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Story Title – Love comes to Long Lick Revisted
Chapter – 8 – In which the Plot, as they say, Thickens a bit.
Chapter Rating – G
Author, Pairing, Feedback, Spoilers, Distribution, Disclaimer – see chapter 1.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, Maclay Willingham woke before her alarm went off. She lay in the bed staring at the ceiling pondering this discovery and realized that one reason this event was so rare was that she rarely set an alarm, having no destination important enough to curtail her partying. And curtail she had. She shook her head as she remembered leaving the charity function alone, something she could not remember having done in years. Damn that Rose Jennings and damn Sunnydale and damn Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay for good measure. She had found herself sitting between a senator and the owner of a major league baseball team and realized repeatedly she was not listening nor contributing to the conversation at all. She was daydreaming about the world she had so recently entered through the documents at the library.
After a glance at the clock, she called her personal trainer to arrange to meet 20 minutes later in the gym. Of course another client couldn’t call on such short notice but Mac was well aware that this was just how doors worked for her. It might as well work in her favor. By 8:30 she sat in the café eating a breakfast of toast, egg whites, and fruit with coffee and bottled water.
“Oh my God, Mac. You’re turning into a fucking librarian.” Tip slid into the chair across from her friend and looked her up and down.
Mac stared at her friend for a moment, realizing that the girl was clearly wearing the same clothes from the night before. “Good morning to you too.”
“You didn’t even take anyone home from the thing last night! You know that the women at those things are always totally wild.” She reached across and began to flick her friend on the forehead. “Are you even there? I mean you’re not going soft on me are you?”
Mac laughed. “You’re the one who wanted me to bed Marian the librarian.”
Tip shook her head. “Yes, but I didn’t think you’d turn into a fucking librarian. I thought you’d either nail her or fail to nail her and still party with me. This town is going to be incredibly boring if you go on like this.”
The blonde leaned across the table. “You want to know something crazy?”
“Oh Jesus.” Tip rested her head in her hands.
“I like her, Tip. I mean… like like.”
“Right, I got like like.” Tip shook her head. “What do you want me to do? Bring a fucking soup tureen to your wedding?”
Mac laughed. “She’s not like the women I usually meet.”
Tip ordered her breakfast and then answered. “Sure, cause usually the women you meet are rich and beautiful and totally not boring.”
Mac shot her friend a look that clearly said cool it. “I think she’s totally cute and if she wasn’t sitting in the basement of a library in jeans and a faded shirt she could be beautiful.”
“And rich?”
“Well no, she’s not rich. But you know what? I invited her to come with me last night…”
She was interrupted by her friend. “I bet. Or after, before, whatever…”
Mac spoke louder. “But she turned me down. Said that she didn’t have the right clothes, which between you and me is no doubt quite true.”
Tip scoffed. “Great she’s poor but she knows she’s poor. How about you fail to nail her and give me your damn car?”
“My point is that she didn’t drop a hint like she wanted me to buy her new clothes or something. She just said no.”
Tip shrugged. “Ok, so she’s doing better than Virginia on that.”
Mac smiled. “Plus she does have that fresh, virginal vibe going for her.”
Tip nodded. “If your brain ever moves above your belly-button, let me know. Actually, on second thought, I don’t think I want to know.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m in a lot of danger on that one,” Mac tried to comfort her best friend. “She’s just… interesting to me. She’s very passionate.”
“They all are,” Tip argued. “That’s why your dad got that extra layer of insulation installed between your suites and his I thought.”
Mac allowed herself a smile at her friend’s one-track mind and one-track mouth. “As I was saying. She’s very passionate about her research and about this whole story with Willow Rosenberg and Tara Maclay. It’s like they are real people to her. Almost like her friends. But she’s …” She let it hang there.
“She’s…? Don’t leave me hanging here, Maclay.”
“It’s almost like she’s on a mission. Like she’s playing search and destroy of intrepid adventurer or something. Indiana Jones and the basement library room.”
Tip chuckled at her friend. “Sure, Marian the Librarian finds the cure for the common cold in the basement of the Sunnydale library.” She took another few bites of her breakfast. “And how goes the saga of your great-grand-dyke or whatever?”
Mac smiled at her friend. “Well, I’ve read a few more years and it’s still all hugs and puppies. The two of them live out on this farm that Willow’s dad settled which by the way their cabin sits next to the Willingham mansion. I remember seeing it as a child and thought it was an eyesore. Willow runs the post and telegraph office and still likes cartography and growing fruit trees and other vegetables. Tara’s the local school teacher, county champion at preserves, and quite a hand at quilting apparently. And no one seems to have any problem with their relationship.” She took a sip of her drink. “I’m not saying that people are going to throw them a wedding shower but most people seem to just think they’re two young women living together for companionship or whatever.”
