“Hmm… that she is,” Sam’s eyes twinkle with the thought. “You know with wanting a family that big, we just might have to adopt.”

“What, you don’t think Brooke would have a baby?”

“Well, heck Crystal, if I’m the only one having the kids… I’d be pregnant all the time. I’m not sure if Brooke would. I mean, it might interfere with her lifestyle too much.” Sam remembered the mental image that she’d painted earlier in the day. “Could you imagine her nine months pregnant and drumming out tunes in the studio?”

Crystal thought for a moment, “No, I can’t say that I can, she’s a little too butch to be wearing one of those pink ‘Baby Under Construction’ shirts. Hmm… I’m sure this isn’t going to happen anytime soon, right?”

“Besides, wouldn’t it help if the two of you lived together on a full time basis first?”

“Yeah. I think we’d have to be living together for that whole Planned Parenthood to become a reality. I don’t really think that will happen until I’m out of school. “

Crystal nodded in agreement. “Say, do me a favor?”

“Sure… just name it.”

“If you happen to get pregnant…I have to be the first person you tell,” Crystal smiled at her cousin, then began laughing.

Sam laughed about the idea for a moment, then quickly answered her, “Yes Crystal, I’ll make sure that you know before Brooke even knows. But,” she added, “…only on one condition.”

“What’s that?”

“You do the same for me when its’ you and Peter’s firstborn.”

“No problem but you really have to tell me first. It’s important.”

Puzzled, Sam asked, “Why?”

“Because the day that your little ‘Stud-Puppet’ learns how to spit, that’s the day I’m gonna be a rich woman, with the tabloids paying me for the story.” Crystal winked at Sam, “Come on, let’s go get some dinner. All this talk of sex and parenting has made me work up an appetite.”

Brooke found herself drawn to the dorm, like a magnet to a piece of metal. It was so crazy, this spiraling, almost out of control effect that Sam was having on her. The tall woman sighed as she stepped up to the door and knocked on it, hoping to see the smiling face again. Not waiting, Brooke tapped out the rhythmic announcement of her presence again. Hearing the patter of movement from the other side of the door, she waited patiently.

As the door opened, the image of C.C. with her hand on her hip came into view, a displeased look coming to her face as she recognized her sister, Brooke, on the other side of the door. “Is it breakfast time again, so soon?”

“What?” Blue eyes opened wide. “Hey, I’m sorry about earlier but thanks, Sis.” Brooke looked into the room, searching for Sam. After not seeing the love of her life, Brooke pushed her way past C.C., throwing off the comment, “Besides, you got fifty bucks out of it. I guess I’m going to have to make sure I’ve got smaller bills on me when I get another idea like that. I hope you had a very good breakfast on me.”

The brunette smiled sweetly, “You know, I do have to sleep sometime.” C.C. tapped her sister on the shoulder, then held out her hand. “Fifty bucks, Sis and I’ll be at the library if you need me.”

“Huh?” Brooke spun around from looking in the bathroom for Sam. “I gave you fifty this morning, Goofball. Check your left pants pocket.”

Scowling, C.C. reached into the pocket of her jeans. “Oh yeah,” the brunette smiled, “guess I forgot…it was so early and all.” She pulled the crisp bill out and held it up to the overhead light. “If you’re looking for Sam, she’s not here.” She smiled, then put the money back into her pocket as she continued to talk, “She hasn’t been for a while. Crystal stopped by and they went out together.” She picked up the scribbled note and waved it at Brooke.

Disgusted at her bad timing, Brooke let her shoulders slump. “Damn, I was hoping to surprise her.”

“Once in a day isn’t enough?”

Brooke rolled her eyes at her sister, “Nope… never.”

“Come on Brooke, you keep this schedule up and I’ll be setting my watch with your comings and goings like the trains in Grand Central station.”

Brooke glared at her sister, “Smart ass.”

“Why thank you,” C.C. smiled, throwing the note in the wastebasket.

“I just wanted to see her, that’s all.”

C.C. shook her head. “Her looks haven’t changed since this morning, Sis. What’s there to see?”

Brooke looked down at her feet as she shoved her hands into her front jeans pockets. “I know…I just…” she took in a deep breath, then mumbled, “I dunno…maybe I…missed her.”

“You are a whipped puppy, if ever I’ve seen one.” C.C. stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, as she sighed at the mush ball her sister was turning into. Grabbing her coat and purse, she headed for the door, “Well, come on, there’s no sense in you sitting here just pining away, give me a lift over to Terri’s. I promised her I’d stop by and bring some pizza.”

Brooke looked up at her sister, “I guess it’s the least I can do, since you helped me out this morning.”

“No Sis,” C.C. grabbed onto her sister’s arm and pulled her toward the door, “The least you can do is buy the pizza, too.”

The scrub-clad woman stood at the entryway of her house to see the small doorstep taken up by two of her siblings. Quirking a silly smile, she greeted them, “Well, look who’s bearing gifts. If it isn’t my sisters, Fric and Frac.”

“Bite me, Terri,” Brooke shoved past her, juggling several pizza boxes and two six packs of beer.

“Glad to see that you could make it C.C.,” Terri motioned with her head toward Brooke, “Where’d you pick up that mad dog?”

Brooke set the impromptu dinner down on the coffee table in the living room and turned to address Terri. “I’m not allowed to stop and see my sister? It must be a bad time… is Rick around?”

“Hey, you know the policy, anytime, as long as you bring food. And I see,” Terri lifted the lid on the pizza box, “…you’ve paid the toll.” The woman dug a slice out of the box and took a seat on the couch. “Rick…are you kidding? If I’m here, he’s there at the hospital. Don’t worry, my sex life isn’t going to suffer by you stopping by.”

