Happy Turkey Day - well, here is the final chapter as promised. I hope you all enjoy it.
Once again thank you all for reading. It's been a wonderful experience sharing this with all of you.
I can't believe that it has taken almost a year to finish this fic. It was never meant to go on as long as it did, but, it just semed to grow and grow. I had fun though, and hopefully so did you guys who stayed with it from the beginning, and those who joined in along the way.
All the feedback I recieved gave me such a buzz, and the confidence to keep going. So for that, I doubly thank you all.
Anyhoo, here it is, Chapter 34
Title: Quiet Saturday Mornings
Author: Paint the Sky
Rating: PG-13 - NC-17
Pairing: W/T
Disclaimer: AU. No spoilers whatsoever. Oh, forgot to add that I don’t own any of the characters in BTVS, I’m only playing with them.
Feedback: Yeah, sure, why not.
Summary: Shy, newly gay Willow Rosenberg and her first venture into love with an equally shy blonde.
Note 1: This is my first attempt at any kind of fiction since I left school many, many moons ago. After a long time reading the fics on this site and others I thought why the hell not, give it a whirl, try it on for size and all that.
Chapter 34
Willow awoke to the sound of gentle breathing and the rhythmic bob of her head where it rested on the luscious pillow of warm, rounded, billowy smooshiness. Tara’s arms held her, warm and comforting, encircling her in love.
The best pillow in the world, she had called Tara’s breasts more than once. Her head on Tara’s boobage, her leg thrown across her girlfriend’s hips, and her hand over a heart that pumped strongly against her palm was her favourite position to fall asleep in, and her favourite position to wake up in, usually.
Any other morning, Willow would have allowed her left hand to inch up and gently mould itself around Tara’s right breast. The cotton felt alien under her touch, any other morning warm silky skin would greet her hand, and playful nipples would tempt her into giving them wake-up kisses.
These were not good things to think about, but the more Willow tried not to, the more the unbidden thoughts arrived, and worse still, they brought the visuals with them.
If I pretend I’m still asleep and if my hand or lips accidentally were to stray, that would be ok, wouldn’t it? I mean, I’m not responsible for involuntary movements of body parts … but I’m not asleep … I wish I were asleep … stupid house rules, stupid mornin’ hornies.
Willow balled her hand into a loose fist and pulled it beneath her, Tara’s breast was much too tempting for her to leave her hand where it was.
Unsure of the time, Willow tried to gauge the hour by the amount of light, or lack thereof that filtered in through the slatted blinds.
It was still dark outside, so that wasn’t much help at all, it could be the four o’clock, or it could 7 o’clock. She had no way of knowing. Did she go back to sleep hoping it was so early that she could have a nice long sleep, or would she drop off and then find herself wakened by Tara telling her it was time to get up for breakfast.
Stupid brain, make a decision. Go back to sleep, or don’t go back to sleep. What’s so hard about that?
A deep breath and sigh from her girlfriend re-focused Willow attentions on the breasts beneath her cheek.
Wake-up, baby, tell me what to do.
“Mmm … Will, you have to do it faster … that’s better,” Tara mumbled.
Russet coloured eyebrows raised in surprise and amusement at the sleepy comment from her obviously dreaming girlfriend. Willow stifled a giggle, usually it was Tara who was on the receiving end of the redheads dream commentary.
What are dreaming about, Tara? What do I have to do faster?
Another sigh shook Tara’s body, and her arms tightened around Willow, firmly pulling the redhead closer to her.
Willow groaned as her centre made contact with Tara’s hipbone. She was wide-awake now, whether she wanted to be or not.
Don’t move, Rosenberg, don’t you dare move your hips.[/]
If resolve was ever needed, now was that time, and Willow filled her mind with visions of shotguns and Cathy Maclay’s steely blue eyes as she gave out the house rules.
“Use your whole hand, its ok, push it right in.”
[i] What! ...
Willow didn’t know what the hell her lover was dreaming about, but that comment was enough to make Cathy reach for her gun, and the redhead to try and pull away. She only succeeded in having Tara pull her back again, renewing the hip to pussy contact that caused a vigorous shudder to ripple the length of Willow’s spine.
“That’s it, make it good and tight, get as much in as you can,” Tara encouraged.
