"Even the hard-headed and tough people can break."

~dreamer

Chapter 1: Broken

It was July 14, 2001 in Texas when a small family of three came in rush to the Lyndon B. John Hospital. One was a four year old girl looking rather put out while the other two were her parents. In the middle of the night as she slept, her father had suddenly woken her up, telling her to get ready as he fret all over the house. Deciding that it was rather bothersome to ask what was happening to the panicking man, she went to her mother to ask. But before she could even get out a word or two as she entered the small sized bedroom of her parents, she saw her mother's face painted with a frown as her eyes were closed and with her her lip in between her teeth. Her mother was in pain, the little girl could tell, as the older woman clutched her large bloated tummy, huffing and puffing on the side of the bed as she watched.

That was earlier on, and now, Tessa's spite for the one inside her mother's tummy grew more as her mother was taken to the other room where she could not come in. Her father had left her in front of the large doors, telling her to be good and wait for them on the bench. With a frown, she complied and waited with her arms crossed and her green eyes narrowed. It wasn't a secret that she didn't like the one in her mother's tummy since she had kept reminding her parents of her dislike for it. At times, she would be reprimanded but she could not care as every day she felt the way her parents were moving away from her.

Her dad told her that she was going to be a big sister now as he revealed that she was going to have a baby brother soon, but she didn't want to! All her playmates who have little brothers told of stories of how annoying they can be and how they take their parents attention from them! Tessa had already felt it so, her dislike grew and grew. Her parents were being taken away from her and the other hasn't been even born! What more when it comes out of her mother?

She doesn't want to know but here she was, waiting for it to end as her mother screamed in that room. Tessa didn't like it one bit, and she will not as she sat there, waiting.

Morning of July 14, 2001, another great day for the man Cade Yeager as he got out of bed and started his new daily routine of think how lucky he was for what seems a decade for him as he lived his dream of being an inventor (no matter how much hate he was getting for it), marrying and staying with his beautiful wife, Emily, and raising their already 4 year old baby girl, Tessa… But what he had come to be most lucky and happy for was the fact that he was getting yet another baby, a baby boy!

Eight months earlier, having found out that his wife was carrying, he had jumped in surprise and joy. That was great news for Cade as he had been shocked since they weren't even expecting another one. Oh, in eight months, he found it to be another roller coaster ride as he saw to it that they go through the pregnancy together, helping his wife in times she needed it and working by day to keep their finances stable.

Tessa, his four year old hadn't made things easier too as the girl took the news of her getting a little brother, sourly. Being the single child for so long must have really affected her that much but Cade understood as Emily assured him that the little girl would soon come over it. For the most part of the pregnancy, Cade never gave up hope that the girl would like her upcoming little brother.

But as night came, Cade hoped that it was today that her little girl would be able to welcome her little sibling as Emily groaned in pain and woke him up to start packing. He knew that he was in panic and needed to calm down but he admits that he could not as he called the hospital and ran all over the house to gather the things they need.

Emily was still in their bed room as he went over to Tessa to get her a start up on getting ready before the ambulance comes.

A few minutes later, the siren was heard and he let the medical assistants escorted his wife onto the van were he and Tessa entered. He soon clutched his wife's hand and assured her that they were already going and everything is going to be fine even as the medical assistants silently noticed that blood had come out of the water Emily had broken out.

The ride was agonizingly long for Cade but as he looked at the time, he was surprised that it had only been a little over a minute. Time seems to ticked on slowly with the pained groans and moans coming from his wife, not noticing how Tessa was sourly pouting at the corner, letting the medics hover over her mother.

As they reached the hospital, they were immediately placed in the ICU. Cade who didn't want to leave his wife trusted his little girl to be able to handle herself for a little while as he entered the room to bring comfort to Emily. Telling the little girl to stay, he turned back to the room and told a nurse if she could attend to Tessa for the while. The other nodded so he took on the moment to focus on his labouring wife that seemed to be straining a lot more than her first pregnancy. That worried him the most but he hopes for the best as he gripped her hard clenching hand.

"Just a couple more pushes, Mrs. Yeager." Doctor Wyatt said as Cade kissed the said woman's hand. The doctor was concentrating on the delivery as her assistant provided her with support at the side. Both the doctor and nurse were silent at times, not telling the man how dire was the situation for the woman to bleed at this point of pregnancy.

"C'mon Em… You heard the lady. You're almost there, c'mon!" Cade cried as he whispered his words his wife. His hand was already feeling stiff and in pain but he ignored it, favouring on giving Emily the love he has for both of her and their family.

"I see the head!" The doctor soon shouted as her eyes shine with undiminished joy in the on-going good flow of the birthing.

"We're almost done, Em. I love you, baby… Very much… Keep going…" Cade encouraged as he gently patted the woman's already soaked crown.

"I-I'm n-not g-g-going to m-make it, Cade…" The woman cried her face scrunched up in pain when she pushed, already flushed and weak. Her breathing was becoming lighter and lighter but Cade won't have that as he continued.

