FIC: Militat Omnis Amans (Every Lover is a Warrior) Part 12b/?

["Beckett, Kevin" <kevin.beckett@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Militat Omnis Amans (Every Lover is a Warrior) Part 12b/?
K. Beckett (c) 2000, with the exception of musical lyrics which are
(c) the individual artists / labels.

Disclaimers:
Buffy, Willow and all of the other characters and places from the 
show are (c) to Joss Whedon, WB and Mutant Enemy etal. and are used
without their knowledge.

Continued from 12a....

-Please,- whimpered Buffy, as sweat began to bubble from her 
skin, -please don't make me beg.-

-I'm not that cruel,- said Willow as she began to roll each of 
Buffy's nipples with her fingers while she licked and kissed her 
way down her lover's body, -at least not today, I'm not.- Willow 
proceed to flick Buffy's bellybutton, which had become an outie, 
with her tongue before beginning to kiss the dark line on the 
slayer's abdomen. 

"Float your legs again," said Willow, "that'll allow me to access 
you properly."

As Buffy complied with her lover's request, Willow moved out 
deeper into the pool, and then between Buffy's floating legs.
"That's better," said Willow, "now our bloated bellies won't be 
in the way."

Willow reached underneath and raised Buffy's thighs and crotch up 
out of the water, supporting them with her hands and with the 
water; she then moved forward towards her goal, like a shark 
moving towards a wounded fish. She began to alternately kiss and 
nibble each thigh, moving ever so slowly towards the centre of 
her lover's pleasure. Soon she was licking at Buffy's labia, 
leaving long wet trails that she then blew dry, in order to 
prolong the pleasure, and the anticipation. Buffy was now 
squirming, whimpering and trying to find release and Willow was 
having a difficult time keeping the object of her desire above 
the water. Just as Buffy thought she would die from the 
anticipation Willow licked, then sucked, on her clitoris. Buffy 
climaxed, then as Willow continued her ministrations, climaxed 
again. Willow released her hold on Buffy and allowed her to 
relax, sitting once again at the edge of the bath.

"That was wonderful," said Buffy, embracing her lover in a hug, 
"the perfect way to end a relaxing bath." 

Buffy kissed her spouse, and lightly nibbled on her lips. Willow 
responded by using her tongue to paint Buffy's teeth before 
engaging in a tongue battle. They continued in this manner, 
making love to each other's mouth for several, long, moments 
before breaking the kiss and moving slightly apart.

Buffy reached out and softly stroked Willow's long red hair 
saying, "you know that I love you more than anything."

"Ditto. Now it's your turn to give me release."

Buffy agreed, and by duplicating Willow's efforts in the pool, 
stimulated her lover to a series of orgasms. Just as Willow was 
coming off her last climax she said, "Goddess, there you go 
again, tripping my breakers."

"Only because I love you."

The idea of breakers chased around in Willow's mind for a while 
as she thought, "damn, this means something, but I can't figure 
it out."

-Oh, you will. Give it time.-

-Snoop.-

-You still love me though.-

-Always.-

Sated for the moment, the two women then continued their lazy 
lounging in the bath, trying to get their tired, sore, muscles to 
relax. Just as they were beginning to drift of to sleep their 
solitude was interrupted by the arrival of Bridie and Aiofe.

"There you are," said Bridie, as she came into the bath carrying 
several large towels. Turning to look over her shoulder she 
continued, "found them."
"Skipping out on us again were they," asked Aiofe also entering 
the room.

"Just you wait," said Buffy, getting out of the bath before 
turning to help Willow, "you'll find out for yourselves, oh in 
about four months or so, what it's like."

Aiofe and Bridie were now about four and a half months along, and 
were beginning to show signs of their own pregnancies. 

"What is it," asked Willow, with a little bit of pique in her 
voice as she began to dry off with one of the towels, "what major 
emergency needs my attention now? The cook spill a bowl of soup, 
or is it something else?"

