"Tara, we have to go in."

"Shush, I'm kissing you."

Willow sighed and let herself be kissed, her back against the wall outside their reception room, Tara pressing against her, her lips travelling between the redhead's own lips and her neck.

"We're like a couple of teenagers," Willow said, moaning softly when the blonde latched onto a particularly sensitive spot on her neck, "Everyone's gonna think we got lost on our way back from the ceremony."

"They'll understand," Tara replied between kisses, softly grinding her hips into Willow's, "That I need…some smoochie time…with my wife."

Willow groaned and tilted her neck to the side.

"God, I love how that sounds. Say it again."

"My wife."

Willow moaned again and pulled the blonde's lips back up to hers, kissing them fervently.

"We should at least go up to our room," she said, pulling back after a moment, her hands going down to cup Tara's ass, "We can't keep kissing in the hallway."

"Still talking," Tara complained, her eyes closed as her lips covered Willow's, "I said shush."

Willow conceded and stopped talking, letting her hands squeeze the flesh beneath the fabric of Tara's dress as their hips still grinded together softly. They stayed in that position, the blonde's hands moving to cup the smaller girl's cheek, deepening the kiss in the process until the double doors beside them swung open and Ira walked out, a look of shock on his face as he took in the scene before him.

The redhead was the first to notice him, her eyes having opened when she heard the doors opening and she pulled her hands back, using them to push Tara away from her. The taller girl was about to protest the stopping when she noticed Ira in the corner of her eye and jumped back, blushing.

"I was sent out as a search party," Ira said, looking down slightly, "I, um, I'll just inform everyone you'll be in later."

"No, Dad," Willow replied, her face bright red, "We'll, uh, be right in. Just got a little carried away."

"Right," Ira nodded, refusing to meet either girl's gazes, "We'll see you in there."

He went back into the room and Willow turned to Tara, shaking her head.

"I told you we should've gone up to the room."

Tara threw her hands in the air defensively.

"How was I supposed to know your Dad was gonna walk out?"

Willow crossed her arms over her chest.

"Right outside the reception room? Anyone could've walked out."

Tara took the redhead's hand and kissed her knuckles.

"Can we please not have our first fight half an hour into our marriage?"

Willow got an apologetic look on her face and entwined hers and Tara's hands.

"I'm sorry. Just kinda freaked 'cause my Dad caught me groping my…wife. Hey, I was groping my wife. I have all the right in the world do that. We're married now. That means I shouldn't be getting embarrassed 'cause we got caught smooching a little. We're all legal and everything."

Tara let out a small laugh, raising an eyebrow playfully.

"Is this your way of telling me you're becoming an exhibitionist?"

"I dunno," Willow grinned, "Does that excite you?"

"You excite me," Tara grinned back and pulled the redhead too her once again.

Willow gave the blonde a quick, sweet kiss before pulling back.

"We better go in. You're much too hard to resist when there's no one around to stop me."

"True. And we don't want your Dad walking out to find us having sex."

"Don't tempt fate, Tara," Willow replied with a shudder, "Just don't tempt fate. You ready to go in there?"

Tara nodded and took the redhead's hand as they walked through the double doors. Everyone turned from their various locations – some getting drinks from the small bar, some getting food from the buffet set up and some just standing or sitting and talking – when the couple walked in and clapped their arrival. Both girls blushed as Buffy came bounding over to them, a plate in one hand and dragging Angel along with the other.

"Hey, guys. I wanted you to meet Angel."

The two girls shook hands with Angel and exchanged pleasantries as Buffy bounced around excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"Oh my god, the ceremony was so beautiful. I hope when I get married it can be half as nice as yours."

Angel started coughing nervously at this and shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I wasn't hinting, honey, but good to know where you're at. Anyway, I'm sorry I messed up at the end. I was concentrating so hard on not saying 'shalom' that it just came out when I opened my mouth."

Willow and Tara laughed and the redhead put her hand on Buffy's arm reassuringly.

"Honestly, don't worry about it. I'm the one who forgot her vows."

"Your vows were perfect," Tara interjected, smiling lovingly at her wife, "They were perfect."

"Aww you guys are so cute," Buffy said, smiling, "And this food is amazing. There's like twelve different types of cheeses."

"Buffy's a fan of cheese," Angel explained, "Kind of idolises it."

"Hey, everyone needs a deity," Willow replied with a laugh, "Cheese seems just as good as any."

The three girls giggled for a moment before Willow pointed off to the left.

"Speaking of deities and religiousness in general…there's Rabbi Goldstein. We should go thank him."

"We should," Tara agreed, "We'll see you guys later? Enjoy the cheese, Buffy."

"For sure," Buffy nodded, "We have an early flight, but we'll say goodbye before we leave."

