Three's Company
by ABFan
Chapter 2
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There was a scrapping noise and then Giles cleared his throat. If she closed her eyes, Buffy could envision him taking his glasses off and cleaning them. "Um, yes, s-sorry. Um, all three of you are, um, well..."
"No, no," Willow offered.
"Tara's the one who's pregnant," Buffy filled in.
"I'm not sure I follow you. Willow and Tara performed some type of spell?" He asked, his mind trying to wrap around the news. He feared Willow's powers, alone they were far more powerful than he thought the witch even knew, but combined with Tara's own skill her powers were immeasurable. But where did Buffy come into all this.
"Well, Tara and Willow were together, as you know, but as it turns out the three of us were each harboring feelings for one another and that finally came to light during one of my feverish times and we've been together for the past six weeks." Buffy offered.
It took Giles a second for it to settle in, but he was more concerned with the fact that Buffy went through one of her fever spells. "Buffy, are you okay? You were obviously hurt," Giles went on.
Buffy cut him off to sooth his worries, "Yeah, I'm okay. Healed right away. Turns out we unwittingly put together some spell because we're all mystical or something."
"Yes, I'm familiar with the spell. Well, um, congratulations are in order I suppose." Giles responded, though his tone did not sound all that congratulatory.
"Giles?" Buffy asked, her voice lowering at the end of his name, indicating she had picked up on his tone and wanted to know what his real feelings were.
"Well, it's just that, I'm sure you will be wonderful parents, um, all three of you, but are you really prepared for what being a parent entails?"
"What do you mean?" Willow asked.
"Well, what about college? Money? You know it costs a lot to raise a child these days. Buffy, what about slaying?" Giles raised all the same points that Xander and Anya did not too long ago.
Buffy was kind of relieved to hear that this was his only basis for concern. These questions she could handle, after all, she'd just gone through all this already. As the trio explained their plans, repeating the same discussion they had not even two hours earlier, Giles seemed to relax a bit, realizing that the girls did seem to have some semblance of a plan.
"I'm glad you girls, I'm sorry, young women, have given this some thought. If you need anything, any help, just let me know." Giles, the man who was more of a father to them than their own fathers were, offered.
"Thank you, Giles," the three girls offered one at a time.
After a few more pleasantries, everyone disconnected the line and it was time to call it a night. Willow and Tara went up to their room first and began to get ready for bed, dressing in their night clothes, Willow in a long flannel shirt, Tara in a nice red, silk negligee. Buffy went into her room and dug into her drawers for some clothes and changed before making her way into the other room. They all curled up, Buffy taking the spot on the bed closest to the window, allowing her a chance to keep an eye open on any possible threats that would come through it. Tara was spooned up against her and Willow in a similar position effectively putting the mother-to-be in a protective sandwich.
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The next morning started very similar to the previous one. The three woke, Tara made breakfast, Dawn was sent off to school, and Buffy dropped the girls off at school earlier than normal. The witches had to consult with their respective advisors to see about setting up extra credits, accelerated programs, and at-home courses. Considering that they couldn't get into explicit details other than Tara was pregnant, the college was pretty helpful in assisting the young women. Luckily for them the institution had a 'cap' policy where anything over 12 credits were available at no charge, which allowed their individual loans and scholarships to cover the charges.
Tara wouldn't be able to graduate before the baby was born, but she would be able to continue her at-home studies only stopping by the campus for classes once a month, but she would be able to finish her degree by the time the baby was one.
Willow, on the other hand, was in a better position. Even though she couldn't fill the college in on why she needed to graduate so soon, her transcripts alone were impressive enough to allow her to skip some basic required courses, substituting some of her advanced high school courses for college credit. She'd also have the option to take CLEP tests for some additional subjects. With this help and her ability to take over 20 credits, Willow would be able to graduate a month after the baby was born allowing her to seek employment immediately. In fact, she already planned on putting out resumes to see what the market was like. If she could get something part-time or at least something lined up for the future she'd be happy.
By lunch time, Buffy was checking out the local help wanted section, hoping to find something a little more profitable, but still within her range of skills. The situation looked bleak.
By the time everyone made it back home Buffy was in a foul mood. She was never happy about her current employment, but her inability to find anything better just made things worse. Especially now that she knew her baby, her own daughter, would be dependent on her, not to mention that Tara will need a way to support herself while she raises the baby and finishes school. She was actually looking forward to her patrol that night to work out some of her frustrations. At least it was something she knew she was good at and it was something she was specifically called to do, college degree be damned.
Willow and Tara opted to eat a late dinner to allow Buffy and Dawn time alone before her patrol to talk. The two sisters sat at the table facing each other. "So?" Dawn asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well, I've decided to let you have my room." Dawn started to get excited but Buffy had a clause to her agreement. "But," Dawn's shoulders slumped, "it's a trial basis only."
"That's totally cool. I can handle that."
"Now look, Dawnie, I want to know the truth, how are you handling this, all of this? Me, the baby?"
"Oh, I'm totally cool with that too. I mean, come on, Buff. Everyone pretty much suspected how you felt for Willow, we just figured since she was already with Tara there was little anyone could do about it. Yeah, okay, the whole deal with Tara too was a bit of a surprise, but not like a bad one. They're great, I really like them and I know they make you happy so I don't really care, as long as you guys are happy and cool with it yourselves. The baby, I'm so psyched about it. I mean, yeah... not exactly a normal way for a kid to get made, but hey... I'm not exactly the poster-child for "unsafe sex", am I? Anyway, I can't wait to be an aunt, ya know. I can baby sit and when she gets older I can take her to the park, take her shopping. I can be the cool aunt she comes to talk to about boys and school and stuff. To be honest, I don't know if I can wait another," Dawn stopped, not only to breath but to make a mental count of how much longer her wait will be, "another seven and half months."
Buffy hadn't really done the math up until then and she played the numbers over in her head just to make sure her sister was right. Needless to say she was surprised that there was so little time left, especially considering just how much they had to do just to get ready for the baby. But what struck her more profoundly was just how strong, independent, and mature her sister was. Perhaps she had been a bit too suffocating lately.