Oh! Holy! Fuck! I’m sorry, baby, but I have to wake you now.
“You got it all in, sweetie, and on your first try too.”
“Tara!” Willow spoke as loud as she dared in the still quiet house, “Wake up!”
“Huh?”
“Wake-up, please, I, uh, I need to go to the bathroom,” Willow said in a quieter voice, having quickly thought of a good reason for waking her girl, “your arms, I can’t move.”
“Um … sorry,” said Tara, still half-asleep, “What?”
“Bathroom, I need to go, you know?”
Why did I say bathroom? Now I really do need to go.
“Oh, yeah,” Tara said releasing her grip on the redhead, “What time is it?”
Willow slipped her body from the bed and made her way to the door, “I don’t know I’ll check my phone on the way back.”
“Ok,” Tara said, still groggy from sleep.
The blonde turned onto her side and put one arm under her pillow, the other rubbing the warm space vacated by her girlfriend. She smiled with amusement as she thought about her dream. At least this time there were no Native Americans banging on the door.
Poor Will … I thought she’d never get the hang of stuffing that turkey …
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Tara’s Mom had been awake, and very active from six a.m., and as her daughter and her slightly grumpy girlfriend drank coffee and ate a breakfast of scrambled egg and toast, Cathy busied herself with peeling and chopping a mountain of washed vegetables and depositing them into various pots.
“You’re not really a morning person, are you, Willow?” Cathy called out above the noise she was making.
The redhead looked out the window, the darkness black against the glass, “It’s not morning, it is the middle of the night. Where’s the sun? If it was morning the sun would be up,” Willow said gulping down more coffee.
“It’s only six-thirty, the sun will be up in about an hour,” Tara told her with a smile.
“How can you sound so chipper? It’s not normal, I tells ya!” Willow mumbled, “Um, is there anymore coffee?”
Both Cathy and Tara laughed, “City girls,” they said in unison.
As soon as the words had left their mouths, Cathy dropped her chopping knife, and Tara dropped her fork.
In what looked like a fit of madness, they both rushed to an enamel teapot that sat on the countertop near the range.
Each of them slapped a hand down onto its shiny red surface at the same time.
“Piasse Kokkino!” Tara and Cathy exclaimed before erupting into gales of laughter.
Willow had watched all of this, coffee mug in hand, and her mouth open. Her fork lay on her lap, along with scrambled egg, both dropped when Tara’s sudden movement sent her chair clattering to the floor during that frenzied run to the teapot.
“Uh, what’s going on?” Willow asked, having never seen anything like the behaviour she had just witnessed.
This is beyond the realm of normalcy, even in this crazy house.[/]
“It’s an old Greek tradition,” Tara said looking at her bewildered lover, “We’ve always done it, well, almost always,” she explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
“But, you’re not Greek,” Willow said, although any surety she had of her statement was lost as her voice tailed off, and she began to wonder if Maclay was in anyway a Greek name.
[i] Maclayapopoulis … nah, couldn’t be.
“Nope, but it’s better than a punch or a nip,” Tara explained further as she lifted her chair from the floor and took her place at the table again.
Slowly Willow’s confusion cleared, and her left hand rubbed at her right bicep as she remembered all the ouchies incurred when Buffy would shout ‘jinx’ and give her a wallop or a pinch. Sometimes Willow wondered if her best friend realised just how strong she was, and there was bruises to prove it.
“Mom learned it from Elini, an old friend from a large Greek family. Piasse kokkini means ‘touch red’, and when Donny and I were kids jinx would turn into fights, so we touched red instead. Much less painful,” Tara told her, and with a lop-sided grin, she leaned toward Willow and lowered her voice, “and since meeting you, very, very, pleasurable.”
Willow eyes widened, and she turned her head quickly to see if Cathy had heard anything, but thankfully, Mrs. Maclay had resumed chopping and was oblivious to the major teasing going on at the table.
“Well then, it’s a tradition we’ll have to continue, I like that idea of touching red,” Willow told her quietly, “wanna go watch the sun come up?”
Tara was about to answer when Cathy stopped chopping and turned around to face the table, “Girl’s, I know it’s still dark outside, but would you mind bringing in wood for the range, and cutting some greenery for the centre-piece. Maybe some fresh air will help Willow wake-up.”
