Author: ophelia11
Rating: PG-13 for pottymouths and innuendo. Strong chance for naughtiness later on.
Disclaimer: The story is mine. The characters are not. :(
Feedback: Pretty please? Please leave feedback on the Impulse thread on the Kitten Board.

Forgive me if I stutter
From all of the clutter in my head
'Cause I could fall asleep in those eyes
Like a water bed
Do I seem familiar, I've crossed you in hallways
a thousand times, no more camouflage
I want to be exposed, and not be afraid to fall. - For You I Will, Teddy Geiger

Just after lunch, Willow moved aimlessly through her apartment clutching a dust rag. She didn't have many possessions to clutter the space and was naturally organized, so it was nervousness that motivated her cleaning frenzy. In reality the only remaining preparations involved setting out food and beverages.

She settled herself on the couch and marveled at all she and Tara managed to accomplish in a week’s time. A part of her was still disappointed in the lack of new furniture, but she was still amazed at the transformation made from a coat of paint. The warm suede tone eliminated the starkness and made her furniture far more attractive. Her lips curved in to a smile as the memories of painting with Tara came flooding back.

Convincing the blonde to help her paint proved to be a more difficult task than she anticipated. Though she knew Tara was normally the first to offer assistance, Willow underestimated how enterprising she could be. She offered up a variety of bribes ranging from an all-expense paid lunch to a movie night complete with shoulder massage. However, Tara knew she was desperate for help and saw a window of opportunity. After agreeing that Tara could browse through the collected works of one Willow Rosenberg, she was all too willing to help with any endeavor.

Willow hated to admit that the deal worked well for both of them. Most of Tara's non-working and non-sleeping hours were spent at Willow's. She always enjoyed their time together, but was surprised how easily they got along performing laborious tasks that were famous for causing bickering. Whether painting, arranging furniture, or decorating, their moods stayed light and pleasant.

As expected, Tara borrowed a stack of short stories and lesser know pieces from her bookshelf. She even managed to talk Willow in to a few unpublished works. What Willow found surprising was the interesting conversations they'd shared as a result of her writing. On their first project day, Tara arrived to help pick out paint and to prepare the apartment with tape and drop-cloths. As soon as they got started, Tara's questions began. When did Willow write a particular story? How did certain details come together? For many years Willow avoided sharing these private works, but found that now she really enjoyed talking about them with Tara.

Once they finished painting, Tara suggested a few more furnishings to further accentuate the apartment. They spent one rainy afternoon framing old pictures and hung them along the walls in the dining room. At first, Willow protested the suggestion, embarrassed by her own younger image. Tara pushed on and once the project was finished, Willow admitted that she was glad to have the memories there.

The next day, a quick scan of Willow's storage unit located a large clay urn, several framed black and white art prints, and an abstract painting with autumn tones. Willow tried in vain to reach the canvas first so she could shove it further on to a shelf. However, when Tara spotted, she immediately fell in love. After some coaxing, the redhead admitted going through an 'artsy semester' in college. Tara happily drug it in to the elevator and back to Willow's apartment while the redhead trailed behind, uselessly protesting.

"But Tara..." Willow whined.

Tara ignored her for the moment and half carried, half dragged the large canvas to the wall outside the kitchen. It stretched nearly five feet across and three feet down and would hang boldly there, if she could convince its creator. "Willow it's beautiful and it fits so well here. Come look."

Willow begrudgingly came to stand next to her, allowing her feets to clod across the carpet in protest. However, when she came to stand next to Tara, she hated to admit that the piece really did look good. Tara inadvertently turned the work upside down, but the accidental mistake made all the difference. Sighing heavily, "I'll get the hammer and nails."

She allowed Willow to turn fully before grinning in victory. The two spent the next 30 minutes working on a hanger for the canvas itself as well as an appropriate anchor for the wall. When all was said and done, the two stood back and admired their handiwork. Both felt prideful, though for different reasons. Willow's was in admitting her work was not hideous, as well as their shared accomplishment in getting the piece hung. Tara's was immersed fully in Willow for putting aside her self-deprecation for an afternoon and allowing others to share in her talent.

The memory made her smile now and without effort, the blonde’s name came to her lips. "Tara." It was a prayer of gratitude, spoken with equal parts reverie and regret.

