"What's wrong?" Anya asked, confused at the pained expression on Tara's face.
"I know what that means." Xander said again, rubbing Tara's arm soothingly. "Willow! Holly! It's time!"
Holly got there first and helped Tara stand up.
"I'm coming Baby! Hang on!" Came Willow's voice.
"Ow! This really hurts." Tara groaned as another contraction hit.
"I can only imagine." Holly said sympathetically. "Come on, just take it easy. You'll be alright."
"Easy for you to say." Tara said through gritted teeth.
"It's ok Baby, I'm here." Willow said, taking Tara's other arm as she and Holly helped her outside and to the car.
"Xander! Anya! Can you tell everyone!?" Willow called behind her.
"No problem Will. I'm on it!" He called back.
"Willow…" Tara said breathlessly, a little dazed by the happy gas a nurse had given her to ease the pain a little.
Willow squeezed her wife's hand. "Yeah Baby. I'm here."
"Willow it hurts."
"I know." Willow said sympathetically. "I hate this." She said, looking at Holly, who sat on the opposite side of the bed, holding Tara's other hand.
"What?"
"She's in so much pain and there's nothing I can do."
"I know. But it's good pain." Holly said optimistically and Willow looked confused. "Just think Will, you'll be a mummy soon!"
"I will." Willow mused, just as another contraction hit Tara.
"Willow? Holly?"
"We're here." Both women said at the same time, squeezing Tara's hands to reinforce their presence.
"We're not going anywhere Tara, we promise." Holly smiled at her sister as Willow nodded her agreement.
At that moment, a bunch of nurses and midwives burst into the room. One came over and turned the dial on the happy gas down a little so Tara could be a little more sober but still have the pain relief.
"Ok Mrs Rosenberg, it's time to meet your baby. On this next contraction, I need you to push ok?"
Tara nodded before she lost sight of most of the world. She was only aware of the midwife's instructions and Willow's and Holly's hands squeezing her own. Apart from that, she'd sort of carried herself into a zone where she could still do what she needed to but was a lot calmer then she otherwise would be.
"Here's your baby girl, Mrs Rosenberg." The nurse smiled slipping the small baby wrapped in pink hospital blankets into Tara's waiting arms.
Willow and Holly leaned closer to look at the little girl.
"You did it Baby. I'm so proud of you." Willow smiled, kissing her lips before leaning in to kiss her daughter's forehead. "And you're finally here Sweetie."
"She's got your hair Baby." Tara said weakly. "Your eyes too. Those beautiful green eyes." Willow kissed her wife again.
"Come on. Smile you two!" Holly ordered happily, trying to get the perfect shot. Willow leaned in as she and Tara gazed down lovingly at their baby girl.
"Aww that's beautiful!" Holly gushed, clicking the camera.
"You've got a healthy baby girl." The nurse smiled as she bustled into the room with a clipboard. "Congratulations." This elicited a smile from both Willow and Tara.
"She's alright? Her heart…" Willow said disbelievingly.
"All cleared up. Healed on it's own. She's fine. Absolutely fine. Now, do you know what you'd like to call her?"
"Rhiannon Hope Rosenberg." Willow and Tara said together.
"That's so beautiful." Holly said as the nurse went away. "It suits her too. How'd you guys come up with it?"
"Well, Willow did." Tara shrugged.
"Rhiannon sounded magical to me, and it was magic that brought us together in the first place." Willow explained, smiling at her wife. "As for hope, well, we've had a lot of it, and it's pulled through. Getting married, having Rhiannon, finding you."
Holly blushed, gazing down at her niece. "You're luckier then you realise Baby Girl. You've got the best mums in the world right here. You don't need a Dad when you've got them." Holly said, unknowingly erasing Willow's earlier concerns.
"You forget something." Tara complained, a pout forming on her lips. Willow nodded in
agreement.
"Really? What?"
"She's got the best aunty too." Tara said.
"Hey!" Anya complained as she and the other Scoobies crowded into the small room.
"Anya's right." Buffy agreed.
"That's debatable." Dawn said, sitting on the foot of Tara's bed.
Xander shrugged. "Best Uncle's still up for grabs."
"You're on." Giles said in an unusual moment of playfulness that caused the others to laugh.
A while later, when they were alone with their new daughter for the first time, Tara looked at Willow. "I'm a bit cold."
"Should I get a blanket for you?" Willow asked, getting up. She stopped, turning back to her wife as she caught her arm.
"No silly." Tara smiled. "Come here." She patted the bed beside her and, finally getting the hint, Willow snuggled in beside her wife.
They both looked down at little Baby Rhiannon before smiling back at each other.
"You did it Baby." Willow said proudly, kissing Tara's cheek.
"No." Tara said, pulling away. "Sweetie, we did it."
"We've got a little family of our own now." Willow smiled, draping an arm around her wife's shoulders.
"A new beginning." Tara agreed happily, leaning into her and smiling contentedly.
I'm back. Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday break & best of luck for whatever's happening in 2014
+ But wait, there's more... if you guys want to see it, let me know
