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Part 16
Jason came around the corner and saw the waiting room where Willow, Dawn and the rest of the gang were gathered; he took off his surgical cap and approached the group
"Jason" Dawn jumped from her seat and rushed to meet him followed by the others
"So…say something" Willow asked nervously
"You have a very healthy baby girl" he said without much enthusiasm
"Oh my God" Willow jumped excited "did you hear that sweetie?" she asked to her daughter who was in Giles arms "you have a baby sister…yay" she grinned and turned expectantly to the young doctor "how's Tara?"
He scanned the group watching them very carefully
"What is it?" Buffy asked sensing that something wasn't right; the doctor just lowered his eyes
"Jason, where is Tara?" Dawn asked stroking his arm softly; he closed his eyes and took a deep breath
"There were complications" he said and the group gasped bracing themselves for the bad news
"What do you mean by complications?" Willow questioned starting to feel lightheaded
"She had a massive bleeding" he informed and felt Dawn grip his hand tightly "we tried everything we could to control it" he looked around and saw Giles holding Ariel's head against his shoulder, he was crying; Anya was cradling her baby, she lowered her head to Xander's shoulder both were crying. Buffy and Faith were holding each other up; Faith had one hand over her face, sobbing; realization had hit them "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry" he hugged Dawn and she cried on his shoulder
"What…sorry for what?" Willow looked confused; she looked frantically to her friends, she couldn't understand why everybody was crying; she felt her head spin "wh…what is he talking about?" she was getting desperate "where is Tara?"
"Willow" Buffy came forward whispering sympathetically knowing that her friend was in denial
"No…no…no…NO" Willow began to cry "come on" she looked agitatedly to her friends "where is she?" she grabbed Jason's scrub; she was breathing heavily
"She died, Willow" he finally voiced it
"No!!!" she shouted and pushed him angrily "I don't believe it…you're lying" she was sobbing uncontrollably; Xander moved forward and held her; she struggled against his grasp and started hitting him with her fists "he's lying…he's lying" they fell to their knees both crying "it's not true…it's not…it's not" Buffy came closer, knelt with them and put her arms around her friends; the Scoobies sobbed together
Sunnydale's graveyard
The next day two figures watched from afar a devastated group of people standing around the coffin that carried the body of a beloved one
"She looks so sad" Tara said looking directly to Willow and Ariel standing together holding hands listening to the minister's words
"She will be fine" Klaus answered softly
"How can you be so sure?" she asked dryly without taking her eyes of her family; she saw Buffy put her arm around Faith's waist, the brunette looked angry; Giles was behind them looking desolate; Anya was holding Xander's arm and Dawn was leaning against Jason's shoulder; she even saw Spike hiding under the shade of a tree protecting against the sun light
"Cause you'll be watching over her" the Keeper said and she snapped her head to look at him
"What about Willow?" she asked feeling tears sting her eyes
"Willow is strong" he answered "she'll raise both of your children beautifully…they will grow into fine young women"
"I can't go now" she was crying "Lara is just an infant" she said referring to her newborn daughter "she needs me"
"you will be taking care of your family, Tara…" he said trying to calm the blonde "you will be at their side every step of the way…I promise you… you'll guide and protect them as you will guide and protect so many other people that will need your wisdom, your generosity and every other quality that had turned you into a Keeper" she shook her head and sobbed "I know it's hard to leave your beloved ones behind, but you must fulfill your fate…you must be there to protect the light and prevent so many good souls to stray out of the path of the greater good…you must become a Keeper…that's your Destiny" Tara nodded in agreement, she knew this had to be done; releasing a big sigh the new Keeper lifted her head and turned to watch her family again; she looked at her wife, the redhead was staring at the coffin, her cheeks were glistering because of the tears rolling down her face, she was grieving; Tara's eyes left the witch and started descend to her oldest daughter; the minute her gaze fell on Ariel they locked eyes, the little blonde was looking directly at her
"She can see me" she whispered amazed
"Yes, she can" Klaus replied watching the interaction between the blondes; he saw the biggest grins he had ever seen break into their features, mother and daughter smiled at each other
16 years later
"This way" two teenage girls were running around the cemetery "he's getting away"
"No, he's not" the redhead girl answered and flipped twice trying to corner the vampire
"Behind you" the brunette one shouted "duck…" she warned and fired a crossbow hitting the vamp and dusting him "yeah…that's right" she shouted triumphantly "I'm Joan, the vampire slayer"
"You wish" the redhead replied getting up and cleaning the dirty from her clothes "it's gonna be…Lara, the vampire slayer"
"I don't think so, Red" Joan said in a challenging tone "I'm the one perfect for the job"
"Oh, really?" Lara said straightening up in front of the brunette "why don't we test that theory"
"Bring it on" Joan replied opening her arms and calling her for a fight; suddenly two pair of hands held the girls grabbing each of them by the hair and pulling them to opposite directions
"Oh, no you don't…it's shower time for you"
"Oh, Faith" both girls whined in unison
"Don't 'oh, Faith' me" the now mature brunette slayer replied "shower now…" the girls obeyed muttering under their breathes
"And you, miss Maclay-Rosenberg" Buffy called to the retreating redhead "next time you get into a fight in school, I won't bail you out" she warned seriously "I'll let your mommy go get you…clear?" she smiled wickedly when the girl flinched
"Yes, Buffy" she sighed and walked after Joan
"Do you think Anya is ever going to figure that Xander is Lara's father?" Faith asked smirking
"Dunno" Buffy shrugged and shook her head "for an 1100 year-old ex-demon she's not very perceptive, is she?"
