Update YaY!! Hope you enjoy…I’m off to spend time with my Leah… 
, I missed her so much. And thank you all for the wonderful feedback!Title: Never A Night Like This
Author: Taras Shadow
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon, ME, UPN…except for Tori, Hadley, Jessica Paris, and Orlando-they belong to me
Feedback: Yes please, everything is welcome
Pairings: W/T, X/A, B/
D/Tori
Rating:
PG 13+ Summary: Willow is one of the hottest models in the world. When she comes home for her holiday, she meets a nice family that is new to Sunnydale. Can she find love, and continue her much loved career? This is an AU fic. There will be a little angst between some characters, but nothing big for I want to keep the angst issue light. Thoughts are in < > Flashbacks are in **
~Part 21c~~*~*~*~*~*~
“So Dawn was invited to the game Friday by Todd?” Willow asked sitting on the end of the bed with Tori’s head in her lap. They were talking about this for over two hours.
“That’s what she said.” Tori quietly answered.
“Yet she invited you.”
“Well yes…but…” Tori sat up and looked at Willow. “You think that I’m making a bigger deal out of this then it already is?”
“Tori, what I think shouldn’t really matter in this situation. But what I do know is that Dawn and Todd have been good friends for a while and that’s all it ever been. You need to work this out with Dawnie…I’ll always be here for you, but I feel it’s best you talk to her first.” Willow smiled and placed a finger under Tori’s chin. “She loves you, she told Buffy that she’s in love with you, and didn’t she ask you to the Welcome Back Dance?”
“Yeah, she got down on one knee practically, and asked me.” Tori smiled a bit. “I guess I’ll talk to her. But I think…we both need time, space.”
“Well, just talk to her whenever you feel like you’re ready. OK?”
“Thanks Willow.” Tori hugged the red head.
“You’re welcome.”
Willow left Tori to get some rest and made her way to Hadley’s room. She looked inside and saw her fast asleep snuggled tight against Brady and the doll she made for her birthday. Quietly she made her way to the bed and kissed all three of them. “I love you.”
“I love you to mommy.” Hadley whispered before turning her position.
Grinning from ear to ear she backed herself out of the bedroom only to find herself bumping into a figure. “Holy…” A hand covered her mouth and turned her around. “For crying out loud Tara!” She huffed silently. “You do not do that when Sunnydale is already all things bad and evil.”
“Hi to you too.” Tara frowned.
“Oh I’m sorry…come here.” Willow pulled her in for a long sensual kiss. She took Tara’s bottom lip between hers and licked it before possessing the rest of her precious mouth. “I can’t believe how much I’ve missed you.” She whispered against Tara’s mouth.
“Me too.” Tara smiled and kissed her one last time before pulling back. “How’d the night go?”
“Well…sad but well. Tori talked, or didn’t talk that much for the past two hours since you left.” Willow took the offered hand Tara gave her and followed her down to the kitchen.
“Is she okay?” Tara asked putting on some herbal tea. “I mean, how heart broken is she really?”
Willow smiled; she loved it when Tara was just so worried about her family. The way the little lines show up and her forehead when she frowns. “You know how it goes…she’s going to be fine. I couldn’t say much really, I just advised her to talk to Dawn first.”
“That’s me girl.” Tara smirked. “Did Hadley wake up?”
“Nope…but she did call me mommy…I think she thought I was you.”
Tara looked at her and frowned just for a second before smiling again. “Will…Hadley has never called me mommy before. Not even when she’s sleepwalking.”
“Oh…” Willow looked around the room before looking at Tara. “Mommy…” She whispered and smiled. Just then she heard her cell phone ring. Whispering an apology to Tara she answered it. “Hello?”
“My dear Wills…how are you?” Orlando said.
“Orlando, it’s about time you called me back.”
“Well sorry darling, I’m a busy man.”
“Right…listen,” Willow took the conversation to the next room for a little privacy, “About what I got in the mail…how the hell did those stories get written up so fast?”
“It’s Hollywood Willow, you know how it works. People kill for these issues and they’d pay blood if need be.”
“I know that. But these sleaze balls are attacking people they shouldn’t. I’m used to this, but when this gets out into the worlds hands…it’s going to be worse, especially since it’s the people I love.”
“Sweetie, I know, but what do you want me to do about this?” Orlando said patiently. He knew how the red head got when the media writes up stories that are completely false.
“Orlando…you’re my everything, my rep…say something. Tell them to leave my family alone!” Willow tired her best to keep her voice low and calm, but it outraged her to no end that some people could be so heartless and down right rude when it comes to people’s private lives.
“Ok. I will voice your request out to the press. But Willow, I don’t think that will change anything.”
“It has too. I just found Tara, I can’t lose her to this. What if she realizes it’s to much and leaves me? I don’t think I could handle that…and if that happens…I might turn out to be like Gia Marie Carangi…and I don’t want too.” Willow hit panic and babble mode.
“Gia was beautiful wasn’t she? And didn’t you just love the Angelina performance…won her a global…”
“Orlando!” Willow hissed. “Stop changing the subject…I need to tell Tara what’s going on with the papers and magazines. I just hope she doesn’t think that I’d really choose Jessica over her…”
“I’ll do what I can ok? Now you get some rest, you sound like you need to calm down.”
“No, what I need is to find another career choice!” Willow sighed.
“Career…are you thinking…”
“No, I’m sorry, I just need…rest.” Willow smiled to herself knowing the ‘almost’ heart attack she almost caused Orlando to have.
“Good. I’ll call you in the morning. Goodnight.”
“Night.” Willow placed the phone on the hallways table and composed herself before re-entering the kitchen.
“Everything ok?” Tara asked concerned.