Tip rolled her eyes. “Very sweet. It’s a wonder you keep from throwing up.”
“Hey, it’s kind of hot sometimes. I mean this woman was just a kid writing all the details of their intimate life. I don’t think she had any understanding that anyone would read it or anything. So it’s totally raw and bare.”
“Nice.”
Mac nodded. “And then there are some notations I’m not sure I understand but I bet Rose does.” She looked at the clock on her phone. “Speaking of which, I’m sure you can call my father soon to turn in your resignation.” She blew her friend a kiss and headed across the street.
Rose had mentioned that the security guard’s name was Joey so Mac greeted him by name this morning and noticed that he looked as smitten as his sort ever did, jumping off his chair to ask if he could help her. A few minutes later she knocked on the door to the research room and entered. The redhead smiled at her as she came in and set down her computer. “Good morning. Did you have a good time last night?”
Mac smiled back. “Not as good as I would have with you but I think I made a showing.”
“Are you thinking of applying for a grant as a researcher?” Rose pointed to the computer Mac now began pulling from her bag.
“No but I thought it might be helpful and free up your computer for your own use.”
Rose nodded. “Nice thought. Why don’t you continue with my computer since all the documentation is loaded on it and if I need it, we can work something out?”
With a shrug, Mac sat down in front of the computer which was already showing the latest journal she’d been reading when she left the day before. “Before you dive into that dusty box, can you help me out with something?”
Rose slid into the chair next to her visitor and nodded. “Sure.”
Mac scrolled for a moment before pointing to some numbers printed in rows in the journal pages. “What is this?”
Rose began to chuckle. “Ah, the first of the Willowy mysteries.” She stood up and walked across the room to where she pulled a few sheets in plastic wrap from a file cabinet and brought them back to the table. “So a few years have gone by since they met right?”
“Sure. They’re living in domestic lesbionic bliss.”
“Right. Well, Tara’s preserves are really good and you read that she wanted to take them to Ethan Rayne to sell in his store right?” Mac nodded. “Well the locals didn’t buy much because even though Willow has more and better fruit than anyone else, they all do canning as well. But then he suggested that he take them up to San Francisco on his bi-monthly visits or to other cities.”
“I read that.”
“Of course. Ok. Willow and Tara are starting to make quite a bit of money as is Mr. Rayne.”
“Good for them.”
“Right. Now you might ask yourself, if you’re a, as you’ve called her, ‘dumb, hick country girl’ what do you do with the money you’re shoving under the floorboards and hiding in pails out in the barn?”
Mac thought about it. “Put it in the bank and those are account numbers?”
Rose laughed. “Good guess but not quite. Well, actually she’s doing that somewhat as well.” She pulled a map near her. “This one took quite a bit of cross-referencing. She’s buying up land. Mostly 10-20 acre lots.”
Mac looked at the maps seeing that on each one showed more and more shaded with numbers and dates. She looked back to the computer and checked the numbers and dates against the journal. “Why the code though?”
Rose laughed again and this time Mac thought the laugh was a cruel one rather than an amused one. “Because Willow Rosenberg was a true romantic. She was in the deepest love. She put it all in code so that Tara wouldn’t know what she was doing. Their first Christmas she gave Tara the flag with both names on it, right?” Mac nodded. “The second Christmas she gave her the side-saddle, a silk shawl, and 67 acres of prime farmland in Tara’s sole name. Oh, and she managed to plant most of the acres as well.”
“In Tara’s sole name?”
Rose stood and walked away for a minute as Mac waited. When she turned back Mac could see tears in the girl’s eyes. She wiped at them as if embarrassed. “It started as a romantic gesture. Then became a running joke between them. Each year for Christmas, no matter what else they exchanged, Willow would give Tara the titles to whatever land she bought during the year. In later journals she refers to the tradition.”
“Did she buy any for herself?”
Rose nodded. “She increased the acreage on her father’s land from the original 160 acres to 462 eventually.”
Uncomfortable for some reason with the discussion, Mac looked away and studied the map. “What are these other segments?”
The redhead laughed again. “Those were easier to track down. It seems that one other resident of Sunnydale was buying up land.”
“Ethan Rayne?”
“See, we’ll make you a researcher yet.”
