Nabiki - New Horizons
Part 6 - And Baby Makes Three
By Uncle Fester
"Well, Nabs, what do you think?" Jeff asked as they pulled up in
front of a newly built house in a fashionable upscale neighborhood
overlooking the blue Pacific ocean on the west coast of Oahu, Hawaii.
He had purchased the house and had it furnished during the honeymoon;
something Nabiki totally missed due to her preoccupation with Sodoshi
Tanaka.
Nabiki just sat in the front seat of the Jeep Cherokee, arms
crossed, and stared at the building. She wasn't sure just how to react.
In Japan, the wife makes all the major purchase decisions. Jeff had
purchased this home without even consulting with her - that was bad
enough - but now, he was acting like he expected her to simply move in
and be happy. Needless to say, she was *not* amused.
"And just what is *this* supposed to be?" she asked pointedly
without even looking Jeff's way. Her face seemed to take on a harder
look than usual.
"We needed a place to live," Jeff said nonchalantly; attempting to
defuse a potentially explosive situation. "I arranged to buy this house
a couple of months ago."
Slowly, Nabiki turned to look at her husband. Her eyes were slits,
her jaw set.
"You never asked *me*, Jeffery," she growled. "I have to live here,
too, you know. You should have at least *shown* it to me."
Jeff swallowed hard and and looked at her like a wounded puppy.
Since their marriage, Jeff had developed into more of a coward when it
came to his wife; refusing to confront or challenge her on many
important things surrounding their union. More often than not, he
simply acquiesced to Nabiki's desires. This was one of those points of
contention he feared. It was a clash of cultures, struggle of wills,
and collision of personalities. Jeff had already lost.
"You don't like it." Jeff suggested.
"I didn't say that." Nabiki snarled. "Don't put words in my mouth,
Jeffery."
Jeff began to have the same feeling of danger as the night she
slapped him back in Nerima.
"Just take a look at it." Jeff offered as he opened his door. He
was hoping Nabiki would follow his lead without a fight. "If you don't
like it, we'll make other arrangements."
"That's not the point, Jeffery, and you know it."
For only a moment, a vicious war erupted within Jeff Lawrence. The
forces of retreat, long used to having their way, were battling Jeff's
pre-shinobi trained emotions. Without warning, Jeff slammed the door
shut, his eyes squeezed shut in frustration. In spite of this, his
voice was controlled and calm.
"Nabiki, I've put up with this nonsense for almost two months," he
began, looking straight ahead. "You've insulted me, belittled me,
shouted at me, even struck me, and I've put up with it all. Now I
provide us with shelter and all you can do is snap at me for not
consulting you first. You're right. As usual." He practically spit
out the last. "I'm sorry but I don't think I deserve this." He finally
worked up enough anger to look at his wife. What he saw instantly
drained him.
Nabiki, face buried in her hands, was sobbing silently. Her body
uncharacteristically shaking with the emotional release of her tears.
Leaning forward, resting his head on the steering wheel, Jeff
tendered his apologies.
"Aw, jeez, Nabiki," Jeff mumbled. "I'm sorry..." <Damn! Why can't
I just get her to realize that all her mood swings are because she's
pregnant?> He sighed audibly. <And why can't I keep my mouth shut?>
For several minutes the silence in the car was broken only by the
sounds of Nabiki's occasional sniffs. Jeff remained still with his head
resting on the steering wheel, his hands gripping the wheel tightly and
his eyes closed; seriously wishing he were somewhere else.
The sound of Nabiki's door opening broke the spell. Jeff's head
tilted enough for him to look her way in surprise. He saw his wife step
silently out of the Jeep and head towards the house.
Jeff, worried but hopeful, quickly exited the Jeep and hurried to
follow his wife. As he caught up with her, he cautiously slipped an arm
around her waist and gently tried to hug her lithe body to his. At
first, she hesitated, unsure and a little ashamed of her earlier
behavior, before leaning lightly against her husband, her head rolling
with relief against his shoulder in quiet penitence.
"I'm sorry, Nabs," Jeff said barely above a whisper as he gently
kissed the top of her head. She had done it to him again. Every time
he tried to assert himself, she cut him down with practiced strokes.
This 'argument' hurt as much as any; leaving him emotionally bruised and
battered - but still very much in love with his wife.
They stopped at the front door and stood silently. Nabiki sniffed
once and hugged her husband, burying her face in his shoulder. A light
breeze caressed them, its sound a Hawaiian welcome home.
"It's a nice house," she hesitantly replied in a small, embarrassed
voice. She was aware of her mood swings; actions that scared her in
their unpredictability and lack of control. This last clash frightened
her more than any before. It was something she desperately wished to
contain and control.
