Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. I got the name Isara from The fic Isara Rosenberg
Harris Family
"Mama! Look what I found!" Three-year-old Jesse Rupert Harris scrambled over the park playground equipment in his haste to show his mother his find. He pushed his dark brown hair out of his face and his gray-blue eyes sparkled in excitement.
Anya looked up from her paper work and into her son's open hand. Her face instantly broke out into a wide, proud smile.
In her son's hand lay a shiny quarter. "Well look at that. You got yourself a new quarter." She reached down and pulled him into her lap.
"Can I put it into my account, so I can make more pretty quarters and then invest it in stock? Pretty please?"
"Of course my little stock player, if you're really good I'll give you another quarter and then you'll double your earnings."
Jesse jumped down from her lap and did the snoopy dance, holding his quarter above his head in victory.
In her proud parent moment she failed to notice her husband creeping up behind her. She was soon securely wrapped in two strong arms. "So how are my favorite moneymakers?"
"Oh, we're doing quite well. If Jesse plays his earnings right we won't have to worry about retirement."
"Have I told you how much I love you?"
"Millions upon millions of times, but I'm sure once more won't upset the cosmic balance."
"I love you Anya Emerson Harris."
"Good. Because I love you too."
Xander felt someone tug on his pant leg. He looked down "Hey little buddy." He scooped Jesse up and swung him onto his shoulders.
The little family walked out of the park in a moment of pure domestic bliss.
***
Angel Family
Dawn Angel carried a cardboard box into the middle of the bare beige carpeted living room. Looking around she smiled at their first house. She was jerked back into reality when the box of little odds and ends was gently but quickly pulled from her grasp. She found herself looking into the eyes of her husband of ten months.
"I thought I told you not to carry anything, I've got enough help from Gunn and Wes."
Dawn scowled; "I'm not an invalid."
Connor looked steadily into her eyes. "No, but you are eight months pregnant." He said, gently resting his hand over her rounded stomach.
Dawn sighed; "You're so lucky I love you, because I'm so past irritated with that line." Dawn found herself unable to continue as a pair of lips passionately caught hers and all coherent thoughts fled her mind.
"You were saying?" Connor asked in a hushed voice as he pulled away.
She rested her head in the crook of his neck and grumbled half-heartedly. Connor smiled and stroked his thumb softly over her stomach. "How are they?" He asked a little excitedly. His eyes widened as one of their children kicked.
"The Doctor says they're in perfect health but I think it's time to finalize their names."
"I say we go with what we have." Connor said kissing her forehead.
"Well then it's settled. Say hi to your daddy little ones."
Connor knelt down and kissed his wife's tummy. "Hello Lena Elizabeth Angel, hello Liam William Angel. Soon you'll both play with all of your cousins and we can't wait to hold our little perfect babies in our arms." He looked up as he heard his wife giggle.
"You're so cute when you talk to them."
"Well of course I'm cute, why else would you marry me for?"
"Well, it did really piss Spike off." She said, smirking.
"I believe the first time he walked in on us making out he threatened to castrate me, then shove a railroad spike through my head." Dawn giggled again and stole another kiss from her soul mate, remembering their first real conversation.
**Flashback**
Dawn stood on the roof of the Hyperion staring at the sunrise, her namesake. She wondered bitterly how the monks had picked out her name. She briefly contemplated if were a sick cosmic joke.
"This is one thing they still haven't managed to take." Dawn spun around to meet electric blue eyes. Her own ice blue trapped in... Understanding?
"What?" She questioned.
Connor turned to the sunrise, "No matter how many times they've tried they could never stop the sun from rising." He turned to the seventeen-year-old girl next to him. He had been told of the Slayer's little sister, but never had he thought she could hold such beauty. "So what would you be doing up this early?"
Dawn just sighed. "Contemplating my existence and what not. You know, just normal stuff."
"Yeah, I know." He replied quietly.
Dawn eyed him, "I guess you do."
"Being the son of two vampires raised in a hell dimension tends to lead you to question where you belong."
"Same as being an ancient magical entity molded into a human being and being downloaded with fake memories."
"Our lives are so messed up." He said with a small smile.
"Could you ever imagine them any differently?"
