Author: Rosemary
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimers: Not mine. They're Joss Whedon's.
Feedback: Okay. a.nunn@att.net This is my first story ever. I would be happy to get any tips or let me know how I can improve or just say 'Stop writing. There's no hope for you'.

Faith walked down the hall and went over to Tara's cell. "Hey Tara, come on."

Tara got up and walked over to Faith, put her hands behind her back and turned around.

"No need for that," Faith said as she held the cell door open for Tara.

"What, I don't understand?" Tara said.

Faith looked up at her and said, "You're a free woman."

"You mean, are you saying...?" Tara was shaking as she looked at Faith almost as though she was afraid that the answer was not what she wanted to hear.

"Willow found your daughter. They're on the way over right now."

"...and he was really nice. All the other ones were yuckee. He gived me Spooky and told me he would find Santa and that Santa would bringed, oh sorry, I mean bring, Mr. Bill told me that was the wrong word, back to you. So anyway he let me keep him and now he's up to J. He has treats but if we run out we can get more right? Is my room still the same? Oh, and I don't want to talk to Uncle Donny any more cause he is yuckee. Big big time yuckiee. Mr.Bill lives in England. I can show you where that is on the globe if you want. Oh and if you don't know what a globe is I can tell you. It's a ball but you can't bounce it cause it breaks. Anyway after I learned that Mr. Bill got me a new globe and a globe is a ball that has pictures of places on it. I can show you where we live and where Mr. Bill lived and that's called geograly or something like that but I'm really smart to know any of that cause you learn that stuff in like the third grade. Do you gonna live with us Willow or just come visit? Either way is good but I think you should live with us. Oh mama can we order a pizza? I want pizza. I haven't had pizza for a lot, lot, lot of days. It's my favorite Willow. Do you like Pizza Willow? Mama likes pizza but I don't know if Spooky does. Oh, oh I know what else, can I watch Little Mermaid when we get to home? Are we almost home yet cause I gotta go potty."

When she finally stopped Tara and Willow looked at each other and began to laugh.

"What?" Abby asked from the back seat.

Donny sat across the table from the detective who was interrogating him. He had yet to say a word to the officer and had no intention of doing so.

"Okay, so you're going to make this difficult I see. Look, Donny, you're in a lot of trouble here. Do you know how much?"

"I ain't worried about it. I got my lawyer on the way."

"Fair enough, but I think you might want to look in that phone book there and see if you can't find a couple more numbers."

"And why is that? I already gave you the number for my lawyer, and I want to talk to him. No one else, just him."

"Well you see Donny, there's a small problem with that. At this very minute he's en route here, but it's not to see you. He's been placed under arrest with about, oh I don't know, Libby, what's that warrant count up to now?" he asked the young woman who was busily typing away on her keyboard.

"Seventeen," she answered. "And that's only from the first hour of video."

Donny looked up, his smirk slowly disappearing. "What video?" he asked.

"That, Mr. Maclay, would be the video we recovered from the house where you had stashed you four year old niece," he answered, unable to keep the disgust from his voice. The detective then hit the call button on his desk and asked the person on the other end to bring the cage in. "Does this look familiar to you Mr. Maclay?"

Donny looked at the cage, not a hint of his smirk remained and he didn't say a word.

"Well, does it?" the officer repeated.

"No, I don't know nothin' about that. I ain't never seen it before." He was squirming around in his chair a bit now as he was beginning to realize how deep in this he was.

"Well that's funny. You see, there's something here I would like you to see." The officer then got up ,went over to the TV across the room. He pointed a remote and a video began to play on the screen.

"Donny, we have some things we want to talk to you about. But keep it quiet, we don't want to wake up the kid," Leo said.

"Alright then what?" Donny asked.

"Well we were just sitting here thinking about how reckless you've been," Leo answered.

"What do you mean reckless?" he asked.

"You're taking unnecessary risks Donny."

"Like what?"

"Well for one, when you and your boys did the hit on that lawyer Jenkins, you used the police database run the tags. You and I both know how dangerous that was."

