Start of a New Life
by Rin
Beach Babies
[reviews]
A/N: Woohoo!! Finals are over, and I can finally relax again!!
--------------------
Three more months passed, and summer was almost over already. Buffy's book tour had been successful, and again promoted a higher sales count, which Travers was thankful. She had started working on the third book, and the television series was starting production for the fall season lineup. When she returned home, Willow was ready for her. They spent lots of time together, just like new lovers, and continued taking day by day at their own pace. Thanks to Willow's proposal, Watchers Records had made a huge jump in sales, and not only was there higher sales due to the promotion but television stations had actually called HER to do interviews on herself, and the company. That surprised her, nothing she really ever thought about doing before; when she did interviews, it was on one of the label's bands. Since Xander was as much a part of its success as she was, she tentatively agreed but only if he got to do it with her. The stations had no problem with that request.
The music festival was a hit, and most of the big names on their label had made a splash. It was definitely something they would do every year now. After a long tour, Faith even had a chance to see her girlfriend again, which she was more than grateful to Willow, since she was feeling a little antsy lately on the road. It was like a giant Woodstock, only in Sunnydale. They called it 'the Hellmouth festival,' or Hellmouth for short. It had boosted sales phenomenally, and it seemed the grounds they used overtop where the old high school used to be (it had exploded at Willow and Xander's graduation, and the police still had no leads on the prank gone awry). In remembrance of days passed in the library, they made sure that the stage was positioned right where it used to stand. It had been a blast, exhausting but a blast.
After that, the two just enjoyed their summer together. Willow was going to work as usual, Buffy staying at home and writing, even doing a couple articles on writing for college seminars that she would attend. When the blonde had mentioned the colleges contacting her for seminars, she had been really quiet for a couple days, sad, forlorn, and Buffy wasn't sure what the sudden mood was for, until she remembered why Willow had practically raised herself. The Rosenbergs were always on the road, doing seminars at colleges across the nation, and even in other countries. They were hardly ever home, and that scared Willow. She now understood that, especially if they were going to have children, and they both wanted children. The timing was right yet, though.
More time passed, and they just went with the flow, falling back into the pattern of everyday living with no interruptions. Basically, it was an uneventful summer for the most part. Soon, though, Buffy would be flying to New York University for her first workshop/seminar, and Willow had every intention to go with her. It was on a Friday, and they would be able to make a whole weekend of it. The redhead just grinned, 'it's good to be boss.'
Now, they were having a picnic on the beach with their friends. Anya was tending to baby Jesse, who was giving her mother a hard time ever since she learned to walk. The part that Willow and Buffy giggled at was the fact that the poor child was going to be teased in school because of her speech. Not how she talked physically but more as to what she says. The girl was still cute as a button. With Xander's big brown eyes, Anya's thick hair starting to grow, and her little baby fingers and toes. Even Faith was having a hard time ignoring the cuteness that was the baby. The dark brunette still couldn't believe the turnaround she had made in her life in just only two years, ever since she met and fell in love with the redhead. Kennedy was tossing a football along the shore with Buffy, who Willow was ogling, in her bikini top and wraparound flowing in the wind. Kennedy just laughed at her little victory dance when the blonde caught the ball.
"Ha! Touchdown! Oh, yeah. Go team me." Buffy tossed the ball back to Kennedy, holding back her strength. The brunette caught it, and just raised her eyebrow playfully.
"Anybody ever tell you the quarterback throws like a girl?" Kennedy tossed the ball back, and when Buffy caught it, she looked at the pigskin questioningly.
"I do?" The only response she got was a simple shrug. With resolve, she gripped the ball, and tossed it with force. It hit Kennedy in the face, and she fell backwards on the sand with a loud 'oomph!' Buffy rushed over to her with panicked, apologetic eyes, helping her stand. "Ooh, sorry."
Meanwhile, Xander was still having trouble with the fire pit, and Willow was still trying to get him to let her do it instead. Anya and Faith were playing with Jesse, doing patty cake, which caused Willow to look over at her with shocked amusement. After laughing, she gave up on Xander for the moment, and resumed watching her girlfriend, who was currently running away from Kennedy, trying NOT to be tackled. She was extremely jealous because she wanted to be the one tackling her wife in the sand. Only, she wouldn't be getting up; instead, she would have pinned her down, and proceeded to kiss her all over...that line of thought wasn't helping.
