'The weather seemed to match how everybody's mood was upon waking. It was cold, dark and dreary…the rain fell in buckets and solemn brown eyes gazed outside the window of the hotel where the family had been staying. Thunder clapped outside and the wind moaned gravely.
"I miss you." Tin-Tin perched on the foot of the bed clutching one of her husband's shirts against her swollen abdomen. "Why did you have to go?"
"Tin-Tin, sweetheart?" Sorrow filled eyes gazed up from the blood red button up shirt that Tin-Tin clutched tightly at. Tears filled the young woman's eyes as sobs shook her frame. "Oh honey…please don't cry."
"I can't help it! He wasn't supposed to leave me to raise Ethan on my own!" Tin-Tin rubbed her swollen belly sadly as tears streamed in waves down her face. "I can't do it Gordon! I can't say good bye! I'm not ready!"
"Hey, hey…you won't be alone. You'll have dad, the guys and myself to help you raise Ethan. We won't let Alan's memory die." Gordon perched on the bed beside Tin-Tin, bringing her into a hug. A knock at the door sounded and soon they were joined by yet another person. "Hey Scotty."
"Hey to you too Gords…Tin-Tin sweetie, are you all right?" Scott moved over and crouched in front of Tin-Tin's knees. His gaze met her seven month swollen belly and he couldn't help but to sigh inwardly.
Alan wasn't supposed to die. It was just a weekend trip together with Virgil, the two brothers had decided they wanted to spend a weekend together to just catch up, but that had all changed with a faulty stoplight.
According to authorities, Alan had been driving and he was on the side of the vehicle which had received the worst damage. Traveling through an intersection, the red light for opposite traffic had shorted out and had given a green light while the other side had a green light as well. Somebody who had been trying to get through the light before it turned red had been unable to slow down and had t-boned the driver's side of the vehicle.
Virgil who had been snoozing before he was due to change drivers with Alan had been jolted awake upon impact. He'd been slammed around inside the interior of the vehicle as it flipped and rolled end over end, front to back and side to side. When the vehicle had finally come to rest right side up, it had been Virgil who'd glimpsed his unmoving baby brother first. The medic in him knew his baby brother was gone, but still Virgil rushed in to help. Regardless of the broken arm, he'd released his seatbelt and scrambled towards his baby brother whose head had fallen forward.'
"Alan? Alan…can you hear me?" Virgil gently shook Alan, his breath catching in his chest as he'd witnessed the vast amounts of blood that poured from a head wound that had been inflicted upon his baby brother. "Alan…please don't go!"
Alan didn't move regardless of Virgil's attempts to awaken him. Tears streamed down Virgil's blood covered face as he desperately tried to revive Alan. Virgil lost track of the time as he just sat with Alan, holding his hand…hoping, praying that Alan would open his eyes and smile at him. The medic closed his eyes as sobs shook his frame, disbelieving that this was really happening.
"Alan…Allie, what about Tin and Ethan? What are they going to do without you?" Virgil raised Alan's cold and lifeless hand and kissed it gently. "How am I going to tell Tin-Tin?"
Not receiving a reply, Virgil allowed himself to cry openly. He didn't know what to do. His baby brother had just died and there was nothing Virgil could have done to save him. A loud piercing wail echoed through the night and soon Virgil found EMT's stabilizing him, checking him for major injury. Virgil started to cry and scream as he noticed a large white van marked as the coroner parked nearby.
"Alan! Alan no! Please! Dear God not him! Please! Don't take my baby brother!"
Virgil stood in his hotel room allowing John to fasten his tie around his neck. His once vibrant brown eyes had become a dull lifeless brown. His mouth pressed into a firm line, he sucked in shaky breathe after shaky breathe. Glancing down, Virgil looked at his arm which was secured to his chest in a cast and sling. Slowly, tears sprung up into his eyes as the medic recalled the vivid memories of watching the coroner slip Alan and the other driver both into separate body bags at the scene of the accident.
No matter how much the paramedics tried, they couldn't get Virgil loaded up into the back of the ambulance to be transported to the hospital. Every single time they'd try, he'd struggle and attempt to get off the gurney. However, as he watched the coroner zip up the bag that contained his baby brother he'd suddenly given up the fight. He'd quit struggling, his tears had inexplicably stopped and his eyes remained unblinking. It was almost as if he'd separated himself from himself. He'd shut off all emotion.
