A hospital in Dublin
Deirdre Brennan glanced anxiously at her watch. How much longer was this going to take? Dr. O'Dowd had been gone for twenty minutes already, saying that he had to go confer with one of his colleagues. Not exactly conducive to putting a person at ease, and that was no understatement.
Shuffling nervously in her seat, Deirdre sighed again. At least Ryan was in safe enough hands. She'd never let him out of her sight for so long, but she had to admit, the creche facilities here at the hospital were first rate. The staff were friendly, the room was bright and decorated with a wild swathe of colours and the children already there - from ages with Ryan to about age eight - all seemed to be having a right rare old time.
The door opened and the doctor's return jarred her out of her wool-gathering and back to the matter at hand. Paddy's expression said it all. Quietly, she said, "How bad is it Patrick, really?"
Patrick O'Dowd tried to summon a smile for his old classmate from school, but he couldn't. Sometimes life just wasn't fair. Deirdre had had her fair share of knocks recently. Connor Brennan, her childhood sweetheart and then her husband, had been killed five months before in a car accident. He'd never even got the chance to see his son being born.
Ryan had become Deirdre's main focus after that. She'd switched to part-time teaching at the local nursery school just so that she could have more time with her son. She'd come to see him the month before because she was feeling constantly fatigued. At first he'd thought it was just a natural reaction to her husband's death and then the added responsibility of being a single parent. He'd done tests anyway, just to make sure.
The answer was one that he hadn't wanted. Cancer. Thankfully, medicine in the era of the Companion presence was far, far more capable of treating this type of the disease, but even so, this was not going to be easy to beat.
Quietly, Patrick said, "We've caught it early enough, Deirdre. The treatment is most effective if we catch it in time, and I think we have.
"You do need to be hospitalised, though. Treatment and initial recovery is going to take at least a month. That is non-negotionable."
"But what about Ryan?!" demanded Deirdre.
Patrick sighed. "Deirdre, if you'll forgive me the lack of medical jargon for a moment, believe me when I say that you're going to be 'out of it' for most of the next month.
"If you want to keep him close by, I can certainly put in place measures so that, when you cannot be with him, he gets qualified supervision and round the clock care."
The tone of her doctor's voice made his opinion on the subject perfectly clear, so Deirdre said, "But?"
Patrick grinned. Deirdre always went straight to the heart of any given situation.
"But, I don't think it's the best idea. Children are very good at picking up on the environment around them. I don't think having Ryan in the hospital with you for the next month is going to do either of you any good.
"You're going to worry about him and he'll pick up on the fact that there's something wrong with you.
"Is there no one at all that you trust enough to leave him with? I know you're family is gone, but what about Connor's? A friend?"
For the first time since she entered his office, Deirdre Brennan smiled. "Yes, there is someone. I trust him with my life. I trust him with Ryan's life."
Patrick felt his eyebrow raising of it's own accord. He hadn't expected the friend to be a man. "Call him, Deirdre. The sooner the better. We need to start treatment as soon as possible."
Taking a deep breath, Deirdre said, "Can you go fetch Ryan for me, Paddy? I want to say goodbye to him and explain what is going on.
"I'll make the call now. Knowing Liam like I do, I can safely say he'll be here as soon as he can."
More than a little curious about this 'Liam', Paddy did as she asked and went to fetch her son, leaving Deirdre free to place her call in private.
Taelon Embassy, Washington DC
Major Liam Kincaid looked up from the datapad that he was reading through when he heard the sound of his global beeping for an incoming call. Flicking it open, he grinned in delight as he recognised the face on the other end.
"Hey, Dire! What's up? How's Ryan doing?"
"Liam Kincaid! How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me Dire! I still can't believe you managed to ferret that nickname out of me!"
Grinning broadly, Liam said, "It's my celtic charm, don't you know."
Looking at her pale face, Liam frowned. Something wasn't right. "You okay, Dire?"
"No, Liam. I'm not. I need your help. Can you come?"
"Where are you?"
"St. Breda's hospital in Dublin."
"I'll be there in forty minutes, Dire."
Sweeping up his leather coat, Liam headed for the room of the embassy. He was so intent on his goal that he paid no attention to the curious glances being directed at him as a result of his hasty departure.
