**Fire & Ice (The Sequel)**

Later that evening

"Well. This is it. The last concert until next Summer." Barbara-Jean smiled as she joined Franky, Lauren and Emma to watch the audience come in.

"Yeah. I can't believe it's gone so quickly." Lauren nodded. "What's so funny BJ?" She asked when she heard her giggling

"See that blonde bouncing in her seat at the end of front row, Carlos's side? That's Sara, the red-faced woman next to her is mom."

"It's a shame Mark couldn't make it. Where is he performing at the minute?"

"Japan. Sara's flying out there tomorrow morning to join him for the rest of the tour."

"If she carries on like that she won't need a plane."

All four women cracked up laughing at Emma's comment whilst continuing to watch Sara as she carried on bouncing in her seat and chatted in an extremely animated fashion with her mother-in-law and a few of the ladies around her. Her head snatching up whenever someone appeared on stage. She stood on her seat at one point, craning her neck in an attempt to see what was happening backstage only for a red-faced Catherine to pull her down and shake her head.

Barbara-Jean laughed a little harder when the image of her scrambling on to Mark's shoulders to get a better look came into her head and she continued to do so while she explained to the other girls.

"Hey! Naomi's here with Eric." Lauren sighed as she watched the two of them walking down the aisle hand-in-hand, looking at each other lovingly. Eric making absolutely sure she was comfortable before taking his seat. "Looks like they've been fulfilling some of their plans. Can you see that tan?"

"Yeah she does look good." Franky smiled. "I can't believe how calm she looks. I mean just four weeks away from her wedding and there's not a hint of nerves. Uh-oh, another one that won't need a plane." She giggled when she spotted Carlos's family coming in, Alvaro twirling and skipping down the aisle much to his sisters's embarrassment.

"Mmmm. Going have to keep an eye on him at the party." Barbara-Jean gave Franky a nudge. "He's taken quite a shine to Sylvie or didn't Urs tell you about that smile he gave her."

"He told me." Franky nodded. "Steph's been teasing her most of the afternoon. Heads up Emmy, Marie's here and she's not alone."

Emma looked to where Franky pointed and smiled when she saw Sébastien's mother walking towards her seat, in front of her brother. Her father sat behind Brett and Gigi, talking animatedly. A glance to her left brought David's parents, Summer, Rueben, Katelyn and Daniel into view. She gave Lauren a quick nudge to clue her up and watched a huge smile make it's way over Lauren's face as her parents, Dale and his new girlfriend, Carissa, sat close by.

"Look!" Lauren yelled suddenly. "Isn't that Christopher and Juliet?"

"Yep!" Franky nodded with a huge smile as she watched Urs's family take their seats. "Going to be a good party afterwards don't you think?" She asked Lauren and Emma while Barbara-Jean disappeared downstairs.

"Sure is." Emma nodded. "It's a shame Orva and Dominic couldn't make it though. You know I still can't get over how good she looked in Paris."

"Me neither." Franky shook her head. "But like she said family is more important. Dominic and his brothers have gone to so much trouble with the arrangments for their parent's Ruby wedding anniversary. It would have been a shame not to celebrate it on the actual date. What?" She asked with a quick shoulder shrug when she caught the questioning looks Lauren and Emma were giving her.

"Spill." Lauren demanded with her arms folded on top of her bump.

"Spill what?"

"You know what Franky Buhler. You and Urs have been behaving weird since Zurich."

"Well, weird for you two anyway." Emma chimed with a giggle.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh yes you do." Lauren affirmed while wagging a finger at her sister. "The whispered conversations with your heads close together, all the grinning like Cheshire cats and the quick change of subject whenever babies are mentioned. Are you pregnant?"

"No." Franky denied quickly whilst turning her head away. "We've just got a couple of surprises planned for tonight that's all, it takes time to set things up you know." She finished just in time to hear the guys gathering at the bottom of the stairs allowing Barbara-Jean to give them a final inspection before they went on stage. "Come on." She smiled at Lauren while offering her crooked arm.

The three women giggled when they reached the bottom of the stairs saw the look of disappointment Carlos wore. They knew Barbara-Jean had brought a new dress for the party, but she wasn't wearing it at the moment. She still wore the black pants and cream blouse she'd arrived at the arena in.

"I do still have a job to do." She reminded Carlos with a quick nod and heard him grumble something inaudible before he smiled and nodded.

"You ok?" Franky heard Urs whispering in her right ear, holding her with his hands at her waist, while she took a moment to watch the other three couples.

"Fine. You?"

"They're all getting very suspicious." Urs replied very quietly and nodded his head.

He swallowed hard when Franky leaned into his ear and told him she knew because Lauren had just asked her, but they had to hold out.

He stood back a little and looked her up and down while she quietly told him that she had a surprise for Carlos and drifted off a little while she told him that the building work to his house was finished, two weeks ahead of schedule, Gloria had arranged for everything to be taken out of storage and put back, that the package she'd received at the hotel just before they left contained his keys and she could hardly wait to show him the pictures she'd printed out from her laptop.

"Urs. Did you hear a single word I just said?"

"Huh! Oh yeah." Urs smirked, still admiring the form-fitting knee length sage green dress she wore, paying particular attention to lace-up detail that ran from the top of her hips to her underarms and the fine embroidery across her bust. His nose wrinkled slightly once he realised there was cream material under the laces rather than exposed flesh. "Sorry." He grinned once he'd raised his eyes to meet hers, knowing that she knew exactly what he was thinking and shaking her head while she returned the grin.

Just as he pulled her close and bent his head for a kiss they heard now familiar giggling coming down the corridor. Both he and Franky grunted a quick laugh before they turned their heads to see Sylvie and Stephanie heading their way. Both wearing mid-calf length white dresses overlaid with coloured organza. Stephanie's a pale blue and Sylvie's a pale lilac. Franky giggled a little, remembering how Sylvie had huffed a little when the shop assistant had told her the pink version was out of stock in her size and how the same woman had told her that she looked very pretty in the lilac. Her smile broadened even more when she heard Urs telling her the same thing while squatting in front of her to accept the hug and kiss she wanted to give him.

While Urs was distracted, Franky turned her head to look at the other couples again. Carlos and Barbara-Jean were coming to the end of some sort of debate, she watched Barbara-Jean shake head whilst saying they would discuss it later. Sébastien was holding Emma's hips while running his eyes over what she wore. An ice blue knee length dress, overlaid with a slightly darker blue lace, spaghetti straps and embroidery and sequined detail across the bust. Lauren stood on tiptoe, whispered into David's ear then looked at Franky suspiciously while David shook his head. He grinned after taking in the finer details of the raspberry red cocktail dress that she wore, laying one hand on her stomach while he fiddled with the jewelled straps with the other and stopped her talking with a kiss.

"Time to go to work." Franky sighed once Urs stood up to face her again and opened his jacket to show her that the pin she'd given him was its usual position before he gave her a kiss for once.

Taking Sylvie and Stephanie by the hand, with Lauren and Emma walking close behind, the five of them made it to their seats just before the lights went down. Following a look along the front row to see Sara still bouncing in her seat, all three women looked at each other and laughed quietly as Sébastien started singing. They watched Sara turn a rather interesting shade of red each time Carlos winked at her and wondered how she would react once back stage.

All too soon, the concert was over and a quick look around the auditorium found no-one in their seats. The standing ovation, cheers and shouts for more lasted for more than fifteen minutes before all four men's voices were heard thanking everyone . Everyone fell quiet, resumed their seats and showed their appreciation to the orchestra, band and everyone who worked backstage.

Several ladies sitting behind Franky caught the look exchanged between Barbara-Jean and Carlos when she appeared on the stage and began to speculate whether she was the new lady in his life. A gentle smile was Franky's only reaction when she heard one of the ladies say that if that was the case, she was very happy for him

As people stood leave Urs stepped forward, looked down at Franky and gave her his usual blinky-wink before speaking.

"We'd like perform one last song before we leave." He began and remained standing in position while another massive roar went up. "There are some very special people here tonight, four of them more special than others and for once we don't mean our mothers." He paused to seek out his mother, gave her a quick smile and a shrug at which she nodded while the audience giggled.

"No. These ladies know who they are, some of you, if not most, will too." David grinned.

"We'd like to dedicate our version of Bon Jovi's 'Thank You For Loving Me' to our wives, Lauren, Emma and Francesca, as our way of saying thank you for their love, support and encouragement throughout the tour." Sébastien shot Carlos a quick glance after indicating David, himself and Urs as he said each name.

