Indy figured that a guy dressed like he was stood far less chance of being noticed if he went down the service stairs and left by way of the kitchen. So that's what he did, with a polite hat-tip to the cooks on his way out. His long-legged stride soon took him away from the central city and down to a narrow back street where no four-star hotels were to be seen.

With a quick glance over his shoulder, Indy slipped into a dusty cantina. He ordered a double whiskey with a beer chaser at the bar. Then he found a corner table where he could sit with his back to the wall and his eyes on the door.

A sloe-eyed girl, wearing a white blouse pulled low on her brown shoulders, lingered nearby. She wondered if the senor would like company.

"I'm waiting for someone, thank you," the senor answered courteously. The girl hesitated, saw that he meant it, and wandered off in search of better prospects.

A shadow fell across the table as Indy sipped his drink, and a familiar voice said "Hello, Joe, whaddaya know?" He smiled.

"I was starting to think I'd shaken you off, Junior," Indy said to his son.

Mutt sat down opposite his father and accepted the beer gratefully.

"Not a chance, Daddy-O. I've been right behind you two most of the morning-couldn't you tell by the gagging noises?"

Indy cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm serious. You got any idea how many times an hour you call her 'sweetheart', or 'honey'? And it's 'baby' if it's not those."

"So? The best thing that ever happened to me is back in my life. Not a federal offense if I'm happy, kid. I'd get used to it if I were you."

Indy turned his half-full glass in one hand, and spoke thoughtfully as the amber liquid swirled.

"Y'know, Mac's excuse for what he did, was that he was tired of comin' home empty-handed. And" -his smile held a hint of self-mockery-"I will say you sure as hell don't hit pay dirt on every one of these little ventures."

"Is that right?" Mutt responded dryly. "I never woulda guessed…"

"But," Indy added, "sometimes you do. Me, I've done pretty well for a guy who started with nothin'. Made something of a name for myself, got tenure, a big house, and, yeah, some dinero as well. But when I closed that door behind me-and Marion wasn't there- I knew I'd come home empty-handed all the same."

He glanced down at his gold wedding band. "Didn't realize how rich I was, back when all I had to my name was a shiny new diploma, and a secondhand tent where the sweetest little baby that ever was waited for me."

"And speaking of which..." Indy put down his drink, looked Mutt in the eye, and faced his own moment of truth. "I got some news this morning. I think your mother and I have something to tell you…"

Mutt's face split in a grin. "Sheee-it! So it's true, then?"

Indy felt a stab of jealousy and frowned. "You knew?"

Mutt held up a placating hand. "Hey, hey, Pops,-take it easy. Mom didn't say anything to me but everybody on the dig was worried. She tried to act like nothing was happenin', but she couldn't always hide the tiredness and the morning sickness."

He swallowed. "I just didn't think she could be pregnant, y'know? I was afraid she was sick, maybe even dying, and just not telling anybody…."

Indy reached over and squeezed his son's shoulder, briefly. "If it's any consolation, she woke me up this morning-being sick-and I thought the same thing. Scared the hell out of me."

"Anyway, I didn't know what to do, so I went to the Ox. Ox is always straight with me and he told me what he thought was goin' on. But he said I had to keep my trap shut, because you should be the first person she told."

"And she told me today." Indy blew out his breath. "Not the birthday present a guy my age expects, I'm tellin' you. But–it's good."

"Is it?"

"Yes, it is. You remember, Ox said that some 'mutual friends' of ours wanted to give us a gift last fall? Maybe this second chance is it."

"It's possible, I guess. I mean, enough weird-ass shit seems to happen to you on a regular basis anyway.

What's one more thing?"

Mutt's voice softened. "How is she?"

Happy-but she's not quite ready to say so. A little scared, but she'll never admit it. And, this wasn't in her plans so she, um..."

"Might possibly be a little pissed at the guy who knocked her up?" Mutt added. The two men exchanged a wry look.

"Well, yeah" said Indy, "But there's a good chance she still loves him. And I know she loves that baby already. So we'll work it out, since we've got a new little Jones coming."

"I hope so." Mutt set his jaw then, and fixed his father with a glare that would have done credit to his Grandfather Abner. "But since there's a new little Ravenwood coming, I'm gonna say one thing, and the hell with whether you like it or not. Ox better be right. You better treat this as a gift-and that means no more 'human wreckage', man. I know some guys 'step out' when their wives are pregnant-but you best not be one of 'em. Because if you cheat- and yes, I saw that girl-listen up. Mom has a nice house in Chicago, and lots of friends there…"

"The Marion Ravenwood Fan Club," Indy muttered sourly, "don't I know it."

"And she's got a business that brings in plenty enough. Maybe I didn't like prep school, but I was never the 'scholarship boy'. Cash on the barrelhead, all the way. You chase tail on the side-your loss, amigo. Me and my Mom and my little brother or sister can do just fine without you-and don't you forget it."

Indy inhaled sharply and clenched a fist. He returned Mutt's glare with a stern look that could have come from Henry Jones, Sr. himself. "This is intolerable,' he growled. "In the first place, your Spanish should be good enough to understand that I sent the girl on her way. In the second place, I'm well aware that Marion can do just fine without me- or any other man for that matter. But I don't want to do without her. A man who's got steak doesn't go lookin' for hamburger, capsice?"

"In the third place" Indy finished, "the only reason I haven't broken your nose for talking to me like that is I don't want to upset my pregnant wife."

