Hello all! Happy December first! Man where has the year gone !? So now that the spectacle of NaNoWriMo is done, I'm back on the horse for Crumbs! Whee! tayababy this one's for you!

'Thanks again for coming with me, Andrea, I really appreciate it.'

'Anytime, I just can't believe you of all people left your Valentine's planning until the last minute.'

Alexis laughed as Andrea took a turn pushing Petra's pram through the aisles at La Vie en Rose. 'Truthfully, I thought I had more time. Shane's was planning to be working nights until next week but Baccarin has an appointment on Valentine's Day so she offered to take Shane's night shift since her boyfriend's out of town. We'd planned to do ours after he was finished this work-cycle.'

'Ah, yeah, I get that. Daniel's working tonight and I'm on early tomorrow so he's home with the girls while we have grown-up girl fun.'

'Bibibibi!' Petra gurgled cheerfully from her pram, batting her hands together.

'No, no babies made tonight I think,' Andrea giggled, then gave Alexis a look as her friend perused the offerings of a rack of peignoirs. 'Although if Mumum wears something like that for Papa I cannot guarantee that.'

'Nice try, funny girl. We are back to being poster children for safe sex,' Alexis replied. 'No chance of more for you and Daniel?'

'What makes you ask?'

Alexis put back the peignoir, gave a little shrug. 'Ever since Lindsay said she and Adam started researching adoption I've had babies on my mind.'

'It happens,' Andrea agreed, then lowered her voice a little though they were alone in their section of the store. 'Remember when Daniel and I thought we might be in for number three a little while ago, just before Zane was born?'

Alexis nodded, remembering how they'd kept it quiet since two members of their wide and large family were experiencing their first pregnancies. 'Yeah, and given how things turned out for Lindsay I'm sure she's grateful for you guys keeping it quiet.'

'Well after we found out we weren't having another baby, Daniel and I both had it crystallize that we're happy with our two girls so Daniel got his... you know, he got the procedure done.'

'Oh.' Alexis fidgeted a little. Despite having gone through medical school, she always felt a little squeamish when this type of topic came up. Mostly, it was because sharing it felt like shouting through a megaphone for all to hear. 'Well...ummm...'

'Relax, it's okay,' Andrea laughed, patting Alexis' shoulder. 'Daniel and I have been together for nearly eight years and I can count on one hand the number of times he has been able to use the word 'tampon' without blushing.'

'Shane doesn't like dealing with Petra's muddy diapers.'

'See? Just think, your man is a pathologist, he deals with dead bodies as his nine to five, and he is scared of baby poop.'

'Never thought of it that way before.'

'You're welcome.' Andrea gave her a wink; she glanced at the rack Alexis stopped in front of and let out a low whistle. 'Now we're talking.'

The rack was a series of beach themed tops-and-bottoms, one meant to make the woman look like a mermaid with sexy green thigh-high stockings attached to a garter belt and a bra made of seashells, another like a naughty hula girl with a fringe-skirted pair of brasilian cut panties and a coconut top. Then Alexis saw a flash of red, white, yellow and blue stripes that caught her eye and she grinned widely.

'Oh yeah, this is just perfect,' she decided, and held it up for Andrea's inspection. 'What do you think?'

'I think that is just perfect, is right,' Andrea echoed. 'Keep things fun. People who treat Valentine's as an excuse to get all extra x-rated need a swift kick in the head.'

'Mimimi!' Petra added, and Alexis nodded.

'That's right my sweet little rock, don't let Auntie Meredeth hear that one or she might get offended.'

'Oh please, those two are always in rabbit mode. There is a reason they've got four kids born in five years.'

'Seriously, Andrea, you think he'll like it?'

'I think he'll love it, and more importantly I think he'll love that you're keeping it fun instead of trying too hard to get naughty.'

Alexis gave her a look. 'Why do I get the feeling you're trying to convince yourself of something more than me?'

'Nothing gets by you, huh?' When her friend just blinked and smiled, Andrea relented. 'Okay, as a joke, my friend Whitney from work and I got each other body jewellery for Valentine's Day. Have a look.'

Alexis waited, then bent at the knees to get a better look - and snickered. The body jewellery was indeed Valentine's Day appropriate, as it featured a couple moulded in the stainless steel, the woman on her back with her knees over the man's shoulders as he penetrated her in a modified missionary position. 'Well, it's definitely creative, I'll give Whitney that.'

'Mine to hers was a road sign that says 'Slippery When Wet' with a downward pointing arrow,' Andrea replied as she lowered her top. 'She let it slip one time after a nurses' night out she likes firemen., so I figured it was appropriate for her.'

'Are you worried Daniel won't like it, like he'll find it tacky?'

'Kinda, I mean, it's not like it's we haven't tried that move, we actually used that very position for comfort sex after we found out I was pregnant with Nessa. It's the idea of having it on display, because I don't usually go flashing my sexuality around. I'm pretty sure a few people in my life even thought I was a virgin until Daniel.'

'Well I think it's very sexy, and I bet Daniel will be reminded of that moment too. I also think that between this-' Alexis gave the hanger in her hand a little shake '-and your body jewellery both of us will be having a very happy hearts-day.'