Archive of Our Own ^beta

Billy’s problems had started with a stuffed-up nose. It wasn’t a cold, since he didn’t have a runny nose or allergies. He wasn’t sure whether it was a blessing or a curse, just that he felt fine otherwise. Except for the weird food cravings, increased appetite and, more recently, the swelling around his feet and ankles every so often. Billy had talked to Ellie about it, and her words rung inside his head like a bell.

“You sound like you’re pregnant,” Ellie told him. “Have you taken a pregnancy test yet?”

Upon getting a positive test result, Billy went to confirm it with his doctor.

“Congratulations, Billy,” the doctor announced, “you’re having twins!”

Billy was also 16 weeks pregnant.

 “Men often don’t show any signs of pregnancy until their second trimester,” the doctor said, “but when they do show up, the symptoms are typically worse in men than they are in women for the duration of the pregnancy.”

There had been more to it than that, but Billy hadn’t been entirely focused on what the doctor was saying. Billy was pregnant. How was he supposed to tell his lover, Dr. Alan Grant?

Due to an unexpected series of events, which Billy attributed to the universe having a good laugh at him, Billy was almost 20 weeks pregnant when he finally spotted the perfect moment to tell Alan.

Which was precisely when the Kirbys enlisted their help to play guides to the dinosaurs living on Isla Sorna, site B. If Alan found out about the pregnancy now, there was a chance Alan wouldn’t let Billy go because it might not be safe. Forget that they weren’t planning on landing the plane on the island, Billy didn’t want to take any chances. Billy wanted to see those dinosaurs and he wasn’t going to let anything stand in the way of that.

By week 20, Billy was definitely beginning to show. Billy wanted Alan to be the first person he told but Ellie had quickly made Billy confess the day after his initial doctor’s appointment, so Alan ended up being relegated to second place. Even the staff at the dig site didn’t know, although Billy was probably sure some of them at least expected.

For the last few weeks he had been wearing baggy t-shirts or a fully buttoned short-sleeve shirt. Lately though, Billy had taken to wearing a zipped-up utility vest as well. Which was exactly what he wore to Isla Sorna.

It managed to fool Alan, but Amanda Kirby was another story.

After the plane crashed, when the group had successfully lost the Spinosaurus in hot pursuit, they settled down for a short breather. Amanda had been staring at him for a while. Eventually he looked at her, cocking his head. She motioned for him follow her, leading him just beyond earshot of the group.

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Amanda asked him point blank.

Billy was taken aback. He looked down at his clothes, and he didn’t think it was overly obvious he was expecting.

“No, it’s not that,” Amanda said. “I’m a doctor in the maternity ward. I know what to look for, in the way you walk, act and the way you protected your stomach when we were being thrashed around in the plane.”

“Yeah,’ Billy confessed, “almost 21 weeks now. Twins.”

She looked over her shoulder, making sure no one was watching.

“Here.” She moved him behind a tree, hidden from view. “I can’t do much without any equipment, but I can do a general check up to make sure your babies are okay.”

Billy hesitated, but Amanda’s gaze was open and honest. He nodded, unzipping his vest. Amanda knelt down in front of him, hands raised in the hair with an ‘I’m not going to hurt you’ gesture. Eventually he lifted his shirts up, giving Amanda access to his stomach. Billy felt vulnerable, but Amanda made him feel safe.

After a few minutes, she gave his babies, at least, a clean bill of health (generally speaking).

“I don’t see anything wrong,” Amanda said, standing up. “You look worse for wear, but your babies are fine.”

That helped Billy relax, but it wasn’t over yet. They still had to get off the island alive.

The idea of telling Alan at all escaped Billy’s mind when Alan found out he had stolen two raptor eggs, which was probably the sole reason they were in this raptor-related mess in the first place.

“You’re no better than the people who built this place,” Alan said, eyes filled with hatred and disappointment.

Billy had nothing he could say to refute it.

When it came to personal safety, deciding to parasail between a murderous pack of flying dinosaurs just to save Eric wasn’t his brightest idea, but it was the only option they had. Billy would never forget the look of shock on Alan’s face just before he jumped. Billy personally apologized to the babies grow inside of him. Then he turned towards the open canyon, counted to three, and jumped.

“Billy! Billy, no!” Alan’s voice sounded distant, as if Billy were in a dream.

Billy’s eyes were leaden, held shut by an invisible force. The pain radiating throughout his body pulsed in time with his heart. All Billy wanted to do was sleep, to fall back into that void where it didn’t hurt, where he wasn’t plagued by the disappointed look on Alan’s face when the man found out about the stolen raptor eggs, or the thought that the damage to Billy’s body might result in a miscarriage.

“Billy!” Alan’s voice was louder this time. “Wake up, please! Billy… God, please, wake up. Open your eyes.”

Billy felt a hand caress his stomach gently. Another hand stroked the hair from around Billy’s face. He didn’t have time to wonder whose hands they were, because the heavy blanket of darkness was covering him.

A sense of warmth and safety surrounded him. Billy fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next time Billy woke, he found himself in a white hospital room, with Alan Grant staring down at him in relief.

“God, you scared me, Billy. I thought I had lost you,” Alan said. “I would never have gotten the chance to apologize for the things I said to you earlier.”

Billy grinned weakly, but was soon replaced with a sense of panic. The babies, had they… he tried to move his hands towards his stomach, which resulted in intense pain shooting up his arms. Billy cut off a yell of pain.

Alan held down Billy’s arms. ‘Hey, hey. Don’t try to move, okay? If something isn’t broken, its bruised or sprained. You need to relax and get some rest.”

“But my—” Billy was quickly interrupted.

“The twins are fine, Billy,” Alan assured. “By the way, thanks for telling me.”

Alan raised an eyebrow, and Billy shrank back (as much as he could, given the situation), admonished. Billy felt guilty about many things, and not telling Alan was at the top of the list.

Instead of a terse lecture, Alan sight, shaking his head. He ruffled Billy’s hair playfully.

“We can talk about why you didn’t tell me later, but right now, all that matters is that you’re safe,” Alan said. “Ellie sent the Marines and the Navy to rescue us. We found you washed up on the side of the river, and we took you with us in an abandoned rescue boat to the coast.”

Billy released a sigh of his own.

“Twins,” Billy said, apropos. “Can you believe it?”

Alan took Billy’s hand, holding it tightly. Billy couldn’t stop his eyes from drooping.

“Go to sleep, Billy,” Alan said as he carefully caressed Billy’s stomach. “I promise we’ll still be here when you wake up.”

A smile crossed Billy’s face as dreams of their future lulled him to sleep.