TITLE: Racing The Rain
AUTHOR: Finey_McFine
RATING: R
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other BtVS characters, as well as some random dialog, belong to Mutant Enemy. ALL other original characters belong to me! This includes: Willow’s siblings and teammates, plus Tara’s friends and co-workers. Mention of any ‘real’ people in this fic is brief and pure fantasy.
SUMMARY: Totally AU! Set in LA with lots of W/T fluff and some angst, but no Hellmouthyness; just good old regular day-to-day drama. Willow is attending college on an athletic scholarship and Tara is Hollywood royalty. They meet and fall in love, of course, but will they be able to survive the pitfalls of a public romance? Well, you’ll just have to read and find out!
<Thoughts are in italics> FEEDBACK: Yes! Any glaring issues…please send me a PM!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hi Everyone! Happy 4th of July!! 
Today is my favorite holiday so I thought I would celebrate by giving back in the form of an update...enjoy!Chapter 63: Humble BeginningsWillow closed the thick text book, dropped her head to the cover with a dull thud and moaned, “I think my eyes are permantly crossed.”
Perched in a large comfy chair, Tara peered over the top of the script she was busy memorizing; amused by her girlfriend’s dramatic declaration. Several hours earlier, Willow had staked her claim to the kitchen table and quickly covered the entire surface with study materials, as well as her laptop and several snacks. Tara tried to help and spent part of the time quizzing the redhead on various parts of mammal anatomy, but had since retired to the family room to do her own studying.
“C’mere baby,” She said sweetly when she noticed Willow rubbing the back of her neck and grimacing.
Willow happily complied and found a place on the floor between Tara’s knees. “Mmhmm, that feels good,” She moaned as Tara’s skillful fingers massaged her sore neck.
“You’ve been at it for hours Will and your neck is all stiff.”
“Yes, but Tara-hands make all things better.”
Tara smiled, leaning forward and kissing the top of Willow’s head as she continued to knead and rub away the tightness. “How about we get out of here for awhile?”
“What do you have in mind?”
“Coffee?” Tara replied.
“Mmmm, that sounds perfect!” Willow exclaimed as she rose on her knees to face Tara. Giving the blonde a kiss and pulling back quickly; only to be stopped dead by two strong hands latched on her wrists.
“Hey, not so fast. I need a proper kiss first.”
Willow smirked, rubbing the tops of Tara’s bare thighs and once again leaning forward; this time pressing her lips tightly to Tara’s.
The blonde moaned sensually as she settled into the kiss and wove her fingers through Willow’s silky red locks.
“That’s more like it,” Tara muttered into Willow’s lips as their kiss ended.
Willow smiled sappily, “I don’t know what I was thinking before,” She said as she kissed Tara again.
“You were thinking about a mocha and a yummy pastry.”
Willow laughed as she stood; offereing out-stretched hands to her girlfriend. She pulled Tara out of the chair and into her body, wrapping her in a tight hug.
“Mhmmm, love you...” Tara whispered.
Willow responded by squeezing Tara tighter, “Love you too.”
********************************************
Thirty minutes later the girls were sitting at a table on the sidewalk of their favorite coffee shop in West Hollywood, soaking up the sun and trying to avoid eye contact with the pesky Papparazzi.
“Do you think that’s a universal uniform?” Willow asked, peering at her girlfriend through her favorite pair of Oakleys.
“Hmmm?” Tara hadn’t a clue what Willow was asking about.
“That guy, over there on the corner, he’s a-”
“House painter,” Tara said, completing Willow’s sentence.
“Yeah!” Willow said, smiling widely, “I don’t even have to ask what he does for a living; white tee-shirt, white cargo pants, equals house painter. I mean, it’s universal, anywhere you go in the world...same uniform. But it’s not really a
uniform persay and I don’t think it’s in writing anywhere that they
have to wear it. Is it?”
Tara chuckled at the adorable Willowbabble, “I don’t think so, but I always wondered, why white? Why not a gray tee-shirt and jeans or something?”
Willow pondered Tara’s question, it was probably meant to be rehtorical, but it intrigued her at the same time. She cocked her head and eyed the painter a little closer.
“What?” Tara asked.
“Well, look at him, he doesn’t look messy at all. Even though I’m sure there’s paint stains. I bet it’s because they mostly use white and it doesn’t show as much.”
Tara released her patened
Willow only half smile and continued to stare affectionately.
Now it was Willow’s turn to question Tara’s look, “What?”
“I love the way your mind works. That was all just so...random and yet you approached it logically. I um, I never thought of it that way. It just never occured to me but, in like twenty seconds, you thought it through and came up with a logical response. How...how do you do that?” Tara asked in awe of her girlfriend.
