So I don't really have any ideas in the months leading up to the ceremony, so basically at this point it is a few days before, and Willow is in the last weeks of her pregnancy (please don't hate me if I mess up the timeline.) Enjoy! (This is also a super long chapter.)
CHAPTER 10
*Willow Point of View*
"Ooh, I like this one." I say, pointing to a name on the list that Xander and I are looking at, huddled together on the couch.
"Sebastian?" Xander answers in distaste, "Like the crab? You want our kid to be named after a crab?
"No, not like the crab." I tell him with a playful nudge, "I just think it's a fun name."
"Well then you have a serious lapse of judgement."
"Do not!" I say with mock anguish
"Well alright then, I'll show you what a normal brain looks like." he then dramatically holds up his finger, and slams it down on the paper.
"Jayden?" I ask, "Jayden?"
"Oh, what's wrong with Jayden?" he asks me with a frown
"It sounds a bit like a popular kid name. Like, the kid who ditches school early to go do drugs."
"Does not."
"Does too."
Then I feel a small kick, and I flinch.
"See." I mutter
"Even he doesn't like it."
"Great, so you've passed your bad judgement onto my son." with that sentence, Xander gets up, and walks over to the closet.
"We should get going. Scoobie meeting soon."
'Right." I say as I carefully pull myself up from the couch. Carrying this much extra weight on you isn't easy.
I stumble across the floor to the bathroom. Just as I shut the door, I feel a shooting pain run down my spine. I double over in pain, and then it's gone. Just like that. A wave of panic runs through me. Something's not wrong with this baby, is it? Or, could this be a contraction?
"No." I tell myself, "Too early. It's normal."
So I proceed to throw cold water on my face, and I then I turn the handle, and walk out of the bathroom.
"Ready?" Xander asks, throwing on his coat.
"Yup." I carefully get my own, and he helps me to get it on. Then I grab my purse, and walk out the door.
It takes me a full minute to get down the stairs. I really hate being pregnant.
Then I hop into the car, and we drive off.
About halfway there, another round of pain hits me. I close me eyes, and try to focus on breathing. Now there's no doubt about it. This is a contraction. It has to be.
Luckily, when the pain subsides and I open my eyes, I see that Xander didn't see anything. I'm only going to tell him when I'm absolutely sure. There's no need to worry him.
When we finally reach the Magic Box, I run as fast as I can inside.
I can see that the sign on the door that usually reads 'open', is now the opposite. I hear the familiar *ding* of the bell as I make my way inside the threshold.
"Ah, good, your here." Giles says, as we enter
Him, Buffy, and Anya are frantically walking around the store, picking up lots of weapons lying about.
"What's going on?" I ask, fearing the worst
"Well it seems like we miscalculated the time of the ritual." Giles speaks, as he puts an axe in a bag.
"So it's time to go and kick some godly ass." It's the first normal thing I've heard Buffy say in a while, and it gives me a little boost of comfort.
"Alright, cool. Where do we start?" I ask, as I walk forward to pick up a knife. Of course I'm scared, but this has been coming for a while, so maybe it's just time to get it over with.
"Hold on one moment." Xander says, as he walks in.
"You can't seriously think you're going to be fighting."
Xander fixes me with a very serious gaze, that I return.
"And why wouldn't I be?" I ask him, expressionless
"Are you actually asking me that?" he hits me with the same face, and looks bewildered when I don't say anything."You're nine months pregnant Willow. You think I'm gonna let you go out in the middle of this and get yourself, and our son killed?"
The rage in his voice hits me with a iron fist. I have no idea why he would think I wouldn't be going out there. I can see that everyone else in the shop has stopped moving, but I don't care.
"Well I don't think it's really your call Xander." I answer him, cooly
"It most certainly is." he replies, "That's our baby you're carrying. Our baby. You really want to risk his life, to do what?"
"Come on Xander," I tell him, my voice gaining ferocity with every word, "You know that I am one of the best fighters in this pack. My magic is one of our best chances of winning."
"Your magic isn't going to do much good when you're focus is all off. I have seen how its getting harder for you to even do simple spells now that you've got another life with you."
I mean, it's true, but I am not losing this argument.