Before darker thoughts could invade her good mood, a knock at the door interrupted. She stood and made her way across the room. A quick glance through the peephole and she grinned broadly. She threw open the door and yanked the blonde in to a fierce hug. "Hey Buff!"

The embrace took her by surprise, but Buffy quickly returned it. "Hello, surprisingly enthusiastic friend."

Willow flushed and released her, but quickly engulfed Dawn in her arms. "Hey sweetie."

The tall brunette grinned. "We expected you to be in full freak-out mode by now, but this is a pleasant surprise."

Willow took a step back and shrugged. "What can I say? I'm mellowing in my old age. Now get in here."

The Summers girls came in and did a shared double-take at the change. Willow seemed oblivious to their surprise and moved to shut the door behind them.

Buffy was the first to find her voice. "Holy crap, Wills. The place looks amazing." She spun in a circle taking in all the changes.

Dawn followed suit and marveled at the vibrancy radiating not only from the room, but from Willow herself. "Okay, if you managed to pull all this together in a week, you need to marry Tara and marry her now!"

"We're not like that," she answered half-heartedly. "She does deserve most of the credit, though. I was merely the lackey."

Buffy turned to face her old friend with a wide smile. "I gotta say, I can't wait to meet this girl if she got all this out of you in a week."

This time Willow couldn't help but smile back proudly. "She's pretty amazing, Buff. I think you'll love her."

The blonde nodded and continued taking it all in. She wandered in to the dining room and felt a bittersweet pang when she was greeted with their images splashed across the walls. "Everything just looks great." Walking back in to the living room, she continued talking. "We figured we'd come early in case you needed help with setup and such."

Willow nodded. "All the food and drinks are shoved in to the fridge. I was afraid not everything would fit, but I managed to squeeze it in. The only things we really have to do are put the snacks out on pretty plates and decide where to put the mini-bar."

"Sounds good. I do hope that finishing up is the excuse for wearing that shirt, otherwise you and I are scheduling some fashion therapy while I'm in town." Buffy shook her head with disapproval.

The redhead glanced down at her outfit. Her plain white t-shirt was more of a murky grey and she had on a pair of worn plaid boxers that were pushing their limits back in college. "Hmph. Why are we friends again?"

"Now, now. If it weren't for me, I'm sure you'd be shuffling around here in slippers and a mumu. You mind if I drop my stuff in the guest room?" Without waiting for an answer, she made her way across the apartment. Dawn followed her sister, carrying her own bag.

"Go ahead. I’m still not sure why you aren’t staying with Dawn." Willow called after her.

Buffy emerged from the room first. "Are you kidding me? Sharing space with three twenty-something girls is not my idea of a good time."

Dawn huffed as she re-entered. "Not like we would want you there being all mother-hen anyway." She then turned to face Willow. "So when is Tara getting here?"

"Um...I"m not sure." This detail bothered Willow. For all the time they'd spent together, she failed to ask.

"You're not having her come by early?" Dawn inquired.

The redhead's brow remained furrowed. "With everything going on this week, I didn't think to ask."

Buffy came up behind Dawn and shook her head. "You forgot something? Now I know the world is ending. At least she'll have one of your resident parking passes so she won't have to worry about finding a spot."

"Uhh...." This time, Willow sunk in to a nearby chair and groaned again.

"You didn't give her a pass?" Dawn practically shrieked. "Is this your subconscious trying to keep her from making it to the party?"

"You know how I hate to agree with Dawn on anything, but c'mon Willow. What's going on?" Buffy walked over to the couch and perched on the edge so she could look at her friend.

"I swear it just slipped my mind. I don't know why I didn't think about it." She frowned.

Buffy saw how distraught Willow was and reached out to squeeze her knee. "Hey now. No sour faces. Why don't you just give her a call? Heck, we could even save her the parking drama and go pick her up."

This suggestion immediately brightened her mood. "You think so?"

Dawn came up behind the couch. "Sure. I know you need to stick around for Xander, but there's no reason Buffy and I can't go get her."

"I didn't think about the door. Which begs the question, how did you guys get up here?"

"Steve is working. He's seen me tagging along with you enough times that it wasn't a big deal."

