In the hospital waiting room, Buffy held her best friend close, rocking her gently. Willow was a complete wreck. Her eyes red and swollen from what had seemed like hours of crying, and still she had not stopped. Xander and Anya looked on, holding each other’s hand and waiting for any kind of news.
Finally, Dr. Gulliver appeared from down the hall, and approached the somber group. Willow stood, tried to collect herself and met the doctor half way into the room.
Dr. Gulliver wasted no time in giving her diagnosis. “Tara is suffering from a condition called Marginal Placental Abruption, or Abruptio Placentae. What this means is that a small portion of the placenta has separated from the uterine wall…”
“It’s my fault”, Willow cried, breaking down again, “I did it. Oh, God… It’s my fault…”
“Willow…” The doctor began.
“It’s my fault…”
“Willow!” Dr. Gulliver snapped, getting the young woman’s attention, “I need you to calm down. You won’t be any good to Tara like this. You have to pull yourself together and be strong.” She paused a moment, letting Willow stifle her tears. “Alright, now, tell me why you think it’s your fault.”
“Her back was hurting…”Willow started, her throat choking up again.
“Breathe”, the doctor reminded firmly, but calmly.
Willow took a breath and continued, “So I was giving her a massage… and then we started to make love… and she cried out… and there was blood on my hand and it’s my fault!” Willow had begun to lose it again.
“Willow. Stop.” Dr. Gulliver ordered. “Listen to me. The back pain was a symptom of the abruption. The bleeding? Another symptom. It had already begun to occur when you and Tara started… doing what you were doing. The fact that you two were in intimate contact is most likely the reason that we were able to catch it in time.”
“In time?” Willow sniffled.
“That’s right”, the doctor stated, “The abruption occurred to the anterior portion of the uterus near the bladder. Most likely as a result of the injury Tara received during the first two weeks of her pregnancy. This is why I never took Tara off of high-risk, in case something like this happened. I'm going to keep her in the hospital under observation for the next couple of days.
“When she gets home, bed rest, lots of bed rest. For the next two weeks Tara should not get out of bed except to bathe or use the bathroom. After that, she should refrain from any sort of activity that would keep her on her feet for long periods of time. Of course, absolutely no heavy lifting whatsoever. I’m going to prescribe Tara a stool softener to make bowel movements easier and put less stress on her abdominal wall muscles.
“When you arrived here in the ambulance, Tara had already started having contractions. Currently, I have her on an I.V. drip of Tocolytics, and this has been successful in stopping her from going into labor prematurely. If she starts to have contractions again once she’s home, get her right back to the hospital.
“I know that you’re upset and frightened, but this was a very minor abruption. With bed rest, everything should be fine.” Willow nodded mutely, her breathing still shallow, but slowly returning to normal. “But, I’m going to tell you right now”, Dr. Gulliver continued, lowering her voice, “No more sex. Alright?” Again, Willow nodded. “She’s in room 112. She’s been asking for you.” Dr. Gulliver reached out and squeezed Willow’s upper arm as a sign of support. She smiled softly and then turned, leaving the group in the waiting room.
Silence followed.
“Will?” Buffy finally spoke up, “Do you want us to go or stay?”
“I don’t know”, the redhead answered.
“Well, we’ll wait here for you until you tell us different”, the slayer offered.
“I’m gonna go check on Tara”, Willow said, moving for the door.
“We’ll be here”, Xander replied.
*******
Willow peered in to her wife’s hospital room. Tara lay quietly, staring at the ceiling overhead. A loose fitting belt with a small metal disc was wrapped around her belly, monitoring the baby’s heartbeat. The sound played through a small piece of equipment next to a tiny T.V. screen showing methodical green blips. Willow stepped inside the room slowly. Tara turned her head and saw her, calling to her with her eyes. Willow walked over to the bedside, taking her wife’s hand, careful not to disturb the I.V. needle that was there.
“Hey, Baby”, Willow said softly, kissing Tara on the forehead. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been lying here listening to her heartbeat”, she whispered, “It’s so strong.”
“Strong like an Amazon”, Willow replied, smiling sadly.
“Oh, Willow, I’m so sorry”, Tara said, starting to cry.
“Sh. Sh. Sh, Baby. It’s okay. I spoke to Dr. Gulliver and she said that everything’s fine”, Willow ensured, running her fingers through Tara’s hair. “You’re fine. The baby’s fine. It’s not your fault. It’s because of that demon hitting you seven months ago. You didn’t do anything wrong. We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“What happened?”
“Um, well, the…placenta…kind of pulled away from the inside of your uterus.” Tara’s eyes shot wide as baseballs, fear washed over her face, stealing its color. “But”, Willow continued quickly, “It’s okay, because Dr. Gulliver said that it was only a little bit, and as long as you stay calm and stay in bed for the next couple of weeks, everything should be alright.”
“Willow?”
“Yeah, Baby?”
“C-could you hold me? P-please?” Tara stuttered, shutting her eyes at the sound. She hadn’t stuttered in years, it betrayed how truly terrified she was.
Willow nodded her head sweetly, and placed another kiss on Tara’s forehead before walking around to the other side of the bed, so as not to disturb the I.V. drip, and carefully crawled up next to Tara, resting her head on her shoulder and spooning her side.
“This okay?” The redhead asked.
“MmmHmm”, Tara replied, calmed by the contact.
“When we get home”, Willow confided, her voice hushed, “I’m gonna take such good care of you. I’m gonna make you all your favorite foods, and bring you breakfast in bed. Well, breakfast, lunch and dinner in bed. And I’m going to get you whatever books you want to read, or even read them to you if you’d like…” Tara smiled and chuckled quietly. “And I’m going to bathe you… and dress you…”
“And love me?” Tara asked.
“Of course I’ll love you, Baby”, Willow answered, her voice still low, “But, I can’t make love to you…Doctor’s orders…
“Oh…”
“But I will. After Emily’s born, when you’re ready again… I will. And it will be perfect. Like always.”
“I love you, Willow.”
“I love you, too. My wife, my life, my Tara.”
*******
Willow took one last look in the mirror, checking her hair and re-applying her lipstick. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She called over her shoulder into the bedroom.
“We promised we’d be there”, Tara replied.
“We’d be there if you were feeling up to it”, Willow clarified, coming into the bedroom where Tara was adjusting her pale yellow maternity dress. “You sure you’re up to it?”
“Willow, it’s just a bit of indigestion, I promise”, Tara sighed, “I can tell.”
Willow looked at Tara, sizing her up, trying to see if she was telling the truth. “They’ll understand if we’re not there.”
“Willow, you’re starting to upset me”, Tara leveled, her tone even, “I would tell you if there was a problem. We promised Xander and Anya we’d be there. And I don’t want to miss it if they actually make it to the vows this time.”
