Something Old, Something New, and a Stick That Turned Blue

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"I'm sorry, I—I can't." Lily looked around the room and quickly wiped away her tears as she left. Jeffrey stood at the chuppah beside his mother, gaping like a fish.

Jordan squeezed Nigel's arm before hurrying out after Lily. She found the bride-to-be collapsed against the door of the bridal suite, sobbing.

"Hey, hey, let's go inside, eh?" Jordan pulled out the key and, once Lily was settled, began her search for a cool cloth and a glass of water.

"Thanks." Lily accepted the kindness and fell against Jordan, "I just…I couldn't marry him."

Jordan gave her a squeeze, "Then you made the right decision, we'll just have to work on your timing."

Lily laughed, knowing how loved she was, "I just…I want what you have." She looked to Jordan with admiring eyes, "The way he looks at you, the way you look at him. No matter what, you have each other's backs. Now, that's love." Lily was quiet for a lone while, "I've only ever had one person look at me like that."

Jordan gave a gentle smile. A knock sounded and Nigel popped his head around the door, "We wanted to check in." Garret and Woody appeared around the corner and soon they were all fussing over their Lily.

"I…" Lily took Jordan's hand, "I need to see him."

Jordan looked to Nigel, who nodded, "We can give you a lift."

Jordan grabbed her coat and helped Lily into hers before the little trio snuck out, taking care to avoid Mrs. Brandau.

They found Bug at the morgue, flipping through one of his entomology books.

Lily marched towards him, a woman on a mission, "Why weren't you at my wedding?"

Bug startled, hurrying to pull his earbuds out, "I couldn't watch you marry him." His brow knit, "Why aren't you at your wedding?"

"I couldn't marry him."

"Why not?"

"He isn't you." They weren't sure they had ever seen Bug smile so big.

Jordan leaned back as Nigel wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head, "And they lived happily ever after."

XxX

Of course, bliss is only bliss as long as it's ignorant. And when Lily's doctor called a couple weeks later with her positive test, their ignorance was spent. Lily took a month off to handle the news and the crippling morning sickness, and Bug gave her the space and time he thought she needed. He only began stomping on the eggshells when he found out she hadn't told Jeffrey about the pregnancy when she was already four months along. They had gotten into it and Lily had left him with a single question: what was it he wanted?

Bug stood in Trace, staring off into space as his machine beeped, letting him know the test was complete.

Nigel quickly switched off the computer to relieve his eardrums, "Buggles, you alright?"

Bug turned to his friend, completely lost, "What would you do if it was Jordan?"

"Nope, not interesting in playing." Nigel quipped, hurrying to slip his latest test into its folder, "Do not pass go, do not collect $200."

"No, what if, when you had started going out, she found out she was pregnant by—by Woody or…what was the other one's name…"

"Tyler." Nigel winced, wishing he hadn't encouraged Bug's crazy scenario.

"Yes, Tyler! What would you have done if she popped out a little puka shell wearing or swoopy haired larva and you were on the cusp of being in the picture?" Bug asked, he was desperate.

"Did you just…" Nigel rubbed his forehead, muttering to himself, "First, don't ever use the words larva or pupa to describe the baby to Lily. It will not end well for you, my friend. Trust me. Second, I don't know. It's sort of an impossible question." He leaned back against the counter with a sigh, considering the question more seriously when he saw the defeat overshadowing his friend, "I mean, I love Jordan and…I—I'd like to think we'd find a way to make it work. I mean, a child doesn't have to be yours to…be yours, right?" He fussed with his hair, "Really, it's all about what's best for the kid in the end. They have to come first to everyone involved, which is hard enough with the actual parents going at it about custody and their breakup and what have you, and then factor you in…it's a lot to sort through, mate. Sorry I don't have a better answer."

Bug nodded, taking to heart what Nigel had said. Another thought pulled at him, and Bug turned to him, thankful for the distraction, "Have you guys talked about…"

"Oh, no. No-no-no-no-no." Nigel smiled even though a small twinge caught his heart. Jordan had never once brought up the topic of little munchkins of their own and he wasn't about to open that can of worms even if he was curious to hear her thoughts on it. Though he was pretty sure some of her answers would include the words "baptism" and "catechism".

"Haven't you been together almost two years now? I'd think marriage and kids would at least be on the table by now." Bug asked, his expression puzzled, "You think it'll come up soon?"

Nigel shook his head, "Not sure now'd be a good time to bring it up." He tugged at his ear nervously, "Jordan's, ah, slightly perturbed about the time I've been spending with Delinda this week." He gave an uneasy laugh, "Got a bit smitten by the beauty and brains combination."

Bug grimaced and shook his head. His eyes grew when he caught sight of the window, "Incoming."

Jordan popped open the door and came to a halt, looking between the boys. They were being too quiet for their own good, "What are you two plotting?" She teased, adding her files to the cart.

"Um…" Nigel looked to Bug, who just shrugged, "Just…whether Lily will baptize her baby or not." Why it was the first thing to come to mind, he had no idea, and he instantly regretted it.

"Well, Jeffrey is Jewish, and Lily is…miscellaneous, so I'm going with no."

"What about you Jordan, you're Catholic after all." Bug ignored the daggers Nigel was trying to stare into his head, "Would you baptize your kid?"

"Of course. Like you said, I'm Catholic, and we baptize our babies." She stated as if it were law.

"How do you feel about that, Nige?" Bug was enjoying this too much.

Nigel just shook his head, a grin tugging at him as he tried to play off his nerves, "If you want to sprinkle some water on them and recite some Latin over them, it's no skin off my nose, luv."

Jordan looked less than amused, "Really?"

"As long as I don't have to wear a tie." Nigel kissed her cheek and started for the door, making his escape before the topic could take a turn.

"I'm sure Delinda wouldn't mind if you wore your leathers!" Jordan called to his retreating back, still feeling a bit green. Never had she heard the word supermodel used so much in a morgue. It wasn't that Delinda didn't deserve the praise, she was drop dead gorgeous, with her long legs and blonde crown, and a genius level IQ to match, but Jordan couldn't say she was sad to see her go. Especially not after Jordan caught how cozy Nigel and Delinda were being around the spectrometer the other day.

"Did you know she continued to flirt with him even after I let her know we were together?" Jordan scoffed, "And she kissed him! Well, on the cheek, but still…"

"I've never known you to be a jealous person." Bug commented, quite amused by her rant, "Crazy, yes, pigheaded, most definitely, but not jealous."

Jordan leaned across the table as Bug finished up, shifting nervously, "Yeah, well…it's…" She wrinkled her nose, wondering why Nigel's overt friendliness had gotten to her this week. He was always bubbly and cute with anyone who crossed his path, so why was this time any different? Jordan had never felt so threatened before, so vulnerable, than she had this past week.

"Maybe you're feeding off Lily's hormones, or whatever it is you women do?"

"Nice." Jordan sneered, rolling her eyes. She turned back to Bug with a devilish grin, "But, would you really want to deal with two crazy pregnant ladies in such a small morgue? Especially when you're not too high on their lists?" She smiled triumphantly when his eyes grew in horror, "Thought not. Night, Bug." She knocked on the wooded door frame as she left, throwing a final wink at Bug.

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