Fourteen Months Later

"Aha, I knew they were here!" Willow said triumphantly as she held her son against her hip with one hand and rooted through the cupboard with another, pulling out a box of Oreos, "You want one, little man? Here you go. But, shush, don't tell Mommy, okay? Our secret."

Willow handed the little boy one of the cookies, before taking one for herself and putting the box back in its hiding place. They'd decided to try and keep JJ's diet as healthy as possible when he'd started eating solid foods but Willow always kept a box of the cookies hidden, more because she often got a hankering for them and well, she couldn't deny her son anything.

She bit down on her Oreo just as a happy squeal came from JJ.

"Momm-eee!"

"That's right, Jakey, no telling Mommy," Willow said, thinking the squeal was from getting the cookie.

'Jakey' had become another nickname for the boy, since Ira insisted on calling him Jacob, proud, like Willow had surmised at the start, of the strong Jewish roots of the name and Willow and Tara had naturally fallen into calling him Jakey or sometimes just Jake as well as JJ.

Tara held back a laugh as she watched from the doorway, the redhead's back to her. JJ, however, was staring right at her, smiling excitedly and reaching one are out towards her. She giggled silently at JJ before putting a finger against her lips and tiptoeing further into the room, wrapping her arms around her wife's waist from behind.

She felt Willow stiffen and giggled softly in her ear, audibly this time.

"Mommy knows."

"Mommy knows what?" Willow asked, trying to act nonchalant, but the fact that she was still chewing on her cookie as she spoke gave her away.

"Mommy knows about your secret Oreo stash," Tara replied with a smirk, "How do you think it magically gets replenished even when you and JJ scoff them all?"

Willow turned in the blonde's arms, the surprise evident on her face and JJ held his own arms out for Tara to take him. Tara complied and took him, smiling when he offered her the cookie and took a tiny bite.

"Thank you, sweetie. You can have the rest."

"Yummy, Mommy," JJ replied with a smile, his green eyes shining as he happily began sucking on the Oreo.

"It's yummy alright," Tara responded to her son, before smirking at Willow, "Momma thought she was being all sneaky. She's very silly, isn't she JJ?"

"Silly Momma," JJ giggled before moving his arms up and down in a gesture that meant he wanted to be let go of.

Tara sat him down on the ground and JJ instantly starting crawling around, one of his favourite pastimes, especially in the kitchen since he liked the feel of the cool tiles against his hands.

"I totally knew you knew," Willow said as she focused her attention on her wife, "I was just playing along. You know, for JJ."

"Uh huh," Tara grinned, putting a hand either side of the redhead's waist, "Sorry I ruined the game. You know I don't mind if you two are secret cookie buddies. He eats healthy, an Oreo isn't gonna kill him."

Willow shrugged with a blush.

"Okay, so Momma was very silly," she said with a small smile, "You know it's his fourteen month birthday."

"I think we stopped celebrating the month milestones when he turned 1," Tara replied with a laugh, before smiling, "But what a fourteen months..."

Tara thought back on the time since JJ had come into their lives.

The adoption had been finalised when he was three months old, by which time the couple had well settled into life with JJ, his presence strengthening their love for each other and their family to a level neither women had ever known before.

JJ had grown each day, both physically and in their hearts and the women thanked every deity known to man that he had been propelled into their lives; they couldn't imagine life without him anymore.

Both had taken three months parental leave – with some financial help from Ira – deciding only to go back to work once the adoption was finalised completely and even then, used the daycare center that was on the bottom floor of the building Tara worked in, so they were always close by if he needed them.

Willow still worked with Xander and Jesse to bring down the corporate criminals of Buffalo and was enjoying it as much as she had the first day she started.

Tara still adored her job as well, and had a new and profound insight in doing since becoming a mother; it just made her even more determined in her efforts to keep the children that came across her desk safe.

The past fourteen months had brought many changes among their friends and family as well.

Ira had moved out of his apartment and in with Michelle into a house just two blocks away from Willow and Tara. Their relationship had gone from strength to strength, even more so when JJ had referred to Michelle as 'Grandma' one day.

Nobody had been sure exactly what role Tara's aunt was going to take, but as soon as JJ had said that, it had been settled; Ira and Michelle were his grandparents and that was that.

Xander and Anya had welcomed their own little boy – Alexander LaVelle Harris II, though known simply as 'Alex' – 7 months previously, when Anya's water had broken during Tara's birthday party and the baby had been born with just one minute left until midnight, giving him and Tara the same birthday.

The change in both parents had been obvious from the moment they laid on him. Anya was completely besotted with her son, even taking unpaid leave from work, something she'd sworn she'd never do before, to continue to take care of him after her maternity leave was up.