"Yeah, Dawn just batted her eyes. I'm not sure how I feel about men falling all over my little sister. How are people getting up here tonight anyway?"

"I talked to the security office before we announced the party here. They said it's usually not a problem as long as you have it recorded on their calendar at least a month in advance so they can be prepared. Once everything else was finalized, I gave them a guest list so people just need to give their name and show identification."

"People have to give ID to come to my party? That's so cool!" Dawn nodded with amusement at the idea.

The other two rolled their eyes. Willow chuckled. "Glad we could humor you. I included a note about the security in the invitations just so people wouldn't be freaked out."

"Freaked? They probably think it’s being hosted by some celebrity." Buffy patted Willow's leg and stood up. "Go on and call your girl. Dawn and I’ll go make us busy with something so you can have some privacy."

"You guys! We are really just friends." Willow knew it was a futile argument and did not waste much effort in it.

"For now." Buffy winked and nodded at Dawn. "We'll just unpack our clothes and things."

Outwardly Willow showed annoyance, but secretly enjoyed the teasing. As they'd grown older, their relationship blended between that of friends and sisters. Bickering and taunting were some of their favorite ways to show love. Even though her words were truthful, she still waited until the sisters left before reaching for her phone and dialing Tara.

The phone rang twice before she heard Tara's voice. "Hello?"

"Hey you." Willow's lips curved in to a smile she reserved only for Tara, though she wondered if the blonde realized it.

"Hey yourself. I thought for sure you would have yourself worked in to a frazzle by now." Her tone was light.

"I'm going to have to work on my reputation. You aren't the first person to tell me that today." Her feelings weren't hurt, but she did recognize her unusually relaxed state. "What are you doing?"

"Reading. How's the party prep coming along?" Tara placed her bookmark between the pages and dropped the book next to the couch. She rolled on to her back and stretched out.

"It's coming along. Really it's now a matter of getting food out and I don't want to do that too early. Good book?" Willow shifted nervously on the couch as she spoke.

"Mmm hmmm. A friend of mine wrote it." She didn't mean to make Willow feel awkward when she mentioned her writing, but she honestly enjoyed every story she'd read so far and loved the way Willow's mind worked. "So did you just decide to pass the time talking on the phone?"

"Not really...not that we couldn't, but there are better things to do...or well...different...uh help?" She heard Tara's warm laughter fill her ears and forced herself out of a word loop. "Buffy and Dawn got here a little bit ago..."

"Oh! That's great, Will. I'm sure you guys are having fun together. Did you need me to bring something? I don't want you wasting your time on the phone when your friends are there." Tara immediately winced, knowing she just set herself up for a tongue lashing.

"I don't even know where to begin with you, Maclay. First of all, talking to you, whether on the phone, in person, or through a can on a string, is never a waste of my time. Secondly, I do not need you to bring anything. I called you with a purpose, but we seem to have meandered from it." Willow's words left no room for argument, though she was not angry.

Tara chuckled, "Can on a string?"

Willow joined in, "You're damn skippy. So the reason for my call is to point out my idiocy. Now before we go back and forth on an esteem booster, I really deserve it on this one. Buffy reminded me that not only did I not give you a pass for better parking...I should've just invited you over early."

"You didn't have to do either..." She shook her head. Sometimes Willow was too hard on herself.

"You're right. I didn't. However, I wanted to and if my mind wasn't so scattered this week I would've done just that. If you're busy, I understand, but if you wanted, maybe, you could come over and hang out with us?"

Tara's heart was suddenly pounding in her ears. All week she kept herself from worrying too much about meeting all of Willow's friends, but now that the moment was here...and earlier than expected, all the mantras were forgotten. "Um..."

"It's cool. You probably have plans, but I should drop off a pass so you don't have to worry about parking."

"I don't have plans." She blurted out. "You just caught me by surprise. I need to take a shower and get my things together. I'll probably be over in an hour or so. Now if parking is an issue, where should I park?" Tara sat up and leaned back against the cushions.

"I can do one better. How about a door to door escort service?"

"You have a driver now?" Tara's voice held a hint of confusion.