"I'm exhausted just looking at those two. All the splashing, and jumping, and running... Shouldn't relaxing involve less exertion?" Xander scorched his hand on another dead match. He just wasn't getting that the wind was going to keep blowing the fire out, if he didn't shield it.
"Absolutely. Exertion can lead to sweatiness." Anya put her two cents in, and just kept
holding Jesse's hands to steady her.
"Which can cause the pain and heartbreak of stinkiness. Better to just stay put." Normally, Faith would be out there, too but she was having too much fun relaxing after the constant movement of the tour. She was content just relaxing. Just then, Kennedy and Buffy came running back to the gang, crashing down by their respective lovers. Willow couldn't help but take the sweaty kiss from the blonde; she never could resist her that way, and it was already hard to restrain herself from not jumping her in public.
"Game over?" Willow started to rub more tanning lotion on Buffy's back; not because the blonde needed more but because the redhead wanted to touch her.
"Buffy slayed the football." Kennedy showed the victim, and tossed the deflated ball beside her beach blanket.
"Where's my burger?" Buffy looked at Xander with a hunger that only she knew.
"Yeah, man. I'm starving." Kennedy started rubbing Faith's bikini clad back, and watched Xander burn his fingers on another match.
"The, uh, fire's not cooperating. It's comforting to know that I lack the culinary finesse of a caveman." Xander throws the matchbox down, and Willow picks it up, striking one, and throwing it in the fire. Just to show off, she pretended it was a spell by gesturing at the fire.
"Ignis incende!" She smiled over at her wife, who had started rubbing lotion on Willow's pale shoulders. It was more like a massage, and just an excuse to be touching. The ocean wasn't the only thing that had made their suits wet. The log in the pit flamed, and Xander was too close to it, not expecting it to work, since he hadn't been able to get it, so he fell back onto the sand from the sudden burst of fire.
"Willow, check you out; witch fu!" Buffy leaned into kiss her lightly, and smiled brightly at her.
"It's no big. You just have to balance the elements, so when you affect one, you don't wind up causing..." Suddenly, there were storms clouds, and droplets of rain began to fall on them, which eventually turned into a downpour, soaking their relaxing beach picnic. They all ran to their own cars, and said their goodbyes, trying to settle as best they could. Pretty soon, the entire beach was empty, and the two lovers were on their way back to their house, drenched to the core, and not able to keep their hands from touching each other while Willow drove the Jeep.
As soon as they parked in the driveway, they grabbed their beach bags with their stuff unceremoniously tossed in them, and ran to the porch, getting soaked again. As soon as they were in the doorway, they threw their bags aside, not caring where they landed, and before the door was even shut, Buffy had Willow's legs around her waist, supporting the redhead completely, as she backed her into the wall in the foyer, crushing their lips together blindly. They had a need, and it would not wait any longer. It had been torture enough when they were playing in the ocean earlier, and Buffy thought it would be funny to carry Willow piggyback into the water. She just didn't tell her they were going out further until it was too late, and the redhead was tackled underwater, arms wrapped around Buffy's neck in a death grip for fear of drowning.
When Buffy calmed her down, and mentioned they were a sand dune, and would be okay, Willow relaxed a little, and just went with the flow, keeping her arms around her wife's neck, only lovingly instead. Making out in the ocean, with their bodies covered to the chest, Buffy surprised the redhead when her hand made its way underneath her bikini top, and her other hand underneath her bottoms, teasing her. Unfortunately, they were interrupted when Xander splashed his way over there, and tackled them both underneath. They'd been waiting to pick up where they left off ever since, and that had been four hours ago.
They had finally managed to get their soaked clothes removed, albeit more frustrating than usual b/c of the added weight but they had finally crashed on the couch. Luckily, Bubbles had interrupted them when Willow had freed Buffy from her wraparound, barking at them for attention. Just a little was given, as the blonde finally shut and locked the door. After that time with Xander walking in on them, they took precautions. After they had tired out, they just lay there in their sweat soaked bodies, limbs tangled, and breathing rapid on the oversized couch.
