First Person POV (Kaira )
You'd think since it was almost Christmas, I would be getting excited. Well, I was, but currently, I had another thing to deal with. The other thing was why I was pacing the bathroom, nervous as all Hell. This was the second pregnancy test I had taken this morning. The first one came out positive, which I was happy, but also scared. To eliminate any error, I took the second one that was in the box. I had the test turned over so I couldn't see the screen as the timer counted down. Eliot was doing something in the bedroom.
After the job at the winery, I was late and the time passed. I waited again for the time, but it was late. I had also another spell of throwing up. And I needed to know before I drove myself crazy. It felt like forever had passed when the timer ended. I turned it off quickly before it rang. I slowly placed the phone back on the sink counter. I took a breath to calm my nerves as I flipped the test over and held it up so I could look at it.
Two pinks lines.
I gasped and covered my mouth, holding back the tears. I was so happy! I sat the test back on the counter and looked at the tests. I put my hands to my head, pacing, trying to keep myself from losing my shit. I realized I kinda needed to tell Eliot.
"Babe! Get your ass in here please!" I called out to him through the door.
"What?!" Eliot called through the door.
"Just get in here!" I yelled.
Eliot knocked on the door.
"You decent?" Eliot asked.
"Yeah." I said.
I quickly grabbed the two tests and hid them behind my back as Eliot walked in.
"You okay, sweetheart?" Eliot asked me.
I had a huge smile on my face.
"Yeah. Better than okay. I have something to tell you, and it couldn't wait till Christmas." I told Eliot.
Eliot had a confused but intrigued look on his face. I was trying to keep calm but wasn't doing a good job. I moved my hands out front, showing Eliot the tests. He grabbed them and l don't bother hiding my smile. He looked at me with a huge smile on his face.
"You're-" Eliot struggled to find the words cause he was excited.
I shook my head yes.
"You serious?" Eliot stood there frozen.
"Yeah. I'm pregnant!" I started smiling like a fool.
Eliot sat the tests on the counter and hugged me.
"Oh my god!" Eliot exclaimed as I started laughing.
"We're gonna be parents. I'm gonna be a dad! Holy shit!" Eliot was shocked, to say the least.
We loosened our grips and held each other's shoulders.
"Yeah. We gonna be parents, and you're gonna be a daddy." I can't hide my excitement anymore.
Eliot and I just stood there, both of us in shock. Eliot then held my face and we shared a kiss. Our foreheads touched.
"I can't believe it." Eliot breathed out.
"Me neither, babe." I chuckled a bit.
We stood there, hugging each other again, just trying to process everything. Eliot and I were about to be parents! We loosened our grip again but this time I felt Eliot's hands on the sides of my stomach.
"God, I love you so goddam much, Kaira!" Eliot looked at me.
"I love you too, Eliot." I said.
I took a breath, trying to calm myself down.
"You think we're ready?" I asked Eliot.
"Yeah." Eliot held my shoulders.
I could see the lightbulb go off in Eliot's head.
"Shit, we gotta go shopping. Buy a crib, clothes." Eliot started getting excited.
I grabbed his shoulders.
"Hey, babe, I admire the excitement, in fact, I'm thrilled, but I don't want us to get ahead of ourselves, okay? First thing we should do is schedule a doctor's appointment, make sure everything is okay." I told Eliot.
He calmed himself down.
"Yes, right. That is a good place to start. I'm just really happy right now." Eliot gave me a soft smile.
We kissed once again, the excitement washing over us.
"We have to tell the team at some point, Kaira. Did you want to tell them now or later?" Eliot asked me.
I thought a moment.
"I want some time for us to process and enjoy this. That okay?" I asked Eliot.
"Yeah, that's fine by me." Eliot assured me.
We both smiled at each other. Just then, our phones went off. We looked at them, getting a message from Hardison saying we had a job. Eliot and I looked at each other.
"Looks like we have to head down." I told Eliot.
Eliot put his hands back on the sides on my stomach.
"You know, we could just tell Nate we can't make it and we celebrate." Eliot suggested.
I put my hands on his hands.
"You know we can't do that, baby. Come on." I removed his hands and led Eliot out of the bathroom.
I was still trying to calm myself down. Finally, Eliot and I were getting our family. But I realized we had some things we needed to talk about. Like how I'm gonna do this job while pregnant? Where are we gonna put the crib? Name ideas. How was I gonna tell the team? I decide those answers will come in due time. But, we had a job to do before Christmas.
The office was decked out in Christmas decorations thanks to Parker. We met with the team at the office. We all sat at the table. Hardison loaded his briefing, which was of our target, and a stuffed dog, which if I didn't know any better, I would want that for my kid, then stood next to Parker. Then it was Nate, Sophie, Eliot, then me.
"Trent Hazlit - CEO of global toy giant Poggio Toys. Now the days of the colorful family toy exec are long gone. Nowadays, companies bring in these wall street wolverines who couldn't care less about kids or toys. All they care about is branding and stock growth." Hardison explained.
"Well, where'd Hazlit come from?" Sophie asked.
"One guess." Hardison told us.
"Santa's workshop." Parker said.
I can't help but snicker.
"No." Hardison chuckled, amused.
"Doughnuts." Parker said.
"No. And that's two guesses. Stop playing." Hardison scolded Parker playfully.
Parker had a smile on her face, which was good to see.
"If I had to guess, I'd say, probably… stock market." I guessed.
"He comes from defense contracting." Hardison said.
"Damn." I cursed under my breath.
"20 years ago, he was selling RPGs and anti-aircraft weaponry to both Latin-American dictators and the rebel groups that opposed them." Hardison explained.
"I hate arms dealers." Eliot said out loud.
"You and me both, babe." I added.
"Yeah. Now, nine years ago, he takes over Poggio Toys, moves the manufacturing overseas, he lowered safety standards, and he buried class-action suits." Hardison pointed out.
"Okay. Uh, what's security like?" Nate asked.
"He's using the same M.O as he did when he sold weapons. He's using double-walled rooms. He's locking away toy designs at the end of every shift. He's changing codes daily." Hardison explained, pulling us the 3-D model of the room.
