TITLE: Baby Makes Three
AUTHOR: Finey_McFine
RATING: PG13
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other BtVS characters, as well as some random dialog, belong to Mutant Enemy. ALL other original characters belong to me! Mention of any ‘real’ people in this fic is brief and pure fantasy.
SUMMARY: Totally AU! Willow Rosenberg is a senior at Sunnydale High. She and her friends are bullied relentlessly until Willow stumbles upon a huge secret and decides to take matters into her own hands. There is no Hellmouth, just lot’s of teen angst, self discovery and of course Willow/Tara goodness...eventually.
Thoughts are in italics FEEDBACK: Yes! Any glaring issues…please send me a PM!
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hi Everyone and Happy New Year! I hope every one enjoyed their holiday. All I can say for us is, we survived the kids!! I’ve never been happier to see them all leave, lol. Anyway, this chapter is ‘sorta’ proofed. If you see anything that needs fixing, PM me as always. Enjoy:) *******************************************
Chapter 18
Willow was rummaging through her closet, trying to find a hat to go with her outfit. Ever since Tara said her clothes were ‘cute,’ Willow had made it her mission to dress ‘extra cute’ whenever she spent time with Tara. For their night out, Willow chose a pair of dark olive colored slack and a fuzzy red sweater. She wanted to top it off with her favorite yellow bowler hat, the one with red stripes. She’d been digging through a box for several minutes when she heard a soft rap on her bedroom door.
“Come in! Ah ha!” She shouted from inside the closet.
“Willow, where are you?” A familiar male voice asked.
Willow recognized the voice immediately and emerged triumphantly, spinning the hat on her finger. “Xander? What are you doing here?”
“Gee, nice to see you too Will.” Xander replied sarcastically.
“Sorry, I’m just surprised. Is everything okay?” Willow had been concerned by his recent behavior and hoped that he would open up about what was going on.
“Yeah, I just, you know...thought I’d stop by and see if you wanted to do something tonight or maybe hang out here and watch a movie?”
Willow eyed him suspiciously as the strange behavior continued. “Xander, what’s going on? First, you act all weird in the hall before lunch the other day and now you show up here, out of the blue, wanting to hang out? Come on, spill.”
Xander was fidgeting and rubbing his hands on his pants as he sat awkwardly on the foot of Willow’s bed, “There’s nothing wrong. I just thought we could have some best friend time is all. We haven’t spent very much time together and I just thought we could talk and stuff. I miss you Will.”
Xander looked up at her with puppy dog eyes and Willow softened immediately. She began to feel a little bit bad for giving him a hard time. Willow was a sucker for that look, it reminded her of the five year old boy she’d fallen for so many years ago. Feeling guilty for what she was about to do, Willow walked over and sat next to him on the bed.
“Tonight,” She breathed, “That sounds really nice but, unfortunately I already have plans with someone...other, but I wouldn’t be opposed to some best friend time tomorrow though.” She said hopefully.
Xander’s shoulders sank and the disappointment was clearly etched on his face. “Oh. That’s okay. Wait, what? With who?” He asked incredulously.
“What do you mean who?” Willow exclaimed, completely taken aback by his tone and immediately going on the defensive. “Am I not allowed to have other friends? I mean it’s not like
you’ve been all that friend-y lately!”
Xander’s face contorted and he held his hands up defensively as the back peddling began. “No, no, no! I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just...Willow, you don’t have any other friends and I was just surprised is all. Hold on, it’s not someone you met on the internet is it?”
Willow’s brow furrowed and her eyes grew angry. “No, but so what if it was?”
“Then why are you all with the secrets?” Xander ignored Willow’s question and shot back with one of his own.
“I’m not being secretive and what’s with the third degree anyway?”
Xander jumped off the bed and began to pace before suddenly turning towards Willow. “Who is he?” He exclaimed suspiciously.
Willow raised an eyebrow
Why does he even care? “It’s not a he, it’s a Tara.”
“A what?”
“Tara...T-A-R-A,” Willow spelled out, “as in Maclay.”
There was an awkward silence as Xander took in this new information. “So, now you’re hanging out full time with a Cordette? I thought the football game thing was a one time deal?” He asked accusingly.
“Hey!” Willow shouted. “Since when is it any of your business who I hang out with anyway? Besides, Tara is very nice and we’ve become good friends. Which you would have noticed it you weren’t attached at the hip with Anya. Hey, I’m even surprised you’re here by yourself, I didn’t know the umbilical cord could stretch that far!”
“I knew it! I knew you hated her!” He replied loudly, “And...and now you’re being all...judge-y and you think you’re too good to hang out with me!”
“Hey, I’m not the one being judgmental here. I’ll leave that territory to you!” Willow yelled.
