North and South...and West
by Rin
You're what?!!?!
[reviews]
One month later...
Tara was standing in their foyer, telling them that she was pregnant. She would've had to be three months or more along now if it were Daniel's baby, which it was...since Tara hadn't ever been with another man.
"I can't afford this baby, Will. What am I supposed to do? How did this happen?" Tara was a mess. Ever since the doctor confirmed her fears, the blonde had been running wild. She could barely afford the rent for the boarding house where she'd been staying. She and Daniel had never had much money in life, and he was her provider. The factory gave her a small sum to compensate for her husband's death in their factory accident but it wouldn't support her for much longer, and especially not a baby.
"I hope you know how this happened." Will blushed. This wasn't something she really wanted to discuss with another man's wife.
"I mean...I know that part." Tara ducked her head. Will was still so handsome. "Where's Buffy this afternoon?"
"She's calling on Sam's wife for tea, trying to make good here in Washington. Why?" Will narrowed her eyes. Why would Tara come to her about a baby? For all the blonde knew, Willow was a man...this wasn't something you talked to with a man.
"Nothing...I just thought. Well, I can tell you're uncomfortable, so I thought maybe if I talked to Buffy..." Tara trailed off. What happened to that stutter that Will remembered? 'Daniel must've finally given her confidence; that's good.'
"Well...I guess...are you wanting to...um...fix the problem?" Willow was uncomfortable with the idea, especially considering she wouldn't be able to have children.
"NO!" Tara wouldn't hear of that. This baby was made from love. There was no way she's do that. "Sorry...um. No. I could never..."
"That's good. Um...so...do you need money, is that it?" Willow really wasn't sure why Tara came to her.
"I would never ask you for money. You know that."
"I know. It's just...I'm confused why you would come to me. I'm sure you have friends around town that would be better suited for this sort of thing." Willow shifted in her chair, and swallowed hard.
"I was thinking that you could keep the baby." What was Tara asking? "I know you and Buffy want children, and Buffy has the most gorgeous body. Imagine what carrying a baby would do to that."
"I don't care about that." Inside, Willow thought...'though it is a nice body...'
"I'm not saying you are. I'm just saying..." Tara took a deep breath. "I don't want to get rid of this baby but I don't want it to go to some stranger. I know you and Buffy would love it as your own. You would make great parents, and be able to provide for it. I can barely survive on my own. There's no way I could take care of a baby."
"But that's your baby. You and Daniel made that baby. Don't you want to have something..."
"I know...but this is the most likely solution. Plus, it's not like we won't see each other. I can still visit the baby. I'll freely sign over the papers to make it yours. I just want to see it have a good life, and I know it will have that with you. I could never give this baby a good life." Tara was in tears now.
"Tara, you would love this baby. There's no way you would be able to give this baby a BAD life." Willow placed her hand on Tara's knee. Comfort, that's what the blonde was searching for...mainly because she was scared. "I'll have to talk to Buffy, see what she says...but if you ever, EVER change your mind...please, tell us?"
"Oh, thank you so much!!" Tara threw herself in Will's arms. That's how Buffy found them when she walked in the foyer.
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"She wants us to take her baby?" Buffy was confused, too. Of all people, she figured Tara would be the best mother. When her initial jealousy passed after finding them in an intimate position, Buffy let them explain what was happening. She agreed wholeheartedly about taking the baby. Daniel was a redhead, Tara was a blonde. The baby would have high chances of looking similar to them, so she could get away with 'being pregnant' through her letters with her mom. She just wouldn't outright say, 'I'm pregnant'...just that there's a baby on the way. That way, her mother would get the grandchildren she wanted, and Will's 'manhood' wouldn't be brought into question.
"It's odd, I know." Willow couldn't believe the luck. She was thinking along the same lines.
"You know that we could use this to make mom think I'm pregnant?" Buffy sat on the bed once she finished brushing her hair. "I know it's deceitful and probably wrong...but no more deceitful than what we're already doing. Plus, this way she'll love you even more...because you helped give her grandchildren."
"Buffy..." Willow hardly whined but she hated lying to the woman. "We can't lie to your mother."
"That's just it. We won't lie to her. I'll just tell her we're expecting a baby, never outright say that I'M the one that's pregnant. She'll just assume for herself." Buffy thought it was a genius plan. Sure, lying to her mom not the top of her list...but she wouldn't technically be lying. She would just be leaving out part of the truth...sorta like she and Willow were doing about their marriage.
"Buffy...your mom is smart. She'll figure it out."
"I'm not saying she won't. We just have to go on the fact that she's so excited to have grandchildren that she won't think along those lines. She'll just assume, or play dumb." Buffy saw Willow's 'I'm not too sure about this' face, and kissed it away. "How else are we going to have kids?"
"I guess you're right...but that doesn't mean I have to feel good about it." Willow pouted, and Buffy kissed that away, too.
"We're gonna be parents. Did you ever think that'd be possible?" Buffy cuddled into Willow.
"Okay, you're right. This is right." Willow ran her fingers through the long silky locks on her shoulder. "What if Tara changes her mind, though? What if your mom or somebody comes up here to visit while you're 'pregnant'?"
"I'll just write to tell them not to worry about coming until the baby's born."
"What about Tara, though? She could still change her mind. Part of me wishes she would because she'd make a wonderful mother."
"I think so, too...but we can always just write to say something happened with the baby. She can assume I couldn't carry it." Buffy sighed. "Now that I've had more time to think about it, I really want this to happen."
"Me, too, baby. Me, too." Willow kissed Buffy's forehead, and they both went to sleep with huge smiles on their faces.