Thanks guys *G* I have no idea when I'll be online long enough to write replies to replies, but I do have some spare moments when I read them, and I appreciate them. I will reply as often as possible.
So, here it is - the Valentine's Day After Which No One In Sunnydale Didn't Know Willow Loves Tara As Mentioned Briefly In A Previous Vignette. And I hereby promise to attempt to make sure that any fic I ever post on a holiday is for the WRONG holiday *G* Because, y'know, it just happened to work out like that this time, and I kind of like the idea because I'm strange.
It's long. It's silly. Okay, it's kinda' long and >outrageously< silly. Happy New Year.
Enjoy,
Sass
Series: Vignettes
Number: 30
Title: Valentine's Day
Author: Sassette
Feedback: Can be sent to
pink_overalls@yahoo.comSpoiler Warning: None
Summary: The previously mentioned Valentine's Day, after which all of Sunnydale knew without a doubt that Willow loves Tara.
Disclaimer: I didn't create these characters and I'm not making any money off of them. But I wrote this, so it's mine.
Rating: PG-13
Valentine's Day
Part 30 of the Vignettes Series
by Sassette
Tara looked around her nervously, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as she made her way through the halls of UC Sunnydale on her way to class.
Something was ... wrong.
Something was ... off.
Being a Scooby, she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched - couldn't let the feeling just go, or tell herself she was being silly. Ignoring a feeling like that got people hurt or killed, and she didn't want to break any Scooby rules. That was one of the first things Willow had taught her - Scooby Rule Number One: No Getting Killed.
She looked around again, wondering if she was suddenly being paranoid, or if people really did look away quickly when her eyes landed on them.
Was the whole school watching her?
Did she have something on her face?
Head down, she made a detour into the nearest bathroom, moving to the mirror and studying herself.
No - nothing was on her face, nothing stuck to her teeth. Her skirt wasn't tucked into her panties, or something equally embarrassing - she just looked ... like Tara. Nothing unusual or strange about that - she looked like Tara every day.
So why were people looking at her?
Shrugging it off, Tara made her way to class, trying to ignore the sideways glances, passing by the usual places - the science buildings, the cafeteria, the 'Smoking Kills' billboard.
Tara stopped suddenly, doing a double-take. That, she realized quickly, was not a 'Smoking Kills' billboard. Gone were the squicky pictures and depressing statistics. Gone were the crowds of students defiantly lighting up in its shadow. Gone were the crowds of students standing around the smokers defiantly coughing.
No, there for all the school to see, were the words 'Willow Loves Tara' in giant letters, and a picture of them holding hands.
Tara gaped, her mouth flopping open as students stared at her openly now, watching her reaction, debates starting on the appropriateness of a same-sex couple announcing their love on a billboard starting.
But Tara was only thinking one thing.
Where on Earth had Willow gotten the money to buy THAT?
She certainly wasn't embarrassed or ashamed, and she certainly didn't care what anyone thought. She and Willow held hands on campus enough that if anyone hadn't already known, they were fairly stupid, and she wasn't worried about them.
But as far as Tara knew, Willow didn't have a job. So how could she buy a billboard? Or rent a billboard. Or whatever it was people did to billboards. And how did she get it done overnight in time for Valentine's day?
"Hey, Tara?" a girl from one of Willow's computer classes called, jogging up to her, an envelope in her hand. "Willow wanted me to give this to you," she said with a grin, heading off on her way before a stymied Tara could thank her.
It was a plain envelope, Tara noted, turning it over in her hands, with just her name printed on the front. Willow's handwriting, she noted, opening it up and pulling forth a handwritten note.
"Dearest Tara," it said.
"Where did you first make my heart happy and spin in circles? I'll meet you there."
"What the-" Tara started to say, her brows knitting as she turned the note over.
"P.S.," the backside of the note said.
"This is a scavenger hunt, so get moving."
"A scavenger hunt?" Tara mouthed the words, a confused look on her face. Then her expression cleared, and she turned the note back over, reading the words against and remembering suddenly a conversation he had had with Willow a month or so before that she had thought nothing of at the time.