"Not quite. Buffy and Dawn offered to run over and pick you up...but if you'd rather I come over and get you, I can do that. I'll just leave Buffy or someone here to man the place and..."

"Willow!" Tara just managed to interrupt her. "I don't have a problem being picked up, but how will I get home?"

"Oh! Not a problem. One of us will make sure you get home...or you can stay?" She wasn’t sure Tara would feel comfortable with that last offer, though she extended it anyway.

"Are you sure? I don't want to be any trouble." Now she debated whether she was more nervous about the party or the prospect of spending the night.

"Tara, trust me when I say nothing about you is trouble." Willow was excited to spend additional time with Tara alongside her friends.

"Okay," she conceded.

"Now are you really okay with the Summers sisters picking you up?" She knew her friends meant well but was a little hesitant to send them out unsupervised knowing that Tara was so shy with people she didn't know well.

"It's fine Willow. I know you're swamped today. They can come over to get me. Just give me an hour or so to get things together." She stood and made her way in to her bedroom so she could begin gathering her things.

Willow breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you. So I'll see you soon?"

"Yep." Tara smiled and pressed 'End'.

She didn't realize she was smiling until Buffy's laughter came from the doorway. "Say what you want, Willow. You've got it bad." She shook her head and walked closer.

Willow just shook her head and leaned back in her chair. A buzz broke through the quiet and Willow picked up her cell. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Xander. I'm about a block away. Wanted to make sure you were in."

"You bet. See you in a few." Willow hung up and smiled, feeling suddenly giddy.

Dawn walked in and stretched out on the couch. "Was that Xander?"

Willow nodded. "Yep. He's on his way."

"Yay. I feel like I haven't seen him forever!" Dawn clapped her hands and her eyes shifted to the apartment door, watching it like a television.

Buffy grinned from across the room. "You know he can't actually burst through the door, right?"

Dawn sat up and turned to face her sister. She stuck her tongue out. "So? I can pretend!"

Willow just shook her head. She always thought when they got older, Buffy and Dawn's bickering would subside, or at least lessen. Even living across the country, they argued and picked as if they were still in the same house. "You two never change."

For a brief moment the two united against a common enemy. In a rare synchronized moment they glared and stuck their tongues out at Willow.

The redhead chuckled and rolled her eyes. She stood up, walked toward the door, and flicked off the locks. When the elevator dinged its arrival, she pulled at the handle.

Xander’s excitement was palpable the moment the elevator doors pulled apart. His eyes landed on a flash of red peaking out through the doorway and his stride quickened, pulling along his small wheeled carry-on behind him. Willow barely let him make it to the door before she jumped in to his arms. "Heya, Will!" She felt solid in his embrace and he was flooded with relief.

Dawn poked her head out. "She doesn't get you all to herself."

He grinned and kept an arm around Willow as they walked in to the apartment. Dawn was the next to hug him, while Buffy stood off to the side smiling. "What, Buff? No hugs from you?" he teased.

"Didn't I just see you like a day ago?" Once Dawn was finished attacking, she strolled up and gave him a quick squeeze. "How was the flight? I was bummed we couldn't get one together."

"It was good. No major calamities, thought it would have been cool to have a buddy."

"Still not a fan of the planes, Xan?" Willow couldn't keep the smile from her face as she looked around at her closest friends. There's just the one missing... Her thoughts were interrupted by Xander's voice.

"So, Will? Where's your new lady friend?" He glanced around the apartment and saw that no one else was there. "What the heck? How are we supposed to screen her properly?"

Shoving him, she giggled. "You aren't. That's the point."

"No worries, Xander. Dawn and I are going to pick her up in a little bit." Buffy couldn't hold in her laughter at Willow's panicked expression. "Aww...don't worry, Wills. We're not gonna embarrass you...too much."

Dawn returned to Xander's side and he wrapped a brotherly arm around her. "Wait until you see her..."

"Dawnie! Not you too." Willow now looked hopeless and returned to her chair, resigning herself to the impending torment.

"Yeah?" He turned toward the redhead. "So you got yourself a hottie?"

"Ugh. She's not a hottie. I mean not that she isn't hot...I mean attractive, but...I'm going to help myself and shut up." She leaned in to the back of the seat dramatically.

