Getting Ahead of Myself
by sailor80
Twenty-two
[reviews]
On Monday morning, Tara and Faith went to the gallery with Joyce. They spent most of the morning going over everything the younger women would need to know. After that, Joyce sent them out to the bank and to have lunch.
Faith skipped the teller lines and found someone at a desk. "I wanna open an account."
The young woman, Melissa Brown, according to her desk sign, looked up from her computer. "Certainly. Have a seat."
Faith insisted that Tara be on the account, and they filled out the paperwork. Everything was obviously routine until Faith handed her the cashier's check. The bank employee looked closely at the check, then at Faith. "Ms. Spencer, are you certain you want to put all of this in a checking account? You have many options available."
"Like what?"
Faith's eyes glazed over while the woman listed her choices. When she stopped, Faith was completely confused. "Look, let's just do this for now, all right? You can give me some stuff to read about the rest of it."
"May I suggest that you put 75% into a savings account?"
"Sure, whatever. I just want some walkin' around money."
"I'll be right back," Ms. Brown promised.
Faith turned to Tara. "This stuff makes my head hurt."
"I'll help you with it."
"Nah, you can just do whatever. I don't care. That's why I'm puttin' your name on it, too."
"Faith, it's your money. You earned it."
Faith snorted. "I figure it's a bribe, so I'll be a good little Slayer and do what they want."
"Either way," Tara said, "it's yours."
"Ours."
"Faith," Tara began.
Faith cut her off. "Nobody ever gave a damn about me until this year. B'll take care of her mom and Red and the kid, but if something happens to me, who's gonna take care of you? I don't want you scramblin' around or worryin' about your family. This way, I know you're safe, no matter what."
After a few long seconds, Tara said, "All right."
"Good." Faith took Tara's hand and squeezed it gently. "And I'm buyin' lunch," she added firmly.
Tara giggled, and squeezed Faith's hand back.
When Ms. Brown returned, she had a balding, middle-aged man with her. He introduced himself as the bank manager, and when he tried to take over her transaction, Faith told him, "No offense, but I wanna deal with her," and pointed at Brown.
The manager took it with good grace and backed away. He hovered in the background while she went over everything with them, handing Faith a passbook, checkbook, and envelope containing $500. When she finished, Faith stood up and offered her hand. Ms. Brown shook first Faith's, then Tara's hands, and walked them to the door.
They picked up sandwiches, a salad for Joyce, and drinks, before returning to the gallery. The three of them ate lunch in Joyce's office. The older woman continued to tell them things that needed to be done that week. Tara jotted notes between bites.
When they finished eating, Joyce left them and went home. She found Willow dozing against Buffy on the couch. Buffy held her finger against her lip and pointed from Willow to Dawn, sleeping in the playpen by the stairs.
Mother and daughter talked softly for a few minutes before Willow woke. A knock on the door a few minutes later woke Dawn. Joyce got her while Buffy answered the door. Buffy, smiling, let Liz in.
"Good lungs," Liz smiled at Buffy.
"She's not shy about using them, either," Buffy said.
"Hi, Willow, Mrs. Summers."
"Hello, Liz," Joyce answered, and handed Dawn to Willow. Willow immediately handed her back, grimacing. "Diaper," she said.
"I'll do it, Mom," Buffy said.
"It's all right, Buffy," Joyce answered, and returned to the playpen to pick up the full diaper bag Buffy had put in it when they came downstairs.
While Joyce changed the baby, Liz, and Willow talked. Buffy stayed nearby, looking from Willow to Dawn. Dawn continued to fuss, even after she was changed, and Joyce again brought her to Willow, who thanked her and put the baby to her breast. When they finished, Liz checked Dawn. She pronounced both mother and daughter fine, and after a little more talking, left.
By that time, Dawn was back in Joyce's arms, stretching and making faces.
"Can you watch her for a little while? We need to go to the bank," Buffy said.
"Certainly, honey. I'm sure we'll be right here when you get back."
"Thanks, Mom," Buffy answered, and got up. She helped Willow up before getting their bags.
Joyce watched, smiling at Buffy's ultra soliticiousness, as Buffy hovered around Willow and held the door for her. It continued outside, as Buffy helped Willow into the seat, and drove extra carefully to the bank.
By chance, they approached Melissa Brown, who was again staggered at the number of zeroes on the cashier's check, but had sense enough not to show it. She did what Buffy asked, adding Willow to her accounts and putting the bulk of the money into their savings account for the time being. She suggested some other options, and Willow told her they would make those decisions later.
They were back home within an hour. Joyce was in her chair, holding Dawn, who was again sleeping. Willow took advantage of the quiet to get some rest. She laid on the couch, her head in Buffy's lap, and napped until Dawn's whimpers woke her.
By that time, Joyce was glad to move around. She looked at the time, and told them she was going back to the gallery to pick up Faith and Tara.
She was gone longer than expected, but returned with Faith, Tara, and several bags of Chinese takeout. After they ate, Joyce went upstairs to pack a small bag for the hospital. Buffy followed her upstairs, and sat on the bed and watched. She wasn't sure of what to say to her mother, and was more than a little worried, but tried not to show it.
Downstairs, they watched Animal Planet. When Dawn began to cry, Faith got her, and again changed her diaper before giving her to Willow. This time, when Dawn finished nursing, Faith held her, talking quietly until she went back to sleep. She put Dawn in the playpen, kissed Tara quickly, and said, "See ya, Red," before leaving to patrol.
