“He is a wise man who does not grieve for things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” ****Epictetus

“What?” Michael stammered as he stood up abruptly from his desk. He couldn’t believe he had heard Nikita correctly.

“I’m pregnant,” Nikita spoke once more, very clearly, being careful that Michael might misconstrue her words once more.

Michael looked away from Antonio and shook his head. Then he stopped and nervously started to laugh. “Ok, honey… you got me good on that one…”
”I’m not joking…” Nikita’s voice stressed as she felt the tears rolling down her face. She had feared a reaction like this from Michael, especially since she was so conflicted about this herself.
“You aren’t?” Michael questioned as his voice dropped deeply.

“Michael…. I’m not… see, I got this call from Michelle saying that she was coming back to Paris… and that Alain and her finally decided to try to have another baby… and when she said that I realized that I was late… and I flipped out and sent Dominique to the other side of the city to buy a test…” Nikita started to quickly speak, trying to give Michael the entire story.

“When did this happen?” Michael stumbled the question out during one of Nikita’s pauses. He wasn’t sure where he was right now, but this conversation felt alien to him and it scared him. Nikita’s health was at stake, and he didn’t like it.

“Michael… the waterfall?” Nikita trembled, as she suddenly got really scared. What if what Michael had said at the waterfall isn’t true? “At least we know early enough… I mean.. we could… always make this easier…”

”NO!” Michael shouted as he got the exactly meaning of what Nikita was hinting at. “Never.”

“Michael… I just want to get to this appointment… and I need you there…” Nikita spoke bravely as she shook away her own tears. She didn’t have time for this at all.

“I’ll be where ever you need me, Kita…” Michael responded as he swallowed. “I love you.”

”I love you too,” Nikita spoke back.

“Things are going to work out,” Michael spoke as he leaned against the wall with his forehead pressed against the hard surface.

“I’m hoping that they will…”

”They will…. They always do,” Michael replied before he hung up. He closed the phone and took a deep breath, trying to stave off the thoughts of how sick Nikita was last time. Maybe that wouldn’t happen this time.

”Maybe now isn’t a good time…” Antonio spoke up moments later, seeing Michael rattled. Michael turned and shook his head. “No… I’m sorry about this…”

”Your wife?” Antonio questioned and Michael nodded his head as he moved forward, pushing back his tears. He couldn’t afford them now. He heard how upset Nikita sounded when he allowed his own worries get fed to her with his voice.

But she was pregnant.

“Maybe you should sit down?” Antonio suggested as he looked at the pale Michael. Michael turned his head and shook it slightly. “I can’t believe I thought she was joking about it… I mean, Nikita doesn’t do that stuff…”
Michael looked to the wall and remembered the pain that was on Nikita’s face during the delivery of the twins. He remembered how he made her life miserable by insisting on the extreme bed rest. He didn’t know if he could go through it again so quickly.

Antonio stood up now as Michael swayed back and forth. He didn’t even hesitate in helping Michael down into a chair. “Look… I’m new here… let me get someone…. Else…”

Antonio stepped out and was met with Davenport standing there. “He ok?”

”I don’t think so,” Antonio replied as he looked over his shoulder. Michael was hunched over and the confident man that he had read about and had just met had vanished. “I’ll take care of it… and I’ll have Michael call you when this all is over…”

”It’s going to be ok, right?” Antonio questioned. He also knew how attached Dominique was to Michael and Nikita. He hoped that this wasn’t bad news at all because if it were, Dominique would be crushed.

Davenport entered the office and Michael lifted his head. “You know…”

“Well… I was kind of in the middle of my honeymoon when Nikita frantically called Ariane… I thought I better stop by…” Davenport spoke and Michael shook his head back and forth, not even catching the honeymoon comment.

“I thought it was a joke…”

”Michael… this isn’t that bad…” Davenport tried to sooth his friend.

“Can you believe it? The one thing we were asked to do was not to get her pregnant for one year… and we can’t do it? I couldn’t do it!” Michael shouted as he tried to stand up, but again, found his knees weakened. Davenport placed his arms there and held him down, knowing that Michael, much like Nikita, loved to pace when stressed.

“Michael… things happen…” Davenport spoke and Michael shook his head. “Cut the fate crap…. I know that it was my job to make sure that my wife stays healthy… for our daughters!”

“Michael…” Davenport softly chided him and took a deep breath before walking around the desk. “We are going to make sure that Nikita is healthy… That is why Ariane agreed to see her… agreed to cut short our own honeymoon ….”

Michael stared at Davenport with a puzzled look on his face. “Honeymoon?”

”Yes… we got married two days ago… and it is only for Nikita, that we would do this…” Davenport pointed out gently. “You got the best doctor… who got Nikita through this once…”
Michael numbly nodded his head up and down, trying to feel something more than dread and worry. Each time he was about to smile, something new would pop into his mind, ruining the good thoughts about having another baby with Nikita.

What about Elizabeth?

What about Birkoff and Quinn?

What about the twins?

What about the Centre?

“Michael… you can’t worry about this now… Nikita is going to need you…” Davenport spoke before Michael could even speak of his worries. “Two o’clock…”

”Yes… Do you want to see Nikita before?” Davenport questioned and Michael shivered. “I need time…”

”For what?” Davenport inquired, not liking Michael’s tone at all.

“To pray…” Michael echoed as he finally stood up and exit the room, huffing and puffing as he escaped the office.

“Oh shit…” Davenport mumbled as he followed Michael and stopped in the hallway. Michael was off the deep end. He couldn’t even imagine what Nikita was like.

****

Dominique watched on as Nikita rubbed at her face and settled Abella down in the crib. He wasn’t quite sure what he should let Nikita do or not do. He would need Ariane to tell Nikita the limits and then inform him of the limits. For now, it appeared as if holding the children, Nikita felt more at ease. Dominique pulled himself away, knowing that he couldn’t continue to eavesdrop on Nikita’s life like this. Nikita would get him if she needed him.

Nikita settled on the couch and looked at the clock. She still had a little bit of time before she had to be in for her appointment with Ariane. Some part of her was afraid that Michael wasn’t going to be there.

He had sounded upset at her.

Nikita rolled her neck to the side and pulled up the phone, dialing the number before she even thought twice. Although her mind knew that she should wait before telling anyone else, to be absolutely sure, Nikita felt the compulsion to share. It had everything to do with Michael’s reaction. Just the thought of Nikita playing this as a joke on him brought new tears to her face.

“Hello…” Michele spoke and Nikita sighed with relief. “Hi…”

”Nikita… I thought you had something important…” Michele nervously spoke. She had been shocked with Nikita’s behavior when she had called. Michele had naturally assumed that Nikita would try to get all of the details out of her of when she was coming back to the city and where they were going to live. “I did… your conversation pointed something out to me…”

”That I’m coming back to Paris?” Michele laughed slightly, but Nikita gasped as she noticed how much Michele’s and Michael’s laughs were the same. “Michele… me and Michael weren’t very lucky…”

”Now you have me concerned…” Michele admitted as her mood sobered from Nikita’s words alone.

”We were careless.. and forgetful… even to the point…” Nikita started to ramble and then covered her mouth. She couldn’t continue on in this way or Michele would never find out. “Oh hell… Michele, I’m pregnant…”

”You are!” Michele exclaimed with glee and excitement. “I’m so happy for you!”

”You are?” Nikita questioned, sure that she was going to get the same reaction as she had gotten from Michael.

“Nikita… you are a natural mother… and Michael… he must be over the moon….” Michele stated and Nikita sighed as her heart sunk slightly. “You can say that…”

****

Nikita paced in the room, looking at the clock. The day had been hectic and she didn’t even know what to feel right now. Except that Michael was late.

Ariane walked in and patted at the examination table. Nikita shivered. “I am, right?”

”The blood work confirms it…” Ariane spoke as she looked at the table. She pulled equipment around as Nikita rubbed at her head. “I don’t know where Michael is…”
”I’m not in a rush…” Ariane whispered as she looked at Nikita. When she had seen Nikita in the hallway, she thought that Nikita was happy. Now, it appeared as if there was some stress with this and Michael.

“Hey… look who I found…” Davenport bellowed as he opened the door and pushed Michael into the room. Nikita studied him as he stepped forward and attempted to kiss her. She pushed a hand out and shook her head. “You’ve been drinking…”

”He is here now,” Davenport spoke and Nikita turned her head to the side. “I want this Michael… it’s part of you…”

”I know… Kita…” Michael sadly spoke as he looked into her eyes. “But I don’t want anything to happen to you…”

Michael dropped his head to the side and swallowed. He couldn’t seem to get the pictures and images out of his head right now. Nikita sick. Nikita in pain. Nikita miserable and sad.

“That’s why I’m here… come on… I want to examine you…and see that baby…” Ariane guided Nikita. Nikita looked at Michael and shivered at his distance. Nikita was clamping up and Ariane wanted to slug Michael for this move. “Michael… why don’t you help Nikita sit back?”

Michael did as he was told, helping Nikita and then touching her hair. “Do you feel alright?”

”I feel fine, Michael… That’s probably why I didn’t even know until Michele said something about becoming pregnant…” Nikita stated softy as she looked at her husband’s slightly foggy eyes. Nikita was so focused on Michael that neither of them noticed Ariane handing Davenport the blood work report and the shaking head.

“Michele? Is pregnant too?” Michael questioned, as he was scared of that possibility. Nikita shook her head as she kissed Michael’s hand. “No… but she is coming back to Paris… and she has been talking about having another baby… she isn’t pregnant…”

”Oh… that’s good… well… I think…” Michael mumbled and Nikita nodded her head. She looked at Michael and how innocent he appeared right now. “Michael… I’m sorry… I should have known to put the diaphragm in… I know…”

”Shhh… it’s my fault… I just assumed…” Michael replied as he started to cry again, only causing Nikita to start crying. Ariane cleared her throat and looked at Nikita. “I want to do an ultrasound…”

”Why? Isn’t it early?” Nikita questioned as she partially sat up. Michael rubbed at Nikita, but his face was filled with as much or more fear than Nikita’s face.