It had started off as a normal evening watching Spongebob Squarepants when, rather suddenly, Willow had started railing against sororities, the vacuous women who joined them to gain a sense of belonging, and their exclusive cliqueish ways. But it had seemed to be a half-hearted rant - lacking Willow's usual vehemence when she was expounding on the injustices of the world. Tara had mildly pointed out a few obvious similarities between sororities and the Scooby Gang, and that started a debate in which Willow finally conceded that, gross generalizations of the vacuousness of sorority sisters aside, Tara kind of had a point.
"But the Scoobs are cool - and important," Willow had said, holding on to what she felt was her most important point. "Sororities are just silly. Except the scavenger hunts. Those sound fun, don't they?"
"Scavenger hunts?" Tara remembered asking.
"Yeah," Willow had said, then launching into an explanation about how pledges were sent all over town following clues and performing silly tasks. "Doesn't that sound fun?" Willow had asked again, a little too casually, her expression curiously hopeful.
"All over town following clues and performing silly tasks, huh?" Tara said aloud, reading the note once again, then looking back up at the billboard, a soft half-smile crossing her face at the picture of Willow looking at her with adoring eyes. "Yeah, it kind of does sound like fun," she said to an absent Willow, turning her attention back to the clue so she could get started.
Now, she mused inwardly, where had she first made Willow's heart happy and spin in circles? The laundry room first jumped to mind, but that was more scary and filled with a kind of sexual edge than the happy romantic feeling the clue implied.
Maybe the clue was in the words? They had had far too many firsts for Tara to pinpoint a location off of the clue unless there was more to the clue than she was seeing.
Chewing on her lower lip, her brow knit in concentration, Tara adjusted her book bag on her shoulder and began walking. In her mind, she pictured little happy hearts spinning, the visual image solidifying as the merry hearts both spun in place and around each other, like the teacups at Disneyland.
"Oh!" Tara said, a beaming smile crossing her face as she quickened her step, remembering where and when she had told Willow that she was the best friend she had ever had.
Forgetting class, she hurried off to the park near Buffy's house, the one with the swings and the slide and the ...
... merry-go-round.
And there, rising above the merry-go-round for all the world to see, was another billboard.
This one was different, showing Willow and Tara standing with their arms around one another in front of the Magic Box, and the words "Willow Loves Tara" emblazoned across the bottom.
Grinning widely, Tara hurried off, not noticing the looks she was getting from the people she passed, only able to concentrate on her goal with a little brain space left over to idly wonder just how many places she was going to have to go.
"Hey, Tara - you're girlfriend's hot!" a teenaged boy yelled from his car as he drove by, honking and waving. Tara looked up, and waved back automatically, laughing to herself as she wondered exactly how she was react to that. It certainly wasn't the sort of thing that happened to her every day.
As Tara neared the Magic Box, she started looking around, trying to spot the billboard, and not seeing one anywhere. Frowning, she wondered if she had missed something obvious, like a piece of paper clue on the merry-go-round. Perhaps the billboard picture just happened to be in front of the Magic Box, and that part wasn't a clue at all?
Then she saw it - the sign over the store was covered, and instead of saying "The Magic Box", it said "Willow Loves Tara" with a picture of them together on either side of the words. Shaking her head and laughing again, she opened the door, the cheery bell greeting her.
"But it needs to come down," Anya said, her voice wheedling. "What if our customers can't find it? What if people look us up in the yellow pages, and they come to this address, and they don't see 'The Magic Box', they see 'Willow Loves Tara'. This is a Wiccan Magic Shop, not a Wiccan Porn Shop!"
********************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
“No,” Anya said flatly, shaking her head.
“Anya,” Willow said patiently. “This is for Valentine’s Day. This is very important. This is a day when we’re supposed to do extremely extravagant things for our girlfriends. Just let me change the sign – it’ll only be a few hours.”
“Why don’t you ever do anything like this for me for Valentine’s Day?” Anya asked, turning on Xander. “What’s extremely extravagant about flowers and candy?”
“It IS extravagant,” Xander said defensively. “It’s not like I bring you flowers and candy every day.”
