Title: A Matter of Time
or
"Weddings, Sperm Donors, Violent Tendancies and other Maladies of Sunnydale."
Disclaimer: I really don't own them. If I did I would be living off of royalties, not off of student loans. Donations to the feed-the-bard campaign are certainly accepted.
Rating: I dunno. Could get to be R. But probably not.
Spoilers: I figure if you're here, you're probably aware of the seasons I will make reference to.
Thanks to: Jessie, my most awesomest wonderfullest grandest ...erm...yeah. Jessie, you rock. But you know that b/c I tell you every day. Now...will ll that praise get you to write more of your story? Hmm? Ten chapters are just not enough! :-P
Summary:Not quite Uber. But...not Buffyverse as we know it. Um...so Tara left. She moved to a different part of CA. She didn't come back and then *ack* die. I can't do that to her. She's too nice. So in Kerry-world Tara lives. Oh yeah, Dawnie's getting married. To a guy. *shrug* What can ya do?
Note 1: This is my Buffy-world. I can do what I want. *G* I love that power. Oh yeah...um...updates are going to be a little spread out. You've been warned.
*******
“Dawnie, it’s not too late to put this off till next year, you know,” she muttered, her hands shuffling papers as the three women sat around the coffee table.
“I’m not putting this off!” Dawn growled, standing up as Willow entered the room.
“I don’t see why you won’t. This isn’t a good time of year, Dawn. Lots of weddings right now means there isn’t lots of room in churches which means you’re spending beaucoup dinero on a crappy church and an old wrinkly minister who might fall asleep in the middle of the service.”
Dawn countered her sister in a hiss: “We’ve had this fight already, Buffy. I’m getting married. In two weeks. Deal with it!”
Buffy rolled her eyes and huffed. “I just don’t see why you have to be selfish and do this now. It’s not like I’m going to have a date. I may have to have an usher ush me down the isle. Do you really want to embarrass me like that?”
Anya raised her eyes to Willow, hoping the ex-witch could intervene to prevent the siblings from killing each other.
Dawn threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Is it my fault you broke up with a perfectly good boyfriend on a matter of principle? Get a date. Hire an escort. Go stag for all I care, Buffy, but the wedding’s happening if you’ve got a date or not!”
“I’ve got the flowers,” the redhead interrupted, holding up a few different bouquets. “We have roses, tulips, daisies, orchids, and chrysanthemums in all their mummy goodness.”
“In hindsight, hiring a wedding planner a few months ago would have been a good investment of some of your capital, Dawn,” Anya spoke up, arranging index cards with tasks on them into separate piles. “I’ve almost finished assigning jobs to everyone, but we’re cutting this to the wire with final plans being made two weeks in advance.”
“I know!” the brunette screamed. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, knowing she would blow up if she didn’t. “I’m sorry the timing is bad, guys. Thanks for helping as much as you are. And once Tara gets here, it’ll be another person who can help out. I can’t rearrange plans right now; this is the only time she could take off from work and Drew’s not able to stick around much longer. He gets shipped out in a few months. If we wait, it may not happen for years.”
Buffy sighed. “That’s bad how?”
Dawn growled. “Just because you’re pushing old-crone-status doesn’t mean that the rest of us can’t be perfectly happy in a normal relationship! Willow, you pick out the flowers. Anya, do whatever the hell you want with the menu. Buffy- get the resentful stick out of your ass. I’m going for a walk.”
She slammed the door behind her as she stormed down the stairs.
“Wow. Violent tendencies,” Buffy said.
“Must be genetic,” Willow muttered. “Sister of the slayer and all.”
Anya rolled her eyes. “She has a point, Buffy,” Anya said gently moving cards around the table to re-organize them. “You’ve been a regular vengeance demon since you found out she’s getting married.”
“She’s not ready to get married!” the slayer said.
“How would you know?” Anya countered. “You’ve never been married.”
Willow’s eyes widened at the words, finally catching a clue. “Oh,” she breathed. “I get it.”