With a renewed sense of optimism, Jeff led the quiet Nabiki on a
tour of their new home. She was impressed but uninterested in the
modern kitchen, bemused at the oversized master bedroom, pleased with
the Japanese style bath, and delighted with her private office, complete
with a sophisticated computer system. Almost excitedly, her earlier
behavior forgotten, she hugged her husband. She had something she
always valued in a home; a place to call her own. A place where she
could pursue whatever venture she chose. A place to build her own
fortune. She hugged Jeff again, sniffing back a new round of tears,
this time caused by the realization of just how lucky she had been in
choosing this unpredictable gaijin with a shinobi past. Jeff just held
his wife remembering all the reasons he married her in the first place.
He was grateful at having survived another Nabiki assault and prayed
that he wouldn't have to endure very many more.
Neither slept well that night, especially Nabiki. Both restlessly
tossed and turned; he because of the new bed and she from something else
- something deeper.
Shortly after midnight, Nabiki gave up trying to fall asleep and
slipped quietly out of their bed. She hesitated, running her fingers
lightly through her hair, before crossing to the open sliding glass
door; as if drawn by the sounds of the surf. A cool breeze swept
through the opened door, swirling around her light nightgown and
caressing her with the fragrances of ocean and tropical vegetation. She
stood silently looking at the dark horizon to the west; one hand on the
door frame and the other clutching the front of her gown. Casually, she
brushed her wind blown hair from in front of her face and grimaced
slightly.
Somewhere over that horizon was the home she had grown up in; the
place where her family were, even now, going through the daily
activities she was so familiar with. Ranma was probably running for his
life with Akane close behind. Her father and Genma Saotome were,
undoubtedly, beginning their latest board game; each secretly plotting
how to cheat themselves to victory. Kasumi would be planning the day's
meals and preparing her shopping list.
Kasumi. Why did the thought of her cause Nabiki so much anxiety and
such a warm feeling at the same time? Perhaps she missed her older
sister more than any other of her family. She wanted desperately to
talk to her Oneechan; to tell her what she was feeling. Something was
wrong. Something inside her didn't... feel right. She closed her eyes
and battled a very depressing thought - that Jeff was right - that she
really was pregnant.
A sudden chill caused Nabiki to wrap her arms across her chest and
shudder slightly. Was it just the cool air or the added feeling of fear
and loneliness? A flicker of homesickness touched her heart briefly
and moved on. Its icy fingers causing her to shudder again. She'd
never been away from home so long - so permanently. She didn't realize
until now just how important the mundane, commonplace things she had
grown up with meant to her. She sadly shifted her gaze to the twinkling
stars above the horizon and made a little wish.
<Oneechan, if I could talk to you for only five minutes...> she
thought, leaning slightly against the door and hugging herself against
the chill. <Please...>
Finally, her stubbornness regained control. With a look of
irritation at her earlier emotions, Nabiki shook her head, trying to
clear the childish fears she had, and quietly slipped back into bed.
Jeff, stirring slightly, draped his arm sleepily over her mid-section.
With a small smile, Nabiki took his hand and pressed it lightly against
her flat, firm stomach. She didn't know why; it just felt right. That
must have worked because it allowed her to finally fall to sleep;
enveloped in the love she had always dreamed of.
Morning found the couple going through their usual activities; Jeff
checking the news on his computer and Nabiki in the bathroom throwing
up.
Jeff sighed with resignation at the 'cat coughing up a hairball'
sounds coming from the master bath. This morning sickness was going to
have to be addressed. Like it or not, Nabiki was going to have to face
the prospects.
Moments later, as she crossed the hallway heading for the kitchen,
Jeff decided the time had come.
"Nabiki," he called to his wife. "Can we talk?"
"Sure," she answered from the kitchen. "What about?"
Jeff eased himself out of his chair and slowly walked into the
kitchen. Nabiki was pouring herself some orange juice. That, in
itself, wasn't so unusual. The fact she was pouring the juice over a
bowl of sugar frosted flakes, was. He decided the direct approach was
inadvisable for the moment and took another direction with his
questioning.
"You're not cooking breakfast?" he asked with raised eyebrows.
"No."
"Don't know how?"
"No. I choose not to. Why don't *you* cook?"
Jeff sighed. "All I know how to cook are American breakfasts."
Nabiki wrinkled her nose at the prospect of bacon and eggs.
Munching on a spoonful of frosted flakes marinated in orange juice, she
offered an alternative. "How about we eat out? I hear McDonalds serves
breakfast here in America."
It was Jeff's turn to wrinkle his nose. Somehow, what passed for
breakfast under the golden arches didn't sound too appetizing at the
moment. Nabiki had yet to learn that 'fast' and 'food' didn't always go
together... especially at breakfast.
"I guess breakfast isn't what I wanted to talk about." Jeff
nervously thumbed the back of a kitchen chair. His panic fighting for
control.