Willow and Tara left the other couple with a smile and walked over to the rabbi, who smiled at them warmly.

"Hello again. How are you both feeling?"

"Pretty damn good," Willow replied, grinning at Tara, "We just wanted to thank you for everything. The ceremony was everything we wanted it to be."

"It really was," Tara added, "We're so happy it was you that was presiding over it."

"Married barely an hour and everything is already referred to as 'we'," the rabbi said with a laugh, making the couple laugh as well, "It was my pleasure. I'm glad I got to see you before I leave."

"Oh, you're going?" Willow asked, "You know you're welcome to stay."

"Thank you," Rabbi Goldstein smiled, "But I have a bris to perform this evening. Normally I try not to double book but the parents were insistent that I do it, I've known the mother since she was a child herself."

"Hectic life of a rabbi," Willow joked, "Well, good luck with your bris. Thank you again."

Tara reiterated her thanks as well and both girls shook the rabbi's hand before he departed, stopping only briefly when Ira stopped him to shake his hand as well. The couple spent the next hour or so going around to each of their guests, thanking them for coming and chatting about the ceremony as Brian's friend, Russell, who was DJ-ing kept a steady beat of songs playing until Ira picked up his glass and tapped his spoon against it, indicating he wanted to say something. Everyone took their seats and the DJ turned the music down to a low hum.

"Thank you," Ira said, smiling to the small crowd of people in the room, "Those of you who don't know me, I'm Willow's father, Ira. I still can't quite believe it's my little girl's wedding day. I…well… I haven't always been the best father…in fact that's probably quite an understatement. And that I'm here today, to celebrate the love my darling has found shows her capacity for forgiveness and I'm honoured I can be part of her life again, because I know I'm going to be a proper father this time."

Ira paused a shared a look with Willow, who smiled at him lovingly.

"I was going to use this speech to welcome Tara to the family, but I think it's quite evident that's it's the other way around in this case, that I'm being welcomed into theirs. In all my life, I could never imagine a better person for my Willow," he paused again to look at Tara this time, "Your Willow. I see the love you both radiate when you're around each other and it fills me with delight that my daughter is truly happy. I'd like to thank you, Tara for bringing the joy you do into Willow's life and Willow, I'd like to thank you for making me the proudest father in the world. I'd also like to propose a toast to the happy couple, may their lives together be filled with the capacity to enjoy the good times, to get through the bad and to love each other always. To Willow and Tara."

Everyone clapped and raised their glasses as they repeated the newlywed's names, the loud sounds reverberating against the walls. When the sound died down, Willow took the opportunity to stand up, her own glass in her hand.

"Thank you, Dad. For everything you said. Your words actually reminded me of a story," she started, grinning when she saw a slightly scared look on her wife's face, "Don't worry, honey, it's not a bad one."

Tara exhaled a sigh of relief and everyone laughed.

"It's actually the first time Tara told me she loved me. We'd only been dating a couple of months and we were studying under this really big oak tree at the BC campus…"

"Want a bite?"

Tara turned her head away from her book she was reading from at the sound of her girlfriend's voice from where she was lying on her stomach and shook her head at the apple being offered to her, before a shiver went through her body. Willow noticed and in barely seconds had taken her sweater off and was putting it over the blonde's shoulders.

"Don't be silly, Will," Tara said, shrugging the sweater off and handing it back, "You only have a little t-shirt on, you'll be cold."

"You just shivered, therefore already are cold," Willow countered, refusing to take the item of clothing back, "Anyway, I'm from California, I'm warm-blooded. I don't need the sweater."

"But-"

"Let me take care of my girl," Willow interrupted with a warm smile, "Okay?"

Tara smiled and gratefully pulled the sweater on completely before leaning over and giving the redhead a loving kiss. It was at that moment she realised that she was giving her girlfriend a loving kiss because she was, in fact, in love with her. Upon that realisation, she pulled back, a surprised look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Willow asked, off the look, "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"No, no. It's just I…" Tara audibly swallowed as she tried to voice her newly-discovered though always-present feelings but found the fear of possible rejection made it impossible, "I just remembered I forgot to take a book back to the library."

"Oh. Don't worry about, I'm going later anyway. I'll take it back for you."

"Thanks." Tara smiled a weak smile, thinking she'd have to find a library book to give to the redhead as she turned back to her book, any attempts at study failing as her mind raced with only thoughts of somehow telling the redhead she loved her.

"Willow?" she tried after a few minutes, thinking she'd gotten the confidence.

"Uh huh?"

"I…I think you've got something in your hair," the blonde kicked herself internally as she chickened out and picked out an invisible piece of lint from Willow's hair, "Got it."

"Thanks, baby." Willow smiled at her girlfriend before looking back at her Psychology of Gender textbook, the exam of which she had the following morning.

