Title: Happily Ever After
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
Part Five
Tara went into the house and placed a couple of grocery bags on the island, and took the other bags upstairs to the nursery. She figured she'd take care of them after she took care of the food. Anya's pie comment had reminded her that she didn't have any snacks in the house for Dawn, so she had stopped off at the grocery store on the way home. Willow had been right that a pregnant woman alone in the grocery store in not a good idea. She went in for a couple things and ended up with two bags full. She walked around the kitchen putting things away. Tara saw Willow's breakfast dishes in the sink and smiled. She hoped that twenty years from now she would still think it was cute that Willow didn't put her dishes in the dishwasher. Tara finished putting the groceries away and went to the sink to rinse Willow's dishes and take care of them for her. She put them in the dishwasher and turned it on. When she did she felt a gush of water at her feet.
"The dishwasher broke. It was just the dishwasher. It was just the dishwasher," she kept repeating to herself even though she knew it wasn't the dishwasher. She turned the dishwasher off and checked it anyway. "It wasn't the dishwasher, but it has to be the dishwasher. Ohhhhh, contraction," Tara said. "Okay it was me. I have to call Willow, but she's in class. Ohhhhh, forget about the class I have to call Willow."
"Are you even listening?" Buffy whispered to her best friend.
"I'm trying. I have a really weird feeling," Willow said.
"You're not gonna puke are you?" Buffy asked moving away a little.
"No, not like that," Willow said. "Like, like, I don't know."
"I'm sure everything will be okay. Now start paying attention so you can explain this stuff to me later."
Willow tried to pay attention as Buffy had ordered, but she couldn't stop worrying about Tara. She wanted everything to be okay for them, and she couldn't help but think there was something around the corner waiting to destroy it all. Too many years on the hell mouth she guessed. She wrote down something the professor said and then she felt a vibrating on her leg. 'The phone,' Willow thought. Willow stood up and left the class causing a moderate disturbance.
"Tara," Willow said answering the phone.
"Ohhhhh, the baby is coming," Tara said through gritted teeth.
"Now?"
"Yes, now," Tara snapped.
"How far apart are the contractions?" Willow asked.
"I don't know, but they're close," Tara said more calmly now that the contraction had passed. "My water broke, you need to come home now."
"I'll be right there. I love you, bye," Willow said hanging up the phone and rushing back into the classroom. "Buffy grab my stuff."
"Miss. Rosenburg, there is a class going on," the professor said.
"I'm sorry, but my wife's having a baby," Willow said rushing out of the room with Buffy close behind.
"Oh my God, Will, what's the plan?" Buffy asked.
"Drop me off at home and then take my car and get Dawn. I don't want her coming over after school to an empty house. Call everyone and tell them to meet us at the hospital."
"How are you going to get to the hospital if I have your car?"
"The mini van," Willow said.
"Oh right I forgot. Okay so I get Dawn and call everyone?"
"Right," Willow said.
"You're going kinda fast," Buffy said indicating to the speedometer which read 70.
"I don't care I have to get home," Willow said. "I wish I could go faster, but it is only a 25."
"Tara!" Willow yelled running into the house.
"I'm in the living room," Tara called back. She had lay down on the sofa shortly after she called Willow. The contractions were strong and very close together. "Hurry," Tara added.
"Are you okay?" Willow asked dropping to her knees next to Tara.
"No, I'm having a baby," Tara said.
"Right, hospital," Willow said standing up and trying to help Tara from the sofa.
"No, don't move me," Tara said pulling away from Willow as another contraction hit her.
"Baby, we have to get to the hospital," Willow said.
"It's too late for that now," Tara said. "This baby is coming. Help me upstairs and then call an ambulance."
"Tara you can not have this baby here," Willow said. "This isn't the proper place. Things aren't sterile, and it's not time, and there's no doctor. What if something goes wrong? No, this can't happen now. You're just gonna have to hold it."
"Sweetie, calm down," Tara said. "Take a deep cleansing breath. Now help me upstairs."
"Right, upstairs. Why?"