“Sure, Mom, no problem,” Tara said easily, “I think fresh air is just what Will needs.”
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Enough wood to burn down a small village had been carried into the house by Willow and Tara. They had stacked the logs near the range in the kitchen and by the fireside in the lounge.
Willow felt as if her arms would fall off from the effort, and she rolled her shoulders as she rubbed her forearms to ease the ache.
In the meantime, Tara had brought their coats and armed herself with a pair of pruners to aid their next task.
The morning air held a chill as Tara led Willow on a path that wound its way through tall spruce trees. The ground beneath their feet was soft as a carpet of pine needles absorbed their footsteps and the only sound was the breeze in the treetops and the cracking of twigs under their feet.
Tara looked back and gave Willow an encouraging smile, “You look a little more alert now, Will, there’s nothing like manual work and a walk in the woods to get the blood pumping,” she said to her rosy cheeked lover.
Willow laughed aloud, “I didn’t realise I would have to work to get a meal. Jeez, even the Pilgrims’ didn’t have to work this hard, and I can think of better things to get the blood pumpin’.”
“Why do you think I wanted to leave the house?” Tara said looking up at sky through the trees, “I don’t see a roof, do you?”
“Why, Miss Maclay, I do believe you intend to get wicked,” Willow laughed, “and, what’s more. I intend to let you.”
Tara dropped the pruners to the ground and pulled Willow to her, wrapped her free arm around the redhead’s waist, and landed a searing kiss on waiting lips.
Pulling away, Tara gave Willow a smouldering look, “I thought you might.”
“After last night was there ever a doubt. God, I’ve never wanted you as much as I did then. I don’t know how I kept my hands off you,” Willow said in a rush.
“I know what you mean, Will,” Tara said, “every cell in my body craves to be with you. Touching you and loving you.”
“How about fucking me?”
Green eyes darkened with need as the words escaped Willow’s lips, and her heart hammered in her chest as Tara’s baby blues narrowed and a lop-sided downright dirty grin graced her lips.
“Oh, yes. That too,” Tara growled as she guided Willow backwards to the trunk of the nearest tree.
The ragged bark barely registered on Willow’s back, the thick jacket she wore cushioned the impact as Tara stepped in and pushed both their weights against to the tree.
The blonde roughly pushed her thigh between Willow’s already parted legs, “I love it when you say fuck,” Tara told her lover as she pulled Willow’s shirt from the waistband of her jeans with one hand, and pulled at her own with the other.
Willow gasped as cold air breathed against her skin, and groaned when it was replaced by the hot skin of Tara’s stomach, “I love it when we fuck.”
Tara’s grin was feral and her eyes bright with promise as she practically ripped open Willow’s jeans, “So do I,” she growled sending continuous shivers down into Willow’s wet core.
Her hand dipped into the warmth between her lovers legs. The thin cotton of Willow’s panties was soaked through and her juices coated Tara’s fingers as she teased her lover with light touches.
Willow grunted loudly and pushed her hips forward to maximise contact and Tara smiled at her lover’s impatience.
“I promised you I would be wicked, didn’t I?” the blonde said pulling her hand out from Willow’s warmth. Bringing her fingers to her nose, she inhaled deeply before sucking the wet digits into her mouth.
Willow’s eyes pooled with desire and she pulled Tara’s hand toward her own mouth and greedily sucked on fingers that still held a trace of musky scent.
“I can be wicked too, but, baby, this isn’t the time or place. I need you inside me like you wouldn’t believe. I need to be inside you. Another time you can tie me up and tickle me with a feather if you like, but now – now I need to be with you. Stop teasing and fuck me!”
Tara smiled again and swooped in and captured Willow’s lips in another searing kiss, her tongue plundering the redheads mouth.
Hands once again sought out warm places, and Willow gasped with shock and pleasure as Tara’s hand slipped into her panties and entered easily with two fingers knuckles deep.
Cold hands reached for the soft fabric of Tara’s cargo’s, and without preamble, the button and zipper were undone. When Willow’s fingers pushed into her hot cunt, so was Tara.
She grunted and sucked on Willow’s tongue as they both rode hard against the others hand.
Breasts where kneaded with vigour, finger and thumbs pinching and pulling on hardened nipples within the tight confines of still clasped bras.