"And to the new lady in my life, Barbara-Jean." Carlos confirmed with a smile and nod as they took their places on the high stools and the music started to play. "Ladies, Thank you."

Urs
'It's hard for me to say the things
I want to say sometimes
There's no one here but you and me
And that broken old street light
Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight

David and Urs
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Carlos
I never knew I had a dream
Until that dream was you
When I look into your eyes
The sky's a different blue
Cross my heart
I wear no disguise
If I tried, you'd make believe
That you believed my lies

Carlos and Sébastien
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
For parting my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

Sébastien
You pick me up when I fall down
You ring the bell before they count me out
If I was drowning you would part the sea
And risk your own life to rescue me

Lock the doors
We'll leave the world outside
All I've got to give to you
Are these five words tonight

All four together
Thank you for loving me
For being my eyes
When I couldn't see
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me

When I couldn't fly
Oh, you gave me wings
You parted my lips
When I couldn't breathe
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me
Thank you for loving me

Urs
Ohhh thank you for loving me.'

Tears fell slowly from Franky, Lauren and Emma's eyes as another thuderous round of applause went up around them. They looked at each other and knew Barbara-Jean was doing much the same backstage and smiled. A fact that was born out much later, when they spotted her slipping her way into the auditorium while the audience left. They giggled as she grabbed both Sara and Catherine by the wrist and gently pulled the two women backstage before they made their way back there too, meeting up with their families on the way.

Though Franky smiled as she watched hugs and kisses being exchanged, she couldn't help but allow a few tears to escape while wishing her parents were there too. Lauren's mother saw her wiping her eyes, immediately moved over to her and pulled her into a gentle embrace.

"They would be so very proud of you. You do know that don't you?"

"I know. Thank you Doris." Franky closed her eyes and nodded lightly then took a few deep breaths to calm herself and dried her eyes just as the door opened.

"You are so bad." Barbara-Jean giggled, holding Carlos's hand. "I've never seen Sara go so red." She scolded playfully while Carlos grinned at the short silver and black strappy dress she now wore and shrugged as he greeted his family, watching with a broad smile on his face as they greeted Barbara-Jean warmly.

"I have something for you." Franky whispered beside him while retrieving his housekeys from her handbag and placing them in his hand.

"They've finished building?" Carlos questioned on recognising what he held.

"Yes and all the furniture's in place. Want to see the pictures Gloria sent me?"

Carlos nodded enthusiastically, took the photographs from Franky's hand and sat on one end of the couch shaking his head while his parents and Barbara-Jean looked over his shoulder at the three bedrooms, an enlarged dining-room and the new conservatory that had been added to his home. Everything decorated and fitted out just the way he had chosen. He smiled appreciatively as he thanked Franky for keeping an eye on the progress and Lauren for contacting her architect friend, saying that it looked much better than what he'd seen in the plans while handing the pictures to Ria then watched her smile and nod her approval.

Wondering where Urs had got to once David and Sébastien had come into the lounge, had greeted their families and each man had asked Lauren and Emma if they were really up to the party, Franky decided to go looking for him.

She found her way to his dressing-room, pushed the door open and took a quick look around without crossing the threshold.

In one swift move, Urs grabbed her wrist, whipped her round to face him and held her close while he used his free hand to lock the door.

"Took you long enough to come looking for me." He teased between dropping kisses against her jawline and throat once he'd turned them both so that she was pinned against the wall by his almost naked body. A towel around his hips the only thing covering his want of her. "I'm sorry. I just can't wait until after the party."

"Me neither." Franky informed with a headshake while reaching under the towel and slowly raking a nail down the swollen vein underneath her husband's already hard tool.

Watching him close his eyes and lick lips and listening to his breathing becoming ragged as she wrapped her hand around the shaft and caressed him while he started to remove her clothes. Watching him take a step back and open his eyes to watch the dress slip to the floor before moving close again, unhooking her bra with one hand and tossing it over his shoulder, not caring where it landed while he tracked his tongue between the valley of her breasts. Feeling him kissing her throat and breathing deep in her ears while he sucked on the lobes. Pushing his hands between the fabric of her knickers and squeezing her ass while he suckled at her breasts. Dropping to his knees, ripping the underwear away and using his fingers and tongue to make her release what he wanted to taste. Swallowing his reward quickly and returning to take more, each movement of his tongue making her shudder and take short faultering breaths until she didn't think she could take anymore.

"Urs. Please. I want you inside me. Now."

Grinning like a Cheshire Cat, Urs stood removed the towel then lifted Franky off the floor by cupping and gently squeezing her butt cheeks.

"Fast and hard or slow and gentle?" He asked with a mischevious glint in his eyes after he'd slipped just the head in.

Knowing that he was in a very playful mood and he would probably do the exact opposite of what she said, Franky kept her face straight while she spoke.

"Slow and gentle."

Urs grinned once more, rammed himself deeper into her and quickly picked up the pace. The two of them kissing each other long and hard seeming to know that their cries of passion would carry to the hallway even though the walls were made of concrete bricks as he drove her to orgasm first and quickly followed her over.

A loud knock and David's questioning shout of 'Are you two coming?' from the other side of the door as Franky's feet found the floor again made them both smirk before they cracked up laughing.

"Nice way to celebrate the end of the tour Ice." Franky teased while Urs re-zipped her dress, nipping at her left shoulder as he did so.

"Oh. I haven't even started celebrating yet Fire. Just you wait until I get you back to the hotel. Then you'll find out what celebrating is all about." He growled with hunger still in his eyes and broad smile on his face just before covering her mouth in deep and passionate kiss.

He pulled away slowly, watched Franky retrieve the ruined underwear, hold them on one finger whilst giving him a questioning look and gave her another flirty look before he turned away to get his clothes on.

_______________

Sébastien and Emma's home - Two mornings later - 29th June.

"Mmmm. Clean fresh air. Lovely." Emma sighed and stretched herself out after opening the balcony windows in their bedroom.

She wrapped her robe a little tighter around herself and spent a few moments leaning on the guard rail admiring the garden below and smiled at how nice it looked now everything was in bloom. The Honeysuckle plant Franky had recommend to keep moths away from the doors on hot summer nights had found its way up the trellis to the side, was blooming nicely and attracting lots of bees. While she watched them busily collecting nectar from the white flowers, she wished it would rain a little, just enough to fill the still slightly stuffy room with their heavenly scent.

She laid her hands on her stomach and pictured their child running around the garden with Erin and Glenn's little boy. She smiled at the thought of two little boys playing cops and robbers, much like she remembered herself, Erin and Brett doing when they were young. A quick laugh escaped when she remembered that Brett always wanted to be the bad guy and the number of arguments they'd had about it not being fair that she and Erin should chase after him all the time. That was until her mother had caught them and told Brett that they really should take it turns to be the bad guy. With a loving smile he'd relented and done what he'd been told. Ending up breathless after chasing either Erin or herself.

Tears welled in her eyes as she wondered what her mother would think about becoming a grandmother, twice within a few weeks of each other. Erin's baby was due just a few days after Lauren's, the second of August. Her mind flew back in time and her tears began to fall as she recalled what had happened around that time the previous year. Urs had almost died, Frank had been born two months early and they'd lost Karen a few weeks later.

Something suddenly clicked and she remembered the materials in the bottom of her wardrobe. The ones she'd barely touched since Karen's death. Thinking that she was doing her sister a dis-service by not continuing with the hobby she'd so enjoyed sharing with her, Emma moved to the wardrobe, retrieved the pad and pencils and made herself comfortable in the rocking chair she'd brought for the room. She scanned the room looking for a subject and smiled when her eyes alighted on Sébastien's still sleeping form. Looking at the clock she realised it was much too early for him to be awake yet.

As she began to draw, she remembered the few times the two of them had babysat for Frank overnight. She'd woken on hearing him crying to find Sébastien already out of bed tending to his needs and wondered if he would be like that with their child. She shook her head, mentally chastised herself for thinking any different and continued to draw.

She'd almost finished the rough sketch of his upper half and head when she noticed that Sébastien was beginning to wake. He blinked slowly, looking around in confusion, seemingly forgetting where he was for a moment or two.

"Good morning." Emma smiled as she watched him rise to a seated position and stretch himself out.

"Good morning Chérie. How long have you been awake?" He asked while looking at the sketch book and smiling.

"An hour or so. Didn't want to disturb you." Emma informed with nod down to her stomach. "He's been on the go since seven. I thought I would take it up again." She smiled while handing the pad over, letting him look at the newest drawing.

