"Allie!" Flint called out from the nursery, his face filled with pride, just having finishing the room. It was done, finally, and he was proud of himself. He looked around, glancing at the many frogs, with Scottish decor and mixed in with evil plastic things. Soon the room would have a new occupant, a new baby Faireborn. Spring had come early to the farm, after having a light winter, which suited him fine. Early spring meant early seeding and early planting meant better crops. But right now all he cared about was his almost nine month pregnant wife coming in and seeing his gift.
He glanced out the hallway, probably already knowing that she was either on the phone talking with Brenna, or Aunt Brody, or in the fridge. "Allie, get in here! Dufus got Brutus and he's sleeping on him!" He chuckled inside.
Donatello looked up from the floor, tilted his head and ran out of the door, retreating with no bear.
"Never mind!" Flint called out, listening to the steps creaking from her weight and he knew she was climbing those stairs. He left the nursery and raced to the staircase. "Hey, pretty big Momma, need help?"
"Big Momma?!" Jaye exclaimed. "I'm not near as big as I was with Cayden."
"I'm talking about your heart, sweetie." Flint gave her one of his dashing grins. "That's pretty big, even bigger than Big Bird!"
Jaye chuckled. "What are you so excited about?"
"I got a new job," Flint snickered, taking her hand and helping her the rest of the way up the stairs. "I joined Cobra."
"Very funny," Jaye said, smacking his arm.
"That hurt," Flint pouted, his head moving downwards, looking at his G.I. JOE ROCKS shirt, his shoulders hunched, and giving her that puppy dog look.
Jaye laughed and quickly wrapped her arms around him as best she could. "You know I love you."
Flint sniffled. "No you don't, you love peanut butter more than poor little me," he said, making a very sad expression on his face. "Maybe I should sleep with Dufus or Brutus..."
"Oh, quit it." Jaye said with a laugh.
Flint put on a horrified look. "You mean you want me to quit Cobra?" He touched his hand on his chest. "My God! And here I was thinking I had a career in becoming a soldier."
"Dash," Jaye said looking at him. "What did you call me up here for?"
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and then placed his hand over her eyes, covering one, and then covered the other one with his other. "Oh nothing..." he said in soft gentle teasing voice, leading her towards the nursery. He stopped her by the doorway to the yellow, green and soft peach decorated room. "Just this."
He uncovered her eyes and watched her face closely, waiting for the reaction. It came, fast.
Jaye screeched. "Oh Dash, I love it!!" she said excitedly as she threw herself at him.
"I'm glad you do!" Flint smiled from ear to ear, wrapping his arms around her, feeling the excitement of the little Faireborn kicking from inside his wife's stomach. "I love you with all my heart." He bent down and kissed her tenderly, soft and long. He finally broke the kiss and looked into her green eyes. "You make me very happy, Allie."
"Let's see if you still say that when I'm giving birth," she teased.
Flint gulped. "Forgot about that!" he chuckled. "Well, at least this time Lifeline is not near. Unless you want me to call the base and ask for him to come?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.
"I think I've tormented him enough," Jaye said with a laugh then kissed her husband.
"Oh yes, you did," he agreed, rubbing her back gently with his palm. "Remember when you had Cayden and we kept arguing on the names, until finally Shana sat us down at told us to pick a name. So, thinking of a name for this baby Faireborn?"
"Well I was thinking about Aidan Ailis for a boy," Jaye said as she walked over to the rocking chair and sat down.
"It's going to be a girl," Flint casually walked in the room and leaned against the white crib, picking up a doll. He smiled at it, then glanced at his wife. "Trust me."
"What makes you so sure?" Jaye asked.
"I'm always right," Flint smiled. He stuck his tongue out at his wife playfully. "I'm baby psychic!"
"All right, then mister psychic. What should we name her then?" Jaye said throwing a pillow at him.
"How about Contessa Edwinda," Flint suggested, playing with the doll's hair. "Codename: Peanut."
Jaye scrunched up her nose. "How about Blair Cailin, codename: Peanut?"
"Sure, if you want to name her after one of my ex- girlfriends," Flint chuckled at her shocked expression. "How about Eryn Ann?"
Jaye smiled brightly. "That's perfect."
"I knew you would like it," Flint grinned, looking down at the doll, which reminded him of his sister.