Dawn continued, undeterred. "Oh yeah. She's really nice too. Kinda shy." Her face went blank for a few seconds as if lost in her thoughts. "You know, she sort of reminds me of Willow in high school. Quiet and reserved, but once she's comfortable she's really funny." She looked over at Willow, who was wearing a tiny smile. "In case I forgot to tell you, I really like her Willow."

"So where do we have to go to pick her up anyway?" Buffy walked closer to Willow and leaned up against the arm.

"She doesn't live too far from here. I'll write you some directions." Willow stood up and walked to the kitchen. She opened a drawer and rustled around for a notepad. Her friends continued to chatter while she leaned against the counter and began writing.

When she was finished, she rejoined the group and they continued the small talk and banter as they always had. Eventually, Buffy's eyes drifted to her watch and she looked up at Willow. "We should probably get going. Makes more sense for Dawn to drive, so I'll be the navigator."

"Oh great. With Buffy directing me, I'll be lucky to make it back for the end of my own party." She felt a hard slap on her arm. "Ow! My outfit is sleeveless and I would prefer not to have bruises."

Willow held out her keys to Dawn. "I figured since I have a guaranteed parking spot, you're better off in my car. Take care of her."

"No worries. Buffy's not driving." This time Dawn had the sense to step away before she could be swatted again. "Don't fret. We'll be good."

The redhead smiled and nodded, watching them leave the apartment. When the door clicked shut she turned back to Xander. "I guess that leaves us to the final setup. I'm suddenly thinking we got screwed in this deal."

Xander only grinned. "Nah. Me man. Me lift heavy things."

"Sorry to disappoint, but there's nothing heavy. You can set up the folding table against the wall by the dining room entrance."

He nodded his approval. "Sounds pretty manly. I should probably go change after we get this all set up. Once they get back, I'll end up changing in the kitchen." He watched Willow's face pale. "Okay I wouldn't really strip in your kitchen..."

"No...although thanks for that image. I just never picked out what to wear and by the time Buffy is back she'll have to worry about getting herself ready." She continued to frown. "I can't believe I chastised Tara and here I am doing the same thing."

"Where's the table?" She pointed toward the office and he pushed open the door and pulled out a rectangular card table. He shut the door behind him and dragged the table over to the wall and unfolded the legs. Once it was set up, he turned his attention back to Willow, "So if you told her dressing up wasn't a big deal before, why are you worried now?"

Willow's eyes dropped and she fidgeted. "I don't know. I just...I wanna look nice. That's all." She walked over and handed him a table cloth before turning back toward the kitchen.

Xander nodded in understanding. "I can't imagine you not looking good. So is there a particular reason, or maybe a particular person you want to impress?" His back was turned while he spread the fabric over the table, so he felt, rather than saw Willow's glare. "I feel your angry eyes Will, but if you want my help, you need to level with me."

Sighing heavily, "Fine. Yes." She looked at him pleadingly. "So, help?"

He nodded. "Let's get the rest of the non-perishables together and then we will examine your closet and find something perfect."

"Are you sure?" Willow looked at him skeptically.

"Well I don't see any other options for you. Besides, I am still a man and I know what's attractive. So arm me with chips and bowls and let's get this finished up."

For the next several minutes, Xander set out bowls and put the chip bags inside. Willow set out various cups along the kitchen bar. She placed an ice bucket nearby. She also set out a few bottles of red wine. The remaining beverages stayed in the refrigerator along with various dips and appetizers.

"I think we're as set up as we can be until it gets closer to the party." She looked around at all they accomplished in a short time.

"Lead me to the closet then, madam." They hooked arms and disappeared in to Willow's bedroom.

Buffy and Dawn pulled up in front of Tara's building. "You should probably stay with the car..."

"What and send you, the complete stranger, up to Tara's?" Dawn looked at her skeptically.

"It's not like I'm a leper." She watched Dawn quirk an eyebrow, "I'm nice, dammit! Besides...you can barely carry your purse. What if she needs help with her stuff?"

Dawn scrunched her nose, but finally admitted defeat. "Fine, but don't come on too strong...and light a fire under it. I'm double-parked and I'm not listening to another automobile/responsibility lecture from Willow."

