Chapter 46

Peek-a-Boo, It's Deja Vu

Author's Note: This chapter includes another fun Easter Egg for the upcoming Marvel cross-cover: Scarecrow vs. The Multiverse.

- SMK -

The day had finally arrived. Amanda was a little over 20 weeks into her pregnancy and the appointment had been set with Dr. Marks for the ultrasound and full body scan of the baby. Lee had told Billy the day before that they'd be out that morning and would be back later in the day. At home, Dotty was giddy with anticipation to learn the gender her new grandchild. "You must call me as soon as you find out. Oh, then we can start decorating the baby's room."

"I'll call you as soon as I can, Mother." Amanda said as they were getting the family out the door. While next year will be easier for Phillip as they now live right up the street from the high school, the middle school was now a bit farther away to drop off the boys. Lee was coming downstairs and walking into the kitchen.

"Are we dropping the boys off on the way?" He asked.

"Yes, that's the plan." Amanda said. "What is taking Jamie so long? He's usually down here first."

"Here I am," Jamie said. "My new room is weird. I need to fix the desk because some homework got stuck behind it."

"We can fix that this weekend." Lee said, taking a sip of coffee. "For now, can you just put it back in your backpack when it's done?"

"Oh, it's getting late." Amanda said. "Everyone out the door." The morning routine had been a little awkward as they adapted to the new home. "Bye Mother." She kissed her. "I'll call you later."

- SMK -

After dropping off the boys, Amanda and Lee made it to Dr. Marks's office. It seemed to take forever for Dr. Marks to come into the room. Lee, being Lee, and uncomfortable in any doctor's office, regardless of whether or not he was the patient, kept fidgeting and fiddling with things. When the examining room door opened, he stopped touching the equipment. Amanda just shook her head with the realization she may actually have four children now.

"Good Morning, Mr. And Mrs. Stetson." She said. "Congratulations, you're married now. Are you two ready to peak in on your baby?"

"Yes!" Lee said, uncharacteristically enthusiastic.

"I'm looking forward to this,." Amanda said leaning back on the table, "the technology has advanced so much since I had the boys." Dr. Marks turned down the lights and opened the gown exposing Amanda's rounded belly.

"Ok, this will be a little cold," she said squirting on the gel. "Let's see what's going on." She moved the transducer probe over her belly producing a black and while image on the screen. As she moved it, the baby came into view.

"Woah, you can actually see the baby." Lee was fascinated.

"Everything looks really good. I'm going to take some measurements." She moved the probe around a bit more so the heart was in better view, fluttering away producing a rapid heartbeat again. "Good strong heartbeat. So far, everything looks healthy."

"Wow, this is incredible." Amanda was throughly engrossed. They saw the baby wiggling and moving its hands and feet.

"Okay, let's see if it's a boy or a girl," Dr. Marks said. "At this point, the sex organs should be formed." The baby moved a little actually giving a better angle. "There we go, thank you, Baby." The doctor's voice became like a strange, far away echo and an unusual sense of deja vu took over Lee like he was remembering a dream. Then, as quickly as it came it was gone.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" Lee asked, not looking at the screen, but rather appeared distracted. Amanda looked at him, puzzled.

"Could you tell from the image, Mr. Stetson?." Dr Marks asked, a bit surprised.. "You're right, it is a girl."

"Oh my gosh," Amanda squealed with delight, tears in her eyes. "We're having a girl!" 0

"I just had this feeling. Wow, a daughter." Lee looking like he'd had some strange out of body experience. He did not know what it was that came over him, but it left him with a sense of peace. They watched as the doctor finished scanning the baby as she wiggled and moved.

"She's an active little one," the doctor said.

"Look at those little fingers," Lee said now enraptured at the sight of his daughter. "She's amazing."

"So everything looks normal? Healthy?" Amanda asked

"Yes, she's a perfect size, she may be on the bigger side, but everything appears to be developing nicely. Congratulations. Let me take some images you can share with family and friends." The medical assistant helped the doctor print off some photos and handed them to Lee.

"Your daughter, Sir." She smiled. Lee took the photos with a grin from ear to ear.

- SMK -

After the rest of the testing was complete, Lee and Amanda left the appointment and Amanda called her mother from the lobby.

"Yes, Mother, it's a girl" She said. "I know, Lee and I are thrilled. Yes. We can celebrate tonight. We'll see you later. Bye bye."

"How excited was she?" Lee asked.

"There are no words." Amanda chuckled "Clearly she's overjoyed at the thought of a granddaughter."

"I'm pretty overjoyed myself." Lee said. "A little girl." He hadn't stopped smiling since leaving the doctor's office.

"Hope she has her daddy's beautiful eyes.' Amanda beamed, then was curious by Lee's odd behavior in the doctor's office. "What was that, by the way? When you asked if she was a girl? You looked like you were off somewhere else."

"I don't know if I can even explain it. It was almost like deja vu where for a split second I felt like I saw her, but I can't remember it now."

"Well, that's new" Amanda asked. "Have you ever had that happen before?"

"It's happened a couple times since Thanksgiving weekend. But who knows, I've also been having dreams of a guy with tentacles and a talking raccoon, so it may just be going crazy." He shook his head. "For now, I'm over the moon." Amanda smiled at her husband's clear jubilation.

"Let's go tell everyone!"

