Well here you all go. I know it has been a long wait. Sorry about that. Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's celebration. Peace and Love to you all
Chapter 32
The parking lot of the hotel appeared empty, dark and abandoned. Buffy pulled into the space, forcing a breath from her lungs. She pressed her palms into the steering wheel, forcing the tension from her body. She reached slowly toward the shift arm, lifting it into park. The jeep lurched back and forth jolting the passengers in the back seat.
“We’re here.” She sighed, resting her forehead against the steering wheel. “Heh, and in one piece…go me.”
“Yes Buffy, the driving lessons seemed to help.” The redhead turned toward her child. “Nice job Ab.” Their hands met in a high five.
“Well all she needed was control mom.” The tiny blonde smiled repeating the words she’d heard the slayer chant. “Plus she’s a really fast learner.”
The slayer turned in her seat, laughing at Abigail’s words. “You my dear…” She pointed her finger, fighting the laughter, “are too smart for your own good.”
“She takes after her mother.” Tara winked at her wife.
Willow reached for her Lover. “Yes she does.”
Abbey unfastened her safety belt, leaning toward the slayer. “Funny aren’t they?”
Buffy smiled watching them disappear into each other’s eyes. “Yes Ab, very funny.” The child climbed into the front seat. “Let’s go inside.”
Buffy reached for the door handle, shifting the child into her lap.
Tara looked up from the kiss. “We’re ready.”
Willow smiled pressing the tip of her tongue between her teeth. “Oh we are. So we should go in then.” Her statement, more of a private question.
The slayer raised a questioning brow. “And we would be discussing going into the hotel room.” She winked.
“We would.” Willow opened her door. “And that’s all we would be discussing.”
Tara climbed over the seat following her wife out the same side. The red head opened the driver’s door, lifting her daughter into her lover’s arms. “There you go Abbey girl.” She kissed her daughter and her wife.
Together they walked through the hotel lobby, down the vacant corridor. Buffy fumbled for the room key in her back pocket. They stood together in front of the door. Tara shifted her daughter in her arms, feeling Willow’s hand slip across the small of her back.
The redhead rocked from her heels to her toes impatiently scolding the slayer. “Hurry up Buffy.” Frustration mingled around her nervous humor. “Next time try a looser fit.” She kissed her family once more.
“Hey these are fine.” She defended her wardrobe, pulling the waist of her pants. They laughed at the extreme lack of space around the belt line. She shifted her eyes between the women and her pants. “Well its muscle mass and slayer conditioning.” She pulled the key from her pocket. “And… and there we go.” She waved it in front of the redhead.
Willow snatched the card, quickly slipping it into the lock. “Right Buff.”
They entered the quiet room, hearing the muffled argument in the adjoining suite. Buffy cracked open the door, quietly entering.
Dawn jumped off the bed racing into her sister’s arms.
Xander stepped forward, looking for his best friend. “Where’s Will?”
She peeked around the door. “That would be me.” The impact of their bodies colliding knocked the wind from her lungs. She gasped through his python squeeze. “And you missed me?”
“Well he did…yes.” Anya crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Personally I was hoping for a chance to hunt down and pummel that son of a bitch.”
“Ahn!” He scolded his wife. They turned to watch Tara and Abbey walk through the door. “Sorry Tara.”
“No you don’t have to be," Tara said. Abbey folded her arms around her mother. “He’s gone to far this time.” She tilted her head against her daughter’s. “We need to call the police.” She shook her head disgusted by her brother’s actions. “Hopefully they’ll take my word over his.” She paused, looking at her wife. “But I’m not counting on it.”
Anya stepped forward, slipping the envelope from the table. She walked slowly toward the blonde handing it to her.
Abbey noticed Patrick playing on the floor. “Can I play with Patrick?” Her tiny green eyes fluttered with hope. “Please?”
She flexed her body, slipping down the front of her mother’s body. Tara grabbed under her tiny arms. “Always sweetie.”
She kissed her mother, quickly padding off to play with her cousin.
Tara took the envelope, slowly unfolding the flap with her fingers. The room fell silent as the tattered piece of fabric fell into her hand. She read his scribbled message.
“Will!” She gasped her lover’s name. The color vanished from her cheeks. Her fingers fell limp, dropping the card to the floor. She rolled the piece of fabric against her palm. “Oh goddess…what he could have done.”
