Galway, Ireland 1748

One Year Ago

O'Connor Cottage

For a young girl at only one-years-old, Katie was beginning to show signs of intuitive observation. A trait she had certainly inherited from her father. She sat on her Liam's lap as he read a story aloud to her. But the story had fallen on deaf ears. The tot was distracted watching her mother carefully sitting alone across the front yard against the large tree.

Buffy held her knees to her chest. Her eyes were firmly looking out to as far as she could see. Her mind drifting back and forth to the horrors of the night she had lost the child only months ago. It felt a like a pain she could never snap out of. She couldn't talk to Liam, afraid to see his sorrow. It's my fault. He blames me. She had convinced herself.

She hadn't lain with her husband since the miscarriage. She hardly slept, hardly ate. The images of what could've been plagued her mind. Buffy tried so hard to be present for her daughter but it was too hard. Katie was too smart for her own good knowing something was wrong with her parents. An uncharacteristic sadness followed them wherever they went.

"Mama, sad." Katie squeaked much to Liam's surprise.

Liam looked up from the book following Katie's tiny finger to Buffy sitting against the tree.

"Aye, Mama's sad." His eyes shifted to Katie's face and gave her a soft smile.

"Da sad?"

Silently, Liam nodded his head trying to give her a smile but it never reached his face.

Katie turned fully in Liam's arms and held his face in her tiny hands. Her hazel green eyes were firmly focused on Liam. "Be happy." She ordered.

Liam brushed her long wavy hair from her forehead. "Aye, beidh muid ... go luath. (Aye, we will be… soon.)" He kissed her forehead and continued to read the story in his hand.

Later that Evening

Master Bedroom

Liam closed the master bedroom door behind him and eyed Buffy sitting on the edge of the bed lost in her own mind staring out of the open window.

"Katie's finally asleep." He said running his eyes over her for a moment then proceeded to walk to the dresser untying the cravat from around his neck.

It took a moment for Buffy to register than respond to his words. Her eyes shifted from the window. "Okay. Good. Thank you." She quietly said watching him remove the boots from his feet and the shirt from his back.

He faced her holding the discarded shirt in his hand. He placed it on top of the dresser and crossed the room to her. Standing in front of his wife, Liam knelt down onto his knees and reached for her hands resting in her lap. He looked up searching for her eyes for a moment then said, "It's not ye'r fault, Buffy. Despite the thoughts plaguin' ye'r mind. Sometimes…" He searched for the words. "… Sometimes, it just happens. I don't know why. I reckon… I reckon it's just not meant to be." The words he spoke silently broke his heart.

Buffy slowly shifted her eyes to his face truly listening to his words. She knew it was her own fault for losing the baby. If only she hadn't gone outside that night and fought that vampire. Figures the first vampire I've come across here is the one that ruins everything.

Liam raised his hand and gently twisted her fallen curls around his finger. "Never think that I blame ye. Because I don't. I could never." Buffy pulled away from his touch. Liam dropped his hand and continued, "With my entire bein' — with every ounce of my soul, I tell ye, Buffy, ye've made me so happy." Her sad eyes shifted to his. "We created such a beautiful little bein' right here. Right now. She looks at ye with glowin' and lovin' eyes. She follows ye'r every move. She's goin' to be so beautiful like her mother. I know without a doubt, she'll be givin' me a grief when the fellas come flockin' at our door askin' for her hand in marriage."

For the first time in what felt like decades, Buffy laughed. She felt her throat tighten and tears glazed over her eyes.

"Ye laugh now, but I will rue the day she falls in love. Especially, if it's a fool like me. I'll be throwin' that bastard right on his arse, I tell ye."

Tearfully, Buffy laughed a bit harder placing both of her hands onto Liam's bare shoulders. Liam's hands covered over hers and smiled up at her.

Her light laughs slowly died down the moment she felt his chocolate eyes on her face. She met his gaze and found herself falling in love with this man all over again.

"I'm sorry we lost the baby." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

Liam nodded his head sadly, "I know. Me too." He scooted closer to her and cupped her cheek. "But it isn't over for us, Buffy. I know it's hard to see it at the moment, but we have so much love to give for what we have now. And if there comes a day, ye want to try again, I'd be honoured. But if not, then the Power's have spoken. None of that will ever make me love ye less — whether we have another child or not… From the day I met ye, my heart swells with love each time me eyes lay upon ye. Our love is forever. That's the whole point, right?"

Buffy slowly leaned forward holding his face between her hands. "Right." Buffy rested her forehead against his.

Taking a deep breath, Liam engraved the scent of her perfume into his membrane and the warmth of her breath that hit his face. His hands grasped around her wrists that held his face. His heart skipped three beats when Buffy nestled her nose against his then gradually closed the small space between their mouths.

His lips tingled at the touch of her own against his. He loved the taste of her mouth, it was sweet like strawberries with a hint of coffee. Her mouth was warm, wet, and welcoming. She always welcomed his kisses even in her most depressed states.

