I would've dropped you both. Freaks.
Jan. 14th, 2008 07:58 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
cynical-sweater.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
treasure_geeksHere it is: the story that damn near ate up my life. Just ask astronomylover; whom I adore. We spent hours bouncing back ideas about this thing (fondly called "that damn preggers fic") until she helped me work out some kinks.
Title: Something To Be Thankful For (Prequel to Better Than This)
Author: cynical_sweater(Bee! :D)
Rating: PG-13; Reese is a pervert and Riley cusses
Pairing: Ben/Riley
Summary: In which Thanksgiving is interrupted because Reese is pregnant.
Warnings: More gayness. And, there is pregnancy stuff discussed. (OH! Real fast: for anyone who does not know "dilating" refers to the widening of the cervix when a woman is getting ready to give birth. Ten centimeters means she's ready to deliver.)
Disclaimer: I own Reese. Other than that, I got nothin'.
In her own chubby way, Reese Poole was beautiful. Like her brother, she had bright, blue eyes and dark hair that never wanted to behave. Unlike her brother, however, she never managed to maintain a sleek physique, especially now, at nine months into a relatively easy pregnancy. The extra weight just made her extra-squishy and, therefore (by Riley's careful calculations) extra-fun to hug. But she managed to make the curves work for her and, most of the time, she didn't mind it so much.
Most of the time not being twenty minutes after she was supposed to be at her little brother's for Thanksgiving dinner. When she agreed to have their baby, the boys arranged for her to move into their apartment complex – just so they could all get involved with the pregnanciness of it all. It worked out nicely, even though she spent most of her time hanging out on their couch anyway. She really only used her place to sleep, take showers and change clothes. Getting to her doctor's appointments was a lot easier too, as she didn't have a stable source of transportation otherwise.
Ben and Riley were actually excited about piling into the car with a pregnant woman, so they could sit in a waiting room with a bunch of other pregnant women and talk about pregnant womanly things. Some of the other parents-to-be would cast wary looks at the threesome, as it was obvious that Riley and Reese were related (the twin thing was a little difficult to miss) and, while they were fond of each other, Reese and Ben didn't really give off the coupley vibe. Probably because they weren't an actual couple. But, if anyone gave her little brother or his boyfriend trouble for the way they led their lives, Reese had no problems beating them senseless, pregnant or not.
Shaking her head in amusement, Reese waddled her way out of the bathroom to her bedroom, with one hand perpetually supporting the small of her back. Much as she loved being pregnant, she couldn't wait to get this kid out of her. Since yesterday morning, she had already dilated five centimeters, so the little one was coming soon. Hopefully, Reese winced to herself as she tried to stretch her back as much as possible, it would be very soon.
A jaunty knock at her door sent her shuffling off again. After checking the peephole, she unlocked the many locks (installed by Ben and Riley, because it was dangerous for a young, pregnant woman to be living alone, even if she did pack a mean left, right and everything in between hook) and opened the door to reveal her brother, shifting slightly in his Converse with his hands clasped behind his back. “Hi, Reese,” he greeted with a cheeky smile.
“You could have called, y'know,” she pointed out as she moved out of the way to grant him entrance to her apartment, “that's what phones are for.”
“I know,” Riley acknowledged with a superior tilt of his head, “but don't mention them to Ben, because then he'll spend dinner regaling us with the history of the maker of the telephone.” He gestured widely with his arms and almost knocked his glasses off his face.
“Alexander Graham Bell, Riley. You should know that – you did a report on him in eighth grade. I remember because I had to do it for you,” she snarked not unkindly. He rolled his eyes but ignored the jibe. It was all in good twin loving fun, after all. “Just let me grab my purse, then you can escort me to your apartment.” Reese laughed and swatted him on the shoulder, “if that's even why you're here.”
“Ha,” Riley barked as he jingled his keys in his pocket, “you'd like to think you're that lucky.” She snorted and hit him again, harder this time. “Ow,” he wined pointedly as he rubbed the afflicted area. “Pregnant women are supposed to be motherly and, and... and glowing.”
“Riley,” Reese sighed as she held the door open for him with a smirk that clearly said ladies first , “in all our years together, have I ever glowed?”
“Good point,” he conceded as he passed her; he waited in the hall as she shut and locked her door. “And you've never really been motherly, either. I gotta admit, sis, I'm kinda fearing for the kidlet,” he chided as he rubbed her swollen belly.
For the third time in ten minutes, she smacked him. “I can be damn motherly, Riley Poole. Just not to you!” And, had she the energy, she probably would have chased him all the way back to the apartment. As it was, she was nine months pregnant and her brother was just enough of a gentleman to support her gently around the waist as they walked. Despite the sibling snippery, they maintained a cordial conversation through the short trip. “Have you guys been waiting long?”
“No, not really. Ben was just putting the pie in when I left to come get you. He and Abi have been chattin' it up since she got here,” he observed morosely to his shoes. Reese rolled her eyes but restrained herself from physically acting out her displeasure.
“Riley, you can't still be jealous of her. The woman's gone, like, ninety seven percent of the year.” While that was a slight exaggeration, it was true. Since the final separation three years ago, Abigail had taken up traveling around the world. The money from both the Templar and Cibola treasures was more than enough to fund her exploratory endeavors. “Besides, I think she's a lesbian.”
“She is not!” Riley gasped, jerking his stare up from the floor.
Reese restrained her laughter, but only just barely. “Riley, she stares at my boobs.”
“Uh, because they're huge?” He pointed out, incredulous. That, too, was true. Since she became pregnant, Reese's tummy wasn't the only thing that had swelled. “I'm your brother and I've noticed.”
“Well, that's because you're a sexual deviant and can't be held responsible for your desires.” She joked. Riley only snorted darkly and jammed his hands in his pockets.
“Been talking to Mom and Dad, have you?” He asked in sarcastic monotone. As much as she teased her little brother for just about everything, Reese was truly proud of all the things he had done – the least of which, in her opinion, was discover two mythical treasures.
The Poole clan wasn't known for its open-mindedness, and for the youngest son to come out – on Christmas, no less, with Ben Gates holding his hand the whole time – was quite an upset. Ben and Riley spent the rest of the night at a hotel, Ben holding Riley close as he stared in silent anger at the wall. Two hours later, Reese knocked on the door with a bottle of champagne and the movie The Birdcage. All in all, it turned into a very memorable night. One for the books, as they say.
“C'mon, Riley,” she soothed as they approached 3F, “you know I'll always choose your side over theirs. It's no contest. You're my baby brother.”
“I know,” he fidgeted and started jingling his keys again, “I just don't want you to face family exile too.”
“Well,” she drawled blandly and gestured to her tummy, “it's a little late for that seeing as I am having a kidlet, as you say, for you and Ben to raise. It wasn't exactly what Mom and Dad had in plan for the Poole twins,” she bumped her hip against his, “but I can dig it okay.”
“Dig it okay,” Riley repeated to himself as he held the door open for her, “where do you get these lines?” Before she could adequately respond, she was attacked by a flurry of Abigail.
“Reese! Look at you! You're positively glowing!” Riley choked into his fist, momentary overcome by hysterics, and Abigail glared at him. “She is! Pregnancy looks good on her.” Reese smiled and awkwardly hugged the other woman.