Willow shrugged her shoulders, slightly embarassed, “I dunno,” She responded shyly. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Oh, no baby. Actually, I think it’s um...it’s incredibly sexy.”
Willow raised her eye brows above the rim of her glasses and began to laugh, “Tara Maclay, if you find that sexy...” Willow trailed off as she continued to giggle.
“Hey! Aren’t you the one that said me wearing glasses was,
‘the sexiest thing ever?’” Tara countered, emphasizing the last part with her best air quotations.
“Ohhhh, Tara using air quotes...sexy!” Willow teased, poking her tongue between her teeth.
Tara snorted and lightly nudged Willow’s arm. “Hey, what does your week look like?” She asked, changing the subject.
Willow thought for a moment. “Hmm, let’s see...I have one final Monday, two on Tuesday, a class Wednesday, nothing Thursday or Friday and a final the following Monday and then I am officially done. Why?”
“So, nothing Thursday then?”
“Nope, why? Don’t you have to work?”
“Umm hmm, but it’s my last day filming before the break and I was wondering if maybe you wanted to come with me?”
Willow’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree and she practically jumped out of her seat. “Really?!”
“Yes Milo Jr., really,” Tara joked.
“Sorry, I’ve just never been to a TV studio before, well except for news interviews after the Olympics, but
never for a show with real actors and I get to see where you go everyday and meet your friends and-”
Tara gave Willow’s forearm a friendly squeeze, “Take a breath sweetie, before you pass out.” Willow complied, taking a deep breath and grinning madly. “Riiiight...no more coffee for you. Two was plenty.” Tara joked again as Willow dramatically exhaled.
“Excuse me...um...hi,” A small voice came from Tara’s direction.
Willow and Tara had been so wrapped up in their conversation, that they didn’t notice the young girl standing awkwardly next to Tara. She was dressed in dark jeans, a gray hoodie and nervously shuffling from foot to foot. Another girl stood about a foot behind her, dressed in similar clothing; neither girl could have been more than fifteen years old.
“Hello,” Willow replied, seeing the girls first over Tara’s shoulder.
Tara shifted and turned towards the young girl, “Hi.”
As soon as Tara greeted her, the girl’s face lit up. “Oh wow...breath Maria, just breath,” The girl said to herself.
Willow smiled, amused by the young girl’s reaction. “Are you okay?” The redhead asked.
The girl nodded, “Umm hmm, I’m Maria and this is my girlfriend, Tessa.” The other girl shyly threw a small wave in their direction.
“Hi Maria, it’s nice to meet you,” Tara said as she reached to shake Maria’s hand.
“Oh God, I can’t believe it’s really you a-and you!” She said nodding towards Tara and then Willow. “I’m a HUGE fan of your show Miss Maclay and I’m also a HUGE fan of you too Miss Rosenberg. I um, I play second base for my high school softball team and my coach says I have a chance at a college scholorship, just like you.” Maria said proudly.
“Wow, that’s great. Stay focused and I’m sure you’ll make it.” Willow offered.
“Thanks, I just...” Maria paused, her face suddenly turning serious, “God I’m so nervous but, I just wanted to stop and say thanks, to both of you, for having the courage to come out like you did. It was a life changing moment for me. It gave me strength and I didn’t feel so alone anymore. I came out to my parents and introduced them to Tessa, even though they completely flipped out. I’m proud to be Gay and I finally feel comfortable being me. Now I’m totally babbling and I didn’t mean to interrupt or anything but I just felt strongly and am I making any sense what-so-ever?”
“Perfect,” Tara said as she stood and engulfed Maria in a warm hug.
“Ooooooh my God!” The girl said again as her girlfriend stood back giggling at Maria’s reaction. “Can I get a picture with you both?”
“Sure,” Willow and Tara both said in unison. The young girl got between them as they all wrapped their arms around each other and Tessa took the shot.
They talked for several minutes with their admirers until they said their goodbyes and Willow and Tara re-seated themselves.
“Wow, that was...” Tara said.
“Intense?” Willow offered.
“Yeah, I had no idea that my...
our coming out would have that kind of effect on people.”
“It does Tara, people look up to you, to us and what we say and do...it matters. Especially to kids that feel alone, like there’s no one else in the world like them.” A flash of sadness clouded Willow’s eyes and Tara reached out and took her hand.
“I know baby and we’re not alone anymore.”
Willow nodded, feeling comforted by the compassion in her lover’s deep blue eyes. She gathered up the trash at the table and turned to Tara, “Are you up for a walk? I want to show you something.”
“Sure Sweetie, but what about them?” Tara said as she nodded towards several Paparazzi across the street.
Willow thought for a moment, “Come on, I have a plan.”
