/whisper
I think this is done
/whisper
I've sent what I think is the last chapter off to be beta'd. As long as they don't come back with something like 'hey! you forgot that Lucy was kidnapped!' [which I didn't] or something like that, I think it's DONE!!!
Thanks, as always, to the wonderful Beta's for all their hard work.
Once I get it back and it's all approved with their stamp of approval, I'll probably post the last few chapters pretty quickly next week.
Thanks to everyone for your FDK
.
Carol
*****
Chapter 15
*****
March 1990
*****
"What're you doing?" Lucy whispered as she woke up.
"Shhh," Jimmy said, looking at her sternly from where he was half lying on top of her stomach, one hand resting on her expanding abdomen. "I'm talking to my baby."
Lucy grinned. "Do you really think he can hear you?"
He glared at her. "Quiet, please. How do you expect her to hear me if you're talking?"
She giggled a bit. "Okay. I'll be quiet."
"Now, I'm not going to change the conversation just because you're awake."
She nodded.
He moved closer to her, laying his cheek on her stomach. "Here we come, walkin' down the street," he sang. "Get the funniest looks from, everyone we meet... Hey, hey we're the Monkees! People say we monkey around, but we're too busy singin' to put anybody do-wn." He glanced at her and glared again as she covered her mouth trying to hold in the laughter. "Just tryin' to be friendly, come watch us sing and play, we're the young generation and we got something to say. Hey, hey we're the Monkees! People say we monkey around, but we're too busy singin' to put anybody do-wn."
She couldn't hold back any longer and she dissolved into giggles.
"Hey," he said seriously. "I'm having a very serious conversation with my baby here."
It turned into full-blown laughter, but she covered her mouth trying to stifle the sound.
"If you don't stop, I'm going to have to make you," he growled. "This is a private, serious time with my child."
"And how are you going to stop me?" she managed to get out between laughs.
He moved up her body until he was leaning over her, one hand on either side of her shoulders. "Like this," he growled as he bent his elbows in an imitation of the downward motion of a pushup so he could kiss her, careful to keep his weight off her stomach. After a long minute, he pushed back up. "Can you be quiet now?"
She nodded, slightly breathless but with a smirk on her face.
He moved back down to her stomach, leaning on one elbow, his other hand pushing her shirt up to expose her stomach, now larger than it used to be. His fingers drew random patterns on the soft skin. "Now, since your mom doesn't like my singing much, I won't move on to Elvis, though Grandpa Perry will be disappointed. He married us, you know. Someday – when you're older – you'll have to ask him how he got ordained at the Church of Blue Suede Deliverance. It was a beautiful wedding. Mostly because of your mom. She was gorgeous. She still is and she will be for as long as I have the privilege of being her husband. She's worried that having you growing inside her is going to make her unattractive, but I'm telling you, she's glowing. She's never been more beautiful. Except maybe on our wedding night, but you're not old enough for that kind of conversation and, if I have my way, you might never be."
He glanced up at Lucy to see the laughter gone and replaced by a smile and tears. "She cries at the drop of a hat these days, but you probably know that. But even then, she's beautiful. And when you're big enough, I'm going to teach you how to ride a bike and throw a fast ball and..."
"What if she's a girl?" Lucy whispered.
He glared at her again. "She can still throw a fast ball. And hit better than all the boys. And if you're a girl, I'll make sure the boys treat you right. And I'll teach you how to dance so you can dance at your wedding with your husband. That is, if I ever let you date. And even then you'll have to take your indestructible cousin with you. But I'll teach you to drive and to play basketball and take you fishing and all those other things. But most of all, I'm going to be here, Little One. I'm never going to leave you and your mom. I'm going to love you and take care of you and be there for you and do everything in my power to make sure you're well taken care of and that you know how much I love both you and your mom. And I'm going to love your mom so that you know what a happy, loving marriage is like. And I'm probably going to embarrass you to no end when you're a teenager because your mom and I... we'll still be acting like honeymooners. You'll say that you hate it, but really, you'll be happy that we still love each other and you don't have to worry about whether or not we're going to split up someday." He kissed her stomach gently. "I love you, Little One. I always will."
