Chapter 47: Taking a Break from the Burdens

           "This is the life," Jessie sighed contently.

           "Having a pool or not being pregnant?" I questioned.

           "Both! It's refreshing to feel like I can do things again without worrying about the consequences that they might have on our little baby," Jessie said.

           "Like drinking?"

           "Like drinking. I like mixing drinks. It's fun. Mind you, I would do it all over again if that's what it took to have more angels like Bert and Sep."

           "They really are wonderful children," I said, "I just wish they could be that way forever. I dread the day they turn into hormonal teenagers."

           "Ugh, don't remind me."

           "I just want to enjoy lounging here, looking off the cliff into the water," Jessie continued, closing her eyes.

           "I wish you could too, but I see the guests coming for the pool party. I'll invite them in and then head upstairs and get changed into my swim trunks," I said, noticing friends gathering near our door, "Take your time getting up."

           I let everyone in and then walked upstairs to take care of a screaming Bert. "Done your nap?" I asked him, cuddling him in my arms. I wasn't left alone for long, though, as Percy (Jayme's older brother) and Leon walked into the room. "Hey Andy," Leon purred, "You know, my boyfriend and I broke up."

           "Leon, I don't want to deal with your cra-with your garbage right now. I'm with two of my kids," I said, kissing the top of Bert's head.

           He winked at me. "I'm kidding, man. Your kids look like an awesome mix of Jessie and you. I really am happy for you both. But I really did break up with my boyfriend," Leon said, smiling.

           "Oh, sorry man," I said awkwardly, setting Bert in his swing.

           "What happened?" Percy asked Leon, catching his attention. I breathed a sigh of relief.

           I grabbed my swimsuit and then went into the bathroom to change. To my surprise, someone was already in there. "Oh, God," Jessie said, moaning and bent over the toilet. 

           "Sweetheart?" I said softly.

           "I jinxed it, Dee," she said, sounding annoyed, "I'm pregnant."

           "You can't tell that you're pregnant just from vomiting," I told her.

           "Then I'll just confirm it with a pregnancy test, shan't I?" She snapped, rummaging around in a cupboard before finding one. "Aha! This should work," she said.

           While Jess took the test, I changed into my trunks. Four minutes later, she stuck the test in front of my face. "A pink plus. How about that," I said, "Now please remove this urine covered device from my face."

           "I hope you know that you're getting a vasectomy after this baby," Jessie said casually wrapping the test with toilet paper and tossing it in the trash.

           I gulped. "Yes, sweetheart."

           We returned to the party which was apparently in our room. Char stopped Jess and I and started talking about Seppen and how cute she was and oh look at Bert in his swing, what a little angel. Buzz was talking to Jodi, and another one of Jayme's brothers was walking about awkwardly, trying to stick close to his brother. His brother kept discreetly pushing him away, keeping his focus on Leon. I found it amusing, and left Jess to talk to Char while I made my way over to see what Leon and Percy were up to.

           "Would you like some flowers, Percy?" Leon said, and handed Percy a bouquet of flowers. I frowned, unsure of where Leon had gotten the flowers from, but shrugged it off.

           "Thanks, Leon," Percy said, blushing. They continued to flirt and I was hesitant to force the guests out of the room, but Bert was starting to get irritated. 

           "We have a pool for a reason, people!" I said lightheartedly, "Let's enjoy it!" 

           The party ended soon after, and only one guests remained. I changed into my investigative clothes to look more professional. She hadn't bothered to change into a swimsuit in the first place. I challenged her to a game of chess.

           "So," I said casually, "Do you have any dirt on Officer Barkley?"

           "I haven't the slightest what you're talking about," she replied smoothly, taking my rook. 

           "Are you so sure about that?" I asked, moving my pawn forwards. She stared at the chessboard.

           "What's it to you?"

           "Blackmail is illegal, you know. But I'm sure I can find a way to let it slide if we even the score..." I was waiting to pull out the big guns.

           "Even so, you wouldn't have any proof," she said, her voice wobbling. I took her queen.

           "Oh? So the extra hundred paid every month is just a coincidence?" She made a clumsy move, sacrificing both of her knights to take one pawn.

           "I don't know what you-"

           "ADMIT IT!" I snarled, banging the table with my fist. Several pieces fell over. "I have your fingerprints from the mail. I can go to the police with this information!"

           She jumped to her feet. "Fine! I caught Officer Barkley communicating with wanted criminals through the Internet! She was using a code, but I cracked it." Her vampire skin sizzled in the sun, which was obviously the reason for her sudden departure.

           "Checkmate," I whispered, moving my queen. She ran at an accelerated speed away from the house.

           After following up on the lead the vampire had given me, I had found that Officer Barkley's Internet records had been deleted completely and thoroughly. Exhausted and frustrated, after months of research and running around, I needed a break. I stumbled into my room and, upon seeing Jessie, gave her a big, sudden smooch, feeling my worries melt away.

           "What... what was that for?" She breathed heavily.

           "I want to get away," I groaned, resting my face against hers, "I need a break. My head is going to explode. Let's-you and I-travel. To China!"

           "Whoa, there, Andy, there's no way I'm going to a foreign country while I'm pregnant," Jessie protested.

           "Then after you give birth," I said, resting my head against her belly, "Hello in there!"

           "It's not like vacationing is the only way to relieve stress," Jess said mischievously.  

           "I like where this is going," I said, kissing her neck. "The kids are asleep?"

           "Uh huh. Be quiet anyway, though," she said, pulling me to bed.

           I wrapped my arm around her. "I'm not the one who has trouble keeping quiet," I whispered.

           "Ssh," she giggled as Bert stirred. I grinned at her and then pulled the covers over us.

           Jessie tried to convince me to stop doing my investigative work, but I compromised to stop working on the Officer Barkley case for a little while. I was fine doing other cases. "Mom, are you in here-" I stopped, averting my eyes from where mom sat on the rocking chair in the living room.

           "Right here, Andy," she said happily, buck naked on the chair.

           "Mom... can you put some clothes on?" I asked, staring at the ground.

           "What? I am wearing clothes," she said, laughing, "See?" She looked down at herself and frowned. "Oh. I guess I'm not."

