Can't Get Over You, Can't Get Through to You

Nikki's POV

"I don't like being pregnant," Tash yelled as she walked into my office.

Back in Vegas once again. Brian, Mari, and I had gotten back a couple of days ago and I was straight back to work. I was placing some of the pictures that were taken during vacation in various places as I went through the papers that recorded what happened while I was in Huntington Beach.

Tash was having one of her mood swings. She was only a couple weeks pregnant but it got her pissed when she found out that she couldn't drink, making her now extremely short-tempered. She often ranted at me because she knows that I gone through this whole ordeal before.

"It gets better," I replied.

Tash huffed as she sat down in one of my chairs and looked at me. "How did you do it, Nikki," she asked, "You were pregnant and now you have one of the sweetest daughters ever."

I smiled as I placed a picture I took of Mari and Brian and placed it on my desk. They both were asleep and she was curled up in his chest as Brian hugged Mari close. It was one of my favorite pictures because they looked so adorable and it was obvious that Brian loved having a daughter while Mari loved having her father around.

"You just learn, Tash," I said, sitting on the edge of the desk, "You're going to get strange cravings and mood swings but everything else, you just learn."

Tash looked at the picture Brian had taken of me and Mari at Seaworld and smiled. "You really did an amazing job with Mariemaia, Nikki."

I just looked at the picture and said, "I guess so. The one thing that annoys me is that she likes to leave all her stuffed toys out everywhere and Brian keeps buying her more."

Suddenly, the door was opened and my daughter came running in. She instantly hid underneath my desk and both Tash and I looked leaned over to look at her.

"What are you doing," I asked.

"Daddy and I are playing hide and seek, Mama," she said, closing her eyes, "If I can't see Daddy, he won't be able to find me!"

"Alright," Tash said, confused, as she sat back down her chair, "I guess that works."

"Oh where, oh where did little Mari go," Brian called in a sing-song fashion as he walked in, "Nikki, did you see where Mari went?"

I let out a small laugh when he heard Mari giggle from under my desk but decided to humor her. He walked to the coat rack and picked up a jacket, "Nope, not in this jacket."

"Man, Brian, I don't know where Mari went," I said, "Maybe she turned invisible!"

Tash laughed as Brian pouted and placed his hands on his hips, "Then that's no fair! I want to be able to turn invisible."

I just rolled my eyes as Brian stood behind my desk, not looking underneath it. He was still humoring her. "Man, I can't find Mariemaia anywhere."

That's when Mari instantly lept out from under the desk and hugged Brian's legs, laughing. "I got you, Daddy!"

He picked her up and swung her around, "Yes you did but now I got you!"

Tash just watched and said, "Man, I hope I get to be a great parent like you two."

"You will, Tash," Brian said as he carried Mari, "You and Jimmy will be awesome parents."

Brian's POV

"So, next time we go back to Huntington, I need to drive the Corvette," I said as Nikki had lunch delievered to her office.

"Yup because its yours now," Nikki replied.

I watched as she helped Mari get some food as her dogs laid on one of the couches; Dartanian and Velken were already fed so now they were being lazy. I was sitting in the lounge chair, playing with the stereo remote as I figured out the radio stations in Las Vegas. The guys and Val were also back in Vegas because the girls all lived here as well.

"Daddy, go eat," Mari said as she tugged on my arm.

"Okay, Mari, I'll get something to eat," I answered, standing up, "I'm just trying to find something to listen to."

"I'll do that," Nikki said as she took the remote and started flipping through the stations.

After a few seconds, she came across a station that was playing some Green Day and she just left it there. She sat at her desk and started typing something as she balanced a fork in her mouth.

"Sheesh, you came back only two days ago and you're already caught up with work," I said.

She smiled and said, "Work-a-holic."

"Aw, Nikki won't be joining us," Val asked as we all went for a walk down Las Vegas Boulevard.

"No, Mama's busy working," Mari answered.

We decided to walk around the Boulevard at night with Mari is our little guide. Tash was joining us because she was getting grumpy again and Nikki suggested that she go on a walk to make her feel better. Jimmy was happy because his wife was now working now. Leane and Liz were joining us as well, leaving me without my significant other. Oh well, I had my daughter and that was just as good.

"Oh, that sucks," Matt said, "When does she not work?"

"When she's sleeping," I answered as I took the dogs' leash from Mari, "I'll keep a hold on them for now, okay?"

"Okay, Daddy."

"I want a kid like her," Val said, watching as Mari decided that there was something we just had to just had to see, "She's so adorable."

"I know," Tash said, "I was talking with Nikki about how she raised Mari and it was all trial and error for her."

"She did pretty good," Zacky said as Liz realized where Mari was taking us.

"C'mon," Mari called, "I don't want to miss it!"

We all laughed as we found ourselves in front of the Bellagio hotel. I picked my daughter up so that she could see over the railing. There was a huge man-made lake/pool thing in the front and it had this amazing fountain show during the day. I guess she wanted to show it to us at night and now we saw why.

They lit up the fountain so that each stream of water that was shot up was lit up. It was fucking amazing and awesome. "When Great Grandpa Cody and Great Grandma Julia were alive, they would take us to see the fountain," Mari explained.

So Cody and Julia were alive when Mari was born. That's good. At leat she got to see some of her mother's family.

"And one time, you tried to get away and find a way into the fountain," called Nikki's voice.

We turned around and there was Nikki standing there with a small smile on her face. Our daughter ran towards her, hugging her legs before Nikki picked her up, "Was I missed, Mari-Bear," she asked.

"Yeah," I hear Mari say as they walked towards us.

"I thought you had some work," Liz smirked, "And you hate leaving work undone."

"All work and no play makes Nikki a dull person," Nikki replied.

I just rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around Nikki's waist and we watched the fountains together. Man, this is a great moment in life.