By the time we'd reached the motel, I'd managed to calm down enough to give Tara's poor ears a break. I was eighty-four percent positive that she would have gone deaf if I'd kept talking so much. Swinging the door open, I waited for her to pass through, and shut it behind us. "Soooo…"

Another raised eyebrow greeted me. "How do you do that? I try and try, but I always end up looking like an idiot." To demonstrate, I contorted my face in an attempt to raise a single eyebrow. Tara took one look and cracked up.

"Oh, god, Willow, you look- hilarious!" I would have been offended, but the combination of Tara's joy and my current state of floaty happiness combined to leave me standing there with a stupid grin on my face, watching her laugh. A random thought floated through my mind: This is a girl who lived her whole life in fear and pain. She never had a friend, or someone to support her through anything. There was no light and laughter for her, not like now. She deserves - everything. The world, my life, my love - everything.

"W-Willow? Are you all right? You look a little-" she broke off, gesturing vaguely to her face.

I crossed the room and knelt before her, taking her hands in mine. Seeing - something - in my face, Tara sobered, looking down at me. "Tara Alyssa Maclay, I love you more than life itself. Never doubt that, and never forget it."

A smile crept onto her face, and she freed one hand, curving it around my cheek. I leaned into her, never taking my eyes off hers. "I don't, Willow. I don't know how I've found you, but I'm never letting you go. Not in this life, nor the next."

She leaned down and kissed me tenderly, then with growing passion. I felt myself being lifted, and my legs wrapped around her back, effectively seating me in her lap. She hesitated slightly, enough for me to pick up on, but before I could draw back to look at her, she'd fallen backwards, taking me with her. "Tara?"

"I love you, Willow." Her voice was strong, with no trace of a stutter. "Make love to me."

We collapsed back onto the pillows, gasping for air. "Wow."

"You can say that again."

"Wow."

"Goof."

"Yep."

She looked at me, a glint in her eyes that made my stomach flip. "Well then, goof. Wanna go again?"

I nodded eagerly, even as her lips descended down my body.

"Oh, gods, Tara!"

Hours later, we were woken by a violent banging on the door. I moaned, throwing the covers off of me, covering Tara by accident. Figuring I'd fix it later, I stumbled over to the door, throwing on a robe as I went. I cracked the door, peering out to see who was on the other side. "Hello? Can I help you?"

Two men stood there. Both were slightly unkempt, looking as if they'd been on the road a few days. One, younger than the other, stepped forward. "Yes, ma'am, I hope you can. I'm lookin' for Tara Maclay. My name's Donny, and this is our father. Have you seen her?" He held out a picture, showing a younger Tara, with dark hair. "She ran away a few weeks ago. Normally we'd let a kid go, but Tara's not all there, if you know what I mean." He made a gesture in the air next to his head. "Girl's got delusions. She could get hurt, or could hurt someone else, and I got no idea what she's tellin' people. Any clue where she is?"

I glanced back into the room, seeing instantly that both beds could be seen from the hall. Thankfully, Tara was still covered up, but I didn't know how long it would be until the voices woke her up. "I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I'm afraid I can't help you. Have you tried the public high school? That's easy to register for."

Donny looked at his father, a man whose name I still didn't have. "That's a good idea, miss, we'll try that next. Thanks for your time, and if you see her, give us a call." He handed me a card and the two men walked off, searching for another occupied room to interrogate. I shut the door and turned back to the bed. Tara was awake by now, and I could see two sleep-muzzy blue eyes peering at me inquiringly from beneath her cocoon of blankets.

I rubbed my head. There aren't words to express how much I don't want to deal with this. I'd been fighting a red-hot anger from the time Donny had identified himself. Odds are, the next time I see either one of them, I'd punch them , and that's something I didn't want to do. Their lies about Tara made me so mad, though.

Sighing, I sat down. "We have a problem."