No one slept well that night. Buffy, worried about her mother, was restless. For all that she tried not to disturb Willow, the redhead slept unevenly. Dawn cried every two hours like clockwork. Joyce found herself awake every few hours, and told herself it was because of Dawn. Faith dreamed about Boston, and her whimpers and thrashing woke Tara each time they drifted off. Despite that, everyone was downstairs early to see Joyce off. A little later, Faith and Tara headed out to the gallery.
Buffy, Willow, and Dawn spent part of their first day alone in the shade in the back yard. Buffy was content to watch them both, and each time she held their daughter, she smiled.
Joyce was groggy when they visited that evening, but with Faith hovering on one side and Buffy on the other, she held Dawn, ignoring the conversation that went on around her. Just after the girls left, Xander came in with some balloons and bad jokes that didn't cover his concern. Faith slipped in again later, during patrol, and watched her surrogate mother sleep for a few minutes before going back out in search of vampires.
They repeated these rituals again on Wednesday, and Thursday. On Friday, Buffy sent Willow and Dawn home with Faith and Tara and stayed to wait for her mother to wake completely after the surgery to repair damaged blood vessels in her brain. Buffy wasn't surprised when Giles appeared and sat with her for an hour or so, or when Faith appeared long after the hospital's curfew.
Faith stayed with Joyce while Buffy went out to patrol for a while. She needed something physical to do after days of rest, and ran through most of Sunnydale, not even bothering to speak to the demons before destroying them. She felt better when she returned to the hospital. She nodded at Faith, and Faith nodded back, and Buffy retook her seat beside Joyce's bed.
Buffy's relief was immense when Joyce woke and asked the time and for a drink. She stepped aside to allow the nurse to check Joyce, then pulled the chair closer and held her mother's hand while Joyce drifted back into sleep.
At mid-morning, Faith and Tara came in and sent Buffy home to sleep and shower. She showered first, then crawled into bed beside Willow. Before she could sleep, Dawn began to cry, and Buffy insisted on getting her. She changed and cleaned her daughter, then brought her to bed. While Willow fed Dawn, Buffy drowsed, and when the baby slept again, both of her mothers slept with her.
Joyce was released from the hospital on Monday, and Giles brought her home. Buffy hovered around her all week, and Willow looked on with the same amused smile Joyce had worn through most of Willow's brief pregnancy. On Friday, Joyce saw the doctor again, and was given the okay to go back to work, with a long list of stipulations. After the appointment, Buffy and Joyce headed to the mall to buy more sleepers and onesies for Dawn, who had outgrown all but the largest of those purchased before her arrival. They made one more stop before returning home, to purchase formula, cereal, and bottles and a few prescriptions for Joyce.
They arrived home to find both Willow and Dawn crying. Buffy checked Dawn first, and quickly quieted her before handing her off to her mother. Then she picked up Willow and took her upstairs.
Buffy tried unsuccessfully to understand the babble that came out with Willow's sobs before giving up. She made comforting noises and rocked Willow until she settled down.
They were still upstairs when Tara and Faith returned from the gallery. They unloaded the car, and Faith washed and prepared the bottles, and filled half a dozen. She added cereal to two of them. One of those, plus the others went into the refrigerator. Once Faith was satisfied with the temperature of the last one, she took it to Joyce. Dawn emptied the bottle while the three women talked, and Tara unwrapped the pile of clothes.
Dinner came and went with no sign of the couple upstairs, and Faith shrugged and went to patrol. Tara did laundry, and Joyce read, and for the first time, Dawn slept for more than two hours between feedings.
By the time Faith returned from patrol, Joyce was in bed. Tara was on the sofa, waiting for Faith. They talked softly, but the baby woke, and Faith warmed the second bottle containing the cereal mix, and fed Dawn.
"When did you learn how to take care of babies?" Tara asked.
"I used to have a baby brother," Faith answered, and shifted Dawn slightly. She looked at Tara. "And, no, I don't want to talk about it now," she added firmly.
"Not now or not ever?"
Faith looked at her for a second before sighing. "Not now."
Tara nodded, leaned over and kissed Faith's cheek. Faith continued to surprise her with the things that she shared when they were alone. Although she flirted and teased, Faith had made no real effort to move their physical relationship forward. Tara suspected that both Buffy and Willow would be surprised if they knew that, but had no intention of telling them.
Faith finished feeding Dawn, burped her, and did one more diaper check. Then she went upstairs and put the drowsy infant in her crib. Faith tapped lightly on the closed door to Buffy and Willow's room, and opened it without waiting for an answer. Her eyes needed a second to adjust to the darkness, and when they did, she saw Buffy hold a finger to her lips and point at Willow. Faith nodded, and pantomimed the baby in her arms, then sleep, and finally pointed toward the nursery. Buffy smiled and mouthed, "Thanks." Faith nodded and pulled the door closed.
She returned downstairs and found Tara gone. Faith sighed. She had been hoping they would go out for a few hours. She was restless and still had energy to burn, but headed downstairs.
Faith was pleasantly surprised to find that Tara had changed into a shirt that Faith especially liked. She grinned at her girlfriend and asked, "Hot date?"
"So she says," Tara answered with a smirk as she walked toward Faith. She kissed her once, quickly, and grabbed Faith's hand. "Bronze?"
Faith nodded and let Tara lead her upstairs.