The redhead’s eyes dropped to the floor, slightly hurt by Tara’s brisk response, but still understanding her wife’s point of view.
“Sweetie”, Tara entreated, stepping forward and taking Willow’s hand, “You will be the first person to know if something doesn’t feel right. You know that.”
“I know. I’m just nervous”, admitted Willow, “I mean, your due date was four days ago, and given the… problem… we had a couple months ago… I assumed she’d be here by now.”
“She will come when she’s ready. She’s just taking her time. It’ll be okay. Let’s just go or we’re going to be late.”
Willow took in a deep breath and let it out. She was still nervous. “Okay”, she said finally, “Let’s go.”
The taxi was waiting for them outside, and it carried the two women over to the small chapel Anya had selected this time, dropping them off in front.
Holding hands, they entered the sanctuary where they were greeted by Buffy and Dawn.
“So you two got stuck with usher duties this time, eh?” Willow teased playfully.
“And bridesmaids too, I see”, Tara commented, “Why do those dresses look familiar?”
“Same ones from the second wedding”, Dawn grumbled, tugging at the pink taffeta. “You are so lucky you’re not allowed to stand for long periods of time.”
“Dawn”, Buffy warned, “Be gracious.”
“Sorry”, the younger Summers apologized. “Ahem. Bride or Groom?”
This proved to be a more difficult question than intended. Willow and Tara huddled up.
“Where did we sit last time?” Asked the blonde.
“Um, Bride, I think”, Willow answered. “Or was that the third wedding?”
“I’m not sure”, Tara replied. Then turned to the Summers women, “Do either of you have a coin?”
“I’ve got a better idea”, Willow interjected, “Surprise us.”
“Right this way”, sounded Buffy, leading the pair to sit in the Groom’s section. “All comfy?” she asked. “Good. See you both at the reception… if we make it that far.” The slayer turned and headed back to the chapel entrance.
Willow and Tara surveyed the room.
“Less people than the second”, Tara noted.
“True, but more people than the fourth”, Willow apprised.
“Hmm”, Tara agreed.
After a moment the chapel doors closed, only to be opened a second later as the “Wedding March” began. Anya appeared in the doorway, escorted by Giles, who appeared as chipper as he could, considering this was his fifth attempt at giving Anya away. Anya wore a Victorian style wedding dress that, despite her best intentions, caused her to look like a bit of a meringue. Nevertheless, she smiled a great smile of happiness and anticipation as she approached the altar. Buffy and Dawn, who tried their best to look as happy and as grateful to be there as possible, followed her.
Xander watched his fiancée grow near; his expression could be called nothing other than pensive, as if he expected the roof to cave in at any moment. Which, incidentally, is what happened at their third attempted wedding.
Anya arrived safely, and Giles stepped aside, sitting in the first pew. Buffy and Dawn found their places by the altar. The minister stepped forward and began his sermon, unaware that the entire wedding party and most of the guests, were mouthing it along with him in perfect synchronicity.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to witness the joining of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony…” He droned on the familiar passage, with everyone working very hard at appearing interested. “If there is any man or woman…”
Suddenly, Tara grabbed Willow’s hand and squeezed hard.
“Tara?” Willow looked at her wife, wide-eyed.
“She’s coming”, Tara answered, nervously.
“Speak now, or forever hold your peace…”
“You’ve got to be kidding!” Willow barked at the top of her lungs. The entire chapel turned and looked at the two women, including Xander and Anya, who stared on in confusion. “That you’d ask such a silly question”, Willow tried to cover, “I mean, look at those two. They’re made for each other. So, go ahead and finish the…thing… the…just… get to the ‘I do’s’!” This seemed to satisfy everyone. Willow turned her attention back to Tara. “You said you were fine”, she whispered.
“I was”, Tara replied, “Until about two minutes ago. But, it’s okay. We have plenty of time as long as my water doesn’t… Oh God.”
“We’ve got to get out of here!” Willow exclaimed, trying to keep her voice low.
“We can’t”, said Tara, “We’ll disrupt the wedding. Anya would be furious.”
“She’ll get over it. They’ll have another one.”
“What’s going on”, whispered Giles, having snuck away from his position to check on the girls.
“My water just broke”, explained Tara.
“Dear Lord, are you alright?”
“We have to get to the hospital”, said Willow.
“Of course”, the watcher agreed, “But…”
“Do you Alexander Lavelle Harris, take this woman, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health…”
“Willow”, said Tara, “It’s alright, they’re almost to the end. I think I can hold on till the end.”
“Do you really think so?” asked Willow.
“I do”, Tara and Xander said at the same time.
“The contractions are still pretty far apart”, Tara rationalized, “As long as something unexpected doesn’t happen…”
“As in ‘other than this’?” Willow questioned sardonically.
“Exactly my point”, stated Tara, “What else could go wrong?”
“Anya has asked that she be allowed to read her own vows to express her love and devotion to Xander”, announced the minister, “Anya?”
Willow and Tara watched in horror as the Bride presented eight typewritten pages, front and back, and prepared to read.
“We’re going”, they said in unison. Giles and Willow helped Tara to stand. Giles removed his coat and held it up behind the blonde’s backside to cover the wet stain caused by her water breaking. The three of them carefully, and quietly, made for the door.
“Hey”, called Anya, “Where are you going? I’m getting married up here!”
“Well, we’re having a baby down here”, answered Willow, a little more venom then she would have liked. She softened her tone, “Anya, please, don’t stop. Finish your vows. Get to the end. But Tara and I have to get to the hospital now!”
“Oh, well, um, go. By all means”, Anya complied, “Last thing we need is all that blood and viscera in the wedding chapel.”
“Thanks for understanding”, Willow said, unable to hide the sarcasm in her voice.
She and Giles led Tara out of the chapel and to his rental car. They looked up to see Buffy and Dawn swiftly running after them.
“What are you doing?” asked Willow, helping Tara into the car. “What about the wedding?”
“Xander convinced Anya to ditch the novel and just say ‘I do’”, Buffy explained. “They’re just finishing up. What are you waiting for?! We’ll meet you at the hospital. Go!”
Willow nodded and hopped in the car, shutting the door as Giles peeled out. Dawn and Buffy turned around to see Xander and Anya emerging from the chapel, triumphant. The two girls ran over and tossed a few handfuls of rice at them before shoving them in the limo and jumping in after them.
“To the hospital!” Buffy ordered the limo driver.
“Hospital?” squawked Anya. “What about the reception.”
“An, Honey?” Xander pleaded, “Tara is having her and Willow’s baby. I’m not missing that so that I can listen to a Barry Manilow cover band play ‘Mandy’.”
“What about all the guests?” His new wife asked.