"What about the safety reports?" I asked Hardison.
"It's digital. It's kept in a special server, which is locked in a special safe, which is held in a special server room." Hardison explained.
Great.
"Parker?" Nate got her attention.
"A Boylan-Kim 53-11. Just have to drill it - no problem." Parker explained.
"Okay, so we'll steal the safety report, release it to the public, then Hazlit is gonna have to spike the Chubby Snubby Dog launch. Let's do it." Nate said, leaving.
Later that night, Parker and I broke into the building. I know, not my smartest move, breaking into shit and crawling through vents while pregnant, but I was gonna be fine. I wasn't showing, and I couldn't hint to the team what was happening, so I was careful, supporting my weight on my arms, not my stomach.
Parker and I dropped from the vent into the room. Parker and I got out our gear to hack into the server room door.
"I-I'm sying that we - uh, I think we went overboard on Christmas gifts last year." Nate argued over comms.
Parker got her drill ready on the door, while I hooked everything up behind her.
"Nate, I love my Ecosse motorcycle from last Christmas - compliments of my Santa baby." Parker argued.
She started up the drill and I stood back.
"You spent $100,000 on a motorcycle?" Eliot questioned Hardison.
"Don't hate the gift, hate the elf." Hardison told Eliot.
"I do hate the elf." Eliot mutterd.
"Babe, what have I said about playing nice! Mr. Grumpy. And close to Christmas!" I argued with Eliot, getting a groan in response.
Parker stopped drilling, and I started blowing off the shavings.
"So are you saying no Christmas presents at all? Not even something small?" Parker argued with Nate.
Little did they know I was going to share with them the greatest gift I could think of. I stop myself from looking at my stomach and kept helping Parker.
"No gifts." Nate insisted.
"But-" Parker scoffed as we threaded a camera in the hole we drilled.
"How are we supposed to do Christmas without any presents?" Parker asked Nate.
"Let's just put a limit on spending. Say… $1,000 a - $100 a - 50 bucks a person." Sophie negotiated with Nate.
"Fine. Whatever." Parker wasn't pleased.
I made a note to talk to Nate about this. Parker got the combination to the safe. The door opened and we walked into the server room.
"We're in." I reported.
Since Parker got the drill and the safe, I picked the lock to the server we needed. I plugged in the connector from the phone Hardison gave me and started downloading the files.
"Okay, the files are downloading." I reported.
They quickly finished.
"Got it. Come on, Parker. We got three minutes." I said, unhooking the flash drive and leaving.
We lock up and clean up.
The next morning, we invited the client, Eldon Marris, who had gotten fired from Poggio Toys, and had him sit down at the bar and showed him the report. Eliot, Nate, and I sat around him.
"Yeah. He-he doctored the data. And the American Safety Association of Pediatricians is giving it five stars!" Marris explained, upset.
"Yeah, I thought that was weird." Eliot pointed out.
"Yeah, they're a bunch of retired doctors based out of Guam with no standing in the business." Marris pointed out.
"I'm sure they're on Hazlit's payroll." Nate realized.
"Shouldn't all this be regulated?" I asked Marris.
"Want to know who regulates toy safety in this country? The toy companies." Marris explained.
"What about government?" Eliot asked.
Marris got out a file and showed it to us.
"Consumer Product Safety Commission. They try. They're a solid government agency, but safety studies are voluntary, so certain companies just won't take that risk because if a toy is found hazardous, they have to make it public." Marris explained.
"Yeah, unless you buy some doctors in Guam." Eliot pointed out.
"Or have a mountain of security protecting the report." I added.
"I appreciate you trying." Marris packed his things and tried leaving.
Nate stopped him.
"Wait, wait, wait. Mr. Marris, listen, this isn't over. It isn't. Now, we are not gonna let that toy get released." Nate assured Marris.
"I don't think you know who you're up against. Trent Hazlit is a corporate hit man. He's capable of anything." Marris said.
"We've gone up against worse, Mr. Marris." I tried assuring him as he left.
Eliot and I looked at Nate.
"You realize without that safety study, we got nothing." Eliot said.
"Yeah." Nate said.
"So why'd you promise him that?" Eliot asked Nate.
"Because we are not gonna let that toy get released. We're gonna steal Christmas." Nate said.
I groaned.
"Why does it have to be "let's go steal Christmas"?" I questioned Nate.
Nate left to make a plan.
Third Person POV
Nate and Sophie walked to the office, arguing about the con they wanted to do. Sophie argued that the Trojan Horse wasn't gonna work, and they'd have to sell Hazlit a toy company filled with financial liability that it bankrupts him before the launch of Chubby Snubby. Nate said that was the point, and they had to bait him with a new toy. Sophie reminded Nate that the lauch was in three days and didn't have the time to create a new toy. Nate said that was why Hardison was finding failed toys.
Nate and Sophie met Hardison at the briefing table. Hardison said the store was Second Run of Fun, which was a third-party toy distributor that sold failed toys to Bolivia and Sudan in bulk, as well as Super Bowl-loser t-shirts. Hardison showed Nate and Sophie some of the options. Nate chose the Whirlie Glee-Glee, a frisbee thing that was supposed to do a figure eight, but failed. Sophie pointed out that they'd have to get a toy craze going on a toy that was once considered junk. Nate thought it was the perfect toy.
So later that night, Parker infiltrated the warehouse. Though when Parker found the crate, she found another grate with a doll. A two-headed doll, one face happy, the other angry.
Parker showed it to Hardison at the van, and rightfully asked who the hell would give that to a child. Parker said it was a doll and kids love dolls. Hardison argued it wasn't, arguing it was voodoo witchcraft, and he didn't want it in Lucille. Parker then questioned Hardison about the flashy kicks he's been giving her. Hardison argued they were awesome and they made her shiny and fast, saying no child should be subjected to the doll. Hardison sent a picture to Nate.
First Person POV (Kaira)
Eliot, Nate, Sophie, and I had gathered around the briefing table. The picture Hardison sent loaded up, and the doll was creepy as Hell.
"Who the Hell thought that was a good idea?" I question, confused.
"Guys, it doesn't matter what toy Parker picks." Nate explained.
