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Okay kittens...here's part seven. I do apologize for the abrupt cut off at the end...but I've been sitting at the computer for a couple of hours and my back is like.... so I have to get up and stretch for a bit. So...enjoy this update and I'll get the next one posted asap. Oh and special thanks to Hannah and Kelsey for being so enthusiastic about this update. If it was not for them I might have slacked off producing nothing but a couple empty pop cans and some Oreo cookie crumbs on the keyboard...So I thank you Kelsey and Hannah.

Ps...all disclaimers apply...Im just too lazy to cut and paste.


Part Seven: Birthday stone
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Ira put the phone back on its cradle. That phone call had been from his office in LA. They needed him to come back right away and that meant taking Willow back with him. They'd have to end their time here early. He sat down on the couch and waited for Willow to come home. She'd been spending a lot of time with her new friend, and he wasn't looking forward to telling her that they were going to have to go..He'd never been that close with Willow, his job kept him away from home for most of the year and he really had been looking forward to spending time with her this summer...he thought she might be enjoying it too, even if she did have trouble showing it. Ira had sensed hostility from his daughter the whole way out here, but now there was a pleasantry between them. He suspected it had something to do with Tara, She seemed to be good for Willow and Ira hated to pull his daughter away from that. He didn't want his daughter to turn fifteen hating him, but there was nothing he could do.

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Tara sat in the middle of her bed. Her legs crossed underneath her, she stared, unblinking at a speck of dirt that had made its home on the wall directly in front of her. Tara hadn't bothered to turn the lights on, the darkness seemed to comfort her in ways artificial light never could. There was a knock at the door but Tara didn't turn toward the sound. She didn't want to talk to anybody and she didn't want anybody to talk to her.
Tara cleared her mind, she saw nothing but the darkness of her room and felt nothing but the sweatshirt she wore, hanging loosely against her body. That tactile sensation was unavoidable. The sound of the doorknob turning edged its way into her self imposed desolation. Tara cursed herself for looking at her mother as she entered the room. She knew her mother would know what was wrong. Her mom always seemed to know what was going on with her, but this was something she wasn't ready to share with anyone.

"Hi Mama" Tara, said softly, her resolve disappeared as her mom sat down on the edge of Tara's bed.

"I just thought we could have a little talk.... "

"Okay..."

"So....Donny's downstairs looking guilty about something....do you have any Idea what that might be?"

"Tara shrugged her shoulders in a way that was neither conclusive or inconclusive. She wouldn't lie to her mother, but she wasn't ready to talk about it either.

"Is everything okay with you and Willow?"

"Tara nodded silently, she turned her eyes from her mother, to look out the window. Tara felt her mother take her hand. Tara felt the tears she had thought she'd left behind start to sting the back of her eyes again.

"I noticed you didn't eat anything tonight and I was worried you weren't feeling well..." Odessa said, changing the subject.

Tara was thankful that her mother changed the subject. She felt the tears recede and she turned her face to her mothers.

Odessa Maclay looked her daughter in the eyes "I want you to know that you can talk to me about anything."

Tara looked down at her hands.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" Odessa asked.

Tara shook her head.

"alright..." Odessa said, standing up she kissed Tara on the forehead. Odessa crossed the small room to the door. Turning around as if remembering something, she stuck her hand in the pocket of her apron. "You wouldn't want to lose this..." She said, handing the necklace to Tara. "Its very pretty...must be for someone special..." With that Odessa left the room closing the door behind her she left Tara all alone in the darkness.


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Willow came in through the front door. "Hi dad" She said happily. Going past him, she started up the stairs toward her room. She hadn't come straight home after saying goodnight to Tara, instead she had decided to go for a walk and had ended up sitting by the creek for a couple hours throwing stones into the slow moving water. Her shoes felt wet and made a squishy sound every-time she took a step, but Willow didn't care she had had a wonderful day

"Hi honey...say...you want to come here for a minute..?" Ira called up to her. Willow paused halfway up the stairs. Turning around, she came back down. There was a tone in her dads voice...like he had bad news or something...
"Oh god... Is mom okay? Did something happen?" Willow said, jumping to conclusions....

"No honey...Mom's fine...she's still in Seattle..." He paused...looking down at the ground before continuing.

she'd never seen him like this before and it was disconcerting It had to be something bad because he kept running his hand through his hair. Willow wished he would just say what he had to say and get it over with.

"honey...I have to tell you... The office called today and I need to get back there right away...a merger that was taking place has been jeopardized and they need me to talk to the client..." Ira's voice trailed off as he waited for Willow's response. He braced himself for tears and screaming, but he should have known his daughter better than that. Instead of the usual teenage act, Willow Rosenberg was one pie chart away from a complete corporate takeover, selling options like a pro. She was more like him than he'd ever noticed before. He had to smile

"But dad...can't you talk to them over the phone? There isn't anything that can't be solved over a nice cup of coffee and a good ol' fashioned phone call...I always say....." Willow tried to sound optimistic but her enthusiasm wavered as she could see the deflated way Ira was just standing there, looking at her ...she could tell that her dad wasn't buying the "over the phone" chat scenario she was pitching...

"No sweetheart....I have to be there in person..."

"When? I mean...when are we leaving...?"

"Well...I have to make a quick stop in New York before we go back...so I'd say three days at the most.

Willow took a step back. All she could think about was Tara, and how she wasn't ready to leave her. Would she ever be ready? That question lingered in the back of Willow's mind. So far back that it wasn't a conscious thought spoken in words but more of a feeling that caused her tummy to do a little flip. She had to tell Tara. Willow wasn't aware that she was still taking steps backward until the doorknob struck her hard in the back. Wincing, Willow blinked. turning around, she pulled the door open...she'd tell Tara tonight.