“There is something in the blood work that I want to either confirm or negate right off the bat…” Ariane explained and Nikita nodded her head. She sat back and closed her eyes. “Birkoff and Quinn are going to hate me…”

”We can’t worry about that…” Michael spoke as he found it difficult to breath once more. Nikita groaned as Ariane worked. Both Michael and Nikita were consumed with feelings of guilt, that they barely even watched Ariane and Davenport. “Rotate it just a hair…” Davenport spoke as he leaned in and stared at the screen. He popped in a videotape, knowing that they were going to have to document this. They would probably show this to a couple other doctors.

“There…” Ariane spoke as she pointed to the screen and looked back to Davenport instead of Nikita. Michael’s head now perked up as he heard the words. “What is it?”

”Nikita… Michael… you both must be very fertile…” Ariane spoke as she shivered. She didn’t like Nikita being pregnant with one baby this soon after the twins. This turned her stomach. Nikita looked at her and looked at Michael with a nervous laugh. “Boy… she sounds like she is going to tell us we are going to have twins again…”

”It is kind of like that déjà vu isn’t it?” Michael inquired Nikita, for the first time smiling.

Ariane looked to Davenport as he supported her back. “It is kind of like déjà vu… because you are carrying twins again…”

*************************

Heap on other men the gift of riches, but give to me the gift of the untroubled heart. ****An Ancient Poem

Michael didn’t know what to do. He wanted to jump for joy while cry out in sudden shock. He wouldn’t have to worry as suddenly, Nikita who had been holding them together, broke down into hysterical sobs while struggling to breath. “Tw-… tw-…. Twi… Twins?”

“Kita?” Michael questioned as he helped her sit up. Ariane removed equipment quickly, releasing Nikita’s legs. “Nikita….”

”No… No… it was bad when it was one…. One baby… two? Two? You can’t be serious… please…” Nikita sobbed as she shook back and forth, rocking out of Michael’s arms, despite his attempts to hold his wife. The panic he had was gone now, as he suddenly felt right about this. Nikita on the other hand was in utter shock.

”I know that this is a shock to you… but it is good that we know now…” Ariane spoke and Nikita looked to Michael and seemed to spasm. She couldn’t even form words as Michael held her against his arms. “Shh… Kita… I love all of you…”

”It isn’t fair… it… isn’t fair…” Nikita struggled as her body trembled. Davenport looked to Ariane. He had been guessing that Nikita would simply pass out with the news, but this was worse.

“Fair?” Michael questioned with fright in his voice. He was sure that right now he was feeling what Nikita had felt when she had even thought that he would want her to terminate this pregnancy. “We have to adjust to this… but we will manage…”

”It isn’t fair… to the girls…. They haven’t had us enough…” Nikita sobbed slightly as she pulled back. “How could I do this to them?”

”Nikita… they are going to love their siblings… and they are going to have lots of fun…” Michael spoke, trying to calm his wife. She held onto her head as she continued to rock back and forth by herself. Nikita stopped and looked at Michael, straight into his green eyes. “Four children… under the age of three?”

Michael looked at Nikita as his heart constricted, hearing the news as Nikita’s mind was framing it. It seemed impossible.

Ariane didn’t know what to do right now. She felt that Michael and Nikita needed to talk this out, but also felt that it was too soon to leave them alone. Michael had ingested alcohol earlier and Nikita was now in shock. Ariane was sure that Michael was in shock also, but that for now, he needed to be the strong one.

“Michael… you were drinking because of the thought of one…. Now two?” Nikita questioned as she took a deep breath as her eyes rolled. Michael looked at Nikita as Ariane and Davenport moved forward. Nikita struggled for a second, but finally allowed her body’s natural defense for this shocking news to occur. She finally passed out.

”Oh Kita… I’m sorry…” Michael whispered as he stroked at her hair. Ariane felt at Nikita’s wrist, feeling her pulse steady and looked over at Michael. “I know that you two are very private about things… but you aren’t going to be able to hide this one as long…”

”I want to enjoy this…” Michael wispily spoke as he looked at Ariane. “I don’t want to worry the entire time…”

”I understand…” Ariane smiled as she looked at Nikita. “I’m sure that you and Nikita have a lot to talk about…. I’ll be back in a half hour… to check that she is doing fine… But we will have to talk about some of the health issues…”

”You are talking about her mother…” Michael commented and Ariane stopped and swallowed. “Michael… I know that twins run on your side… but for two sets… I am wondering about Nikita’s mother… and her family…”

”I can’t do that to her…” Michael stressed and Ariane looked at Nikita and then back at Michael. “It isn’t just the fertility that is an issue… Nikita only knows her father’s side of her medical history… these days… the mother’s side is sometimes more important for a woman…”

Ariane looked at Davenport as he gravely nodded his head in agreement. He swallowed, as he knew how much Michael had gotten Nikita through. “And it wouldn’t be only for Nikita… it would be for Abella and Cerise…”

****

Walter walked into the medical clinic and looked to the back room. Something was up and he wanted to know what. He had heard rumors of Michael and Nikita being down here and now he knew that they were true. He had also heard rumors of Davenport and Ariane getting married and coming in from their honeymoon. If they came in from their honeymoon, then this was big.

“Walter… what are you doing here?” Belinda questioned as she looked at Walter and then over her shoulder. “I don’t know anything…”

”I think I do…” Walter announced as he rubbed his hands together. Belinda sighed and shook her head. “Please… can’t they just ever go through anything without you interfering?”

”I’m the grandfather… that’s my job,” Walter grumbled as he looked at the door. He pulled Belinda to the side and looked around. “But I don’t think I’m going to complain…”

”Since I know nothing about what is going on… I’m not even going to attempt to guess…” Belinda wryly spoke to her husband. Walter rolled his eyes, but couldn’t stop his body from bouncing in joy and glee. “This will be great…”

”Great?” Belinda spoke, almost wanting to know what Walter was hinting at.

“I mean… it would be a little soon… but I would never complain about this.. unless it was hurting Nikita…” Walter continued and Belinda shook her head. “We don’t know if they are in there for Nikita… it could be Michael…”

”Nope… Ariane came back… and, get this one... she came in with Davenport from their honeymoon… a cold isn’t going to drag them off of their wedding bed…” Walter rumbled as he grinned from ear to ear. Walter then began to rub his hands together as Belinda took a moment to think and then stumbled across the same thought.

Nikita was pregnant.

That was why Walter was acting like a young child at Christmas being withheld from his Christmas gifts.

”Walter… if it is the case… you got to give them space….” Belinda warned and Walter shrugged his shoulders. “Nope… it just means that we will have more reasons to spoil the twins… and I don’t want Mick to outdo me this time…”

”Walter….” Belinda sang out her warning. “Please…”

”Hey… I only came down here because I’m concerned… and there are some issues that had never been resolved…” Walter continued to speak, but he definitely wasn’t looking at Belinda. He kept darting his head around look towards the room that the foursome was in. The door opened and Walter slid away from Belinda. “Hey… I heard this rumor that you two got married?”

Ariane looked to Davenport and displayed her hand. Michael rubbed at his neck as he stood at the doorway of the examining room. Had Walter been thinking something else, he would have been worried to see Nikita passed out, but he was sure that the news of another pregnancy this soon would shock her. But it made Walter gleeful. Another great-grandchild!

“I can’t believe you know already…” Michael stated as he shook his head back and forth. Walter smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “It only makes sense…”

Michael motioned for Walter to come into the room and Ariane rolled her eyes. At least she didn’t have to play interference against Walter this time.

”So?” Walter inquired as he rubbed his hands together, looking at Nikita. Michael turned and sighed. “Yes…. But there is more…”

”How can there be more? I’m going to have another great-grandchild!” Walter happily spoke, but carefully enough not to be heard through the walls and not to disturb Nikita. He was sure that this was a huge shock to his sugar.

“We…” Michael started and then stopped as he suddenly felt like panicking. Now, Nikita’s worries popped into his mind. Four children under the age of three.

“Come on.. spill it… Are you further along than I think? Is it a boy?” Walter questioned, his mind jumping along. Michael shook his head back and forth. “She is barely six weeks pregnant…”

”Well, there can’t be much there to know… why the shock and heavy breathing?” Walter asked as he sized Michael up.

”She is carrying twins…” Michael stated and now he watched as Walter’s happy face paled slightly. “I heard this wrong…”

” We are having twins… again…” Michael confirmed and Walter continued to pale a bit more. “Two?”

”Yes, two…” Michael snapped as he rubbed at his forehead. “Right now… I just want to be happy…”

”Well…. If you were like any other man… you’d be strutting down the hallway like super stud, proclaiming that your swimmers are all mighty and are never pleased with just one…” Walter sarcastically retorted and Michael rolled his eyes slowly to Walter. There was a simmering anger there that Walter backed away from. He licked his lips and sighed. “So, when do you need me to go?”

”Go?” Michael spoke the question as he looked at Walter.

“Yeah… go find Roberta….” Walter stated and Michael froze. It was going to be asked about once more and Michael looked at Walter. “Do we know that she is still alive?”

”I probably would have heard if she had died… unless she died in the middle of a frozen tundra or her body never washed ashore…” Walter bluntly stated. “And she would be getting sicker…”

”We need a lot of answers from her…” Michael confirmed and Walter bobbed his head up and down. “Well… once things are ok with Sugar… I’ll go…”

“Thank you,” Michael whispered and Walter reddened slightly. “It’s for my granddaughter…”

”Thank you,” Michael repeated.

************

“Alain… do you think we can go back sooner?” Michele questioned as she stood in the kitchen, looking at her husband with puppy eyes. She just wanted to be in Paris right now to hug and kiss Nikita. She sounded happy but also overwhelmed. She felt guilty for being so far away.

“We have to pack… we have to find a house…” Alain protested Michele’s words. He had mentioned the possibility of being transferred back to Paris last week, but Michele didn’t really take it seriously. Then two days it was confirmed, but still, Michele was sedate about the decision. Alain wondered what had changed her mind.