"Then why did you ask?" Nabiki asked, eyes wide as she continued to
crunch her way through her bowl of flakes. It was then Jeff noticed the
mini-marshmallows floating in the bowl. As he thought of the strange
combination, it almost made *him* sick.
"It's about your... ah... problems in the morning," Jeff struggled
to correctly identify and address his wife's daily ritual.
"It's just a bug I got back in Japan," Nabiki stopped chewing and
gave her husband a hard look. "Nothing else."
"Have you talked to anyone about this?"
"I mentioned it to Doctor Tofu before we left," she squirmed
slightly in her seat as she used her spoon to pick at the bobbing lumps
of sugar in her bowl.
"And..."
"You know Japanese doctors. They never tell you everything they
know." She looked at her husband with clear irritation. "Why?"
"Well, I've had a talk with Tofu myself..." his voice trailed off.
This was not going the way he had hoped it would. His panic started to
gain the upper hand. He began to sweat.
Nabiki already knew where he was going and quickly moved to cut him
off.
"I am NOT pregnant!" She slammed her spoon down into the bowl
creating a tiny orange tsunami that left frosted flakes and marshmallows
all over the table.
"How do you know?" Jeff was partially relieved that the issue was
finally out in the open.
"I'm a woman. We *know* these things."
Jeff just threw up his hands and started to leave. Two steps were
all he took before turning back around. They had had this argument
before and he had always abandoned the field before its resolution. He
had always proved his cowardice in the face of his wife. This time it
would be different. This time he was going to finish what he started.
"Nabiki, that's ridiculous."
"Yeah? Have *you* ever been pregnant?" She shot back smugly.
"No. Have you?"
Nabiki's mouth opened and quickly closed without answering. Glaring
at her husband she debated the many violent responses at her disposal.
Jeff sensed his advantage and quickly moved the discussion to closure.
"Nabiki, without checking, how would you know for sure?"
"I'm *not* going to a doctor." she flatly refused. <*That's* how all
this got started.> she bitterly thought to herself.
"You don't have to," Jeff replied with a flap of his arms. "You can
buy a testing kit at the store and find out here 'in the privacy of your
own home'."
Nabiki shot Jeff a disgusted look.
"What? They have those in Japan. I've seen them." Jeff returned
her disgusted look. "I'm surprised you didn't know that."
"Maybe because *I* never needed to use one."
They glared at each other for several seconds. Jeff was holding his
own. Not since the first wedding had he felt enough confidence to
openly confront Nabiki. He liked the feeling.
"Look, let's end this debate. I'll just run down to the drug store
and buy you a kit. You can check for yourself. If you're not pregnant,
we can try something else. OK?"
For a few seconds Nabiki crushed cereal flakes on the table with her
spoon.
"Oh, all right," she finally snarled. "If it'll get you to stop
pestering me about... you know." She dismissed Jeff with a wave of her
hand.
Relieved that violence had been avoided, and still reeling from the
sight of Nabiki's 'breakfast', Jeff quickly departed for the nearest
drug store.
Just after Jeff's departure, Nabiki pushed back from the table and
stared down at her belly button.
"You *better not* be in there," she growled. <Good grief! What am I
doing?!?>
Outside of a few snide remarks and a knowing wink from the teenaged
clerk, the trip was uneventful and Jeff returned quickly with a standard
home pregnancy testing kit.
Nabiki, now dressed in a loose yukata, snatched the kit from Jeff's
hand and stared at the instructions. For several minutes, she struggled
with the English words until Jeff couldn't take watching her any more.
He gently eased the box out of her limp fingers and started to translate
the instructions. Needless to say, both were embarrassed by the
explicitness of it all.
"I could have figured it out myself," Nabiki pouted. "My English
isn't *that* bad."
"Well, Nabs, my dear, your English certainly got us this far." Jeff
fought back a tiny smile. Good thing too. Considering Nabiki's current
disposition, a smile could have been fatal. Humor was no longer a
defense against Nabiki's wrath.
Snatching back the box, Nabiki disappeared into the bathroom. She
knew enough of the instructions to complete the disgusting test. At
first, she toyed with the idea of just dipping the device in plain water
to prove she wasn't pregnant to her husband. That idea quickly gave way
to her own secret desire to know the truth. All she had been going
through the last two months was certainly more than a 'virus'.
Jeff settled back in his chair and did a little channel surfing with
the TV remote. Nothing really caught his attention as his mind kept
wandering to how their lives would change if Nabiki really was pregnant.
He wasn't ready to become a father just yet and felt certain Nabiki
wasn't prepared to assume the responsibilities of motherhood. Of the
three Tendo sisters, only Kasumi seemed to him the type that would
eventually have children. He mused how she would probably make a good
mother, too. Nabiki, on the other hand... He shuddered at the thought.
<My God!> he thought with despair. <We're still kids ourselves.