"Jesse was cute today, and Faith was too fun playing with her. I think she wants kids." Willow finally spoke after several minutes of reigning in their breathing. Buffy just hummed in agreement, not able to talk yet. "With her little baby toes wiggling in the sand, and her tiny hands splashing the water, and her bathing suit was adorable with the little white daisies on it. "
"I know. Remember when Xander tried to take her into the waves a little more, and she would pout, and give him a glare. I think she was channeling her mother there." They giggled.
"Yeah. I'm sure Xander knows that glare by heart by now. Just think, he has another 18 years to look forward to double glares." Willow beamed, cuddling into Buffy's side, head on her shoulder, arm wrapped around her torso tightly in an embrace.
"I know, and he's going to love every minute of it." Buffy started stroking sweat matted auburn locks, and kissed the crown of Willow's head. The buzz was exhilarating.
"And to think, he was worried he wouldn't be a good father." Willow enjoyed the feeling of the afterglow, relaxing completely for the moment.
"I think you'd make a great mom." Buffy looked down with a serious expression, as Willow leaned up on her elbow, searching her lover's face for the hidden meaning.
"You would, too." Willow wasn't sure but she had a feeling that it was the right time to talk about the children subject. It was always just mentioned in passing, and never talked in depth.
"Wills, I know you want kids. You know I do, too. How would we go about it, though? Would you want to adopt maybe? If not, would we need a donor? Then, who would we get? A friend...maybe a sperm bank? If so, who would carry the baby? I mean, I'm..." Buffy was stopped in mid babble panic, as Willow's lips softly halted hers from moving. Once calm, the blonde hummed in approval for the save, and they presumed their positions more calmly.
"Well, one thing at a time. I know there are several kids that need a good home but would it be selfish of me to want a baby that looks like us?" Willow looked down into her wife's eyes, a pleading quality in her tone.
"Of course not. If our baby is half as beautiful as you, then it will be gorgeous." Buffy started stroking auburn locks again, as Willow got her 'aww' face.
"Sappy Buffy...how I've missed you."
"You just saw me this morning." Buffy just settled more comfortably on the couch, positioning them to where they were face to face on the couch but still touching, and limbs tangled. "I would love for our baby to look like us." After a brief moment, she started again. "I know that you're worried I'll have all of these seminars and workshops but I promise you, Willow, that I will be here, in our home to raise our child, and moreso to be with you. I would never desert you like that." Willow started to speak but Buffy cut her off. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking that because I know you, Wills. You were scared to death, and probably still are. I'm telling you now, don't be. I love you, and there's nothing that could keep me away, not even impending doom and apocalypse."
"I know but when you told me that, I just...it all came back to me. I mean, I hardly ever talk to my mom, and she doesn't even know your real name. If she does, then she's hiding it well, Bunny." Willow giggled, and became serious again. "I just...I don't want to be like that myself, or put any child through that. I want to be a good mommy but I didn't have a good model in the field. I wouldn't know the first thing..."
"Yes, you would because you would love it. From the first moment you laid eyes on it, you would love it, and like everything else in your life, you would love it wholeheartedly. You're an amazing woman, Wills, and there is no doubt in my mind that you would be an amazing mother." Buffy's eyes bore her sincerity into Willow's loving gaze.
"You would, too." After another moment, they relaxed again. "I wish I had met your mother. She sounds amazing, and she was beautiful."
"She was and she is. She would think the same thing about you; Dawn even said that when we first started dating...or rather about a month into the relationship. Plus, Dawn would beam if she were an aunt. The baby would be spoiled rotten." Buffy cupped Willow's cheek warmly, and just loved the feeling of the moment. It was a heavy talk but one they both needed and wanted. "What about the father? How would we do that?"
"I don't know. I don't like to think of our child coming from a frozen vault, though. I would say we could ask Xander but neither of us is a brunette, so that defeats the purpose of look-alikes." Willow took Buffy's hand that was lying on her cheek, and placed an open mouthed kiss on the palm, eliciting a shiver from her wife. "Who would carry it, though? You or me?"