He moved back up to lean on his elbow next to her, his head resting on one hand and his other hand still resting on her stomach. "Good morning," he said, kissing her softly.
"Good morning." She smiled at him. "Do you do that often when I'm asleep?"
"Well, it's the first time I've sung the Monkees, but sometimes."
She looked at the clock. "I need to get up and start drinking all that water."
"What time is the appointment?"
"The ultrasound is at 9:30. I have to get 32oz of water down between now and 8:30 and I can't pee until after it's over. We see the doctor at ten I think."
He stood up and held out a hand which she took gladly as he helped her stand up.
"And since I'm not going to be able to go until then, I need to go now."
"I'll get you something to eat and your first glass of water."
"Thanks."
*****
"There we are." The technician pressed the wand into Lucy's stomach. "That's your baby."
Lucy's eyes filled with tears as she held Jimmy's hand. "There he is," she whispered.
"Yeah," he whispered back, the grin that had been on his face almost non-stop since he realized he was going to be a father got even wider.
"Do you want to know the gender?"
Lucy shook her head. "No. We want to be surprised."
"Okay then." The technician pointed out the heart and arms and legs and spine. They saw eyes and a nose and ears and even a minute of thumb sucking.
They left the room with a couple of pictures in hand and headed for the waiting room. They sat on one of the small couches and Jimmy pulled her close to him with one arm, kissing the side of her head. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Lucy said quietly as she stared at the pictures.
A few minutes later, one of the nurses called her name and they headed to an exam room.
Lucy grimaced as she weighed in and rested on the table as the doctor measured her stomach. She held out a hand and helped Lucy sit up.
"Everything looks great," Dr. McCorkle told them. "The baby is the right size for nearly twenty weeks and development is right on."
The couple let out a sigh of relief. "That's good to know," Lucy told her.
They talked for a few more minutes, before the doctor asked one more question. "Anything else?"
"I don't think so." Lucy looked at her husband. "You?"
"Well," he shifted uncomfortably. "Can the baby hear anything?"
Lucy rolled her eyes. "Apparently, he's been talking to my stomach in my sleep."
The doctor laughed. "That's never a bad thing."
"He sang the Monkees theme song this morning," Lucy told her with a raised brow.
The doctor laughed. "I don't think that'll cause any permanent damage. Keep right on doing that, both of you."
Jimmy still looked uncomfortable. "But if talking to the baby is a good thing, what about other sounds?"
"Well, loud sounds might startle her. Or soft singing or reading or something like that might help him calm down if he's bouncing around."
Jimmy glanced at Lucy. He hadn't mentioned this to her. "What about sounds and stuff when we're doing... other things?"
Dr. McCorkle smiled compassionately. "Having sex – even loud sex – won't hurt the baby or harm her psychologically or anything like that."
Jimmy looked relieved.
"Glad to hear that are you, honey?" Lucy said in a slightly singsong voice.
"Well, yeah," he replied slightly defensively. "I mean, I know I walked in on my parents once and I know you heard your parents all the time and I wouldn't want to do that to an unborn baby."
"It's fine, Mr. Olsen. And it's really not that uncommon a worry for parents."
A few minutes later, they left and headed for their next stop of the day.
"Lucy! Jimmy! I'm so glad to see you!"
Even though they'd met the director of Coates Emergency Shelter on many occasions when he wasn't in the Santa suit, they still called him Santa in their heads. It fit.
"I was hoping you'd be here today," he continued. He motioned for them to follow him. "We had a teenager come in yesterday who brought her baby with her. She's in school but the little guy could sure use some TLC."
"Of course," Lucy said. Even before they found out she was expecting, they'd often spent time with the Shelter's smallest residents. First, with Danielle and then with others, both before and after the little girl found a new home.