”I just feel…. Like I have to be there…” Michele pointed out and Alain rolled his eyes. “That’s because Michael is there…”

”And Nikita… and Abella and Cerise… and Walter… and Belinda… and poor Quinn, which I have to actually go see because she is actually closer to us… and Birkoff… and Dominique…” Michele started to rattle and Alain placed his hands on his hips. “I thought we were going to try to work on something first…”

”This might change things…” Michele declared and Alain shut his eyes and then opened them. “You don’t want to have another baby? That’s all you have talked about for the past three years…”

”I didn’t say that either…” Michele chided her husband. “Alain… Nikita called today… she is pregnant again…”

”Already?” Alain instantly snapped and he shook his head before Michele could take his head off. “I’m sorry… that was insensitive of me… No wonder she wants you there…”

”But this is a good thing…” Michele declared as she moved her husband. She rubbed her finger against Alain’s chest before dropping it quickly to his crotch. “It might just motivate me…”

“Mmm…. But you still want to be in Paris?” Alain asked his wife as he rubbed against her groping hand. “Yes… but I can wait…”

”That’s good… because I think I have plans for the evening…”

************

Nikita stirred silently at first and then moaned as her eyes opened towards the light. She looked up at Michael and realized that her thoughts that she had been hoping were a dream, were reality. “Michael…”

”Shh…. Take it easy…” Michael guided Nikita as she sat up slowly. He kept her from swaying and rubbed at her back. “We need to talk about this…”

”I was happy earlier…” Nikita stated with a struggling smile. Michael nodded his head up and down. “I know… and I was acting like a jerk…”

”It’s ok…” Nikita stated and Michael kissed at her neck. “We are going to get through this…”

”I want this, Michael… and I don’t want to be upset… I was just… I was just…” Nikita continued, but now found it hard to complete the words.

“You were shocked… just as much as I was… Having twins once is rare…. Twice… it is a miracle…” Michael pointed out and Nikita nodded her head as she wiped at her eyes. “But I have to be honest… I’m scared…”

”I am too, Nikita… But we learned a lot from the first pregnancy…” Michael commented and Nikita laughed. “Like not jumping to conclusions?”

”Like… taking it easy and getting on a schedule?” Michael added and Nikita chuckled. “I learned that…”

”And I learned that you are an incredibly strong woman… and someone that I will admire past the day that I die…” Michael declared his love to his wife. Nikita started to cry and wiped at her tears. “This is just the hormones…”

”I know…” Michael agreed with his wife as he kissed her gently. Nikita wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. “Walter knows…”

”He didn’t blame you, did he?” Nikita immediately inquired, knowing her grandfather well by now.

“Actually, he was quite excited…. And he had just guessed it all…” Michael related the story to Nikita. She rolled her head back and found many thoughts there.

Birkoff and Quinn weren’t going to take this well, it was like Nikita was flaunting what they couldn’t have now. Davenport and Ariane had gotten married without telling anyone. Michele was coming back to town. She was going to have twins.

”Michael… There is so much…” Nikita stated but stopped as Michael placed his fingers there. “I’m going to point to what we had last time… us first… everyone else.. later…”

“Agreed,” Nikita shook on it with a grin. The door opened and Ariane stood there. “Good to see you awake..”

”I’m sorry about that…” Ariane shook her head and pulled a stool up to Nikita. “Be sorry about other things… not passing out… I was just as shocked as you were…”

”You were?” Nikita inquired and Ariane nodded her head. “The blood work had suggested it… but I had to be positive… it rarely ever happens twice…”

“I guess we are lucky,” Michael chipped in and Ariane nodded her head. Nikita tensed up and swallowed carefully. “I know that I was supposed to wait a year…”

”Yes… your body still was a bit worn down… but in the past couple months I have seen a great improvement in your health…. Of course, I think the past few weeks without the breastfeeding has helped you immensely…” Ariane spoke candidly and Nikita nodded her head as Michael sighed. He missed his milk.

”I have more energy…” Nikita confirmed for Ariane. Nikita took Michael’s hand and wrapped hers within it. “And I haven’t been sick at all…”

”Don’t complain… take what you can get…” Ariane laughed carefully. Nikita giggled as Michael kissed her neck. “We will…”

”And actually… I learned my lesson last time… I am going to trust you to come to me when there are problems… and when you need to cut back… it is important that you don’t overdo it right now…” Ariane instructed Nikita. “But I don’t think I need to go through this all with you again…”

”No… You don’t have too… I know that I have to take a nap…” Nikita commented and then started to laugh. “Of course… we’ll see…”

”I know that the Centre is going through a hard time right now… but this is important, Nikita…” Ariane pointed out once more and Nikita sighed. “I’m only six weeks, right?”

”Yes…” Ariane confirmed and Nikita looked at Michael. “We’ll find someone… we have a little bit of time…”

”That’s correct… but this pregnancy is going to be different, Nikita… You are going to start showing earlier and things might not be the same.. Most pregnancies are never the same… so I am here whenever you need me…” Ariane counseled Nikita. Nikita nodded her head up and down and then rolled her shoulders back. “Hopefully… I haven’t ruined your honeymoon…”

”At least it wasn’t the wedding night,” Ariane added with a laugh, which made everyone in the room to laugh.

****

Love is the doorway through which the human soul passes from selfishness to service and from solitude to kinship with all mankind. ****Anonymous

Michael opened the door and guided Nikita into the house. She immediately turned to the side and picked up Cerise from the floor. The girls had been underfoot for a while now and Michael had found it fun. Now it worried him as he knew of many times himself that he almost fell over them.

“Be careful…” Michael whispered as he scooped Cerise out of Nikita’s arms. Nikita turned and yanked Cerise back out of Michael’s arms. “My girls are perfectly fine for me to pick up…”

“I know… but Ariane spoke of taking it easy…” Michael commented and Nikita stiffened slightly, knowing that right now was a critical time for her pregnancy. She turned and handed Michael his daughter as Dominique entered. “Ah…. Will you be dining here tonight?”

”Why wouldn’t we?” Michael questioned and Dominique shivered, worried about what was going on. Nikita stood up and slid her hands up against Michael’s chest as Cerise tried to pull at her mother’s hair. “Michael… I thought we were going to celebrate…”

”Mmmm… you like that thought, don’t you?” Michael inquired of his wife, forgetting that Dominique was standing there. Dominique cleared his throat as he watched Abella crawl between his legs. “I was here when Nikita took the test that I bought. I think I deserve to hear the real news…”

Nikita giggled slightly as she turned, leaning her back against Michael’s body as Cerise continued to crawl and squirm around until she was back in her mother’s arms, despite Michael’s attempts to stop her.

“Come on!” Dominique exclaimed as he saw the smile on their faces. If something was wrong, there wouldn’t have been smiles and there wouldn’t have been a calm Michael and Nikita interacting with their children.

Nikita smiled at the torture that they were inflicting on Dominique. They were going to slowly announce to friends and family first of their unexpected surprise, and then later go to the staff and then the public. But that was still some time off. “The test was right….”

”And…” Michael spoke and Dominique jolted his head up, surprised that there was something more. “We are expecting twins…” Michael spoke as his freehand lightly rubbed at Nikita’s stomach. He already was waiting for the moment that her stomach started to swell with the evidence of their child there. Michael shivered with anticipation. He was worried, but he was so so happy about this.

“Twins? Again?” Dominique exclaimed before he started to jump up and down as if he had just pitched a perfect game to win the World Series. “This is so great! I’m so happy for the both of you… and the girls…”

”What if you have another set of girls?” Dominique questioned as he stopped jumping. Nikita shrugged her shoulders. “This is kind of overwhelming us…”

”Oh…” Dominique replied as he covered his mouth. “Are their restrictions?”

“Not yet…” Nikita spoke as she looked at Michael, challenging him to say something different. They both were in the room with Ariane when she started to go over things.

“Then get out of here,” Dominique stubbornly declared and Nikita looked to Michael. “No.. really… we’ll spend time with the twins…”

”You will be spending time with the twins… only not Abella and Cerise…” Dominique spoke and Nikita giggled slightly. “We did follow that advise for a long time…”

”Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, Kita…” Michael declared with a laugh from all in the room.

****

“Where were we?” Ariane questioned as Davenport walked into their bedroom. He looked at her body, spread out on the bed, rubbing the sheet next to her back and forth slowly.

“Right about…” Davenport spoke as he pealed away his clothes and then slid his arms over her. “Here..”

****

Michael opened the door to the hotel room with his hands filled with the bucket of ice and a bottle of sparkling grape juice. He looked around the room and took a deep breath as he heard the tub running in the bathroom.

The owner of the small hotel had been at the front desk when the couple he was fascinated with walked in, matching stride for stride, as close together as they humanly could be while still walking. The owner had gushed and denied Michael’s attempt for just a simple room. The owner still had the honeymoon suite opened, and it has been opened for about three weeks now. He insisted that Michael and Nikita used that room, in return for just one simple thing. A few autographs and some talk about Abella and Cerise.

The owner had told Nikita of the candles and the incense that was stored in the honeymoon suite. Michael had requested for the ice and the sparkling juice, and the owner raised his eyebrow. There was no way for Michael’s and Nikita’s joy to be contained when he guessed immediately. Hopefully, the news wouldn’t spread quickly, but for tonight, Michael didn’t care if the entire world knew, because he was going to be with his wife.

He settled the ice bucket down and then moved to the closet to retrieve the champagne flutes. He noticed that the water stopped and he heard the noise of Nikita lifting her body out of the tub. Michael slowly moved back to pour the chilled juice into the flutes as he sense that Nikita had rushed out to see him. “Hallo…”

”Hello,” Michael replied before he turned back around. Nikita stood there, her hair dried from keeping it up out of the tub, and a small terry cloth robe over her body. “Some juice?”

”Thank you,” Nikita whispered as she took the flute and looked at it. It was another way to entirely realize that this day was happening, that she was pregnant again. “You are beautiful, Kita…”

”Michael…” Nikita whispered gently as she looked at her charming husband and the new peace that had found his face. He was wholly satisfied with life and Nikita felt the warm of comfort cross her body once more. Maybe this pregnancy was unplanned, but it wasn’t unwanted.

