Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
Part Six
Willow looked around the living room making sure that everything was ready for when the guests arrived. It had been Tara's idea to have a naming ceremony instead of just telling everyone the name when she was born. They had invited Xander and Anya to join them, but they decided they liked the traditional way. Dawn had made fifty dollars on the two births. Not only did she get the sex right for both babies, she also got the date and the name that Xander and Anya would pick. Buffy suspected she had cheated on all counts. Willow couldn't wait for Xander and Anya to get there with little Alexander Lavelle Harris II. She had only seen him briefly at the hospital. Xander was already making plans for the future wedding of their children.
Having a baby was so exciting, but also very scary. She was afraid she was going to drop her or hurt her or that she might make a mistake and scar her for life. Tara, on the other hand, was so good with her. She knew exactly what to do to make her stop crying. Tara was the perfect mother. Willow rechecked everything and then headed upstairs to the nursery to see if Tara needed any help. She peeked her head into the room and saw Tara standing at the changing table.
"Need any help?" Willow asked.
"Yeah, could you bring an outfit for her," Tara said. "I dressed her, then fed her, then she spit up, and now I'm back to dressing her."
"Maybe you should have fed her before you dressed her for the party," Willow said handing Tara a clean outfit, a little blue dress.
"I think maybe you're right," Tara said. " Here, you take her with you, and I'm gonna go rechange for the party."
"Did you give Momma a present on her shirt?" Willow said holding her daughter. "That's pretty funny, but don't go doing that to Mommy because I'm all dressed for your party and I don't have anything else to wear. I was supposed to do the laundry and I didn't. Let's go in and watch Momma get dressed. It's not something you'll enjoy, but I like it." Willow walked into their bedroom and placed the baby in the cradle. Tara was standing shirtless in front of their closet. Willow walked up behind Tara and wrapped her arms around her waist.
"Help me find a shirt," Tara said placing her hands over Willow's.
"I think I like you better this way," Willow said kissing her way down Tara's neck.
"Six weeks," Tara said capturing Willow's hands before they could wander.
"Six long weeks," Willow said backing away. "How long has it been?"
"Two days," Tara said laughing.
"So we're looking for a shirt."
"Preferably one that matches this skirt, but I'm flexible," Tara said. "If someone had done the laundry it might be easier to find one."
"Someone got thrown off their schedule by the birth of our child," Willow said.
"Don't you just love the way that sounds," Tara said.
"What?" Willow asked.
"Our child."
"It does sound nice," Willow said.
"Is that the doorbell?" Tara asked.
"Sounds like it," Willow said.
"Will you go get the door?" Tara asked. "Seeing as how I'm topless."
"I don't know that could be pretty interesting, especially if it's Xander."
"Get the door," Tara said shaking her head.
"Your wish is my command," Willow said. She ran down the stairs to the front door and opened it expecting one of her friends. "Mom?"
"I found the invitation on your father's desk," Sheila said. "He's out of town."
"He called and told us," Willow said. "Don't take this the wrong way, but why are you here?"
"My name was on the invitation," Sheila said.
"I know, I put it there, but you've made it pretty clear that you don't accept this. I mean I've been married for more than a year and you haven't even met Tara yet, so why would you come?"
"Willow who's at...," Tara said coming down the stairs with the baby in her arms, "the door?"
"Mom, this is Tara," Willow said. Tara stood motionless halfway down the stairs.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Sheila said.
"Um, yeah," Tara said still in shock.
"So why are you here?" Willow asked again.
"I was wrong," Sheila said. "I didn't take this seriously, but I see now that you do. I'm sorry."
"I'm glad you finally realized that, but this doesn't make things better. You haven't spoken to me in over a year. I can't just forget that," Willow said. "Are you staying for the ceremony?"
"No, I came early to drop this gift off. I don't feel very comfortable around your friends. Every time I run into them they look at me like I'm a monster," Sheila said.