“Well you should,” Anya said, nodding her head emphatically. “I bet Willow gets Tara flowers and candy every day. I bet that’s why she had to try to make me change my sign – because flowers and candy won’t cut it, because Tara gets that every day. Well, >I< want flowers and candy every day, and I want something truly outrageous for Valentine’s Day. Buy me the TransAmerica building!”
“What?” Xander squeaked.
“It’s in San Francisco. It’s pointy, and I like it – so buy it.”
“I … but …”
“Hey, hey!” Willow said, waving a hand in front of Anya’s face, hoping to pull her out of her stuporous state of imagined acquisition. “Getting off-topic, here – will you change the sign?”
“No,” Anya said again. “Not unless Xander buys me the pointy building!”
“But … I …”
“Hey – still off-topic! I can’t make Xander buy that building,” Willow said, shrugging her shoulders. “Look … don’t make me use the resolve face. I’ve had to use the resolve face a lot today, and I’d hate to have to use it on you, because you’re a Scooby and Scoobies stick together. I shouldn’t HAVE to use the resolve face on you.”
“No.”
“I’ll blow this whistle at you – don’t make me do it.”
“No.”
Willow sighed. “I’ll pay you.”
“Hey – what about paying me?” Xander asked. “I’m the one who has to put up the sign!”
“You already said yes,” Anya and Willow said together, both rolling their eyes.
***********************************************
"Hi, Anya," Tara said, waving shyly as Anya quickly stopped poking Xander sharply in the chest and spun to see Tara standing there.
"All right - now do the funky chicken," Anya said, skipping the greeting.
"What?" Tara said, her brow furrowing.
"Do the funky chicken so I can give you this clue, so Xander can take down the sign, and I can get back to my regularly scheduled commerce," Anya said.
"But Anya, Willow didn't," Xander said, stopping abruptly when Anya's elbow met his gut.
"Shhh," Anya said. "I might as well get something out of this," she went on, her voice low. "So, do the funky chicken," she told Tara again, her voice unnaturally bright and loud.
"I, ummm ... I have to do the funky chicken?" Tara asked, her eyes widening, then widening further as Giles came out of the storage room. "Here?"
"Yes," Anya said, nodding emphatically. "What time is it?" she asked, looking at Xander.
"You've got one minute," Xander muttered back.
"But you'll need music!" Anya said quickly, as Tara started gathering herself and preparing to do the funky chicken, all the while thinking about what she was going to do to Willow to get even. "You can't do the funky chicken without music! Xander - find a radio," she said, sending Xander scurrying off.
"I, but - couldn't you just give me the clue?" Tara asked. "I mean - Willow doesn't have to know that I didn't ..."
"Got the radio!" Xander said triumphantly, holding it aloft and quickly plugging it in. He switched it on, rapidly turning the dial until he got the station he was looking for. "Now we just wait for music," he said, finally catching on to Anya's roundabout plan.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen," the DJ said in his unnaturally 'cool' voice. "I'm sure you've all noticed the billboards up around town, and we're ready to start the next stage of what one of our listeners has dubbed 'The Tarathon'."
Tara sat down heavily in the nearest chair, her face turned towards the radio as she listened, wondering just how long Willow had planned all of this and just how many strings she had pulled and how much money she had thrown around to make it all come together.
************************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
"Dammit, Buffy," Willow said, blowing her whistle shrilly, making Buffy wince and turn weary eyes towards her best friend. The things she was willing to do for Willow never ceased to amaze her. At least she got to hit the demons when Willow was in trouble - this was far, far worse. "Now try it again!"
And so Buffy tried it again, no longer finding the bright orange gym shorts, the UC Sunnydale sweatshirt, the oversized stopwatch and the whistle to be cute. No, now they were menacing and evil, and if this weren't so important to Willow, she'd slay them all.
"No, no!" Willow said again. "Tara's steps aren't that long. You're walking too 'Buffy'. You have to walk 'Tara'."
"Then why don't you walk, and I'll time how long it takes?" Buffy asked reasonably.
"Because I have the whistle! See the whistle? This whistle gives me the authority to make you do things over and over again, like coaches, gym teachers, and watchers. Now walk!"
And so, Buffy walked. Again.
