Making the Album

"Oh my god!"

Tony's cheeks were red, and her hands were sweaty. Billie had no idea what to do for her. It'd been years since he'd had a baby...

"Breathe, Mrs. Armstrong," the nurse ordered timidly.
"Fuck the breathing," Tony panted.

Billie sighed and climbed up on the table, positioning himself behind Tony. She leaned back against him. He could feel how tense she was.

"Umm. Mr. Armstrong, that's against hospital policy. If you'd like to hold your wife's hand, that's fine but-"
"I'm not moving. And if you try to make me, I'll sue you."

Tony giggled and leaned back against her husband. He put his chin on her shoulder and planted a soft kiss on her neck.

"I'm in love with you." He whispered.
"And you've got no idea how much I needed to hear that," she gasped.

***

"If I were a big fat homo, where would I be?" Tre asked. Blondie punched him lightly on the shoulder.
"Play nice, Tre."
"I was just kidding..." Tre chuckled, then grew solemn. "But, seriously, where the fuck has Mike gone?"

There was a contemplative silence, while the little group pondered the whereabouts of the bassist and his boyfriend.

"Hey. Didn't Jay say something about dinner?" Rabbit asked.
"I vaguely remember..." Tom massaged his temples, pacing. Robert grabbed Tre's arm and studied the Rolex.
"It's past ten. They'd have gone back to the apartment...?"

Tre scratched his head. Tom shrugged.

"Well...we don't have any better ideas." Rabbit pointed out.
"To the car." Tre cried, and dashed to the Porsche. Blondie sighed.
"Like Sherlock fucking Holmes, huh?" Robert asked with a smile.
"This is not how I envisioned spending my time off," Blondie replied and squished into the backseat.

***

"I really like having the apartment to ourselves." Jay said.

He was smiling that smile. Mike loved it. He loved the little wrinkles around Jay's eyes, the dimple in his cheek. He could spend the rest of his life with that face.

"Psh. You just like being able to have the entire couch to yourself for once." Mike teased.
"No. I like being able to make out on the couch for once."

And then Jay kissed Mike, and it gave him goosebumps all the way to his toes.

"Wow."
"I know." Jay replied, and pulled Mike closer.

And then the quiet of the living room exploded as Tre crashed through the door.

***

"YougottacomeTony'swaterbrokeandthey'reatthehospitalandthere'snotmuchtimeleftsocanyoujustgetinthedamncar?!"

The drummer was red-faced and panting, which suggested that he'd taken the stairs. Rabbit, Tom and Blondie followed him into the room, looking amused and exasperated by their friend.

"...Was that even English?" Jay asked cautiously, bemused.
"Tony's at the hospital. She's having the baby." Rabbit repeated.
"Robert's got the car running, so if you guys don't mind...?" Tom gestured towards the door.

In retrospect, it was a miracle they could squish seven people into the Porsche. It was a miracle they didn't flip the car over, since Robert was driving like a maniac. But they arrived at the hospital in one piece, and piled into the elevator and then invaded the waiting room.

***

"They're here." Billie had heard a loud cry and then a smack. And then a nurse had burst into the room blushing furiously. "Or at least, Tre is."

Tony laughed.

"God, I love Tre."
"Hey." Billie said mildly.
"But I don't fuck Tre. I love you, I married you, I fuck you...You get the idea. I'm in love with you."
"I know. I just like hearing it."
"Bastard."

She kissed his cheek as best she could, then cried out in pain.

"Alright, Mrs. Armstrong, I want you to push on the count of three..."

***

"So...how long do you guys think this is going to take?" Robert asked.

Mike paused in his pacing long enough to glance over and mutter, "No idea." Then he resumed the somewhat frantic activity. Jay sighed.

"Mike..." He got up and took his boyfriend's hands in his own. "If you don't knock it off, you'll pass out and completely miss the baby."
"You're right." Mike sighed. "I just can't sit still."
"Hey. Mikey? If you're this jumpy now, what were you like when-"

Whatever Tre had been about to say, the nurse reached across the desk and smacked him before he could finish the sentence.

