Children of God
McRaider
Summary: Andrew looked at the child standing before him with identical green eyes and a dark head of brown hair, "There were days when I was sure this entire process wasn't worth it. Standing here now…I couldn't be prouder of you."
Author's Note: No clue where this came from, but I'm claiming rights to the idea of the story as well as the daughter because quite frankly I'd like to use this as an idea for an actual novel. Anyway it's a multichapter story which really deals with fluffy and not so fluffy parts of sweet Emma's life. From her first steps to her first sentence to her wedding and first child. Spans over the lives of several generations, currently I'm considering making it a full on series but we'll see where it goes. Enjoy! PS This chapter is dedicated to any and all Doctor Who fans out there that might be reading this...you will completely and totally understand the humor behind many scenes, names and inside jokes!
Jackie Tyler closed her eyes against the wave of sadness and pain, her beautiful blonde hair falling around her shoulders as she pressed her hand to her belly. She was dying, she knew it, everyone knew it—the doctors had told her the risks before she got pregnant, now here she was—nine months and three days pregnant and in stage three brain cancer her only hope for survival had disappeared when she'd become pregnant. She wanted this child, perhaps a part of her actually thought she'd survive, or maybe she was so tired of living without her husband Pete that this baby was her way out.
She was exhausted; she'd been on bed rest for the past two months in fear that she would hurt herself or the baby due to the cancer and early contractions. She also knew the chances of her actually giving birth versus a c-section were slim. Her OB-GYN, Monica D'Angelo had already told her the chances of her survival either way were slim. The problem with pregnancy was it put your body through all sorts of stress and with the cancer already spreading to her lungs and possibly her liver; there wasn't much hope for her left.
It was two days before they had planned the c-section when things began to go wrong. Andrew had been sitting by her side, talking quietly about heaven when she'd started crying in pain. Standing up the Angel of Death looked at all of her monitors before gripping her hand and pushing the call button.
"Jackie?" he called softly as he crouched in front of her, she sat, curled in a fetal position holding the pregnancy test in her left hand, sobbing her heart out. In her other hand she held the paper.
"He's dead, and—" she shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks.
Andrew moved forward and gently brushed the hair from her face, "Jackie, my name is Andrew, I'm an Angel of Death," he felt the warmth of God's love surround him as she watched him enticed and heartbroken all in one, "Jackie I was with Peter when he died, and he died with honor and dignity."
"What does it matter?" she sobbed holding out the pregnancy test, "He'll never meet his baby—"
"This baby is not a curse Jackie, it doesn't have to be. You can live and raise this infant on your own."
She shook her head, "I'm dying—I'm in stage two of brain cancer, it moved to my lungs three weeks ago. I stopped chemo a long time ago. It broke Pet—" she stopped at his name. "I'm dying, he's dying—"
Andrew sensed her next words and lifted her chin, "You can survive Jackie, I'm here for you, God is here for you. He loves you Jackie and he loves your baby, he wants your baby to live."
"You—you won't leave?" she trusted him suddenly, understanding that this man was her support system and that there had been a reason why he'd come to help her settle into her house easier with the hospice care.
The blonde angel smiled and pulled her into his arms, "No Jackie, God and I will be with you through this time. You're never alone."
"What's going on!?" Monica rushed into the room having been on call, Gloria—another angel posing as a nurse was right behind her.
Andrew shook his head as he was gently pushed out of the way as Jackie began to cry out in pain. Gloria drew the blankets down and the pregnant woman's gown up to look at the stomach, deep shades or purple and red colored it; "She's bleeding into her stomach—" Gloria gasped.
"We need to get her into the OR," Monica demanded as she hurried back out of the room.
Jackie turned her beautiful green eyes up at her angel, filled with tears she weakly gripped his hand, "Remember what we discussed," she stuttered.
"Jackie you're going to be fine," Andrew promised, hoping desperately he wasn't lying to her.
"Andrew," Jackie said softly looking up at him from where she sat on the couch.
The angel of death glanced up at her from where he sat by his computer, the in-care hospice program wasn't paying him for this time anymore, he just really enjoyed spending time with the younger woman. "Yes?"
Jackie took a slow deep breath, "Promise me something—"
Skeptical he nodded, "Whatever I can."
"If I die—you'll take care of my daughter."
"Jackie—"
She shook her head, "Andrew you have to, you said yourself the Father wants this baby to live, who better to care for her than one of his angels. Please you're the only person I trust and love enough to give her to."