*************************************************
"For those of you just tuning in," the DJ continued, his voice still smooth and 'cool', "the station's web designer, Willow Rosenberg, has organized a very special Valentine's Day surprise for her girlfriend, Tara. The billboards up all over town mark places where Tara is being sent on a scavenger hunt, trying to find Willow. Willow herself is ... well, I can't say where Willow is, because Tara could be listening right at this very moment. But, Willow is out there somewhere, telling everyone who walks by that she loves Tara."
"She what?" Tara squeaked, suddenly feeling the need to sit down, and then realizing that she WAS sitting down.
"That's right," the DJ continued. "She's proclaiming her love to every single person who walks by. So, if you see Willow, be sure to cheer her on, all right? And now, in a special exclusive, I have Tara's next clue sitting here on my desk. So, just in case she isn't listening yet, I'm going to take a few more callers."
"Okay, Xander - you can take down the sign now," Anya said, though Tara didn't hear, so fixed was she on the radio.
"Quiet, I want to hear this," Xander said, turning up the volume and ignoring Anya's request.
"Okay, Cyndi - you're on the air," the DJ said.
"Yeah, I just wanted to say that this is the sweetest thing I've ever heard. I mean, I, like, love my boyfriend and all, and I know he loves me, but I don't think he'd stand around somewhere and tell everyone who walked by, y'know? So, anyway, I'm totally thinking of switching teams."
"Well, thanks for calling, Cyndi. And hey, guys - anyone dating a girl named Cyndi ... you might want to think about doing something extra special today for Valentine's. Next caller, we have Mark ... go ahead, Mark."
"Yeah, I was wondering if I could get Willow or Tara's phone number? I've seen the billboards, and I'd really like them to -"
"Ooops! We seem to have lost Mark," the DJ said, never missing a beat. "Next caller, we have Alex. Go ahead, Alex."
"Yeah, look - I know Willow and Tara and they're wonderful people, so if anyone gives them any trouble, I'm going to hunt them down like dogs, okay?"
"Ooohhh ... protective guy friend. Excellent," the DJ said, causing Tara to look up and seeing that Xander was mysteriously absent.
"All right - now, here's the clue, so Tara, I hope you're listening to the Tarathon. Willow wrote it herself, and she wanted me to say that she's no Byron, or even Dr. Seuss. So, here we go: Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, This will be, a real easy clue. Go to Buffy's house."
"How did she ...?" Tara asked, gaping at the radio as Anya turned it off.
"Does it matter? Now go get your clue. Willow's standing around like an idiot telling everybody how much she loves you, and she's going to stay there until you go get her. So go!" Anya said, waving Tara out the door.
Tara stood hurriedly, dumping her bookbag into Anya's arms. "Can you just hold on to that ..."
"Yes, go!" Anya said, storing the bookbag behind the counter.
The walk to Buffy's house was one of the longest of Tara's life as she felt extremely conspicous. Billboards, radios. What was next? A blimp?
But then again, she might feel just a little bit silly walking around Sunnydale tracking down Willow, but she also felt loved. And, she had to admit to herself, she was slightly mollified knowing that Willow was just as conspicous as she was, and not tucked away somewhere.
"She's here!" she heard as she walked up the steps to Buffy's house. Dawn threw open the door, grinning widely before she could ring the bell, and then Buffy appeared behind her, bouncing slightly.
"Are you having fun?" Buffy asked. "Please, PLEASE tell me you're having fun," she went on.
"Actually, I kind of am, but - how did Willow -?"
"Nevermind how," Dawn said, grabbing Tara's hand and pulling her in the door. "Isn't it COOL?"
"Here's your clue," Buffy said with a smile, handing over an envelope to Tara.
"You have to go to Del Taco and order a Hot and Spicy Girlfriend!" Dawn blurted out.
"What?" Tara asked, her face paling at the thought of going into a public place and uttering those words.
"Dawn!" Buffy said, smacking her sister lightly in the sister. "She's supposed to figure it out."
"But it's a hard clue," Dawn whined, stomping her foot. "How is she supposed to figure it out when the clue is so hard?"
"Oh, Tara," Buffy said suddenly, noticing how pale her friend had gotten. "We're SOOOO kidding. Really. It's not Del Taco, it's not a Hot and Spicy Girlfriend. It was all Dawn's idea," she said quickly, throwing her sister to the proverbial wolves.
