Author: eklipsej
Rating: PG for now... will up that if necessary.
Disclaimer: All Buffy characters were created by and unfortunately belong to the creators of BtVS, other characters that might pop up are mine.
Note: Thoughts in italics.

Buffy shrugged as she glanced at Willow and Tara. It was then that she noticed the package that the blonde was clutching tightly to her chest, and recognized the neatly gift-wrapped handy-work of her best friend. Every piece of tape showing was exactly the same length as every other piece of tape. Buffy could see the side of the package, where the ends of the wrapping paper met so that the folded edges formed a perfect triangle. And the Scooby-Doo wrapping paper practically screamed Willow.

Willow saw her best friend eyeing the gift, and prayed to all the deities she had ever heard of that Buffy would not say anything. Please oh please make Buffy let it slide!

Her prayers were answered, sort of, Buffy didn't ask about the gift. Dawn did.

"Hey, you got a present! What's the occasion?"

Oh crap, I guess I should've been less specific, praying not really my thing.

Willow glanced at Tara, who was glancing between Willow, the gift, Dawn, and Faith.

Great, now she's feeling awkward. Why didn't I wait until after I asked her out? Why didn't I just not ask? Why do I have to be such a doofus?

"N-no occasion..." Tara finally responded to Dawn's question.

Just please don't anyone tell her to open it now.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" The eager teenager asked.

Tara saw Buffy eyeing the package in her hands, and she prayed to every deity she had ever heard of that Buffy would not ask about it. She breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Buffy would not bring it up. But two seconds later, Dawn did.

"Hey, you got a present! What's the occasion?"

Oh crap, I guess I should've been less specific.

Tara didn't know what to say. Her eyes darted from Willow, to the gift, to Dawn, and then to Faith, and back to Willow, who was staring at her with eyes wide open.

Great, now she's feeling awkward. I should've just said yes, or hid the present, or maybe she didn't want Faith to know she gave me a present, or maybe... maybe, crap.

"N-no occasion..." Tara finally responded to Dawn's question.

Just please don't anyone tell me to open it now.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" The eager teenager asked.

"NO!"

Tara jumped at Willow's outburst, and she sneaked a peak at Faith, who was giving Willow an odd look. Something between a frown, and a huh?

"I mean, um, no she can't, you can't!"

Tara looked at Willow directly now, but Willow was staring at her hands, which were twisting the hem of her shirt. The redhead met Tara's eyes briefly for a second then looked at Faith with a guilty/embarrassed/apologetic look.

She doesn't want Faith to see it.

Faith's frown deepened but before she could speak Dawn interrupted.

"What? Why not?"

"N-no occasion..." Willow heard Tara respond to Dawn's question.

Just please don't anyone tell her to open it now.

"Well, aren't you going to open it?" The eager teenager asked.

No no no no!!!!!!

"NO!" Crap, that was out loud!

Willow surprised herself at her own outburst. Her friends were all giving her odd looks, and Tara wouldn't look at her.

"I mean, um, no she can't, you can't!" She added, a sliver of a bit more calmly, all the while staring her hands twisting the hem of her shirt. The redhead met Tara's eyes briefly for a second then looked at Faith with a guilty/embarrassed/apologetic look.

She doesn't want any of them to see it. God Faith is going to kill me for being such a chicken.

Faith's frown deepened but before she could speak Dawn interrupted.

"What? Why not?"

"It's, um, oh! It's bad luck, yes that's it. It's bad luck to open presents in a hospital."

Dawn was not buying it, it didn't make any sense, if you got a present you should get to open it right?

"What? Will that's insane! What about all these patients who get gifts everyday?"

That's it. I'm going to kill Dawn. I don't care if she is my best friend's little sister and practically family. I'm going to kill the brat.

"Um... no it's bad luck if you're not the one hospitalized!" Willow tried to save herself.

"Ohhhh-kay Willow." Dawn said, giving Willow the 'what are you some kind of wacko' look. "Where'd you get that idea? That's not some kind of Jewish thing is it? Because then, it still doesn't apply right? Because Tara's not Jewish. Wait you're not Jewish are you Tara?"

I'm going kill her. I'm going to... do something unspeakably bad to her.

"N-no. I'm not Jewish."

"No it's not a Jewish thing Dawn. It's a Rosenberg thing okay?"

"Well, Tara's in luck, cuz she's not a Rosenberg either. You're not are you Tara?"

Willow was seething. She made a vow to never again disagree with Buffy when she complained about Dawn.

"No, n-not a Rosenberg either."

"It doesn't matter, because I am and I'm the one that gave it to her, so you see, she can't open it. In fact just to be safe Tara, you should wait until you get back to your place to open it."

"O-okay."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

It took a minute for Willow to calm down, and having the blonde girl's promise made her feel better. Once she had calmed, she couldn't help but notice that Tara was looking at her like she didn't know whether to be amused or to be disturbed.

Great, now she's going to agree with Anya and think I AM insane.

Tara looked at Willow directly now, but Willow was staring at her hands, which were twisting the hem of her shirt. The redhead met Tara's eyes briefly for a second then looked at Faith with a guilty/embarrassed/apologetic look.

She doesn't want Faith to see it.

Faith's frown deepened but before she could speak Dawn interrupted.

"What? Why not?"

"It's, um, oh! It's bad luck, yes that's it. It's bad luck to open presents in a hospital."

Bad luck Willow? Bad luck indeed. Dawn doesn't look like she's buying it.

"What? Will that's insane! What about all these patients who get gifts everyday?"

Tara watched nervously for Willow's reaction, and saw when the redhead tensed at the teenager's probing.

Goodness, she looks like she's going to kill Dawn.

"Um... no it's bad luck if you're not the one hospitalized!" Willow tried to save herself.

"Ohhhh-kay Willow." Dawn said, giving Willow the 'what are you some kind of wacko' look. "Where'd you get that idea? That's not some kind of Jewish thing is it? Because then, it still doesn't apply right? Because Tara's not Jewish. Wait you're not Jewish are you Tara?"

"N-no. I'm not Jewish." Tara tried to jump in, hoping that Dawn would drop it. Clearly Willow was uncomfortable with her opening the present in front of her friends.

"No it's not a Jewish thing Dawn. It's a Rosenberg thing okay?"

"Well, Tara's in luck, cuz she's not a Rosenberg either. You're not are you Tara?" Dawn pressed on.

Tara could see that Willow was seething and again tried to interrupt.

"No, n-not a Rosenberg either."

"It doesn't matter, because I am and I'm the one that gave it to her, so you see, she can't open it. In fact just to be safe Tara, you should wait until you get back to your place to open it."

"O-okay." Obviously Willow doesn't want anyone to see what's in here. Should I be worried?

"Promise?"

"I promise." Yes, I promise. If you really don't want anyone to see what it is you gave me, then I probably wouldn't want that either.

It took a minute for Willow to calm down, but it seemed that Tara's promise made her feel better. Tara didn't know whether to laugh at how cute the redhead was when she got all flustered or to be concerned about the reason the redhead did not want Tara to open her gift in front of the others.