Part 209
"Hello?"
"Carter, where the hell ARE you?"
"Sarah, calm down before you bust something." Nick grinned, giving a thumbs up to Becca.
"You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."
"Hey, chill out, we got busy." He grinned, chuckling into the phone.
"Nick! This isn't funny, dinner's getting cold and you're over there doing who knows what to my best friend." Sarah waved her hand at the assembled guests, trying to shush them as they laughed.
"Sarah, relax, keep your pants on." Nick laughed at Sarah's attempt at deception, but didn't let on that he knew what she was up to.
"Carter, PUT your pants on. You have 30 seconds to get to this room. One, two, three –"
Nick hung up on her, laughing as Becca rolled her eyes. "You ready?"
"I suppose," she laughed. "Think they'll buy it?"
"I guess we'll find out. Showtime!"
Nick kissed her quickly as they opened the door, and Becca reached up to mess up his hair for effect. They took their own sweet time walking down the hall and kissed lingeringly one more time before knocking.
"It's open!" came the muffled voice from within.
Nick ignored it, winking at Becca and knocking one more time.
"I SAID IT'S OPEN!" came the voice, once more, louder and more impatient than before.
Becca giggled. "Nick, you're so bad."
"Yep. They expect it, so I live up to it. Ready?"
Becca nodded and Nick opened the door for her. They weren't three steps inside before what seemed like a hundred people shouted "SURPRISE!" and set Nick and Becca's plan into motion.
Becca gasped, her hand at her throat, weaving unsteadily on her feet, her knees seemingly giving way. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and as she fell, Nick scrambled to catch her.
"Bec!" he cried out in horror. "Jesus, Sarah, what the hell are you trying to do?" he called out accusingly.
The room was deathly silent as he helped Becca to the sofa. He didn't dare look at her, he just knew they would both break out into a fit of giggles.
"God! Howie, get a glass of water." Sarah rushed to Becca's side as Kevin came and knelt down beside her.
"Bec? You okay?" he asked softly before turning on Sarah. "Babe, you said this was a good idea, but I'm not so sure."
Howie appeared with Becca's water and held it to her lips so that she could take a sip. She couldn't look him in the eye. She was beginning to feel guilty and not quite sure how to get out of it now that it was set into motion. She was saved by an innocent remark from a peanut with big blue eyes.
"Aunt Becca, you're all clean." Jesse stood and looked at her, from her head to her toes. "You didn't need to do that, I TOLD you mommy was going to give you a shower tonight."
That was it. Becca and Nick lost control, laughing hysterically as Sarah groaned.
"Busted!" Nick giggled as Sarah advanced on him menacingly. He leaped over the back of the sofa to avoid her, trying hard to protect himself from a thrown pillow. "Hey! Don't hurt me, I'm the father of your soon-to-be nephew!"
"NIECE!" Becca argued, still laughing.
"That was NOT funny!" Sarah growled, her hands on her hips. "Alex, shut up!" She turned to level a glare at AJ who was rolling with hysterics.
"Actually, yes, it was," he said, sending an air high five in Nick's direction.
"Sarah, you should know better than surprise someone who is two weeks away from delivering." Becca giggled as Kevin helped her sit up.
"I still think the water balloon would have been a great effect," Nick mumbled.
"Water-? Never mind," Sarah said shaking her head, "I do NOT even want to know." She didn't know that his original plan had been for Becca to hold a water balloon between her knees and pop it when they yelled 'surprise'. Nick was certain that the effect of her water breaking would have been a laugh riot, but she'd drawn the line at that trick.
"Bec, this is dangerous," Sarah said seriously.
"What?"
"Blonde boy's twisted sense of humor is rubbing off on you. You have some pathetic notion that he's funny." Sarah shook her head as Becca laughed, and helpless to resist, grinned back at her. "Come on, we've got a party to get started."