Author: Connie and Shay
Feedback: TheWritersShack@yahoogroups.com; Connie@butterflyfiction.com
Archive: My site and anywhere else just ask.
Fandom: General Hospital (1980's)
Rating: NC 17
Type: Slash
Pairings: Joe/Cyn
Disclaimer: They don't belong to us. They belong to ABC, GH, Gloria Monty and probably a few other people. They didn't treat them right so we play with them.
The real people mentioned also do not belong to me. (I WISH THEY DID!)
So don't get your panties in a wad if something you don't like or agree with happens.
There are many characters that are of our own creation. So pay attention and don't get lost. This is our story and we do what we want.
Summary: The previous chapters.
Anything else:
Joe/Cyn
The shower spray pounded against his chest as he guided himself back against the wall and let his body slump a bit. Looking down his chest to the top of his wife's head as she knelt between his legs and expertly guided her mouth up and down his length, Joe gasped and let his fingers slide through her wet hair.
The woman slowly slithered to her feet as she slinked up his body, kissing a soft trail up his chest, then pressed her lips to his.
"You're an animal," The man growled against her lips as his hands hungrily groped her body, sliding between her legs and rubbing against her slit.
"God, yes, Kelly." She purred, grinding herself against his hand. "It's times like this that I love when your dad and Rose pop into town and take Caroline for the evening.
The man slid from beneath his slight wife, and pushed her to the wall, sliding up to her from behind. "I do NOT want to talk about my father," He hissed as he pulled her hips out away from the wall, and guided his member to her. With one hard thrust he found himself inside his wife.
The red head pushed back and rotated her hips against the man's, let her red painted nails claw at the tile.
"Such a vixen," Joe purred in her ear before he began to lick and nibble at her neck.
"Less talk, more action, Kelly." The woman panted as her husband's hands circled her body, one finding her breasts and the other the center of her being. She squealed as he expertly circled her button driving her mad with ecstasy.
"Scream for me, Cindy. Let me hear it." Joe begged feeling himself walking the fine line of impeding orgasm.
Fulfilling his request and feeling the release of months of sexual release that had to be quieted for their infant daughter, she cried out loudly as her orgasm crashed in on her.
Her verbal passion pushing him over, the man let his pleasure-filled cry join his wife's just as loudly. He then turned her in his arms and covered her mouth with his own, kissing her deeply.
Port Charles Hotel
Senator Chris Freed sat across from his girlfriend watching her pick at the food on her plate. "Tricia, sweetheart, you have to eat something."
Swallowing the small bite, she dropped her fork and made a horrible face. "I'm just not hungry, Chris." Reaching for the water, she wiped the sweat from her brow before sipping it.
He watched the woman as she patted her bulging belly. She was a week overdue, and he personally couldn't wait until the child was born and the new love of his life was free of her obligation to the fellow senator. "You're uncomfortable?" He asked.
"How can I not be?" The woman began to weep, making her accent more profound, "I am as big as a house, only this house does back flips on my bladder."
"Oh sweetheart, You're beautiful. It will be over soon."
"Not a minute to soon for me," She sighed. The began to push herself up, "Speaking of back flips on the bladder, I need to use the restroom again." As she pushed herself out of the chair, she cried out.
Chris moved behind the young girl, supporting her back and trying to help her back down, "What's the matter Trish?"
"My - my - my - I think my water just broke,"
"It did?" The man asked. "The baby is coming?"
Trisha giggled, "I think so. Can you go call Martin and tell them to meet us at the Medical Center, then drive me over."
"Certainly, my dear." He answered, kissing her cheek. As he turned to leave the table, Trish cried out.
"CHRIS!!" She screamed as a contraction racked her body.
"What is it?"
"Just take me to the clinic. We'll call Martin from there."
Drew/Martin
"Marty!!" The attorney called out as he walked up the steps, picking up the plastic bags as he made his way. "Where are you Marty, baby?"
"In here," The senator's voice could be heard coming from their bedroom.
