Midnight Cravings

[Liz Sherman]

Date: March 3, Week One, Tuesday
Time Frame: 1:30 a.m.
Place: The Bureau Kitchen/Cafeteria
Status: Open

A stifled yawn was heard in the quiet halls of the BPRD, along with the sound of bare feet slapping against the floors. Elizabeth Sherman, wearing a black tank-top and gray sweatpants, barefoot, and with one holding a half-eaten Baby Ruth bar and the other resting on her slowly growing belly, was the one making this noise. It was because of the belly that she now wandered the Bureau's halls. Half an hour ago, she had woken up, hungry, and wanting something salty, sweet, and maybe greasy. She waited to see if it would go away, but no, the twins wanted a midnight snack, and what else was Liz to do? She slipped out of bed, looked in the fridge in Red's room -- and found nothing but Tecate Light and some Baby Ruth bars. She gabbed a Baby Ruth, pulled on her sweatpants, and headed out on a quest for sustenance.

Her black hair had been pulled over to one side in sleep, and now was halfway between snarled and standing on end. Liz tried to adjusted it in the reflection of the cafeteria door's windows as she came to her destination, but it was hopeless. She groaned slightly before pushing the doors open. "First you guys interrupt my sleep, now you're messing up my hair." She said to her belly as she took another bite of the Baby Ruth. "What next?" With her words, she affectionately rubbed the baby bump and smiled.

It had been scary and surreal thinking that she was pregnant, that she was going to have children all those months ago. The uncertainty of how Red would be as a father, and also how she would be as a mother had almost been too much. But Red had been great, really. The most reassuring and comforting thing to Liz was the way he looked when she told him in the Angel of Death's lair as he said, "I become...Father?" As her belly grew and stretch marks appeared, Liz's fears subsided every time she thought back to that moment.

The cafeteria was empty. The coffee and hot water for tea was of course ready, but the kitchen staff left at nine, which brought the responsibility of getting the midnight snack down to bear on Liz's shoulders. She sidled around one of the counters and through the double-doors to the kitchens, which were illuminated by a faint light from over the industrial cooking stoves. Liz flipped on a light switch and the aluminum kitchen glowed to life.

The first thing Liz spotted was the refrigerators. She tossed the Baby Ruth bar into the trash and headed to the double doored beauties, opening them and pulling out an industrial sized container of strawberry ice cream and some green olives. That sounded good. What else? She placed the jar and container on one of the counters before looking into the pantry. Peanut butter. Yeah, peanut butter and...and...did she see leftover fries in the fridge too? She headed back to the refrigerator and grabbed the Styrofoam container, claiming it as her own. Being pregnant sure did weird things to the taste buds. Liz grabbed a clean tray, plate, and bowl from next to the dishwasher, some spoons, and began dishing up her midnight snack.

[Abe Sapien]

A lone bubble slipped from his lips and languidly drifted to the surface of water, disappearing as it popped. He released another one, this time in the shape of a ring and blew bubbles through the middle before slowly rubbing his forearm. This is what he had been reduced to for the last couple of hours, wide awake from a dream that seemed more real then surreal. Reading hadn’t helped, which bothered him even more and he dare not bother the princess at such a late hour. Maybe he should, it had evolved her and no, he was being silly. Abraham drifted to the surface of his tank and he climbed out, letting the water run off and grabbed the terrycloth robe hanging from a peg. He trailed an index finger along the banister as he made his way towards the spiral staircase and paused at a small stand that he placed a few books he wanted to read earlier and picked an old text, listening to the memories and thoughts of those that had read it before him.

“Onesimus,” he mused and curled his head. Edwin Abbott Abbott had anonymously written in the 1880’s and it was one of the other three religious romances he had yet to read of the man. Wrapping his fingers around the spine, he curled his arm protectively around it and tucked it against his side as he made his way down the stairway. With his bare feet sticking to the carpet, the fishman exited the library and navigated the underground labyrinth of corridors towards the mess hall of the bureau. He had run out of his delectable rotten eggs yesterday and knew there would be a couple sealed away in the back of the fridge. The kitchen staff were good about leaving a few hard boiled eggs out in the sun for him. Fixing the edge of the robe he wore, feeling odd that he was even wearing it, he knew people were getting tired of slipping in the puddles he left in various places. Still the shorts he wore underneath were good enough once he dried off.

Abe entered the dinning hall, head bowed over the book and made his way towards where tea and coffee were made and absently poured himself some hot water and picked a tea bag at random and followed with a creamer, all without looking up. He gripped the edge of the tea packet between his teeth and tore gently, freeing it from the wrapper to be dunked into the cooling water. Gripping the edges and careful of the Styrofoam that he nicked with his nails, the man headed towards the kitchen. Using his back, he twisted slightly and slipped through the doors. and if I desired a new proof that the world is governed by chance, or by fate, and not by the gods, I should discern it in the growth of this pernicious superstition. Farewell and return speedily to thyself. Abraham closed the book begrudgingly and studied the cover of the manual, absorbed in the detail as he took a sip of his too strong tea and looked up.