           "Just put some on, please. I'm going to go see Tamera," I said, worried. I concentrated my gaze on her face, but nevertheless had to damn peripheral vision.

           I left mom to put on some clothes and drove over to Sandy's, trying to put it out of my mind. "Hey sis," I said, giving her a hug. I realized how much I missed her. She smiled at me.

           "Hey Dee. I'm just going to whip up some pancakes. Tamera's inside," Sandy said, leading me in.

           While Sandy prepared her food, I swept up Tamera in my arms, tickling her. "It's Uncle Andy!" I said as she shrieked with glee.
           "Dee!" she repeated. I set her on the ground and she wobbled towards me.
           "Does she know how to walk?" I asked. Sandy glanced back and smiled.
           "Yes. Look at her! She's practically running to see her uncle!"

          I played with Tamera for a little more before setting her in her high chair and giving her some food. "She looks just like you," I said, walking over to Sandy, "You should have named her Sandy Jr."
          "I know, she looks nothing like Cid!" Sandy said with a laugh. "So, I feel like there was something you wanted to ask me? Like, why are you in your work clothes?"
          I glanced down at them. "I have some work to do. I actually wanted to just come over and say hi, but something happened this morning..."
          "What?" Sandy asked, stony faced.
          "Mom was sitting naked in a rocking chair. But she didn't know she was naked until I pointed it out to her," I said worriedly.
          "I'm sure she's fine," Sandy said skeptically, "In any case, she's better off staying with you and dad than any nursing home."
          "I would never do that to her!" I said, shocked, "I just wanted to give you a heads up. Anyway, I'll leave you to your cooking."
          "Crap, I think I burnt them," Sandy said, whipping around and frantically trying to save her pancakes.

          Unfortunately, mom's 'episode' wasn't just a one time thing. I kept Sandy and Buzz updated on how often it happened, and I was eventually giving them a weekly report. "So dad told me about the latest one," I told Buzz, "And this time it was in public."
          "She was nude in public?" Buzz said, aghast. Although he tried to hide it, I could hear him laughing on the other side.
          I frowned. "Well, not really. She was gardening outside completely naked, apparently. Dad was going out to buy some groceries when he saw her. He said that he stopped and stared-"
          "Don't need to hear that detail, thanks."
          "-and then he called out to her, saying, 'Cindy, dear, shouldn't you put some clothes on?' and she shrugged, glanced down at herself, replied with 'You're right' and kept gardening."

          "I'm not sure how much we need to worry, honestly," Buzz said, "Since she's still holding properly clothed concerts and making a hell of a lot of money off of them. She's in big, now, Dee. Her songs are topping the charts and everyone is loving the idea of an old person making it big."
          "It's not going to last forever," I reminded him, "She'll become old news and everyone will go back to wanting young people-white boys who sing country songs and blonde girls that sing pop."
          "So what? Let her live it up while she still can," Buzz said, "Because I'm not sure how much time she has left. Or dad, for that matter."
          We said our goodbyes and hung up, leaving me to think about what Buzz said. He was right. Sandy, Cid, and Buzz took turns attending mom's concerts to make sure they all went to plan. In fact, at mom's concerts and gigs, she tended to act sharper and wittier than at home. It was like her brain truly came alive when she was in the spotlight, singing.

          I was walking onto the second floor in Jessie's final month of the pregnancy when I heard Seppen Hiver giggling. "Mama fun-fun!" she squealed, which is what she said when she thought Jessie was being funny. Jessie's intense screams countered the idea of humour, though.
          I dashed into the bedroom frantically where I saw Seppen laughing and Jessie clenching her stomach and yelling. "Andy!" she said after her contraction relaxed, "I think I'm ready!"
          I helped her put on some clothes other than her underwear and brought Seppen downstairs so dad could take care of her. Bert was asleep in his toddler bed, thank goodness, and dad promised to keep his ears open for any sounds of a disgruntled baby.

          I was alarmed when Jessie jumped into the front seat, a surly expression her face. "Sweetheart, don't you think I should drive?" I asked her through the front door.
          "Either get in the passenger side or I'm going without you," she growled, so I obliged.
          "What if you get a contraction on the road?" I asked fearfully.
          "The hospital is five minutes away. If I feel a contraction coming, I'll pull over," she said, "So shut up and let me drive." Thankfully, she didn't feel any more contractions until she was safely in the hospital.

          Several hours later, Jessie gave birth to twins-one boy and one girl. She was released from the hospital, but the twins were to stay there to be taken care of until the next morning. Jessie put up a very good argument and was adamant about staying with the twins, but I finally managed to convince her to come home. "I'll shower, eat, and use the washroom, but I'm too wound to sleep," she said anxiously.
          "I know, darling," I said.
          "Mama? Dada?" I turned to see my little angel Seppen in a cute little dress and what looked like a pair of high heels she had borrowed from Jessie.
          "Dad must've given her that dress," I said with a laugh, "It looks cute on her!" I swept Seppen into my arms and gave her little butterfly kisses, which she responded to by shrieking with laughter. She was so ticklish! After putting her to bed and sweeping up a mysterious puddle near our bed, I changed and fell into bed. Only then did I realize that, despite what she said, Jessie was sound asleep, fully dressed next to me.

          Jessie woke me up with a start once she realized the she had fallen asleep. "Quick! The twins would have been released by now! They could be home!" I pulled some pants over my boxers and threw on an unbuttoned shirt. Jessie didn't bother changing, only stopping to relieve herself in the washroom.
          Two hours later, we returned with a baby each. I held Harry, who was wrapped in a green sleeper, and Jessie held Yuki Blanche, wrapped in orange. We fed them and I laughed as they happily downed the special formula. Jessie met my eyes and laughed, too.

          "Can we go on vacation, now?" I asked Jessie, kissing her forehead.
          "Now?" Jessie said, taken aback, "I think we-I-should breastfeed them for six months. I want the best for our kids." I nodded, slowly.
          "I'm planning our trip for six months from now," I promised. And I did. True my word, the day of the six months, I packed all of our things, sorted out what our babies needed with the doctor, and got Jessie and I in the earliest flight to Shang Simla, China.
          "You're right," she said as we took our wobbling steps into the heart of where we were staying, breathing in the new air and taking in the colourful scenery, "I do need a vacation."