"Grael thinks that he has a breakthrough with the demon," said 
Bridie, "Amana sent us to find you."

"Major cool," said Willow, all annoyance gone from her voice, 
"let's go." Willow began to pace rapidly out of the room heading 
for the connecting passage.

"Oh love," said Buffy.

"Yes?"

"You might want to get dressed first."

"Oh! Yes."

-------------------------------
Later that morning Willow, along with Buffy and Amana, met Grael 
at the entrance to the isolation cell. It was not the door to 
the room in which the demon Hugh had been imprisoned; rather it 
was the door to a small antechamber just before the cell itself. 
Grael had explained this set-up as a requirement to keep Hugh 
from obtaining any clue about his surroundings. The small annex 
allowed Grael to approach Hugh, without giving any hints about 
the time of day, and also to clandestinely observe the demon. 
Grael never actual entered Hugh's cell, he simply conversed 
through a portal in Hugh's cell door.

"I think it's time," said Grael as the three women came down the 
stairs into the cellar, "he's very compliant and cooperative."

"Excellent," said Buffy, "what do we do now?"

"Well the four of us will go into the outer-room, it'll be a 
tight fit but we should all manage, then I will begin to ask a 
few questions." Willow's command group had prepared a list of 
questions, which Grael had memorized. 

"What if we need clarification on a question," asked Willow, "how 
do we do that?"

"This is not going to be a quick process," said Grael, "it will 
take a few days to get all of our answers. So, if you think of 
anything just let me know at the briefing and I'll add it to the 
next session's question list." 

The four humans then entered the annex and after they had shut 
the outer door, Grael opened the small portal and called out, 
"Hugh, I'm back."

"Where were you?"

"Just away for a few minutes. Now, tell me who is your friend?"

"You are."

"And you'd do anything for your friend, now wouldn't you?"

"I want to."

"Good. Now I have a couple of questions. Would you like to 
answer them?"

"Yes."

"Well, if you do, I might be able to help you. Would you like 
that?"

"Oh, yes, I would."

"Ok, lets begin," said Grael, who paused for a moment, took a 
deep breath, and then continued, "now Hugh, you are a demon 
aren't you?"

"Yes, but you knew that."

"And you have been bound to a master?"

"Yes, my dreaded lord."

"Where is your lord?"

"At his castle."

"Where is that?"

"South, I do not know how far."

Grael had begun with a number of simple questions, designed to 
make Hugh comfortable with the situation, and allow him to open 
up to Grael. After another series of these simple questions and 
answers Grael was ready to proceed to a set of more pertinent 
questions. He said, "now Hugh, you've been very cooperative so 
far. I'm very happy and pleased with you."

"Thank you. I want to help you."

"That's good. Now what were you doing in the mountains?"

"Looking for the slayer."

"Why were you looking for the slayer?"

"To kill her."

"I understand that Hugh. But why did you want to kill her?"

"My commander, and our master ordered it?"

"Who is your commander?"

"The demon Junulak."

"Where is this Junulak?"

"Don't know, he and Talor went one way to look for the slayer and 
her companions, and I went the other."

"That's good Hugh. I'm finished for now, but I'll be back soon. 
Will you continue to help me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Hugh. I'll talk to you soon. Good night."

"Good night," said the demon. Hugh was unaware that it was 
nearly noon, and was going only on the clues that Grael was 
deliberately planting. When Grael returned later that day after 
lunch, he would continue that pattern of deception by implying 
that it was morning, even though only an hour or so had in 
reality passed.

Grael closed the portal in the cell door before opening the door 
to the annex.

"Excellent first session," said Amana, "it appears to be going 
well."

"Nothing really new," said Willow.

"But he is cooperating," said Grael, "and he did confirm a few 
things that we had suspected. We will get more direct 
information after lunch and over the next few days or so."

"He also gave the impression that they were primarily looking for 
you, Buffy," said Amana.

"What comfort."