“Liz?” The tall man cocked his head and lowered his cup from his mouth. He took in his dear sister’s dressed state and slightly disheveled hair and then moved his head down to look at the artery clogging mini feast for a mother of two. The corners of his mouth curled a fraction and he bowed his head in a greeting, using it as a excuse to remove the grin he was sure she could read off him. “You couldn’t sleep either?”

[Liz Sherman]

The chocolate pair of eyes darted up from the bowl which held some ice cream that was dotted with green olives as she heard her name. She sat the olive jar down and screwed on the lid. She surveyed the food objectively; that is, how Abe would have seen it. Fires smeared with peanut butter and strawberry ice cream and green olives. Nice. But this was her brother, he wouldn't pass judgment on the midnight cravings of a pregnant woman.

“You couldn’t sleep either?”

"You can say that again." What was that goofy smile on his face? Perhaps he and the princess had...well, whatever. She turned to put the olive jar and the ice cream back in the fridge. As she turned back, she plucked an olive from the ice cream and popped in in her mouth, her taste buds shuddering with delight at the bitter tang and the faint sweetness left by a spot of melted ice cream. "I also had an order for the kitchen." Liz pointed down to her stomach if Abe didn't understand what she meant. She swallowed the olive and pushed her plate of peanut buttered fries forth. "Want a fry? Only one, though, we aren't keen on sharing." She'd begun referring to herself in the plural, as, well, she did contain two beings inside of her. Which was kind of creepy when you thought about it, actually.

"I gave you my excuse, now what's yours?" The woman asked, grabbing a fry and taking a bite. Oh, God bless the man who invented peanut butter!

[Abe Sapien]

Abraham set his cup down on the edge of the table just as Liz turned her back on the snack she had concocted out of the hodgepodge items and craftily reached out, snagging a singular olive that had managed to remain free of ice cream - was that peanut butter? – and popped it into his mouth just as his sister swiveled back to face him. He tapped his fingers against his mouth as he chewed as discreetly as he could and turned his palm to face Liz, waggling his fingers in a slow lazy wave. “A coup from the inside out is it?” The hand dropped, arcing in a mock of the rise of a belly as his gaze dropped to briefly look at what he was miming. The fishman gestured towards the fridge Liz had returned from. “I have my taste buds set for something a little more… familiar.” He eyed the snack and the gills along his neck shuddered softly as he took a breath. “That,” he pointed. “makes me a little afraid.”

He excused himself with a little wave and set his book down beside the tea and meandered over to the stainless stele door. The blast of cool air made he sink further into the robe and he bent down to poke around, pushing aside a casserole dish and a tub of guacamole.

"I gave you my excuse, now what's yours?"

Partially hidden by the door, Abe curled his head as if he meant to look through the door at Liz. Instead he grabbed a small Tupperware container and stood up, closing the fridge with a brush of his hip. “Same,” and held up the plastic case. “And to enjoy the company of a very kind and giving sister who’s willing to share more of her olives.”

[Liz Sherman]

“A coup from the inside out is it?”

This sentence actually made Liz's spine shiver. She had a dream a few months ago where the babies burst from her stomach ala Alien. She shuddered just remembering how vivid the dream was with all of the blood and the little hands... "Stop it," she commanded herself. "You're going to lose your appetite and then they're going to be pissed."

“...That makes me a little afraid.”

"Jellyfish." She teased in a light hearted manner. She grabbed a spoon as he turned to the refrigerator and scooped up some ice cream and an olive. As soon as her lips wrapped around the spoon, she could feel the twins kick in victory. He laughed through her nose, chewed the olive, and swallowed. She needed to stop giving in to their every whim or they were going to come out pre-spoiled.

“Same. And to enjoy the company of a very kind and giving sister who’s willing to share more of her olives.”

"Sure, help yourself." She proffered the jar of olives. While it was almost empty, she had been considerate and left some floating in there. She eyed the Tupperware container Abe held and wrinkled her nose. "Those aren't rotten eggs, are they? If they are, warn me before you open that otherwise I'm pretty sure both of us will lose our appetites after I barf everywhere."

[Abe Sapien]

"Jellyfish."
"Sure, help yourself."

Good natured teasing aside, Abe deliberated in the few seconds of silence that followed before he thanked his sister with a sweep of his head and two slender fingers reached into the jar with ease and pinched an olive. Raising it, he paused to look at the round shape then casually measured it to Liz before it was popped into his mouth.

"Those aren't rotten eggs, are they?

Abraham curled his fingers around the shape of the container before shifting them to create a barrier of webbing as he spread his fingers to hide it almost guiltily from view. He tipped his head down and gave a slow confirming nod. “I give you my word, I will not open it until I leave… Preferably until I retire to the library.” Shifting the container to one hand, he raised his hand and placed it over his heart, promising, and set the hazy plastic Tupperware behind him on another counter. He presented both empty hands and wiggled his fingers before poking around the olive jar again.