The months without touching her and feeling her beneath him was medieval torture. He loved how her strong slim body opened up for him. He loved the taste of her skin and the softness of her breasts. He grew unbelievably hard just thinking about how her legs will wrap around him and hold him tightly against her.

Desperately needing to make his fantasies into a reality, Liam slipped his hands under her nightgown. He was ever more thankful that she had changed from the heavy gown which took forever to unravel.

Buffy's hands went around his neck untying the ribbon holding back his hair. Her fingers then gently scratched his muscular arms and over his chest.

Liam lifted the dress up her torso and tossed it over his shoulder to the floor. His arm wrapped around her naked back adjusting her further up the bed. He stood to unbutton the front of his breeches. Buffy shooed his hands away from the buttons wanting to undress him herself.

Finally naked, Liam climbed onto the bed and opened Buffy's knees, settling between them. His mouth went to her collarbone. He listened to her pants and moans of pleasure and created various invisible paths of hot open wet kisses across her chest and breasts. His tongue circled around the rosebud nipple, sucking it into his mouth.

Buffy reached down between their bodies and grasped a hand around his cock. She opened her eyes watching his face. His eyes were closed and his mouth opens slightly; panting with pleasure. She ran her hand up and down his throbbing member.

"Ugh, Buffy…" He grunted fighting the urge to climax in her hand.

Buffy lifted her head from the pillow and captured his mouth. She sucked on his tongue and felt his chest rumble with a stifled groan. A sticky substance stained her hand.

Liam continued to kiss her mouth getting himself hard all over again. He ran a hand down her thigh to her side. He slowly slid himself inside of her and let out a sighing breath.

Her tight walls surrounded him. It was a feeling he missed. It was familiar, warm, and perfectly right. Home. He decided was the proper term for it. He was finally home again.

Present Day 1749

Galway Town

"Ma!" The waddling two-year-old ran to her mother's feet, wrapping her chubby arms around Buffy's legs.

Buffy looked down from the market flower kiosk to Katie. "What do you think of these?"

Buffy bent down as much as her pregnant belly would allow. She held out a bouquet of red valerian flowers under Katie's nose. Katie smiled putting her nose close to the flower taking in its fresh scent. The toddler's bright hazel green eyes looked up at Buffy's face and smiled.

"Okay, come on, sardine." Buffy slowly straightened back up and reached into the small coin pouch in her pocket to pay the women behind the kiosk.

Katie took Buffy's hand pulling her away from the table and towards a white horse standing at the stable outside a shop.

"Slow down, Katie, Mama can't move that fast at the moment," Buffy said to her excited daughter tugging her along by her hand.

A man with greying hair stood at the horse's side brushing its hair with a handful of hey.

With big wide puppy eyes, Katie looked up at her mother. Buffy suppressed her smile and raised a highbrow. "Okay, fine. Go pet the horsey." Buffy said giving the infamous puppy pout her young daughter had quickly mastered. "Gee, those doggy eyes really do work," Buffy muttered to herself vowing to never tell Liam that she gave into the pout after insisting she would never.

"Oh, 'ello little lassie." The man said looking down at Katie.

The man handed Katie another handful of hey. "Brush 'er hair." He instructed helping the child gently brush the horse's hair on her leg. "That's right. Just like that. Be gentle and she'll be gentle in return."

Katie girlishly giggled with excitement. She looked back over her shoulder to Buffy and waved. Buffy waved back wearing a loving smile on her face. Her hand rubbed soothing circles around her swollen belly.

A sudden popping sensation ruptured in Buffy's belly. She looked down to see a clear slow trickle of fluid puddle between her feet. "Now?" Buffy sighed heavily then started for Katie by the horse. "Katie…" She paused mid-step holding her belly as a painful contraction scorched through her body.

"Are ye alright, madam?" A woman said noticing Buffy's pain as she exited the shop across from her.

"The nearest doctor?" Buffy asked looking up from the puddle between her feet.

"Oh, is that ye, Mistress O'Connor?" The woman smiled happily. "We've been waitin' for ye to join the ladies and I for a cup of tea at Lady Morgan's—"

"— That's nice," Buffy said with impatience. "If you don't mind pointing me to the nearest doctor or I'm going to have this baby out here on the street."

The woman's hand went to her cheek. "Oh, my!" She wrapped her hand around Buffy's and held the other around her back. "Just this way."

"Katie…" Buffy said as she and woman moved away from the child and horse. "My daughter… she's by the horse…"

"Oh," The woman turned her head to the small dirty blonde still brushing the horse's leg with her. "Child!"

Katie turned her head to the woman and Buffy.

"Come! Come!" The woman ordered swooping her arm in a waving motion for Katie to come along.

Katie dropped the hey to the ground and ran after her mother.

Buffy reached down grasping Katie's hand.

"Baby come, Mama?" Her hazel eyes were wide with hope.

Buffy nodded her head and smiled, "That's right, baby's coming. Kid wastes no time."

The woman guided Buffy to a stone building on the corner. A sign hung down just above the door that read: Healer.

"You." The woman said to a random man passing them by. "Run down to the Tavern and fetch Master O'Connor. Tell him we're the healers and his wife is havin' the baby."

