Willow walked out of the FBI offices in a mild state of shock, a small folder filled with documents in one hand and her recovered laptop in the other and realised she was right around the corner from the DCF offices. Shuffling everything under one arm, she glanced at her watch and saw that she should be able to catch Tara just before she left for the day and they could travel home together.

She walked the couple of blocks to the building, her afternoon running through her head on a loop and walked into the officers of her fiancée, and over to her cubicle. Tara spun in her seat when she saw someone come up to her desk in her peripherals and her smiled beamed when she saw who it was.

"Hey, sweetie. What're you doing here?"

"I had the…weirdest afternoon. Completely crazy."

"Well you've got good timing," Tara said, turning slightly to press a few buttons on her computer, watching as the screen turned to black, "I'm just done for the day. And I had a bit of a crazy day too."

"Oh, believe you me, baby. It was not as crazy as mine."

"Well you can tell me all about – why do you have your laptop with you?" Tara asked, crinkling her brow in confusion as she stood and picked her handbag up from the floor.

"All part of my crazy day," Willow replied as they joined hands and started walking out,

There was a silent understanding that they'd wait until they got home to talk properly, the many people and loudness of rush hour on the T not being conducive to having a conversation. They walked through the front door of their apartment and Tara kicked off her shoes, putting her keys in the bowl by the door.

"I got a job," Willow blurted before the door was even closed and Tara spun around, her eyes wide.

"You got a job? Oh honey, congratulations!" Tara replied, swooping the smaller girl up in her arms, "I'm so proud of you."

"You don't even know what it is," Willow said with a small giggle, then pulled back from the hug, a serious look on her face, "I haven't accepted yet. I need to talk to you about it fully and if you're not happy, then I won't go ahead, okay? I need you to know that."

"This sounds serious…"

"Baby, I could really use a beer. And a cuddle. Can we get those and then talk?"

"Of course," Tara replied, rubbing the redhead's shoulder's with a smile, "And you need to know I'll support you through anything."

Tara dropped her head and put a kiss on Willow's forehead before making her way over to the kitchen and taking two beers from the fridge. She kicked the door shut and walked back into the living room, nodding for Willow to head over to the couch. She sat back and let the redhead use her as a backrest, opening both their beers. When they were settled comfortably, Willow started to speak.

"Okay. Now this is all gonna seem completely surreal, and it is, I still can't believe it happened so I'm gonna tell you the story from beginning to end and then we talk about it, yea?"

"Okay. I got it."

"Right. So, this afternoon I was looking up some wedding things and there was a knock on the door. I answer and there's these two guys in black suits. From the FBI. They come in, take my laptop, tell me I need to go with them or they'll arrest me and take me in."

Willow could practically hear the wheels turning in the blonde's head but appreciated that she was keeping her word and staying quiet throughout her story.

"So I go with them and they take my laptop away to these tech guys to analyze while I get taken into this little room and this other agent is there and he has this file on me, like this big file about all the things I've ever hacked into."

Willow felt her fiancée stiffen and turned her head, quick to reassure her.

"Don't worry, I'm not in trouble, I promise, baby, okay? I'm not in trouble. But this agent, his name was Patterson, he kinda made it seem like I was and I was panicking and then he says I'm on a list, this list of the most potentially dangerous hackers and then I really start to panic but then he says the same list can be known as the most useful. So then he says that they think I could be a valuable asset as an FBI technical analyst. And then I had to talk to a whole bunch of people and answer all these questions...they even made me give a urine sample and do a polygraph, I had wires and stuff all over me. And the questions were so invasive, they asked all about my history with my parents and you and everything. It's scary how much information the government just have on us."

Tara looked at the redhead, who nodded that she could speak.

"You weren't kidding when you said it was a crazy day. But wow. My girl, working with the FBI. I certainly didn't expect that when I woke up this morning. Why haven't you said yes yet?"

"Well…first off I have to go down to Quantico for training. It's nine weeks, which means nine weeks away from you. And I'd have to leave in two weeks. And…well, baby, there's no knowing where they could assign me. It all depends on staffing needs and stuff like that and I couldn't ask you to move. You love Boston. It's home."

