Paternity (1/1)
Title: Paternity (1/1)
Author: WibbleyWobbley
Characters: Tommy & Kevin
Rating: G
Summary: Tommy and Kevin talk about fatherhood.
Spoilers: Not really
Word Count: ~950
Disclaimer: Not mine
Prompt: Walker Challenge #8, Tommy: 1) Fatherhood
“She’s gorgeous.”
Kevin jumped at the unexpected voice. Then he twisted around, looking up at his brother. He smiled softly before turning back to the newborn in his arms.
“Of course she is. She looks exactly like her daddy,” he said quietly.
Tommy sat in the chair next to Kevin. He leaned over and rubbed one finger along the baby’s belly.
“Where is Scotty?”
“Uh, with Michelle.”
Tommy nodded, grinning as the baby’s legs moved underneath the blanket.
“What are you going to call her?”
Kevin smiled softly. “We haven’t decided yet.”
Tommy was silent for a moment. Then he laughed, shaking his head. “Of course she had to come when I was in Seattle.”
Kevin chuckled as well. “Yeah. But you made it here pretty quickly.”
“The one time air travel actually went smoothly.”
Kevin nodded. Turning to Tommy again, he asked, “Do you want to hold her?”
“Absolutely.”
Kevin carefully handed off the baby to his brother. As Tommy situated himself, Kevin stood and stretched. He groaned softly.
“Tired?”
“You have no idea.”
“Ah, quit your whining. Michelle had it worse.”
“Michelle got the good drugs.”
Tommy smirked. “There is that.”
Kevin walked over to the window, staring out into the night. “I get it now,” he said softly. “I didn’t get it before, but I get it now.”
“Get what?” Tommy asked, distracted as he continued to look down at his niece.
“The…contract thing.” Kevin laughed shortly. “I even made Michelle sign one.”
“Yeah, but that makes sense,” Tommy pointed out quietly.
Kevin shrugged, and Tommy sighed.
“You were trying to protect yourself and Scotty and the baby. And Michelle. I was just thinking about myself.”
Kevin turned around again, walked back to the chair, and sat down. “Funny, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“We both end up with baby girls that aren’t biologically ours.”
Tommy raised his eyebrows quickly in agreement. “Yeah.”
“I don’t know,” Kevin mused. “I kind of like it. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was very upset for a long time. I wanted to have the chance…but now, I don’t know. It feels more like a choice, you know? I’m a father because I want to be, out of love. I didn’t have much experience with a father who loved unconditionally. I’m glad she’ll have that. Times two.”
Tommy was silent for a long time. Then he took a deep breath and said quietly, “Julia has a boyfriend.”
Kevin turned to him, startled. “Really?”
Tommy nodded. He looked away. “I’m not Elizabeth’s…biological father. The only claim I had to that role was that I was there. I…took care of her. And I threw that away. If things get serious with this guy and especially if I continue to stay here in L.A., then - ”
Kevin paused, clearing his throat. “Lots of kids have - step-parents. That doesn’t mean - ”
“She cried when I first held her again. When I got up there after Mexico, she sobbed. I’m not sure she even remembered me. She was so little and…”
“Of course she did. And she certainly knows you now,” Kevin argued. “You’re always going to be her dad. You’re the guy who held her when she was born, and stayed with her in the hospital during the surgery, and who takes care of her now. You just have to make sure you keep a relationship going with her. Don’t give up on her again. This guy - or any guy Julia happens to meet - yeah, hopefully Elizabeth will like him. That’s better than the alternative. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get a relationship with her too.”
Tommy looked straight ahead. Then he nodded slightly.
“No matter what happens, you gotta stay in her life,” Kevin concluded emphatically. “Be a better man than Dad.”
Tommy turned to Kevin again and offered him a small smile. “Thanks, Kev,” he said softly. “You’re smarter than you look.”
Kevin shook his head, amused. “You can’t resist, can you?”
“What, I’m supposed to just accept advice from my little brother willingly?”
“Yeah.”
“Forget about it.”
Kevin laughed loudly, and Tommy couldn’t stop his own laughter. The noise and the movement woke up the baby. Her face scrunched, and her whimpered mewls threatened to turn into cries.
“Ah, and here’s your first lesson in fatherhood. You get her when she’s crying. Uncles are associated with fun only.”
Tommy turned towards Kevin, handing the baby back to him. Kevin took her, focusing immediately on comforting her and trying to get her to fall asleep again. Tommy stood.
“I’ll leave you alone,” he said quietly. Bending down, he kissed the top of Kevin’s head. “Congratulations, Dad.”
Kevin looked up at him again, smiling. “Thanks, Tommy.”
Walking into the waiting room, Tommy glanced at his watch. It was still somewhat early, but late enough where he’d risk it. Taking out his cell phone, he dialed Julia’s number. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.”
“Hey, what’s the news?”
“Girl, no name yet. Seven pounds, three ounces; nineteen and a half inches. Healthy and beautiful.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Tell the boys congratulations.”
“I will. Is, ah, is Elizabeth awake?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh, OK. Never mind.”
Julia paused. “I’ll call you back when she gets up. You can talk to her then,” she promised.
Tommy nodded, staring down at his feet. “OK. Thank you.” After a long pause, he spoke up again, “I’m sorry for earlier. You’re right. I don’t get a say in…who you can - ”
“Tommy, let’s not have this conversation.”
Tommy nodded. “OK. I’ll…I’ll talk to you later.”
They said goodbye, and Julia hung up. Tommy ended the call, then stared at the picture of Elizabeth on his phone. He leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed.