Tara stood and Willow pulled her towards the entrance of the coffee shop, hoping the photographers would not follow them inside. She approached a barista and asked for the manager.
“Hi, I’m Sierra, the manager. Can I help you?” She asked curiously.
Willow smiled sweetly, “Hi Sierra. I’m Willow and this is Tara.”
The young manager blushed furiously, “Yeah, I kinda already know...” She gushed.
Willow returned the smiled, “I um, I was wondering if you could do us favor? See those photographers across the street?” Sierra nodded. “Well, we need to shake them. Would it be okay if we exited through the back of the shop?”
“Of course! Those guys are kind of a-holes anyway. I actually had to get a restraining order against them about six months ago because they were harassing several other of my celebrity customers.”
“Thanks, we
really appreciate it.” Willow replied.
“My pleasure ladies, anytime! Follow me.” Sierra motioned as she led the famous duo through the kitchen and out the backdoor.
“Thanks again!” Tara exclaimed as she waved and the two girls quickly scurried away. They walked about a block, miraculously unnoticed before ducking into a secluded and moderately wooded park.
“Wow,” Tara said as she glanced around, “This is really pretty, I didn’t even know this was a park. I thought it was just a vacant lot or something.”
“It’s West Holly’s best kept secret!” Willow smiled proudly, leading Tara down the paved path and across the bridge of a small stream. They walked quietly for several minutes before Willow veered from the path and plopped down under a large oak tree. She patted the ground between her legs, inviting her lover to join her.
“Mhmm,” Tara breathed as she settled into Willow.
The redhead snaked her arms around Tara and rested her chin on Tara’s shoulder. “It’s so peaceful here, my favorite spot in LA.”
“I take it you come here a lot?” Tara asked.
“I used to, but I haven’t been here in a couple months. My apartment could get pretty claustrophobic sometimes, so I would come down here and spread out under this tree to study.”
“It’s a great spot Will, kinda reminds me of Texas and being down by the lake on your parent’s ranch.”
Willow nodded in agreement, “It’s special to me, something very important happened here.”
Tara turned in Willow’s arms and eyed her curiously. “About two months ago I was here, sitting in this exact spot when a furry little gray pooch wandered up and changed my life forever.”
Tara’s eyes widened, “This...this is where you found him?”
Willow shook her head, “This is where
he found me. It was the strangest thing, he came right up, laid down and rested his chin on my leg. It was as if he’d finally found what he was looking for. I mean, there were other people around, but he passed them by...”
Willow felt Tara’s hand cup her cheek as the blonde rubbed circles with her thumb, “So many things had to come together perfectly that day. I almost didn’t come, I was going to stay home, but they shut the electricity off to my building to do an emergency repair. I was headed to the library, but the electric company truck was blocking my car. So, I walked over here instead.”
“Willow...” Tara breathed as a tear trickled down her cheek, realizing at that moment how close they’d come to never meeting.
Willow smiled slightly and gently wiped it away. “I’ve been wanting to bring you here for awhile.”
“Thank you, for sharing this with me.”
Willow smiled, nodding as she leaned forward and tenderly captured Tara’s lips.
The women cuddled silently for some time, just enjoying the quiet time together. Tara traced her fingers gently up and down Willow’s arm, committing the freckled patterns to memory.
“What cha thinkin’ about?” Willow asked quietly.
“How much I love these freckles.”
“God, I hated them when I was a kid,” Willow confessed.
“You got picked on, didn’t you?”
“Yeah,” Willow whispered as she recalled several unplesant childhood memories.
Tara lifted Willow’s arm and placed a line of butterfly kisses along the freckled path to her hand. “I love them everywhere and in places that only I get to see.”
“Mhmm, maybe later I’ll show you a few of those places,” Willow said as she teasingly kissed Tara’s neck, causing her girlfriend to giggle and squirm.
“Wil...there’s little kids around,” Tara mockingly scolded her lover.
Willow grinned and left Tara with one last kiss to the neck before resting her chin back on Tara’s shoulder. “Tare, you know how the girls mentioned getting together before the break? Well I was thinking, instead of going out, maybe everyone could come over to your place?”
Tara turned once again to face Willow, a little crestfallen, “Sure,” She said, shrugging her shoulders.
Willow noticed Tara’s emotional shift immediately, “Tare, i-if it’s not okay, I understand. I just thought-”
“It’s fine, they can come over anytime, you don’t have to ask for my permission.”
“Oh...oh! Sorry,
our house. I guess I’m just not used to saying it yet...”