“Yeah…Tare…there’s something I want to show you…I need you to see before finding out another way.” Willow took a deep breath and looked at her lover.
“Ok…”
Willow ran into the living room where her bag was and pulled out the envelope. “This…” She came back and handed it to Tara.
Tara opened it and looked at everything in it. She frowned, she smiled a little when she saw how cute her and Willow looked together, but frowned when she saw each headline. “Oh…” She couldn’t really speak; all she could do was stare. How exactly is this going to affect her life, Hadley’s…Tori’s?
“Tara, are you ok?” Willow put a hand on her shoulder.
“What? Oh yeah…fine.” Tara put the pictures down and sat back in her chair, biting her nails she stared at those big bolded headlines. “Jessica…”
“No baby…no Jessica…never Jessica…” Willow panicked and knelt down beside Tara. “Baby…” Her eyes glistened with tears and her voice quivered a bit. “Please…don’t take that seriously, please.” She begged.
Tara turned around and let Willow rest her head in her lap. “Is it always going to be like this? With the bigotry, the interrogations, the assumptions?” She asked quietly.
Teary green eyes looked up into her own, but no one spoke. They stayed like that for a while, until Willow finally spoke. “Tara…I understand if you…” She sighed heavily, fighting with the lump in her throat, “…if you don’t want to see me anymore.”
Tara took that as a no to her previous question, things will always be like this when they go out together, but she didn’t want to let Willow go. She never wanted to let Willow go, ever. That was not an option for her, it would kill her, it would kill Hadley if Willow left their lives. “Sweetie,” Tara whispered, “I realize that things will be like this for a while, but you know what? That’s the price I’m going to have to pay.”
“You mean…”
“I mean.” Tara smiled and caressed Willow’s cheek with her thumbs.
“But what about Hadley…”
“I’m not going to lie to you, it will take a lot to get used too. But I’m willing to get through this, with you…”
“Hadley called me her mommy.” Willow smiled through her tears.
“You are…” Tara bit her bottom lip. “You mean the world to her Will…and she thinks the world of you, she loved you even before she met you. You treat her so well, and me…WE need you in our life, and there is no way I am going to let the jerks out there ruin that.”
“Good…because I wasn’t going to let you go without a fight.” Willow grinned, she reached up and wiped Tara’s tear stained cheeks. “But you do know that when another event like that comes, you don’t have to come with me, I won’t pressure you in any way.”
“I like being in your presence…so no pressure would be needed anyways.” Tara grinned. “You want to spend the night?”
“Yes please.” Willow stood up, and took Tara’s hand into her own.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Listening to the teacher talk about electrons and atoms…so wasn’t her thing. In fact, it was the furthest thing in her mind. Her first fight with her first girlfriend…or anybody seeing as Tori was her first date…other.
11:24am
“Damn!” Dawn whispered. Time just couldn’t go any faster for her.
Tapping her pencil on the desk, she looked over to the side to see Tori chatting with some other seniors. This class has never been hell like this. It has never seemed to run so long either.
Finally she heard the lunch bell ring. Quickly, she got up and packed her books. A familiar scent washed past her as she seen Tori walk out with a few girls at her heels. < So much for talking… >
“Dawn!” Todd came up beside her. “How’s it going?”
< So not in the mood for this… > “Good…how about you?”
“Great. So, I heard that you and Tori had a fall out.” Todd looked down at the petite brunette.
Dawn stopped in the middle of the hallway, “What?”
“You know, you two had an argument.”
“Who told you?” Dawn asked.
“Well, you two are always with each other, and today you’re not…word gets around.”
Dawn sighed, “Look, Todd, I have to go ok?”
“Oh…ok. You coming to the game then?” Todd asked smiling.
“No. I um, have plans.” Dawn smiled hoping Todd would get the hint.
“Ah…with your boyfriend.” Todd tried not to sound to disappointed.
“Something like that yeah.”
“Ok, well, see you around.”
“Wait…Todd, forgive me if I am being a little to blunt, but do you like me?” Dawn seriously needed to know for sure.
Tori stopped dead in her tracks when she heard Dawn ask that question, she was just coming out of the ladies washroom, and found the two talking. Straining her ears a bit, she had to hear.
“Um…” Todd laughed nervously, “Ok, you got me…I have a thing for you.”
Tori felt her heart sink deeper. < Great…try competing with the captain of the football team. >
Dawn frowned slightly before taking a breath in and then out. “Well don’t ok? Because, I am in love someone else, and I don’t want to hurt you by not returning those some feelings. You’re sweet and kind, and you’ve been my friend since day one, and I just can’t like you like that.”
“Because you love your boyfriend.” Todd sadly said.
“Because I can’t love you.” Dawn sadly smiled. “But I still like you…just not in that way.”
“I get it…does that mean no saving a dance for me?”
“I’ll have to ask my date I said, but no promises.” Dawn waved and turned around to find herself face to face with Tori. “Tori…”
“Meet me at Horizon Point at seven.” Tori whispered softly before taking off down the hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Saturday will be the next update day...so yeah! Or maybe friday night...
...
~Holly~ 
Show me where to touch youTara-It Ain’t Fickle
by littlecrazy80 » Tue Nov 05, 2002 7:53 pm 
I hope Willow can help a lil with Tori - she does that well. And Buffy w/ Dawn - well Dawn needs to just figure out what she wants! I Hate the damn media with the magizines - so wrong!! Hadley telling her class bout her 'family' its just so sweet! 
Can't wait 4 more!! 
-Trinity- 
That was kind of a bad fight Dawn and Tori had, hopefully Dawn can figure out what she wants before she hurts Tori anymore than she already has. Lookin' forward to the next bit 
so Enjoy and thanks for reading.
