The Expecting

[Taro Lawson]

Taro was walking a little more bouncy today then usual. He was feeling a little lighter in spirit than usual. Ah hell, Taro Lawson was just happy. Everything was going right, now. Everything. Since he and Jesimae had made the decision to move out of that ratty apartment on Coruscant and into a better place on Naboo. Ever since they had landed four days ago and begun unpacking. Ever since Taro had been called in for a second interview at the government agency in the city.

Taro Lawson--an ex-stripper, ex-prostitute, ex-drug addict, ex-thief--had gotten a job as a translator for a government agency on Naboo. He would be working with investigators mostly, going on trips around the world, sometimes going off-world, although, due to the fact that he was married, he was told that his off-world trip would be very few. He would be translating Japanese, Chinese, and Korean documents, and also being a translator when his agency were dealing with people of that nationality. He would be getting 110, 000 credits a year, which was very good considering.

He and his wife had bought a nice home near a lake. It was just outside the city, they could see the city from their hill, and they were secluded without being locked away from civilization. It was a two story house, their bedroom on the second floor, along with a master bath, and two guest rooms. The kitchen, living room, study and another bathroom were on the first floor. He and Jesimae had heard of the house for sale through a mutual friend, and had come to check it out along with job opportunities about a month before--almost a month after returning from the colony and the nightmares that had gone down there.

Taro had never really felt responsible for anything in his life. Well, unless he counted Jiro, which had been his sole responsibility until he met Jesimae. And then, he felt his responsibility to her. And now, all of a sudden, he had a job, a house, and a wife, and he felt like he was on top of the world.

Sure, he knew there would be problems somewhere down the road--there were always problems when one dealt with the Lawsons--but he knew that as long as he had Jes, and his family, they'd be able to get through anything. And now that he was being a responsible adult--something he was still getting used to, but glad that he could now be one--he felt like he had a better handle on his life. He didn't feel like he was getting thrown around in the wave of issues that seemed to always plague him.

And Jesimae was safe. That was the most important thing in the world to him. As long as she was safe--and happy--he would be content.

Taro caught a hovertaxi out of town and to the hovertaxi platform nearest his home, which was still a pretty good hike, but he could use it. He walked the path until he was to his road and then walked leisurely up it, rounding the bend around a little cluster of trees, and seeing his house cozily sitting on the hill. He smiled at it. It was his and Jes's house, but soon it would be there home, and he couldn't wait.

He went to the steps and looked around, sighing at the boxes still outside. Once he got inside and changed, he would be able to help Jes get these in and unpacked. Even though his apartment on Coruscant hadn't been that big, he and Jes had accumulated a lot of stuff. Plus anything they wanted off his ship, which had been more than he had thought. Plus they had bought food to stock in when they got here, furniture to put in the house, and a few odds and ends Jesimae had wanted to put in her new home. As excited about his as Taro was, he was sure Jes was more so. At least he hoped she was.

Taro unlocked the door, and pushed it in, as it opened onto the living room and open staircase. He saw opened and half unpacked boxes on the tiled floor, a picture of he, Jes, Jiro, and Haru up on a small table, but he didn't see his wife anywhere. He glanced around.

"Jes?" he called, glancing up the stairs. He couldn't wait to tell her he'd gotten the job. He looked up the stairs. "Kanojo, you up there!"

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae was slightly daydreaming, basically the moment she had gotten off that nasty colony and away from everything she had been in quite a daze, simply because of everything that had occurred to them for the ages. To finally make a final decision, a decision that was mutual, responsible, it gave her a sense of freedom and an ability to breathe. It was something she hadn't felt in so long, not since she had met Taro and the other part of the family, that endlessly kept growing. A smile crossed her face, as it had almost all day since she woke up next to Taro, in <i>their home, their room, their bed</i>. She couldn't have ever imagined being away from the family, but in a way she was glad, they were on their own like they should have been in the beginning. It was a great feeling.

She smiled again, she couldn't recall smiling this much in her life, ever, but she was just glad to have it happening to her now as she stood above the double sink, washing dishes, like the good housewife she had always wanted to be. She held a plate in her left hand while wiping it dry with a plaid towel she had bought earlier that day. She had been working on the house non-stop since Taro decided to go job hunting. She felt useless, so she kept herself busy with the unpacking and the house cleaning, and getting things in good shape for she and her husband. Another smile. She needed to stop feeling this good, it had to have been a sin of some sort. Jesimae had worked on the kitchen, it was almsot complete, except she wanted to put a few more things on teh wall, she had seen a cute little rectangular picture that she wanted to hang above the sink, but she passed figuring she could find something else.