"It's very good. At least I can tell it's me. You're not going to give up again?" He asked while watching her shake her head and dropping the pad to the side of him. "Come and sit here. I want to cuddle you while we discuss our plans for the baby in a little more detail." He commanded while spreading his legs and indicating the space he made for her.

Emma moved as quickly as she could to the position, sat with her back against his naked chest, her head resting on his right shoulder and her hands placed on top of his once he'd wrapped his arms around her and he'd given her a good morning kiss.

"Ok. We've agreed to as natural a birth as possible, preferably in a birthing pool. Gas and air only if I feel I need it and no epidural unless it's absolutely necessary. If it's a girl we're naming her after your mother and mine?"

"Marie Viginia Izambard. I like it." Sébastien nodded and smiled after letting the names rattle around his head a few times. "What if it's a boy? You don't want call him Albert after your father do you?"

"No." Emma chuckled. "Dad would throw a fit if I did. No. It's got to be something that goes with your name. Run through a few French ones for me."

Sébastien looked down at Emma and started rattling off every name he could think of. They both laughed at some because they sounded more feminine than masculine, while others were followed by a wrinkled nose and head shake because they sounded awful when combined with his.

"Looks like we'll have to think about that some other time." Emma sighed after over twenty minutes of listening to names and finding nothing that either of them liked.

"We have plenty of time to decide. Now godparents. Urs and Franky for me. Still Brett and Gigi for you?" He questioned with a deep sigh.

"Yeah." Emma nodded then turned her face to look up at him again. "Something wrong?"

"Non. Just thinking how nice it is to be doing normal stuff again. Don't get me wrong I love touring much more than I ever thought I would. It just feels so good to be able to sit here, holding my beautiful pregnant wife, without having to worry about what time we're going to have to get up or rushing around like my arse is on fire......I did say that right didn't I?" He asked when Emma giggled then watched her nod. "You picked out anything for the nursery yet?"

"No. Except for the Moses basket." Emma laughed and shook her head. "There's so much beautiful stuff out there, I can't make up my mind. Pass me that catalogue and I'll show you."

Sébastien looked to her nightstand, reached for what she wanted and nodded his agreement once she'd shown him a sturdy wicker basket complete with adjustable canopy, embroidered coverlet, wipe clean mattress, luxuriously padded liner and a slightly higher stand than normal. At seventy-five pounds, the price seemed more than reasonable and it would probably outlast any other children they had.

"See I can't decide if I like this bedding for whatever crib we decided on." Emma informed with a smirk while showing him a range featuring an embroidered cartoon snail. "Or this one." She giggled, showing him another range featuring a frog on a lily-pad and watching him shake his head while laughing at her teasing with his tongue firmly planted his cheek.

They spent the next few minutes looking at baby furniture in all sort of styles and colours. Disagreeing on a few, but agreeing on that many it made Sébastien's head spin at the choice available. If choosing the suite for the spare room had been hard, trying to come to a decision on their current topic was a nightmare.

"Let's leave that for a while too." Sébastien groaned as he took the catalogue from her hands and returned it to the night-stand. "We're both hungry, let's go have breakfast." He instructed while moving himself from behind Emma and standing up. "What's wrong Emmy?" He asked when he saw the smile had dropped from her face.

"Oh nothing much. I'm just not keen on the idea of changing the spare room to a nursery. I mean we can't expect your mother to sleep in there or downstairs on the couch when she comes to visit. I know you love this place Seb. I do too and we've had so much work done on it, but there's not that much room to extend like we would need to if......when we have more children. Not without the neighbours objecting anyway." Emma sighed heavily then took a deep breath. "I was just wondering what you would think to finding a new home? I'm not thinking anything huge, just something for us to be comfortable in. Four or five bedrooms tops."

"It's ok. I love you more than I ever will this place." Sébastien smiled as he moved to stand beside her and took her face into his hands. "I've been thinking along the same lines anyway. What we need is more important than what we want. I agree, we do need a bigger place. What do you say to going looking after breakfast?"

"Ok." Emma smiled while Sébastien gently wiped her tears away. "But nothing with the word 'unusual' in the description this time." She giggled and watched his face redden at the reminder while he moved towards the bedroom door.

"Vous êtes mauvais Emma Izambard." He threw over his shoulder just before he crossed threshold and headed for the stairs laughing loudly, listening to Emma begging him to tell her what it meant in English while she followed behind him.

"That's it! If you and Franky aren't willing to teach me French, then I'm going to find a college course like Ria did to learn Spanish."

"Emma, I have never said I'm not willing to teach you, nor has Franky." Sébastien giggled as he watched her fold her arms across her chest and sulk playfully. "You just haven't ever asked either of us, have you?"

She sat and watched him make a start on their morning meal while she pondered what he'd said. It suddenly dawned on her that the baby would probably grow up speaking both languages and he was right, she had never asked him or Franky to teach her, unlike Ria who'd practised her Spanish with Franky every day and now knew the language well enough to understand when her employer was swearing. She knew a few words but didn't speak enough French to be able to carry on a conversation with anyone. Sébastien had always spoken to her in her mother tongue, except when they were having a heated argument or he was teasing her or when they were making love. She blushed slightly at the final thought, remembering everything that had happened the night before and tried to remember every word he'd whispered into her ear.

"Erm.....Non." She sighed as her favourite toast and marmalade was set down in front of her.

"It's a start I suppose." Sébastien shrugged quickly and laughed, moving his head out of the way just in time to avoid the balled up tea-towel Emma had playfully aimed at him. "Bonjour Maman. Vous avons-nous réveillé ? " He asked the smiling and head-shaking woman standing just behind a playfully scowling Emma.

"Non. Not this morning anyway." She replied in almost perfect English and watched Sébastien blush while Emma giggled.

_________________

Carlos's home - 30th June.

"Que?" Carlos questioned the voice behind him, snapping his head round to see his sister standing there.

"I said I think you're supposed to put water in the tank before you switch it on." She smiled and indicated the coffee maker. "What's wrong with you? Still sulking because BJ didn't want to move in with you?"

"I don't do the sulkings." Carlos hissed back, slamming the lid shut on the now full water tank. "No, it was something.........I'm sorry for snapping Chelo. I was just remembering the last happy moment I spent in here with Karen. I....I....I'm fine with Barbara-Jean's decision. She's right it is too soon to be asking her to come and live with me. We did agree to take it slowly. At least that house she found for rent is not too far away and she's agreed to having a key for here. No......I....." He coughed, gave her quick look and saw her smiling at the petname he hadn't used in years then set about preparing coffee mugs. "No. I was trying to think what I should do for Carina's first birthday. It's only a few weeks away, as is the first anniversary of Karen's death. What do I do?" He asked with a heavy sigh while tugging at a drawer and becoming frustrated because it wouldn't open.

"Sit down." Chelo instructed after coming to his side and opening the drawer by depressing the childlock. "Sorry. I shouldn't have teased you like that. It must be hard coming back, seeing things that remind you of Karen, especially with the anniversary being so close."

"It's ok. It's where I want to be, where I need to be and Barbara-Jean understands that. It wouldn't have felt right to come back to somewhere new, to no memories at all." Carlos sighed, then took a seat at the kitchen table and smiled when Minnie jumped onto his lap and climbed her way up to his neck, somehow sensing that he didn't have Carina in his arms.

"I think you should have a party for her. Carina I mean." Chelo smiled as she set two mugs down on the table and resumed her seat. "Nothing big, just people she knows, close friends and relatives. Like Karen would have wanted. A quiet little affair really."

"Si. That is exactly what I should do. You're right it is what Karen would have done. I will need Ria's help of course." Carlos smiled as he nodded and finally relaxed back in his seat.

"And in the meantime you could give Ria some time off to go and see her family and let Gloria look after Carina for few nights like she's asked to, especially now her sister's husband has retired and has the time to take care of her."

"I don't think s......."

"Listen before you interupt me." Chelo laughed and shook her head in exasperated fashion at her older brother. "Gloria's not seen Carina in five months, that's a long time when babies are small. Ria's looked after her most of the time while you've been on tour, as well as Frank."

"Franky and Urs never asked her to." Carlos reminded with raised eyebrows and warning nod.

