Shamrock

Chapter 1

3rd April 1880

Ailis Ryan had been pushing for twelve hours. She had never had this long a labour in any of her other 4 children. She was only 24, and her oldest, her daughter Aideen was 4. It was like the baby inside of her didn't want to be born. It had been a troublesome pregnancy, many false alarms and lots of bleeding. Her husband, Bartley squeezed her hand soothingly and she smiled over at him. In response, he smirked back, a sort of smug smile that quite obviously meant 'I'm so glad I'm not you right now.' another contraction hit her and she groaned, squeezing his hand as she felt it through. As she finished, she gasped and leaned back on the pillow. The smug bastard laughed

"They're takin' their sweet time, sure." Ailis groaned with a chuckle, and he stroked her cheek, before kissing it, whispering into her ear

"You're doing so well, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you." Ailis snorted

"You realise we're never having sex again?" her husband's face fell, and he opened his mouth to protest, but she glared at him. Another contraction. He reluctantly closed his mouth. Her doctor, Eva came and started inspecting her parts. She looked up and with a flourish, whipped off her gloves and announced

"Alrighty, Ailis. Let's have your baby."

Twenty minutes later and their baby had still not made an appearance. Bartley was squeezing her hand and whispering soothing words as she screamed, her dress hitched round her waist

"Come on, dear. One more push and they'll be free!" Ailis sucked in her breath, and with the exhalation, screamed and pushed. All at once the baby was born, and their piercing cry filled the air. The thing that attached them was removed, and at once they were washed off, all the blood and gloopy stuff taken off. They wrapped the baby in a towel, and he was handed to his Father, who cradled him proudly.

"Another little' boy, Ailis." she held out her arms, wincing as the Nurse put disinfectant on her. Bert handed the baby to his Mother, and she stared down at him. Long, brown-ginger curls sprouted from his tiny head, and his eyes were hazel and sparkling as they stared up in awe, and finally was able to put a face to the voice that he had been hearing for the past nine months.

"Thomas Connor." she sighed, and Bartley smiled and sat down on his seat next to her and held her hand

"You decided withou' telling me? When?" she stroked baby Thomas's head and grinned

"About three seconds ago. Look at him, Bert. He looks like a younger version of you-"

"..and my middle name is Thomas. Ah. It's a fine name, sweet. How about it, Thomas? Do you like ya' new name?" Thomas kicked in his blanked and grabbed Bert's finger and held on tight. There was a knock at the door, and as they looked over, their four other children, Aideen, Ronan, Declan and Allison ran in, followed by their close family friend, Kaithleen. Kaithleen had been Ailis's best friend for many years, and had been close with Bert from the moment she met him. She was right behind the children as they launched themselves in the bed and begged to look at the new baby. Allison, quiet and sucking her thumb, pulled on Bert's trousers, and as he looked down, held out her arms for him to pick her up. She was the smallest, before Thomas; barely one. He lifted her easily off the ground and sat her on his knees, and she resumed sucking her thumb.

"Oh, Mammy do let us see her!"

"Her? Ro, your Mammy already told you the baby was a bie."'Kaithleen reminded Ronan gently. It was true that Ailis had had a hunch that the baby was a boy from the moment she realised she was pregnant again. It was the way her stomach jutted out. It was not rounded, as it was with Allison and Aideen, but higher up and more oval shaped, as it had been for Dec and Ronan.

"Mammy, what's his name?" Dec asked, pushing past Aideen, making her squeal

"Thomas, lovie. Would ya' like to meet him?" Ailis asked, and all the children and Kaithleen nodded eagerly. Bert laughed and Ailis pulled Thomas's blanket off his head, and from the shock of the cold, he peered round, stopping as he saw his family. Kaithleen cooed at him, and Declan and Aideen started begging to hold him. Ronan just stared at him, and Allison smiled.

"We can call him Tommy. Then his name sounds like mine! Tom-mee, Al-Lee. See?" Bert hugged Allie to him as she giggled. Thomas-or Tommy as he was now known gave a yawn, and fell asleep peacefully in Ailis's arms.

"Ooh, Mammy! He's so cute when he sleeps!" Aideen cried loudly, and before Bert had a chance to yank her away and chastise her for being loud, Tommy woke up, and cried in surprise. Ailis sighed and Kaithleen smiled and put her hand in hers

"I'll take them, Ail. He's beautiful." Ailis mouthed her thanks, and kissed her children's heads one by one, and one by one they trooped out with Kaithleen flanking them. One again, Tommy and his parents were alone.

And that's just the way they liked it; and from his contented snores, they could tell baby Thomas Connor Ryan did too.

Bie- It's an Irish accent thing. Think of the word 'Pie' and put a 'B' in front, "By" would probably be the way I'd say it. It means boy.

(Credit goes to a book I heard that from; 'Nobody Wants You')