This little girl

Wow!!! I have like 100 reviews. Ok, 99 cause I was relaying my new email address in one of them, but still, that's great. I'll have to pull a Sally Field and say you like me, you really like me. I think I got that right. :)

Anyway, thanks. I'm glad you like the story. Again, whoring for the feedback. I wish I could answer everyone personally but I think that I would be answerinng email all day and not writing. Plus I'm either going home tomorrow or my daughter's coming down here. So my writing will get away from me if I don't focus. I guess this whole process is cathartic in a way. I love how it makes me feel. Probably cause I love Buffy and Faith. :) Even if they didn't get it on the show, they are supposed to be together. Sorry, if that isn't what you think. Go read another fic. :)

(Faith - really really enjoyed talking to you. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Kristen - thanks for the sweet emails. Nothing like praise and humor to boost the ego. Jamie - you've been consistent with your reviews, so thank you. You have been really helpful. Truly Eliza - are you Eliza? Cause if you are, I'm single, and kinda hot. To the rest of you - thanks again)

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's a little longer. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 12

FLASHBACK
POV None

“Jesus Buffy You have to at least push.” Cordy said, holding Buffy’s left leg. “I mean we are not going to sit here and do everything,” She pushed Buffy’s leg back. “And I have to say. I’m sick of looking at your…”She thought for a moment, “Private area. Who would have thought it would get that big? I mean, good god, I could crawl up inside of it.”

Willow wiped at Buffy’s brow, “Cordelia. You are not helping. You need to be quiet.”

“Hey,” Cordy said. “You got the job of wiping the brow. Don’t break a sweat or anything. I’m sitting here holding one of these massive legs,” Buffy stopped straining to give Cordelia the evil eye, “Hey, I’m just saying. They don’t look so tiny from this position.”

The midwife smiled at them, “I think it’s sweet that you have so many caring friends, Ms. Summers.”

Buffy growled, “I have slayed fucking vampires that had cloven hooves. I have been dead not once, but …fuck….twice…I have defeated the first, been stabbed, shot, drowned, and beat to damn near a bloody pulp…and fuckkkkkkk…..nothing feels like this. Jesus H. Christ. This is ridiculous. Get this thing out of my body.” She twisted her face in pain.

The midwife looked stunned. Cordy jumped in. “She’s crazy. That’s why we’re in here. She’s a loon,” She made the crazy sign against her head. “We have to follow her around. Shot, stabbed? Vampires? Have you ever in your life? She’s deluded. We think it’s because she was not fed properly as a child.”

“Cordy,” Buffy roared, “When … I …fuckkkkk…..Oh my god. Will this ever end? Fuck…Cordy…I’m going to rip your tongue out and feed it to these made up creatures when I get through…fuck,” she began panting. “Somebody kill me.”

Cordelia smirked, “Hey, I will,” She held up her hand. Willow gave her a warning look, “I am so not scared of you.” She told the witch.

Dawn spoke up. “Could the two of you just stop for like two fucking minutes cause…oh look hair!” She exclaimed pointing between Buffy’s legs.

Kennedy looked over the leg she was holding, “Wow. It’s black. Like…just likes Faith. You know,” she looked at Cordy, “I thought she was just kidding.”

Cordy nodded, “me too,” she mumbled.

“Ok,” the midwife said, “One more big push.”

Buffy shook her head. “No more.” She tried to get up. “Forget it. Just leave it inside me. We can get it a tent. It’ll be fine.”

Kennedy pushed her back down. “No way, sister. One more.”

Willow was holding Buffy under her arms and the other two girls were pushing against her. Dawn was sitting next to the midwife. “Come on Buff, I can see her head.”

“No,” Buffy replied weakly, and then, “Arrgghhhhhhhhh…get it out…get it out!!”

Willow wiped her brow again, “Just one more time.”

“Ohhhhhhhhhh,” Buffy screamed out as the midwife pulled.

“Good,” the midwife said. She pulled the baby out. “Oh look, she’s a big one.”

Kennedy was smiling ear to ear as the midwife held the baby up. “Wow. She’s gorgeous. Good job.”

Cordy was turning a little green. “What is that stuff?” She asked, pointing.

“The placenta,” Dawn answered. Everyone looked at her. Cordy raised an eyebrow. “What? I read up.”

“Who wants to cut the cord?”

“Oh, me…” Willow spoke up, “If that’s ok?”

Everyone nodded. “Oh no, let me,” Cordelia sarcastically replied. “That would fill the nasty quota for my week.”

The baby was laid on Buffy’s stomach as Willow cut the cord.

Dawn jumped up and down, “Cool what are we going to name her.”

Kennedy laughed. “Buffy did the work. She names her.”

