[SCENE] Jake, Lana and April in: The Babying
Lana: *sits at the desk in her office, skimming through various webpages open on her computer monitor as she waits for Jake to make his timely arrival. Whatever she's reading, it's causing her brow to furrow and her mouth to be drawn in that characteristically tense line of hers*
Jake: *knocks quickly a couple of times before entering Lana's office. He smiles cheerfully at her* Hey, baby.
Lana: *the almost painfully palpable stress in the air is, for the briefest of moments, directed directly onto the cowboy when Lana glances up and over at him with a frown. Then, it eases up considerably--though the P.I's voice is still a touch curt when she asks:* What took you?
Jake: *a bit taken aback by the strange tension as he shuts the door* I ain't late, am I? *glances up at the clock on Lana's office wall*
Lana: You know you are. *sighs a slightly exasperated sigh, though she seems to level out considerably after it* I've found her address; it's about twenty minutes away. *sorts the various papers on her desk, although they seem to already be resting neatly where they are*
Jake: *rests his hands on his hips* You seem to be on the edge of somethin' there, you know that?
Lana: *frowns, piling one stack of files on top of another* I'm just a little tired. And sore. ...And I think a headache is starting to set in. *starts moving a hand onto one of her temples, but midway through the action her eyes flicker to her computer monitor. Quickly, almost hastily, she minimizes the various windows there*
Jake: *making his way over to her side of the desk already* *suspicious* What're you lookin' at...? *the window is minimized before he sees*
Lana: *sharply* Nothing. *and much less so, though she speaks no less hurried* Things for the case. ...It's nothing you don't already know. *glances off to the side, retrieving a file and her purse*
Jake: Hmm... You must be dreadful tired. *gives a sympathetic grin* Want me to take the wheel? *leans in to brush his nose against her neck*
Lana: That... might be best. *backs away, heading straight for the door* Come on--let's get going.
Jake: *looks at her for a brief moment* ...Sure. *deciding not to question any further, follows her*
~~~
Lana: *about twenty minutes later, Lana sits on the passenger side of the car as Jake drives--thanks to L.A. traffic, they're still on the road. The last few minutes were spent mostly in silence, but for some reason she breaks it now* ...Jake?
Jake: *looking straight ahead as he drives, nothing really weighing on his mind* Yeah?
Lana: *glances at him, then looks out the window* Have you put much thought into the future?
Jake: Sure. *some uncertainty* Think I may retire some place further away from the city...
Lana: *smiles slightly* That sounds nice. ...Downtown Los Angeles isn't really the best place to spend retirement, or raise a child.
Jake: Or raise cattle. *smirks* I'd like to give that a shot.
Lana: *sounding rather doubtful* Cattle?
Jake: A couple of bovines, along with a garden. Ever grown the food you eat? Now, me and vegetables don't exactly get along, but let me tell you: when you harvest your own carrots they're like lil' bundles of joy.
Lana: The thought hadn't occurred to me. *pauses* And... that's it?
Jake: Some spuds would be fine, too.
Lana: *a little too flatly* You mean potatoes.
Jake: *confused* There a difference?
Lana: *rubs her temples* ...No, no there isn't. Nevermind.
Jake: *furrows his brows* You sure you don't need a break? Sounds like you got some sand in your panties.
Lana: There's nothing there that you didn't have a hand in causing. *sharply* There-- the apartment complex on the left. Turn in.
Jake: *turning the car as directed* Mood swings, then. Gotcha.
Lana: This isn't just some pre-menstrual-- *hesitates* ...Look, perhaps you're right. I'm sorry. Let's just focus on what we're here to do, alright?
Jake: Sure thing. *gives her a quick smile before he looks for a convenient parking spot* Where to set fort...
Lana: *glances at the building-- it's a relatively small apartment complex, no more than ten or so stories high* She's on the second floor. You shouldn't have to pull in too close, but if her place is facing the other side we'll have to relocate. *scans the windows of the building--it's not really dark yet, but it's dim enough outside that several residents have turned on their lights--giving an excellent view of the rooms unshielded by curtains or blinds*
Jake: *gesturing with a tilt of his head towards an empty spot by the sidewalk across the road from the building* I'll park 'er there. *slowly pulls over to the spot*
Lana: Mm. *keeps her eyes on the windows as he does so* I don't see her yet--maybe I should go in and check the layout. Find out where her rooms are, exactly.