“Well...well, I’m not the one hanging out in public with a Cordette!” Xander replied, as he attempted to stare Willow down.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means what it means!” Xander shouted, before storming out of Willow’s room.
Willow’s mouth hung open in disbelief. She wanted to yell something else and not give him the last word, but she couldn’t think of anything. “I can’t believe him, what a jerk, that last part didn’t even make sense! Dumb Xander and his stupid nonsensical crap.” Willow mumbled, grabbing the hat off her bed and heading for the bathroom to finish getting ready.
As Xander barreled down the stairs and exploded out the front door, he nearly plowed right into Tara.
He was caught completely by surprise and jumped to his right, as he tried to avoid knocking the girl down. In the process, he lost his footing, tripped down the porch steps and rolled across the Rosenberg’s front lawn. Ending up flat on his back.
“Xander!” Tara shouted, in fear that the boy had seriously injured himself. She darted down the steps and kneeled at his side. “Oh my God, are you okay?” She said, reaching out to help him up.
Xander was completely stunned. Everything happened so fast he barely had time to register that he was even falling before he found himself lying in the grass and staring up at a pair of concerned blue eyes.
“Tara,” He growled through gritted teeth.
“Xander?” Tara was confused by his reaction and pulled back as he jumped to his feet. “Are you alright?”
Xander brushed himself off and continued to glare at Tara. His mouth opened and closed several times as if he wanted to say something, yet nothing came out. Frustrated and without a word, he finally turned and stomped off.
Tara sighed heavily, “That was...weird.” She said out loud, to no one in particular, before turning and making her way back to Willow’s front door.
She rang the bell and was greeted by a cheery Shiela Rosenberg. “Oh my goodness! Tara Maclay, let me look at you. My, my...you have grown into such a beautiful young woman. I can see where Chelsea gets her looks,” Sheila said as she pulled Tara into a warm hug.
Tara reciprocated the hug and blushed madly. “Thank you, it’s nice to see you too.”
“How is your Mom? I keep meaning to call her...” Sheila trailed off, a little embarrassed that she hadn’t gotten in contact with her old friend yet.
“She’s good and I know she’d love to catch up with you too. S-She’s working tonight, but said you could call her if you have time.” Tara handed over a folded piece of paper with Jen’s cell number and really did hope that Mrs. Rosenberg would find the time to call. Since being back in Sunnydale, it seemed all her Mom did was work to support she and Chelsea; putting aside a personal life so Tara could finish high school.
Willow was still in the bathroom touching up her make up and getting her hat just right when she heard the doorbell. She rushed out, anxious to meet Tara and get the evening started.
When she arrived at the foot of the stairs, Willow grabbed Tara by the hand and quickly whisked her out the door. “Bye Mom, see you later!”
“Bye Sweetie, you girls have fun and be safe!” Sheila called out as the two girls headed out to Tara’s car.
As they got in, Sheila was still standing by the front door waving, prompting Willow to slither down in the seat. “Oh God, how embarrassing.”
Tara giggled at Willow’s antics as she started the car and waved back to Mrs. Rosenberg before pulling away. “I think it’s sweet, she just worries about you.”
“Yeah, but she was acting like it was our first...um, my first time leaving the house or something.” Willow breathed a sigh of relief, pushing herself back up to a normal position, after almost blurting out ‘first date.’ Luckily she caught herself in time, but if she was honest, that was exactly what it felt like.
“So, what’s the plan?” Willow asked, changing the subject and hoping Tara hadn’t caught on.
“Well, I thought we could get something to eat? It’ll be nice to have a meal without getting food thrown in my face,” Tara said with a smirk.
Willow laughed, “Sounds like a plan, no food in the face...check.”
*************************************************************
An hour later, Willow and Tara sat in a cozy booth in the back of one of the more popular Italian restaurants in Sunnydale. The atmosphere was relaxed and the girls chatted and laughed as they ate their dinners.
“I really like your boots,” Willow said shyly. She’d been meaning to compliment her friend’s outfit all night, but couldn’t figure out a way without sounding too pervy. Since getting in the car, Willow had been secretly admiring the high cut mini skirt and v-neck sweater that fit Tara’s chest snugly; showing off a nice bit of cleavage. Rounding out the ensemble was a pair of knee-high brown leather boots. The latter of which Willow decided was the safest thing for her to discuss.
“Thanks, I love your hat, by the way. It’s very...
Willow-y,” Tara said, with a flirty lopsided smile.
Willow grinned widely; she loved that smile and was beginning to think it was just for her. “Thanks, it’s one of my favorites. Tare, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but don’t you have a brother?” Willow asked, quickly shifting gears and receiving a smile from Tara as she sucked in a long piece of spaghetti.