Tara sat up, drawing the covers around herself. I could almost see her erecting a shield in her mind, a wall between her and the world. I really, really didn't want to have to be the one to tell her that the monsters she ran from pursued her, but I didn't see how I had a choice. They might go away, without ever seeing her, but then again, if they didn't and she found out I knew, she'd never trust me again.Right then. Into the breach.

I sat down next to her, gathering my thoughts and trying to think of a way to say what I had to say gently. Before I could think of anything, it just popped out of my mouth. "Your family's here. They're looking for you, and I think they might find you."

Well that certainly was gentle. About as gentle as asledgehammer! You idiot.

As I castigated myself, Tara's eyes got wider, and her face got paler than I would have thought possible for a living human being. "W-W-What? They k-know I'm h-h-h-h-h-here? Oh g-goddess, I-I have t-to go." Her stutter hadn't been this bad in, well, ever. I'd never heard her this bad before, and it concerned me.

"Tara, baby, you know I'll never let them get you, right? You're safe. I don't care what happens, you will always be safe with me." For a second, I thought I'd gotten through to her, and maybe I had, but then her eyes got even wider, and she shoved out of the bed.

"Oh, god, they'll hurt you! I'm here and they'll find me and then they'll hurt you!" Her stutter had completely vanished, I guess because she was so sure of that one fact. She scrambled out of the confining bedclothes and dashed to the closet, yanking out everything she could and stuffing it in her suitcase. A little voice in the back of my brain noted how I hadn't even seen her get the thing out, before I shoved it away to concentrate on her.

Carefully but quickly I moved forward, dodging an errant flying sock that came hurtling towards my face. Reaching her with no further mishaps, I placed my hands over hers, stilling them and forcing her to look at me. "Tara. Stop. This isn't helping." Her hands shook in mine, and her lovely blue eyes were clouded with tears. The fear radiated off her in waves, and I knew that it wouldn't help to panic.

Keeping her hands in mine, I drew her back, until we were both sitting on the bed. I tugged her sideways, leaning her against me and draping an arm around her shoulders. Planting a gentle kiss on the top of her head, I began speaking, telling her random things from my past, just hoping that the sound of my voice and the thought of these random trivialities would soothe her.

After maybe half an hour of this, she snorted, shaking her head into my neck where she had nestled. "I really made an ass out of myself there, didn't I?"

Chuckling, I shook my head. "No, not at all. I know you're scared of them, and we do need a plan. I just think it'll help if we're not panicking and running around like a couple headless chickens."

She seemed to mull over that. Her brow crinkled, and I could see she was thinking about something really deep. I waited, knowing that whatever it was, it was most likely important.

"Did you know that cockroaches can live up to eight minutes without their heads? They keep moving and everything."

Or maybe not.

We woke up slowly the next morning, groaning and stretching before finally dragging out of bed. It seemed that all of those irritating doctors who say that at least eight hours of sleep is necessary were right.

I did tell her that we shouldn't have stayed up after that panic, but apparently panic makes some people horny. Ah, well, you can't say it wasn't worth it.

Of course, now that we needed to get coffee and get to school, we were both extremely sluggish, but since neither of us thought school was at the top of our priority list, naps were anticipated in class. Never thought I'd be advocating sleeping in class. It's all her fault!

"You're a bad influence." Without even thinking about it, I just said what was on my mind.

She raised an eyebrow. "Me? What did I ever do to you? I'm just the innocent little stuttering girl who sits in her corner."

I raised my eyebrows in return. "Can we just remember whose idea sex was? And with the going again? On top of which, you've got me thinking it's okay to skip classes!" By the time I was done, I was bouncing on my toes and pointing an emphatic finger at her. "I think, most emphatically, you!"

She laughed, sauntering over to me and drawing me into a kiss. My brain was blank when we separated. "Now, who's the bad influence?"

Blank. Blank. Blank. "Uh, fire bad?"

She smiled. "Exactly right."

