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.

California...

Tara was eyeing the contents of her closet and humming to the CD playing on her stereo when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." She called out.

"Hey Tare." Jo greeted her roommate as she opened the door. "Busy?"

"Just packing for my mom's." Tara responded while pushing some hangers aside. "What's up?"

Jo cocked her head as she walked in, her eyes falling on the CD player on the blonde's desk.

"Tara, didn't we talk about this music?"

The blonde rolled her eyes as she pulled several pairs of faded jeans out of the closet.

"What? I like it." She shrugged.

"Tare, sweetie, oh wonderful lovely roommate of mine. There's only so much Michelle Branch a person can take." Jo gave her roommate a stern look and crossed her arms.

"Oh yes, and that would be about as much Sheryl Crow as a person can take right?" Tara turned to Jo with raised eyebrow. "I'm fairly certain you didn't come in here to question my choice of music, so again I ask, what's up?"

Jo shrugged and gave Tara a contrite smile before responding.

"Could I borrow those big hoopy earrings for later, you know the gold ones?"

"Yeah, I'll get them." Tara shook her head at her friend and dropped her jeans on the bed. She started to her dresser, but Jo waved her off.

"No worries, kiddo. You keep packing, just tell me where and I'll get 'em."

"You just want an excuse to pilfer more of my jewelry." Tara laughed. "Jewelry box, on the dresser."

"Thanks Tare, and you keep telling yourself that. Girl, half you're stuff is way too funky even for me." Jo said, moving to Tara's dresser.

Tara smiled briefly then frowned. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" She called out to Jo, who was now engrossed in the contents of Tara's jewelry box.

"Nothing! Just, you know, our styles are so different... and stuff. Hey I don't see them Tare."

Tare moved to where Jo was standing and shooed her friend away.

"You sure you don't want to come with tonight? Your flight isn't 'til the day after tomorrow. And we should be taking advantage of all the time we have left together you know."

"Yes I'm sure. I want to finish this so I don't have to worry about it tomorrow. Here they are."

The blond pulled out a pair of large gold double hoop earrings and handed them to Jo, who was now leaning on the desk.

"And quit it, I know what you're trying to do." She laughed as she moved back to fold the clothes on her bed.

"Well, can you blame me? After all, you are abandoning me oh roomie of mine."

"I am not abandoning you!" Tara rolled her eyes. "I'll only be a phone call away, and we can always come visit each other."

Jo sighed, looking around the room.

"I know. It's just weird you know. We've been roommates for so long and now you're moving away and you're going to be living all by your lonesome. It seems like just yesterday you could barely get two words out to me without that cute little stutter of yours. My little girl's all grown up!" Jo mock sniffled and pretended to wipe a tear away.

"Gee thanks." Tara scowled at her friend as she carefully arranged her jeans in her suitcase. "Look, I promise we'll spend lots of QT as you call it when I get back from my mom's okay?"

"Uh-huh, sure. You're gonna be too busy packing all this stuff to spend time with me." Jo gestured around the room. "I mean, seriously girl, your books alone will take an entire day to box up!"

"Yes well, just so you know, part of that QT could be you helping me do some of that packing."

"Of course! Wouldn't want you going away with anything that was mine would I?" Jo winked at her friend as she walked over to Tara's bookcase.

"You mean you wouldn't want me going away with anything of mine you might want." Tara teased as she moved back to her closet.

Jo only laughed in response as she ran her fingers over the titles on the shelf. Tara had gotten much better with the playful banter then she had been when they first moved in together. She shook her head, remembering the hurt and yet annoyed look on the blonde's face the first time Jo had teased her. Jo had apologized and explained to her new roommate that she was only joking around and the look on Tara's face had changed to one of relief.

The brunette shook her head as she continued to browse through Tara's books, stopping when her fingers reached two copies of the same book.

"Hey Tare?" Jo called out to her friend, who had disappeared into the recesses of her closet. "Why do you have two copies of the same book?"