Disclaimer: I don't own Jimmy Neutron; Nickelodeon, DNA productions and Cindy Vortex do.
Jimmy's POV
It was amazingly freeing how admitting my feelings for Cindy had been. Now I could touch her, hold her, hug her, be more candidly myself around her without the fear of her spurning my love. The both of us were more relaxed around one another than I ever conjectured possible. The insecurities of our youth that had been so foundational to core of our childhood bickering rapidly faded. Still I was hesitant to kiss her. I already wrecked my confession by throwing a conniption fit. I wanted our first kiss to be something special, a good memory. Cindy deserved better.
Like we had upon her return, we assumed a routine of sorts. Our arm wrestling match had shown her that she still wasn't up to her normal standard and so Cindy, pedantic as ever, had practically demanded I grant her access to the gym I constructed in the lab, not that I minded at all. Secretly I had already begun reprogramming Vox to allow her admittance when I wasn't there. On the weekdays I would drive my car to Libby's apartment. Usually a stunningly ill-humored Cindy was the one to let me in the door. Although I desperately wanted to take her into my arms first thing every morning, I knew from years of scientific observation that attempting that with Cindy before she was fully awake would earn me, at the very least, a slap in the face. So while Cindy showered and dressed for the day, I would wander into the kitchen to make the girls breakfast, knowing that Cindy would be in a more receptive mood once she had ingested something. She told me frequently that what she really longed for was a giant cup of coffee, but both of us agreed, no caffeine for the pregnant lady.
After breakfast, we would relocate to my place. I didn't take the Hover-car anymore; there were too many risks involved with Cindy riding in it than I wanted to take. I never told her this though, knowing it would start another argument. Sometimes I would work on some of my less hazardous experiments. Cindy helped, but only when I let her. It caused more than one fight the first few times I didn't let her into the restricted section of the lab, but she eventually finally surrendered to my point. I wasn't having her or the baby exposed to some of the dangerous chemicals housed there. Instead we compromised and I promised that at least until after the baby was born, I wouldn't work on any high-risk experiments if she couldn't help me. The risks eventually outweighed either of our arguments.
From there we would workout for a while. The workouts she put the both of us through became ever increasingly difficult. I had to admit, that though I had the advantage when it came to strength, Cindy kicked my butt in speed and expertise. She'd nitpick at my technique in my taekwondo forms until I had everything as perfect as humanly possible. She'd always had an eye for correcting my faults, but unlike when we were kids, her corrections were lovingly finicky, instead of harsh. Unfortunately having a girlfriend whose keen eye caught more than most didn't always come in handy. Once we were both worn out, and after she had a quick shower, Cindy would go up to the house to make the two of us lunch. She explained that it was her way of repaying me for making breakfast each morning. The rest of the day, we would spend hanging out in the lab or visiting our friends, depending on our moods.
"Why are you so tired lately?" Cindy asked me one day after a couple weeks of our new schedule while we were relaxing on the couch. The both of us had been engrossed in separate books. Libby gave her a book about music and it's effects on fetuses that she eagerly devoured and her head was resting on a pillow in my lap as she stretched out. Cindy's back had been hurting that day, so she had propped another pillow underneath her. I absently played with her tresses while I read, but stopped to look down at her when she spoke up.
"I haven't slept through the night since… Well I don't know when," I lied, setting aside my own book on quantum mechanics. I knew exactly when my insomnia had started, but I hesitated to tell her.
"Why?" she asked softly. She placed her book on the floor and rested her hands on her stomach.
"I-I-I've been having nightmares," I admitted rubbing the back of my neck.
"Nightmares?" she gazed up at me, her eyes filled with concern.
"Yeah," I confessed, "They started after Strych kidnapped you."
Her brows snapped together and she remained deep in thought for a minute before asking, "Mind telling me about them?"
I sighed and she sympathetically rubbed my arm.
"Really there's only been three, and each one's altered as circumstances have changed." As I spoke she reached up and ran a finger over the shadows underneath my eyes. I snatched her hand and gently kissed her palm.
"When…" I started, "When we thought that my evil clone had you, I dreamt each night that I was the one torturing you; that it was me causing your pain and suffering."
"You wouldn't do that," she whispered fervently. "It was just a dream."
