dragging Donny past Buffy and the others, but she slumped against Willow in sudden relief whenever they disappeared from view.
"It's okay, baby. I've got you," Willow murmured, curling an arm around her. "Everything is okay."
The others joined them, Buffy lingering at the end of the hall to watch the Maclay's progress through the window. "Happy birthday," she said. "Your dad and your brother are gone."
Tara smiled, squeezing Willow gently. "That's not a present I was expecting to get, but it might be my favorite," she said, feeling suddenly giddy.
"Hey!" Willow protested. "You haven't gotten my present yet."
Tara hugged her again, kissing her hair. "You know I'm going to love anything you give me, Willow."
"Well, you can't have it yet," Willow teased.
"We brought you some stuff," Dawn interjected happily, gesturing to the bags in her sister's hands. "Not presents yet though."
"Yeah, what are you all doing over here at seven-thirty in the morning?" Tara asked, glancing at each of them.
"Dawnie has school in an hour, but she wanted to see you first thing to tell you happy birthday," Buffy answered. "And to make it up to you for being so early, we've brought some breakfast."
"It's just bagels, but they're fresh," Xander said, grinning. "Very fresh," he commented with a yawn.
"Well, come in," Willow said, moving herself and Tara out of the doorway. Tara hoped that the redhead had at least picked up before she'd made the offer, sure that there were discarded clothes left over from the night before.
Willow winked as the others moved into the room, knowing instinctively what Tara was thinking. The room was tidy when she looked and she found herself wondering exactly how long Willow had been awake, how much she'd heard before she'd made herself known. Willow shrugged, looking almost apologetic and Tara marveled at her girlfriend's ability to read her.
Their friends stayed for a while, eating and laughing together. They barely left in time to get Dawn to school on time, and the room felt too quiet once they were all gone. Tara picked up the few bits of trash left, making a mental note to take out the garbage when she went to class.
"I'll take the trash out when I go," Willow commented and Tara laughed.
"You're on a roll today, baby," she said, leaning back into her as Willow wrapped her arms around her. "You've been reading my mind."
Willow squeezed her gently. "You're my girl. Taking care of you is what I do."
"And you do a good job. I know you were awake earlier," Tara said, turning her head to look at her. "How much did you hear?"
The redhead sighed, her eyes closed. "I'm so proud of you, Tara. You did so good. Should I have come up earlier? I didn't mean to wake up, I know that was personal for you and it is none of my business, but I love you and anything I can do to help you, you just have to tell me, or even just give me a look, and I swear I'll figure it out, and do anything you want me to…"
She was cut off by a kiss, and Tara turned in her arms. "You're amazing," Tara breathed, hugging her tightly. "I love you, Willow."
Willow sighed, resting her chin on Tara's shoulder. "Shh, I know. It's okay. I will never let them hurt you again."
Tara shook her head against her girlfriend's shoulder. "I don't want to talk about them anymore. It's my birthday, and I want to spend it with you."
Willow pulled back from their hug to smile. "Well, that's what you're going to get then," she said cheerfully.
"I know you have classes today," Tara said, surprised when Willow shook her head.
"I'm skipping them," the redhead said easily. "I only have two, and all they're doing is midterm review."
Tara snorted, shaking her head. "And you're sure you don't need to go to that?"
Willow grinned. "Have you met me? I'm your girlfriend, the extreme overachiever. Of course I want to go, but I don't need to, and I'd much rather spend the day with you."
"Are you sure?"
Willow nodded. "Positive. I know you have class this afternoon, so we can't spend the entire day together, but I've got a super secret birthday errand to run, and I'll pick you up after class."
Tara lifted an eyebrow. "Birthday errand?" she questioned curiously, as any lingering anxiety she was feeling in the remnants of her family's departure was wiped completely away. They were gone, she could feel it, and she had the rest of her life ahead of her. She didn't have be afraid anymore. And she had Willow.
"Yup. And it's a secret, so don't think I'm going to tell you," Willow teased, her smile fading as she noticed Tara's faraway look. "Honey, what's wrong?"
