Doctor Doctor couldn't believe how long this whole pregnancy thing seemed to be going on for. Only six months along, and she was already done with the whole thing. Frankly, she considered it to be on par with Abu Ghraib. The occasional weird cravings could be hit-or-miss sometimes, but for the most part she was okay with those. It was just about everything else that she could've done without. The cramps, the morning sickness, the back aches, the mood swings, the weight gain, the swollen ankles, the sleepless nights, the constant need to piss, not being allowed to drink... the list went on. It also seemed to have all but destroyed her self-confidence while it was at it. It wasn't even like she personally cared. Okay, she did care, but not to the extent she cared about how Professor Professor saw her. Anytime she was around him, she felt like a cow. Even as recently as just the other night, she was struggling with getting up from chairs and beds, and Professor Professor had to help her despite his size. Of course Professor Professor just laughed it off and said it was fine, but Doctor Doctor felt far too embarrassed.

Anyway, it was Valentine's Day, just three months before her due date of May 18th. Knowing she only had three months to go only made the whole pregnancy ordeal slightly more tolerable than it had any right to be. Of course, with the baby keeping her up all night like usual, Doctor Doctor was prone to sleeping in more often, regardless of quality. Today, she wouldn't sleep in for very long because she woke up to a powerful scent. What kind of scent it was specifically, she hadn't yet figured out, but it was a scent all the same. Pregnancy had made her sense of smell many times more potent than it was before. Just the smell of shashlick alone would be enough to make her stomach turn these days; so, too, would new smells surprise her and make her feel that much more nauseous.

"Professor, did you cook something for me?" she called out to him from bed.

"Ja, I did," Professor Professor replied. "Don't worry. You don't have to get up. I'll bring it to you."

"Are you sure? I think it would be easier if I-"

"Ja, I'm sure. It's Valentine's Day, after all."

Doctor Doctor didn't try to question him any further. He was just trying to do something nice for her, so tempted as she was to do otherwise, she let it be. She just watched as he came in with a tray of blini, kasha, and a British take on beef Stroganoff.

"Oh wow, did you make these?" Doctor Doctor couldn't help but ask.

"Sort of," Professor Professor replied. "Oluremi and Adrian helped me out in that regard."

"Ah, I see. Professor, I— thank you. You three did a wonderful job. Anything else you have planned for today? Maybe, eh, a romantic movie?"

"Funny you should ask. While you were asleep, Kent and Min-jun and I got a projector for this very occasion, plus a lot more future occasions."

"Really? Can I see it?"

"Sure. I also got you coloring books for when you to de-stress and take a break from tinkering with inventions."


Later that day, while Professor Professor was off at work (no doubt helping Victor and Anita with yet another mission), Doctor Doctor got to work tinkering some more on the web-shooter that had gotten her out of a few jams. While it was definitely working as intended, she still wanted to work out a few kinks before it could be ready for full-time use. As much as she wanted to work on bigger projects at hand, she couldn't really do that when she was specifically forbidden from doing any heavy work in her condition. She figured it would be better not to argue on that since there was a good reason it was forbidden.

All of a sudden, her cellphone rang.

She picked up. "Hello?"

"Doctor Doctor, did I call you at a good time?" Eustadiola's unmistakable voice asked her over the phone.

"I-I guess, why? What do you want?"

"I have a favor I'd like to ask of you."

"Whatever it is, it better be quick. I'm pregnant, you know."

"Don't worry. I'm not about to endanger you or your unborn child. All I'm asking is that you accompany me to Los Angeles."

"For what, exactly?"

"Oh, you'll see."

Doctor Doctor could've sworn she heard Eustadiola wink over the phone.

"Anything else I'd like to know?" Doctor Doctor asked again.

"Oh, right, you want to know what my name today is. As I'm sure you're already aware, for reasons of security, my name is Changed Daily. Today, you may call me..." A beep could be heard on the other end. "Sainte Maxence."

"Nice, like that saint from Ireland?"

"Exactly. Anyway, I'd like for you to come with me to Los Angeles to do something important. If you do this, I'll make it worth your while."

Doctor Doctor wasn't sure how to respond to this. On one hand, this was a chance to stop feeling sorry for herself for a change and do something worthwhile before the baby was born. On the other hand, she wasn't sure how much of Sainte Maxence's assurance was actually true. Could Sainte Maxence actually see to it that she and her unborn daughter were left unharmed? For now, she'd have to take her word for it.

"Alright, I'll do it," Doctor Doctor finally responded.

"You will?" Sainte Maxence asked, seemingly genuinely shocked.

"Yes. Only thing is, I'm not sure how to tell Professor Professor about this."

"Oh, that's simple. Don't."

"Why not? You expect me to just up and leave without telling him where I'm going?"

"I'm just worried he might try to intervene when he shouldn't be."

Doctor Doctor sighed, albeit reluctantly. "Alright, fine, I won't tell him. You better keep your promise that I won't be harmed, though."

"I promise."

With that, Sainte Maxence hung up. It didn't take long for Doctor Doctor to fully realize the gravity of what she'd just gotten herself into.