"Okay, here's the deal, you're not a little girl anymore and once the baby comes we're going to need your help. Not just help, but we're going to need you to be a good influence on the baby. I don't expect you to be perfect, but I expect you to be able to make mature decisions and do what is right. We'll give the bedroom a test run. Something small to start and then we'll move on to bigger things."
"Wow, that's so cool of you, Buff. Does that mean I get to stay up and do the Scooby thing?"
Buffy rolled her eyes and stood up to leave for her patrol. "Let's just see how things go, okay? One thing at a time."
Dawn jumped up and gave her a sister a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. "No prob, Buff."
"Good, then tomorrow, after everyone's home, we'll start changing the rooms around."
Dawn, smiling, just said "Cool!"
"Oh, one thing, though.."
Dawn, semi-frowning, asked "What, Buff?"
"Call me 'Buff' that many times in a row again, and I nail your window shut."
Dawn bolted upstairs with the biggest grin on her face, something that made the slayer's depressed mood lift a bit as she threw on her jacket and headed to one of the many cemeteries.
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The next few months passed without any major events. Dawn quickly made Buffy's old room her own, the trio managed to find a king sized bed at a local thrift shop, which allowed them plenty of room, and Buffy grew accustomed to sleeping with not just one but two women. Something of an easy task in her mind. Tara's morning sickness was grueling, but still joyful in it's own right. Willow was constantly at school or had her nose in some book trying to maintain the intense schedule while Tara was following a similar path. Regular visits to the doctor's office were a welcome joy; especially the further along the pregnancy became because they got to take home pictures of their baby from the ultrasounds.
Buffy just came in from a patrol, a little banged up, but nothing more than a few bruises, which were sure to heal in a day or two. After washing up and changing into her nightclothes she sat on the bed quietly observing her lovers. She lowered the blankets a bit, which caused Tara to stir slightly as cooler air suddenly touched her skin. Buffy admired the view, laying a gentle hand on Tara's stomach, which had already begun to grow. She smiled. All was right with the world. After a few moments she slid down onto the bed and pulled the covers back over Tara and herself and Tara quickly snuggled into the slayer, draping her leg over Buffy's and an arm over her stomach, while Willow maintained a firm grasp on the blonde witch in a spoon position.
The sun woke Buffy up first and though she hated getting up early on a Saturday, there was much to do. Xander and Anya were going to be coming over early and Buffy wanted to get breakfast ready for everyone. She climbed out of bed gently so as not to disturb the sleeping forms there and received groans from the blonde at the sudden lack of a warm body next to her.
By the time the slayer made her way out of the shower and into her clothes for the day she could smell lovely scents wafting through the house and knew Tara was already making breakfast. As she walked out of the bathroom Willow was ready to enter, still wiping sleep from her eyes. "Big day, huh?" Buffy asked. She received a sleepy grunt from Willow who was quickly getting worn down from her constant schedule of studies and preparing for the baby.
Buffy made her way into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Tara, what are you doing? I was going to cook for everyone." Tara just shot her a look and Buffy relented. "Okay, so I'm not the best cook in the world."
"Buffy, honey, aside from the fact that the only thing you can cook is scrambled eggs, I'd say that not being the best cook is a bit of an understatement."
Buffy sent a playful pout towards Tara who just chuckled and leaned over the island and gave the slayer a kiss to make her feel better. When they heard Dawn shuffling into the kitchen they pulled away, even though Dawn was comfortable with their relationship, there was no need to constantly push it in her face. "OJ, Dawnie?" Tara asked getting back to the task at hand.
"Hiddy ho!" Xander called out in the distance as he made his way through the front door with Anya in tow. He followed the scents to the kitchen where he placed a box of assorted donuts and muffins on the counter in front of Buffy. The slayer, of course, took that as an open invitation and began to open the box until Tara slapped her hand away.
"Don't spoil your appetite," Tara warned with a smile.
"Yes, mom," Buffy answered with another pout and then she realized what she said and couldn't help but laugh at the accidental slip.
Tara turned a big smile on her face and she rubbed her tummy. "Now, we want to set a good example don't we, Buffy?" Tara admonished lovingly.
"Consider me reprimanded," Buffy consented.
"So, breakfast then we hit the hardware store, right?" Xander asked, trying to plot out how the day was going to play out.
"Right," Buffy agreed simply.
"I don't see why we all have to go anyway," Dawn groused still forcing the sleep from her mind. "I mean, it's not like anyone here but Xander knows what to get anyway."
"Actually, Dawn has a point," Anya volunteered because she didn't want to go either. It pained her too much to see cash leaving their hands and going to someone else. "I mean, besides, how are you going to fit all the stuff in the car if everyone's there?"
Unfortunately, Anya did have a point. "Okay, fine, Xander and I will go. In the meantime, can you girls please make sure the room is cleaned up and set up the equipment out in the yard?"
"Sure!" Anya agreed a little too quickly, just glad to do something other than go to the hardware store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two hours later the breakfast mess was cleaned up, the nursery was cleared of anything that could get in the way, the tools were set up outside, and Buffy and Xander were back with all the supplies they would need for the job ahead.
The gang spent a good deal of the late morning and afternoon cutting wood, sanding, nailing, gluing, and painting. Considering they were on a tight budget, making their own baby room supplies was the best bet and thanks to Xander's handy-dandy carpentry ability, they were able to save a lot of money. Tara was in and out of the house providing a virtual endless supply of drinks and food — lemonade, iced tea, water, finger sandwiches, fruits, chips, and dips.
By late afternoon they had finished a dresser, tables, hope chest, and changing table. Everyone was exhausted and not without their battle wounds. Cut fingers, bruised thumbs from misaimed hammer thrusts, and splatters of paint on their bodies and in their hair. Everyone lounged, taking a much needed rest, holding drinks in their hands. Buffy and Willow stripped down to their sports bras; not that this was a shock to the group since they've seen Buffy train in similar attire before. Anya changed into a tank top, and Xander simply went without his shirt all-together.
