Title: Love
Author: Hers Always "aka Erin"
Spoilers: none
Summary: One time song fiction. Willow and the Maclays get some bad news.
Disclaimer: The characters and the song is not mine. The characters belong to joss and ME and everyone that owns them that is not me. I am making no money off of this. And the song is not mine either. It is a song performed by Rascal Flatts. The title of the song is Skin. I changed a couple of the words to suit my fancy. but it's still their song.
Note: This story was written for my Wife. Tara Beth McCallister. May she rest in peace.
Note2: the song lyrics are in italics.
“Hey that’s not fair, you cheated!” Tara admonishes her redheaded love.
“Hey! I did not! You can’t cheat at tic-tac-toe,” Willow smiles at her girl. Her sad eyes betray her smile and Tara just snuggles up to her. The two girls are playing tic-tac-toe in the waiting room of Sunnydale’s Hospital, with Tara’s Mom and Dad. Tara had to get some tests done. Everyone was worried about the bruises that she got in a soccer game a little over a month ago.
Willow puts her hand in her jacket pocket and fiddles around with a small piece of metal and stone. She is trying very hard to remain strong, but all she wants to do is cry. But she can’t. If Tara is not going to cry, then she won’t either. She puts her arm around Tara who is reading the newest edition of Girlfriends Magazine.
Donald and Elizabeth Maclay sadly watch the two girls try to keep their minds somewhere else. Donald wraps his arm around his wife and whispers in her ear, “She’ll be okay. She has to be okay. We’ll get through this together. You, me, and Tara Beth, we’ll get through it,” Donald winks and smiles at his daughter as she looks over at him and gives him a dirty look. She hates when he uses her full name, Tara Beth, but she returns her father’s smile, she knows he is just teasing.
“Don’t forget about Willow. You know she won’t leave Tara’s side if something is wrong.”
Donald smiles, at first he was weary of his daughter being a lesbian, and wasn’t too warm when she came out to him. But then he met Willow and immediately was charmed and figured that his daughter was just like any other normal girl, though she was shy, Willow brought her out of her shell and introduced a part of his daughter’s beautiful soul to him and the rest of the world. He just hopes that if something is wrong with his daughter it won’t be too hard on her.
“Right, how could I forget sweet Willow. She’s part of the family now I suppose isn’t she?”
“Yeah Donald, she most definitely is part of the family.”
Sarabeth is scared to death To hear what the doctor will say She hasn't been well Since the day that she fell And the bruise, just won't go away So she sits and she waits with her mother and dad Flips through an old magazine Till a the nurse with a smile Stands at the door And says will you please come with me
A handsome young doctor finally comes in and his expression is blank. He looks down at his clipboard as if it has all the answers to the questions that this family is going to have, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but….” The doctor transforms his voice to almost machine-like tone, “you have cancer. More specifically you have non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. I’m sorry,” the doctor looks down and waits for the news to sink in for the family.
Tara Beth is scared to death Cause the doctor just told her the news Between the red cells and white Something's not right But we're gonna take care of you
The doctor just sees the shocked faces of four people. The redhead tightens her arms around the young blonde, while he sees the older woman bury her face in her husband’s chest, “If you would like, it think we may have caught it early enough, there is this new chemotherapy and it has a high success rate. It is a little more aggressive than a different treatment. But I believe if we start immediately we have a fighting chance.”
Six chances in ten it won't come back again With the therapy were gonna try It's just been approved It's the strongest there is I think we caught it in time
Tara buries her head in the crook of Willow’s neck and begins to cry. Willow holds her girlfriend, as silent tears are streaming down her own face. Not much longer Tara’s parents are wrapping their arms around the girls and the family just embraces each other and cries.
Tara Beth closes her eyes And she dreams she's dancing Around and around without any cares And her very first love is holding her close And the soft wind is blowing her hair
Tara Beth is scared to death As she sits holding her mom Cause it would be a mistake For someone to take A girl with no hair to the prom
One month later Tara is crying with her mother on her couch and Willow is sitting next to her holding her hand and rubbing her back. Tara has a bandana wrapped around her head; her mother has just finished shaving the little hair she had left. Tara had started to lose her hair after about two treatments of chemo and it kept falling out little by little as time went on.
For, just this morning right there on her pillow Was the cruelest of any surprise And she cried when she gathered it all in her hands The proof that she couldn't deny
*earlier that morning* “MOOOOOOOOOOM!!!” Tara wakes up and picks up a large chunk her hair off of her pillow. Tara begins to sob. I just want my Willow. Elizabeth comes running up the stairs to her screaming daughter and sees her holding her hair in her hands. She goes to Tara’s nightstand and calls Willow and tells her to come over immediately, Tara needs her. Willow hangs up and is on her way before Elizabeth finishes speaking.
Tara Beth closes her eyes And she dreams she's dancing Around and around without any cares And her very first love was holding her close And the soft wind is blowing her hair
It is April now and it is prom night. Tara has just finished her dress and is still wearing a piece of cloth around her head. Her mother had ordered the material and made Tara’s prom dress and matching head scarf. Tara is wearing a long flowing blue gown with a low cut back and thin spaghetti straps. The doorbell rings and she can’t believe her eyes…
Its quarter to seven That girl’s at the door And her daddy ushers her in And when she takes off her cap They all start to cry Cause this mornin where her hair had been Softly she touches just skin.
Tara is overcome with love for her beloved Willow. That crazy redhead, well not so much redhead anymore shaved her head. Tara is going to miss Willow’s flowing red locks, but Tara knows…Tara knows it’s all love, and to her Willow has never looked more beautiful than in this moment.
Willow walks up to Mr. Maclay, “Sir, I am here to escort your daughter to the prom. May we have your permission?”
Donald begins to tear up, “Of course, and I know I don’t have to tell you to be careful and treat my daughter like the princess she is.”
Willow brings Mr. Maclay down to whisper in his ear; she does not want Tara or Mrs. Maclay to hear, ”Sir, your daughter is not a princess…she is a goddess and I plan to spend the rest of my life taking care of her. That is if you will allow me that honor, Sir.”
Donald pulls back to look at the redhead, knowing what she is asking he says, “You girls have my blessing.”
And they go dancin Around and around without any cares And her very first true love is holding her close And for a moment she isn't scared
At the end of the evening, Willow walks Tara up to her door. Neither of them sees Tara’s parents looking through the window. Willow gets down on one knee and takes out the ring she has been carrying since the day at the hospital. “Tara. Will you marry me?”
I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave feedback. I can continue the story, without making it a song fic if y'all would like that. Just let me know
_________________ Forever She will be watching over me.
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