“Thank you, at least someone thinks so,” she shot a pointed look in her brother's direction, who was casually looking elsewhere. Elsewhere being Ben, who had poked his head out of the kitchen to greet the mother of his child. “Hey Ben!” He smiled, eyes crinkling, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Privately, Riley smirked to himself; he loved watching Ben and Reese together. The easy acceptance between the two of them really made him believe that this weird family thing might actually work.
“Dinner should be ready in a few more minutes,” Ben informed the group, “I'm just about to carve the turkey.”
“Thanks for doing all this,” Reese said and Riley knew she meant more than just Thanksgiving dinner, but also taking care of her little brother. “I was gonna make a green bean casserole, but then I remembered I was nine months pregnant, so I took a nap instead.” Or not, he shrugged to himself as Ben laughed. “Now, shoo, Abi and I have to go girl talk,” she dismissed him easily and Ben snorted to himself as he retreated back to the kitchen. “So, Abs, how was Chile?”
“Oh, it was fantastic!” She gasped and followed Reese to the sitting room, where they could relax and catch up while Ben and Riley set the table. “We flew into Santiago late on the twentieth, I guess, and I met up with an old friend of mine, who now works at the Chilean Natural Museum of History...” Riley raised an eyebrow and drifted into the kitchen for some good old fashioned Benjamin Gates watching.
Ben was poised over the turkey with a carving knife in his hand, trying to determine the best cutting angle. Unable to help himself, Riley sneaked up behind the other man and wrapped his arms around him in a tender hug. Not surprisingly, Ben didn't even flinch as he adjusted to the extra weight against his back.
“Hello Riley,” he greeted, offhandedly, as he eyed the bird.
“Hi Ben,” Riley snuggled his face into Ben's sweater and hummed happily. “Nee'ny'lp?” He murmured. Ben raised an eyebrow and rested the knife on the table.
“You realize I have no idea what you just said, right?” Ben deadpanned. In response, Riley bit his earlobe and wandered to the other side of the table. Rolling his eyes, Ben picked up the knife and resumed staring at the turkey with no intention of actually doing anything. “You're a damn tease, you know,” he observed without looking up.
“Yup,” Riley quipped with pride before he was distracted by the pie on the counter next to him. “Ooh, pumpkin!” It was moments like these, when he was so easily brought off-track by something sweet and sugary, that Ben realized how young Riley was. The kid was barely out of his twenties and he was entering fatherhood.
“Riley,” Ben warned carefully as he finally made his move and cut through the tender flesh of the turkey, “that's for after dinner.” To his credit, Riley hadn't actually touched the dessert and he was quick to remind Ben of this.
“I was only looking – making sure it was safe,” he whined and guiltily shuffled a few paces away from the tempting treat, searching for something to keep him occupied and out of trouble. “I'll just grab the plates, okay?” Ben nodded and cut a few more slices of turkey. There were only four of them, and Reese was eating less in the later stages of her pregnancy, so it wasn't like he needed to carve up the whole bird. Riley breezed past him with a stack of dishes in his arms, pausing only to grant Ben a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love you,” he murmured in his ear.
Ben turned his head so that their lips brushed briefly, “love you too, kiddo.” Riley flicked his eyes to Ben's mouth before stealing another kiss. It was longer, deeper and he had to physically concentrate on not dropping the plates. Unable to control himself, he leaned further into Ben and whimpered pleadingly as his toes curled pleasantly in his Converse. He pulled back abruptly and Ben had to steady him with a hand on his back as an embarrassingly loud whistle sounded from the doorway.
“Damn,” Reese laughed with her hands on her hips. Behind her, Abigail was shaking her head with a look that clearly said it figures on her face. “You boys can't keep your hands off each other, huh?” Blushing uncomfortably, Riley ducked his head and scrambled past the cat-calling women to set the table. Behind him, he heard his sister ask, “so, Benjamin, on a scale of one to ten, what's my brother?”
It was with a small amount of mortified pride that he caught Ben's smug reply of, “at least thirteen.” For the record, he would've rated himself easily a fourteen, if not maybe fifteen. Ben, certainly, was a sixteen. Yeah, Riley thought to himself as he straightened the napkins, at the very minimum, a sixteen.
Halfway through dinner, Reese started grimacing and rubbing at her tummy. “Reese,” Abi studied her over her wine glass, “are you all right?” It certainly wasn't the first time Reese had experienced muscle cramps and Ben and Riley tried to play it cool – tried being the operative word there, as both men instantly tensed, expecting a sudden dash to the hospital. It wouldn't have been the first time for that, either.
She waved away her concerns with her fork and a strained grin, one hand still on her stomach. “The little one's acting up,” she groaned and stretched in her chair, “kid's got quite a kick, that's all.” Riley said nothing but for the rest of the meal, he kept one eye trained on his sister. Naturally, she noticed and proved that she, too, had quite a kick – especially when it was aimed at his shins.
After his third piece of pie (delicious, delicious pumpkin), Riley noticed that his sister had stopped participating in the conversation and she was clenching and unclenching her hands with a grimace on her face. “Reese,” he asked in warning and she nodded, gasping slightly.
“Yeah,” she ground out as she struggled out of her chair with Ben's aid, “I think, ooh, I think it's, it's time.” Instantly, Riley started searching for the car keys as Abigail gathered up their coats. It was, after all, November in Washington D.C.
“Here,” Riley whispered in his sister's ear as he helped her into one of his oversized, yet strangely warm, sweatshirts. “It's okay sis,” he squeezed her hand and she offered him a pained, understanding smile, “we got this.”
“Damn straight we do,” she bumped her fist against his. “Ain't nothin' gonna get the Poole twins down. Now,” somehow, she managed to link her arm through his as the foursome rushed out of the apartment, “let's go get this baby born.”
Ben and Abi took the front (Ben driving and Abi riding shotgun) as Riley piled into the back with Reese. He helplessly held her hand as she tried to take deep, calming breaths. Somehow, Ben managed to get them to the hospital in one piece, even though he was constantly glancing over his shoulder at the siblings in the back. Reese had succumbed to wordless grunts and Riley looked absolutely terrified; his blue eyes were comically wide.
“Riley,” Ben reached back and squeezed his hand when they were stopped at a red light, mere seconds from the hospital's entrance. For the first time in the fifteen minutes since Reese went into labor, Riley took his eyes off her and focused on Ben's calming presence. “Riley, everything's gonna be fine.” Wordlessly, he smiled his thanks and went back to stroking his twin's forehead.
“Ben,” Abigail nudged his shoulder gently and pointed at the road, “the light's green.” Sparing one last look at the backseat, Ben floored it.
Less than a minute later, they had Reese being bustled off to her room as her doctor was being paged on the loud speaker. Ben, Riley and Abigail stood in the hall for an awkward moment, wondering what to do with themselves, before reaching the same conclusion and tearing after Reese and her nurse. They had come this far together and there wasn't much that could separate them.
Except, perhaps, Reese's doctor. Calmly, Dr. Wibberley shook each of their hands with a placating smile. “Mr. Poole, Mr. Gates, and you are...?” He greeted them each by name, pausing only when he reached Abigail.
She accepted his handshake with a resolute nod, “I'm Abigail Chase...”
“...Reese's and my sister.” Riley finished for her, managing to sound only a little panicked. He blinked as everyone turned to stare at him. “In a, er, well... roundabout,” he floundered under the attention and gestured widely with both his hands, “kind of...way.” It was a poorly-kept secret that Riley was a little wary of the blonde, and she offered him a fond smile as she clasped one of his hands between both of hers. Sister, Abigail repeated to herself. She could get used to that.