Tara placed a series of short kisses on Willow's neck as she gathered her thoughts, moving slowly upwards until she tilted the smaller girl's head back and let their lips met tenderly.

"You're my home," she said when they pulled back.

"And you're mine," Willow whispered.

"My Scarlet."

"Huh?"

"In Gone With The Wind. Tara is Scarlet's home."

"That's right. I remember from English Lit. So you think I should go for it?"

Tara could hear the excitement in the redhead's voice as she spoke and nodded her head.

"I think if it's what you want, then definitely. I know how much not having a job cuts you up inside, honey. And this seems like your dream job, analyzing and figuring stuff out and being your general wonderful self. I mean, you got recruited and were on a list – which, by the way worries me, but anyway. And if we have to move, then we move."

"But you love your job."

"I do. But I can do it from anywhere."

"And our friends?"

"We'll visit. They'll visit. But who knows what'll happen, as long as we're together, we'll be fine."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. I trust implicitly in our love."

"You're willing to uproot and move somewhere with me that I don't even know where?"

Tara held her hand out in front of them both.

"I didn't accept this ring or put the one on your finger for nothing. It's a promise to be with you wherever, forever."

"Oh god, thank you. I mean, when I realised I was being offered a job and the actual job, I mean, it's all so cool, I'd be helping with crimes and national security and I met some of the analysts already there and they were telling me about how they helped bring down a local crime gang and the money…"

Willow grabbed the file she'd been given with forms to fill out if she accepted the position, as well as information on the job and showed Tara the paragraph about salary. The blonde's eyes widened as she read.

"That's like triple what I make."

"I know. We wouldn't have to just scrape by or be on second and third notices for all our bills. I mean, we'd have so much less to worry about and I wouldn't feel so awful about never being able to contribute and I can give you the wedding you deserve and buy you a proper ring and it's like a really secure job for when we start a family and-"

"Take a breath or you'll pass out."

Willow took a lungful of air, grateful Tara had stopped her babble and put her empty beer bottle on the floor.

"Thank you. And thank you for being you, being amazing and letting me love you. Especially for loving me back."

"It is my absolute pleasure," Tara replied promptly and Willow turned her head again so they could kiss.

"Tell me about your crazy day," Willow said when they pulled back.

"One of my kids spoke up," Tara said with a grin, "His father got taken away and I got him into emergency foster care. He was so frightened, his dad kicked up one hell of a fuss when the police came, but he was so brave. His mother died in childbirth, which we knew, but he said his dad would get angry with him for 'sending his mommy to heaven'."

"Oh my god. That's terrible."

"I know. But when he got to the foster house, he was clinging to my leg for all of a minute before he saw another boy playing with a truck and ran over to him, showing off his cast. It was the first time I ever saw him laugh. He smiled a few times when I'd talk to him but he never laughed. And when I was leaving he told me that he loved me."

"Oh, baby."

"I know you and Alice and Evans and everyone say I get too involved, and I know, I do. But if I hadn't pushed, he could be home with that man, getting hurt, or killed if it went on long enough and nobody would help and, and-"

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry," Willow whispered, turning around and cupping Tara's cheeks, "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

It had been obvious from the beginning that Timmy's case brought up best-forgotten old memories for the blonde, but those memories were clearly more potent than Willow had realised.

Willow's thumb brushed away the single tear that fell from Tara's eye and she leaned in for a gentle kiss. When they pulled back, Tara gave a small smile.

"God, I'm sorry. It was just… it was like I was back there, just for a second, but I could feel the hopelessness. So stupid."

"It's not stupid at all. I promise no one will hurt you ever again. I'll die before I let something happen to you, okay?"

"I'm your girl, right?" Tara asked with a sniffle.

"Of course you're my girl, silly," Willow said with a grin, "And I'm yours."

Tara manoeuvred them so that Willow was lying on top of her instead of kneeling in front and looked straight into the redhead's eyes, feeling vulnerable after her momentary breakdown.

"Show me."