He hadn't answered right away, in fact all he'd done was nod, if nothing else he could protect the baby until someone else came along to care and adopt her. Now he was facing the problem head on.
They rolled Jackie out of her ICU room, and moments later he was left at the doors of an OR while she was rushed in for an emergency c-section, he'd signed the papers for them to do whatever medically necessary to save the baby, as Jackie had already signed a Do Not Resuscitate agreement.
He sat down in one of the annoyingly hard plastic chairs, running his hands through his thick blonde hair, he'd grown to care about Jackie over the past ten months. Of course you didn't spend ten months with someone and not come to know and like them. He'd also come to know and love the child she'd been carrying. He'd been there for the first kick and so many more moments. He'd even told Peter up in Heaven, who'd been thrilled but sad as well.
Andrew wasn't sure how long he sat in those chairs, staring at his hands waiting for something from his best friend. He was waiting for some word that his assignment and friend had survived the emergency c-section and could take her daughter home in a few weeks.
"Andrew?" Monica stepped out she wore sea foam green scrubs that were damp with sweat and her surgery cap was still on, she looked exhausted and a little pale.
He stood up and greeted his best friend with a hug, "How's Jackie?"
Monica sighed, "Let's sit down; I've been on my feet for nearly four hours." Taking a seat beside him she smiled, "The baby is six pounds, two ounces she's about sixteen inches long, fairly average, she's beautiful and has a nice head of dark hair. She's very healthy and is letting the world know it. Gloria is cleaning her up and taking her to the nursery now, you can see her there."
"Jackie?"
Shaking her head the angel frowned, "I'm sorry Andrew, she was bleeding heavily into her abdomen her liver and kidneys were failing. Adam took her home a few minutes ago. There was little we could do, and what we could we did."
He nodded, taking her hand he looked at her beautiful brown eyes, "She's safe and happy now with the father, that's all that matters. Can we go see the girl."
Monica smiled softly, "Of course let me clean up quickly and I'll take you to see her."
Several minutes later the two angels walked hand in hand to the nursery, Gloria was already inside, dressed in dark pink scrubs she held the brand new infant in her arms as the baby squalled loudly at the new surroundings and dissatisfaction at being cold again.
Andrew felt a smile warm his face at the sight of the beautiful baby that was squirming; she seemed so alive, so pink. He felt his heart lift for the first time since this assignment had started. Monica, standing beside him, leaned her head against his shoulder and took in the sight of the newborn that was flailing her arms while Gloria just giggled.
"Babies are a gift from God, there's no question," the familiar voice startled them from behind.
Monica grinned wide as she turned around and threw herself into her old friend's arms. She hadn't seen Tess since her promotion nearly five years ago, then before this assignment she hadn't seen Andrew in nearly five years either. It was like a reunion for her. Tess grabbed her angel babies close, cuddling them for a minute before pulling away and looking back at the baby in Gloria's arms. Her hands still holding Andrew's and Monica's.
"Tess what are you doing here?" Andrew questioned.
She looked from one to the other, "You've been given a new assignment Angel boy, you too Miss Wings. The Father is so proud of both of you; you love everyone and work so hard, he doesn't often do things like this. In fact it's only ever happened a few times in Angel history, but the father wants you two to experience what it feels like to be parents, and to have the unconditional love of a child."
Both angels studied their old friend for a moment, "I'm not following," offered Monica.
Gloria suddenly stepped out, holding the baby girl in a blanket; with barely a moments hesitation she began to hand her off to Andrew who immediately accepted the tiny burden without a second thought.
"Andrew, Monica I'd like to you to meet your daughter," Tess offered.
The two angels' eyes went wide as they looked down at the sleeping new born in Andrew's arms, cuddled close to his chest. He didn't know what to say, what to think, and based on Monica's reaction neither did she.
o0o
Andrew and Monica sat in a small waiting room off to the left of the nursery, out of sight with Tess. Gloria was still with Baby Girl Tyler keeping the infant company and doing the normal tests on babies.
"Tess there's some sort of mistake, we're angels—" Monica tried in her usual Irish Brogue.
"No mistake baby, God wants you two to understand what this feels like. You've both seen other parents and families, but he wants you to know and understand the feeling. He feels it's important for your jobs. I also have it on the highest authority that both Peter and Jackie don't trust their baby with anyone else."
The petite Irish Angel smiled softly as she looked at the Angel of Death, she loved and adored him, but she'd be playing wife over the next twenty years. Though the prospect of spending twenty years with him wasn't so bad now that she thought about it, "What about you, an' Gloria, are we still going to be angels?"
