Round Nine - Bachman/Darwin - Lucky Break

Tom Darwin and Allyn Bachman didn't mean to become parents, but it just kind of... happened and now they've got a bouncing baby boy, Drake. Can two life-long slackers cope with raising a child, and how will they cope with everything that's been going on with Tom's dad?

Tom still couldn't believe he was actually a father - or that his son was younger than his half-brother. Weird stuff. But Drake was a cute enough kid and Tom kind of liked carrying him around on his hip sometimes.

For her part, Allyn was very happy to have Drake in her life despite her initial misgivings about becoming a mother. She was beginning to see him as a human life rather than a cute little doll with all the annoyances that entailed, but looking at him never failed to make her smile.

Tom didn't keep up contact with his family the majority of the time, firmly believing their little dramas weren't worth caring about. But after he heard about Esther's death he had to call his father and check up on him. It was an awkward phone call. What do you say in this sort of situation?

It was enough to drive a guy to drink. Allyn was usually the one at the bar now her pregnancy was over and she could make her favourite cocktails again but lately it had been Tom readying the glasses and the shaker.

Allyn wasn't exactly helping.

"It's so weird that your dad's got a new kid. I mean, he's pretty old. I always thought it was kind of creepy for him to be going after Esther, the poor girl... why are you looking at me like that? You're always complaining about your dad, you've said much worse things about him. It's the truth, honey."

Tom knew she was right, but still. Only he got to insult his relatives, Allyn wasn't involved. Their relationship became a little strained for a while, only in the same room on the rare occasions their sleeping schedules matched up.

But just when things were on the edge of falling apart, Tom struck gold. A famous but eccentric director had seen one of his hastily cobbled together movies and burst into tears, given him all her wealth, and disappeared off into the mountains to join a commune. Tom had a swing in his step when he got home from the meeting with her very bemused lawyer and couldn't resist swaggering out from the car and up the stairs to his and Allyn's apartment to give her the good news. So much for being failures just because they were college drop-outs! Hell, he had more money than anyone else in Serenity Hills now!


Good thing too - Drake was old enough to start school now and the apartment, though luxurious, was feeling more than a little cramped. Drake was overjoyed when his mummy and daddy told him they'd be moving to a really big house!