Unexpectedly, his anger ebbed, and Indy leaned back in his chair to look at the young man sitting across from him-leather jacket, big hands, chest and shoulders starting to fill out. And the spark in his eyes that made him a Jones…

"You know," he said at last "I may not be as young as I used to be, but I'm still not the man most guys your age would choose to challenge. "But maybe" he finished quietly, "I should be proud that my son's got the cojones to stand up to me when he thinks it's necessary."

"My mama didn't raise a wuss-boy."

"No. She raised a man. Now, Marion and I have dinner reservations at 7:30. If you've got a sport coat you could join us. I know she'd be happy to see you and 'officially' tell you her news."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Mutt answered hastily. "This may come as a shock to you, but my idea of a good time is not sitting on my ass in a monkey suit. Your wedding was plenty. Besides, watching you two make goo-goo eyes at each other is enough to make any guy lose his appetite. I'll just keep your hotel kitchen convinced that I'm their new dishwasher, and try to stay handy in case of trouble."

"All right. If I haven't said it, I really appreciate this, Mutt. I've been able to relax a little and enjoy my time with Marion because I knew you had my back."

"Hey, it's not a tie or a bottle of aftershave, but happy birthday anyway-Dad."

Indy smiled. "Thanks." He didn't hear 'Dad' often from this member of the family, and had learned to value the times when he did. "I better be getting back. I know we have some kind of security, but I don't want to trust your mother to whoever it is for too long. See you tomorrow at the train station?"

"You bet. Remember, as far as Mom's gonna know-I just got there."

Indy and Mutt clasped arms. Mutt finished his beer and waited while his father walked out the door and was swallowed up by the street outside.

Back at the hotel, Marion woke up to find herself alone. Her back was cold and she didn't hear water running or the sound of anyone moving about. She saw the scrap of paper on the coffee table and her heart sank. I should have known... she thought wearily. Then the leaden exhaustion of early pregnancy pulled her back to sleep. I'll deal with it later….

She wasn't sure how much 'later' it was when the key rattled, and a man's heavy footfall crossed the living room. Only two pairs of big feet could make that much thud-and one of them should still be back with Ox.

Marion sat up and rubbed her eyes as Indy-scrubbed, shaved, combed, and resplendent in his dinner jacket-sat down beside her.

"Brought you something, Short Stuff-both of you"

He produced a white florist's box from behind his back and handed it to her with a grin and a flourish. Inside was an exquisite wrist corsage – a perfect white orchid tied with blue satin ribbons. Nestled close to the orchid was a tiny pink rosebud.

Indy ducked his head, almost shyly, and said "That restaurant on the roof is a pretty swanky place, so I wanted you to have this-and, well, I thought her daddy should be the first man to bring our daughter flowers."

Marion touched the velvety petals with a gentle finger. "They're beautiful, Indy." She managed a chuckle. "I must say, watching you fall for a new female has its' entertaining moments."

"Do you mind?"

"Not so long as she's the one I'm carrying."

Indy, expecting a kiss, tipped up her chin with a finger and paused. "Hey, what the hell is this – you've been crying!"

"I never cry. Especially not twice in one day."

"Of course you don't. Especially not when you're pregnant."

"Well, all right," she said crossly. "So I woke up and you were gone and you left a note and it was just a little much, OK? Happy now?"

"No." Doesn't say much for a man when his son assumes that he'll cheat, and his wife thinks he's bound to leave her. "I don't suppose" Indy said carefully, "that you actually read the note?"

He picked it up and handed it to her. "Here."

Marion unfolded the paper and blinked as she deciphered his familiar scrawl.

Stay in the hotel, gestate, and get some rest for once. Back for dinner. Indy.

"Back for dinner?" she finally asked, with a soft half-smile.

"Back, period" he affirmed. "Gotta trust me sometime, sweetheart."

"It's hard."

"I know. But," he added gently, " there's no place I'd rather be than here with my baby- and this little one too. Now I think we're going out for dinner, Mrs. Jones, so I'll wait while you get ready. Did I guess right on the color?"

"Yes, you did. I brought the blue dress you got me in Paris- if you remember it?"

He did, quite well. It was midnight blue, scoop-necked, and nicely fitted in places he definitely approved of. A full skirt flared from the waist to swish and flounce around Marion's knees. She'd twirled in front of the mirror like a little girl when she'd tried it on for him. She should have had someone buying her pretty things all her life. On the other hand, if he'd counted right, some pretty lingerie and a bottle of Lafite-Rothschild could take some credit for this baby... Well, that and the romance of the City of Lovers..

"Well, Dr. Jones, I'll go change and freshen up."

Indy went for his book-he may not have been a husband for very long but he'd learned how long 'freshening up 'was likely to take.

He was a chapter or so in when Marion came toward him, held up her hair, and presented her back.

"Jones?" she said "My zipper?"

Indy performed his husbandly chore and found that he had to tug hard to close the zipper at the bodice. "Sorry, I don't know why it's sticking."

"Oh, it's one of the many joys of pregnancy. Your belly isn't the only thing that gets bigger."

"Really? Can't say that I'll mind that."

He turned his Marion around to admire her and paused, smiling.

"You look so beautiful."

She actually blushed. "Indy…"

"I mean it. You just glow. I can't decide if I want to take you to the restaurant and show you off or stay in and have you to myself."

Marion patted her stomach. "This is getting a little tight. Most of my clothes are, really. Think this trip is my waistline's last hurrah, pal. And we're already dressed up…"

"Then the restaurant it is." Indy stepped back, grinning, and offered Marion his arm.

"Ladies?"