******
TITLE: Frothy Goodness
AUTHOR: Laragh
CHAPTER RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: I don’t own any of the characters, Joss does. I may totally disagree with what he did with them, but alas, he still owns them.
SUMMARY: They meet. They fall in love...I’m really bad at summaries. Happy, light reading.
SPOILERS: None. No demons, no hellmouth.
FEEDBACK: Go for it.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Two chapters left (including this one)
AUTHOR'S NOTE 2: Okay, I'm aware that the game everyone plays in this doesn't technically translate 'cause W + T aren't both genetically linked to the baby, but I say screw genetics and...well, they could have just looked through those catalogues
extra carefully. Or maybe just a little bit of suspension of disbelief is required. Thanks for reading!
Part 50 ******
Tara waddled, more than walked, around the corner leading to the house as she finished her walk around the neighbourhood; walking being the only exercise she was actually able to do with her extremely large eight-and-a-half-months pregnant stomach. The August heat wasn’t helping any and the brunette was thankful she was on maternity leave.
They had spent the weekend finishing off the nursery, Willow had painted it a light lilac colour, not letting Tara in the room while she was doing so, scared the fumes would cause harm to the baby, and had moved around the furniture, a wooden crib, painted white with little stars on the slats rested in the middle of room, already fitted with matching lilac bedding. It had mobile hanging above it with dangling plush-toy animals. Willow had made sure there were no frogs on the mobile, deciding it was much too scary for an innocent little baby to handle. Or her mother.
Against the far wall was a mahogany dresser, with a variety of newborn’s apparel that the couple had been accumulating gradually, until they had already filled the chest of drawers. Two small lamps were sitting on top of it with a currently empty photo frame between them that the girls were planning to put their first family photo in. Their stroller, simply black and white, sat next to the dresser, waiting to be used.
The last piece of furniture in the simply-decorated room was a small two-seater sofa against the opposite wall to the dresser. It was white leather, so it was easily washable, and had a reclining feature so middle-of-the-night feeds would be comfortable for mother and baby.
Willow had come across articles early on about breastfeeding without pregnancy, and had instantly wanted to know more. She’d gone to the doctor and got all the relevant information, and after discussing it with her wife, had gone ahead with the hormone treatment, and despite the slight awkwardness of the protocols, like having to take the birth control pill for the first time in her life, getting used to her breasts being significantly larger than usual, and, in particular for the past few weeks, having to use a breast pump at regular intervals, she was delighted that she’d get to go through that kind of bonding experience with her daughter.
Tara thought about how dedicated her love was being, glad that that was the woman she was spending her life with, that she was going to raise a family with until she got a sharp pain in her ankle and all she could think about was how she wanted to do was relax and soak the swollen feet that she hadn’t been able to see for the better part of three months.
She arrived at her front door, expecting to walk in and see her wife working on an updated version of her ‘Contingency Plan,’ a graph outlining the fastest and most efficient routes from their house to the hospital broken down by the hour, so that no matter what time Tara went into labour, a quick consultation with that chart would determine the best way to get to the hospital. The redhead had started it when the brunette entered her seventh month, but it required adjustments periodically for things like roadblocks or diversions.
Tara had thought about how her wife was going to react if she went into labour somewhere other than the house, but decided not to bring it up for fear of the panic it would probably ensue in the petite girl.
She opened the door and put the bottle of water she had been carrying on the table, before going over to open the living room double-doors, which were unusually closed.
“Surprise!”
Buffy looked around at the five other women in the room, in a huff that she had been the only one to yell out.
“What’s the what, guys? I thought we said we were gonna yell surprise!”
“We forwent that plan while you were getting the cookies, Buff,” Willow explained, turning to her friend, “We decided that yelling at a pregnant woman might not be the smartest idea, plus, you know amniotic fluid is said to amplify sound and I didn’t want to scare little – woops, almost told you her name there.”
Tara, still standing in the doorway, looked around the room, decorated with pink balloons and streamers, with a collection of presents on the coffee table, and a big ‘It’s A Girl’ sign hanging above the fireplace. She was about to speak when she heard the sound of her mother-in-law’s voice, shocking her more than anything else as the woman hadn’t set foot in their house since she had moved in.
“Name? You’ve decided on a name? I think, as the child’s grandmother I have a right to know the name.”
Sheila Rosenberg had delighted in the news she was going to be a grandparent, not for one second, like Willow had kind of expected, rejecting the child as not being in their family because she wasn’t blood. Ira had been equally as ecstatic, and the younger couple were overjoyed that their daughter was going to have at least one set of grandparents.
“Mom, you’ll hear what we’re gonna call her when she’s born, we want it to be a surprise.”
“Um…” Tara said, still completely confused as to what was going on.
“Oh! Tara! Sorry, love. Happy surprise baby shower!” Willow said, rushing over to take her wife’s hand.
Realisation dawned at the brunette and she gripped the redhead’s hand tighter. She knew Buffy and Anya had been planning some sort of party, but it had been so long since it had been mentioned she had completely forgotten. She smiled happily as she saw her aunt there as well as Mrs. Rosenberg, Buffy and Anya.
“Nikki, hi!” she said, making her way over to her aunt, trying to hug her but struggling slightly. They finally managed an embrace and Tara moved on to the others in the room, thanking them individually for the party. She finally shuffled over to the couch where her wife was sitting and sat beside her.
“We were supposed to have party games,” Willow said sheepishly, turning to her, “But I kind of got distracted and forgot to pick up the supplies.”
“The road works on Salzedo Avenue?” Tara asked understandingly.
Willow nodded.
“There was a game we played at my shower with you, Willow,” Sheila spoke up, “All we need is pens and paper.”
