FIC: The red headed Slayer 13/?

["jend1205" <jend1205@xxxxxxxxx>]

Author: Jen D
Disclaimer: I don't own just like it. 
Rating: G-R and all points between mostly language and violence
Pairing: Willow/ Buffy
Spoilers: I guess all of the shows.

  Willow sat on the front porch and stared off into the evening sky. 
She could hear the kids moving about in the house trying to settle 
in. She felt Tara come and sit down beside her, "Hey."

"So I'm confused about one thing," Tara told her after a minute of 
thought.

"What?" Willow asked not turning to look at her.

"How old are you now?"

Willow broke out in laugher and turned to the blonde witch beside 
her, "I tell you about going to a different world, getting 
impregnated by a secret government agency, fighting a hell god and 
the first evil, and that's what you're confused about?"

"Hush, quit laughing at me," Tara giggled and slapped Willow on the 
arm.

"Ok, I think I'm done now. If we go on the fact that I was 17 when I 
left, right?" Willow asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm 31 then," Willow answered.

"You aged well. You don't look any older."

"Slayer powers. We age slower and hair dye covers the little bit of 
gray that has crept up from being the mother of three teenage girls. 
Besides 31 isn't all that old," Willow said and stared back out over 
the yard.

Tara scooted closer the Slayer and took her hand, "So now what 
happens?"

"Well Giles talked to the council and they're going to take care of 
all the paper work for us. That's a big worry I don't have to handle. 
They'll make sure the kids have records and that I have the 
equivalent education records and a past here. That way by the time 
Christmas break is over I can start them in school," Willow informed 
her.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I could probably get a job teaching at the high 
school. Giles said they need a history teacher but I'm not sure that 
would be a good idea," Willow sighed and looked over to the Giles' 
house.

Tara followed her line of vision and saw her staring at Buffy's 
window, "Because of Buffy."

"Mostly, I never meant to hurt her, Tara."

"I know and she does too but she has to move on. Just like you had to 
do with the other Buffy."

"So this girl you set her up with, is she nice?" Willow asked.

"Yeah, she's in one of my classes. She's a sweetie. Really smart, 
Buffy could do a lot worse."

"Good," Willow sighed. "What about you? How are things going? Tara, 
I'm really sorry about the way I handled things that day."

"I know and you have no reason to be sorry. If you hadn't walked out 
the way you did, I might never had gotten help. Joyce and Giles let 
me move in and for the first time I have a family.  A real family, 
one that doesn't hit me and tell me what a bad person I am."

Willow squeezed her hand reassuringly, "I'm glad you found your place 
in life. It feels good doesn't it? How's Jenny?"

Tara couldn't keep the grin off her face, "She's good."

"Finally took the plunge with the her, huh?"

"No, not yet. I know she loves me but I just don't know if I'm ready 
for that or not," Tara told her.

"You have to do what your heart tells you. I'm sure she'll wait."

"Are you going to go back to slaying?" Tara asked her.

"Yup tomorrow night," Willow answered.

"Have you lost your mind," the pair heard from behind them. 

Willow and Tara turned to see Dawn standing at the door. "Mom, don't 
you think you're a little old to be going out there?"

"I'm not that damned old. I was training with Slayer's up until we 
left. You know that."

"And one of the younger ones kicked your ass. Mom, when was the last 
time you went out to slay alone?" Dawn asked coming out to stand on 
the porch.

"It was before we activated all the Slayers," Willow answered after 
some thought. 

"That was 11 years ago," Dawn yelled.

"Will, she has a point. Maybe Giles should call the other Slayer in," 
Tara said.

"No!" Willow argued.

"Mom"

"No, end of story. I am not too old to take care of myself. I have 
been a Slayer for 18 years and I trained for three years before that."

"Exactly, mom let someone else handle this. You have other 
responsibilities now."

"Dawn, I love you but go to bed. I can handle myself," Willow said 
and pulled the teen into a hug.

"I love you too. We can't lose you too. We lost mama and I don't 
think we could handle losing you."

Willow smiled and shoved Dawn to the door, "Go on it'll be ok. I'll 
be in a few minutes."

Tara watched the loving display from her spot on the front steps and 
turned to the Slayer once she had sat back down, "You know Will&"

"Tara, don't you start on me too. I am more then capable of taking 
care of myself out there and you know it."

"Ok, ok I give up but those kids deserve to have a mother and I think 
you deserve to have a life." Tara raised her hands in defeat.

"Thank you and I did have a life. I had a lot of wonderful years 
until Buffy died," Willow paused, blinking back the tears.

"It's ok to let it out," Tara whispered and took her hand.

"No it really isn't."

"Will&"

"Tara, please just drop it. I'll deal with it in my own way," Willow 
told her.

Tara sighed and stood up bring the red head with her, "Just know that 
we're here to help. You don't have to do this alone."

"That's why I came home. Good night Tara," Willow told her and kissed 
her on the cheek.

"Do you want me to stay tonight?" Tara asking her running her hand up 
Willow arm.

Willow leaned into the touch before stepping away, "As tempting as 
that sounds and let me tell you that it is very tempting, it's been a 
year since I've&well&since Buffy died but I just not sure now is the 
best time. Thank you though. Good night, Tara."

"Good night, Will. We'll see you for dinner tomorrow night," Tara 
told her walked across the street. 

Willow watched until she disappeared into the house before she 
heading into her own.





"So tell me why we can't stay home by ourselves tonight?" Jess asked 
as they walked into the Giles' house.