Patrick and Deirdre were discussing her upcoming treatment regime and Ryan was sleeping in his travel cot when a specific and recognisable noise disturbed the air. A Taelon shuttle had just arrived at the hospital. Much to Patrick's surprise, Deirdre smiled at the sound. She said, "He's here."
"Who?" demanded Patrick.
"Liam, of course," said an exasperated Deirdre.
"Who is Liam?!" asked Patrick.
A distinctly American voice interrupted him. Patrick's head snapped round and he came face to face with a tall, athletic looking man with intense green eyes and softly spiked sandy brown hair.
"I'm Liam, doctor."
Patrick O'Dowd watched with some amazement as the normally quiet and restrained Deirdre Brennan flung herself into this stranger's arms, saying, "Thank you for coming, Liam."
Arms wrapped around her tiny waist, this man Liam looked down into her eyes with fond exasperation. "Dire, you said you needed my help. Of course I came."
Leading her into the room and guiding her to a seat, Liam then wandered over to run a gentle finger over the sleeping Ryan's cheek, saying, "Hey, kiddo."
Straightening up he turned to face both Deirdre and the doctor and said, "What's going on?"
Patrick looked at the other man for a moment before saying, "Take a seat, Mister--"
"Kincaid, doctor. Major Liam Kincaid."
"And you're relationship to Deirdre and Ryan Brennan?"
"I met Connor and Deirdre last year, doctor. Ryan is my godson. Now would someone please tell me why I got a call from Dire - I mean, Deirdre - stating that she was in hospital and that she needs my help?"
Twenty minutes later, Liam had heard the whole story. Turning in his seat to face his friend, Liam took both her hands in his and said softly, "Are you sure about this, Dire?
"Are you sure you wouldn't rather keep him with you? I'll take him if you want, you know I will. He'll have to go back to the States with me, though. I have duties that cannot be avoided."
Face wan, and tears threatening to fall, Deirdre said, "I know that, Liam. I want him somewhere happy for the next month. Somewhere safe.
"You're the only person I trust to look after him for me. Please?"
Bringing her hands to his lips, Liam gently kissed them and said, "Of course I will, my friend."
Things progressed at a rapid pace after that. Patrick got on the line with Social Services in Dublin to let them know what was going on. They got on the line with Immigration in both Dublin and the US.
Compassionate emergency was the term used, but even so it wasn't having much effect until Liam got on the line. Once he identified himself as a Companion Protector - Da'an's Protector - things progressed a lot more smoothly.
Once the bureaucracy had been taken care of, Liam left Deirdre and Ryan at the hospital while he made a quick visit to their house to pick up some of Ryan's things.
After all that, they were ready to go. Deirdre kissed her son goodbye and began to weep softly as Liam enveloped her in a hug promising that he would look after Ryan.
Cradling the boy in his arms, Liam gazed at Patrick, who was holding Deirdre in his arms and offering her support. He mouthed the words, 'Take care of her'. The doctor nodded.
The next step was to take Ryan out to the cradle and secure him in a modified travel cot. Only when he was absolutely certain that his new charge was safe and secure did Liam take his own seat and initiate the shuttles controls.
Volunteer Lisa Cochrane was on duty at the roof access point of the embassy that afternoon. She was the first one to see that Major Kincaid's shuttle had returned. It was a routine occurrence, though. Shuttles came and went from the embassy all the time. The major calling out, "Volunteer, I need some help here" wasn't.
Jogging over to the shuttle, Lisa Cochrane did her very best to keep her jaw from dropping at the sight that greeted her. Why does Major Kincaid have a baby in his shuttle?
The baby had obviously woken up when the shuttle landed and was making his displeasure at the noise clearly felt. Seeing the major cradling the baby in his arms and soothing him with gentle words, Lisa Cochrane was lost for words.
The major, noticing her presence, looked up at her and gave her one of his heart-stopping grins. "Volunteer Cochrane, isn't it?"
Mutely - speech still eluding her - she nodded.
"This is Ryan. He's going to be staying with me a while."
Looking solemnly at the baby, the major said, "Ryan, this is Volunteer Cochrane. Volunteer Cochrane this is Ryan."
Feeling slightly silly, Lisa whispered, "Hi, Ryan."