Mac nodded. “Ok, thanks for clearing that up.” She turned back toward the computer and read until lunch time. She attempted to get Rose to commit to going out to dinner but the redhead said that it wasn’t a good night with a smile and went back to cataloging documents. On one hand, Mac felt totally frustrated but on the other, it had been quite a while since a woman had put up any resistance and she was having a fun week having to work at bedding the researcher.
After the redhead had left, Mac decided to get some lunch so she left as well. When she returned Rose was already scanning documents into her computer. “This will take a few minutes. Why don’t you bring me up to speed on what you’ve read this morning?”
Mac took a seat and pushed away from the table to take a position affording her a view of the other girl’s ass. She was bending over the scanner and it was quite a nice view. “Ok, I’m up to 1878. The canning business seems to be in full swing. The land notations come more frequently and I’m finding bank statements in there too and they took an anniversary trip to San Francisco and spent two nights in The Palace Hotel.” Rose turned and looked at the other woman. “That was nice reading.”
Rose smiled knowingly. “I agree with you on that one.”
“Willow has quit the post office so Ethan Rayne finally has it over at his store although he doesn’t seem to be there that often with all his trips to different cities. She’s also given up her work as telegraph operator to a town newcomer so she’s just working the farm full-time.”
Rose reached for the map dated 1878. “Here’s the map from that year.”
Mac took a look. “It seems like Tara, Willow, or Ethan own the entire area.”
Rose nodded. “Pretty accurate summary there.”
“Oh one more thing,” Mac said, “Willow’s started referring to a surprise she has planned for Tara but that she doesn’t know how she will possibly manage it.”
When the blonde saw the look of sadness in Rose’s eyes, Mac couldn’t help it. She crossed the room in a few soft steps and knelt down in front of her at the document box, reaching her hand out to touch the back of Rose’s hand. “What is it, Rose?”
Rose ran her other hand across her eyes and took a deep breath. “She’ll manage it.”
“What is it? And why does it make you so sad?” Mac couldn’t imagine what must have happened to make Rose feel it so deeply this many years later. She lifted her hand and gently laid two fingers along Rose’s jawline, somewhat surprised to feel the other girl lean into the touch. A little pressure, brought Rose’s face toward hers and Mac noticed, for the first time just how green Rose’s eyes were. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.” She hadn’t consciously thought that yet the words hung in the staid air of the small room. Once she’d said them, she expected Rose to look away or stand and walk away. When she didn’t Mac leaned in to kiss her, the thought crossing her mind that she couldn’t have predicted the softness of those lips. And after a way too short few seconds, Rose did pull away and push herself to her feet.
She pulled out another journal and held it up for Mac to see. “You should really get reading or you’ll never figure out your mystery.” Her voice had a teasing tone so Mac could tell that she wasn’t mad about the kiss but at the same time, Mac still didn’t understand what the researcher was up to.
Mac spent the remainder of the afternoon reading an assortment of scanned documents from Willow’s glorius and increasingly cryptic journals to Tara’s letters to Miss Calendar, her father, and her brother Donnie. Tara had also begun copying down her recipes and ingredient lists while Willow calculated crop yield, rainfall, and costs for sugar and glass. All-in-all, the preserves business had proved a surprisingly lucrative endeavor for the two women. Toward the end of 1880, Mac realized that the letters to Philadelphia showed a marked sense of panic regarding Tara’s father’s health. Apparent discretion of the times kept Mac in the dark regarding the exact nature of his illness but it was clear that Tara and Donnie shared their concern regarding those health issues. Tara’s upset at being so far from her father as his health failed became more and more distinct, perhaps being emphasized in her late December, 1880 letter to Miss Calendar:
[blockquote]
…
I hope to see you soon although I can not imagine how I will make this difficult and unsafe journey alone. If I felt Daddy could spare him, I would ask Donnie to make the journey to fetch me but clearly, my brother can not leave Philadelphia at this time. At times like this, the danger into which we may fall simply by being a member of this gentle sex frustrates me greatly. I have fortune to make 100 train trips, a 1000 train trips perhaps, although I would have to ask dearest Willow the exact figures.
I would give anything to make this journey before it is too late that I might see you all again.
Missing you more than I can write,
Tara Maclay
[/blockquote]
“What’s wrong with Tara’s father?”
Rose shrugged her trademark move. “Cancer, Consumption… ? It’s 1880. He’s ‘ill’ and that’s about all the detail you’ll ever get.”