“I don’t care what they listen to”, he answered. “Driver! Hospital!”
By the time the group arrived at the hospital, Giles informed them that Tara had already been moved to a private room. The gang made their way to the maternity ward, getting more than their fair share of strange looks.
“They’re in here”, Giles gestured. They peeked in the doorway, seeking entrance.
“Hey, guys”, said Willow, looking up from the bedside, “Uh, come on in.”
“Tara, how you feeling”, asked Xander.
“Pain about every ten minutes”, the blonde answered honestly, looking only slightly haggard.
“You look great”, he replied, smiling warmly.
She started to smile back, but then winced and squeezed Willow’s hand tightly.
“Another one?” Willow asked. Tara nodded, her eyes still shut in pain. “Breathe, Baby. Don’t forget to breathe. Like we learned at class, remember?” Tara acknowledged Willow’s words and began slowly breathing in and out, trying to relax through the pain.
Everyone else stood by awkwardly looking on. Finally the contraction passed, and the tension in the room lifted.
“So, Xander, Anya, finally made it through this time”, queried Willow.
“Yes”, Anya responded, “Although for a second there I thought it might be back to the drawing board.”
“Sorry”, apologized Tara.
“Are you kidding”, said Xander, “This is a good thing! Now I’ll never be able to forget our anniversary!”
Everyone began to laugh.
“Excuse me”, said Dr. Gulliver, squeezing through the crowd at the door. “Dressed kind of formally for a delivery room, aren’t we?”
“Xander and Anya just got married”, Willow explained, “We were sort of at their wedding when…”
“I see”, said the doctor, pausing to glance at the paper tape coming out of the machine monitoring Tara’s contractions. “Congratulations.” She said to the newlyweds, looking up. They smiled in acknowledgement. “Now, you all might want to look away as I am about to get up close and personal with your friend, Tara, here.” She announced, snapping on a pair of gloves.
“Oh”, said Giles, “Well, um, yes, we’ll just retire to the waiting room for now. Willow? Let us know if you need anything.”
“Thanks”, answered the redhead. The group quickly filed out of the room.
Dr. Gulliver walked around to the opposite side of the bed from Willow and lifted up the end of the bed sheet. “Lift your knees up for me, please. Good.” She reached in and explored Tara’s vaginal canal with her gloved fingers. “Okay”, she said, pulling out, “Looks like you’re at about seven centimeters. Your last two contractions were only five minutes apart, so we’re getting there. It still may be a while, though. Tara, have you given anymore thought to the epidural?”
“I don’t want it”, Tara replied.
“Are you sure”, the doctor checked, “Because pretty soon we’ll be at the point of no return and I can’t help you then.”
“I’m sure.”
“Alright. I’ll be back to check on you again in a little while. Call the nurse if there’s a problem.”
“We will”, assured Willow. Dr. Gulliver nodded and left the pair alone. “You doing okay, Baby”, asked the redhead.
“MmHm”, Tara answered.
“You need anything? You want some more ice?”
“That would be nice.”
Willow smiled and handed her wife the small cup of ice chips they had been provided. Tara took it and pulled a small piece into her mouth, sucking on it slowly.
*******
“What is taking so long”, asked Anya, pacing anxiously.
“Labor is a long thing, Honey”, Xander tried to explain.
“But why? Why is it so long? I don’t understand.”
“I don’t understand how you can be 1100 years old and not know the facts of life”, said Dawn.
“That’s exactly why she doesn’t understand it, Dawnie”, stated Buffy, “She was an immortal, she didn’t have to worry about the ‘facts of life’.”
“I am standing right here. You don’t have to talk about me as if I’m not”, Anya sniped, then softened, “But, thanks for the assist.”
“Anytime”, sighed Buffy.
“Anya”, Giles picked up, “Tara’s body is under an immense amount of stress. She’s trying to coax a very large object out of a very small space. Naturally, it’s going to be quite time consuming.”
“I understand that”, Anya replied, “but it’s been two hours!”
“And it may be several more”, continued the watcher, “All we can do is just sit here, patiently, and wait for any news.”
Anya stopped her pacing and sat down in a huff, “Fine.”
*******
“Okay, Tara”, said the doctor, coaching, “Just a couple more. Ready? Now, Push!”
Tara bore down, pushing as hard as she could. Willow continued to hold her hand, offering words of love and support.
“And…relax”, ordered Dr. Gulliver, “Okay, Tara, the head’s almost out. I really need you to push hard on this next one, okay?”
Tara shook her head, “O.K.” She looked over to her wife, “Willow, it hurts.”
“Okay, Baby”, Willow answered, placing her free hand on Tara’s forehead and chanting, Opera Curto.
The pained crease on Tara’s brow relaxed, and she breathed slightly easier, the pain lessening.
“What did you say?” Asked the doctor.
“Oh”, said Willow, “It’s just a support phrase we came up with in Lamaze class.”
“It sounded Latin… ‘Lessen Pain’, right?”
“Uh, yeah…”
“Cool”, Dr. Gulliver said matter-of-factly, “Okay, here we go. And…push!”
Again Tara pushed down as hard as she could.
“Her head’s out, Baby”, Willow exclaimed, “I can see her head!”
“Keep pushing, let’s see if we can get the rest of her”, Dr. Gulliver encouraged.
“Push, Tara, push!” Willow cheered, “You’re doing so good.”
Suddenly, they heard the sound of their baby crying. Dr. Gulliver quickly suctioned the mucus out of the infant’s nose and mouth, and placed the baby on Tara’s chest. The child was instantly quieted.
“Baby girl”, the doctor announced, wiping the newborn clean of the white vernix coating its body.
Willow looked on, her eyes wide, unable to move in the magnitude of the moment. Tara gazed serenely upon her child, caressing her face, memorizing every detail. The infant looked up at her mother with wide and curious eyes. Finally, Willow drummed up the courage and stepped forward, leaning down toward her new daughter, “Hello, Emily”, she said, taking a tiny hand in her own, the teeny fist curling around her index finger. Willow cracked a grin wide enough to engulf her whole head. She looked up into Tara’s eyes and kissed her exhausted wife on the forehead, “She’s beautiful, Baby. Just like you.”
“Look, Willow, she’s got your hair”, Tara said, referring to the thin tuft of auburn hair on Emily’s head.
“And your eyes”, Willow commented softly.
“Willow, would you like to cut the cord”, asked Dr. Gulliver, holding out a pair of surgical sheers.
The redhead looked to her wife for assurance. Tara smiled, “Yes.”
Dr. Gulliver placed a clamp near the base of the cord at the baby’s stomach. She handed Willow the sheers, and guided the young woman’s hand down to just above the clamp. Willow nervously clipped through, severing the cord.