          Our guide gave us what he considered to be 'traditional gear.' He was wearing a checkered shirt like at back home, but who was I to judge? "It will give you a sense of the culture. What we used to wear. What we traditionally wore," he said in broken English. He bowed his head and Jessie bowed her head back. Even if it was a load of hoo-ha, Jess sure looked cute!

          What had originally started off as a resting and sight-seeing trip soon turned into an adventure. We uncovered secret passages in historical buildings, emptied treasure chests of gold and ancient art (which we debated on how legal it was until we found a guide who promised us that public land was fair share), broke apart rocks covering our only exit, and bravely reached into sketchy looking holes in the walls which thankfully led only to treasure or levers. 

          We took a break from the adventuring and went to the Phoenix Martial Arts Academy to practice martial arts. Since we were both fit, we picked it up fairly quickly. I was thrilled when I managed to get a white belt, and even progressed to a yellow! Jessie found that she enjoyed the peace of mind part the best, and went to the Scholar's Garden to meditate.

          I found the scenery peaceful as it was, though. I knew that most parts of China were filled with pollution and the same fast paced life that I could find back at home, but I had picked this remote spot on purpose. Most of the places a tourist would be interested in were difficult to reach here, so it warded off publicity while remaining beautiful. When I looked up, over the pagoda roofs and stone structures, all that I could see was unspoiled landscape. And... was that part of the Great Wall of China over there? No, it couldn't be. It was probably just a mock up.

          Since I wanted it to be a very late honeymoon for us, I still left time for fun. Unfortunately, despite the limited amount of publicity Shang Simla got, it didn't change the amount of publicity that I got. A king could never rest. Maybe it was our fault for using a public washroom which had bad locks. But that didn't, and never would, excuse the paparazzi jerk who watched us in the shower with a freaking notepad. Was he a very extreme fanfiction writer? Who the hell watches two people having sex in the shower?

          "What the hell do you think you're doing?" I snarled, climbing out of the shower. I told Jessie to stay inside so she wouldn't be exposing her body more than we had already. The man took one look at my raised fist and ran to the door. I snatched his notebook from him as he ran out and flipped through the pages of foreign writing. "He won't need this anymore," I said, and soaked the notebook with the still running water of the shower. I then mashed up the pages and tossed them in the trash.
          "Although that man was creepy," Jessie giggled, "That was quite exhilarating!"
          

          "I'm going to take you to a nice place tonight, to make up for that," I said. I gave her the address and the time to meet me at. "Wear something pretty," I whispered.
          I heard a huffing behind me as Jessie climbed the last step, right on time. She wore an exquisite, traditional looking dress that showed off her lean arms and slim build. "Long way to climb," she joked, but gasped when she saw the sight before us. The stars peeked through the thin clouds in the sky and the rolling hills faded smoothly into the distance.

          She turned towards me and my breath left my body. It was like falling in love with her all over again. "You look gorgeous," I managed.
          "Thanks. A village girl offered to do my makeup in exchange for a bit of money. I've been saving the earrings for a special occasion."
          "And the dress...?"
          She smiled. "I thought you'd like it. It was part of my 'traditional wear' package."
          I felt shy, just like at the beginning when I was trying to figure out my sexuality and whether my feelings for Jessie were real. 

          In a sort of déja vu, I did what felt familiar to my body and leaned forward, delivering a soft, questioning kiss. It was answered with a passionate one.

          "I love you so much," I said in a husky voice, "And I wish I could stay here forever with you. But it's our last night."
          "It's okay," Jessie said with an encouraging smile. "Let's go home."

"It doesn't matter where we are, or who we're with-our love will always be strong."

Chapter 46: Potty Training and Trashcan Pilfering

           "Got everything you need?" I asked Sandy as I surveyed the suitcases.

           "Yep. I see Buzz and Cid coming right now," Sandy said, pointing them out. Sandy rushed out the door to greet them. "Cid," she squealed, "It's a girl!"

           Cid exclaimed his congratulations and excitement while Buzz watched with an amused expression. "You're in your suit again?" I asked.

           "Char is having so many damned parties. I can't keep them all straight. We just had one for Ami," Buzz replied, grabbing one of Sandy's suitcases.

           "How is she?" I took another suitcase and followed him to Cid's car.

           "Cries a lot. She won't take formula, which Char is fine with for now," Buzz said, ruffling his hair with his hand.

           

           "Cid, get over here and help us load Sandy's stuff!" I yelled over at him.

           He grinned at me. "Just talking to my two favourite girls!" He called back, feeling Sandy's stomach. He gave her a quick peck before joining Buzz and I in loading Sandy's stuff. A few minutes later, Sandy was in the passenger seat and Buzz in the backseat with Cid at the wheel. I waved goodbye to the three of them. Cid was going to drive to Sandy's new place and he and Buzz would help her set up, then he would drop Buzz off at home and drive himself home.

           The house felt empty as I stepped inside, and the silence almost eerie. I quickly ran upstairs to find where everyone had gone off to. The quiet would take getting used to.

           "Hey darling, what're you up-" I started choking mid-sentence as a giant puff of baby powder erupted from the changing station. Jessie stumbled away from it, powder clinging to her face and clothes. A very confused Bert was sitting blinking rapidly, powder covering his body. He let out tiny, baby coughs. I ran over and quickly wiped the powder off him. "Are your eyes okay?" I asked him as he looked at me, puzzled. He nodded slowly and I breathed out a sigh of relief.

           "We're going to have to teach him how to use the potty," Jessie said, brushing the dust off her body.

           "He can't control his bladder or bowels yet," I pointed out, "Why bother?"

           "He's a smart boy. If we start now, it'll be easier later," Jessie said in frustration.

           I shrugged. "Can we at least hold off until he's two?" Jessie grunted in response.

            A month later, Sandy was a week from her due date so mom went out to see her. "She really didn't have much," mom confided in me, "A small bathroom, TV, couch, bedroom, and kitchen. That's it! Well I told her straight off that I would be happy to buy her a crib, feeding station, stroller-whatever! But she just said that she would work to buy it. I just don't want my granddaughter suffering, you know?"

