Small Packages

Chapter 1

Lee stepped into the bullpen and scanned the room as he tried to cover his mouth while he yawned. He caught sight of Billy and Francine standing together at the coffee station. Halfheartedly, he gave them a wave before he crossed the room to join them. "Hey, Francine, do me a favor and make mine a double," he groaned as she began to pour him a cup of the aromatic black liquid.

"Let me guess,… insomnia?" she teased. She handed him a generic mug and smiled as she waited for his reply.

"Nope," Lee muttered as he gulped the coffee. He grimaced after swallowing and shook his head, "What the hell is this? Coffee flavored mud?"

Francine gave him another silly grin as she stated, "No, that's the new Robusta blend they started supplying down here in the bullpen. What it lacks in taste it makes up for in caffeine. I guess someone's a little concerned we might be sleeping on the job."

Lee took another sip and grimaced again, "Well, then, this might be exactly what I need."

"How is Amanda feeling today, Scarecrow?" Billy asked politely.

"Well, that depends on how you look at it," Lee groaned. "She was asleep in the recliner when I left."

Francine blinked several times before she tentatively stated, "That doesn't sound too bad."

"No, it doesn't," Lee responded before he added, "Considering we were at the hospital until two this morning."

"Oh, no. Again?" Francine groaned.

Lee closed his eyes and nodded, "Yup. Only this time, it was because the girls must have been practicing some kind of dance or soccer kicks or something because one of them kicked Amanda's diaphragm so hard, she couldn't breathe. Then, one of the little spawns planted her foot right alongside Amanda's ribcage and pushed hard enough you could count every toe clearly."

Billy covered his face as he tried hard not to laugh, "Spawns, Scarecrow? These are your children you're referring to."

Lee bobbed his head as he inhaled sharply, "Yup, they are. And, I think they are already giving us payback for all the times I acted like a jerk. It took the nurses almost an hour to get Amanda comfortable. She was in so much pain at that point; I can't even imagine what labor is going to look like."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing she doesn't have much longer, then, isn't it?" Billy asked cheerfully.

Lee sighed again, "Considering she's on complete bed rest now until they decide to make their grand entrance, she still has three weeks until her due date. The doctor keeps telling us he's amazed at how well Amanda is doing. Her blood pressure is good. Her weight is right on target, even though she'd argue with you on that one. The girls are measuring good sizes despite there are two of them in there."

"Does he think she'll go that long?" Billy asked as he began walking to his office, leading Lee and Francine.

"It's hard to say, especially after the early labor scare we had a few weeks ago," Lee admitted.

Francine piped up, "Well, being on bed rest should keep her confined a bit, right?"

"Ha ha," Lee chuckled. "Being on bed rest for Amanda simply means she can't do everything herself. It doesn't stop her from barking out orders from whatever spot she's currently resting in. Yesterday, before all the excitement began, she was sitting in the rocking chair in the girls' room, instructing me on how to stack the diapers on the changing table."

Billy held the door open for Lee and Francine to enter his office as he explained, "Well, Scarecrow, you've got to remember, Amanda's been through this before. She has more experience when it comes to infants, and she might have her own way of doing things."

Lee dropped onto the couch against the wall and sighed heavily, "I know. And she can't help feeling uncomfortable all the time."

"Have you decided on names finally?" Francine teased.

Lee shook his head, "No, that's another thing. We can't come to an agreement." He dropped his head back and groaned, "They'll probably be graduating college by the time we figure this out."

Billy chuckled loudly and assured him, "I don't think it'll be quite that long. You'll come up with a compromise, I'm sure. Just remember, this is the first of many tough decisions you're going to have to make on their behalf."

Lee groaned again, "If that's the case, I want a do-over."

Francine laughed again, "Are you saying you don't enjoy living like a normal person. Life in the suburbs is too much, even for you?"

Lee sat up and glared at her, "No, what I mean, is if I can go back to the time when we started discussing names, I would have made some different choices. That's all." He ran his hands through his hair, "I never thought my life would have taken the turn that it did, but I wouldn't trade it for the world now."

"Even if it meant losing Dotty?" Francine challenged with a grin.

Lee stood slowly and crossed the office to stand before her, "Knowing Dotty the way I do now… she scares me more than any intelligence interrogator I've ever encountered. She keeps us on our toes, that's for sure." Before Lee could continue, they were interrupted by a loud chirping sound coming from Lee's belt. Lee looked down and read the number on the pager attached to his belt. "Billy, can I borrow your phone?"

Billy gestured toward the cradle on his desk, "Of course. Let me guess. Amanda?"

Lee nodded as he lifted the receiver and punched the keys for their home number. "Hey, what's wrong?" He listened for a few seconds, groaned loudly, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Okay, I'll be home in about a half-hour. Traffic was pretty heavy this morning." He listened again, rolled his eyes, and insisted, "Yeah, a half-hour. I'll be there. Don't move." He hung up the phone and looked up to two sets of raised eyebrows staring at him. "Um… I gotta run back to the house. Dotty went to the store, and Amanda tried to fold some laundry. When she leaned forward, one of the girls got her foot stuck again. The doctor at the hospital showed me how to gently push it out of the way in case it happened again."

Francine couldn't hide the grin she was now sporting, "Leave it to Scarecrow to rush in and be the hero to not one, but three damsels in distress."

"Can it, Francine, or next time, I'm making you come along with me. Or better yet, maybe you should come to the birthing classes with us. We have two left. I mean, you never know what's going to happen and when. After all, you could have to be Amanda's coach if I'm tied up somewhere. Look at what happened a few months ago when I had to deliver that poor girl's baby," Lee teased.

Francine straightened her spine and smoothed her hair back with one hand, "No, I think that's outside of my duties as a friend, Scarecrow. It's not that I don't care for you and Amanda, but… just… no."

Billy shook his head at the playful banter between them and waved his hand, "You better get moving, Scarecrow. You don't want to keep Amanda in that position for too long. Get back when you can."

"Thanks, Billy," Lee replied as he opened the office door. He jogged toward the elevators, muttering, "Hold on, Amanda… I'm on my way."