"I know," I nodded. "It doesn't change the fact that I still spent two fruitless months in pursuit of the wrong person."
"Jimmy, how many times do I have to tell you to stop berating yourself for that?" she chided me. "If you had rescued me sooner I wouldn't have known that Calamitous was involved and we wouldn't know that the baby's ours, not Strych's."
She pulled her hand down to her stomach, taking my hand with her. She firmly pressed my palm to the growing life inside. I smiled weakly.
"So you've told me," I said, apathetically.
I would have stopped there, but she reminded me empathetically, "You said there were three."
"Yeah," I grumbled not wanting to share the rest. I hadn't wanted to reveal any of them with her, to keep her from worrying about me, but the look of compassion etched into her face made me continue. "After we rescued you, I would dream that I was paralyzed. I would watch as Strych held… held a knife to your… throat. He'd… he'd change his grasp and stab you in your stomach and then in your…"
I couldn't force the words out, so I motioned to my neck with my free hand. Her grip on my other hand increased and I was grateful for the pressure.
"I'm pretty sure it was my subconscious telling me that you were pregnant, but I was more concerned that you… you… died." The last word came out choked.
"And after you found out about the baby they changed again, didn't they?" she asked in a tiny voice.
My yes came out as a whisper as I thought of the newest dream that had begun beleaguering me. She pressed her lips into a firm frown. I couldn't look her in the eye anymore. Instead I stared at an invisible stain on the wall.
The words came out in a rush, as though the faster they came out the less they would hurt. "It starts innocent enough. You and me, together not doing anything particular, just being with each other. When we're jumped in an alleyway. Strych's men separate us and hold me back. Every night, I watch helpless while he tears the baby from your womb with a rusty scalpel. He only sticks around long enough to gloat and to show me that the baby has your green eyes and then disappears, taking our son with him. Somehow I escape his goons and make it to your side, but it's already too late."
Unwelcome tears threatened to build in my eyes. I ran my hand through my hair and brought my elbow to rest on the arm of the couch, letting my head fall into my open palm. I shuddered, remembering the horror and dread I felt each night as I walked to my bed, knowing what would be waiting for me as soon as I closed my eyes. I don't know how long I sat there staring into space, dwelling on the bane of my existence.
"Jimmy?" Cindy called in a low voice, breaking me out of my morose musings. My eyes snapped back down to her face.
"I won't let that happen to you Cin. I won't!" I suddenly exploded, and I slammed my fist against the arm of the couch. I felt myself trembling with pent up rage and fear.
"Jimmy," she pleaded again. Her voice was compelling as she reached one hand up to caress my face, "It's not going to. Would you stop worrying?"
"It's just that," I mumbled, returning to my vigil of staring out in front of me. "Strych may still be out there. They never found his body."
"I know, but losing sleep over it isn't doing anyone any good. Now come here. I've got an idea," she stood and I braced her as she pulled herself to her feet.
"What are you doing?" I asked as she ordered Goddard to get out the spare air mattress I kept in the lab.
"You're going to take a nap," she commanded. She looked at me as though it was the most obvious answer.
"But-" I attempted to say, but was cut off.
"No buts mister! There's no way that Strych can break through Vox's security protocols, you've said so yourself. Sheen and Libby are due here in six hours and I am not having my boyfriend fall asleep on our double date," she called from the other side of the lab, collecting pillows and blankets. I attempted to help her, but she waved me aside preferring to do it alone.
"What's with you? Always telling me to go to sleep. If I didn't know any better I would swear that you wanted to get me into bed," the words tumbled from my lips. I felt my cheeks blaze and I clapped a hand over my mouth.
She chuckled lightly, "You're as bad as Sheen."
"Sorry, sorry," I apologized for my crassness.
"I know," she replied winking at me, "Just a Freudian slip."
Together with Goddard's help she made the bed, tossing an extra set of pillows onto the other side. She walked back over and pushed me onto the bed. When I gave her an inquiring look and pointed to the additional pillows, she rolled her eyes at me.
"That's for me, genius," she responded, but I must have looked skeptical because she continued.
"Pregnant," she waved a hand in front of her stomach. "I get tired too. I'm gonna try to get a cat nap in as soon as you're out, and here I thought you were the smarter one in this relationship."
