Author: Kieli
Rating: PG-13.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the gentle souls in this fic, though god knows I wish I knew them... Mutant Enemy and that wanker Joss Whedon get credit for their creation. I'm just fantasizing a little.

To say that Willow was completely ecstatic to see Tara is possibly the greatest understatement that could be made. Upon feeling Tara's breath upon her face, Tara's warmth healing her soul, Willow leapt up from her chair and practically crushed Tara's ribs in a bear hug.

"Oh... my... GOD!" she shrieked, heedless of the fact that her parents were still sleeping upstairs. "Can I just tell you that I am now the happiest Willow tree on the freakin' planet?!"

Tara's breath came out in a WHOOSH as her lover tried to practically absorb her in her effusiveness. "Well, I'm happy to see you too, sweetie. Ummm... baby? Air would be helpful right now," she gasped.

"Oh! Oh, sorry. It's just... wow!" This was probably the first time that Willow Rosenberg was ever at a complete loss for words. Tara leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. She felt nervous and very turned-on all at once as her lover's emerald eyes gave her that ‘come hither' look.

"W-we'd better get moving. B-buffy's waiting outside to take us to breakfast."

"Who needs food when I have you?" Willow grinned lasciviously.

"Honey... not now. Later. I promise."

"Ooookay," Willow pouted. "But definitely later."

She shut down her laptop, scribbled a hasty note to her parents and followed Tara out the door.

Willow picked at the remains of her breakfast buffet, while Buffy happily chatted away with Tara. Actually, it was more like Buffy was doing all the talking and Tara was just nodding in the appropriate places. Tara snuck a few furtive glances at Willow and winked at her suggestively when Buffy's eyes wandered now and again. After about twenty minutes of nonstop dialogue, Willow decided that she had enough.

"Ummm, Buff? Could you do me a favor? I left my cell phone in your car by mistake. Would you grab it for me? I want to make sure that Mom and Dad are ok."

"Sure Will," Buffy said nonchalantly. "Be back in a flash."

Willow smirked evilly as she scooted across a couple of chairs to position herself next to the object of her lustful affection.

"I thought I'd have to pull out all of her hair just to get her to leave," she grumbled.

"Now Willow, behave," Tara grinned. "She was just being friendly."

"Hmph, too friendly for my tastes."

"Well that's ok, baby. I've got a surprise for you for later." Tara paused. "That's not entirely true. I have two surprises for you. And they both involve various stages of unwrapping," she smiled wryly.

"I'm BACK!" Buffy announced cheerfully. "What'd I miss?"

Willow lowered her head to the table and groaned. Bad timing was ever a Summers trait.

Later that evening, Willow and Tara finally managed to shake Buffy. She claimed that she had to work that night and still needed to check in on her sister, Dawn before leaving. They stopped by the Summers home after breakfast and bit of mall-surfing to pick up Tara's belongings to bring them back to the Rosenbergs. Buffy had extended an invitation for Tara to bunk at her house during her stay, which was politely declined.

Willow flopped onto her bed, seemingly exhausted from the day's events. "Good lord, I have never seen Buffy hit more stores in my life! She must've been saving it up or something," she muttered tiredly. Turning over onto her stomach, she kicked her shoes off and tossed them into a corner. "So... whatcha got for me?"

Tara eyed Willow speculatively. She secretly worried if whether or not her present for her lover was a good thing. "Close your eyes," Tara commanded softly. Rummaging through her carry-on, she drew out a longish box wrapped in gold foil and silky red ribbon.

"Oooh I like surprises. Ummm but only if they don't included horses or horse-like things because I'm all with the "big evil horsies bad, evil, not very cuddly," Willow babbled excitedly.

Tara sat down on the bed beside her, placing the box in her hands. "From me to you."

Willow opened her eyes and immediately set to ridding the gift of its constraints. Her jaw dropped when she opened the box and saw two round trip tickets to Las Vegas, reservations for a rental car and a suite at Bellagio for three days.

"Oh... OH!... oh honey, you didn't have to do this, really!" She jumped around happily, stopping to kiss Tara's lips between hops.

Tara grinned from ear to ear. "I'm happy you like it. I don't often get to spend money so I was only ready to give you a little break from your nursing duties. It won't be very long and we can contact your parents daily so that you can keep tabs on them- oof!" Her commentary was cut off by a rather passionate kiss.

"I don't think I've said how much I love you," Willow noted.

"I-I don't think you have recently," Tara gasped as soon as she could catch her breath.

"Well you DID mention something about me unwrapping another present."

"Did I now? Funny, I don't see you doing any more stripping of presents."

"Why don't I just take care of that right now?" Willow murmured, closing the door to her bedroom and turning the lock.