Cordy piped in, “Umm I beg to disagree,” she said looking at the baby on Buffy’s stomach. She rubbed her gently with her fingers. “I’m the one that picked your mother’s large ass legs up every time you wanted to stick your little head out. I think I was the first, or at least the most beautiful person you saw. We should all get a say.”

“That’s retarded,” Dawn commented. “I’m way hotter.”

“Oh please, you wish, in like a million years. And not even then mind you. I can’t think of any situation where you would be hotter than me. Let me think,” she put her fingers to her head, “Nope. Not one.”

Dawn snarled, “Shut up. I’m so much hotter. Kennedy what do you think?”

Kennedy went to speak. Willow got there first, “Will the two of you just shut up for like two seconds? Jesus Buff just had a baby. You act like you’re at the dinner table or something.”

All three of them scrunched up their noses, “Well now that was gross,” Cordy commented. Dawn and Kennedy nodded.

“Anna,” Buffy said.

“Huh?” Willow asked.

“I want to name her Anna. Anna Jackson Summers.”

“Why would you name her after yourself?” Cordy asked. She was about to go on when she got the evil eye from Willow again. She held up her hands. “Fine…Whatever.”

“It’s Faith’s middle name. And Jackson…that’s her last name. In case you didn’t know.” They all shared glances with each other, “Which none of you did.” Buffy tried to hide the sob in her voice, “God I’m an idiot,” she said.

The others cooed over the baby. Watching her settle herself on Buffy’s stomach. Buffy held her with one hand. When the midwife noticed the lack of attention she was giving, she picked her back up. “Let me clean her off.” She took the baby and wrapped her in a blanket, “Come on, ladies. We’ll check and make sure everything is in working order.” She looked at Buffy, “though I have to say, this is one of the most beautiful babies I’ve ever seen.”

Buffy ignored her, closing her eyes.

The midwife walked away, shaking her head a little. Everyone followed her. “Can I hold her first?” Dawn asked.

They were pushing to get to her like little kids. “Wow,” Kennedy cooed, “look at her eyes.”

Cordy nodded, whispering, “No doubt now, is there?”

Willow stayed with Buffy. “Are you ok?”

Buffy turned her head to the side, away from Willow. “Yeah,” she muttered. “I just feel like someone ripped out my intestines. Other than that, I’m peachy.” She felt the tears run down her face. She wiped at them. “Don’t you want to go see the baby?”

Willow shook her head. “I’ll see her in a bit.” She brushed Buffy’s hair out of her eyes and wiped at her tears, “Everything’s gonna be ok, you’ll see.”

Buffy turned back to look at her again. “Whatever,” she mumbled closing her eyes.

Faith’s POV

I couldn’t deny that I was sitting on B’s bed. All she had on was a t-shirt. And panties. So shoot me, I looked.

“Should we check on her?” I asked motioning with my head towards the door.

Buffy shook her head, “No. I don’t think…let’s just wait, ok?”

I nodded, albeit reluctantly. I had to find some way to rectify this.

“It was awful,” she said. It startled me.

“What was awful?”

“The labor. The pain. You not being there. I wanted to…I though about…”She began to cry, “I’m so sorry.”

I held her to me, “No B. I’m sorry. I can be a real Jacksass sometimes. Just running out like that.” I stroked her head. “If I had thought for one nanosecond that you were going to…Oh my god Buffy, you have no idea what I would do to myself. None. You have no idea how much…”

She sniffed, “What about Sarah?”

I tried the humorous approach, “Sarah who?”

She quirked an eyebrow. Ok, plan B. “She’s pissed at me. Hence the phone call. I did tell her,” I looked away, a little embarrassed, “it was in a note, but still. I laid everything out for her.”

She scoffed a little, mockingly, “You broke up with your girlfriend in a note?”

“Hey,” I hit her on the arm, “She wasn’t my girlfriend.”

She tensed. “I don’t know if that is a good or bad thing.”

“I see it as good. I couldn’t stay with anyone. All I thought about was you.” I looked down. “You haunted me.”

She cried a bit. “Why did you stay gone?”

I heaved. “It’s hard to explain. Why did you think I came back to LA with her? I knew you were here. It was the reason I was at the mall. I could feel you.” She looked at me, “Not to say the kid didn’t shock me, cause whoa…that was a little…well, of course you know. You saw me faint.” She nodded. “I don’t know why I didn’t come back sooner. I was afraid of what I had done. Walking out with little explanation. Even then I knew I was being a fool.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

I shook my head trying to clear it. “In a way it does. I’ve never had anything in my life but you and pride. And when I thought you were taken away, well pride was all that was left. I couldn’t help it. I just couldn’t. I can’t explain it. God knows I want to. I was so stupid. I’ve missed so much….” I trailed off.

She hugged me to her. She put my head on her shoulder and stroked my head. “Hey…we’ve…let’s look ahead.” She sighed, “Annie’s five. She still has so much more ahead of her. She’s special Faith. And I don’t just mean how she was born.”

