I was beginning to show when I saw Dan and Phil again, this time, at the clinic. To me, I looked bloated but PJ said I looked fine, glowing in fact. I blushed and told him to sod off. Nothing happened the night Dan went back besides me and PJ falling asleep together. I had told PJ that the last thing I was looking for was a relationship and I also couldn't handle falling in love right now, but I didn't tell him that part. He said he respected my wishes and would help me in anyway he could.
Now we were walking into the clinic.
"Sorry sir, but you can't go back there." The secretary informed PJ as we were heading back into the examination room.
"That's fine." PJ smiled through gritted teeth. I knew he wanted to be apart of this as much as Dan and Phil, so I lied.
"But he's the father." I placed a hand on my stomach protectively and grabbed his hand with my other hand.
She looked baffled for a second then said "Proceed." and we did.
"I'll be in in a sec." I told PJ grabbing a dressing gown and dropped him off outside the examination room.
"Wait, why did you lie?" He called after me, but I pretended not to hear him as I rushed into the dressing room.
"Hello everyone." I smiled at Dan, Phil, Nadia, and PJ.
"Morning Jennifer." Phil beamed, holding Dan's hand.
"Is it alright if he's in here?" Nadia asked me, pointing at PJ. My heart shifted up into my throat as I hopped up on the table and laid down.
"Is it? I asked.
"If it's alright with you, I can't throw him out." Nadia said, getting the equipment ready as she did so.
"Yeah, he's a long time friend of Dan and Phil's and a short time roommate of mine." I explained.
"And an even shorter time father to be." He whispered in my ear so no one else could hear. "PJ." He smiled, extending his hand out to Nadia as I went pink.
"Nadia." She took his hand, shook it, then went back to work. "How are you feeling Jennifer?" She asked, getting a tube of clear, blue gel from her table.
"Okay." I muttered as she squeeze some of the cold, colloidal gel onto my exposed belly. She then picked up her wand and moved it around smoothly on top of the gel. The wand was connected to a monitor which showed a black and white static covered image that moved as she moved the wand.
"If Slenderman's face pops up on that screen," Dan began but Phil shushed him. Suddenly, two tiny peanut shaped dots appeared on the screen.
"And those are your babies." Nadia pronounced with a smile. I saw Dan kiss Phil's teary cheek and felt PJ enclose his fingers around my own. "They are doing very well, but they need more time to grow." Nadia notes as she checks the size and length of the sea monkeys. "The next time we should see each other again, we will be able to hear their heartbeats."
"Well, couldn't we hear them now?" I asked slightly worried, I didn't want to have to wait a whole week to hear them. "I mean, if they're alive, then we should be able to hear them." I reasoned out loud which got the boys all to nod in agreement.
"I can try, but it might be a little faint." Nadia said getting her stethoscope out and trying to find a good place to hear it clearly. She suddenly stopped, slightly to the right of my belly button and said softly "There you are." She hooked up what looked like a little suction cup over the spot then attached it to the speakers on the monitor. "These are the heartbeats of your babies." She told Dan and Phil then turned up the volume. At first, we couldn't hear anything and then...
Ba dum bum dum, Ba dum bum dum, Ba dum bum dum.
It sounded like two beating hearts all right, but muffled as if underwater. It was the most beautiful and haunting sound I had ever heard.
To some, this sound was the end of an era. To others, a whole new beginning.
No one spoke for a very long time. The boys grabbed their vlogging cameras then recorded the screen and sound while I closed my eyes and listened to the new life growing inside of me. PJ was about to record me, but I stopped him.
"No, I don't want to be in the video or any videos. They're not mine," I looked to Dan and Phil who had already put their cameras away. "They're yours. They were never mine, they always belonged to you. So I don't want any of your fans to ever find out about me. I am just a face in the crowd to them and I'd prefer it to stay that way." Phil was tearing up and nodded but Dan questioned my request.
"But Jennifer, you apart of this family too! You gave us a gift that I think the fans would praise, not punish." Phil placed a hand on Dan's shoulder and squeezed.
"Dan, if that's what Jennifer wants, I don't see a point in arguing." Phil reasoned to Dan.
"Thanks for understanding." I smiled and hugged them gently as not to disturb the babies.
"Everything looks great, Jennifer." Nadia smiled after the examine was over. "Now I suggest taking it easy for the next few months, it's an entirely different experience with twins than just with one baby."
"I will." I promised and went to change again.
"That was fun." PJ smiled as we all exited the clinic.
"That was amazing." Phil sighed.
"That was a wake up call." Dan muttered.
"That was hunger provoking, anyone up for tacos?" I asked, everyone laughed then agreed. We had tacos and talked about the upcoming future. The next visit to the clinic would be the one to find out if the babies were boys, girls, or one of each.
"I hope they're both girls." PJ said, slurping up a particularly stubborn piece of lettuce off his jumper.