"So you expect me to sit here waiting, wondering what's happening to all of you? And what if the world does end? You would rather me be here all alone than with you? If I'm not there, there's a higher chance of you failing, in which we all die, including me and the baby. If I'm there, yes, I could die, but I also could not. Get with reason!"
And with that sentence, I storm off into the other room, and gather the remaining weapons in a duffel bag. My blood is boiling after that fight, and I can tell that I haven't had the last of it.
I hear footsteps join with mine, and I spin around to yell at Xander more, when I see Giles standing in front of me.
He fixes me with a look, and before he can speak, I blurt out, "Don't you dare come and try to talk me out of it as well."
His eyes crinkle with a silent laugh and replies, "No, I know better than that. But you do know that he is only trying to protect you."
"I know." I answer, truthfully, "But still, he has no right to-" and I am suddenly cut off by another round of pain. I close my eyes, and try to cover it up as best as I can, but I can tell that I have not fooled Giles.
"Wait, you're in labor?" he asks, bewildered
"Shhhh!" I whisper at him, "Yes, but nobody can know."
"Okay, now I am starting to agree with Xander." he tells me in a hushed tone
"Oh what real difference does it make? Same odds." I reply, as I pull the strings on the bag together, and hoist it over my shoulder.
"You want to have a baby in the middle of a battlefield?" Giles says, with a pointed look
"No. But I'd also rather not have a baby in a world being run by demons."
"Fair point."
I slowly walk out of the room, and join the rest of the group huddled around the table, discussing tactics.
After ten minutes, I think we have come up with an okay plan. And, by that I mean the usual plan, wing it.
Just as we are about to leave, I run up to Xander.
"I don't want to be fighting before our iminent deaths." I say, grabbing his hand
"Yeah, okay." he tells me, with a kiss on the forehead
And with that, our little group of six walks out the door, with Buffy in the lead, followed by Spike, then me and Xander, then Anya, and then with Giles, bringing up the rear.
It only takes ten minutes before we stand in front of the huge looming tower. I take in it's size, and it is actually kind of impressive for a couple demons. It looks pretty sturdy, with it's huge iron bars and hundreds of stairs.
Just then, a figure at the top catches my eye. A small girl with long straight brown hair is tethered in rope to a platform. Dawn.
Before I can point this out to anyone, another contraction hits me. I squeeze Xander's hand a bit too tight, but I think he takes it as a good luck squeeze, so I'm fine.
I don't really need to point out Dawn though, as everyone is already staring directly at that spot.
"I need a distraction." Buffy says, in a commanding tone, "Then I can go up."
"We've got it." I tell her, as I take Xander's hand and walk up.
"Good luck!" Anya calls in our direction
I tilt my head, and see Xander staring at me. I give him a little smile, and he returns it.
"I love you, no matter what." he tells me
"And so do I." I return to him
Then we charge forward, running straight into the first group of Glory's minions. From then on, it's utter chaos.
I can hear the noises of both human and demon being hit, and returning hits. I think Giles, Anya, and Spike join us at some point, but I'm not sure. All I'm aware of is the enemy. They surround me, and I get hit many times.
It's just then that I hear the sound of a blast, and I am propelled backwards by something. I crash into a piece of wood, and just then, right on cue, another contraction hits. I fight through the pain, get up, and take my aggression out on a minion right next to me.
"Nocere!" I scream, as a burst of red escapes my fingers, and envelops the demon. He cries out once in pain, and then falls to the ground, dead to the world.
I charge forward, and cast the same spell upon two figures I see running towards someone who I think is Anya.
I continue like this for a few minutes, until I feel a sharp pain unlike any other in my abdomen. Panicked, I search myself for a wound, until I realise that this is just the contractions, getting worse. I decide that this couldn't wait any longer. I need to find Xander. This baby is coming soon.
I desperately search through the crowd, throwing spells at anyone who gets in my way. I still can't see anything.
"Quaerere!" I shout as I picture Xander's face in my head. A burst of orange light shoots up from a point in the sky. I run to it, and sure enough, I see Xander, stabbing a couple of the things.
"Xander!" I scream as I run towards him. "Xander!"
"Willow!" I can hear him yell back, but I'm losing focus
Suddenly, two large arms grab my shoulders, and I'm flung backwards into a group of goblins. I land right on my stomach, and I begin to panic even more.