“Get what?” Buffy snapped, turning towards Willow with pained eyes.
The redhead sighed. “You don’t really have a problem with her getting married, Buffy. You have a problem with her being married and you still being single.”
“I…that’s not…I…you suck, Willow,” Buffy glared, pulling herself off the floor and towards the stairs. “I’m going to take a shower. I still have demon slime in my hair from last night.”
Willow watched her go with friendly eyes before turning towards Anya. “Did you do the seating chart yet?”
The blonde shook her head.
“Make sure you put Spike and Buffy next to each other at the head table,” Willow instructed, getting a nod from Anya in reply as the blonde jotted a note on a legal pad.
“Call the caterer tomorrow to make sure he’s on schedule,” Anya instructed Willow, jotting notes as she read through index cards. “And you’ve got to order flowers.”
Willow frowned. “We have to pick out the flowers before we can order them, Anya. Didn’t you just hear Dawnie have a tantrum?” She sighed. “Maybe I’ll just put that off a day so Dawnie can cool down and order the flowers on her own.”
Anya nodded. “Whatever,” she glanced at her watch. “I have to go pick up Xander from work and then we’re going to get his car from the shop.”
“And you have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow, don’t you?” Willow asked, remembering an earlier conversation.
The blonde smiled as she stood and slipped her sandals onto her feet. “Yes. And we placed a bet on this, too, so it’ll be a profitable appointment!”
Willow chuckled, picking up the bouquets again and sniffing the roses affectionately. “Good luck,” she called as Anya quietly moved through the door, letting the screen shut behind her with a soft thud. It’s such a pretty day. She thought to herself, noting the gentle air that drifted through the screening.
The thud of a car door slamming shut barely caught her attention as she walked through the house tidying up and finding a vase for the various handfuls of flowers. Only when her mind registered the sound of Dawn’s laughter did she turn around towards the front door.
Golden hair cascaded freely on the afternoon breeze as a curvaceous figure stepped through the doorway, shoulders laden with bags. “Tara?” Willow asked herself, squinting when the sun backlit the figure.
“Willow!” Tara breathed around a somewhat hesitant yet genuine smile.
The redhead stepped forward, taking the heavier bag from Tara’s shoulders without question and leaned in, enveloping the woman in a tentative, full hug. “Been a long time,” she said quietly.
“Too long,” Tara replied, returning the embrace.
Willow blushed. “I think Dawn has you staying in the big room. I’ll just stick your bags in there for you.”
“You don’t have to. I can do it.”
“I know, but…I’ll feel useful. Useful is good,” Willow smirked, shifting the vase from her hand to the table in order to take the other bag. She was stopped in mid reach by Tara’s hand beating her to the bag. She merely smiled at her blonde friend, secretly astounded at their instant companionship despite their harsh parting words.
“If the big room is the guest room, Willow, where are you sleeping?” Tara asked conversationally as the women headed up the steps.
“Attic.”
“With the cobwebs and spiders?” Tara asked, her nose scrunching.
“Not anymore. We made Xander kill all the ickies before we converted it into a room,” Willow replied. “The basement’s got a spare bed, too.”
“That’s a lot of rooms,” Tara replied quietly as they set the bags down near the foot of the bed they had once shared.
Willow shifted her feet nervously for a moment. “Slayer Bed and Breakfast. Fun-shaped pancakes not guaranteed, but a vampire free environment is!”
“No fun-shaped pancakes anymore?” Tara asked, shedding her light windbreaker onto the foot of the bed before moving back downstairs, Willow following like the consummate hostess.
“They were your specialty, Tare,” Willow said with a laugh. “I don’t think we’ll ever attempt to replicate them without you.”
Tara blushed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as the two wandered down the stairs just as Dawn sauntered in, a petite figure squirming devilishly atop her shoulders.
“Look what I found on the lawn, Tara. I think this belongs with you.”
The blonde woman’s eyes twinkled. She placed her hands on her hips playfully. “I don’t know…” she began to tease. “I’m not sure I want one.”