Jake: *parks the car and cuts the engine* No, we should wait a few minutes at least. No need to rush things.
Lana: ... Alright. *reaches into the glove compartment, where there's a pair of binoculars. She settles back and raises them to her eyes, falling into a silence again*
Jake: *curiously* ...Did you want some time to yourself?
Lana: *pans slowly across the building with the binoculars* No. Does it seem as though I do?
Jake: *looking at the back of her head* You've been all horns and rattles since I stepped foot inside your office.
Lana: I suppose I have. *breathes out quietly* I was doing some reading before you came in. I suppose it got me rather agitated... and like I said, I haven't been having a good day. *the movement of her binoculars stops; she fiddles with the focus*
Jake: *glances off to the side* Reading the manual to a digital camera gets me agitated. Now what could you've possibly been readin'...
Lana: *doesn't reply-- she leans forward where she's sitting* I think see her now. Her back, but that garish shade of pink she's wearing is quite distinctive...
Lana: *sharply, still peering through her binoculars* Is that a wine bottle?
Jake: *leans in and ducks his head to see better, his attention focusing back to the job on hand* Sure it ain't grape juice?
Lana: I'm sure! She's fetching a wine glass to drink it out of! Does she know how irresponsible that is? *sets down the binoculars and grabs her purse, opening the passenger side door. She's already stepping on out as she finishes speaking*
Jake: *surprised by her haste* W-whoa, bambina. Hold up! *follows*
Lana: *sharply* This isn't something someone should just stand by and watch, Jake! *storms across the street--fortunately, there's a red light so there is no actual traffic at the moment--and into the front doors of the building*
Jake: *shuts the card door and runs after her as he says quietly to himself:* Jesus lord, Lana, what in hell's gotten into you?
~~~
April: *has been spending the late afternoon calming her nerves with a nice glass of wine, oblivious to the fact that she has an audience* Stupid lawyers... They should all drop dead. *she mumbles as she takes a nice long sip*
Lana: *there's a loud, insistent knocking at the door*
April: *the sudden disruption surprises her and she nearly chokes* Now what!? *as a precaution she quickly throws her faux belly on, not bothering to strap it on properly* Yes? *she forces a smile as she opens the door*
Lana: *she'd been knocking the whole while as April had been getting dressed. When the woman finally opens the door, Lana steps forward--the anger is clearly evident in her expression* Miss. I was outside and just happened to see what you were doing. Are you lacking every single smidgen of common sense?
April: *blinks at the strange woman* What?
Jake: *appears next to Lana, smiling to April the best he can* You'll have to excuse her, ma'am. She's just havin' one of those days, y'see, and--
Lana: *glares at Jake, and then back at April* You were about to drink alcohol, weren't you? Aren't you aware of the effects that could have on your child? Haven't you heard about fetal alcohol syndrome?!
April: *blinks again, totally left in the dust. She looks at the cowboy and then back at the obviously upset woman* Wait. Like, who the heck are you guys?
Jake: *holds onto the brim of his hat* Well, I'm just a man, wanderin' the trails of civilization...
Lana: *slams her hand against the doorframe* We're two people who just happened to be outside. Now answer my question!
April: *her smile is long gone and replaced by a menacing glare* Like, why don't you mind your own business! *she begins to shut the door on them*
Lana: Hold it--*places a hand on the door-- not to shove her way in, but just in an attempt to stop the movement* Look, would you just listen for a moment? It's for the health of your child!
Jake: *putting a hand on her shoulder* Easy there, bambina! You can leave it to the social services.
April: *rolls her eyes, realizing this persistent woman won't be so easily shaken off* Fine. Whatever. *as sweetly as she can muster, but not without a hint of venom* Come in...I guess.
Lana: *seems to calm down somewhat when Jake grabs her; it also helps considerably when April re-opens the door* ...Thank you. *gives Jake another glance before she walks on in, turning to look somewhat about the room when she does. The wine bottle and the glass are indeed out in the open* How much reading have you done about your pregnancy, Miss...?