"No!" I place my hand on my middle, and try to talk to my child through the din, even though I deeply doubt he can understand any of it. "You survived so much little one. Just a little longer, please. Just a few more hours, and then I can hold you in my arms."
"Willow!" I can hear Xander call out for me again, but I am in so much pain I can barely move. The demons are swarming me now, and I know that I don't have much time left.
"Trabem." I say as forcefully as I can into the sky. A jet of blue appears, and I close my eyes, awaiting the end.
However, it doesn't come. Instead, I hear a demon scream, and a hot substance pours onto my leg.
I let my eyelids open, and I see Xander standing in front of me, stabbing all those around him.
"Wil, are you okay?" he yells at me
"Kinda!" I yell back
I can then see his arm lowered next to me to help me up, and I grab onto it for support. I pull up, just in time to see Xander kill the last one around us. Damn, he's pretty good at fighting.
"Xander." I tell him quickly, as to not face any interruptions, "I'm in labor. Have been all day. I think he's coming now."
"You're in labor?" he asks me, extremely flustered, "How could you not have told me?"
"More important things." Then I notice a thing creeping up on him, "Duck!" I say commandingly.
He does, and shoot a beam of light at the creature behind him, who immediately falls to the ground.
Xander opens his mouth, but before he can say anything, a streak of light shoots across the sky.
"No!" I cry, "The portal!"
Xander and I both turn to face the sky, and I see a most terrifying sight.
It is ablaze with light. Purple beams are shooting in every dimension, and I can see demons start to arise.
Without thinking, Xander and I both reach for each other. I grab on to him tightly, as I know I want his to be the last face I ever see.
"I love you so much." I say, as a tear falls down my cheek
"And I love you so much more than you could ever know." he replies
Time seems to freeze. As I watch the world fall into pieces, an odd sense of calm fills me. So much calm, that I don't even notice the trickly of water that falls from between my legs.
Then something happens that catches my eye. I can see a figure jump into the portal. There is then a big "Boom!", a spurt of electricity, and the portal closes. The night sky returns to normal, like nothing was wrong.
"What the hell just happened?" Xander asks me, his eyes filled with fear and confusion
It's then when I hear a small thud, on the ground a few feet away from us.
I turn my head, to see a person lying on the ground. My breath catches in my throat when I realise who it is.
The slim body and long blonde hair of a girl lies on the pavement. Her eyelids are closed, and she looks to be at peace, despite the many slashes running down her body.
"Xander." I choke out, as my legs begin to give way.
"What is i- Oh my God." Xander has clearly also spotted the girl, as we both walk to her, gripping each other for support.
"Oh my God."
Buffy Summers lies on the ground, dead.
I can see people drawing in. Giles, and Anya, and Spike, and Dawn, but my brain doesn't register anything. The only thing I know is that my best friend is dead. I sob escapes my lips, and my legs stop working. I drop to the ground, and tears pour out of my eyes. Another huge round of pain hits me, but I don't care, as it is nothing compared to what I am feeling.
The world around me begins to spin. I lose track of where I am, or who I am. The only thing I know is pain. Buffy is dead.
A scream pierces the air, but I have no idea where it's source is. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters.
I think someone puts their hand on my shoulder, but I can't tell. Someone calls my name, but it sounds foreign.
Suddenly, someone's lips are pressed onto mine, and I break out of my trance.
Xander is right in front of me, holding my hand.
"Willow." he calls out, "Come on. Get up."
He pulls my body up, but I am still half in shock. I don't know how he isn't.
"Willow. Come on." he drags me forward, but my legs refuse to move.
"Please, Willow. We have to go to the hospital. The baby."
Those last two words pull me completely back into reality. The baby. Oh God, I'm having a baby. I grab his hand, and relief floods through his face. We begin to walk away, and I see that nobody is looking. It doesn't matter anyways.
Another rush of pain hits me, and I double over. I give a little involuntary squeak, and by the pained expression on Xander's face, I know he is having flashbacks.
"Fine." I tell him, through the pain, "I'm fine. Lets g-", I'm then cut short as the shooting sensation worsens, and I give out a louder yelp.
I keep walking, desperate to move forward. This can't be happening. This can't be happening.
Suddenly, a new feeling hits me, and I know that we have no time. I can feel my son's position moving, and I know that he is coming out now.