We're not ready for this!>
Further thoughts were derailed by the tiny sound Nabiki made in the
hallway. Jeff turned and was immediately sobered by what he saw.
Nabiki, glassy-eyed, slumped wearily against the wall, her trembling
hand holding the test kit.
"I'm... I'm... pregnant," she sounded like a ghost and looked almost
as pale. She also looked like she was about to cry again.
"Nabs, that's wonderful!" Jeff leapt to his feet and quickly
scampered over to take his wife in his arms. She didn't resist as he
gently folded her into an embrace. Instead, she buried her face in his
chest and began sobbing.
"I don't want to be pregnant," she moaned, her body shuddering.
"I've got things to do - a life to live. Jeffery, I DON'T WANT TO BE
PREGNANT!" The last pronouncement was punctuated by her fist striking
his chest hard enough to make him wince.
"Now dear," Jeff tried to reason. "You once told me every child is
a gift."
She wasn't buying it. "Why me? Why now? I finally get everything
I want. I finally get a chance to do the things I've always wanted; to
live the life I've always dreamed of..." She sobbed again. "Now THIS
has to happen! Jeffery, I DON'T WANT TO BE PREGNANT!"
Their eyes met as she looked up at him and Jeff could clearly see
the fear and, even, panic in her. He gulped hard, closed his eyes and
dreaded what he was about to propose.
"Nabiki, if you feel that strongly..." he bit his tongue trying to
keep from suggesting what he was about to suggest. He hated himself for
even thinking such a thing but the happiness and well being of his wife
came first. His voice lost all its emotion. "There... there are things
that can be done... about being pregnant, I mean." he practically
whispered the last. He never felt so rotten as that moment holding his
unwillingly pregnant wife.
Nabiki's head snapped up, stunned by his suggestion. She knew
exactly what he meant. For several seconds, she stared at her husband
in shock. While it was true that abortion was the second most used
contraceptive method in Japan, it was also the most feared procedure to
a Japanese woman. Most believed that it condemned the soul of the baby
to wander the earth for all eternity searching for its mother; alone and
unloved. It was the kind of thing that had driven other women mad with
remorse. Abruptly, Nabiki's demeanor changed. Her hands flew to her
husband's throat.
"You'd have me KILL MY BABY!" she screamed as she slammed Jeff's
head against the wall hard enough to cause him to see stars. Her
maternal instincts kicked in and she was now defending the life she
carried. No one, could fight for their child like a Tendo. Nabiki
struck her husband with repeated blows of fear and frustration, her eyes
screwed tightly shut, tears flowing freely. It was all his fault. HE
got her pregnant. HE brought all this upon her.
"I thought you... I mean..." Jeff was stumbling for words and trying
to clear his aching head. To protect himself from further injury, he
held his wife in a tight enough embrace to keep her from continuing her
physical assault. His superior strength and conditioning quickly gained
control. Her struggles became weaker and weaker.
Her hands went from fists for striking to clutching embrace as
rationality slowly seeped back into her. As they clung to each other,
their bodies slowly slid to the floor where Jeff came to rest sitting
with his back to the wall and Nabiki curled up in his lap, still crying
over the shock and injustice of it all. Every now and then, she would
sob: "I don't want to be pregnant." and slap her fist against her
husband's chest.
Jeff continued to hold his wife and tried to reason with her. "You
can still go to school, handle your investments, run your businesses.
Having a child shouldn't stop you."
Nabiki slowly turned her tear-stained eyes towards her husband.
"But I don't *want* to be a mother. I don't know *how* to be a
mother." she whimpered. "Jeffery, I *can't* do this."
Jeff stroked his wife's hair lightly and softly suggested: "WE can
do this, Nabiki."
Wrong answer.
"Oh, that's easy for *you* to say," she moaned sadly. "*You* don't
have to carry it for nine months. *You* don't have to go through all
the discomfort. *You* don't have to give birth."
"I'll be there with you, Nabs," he tried to reassure her. Another
wrong answer.
"I *don't* need... anyone," she growled, her anger beginning to rise
again. "I survived my mother's death. I survived ten years of
supporting my family. I survived the Saotome's and all the damage they
caused." She practically spit out the last. "And I did it all without
*anyone's* help." She shot Jeff a look of defiance and repeated her
first claim: "I don't need anyone's help".
"Not even mine?"
Nabiki hesitated. It suddenly occurred to her she was far from her
home and family. Jeffery was all she had. Her response was to silently
grip her husband tighter.
Jeff sighed. "Nabiki, we're getting a little ahead of ourselves
here. We need to get you to a real doctor who can do a real pregnancy
test on you and we can find out if you really are pregnant. I mean,
those test kits *are* sometimes wrong."
Nabiki only weakly nodded her agreement. Both knew the truth. The
kits were rarely wrong in the affirmative. Nabiki really was pregnant.
