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“Dad…”
For the first time in her life, Tara Maclay interrupted her father. The knowledge that had quite suddenly come to the surface (along with a nose that was still stinging a little) could have rocked her to her very core. Her “blood kin,” as it had been put a few moments ago, lied to not only her, but her mother, her cousin, her aunt, her grandmother, every single woman for Gia only knew how many generations. The man who she was supposed to trust with every fiber in her being lied to her throughout her entire life, and made her believe that she was a demon. Judging from his expression, Donny had known the truth, but kept it from her so that he too could take advantage of it. Tara could have been filled with an intense, albeit righteous and entitled, anger.
Instead, she felt nothing but peace. She was not a demon. She was never a demon. More important than that, she had a real family. She had a group of people who cared about her, all of whom were prepared to fight for and defend her. Even Spike, moments after saying he did not care what happened to her, found a way to prove, without question, that she was human. She had a family, a home, a place where she belonged.
“Just go.”
Mr. Maclay turned away, gave a single derisive mutter about magic, and walked out. Her brother followed, but Beth was still standing there, her eyes fixed on Tara.
“It’s not… true?” She whispered. “You’re not... and… I’m not?”
“Well, we could have Spike test it on you, too!” The woman behind the cash register said, in what Beth considered to be an overly cheerful tone.
“You can bloody well forget that.” Spike replied as he made his way toward the back exit. “I may have done it for Glinda here, but I am not bucking for an extended migraine.”
Beth opened her mouth to say she didn’t want to get hit anyway, but the other British man spoke up.
“I don’t believe you are.” He said kindly. “We now know for a fact that Tara isn’t a demon, and as Spike said, despite having voiced his rather despicable approval, it’s just a way the men in your family control the women.”
Beth remained motionless, though her mind was racing. She had berated Tara for abandoning her father and brother, two grown men who did not need to have Tara in their lives in order to take care of themselves. Her own father, who was still at home awaiting her return, didn’t need her either. Instead, he had been using her, lying to her to keep her at home so that he could have someone to wait on him, to make his meals and maintain the house, as if she were a servant rather than his daughter.
Beth was still processing this when her uncle and cousin appeared in the doorway again.
“Beth, let’s go!” Donny snapped. “We’re goin’ home!”
Beth stared at them in silence. She was still trying to wrap her mind around everything, the idea of going home was so confusing to her. Should she go home with the men who had lied, to another man who had lied? Even if she didn’t, where would she go, what could she do?
“Same thing goes for Beth, Mr. Maclay.” The blonde woman spoke up again, moving to stand by Beth’s side. “She makes the decision. Not you.”
Beth stared at the woman, confused as to why a perfect stranger would do this. After all, she had come here with the same intention as her uncle and Donny, to take Tara away. Yet here she was, standing next to her, still in the same defiant stance.
“We came here with her, we’re leavin’ with her!” Donny strode forward and seized Beth’s arm painfully. Beth’s cry had barely left her mouth before a closed fist connected with Donny’s nose, causing him to release her with his own yelp.
“Told you you’d break something.”
“Well, I did the breaking part, even if it was something of his.”
Donny held both hands to his now bloody nose. Beth was still quiet, unsure of what to do when her cousin’s voice broke through her internal struggle.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
Beth looked at Tara, still surprised to be treated with such kindness.
“I… I don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“Sure you do.” The redheaded woman Beth guessed to be Tara’s girlfriend spoke up. “You can stay with us.”
The young brunette girl gave a warm smile. “Always room for another Scooby.”
“Beth?”
Beth turned to her uncle. He was glaring at her with the same stern look she had been accustomed to receiving. The conditioning of her life seemed to control her motions as she took a small step forward, but she stopped. Tara’s words echoed in her mind. She didn’t have to go if she didn’t want to.
“I-I don’t want to…” Beth said timidly.
Beth was sure that she was going to be taken home whether she wanted it or not. Instead, Donny and her uncle turned their backs and left. Beth slowly turned to face Tara. Her cousin smiled as she introduced Beth to everyone.
“Well, we have a birthday to celebrate!” Willow said cheerfully.
Beth was not at all sure where her life would go from here as she followed the group to a club to celebrate Tara’s birthday. She wasn’t sure if any of them would ever consider her a friend, much less family. One thing she did know was that despite how terrifying it would be at times, she would not allow herself to regret the fact that for the first time in her life, she had made a decision for herself.