"Well it didn't make no difference did it? Ain't nobody found out about it did they? Garrison and Rogers used the suicide cover up deal. Ain't nobody questioning it?"

"Not the point Donny. Like Spike pointed out here, every problem we have is because of you. This whole mess started when you killed that cop on that drug bust. If you hadn't done that your old man would never have started snooping around now would he?"

"Well ya I see your point there but it didn't hurt us none. I handled that there. That's gonna be solved here in about twenty two days right?"

"Yeah, you lucked out pretty good there. If your sister hadn't have showed up when she did, we would have never been able to cover your ass on that. You shot him with your own bloody service weapon. You should have let the people who where supposed to kill your father take care of that. Hell, we're lucky we got the judge and lawyer we got on you're sister's case," Spike added.

"Lucky my ass. We got half the third district Judicial in our back pocket and you know it."

"What do you mean half. As I see it we got four," Spike said counting down on his fingers as he went thru the list mentally. "Harris, Kline, Orteze and Kittridge."

"No, see you forgot LaVeete, and Stasion. That's six outta ten. That's better then half," Donny answered.

"Say that's true, we'll take your word, why on God's green earth would you have Walker and Taams beat your sister nearly to death only one day after you called the hit on the lawyer? This is what were talking about here. Reckless," Leo said.

"Not just that," Spike added, "Harling is thinking about cutting it off with us. Finding a new lot. If he does that were all up a creek. You know how he handles loose ends."

"Awe bullshit. He ain't gonna pull out a nothing. We're the best thing he's got goin' here. I've gotten him re-elected twice already. That district's as sure as his if he keeps us on."

"Well Donny, I think you need a lesson in good judgment. You're one lucky man I will tell you. If it weren't for us needing this thing to stay low, we would just as soon kill you where you stand," Leo said. "Guys, take Donny here up top and teach him some good judgment."

"Hey now wait a minute here! Look I'm sorry, I made some mistakes, sure, but hell I done good work for your people too."

"Boys get this chicken shit punk ass up top and teach him some good manner now," Leo said. The two members took Donny one on either arm and began to escort him up the steps.

"Hey, hey come on now, Spike help me out here huh?"

"No, sorry mate. But I do want to watch."

The detective then hit the stop button. "How about now? Is it coming back to you? Come on now Donny, according to the time stamp here this just happened twelve or so hours ago. And judging by the looks of you, I think you would probably remember," the detective said referring to Donny's beaten appearance.

"Well there is one other thing I'm curious about. Now we know you gave that picture to your sister. We got it on the prison video tape, along with you paying off three of the guards, who, by the way, are also being arrested right about now. Why did you take that picture outside when, from what we can tell, the rest of them were taken on the inside? Not that I'm complaining, we never would have found her if you hadn't have done so, and why would you take it right in front of something that would give away her location?"

Donny's mind began to replay the steps that led to this.

Hammer in the hook to mount Spooky's cage on.

His hammer missed its mark smashing into the light fixture overhead throwing the room into almost complete darkness.

"Alright, why don't you just get your bloody picture and get the hell out," Spike said.

"Can't get a picture in the dark now can I?"

"Then bloody well go up top and take one out by the dust bins."

"If I were you, I would seriously think about lettin' her hang on to that picture instead of showing it to her."

'Spike you son of a bitch. You set it all up. The camera, the picture, the meeting,' Donny thought to himself.

"The other thing is this. Of all the footage here we haven't got not a frame of the English fella. Do you have a name on this guy?"

Donny sat and thought. No. He had never heard Spike call himself anything but Spike. Donny shook his head and said to himself, "He got us all. And they'll never find him."

Spike stood at the Virgin Airlines ticket counter at George H. Bush airport in Houston.

"Okay then, that's one way to London Heathrow, first class and you'll be paying cash. Is that right Mr... Marsters?" she asked.

"Yes that right."