I nodded against Buffy’s shoulder, “I know I can feel it. She’s destined for something big. Bigger than us.” I lifted my face to look at Buffy, “How did you take…was it weird?

“You mean having her?” I nodded. Buffy pulled away a little. “The whole thing was well…it was surreal. Like it wasn’t really happening or something. I can’t explain it. And she looked so much like you. It scared me. She had every feature, every trait, down to the little swagger when she learned to walk.” I smirked at this comment, “No, I’m serious. She was a carbon copy. It was so conflicting.”

Wow. I didn’t know it was like that. It’s kinda cool thinking I have a carbon copy. Let’s face it, I am hot. Focus Faith. I seem to be telling myself that a lot lately. “I know everything is not always movie ending happy in real life. Having a kid is hard. Especially when you get abandoned.” I looked down. “Fuck…I suck.”

“Stop,” Buffy said, “We are going to stop that. You didn’t know. And yeah I fucked up royally. If it weren’t for the gang, well god knows what would have happened and then…”

I couldn’t stop myself, “Monica,” I spat out.

Buffy looked at me. “She wasn’t bad. Angry maybe. Jealous obviously. But she fixed me. She loved Annie. You are probably going to have to deal with that. Annie loved her back.”

Stupid blond whore reject from a B movie, ok…I can deal. I took a deflating breath, “I…I don’t know B. I…I won’t deny that that girl pisses me off. It’s my own insecurities I get, but still…I…she had what was mine. I told ya I’m kinda proud. Guess that makes me possessive too.”

Buffy smiled a little, “You don’t have to worry about me going anywhere. I’m right here. Forever. I’m never leaving…but…I’m worried….”

I took another deep breath, “About me running,” I whispered, anger tinting my voice, “Cause that’s what I do. I run.”

Buffy shook her head and put her hand on my arm, “No baby. I didn’t mean it like that. I just…”

I nodded. “No, it’s ok. It’s true.”

Cordelia ran into the room at that moment. God she knows how to interrupt a situation, doesn’t she? “ Wow! No shouting. I just bet Angel that one of you had already killed the other, hence the silence.”

I smirked, “Guess you lost.”

“Whatever. He’s not getting a copper cent out of me. He doesn’t pay me enough as it is.”

I can believe Fang boy pays this chick. That is too damn much. I wonder if he’s…nah, they can’t be. He still has his soul. Doesn’t he? I rolled my eyes, “I can’t believe he pays you anything.”

Cordy scoffed, “You know even if I wasn’t his secretarial slave, he’d still have to pay me for putting up with his broody ass. Plus, all of you. I mean, what the hell would you people do without me. You would die, that’s what.” She looked to Buffy’s shocked face, “You need to think about it. Who provides you with grounded, and may I add, much needed advice? Me. Who loves the kid, even though I personally believed she was spawned from two wackos?” Gee thanks for being so honest Cor. “ Me. Without me, your lives would be boring at best.”

Buffy shook her head, “Damn Cordelia you are really really full of yourself.”

Cordy ignored her, “I cooked breakfast. I know you two are hungry. You fucking slayers eat like wild animals. Oh, and see, another thing I do, cook. You would all also starve to death without me.”

Buffy nodded at that. “Yeah you’re right. I can put up with a little obnoxiousness for good food.”

Cordy nodded sagely. She smacked Buffy’s arm as we walked out of the room, “Hey I’m not obnoxious. I’m super hot. You two are just jealous.”

I stalled. She’s right there. “You are hot, I’ll give you that Queen C.”

Buffy just laughed, it was a good sign. Cordy and I stared at her. “What? She is hot.” Well that just sucks. Buffy isn’t allowed to think she’s hot.

Cordy whined after us, “Hey now I know why you all stay. You two are just lusting over me. God, why didn’t you tell me? I mean I knew Willow and Xander wanted me. But I really had no idea about you.” She said, following us into the kitchen.

Willow spit out her food, “I do not want you.”

Cordy rolled her eyes as if to say whatever.

Willow stammered, “I don’t. Jeez. Conceited?”

Cordy ignored her.

Xander looked around the room, “Hey I don’t want her either.”

Cordy rolled her eyes again. “You people need to get a serious clue,” she laughed, pouring herself some coffee.

Yeah Cordy was hot. But I wouldn’t trade my B for anything in the world. Then I heard the whirlwind coming from the hall.

“Come back here,” Dawn yelled.

“Mommy, she’s making me wear these ugly shoes. Why do you people want me to wear ugly shoes? I’m going barefoot. These are…” she stopped mid-sentence when she saw me. “Why is she still here?” She basically yelled.

Well that doesn't fucking sound very promising does it?

TBC