"Do you blame them?" Willow said. Tara stepped forward and decided now was time to intervene before the peace offering turned ugly.
"Thank you for coming," Tara said.
"Would it be okay if I came by another time?" Sheila asked looking at the baby in Tara's arms.
"I don't know," Willow said. "I'll think about it and let you know when I call Dad and tell him her name."
"Your Mom," Tara said after Willow closed the door.
"Weird," Willow said.
"I was more along the wow line myself," Tara said.
"No, it was wow, but weird," Willow said. "It scares me when everything comes together. I keep waiting for something to go wrong."
"There isn't always going to be something," Tara said.
"I don't know, Tara, maybe I'm just paranoid," Willow said.
"No, you're just a worrier," Tara said.
"You're right. I feel like I say that a lot, do I?"
"Yes," Tara said laughing.
"You hear that, you're Momma thinks she's always right," Willow said, "but we know better."
"Are you trying to gang up on me?"
"We would never," Willow said taking the baby from Tara's arms. "I'm going to take my little princess upstairs, and change her diaper. Unless of course you want to."
"No, I know how much you enjoy that. I'll just go check on...something," Tara said walking away quickly.
"You're so gracious."
"I'm here tell me the name," Buffy said bursting through the front door.
"Contrary to your beliefs, you aren't the only one who matters," Dawn said from the living room.
"What are you waiting for then?" Buffy asked plopping down on the sofa.
"You, actually," Giles said.
"But just because this one time it was you, it doesn't mean it's always you. It just means you were late," Dawn said.
"Girls, don't ruin the ceremony with your arguing," Joyce said.
"So when's this shindig gonna start?" Xander asked cradling his son in his arms.
"Now," Willow said coming down the stairs with the baby.
"I don't want to criticize your technique, but 15 minutes is a long time to be changing a diaper," Tara said.
"If you must know, there was an incident with the powder that required a bath and a change of clothes," Willow said. Tara just smiled at her wife.
"So what do we do?" Buffy asked.
"All we really want is to celebrate the birth of our daughter with our friends. So basically we're just gonna disclose the name and then we eat and party," Tara said.
"Sounds good to me," Anya said. "I thought we were going to have to dance naked."
"As fun as that sounds, it's not on the agenda," Willow said handing the baby to Tara. "And to get the image out of everyone's head, we want you all to meet Jesse Elizabeth Rosenburg-Maclay."
"That's really nice Will," Xander said handing Alex to Anya so he could hug his best friend.
"We wanted to make sure you didn't want to name Alex that, but obviously you didn't, so we figured you'd be okay if we named her Jesse," Willow said.
"He was your best friend too, Will. Of course I don't mind," Xander said.
"What if when she gets old, like in her forties, she doesn't want to be called Jesse because it sounds like a young person's name, what is she supposed to do?" Dawn asked.
"She'll be forty she can figure it out for herself," Buffy said smacking Dawn across the back of the head.
"Owww," Dawn said. "Slayer strength."
"Sorry, I meant to only use sister strength," Buffy said.
"Well you didn't," Dawn said hitting her back.
"Don't hit me," Buffy said swatting Dawn again.
"Mom," Dawn said.
"I've retired," Joyce said.
"Buffy go sit in the family room, and Dawn go sit in the dining room," Tara said. "You're both in time out."
"You can't be serious," Buffy said.
"She's serious," Willow said, "and so am I, now listen to Tara. We'll come and get you in ten minutes when you've had time to think about what you've done wrong."
"I can't believe I'm being sent to time out by my best friends," Buffy mumbled walking from the room.
"The food is all set up in the kitchen so everyone else can go grab a plate," Tara said.
"You guys are gonna be great parents," Joyce said.
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~Spencer~
"Oh, Buffy. You really need to have every square inch of your ass kicked."
-DMW- Two To Go
And i love the baby's name! 
Lovely update Mainer 
at: 8/27/02 12:34:38 pm
at: 8/28/02 7:31:40 am