Their grunts became louder as their hips pumped faster and fingers thrust harder. The warm skin of their thighs and lower legs chilled as cold air condensed on warm skin exposed as their pants slid to the ground with the gyration of their need. Neither of them cared, the only thing they cared about were the impending orgasms that were building with every stroke and slide of fingers in the others cunt.
Tara pulled her mouth away from Willow’s and took a greedy lungful of damp air.
“Will, look at me,” she gasped, and she slowed her movements. The redheads hips stopped and she felt her pussy spasm once on Tara’s fingers before relaxing and letting down a fresh stream of wetness.
Willow opened her eyes, her pupil’s dark and dilated, “I love you,” Tara said, “I want you to see how much I love you.”
Her words sounded pained, and Willow could feel Tara’s release dance on the edge of the precipice too as her lover held back her orgasm, “I love you too, baby. Fuck, I’m so close, I want us to come together,” she said breathlessly.
They began to move once more, each thrust urgently offset by plunging fingers. Their breath in the cold air plumed and eddied as sighs and moans evolved once again into grunts.
Eyes narrowed and teeth clamped down as the effort not to close heavy lids became almost impossible.
Then they broke. Their heads heavy with the million bursts of light that swam behind forced open eyes, fell forward under the weight to come to a rest on a coat thick shoulder.
Willow’s hand pulled itself from Tara’s breast, reached up for honey blonde hair, and forcibly twisted her lovers head toward her own. Their eyes opened briefly to acknowledge each other before hungry mouths clashed in a kiss that swallowed their screams.
Hips jerked frantically as the final throws of their release cascaded in a hot gush over fingers that stroked the last spasms from tired and aching cores.
Behind them, the sky brightened and the shadows shrank into the darker recesses of the wood. Oblivious to the burgeoning daylight they kissed and held each other until finally the chill and dampness made them shiver.
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Mid-morning found the trio of women cooking up a storm in the Maclay kitchen. The turkey was in the oven, and all the trimmings were in the process of being trimmed.
Willow, assigned to do the table decoration, worked diligently at the table surrounded by Holly, Ivy, Spruce and berried twigs. She prepared the container with a block of flower foam that had soaked up an inordinately large amount of water. The redhead had watched with fascination as the green block soaked up what looked like a gallon of water. She felt its weight and wondered about where the water had gone. The block had absorbed it, yet its mass remained the same.
Had she been at home, or back at the dorm she would have been straight onto the internet researching, so instead, she pushed the mystery to the back of her mind and tried to make her hands as busy as her brain.
Slowly the assorted greenery took shape, and Willow found that she was enjoying herself immensely despite never having been even remotely floral ever.
The strong scissors in her right hand clipped and shaped the foliage before she pushed it into the wet foam with her left. There was something very satisfying in the task. The tip of Willow’s tongue poked out as a piece of Holly was proving extremely difficult to place just where she wanted it. With a little push and a low mumbled ouch the stem of foliage took hold in the foam and filled a gap in her display.
Cathy and Tara watched Willow work for a minute or two, and the redhead had become so engrossed in her creativity that she was totally unaware it.
“Willow seems to be enjoying herself,” Cathy said to her daughter just loud enough for Tara to hear.
“Yeah,” said Tara with a grin, “who knew she was so domestic.”
Cathy laughed, “Not that domestic, sweetie, she didn’t know what to do with the vegetable peeler.”
“True, but she has other talents,” Tara answered smiling as Willow bent over the table to place another stem at just the right angle. Her blonde head tilted to the right so she could get a good look at her lover.
Cathy flicked a look a between her daughter and the bending redhead and shook her head.
“TMI, Tara, it’s bad enough knowing the cat has worms, and stop ogling Willow’s backside in front of your Mother.”
Cathy said the last part loud enough for Willow to hear and the redhead bolted upright and turned around. Willow blushed, but it didn’t stop the wide grin that spread on her face, “Hah! Shotgun Momma caught ya lookin’ – can we say busted?”
Both Cathy and Willow laughed heartily at Tara who knew enough to look sheepish and not even try to deny it, “Um … busted,” she said with embarrassed honesty and then laughed along with the two most important women in her life.
The laughter died away to be replaced by a comfortable silence as the three women looked at each other. In the Maclay kitchen, each of them felt that something magical had happened. Something that would last their lifetimes.