Drew smiled to himself and walked into the room. "Oh my!" he exhaled and crossed to the white lace covered bassinet, letting his fingers trace over the lace canopy that covered. "It's so beautiful."
"You like it, Roo. Really?" The man asked.
"I do and so will the baby."
"When ever the baby decides to arrive," He sighed.
Drew took the senator's hand and led him to the bed, sitting down next to him. "Getting nervous?"
Martin laughed. "I've waited more then 30 years for this Drew a few more days either way isn't going to hurt."
"You really have, haven't you?"
He nodded, "I was fifteen." He exhaled. "I know I was there, kinda, for Noah, but not how I wanted to be."
"Not how you were entitled to be." Drew comforted. "And very very soon you're going to get what you've deserved for all these years, the chance to raise your child from birth. You're going to get the midnight feedings, the dirty diapers, and everything else you feel you missed out on."
The dark haired man smiled, "And the best part is I get it with you. That is the key, Roo-bear. I've wanted my baby, yes, but I've wanted this life, our family."
"And it's all almost here, Marty, very very soon."
As the senator pulled Drew into his arms, the phone rang. "Some timing," he quipped as he slid across the bed and picked up the phone from the nightstand, "Senator Drake."
"Marty, it's Chris."
"Chris?" he asked curiously. "What's going on?"
"Tricia is in Labor. We just got to your son's clinic, and they are putting her in a labor room and calling Dr. Webber. Dr. Carter is here and said you and Drew better get over her right now."
"We're on the way," He answered and slammed the phone down. "Tonight's the night!" he announced.
Webbers
Flat on his stomach Jay dug under his bed, "Where is it?" He yelled in frustration.
"Where is what?"
Startled he banged his head. "Owe! Son of a bitch!"
"Jay say bad word!"
"Robin, hush!"
"hush, hush, hush!" The infant boy repeated.
Wiggling backwards, his head still smarting, Jay crawled out from under the bed and turned to find Lori, Noah, Blackie, Robin and Brodie all crammed into the doorway.
"Happy Birthday, Jay!" Robin cheered. "It's time to party."
"Robin!" Noah, Lori, and Blackie all yelled at once.
"Oops, sorry," She said all red faced and looked to the teen. "Happy Birthday, Jay, and there is no party."
"Robin!" Noah warned through laughter.
"Anyway," Lori cut in. "Where is what?"
"That!" Jay answered pointing to the girl. "I thought you gave it back."
She blushed, "Awe, come on," and hugged the over sized old army jacket around her slight frame.
"What do I look like? Your boyfriend?" He held out his hand. "Give!"
"You use to be."
He laughed, "Lori, do I have to tickle you?"
Giggling she jumped behind her brother. "Noah, help me!"
The doctor moved out of the way.
She moved behind Blackie.
"Hey, now," he protested. "I got the baby."
Jay grabbed her from behind, hugging her tight kissing her cheek and then stripping the battered jacket from her. "Mine, Chicka." He slipped it on and thrust his hands into the pockets. Coming back with a lipstick and a tissue he handed them to her while mocking disgust. "Geez first you steal it, then you girl it up."
The doctors Webber appeared at the door. "Son," Rick spoke. "It's time for dinner."
"You mean it's time for my surprise party?"
Rick looked to Robin. "Did you tell?"
Jay laughed. "Hey, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. But what about Alfie."
"He called." Leslie answered. "Said he has to work a little late. We're holding most everything for him but there is one thing that cannot wait. Come on."
In the Den
Jay was finishing up his phone call with his parents when he heard the knock on the door. "Te amo momma, adiós." He then hung up the phone and called out. "I'm coming."
The door pushed open and Lori peaked in, "Can I talk to you a minute?"
"Sure," The teen smiled and dropped to the small couch patting the seat next to him.
Lori sat down and wrinkled her nose, not sure how to continue.
"What is it, chicka?" He asked.
"I'm worried about, Alfie," she spit out quickly.
The teen frowned and sighed, "Me too. He's been in such a funk ever since Christmas time."
"When he found out about his parents?"
He nodded.
"I think he's getting worse," She paused and swallowed hard before spitting out. "He acted like he had been drinking when we were in Calculus the other day."