"I know. Ria insisted and always refused payment every time. Stubborn woman." Chelo growled and watched Carlos nod his head while rolling his eyes backwards. "Anyway if you let Gloria have Carina for a few days, like she said, it would give you and BJ the opportunity to get to know each other better. Don't look at me like that." She commanded when Carlos wrinkled his nose at the use of her initials rather than her full names. "You do that every time someone calls her BJ." She laughed as his nose wrinkled again while he looked at her questioningly. "That's quite a funny habit you've developed. I'm just glad the top lip doesn't move with it." She giggled, pulled her features into a quick Elvis sneer and heard Carlos roar with laughter.

"Please don't do that again." Carlos pleaded after spending several minutes laughing and slapping his hand on top of the table.

"I won't." Chelo smiled before her face turned serious. "Can you remember how Mama was a few years ago when Felipe and I had to go live in Miami for a while, because of Felipe's job?"

Carlos looked at her quizically for a few seconds then let his mind wonder back in time. Chelo had only given birth to Alvaro a few weeks before they'd left for Maimi. Felipe hadn't wanted to leave his family in Spain while he supervised the restoration of church after it had been partially damaged in an earthquake. With them gone and himself working away from home and in a new relationship, his mother had had no-one else to focus her attention on other than his father and he'd been busy at work most of the time. She'd taken up all sorts of hobbies to distract herself, only to give them up a few weeks or days later.

He huffed a quick laugh when he remembered that the mosiac table she'd started work on not long after Chelo, Felipe and Alvaro had left, still sat in the garage. Unfinished. She'd been overjoyed once they'd come back and had insisted on looking after her grandson for almost two weeks to give Felipe and Chelo some much needed time on their own. He could still recall the look he'd seen on her face, it was much the same as the one he'd seen on Gloria's face the day before, when she'd dropped Mickey and Minnie off. Smiling broadly, her eyes sparkling brightly at simply seeing her grandaughter again.

"Si I remember." Carlos nodded with a small laugh after reminding himself that Gloria's quick visit had turned from ten minutes to almost two hours.

Thinking that such a short amount of time wasn't nearly enough, he resolved to go with Chelo's suggestion.

"I'll talk to her about it." Carlos smiled and nodded at Chelo as her children came into the kitchen closely followed by Felipe, his parents and Ria carrying Carina on her hip.

He watched as his mother took hold of Carina to allow Ria to make her breakfast. He smiled when Louisa offered her help, Teresa sat by her grandmother's side playing with Carina, Alvaro sat at the table entranced by the portable DVD player he'd brought down with him.

"Alvaro, not at the breakfast table. You've been told often enough." Felipe warned as he took a seat next to Chelo.

"Sorry Papa. What is for breakfast?" Alvaro asked after reluctantly stopping the wrestling DVD he'd been watching and closing the lid. "Can you make those English pancakes again Ria? Pleeeeeeease! We're only here for one more day." He pleaded with hands pressed together while looking directly at her. "They were......." He paused and sat thinking of the word he'd heard Stephanie use to describe her mother's cakes. ".......Yummy!" He grinned after a few seconds.

Ria handed Carina's breakfast off to Carlos's insistant mother then stood with her hands on her hips, looking at Alvaro trying not to laugh at the cheeky smile he wore and wondering how many she would have to make to satisfy his appetite today. He'd eaten five the previous morning, leaving nothing on his plate.

"Ok." She laughed as she walked over to the fridge and smirked to herself when she spied the shopping list reminder stuck to the door.

Positioning herself so that no-one could see what she was doing, she bit her bottom lip lightly while she wrote in Spanish then opened the door for everyone to read what she'd written while she removed a tray of eggs and milk. She'd written...

'Next time Alvaro visits, I will need: 1 Cow (for a constant supply of milk), Several live chickens (for the eggs), A year's supply of flour (probably)'

.......and finished it off with a sunshine smiley face.

Five adults and three children cracked up laughing while Ria set to work on making breakfast for everyone.

Carlos's head snapped round when he heard the familiar sound of his front door closing. He excused himself quickly, gently removed Minnie from his neck and placed her on the floor, almost ran through the house to find Barbara-Jean standing in the hallway with Mickey in her arms, rubbing the side of his face against hers, purring as loudly as he had the day before.

"Buenos días." She smiled after placing the male cat on the floor and watching him saunter through the house towards the conservatory while Carlos pulled her into his arms.

"Good morning. Hungry mi amor?" He asked with his forehead pressed against hers after pulling back from a gentle but firm kiss. "Ria's making pancakes again. Alvaro's been turning on the charm." He informed with a smile and quickly raised eyebrows.

"Been teaching him a few things huh?"

"He has much to learn."

Barbara-Jean giggled a little as she nodded and walked hand-in-hand with Carlos back to the kitchen where he made her sit in the chair he'd vacated after she'd been welcomed by his family. With so many mouths to feed, he turned and moved to help Ria.

"Feels good to be doing this again doesn't it?" She asked while flipping a pancake.

"Very." Carlos replied with a smile, clearing away eggshells and returning everything to its rightful place while he informed Ria that he would like her to take a few days off before Carina's birthday and listening to her thank him with a smile on her face.

With everyone's appetite satisfied and after a rather loud discussion, they decided to spend the rest of the day relaxing at the house as one big happy family.

_____________________

David and Lauren's Home - 3rd July

Lauren sighed contentedly, stretching herself out with her eyes closed as she woke. She opened her eyes, looked at the clock on David's nightstand and quickly closed them again, thinking she was seeing things when she saw the time.

"Ten-thirty! I've not slept that late in years." She muttered to herself as she eased herself to a sitting position before standing up.

A smile graced her face when she heard the sounds of whistling coming from the room she'd chosen as a nursery, knowing that David was working in there again, probably with the door locked to prevent anyone taking a look. She laughed quietly as she remembered how eager he'd been to make a start. Two days rest from touring was all he'd allowed himself before he'd begun painting.

She laughed a little louder as she remembered the small argument he and his father had had a couple of days ago. David had wanted to do everything himself while his father had wanted to help in some. They'd bickered back and forth for almost an half an hour at the breakfast table before she'd stepped in, telling David he would need some help putting the furniture together and putting the border up, suggesting that perhaps his father could help with that. Realising that she was right, David had acquiessed as long as his father agreed not to say anything about how the room looked.

Suddenly a loud shout went up from nursery and, throwing on her robe, she moved as quickly as she could to find out why David was cursing worse than she'd ever heard.

"David. Are you ok in there?" She asked while trying the door handle, only to find it locked.

She took a step back as the door was unlocked and raised her head to see him standing there sucking on his left thumb.

"I'm fine. I just hit my thumb with the hammer." He grinned whilst holding the door almost shut with his right hand so that nothing could be seen. "I've almost finished, but you're still not seeing until it's done. So stop trying to sneek a peek." He intstructed with a quick kiss on her lips.

"Awww. Ok. Let me see." She asked with a smile, pulling his hand away from his mouth. "Big baby. Where are Steph and your parents?" She asked after inspecting the offending thumb and seeing a small red area underneath the nail.

"They've taken Rex for a nice long walk in the woods. Hungry?" David asked with a quickly huffed laugh when he heard her stomach rumbling.

"Yeah. I'll go and get something then I'll bring you a coffee up."

"It's ok. I've only got this last picture to put up." He replied with a headshake and sucking his thumb again. "I'll do that then clean up and come down for something before I show you."

He watched Lauren head for the stairs, smiling over her shoulder as she went. Sure that she'd gone down, he turned back into the nursery, hung the picture and took a few moments to admire his handiwork. Satisfied that he'd done a good job, he retrieved the few tools he'd needed, moved out of the room and locked the door behind him.

He entered their bedroom through the double doors. The bed, a king sized four poster covered in blue Eygptian cotton sheets. He grinned as he remembered how much energy Lauren had had the night before and how quickly they'd fallen asleep afterwards. A white rocking cradle stood at the end of the bed, waiting for its occupant, its fittings still wrapped in plastic to keep them clean until the baby's arrival.

In one corner of the room was the door to the en suite bathroom/wet room. He made his way through and smiled at what he saw.

"Lolly might not know a much about music, but she knows what I like." He mused out loud while admiring the cream and black tiles.

The walk-in shower over in the left corner, plenty of room for two. He smiled and raised his eyebrows slightly. The toilet stood on the right of that. Two hand basins had been placed under the small window on his right. A supply of fluffy cream towels had been stuffed into the rack next to the shower.

After cleaning himself up, he moved to the dressing-room, changed out of the old clothes he'd worn, slipped into a pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt and left the room reminding himself of where Lauren's hospital bag was situated and picking up the tools as he went.