"I don't want to have the baby in the living room," Tara said.
"Right, then I call the ambulance. Why do I call the ambulance?" Willow asked helping Tara up the stairs.
"Just in case something goes wrong. They're trained."
"Okay, I can't do this," Willow said helping Tara onto their bed. "Tara, I don't know how to do this. Do you know how to do this?"
"No," Tara said, "but we can do this together."
"We need towels," Willow said, "and boiling water."
"Why do we need boiling water?" Tara asked.
"When this happens on television they always boil water."
"Just help me," Tara pleaded as the next contraction came.
"Why are we going to their house?" Dawn asked jumping into the car with Buffy.
"Because Will called and said that Tara was having the baby there. I guess there was no time to get to the hospital," Buffy said pulling the car into the street.
"This is so cool," Dawn said. "I get to leave school early and watch a baby be born. You do think they'll let me watch, right?"
"I don't know," Buffy said. "It's pretty gross are you sure you want to?"
"It's not that gross, I've seen it on television."
"Television like Discovery channel or television like Friends?" Buffy asked narrowly missing a guy jogging.
"What difference does it make?" Dawn asked.
"Let me tell you a little story about a film I saw in health class called the miracle of life," Buffy said. "When the baby comes out it's all gooey and gross, and it comes out with this gush of stuff. It's pretty nasty. Plus sometimes it tears."
"What tears?" Dawn asked wide eyed.
"Her, you know. You do know right?"
"You mean," Dawn said making a gesture toward her lap.
"Yep."
"I don't wanna watch," Dawn said.
"Come on Baby, you can do this," Willow said urging her wife on. "One more good push."
"I can't," Tara said crying.
"Tara the head is almost out, I don't think you can quit now," Willow said panic entering her voice. She was prepared for Tara to be strong through this, and she was, but she wasn't prepared for her to want to quit.
"I'm tired, and it hurts so bad," Tara said.
"Just one more good one and the head is out," Willow said. "I know this is hard, I can't even begin to imagine the pain, but Tara our baby is counting on you. Remember how much easier it is on a Baby Story once the head is out? Just one more good one and then it's smooth sailing."
"One more," Tara repeated baring down.
"The head. I have the head," Willow said.
"One more?" Tara asked.
"You can do it, you're strong." Tara bore down and Willow helped by gently pulling on the baby. "She's here," Willow said starring down at their little girl.
"A girl," Tara said. Willow wrapped the baby in some clean towels and handed her to Tara. "She's so beautiful."
"She is," Willow said placing a kiss on Tara's forehead.
"Why isn't the ambulance here?" Tara asked.
"Oops, I forgot to call," Willow said.
"Guys, are you up there? Is everything okay?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, everythings great," Willow said.
"Can we come in?" Buffy asked.
"Just a second," Willow grabbed a clean sheet and covered Tara. "Come on in."
"Is it a boy or a girl?" Dawn asked rushing past Buffy into the room.
"I thought you knew," Tara said.
"Spill it Tara," Buffy said.
"It's a girl," Willow said.
"I was right," Dawn said.
"You guys have a name?" Buffy asked.
"Yes," Willow said. Buffy knew they were planning on having a naming ceremony and the name wouldn't be reveled until then.
"And?" Buffy asked.
"We'll tell everyone later. I have to call an ambulance now," Willow said.
"Ambulance? Is something wrong?" Dawn asked.
"No, Sweetie, nothing's wrong. I just want the baby to get checked out at the hospital," Tara said.
"She's so small," Dawn said. "I didn't know she would be so small."
"Hard to believe you were once that little, huh?" Buffy said.
"You remember when I was that little?" Dawn asked.
"Yeah, I tried to sell you to my best friend, but she wouldn't buy you."
"It was almost a touching moment," Tara said.
"You guys are never gonna believe this," Willow said rushing into the room. "That was Giles on the phone, Anya had the baby."
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~Spencer~
"Oh, Buffy. You really need to have every square inch of your ass kicked."
-DMW- Two To Go