A nurse came over and gently helped Tara wrap Emily in a small blanket. Then placed matching I.D. bracelets on Tara’s wrist and Emily’s ankle.
“I know the last thing you want to do is let her go”, Dr. Gulliver stated, “But we need to take her to the nursery so that we can measure and weigh her, and run a couple of other standard tests. She’ll be fine, and we’ll get her back to you as soon as possible, okay?”
Tara let out a small whimper at the prospect of letting go of her baby, but relented and allowed the nurse to take Emily and place her in a small, plastic bassinet. Emily started to protest immediately, kicking and wailing, wanting the safety of her mother’s arms. The sound caused both Tara and Willow’s hearts to break as they watched their daughter get wheeled out of the room.
“Strong lungs”, Dr. Gulliver commented, “Good sign. You two have a healthy little girl, there.” Willow and Tara smiled, warmed by Dr. Gulliver’s words. “Alright, now, we’ve got a little bit of time before you deliver the afterbirth. Willow, you might want to take this opportunity to tell your friends the good news. Take them to the nursery while Tara and I finish things up here. Okay?”
Again Willow looked to Tara for permission. The blonde nodded her assent.
“I’ll be right back”, Willow assured, lightly kissing her on the lips, “I love you.” Tara smiled as Willow left the room.
*******
The group lay about the waiting room waiting for any news. Xander and Anya were stretched out on the couch, Buffy and Dawn curled up in adjoining chairs and Giles leaned against the wall, reading an ancient magazine. He paused from his reading to look up for a moment, relaxing his eyes, and seeing Willow nearing them from down the hall.
“It’s Willow”, he announced, causing everyone to jump to full alertness.
The redhead approached her friends, eyes gleaming, grinning from ear to ear. “She’s here”, she announced, “Tara’s fine. Baby’s fine.”
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Buffy reached out and hugged her friend furiously. “Oh, Will, that is so wonderful! I’m so happy for you!”
Everyone took turns hugging and congratulating their friend.
“Can we see her”, asked Dawn, “The baby?”
“Sure”, Willow replied, leading the gang out of the waiting room, “they just took her to the nursery.”
They arrived at the nursery just in time to see Willow and Tara’s baby placed in the front row.
“There she is”, pointed Willow excitedly, “that’s her!”
Everyone looked through the glass bay windows and let out a collective, “Awe.”
Emily wiggled and fidgeted in her bassinet, kicking her legs out and waving her tiny fists. A small cardboard placard on the front of the bassinet read:
EMILY ANNE ROSENBERG-MACLAY
Weight: 7 lbs 9 oz. Length: 18.2 inches
“Willow, she’s beautiful”, said Buffy in wonderment.
“She’s so little”, said Dawn, “Look at how tiny.”
“It truly is a miracle, Willow”, said Giles, “Congratulations.”
“Thanks, Giles”, Willow replied, beaming.
“So, Will”, began Xander, “How does it feel to be the proud papa?”
“More wonderful and terrifying than I could ever have imagined”, she answered, a sudden wave of realization washing over her that, along with Tara, this child was now her number one priority, and she would lay down her life to keep them safe.
*******
“Thanks for letting us stay the night, Buffy”, said Willow, entering the Summers’ home lugging with her two suitcases, an overnight bag, and a stroller.
“No, problem, Willow”, stated Buffy, “I’ve missed having you guys around. Um, do you need any help with that?”
“I’m okay”, Willow replied, setting down her load inside the living room. “Having a baby makes you an expert at carrying many objects at once.”
“I see that”, the slayer concurred.
“Provided they have handles”, the redhead added.
“I see that too.”
Tara entered the familiar home carrying the now barely two-month old Emily in her arms, and a diaper bag slung over her shoulder.
“Willow, could you?” She appealed, indicating the bag. Willow carefully relieved her wife of her burden, and set the bag with the rest on the floor. “Thank you.”
“What time is your train tomorrow”, Buffy asked.
“Eleven A.M.” Willow answered. “The movers finally left for Seattle today around one. So we went and hung out with Xander and Anya for a while before we came over here. It was our last chance to see them before we leave, since they both have to work tomorrow.”
“I hope that Emily doesn’t wake you up too much tonight”, said Tara, sitting down on the couch. “She might be a little cranky being in a new place.”
“I don’t mind”, Buffy smiled, sitting next to her, softly caressing the sleeping babe’s red hair. “I’m gonna miss you guys”, she said with a sniffle.
“We’ll miss you too, Buffy”, Tara said sincerely. Willow moved and sat down on the armrest of the couch, next to Tara, resting her hand on the wiccan’s shoulder.
“You understand why we have to go, right, Buff?” Willow inquired.
“I understand”, answered Buffy, “The Hellmouth is no place to raise a family. I just…”
“Yes”, asked Tara.
“I just wish… things were different.”
“So do we.” Willow stated, her voice hushed. Tara nodded.
“Well”, said Buffy, standing, “I’m gonna go to bed, see you guys in the morning.”
“Night, Buffy”, said Willow.
“Night, Buffy”, echoed Tara.
The two women sat in the silence of the living room for a moment. Taking the time to look around and remember all the memories they had made there. Finally, Willow stood, and let out a great sigh, which turned into a yawn, which turned into a stretch.
“We should probably get to bed too”, pointed Tara.
“Yeah”, Willow agreed, “do you need me to hold her while you stand?”
“Yes, please”, acknowledged Tara. Willow lent down and lifted her daughter into her arms.
“We just need the diaper and overnight bags, right”, Tara queried.
“Yeah”, confirmed Willow.
“Well, I can carry those if you want to carry her upstairs.”
“Probably a good idea”, Willow concurred, “She might wake up if we keep going back and forth.”
“Yeah.”
Tara lifted the two bags and followed Willow up the stairs to their old room.
*******
Emily had, in fact, started crying in the middle of the night. But Buffy didn’t care. She couldn’t sleep anyway. The slayer listened as she heard the master bedroom door open, and the sound of padded feet, along with Emily’s crying, go passed her door. One of the girls was carrying the distressed infant downstairs.
Probably so she doesn’t disturb me, Buffy thought wryly, I should go down and tell them it’s all right.
Buffy pulled herself out of bed and walked quietly to her door and down the hall. By the time she got to the bend in the stairs however, the baby had stopped crying, and Buffy heard the sound of Tara’s voice, singing softly. The slayer crept down the stairs and peered around, her sharp senses telling her that the sound was coming from the dining room. She carefully looked around the corner of the archway, keeping herself hidden in the shadows, and saw a sight that nearly took her breath away.
