"Dresses, Demands, and Dillon"
"You do look lovely, Brook." Monica reassured the teen. Brook glanced at herself critically.
"It's not too bad. There are no bows or ruffles." Brook Lyn actually liked the floor length blue gown.
"Actually it looks like something from the 1920s." Monica commented. She played with Brook's hair. "We could style your hair from that era. I believe Tracy even has some of Lila's jewelry from back then."
"Really?" Brook Lyn looked interested.
"Hmm-mm. Let's see if Tracy and Alice are done shopping." Monica pulled out her cell phone. "Hey, Tracy? What? Really?" Monica snickered. "Must be the hormones, of course. Yours, I mean."
Brook Lyn raised an eyebrow. Monica waved her off.
"I assumed you got help for that itch. You know in a couple months…actually we might've found a dress for Brook. You haven't even start looking for your and Alice's yet. Hmm. So, approve this dress, let Brook go shopping with you and I'll help Alice. Meet you at Paulina's."
"What happen?" Brook Lyn asked.
"Your grandmother apparently needed to help Alice." Monica smirked.
"What…oh please tell me they didn't have sex in the dressing room. Auntie Monica. I'll never be able to look at them again. "
"They didn't. " Monica laughed. "Tracy wanted to but Alice wouldn't let her."
Brook Lyn groaned as they walked in.
"There's nothing wrong with me wanted to help my wife try on clothes." Tracy pouted as she kissed Alice.
"You didn't want to help me try on clothes. You wanted to get frisky." Alice pointed out.
Tracy asked. "There's something wrong with that?"
"Not most of time. In a public place…" Monica shrugged.
"She is just so beautiful." Tracy leaned up for another kiss.
"Is she glowing?" Monica asked innocently.
Brook Lyn looked up.
"So it's for sure? Alice's pregnant?"
"Due December 10th." Alice rubbed her stomach.
"Your father knows. Dillon doesn't." Tracy inspected the gown. "It's lovely. Do you like it, Alice?"
"It's fine."
"It's fine? Alice, do you want to have a little enthusiasm here?" Tracy asked, not noticing how pale Alice was.
"Allie, why don't you sit for a second?" Monica went into doctor mode.
"I just feel so…"
"Lightheadedness is normal for the first trimester. Um, Tracy, run down to food court and get some juice."
"Right. I'll be right back." Tracy gently ran her hand through Alice's hair.
"Ok. Love you." Alice tried to smile.
Brook Lyn looked worried. Monica squeezed the girl's hand.
"Hey, this is really very normal. Alice probably hasn't eaten for a while and while that's ok for Alice, the baby wants food. Since it's a Quartermaine, it expects its' demands met now. Not later, now."
Alice laughed weakly at that.
"Oh, don't tell me that. I'm going to be carrying this Quartermaine around for months now."
"And between Tracy, Alan, Brook Lyn and myself, it's going to come out of the womb spoiled rotten like all the other Quartermaines before it. Why ruin the tradition? And Edward is going to be horrible…"
"What did Daddy do now?" Tracy asked, shaking up a bottle of juice and then handed it to Alice.
Sipping the juice, Alice sighed. Monica smiled; relieved some of color was coming into Alice's face
"We were just talking about Quartermaines and how demanding you are. " Brook Lyn said.
Alice raised an eyebrow at Tracy.
"Dear, you almost fainted just now; you shouldn't be giving me that look and making that reference just now." Tracy said.
The eyebrow went down. Monica checked Alice's pulse.
"You seem fine now."
"Demanding little thing." Alice stroked her belly lovingly. "So, what do we think of the dress?"
After grabbing lunch, Alice and Brook begged to go to bookstore, an idea which Tracy groaned at.
"I can't walk in our house without tripping over books or DVDs or video games."
"So?" Brook asked.
"So, I don't see the need for any more."
"How times have I tripped over your shoes?" Alice asked.
This made Tracy shut up.
"Have fun." Monica smiled as they went off.
"You didn't have to give them my debit card." Tracy grumbled.
"No, I didn't but it adds to the fun. Besides we need to pick out our gowns and Brook didn't have patience for that. Alice might have problems and I think she and Ephinacy wants to do the best friend thing." Monica explained.
"Ah." Tracy sighed. "Tell me I'm not insane."
"Hmmm…insane or Quartermaine insane?" Monica asked.
"What's the difference?"
Monica flipped through dresses. "Size 8. Here. Insane is getting your girlfriend pregnant and marrying her without telling your sons. Quartermaine insane would be getting your son's girlfriend pregnant, sending her away without telling your son, marrying her mother and raising the baby. So you're doing well."
Monica noticed Tracy looked strange.
"Um, it was a joke. What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just with Daddy, you never know."
"That's true. Have you and Alice decide on colors?"
Tracy blushed. "Um, blue to match my eyes. You, Ephinacy and Brook will look good if in blue. The guys in tuxes. Although I bought a little black something to slip into afterwards…"
"That's a good use of money. From what I hear you two usually rip those off quick as possible."
Tracy laughed through the dressing room. "Well, Alice gets impatient and…"
"Have you thought what to tell Dillon about this?" Monica asked.
Tracy sighed. "Not yet. Doesn't every 22 year-old want little brother or sister? Oh, a girl! A daughter, Monica, my daughter, future CEO of ELQ…." Tracy beamed as Monica zipped her up.