The rest of the weekend went by slowly, Nabiki spending most of her
time in the bedroom, laying down and watching TV. Her English was
improving but that was about all that could be said.
Jeff used his contacts from the country club, namely Doctor Stanley
Wiseman, head of obstetrics at the local hospital, to arrange for an
appropriate doctor for his wife. Stanley, while amused at his friend's
situation, quickly came to the conclusion that there was only one doctor
for a woman like Nabiki, Doctor Bridget Engman. Jeff liked the sound of
a woman doctor for his wife and felt certain that Nabiki would agree.
Stanley made a quick phone call and the appointment was set for first
thing Monday morning.
As first meetings go, that first appointment proved to be a
harbinger of things to come.
As Doctor Engman entered the room, Jeff got the impression he was
dealing with a no-nonsense young physician who had more experience than
her years. Jeff quickly took stock of his wife's new physician. She was
shorter than Nabiki, had long, honey-colored hair that was pulled back
in a ponytail and wore half-lens glasses balanced on the end of her
nose. Jeff proved his maturity by demonstrating his advanced case of
'foot-in-mouth' disease.
"So, you're the doctor," Jeff quipped.
"And you're the father," Doc Engman dryly observed.
"... of the baby," Jeff finished.
"I figured you weren't grandpa, kid."
"Well, I..." Jeff never got a chance to respond as Doctor Engman
quickly moved on to Nabiki.
"So, I'm told you're feeling a little pregnant," the doctor quipped
with a friendly smile as she started with the general portion of the
exam by listening to Nabiki's heart.
"Hai... yes," Nabiki struggled with her English. She didn't like
being unable to speak the local language freely. It caused her to feel
like an outsider - a gaijin - herself. "We use test at home."
"We used a home pregnancy test kit I got at the drug store," Jeff
tried to inject himself into the discussion.
"I *know* what she meant," Dr. Engman said almost tiredly, looking
over her glasses at Jeff.
That one look gave Jeff the impression that his presence was no
longer required.
"Would you rather I wait outside?" Jeff sheepishly asked.
"Perhaps it would be best if you did. Things would go easier if
your wife and I did this alone," she replied absently while returning to
the examination.
"Fine...," Jeff almost mumbled. He wanted to stay but felt his
presence was unwanted. "I'll just... out there."
"Yes, do," Doctor was beginning to sound irritated.
"Yeah, that's a... good... " He was rambling now, fiddling with the
door knob. Like a child who didn't want to go to bed, Jeff was stalling
- putting off the inevitable.
Nabiki finally had enough. Leaning around the doctor she insisted:
"Jeffery. GO!"
Feeling suitably dismissed, Jeff retreated to the waiting room. He
tried to distract himself with six month old women's magazines. Not the
best of ideas. Half the stories were about how to keep your figure
after having a baby. The rest were how rotten it is to be pregnant and
how the father is an idiot because he didn't have a clue how rotten it
really is. All of which, made him more nervous than he already was.
Thirty minutes later, Nabiki emerged from the examination room with
Dr. Engman, a resigned look on her face. Whatever happened, Nabiki was
not much happier than when she arrived.
"You okay, Nabs?" he anxiously asked.
"Hai," she softly cooed. "I'm really pregnant." She still sounded
sad at the revelation.
Jeff scowled in his confusion. This was supposed to resolve the
issue. Instead, she seemed no better off than before.
Dr. Engman, however, wore the expression of a person completely in
control of the situation. Perhaps it was because she had seen hundreds
of such cases; all scared, nervous, and unsure of what to expect from
their first pregnancy. She specialized in the difficult cases; the
young, the scared, those with language barriers. Nabiki fit all three.
"So, we can go home now?" he asked with an unsure cock of his head.
Dr. Engman smiled to herself and suggested that Nabiki go an talk to
her nurse about managing her diet during the pregnancy. She wanted a
few minutes alone with the father.
Once inside the doctor's office, Dr. Engman made her case.
"Look, Mr. Lawrence," she started. "I believe there are a few
things we need to talk about." She leaned back against her cluttered
desk and crossed her arms. "You're young, you're recently married, and
now you're about to become a father. I'm concerned as to just how ready
you are for this?"
She leveled her most serious look at Jeffery. She was used to
dealing with reluctant fathers - when her patients came with fathers.
This probe was just to determine if Jeff fit such a title.
"I'm not really sure," he sheepishly replied, rubbing the back of
his head. "It's all so.. sudden."
Dr. Engman chuckled softly to herself. <Bingo!> she thought. She'd
heard it all before. Young couple, about to become parents for the
first time, totally unprepared for what they were going to experience.
"I can pay for whatever..." Jeff began. Bad move. Dr. Engman was
totally unimpressed with Jeff's wealth.
"You think money is the solution to everything?" she asked in a
shocked voice.
"No... I just mean..." Jeff failed to put into words his objections.