“Um hmm, I do. Donny, he’s in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, but right now he’s out at sea. Somewhere near Greece, I think. How did you know I have brother?”
“Oh, my Mom told me, she asked about him. So, how does he feel about, you know...everything?” Willow asked as she gestured with her free hand, while twirling noodles around her fork with the other.
Tara sighed, “He was upset, mainly with my Mom for leaving my Dad. He’s kind of a tough guy, a real ‘man’s man.’ We’re not very close, there’s five years between us, but even if there wasn’t...I don’t know, he’s just...not a very nice guy sometimes. He is most definitely his father’s son.”
Willow watched Tara closely as she spoke about her estranged brother and it was clear there was no love loss between them. She was having a hard time imaging what life had been like for Tara, before she and her mother managed to
escape. Although Tara gave no specific details, it upset Willow none-the-less, especially now that they’d grown so close. However, there was one thing she was happy about and it was the fact that Chelsea would never have to endure the dysfunction that Tara had. Of course, this train of thought really got Willow worrying.
When Willow became quiet, Tara could tell the wheels were turning. “Will, is there something you want to ask me? Really, I don’t mind. It actually feels pretty good to finally have someone I can talk to. It’s just been me and my Mom for so long I sorta forgot what it was like to have a
real friend.”
This made Willow smile confidently, Tara always had a way of making her feel special. “Are you sure?” Tara nodded. “Okay well, I was just wondering...about Steven? Do you um, do you think he’d ever just show up one day and try to-”
“Take Chelsea? No. My Mom and I made sure that could never happen.” Tara said with conviction.
“What do you mean?” Willow put her fork down and leaned forward, giving Tara her full attention.
“When my grandmother passed away, she left my Mom and Aunt the house, plus some money, not a lot, but it was enough to help us relocate and get back on our feet. I was crazy paranoid that Steven would just show up one day and demand his daughter, so after moving down here, we took some of the money and hired a lawyer.” Tara’s expression saddened. “I didn’t want anything from him, but the lawyer persuaded me to sue for child support, as well as full custody. His parents were furious and Steven...well, I think he actually felt bad about everything, but he still sided with his parents. They thought because they had some clout and money they could push me around, but luckily I served him from California. The courts here don’t put up with a lot of nonsense.”
Tara sighed heavily before continuing, “They fought everything, even after the paternity tests came back positive. The judge got really irritated with their lawyer, so she gave me sole custody plus support; with no forced visitation or anything. Unfortunately, because Steven is over eighteen and barely employed, she couldn’t make him pay a lot.”
“Even though his parents are loaded?”
“Uh huh, so that’s why it would have been hard to afford a hundred percent of daycare or a decent Nanny. He only has to pay a couple hundred a week; half goes to you and the other half for necessities. I um, I didn’t plan on cheering, I was gonna get a part time job after school, but my Mom insisted. She wanted me to have some ‘normalcy.’ It was never about the money anyway, it was about the custody. I t-thought when his parents found out she was really his they would fight for her, but they didn’t. They didn’t seem to care one bit about her; she was an embarrassment to them. Good for me, bad for Chelsea and Steven.”
Willow looked at Tara sympathetically; trying to offer some comfort through her eyes. “Do you...do you still care for him?”
Tara shook her head, “No, not anymore, sometimes I can’t believe I cared about him at all or that I was ever with someone who could just walk away from his child without a second thought. You know, one day she’s going to ask about him. What am I gonna tell her and not break her heart?” Tara began to tear up and bit her bottom lip in an attempt to keep them at bay. She had vowed a long time ago that Steven would not get another tear from her.
Willow reached for Tara’s hand, “You’re going to remind her that she has a Mommy that loves her more than anything in the world and when she’s old enough to understand, you’ll tell her the truth, but right now you’re not going to worry about it, because you have plenty of time to figure it out.”
Tara nodded and smiled up at the redhead. “You’re a good friend Willow.” She squeezed Willow’s hand in return and reluctantly let go when the waitress approached the table to refill their glasses.
Willow shrugged her shoulders, “Thanks, I hope you don’t feel like I was giving you the third degree or something, because I got a dose of that earlier tonight and it wasn’t much fun.”
Tara cocked her head, “Y-You mean X-Xander?” Tara frowned as the stutter betrayed her yet again.
Willow’s face twisted in a scowl as she recalled the earlier events. “Yeah, how did you know?”
“I sorta ran into him as he was l-leaving; more like he ran into me running out of your house.”
The return of Tara’s nervous stutter and her sudden obsession with the napkin in her lap, did not go unnoticed by Willow. Several weeks earlier, Willow decided to make a mental note every time Tara stuttered. She hated seeing the girl distressed and wanted to figure out exactly what was causing it.
