30 Rock, General Series. #091. Birthday
Title: Answer It
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairings: Jack/Liz, mentioned Jack/Avery
Prompt: drabbles100 #091. Birthday
Word Count: 465
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Table is here.
Summary: "You loser! What couldn't wait?" (Follows ' You and I.')
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.
*
Liz is vaguely aware of her phone ringing. After it goes to voicemail for the second time, she gropes for her phone in the dark, answering on the third ring of the third try. It's four in the morning and she only just got to sleep, so she doesn't bother checking the Caller ID.
"You loser! What couldn't wait?"
"Avery went into labor. Since this didn't fit into her plans, she was very difficult to deal with--"
In her lethargic haze, she's attempting to figure out whether Jack or Avery is the jerk -- was she resentful of her baby wanting to come out before the planned c-section? Does Jack think women should always be agreeable to him, even when pushing out a baby as her ex looks on? -- when her brain catches up to what's *important.* "Jack--"
"Avery chose Abigail as the 'ideal name,' and I agreed to it." Such a detached way to describe it, and maybe Jack is the jerk, then, in a voice tinged with affection: "She's perfect."
There's an ache she can't describe; doesn't want to linger on.
"But," he continues, "considering her genes--"
"When I was in the second grade," she blurts out, "I knew an Abigail who spit on my sandwich every day. And, no, I did not eat the sandwiches."
"I hope you won't hold that against a newborn."
"I won't, I just said that because... I don't know. It's the middle of the night, and I don't even have the best filter when I'm totally awake." She takes a moment to let this all register. Jack's a dad. Her best friend (the guy she had a quickie with four days ago in the back of his limo) just witnessed the birth of his first (only?) child. "Congratulations."
Liz meets the baby three days later, in Jack's office, and Abigail looks so small in his arms. She wordlessly watches them, watches the way Jack looks at her. There's the ache again, and she doesn't try to ignore it. (She should be a mom by now.) A question is about to come out -- how long is she going to stay? -- but she doesn't manage to speak. Just watches them, and she thinks Jack will be a good dad, and that belief makes her truly smile. Then, Jack answers her unspoken inquiry:
"The nanny will take her back to Avery's apartment soon, but, before we begin weekend visitation, I wanted to be able to spend time with her without... unpleasantness."
She almost says, You have to learn how to be nice to each other; you're *parents* now.
His eyes meet hers. "Do you want to hold her?"
She nods. After she takes Abigail from Jack's arms, she finally speaks. "You're right. She's perfect."
END
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairings: Jack/Liz, mentioned Jack/Avery
Prompt: drabbles100 #091. Birthday
Word Count: 465
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Table is here.
Summary: "You loser! What couldn't wait?" (Follows ' You and I.')
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.
*
Liz is vaguely aware of her phone ringing. After it goes to voicemail for the second time, she gropes for her phone in the dark, answering on the third ring of the third try. It's four in the morning and she only just got to sleep, so she doesn't bother checking the Caller ID.
"You loser! What couldn't wait?"
"Avery went into labor. Since this didn't fit into her plans, she was very difficult to deal with--"
In her lethargic haze, she's attempting to figure out whether Jack or Avery is the jerk -- was she resentful of her baby wanting to come out before the planned c-section? Does Jack think women should always be agreeable to him, even when pushing out a baby as her ex looks on? -- when her brain catches up to what's *important.* "Jack--"
"Avery chose Abigail as the 'ideal name,' and I agreed to it." Such a detached way to describe it, and maybe Jack is the jerk, then, in a voice tinged with affection: "She's perfect."
There's an ache she can't describe; doesn't want to linger on.
"But," he continues, "considering her genes--"
"When I was in the second grade," she blurts out, "I knew an Abigail who spit on my sandwich every day. And, no, I did not eat the sandwiches."
"I hope you won't hold that against a newborn."
"I won't, I just said that because... I don't know. It's the middle of the night, and I don't even have the best filter when I'm totally awake." She takes a moment to let this all register. Jack's a dad. Her best friend (the guy she had a quickie with four days ago in the back of his limo) just witnessed the birth of his first (only?) child. "Congratulations."
Liz meets the baby three days later, in Jack's office, and Abigail looks so small in his arms. She wordlessly watches them, watches the way Jack looks at her. There's the ache again, and she doesn't try to ignore it. (She should be a mom by now.) A question is about to come out -- how long is she going to stay? -- but she doesn't manage to speak. Just watches them, and she thinks Jack will be a good dad, and that belief makes her truly smile. Then, Jack answers her unspoken inquiry:
"The nanny will take her back to Avery's apartment soon, but, before we begin weekend visitation, I wanted to be able to spend time with her without... unpleasantness."
She almost says, You have to learn how to be nice to each other; you're *parents* now.
His eyes meet hers. "Do you want to hold her?"
She nods. After she takes Abigail from Jack's arms, she finally speaks. "You're right. She's perfect."
END