"Cindy, I'm not going to be able to sleep." I told her dryly.
"You will," she said, a knowing look in her eye.
"How?" I rolled my eyes.
"I want to try something. Now lay down or I will make you," she growled.
I sighed and I stretched out on the bed, realizing I was more exhausted than I originally thought. Still my mind wouldn't settle. It didn't help that there was going to be a seductively beautiful girl lying next to me. It was laborious enough having to suppress the normal amounts of testosterone that flooded my veins upon seeing Cindy everyday, now being forced to lie next to her... I let out a soft groan hoping she wouldn't hear me. Rolling over, I watched Cindy delicately place herself onto the bed. I reached out to close the gap between us, but she slapped a hand away.
"Un-uh," she scolded. "Let me get cozy first."
She shifted on the bed for a few minutes before settling into a comfortable position. I turned to her once she looked set and reached for her again.
"Hold still," she demanded.
"What are you doing?" I repeated tiredly.
"I told you, I want to try something. Your mom was telling me about it." Her voice sounded exasperated as well as exhausted.
"You've been talking to my mom?" I questioned.
"Yeah. What? You think the only people I talk to anymore are you and Libby?" she rolled eyes again. "I've been getting real world baby advice from her. You know, what to expect, things to look out for, random tips that only an experienced mother would know. There's only so much that you can learn from the Internet and through books, and she's the only mother I know who'll still talk to me." Her eyes grew bitter as she thought of her own mother and I took her hand in my own.
"Libby's mom still talks to you, and Mrs. Wheezer was asking about you yesterday," I reminded her. We had given up on keeping her return a secret when her mother kicked her out of the house. Fortunately there hadn't been any immediate repercussions to making her rescue public.
She shook her head and replied, "Anyway she was telling me about something she used to do with you when you were little that always put you under when you were having trouble sleeping."
I wracked my brain trying to think of what Mom had done when I was little. The only thing that came to mind was the inane song that Carl's mom sang to him while she rubbed his stomach, but I knew that couldn't possibly be it. I watched as she reached out one of her hands and gently began to stroke my hair. Suddenly the memories of my mom rubbing my head until I finally fell asleep came flooding back to me.
"She used to do this every night when I had a bad dream," I recalled in a hushed whisper. "The last time I remember her doing this was right after we moved here. It was the night before I met Carl and Sheen and I was worried that I wasn't going to make any friends."
"She told me," Cindy smiled lethargically and held a soft finger to my lips. "No more talking; just sleep."
I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel of her touch. I would have fallen straight to sleep, but a random thought occurred to me.
"Have you given any thought as what you're going to do after the wedding?" I asked, peeking one eye open.
She had shut her eyes as well, but at the unexpectedness of my question they popped open in surprise. "I was thinking of taking some classes at the community college. You know, staying local. I still have some money saved up and Libby's apartment manager is willing to let me finish out her lease. Hopefully I can get a part time job somewhere. Why do you ask?" she replied.
"No reason," I smiled and quickly changed the topic. "You know if Sheen saw the two of us like this he'd come up with another set of obscene remarks."
"Jimmy," she spoke in a slightly aggravated tone. "Would you please just shut up and let me practice being a mommy right now?"
"Yes Ma'am," I chuckled at her, closing my eyes again. "Though I don't see why you need practice. You're going to be a great mom anyway."
She pulled her hand from my head and caught me unprepared when she punched me roughly in the shoulder.
"Ow! What was that for?" I asked.
"Cause you're patronizing me again, Nerdtron," she growled.
"Am not. I was just trying to give you a compliment. I think I'm entitled to giving my girlfriend a sincere accolade every once in a while."
I cringed as her fist connected with my shoulder a second time. It was definitely going to leave a bruise.
"Cindy!" I yelled softly, remembering just in time that she was mere inches from my face and would most likely clobber me if I screamed in her face, "Fine! I take it back then, if you're gonna beat me up for telling you how I think you're going to make marvelous mother."
"Just go to sleep and stop irritating me," she scolded me again.
"If you beat our kids like this, you're going to be a terrible mother," I grumbled not really meaning it.