He collected his ticket and went to board the Airbus A320. He got to his seat, sat down and ordered a beer. He sat for a minute thinking about all that had happened in the last couple of weeks. He would miss his Spooky, but more than that he would miss his 'Lil Ab'. He reached into his pocket and took out the picture of the little girl with the parrot on her shoulder, and a smile broke across his face. He put the picture away and then thought about what would happen to Donny once he got to prison. Donny was 1) a cop, 2) a cop killer, 3) would have been willing to kill a child. There was not a group of people in that place that wouldn't want to make him pay. From the guards to the inmates, he would be in for a world of hurt on a daily basis until the State ended his miserable life. His smile grew wider and he tilted his head back and laughed harder then he had ever laughter in his life.

Faith and Buffy stood in the hall as they watched the HPD lead the four crooked guards that were on duty to the station for booking. As they saw them walking by, Faith made special note of when Sherry passed. She turned to Buffy and gave her a long slow kiss on the lips. She broke the kiss and they both stared at Sherry. Faith lifted her hand into her uniform pocket , took out her note pad, turned to Buffy and said, "See I told you Tara's lines would come in handy some day." Then Faith repeated them to Sherry and the rest as they left the prison.

ONE MONTH LATER

"So she's finally asleep?" Willow asked as Tara came down the stairs.

"Yep."

"So what did the doctor say today?" Willow asked.

"He said that everything looked great and has seemed to have healed up just fine."

"Well that's good news then isn't it? So you ready for bed Tara?" Willow asked.

"Well you could say that."

Willow looked at Tara a bit confused. "What do you mean?"

Tara stood up walked over to Willow, put her hand out for Willow to take it, and helped her to her feet.

"I mean, everything is healed," she said as she pulled Willow to her. She leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Willow's lips.

"OH," Willow said, her eyes widening. They had yet to make love because of Tara's injuries. They had kissed and and touched a little but not what they really wanted to do. "So you mean we can... with the... I can... to you and you for me you know... That stuff?"

"I'm not sure what you just said but I think you got it."

Willow was the first to move and she led Tara by the hand and walked slowly to their bedroom. She closed the door and turned around. Tara's eyes were looking directly into her own but she didn't move.

"I'm nervous a little," Willow said as she played with the hem of her shirt and looked downward.

"Why are you nervous sweetie? It's just me."

"Well the last time we did this I was really loud. And I said something's that I wouldn't normally say."

"Willow, sweetie, we've never done this."

"Oh yes, yes, we did. You weren't there but you know... I Promise, I was loud and you know... sorry. I'm a little insane at times."

Tara felt a shot of arousal hit her body as she realized what Willow meant. Her throat felt suddenly dry and she swallowed hard. She waited for Willow to look up and when she did she began to move toward her slowly.

"Are you talking about a dream?" Tara asked still moving forward..

"Yes, one of them."

"Oh, so you dreamed about loving me?" Tara said her voice barely a whisper. She was surprised at how aroused this was making her. When she reached Willow she continued to move till she had Willow backed up against the door. She lifted Willow's head up with her fingers under her chin. She wanted to look at Willow when she asked her next question. She did a quick inventory with her eyes of Willow's face, her gaze stopping at her mouth. She felt her heart beginning to beat a bit faster and her breathing was becoming slightly labored.

The tip off her tongue came out of her mouth and slowly licked first her bottom then her top lip.

"What did I do to you, Willow? In your dream," her voice low and hushed, her eyes now leaving Willow's mouth and landing on her eyes. "How did I make you scream?"

The fingers of Tara's hand where now on the move over Willow's face. She ran them up behind Willow's ear and then weaved them into Willow's hair and allowed her palm to cup the back of Willow's head. She moved her head down and her lips latched on to Willow's throat and she gently began to kiss her there. Her mouth was moving now, kissing her way upward till it landed at her ear.

"Did I touch you Willow?" she whispered into her ear as she moved a hand between Willow's legs and pressed her fingers downward sending a jolt of pleasure into Willow's body. "Did I touch you there?"

"Oh God," Willow whispered out and thrust her hips forward into Tara's hand. "Yes."

