Thorne Ch. 12

Kevyn and Juliette decided to have joint baby showers at Juliette's house. Barb didn't want to go, but Juliette wouldn't hear of it.

"All you have to do is look pretty and say thank you. And besides, Thorne will need things for the baby anyway."

So in the spirit of family togetherness, she went. She was surprised to see Samantha Blackwell there, but hid it. Her opinion of the woman hadn't changed and she soon found out that Samantha's opinion of her hadn't changed either. Nathan sat next to Louise with his arm around her as she opened the baby gifts and thanked the giver. Thorne sat next to Barb with his hands clasped loosely in front of him. Barb opened the gifts and then gave a weak thank you. Thorne followed her thank you with a sincere one of his own.

After the gifts were opened and refreshments were being served, Samantha sat next to Barb.

"Your sister is radiant."

Barb bit back a sharp reply. She was being baited.

"Pregnancy becomes her, but you...there is no glow about you. It's obvious that you don't want to be here."

"Did you glow when you carried babies that you didn't want?" Barb snapped.

"Inwardly? No, but no one looking at me knew it," Samantha replied. "To all outward appearances, I was the happy expectant mother. I even had my mate fooled."

Barb turned to Samantha intrigued in spite of herself. "How?" she asked.

"Do not listen to her," the voice warned.

"What does it matter?" Samantha asked. "You've burned your bridges with my son and if what I hear is true, you've burned them with your child. Is it true about the child Celeste? Is she able to talk with my grandson?"

"Mother," Thorne said interrupting Barb's response. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"I postponed my trip when Juliette- a lovely woman- called me to tell me about the shower. I was also intrigued by the family history that Ethan alluded to. Your father would be so proud of you. I was hoping to find out a little more about the Yancy part of this alliance."

"Ethan is having a book made," Thorne replied, "I'll see that you get a copy."

"Wonderful and you'll call me when my grandson is born?"

"Yes, after I call Noel," Thorne replied.

****

Gene stood in a corner watching. It was hard to believe that not only was almost everyone in the room vampire, but that the Sinclaires had such a horrible history. He had talked to Nathan and Patrick and was satisfied that his sisters were safe. He had been thinking about the issue long and hard and the longer he thought about it, the more sure he was that he wanted to do it. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing left for him in the human world. He had been correct to assume that it was over between him and Dana. He had gotten a 'Dear Gene' email telling him that she was and had been seeing someone. She had been too afraid to tell him because she didn't know how he was going to react. He had been hurt, but he wasn't so hurt that he wanted a drink. He went to several meetings just because he didn't want to be alone. He loved his job at Sinclaire Enterprises and was surprised to find that he got along with people almost as easily as Leon did. The fact that his secretary Erica was both beautiful and helpful helped.

Now he was watching Barb. He was glad that she made some semblance of peace with the family, but he wished that she wasn't leaving. He waited until she was sitting alone before he joined her taking her a plate of fruit.

"Nice shower," he said as he sat down and handed her the plate of fruit.

"Yeah," Barb said setting the plate of fruit on the empty chair beside her.

"I'm glad that you're talking to us again..."

"Yes well, you were all right about some things," Barb replied.

"Wow- a concession," Gene said. "I wish that you wouldn't go. I know that you hate it here, but maybe since we're all together you'll feel differently. Maybe you'll want to get to know your baby."

"Gene, we've been over this- I need and want to leave."

"Okay but why so soon after the baby is born? Are you afraid that you might actually learn to care about him? Look, give it six months and if you still want to go then go. I'm sure that you can find something with a six month lease. Just think about it," Gene said patting her knee.

"He makes sense," the voice said.

Reluctantly Barb agreed. It was time to start using her head and no one could say that she didn't try.

*****

Three weeks later Barb was furnishing the three bedroom condo that she had bought in foreclosure. All of her siblings were thrilled. She was still Barb, but much easier to be around. Thorne was surprised by her decision to stay, but made no comment. As far as he was concerned, it changed nothing between them. He didn't tell her that hoping that she knew and understood that. It was too close to the baby's birth to upset her.

He was in his office working when he got a call from Adrianna.

"I think you'd better call Gretchen- her water just broke."

He called Gretchen and raced to Barb's room. She was sitting with her back against the bed looking very frightened. He temporarily forgot his dislike of her and went to her side.

"This is it," he said as he gently picked her up, "in a few hours our son will be here."

He carried her to the bedroom where the birth was to take place and eased her onto the bed. Gretchen was there by the time he had Barb changed into the oversized tee shirt that she wanted to wear. He positioned himself behind her so that she rested against his chest and began to massage her belly.

"Just relax," he crooned in her ear.

Although his words and touch was gentle, Barb wasn't fooled. This was for the benefit of the baby and nothing more.

