Author: MissKittys Ball O Yarn
Rating: PG-13
Feedback: Please leave feedback on the Catching Sunflowers in Bloom thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer: We all know the drill... but I guess it must be said. I don't own anything even remotely related to Willow and Tara nor do I plan to get anything that resembles monetary gain for such creative musing. The great and powerful Joss owns all and I am not but an unimportant bug to be crushed (now that that's been said...)

"My lips hurt..." Willow pouted. She was laying on Tara's bed. Somehow they had ended up on the bed, though Willow had very little Idea how they'd managed that. Her mind was a little preoccupied with other things now. Namely, Her friends lips. Also, something else was fogging up her brain, she didn't exactly remember the exact moment when Tara had turned aggressor. The last thing she truly recalled was backing Tara up against the bedroom door and hearing the confirmation that they had ridden out of the land of "mistake"... after that, was a complete blur to Willow. They were over it too... in the most wonderful ways. They had just spent the last hour proving just how over it they could be. If she were to think about it in greater detail Willow decided she might be able to piece everything together but as of yet Tara's lips were making thinking a lost cause.

"Well, stop moving them." Tara teased. She was feeling a bit more confident, so much so, that she currently found herself pressing her lips brazenly against Willow's. She bit down lightly on the red-heads bottom lip. Releasing it, she ran her tongue soothingly along the indentations. She was practically on top of Willow, and in this position she was painfully aware of every movement her friend made. Tara didn't quite know how she managed to get Willow onto the bed... It was like one minute, they were too shy to even look at each other and now she was on top of Willow with the girls lips secured firmly beneath her own. For the life of her, she didn't know how that had happened.

"Okay..." Willow murmured against the gentle pressure. They had yet to explore the insides of each other's mouths and willow was curious to know just exactly what that would feel like, but she wasn't sure that either of them was ready for that just yet. Willow moved her hands around Tara's back. Her palms flat on the other girls shirt, she was moving them in slow circles, she could feel the heat of Tara's back through the cotton of her shirt.

After a few more minutes their exploration seemed to reach a natural stopping point. Tara slid off of Willow. laying next to the red head, Tara rested her head against Willow's shoulder.

Willow didn't know how long they had been asleep before she found herself being jerked awake by the sound of Tara's mother's voice announcing her intended visit even before she made it to the door. Willow nudged Tara gently alerting the blonde to the footsteps that were making themselves louder and louder as she came nearer. Willow didn't know what to do. Here she was looking as guilty as she could with Tara's head on her shoulder and Odessa was going to come into the room any second and see them. The blonde hadn't responded to Willow's nudge. Tara was still breathing heavily blissfully unaware of the impending doom making it's way up the stairs at this very moment. Willow's brain was still fuzzy from being awoken from the deep sleep she'd been in but her motor skills seemed to be working too well...Willow squirmed out from under the sleeping blonde and sat up on the edge of the bed just as the door knob turned and Odessa was peeking her head between the opening. The light from the hallway spilled into the darkness of Tara's room, illuminating it in muted light.

"Your dad's on the phone...He wants to talk to you. "

"Thanks... I'll be right down..."

Odessa backed out of the doorway, re-closing it as she went. Willow felt Tara stir behind her on the bed..

"What's going on?"

"My dad... he's on the phone..."

"Did you talk to your dad?" Tara asked as Willow came back into the bedroom.

"He'll be here tomorrow... he wants me to go to the rental house and pack the rest of my things..." Willow was feeling down-hearted, she fiddled with the ceramic cat on Tara's dresser. She couldn't bring herself to look at Tara without tears threatening, so she picked up each item on the top of the dresser one by one, examining each of them with focused interest.

"I'll... I'll go with you. I can help. I mean, if you want." Tara said

"Of course I want..." Willow said. She felt like crying. The suddenness of the emotion came over her in an all encompassing wave of despair. Until now she had been able to put the thoughts of leaving in the back of her mind, but after talking with her father leaving suddenly became all too real. Tomorrow would be her last day with Tara and there was nothing she could do about it. They fell into silence and Willow sat down on the edge of the bed. inside the quiet she began thinking of different possible ways to get her father to let her stay. Grand Ideas of transferring schools danced around in her imagination even though she knew it was too far fetched to think her father would even consider it. His only daughter, half way across the country and enrolling in a school that didn't have college prep courses? Not to mention the fact that her mother would blow a fuse at the mere suggestion of it. She hadn't even wanted her and her father to make the trip in the first place... Willow sighed. She'd heard somewhere that every cloud had a silver lining; well, she was searching, but all she could see was the ominous vultures circling.