In 'normal' society he was always struggling with having to explain his
wealth. He hated it. It wasn't fair. Money or not, he was still the
same person. It was one of those things they forgot to warn him about.
"Your friend Dr. Wiseman has told me all about you. Your life, your
marriage, and your sudden wealth. So, we can dispense with the crap,
kid." She sounded a little peeved and looked even more so. She was too
used to working with the poor and underprivileged. Faced with two young
people with all the advantages, she too was struggling with a bit of
adjustment. "Your basic problem is no different than anyone else's."
She locked Jeff with a stern look. "You have a scared first time mother
out there. What she needs is no different from any other pregnant
woman; love, support, and understanding. THAT is your principal job for
the next seven months. Do you understand?"
That admonishment stung Jeff like a slap. He felt his tenuousness
being quickly replaced by his own irritation.
"I've been loving, supporting, and understanding her for the last
two months... longer if you count the courtship," Jeff replied with a
hurt but defiant look. "I have bent so many directions supporting and
understanding her, people have begun to question my backbone. YOU are
the last person who needs to lecture me on those issues." He glared at
the doctor for a few seconds before adding: "I only mentioned the money
because I want what's best for Nabiki - whatever it costs."
A pregnant pause gave Dr. Engman time to reassess the young Mr.
Lawrence. He was certainly not what she expected. He was kind, easy
going, and loved his wife but, most importantly, didn't seem to have let
his money go to his head. Dr. Engman's tone softened.
"You've known about her pregnancy for two months?"
"Almost," he walked over to the window and looked out. "Let's just
say, *I* believed she was pregnant. I couldn't prove it, of course, but
her family doctor back in Japan agreed with me. Until today, I've not
been able to convince *her*."
"Well, well," she replied under her breath, almost genuinely
impressed. It was beginning to look like she was dealing with an
unusual couple. "Has she always been so stubborn?"
"You don't know the half of it, doc. She's a Tendo. I think they
invented stubbornness. At least they have the Far East patents."
Gently, Dr. Engman placed her hand on Jeff's shoulder. She now
understood what Jeff had been through the last two months and was
visibly impressed with the fact he refused to give up on his wife. "You
really do love her, don't you?"
Jeff only nodded. <How many times do I have prove that?> he asked
himself. If he only knew...
The ride home was considerably quieter, the silence broken only by
the occasional small talk.
"I suppose we better let the rest of the family know," Jeff
commented offhandedly.
"Hai," Nabiki replied softly. She still didn't like the idea of
being pregnant; of bringing another life into this world. It would cut
into her personal freedom. Second to owing people, the loss of her
personal freedom was high on her list of things she disliked.
At home, Nabiki paid a quick visit to the bathroom. Jeff decided to
take advantage of the situation and phone his mother of the news. It
was almost 5 AM Tokyo time so it came as no surprise that his mother
sleepily answered the phone.
"Mom, it's me, Jeff." Jeff's opening was less than original.
"Oh, Jeffery. Is there a problem?" she sleepily replied.
"Mom, Nabiki's pregnant."
"That's wonderful, Jeffery. I'm sure she's thrilled." Sounding
suddenly wide awake.
"Mom, we're talking about Nabiki here."
"Jeffery, I'm sure she's taking it well."
"Mom, we're talking about Nabiki here."
"Well, I'm sure she'll make the adjustments."
"Mom, we're talking about..."
"Jeffery, dear, If you say that one more time, I'm going to strangle
you through this phone line." She sounded peeved.
"Yes, mom."
"I get the feeling you want me to come for a short visit to help
Nabiki over the first hurdles."
"Like you wouldn't believe, mom."
"No problem. I'll be on the first plane out this morning, Jeffery.
Don't worry, she'll be fine."
"Mom, we're talking..."
"Jeffery, dear, shut up." she interrupted, sounding really
irritated. "I'll call you from the airport when I arrive."
"Yes, mom. Sorry mom. Bye mom."
Nabiki came into the room just as Jeff was hanging up the phone.
She looked strangely content. That, alone, was enough to unnerve Jeff
but she was also smiling. That, gave him the willies.
"You all right?" he asked hesitantly.
Her answer was to wrap her arms around his neck and pull him into a
passionate kiss, practically grinding her body against his. While his
mind raced to figure out what was going on, his body took over and
responded to his wife's advances. Without breaking the kiss, Jeff
scooped her lithe form into his arms and began carrying her back towards
the bedroom.
"It's been a long time since we've done this," she whispered after
breaking the kiss only to resume with nuzzling the base of his neck.
"You know I *always* get what I want." What she was doing with her
tongue sent shivers up his spine.
As Jeff gently placed her on the freshly made bed, he tried to
recall an article he read in one of the magazines back at Dr. Engman's
office.