He made his way downstairs admiring the cream coloured walls and the ballustrading that had been stripped back to its original beech. He paused halfway down, turned and looked back up at the abstract painting hanging on the wall at the top. He hadn't been sure about the three pannelled piece of artwork on first seeing it, but had to admit Lauren and his mother had been right, the reds, golds and oranges of the sunset gave the area a warm feeling that it lacked.

After returning the tools to a small box on the shelf in the downstairs closet he turned to make his way to the kitchen, breaking into a quick trot when he heard something smashing. He flew through the door to see his mother standing near Lauren talking to her calmly while picking up pieces of glass out of the small pool of water at Lauren's feet. His brow furrowed slightly when he saw that Lauren had her eyes closed and was breathing just the way she'd been tought in the childbirth classes she'd attended.

"Well don't just stand there David. Go and get her bag." He heard his father instructing in his right ear. "I'll go and get the car started. Mom will look after her for a while."

David's head whipped round to face his father's smiling one and he swallowed hard before speaking.

"You mean she's.........Holy cra........I'm gonna be a.....?"

"Yes."

"But she hasn't seen........We haven't had the baby shower yet."

"It doesn't matter. This is more important than any of that. Now go." David's father chuckled as he turned him round quickly and shoved him through the kitchen door into the hallway.

Without having to think about what he was doing, David flew up the stairs two by two, retrieved Lauren's bag from the bedroom, snatched his camera and started to run for the stairs again.

"Is mummy all right daddy?" He heard Stephanie questioning as she came out of the master bathroom. "I was busting for the bathroom when we came in."

"She's fine Steph. Honest." He replied slightly breathlessly while squatting in front of her and giving her a reassuring hug. "It just looks like you're going to be a big sister a little sooner than we thought. You be a good girl now." He asked with a smile as he stood and took hold of her hand.

Together, they ran back down the stairs just in time to see Lauren and David's mother slowly making their way to the open front doors. He smiled and handed the bag to his father while he listened to his mother telling him that the hospital had been called and they were expected.

"Just remember to drive on the left Dad." David shrugged as he wrapped his arms round Lauren's shoulders, gave the top of her head a gentle kiss and watched her give a beaming Stephanie a quick hug before they started to move slowly towards the car, listening to her breathe .

With Lauren settled as comfortably as she could be in the back seat, with David by her side, his mother closed the door, turned to take hold of Stephanie's hand and led her into the lounge.

"We have a lot of people to call." She smiled as she sat down with the phone in her hand and the list Lauren had pinned to the kitchen notice board for the past few weeks.

"Can I tell Grandma and Grandad Taylor and Franky?" Stephanie asked while bouncing in her seat and stroking Rex.

"Sure you can." David's mother smiled as she dialled the Taylor's number and handed the handset to Stephanie.

______________________

Urs and Franky's home - 3rd July

Urs grimmaced as the garage door closed behind him, gave the kitchen window a quick look and sighed with relief when there appeared to be no-one in there that would have heard the squeak. He grinned then swallowed hard while he wondered what Franky would say if she found out he'd taken her Screamin' Eagle to ride to the stables in order to give 'Ice Dancer' a nice long workout.

"Nah. She won't suspect a thing. She'll have been too busy with the accounts to notice the key missing" He chuckled to himself as he removed the crash helmet and hooked it on his arm.

He whistled loudly as he approached the door, took another quick look around before entering and taking a seat at the table to remove his boots.

"Enjoy yourself?"

"Argh! Mami." Urs startled, his hand flying to his chest while his mother giggled in the doorway. "Ja. I did. Rode for miles. Where's Franky?"

"In the office with Sylvie." She replied whilst moving towards the kettle to make a drink. "Urs?" She asked in her questioning tone, looking at him slyly.

"Ja." Urs asked slowly dragging the word out.

"Is Franky pregnant again?"

'Oh crap! What do I say?' Urs thought to himself whilst squirming in his seat and trying to avoid the questioning look his mother gave him. "Erm.....No." He replied with a quick headshake and turning his attention to a bike magazine. "Why would you think that?" He asked with a quick cough.

"Oh now let's see. Call it woman's intuition if you want." Frau Buhler smiled as she sat down opposite her still squirming son. "She hasn't ridden a bike, on her own or behind you, since you got back home. She refused the wine at dinner last night. You've gone to the stables every other morning to ride her horse. And I have noticed she seems to have put a little weight on and she tires a little quicker than usual." She nodded, patting her hand against her stomach.

"We have been quite busy." Urs shrugged without removing his attention from the magazine. "You know, normal stuff, checking the garage, visiting Gabe and Christie, getting Sylvie into the same school as Steph, ordering the furniture Sylvie liked for her bedroom, organising things for Frank's birthday, tidying the garden...."

"Oh yes that was the other thing that made me wonder." His mother interupted. "I noticed you wouldn't let her do any of the heavy lifting work yesterday. I'm not blind Urs."

"Frick!" Urs exclaimed under his breath whilst chewing on his bottom lip and looking at his mother. 'Why can't I ever keep a secret from her? What is it that she's in see my expression that says I'm lying? Damn it!'

"How far gone is she?"

"Eight weeks." Urs's mouth replied while his brain was occupied with trying to answer his questions. "Scheiße! How did you know I was fibbing?" He asked while his mother giggled.

"That's my little secret." She replied while tapping the end of her nose. "So I assume you haven't said anything because of what happened last time?"

"Ja." Urs nodded with his eyes closed. "Please don't tell anyone Mami. She doesn't want anyone to know until she's passed the danger period."

"Not even your father?"

"Especially not him." Urs exclaimed somewhat loudly before laughing. "He couldn't keep a secret if his life depended on it and you know it. Please Mami, it's only four weeks."

Frau Buhler giggled as she nodded her compliance. Her son was right, his father never had been able to keep a secret from her in over forty years of marriage, she'd always known what gifts he'd bought her for her birthday, their anniversary and Christmas long before the actual event basically because he'd never hiddden them very well and she was a little on the nosy side, always finding the gifts in one of his drawers but never saying anything.

"Ok. I understand. My lips are sealed and I promise I won't say a thing to anyone. I think I can manage to act surprised when you call." She nodded and heard Urs blow out a long breath and watched his posture relax.

Urs nodded, then stood and placed a quick kiss on his mother's cheek before leaving the kitchen to find his way to the office, pausing to watch his father playing with Frank in the lounge on the way.

"Something wrong?" He heard his father questioning as Frank stepped into his arms.

Urs shook his head quickly, walked over to where his father sat on the floor and touched his son on the shoulder.

"Boo!" He exclaimed quickly and watched Frank turn away while laughing.

He took a seat at the end of the couch, lifted Frank onto his lap and listened to him babbling Dada until he heard the office door fly open and heard Sylvie exclaiming that something wasn't fair while she ran towards the stairs.

"What's wrong?" He asked a heavily sighing Franky as she stood in the doorway.

"Remember what she asked you last night?"

"About legally changing her last name you mean?" Urs replied, handing Frank back to his father and watching a nodding Franky move to sit beside him. "You said you would make enquiries for me this morning. I assume the news isn't good."

"Doesn't look like it." Franky sighed again and shook her head. "From what I've been able to find out, in Switzerland, a name change requires the approval of the respective Cantonal government, if there are important reasons for the change, according to article thirty of the Swiss civil code. According to the case law of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, such requests must be granted only if the petitioner shows that he suffers substantially from his present name, for example if it is the same as that of a notorious criminal. I made a call to the court and made an enquiry. He came back after a few minutes and said we could try, but it would be highly unlikely that a request such as ours would be granted. Sylvie insisted on being with me and now I've upset her." She sniffed as the telephone started to ring.

"You get the phone, I'll go and talk to Sylvie."

Urs watched Franky head to the phone then ran upstairs to Sylvie's room. He smiled as he entered the light pink room finding it neat and tidy except for the trainers Sylvie had thrown at the door in frustration before flopping down on one of the cream coloured panel single beds, crying whilst she watched a copy of Franky's comedy performance on her portable tv. He moved to sit beside her, placed an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close whilst switching the tv off with the remote control.

"It's not fair Papi." She sniffed. "I don't want that name. I want yours."

"I know liebling. I know." He sighed heavily, holding her a little tighter. "I know it doesn't look good right now, but we are going to try. Don't give up hope just yet."

"What if they say no? Then what?" Sylvie sniffed.

"We'll see if can just use my name without changing it legally. You'll still be known as Sylvie Rast legally, but you might be able to use Buhler in your everyday life. You know at school and such. Let's just find out first hey?" Urs asked as Sylvie raised her tear-streaked face from his shoulder to look at him.