Tara slowly pulled her hand upward, pushing the seam of Willow's pants against her clitoris, and then slid it back down again.

"Yes? Yes what Willow?" she said as she began to rub her hand up and down and then around Willow's clothed center.

"Yes," Willow rasped out, her words barely audible, "you touched me there."

The hand at the back of Willow's head slowly made its way downward till she reached the first button on Willow's shirt. The hand that had been pressing into Willow's center then made its way upward to join the other as she slowly began to unbutton Willow's shirt. She continued to undo the buttons on Willow's shirt, her eyes never left Willow's. She could see that Willow's breathing was beginning to come quicker and the sight of her chest rising and falling raised her arousal to a greater level.

"Is that all I did Willow/? Is that the only way I touched you?" Tara's hands were now beginning to shake.

"No, you touched me other ways," the last word coming out on a shuddering breath and she had to close her eyes for a moment. Tara continued to undress Willow and she pulled the shirt free of Willow's body and dropped it to the ground.

"How else did I touch you Willow/"

It was Willow's turn to swallow now as her mouth became completely dry.

"How else Willow?" Tara repeated the question as she pulled the straps of Willow's bra down her shoulders.

"You... umm, you were inside of me," Willow whispered.

"Is that what made you scream Willow? Me, being inside of you?" Tara asked as she now began to remove Willow's jeans.

"Yes, when you started moving inside of me." It was becoming near impossible for Willow to talk at this point as she was so aroused.

Tara slowly slid down Willow's body as she removed her jeans and underwear. She saw the wetness that was covering the inside of Willow's thighs and she moved her mouth to the space in between them. She ran her tongue up the inside of one thigh collecting the evidence of Willow's arousal with her tongue and then the other.

Then she slowly made her way back up and once again lock Willow's eyes with her own. "Moving? How was I moving Willow?" Tara said thinking if she wasn't careful it would be over far to soon. She couldn't stop the questing now. She had taken it to far and she had to hear Willow say it. She removed her hands from Willow's body and held her gaze while she began to undress herself.

"How Willow? How was I moving?" Tara asked as she removed the last bit of clothing from her body. She once again returned her hands to Willow's body placing them on Willow's side and she again began to descend. She stopped at Willow's chest and began to taste her breast.

Her hands went behind Willow and she placed them on her ass, one on each cheek and began a light kneading rhythm. She pulled the nipple of one breast into her mouth and held it still with her teeth. She began to stimulate the nub with rapid, light movements of her tongues tip. She opened her mouth a little wider and took as much of the breast into her mouth as possible. Willow was moaning loudly now and thrusting her hips forward desperately searching for some form of contact to her soaking center. Tara slowly began to pull her mouth away from Willow's breast and whatched as it bounced against Willow's chest when she release it from her mouth.

"Oh God, Tara, please," Willow begged as she placed her hands on the door behind her.

Willow once again thrust her hips forward still searching for contact. Tara moved one hand from one cheek and placed it flat on Willow's stomach and pressed the searching hips to the door, stilling their movements. Then she stood up again and placed one hand on the door and one between Willow's legs.

"How was I moving Willow? Tell me what I was doing to you," Tara whispered into her ear. The sound of Tara's voice so full of desire as she spoke directly into her ear caused Willow to become even more aroused.

"You were, pushing, pushing in with your fingers and... and out again then in and up and faster, all the time faster," Willow panted out.

"Like this Willow?" Tara whispered into Willow's ear she slid two fingers up into her. The feeling of sliding into Willow caused her breath to hitch and she pressed Willow farther into the door with her body. "Like that ?"

"God yes, like that, just like that," Willow said.

Tara began to thrust upward into Willow and pressed her harder into the door.

"Is this how I did it Willow?" Tara asked as she quickened the pace.

"Yes but... a lit... but harder. You did it harder then that."

