shimmerandsing | The shoe is on the hand it fits.

Alison had been fidgeting about this for a while. Quietly. As much as she hated asking for things -- particularly when she already had so much and had been given so much -- there was something on her mind that she just couldn't shake. The nursery that Robbie and Miyuki set up for the babies was wonderful. She had no complaints at all. But, there was something missing.

Every time she was in the room and every time she imagined herself with the twins after their birth, she saw herself with one tiny infant held against each shoulder and sitting in an old fashioned, wooden rocking chair. Rocking them to sleep; feeding, nursing.

All the chairs in the stores and catalogs she'd seen lately had been the new, modern kind with all sorts of mechanical looking, moving parts. Not at all what she wanted.

Dakota had made beautiful furniture for the babies so far. The crib and changing table he'd given them was breathtaking. The work he'd done on the little bridge over their koi pond was lovely, too. She had no doubt in her mind that if she asked, he could make her exactly what she wanted.

But, he and Rogue were on vacation. And they'd already abused him enough with the koi pond.

She sighed to herself as she stepped out the back door and carried a cup of warm tea down the steps and out toward the pond. She wandered barefoot across the grass and marveled at how quiet it was. Longshot had gotten up early this morning to take the kids out on a horseback ride. A couple of horses had to be borrowed from camp to carry them all, but Alison had yet to see them deny Longshot anything.

She discovered she wasn't alone at the pond, though. Dakota was sitting on one of the benches overlooking the koi pond. Glad for the company and amused by the coincidence, Alison wandered over to sit by him.

"Enjoying your handy work?"

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"Nope. Not interested in the least." Dakota sniffed and settled more firmly against the bench. Because he knew there might have been hand gestures for emphasis. That would be bad. Another kill him instantly moment.

"I saw my on-line bill for the last shopping run. I know how deep you guys dig." He raised his hand up, putting his thumb against the tip of his nose. Then he wiggled his fingers at Alison. So nyah nyah.

"Riiiight."

She chuckled a bit. And fiddled with her teacup. After a second, she asked. "How, uh... how bad was the bill, exactly?"

She had made her usual protests during the trip, but they had done quite a bit of spending none-the-less.

"I know I am," he said with a nod. "I'm talking about me."

He watched Ali get a little nervous. "Not bad, really. I also know it was my wife who was using the cards the most. Don't worry about it."

"Well, if you insist. My curiosity would certainly get the best of me, if the positions were reversed."

"Well..." She smiled a little. "Maybe we'll just window shop next time. Actually, we could take Lisa looking for this 'show horse' she wants. Make John's wallet cry this time."

"Well, you should know your husband does talk about you. Not really gossiping when I don't dish on my own wife, though." It was very hard for Dakota to keep a straight face. But he managed through sheer force of will.

He reached over and grabbed her wrist gently. "Ali, it's okay. From what I heard, all you girls had a good time. From scaring stork clerks on down. It's nice to see everybody happy. There's no good price tag on that to say too expensive. I was just teasing."

Then he slowly withdrew his hand. He might have broken some cardinal rule about touching an Alison Blaire. He would take the punch to the nose if it made her feel better.

"He does not!" She wrinkled her nose at him and shook her head, amused. Longshot would be interrogated when next she saw him, though, just to be sure.

"We had a lot of fun," she agreed. "I can't tell you how happy I've been, having everyone here with us. I don't ever want you or anyone else to think I'm ungrateful for anything."

There was no nose punching. He'd have to do something a lot more aggravating than touch her wrist to trigger that impulse. She sat back and relaxed some.

"Does too," Dakota countered in his best imitation of Gloria Jean at her most obstinate. Though without the arms crossed in front of the chest and no pouting either.

"We're happy to be here. The kids are having fun, and Rogue and I can occasionally have grown-up conversations with other adults. Well, ones that don't revolve on the X-Men saving the world. It's been real nice."

She laughed at his impression. She had seen the real thing just once. It had been late and after a full, long day. Gloria Jean didn't throw tantrums often, that Alison had observed.

"I can't remember the last time I thought about the X-Men saving the world. I think I'm pretty well past all that." Hopefully, anyway.

"All I want to do with my life right now is have my babies. And sing." Not that the last one was at all new.

"Well, when you live on the grounds, you hear it quite a bit. Rogue can't quite let go, but at least we live on the far side of the estate now. Away from Attack for Death Cove at least." He shrugged. It was at least the part of the estate that got the fewest visitors.

"Speaking of singing because I can't talk about the baby thing, any record deals out there after your single did well? Or at least what I could figure from Miyuki talking about charts, pies, and idols."

"A few offers. There's one label I'm looking at that releases heavily in Japan and Europe." She smiled and shrugged. "My old label called, but I hung up on them."

"I have enough material for another album and then some. But, I'm a little nervous about promoting it once I do. Unless I want to call it the 'Pregnant With Twins' tour."

He chuckled. "You did, huh? Good for you."

Dakota didn't know why it was good exactly, but it sounded like it should.

"Well, doesn't it take time to record and mix and all that? Promotion could come after little Laertes and Anna make their debut." He was definitely kidding about the names. He didn't think many people needed his name anyway. Rogue's was nice, though.

The shoe is on the hand it fits.

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