"I ... but ... Buffy said," Dawn sputtered helplessly, pointing at Buffy.
"I ... not Del Taco? No, umm ... no ordering?" Tara asked, waving the envelope.
"I swear," Buffy said solemnly, crossing her heart. "Willow wanted to do an extravagant and public declaration of her love for you, but, y'know, being mindful that you're kind of shy."
***********************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
"You want me to what?" the girl behind the counter asked.
"I just want you to hold onto this envelope for me. When someone comes in and orders a 'hot and spicy girlfriend', you give them the envelope," Willow explained for the fortieth time, her teeth grinding together.
"Let me get my manager," the girl said, wandering off in a seemingly aimless fashion.
"Forget it," Willow said. "Tara probably would've killed me for this one, anyway. Let's go, Buffy."
"Yes, Drill Sergeant," Buffy muttered under her breath, following her best friend out of the Del Taco.
************************************************
"Kind of shy?" Dawn asked with a snort.
"Hey - I've gotten better," Tara said defensively.
"Well, yeah," Dawn said with a little shrug. "But you're still not the type to walk into a Del Taco and order a Hot and Spicy Girlfriend. Thought I still think that would've been a good one. So, aren't you going to open it?" she asked, pointing at the envelope.
"Oh, right," Tara said with a little smile, opening the envelope and pulling out the piece of paper.
“Dearest Tara,” it read
“Not that I even >know< any other Tara’s, let alone Dear ones, but still – if I knew all the Tara’s in the world, you would still be the dearest. In fact, if everyone in the world were suddenly named ‘Tara’ in some kind of freaky Hellmouth occurrence, you would STILL be the Dearest. Why, you ask? Because you’re sweet and kind, and shy but strong. You’re everything I could have asked for, wrapped up in one beautiful package. Because you made me realize that I really am the person you see, not the person I was always afraid I was. Because you’ve rescued me again and again from the lonely tower of my own self-image. And so, my Dearest Tara, on this Valentine’s Day, I’m asking for one last rescue. But first, you have to dress the part – I’ve laid out something for you one our bed. Oh – and bring mochas, okay?”
“She …” Tara began, then stopped, putting down the envelope and walking up the stairs, chewing on her lip, half afraid of what she might find. What was Willow going to make her wear.
And then she saw it.
“Buffy?” Tara called out.
“Yes, Tara?” Buffy asked sweetly from the bottom of the stairs.
“Why is there a suit of armor in my room?”
********************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
“One does not just ‘borrow’ an entire suite of armor from the local museum,” Giles said, removing his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose as if to ward off the pain Willow was inflicting.
“But Giles – you have contacts! They know you! They trust you!” Willow said, her pleading green eyes boring into him.
“Yes, well, I’d like them to continue trusting me,” Giles said simply. “Willow, honestly – what are the chances we would even find a suit of armor that fit? Besides, armor is terribly uncomfortable.”
“Please Giles?” Willow said, not to be dissuaded at this point by logic. She was too far into this whole scheme to back out now. She just needed a few other things to fall into place.
“All right – I’ll ask, but I make no promises,” Giles said, sighing heavily. How in the world had he ended up wrapped around the fingers of these children? And thank God for it.
********************************************
“You have to wear it,” Buffy said brightly, appearing in the doorway.
“Isn’t it COOL?” Dawn asked, popping her head around the doorframe and grinning.
“It, umm … it doesn’t go with this skirt,” Tara said.
“Oh, there’s a whole outfit,” Dawn said helpfully. “And once you’re in that, Buffy and I can do the buckles really quick.”
********************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
“Why do I have to stand here again?” Anya asked for the thirtieth time.
“Because Willow’s paying you,” Buffy answered before Willow’s whistle could sound again. She had woken up from a nap that afternoon, the shrill sound ringing in her ears from a nightmare about being chased all over Sunnydale by Demon Whistles. The next time she met Whistler, she was going to kick his ass, just for the fun of it.
“Okay, that was thirty-three minutes. We’re doing it again,” Willow said, stopping the watch.
