Assignment

I thought of something very interesting to do now that's going to involve that doll.


Maddie was half asleep with her head on the desk. She had been up half the night with Tyler, studying for a test they had earlier that day and also fooling around. They were amazed that they had managed to keep it all quiet for the last few weeks and only Reid knew. She was glad this was the last period and then there was swim practice before she could go home and relax. She didn't look up when the door to the classroom opened, figuring it was just a messenger or something.

"Ah, Mr. Garwin…" Her head shot up and sure enough, standing at the front of the room was Reid. "I was told you would be joining us."

"Yeah, that's me, the joiner." Reid said. Maddie looked at Kali who shrugged. Obviously only the teacher knew that Reid was joining the class.

"Well why don't you sit with Miss Danvers then." The teacher said. Reid grinned and walked over.

"Failing?" Maddie asked.

"Oh yeah." Reid said.

"Desperate?" Maddie asked.

"If I don't pass this class, I don't graduate." Reid said.

"Ooh." Maddie said.

"Now class, I supposed you're all wondering why you are sitting with someone of the opposite gender rather then where you usually sit." The teacher said. Reid and Maddie raised eyebrows. They sat right in front of the teacher's desk and Maddie had wondered about the dozen boxes sitting there. Now she was beginning to worry. "This assignment will count for most of your grade in this class, yes even you Mr. Garwin." Maddie grinned at Reid. At face was turned to him, grinning, while he glared lightly at her that neither of the saw the teacher reach into one of the boxes. They did, however, see her put something on the desk in front of them. Both looked then slid their chairs backwards.

"What is that?" Maddie asked.

"Congratulations, it's a girl." The teacher said.

"It's a what?!" Reid asked.

"This is your assignment." The teacher announced to the class. "The person you are sitting next to will be your spouse and together you will take care of one of these baby dolls."

"WHAT?!!" Maddie and Reid shouted.

"I can't believe this." Maddie said, walking out of the class carrying the car seat with the baby girl in it while Reid had to put up with carrying the diaper bag.

"Tell me about it." Reid said. "I just joined the class and I have to do this? And we have to name the damn thing. It's a doll for Christ sakes!"

"We can't do this." Maddie said. "We can barely take care of ourselves. That's why we have the others."

"And a month." Reid said. "We have to keep this thing for a month." Maddie whined. The baby whined back. Both of them froze and stared at it but it didn't do anything else. "Well maybe we can get the others to help."

"Yeah…especially now because we have swim practice." Maddie said.

"Here." Reid said, handing over the diaper bag. Maddie raised an eyebrow. "I am not bringing a sissy little diaper into the change room and you already have the doll so if it cries then you're good."

"Oh fine." Maddie said, snatching the bag from him and walking through the door into the girls change room. She rolled her eyes and changed while other girls went on about how cute it was or how jealous they were that Maddie got to have a 'baby' with Reid. She pretty much ignored them. Once she tied her hair up, she picked up the seat and the bag and carried it out into the pool area.

"What is this?" The coach asked.

"This is my home ec project." Maddie said. "I thought all the teachers knew."

"I do know." The coach said. "What I want to know is why do you have it? This is one of those times when your partner should have it."

"Yes well you see, my partner is right behind you." Maddie said. The coach turned and jumped upon seeing Reid standing there. "I guess the teacher forgot that we both had swim practice."

"I see…well then be careful." The coach said.

"Will do." Reid said. He and Maddie walked over to the other three and Maddie put the car seat down on the bleachers and dropped the diaper bag next to it.

"Uh…what's that?" Tyler asked.

"Me and Reid have a baby." Maddie said.

"You what?!" Caleb asked.

"Hey, hey, hey relax…it's for class." Reid said, throwing his hands up in defense.

"Yeah…Reid got put in my home ec class because he needs the credit to graduate." Maddie said. "This assignment is worth most of our grade and the thing records everything we do to it and how long we let it cry. The longer it takes to calm it, the more marks we get off."

"We have to name it…" Reid said.

"And feed it…" Maddie said.

"And change its diaper…"

"And cuddle it…"

"And burp it…"

"And rock it…"

"And put it to sleep…"

"Ok, we get it." Pogue said.

"So uh…what are you naming it?" Tyler asked.

"Shauna…" Reid said.

"Abby…" Maddie said, at the same time. They looked at each other.

"Ah damn." Reid said.