The End
Author: WibbleyWobbley
Characters: Tommy & Kevin
Rating: G
Summary: Tommy and Kevin talk about fatherhood.
Spoilers: Not really
Word Count: ~950
Disclaimer: Not mine
Prompt: Walker Challenge #8, Tommy: 1) Fatherhood
“She’s gorgeous.”
Kevin jumped at the unexpected voice. Then he twisted around, looking up at his brother. He smiled softly before turning back to the newborn in his arms.
“Of course she is. She looks exactly like her daddy,” he said quietly.
Tommy sat in the chair next to Kevin. He leaned over and rubbed one finger along the baby’s belly.
“Where is Scotty?”
“Uh, with Michelle.”
Tommy nodded, grinning as the baby’s legs moved underneath the blanket.
“What are you going to call her?”
Kevin smiled softly. “We haven’t decided yet.”
Tommy was silent for a moment. Then he laughed, shaking his head. “Of course she had to come when I was in Seattle.”
Kevin chuckled as well. “Yeah. But you made it here pretty quickly.”
“The one time air travel actually went smoothly.”
Kevin nodded. Turning to Tommy again, he asked, “Do you want to hold her?”
“Absolutely.”
Kevin carefully handed off the baby to his brother. As Tommy situated himself, Kevin stood and stretched. He groaned softly.
“Tired?”
“You have no idea.”
“Ah, quit your whining. Michelle had it worse.”
“Michelle got the good drugs.”
Tommy smirked. “There is that.”
Kevin walked over to the window, staring out into the night. “I get it now,” he said softly. “I didn’t get it before, but I get it now.”
“Get what?” Tommy asked, distracted as he continued to look down at his niece.
“The…contract thing.” Kevin laughed shortly. “I even made Michelle sign one.”
“Yeah, but that makes sense,” Tommy pointed out quietly.
Kevin shrugged, and Tommy sighed.
“You were trying to protect yourself and Scotty and the baby. And Michelle. I was just thinking about myself.”
Kevin turned around again, walked back to the chair, and sat down. “Funny, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“We both end up with baby girls that aren’t biologically ours.”
Tommy raised his eyebrows quickly in agreement. “Yeah.”
“I don’t know,” Kevin mused. “I kind of like it. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I was very upset for a long time. I wanted to have the chance…but now, I don’t know. It feels more like a choice, you know? I’m a father because I want to be, out of love. I didn’t have much experience with a father who loved unconditionally. I’m glad she’ll have that. Times two.”
Tommy was silent for a long time. Then he took a deep breath and said quietly, “Julia has a boyfriend.”
Kevin turned to him, startled. “Really?”
Tommy nodded. He looked away. “I’m not Elizabeth’s…biological father. The only claim I had to that role was that I was there. I…took care of her. And I threw that away. If things get serious with this guy and especially if I continue to stay here in L.A., then - ”
Kevin paused, clearing his throat. “Lots of kids have - step-parents. That doesn’t mean - ”
“She cried when I first held her again. When I got up there after Mexico, she sobbed. I’m not sure she even remembered me. She was so little and…”
“Of course she did. And she certainly knows you now,” Kevin argued. “You’re always going to be her dad. You’re the guy who held her when she was born, and stayed with her in the hospital during the surgery, and who takes care of her now. You just have to make sure you keep a relationship going with her. Don’t give up on her again. This guy - or any guy Julia happens to meet - yeah, hopefully Elizabeth will like him. That’s better than the alternative. But that doesn’t mean you don’t get a relationship with her too.”
Tommy looked straight ahead. Then he nodded slightly.
“No matter what happens, you gotta stay in her life,” Kevin concluded emphatically. “Be a better man than Dad.”
Tommy turned to Kevin again and offered him a small smile. “Thanks, Kev,” he said softly. “You’re smarter than you look.”
Kevin shook his head, amused. “You can’t resist, can you?”
“What, I’m supposed to just accept advice from my little brother willingly?”
“Yeah.”
“Forget about it.”
Kevin laughed loudly, and Tommy couldn’t stop his own laughter. The noise and the movement woke up the baby. Her face scrunched, and her whimpered mewls threatened to turn into cries.
“Ah, and here’s your first lesson in fatherhood. You get her when she’s crying. Uncles are associated with fun only.”
Tommy turned towards Kevin, handing the baby back to him. Kevin took her, focusing immediately on comforting her and trying to get her to fall asleep again. Tommy stood.
“I’ll leave you alone,” he said quietly. Bending down, he kissed the top of Kevin’s head. “Congratulations, Dad.”
Kevin looked up at him again, smiling. “Thanks, Tommy.”
Walking into the waiting room, Tommy glanced at his watch. It was still somewhat early, but late enough where he’d risk it. Taking out his cell phone, he dialed Julia’s number. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello?”
“It’s me.”
“Hey, what’s the news?”
“Girl, no name yet. Seven pounds, three ounces; nineteen and a half inches. Healthy and beautiful.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Tell the boys congratulations.”
“I will. Is, ah, is Elizabeth awake?”
“Not yet.”
“Oh, OK. Never mind.”
Julia paused. “I’ll call you back when she gets up. You can talk to her then,” she promised.
Tommy nodded, staring down at his feet. “OK. Thank you.” After a long pause, he spoke up again, “I’m sorry for earlier. You’re right. I don’t get a say in…who you can - ”
“Tommy, let’s not have this conversation.”
Tommy nodded. “OK. I’ll…I’ll talk to you later.”
They said goodbye, and Julia hung up. Tommy ended the call, then stared at the picture of Elizabeth on his phone. He leaned his head back against the wall, closed his eyes and sighed.
The End