Author: JustSkipIt
Rating: G
Feedback: Yes, please. Please leave feedback on the Love Comes to Long Lick - Revisited thread on the Kitten Board.
Disclaimer - Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy own Willow, Tara, and the Buffyverse and Angelverse and all characters and locations from those universes. No copyright infringement is meant by this fic and I will not make any money from it.

Rose walked slowly back toward the library, glancing at her watch to see that it was 1:05. She'd enjoyed her lunch with Grand-me as usual but had refrained from sharing any information about her strange visitior. She knew from experience that her grandmother would have reacted in one of three ways: warnings against Willingham family - that they couldn't be and shouldn't be trusted (a truth Rose had been committed to for many years now), insane suggestions that Rose should appeal to the girl's sense of justice in placing her claim for compensation, and viewing the visitor as a suitor. Rose had long been amazed at her grandmother's ability to see everyone who wandered by as a potential suitor. Oh, that mobster - he dresses well and treats his mother with respect, beauty queen - she could help you dress, olympic athelete - what a strong work ethic that must take. The older woman would have no doubt made Rose change her clothes, fix her hair, and take a home-made snack to the library ("Grand-me, there's no food allowed near the collection."). Rose could well imagine the conversation: "Sweetheart. Entertainment Tonight says she's single and you haven't had a date in months. I'm just saying... "

Clearly Maclay Willingham was not visiting the library to date Rose Jennings. But the question was why was she visiting? Was it possible that the Willingham family had learned of Rose's quest? And if so, were they worried? The thought excited and motivated Rose. For if there was no document and no claim to prove - the Rayne/Willingham official position for over a century - then why would Maclay Willingham be asking about the collection? Why was she currently sitting in Rose's dark dusty room, a fact Rose observed by kneeling and sneaking a peek through the ground-level window high above Maclay's head? By peeking through that window, Rose was able to observe as Maclay Willingham finished reading and then stared at the computer screen. She hit some buttons on the right and then concentrated on the computer screen again. Rose wondered if she was looking for something on the machine but the redhead had secured all files but the one she unlocked specifically for the heiress to read. If Maclay Willingham tried to access anything else on that machine, Rose would receive an immediate text message with details of the attempt.

The researcher stood and brushed off her pants before re-entering the library. Joey stopped her to ask if she had seen Maclay Willingham who he gossiped had been at the library earlier. She granted him a vague, "She stopped by," wished him well, and slipped away before he could question her further.

As she went down the stairs she wasn't sure what to think about the girl currently sitting in her office reading a document off her computer. There had to be some reason she was at the library and there was no way she was just curious about what the town library had to offer. So why was she there? Perhaps the Willingham family was finally ready to make due on their debts and had sent her to negotiate. Well, Rose knew what she and her grandmother deserved and she would take no less.

She quietly pulled open the door hoping to surprise the dark-blonde, or was she a light-brunette? Instead she was greeted by two very blue, very unguarded, very wet eyes. Rose pulled the door closed behind her and stepped into the room. When she saw Maclay wipe at her eyes with the back of her hand and swallow hard, she sat down and was surprised at the words coming from her own mouth. "Are you ok?"

Maclay took a deep breath and sat up straighter with a shrug. "Yeah. I mean of course. It's uh... a touching story. Very beautiful." She leaned forward and touched the back of the redhead's hand with her fingertips. "And it's a little sexy, you know?"

Rose felt a shiver run up her arm. It had been quite a long time, perhaps not as long as her grandmother believed, but a considerable time since she'd been touched in any way by a woman. Hell, she'd never been touched by a woman as beautiful as the one in front of her and she couldn't help but feel the effect of the touch. She quickly pulled her hand back under the pretext of taking off her backpack and setting it on the floor. "Notice anything familiar about it? Or perhaps confusing?"

Maclay Willingham pushed the laptop over to its owner. "Well, my great-great-grandfather doesn't seem to come off too well in the story. This, hick, farm girl. What's her name? Willow Rosenberg? Doesn't seem to like her uncle very well."

Rose snorted lightly. "You just wait if you think she doesn't like him now." She laughed as she said it then changed her tack a little. "Did you ever wonder about the origin of your name?"