Tara, wearing a soft, satin, light-salmon colored nightgown, was resting in one of the dining room chairs, leaning back enough so that she could rock it gently. One of her breasts was exposed, and Emily was suckling on it methodically. Tara caressed her daughter’s head and face singing to her tenderly:
Baby mine, don’t you cry,
Baby mine, dry your eyes,
Hold your head close to my heart
Never to part, Baby of mine
From your head to your toes
You’re not much, goodness knows
But you’re so precious to me
Cute as can be, Baby of mine…
In the darkness, Buffy turned away from the darling sight and leaned against the wall of the archway for support. God, Willow, she thought, You are so lucky. You have everything I never will. Buffy reached up and stopped a tear from cascading down her cheek. Deciding she needed a glass of water, Buffy turned the corner into the dining room.
“Buffy”, Tara said, slightly startled, but careful not to disturb the child in her arms. She quickly covered Emily’s head and her breast with a cloth she had resting on her shoulder. “Did we wake you?”
“No”, Buffy answered, “I couldn’t sleep. I was just coming down to get a glass of water. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”
“It’s fine”, assured Tara, “I actually came downstairs so not to bother Willow. Neither one of us have been sleeping too much lately, but, her especially. She’s really torn up about this move.”
“Tara”, said Buffy, “not that I’m the most impartial of judges, but… do you really think you should go?”
“We talked about it for a long time last night”, Tara began, “Actually, we fought.”
“You fought?”
“Yeah. It was kind of funny because we were both arguing the same thing. ‘We should go because’…” Tara chuckled. After a pause she continued, “We were trying to convince ourselves that this is for the best. For us both and for Emily. Willow and I have seen too many good people die here. Especially Willow. And she’s terrified of losing me, or losing Emily. But what scares her most is the thought of Emily and I losing her. It scares me too. Ultimately that’s the driving force behind why we have to go, and why we didn’t change our minds last night… when we came so close.”
“I understand”, said Buffy, “Really I do. And I know that this is way harder on you guys than it is on me, but… Do you think you’ll ever come back?”
“I don’t know”, Tara answered honestly, “I really don’t. If I did, I’d tell you.”
“I know”, Buffy sighed, then turned her attention to the babe in Tara’s arms. “Is she asleep?”
Tara lifted up the cloth a little to check. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’m going to go into the kitchen to get a glass of water, so you can, um…”
“Thanks.” Tara smiled, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Buffy rose and left the room. Tara gently removed her breast from Emily’s mouth, and tucked it back into her nightgown. Also rising, she poked her head into the kitchen to say goodnight, and went back upstairs to bed.
*******
Seattle was definitely nothing like Sunnydale. While Sunnydale was what Xander once described as “A one Starbucks town.” Seattle was the Starbucks town. The sprawling metropolis was a little overwhelming at first to the two young girls. Upon arriving in the train station, they quickly made their way to the taxi stand and directed the driver to their hotel downtown, seeking refuge in their room for the remainder of the day.
The next day only Willow ventured out, catching a cab to the realtor’s office she had spoken so often with online while still in Sunnydale. From there, she and her real estate agent, Sharon, drove out to the neighborhood known simply as Magnolia, an affluent residential neighborhood just west of Queen Anne Hill, one of Seattle’s most prestigious and wealthy districts. After months of cyber-walkthroughs and negotiations, Sharon had convinced Willow to purchase a modest, two-story house located in the heart of Magnolia, near Discovery Park. Arriving at what was to be her and Tara’s new address, 4219 W. Grover St, Willow could be nothing less than pleased. It was an attractive white house with blue trim, a decent front yard and a generous backyard with trees and a tire swing. The interior was nicely preserved, with Navajo-white walls and rich rose hardwood flooring.
The only downside was the commute. On days when Willow might be needed in the downtown office, it was a good twelve minutes… by car. The redhead would have to purchase a vehicle if she ever planned on venturing out of her own neighborhood. Sharon was kind enough to recommend several dealerships, and Willow added them to her “things to do” list.
After Sharon dropped Willow off back at her hotel, the young woman hurried back to her room, pausing only to kiss Tara and Emily, “hello”, before immediately jumping on the phone and starting to make arrangements with the moving company, power company, gas company, phone company, and water company. She hoped to have her little family moved into their new home by the end of the week. Being the over-achiever that she was, she succeeded above and beyond, and they were settled in, in two days.
*******
It had finally happened. Two weeks after arriving in Seattle, the adrenaline rush that Willow had been surviving on ran out. Tara had walked into the room the redhead had selected to be her office, and found her wife asleep, face-first, on her laptop keyboard. Tara was not surprised or alarmed; rather she had been expecting this to happen. Tara took advantage of her newly acquired upper body strength (from constantly carrying Emily), and Willow’s naturally light weight, and lifted the exhausted woman into her arms. Willow instinctively wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck.
Tara carried her lover all the way upstairs, and carefully laid her down in their bed, gently removing her shoes and pants, and tucking her in. This is where Willow stayed for two days, rising only to go to the bathroom or drink up some hot broth that Tara had prepared for her to keep her from getting too weak or too hungry. Finally, on the morning of the third day, Willow rose and went downstairs, finding her wife and daughter in the kitchen. Tara was making breakfast. Pancakes.
“Hey, sleepy-head”, Tara greeted playfully, “Funny shapes or rounds?”
Willow smiled and walked up behind the blonde, embracing her from behind and kissing the base of her neck. “Mmmm…. Funny shapes.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah…thanks…. Sorry.”
Tara turned around in the embrace to face the redhead, “Willow, darling, you’ve been running yourself ragged. It’s no wonder your body finally called a ‘time-out’. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever stop racing.” She paused and glanced over to Emily, who was sitting in her carrier on top of the kitchen table, kicking out her legs and flexing her hands. “She missed you…”
Willow smiled and kissed Tara lightly on the lips before crossing over to the baby, sitting next to her, and playfully tickling her neck and tummy. Emily’s eyes brightened and she smiled a great toothless grin and giggled and wiggled in her seat. “I missed you too, little one”, she said, leaning down and kissing her daughter on the head.
Tara joined the others at the table with two plates of expertly made “funny shape” pancakes. Willow quickly dug in, feeling like she could eat an entire breakfast buffet. Tara chuckled as she watched her wife devour her plate.
“Hungry?”
“Juft a liffle”, Willow replied, mouth full.
“Here”, said Tara, still laughing, “Let me get you something to wash that down.” She rose and retrieved a small glass from the cupboard. Crossing to the refrigerator, she opened the milk, and poured some into the cup, carrying it back over Willow.
“Thanfs.” Willow said gratefully, gulping some down immediately.
“Slow down, Sweetie”, cautioned Tara, “You don’t want to upset your stomach.”
Willow complied and lessened her pace. “Sorry, just… hungry…”
“I know…”
“I should go hop on the computer. Kris is probably wondering what part of the Earth I fell off of.”