"Miss Rosenberg!" My head shot up. Blinking, I looked around, already preparing my excuse for sleeping in class. Maybe an illness, or a family emergency…

As it turned out, I didn't need one. A woman I didn't recognize at all stood at the door, staring expectantly at me. It took me a second to remember that my name had been called. "Uh, yeah? I mean, yes? Is something wrong?"

The woman didn't answer me directly, instead telling me I was needed in the office immediately. I rose, packing my books automatically as my mind raced, trying to recall anything I had done in the last few days that would merit a trip to the office. I came up empty, nothing springing to mind even after meticulous thought. If it's not me, then it's either paperwork or Tara. God, I hope it's paperwork. Ignoring the ominous 'Oooooh…' that followed me out the door, I left, trailing the woman as she walked away.

I was getting worried. The woman in front of me hadn't said a single word after she summoned me, not even to introduce herself. I decided to break the silence, if only to spare my increasingly ragged nerves. "So, Miss…" I trailed off, not sure how to continue without her name.

Surprisingly, she spoke up. "Palazetti. My name is Jennifer Palazetti."

I nodded. "Thank you. Miss Palazetti. What's going on? Is everything all right?"

She was silent for a few seconds, her steps thudding on the tiled floor instead of the clicking of heels I had become accustomed to. Glancing down, I saw that her shoes were well-worn cowboy boots, seemingly used often and hard. I controlled the thoughtful frown that wanted to show on my face, not wanting Ms. Palazetti to think… I don't know, I just wanted everything to seem normal with me. Call it instinct, but I didn't entirely trust her.

I took in the rest of her appearance, examining her from head to toe. Physically, she wasn't very imposing, standing probably only five six, shorter than me. Straight blonde hair fell past her shoulders, a color I thought was from a bottle. I couldn't be sure though - I couldn't see her roots. The brief glimpse of her front I'd gotten gave her blue eyes and a face that was startlingly pretty. I put her in her early twenties, twenty-five at the latest. Her clothes, though nice, were slightly creased and dirty. Either she hasn't washed her clothes in a while or she's been sleeping in them.

I was so deep in thought that it came as a shock to me when she answered. "I think it would be best if we discussed this privately, and with Tara present. I only want to have to explain everything once." Hoo boy. That doesn't help my nerves.

There was nothing I could do, however, so I nodded and kept walking. Not for the first time, I cursed the sheer size of the campus. I wanted to know what was going on, damnit, and I wanted to know now. The enormity of the campus prevented that.

Unconsciously I sped up, catching up to and then leaving behind Ms. Palazetti, forcing the woman to increase her pace as well. We arrived at the office a few minutes later, me slightly out of breath. The blonde irritatingly showed no signs of the near-sprint we'd ended up in, even managing to keep her hair in place. I, on the other hand, was sure I looked like a furry tomato, with my face matching my flyaway hair. I sighed, trying to catch my breath.

Looking around, I noticed that Ms. Palazetti was leading us straight back to Dr. Calendar's office. Somehow I doubted that the principal (or headmistress, whatever) would be directly involved with paperwork mishaps, and my stomach lurched. Oh god, please be all right…The sight of Tara, present and unharmed, sent a surge of relief through my entire body, allowing me to relax. I walked over to her and took her hand, waiting until our eyes met to mouth, 'Are you okay?' She nodded, and seemed just as confused as I was.

Dr. Calendar's voice pulled our attention - unwillingly - away from each other. We glanced up, our hands still joined. "Well, girls, it's come to my attention that there is a problem with your backgrounds. Not so much you, Willow, but Tara, I've been contacted by a gentleman claiming that you're actually a runaway-" her voice lifted on the word, making it sound like a question- "-and that it's my responsibility as dean of this school to turn you over to his care." Tara shrank against me, her grip on my hand tightening to painful levels. Her head shook frantically, trying to deny the awful truth. "I'm sorry, Tara, but he seems to be in the right. All his identity checks pan out, and he's actually on his-"

The door swung open. A large man, one I recognized from the night before, stood framed in the doorway. Behind him, Ms. Jenkins was returning to her desk, tucking what looked to be a sheaf of bills into her pocket. I closed my eyes briefly, taking a second to fume about the lack of security in the school. As I returned my attention to the man I knew to be Tara's father, his gaze alighted upon Tara herself. A light of triumph burned briefly, quickly suppressed and unseen by all but me. Tara cowered even farther into me, now actually completely behind me. I squeezed her hand reassuringly, keeping my focus on the man in front of me.