"Anything can be sold." Eliot added.
"Eliot's right. It's just a mass-marketing con game, and it's about creating wildfire buzz. Like the modern-art world or the movie business. Any crappy product-" Sophie explained (A/N Actually, Sophie's right. As someone in the film business, getting a teaser and trailers out help not only to generate buzz, but funding to finish the movie and pay salaries, which speaking of that, I do stand with the IATSE to pay living wages and better working conditions for the true heroes of the film and theater industry, the behind the scenes crew that work long hours before the actors even show up to the set. Whether it's the production assistant corralling actors or the guys holding up the mic boom for however long a scene is, to the catering to feed the cast and crew, to the stage manager making sure everyone is at their marks, everyone is important, so give them some love next time you watch a film or see a play, no matter how big or small. And, here's a petition to support the movement: /petitions/tell-amptp-to-make-a-deal-with-behind-the-scenes-workers?source=twitter& . As someone who has been in front and behind the scenes, both are equally as important. And as someone who has been in a production where I wasn't paid to do it, but we rehearsed for long hours, almost 10 at night by the time we were done, and we started at 5, for two weeks straight, only weekends off, and I got out of school at 3, and I got up do get to school at 5:45 in the morning to get ready, it's very draining. I ended up being a bit of a bitch during that time because I was so exhausted from the lack of sleep and was slipping in school because I was so drained, we need better conditions and pay.).
"Wha - Baby Joy Rage is not crappy." Parker argued.
"It's crappy." Hardison argued.
"Any misunderstood product can make billions as long as it has the right buzz." Sophie explained.
"We just have to get Hazlit to notice it." I realized.
Third Person POV
There was an expo happening for the release of the new toys for Christmas. Hardison and Nate were following Hazlit and his assistant, who was talking about an index predicting market value. Hardison told Nate Hazlit had a vice grip on retail giants Joylanida's premium shelf space, and companies fought hard for the space.
Nate told Sophie over comms she was the new competition, and to get the contract. Sophie was at the expo, asking someone for all the good stuff cause her toy was gonna be massive. The man she was talking to said he's heard that before, but Sophie assured her she wasn't lying, and he has a 95% sell-through rate. She left, telling the guy it was gonna be massive, and she was staying at The Lamy.
Hardison and Nate watched. Hardison told Nate Hazlit was just gonna outbid them. Nate said it was fine, and the bid was just to get his attention, and the next part was harder, as they had to get kids to like a toy they never wanted.
They went back to the office, and Hardison crunched some numbers, pulling up a map of Oregon with the cities and town highlighted in red, dark blue, light blue, and green. Nate said they had to find the right place to start a toy craze. Hardison explained that he had run an algorithm on all the Portland zip codes to find the most likely nexus to start a toy craze. Hardison pointed out which areas were the most likely to start a craze cause of the influential families. Hardison said there was a place in common with the influential, different families, which Hardison pulled up a picture of a farmer's market, which Nate liked. Hardison suggested they go set up a booth and start a grassroots-type craze. Nate liked the idea.
Hardison added he'd get a vendor's license to sell the toy. Nate interrupted, saying he had a better idea. Hardison questioned if he meant no to the farmer's market. Nate said he liked the farmer's market, but not for selling the toy there. Hardison questioned why they weren't. Nate said they were gonna use a method more effective than selling.
Eliot and Kaira were giving away the toy for free. Kaira was kinda amused at all the kids surrounding them, wanting the toy. Hardison realized it was the drug dealer method, which he didn't approve of. Nate explained the first taste was free, word spreads, keeps them coming back for more. Nate then said they had to get the toy in the hands of a tastemaker, someone who told another people what to buy.
Nate then asked Hardison who the most influential tastemakers were, which Hardison said celebrities. Hardison got one, a preteen girl named Sandy Mateo.
Sophie met with Sandy at the farmer's market, talking about her large bag, and put the doll in while Sandy wasn't paying attention. Hardison took some pictures of Sandy with the doll. Back at the office, Hardison shared the photos, making it seem like they had an endorsement from Sandy.
Nate explained the next step was scarcity, making it seem like the toy was rare. Sophie used her theater students to help make the scarcity happen by calling the stores asking for the doll.
First Person POV (Kaira)
Well, our toy craze for the creepy doll seemed to be working. We all met at the briefing table, where Hardison showed us the numbers. Ever since I found out I was expecting, I was wearing baggier clothes, cause while I wasn't really showing, I didn't want to take chances. And so far, my ruse was working. Hardison was at the screen, showing the saturation numbers.
"Baby Joy Rage's media saturation number's hovering around 62%." Hardison explained.
"It's not enough. We need it to be at least 89%." Sophie explained.
"Santa's little helper here is right - the doll's a bust." Eliot said.
"We need time we don't have." I added.
"Whirlie stupid thing would have done worse." Parker argued with Eliot.
"And you're an expert on this because?" Eliot argued with Parker.
"Guys." Nate tried to stop them.
"Because I was there. It spoke to me." Parker explained.
"It spoke to you?" Eliot questioned her.
I groaned.
"Yes, it reminded me of a toy my social worker used to make me do exercises with." Parker explained.
"Are you kidding me with that?" Eliot argued.
"Like you listen all the time, babe." I about smacked Eliot.
"Guys, just settle down." Sophie scolded us.
"Wait a minute. Exercises. What kind of exercises?" Nate asked Parker.
"Identifying emotions or something l guess." Parker said.
I saw the lightbulb moment Nate had.
"That's it. That's it. It's obvious. We can't con a 6-year-old. You know who we can con? Their parents." Nate pointed out.
Something about what we were doing didn't sit right with me. Maybe because I was about to be a parent, and we were playing on fears of parents. Maybe I was just overreacting. Nate told us the plan.
"Okay. So, Hardison, you get on that lecture thing. Eliot, Kaira, you get on the mommies." Nate said.
I try not to react, though I was cursing inside. Did Nate know? No, we've been careful about our language around Nate.
"And he doesn't mean that literally." Hardison tried joking with Eliot.
I groaned.
"Oh, piss off, Hardison." I questioned Hardison as we both stood up.
