Title: Tribe 3: Wonderwall
Chunk 12: Sections 56 thru 60
Fandom: The Tribe
Author: PinkTribeChick
Summary: I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me . . . Life goes on for the Mall Rats after the Chosen take over the city.
Extended Summary: Essentially, this is an Alternate Universe story for Series 3 and beyond of the Tribe. I won't say anything more than that, because I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who have never read this before
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Too many to name! But Bray-Amber, Lex-Zandra, Ryan-Salene, and Jack-Ellie, for starters. There will also be some Tribe-character with original character pairings.
Author's Notes: Again many thanks as always go to Brett The Mole, as he was the one who talked me into sharing this story with others when I first started writing it, and he was the one who kept bugging me to complete it. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without you, Brett! And major thanks to Ariannya, Whit, and all the others who at various times read and proofed sections for me and gave me their invaluable feedback.
Okay - I've given you guys TWO chunks today instead of one, since I went a couple of weeks without updating. I expect some reviews in return, okay?
Enjoy, and please review! Feedback is much appreciated!
Disclaimer: All characters, situations, and song lyrics remain the property of their respective owners. Troy Wisneski belongs to the author Paula Boock, from her Tribe novel "Power and Chaos." Any original characters are sole property of me, PinkTribeChick. The lyrics used in this chunk are from "This Used To Be My Playground" by Madonna.
Tribe 3: Wonderwall
Sections 56 thru 60
"This used to be my playground, used to be. This used to be my childhood dream. This used be the place I ran to, whenever I was in need," Amber sang to Michael, rocking him to sleep. Bray stood in the doorway watching them. He'd never realized she had such a beautiful voice. She could have easily gone on tour with Sasha when he'd offered before, but instead, she had chosen to stay at the mall with Bray and the others. Smiling, Bray realized how lucky he was that she'd done that, and how fate had a funny way of stepping into things. It made him all the more convinced that he was meant to be with her forever.
Amber put Michael in his crib and pulled the blankets over him, tucking him in with his teddy bear. She kissed her fingertips and touched his forehead with them. She slowly turned around and looked at her feet bashfully when she saw Bray standing in the doorway.
"You have an incredible voice," he said quietly, walking over to her. He put his arms around her waist, kissing her on the forehead.
"Thanks," she said modestly. She stood up on tiptoe, kissing him lightly on the lips. "I'm going to bed."
"Is that an invitation?" he asked, grinning.
"Maybe. If you can manage to keep me awake long enough. I'm exhausted," she said, yawning. She had dark circles under her eyes.
"Come here, you," he said gently, picking her up. Cradling her in his arms, he carried her upstairs. By the time he reached their room, she was asleep with her head on his shoulder. So, he just put her in bed, after taking her shoes off, and covered her up with a blanket. He kissed her gently on the lips. Then he quietly crept out of the room and down to the café.
"Hey, Jack," Tzara said, as she walked into the hardware shop. He was on the computer researching again, but mostly just trying to avoid Ellie.
"What do you want?" he asked grouchily. He took a sip of coffee.
"Geez . . . no need to bite my head off, Jack," Tzara said quietly.
"Sorry," he responded, turning red. He turned to face her. "What can I do for you, Tzara?"
"Um . . . well, I was going to ask Amber about it, but she's already asleep, so I thought I'd ask you, since you're the next person who knows Dal the best," she said shyly.
"So, what do you want to know about him? If he snores when he sleeps, because I can testify to that one," Jack said, grinning.
"No . . . but his birthday is coming up, and I wanted to do something special for him. Since he's done so much for me and all, and because I care about him so much. Do you have any suggestions?" she asked quietly.
"Hmm . . . well, if he were still working at the farm regularly, I'd say get him some equipment, but that's not really very romantic, is it?" he said. Tzara shook her head. "Well . . . you're his girlfriend now, right?"
"That I am, and happily, I might add," she answered.
"Well . . . Dal's never had a girlfriend before, so he's never had any of that romantic stuff done for him before. Like candle-lit dinners and picnics and stuff. I'd say try that," Jack said. Tzara smiled.
"Okay . . . I think I'll try that," she said. "Thanks, Jack." She gave him a quick hug and walked out of the room. A few seconds later, Ellie walked into the room.
"I was looking everywhere for you," Ellie said quietly.
"Well, I was in here the whole time, Ell," he said, not looking at her. He started to type on the computer again.
"What did Tzara want?" Ellie asked, trying to feign innocence.
"She wanted to know if I had any ideas about what she could do for Dal for his birthday, that's all," Jack said.
"Are you sure?" Ellie asked suspiciously. Jack spun around angrily to face her.
