Alright, Kittens, technically this is the last chapter for this story. I will, however, be writing a detailed Epilogue to update you all on the current status of all the major characters. So, I guess it isn't quite over yet. Many thanks for your patience. I hope the update is worth it. Enjoy!
*****
Disclaimer: The 'Wizard of Oz' dialogue belongs to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Chapter 11
Tara stood in her bedroom staring at the light blue Prom dress spread out across her bed. She sighed heavily at the charade she was going to be participating in a few hours from now. She raised her right hand to her mouth and bit on the nail of her index finger. She shook her head, wondering why she had agreed to such a farce.
But she knew why.
Standing up in front of the entire Academy and accepting the Velma Award for outstanding SCOOBY was the only way out of her predicament. Protecting the school’s reputation, and Ms. Calendar’s ass, was the only way to keep her own butt out of jail. And, if she was going to help Willow, she definitely needed to be on the outside of a cell to do it.
Willow.
She closed her eyes and pictured her lover in her mind. She remembered how perfect it felt to be in Willow’s embrace. Her heart beat faster as she thought of all of the intimate ways Willow had touched her and how her body responded to those touches.
She opened her eyes and looked down at the dress. A frown tugged at the corner of her lips. She was going to the Prom with Larry, which probably meant she was going to have to dance with the boy. The idea seemed foreign to her. She couldn’t picture herself dancing with anyone else, except Willow, since the night they had first danced together.
Willow had taken her on a tour of the greenhouse for the first time. They had a brief disagreement about what the secret test in the S.A.T. measured, and then, Tara had confessed about her real life with her father. Willow had been so tender and open to creating that safe space. It was the closest Tara had ever felt to anyone in her entire life.
After setting the scene about them being in Barcelona together, Willow had gotten up off of the bed. She walked over to her stereo and put on a slow, romantic song. She turned back toward the bed and extended her arm, inviting Tara to join her.
Tara scooted off of the bed and walked over toward where Willow stood. She stopped a few feet away and extended her arm to grasp Willow’s hand.
Wrapping her fingers around Tara’s delicate hand, Willow drew her girl closer. They stood face to face, with just a whisper of space between them. Willow’s emerald eyes gazed lovingly at Tara. Her free arm wrapped around Tara’s waist. Her other hand still held firmly on to Tara’s, resting between them over Willow’s heart.
Tara’s other arm draped over Willow’s shoulders. She felt Willow’s hand flatten against her lower back and draw their bodies tightly together.
They barely moved, neither woman wishing to relinquish the incredible feeling in every place their bodies were touching. Their foreheads rested together, and when Willow pressed her lips to Tara’s, the blonde felt her tummy flutter. And, though she could feel her feet on solid ground, Tara swore she felt like they were both floating.
The quivering in her tummy, from the memory, turned quickly in to a dull ache. She frowned as her eyes fell upon the few pages of loose leaf paper lying on the bed next to her dress. She was glad Willow wasn’t going to ever hear the words she would speak tonight. She wasn’t sure she would be able to even say them herself. Faith’s speech was a venomous attack against Willow. And, the worst thing about it was that it was all a complete lie.
Tara laughed slightly.
It seemed rather fitting. The perfect score was the perfect spy because she was the perfect liar. Tonight, she would stand up on stage and play the part she had become so familiar with. Only tonight, her words would betray the true feelings in her heart.
She looked at the clock on the nightstand. It was getting late. Larry would be there soon. It was gong to be a very long night.
*****
Willow was pacing back and forth inside Snowman’s office. The proprietor of Bandits insisted that his most notorious customer remain out of sight. It wasn’t because the news of Willow’s escape had hit the airways…yet…but because her Scooby outfit was making his other patrons more than a bit nervous.
Just when she thought she might go crazy from waiting for Xander, the office door flew inward. Xander burst through the doorway with a garment bag in each hand.
“Xander!” Willow exclaimed. “Thank God you’re finally here.”
“Never fear, Cinderella. Your fairy Godmother has arrived,” he smiled, happy to see his friend. “Ugh…and not a moment too soon,” his grin turned to a look of disgust at seeing Willow’s Scooby uniform.
