Chapter 164

*one week later*

Alex sat on the floor of the nursery, heaps of clothing surrounded her and she had no idea where to start packing, or that a toddler would need so much things even if it just for a week that they are going away.

"Mama!" Phoebe said in an attempt to scare her mother as she creeped up on her.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Alex asked opening her arms as the little girl ran into her mother's embrace for a hug.

"Bah-nee" Phoebe said pointing out the door towards the living room where she and her father was busy watching her favourite TV show. She pointed towards the heaps of clothing on the floor.

"We're going away for a little while to go visit some family. And then you'll meet Gigi, you remember Gigi you always talk to on the computer?" Alex asked but Phoebe shook her head. "Okay, we'll we're going to visit them for a little while." Alex explained and Phoebe nodded her head before leaving her mother alone to her packing running down the hallway.

"Alex, where you?" Ryan asked walking from the kitchen picking his daughter up in the process. "Where's mama?" Ryan asked and Phoebe pointed down the hallway, and Ryan stopped in the doorway.

"Ah-wex." Phoebe announced proudly pointing towards her mother and Alex looked up at her not amused while Ryan tried to hide his smile.

"Excuse me Phoebe. What's my name?" Her mother asked again and Phoebe looked at Ryan for confirmation before looking back at her mother. "Ah-wex." She said nonchalantly leaving her parents stunned at their one and a half year old.

"Okay, and what's your father's name?" Alex asked from her position on the floor, and she looked at Ryan putting a hand on the side of his face, "Dada." She announced

"Who do you love the most?" Alex asked again and Phoebe looked at her father without answering the question. "Silence is an answer too." Ryan laughed looking around the room.

"Oh I need to head to the office quickly, I need to sign off a few documents and probably bring a few home also or take it with me." He hesitated on the last part, knowing they have agreed not to take work with them but he might actually get a lot done if he organizes his time correctly. "I'll take her with me, it'll be half an hour probably. Give you time to get done here, and when I get back I I'll help you." Ryan said wondering how long they are going away for since it looked like they might stay in India forever. "It's fine, just take her bottle with. And her pacifier. And wipes and about two clean diapers." Alex yelled from the room not sure if he heard what she'd just said as her mind was in overdrive again.

Alex completed her packing in the nursery, thankful that Ryan took Phoebe with him as she got a lot of things done that she probably wouldn't have gotten to if Phoebe was running around the house unattended. She made some coffee, knowing she wasn't allowed to have caffeine but one cup surely won't hurt and she needs an energy boost. "Okay baby, enjoy this your father won't like it but it'll stay between the two of us." She said rubbing a hand over her belly as she swallowed her coffee and paired it with some chocolate. Her phone buzzed and she thought it was Ryan but was surprised when she didn't recognize the number. She answered the phone but was barely able to hear who was on the other end before she recognized the voice that immediately started asking questions.

"Alex are you guys still coming to India? Is it today or tomorrow?"

"Hello grandma, yes we're leaving tomorrow morning around 6 we're boarding at 8." Alex explained hearing her grandmother talk to someone in the background.

"Okay, then let me know when you guys land. I cannot wait to see Phoebe, I'm sure she's even cuter in person." Her grandmother went on. "So you're not looking forward to seeing me then is what you're saying?" Alex asked smiling.

"Not really seeing your face on pictures is enough. Oh and please warn Ryan about your aunty Anaiah she is on a path of war, I don't know where I went wrong with that daughter of mine." Her grandmother said as she shook her head.

"I will do that grandma. Please tell her to tone down, because if I do it she'll tell me I don't have respect, and have had rude manners since I was a child." Alex said knowing the kind of person her aunt is when she starts getting judgmental.

"I'll tell her. Just make sure you guys get here safely and let me know when you board and when you land." Her grandmother said before ending the call.

Ryan walked into the office and entered at the back, choosing the short cut into his office and hoping to avoid the most people on his way which worked. He put Phoebe down on the ground and closed the door behind him surprise to see the neatly stacked files on his desk, which was way more than what he thought it would be. With Barney and some old papers he handed her to occupy herself with for the time being it seemed to work as she crumbled the papers in her hand and started putting it in her mouth.