Ben watched the exchange with bemused sort of pride before addressing Dr. Wibberley, “what can you tell us, doc?”
“Well,” he adjusted his gloves, “Reese is about nine centimeters dilated, so it shouldn't take much longer for her to be ready. We've got her all set up and comfortable – you three can follow me, if you'd like.” He continued to talk as the walked, “I'm sorry to say this, but only one of you can scrub up and be in there for the delivery. This is Reese's first pregnancy and we don't know how things will play out.”
“Can we all see her now, though?” Abi asked. The way she said it made it clear that, even if the doctor said no, they would come anyway. This was the group that stole the Declaration of Independence, conspired to kidnap the president and discovered a fabled city of gold. Breaking into a hospital delivery room was just another notch on their bedpost.
“By all means,” Dr. Wibberley stepped aside and they filed past him into Reese's room. She was propped up on pillows in an unflattering hospital gown. Her short hair was pulled back, away from her sweaty face, but she still managed to grin cheekily at them.
“Hey kids.” Abigail and Riley took the chairs and Ben stood behind them with his hands on Riley's tense shoulders. “Fancy meeting you here.” At Reese's casual greeting, Ben felt Riley relax a little. Despite his flippant snarkery, Riley did his best to take care of his sister – he took his role as brother very seriously. Reese seemed to sense this, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Riley,” he nodded and clenched his hands in the material of his trousers. “Ri, look at me.”
“I'm scared,” he whispered and Abi, who hadn't let go of his hand, laced her fingers through his and squeezed to show her support. Ben pressed a careful kiss to his temple.
“You? Scared?” Reese scoffed warmly. “C'mon, kid brother, you helped steal the freaking Declaration of Independence with a trigger-happy bastard on your ass. And, oh, not to mention you participated in kidnapping of the president. This should be a breeze.”
“Maybe you should tone down the cussing, there is a baby about to be present,” he joked half-heartedly, rubbing his elbow and sidestepping the potential confrontation altogether.
She laughed, shaking her head, as she rubbed her tummy. “Not for a few more hours, from what Wibberley tells me. Still,” she grimaced and her hand spasmed a little, “wouldn't mind speeding things up a bit.”
Ben shifted to stroke his fingers soothingly through Riley's hair. “D'you want us to call him or something?” Abi was already half-way out of her chair.
“I could track down a nurse,” she offered. “They might know where he is.” Reese laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Sit back down, crazy lady,” she ordered. “Billions of women have given birth before me, and billions more will give birth after me. You guys,” she gestured in a very Riley-esque manner, “just need to chill the hell out.”
“Again,” he quipped with an exaggerated sigh, “with the cussing.”
“Hell isn't a cuss word, Riley,” Ben supplied from above his head and tweaked his ear affectionately.
“I think it depends on the usage, personally.” Abigail sat back down and slid her hand into Riley's again. It was an awkward fit, but that was sort of how their relationship went.
“Or,” Reese reasoned, “it could be that my brother's a prude.” Abi laughed at Riley's open-mouthed, affronted expression and Ben was quick to leap to his defense.
“Ah, well, I consider myself an expert in that particular field,” he began stuffily. “I can say, from personal experience, that he is most certainly no prude,” he finished with a suggestive wink. Reese wolf-whistled and Riley tried to hide his burning face in his hands, forgetting that one of them belonged to Abigail.
He moaned in frustration, “how does it always turn into a let's-humiliate-Riley party with you guys?”
“Is there any other?” Reese taunted with sparkling eyes. She and Ben shared a conspiratorial look. Operation: Distract Riley had been a success. The foursome spent the rest of the night in Reese's cramped hospital room, trading childhood stories. As it stood, the Best Broken Bone award went to Abigail, who had cracked two ribs and broke her arm in three places when she took a tumble off her roof when she was six. Apparently, she had woken up one morning with the firm belief that she was a witch and could therefore fly. So, she grabbed her mother's broom and took to the roof. The whole fiasco ended with her sporting a bright orange cast as a trophy.
Between contractions, Reese and Riley double-teamed a tale about second grade, when they had matching shaggy-short haircuts. They spent an entire week pretending to be the other – switching clothes and classrooms – and it wasn't until their mother walked in on “Riley” taking a bath did she discover the ruse. And, even so, their parents still got them confused; it wasn't until Reese fully developed breasts and Riley's voice changed that their folks could keep each twin straight.
Ben regaled them all with how he turned his entire American History class in eighth grade against their particularly loathsome teacher. Before class started, he had sketched a modified picture of the Join, or Die snake the original Benjamin Franklin drew during the Seven Years' War. By the end of the period, he had the whole class quoting the eighth virtue of Justice at the teacher. “Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.” Despite the historical nerdiness of the whole thing, Riley had to admit that it was kind of cool, imaging a younger Ben encouraging other students to speak up for themselves against scholastic injustice.
As soon as he was done with his story, around half past midnight, one of the nurses came in to check on Reese and how far along she was. That meant Riley and Ben turned away in embarrassed politeness while Abi distracted Reese with meaningless chitchat. “Ten centimeters,” the nurse announced happily. Reese let her head drop back on the pillow with a relieved finally! The nurse smiled and ducked out of the room, “I'll go get Dr. Wibberley.”
“Riley,” Reese warned when she saw the panicked edge in his hunched posture. “Don't worry, okay? I'm gonna be fine, the baby's gonna be fine and we're gonna be fine. I just need you to stay with me, all right?” It occurred to him then that, maybe, his sister wasn't as chill about this whole thing as she was pretending to be. Looking at her, he realized just how anxious she really was.
“I'm here,” he whispered and bumped his fist against hers. ““Ain't nothin' gonna get the Poole twins down. Now,” he glanced over his shoulder as Dr. Wibberley eased his way into the crowded room, “let's go get this baby born.”
The next few hours were a blur for Riley. He tried to ignored the doctor babble going on around him (much like he did Ben's history babble) and focus on his sister. He held her hand, let her break his, and tried to encourage her the best he could. After the first hour, Reese had forsaken words for pained grunts and clenched curses.
He refrained from pointing out that she was a mommy now, and mommies didn't cuss, and instead reminded her over and over that he was there, and nothing was going to take him away from her because they were the Poole twins and ain't nothin' gonna get them down, so please, just keep pushing sis, it's going to be okay, you're doing great, don't give up, I'm here Reese, please, just keep pushing you're amazing, I love you Ben loves you Abi loves you but not like that, yes, laugh please, oh God, you're gonna be a mommy and Ben and me are gonna be daddies and I told Abi she was our sister so she's gonna be an auntie and I didn't think you'd mind, look at you, smiling and giving birth at the same time, I'm so proud of you, sis, wait no where's your smile please come back I'm holding your hand I'm right here what's wrong doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, what do you mean too much blood no don't, please, Reese, I don't want to let go but I love you and you're my sister and I'll always be your baby brother and I love you I love you I love you I oh my God.
And then Riley Poole was out in the hall, staring at his scuffed Converse, wondering when he had gotten so damn cold.
Abi and Ben, at Dr. Wibberley's prompting, had left to stake out the cafeteria. Ben had to call both his parents, to let them know they would soon be grandparents and, yes, Reese was fine, yes, Riley was fine, no they didn't know if it was a baby boy or a baby girl and, definitely, he would keep them posted. Abi listened to the conversation as she sipped her coffee with an amused grin on her face. After about two hours, she stood up and stretched.
