"Punishments"
"I suppose we should've ask permission." Alan said as he and Brook Lyn entered the drugstore.
"Nah. Alice will convince Granny to let me keep the rat. Since Granny thought of the punishment, I supposedly got the harder one." Brook Lyn shrugged. She headed towards the back.
"Wow. This section has change since I needed it last." Alan commented. " The last time we thought….well, Monica took care of this part."
"I must've missed that."
"You were in New York." Alan looked at his grandniece. "It's so good to have you around, sweetheart."
"Thanks. Can we get this over with?" Brook Lyn looked anxious.
"Of course." Alan took out the list which Alice wrote out. "Ok she's being anal about this. First response. she wants three of them. "
Tracy soothed Alice as she threw up.
"Oh, Lion." She wiped Alice's face with a washcloth.
"I swear if this goes on for nine months…" Alice leaned back in Tracy's arms.
Monica poke her head in. "Alan called and yelled at me for you being anal. He and Brook decided they each would buy one and since Alan is the more responsible one, he will buy the third."
Tracy snorted. "Actually I think Brook is more responsible. " Alice shifted. "I think Daddy is getting worry about you."
"I think I can go to bed now. There's nothing left in my stomach." Alice sighed. "Can we not tell them until after the wedding?"
"You're getting married?" Monica asked as she helped Alice to her feet.
"Mmmmm. We decided if I was pregnant the wedding should be mid-May."
"My last wedding." Tracy said. "We could use the rose garden that my ex-husband got married in."
Monica and Alice stared at her.
"Not a good idea?"
Alice groaned.
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Brook Lyn approached the check out. I'm never getting into trouble again.
"Brook Lyn!" A familiar name called.
Oh, shit!
She turned around and saw Jax, her parents' friend and her godmother's ex-husband. I'm going to kill my grandmother.
"Jax. Hello!"
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"So, Quartermaine, huh?" Monica looked at the rat. "Do you think she named him after anyone in particular?"
Tracy smirked. "I like to think Daddy. But no probably not."
"Are you going to let her keep him?"
Tracy and Alice looked at each other.
"It's small and Brook is responsible." Alice said.
"If I don't have to touch it…." Tracy knew she could never win against Alice and Brook.
"Hear that, Quartermaine? I won't have to kill you like I did to Emily's spider."
"O.k. That's just mean." Tracy said.
"Reginald 'accidentally' stepped on it one day." Monica shrugged.
"You see, dear, they liked you better. They didn't make you kill anything on purpose."
"Was this before or after her mother died?" Alice was amused.
"Um, before. To help her get use to the idea of death."
"You murderess!"
Edward walked in on the last line.
"What happened now?"
"Alice and Tracy are getting married."
"Brook Lyn got a rat."
"And Monica kills pets." Tracy finished. Edward stared at the women.
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"Brook Lyn, how are you? I haven't see you that much since you got back." Jax smiled
"Um, good. Living with Granny is an experience, you know." She glanced around, trying to find Alan. Jax bumped into her, causing her basket to spill.
"Here let me." Jax picked up the spilled items. His eyes widen. " You know if you need to talk…."
"Jax, it's not for me. It's for….it's not me." Brook Lyn spotted Alan. " Uncle Alan!"
"Brook, come on. Monica insisted we come back. Apparently the situation got worse. Father knows something."
"Well, I gotta go." Brook Lyn smiled brightly.
"Bye." Jax waved puzzling over the strange behavior.
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"Edward, um, meet Quartermaine." Monica pointed out the rat. Suddenly Alice's face paled. Tracy grabbed the wastebasket just in time.
"Alice, dear, is something wrong?"
" It's just a stomach bug." Tracy said. "Alan went to the phramaphy to get supplies." She cooed in Alice's ear, while discreetly placing her hand over Alice's stomach. "Just a couple months-long stomach bug, hopefully."
Alice groaned.
"I think I want a shower." She said. Monica and Tracy helped her up. Tracy helped Alice upstairs.
Edward stared at the women. "Should you help her?"
Monica shrugged. "I think Tracy has it under control. Besides Alice probably wants to spend time alone with Tracy."
Alan walked in with Brook Lyn.
"How is Alice?" Brook Lyn asked. Monica smiled at the girl.
"Alice is taking a shower. She is still sick. Why don't you run upstairs and give them the supplies?"
"Tracy, someone is at the door." Alice murmured between kisses. Tracy pouted.
"I don't want to get out."
"It might be the test. Don't you want to know if we're pregnant?" Alice asked.
Tracy smiled. "I'll be right back." She wrapped a towel around her. "Save my place?"
"Of course." Alice said. Hello? Is someone in there? She wondered, gently touching her stomach.