"He's in shock. We need to get going." Virgil distantly recalled hearing a gentle man's voice speaking to him as the paramedics loaded his stretcher into the waiting ambulance.
'Watch over Ethan and Tin-Tin for me…don't worry. I'm okay.' Looking around Virgil searched for the voice that he'd swore he'd just heard. Had it been Alan? If it was…where was he? Why wasn't he here with him? Slowly his eyes closed and his head lolled back against the pillow.
Walking just behind Tin-Tin, Virgil couldn't help but to feel guilty. He'd blamed himself for killing Alan. He'd talked Alan into going with him to go drive around and spend time with him, just be brothers for a change rather than International Rescue operatives. Coming to a stop beside the casket, Virgil watched helplessly as Tin-Tin leaned down to say her good byes to the sandy-blonde haired man that lay inside. His eyes were closed and the bruises were no longer visible thanks to the mortician.
"I love you Alan…please watch over us and keep a close eye on Ethan." Tin-Tin leaned down close to the casket and whispered to her husband. Swiftly kissing him on the forehead, Tin-Tin backed away before accepting Jeff's warm embrace.
Virgil was next and last to say his goodbye to his baby brother. Had it really only been twenty-three years since he'd been born? Twenty-three years since their mother died giving birth to the precious little miracle known as Alan? It just wasn't fair. Why did it have to be Alan? Why couldn't it have been him or better yet neither of them? Why had it been Alan's time to leave? His life had only just begun.
The spirited young blonde man had married Tin-Tin Belegant at twenty years of age and almost immediately they'd decided to try for a family. They hadn't even been married six months when Tin-Tin squealed with joy from the en suite bathroom within Alan and Tin-Tin's shared bedroom at the positive at home pregnancy test. Both Alan and Tin-Tin were excited at the prospect of a baby, but it wasn't meant to be.
Not even four full months pregnant and Tin-Tin miscarried the fetus. Her heart had been broken and she'd blamed herself for the lost pregnancy. Alan and Tin-Tin left the island for three months, wanting to mourn the loss of life alone…just the two of them and to figure out whether they wanted to try again or not.
Five months passed after their return to the island and Tin-Tin began throwing up. She'd be in the kitchen preparing breakfast with either Alan or her father and would be overcome with nausea. Jeff, Scott, John, Virgil and Gordon had all walked into the kitchen at one point or walked past one of the many bathrooms located through the villa only to hear Tin-Tin throwing up and Alan talking her through it. At Virgil's insistence, he'd drawn a small vial of blood to test Tin-Tin for pregnancy and it came back positive.
At 6 months of pregnancy Tin-Tin noticed a decrease in movement from the normally active baby. Alan and Tin-Tin had gone to the mainland for a checkup and found the baby would be stillborn. Again, it broke not only Tin-Tin's heart, but it broke Alan's too. They'd been pregnant with a girl and they'd already decorated the nursery. They'd planned on naming the baby Anastasia Tracy, but it hadn't been meant to be. They'd induced labor and Alan and Tin-Tin held their baby for the first and last time as they signed her certificate.
After the funeral for Anastasia, Tin-Tin had sworn she'd never get pregnant again. Alan had offered to his wife that he'd go have surgery to ensure they couldn't deal with the heart break again and she'd agreed. They'd gone to the mainland at Jeff's insistence to mourn the loss of Anastasia and while they were there they'd gone ahead with the vasectomy. When they'd returned to the island after two months, life seemed to go on.
Eight months passed after their return from the mainland. One morning Alan was woken up to Tin-Tin crying uncontrollably. He couldn't figure out what had upset her so much and it had become common for Alan to awaken to Tin-Tin on varying ends of the emotional spectrum. One morning he'd woken up to Tin-Tin in an overly happy state. Finding it odd for his wife, Alan questioned whether it was possible that his surgery failed.
Only Virgil and Tin-Tin had been aware of the vasectomy…Tin-Tin knew because she'd agreed to it after the stillbirth of their daughter. Virgil knew of it after discovering the doctor's notes while reviewing Alan's medical records. Secretly Alan and Tin-Tin snuck from the island to go see Tin-Tin's OBGYN on the mainland and soon discovered that by chance Alan's vasectomy failed and Tin-Tin was in fact pregnant. They were two months along.
