For the past couple of years James had feared this day would come. Every time she came to him he wondered if what he had been dreading would finally happen and trust that it would be in the middle of one of his important experiments that it would occur. He thought it might've been the Overseer when the door to his office slid open and hurriedly tapped a few keys on his computer that emptied the entire screen.
When he saw that it wasn't him but his darling 13 year old daughter he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Where do babies come from?" she asked then watched as her father choked on air. His face turned white then an interesting shade of red that she had never seen before. Emily sat down as she waited for her father to stop sputtering. Amata had done the exact same thing when she'd asked but instead of answering Amata sent her to her dad and quietly whispered to report back when she found out.
So there she was swinging her jumpsuit clad legs as she wondered how hard it could possibly be to describe how babies are made.
"Ah, well," he started. "Heh. You'd think being a doctor would make this easier." he muttered. "Well, boys and girls are different, right? And, ah, they have different parts; down here," he pointed to his chest then his lower body. 'And here."
"Why?" His eye twitched.
"Well, because if they weren't then the human race would die off and we wouldn't exist."
"Why?"
"B-Because! Uh, well, girls and boys have different parts right?" Emily stared at him and not for the first time wondered if her father was an idiot. "Well, the different parts do different things and when two people are in love they- Jonas!" Jame's assistant stopped in his tracks just as he entered the office. He adjusted the glasses on his nose and shifted the clip board he held from one hand to the other as he noticed the red flush on the doctor's face.
He knew he might regret it but Jonas asked, "Yes, Professor?"
"Emily has something she wants to ask you. Go ahead honey." Emily shrugged and turned curious golden eyes to the dark skinned young man she had known for most of her life.
"Sure. What is it sport?"
"Where do babies come from?"
The clip board fell from his hands and a dead silence encompassed the room as the two men exchanged glances; Jonas' filled with disbelief that his mentor was actually going to make him do this and James' with dire warning should he fail. Sadly it wasn't the first time Jonas was made to do something unpleasant for James and he was sure that it wouldn't be the last. But this is ridiculous.
His own talk with his father had been extremely mortifying and happened when he least expected it. Over a bowl of Sugar Bombs he was told just where it went, why and what resulted from it. Jonas still had nightmares about it. So how could he explain sex without scarring the poor kid? I know! He held up a finger then turned heel and sprinted out of the office.
James leapt from his seat and bolted after him. "Jonas! Get back here and talk to my daughter about sex!"
Alphonse, who had been strolling along the Vault corridors, gaped as the two men flew by.
"No running in the halls!" he bellowed and gave chase.
Meanwhile, Mr. Edwin Brotch was busily grading papers with the radio playing, enjoying another ordinary day in Vault 101. His students were growing nicely and their papers showed it. Well, he thought, most of them anyway. Butch still had a long way to go as did Paul Hannon Jr. Christine had some potential he mused as he gave her a passing grade. Amata was doing great but that wasn't surprising considering who her father was… It was Emily that surprised him most of all.
She made decent grades which was astonishing because she was rarely conscious. He assumed that she did private studying; her father was a doctor after all. Edwin marked her a B grade and put her paper to the side with the others. He decided to take a break and was in the process of wondering exactly what he should do when the sound of running and shouts met his ears.
He lowered the radio and neared the door. It slid open but not by his command and he was bulldozed over by a sweating Jonas, irate James and hoarse voiced Overseer. Edwin lay in a twitching heap as the three men drowned out the music playing with all of their confusion.
"Where is Mr. Brotch?" He heard Jonas yell.
"Get back to the infirmary Jonas before I-"
"I cannot believe how you two are acting! If I had my citation book with me-!"
"Quiet!"
All three turned their heads towards Brotch as he heaved himself to his feet. A bruise marred his left cheek and his jumpsuit was covered in footprints. The dark skinned man shot daggers out of his brown eyes and the other men literally recoiled at the viciousness in them. Alphonse suddenly remembered why he had chosen Edwin Brotch as the Vault's teacher and it wasn't just for his impressive knowledge; the man could practically spit venom.
"Now," Brotch spoke calmly. "What's going on?" When they all jumped in at once, James reaching for his assistant's jumpsuit collar and Jonas sending pleading looks he gave them all the stink eye. "Jonas, explain."
Jonas pulled himself free from the doctor's grasp and said, "There's something that I need your help with. That is we need your help."
"I hardly think we need to drag him into this," James frowned.
"He can relate to her better. We're a mess!"
"Just what did your daughter do this time, James?" Alphonse scowled. "Fall asleep in a mop bucket?"
"That was one time, Alphonse. One."
Brotch had had enough. "Hold it! Just what do you need my help with?" Really, it's like working with children.
Before James could clamp a hand over his mouth Jonas blurted, "Emily wants to know where babies come from."
Nobody moved. A smirk spread across the Overseer's face.
"Well, well, well. Seems the little tyke is growing up after all."
Mr. Brotch could literally feel the blood leaving his face. "No. Absolutely not. You're a doctor for Christ's sake. How hard is it to give your kid the sex talk?" `
"You don't understand," James replied wearily. "For the first time I've realized that she's growing up. All of the birthdays she's had are nothing compared to the changes she's going through. Babies are the first step. Next it's going to be boys and then she'll be grown up with a family of her own. She won't need her father then."
Alphonse's eyes slid to the floor as he wondered about his own daughter and Jonas choked back tears. Mr. Brotch just folded his arms. "Nice speech," he said dryly. "But I'm still not going to-"
"GRAB HIM!" As one, James and Jonas leapt forward and each took an arm. In the blink of an eye they left behind a bewildered Overseer as they took the teacher to the infirmary, Brotch's heels digging in the metal floor as they went. Once they made it to James' office they threw him onto the office floor and locked the door.
"Now, tell Emily-"
"Where is she?"
"Here!" James lifted a folded note from the examination table Emily had been sitting on and read it. When he was done he sighed, handed the note to Jonas and sat in his chair. Mr. Brotch hovered behind Jonas as he read the familiar hurried handwriting of his student.
NEVERMIND.
Both men groaned as James clattered away at his computer. A victorious smile on his lips.
On the other side of Vault 101, Emily stuffed another portion of processed eggs into her mouth with Amata sitting opposite her.
The brunette leaned her elbows on the table and excitedly asked, "So did you dad tell you were babies come from?"
Emily stopped chewing long enough to spit out, "No. Ask yours." Amata just nodded.
