Not edited. 

"Lucas and Tara! Get off the driveway this instant. We have a pizza delivery coming."

Lucas turned and saw a scolding Maggie standing on top of the front steps and started to chuckle.

"I think we're in trouble" he loudly whispered to Tara who started to giggle.

Music to his ears.

Tara pulled away and in a very unladylike way she stood up laughing.

"She's bossy."

"Tara Porter you did not just say that about our Maggie!" Lucas was now standing and brushing the sand from the driveway off himself.

"Yep and it's true. She's nearly as bossy as you."

Lucas' mouth dropped open.

"Oh you didn't" he exclaimed playfully.

Tara bit the inside of her cheek as Lucas took up a similar stance to Maggie with his hands on his hips.

"Um... yeh I did."

"No way. Nope." He kept shaking his head dramatically.

She nodded "Uh huh."

"Tara?" he said playfully.

"Yes Lucas?"

"Run."

It took all of three seconds for his word to reach it's obvious conclusion and she squealed....and ran.

He smiled as his wife went running towards Maggie crying out for help and with a laugh himself he started to follow.

"You're going to regret that Tara Porter!

She squealed again as she hid behind Maggie with her hands clutching onto the older womans shirt from the back.

Maggie stood firm and crossed her arms.

"Lucas why are you chasing Tara?"

"She called us bossy."

"Us?"

Tara peeked out from the side of Maggie to see Lucas standing a few feet away. He looked at her with a cheeky grin as she silently pleaded with him not to say anything to Maggie.

"Yes. You and me. Apparently we're bossy."

Maggie swung around to Tara so quickly that her hands dropped to her sides.

"Is this true?"

Tara looked at her in shock filled pleas. "Ummmm..."

Lucas started to laugh as Tara squirmed before her eyes snapped at him and narrowed in a promise that he would pay for opening his mouth.

"Dobber!"

He simply laughed as Maggie waited for an answer while tapping her foot.

"Tara, I'm waiting." Maggie's voice was stern with a hint of laughter as she watched Tara. Her heart clenched at the realisation that Tara was actually joking around and playing with them... both!

"Ummmmm.." Tara shifted her gaze nervously while Lucas looked on amused.

She was saved! The car with a pizza motif drove up the driveway and her indiscretion was momentarily forgotten as Lucas met the driver at the bottom of the steps and paid.

When he left was another story. Lucas walked back up to them with the pizzas in his hands as Maggie raised an eyebrow at Tara.

"I love you Maggie."

In that simple sentence everything was forgotten. Maggie's arms opened wide and she flew into them to be cradled by a sobbing Maggie.

"That's cheating!" Lucas cried out.

"Oh shush you!" Maggie admonished him as she wiped tears from her face. "How old are you exactly?"

Lucas' mouth dropped open as Tara once again looked around Maggies arm but was shocked as she poked her tongue out at him.

"You!" he pointed at her and she grinned.

Maggie felt like all her dreams had come true. For the first time since they'd met Tara had told her she loved her. Whether said in jest or as a solemn promise those words from Tara were to be cherished as with no one else. They were words Tara held close and shared only when they meant something.

The feelings although once confused were now clear and real to her. Tara felt like she really had a mother.With tears in her eyes Tara snuggled into Maggie's warm embrace and felt home. There was still much for her to work out but these were words she knew were the truth. Maggie had really taken over the mother role in her life and Tara believed that the feelings were reciprocated as she found the words that would bring the two women to a whole new level of living... of family.

"I love you Mum."

************