"That joke is never funny." Eliot argued.
"It's always funny." Hardison argued.
"No, it's not, Hardison. Comedy's about timing, and you don't have it!" Eliot argued.
This could actually work in our favor, cause I had a doctor's appointment later and needed an excuse to leave.
Third Person POV
Parker questioned if this was gonna work. Nate assured her it would, asking Parker what parent's are most afraid of. Parker said clown, Nate told her no, then Parker guessed evil clown, still a no from Nate, then Parker guessed crazy clowns called Geegee who whisper your name under your bed. Nate said no, and that parents are afraid that their kids aren't gonna be successful and they're not gonna be able to compete with other kids and be left behind.
Sophie said they'd pitch the toy as a developmental tool, and a child would use it to access emotions. Nate said it was gonna work, and said they needed a new name for the doll. Parker suggested it be not Crazy Geegee. Nate declined the suggestion. Sophie suggested Baby Feels-A-Lot. Nate questioned her, leading Sophie to set up a pitch for them as she got her coat on and left. Nate was impressed, maybe slightly turned on.
Parker asked if this con was wrong, messing with Christmas presents and playing into parents' fears, and if Nate felt guilty, given it was Christmas. Nate said he didn't. Parker said she did. Nate asked why. Parker said it was just because. Nate asked Parker why people give each other gifts on Christmas. Parker said it was to be nice.
Nate then went on a rant about how people bought gifts because corporations programmed people to make them get these presents because they had to, and playing into parents' fears and manipulating toys was Christmas. Then he left, leaving Parker at the table.
First Person POV (Kaira)
Eliot and I helped Hardison with his lecture. Eliot filmed Hardison, he was dressed in black, looking like Steve Jobs, going into this rant about how children were not allowed to communicate, and it was affecting them, then talked about how the toy could help them communicate. I ran the PowerPoint slideshow that was projecting behind him. Hardison ended his lecture. (A/N I'm kind of laughing writing this cause I'm just imagining the blooper where Aldis is filming the lecture, and he shakes the doll, and its head popped off, and Aldis just puts his elbow on the table and then breaks out laughing as Christian grabbed the doll head to put back on the body, laughing his ass off.)
"All right. Cut." Eliot called, stopping the recording.
"Nice job, Hardison." I complimented Hardison.
"Dude, how did you come up with this crap?" Eliot asked Hardison.
"I studied early childhood development. Look, man, video's done. I make it seem like I'm talking to hundreds, upload it to the blogger-mom sites, we're good to go." Hardison explained.
"Dude, blogger moms?" Eliot groaned.
"Yes, blogger moms. They talk about parenthood, schools, life at home. Look. you get one of these sites to endorse you, your toy's gonna go viral - trust me." Hardison explained.
I kinda chuckled a bit. I mean, it was kind of funny, but it made the most sense. I also made a mental note to check out these sites some time. Hardison pulled up one of the blogger mom sites, called "Chardonnay Mom", which awesome name. Eliot was impressed.
"That's a blogger mom?" Eliot questioned.
"Uh, Chardonnay Mom? Yeah, that's Allie Stanbrook, man. She runs one of the top blogger sites in the nation. She's local, too - PDX, baby." Hardison explained.
I could see the debating look on Eliot's face and him scratching the back of his head, causing me to suppress a smile, cause it was kinda funny.
"All right. Look. Listen to me. If I'm gonna do this, all right, I want to - I want to be tough dad. You know what I mean? Cool dad. Just enough to turn her head. Don't go overboard on this. Keep it simple. You know, someone who's-who's not afraid to make a PB&J, okay, but still wants to go out in the yard, get dirty, kick the soccer ball around a little bit - strict… but fair." Eliot ranted.
Eliot and I shared a look, and I realized he was actually being honest. I looked at Hardison.
"And if I'm gonna do this as well, I wanna be cool, strong mom, someone who a kid could look up to. Willing to back up any decision the kid makes, but tough. Fair and cool." I told Hardison.
I shot Eliot a look, showing him I was honest. Hardison got us our covers and we left.
Eliot and I were gonna meet the blogger moms at a park. Eliot was driving, and I was sitting in the passenger seat. I was looking outside, watching the building's pass by, then trees.
My brain blanks out, and I start just thinking. Thinking about whether I wanted a boy or a girl. I was also thinking about names. I could name my daughter after my sister, Kasey, or my mom. Lilly maybe? Nah that didn't feel right. I could name my son after Eliot, my dad, my uncle Leo? Maybe. I then look down at my stomach, placing my hand on it. I had an image of what our son or daughter would look like.
I then felt Eliot squeeze my thigh, bringing my back from my daze.
"Hey, mama, you okay?" Eliot asked me.
I gave a soft smile, looking at him.
"Yeah. Sorry. I was thinking." I told Eliot.
"Thing about what?" Eliot asked.
"Thinkin' of whether I wanted a boy or a girl. Names and that." I chuckled, looking at Eliot.
"Which one do you want? Boy or girl?" Eliot asked me.
I chuckled.
"It doesn't matter to me. As long as they are healthy. What about you?" I asked Eliot.
He thought a moment and chuckled.
"Girl. The world doesn't need more Eliot Spencers." Eliot chuckled.
"Sure it does." I smiled back, chuckled.
Eliot smiled.
"What about names?" I asked Eliot.
"If it's a girl, we could make her after your mom, and if it's a boy, we could name him after your old man, or your uncle." Eliot suggested.
I nodded to show I did like that idea.
"We could name our son after you." I suggested, giving Eliot a soft smile.
He smiled back.
"Maybe." Eliot said.
We pulled up to the park and parked. Eliot grabbed my hand, looking at me.
"You gonna be okay, mama?" Eliot asked me.
I nodded.
"Yeah. Just a bit anxious for later." I told him.
Eliot pulled my hand towards him and kissed my hand.
"I know. Me too. But I'm sure everything will be okay." Eliot told me.
I smiled and we met with the blogger moms. We introduced ourselves, and Eliot started telling the moms his story.