           "Of course not," I said consolingly, "What self-respecting grandmother would?"

           "Since she's taking a break from painting-which I think is the wrong thing to do, considering that her paintings bring in the most money-she's working hard on her guitar. She did tell me that the baby really likes it, though," mom mused, "And we went outside and she played for me. She's really good, I'll admit, but playing for tips just isn't the same as selling artwork."

           "It's like singing on the streets versus getting a gig," I suggested.

           "Exactly! Gigs are just so much better. You know how much you're going to get paid and you don't need to worry about it."

           "Speaking of which, I'm going to get changed into my outfit for my gig which is in two hours," mom said, getting up, "And I'm going to garden for an hour."

           "I don't think you need a whole hour for a garden," I replied skeptically. 

           "No, I need much more than that," mom said smartly. When I went outside to check on her later, I saw her point.

           "Is it safe for the trees to be planted that close together?" I asked cautiously.

           Mom glanced at them. "I'm sure half of them will die. I'll just trim them so that they can grow next to each other. I have apple trees and tomato plants-" I ran inside before the garden talk could infiltrate my mind. 

           A terrible retching noise attacked my ears as I climbed the stairs to the second floor. I dashed inside, positive that the source wasn't my sister. "Jessie!" I cried as she spewed up in the toilet. "Are you alright? What does this mean?" I said frantically, helping her up.
           "It means that I ate something gone bad. I got my period last week, on time. I'm fine," she said, but her face was clouded with doubt.

           Jessie snatched up her toothbrush and applied liberal amounts of toothpaste before jamming it into her mouth. "I'm not pregnant," she repeated, "I'm not."
           "I wouldn't be sad if you were," I reminded her. It wasn't impossible for her to be pregnant. Since Bert slept through the nights and my work had open hours, it wasn't too difficult to make time for each other. "Are you happy?" I asked Jessie, remembering what my dad had told me.
           "Uh-huh," she managed through the toothpaste. She spat into the sink. "I'm very happy. I've gotten everything I've ever wanted. I have a great family, a beautiful home, and earn quite a bit of money through my blogging and other online work. I've got it all!"

           My suspicions were proved to be correct when, two days later, I found Jessie vomiting again. "Babe, you have to tell me what's wrong," I said anxiously, grabbing her hand and pulling her close to me.
           She rested her hand on my shoulder weakly. "Dee, you're right... We're going to have another one."
           I smiled and pulled her in for a kiss, but she pushed me away. "Oh, right. Throw up and such," I said, and kissed her forehead instead.
           "This one will be a girl," Jessie promised.

           After Jessie's big news, I became obsessed with following up on what Jodi had told me months ago about Officer Barkley. I had originally pushed the idea aside, thinking it as ridiculous. But as I tried to piece certain cases together, I found that if I inserted Officer Barkley into the equation, it made sense. What I needed was proof. When I knew she was out, I drove over to Officer Barkley's house, leaving the car parked several streets away. I snuck up to her house and, after making sure the coast was clear, opened her mailbox. I withdrew two envelopes. Both were sent by her. She was paying off bills. I pocketed the envelopes and hid. Once I was safe from outside eyes, I withdrew a special steam making machine. I carefully opened the envelopes and examined the mail, marking down the amount of money that was payed. I noticed that Officer Barkley had paid exactly one hundred dollars more than was required. I was sure that someone would correct her mistake.
           Once finished, I resealed the envelope and replaced them in the mailbox, making sure to remove all traces of fingerprints on the mail and mailbox.

           I gave her house one sweeping glance and my eyes fell upon her garbage can. It was on the side of the garage, and therefore hidden from view. I snuck over and reached inside, rifling through the can for something-anything that looked suspicious. I found nothing of importance, despite my vigorous search, and shed my garbage lined jacket before getting back into the car. Hopefully I would be able to wash it before Jessie saw the stains on it.

           "Poopy?" 
           "Darling look, he's pooping!" Jessie said excitedly, pinching my bare arm.
           "Ouch! Yes, I see. He's pooping in his pants," I sighed, "I just wanted to grab some clean clothes.
           "What's wrong with the clothing you were wearing before?" Jessie asked suspiciously.
           "Uh, nothing, but I'm not going to stay in my uniform all day," I babbled quickly.
           "Fair enough." Jessie walked over to Bert. "That's right Bert! Poop!" She took him off the toddler potty. "But no poo!" she said teasingly, pointing into the potty. Bert looked into it and stuck his thumb in his mouth, confused. "Bert, you need to take your pants off first!" Jessie said coaxingly. I watched as she ran through taking off the pants and putting them back on.
           "There's poo in his diaper. He needs to learn to take the diaper off, too," I sighed, quickly grabbing Bert's diaper to throw out.

           When I came back, Jessie was giving Bert a bath to clean the poop off of him. "Babble," Bert cooed, looking at the soapy water around him.
           "That's right! Bubbles!" Jessie encouraged, clapping her hands. I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her, feeling her protruding stomach. 
           "Hello baby number two," I whispered, rubbing Jess's stomach.
           "Ssh. I haven't told Bert yet," Jessie said, "I don't want him to get jealous. He barely knows how to talk."
           "Are you going to teach him?"
           "Yes, I plan on starting with proper words in two months."
           "We'll tell him after that."

           Two months later, Jessie kept to her word and sat on the floor with Bert. "Can you say 'Oi'?"
           "Oh!" Bert tried.
           "Oi!"
           "Oh-ee!"
           "Oi!"
           "Ah-ee"
           "Oi!"
           "Oh-yee!"
           "Very good!" Jessie said, smiling. 
           "Sorry to interrupt your session," I said, "But I thought that I would take over while you pop down out to do your errands."

           "Did you hear daddy?" Jessie said, scooping Bert up in her arms, "Daddy thinks that mommy's going to do errands!"
           "Ewwands!"
           "Very good! Mommy's actually going to the spa, though."
           "Spa!" Bert gurgled.
           "You are?" I questioned.
           "And I deserve every minute of it. Full body treatment, facial, pedicure, manicure... Ah, to be rich," Jessie said, tickling Bert's nose.
           "Well, I can't argue with you there," I said, taking Bert from her, "Have fun!"