“But Willow, we’ve done this a million times,” Dawn said, flopping down on the bed and groaning, an arm draped over her eyes.
“And we will continue to do this until you can do it in ten or fifteen,” Willow said, blowing the whistle again. “Now MOVE, people!”
“Yes, Drill Sergeant,” Buffy muttered under her breath.
“I heard that.”
**********************************************
“Yeah, really REALLY fast,” Buffy said, wincing at the memory.
“But … I …”
“Just get dressed,” Dawn said, getting out of the way as Buffy closed the door on Tara’s protests.
“And look at the bright side,” Buffy yelled through the door. “At least with that helmet on, no one will see your face.”
“Do you think she’s really going to do it?” Dawn asked as she and Buffy trailed downstairs.
“Do you really think anyone ever says no to Willow?” Buffy asked. “We must’ve put that armor on Anya twenty times.”
“Oh, God – don’t remind me,” Dawn said.
Thinking about how much time Willow must’ve put into getting this all together, Tara got down to business, putting on the clothes provided and trying not to think about how silly she’d feel in armor. Besides – wasn’t armor really heavy? How was she going to walk around with it on?
Experimentally, she lifted a piece, finding it surprisingly light. In fact, it was really >really< light.
“Buffy? I’m dressed,” Tara called, dropping her shirt into place. Dawn and Buffy appeared at the door almost immediately, hurrying over and lifting pieces of armor into place, buckling it deftly. “Umm … why is it so light?” Tara finally asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
“Oh, well,” Buffy said, frowning as she finished up with a buckle under Tara’s arm. “It’s not real armor – Willow checked about borrowing from the museums, but nothing looked like it would fit you, and it was all really REALLY heavy, so Giles called in a few favors with the local opera house.”
“Sunnydale has an opera house?” Tara asked absently, bouncing on her toes a little to settle the armor pieces into place. “This isn’t so bad,” she said, frowning thoughtfully. “It feels kind of …”
“Protective?” Buffy asked with a little smile as Dawn retrieved a folded up piece of cloth from underneath the bed.
“No suit of armor is complete without a tabard,” Dawn said with a grin, fitting the hole over Tara’s head and pulling it down.
“Tabard?” Buffy said.
“Yeah, I looked it up,” Dawn said, shrugging. “I wanted to know what all the pieces were – and this piece is called a ‘tabard’. It’s the bit that had the red crosses on it for crusaders, but would normally bear coats of arms.”
“Smarty,” Tara said with a grin, then looked down at herself, frowning. “Ummm … this tabard has little red hearts all over it.”
“Well, it IS Valentine’s Day, Sir Tara,” Buffy said with a little shrug and a smile.
“Dame,” Dawn said, grabbing a belt (with sword attached) from the bed and putting it into place.
“Huh?” Buffy said, looking over at her sister.
“Dame. A female who has been knighted is called ‘Dame’, not ‘Sir’.”
“Smarty,” Buffy repeated Tara’s earlier statement, sticking her tongue out at Dawn. “So, DAME Tara … you ready to go?”
“I, umm … I have to go get mochas in this?” Tara said, looking around uncertainly.
“Well, you do if you want the next clue. But you get to wear the helmet,” Buffy said, handing it over. “You’ll be fine. Besides, Dawn and I are going with you.”
“You are?” Tara asked.
“Oh, yeah – wouldn’t miss it,” Dawn said with a grin.
And so, Dame Tara and her squires, Dawn and Buffy, sallied forth from the Summers Castle, heading to the Espresso Pump. People stopped and stared when they passed, some following curiously, having heard on the radio about the Tarathon and having seen the billboards.
When the arrived at the Espresso Pump, the girl behind the counter squealed in excitement.
*******************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
“Oh, My God! You’re Willow! You’re on billboards!” the girl behind the counter yelled loudly enough to draw the attention of the crowds.
Willow smiled sheepishly and waved, feeling extremely silly in the long pink dress and pointy hat with the flowy scarfy thing on top. Dressing up like a princess for this had certainly seemed like a good idea at the time. She had hoped that getting here at five in the morning would have prevented people from actually >seeing< the billboards that had been put up last night, but apparently that was too much to ask for.
