Disclaimer: I do not own Recess or any of its characters.

Prologue

The Gift of Life & The Sadness of Death

He quickly rushed his girlfriend to the hospital. He couldn't believe it! He was about to be a father. A father of twins. He was a little nervous, but he knew with his beautiful girlfriend by his side that he could accomplish anything.

When they got to the hospital a receptionist pointed them in the direction of a room. She had a very bored expression on her face, as if she was in a job that she couldn't wait to get out of. He couldn't understand how anybody could not truly be happy in a job that helped bring many people into this world. Any job that helped do that he knew he would be happy in.

Lane looked up at her boyfriend. She knew he was scared about this whole thing. That he thought he wasn't ready to be a father, but he didn't know that she wasn't ready to be a mother. She didn't think she was going to survive through the birth of her what was sure to be beautiful twins, but she didn't want to worry her boyfriend.

The doctor came into the room a few minutes later, first asking how far apart the contractions were. When they answered the doctor said they probably had a few hours to wait until their babies were born. Lane asked her boyfriend to go and get her some ice chips. The doctor looked seriously at her for a moment.

"You don't think you're going to make it through this do you?" the doctor asked her quietly. Lane shook her head quietly.

"I .., I just, I don't want to leave him like this," Lane said quietly, "I know he's not ready to handle it on his own."

The doctor patted her on the shoulder. She wanted to hear the doctor say that it was okay. That she was going to make it through, but instead he said, "It's going to be okay. Most boyfriends don't even see the pregnancy through."

"You don't think I'm going to make it either," Lane accused the doctor. The doctor just looked away. It pained him too much to tell the truth. Lane was about to speak again, demanding him to tell her what he knew. What he thought he knew. Suddenly, her boyfriend came back, holding ice chips in a cup.

Three hours later Lane was in labor. Her boyfriend felt as if his hand was going to fall off as she squeezed his hand for support. But, when he nearly fainted the doctors told him he was going to have to leave the room so as not to disturb his girlfriend while she was pregnant.

He paced back and forth in the hallway as his babies were being born. He berated himself for not being able to be there when the birth took place. When he looked up both his and her parents were rushing through the doors, he didn't know how it took them three hours to get there, but they were here now. And that was all that mattered.

"Where is she?" his girlfriend's mom asked wildly. He gently put an arm around her.

"She is in labor right now," he said soothingly, then admitted, ashamed, "They kicked me out. I almost fainted."

"It is okay honey," his mom said, in the same soothing voice he had just used, also putting an arm around him, "We understand. Your dad was not in the room when you were born either."

"But I wanted so bad to be there for her," he protested.

Nobody else just said anything, just lent him there silent support.

"Sir?" somebody behind him timidly said. He turned around to see the doctor standing behind me. He looked at the doctor expectantly, expecting him to say something. Anything. Tell him Lane was okay. Tell him his babies were okay, "Something went wrong."

"Are the babies okay?" he asked, horror filling his voice.

"The babies are fine," the doctor said, in a soothing tone that said expect the worst next, "But there's been some complications with Lane. She died after the second baby was born."

"What?" Lane's mom said as her husband pulled her close.

He tuned them out. He couldn't stand this. He was a fifteen year old boy for Christ's sakes. She was a sixteen year old girl. She hadn't deserved to die yet. And he couldn't raise two kids by himself. Fifteen year old TJ Detweiler was in for the first major challenge of his life.

"We are gathered here today to mourn the loss of a loved one, Lane Amanda McCarty ..," the preacher started as TJ attended the funeral. He tuned the preacher out. He wasn't ready to hear all this. He would never be ready to hear all this. He had known Lane since he had moved to Texas when he was twelve years old. She had been there for him when he had been homesick for all his friends. She had been there for him when no one else in Texas was. She had been his only friend, and it was only natural when they had became more than friends, like the process was a long time in coming. And he knew he was in love with her. He just couldn't imagine life without her. Life with the twins not being able to have her with them.

After the funeral he was going to go back to his house. The house he lived in with his parents. He was going back to the memories. Back to his twins. His twins had given him the gift of life that he had needed so bad after having to face the sadness of Lane's death. They were the only true shining lights in his life. His one connection to his girlfriend. His twins. His twins that he had named after childhood friends he had been forced to leave behind, Ashley Lane Detweiler (named after his best friend and grade school crush Spinelli and, of course, named after his deceased love, Lane), and Vince Michael Detweiler (named after two more of his childhood friends, including his other best friend, Vince LaSalle).

As he thought of his kids, his mind drifted back to when he had been a child. Going to Third Street school had been one of the best times of his childhood. Maybe he could, somehow, find a way to get back to his hometown. Back to his childhood friends. So his children could have the same great childhood at Third Street as he had had. Besides, he was sure by now ole Ms. Finster and Principal Prickley had retired. They had to retire sometime, right?

And for the first time since his girlfriend's death. Since the loss of the one he loved more than anything, TJ Detweiler let a smile cross his face.