The major's beaming grin of approval obviously indicated that she'd done the right thing.
"Volunteer, I hate to trouble you but I've kind of got my hands full with him. Could you possibly get his bags for me and arrange for a car to take us to my apartment?"
"Of course, sir."
They made their way down through the embassy, causing more than one double-take as they passed by. You just didn't see babies in Taelon embassies, and you most certainly didn't see them being cradled in the arms of Companion Protectors. As they made their way down to the main entrance to the embassy, Lisa saw several of her friends looking at her with very intense expressions in their eyes. They wanted details.
Settling into the back seat of the cab that she had ordered to be called, the major looked up at Lisa and smiled his thanks at her. Watching the cab pull away, Lisa Cochrane smiled.
Later that night, a loud knocking on his apartment door roused Liam from a deep sleep. Hastily glancing at the cot placed near his bed, he was pleased to note that Ryan was still asleep. Dire had been telling the truth after all. Ryan could sleep through practically anything.
Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Liam padded to the door in his bare feet and yanked it open. He came face to face with a glaring Renee Palmer and whispered harshly, "Quiet! You'll wake--"
"I don't really care if I wake one of your lady friends, Kincaid! Where were you?! We had a meeting to be at tonight, or had you forgotten?! I waited two hours for you!"
Renee watched in satisfaction at the look of horror on Kincaid's face. Served him right! How dare he stand her up?!
"God, it completely slipped my mind, Renee. I'm sorry. I've just had one of those--"
"I don't care what type of day you had. If I can't rely on you to back me up, then--"
"Quiet, you're going to wake..."
The sound of crying filled the apartment. "Too late," said Liam with a resigned expression. "Make yourself comfortable, Renee. I'll be a while."
Gaping in astonishment, Renee watched as Liam went to the cot beside his bed and lifted out a crying baby, cradling it in his arms. She watched as he started walking back and forth, rocking the baby, muttering soothing words, calming the tempest of tears.
Sinking into the nearest seat, Renee Palmer tried to regain her equilibrium. Her anger had dissipated as though it had never existed, complete confusion and surprise had taken its place. Eyes questioning, she watched the sight in front of her.
Taking in Liam's appearance, a faint blush filled her cheeks, one she was glad he was too busy to notice. How she had managed to stand there and yell at him without noticing what he was wearing was something she would never know.
He was dressed for bed and the sleep that she had interrupted. The only thing he was wearing was a pair of dark green silk pyjama bottoms. Renee's gaze raked him from top to bottom. From his sleep tousled hair to his bare feet. God, even his feet are sexy.
She watched as the muscles in his back rippled smoothly as he cradled the child. His strong arms seemed to encase the baby in security and comfort. As the baby stopped crying, he stood for just a moment bathed in moonlight from the window. Renee's breath caught in her throat. He looked... he looked... 'primal beauty' were the only two words that sprang to mind to describe him.
The sight of this man, at peace, with an infant cradled in his arms was not one she would soon forget, nor did she want to. The feelings it evoked in her were best left until she was alone and could process them - away from him and the feelings that he produced. Feelings that could never be acted on.
She watched as he gently, almost reverently, put the baby back in the cot. Once the baby had been settled he returned to her. Walking across the apartment he was either uncaring of the glorious sight he presented - or completely oblivious - and more than likely it was the latter.
Liam knew that some women found him attractive, Renee knew that. He was yet to be convinced that Street's off-hand statement to him - not long after she had met him - was true. The girl hadn't been lying. One smile from him and every female in a room could quite easily find themselves weak at the knees.
Banishing all such thoughts from her mind, Renee inclined her head slightly towards the cot, with a questioning glance on her face.
"My godson, Ryan. I'm looking after him for the next month while his mother is in hospital."
Surprised at how relieved she was to hear the word 'godson', Renee asked the question foremost on her mind. "Why have you never mentioned him before?"
Liam shrugged and murmured, "It just never came up.
"I'm glad you're here, though. We need to talk. Obviously, I'm going to be somewhat tied up for the next month.
"You're going to have to take point on anything the ANA asks us to do. I'm sorry about this, I really am. With her husband's death, Deirdre had nobody else to ask.
"I want her to be concentrating on her treatment and recovery, and I'm the only person that she trusts to look after Ryan."