But then her resolve returned. This was the last clue she had to drop off, and then everything was in place, and she could get ready to go make a complete and TOTAL ass of herself in public.
“Ummm … could you do me a favor?”
********************************
“You’re Tara! You’re on billboards!” the girl behind the counter said loudly, drawing the attention of the few customers who weren’t >already< looking at the girl in the armor. “Your girlfriend Willow was in this morning and gave me an envelope to give to you, but only if you were dressed up in a suit of armor. Which, y’know, I figured no one in their right mind would EVER do, but here you are, and all dressed up, and here’s the envelope. Oh, and she already paid for some mochas,” the girl said, giggling as she went to go make the mochas.
Tara held the clue in her gauntleted hand and awkwardly lifted off her helmet, shaking her hair free. “Umm … Buffy? Dawn? Could you?”
Buffy took the envelope and opened it, pulling out the letter, then handing it back to Tara.
“But –“ Dawn protested.
“It could be private,” Buffy admonished Dawn before she could even complain.
“I know – that’s why I wanted you to read it,” Dawn said with a sigh.
“Are you really Tara?” a girl wanted to know.
“Umm … yeah,” Tara said slowly.
“Wow – you’re on billboards, and I’ve been listening to the Tarathon all morning. Can I have your autograph?” she asked.
Tara held up her gauntleted hands and gave an apologetic shrug.
“Oh, right,” the girl said sheepishly. “Good luck with the scavenger hunt.”
“Thanks,” Tara said, reading her clue while the girl behind the counter made the mochas.
“Dearest Tara,” it said.
“By now you’re all dressed up like the knight in shining armor that you are. I hope you’ll forgive the whimsy, and the silly, and the possible embarrassment factor. Just know that this is about how much I love you. This is about showing you, and the world, how >I< see >you<. Buffy may slay the Hellmouthy Demons, but you slay >my< demons. Buffy may have been called to fight the good fight, but you fight because you love me, and because you love the world. Buffy may have given us back our voices the night we met, facing the Gentlemen in the Clock Tower, but you gave me the courage to use that voice – to say that I love you. And you’ve faced down demons that she and I can’t even imagine. You’re the strongest person I know – you’re my hero, and I know you can do this one last thing to come and find me, because you will always find me.”
Tara sniffed quietly, lifting a hand to wipe away a tear, then stopping when she realized it was covered in metal. “Oh, umm …” she said, looking around.
“Here,” Dawn said, grabbing a napkin and wiping Tara’s eyes.
“Thanks,” Tara said with a little self-conscious laugh.
“So, where to next?” Buffy asked.
“You mean you don’t know?” Tara asked, her eyebrows raising. “I mean … it, umm … it doesn’t exactly say.”
“It doesn’t?” Dawn asked, frowning a little.
“Well, no,” Tara said with a little shrug. “It only mentions the clock tower, but doesn’t say I should …” Tara stopped, thinking a moment. “Did you bring the clue from your place?” Tara asked.
“Umm … right here,” Dawn said sheepishly, pulling it out of her pocket. “I, uhh … didn’t want you to lose it?”
“Thanks, Dawnie,” Tara said with a smile, re-reading the previous clue. Rescued from the lonely tower of your self-image, huh? Tara thought, looking at Willow’s last letter. “She’s at the clock tower,” Tara said. “Come on – let’s go rescue my girl,” she said, grinning broadly.
“Dawn – grab the mochas,” Buffy said, hurrying after Tara.
A small crowd followed them from the Espresso Pump, and they sallied forth yet again, Dame Tara, her squires Dawn and Buffy, and their retinue of nameless extras. Fearlessly, they marched through the streets of Sunnydale, coming upon the clock tower.
*******************************************
GRATUITOUS FLASHBACK
“Next time, Willow, just get a Hallmark Card,” Willow told herself as she trudged up the step, her hands full. Of course, there was no way Tara was ever going to forget this Valentine’s Day. Come to think of it, most of Sunnydale probably wouldn’t ever forget this Valentine’s Day.
“Oh, God … Do I have to top this next year?” Willow asked out loud, freezing midstep, a look of panic on her face. “No, no,” she said, shaking her head. “Tara will never EVER expect anything like this again. She’ll never ever WANT anything like this again.”