"It wouldn't surprise me," Jay admitted. "I found some beer in his room last week."
"What did you do?" Lori asked.
"I told Mary. Alfie doesn't know, and she said she would make sure he didn't know I ratted him out, but I don't think she did anything about it."
"Blackie has said she's afraid they'll lose him, all the skipping school and stuff."
"It's true. He's like on a last warning."
"Is there anything we can do to help him?"
Jay shook his head, "I don't know what. I've done everything I know to."
The blond leaned in and hugged his neck. "Maybe if we both talk to him, maybe get Sky and Rosa to as well he'll see he has people who cares?"
"That's a great idea!" Jay smiled as he returned the girl's tight hug. "I bet it will work."
"I hope so." She answered.
Streets
Alfie drove aimlessly without direction, a cigarette hanging out of his lips and a bottle of cold beer open but so far untouched between his legs.
Disgusted with himself for stealing it from the 7-11 in the first place he chucked it and the cigarette butt out the window as the alarm on his watch beeped.
Without looking he knew it was time, past time, to head over for his boyfriend's birthday party.
Lighting another smoke, he grimaced at the shiny red pain on the tricycle reflecting in the light coming off the setting sun. "You idiot!" he scolded himself. "He's going to hate it and you for buying it."
Right away an internal voice of reason spoke in his head. "Not true, he'll love it because he loves you and cause it's something he never got."
"Sure hope so," he said aloud as he pulled into the driveway. "It's not like I can afford anything else new." His inner voice had to sadly agree. With the car payments on the shiny red LaBarron convertible eating up most of his wages and the insurance premiums eating up way more then half of his monthly check from the state he could hardly afford to breathe.
Stepping out of the car he opened the back door and pulled free the child's tryke and rearranged the metallic balloons declaring his love and birthday wishes on the handlebars and carried the whole thing to the front door.
Inside
"I get it." Robin screamed as the doorbell chimed and raced from the room to yank upon the front door. "Who dat for?" She asked when she saw the present.
"J-Jay." Alfie stammered.
"Jay not a baby! I don't even ride a baby bike like that!"
"ROBIN DRAKE!!" Noah scolded from the doorway as Jay ran out the door chasing a dejected Alfie.
"It is stupid." She protested.
"Corner." Noah pointed.
"No!"
Jay came back in carrying his gift. Setting it down he then shoved the girl into the corner rather forcefully.
"Jay!" The doctor interjected.
The teen fumed. "She's lucky she's not one of my kid brothers or sisters. I'd be kicking her bratty ass right now." He then stormed away into the living room. "Dad." He called to Rick. "Thanks to Robin Alfie took off and I'm blocked in. Can I use your car?"
"I'm in the garage. You'll have to wait for him to calm down and come back."
Seeing the desperation on her friend's face, Lori spoke up. "Come on, Jay. We'll walk over to the house and grab my car. It'll take five minutes.
Relief washed over the 18 year olds face. "Thanks, Lori."
LPMC
Drew and Martin quickly made there way into the medical center's quiet lobby. The night receptionist asked as they approached, "Senator Drake and Mr. Fitzgerald?"
"Yes, Ma'am," Martin answered.
She came around the corner and led them down the hall. "They just took Trish upstairs."
As they stepped off the elevator on the second floor, the woman's screams filled the halls and hit their ears.
Drew paled. "Oh good god, get that poor child some drugs."
"NO!" Martin responded instantaneously.
The receptionist giggled. "She's doing quite well actually."
A nurse came from the room, and Martin recognized her from Trish's appointments. "Anne! How's Trish?"
"She's doing very well. She's dilated to six so we are well on the way. Let me get the two of you some scrubs to put on. She pointed to the desk, "Call anyone you want here when the child arrives."
"Noah!" Martin exclaimed as he turned and picked up the phone, quickly pressing the buttons.
"Don't forget they are at The Webber's tonight for that birthday party."
"Right!" Martin responded as he hung up the phone, and then redialed.