“Go get ready,” Willow said, taking one of the garment bags and pushing Xander back out of the office.
It took Xander only five minutes to change in to his formal wear. He was standing at the bar when the door to Snowman’s office opened. Willow stepped in to the entryway and all eyes in the fairly crowded establishment turned in her direction.
Her black Armani tuxedo had been tailor cut to fit her womanly form. Her shoulder length red hair was slicked straight back. To the casual observer she appeared androgynous, but closer inspection would reveal her to be all woman. She adjusted her black bow tie and then walked across the room to join Xander at the bar.
“How do I look?” she held her arms out to the side and turned around once.
“Marlene Dietrich’s got nothing on you my Willowy friend,” he answered honestly.
Willow beamed. “You ready to get your groove on?” she asked.
‘Just one minor detail,” Xander turned back toward the bar and nodded at Snowman.
Snowman opened the mini-fridge behind the bar and handed Xander a small plastic package.
Xander opened the package and turned around to face Willow. In his hands, he held a single Cornflower. It was the flower Willow had put in Tara’s hair the night she had first shown Tara her greenhouse. The flower was the exact shade of blue as Tara’s eyes.
“Oh, Xander,” Willow’s voice cracked with emotion. “How did you know?”
“I notice things,” he said placing the flower through the hole in the lapel of Willow’s jacket. “I’m not just the goofy sidekick, ya know.”
“I know,” she smiled and drew him in to a tight embrace. “You’re a great friend.”
He hugged her back. Even though he wanted to tell her how much her friendship meant to him and how happy he was that she was out of jail, he chose instead to lighten the moment with his humor.
“Okay, Hallmark moment over,” he quipped. “Let’s get this party started.”
As they walked toward the exit, he turned to Willow and asked, “How are we gonna crash this gig?”
“We’re going right through the front door,” she replied with all the confidence in the world.
*****
Tara wandered around the crowded ballroom, weaving around couples on the dance floor. She was looking for Faith and Buffy, who were both mysteriously absent. The group was supposed to all ride together to the dance, but neither Faith nor Buffy had shown up at the house. She and Kendra waited as long as possible, and then, decided to leave without them.
Larry had pretty much taken off as soon as they arrived, preferring the company of his male friends. That was no big surprise for Tara who was actually relieved to be free of the juvenile statements he had been making in the limo on the way over about how lezzies were so hot.
She caught Kendra’s eye and they both exchanged smiles. Her eyebrows arched high on her forehead, as she watched her Island friend do some dirty dance moves with her date.
Every few moments she would be stopped by a fellow classmate. They would congratulate her on being chosen for the Velma award. No one suspected that beyond her gracious smile was a heart in turmoil.
“What’s up, T?” a voice called out from behind her. Tara turned around to see Faith and Buffy standing side by side.
“Where have you two been?” Tara questioned with a hint of annoyance in her tone.
“We’ve been here,” Faith lied easily.
“I thought we were all riding toget..,” Tara stopped mid-sentence when she noticed Faith’s shiner. “What happened to your eye?”
“Oh…my date…he’s a lousy dancer,” she replied with a simple shrug of the shoulders.
Tara’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. These two were up to something. Faith never changed plans without informing the team. She wondered for a brief moment if she was no longer in the loop because of her relationship with Willow. Did they think o her as an outsider now?
She looked at Buffy and noticed the girl was grinning from ear to ear. It wasn’t like Buffy didn’t always generate excessive happiness, but this smile was positively nuclear in appearance.
“Is everything okay, Buffy?” she asked, hoping her lovable but ditzy friend might reveal some clues.
“I’m just having a great time,” Buffy responded practically bouncing up and down.
Faith watched Tara watching Buffy. She knew she needed to get Tara’s attention before Buffy accidentally spilled the news of Willow’s escape.
“So, T, you ready to give your speech?” Faith asked.
“It’s your speech, Faith…not mine,” Tara glared at the girl.
Faith smirked at having accomplished her mission. “You just read it exactly like it’s written.”
“You know, if you just spent five minutes with Willow and really listened to her story, you might feel differently,” Tara stated firmly.