"Yes you will! Just hang in there, honey… The baby is almost here. You'll make it!" Cade cried with a faulty smile as she sniffled and nodded, determined to get through this no matter how pained she was as she kept pushing.

No one knew how long the labour took in that room but Cade knew that it had been forever before the cry of the new born baby echoed! Reese Jackson Yeager… he thought in joy the name that him and Emily had decided for the little one. It was all a blur after that but there comes the 7.5 pound baby with a tussle of brown hair on the top of his head, crying for his mother as he was taken care of by the doctors with blood still all over his little body.

Cade who had let the doctors took care of their little new born congratulated his woman with a smile and a kiss, telling her how the little one look and how it sounded like her jokingly. It didn't fail to bring a smile on the exhausted woman's lips as she silently told him she loves him back and that she did it.

"Mr. Yeager… You can hold him for now…" The doctor said as he called out to the man. The doctor's job isn't still done so the other would need to handle the little one for now.

"Okay…" Cade replied but before he took the little one, he turned to Emily and kissed her.

"Honey… I'll see you, alright? I'll just be holding our little boy for now… We'll see you." Cade kissed Emily's forehead lovingly, smiling as he parted from the woman and took hold of the infant wrapped in the cream-coloured blanket that Emily had embroidered with initials of RJY.

Smiling brightly, he looked down at the little one and cooed. Not too long, he heard the door creaked open and came in the little girl he had told to stay put. Not really mad at her for disobeying, instead, he observed her. Cade noted how the little girl had dirty blonde hair just like her mother and green eyes that were filled with emotions of both wonder and nervousness. Cade can't help contemplate that she look more and more like her mother each day and knew that in the future, his little daughter would be a very beautiful woman just like the other.

"Hey, Tess. Want to meet your new baby brother?" said the teary eyed man as he crouched down to greet the girl.

At first, Tessa seemed to disapprove but after a serious glance from him, she unwillingly moved closer and looked down at her 'new baby brother'. She looked at the baby with a frown that bordered anger before muttering dryly, "So yu ar whut mah pawents have been busy 'bout aw dis twime…"

Cade was about to reprimand the girl for saying that but before he could, it seems like the little baby could handle his self already. Tessa thought that the little baby wasn't that of a big deal. She wondered why his father and mother even have to make it a big deal. It was just a little baby!

"Well, I—" Tessa started to tell the little one off that she didn't like him but before she could even finish, the little baby opened his eyes at her and stared with those innocent sparkling blue eyes. His little hand soon got out of his little blanket and wrapped itself around the girl's pointed index finger before giggling.

Tessa was alarmed but in a moment she had soon relaxed, smiling and thinking 'the kid seems to be okay…'

Cade smirked at the ordeal as he silently observed the children's interaction. He was so happy to see that Tessa came around, being hard headed and all… just like Emily. Oh, his wife was so going to love this once she sees the two.

But what Cade didn't count on was what happened next as he went back to the side of the room. He had told the nurse that was watching over Tessa to escort her back while another had taken the little baby into the nursery room. It seems that the little one was a few weeks early so he was to stay in an incubator for a little more while.

As he stood at the side, he could feel the heaviness weighing him down as the silence seems to make him deaf. Not before long, the doctor approached him and silently apologized with a sad-worry look on her face.

"I am sorry, Mr. Yeager… She didn't make it." Solemnly, the doctor helped him to the side of the bed and saw his wife already pale and white.

The words seemed to crash his inner walls as his world crumbled down at the sight. He felt terribly numbed as tears soon piled up at the corner of his eyes. These tears weren't from joy though as that positive feeling had flew away and was replaced by this immense grief.

His head bowed as his hands clenched the fabric of the bed. Tears poured down as he stared at the now dead woman he loves. How was he going to tell Tessa about this? How will he raise both of their children? Question soon popped out of his head, making a mess out of him but as he felt a hand on his shoulder, he had snapped out of it and turned to the owner who looked like she understood how he felt.

"She tells of the love she have for you and her children before she left… And that, she bids you with her wish; wanting you to be there for the little ones she had left in her place… Mr. Yeager, she's a very wonderful woman…" The doctor told as Cade become deaf. Tears streaked down his face already wetting his cheeks. In all of this, he did not whimper or scream, though, he broke more and more in the inside. How come can a day such as this could turn so bad one minute he turns to look away?

Because he knew that he needed to be stronger, for once, he let that hour be his time to mourn as the doctor's words of how Emily wanted him to be there for their little ones remain clear as day light for him in his head. He promised the woman… He will… with what he can, as long as he can.

Soooooo... what do you all think? A little bit too much? And oh yeah, if you all haven't noticed, I always somewhat make the story... (if they have an OC) have a new history check... or as to say, I always give them these first chapters before going on to the main event.

P.S. Even though I told you guys that this would be TF4 Bayverse, it will be altered to the extent that some of you might not really see it coming. To all my supporting readers so far, they would attest to the fact that I really do not go with the flow. *winks*

Read, Fav, Follow and REVIEW!

~dreamaholicme