The scared couple hid the pregnancy to the best of their ability, going so far as to have Tin-Tin wear lots of flouncy dresses to hide her ever growing baby bump. It had been by accident that they'd been found out. Alan was sat up with Tin-Tin who had a craving for cheese puffs and chocolate ice cream one morning after the rest of the family had returned from a rescue. Gordon had ventured into the kitchen to dig into one of the apple tarts that Kyrano had fixed and he'd found Tin-Tin sitting at the table eating her treats while Alan was sitting on the floor rubbing Tin-Tin's feet.
Tin-Tin had been reclined back in her seat rubbing her hand over her belly in total bliss at her cravings being satisfied whilst her husband relieved her aching feet. When Tin-Tin opened her eyes she was met with Gordon standing in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. They had only just announced the pregnancy to the family a week prior to Alan and Virgil's car accident. Thanks to the family's newfound knowledge of the pregnancy, they'd been able to keep an eye on Tin-Tin to make sure that she ate and slept…keeping her and the baby healthy despite her depression.
"Hey honey…what do you want to name the baby?" Alan laid on the bed rubbing his hand over top of Tin-Tin's stomach before pressing a kiss on the protruding lump of Tin-Tin's outie belly button beneath her nightgown.
"I don't know…what are you thinking of sweetheart?" Tin-Tin grinned as she watched either the baby's fist or foot press against the inside of her belly. Alan used feather light touches to tickle the appendage poking through Tin-Tin's abdomen and he'd received a series of fluttering movements.
"Well, we already know it's a boy…and I can see that he's received my ticklish nature. Please for the love of God, let's not name him Alan. I mean I love my name, but I would find it a little annoying if you or the guys got mad at him or me and started screaming the name Alan." Alan chuckled fondly. "Not only that, but it'd be a little awkward for you to cry out the name when we work on a little brother or sister for the little guy."
"You know…I like the name Ethan. What do you think?" Tin-Tin stilled her own rubbing motion over her belly with one hand and the rubbing motion in which she played with Alan's blonde locks of hair with the other.
Alan seemed to think on it for a few moments and soon he nodded happily. "I like it. What do you think of adding a namesake in there somewhere?"
Tin-Tin's smile seemed to grow to epic proportions and her eyes danced. "Who's name do you want to use as a namesake?"
"I was thinking of using father's name…Ethan Jefferson Tracy. We don't have to if you don't want to though…I realize that the name is a bit of a mouthful." Alan began rambling, but Tin-Tin silenced him with a kiss.
"I love that name…so, when are we going to tell your father?" Tin-Tin smiled reassuringly at Alan.
"I was thinking of surprising him. Maybe wait until the baby is born and let him see the birth certificate. You know…so we don't get his hopes up in case it's a girl…" the unspoken message screamed out to Tin-Tin and suddenly she understood. There was no sense in telling Jeff of the namesake until the baby was born so as to ensure that their hearts wouldn't be broken in the event of another stillbirth or miscarriage. For now they'd settle with telling the family the baby's name would be Ethan.
"Ethan Jefferson Tracy…I like it. The name has a nice ring to it." Tin-Tin rubbed a hand over her belly and Alan gently gripped her hand in his, interlocking their fingers. "I can't wait until your daddy and I get to meet you Ethan."
The response to Tin-Tin's statement only made the smiles on Alan and Tin-Tin's face grow all the more. Ethan had seemingly begun to flutter around deep within the womb and it touched Tin-Tin that the unborn child seemingly agreed with his new name.
As Virgil reached into the casket with his good hand, he brushed the blonde locks gently down over Alan's equally blonde eyebrows, masking the stitches where the mortician had closed up the gash from the shattered glass. Leaning down close to the casket, Virgil pressed a gentle kiss against Alan's forehead, much like his dad and brothers had done.
"I'm so sorry sprout. If I'd known that this was the result of our fun weekend, I'd have never tried so hard to get you to go. Hell, I'd have stayed on the island with you, dad, the guys and Tin-Tin." Tears silently coursed down Virgil's cheeks, dripping off and running down the side of Alan's face. "Please forgive me for taking you away from your family Allie."