           An hour and a half later, I received a frantic call from Jessie. "ANDY! Come quick!" she yelled over the phone.
           "What is it? What's happened?" I asked, quickly running over to my dresser to throw some clothes on.
           "The baby's coming. But before you freak out, I just had my first contraction, so I should be okay for a little bit. Just hurry, okay?" Jessie said, calming down a bit.
           "Okay, stay at the spa-you drove the van?" When Jessie confirmed, I ran down stairs, continuing to speak. "I'll take a taxi over there and I'll drive the van over to the hospital with you. Stay there, sweetie, alright? Love you! Bye!" I hung up and ran into the family room. "Dad!" I yelled, and he jumped from his seat at the computer. "The baby's coming! I left Bert in his crib upstairs. Can you take care of him?" Without waiting for a reply, I raced out of the house and jumped in a cab. The second that I arrived at the spa, I found Jessie screaming in pain out front.

           "What's wrong?" I yelled, immediately freaking out, "I thought you said you just had one?"
           "I DID ONLY HAVE ONE!" she screamed back, panting, "But I've just had five more!"
           "Get in the van!" I cried, grabbing her hand and nearly dragging her to the van. Her sudden, brutal strength surprised me as she squeezed my hand back, uttering another cry of pain. I jumped in the van, and before long, Jessie was being wheeled into the delivery room.

           In just ten hours later, our darling little Seppen Hiver was born into this world. "She's perfect," Jessie said, feeding our latest addition. 
           "Just like her mother," I said, unable to take my eyes off of Jessie's cute little grin. "I can already see that she has your eyes."
           "Don't babies start off with blue eyes?" Jessie said sleepily, though unable to rest for long without feeling the need to get up and do something.
           "Yes. But hers darkened mighty quickly." I watched in silence as Seppen turned her eyes towards me, blinking innocently. "Will she get made fun of?"
           "For what?"
           "For having the name 'Seppen Hiver.' After all, she is a summer baby," I tried.

"Doesn't matter, though," Jessie said firmly, "She will always be my winter snowflake."

Chapter 45: Balancing the Equation

           It was the big day. No, not Buzz's wedding, although his would be coming within the next week, but my court case. It had been so hot that it was only until I walked into the city hall that I realized I was wearing a slightly see through open buttoned shirt. I quickly buttoned it up, but I still didn't look professional. My lawyer gave me a disapproving glare as I sat down. At least I arrived on time though; the defendant was late and sat down unblushingly and without an excuse.

           "Now that Mrs. Dennis has finally arrived, we may begin," the judge announced crustily.

           The case was long and tiring. We took a break so everyone could get a drink and be refreshed and then continued once we sat down again. The reason why the case was so delicate was quite simply because I was the prince. The judge was good, though, and she treated me as if I was anyone else. The key factor that helped me with my case was proof from two doctors and the evidence from the jeweler that I bought the ring from, proving that Jessie had gotten pregnant the night of our wedding and that I had been planning this for several weeks. Though that in itself was evidence enough, the judge clearly wanted a complete, closed case, so she cross-questioned and called forth witnesses and those that knew the defendant.

           Mrs. Dennis didn't have a chance.

           Since I was suing for libel, a type of defamation, I had to go to the Supreme Court. Because of that, my total costs were higher-I ended up having to pay $1586 total, but I managed to weasel $5689 out of Mrs. Dennis, meaning I profited $4103. It wasn't the money that mattered, though, it was my returned reputation. Distant friends called me up, confessing how they had believed it was true, would I ever forgive them, blah blah blah. It was a boost to my ego, to say the least.

           The minute I stepped out of the city hall, I unbuttoned my shirt again to give myself some heat relief. I hadn't even opened the door home when my cell phone was ringing. "Oi?"

           "Hello, Andy Casmin?"

           "This is he."

           "This is Officer Barkley... Listen, my boys in blue are going to arrive on scene in one hour. I'm giving you one hour to get down and check it all out. You'll have to bust your way in, though."

           "What? Where? What happened?"

           "Have you been living under a rock? Major theft-a contending mayor's girlfriend's computer was hacked into. The computer was left with a warning on it. She said that the thief was most likely looking for dirt on the possible mayor."

           "I was in court. Tell you more about it later. I'll get down there straight away."

           Officer Barkley relayed the address, then paused. "Andy?"

           "Yes?"

           "I can trust you to find this small time criminal, but..."

           "What?"

           "I have a feeling that this is part of a much larger case. One that will last years. Oh, the Chief is calling me-got to go! Be careful, Andy." Before I could respond, she hung up.

           I stared at the phone in my hands. Well, there was no time to lose. I didn't need a full hour. Twenty minutes would do. I raced inside to find my gear and clothes, but they weren't in their normal place. "Hello, hon," I said slowly, cautiously, sitting next to Jessie. She was concentrated on her book about pregnancies. "Do you know where my work clothes are?"

           "Why do you need them? We're going to our first childbirth class today, remember?"

           I forgot about that! Not good, not good... "Of course not! I was just curious."

           "Well it's in the washing machine right now. And I put your other tools in the garage. Remember, the class starts at 8:30, so we need to leave at 8:20."

           "Right... um, I should be back by then. See you, sweets!" I kissed Jessie on the cheek before racing upstairs. It was ten to eight. Not good. My white shirt was clean and dry, but my pants, tie, and long coat were soaked. I pulled them on with a shiver. At least it was hot out.

           I grabbed my car keys and jumped into the car. I accelerated as fast as possible-not good for the car, and broke the speed limit while racing over to the client's home. Luckily there were no other cars on the road, which was not uncommon in a small place like this. I quickly drew out my handkerchief and tried the doorknob. As I expected, it didn't open. I didn't bother dusting for prints as I knew that the culprit would be clever enough not leave any behind-besides, my client would've touched the doorknob when coming home and leaving.
           I pulled out my lock picking kit and heard a satisfying 'ping' as I unlocked the door. Thankfully I didn't have to use bobby pins like when I was a kid-this only took thirty seconds to do.