"I wouldn't do that to the baby," her voice sounded shocked for a moment for some reason, but then took on a more flirtatious tone, "I save that for you."
She gave me a subdued whack on the shoulder, "for good measure," I heard her mumble, before returning her hand to my hair. I scooted closer to her and placed a protective hand around her waist, pulling the blankets more snugly around us. Her toes tickled the tops of my feet and she placed the hand not stroking my hair on my chest. I tucked her head close to mine and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. She slowly worked her fingers in small circles into my scalp, occasionally brushing my ear and the sides of my face gently. I felt my body relax into the tender touch. My eyes closed and my breathing slowed. I found myself drifting lightly when Cindy started humming a soft lullaby.
"Hey Cin," I whispered just before sleep completely claimed me. "I love you."
"I love you too, Jimmy," she murmured softly and though my eyes were closed I could tell that she was smiling.
It was the first dreamless sleep I had in months. The only thing that filled my mind was the soft, warm feeling of the girl next to me, her gentle song, and her jasmine scented hair. Fie upon the rest of the world. If I could spend my entire life like that I would have.
I awoke to a sound that I would never get tired of hearing for the rest of my life, Cindy's giggle. I opened my eyes slowly. We had shifted, or rather she had shifted, while I slept. Cindy lay on her back, staring at the ceiling. From what I could tell she had attempting to laugh softly so as to not wake me, but the source of her hysterics was beyond me.
"What's so funny?" I mumbled sleepily.
"Hey there sleepy head. Look who's finally awake," she murmured softly as she turned her head to me. "You slept like five hours."
I stretched an arm up in the air and turned it to reach out for her. Cindy ruffled my hair playfully. She laughed again, a deep throaty chuckle that made me wonder as to where it originated.
I propped my head up on my other hand and inquired, "What's so entertaining?"
"I," she giggled, "I woke up about an hour ago. You woke me up. You were mumbling in your sleep again," she poked a finger into my chest.
"What did I say?" I grumbled, imagining what ludicrous things may have floated out of my mouth.
"Nothing much. Random snippets here and there. At one point I think you were lecturing someone about genetics, because you kept repeating the words: deoxyribonucleic acid, alleles, and peptides incoherently," she snickered again. "I tried to wake you about a half hour ago, mostly cause your arm was smothering me, but instead you told me you loved me."
"Huh, I don't remember dreaming," I said, "And I suppose you found that all very hilarious."
"It was," she giggled. "But that's not what's making me laugh."
"Really? Pray tell what is then,"
To answer my question she grasped my hand, lacing our hands together, and placed it on her abdomen. There was a significant pause, but nothing happened. I shifted my gaze back to her and gave her confused look.
"Just wait," she whispered.
"What am I waiting for?" I whispered back, "And why are we whispering?"
"Just wait Mister Impatient Pants," she smiled a deep genuine smile that reached all the way to her eyes. They glittered with a sparkle I had never seen before, but thoroughly enjoyed. I would have stared into those twinkling gems forever if I could have, but a sudden thump against my hand drew my attention back to my hand on her stomach. She laughed another time.
"What the… Was that?" I started to ask, but another bump against my palm stopped me.
My jaw dropped, and she laughed louder than before. Cindy nodded and though it seemed unfeasible, her smile grew wider. I watched in awe while the baby kicked various spots on her stomach, twisting this way and that.
"It tickles," she explained. "The kicking started right after you started talking. I think the baby likes the sound of your voice. Either that or finds it super irritating," Cindy smirked.
"Well at least we know who he takes after," I chuckled after a while.
"Yeah, the trouble-making genius of a father," she beamed back at me.
"Ha, ha," I rolled my eyes as I replied, but I laughed with her when she burst into a fit of giggles.
She suddenly pulled a sullen face, "And what is with this he business? I thought we discussed that we wanted it to be a surprise."
"I know, I know. There's no need to look so petulant," I prodded the corner of her mouth, forcing it into an asymmetrical grin.
We lay intertwined until the alarm that Cindy set before we laid down sounded, reminding us that we had a date to keep. Cindy sighed, and playfully pushed my arm off of her. She stiffly rose from the nest we had made.
"Aww," I pouted melodramatically. I stretched my body chaotically across the bed, throwing back the blankets. I pulled my face, trying to make it appear to be a pleading puppy dog look.