The cover story was that his alias, Carl's wife passed, and he had to raise his son Dashiel, which why the Hell Hardison chose that name, I do not know, on his own (A/N Seriously, it sounds like Destiel.) and how hard it was to communicate with him. I pretended to comfort him, then tell my own cover story where I met "Carl" after that, and how we changed each other's lives, and Dashiel was like my own son, and how the doll helped us both to communicate with him.
Of course, all the moms were gaga over Eliot being the sensitive dad, which I did find amusing, and attractive. We hugged, and got the support of the blogger moms.
We got back in the car and drove to the hospital nearby. We were both nervous. We walked in and got checked in. We waited, and not long after we got checked in, we got called back.
We waited in the room while we waited for the OBGYN. I was laying back on the bed, Eliot right beside me on a chair, holding my hand, giving small squeezes to calm us down. The OBGYN and another woman came in. The woman was young, probably still in medical school, pushing the ultrasound machine. The other was a little older, holding a clipboard. She spoke first.
"Hi! I'm Dr. Harmer, this is our student Dr. Malery." Dr. Harmer introduced them, walking up to shake our hands.
"Nice to meet you." I shook their hands.
"Kaira Spencer, right?" Dr. Malery questioned me.
"Yeah. This is my husband, Eliot." I introduced us.
Eliot shook their hands.
"Hi. Nice to meet you." Eliot said.
As Dr. Malery got the machine set up, Dr. Harmer sat on a stool on my right.
"I hear you're expecting?" Dr. Harmor questioned.
Eliot and I had goofy smiles on our faces.
"Like 98% sure?" I looked at Eliot.
"99%." Eliot corrected.
I chuckled lightly.
"I took two drugstore tests earlier, and both were positive. I had symptoms before, but just to know for sure." I explained.
"That's perfectly okay. Dr. Malery, is the ultrasound up?" She asked.
Dr. Malery nodded yes. Dr. Harmer looked back at me.
"Alright! First I'm gonna ask that you to pull up your shirt up, then Dr. Malery will apply the gel to your stomach, then we'll take a look." Dr. Harmer explained.
I nodded. I pulled up my shirt as Dr. Harmer moved to the side as Dr. Malery came over with the gel.
"We do put our gel in a warmer, but sometimes it's still cold. You ready?" Dr. Malery said.
I nodded, unable to speak from the nervousness. I flinched a bit from the coldness of the gel but managed. Dr. Malery did her thing with the wand. It was silent for a bit. Dr. Malery looked at me.
"I can see that you are at around 10 to 11 weeks pregnant, but it's too early to tell the sex. Congratulations!" Dr. Malery told us.
Eliot and I look at each other, smiling like crazy as Eliot squeezed my hand hard.
"Told you." Eliot told me.
"I know." I teased slightly.
I then catch a glimpse of Dr. Malery's face, which showed confusion. I got nervous.
"What is it?" I asked her.
"Dr. Harmer?" Dr. Marley looked at her.
Dr. Harmer looked at the screen, whispering with Dr. Malery. I felt my heart rate rise and Eliot squeezing my hand, anxious as well.
"Is everything okay with the baby?" Eliot asked.
Dr. Malery and Dr. Harmer looked at us.
"Yes. The babies are okay." Dr. Harmer revealed.
Eliot and I looked at each other, then at the doctors.
"Wait? Babies, plural?" I questioned.
"Yes, twins. Congratulations." Dr. Malery said.
Eliot and I started to try not to cry and squeezed our hand.
"You serious?" Eliot questioned, trying not to freak out.
"Yes. I'm sure. Did you want to hear the heartbeats?" Dr. Harmer asked.
Eliot and I both smiled and shook our heads. Dr. Malery pushed a button, and I could hear the two heartbeats. And I am flooded with happiness. I am almost sobbing, and Eliot's eyes are wet. Dr. Malery pushed the button again, and I didn't hear the heartbeats.
Dr. Malery took the wand away and grabbed a towel and wiped the gel off my stomach.
"Dr. Malery took some nice pictures, so we're going to get them printed out so you can take them with you. We're also gonna schedule another appointment so we can keep an eye on the babies, make sure everything's good with them, as there are a different set of risks associated with twins. We'll also get your discharge paperwork for you. That sound good?" Dr. Harmer said.
"Yeah, that sounds good." I managed to get out, putting my shirt down.
They left, shutting the door behind them. I just look at Eliot, and I can't help but smile at him as I try not to cry again. I sit at the edge of the bed, looking at Eliot.
"I'm still trying to process this. Twins?" Eliot looked at me, still in disbelief.
"I am too, babe. Yes, we're having twins!" I start laughing out of happiness as I hug Eliot.
We loosen our grip and share a kiss, trying to calm ourselves down, but right now that's impossible. After everything that's happened, this is a very nice win. And I realize for the first time in a while, I felt hope.
Eliot and I got our paperwork, and we got back to the car. Eliot and I both get in, and we just sit there.
"Oh God. We're gonna have to get two cribs, clothes for two babies." Eliot started freaking out, in a good way.
I leaned over and held his face.
"Hey, babe, I know. We'll get there. After we tell the team, we'll work on it okay?" I told Eliot.
Eliot smiled.
"Sounds good to me." Eliot looked at me.
"I can't wait to meet our little ones." Eliot out his hand on my stomach.
I put my hand on top of his.
"Me too." I smiled. I kissed his lips again.
"I love you so much, Kaira." Eliot told me.
"I love you too, Eliot." I kissed him again.
We finally drove back home, still recovering. I was pregnant with twins! I still couldn't believe it!
Third Person POV
Sophie was back at the expo, trying to sell Baby Feels-A-Lot. Hazlit approached Sophie, questioning her about her move with the smart baby. Sophie argued that well-adjusted children were today, and how in Dallas, firemen used the toy to diffuse a gun standoff in a middle school, and asked if Hazlit's toy saved lives. Hazlit was impressed.
Then Gil, the guy Sophie originally talked to about the shelf space, asking Hazlit to go talk shelves. Sophie apologized to Gil, saying she had a few minutes until her 3:15 at Mattel, asking to spare a minute to talk. Gil liked what he saw, so he told Hazlit he could wait while he talked to Sophie.
First Person POV (Kaira)
By the time Hardison had us meet at the briefing table, Eliot and I had mostly calmed down from our surprise. Nate, Hardison, Eliot, and I were gathered around the briefing table. Hardison had up the blogs for Eliot and me.
"Okay, I've written three months' worth of blogs for our sensitive dad and cool mom over here. I got prices for the braces, Dashiel's chess club-" Hardison pointed out as Eliot pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You put in there that we went to the Super Bowl?" Eliot questioned.
"Oh, yeah, man. Yeah, you even met some of the players. Now, what I was thinking - tell me what you feel. You guys go on like, a road trip cross the country, you do a tour, something like that." Hardison said as Eliot scrunched his face in annoyance, faking a smile.
I just chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah. I like that. I like that. Or - and I'm just gonna put this out there - what if I took him on a tour of all the-all the ballparks in America, Hardison, huh? Or maybe took him to the opera or the moon, huh?" Eliot asked Hardison, grumpy.
"A little sarcasm? A little sarcasm?" Hardison questioned, sarcastic.
"A little?" I looked at Hardison.
"You know, believable father-and-son stuff!" Eliot exclaimed.
I can't help but smile as I'm amused as hell.
"Alright, enough boys, please." I told them.
"Look at the picture he used, Kaira!" Eliot yelled, pointing to the cheesy photo of himself.
I can't help but chuckle.
"Eliot, I've seen you in the morning with a hangover after you've drank too much Jack. That's nothing." I argued.
"Hey! Hey! Excuse me, man. I'm sorry if this kind of writing opens me up creatively. I'm usually stuck looking at binary codes all day. Maybe I was writing the father that I wanted one day, okay? M - what's the problem with getting emotionally butt naked?" Hardison asked, and we all told him we didn't want to see that.
"I'm just trying to share my feelings on paper." Hardison argued.
"We don't want to see that. No, please. Please, don't. Now, listen, Hardison. Very happy with your creativity and everything. But what I want to know is, what do you have on the blogger moms about Eliot and Kaira?" Nate asked.
"Oh, what did the mamas say? Oh, what are they saying about the sensitive dad?" Hardison questioned sarcastically, starting to pull up the blogs.
"I got something for you. I got something for your ass. Boom. Chardonnay Mama. She cute, though. Ain't she fine?" Hardison was dripping with sarcasm.
"She is, but not like Kaira is." Eliot said, smiling at me.
"Smartass. She is, sure." I indulged Hardison's sarcasm.
"Look what she says. "Oh, this week I was introduced to an amazing new toy called Baby Feels-A-Lot, thanks to a gentleman who couldn't be a more kind, more handsome, or more sensitive, unfortunately taken, dad." You don't deserve none of that." Hardison switched to a high-pitched voice, then his normal voice.
I tried not to snicker at how impressed Eliot was.
"How are we doing with the toy's popularity?" Nate asked.
"Saturation indexes are ticking up cause I did my job." Hardison said, showing the graph.
"All right. Sophie, what's Hazlit up to?" Nate went on comms.
Third Person POV
Sophie was talking with Gil, getting a bit flirty, laughing. Gil then excused himself when he saw Hazlit. Sophie then approached Hazlit, pointing out he was nervous. Hazlit said 1989 when 25 macheted Contras wanting to kill him in a Honduran rainforest, he was nervous. He said this was nothing, and he earned the Contras respect, and it taught him one thing.
Sophie asked what it was. Hazlit said Plata O Plomo, which Sophie translated to silver or lead. Hazlit explained that taking a bribe gives silver, or got a bullet, the lead, which were gonna be Gil's options in the next few minutes. Hazlit then told Sophie that behind door number 1 was $80,000 in cash, or Sophie could look inside a folder for the lead.
Sophie picked lead, which were photos of Barton on a trip to Cabo that his missus wouldn't want to see, and asked Sophie which one Gil was gonna pick. Sophie told Hazlit he played dirty. Hazlit told Sophie she had no idea, but in a flirty way. Hazlit added that without Joylandia, Sophie's doll would go bye.
Sophie went back to the office later, telling Nate and Hardison that Hazlit was blackmailing Gil to get her shelf space, and he thought it was turning her on. Sophie then gagged, saying Hazlit was a menace. Nate said that since he's a menace, they would become more of a menace. Nate then asked Hardison how the sales were.
Hardison pulled up the sales, explaing that Sophie's theater group added to the demand, but parent's were buying 52% of their gifts online. Nate realized this meant upping the toy's online presence, and Sophie added the presales. Nate explained that when the presales went through the roof, Hazlit was gonna want to buy in, so they'd set a meet between him and the owner of Lucky Beans Toys, played by Nate.
Hardison just said alright, getting Nate's attention at how sad he was. Hardison tried brushing it off, but he eventually explained that he talked to Parker and they were a little down about Christmas, how they thought they were ruining the holiday. Nate, being the Scrooge he is, explained to Hardison that Christmas was already ruined, and asked Hardison how it began. Sophie told Nate no, but Hardison thought it was a fat guy in a chimney.
Nate then went on a rant, explaining that Christmas began as a Pagan Pre-Roman feast involving the sacrifice of children. He then left.
Sophie and Hardison just stood there. Hardison asked Sophie if he was serious, and Sophie just put her elbows on the table, shrugging her shoulders. Hardison said he felt like he got sucker-punched by an elf-hating, Scrooge-loving, no-gift-giving anti-Claus, then asked Sophie if he was bleeding, touching his lip. Sophie said a little bit.
Thanks to them getting the pre-sales up, Hazlit asked Sophie to meet him at a hotel bar. They both ordered martinis. Sophie questioned Hazlit, since he took her shelf space and then took her out for drinks, clicking her tongue. Hazlit said maybe was wrong, underestimating the doll. Sophie was intrigued.
Hazlit said he was a sensible businessman, asking to meet the owner, and Sophie could be his backchannel, and they could do business, but implied more personal business could be involved. Sophie asked what was in it for her, cause if Hazlit made a move on Baby Feels-A-Lot she was out of a job. Hazlit said a quarter-point of the gross on the deal, which would compensate Sophie well. Sophie explained it was enticing, but she had to warn him about the owner, Earl Greipel, the owner, and he was eccentric and hostile about selling his company. Hazlit said most the indie toy guys were nuts until they saw the number of zeros he put on a check.