"This is Tony."
"Hi, Tony," Lucy said quietly as she picked him up out of the crib. "How old is he?"
"About two weeks. Someone at the hospital got suspicious about some things while his mom was there and called DFS."
Lucy sat in the rocking chair and cradled him against her shoulder. She'd learned a lot about babies since the first time she'd held Danielle. So had Jimmy, but today he had other plans.
"I'm going to go find Derek and see if he wants to play outside. It's pretty nice out today."
Lucy nodded. "Go ahead," she said quietly so as not to bother the baby she held against her. "We have about an hour before we need to go."
He stroked his hand along the back of Tony's head as he walked out the door to find the three-year-old he'd befriended a few weeks before.
Lucy could see out the window from where she was rocking Tony. A few minutes after Jimmy left she saw him carrying the little boy on his shoulders as he ran around the playground area. A smile crossed her face. He was a natural with kids. He loved them and they loved him. He and Derek were soon going down the slide together before they went to the swings.
She continued to rock the baby until she saw Jimmy and a pouting Derek head inside. She stood and laid the baby in the crib, leaving the room as Jimmy walked up holding the little boy.
"He doesn't want me to leave," Jimmy told her with a sad smile as Derek buried his head in Jimmy's shoulder. He set him down on one of the benches. "I gotta go to school, buddy. I'll come see you again soon. I promise." He knelt in front of Derek and dug something out of his pocket. "I brought you something to keep for me until I get back."
"What is it?" Derek said in a small voice.
"It's a silver dollar." He pressed it into the boy's hand as one of the childcare workers came to get him. "Will you take care of it for me?"
Derek nodded. "Thanks, Jimmy."
Jimmy ruffled his hair. "Anytime, bud. I'll see you soon, okay?"
Derek nodded again and walked off with the worker.
*****
April 1990
*****
Jimmy was sitting on the floor with his back to the couch. Lucy handed him the lotion before moving carefully to sit in front of him. She rested her back against his chest as he slowly rubbed the lotion over her expanding stomach.
"I've been thinking about something," he said as he squirted some more onto one hand.
"I can't imagine what that might be," Lucy said with a smile.
"Now who has the one track mind?" he asked, kissing her shoulder as he did. "That's not what I was talking about."
"Then what?" she asked back, her head falling back to rest on his chest.
"The baby."
"What about her?"
"What if something happened to us?" he said quietly.
"Nothing's going to happen."
"I know, but I was thinking that we probably need to get wills drawn up and decide who we want to take him if something does."
Lucy sighed. "You're probably right. What're you thinking?"
"That everything we have goes to the baby or to whoever takes the baby to help with expenses and stuff."
She nodded against him. "Not like we have much but..."
"Once you get the inheritance, we'll have something – both the stuff from your folks and from Aunt Louise."
"True. Who do you want to give custody to? I don't want our child to end up in the system."
"Lois and Clark are the obvious choice."
"They would be the best option," she agreed. "With Perry and Alice as back-up, probably."
"Right. I don't want either of my parents coming in and trying to claim her. I want it to be ironclad that they can't get him."
"Yeah."
"I don't think either of them would but..."
"Right."
He continued to massage her belly gently. "I'll talk to Clark soon."
"I can talk to Lois if you want," she said, relaxing even more against him.
"No. You're my family. It's something I need to take care of."
She laughed.
"Hey!"
"Thank you for taking care of it."
"That's what I'm here for."
She turned her head to look at him. "That's not all you're here for, is it?"
He looked at her with a curious expression. "What else would I be here for?"
She smacked him lightly, before struggling to her feet and holding a hand out to him. "Come on. I'll show you."
He laughed and led her to the other room. "One track mind."
"You know it."
*****
"Come on in, Clark!" Lucy called.
Clark opened the door to find Lucy struggling with a box. In a second, he was at her side taking it from her. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
Lucy sighed and stretched her back. "Trying to get the stuff moved from the alcove so we can get the crib set up in there."