“Maybe we should head back,” she said as Ben struggled out of the uncomfortable cafeteria chair. “Riley might need some coffee, or something. A break or, at the very least, a second to breathe,” she continued as they made their way to the elevator.
“Reese is probably the one who needs the break, from Riley's babbling.” The barb was softened by the affection in his voice. Abi said nothing but poked him in the ribs with her elbow. “What? It's true? Oh, hold on,” Ben was interrupted as his cell went off. Pursing his lips, he stopped in the lobby as he examined the flip phone. “You go on up, I'll be there in a sec, okay?” As the elevator doors closed, she saw him bring the phone to his ear.
Abigail found Riley hunched in one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room. He had changed out of the ridiculous scrubs the hospital had loaned him and his clothes were wrinkled. His feet were tapping out of rhythm with his drumming fingers. “Riley?” She called cautiously, his name catching a little in her accent. He jerked, as if he had been physically slapped, and slowly turned to look at her. The lost, shallow look in his eyes made her chest hurt. “Riley?”
“There was so much blood,” he whispered and her heart broke for him. Instantly, Abigail slid into the chair next to him and put her thin arms around his shaking shoulders. “So, so much blood and I couldn't do anything,” his breathing hitched and his voice cracked.
“I was holding her hand, Abi, I was holding her hand so damn hard...” She stroked his hair and made quiet, comforting shushing noises, as he clutched at her sweater. “Shit, Abi, what am I gonna do? She's my sister, my goddamn twin sister and I couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding!” He wrenched himself out of her embrace as his voice turned bitter.
“Oh, Riley...” Helpless, Abigail watched as the boy she had adopted as her younger brother paced back and forth, tearing at his hair.
“And, and don't tell me that everything's gonna be okay, okay? Just, just don't!” He pointed an accusing finger, like a gun, in her direction and she took it. This was Riley, techie-turned-soon-to-be-father – Ben's Riley and he was hurting because his sister was fighting for her life and her baby.
“Everyone's been telling me that everything's gonna turn out oh-fucking-kay but it's not, okay? Because, because Reese is in there,” he gestured angrily to the operating room, “and she's bleeding and she might even be dead but it's not like anyone's gonna tell me anything, because I'm just her little brother and I can't do anything to help her and – ”
“Riley,” came the quiet, ever calming voice of Ben Gates. Riley stopped mid-tirade and his broken baby blues turned glassy. He closed his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks.
“I'm scared,” he whimpered and stepped into the open arms of his other half. Abi watched, tears blurring her own vision, as Ben rubbed Riley's back comfortingly and let him sob against his shoulder. “I'm scared,” he repeated and fisted his hands in the dark material of Ben's shirt. “I'm so scared, Ben. What if... what if...” He couldn't even finish his thought – it terrified him too much. Ben kissed him once, twice, a thousand times, all over his sad, young face.
“Shh, Riley,” Ben soothed and cupped his cheek, “these doctors know what they're doing, kiddo. You don't even need to worry about Reese,” he pressed his lips against Riley's briefly, “because they've got it covered.”
“Thanks,” Riley whispered hoarsely, “for not telling me that everything would be okay.” Ben smiled and kissed him again, tightening his arm around the techie's slim waist. Riley whimpered, a tender little noise in the back of his throat, and slid his hands to Ben's hips. Abi, to her credit, was only marginally embarrassed and maintained her dignity by blinking and starting at her leather shoes. Finally, they separated and Ben pressed his forehead against Riley's.
“Love you,” he whispered and Riley nodded, biting his lip. “You feeling okay?” Riley nodded again and Ben led him by the hand to sit down next to Abigail. Riley sat sandwiched between them and Abi laced her fingers through his.
“Sorry, Abi,” Riley cleared his throat, “for yelling at you. I just...”
“I know,” she put on a brave smile and squeezed his hand, “I know.” Riley nodded for the third time in two minutes and settled down with his head on Ben's shoulder. Ben had his hand on Riley's leg, stroking idly with his thumb, and soon, the techie succumbed to sleep. “Ben,” Abi whispered and he raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. “Who was that on the phone?”
“Oh,” Ben laughed to himself. “Sadusky.”
“From the FBI?” She did her best to keep her voice in check. “That Sadusky?
“Yeah, he heard about Reese going into labor and he sends his regards.” Abi narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
“How'd he find out about that? I thought you, Riley and Reese wanted to keep the pregnancy private.”
“Oh, we did, we did.” He nodded to himself and shifted a little in his chair. “But it's Agent Sadusky. You can't really keep anything from him. He probably knew about Riley and me before we did.”
“Ah,” she snorted to herself and tightened her hold on Riley's hand, “wish he would've told me.”
“Abi...”
“Ben, please,” she rolled her eyes, “it's been three years and we were kidding ourselves when we thought it would work,” she smiled sadly but her eyes were hopeful. “You and Riley have a family. Besides,” she blushed to herself, “I have someone else in mind.”
“Oh, do you now?” Ben teased and Riley mumbled in his sleep.
“Yes,” Abigail replied and turned her head so she was staring at the wall. “But I'm not telling you.” He sighed dramatically. Abi smirked as Riley moaned a little and shifted so, while they were still holding hands, he was turned away from her and practically curled into Ben. “Careful,” she warned, “you'll wake up your boy.” Resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be able to worm the name of her sweetheart out of her, Ben followed his boy's example and closed his eyes to sleep. Abi tucked her legs under her, making sure not to let go of Riley's hand, tried to get comfortable and find some sleep of her own.
This was how Dr. Wibberley found them, almost two hours later, as he wiped at his forehead with his arm. He shucked off his sticky, blood-stained rubber gloves and cleared his throat. Ben was the first to wake up, followed by Riley, whose jerking flail unsettled Abi enough to rouse her.
“Uhwha... where's the parade?” Riley blinked blearily to himself as he looked around, clearly lost without his parade. Abigail yawned, stretching her cramped muscles.
Ben rubbed at his strained eyes, “how's Reese?” and instantly Riley woke up, zeroing in on the doctor's face.
Wibberley grinned, his face tired but triumphant. “Ms. Poole is doing fine, gentlemen and lady,” he nodded for Abigail's benefit, “and the little one is doing fine, too.”
“Is... can we...” Ben put a steading hand on his lower back as Riley stood up shakily, trying to find the right words. Pausing for a second, he swallowed. “Can we see them?”
“Yes,” Wibberley stepped aside, “you can see your sister and your new daughter.”
“Dau...daughter?” Riley repeated dumbly as Abi nodded encouragingly, nudging him forward. “We have a daughter?” He turned to Ben, seeking validation. Ben was laughing, holding his arms open for a hug. Riley flung himself at him, giggling in exhaustion in happiness. “We have a daughter! We have a daughter!”
(/scene)
Okay, so I'm trying to start a pro-Abigail campaign. Why? Because I think she's a strong female character who gets the short end of the stick because she gets in the way of the Briley. So, I suggest this pairing for you kids: Andrew Harvey Sadusky/Abigail Chase. Oh, I am so serious about this too.
Bring it.
Oh, and piratehatter? I'm doing research tomorrow after school and then I'll have your story typed within the week, posted by the weekend. Hopefully. *fingers crossed*
Sha-blam!
