Disclaim - oh, you know the drill. pick one.

Well, some of you said you already really dislike Emily's mother. Don't worry, you'll hate the battleax by the time I am done with her.

In addition, I had mentioned several times that Emily use to date Kate's cousin. I decided that needs to be resolved, and that is this chapter. Alan will come back eventually. I have torture... I mean a storyline for him as always.

Chapter 9 – Worth Fighting For

Professor Charles Eppes kept trying not to laugh. But it was rather hard when you older brother, now a grandfather, was acting like a kid on Christmas morning. Katie was coming home. Not for good of course, but as Don put it, he would take what he could get. And as much as he knew that Don and his wife were anxious to see their only daughter, they were desperate to see their first grandchild. Baby Jason was almost two weeks old and while Kate had e-mailed pictures of the infant, Don had waited far too long for this moment.

"Charlie, what is so funny?"

Smirking, Charlie answered, "You. Don, it's just going to be Kate, Scott and the baby. Just family, their not like guests are coming…Calm down."

"OK, Chuck, let's review a few facts. Fact number one, I haven't seen Kate since Andy got married, and that was four months ago. Fact number two, unlike yourself, who was actually in the room when Margaret had Nick, and just outside when Ben's wife had Norrie, my one and only grandchild is almost two weeks old and I haven't even touched him, forget hold him, yet."

"Fact three," Don's wife called from the kitchen "You are going to have a stroke before they get here if you don't calm down."

Charlie snickered, Don glowered and the doorbell rang. Both men jumped up and ran for the door. Kate stood on the front step, holding Don's grandson. Once more in his life, a tiny baby grabbed a piece of his heart. Two of the other babies who had done so smiled at Don's rapturous enchantment with the child he quickly took into his arms. The first baby hugged the other as uncle and niece greeted each other. As Charlie made to guide Kate and Scott into the house, he noticed the young woman who stood slightly behind them.

"Oh, Uncle Charlie, this is the even newer than Jason in newest Tracys. Dr. Emily Tracy, Professor Charles Eppes. Uncle Charlie, this is John's new wife Emily."

Emily smiled and shook the mathematician's hand. "Hello Professor Eppes. I hitched a ride with Scott and Kate because of a meeting I had at Cedar Sinai, but we had barely landed when I got a call the meeting had to be changed to tomorrow morning. So Kate insisted I come along. I hope you don't mind?"

Charlie smiled at the young woman, recalling the older blond Tracy son from both Kate's wedding and his son Edward's family-only housewarming. The entire Tracy clan had been there, as had the Eppes and it had been the perfect place for the announcement that Jason was on his way. Blond and blue-eyed like her spouse, Emily Tracy was tiny and delicate, reminding him of a porcelain doll. Yet there was a strength about her that belied her physical appearance. Charlie wondered if this Tracy daughter-in-law had also joined the Thunderbirds.

"So," Charlie asked, "Is that doctor as in doctoral or doctor as in medicine?"

Emily sat next to Charlie on the loveseat – the proud parents and grandparents were on the couch admiring the baby- and answered "Doctor as in medical. I was working at Mercy in Auckland when Alan came in looking for a doctor to deliver the baby. I ended up going with him. Later, the Tracys approached me about running a clinic they are helping to establish in Akaroa…"

"Akaroa? Wasn't that the village that was wiped out by a tsunami last year?" Kate's mother interjected, having overheard Charlie and Emily's conversation.

Don and Charlie noticed how quiet and sad Kate got at that. They remembered the news stories of the time, how the Thunderbirds had evacuated the village ahead of the wave; except for one old man who refused to go and had died in the disaster. A success by most standards, but Kate would have taken something like that hard. Seeing the sorrow on his daughter's face Don quickly changed the subject, insisting his grandson looked just like him. This made everyone laugh as Jason was clearly the image of his father and paternal grandfather.

"What's so funny?"

Dr. Edward Eppes came into the living room, holding open his arms for a hug from his cousin. An admiring phrase for the newest Eppes grandchild and a handshake for that child's father complete, the surgeon turned to greet his own father when he saw Emily. Freezing in shock, Edward barely heard his uncle begin to introduce him when both doctors spoke at once, both saying, "We've met."

Emily gave a shaky smile, explaining, "I use to work at Cedars, so I already knew Edward. I even met Kate once before. It was one reason why I went with Alan to deliver Jason. I knew how much Edward loved his little cousin and wanted to make sure she – and the baby – was OK."

Puzzled by his son's odd behavior, Charlie became more confused when he added, "Which worked out great for everyone, right Dr. Tracy?" Before Emily could ask Charlie to simply call her Emily, Edward croaked, "Dr. TRACY?"

With a tight smile, Scott was the one who responded. "Yes, Emily married my brother John a week ago. Is there a problem?"

His sole response to turn and walk away confused the Eppes, but the Tracys – especially the Tracy women – understood. "Excuse me," Emily muttered. "I have to talk to him." Scott got up as if to follow his sister-in-law, when his wife grabbed him by the belt and yanked him back into his seat. "Leave it Scott Tracy or I swear, everything I threatened to do to you when I was in labor, I will."

Torn between his family obligation to protect his brother's wife when said brother wasn't there and a desire to protect his potential to have more children of his own, Scott obediently sat back on the couch while the older generations of Eppes tried to ignore what was going on with the younger.

Emily caught up with Edward in the backyard. He had been about to cut through his sister Margaret's yard to get to his parents' house where he had parked his car. Anything to get away… Suddenly, Dr, Haas – sorry, Dr. Tracy was standing in front of him, blocking his path. "Edward, you have no right to be this upset. We broke up, I moved away. I am sure you haven't been crying over my leaving every night."

Refusing to look her in the face at first, Edward turned and asked, "You wouldn't even discuss marriage and then you turn around and marry some other guy. Well, I guess that he is the son of a billionaire helps…" SLAP.

Not realizing their words were carrying through an open window, the other Eppes winced in pain for their own – that sounded like it had hurt. But they realized Edward was hurting inside as well as Emily shot back, "Tracy money had nothing to do with it. I know my mother talked to you when I refused to see her. I know you know everything about my family; about the money, about the social status, about her – their – attitude on eugenics. And if you knew me at all you know none of that meant anything to me. I am not like them. I never have been. And if I had loved you as you deserve to be loved, I would have fought tooth and nail for that love. But while I loved you, I wasn't in love with you. I was sad when we broke up, but oddly enough, I wasn't heartbroken. From what Kate said, you weren't either. I know it is mainly wounded pride today, Edward, but I still consider you a good friend and I never want to lose that."

Musing over her words, Edward said "So you loved me, just not enough."

Emily gave a sad smile. "You were important enough for me to worry and care, but not enough to fight for."

"And you love John Tracy enough to fight for?"

"Yes." Emily did not elaborate. She didn't have to. The strength of her love, her commitment shone through.

High above the Earth, on Thunderbird Five, John Tracy smiled. Scott had activated his wrist communicator and made sure it was audio-send only. He had been worried about Emily going on the trip to Los Angeles to try and persuade the hospital to be a partner in the Clinic just as Mercy General was. John had known his wife was worried about seeing Edward again. But his delicate wife had the steel inside her to face any ghosts, take on any challenges and better yet, she had just declared that he was worth fighting for.

a/n -don't worry, Emily was right, the only hurting for Edward was wounded pride. And was that Scott sneaky or what? But that was the perfect thing for Emily to say, assuring her husband that she truly does love him. So sweet. OK - a little action next. A tad fuzzy, sorry, just got back from HP7 release party. going to go finish the book now, probably won't resurface until Sunday. See ya!