"That's right. It was delivered the other day, wasn't it?"
She nodded. "Yeah." She smiled as she sat in her favorite chair. "You should see Jimmy. He's trying to be all Bob Vila or something. He's so excited about trying to put it together."
"I'd be happy to help, if you want me to."
She shook her head. "It's something he wants to do. Some sort of father-to-be right of passage or something."
"Were you guys able to get everything you need?" he asked her sitting on the couch.
"Yeah. His mom left plenty on the line of credit at the store. We asked if we could cash out some of it, though, and they said we could. We got a nice crib that converts to a toddler bed and later a double bed and a matching dresser, but I see absolutely no reason to spend $250 on a bassinet that we'll only use for a couple months – if that. And we may want to leave it over at Perry and Alice's or something rather than here since the apartment's so small. Alice thinks she can get one for about twenty bucks at a garage sale. Same with portable playpens. The store his mom sent us to is very upscale which is nice for some stuff but completely unnecessary for others. The crib bedding there is as much as our king size bedding and you know that's not cheap. So we asked if we could cash out the rest."
"Has he heard from her since she moved?" Clark asked quietly.
"She sent a change of address card not long after she moved, but that's it."
He sighed. "I don't get that."
"Me, either." Lucy played with the pillow. "Clark?"
"Yeah?" he said, breaking out of his thoughts.
"I said something to Lois a couple years ago, but never to you."
"What's that?"
"Thank you."
"For what," he asked, confused.
"For taking care of me after our folks died. You both went above and beyond for me and I never told you how much I appreciate that."
"My pleasure, Luce," he told her with a smile.
She shook her head. "Seriously. Since we got officially engaged and Lois told me... you know, so many things snapped into place and I know it wasn't easy for either one of you. You worked so hard and..." A tear streaked down her face. "I don't think I can ever thank you enough for coming here and marrying Lois and taking care of me, but mostly taking care of her, regardless of anything else."
"I love her," he said quietly. "I don't know how not to."
She smiled. "I know the feeling. I don't know how not to love Jimmy anymore, but I don't think I could have without you. Not like this."
"What do you mean?"
She shrugged. "I don't know exactly. I do know that knowing you loved both of us made me see relationships differently because you're so different from my dad. And I do know that waiting until our wedding to..." She blushed as her voice trailed off. "Anyway, I think that made a huge difference. I think that if the physical part of our relationship had been different and been a focus earlier on, it would have been hard to have the basis for the rest of it, you know?"
He nodded. "I think so."
"When we had a fight, we couldn't just fall into bed and forget it ever happened or whatever. We had to learn better communication skills and how to listen and talk to each other and so on. And once we *did* get married, I think it made the other that much better because we knew each other so well already. And I don't think we would have waited even until I turned eighteen if you hadn't shared what your mom said and strongly encouraged us to. The temptation was certainly there long before then," she told him, without looking directly at him.
He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, um, I'm glad I could help then. I think."
Lucy laughed lightly. "You did. A lot." She turned serious. "I know things are better between you and Lois but I also know that they're still not great – and I don't know that because she's said anything or anything like that – I just know. I do hope that things get better for you guys before long. I know her pregnancy has some to do with it, but... I love you guys and I want you to be happy."
"Well, I'll admit it was a bit hard for both of us to see you two when we came back for Christmas. It was the first time we'd really seen you since you got married and the change..."
"Yeah," Lucy said wryly. "Lois mentioned that."
"I know." He smiled at her. "But it's obvious to anyone that you two are very happy together and you'll be the parents that teenagers hate because you're still all over each other after twenty years of marriage or whatever and that's a good thing. Really. I'm happy for you and I know Lois is too."
She started to say something else, but the door opened just then.
Jimmy bounded down the stairs. "Sorry I'm late, man. You know Perry." He moved quickly to kiss his wife. "I told you we're playing basketball right?"
"Yeah. Lois is coming over in a little bit to watch a movie."
