Breakfast.

"Good morning," Jonathan smiled at Lauren when entered the kitchen / dining hall.

"Good morning, Jon," she replied, sniffing at the smell of fresh brewed coffee.

"Do you want pancakes, French toast, eggs, and/or bacon?" he asked as poured more batter on one of the frying pans.

"Sure!" she nodded and poured herself a mug of coffee. "I'll have pancakes, eggs, and bacon, please!"

"How do you like your eggs?"

"Unfertilized," Lauren smirked, pouring some cream and sugar into her coffee.

Jonathan was glad he was not drinking anything at the moment because he would have spat it out. For a brief moment he stared at her, wondering if she knew about him having sex with the triplets but dashed the thought.

"That was a joke," she giggled, noticing the seriousness of his ruggedly handsome face. "Sunny side up, please."

"One or two?"

"One, please."

"Sure."

"Anyone else up yet?"

"The triplets," he answered, intentionally avoiding looking at her in case she could read the micro expressions on his face and discover a "tell."

"Where are they?" she wondered, leaning against the counter to watch him make pancakes and bacon.

"Changing after we worked out," he replied. "How many pieces of bacon do you want?"

"Two, please," she replied. "Do you always work out so early?"

"I'm usually up at five," he shrugged, "so I might as well do some productive while everyone else is still asleep."

"How was your sleep?" she wondered, taking a sip of her coffee.

Jonathan was glad she did not probe why the sisters were up so early as well. "I didn't sleep actually."

"What was wrong?" she asked with concern. "Insomnia?"

"Nothing was wrong. I just wanted to spend my last night under the stars," he replied, turning to face her. "I just wanted to dream that I would be up there one day."

"I'm sure you will achieve that dream one day," she smiled, brushing aside her hair over her left ear. "You've done everything else already!"

"Except get married and give my mother grandchildren!" he chuckled, checking how well done the eggs were.

"I get an earful from my mom about that too whenever I talked with her," Lauren sighed.

"When did you talk to her last?" Jonathan asked as he filled her plate with bacon and eggs.

"I called her before we left JPL," she answered. "She freaked out, thinking I had cancer or some other dire emergency when I told her I loved her."

"Yeah, us Asians aren't into the touchy-feely emotional stuff," he chuckled.

"Who's touchy-feely?" Cindy asked as she entered with Ming Yue, Hane, and Jennifer.

"Not Jon!" Lauren smirked with a wink at him.

"Good morning, ladies," Jonathan greeted the women.

"Good morning, Jon," the doctors replied in unison.

"I'm making bacon, eggs, French toast, and pancakes. Have a seat and I'll bring a pile of them to you," he announced. "There's some coffee brewing in the pot and the teas are in the cupboard there."

"Will you be making us breakfast every morning?" Ming Yue asked as she checked out teas.

"I could since I'm the first one up," he shrugged.

"Navy SEAL, ER doctor, astronaut, and chef?" Jennifer noted as she poured coffee into cups for her crewmates sitting at the long dining table. "What can't you do?"

"Hmm... I can't dance, sing, or draw," he replied.

"Morning!" Allison chirped as she arrived with the rest of the girls in tow. "I smell something delicious!"

"Is that bacon I smell, Jon?" Zoe squealed.

"Yes, I'm making bacon, eggs, French toast, and pancakes for everyone," he smiled. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Unfertilized!" Allison shouted out to rolled eyes and groans.

"Do you need help, Jon?" Cindy asked.

"Um, sure," he smiled, pointing the second steel stovetop with the French toast and pancakes.

"I didn't cook much in med school," she said as she flipped over some of the pancakes.

"Me neither," he nodded. "I learned how to cook while on base even though we had a mess hall it was a great stress reliever."

"My mother did teach me how to cook because she said food was a way to a man's heart," she added, giving him a quick glance and a smile. "I make a great mapo tofu."

"Maybe you can make it for us one day," he smiled back.

"Hopefully we have tofu," she wondered.

"I'm hungry!" Zoe whined. "Is the food ready yet?"

"Yes, ma'am," Jonathan replied back and brought to the table plates of bacon, eggs, pancakes, French toast. "Let's eat!"

"Thank you, Jon!" the fifteen women cheered as he sat down at the end of the table next to Cindy and Lauren.