After the nap they had shared neither girl seemed to be to incredibly sleepy, but they decided to go to bed anyway. Willow looked at Tara, she was wearing a tank top and a pair of blue boxers. Willow thought she looked beautiful. Willow reminded herself, to curb those thoughts. thoughts led to touching of the naughty variety which neither of them were ready for. But once she got started she found it hard to stop. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes off Tara, the intimate, emotional closeness they shared was incredible and undeniable. And willow felt butterflies in her tummy every time Tara smiled at her. It was amazing, the feelings this blond beauty could invoke in her. The connection between them seemed to be getting bigger and more evident every minute that passed. More than once Willow had given in to the urge to lean over and press her lips to Tara's. It just felt right. What they had was too strong to deny It was like they were acknowledging this big thing between them, without talking about it too much. Willow had the understanding that Tara was a little scared, But that she wanted their closeness just as much as Willow did.

"Tara...?" Willow whispered untangling herself from Tara's embrace. They'd fallen asleep last night wrapped up in each other, each preferring the heat of the other girl's closness to the artificial warmth of the blankets underneath them.

Willow watched her friend wake up. Tara was stretching and willow had to hold her hand back as it was fighting the battle to make it to the soft landscape of Tara's taunt stomach. It fought a good fight but ultimately the victory went to Willow. As punishment the hand was sent to live the rest of the moment pressed stiffly against Willow's thigh.

"Good-morning..." Tara mumbled, smiling at the girl next to her.

"Morning..." Willow said grinning. She loved it when Tara smiled. Willow was overcome suddenly with good feelings, she was feeling down-right jovial in fact, that was until the future events of the day reared it's ugly head and busted into her happy thoughts. She groaned and plopped back down onto the bed. Willow brought her pillow around and covered her head with it. She couldn't see Tara but she knew the blonde well enough to know that she was looking quizzically at her wondering why she had that blasted pillow over her face. "This is it Tara... D-day"

"D-day?"

She couldn't see her friend because of the pillow over her face but she could still hear the amusement in Tara's voice.

"Doom? Destruction? Disaster? Willow's voice was muffled against the pillow.

"I remember... Just... wasn't D-day... Didn't it have to do with a war or something?"

"I don't know... all I know is that in..." Willow brought her wrist up and looked at the watch clasped around it. "Five hours... I'm going to be in a car with Ira instead of here with you." Willow groaned again into the pillow.

Tara reached over and lifted the fluffy obstruction off Willow's head. " I know... I just didn't want to say it... kinda like, if we don't talk about it then it's not really going to happen?... Do you get it at all?"

"I do..."

The rest of the morning went along inside a heavy silence. Tara's mom made the girls breakfast, which they ate slowly and without emotion as if their eggs had no taste at all.

After forcing breakfast into their tummies, the girls set off to the rental house to pack the rest of Willow's clothes into suitcases. There wasn't much to pack so it didn't take very long and they were home in less than two hours.

There was a summer rain beginning to fall as Willow and Tara stood outside on the large wooden porch watching her dad's Lexis make the long drive up the dirt road. They watched him come... Tara's mother brought what remained of Willow's suitcases out onto the porch. She wrapped Willow in a tight hug. Willow was surprised by the strength of the hug. Willow returned it and didn't let go until Odessa pulled away. She didn't want to leave this place... She didn't want to leave Tara.

"It was so nice to have you here Willow... please come back and see us again."

"I will..." Willow smiled gratefully at Mrs Maclay.

Odessa retreated back through the screen door, leaving the girls to their goodbyes. She knew that this was going to hard for them.

Tara was looking down at the porch but cut her eyes to the side so that she could she could see the red head. She couldn't help the tears that began to pool in her eyes. She wouldn't cry though... She would be strong... for Willow. For Willow she could be like an amazon. Tara brought her head up when Willow started to speak.