“It’s o-okay, I understand and I’m not trying to pressure you. I just...I want you to feel comfortable saying ‘our,’ because when I said I wanted to share my life with you, I meant it. Our house, our pool, our pets...but um, the car is still mine.” Tara smirked, lightening the mood considerably. “But, we can buy you something new, if that’s what you want.”
Willow breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh we can? Hmmm, well then how about a nice shiny Mercedes? No...I got it! A Ferrari! Candy apple red and fully loaded!”
“So what, you’re channeling Grayson now?”
Willow snorted and rested her forehead to Tara’s, “That did sound very
Graysonesque, huh?”
“Very much so,” Tara said as she left a kiss on Willow’s nose.
“Speaking of, he sent me this endurance training plan he’s been on for the last couple months and I think I’m gonna try it.”
“Yeah?” Tara asked as she slid out of Willow’s lap and stood; extending a hand to her girlfriend.
“Um hmm,” Willow replied as she let Tara pull her up, “He’s training to run the Austin Marathon in February; it’s something he’s wanted to do for awhile. Anyway, he said he doesn’t get tired as quickly and it’s also boosted his strength.”
Tara teasingly raised an eyebrow, “Well, I for one don’t think you have
any issues in the endurance department.”
Willow squeezed Tara’s hand and playfully bumped her shoulder, “I certainly hope not! So, I thought we could stop at Whole Foods on the way home and pick up a few things?”
“Sounds like a plan, maybe I’ll do the program with you. I’ve been such a slacker lately, Cody’s gonna be so pissed at me when he gets back.”
Willow stopped walking, “Um...who’s Cody?”
Tara looked up at Willow and innocently batted her eye lashes, “He’s my personal trainer.”
“You mean
our personal trainer,” Willow snickered, “Seriously? I haven’t seen you doing any kind of training with anyone.”
“That’s exactly my point,” Tara replied as they resumed walking, “He’s been out of the country for the last few months, but he’s gonna be back next week and in New York the same time as us, but I uh, didn’t tell him about my slackiness yet. I guess he’ll figure it out when he sees me.”
“Tara, you look great baby. I don’t know why you even remotely think otherwise.”
Tara sighed, “It’s not that I think...see here’s the thing, I work in an industry where weight is more important than if you are a psychopathic serial killer. I have boobs and I’m curvy. I’m not skinny and I’m not fat, but add those things together with different camera angles and well...let’s just say I have to work at it. I don’t over indulge, y-you know that, but I can’t imagine a life where I deny myself french fries, chocolate, or peanut butter. I just try to make healthy choices the majority of the time, so when I’m craving something unhealthy I can eat it without the guilt. I tend to gain weight easily, unlike yourself.” Tara smiled as she squeezed Willow’s hand.
Willow returned the smile, “I’ve always had this crazy overactive metabolism and with being so athletic,” Willow shrugged, “It’s just always been a non-issue. Although, I’m sure I’ll feel differently if I ever end up getting pregnant.”
“Well, I guess we’d better hope I don’t accidently knock you up then,” The blonde giggled mischeviously.
Willow smiled and swallowed hard, it was a subject they’d yet to approach and she figured this was as good a time as any. “Tare, I know we’ve never really discussed it before but, do you...ever wanna...” Willow fidgeted nervously, as she left the sentence unfinished.
Tara caught on right away, “Have kids?”
“Yeah,” Willow breathed.
Tara gently squeezed Willow’s hand until the redhead looked at her. “I do...some day and you?” Tara asked apprehensively.
“I do,” Willow responded, “I think our kids will be adorable!”
Tara grinned widely, “I bet they all end up with green eyes and blonde hair.”
“Or blue eyes and red hair!” Willow exclaimed enthusiastically.
“Well, I don’t care if they have green hair and purple eyes, as long as they are happy, healthy and we have them together.”
“Together,” Willow echoed, bringing Tara’s hand up to her mouth and planting several kisses on the back. “Wait, green hair?”
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– that title rocks!
And MORGAN is a threat. Team dynamics are delicate, if she even persuades one person that Willow is bad then the team can suffer. Also just the tension between her and Willow can have a negative impact . . . I’m not saying Willow isn’t strong enough to deal with her, but Morgan can pose a threat and Willow is wise to think about it.
Tara wants Willow to live with her and Willow said yes, YAY 
) But anyway, it was a lot of fun. They both seemed to have a great time and fit in so well there. Well at least until Morgan rained on the party. But I agree with Deb here. Morgan didn't really piss me off. She just seemed like that annoying drunk girl who know one really wants to be around. 
I think the transition will be a smooth one and Willow just may end up keeping the apt, just like Tara kept her dorm room. 
Yeah, in our world it’s been almost two years, but there’s...only six weeks. So yeah, maybe a little fast, but when you know, you know.
(every month is pride month!!!).