           I slowed my pace down and snuck inside, careful that I wouldn't leave any traces of me being there. Officer Barkley's job could be on the line if someone knew that I had gotten a tip about this crime scene. I ignored the computer. Unless I was supposed to be on scene, then the chances of me opening the computer up and trying to access information on it without leaving marks was very small. Instead, I focused my attention to the chair. A criminal who would leave the computer would also seem to be the type of criminal that took their leisurely time. Which meant they probably sat on the chair. I dusted my brush and then lowered it to the chair, but a big puff of the powder came off. "Crap," I muttered. I didn't have time to clean it up. When I finished dusting the chair and found no prints (of course, they were wearing gloves), I noticed something suspicious about the powder that had settled on the ground. I examined the ground carefully and found a dark strand of hair that blended in perfectly with the wood floor, caught between two pieces of wood. If I hadn't gotten dust all over the ground, I-and most likely, the police force-wouldn't have noticed it. I picked it up with tweezers and placed it carefully in a plastic bag before gently sweeping the dust so that it fell into the cracks between the wood. Perfect.
           I gave the room once last look around before darting out the door, making it back just in time to go to the birthing class. "You thought I wouldn't make it, didn't you?" I said cheekily as Jessie raised her eyebrows at me.
           "No, it's just that you're soaked with sweat..." Nevertheless, I had gotten what I needed.

           "Seems like your reputation has been restored," mom said, leafing through the latest newspaper. "The Dennis woman issued a public apology and was canned from her job at the newspaper."
           I walked over to the paper and read through it. Another article containing the word 'Casmin' caught my eye. "What's that?"
           Mom squinted her eyes at it. "Seems that there have been rumours that some gang is going to plant something to ruin Buzz's wedding."
           "But we haven't released the location of the wedding!"
           Mom shrugged and folded the paper. "It's probably a load of nonsense. I doubt many people will take the word of the paper as seriously as they did before." Despite this, I wasn't about to let anything ruin my brother's wedding.

           I changed into my investigator's gear and hustled down to the beach. I grabbed some handy bushes and kept a lookout. Okay, I was blatantly obvious while holding the bushes up, but I could easily conceal myself inside the bushes while lying flat. I didn't need to, though. The hours ticked by and nobody came. It gave me lots of time to think about the latest case we had. Officer Barkley was right-it was really easy to find the perpetrator, and he confessed right away and went to jail without complaints. There had to be somebody behind it-but who? The criminal had done nothing with the information he had gotten-or so it seemed. Was the crime a distraction, or did the man-or woman-behind the wheel really want the information? How could they use it? 
           I eventually went home when some friends came to set up what we needed for the wedding. We were waiting until last minute so that no one else would see where the wedding was.

           It was finally time. I check the clock and stifled a yawn. "Buzz, mom," I said, walking into the dining room. "It's-whoa."
           "Yes, dear?" mom replied. Mom was wearing a long white gown with her hair done up-it looked she was the bride to be!
           "Uh, it's time to go," I said. They were both reading books, most likely to take their mind off of the day ahead. 
           "Do I look okay?" Buzz said nervously, fiddling with his bow tie.
           "You look beautiful," I reassured him jokingly. He slugged my shoulder. "You look fine, dude. Everyone's eyes will be on Char, anyway."

           "What's taking them so long?"
           I glanced over at the two of them. It seemed as if Buzz wasn't the only nervous one, as he was calming down a frantic Char. "I'm sure she's just thinking about it all at once. She'll be fine," I promised. I took Jessie's hand in mine and stared out onto the water.
           "It's pretty here," she sighed. The sun was lowering rapidly, casting a pink hue onto the water.
           "I like it when you wear that dress."
           "I like it when you wear that suit." Jess pulled lightly at my shirt. I couldn't resist her and turned into her kiss.

           "I'm going to see if I can help," I said finally, "Because now there's no sunlight and I'm not sure how long the guests will stay."
           "They'll stay as long as we damn well tell them to," Jessie said sulkily. I shrugged and headed in Buzz and Char's direction.
           "I'm just... I'm just a little scared, Buzz," Char was saying anxiously. 
           "You have nothing to be scared of, darling," Buzz said, stroking her cheek. "You trust me, right? We're here on our wedding day with our friends and family. We're going to get married. What is in the word, marriage, anyway? Not much. We'll exchange rings, cut the cake, and have a great wedding night." I was halfway up the steps when I realized that I did not want to interrupt that conversation. I turned around, but the stair creaked softly. Crap. I was now stuck between a rock and a hard place.
           "Oh, Buzz," Char giggled. Not listening, la la la la la.... Thankfully, a moment later, Char said, "I guess I'm ready to go now." Well, thank the Lord.

           The young couple quickly spoke their vows, eager to end the wedding before midnight. "With this ring, I thee wed," Buzz whispered, pushing the gold ring onto Char's hand.

           "With this ring, I thee wed," Char said back, but loudly. It seemed to be an odd Casmin tradition to whisper our weddings lines or something.

           And they shared their first kiss and husband and wife, confetti hearts showering around them as cries of joy filled the air. I could hear mom sobbing, dad saying, "That's my boy," and one person absolutely in hysterics as she cried.

           I turned in my seat to see Anastasia Tremaine bawling. She was probably reminded of mom's wedding, which was taken place right on this beach, and the fact that Anastasia's nephew had gotten married before she. Robbie Platt, who was supposed to be Drizella's boyfriend, but word had gotten out that he and Anastasia had had a thing, sat next to Anastasia with a blank expression, his eyes occasionally flickering over to her.

           The mood lightened up considerably when everyone got up from their green chairs and watched the best part of all-the cake cutting. Everyone quickly grabbed a piece and ate up. After all, we had been waiting for quite a while to eat. The party ended quickly and everyone said their goodbyes. Mom and dad left for a stroll on the beach and Jessie and I stayed to help clean up, leaving Char and Buzz to go home. They had decided to have their 'wedding night celebration' at home and then leave early the next morning to go to their new house.

           "Let's get something to drink," I said, nudging Jess over to the barrel of juice.
           "Isn't that beer?" she said doubtfully.
           I pointed to the fruit on the side. "No, definitely juice."
           "I don't want to risk anything for the baby... this is a crucial time when all of her organs are developing. Here, you have some and tell me what it is," she said, pouring some into a cup for me.