Tara then moved back a step in order to get a better angle. She slipped her fingers out momentarily and when she pushed back in she used her hips to help push further into Willow. She was moving now. Pulling back and then pushing back in. She increased the pace and pressure with every thrust. She moved her mouth to Willow's and darted her tongue inside her mouth. Willow was beginning to come apart and Tara heard her whimpering. She ripped her mouth from Willow's and whispered to Willow, "Is this what made you scream?"

She increased her pace even more and the strength of her thrust were lifting Willow slightly off her feet. Willow let her head fall forward and her head rested on Tara's shoulder and she knew she was going over. She turned her head and she was gasping now into Tara's ear. Tara curled her fingers slightly and quickened the pace just a little bit more. Willow grabbed at Tara's ass and pulled her in tighter while slamming her hips against Tara's hand. She put her head down again on Tara's shoulder and then it happened. Willow cried out as she exploded into a shattering release that was unlike anything she had ever known.

Willow was trembling now. Her entire body flushed with arousal and she couldn't take anymore. She grabbed Tara's face and began to kiss her passionatly. She thrust her tongue into Tara's mouth and Tara let out a slight moan.

Willow said, "Let me show you."

"Oh yes, Willow. Show me."

Willow reversed there positions and pressed Tara back into the door. Her hand found its way between Tara's legs and began to search for the entrance. Once she found it she placed two fingers against it and placed another desperate kiss to Tara's mouth. Their tongues danced and clashed against each other and then Willow thrust two fingers up and into Tara. Tara's eyes flew open and she looked at Willow. She was waiting for Willow to begin moving and was starting to roll her hips against Willow's hand yet Willow remained still.

"I'm going to tell you Tara, I'm going to tell you what else made me scream"

"Tell me then, tell me what it was?" Tara said breathlessly.

"You told me you loved me."

Then Willow began to move inside of Tara. She began a slow thrusting pushing her fingers as deep into Tara as she could be. She was slowly beginning to speed up and Tara was grasping at the door behind her desperately in need of something to help her remain upright. Willow stepped back and removed her fingers from inside of Tara and led her to the bed. She slowly guided Tara down onto her back and crawled up the bed and rested herself between Tara's legs.

She then pushed back into Tara and started thrust in and out. She kept her eyes on Tara's face and then she moved her leg over one of Tara's so she could straddle it. She moved her free hand down under Tara's knee and guided the thigh between her legs to the spot that she desired. She pressed herself down on Tara's thigh and began to grind herself against it. She continued her thrusting into Tara with a quicker pace. Tara was meeting her thrust with her own counter thrusts. She could feel the orgasm building inside of her and she was desperate to find release.

She placed her feet flat on the bed and the palms of her hands against the back board of the bed. She raised herself up arching her back and franticly thrust herself into Willow's hand. Her head was turned sideways and her eyes were closed tight. She was sure that with ever thrust she made, it would be the one that bring her to release. But she was wrong.

The feeling was so intense that she felt that it would be impossible it to grow any stronger. But it did. It was growing stronger yet and she was sure she would black out from it. Still it continued and she was out of control. Her body was being taken to a pleasure she could have never imagined was possible. She was pumping her hips against Willow so franticly that she thought she might break Willow's hand.

'This has to be it,' she thought to herself and yet again she was proven wrong.

She was incapable of speech yet the sounds that were coming from her mouth were helping her to convey to Willow just what was happening to her. Her body was no longer hers. The movements she made now were erratic and rythemless. She felt it now, it was beginning to break. She could hear the sounds of Willow's fingers as they pulled in and out of her soaking sex and it added to the building of the orgasm that she was sure would be the end of her.

Willow watched as Tara began to release. Her eyes were closed tight and her mouth was open in a silent cry. She watched as their pace grew to an impossible level and was fascinated at the way Tara's breasts looked as they moved with each push. The sound that they made as they slapped her chest, and she moved her head down and sucked one into her mouth.

Tara felt Willow's mouth at her breast and that was all that it took. Her body exploded sending her spiraling into a blissful oblivion as the muscles of her sex squeezed and released against the fingers inside of her.

