Title: (I don’t know yet)
Rating: don’t know yet. Starting off PG… never know where this is headed though.
Spoilers: Yeah, season 6 up to Wrecked.
Summary: Dawn’s Sweet Sixteenth. And YES is has to do with Willow and Tara. But not yet. Takes place about a year from now. Willow’s well on her way to redemption, she and tara are not back together.
Notes: I’m making Dawn a May baby. Or not a baby cause she was never born but you know what I mean. (i know we celebrated her b-day in buffyverse bvut i cant remember, or was it buffy's b-day? lol. i dont know.)
Disclaimers: usual. Don’t own ‘em, never will…
********
“Rodney?”
“Checked.”
“Rosie?”
“Checked.”
“Tom?”
“He’ll be out of town. But he gave me my present already.”
“And what was that?” Buffy asked with a smirk. “I haven’t seen any presents laying around.”
“It’s not one of the laying around kinda presents.” Dawn tried to look everywhere but her sister sitting acorss from her in the dining room.
“Oh, really?”
“It was a gift certificate to Bloomies. Relax.” Dawn laughed.
“Okay.” Buffy read down her list. “Ummm… Last one. Terry?”
“Checked.”
“Wow, Dawn, looks like everyone’s RSVP’d for your sweet sixteen. We’re going to have-“
“Not everyone.”
Buffy knew exactly whom her little sister was thinking about. “Look, I’m sure she’ll come. It’s your sweet sixteen.”
“We haven’t seen her in two weeks, Buffy. Not even a phone call.”
“Well, you know... I thought she emailed you yesterday.”
Dawn nodded. “But she didn’t mention the party.”
“I’m sure she has a lot of things to do. Graduation is coming up, she moved into a new place, she has finals, and…” Buffy gave up once she saw her sister was buying any of it. “I’m just trying to make you feel better.” She sighed.
“I know.”
“I’m sure she’ll show. She loves you.”
“She probably still thinks Willow…”Dawn didn’t finish her sentence.
“Maybe.”
“Should I tell her?”
“No.”
“But-“
“No.” Buffy stressed. “Don’t be trying to play matchmaker again. You remember what happened last time.”
“Fine.” the teen crossed her hands over her chest.
Buffy sighed. “So… We should talk about the dinner menu because I’m sure not all the guest will appreciate hot dogs. Soy hot dogs at that.”
*******
“What can we get her?” Xander asked exasperated. “I don’t know what to get her, Ahn.” He paced back and forth in the main room or the Magic Box.
“Who?” Anya asked absentmindedly as she glanced over at the financial records of the shop.
“Dawn! She’s sixteen. Well, she’ll be sixteen Friday and I’ve never been a sixteen year old girl so I don’t know what I’d want if I was a sixteen year old girl and I’m sure you don’t remember your sixteenth birthday-“
Anya looked at him with her mouth open. He never listened to her! “It was the one with the bunnies. I told you about that! Or was that one hundred and sixteenth? You’re right, I don’t remember.” She withdrew as her gaze returned to the columns of numbers in front of her.
“What are you two freaking out about now?” the redhead asked as she entered the shop.
“Dawn. Presents. At a loss here.”
“Right. Little Dawnie’s turning sixteen, huh?”
“Willow, you were a sixteen year old girl once, what did you want?” Xander asked.
“At sixteen? A date.” Willow set her laptop down on the Magic Box’s research table and booted up.
“Well, she can’t have that. Xander’s my husband!” Anya pushed the books over to Willow.
“I wasn’t saying-“
Anya cut Willow off. “I’m having problems here.” She pointed. “This balance does not equal this balance. It’s distressing me and I’m beginning to hyperventilate.”
Willow looked over at Xander who gave her a sheepish grin. He dug his hands deeper into his pockets as he scrunched up his shoulders. His stare suddenly changed when the little bell on the front door rang.
“Anya?!” Tara asked as she entered the shop. “Hey, Xander-”
Xander’s eyes widened, Willow’s heart started racing and Tara froze in place when she registered the redhead in the room. Everyone in the shop tensed up, everyone except Anya.
“Hi, Tara!” Anya happily greeted the blonde, ignoring the awkward moment. She stood up and mentioned, “I have your present. We received it yesterday.” She walked over to Xander. “It’s in down in the basement. Xander, help?” She asked as she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.
Tara’s eyes remained fixed on the girl in front of her. The redhead had not turned around to look at her yet. Her eyes remained glued to the computer screen.
Tara crossed her arms over her chest nervously. She certainly had not expected Willow to be in the shop tonight. Didn’t she have evening classes on Tuesdays? She rolled her eyes when she realized that was a semester ago. Or was it two?