"Tara... I..." Willow tried to form words that could possibly tell exactly what she felt in her heart but she realized from the silence that followed, there were no words that could do justice to the feelings swimming around strong inside her. Tara must have sensed this because the look she was giving Willow held nothing but reassurance.

"I know..." Tara said brushing a red strand out of Willow's face.

Willow's cheek followed the path of Tara's palm as if pulled there by a gravity she had no control over. Just for an instant she thought about pulling Tara into a kiss, but she knew that would be impossible, out here, on the porch in front of everyone... but just the thought of it was enough to ease some of the hurt in her heart.

Willow watched her father's car pull up in front of the house. Where he parked only thirty feet of dirt path separated Willow from ultimate departure. It seemed to be slow motion as the driver-side door was pushed open and she saw her father's head and shoulders over the roof of the black Lexis. He was looking tan in contrast to the casual white polo shirt he was wearing. Her father pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head so that his thick brown hair was holding them in place.

"Hey ya kiddo" He called cheerfully over the top of the car.

"Hi dad." Willow called back, but made no move to bridge the distance between them right at this moment. He was the symbol of loss and his presence brought along with it the reality of leaving. The time was upon them and she hadn't even kissed Tara goodbye. And how could she now? Her father was standing right there with his beady eyes watching her every move. Willow suddenly regretted not having kissed Tara earlier when she'd had the chance.

"You ready?"

He wasn't really inquiring as much as rushing her into movement with his words. What he was trying to say was "Let's go" Willow looked at Tara and nodded without looking in her father's direction. Ira got back into the car. Willow's gaze reached deeply into Tara's...she could feel the tears she was holding back shimmering in her green eyes.

Tara dared not touch Willow. She wanted to desperately but she didn't. She didn't want to make willow uncomfortable in front of her father. She watched silently and without movement as Willow turned from her and started slowly down the porch. Willow got a good ten feet away before the realization of the moment struck Tara with incredible force. "Willow wait!" Tara said breathlessly. She ran quickly down the porch steps, racing to the place where Willow stood watching her. Tara grabbed Willow and pulled the red head into a fierce hug. She felt Willow bury her face in her neck. Tara felt wet tears like coals of fire burning her skin. Tara had to grit her teeth to keep her own tears at bay.They were holding onto each other for dear life as if separation were death. It was Tara who pulled away first. She brought her fingers over Willow's tears as if she could erase them."Go" Was the only thing she could say... Tara offered a weak smile as Willow turned and opened the door to the car.

Willow couldn't look back... she knew deep down that she was leaving her best friend and she didn't know when she would see Tara again. Willow climbed into the back seat. She didn't feel like sitting up front just yet, she needed time to think about things. Willow knew that she would relive every moment of her time with Tara over and over again before they reached Sunnydale. Willow turned to watch the distance between her and her best friend grow greater and greater and suddenly she was overcome with a panic that started down at the very tips of her toes and ended at her lips as they parted "Wait dad! I forgot something..." Willow didn't wait for Ira to respond or to even come to a complete stop before she was pushing the door open and racing back to the place Tara still stood.

Tara watched the car travel down the dirt road, until it made an abrupt stop and the back door flew open. Tara barely knew what was happening even as Willow took her by the hand and led her behind the house. There were no words, just lips coming together fiercely against each other. Willow's lips crashed gently, but urgently against Tara's Willow's fingers were tangled in Tara's hair.Tara heard a horn honk she had the foggy thought that it might be a car horn. But her ability to think much beyond that was lost as Willow's lips were still moving against hers.

The horn honked again and it was over as quickly as it had started.

"I have to go..." Willow pulled away and her eyes locked with Tara's.

"I know... Don't forget about me, okay?"

Willow touched the necklace resting against the skin just below her neck.

"How could I ever forget you?"

And then she was gone.Tara didn't bother to watch her leave for a second time. She could still feel Willow's essence all around her and she wanted to stand there in that spot until every little ounce of Willow was gone. She stood against the house for a long time. Tara wrapped her arms around herself. She felt the tears she'd been holding back start to sting the back of her eyes. There was no one around to see but she didn't make even the slightest sound as the tears traced quick tracks down her cheeks.