Hours passed as the funeral continued on. Jeff, his sons and Tin-Tin all held each other tight as they watched Alan's casket be laid to rest in the ground. Tin-Tin rubbed a hand across her belly as she felt a dull ache spread through her belly.
Tin-Tin awoke to hear a beeping sound. Opening her eyes, she sniffled…tears coursing down the side of her face. She looked around to see a head full of blonde hair beside her arm on the bed.
"Alan?"
A soft groan sounded and the blonde head lifted, revealing Alan's sleepy gaze. The sleep was soon chased away as he saw the worry in his beloved wife's eyes.
"Sweetheart, are you okay? Is it the baby?" Alan sat up, gripping Tin-Tin's hands tightly in his. Tin-Tin gave a sob, before grabbing Alan and pulling him into her arms.
"Please don't go! Don't leave me!" Tears coursed heavily down Tin-Tin's face as she cried into Alan's strong shoulder.
"Hey, hey…I'm not going anywhere." Alan pulled away to grasp either side of Tin-Tin's face. "Where is this coming from? I'm not going anywhere."
Tin-Tin gave a broken sob as she settled into Alan's strong arms again. Alan's hug squeezed the fear out of her and revitalized her after that horrendous nightmare.
"Please…don't go on that trip you and Virgil have planned. Spend it with me." Tin-Tin didn't care that her voice sounded whiney, she had a bad feeling about the trip and that nightmare she just had gave her reason to believe that the trip was to have a terrible outcome. She didn't want to be left a single widowed mother. Not when their life had barely just begun.
Alan shut off the alarm clock which beeped angrily at him and Tin-Tin. Rolling over onto his back, Alan gently pulled his heavily pregnant wife into his arms.
"Why don't you want me to go on the trip with Virge?"
Alan wrapped his arms as best as he could around Tin-Tin's frame. Her large belly was preventing him from hugging her properly.
"I had a bad dream." Tin-Tin refused to look at Alan, but he knew the truth.
"That wasn't a dream sweetheart…you had another one didn't you?" Alan pulled away and gazed into Tin-Tin's eyes. "You can tell me, it's okay."
"I know you've had them before too. A feeling of something bad, you can't ignore it, but it just remains and nags at you until you feel like you're going to scream." Tin-Tin dried her tears as she relayed to Alan her thoughts.
"Well yeah. But it's thanks to you and your dad for giving me insight so that I knew what it was that I was experiencing. I've always dealt with the uncanny knowledge my dreams left me, but now I know what it is that's causing it." Alan lightly brushed back the hair from Tin-Tin's eyes, as he gazed into the dark chocolate brown eyes. "I had a bad one just before we found out you were pregnant with Ethan."
"You did?"
"Mm-hmm. Call me crazy or paranoid, but I am terrified of the birth of this baby." Alan allowed his head to sink into the pillow beneath his head.
Tin-Tin knew what he was getting at without him even voicing it. He was speaking in reference to the death of his mother. She had died the day after his birth. The doctors had placed her on life support at the dying mother's request; she didn't want to spoil her youngest son's birthday with her death. Jeff took her off at five minutes after midnight. It hurt, but the family had Alan to remember the lovely young woman that gave her life for her son's. Tin-Tin nodded at her husband.
"I understand. But rest assured, I am not going anywhere if you aren't." Tin-Tin pressed her nose against Alan's and breathed in his scent that was unique to him.
Two and a half months passed after the forewarning and Alan maintained his promise to Tin-Tin, he'd told Virgil he couldn't go on the trip. Virgil said he understood and informed Alan that the tickets to the concert were sold out. Alan double checked to be sure that Virgil wasn't fibbing and found he hadn't been lying. According to John who ran a scan on the computer, Virgil had tried to purchase tickets too late and they sold out too quick. The artist was disappointed but Alan managed to find a gift to make it up to his older brother.
A private concert hall was booked for him and Virgil for Virgil's birthday. Thankfully Virgil's birthday wasn't for another five months, so the baby would be almost four months if he was born on time.