"I guess not. There are just those times you know-"
"-That no matter what you'll never really fit in. That you're something so different no one can really understand how you feel, because you're not even sure you're supposed to feel."
"Yeah." He said looking at her with that same understanding. Slowly he put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and continued to watch the sky.
"You get it don't you?" She asked in a hushed voice. "If no one else does you do."
"We have a bond, Dawn. Despite our odd situation I don't think we can deny that."
Turning to face him, Dawn was caught in something much deeper than a teenage girl should understand. Then again she was no ordinary seventeen-year-old girl and he was no ordinary eighteen-year-old boy.
"Maybe I don't want to deny it."
He lowered his head and their lips met in a soft gentle first kiss. The dawn of a new romance was born that morning, meaning so much more than teen love.
**End Flashback**
"Tonight we should christen the house with a serious smoochie session."
"Only a few more weeks till we can do more than kiss."
"I'm looking forward to it."
"You and me both, baby." Connor purred in her ear.
***
Rosenberg Family
Three-year-old Isara Jenny Rosenberg sat contentedly with a book in her lap. The book was filled with all types of mythology from all around the world. She read with a serious, concentrated expression on her face, which was totally ruined by the fact that she was sucking her thumb. Her strawberry blonde hair was in two little pigtails and her deep emerald eyes moved along the page silently.
A soft voice called out her name. "Izzy?" The little girl looked up to see her Mama calling her from the entrance of her room.
Tara watched their daughter with a look of pride. Three years ago a messenger from the Powers That Be came to them to tell them that each of the older couples would have a child. This of course came as a shock to Willow and Tara. The messenger explained that the Powers had mixed their essences and put it in Tara's womb, creating their child.
Willow had then become extremely protective of Tara, as were all the non-carrying Scoobies of their girls. Not unlike what Connor and Dawn were experiencing now. Willow had been determined to protect her and their unborn child, so determined she had almost been killed.
**Flashback**
Demons were everywhere and the Scoobies were fighting with all they had. Willow had long since given up magic, so instead she fought with a small battle-axe. The hacker was not going to let them past her to where the pregnant Scoobies were.
Dawn and Connor fought with ferocity none of the Scoobies thought possible of their 'little Dawnie.' Willow could practically feel Buffy straining herself from joining the fight, but thankfully she kept herself in check.
Xander came to her aid wielding a broad sword and sticking it the demon she was currently fighting. She flashed him a thankful smile as she began fighting the demon trying to creep up from her side. She was surprised when Dawn flipped onto it's shoulders and ran her long-sword through the demon's chest. She flipped off of it and Connor sliced its head right off its shoulders in one clean swing.
Seeing she was definitely not needed there she turned to face the carrying women. What she saw almost made her heart stop, a leathery green demon was approaching the weaponless women with its extremely sharp looking dagger. It was heading towards Tara.
Willow ran in front of it, effectively cutting off its path. It growled and struck out at her. She tightened her hold on her axe and was met with the clang of metal. What she had failed to notice was its other fist held a dagger as well. The demon stabbed her in the gut and with a gasp she dropped to her knees.
She looked up dazed to see the creatures' face twisted into something that looked like a smile. It struck her again piercing her shoulder, but was surprised to find its own dagger buried deep within its chest. It was dead within seconds.
Willow fell to the ground in pain as Tara dropped the dagger and cradled her lover in her arms. "Baby? Hold on, Angel's people are on the way. Just hold on baby." She pleaded as her eyes filled with tears.
Willow blinked trying to clear her pain filled mind. "Tara?" She asked softly.
"Yeah, baby?" She asked through a strained voice. She tried to apply pressure to the rapidly bleeding wound and the tears streaked down her face as her hand slicked with her lover's warm blood.
"It's cold. Why is it so cold?" Another part of her wanted to ask why Tara was crying. They would have a perfect baby to hold in just a matter of months. She shuddered. It was so cold.
"Oh, Goddess." Tara half sobbed as she felt her 'always' shudder. "Baby you have to hold on okay?" She asked tearfully. "Forever remember? You promised me forever."
Willow gave a faint smile, "Forever and a day."
"That's right, just stay with me."
Willow rested her head against Tara's chest. "So tired." She whispered. She felt the dark oblivion call to her, eating away at the corners of her vision. The oblivion was cold; she fought against it to stay with the warmth of her lover and their unborn child.