Willow quickly grabbed the note flipping it over to read it. She took the torn fabric shoving it back into the envelope. “This will be enough.” Her hands slipped around her lover’s face. Her finger trailed slowly along the line of her hair, tenderly outlining her features. “This is all the proof we need baby.”
She handed the envelope back to Xander. He quickly slipped it into his front pocket.
Tara stood shocked…silent. Any hope of salvaging a relationship with her brother died when the note hit the floor. She stepped away from her wife. “Call the police.” Her arms moved in front of her forcing a space between herself and her wife.
The redhead moved in slowly, taking her lover’s hands into her own, tenderly raising
together, arching palm against palm. Willow kissed her forehead softly. “I’m here. We’re here. And we are alive.”
Tara tried to pull away, to hide the shame of her heartbreak. Her wife held fast, stepping them slowly into the adjoining room. She turned to her friends. “We need a few minutes okay?”
Xander nodded his understanding, smiling.
Anya zipped in quickly to add. “Just a few minutes?” She winked. She turned to her husband. “Well for them it isn’t long enough. But you… well you are the minute man.”
She slapped him hard on the back, forcing him to choke on his attempt to refute her.
Willow looked at Abbey and then to the Slayer. “No one leaves this room Buffy.”
They all agreed. The redhead closed the door behind her, latching it locked.
Tara dropped to the edge of the bed, exhausted…defeated, every ounce of her being fully aware of the long night. She lay back sending her arms out over her head.
Willow stepped slowly toward the edge, lowering herself over her wife. “Please don’t blame yourself.”
Tara turned her head away. “I’m not.”
Willow leaned back straddling her love. “Tara.” She reached for her chin, turning the blondes face back toward her. “We’ve been lovers long enough for me to know what you think and feel. Your pain hurts me more than anything I have ever known.” She leaned in slowly, kissing her lips tenderly. “What he did…what he wrote…didn’t hurt me until I saw it hurt you.”
Tara focused on her wife. “Will… I never took him as a threat. I mean, I just didn’t think he would do any of this and for what?” She tried to sit but the weight of her lover pressed hard against her.
“Baby…it doesn’t matter now. The note…” She watched her wife turn away, blue eyes drifting off again, staring at the shadowed walls. “The note may be painful but it is evidence.”
Tara shifted against the redhead, anxiously twisting her fingers together over her head. “I have struggled my entire life to not hate the way I have been hated by them.” She closed her eyes, focusing her thoughts. Tears streamed down both cheeks dripping off onto the bed. “I want him…” She stopped.
Willow moved her hand over her lover’s lips. “Don’t say it. Tara…please.” She tenderly stroked the trail of her cheeks wiping away the sorrow. “Baby if you say it, and I know what you feel…you put it out into the world. Don’t give in to his hate. Please…I’m begging you to forgive his hate and greed. I’m asking you for Abbey and for me, please let go of the hate.”
“How can you ask me that?” Tara’s body stiffened sharply under her wife, shocked by her refusal to give in to vengeance. Using every bit of strength she arched her wife off her body, quickly taking a defensive position. “He threatened to kill you Willow.”
“I was there. I remember.” The redhead grabbed her lover’s arm.
The sting of the words hit hard against Tara’s heart. “So you see why I want to…”
Willow kissed her lips, silencing the blonde. She pulled back, pressing her palms against her wife’s cheeks. “Never!” She raised her voice, demanding full attention. “Never! violate who we are and what we believe for that piece of human waste.” She turned away walking toward the door. She pointed toward the space separating them from their family. “That child in there…your daughter… our daughter…don’t destroy everything we are as a family, because of him.”
Tara walked from the room resting her body against the bathroom door. She folded against the mirror, taking in the full length sight of herself. Her eyes clamped tight forcing the image from her mind. She yelled back at herself “Who the hell are you?”
Willow stood in the center of the room, shocked by her lover’s anger, wondering how to rescue her from her past, knowing that once she gave in to the anger her pain would double in size. “Tara.”
“It was rhetorical Will.” She vented her frustration at the redhead. “Please don’t simplify this.” She felt her anger ease. “He deserves to be punished.”
The redhead stepped forward slipping in behind her wife. Together they stared at the full length reflection. “It’s not our job to punish him.” She pointed at the image in the mirror. “Do you see the Beautiful Blonde in there?”
Tara fought her urge to smile. “I see us.”