She was out of breath as she desperately sucked air into her lungs. She was still descending when she felt it again. Willow had changed positions and was now kneeling with each one of her legs over one of Willow's shoulders. Willow's mouth connected with her sex and she felt Willow suck her clitoris between her lips. Her tongue flick rapidly over the bundle of nerves and Tara was going to come again.

"OH FUCK...GAAAHH!" and she exploded yet again into Willow's mouth.

Willow sat there a moment with her head resting on Tara's stomach.

"Are You okay Tara?" Willow asked.

She wasn't sure actually, she though that perhaps she had died from the plesure. She had to concentrate on forming words and her answer came just a slight bit delayed. She opened her mouth to answer the question, but all that came out was a giggle that soon sent the both into a laughing fit.

"Do you have the slightest idea of just how much I love you?" Tara asked.

"Yes baby, I think I do. Tara?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

"Will you marry me?" Willow asked as she leaned over to her bedside table and pulled out a ring box from the drawer.

"God Willow. I can't believe this. How could we let this happen? What are we going to do? What am I going to tell her happened? She's coming back from your mom's in two days. Two days!"

"I don't know Tara. Look, maybe we can just go and buy another bird. They all look the same. Maybe she won't notice," Willow said looking down at her hands that were folded on her lap.

"Are you kidding? We're talking about Spooky for Gods sakes. Of course she'd notice. That trick might work for Goldfish Willow. Not for parrots that know their alphabet up to 'M'."

"Well Tara, I think that you should just be honest with her. Tell the truth. Tell her what happened. It's something you'd have to explain to her eventually anyway right? I'm mean it's part of life. It's part of nature."

"Me? Me? What about you? It's your fault. This never would have happened if you'd have just closed the damn door."

"Yes I know, I know. You're right, I'm sorry," Willow said as she kept her eyes on her folded hands.

"No, no, Willow I'm sorry. I had something to do with this to."

"Something?" Willow said quietly under her breath. "It was a little more than something."

"What did you say Willow? If you have something to say, say it," Tara said.

"Well it's just, I'm not the one that said that. You're the one that said it."

"Are you joking here? I never said that. I say sweetie. You're the one that says baby. You know it."

"Ohh baby, baby, that's it, right there, right there. Is that very good? Spooky get treat?"

"NO!" Willow and Tara yelled at Spooky simultaneously.

ONE YEAR LATER

"Hey Willow. Are you ready?" Buffy asked.

"As ready as I'm ever going to be."

"Are you nervous?"

"No, I'm not actually. This is the one thing I've done in my life that I've been sure of."

"Ya I know what you're saying."

"How about Abby? Is she ready?"

"Yes Faith has her in the reception area. She saved your cake, I'll have you know. It was about to have a long finger shaped piece of frosting missing."

"Abby tried to do that?"

"No. Abby stopped Faith."

"Oh."

"Well let's do this."

"Okay, I'm ready."

Willow walked out of the small room and made her way to the hotel lobby. She had on a long green dress with white roses on it. Tara had picked out their dresses herself. She had seen the dress at the bridal shop and she was in shock. It was the very dress she had seen Willow wearing in her dream. Abby wore the same pattern.

Willow looked in the room and began to see who had shown up. She saw her parents sitting in the front row and Abby was sitting on her dad's lap. She smiled when she saw that. Abby had missed her grandfather very much. Tara's dad had spoiled her and they were very close.

It was wonderful the way her parents had just accepted Tara and Abby from day one. They loved them both and Abby would spent at least one weekend a month with them.

It was hard for Tara sometimes. Willow understood why of course. She knew that Tara knew that she had become just as much her parents' daughter as she was.

The music cued and Willow looked up and saw Tara walking in from the other end of the lobby. God, she was beutiful. Willow was amazed by this women.

Everyday she was near her the more she loved her. She remembered the first time she had seen her. She remembered thinking that she had felt some kind of connection to her.

Tara and she had so much to learn about each other when this whole thing had finally ended. The last year they had had some difficult times. It had nothing to do with their relationship and the difficult times were in fact made easier by the love that they shared. The difficulties came when all the trial began.