Alan lay on the beach with Tin-Tin leaning into his chest. The two young parents were taking advantage of the quiet evening. The remaining Tracy family had gone off to bed hours ago immediately following a rescue and that left Alan and Tin-Tin to savor the evening. They wouldn't be able to do so much longer. Ethan was due to be born at any time. Tin-Tin was actually overdue. Two weeks overdue to be exact. Alan and Tin-Tin had tried speeding up labor by going on long walks on the beach, being intimate…so far nothing had worked.
"Do you hear that babe?" Tin-Tin leaned back into her husband's chest.
"Hmm? Do I hear what?" Alan leaned forward and rested his head on Tin-Tin's shoulder, making his wife giggle when his talking tickled her shoulder.
"My point exactly…nothing." Tin-Tin turned her head slightly and kissed Alan's cheek. "Won't be that way much longer will it?"
"Nope…Ethan will be keeping us busy here shortly." Alan wrapped his arms around Tin-Tin's belly. "Labor is not far off honey…I notice Ethan has dropped." Alan stroked Tin-Tin's belly.
"Yeah, he dropped earlier this afternoon." Tin-Tin joined Alan in caressing her stomach. "I just want to see his little face and tell him how much I love him."
"Soon dear. Can't rush perfection now can we?" Alan nuzzled Tin-Tin's head gently.
"No…I suppose we can't." Tin-Tin shifted on the beach. "Why don't we get to bed?"
"Only if you'll put on that sexy little number that you flaunted earlier before Scott interrupted us." Alan shot Tin-Tin a look that told her what he wanted.
"I'll do you one better…how about we forget that little number and go straight for the strawberries and whipped cream?" Tin-Tin lifted her eyebrow suggestively.
"Hmm, now you're talking." Alan stood up before helping Tin-Tin to stand. "Shall we go my lady?"
"We shall." Tin-Tin walked beside Alan, her arms wrapped about Alan's waist.
"Alan…Alan!" Tin-Tin shook her husband's shoulder, before biting back a groan. "Damn it Alan…wake up!"
"I'm up…I'm up!" Alan was woken from a sound sleep and he sat up. Gazing around he noticed that he wasn't on a rescue like he had been in a dream and instead he was wearing the black silk pajamas that he'd put on just before going to bed. Looking over at Tin-Tin he found her to be wearing her black and red silk nightie he'd bought for her birthday. "What's wrong sweetie?"
"We need to head out for the mainland…my water just broke." Tin-Tin exhaled slowly.
Alan lifted their duvet and checked the sheets and sure enough there was a puddle of water on the mattress.
"Okay, don't panic…let's get your robe, I'll get dressed and we'll go." Alan rationalized carefully.
"Hold the phone…who's going to pilot?" Tin-Tin was speaking in reference to the fact that the family had been woken up by the Klaxon not even four hours earlier and they hadn't returned to the island yet.
"I will…you'll ride in the cockpit with me so I can keep an eye on you." Alan spoke fast as he jumped from the bed and quickly stripped out of his pajamas before literally hopping on one foot then the other as he hastily redressed in his clothes from the day prior. "Do you think you can walk or do you want me to carry you?"
"If I walk, I'll speed up labor…I doubt you want to deliver Ethan upon landing at the hangar." Tin-Tin took Alan's hand and sat up slowly.
"Good point. Hang on to me." Alan quickly draped Tin-Tin's robe over her frame as he maneuvered into position to pick her up. "I'll get John to give us clearance from Five, he'll have to let the family know where we've gone."
Alan stepped into his trainers and thanked god that he had been lazy. If he hadn't been lazy he'd have to stop and tie them, but thankfully he'd just kicked them off while they were still tied.
"Alright sweetheart, let's go." Alan shuffled down the hall hurriedly to get to the hangar. If he didn't move quickly, he'd probably be delivering Ethan while in the cockpit of the jet. Alan picked up Tin-Tin and never bat an eyelash at Tin-Tin's added weight, before dashing off as best as he could.
Alan hurriedly strapped Tin-Tin into the safety belt in the cockpit of Tracy One before grabbing the head set and slipping it on and paging Thunderbird Five to get clearance for flight. No doubt his brother would be surprised to get a page from the family jet. It was rare for the island to page for clearance to take flight unless in emergency…well this counted as not just a family emergency, but it was a medical emergency.