"Guys, this is just fantastic," Tara congratulated her friends on all the hard work and dedication the put into creating lovely furniture for the baby's room.
"Just think, tomorrow, once everything is dried and settled, we get to heft all this stuff upstairs and set it up," Xander groaned, not really looking forward to the next day.
"Hey!" Dawn called to get the attention of the group, her idea clearly exciting her. "Why don't you guys sleep over. One big Scooby slumber party. That way you don't have to drive home all tired and come right back in the morning."
"Oh, I don't know," Xander started to say. He didn't want to impose on the girls and figured if some type of sleep over was going to be arranged, Buffy would want to discuss it with Willow and Tara first. Unfortunately, Anya didn't have the same reservations.
"That's great. Granted, it takes away from our orgasm time, but I really don't feel like driving home just to get up and come back. Besides, that means we can sleep in a little later too."
"An," Xander started to warn.
"No, it's okay, right guys," Dawn looked to Buffy, Willow, and then to Tara with pleading eyes.
Normally Buffy didn't appreciate being put on the spot like this, but Dawn did have a point and Anya seemed to agree to the idea. Besides, Dawn did put in a lot of work and had behaved herself so well over the past few months; perhaps she could bend a little now.
"It's up to you guys. If you want to, you're welcome to stay, right?" Buffy asked, raising an eyebrow to Willow and Tara for confirmation and the witches nodded in return. Over the course of nearly a year they've come to consider the home not just as Buffy's, but as something all three of them shared equally, especially since each one put in equal efforts to keep the household running.
Xander finally relented and they agreed to sleep over. That night the gang enjoyed a nice meal together sharing laughs over various mishaps during the day and some old memories of good times and of not so good times that they could look back on now and laugh at.
Dawn was thoroughly enjoying herself, but as the night wore on, she kept sending furtive glances at the clock. Finally, after about the hundredth time, Buffy leaned over to her sister, "If you're tired, go to bed, they'll be here in the morning, but I'm not going to tell you to go to bed." Dawn looked at her sister like she grew additional heads. "I figured you earned not having a set bedtime," Buffy explained. Needless to say Dawn was ecstatic and began to relax, opting to listen to the topics of discussion she was usually not privy to. She enjoyed every story, her eyes widening at some of the more outrageous ones she'd never heard before, taking in the whole experience of hanging out with the 'adults.'
At first the conversations were restrained, figuring that Buffy would send Dawn to bed soon and they could get into more lively and mature discussions, but the group noticed the little chat and noted the time and knew that Buffy just gave Dawn a rite of passage and soon the topics became more regular and in general it was a lovely night.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a sec," Dawn cut in trying to make sure she had heard the story correctly. "Buffy, you actually knocked yourself out with a staff?" Surely this couldn't be her sister, the mighty slayer.
Buffy chuckled as the Scooby gang listened intently to the story of when Buffy was first called and her training began. "Yes, I did. Hey, up until then I was just some Cordelia-like cheerleader with no ambition other than to make captain of the squad, marry the quarterback, and make homecoming queen. When Merrick called me and started my training I had no idea what I was doing," Buffy tried to defend herself.
"Yeah, but what about that whole clause on a 'slayer's natural ability?'" Willow piped in, loving the moment as the slayer squirmed in the hot seat.
"Mental Note: Slayer's Natural Ability. You hear the word 'Skill' in there, anywhere?" Dawn pondered out loud.
"Yeah, yeah," Buffy answered, dismissing Willow's comment and then looked to her sister with a private, "Very funny, Dawn." Buffy turned her attention back to the group at large, "it took a couple of days for it to settle in okay. So, there I was, trying to get the staff to twirl around and wind up in both of my hands correctly and sure enough I knocked myself so hard in the head I was out for about five minutes."
The table roared with laughter, luxuriating in the fact that the slayer was just as clumsy as they were, even if it was just for a few days. Xander laughed the loudest considering he was the one who was a klutz most often.
"Who are you laughing at, Xander? People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," Buffy warned in a friendly tone. "I happen to remember when you were skateboarding at school and wound up smashing into the railing." Buffy and Willow laughed out loud having been witnesses to this event while Xander scowled. Though he couldn't help a chuckle from escaping.
It was Xander's turn to share a tale and his target was Willow. As his eyes laid on her, Willow audibly and visibly gulped. "Hmmm, what little tale do I have hiding away about Willow?" Xander started, teasing the red head. "How about the time you were staring at Buffy so hard you walked into the wall?" Xander asked.
The group laughed, Tara especially, because she could completely see her red haired lover doing something like that, while knowing her blonde lover would remain oblivious to it.
Dawn listened and laughed and desperately wanted to add to the conversation, but was a bit saddened by the fact that she couldn't. She had friends, sure, but not nearly as close as the Scoobies were, especially since she had so many secrets that she knew none of her friends would believe nor care about. Though she lived through many experiences with the Scoobies she still didn't have the 'field time' they did to have any interesting stories to share. She didn't let this get her down though. She made mental notes of each tale, storing the information away for a later date, and knew that with this new responsibility Buffy had granted her she'd be coming up with stories of her own soon enough.
"Okay gang," Buffy announced, getting up. "Early day tomorrow and all that." She grabbed some of the dishes and began to clear the table. The gang helped, Dawn making an extra special effort to help out to show her sister how much she appreciated being able to stay up and take part in their memories.
After the dishes were done, Dawn gave everyone hugs and promptly went upstairs to her room and prepared for bed. Xander and Anya settled downstairs while Willow, Tara, and Buffy went to their room. As the three of them changed they chatted. "That was very nice of you, Buffy," Tara stated.
It took Buffy a second to realize what Tara was referring to, but smiled and gave her a shrug as if to say, 'aw shucks, it was no biggie.'
"Yeah, Dawn really seemed to enjoy herself and she handled it well. She seemed a little sad there towards the end, but maybe she figured the night was going to end soon." Willow added.