Title: Something To Be Thankful For (Prequel to Better Than This)
Author: cynical_sweater(Bee! :D)
Rating: PG-13; Reese is a pervert and Riley cusses
Pairing: Ben/Riley
Summary: In which Thanksgiving is interrupted because Reese is pregnant.
Warnings: More gayness. And, there is pregnancy stuff discussed. (OH! Real fast: for anyone who does not know "dilating" refers to the widening of the cervix when a woman is getting ready to give birth. Ten centimeters means she's ready to deliver.)
Disclaimer: I own Reese. Other than that, I got nothin'.
In her own chubby way, Reese Poole was beautiful. Like her brother, she had bright, blue eyes and dark hair that never wanted to behave. Unlike her brother, however, she never managed to maintain a sleek physique, especially now, at nine months into a relatively easy pregnancy. The extra weight just made her extra-squishy and, therefore (by Riley's careful calculations) extra-fun to hug. But she managed to make the curves work for her and, most of the time, she didn't mind it so much.
Most of the time not being twenty minutes after she was supposed to be at her little brother's for Thanksgiving dinner. When she agreed to have their baby, the boys arranged for her to move into their apartment complex – just so they could all get involved with the pregnanciness of it all. It worked out nicely, even though she spent most of her time hanging out on their couch anyway. She really only used her place to sleep, take showers and change clothes. Getting to her doctor's appointments was a lot easier too, as she didn't have a stable source of transportation otherwise.
Ben and Riley were actually excited about piling into the car with a pregnant woman, so they could sit in a waiting room with a bunch of other pregnant women and talk about pregnant womanly things. Some of the other parents-to-be would cast wary looks at the threesome, as it was obvious that Riley and Reese were related (the twin thing was a little difficult to miss) and, while they were fond of each other, Reese and Ben didn't really give off the coupley vibe. Probably because they weren't an actual couple. But, if anyone gave her little brother or his boyfriend trouble for the way they led their lives, Reese had no problems beating them senseless, pregnant or not.
Shaking her head in amusement, Reese waddled her way out of the bathroom to her bedroom, with one hand perpetually supporting the small of her back. Much as she loved being pregnant, she couldn't wait to get this kid out of her. Since yesterday morning, she had already dilated five centimeters, so the little one was coming soon. Hopefully, Reese winced to herself as she tried to stretch her back as much as possible, it would be very soon.
A jaunty knock at her door sent her shuffling off again. After checking the peephole, she unlocked the many locks (installed by Ben and Riley, because it was dangerous for a young, pregnant woman to be living alone, even if she did pack a mean left, right and everything in between hook) and opened the door to reveal her brother, shifting slightly in his Converse with his hands clasped behind his back. “Hi, Reese,” he greeted with a cheeky smile.
“You could have called, y'know,” she pointed out as she moved out of the way to grant him entrance to her apartment, “that's what phones are for.”
“I know,” Riley acknowledged with a superior tilt of his head, “but don't mention them to Ben, because then he'll spend dinner regaling us with the history of the maker of the telephone.” He gestured widely with his arms and almost knocked his glasses off his face.
“Alexander Graham Bell, Riley. You should know that – you did a report on him in eighth grade. I remember because I had to do it for you,” she snarked not unkindly. He rolled his eyes but ignored the jibe. It was all in good twin loving fun, after all. “Just let me grab my purse, then you can escort me to your apartment.” Reese laughed and swatted him on the shoulder, “if that's even why you're here.”
“Ha,” Riley barked as he jingled his keys in his pocket, “you'd like to think you're that lucky.” She snorted and hit him again, harder this time. “Ow,” he wined pointedly as he rubbed the afflicted area. “Pregnant women are supposed to be motherly and, and... and glowing.”
“Riley,” Reese sighed as she held the door open for him with a smirk that clearly said ladies first , “in all our years together, have I ever glowed?”
“Good point,” he conceded as he passed her; he waited in the hall as she shut and locked her door. “And you've never really been motherly, either. I gotta admit, sis, I'm kinda fearing for the kidlet,” he chided as he rubbed her swollen belly.
For the third time in ten minutes, she smacked him. “I can be damn motherly, Riley Poole. Just not to you!” And, had she the energy, she probably would have chased him all the way back to the apartment. As it was, she was nine months pregnant and her brother was just enough of a gentleman to support her gently around the waist as they walked. Despite the sibling snippery, they maintained a cordial conversation through the short trip. “Have you guys been waiting long?”
“No, not really. Ben was just putting the pie in when I left to come get you. He and Abi have been chattin' it up since she got here,” he observed morosely to his shoes. Reese rolled her eyes but restrained herself from physically acting out her displeasure.
“Riley, you can't still be jealous of her. The woman's gone, like, ninety seven percent of the year.” While that was a slight exaggeration, it was true. Since the final separation three years ago, Abigail had taken up traveling around the world. The money from both the Templar and Cibola treasures was more than enough to fund her exploratory endeavors. “Besides, I think she's a lesbian.”
“She is not!” Riley gasped, jerking his stare up from the floor.
Reese restrained her laughter, but only just barely. “Riley, she stares at my boobs.”
“Uh, because they're huge?” He pointed out, incredulous. That, too, was true. Since she became pregnant, Reese's tummy wasn't the only thing that had swelled. “I'm your brother and I've noticed.”
“Well, that's because you're a sexual deviant and can't be held responsible for your desires.” She joked. Riley only snorted darkly and jammed his hands in his pockets.
“Been talking to Mom and Dad, have you?” He asked in sarcastic monotone. As much as she teased her little brother for just about everything, Reese was truly proud of all the things he had done – the least of which, in her opinion, was discover two mythical treasures.
The Poole clan wasn't known for its open-mindedness, and for the youngest son to come out – on Christmas, no less, with Ben Gates holding his hand the whole time – was quite an upset. Ben and Riley spent the rest of the night at a hotel, Ben holding Riley close as he stared in silent anger at the wall. Two hours later, Reese knocked on the door with a bottle of champagne and the movie The Birdcage. All in all, it turned into a very memorable night. One for the books, as they say.
“C'mon, Riley,” she soothed as they approached 3F, “you know I'll always choose your side over theirs. It's no contest. You're my baby brother.”
“I know,” he fidgeted and started jingling his keys again, “I just don't want you to face family exile too.”
“Well,” she drawled blandly and gestured to her tummy, “it's a little late for that seeing as I am having a kidlet, as you say, for you and Ben to raise. It wasn't exactly what Mom and Dad had in plan for the Poole twins,” she bumped her hip against his, “but I can dig it okay.”
“Dig it okay,” Riley repeated to himself as he held the door open for her, “where do you get these lines?” Before she could adequately respond, she was attacked by a flurry of Abigail.
“Reese! Look at you! You're positively glowing!” Riley choked into his fist, momentary overcome by hysterics, and Abigail glared at him. “She is! Pregnancy looks good on her.” Reese smiled and awkwardly hugged the other woman.
“Thank you, at least someone thinks so,” she shot a pointed look in her brother's direction, who was casually looking elsewhere. Elsewhere being Ben, who had poked his head out of the kitchen to greet the mother of his child. “Hey Ben!” He smiled, eyes crinkling, and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Privately, Riley smirked to himself; he loved watching Ben and Reese together. The easy acceptance between the two of them really made him believe that this weird family thing might actually work.