Jake: *looks back at Lana with some concern in his expression now as he takes off his hand and follows her into the room*
April: It's April May. *crosses her arms in front of her chest and stares at Lana suspiciously* Reading? Like, why would I need to do that? *casually picks her unfinished glass up and lifts it to her lips*
Lana: Stop! Wait! *seems to just barely restrain herself from grabbing April's arm. Her attempt to speak calmly isn't entirely effective, however* Because a lot of things you do may inadvertently hurt your baby, and you need to do the research to be aware. Drinking alcohol while pregnant, for example, could cause health problems for your child for the entirety of their life!
April: *reluctantly puts the glass down, but other than that she pretty much dismisses Lana's claims with a shrug. Instead, she turns her attention toward the attractive cowboy and smiles coyly* So like, are you guys from some church or something?
Jake: *slightly irritated* I ain't no priest, but my lady friend here may've turned into a preacher when I weren't looking. *narrows his eyes at Lana* What's with you, huh? This ain't your baby.
Lana: And if it were? *this is said rather coldly, without looking back at Jake--her focus is on the woman in front of her. And at that moment, her eyes lock onto April's shirt... where a few buttons are open and a rather particular cloth is sticking through.......*
Jake: What do you mean "if it were"-- *and somewhere in that cowboy hat it clicks*
Lana: *to April* Are you wearing a pregnancy suit?
Jake: *to Lana* Are you pregnant?!
April: *assumes that Lana had just been looking at her ample bosom--something that April is definitely used to. However, at the sudden accusation she gasps and looks down to notice the problem* Oh, shi--
Lana: *turns back quickly to Jake* Yes! Maybe! I don't know-- *waves a hand at April, looking back at her* Look, I can't believe the audacity of this woman!
Jake: So that's why you've gone completely loco. *steps up to Lana where she can see that he's angry* Why didn't you just tell me your tin roof got rusted?
Lana: Because I didn't know how to! *turns to him, looking just as angry* Because I'm not sure yet and you want me to just dump that information on you? I didn't know how you'd react! I don't know how to react!
April: *stares dumbfounded at the two strangers who have just started a heated argument right there in the middle of her apartment* Uh...
Jake: Clearly, the concern's been frying up your brain. You don't think informing me would've helped??
Lana: I was working up to it! It would have helped if you had gotten ANY of my hinting!
April: *begins to lose her patience* Um...hello...!? Could you guys like, continue your domestics elsewhere?
Jake: What hints? *points at Lana* Don't speak to me in riddles. If you want me to know somethin' then say it!
Lana: *glares at him with an intensity that could melt ice* Alright then! After your hairbrained idea of using that expired contraceptive you dragged to Wyoming and back, I may in fact be pregnant! Thanks to you!
April: *her mouth hangs open, unable to believe what she's hearing. This is all starting to become very entertaining until she can't hold her laughter back any longer* Oh my god! You guys totally have way more issues than I do!
Jake: *shooting daggers at April* Shut your mouth!
Lana: *reels back towards the woman and slams her hand on the nearby table* You stay out of this!
April: *jumps and backs herself into a wall without another word*
Jake: *turns his attention back to Lana* What makes you think you're pregnant, anyway?!
Lana: *crosses her arms* I've already told you! I've been sore. I've been having headaches. I've been tired. And I'm late by two weeks--I'm never late, Jake!
Jake: If you'd told me that last important bit, I woulda caught on! Hell, I was tired and sore with an ache in my head just last week. Maybe I'm pregnant, too!
Lana: Maybe you ought to be!
April: *finally decides she's had enough of this* OKAY, THAT'S IT! *crosses her arms in front of her chest with a huff* I don't know who the heck you guys are, but maybe you should be like, going to see a doctor instead of arguing about it here?
Jake: *to April* You can't kick out a man who's leaving! *turns and walks briskly to the door* C'mon.