“You do! You do want one of me, Mommy!” the figure said, diving headlong off Dawn’s shoulders and into Tara’s outstretched arms.
Mommy? Willow thought to herself, feeling her knees go slightly Jell-O-like. Through her fog of disorientation, she heard a happy giggle escape Tara’s lips as she caught the child’s dive.
“Mommy?” the girl asked, her arms curled around her mother’s neck.
“Yes ma’am?”
“That lady looks all white. Like you looked before you fell down that time,” the child said, pointing at Willow.
Willow grabbed the knewl post, feeling her world start to twirl around her. Dawn quickly moved, settling a hand under Willow’s elbow.
“Passing-out-Willow. Ok, lying down might be good right now,” Dawn spoke, glancing meaningfully at Tara. She steered shaky-Willow to the couch, sitting her down carefully.
Tara sighed, putting the child down. “Hannah, why don’t you go out to the car and bring in your toy bag? You can play on the floor in the kitchen for a while, ok?” she asked.
The child nodded, strawberry blond curls bobbing. She turned and headed out to the car, the screen door slamming as she ran down the porch steps.
“Just great,” she muttered, heading into the living room.
She sat next to Willow on the couch, her hand reaching out and unconsciously tucking a wandering lock of red hair behind Willow’s ear.
“Touching me. Not good right now, Tara,” Willow whispered, her voice distant.
Tara nodded, scooting over slightly on the couch, giving Willow more personal space.
“When did you….why didn’t you….I don’t even want to know who or how…ick!” Willow muttered, holding her face in her hands.
Dawn stood, raising her voice just enough to be effective. “Time out. You two haven’t been together in over five years, almost six!” she paused, stooping infront of both women. “I know that I should really butt-out of this, but… Willow, don’t make it sound like Tara got knocked up on Spring Break. And Tara, don’t pretend that the two of you didn’t almost kill each other six years ago.”
Willow looked up and mustered a respectful nod, noting out of the corner of her eye Tara did the same.
Dawn smirked at the two of them. “And whatever’s going to happen better be peaceful and adult because I’m getting married in a few days and I refuse to have a WWF smack-down at my wedding reception. Got it?”
“Got it,” both women replied with a smirk.
“Good. I’m going to play with my god-daughter. I think she’d like a trip to the park after being in the car for that long. I’ve got my cell phone if you need me,” she said, seeing Hannah come in, lugging a huge bag of toys behind her. “Don’t kill each other,” she muttered just out of the child’s hearing. “Hannah, want to go play at the park? There’s a huge slide.”
“Are there pony rides?” the girl asked, dropping the bag.
“No pony rides. But I think there may be a few swings.”
Hannah nodded, her curls bobbing again. “Can I go, mommy?”
Tara smiled. “You need to listen to Auntie Dawn. Back before dark.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the child said, rushing over to give her mother a quick kiss goodbye. She and Dawn left the house hand in hand. Willow couldn’t help but make a mental note of the wooden spike secured in Dawn’s back pocket.
“She looks like you,” Willow finally offered quietly.
“I hope not,” Tara chuckled, self-deprecatingly.
“It was meant as a compliment, Tare,” the redhead whispered.
Tara shrugged, taking the words as they were originally meant. “Then thank you.”
“Can I do this one question at a time?” Willow asked, a nod her only answer. “Is – is she yours? Biologically?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I know we haven’t been the best of friends-“
Tara cut her off. “No, Willow. We only speak on major holidays and even then it’s only for five minutes! We haven’t been the best of friends, no. We’re working closer to casual acquaintances than ex-wives.”
Willow sighed, knowing she was partially right. “I just … I know things didn’t go as I had hoped when you left, Tara. I just had thought that maybe…”
“I know what you thought. You thought that maybe we could ignore the hateful things we said. I thought it, too. I guess we just never thought that out loud, to each other. We needed to.”
“Yeah. I didn’t mean it when I said you were too scared to face our problems. You did the right thing,” Willow offered quietly.