“Actually”, said Tara, “I already called her and told her you haven’t been feeling well. She said that as long as you’re able to get the new, uh, ‘sequence variance’ in by Friday, everything’s fine.”
“Oh, well that’s easy”, Willow sighed in relief, “You know, we are so lucky, Kris has got to be the most understanding CEO in the world. I mean, here she is, owner of a multi-million dollar company, and she still makes it a point to get to know all of her employees, even if she’s never seen them in person. You know, I should really go down there and introduce myself. Maybe I could just deliver the new sequence in person.”
“Sounds like a good idea”, Tara agreed, standing and placing both of their plates in the sink. Turning on the faucet, she rinsed them off and placed them in the washer.
*******
Kristal Graphics was located in a luxury high-rise office building downtown. After driving around for what seemed like hours trying to find a parking space, Willow finally brought her gold, ’04 Ford Taurus to a stop.
Once inside the building, Willow easily navigated her way to the 14th floor, which Kristal Graphics entirely occupied.
“Um, hi, I’m Willow Rosenberg-Maclay”, she introduced herself to the receptionist, “Is Kristal Loggarth around?”
“Oh!”, exclaimed the woman behind the desk, causing Willow to jump slightly. “Willow! We’ve heard so many good things about you. Kris will be so excited to know that you’re here. Just have a seat, I’ll call her right down.”
“Thanks”, said Willow, sitting down and glancing over a copy of PC World Magazine. She didn’t have to wait very long.
“Willow, it is such a pleasure to finally meet you face to face”, said Kristal as she entered the lobby. She was an attractive woman with brunette hair and deep green eyes. She looked to be in her mid to late thirties, and was dressed casually in khaki pants and a light colored turtleneck and sweater.
“It’s nice to meet you too”, said Willow, extending her hand. Kristal took it at shook it warmly.
“Come with me to my office”, Kristal invited.
“Of course”, Willow nodded.
Kristal led the redhead back to her office, allowing them a moment to settle in, before picking up the conversation. “How are Tara and the baby”, she asked.
“Oh, they’re, uh, doing great. Thanks for asking”, Willow replied.
“Settling in okay?”
“Yeah. I, uh, have the new sequence for you…”
“Great, just leave it with Lucy when you go”, said Kristal.
“Lucy?”
“Reception”, the brunette clarified, “She’ll get it to where it belongs. So, the baby is all right? Not suffering any after effects of the, um, problem you had mentioned a few months ago?”
“No”, answered Willow, grinning, “She’s great. Perfectly healthy. I have to admit that Tara and I were a little worried about that, but, she’s fine.” She paused a moment, dropping to a more serious tone, “I just wanted to come down and thank you for being so patient with me the last few months. I know my work fell a little bit behind with…”
“Willow, don’t worry about it”, assured Kris, “Here at Kristal Graphics, family always comes first. It’s our number one policy, Family before Company. Although, I kind of consider the company to be like my family.” She smiled. Willow smiled back. “Well, what’s say I give you the nickel tour?”
Willow nodded amiably and rose to follow her tour guide.
*******
“And then she was like, ‘family always comes first’. She was great, Tara, and so nice”, Willow spoke animatedly, as she prepared for bed, relaying her story of the day’s events. “It’s almost too good to be true.” She finished putting on her pajamas and crawled into bed, snuggling up next to her sweetheart. “Emily get to sleep okay?”
“Yeah”, answered Tara, rolling over and spooning Willow’s side. “Out like a light. Oh, Will, I’m so happy everything is working out so well.”
“Mmm”, Willow sighed, resting her cheek on top of Tara’s head. “Me too.”
“I’d have to say that this is cause for… celebration”, said Tara, lowering her tone seductively, and dropping a strategically placed kiss on Willow’s collarbone.
The redhead’s eyes shot wide open, “You mean?”
“I mean… okay?”
“Oh yes… But, are you sure? That you’re ready?”
“If I had a candle I’d be blowing it out”, Tara replied, playfully tasting Willow’s neck.
Willow raised an eyebrow in amusement, her skin flushed as the cool air mixed with traces of Tara’s saliva, sending chills down her spine. She brought her hand up and ran her fingers through Tara’s silky, blonde hair. Smiling as she watched the blonde’s head move around slowly.
Tara continued her tender journey, exploring Willow’s collarbone with her tongue. She placed her hand on top of Willow’s stomach, resting for a moment, feeling her wife’s steady breathing. Slowly she let her hand fall to a bit of exposed flesh between Willow’s pajama bottoms and her loose tank top. She traced it with her fingers, lightly, barely making contact. She suddenly stopped her oral caresses and brought her head up, lips locking tightly on Willow’s. They drank from each other for what seemed like an eternity. Tara turned her head slightly to the side, probing deeper into Willow’s mouth. Her efforts were matched as she felt Willow’s tongue slide against hers, beckoning for a dance. Both women tensed in the seriousness of the moment, as each concentrated on the other. Eyes closed, heads shifting from side to side, lips and tongues immersed in their languid dance. Arousal struck both as the tension from the past four months of imposed celibacy manifested itself.
They finally parted, stealing a few soft pecks before breaking contact. Willow smiled with love as she raised her hand to cup her beautiful wife’s cheek. Her emerald eyes illuminated in the moonlight, she lost herself in a sea of blue. Tara gently brushed away a few locks of flaming red hair from Willow’s forehead. They smiled at each other in silence, eyes dancing with happiness. Willow gently rubbed her wife’s smooth cheek with her thumb. She wrapped her other arm around the blonde’s body and squeezed, leaning in and pressing her lips to Tara’s forehead.
Tara rolled over a bit and slid her leg between Willow’s thighs, bringing her knee up to make contact with the warm center of her wife. She rolled her hips around as she pressed into Willow’s thigh, lowering her head to taste the extremely delicate skin below the redhead’s ear lobe. Willow rolled her head to the side, allowing Tara full access. Her hands began to tenderly caress Tara’s body, sliding the fabric of Tara’s silk nightgown between her fingers. She rolled her hips in sync with her wife’s, drawing out extremely pleasurable effects, as she rocked herself gently against Tara’s knee. Completely lost in the moment Willow began to sit up, forcing Tara back. In one swift movement Willow wrapped her arms around the blonde and reversed their positions, legs still between each other, lips still pressed tightly. She broke the kiss momentarily and sat up yanking her tank top over her head, tossing it to the side casually. Willow dropped her gaze and tugged gently at Tara’s nightgown. Tara rose up as Willow slipped the garment up and over her body, discarding it to the side as well. Willow placed her hands on either side of her wife and bent down, catching a few light kisses before lowering south to the smooth flesh of Tara’s chest.