Ten minutes later Anne escorted the two men into the room. Chris was holding the young woman's hand and patting her head with his other hand as she breathed through the contraction.
"Martin, thank god, I thought you were going to miss it." Trish squealed and then exhaled as her pain ended for the moment.
"Not in a million years," The man answered as he stepped up to the side of the bed. The other senator stepped away and moved toward the door. Martin noticed just before the man left the room, "Chris, where are you going?"
The man smiled at his girlfriend and winked, then turned to Marty. I'm not needed here, for this. He then turned back to Trish, "You hang in there, Angel. I'll be waiting for you outside."
"Thanks, Chris," She whimpered then began to pant as another contraction started.
"Oh no! Oh no!" Martin began to panic.
Drew stepped up on the other side, "It's ok, Marty baby. Women have been doing this since the beginning of time. Now remember that class you two dragged me too."
"Yeah, yeah," Martin calmed himself, and then moved to rub the woman's back as he directed, "Breathe, honey. One, two, three,"
Docks
Jay turned Lori's car around the corner and slowly drove up the street looking between the warehouses and along the docks.
"You don't really think he's down here. Do you?" Lori asked, not wanting to admit how afraid she was to be on the waterfront at night.
"Yeah, I do. Working delivering orders for Ruby, he's gotten to know these alleys pretty well." He chuckled, "At least we're driving your piece of shit and not my car."
The girl slugged his arm. "Hey, it might be a piece of shit, but it's MY car."
"OW!" The boy laughed, rubbing his arm. "You hit hard!"
"Look, over there!" Lori pointed.
Jay followed her point to the young teen huddled down in the alley, curled up and leaning against the arms he had wrapped around himself. He pulled the car around, and when the headlights shown on the crumpled form, he knew for sure and parked the car. Fleeing it, he ran to Alfie's side, scooping him up in an embrace and letting the young teen that was obviously drunk cry against him.
"What's the matter, Alfie? What's wrong?" Jay whispered.
"I fucked up. . .so bad." He sobbed.
"No, no you didn't."
"You hate the present. It was stupid."
Jay pulled his boyfriend closer, "No! I love you, and I love the bright red shiny tryke. The one I never had as a kid. I love how you always try to give me things I missed out on. And you always give gifts that show me that you love me and you listen to me when I talk to you." He lifted Alfie's chin. "I love you, Alfie. Please, you got to stop doing this shit or they are going to put you in a detention home and I'll never get to see you, and I'll just die without you. Stop doing this."
Lori stayed back and watched her former boyfriend and the other teen. At one time she thought her and Jay would be together forever and it felt odd to her to watch him with Alfie. She also knew how desperate and alone Alfie felt. Slowly she stepped forward and dropped to the ground next to the other two. "Alfie," she said. "I really wish you'd stop hurting yourself too."
The teen looked up to the blond, "What do you care?"
"I do care. We're friends, remember."
The teen nodded, pushing the hair off his face. "I'm going to be in so much trouble if anyone finds out I've been drinking."
"Yeah, you are." Jay quipped as he helped him to his feet. He was worried about his boyfriend, but also angry that Alfie had thrown a wrench into what was suppose to be his day.
"I have an idea," Lori said "No one is at our house. We'll take him back there and he can shower and sober up a little bit. You take him in his car, and in the meantime I'll go back to Rick and Leslie's in mine and let everyone know that you found him. I'll just tell them that you're talking about the present and everything."
"Thanks, Lori," Jay said as he leaned in and hugged the blond.
The girl returned it, squeezing him tight. "You're welcome Jay."
LPMC
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Noah pulled Blackie's hand and led him off the elevator moving quickly down the hall.
The younger man laughed. "Since when do you get excited about little baby siblings?"
The man laughed and rolled his lover into his arms, kissing his mouth. "I don't know. I think I just know how important this is to Dad. I'm happy he's finally getting what he always wanted."
"Me too," Blackie answered, giving the man another light kiss. "I just hope Trisha follows through and everything works out okay."
"I think it will. That little young lady seems to know exactly what she wants in life."