“Dinner should be ready in a few more minutes,” Ben informed the group, “I'm just about to carve the turkey.”
“Thanks for doing all this,” Reese said and Riley knew she meant more than just Thanksgiving dinner, but also taking care of her little brother. “I was gonna make a green bean casserole, but then I remembered I was nine months pregnant, so I took a nap instead.” Or not, he shrugged to himself as Ben laughed. “Now, shoo, Abi and I have to go girl talk,” she dismissed him easily and Ben snorted to himself as he retreated back to the kitchen. “So, Abs, how was Chile?”
“Oh, it was fantastic!” She gasped and followed Reese to the sitting room, where they could relax and catch up while Ben and Riley set the table. “We flew into Santiago late on the twentieth, I guess, and I met up with an old friend of mine, who now works at the Chilean Natural Museum of History...” Riley raised an eyebrow and drifted into the kitchen for some good old fashioned Benjamin Gates watching.
Ben was poised over the turkey with a carving knife in his hand, trying to determine the best cutting angle. Unable to help himself, Riley sneaked up behind the other man and wrapped his arms around him in a tender hug. Not surprisingly, Ben didn't even flinch as he adjusted to the extra weight against his back.
“Hello Riley,” he greeted, offhandedly, as he eyed the bird.
“Hi Ben,” Riley snuggled his face into Ben's sweater and hummed happily. “Nee'ny'lp?” He murmured. Ben raised an eyebrow and rested the knife on the table.
“You realize I have no idea what you just said, right?” Ben deadpanned. In response, Riley bit his earlobe and wandered to the other side of the table. Rolling his eyes, Ben picked up the knife and resumed staring at the turkey with no intention of actually doing anything. “You're a damn tease, you know,” he observed without looking up.
“Yup,” Riley quipped with pride before he was distracted by the pie on the counter next to him. “Ooh, pumpkin!” It was moments like these, when he was so easily brought off-track by something sweet and sugary, that Ben realized how young Riley was. The kid was barely out of his twenties and he was entering fatherhood.
“Riley,” Ben warned carefully as he finally made his move and cut through the tender flesh of the turkey, “that's for after dinner.” To his credit, Riley hadn't actually touched the dessert and he was quick to remind Ben of this.
“I was only looking – making sure it was safe,” he whined and guiltily shuffled a few paces away from the tempting treat, searching for something to keep him occupied and out of trouble. “I'll just grab the plates, okay?” Ben nodded and cut a few more slices of turkey. There were only four of them, and Reese was eating less in the later stages of her pregnancy, so it wasn't like he needed to carve up the whole bird. Riley breezed past him with a stack of dishes in his arms, pausing only to grant Ben a quick kiss on the cheek. “Love you,” he murmured in his ear.
Ben turned his head so that their lips brushed briefly, “love you too, kiddo.” Riley flicked his eyes to Ben's mouth before stealing another kiss. It was longer, deeper and he had to physically concentrate on not dropping the plates. Unable to control himself, he leaned further into Ben and whimpered pleadingly as his toes curled pleasantly in his Converse. He pulled back abruptly and Ben had to steady him with a hand on his back as an embarrassingly loud whistle sounded from the doorway.
“Damn,” Reese laughed with her hands on her hips. Behind her, Abigail was shaking her head with a look that clearly said it figures on her face. “You boys can't keep your hands off each other, huh?” Blushing uncomfortably, Riley ducked his head and scrambled past the cat-calling women to set the table. Behind him, he heard his sister ask, “so, Benjamin, on a scale of one to ten, what's my brother?”
It was with a small amount of mortified pride that he caught Ben's smug reply of, “at least thirteen.” For the record, he would've rated himself easily a fourteen, if not maybe fifteen. Ben, certainly, was a sixteen. Yeah, Riley thought to himself as he straightened the napkins, at the very minimum, a sixteen.
Halfway through dinner, Reese started grimacing and rubbing at her tummy. “Reese,” Abi studied her over her wine glass, “are you all right?” It certainly wasn't the first time Reese had experienced muscle cramps and Ben and Riley tried to play it cool – tried being the operative word there, as both men instantly tensed, expecting a sudden dash to the hospital. It wouldn't have been the first time for that, either.
She waved away her concerns with her fork and a strained grin, one hand still on her stomach. “The little one's acting up,” she groaned and stretched in her chair, “kid's got quite a kick, that's all.” Riley said nothing but for the rest of the meal, he kept one eye trained on his sister. Naturally, she noticed and proved that she, too, had quite a kick – especially when it was aimed at his shins.
After his third piece of pie (delicious, delicious pumpkin), Riley noticed that his sister had stopped participating in the conversation and she was clenching and unclenching her hands with a grimace on her face. “Reese,” he asked in warning and she nodded, gasping slightly.
“Yeah,” she ground out as she struggled out of her chair with Ben's aid, “I think, ooh, I think it's, it's time.” Instantly, Riley started searching for the car keys as Abigail gathered up their coats. It was, after all, November in Washington D.C.
“Here,” Riley whispered in his sister's ear as he helped her into one of his oversized, yet strangely warm, sweatshirts. “It's okay sis,” he squeezed her hand and she offered him a pained, understanding smile, “we got this.”
“Damn straight we do,” she bumped her fist against his. “Ain't nothin' gonna get the Poole twins down. Now,” somehow, she managed to link her arm through his as the foursome rushed out of the apartment, “let's go get this baby born.”
Ben and Abi took the front (Ben driving and Abi riding shotgun) as Riley piled into the back with Reese. He helplessly held her hand as she tried to take deep, calming breaths. Somehow, Ben managed to get them to the hospital in one piece, even though he was constantly glancing over his shoulder at the siblings in the back. Reese had succumbed to wordless grunts and Riley looked absolutely terrified; his blue eyes were comically wide.
“Riley,” Ben reached back and squeezed his hand when they were stopped at a red light, mere seconds from the hospital's entrance. For the first time in the fifteen minutes since Reese went into labor, Riley took his eyes off her and focused on Ben's calming presence. “Riley, everything's gonna be fine.” Wordlessly, he smiled his thanks and went back to stroking his twin's forehead.
“Ben,” Abigail nudged his shoulder gently and pointed at the road, “the light's green.” Sparing one last look at the backseat, Ben floored it.
Less than a minute later, they had Reese being bustled off to her room as her doctor was being paged on the loud speaker. Ben, Riley and Abigail stood in the hall for an awkward moment, wondering what to do with themselves, before reaching the same conclusion and tearing after Reese and her nurse. They had come this far together and there wasn't much that could separate them.
Except, perhaps, Reese's doctor. Calmly, Dr. Wibberley shook each of their hands with a placating smile. “Mr. Poole, Mr. Gates, and you are...?” He greeted them each by name, pausing only when he reached Abigail.
She accepted his handshake with a resolute nod, “I'm Abigail Chase...”
“...Reese's and my sister.” Riley finished for her, managing to sound only a little panicked. He blinked as everyone turned to stare at him. “In a, er, well... roundabout,” he floundered under the attention and gestured widely with both his hands, “kind of...way.” It was a poorly-kept secret that Riley was a little wary of the blonde, and she offered him a fond smile as she clasped one of his hands between both of hers. Sister, Abigail repeated to herself. She could get used to that.
Ben watched the exchange with bemused sort of pride before addressing Dr. Wibberley, “what can you tell us, doc?”