"Come in Thunderbird Five this is Base to Thunderbird Five." Alan strapped himself in and prepared to fly. He'd take off with or without clearance to fly – there was no way in Hell that he was going to be delivering his first born child, let alone the fact that he had limited medical knowledge in that area.
"This is Thunderbird Five reporting in to Base…reading you loud and clear. What's going on Alan?" John's voice was heard in the headset that Alan wore.
"Tin's water broke…I need clearance to fly out to get her to the hospital." Alan replied as he taxied down the runway, preparing to take flight.
"Well? What are you waiting for? By all means, go!" John gave the word and Alan wasted no time in heeding the order from his older brother.
"I thought you'd never ask. If you could please let dad and the guys know where we've gone, that would be much appreciated." Alan took flight and waited to disconnect the page with John until he had the jet leveled out. "See you on the other side Astro-nut."
"God speed little brother." John replied warmly before the page was disconnected.
Alan glanced over at his laboring wife and reached out a hand for her to grip after putting the jet on auto-pilot. He winced as Tin-Tin squeezed the ever-loving life out of his hand, but he didn't complain. This was what he'd dealt with when Anastasia was born – even though he and Tin-Tin knew she was stillborn. This is what he and Tin-Tin would have been going through had the miscarriages not been miscarriages.
"Breathe Tin-Tin…remember what the doctor said." Alan coached as he counted the time before, during and after contractions. They were still quite a while apart, but they were getting closer – slowly.
"Just stay in there a little bit longer Ethan…I want to meet you, but not until we are at the hospital." Tin-Tin sunk down in her seat a little and tried to keep her legs closed.
"It's okay, relax. If Ethan comes, he comes." Alan double checked that the jet was in autopilot before lowering onto the floor to kneel before Tin-Tin. Reaching up with his non crushed hand, Alan began to rub Tin-Tin's inner thigh in order to get her to relax.
"Don't, I don't want to deliver in the cockpit." Tin-Tin moaned as she continually tried to keep her legs closed.
"We've been flying for about an hour and a half – if you feel like you need to push I'll touch down and we'll get you situated to deliver on one of the couches." Alan assured.
Alan checked the coordinates before paging the closest air field. He had a feeling that things were going to start happening and he wanted to be touched down in case he'd have to deliver his son.
"Logan International Airport – how do you read – Logan International Airport, please respond" Alan reached over and took one of Tin-Tin's hands in his and allowed his wife to attempt to break his hand.
"Logan International Airport, reading you loud and clear."
"Logan International Airport, this is Alan Tracy piloting Tracy One – I have a bit of an emergency. My wife is in labor and is close to delivery and I need to touch down. Do I have clearance to touch down?" Alan watched as Tin-Tin began to spread her legs, biting back a groan. Alan quickly set his mike down and reached over to brush a fallen tear away from Tin-Tin's face.
"Permission granted. We'll have EMS on standby to report to the site of landing."
"Thank you Logan International Airport, coming down now." Alan removed his hand from Tin-Tin's tight grip and focused on landing the jet without crashing. After he'd managed to land – fairly smoothly he had to taxi off the runway and off to a bit of a secluded area. Turning off the engine, Alan maneuvered to pick up Tin-Tin.
"Come on dear…we're going to go get comfy on the couch." Alan guided Tin-Tin slowly back to the passenger area and pulled a blanket out of the overhead compartment. Laying it on the seat, Alan got Tin-Tin situated and he'd grabbed a bunch of pillows to bunch up behind her back.
"I can't…it hurts Alan." Tin-Tin doubled over as a contraction ripped through her lower half.
"Yes you can…Ethan is a stubborn one. He can't wait to meet his momma and papa. Now you can do this Tin-Tin." Alan put a pillow on the floor for him to kneel on and he checked Tin-Tin the way he'd read about doing when he and Tin-Tin had entertained the idea of a home birth – back during their second pregnancy. "I'd wager you're about five centimeters sweetie…almost half-way done."
"Oh god…only half way." Tin-Tin groaned as she tried not to scream. She always said she didn't want to be medicated for delivery…what in Hell's Green Acre was she thinking?
A hale from the cockpit had Alan jogging forward, after answering - he informed his dad and brothers that they had to land much sooner than expected and that they'd be staying until the baby was born. When Alan returned, he seemed a lot less shaky, probably from talking to his father.