In the delivery room
"Okay, honey, the baby's head is starting to crown. You're almost there. I want you to take a couple nice deep breaths and on the next contraction we're going to push."
"Okay," Trish panted, then looked up to Martin. "You hear that?"
Martin pulled the sweat-drenched hair off her face and kissed her forehead lightly. "Thank you, Trish. I can't even begin to tell you -"
He was cut off as the woman's agonizing screams filled the room.
"That's it Trish," Jeff directed, "Nice hard push."
Martin held the woman's hand, looking up to the mirror above the bed, and counting nice and slow to help Trish through the contraction. Seeing the head emerge he was suddenly struck and looked across to Drew. "I changed my mind!"
"WHAT!!!!" Drew and Trish both screeched at once.
"You can't do that," Trish continued to rant, and then screamed as her body was racked with pain.
Jeff counted her through the contraction, as Martin explained. "No! NO! No! I don't mean about the baby. I mean that this is so incredible, and you and me are going to do this together Roo. It's all I've ever wanted in life is to raise my baby with the person I loved, and I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, cause I got you and we're going to do it together."
Drew leaned across the woman's body and pushed his lips to Martin's kissing him deeply. As the kiss broke, he whispered tearfully, "I love you too, Marty. You're my life."
Before Martin could respond, an infant's cries filled the room, and Jeff announced, "Oh my goodness, you have a beautiful baby girl."
Martin sunk a bit on his knees as he looked to the heavens, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He declared then began to weep with joy.
Jeff wrapped the baby in a blanket, and looked to Trish, "You want to hold your daughter?"
The woman wrapped her arms tightly around herself and shook her head, "No, she's not mine. She's theirs."
Jeff turned and offered the child to Martin. The dark haired senator, took the crying baby into his arms, and pulled her in tight, looking down at her face. "Hey there, beautiful. I'm your daddy." He looked up to call to Drew and found him standing right in front of him. "And here's your other daddy, sweet heart."
"Marty, she's just an angel," Drew whispered hoarsely through the tears choking his throat.
The dark haired man laid his head against the other man's shoulders, "We're a family."
"Yes we are," He answered, wrapping his arm around the man, careful not to squish the child between them. He kissed away his lover's tears. "It's finally your time, Marty."
"Have you picked out a name?" Anne asked.
Martin looked up and then down to the baby though he still leaned into his lover, "What do you think, Roo?"
"We've talked about so many, but we always keep coming back to that one."
"Tara?"
Drew nodded, and then let his hand graze the cheek of the infant who had quieted in her father's arms.
"Tara Rae Fitzgerald Drake."
"Beautiful name, for a beautiful little princess," Drew answered as Martin handed him the baby.
From the bed, Trisha asked. "May I see her? Please?"
Drew crossed to the bed, and offered the baby, "Of course, Trish."
She tightened her arms around herself. "No, I don't want to hold her. I just want to look at her a minute." She smiled to the child. "Tara, you are a very luck little girl, you know that. Your daddies love you so much and they are going to be the best fathers in the whole world."
Martin stepped up to the side of the bed, leaning in and hugging the woman. "I don't know how to thank you, Trish."
She patted the senator's back. "You already have, Martin. You've been so good to me, and I know you will be so good to her. I just want to take a few days to recover and then go back to DC and get on with my life with Chris."
Martin sat on the edge of the bed and held her hands in his. "We'll be staying here at least a month, so I want you to stay at our place in DC till you can get yourself all settled."
"Thank you, Martin. I appreciate that." She then turned to Jeff. "How long will I have to stay in the hospital."
"If all goes well, two days."
She nodded, as Jeff continued. "Well, Tara, you have the distinguished honor of being our first baby born here at LPMC." He then turned to Drew. "I'm going to have to take her and put her in the nursery for a bit. Their body temperatures drop when they're first born and we need to get her warmed up."
Drew handed the child to the doctor. "When can we see her again?"
"You can come down and sit in the nursery with her. You can go ahead and try and feed her in about an hour."
They nodded, "Okay, we'll be right there."