"Nope" Faith shook her head "I mean, apart from the red hair, the girls are the spitting image of each other"
"Boy…I'm tired" Buffy said stretching her back and dropping onto a log on the floor "I need some time off…I'm getting too old for this shit"
"Don't worry" Faith said sitting next to the blonde "you'll be retiring pretty soon…I mean 'we' will be retiring pretty soon" she smiled at the blonde "tomorrow after Ariel performs her 'hocus pocus' one of the girls will be activated" she said pointing with her thumb to where Joan and Lara had disappeared
"Do you think Ariel's spell is going to work?"
"Yeah…kid is powerful" Faith answered confidently "I'm just surprised that Red is going to let her do it by herself"
"Willow thinks she's ready…" Buffy explained "I can't wait to be replaced…we are officially the oldest slayers of all time" she said smiling at the brunette "I don't think any previous slayer had survived this long"
"That's because we have each other" Faith answered softly "so what are you going to do with your free time?"
"Well…I thought we could travel…Greece, Asia, Hawaii…what do you say?" she looked expectantly to the brunette
"I think they're perfect for a honeymoon" she answered without looking at the blonde
"What???" Buffy's head snapped and she looked at her girlfriend "Faith, I'm over 40, don't toy with me"
"I'm not" Faith looked at her, stood up and got down on one knee "Buffy Summers, will you marry me?"
"It took you 17 years to propose???" Buffy asked teasingly
"Yeah…what can I say…I'm a little slow" she smirked cynically
"I love you" Buffy declared seriously
"Is that a 'yes'?" Faith asked expectantly and almost didn't catch the flying blonde that landed in her arms initiating a very hot make out section on the ground of Sunnydale's graveyard
In one of the dorms at UC Sunnydale, a blonde young woman was sitting cross-legged, her eyes were closed and her hands resting on her knees; she had some candles lit and some incense sticks burning; suddenly a big grin formed on her face
"Hi mama" Ariel said without opening her eyes; she always sensed her mother's presence
"Hi sweetie…how are you?" Tara was standing behind her daughter with a sweet smile on her lips
"Nervous" Ariel answered and turned to look at her mother. The Keeper was wearing a white rob, her straight hair hanging loose and she had a serene expression on her face "I don't think I can do it mama" she said and stood up "this is huge" she started pacing nervously, her babbling taking over "it requires a great deal of concentration, I don't know if I'm ready, mommy thinks I am though…she keeps saying that I'm powerful and that I'm special and that I'm capable of anything cause I come from you guys and that I had learned everything…b-but what if I fail… what if by accident I turn one of them into…into a giant snake or something? I don't think they would like that very much, would they?" she finished trying to catch her breath; Tara moved forward and caressed the young blonde's face
"Everything is going to be alright" she said softly "your mommy is right…you are a very powerful witch, you learned how to control your powers and how to get focused…Willow taught you everything you had to know" she took her daughter's hands in hers and said softly "you had a great teacher"
"I had two great teachers" she whispered and squeezed her hands softly "you gave me the basics of moral and ethics" she moved forward and hugged her mom "I miss you mama, I wish you were here"
"I am here honey…I've always been here" Tara whispered in her ear
"I know, but…" she broke the embrace and sighed "you know what I mean…I feel sorry for Lara…she misses you although she never met you"
"I wish I had been part of her life" she confessed sadly "but Willow did a great job"
"Yes, she did" Ariel agreed "but I think it's a miracle that we turned out sane, because sometimes she almost drove us crazy with her over-protectiveness" she and Tara chuckled knowing that it was true "but we love her"
"I know…" she smiled softly "you've never told her that you could see me, have you?"
"No…" she shook her head "it would hurt her"
"You are an incredible woman" Tara complimented her proudly "you have a golden heart"
"I got that from you" she said making both of them blush. Tara took her daughter's hand and guided her to the bed
"Rest now, baby girl…you have a huge spell to perform tomorrow" she said tucking her child in "you'll need your strength"
"Thank you mama…you always put my heart at ease" she said snuggling against a giant Ted bear; Tara leaned and planted a soft kiss on her forehead
"That's what I'm here for" she smiled sweetly at her 23-year-old daughter "goodnight angel"
"Mama?" Ariel called
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?" she asked sheepishly making Tara lift a suspicious eyebrow "which of them is the new slayer?" Tara laughed at her puppy dog's expression
"Goodnight Ariel…" she shook her head and disappeared in a bright white light