Lana: *can't seem to muster a closing line to April--it seems like she's exhausted her retorts in general for the evening, really--and so she marches out silently behind Jake, shutting the door behind her*
April: *heaves a deep sigh when they finally leave. So maybe the cat's out of the bag? At least she got some entertainment out of it*
((Edit: If you want to start worrying as well, you can always catch this show. 8U))
Jake: *knocks quickly a couple of times before entering Lana's office. He smiles cheerfully at her* Hey, baby.
Lana: *the almost painfully palpable stress in the air is, for the briefest of moments, directed directly onto the cowboy when Lana glances up and over at him with a frown. Then, it eases up considerably--though the P.I's voice is still a touch curt when she asks:* What took you?
Jake: *a bit taken aback by the strange tension as he shuts the door* I ain't late, am I? *glances up at the clock on Lana's office wall*
Lana: You know you are. *sighs a slightly exasperated sigh, though she seems to level out considerably after it* I've found her address; it's about twenty minutes away. *sorts the various papers on her desk, although they seem to already be resting neatly where they are*
Jake: *rests his hands on his hips* You seem to be on the edge of somethin' there, you know that?
Lana: *frowns, piling one stack of files on top of another* I'm just a little tired. And sore. ...And I think a headache is starting to set in. *starts moving a hand onto one of her temples, but midway through the action her eyes flicker to her computer monitor. Quickly, almost hastily, she minimizes the various windows there*
Jake: *making his way over to her side of the desk already* *suspicious* What're you lookin' at...? *the window is minimized before he sees*
Lana: *sharply* Nothing. *and much less so, though she speaks no less hurried* Things for the case. ...It's nothing you don't already know. *glances off to the side, retrieving a file and her purse*
Jake: Hmm... You must be dreadful tired. *gives a sympathetic grin* Want me to take the wheel? *leans in to brush his nose against her neck*
Lana: That... might be best. *backs away, heading straight for the door* Come on--let's get going.
Jake: *looks at her for a brief moment* ...Sure. *deciding not to question any further, follows her*
~~~
Lana: *about twenty minutes later, Lana sits on the passenger side of the car as Jake drives--thanks to L.A. traffic, they're still on the road. The last few minutes were spent mostly in silence, but for some reason she breaks it now* ...Jake?
Jake: *looking straight ahead as he drives, nothing really weighing on his mind* Yeah?
Lana: *glances at him, then looks out the window* Have you put much thought into the future?
Jake: Sure. *some uncertainty* Think I may retire some place further away from the city...
Lana: *smiles slightly* That sounds nice. ...Downtown Los Angeles isn't really the best place to spend retirement, or raise a child.
Jake: Or raise cattle. *smirks* I'd like to give that a shot.
Lana: *sounding rather doubtful* Cattle?
Jake: A couple of bovines, along with a garden. Ever grown the food you eat? Now, me and vegetables don't exactly get along, but let me tell you: when you harvest your own carrots they're like lil' bundles of joy.
Lana: The thought hadn't occurred to me. *pauses* And... that's it?
Jake: Some spuds would be fine, too.
Lana: *a little too flatly* You mean potatoes.
Jake: *confused* There a difference?
Lana: *rubs her temples* ...No, no there isn't. Nevermind.
Jake: *furrows his brows* You sure you don't need a break? Sounds like you got some sand in your panties.
Lana: There's nothing there that you didn't have a hand in causing. *sharply* There-- the apartment complex on the left. Turn in.
Jake: *turning the car as directed* Mood swings, then. Gotcha.
Lana: This isn't just some pre-menstrual-- *hesitates* ...Look, perhaps you're right. I'm sorry. Let's just focus on what we're here to do, alright?
Jake: Sure thing. *gives her a quick smile before he looks for a convenient parking spot* Where to set fort...
Lana: *glances at the building-- it's a relatively small apartment complex, no more than ten or so stories high* She's on the second floor. You shouldn't have to pull in too close, but if her place is facing the other side we'll have to relocate. *scans the windows of the building--it's not really dark yet, but it's dim enough outside that several residents have turned on their lights--giving an excellent view of the rooms unshielded by curtains or blinds*
Jake: *gesturing with a tilt of his head towards an empty spot by the sidewalk across the road from the building* I'll park 'er there. *slowly pulls over to the spot*
Lana: Mm. *keeps her eyes on the windows as he does so* I don't see her yet--maybe I should go in and check the layout. Find out where her rooms are, exactly.
