#alexweek2020

~~~

Holy shit.” 

Michael isn’t sure which one of them says it but they both walk up to the pod and run their hands over it. 

Inside is a child, no older than a couple of months, floating peacefully in stasis. 

“I don’t understand.” Michael whispers as his body reaches out towards the pod that feels distinctly like family. 

“What do we do?” Alex asks as he runs his hands over the pod, staring at the child in a trance, almost like Michael is. 

“We have to call Kyle.”

“And Liz and Maria.”

“And Max and Isobel.” 

“In a minute?” Michael asks as he leans on the pod, completely transfixed.

“Smells like you.” Alex mumbles as he shuffles closer to Michael.

“Looks like you.” Michael says and then his eyes widen as he realizes the truth. 

“Do you think?” 

Alex looks at him funny and then looks back towards the pod. 

“No.” Alex shakes his head. “It can’t be.” 

“Louise and Roy had a baby. What if my mom and Tripp did, too?”

“But she was in Caulfield.” Alex whispers.

“He could’ve smuggled the baby out.”

“And just knew to put him in the pod?” 

“If he thought it was safer, yeah, I think he would.”

“I don’t know, Michael.” 

“Look. Tripp drew this map in the journal he left for Patricia, knowing he’d be dead if she ever read it. What if the baby was born before Caulfield? They had a year before she was captured.”

“Why would Tripp leave his child?”

“Maybe he didn’t know how to break the stasis? I mean, I didn’t until last year.” Michael shrugs, feeling more connected to the child the longer they stand here. 

“You feel him. I know you do, Alex.” 

Alex looks sharply at him and Michael knows the truth in his bones.

“This baby is my brother and your cousin.” 

~~~

“We can’t just take him out of the pod.”

“We can’t leave him here.”

“And who’s going to take care of him?”

“He’s been safe this long.”

“If they say they can do it, we should help them.”

Michael ignores the voices of Max, Isobel, Kyle, Maria, and Liz as he makes his way back over to the pod to stand next to Alex.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking I have a guest room that’s never been used and I think he’d like it there.”

“You want to keep him?”

“Don’t you?” 

The question washes over Michael and he can admit that he wants this, wants to know his brother, wants to read more of Tripp’s journal to find out about his mother, wants to watch Alex become the best dad…

“Yeah.” Michael says thickly before he can finish those traitorous thoughts. 

“We’re taking him out of the pod.” Alex says to the group, causing all of them to pause.

“What? Alex, you can’t.” Kyle tries to reason but both Alex and Michael shake their heads.

“I have two guest rooms, we’ll take him home. I’ll work on paperwork for him. It shouldn’t be too hard to convince the townies that Michael has a son.” 

Alex gestures towards Michael and Michael does have to admit that Alex is right, but. 

“Wait, who’s the second guest room for?” 

“You.” 

~~~ 

“I can’t believe you did all of this.” Michael gestures wildly to the fully furnished nursery as Maria and Isobel finish putting some of the toys for Tripp away. Tripp Truman Guerin was the name they chose in a fit of sentimentality.

“It was nothing.” Isobel says as she comes over to him.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this Guer?” Maria asks as she hands him one of the books they bought.

“You mean am I okay with living with my ex, who I’m in love with, who just got out of a relationship, as we try to raise my baby brother?”

Maria and Isobel raise their eyebrows in an eerily similar way and Michael smiles.

“Yeah, I think I am.” 

Michael chuckles as they all head out of the nursery and he walks to his new room. It looks just like the guest room Alex decorated, complete with a queen sized bed, the only one he’s ever had, but now there’s a hat hook by the door, his notebooks strewn across the desk, and a guitar in the corner. It looks like he lives here, one day hoping he can move into the master bedroom with Alex and make it theirs. 

Michael can hear Maria and Isobel chatting to Alex in the living room when he joins them. The sight on the couch makes his heart clench. Tripp is laying with his head against Alex’s chest, part of Alex’s shirt scrunched in a little fist and Michael’s never wanted something so much. 

“We’re gonna head out, let you three get settled.” Isobel says as she squeezes his arm. His phone beeps with an incoming text and Michael has a sneaking suspicion it’s a photo of Alex and Tripp on the couch. 

They finally leave and Alex pats the spot next to him and Michael shuffles over and sits down carefully. 

“Hey.” Michael says quietly and Alex smiles at him. He shifts so Tripp’s face is now facing Michael and Michael can’t help but run his hand softly over Tripp’s back. 

“Are we crazy?” Alex asks as he looks down softly at Tripp.

“Probably. But I want this, Alex.” Michael says as he keeps his hand on Tripp’s little back.

“I want this too, Michael.” Alex leans forward and kisses Michael once and then rests his forehead against Michael’s. Michael feels like he could cry with how perfect this moment is. 

The love of his life, a house, and his baby brother, who they’ll raise together, as their son. It’s everything.