Tess nodded, "You'll always be angels', babies, you'll spend most of your time in human form, you'll both have jobs and you'll be given names and identities. Gloria and I will be around more than you think. You'll have small assignments over the course of twenty years, but you're biggest assignment is that new born baby lying in that basin over there waiting to be loved. She's going to make a difference in this world, but she needs to grow up and become strong."
Andrew took a slow calming breath, he hadn't planned on ever being a father, and it wasn't part of the whole Angel thing. However he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little excited. "Where will we live?"
"That's the best part baby, The Father has notified us that the Beach house in California would be a perfect place to raise a child. He'll have it all set up by the time you arrive."
"And our daughter? What about knowing we're angels?"
Tess smiled and patted Monica's hand, "All in good time Angel Girl, all in good time."
o0o
Andrew had left Tess and Monica to catch up and talk for awhile, instead of sticking around the Angel of Death headed back to the nursery window and looked down at the sleeping new born in the bassinet, she was beautiful—looked a lot like her mother, and oddly enough a solid cross between Monica and Andrew with eyes that would no doubt change to be green and auburn red hair like her father's. Perhaps it was all a part of His plan.
Gloria spotted Andrew and waved him in gently. Andrew didn't need further convincing, slipping into the nursery he went over to his baby—his baby at what point had that started settling in. Reaching down as gently as he could he slipped a hand under her neck and head and another under her bottom and legs. With the ease of someone who'd been caring for newborns all his life, he pulled her to his chest for a second time that day.
Finding a rocking chair near by, Andrew took a seat and looked into the beautiful baby's face still scrunched up and red. She would be fair skinned, as her two beautiful eyes fluttered open he realized he'd been correct, her eyes would change. Two pairs of eyes met and Andrew felt something in his heart give a squeeze, this little baby was his now.
"Emma Rose Tyler," he whispered softly.
Gloria glanced up, "Sorry, what?" She asked smiling at her friend.
Andrew shrugged, still looking at her, "She looks like an Emma Rose, because she's as beautiful as a new Rose."
"It's a beautiful name, you want me to place that on the birth certificate?"
He glanced up and smiled at her, "Not yet, we'll let Monica decide as well. How soon until she can go home?"
"A day or so, the doctors are a little concerned about her lungs. Though all the tests are running clear."
Rocking the chair lightly he watched the eyes begin to flutter closed again and smiled, leaning down he pressed a gentle kiss to the thin silken skin. "Beautiful Angel," he murmured ever so softly as he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of newborn baby.
o0o
It was two days later when Monica pulled the Cadillac up to the front of the hospital, Tess in the passenger's seat and in the back a baby seat for Monica's daughter. Though the idea hadn't quite settled in yet for Monica, Andrew seemed to be taking to the idea rapidly. He'd even named her Emma Rose.
After a quick run through of adoption papers and a shopping trip for baby clothes, today they would be bringing the infant home. Monica pulled the car seat out from behind her seat and headed inside, Tess right behind her. Andrew was sitting on a bed in one of the hospital rooms; he was holding their baby close to his chest, gently stroking her cheek with one finger.
He'd fallen quick and hard for the helpless little angel in his arms. She was fairly even tempered, sleeping during the night for a few hours before waking up crying. Andrew had been the one to feed her thus far, though he knew Monica would want to play mom soon enough.
"We're here," Monica smirked as she stepped inside, taking a moment to study Andrew and their child.
Tess took a brief moment to click a picture of the father and daughter, before Monica stepped forward and placed the baby car seat on the bed beside Andrew. "Hello," Monica whispered as she pressed a kiss to the baby's forehead.
"Here, why don't you take her and I'll go sign all the final papers and get the nurse," he grinned like a fool. Handing the sleeping infant off to Monica he slipped out of the room.
The angel smiled softly, she brushed the wisps of hair from Emma's beautiful face. "Well hullo there love," she whispered as she cuddled the baby close.
Andrew returned several moments later with Gloria who took their bracelets off, "So is this assignment over then?"
Tess shook her head, "Not by a long shot baby, this was only the first part. There are a few other changes that are going to occur over the next several months."
"Such as?" Monica questioned as Andrew took their daughter back and placed her in the car seat. Taking great care to make sure she was firmly in place.
"You'll have to wait and find out baby. But that baby is just the beginning of a journey—one filled with good, bad, and sad moments. God wants you two to be parents and understand the pain and pride of parenthood."
To be Continued: The Angel of Attitude