He took a step forward, towards Tara and I. We both retreated, afraid of this man, but for different reasons. I knew why Tara feared him, but I didn't fear him for any physical reason. It was simply that his aim was to take her away from me, and that frightened me more than anything he could do to my body.

When he took a second step, the trance that had seemed to fall over the office snapped. Tara and I kept backing away, while Dr. Calendar came out from behind her desk, moving so that she was between him and us. "Excuse me, but do you have a reason to be here?" I couldn't see her face, but I could imagine the glare she'd be giving him right about now.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem to have the effect on him as it did on her hapless students. "As a matter of fact I do, lady. That there's my daughter, and she belongs at home with me and mine, not here in this… place." He smirked as he said this, and stepped forward yet again, this time reaching for Tara. Dr. Calendar wasn't done, though. Not by a long shot.

"Do you possess any identification that can verify this allegation?" She seemed to realize that this wouldn't be understood, so she clarified. "Do you have any ID? That can prove you're actually her father?"

His eyes widened, then narrowed. Guess he didn't think of that.Growling, he advanced on her. "Look, lady, this is none of your business. That's my kid, and I don't need no damn papers to prove that!" Brushing her aside, he came straight for Tara, gripping her upper arm and yanking her to him. "Tell her the truth, girl. Tell her what you did!" He glared at her downturned head. "Not gonna say anything? All right, I will." He spoke to us now. "She attacked me and her older brother, then took off on us. We been tracking her for days, and now with Ms. Palazetti's help we found her." He reluctantly gestured to the said woman, who had been quietly observing from a corner the entire time.

I raised my eyebrows, marveling at the sheer idiocy of the man who stood before me. That entire story can be disproved with a few simple questions. I opened my mouth, but before I could ask anything, Dr. Calendar overrode me. "You expect me to believe that this girl-" She gestured to Tara, hanging limp and acquiescent in her father's grasp. "-assaulted both you and your son, who I'm assuming is not without considerable physical prowess, and was able to incapacitate you both adequately enough to flee?" His mouth opened, then shut, and I could almost see his brain trying to muddle out what she'd said. She sighed. "You've got to be kidding me."

He understood that, all right. He seemed to be getting angry at her not believing his story, but he couldn't protest because then he'd be belittling his own masculinity. I smirked. "Can I ask two questions?" Not waiting for an answer, I continued. "First, do you or your son have any actual wounds? And second, how do you explain the wounds on Tara herself?" I heard a sharp intake of breath from behind me, and Tara abruptly pulled her hand from mine. I turned to look back at her and winced at the anger I saw in her eyes. "Sorry, Tara, but he needs to be put away, and I'm willing to endure your anger if I know you're safe." She didn't say anything, and the anger I saw didn't dissipate. Sorry, love, but whatever it takes.

Tara's anger was matched by Mr. Maclay's. Shaking the girl he held in his grasp, he roared, "Girl, what you been tellin' people? What- what lies andslander have you been spreadin'?" She didn't answer.

Stepping forward, I answered him calmly, working extremely hard to keep my nerves out of my voice. "She didn't have to say anything, Mr. Maclay. I saw with my own eyes."

"Yeah? And what is it you think you saw?" He did his best to intimidate me, looming and growling and glaring quite impressively. I was intimidated, too. I suppressed it, though, seeing how cruelly he held Tara.