"Mmmm," was all Buffy got out around her yawn as she crawled into bed, folding the other half of the covers down so Tara and Willow could get in, which they promptly did.
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By lunchtime the baby's room was pretty much set up. All the furniture had been carefully carried upstairs, mainly by Xander and Buffy considering most of the pieces were large and heavy. The others helped by decorating and organizing everything. Placing teddy bears here, lamps there, and pillows elsewhere, the room finally took shape and was ready when that special day would arrive in about four months.
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About two and a half months later Willow got some good news. A letter came in the mail from one of the companies she had sent her resume to stating that they would be interested in setting up an interview with her. When the appointment day came around Willow was running around like a chicken without a head, but finally managed to get copies of her resume printed, dressed, and out the door on time.
Buffy and Tara were nervous for their lover knowing that Willow worked very hard and was the best one for the job. They hoped she'd get the position she wanted.
When Willow came in they jumped up and stared at her, trying to read her face for any sign of what the news was going to be, but she kept her feelings hidden. "Well," Buffy goaded, not known for being patient.
"I didn't get the position," Willow said sadly.
"Oh, honey," Tara said simply while she and Buffy went to Willow to hug and console her.
"I got a better one!" Willow finally gave in, not wanting to see her lovers upset for her.
"What?" Buffy asked a bit surprised.
"Yeah, we were talking and they asked me to do some basic tests. They said I did so well that the position they originally intended to offer me was too easy so they offered me a better one instead." Willow was suddenly crushed from both sides by her lovers hugging her while spouting various forms of congratulations. "But wait, the best part is yet to come. Not only do I get to work from home, giving me the chance to be here with the baby, but I'll be making enough money to cover all our expenses so, Buffy, you don't have to worry about working at the Doublemeat Palace and you can stay home with the baby too!"
"No, wait, I can't let you do that, Will," Buffy stepped back from the three-way embrace.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"This is my house too, my baby too, I should pay equal expenses."
"No, wait, Buffy," Tara said, stepping towards the slayer and began to lightly stroke the sides of her arms. "Buffy, you already do so much for us, all of us, everyone in this town. You go out every night and risk your life to make sure that tomorrow comes. What better way to provide for our baby than to make sure she has a world to be brought into and to keep her safe the way only you could do." Tara's words rung true and Buffy could do little but accept them.
words rung true and Buffy could do little but accept them.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I just want to be able to feel I'm pulling my own weight around here." Buffy frowned looking down a bit.
Tara, almost beaming in her adoration, simply lifted the Slayer's chin, staring into her eyes. "You already do. We're all alive. And the Earth... it's still here... all because of you. Isn't that enough?" Caressing Buffy's cheek, with the back of her other hand, she simply lowered her head a bit, smiling her attention toward her. "It is... for me..."
Willow simply smiled, and blushed a bit, knowing exactly how Buffy felt right now, being lucky enough to be caught in Tara's gaze just like this, before.
Buffy blushed a bit, too, Tara's meanings not lost on her, and turned her attention to Willow, who, until now, stood back to allow Tara her chance with the slayer, knowing she'd be able to talk some sense into her. "Will, I'm so proud of you and if this is what makes you happy, and you're sure you can handle it, you'll get no complaints from me."
The three shared a hug followed quickly by a series of kisses, steadily increasing in intensity. "Oh, hmmm, what time is it?" Buffy asked sparing a quick glance at the clock on the mantle. Willow and Tara looked over as well and noted that they still had about two hours before Dawn was due home and at once everyone had the same idea and ran upstairs, Tara a little slower, but just as excited as her lovers.
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Just as the girls were finishing up their showers and changing their clothes Dawn came bounding into the door. As she passed the trio she threw some greetings their way and went directly to her room to work on her homework. Buffy was still shocked by the mature changes in her sister. As Tara came up behind her, wrapping her arms as far around the slayer as she could, Buffy shared her thoughts. "Dawn is really growing up, becoming so independent. You guys were right, give her a little leeway and she really started to come around. I used to have to fight her to do her homework, now I don't even have a chance to get a word in before she's already in her room starting it."
"Hmmm," Tara murmured as she nuzzled into Buffy's neck. "You're going to make a great mom, um, dad, whatever," Tara finished in a chuckle.
"Was that what I think it was?" Buffy asked, her eyebrow arching high.
"Yup," Tara answered and Buffy could feel the smile spreading on the blonde's lips that were pressing against her neck. "The baby's kicking again."
"I gotta tell ya, that's one of the best feelings in the world." Buffy turned in Tara's arms and gave her a deep kiss before backing away.
"I better arrange dinner and start setting the table if we plan on eating together tonight before I go on patrol."
"Oh?" Willow asked, coming from the bathroom just in time to hear Buffy's comment. "What's on the menu for tonight? A little bit of you two I hope?"
"You're incorrigible, Will, you know that right?" Buffy asked as she made her way to Dawn's door.
Dawn had heard Buffy's words about her and couldn't keep the smile off her face, but as the conversation grew more private she didn't want to disappoint her sister now, not after how far they've come, so she put her headphones on and got back to her work. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the door open and Buffy pop her head in.
"Hey there, Dawnie. What are you in the mood to eat tonight? Chinese, pizza, fast food?"
"Anything but burgers from the Doublemeat Palace," Dawn joked yet was serious at the same time. "Whatever you guys are in the mood for."
"Gee, thanks for the help," Buffy said sarcastically. She was hoping her sister would have a suggestion because she, herself, wasn't sure what she wanted. Dawn simply shrugged and Buffy closed the door to face her lovers. "It's up to you, ladies. Whatever you want I am at your service."
Willow and Tara gave each other a look and then shrugged, "Nah, it's too easy," Tara stated. "Actually, I'm having a craving for pizza, something nice and fatty to clog the old arteries."
"Babe, considering you hardly ever eat pizza, I doubt that's something you have to worry about." Willow commented. Considering that Tara was now seven and a half months pregnant and she had maintained a great figure.
"Your wish is my command, milady," Buffy intoned jokingly. "Pizza good with you, Will?" At the nod from Willow, Buffy went downstairs and called the pizzeria and placed the order and began to set the table for four.