The Delivery room door pushed open, and Noah came through in scrubs. Then seeing the baby, he smiled, and crossed the room in time to see Jeff lay her down in the cart.
"Oh Dad!" he fawned.
"Isn't she beautiful?" He asked.
"She! Oh yay!!" He cheered, and then went to his father hugging him tight. "She's just a doll."
Martin returned the hug and kissed his elder son's cheek. "Thank you, Noah. It means so much to me to have you share this with me."
"I love you, Dad." He whispered in the man's ear. As he stepped back he said. "Why don't you go down to the nursery with Jeff. Grant is on duty tonight and is probably already up here to check her out and I'll go tell everyone else the good news."
"Thank you, I will." He started for the door, taking Drew's hand but then turned back. "Do me a favor, son?"
"What is it?"
"Make sure Trish gets settled in a comfortable room."
"Of course. Oh, and Dad? What's my little sister's name? You decide yet?"
"Tara. Tara Rae,"
Alone in the delivery room, Noah turned and went to Trish's bedside. "How you feeling, Doll?"
"Exhausted," She exhaled rolling her head on the pillow as the surgeon took her wrist and checked her pulse.
"Anne will be back in just a moment and I'm going to have her get you settled in a comfortable room where you can rest."
"Do you know if Chris is still here?"
Noah nodded, "Yes, he is. Waiting to see you in fact."
"When can I go back to DC?" She asked.
A little surprised, Noah thought a moment before answering. "If everything goes normally a few days. You can probably leave the hospital day after tomorrow. You in a hurry to get back to DC?"
She smiled slightly, "I gave your dad a year of my life, Noah. It's time to get back to mine. Chris and I have been playing it low key until after your father's baby was born, now we can move forward."
Noah sat down on the edge of the bed, "You're something you know that. You really did this just for them?"
She smiled sweetly, "You're father has always been so kind to me. And I know the two of them are going to be wonderful to her. Me? I don't have it in me to be a mother and that's fine. I'm really glad I did this though."
Noah leaned in and kissed her forehead, "Your amazing, Doll, just amazing. I'm going to go get Anne to move you down to a room and let Chris know you want to see him. You do right?"
"Of course," she smiled. "Thank you, Noah."
The Webber's
After making sure that Sky and Lori had Alfie distracted, Jay slipped up behind Mary, and took her arm. "Mrs. Higgins? Can I talk to you alone for a minute?"
"What is it, Honey?" she asked as she followed him into the kitchen.
"Alfie was drinking again tonight; drinking and driving," He reported once they were behind closed doors.
"Oh dear." She frowned.
"What are you going to do about it?"
"Talk to him I guess."
"Talk to him!" The boy shrieked. "He's going to hurt himself, Mrs. Higgins. I'm scared."
"Jay, do you want him to end up being taken from us? Do you want him put in some detention center? Do you think they will let you two spend time together like Mr. Higgins's and I do? Do you think Alfie will survive a day in that environment?"
"NO! No, I don't want any of that," Jay shrieked. "But I want somebody to help him. I hate watching him just destroy himself like this."
The woman reached out and took the young man's hand. "Jay, don't worry about it. I will talk to Shawn tonight and we will do something. I promise."
He leaned in and hugged the woman, "Thank you."
LPMC
Noah stepped off the elevator and walked down the hall to the waiting room, still wearing the scrubs. Expecting to see Blackie, Henry and Buffy, he was shocked to also see Gran and Rick. Crossing the room and hugging his grandmother tight, he announced to the room, "A beautiful baby girl, Tara Rae."
Henry smiled wide, "Martin must be so please."
"On cloud nine," Noah responded as he moved from the woman to his friend. "I thought you two weren't coming in till tomorrow."
"We weren't," the woman answered. "Till Drew called and told us Trish was in labor."
"We jumped on the next plane." Rick answered.
Noah turned to Blackie, "They can stay with us?"
Rick shook his head, "I'm getting a room over at the hotel. My wife will be here in the morning and we're calling it a second honeymoon."
"Are you sure?" Noah asked.
"I'm positive. Don't look so sad," He laughed, "You'll see plenty of us."