"Yes, that was all, Ellie! All that has ever been between Tzara and I is friendship! That's it! I don't know why you're so paranoid about it, but I can't take it anymore!" he screamed at her in frustration. Ellie backed up against the wall as Jack took a swing at some of the stuff on the counter, knocking it all to the floor.
"What are you saying, Jack?" Ellie said softly, frightened by his sudden outburst.
"That's just it, Ellie. It's over. I can't do this anymore." He walked out of the room silently. Ellie crumpled to the ground, crying.
Bray heard Michael crying from where he sat in the café. He waited a moment, thinking the baby's crying would wake Amber up, and she would attend to him. But Michael continued to cry, his screams getting louder. Bray finally stood up and walked to the nursery, Michael's cries quieting down. He found Zandra in the nursery, holding Michael.
"Shhh . . . it's okay, sweetie. Auntie Zandra's here. Mommy needs her sleep. She's very ill," Zandra said, jiggling the little boy in her arms a little. She kissed him on the top of his head.
"Amber's just fine. She's not sick," Bray said, coming into the room. He took Michael from Zandra's arms. "Thanks for tending to him. I don't know why Amber didn't wake up with him screaming as loudly as he was."
"Amber is sick, Bray. She may hide it very well, but she is ill. She's been sick since the last couple of months she was pregnant with him," Zandra said quietly. "I'm worried about Amber, Bray. She gets more and more exhausted with each passing day, and I'm the only one that seems to notice it, because I've seen the symptoms before."
"Symptoms of what?" Bray asked, confused. He laid Michael down in his crib again, sound asleep.
"The last two months before she gave birth to Michael, she became very exhausted. It was hard for her to even get out of bed in the mornings. She started to lose weight, a little at a time, which isn't normal for a pregnant woman, and she was using the restroom a lot and constantly drinking fluids, yet still always thirsty. After she gave birth, we thought it would go away, but it didn't. About a month later, it was worse than before, and she collapsed, so Troy sent for a doctor. I know, what can a teenage doctor with no degree do? That's probably what you're thinking. But this doctor specialized in chemistry and such, and he did a few blood tests," she said.
"And what did he find?" Bray asked, suddenly feeling nervous.
"She's got diabetes. It was brought on mostly by the pregnancy, and in most cases of motherhood diabetes that develop during pregnancy, it goes away after the child is born. But Amber's didn't. So the doctor proposed that it might have been lying dormant in her system all along, waiting for something to set it loose. And being pregnant with Michael did that. She can control it with diet, which is what she has been doing, but every so often, she gets run-down and physically exhausted and grows sick for a few days. And I think that's what's happening. She's showing all the signs of it. She's been losing weight again, drinking fluids constantly, and everything else. If you know what to look for, you'll see it," Zandra said.
"Bray, I think she needs a break. Running the tribe, along with taking care of Michael and planning for a wedding is getting to be too much for her. She's not getting enough sleep, which even with her eating right, still affects her. She's constantly on the go, never stopping for breath. I've tried talking to her about it, but it doesn't do any good. She won't listen to me. She thinks that she has to keep going because there's no one else to take charge, simply because that's what you guys told her."
"But it doesn't have to be all on her shoulders now. Ebony's got Troy covered on her own, and Lex and I can help her run things, as well as me and everyone else helping with Michael. And she's got you, Tai-San, and Dal to help with the wedding. She knows that," Bray said.
"I know she does, but she doesn't want to let you and the others down. The only way she's going to listen is if someone tells her it's alright to let off her load a little bit. She needs some rest, or she's going to end up really sick again," Zandra said. "And the only person she'll listen to is you. That's why I'm telling you about it."
"Alright. I'll try talking to her in the morning, but I can't make any guarantees that it will make any difference. You know how pigheaded she can be," Bray said.
"Yes, I know. But I also know how much she loves you, the baby, and everyone else. She wants to see Michael grow up, and see the little ones go off on their own, and to grow old with you. She knows she has to take care of herself to be able to do that. She just needs to know that it's okay that she takes better care of herself rather than the others from now on," Zandra said. Bray nodded. "I'm going to go back to bed. Amber and I are working on her dress tomorrow, so I need some sleep. Night, Bray."
"Night, Zan. And thanks for telling me," Bray said.
"No problem," Zandra said, smiling sympathetically at him. She walked quietly out of the room as Bray sat down in the rocking chair to think.
Patsy sat glumly on the stairs, staring off into space. It didn't seem fair, Cloe being the first to have a boyfriend. It wasn't so much that it was KC, because Patsy had never fancied him at all, it was just that she felt left out and left behind. Now they were always kissing, or cuddling, or making googly eyes at each other, and didn't want to do anything else. Patsy had never felt so alone in her life. She felt someone sit down beside her, but didn't bother to look over at them. She was too caught up in thinking to say hello.