C.C. threw her purse on the small hallstand and followed her sisters, “You mean, you old married couples still have sex?” She flopped down in a chair and leaned forward toward the boxes of food.

“Hey, watch it.” Brooke halted her first bite of pizza, “I’m older than her C.C.”

“Yeah, but you’re not married…” C.C. paused before adding, “…yet.”

The second eldest sibling looked rather surprised at her sister, “Yet? You think this is going to change sometime soon?”

The young woman winked, letting a smile come to her face as she swallowed her food. “You know what I mean.” Her tone was almost apologetic.

“Yeah…I know,” Brooke smirked then turned to Terri. “So…just for future reference, it’s marriage first, then the kids…right?”

C.C. stuck her tongue out at Brooke in defiance, “Trust me Brooke, children are not in my game plan yet… I hope.” The brunette crossed her fingers, offering a brief prayer up to the heavens, then resumed her eating.

“Well, the little buggers are in mine. You should have seen the screaming children that I took care of today,” Terri rubbed her ear as if it hurt.

“Well, I was just asking for future reference.” Brooke cleared her throat, “I mean… I’d hate to get the two backwards.” She grinned, and then bit into her slice of pizza.

“Ah…Brooke, you’d have to get more than that backwards to have kids,” Terri wiped her mouth trying to hide the smile on her face. “You’d have to get a man.”

“Nope… not necessarily,” Brooke winked at C.C. as she received a glare in return. “Who knows, I might one day find someone to have a baby for me.”

Seeing the look on C.C.’s face, Terri offered her thoughts, “Now C.C., we can do a lot in the laboratory…” the physician smiled at the chance to tease her younger sister, “but you better invest in a large…” Terri caught Brooke’s attention, then glanced toward C.C., “very large petri dish. You know how big the Gordon babies come.”

“Oh yeah, right,” Brooke added with a subtle wink.

“Yeah, right. Some of us are even bigger than life,” C.C. looked over at Brooke.

“So, you think if I decide to have a kid one day, that I should warn my partner about what they’re getting into, or out of, first?” Brooke exchanged glances with Terri then smiled, waiting for C.C. to respond.

She waited to finish her last bit of pizza before wiping her hands on her napkin and nonchalantly asking her sister, “And you’re going to get sperm from whom for that one, Brooke? It’s not like we have any brothers.”

“Oh yeah…” the older sister nodded, “…need that stuff huh?” Brooke swallowed her food and washed it down with a mouthful of beer, “Okay, so it wouldn’t actually be a Gordon baby…”

Finally, C.C. started to catch on, “Hey, you guys are just trying to scare me… aren’t you?” She looked at both sisters and nodded, “Yeah, I thought so.”

Brooke tilted her head to the side and looked at C.C., “Is it working?”

The brunette shot a dirty look at her sisters, “It has got me thinking.”

“Oh yeah?” Brooke sat back on the couch, “About what?”

“About how we need an expert to settle this discussion once and for all.” C.C. jumped up from her chair and strode over to the telephone on the hallstand. Picking it up she punched in a number then waited as she watched the questioning looks on her sisters’ faces.

Hearing the voice on the other end, C.C. turned her attention back to the phone. “Hey, we were just having a discussion and thought you might have the answers. How about if you come over to Terri’s.” She paused for a moment, listening to the reply, then nodded, “Okay… see you in a few.” The woman hung up the phone, and then turned back to the living room, “Now we’ll get the real story.” She dusted off her hands and took her seat on the chair.

Terri and Brooke both looked at each other, then turned to watch C.C. shrug her shoulders.

“Hey, she’s the one with the kids. I called in the expert witness,” C.C. said smugly. “Yep,” she opened the box and took another slice out, “It’s a sisters dinner for sure now.”

“What did I miss?” Terri looked from C.C. to Brooke, then back again.

“Randi’s on her way,” Brooke sighed, “and all because she’s given birth.” The tall woman shook her head and muttered under her breath, “All because I wanted to make sure that it’s marriage first before kids.”

Terri rolled her eyes, “I just hope she acts like the lawyer that she is and keeps it brief. You know how she gets sometimes,” the woman frowned, “…one subject leading her into another.”

“Yeah, Randi has the tendency of thinking she’s going into trial when she talks to us.” Brooke leaned back and bit off another crust of pizza.

“God, I wish I was that committed to my profession.” Terri sighed, “Sorry, but I’m not treating you girls as patients.”

“Even me, Ter? I’m still the baby of the family,” C.C. batted her eyes and smiled, acting childlike.

“Thank God you don’t treat us like patients!” Brooke swallowed and began teasing her sister, “The last thing I need is you shoving a thermometer up my ass.”

Surprised by the statement, Terri shook her head, “Hey, what do you think nurses are for?” She smiled wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. “Besides, I’d much rather prefer to keep to the ears, nose and throats, thank you.”

“Good point,” Brooke emphasized it by pointing at her sister and smiling back.

“Ewwwee, that’s the breeding ground of all childhood infections,” C.C. made a face.

“You would know that too… always sticking your nose into everyone’s life.” Terri threw a crumbled up napkin at her younger sister.

“Oh, but it helped me to know you guys so well,” C.C. showed a coy smile.

The sound of the doorbell set Brooke in motion, getting up off the couch and strolling over to the door. She looked out the window in the door before opening it. “Hey, guess who’s here? It’s Randi.”

“Hey Sis, you’re a little out of your territory, aren’t you?” Randi tapped Brooke on the shoulder, and then walked past her.

“Nice to see you, too.” Brooke closed the door, “Actually, I had some errands to do in the area.”

Randi turned and winked, “Sure.” She entered the living room and addressed the other sisters in turn, “Doc,” she nodded, “Brat.” Walking past them, she settled into the recliner in the corner, “So, should we break right in to the questioning that is overwhelming all of your minds today?”