Disclaimer: I don't own Buffy, but I do own Sophie, baby Lily, and Echo the puppy :)
"I'm actually quite impressed" the demon continued. "Nobody usually makes it past the Gora in one piece. Most of the time, my fellow demons and I just get stuck with it's leftovers." The demon cocked it's head at Tara, confused. "Actually, you look a little familiar. Do I know you?" The whole time the demon had been talking, Tara had been studying it, trying to form a plan of attack. From what she could gather, the demon, apart from it's horns and tail, had more or less the same configuration of anatomy as a human. And so, instead of responding to it's question, she drew her leg back and kicked it square between the legs. The demon groaned in pain, dropping to it's knees, and Tara ran.
Back in the first chamber of the cave, the others were still running around with the Gora demon's eggs, keeping it distracted. The Gora was slightly confused, not knowing which one of them to go after first. Then, suddenly, Illyria threw her egg to the ground, smashing it, and the Gora gave a horrible screech of anger.
"In what universe was that a good idea?" yelled Xander.
"One-eyed one, son of Angel, duck!" Illyria ordered.
"What?" asked Connor, confused.
"Duck!" Illyria repeated. Xander and Connor glanced at each other, still confused, but did as the God-King instructed. Illyria took a few steps back, then made a running jump, first onto the boy's backs, then onto the Gora's shoulders, snapping it's neck. It gave one last shriek before falling down dead, Illyria standing triumphantly atop it's corpse. The other Scoobies stared at her, mouths agape.
"Okay" said Xander eventually, "Why the hell didn't she do that when we got here?"
Tara continued to run deep into the cave, until she eventually found a hollow in the cave wall, in which Sophie had shown her that the Vervain grew. She reached in and seized the plant around it's base, attempting to uproot it. Unfortunately, the demon she had kicked was slowly sneaking up behind her, intent on getting it's revenge. It was just about to close it's claw over her shoulder, when suddenly, it's head rolled to the floor, and it's body fell with a thump. Tara turned, her panic at how close she had come to death or serious harm subsiding when Willow, tightly clutching her sword, looked up at her and smiled.
"I kinda still owed you one" she grinned. "No-one messes with my girl either." Tara smiled back at her wife, but her mind quickly returned to the task at hand.
"He said their were other demons. Come on, help me pull the Vervain up." The two witches reached back into the hollow and tugged at the plant, while the others took to the role of lookouts.
Back at the house, Sophie had had a very tiring day, and was exhausted, so Anya had put both she and baby Lily down for a nap. When she came back downstairs afterwards, Riley, who had been moping around since the other Scoobies' departure, decided to talk to her. Anya would give her true opinion and tell it like it was, no matter what the others might have thought.
"Anya, doesn't any of this seem weird to you?" he asked. "Just accepting that girl as their daughter even though she was created by demons?" Angel suddenly leapt to his feet, looking like he wanted to put Riley's lights out.
"Hold up, Angel" said Spike, pulling his friend (yes, they were friends, just don't ask them to admit it out loud) back down. "Let her say her bit first. That girl's got a bigger heart than any of us give her credit for." Anya remained silent for a few moments, before finally speaking.
"Did I tell you that the baby is a boy?" she began, a hand resting on her stomach.
"Um, congratulations" Riley frowned. "But I don't see what that's got to do with.."
"I mean, we don't know for sure that it's a boy because Xander wants to be surprised, but I feel like it's a boy" Anya continued. "He kind of looks like a little alien right now. But you know what? I already love him. And if he still looks like a little alien when he's born, I'll still love him, because he's my son. He could be the ugliest child in the universe and I'll still love him, because he's my son. Even if he grows up to be an intolerant demon-hunting commando like you, I'll still love him, because he's my son. No matter what happens, he'll always be my son, and I will always love him."
"That's really nice and all" said Riley, "But, your baby really is yours.."
"And Sophie really is Willow and Tara's!" Anya snapped.
"You tell 'em Anya!" Spike cheered.
"She may not have come from their magic, but she did come from them. She is their daughter" The former vengeance demon continued. "Besides that, she is one of the sweetest children I have ever met, and I love her too, almost as much as I love my own baby. Don't make me choose sides between you and her Riley, 'cause it'll be her everytime."