“A notre merveilleux , notre nouveau , et le repos de notre vie…” Michael toasted them. He touched her lips with the mention of their family, and touched her stomach slightly when he mentioned the new babies and then kissed her lips before toasting their entire life. The slight cling of the champagne flutes echoed in the air and both of them sipped at the juice. Nikita then moved forward as she placed the glass down, wrapping an arm up Michael’s shoulder and to his neck. “Don’t you like the juice?”

”I’m thinking of another kind of juice I would much rather have…” Nikita naughtily spoke as she licked her lips and looked down Michael’s body. “But I would say that you are a bit overdressed…”

”Ki-ta…” Michael gently spoke as he placed his hands into her hair and stroked it back. His fingers lightly brushed her ears, his index finger rubbing the back of the ears gently as he looked into her eyes. He gently massaged at Nikita’s sculpt and head, waiting for Nikita’s blue eyes to look up at him. “I love you…. So much…. I cannot tell you…. How much I cherish…. You..”

Michael saw the sparkling of tears on her face and shook his head. “Please… don’t cry…” Michael spoke as he rubbed at the crystal tears as they reflected in the candlelight. Nikita smiled against his hand and as Michael trailed it down to her lips, Nikita kissed gently, and then suckled the fingers, not releasing them until Michael’s mouth popped open slightly with deep desire.

“I won’t….” Nikita declared as she nodded her head before taking Michael’s hands in hers. She looked at Michael and moved her mouth against his neck, feeling his pulse rapidly firing underneath the slight pressure of her lips. Nikita smiled at that crook of the neck before releasing Michael’s hands so she could realize other things. Michael rubbed his hands back to the middle of Nikita’s back and grinned as she started to tug his black shirt out of his blue jeans.

”Do you want help?” Michael offered with a chuckle. Nikita shook her head back and forth and Michael now groaned with more desire. He didn’t know if he could wait for Nikita’s deliberately slow ministrations to keep his hands off of her. Nikita’s hands finally touched his stomach and he took a sharp intake of air. Slowly he rolled his head to the side in order to gain momentum to clasp his lips against hers. His mouth opened and Nikita’s aggressive tongue darted in, slowly teasing his tongue and then rolling against each side of his mouth. She purposely stayed away from rolling against the roof of the mouth, knowing that Michael would be uncontrollable with lust.

Michael rolled his shoulders back as Nikita’s hands started to yank the shirt up, her mouth wanting to lick and lap at his chest. Michael wanted to ease Nikita from this place to somewhere else, so he could worship her wonderful and glorious body. She was the temple that needed to be maintained and pleased, not him. Nikita was carrying two more of their children. Two precious beings made out of part of him and her. Nikita was the temple of life and Michael planned on showing her that and pleasuring her because of it.

Michael rubbed at Nikita’s back, inching it slowly down. Nikita bucked her hips forward as she finally succeeded in pulling off Michael’s shirt. She dropped her blonde head down to Michael’s chest, lightly kissing at the divot between his pecs. Michael continued to drop his hands, now rubbing at her firm buttocks, one cheek for each hand.

“Michael…” Nikita whispered against his chest before she lapped the broadside of her tongue to one of his own ridged nipples. Nikita teased it gently and then rolled it around her own tongue. Michael pulled at the terry cloth material, until his hands eased on her smooth peachy skin. It was soft as silk as Michael ran his hands along the perfect curves. “Mmm…”

Michael smiled against the top of Nikita’s head, looking around the suite, seeing the couch being the closest place. He started to ease Nikita backwards, swaying from side to side in an erotic dance. “Kita…. I’m so happy….” Michael spoke, causing Nikita’s mouth to break contact with his nipple to smile. She hitched her head back, allowing her hair to fall down her back, rubbing against Michael’s bare arms, and almost touching his hands. The long silken strands caused Michael to shiver with anew excitement.

“I am too…” Nikita admitted as she smiled. “I know that before… it was hard… but..” Nikita started but drifted off as Michael eased Nikita down onto the leather couch, and opened her robe. Nikita’s eyes were smoldering with desire, but now Michael wanted to hear what her words would have been. “But?”

”I felt whole… complete… I enjoyed carrying your children…” Nikita announced as Michael looked into her pearly blue eyes, seeing the happiness and contentedness that Nikita had about this pregnancy now. Now that they did know.

Michael pushed the robe to the side and slithered his hands along her stomach that was probably firmly now than before. He looked at her bellybutton and smiled before placing a kiss there. Michael smiled at the thought of soon kissing and caressing the swollen tummy of his wife with their children just below. Michael looked into her eyes as his hands stayed there. “I love you…. And I can’t wait to meet our new children…”

Nikita smiled luminously as Michael stroked at her tummy before slightly moving down, rubbing his hands along the faint curly hairs, that underneath her skin, theirs children were already starting to grow. “They are there, Michael…”

Michael nodded his head as he eased back from Nikita slightly, only so he could press a kiss where his fingers were, welcoming his children as much as he could. He looked up at Nikita’s eyes, seeing the swell of her breasts along the way. He lapped at the skin and the kissed once more, feeling as if in this world it was only them now. Michael picked his head up as his hand ran along her dewy slit, causing Nikita to shiver and her thighs to clamp over his hand, trapping him there. Michael eased up slightly to nuzzle at Nikita’s lips and then to kiss each of her breasts. Knowing that soon Nikita would have milk once more, his eyes turned a smoldering gray. “Nine months… and then it is for the babies first…” Nikita commented as she roused her hands into his hair, teasing him, but also knowing him too well.

Michael walked his fingertips up from Nikita’s core, leaving a slight dampness of her juices on her skin. As Michael moved up, Nikita’s fingers started to move down, feeling the growing chisel hardness inside of Michael’s pants pressed against her upper thigh. The shaft of live giving juice.

Michael suckled at Nikita’s nipple with the soft skin of his lips as Nikita’s hands started to fight against the button down jeans. Michael chuckled gently into Nikita’s breast as Nikita got one button loose, and then simple started to pull. “Kita… its jean…”

”I… don’t… care…” Nikita puffed into Michael’s chest, renewing her effort to release her husband from his confines. “At least you knew better than to wear underwear…”

“I remember how you were last time…” Michael joked gently as he felt the next button pop off as Nikita had wished for. Now her knuckles were rubbing against his hot and feverish skin as she continued to pull. “I didn’t get any complaints…”

”I am not complaining…” Michael bantered back as he cupped her breast and thrust his hips up causing Nikita’s hand to rub against him more, only achieving more pleasurable pain for himself. Nikita then pulled with one last tug, and rapidly the buttons fell away, and Nikita was able to shimmy the pants down further. Nikita grinned as she lifted her lips to take his. “Mmm…

”I must concur…” Michael joked as he kicked his pants off of his legs and rubbed against his wife’s body. Nikita leaned back slightly and threw her arms above her head. Michael lapped at her breasts and then lightly rolled her swollen nipple in his mouth, gently tugging till Nikita’s back arched with lust and need. “Michael….”

Michael backed up slightly although his mind screamed out to slide himself inside of her wet and tight folds, and nestle there amongst his wife and growing children. But he had to look at the woman that continued to amaze him and show him what more he could have in life. He thought he had taught her about love and family, but more and more, Michael began to realize that Nikita was teaching him as much as he was teaching her.

“ Still rests the heavy share on the dark soil:… Upon the black mould thick the dew-damp lies: … the horse waits patient: from his lowly toil .. The ploughboy to the morning lifts his eyes….” Michael spoke as he stroked at Nikita’s face gently with just one finger. Nikita wet it slightly with a moist kiss, but Michael moved it away, running the finger against her chin before running slowly down to her neck.

“The unbudding hedgerows dark against day’s fires…. Glitter with gold-lit crystals: on the rim…. Over the unregarding city’s spires…. The lonely beauty shines alone for him….” Michael continued with a husky voice. He traced his fingers along the lines of her breasts, and then slowly outlined Nikita’s rosy areola, before teasing each nipple in a counterclockwise fashion. Nikita arched her back just as Michael’s words ceased and he started to move his hand down.

“And day by day the dawn or dark enfolds…. And feeds with beauty eyes that cannot see….How in her womb the mighty mother moulds…. The infant spirit for eternity….” Michael spoke as his finger was joined with the rest of his hand to run across her stomach, cupping where their babies grew, and then to run against her sodden blonde curls.

“In love’s deep womb our fears are held;…” Michael trembled as he kissed Nikita’s lips and then each of her breasts. He looked down at her flat stomach and shivered with anticipation not of their lovemaking, but of when her stomach would once more be swollen with child. “There God’s rich tears are sown… and bring to birth, in hope new-born….the strength to journey on….”

Michael kissed at the curls and felt Nikita’s hands wrap around his head as he slowly moved his mouth down, lapping at the moisture that tasted sweeter than any other liquor in the world. It was the taste of Nikita being a mother. He smiled against her opening and his tongue darted against the folds as Nikita bucked instantly, finding nothing stopping her from plunging off so quickly into the abyss. Nikita’s hands held him there tightly, but soon, Michael wanted to move. He moved his lips to her stomach and then to Nikita’s breasts.

“Please… Mi-chael…” Nikita moaned with need and desire. Michael smiled as he felt his erection heavy against her thigh. He didn’t need anything more to do as wished. He guided his way into Nikita. She clenched onto him and helped to pull him within her. Nikita’s body jerked with unadulterated lust and trapped Michael within.

Nikita grasped the edges of the couch as Michael slowly pushed into her and then pulled out. Their lips opened against each other and then lapped at the lips as they pulled slightly apart. Nikita looked at Michael with opened eyes, knowing the love that he had for her, for their daughters, and now the two children she carried.

As Michael looked into Nikita’s eyes and saw how much she meant to him, and his life and family, he started to thrust into her sharper, desiring to be all the way inside of his incredible woman that showed him life again. Nikita squirmed in delight at Michael’s moves and then pulled Michael’s head down for a kiss and then into her chest. Nikita clung onto her husband as he poured into her. Nikita panted and felt herself release once more.

