What I Am
by sailor80
Nine
[reviews]
A young man with dirty blond hair and a scraggly brown beard stood at the door of Tara's dorm room. He frowned. The note was gone, but Tara wasn't opening the door if she was even in there. He wouldn't put it past her to hide. She did that frequently, to avoid being corrected.
While he pondered what to do, Riley approached Tara's door. "Oh, hi," he said to the stranger. "You looking for Tara?"
"Yeah," he smiled. "Tomorrow's my baby sister's birthday."
Riley nodded, then offered his hand. "Riley Finn."
"Don Maclay. Pleased to meetcha."
"Same here. Tara not home?" Riley asked.
"Apparently not. I left her a note earlier, so she should be expecting me. Our dad's downstairs, waiting in the truck."
Riley nodded. "I'm sure she'll be back soon, if she knew you were coming."
"She better."
"It was nice to meet you," Riley said, and turned to go.
"Same here." Donnie slouched against the doorjamb.
Two hours later, Riley returned. Donnie was still there. "Still not back, huh?" Riley asked.
"Not yet."
"I know where she might be."
"Where?"
"At a friend's," Riley said. "It isn't far, if you want to come with me."
"Cool," Donnie said. "There's room in the truck."
"Okay." Riley headed for the exit.
Two introductions and 14 minutes later, the Maclay camper stopped in front of the Rosenberg house. Everyone piled out and followed Riley to the door.
Buffy opened the door and let them in. Riley made introductions, and Buffy left to get Tara.
A few minutes later, all four women filed into the living room. The Maclays stood in the foyer. Riley stood near them, but obviously was not part of the group.
"Hello, Tara," Donald Maclay Sr. said calmly.
"H-h-h-h-h-hello, F-f-f-father." Tara looked at the floor.
"We're here to take you home."
"No," Tara said softly, without raising her eyes.
"Tara, you know what happens tomorrow. You need to be where you'll be safe. You need to be with your family."
"No," she repeated. It felt like the only word she could get out.
"I understand how you feel, but we agreed this is for the best," the elder Maclay said.
Donnie stepped out of the pack. He moved toward Tara. "You're comin' home," he said in a low voice.
His father put a hand on Donnie's shoulder. "We'll give you time to get your things and say goodbye to your friends, but we're leaving in the morning."
Tara raised her eyes and looked her father in the eye. "I'm n-n-n-not g-g-going." She added, almost as an afterthought, "Sir."
Donnie shook off his father's hand and stalked to within a foot of Tara. "You come with us now, or I swear I'll beat you down."
"And I swear by your full and manly beard that you'll die trying," Faith said. Her pleasant tone was completely at odds with her threat.
"That your girlfriend, Tara? She gonna fight your battles? I always knew you were a dyke."
Willow spoke up. "Okay, that's enough. You need to leave now." She glared at Donnie.
He laughed. "Another girlfriend, Tare? I didn't think you had it in you. C'mon, we're leaving." He reached for Tara. She took half a step back, but he grabbed her upper arm anyway, and squeezed as hard as he could.
Tara winced, and that was the final straw for Faith. "Let her go," she said in a calm tone that Buffy recognized.
Donnie ignored her, and Faith grasped the wrist above the hand that was gripping Tara. Faith began to squeeze, until Donnie yelped and released Tara. Faith kept her hold on him and walked him backwards two steps, until Tara was beyond his reach. "She said no, macho man." Faith released Donnie with a small shove, and he stumbled into his father, who caught him awkwardly, then restrained him while he glared at Faith.
"Tara, we'll be back in the morning." He turned for the door, taking his son with him.
The young woman who came in with them lingered a moment. She looked balefully at Tara. "You always thought you were better than us, but you aren't," Beth hissed before turning and following the Maclays out the door.
Riley tried to go, too, but Buffy's voice stopped him. "Riley, we need to talk."
He sighed, and closed the door behind the Maclays. He turned toward Buffy, but it was Faith who was in his face.
"Are you profoundly stupid, or what?" she snarled.
Riley tried to defend himself. "They're her family."
"We're hiding here, soldier boy. That means you don't bring people by, no matter who they say they are." Faith turned on her heel and returned to Tara, still standing with her eyes on the floor. "You okay, Blondie?" she asked softly.
Tara nodded, but didn't look up. She rubbed her arm where her brother grabbed her. She could still feel his fingers digging into her, and was glad that her sleeve prevented him from touching her skin.
"Kitchen," Buffy barked at Riley, and turned to leave the room, dragging Willow with her. Riley followed, taking a wide berth around Faith and Tara.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," Riley apologized as he passed Tara, but she didn't acknowledge him.
Once they were seated at the table, Buffy said to Riley, "Are you sure they recruited you from Special Ops?"
"Sorry," he said contritely.
