"A Better Year"

[alidiabin]

Title: A Better Year
Fandom: Pan Am
Author: Alidiabin
Words: 2,644. 
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warnings/Spoilers/Rating: none || 1x14 || PG
Parings: Dean/Colette and hints at Ted/Laura.
Summary: 1969 is a year for change for society and for them. Future fic, in which Dean and Colette live happily ever after. Fits in with other stories. 


A Better Year

January

In January they welcome the New Year on the balcony again, just them this time. The others have other places to be. They watch the ball drop and then escape into the warmth of her apartment. Unbeknownst to them the New Year will bring a new chapter to their lives.

In January, the baby in conceived while they ring in the New Year.

In January they discuss the future, as this year will be the year Colette turns thirty-two. Soon the decision about when Colette will give up flying will be made for her, but for now they vow to enjoy whatever the New Year brings.

In January she misses her period, she blames its absence on the jet lag and her advancing age.

In January neither of them have any idea how much their lives are going to change.

February

In February Ms. Havemyer looks disapprovingly at the scale as Colette stands above it. Colette looks down at the number. She has yet more weight. It is piling on despite the fact that most smells make bile rise in her throat. In February she skips lunch even though she is hungry all the time.

In February she spends the Valentines dinner he planned, with her head over the toilet. She blames the sickness on some bad food she ate in the Orient.

In February she calls her brother like she does every month. He a doctor at a hospital outside Paris. In February she talks about how tired she is, and how she cannot stand the smell of the food they serve on the plane. In February, her brother laughs and says if she were in his clinic, the first thing he would do would be to test for pregnancy. In February she puts two and two together and goes to the doctor.

In February the doctor confirms her suspicion. In February she stands in front of Dean and tells him they brought a special souvenir home. In February she watches as a smile cross his face as he realises what she meant.

In February, they decide that this new life is wonderful.

March

In March the engagement ring he brought her nearly five years ago moves from the necklace to her ring finger. In March they announce the engagement to their friends, but leave out the other clause of their new domesticity, as they are still getting used to that themselves.

In March Colette frets over wearing a white dress, when she is clearly not a virgin, but Maggie informs her that it was Queen Victoria who started the white wedding dress trend and that blue was originally the colour of a virgin bride.

In March, Laura catches Colette with her head in a baby book, and sequels so loud the people in the café almost call the emergency services. In March, Colette swears Laura to secrecy.

In March, Colette walks down the aisle of the hotel courtyard, in a white tea length dress. Her brother, his parents and their friends stand around them as they declare their love for one another. In March, he holds her hands as the judge declares them man and wife.

In March, they have a small celebration in the hotel dining room. In March, Laura takes wedding photos as they celebrate. In March, his mother looks Colette up and down, smiles and does not say anything but makes a note to start knitting little baby booties. In March, Maggie of all people catches the bouquet.

In March nothing can wipe the smiles from their faces.

April

In April, they go on their honeymoon to sunny St. Lucia. They play passengers and Laura announces them on the plane. In April, Colette adjusts to her new reality as a wife and mother-to-be. She knows she will miss flying but is excited for the future.

In April they frolic around in the sun and sea. In April, her bathing suit is too tight over her bump. In April, they remedy this problem by going skinny dipping on the secluded beach.

In April they announce the pregnancy when they return as it would not remain hidden for much longer. Laura acts as surprised as she was when she found out the month before. Ted hands Maggie some money, as she beams having won the bet about the reason for their whirlwind wedding. Kate hugs them both. She looks longingly at Colette's hands over her small bump, she is the same age as Colette and she knows she will never have what Colette has. Though Kate has contributed much to the world, having a child will not be one of her contributions. Privately, she grieves for that.

In April, his mother sends a pair of white baby booties, mere days after they announce the pregnancy and informs them she will be up to stay with them a few weeks before the baby is due.

In April they settle into domesticity, and it is easier than they both imagined.

May

In May her bump grows and they start to feel movement. In May, Dean gets to experience some of the perks of pregnancy. Every time he is home, Colette cannot get enough of him. He enjoyed it at first, but after a week became convinced she was trying to kill him with sex.