"I don't like the name Shauna." Maddie said.

"Well I don't like Abby." Reid said. The other three slowly went off to get in line for their practice swims. When they came back, the two were still arguing over names.

"We are not naming it Candy." Maddie said.

"Why not? It's a sweet name." Reid said.

"It sounds like a stripper." Maddie said.

"Exactly…" Reid said.

"Guys." Tyler said.

"We are not naming it that! Think of something else." Maddie said.

"Guys." Tyler tried again.

"Well I'm sick of thinking of names for a fucking doll!" Reid said.

"GUYS!" Tyler yelled. They looked at him. "What about Claire?" There was a pause.

"I like it." Maddie said.

"Me too." Reid said. "Thanks baby boy."

"Such a wonderful little problem solver." Caleb said. Tyler rolled his eyes and Maddie giggled. She wrote the name down in a little book from the diaper bag. "What's that for?"

"It's like a baby book." Maddie said. "We're supposed to record things in it."

"Oh." Caleb said.

"Hey Maddie, you're on for swimming." Pogue said.

"Oh…you guys watch Claire then." Maddie said, putting the book and pen away then getting up and joining a few other girls. Reid slid away from the doll as it hiccoughed.

"Reid, it's your responsibility." Caleb said.

"Yeah…like your responsibility is telling Maddie the truth." Reid said.

"Look once Pogue ascends, then I'll tell her." Caleb said.

"Oh so you have a date for it now." Reid said. "There's still a few weeks until he ascends. What if Chase comes back before then?"

"How would he do that?" Caleb asked.

"You said it yourself the guy can do glamours." Reid said, shrugging. "Maybe he did that before and has been wandering around for the last couple of weeks."

"This isn't the right place or time to talk about this." Caleb said. Reid rolled his eyes and then jumped as the baby started crying.

"What did you do?" Pogue asked.

"I didn't do anything." Reid said, scrambling to his feet and standing in front of the doll. It kept crying and he carefully took it out of the seat. "What the hell do I do?"

"I don't know, anything!" Tyler said. The crying got louder as Reid rocked it. Maddie came over, trying to dry off her arms.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Nothing…it just went off." Reid said.

"Did you try anything?" Maddie asked.

"He's been rocking it." Pogue said.

"Oh like that'll help if it's hungry or needs changing." Maddie said, sarcastically. She reached into the diaper bag and pulled out one of the bottles. She put the tip to the dolls mouth and it stopped crying and started making sucking sounds. "Hold that."

"Uh…ok." Reid said, balancing the baby in one arm and holding the bottle to it's mouth with the other hand.

"Good thinking, Mad dog." Pogue said.

"It's common sense." Maddie said. "First thought should have been to get a bottle and try that out."

"Well sorry." Reid said. "I'm not used to babies. I avoid them at all costs. And I have to go swim now so…"

"Alright, alright, hand her over." Maddie said. They swapped the doll and Reid took off as fast as he was allowed to go to the other side of the pool. Maddie sat down and crossed her legs before balancing the baby on them. Caleb and Pogue went to cheer on Reid and Tyler watched in amazement as his secret-girlfriend managed to keep the baby in one place while holding the bottle to its mouth AND taking out the book to write down some more stuff.

"You would make a pretty good mom." Tyler said, sitting down.

"No I wouldn't, real babies roll around." Maddie said. "Although…real babies you can also teach to hold the bottle themselves so…whatever." She finished writing stuff and put the book away again.

"Still think you would make a good parent." Tyler said, leaning back.

"Uh huh…don't be getting any ideas there, baby boy." Maddie said. "I'm not even seventeen yet. Wait until I'm at least…eighteen and a half before you try knocking me up."

"Well then I guess there's gonna be quite a few trips to the pharmacy." Tyler said. Maddie giggled. The sucking noises from the baby stopped and Maddie took the bottle away before sitting the baby up and, bouncing it slightly on her knee, gently hit the doll's back until it burped. "So that's how that's done."

"Mmhmm." Maddie said. She put the doll back into the car seat. Tyler opened his mouth to say something but at that point the other three came back and he knew what he was going to say wouldn't be a smart thing to do in front of Caleb.


Ok so next chapter there's gonna be some "Chase spotting" as well as some "Pogue finding out". Oh but who will do the spotting?? I'm thinking Kate because that way there'll be minimal freaking…for now.