It had been three months since he had last seen his little sister and he missed her terribly, they all did. True, Nancy had called them several times but it wasn't the same. They missed her laughter, her love and even those evil plastic things. Her phone conversations were short and rare. True, he had learned from his mother how his little sister felt miserable, barely eating, and even not talking for hours at a time. He wished to help her more than anything. Both he and Jaye kept Ace company, but they also noticed how he too felt the same sadness. He had caught Ace on several occasions holding Nancy's evil plastic thing, her favorite and the one she had left behind. He and Jaye had also agreed that the couple belonged together, they were both miserable without one another.
Nancy had promised Jaye that she would be there when the baby came, and she always kept her promises. He only hoped that nothing would cause another stir with his sister's relationship with her husband.
Jaye got up and went over to her husband and hugged him. "I miss her too."
"You read me like a book," Flint said, wrapping his arms around her and leaned his head on hers. "At least she is coming home for a little while." He hated hearing those words coming out of his mouth. He wanted her to stay more then a short time. They all did. "Should I run to the nearest hotel from all the girl stuff that's going to happen in my house?" he teased.
"Nope, you've got to put up with it," Jaye said. She still was not very big despite being almost nine months pregnant. They worried about their little one. Dr. McCoy told her that the baby was still very small and had started Jaye on steroid injections daily. That duty fell to Flint since Jaye refused to go to the doctor every day.
"Darn, and here I was thinking of retreating," Flint said with a grin.
Jaye chuckled. "Besides you have to give me my shot tonight." She reminded him.
"Nancy can do it," Flint chuckled. "Though she might use that extra long needle and not the children's sized one."
She poked him in the ribs. "That is not funny."
"Ow, I need a needle now," he stated, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let me make you a nice snack while we wait for the girly shrieks to start. She said she'd come, right?" Now getting nervous if his sister wouldn't show.
"She promised me, Honey. She's never broke a promise to me," Jaye told her husband as they started walking out of the nursery.
"Alright," Flint kissed the side of her head. "Feeling less tired?" he asked careingly. "I don't want you to over do it now. Remember, Docs orders, take it easy." He led her down the stairs carefully and slowly.
"I'm alright." Jaye told him. "I just can't wait to hold our Peanut."
"Me too!" Flint said with excitement. "You think Cayden's going to be jealous?" He led her to the kitchen, sitting her into a chair.
"Honey, he calls me a couple of times a day to see how I am or if I'm having any contractions. What do you think?" Jaye said as she rubbed her rounded belly.
"I think he's excited that he's getting a new sibling, or that Pre Med has gone to his head," Flint chuckled. "Hey, I was very jealous when my parents brought Brenna, and when Nancy came..." His voice trailed off now missing both sisters.
A car door shutting closed came to their ears and they heard the barking greeting of Dufus and Cassie with a female's gentle giggle.
"NANCY!!!" Jaye exclaimed and started to run out of the kitchen.
Flint burst out laughing. He rushed to his wife. "Wait until she's inside until you ambush her!"
Footsteps came heard from the porch and in a short second, the door knocked. "It's Cobra Commander, let me in! I came for tea!" Nancy's voice echoed from the other side.
"Uhh, how I know it's you, Commander?" Flint asked, walking behind the door.
"Just wait until I get your beret!" Nancy threatened from the other side.
Flint chuckled and opened the door, letting the dogs in first and then his sister. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her for a long moment. "I missed you," he said, kissing her on the cheek.
"Allie, help, your husband is suffocating me," Nancy stated, but enjoying the embrace.
"NANCY!!!" Jaye exclaimed and joined in the hug.
"Oh sure, join his side," Nancy smiled, getting squished from both ends. "Cobra retreat." Her lips curved into a small smile. "I've missed you both."
Jaye let go of her. "Come in and sit."
"Allie!" Nancy really took a glance at her sister-in-law. "Look at you! You look fantastic! Baby Faireborn has really grown!"
Jaye looked down at her stomach. "I really wish that were true."
"Allie, trust me, the baby is fine," Nancy said gently, taking the other woman's hand. She went to step but felt a tug. "Dash, will you let go!"
"Oops, sorry," Flint smiled, letting go. "Here, give me your coat." He helped her out of her coat, and his smile faded, realizing how true his mother's were that Nancy barely ate. And to his mother's words, he would have said, as thin as a March twig. But he remained quiet, heading to the coat closet, letting the two of them talk.
"Brenna was only slightly larger that you are right now, but not much and look at our Molly now," Nancy continued, leading Jaye to the couch. "But does it matter how big or small the baby is? As long as she or he is healthy?"
"According to the doctors it is," Jaye said sounding a little worried. "They put me on daily steroid injections."