"Ok Papi." Sylvie sniffed and dried her eyes. "Papi. Do you think Mami would teach me how to ice-skate if I asked her?"

'Not again?!' Urs gulped at the question, knowing that Franky wouldn't risk falling on the ice while pregnant, even though he'd never seen her fall. "Erm......I don't think so, not at the moment Sylvie. The rink is very busy and there's no time for private lessons." He shook his head and watched Sylvie lower her head dejectedly. "I know. How about I ask her to call her friend, see if there's any space in one of his classes? How would that be?"

"Is he nice?"

Urs laughed a little then smiled as he nodded. "He's very nice. You remember that little girl you saw on the DVD for Karen?"

"Harmony." Sylvie nodded and smiled. "Ja. She's good."

"Well the man that teaches her is the man I'm talking about. He's very patient and never shouts." Urs giggled. "He needed to be patient to teach me that routine I did with Mami. I had bruises all over the place before I got it right. Took me weeks to learn." He finished with a straight-lipped smile, his eyes wide and a quick nod that made Sylvie giggle. "Come on let's go and see if Mami will call him?" He asked, offering the hand that had been around her shoulders.

Sylvie smiled as she took the hand and walked back downstairs with him to see Franky smiling before her face turned to a questioning one.

"Stephanie called. Looks like Lauren's going to be having the baby today." She smiled quickly at Urs before returning her attention to Sylvie and listening to her request.

She called Ron and after a quick check he replied that he would have room for Sylvie in a couple of weeks because two of his students were moving abroad. Satisfied with that Sylvie nodded and smiled as she listened to Franky give Ron her name, her age and confirmed the date and time.

"Now, Papi and me have got to go out for a little while." Franky smiled and gave Urs a quick glance when she noticed that he was still wearing his chaps. "Are you going to be a good girl and help Grandma and Grandad look after Frank for me?"

"Ok." Sylvie nodded without questioning and moved to sit on the floor with Frank and her grandfather.

"Where are you going that you can't take her with you?" Urs heard his father questioning after he'd removed the unrequired piece of clothing.

Urs and Franky looked at each other and swallowed hard knowing exactly where they were going but not wanting to say.

"Travel agent." Urs heard his mother replying for both of them while she nodded down at Sylvie.

"Oh right." His father winked, remembering hearing something about taking her to Disneyland for Christmas. "Well go then." He instructed the couple with a bat of his hand in their direction.

They both kissed the children goodbye, headed out of the house to the garage and made themselves comfortable in the car to head for the hospital.

"Your mother knows I'm pregnant again doesn't she?" Franky asked without looking at Urs as he paused to check the road was clear.

"Ja." Urs nodded as he turned left and eased the car to a stop. He turned in his seat, took hold of Franky's right hand and held it gently while he spoke. "I'm sorry Franky, I didn't tell her out right. She guessed. She's been watching us a little more carefully than I thought she had. She's promised not to say anything to anyone. You know she understands how scared you are."

"Yeah, I know she does. It's ok." Franky nodded and smiled as she knocked a couple of tears off her cheeks. "Let's just go and see if we can find out why I'm starting to show already. I wasn't showing half this much with Frank." She shrugged, laying her hand on the small bulge of her stomach.

Urs nodded then checked the road and pulled the car onto the road again.

"And next time you want to ride my Eagle would you mind asking please?" Franky giggled. "You remember what you told Sylvie about my laptop." She laughed as Urs squirmed in his seat.

"How do you know I took the Eagle?" He asked while waiting for traffic lights to turn to green.

"Urs, I do know what that engine sounds like. It has a more distinctive roar than your bike." Franky laughed and shook her head.

"Does it? I haven't noticed." Urs shrugged as he turned the car into the hospital entrance and made for the maternity unit car park.

Looking out for any signs of David after they'd parked the car, they moved quickly into the other side of the unit, well away from the delivery suite and settled themselves down to wait for the first scan. Within what seemed like hours, they had been called into the room.

"I have a trainee with me today. I hope you don't mind?" The sonographer smiled as they walked into the room.

"No." Franky shook her head as she tugged her t-shirt from her tracksuit bottoms and laid on the bed while Urs took a seat by her side.

Before the probe had even been placed on her stomach, they heard the sonographer shouting at the trainee.

"Get out!" She snapped, pointing towards the door. "If you can't behave in a professional manner I don't want you in my room. Go to my office. I will talk to you later."

The young woman shoved her chair back and cast another flirty glance in Urs's direction before she stormed out of the room.

Having seen nothing of what had happened, Urs and Franky listened as the sonographer explained that she had seen the trainee trying to catch Urs's eye, giving him some very suggestive looks while Franky made herself comfortable. She apologised and said she would not tolerate such behaviour, the young woman would be severely remprimanded later.

"Now let's have a look shall we." She smiled while moving the probe over Franky's stomach. "Mmm." Her brow furrowed after a few minutes.

"Is there something wrong?" Urs asked with an audible swallow when he saw the worried look on Franky's face.

"I'll just go and get a colleague, nothing to worry about, just need a more experienced opinion. Won't be a minute." The deminuitive woman smiled quickly before leaving the room.

"I'm sure it's ok Franky." Urs soothed when he saw tears welling in her eyes and gently stroked her face. "Please don't cry."

Just as he finished speaking the woman returned with a male colleague and he watched over her shoulder as Franky stomach was scanned again, nodded his head after a few moments and picked up Franky's hospital notes.

"It says in your notes that there's no history of twins in the family." The male sonographer stated after a quick check. "Are you absolutely sure about that?" He asked Franky with a quick smile.

"Erm.....Positive. Why?" Franky gulped.

"Because we've found two separate and distinct heartbeats on the scan." Came the reply as the screen was turned round so that Franky could see and the probe was returned to her stomach. "I've been doing this long enough to know. Twin one." He smiled whilst pointing to a blob on the lower left side of the screen. "Twin two." He informed with a point to the right a little higher up. "They won't be identical I don't think because they've embedded so far apart. Could even be different sexes. Are you absolutely sure? No twins at all on your mother's side?"

"Not that I know of." Franky gulped again and looked at a grinning Urs. "My mother was a single child and so was my grandmother as far I know."

"It's unusual for it to skip two generations. You might want to check with family or birth records." The female sonographer informed after printing several pictures off, wiping Franky's stomach and escorting the stunned couple to the doctor's office for an examination once Franky had adjusted her clothes.

The doctor's examination confirmed what the male sonographer had said. Franky was indeed expecting twins, he could feel two separate feotuses. Once Franky was dressed again, Urs lifted her off her feet and spun her around several times before they left the doctor's office.

She and Urs left the hospital still in a daze and were much the same as they made their way into the house, through to the office and locked the door, barely looking at Urs's bewildered parents as they flew passed them.

"What are you doing?" Urs asked as he watched her search through a pile of old family documents.

"Checking." Franky shrugged, laying her mother's birth certificate out on the desk. "No, mother wasn't a twin." She shook her head then retrieved her grandmother's tattered one. "Ohhhhhhhh my God. Why haven't I ever noticed that before?" She exclaimed in a whisper.

"What?" Urs asked, leaning over her shoulder, watching her point to the date column while firing up her computer. "So there's a time recorded underneath. What's so unusual about that?" He shrugged questioningly.

"I don't know about Swiss birth certificates Urs, but here in England, when twins or multiples are born on the same day, they record the time as well. It's the only time they do. Gabe told me. There's no time on little Francesca's because she was born after midnight, but there is for the boys." She sighed as she logged into a site that Gustave had told her he'd used to research her heritage.

After a short while she found her grandmother's birth registration and just above her name in same district was the registration for a boy.

"I remember now. You stupid, stupid woman Franky Gi....Buhler." Franky slapped her forehead after reading the name. "Grandma didn't like to talk about her brother Gerald much. The last time she did was when I was thirteen, no fifteen. She never said much because he died when he was five during in a measles outbreak. I can't remember her ever saying he was her twin though. I'll get the certificate to be positive." She stated, finally taking a breath. "Oh my God Urs. We're having twins and they could be a boy and girl." She bounced in her seat excitedly while a grinning Urs squatted in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "How are we going to keep this quiet for the next four weeks?" She asked through a very quiet giggle with her hands on her stomach.

"Glue my mouth shut." Urs suggested with a laugh as he stood, pulled her shaking form gently into his arms and held her tight until they heard a knock at the door.

"Everything all right in there?" They heard Urs's father questioning through the locked door.

