Craving

It's two in the morning when Jackson wakes up to a cold, empty bed.

He gets up.

No Charlie in the bathroom.

Or nursery-to-be.

Or other bathroom.

Pauses outside Derek's door.

Shakes his head.

Probably not in there.

Or home office.

Or other-other bathroom.

Or family room.

And then he comes to the kitchen and the open refrigerator and the tidy stacks of containers and the Charlie sitting among them, tearing chicken into little pieces.

"You okay?"

Charlie sighs. "Bean's hungry."

"For what?"

"Chicken's close?"

"Uh," Jackson scrubs his face. "Turkey?"

Charlie shakes her head.

"Swan?"

"Nope."

"Duck?"

"No."

"Fish?"

"Eh …."

"Shark?"

"No."

"Eel?"

Charlie wrinkles her nose.

"Turtle?"

"No."

"Snake?"

"I could get snake."

"Please don't go out and hunt something. Not because it's hunting and I don't think you can but because I don't think cleaning something at two A.M. is the wisest course of action."

Charlie scowls. "I've done it before."

"I don't doubt that you have. I'm more concerned that it's you /**and** the baby—"

"I'm fully capable—"

"You are, and I am fully confident in your ability to take care of yourself and the baby and your knowledge of all things great and small, but there're stupid people in cars out at two A.M. and I don't trust them."

Charlie concedes.

Jackson thinks. "Some sort of bird?"

Charlie's brow furrows.

"Ostrich?"

Shakes her head.

"Emu?"

Charlie thinks.

"Dinosaur?"

"That's an idea."

Jackson wonders how on earth he'll get dinosaur. Maybe pass it off with something around since then? Something like ... "Crocodile?"

"That's it!" Complete change in Charlie. "Yes! Crocodile!" Frowns. "Haven't had crocodile in years." Pokes her stomach. "Where's this coming from, bean?"

"I will get you crocodile," promises Jackson.

"You will?"

"I will," Jackson nods. "To the internet!" He charges off, returns a moment later. "You won't kill anything?"

"I won't kill anything," grumbles Charlie.

In a matter of minutes, Jackson finds a twenty-four-hour fast food place with crocodile on the menu and places an order.

"Gotta love the future, ay?" he grins, putting on his shoes.

Charlie almost laughs, worries the end of her dressing gown sash.

"Place's on the other side of town so I'll be awhile. Don't leave before I'm back, k?"

Charlie frowns.

"And I'll drive carefully."

Charlie smiles and kisses him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Jackson kisses her back.

And he's gone.

Charlie fidgets for a moment, tries pacing, gets fed up, and sets the kitchen table for two.

The coffee table's closer to the front door.

Charlie sets the coffee table for two. Sits on the sofa.

Looks longingly at the door.

She could find a snake and prep it in less than half an hour.

Charlie. This is the glob of cells talking. Get a hold of yourself.

Deep breath.

An hour later, Jackson comes back with a damp, greasy take-out bag.

"Two crocodile burgers and an order of kale fries," he announces.

Charlie beams. "You are the very best, most amazing person ever."

"I know," says Jackson, kneeling down and divvying up food. "I'm married to you, after all."

Charlie ducks her head, unwraps her burger, murmurs something.

"What's that?"

"'Thanks for dying' kinda thing." She takes a bite, pretty much swoons.

Jackson tries his.

Charlie's now down half a burger.

"This is disgusting."

"I know, it's perfect." And her burger's gone.

Jackson nudges his over.

And then it's gone, as are the fries, and then Charlie downs both her water and his, and hiccups.

"Was that you or the bean?"

"Bean." Charlie hiccups again, settles back on the couch against Jackson. She sighs contently.

He hugs her to his chest and runs a hand over her stomach. "Can I pretend this is a baby bump?"

"Bean's doing the digesting, so." She shrugs.

"Sleeptime?"

"Yup."

"Goodnight, Darling."

"Night, Jones."