“Well it’s a start.” She furrowed her brow in frustration. “The woman in my arms…she’s my life. Since the day we met she stole my heart.” She leaned back against the frame of the door, taking her lover tighter against her body. “That woman.” She reached her hand forward touching the image in the glass. “She’s my everything. What keeps me from spiraling wildly out of control. I can’t imagine a single day without loving her.” Tara turned away from the reflection.
“I can imagine it.” She pushed away from the embrace moving further into the room. Her hand trailed across the tub faucet. “Twelve hours ago it was my reality. It was an experience I have never had. I’ve lost so much in my life Will. But losing you…it was a reality that I just never wanted to imagine…let alone live through.”
“But it’s over now.”
They danced through the room each knowing what the other needed, synchronized in their actions. Tara tested the temperature of the water as the redhead poured in small quantities of essential oils and herbs. The blonde slipped her tired fingers up the length of buttons on her shirt. Willow grasped her hands.
“Let me.” She smiled at her wife.
Tara surrendered, exhausted. She closed her eyes feeling the slender fingers drift slowly between her breasts. Button by button she moved to her waist. The slim alabaster hands slipped into the free flowing flaps of fabric, sliding over her soft curves resting briefly on her shoulders. She slipped the collar edges off, releasing it to the floor. She stared at her goddess.
Willow leaned in slowly kissing her collar bone trailing tender lips across her breast to the other side. “Tell me what you want.”
Tara whispered softly. “I want to go home.”
The redhead’s hands caressed the blonde’s spine pausing briefly to unclasp her bra. “Like home home?”
“Yes.” Tara’s tension eased as the fingers trailed back to her waist.
“When?” She unfastened her wife’s skirt, releasing it to the floor.
“Now!” The decisive tone forced Willow to pause.
“Tara? You mean right now? Just pack and go and leave every part of your past behind you?” She moved her hands from the blonde’s soft skin.
“Yes sweetie. Can we?” Her voice cracked with a pleading tone. “I just want to get away from here. I want us to be safe.”
Willow hesitated reading her lover’s desperation. “Okay.” She eased her wife into the soothing bath. “Relax and I’ll go pack. I’ll tell everyone the plan and we’ll go.”
Tara rested against the cold porcelain surface. “I liked this tub better with you in it.” She caressed the bright red residue of dissolving wax. “Promise me that we’ll do that again.”
Willow blushed. “As soon as we get home.” She winked. “I’ll go and tell the gang, then I’ll pack and I’ll come back to take care of you.” She walked toward the door, pausing to listen to her wife.
“I love you Willow.” She watched her wife linger in the doorway. “Thank you.”
“Baby…being loved by you is the only thanks I ever need.”
Tara sighed, gulping a large breath of air. Slowly she slipped beneath the surface of the water.
The redhead carefully packed their possessions, taking special care to wrap the contents of the strong box. She lined the bags against the wall. Her hand trailed across the severed strap of the science bag, making mental note to replace it.
She sat at the desk, thumbing through the phone book. She scribbled a name and phone number on hotel stationary, quickly making a phone call. She dialed the Police station, explaining all the details of the previous night. They instructed her to come to file a report. She moved toward the door unlatching the lock.
The crowd in the room turned to face her, waiting to hear her speak.
“Pack.” She looked at each person in the room. Buffy stood quickly worried they were in immediate danger.
“Will…What’s the what?” She stood quickly in front of the tiny blonde.
“It’s ok Buff. Nothing new. It’s just that Tara is finished here, and emotionally we can’t take this place.”
Anya stood from the bed staring at the redhead. “What do you mean she’s finished?” She stepped toward the door attempting to see the blonde. “I wanna see her. We can’t just leave.”
“NO!” Willow blocked the doorway. “She needs to leave Anya. This is too much for her. The past few days she has confronted every fear she’s ever had. Losing Abbey and Me…that was the final blow. She can’t take any more.”
Xander stepped forward holding his wife by the shoulders. “Ahn…stop and think for a minute.”
“Think? You want me to think.” She turned facing her husband. “All I’ve been doing is thinking about what happened last night. What that bastard did to Willow.” She paused pointing at the tiny blonde playing on the floor. “What he did to her.” She stepped away from the group, arms flailing in the air. “He can’t get away with this.”
Buffy stepped forward scooping Abbey from the floor. “I hate to admit it Will but Anya has a point.”