Ten minutes later, Michael looked at Nikita and laughed. “I guess we don’t have to worry about protection again….”

(Quotes used from George William (“A. E.”) Russell’s In the Womb and Rob Johns’ In Suffering Love)

****

The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning. ****John Bartlett

It became chilly in the room as Nikita murmured softly as she pulled on the rose colored comforter. Michael reached down, untangling the comforter from around his feet and pulled it up on Nikita’s body more and snuggled into her back. “Mi-chael…”

”I love you…” Michael whispered as he rubbed her back underneath the covers and kissed at her exposed neck. Nikita turned onto her back and smiled contently back at Michael. “I know…”

Nikita’s eyes twinkled with delight from memories since they arrived in the hotel room. At first it was frantic lovemaking, barely civilized. Then it slowed, Michael worshiping her body and carefully touching Nikita’s body, where their magic now lived. There were funny moments and ones of complete rapture. And never but for a few moments of pure exhaustion did they go to sleep. They were rejoicing the luck and good blessings that they had received, not matter how unplanned it was.

Michael brushed Nikita’s lips now with his, knowing that it was going to flare both of their passions, and knowing that it would be wise not to tempt more lovemaking now. They were so exhausted. They should sleep. Nikita needed rest. But Michael’s lips lingered, inviting Nikita to deepen it gently and Nikita pulled away. “You should rest, Kita… for the babies…”

”You were the one that kissed me…” Nikita added and Michael smiled as he held her tightly with a sigh. Nikita melted into his arms and allowed out her own little sigh. “Either way… when we aren’t busy…. Making love… I’m thinking…”

”About what?” Michael inquired as he propped his head up so he could look into his wife’s eyes. Nikita turned slightly and shivered. She knew that she didn’t want to think about these things now, that she only wanted to rejoice in the new twins that had been sent to them, but it didn’t stop her thoughts. “Quinn…”

Michael winced as Nikita said that name. He had brief thoughts about how much more difficult this was going to be in making Quinn realize their role in what happened to her and allowing them back into her life. “I don’t think…. She is going to ever see me…”

”You don’t know that,” Michael immediately replied as he held Nikita slightly tighter, not wanting to let her go ever.

“She doesn’t want to see me before I was pregnant…. And she is never going to be pregnant… I’m everything that she despises right now…” Nikita commented as the tears started to seep out of her eyes. Michael looked at Nikita and was at a lost at what to say and what to do for Nikita.

Michael rubbed at Nikita’s hair, trying to ease her pain. She trembled and closed her eyes. “Kita… things will work out… I know it will…”

“What if it doesn’t? Quinn is so much more than just an employee… I have always seen her as a friend… I don’t know if she saw it… but I used to talk to her about everything… and she knew…” Nikita stopped as she looked at her husband. She suddenly saw all of her relationships differently. “Maybe she never saw it as I did…”

”You can’t beat yourself up about this, Kita… It will work out… It always does…” Michael pointed out as he rubbed now at Nikita’s arms. He was just falling back in the position of needing to support Nikita in allowing her to discuss this.

Nikita calmed slightly and leaned her head back. But soon she gasped. “What about Birkoff?”

”I think he will be happy for you… for us…” Michael spoke as he looked into Nikita’s eyes. She opened them and shivered. “I don’t know…”

”It will probably count on how he finds out… and that is going to be the same with Quinn…” Michael suggested and Nikita sat up in the bed. She looked at Michael and rolled her shoulders. “You mean… if we tell them…”

”And before the media finds out…” Michael stated and Nikita looked out of the room, towards the door of the suite. “What about the owner?”

”I don’t think he is going to go to the media…”

“We are going to have to tell sooner, aren’t we?” Nikita immediately inquired before Michael even finished speaking. Michael shrugged his shoulders lightly as he sat up in bed next to his wife. “Ariane said that you would start to show quicker…”

”I don’t want to go public with this yet…” Nikita stressed and Michael nodded his head. “I don’t think that is what we need to do… but I think that our family and friends… all need to know…”

“I don’t want to hurt Birkoff and Quinn…”

“If they find out from the media… that will hurt a lot more, Kita…” Michael argued Nikita. She leaned her head back and sunk it down on Michael’s shoulder. “Today?”

”Today is for us…”

”We are in a new day, Michael…” Nikita softly spoke. She looked around. “We need to see our twins… and eat… and tell our family… and friends…. Birkoff…”

Michael saw the new storm of tears and shook his head as he leaned into his wife. “Kita… one thing at a time… ok?”

“Of course… And Michele… I haven’t told her that it is twins!”

************

“Michele…. They went out last night…” Dominique spoke as he looked at Antonio as he held Abella as she tried to tug on his hair. Dominique hadn’t expected to find Antonio at the door this morning, but things were anything but normal.

“Dominique… I need to speak with Nikita… about coming back to Paris…” Michele issued out and Dominique shook his head back and forth as he looked at Antonio. He had barely been able to ask Antonio why he was there when the phone rang with Michele on the other end.

“Maybe I can help you with that… What do you need?” Dominique suggested. He didn’t know what Nikita and Michael had told Michele, but he wasn’t going to be the one to ruin that news for Michael and Nikita. He also knew that Nikita didn’t need extra stress on her, and Michele moving back, even though in theory was good, it could prove to be bad.

“Well… first is a house…” Michele quipped and Dominique giggled. “Yep… I would say that shelter is important… and no, you can’t stay in this house until you find a place.”

”Dominique… I knew that!” Michele exclaimed and she suddenly became quiet. “You know more…”

”I don’t know what you are talking about…” Dominique exclaimed as Antonio cried out with slight pain as Abella succeeded in grabbing hair. Dominique moved over and got Abella to release her hand and then to place her on the floor. Dominique stared at him, indicating that Antonio should watch exactly where Abella went as the little girl crawled off.

“Yes… you do,” Michele accused.

“I can have Nikita and Michael call you when they get in… about that… but as for your move back… I know a few places…” Dominique spoke up as he looked out the window again. He had only expected them to be gone for the night and early morning, but it was starting to stretch into the afternoon. He didn’t believe that they would be going into work today.

“What? Like the YMCA? A traveler’s hostel?” Michele wryly spoke, more like Nikita than her brother.

“No…” Dominique sang out as he leaned against the door. “How about the next closest house to Michael and Nikita?”

”What?” Michele stammered and Dominique rolled his eyes. If Nikita hadn’t been shocked and excited about her own pregnancy, Nikita would have been ecstatic about Michele moving back when this house was free. “The closest house to us… large, but quaint… is on the market for sale…”

”I need that house!” Michele exclaimed and Dominique snorted. “You haven’t seen it.”

”I could walk to you, Michael, Nikita, the twins, and the new baby?” Michele questioned and Dominique bit his lip. “Yes… you could. It would be about a five to ten minute walk.”

”I need that house.”

************

Michael rounded the corner and opened the door for Nikita. She stood up and then leaned against the side of the car. “I want to go tell Birkoff… and his parents..”

”Don’t you want me to come?” Michael questioned and Nikita shook her head back and forth. “I need to do this… and plus… you are calling the meeting at our house…”

”I know… Are you sure?” Michael questioned once more, but he saw how strong headed wife nod her head up and down. “Yes…. Absolutely…”

”And Michele?” Michael inquired and Nikita sighed. “We’ll call when I get back…”

“Ok…” Michael stated as he handed Nikita the keys and kissed her head. “Be careful.”

”I know…” Nikita spoke as she smiled back at her husband. She walked around the car and slipped in. Michael watched as Nikita slowly drove off. He took a deep breath and then walked towards the house.

“Where is Nikita going?” Dominique demanded as he opened the door and stood there. Michael looked back over his shoulder and pressed his lips together. “To talk to Birkoff and his family… and to decide how Birkoff things they should tell Quinn.”

”And you are here, why?” Dominique continued, finding it pointless for Michael and Nikita to be separated right now, when they both probably wanted to be closely together.

“I have to plan an evening meeting for our friends and family… and I wanted to be with the twins some…. Me and Nikita are going to work hard in not losing sight of them…” Michael informed Dominique as he started to walk into the house.

“Abella… get that out of your mouth!” Antonio exclaimed and Michael looked at Dominique. “What is he doing here?”

”I haven’t had the time to find out between the twins and Michele…” Dominique indicated as Michael swung around and walked into the room to find Antonio prying a small object out of Abella’s hand and shoving it into his pocket. He looked up and looked frightened. “I’m sorry…”

”Thank you,” Michael spoke as he scooped his daughter up and looked to side where Cerise was happily kicking at the air. Antonio got off of the ground and sat on the couch. “I didn’t want to disrupt things here… but I just wanted to see Dominique… and find out about the possible job…”

“You have it,” Michael replied without a blink of his eyes. Antonio smiled and then looked down to Cerise. “And how is Nikita?”

”Dominique didn’t tell you?” Michael questioned as he slowly looked at Dominique. Dominique shook his head back and forth. “Nikita and I are expecting twins…”

”Wow…” Antonio gasped and he turned to look at Dominique. “I guess you are going to be very busy…”

”Yeah, Tony…” Dominique snapped as he looked at Michael. Michael handed Abella back to Dominique and smiled. “I have some calls to make and a run to the grocery store…. Why don’t you talk this out?”

Antonio looked at Dominique and his face fell as Michael left the room. “I guess I really should leave….” Antonio whispered as he stood up. Dominique moved and stood in front of him. “No… I want to know why you are here… I don’t believe that you were worried about the job…”

Antonio looked at Dominique and almost shivered. He didn’t like it when he felt weak, but that had been a strong feeling of late for him. “Some days… I just don’t like to be by myself…”

“Why?” Dominique questioned as his voice was stressed. He stopped and looked at Antonio. “I’m sorry…”

”No… I understand…” Antonio spoke as he licked his lips. “I’ve been so used to being alone… and scared… that I have a chance not to be alone… I can’t be alone right now…”

Dominique pressed his lips together and tried to find the words. “I can always use the help with the twins…”

Antonio giggled gently and then sat down, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I… there were a lot of things that happened to me…”

”And you aren’t ready… I understand…” Dominique spoke and Antonio shook his head. “No… I might be ready… and ever since seeing you… I’ve been thinking about it… a lot…”

“Can you talk about it?” Dominique inquired as he sat down, looking at Antonio with concern. Antonio had always been an upbeat man, with a personality that shined brightly. It had been struck down a lot and was struggling to shine through the remains.

