Title: Happily Ever After
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
Notes: Thanks to rezeaka who makes all parts of this story better.
*I'm honored to be posting on behalf of Spencer once again..
..*
Part 28
The kitchen in the Rosenburg-Maclay house was chaos. Willow sat calmly at the kitchen table breast feeding Rhiannon. It was almost as if she wasn't in the noisy room, but somewhere else entirely. Whenever she was feeding Rhiannon she went into this trance like state, as if she and her daughter were the only two people around, and was just blissfully calm. Harris was sitting at the the table next to Willow, having a bowl of cereal, completely ready for her first day of fourth grade. She too seemed unfazed by the noise around her. She had worked on relaxation techniques with Tara all summer. The school had suggested therapy for her as she was easily upset when things didn't go as planned. They had worked on ways to calm down before she hyperventilated, and that being in control of herself was all she could do. Looking at her, Tara could tell she was using some of the breathing techniques while she ate. Soleil was running around the kitchen in circles wearing nothing but her underwear and dragging around her blankie. Her long, blonde, curly hair was a tangled mess. Tara had suspected she had been practicing her shoe tying on it again. They had no clue where she had gotten the idea that hair and shoelaces were the same thing, but they guessed it was from Rupert, who was currently trying to climb up onto the counter to get a bowl, so he could have some cereal for breakfast seeing as how his Mommies were busy and asked him to wait. He was still in his superman pajamas. Summer was in the process of having her hair untangled by Tara and she was not happy about it. Tara and Willow had spent the entire summer trying to convince her to get her hair cut at least a little, but she wouldn't budge in the matter. Her dirty blonde hair was almost down to her butt, and it seemed they spent every morning trying to get all the tangle out while Summer screamed and hollered about it pulling
"That's it, everyone freeze!" Tara shouted immediately gaining the attention of everyone in the room including a now nearly panicky Willow, who instantly got that way whenever Tara did even if she didn't know what was causing it in her wife. "We have 15 minutes before we have to leave and only one of you is ready." This garnered a proud smile from Harris. "Everyone sit down at the table, please," Tara said regaining some of her usual placid demeanor.
"But what about my hair?" Summer asked.
"We'll worry about that later," Tara said taking a deep breath. Just then Jesse strolled into the kitchen, completely dressed and ready to go. "Jesse!" Tara said smiling as she hugged her oldest daughter, relieved to see there were now two children ready to go, and it left Jesse able to help with everyone else, while Willow finished feeding Rhiannon. "Could you get down a bowl for Summer and give her some cereal, and put two packages of pop tarts on the island, please?" Tara barely started to release her hold on Jesse before she turned her attention to rounding up Rupert and Soleil, who had left their seats at the table and were now playing underneath it. "You two, upstairs with me," Tara said catching her eldest by the arm briefly before she ushered Rupert and Soleil out of the kitchen, "You look really nice this morning, Sweetie."
"What about breakfast?" Rupert asked as he and Soleil climbed the stairs followed by Tara.
"We may have to eat in the van on the way to school," Tara said.
"Okay, Momma, but just remember I barf when I eat in the car," Rupert said heading to his room. Tara was about to say something when she realized he was right. That meant she had to get him ready first.
"Soleil go wait in your room for me," Tara said looking down at her daugther who was hopping in place. "I'll be right in okay?"
"Okay, Momma," Soleil said hopping down to her room and singing a song she was making up as she went.
"What do I wear?" Rupert asked sitting down on his bed. Tara went to his closet and grabbed the first pair of pants that she saw and a matching shirt. It was strange to her that he asked that question everyday. The girls never wanted to be told what to wear, they wanted to choose their own clothes, but Rupert wouldn't get dressed until someone came in and handed him some clothes.
"You can wear this," she said tossing a pair of khaki cargo pants and a striped tee shirt at him. "Put those on and then go downstairs, ask Mommy or Jesse to comb your hair, and while they're doing that you can eat breakfast," Tara said rushing out of the room. She went to Soleil's room, but she wasn't in there. She then checked the bathroom, the nursery, and their bedroom, but she still didn't find her daughter, and then she heard a crash in their bathroom and went through the room to investigate.
"Do I look pretty?" Soleil asked, her face practically covered with lipstick.
"Very pretty," Tara said smiling, "too pretty to hide behind all this. Let's get this washed off."
"No, I want to look special for school," Soleil said squirming as Tara began to wash the lipstick off her face.
"You will, Sweetie," Tara said holding her still. "We'll put you in one of your pretty dresses, okay?"
"Okay," Soleil said. Tara washed it off as quickly as she could and hurriedly took Soleil back to her bedroom, and helped her into a short sleeve yellow dress with blue daisies. She tried to brush the tangles out of her daughters hair, but there wasn't enough time, so she just pulled it back into a quick pony tail, so hopefully it wouldn't look too messy, and then rushed down the stairs carrying her.
"We're late," Willow said as Tara came running into the kitchen.
"I know, where's Jesse?" Tara asked noticing only five children in the room.
"Buffy came and got her already, and she dropped Katey off at Anya's house too, so when we come back we can either go over and get her, or she can stay there today," Willow said. "Although Buffy told me that Katey requested we pick her up as quickly as possible and bring her back here. Are we ready?" Willow asked grabbing the keys to the van.
"I don't know, do we have everything?" Tara asked still trying to quickly assess whether or not all the kids had their school bags, and that Soleil was eating the pop tart she gave her, and that they had the diaper bag for Rhiannon.