She sighed out as she put the dry plate onto the sink, the bowls neatly stacked next to the dessert plates and salad bowls and cups. She was wanting everything to be perfect, unfortunately the sound of Taro's voice broke her concentration and her task. Oh well, she figured she'd have all the time in the world to be a wife! She smiled and put the plate down followed by the towel and walked out of the kitchen and down the small hall to the living room, where she saw Taro yelling up the stairs.

"Right here." She smiled. Seeing him in their living that was a few boxes shy of being completed and clean it gave her such a feeling of happiness that swelled up in her chest to a point that it almost hurt. She leaned against the wall and reached her hands behind her back to untie the little cutsie apron she had worn as she cleaned the house, she was sure she looked like a mess and suddenly, seeing Taro, made her want to be perfect.

"How did it go?" She asked in anticipation.

[Taro Lawson]

Taro glanced over as he heard her voice. She was leaning on the door frame, looking beautifully disheveled. She had been working on the house non-stop since all of their things had gotten there, and the house was nearly finished. They had gone from top to bottom and there were only a few boxes left.

Taro smiled, taking off the suit jacket and hanging it up, rolling up his sleeves. He walked over to where she was standing. He leaned down to kiss her, wrapping his arms around her waist and untying the apron she was trying to undo. He leaned back and draped it over his arm before holding up the sheet of paper his new boss had given him.

"Translator for The Naboo Government Investigation Unit," he said, unable to keep a little pride out of his voice. Having a real job--a real respectable job--was something he had, at one time, never thought he'd have. And now that he had one, he felt good. Felt freer, like he was no longer tied down--beaten down--by his past. He grinned and nodded a little, turning to pick up a box off the floor so he could finish unpacking it.

"I start next Monday," he said, pulling the box open to peer down into it. He looked back over at Jes and smiled again. "This place looks like a home now. Thanks for being such a trooper."

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae felt her face grow a bit warm from the kiss, how she still felt like a little teenager when around him, the love she had for this man seemed to never end or ever stop growing, she loved it. Love him. She saw the wide smile on his face and saw a look of pride in his eyes. She looked at the paper he held and as soon as he told her he had a job she was ready to tackle him with happiness.

"A translator...for the government!?" She watched him grab a box and dig in and for a moment she wondered where the punchline came in, but all she saw was smiles. "A translator!" She laughed lightly and walked over to him and put her arms around his neck with excitement and gave him a kiss.

"I am so proud of you." She stated in sincerity and in seriousness. "I never doubted you for a moment." She gave him a kiss and sighed out, glad that it was all seeming to finally come together. "So proud." She stated lowly as she glanced into the box.

"Now all we need is a baby and we'll have it all!" She laughed lightly as she bent down and grabbed a small photo of Taro's brothers as she looked up at him with a smile.

[Taro Lawson]

Taro smiled at her, as he he watched her dig in the box and fish out a picture. He watched her for a long moment before diving back into the box himself. He laughed heartily at her baby comment.

"Good one," he said, pulling out some Japanese cloths that had been buried in the bottom of the box. He glanced around, wondering if they went in here or the bedroom. Everything had been so haphazardly thrown into boxes, nothing had really gotten into the right box.

He moved to the table, smiling still. He couldn't imagine thinking about a child. They had already been through that scare and disappointment when it didn't actually happen. Taro wanted to talk about a baby before finding out they were having one. And if it were up to him, babies would just be taken out of the mix all together.

Taro laid the cloths out on a table and decided to go fish something else out instead of worrying about those anymore.

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae laughed lightly at his response, for a moment she was even wondering if he was breathing. As much as she joked about that, in the back of her mind she still felt guilty for her miscarriage and she wondered if she and Taro would ever have a child. She silently let out a sigh as she put the picutre of the family over near a small table next to their overstuffed single chair that matched the rest of their new living room suit. How nce this place was beginning to look. She couldn't help but get the warm and fuzzies when remembering that it was theirs and theirs alone, nobody to tell them what to do or where to go, no worries, just them.

She glanced at Taro, seeing he still had the hint of a smile, for some reason he didn't seem that warm to babies right now, perhaps at a later date, oh tomorrow, would she make another joke that was actually a hint.

Jesimae walked over to him and gave him another hug.

"I am still in shock that we are finally away from everyone, just me and my little boy."

[Taro Lawson]

Taro looked down at her, raising his arm and putting it around her shoulders. He smiled and took in a deep breath, sighing it out contentedly. He looked up and around at the house, putting his other hand on his hip. He gave a nod.

"I know. No Jiro in the next room hollering about something. No Haru hanging out in the kitchen. No Asher, no Orange, nobody," he said, looking down at her. It was a little sad not to be in the immediate vicinity of his brothers where he could help them if they needed it. But he knew that they would all be in contact, and no one would be out of touch or out of reach. He smiled hugging her tightly. "I'm glad, though," he said. "Just you and me. We're our own family now," he said grinning.