Smiling softly, Renee held up a hand to silence him. "It's fine, Liam. We'll cope.
"You concentrate on taking care of the baby. And Liam, if you ever need any help..."
"You'll be the first person I call, Renee."
He walked her to the door, where she surprised both of them by standing on tiptoe and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. She murmured, "Good night, Liam," and quietly walked away.
Closing the door, he fingered his cheek with a faint air of confusion, before yawning and returning to bed.
Over the next month, there was a decided air of domesticity in the Washington Embassy. The explanation for Major Kincaid and the baby had quickly gone the rounds.
The major was clearly taking his responsibilities seriously, but what was more amazing, was that he had everyone that worked with him helping too.
Every female Volunteer in the building had offered to help out, and when one irate male colleague had asked what all the fuss was about, Lisa Cochrane had turned on him with a withering look, saying, "There's just something so sexy about a man that looks that comfortable with a baby in his arms. The major's a natural... something that you will never be, not even if you live to be a hundred and fifty."
The most unusual sight that month, had been one that had required digital images as proof before Volunteers stationed outside the Embassy were willing to believe it. The security stills didn't lie, though.
In one instance, when he had been unable to call on a replacement Protector to accompany Da'an, the major had called on one of his colleagues to babysit Ryan. That the person in question had agreed had caused a minor stir, but when the selfsame person quite happily changed diapers or rocked the baby back to sleep after a feeding - wonder had been the reaction. Agent Sandoval just didn't do things like that.
The day before he was due to take Ryan back to Ireland, Liam met Renee in the park for a picnic. She'd smiled at his doubtful expression at the invitation and said, "You've earned it, Kincaid. Two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Be there."
After the picnic they strolled through the park, Liam pushing the pram that he had purchased earlier that month. Most of the stuff that he had purchased would be donated to charity, the rest he would keep for when Ryan came to visit.
The day was glorious, and, on more than one occasion, they had been stopped and engaged in friendly chat by other families out for the day. The first time that someone had said, "You and your wife have an absolutely lovely child," he'd almost opened his mouth to deny it; only Renee's nails digging unobtrusively into his wrist had stopped him.
By the end of the afternoon, they were both just smiling and offering their thanks. It was probably the closest they were ever going to get to being in a family. Not that either of them would ever admit that they were thinking that.
The next day, Liam took Ryan to the embassy so that the staff could get to say goodbye to him. Renee met him there, she had offered to accompany him to Ireland.
It was a joyful reunion tinged with sadness. Deirdre was well on the road to recovery and was delighted to have Ryan back in her arms. Eyes full of tears she hugged Liam and said, "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure," said Liam softly. Deirdre's eyes lingered questioningly on the woman accompanying her friend. Liam tugged at Renee's hand, pulling her forward to meet Deirdre.
"Dire, this is Renee."
So this was Renee. Smiling, Deirdre said, "It's nice to finally meet you in person. Liam's told me a lot about you. I can see that for once, he was not exaggerating.
"Thank you for helping him look after my boy."
Renee smiled and said, "It was a pleasure."
Deirdre needed to rest and Liam had to return to Washington to escort Da'an to an official function, so the meeting had to be cut short. Promises were made to stay in touch, but the couple from America were gone a scant hour after their arrival.
Later that night, a melancholy Liam Kincaid let himself into his suddenly too quiet apartment. Without Ryan there, some of the life seemed to have gone out of the place.
His eyes darted to the lit candles in the living area and he quickly scanned the apartment. Seeing Renee look up from the book she was reading, he relaxed.
"What are you doing here?" he whispered.
"I thought you could do with a friend." Moving slowly, she crossed the apartment and took his leather jacket from his suddenly nerveless fingers. She tugged at his hand and he obediently followed her to where she had laid out two places for dinner.
After dinner, he moved to stare out of the window, lost in his thoughts. He felt her coming to stand beside him, placing a hesitant arm around his waist. Sighing, he turned into the hug she was offering, and found himself wrapped in her arms, as her head nestled on his shoulder.
"I miss him," he said simply.
"I know," said Renee, in an equally soft tone. "I miss him too."
There was no more that needed to be said. Taking solace in a friend's embrace, both thought of the little boy that had effortlessly captured a piece of their hearts.