"You okay?" a quiet, deep voice asked. She looked up to see Charlie sitting next to her, smiling shyly. He looked much better now, since he'd taken a bath and gotten new clothes. He wore a long-sleeved, white button-up shirt, a pair of electric blue trousers, and a neon orange vest. Patsy had to admit, he was rather cute.
"Oh . . . hi . . . yeah, I'm fine," Patsy replied. She sighed loudly.
"You don't seem like you're fine. I've been here a week, and I've yet to see you smile. All you ever do is frown and sigh in frustration. Why?" he asked.
"I'd rather not talk about it, if that's okay," she said softly.
"Alright. That's fine. If you ever want to talk, though, I'm here. Anyway, I'll just sit here with you then, if you don't mind," he said. He looked straight ahead. They sat silently for a few moments.
"I hate feeling this way!" Patsy suddenly exclaimed, turning to him.
"Hate feeling what way?" he said, laughing slightly at her sudden outburst.
"I hate feeling so alone!" she said.
"Why do you feel alone? You're surrounded by people who love you. How could you possibly feel alone?" he responded. Patsy looked away from him again, tears filling her eyes.
"Them . . . Cloe and KC are supposed to be my best friends, but now that they're a thing, they're leaving me out completely. We used to be the Three Musketeers. I hate it, and I hate them for falling for each other," Patsy said bitterly, pointing at KC and Cloe, who had just come in from outside. They were taking off their coats, and KC was laughing at Cloe as she fumbled with a stuck zipper.
"Now, that's not true. I know you don't hate them. And it's not their faults for feeling as they do. I do agree, it's not fair of them to make you feel left out, but they're probably not even aware that they're doing it, Patsy," he said. "And they're not your only friends."
"No, they're just my best friends. Or they were, anyway," Patsy said, tears falling down her cheeks.
"Have you tried talking to them about it?" he asked.
"Yeah . . . and they say they'll try to include me more, but they never do, because they forget," Patsy said, looking down at her hands.
"Well, then I say it's their loss," Charlie said. "Come here." He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him, as she continued to cry. "It'll be okay." He inhaled her fragrance. She smelled of vanilla and cinnamon. Her hair was soft and warm against his cheek, he could feel her shaking as she sobbed. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful, perfect girl he'd ever met in his entire life. He just hated seeing her so upset.
"It's n-not going to b-be okay," she said, stuttering as she wept. "Things wh-will n-never b-be the s-same again."
"Patsy, life's full of changes. You can't expect everything to always be the same. Nothing ever stays the same. You should know that," Charlie said. "You're growing up. Everyone is. Like it or not, we're all going to be adults someday."
"I know. It just hurts," she said. He put a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes.
"Well, I'll be your best friend from now on. How does that sound?" he said.
"Good, I guess," she replied, sniffling.
"And I won't ever let you down or leave you out, I promise," he said. "Now, I want you to stop that crying and come upstairs with me. Sienna needs some help moving the furniture around in her room." Patsy wiped her eyes.
"Alright. I'll be up in a second," she said. Charlie nodded, patting her on the back lightly. He stood up and walked upstairs, leaving Patsy be herself again. She dried her eyes off, then went to the café and got a napkin. She blew her nose, then walked off toward Sienna's room.
Salene sat up in bed, rubbing her tummy. She'd felt a sharp pain in her back, and it had woken her up. She felt it again, only worse, and cried out in pain. Her scream woke up Ryan, who lay asleep beside her.
"What is it?!" Ryan exclaimed, suddenly very alert as his wife was panting in pain.
"Go . . . get Dal!" she said.
"Has it started?" Ryan asked. Salene nodded, continuing to breath short, sharp breaths. Ryan scrambled out of bed and ran into Dal, KC, and Sasha's bedroom. Dal was fast asleep. "Dal? Wake up!" Ryan shook Dal hard.
"Mmm . . . what?" Dal asked groggily, opening his eyes.
"Salene's in labor! She needs your help!" Ryan said. "Come on!" Dal sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.
"What did you say again, Ryan?" he said, yawning.
"Salene's in labor you idiot! You've got to help her!" Ryan yelled. Instantly, Dal was awake, along with Sasha and KC.
"Dude, what's going on?" Sasha asked, as Ryan hurried out of the room. He watched Dal scramble, trying to get dressed and get the stuff he needed together.