Calmed, she continued on, walking up flight after flight and dodging the cobwebs. “Don’t they ever clean in here?” she asked, her voice echoing through the tower. Of course, if they cleaned in there, it wouldn’t have the air of spookiness that made it a perfect lair for baddies.
Then again, she certainly hoped their were no baddies in residence. She had left her slayer at home.
Finally, she came to the top of the tower and took a good long drink of her mocha. She was going to need it, because if Tara didn’t find the first clue right away, it was going to be a long LONG day.
Taking a deep breath of the bracing morning air, Willow threw open the windows underneath the tower and picked up her megaphone.
“Hey, you! Janitor guy! I love Tara!”
******************************************
There was a crowd gathered when they arrived. Someway, somehow, the Tarathon had become a city-wide event, with people milling about, and hot dog carts and soda vendors. Some enterprising soul had hastily put together a t-shirt emblazoned with the words ‘Willow Loves Tara’.
Tara wasn’t sure if she was surprised or not when the person turned around and it was Anya.
“Hi, guys!” she said, grinning broadly. “Giles is minding the shop,” she said quickly, as if to alleviate any worry they might feel at seeing her outside the Magic Box during working hours. “He said he could manage without me for awhile.”
“I love Tara,” they heard a hoarse voice croak through a megaphone.
Tara looked up, seeing Willow in a pretty princess pink dress, leaning out the window of the clock tower, megaphone in hand.
“Hey, you in the hat. No, the one in the red hat. I love Tara!”
“She is such a goof,” Tara said, her eyes bright with love as she looked adoringly at her maddeningly silly yet wonderful girlfriend.
“Yeah, but she’s your goof,” Dawn said with a grin.
“You two have a beautiful love,” Buffy said, tearing up. “A miraculous love.”
“There there, Buffy,” Dawn said, hugging her sister as she broke down crying. “Go get her,” Dawn said, pointing towards Willow.
“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re broadcasting live from the Sunnydale Clock Tower, and Tara has not yet shown up. In fact, there are bets going around right now on whether or not she WILL show up. Sorry Willow,” the permanently cool DJ said from a booth in front of the tower.
Tara stepped forward boldly in her suit of fake armor, her heart-covered tabard, one hand resting on the sword she sincerely hoped wasn’t sharp, but refused to check. She tapped a few shoulders, and people hurried out of her way once they realized who she was, until she stood at the front of the crowd, their cheers ringing through the square, but fading in her ears, the only thing she could hear was Willow’s hoarse croaky voice over the megaphone proclaim her love again and again.
“Oh, wait – I spoke TOOOO soon,” the DJ said, excitement creeping into his voice. “It looks like Tara just walked up, dressed in armor and everything. Ladies and Gentlemen, if you haven’t hurried down to the clock tower square before now, you’re really missing a sight!”
Grinning, Tara stepped up to the clock tower, opening the door. The crowd cheered and clapped again, but the noise faded as she stepped into the cool interior. Taking a deep breath, she climbed, step after step, making her way up to Willow.
This whole day had been crazy fun, but God she hoped Willow never tried to top it.
She kept walking, every cell in her body straining to move forward, knowing Willow was at the top of the stairs, and just when it seemed like she had climbed steps forever, there she was, and there Willow was, smiling at her, and that made the whole day worth it.
“Hi,” Willow said, the megaphone dropping from her hand and onto the floor as Tara stepped to her.
Tara skipped a greeting – it wasn’t necessary. Instead, she met Willow’s lips with her own, kissing her soundly as the crowd below cheered and whistled and clapped.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Tara said softly.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Willow returned.
by AutumnT » Fri Nov 08, 2002 9:09 pm 
that was awesome!!! Now I wish I knew how to play chess. hmmm.......something to learn for the next time the gf visits? 
I have missed your vignettes. Twenty-nine is sooooo adorable. I love playful Tara taking Willow's bathrobe. 
vignettes!) A sweeter Valentine's Day never could be had... though I felt a little bad for poor shy Tara, esp. towards the end... the payoff was worth it, though! --Nora 