Tara blinked, smiling suddenly. "Absolutely nothing," she answered, the answer honest for the first time in her life. "Nothing at all," she repeated.
"Good, because you've got lots of birthday fun to have," Willow said, grinning. "I didn't mean for it to start so early, but Dawn wanted to see you before she went to school though, so I guess it would have been pretty early, but hopefully they would have been more of a happy surprise than your…well, you know…" she trailed off.
Tara smiled, pressing a kiss against Willow's forehead. "You surprise me everyday, and I love it."
Willow grinned proudly. "Well, hopefully I've stepped up my game enough for your birthday." She tapped a finger against her lips. "I tried really hard, at least," she said. "Kiss for my effort?"
Tara laughed happily. "You're a goof. A sweet goof, but a goof." She provided the requested kiss, both arms curled around Willow's neck. Her eyes slid closed and she let Willow deepen the kiss. "You don't have to try to make me happy, Willow," she said softly against the redhead's lips. "You just do." She smiled, kissing her again. "You can have as many kisses for effort as you want though."
Willow giggled against her lips, nipping her bottom lip teasingly. "Yay," she cheered softly, taking another kiss. Tara ran a hand through short red hair, laughing into the kiss.
They separated slowly, coming back for quick pecks before they finally stopped. "So, what's next?" Tara asked, grinning.
"Well, it's your birthday, so anything you want is what I'm thinking," Willow answered happily.
"What did you have planned, with your secret birthday plans?" Tara asked. "I'm starting to think that you might have planned more than just having a secret birthday errand."
Willow smirked, unable to keep her face schooled in innocence. "What would give you that idea?" she asked teasingly.
"Our friends showing up for breakfast was a little clue," Tara said, grinning.
"So I'm busted?" Willow asked, biting her lip.
Tara shook her head. "No, sweetie. I'm just along for the ride. Anything you have planned is what I want to do, okay?"
"Well, what I had planned for now was some more kissing, if that's alright with you," Willow prompted hopefully.
Tara nodded, grinning. "Can we go back to bed if you're not going to class?" she asked, giggling as the alarm clock went off on the bedside table as she was speaking.
"Even better," Willow agreed, kissing Tara as they stumbled back toward the beeping clock. She found the button with a scrambling hand and clicked off the alarm.
"How are you feeling? Your leg?" Tara checked as she sat down on the edge of the bed, Willow following her down and sitting on her lap.
"I took some medicine earlier. Already working," Willow said quickly.
"But it was hurting?" Tara asked, disappointed.
"No," Willow protested. "It was just a precaution," she murmured, kissing her neck softly. "I knew you would ask, but I swear to you that I'm fine."
Tara could feel herself grow angry at the thought of Willow being hurt, of Donny hurting her girlfriend like he'd hurt her in the past. Willow brushed a gentle hand lightly over her brow, hushing her before she could speak.
"It wasn't your fault," Willow said. "I can't deny that your brother is an ass, but he's the one that shoved me, you didn't." She met her eyes solidly. "And there wasn't anything you could have done to stop him."
"He could have shoved me instead of you," Tara objected.
Willow shook her head sternly. "I never would have let that happen. I've been trying to let you handle all of this your own way, tried to stay out of your way, but I would never have let either of them hurt you."
Tara sighed, smiling up at her. "You're my knight in shining armor, aren't you?"
Willow grinned, nodding. "Well, knight in a shining wheelchair," she corrected. "But yes, absolutely I am."
"Not in a wheelchair anymore," Tara stated.
"Shining crutches?" Willow asked, teasing now.
"I'd rather you be on your own two feet, and I'll do my best to make sure I don't need anymore defending, okay?" the blonde offered.
"That sounds like a fair deal," Willow agreed. "Now, about your birthday, and the kissing…"
Tara laughed, feeling relaxation like she'd never known wash over her. Her father and brother were gone, her humanity was irrevocable, and she had friends. She'd never really had friends, never seen anything in her life that resembled the way the Scoobies loved and looked out for each other. And she'd certainly never expected to be accepted into any such group.
But she had. It was as clear as the freckles she loved on Willow's skin. Willow loved her, and the others were her friends, better than family, and two things she'd never expected to be part of her life. She snapped back to the present as Willow wiggled her fingers in front of her eyes.