"Why don't you and I try to get some sleep, we're going to need it when Ethan arrives." Alan suggested as he watched Tin-Tin's eyes flutter from exhaustion. Moving slightly to rest his head on the couch beside Tin-Tin, Alan allowed himself to doze off until the next time that Tin-Tin woke him up.
The next time Alan and Tin-Tin awoke, it was to the mother of all contractions tearing through Tin-Tin's pelvic area. Tin-Tin grit her teeth together and swallowed a scream. Alan checked Tin-Tin again and smiled up at his wife.
"It's time to start pushing, you're at 10 centimeters." Alan jumped up and retrieved a hand towel from the bathroom, before laying it on Tin-Tin's stomach.
Alan and Tin-Tin timed each contraction and Tin-Tin pushed each time she felt her body seemingly pull at her. She'd been in labor so far about five hours in total. As the time drew near, it seemed as though the fates were telling the world, because Alan couldn't get the hails from his dad and brothers to stop. They remained unanswered as he helped Tin-Tin through a contraction.
"Give me one big push and the head is out darling." Alan improvised and waited for the baby to be born. Helping guide the baby's head from Tin-Tin's womb, Alan blinked rapidly as he tried to chase the tears building in his eyes away. He was getting a first-hand experience at watching his baby be born and Alan found it awe inspiring. "The head is out, good job Tin-Tin."
Tin-Tin fell back against the pile of pillows Alan set up behind her and panted. When she felt the urge to push again she took the opportunity and pushed, finally feeling Ethan slip free. Alan caught the babe and he wrapped him in the white terry cloth towel and began to rub him in attempt to making him dry and to make him cry.
Ethan released a loud wail and Alan held onto him with a shaky hand. Looking up at Tin-Tin Alan couldn't stop the smile. Standing up quickly Alan placed Ethan in his mother's arms and watched as his wife comforted their baby boy.
"It's okay Ethan…mommy is here." Tin-Tin focused on trying to get Ethan to quit crying and didn't notice as Alan cut the cord or anything else. "Ssh…oh my god Ethan, you're so beautiful."
Alan and Tin-Tin focused on the newborn, still not paying attention to the hale from the cockpit as they were drawn into a world of their own. Alan quickly counted fingers and toes, before gazing at his baby boy with eyes full of love. Ethan was the perfect combination of him and Tin-Tin. He had a head full of downy brown hair, a couple shades lighter than his mother's hair and he had Alan's skin tone and nose.
He was perfect.
Jeff dropped a hand down onto the table as he'd tried for probably about the 20th time in just this last hour to call Alan. He hadn't received word from Alan yet on how Tin-Tin or the baby was and it was really starting to bug him. The flight in to land already took about three to four hours, so if Tin-Tin was in labor - according to Alan her water broke and that had a tendency to speed labor along, she'd already be in the process of delivering if not already having delivered.
When the vid rang, Jeff jumped to answer and he heaved a relieved sigh when he heard Alan's voice.
"Hey dad."
"Alan, how're Tin-Tin and Ethan?" Jeff inquired with an imploring voice.
"They're both fine. Ethan has ten fingers and ten toes and he's perfect dad." Alan chuckled lightly. "I can't wait for you to see him, he's beautiful dad."
"Just like you and your brothers were at birth Allie. How's Tin-Tin doing?" Jeff asked as he could hear his daughter in law crooning softly.
"She's tired, but she's good. Ethan was born pretty quick. The paramedics are bringing the stretcher to take Tin and Ethan to the hospital." Alan's voice muffled slightly near the end, before clearing up. "Hey dad, I've got to go. They're ready to take Tin-Tin and Ethan. See you guys at the hospital."
Jeff made a noise of confirmation before he allowed Alan to hang up. Sitting back in his seat he smiled. He was a grandpa. His youngest son had just made him a grandpa for the first time. He was a grandpa, making his other sons uncles and Kyrano a grandpa. Jeff just couldn't believe it…he was a grandpa.
"Hey dad, you get ahold of Alan yet?" Virgil inquired as he walked into his dad's office freshly showered.
Jeff remained silent before turning his gaze to Virgil. Smiling widely he nodded. "I just got off the vid with him Uncle Virgil."