"Just what the world needs a mini Tracy. Although I do think you're a good job with Brook. "Monica paused, stilling Tracy in the mirror. "Trace, I know we had our differences but….."
"I know." Tracy smiled. "Thank you for taking care of the family torture while I was gone."
"Thank you for being gone so much. I never knew torture could be so fun."
Alice made sure Brook was deep into newest true crime book she found, mentally hoping her granddaughter never found familiar names or at least alive relatives. She casually wanders to the childcare section.
"Two are coming: Now what? Indeed." Alice muttered. She strokes her stomach. "Twins: The Adventure begins (age 0-2) Are you two and adventure?" Grabbing a name book and general book about (she grimaced) late in life moms, she glanced at Brook still engrossed in murder. She checked out quickly.
"Hey, ready to go, babe?" Alice asked when she found Brook Lyn.
"Yeah. Hey, Grandmother Lila's maiden name was Morgan, right?"
"I'm sure we aren't related." Tracy said exasperated. "Morgan is a common name."
"But…"
"Brook, if you want to know, researches it." Monica suggested while making a turn. "Actually I want to start to research my family again."
Alice leaned against the seat. Tracy glanced over at her.
"Tired?"
"Exhausted. You are giving me a full body massage."
"Sounds fun." Tracy stroked the leg next to her.
"Ha! You think you're getting some tonight."
"I choose to remain hopeful." Tracy kissed Alice lightly.
"Mmmm, let me take a nap first, and then we'll see." Alice smiled.
"Granny, could I stay over at the mansion tonight?" Brook interrupted.
"Sure. We'll pick her up in the morning." Tracy said as Monica pulled into the driveway.
"I'll just grab some stuff." Brook Lyn hopped out.
Monica watched her go and turned to the women in the backseat.
"You know, pregnant women tend to get even hornier as the months go on.""Hey, it's all Tracy." Alice protested. Tracy smiled innocently and helped Alice out of the car.
"Hey, why don't you come over for brunch?" Monica asked.
"Sure. If we manage get out of bed." Tracy said as Alice blushed.
"Tracy…"
"Don't you want to plan the wedding? You do need to get married soon if you want Alice not to appear pregnant." Monica grinned cheekily.
"Take my granddaughter and leave." Tracy ordered.
"See tomorrow at eleven." Monica waved as she and Brook drove off.
"So you have a plan?" Alice asked.
"You change into that black silk robe I love while I get some things and then we can proceed." Tracy kissed Alice softly. "I've wanted to try this couch out for months."
"Really? I couldn't tell the five times we got interrupted before."
"Six is a good number."
A few minutes later, Alice lay on couch, reading, while Tracy slipped behind her.
"Should I start from the top or the bottom?" Tracy asked, kissing Alice's neck.
"Well, if you started from the bottom the top wouldn't get done." Alice pointed out.
"Is it my fault I find your ass irresistible?" Tracy started to massage Alice's shoulders. "It's not like we aren't going to end up there anyway."
Alice chuckled. "But a little foreplay is nice, especially for your pregnant wife." She turned her head for a kiss. "I'm happy you enjoy my ass, honey."
"I am, too. What are you reading?"
"Mmm….1001 baby names." The massage stopped. "Tracy?"
"I…I was just thinking we would wait until you were in the second trimester to talk about names and the nursery." Tracy sighed.
"Nothing is going to go wrong. We, in seven months, going to have two little crying, diaper-wearing, not sleeping at night babies. So we need names…oh…"
"That's the spot?"
"Mmmm, a little harder." Alice moaned.
Tracy pressed on Alice's back. "You know I love the little noises you make. Why don't you start looking at names?"
"Last name of Quartermaine. Do we want to use the name of Lila?"
"I have thought about that. But I can't imagine saying it everyday. What about a namesake for yourself?" Tracy kissed down Alice's back.
"Alice Quartermaine. Not bad. Oh! Just a little to the left. But I thought I would use that name. What about Allison or Alexis or Alexandra?"
"Lion, what about your grandfather's name? William Alan Quartermaine."
"Alan?" Alice asked. rolling over.
"I want to-" Tracy's thought was cut off.
"Mom! It's an emergency, I need to talk to you! Lulu is determined….Oh!" Dillon blushed.
Alice looked up, annoyed. "Dillon, how nice to see you. Now leave."
"What do you need?" Tracy asked. Alice shot Tracy a look and grabbed her robe. "Alice, Lion…" A door slammed. "This has better be life or death." Tracy hissed.
"So my fiancée is probably locking me out as we speak because Lulu rejected you."
"So why is Alice so mad at you?" Dillon asked, after they solved the latest Georgie/Lulu issues.
Tracy snorted. "We had a special night going when you barged in. Planning the wedding is stressful and I was actually trying to get Alice to relax. Since Brook lives here, we kinda try to be quiet and not try to traumaize her."
"Where is Brook Lyn?"
"At Monica's. We shopped for the wedding and that put me in the mood to treat Alice…." Tracy sighed. "I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."
Dillon was confused. "You have a guest room."
"No. We have an office with an uncomfortable futon. You get that; I'll sleep on the couch." Tracy threw a pillow down at end of the couch. "Night, Sweetheart. Make us breakfast in the morning."