"This is a fucking hospital. Have some respect."

Then she looked over at Jay and smiled.

"It's great to see you again, Jay. Is this your boyfriend?"

Jay stared at her a moment, then his face brightened as he recognized her. "You! You're the nurse that kept fucking with my little baggie! How've you been, Chrissy?"
"Well, I threw out my boyfriend. You were absolutely right about him. He was cheating with some whore."
"I'm sorry....have you met Mike? He's the love of my life, you know."

Mike blushed, which made Blondie laugh, which made everyone else laugh. Blondie had a very loud, very distinctive laugh that just made you want to laugh along with him.

Tre couldn't help but notice that the nurse had a very nice, soft laugh, and when she laughed her whole face lit up. She was slender and graceful, with long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. And she was so fucking gorgeous when she smiled.

Tre goggled at her while Jay introduced her around, and before he'd thought of anything clever to say to her, she was in front of him, smiling politely as she extended a hand.

"This is Tre. He's probably the biggest pervert you'll ever meet, if not the richest." Jay said with a wave of his hand. Chrissy giggled. God, Tre'd only known her about five minutes, and already he was in love with that laugh.
"Hi." She said.
He took her hand in his. She had beautiful fingers. She had musician's fingers...maybe even a drummer's fingers. He didn't want to let her hand go.

"I'm Chrissy."
"Tre...Frank...Tre..." Tre told her, smiling.

They were seconds away from having a moment, so, of course, that other nurse, the old, fat one with the angry face, came bursting out of the E.R. yelling, "Chrissy, they need you in delivery!"

She gave his hand a squeeze, promised to catch them later, and then vanished behind those swinging doors.

"Uh oh. Tre's got a crush." Rabbit noticed.
"Poor girl." Tom sympathized.
"Hey, hey, hey." Jay scolded gently. "I think she'd be good for Tre, actually...and he'd be good for her."
"You never know," Mike said mildly. "They might already have fallen in love..."
"What makes you say that?" Tom asked. Blondie snorted.
"Guys, did you see her fussing with her hair while she was walking over to Tre?"
"Or the way she was twisting her rings?" Robert added.
"Could be just nervous habit." Tom argued.

Mike shook his head.

"They're gonna get married."
"I'll bet you fifty bucks we never see her again..." Tom slapped the bill down on the table. Mike shrugged and shook his hand.

But before the logistics of the bet could be announced, the fat nurse appeared again.

"Make yourselves comfortable. You're gonna be here a while."

***

Tony had never felt pain like this in her entire life. Her body felt like it was going to tear in half, and the only thing keeping her sane was Billie's breath against her hair and the gentle touch of his hands on her hips.

She thought she was going to die.

"Push, Mrs. Armstrong, I need you to push." The doctor snapped, and Tony didn't have the energy for a snappy retort.

God, she just couldn't keep her eyes open...

She shut them, only for a moment, then everything, Billie, the doctors, the pain, it all faded away...

***

"Tony?"
"Barry? Why are we in the studio?"

Barry smiled, and leaned back against the soundboard. Funny, why was he dressed in white? And where was the little scar that had always been at his temple? And what made him look so different, even though she couldn't quite figure out why.

But that didn't stop her from grabbing him and hugging him tight. He hugged her back for moment, then pulled away.

"Tony, you can't stay here." Barry's voice was dead serious.
"Why? Where are the guys, anyway? Now that you're back, we can start brainstorming the next album and-"
"Tony-"
"We can plan out a tour. And all those television appearances we still have to do before we go on tour-"
"Tony-"
"Not to mention all those product offers we got from advertising-"
"Tony!"

She stopped. Barry took a step back, his eyes sad.

"Tony, you need to go back."
"Back where?" She asked, feeling a twinge of fear in her stomach, then a small, irritating pain in her lower body. And she just couldn't figure out where it had come from.

