Ok everyone!! New update! There might be some angst! Cause well, who does angst better then Rose? No one I tell you!!!! Thanks all for readin it!!!
"Part 18"
"Willows house" (again)
"Willow hun are you listening?" Willows mother was saying. It was Tuesday morning, Willow and her mother were sitting across from eachother at the kitchen table, Willow eating eggs and toast while her mother poured over the newspaper while drinking her coffee. Willow had been jabbing at her eggs, her thoughts were jumbly. She was fully aware as to what her mother was talking about. Something about Sunnydales high death rate. See Willow was on a mission. Prom was less then a week away. She wanted to go with Tara, but she hadnt asked her yet. She wanted her moms permission. She wanted to tell her mom she wanted to go with Tara and that she was in love with her. But then again she was terrified. She didnt know how her mother was going to react. They had never really discussed homosexuality or their views on it. Willow supposed it was a "Dont ask dont tell" sort of thing. Taking a deep breath, she plunged ahead.
"Mom. I need to talk to you." She says, putting her fork down looking pointedly at her mother. Shelia Rosenberg put down her paper, focusing on her daughter.
"Sure honey, whats on your mind?" She asks.
"I wanted to talk about prom. And I wanted to tell you that..." But she was inturupted, her mothers eyes shone with delight.
"Oh sweeite I knew you were going to talk about this sooner or later! This is great! And Oz is the perfect man to be going with!" She said, clapping her hands together to show her happiness.
"No Mom wait. Im not going with Oz, he and I broke up. Im going with someone else." Willow says.
"Oh, well then who? Xander?" Sheila asks. Willow shakes her head, taking another breath.
"No, not Xander. Im going with Tara. She and I...we're...well...we're dating." Willow looks up at her mom. Expecting the worst. Expecting her mom to just explode, tell her that dating girls was wrong and it wouldnt be brought in THIS house. But she didnt. The slightest form of a smile spread across her mothers lips.
"Oh Willow. Thats....just...well its lovely! Im glad you told me. And Tara is a wonderful girl. And I know you two will have a great time together!" She says. Willow breaks into a smile herself, she wanted to just burst with all the happiness and reliefe she was feeling.
"So, do you think we can get a dress this week? Proms on saterday you know." She said. Sheilia nods.
"Of course of course! Anything you want!" She says still smiling. Willow beams up at her mom, getting up and wrapping her arms around her mother. Prom was going to be a night she and Tara would never forget!
________________________________________
"Later that night"
"Dad I w-wanted to ask you something." Tara says. She had walked into the TV room, her dad was sitting in his recliner, he was watchin the football game and he was on his 5th beer of the night. Tara thought it better to ask him now to go to the prom with Willow as he was bordering on drunk. She knew her dad would say yes to anything, that with the game on and all.
"What the hell do you want girl? Its 1st down and the razorbacks are in the lead." He glared at her. "And you better not be askin for more money girl! You've already suckered me dry this month by wanting that TV in your room. Goddamnit, dont you know we aint rich?" He said his voice raising. Tara knew not to answer to this.
"Well p-prom is this saterday. M-my friends are g-going, and I w-wanted to know if I could t-t-too." She stammered, tryin to choose her words carefully. Her father laughs.
"Friends? You got friends since when?" Again Tara didnt reply.
"So if I were to g-go to prom, I'd need a d-dress. Its formal." At that her father gets up quickly, tossing the beer he had been drinking to the floor with a loud crash. Tara knew she asked for it. And she knew she'd have to clean that spilled beer later. He grabs her roughly bythe back of her neck, Tara winces in pain and she stumbles closer to him, his breath reeking of beer.
"A dress? You expect me to waste my money on you? You want me to buy you a dress so you can whore yourself off to all them boys?" He yelled. Tara wasnt about to tell her father she wanted to go with Willow, no she wasnt.
"No dad...I...just thought I could have fun with friends..." She said slowly. "SMACK" Before she could say anymore, her father had hit her across the head. Tara saw stars as she felt the sting that came with it.
"So now your miss popular arent you? Thats what you think you are! You have no friends! Youre an ugly loser! No one likes you! Not really. Youre so called FRIENDS are just pretending to be your friends because they feel sorry for you. They dont like you at all. You wanna know why?" When she didnt answer, he slapped her across the face, causing Taras head to snap back in the other direction. The force of the hit made her lose her balance, causing her to stumble onto the floor. This made her father laugh.
"DO you! DO you wanna know why you have no friends!" He yelled again, tears were streamin down Taras face but again she didnt say anything. She should have. "KICK" Takin his steeled toe boot, her father kicked her in the stomach making Tara suck in her breath. She still did not say anything.
"No one likes you because you girl, are a loser. A shy, stuttering, whimpy, weak LOSER. Now clean this shit up." He said and walks out of the room, upstairs, slamming his door.
Tara just lays there for a moment, not moving, just in case her father came back downstairs. But he didnt. With the tears streaming still streaming down her face, she gets up slowly, wincing in pain. Her head throbbed, her face stung, and she felt as if her insides were on fire. Slowly she cleaned up her fathers mess, praying to the goddess that he wouldnt come back downstairs.
______________________________________
"Taras room"
A few hours later, Tara was laying on her bed, silent tears still coming. She knew now she wouldnt be able to go to the prom now. She knew she wouldnt be able to have fun with her friends, dance with Willow, or have the perfect evening she had invisioned in her mind over and over again. Lost in her thoughts, she almost didnt realize someone was knocking at her window, getting up and drawing back the curtains, she sees Willow waving at her through the glass. Tara opens the window, stepping back and helping Willow in.
"Tara! Great news! My mom said I can...." But she stops, noticing both the tears on Taras face as well as the bright red mark on her cheek. Her smile falters, replaced with a look of concern.
"Tara are you ok?" She asks, moving closer towards her. Tara takes a step back, shaking her head. Willow takes her hand gently, takin her over to the bed, sitting down.
"What happened?" She asks. Tara wipes away a forming tear.
"My d-dad. I a-asking him if I c-c-could go to prom. But he....it has to do with m-money. I know we cant aford t-things right now. I was so stupid to a-ask..." Taras stuttering badly, her eyes lowered to the floor.
"Tara did he...did he hurt you?" Willow asks. Tara just nods. Willow doesnt say anything for a moment. Not knowing what to say. She knew words wouldnt help, it wouldnt change what happened. So instead she slowly wraps her arms around Tara in an imbrace, stroking her blonde hair.
"Its ok baby. Im here...Im here." She whispers softly. Tara just cries as Willow repeated those two words over and over again. After a while they break apart.
"Thank you Willow. For being here...I...I dont know w-what I was going to do." Tara says.
"Tara theres no need to thank me. I love you. I wish I could take you away from all this. I cant. And that hurts. You dont deserve this life. You deserve better. You deserve anything but this. The only thing I can do for you is be here for you, and love you. I can help you take all the pain away. I want to. Tara, come to prom with me." Willow says. Tara looks up at her, watery eyes shining with happiness.
"You...you want me to go with you?" She asks. Daring not to believe it. Willow takes her hand, gently kissing it.
"Come with me Tara. You dont have to worry about a dress or anything. I'll take care of you. I want to. I NEED to." She says. Tara smiles, leaning into Willow and kissing her, wrapping her arms around the girl.
"I will Willow. I'll go with you." She says and kisses Willow again, happier then she's ever felt in her entire life. She was going to prom with Willow. Her love. Her life.

woo that was sad wasnt it! I had to get that outta the way for the smut thats about to happen! woo! Be nice kitties!
-rose
I didnt know what being happy was till i found you, i didnt know what love meant till i loved you.