“Oh I have plenty of those!”
The redhead jumped up and ran out of the room and up the stairs, coming back a few minutes later with an assortment of pens and a notebook.
“It’s called ‘Mommy-To-Be’,” Sheila continued, grabbing a pen and piece of paper, “What you do, Tara, is make a list of attributes you want passed on from either you or Willow, then we all have to guess which attribute is you and which is Willow. Things like eyes or humour.”
“I can do that,” Tara said, smiling and taking her own pen and paper, “Okay, so I make a list, then call them out and you guys have to guess whether I want that particular attribute to come from me or Willow?”
“That’s right.”
“I love party games,” Anya interjected, giddily taking her three pens and some paper and handing one to Buffy, who was sitting on the floor beside her and then to Nikki who was perched on the side of one of the couches.
Tara started writing and Willow tried to peer over her shoulder. Tara saw her.
“Honey, get on the floor, you’re not allowed look.”
“But-”
“Now.”
Willow begrudgingly sat on the floor, beside Buffy who made a whipping sound, Anya doing the accompanying hand motion.
“I am not whipped,” the redhead whispered.
“Whipped like cream,” Buffy replied.
Willow was saved from further teasing by Tara announcing she had her list done.
“Okay, qualities are Eyes, Ears, Hair, Nose, Intelligence, Smile and Humour. Go.”
Everyone, who had written down the chosen attributes whilst Tara had listed them, went about putting a little ‘W’ or ‘T’ beside each.
“All done?” Tara asked after a few minutes, eliciting a series of nods,
“Okay, Eyes: Me; Ears: Me; Hair: Definitely Willow.”
The married couple exchanged a sweet smile before Tara continued.
“Nose: Willow; Intelligence: Willow; Smile-”
“I don’t care what her sheet says,” Willow interjected, “I want our little one to have your smile. All eight varieties of them. Except maybe that one you give me in the bedroom, ‘cause I don’t want to think about our daughter getting freaky with anyone, much like, I’m guessing, my mom didn’t want to hear about the bedroom smile you give me, much less you wanting me to tell people and-OUCH!”
She was stopped in her babble-tracks by Buffy pinching her arm hard.
She looked up at Tara whose eyes were wide and was blushing profusely and then to her mother who looked like she’d been slapped. She dropped her head against the floor, banging it.
“Humour. Humour was the last one,” Nikki said, trying to diffuse the tension and not letting the image of her niece ‘getting freaky’ into her head.
“Um…both of us,” Tara said quietly, taking a deep breath and ignoring the flush she knew was on her face, “I want her humour to come from both of us.”
Buffy shared a look with Anya, neither of them happy at the change in their party. Anya nodded towards the table.
“Present time!” Buffy said, jumping up excitedly, “Presents for Mom and baby.”
Willow raised her head and sought out her wife’s gaze, looking at her apologetically when she found it. Tara cocked her head in a silent offer and the redhead got up, sitting beside her and putting her hand on her stomach. She felt a kick and felt that same sense of calm she always did around both of her girls.
Buffy handed them a large box, wrapped in ‘it’s a girl’ paper.
“Thanks, Buff,” Willow said, tearing open the paper, “Hey, a Diaper Genie!”
“It guarantee’s no stinky nursery!”
“That was very nice, Buffy, thank you,” Tara said.
They opened the rest of their gifts, a life-size teddy bear that Nikki had given them for the nursery and
Tzedakah Box from Sheila. Finally, Anya handed them a small, soft package. They opened it to reveal a white bodysuit.
“I got it custom made,” Anya gushed as they held it up.
“Thanks, Ahn,” Willow said, “That was really swee...”
She trailed off as she read what Anya had had the bodysuit custom-made to say.
“My Mommies Had Sex And All I Got Was This Stupid Life,” Tara read, not realising what she was saying until it was already out there. She registered the silence in room and looked over the bodysuit one more time, “Anya this was really thoughtful. Thank you.”
Anya seemed genuinely pleased at her best friend’s reaction, and Willow, though initially surprised, quickly followed heed.
“Thanks, Ahn. It’s really nice.”
“How about in thanks, you tell us her name?”
Tara looked Willow who just smiled.
“Middle name?” she asked her wife.
The redhead nodded.
“Her middle name will be Juliette,” Willow announced proudly, “After the very special woman who brought Tara into the world.”
Everyone smiled and there was a chorus of ‘Awws’, Nikki bringing her hand over her heart at the thought of her sister being remembered like that.
A few hours of talking about the baby, large amounts of cookie consumption and some impromptu karaoke involving any song they could think of with the word ‘baby’, the married couple said goodbye to their guests and retreated back to their living room, Willow tidying up while Tara sat back watching her, physically unable to help with the bending requirements.
Watching her wife bend over, however, was a duty she was all too happy to indulge in, until the redhead straightened up after hearing a gasp come from the sofa.
“What’s wrong, love?” she asked, rushing over.
“Nothing, I’m fine. Just kind of particularly achy for the past day or so. I think I’m just eating too much. Indigestion or something,” Tara replied, exhaling.
“Well, okay. Do you wanna go up to bed? I’ll help you up, bring some tea, we could cuddle?”
“That sounds good.”
Willow held out a hand to help the brunette up, who stood after a few attempts. She leaned down to kiss her wife, both enjoying the contact until both of them felt an unusual wetness on their bare feet.
Willow looked down and back up at Tara with wide eyes.
“I don’t think its indigestion.”
by taranwillow4ever » Mon Aug 17, 2009 3:33 pm 
One of the advantages of two women together 
I have said it once I will say it a hundred times you are so wise and you write like you have been for years. Dia 
..but still I would be very happy if you put something smutty goodness 