“Yes she has a point and that’s why we’re stopping at the police station to report the kidnapping.” The redhead motioned to Dawn. “Dawnie will you watch the kids just for a minute.”
“Sure…whatever you need.” She took Abbey and carried her toward the corner of the room.
They moved away from the children toward the door. Willow leaned against it, fidgeting with the handle. “I need to tell you the police are already looking for Donnie.”
“Good!” Anya forced her arms defensively across her chest. “So they believed you?”
“Well I told them everything but he must have done something else because the cop didn’t seem surprised, and mentioned he was wanted for questioning”
“Something else?” Brenda stared between them frightened for her own safety. She turned toward her son watching him innocently tackle his cousin. “What did they say?”
The redhead looked at the woman, angry at her curiosity. “Well in this town how much do you think they’d tell me?”
“I’m sorry. I know the answer and all I can say is that I’m not Donnie.” She wanted to run, to escape the glaring eyes. She could feel their distrust smothering her already fragile spirit.
“No you aren’t Donnie.” Anya snapped sharply. “But I trust you about as far as I can throw him.” Her mind raced with images of launching the man over a very tall cliff.
“I’d never hurt any of you. Especially Tara or Abbey.”
“Prove it.” The ex-vengeance demon could taste the fear.
“How?” Brenda stood strong, making eye contact with the blonde.
“Find out what he did. Call the cops right now.”
Brenda stepped from the door moving toward the phone, dialing the number. She asked for the sergeant on duty. She continued quickly asking questions about her husband.
“Oh my god!” She dropped the receiver to the floor. She spun against the table resting her body against the wall. Slowly she slumped to the floor…silent…catatonic.
Xander picked up the receiver, pointing it at the slumped form. “Should I?”
She didn’t respond. She stared at the wall in front of her.
“Well okay then.” He spoke with the officer on the other end. He explained to Xander that Donnie was wanted for questioning in the death of his cousin, giving brutal detail about her battered body. The officer asked him if he was able to care for Brenda, Xander assured him she was safe. “Thanks.” He slowly dropped the receiver back in its place.
Willow stepped forward, curious and concerned. “What?” She moved toward her friend.
“Xander what did he do?”
“Not here.” He guided them back toward the door. “He killed Beth.”
“He did what?” Buffy stood beside the redhead holding her from falling.
“Well the cops think he did, and want to question him.” They stared at Willow, watching her face turn pale.
“Pack.” She moved away from the group. “I have to tell Tara. She needs to know and as soon as everyone is ready, we're leaving this town.”
She staggered through the doorway grasping the framework to steady herself. The gang stood in shock not knowing how to react.
The slayer slapped her palms together, rubbing them tightly. “We should pack.”
They moved through the room quickly placing their possessions into their luggage.
Willow hesitated in the doorway, knowing the news would crush her wife, but needing to be the one to tell her. She heard the water draining from the tub and entered the room.
“Hey you couldn’t wait for me huh?”
Tara smiled. She turned her eyes to her lover noticing her pale complexion. “Will, goddess what’s wrong?” She stood quickly from the water. “Abbey? It isn’t Abbey is it?”
“Oh Tara…baby no.” She quickly moved to the blonde. “We’re okay. All of us are safe for now.”
“What is it Will?” She reached for a towel quickly wrapping it around her dripping body.
“Tell me what happened.”
“Maybe you should come out here and sit down.” She reached to tuck in the edge of the towel resting her hand over the blonde’s heart. She stared lovingly into the warm blue eyes.
“Tara this is really very bad.”
Willow grabbed her wife’s hands leading her from the room toward the bed. She kicked the door closed as they walked by. Tara sat rubbing her palms against the warm flesh of her face.
“Tell me.”
“It’s Beth.”
The blonde froze in her spot, knowing by her tone that her cousin was dead. She looked into her lover’s eyes. “Donnie?”
The redhead nodded, confirming the guess. “I don’t know any of the details but she is dead and he is wanted for questioning.”
“So you called the police?” She watched the redhead nod. “What’s next?” She moved quickly to the bed reaching for clean clothes.
“Stop Tara.” She recognized the blonde moving through the robotic motions, needing to make things right. Willow grabbed her tightly forcing the clothes to the floor. “Baby…stop please and tell me what’s going on in there.” She touched her finger to the blonde’s temple, tenderly training her hand over Tara’s heart.
.
