Over the Edge
Chapter One
Jaime stood in front of the full-length mirror and sighed wistfully. "What's wrong?" Steve asked, raising a questioning eyebrow from the bed.
Jaime slipped a new sapphire-colored batik tunic over her head and smoothed it down in front – or tried to. "It's a good thing tunics are in," she muttered grumpily, "or I'd look like a whale!"
Steve rose from the bed and embraced her from behind with both arms, his hands over her belly. "Sweetheart, you're pregnant."
"I kinda figured that out," she answered, chuckling just a bit, "but do I always have to look it?"
"You like being pregnant – remember? And you look absolutely beautiful."
Jenna, hearing that her parents were awake, got up and joined them. "Baby!" she crowed, pressing her cheek to Jaime's stomach. The baby-to-be took the opportunity to give its mother a swift, sharp kick in her ribs. Jenna's eyes grew wide. "Babeee!"
Steve placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "C'mon, Bug; let's go make Mommy some breakfast."
As father and daughter headed to the kitchen, Jaime stared back into the mirror and smiled.
- - - - - -
"Do I smell French Toast?" Jaime marveled.
"And our daughter helped," Steve told her. "Jenna beat the eggs for me."
Jaime laughed as she looked at the kitchen counter. "I see that!"
"Oh, I'll clean that up." Steve pulled out a chair for her. "Have a seat. French Toast ala Austin and sausage coming right up!"
"You, know," Jaime said, taking her first bite, "this is delicious! Thank you. And you too, Jenna."
"YUM!" Jenna agreed.
They were almost finished when the phone rang. Jaime was closer. "Hello? Leslie?" It was Oscar's secretary. "What's wrong?" Steve wished for a bionic ear to eavesdrop, but would have to wait – for now. "He didn't call? Oh? What did Lynda say?" She listened briefly, frowning with obvious worry. "I'll be there in an hour. Call if you hear anything. Thanks."
"Jaime...?" Steve began.
"Oscar hasn't been in his office this morning. I know it's barely 9, but -"
"But he's usually there by 7:00," Steve finished.
"He hasn't called Leslie, and there's nothing on his date planner."
"Maybe he took the day off?" Steve suggested.
"Oscar?"
"Good point. What were you saying about Lynda?"
"He had an appointment with Rudy this morning, to check out his legs, and he didn't show up. He did call, though – told Lynda his 'robot parts' were just fine and he didn't think he needed to come in."
"Ah ha," Steve said, nodding. He and Jaime both felt that Oscar had never truly dealt with the loss of his flesh and blood legs or the reality of his new bionic ones. He'd had them for just about two years, but refused to discuss them with anyone – not even Rudy. He would come in for physicals as required but when asked how he was doing had always answered with a terse, sharp "I'm fine". Both Austins had been waiting for this day to come. They'd both been through it and knew the adjustment was not an easy one.
"I'll go," Jaime volunteered.
"Nothing doing. You need your rest. I'll go."
"Steve, I'm not due for almost a month, and I could really get into feeling useful right about now," Jaime complaining. She gave him her best puppy-dog eyes and let her lower lip quiver ever-so-slightly.
"Yeah, we know where Jenna got that from," he muttered, grinning at Jaime. "I'll stay with Jenna."
Jaime kissed him, leaning sideways over her own belly. "Thank you."
- - - - - -
Oscar stared mournfully at his legs, then off into the waters of the Potomac. Why had he ever agreed to this? He felt like nothing more than Rudy's guinea pig, a fascination to be studied and tested and hopefully never dissected by the enemy. The regeneration compound might've been enough to repair his 'human' legs, if only he'd had the patience to wait. Why didn't he -
"Whatcha doin'?" Jaime's cheerful voice startled him and he gazed at the ground in despair. "Shouldn't you be three or four cups of coffee into your morning by now?"
"I thought I'd just relax today," he mumbled, unable to look at her.
"Not buyin' it, Mr. Goldman. You haven't had a day off since Pearl Harbor." Jaime sat down beside him on the bench and gently grasped his chin in her hand, turning him to face her. She smiled reassuringly. "Talk to me?"
"I'm fine. Really."
"You'd tell a fib like that to someone with a belly like this?" Jaime hated playing the pregnancy card in general, but this time it was her only option...and it worked.
"Babe," Oscar sighed, staring back out at the river, "I think it's time I retired."
- - - - - -