“Mr. Hillinger…” Antonio’s voice cracked as he covered his body with his arms. Dominique cringed with the body language and moved closer. “It’s ok… he isn’t here…”

”Greg… that was his name… that I called them… when not in the office…” Antonio spoke as he dropped his head. “I can’t…”

”It’s fine…” Dominique replied as he held Antonio in his arms, allowing him to cry. And suddenly, all the anger and hate that Dominique had been trying to remember and hold onto while dealing with Antonio disappeared. Antonio was a man damaged but something, and Dominique wasn’t sure he wanted to know what did this to him.

************

Nikita paced in the living room of the house that Birkoff was staying with his parents. She had arrived to have a late lunch with Donatella and Mario, as Birkoff was at the rehabilitation hospital. Nikita contained her news and then started to get nervous.

She didn’t know how Birkoff and then Quinn were going to take this news. At times, Nikita herself struggled with being happy about this. Her hand dropped to her stomach and she stiffened.

Donatella pressed her lips together as she stood at the crest of the room. She backed up as she looked at Nikita and stopped Mario from going into the room. She had sensed that Nikita was worried and upset about something, but now she entirely knew what she had expected for some time. She assumed that Nikita also knew.

“It is going to be a long day for Seymour…” Donatella whispered as she looked at Mario. He looked around and swallowed. “Nikita is here…”

”But this visit isn’t for him…” Donatella spoke and Mario chilled. “What?”

”She is pregnant…” Donatella stated and Mario shook his head. “She didn’t say anything at all… you couldn’t possibly just know that…”

”I had a sense the first time Nikita was here… you could see it in her face… but she didn’t know it then…” Donatella proclaimed. Mario was about to protest once more, but two things happened. He remembered that his wife was usually right with her feelings and second, Birkoff arrived back.

But not alone.

”Nikita!” Michele exclaimed as she entered the house. She thought it was Michael’s and Nikita’s car outside, but now she was right. She was about to say something about the baby to Nikita, but stopped. She had guessed that Nikita was there to tell Birkoff and then possibly Quinn.

Michele had gone to see Quinn, but Quinn wouldn’t see her. Birkoff said it had been that way for anyone who had a family and children. Michele knew then what trauma this could be for Quinn to find out that Nikita was pregnant, but also trauma for Nikita, because she wanted to make things right.

“I was surprised to see her at the hospital…” Birkoff stated as he smiled at his mother and father as they entered and greeted Michele. Birkoff waited and then looked at Nikita. “Why are you here?”

”I needed to tell you something… very important…” Nikita stated as she looked at Michele. She knew what this was and moved to her side once more.

Only Michele didn’t know it all.

Donatella reached for Birkoff and helped him sit down. Nikita felt the tears rolling down her face as she now faced Birkoff. “I’m… pregnant…”

Nikita had expected shock, but instead, Birkoff sprung to life, hugging her. “I’m so happy for you… Oh, Michael must be ecstatic…”

”Birkoff…” Nikita struggled to contain herself. This was not what she expected. She looked to Michele and squeezed her hand. “I’m pregnant… with twins….”

”Twins?” Michele questioned as she felt the intake of air from Birkoff, as now the reality of the situation occurred for him. He suddenly realized that he had lost a child and that he wouldn’t be having children with Quinn in the way that Michael and Nikita were. Nikita dropped her head into Michele’s shoulder and cried harshly. “I didn’t want to hurt anyone…”

”Seymour…” Donatella whispered as she held onto her son’s hand. Birkoff sunk back to the couch and blinked his eyes. “Isn’t it too soon… We don’t need anything happening to you…”

“Ariane is watching me… I’m barely six weeks…” Nikita struggled to speak and Birkoff looked at Nikita. Quinn would have been eight or maybe nine weeks by now. “I’m sorry… I don’t want to hurt you and Quinn… I don’t…”

”Nikita… you have no control over this…” Mario informed the young woman. She looked like she had really tortured herself with this to start with. Nikita looked to Michele and squeezed her hand. “We found out… just hours after I told you…”

”I’m stunned… it’s very rare…” Michele spoke and Nikita nodded her head. She looked to Birkoff and sat down next to him. “I needed to tell you… before it got out… and I know that Quinn needs to know…”

”Oh god…” Birkoff whispered as he covered his mouth with his hand. He didn’t know if he could tell Quinn this. “She needs to know, Birkoff…”

Birkoff looked at Nikita and took a deep breath. “I know…” Birkoff took Nikita’s hand and squeezed it. “It’s a shock… but I am very happy for you…”

“You are?” Nikita questioned and Birkoff nodded his head up and down. “I have problems with Quinn… yes… but that shouldn’t stop people around me enjoying and living their lives…”

”This wasn’t something that was planned…” Nikita spoke and Birkoff nodded his head. He knew that Michael was worried about Nikita’s health and wouldn’t plan on getting Nikita pregnant again at this point. “I will have to tell Quinn…”

”She is never going to talk to me…” Nikita spoke as she cleared her throat. “But I’m always here for you Birkoff…”

”I know…”

************

Mick smiled as he bounced down the hallway with Cerise. The girls were just a few days shy of being ten months, and Mick loved them. He knew that soon they would be walking and it would be fabulous.

Nikita entered the house and immediately walked into Michael’s arms. He moved her to another room and Mick looked over his shoulder. There were some people that were just stunned that they were asked to be here and others that seemed to know what was going on.

Vianca and April where here, along with Bea. Dominique and Antonio had been having problems making sure that all was fine, but they had been able to get Bea to talk to Jurgen, who had left Helmut with Elizabeth. Michael decided that the last person he wanted to know about Nikita’s pregnancy was Elizabeth.

“Is this all?” Vianca questioned as she looked around the room. She really didn’t like the big crowds sometimes and now she was getting nervous with just the way that Michael had acted when Nikita arrived.

“No… there is Adrian and George still… but they will be together…” Davenport spoke as he held Ariane close to him. Most people had heard rumors of their marriage, but they had hoped to make the official announcement after Michael’s and Nikita’s. They knew it would be that stunning, but they still wanted to make it.

“I can’t possibly guess why I am here…” Jurgen spoke to Bea as she continued to stare at Vianca and April. “Is there something about those two you don’t like?”

”It doesn’t seem right when former lovers start dating each other…” Bea hissed as she looked back to Jurgen who had gone pale.

”For-former lovers?” Jurgen questioned and Bea nodded her head. “April was a wild woman… but Vianca… I had to teach her…”

”Hold on one minute…” Jurgen whispered as he moved away and grabbed Walter’s arm. “What is with Michael and Nikita and gay people?”

“They love all people… maybe you should learn to do that…” Walter snapped as he took Jurgen’s arm off of his. “We all have talents and pit falls….. your homophobia is one of those pit falls, and I’d do something about it.”

“I’m not a homophobic person!” Jurgen hissed back as he looked at Walter. He suddenly clammed up and turned his head to the side. “Lets just get back to what is going on now.”

”Yeah… why don’t we!” Walter snapped as he moved away. Jurgen swallowed before moving back to Bea. “I’m sorry…”

”It’s ok… we are all a little stressed about this meeting…” Bea spoke and Jurgen nodded his head, even though not everyone was stressed. Mick was happily playing with the children.

Belinda stood against the wall as Walter walked back. “Thank god I know what is going on…” Walter mumbled and Belinda gently smiled. “Yeah… but it still feels weird…”

”How?” Walter inquired.

”Birkoff and Quinn aren’t here…” Belinda pointed out and then turned silent as Michael and Nikita walked into the room. Those who knew what was going on looked at Nikita and realized that she had gone to tell Birkoff what was happening. It didn’t look like she had an easy time either. Nikita was drawn and nervously rubbing at her head. Adrian and George slipped into the house almost slightly, but were noticed by Michael.

“We have a good announcement…” Michael started as he threaded his hands into Nikita’s. She nodded her head, giving Michael the consent to continue speaking. “Nikita and I are expecting… another set of twins…”

The group that didn’t know was silent for one split second, but then jubilant. Nikita smiled as one by one they started to come up to them.

“I’m surprised, but happy for you…” Jurgen spoke as he shook Nikita’s hand. He gave Michael a pat on the shoulder, a chauvinistic move, making it look like Michael had done well. Nikita pushed that thought to the side. “We need you to hold this from Elizabeth.”

”No probably there… that girl doesn’t need to know good news..” Jurgen spoke and Michael sighed with relief. “And I will need you to help find some new therapists… with Quinn gone, and Bea only working with us temporary and our populations growing… I don’t want to stress Nikita out on these cases.”

”I’ll start working on it,” Jurgen spoke as he turned and moved to the corner to talk to Davenport and Ariane.

”I’m so happy for you two…” Vianca gushed as she hugged Nikita and then Michael. Nikita smiled and swallowed. “You two make perfect parents…”

“Thank you…” Nikita whispered and April stood behind her. “I’ll be starting two more charts in how long?”

“Eight months… I’m only six weeks…” Nikita spoke and April nodded her head. Normally she would have advised Nikita not to tell everyone, but knew that both Michael and Nikita needed support through this.

“I’m taking it that Quinn doesn’t know yet?” Bea questioned the couple as Vianca and April slipped out the door. Nikita nodded her head as her face paled. “Quinn doesn’t know… but I did tell Birkoff and his parents…”

”And?” Bea questioned as Michael rubbed at Nikita’s neck. “Birkoff is going to tell her…”

”It’s the right thing to do…” Bea spoke and Nikita turned and hugged Michael even as Abella started to scream in Mick’s arms. He was like a kid around the twins and Michael rolled his eyes. “Mick… are you torturing my daughters?”