“Will…he’s not going to hurt us anymore.” She stopped, allowing her wife to hold her tightly. She pulled back slowly staring into the redhead's eyes. “Are we packed?”
“Yes but I need to clean up and I can’t leave you.” She smiled. “And you are still fleshy naked so maybe you’d like to shower with me?”
“No!” she walked toward the bathroom. The redhead stood in shock. She could hear the water filling the tub. Tara stood in the doorway. “You deserve more then a shower.”
The slipped quietly together, Tara pulled the clothes from her wife’s body hungry to feel her arms around her, knowing with just a tender touch that they would be alive and ok.
Buffy listened at the door. “I hear the bath again.”
“Get away from the door.” Dawn scolded her sister.
“Hey I’m just making sure they’re ok.” She stepped toward Brenda. “What are we going to do with her?”
Anya offered her backhanded talents. “I can smack her.”
Xander shook his head. “Not again Ahn.”
“Has anyone noticed this chick drops like a fly all the time?” She wanted to kick her, just to see how she’d respond. “What’s that all about?”
“I don’t know.” He grabbed her by the shoulders moving her away from the vulnerable woman. “Just stay away from her. Help us load the car.”
Buffy picked up her luggage walking out the door with her friends. “Dawn, keep an eye on the kids. We’ll be right back.”
“Got it Buffy.” She saluted giving her sister a smirk. “And Brenda?”
“She’s not going anywhere anytime soon.”
Xander waved a hand in front of her face.
They moved out into the hall quickly carrying the bags to the car. Buffy tossed them into the trunk grumbling about the drive home. “We should have gotten round trip tickets.”
Anya laughed. “Oh but this fine automobile has very comfortable seats and spacious leg and head room.” She gave her best Vanna wave across the window and door.
Buffy and Xander laughed escorting her back inside the hotel. They walked down the hall noticing the room door was open.
“Did you close that?”
“Yes!” Xander felt the arm of the slayer sweep across his chest pressing him against the wall.
Buffy moved quickly into the room stopping fast at the sight of her sister unconscious on the floor. She turned sharply looking for the tiny blonde. She screamed. “Abigail!” She dropped to the floor checking Dawn for a pulse. “She’s okay. ABIGAIL!” Her scream echoed through the door. Willow and Tara heard the cry, leaping from the bath into the next room.
The tiny blonde crawled from under the bed. “I’m here auntie Buffy.”
Willow and Tara burst through the door. “Abigail?” they called her name in unison. The child raced into their arms.
Dawn moaned, raising her hand to the back of her head.
“Dawn are you alright?” Buffy helped her to the bed.
“I’m fine, but Brenda…” She felt the sting of the lump as she touched it. “She’s gone and she took Patrick.”
TBC
__________________**
WELCOME
...to Online Origami.
"Published electronically,
because paper should be used for folding."
Edited by: Urn of Osiris 
at: 1/1/03 7:00:53 am
by barnabasvamp » Tue Dec 10, 2002 8:38 pm 
. She didn't question Tara's motives btw. She just wondered if the outcome would be worth the trouble (past and future), and if Tara actually is aware of all the possible troubles.
.
.
) and to stay close to her two mommies and Buffy. The familly bit just confuses things more.
Thank You for that too. Sad to see it go, but grateful we had it at all. Helped alot to aliviate some of the cliffhanger tension from before.
I am glad that nothning happened to Abby.
Edited by: deixs at: 12/12/02 11:54:48 pm
I'm working on a cliff free update. It's very hard at this point.
Do we really want to start that debate?
No that's not right either. I'm working on answering all the questions. Thanks for reading.
So glad you are enjoying. And a smackdown??? We'll see.
*hugs* *snuggles* *kisses* You are the best, so very swe... Effervescent!! 
*sniggers* PANTS!
damn the lack of words to describe it!!) it was just amazing Urnie 
not good... not good....
oh Urnie... they CAN'T lose this place... and the WON'T... I know it..
at: 12/30/02 7:59:13 pm
Where to even begin with replies to your feedback. You and your 
DAWN! I love you!!! OMG she's so cute!!!! *fights urge to Snoopydance in shippy joy*
I can't wait for more. I love the Scoobies when they're all properly Scoob-like, ya know?
neh! don't worry... I revel in the astonishment! 
, 
, 
, and 
!!!
time!!!
I vote for Donnie in jail!!
And you optimistic