Author: Crimson Vampire Goddess
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Okay, so I borrowed most of the characters and the plot. But the new settings came from my own mind! *indignantly*

Connor Maclay-Rosenberg was a quiet child. Even as a baby he hardly ever cried. So it was a shock to both of his mothers when they were called to his preschool about him screaming and crying and throwing a tantrum in the middle of story time. Tara arrived first and was shown into principle Collins office where her son sat in one of three chairs that were facing a large oak desk.

"Connor, what happened, sweetie?" Tara asked as she walked to where the boy was staring out the window. The blond boy turned and looked at his mother before returning his attention to the window.

"Yes, Connor, what happened?" Tara and Connor turned to see Willow standing in the doorway with principle Collins standing next to her; both wearing unreadable expressions. Walking to stand by her wife, Willow kept a weary eye on her son. A look which Connor returned as his blue eyes pierced his mother's green. Willow remembered the first time she saw her son's eyes; the day he was born laying in Tara's arms he stirred from his slumber and blinked looking blankly around the room his eyes coming to rest on his red headed mother, looking deeply into the infants eyes she recognized a darkness in them, a darkness that chilled her to the bone.

"Why don't we all sit and we can discuss why you were called in today?" Principle Collins voice cut through Willow's thoughts. Taking their seats, principle Collins began to tell them of events that had occurred earlier that day.

"As you know story time has always been Connor's favorite time of the day, but today Miss Phillips was reading a story from the bible and Connor started screaming. Miss Davis tried to calm him but he took the bible and started tearing out the pages and when another child asked him to stop, he turned and started hitting her! I've been getting calls from parents all day!" He finished exasperated.

"Connor, is this true?" Tara asked, not wanting to believe her son capable of such terrible things.

"Yes." Was the boy's quiet, emotionless reply. Shocked, Tara didn't know what to say her jaw working soundlessly as she tried to come up with the right response.

"Connor, I think you and I need to talk outside." Willow said getting up and walking to the door. Connor followed close behind stopping once to turn and look at his blond mother who still sat in shock.

Once outside Willow grabbed Connor by the collar and dragged him around a corner.

"What is wrong with you!?" She hissed. The boy kept his head down knowing his red headed mother to be far stricter than his blond mother.

"You know better than to act like that! You are not a baby any more, and you better start acting like it!" She continued in a harsh tone. Just then Tara and principle Collins walked out of his office and headed towards them. Looking up Tara saw her wife with an angry look on her face scolding Connor, the five year olds little hands balled into fists as he listened quietly.

"Willow! Stop it!" She said moving to stand between the two.

"We'll talk about this when we get home." She said, her blue eyes challenging Willow to argue with her. Silently Willow turned and walked towards the car.

The ride home was quiet with Connor in the back in his car seat and Willow and Tara's animosity towards one another still at full force.

"Connor, sweetie, when we get home I want you to go straight upstairs to your room; mom and I need to talk alone. Tara said, looking at Willow as she said the last word.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet, Connor, I'm not finished with you." Willow said as she and Connor walked into the kitchen. Looking up at Willow, Connor nodded and walked around the corner towards the stairs.

"Let's talk in the living room." Tara said as she waked past her wife and into the living room.

"Why are you so hard on him?" Tara asked as Willow entered the living room.

"He needs to learn that he can't act like that; he's not a baby any more." Willow replied already frustrated with the conversation she'd had with Tara many times before.

"He's our son and he's getting to be afraid of you." Tara said tears stinging her eyes.

"It's borderline abuse, Willow, and I won't sit back and watch it continue until you hurt him... If you ever yell at him like that again... I'll take him away. I'll divorce you and move him away." She continued tears now streaming down her face as she looked up at Willow.

"Don't make me do that, Willow; I love you so much and it would kill me to have to do that." Tara pleaded through her tears.

"It's not abuse, Tara, he needs to learn that this kind of behavior is not okay and you sitting there babying him and telling him it is, isn't helping. I mean it was okay when he was two or three but he's five, Tara, five! If we're not teaching him what's right and wrong now what's he going to become when he's older? He needs to learn, yes, he's going to get upset that he can't do whatever he wants but it's not the end of the world if he gets angry with us sometimes; we're his parents he's supposed to get mad at us sometimes." Willow said trying to get Tara to understand.

"Okay, how about I go easier on him if you stop babying him and start scolding him sometimes?" Willow tried to compromise.

"We can try that." Tara nodded, wiping away her tears.

"Okay, come here." Willow said gently as she kneeled in front of Tara and pulled her into a hug.

"Love you." Willow said her voice soft and childlike.

"Love you too, so much." Tara said holding onto Willow tightly.

Connor watched the exchange between his mothers from between the bars of the railing at the top of the stairs. Turning around he walked into his room and quietly closed the door. When he reached his bed he pushed his hand between the mattresses and pulled out a large butcher's knife. Holding the knife up so the sunlight reflected blindingly on the cold metal, his lips curled into a small smile.