<What was the title of that article...?> He crawled onto the bed
with her as she excitedly attacked his clothes. < Oh, yes. 'Elevated
hormones in early pregnancy and how to survive them.' >
At that point, his analytical mind took a vacation.
The next day dawned as beautiful as any in Hawaii for everyone
except Jeff. As planned, Jeff retrieved his mother from the airport
when she called. While he was happy to see her, he quickly got the
feeling she was a woman on a mission.
Arriving home, Mrs. Lawrence wasted no time in dispatching her son.
She wanted some time alone with her daughter-in-law.
"Jeffery, dear," she smiled sweetly. "Do you still have those golf
clubs your father bought you?"
"Yes mom."
"Do you still use them?"
"Yes mom."
"Are you still a member of that fancy country club of yours?"
"Yes mom."
"Do you remember where it is?"
"Mom, are you trying to tell me you want me to leave?"
"I always said you were a smart boy, Jeffery."
As she watched his car disappear down the street, Mrs. Lawrence
thought: <You haven't a clue, do you?>
With Jeffery gone, Nabiki felt strangely vulnerable. She had never
had a private conversation with his mother. The idea of their first
discussion being the kind of chat a mother usually gave her pregnant
daughter unnerved her slightly.
"Has your son always been so... glib?" Nabiki shyly asked as she
poured her mother-in-law a cup of tea. Not knowing just what else to
ask, she started with her best 'small talk'.
"It's just his defense mechanism," his mother replied with a smile
as she continued to stare out the window. "When he's scared or unsure,
he tends to use humor to protect himself." She blushed a little. "You
know he's really a bit of a coward."
Nabiki blinked, a little surprised at the older woman's open honesty
about her own son. Nabiki thought back over the last year at all the
times Jeff backed down when she confronted him. She always thought it
was just because he realized she was right. The thought of a coward for
a husband disturbed her.
"Lawrence-senpai..." she began.
"Nabiki, why don't you call me 'mother'... or 'Anne'?"
Nabiki stared at Mrs. Lawrence again. It had been many years since
she had called anyone 'mother'. She wasn't sure she could ever call
anyone that again.
"Would 'Anne' be okay?" Nabiki asked softly. Nabiki didn't blush
very often. Something in Jeff's mother caused her to blush like an
embarrassed school girl.
"'Anne' will be just fine," she replied. "Now, let's talk about
you. How are you doing?"
"Fine, I guess," Nabiki stirred her tea nervously. "A little
scared maybe." Only two people on earth could have ever gotten Nabiki
to admit her fears; Kasumi Tendo and, now, Anne Lawrence.
"Still getting sick in the mornings?"
"A little."
"Eating alright?"
"I guess."
"Got a good doctor?"
"I think so."
"You'll do fine, honey," Anne said as she picked up her tea. "Now
Jeffery... That's another problem."
"Jeffery?" Nabiki was suddenly lost.
"Jeffery, sometimes, refuses to face things head on. I guess it's
all that 'Shinobi' training of his." Anne took a sip of her tea to
focus the rest of what she intended to say. "I'm afraid of just how
he's going to handle all this." She sighed audibly and looked hard at
her cup. "We didn't do a very good job raising him, I'm afraid. He's
still pretty childish."
"Jeffery has been very supportive," Nabiki insisted.
"That's good," Anne actually sounded relieved. "He's run away from
easier things than being a father, I'm afraid."
Nabiki scowled at her own cup. Anne Lawrence was painting a picture
of something other than 'marriage in paradise'. Nabiki got an
uncomfortable feeling again.
"Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't run away from you." Anne took
another sip of her tea while watching Nabiki closely for a reaction.
"Me?"
"You're a strong willed woman - and that's good. I just never
imagined my son would find enough courage to even date, much less, marry
someone like you." Anne made the whole line of conversation sound so
mundane. Like she was discussing some stranger instead of her only son.
"I love Jeffery," was Nabiki's only reply.
"And I think Jeffery loves you too. I just want you to be aware of
what he's capable of."
"I'm not worried. I can take care of myself."
"Good. Then
The rest of that afternoon was spent discussing pregnancy, being a
good American wife, and how to deal with Jeffery; all subjects Anne
Lawrence was knowledgeable about. By the end of the day, Nabiki had
gained new respect for Jeff's mother. She especially like the prospects
of having a real mother to talk to again - someone who would be brutally
honest when necessary but still offered the warmth and love only a
mother could give.
Jeff's arrival at the country club was greeted like... well, nobody
actually noticed. As it was Wednesday, Dr. Wiseman was already out on
the driving range. The rest of Jeff's usual foursome were scattered
throughout the club house. Tony Johnston, Australian entrepreneur, was
in the bar closing another deal on his cell phone. Jeff could only
guess where in the world Tony was connected to. He had business in more
countries than Jeff.