Willow felt so relaxed now in the middle of the Maclay women, like she was already part of them. Tara loved that her girl was joining in with the teasing, and Cathy, well Cathy had tears in her eyes as she looked from Tara to Willow and back again.
The girls both noticed the change in mood and looked at each other. Tara step forward and put her arms around Cathy, “Mom, is everything ok?”
Cathy just nodded as the tears ran down her cheeks and she wiped at them with her hand.
Willow grabbed some paper towel from the table, pulled off two sheets, and closed the distance quickly between her and the others, “Er … I’m sorry I called you Shotgun Momma, I … I didn’t mean to be rude, just funny you know.” She dabbed the tears from Cathy’s cheeks with the towel and let out a loud eek when Cathy pulled her into a hug with Tara.
“Oh, Willow, honey, it’s ok. You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just so happy seeing my girl so happy that I got all silly and emotional.”
“I am happy, Mom, very happy. Willow makes me happy,” Tara sniffled and hugged her Mom and Willow closer.
Pots bubbled clouds of steam and as the three women hugged and cried among the remains of pumpkin, sprouts, potato skins and foliage, they didn’t hear the heavy booted steps stop in the doorway that led from the hall.
“Aw, hell, it’s that time of the month, isn’t it?”
Two blonde heads lifted and turned sharply towards the sound of the voice that was rich, deep and as teasing as their own.
“Donny!” they said together, and then looked at each other with surprise.
Willow just laughed when they both gently slapped their hands on her hair and shouted “Piasse Kokkino!”
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Twenty minutes later, having taken the bags to the spare room, Donny returned to the kitchen with a pretty, brown haired girl in tow.
Tara and Cathy immediately went to the girl, both embracing her in a warm hug which was returned. Willow and Donny stood on the sidelines and smiled at each other. Tara had introduced them just after he arrived, and Willow waited for the hug to end before she introduced herself to June.
With a smile she stuck out her hand, “Hi, I’m Willow,” she said with a bright smile.
Taking her hand, June smiled back, “Hi Willow, I’m June, which you probably know,” she said in warm friendly voice, “How are you enjoying life in the crazy house?”
Letting go of June’s hand, Willow laughed and then looked over to Cathy and Tara who stood with expectant expressions.
“Um, er, well … a bit of shaky start, but you know, feeling more comfortable by the minute,” the redhead smiled at the Maclays, “as long as the shotgun stays in the cupboard.”
June snickered at Willow’s comment, turned directly to Mrs. Maclay, and asked knowingly, “Oh Cathy, you didn’t?”
A blonde eyebrow quirked and a sly grin broke out on Cathy’s face.
“Oh my God, you did! I can’t believe you actually did that.”
Willow blushed to her roots. She just knew that no matter what she did in the intervening years, her shotgun welcome would be a tale told to her children and her children’s children. This had all the signs of becoming legend, and would no doubt be embellished by ‘Grandma Maclay’ in every retelling.
My children … I’m thinking about mine and Tara’s children … hell’s bells … how cool is that! I’m not even freaking out … shit!
June put a comforting arm around the redhead, and gave her a quick hug, “At least you weren’t as bad as Tara’s first girlfriend. She ran screaming from the porch on Halloween, and as far as we know is still running. You just might be worth keeping, Willow. We need all the allies we can get in our battle of wits with Momma Maclay.”
Tara was loving every minute of watching Willow bond with her family. Thanksgiving at home was always fun, it was her favourite family time, but this year was even more special because, apart from her Dad, she was spending it with the people she loved most.
Cathy put an arm around her daughters shoulder, “This is all very nice, but it’s not getting us any closer to eating. Girls, the kitchen awaits. Donny, table setting duties for you. Get the linen tablecloth and the special china. Let’s make a real effort this year, and gussy up the dining room real nice.”
“Gussy up?” he said spitting with uncontrolled laughter, and Tara rolled her eyes.
“Mom, where do you get these expressions?” asked Tara.
“Yeah, it’s almost as outmoded as hanky panky,” quipped Willow, joining in the fun.
Deciding she had been on the receiving end long enough, Cathy fixed her gaze on the newest and weakest member of the alliance, and Willow froze in mid giggle.