"Great Vater." Urs replied with Franky's face buried against his chest because she was crying. "Everything's just great." He smiled as he moved his hands to lift Franky's face to meet his and he gave her very firm kiss. "I love you Fire." He sniffed as he dried her eyes, smiling a little broader when he felt her do the same while attempting to say the same thing, the words catching in her throat because she couldn't believe what had happened. "It's ok angel. I know. You don't need to tell me." He sighed as her face returned to his chest and she squeezed him hard.

Finally composed, the couple left the office and tried not to smile too much as they settled down to the lunch Urs's mother had prepared. However, she caught the looks they exchanged once in a while and questioned them about it.

"Leave them alone dear." Urs's father requested before either of them could reply. "They're just in love that's all. Like they have been since the day they met. Now hush and eat your lunch."

Urs watched his mother give a quick shrug while his hand found Franky's thigh under the table and that was where it remained while they ate. Deciding that they'd better stay in to await news of Lauren and David's baby the family settled down in front of the tv to watch a few movies. Franky and Urs smirked at each other when Sylvie suggested the Arnold Schwartzenegger movie 'Twins'.

Following dinner, catching up on family, putting the children to bed and with no news from David by eleven thirty, they decided to go to bed.

Urs and Franky fell asleep, each with one hand resting lightly on Franky's stomach, giggling like naughty schoolchildren.

_________________

"Change the CD will you." David heard Lauren asking as another strong contraction waned.

"For which one." He asked after standing from his postion behind her and wiping his hands free of the oil he thought she'd bought for the baby.

Lauren raised her head from the pillow on the back of the chair and breathed her way through another contraction before replying.

"The relaxing piano one. Is that really the time?" She asked after a quick look at the clock. "Almost thirteen hours since my waters broke." She smiled quickly as Mozart's 'Symphony Number 38 in D 'Prague' - II Adante' started playing and returned her face to the pillow.

"You're sure you don't want any pain relief?" David questioned warming more oil in his hands and sitting back down on the chair that had been placed so that he could sit and massage her back.

"No. Just apply a little more pressure please." She requested as another contraction began to build.

David yawned quietly and glanced at the door, wondering when Jessie, the midwive, would return to check Lauren's progress, while using the heel of his hands to firmly massage the base of her spine. It seemed like hours had past since they'd been told that she was eight centimetres dilated. A quick check of the clock informed him that only twelve minutes had gone by.

"I'm not doing this too hard am I?" He asked while trying to get a look at her face.

"Noooo." Lauren sighed out slowly. "It feels wonderful. You're doing a great job. I'm much more relaxed than I was when I had Steph."

David smiled then allowed his features to drop as he remembered what she'd told him about Stephanie's delivery.

Though she and Nick had broken up before her birth, Nick had been there. Him and his mother. His eyes narrowed as he recalled Lauren telling him how Nick's mother had called her weak and useles for requesting pethedine, Nick had said nothing. The only time she'd got any peace from the woman was during the pushing stage, the midwife had ordered her to leave because she was distressing her patient. Nick's mother had stood defiant for a few moments until she'd been threatened with security. Because of Lauren's distress, Stephanie had become distressed too and they'd had to use forceps to deliver her a little quicker. He growled and muttered that he was glad he'd never met the woman while shaking his head.

"Glad you never met whoooooooo?" Lauren questioned as another contraction reached it's peak.

"Never mind. You just concentrate on breathing." He sighed, moving one hand to give her shoulders a gentle squeeze.

Just as he turned his head to look at the clock again the door opened and a smiling Jessie made her way in.

"Time to check again Lauren." She informed quietly with a gentle touch on her shoulder.

"Ok Jessie." Lauren nodded, took a deep breath before moving her legs from their straddled position over the chair, carefully found her way onto the bed with David's help and made herself as comfortable as she could while Jessie slipped her hands into a pair of latex gloves.

"I'll be as gentle as I can." Jessie informed again before proceeding with yet another pelvic examination, watching David gently wipe Lauren's brow while she did so. "Fully dilated." She smiled a few seconds later. "Let's get you into position and you can start pushing whenever you're ready. Ok my dear?"

"Mmmmm." Lauren nodded while squeezing David's hand tightly during another contraction.

As it ebbed she turned onto her left side, allowed Jessie to strap a monitor around her stomach then assumed the recovery position with David making sure pillows were placed to prop up her head, right leg and under her right arm. A final one was folded and used as a wedge under her left hip. With David standing behind her, still massaging her back and speaking in a soothing voice, Lauren began to push every time she felt the urge to and Jessie checked how far the baby had moved every twenty minutes

"I need to look again." Jessie informed with a soft touch on her left hip.

Lauren nodded her compliance, lifted her bent left leg for the fifth time and allowed David to take the weight again by hooking his right elbow under her knee while Jessie did what she needed to do.

"You're doing great." David smiled up at his pain-wracked wife, gently smoothing hair back off her damp face with his free hand.

"Yeah sure I am." Lauren groaned through the moans of another contraction. "If you ever do this to me again and I'll rip a certain part of your anatomy off with my bare hands." She threatened with her eyes screwed tight shut while she pushed again. "I can't do this anymore. I'm so tired. Leave me alone." She cried as she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes you can Lolly." David encouraged with a smile and tears glistening in his eyes while Jessie busied herself with opening the delivery pack. "I know you can."

"I told you never to call me that!" Lauren yelled just before Jessie face appeared by her side.

"Lauren the baby's almost here. You can feel the pressure down below can't you?" Jessie asked with a gentle smile and watched Lauren nod as another contraction started to build. "Reach down between your legs when you push and you'll be able to feel the top of his head. Why don't you take a look too?" She asked with a quick smile at David as she walked around the bottom end of the bed, indicating the mirror she'd placed at the end while she moved.

Lauren did what she'd been told while she pushed hard, with David's free hand still massaging firmly while his head turned to the mirror.

"Oh my God! I saw him." He exclaimed rather loudly when he saw the very top of the baby's head appear then disappear as Lauren relaxed. "Come on Lolly I know you can do this." He sniffed quietly before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"A really big push with the next one Lauren." Jessie instructed firmly but gently while Lauren groaned. "That's it. Keep it going. Marvelous. The head's almost out. Push Lauren. Good girl the head's out. Now pant while I rotate him a little to get his shoulders out. That's right, just like that." She smiled up at David, who'd contorted his body to see. "One, two, three and push Lauren, push. Good girl. One more. That's it. He's here." She whispered as she moved the baby round between Lauren's legs to lay near her stomach "Say hello to your son." She instructed before turning her attention to applying the clamps to the cord.

"Look David. Isn't he beautiful?" Lauren sobbed, her pain completely forgotten.

"He sure is. He's perfect." David sniffed, perching himself on the small amount of space behind her shoulders and a gentle touch of the screaming baby's cheek.

"Born at two thirty-three am on the fourth of July." Jessie smiled while offering David a pair of gloves and holding a pair of scissors in her free hand. "Have you got a name for him yet?"

"On the what date?" David questioned wide-eyed, almost dropping the scissors.

"Fourth of July." Jessie nodded, pointing at the clock, indicating the date just below the hands.

"Jefferson?" Lauren questioned with a smile, knowing exactly what the date meant, as David looked at her, after cutting the cord and returning to his previous position, unable to speak but nodding his approval of the name with a huge smile on his face. "Hello Jefferson David Miller." She cooed as she held the little boy close and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead before Jessie took him from her.

"Four and a half kilos or nine pounds nine ounces." Jessie informed after weighing him, giving him a thorough check over and bundling him up before returning him to Lauren for his first feed.

"David. We have a slight problem." Lauren giggled once Jefferson was feeding properly and Jessie was busying herself with delivering the placenta.

"Huh? What problem?" He asked while wiping his eyes, looking at her with concern.

"All those newborn clothes we bought aren't going to fit him. They only fit up to a six pound baby."

"Is that all?" David questioned with a sigh of relief. "Don't worry about it. We can always save them for the next one." He laughed and watched Lauren narrow her eyes and shake her head at him while she swatted his arm.

Her duties finished, Jessie left the room giggling to herself, turning her head over her shoulder and accepting the couple's thanks with a simple nod before allowing the door to close behind her.

Once Jefferson's appetite was satisfied, Lauren handed him over to David and watched tears roll slowly down his face while he cradled his son. A few moments later, the family were moved as a whole to the new hotel that had been built next to the maternity wing. With Lauren settled comfortably in the double bed and Jefferson sleeping soundly in a crib nearby, David called home and wiped his eyes again once he'd told his parents and Stephanie about the new addition.

