Title: This Perfect Little Mistake
Fandom: General Hospital
Characters: Tracy Quartermaine
Prompt: #1 Tired
Word Count: 345 words
Rating: G
Summary: Motherhood is sometimes not such a good thing, especially when you're doing it alone.
Author's Notes: Set just after Tracy has been banished (1993).

He was crying again. Tracy groaned, buried her face in the pillow. She wanted to sleep. She wanted to dream, or not dream, or just be somewhere else.

He was crying again, and she didn't have the strength to get up and walk the short distance to the bassinet. She didn't have the strength to pick him up, to say soothing things, make cooing noises.

He was crying again, and she found that without a nanny, without boarding school, without servants and money and status, without all these things--Tracy hated motherhood.

It was horrible. It was evil.

She hated this baby. She hated his softness, his fragile body that leaked in inappropriate places. She hated his crying, his gurgling noises when she was trying to concentrate. She hated his presence, his constant need for attention and care and food and formula.

He was crying again, and she wanted to love him. But Tracy had no love left in her heart, especially for this tiresome burden Paul had given her, especially with no support system.

With Ned, there'd always been somebody at this stage--a nanny, a servant--somebody who could help her through the drudge times.

With Dillon, it was just Tracy.

She couldn't even call her mother when he got sick.

The thought made Tracy cry, too, just like Dillon was crying. She pulled herself out of bed, feeling a burst of love and sympathy for this kid who didn't ask for anything but love from his parents, knowing full well that he'd have just as much luck getting it out of her and Paul as she did getting it out of Edward.

"You poor little thing," she whispered as she took him in her arms. "You poor sweet little boy." She held him against her chest, his little heart beating against hers.

He stopped crying. His little body relaxed against her immediately, and his hand clutched for her hair.

Now Tracy was the only one crying, and this innocent little boy...this perfect little mistake...gave her the love she couldn't give to him...

Written for the 100situations community.