“I have a question, Willow, one your mathematical brain will appreciate, I think,” Cathy said as led her girls to the kitchen, “If one person can cut twenty five stems of foliage in thirty minutes, how many stems should two people cut in forty five minutes, providing they spend that forty five minutes cutting?”
Tara and Willow stopped dead in their tracks as June and Cathy walked further into the kitchen.
Willow had begun the mental arithmetic, but her brain ground to a halt round about the same time as her feet as she once again had to concede the point to Cathy. Tara reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, “Once more into the breech, dear Willow.”
Cathy quickly busied herself at the counter, wiping and tidying before reaching for more vegetable that needed chopping, “What’s wrong, Willow, cat got your tongue?”
Willow took a deep breath and looked at her girlfriend, “Nope, your daughter’s usually got my tongue, not much left for the cat.”
June cracked up laughing, and Tara hugged Willow to her while she shook with laughter of her own.
Cathy smiled at the retort, and nodded approvingly, “Definitely a keeper, Tara,” she said smiling.
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Willow carried the centrepiece she had made into the dining room just as Donny was setting out the cutlery.
“Hey Willow, is it gussy enough, do ya think?” Donny asked setting down the last cutlery at the place setting at the head of the table.
The redhead cast her eye over the table and smiled. Donny had set out the table beautifully. The tablecloth hung evenly, all the creases straight and parallel with each other. The fine bone china, white with gold rims, was placed with precision. The dinner plates equidistant from the table edge, and the side plates just to the left of them. Sparkling glassware completed the place settings.
“Wow, Donny, it looks great, but … um … there’s only five of us, and you’ve six places set,” Willow said not really understanding.
“Let me take that for you,” he said taking the centrepiece from Willow and placing it dead centre among the dinner paraphernalia, “the extra setting is a family tradition,” he explained as he moved around the table adjusting and straightening anything that didn’t match his high standard.
“Oh, I see,” said Willow, wondering if he was going to fill in the blanks for her.
“The first Thanksgiving after Mom and Dad broke up, Tara and I set a place for him hoping he would surprise us and come back. He didn’t, of course. But, all that day we hoped he would. We were so sure that he would know there was a place for him at our table. There is nothing quite like the optimism of kids, is there?”
“Oh, Donny, you and Tara must have been so sad that he never came,” Willow said softly.
“Well, yeah, and when we did the same at Christmas, he still didn’t come. Tara was devastated, I was too, but I was the man of the house, so I didn’t show it,” he laughed at the memory of pretending to be all grown up, “so, anyway, to make a long story short, we always set an extra place.”
“You’ve done this every year since,” Willow said as much to herself as Donny. With her throat choking with emotion, she asked, “Has he ever shown up?”
Donny smiled, “Yeah, a few times. It’s not so bad, Tara and I talk to him all the time, and he visits when he can. It’s a long trip from the east coast, and we have a better understanding of things now, so it’s all good.”
“Tradition’s important,” said Willow, “it’s what makes families special, unique, ya know?”
“Yeah,” Donny said agreeing, “family is special. Anyway,” he continued, taking in a deep breath of air, “let’s see how dinner is coming on.”
Willow followed Donny out of the dining room and back to the kitchen, all the while thinking about how the Maclay family were so different from her own. There was no sentimentality in the Rosenberg house. There was no mess and no cosy corners. It was sterile and functional. Her house was just a reflection of her parents, she thought. A wry smile graced her face as pictured her Mom coping with Cathy Maclay.
Tara spied Willow from the corner of her eye. The redhead looked so small beside her taller and stockier brother, she also wondered why Willow looked so sad too. She turned around completely facing her girlfriend and made contact with the redheads green eyes. Willow flicked her head in the direction of the hallway and motioned to Tara to follow her.
Tara wiped her hands on some paper towel before stepping away from the worktop where she had been placing pecans on the still warm pumpkin pie to follow Willow into the hallway.
When she entered the hallway, Willow dragged her into the space below the stairs. Without any preamble, Willow pulled Tara to her and kissed her with a fierce need for physical contact. For a few seconds Tara just stood there, not moving or participating in the kiss before her consciousness caught up with events. Willow’s lips were insistent on her own, and she kissed her lover back. Neither noticed the minutes tick away as they held each other. Tara’s arms tightened their hold as she moulded herself to Willow’s smaller frame. Hungry mouths swallowed soft moans, and questing tongues teased more from each other. Hands roamed freely over arched backs, as they both got lost further in the kiss.