Xander…but why Xander? Willow’s brain finally caught up to Tara’s original statement and her eyes widened with concern. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
Tara blushed slightly, “No, but I thought maybe he h-hurt himself when he fell down the steps and rolled across your f-front yard.”
Willow went from concern to anger in a matter of seconds. “Good, maybe the fall knocked some sense into that Neanderthal brain of his.”
“Willow...come on, you don’t mean that.”
Willow crossed her arms defiantly. “Yes, I do. He’s been acting like an ass lately and I’m tired of it.”
What happened?”
Willow launched into the story of what transpired earlier in the evening, leaving out certain parts she thought would hurt Tara’s feelings. She also recanted his weirdness the over the last couple weeks.
“...plus, his doctor told him he doesn’t even need that stupid eye patch anymore, but he insists on wearing it because he said it makes him a
chick magnet.”
Tara snorted and nearly chocked on her tea. “Oh yeah, that’s totally hot.”
“I know, right?” Willow agreed. “Anyway, I don’t know what his deal is, plus I’m actually starting to feel bad for Anya. Which I didn’t think was even possible.”
“I don’t really know her all that well, but she seems nice.”
Willow shrugged her shoulders, “She’s okay, in a
say every inappropriate thought that pops into your head sort of way.” Tara laughed again and Willow internally patted herself on the back. “Speaking of weirdness...what happened with Buffy after I left this morning? Did you guys get a chance to talk?”
Tara nodded and wiped her mouth. “She was kinda wigged at not being able to remember anything. She swears she only had the one drink.”
“Do you believe her?”
“I think so, I mean she only left the stadium maybe ten minutes before me. How many drinks could she have had?” Tara’s question was more rhetorical than anything else and she didn’t expect Willow to answer. “Anyway, ninety-nine point nine percent of me thinks something hinky was going on, but there’s that nagging point one percent, ya know?”
“You think that Tucker guy spiked her drink?” Willow asked incredulously.
“Well, I wouldn’t put it past him. That guy and his friends are sorta creepy. Not to mention his little brother, Andrew, thinks he’s some sort of comic book super villain. He’s always going on and on about how he’s gonna take over the city and we will all bow before him.”
Willow laughed out loud, “I’ve seen that guy! Kinda wacky with all the running through the halls in a cape and gym shorts. So, what’s she gonna do?”
“Knowing Buffy, probably nothing. God forbid she tarnishes her priceless reputation. I would be on the war path if it was me.”
Willow cocked her head as the wheels turned, “Tara, you don’t think that’s what Scott had in mind for you with all the pressure to drink, do you?”
Tara stopped eating and thought for a moment before answering. “I don’t know, I hadn’t really given it any thought. Oh God, I hope not.”
“It’s sorta scary to think what they may have done if you weren’t there to take care of her. She owes you big time.”
“I guess, I just hope this knocks some sense into her.”
“Maybe she and Xander should knock heads and between the two they may end up with one decent thought.” Willow smiled brightly and a warm feeling washed over her when Tara laughed at her joke. She was thrilled by how their ‘non-date’ was going and couldn’t have asked for a more perfect evening. “So, what’s on the agenda for the rest of the night?”
Willow shifted the conversation quickly and Tara never batted an eye; she was quickly becoming used to Willow’s active mind. “Wanna see a movie?”
“Sure!” Willow was thrilled the evening was going to continue. “What did you have in mind?”
“Ummm....I have no idea what’s playing,” Tara admitted with a giggle.
Willow reached into her purse and pulled out her phone. “No problem, I have an app for that!” She quipped, as she scrolled her thumb across the screen. “Hmmm, looks like we missed the start of everything except the dollar theatre over by UC Sunnydale.”
Tara grimaced, knowing the cheap movies weren’t always the greatest. “What’s playing there?”
“Oh um, Twillight?”
Tara scrunched her nose, “I’m sorry if I offend you with what I’m about to say but, those movies are horrible.”
Willow’s responding grin stretched from ear to ear, “Finally, someone who shares my opinion! I tried to get through the books, but ended up donating them to the library. I mean seriously, sparkling vampires? Pfft!”
Tara grinned in return; Willow was just too adorable. “What else is playing?”
“There’s only one other that starts within the hour, ‘The Time Traveler's Wife.’ Have you seen it?”
“Nope, how about you?” Willow shook her head. “Then I guess it’s settled. If that’s okay with you?”
“Perfect.”
but I’d much rather see them hugging each other. You know how I love to mix it up and yes, it’s fun to see Tara figuring it out. 
!!!
!
to Tara for giving Buffy a verbal ass kicking and making her apologise to Willow for hurting her feelings.
The holidays were good and I love those kids dearly, buy I’m glad their gone!