"You'll barely even notice I'm gone." She snatched Willow's directions from the seat and memorized the apartment number. Without turning around, she knew Dawn's eyes were following her until she entered the building. Once inside, she spotted an elevator across the entranceway and pressed the up arrow.

Buffy became impatient while she waited. A bell finally rang and the doors spread apart. Once inside, she pressed the number 6 and felt herself slowly move up. She could not have arrived too soon and quickly made her exit, suspicious the cables would stop working any time. A few doors down, she found Tara's apartment and knocked lightly on the door.

A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing a slightly taller blonde with a lopsided grin. "Hey there. You must be Tara. I’m Buffy. It's nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too. Come in." She stepped aside so Buffy could enter.

"I'm really sorry for the ambush. Willow's kind of a control freak when it comes to party planning...or any planning for that matter. Dawn drove so she stayed with the car, which left me, the stranger, to come get you." She offered what she hoped was a friendly smile.

Tara nodded and grinned. She decided in that moment that she very much liked Willow's friend. "It's fine. I'm glad I finally get to meet you. Willow talks about you all the time." She picked up a garment bag and was about to pick up a small duffel bag, but Buffy beat her to it.

Before Tara could protest, Buffy threw up her hand. "Now what kind of escort would I be if I let you carry everything? Besides the fact that Willow and Dawn would never forgive me." Realizing how that sounded, "Not that I wouldn't have helped..." She stopped when she heard Tara's chuckle.

"Here I thought Willow was the only person that did that."

"Oh go ahead and laugh. It becomes contagious the more time you spend with her, so just watch yourself." She walked out in to the hallway and waited for Tara to follow. After Tara locked the door, the two chatted amiably all the way back to the car.

Tara opened the back door and slid her bag across the seat before climbing in herself. Buffy handed her the other bag and moved forward to open the front. Dawn twisted around in her seat, "She wasn't mean, was she? I told her to be on good behavior."

Buffy glared at her younger sister, but it was Tara who spoke first. "She was perfectly fine, and you should be nicer to your sister."

"Yeah!" Buffy stuck her tongue out.

Dawn just rolled her eyes and revved the engine. A few seconds later, she merged in to traffic and headed back toward Willow's.

Buffy twisted in her seat so she was facing Dawn and could see Tara in the backseat. "It's funny how close you live to one another."

Tara smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes good things can be right under your nose and you don't even realize."

"Well lucky for Willow, you showed up on her doorstep. Even if it was just coincidence." Dawn could see Tara blushing in the rearview mirror.

Tara shifted slightly at the compliment. "Thank you again for picking me up. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Are you kidding?" Dawn grinned up at the mirror. "You saved us from the horrors of party setup...which would involve arranging and rearranging multi-colored plastic cups for the better part of fifteen minutes before deciding the first layout was the best."

"Multi colored?" Though she had no idea the reasoning behind it, the quirk seemed very much like Willow.

"Different people...different drinks...she figures it helps people to better keep track of their beverages," Buffy explained.

"In a completely bazaar way, that make sense." Tara chuckled as she spoke.

"I'm excited for the getting ready part. It'll be like prom." Dawn's voice steadily rose with each word, until she reached the pitch of an enthused fourteen-year-old girl.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but continued to smile. "Except there are no corsages, no cute dates, we can all legally drink, and Xander is the only one with a hotel room." She paused only briefly, "Which none of us will be visiting."

"You take the fun out of everything," Dawn pouted. Her eyes widened slowly as the implication of her words sunk in. "About the prom stuff...not the Xander stuff. Ew!"

The three shared a laugh before Buffy spoke up. "Poor Xander. He never catches a break with us."

Dawn slowed the car and rolled down the window. At a gate, she swiped a card and after several beeps, the security bar raised and she resumed the motion.

"What's wrong with Xander?" Tara asked. "I thought Willow had a huge crush on him in high school?"

Buffy nodded as she explained. "Oh she did. It's not that anything is wrong with him. He's cute and funny and all that. He's just...Xander. Like a brother or something. Not even a brother. He's like a Ken doll."

Tara frowned in sympathy. "Poor Xander."

The Summers girls nodded in agreement. Dawn pulled in to a space near the elevator. "Well...let the party begin!"