"Leaving for Paris"

"Alice, I was thinking…" Tracy gently kissed Alice awake.

"Hmmm, you thinking? About what?" Alice just noticed where her head was on Tracy's hip. "Oh, please tell me I didn't fell asleep during sex."

"We weren't doing anything. We were discussing the nursery. How's the headache?" Tracy rubbed Alice's temple.

"Better. You were thinking…" Alice looked at Tracy.

"I know you aren't thrilled with me taking off two weeks before the wedding. But you're still feeling lousy. How about postponing the wedding until later?"

Alice sighed and felt a tear rolled down her face.

"Hey, I still want to marry you. But I'm leaving for Paris in a week, you are still getting over the bout of dehydration, and I don't want a hack job."

"Do you still want a wedding?" Alice asked.

"Yes, but not in a rush. All the paperwork is filed, so legally we're married as we can be right now."

Alice rolled over and sighed. Tracy rubbed her back.

"Lion, I won't go if you don't want me to." Tracy whispered, kissing Alice's ear.

"No, I want you to go if this means you'll only be part-time at ELQ. I'll survive. " Alice turned her head for a kiss.

"Mmmmm….how do you feel?" Tracy asked, running her fingers along a strap.

"I suppose we could try." Alice rolled back over and pulled Tracy to her.

"How will I live for a week without you?" Tracy slipped Alice's tank top off.

"Oh, you'll live, I imagine. But who will rub my back?" Alice asked. "And bring me crackers? And ah….do that…."

"Well, I guess Brook will do the first two and as for the third well, we'll just need to do the hell out of that before I leave…" Tracy kissed the soft skin, making Alice shiver.

"I love it when you have plans…"Alice groaned, glancing at the clock. "Tiger, it's four."

"Mmmmm, have you ever notice that you have the cutest belly button?"

"No, I mean, oh…Brook should be home soon." Alice tried to think why that was important.

"She isn't invited." Tracy chuckled.

Ah. Alice lightly pushed Tracy off her. "Tiger, why don't you put the do not disturbed sign on the door and lock it?"

"Ah. So logical." Tracy laughed. She slipped out of bed, grabbed the sign and locking the door." So, now what?" Her hands traced Alice's waistband.

"Mmmmm…perhaps you need a refresher course…"

"I'm eager to learn."

Alice smiled and gently kissed Tracy.

--------

"You ok?" Tracy asked, kissing Alice's shoulder.

"Mmmmm. I'm wonderful." Alice said.

"What will I do in Paris without my favorite pastime?"

"You'll managed." Alice rolled over.

"It's a week. Then I'm yours."

"You better be mine anytime." Alice kissed Tracy. Tracy moaned.

"Another round?"

"I'd love to but I think Brook's probably downstairs, wondering where we are." Alice slipped out of bed pulling on a robe.

"I love you." Tracy stretched lazily, got out of bed and pulled on pants and Alice's shirt.

"Shirt-thief."

"Ah, but you love it."

"I do." Alice sighed.

Tracy looked at Alice. "Why don't you and the cubs take a shower while we cook for you?"

"O.k." Alice smiled.

--------

"Hey, Burroughs." Tracy said, kissing Brook Lyn's head.

"Hey, Granny. Where's Mimi? Maw-ma?"

"Alice is fine for now. Although, Mimi isn't half-bad. Maybe nana. Anyway thank you for starting dinner. We need to talk to you about something."

"Everything's ok?"

"Everything is fine." Alice tapped her stomach, coming down the stairs. "I think I'll feel better in a couple weeks. " She sat down and drank the milk Tracy pour for her.

"So…." Brook Lynn said.

"We decided to postpone the wedding for now." Tracy said.

"Why? Are you guys ok?"

"Alice's just not up to it now." Tracy placed her hand over Alice's.

"And with your grandmother's trip coming up so suddenly, it's just not good timing." Alice finished.