"Unc…no way, Alan's a daddy now?!" Virgil's face lit up with a grin three sizes the size of Venus. He stepped forward and hugged his dad with glee. He was an uncle. He couldn't believe it. Just twenty three years ago he'd been cradling a wailing newborn in his arms as Alan had been used as a distraction to his mother's passing.
"Yes he is. Happy Birthday Virgil." Jeff glanced down at the calendar, It was August 15th Virgil's 30th birthday.
Alan opened the door to the hospital room, greeting his family and accepting hugs and words of congratulations from his dad, father in law and brothers. Smiling serenely, Alan led the whole lot of them over to Tin-Tin's bed where she lay holding the newborn barely four hours old in her arms. Tin-Tin looked up from where she was bouncing Ethan in her arms.
"So who wants to hold him first?" Tin-Tin leaned down and kissed the newborn. "Father?"
"As honored as I would feel holding my first grandchild – I believe the honor should go to another." Kyrano lightly refused to hold his grandson in favor of letting someone else hold him first.
"Oh? Dad?" Tin-Tin offered her son out to Jeff but he shook his head. Alan sat on the bed, his jaw had dropped in shock. His father and father in law…neither of them wanted to hold their first born grandson?!
"I think we should let the birthday boy hold him first." Scott replied with a grin.
Alan and Tin-Tin looked at each other before looking down at the baby. How could the birthday boy hold the baby when the birthday boy was the baby?
"Let me see that nephew of mine." Virgil stepped up and held his arms out to accept his nephew.
Alan looked up in shock before he rolled his eyes up to glance at the ceiling…then a smile grew on his face. "Happy Birthday Virgil."
"Yeah, thanks…I'd forgotten it was my birthday too what with that rescue early this morning." Virgil allowed Alan to manhandle him to sit at the foot of Tin-Tin's bed before a light little bundle was placed in his arms. Once Virgil held his nephew, he looked down and his face was adorned with a dreamy smile. "He looks just like you Alan."
"Really, I think he looks like Tin-Tin." Alan laid his head on Tin-Tin's shoulder before snuggling her close.
"He has Tin-Tin's hair, but he's got your chin and nose." Virgil replied before he pressed a kiss to Ethan's forehead. "Nice to meet you Ethan. I'm your uncle Virgil."
"You were uncle Virgil's birthday present, since he wouldn't tell us what he wanted for his birthday." Tin-Tin grinned at Virgil as she spoke to her son. "I love you EJ."
"EJ? What does the J stand for?" Scott quirked his head to the side.
"Jefferson. The J stands for Jefferson." Alan replied fondly.
Jeff's eyes misted over before he wrapped Alan and Tin-Tin in a joint hug. He was happy to be used as a namesake in his grandson's name.
"Thank you!" Jeff communicated softly to his son and daughter in law.
"No problem, we were just happy to be able to go on with our name choice." Tin-Tin kissed her father in law on the cheek.
The family gathered around the bed, oohing and aahing over the new baby. There were hushed gasps at the sight of Ethan's eyes when he opened them. He had heterochromatic eyes. One eye was brown like his mother's and the other was blue like his father's.
"He's perfect Alan, Tin-Tin. Absolutely perfect." Jeff who'd finally gotten to hold his grandson said with a serene smile. "You did good mom and dad."
"We're parents now Tin-Tin." Alan said softly as he grinned at Ethan who yawned in his grandfather's arms.
A/N: Soo...this was kind of a spur of the moment story which I wrote several months ago. I had just watched a depressing film and came up with this story of all things despite the movie involving none of what happened in the story. For the dream state I was actually listening to Heaven Got Another Angel by Gordon True. This could be movie or TV verse which ever you prefer.
Hope you liked my story and I apologize if the ending seemed mediocre, I just couldn't come up with anything better so I decided to leave it at that. That and I realize the likely hood of Alan playing the role of nursemaid by delivering his and Tin-Tin's child are probably nil to none, but a friend of mine had a scenario like that. She and her hubby were expecting their third and he wound up delivering the baby because they got snowed in. So their seven year old son and three year old daughter were there as mommy delivered their little sister...in their living room with her husband having to be the technical midwife...mid-husband. You get the picture...a non medically trained guy had to deliver his own child and coach his wife through labor.