One-hundred and SixTara and Willow lay in bed, Tara’s arm wrapped protectively around Willow’s waist.
“Mmmm…” Willow moaned, snuggling closer into Tara’s chest. The blonde woke instantly from her light sleep, sensing that something wasn’t quite right.
“Baby? Are you okay?” Tara said, gently kissing the red-head’s brow.
“Mmmm…tummy’s upset.”
“We haven’t eaten in a while, sweetie…that’s probably it. It’s only about an hour until supper…do you want me to see if I can get you some graham crackers or something from the kitchen?”
Suddenly, the thought of food turned Willow’s stomach upside down. She pushed away from Tara and ran towards the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before starting to heave. Tara sprinted after her.
Outside of their room, Buffy and Faith stood up from the chairs that they had set outside Willow and Tara’s room as Giles and Mira approached.
“Hey G-man…Mira…what’s up?” Faith said, challenging them.
“Yeah…you’re looking all…pensivey with your forehead wrinkled like that…” Buffy added. She knew the Watcher’s expressions well.
“Um…yes, well…we’ve got to talk to Willow and Tara about something…” he stammered.
“I don’t like the sound of that…what’s going on now?” Buffy asked, her heart sliding up into her throat.
“Nothing to worry about, dear…” Mira said, trying to set the Slayer at ease “…but we do need to speak with your sister and Tara. Everything will be alright.”
“Yes…of course it will…” Giles said, figeting nervously.
“Hang on a sec, let me make sure everybody’s decent.” Faith said, knocking on the door. “Red? Tara? G-man and Mira are here…everybody decent?”
No answer.
“I’m going in.” Buffy said, protectively. She opened the door slowly, leaning in. “Wills? Tare?”
“W-we’re in here, Buffy.” Tara called from the bathroom.
Buffy rushed in, joining the other two girls in the bathroom. Willow was on her knees, her hands poised on either side of the toilet seat. Tara was holding the redhead’s hair out of her face with one hand, and rubbing her back with the other.
“Will? What’s wrong?” Buffy said, fearing that this was some side-effect of Willow’s earlier injuries.
“She was okay…w-we were t-taking a nap…and she just g-got sick to her stomach…” Tara said, obviously upset at her wife’s current condition.
“I’m okay…” Willow said, raising her head from the porcelain alter that she had been worshipping at moments before “…just feeling a little queezy…probably all of the travelling…it’s nothing.”
“It’s not n-nothing!”
“Hang on…stay here. Mira and Giles are outside…I’m gonna have them take a look at you.” Buffy said.
“No! Buff…wait!” Willow said, not exactly revelling in the thought of them seeing her in her current slobbery condition.
Too late. Buffy was already out the door.
“Hurry up you guys…Will’s sick!” Buffy said, pulling Giles into the room and towards the bathroom door.
Mira, Giles, and Faith rushed into the room behind Buffy. By the time they got into the room, Willow was being helped back to the bed by Tara.
“I’m fine…I’m fine, you guys! Really!” Willow said, reassuringly as Tara held her protectively.
“You’re not fine! You were yacking your guts out a minute ago!” Buffy yelled.
“W-what were you and M-mira doing here, Mr. Giles?” Tara asked, wondering why the Watcher and his friend were already outside their door.
“Well…yes…um…we have something that we need to um…tell you both…in private.”
“Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of us, Giles…I’m not leaving!” Buffy said, crossing her arms in front of her, stubbornly.
“B, look…Red’s gonna be just fine…let’s give them just a minute to talk…you’ll be right outside…” Faith said, gently grabbing the blonde’s arm – trying to guide her outside.
Buffy pulled her arm away from Faith, angrily. “I said, I’m NOT leaving!”
“It’s okay…we’re all family…” Willow said, sitting on the edge of the bed. Tara sat next to her, her arm wrapped around her.
“Are you sure, dear? This really is something that you may want to mull over a bit first by yourselves…” Mira suggested.
“Shouldn’t you be off fetching a doctor for Wills or something?” Buffy said, rudely.
Mira smiled. Even though the girl was a bit rough around the edges, she couldn’t help but like her.
“Buffy! That’s enough!” Giles said, angrily, embarrassed by his charge’s actions.
“She’s fine, Rupert…and yes, I will get one of our practitioners up here shortly to take a look at her…but I think what we have to say will clear things up a bit.”
“C-clear things up?”
“Yes….well…umm…well…it seems that…umm…it seems that when you and Willow…well…oh, Good Lord…I don’t think I can do this…” Giles said, taking off his glasses and pinching the bridge of his nose.
“What?! When they did what? What’s going on?!” Buffy said, now in a full-out panic.
“You’ve gotta calm down, B. Whatever it is, we’ll fix it…I promise!” Faith said, placing her arms around the Slayer once more, comfortingly.