           I took a sip of it. "It's juice, my dear. The baby will be fine."
           "I dunno, Dee. You know what, I don't want to risk anything, I'm not going to-"
           "NOPE!" I said, snatch her up in my arms swiftly. I was one hundred percent positive that it was juice. "Honey, do you really think I would want to sacrifice my child's well being for yours?"
           "Well, no-"
           "Then trust me." I lifted Jessie up to the nozzle. She steadied herself on the bin before lifting the nozzle to drink from.

           Jessie removed her hand from the barrel and my arms started to shake. "Crap, Jessie, I think I'm going to-" wham. I stared at where I had dropped Jessie. She spread eagle on the ground. "Are you okay?" I cried, kneeling down beside her and touching her back. She sat up, rolling her eyes and giggling.
           "You are such an idiot!" She said, getting up. "You know what's going to happen now, right?"
           "Uh-"
           "I'll just hold you up and see how safe you feel up there."
           

           Jessie hoisted me up and I drank from the nozzle. Her arms were shaking by the end, but I hopped down without falling. "How did you manage to lift me?" I said sheepishly.
           Jessie shrugged. "Maybe one of my many powers that I achieved from being an imaginary friend."
           "Can we not talk about that? It makes me get all confused," I said, scratching my head. She wasn't imaginary... she was a doll come to life?
           Jessie noticed my perturbed expression and said soothingly, "Just think of it like this-I am a human and always have been. But I was trapped in a doll's body as a curse and only the potion could break it." It didn't sound right, but I went with the idea anyway.

           "Do you need another distraction?" she teased, sliding her arms around me.
           "Oh, yes, Mrs. Casmin."
           "I think I can handle that, Mr. Casmin." 

           Later, long after Buzz had moved out, he told me about his wedding night back at home. Apparently, they had set up a bed that they were going to move out to their new home. I had no idea how they had gotten in through the door and down the stairs, but apparently the frame was detachable. Didn't sound like a very safe bed, but what did I know?
           Char had been in her bed reading when Buzz came in. Buzz refused to tell me what the words were that they exchanged, but I could assume they were equally as steamy as the ones Jessie and I had said the night of our union.

           They got passionate pretty quickly and had their fair share of "Mr. Casmin" and "Mrs. Casmin." Looking back on it, it seemed odd to say that, since mom was always "Mrs. Casmin." It sure felt weird.

           After years of having an emotion connection, they finally got to share their first extremely intimate physical connection. Sandy's old room quickly lost its innocence while they had fun in there.

           The next morning, while everyone else was asleep, Char and Buzz got up to got to their new home. I got up as well, as I had been the only one that Buzz had confided in his plan. He would be a five minute drive from our house (just like everything else in this miniature city) so it wasn't like we would never see him again. I said goodbye and saw them off. I helped them load everything in Char's car. Buzz went through the house one last time, just saying goodbye to everything before he followed Char (dressed in what he gave her for the night he proposed to her) out the door.

           I was sad to see my brother leave. True, there was no reason for him to stick around. I was heir to the throne and now king. Buzz never wanted to be the king, never wanted those responsibilities. He had matured a lot from his bratty, prank loving younger self. My hand rested on the ancient flower patterned wallpaper as I rested my body on the door frame. My brother and I had shared a lot together. But now it was time for him to start a family of his own and live his own life.

           I watched Char drive away with a heavy heart. But at least this way we would have more room in the house for our baby, who I was sure was a boy. Would Sandy ever move out? I had a feeling that she would have made a great queen, but her unstable emotions could get in the way of an otherwise great leadership. Sandy wanted to lead a life in the arts. She could express herself beautifully through art and music, and had started a special fund in our old school to support the arts, solely using money she made through selling her paintings to set an example.

           "Whatcha doin'?" I asked Jessie curiously, finding her on the lawn taking a selfie.
           "Taking a picture for my Internet peeps," she answered.
           "I thought we weren't going to announce it to them until you're in your second trimester with a steady heartbeat?"
           "We're not. But I want to show them how big I am at each month."
           "How far along are you?"
           "About 12 weeks. I look a bit round, but it's not obvious that I'm pregnant."

           I kept up with my investigations, and whenever I had free time I would always look into that one nagging case. Trying to figure out which cases were connected and which weren't was always a headache, but Officer Barkely always pointed me down the right path. It was uncanny how she always seemed to know everything...
           "Ask them for a briefing of what they threw out. There couldn't be much, seeing as how they just moved there. Root through their garbage and examine anything they didn't mention throwing out," she had said.
           And she was damned well right. Without her help, I would've never examined the dirt inside the broken flowerpot, which ended up containing the micro chip. The woman was brilliant.

           Yes, the winter passed by fairly quickly and uneventfully. Mom was keen to oblige to whatever Jessie's crazy food cravings were and I was always ready to give her a back massage or foot rub. I remember the most shocking event happen at around the end of December. The roads were quiet, most families away for Christmas holidays or simply enjoying the cozy insides of their homes, tucked away with a good book under some blankets, perhaps with a cup of hot chocolate. I however, was not. I was supposed to be investigating 'strange footsteps' found by a young girl. It was ridiculous and I eventually just packed it in. There were no footsteps and the girl was most likely making things up out of boredom.

           I was climbing up the stairs to put my clothing away and have a nap when I heard a horrible retching noise coming from my bathroom. I ran in, scared. Jess hadn't had morning sickness in ages-why would she be throwing up now? The sight surprised me however.
           "Sandy?" She got up from where she was bent over the toilet and flushed the toilet. She then washed her hands and washed her mouth out. "Are you okay? Did you have something bad to eat? Oh, I hope it wasn't food poisoning for Christmas, then we'll all be sick!"
           "Relax, Andy," Sandy said with a sigh. "I guess I should tell you now. I'm pregnant. I've been vomiting for well over a week now."
           "What? Are you sure?"
           "Yeah. I took two tests, and they were both positive."
           "I guess everyone's having a baby!" I said joyfully. Buzz had phoned to tell us that Char had gotten pregnant the night of their wedding, meaning that all of our kids would have the same birth year.