"Salene's having the twins! Sasha, can you go wake Amber and Bray? And Trudy too? I'm going to need their help!" Dal said. He pulled his boots on and grabbed his supplies and ran out of the room. Sasha shook his head, laughing. What a fuss was being made over two little babies. He got up and walked upstairs to Bray and Amber's room. Salene's screams of pain could be heard all over the mall, and he found Bray to be awake already.
"What's going on down there?" Bray said, coming out of the room fully dressed.
"Salene's having the twins. Dal sent me to fetch you, Amber, and Trudy," Sasha replied.
"Amber's been really tired lately. She needs her sleep. You go get Trudy, and I'll get Zandra. She's the only other one that knows what to do. Tell everyone else to go back to sleep, or if they can't, to stay calm and stay out of the way," Bray said. He walked downstairs, as Sasha trudged off to Trudy's room. A few hours later, Trudy held one of Salene's legs up, while Zandra held the other, as Dal sat like Johnny Bench, waiting for the time when Salene could push. Ryan sat beside Salene, holding her hand and helping her to breathe. Bray was in and out bringing supplies for Dal and water for Salene.
"Alright, Salene, I'm going to need you to push. Can you do that for me?" Dal said, getting in position to catch the first baby when it came out. "Bray, I'm going to need those blankets and towels now." Bray nodded and walked out of the room again. "Salene . . . one . . . two . . . three . . . push!" Salene leaned forward and pushed with all her might, holding tightly onto Ryan's hand.
"AHH!" Salene screamed in pain.
"Alright, Salene, you can rest for a moment. Take deep breaths. You're doing very good! I can see the first baby's head!" Dal said.
"Did you hear that, sweetie? He can see the baby's head!" Ryan said excitedly, as Salene leaned her head against his shoulder. Bray came back into the room with towels and blankets, along with Amber, who had just woken up an hour before, carrying a tub of water to wash the babies off with.
"Salene, I need you to push one more time, and then the first baby will be out, and you can rest for a while," Dal instructed. "One . . . two . . . three . . . push!" Salene leaned forward again, bearing down in pain. The first baby slid out, and Dal caught it, handing it to Amber.
"Congratulations, Sal and Ryan! It's a girl!" Amber said, starting to clean the baby girl off.
"We have a little girl?" Salene said, starting to cry. Ryan hugged her, overjoyed. Then Salene started to pant and moan in pain again.
"Here comes her brother or sister!" Dal said. "Alright, Salene, time to push again! One . . . two . . . three . . . push!" Salene pushed one last time, and the second baby came out. Dal handed it to Bray, and Bray and Amber switched babies, Amber cleaning off the new one, and Bray taking the first one over to Salene and Ryan.
"The second one's a boy!" Amber yelled over the crying of the babies. Bray handed Salene the little girl.
"Hi, little one," Salene said, stroking her newborn daughter's cheek. "Isn't she beautiful, Ryan?"
"Looks just like you, so, yeah, she's beautiful," Ryan said proudly. "I love you so much, Salene." He gave her a kiss.
"I love you, too. What are we going to name her?" Salene asked him. Suddenly, Amber walked over, carrying the other baby.
"Here's her little brother," Amber said, handing the baby boy to Ryan. Ryan held the little boy carefully, afraid he might hurt him. "Congratulations!"
"So, what are we going to name them, Ryan?" Salene asked, looking at her husband. Ryan looked at his son, smiling.
"Well, I think we should name him Jakob. How does that sound?" Ryan replied.
"I like that," Salene said, nodding. "And how about the name Kina for this little one?" Ryan nodded.
"Welcome to the Mall Rats, Kina and Jakob!" Dal said, standing up. He walked over to the sink nearby and washed his hands off. Later on, everyone filed in quietly to see the new additions to the Tribe.
"They're so cute!" Cloe said.
"What did you decide to name them?" KC asked, putting his arms around Cloe's waist.
"Kina and Jakob," Ryan said proudly, holding his daughter.
"Well, they're certainly going to be a handful, with the other three babies we have around here," Amber said. "But the more the merrier!" She smiled, holding Bray's hand. Salene smiled, crying tears of joy. "Okay, guys. I think the new Mom and Dad need a little alone time with their kids. Let's go eat breakfast." Amber shooed everyone out of the room. "If you guys need anything, just yell. We'll be right upstairs." They nodded, and she walked out of the room. Ryan laid a sleeping Kina down in her cot, and walked back over to Salene, who was nursing Jakob.
"Hi, Mommy," he said.
"Hi, Daddy," Salene responded, looking up at him. He sat down beside her, putting his arm around her. Salene put her head on his shoulder, as Jakob and she both fell asleep. Ryan had never been happier in his entire life.
That's all for now, folks! Thanks again for reading, now please go and tell me what you thought of what you read! I love reviews – they keep me going! Toodles until later . . .