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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thanks to my beta, Allison, and to all that have commented.
Chapter 5

As soon as Buffy and Will left the shop, Tara called Willow on her cell. Willow was a high school computer science teacher, but it was after school hours now and she hoped she was around.

“Hey, you,” Willow said when she saw Tara’s name on the caller ID. “What’s up?”

“Do you have a minute, hon? Well, maybe more than a minute.” Tara started to recount her meeting with Will and how Buffy’s emotions’ aura changed when he came into The Gallery. She told Willow that she felt there was a special connection between Buffy and Will but didn’t know what to do. Should she tell Buffy? What about Dawn? She and Willow were Dawn’s godmothers, and she felt protective towards her, too. After talking nonstop for over five minutes, she took a breath and said, “Well, what do you think?”

“Okay, first off, calm down. You just gave me a ton of information and I haven’t processed it all yet. So Dawn’s new older boyfriend is causing Buffy to be excited? Is that what the red and fiery meant when you saw it? Oh dear,” Willow whispered. She didn’t want to misinterpret what Tara was saying.

“Yes. But I also saw the red around Will, too. I don’t know what his emotions are like when he is around Dawn since I haven’t seen them together. He just might make all women react that way - he is pretty hot and that sexy British accent kind of gets to you.”

“Hey now,” Willow exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, hon, you are the only one for me. I can definitely see how women would want to take any class he was teaching, though. He is very hypnotic to listen to, and I was only around him for a few minutes. We need to see him together with Dawn so I can get a better reading.”

“Well, we could have them over for dinner, but we never had any of her other boyfriends over before so that would seem weird. Oh, I know. Maybe we can find out where he and Dawn hang out and show up by accident. I’m sure Buffy knows all Dawn’s hang outs.”

“I knew I could count on you to come up with a plan, honey. That’s why I love you,” said Tara adoringly.

“Great. See you at home. Love you,” Willow said as she hung up her cell.

Tara continued working on the mail orders for another hour. Just as she was finishing the last mailing label, she heard Buffy and Will walk in the store. She tried to eavesdrop on their conversation, but Buffy called out to her so she went out front instead.

“Tara, Will is a wonderfully talented artist. We are going to do a showing of Will’s work, but he wants it to remain anonymous. He signs his work with the name ‘Spike’, so we will say that he wants to remain unknown. He has some great abstracts, along with landscapes, that I think will interest some of our older buyers. I am thinking that we should plan this for late November. What do you both think?” asked an excited Buffy.

“Well, I think I can finish those extras paintings you want by then, so it is okay with me,” said Will.

“I think we can get the shop in order and get invitations printed for the opening night by then, too,” Tara said excitedly. She still saw the red firey haze surrounding Buffy and Will, and spending time with them for the next few months would help her analyze if there was a strong connection there.

“Well, I need to be off. Got night classes to teach. Nice meeting you, Tara. Buffy, I will be in contact with you,” Will said as he walked out the door.

“So, how did it got at Will’s place? Is it a swinging bachelor pad?” asked a curious Tara.

“I only saw the garage. That’s where he paints. What’s with all questions, anyway?”

“Just curious. He seems nice. What do you think of him as boyfriend material for Dawn, though?”

“Well, I have my concerns since he is a year older than me, but if he makes her happy, I guess I can’t say anything. He definitely is the smartest boyfriend she has ever brought home,” Buffy commented.

“And the hottest. Oops, did I just say that?”

“Tara MacClay! What would Willow say? Do you think he is hot? I kinda think he is handsome if you are into the 70’s punk look with the bleached hair and the leather. Yeah, I guess he is hot.”

“Leather? What leather? He was wearing slacks and a bomber jacket. When did you see him in leather?” Tara asked in an accusatory tone.

“He wore a leather coat to dinner at the house when I met him. What is up with you, Tara? Did you sense something bad? Please tell me if you think his intentions towards Dawn are not on the up and up.”

“I have no idea about him and Dawn, Buffy. But I will be honest and tell you I did sense something between the two of you.”

“What? You’ve got to be kidding. Me and Will? I can just see the headlines - ‘Mom steals boyfriend from college age daughter’. That’s a riot. You better stop this nonsense before Dawn hears about it and gets hurt. You know my daughter is the most important thing to me,” Buffy said with conviction.

“Oh, I don’t want to do anything to hurt Dawnie. I love her as if she was my own. It’s just there is something between the two of you - I just don’t know what.”

“Well, on that note, I am going home. I want to start planning for Spike’s showing. Please don’t say anything to Dawn since Will will tell her on his own time. You can tell Willow.”

“Okay, Buff. You go on home and I will close up The Gallery tonight. See you tomorrow.”

Buffy walked out to her car and got in to drive home. She kept thinking about what Tara said about a connection between her and Will. She did feel something, but she just put it off as being without the attention of a man for so long. Buffy shook her head to try to get those thoughts out of her brain.

‘He’s Dawn’s boyfriend. He’s Dawn’s boyfriend. Maybe if I can keep repeating it, it will sink into my brain.’





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