�Anya helped me wrap.� The redhead felt the need to explain. As far as wrapping skills went, Willow was fairly hopeless.
�I�m sure you would have done it wonderfully by yourself.� According to Tara, anything that Willow did was wonderful, whether it turned out how it was meant to or not.
�Everyone else in the world would disagree, including me. Now get with the opening, the suspense is killing me.�
Anyone observing the scene would have thought it was Willow�s Birthday, but the hacker�s child-like enthusiasm was one of the things Tara loved most about her. The blonde smiled a smile full of adoration before replying.
�Jeez Will, it�s my birthday not yours. Besides, you know what they are, you bought them.�
�I know, but I want to see your face when you open them. I want to know that I did good with the present buying.�
�Well, you�ve always done good in the past.� Tara commented, remembering all the wonderful gifts Willow had given her in the six years that they had been together.
�Here, this one first.� Willow presented a rather large, squishy parcel. This was the �safe� present, the one she knew for a fact that Tara would love.
Infected with her lovers� excitement, Tara ripped at the paper, disregarding the effort that Anya had put in (at Willow�s insistence) to make the gifts look perfect. Concealed in the gift-wrap was a stuffed black and white cat, dressed in a purple and silver cape and witch�s hat, riding a broomstick. The blonde remembered trying to win the cuddly toy at an autumn fair that her, Willow, Buffy and Dawn had gone to recently, but she had not been strong enough to ring the big bell.
�How did you manage to win this? You didn�t use magically enhanced strength did you?� Tara enquired in a mock stern voice, accompanied by a playful scowl.
�No, no magic. I used a slayer; it�s much easier. You looked so disappointed when you didn�t win, but I knew I wasn�t strong enough either. So I made Buffy go back and win it while we were on the Ferris wheel. Being best friends with a slayer has a lot more advantages than just the obvious ones you know.�
�Obviously. I�ll have to remember to thank Buffy for this then.�
�Oh don�t worry, I�ve been doing her babysitting duties for the last three weeks. She�s been thanked.�
Willow grimaced at the memory of looking after Anya and Xander�s two-and-a-half-year-old son. Although she loved her nephew to pieces, Joshua Harris gave a whole new meaning to the term �terrible twos�.
�Three weeks looking after Josh for one teddy, I think you came off worst in that bargain Will.�
�Nah, Joshua�s a sweetie. Besides, to see that look on your face I�d look after the little rascal every day for a year.�
Tara raised her eyebrows sceptically, she didn�t believe that Willow could handle a full year with the tot, no matter how much of a sweetie she claimed he was.
�Okay, so maybe not a full year. But I�d do my best if it meant getting to give you something that you really love. You do love it don�t you?�
�Yes baby, I love it.� And to confirm the statement she leant forward for a quick kiss.
�Good, now this one.�
