Cover Girl walked over Scarlett who was getting Jaye a glass of sparkling cider. "Which game should we do first, guess Allie's size or the beer baby bottle game?"
Scarlett laughed at the expression on Duke's face and replied, "I think these boys need a beer before we do anything else."
Cover Girl grinned evilly. I'll be back in a few minutes with the bottles. She dashed off into the kitchen.
Jaye looked at Scarlett when she was handed her glass of mock wine. "What's she so excited about?"
"Oh, I think the visual will be explanation enough." Scarlett leaned back in her chair. She'd made sure to grab a bottle of real beer earlier, knowing what they had planned for the guys.
A minute later Cover Girl came out with a tray of baby bottles full of the yellowish liquid. "Alright guys, you want beer?"
Bazooka and Alpine looked at each other. "Well, yeah," Alpine answered. "But what's with the baby bottles?"
Lady Jaye knew what was coming and about died laughing.
"These have beer in them. In order to get a bottle of beer you need to finish the entire baby bottle of beer. Winner of the game gets a prize." Cover Girl said and winked at Jaye.
Flint grinned. "Works for me." He grabbed a baby bottle, as did Alpine and the others. "Sorry, honey," Flint said to Lady Jaye, "That whole thing about eating and drinking only what you're allowed to eat and drink is going to have to be put on hold for the evening."
Jaye gave him a playful pout.
Martha laughed at her son.
All the guys grabbed the baby bottles and waited.
Scarlett watched Duke pick up a bottle and gave the group a "go!"
Bazooka nearly choked on the first sip, commenting, "Bubbly!"
Shipwreck tried to drink threw the nipple then started cursing. "It's broken."
Beach Head looked funny sucking on his pink bottle.
Cover Girl was taking pictures.
"I feel so stupid," Alpine laughed. "The things we do for beer."
Roadblock sucked so hard on his bottle it started to collapse on the sides.
Flint and Duke were staring each other down, each tipping their bottles back and squeezing forcefully. If any two men could turn something this silly into a macho competition, it was them.
Jaye was laughing so hard she felt like her extremely swollen stomach was going to split open.
The other guys in the room stopped and watched.
Martha continued knitting a baby blanket while watching all the men including her husband play this game.
Duke was the first to slam his bottle onto the counter, eliciting a shout of "Hey! That's marble!" from Jaye.
"Hah!" Duke punched Flint on the shoulder. "I win!" he said gleefully.
"Damn." Flint said then took the top of the bottle and guzzled the beer down.
Scarlett opened up the cooler, allowing the others to take beer freely now. "Okay, folks, first one down. And our prize is..." She pulled out the first cold beer and placed it carefully in a preemie diaper, handing it over with a laugh. "No unwrapping it," she admonished.
Jaye laughed so hard she almost fell out of her chair.
Cover Girl took a picture of Duke's surprised face.
Duke unhappily looked at Flint, who was nearly doubled over with laughter. "Congratulations," Flint told him.
Everyone in the room was laughing so hard.
"Time for the next game," Scarlett announced.
Cover Girl stood up holding up streamers. "Now for the second game. Everyone will guess how big around our little momma here is."
"NO!" Jaye exclaimed.
"Oh, yes," Scarlett laughed. "Everyone takes as much streamer as you think will fit around Jaye. We'll measure her after you're done, and the closest one wins the next prize."
"Not another diaper clad beer is it?" Shipwreck asked.
"We'll see," Scarlett answered.
They passed the roll around the room, each guest cutting a length of the streamer.
"Alright Allie stand up." Cover Girl said.
"No." Jaye said, refusing to get up out of her chair.
Scarlett tugged at her shirt. "Come on, it won't work if you don't let us do this."
"I can't." Jaye stated.
"Dash I think your WIFE is stuck." Cover Girl said with a chuckle.
"Aw, Jaye, don't be a spoilsport," Flint told her. "Look," he said, holding up a piece of streamer that was obviously not nearly big enough. "I know I won, so let's prove it." He gave her a wink.
"Come on dear." Martha coaxed.
Jaye sighed. "Alright." She held her hand out to Flint to help her up.
He pulled her into a standing position and took the roll of streamer from Cover Girl. "Now, let's get the official measurement so we can compare everyone else's." He unrolled the streamer around her stomach and cut it. When he held it up, the end dragged on the ground. "Allie, you're huge!" he exclaimed.
"Oh shit." Cover Girl whispered to Scarlett.
Jaye punched Flint in the arm.
"Ow. Honey, you're supposed to be huge. You're carrying twins." Her expression didn't change. "What?" he asked. "It's not like you're fat. I mean, you've put on a few pounds or sixty, but...I'm sure you'll lose...it..." he finished quietly as her expression darkened.
"I think you should stop while you are ahead, son." Martha said.
Cover Girl and Scarlett were laughing at Flint's expense.
"Well I for one think you are more beautiful than ever." Hawk spoke up.
Flint gave Hawk a grateful smile. 'Well, of course she is," he said.