Dinner passed with light conversation, Willow checking in with Dawn about school, asking if there were any subjects she needed help in and then it was time to clean up and for Buffy to head out to her patrol.
As Buffy made her way through the cemetery, her mind drifted to various subjects. Willow's new job, the baby, her not having to come home stinking of grease every day, the baby, Dawn's great job with school and responsibility, the baby, the changes her own life had taken since the baby. Her mind was too distracted to notice the two vampires coming up behind her, but her brain screamed at her to notice the three standing in front of her.
"Well, well, what do we have here," the one that seemed to be the leader announced in a condescending tone.
"C'mon guys, I'm really not in the mood for games tonight. Any way can I get you bozos to just stand there while I stake you?" Buffy asked, already knowing there was no chance of that ever happening.
Suddenly, the two from behind her lunged, grabbing her arms while the other three came in for a frontal attack. They got a few blows in, but after getting her brain to kick in, Buffy managed to kick two vampires in front of her and pulled with all her might to slam the two holding her arms into each other. The last one managed to sneak behind her and hit her across her back and head with a large piece of wood. She was dazed as she hit the ground and before she could clear her mind they were on top of her again, pinning her down. One vampire per leg and one vampire per arm. The fact that the blow to her head scrambled her mind a bit and the damn laws of gravity giving the vampires hovering over her leverage, Buffy was hard pressed, struggling to break free of their hold on her.
The leader leaned down, his demonic face just inches from her own. "What? You gonna bite me, demon boy? Go ahead and try!" Buffy shouted in his face, daring him to make a move. He was just far enough away from her that if she tried to head butt him she'd never make contact, but if he leaned in just a little further, if he went to bite her, she could nail him in the face and hopefully that would be enough of a distraction for her to break free.
"Oh, no, pretty slayer. I've got something better planned for you first." Before she could react he leaned back onto his heels and ripped her shirt open leaving only her sports bra in place. He ran his hand along her taunt muscles, her chest heaving up and down as fear began to take hold of her. Buffy began bucking wildly trying desperately to knock loose one of her attackers so she could gain some ground to fight back on. "Settle down, it won't hurt... much," the leader leered at her followed by a solid blow to the face.
Buffy stopped fighting and focused. She focused on the images of her lovers and of how she pictured her daughter would be. She focused on her sister and then focused all her strength, her rage, and in one mighty thrust, dislodged her legs. She threw her legs up, throwing her weight onto her shoulders still being pinned down and then kicked out, sending the leader and one of the other vampires sailing through the air. It was enough to break their concentration and Buffy managed to shrug the other demons off her. She staggered to her feet, brushing stray hair from her eyes so she could keep her eyes on her attackers.
They seemed smarter than the others she's faced in that they kept attacking as a group and not one at a time. This new form of attack threw the slayer off and made it more challenging allowing the vampires to land some lucky shots. Her head was still ringing from the earlier blow and she wasn't sure how many more hits she'd be able to take. When one of them landed a solid strike her knee she screamed out in pain, feeling herself being sent to the ground once more and instantly the weight of four vampires was on her back, shoving her further down.
She tried doing a push up, hoping her slayer strength would be enough to get her back up and the vamps off her back, but they sent a series of blows to her body stopping each attempt she made at getting up. She sent a silent plea to her lovers, begging their forgiveness for being so stupid to get herself caught in this mess and for not being able to be there for the baby and them.
Somewhere, in the deepest recesses of her mind, Willow heard the call and jumped out of bed, jolting Tara awake. "What's wrong, honey?" Tara asked, her voice hoarse from sleep.
"It's Buffy. Something's wrong." Willow ran around the room and quickly threw on some clothes. Tara went to follow suit, but Willow stopped her. "No, baby. Stay here, I don't want you or the baby getting hurt. I'll be back, I promise, and Buffy will be with me."
With a quick kiss, Willow ran out the door and down the street. She didn't know exactly where Buffy was, though she had a general idea from the sensation she was getting, not to mention after all these years, she pretty much knew the slayer's habits.
By the time she got to the cemetery she skid to a halt. Before her eyes four vampires pinned Buffy down who barely seemed conscious. The fifth vampire was clearly enjoying his way with the slayer while bragging to his fellow vampires about it. "I'm next man, I want a turn," one of them complained.
"I don't think so!" Willow yelled, her rage taking over and she released a large ball of sunshine, the only spell she knew that would dispatch them quickly and easily. Piles of ash fell onto the slayer, but she barely noticed. Once the pressure of her captures was released she simply rolled to one side with a deep groan of pain and curled up into a fetal position. "Buffy!" Willow cried out and ran to her lover and knelt by her side.
She was covered with cuts and bruises, her clothes torn, tattered, or simply discarded. Willow went to touch her slayer, but stopped, not seeing a place that was unmarred. Twigs snapping behind her brought Willow's attention back to her surroundings and she quickly stood up, ready to attack anything else that dared to come near her lover.
"Whoa, aye, watch it there, luv. What are you doing 'ere by your..." Spikes words froze in his throat as he looked past Willow and saw the huddled form of what could only be Buffy. "What the hell happened?" he yelled, running to Buffy.
"I don't know, I just got here and they were, they were, oh my god!" Willow couldn't control her tears any longer and she began to cry.
"Alright, let's get the slayer home," Spike commanded. He slipped off his long leather duster and gently laid it over the slayer and then lifted her into his arms. "It'll be alright, Red, we'll get her home safe."
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Tara came rushing down the stairs quickly followed by Dawn, both of whom had been waiting anxiously for their return once Willow went running out the door in the middle of the night. Tara, catching the ragged sight of her lover in Spike's arms, quickly turned around and pushed Dawn back up the stairs. "Dawn, no time to argue please, just get upstairs and into your room. Everything'll be okay."
Dawn knew something major was going on if Tara wouldn't even let her see her sister. "She's not dead, is she? She can't be dead, not again," Dawn broke down, bypassing all stages and went straight to hysterics. "Let me see her, let me see my sister!" Dawn yelled.