Jake: *parks the car and cuts the engine* No, we should wait a few minutes at least. No need to rush things.
Lana: ... Alright. *reaches into the glove compartment, where there's a pair of binoculars. She settles back and raises them to her eyes, falling into a silence again*
Jake: *curiously* ...Did you want some time to yourself?
Lana: *pans slowly across the building with the binoculars* No. Does it seem as though I do?
Jake: *looking at the back of her head* You've been all horns and rattles since I stepped foot inside your office.
Lana: I suppose I have. *breathes out quietly* I was doing some reading before you came in. I suppose it got me rather agitated... and like I said, I haven't been having a good day. *the movement of her binoculars stops; she fiddles with the focus*
Jake: *glances off to the side* Reading the manual to a digital camera gets me agitated. Now what could you've possibly been readin'...
Lana: *doesn't reply-- she leans forward where she's sitting* I think see her now. Her back, but that garish shade of pink she's wearing is quite distinctive...
Lana: *sharply, still peering through her binoculars* Is that a wine bottle?
Jake: *leans in and ducks his head to see better, his attention focusing back to the job on hand* Sure it ain't grape juice?
Lana: I'm sure! She's fetching a wine glass to drink it out of! Does she know how irresponsible that is? *sets down the binoculars and grabs her purse, opening the passenger side door. She's already stepping on out as she finishes speaking*
Jake: *surprised by her haste* W-whoa, bambina. Hold up! *follows*
Lana: *sharply* This isn't something someone should just stand by and watch, Jake! *storms across the street--fortunately, there's a red light so there is no actual traffic at the moment--and into the front doors of the building*
Jake: *shuts the card door and runs after her as he says quietly to himself:* Jesus lord, Lana, what in hell's gotten into you?
~~~
April: *has been spending the late afternoon calming her nerves with a nice glass of wine, oblivious to the fact that she has an audience* Stupid lawyers... They should all drop dead. *she mumbles as she takes a nice long sip*
Lana: *there's a loud, insistent knocking at the door*
April: *the sudden disruption surprises her and she nearly chokes* Now what!? *as a precaution she quickly throws her faux belly on, not bothering to strap it on properly* Yes? *she forces a smile as she opens the door*
Lana: *she'd been knocking the whole while as April had been getting dressed. When the woman finally opens the door, Lana steps forward--the anger is clearly evident in her expression* Miss. I was outside and just happened to see what you were doing. Are you lacking every single smidgen of common sense?
April: *blinks at the strange woman* What?
Jake: *appears next to Lana, smiling to April the best he can* You'll have to excuse her, ma'am. She's just havin' one of those days, y'see, and--
Lana: *glares at Jake, and then back at April* You were about to drink alcohol, weren't you? Aren't you aware of the effects that could have on your child? Haven't you heard about fetal alcohol syndrome?!
April: *blinks again, totally left in the dust. She looks at the cowboy and then back at the obviously upset woman* Wait. Like, who the heck are you guys?
Jake: *holds onto the brim of his hat* Well, I'm just a man, wanderin' the trails of civilization...
Lana: *slams her hand against the doorframe* We're two people who just happened to be outside. Now answer my question!
April: *her smile is long gone and replaced by a menacing glare* Like, why don't you mind your own business! *she begins to shut the door on them*
Lana: Hold it--*places a hand on the door-- not to shove her way in, but just in an attempt to stop the movement* Look, would you just listen for a moment? It's for the health of your child!
Jake: *putting a hand on her shoulder* Easy there, bambina! You can leave it to the social services.
April: *rolls her eyes, realizing this persistent woman won't be so easily shaken off* Fine. Whatever. *as sweetly as she can muster, but not without a hint of venom* Come in...I guess.
Lana: *seems to calm down somewhat when Jake grabs her; it also helps considerably when April re-opens the door* ...Thank you. *gives Jake another glance before she walks on in, turning to look somewhat about the room when she does. The wine bottle and the glass are indeed out in the open* How much reading have you done about your pregnancy, Miss...?