"Not in your mouth Pheebs." Ryan said looking up at her and she paused her actions mid way, looking at her father and then at the door when she heard someone knocking. Pointing towards the door.

"Come in." Ryan said from his desk not wanting to get up and open it, Maranda opened the door and peeked her head around the door.

"Good to have you back, I just need signatures on those documents. And there's a few you'll have to check I have trust issues with the interns." Maranda said, her eyes drifting to the corner of the room where Phoebe played and she smiled at the little girl.

"Phoebe, look how big you are. Can I have a hug?" Maranda asked and she got up and ran over towards the curly haired woman hugging her. "Aaauuww thank you so much. I'll leave the two of you alone." Maranda said and walked out of his office as Phoebe returned to Barney and her crumpled up papers. But she soon found the bookshelf that interested her more and started throwing the neatly stacked books from the bottom rack she could reach.

"Phoebe." Ryan warned and she looked at him with big sparkly eyes. "Please don't play there, come here." He said and she walked over to him handing him the book that was still in her hand as he lifted her up onto his lap while he got through signing the last three files. He decided he'll take the rest out with him and do those on the plane. Pressing random buttons on the keybord to occupy herself since the computer was switched off and her father didn't mind it, as long as it kept her occupied and allowed him to do his job for the next few minutes before they left again.

Shelby knocked on the door after Maranda told her to bring a few things up to Ryan and she was delighted to see her godchild. "Hey Ryan, Maranda said you asked for these, don't know where you'll find the time to look at it." Shelby said putting it on his desk where she found an empty stack, and Phoebe reached her hands out towards the blonde.

"Can I take her? We'll be downstairs keeping the rest out of work." She said as she picked her up.

"I will buy you coffee to show my appreciation. I'll come get her as soon as I'm done. Or if you get called out you can bring her back." Ryan said as she left the office with the blonde.

Alex finished her coffee in front of the TV on the couch while watching some cooking show. She didn't even know why she liked watching the cooking channel since she will never be able to cook the things they're talking about she can't even pronounce half of the words. The key turning in the lock was an indication that the rest of the house members returned, and she turned around to see Ryan and Phoebe enter. "Did you manage to get anything done?" Alex asked when Phoebe walked over to her mother.

"Yeah quite a lot actually. Shelby came to get her and she's been with them downstairs for some time so I got through most of the work." He explained. "oh and she said she'll call you later tonight because there's something you need to discuss." He said over his shoulder walking over to the fridge.

"Why are you so dirty Phoebe? Did your father give you chocolate?" Alex asked and Phoebe shook her head.

"The aunties at work?" Alex asked and her daughter smiled while nodding her head. "So now you'll have renewed energy when I was hoping you'd be down for a nap." Alex said but Phoebe was far from sleepy.

"How far are you with packing?" Ryan asked and Alex shook her head pointing towards the nursery that she only managed to finish Phoebe's things and that the two of them will still have some work to do. "Granma called me just after you guys left and asked me to give you a heads up on one of my aunts." Alex started and Ryan looked at her questioningly as he had no idea where this was going but he didn't like the sound of it.

"I told you your family scares me." He said taking a gulp of beer before listening to her again.

"Aunty Anaiah is extremely old school, and she believes that you should date within your racial bounds. So because you're not Indian she's gonna have a lot to say about that." She said carefully trying to read his facial expression.

"Also, she's not a very big fan of me. Because of what I did with my dad and all and I've told her once or twice how I feel about her attitudes and it didn't turn out very nice. So she always tells me I'm disrespectful. But she's the only person who is like that the rest is very laid back." Alex said kissing him quickly before getting up walking upstairs, smiling to herself as she heard him sigh loudly about his extended in laws he is about to meet.

*the next day*

Alex carefully walked down the aisle of the plane. She saw the looks on the other travelers faces as they registered that she was carrying her one and a half year old daughter. She knew flying with a toddler wasn't ideal and that the other passengers were all secretly hoping that they weren't seated anywhere close to them. She found their allocated seats and a flight attendant caught their eye just as she began removing the toddler seat belt harness from her bag.