"Good," The surgeon smiled. "How about you Gran?"
"For now, unless Martin needs me at his house."
"When can we see the baby?" Buffy asked.
"I imagine we can go up and peek through the window in a few minutes." He turned to Blackie, "Did you call Cyn and your dad?"
Blackie nodded, "They should be here any minute I would think. Grandpa and Rose are in town and they had taken Caroline. So I thought they were coming right over."
He had no sooner said the words, than the couple came into the waiting room. "What did we miss?" Cynthia asked.
"It's a girl," Gran exclaimed.
The red head woman smiled laughed, "Oh, I'm so happy for Marty."
"Everyone is here, Doc. Can we go up and see the baby?"
"Sure, but we're just going to peek through the window, wave to Dad and Drew and then let them have time with their daughter. Okay?"
Getting consent in unison, Noah then led the family back to the elevator upstairs.
The Nursery
Drew sat in the rocker next to the bassinet with Martin on his lap. His arms locked around the senator's waist, he pushed the chair slowly as they both stared at the infant.
"She's got your beautiful eyes, Marty baby."
"And Trish's ears, thank God," The man laughed.
The attorney pushed the other man's hair back and nibbled at his ears. "I love your Drake ears."
Giggling he squirmed, "There certainly is plenty to feast on."
Sighing contently he pulled the man tighter and began rocking the chair slightly again. "You happy?"
"Deliriously so."
"I'm so glad we don't have to have Cheryl back to re-do her room in blue," the man laughed.
Hearing a tap on the glass the men looked up to see their entire family peeking in at the baby.
Blackie leaned into Noah, "It always amazes me how tiny they are at first."
"Remember when Brodie was little like that?"
He nodded, "Seems like so long ago."
"I know."
"It even seems like it's been a long time since John Henry was that small," Henry whispered then looked from his new niece to the son in his wife's arms. "You have a little cousin to grow up with now John."
Martin and Drew came out into the hall, hand in hand, then warmly accepted congratulatory hugs from everyone. "Thank you so much, everyone for coming up here." Martin said to the group.
Cynthia responded, "Don't worry, Marty. Noah already gave us the take a peak and then leave them two alone with their baby speech."
"Thanks, sugar," he smiled to the woman, then looked to his son and added a "Thank you." To the group he continued. "Everyone is welcome to visit tomorrow as long as the doctor's okay it.."
"Short visits will be fine over the next couple days. Tara will probably be ready to go home in a few days."
Gran moved in to give her son a second hug, "Well, I'm going to lead the goodbye's here. I'm going to stay with Noah tonight but you let me know as soon as you need me at your place."
"Thank you Mom." He whispered. "I plan on being up here with her until the doctor's say she can go home, so you might as well stay with Noah till then."
Trish's Room
The senator sat on the edge of the hospital bed staring at the young woman's soft features as her eyes fluttered and she drifted between consciousness and sleep.
"Close your eyes, my little peach," he whispered.
She found his hand and clenched it in hers. "Will you stay with me, Chris? I don't want to be alone right now."
"Of course, Angel. I'm right here." He replied as he held her hand and pushed her full curls back off her face.
For the last few months they had not so much as hidden their relationship, but had played it down. There had been some speculation in the press about what she had done for Martin and Drew, and she really didn't want him drug into a tabloid hay day. His career depended on his image.
He had played it down, as it hadn't been all that long since his divorce had been final. He hadn't gone looking for love when Trish blew into his life with her sweet smile and soft southern way, but love is what he had found. He had expected his children would dislike her merely because of how close she was in age to them, but that had not been the case. She had won them over with as she had his heart, and now their time would be their own.
Noah/Blackie's
The two walked into the house and after kicking off their shoes, made their way to the couch dropping down next to each other, and falling into the other's arms. Noah laughed to himself. "Rick and Leslie offer to keep the kids tonight and we're too tired to do anything but sleep."
Giggling with his lover, Blackie let his hand slide down the buttons of Noah's shirt, pulling them open and then sliding his hand back up against the man's flesh. "Speak for yourself."