He couldn't help but feel more happy now than ever that he was married to Jesimae. He would never have to worry about being away from her, or wondering if she was safe. He planned to be with her the rest of his natural life, and his afterlife if he could manage it.

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae smiled as she hugged him in return, it was a bit sad about not having anyone around except the two of them, but yet she was incredibly relieved to not be near anyone except her Taro. They could now do whatever they wanted, walk around buck naked if they had the mind to without anyone worrying if they'd be seen by the family! She laughed lightly as she hugged him tightly and moved out of his tight grip, giving him a kiss on the lips and sighing out.

"What do you want for dinner? Anything you want, I'll fix! We have to celebrate on your job, baby." She looked at him and grinned, biting her lip with excitement. This was something great for them, it was like everything finally had meaning and a place.

[Taro Lawson]

-----------

By the time the house was finally all unpacked and felt like home, it was time for Taro to go off in the mornings and go to work. He would be getting up at eight in the morning, to be in by nine. A strange time for work to begin he had thought when he'd been given the times, but he worked to five, so he got in eight good hours of work.

His first day went by without a hitch, but even though it was only his first week, he was already pretty bogged down. But it wasn't things that were uninteresting, or difficult. Mostly, he was passed things in Japanese, Chinese, or Korean and he translated it. Also, he accompanied two other men--Joshua and Kryo, his partners and investigators--to their jobs, to interviews, to translate. He was moving a lot during the day, which was good, but the desk work wasn't bad, he had an office, not a cubicle, and all of his coworkers were very nice. He had a Korean coworker who was fun to work with, and everyone else seemed to really enjoy their job and his company as did he.

By the time Taro had finished his first week, he was very satisfied with his work and his job. So far, Jesimae was mostly staying at home. He wondered if she was getting bored there all day by herself...

[Jesimae Lawson]

"Right, I completely understand." She said, biting her lip and leaning on the kitchen counter, holding the phone to her hear as she held a pen in her hand, a pad of paper sitting in front of her, squabbled information all over the place, as well as doodles. So far, things were great, so great that it was bad. For Jesimae at least. During the day she realized that she had realized why she kept herself busy for ten years of trying to search for her brother, she hated being alone and definitely hated having to sit in a nice sized house by herself without much else to do except watch the grass outside grow, which in doing so had given Jesimae a quant little idea. If she could just get it all sorted out and together, pretty soon she'd be able to have something to do during the week while Taro was at work at his big important job, she'd be a flower peddler.

"Well, thank you so much! I appreciate it." Jesimae smiled, she was on the phone with a young woman who had been looking for another to take over her job at a local shop in town, which was how this job seemed to fall into perfect position. The woman happened to sell flowers for a living and needed to retire. Jesimae had, apparently, given such good phone the woman asked her to go ahead and come see her the next day and be trained, although there hadn't been much to it.

"Okay. Well, I shall see you tomorrow. Bye!" She smiled as she hung up, she did a little dance in her chair before crawling off of it to wander back into the living room, breathing in deeply to smell some scented candles she had lit out of boredom and to make the room smell good. She glanced at the clock on the wall, the numbers in Japanese. Taro would be home soon. Hopefully he'd be as excited about her new job as he was about his own.

[Taro Lawson]

Taro entered the front door and put his satchel next to the shoe carpet, where everyone who entered took their shoes off at. He toed off his shoes and sighed out heavily, tucking his keys into the pocket of his pants and taking off his jacket. He rolled up his sleeves and wandered into the living room, needing a drink like none other.

"Hey!" he said, seeing Jes there her hands on her hips, a smile on her face, like she was just enjoying the view. Taro made a detour around the coffee table to kiss her on the forehead before he went into the kitchen and got himself a bottle of water. "What did you do all day?"

[Jesimae Lawson]

"Oh, nothing." She sang happily to him as she followed him, stopping by the counter to lean her hip on it to look at him as he opened the fridge and leaned into it to find somethign to drink.

"I just...slept till twelve, took a shower, sat and looked out the window for about three hours...got bored. Found a job. The usual stuff." She tried not to be excited for herself, but she was. She hadn't had a solid job in more than, well, ten years! Except odd jobs of killing people and gambling.

"How was your day, my dear?"

[Taro Lawson]

Taro's lungs nearly collapsed as he sucked roughly a quart of water into each. He choked on his drink and leaned down on his knees a moment to cough harshly. After a moment, he stood straight, putting his bottle on the table and looking over at Jesimae. He grinned wide, going over and taking her shoulders.

"You found a job!?" he exclaimed. His mood had just lifted more high than it ever could. And he thought he was already happy. He shook his head, grinning like an idiot. "Well! What is it? Where is it? Tell me everything!" he exclaimed. He hugged her tightly, and leaned away.

"I'm so proud of you!"

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae laughed lightly, of course after giving a moment to concern herself as to whether or not he was going to die on such a great day! She laughed lightly as she blabbed quickly about her find.