A loud clatter and the sound of laughing from coming from the direction of the kitchen caused them to pull apart. Tara looked at Willow, slightly concerned and a little worried that something had caused Willow discomfort.
“Are you okay, sweetie?” Tara asked resting her forehead against Willow’s smooth brow.
The redhead took a deep breath, “Mmm … I just wanted to kiss you, and I got this overwhelming need to tell you I love you.”
Tara felt her heart swell, and emotion welled up within her forming unshed tears.
“I love you too, Will. I’ll always love you,” Tara replied as Willow put her head onto her shoulder. “Are you sure you’re okay?
“I’m more than okay. I’m loved,” Willow said simply. She gave Tara a kiss on the cheek, smiling, she took her hand and led both of them back into the kitchen.
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The dining room table was laden with enough food to see them through the winter never mind one meal, Willow thought as she took her seat beside Tara.
The turkey lay golden on a serving platter in the middle of the table, and dishes of creamed potato, assorted vegetables, biscuits, stuffing and pumpkin pie took up every inch of available space. Glasses of wine stood sparkling at each place setting.
The aromas of the various dishes combined to make one mouth-watering scent. Willow hadn’t realised just how hungry she was until breathing in this smell, and she surmised if the others were as hungry as she was, there would be very little left and the end of the meal. So much for reckoning it could see them through the winter.
Cathy sat at the head of the table, and Donny and June sat facing Willow and Tara. With all the hard work done, the assembled diners were relaxed and happy to be finally sitting down to enjoy their labours.
The redhead looked around the assembled party and gave each of them a warm smile, “It all looks fantastic,” she said with genuine enthusiasm, “we did a hell of job, turkey looks like a turkey should, well, minus the feet, feathers and head. The sweet potatoes look sweet, the … er … not sweet potatoes look … um … potatoey, the pumpkin’s been pied, and the stuffing’s been stuffed. I can’t wait to tuck in.”
“She babbles. That was a short one, but they can go on for much longer, it’s kinda cute,” Tara told Donny and June who were looking at Willow with unadorned surprise.
Willow smiled again and nodded in agreement, “Tara has her own way of stopping it though, she usually … “a sudden pain in her ankle made her stop talking, “likes it when I shut up on my own – like now.”
Tara just smiled and shrugged as her family looked at both of them.
“I don’t even want to think about how Tara stops your babble,” laughed Donny as he stood up to carve the turkey.
“What’s Anya doing for Thanksgiving, Tara? Cathy asked as she passed her plate to Donny who had sliced some of the white meat of the bird.
“Oh, I forget to tell you. She texted earlier, six times to be exact. Jenny, Willow’s boss, has dragged her and Spike to a shelter to help serve dinner to the homeless,” Tara said.
Willow stifled a giggle, “Sorry. I was just thinking how much Anya must love that.”
“She’s not entirely happy as you can imagine. Spike told her they were going out for dinner with Jenny. She says the only way she getting through it is thinking about how Spike will be giving thanks later,” Tara continued, “only she was much more graphic.”
Cathy laughed aloud. Although she had never met Anya, she felt as if she knew her from Tara’s weekly updates from Sunnydale, and some of the tales told left her in no doubt just how graphic Anya had been.
“Her and Spike must be getting along well, though,” Cathy said, “What about you Willow. Do you and Anya get along?
Tara smiled and said nothing. She just wondered what Willow would say.
“Not yet,” Willow said candidly, “but Anya is Tara’s best friend. I guess I’ll find a way to adjust.
Taking his seat again, Donny smiled at Willow and said, “You just have to find something you have in common with her, and then take it from there. What does Anya like?”
“As far as I know just money and sex,” Willow answered making the assembled party laugh, “so I guess we have one thing in common.”
Oh shit … I just said I like sex … don’t look at Cathy … don’t look at anyone … especially Tara.
Tara froze, hoping that no-one would pick up on Willow’s comment, but Cathy just smiled at her daughter’s girlfriend, who was now taking an inordinate interest in the turkey on her plate.
“I take it you like money too, Willow?” Cathy said with sincerity disguising the obvious glee at having another chance to tease the redhead.