"Needles?" Nancy shivered, helping Jaye sit down on the couch, and placed a pillow behind her back. "Dash better be giving them to you."
"I am," Flint claimed, walking in, and sitting down in the oversized chair. "How is everyone?"
"Great, I have to tell you about Mom and Dad's new neighbors, and Brenna's new business! And the kids—"
"Woah, woah, woah!" Flint rose his hands in the air. "I think we have plenty of time to hear all that. Right, Allie?"
"Yep, we do," Jaye said happily. "But first we better get you something to eat."
Nancy slowly nodded. "I'm not too hungry at the moment, but I won't mind making you one of my Nancy's specials."
Flint's eyebrows shot up. That's it! Time for Plan B! He winked at Jaye, and cleared his throat, "Ahem, Nancy, you look tired..."
"No, I'm not," Nancy protested, still holding Jaye's hands in hers.
"Yeah, you do. How about we go upstairs and I show you the nursery then you and I can lay down and watch a movie together while Dash cooks," Jaye said giddily.
"I'm not tired, I just—" Nancy started to say, but was yanked off the couch from Jaye's excitement. "Okay, okay!" They slowly walked up the stairs, down the hall and into the nursery. "Allie! It's wonderful!"
"Dash did it all and he wouldn't let me see it until he finished it this morning," Jaye said happily.
"Wow! I have to take pictures for everyone to see!" Nancy said amazed. She glanced at the frogs, and at the evil plastic things. She walked over to the crib and picked up a small Scottish dressed doll. "The baby is going to have one extraordinary life, you know. I will there for her or him, even if I'm not close by. I promise."
"I wish you'd come home, Nancy. I've missed you so much," Jaye said with tears in her eyes.
"I've missed you too." Nancy placed the doll back in its place and walked over to her sister-in-law and hugged her. "But you know I can't come home. This isn't my home anymore." Her own lump came to her throat. "Maybe Dash is right, I should rest a bit. It must be the jetlag."
"Come on. You can lie down in my bed. There's lots of pillows," Jaye said and lead her to the bedroom.
"Thanks Allie, for being there," Nancy said, kissing her on the cheek. "I'm glad Dashie doesn't let you climb up and down those stairs all day, otherwise I would kick him where the sun don't shine!" She walked over to the bed, resting her head on the pillow, and a yawn escaped.
Jaye kissed her forehead. "Get some rest. I'll come and get you when lunch is ready." She smiled then turned and left the room. "Dash..." she called from the top of the steps. Walking down them increasingly got harder and harder.
Flint rushed up the stairs. "Here, let me help." He picked her up gently, and walked down the stairs slowly. "There you go, Lady Alison," he said, placing her on the couch. He kissed her gently and grabbed the phone from the small table. He dialed the number and waited, on the third ring, it was answered. "Brad! Hurry! Allie's water broke and I can't get her out of the bathtub! She's having the baby!" He motioned for Jaye to fake a yell.
"Dash, please, it hurts!!!" Jaye yelled as if she was in pain.
"I'm on my way!" Ace exclaimed from the other end and hung up.
"Show time," Flint wiggled his eyebrows up and down, then covered his wife completely with an blanket, so Ace could not get a glimpse. "Operation Get Together on." He walked by the door waiting for Ace to run down the path leading from his house to theirs. His eyes widened, already getting a glimpse of him, running at top speed, holding something brown. As the pilot raced towards the Faireborn home, Flint identified the brown object as Samantha, the evil plastic thing. "Hurry!"
Ace raced towards the house, jumped over all four steps on the porch and rushed inside.
"Upstairs!" Flint grabbed the man's hand before he could even say the word, Where, and dragged him up the stairs. "She's in our bathroom!" He let go of Ace. "I'll get some towels!" He rushed into another room, leaving the pilot alone in the hallway.
"Okay!" Ace charged into the room and dashed into the bathroom. He stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted the tub not only empty but no Jaye in sight. Turning around he took a few steps forward and once again stopped dead in his tracks. There, a few feet in front of him, on his brother-in-law's bed, sleeping in a small ball was his world. "Nancy," his breath said, escaping, but no answer came.
He took two steps toward the bed, wanting with all his heart to rush to her and hold her forever, but he didn't. He glanced down at her peaceful features and her closed eyes, listening to her gentle breathing. He didn't hear the lock on the door, nor the evil chuckle of Flint's, leaving him inside the room, trapped.
"Dash don't forget the bathroom door leading from our room," Jaye reminded her husband, her voice coming from the bottom of the stairs. Their bathroom had an entrance from the hallway as well as one from the bedroom.