Jake: *looks back at Lana with some concern in his expression now as he takes off his hand and follows her into the room*
April: It's April May. *crosses her arms in front of her chest and stares at Lana suspiciously* Reading? Like, why would I need to do that? *casually picks her unfinished glass up and lifts it to her lips*
Lana: Stop! Wait! *seems to just barely restrain herself from grabbing April's arm. Her attempt to speak calmly isn't entirely effective, however* Because a lot of things you do may inadvertently hurt your baby, and you need to do the research to be aware. Drinking alcohol while pregnant, for example, could cause health problems for your child for the entirety of their life!
April: *reluctantly puts the glass down, but other than that she pretty much dismisses Lana's claims with a shrug. Instead, she turns her attention toward the attractive cowboy and smiles coyly* So like, are you guys from some church or something?
Jake: *slightly irritated* I ain't no priest, but my lady friend here may've turned into a preacher when I weren't looking. *narrows his eyes at Lana* What's with you, huh? This ain't your baby.
Lana: And if it were? *this is said rather coldly, without looking back at Jake--her focus is on the woman in front of her. And at that moment, her eyes lock onto April's shirt... where a few buttons are open and a rather particular cloth is sticking through.......*
Jake: What do you mean "if it were"-- *and somewhere in that cowboy hat it clicks*
Lana: *to April* Are you wearing a pregnancy suit?
Jake: *to Lana* Are you pregnant?!
April: *assumes that Lana had just been looking at her ample bosom--something that April is definitely used to. However, at the sudden accusation she gasps and looks down to notice the problem* Oh, shi--
Lana: *turns back quickly to Jake* Yes! Maybe! I don't know-- *waves a hand at April, looking back at her* Look, I can't believe the audacity of this woman!
Jake: So that's why you've gone completely loco. *steps up to Lana where she can see that he's angry* Why didn't you just tell me your tin roof got rusted?
Lana: Because I didn't know how to! *turns to him, looking just as angry* Because I'm not sure yet and you want me to just dump that information on you? I didn't know how you'd react! I don't know how to react!
April: *stares dumbfounded at the two strangers who have just started a heated argument right there in the middle of her apartment* Uh...
Jake: Clearly, the concern's been frying up your brain. You don't think informing me would've helped??
Lana: I was working up to it! It would have helped if you had gotten ANY of my hinting!
April: *begins to lose her patience* Um...hello...!? Could you guys like, continue your domestics elsewhere?
Jake: What hints? *points at Lana* Don't speak to me in riddles. If you want me to know somethin' then say it!
Lana: *glares at him with an intensity that could melt ice* Alright then! After your hairbrained idea of using that expired contraceptive you dragged to Wyoming and back, I may in fact be pregnant! Thanks to you!
April: *her mouth hangs open, unable to believe what she's hearing. This is all starting to become very entertaining until she can't hold her laughter back any longer* Oh my god! You guys totally have way more issues than I do!
Jake: *shooting daggers at April* Shut your mouth!
Lana: *reels back towards the woman and slams her hand on the nearby table* You stay out of this!
April: *jumps and backs herself into a wall without another word*
Jake: *turns his attention back to Lana* What makes you think you're pregnant, anyway?!
Lana: *crosses her arms* I've already told you! I've been sore. I've been having headaches. I've been tired. And I'm late by two weeks--I'm never late, Jake!
Jake: If you'd told me that last important bit, I woulda caught on! Hell, I was tired and sore with an ache in my head just last week. Maybe I'm pregnant, too!
Lana: Maybe you ought to be!
April: *finally decides she's had enough of this* OKAY, THAT'S IT! *crosses her arms in front of her chest with a huff* I don't know who the heck you guys are, but maybe you should be like, going to see a doctor instead of arguing about it here?
Jake: *to April* You can't kick out a man who's leaving! *turns and walks briskly to the door* C'mon.
Lana: *can't seem to muster a closing line to April--it seems like she's exhausted her retorts in general for the evening, really--and so she marches out silently behind Jake, shutting the door behind her*
April: *heaves a deep sigh when they finally leave. So maybe the cat's out of the bag? At least she got some entertainment out of it*
((Edit: If you want to start worrying as well, you can always catch this show. 8U))