"Did someone call Kevyn?" she asked and then gasped as a mild contraction hit.

"Adrianna did, now breathe and try to relax," Thorne replied.

"Listen to your coach," Gretchen said as she examined her.

"How long?" Barb asked.

"How long what?" Gretchen asked as she set up her equipment.

"Until this is over," Barb replied.

"That depends on the baby," Gretchen replied. "First births usually take longer- are you going somewhere?"

Four hours later Barb was screaming for drugs and not listening to Thorne's gentle prodding to breathe, resisting when he tried to rub her back. Finally sick of it he snapped at her.

"Breathe damn you!"

Gretchen looked up at him and nodded her thanks. Barb was getting to the point of hysteria.

Barb choked back a sob and nodded.

"Good," Thorne said as he wiped her forehead with a cool cloth. "Much better."

Three hours later, Gretchen was yelling at Barb to push. Barb screamed in frustration when, after three pushes, there was no baby.

"Barb!" Gretchen said firmly, "He's almost here now push with everything you've got!"

"You can do this," Thorne said. "One more push and you're free."

Barb took a deep breath and pushed.

"That's a girl!" Gretchen said. "I see his head... aww, he's got a head full of dark curly hair... here he comes!"

The sounds of a crying baby filled the room. Thorne eased from behind Barb and went to see his son.

"Is he alright?" Thorne asked as tears ran down his face.

"He's perfect and he's gorgeous!" Gretchen replied as she cut the cord and quickly cleaned the baby of the fluids of child birth. "He's twenty-one and a half inches long and- eight pounds and four ounces. Congratulations!"

"Look at you," she crooned, "your daddy is anxious to meet you."

Gretchen wrapped the baby in a warm blanket and handed him to Thorne.

"Support his head- just like that."

"God, you're beautiful!" Thorne said as he kissed the tiny curly head. "So perfect," he said as he examined Aidan's fingers. He stopped when he saw something on Aidan's left arm- a birth mark shaped like a small flame. "What do you know?" he whispered as he continued his examination.

He took the baby over to Barb and sat next to her.

"This is our son," he said softly. "Two very imperfect people created this beautiful and perfect being; would you like to hold him?"

Gretchen stopped what was doing to watch what Barb did. The baby stopped squirming as if he understood that a decision was being made. Finally, a small arm reached out as if begging his mother to take a chance on him. For just a second, Thorne thought that Barb was going to reach out to their child. Her hand moved, lifted off of the bed and then fell back down. The baby let out a squall that startled all of them. Barb had chosen.

***

Celeste was eagerly waiting for Aidan's arrival with everyone else. At the exact moment that Barb was making her decision, she stopped talking midsentence. When the decision was made, she cried.

***

Someone was at Thorne's house at all times to help with Aidan. Celeste went with whoever was going always sitting by the bassinet until she fell asleep. Barb moved into her condo three days after the baby was born and came to see him twice in the three weeks since his birth. Each time Thorne encouraged her to hold the baby, but she refused to hold or feed him. Aiden always looked at her with his hazel eyes that he closed as soon as he saw her.

"Why do you even bother?" Thorne asked her during the second visit. Barb never answered him but showed up twice a week to see the baby, but she never touched him.

***

Louise couldn't sleep. She was up and down most of the day. Nathan massaged her back, her stomach and any other place he thought might help but to no avail. Finally he sat in a recliner with Louise in his lap.

"Aidan is a beautiful baby," he said kissing her. "Just think, our baby will be here any time now."

"He is beautiful- how can Barb not love him?" Louise replied. "His eyes are gorgeous - can we say future heart breaker?"

"Yes we can," Nathan said chuckling, "But our daughter..."

"Nathan Sinclaire, you know that you aren't going to let a boy get within ten feet of her," Louise teased.

"Make that fifty," Nathan teased kissing her again. "But she is going to be beautiful like you and she's going to have all of the characteristics that I love so much in you."

"She could still be a he, you know," Louise said as she closed her eyes finally relaxed enough to sleep. Nathan didn't move wanting her to get sleep while she could. At six am, three weeks after Aidan Blackwell had been born, Louise went into labor.

Nathan carried her to the room designated as the birthing room and called Gretchen. By the time Gretchen arrived, had already called Kevyn and was sitting behind her holding Louise in a much different way than Thorne had held Barb. Gretchen was struck by the difference but made no comment as she did her exam and set up her equipment.

"Any bets as to what you're having?" she asked as she examined Louise again.

"Nathan says a girl," Louise replied as she shifted position so that she was more comfortable.

"What do you think?" Gretchen asked. This was how she liked to deliver babies. The atmosphere relaxed and both parents happy and excited about the birth.

"He's probably right," Louise said, "but we have a boy's name picked out if he's wrong."