Mac accepted the answer and returned to her reading. On Christmas Willow presented Tara with even more acres and numerous beautiful gowns and again, detailed their affection. Tara gave her lover an abacus which the redhead immediately set about studying and mastering. According to Willow’s journal and Tara’s letters, it was clear that Mr. Maclay’s health deteriorated constantly. Finally, a suggested solution was reported in both the journal and the ensuing letter to Jenny Calendar.
[blockquote]I don’t know quite what to think of Uncle’s offer. I’ve always thought he was a snake just like daddy did. I have to give him credit he come all the way out to the cabin to present his offer. He says he’s got business to do out East and needs to go to New York. It wouldn’t be no problem, travelin Tara safely down to Philadelphia and then bringing her back out. He says it don’t matter if she needs to stay a week or three months.
I give him this. He always done treated my Tara with respect, not that I can say the same of a bunch of other girls round here. And I heard things back when I run the post office about his trips up to San Fransico. It ain’t nothin I’d talk to Tara ‘bout but I just heard things bout his hobbies.
Still, here comes my uncle doin’ about the first nice thing he ever offered under our being related and I can’t say no bad on him. Me and Tara tole him we got to figure it out but it’s a fine offer.[/blockquote]
“I’m scared to think about this,” Mac said outloud as she finished reading the entry dated January 24, 1881.
Rose didn’t answer but clicked on a file which Mac had now realized the numbering scheme indicated was a letter from Tara to Miss Calendar dated February 1, 1881.
[blockquote]
…
Mr. Rayne and I depart Sunnydale the Thursday after next. I can hardly believe that he happens to possess the need to travel to New York but he assures me that he does and has supplied myself and Willow with contact information for his legal representation there, with whom he requires services, and the address of the residence at which he will stay on his visit. Our tickets are bought and lodgings secured.
I can hardly believe our good fortune nor that I will see you in less than two weeks. Father sounds to be faltering and I only hope my presence will give him some peace.
Willow has withdrawn funds for my travel and I believe she has given her uncle further for his payment of certain expenses she feels I should remain shielded of. I believe I may have mentioned this before but she spoils me daily and I could not imagine one moment of my life without her. She assures me that she has wired additional funds to Donnie so I should be quite set on my journey.
Oh, I do wish my Willow could come as well both for my comfort and so that you could meet her. She is… I feel … still just thinking of her.
…[/blockquote]
The letter continued with some of the minute that Mac had learned to skim over in reading the letters. “She’s traveling to Philadelphia with Rayne? Why is he going to New York? Does he even really need to go or is this just some plot?” She felt angry reading these latest documents and folded her arms over her chest.
Rose shook her head at the blonde and looked at the clock. “Time flies and I need to go. I have plans this evening.”
“Not with me, clearly.” When Rose didn’t answer Mac returned to her previous line of questioning. “Does he really have business in New York?”
Rose laughed again and clicked on a link.
Mac scanned the document, then read it more slowly. “These are the incorporation documents for Sunnyland Farms. They’re dated March 4, 1881 and filed in New York city.”
Rose nodded. “Yes, your 3GF genuinely had business to conduct.” Mac scanned them again and yet again, finally interrupted by Rose’s next question. “Do you see anything strange about them?”
Mac shrugged. “I’m not much for legalise. I mean they say the name, the address, a tax id type number, selling jellies …”
Rose leaned over and pointed the screen. “How about here?”
“Shareholders: Ethan Rayne, Sunnydale, CA – 70%, Richard Wilkins, Sunnydale, CA – 20%, Dawn Summers, San Francisco, CA – 10%.” She looked up with a puzzled look on her face. “Dawn? How would Dawn invest in this company?”
Rose smiled again. “Do you want to take that with you?” She pointed at the computer.
“If you don’t mind.”
Mac stayed nearly two hours longer reading and rereading the documents leading up to Tara’s departure from Sunnydale and still trying to figure out how this puzzle all fit together.
Good that Tip doesn't seem bitchy about her doubts, if you want to call them that.
Anyways, I really love the update. I was practically bouncing in my seat, and I nearly hit my computer when I read about stupid Rayne. So I'm guessing he's responsible for both of their deaths. Poor Tara, to have to be with Rayne and then watch him shoot Willow right in front of her. I suppose I could see Tara killing herself after Willow died, if Rayne isn't directly responsible for her death. But still, I really dislike him. And it doesn't help any that he didn't get what was coming for him but instead got all rich and left a huge legacy behind...at least Mac is showing an interest in the whole thing. That made me happy. I'm starting to see subtle changes in her (or at least I'm seeing a different side of her) and I like it. I am still incredibly curious as to how much Willow knows, and what her intentions are with the knowledge she's obtained...I can't wait for more!!