"You don't have to raise them!" I pointed out laughing.
"True, but girls are much easier to raise than boys." He added.
"I wasn't, potty training was a nightmare for me." I remembered my mother telling me how I went behind doors and pooped.
"I hope they're both boys, because at least when we have 'the talk' I will know a hell of a lot more to say than I would for a girl." Dan said, but a worried look crossed his face. Phil noticed this then wiped it away with a smile and a kiss.
"I don't care what they are as long as they are as beautiful as you." Phil whispered to Dan but everyone could hear.
"I suppose that is a valid concern, unless they are gorgeous as you are." Dan joked back, playfully biting Phil's ear, sending a rush of blood to Phil's face.
"What do you want? Boys, girls, both?" PJ asked softly of me as Dan and Phil whispered sweet nothings to each other. I considered the question. I had had very little interaction with boys over the nearly three decades roaming this planet, as sad as that sounded but I was certainly no virgin. But the rare occasions where I was with men, it didn't normally end well. But then again, bitches be crazy...
"All I want is for Dan and Phil to be happy." I concluded, smiling to see that they were very happy to be in each other's company at that moment.
"A wise answer," PJ noted then looked at his watch. "We better get going." He said to the red faced Dan and Phil.
"So soon?" Phil asked, both checking their hair.
"We have plans." I added as PJ helped me into my coat.
"Well, see you at the next meeting then." Dan smiled, both rising to give goodbye hugs.
"We will." PJ affirmed, leaving our side of the check on the table before Dan or Phil could protest.
"Bye." I waved as we left. When we got outside, I turned to PJ who was hailing a cab. "So what plans do we have right now, Oh Great and Powerful Bullshitter." PJ guffawed before helping me into the cab.
"You'll see." PJ winked as he told the driver the address of our apartment. I leaned against him as the taxi sped through traffic and peril to get us home.
"PJ, what are you doing?" I asked. I was now sitting on the couch with my eyes closed, at PJ's order. He was walking around, rearranging and grabbing things. It was maddening not knowing what was going on as you heard things happening around you.
"Just a few finally touches..." PJ urged me to keep my eyes shut as his movements slowed and he was making the last few adjustments. "Okay... Now." I opened them and gasped.
PJ had rearranged the furniture and sheets over top of it into a mighty fortress. The floor was littered with pillows and blankets and the sheets hung off the TV in a way that made it look like a movie theater, complete with popcorn, sweets, and soda on the inside.
"PJ, this is..." I couldn't find the right word. It was speechless, I thought ironically. Then the word came to me as if it was new. "Magical." I finished with a grin. He helped me into the fort then hit play on the DVD player before turning on the screen of the television. The beginning of 'Princess Bride' started to play in front of my eyes. I turned to him. "How did you know I loved this movie?" I asked, I knew it wasn't very commonly played in American homes nowadays so I found it strange that an Italian boy would be playing it in England. How did he even get a copy of it? I thought now. He paused the movie so he wouldn't miss anything as he explained.
"When we helped you move, I saw this in your collection and since I have never seen it, thought it'd be a great movie to watch tonight." He grinned excitedly. Well that makes perfect sense, I thought as I grinned back.
"It is." I agreed. He stared at me for a very long time. "Uh PJ, the movie?" I asked turning away and growing rosey.
"Oh right." He remembered then hit play. I had not seen this movie in a long time but I still remembered every line and every scene by heart. The end came far too quickly as the grandfather began explaining about the invention of the kiss. I was quoting under my breathe until I turned my head and saw PJ staring at me in awe.
"'Since the invention of the kiss, there had been five kisses that had been rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.'" The grandfather explained as PJ and I leaned into one another personal bubbles, deeper into the uncharted territory in our relationship. "'The end.'" The grandfather pronounced, bringing us back from the moment of nearly all consuming emotion. The end played out and went to credits but PJ and I were still blushing and unable to speak. Finally PJ cleared his throat.
"Good movie." He said.
"Great movie." I said.
"Ten out of ten."
"Twenty out of ten." I finally faced him and said "PJ," He turned to face me, his green eyes looking into my hazel ones. "Can we still be friends if you kiss me?" I asked cautiously, leaning in again.
"As you wish." He smiled as our lips greeted each other for the first time. I had kissed a total of four guys and one girl in my life, but this one kiss left those entire relationships in the dust.
"Wow." We both breathed parting at last.
"Want to watch it again?" PJ asked. "I wasn't paying attention the first time around." I smiled and kissed him again.
"As you wish." I mummer as he hit play again. I didn't make it through the second time around because I fell asleep. When I woke up, the screen was off and I was lying on PJ's chest with a blanket covering the both of us. He was snoring softly so I didn't wake him as I got up and ran back to my bedroom. "So much for not falling in love." I whispered to the babies. I was red-faced as I got into bed and went back to sleep.