A/N: Back to our regularly scheduled programming now. (I can not guarantee we will not end up BACK at the side-step political plot...)
Bonus - Week 9, UDC 10
Quid Pro Quo
The papers went flying for a second time and Harry Burrows was left to sigh as he got up and picked them up one by one. "Did you really have to do that, Pete?"
"Don't wanna," the boy said, defiant. "Your tests boring."
"Are," Harry corrected as he sat down again. "The tests are boring. I know they are."
Noah was laughing at the sink as he dried a glass. "You're the one who wanted him to do the assessments, Harry. He's nine. Make it interesting."
Harry sighed. and placed the papers in front of Pete again. "Make it interesting?"
Noah turned around, grinned. "Pete, if you do all the tests for us, I'll see if we can have ice cream tonight. Deal?"
"Okay!"
Harry looked from the nine-year-old, to Noah, and back again. Right. Bribery.
Carpe Diem
The pains had started as an annoying ache in her back and she hadn't really given it any thought at first as she packed the picnic basket for an outing in the park. Hadn't given it any thought until they were getting out of the car and Noah caught her gasping and rubbing her back at the same time. "I'm fine, hon."
"How far apart are they?"
The question gave her pause and she noticed Pete watching them, frowning. "How far...?"
"Guess we'll find out," Noah said as he glanced at his watch and smiled. "Pete, grab the basket, okay?"
"What's wrong?"
Chelsea let out a long breath, then smiled over at him. "Nothing. We're going to sit down at a table and have a good lunch, and Noah is going to time me. It's probably nothing."
It wasn't.
Ad Astra
Fifteen hours later, they welcomed not one, as they'd expected, but two. A boy whom they called Nicholas, and a girl they named Maggie. She was exhausted and wondering at how small Maggie's hands were when Noah led Pete into the room to say hello. He stared at the bundle in her arms, and stared again when Noah brought Nicky over to them. "Two?"
"Yes," Noah told him with a tired smile. "Two."
Pete pulled the blanket away so he could see Nicholas better. "So small for someone who kicked at us so much."
Chelsea laughed. "Oh yes!" Maggie protested with a squawk and Noah had to hide his own chuckle. "What were you two doing in there, huh?"
"Soccer?" Pete suggested, and Chelsea was giggling again. Tired or not, this was funny.