The random man nodded his head and sprinted down in the opposite direction towards the crowded Tavern.

Tavern

"Do ye really think those bastard English pussies will be pullin' another battle on the Scots like Culloden?" A drunken man asked.

"Pfft." Another drunken man scoffed at the idea. He waved his hand and shook his head. "Not if those quilt wearin' Scots grow bigger cocks and fuck those Brits back to their soggy island."

Liam chuckled sliding another filled pint of ale to the drunken men. "Do ye kiss ye'r mother with that mouth, Derry?"

Derry looked at Liam laughing as well, "Aye, I do while the fraochÚn (whore) sucks me cock dry."

"I feel sorry for those desperate women — especially the whore." Liam fired back earnings a loud laugh by the men in the Tavern surrounding them.

The Tavern door swung open. The random man from the town staggered around the crowds to the counter.

Liam looked at the panting man smiling and said, "Aye, did ye run a race, laddie? How 'bout a pint of ale to relax ye." Liam pulled a mug from the hook underneath the counter and pulled the tap lever pouring a pint of ale for the young man.

"No time. Do ye happen to know a Master O'Connor?"

"What's it to ye?" Liam turned off the lever placing the pint on the counter eyeing the man suspiciously.

"I was sent to inform a Master O'Connor that his wife is with the Healer."

Immediately dropping the tough man act, Liam straightens up on full alert. "Why? What's happened? Is Buffy alright? Is the baby—" Numerous terrible scenarios reeled through his mind.

"She's havin' the baby. Right now!"

With a short nod, Liam backed away to grab his coat and tricorn hat from the back hook. He looked around the room and announced his sudden departure. "Sorry, lads but I must be goin'. I know I promised a card game but I've been just informed by this good lad, that as we speak, me wife is havin' my child!"

The room burst into an uproar of cheers and clanking metal mugs that slammed together creating a much bigger mess.

Liam moved around the room receiving smacks on the back of congratulations. He placed the hat on his head in a crooked fashion and tugged the coat up to his back.

Once finally stepping outside, Liam took off into a sprint down the dusty street towards Main Street, heading straight to the doctors to be at his wife's side.

One Week After The Birth

O'Connor Cottage

The new parents of a baby boy stood around the wooden crib looking down at him while he slept. They took in his every feature, the texture of his dark brown hair, his button nose, and small round chin.

Liam's eyes travelled up across the crib to Buffy. A soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he watched Buffy gaze upon the infant with loving eyes.

"We did it," Liam whispered.

Buffy broke her gaze at the sound of his deep whispering voice. She could not rid the radiant smile on her face. "We did it."

Liam reached his arm across the crib and wrapped his long fingers around Buffy's hand. "Didn't I tell ye it wasn't over for us?" He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"You're always right." Buffy playfully replied with a heavy eye-roll.

"Don't mock me, girl," Liam muttered pretending not to smile but it was impossible.

The happiness radiating off of new-again parents created a fragrance in the air. The prospect of having another child became a distant dream. Liam had pushed all hopes and desires of one day having another completely from his mind. The day Buffy told him they were expecting another came as a complete shock more so than the first time or the second time. The Powers had blessed him again for some strange unknown reason.

"Did ye finally decide on a name, ghrá?"

Thoughtfully, still looking down at the infant, Buffy slowly nodded her head. "I did."

"Tell me?" Liam smiled.

"Liam O'Connor, Jr," Buffy announced much to Liam's surprise. For months she had other names like Deacon and Aiden floating around. Never once had they considered naming their son after his father.

"Honestly?"

Buffy nodded lifting her eyes to his face. "Yes. Our son needs a strong name. A name that will fit the strong-willed man he'll become — Much like his father."

The loving smile on Liam's fade slowly faded. "I reckon there will be a muddle of confusion if ye'll be yellin' at both of us, usin' the same name. I won't rightly know who ye're yellin' at."

"Then we'll give him a nickname… or do you want a nickname?"

"Aye, depends on what it is…" Liam noticed the mischievous expression painted on her beautiful face. "… But by that expression, I suspect the boy shall receive the nickname."

"You don't even know what I was gonna to say." She rolled her eyes finding him absurdly paranoid.

Liam cocked a high brow, "Aye, I do. Somethin' ridiculous. I know ye and I know that expression, lass. Ye've got that wicked glimmer in those "come-hither" eyes of ye'r's." With a heavy sigh, Liam rolled his neck and asked, "Fine, what little nickname did ye think of."

"Sugar Daddy." She bit her bottom lip suppressing the smile on her face.

"See?" Liam pointed his finger at her. "Ye're a wicked devil girl with a naughty tongue."

Buffy laughed at his choice of words that depicted a dirty image in her mind.

Liam watched the dim candlelight dance in Buffy's eyes for a moment then muttered breathlessly, "Is breá liom tú. (I love you.)"

Returning his smile, Buffy replied, "I love you, too."

Moving around the crib without letting Buffy's hand go, Liam was at her side pulling her away from the sleeping infant. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to the side of his body walking out of the nursery room and down the hallway.