“Well,” he adjusted his gloves, “Reese is about nine centimeters dilated, so it shouldn't take much longer for her to be ready. We've got her all set up and comfortable – you three can follow me, if you'd like.” He continued to talk as the walked, “I'm sorry to say this, but only one of you can scrub up and be in there for the delivery. This is Reese's first pregnancy and we don't know how things will play out.”
“Can we all see her now, though?” Abi asked. The way she said it made it clear that, even if the doctor said no, they would come anyway. This was the group that stole the Declaration of Independence, conspired to kidnap the president and discovered a fabled city of gold. Breaking into a hospital delivery room was just another notch on their bedpost.
“By all means,” Dr. Wibberley stepped aside and they filed past him into Reese's room. She was propped up on pillows in an unflattering hospital gown. Her short hair was pulled back, away from her sweaty face, but she still managed to grin cheekily at them.
“Hey kids.” Abigail and Riley took the chairs and Ben stood behind them with his hands on Riley's tense shoulders. “Fancy meeting you here.” At Reese's casual greeting, Ben felt Riley relax a little. Despite his flippant snarkery, Riley did his best to take care of his sister – he took his role as brother very seriously. Reese seemed to sense this, and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Riley,” he nodded and clenched his hands in the material of his trousers. “Ri, look at me.”
“I'm scared,” he whispered and Abi, who hadn't let go of his hand, laced her fingers through his and squeezed to show her support. Ben pressed a careful kiss to his temple.
“You? Scared?” Reese scoffed warmly. “C'mon, kid brother, you helped steal the freaking Declaration of Independence with a trigger-happy bastard on your ass. And, oh, not to mention you participated in kidnapping of the president. This should be a breeze.”
“Maybe you should tone down the cussing, there is a baby about to be present,” he joked half-heartedly, rubbing his elbow and sidestepping the potential confrontation altogether.
She laughed, shaking her head, as she rubbed her tummy. “Not for a few more hours, from what Wibberley tells me. Still,” she grimaced and her hand spasmed a little, “wouldn't mind speeding things up a bit.”
Ben shifted to stroke his fingers soothingly through Riley's hair. “D'you want us to call him or something?” Abi was already half-way out of her chair.
“I could track down a nurse,” she offered. “They might know where he is.” Reese laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Sit back down, crazy lady,” she ordered. “Billions of women have given birth before me, and billions more will give birth after me. You guys,” she gestured in a very Riley-esque manner, “just need to chill the hell out.”
“Again,” he quipped with an exaggerated sigh, “with the cussing.”
“Hell isn't a cuss word, Riley,” Ben supplied from above his head and tweaked his ear affectionately.
“I think it depends on the usage, personally.” Abigail sat back down and slid her hand into Riley's again. It was an awkward fit, but that was sort of how their relationship went.
“Or,” Reese reasoned, “it could be that my brother's a prude.” Abi laughed at Riley's open-mouthed, affronted expression and Ben was quick to leap to his defense.
“Ah, well, I consider myself an expert in that particular field,” he began stuffily. “I can say, from personal experience, that he is most certainly no prude,” he finished with a suggestive wink. Reese wolf-whistled and Riley tried to hide his burning face in his hands, forgetting that one of them belonged to Abigail.
He moaned in frustration, “how does it always turn into a let's-humiliate-Riley party with you guys?”
“Is there any other?” Reese taunted with sparkling eyes. She and Ben shared a conspiratorial look. Operation: Distract Riley had been a success. The foursome spent the rest of the night in Reese's cramped hospital room, trading childhood stories. As it stood, the Best Broken Bone award went to Abigail, who had cracked two ribs and broke her arm in three places when she took a tumble off her roof when she was six. Apparently, she had woken up one morning with the firm belief that she was a witch and could therefore fly. So, she grabbed her mother's broom and took to the roof. The whole fiasco ended with her sporting a bright orange cast as a trophy.
Between contractions, Reese and Riley double-teamed a tale about second grade, when they had matching shaggy-short haircuts. They spent an entire week pretending to be the other – switching clothes and classrooms – and it wasn't until their mother walked in on “Riley” taking a bath did she discover the ruse. And, even so, their parents still got them confused; it wasn't until Reese fully developed breasts and Riley's voice changed that their folks could keep each twin straight.
Ben regaled them all with how he turned his entire American History class in eighth grade against their particularly loathsome teacher. Before class started, he had sketched a modified picture of the Join, or Die snake the original Benjamin Franklin drew during the Seven Years' War. By the end of the period, he had the whole class quoting the eighth virtue of Justice at the teacher. “Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.” Despite the historical nerdiness of the whole thing, Riley had to admit that it was kind of cool, imaging a younger Ben encouraging other students to speak up for themselves against scholastic injustice.
As soon as he was done with his story, around half past midnight, one of the nurses came in to check on Reese and how far along she was. That meant Riley and Ben turned away in embarrassed politeness while Abi distracted Reese with meaningless chitchat. “Ten centimeters,” the nurse announced happily. Reese let her head drop back on the pillow with a relieved finally! The nurse smiled and ducked out of the room, “I'll go get Dr. Wibberley.”
“Riley,” Reese warned when she saw the panicked edge in his hunched posture. “Don't worry, okay? I'm gonna be fine, the baby's gonna be fine and we're gonna be fine. I just need you to stay with me, all right?” It occurred to him then that, maybe, his sister wasn't as chill about this whole thing as she was pretending to be. Looking at her, he realized just how anxious she really was.
“I'm here,” he whispered and bumped his fist against hers. ““Ain't nothin' gonna get the Poole twins down. Now,” he glanced over his shoulder as Dr. Wibberley eased his way into the crowded room, “let's go get this baby born.”
The next few hours were a blur for Riley. He tried to ignored the doctor babble going on around him (much like he did Ben's history babble) and focus on his sister. He held her hand, let her break his, and tried to encourage her the best he could. After the first hour, Reese had forsaken words for pained grunts and clenched curses.
He refrained from pointing out that she was a mommy now, and mommies didn't cuss, and instead reminded her over and over that he was there, and nothing was going to take him away from her because they were the Poole twins and ain't nothin' gonna get them down, so please, just keep pushing sis, it's going to be okay, you're doing great, don't give up, I'm here Reese, please, just keep pushing you're amazing, I love you Ben loves you Abi loves you but not like that, yes, laugh please, oh God, you're gonna be a mommy and Ben and me are gonna be daddies and I told Abi she was our sister so she's gonna be an auntie and I didn't think you'd mind, look at you, smiling and giving birth at the same time, I'm so proud of you, sis, wait no where's your smile please come back I'm holding your hand I'm right here what's wrong doctor, doctor, doctor, doctor, what do you mean too much blood no don't, please, Reese, I don't want to let go but I love you and you're my sister and I'll always be your baby brother and I love you I love you I love you I oh my God.
And then Riley Poole was out in the hall, staring at his scuffed Converse, wondering when he had gotten so damn cold.
Abi and Ben, at Dr. Wibberley's prompting, had left to stake out the cafeteria. Ben had to call both his parents, to let them know they would soon be grandparents and, yes, Reese was fine, yes, Riley was fine, no they didn't know if it was a baby boy or a baby girl and, definitely, he would keep them posted. Abi listened to the conversation as she sipped her coffee with an amused grin on her face. After about two hours, she stood up and stretched.