She planned to go back to work when Alex was a little older, but for now, was content to have less money as long as it meant she would be with her child.

Xander was equally as smitten with the young boy, bringing him into the office after he was born to proudly show him off. Alex and JJ were also the best of friends; despite their age gap and being so young, JJ seemed to understand that Alex wasn't able to do quite the same amount of things that he was, like crawling and the few words he was able to form and was content to play with building blocks whenever they were together, a hobby both boys enjoyed immensely.

Both Angel and Buffy had been promoted within their jobs, Buffy to the rank of senior translator, despite being one of the newest additions to the workplace, she was easily the most skilled.

Angel's boss had retired the business and had asked Angel to take over the investigations company, which Angel agreed to straight away. No rings had been produced by Angel, but neither were in any rush to get down the aisle, they enjoyed their relationship and were as happy as ever.

Quite a big change had occured for Becky and Brian, who – after Becky had been laid off when the school she was in decided they only needed one English teacher and the other had had sonority and Brian had finished his Masters degree in business but was still working in the coffeehouse – had moved to Buffalo when Ira had gotten Brian a job as a project manager in the company he worked for.

Becky had gotten a job at one of the local high-schools, a big change for her since she was used to teaching younger children, but was thriving. Her and Brian's relationship was going strong – after a brief tumultuous period right after they moved to Buffalo and were adjusting to living together, they had come out on top and were delighted to be close to all their friends again.

Finally, Jesse and Alice had gotten married just a month previous; JJ as their pageboy since he was able to stand if he was holding onto something and Alex and Xander had played joint best man, the baby in his Dad's arms throughout the whole ceremony.

The majority of the photographs from the day were of the two children in their mini-tux's since everyone was blown away by how adorable they looked and Jesse and Alice were quite happy to share the spotlight; they doted on their two nephews.

Everyone's getting their happily ever after...

Tara was pulled from her thoughtful musings as Willow started frantically calling her name.

"Tara, Tara, baby, look, look!"

Tara snapped her head around to where Willow was pointing her eyes widening when she saw JJ was standing next to one of the stools near the island in the kitchen, but wasn't holding onto anything, a first for him.

The little boy's features were set in determination and both girls gasped as he placed a very tentative foot out in front of him. Tara dropped to her knees and held her arms out while Willow scrambled in her pocket, producing her phone and starting to record a video.

"Come on, JJ, come to Mommy," Tara gently encouraged as Willow knelt beside her and fixed the camera on her phone on her son, "Come to Mommy."

"Such a good boy, Jakey," Willow said from her spot, "Come on, little man, you can do it."

JJ put another foot out and after a momentarily wobble, started grinning wildly when he didn't fall.

"Momma, look!" he said with a laugh, clapping his hands together in front of him and taking another small step, "Mommy!"

"We see, Jakey," Willow said, looking between Tara and their son, "Keep going, JJ, come to us."

JJ closed the rest of the small gap between them in just a few steps and fell into both his mother's outstretched arms. Willow saved the video and pocketed her phone again before joining Tara is placing kisses all over their son's head and face.

"Willow, he walked, he walked!" Tara said excitedly, standing and picking JJ up, spinning him around, "You walked, sweetheart."

Tara stopped spinning and JJ smiled before wrapping his little arms around his mother's neck and holding on tight.

"Hug, Momma," he said, looking over Tara's shoulder at Willow.

Willow felt her heart melt and rushed over, hugging JJ from the other side, her arms wrapped around Tara's waist with the boy between them.

"There you go, little man," she said quietly, "Family hug."

They all held on to each other quietly for a few moments until Willow met her wife's gaze and smiled before leaning forwards and kissing her softly. Their lips moved leisurely against each other until they both felt a light slapping against their cheeks.

They pulled back and saw JJ looking at them expectantly; both laughing as they placed a kiss on one of his cheeks each.

"We didn't forget about you, JJ," Tara laughed, "We'll never forget about you."

"Laav," JJ squealed loudly, his way of saying 'I love you' and both girls nuzzled into him.

"We love you, too, son," Willow whispered, "More than anything."

Willow placed another kiss on her son's cheek before pulling back just an inch and watching her wife continue to cuddle their child. She couldn't help but grin widely as she watched the two people who meant the world to her and thought, not for the first time and she knew it wouldn't be the last, just how lucky she was.

"Are you gonna walk for us again, JJ?" Tara asked, kneeling down and placing the boy on the floor, "Show us, little man."

JJ started to push himself up again with both of his hands before toddling over to Tara who clapped her hands and beamed at him

"That's my boy!"

Willow just looked on with a proud grin.

"That's my family."

The End