"Smart," Gretchen commented.

"Enough talk," Nathan said, "rest while you can."

"He's right," Gretchen agreed. "You'll need it."

"How long was Barb's labor?" Louise asked before closing her eyes.

"About eight hours," Gretchen replied, "now do as your mate tells you and rest."

Gretchen thought back to Barb's delivery. She had given Barb the same instructions except that she called Thorne her coach. That's all he had been. Nathan was acting like a mate and that he loved Louise and the baby was obvious.

It was two hours before labor began in earnest. Gretchen prepared herself for the inevitable begging for drugs and was surprised when it didn't happen. When Louise began to panic, Nathan calmly got her back on track. She trusted him whereas Barb didn't trust Thorne. She slept between contractions until they became too strong and seemed to be one long continuous pain.

"Sweetheart you're doing great," Nathan said in her ear. "Just keep breathing with me, would it feel good if I rubbed your back?"

Louise was in tears, but she maintained some degree of control. At one point she asked to walk around.

"Of course you can, it might even speed things up a little."

Louise was all for that and walked around the room for a good half hour before deciding to lie down. It was almost one pm before Gretchen gave the first command to push.

"Come on sweetheart, just like we talked about," Nathan said as he kissed her sweaty head.

One-thirty pm Khanyisile Sinclaire entered the world at six pounds- one ounce and sixteen inches long.

"Louise and Nathan you have a healthy little girl!" Gretchen announced. Give me a minute to get her cleaned up...."

"She's all there?" Louise asked.

"Yep! I count two eyes, ten fingers and ten toes," Gretchen replied as she cleaned the baby and wrapped her. "She's got a full head of hair too." She added.

Nathan and Louise both cried as they held their baby for the first time. Louise put the baby to her breast and cried when she latched on.

"Baby, she's so beautiful," Nathan said as he touched the baby's face. "Thank you for this gift."

Gretchen did a final check on Louise and went to rest in the next room. Eustace had some early evening appointments and wanted her to wait there. By evening, everyone was there to see the baby - Barb included. As with her own baby, she looked but didn't touch.

"She's beautiful," was all she said and backed away.

Finally, Nathan kicked everyone out, even though Louise said that she was fine.

"I'm sure you are, but I want my family to myself for a while," he said as he rocked the baby to sleep.

The next evening, Kevyn called Louise with news.

"I hate to do this, but I know that you'd want to know- Barb left but she left a note. "I'll read it.

"Dear family,

I know that I said that I would stay for six months, but I can't. I hate California and I just can't make myself stay here. I know that Gene considers it the place of his rebirth but to me it's been a place of a lot of pain. I will concede that most if not all of it is my doing. I know that I haven't been the best person and I caused a lot of problems because I- well you know. I also know that you were all hoping that I would learn to love Aidan- who knows? Maybe I will, but it isn't now. I know that you will all make sure that he gets the love that I can't give him. I know that this seems like I'm running - maybe I am, but not from you. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself but I promise to stay in touch. You all have my number. This last part is for Louise. You were right about a lot of things and you have nothing to apologize for. You are who you are, just as I am who I am.

Barbara Yancy

"Where is she going?" Louise asked.

"We think to her condo in Hawaii," Kevyn replied. "Her guards went with her, but at least she left us a note and she didn't cut us out of her life."

"True," Louise said sadly, "But I think - I think she'll be back."

"I hope so," Kevyn replied. "I've already told the others. Gene is pretty shaken up since he just got here. He thinks that he's failed somehow."

"He didn't," Louise said, "and I'll call him to tell him that later. None of us failed her and it's important to remember that."

Louise hung up and took a hungry baby from Nathan's arms with a smile. She turned her concentration on the baby after saying a prayer for Barb.

****

Thorne read the note left for him and wasn't surprised or disappointed. He would have been surprised had Barb stayed. He knew exactly where she was and made sure that she had more than adequate protection. It was all that he could do. He picked his five week old son up and looked into his hazel eyes.

"We," he said kissing the Aidan's cheek, "are going to be just fine. "You'll have to give your old man a learning curve, but we'll make it."

*****

Barb sat on the beach in front of her condo in Hawaii. The decision had been made and there was no going back - at least not now. She had the last name of Simpson legally removed and was now Just Barbara Yancy. She planned to do as Gene suggested - revisit her life and the decisions that she made. She didn't know if she was going to change or not although to some degree she had. She gave brief thought to Aidan and let it go. He was fine and would be cared for. The voice had been silent, but she knew that it was there. She only had to learn how to listen to it. Her last thought before standing up to walk back to her condo was to Thorne.

"I'm sorry I screwed our lives up."

At this the voice did comment. "Another step."

****

In California, Aiden was asleep. His eyes opened and then closed content that all would be well.