“No… no.. .just getting them ready for some rough and tumble boys… and that’s fine with me… because I need a name for a new bar…” Mick retorted as he moved out of the room, but both Michael and Nikita were unsure if he was joking or telling the truth.

George and Adrian came close and looked at Nikita. “My dear… you already look exhausted…”

”It isn’t the babies…” Nikita commented as she looked to her husband with a mischievous smile.

“Are you celebrating again tonight?” Adrian questioned and Nikita smiled. “That’s what happens when I’m pregnant…”

****

Natural selection, as it has operated in human history, favors not only the clever but the murderous. ****Barbara Ehrenreich

When I interview people, and they give me an immediate answer, they're often not thinking. So I'm silent. I wait. Because they think they have to keep answering. And it's the second train of thought that's the better answer. ****Robin Leach

Nikita pulled at the folders in her hands and moved out into the hallway. Michael turned away from the balcony railing and looked at his wife. “You look tired…”

”That…” Nikita spoke as she leaned forward to place a kiss on Michael’s lips. “Would be your fault…”

Michael shifted some of the folders out of Nikita’s hands and looked at his wife. They were planning ahead, interviewing now for more staff that they were going to need. Giving the new staff time to know Michael and Nikita before Nikita’s pregnancy pulled her away from The Centre.

But the interviews hadn’t been going well.

“You do look tired…” Michael commented once more as he looked at Nikita’s face. It was drawn back and it wasn’t what Michael wanted to see. He almost regretted making love to Nikita last night, but he had seen a similar look on Nikita’s face, but only it said, I need you inside of me now.

Nikita looked at Michael as she allowed her head to fall slightly. “It’s hard to do this interviewing things… Jurgen has scared away some really good hopes…”

”I know…” Michael spoke as he took a deep breath and allowed it out. He had a discussion with Jurgen last night about his role in the interviews. Although they did want Jurgen’s input and for the possible therapists to meet and interact with Jurgen, he wasn’t a final decision maker in this situation. Michael and Nikita knew the vision and mission of The Centre, and where they wanted to take it. Jurgen didn’t.

“I’m just glad that Antonio is working out…” Nikita stated as she looked at the stairs and stopped. She didn’t even want to interview today. She was tired, but not physically. She just wanted to take Michael back to bed and slowly make love to him over and over again until their new babies arrived.

“He is a blessing I didn’t expect to find…” Michael judged and Nikita smiled knowingly. Antonio and Dominique were making progress on their own relationship, and that had only positively impacted Michael and Nikita’s life. A happy Dominique was like having three angels floating around, all of which knew how to bake, cook, and keep the twins happy.

Michael looked at Nikita and winced inside. “Maybe we should make this just a half day…”

”And miss Jurgen having a minor cow for the young people we are scheduled to interview?” Nikita spoke seriously. She wasn’t going to miss these.

“They are impressive… and clean, Antonio cleared them,” Michael informed Nikita as she looked down the stairs. Both of them were avoiding going down there right now. Nikita moved in closer. “Can’t we go back to our office?”

”For?” Michael questioned as he arched an eyebrow, although he clearly knew exactly what Nikita was hinting at.

“Slow… soft… erotic… love making…” Nikita whispered into Michael’s ear. She knew that he was reacting to her words as he slightly stepped back. “And allow Jurgen to run the interviews by himself?”

”You can touch my stomach… our pouch…” Nikita wispily spoke as she tilted her head to the side and enticingly licked her lips. She was only ten weeks pregnant, but just a few days, Michael felt the little bulge in the stomach that had been predicted to occur quickly. Michael had spent hours tracing his fingers there and outlining and holding that area.

“Kita…” Michael spoke back as he looked downstairs. Work had to come first right now. “Later…”

”Ok…” Nikita agreed as she backed down from her attempts. She looked at Michael and grinned. “But you do promise?”

”Always…” Michael granted Nikita that knowledge, although he had many elaborate plans for the nights to come with Nikita, that she didn’t even need this promise right now. He leaned over and kissed Nikita, pulling away before it lingered too long. He cleared his throat, made a quick look to his watch and stepped down a few steps. “We are meeting with Claire Brooks first…”

”Yes… right out of graduate school…. Minimum experience…” Nikita commented as she followed her husband and quickly made up the space. Michael didn’t hold onto Nikita’s arms, but he was careful as she walked down the stairs. The past week had been hellish on Michael’s sanity as he tried to protect Nikita from everything. Abella and Cerise were on a race to see who would walk first, and during this time, both were getting into everything and under everybody’s feet. It was a dangerous time for Nikita to be pregnant with another set of twins.

“I thought I was going to have to send out a search party…” Jurgen spoke up as he stood outside the conference room. Nikita looked at Michael and merely shrugged her shoulders. “Things happen.”

”Sure…” Jurgen judged as he opened the door and looked at the room that was set up. He had insisted on this format, but Nikita hated it. He knew that Nikita felt that it placed the interviewee in a situation that made them feel like they were weak and they were powerful. In the end, with a panel of three, it only worked this way.

‘Jurgen… can you go get Ms. Brooks…” Nikita stated as she placed the folders down on the end chair. She slumped down as Jurgen left. Michael turned and leaned against the table. “Kita?”

”I’m just tired…” Nikita spoke and Michael nodded his head, hoping that Nikita wasn’t falling back into her old ways. He rubbed her cheek and instantly got a smile. He turned and settled down into the middle chair as Jurgen walked in with a young woman. “Ms. Brooks… this is Mr. and Mrs. Samuelle…”

“It is nice to meet you… I have admired your work for sometime…” Claire stated as she shook Michael’s hand and then Nikita’s. “It’s part of the reason why I went into this field.”

Nikita merely smiled and nodded her head. She had heard that comment from virtually everyone that had walked into the room. Claire settled down and folded her hands on the table in front of her, but took the time to look around the room before settling her eyes back down on Michael and Nikita. “I expect that most people say that too you… but, I’m telling the honest truth…”

”How?” Nikita inquired as Jurgen rolled his eyes. Jurgen had even helped Michael plot out a line of questioning for each candidate. He didn’t like it when Nikita deviated from that line of questioning.

Claire took a deep breath and rolled her hands slightly together, marking a nervousness that she had about answering this question truthfully. “I was almost out on the streets… and I was graduating from college, ready to hightail it to the United States… when I saw all the press on you, Mrs. Samuelle… and I knew that if you could come out of that terrible place to help others… that I could come out of where I was, and help others…”

”That’s so impressive for a teenager…” Jurgen mumbled and Michael stared at the man, who had usually good decorum for this sort of situation.

”I did skip a few years of school… a blessing of sorts… But if you would have taken the time, you would have noticed that I am twenty-four years old… and I have been working with people since I was eighteen…” Claire picked up immediately on what Jurgen spoke. Nikita held back her smile as carefully as she could by taking the time to shuffle papers. “So you concentrated on children’s development?”

”Yes,” Claire replied as she turned to look at Nikita. “Especially the younger ones… so much is determined in the first few years…”

”So what do you think of a mother… who goes back to work?” Nikita inquired and Michael sighed with relief, not sure what he thought Nikita would ask.

“It’s a fact of life that most mothers have to work to support their children…. And in many ways, if the mother is balance, working makes the mother more accessible to the children, by letting them see all of her and not just the perfect mommie image…” Claire spoke with a shrug of her shoulders. “Most parents struggle to appear perfect, but it just isn’t reality.”

”I understand,” Michael commented as he looked over the papers. He was about to ask another question about her schooling when Nikita leaned forward. “So… say that there is this mother… that already has a set of twins…. Maybe a year old…. Do you think it will be detrimental to those twins if the mother… has another child?”

Claire looked at Nikita before she shrugged her shoulders slightly. “It isn’t the amount of kids… it’s the parents… and what they have taught their children… If they are loved… a mother could have quadruplets and there wouldn’t be any problems… well.. significant problems…”

Nikita leaned back with a smile still perched on her lips. Jurgen rolled his eyes and placed his palms on the table. “How do you get along with others?”

”Others? Other children?” Claire questioned and Jurgen coldly stared ahead. “We often work in teams… and we have team meetings to critique our work and our cases… how do you work in a team situation?”

Claire chuckled nervously. “I really haven’t had the experience…”

”Oh? I thought with children it was a lot about teams… full wrap around care…” Jurgen challenged the young woman. Michael cleared his throat and stopped Jurgen before he continued. “Claire, could you work with a team?”

”It would take time to get used to it…” Claire spoke and Michael nodded his head. “That is expected to happen with any person joining a team…”

“We don’t have time to train,” Jurgen snapped and Michael turned as Nikita frowned. “Jurgen… ah… we do have time to train…”

”Claire… why don’t you take a walk with me? I’ll show you around…” Nikita spoke, clearing her voice. She wanted Claire to work here, despite Jurgen’s current behavior. Claire nodded her head and stood up. Nikita looked at Michael as she inched towards the door. She closed it and Claire stood solemnly in the hallway. “I understand this… it is because I am so young…”

”It doesn’t matter to me…. And that man was doing this when he was your age… He just needs to be reminded of it,” Nikita judged as she started down the hallway. “I’ll take you to the playrooms first…”

****

“Darwin? He likes to go by the name Darwin?” Jurgen inquired once more for the fifth time since Nikita had walked out the next interview. Michael took a deep breath, noting that Jurgen was more wound up on this day than the others. “Is there something else going on?”

”What?” Jurgen inquired and Michael pressed his lips together. He didn’t like the game that Jurgen was playing right now.

“I mean…. Is there something different with you…. You weren’t like this the past few days… and you didn’t have any issues when we interviewed Neil Hudson… and he is their age…” Michael pointed out and Jurgen looked around, glad that Nikita wasn’t around. “I think we need people with experience…”

”They all have experience…. Sometimes it matters is how much they are willing to learn afterwards…” Michael suggested as he stood up and rolled his head to the side. The next interview was waiting for Nikita to escort Mr. Patrick Donoghue away. Michael actually saw Darwin fitting in well with the teenage population that they had been having some difficulty with. Of course, any new employee would need some good mentors, and so far Michael was surely not going to assign Jurgen to any of the young therapists.