"Whatever. Did you have a reason to come here, or was it just to torture Tara?"
"I was trying to help," he said defensively.
"I know," Buffy said. "That's why I'm not kicking your butt."
"I brought these," Riley offered, pulling three floppy disks from his shirt pocket. "There's more, but this is all I could get now."
Willow took the disks from him. "What are they?
"I don't know, exactly, but they're about 314." Riley looked at Buffy. "Professor Walsh is really pissed. She's been all over the computer and security guys about why all their equipment failed while you were getting out."
Willow smiled and raised her hand. "That was me."
"I figured," Riley said.
"Go, Will," Buffy said. She leaned over and bussed Willow's cheek.
"I'm still on curfew," Riley said. "So I better go. I just wanted to get those to you." He stood up. "See you tomorrow."
"We won't be here," Willow said. "I'll call you tomorrow. Or maybe Xander will."
Riley nodded. "Is there another way out? I really don't want to go by Faith again."
"Uh huh." Willow got up, and led Riley to the patio door. She returned to the table. Buffy grabbed her and pulled her into her lap before Willow could retake her seat.
"I see the wheels turning, Will. What'cha thinking?"
"I'm curious about the disks. And Tara's family. And where we're going next." Willow pushed some loose hairs behind Buffy's ear. "And what's going on in there."
"They're talking. Well, mostly Faith's talking, but I can't make out what she's saying."
"Let me know when they're done," Willow started.
From the doorway, Faith asked, "When who's done what?"
Willow looked up at her. "When you and Tara are done talking, cause we have some stuff we have to talk about, all four of us."
"C'mon, then," Faith said, and turned around.
When Buffy and Willow got to the living room, Tara was sitting in the chair. Faith was perched on its arm. Buffy and Willow weren't seated on the couch when Faith said, "So, spill, Red."
Willow ignored her until she and Buffy were comfortable. "Riley brought these." Willow displayed the disks.
"That'll keep you busy for a while," Faith observed.
"Not long, I hope," Willow said.
"C'mon, Red, I know there's more."
"Yeah, well," Willow looked at Tara. "We can't stay here."
"I'll go," Tara said quietly.
"No, we'll all go," Willow said. "I just don't know where."
"I still have the apartment," Faith volunteered. "And there's Fang's place, right?"
"Angel's place is probably better," Buffy thought out loud. "It's closer to campus."
"Plus it's clean and the electric is on," Faith said. "I checked it out the night before those freaky GI Joe guys got me."
"Angel's it is, then" Buffy announced. "It's probably better if we go tonight," she added, and stood up. "C'mon, Faith, let's get our stuff."
"I don't have any stuff, " Faith protested as Buffy pulled her from beside Tara. "Let go, B."
"I will," Buffy said, and pushed Faith in front of her on the steps, leaving Faith no choice but to climb the staircase.
Willow watched for a second, then moved to the end of the sofa closes to Tara. "You okay?" she asked gently.
"Just peachy," Tara answered bitterly.
"You're not going back there," Willow said. "I don't know what they did to you before, Tara, but we won't let them do it any more."
Tara lifted her eyes for the first time. "Y-y-you ca-can't stop th-them."
"Sure, we can," Willow said. "We all ready did. And when they come here looking for you tomorrow, we won't be here."
"They won't give up."
"I'm sure we can persuade them. I mean, hello, two Slayers and a witch on your side." Willow lowered her voice. "And it's probably good that one of them is psycho."
"I heard that," Faith bellowed from the second floor.
Tara smiled a tiny smile at Faith's interjection.
"I promise," Willow said. "You're not going back there. Okay?"
Tara nodded.
"I'm going to get my stuff, and we'll head over to the mansion."
Tara's eyes widened. "M-m-mansion?" she asked.
"It's huge," Willow grinned. Then she yelled up the stairs, "Buffy, call Angel and let him know we're going to be staying at his place."
"All ready did." Buffy's voice followed Faith down the stairs, and she appeared seconds later. "We should stop by the dorm and get clothes and stuff. Oh, and mom's, to get weapons."
"Yeah, I'll need my computer," Willow said.
"I need to get some stuff from the apartment," Faith said. "Weapons and stuff. And another set of leathers." She looked down at Willow's sweatpants, then at Willow. "They're comfy and everything, Red, but they just aren't me."
"You're welcome, Faith." Willow said, too sweetly, and turned to Buffy. "I need to get one thing, and I'll be ready." She went upstairs quickly, and was back in less than five minutes.
Willow herded everyone toward the patio door Riley had exited through, turning out lights behind them. She noticed that Faith had Tara's backpack, but other than that, everyone was empty-handed. Willow made sure the door latch locked behind them, and took Buffy's hand as they snuck through backyards to Revello Drive.