Tara closed her legs around Willows thigh and squeezed gently, lightly rubbing up and down. Willow dribbled kisses down between Tara’s breasts, carefully deciding which route she should take first. She decided to trail down and left, her tongue grazing that soft valley nestled under Tara’s breast, causing the blonde to shut her eyes and moan softly.
Willow’s mouth crept steadily up before settling down upon a swollen nipple. She enclosed her mouth around it and suckled gently, drawing out some of the sweet milk filling Tara’s breast. She moaned as the precious liquid met her tongue. Tara’s breath caught as her wife touched her breasts in ways she was lately unaccustomed to. She tensed for a brief moment but then relaxed, trusting Willow to take care of her.
Willow resumed her journey downward, enjoying the extra bit of weight that remained on her wife’s stomach from her pregnancy. She pecked tenderly at the warm flesh with her lips. Tara smiled and watched Willow deliver her delicate caresses. She reached her hand down and placed it on the back of Willow’s head, drawing the emerald eyes up to her own.
“Come here.” Tara breathed, her eyes filling with lust. Willow smiled and crawled back up to her wife, who gently placed her hands upon Willow’s shoulders and rolled them back to their original position. Willow’s eyes widened briefly in surprise as she found herself entangled with Tara’s tongue, probing deeply inside her mouth. They kissed until Tara felt that Willow was thoroughly aroused. Breaking the kiss gently she moved her head to the side, hot breath splashing into Willow’s ear.
“Tonight is yours, my love.” She said in a husky voice. Since she had been pregnant Tara often found herself on the receiving end of their lovemaking but tonight she wanted to make it all up to her wife. Willow smiled lovingly and bit down on her lower lip, feeling the wetness between her legs beginning to swell. Tara moved her hand down between Willow’s legs, gently placing her fingers on Willow’s outer lips and beginning to massage softly, drawing out a series of moans from the redhead. Tara began to scoot herself down, trailing kisses around Willow’s flat stomach, her gentle massage becoming deeper and more languid. She smiled as Willow parted her legs, arching upward, begging for more contact. Tara took the hint and probed deeper still, penetrating past the sweet outer lips. Her touches were playful and melodic, fingers exploring the juicy vulva, engaged in a rhythmic dance.
Tara sat up for a moment and repositioned herself down between Willow’s legs. Her mouth watered at the site of the damp, copper curls that lay before her. With her left hand she gently parted the outer lips and dipped her head in, tongue barely grazing the tip of Willow’s little hood. Willow’s reaction was instant, leg muscles tensing, hips rolling slightly. Tara began a sequence of oral caresses, which were always guaranteed to bring her wife up and over the edge. She enclosed her mouth around the small hood and suckled it gently, then placed her index finger in front of Willow’s vaginal opening, sliding in her fingertip as she circled around a few times. After a few more minutes of tender ministrations Tara finally let her finger enter her wife completely, curving upward as she felt around for the rough spot located on the upper wall.
Willow flinched as the blonde’s finger made contact with her G-spot. She quickly threw her arms up over her head, clasping the bed frame with all her strength. Powerful surges coursed through her veins, her heart began to race, her breathing increasing with every tender touch. She held the bed frame so tightly her knuckles turned white, arm muscles slightly bulging, defining themselves under smooth, pale flesh. She arched her hips up more and pushed herself into Tara’s face. Her chest began to heave, her skin flushed bright pink, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she concentrated. Her orgasm was building quickly, forcing her toes to curl and her calf muscles to flex.
“Oh, God, Tara…” Willow tried to form a sentence between ragged breaths but she was unsuccessful. Tara’s finger kept massaging the inner walls of Willow’s vagina as she used her other hand to pull back the tiny hood exposing the center of her wife’s pleasure. Gently, very gently, she touched her tongue to Willow’s clit, eliciting a series of small whimpers, followed by long, drawn out moans.
“Yes…yes…yes” Willow felt herself arrive to the peak of climax but quickly shifted her focus. “No…no...no...”
“No?” Tara asked drawing her head back a bit, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“No…Baby…Ours….” Willow tried to calm herself, afraid she would peak before she could say what she wanted to.
“Ours?” Tara repeated softly, still confused.
“Tonight is ours…not mine...ours…I want to…at the same time…”
“Oh!” Tara said, suddenly realizing what her lover was trying to say. She gently drew her hand out of Willow’s quivering body and crawled up and over the redhead, lowering herself down. They kissed deeply for a few minutes before Willow slid her hand underneath and in-between Tara’s legs. Driven by passion she wasted no time in finding the fleshy knob and rolled it gently between her fingers. Tara bucked at the touch and let her own hand return to the soft wetness of her wife. Together they melted into a slow rhythm. Willow pressed her face into the soft shoulder that tensed before her. Tara nuzzled into Willow’s soft neck, gently biting down as she felt her own orgasm build. A thin sheen of sweat formed between the two heated bodies as the women rocked against each other in gentle stride.
“Will-O...” Tara tensed and cried out as she felt warm juice explode from within her center.
“Oh… God… Tara…” Willow followed a moment later, almost losing consciousness.
They clung together tightly for a few moments, waiting for the spasms to calm from within themselves and each other. Tara relaxed her body, exhausted, spent. She drew her hand out from Willow’s soft valley and rolled off to the side a bit, resting her head on her wife’s shoulder. They lay quietly together before Willow broke the silence.
“Was it good for you?” Willow mused. Both women giggled and relaxed, enjoying each other completely.
“I love you, Darling.” Tara spoke soft, placing a tender kiss on her wife’s shoulder.
“I love you too, Baby.” Willow smiled wondering if her life could get anymore perfect then it was right now. Her smile broadened into a grin as Tara’s hand crept seductively down her stomach. She chuckled lightly to herself, knowing this night was far from over.
*******
The next day, Willow arrived downtown with what could only be described as a shit-eating grin on her face. Despite her mini-meltdown a couple of days before, things were working out better than she ever could have imagined. She walked, no, strutted down the sidewalk as she approached her office building, allowing the cool, clean air and crisp, blue sky to envelope her senses. As far as she was concerned, all was right with the world.
“Willow!”
She stopped, and listened.
“Willow!”
She turned toward what sounded like a man’s voice calling her name. Looking behind her, she saw a young man in a business suit, carrying a briefcase, jogging toward her. As he neared, she was able to make out that it was John, her former neighbor from Sunnydale.
“I thought it was you”, he said, coming to a stop in front of her. “I’d recognize that hair anywhere.”
“John, just when I was starting to think it wasn’t such a small world after all.” Willow replied, slightly confused, “Wow, it’s, uh, nice to see you. What are you doing here?”
“I live here”, John explained, “Tina got a job accounting for a company here, and I was just hired by a local firm.”
“That’s great. How long ago?”
“Around three months.”
“Wow”, said the redhead, “I feel awful, I didn’t even notice you guys had moved. Some neighbor I was.”