They were lucky that they had the video tapes because it meant that Abby didn't have to testify at all. Willow always hated it when kids had to testify against family members. Being an attorney she knew that it was sometimes unavoidable. Still she would try to avoid it when ever possible.

The most amazing thing of this was this woman, unbelievable goodness. Her inability to hate or be spiteful. The absence of the desire for revenge. Her unbelievable ability to forgive. When the trials took place Willow would see that Tara would turn her head away whenever her brother was brought into the court room. Willow had assumed it was because of how angry and hurt she was or even because he disgusted her.

The truth off it was that the sight of her brother caused her pain. Not for heself but for him. During the trials Donny would enter the court room and most of the times he showed signs of having been beaten. Black eyes, swollen lips, even a broken nose.

He would usually be limping and you could see in his face that he was suffering the pain of these attacks. Even after all the things he had done to her, this woman was still capable of feeling compassion for him. He was her brother and that was that. She couldn't stand to see him suffer.

She remembered the night of the execution. Willow had woken up, and found that Tara was not in bed. She had gone downstairs and she saw Tara standing outside looking up to the sky and leaning against the oak tree in their backyard. She had gone to Tara and she spoke her name quietly as to not startle her.

Tara turned to her and smiled. Willow walked up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist and let her head rest on Tara's shoulder.

"What going on up there?" Willow asked referring to her mind.

"I was just out here thinking about Donny," She took a quick glance at her watch. "He's going to die in about twelve minutes."

Willow had forgotten about that. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to be sorry. She certainly didn't feel sorry.

"Well... it's a good thing right?" Willow said.

"I remember one time when I was seven. We had gone to an Easter egg hunt at our parish. There was about twenty kids there. I was the youngest. When it was over I was sitting on the ground crying. He came over to ask me what was wrong. I told him that I didn't find any prizes. He told me to stay where I was and close my eyes and he would be right back. So I did..." Tara paused for a minute and pulled in a quick breath.Willow could tell that Tara was crying now.

Tara continued, "...and when he came back he told me that he thought I had made a mistake. That I should go and look around some more. Then he took my hand and we went to the playground and he started pointing and saying, "See Tara, there's one." So I was running around and I was finding prizes everywhere. I looked at Donny and he was smiling a great big smile and clapping for me whenever I would find one. It wasn't until about two years later that I realized he had taken all of his prizes and hidden them so I could find them.

"When I think about Donny, that's what I want to remember."

It was in that moment that Willow realized Tara had forgiven him. She also then realized Tara had just lost her brother.

The next day when the news story was out they said that when Donny was asked if he had any last words he said yes. "Please tell my sister Tara that I'm sorry."

She heard her cue and began to walk up the aisle to the front of the room where her beautiful Tara stood. It was an amazing thing that was happening to Willow at this moment. The room was now empty to her save one person.

'This,' Willow thought, 'is amazing. How can I possibly love this woman anymore than I do now?' But it was happening now. She was falling more in love with her by the moment. Suddenly the walk to the makeshift altar seemed to be far too long, so desperate was she to go to her love, her life, her everything.

When at last she did make it there she gave a sigh of relief. She walked to her and turned to face her. She placed her hands in Tara's and the thing that happened to them whenever they were together began. No one else, there was no one else in this room.

They stood hands connected, eyes seeing into each other. They were no longer Willow and Tara, they were each other. So connected that this love had made them one. One single being that occupied one single body mind and soul.

They were so much a part of each other that Willow thought they would cease to exist if one of them were no longer there.

The thought chilled Willow when she would sometimes think about how close she he'd come to losing this woman. When the thought would come it would paralyse her. She would be momentarily lost. She would have to close her eyes and literally shake it out of her mind like one would shake away a bad memory. And in those moments she would have to, not choose to, find her where ever she was and just look at her to make sure that she was still there.

As she stood here now, ready to commit herself for the rest of her life to this woman she thought about how it came to be. She had gone to the prison to try and find a way to save this woman. Instead this woman had saved her.