-------------------------------
At lunch neither Buffy nor Willow were particularly hungry. They 
simply picked at, and played with, their food since both of their 
stomachs were very upset. The talk at the table centred on the 
breakthrough with Hugh, and suggestions were made on how to 
continue the questioning; however, neither the slayer nor the 
arch-mage contributed much to the conversation, preferring to 
sit, starring into space. This lack of attention by the two 
young women on the proceedings at the table was not lost on 
Amana.

"You two ok," she asked, "you haven't eaten a thing."

"Not that hungry," said Willow, petting and stroking Shadow-Cat 
who had shown up demanding to have attention paid to her, "tummy 
is a bit tender."

"Same here," added Buffy, "actually the sight of food is kind of 
sickening."

"Grael," said Amana.

"Yes, what is it?"

"You are going to have to proceed alone this afternoon," said 
Amana, getting up from the table and motioning for Bridie and 
Aiofe to join her, "Buffy and Willow appear to be in early 
labour, so I'm going to check on them. If so, I'm going to be a 
bit busy for the rest of the day."

As if that was a signal, suddenly both young women felt a 
powerful contraction. Earlier in their pregnancy they had felt 
Braxton-Hicks contractions numerous times, but those were nothing 
compared to the first experience of the real thing; both Buffy 
and Willow stood from the table, holding their stomachs, and 
said, "oh boy. It's time."

"Meow," agreed Shadow-Cat, pleased that her human was about to 
have her kitten.

"Just think," said Aiofe helpfully, as she was getting up from 
the table, to move over to support Buffy, "they're going to get 
worse."

"Joy! Bliss! Happiness!" Said Buffy, as she and Aiofe began to 
walk towards the baths, "just wait, you're going to have the same 
thing to look forward to, and I'll be there to laugh."

Amana led Buffy and Willow, along with their birthing partners, 
back to the baths. Both women had decided, after much 
consultation with Amana, to have water births. The deciding 
factor was when Amana had indicated that one of the advantages to 
this birthing method was that it was less stressful on both the 
mothers and the babies. They had taken one of the extra rooms in 
the bath complex and converted it into a relaxing birthing room; 
complete with a number of comfortable chairs and a bed so that 
Amana could examine the expectant mothers. The warm bath, in 
which Willow and Buffy had recently relaxed, had had an apparatus 
built into it, to support Buffy and Willow, and so that all 
members of the birthing team would have something to hold onto 
while the babies were delivered.

As they entered the birthing room, both women experienced another 
powerful contraction. Once it had passed, Amana turned to Aiofe 
and asked, "what do you think; five minutes or so, and about 
forty seconds in duration?"

"Sounds about right, but what does that mean?"

"About another four or five hours, at a minimum."

"What," squealed both Buffy and Willow, "four more hours?"

"At least," said Amana, "now lets get you, one at a time, up on 
the bed so I can see just how far along you are."

Buffy and Willow were helped by their coaches out of their 
restrictive clothing and into soft, warm, linen shifts. They 
would have been cold, except for the fireplace billowing out 
heat, and the in-floor pipes that carried hot water from the 
boiler to the baths, which radiated heat into the room. 

Amana examined both women and when she was finished turned to 
them and said, "ok, up on your feet and get walking. The more 
you walk, using gravity to help, the faster you will progress. 
You are both at three centimetres and about twenty percent 
effaced, so things are moving along nicely." Amana then turned 
to Aiofe and Bridie and continued with, "you two walk with them, 
and support them when they have a contraction. If they lose 
their plugs, or if their water breaks, get them back here. Now, 
I'm going to go and arrange for food and drink to be delivered by 
Lynda and the other cooks on a fairly regular basis."

"But," said Buffy, "where do we walk?"

"Here, in the corridors, in the inn. It doesn't matter as long 
as you stay warm, and keep walking. I'll examine you again in 
about an hour or so, and see how things are going."

