Title: Coffee Moods
Author: watson (
hiddenwatson@yahoo.com)
Distribution: please email me first
Rating: PG to NC-17, see individual entries for rating
Disclaimer: BtVS characters, concepts and dialog belong to Mutant Enemy, Fox, The WB, UPN and others. The stories contained here are of a personal nature, non-commercial, not for sale or profit, and may not be sold or reproduced for commercial purposes.
Summary: Thoughts and frivolities in a coffee sort of way.
*****
Coffee Moods #5: Juste MilieuSummary: Much needed good news for the Scoobies. Anya in excessively good form. Willow honey please don't freak.
Rating: R
Part 3/3
It was a picture of normality. An outside observer would see a father figure, a twenty-something blonde girl with her sister, her brainy best friend and their best guy friend gathered round the dining table, chatting and playing a board game.
Who would have guessed these were the people who saved the world on a regular basis, sometimes at huge costs to their health and their spirits.
Creatures of the underworld seeked out the slayer, her watcher or her ex-Key sister, but my focus was the small redhead who could be the most powerful witch in the world.
"Hey guys, you're back. You want to join the game?" asked Dawn.
"No. I want to know where my coffee machine is and which alternate dimension my coffee beans have disappeared into," I said frostily.
Four pairs of eyes turned to me, full of curiosity and a little shock at the tone.
Four pairs, there were five people at the table.
I crossed my arms and waited for an answer that wasn't forthcoming.
"Looks like we're gonna have to switch to tea folks," said Anya helpfully.
"No! Not tea. Brewed tea has as much caffeine as instant coffee, though not as much as dripped. It's still too high," came a sharp protest. Without pausing for breath she continued. "I mean, we all know caffeine's bad for us so we should cut down and what better time than now? To start living healthily?"
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or tear my hair out. How could someone be so endearing, frustrating and unerringly logical at the same time?
"Will, we just ate a delicious 3-course dinner, in about an hour's time we're going for patrol. Healthy living can wait till tomorrow, cos right now I'd like a nice cup of Tara's coffee," Buffy interjected.
"But, but," Willow spluttered and she sank into her chair like all the air been squeezed out of her. I could never resist that pouty rag doll stance, and I felt my annoyance dissipated.
"Sweetie, last night, the urge to re-organize the kitchen, what torture did you bring onto the coffee machine?" I asked slowly as I pulled a chair up next to hers and threw my arms round her shoulder.
The pout grew bigger. "Not telling."
"What about the beans?" I prodded.
"Threw 'em out," she answered quickly.
"Is it because of, you know?" I whispered.
"Yeah, it's a truth universally acknowledged," she whispered back.
"I thought it's fine in moderation, and you didn't have to chuck it all away, what about you?" I pointed out. I could do without caffeine, but I couldn't imagine her functioning without it.
"Where you go so I."
Meanwhile Anya was recapping our discovery to the others, we tuned into the conversation just in time to hear Anya announce "— proposed to Tara." I felt Willow freeze and almost choke.
Again I felt the intense scrutiny of four pairs of eyes.
"Eeep! Yes! I love you guys! Can I be bridesmaid?" Dawn shrieked and threw a huge hug our way.
"Congratulations! I must admit secretly I knew it was a matter of time before one of you popped the question, this is the best news I've heard all day," Giles beamed.
Buffy just had this big stupid grin on her.
It was Xander who noticed. "Okay, everybody's big on the happiness, except the lovebirds. Anya, did you hear it right? They don't look half as ecstatic as Dawn."
"I took a guess, and Tara didn't say I was wrong," Anya harrumphed.
"Ah my observant one, she didn't say you were right though, did she?" he challenged.
The celebrations stopped and I could cut the anticipation in the air with a knife.
Dawn had stopped skipping and was muttering "please let it be true" under her breath, with the most desperately hopeful expression on her face.
"Will, did you or didn't you?" Buffy asked in a small voice.
For once my babbling redhead was lost for words, but she came up with the same answer I had for Anya. "Um, yes and no."
Anya snorted. "That's exactly the same no-meaning reply I got from Tara!"
Willow tried to elaborate. "It's like this, er, well, you know, I, we — Tara, honey?" she gave up and appealed for my help.
I felt a strange calm, I knew this was the right time at last to tell them. "I'm pregnant."
No pun intended, but a pregnant silence followed before pandemonium erupted and we were enveloped in a warm, big, happy, but crushing group hug.
Then the questioning started.
Giles wanted to know how far along and whether we had seen a gynecologist. Almost 3 months and yes we even consulted with the coven when we found out.
Buffy asked how. We weren't disclosing all the details, it was too personal, but we did tell her it was a spell.
Anya was still obsessing about the proposal. Yes, we were getting married and no, we decided before we found out plus we weren't going to let the baby rush us into it.
Dawn wanted to feel, it felt a little odd at first, but the awestruck expression on her face when she gingerly put her hand on my tummy said it all.
"Will, I bet you've done lots of baby research already," Xander said.
"Not as much as I wanted to, only the basics," Willow answered.
"Yeah, like caffeine is bad, which explains the mysterious disappearance of the coffee paraphernalia," I grumbled. "What else am I not allowed to have Doctor Rosenberg?"
"Coffee flavored everything, tea except green tea, alcohol but you hardly drink anyway, soda and of course certain medicine," she recounted.
"What about coffee ice cream?" I asked with a straight face.
"We'll have to check the caffeine content first," she said seriously.
"What if I have a craving? You know how pregnant women get cravings," I teased.
"Oh you'll crave ice cream, but that's not all," Anya asserted. "Chili, mustard, salt-laden chips, mashed potatoes at odd hours, and of course pickles. I don't know why, but salty and sour foods seem to be popular."