Willow wanted to turn around and look at Tara. She wanted to say something. Instead she quickly let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. Willow tried to find something to do with her fidgeting hands. Giving up she rested them on the laptop.
Willow waited two minutes. Then three. ‘What is taking them so long’, she wondered.
*****
“Ahn, you can’t do this!” Xander whispered to his wife.
“They need to talk, Xander! You remember what happened on our wedding?!”
“Yes, but-”
“Oh, be quiet and let them talk.”
******
Tara’s eyes wandered around the shop. She was extremely uncomfortable and didn’t realize how bad her hands were shaking until it was too late. She accidentally toppled a candle onto the floor.
******
“They’re throwing things at each other?!” Xander asked confused.
“No,” Anya replied from her hidden vantage point, “Tara dropped a candle. If it’s bent she’s paying for it!” she whispered back.
******
The noise startled Willow and without even thinking she rushed over to the blonde, “Are you ok?” she asked reaching out her hand to help her.
Tara had since bent down to pick up the candle, “F-fine. S-sorry.” She replied without looking at Willow.
“No, Tara, please…” Willow retracted her hand. She couldn’t stand to think she was the cause for her nervous stuttering.
Tara slowly stood up. She held her head low and crossed her arms again.
“Tara…” Willow whispered as she stared at her.
“What?” The blonde’s voice was so low it could hardly be heard.
But what could Willow say? She looked at Tara’s face hidden behind some of her silky hair and sighed. She turned around and walked back to the table. A look of defeat on her face.
*****
“It didn’t work. Now can we please spare them all this?”
Anya shook her head not understanding, “I don’t get it. They’re women. Women love to talk. Why cant these two talk?”
“There’s a lot things that get in the way of talking sometimes.”
“But it doesn’t make sense.” Anya said as she walked out into the main room.
Tara’s eyes lifted once she heard the ex-demon’s footsteps. “I, uh, I-“ She handed Anya the candle. “It’s a little bent. I’ll-”
Anya just smiled sadly, “Don’t worry about it. Here’s Dawn’s gift.” She said handing the package to Tara. “Thank you for shopping at the Magic Box.” She nodded with her usual enthusiasm.
“Thanks.” Tara quickly glanced over to Willow and Xander sitting somberly on the table. “Bye.” She told the shopkeeper and headed out.
******
“You ok, Will?” Xander asked concerned about the earlier events. Willow and Tara were usually courteous during the rare Scooby meetings Tara attended since their break up but he noticed a different atmosphere this evening.
“No.” she replied typing away on her computer. Her furrow brow was at full force.
“If you need to talk I-“
“Anya!” the redhead suddenly called out.
“What?!” Anya asked, running scared.
“These numbers are all off. What did you do?”
“Me?! I’m not inputting these numbers into the computer. If something’s wrong with the numbers it’s your fault. My counting of the money is fine!”
“No, you’re missing, like, a whole week.”
“What week?”
“The week of- Oh.”
“Oh? What oh?”
“Nothing, I figured it out.”
“What ‘oh’, Willow?” She asked a bit frantic.
“The week, um, that you were on your honeymoon and, um, something happened here and we, uh, couldn’t open the shop?” She mouthed apprehensively as a tiny grin spread over her lips.
“Oh, that week.” Anya said crossing her arms and glaring at Willow, “Yes, I remember what happened that week.”
“You weren’t here! How could you possibly remember?!”
“I heard it all from Tara, missy!”
“What?!” Willow stood up. “You know?!” She looked over at Xander. “And you know?”
Xander held up his hands. “We all know, Will.”
“What?!!!” Willow shrieked. “She told you?”
“Well, you didn’t give me an explanation!” Anya yelled back. “I needed to know what made a hole in my shop!”
“Ok, man’s ears starting to hurt here from all the girly shouting.” Xander stood up holding his hands clasped over his ears. “Look, Willow, its no big deal really.” He tried to amend the situation.
“No big deal? No big deal?! Xander, because of her I lost a week’s worth of sales.” His wife countered.
“Me?! No way sister, you are not pinning this down on me! It was me and Tara. We did it! Go shout at her too.”
“No more shouting. What’s done is done. It’s over.” Xander voiced.
Willow sat back down and huffed, she looked like she was about to cry. “It’s not over, Xander. I don’t think it’ll ever be over.”
******
TBC.....
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TARA- We're forgetting about the troll. Let's pay attention to the troll.
[This message has been edited by Rane (edited December 12, 2001).]