           Sandy slowly descended the stairs. "Where are you going?"
           "I'm going to write a letter to Cid. To tell him."
           "He's the dad, right?"
           "Yeah."
           "He should marry you, then?" I said hopefully. To my surprise, Sandy burst into tears. I caught her in my arms. "There, there," I said awkwardly.
           "Oh, Dee, I don't want to get married! I'm not ready for a baby!" 
           I stared back into her wet eyes, unsure of what to say. "You're... you're not going to terminate the pregnancy, are you?"
           "No," she replied sorrowfully, "I... I think it'll be good. For me. To have a baby. But I don't want to get married."
           "Then don't," I agreed. I knew what Sandy needed, and she was right. She was an intelligent, mature girl, but she had no responsibilities. "Do you think you should move out as well?"
           She shrugged. "Yeah. Not right away though. I'm going to need to start saving up." She smiled. "I'm going to go write that letter. I'll get it all sorted out. You'll see." 

           And while Sandy got her life organized, I got mine. It wasn't long before Jessie was screaming my name to go to the hospital. When we got in our family limo, she made me sit far away from her so she would have leg space. It was a good thing, too, as whenever I did something that irritated her in the slightest-scratch my ear, for example-she would curse at me and say what a horrible person I was. I knew she was just in pain, though, so I lent her my support anyway. 

           "Come along, darling," Jessie grunted as she waddled up to the hospital. She was holding a parasol and looked as if she was going for a nice stroll. I winked at her.
           "Always the comedian." She wasn't very funny through labour though, and I couldn't blame her. Based on what I had read and what I was seeing, she looked like she was in excruciating pain. I suddenly felt horrible for making her go through this, but the look on her face twenty-two hours later when holding our baby boy changed my mind. 

           "Welcome to this world, Bert," I said, feeding our little baby his special formula. He cooed in my hands softly. I could already see the little blonde bristles poking out of his head, as well as the dark brown eyes that reminded me so much of his mother.

           Sandy quickly filled in when neither Jessie nor I were there to practice for when she would be a mom. She made good use of the bathing and diaper changing table we had bought (and which costed more than the bed) and Bert always smelled fresh and scrubbed when I came home from my investigations.
           "So how did Cid respond to being a father?" I asked her.
           "Very well. Better than I expected. He supports me fully and offered for me to move in with him, but I insisted that I want some independence first. He'll visit the baby, of course, and that's all I want from him."

           Buzz came over to see Bert right after a baby shower of his own. Or so I told Jessie. In reality, he used it as an escape from the cooing women as they fawned over Char's ginormous belly and all the gifts for the expectant baby. 
           "He's cute, I'll give you that," Buzz said with a chuckle as Bert downed his formula.
           "It's weird, he acts perfectly normal on formula or breast-fed. Jessie still prefers to breast-feed him though," I replied. After all, the natural choice was a healthier one. "Have you thought of any names yet?"
           "Oh, we like quite a few. We're concentrating on 'A' names, mainly, and debating the spelling between quite a few names," Buzz said. "Isn't this weird?"
           "What?"
           "I never thought we'd be talking about baby stuff together."
           I grinned at him. "I'm kinda glad we are, though."

           We put my boy to bed and then crept downstairs to go to a pub. "Nice to see both of my brothers again," Sandy said, her eyes glued to a book.
           "Hey Sandy," Buzz said, "What're you reading?"
           "A book on pregnancies." She looked up. "Where are you two going?"
           "A bar," I answered after quickly searching the premise for signs of my wife or parents.
           She sighed. "I wish I could join you. Men are so lucky."
           I grinned. "I won't argue with you. Have fun!" Sandy gave me the finger as Buzz and I raced out to get some drinks.

           Sandy wasn't just catching up on her reading, however. I would find her lower half poking out of the fridge, or I would want to make something for Bert but find her taking up the stove. "Hey, you finally made it right!" I said as Sandy flipped her pancake.
           "Very funny. I've decided that the food cravings are a great way to help me with my cooking. I mean sure, I burned a few batches first, but I've really gotten the hang of it. I think all that time making muffins and cookies as a child really helped me," she said.
           "Yeah, you're right. I remember you burning those, two." I ducked out of the way just in time to avoid her fist.

           "Nice to see my family together," I said, walking into my room. Jessie was holding Bert in front of her and talking softly to him.
           "When Bert gets older, do you want to have another one?" Jessie asked.
           I gazed at my little boy and smiled. "If all of them are as perfect as my boy, then of course," I said, smiling at Bert's little face.

           "You know, I forgot something," I added, tickling Bert.
           "What's that?"
           "I told you so!"
           "You told me so what?"
           "Bert's a boy. Like I said he'd be."
           Jessie swatted me with her hand. "Yes, and he's the most precious boy in the world, even if he does have your pale skin."
           "I don't have pale skin!" I protested, but Jessie ignored me and continued to play with Bert.

           I traveled to the park to interview Drizella, who had called me to talk about a case. "So, what did you want to talk to me about?" I asked her.
           Drizella looked off into the distance, smiling in an odd way. "Make my bed," she said to no one in particular.
           "Is she okay?" I asked Anastasia, looking down at her in confusion.
           "She's rather senile. In a few minutes she'll return to normal," Anastasia said calmly. Robbie, who was sitting next to her, nodded. I noticed him take her hands in his once they thought I had turned away. Anastasia was right, and in a few moments Drizella had regained her surely attitude and told me of her problem.

           After writing down the case, I found Jodi and went to talk to her. She had apparently been keeping an eye on Drizella and reported that she suspected that Drizella had let her mind revert back to its teenage self on purpose. Every time Robbie went to talk to her and break up with her, Drizella would suddenly have one of her episodes.
           "But never mind that," Jodi said with a sigh, "How are you? I heard you had a baby."
           "Yes, Bert. And Buzz and Sandy are both expecting as well. How about you?"
           Jodi's face fell. "The doctors are saying that I won't be able to have a child. Something wrong with how my body works, I dunno. I didn't really ask. There is something I wanted to talk to you about, though, Andy," she said seriously.
           "Yes?"
          

"I heard you were working with Officer Barkley... well I have some information about her that you might want to hear."