Hearing the commotion outside, Anya and Xander came running down the hallway and into the room.
“What’s going on? We heard Buffy yelling…” Xander said, out of breath.
“Well…the family’s all here…so lay it on us, Mira…what’s going on here…and you’d better hurry…’cause I’m kinda feeling queezy again.” Willow said, trying to be strong for everyone.
“Well dear…when you two had your handfasting, you asked for Artemis’ blessing on the two of you to have a family someday.” Mira began.
“Yes…but we haven’t…I mean, we have…but not to...” Willow stammerred.
“Both you and Tara are very powerful…and what might have been impossible for most witches, is quite easy for you…”
“I don’t get this…I’m all with the powerful witches thing…but what’s easy? And why does it smell like somebody died in here?” Xander said, obviously clueless.
“Are you s-saying?” Tara said, realizing what Mira was telling them.
“Yes, dear.” Mira said with a smile.
With that, Willow jumped up from the bed and started scrambling around the room like a chicken with it’s head cut off.
“Oh my Goddess! Baby!!! We’re going to have a baby? Are you feeling alright? Should I go boil some water? What should I do?” Willow said, in full babble-mode.
“W-wait…s-slow down, sweetie…” Tara said, trying to calm the babbling redhead down, for her own good. “…I…I d-don’t think they’re talking about m-me.”
“What? Of course they are, baby! You’re pregnant! My baby is having our baby!!!! There’s so much to do! I’ve got to go shopping…we need a crib…and a mobile…fish maybe, and birds…but no frogs! There will be no frogs in our baby’s nursery!”
“N-no…baby…I think…I t-think they’re talking about y-you.” Tara said, placing her hand on Willow’s stomach. “It’s you, Will…you’re carrying our b-baby…I can feel it…I can s-sense her…”
Willow abruptly stopped her happy dance and gazed straight ahead like a deer in headlights. She stood there like that, not saying a word. Tara went by her side, wrapping her arms around her, supporting her.
“Baby? Are you okay?” Tara asked. No answer. “Baby?”
“B-b-b-baby?” Willow stammered.
“I think you broke her.” Buffy said, thinking out loud.
Xander stood next to Anya, a perplexed look on his face. You could almost see the wheels turning in his head.
“I knew you guys were powerful, but it would take some major witchy mojo to pull this off without actually trying…I’m talking some serious power…like one of you would have to be a…” Anya said, suddenly being interrupted by Faith.
“Hey, how ‘bout we give the expectant couple a few minutes on their own guys…”
“Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Mira said. “We can discuss the details later.”
“Details? There’s details? What details could there be?” Willow said, panicking.
“Shhh…baby. It’s going to be fine…I promise.” Tara said, with new resolve – she had always felt protective of Willow, but now, the feelings were even more intense – if that was possible.
“Come on, guys…let’s go.” Faith said, ushering Buffy, Xander, and Anya out the door.
“We can talk more about this later.” Mira suggested.
“We’ll be outside if you need us for anything.” Giles added.
“T-thank you…we’ll see you all at d-dinner…if Will is feeling up to it.” Tara said politely.
Mira and Giles exited, pulling the door closed behind them.
“We’re having a baby.” Tara said, feeling a sense of pride and love for Willow and for this new being that the two of them had created out of their love.
“We’re having a baby.” Willow echoed.
“Are you okay, sweetie?”
“I just…I’m so happy…really! I always wanted us to have a family…but…I thought it would be…”
“You thought it would be me carrying our child, not you…” Tara said, finishing Willow’s thought.
“Is that bad? Am I bad? I wasn’t implying that I wanted you to be all subservient to me…’barefoot in the kitchen’ and all or anything…it’s just…I’m…I…”
“You’re scared.”
Willow let out a sigh.
“I don’t think scared even remotely covers what I’m feeling, baby…”
“I know…but I’m here…” she said, placing her hand on Willow’s stomach. “…and she’s here…this wonderful, beautiful, incredible being…and she’s ours! Yours and mine…made completely from our love for each other…we’re going to do this together…all of us.”
Willow sunk further into Tara’s arms, feeling more at ease.
“Whatcha thinkin’?” Tara asked.
“I hope she has your beautiful blue eyes…”
“…and your porcelain skin and beautiful red hair…” Tara added.
“Seriously? Red hair?”
“Yep…serious as a heart attack…and best of all…I want her to babble.”
“All babies babble…” Willow said.
“No…I want her to Willow-babble.” Tara said, grinning slyly.
“I don’t know…that’s a lot of babbling for one household…you might get sick of it.”
Tara leaned in, placing her forehead on Willow’s, kissing her lightly.
“Never…”
“We’re having a baby.” Willow grinned.
“We’re having a baby.”
To Be Continued...
Happy Holidays, Kittens!
- Cin aka FIRESIGN
by Willowtree252 » Sat Sep 27, 2008 11:12 am 