“Is that so?” Faith crossed her arms and maintained a cool monotone.
“What’s the use,” Tara said exasperated. She shook her head and walked away.
For now, Faith would bear the cold shoulder from her friend. It was the role a leader sometimes had to play, because in the end, she knew it was all going to work out in Tara’s favor.
*****
Willow and Xander got out of their limo in front of the hotel. A few straggler Prom guests were still arriving, even though the dance had begun an hour earlier.
“Are you sure this is a smart move, Will?” Xander asked looking positively frightened.
“Just act natural,” Willow patted him on the shoulder for support.
“What if some secret government agency has imbedded microchips in our brains while we were sleeping and the alarms are gonna go off as soon as we walk through the doors of this policeman’s ball?” he theorized.
“Geez, Xand, you should write for television,” Willow laughed and held open the Lobby door for him to enter first.
No bells or whistles sounded as they passed over the threshold in to the ballroom. In fact, no one paid much attention to them at all. Willow scanned the crowded space, but did not locate Tara. She spotted a balcony and decided it would give her a better view to find her girl.
“I’m gonna head up to the balcony to see if I can spot Tara. Whatever you do…don’t do the Snoopy dance,” she warned her friend.
“Affirmative,” he saluted her with his right hand.
As Willow walked off, Xander decided to check out the buffet table. He was halfway through sampling everything on the table, when he was spotted.
Larry had been watching him with intense curiosity. He continued his surveillance of Xander, from the rear, for several minutes before he made his approach. Xander had just popped his third pig in the blanket in his mouth, when Larry tapped him on his left shoulder.
“Didn’t we meet at Rico’s?” Larry asked.
Xander turned around and swallowed the weenie in his mouth. “Huh?” he tried to remain calm but wished Willow hadn’t left him alone.
“Yeah, it was Rico’s 20th anniversary party for the release of Yentl,” Larry said excited leaning toward Xander.
“Dude…whoa!” Xander held his arms up in front of himself and leaned backward.
“You were dressed as Avigdor and I was Hadass,” Larry pointed at his own chest.
“Zoinks!” Xander could feel the sweat beading on his forehead. “I don’t like foreign films…sorry,” he scooted around Larry.
“But...you made me tremble,” Larry said sure that he was right. When he turned around to look, Xander had already disappeared in to the mass of the people.
*****
Willow wasn’t doing so well at finding the entrance to the balcony. She internally chastised herself. Yep, you can crack open a bank vault but you can’t find the unlocked staircase. She knew her mind was more pre-occupied with finding Tara and getting out of the room full of cops.
Having no luck, she decided to stop and ask someone. She eyed the rigid, middle-aged man carefully, determining she could probably take him on if he recognized her, before approaching him. Her face twisted in a look of utter disbelief, as she wondered where on earth the man had found a tuxedo made entirely of tweed.
“Excuse me, I’m sorry to disturb you,” Willow said politely to the gentleman.
“Ah…yes…how might I be of assistance?” he asked properly in his strong British accent.
“Do you know how to get up to the balcony?” Willow asked.
“Yes…certainly,” he nodded. “There appears to be a stairwell just on the other side…toward the rear of the room.”
“Thank you,” Willow smiled and headed in that direction.
“My pleasure,” he said gracefully.
He looked perplexed as the stranger walked off. He couldn’t help but think she seemed so familiar. He turned around to look at her again, but she had vanished in to the crowd. A thought struck him and he spoke aloud. “Oh, dear lord.” He walked a bit toward the stairway but then convinced himself he must be wrong.
She’s in prison, he thought. It can’t be her. He stopped and took off his glasses. He removed the handkerchief from his breast pocket and cleaned them vigorously. After putting them back on his face, he decided to go and find Larry. He would send the boy up to check the balcony, just in case.
*****
Ms. Calendar stepped out on to the dais and walked over to the podium.
“Attention SCOOBYS,” she addressed the assembly. “Once in a blue moon, an exceptional lady comes along who truly exemplifies what it means to be a S.C.O.O.B.Y. – smart, cunning, original, observant, brave and…well…nothing goes with Y, but you get the point.”
In the audience, Mr. Giles had located Larry. He whispered for him to go up to the balcony and check it out for anyone suspicious.