"I asked my father once. His name is James Maclay Willingham. Maclay is the middle name of every man in our family but my mother's pregnancy with me was a difficult one and he knew I would be their last child so he didn't want to fail the family tradition."

Rose nodded. "But where did the name Maclay come from? It's not a traditionally Western name. In fact only one person with the surname Maclay has ever lived in Sunnydale."

"Tara Maclay?"

"Right in one."

Maclay sat and watched the redhead with a questioning look. Finally she breathed out slowly. "Rose, do you have a copy of my family tree on here?"

Rose smiled now as she reached for the computer. She typed in a password then another, then navigated to a file and typed another password. "That's some security for a family tree," Maclay joked. Rose didn't answer but pushed the computer with the requested diagram toward her visitor.

"Ok. Here I am. James Maclay Willingham... James Sr. ... Benjamin... Ethan III... Ethan Jr. born 1882 .." Her finger followed the main branch as she read all the names. "... to Ethan Sr. and Tara Maclay Rayne." She squinted at the screen "What? I mean, what?" Then she turned her gaze on the redhead. "Tara Maclay as in the same Tara in the journal there?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You know, now that you mention it... she is the same woman from Willow's journal."

Maclay shook her head. "But how... I mean... she's so clearly..."

"Yes?"

Maclay continued to have a look of consternation on her face and Rose was almost enjoying it. "Well, she's gay, right? I mean maybe they didn't have that term back then. I don't know what they called it but she said she never wanted to marry. And then she practically seduced poor dumb hick Willow." The blonde stood up and paced a few steps toward the wall and then back toward Rose. "She said she wanted to be there, with Willow forever. What happened to that?"

"You seem to be taking this sort of hard. Maybe you should sit down, Ms. Willingham." Rose could hardly keep from laughing.

"Can you call me Mac? Everyone does except press people and servants and you're neither." She motioned toward the computer and touched the screen. "I mean Tara said she loved Willow and Willow seemed like she would do anything for her. So what happened?" Before Rose could answer she continued. "Or did something happen to Willow and Tara couldn't take care of the farm and Rayne took pity on her? Or maybe they adopted Ethan Jr.?"

Rose pointed at the screen. "Tara and Ethan had three sons: Ethan Jr., Benjamin, and Elias. Born 1882, 1883, and 1885."

Tara scrunched up her forehead and squinted at the screen. "Wait... Tara Maclay Rayne - b. 1850 Philadelphia, PA d. 1887 Sunnydale, CA. Ethan Rayne - b. 1838 San Francisco, CA. d. 1923 Sunnydale, CA. She was only 37 when she died?"

Rose watched in fascination as Maclay, Mac as she'd just asked Rose to call her, Willingham seemed to be growing more and more upset. She didn't know why she did it but the redhead reached out and took her visitor's hand. "Yes."

Mac paced away again. "But she and Willow. Wait... Willow. Do you have other information on her?"

Rose chuckled as she waved her arm at the boxes filling the room. "I have information and other information and more information on her. She wrote much of this." She pointed at the journal in a plastic bag on the middle of the table. "That's the first of 19 journals she filled before her death."

Mac slumped into her chair. Finally she sat up as if the light bulb lit up over her head. "Do you have her family tree, Rose?"

Rose winked. "You know, I just might have it at that." She keyed more passwords into more files and finally a second diagram filled the screen.

Mac began reading the tree, this time starting with Ira and then Willow rather than starting with present and working backwards. "Ira Rosenberg died 1869... Willow b. 1852 Sunnydale, CA d. 1887 Sunnydale, CA. Daniel Rosenberg b. 1883 d. 1917. Abraham Rosenberg 1910 - 1952. Winnifred Rosenberg Jennings 1940, Caliopie Faith Jennings 1971, Rose Daniel Jennings b. 1987, Sunnydale, CA." She stared at the screen for a full 30 seconds before turning and looking at Rose.

When she spoke her voice was very controlled. "Why do I have the feeling you know a lot more than I do, Rose?"

"Maclay Bennet Territh Willingham." Rose laughed loudly and waved her hand. "The extent of what I know that you don't more than fills this room."