"Are you familiar with installing one of these?" he asked cheerfully.

"Yeah," Alex said. "But I'd feel better if you check it once I'm done."

"That's not a problem," he said. He stepped back while Alex placed Phoebe on the booster seat and began strapping her in. Once Phoebe was secure, the man gently tugged on the straps to make sure she was anchored properly.

"All good to go," he said. "Enjoy your flight." Alex kept one eye on her daughter, who was talking to Barney, as she stowed their bag in the overhead cabin, waiting on her husband's arrival as she didn't know where he got lost somewhere in the airport, but he soon showed up, and took his seat with his family.

Alex was more nervous at the moment that Phoebe was, probably because it was Phoebe's first time flying and she didn't know how she'd react when the plane takes off but for now she was still well behaved and occupied. Upon take off Alex bit her bottom lip and realized she was really nervous, and she glanced over at Phoebe who was occupied by watching cartoons that she didn't pay much attention to what was going on, but looked at her father with big eyes when her ears closed. He was somehow much calmer than Alex was and he kept her occupied and tried to keep her busy, until they were in the air and she was fine again.

A little while into the flight snacks and drinks were brought around. Alex turned the offered nuts down, saying she was allergic but they all took some juice. She poured some of the apple juice into a sipper cup for her daughter. It had a Disney Princess picture on the side.

They chatted a little more during the flight, Phoebe switching from Barney to her juice and some animal crackers, to drawing with some crayons quietly. Or more like scribbling but it kept her occupied and her parents were grateful for that.

"You've got a pretty well behaved kid here," One of the older ladies said from the opposite side of the row. "We're lucky," Alex said. "She doesn't need much to keep her entertained."

Alex was about to was about to remark at her husband that if this had been her at two the flight crew would be tossing her out the door, when the plane dropped suddenly. Phoebe shrieked loudly, as did several other passengers. The pilot corrected but there was a large period of shaking, accompanied with a few more dips. The seatbelt light came on and a voice came over the radio.

This is your pilot speaking," he said. "Looks like we've got a bit of turbulence. Hopefully it's not too long, but either way there's no need to panic, we're going to be just fine."

Phoebe's lower lip was jutted out and her eyes were filling with tears. She began whimpering with the next shudder of the plane and outright crying with the one after that. Ryan immediately bent down and began trying to soothe the toddler, but the turbulence wasn't getting any better. Alex felt her own stomach jolt more than once, so she couldn't imagine how scary it must be for her daughter.

It continued on in a series of jolts and shakes, the toddler's anxious crying getting louder and more insistent. Alex saw that a few of the other passengers were looking over sympathetically. She was glad they weren't angry that her father couldn't calm her. But Ryan was getting exasperated and Alex decided to try and help out.

The toddlers cries subsided and she looked up at her mother with wet eyes. She looked around her, hiccupping and sniffling.

"Still scared?" The curly haired toddler shook her head but latched onto her mother's hand tightly. The rest of the flight was a breeze. Ryan looked down at his daughter when she grabbed his hand during landing.

They waited patiently as the plane emptied and Ryan dismantled the travel harness and collected their things. As they exited the plane, Phoebe declared she was tired, as she was constanly rubbing her eyes and her moaning stated and Ryan picked her up, the little girl curling into his shoulder. "Pheebs, can you go to Mama quickly, just until we get the things in the car thenyoucan sleep alright." Ryan bargained as he gathered their luggage while Alex took the lighter things that she could manage and walked towards the car they rented. Feeling twice as tired as her daughter was right now.

Hey guys! I didn't wanna make you wait any longer than you already have. This was initially gonna be two separate chapters but I've decided to make it one and give you guys an extra long chapter to read so I hope you enjoy. Quick confession the flight time between India and USA was like 10 or 12 hours but it would've been unrealistic so tweaked it and tried to make it around four hours, which I'm hoping you guys won't mind for (because in fiction anything is possible right?). also anther part of the confession is… I have never been on a plane so this is written based on what I could find and what I've imagined flights would be like, I'm hoping it lives up to a realistic experience. Thank you for reading, some family meetings in the next chapter.

Lovies-S