Sophie made the offer of half a point of the gross, a $21K finder's fee, and a V.P position at Poggio Toys. Hazlit was kinda turned on, saying Sophie was good, and she had a deal. He then asked if she was available. Sophie said she wasn't and was married. Hazlit said he didn't ask that. Sophie told Hazlit to stick to business, for now, leaving. (A/N Seriously, what an ass. If anyone doesn't say yes, then it's a no. Simple as that.)
Hardison and Parker were outside of the office of Lucky Beans Toys in Lucille. Hardison told Parker that Hazlit was on the hook for Baby Feels-A-Lot, and that Parker was right all along. Parker pointed out that Hardison doubted her just like the rest, giving Hardison a look. Hardison tried brushing it off, maybe slightly worried Parker was gonna kick his ass. Parker got on the phone to clear an office for them, claiming a gas leak, yelling at the end to get everyone out immediately, causing Hardison to jump. Parker asked if it worked, and if Hardison jumped, which Hardison didn't lie.
Later on, Nate and Sophie had a meeting with Hazlit. Nate played into the eccentrics, and played hardball, eventually denying any offer. Sophie met with Hazlit outside the office, telling him that if he made a fast, large offer, and Nate would bite. Sophie pointed out she knew corporate guys were slow, letting lawyers do all the work, and if Nate got hinky, it was over. Hazlit asked for a sample of the toy, asking to run a safety study.
Sophie asked why they didn't just fudge the safety numbers down the road. Hazlit was turned on, saying they would be great together. He then told Sophie he would overnight an expedited study using his company's license, and he'd have Sophie call him tomorrow with Nate's offer. Sophie offered him the doll, but was hesitant. Hazlit assured her he was holding her, before Sophie cut him off before he finished, warning him not to say it.
The next day, Sophie met Hazlit as the same spot for drinks, where she told Hazlit that she had a figure. Hazlit stopped her, saying he had no interest in buying the doll or the company, and he did the safety study to get the toy's specs. Sophie asked what for. Hazlit said a knock-off that'll undercut the Baby Feels-A-Lot price point by 40%, even the name sounded cheap. And that afternoon at his press conference, he would announce it along with his Chubby Snubby Dog, and thanked her for the free buzz.
Sophie told Hazlit his knock-off wouldn't replace the real doll. Hazlit told Sophie he had three floors of high paid fun-gineers who were already amping up the happiness factor on the doll like she wouldn't believe, and that Mr. Greipal might make toys with love on the inside, but his were made with petroleum-based plastics and the blood, sweat, and tears of third-world 11-year olds, and she couldn't beat it.
He asked her to celebrate with him. Sophie was about to tell Hazlit he was a, probably ended with either ass or wanker, but Hazlit interrupted, saying he was the male version of her, then said the weirdest thing he's ever said the con, "who doesn't dream of dating themselves, right?" (A/N Why did Loki pop into my mind?) Sophie sighed, and went to leave, disgusted.
And later that afternoon at the conference, Nate and Sophie watched as Hazlit was crowded by reporters, originally saying he was going to take questions after the launch celebration, but then Hazlit found out about the recall. Hazlit was confused, then a reporter said the safety study failed, so there was likely gonna be a recall after the government released the failed study released that morning. Hazlit was confused.
Here's how it happened: Hardison got the company license and information to submit a study when Hazlit sent in Baby Feels-A-Lot to be studied. And since the Consumer Product Safety Commission regulated toys and had the power to recall toys, Hardison sent in the Chubby Snubby Dog to be tested. And earlier in the morning, Eliot and Kaira met with Allie, Chardonnay Mom, to give her the failed safety study, saying a follower sent it to him, asking for help in spreading it around. Allie was very eager to share it around.
Hazlit saw Sophie and Nate standing in the back, where Sophie gestured she was married to Nate, then they left.
First Person POV (Kaira)
Well, that couldn't have gone better! We got Chubby Snubby off the market, and Hazlit made an ass. It was late at night, and it was raining. We had Marris come over and we told him the good news. Nate was inside the bar counter, while I sat next to Eliot, then it was Hardison, Marris staning, then Parker, and Sophie on the outside of the bar.
"I-I can't believe you did it. I wish there were more people like you out there." Marris was grateful.
"You did it, Mr. Marris." Eliot told him.
"Yeah. Without you, Hazlit would still be around." Hardison said.
"And kids would've died. So thank you for coming to us." I gave a soft, thankful smile to Marris.
"I was just doing my job." Marris told us, humble.
I chuckled as Sophie got out a small yellow business card.
"Well, speaking of jobs, the chief examiner is looking for a new analyst." Sophie handed Marris the card.
He took it.
"Chief examiner?" Marris questioned.
"For the Consumer Product Safety Commission." Hardison explained.
"When he found out that he could hire the guy who took down Hazlit, he jumped at it." Nate explained.
Marris was shocked.
"I-I don't know what to say." Marris chuckled, still shocked.
"I can't thank you enough. W - Merry Christmas." Marris told us.
I smiled and chuckled.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Marris." I told him.
"Merry Christmas." Sophie told him as he left.
Nate was drinking his coffee. Parker was playing with the doll.
"Promise me those things will never hit store shelves." Eliot looked at Parker.
"Nah, I'm keeping them all to myself. I've got them lined up in my warehouse like an army of joy and rage." Parker explained, and I can't help but chuckle.
"You don't ever want to be in that warehouse alone. Ever." Hardison told us, obviously doing it before.
Then this anxiousness started happening in my stomach, and I realized now that the job was over, I should tell the team what was going on with me and Eliot. But, before I got a chance to speak, Sophie almost read my mind.
"I think it's really sad that we're so cynical about gifts. I used to - oh. I loved Christmas as a child." Sophie said.
"Yeah, well, nothing's genuine anymore." Eliot explained.
I kinda scoffed.
"I get your point, but I can't believe that. Christmas is magical. It's the emotion you put behind something that makes it genuine." I told Eliot.