“Learn afterwards? We aren’t an internship place!” Jurgen hollered and Michael leaned against the table, shaking his head. “We want people to treat our clients, our participants, our families, and our children at the Center differently than what some school teach us…. With heart.. with compassion, with the desire to go that extra mile… and to provide an environment that nurtures all…” Michael passionately spoke, knowing that if Jurgen couldn’t accept this, that maybe Jurgen was best to just deal with Elizabeth.

“Sometimes being so close to age isn’t a good thing,” Jurgen commented and Michael nodded his head. These new ones were good, but it wasn’t that he was just going to let them loose on the Centre. But right now, Michael had other worries about Jurgen. “Is there something wrong at home?”

”Other than Elizabeth being difficult like normal, all is well…” Jurgen spoke and Michael frowned. “She is still talking to Helmut?”

”Oh yes… every day…”

”Does that bother you?” Michael inquired.

Jurgen jerked his head to stare at Michael, knowing exactly what Michael was hinting at. “Does it bother me? How can it bother me? I’m happy this way…”

”You are?” Michael continued to prod Jurgen about his current behavior.

“Why wouldn’t I be happy? I get to deal with this outrageous teenager on your plan… and she doesn’t want to talk to me… she wants to talk to Helmut… which gives me all of this free time… I think it is wonderful!”

“Wonderful? So you don’t mind that Elizabeth thinks more of Helmut than you?” Michael continued to ponder the behavior of Jurgen. Michael noted the cold eyes of Jurgen and was positive that he wasn’t going to get an answer from him that was the truth.

“She is a little brat and if Helmut can stand her… I wish him all the luck…” Jurgen spoke and Michael nodded his head before he stood up. “I’m going to join Nikita on the tour…”

”You are hiring that girl, aren’t you?”

“Her name is Claire… and she isn’t a girl,” Michael fired back as he crossed the room. He stood there a second and then smiled. “And yes… I’m hiring her.”

“And Darwin too,” Michael added before he left the room.

****

“It’s good to get out of the office…” Vianca spoke as she helped Dominique push the stroller down the street. “You must like to have some help with these two…”

”I love kids…” Dominique replied as he looked down at Abella and Cerise as they were being two perfect angels. He didn’t expect it to continue for long, as they were now explorers, but was happy for the moment. “I’m sorry that I haven’t been around that much…”

”It’s ok…” Vianca declared as she looked ahead. “Things are working out…”

”I heard about Michael…” Dominique whispered and Vianca looked to the side. “I never expected him to do that for me…”

”He is a great man…” Dominique stated and Vianca stopped walking and looked at Dominique. Dominique sometimes didn’t catch how great he was. “I don’t think I would have ever been able to accept help from Michael if it wasn’t for you.”

”Yes, you could have.”

”No,” Vianca immediately corrected as she tilted her head to the side, trying to ease the strains away. “I hadn’t been that bad in a long while… I would have been there a lot sooner if it wasn’t for you.”

”Don’t speak about me as if I’m a god…” Dominique warned as his heart chilled, thinking about Antonio and how on many levels, Antonio was locking him out of information that he needed to know. Dominique wanted to help Antonio and to understand what this Greg Hillinger did to him, but Antonio spoke sparsely, if at all, about the entire ordeal.

“What’s wrong?” Vianca questioned, starting to see that this was more than just an acquaintance with someone who had helped her, but was starting to grow into a relationship, a friendship.

“Did I tell you that Antonio was back?” Dominique inquired as he started to push the stroller again; knowing that if they stopped too long, the twins would want to get out of the stroller.

“No… But I did see him at the meeting at Michael’s and Nikita’s…” Vianca declared and Dominique closed his eyes. He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t talked about Antonio with Vianca and then he didn’t believe that he had entirely forgotten about Vianca meeting him at Michael’s and Nikita’s house for the announcement about the new twins. “He seemed nice…”

”Yeah…” Dominique whispered gently. He wished that he knew more about Mr. Hillinger. He wished he knew more. “But things are going slow… we both were hurt…”

”That’s the one thing going right…” Vianca confidently supplied Dominique as she looked ahead. “Me and April… are fine…”

”Even working around Bea?”

“Yes…” Vianca softly giggled as she thought about how nervous she was that she was going to see Bea a lot. “Plus, Bea is working with Quinn a lot… so she isn’t around as often…”

”So, is Bea not being around the reason why things are good?”

“No,” Vianca immediately decided. “I love April… and she loves me… and… we want to spend the rest of our lives together…”

”I’m happy for you…” Dominique spoke as he felt slightly choked up. He knew that at least Vianca’s personal life was getting back on track, now he had to hope that she would learn to allow others to know all of her, and not the persona that she allowed others to see.

“You and Antonio?”

“We are friends…” Dominique replied with a heavy heart. He wanted to say that they were more, but right now, he couldn’t do that. “He has some things to go through…”

”Maybe he needs to talk to Michael?”

“Maybe he needs to talk to anyone,” Dominique replied as Abella started to scream. Dominique stopped and moved to the front, looking at the little girl screaming. “Does someone want out of the stroller? Do you want out Abella?”

****

“Yeah… I was all set to being a stand up comic… but for some reason… this depressive voice always took over in my jokes… and it just didn’t work..” Jasmine explained to the enthralled Michael and Nikita, and the not so impressed Jurgen. Nikita was giggling at the tone that Jasmine took, as it was close to Mick, but not as degrading.

“And you chose therapy because?” Jurgen droned on, finding it impossible that Michael and Nikita were continuing this interview with this candidate. First she looked like she may be of age, she was always cracking jokes, and had no real experience.

“Boy, you are the serious one… Haven’t you ever smiled?” Jasmine questioned as she winked at him. “I started to go into the field of therapy… because I was in therapy… and it was a huge bad, evil wad of events that I didn’t want others to go through… It was like stepping onto a nasty fat bug, and having all the gut slither onto your bare feet… it was that bad…”

Nikita cleared her throat as she thought of the image. It was a gross image, but it did make Jasmine’s point very clear.

“Tell me, Ms. Kwong… what populations have you worked with?” Jurgen directed the questions as he looked at the resume, assuming that Jasmine had no experience.

“Well… I learned one thing… very much here… no matter how open French society is… that you can’t just list a lot of things on your resume… I know from experience that some therapists just lack a lot of compassionate for people different from their values… so you can say that I’m not the straight kind of therapist…” Jasmine spoke and Jurgen swallowed.

“Oh?” Michael mustered out, afraid of how Jurgen was going to react. Michael had seen him at his worse before.

“Oh yes… see.. some therapists just first right out say that you must be straight to be a good person… which is just a load of year old bull crap… someone has to be there to help the individuals who like to stray down another path…” Jasmine clearly spoke and Nikita held her head down as she continued to smile. They needed Jasmine.

“Michael…” Jurgen spoke and Michael rolled his eyes. “Kita… could you give Jasmine a tour?”

”Of course,” Nikita bit back her sarcasm from Jurgen. But Jasmine knew what was going on and raised an eyebrow, knowing that the kind of therapists that she was describing seemed to be sitting there as Jurgen.

Michael pushed his chair back and looked at Jurgen. “Have you had any of the therapists that you have liked today?”

“They are too young,” Jurgen snapped, knowing that Michael was also adding in Trent Hammett, which hadn’t been offered the job, but Jurgen knew that Michael favored the young man.

“And Jasmine?”

“We don’t need a therapist that specializes in those fields…” Jurgen spouted out and Michael rolled his shoulders back slowly, trying to reserve his rude comments.

“Do you know how hard it is for people like Jasmine?” Michael inquired.

“I don’t care to know. She made her choice,” Jurgen snapped and Michael shook his head. “You aren’t a religions man, Jurgen… I don’t believe that you are spouting this rhetoric at me….”

”Most homosexuals make anywhere from between 11% to 27% less than an average person… and that is on a skewed study that can’t be completed properly because the stigma that stands for individuals like Jasmine… Like Dominique… Like Vianca…” Michael spoke with careful words. He didn’t want to lay into Jurgen about this, but Michael was sure that the populations that they were serving inside of the Centre needed to be addressed and Michael was sure that there were more homosexuals inside the Centre than what Jurgen wanted to see.

“I think you’ve met your quota in hiring them.”

“I can’t believe you.” Michael looked away as he swallowed. “We serve many many children… many from the streets… and a large group of gay and lesbian children are at higher risk for suicide… 2 to 6 times the average … We have to address this issue!”

“I don’t have too!” Jurgen declared and Michael nodded his head. He surely wasn’t going to knowingly assigned Jurgen to a case like this. “But you need to know the facts… to know what we are dealing with if you are going to take the lead with staff…. I can’t have you snapping at Jasmine because you can’t deal with her sexual orientation!”

“She is a lesbian!” Jurgen shouted and then took a deep breath as Michael stood up to move away.

“Almost 50% of all homosexuals that have disclosed their sexual orientation will be assaulted or harassed ford their orientation…. 97% of high school students regularly hear homophobic remarks at school… 80% of teenagers who disclose their orientation are verbally harassed in the schools…. Gay, lesbian and bisexual youth make up anywhere from 20% to 40% of all youth that are on the streets! How can you not look at this!” Michael yelled as he looked at Jurgen. “Maybe you should spend some time with Jasmine…”

“What? I am going to be busy with the others…” Jurgen countered immediately.

“I think you need to do this… because somewhere along the line you allowed your own feelings and emotions start to impact decisions that you are making for the best of the people we serve… and we do serve individuals who are not straight,” Michael reminded Jurgen. Michael looked around and sighed. “We will be hiring Jasmine.”

Jurgen leaned his head back as Michael disappeared out of the room. He felt cornered and he didn’t know what to expect next.

And he didn’t even know that Michele was coming back.

****