She had this nagging suspicion in the back of her head. Like there was something she was supposed to be doing. She looked up and saw Barry watching her. There were tears in his eyes.

"God...I miss you all so fucking much." He whispered, his voice husky. "I've been watching...from here...from up there." He gestured carelessly towards the sky.

"I wanted so bad to tell you what was coming...they wouldn't let me."
"Whose 'they', Barry?"
"The...I can't tell you, Tony. I can only tell you that you've gotta go back. You've gotta go back."

And then it all hit her. The baby, the hospital, the pain. Billie's voice...She clutched at her head, trying to block it out. Barry snatched her hands away.

"Don't you understand? You don't belong here yet, Tony, not for a good many more years. You're gonna live a long time, you and Billie...and the babies..."
"Babies?" She asked.

Barry smiled sadly, and gently kissed her forehead.

"I'll be watching." He whispered.

It was all fading. The studio, the light...And him. He was fading away, the touch of his skin on her's, it was nothing more than wind, shadow. Tony felt a great sob rise up inside her and tears streaked down her cheeks.

"Barry? Barry, don't go! Barry!"

***

"We've got a pulse! Nurse, how are we doing with the delivery?"

It was far too bright here, and there was so much noise. Tony blinked, tasting salty tears on her lips. Then she heard a soft whimper near her ear, and she turned to see Billie, cradling her head in his lap.

"I thought I'd lost you. I thought you were gone." He said softly, tears falling like rain from his eyes.
"I saw Barry..." Tony whispered. "He said he's watching over us...He said he missed us..."

An then the pain ripped at her again and she gasped. The doctor looked at her.

"Mrs. Armstrong, we need just one more push and then it'll be all over."
"Al-alright."

There was a sudden, ripping pain across her abdomen and she screamed, grabbed Billie's hand. She heard the doctor gasp...

***

"Did you guys just hear a scream?" Rabbit asked nervously.
"Nah...nah." Blondie replied, rubbing his palms together. Mike had returned to pacing, and Jay had cracked open a window so he and Tom could chain smoke cigarettes and flick the butts out into the parking lot.

"It's been a while." Tre muttered.
"There isn't...there wouldn't be a problem, right?" Tom asked, throwing his butt out.
"Nah...Tony's a big girl...strong..." Mike said, his footsteps silent on the tile.

And there was nothing to do but wait.

***

"Mrs. Armstrong, there was...a surprise, in your pregnancy." The doctor said. Tony watched him impassively, praying silently.

"In fact, you've just had two babies. Twins, a boy and a girl."

Tony sucked in her breath, a crazy smile stretching her face. She felt Billie squeeze her hand in excitement as the nurse place the two babies in her arms.

"Oh my god...they're so beautiful." Tony whispered, feeling fresh tears wet her cheeks.
"Barry...little Barry and..." Billie paused, searching for a name.

The little girl yawned, cooing softly as her brother struggled against the blankets.

"Anika. Her name is Anika."

Billie looked at his wife, his eyes glowing with happiness.

"Anika...that's a great name, babe." He kissed her hard on the lips. "Barry and Anika Armstrong, welcome to California."

***

Chrissy appeared out of nowhere, her face practically glowing.

"TWINS! SHE'S HAD TWINS!"

Rabbit let out a whoop and did a sort of impromptu jig in the hallway. Tom screamed and went to hug Jay, but Jay and Mike were locked in something between a hug and a two-person mosh pit. So Tom leapt on Blondie, tackling him to the floor where they both proceeded to shout 'Dude!' at increasingly loud levels.

And Tre? Tre wrapped Chrissy in a bear hug before she'd finished her sentence. Then, when he was certain no one was looking, he kissed her. He kissed her tenderly, and lovingly, and it was probably the cutest kiss anyone present had ever seen...if they'd been watching, that is.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't ask..."

Chrissy smiled and put her arms around him again. And this time, neither of them cared who saw them.