Special Gift
"Jemma, important question here," Skye says, sitting down at the counter, facing Simmons. "How big a cliché would it be to give Grant a gift-wrapped, positive pregnancy test as a Christmas gift?"
The moment the question is out, Jemma starts choking on her tea, the hot liquid scorching her throat, making her cough and gasp for air.
"You are pregnant?!" is the first thing that leaves her mouth as soon as she can speak again.
"No, I just haven't figured out what to give him yet, and a pregnancy test seems like a good joke," Skye rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm pregnant. Well, at least I'm late and I have a test with a little plus sign, so…" She shrugs, like it isn't a big deal.
Slowly a wide grin appears on Jemma's face.
"Oh my God! You are going to have a baby!" she almost squeals. "I'm going to be an auntie! I mean, I will, right?"
"Yes, of course, but would you just keep it quiet?" Skye chuckles into her palm, hushing her friend. "I don't want the whole base to know just yet."
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Jemma says, with a noticeably lower volume. "I'm just so excited for you guys! A baby! But to answer your question – yes, it would be a really big cliché. And Grant would love it."
"Do you really think that?" Skye asks almost shyly.
"Of course! There's only one problem," she says with a touch of skepticism, "it's still two weeks until Christmas. Do you think you can keep him from finding it out for that long?"
Skye lets a low – and maybe a tad bit too confident – whistle, like it was nothing to keep her pregnancy a secret.
"Please, I'm good at this stuff. I learned from the best." She stands up from the chair. "Now I just have to find the right wrapping paper… Thank you, Jemma!" And with that, she is gone, leaving Jemma happy and excited and completely sure that her plan won't work.
(Jemma can't help but laugh loudly into her cereal two mornings later when Skye declines her usual coffee, and Grant, eyebrows comically raised, point blank asks if she is pregnant. So much for the gift-wrapped pregnancy test.)