In May they buy a townhouse, he wanted somewhere in the suburbs but Colette refused wanting to stay in the city. Dean doesn't want them raising a baby in an apartment, so the townhouse is the perfect compromise. In May, Colette does what his mother deems nesting and does the house up, making it a home. She puts up the post cards and souvenirs she has acquired from her many trips as she close the chapter on her life with Pan Am.

In May, his mother starts sending more things for the baby. Colette does not touch them; instead she just packs them away in the unfinished nursery. He asks her why. She prefaces her answer with the knowledge that why she does it is stupid. Dean still prompts her. She admits that she wishes she had a mother to send little things to her impending grandchild. She wishes she had someone to call with questions. His mother just isn't the same. He wraps his arm around her and reminds her that she is the strongest person he has ever met.

In May, they deal with the bumps in the road how they always have, together.

June

In June, Colette is forced to play nice with the other wives of Pan Am pilots at the company picnic. The other wives snub her; she is their worst nightmare the perky stewardess who gets knocked up by the pilot and marries him. Colette represents whom their husbands are around while they keep the bed warm. It is Sanjeev's wife who talks to her while Dean makes small talk with a higher-up. Sujita holds her and Sanjeev's small American-born son and her hip whom Colette makes faces at. Sujita admits that the other wives do not like her much either, probably because the food she brings to the pot luck dinners gives them gas. In June, Dean looks across the park and sees his wife laughing with Sanjeev's wife. He smiles.

In June, Colette insists on holding her first dinner party as his wife. Dean worries, he worries she is overdoing herself. In June, Sanjeev and his wife end up eating Campbell's soup with the bread they bring over, as cooking does not go according to plan. Despite the change menu they enjoy it.

In June, he listens as she admits she is not adjusting to housewifery as she expected. Dean reminds her she is doing great and that it is a huge change. He also, suggests that next time they should hold a bigger dinner party as it would be like cooking for passengers on a plane. In June, she laughs at his suggestion. In June he realizes how long it has been since she laughed and is relieved to hear it again.

In June, Colette finds her feet.

July

In July, their neighbor's dog has puppies. Perfect little brown-fur puppies whom Colette fall in love with. Dean comes home from a long flight to the orient, to find a tiny little terror sitting on his couch. Colette insists on keeping the mutt, saying it will be good for the baby. In July, he names the mutt Clipper, and insists he will not be sleep on their bed. Yet, by the second night Clipper is on the end of the bed. The little mutt also have a thing for Deans tennis shoes.

In July, they decide on another name too. One for the baby of which Colette is certain is a girl. In July, they decide on the name Amelia for a girl. It is only after they decide that they realize the significance of naming their daughter after a pioneering female pilot. The boy's name is an afterthought, of which Colette suggests Dean junior. Dean vetoes that for Michel, the most popular baby name.

In July, they start to feel like a real family.

August

In August his mother arrives to help them. It is then that Colette finally puts her feet up. He is relieved when Colette finally accepts help. In August she helps them finish the nursery which is covered in world maps and postcards from faraway places.

In August Colette learns, that Prince Omar has found himself a bride, a Pan Am stewardess named Karine. Colette looks sadly at the society page. She knows he was not her Prince but she finds herself briefly wondering what her life would be like if it had worked out. Then as if the baby was reading her mind, gives her a kick. A reminder of what she would not have if she had married Omar.

In August they have their first scare. He is flying when his mother takes her to the hospital. It is just a false alarm she tells him when he calls after he has landed in his destination. His mother's reassuring words don't stop him from worrying the whole way home.

In August, it all seems to be getting closer and Dean cannot shake the bad feeling in his gut.

September

In September they watch the space landing in their lounge room. Her hand on her swollen belly, the baby kicks very hard, and Colette jokes that they have a future astronaut on their hands.

In September his father breaks his leg, so his mother goes home. While Colette claims they will be okay, it does not stop the fear churning in his gut. He questions whether he will be a good father, whether he can really be a family man.