“Don’t worry about it”, John responded, “It was a pretty quiet move. Since the apartment was furnished, all we had to pack was our clothes and a few knick-knacks.”
“Oh.”
“So, what are you doing out here”, queried John, “Business trip?”
“Um, no actually”, answered Willow, “Same as you. Got a job and followed it up here.”
“Weird”, said John, “When did you get here?”
“Two weeks ago.”
“You guys settled in okay? Tara’s with you, right?”
“Of course”, Willow ensured, “We bought a nice little house over on the west side.”
“Really, what part”, John asked.
“Uh, Magnolia, near Discovery Park on Grover St”, Willow explained.
“You’re kidding”, gasped John.
“Um, no.”
“Tina and I are on Ruffner, one block over!”
“Whoa, that’s… weird.”
“Isn’t it though?” John agreed, “So, how’s Tara doing?”
“She’s doing great”, Willow replied, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“And Emily?”
“Doing good, too.”
“Excellent”, said John. “Listen, I’ve got to run. Here’s my card, give me a call sometime. We should all get together now that we’re practically neighbors… again.”
“Sure”, answered Willow, “See you, um, later.” She watched after him as he disappeared into the crowded street. Glancing down at his card, she read:
JOHN D MASON, ESQ.
Criminal Defense
Law Offices of Masters,
Adams, and Walsh
(425) 555-7814
Not finding anything particularly interesting about it, she tucked it in her satchel and resumed her walk to work.
Arriving at the lobby, she found the reception desk unmanned. Lucy must be on break, she thought to herself. Finding her way down the hall she neared Kris’s office. She was about to knock when she heard her new boss’ raised voice filtering through the door. She paused to listen.
“Well, it’s about time”, she heard Kristal say angrily, “It only took you how long to make the contact…? Right, well we don’t have that kind of time to spare. How close are you to getting the item…? Well, that’s no good to me. I need it now… Listen to yourself, how difficult can it be…? Stop making excuses and just get it. This conversation is over.”
Willow jumped as she heard the phone slam down onto its cradle. She was tentatively raising her fist to knock on the door when it suddenly swung open causing her to leap back and let out a small cry.
“Ah!”
“Willow”, said Kris, just as shocked, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you... I thought you were working at home today.”
“I am”, replied Willow, “I mean, I was. I just stopped by to drop off the new equations. I was going to leave them with Lucy but, she’s not there…”
“It’s her lunch hour”, the CEO explained, “I can take them.”
“Oh”, Willow said, digging in to her bag and pulling out a zip disk. “Here you go. Man, that must be some program you’re developing. Those equations are almost identical to the ones used for mapping spatial anomalies.”
“They’re for an astronomy program for kids.”
“Oh, I didn’t know. If you want I can go back through and simplify them”, Willow offered.
“Not necessary”, the brunette answered. “Uh, listen, Willow, now is not a very good time. If you want you can email me any questions you might have, but right now I’m kind of heading out the door.”
“Sure, sorry to bother you.”
“It’s no bother”, assured Kris. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?” She said as she started down the hall.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oh”, she remembered, stopping, “Before I forget, we haven’t issued the memo yet, but… The annual employee/spouse Valentine’s Day dinner is coming up soon. This year we’re having at the Palisade, in your neck of the woods. You should come, bring Tara, and Emily too. How are they, by the way?”
“Great”, said Willow, “Same as yesterday.”
“Excellent. Have a safe drive home.”
“Thanks”, Willow responded, her gaze narrowing again as she watched Kris walk away. She stood alone in the hall for a moment, collecting her thoughts, before turning around and heading home.
*******
Willow couldn’t help it. She was curious by nature. As soon as she got home, she headed straight to her office and hopped online running searches to find out everything she could about Kristal Graphics and its affiliates. There was something strange going on, she could smell it, like any good Scooby would.
But, then again, I could be wrong, she thought as she neared her fourth hour of research with nothing to show for it. Her eyes now sore from staring at the monitor for too long, she clicked off the screen and went to find Tara.
She found her in the family room, reclined in an easy chair, watching the Discovery Channel and breast-feeding Emily. Willow schlumphed down into the couch, rubbing her eyes.
“What’s on?” She asked.
“Bunnies”, Tara answered.
“Oooo, cute.” Willow commented. “Is she hungry tonight?” She asked, referring to her daughter.
“You’d think she hadn’t eaten in days”, replied Tara, “She already dried up the other one.”
“Wow, that really sucks.”
“Do I even need to mention how awful that joke was?”
“No”, Willow conceded.
“Did you find anything out?” Tara asked.
“Uh-uh”, Willow said, throwing her hands in the air, “From what I can tell, Kristal Graphics is your typical software company. Nothing strange or out of the ordinary.”
“Willow, that’s a good thing”, Tara noted, “Not something to get upset about. You don’t want to find anything strange or out of the ordinary. Not to sound harsh, but, this isn’t Sunnydale.”
“I know, Baby”, Willow replied, “But it’s just weird, I don’t know how else to describe it. I mean, bumping into John and then, the… vibe… I got from Kristal was just…odd. I mean ODD. There was some definite odd vibe-age going on.”
“Can you describe this ‘vibe-age’?” Tara inquired.
“Well, first there was the phone call, which was strange”, Willow began, “Then, the whole awkward conversation in the hallway. And why is everyone always asking how you and Emily are?”
“Probably because I’m your wife and she’s your daughter, and it’s the polite thing to do”, Tara offered.
“But, we never got this much attention in Sunnydale”, Willow countered, “My old boss didn’t even know I was gay.”
“Willow, we’re living in Seattle now. This is a very progressive city with a large gay community. It’s normal here, it’s accepted. It’s not Sunnydale.”
“You keep saying that”, sighed Willow.
“Only because it’s true”, Tara stated. “Darling, I know you miss Buffy and Xander and Anya and… everyone. But, stop looking for fires to put out when there’s not even smoke. You’re going to run yourself into the ground.”
“There’s just one thing that keeps bugging me.” Willow leveled.
“What’s that?” Asked Tara, prepared to explain it away.
“John.” Willow recounted, “He said that he and Tina moved up here three months ago. Yet, he asked about Emily. Emily is only two and a half months old. I don’t remember sending them an announcement, did you ever tell Tina or John Emily’s name?”
“Um, I might have”, said Tara, “I honestly don’t remember. It was kind of a crazy time. I only really ever saw either of them when I was coming and going from the apartment. We weren’t exactly the most sociable neighbors. I’m sure they knew I was pregnant, kind of hard to miss.”
“Yes, but, did you tell them her name?”
“I don’t know”, she admitted.
“I smell smoke.”
*******
TBC...
"Promise me you'll never be linear." "On my trout."