"What's going on in that pretty head?" Willow asked, smiling at her. "Want to let me in?"
"You're already in there," Tara said, leaning up to kiss her. "I was thinking about you." Willow met her lips, kissing her softly. "About who I would be if I didn't know you."
Willow gave her a confused look. "You'd be the same person, Tara…"
"No, I wouldn't…it's all you, baby. Before I met you, I was a stuttering mess who would have gone back with them, even knowing what they would do to me once we got there. You're the only reason I'm different now." She smiled lovingly. "You make everything in my life better, Willow Rosenberg."
Willow blinked in surprise, smiling against her lips. "Tara, it's the same for me. The day you knocked on my door with that cake was the best day of my life."
Tara laughed, stroking her fingers gently through Willow's hair. "I thought you said the night that you stayed over to hide from the Initiative was the best…" she teased.
Willow smirked, rolling her eyes. "I'm getting teased when you're the one who started pouring your heart out to me." Tara was still laughing and Willow grinned. "I'm glad to get any side you want to show me though," she confessed, happy to see Tara so peaceful after the confusion and tension of the last two days. "I can take being teased if it means you're smiling."
Tara grinned happily, her hands squeezing Willows hips gently. "I didn't mean to tease you, love. You're too good to me."
Willow winked, grinning. "I think I can forgive you this once. I mean, it is your birthday," she agreed teasingly.
"Oh, thank you for that," Tara played along, fingers tickling Willow's sides.
"You're welcome," Willow agreed, giggling and then squealing as Tara intensified her tickling, sending them falling backwards into their bed. She clapped a hand over her mouth, laughing loudly. "It's still early. I forgot," she gasped in between giggles.
Tara paused, giggling herself. "Are we late for some birthday thing you have planned?"
"No, we're still in the kissing portion of the day," Willow said, laughing.
"Lot of those portions, are there?" Tara teased, letting Willow fight back, rolling and tickling on their bed.
"A few," Willow agreed. "But there's also fancy lunch, and my super secret birthday errand, and spontaneous presents."
"Spontaneous presents?" Tara asked. "And fancy lunch? How did I get so lucky?"
"Being the birthday girl has its advantages," Willow said cheerfully. "But there are more secret things that I'll never reveal, even under tickle torture," she promised, returning the tickling assault.
"We've got time," Tara said. "I'll get it out of you."
"We've got all the time in the world, baby," Willow agreed.
"And I don't mind being surprised," Tara confessed, ceasing her tickling suddenly.
Willow was breathing hard and she smiled sideways at the blonde as she caught her breath. "You know, you've changed me as much as I've changed you."
Tara laughed, shaking her head. "You haven't changed one bit. You're the same beautiful, babbling, brainy witch that I fell in love with."
"But now I can walk," Willow said, grinning at her.
"You did that on your own. And you would have done it without me," Tara said easily.
"But you gave me a reason to do it. You don't know how easy it would have been to give up, to just stay in the chair."
Tara shook her head again, one hand finding Willow's without looking. "You wouldn't have just given up. That's not who you are."
"But you don't know how much easier it made it to deal with all the pain, and all those days of working out because I knew you were at home waiting on me, or at the end of the parallel bars cheering me on," Willow said, squeezing her hand.
Tara wanted to protest that she would have stood by Willow's side even if the redhead had never returned her feelings, if they had remained friends, but knew that it wasn't necessary. Willow knew how she felt, and she knew exactly how Willow felt about her. It was clear to both of them each time their eyes met.
"We saved each other, how does that sound?" Willow suggested quietly.
Tara smiled, peace and love like she'd never known washing over her. "Perfect."
They'd each been damaged when they'd met, but with time, and together, they'd each managed to overcome. Willow's damage had been more visible, but Tara's was no less severe and they'd found support they didn't know that they needed in each other. And no matter what came next, they were together and that was what mattered.
Well, here's the last chapter! Hope everyone enjoyed it! I've got a few more things coming, so hopefully you guys will find your way to them! I appreciate everyone's support and thanks so much for reading!