"Not now, Dawn, please. I swear; I'll come up for you in a minute, let me just figure out what's going on. Your sister is alive, she's fine, okay, just please, just go to your room."
Dawn was pissed, Tara knew that, but she didn't have time to stand there and debate the issue with her all night. Dawn would simply have to accept the fact that right now the best thing she could do for Buffy was be out of the way. Little did Tara know just then that the situation was definitely not something Buffy wanted her little sister to witness.
Spike gently laid Buffy down on the couch, leaving his duster in place to cover the slayer. He launched himself upstairs and into the bathroom, knowing full well where all the medical supplies were and returned faster than lightning. Tara was kneeling next to Willow fretting over the condition of her lover and pleading for some information. Spike gently nudged the witches out of the way and began to pull back the duster.
Just then, seeing the condition of Buffy's body, the full magnitude of what happened to the slayer slammed into Tara full force, almost knocking her back to her knees if it wasn't for Willow grabbing hold and steadying her. "Who! Who did this?" Tara yelled through her tears.
"I don't know. I didn't take the time to ask questions, I just dusted them and then Spike came along and got her home." Willow answered, though not with much information. She turned to the blonde vampire, "Spike, what's going on?"
"God damn bastards. There've been a rash of brutal, um, attacks," Spike substituted 'attack' for the word he could not bear to bring himself to say. "They hunted and attacked as a pack and probably caught her off guard. You did good in dusting them, but right now we just need to clean her up, let her rest, and be there for her. I'm, um, told this type of thing is, ah, very traumatic and will take time to heal."
No one could bring themselves to say the actual word. Granted, getting your butt kicked by any number of demons on any given day was not exactly an ideal life, but Buffy and the Scoobies were prepared for it. They faced all sorts of horrors, but never have they ever had to face this. The horror of being completely invaded, utterly humiliated, this was beyond demonic, and Willow wished she made those bastards pay more dearly than the quick and easy death they got.
The witches cried on each other's shoulders while they watch Spike gingerly apply salve to the slayer's wounds, consciously trying to avoid the more intimate parts that were exposed during the attack. "She, ah, she should pull through. None of her injuries are life threatening, at least not to her. She'll probably have a splitting headache in the morning, but I think that's the least of her worries right now." Spike stated, sitting back to allow the witches to come in and comfort their unconscious lover. "Ah, the lil' bit is really upset and I don't think seeing her sister like this is a really good idea. Why don't I take her upstairs for you guys, you get her changed and tucked away all nice and snuggly and then let Dawn check on her sister." Spike offered. He fought to keep a clear and logical head while the witches were currently too lost to keep their own thoughts straight, though they did nod their consent to his idea.
Once he brought the slayer to their room and laid her on the bed, he slowly backed out of the way. "Ah, do you all want me to call someone? Xander, or something? Need anything?" Spike never really liked to see the slayer hurt, not after everything they've been through together over the years. It was pretty much a common law among vampires that you do not defile humans in this way. Bite them, change them, and then do what you want, fine, but this was out of bounds and his fury was raging. He wanted to do something, anything other than just standing here twiddling his thumbs waiting for her to come to.
"No, no thank you, Spike. I, um, I don't think she'd want everyone to know the details of what happened to her. Let her be the one to make that decision," Tara offered, some semblance of control coming back to her.
"Alright then," he said and closed the door behind him. He saw Dawn peak her head out from around the door down the hall and went to her. "Hey there, lil' bit."
"What's going on, Spike? What happened to Buffy?" Dawn demanded. She always liked Spike, even when her sister seemed to despise him. He was the first one to see her as an adult, not as a little baby. He always told her straight, no half-truths.
"She's alright, a few knocks on the ol' noggin', some scrapes and bruises, but she'll be okay," Spike offered. Tara already said that no one else should know the full extent of what happened and he knew well enough that most certainly included Dawn, if not, specifically Dawn.
"Dawn," Tara called out from down the hall. "You can come in now if you want to." Spike stepped aside as Dawn flew down the hallway, but Tara stopped her before she could make it into the room. "Listen, Dawn. She's banged up and not really aware of what's going on. She'll be all right though, okay? Just give her a couple of days and the cuts will heal."
Dawn nodded, her fear already increasing at needing a disclaimer before she got to see her sister. She knew Tara was saying it to try to calm her down, make whatever shock it would be to see her sister less of one, but it only made matters worse. She slipped into the room and gasped at the sight. Willow sat on the edge of the bed, holding Buffy's limp hand. The slayer was pale, her breath slow, but shallow, her beautiful skin marred by an array of cuts. Before anyone could stop her, Dawn jumped onto the large bed, jostling the fragile slayer, and when she groaned in pain, Dawn's eyes filled with tears instantly. No one could yell at her about not being careful because the teen was already beating herself up about it. She reached out a tentative hand and lightly stroked away some dirty strands of hair.
"She'll, she'll be alright, right?" Dawn looked to Willow, then Tara, and then caught the sight of Spike standing in the doorway and even looked to him; her eyes pleading with them to give her the honest answer, but also the answer she wanted to her.
All they could do was nod. It was true, after all, that with Buffy's special slayer healing powers the cuts would fade away in only a few days, leaving her skin good as new — well, maybe a stray scar or two — but for the most part she'd be healthy. The problem was how would she react to the emotional side of things? Buffy could react in any number of ways — from becoming completely reclusive, never wanting to be touched, or she could become the complete opposite, wanting and craving physical attention constantly. Or, she could shy away from Willow and Tara and throw herself into the arms of someone else, or become so attached to Willow and Tara that for anyone else to even dare enter into their space would cause the slayer to guard her territory fiercely. She could very well swing from one reaction to the other without discrimination. Only time would tell and right now the only thing the slayer needed was her family around her and some serious rest. Spike knew the Scoobies would handle whatever was thrown at them and this was no different. He was just upset that after things had been going so well for them, now, so near to the birth of their child, something like this had to happened. He began to brood, blaming himself. If he had just been there sooner, not dragged his feet bitching and complaining, and paid more attention to what was happening up ahead, perhaps he could have stopped things before they got to this point. Well, the world is full of 'what ifs' and there's little he could do about it now, other than be here any way he could for Buffy. As a friend to talk to, as a person to hate, as a thing to use to hit and get her aggressions out, anything she needed, he was there, though he'd never actually say that out loud, he knew Buffy knew.
