Title: New ways

Author: melles76

Rating: T

Spoilers: Slightly "Lost son", but not how you may think of it...

Notes: "Nothing belongs to me!" (Except the wonderful Speedle family that I created and somehow fell in love with...)

2. notes: Yeah, I'm back...lol. This story was finished long time ago and suddenly I had the urge to post it. Crazy world, isn't it? English isn't still my native language, so sue me.

A huge "THANK YOU" to my dear friend and beta-reader "jessi84". You're something else! Thank you very much. I owe you one (or maybe two or three...)!

Summary: This story takes place 4 years after my first story "All that matters". It's probably a good thing to read that one first to get a glimpse into my "alternative Speedle universe"...

New ways

4 years later…

Chapter One

Tim Speedle and his oldest son Patrick sat in the backyard of the Speedle residence back home in Miami on an early Friday afternoon. The weather was cooling down a bit, despite it was late September. Pat and his girlfriend Cameron were here on vacation. Tim and Pat had chosen to stay outside because there was no way to deal with the women inside. Alexx, Linda, Cameron, Ashley and of course Lucy were gathered together to plan Pat and Cameron's wedding. It would be a big celebrity because the couple wanted to get married at the same day Tim and Linda were about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary next year in February.

Pat looked somehow stressed and the cause of his uneasiness lay in his lap: the 4 month old Rebecca Elisabeth Speedle. She was about to cry out loud and Pat was visibly overtaxed by this situation.

Tim smiled brightly at his first grandchild. "Looks like she's going to cry any minute."

"Thanks, Dad. You're a genius", Pat stated deadpanned.

"Is she hungry?"

"No, Cameron fed her 20 minutes ago."

"Well, then I guess she's tired. Where's the pacifier?" Tim asked.

"I'll get it. Wait a sec." With that he handed the little bundle over to his dad and vanished inside. He crossed the living room without really paying attention. The room had changed into a battlefield. Catalogues, leaflets and brochures everywhere. The women were deep into a discussion and none of them saw Pat walking by. He got up to the second floor and entered the guest room. Once he got the pacifier, he went straight back to the door leading to the backyard. He stopped and watched his father who handled the baby with no problems. Becca lay in his lap and she had grabbed his index finger with her tiny fist. She looked at him with those amazing blue eyes as he gently spoke to her.

"Who needs those stupid plastic pacifiers anyway? You're a real cutie, do you know that? Don't give your parents such a hard time, okay? Especially not Pat", he laughed quietly, not wanting to startle her.

Becca's answer to that was a yawn and her eyelids dropped deeper with every second.

Pat smiled and he admired his father once more for his loving and caring manners. He and his brother and sisters were lucky to have such wonderful parents and he thanked the Higher Ups for this each day. After all his Mom and especially his Dad went through he didn't take that for granted. He stepped outside and sat next to his father, showing the pacifier.

"I think we don't need it", Tim replied softly.

"How did you do this?"

"She grabbed my finger instead…"

"No, I mean how did you get along with four of these?" Pat asked.

"It comes naturally, Pat. Just give it time…it'll work out, you see."

"Yeah, well I hope so. I mean, we love her by heart, but actually she came by accident. We talked about having kids someday, but I wanted to wait until I'll get my doctor's degree."
"What do you want to hear? I mean, it's a little too late thinking about that now. You guys knew back then what could possibly happen after doing…you know what…" Tim smirked.

"Of course we knew! And we don't regret it…but…" he answered and lowered his head.

"I know how you feel. It's like the world crashes down on you. Countless nights without sleep, during the day you'll have to work, at the evenings you'll need to study and in the rare free time you want to have some quality time. I completely understand. Been there, done that."

"That's why I wanted to know how you managed this…"

"It just happens. Nobody can say how you do this." Tim stayed silent and watched Becca sleeping in his arm. "You know, look at her. Her sight alone makes it up to you, right?"

Pat smiled. "You're right. But it's also exhausting."

"Things will get better. Trust me."

Alexx, the former ME at the lab, appeared and smiled at them. "You guys having a good time?"

Tim turned around slightly. "I'm having a very good time. Alexx, look at her", he said and smiled proudly.

She kneeled down and caressed her soft blonde hair. "She's a angel. And she got all the good genes from her mother's and grandmother's side", Alexx replied while standing up again.

"Yeah well, maybe she'll got the good-looking genes from them, BUT…she's got my brain-genes", Tim stated. "At least I hope so."

They chuckled and short time after the rest of the bunch got also out. Linda sat next to Tim and looked at Becca. "We needed a break. How are you?"

"I have everything under control, right Pat?"

"I don't know how he does it, but Becca adores him."

"I'm a womanizer."

"Dream on, Tim", Linda laughed.

"What?! How can you say this to me? After all those years!" Tim looked at her with a frown on his face.

All of them laughed. But this peaceful atmosphere soon was interrupted by Tims' pager. He looked down at it and sighed. "A drive-by shooting. Several victims", he read aloud and then looked at Cameron. "I think you should get her in bed. It's getting cold out here."

"Yes, I should do that", she smiled and gently took Becca from his arm and went inside.

A few minutes later Tim's cell phone rang. He looked at the caller ID which told him that Eric was on the other end of the line. "Hey. What's up?" Although he already was sure what it was about.

"Speed. We have a crime scene and could use your help?" Eric asked hesitantly.

"Sure. What's the address?" As he got the information about the location he got a bad feeling about it. He knew that Josh and Mark were near to it because the two of them had volunteered to train a group of young basketball players in their free time. They both just had started to work for the Social Service. Not sure if he should tell the others, especially his wife, he grabbed his crutches, stood up slowly and went to the garage. "It can take a while…see you", he said as he kissed Linda.

to be continued...