"I need to clean up. Unfortunately for me I don't look good with bed head, unlike some handsome, big headed geniuses I know," she tossed me a saucy smile over her shoulder.
I mussed my hair further, climbing from the bed as well, and told her, "Fine, fine you and Baby N go doll yourselves up."
"Baby N?" she turned and scoffed. "Really Jimmy? Really?"
"Well since we technically don't know what the sex of the baby is, and you keep insisting that there's a remotely miniscule possibility that it may not be a boy; I just figured we had to call it something other than… it for now. I certainly can't pick out a name at random and calling the baby 'it' all the time feels derogatory," I looked at her, my face somber.
"But Baby N?" She bit back a chuckle and I could tell she was trying to keep her face from smiling. "That's almost as bad as the N-Men, and who says we don't know the sex of the baby?"
"Well I am the baby's father!" I slammed my fists on my hips indignantly. She looked like she was fighting to not giggle. It took me a second to realize why. I looked just like her when she was angry. I raised my brows at her.
"But Baby N?" she mocked. Cindy turned to go change and I watched, mesmerized by her hips swinging back and forth. She had almost made it to the doorway, when the second part of her statement hit me like a ton of bricks.
"Wait!" I scrambled over the back of the couch to stop her. I nearly fell face first into the concrete when I launched myself over the back of the couch, but luckily I caught myself on a table. I grabbed one of her arms and spun her around.
"Yes?" she asked coyly, as if knowing what I was going to ask next.
"When you said… what do you mean by…" I fumbled for a moment. "You know what we're having?" I couldn't contain the excitement I felt.
"Well," she smiled kittenishly, "I may have overheard the doctors discussing the sex of the baby while I was doped up. At least I'm pretty sure I did."
"And?" I demanded.
"And what?" her green eyes twinkled mischievously.
"What is it? What are we having?"
"We're having a baby of course," her honeyed words were accompanied by a teasing smile. She was obviously enjoying watching me squirm.
"Cindy," I growled at her. I took a step toward her and instinctually she retreated, creating more space between us. It gave me an idea. I backed her up against the door jam attempting a rudimentary psychological ploy. Cindy jumped, startled that she had run into the door, but still I couldn't intimidate her into telling me the answer that she knew that I was dying to know. She must have figured out what I was trying to do.
"Yes," she smiled as sweetly as she could.
"You know what I mean," I planted on hand firmly next her head onto the wall. My arm grazed her ear and I leaned in close to growl softly, "Why do you have to be so unrelenting?"
"Cause it's so much fun," she admitted unremorsefully while she tried to wiggle out of my grasp, but my free hand firmly caught her hip, compelling her to stay put.
"Just tell me!" I snarled, exasperated.
"Tell you what?" Cindy's bright eyes glinted with mischief as she toyed with my head. She knew she was goading me by dangling that tidbit of information in front of me. No one except Cindy had the ability or drive to get me hot under the collar like that. Though I was incensed, the warm feeling that holding Cindy always generated didn't escape my notice. Just arguing with the intense bewitching woman made me ache for her more. The conflicting emotions flooded my brain. Internally warring between my lustful hormonally driven nineteen-year-old body and my inquisitive scientist side, I let out a low groan.
I was finally so aggravated, with myself and with Cindy's teasing that I shouted at her, "Pukin' Pluto! Cindy! You had better tell me or…"
"Or what?"
I leaned closer to her face, bending my head down to her level and whispered in my lowest most menacing register, "Or I'll make you."
Cindy snorted and I could feel her breath on my face. Poking a finger into my chest as a challenge, she asked, "How are you going to do that?"
She shifted one hip to the side, and the hand that I had placed there moved with it. Her smug grin drew my attention to her lips. It inspired a different plan. In that instant I knew exactly how I was going to make her tell me. I moved my hand away from the wall and used it to cup her chin, drawing her face nearer. The tip of my nose brushed hers.
My mouth, mere millimeters above Cindy's, curled into a smile as I whispered, "I have my ways."
A.N. Bwahahahahaha! Don't hate me too much for leaving you all like this, but I couldn't resist… So as Johnny Storm says in The Fantastic Four, "Flame on!"