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The sun rose and the birds sang heralding the coming of a new day, though within the Summers home the atmosphere was decidedly bleak and dreary. Xander came barreling through the door like always, cheery as though nothing was amiss in the world, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the two worn out witches slumped at the table, two mugs of coffee nearby, but forgotten.
"What's the what?" Xander asked, cautiously making his way to the table. When he received no response he went into alert mode. He knew that to see these women like this was bad news and his mind immediately jumped to the baby. "Is the baby okay? Oh my god, is the baby okay?" Xander was quickly approaching hysteria, but Willow jumped in and saved him.
"The baby's fine, Xander. She's just fine," but Willow's voice was hollow and Xander knew all was not well with the world, at least not with Sunnydale.
"Then, then what is it?" He looked around the table and thought it odd that if something major was going down Buffy wasn't around and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh my god, it's Buffy. Is she? Is she dead... again?" Xander asked, his stress level peaking once more and when he got no answer he knew he'd hit the nail on the head and began to freak. "No! Not when we just got her back."
"Xander, shut up and sit down, she's not dead." Willow said too tired to put up any type of pleasantry and she knew deep down that Xander would forgive her for it.
"For god sakes will someone please tell me what's going on! If it's not the baby and it's not Buffy, oh, oh, it's Dawn!"
"It's not Dawn," a weak voice drifted through the air almost missed by her friends. All three turned and saw the frail figure of Buffy barely holding herself up against the door frame and Xander jumped to his feet and rushed to her side. All he meant to do was help her to a chair so she could rest, but she threw his arm off her with the little strength she had and yelled at him, "Don't! Don't ever touch me!"
Willow, Tara, and Xander exchanged concerned looks. Willow made the next move by getting up and cautiously walking to the slayer. She went to raise a hand to guide her lover while saying, "Why don't you sit, Buffy," but the look the slayer shot her stopped her dead in her tracks. It was a warning. A warning that if even her lover touched her there would be hell to pay. Willow quickly backed off giving Buffy plenty of space and allowed her lover to make her own choice on whether or not to sit. "Um, do you, do you want something to eat or drink?"
Buffy didn't answer, but simply shuffled her way past Xander and Willow until she stood over Tara facing her. The slayer's eyes bore into Tara's, blue penetrating blue, until Buffy finally collapsed to her knees laying her head on Tara's bulging stomach. She wrapped her arms weakly around the blonde and cried, hard.
Willow and Xander looked at each other while Tara gently stroked the blonde hair splayed across her lap and stomach. She let out gentle, soothing, tones, and in that moment Buffy silently declared that only the mother of her child would be able to make any form of contact and even then, only when the slayer initiated it.
Xander was hurt, yes, but he shrugged it off assuming it was a 'woman' thing, but Willow was nearly crushed. Her best friend for so many years and lover for almost a year walked right past her and fell into the arms of her other lover. This was supposed to be an equal partnership and right now she most certainly felt like an outsider, a third wheel.
Xander leaned close to his childhood friend and whispered, "What the hell happened?"
"Only she can tell you, Xander," Willow answered, pain evident in her voice, and she walked away from the scene of her two crying lovers, one comforting the other.
Xander followed Willow into the other room opting to allow the two blondes their moment together. Once alone Tara decided to try her luck and placed a gentle finger under the slayer's chin and lifted slowly until their eyes met once again.
"Buffy?" Tara approached with ease. When she got no sign she pressed on, hoping that she didn't wind up pushing Buffy away considering this was the only contact she was accepting at the moment. "Buffy, you know I love you. Willow loves you just as much. We're here for you no matter what you need, no matter how long it takes. Xander and Anya too if you want us." She saw that Buffy was registering her words, but there was still no response. "I know that now is too soon for you, but you will need to talk to someone about this in order to begin the healing process. Please don't block any of us out."
That seemed to set the slayer off and she quickly rose, roughly wiping the tears from her face and sniffling a few times before pulling herself together and letting a veil fall over her eyes and wall go up around her heart. Tara watched it all happen and knew it was her fault. She was the one person Buffy went to for comfort and she wound up alienating her. Tara hung her head in disappointment and was lost, not sure how they were going to handle things now.
"Buffy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push."
"What happened to them?" Buffy asked, no inflection in her voice, no emotion.
"Them?" Tara asked, puzzled for just a second before she realized what Buffy was talking about. "Oh, um, Willow dusted them all. She used the sunshine spell."
Buffy nodded clinically. She processed the information, but there was no sign of relief that these demons were gone for good and couldn't harm her again. Buffy just walked away and went back upstairs to their room, shutting the door, and remained there without so much as a word to her friends.
Tara pushed off the chair and made her way into the living room where she found Willow crying and Xander, though utterly confused at what was going on, trying to comfort his friend. Willow looked up, her eyes red and tired.
"She just asked about what happened to them and went to her room," Tara supplied.
Willow sniffed and looked away from her lover, hurt in her eyes, and Tara felt the pang in her heart. "Baby, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," Willow answered miserably.
"No, there's something wrong. I mean, more wrong than what's already wrong." Tara pushed.
"Don't you see?" Willow asked, her anger getting the better of her and she pushed off Xander's shoulder and faced Tara. "Me! Her best friend for years and she walked right past me like I didn't even exist and went straight into your arms. This is supposed to be an equal relationship. 50 — 50" Willow stopped for a second and then added "and 50, whatever, you know what I mean."
Tara rushed to her lover and wrapped her arms around her trying to comfort her.