<That man's phone bill must be unbelievable.> Jeff mused as he
watched the animated Aussie make his points over the phone. Jeff was
glad he never had to do business with the guy.
Jeff found the last of his foursome down in the locker room. James
Bateman, local attorney, was trying on his new golf shoes. Spotting
Jeff, he became his usual talkative self.
"Jeffery, what do ya think?" He held up one of the shoes and
wiggled it like Exhibit A.
Jeff blinked and paused before answering, not wishing to offend his
friend. "Jim, they're yellow." Jeff dead panned.
"No no no, they're high visibility, all weather, state of the art
golfing footwear. Guaranteed to protect me from the elements while
providing me with the visibility to be seen even in the dimmest light."
He finished with a grin that looked like he just made his best case to
the jury.
"Jim, they're yellow," Jeff replied in a monotone as he crossed his
arms and leaned against a locker.
"True," he finally answered with a sheepish grin. "Ugly bastards,
aren't they?"
"Where did you get them?"
"My wife, Kei, bless her heart." Jim sighed with resignation as he
looked at his gaudy footwear. "She thought I needed some new golf
shoes."
Jim had also married a Japanese girl; an athletic little bundle of
energy that participated in and often excelled at just about every sport
she could find. She was also a sucker for every sport 'gimmick' on the
market. Sometimes inflicting her naivete on her husband. Still, it
gave him and Jeff something in common to talk about; surviving marriage
to a Japanese woman.
After rounding up his 'gang', suitable caddies, and enough liquid
refreshment to last 9 holes, the game was on. Right away, Jeff got the
impression that this was *not* going to be one of their usual rounds.
"So, your wife is pregnant," Dr. Wiseman said nonchalantly while
taking a few practice swings at the first tee. The reaction from the
others was... underwhelming.
"Pregnant? Who's pregnant?" Tony asked, interrupting his latest
phone conversation only long enough to figure out which conversation was
the most interesting. Nabiki's condition won, hands down. "I'll call
you back, Stan. Something's come up." he barked into his phone before
terminating the connection.
"Heh, I knew you had it in you kid," Jim smirked. "By the way, a
dollar a hole and no halves, right?" Like a good lawyer, he wanted to
make sure everybody understood the rules before he teed off.
Four holes and 4 lost golf balls went by before the first attempts
at advice began.
"How'd the meeting with Dr. Engman go?" Dr. Wiseman casually asked
as he and Jeff walked down the fairway.
"Ok, I guess," Jeff suddenly became very aware of the fact he was
younger, in some cases much younger, than the three people he was
playing golf with. "I'm not sure she likes me."
Stanley just laughed. "Son, I don't think Dr. Engman likes *any*
fathers." He chuckled to himself. "She treats them all like the cause
of some horrible disease - pregnancy. Good with the mothers, though."
"Just so they don't choose up sides against me," Jeff muttered.
"Don't worry, kid. Engman's a good doctor. If anybody can handle
that iron butterfly you married, it's Dr. Bridget Engman."
"It's not Nabiki I'm worried about."
"Well... You'll have to endure a few shots to your ego. But I
suspect you're big enough to take it."
"I hope you're right. I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father."
"Who ever is?"
The game progressed and Jeff soon found himself walking with
attorney James Bateman. Attorneys still made him nervous.
"So, Nabiki acting strange yet?"
"Strange?"
"You know, weird cravings, mood swings, outbursts of temper - stuff
like that." He opened his second can of beer.
"All of the above."
"Ah, good. Now comes the best part."
"Best part."
"Marital troubles."
"What?!?!?"
"Just kidding. Geez, you're so touchy." Bateman lined up a shot,
poorly, and hit the ball, equally poorly. It bounced twice and landed
in a sand trap. "Mulligan?" he called out.
"No way!"
"You're crazy."
"Dad was right," he sighed. "I should have been a doctor. More
time on the golf course."
"I heard that," yelled Dr. Wiseman from across the fairway.
"Well, it's true," James Bateman yelled back. "You spend more time
in golf lessons than I do in court." He shifted his attention to the
fourth member of their group. "Tony, dammit, put the phone down and hit
the ball."
Tony scowled across the fairway at his tormentor. All watched as
Tony Johnston carefully placed his phone on the ground, hit a perfect
shot onto the green, deftly picked up the phone and resumed his
conversation. "Lucky shot," mumbled the lawyer. "How, the hell, does
he do that?"
As the pair trudged up towards the sand, Jeff pondered his
situation. He had hoped this golf game would take his mind off his
wife's pregnancy. It had just the opposite effect; he was more
apprehensive now than ever before. He felt like a kid amongst adults
again. A quick check of his caddy confirmed his worst fears. On top of
being scared and confused, he was probably still the youngest person on
the golf course.
[ No, dammit, there's more. I just haven't written past the point where
Nabiki contemplates a wire hanger self-abortion.]