The foursome began to make numerous circuits around the inn, 
accompanied by Shadow-Cat who kept pace with their every step. 
They were required to stop ever every four or five minutes to 
endure another contraction; Buffy and Willow held each other 
during the contractions, each trying to be strong for the other. 
After an hour or so, they returned to the birthing room so that 
Amana could examine them. They were informed that they had 
dilated to four centimetres and that they were progressing very 
rapidly. They were ordered back on their walking circuit since 
it appeared to be helping the process along nicely.

The rest of the inn's inhabitants, with the exception of the 
cooks and Grael, slowly started to stop their activities and 
began to gather in the common room, to wait for news on Buffy and 
Willow's progress. They passed the time in the usual manner, by 
eating, drinking and making bet on the time of birth and the size 
of the babies, since all were aware that Willow and Buffy would 
be having girls.

Six hours later, the repetitive walking tour of the inn was 
interrupted by both Buffy and Willow's water breaking, along with 
losing their mucus plugs. They brought the cheerful news to 
Amana, since it might mean a respite, or even an end to the 
continuous walking. They were all ecstatic to learn that the 
expectant mothers were one hundred percent effaced and had 
dilated to eight or so centimetres. Amana informed them all that 
it was time to get naked and into the water, to get ready for, 
and to deliver, their babies.

"Finally," said Willow, with no small amount of exhaustion 
evident in her voice, "it was getting hard to walk with the 
contractions coming every three minutes."

"No kidding," agreed Buffy, "the end is in site... maybe."

Shortly the five women were in the pool, with a very concerned 
Shadow-Cat watching from the edge of the bath and pacing back and 
forth. Buffy and Willow were side by side, supported by the 
special bench which had been built into the pool for this 
purpose. Aiofe and Bridie began to actively coach the expectant 
mothers through their contractions, encouraging them to breath 
properly both through and with the contractions. Both Buffy and 
Willow began to use their bio-feedback skills to control the 
pain, while maintaining control and awareness of their bodies and 
what was happening. The warm, nearly hot, water was having its 
beneficial effect. It had softened and had helped to relax all 
of the tissues and muscles around the cervix and vaginal passage 
of both young women, thereby nearly eliminating the chances of 
tears. After nearly forty minutes in the bath the contractions 
were longer and much closer together, almost without respite, 
both young women had fully entered transition. Amana examined 
both of them and said that they were nearly fully dilated. 

"Ok ladies," she said, "I know this is going to be hard, but 
don't push until I tell you."

"How much longer," asked Willow, panting through another 
contraction, "I have this overwhelming need to push."

"Two or three more contractions should do it."

-How are you doing sweetie,- asked Willow.

-About the same as you.-

-Over soon.-

-Let's hope,- said Buffy reaching over to grasp her lover's hand.

Five minutes later, after Amana had finished one more 
examination, she looked up and said, "ok, this is how we are 
doing it. Both of your babies are crowning, so on the next 
contraction I want the two of you to take a deep breath, hold it 
and push evenly."

"Here comes the contraction," she said, "now remember, push 
evenly. Aiofe, get over here to help with Buffy's baby."

With concentrated effort, Buffy and Willow were able to push 
evenly and they were rewarded with the news that both babies' 
heads were now out.

"Now hold on for a moment and don't push," said Amana, "I know 
that is going to be hard, but I've got to help with the 
shoulders." A few minutes later, she said, "ok, now push and 
let's get these babies delivered."

With that, both Willow and Buffy gave one last push and delivered 
their babies into the waiting hands of Aiofe and Amana. Both 
women passed up the newborns to lie on their mothers' chests 
before they rubbed the babies backs to start their breathing.

Both girls let out hearty howls, as they took their first breaths 
of life. A hearty meow from a relieved familiar joined the 
babies' cry.

-Happy,- asked Willow.

-Ecstatic.-

-So is Shadow-Cat,- said Willow, -I'm getting nothing but waves 
of happy vibes from her.-

"Time," said Amana.

"Nine seventeen," replied Bridie.

Continued in 12c....