Jaye's face softened.
Cover Girl held up the correct sized streamer. Flint's didn't come close to being the right size. Cover Girl's was only about half way. "Who's next?"
Shipwreck held his up. The end of the piece of streamer he held disappeared somewhere under the coffee table. "Try mine!"
Alpine nudged Shipwreck out of the way and held up his streamer. "I believe I am the best man here for estimating lengths of rope-like material." His piece was close, but off by at least a foot.
Shipwreck held his up after Alpine and it was way longer than the correct size. Jaye grabbed a coaster and threw it at Shipwreck hitting him right in the chest.
"Ow!" Shipwreck said as he rubbed his chest. "Flint can't you control her?"
"Sorry, man, you're on your own," Flint chuckled.
"Let's try Duke's," Scarlett suggested. "Hold it up, let's see."
Duke coughed, embarrassed. "Uh, well, I don't think it's close," he said. He held it up. It might have fit Jaye before she was pregnant, but certainly not now.
"Suck up," Shipwreck muttered.
Roadblock held his up next and it was only about 3/4 of the correct size.
"No one's gotten very close yet," Scarlett laughed. "You boys are terrible at this." She checked the few that were left. It was a close call between Ripcord and Bazooka, and Jaye was asked to determine the winner.
"I'm picking Ripcord's, since it's a little shorter."
Bazooka pouted, but Scarlett handed him another beer and pointed to Cover Girl, who was bringing out the "prize."
"Alright, Rip, you have to wear this for the rest of the day." She held up an oversize cowboy hat with pink and blue ribbons dangling from the hatband.
"On second thought, I think Bazooka's was closer," Ripcord protested.
Lady Jaye laughed. "Oh, no. You won fair and square."
"Yeah, good job," Bazooka added, saluting ripcord with his cold bottle of beer. Ripcord stuck his tongue out at him, but donned the hat anyway.
Cover Girl walked into the living room with two buckets full of water balloons. "Alright everyone outside for the next game."
Ace asked, "Oh, so we finally get to find out what all those balloons we filled are for?"
"Yep." Cover Girl said. "Come on, it will be fun."
Flint's mother pulled out the camcorder intent on filming all of this.
"Dash, honey, I'm stuck again." Jaye said in embarrassment.
Flint laughed and pulled her out of her chair. He grabbed the camcorder from his mother and said, "I think you need to play, mom. Let Allie tape it."
"But..."
"That's alright Mom." Jaye said with a smile. "I'll film it for you."
"Come on, Mrs. Fairborne--we'll pair you with Hawk," Scarlett said, giving Hawk a significant look.
"Of course," he said gallantly, extending an arm.
Martha chuckled. "Well alright then."
"Come on son, I'll be your partner." Flint's father said.
Cover Girl paired the rest off. Duke was with Roadblock, Ace with Ripcord, Alpine with Bazooka, and Shipwreck with Beach Head.
Beach Head grumbled, "Don't you dare tie us together."
Cover Girl smirked at her boyfriend. "What's the matter Wayne? Scared?"
"What?" He protested. "That has nothing to do with it. I just don't want to work with this crazy sailor any longer than I have to."
Shipwreck put his arm around Beach Head's shoulders. "You wound me."
"Get off me. Courtney, make him get off me!" Beach Head whined.
"Only if you promise to play this game." Cover Girl grinned at him.
"We'd better win," Beach Head threatened the sailor.
Scarlett explained the game to the players. "Ok, whichever person on the team goes first needs to stuff a total of ten water balloons inside his or her shirt. You must then go across the yard, around the maple tree, and back. Switch balloons and the other person goes. The first team back with all their balloons wins."
She looked at Beach Head and added, "And no pushing other teams."
"Who me?" Beach Head asked innocently.
"Yeah, you, Mr. Everything is a Competition," Alpine laughed.
"We'll win." Bazooka grunted.
Alpine patted him affectionately. "Yeah, buddy, I'm sure we'll win."
Jaye was chuckling while she was filming it. She sat down on the stoop on the front porch.
Cover Girl and Scarlett made sure that Jaye was getting it all on tape as the teams got ready. "If you pop a balloon, your teammate has to run another one out to you. Everyone ready?"
They all nodded.
Scarlett shouted for them to start, nearly laughing herself silly watching the first half of the teams waddle out into the yard.
Cover Girl walked over to Jaye and stood by her laughing.
Jaye was laughing so hard her stomach felt like it was going to split.
Beach Head took the lead early on, but something in his shirt must have been sharp, because balloons started popping, drenching him in water.
Shipwreck ran out to him with the bucket of balloons and started stuffing more into his shirt, but they just kept popping.
Alpine started laughing so hard, all of his balloons fell out all at once, splattering his feet with water.
"Look--their water broke." Cover Girl said hysterically.
Jaye kept laughing causing the camera to jump around but she couldn't help it.