"Well, we're both business women, and successful. I stay at home writing most of the time, so babysitters won't always be an issue. You go into the office, and we both take the occasional trip for work. I'm not sure. Should we flip a coin?" Buffy was joking but she wasn't sure it was a bad idea once she thought about it some more. How would they decide? Willow giggled, and just kissed the blonde's fingertips one by one.
"Why don't we get to that crossroad when we get there?" She placed Buffy's hand around her waist, and moved her own to the blonde's, pulling them even closer, so that she could kiss her sensuously. "I do know that my mother had a tough time getting pregnant, and they had to see a doctor before I was born. My father always told me that story, about how I was a miracle baby, although I think he exaggerated a bit."
"I don't think he did. You're my miracle." Buffy kissed her smirking lips again. "There are no real problems in that area in my family history. Just for safety precautions, I'll carry the baby."
"But..." Willow was shushed by another kiss.
"I'll carry the baby. I don't want you taking any risks. If you were to lose the baby, I know that you would be devastated. Having a kid is supposed to be a happy time, and I only want to see you happy. I want to make you happy. Let me do this for you, for us. I would be more than happy." Buffy thought a moment, and then added an afterthought. "What about distribution?" Upon Willow's questioning look, she explained further. "I mean...you know, the whole making the baby thing. I mean, I don't want to have sex with anybody but you for the rest of my life, not even to conceive of a baby."
"We can talk to a doctor, and see what he says. I'll call Ethan, maybe, and see if he has any ideas."
"What about Giles? He's book guy, so he might know."
"I'm still not talking to him." Willow's face fell, and she fought back her emotions. "I want to forgive him; I really do but there's this part of me that can't get past the fact that he went behind our backs, and did something you didn't want. I'm not saying I'm ungrateful because believe me, I am more than grateful but that little part in my brain just won't let it go."
"Baby, I was mad at first, too but I understand why he did it." Buffy wiped the first tear that fell from Willow's left eye, and kissed her eyelids softly.
"Well, can you tell me because I still don't?" Willow suddenly felt the need to touch Buffy, and have them close. It was like reassuring that her wife really was there, and that Giles really did heal her.
"He loves you, Willow, and he didn't like seeing you suffer. When I was training with him, he would tell me all of the adventures you and Xander would get into with him. He adores you, and I believe he thinks of you as his daughter, Xander as his son, and when I was there dying, for him to see you suffer so much because of it when there was a chance to end it. I regret not telling him to do it in the first place. I'll admit that Ethan scared me, and the tension in the room when he and Giles were together was unnerving but that doesn't change the fact that I'm here still, and that I'm with you, and that we're happy. So very happy, and we're actually talking about starting a family together. There is no doubt in my mind that Giles is suffering from the guilt of the betrayal but I also know that he doesn't regret it one bit."
"Wow. I mean...yeah. That's...why'd you have to be so smart?" Willow looked back into Buffy's hazel eyes, her own brimming with tears, both from the beautiful woman in front of her, and the guilt at feeling mad at Giles by just wanting to help make her happy. It had worked, so she should have been over it long ago. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Willow." Buffy kissed her eyelids softly again before kissing her tenderly on the lips. Moving back, she looked at Willow strangely, surprised by the unresponsiveness to the kiss. "You wanna try that again? Once more with feeling?"
"Sorry." Willow chuckled lightly, and kissed her again.
"I can't believe we're going to start a family. Us. Willow and Buffy. Buffy and Willow. Rosenberg and Summers. I'm so happy." Buffy was crying happy tears now, and it was Willow's turn to kiss the blonde's eyelids softly, and wipe the tears away from her cheeks. "We're starting our new life together, and it's going to be even more amazing than it already has been."
"I know...and it has been pretty amazing, even though there's been all kinds of obstacles in the way but that's normal. You're one hell of a woman, Buffy Summers, and I love you so much." Willow kissed her feverishly, letting her hands roam over the naked body of her lover again.
"Mmm...you're not too shabby yourself, Willow Rosenberg." They kissed again, longer this time, and adding more heat. "Want to go start that new life right now?" Willow just nodded at the seductive smirk plastered on Buffy's face, and they bounded up the stairs to their bedroom, ready to make another all nighter well worth the lack of sleep.
------------
A/N: End of this story. Next up...baby plans, and more!!!