Tara also studied her plate as if she had never seen turkey before.
“Oh, no! I mean, we all need it, but money is a means to an end, it shouldn’t be the main thing in your life. Just enough to be comfortable, you know? I just need enough to pay the bills, save for the future and buy my girl some treats now then,” she told Cathy before realising that she was making it worse.
Why did you answer … can’t you ever stay quiet … oh, god, don’t laugh, Rosenberg, just smile like you don’t realise what you said. Now they all know I like sex.
“You’re right, Willow, money is not the be all and end all. There are much more important things in life,” Cathy said with a soft smile and winked at Donny and June.
The embarrassed girls looked up and smiled at each other, “Let’s eat,” Tara said relieved, “Pass the potatoes, Donny, please.”
Glad to be off the hook, Tara and Willow helped themselves to vegetables and the others followed suit as the bowls passed around the table.
------------------------------------------------------
“I’m stuffed,” Donny said as he pushed his empty plate away from him. The fine china only held smears of pumpkin pie as other plates joined his empty one in the centre of the table.
“Me too,” said Tara wiping at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
“I can’t believe I ate so much,” Willow groaned rubbing her tummy.
“I know,” June agreed with all of them, “Cathy, it’s been a great dinner with great company.”
“The only thing that would have made it better would have six at the table,” Tara said with a little sadness looking to the extra place setting.
Donny smiled and looked at his wife, and she gave him a small nod.
He took a deep breath before speaking, and announced with pride, “Next year we will have six. June and I are having a baby.”
Tara and Cathy jumped up from their seats and hugged the happy couple. Questions such as “When?” and “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?” and “Do you have a name picked out yet?” mingled with excited answers and many tears from the assorted Maclays.
Willow watched with tears in her eyes. Less than two days she had been here and this was just another example of why she loved Tara, and why she had begun to love her girlfriend’s family. They were a joy to be a part of, the warmth they shared, and the bond they had.
At that moment she was even surer she wanted to be with Tara forever. She stood up and walked around the table to hug the prospective parents, “Congratulations, to both of you. My God, Cathy, you’re gonna be a Grandma, and you,” she cried, “Tara, you’re gonna be an aunt.”
“This is just one more thing to be thankful for,” said Cathy taking her seat again at the table. With quick hugs for Donny and June, Willow and Tara returned to their places.
“I’m thankful for many things this year,” Cathy further announced. “I’m thankful for my family. I’m thankful for my health and happiness.” She then looked directly at Willow, “I’m thankful my daughter is happy.” Turning to her son and daughter-in-law, “I’m thankful for this very happy news.”
“I’m also thankful that the business is doing well. Thankful for the fantastic meal we have enjoyed, and thankful that Donny is doing the washing-up.”
When the laughter subsided, Donny also listed the things that made him thankful. His wife, his family, and the joy of starting his own happy brood were enough to bring another tear to the eye.
June finished her speech, echoing what Donny had said, “Your turn Tara, what are you thankful for?”
“Um, well. My family, of course, I give thanks everyday for that. That I’ve made a good friend in Sunnydale, Anya has been wonderful. That I’ve made some new friends too in Buffy, Faith and maybe even Spike. I’m thankful my studies are going well. Most of all, I’m very thankful I had the good fortune and courage to find Willow,” she said taking her lover’s hand. She raised it to her lips and gave the knuckles a soft kiss, “Your turn Will.”
Willow looked around at the expectant faces. If ever there was a time to control her babbling mouth, this was it. She wanted to express herself eloquently. She wanted to convey to all of them to how much all of this meant to her.
“I’m thankful for my family, even though they aren’t here” she said and felt Tara squeeze her hand, “I’m thankful for my friends, thankful they have found their own happiness. I’m thankful for being made to feel very welcome here, among you all, you’ve made me feel like part of your family. You’ve made me feel very much at home. I’m thankful that someone loves me for being me. I’m thankful that that someone is you, Tara.”
Tara leaned over and kissed her girlfriend softly on the lips. A chaste kiss that only lasted a second or two, but promised a lifetime of love ended with a sigh.
Willow looked into Tara’s eyes and smiled, “I’m thankful for libraries and books. I’m thankful for quiet Saturday mornings.”
The End