"Kaira's right. No. I've been thinking about this. And you know what is genuine? Trust." Sophie said.
"Trust?" Parker questioned, and I smile.
"Yes, trust." Sophie said.
Nate chuckled.
"I think - no, seriously. I think we should give each other some trust for Christmas." Sophie explained.
"What, like that willow exercise where you fall back and someone catches you?" Parker questioned.
"No, not like that." Sophie pointed out.
"Good, because I did that once, and I dropped the person, and they had to get stitches." Parker said.
"Still hurts." Hardison said.
I try not to chuckle.
"I know." Parker gave a guilty look to Hardison.
"I just think that, well, we've been through so much together, all of us, and we should give each other something really personal this year, like, um - I don't know - a story or-or-or a secret." Sophie said.
Eliot pretended to look at a watch, exhaling as he went to leave.
"No, babe, sit your ass down, we're doing this." I may have pushed Eliot back on the stool a little rough.
"Bear with me, please. Please." Sophie begged.
We agreed, and I realize this was the perfect opportunity.
"Who's gonna go first?" Sophie asked.
I went to raise my hand, but Parker nominated Eliot. Eliot looked at me, and I give him a look, but then Nate went first.
"All right. When I was a kid… I wanted a trumpet one Christmas. My-my father played Sinatra all the time, and Sinatra had this trumpet player named "Sweets" Edison - Harry "Sweets" Edison. Great sound. Amazing. I wanted to sound just like him, you know? Christmas rolled around, and, uh, there was no trumpet. Just a pack of, uh, baseball cards. Well, my father said that Santa must have had a rough year at the track, so there's… Anyway, a couple of days later, I wake up in my bed, and at the foot of the bed is, uh, is a trumpet. I mean, it's all tarnished and dinged up - my dad probably rolled somebody for it, but… but there it is. And I, uh, I played that trumpet every day for 10 years. You know, I never-I never, uh, ended up sounding like Sweets Edison, but… So I gave it to, um, I gave it to Sam… on his 8th birthday. And that was, um… his, um first trumpet lesson was scheduled for the day, as it turns out, that he went into the hospital. And I - so he… I don't have anything left… from my childhood, but I did keep the trumpet. I keep it on the boat." Nate finished his story, and I felt a tear coming down and I was emotional.
That fear that I could lose my children like Nate did, scared me. But I had to squelch that fear quickly.
"Okay. Who's next?" Nate asked.
The team went silent, and I looked at Eliot, and he nodded to go ahead. I exhaled, trying to suppress the sudden excitement that built up.
"I'll go." I told the team.
They looked as I took a breath.
"Well, it's kind of both me and Eliot, as what I'm about to say relates to both of us." I explained, intriguing the team.
I looked at Eliot. "Should I say it, or do you want to?" I asked Eliot.
"You can tell them, I'll show the pictures." Eliot nodded.
I turned back towards the team as I felt Eliot grab the sonogram pictures from my back pocket.
"Pictures? The hell you mean pictures?" Hardison asked us.
I gave him a look to be patient.
"So, I know we weren't gonna get each other gifts, but I have a pretty big one to share with you all. Though I feel bad saying this after Nate's story." I smiled nervously as the team waited for what I was about to say.
"Well, spit it out, already." Parker was getting impatient.
I chuckled.
"I found out before this job that I'm pregnant." I revealed, the relief washing over me as the team got excited.
"Hold your horses, I'm not done." I looked at Eliot and nodded.
He put the sonogram pictures on the bar.
"Eliot, you wanna say this next bit?" I asked.
Eliot looked at the team.
"Kaira's pregnant with twins." Eliot revealed.
We all started hugging, and Hardison and Eliot did their handshake. First, Nate hugged me over the bar.
"Congratulations, kiddo. You're gonna be a good mom." Nate told me.
I smiled back.
"Thanks, Nathan." I nodded.
Then Hardison hugged me.
"Congrats, Kai!" Hardison hugged me hard, causing me to chuckle.
Then Parker hugged me.
"Can I teach your kids crime stuff?" Parker asked me.
I chuckled.
"Negotiable." I told her, a smile on our faces.
I went to hug Sophie next.
"Oh, congratulations, darling! You're gonna be an amazing mum!" Sophie smiled as we hugged.
I thanked her. And not only did I feel relieved that I didn't have to hide it anymore, but I was so happy! After the rest of team went, Eliot and I went back up to our rooms.
After we changed, we laid in bed. I was looking away from Eliot, and my mind wandered. It was this weird feeling cause part of it felt like it wasn't real. Cause this was the first time in a long time that everything was going right.
I felt Eliot's hand on my stomach, carefully turning me to face him while laying on my back. We gave a smile, and I smiled back. We leaned in and we kissed, bringing me back into focus, and forgetting all the anxiety I was feeling. I chuckled as we let go.
"You know, Kaira, I didn't think it was possible for me to fall more in love with you than I already am." Eliot told me.
I smiled at him. Then Eliot moved down and started kissing my slightly swollen stomach, causing me to giggle like crazy. He looked at my stomach.
"Hey, little ones. It's your daddy." Eliot said quietly and softly to my stomach, causing me to giggle again as Eliot moved back up.
"You're such a dork, babe." I teased lightly, chuckling.
"I know." Eliot chuckled, his hand back on my stomach.
"You okay, mama?" Eliot asked me.
"This just doesn't feel real still. Like it's some twisted sick dream and I'm gonna wake up and I'm not gonna be pregnant." I admitted to Eliot.
He moved his hand and held my face.
"Hey, this is real. We are gonna be parents to two amazing kids that you're carrying. And I love you, Kaira." Eliot said, moving his hand back down to my stomach.
I had to wipe tears from my eyes. I leaned in to kiss Eliot.
"I love you too, Eliot." I smiled.
There was a lot still to plan. Where we were gonna put the cribs, what names we were gonna pick. But the big question I realized we had to answer was what happens now? I mean, I can't be fighting while pregnant, nor would Eliot allow it, as I would be putting us at too much risk. I may not have the answer to all the questions yet, or know what I was doing entirely, but we would work through it together. Forever and always.