Back at the podium, Ms. Calendar continued. “I have spent my life defending this great country of ours and I have learned one thing. That sometimes, it’s not on the battlefield where true courage is shown. Tara Maclay survived one of the worst tragedies that could happen to a young lady.”
In the wing to the right of the stage, Tara shifted uncomfortably on each leg, once again doubting how she would get through this moment. Faith stood stoically by her side.
“Kidnapped, held hostage…,” Ms. Calendar listed Willow’s imaginary crimes. “…for several terrible days. What fears she may have known, none of us can fully appreciate.”
Buffy and Kendra stood at the front of the audience, listening to Ms. Calendar’s speech. They shared a knowing look. Buffy glanced over at Tara and could see the hurt in her friend’s eyes.
“She has agreed to tell us part of what she learned on her journey,” Ms. Calendar proceeded. “It gives me great pleasure tonight to give our greatest honor, the Velma Award, to our very own perfect score – Tara Maclay.”
The audience exploded in a loud round of applause. Willow had just stepped on to the balcony and was walking down to the first row. She interrupted a young couple, who were making out quite heartily in the third row.
“Sorry,” Willow said looking awkwardly at the pair.
The boy grabbed his girlfriend’s hand and pulled her up out of her seat. As she passed by, her eyes grew wide.
“You’re Willow Emerald!” she exclaimed, open-mouthed.
The boy dragged his girl up the stairs and out of the doorway. Willow was about to pursue them, when she heard Tara’s voice. She turned back toward the stage and saw Tara standing behind the microphone.
“Courage,” the word almost stuck in Tara’s throat. “Courage is a big word. I did not know what courage meant to me, until I endured several agonizing days in captivity,” she stopped and took a deep breath. She looked over at Faith, who mouthed for her to ‘go on’. “Captured and held hostage by a mad woman.”
Up on the balcony, Willow looked confused. She could hardly believe what she was hearing but she listened as Tara continued.
“It was a routine mission gone terribly wrong. I was separated from my squad and knocked unconscious. I awoke in the arms of the enemy. Just the sound of my own desperate thoughts to keep me company. If there is corruption in this city, Willow Emerald is behind it.”
The words struck Willow like a knife to her heart. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling.
“If there is indecency to be found, she is the root,” Tara continued. “If there is evil in this world, its name is Willow Emerald,” Tara had to stop and regain her composure. She felt like she was going to be sick to her stomach.
Up in the balcony, Willow was feeling equally nauseous. Little did she realize that things were about to get a whole lot worse. She was so wrapped up in Tara’s derogatory remarks that she didn’t realize Larry had snuck up behind her. His weapon was drawn, but he didn’t fire. He was too busy enjoying Tara’s negative comments about Willow.
“Um…,” Tara sighed heavily. “It’s not until moments like this, when you are forced to take stock of yourself, that you see what you are made of. It’s not until moments like this, when you have to remember what’s right and true. Because its moments like this when you discover what it truly means to be a Scooby.”
Over in the wings, Ms. Calendar breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
It was at that moment, that Tara glanced upward and instantly spotted Willow. The look of hurt in her eyes made Tara want to cry. It was a look she never again wanted to associate with Willow, and what made it even worse was that she had been the one to cause her this pain. And in that second, Tara knew she would never again be able to lie like she had done in the past.
“Which is why I can’t accept this award from you tonight,” Tara said with new conviction.
A stunned murmur waved throughout the crowd. Buffy and Kendra looked shocked at each other.
“Because the truth is…,” Tara continued. “…the time I spent with Willow Rosenberg were the happiest days of my life. And, the only brave thing I’ve done this whole time, is what I’m doing now. So, if you’ll excuse me,” she looked up at Willow and smiled, relieved to see her girl beaming back at her. “I have a date with the devil.” Tara walked off the left side of the stage.
A dazed Ms. Calendar looked over at an equally dumb-founded Faith.
“Was that in the speech?” she asked deadpan.
“No, that’s not in the speech,” Faith spoke through gritted teeth.