Kissing his lover's forehead, he replied, "I am." Letting his eyes roll toward the door, he saw Lori turning to go back up the stairs and called out, "Did you need something, Doll?"
The teen turned back, "I don't want to disturb you."
"It's all right," He replied. "What is it?"
Blackie pushed himself up and pointed to the chair, "Yeah, come talk to us."
The blond slowly came in and sat down, twisting her hands and bouncing her knee she said. "I don't know what to do, guys. I feel like I should tell you about this, but I don't want anyone to get in trouble."
Blackie shifted, almost afraid to hear what it was going to be. "Who are you afraid will get in trouble?" he asked.
"Alfie," She whispered.
The two men sighed, they knew of the trials Mary had been through with him since Christmas. "What happened, Lori? You have to tell us." Noah implored.
"After he left, when Robin upset him. He was drinking," she paused, "And driving."
"I know you don't want it to come back on you, honey, but I have to tell Mary about this. He could hurt himself or someone else." Blackie answered.
"Mary already knows. She told Jay she would talk to him, but that's all she does and he's getting more and more weird."
Noah nodded, "Okay, Lori. You did the right thing by coming to us. I'm going to talk to Mary and see if she'll let me talk to Alfie. In the meantime I don't want you riding in the car if he's driving. Do you hear me?"
She nodded, "I wouldn't ever get in a car with someone who'd been drinking Noah."
"Good," he smiled as he opened his arms, "Come here, Doll."
She crossed to him, hugging him tight.
"I'm proud of you, Lori. You did good tonight."
"Thank you, Noah," She answered as she pulled back.
"Where's mine?" Blackie asked opening his arms to her.
She fell to him, hugging him, "Love you, Blackie."
"We love you too." He answered as she turned and went back up the stairs.
Noah smiled and exhaled as he pulled his lover to him, "I think maybe she's going to be all right."
"I think you might be right," the other man sighed as he leaned back into his lover, letting his fingers lightly trace up and down the man's chest and stomach. Quietly the sat together, winding down from the busy evening in each other's arms. "What's on your mind, Doc?" Blackie broke the silence.
"I was just thinking. Remember how awesome it was the night Brodie was born?"
The younger man smiled. "Yeah, I do."
"Do you want another one?"
"Now?"
"Oh no! Not now," Noah quickly answered. "In a year or two maybe. The age difference between Brodie and Robin seems nice."
Blackie exhaled dreamily. "See where we're at in a year or so, but yes, I can see that."
"What would you think about doing it the way Dad did? With a surrogate, I mean."
"Not Anna?" Blackie asked shocked.
"Anna might not want more children."
"She might."
The doctor nodded, "Yeah, I don't know. I'm just thinking, Baby, but I was talking to Trish a bit tonight and for the first time I really thought about it being just you and me, you know."
Blackie contemplated for a moment. "It is a really incredible thing that Trish did for your dad and Drew, and I guess if Anna didn't want to and we did I'd be very interested. But right now our kids have us and their mom and I think there's something really special about that too."
Noah nodded as he listened to the other man. "You are right about that. I wonder if baby Tara will miss not having her mom."
"I don't know. I'm sure Martin and Drew will shower her with so much love that she will be happy, but I also imagine there will be some natural curiosity there."
The doctor brought his lover's hand to his mouth and lightly drew his fingertips past his lips, caressing them with his tongue. "You're so smart. You know that?"
"Yeah, I do," Blackie giggled. "You know, Noah, I'm proud of you tonight."
"Me?"
"Yes, you! I know how this new batch of teeny brothers and sisters makes you feel all old and stuff, but you were very supportive for your father tonight and I know it made him feel really good that you shared in his joy with him."
The older man shrugged, "I don't know, it did sort of bother me before, but I didn't even think about that garbage tonight. I just know that I'm happy, we're happy, and my dad finally has a life he's wanted for as long as I've been alive."
Blackie looked up into Noah's eyes and poked his stomach. "Exactly that long."
"Yeah," the surgeon sighed. "What you say? You ready to head on in to bed?"
"I am."