"Looks like," Willow said having already completed part of the inventory while Tara was upstairs. "Everyone in the van, and you," Willow said stopping Soleil who was hopping, twirling, and skipping her way to the door, "no funny stuff, when we get to the school you walk like a big girl, or let Momma carry you."
"Got it," Soleil said smiling brightly and continuing her strange way of walking to the car. Willow just shook her head and closed the kitchen door.
They pulled the van up to the school and still have five minutes to spare before school actually started. It had been decided that Willow would take Rhiannon with her and drop Harris off at her classroom, and then meet up with Tara at Rupert's classroom after Tara dropped off Summer. Tara would also take Soleil with her, which left Rupert to decide who he would go with, and he choose Willow.
"What do I eat for lunch?" Rupert asked as the family piled out of the van.
"Lunch," Tara said smacking herself in the forehead, "I forgot to make the lunches."
"No problem, I'll go home and make them, and drop them off later," Willow said. Gathering everything they would need they headed off in their separate directions to do a rather quick drop off.
"What's my teacher's name again?" Summer asked as she and Tara and Soleil headed down the corridor to her classroom.
"Mr. Bennett," Tara said for probably the tenth time that morning.
"Oh, yeah," Summer said. "It's kind of weird having Harris in a different class this year."
"Are you okay with that?" Tara asked stopping briefly to pick up Soleil, who was slowing down their pace by playing an imaginary game of hop scotch.
"Yeah," Summer said, "I mean she's smart so she shold be with the other smart kids. Plus she's kind of a dork, so I may get more popular now that she won't be hanging off me," Summer said as they entered her classroom, ignoring the look of disapproval that Tara gave her.
"Hello, I'm Mr. Bennett," the young teacher said as they approached.
"I'm Summer," she said sticking her hand out to shake her teacher's hand.
"Welcome to the fourth grade Summer," Mr. Bennett said, "and who are these lovely ladies?"
"My sister Soleil, and my Momma," Summer said.
"Well your Momma is very pretty," he said making eye contact with Tara.
"Yeah, I know, and my MOM thinks she is too," Summer said emphasizing the word Mom, and narrowing her eyes, giving the teacher a dirty look. He took several steps back, putting some distance between himself and Tara.
"Summer," Tara warned. "I'm Tara. I'm sorry her Mom couldn't be here to meet you as well, but she's dropping our other daughter off at her classroom."
"I look forward to meeting her," Mr. Bennett said walking away.
"Bye Sweetie, I'll pick you up this afternoon," Tara said kissing Summer.
"Momma," Summer said wiping it off.
"Sorry."
"What took so long?" Willow asked standing in Rupert's classroom.
"I was getting hit on by Summer's teacher," Tara said smiling devilishly.
"What?"
"Later," Tara said as Mrs. Pierce came over.
"Hi, Willow, Tara. I'm so happy to have another Rosenburg-Maclay in my class."
"Even after Summer?" Rupert asked.
"Yes," Mrs. Pierce said laughing. "Rupert why don't you go put your bag in your cubbie."
"Okay," Rupert said scampering off.
"I can't believe how big he's grown," Mrs. Pierce said. "It seems like just yesterday he was here visiting Summer and Harris."
"I know, believe me I know," Tara said. "And you haven't met Soleil and Rhiannon," Tara said introducing the two newest members of their family.
"Hello," Mrs. Pierce said to Soleil, who buried her head in Tara's shoulder and giggled. "Five girls, and one boy, poor Rupert."
"Oh, he has plenty of cousins, don't you Rupert?" Willow said as he came running back to them.
"Yep," he said shoving his hands in his pockets, and trying to stand just like his uncle Xander.
"I had Michael last year," Mrs. Pierce said, "and I hear I'll have his sister next year."
"Yeah, Katey will start school next year, and then you'll have Soleil and Christopher, and Rhiannon, and the new baby," Rupert said.
"You're pregnant again?" Mrs. Pierce asked.
"Oh, no, we're just planning on one more," Tara said.
"You had me a little scared," Mrs. Pierce said. "And I don't believe I know Christopher."
"Alex has a little brother, he's about a year old now," Willow said.
"Yes, there is still a long line of family you've yet to have," Tara said smiling.
"I'm looking forward to it."
"Okay, Rupert, we're gonna go now. Can we get hugs and kisses?" Tara asked. Rupert gave them each a big hug and kiss, even Soleil.
"We love you," Willow said as they headed out the door. Rupert ran off to join the other kids on the carpet for a story.
"Where we going?" Soleil asked as they headed down the hall.
"It's where ARE we going, and the answer is home," Willow said.
"We forgot Rupert," she said tearing up a bit.
"No, baby, we didn't forget. Rupert's staying here at school now, just like Summer and Harris and Jesse go to school," Willow said.
"But, who will I play with?" Soleil asked.
"You'll play with Katey," Tara said, "and Christopher, when Aunt Anya comes over for lunch."
"Oh," Soleil said momentarily stopping the small waterworks that she had started. "I miss Rupert."
"Momma does too," Tara said rubbing her back. They arrived at the van and got both girls fastened into their car seats and then got themselves buckled in. Before driving off Willow turned to Tara.
"Now, what was that about Summer's teacher?" Willow asked.
by sparrow » Fri Oct 04, 2002 12:05 pm 
the way Tara calmed Willow down was sweet. Willow telling Tara she can have her job back for number seven was funny 
Soo happy! 
Loved the update so much! Willow killed me! 
Her having a baby is hilarious... I think i'd go 4 the drugs too! Can't wait 4 more!! 
And My God 
Willow and her different colored chart! She really kills me 
waaaay too much to keep track of. Loved the update Mainer