She was just reading over the section of the media's constructions of femininity and masculinity when a small piece of ripped notebook paper landed on her page. She picked it up and held it in front of her eyes, her breath catching in her throat when she read the three little words written on it. She looked over at Tara who was seemingly engrossed in her textbook, but the redhead could see her whole body was tense and that she was breathing heavily, so she pushed her own book to the side and quietly lay down on her stomach beside her girlfriend.

"I love you, too."

Tara's head snapped around and Willow moved her own head forwards at the same time so their lips met tenderly.

The blonde pulled back after a moment and looked the smaller girl in the eye.

"I just have to make sure…I didn't just imagine that you said-"

"I love you," Willow whispered, cutting Tara off, "I love you with all my heart."

"That was the greatest day of my life," Willow said as she finished telling the story, "At least until today it was. See, on that day, I knew that this beautiful, wonderful woman loved me. Today I know she's gonna love me for the rest of our lives. And I'm gonna love her, too."

Tara stood up at this and put her hands on the redhead's neck as she kissed her with a tender passion and everyone clapped once again, smiles on their faces. When the newlyweds pulled apart, the DJ raised the music level slightly and started speaking into the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time now for the father/daughter dance."

Tara gave the smaller girl another quick kiss before sitting down and watching as she walked out to the dancefloor with Ira, her heart swelling with love as they began dancing to Heartland's 'I Loved Her First'.

Both Willow and Ira let the music and words accompanying them flow through them as they danced, both recognizing it as a pivotal moment in the rebuilding of their relationship and quietly allowing the moment to happen. When the song ended, Ira looked over to Tara and nodded at her in an indication to come over, taking her hand and putting it in Willow's when she arrived.

Tara smiled at the gesture, almost akin to when Ira had given Willow away in the ceremony and squeezed the redhead's hand before grabbing hold of her waist as the smaller girl's arms went around her neck, their bodies swaying to the opening bars of The Script's 'I'm Yours'.

"I still have it, you know."

"What?" Tara asked with a grin, "Your unyielding passion for me?"

"Well, yes," Willow grinned back, "But I meant that piece of paper. The one you told me 'I love you' on. I keep it next to your picture in my wallet."

"You do? Really? How come you never told me?"

"Dunno. But anytime I'm having a rough day, I open my wallet and there's your smiling face telling me you love me. My day's never rough after that."

Tara smiled and twirled the redhead, looking around happily as she saw the other couples take to the dancefloor as well. They stayed dancing through the next few songs until Becky and Brian walked up to them, carrying a chair each and put them down in front of them. Becky nodded at the DJ and Willow grinned as she recognized Hava Nagila start to play, sitting in one of the chairs.

Tara sat in the other one and Brian pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, handing either end to the two girls as everyone else gathered around; Buffy, Becky, Ira and Brian hoisting Willow up as Alice, Jamie, Ben and Mr. Evans did the same with Tara.

"I'm so dizzy!" Willow yelled after a few minutes, giggling as she struggled to keep hold of the handkerchief, "This is so much fun!"

The song ended and the chairs were put back down on the floor. Willow went to stand but lost her footing; partly from clumsiness, partly from having been spun around in the air and ending up falling forwards, her head going into Tara's lap.

"Jeez, Willow, you couldn't wait until later?" Becky asked from the sidelines, grinning wickedly, "Or at least go up to your room?"

Willow raised her head and blushed as she saw everyone else staring down at her, giggling. Getting a defiant look in her eye she jumped up and sat on the blonde's lap.

"You're just all jealous that I get to be around her-"

"Music, Russell," Tara yelled, cutting the redhead off before she finished her sentence, "Everybody, dance."

Russell restarted the music, playing the Pointer Sister's 'Jump (For My Love)' and almost all the girl guests squealed and hit the dancefloor, while the boys, the ones that weren't dragged to dance too, went to get more drinks or food. Willow swung her head around and looked at the blonde.

"I was gonna say around your smile."

"No you weren't," Tara replied, but smiled anyway, blushing when her stomach rumbled, "I haven't eaten since that apple."

"Well then, let's go get you some of that food we paid for," Willow grinned, "'Cause, uh, you're gonna need a lot of energy tonight."

Tara grinned back and caught the redhead's lips in a kiss for a few minutes before they went over to the buffet and got some food. Quite a few hours later, Willow and Tara having said their goodbyes to Buffy, Angel and Ira who were all leaving early the following morning with promises of seeing each other soon, the rest of the guests started to depart, until it was just the couple left, having a final dance together.

"This was the best day of my life," Tara said, swaying to the music, "The absolute best."

"It was," Willow smiled, "It really was incredible."

They danced silently for another minute until the song that was playing ended and Tara started leading them towards the door.

"Let's go make it an incredible night."