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"Hi Miss Odessa... Is Tara here?" Willow asked. She had let herself in and had found Tara's mom in the kitchen leaning over a sink-full of dishes. Willow felt silly as that question slipped past her lips. Of course Tara was there...where else would she be?
Tara's mom wiped her soapy hands on her apron. "She's upstairs sweetie...But im not sure that she's in a mood for company."

"Is it alright if I go up anyway? " Willow was sure the concern in her voice was apparent. When they had left each-other that evening, everything had been fine, and willow wondered what could have happened in only a few hours to change all that.

Miss Odessa nodded her consent and Willow turned, leaving the kitchen. She needed to get to Tara. As willow climbed the stairs that led to the small hallway at the top of the landing and up to Tara's room Willow sniffed the air. She loved the way Tara's house smelled. It always smelled like someone was baking an apple pie, unlike her house which smelled like Chinese take-out mixed with the technological scent of floppy disks fresh from the computer. She was certain she had learned to use chopsticks before the customary fork.

Willow paused outside Tara's room, she knocked softly on the door . "Tara?" She said tentatively when there was no response from inside. "fine...you won't let me in, I'll just sit here until you come out...and you can't stay in there forever...it's a nice room and all...but last time I was in there I didn't see a hot-plate or a secret entrance to a bathroom hidden away anywhere..." Willow's slid her back down the wall, sitting down next to Tara's door, she prepared herself for what might turn out to be a lengthy wait.
".... you cant leave me out here, you know?...not after what I went through to get here...." There was still silence behind the door so Willow continued. "I was practically attacked by a squirrel you know..!"

"A squirrel?"
Willow heard the muffled question come from behind the doorway and she felt encouraged. Willow smiled, she had Tara now...there were many things the blond could withstand...but one of Willow's stories was definitely not one of them.

"yeah a big, brown squirrel. He was a yard if he was a foot" Willow gestured with her hands, indicating just how big this supposed squirrel was, she did this even though Tara couldn't see her. " So there I was...all alone and unfortunately holding a baggy of pretzels. The squirrel eyed the pretzels ...we met face to face...except that he was down on the ground...and I was towering above him...predator against pray..." Willow paused. She heard a light chuckle come from close by. She knew that Tara was sitting on the floor of her room...only a wall separated the girls. Willow was confident that she was breaking Tara down with the cuteness of her story. She just knew that at any moment Tara was going to open the door.

"Which one of you was the prey?" Tara asked, and Willow felt herself melt at the sound of Tara's sweet voice. Willow stretched her arm across the wall to press her hand against the wooden door, the need for connection urgent inside her. Willow continued the story, this time with less zeal, her voice softened with need.
"he saw me...I saw him and neither of us willing to make the first move. That's when I formed the most brilliant of plans."
"What did you do?" came the soft voice again.

Well... I distracted him by throwing a pretzel as hard as I could over his head. It landed behind him and when he turned his furry little head in the direction of the pretzel, that's when I made my move..." Willow paused allowing for full dramatic effect.

"Oh no! you hurt the squirrel?? " Willow heard Tara gasp from behind the door.
" No....I ran away...." Willow replied

"You're very brave..." Tara said in a sweet voice.

"Don't I know it. " Willow replied smiling.. There was silence.
The door opened and willow let the breath out she'd been holding. Standing up, Willow brushed her hands against her jeans. She looked up in time to be witness to the complete radiance of Tara's shy smile. Willow found her gaze being pulled to the sight of Tara's lips. Willow's mouth opened then quickly shut again as she couldn't seem to make any words come out. She redirected her gaze, suddenly uncomfortable. Willow was sure her cheeks had turned a couple shades darker as she had felt the blood rushing to various parts of her anatomy the moment Tara had appeared in the doorway. The scent of the blond's skin still floated in the cool draft created when the door was pulled open. "no lights..?" Willow asked, seeing that Tara's room was dark. Tara shook her head and a sheet of blond hair fell across her eyes, shielding Willow's view of her. Willows hand went out of its own accord, gently she brushed Tara's hair back behind her ear with the tip of her finger. "Can I come in....?" Willow asked quietly.
Tara nodded, stepping to the side so Willow could enter. Willow closed the door behind herself after she'd entered the room. Her hand never left the door as she pushed it completely shut. There was an instant intimacy in the room as she sound of the latch catching reverberated throughout the silent room.
Willow didn't know if she should move closer to Tara or stay where she was. She had been in Tara's room many times, but this time felt different somehow. There was an awareness in the air and Willow was suddenly feeling rather warm. "Is it warm in here...?" Willow asked nervously.

"A l-little....y-yes...warm..." Tara replied.

Willow, slowly crossed the distance between them, coming to a stop a breath away from Tara. She didn't know what force pulled her, but she found herself being drawn even closer to Tara. She wasn't even sure of her own intent she was only aware of the motion of her body. The destination was clear only seconds before the contact was made and by that time it was too late for Willow to stop herself even if she had wanted to. Willow drew in her breath as she pressed her cheek softly against Tara's. There was something forbidden in the contact but neither girl pulled away. Willow felt Tara's hands come up her back tentatively to tangle gently in her red hair. Willow slowly brought her hands around Tara's waist. They melted against each-other. Willow's nose stung with unshed tears. They blurred her vision as she held the blond tightly against her. Her heart was pounding in her chest as the realization hit her with its full force. She was leaving in three days. Oh God how she despised that thought. How could she leave..? "I don't want to go Tara..." Willow said through her tears. The flood of emotion was uncontrollable now, she couldn't stop herself from burring her face in Tara's neck. Willow felt Tara pull her closer.