Up in the balcony, a peeved Larry cocked his pistol. Willow heard the sound but hesitated before turning around. When she did, Willow fan kicked the gun out of Larry’s hand. He threw a sissy punch that missed Willow by a mile. She countered with a right hook that connected with his left cheek.
The effeminate man stood up holding his cheek and crying.
“What…what did you do that for? I didn’t shoot you,” he bawled harder.
“No, but you tried to,” Willow scolded him.
“Well, you didn’t have to go and hit me, did you? Am I bleeding?” he motioned for her to look.
“Well, of course not,” she said bewildered. “My goodness, what a fuss you’re making. Well, naturally, when you go around pointing guns at people, you’re gonna get hurt.”
The throng of people below had just settled down from Tara’s revelation when they received another. The couple Willow had interrupted upstairs entered the ballroom. The girl screamed at the top of her lungs, “It’s Willow Emerald…she’s here! Everybody run for your lives!”
The mass erupted all over again. Total chaos broke out as people began screaming and running for the exits.
Willow looked at Larry and said, “Gotta go now.” She picked up his gun and ran up the steps and out the door. She and Xander had devised a back up plan during the limo ride to the hotel. If their cover was blown, they would both head for the basement.
Faith leapt down off the dais and met up with Kendra and Buffy. Both Willow and Tara’s independent thought patterns had her completely exasperated at this point.
“She couldn’t just leave town quietly,” Faith said loading her gun.
“We should have guessed she wouldn’t leave without Tara,” Buffy held up her own pistol.
“Ya two know sumting ya wan ta share wit mi,” Kendra asked brandishing her own weapon.
“Later,” Faith answered. “Let’s go find them before Calendar does.”
Willow had made her way down to the Lobby. She spotted Xander heading toward the exit for the basement. She chanced a quick look around, hoping to find Tara. Instead, she saw Ms. Calendar pointing directly at her. The man in the tweed tuxedo was right next to her. They were both quickly joined by Larry. Willow sprinted to the door for the basement stairs. Inside, she jammed the door with a mop handle. The trio on her tail were forced to find another entryway.
Tara rounded the corner just in time to see Willow head in to a stairwell. There was another flight of steps on her side of the Lobby, which she began to descend. Faith saw her and led Buffy and Kendra over to the same egress.
The basement was full of large boxes, stacked from floor to ceiling. Narrow passages, between the piles, met up to an open area just near the building’s exit. It was oddly similar to the warehouse where Tara and Willow had first met.
Willow dashed down one channel, while Tara hastily made her way down another. At the end, they both collided in to one another. This time, however, they did not knock each other to the ground.
Tara lifted her dress and whipped out her gun from her thigh holster. Willow retrieved her weapon from the back waistband of her tuxedo pants. Realizing there was no danger, they both immediately lowered their firearms.
“We’ve gotta stop meeting like this,” Willow teased.
“I’m so sorry,” Tara said hurriedly, “I didn’t even know what I was doing.”
Willow wanted no explanation. She placed her left hand on Tara’s right hip and drew her girl in to a tight embrace. Tara wrapped her right arm around Willow’s shoulders. She brought her left hand up to caress Willow’s cheek. And they kissed…and kissed. They were oblivious to the pending danger and the group of approaching Scooby’s.
“You two might want to get a room, but not at this hotel,” Faith advised.
When Tara saw Faith’s gun, she stepped in front of Willow to shield her, even though Faith wasn’t pointing the weapon at Willow.
“Faith, just back off!” Tara demanded.
“What?” Faith said surprised.
“No, baby,” Willow reached for Tara’s arm.
“Freeze!” Xander stepped around one of the large boxes. He stood right behind Faith with his gun aimed at the back of her head.
“Xander! So not helping!” Willow exclaimed.
“My bad,” he pulled his gun back.
“You need to start thinking clearly, T,” Faith said, trying to hurry her friend along before Ms. Calendar showed up.
Tara, still not aware of Faith’s help in releasing Willow, tried one more time to persuade her friend to understand.
“Faith, what did I tell you the first time I met you?” Tara asked.
“Rubber pants are over rated…I loved those pants,” Faith pouted.
“After that,” Tara blinked several times.