Tara could see Willow struggle to keep her eyes open and panicked. She couldn't live without Willow, the thought alone went against everything she was. Their child needed her, the Scoobies needed her, and she needed her. Keep Willow alive was all that screamed in her head. She kissed the love of her life on the lips in an effort to keep her tied to the world. Anchored. Willow had long ago trusted her to keep her anchored to this plane of existence. Tara prayed to the Goddess that she was strong enough.
She felt her lover kiss back and pressed all her emotions into the kiss hoping to keep her alive.
Willow could feel the dark, the cold. It was getting stronger. Then a light came. She was washed in love and light. Tara drew back from the kiss to see unfocused emerald eyes open and blinking. "Tara lips." Willow said weakly.
"Yeah." She agreed, Tara had been so focused on her lover she hadn't noticed the Wolfram & Hart healer push pass the Scoobies and removing herbs from his bag.
"Set her down. She doesn't have much time." Tara complied and gently placed Willow on the ground. Soon he was muttering things in a demonic language. Willow jerked violently as a blue glow slowly knit together the deathly wounds. The glow left as quickly as it came, leaving Willow sitting up and gasping for air.
"That's a bigger head rush than the time I had thirteen shots of espresso." She suddenly found herself with an armful of sobbing Tara clutching her in a fierce hug. Still more than a little dizzy she fell back with Tara crying into her newly healed shoulder. She rubbed Tara's back slowly and tried to calm the hysterically relieved girl. "I'm okay, sweetheart. I'm okay."
It seemed Tara could not be comforted, she just buried her head deeper into Willow's shoulder and cried great sobbing gasps. Willow winced as her tender shoulder screamed in protest, but she ignored it, concentrating only on her girl. Carefully she whispered in her ear, "I'm okay, baby. I'm okay. I can thank you for that." Slowly Tara's heartbreaking cries eased until it was just the occasional sniffle.
"I can't lose you." She murmured tearfully.
"You won't. Forever and a day right?"
"Right."
**End Flashback**
"Come on Izzy, we're going to see Joycie and Jesse." Isara nodded silently and gently set her book aside, taking her Mama's hand.
"Mama, hows come I don't has a J name like Jess-Jess and Joycie?" Isara asked curiously, walking out the door. Oh yeah, Izzy definitely had Willow's smarts.
"Because you're special." Izzy was swooped from behind to find herself looking at her Mommy. Willow set their daughter down, taking her other hand.
"Okay Mommy, but Auntie Dawnie and Uncle Connor in't giving the babies J names. Will I still be special after they is born?"
"You'll always be special Izzy. Don't worry, Mama and I love you so much."
"That's right, you're one of a kind baby doll."
They came to Xander's house and Isara rushed into the yard and joined the two running children, smiling and calling out to them.
The couple watched their child with pride. Willow wrapped her arm around Tara's waist and pulled her closer letting her wife rest her head against her own. They stayed that way for a long time basking in their love.
***
The Winthrop Family
"Daddy, come on we gots to get to Uncle Xander's house! I wanna see Jess-Jess and Izzy!" Said little Joyce Emily Winthrop.
"Hold your horses there half-pint. We'll get there soon enough, but Daddy has to wait for Mummy to get home. I'll drive us all there after she comes back from seeing the new Watchers."
"Is Grandpa Giles coming with Mommy?"
"Rupert'll meet us at the whelp's house."
"Daddy you're not suppose to call Uncle Xander that."
"Yeah well if you don't tell Mummy, I'll get you some ice cream."
"Deal." The little blonde girl said sticking out her hand. Spike just smirked and shook it.
"Spike!" The two looked to the front door to see Buffy standing there with a frown. "Don't make deals with your Dad, Baby."
"Mommy!" The little blonde girl was swept into her mother's arms and carried to the car. After Joyce was buckled into her car seat, Buffy turned around to see her husband in the sun. A sight that never failed to make her breath catch.
"See somethin' you like pet'?"
She didn't answer him instead she kissed him long and deep.
"Eeww!" Said little Joyce.
The couple reluctantly pulled back making a note to pick this up after the little one was in her bed.
They shared a smile and climbed into the car. This was how it was supposed to be.