“I didn’t mean it when I said you were too weak to stand up to your own fears. You…you’re the strongest woman I know.”
Willow chuckled. “Nope. That’s still Buffy. Slayer-strength.”
Tara smiled, giving Willow an amused glance. “She’s a great kid, Willow. She’s a lot like you.”
“That’s funny. I don’t have sperm,” Willow teased.
“Genetic traits aside, she’s got lots of your personality. She’s…a gift. A completely intentional gift.”
“Intentional?”
Tara nodded. “I was alone in San Francisco. I had a good job. I didn’t want to date; I mean, why should I? I knew where my soul mate was and where my heart belonged. I didn’t want a pet or anything else. I wanted a baby. That was the only thing I really wanted in my life right then, aside from you. I wasn’t using the idea of a child to take your place. I’ve always wanted kids and it just seemed like then was a good time,” she paused taking a deep breath. “Chris, my neighbor, and I got to be close. His lover had died in a car accident a few years ago, before they had time to get everything together for a surrogate mother. He…he really wanted kids. I wanted a baby. He didn’t mind supplying the other half of the equation as long as he got to visit the child and be a part of the child’s life.”
Willow nodded. “Worked out well for you.”
“He reminded me of you, physically,” Tara commented. “Redhead, slender, gorgeous green eyes, and a smile that would sweep your feet out from under you.”
Willow felt her cheeks blush and mentally chastised herself for being so easy to charm under Tara’s simple words. “I understand,” she said simply.
“Do you?” Tara asked. “Do you know this wasn’t about you but was about you all at the same time? This baby…Hannah, was something I’ve wanted even before you and I were together. I’ve always wanted kids, Will. The timing just didn’t seem right until then --with money and school and everything. The only thing missing then was you,” she smirked in memory. “We’ve got her birth on video. I thought of you the whole time. All I wanted was for you to hold my hand and whisper that everything would be ok. I just wanted you to be there…to count fingers and toes...” Tara trailed off, her voice chocked by the emotional memory.
The redhead sighed. Her mind was a mess, swirling with new information to be processed. She took a second to sort through everything, listening to her heart for the smallest of moments. Her hand slid over to Tara’s lap, covering the other woman’s fingers in a supportive gesture. “I mean…I just…Tara, I’m happy for you. You seem so happy with her and I only watched you for two seconds before I started to loose feeling in my legs,” Willow teased. “I haven’t seen you that happy since we …for a long time. And if she’s what makes you smile that much, then I’m really glad you had a child.”
“Thank you.”
Willow frowned, her brow furrowing. “But don’t think that for one minute all of that lets you off the hook for waiting five years to tell me about this! I mean, all those Birthdays and Solstices and all that I’ve missed? This is going to be ridiculous to make up to her! Auntie Dawn is always going to look cool compared to Auntie Willow!”
Tara chuckled. “You don’t have to get her anything.”
“Like hell I don’t!”
“Really, Willow, she’s completely spoiled.”
“I doubt that. She’s got a whole extended family in Sunnydale….hey, how come Dawnie knows about her and I don’t?” Willow asked suddenly.
Tara sighed. “Dawn lived with me while she went to college, Willow. It’d be hard to hide a pregnancy and a newborn from her, wouldn’t it?”
“She didn’t tell me?”
“I … I didn’t think it’d be a good idea. I mean…”
“What do you mean?” Willow pushed, standing and pacing in front of the coffee table.
“I mean,” Tara continued. “That after Oz left you, you had issues with trust again. And then after I left, I was worried that if you found I got pregnant, by a gay man or otherwise, you’d wonder if you had kinda…”
“Turned you to the ‘other side?’”
Tara smirked. “Something like that, yeah.”
Willow sighed. “Valid point.”
“Thanks.”
The women sat in silence for a few minutes before Willow looked up. “I’m feeling the need for more caffeine and sugar than is healthy for the average woman.”
Tara’s eyes twinkled. “Mochas?”
“Definitely.”
Edited by: Kerrison at: 6/6/02 10:36:52 am
lol