“That we’d always be friends,” Faith remembered the moment warmly.
“I meant it,” Tara said sincerely.
“Baby,” Willow stepped around Tara to stand directly beside her. “So did Faith. She let me out.”
“What?” Tara looked back and forth between Willow and Faith several times. She certainly hadn’t expected that revelation.
“Yep,” Buffy confirmed the information was true.
“Dats wat ya two been hidin. Ah-rite,” Kendra nodded her approval.
“Thank you,” Tara placed a hand on Faith’s forearm.
“Yeah, well, I’m counting on you to keep her honest,” Faith tried to downplay the emotional scene.
Just upstairs, Larry, Ms. Calendar and Mr. Giles had found another way in to the basement. The door was pad locked, so Larry fired several rounds to break open the lock. In the room below, the group heard the gunshots.
“You guys should get going,” Faith stated sensibly.
Tara turned to say goodbye to Kendra first. She hugged her and when she drew back, Kendra said, “Mi liked ya betta dhen Buffy. Wey betta.”
Buffy looked shocked at the girl standing next to her. Tara diffused the event by drawing Buffy in to a big embrace.
When they parted, Buffy asked, “So, where are you going to?”
“I think…Barcelona,” Tara turned her head to look at Willow who nodded and smiled.
“I’ll miss you,” Buffy hugged her friend again. “Can I have your sweaters?” she asked suddenly.
“Sure,” Tara smiled at the quirky girl.
Lastly, Tara turned to Faith, who looked completely paralyzed by the saccharine displays of sentiment.
“Rule the school,” Tara held her tightly in her arms.
“I always do,” Faith confirmed and returned the embrace with equal strength.
Tara stepped back and took Willow’s hand in her own.
Xander held his fingers up to his ear and mouth like a telephone and indicated for Willow to call him. She nodded her understanding.
Faith looked sternly at Willow and said, “Remember what I told you at the jail,” she crossed her arms in front of her and shook the gun in her right hand demonstratively.
Willow recalled Faith’s promise to hunt her down and kill her if she ever hurt Tara. “I remember,” she swallowed hard.
“There’s a service exit that way,” Faith pointed behind them. “Good luck.”
Willow and Tara hurriedly made their way down the passage.
“T,” Faith called out and they both stopped and turned around. “Be happy.”
Tara smiled knowing that it wasn’t easy for Faith to express the tender side of feelings.
As Willow and Tara disappeared out of sight, Ms. Calendar and her crew reached the group.
“Which way did they go?” Larry asked.
“They went that way,” Faith pointed them in the completely opposite direction. After they ran off, Faith approached Buffy. She held up a blue pin and said, “Don’t say I never gave you nothing.”
Buffy took the pin from Faith’s hand and exclaimed, “My Scooby snack! Thank you,” she grabbed Faith and shook her back and forth.
“Okay, that’s enough,” Faith pulled away and walked off.
Xander shyly walked over to Buffy and said, “So, I was wondering if maybe you and me…”
“Not a chance,” she cut him off.
“Right,” he backed off nodding his head.
“But if I win my fifty bucks back at say…Foosball…then we’ll see,” she said very non-committal.
“Awesome!” Xander saw it as a start.
*****
Outside, Willow drove her classic Cadillac out of the parking lot. One of her gang members had left the getaway car at the hotel for her. Tara sat on the front seat right next to her. Willow had her left hand on the steering wheel and her right arm wrapped around Tara’s shoulders.
“Where to, my little fugitive?” Willow joked.
“Where do all the bad girls go?” Tara played along.
“Buffalo…but I’m thinking no,” Willow laughed.
“How about Barcelona, then?” Tara sat up a bit and looked in to Willow’s eyes.
“Now that sounds like a great plan,” Willow gave her a quick kiss and sighed happily when Tara snuggled back close to her side.
They drove along the coast, heading for the Port of Sunnydale. Even though an airplane would be faster, an ocean liner was less suspicious. And really, they had all the time in the world. Their life together, as artist and flower vendor, was just beginning.
TBC
_________________ "Life is nothing but a dream, and if you create your life with Love, your dream becomes a masterpiece of art." - Don Miguel Ruiz
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