“Maybe we should head back,” she said as Ben struggled out of the uncomfortable cafeteria chair. “Riley might need some coffee, or something. A break or, at the very least, a second to breathe,” she continued as they made their way to the elevator.
“Reese is probably the one who needs the break, from Riley's babbling.” The barb was softened by the affection in his voice. Abi said nothing but poked him in the ribs with her elbow. “What? It's true? Oh, hold on,” Ben was interrupted as his cell went off. Pursing his lips, he stopped in the lobby as he examined the flip phone. “You go on up, I'll be there in a sec, okay?” As the elevator doors closed, she saw him bring the phone to his ear.
Abigail found Riley hunched in one of the plastic chairs in the waiting room. He had changed out of the ridiculous scrubs the hospital had loaned him and his clothes were wrinkled. His feet were tapping out of rhythm with his drumming fingers. “Riley?” She called cautiously, his name catching a little in her accent. He jerked, as if he had been physically slapped, and slowly turned to look at her. The lost, shallow look in his eyes made her chest hurt. “Riley?”
“There was so much blood,” he whispered and her heart broke for him. Instantly, Abigail slid into the chair next to him and put her thin arms around his shaking shoulders. “So, so much blood and I couldn't do anything,” his breathing hitched and his voice cracked.
“I was holding her hand, Abi, I was holding her hand so damn hard...” She stroked his hair and made quiet, comforting shushing noises, as he clutched at her sweater. “Shit, Abi, what am I gonna do? She's my sister, my goddamn twin sister and I couldn't do anything to stop the bleeding!” He wrenched himself out of her embrace as his voice turned bitter.
“Oh, Riley...” Helpless, Abigail watched as the boy she had adopted as her younger brother paced back and forth, tearing at his hair.
“And, and don't tell me that everything's gonna be okay, okay? Just, just don't!” He pointed an accusing finger, like a gun, in her direction and she took it. This was Riley, techie-turned-soon-to-be-father – Ben's Riley and he was hurting because his sister was fighting for her life and her baby.
“Everyone's been telling me that everything's gonna turn out oh-fucking-kay but it's not, okay? Because, because Reese is in there,” he gestured angrily to the operating room, “and she's bleeding and she might even be dead but it's not like anyone's gonna tell me anything, because I'm just her little brother and I can't do anything to help her and – ”
“Riley,” came the quiet, ever calming voice of Ben Gates. Riley stopped mid-tirade and his broken baby blues turned glassy. He closed his eyes as tears slipped down his cheeks.
“I'm scared,” he whimpered and stepped into the open arms of his other half. Abi watched, tears blurring her own vision, as Ben rubbed Riley's back comfortingly and let him sob against his shoulder. “I'm scared,” he repeated and fisted his hands in the dark material of Ben's shirt. “I'm so scared, Ben. What if... what if...” He couldn't even finish his thought – it terrified him too much. Ben kissed him once, twice, a thousand times, all over his sad, young face.
“Shh, Riley,” Ben soothed and cupped his cheek, “these doctors know what they're doing, kiddo. You don't even need to worry about Reese,” he pressed his lips against Riley's briefly, “because they've got it covered.”
“Thanks,” Riley whispered hoarsely, “for not telling me that everything would be okay.” Ben smiled and kissed him again, tightening his arm around the techie's slim waist. Riley whimpered, a tender little noise in the back of his throat, and slid his hands to Ben's hips. Abi, to her credit, was only marginally embarrassed and maintained her dignity by blinking and starting at her leather shoes. Finally, they separated and Ben pressed his forehead against Riley's.
“Love you,” he whispered and Riley nodded, biting his lip. “You feeling okay?” Riley nodded again and Ben led him by the hand to sit down next to Abigail. Riley sat sandwiched between them and Abi laced her fingers through his.
“Sorry, Abi,” Riley cleared his throat, “for yelling at you. I just...”
“I know,” she put on a brave smile and squeezed his hand, “I know.” Riley nodded for the third time in two minutes and settled down with his head on Ben's shoulder. Ben had his hand on Riley's leg, stroking idly with his thumb, and soon, the techie succumbed to sleep. “Ben,” Abi whispered and he raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. “Who was that on the phone?”
“Oh,” Ben laughed to himself. “Sadusky.”
“From the FBI?” She did her best to keep her voice in check. “That Sadusky?
“Yeah, he heard about Reese going into labor and he sends his regards.” Abi narrowed her eyes in disbelief.
“How'd he find out about that? I thought you, Riley and Reese wanted to keep the pregnancy private.”
“Oh, we did, we did.” He nodded to himself and shifted a little in his chair. “But it's Agent Sadusky. You can't really keep anything from him. He probably knew about Riley and me before we did.”
“Ah,” she snorted to herself and tightened her hold on Riley's hand, “wish he would've told me.”
“Abi...”
“Ben, please,” she rolled her eyes, “it's been three years and we were kidding ourselves when we thought it would work,” she smiled sadly but her eyes were hopeful. “You and Riley have a family. Besides,” she blushed to herself, “I have someone else in mind.”
“Oh, do you now?” Ben teased and Riley mumbled in his sleep.
“Yes,” Abigail replied and turned her head so she was staring at the wall. “But I'm not telling you.” He sighed dramatically. Abi smirked as Riley moaned a little and shifted so, while they were still holding hands, he was turned away from her and practically curled into Ben. “Careful,” she warned, “you'll wake up your boy.” Resigned to the fact that he wouldn't be able to worm the name of her sweetheart out of her, Ben followed his boy's example and closed his eyes to sleep. Abi tucked her legs under her, making sure not to let go of Riley's hand, tried to get comfortable and find some sleep of her own.
This was how Dr. Wibberley found them, almost two hours later, as he wiped at his forehead with his arm. He shucked off his sticky, blood-stained rubber gloves and cleared his throat. Ben was the first to wake up, followed by Riley, whose jerking flail unsettled Abi enough to rouse her.
“Uhwha... where's the parade?” Riley blinked blearily to himself as he looked around, clearly lost without his parade. Abigail yawned, stretching her cramped muscles.
Ben rubbed at his strained eyes, “how's Reese?” and instantly Riley woke up, zeroing in on the doctor's face.
Wibberley grinned, his face tired but triumphant. “Ms. Poole is doing fine, gentlemen and lady,” he nodded for Abigail's benefit, “and the little one is doing fine, too.”
“Is... can we...” Ben put a steading hand on his lower back as Riley stood up shakily, trying to find the right words. Pausing for a second, he swallowed. “Can we see them?”
“Yes,” Wibberley stepped aside, “you can see your sister and your new daughter.”
“Dau...daughter?” Riley repeated dumbly as Abi nodded encouragingly, nudging him forward. “We have a daughter?” He turned to Ben, seeking validation. Ben was laughing, holding his arms open for a hug. Riley flung himself at him, giggling in exhaustion in happiness. “We have a daughter! We have a daughter!”
(/scene)
Okay, so I'm trying to start a pro-Abigail campaign. Why? Because I think she's a strong female character who gets the short end of the stick because she gets in the way of the Briley. So, I suggest this pairing for you kids: Andrew Harvey Sadusky/Abigail Chase. Oh, I am so serious about this too.
Bring it.
Oh, and piratehatter? I'm doing research tomorrow after school and then I'll have your story typed within the week, posted by the weekend. Hopefully. *fingers crossed*
Sha-blam!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}