"Aha! I was right about sour food," Willow beamed triumphantly. "See? That's why we need the yogurt maker."
"Okay, I can live with yogurt. But the all those strong flavors ..." I mock-shuddered.
"Not all women suffer cravings, and they go away eventually. Drink lots of water, eat plenty of fruits, nuts and grains and you'll be fine," Anya declared.
"Where did you get all this information from?" Buffy asked Anya.
"I get around, pregnant women hundreds of years ago only had other women to turn to, you pick things up here and there," Anya shrugged.
I could tell Anya wanted to be big knowledge woman on this. She hardly ever got the opportunity to shine, and I was glad she could contribute.
"So what else should I watch out for then?" I asked.
"Your breasts ache, your body smells funny, your blood pressure shoots up, you're nauseous and hungry, exhausted and probably scared. So Willow, be a good husband and give her warm baths and backrubs at least once a day," Anya responded like a trouper.
Even Willow looked impressed. "Warm baths and backrubs, check," she smiled.
"And of course with the hormone explosion you'll start feeling sensual, earthy, even orgasmic. Orgasms are good for you and the baby. You feel great and the baby will experience the euphoric rush, even though it doesn't know what you're doing," she continued.
Uh-oh. May be I shouldn't have encouraged her. Why did everything she talked about circled back to the same topic?
"Anya, that's the most appalling thing you've said all day," Giles rebutted as he returned with tea and chocolate. Thank the goddess for Giles.
"I resent that! Why do people have to pretend pregnancy is all sweet cotton candy? Why dress a pregnant woman in cute fluffy pink clothing? She's had s.e.x., otherwise, duh, where did that bun in the oven come from?" Anya argued.
"Woman's got a point," Xander added.
Privately I liked the idea of dressing in cute fluffy maternity clothes, they felt maternal and safe, but I kept my mouth shut.
"I think maternity clothes are supposed to be supportive and comfortable, kind of giving the mother-to-be a feeling that she's nurturing the child. I don't think a pregnant woman is that keen on projecting a sex bomb image," Buffy chimed in.
For some reason I had an image of a leather-clad Faith with a proudly protruding tummy at Buffy's mention of sex bomb and pregnant in the same sentence. I stifled a giggle.
Anya smirked. "You're implying pregnant women are not interested in sex, boy you're so wrong. Willow, I'm sure that's one of the topics you researched, let's hear it."
"Er, I haven't looked into that area, there're more important things. Other things," Willow huffed.
"Uh-huh, I know you, that's the first thing you looked up. Give it up Rosenberg," I whispered in her ear, it was payback for throwing the coffee stuff.
She stiffened, paled, then blushed 15 shades of pink. I had her.
"It depends on the couple. Sometimes one or both become disinterested, but popular opinion is that it's safe to have sex throughout," she swallowed as she continued. "Actually, there were cases when doctors sent couples home to have sex during a long labor, cos, I can't believe I'm saying this, orgasm can trigger contractions."
"It's fun and it kills time, one can never have too much sex. I've heard about it as a means to move labor along," Anya was at it again.
"Anya you're just an unending source of useless information about sex aren't you," Buffy said dryly.
My hand crept into Willow's and she held it tightly. We had been edgy since we did the spell, and when the test came back positive the tension increased a hundred-fold.
Now looking round our family, it was as if a huge weight had lifted off all our shoulders. The atmosphere was light, the smiles broader and most of all, I felt we regained the spark we briefly lost.
I snuggled under Willow's arms and gave her a light kiss on her neck. "Look how happy everyone is," I smiled.
"I know, but I'm the happiest person here, I have you and now our child," she placed her hand over my tummy, where
our baby was growing, and I could feel the warmth. "I love you, my Tara."
"I love you too," I laughed through happy tears.
"You sure you feel okay about the wedding? Not uncomfy cos you'll be an unmarried Mom?" she asked.
"Will, in my heart we're already married, we're just planning a ceremony to celebrate it with our loved ones, I want to take my time planning for it. A girl gets married only once in her life and I want to make it a special occasion," I said.
We sat there in each other's arms, shedding tears of intimate happiness, like two people in love, surrounded by family. I could not ask for a better family for our child.
Willow and I, we were going to be parents. How amazing.
*****
The End
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No offense to animal lovers. 
I so can't help the visual I got when I read that.
will give them something to rally round and will give them new hope. The other alternative is that the hardship of raising a child will make things worse, but that's probably being too cynical and pessimistic.
utterly speechless!!! i just found out about this thread tonight... i was supposed to do something else but once i started reading CM nobody could yank me away from the computer... you are such an amazing writer! i loved how you portrayed everybody... and yes even anya...
, read below.
Crazy insano triplets rule!
may be. Right now I have too many other ideas for other fics and challenges in my head to properly focus on CM, but I'll keep that in the "ideas" folder. Thanks honey!
with pride, it is easier for me to write dialogue, when it comes to me. And, I'm subtle? Huh. Comes from having complicated multiple personalities? I love how you picked out a trait for each Scooby and commented on it, it's like a big family isn't it? Yes Xander is more observant than we ever give him credit for; Faith in leather is guffaw-worthy; Willow is FUCKING adorable; Tara has a lovely soul. See? I know how to use semi-colons too.
Thanks for stopping by and I know I need to get caught up with Times of Darkness, I promise I will!
welcome! And I got first post. Wow. *proud* Thanks for reading and for your comments. It's always a pleasure to welcome new readers to the board, especially (to be selfish) to my stories. Since you so kindly bumped up, and hinted at wanting an update, I'll gladly oblige.