“How have you been feeling lately? That is, with,” he gestured towards her midsection. He really should have brought that maternity book with him, he had been meaning to give it to brother Red. “Are you able to sleep? Exercise? Nothing strenuous of course, though I suppose the halls here keep everyone in shape.”

[Liz Sherman]

“I give you my word, I will not open it until I leave… Preferably until I retire to the library.”

"Good. I'd hate to have to page the midnight cleaning crew to clean up something that wasn't biohazardous or the product of some bizarre experiment. I mean, cleaning up puke in the Bureau, God forbid." She finished the sentence with a spoonful of olive-laced strawberry ice cream to her mouth. The cleaning crew of the BPRD was lucky, Liz thought, when they weren't cleaning up something that could give them cancer or kill them. A little puke...Why did she even get on this subject?

“How have you been feeling lately? That is, with... Are you able to sleep? Exercise? Nothing strenuous of course, though I suppose the halls here keep everyone in shape.”

A strange sort of half-smile came onto Liz's lips as her brother began interrogating her. Well, interrogating was a harsh way of putting it, and he just wanted to make sure everything was alright. After all, in a small number of months he was going to be an uncle to two little babies. "I'm as fine as I can be, I guess. Except for the crippling heart burn, intense back pain, and the little ones rearranging my organs. Everything's hunky dory here." Liz took another scoop of ice cream and let her half smile hang. "I'm fine, though, really." She assured her brother. "Since I can't really do anything, any sleep I lose at night I get back during the day and well... Let's just say the my nesting instinct is making sure I get plenty of exercise trying to keep the room clean."

[Abe Sapien]

“…I mean, cleaning up puke in the Bureau, God forbid."

With a heavy nod of understanding, Abraham fluttered fingers in front of his mouth as he swallowed the olive he was eating and spoke. “Though there was that one summer of eighty six. I don’t think I will ever look at hydrangeas and split pea soup the same way.” He reached for another green skinned vegetable. “Or possibly chickpeas. I believe everything in the pea family will forever haunt me.” Abe glanced down at the olive between his fingers and contemplated putting it back, however he had already touched it and looked over it at his dear sister’s reassurance that she was well. He wasn’t convinced.

Abe made a sound, between a tsk and a hum and eyed her mini fort cuisine. That was most assuredly not helping with heart burn either. One could almost see the pages turning in his head as he ran through a few remedies. “Mint tea may help, bananas as well. It also helps with any queasiness in the morning, and depression if you’re… upset about being nauseous?” He gave a tilt of his head and his shoulders rolled up, shrugging the robe he wore.

The fishman raised his hand, the olive still held between his index and middle finger momentarily forgotten. “I do hope you’re not moving anything heavy now, Liz.” A gestured wave sent the veggie sailing and the man made an attempt to catch it, bumbling as it bounced off his outstretched fingers but managed to catch it the second time before it hit the ground. He curled two fingers around it, tucking it against his palm to continue talking as if he didn’t just perform a little stunt. “Then again, Red can be a trifle disorganized.”

[Liz Sherman]

“Though there was that one summer of eighty six. I don’t think I will ever look at hydrangeas and split pea soup the same way.”

Liz laughed a full-hearted laugh and shook her head. "I had a friend named Melissa when I was younger, and I think you and her would get along. She despised peas because her older sister told her that peas were actually baby martians and the pea-pods were what they grew in." She eyed the olive that he had snatched and her eyes narrowed in contemplation as she wondered whether or not to raise a fuss about it. She decided to let it slide. Letting him eat some of your olives isn't going to kill you, Liz.

“Mint tea may help, bananas as well. It also helps with any queasiness in the morning, and depression if you’re… upset about being nauseous?”

"Pepto's been helping, and does mint tea have caffeine in it? I'm supposed to shy away from caffeine -- like the twins need any. The queasiness just happens with strong odors. I've had to ask Red like a million times to feed the cats dry food instead of wet." Liz's cheeks actually tinged a faint green just at the thought of the smell of wet cat food. She burped as well and tasted ice cream and french fry. "'Scuse me."

Liz watched the olive acrobatics with an amused look in her eye, her lips forming a tight smile as Abe's fingers curled around the small green vegetable. "You're too good to him in your descriptions, Abe. Imagine what the room will look like when they arrived." Liz touched her stomach and looked down before rubbing her baby bump in a circle. She heaved a small sigh. "I've been wondering what they are." She said absent-mindedly. "I don't know if Red wants to know before. But I feel like..." She looked back up to her brother and said, "I feel like it'd be one less thing to prepare for, y'know? Is it two girls? Two boys? A boy and a girl? Kittens? God..." She laughed dryly and left one hand resting on her bump, the other reached for her spoon. "We're in for a ride."