I stepped forward, getting almost but not quite in his personal space. "The results of exactly what I'm seeing now. Get your filthy hands OFF of her!" What had started as a controlled tone had morphed into a snarl, and I'm pretty sure I looked a little bit feral. Whatever he saw in my face had him take a half step back, and I swear he almost obeyed me and released Tara. Sadly, though, he regained control of himself and stopped.

Staring at me, and only at me, he tightened his grip on Tara until I could see her biting her lip so she didn't cry out. My fists clenched, and I moved to take a step, before a new voice shocked me. "Mr. Maclay, please release the girl." We all turned to the source.

Ms Palazetti wasn't in the corner anymore. Everyone in the room had forgotten she was there, and she'd moved forward until she was in the central spot of the room. What was startling was that that spot was right behind Tara's father. What was astonishing was that she was addressing him with a complete lack of fear. And what was completely mind-blowing was the gun she had aimed at the back of his head.

Mr. Maclay had enough sense to release Tara, and she instantly scurried back behind me. He turned slowly, hands in the air, and looked at Ms. Palazetti. "Turn around, Mr. Maclay." He just looked at her, murder in his eyes. "Don't even think about it. Turn around!" He did so slowly, and in record time she'd holstered her gun and handcuffed him. "Let me introduce myself again. My name is Jennifer Palazetti, and I'm with the Special Crimes Squad of the SFPD. You, Donald Maclay, are under arrest."

After reading Mr. Maclay his rights and placing him in the care of two uniformed officers who had responded to Ms. Palazetti's call, she came back in the room. "You guys probably want some answers." Off our nods, she explained. "We knew about your… crappy home life for a while, Tara. We being the police. Unfortunately, we could never get enough evidence to arrest him without him being alerted and running. I've been undercover on your case ever since you ran away, Tara. I pretended to be a PI, specializing in tracking down runaways. You'd be surprised what a man admits to a pretty lady, especially one he think is on his side. He hired me, and after and extremely large amounts of dead ends and wild goose chases, I'd compiled enough evidence that all I needed was to find you. The doctor's reports should be the nail in his coffin, and you won't even have to stand trial." I tried to interject with a question, but she anticipated me. "My colleagues weren't just sitting on their asses eating donuts while I was working. They collected evidence, interviewed neighbors, and just got as much dirt on the family as possible. You're free, Tara. We got him."

Tara seemed almost dazed. I couldn't blame her, really. This was a lot to dump in her lap all at once. "F-free?"

Ms. Palazetti smiled. "Yeah, honey. You don't have to worry about being hurt anymore. Oh, and we got Donny too."

Tara turned to me. "Will-"

"I know." I cut her off before she could speak. I'd seen the anger and hurt in her eyes as I told her most guarded secret, and I didn't want to hear what was coming spoken out loud. Before I could go on, though, she interrupted me.

"No, you don't. You might have spilled a couple of secrets I'd rather weren't common knowledge, but that doesn't negate the fact that you were willing to do whatever it took to save me. You're still my knight in shining leather, and I will always love you."

I looked up at her, and the sincerity and love shining out of her eyes would have been enough to convince me, even without the gentle kiss that followed. I sighed, loving the feeling of peace that radiated off of her. I hugged her, and realized that for the first time since I'd met her, Tara was completely relaxed in my arms. Kissing the top of her head, I vowed, "You will never be hurt again."

I can't say I kept that vow. Couples fight, it happens, and someone gets hurt. But what I can say is that it's never been on purpose, and I've always done my utmost to comfort her afterwards. I was blessed that day on the bus, when a shy, stuttering blonde chose to sit next to a wounded redhead. It was the beginning of love.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

So that's it! I admit, it might not be the best piece ever written, but hey. It was my first shot. Leave a review; feed a starving author. And stick around, I'll be writing more if you enjoyed this fic. Well, I'll be writing more anyway, but if you liked it then my other ones might please you as well. It was fun!

-AmberGoddess