"I need to change, CK, and then I'm ready to go." He grabbed Lucy's hand. "I do need to talk to you real quick, though, Babe. 'Scuse us, Clark?"
He nodded as the young couple moved towards the other room.
Jimmy yanked some clothes out of his dresser and headed towards the bathroom. When they were safely in the hallway, he pulled Lucy to him, growling slightly as her stomach got in the way a bit and kissing her deeply.
"What was that for?" she whispered, breathless.
"I've been thinking about doing that all day and was hoping Clark was going to be late," he whispered back, his hands sliding over her growing stomach. "And we haven't had one of those 'sneak into the other room to be alone for a quick, passionate kiss and grope' sessions in a while."
She managed to keep her giggle in. "Well, what are you waiting for? Clark's right out there and you know his hearing, even when he's not trying to listen for stuff so..."
He kissed her again, quickly and deeply, his hands sliding up as he did. "I won't be late," he whispered as he feathered kisses down her neck.
"Good," she whispered back, giving him one more kiss before he went to change clothes.
*****
May 1990
*****
"Happy anniversary, Mrs. Olsen." Jimmy kissed her neck.
"Wha...?"
"It's our anniversary."
"It's 12:01," she mumbled as she finally managed to see the time.
"So?"
"So we didn't get married until 3 in the afternoon."
"It's still our anniversary."
"That's what you said six hours ago," she groused.
"And it was our anniversary already in England and I didn't hear you complaining," he reminded her.
She rolled over to face him, yawning as she did so. "I wasn't, but I am tired."
"We have all day off," he reminded her, one hand caressing her cheek.
"I know and I thought I knew what we were spending all day doing. I just didn't know we were spending all night doing that, too."
"That's why we have tomorrow off, too. To sleep," he told her, the boyish grin she loved splitting his face.
"Can't we do both both days instead of just sleeping tomorrow?"
"Are you really that tired?" Jimmy asked, his face falling.
Lucy sighed. "It's not that I don't want to be with you. Honest. I’m just so tired these days... If I'd known you planned on waking me up it would be one thing. Heck, I probably would have stayed up, but I was in the middle of this wonderful dream..." She smiled at him.
"What was it about?" he asked softly.
"You and me and the baby. Only he wasn't a baby anymore."
"Ah." He ran a hand down her arm softly. "I'm sorry I woke you up. I do know that you need your sleep."
She smiled at him. "Well, I’m awake now..."
"Really?"
"Mm hmm." She kissed him. "Did I ever tell you how glad I am I married you?"
"Not recently."
"I'll have to change that."
*****
June 1990
*****
"Did they seem a bit off to you tonight?" Lucy asked as Jimmy massaged her shoulders.
"How so?" They'd spent the evening at the very formal Daily Planet fundraiser with many of their colleagues.
She shrugged. "I don't know. The whole Clark promised not to leave her side thing and all that."
"The last time they went to a fancy thing was their anniversary and he *did* leave then so it make sense he'd promise not to leave tonight."
"I guess. I just picked up a weird vibe while I was dancing with him tonight, that's all. Like he was watching her or something."
"Well, she's his wife and she looked great. I know I was watching you all night."
She shook her head. "No. It was something different."
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her back to him. "We'll ask them about it another time."
"You were watching me all night?" she asked with a smile.
"Heck, yeah."
"Why is that?"
"Because, Babe. You look hot."
"And you still think I'm sexy even though I’m as big as a beached whale?"
"Oh, yeah. I told you that knowing that's my baby growing inside you was a turn on."
"Would it be stretching the truth to say just about everything is a turn on for you?"
"Nope."
"Did I tell you how great you look in that tux?"
"Flattery will get you everywhere," he told her, planting a kiss on her shoulder.
"Good. Then you won't mind going to get me some ice cream."
Jimmy sighed. "What kind?"
Lucy smiled to herself. "Chocolate. With whipped cream and a banana and nuts and cherries."
"Got it."
*****
TBC