"But everything's fine?" Brook Lyn eyed them suspiciously.

"Well, I'm not thrilled about leaving you two right now." Tracy said.

"I'm not happy with her leaving to go to the most romantic city in world without me but other that, yes everything is fine."

"You'll bring me back something cool?" Brook Lyn pouted.

"Yes."

--------

"That went well." Tracy said as she made a list later that night.

"Mmmmm." Alice grunted as she practiced the yoga moves Wexler suggested.

"If you need help, I'm sure Monica or Epiphany will help. I think she just gets insecure with people leaving sometimes, which is pretty common for divorced kids….what are you doing?"

"Yoga. It should help with labor and with flexible in general."

"Ah. I think I like the idea of you being flexible." Tracy kissed Alice.

"Do you want to see downward dog?" Alice asked innocently.

"That sounds intriguing." Tracy said, moving closer.

"Hmmm….suddenly I'm not in mood for yoga…."

"Oh?"

"But I'm in the mood for something…." Alice reached over and tickled Tracy. Laughing, Tracy gasped for breath.

"Stop it! Lion!" Tracy said, "Did you heard that?"
Alice paused, listening for a second.

"Another one?" She asked. "It's only one-fifteen. I wouldn't think she would've asleep long enough."

"She's been asleep since eleven-thirty. I'll go. " Tracy slipped on a nightgown. "I wouldn't hold my breathe for us tonight."

Alice nodded. Since September 11th, Brook Lyn had nightmares occasionally, but especially when she was stressed about something.

Tracy rubbed Brook Lyn's back.

"Hey there, sleepy girl." Tracy cooed.

"Granny…" Brook Lyn sniffed, holding a stuffed bear named Sidney. Suddenly Tracy got an image of what her granddaughter was as a five-year-old.

"Yeah…" Tracy brushed dark hair off a tear stained face.

"You couldn't get out, and mom and dad couldn't get out, and planes kept coming…."

"Shhhh…o.k. well, let's call your parents. They're in…." Tracy looked to the touring schedule posted on the wall. "…. Denver. So, that's what? Three hours behind. O.k. we might not get dad but we'll get mom." Tracy went to grabbed her phone.

She slipped back into Brook Lyn's bed, which made the girl snuggled in.

"Hey, Lois? It's Tracy. One-thirty in the morning. Brook had nightmare and she just wanted to hear your voice, I think."

"Momma?" Brook Lyn listened. "Yeah, the Towers. Really?" She turned to Tracy. "Dad sang the new song we wrote last month. Yeah, pretty big. I dunno. Maybe Alison after Uncle Alan. I like Addison, after Addison on Grey's. Yeah maybe. O.k. I love you, too." Brook Lyn handed the phone to Tracy.

"Hello Lois? Yeah, it's Tracy. Yeah, I think it's just the fact I'm leaving on a business trip this week. Paris. Um, maybe. I don't know her schedule yet. But right now, since it's like almost two and she has school tomorrow, I think I want her to try to sleep. O.k. night." Tracy hung up the phone." O.k. Burroughs, why don't you slipped on your earphones and I'll rub your back until you fall sleep."

"O.k. Dad sent me some new tunes. I'll listen to them."

"Good." Tracy briefly wondered if she could handle this for another eighteen years.

"Night, Granny."

"Night, sweetheart."

---

"So do you want have sex?" Alice mumbled when Tracy returned to bed.

"What? Ah, no, babe, sleep." Tracy kissed her wife briefly.

"Burroughs ok?"

"Mmm-mmm. Cubs ok?"

"I thought I felt a kick. But yeah." Alice rolled over.

"A kick?"

Alice chuckled. "Maybe. Maybe the cubs don't want mommy to go."

"Ah but mommy needs to go. Mere knows that. "

Alice kissed Tracy lightly. "Night. Wake me up if you want to have sex in the morning."

Tracy laid awake in bed with that thought in her mind. For a very long time.