Ace had both arms wrapped carefully around his stomach and was moving at a snail's pace. His jaw dropped as Flint's mother passed him, walking almost casually with her large shirt tied at the bottom, holding the balloons securely.
"Way to go mom." Jaye yelled.
Flint glanced at his mother, speeding up, trying to overtake her. In his haste, he bumped into Duke. It was hard to tell whose balloons all the water came from, but they were both soaked.
Flint's mother swung around the tree and headed back to the patio. Hawk cheered her on, pumping his fists in the air.
"I am so glad you made them come outside for this." Jaye said while laughing.
"I didn't think they'd break that many balloons," Scarlett giggled. "Lookin' good, Duke! Keep it up!"
"Why don't you get out here and try it?" he yelled in reply.
"Nope. We planned the games to watch you guys make fools of yourself." Cover Girl shot back.
Martha made it back to Hawk and quickly helped him fill his shirt up.
The girls watched as Beach Head and Ace finally made it around the tree and started back. Flint and Duke had started throwing their extra balloons at each other.
Martha made it back to Hawk and quickly helped him fill his shirt up.
"Children." Cover Girl said, shaking her head.
Scarlett leaned over to Jaye and asked, "They do realize you're taping this, don't they?"
Jaye smirked. "Probably not."
"Oh, dear. I think we'll get some good use out of this later," Scarlett commented as Bazooka and Alpine joined in the water balloon fight, taking the opportunity to attack their commanding officers.
Martha made it back to Hawk and helped him stuff his shirt.
Beach Head was growling at Shipwreck when he made it back. "Hurry up Squid."
"Yeah, yeah," Shipwreck answered lazily. "It's me and Hawk, down to the wire...man to man...uh, water balloon filled clothing, obstacles all around us." He tucked his shirt in, estimating how much of a head start Hawk had. "This prize is all ours."
Hawk moved slowly and surely towards the tree.
Alison gasped a little and put her free hand against her stomach.
"Honey, you okay?" Scarlett asked in concern.
"Yeah, the babies are playing soccer with my bladder."
"Let me take the camera for a while," Scarlett said. "Do you need anything? Water?"
"I'll get it." Cover Girl ran inside to grab the water.
Shipwreck made it around the tree, determined to catch up to Hawk.
Shipwreck was getting closer to Hawk, but an ill-aimed water balloon caught him upside the head. He stumbled, and a few of his own balloons tumbled out.
Beach Head was running full-tilt with the replacements, passing a laughing Hawk on the way. "I'm gonna get a copy of that tape, you know," Beach Head told Hawk as he passed, gesturing to the General's stuffed shirt.
Hawk shrugged and kept going with a smirk on his face.
Cover Girl handed Jaye a bottle of water.
Scarlett cheered as Hawk neared the finish line. The others remembered too late that they were supposed to be in a race, and joined in, catcalling at Shipwreck, who was the only other competitor left.
Flint's father had moved to the sidelines to avoid the fire, and he called out, "Dashiell, are you sure this is the best the military's got, son?" He shook his head in mock disappointment.
Alison picked up a balloon from the bucket next to her and threw it at Flint's dad, hitting him in the back. "HEY!"
"Your aim's as good as ever, Allie!" Dash yelled cheerfully. He sputtered as a balloon from his father hit him square in the chest.
The women laughed hard.
Scarlett clapped as Hawk reached the patio. "I've got just the prize for you two," she smiled. She headed inside and returned a moment later with two slightly dusty bottles. "It's your favorite, sir," Scarlett told Hawk as he carefully unloaded his balloons. "We knew you'd win one today," she added with a wink.
"Hawk gets brandy and we get beer?" Ace asked. "What a set-up."
"Hey they need to suck up somehow." Jaye teased trying to get up off the stoop.
"Yeah, not all of us can give Hawk honorary grandkids," Scarlett responded. She pulled Jaye up with a grunt. "Wow, how do you even walk?"
"Very slowly." Alison said and rubbed her back. It was obvious that she was uncomfortable.
Scarlett's brow creased in concern. "You sure you're okay?"
"Yeah. My back is just hurting." Jaye said.
Martha walked over and looked at her. "Help her inside will you honey."
Flint shook the water from his hair and gently wrapped an arm around his fiancée. "Too much excitement," he said. "I blame Duke."
Jaye smirked. "Come on, let's get some cake."
"Oooh, cake!" Bazooka said, grinning. "Uh, could I have a towel?" Most of the guys were dripping water onto the grass, thoroughly soaked.
Cover Girl picked up a stack of beach towels that she'd wisely prepared earlier and handed them around. Why don't we have the cake out here? She suggested, eyeing the muddy and dripping feet of the players.
Scarlett helped Cover Girl carry the cake outside. "It's not quite right," she apologized, but I'm sure it will taste great." She lifted up the lid to reveal the misspelled message.
"Just don't name the kids Dallie and Ash," Cover Girl laughed as she started to cut the cake.
"This is a baby shower for the record books, that's for sure," Allie said happily as she dug into her slice of cake.