"Ok one more time, Dawn's going out with Buffy and Tara tonight and 
you guys are not old enough to stay by yourselves. You're going to be 
here for dinner anyway, so why not stay until I finish patrol. Dawn 
used to stay here all the time," Willow explained for the third time 
today for her daughter.

"Yeah she was like three," Ali snorted.

"It ain't happening, so give it up," Willow said.

"What's not happening," Joyce asked after hugging the girls.

"Them staying alone tonight," Willow sighed.

"I don't think so," Joyce agreed.

"Thank you," Willow said.

"Mama used to take us." Jess crossed her arms over her chest.

"WHAT!" Willow yelled. "WHEN?"

"Remember when you went to LA with grandpa Giles? She took us with 
her that night." Jess replied.

"I can't believe she did that," Willow sighed knowing there wasn't 
anything she could do about it now. "Wait a minute. How many other 
Slayers went with you?"

"Um&I&well ten," Jess stumbled.

"That's more like it," Willow mumbled, feeling bad about getting 
upset at her dead girlfriend. "So she took you out with ten Slayers 
once and you think I ought to let you stay at home alone?" Willow 
asked looking between her daughters.

"Um yeah," Jess squeaked, knowing she had lost her case.

"Um no," Willow grunted and turned to Joyce.

"I rented some movies and we'll have fun. Buffy and Tara are upstairs 
if you girls want to go talk to them," Joyce told them. 

Willow watched as the girls bounded up the steps before turning to 
the older women, "Sometimes I think it would be easier to fight all 
the vampires in Sunnydale then to raise teenagers."

"I don't know about that but then again I only have one," Joyce 
laughed.

"Plus Cordy and Xander and me before I left."

"I never counted you. You were more a friend then a child," Joyce 
told her putting her hand on the Slayer shoulder.

"Thank you."

"Willow, how are you?" Joyce questioned her.

"Really, I don't know. I don't think everything has really sunk in. I 
feel like everything has changed. Nothing will ever go back to being 
what it was before I left. They look at me like I'm still the same 
person and to some degree I am but in others I am a totally 
different. When I first got there I missed your Buffy so much and now 
I miss the other Buffy so much it hurts. I don't want to hurt Buffy 
any more then I already have but it so hard to see her and know that 
I'll never be able to have her. It's just so damn hopeless." Willow 
said, unaware of Buffy listening at the bottom of the step. Buffy 
wiped the tears out of her eyes and quietly walked back upstairs. 

Joyce pulled Willow into a hug just holding her not certain if there 
were any words that could comfort the red head, "I know that you're 
hurting and I'm here if you need me."

"I know, thank you," Willow told her wiping the single tear that she 
had been unable to hold back just as the doorbell rang.

"Can you grab that while I check the roast?" Joyce asked her as she 
headed back into the kitchen. 

Willow pulled the door open to find a young brunette standing there 
in jeans and a t-shirt, "Hello, can I help you?"

"Oh yeah, I looking for Buffy or Tara. I'm Megan."

"Oh&um&the date," Willow fumbled before stepping to the side to let 
the girl in.

"Yeah," Megan said cheerfully.

"She upstairs if you want to go up. Just follow the sounds of way too 
many teenager's in one house," Willow told her trying to be pleasant 
but not sure whether she was succeeding. 





Willow was in the kitchen helping clean up the dinner mess when Dawn 
came in, "Hey mom, we're getting ready to take off now."

"Ok, be careful. How are you getting there and home?" Willow 
questioned her.

"Wellll&I was hoping we could take the jeep. Please."

"How are you going to get six people in the jeep?" Willow asked.

"No just four. Cordy is driving her and Xander. Please."

"Be careful. I love you. Have fun." Willow followed her out to the 
living room.

"We will, Mom," Tara teased.

Willow glared at her and stuck out her tongue, "Well she is my baby."

"Not so much a baby," Tara said looking up and down the brunette.

"Don't even go there," Willow warned.

"I'm teasing," Tara laughed. "I partial to her mother anyway."

"Why Miss MaClay are you hitting on me?"

"Quite possibly."

"Behave. Goodbye. Take care of my daughter." Willow grinned and 
pushed her to the door.





  Tara walked out of the bathroom and noticed the light on in 
Buffy's room. She knocked lightly on the door and quietly opened 
it. "Buffy?" She whispered as to not wake her if she had fallen 
asleep.

"Tara! I&what are you doing up?" Buffy jumped up and stood in front 
of the blonde.

"Had to pee and saw your light. You ok, it was kind of a big night 
for you? First date with a woman and all." Tara could see the 
nervousness rolling off the teen.

"Yeah&um&yeah fine. I'm good even," Buffy ducked her head refusing to 
meet Tara eyes.

"Buffy?" Tara asked and glanced around the room. Her eyes settled on 
the desk in the corner of the room and she walked over to it.

"Tara, I can explain." Buffy flopped down on her bed.

Tara turned to look at her, "Buffy are you&"

"I don't know. Maybe. I guess we'll know in about thirty seconds." 
Buffy finished just as the egg timer on the desk dinged. "Can you 
read it for me? I don't think I can."

Tara glanced down and then looked at the box she had picked up from 
the desk. She turned and walked over to kneel in front of 
Buffy. "Buffy, you're pregnant."

"Well hell." Buffy sighed and dropped her head on Tara shoulder.



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Willow: "It's a good fight, Buffy, and I want in."
Buffy:  "I kinda love you."
                     'Choices'

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