"Xander." I tell him through gasps, "Xander, he's coming. Now. We have to-" and then I give out a yell, as the pain worsens.
"God, Wil. Where can we?" Xander's head is moving around quickly trying to find an enclosed space.
"I'll call the ambulance!" I turn my head at the new voice, and see Giles running up to us. You can tell he is beyond sad, but it seems like it has momentarily turned into determination. Maybe it's because he knows that we're all he has left.
"Thank you." I tell him, with a smile, that I barely managed as another wave hits me.
"There!" Xander gives a triumphant yell as he points to a small building in the distance.
"Great." I grab on to Xander's shoulder, and him and Giles help me to slowly maneuver to the shack.
The pain is so intense I can barely breathe. I don't know how people have ever managed to do this. How my mom managed to do this.
As I give another yell, Xander gives me a reassuring smile, and says, "I know it hurts Wil. But just think, when this is over, you'll be holding a baby."
"Yeah." I tell him, "Our baby."
My legs are just about to collapse again when we reach the doorway. Xander throws it open, to reveal the dusty inside.
It's a simple wooden cottage, with the good old fashioned rotting floorboards. There is a semi-functional couch however, that I stumble over to.
"Alright." Giles says, "I'm going to go wait for the ambulance."
And with that, he sprints out of the house, clearly not wanting to see what comes next.
"Alright Xander, you feeling up to this?" I ask him, with an awkward smile
"Don't really think I have a choice, now do I?" he tells me, clearly trying to be as comforting as he can, but I can tell that he is equally as terrified.
I take off my bottoms as quickly as possible, and lay my sweater over my exposed legs as a type of blind. It's the best I can do.
"Anything there?" I ask Xander, as he looks
"Just a baby." he tells me, with a slight grimace.
"That looks painful."
"Ya think?" I ask with another muffled yell
"Uh, Wil, I think it might be time to push." he stumbles, very uncertain
"Are you sure?" I ask him, extremely panicked
"Well I've never really delivered a baby before, I'm giving it my best guess."
"Fine." and I do, very hard.
This is the worst pain I have ever been in, in my life, and that's saying something. Well, that knife of Glory's was bad, but this is a close second.
As I give one more push, I hear a small wail.
"Oh my God." Xander says, as he grabs something
"What is it? Is he here?" I yell, panicked
Xander stands up, and holds up a small baby, that is screaming at the top of his lungs.
A rush of happiness hits me. He's here. He's fine. We are all fine. Well, maybe except for Buffy. But I don't have time to think about that now.
Xander lays the boy on my chest, and I hug him as tightly as possible.
I feel tears pour out of my eyes, and I can see the same is happening to Xander too.
"You did so good." I say, while looking into Xander's beautiful eyes. God, I hope this kid has his eyes.
"Hey, I just got him out. You did all the hard work." Xander gives me a small kiss on the forehead, and then does the same to our baby.
He stops crying, and looks up at us with an expression that shows us he is very unpleased.
There is a bang from behind us, and Xander and I both jump.
Two EMT's walk in, followed by a panicked Giles. The look on Giles's face is priceless, as he takes in the scene. I bet there is a lot of blood, although I can't see.
The next minutes go down in a blur. I am put into a stretcher, and rushed to an ambulance. Xander climbs in next to me, and our son is in a little incubator to my left. They assure me he is fine, but I won't believe them until I hear it from the doctor.
About an hour later, I do, and a wave of relief runs through me, and I can feel all of my tension leave. It's a great feeling.
When the doctor leaves, Xander and I are finally alone.
I am in the hospital bed, and Xander is wrapped around me under the covers. Our son is in my arms, and Xander is stroking his face very tenderly.
"He's a little lion cub." I tell him, "After all he's been through, he's a perfect healthy baby."
"Must of gotten that from me." he replies with a laugh, "You know how many objects I have been thrown into and not died? A lot."
I chuckle, as I stare down into the face of the new cub, taking in every feature.
He has a little nose, like me, and rosy red cheeks. He has a mop of red hair, but Xander's dark brown eyes.
"What about Thomas?" Xander asks me
"Thomas." I repeat, as I stare at our baby, "It fits."
Xander and I exchange a smile, before we look back at the little bundle.
"Welcome to the world, little Tommy." Xander says, as he gives Thomas a little kiss on the cheek.