Fic: Coming home

["jend1205 <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>" <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>]

I'm glad I kept you on her toes. Thanks for the good fb. Jen

Author: Jen D
Disclaimer: I don't own just like it. 
Rating: G-R and all points between mostly language and violence
Spoilers: I guess all of the shows this is A/U but some of it might 
come up.


"MOM", Buffy and Tara yelled at the same time. Willow looked at 
them, "Come on lets go to the kitchen and I'll get some coffee going 
and I will explain things." Buffy and Tara followed her into the 
kitchen and watched as Willow made coffee. She stopped at the fridge 
and pulled out a beer, looked at them, "Want one." Both girls shook 
their heads and Willow shrugged her shoulders, "Ok well lets go out 
on the deck so we can talk and I can smoke."
"You smoke", Tara asked surprised.
"Yeah, Cheryl used to tell me about how it used to help her relax and 
after the last six months I would do anything to relax." 
"Will, who are those kids. You have only been gone for six years and 
the oldest one looks to be about 14", Buffy said.
"They are my daughters. Angie is almost 16, Jen is 9, and Beth is 5." 
Willow watched and she could almost see the wheels turning as Buffy 
and Tara began to calculate Beth's age. Buffy was the first to 
speak, "So you were pregnant when you left." Willow lowered her 
head, "Yes".
"Oz", Tara asked. Willow nodded her head.
"Does he know", Buffy said.
"Yeah, I ran into him a couple of years ago in Seattle. One of the 
reason's we had planned on coming back was so we would be closer to 
him."
"Well that explains Beth but what about the other two", Buffy asked. 
Willow sighed and pulled out another cigarette, "I think I ought to 
start from the beginning. I found out I was pregnant about two weeks 
before I left. My parents told me that they were leaving and wouldn't 
be back for a year, so I decided that I should tell them about the 
baby. Well to say they freaked is an understatement. They told me 
that if I had this baby they wanted nothing to do with me ever again. 
I guess in a sad way they did, they died a month before she was born. 
Anyway I guess I just kind of lost it."
"Why didn't you tell us? We would have supported you", Buffy asked 
her best friend.
"I wasn't thinking right, Buffy. My parents had just rejected me and 
I guess I was afraid you would too, so I ran. I know, not one of my 
brighter moments but I had just met Tara and had all these strange 
feelings for her. I was afraid, I knew she would want to help and I 
couldn't ask someone to start a relationship based on that. Buffy you 
were dealing with your own stuff and your relationship with Riley. I 
knew you needed that, after everything you went through with Angel. 
So I left and went to Seattle. I got a really good job working for a 
computer company there. I met Cheryl then, she was my boss's 
assistant. I didn't know anyone there and she kind of adopted me. I 
started spending a lot of time with her, we were both alone. Her 
husband had died the year before and I think we both just needed a 
friend. It was about a year before we both figured out we had 
feelings for each other and another six months for us to admit it to 
each other. She was an amazing woman. Cheryl was ten years older then 
I was. Angie and Jen are her kids", Willow paused and got up and 
walked to the side of the deck. She discarded her cigarette and 
looked up at the sky. 
"Was", Tara asked. Seemingly lost in her own world Willow 
continued, "We decided six months ago that we were going to come home 
or my home. Oz is a pretty successful studio musician in LA, so when 
the chance for her to transfer to LA we jumped at it. I worked from 
home anyway so I could do it there just as easy. We were so excited. 
There were so many things I wanted to share with her. I wanted her to 
meet the gang. We spent so many nights sitting in front of the 
fireplace talking about you guys. I told her about everything, she 
was stunned and then she kissed me and told me how proud she was of 
how I saved the world", Willow let out a chuckle lost in the 
memory, "I really thought she would call for the rubber room but she 
just took it in stride. I told her about being a witch and she called 
me Samantha for a week. She wanted to know if I could wiggle my nose. 
Then one night she was late getting home. I really didn't worry too 
much because she worked late a lot. I guess I should have."
"What happened Will", Buffy asked coming to stand next to her best 
friend.
"I got caught up working on this program and the kids were being so 
good that night which was a rare thing. I should have known something 
was up. The next thing I know there was a police officer standing on 
my front porch. It was no one fault just a stupid accident. I don't 
know how I made it through the night. Cheryl didn't have any family 
and we only had a few friends, so we were on our own. I'm not sure if 
I would have made it if it hadn't been for the kids. She was 
incredible; she always knew what to say. Cheryl made the world right. 
She always knew where I left my keys and would call everyday just to 
make sure that I had eaten lunch cause I would get involved in 
something and would forget. She always told me I was like having 
another kid. Sometimes I feel so lost, especially at night when I 
wake up and she not there. We all are lost, that's why I moved them 
here, and I hope that a new start will help. We haven't been living. 
We wake up eat breakfast go to school and work, come home and start 
all over the next day. It's been so hard for everyone. I? ", Willow 
trailed off and wiped a tear from her eye.
"She died", Tara whispered. Buffy put her arm around Willow but she 
pulled away, "I'm going to go say goodnight to the kids and grab 
another beer. Help yourself to more coffee." Willow left the slayer 
and the witch to take in everything she had told them. Tara wiped her 
eyes and looked at Buffy, "She's hurting."
"Yes she is", Angela said from the backdoor, "They were the world to 
each other. Mommy was always so happy when they were together. We 
always did things as a family. I don't know what to do for her, she 
is always there for us but she doesn't have anyone herself. I hear 
her sometimes at night, she never sleeps anymore. I found her one 
night sitting in front of the TV watching a video from our last 
Christmas. We had a long talk before we came back here, she told me 
about how she left and how she never called. She is terrified that 
you won't want her to be part of your lives. I know she regrets what 
she did but she always told me hindsight was 20/20. I guess what I am 
saying is that she always told me that you guys where the only family 
she had, are you going to let her back in because if your not it will 
devastate her and I need to know so I can be there for her."
"Angie, Willow is my best friend and I can't speak for Tara but I 
will always be there for your mom. I would have been there all along 
if she had let me. She was always there for me, she has saved my life 
more times then I could count", Buffy said and looked at Tara.
"I haven't known Willow as long as Buffy but she was good to me at a 
time when I needed her and I will be here for her all the way", Tara 
said and smiled at the look of relief that the teen had on her face.
"Good, I was hoping that was your response. I'm going to bed now. 
Thank you both. She needs you. She's been so busy taking care of us 
that she hasn't taken the time to grieve herself and I'm afraid that 
when she does it will be very difficult. She won't need her 
daughters, she'll need her family." Angie hugged them both and 
disappeared into the house.
"Tara did you mean it about being here", Buffy asked her friend?
"Of course, somehow I think if it was the other way around she would 
be here for us."
Willow came out the door and leaned over the railing, "I know that I 
can't show up and slip back into being the same Willow you knew. I'm 
not her anymore. I know things change and I don't expect them to go 
back to the way they were but I was wondering if there's any chance 
that you would take the time to get to know me again. Can you forgive 
me?" Buffy and Tara got up and went to stand on either side of her, 
each taking a hand. Buffy gave it a squeeze, "Already forgiven." 
Willow looked at Tara, "Always." Willow looked out into the night and 
thanked god for her two best friends.