"Well, out of boredom I was just looking outside and wondered if there was any job dealing with flowers. I looked around in the local listings for jobs and a woman is retiring actually and she needed someone to take her place cause she didn't want to rent the area out and have her job go to waste, so, I said I'd love to do it!" Jesimae smiled.

"It's downtown in a small area that have little shops. I start tomorrow!" She sighed out, rubbing Taro's face lightly out of admiration. "It's only five hours a day, but it is five hours that I don't have to be without you."

[Taro Lawson]

Taro grinned at her and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. Things were going much better than he could have ever imagined them going. So far, no speed bumps! His job was great, Jes was getting a job that hopefully would go great, he had talked to Jiro who had reassured him that he and his boyfriend were doing great, Haruko was healthy and happy, the whole family seemed to be pulling things together.

Taro had to admit, even though he and Jesimae had made the executive decision together to come back to Naboo and try to start again, Taro had had his own doubts. He had been nervous about working, nervous about leaving his family. He had been nervous about a new place, nervous about money, and things that he had left on Coruscant. Taro even had worried a little about his marriage. He and Jesimae had met and fell in love under extreme duress. And they had continued to stay under extreme duress until they decided to come here and really settle down. He had been a little afraid that when they weren't under any sort of stress, they might lose that connection they had felt.

But his fears were eased soon after he had felt them, as he knew he loved Jesimae because she was Jesimae, not for any other reason. And vice versa. But the other fears hadn't been abated so easily.

But now, on the planet with a job, a house, and now Jes getting a job, Taro felt like his life, and the life he had with his wife, was finally--finally--coming together, falling into place.

Taro hugged Jesimae tightly.

"I'm so glad!" he exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll love it, it sounds right up your alley."

[Jesimae Lawson]

Jesimae smiled, hugging him in return enjoying the way it felt to not haev anything to worry about except what to cook for dinner or whether or not she cleaned the bathroom this morning. It was a stress that she had never had to experience and she was loving every minute, no longer did she have to worry about her life, or her husband's, ending because of officials or psychotic people trying to find them, it was all so perfect. But for a moment she wondered if perhaps it was too perfect. She smiled and let out a sigh, she knew that it wasn't worth concerning herself with now, it was done with, their future looked bright and happy and clear. She loved it and she loved thinking about it.

Jesimae gave Taro a kiss and looked at him. "I'm excited." She said after a moment. "For both of us. This is going swell, isn't it?" She laughed lightly and rubbed his arms followed by his face and hair, just because. "We must be the luckiest people alive."

[Taro Lawson]

_______

Three weeks flew by, and Taro couldn't remember being so happy before. All of the bad memories he had seemed like a chapter in a book he had read as a child. He could remember all of these horrible things, but he couldn't imagine it had been he and his family that had done them. He could remember not being in love with Jesimae, but it was like feeling someone else's feelings, like remembering being in someone else's body.

His job was going fantastically. Jes seemed happy, too. Which seemed a rare occurrence, both of them being completely happy all at once. Their house had finally come together, and felt like a home now. Their home. With their wedding pictures, their photos of friends, their furniture, the food they liked, their own bedroom, bathroom, everything. And while Taro still missed his brothers and always would, he was so happy to be living a life with Jes, that he thought he might never be able to explain how much this all meant to him.

However, only four weeks at the firm, and they wanted him to go on a business trip. To Tattooine nonetheless, to translate for a business transaction. Unfortunately, he was going to be gone almost as long as he had been there, about four weeks. He wasn't happy about it, but it was necessary. He didn't want to leave Jesimae, and had considered asking her to come along with him. But he knew that would be selfish, as she had her own job, and friends she had made while they had been there. He couldn't ask her to leave so suddenly. He had thought about calling Jiro and asking him to come and stay with her while he was gone, but Taro knew that Jiro's boyfriend wouldn't like Taro much for that, as they hadn't been dating that long and they had only recently moved in together. Haruko...well, Haruko was traveling at the moment. And it wasn't that Taro didn't think that Jes could take care of herself, if there was one thing she could definitely do, it was take care of herself. And she had even sometimes taken care of herself, Taro, Jiro, Haru, Asher, Orange, and any other various people who had been in her hands all at once. It was just that, after all this time being able to take care of her, Taro didn't want to leave her alone, feared that something would happen in his absence.

He entered the house as one going to the gallows, glancing around the living for his wife quickly, but not seeing her. She had stayed late a couple of times at work, so he figured that might be where she was.

"Jes?" he called, just in case. He walked into the kitchen, loosing his tie and taking off his jacket, laying it on one of the kitchen chairs. He opened the cooler and got out a bottle of water. He waited before taking a drink then called again. "Hey, Jes? Are you home yet, babe?"