Charlie Brown smiled as he held onto his school project like a hawk watching over its chicks. In a way, he and Marcie were hawk parents to the inanimate egg, whom they decided to call CJ. Chuckling, Charlie Brown smiled as Marcie sleepily nuzzled into his chest. He had almost forgotten about her mother until hearing the sound of hammering. "What the-" he asked, nudging Marcie.

"Oh my goodness, who's doing all that hammering?" Marcie realized as the two walked upstairs, only to be greeted to a baby gate at the bottom and top of the staircase. "Yup…I think I know what's going on with all the renovating…" she sighed as they walked into the guest room.

Inside the guest room was a cardboard box in the center. Opening it, the two discovered a lot, including an empty folder, a camera and a mobile. "I haven't seen a mobile since Sally outgrew her crib." Charlie Brown chuckled.

"Yeah…I'm still trying to comprehend what my parents told me without freaking out." Marcie smiled, gnawing her lip to stop herself from shrieking.

Charlie Brown smiled before seeing Mr. Carlin, working on some sort of wooden thingy. "Excuse me but what're you doing?" the blockhead asked.

"Wahhh wah." The man explained.

"I noticed you're building, but what's it supposed to be?" Charlie sighed. Now he knew where Marcie got her humor.

"Wahh wah wahhhh."

"A surprise?" the round headed kid questioned.

"I can't believe it…" Marcie smiled, spinning the mobile happily.

"Why's that?" Charlie Brown wondered.

"I haven't seen this mobile for four years."

"It sure would look nice in a nursery, Marcie."

"I know, Charles…I just missed seeing it. Seeing it again makes me smile."

"I know what you mean; one day I'll get Sally's mobile out of the attic to show her…maybe for her Sweet Sixteen…"

"Wahh wah wahh wahhh wah wahhh?" Mr. Carlin asked.

"What're we doing here?" Marcie repeated, blushing.

"We heard hammering." Charlie Brown explained.

"Wahh." The head of the household realized.

"Let's go to my room, Charles…just don't wake my mom." The bespectacled girl suggested.

"Good idea." Charlie Brown smiled.

Twelve weeks came and went like a breeze and before either kid knew it, it was a new year. Charlie Brown smiled as he held Marcie's hand tightly. She held onto a folder happily until a gush of wind blew it out of her hand and she chased after it. Charlie Brown gave a giggle before both kids realized the picture was facing the right way so whatever was on it was visible to anyone that looked down.

"What's this?" Charlie Brown asked, examining the picture intensely.

"It's…" Marcie began, blushing as red as her beret.

"Looks like an ultrasound…is it yours?" he chuckled.

"What do you mean?" she asked, biting her nail

"I mean…nice ultrasound picture…any special reason why?" Charlie Brown wondered.

"No…" the bespectacled girl blushed. "Marceline Rebecca Carlin, you dunce." She thought guiltily.

"Why're you looking at it?"

"Charles…" she began with a sigh. A puff of air escaped her mouth.

"You don't have to tell me, but what the heck is with the ultrasound?"

"It's nothing important…"

Still going along with the I-Don't-Know-What's-Going-On routine, he pointed to the picture and asked, "Is this a relative's? Do you have an infant cousin?"

"No; my youngest cousin is eighteen months."

"Oh…"

"But I can let you in on a Carlin family secret."

"Really?"

"My mom's no longer getting sick…she's not gonna die, Charles."

"Well, that happens when someone's got a bun in the-" he began before stopping. "A bun in the barbecue…" he tried saving his tail.

"You sure, Charles?" Marcie suspiciously raised an eyebrow.

"Besides, it's been a while since I came over to your place…how're your parents?"

"Mom's doing a lot better and dad…he's been busy 'tinkering in the bedroom' for the past few months."

"Oh…"

"Wanna come over for the Splendid Bowl?"

"That's not for another month, but it's a date I'm looking forward too…also, it's the SUPER bowl…"

Upon heading into her room, Marcie looked over at her diary, a red one Charlie Brown got her as a late birthday present. Smiling, she looked at the picture with a tear in her eye. "Hi little guy." She sniffled, putting the picture down and opening her new diary to the first page: blank and lifeless as her glasses. "Dear diary…it's happening…" she wrote happily. "For the Splendid Bowl next month, Charles and I will be watching it here; and NOTHING can ruin it for either of us. I can't believe I got a date with Charles; then again, I can't believe a lot of things…for example, he like-likes me, but one day, I hope he'll pop the question…it'll be beautiful…"

"Last night, I dreamed that Charles asked me out to a fancy restaurant…he was dressed in those cheesy tuxedos in the movies that make you look like a penguin, and after the meal, he took out a velvet box from his pocket and asked if I'd wed him…if you want to know the truth, I woke up before the wedding bells tolled…it was a good dream though. Marcie." Smiling, her glance landed back on the ultrasound Charlie Brown saw and gave a smile at the caption in the far bottom left corner. "Baby's First Heartbeat…no wonder mom and dad kept it after all these years…" her thoughts were cut off to the doorbell ringing.

"Probably Peppermint Patty…" she thought, walking to the door, surprised to see Sally holding a mountain of textbooks in her hands. "Sally?"

"Can you help me study for my big end of January test, Marcie? I'll pay you back." The blonde six-year-old asked.

"Best to practice now…sure Sal."

Author's Note: Oof. This was one hell of a chapter to do...probably the last one for today too

-LivingOnLaughs; June 9th 2019