- SMK -

They arrived at the agency walking through the bullpen and over to Billy's office. Francine saw them come in, so Lee motioned her over.

"Come on in, Scarecrow!" Billy smiled. "Well?" Lee and Amanda looked at each other.

"It's a girl!" They said together. Lee pulled out the ultrasound photos. "Here is our daughter."

"Oh, she's a beauty." Billy said. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah," Amanda said. "The doctor says she looks perfectly healthy and a good size."

"It feels good to call her she instead of it". Lee could not stop beaming.

"She looks like a little transparent person." Francine said as only she could. Clearly not a baby person. "Congratulations, both of you." She smiled, looking genuinely happy for both of them.

"Yes, Congratulations." Billy said.

As was normal for the agency, the word got around quickly that Amanda was not only pregnant, but that they were having a girl. The irony was not lost that Scarecrow, a one time womanizer, would be having a daughter.

- SMK -

They made their way to the Q Bureau. Kristen had been up there working.

"Hey, you two," Kristen said. "Well?"

"It's a girl," Amanda said.

"Hurray!" She said, jumping up to hug both of them. "You are in trouble," she teased Lee. "She is going to have you wrapped around her little finger."

"I think she already has." Lee said with a huge smile as he put his hand on Amanda's belly.

"Oh yeah, he's in trouble." Kristen laughed. "You need me to tutor tonight?"

"Yeah," Amanda said. "I think Phillip has a quiz later this week. You can celebrate with us tonight."

- SMK -

A few hours later Lee and Amanda arrived at the middle school to pick up the boys. Both ran up to the car.

"Well?" Jamie asked, getting in.

"You're getting a sister," Lee said.

"Woah," Phillip said. "I don't think I was ready for that. This whole time I was thinking it was going to be a boy. Don't know why, but just did. Oh man, a sister."

"I don't know if I'm ready for a little sister." Jamie said. "But it may be kinda cool."

"Well, you have about four and half months to get used to it," Amanda said.

"I think you're both going to be some pretty incredible older brothers." Lee said. In the rear view mirror he could see Jamie smiling to himself.

As the came into the house, Jamie called out "Grandma, we're getting a little sister!"

"I know. Isn't it wonderful!" Dotty ran up to hug Lee and Amanda.

With that the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Phillip said as he walked to the front door. "Hey Kristen." He said, letting her in. She walked with him to the kitchen.

"Did you hear we're getting a sister?" Jamie said

"I did." Kristen said. "How do you two feel about that?"

"I don't know," Phillip said, clearly thinking. "I guess it will be okay."

"Yeah, I know. Aren't girls different than boys?"

"Well, duh!" Phillip barked at his brother.

"You know what I mean. They aren't into the same things as boys."

"I think it depends on the girl." Amanda said. "Just like anyone, there are different personalities."

"I think the biggest difference is the teenage years. You and Lee that will get to experience the drama the comes with having a teenage girl in the house. I know I brought on the drama." Kristen said.

"Drama?" Lee asked. "What are we in for?"

"Am I wrong about the drama?" Kristen asked Dotty.

Dotty cackled. "No, you're not. The teenage years with Amanda were a bit of a roller coaster at times."

"My mom used to say Anissa and I needed our own soap opera music."

"That's about right," Dotty said. "One day she and Debbie Ann were best friends, next day they hated each other, and then the day after that they inseparable again. But in the end, Amanda turned out wonderful. As did you."

"Aw, that's why I love you, Dotty." Kristen hugged her.

"Do you think she'll like sports?" Jamie asked

"Well, I do." Kristen said. "I went to college on an athletic scholarship and I'm a huge football fan. So yes, girls can definitely hold their own with sports. Especially if you two show her. You know, she's going to look up to both of you."

"Yeah, but girls aren't as good as boys at sports." Phillip said.

"Hold on! You think boys are better than girls at sports?" Kristen challenged him.

"Careful, Phillip." Lee chuckled. "You may not want to open that can of worms."

"Yeah, what is that supposed to mean?" Amanda exaggerated being offended.

"Have you ever run a marathon?" Kristen asked Phillip.

"No," both boys chimed in.

"Well, I've run four of them and I'll be training for the Marine Corps Marathon in the fall. The UCLA Track team won a National Championship while I was on the team. I kick box and practice taekwondo. Don't ever underestimate girls."

"Definitely true." Lee said. "I used to underestimate your mom, but she definitely taught me a lesson or two."

"So you can kick someone's butt?" Phillip asked Kristen. Lee chuckled to himself thinking of the Augie Swann takedown.

"Yes, and I'll kick yours if you don't pass this next quiz. Let's go conjugate some verbs." They walked off into the living room to study.

"Can we keep her?" Dotty asked.

- SMK -

As Kristen was leaving that evening, she pulled Lee aside. "Hey, I understand you've mastered sharp shooting. I'm having trouble with my consistency at the firing range."

"What's happening?"

"Well, one time I go in and I'm hitting the targets no problem, but another time I go and I'm all over the place. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Can you help me?"

"Of course. Listen, meet me at the Q Bureau tomorrow morning and we'll head down to the firing range."

"Thanks." She said. "You know, you are a really good dad. Amanda told me she thought it came naturally to you. I think she's right. Those boys and your little girl are really lucky to have you." Lee smiled at the vote of confidence from their friend.