"Already done!" Flint hollered, while the sound of his footsteps sounded going down the stairs.
Ace turned to leave but when he tried the door he found it locked. "Damn," he said to himself.
"Brad?" Nancy's soft voice came to his to his ear, making him turn, but still noticed her eyes were closed. Nancy tossed her head back and forth. "Brad?" she called out louder.
Ace went over to her and knelt down beside the bed. He gently brushed hair away from her face. "I'm here, Honeybear."
Nancy stirred slowly awake, her eyelids slowly opening. She blinked, twice, seeing his blue eyes so very close to her brown ones. "Brad," she whispered his name. "Oh, Brad!" She launched herself, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him.
"Oh, Nancy," Ace said as he held her tightly. "Oh, Honey." He started to sob slightly.
"I've missed you, Ace," Nancy admitted, holding him tighter, her own tears starting to travel down her cheeks. She stroked his head gently. "Don't cry."
"I...I can't help it. I've missed you. I've been miserable," he said, then pulled her to him again.
"You are not the only one miserable," Nancy said gently. "Forgive me. Please." Her lump left her throat and she let out a sob, clinging onto him. "I failed you, Ace. I failed to be there for you, and I failed you as a wife."
"Oh baby, you haven't failed. I'm the one that failed. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do it. Please come home, please. I promise to do better. I swear," Ace said, his voice full of tears.
Nancy looked at him, taking hold of his face with both of her trembling hands. "I pushed you to do it, Brad. I pushed you to gamble like that."
"No, Honey," Ace said, his face flush and glistening with tears.
"We should had talked about it more than we did," Nancy said, taking one of her fingers and brushing his tear away. "But we never talked, did we? I guess we both thought it would go away." She hung her head, feeling guilty.
Ace used his finger to raise her chin so she was looking at him. "We can do that now."
Nancy slowly nodded, her lips trembling from trying to control her tears. She glanced down towards his lap, and her heart skipped a beat. "S-Samantha," she said, looking up to his eyes. "You have Samantha with you."
"I...I've kept her with me. I feel closer to you when I do," Ace admitted.
She touched his cheek gently with her hand, feeling the slight roughness of a beard growing. "Every time I saw a plane, I thought of you." She held her breath for moment. "No, that was a lie, Brad. The truth is I thought of you every second I was not in your arms."
Ace hugged her tightly again. "Oh, Nan. Please come home."
Nancy leaned against his chest, now her entire body trembling. "I want to come home," she cried. "I want to be with you. We are going to battle the gambling together Brad, even if I have to lose everything else, I only want you."
"Honey, I haven't been gambling in four months. We aren't going to lose anything. I promise. Allie helped me get into Gamblers Anonymous," Ace told her.
"Oh, Ace," Nancy clung to him, holding him. "I should had been there to help you through this. But I'm here now, and I'm never leaving you." Her heart pulsed madly in her chest, thinking of them together, their lives, their little world with no little ones to share it with. Her braveness became lost and she burst into tears. "I'm sorry. It's not fair," she sobbed in his chest, holding his shirt tight with her hands. "I want to give you a child and I can't. I cant."
"Then we'll adopt. The child doesn't have to be our flesh and blood for us to love it," Ace told her, very happy that she was home.
"You would adopt?" Nancy asked him through her tears. "For me?" Still not believing what he had just told her.
"I would do anything for you," Ace told her honestly.
Nancy sobbed, clinging on, never letting go. "I love you," she cried, her wet cheeks getting wetter from the countless tears trailing down.
"I love you more than you'll ever know," Ace said and kissed her lovingly on the lips.
Nancy wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tighter, deepening in the kiss, allowing them both to fly from its power. Time became lost in the solid kiss until like all things, it had to end. She stared in his eyes. "I know, Ace. I really know," she said, edging her lips closer, kissing him passionately once again, showing her love for him, all of it.
Ace held her tightly, afraid to let her go.
"DASH!!!!" They heard Jaye scream.
Nancy and Ace looked at one another, knowing something wasn't right. "Bra—" Nancy went to say but Ace was already on his feet, charging at the door, he yanked it open, breaking the old lock, then rushed over, grabbed her by the hand and led her down the hallway and down the stairs, their feet pounding the wood underneath them.
"Allie?" Nancy and Ace asked, spotting Jaye holding her stomach and Flint rushing around like an insane man.
Flint looked up, spotted them. "Her water broke! She's having the baby!" he said, before he swayed and hit the floor, passing out from the truth that the baby Faireborn was ready to come to this world.