"Here." Tracy gently set bag on the sink. "I'm going to get dress. Do you need anything? Water?"
"Maybe a kiss for good luck."
"Mmmm, my pleasure." Tracy lightly kissed Alice, who turned it more passionate. "We shouldn't start anything."
"Right."
Alice took the test and sighed. Please let it be positive.
Suddenly she heard yelling from downstairs. Putting on clothes and slipping the test in her hand , she walked in on Brook saying, "It's not mine! I just bought it."
"Then whose is it?" Lois's accent grated on Alice's nerves. She started to open her mouth when Monica shook her head.
"We don't need to know, Lois." Monica said gently. "If the person wants to tell, they will. But if it was me, I would wait until the first trimester is over. If the test was positive."
Alice glanced at the test in her hand. She smiled, and walked into the living room. Tracy looked at her questioningly.
"Lois, Ned, I see you met the new addition. Did Tracy tell you our news?" Alice kissed Tracy lightly.
"No, Mother hasn't." Ned answered, the wheels turning.
"Honey, you didn't tell them?" Alice asked.
"No, I want to wait for you." Tracy looked at Alice, questioningly.
"We're getting married." Alice said.
"Great!" Ned thought it was time for his mother to be happy. "When?"
"Soon." Alice smiled.
"Soon?" Tracy asked.
"Soon, love. May." Alice leaned and whispered in Tracy's ear. "Before people notice the baby. Thank your brother."
"Alice!" Tracy was shocked. "I---"
"We're good."
Alan smirked. Monica rolled her eyes. "Don't get an ego. I know for a fact Alice is incredibly fertile." She said under her breath.
"So May?" Edward was trying to comprehend the situation. "That's so soon."
Tracy simply smiled. "Oh, you know when in love, yadda, yadda, yadda. After all, it's not like the family needs to get to know Alice."
"Have you start to plan the wedding yet?" Ned asked.
"Um, it's going to be small and quick." Tracy said. "After all it's my what? Fifth?"
"Sixth." Alan corrected helpfully. "You always forgot the New York mobster."
"Probably in Mother's rose garden. We just want it to be small." Tracy emphasized.
"Alice, you're o.k. with this? I'm surprise since it's your first wedding." Ned said. Tracy laughed as Alice took a long sip of tea.
"Second." Alice corrected.
"You were married before?" Edward asked.
"Well, technically the marriage to Rico was annulled."
"Rico?" Brook Lyn asked. Tracy shook her head. Alice grinned.
"It's long story, involving green cards. But I'm fine with a small wedding. After all it's the marriage that counts and I feel married already." She laughed. "Married with a grandchild."
"Ah, but you love the grandchild, right?" Brook Lyn asked.
"Of course, Boroughs. I love the grandchild." Alice beamed. "Tracy, when do you want people about our plans?"
"Mmmmm…I want to wait about our plans regarding the wedding and the other thing." Tracy said.
"Mother, is there anything you and Alice want to tell us?" Ned asked.
Tracy and Alice glanced at each other. Tracy took Alice's hand.
"Not right now. Maybe in a couple weeks." Tracy said.
"A couple of weeks?" Ned asked.
"Mmmmm….once everything is okay." Alice explained. Ned nodded.
"So, Brook isn't…" Lois started to say.
"Mom! Of course not! I bought the rat home without permission and Granny thought it would be funny to punish me by making me buy the pregnancy test. Besides, Auntie Monica took me ---" Brook Lyn trailed off. Monica shook her head furiously.
Tracy's eyes narrowed. "Auntie Monica did what?"
"Nothing." Brook Lyn looked at the floor.
"Brook Lyn Ashton…" Tracy growled.
"I'm on birth control pills but for cramps. Auntie Monica took me a month ago." Brook Lyn mumbled.
Lois tried to say something but Tracy interrupted her.
"You're having sex?!" She growled.
"NO!" Brook Lyn explained "Just for cramps I swear! "
Alice and Tracy exchanged looks.
"She doesn't have a boyfriend." Alice shrugged.
"And for a quarter Quartermaine, she's a horrible liar." Tracy said thoughtfully.
"So, let me get this straight," Ned finally said. He felt like his head was going to explode. "Brook's on birth control and not having sex, you and Alice are going to getting marry which is not legal, and Alice may be pregnant."
"Right." Tracy said.
"And Brook Lyn has a rat named Quartermaine, who is not living in my house." Monica added.
"And while we know all this, Dillon hasn't really been around, so he doesn't know about the wedding, rat, or possible baby." Alan finished.
"Ah." Ned nodded. "Lois, we need to start coming home more." Tracy just laughed at the statement.