"C'mon, Will. Maybe it's just because Tara's going to be a mom. Maybe Buffy just associated it with her own mom. You know, I have no clue what the hell's going on, but I can tell you easily that Buffy was not thinking straight right then." Xander offered some very logical advice and Willow couldn't really argue with logic.
"I, I guess you're right, Xander," Willow sniffled and then looked up to Tara who was stroking her back lovingly. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry I got mad at you, I didn't mean..."
"Shhh, it's okay." Tara held on to Willow a little longer until she calmed down some more. "Xander, it doesn't look like Buffy's up for any type of talking right now and it's not fair for us to say anything, so you might as well head to work. As soon as Buffy's ready we'll call you," Tara stated, her way of politely asking him to leave.
"Yeah, um, sure, whenever," he said, hurt that he just got the brush off. Old insecurities rose their ugly head and if he listened, he could almost hear Cordelia taunting him, calling him Zeppo. He hung his head and left the house, but sat in his car for a few moments letting his hurt die down. It would do him no good to go to the job site all upset like a big baby. He'd never hear the end of it that's for sure.
He never expected Willow to come flying out the front door so fast that she literally slammed into his car before she could decrease her speed enough to stop. "Xander! The baby, she's having the baby!" Willow yelled.
Xander jumped out of the car and ran into the house where he saw Tara sitting on the steps holding on to the banister for dear life, taking in rapid breathes. "Okay, okay, everything's cool. Everything's under control. I got everything under control."
"Xander," Tara grunted at him through gritted teeth.
"Right, um, can you walk?" he asked panic mode in full swing.
She took a few breaths and then nodded.
"Buffy! Tara's in labor!" Willow called out. The way the morning was going so far she didn't know if she should even expect a response or even see Buffy come out of the room. However, when the door slammed open and Buffy flew down the steps, neatly jumping over the railing and picking Tara up in her arms and making her way out the door, Willow and Xander barely had time to realize the bedroom door had even opened.
"Let's go! What the hell are you waiting for?" Buffy called out as she eased Tara into the back seat of Xander's car. Xander and Willow just shrugged and ran out the door and into the car, which Xander quickly threw into gear and sped down the street, his tires screeching, leaving marks in the road.
"Oh, damn!" Willow slapped herself in the head.
"What? What? Oh, damn, what?" Xander asked, jittery, as he swerved in between traffic and raced through stop signs.
"I forgot to leave a note for Dawn, she'll be worried."
"Here," Xander handed Willow his cell phone and Willow quickly dialed the house number and left a short message for Dawn telling her that everything was okay, but that Tara was in labor and they're heading to the hospital. She'd call back later and let her know what's going on.
The sirens and lights behind Xander caught him off guard. With a groan he quickly pulled over and as the cop neared the car Xander started freaking out. "We got a woman in labor here!"
The cop took his sweet time making his way to the car and looked into the window. He saw Tara in the back seat leaning up against Buffy. She was breathing fast, holding her stomach, her face already sweaty. Without turning back to Xander he simply stated, "Follow me," as he walked back to his car. He hit the lights and sirens again and sped up in front of Xander who quickly took the hint and sped behind the officer to the hospital.
The cop must have radioed ahead because there was a wheelchair and a nurse already waiting at the emergency room entrance for them when they pulled up. When the nurse went to take Tara from Buffy's arm, the slayer shot the older woman with a look that could have killed and the nurse wisely backed away, allowing the strong blonde to place her lover in the chair herself.
And then they were off, racing down the hallway and through double doors. The nurse at the check in station stopped Willow and Buffy before they could go any further. "Um, are you with the woman just brought in?" She asked.
"Yeah, why?" Buffy turned to the woman, daring her to stop her from seeing Tara.
"I need some forms filled out. Insurance and whatnot."
"Oh," Willow said stepping forward. "She's under my insurance. Can we do this a little later? I really want to get in there."
"I'm sorry, but only the mother and father are allowed back there right now, you'll have to wait here."
"We are the parents," Willow said pointing to herself and Buffy.
The nurse looked at her like she'd just gone crazy and Willow only rolled her eyes. "Long story, you don't want to know it, but the three of us are the parents of the same baby, so if you'll just allow us to go through, that'd be great."
Xander came running into the ER and asked, breathlessly, "Where is she?"
The nurse brightened up at the sight of a male. "Ah, you must be the father," she said, completely ignoring the statements made by the crazy redhead.
Xander was taken aback for a moment and then caught on. "Um, no. They're the parents," Xander corrected, pointing to his two friends.
The nurse looked at him with the same expression she'd reserved for Willow and decided that now no one was getting past her. That was until Buffy lunged across the nurse's desk, grabbed her by the collar, and stared at her deep in the eyes. She felt Willow and Xander pulling on her arms but they were no match for her slayer strength, especially when she was enraged. "Now listen to me you bigoted bitch. That beautiful woman in there is carrying not only my child, but her child as well," Buffy indicated Willow by a tilt of her head. "We're not asking for your blessing, personally, we don't give a shit, but I swear by any god listening, if you prevent me from being there for the birth of my daughter I will tear you apart limb by limb."
All the nurse could do was nod vigorously as Buffy slowly released her hold on her. Once she was finished with the nurse, she quickly threw her arms out of the reach of her friends and stormed through the double doors. Willow sent an apologetic look to the frazzled nurse that said, 'sorry, she's had a bad day, but you really did deserve it,' and she followed her lover through the door.
It took her and Buffy a moment to track down where they'd taken Tara, but all they had to do was follow the cries of pain and they found her soon enough.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After about an hour, the doctor determined it was a false alarm, most likely brought about by increased stress levels. She'd have to calm down, stay in bed for a while, maintain a healthy diet, and if she felt up to it, some exercise. Once Willow was assured, several times, that everything was fine and that this happens quiet often, she went out to the nurses station to finally fill out the paper work for her lover. Luckily her job didn't ask too many questions about why she had two non-related women as dependents covered under her insurance and the beneficiaries to any policies she'd get through the company. Considering this is Sunnydale, they probably just figured with the rate that people suddenly disappeared, it was probably best to have more than one person watching your back in case something happened.
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