In September, he wakes up on a stormy night to an empty bed. He calls out for his wife and finds her standing in the bathroom. She is holding onto the towel rail grimacing as the contraction hit. In September, she cries out in French, from the back seat of the car, as he drives her to the hospital. In September she holds onto his hand tight as the nurse wheels her to the maternity ward. In September, Dean kisses her forehead just before she is taken away from him. In September, he prays everything will be okay.

In September he wears the tiles of the floor in the waiting room. The other fathers ignore him, many of them knowing the drill. Ted arrives with cigars and asks why it takes so long.

In September, a pale nurse appears in the waiting room, not to tell him that the baby has been born but that they had to rush Colette into surgery. Dean is beside himself, no matter what reassurances Ted utters, Dean is not pacified.

In September, after what seems like a long wait. The same nurse appears announcing he has a healthy daughter and his wife will recover. In September, he stands outside the nursery watching all the babies. In September the nurse lets him in the nursery. In September he holds his daughter for the first time.

In September, he waits by Colette's bed until she wakes up. Her first thought upon discovering her belly is empty is the baby. In September he watches the smile dawn across her exotic features as he tells her about Amelia.

In September nothing else matters because he has them.

October

In October their life consists of late nights feedings and diaper changes. In October the only word they use to describe how they are feeling is tired. In October he misses them when he is gone. In October, he starts to worry how much of Amelia's life he will miss while he is in the skies. In October, coming home is a joy as he sees their beautiful faces.

In October, Maggie, Laura, Ted and Kate turn up with gifts for Colette and the baby. Laura coos over little Amelia and Maggie and Kate make bets about when Laura will have one of her own. Ted gulps as he watches the little scene. In October, Dean wonders how long it will be until Laura is dressed up in white and holding Teds hand, while they throw confetti. Maggie declares that Amelia will grow up in a world where women will have equal rights to men. In October, they both watch as Kate holds the baby and as the smile crosses her face when Colette declares that Kate is the chief godmother.

In October, they not only adjust to their new reality and rather enjoy it.

November

In November Colette turns thirty-two. The realization hits her about a week before. She catches herself looking at the lines on her olive skinned face and the grey hairs that litter her brown bob. She has lived a year longer than her mother did. If she were still with Pan Am she would be flying her last flights. She looks down at a sleeping Amelia and smiles at the best reason to give up flying.

In November Dean gets her a card, a cake and gives her a kiss. They dance with no music in their living room, avoiding the piles of dirty laundry and trying not to wake the sleeping baby. She declares it to be her best birthday.

In November, his parents visit for Thanksgiving. His father is quickly smitten by his new grandchild. His mother cooks dinner and moans about the size of their kitchen. In November, Thanksgiving is like a scene from a family movie. In November, he realizes he wouldn't change it for the world.

In November, they are both older and so much more wiser.

December

In December, her brother visits for an early Christmas. Dean collects Henri from the terminal and learns he has a date for each night he is visiting and all with Pan Am stewardesses. In December, Dean warns Henri about stewardesses, even though he married one.

In December, they celebrate Amelia's first Christmas. Even though the little baby can barely hold her head up, Colette goes all out. Dean smiles at the Christmas cookies and the decorated tree. He and Henri enjoy themselves even if Amelia won't remember it. Clipper certainly enjoys the Christmas turkey.

In December, the New Year is celebrated and not in its usual fashion. The New Year which also starts a new decade is rung in by passing a colicky baby between them trying to soothe her. They see the ball drop on the television and sneak in a quick kiss before Amelia erupts into tears.

In December, they vow as they do every year that the next will be better, except this time the vow is for the three of them, well four if you count the damn dog.

A/N: I know in "Passengers" the timing of Colette finding out about the baby and them getting married followed a slightly different timeline, but I was watching 1x03, and Colette said she was three when the Nazi's invade France which happened in 1940 (according to Wikipedia). Therefore, Colette had to be born late 1936 or early 1937 and therefore turn 32 in 1969. Also, I put her birthday at November because it is when Karine Vanesse's birthday is.

Also, I welcome prompts/suggestions for more fics.
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