"What did Steph say?" Lauren asked tiredly once he'd hung up that call and dialled her parents number.

"Erm....Better luck next time." David laughed and shook his head and handed the handset over.

He listened to Lauren talking to her parents while he removed his shoes, socks and t-shirt. Remembering that he wasn't wearing any underwear, he decided to leave his jeans on, climbed into bed and held Lauren closer than he had in months.

Deciding that the day had been long enough, they agreed that telling everyone else could wait until morning and quickly fell asleep.

__________________

The following morning

"You've gone very quiet." Franky stated to a contemplative-looking Urs across the breakfast table.

"Huh?" He questioned, snatching his head up to look at her quickly.

"I said you've gone very quiet. Aren't you happy for Lauren and David? Or is there something else bothering you.?"

"Just....." Urs sighed heavily and closed his eyes tightly. "I am happy for them. I'm erm..... Just feeling.......I don't know. Jealous I guess. You know because David was th......." He shrugged and blew out a long nasal breath as his voice trailed off. "Even though I know it was my fault because I wasn't."

"Because you weren't there for Frank's birth you mean?" Franky questioned, reaching over the table to place a hand on top of his.

"Yeah." Urs nodded and allowed a solitary tear to fall before speaking again. "The one thing I wanted to do more than anything else in the world, other than marry you, was to be there when our first child was born and I completely messed it up. To this......To this day I don't know how you could have forgiven me for doing that to you. Not when I can't even forgive myself." He sniffed and gave the fingers of Franky's hand a gentle squeeze as she moved to sit beside him, seating herself so that they sat face-to-face. "I'm sorry Franky, I shouldn't be dredging that up." He sighed and shook his head as he turned it away from her.

"It's ok." Franky replied while using her free hand to turn his face back to hers and holding it there. "It was one of the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Forgive you for letting me down like that I mean. But, do you remember the first time we saw him together?" She asked with a smile and tears glistening in her eyes as she watched Urs nod quickly. "I knew as soon as I looked at you, that you'd realised how much you'd hurt me. I knew, but I was just too angry, too worried about Frank to care right away. I watched every move you made while he was in that incubator, how you watched him, looking at the monitors from time to time to make sure they were working, the guilt was etched all over your face and I could see how much you were punishing yourself every time you saw him. It wouldn't have been fair for me to hurt you any more by keep heaping more guilt on you. And I knew you cried yourself to sleep almost every night once you were allowed to go home, even though you tried to hide it when you came to visit us. You've punished yourself enough Urs, it's way past time to forgive." She smiled while wiping his face and allowing her own tears to fall. "You've been an amazing father from day one. I couldn't have wished for better."

Urs nodded, pressed his forehead against Franky's and kissed her gently while he wiped her face and her fingers curled in the hair at the back of his head.

"I don't care what we're doing when these two decide it's time to arrive." He whispered with one hand on her stomach after a quick look towards the kitchen door. "No matter what, I am going to be there. Nothing's going to stop me this time. Ok?" He asked as his arms found their way around her waist, holding her tight.

"Ok." Franky nodded as the kitchen door opened and Sylvie found her way in.

"Did Lauren have her baby yet?" She asked through a yawn while watching Frank banging excitedly on the tray of his highchair.

"She had a little boy early this morning." Urs smiled as she took the seat Franky had occupied.

"Oh." Sylvie wrinkled her nose then started counting on both hands. "So that's two boys to three girls. Never mind, they're still outnumbered." She giggled and watched Urs roll his eyes backwards while he laughed. "Are you and Mami going to have more babies Papi?" She asked once Franky had placed her breakfast in front of her and she'd handed Frank's to Urs.

"Someday." Urs replied with a quick glance at a gulping Franky.

"Someday soon?" Sylvie questioned after swallowing a mouthful of her favourite cereal.

"Perhaps." Urs shifted in his seat, looked at Franky again and noticed she'd turned away and coughed when he saw her shoulders shaking, knowing that she was giggling quietly and catching the smirk she wore when she turned her head over her shoulder. 'This is getting harder to keep secret with each day.' He mused to himself while feeding Frank, shaking his head when he became more interested in playing with the food in the dish rather than what was on the end of the spoon. "I can't have been this messy." He laughed as Frank squished his little hand against his own mouth, preferring to eat what he found there. "Sounds like Seb and Emma are here." He smiled at Franky when he heard a car pull up at the back of the house and watched his parents make their way into the kitchen.

"Just like you." His mother laughed after a quick look at Frank.

"Bonjour." Sébastien grinned after he and Emma had entered and she'd taken a seat near the countertop.

Urs looked at his watch, then at Sébastien and raised his eyebrows in astonishment at the fact they'd arrived before nine-thirty.

"Not funny." Sébastien growled back. "I told you we had a house to view before we went to get the stuff for the baby shower."

"You've got everything we couldn't get the other day?" Franky asked with a smile.

"Yes we have." Emma giggled. "Though we did get some funny looks at the amount of blue and white balloons we bought. I mean a baby shower's not really the done thing here is it?"

"No, but I kind of like the idea." Franky shrugged. "So the house? Nothing 'unusual' about this one Seb?" She asked with a smirk while handing him a mug of coffee.

"Merde! Am I ever going to live that down?" He whined in response.

"Non." Urs, Franky and Emma chimed as one before all the adults broke down into a fit of giggles while Sylvie looked at Sébastien open-mouthed.

"Vous avez juré."

"Je suis désolé." Sébastien shrugged, having the grace to blush at the head-shaking looks he received from the adults.

"I won't keep you long." Franky smiled as she headed towards the door. "I'm just going to get changed then we can get going. Come on Sylvie. We have a lot to do before Lauren comes home with Jefferson." She instructed, extending her right hand.

Once the door had closed behind Franky and Sylvie, Sébastien and Emma moved to sit at the kitchen table watching Urs intently while he finished feeding Frank.

"What?" Urs asked with a shrug when he spotted the questioning looks they were both giving him.

"Est enceinte Franky encore?" Emma asked with a quick smile at Sébastien.

"Non." Urs vocalised confidently though his inner voice shouted a very loud 'Merde'.

Later that day

"Oh my God!" Lauren exclaimed as David's father pulled the car to a gentle stop in front of their home and she saw the archway of blue and white balloons surrounding the doors. "Who's done all this?"

"Your mom and dad, Franky, Emma, BJ, Steph, Sylvie, Ria, almost every female you know." David's mother informed with a laugh. "They've been arranging things since about ten this morning but they're still not quite finished."

"You didn't notice anything about Franky did you? You know?" She asked while touching her own stomach.

"No. Will you please stop obsessing about that." David huffed loudly. "If Franky is pregnant again, though I'm pretty sure she isn't, she and Urs will tell us in their own good time. I don't want to hear another word on that subject. Today is all about you and Jefferson. You hear me Lauren Miller?" He commanded with a firm kiss on her lips.

"Sir, yes Sir." Lauren saluted with a giggle and nod.

"So what do you think so far?" He asked with nod towards the door.

"It's incredible." Lauren smiled as she watched him run around to her side of the car and help her out. "Let's give them a few more minutes, I want to see the nursery first. So let's go in as quietly as possible."

David smiled as he nodded him compliance, lifted Jefferson out in his car seat, instructed his father to put the car in the garage and told him and his mother to hide in the downstairs closet as he closed the door quietly.

Once inside the house, he and Lauren listened for a few seconds to the giggles and excited female chatter coming from the lounge before making their way upstairs. David set Jefferson down just outside the door and watched Lauren take him out while he unlocked the door. He then stepped behind her and clamped a hand over her eyes, opened the door and gently guided her across the threshold before taking a deep breath and removing his hand.

He watched Lauren's face carefully as she took in the details of the coffee and cream coloured room. He hadn't been sure about the colours at first, the coffee colour on the walls below the beech picture rail had looked too dark while he painted, but it had dried to one of a much milkier, softer tone. The cream colour above he'd been all right with. Lauren had been right all along the colours did compliment the beech furniture she'd selected perfectly and he'd set everything out according to her plan. He laughed a little as he watched her unhook the tie backs from the 'Treacle and Bubble' curtains, pull them closed and took a step back to admire them before turning her attention to the beech cot, wardrobe, changing station, border and all the matching bedding.

"Well?" He asked with a quick shoulder shrug as she turned round to face him. "You don't like it." He sighed and closed his eyes when he saw tears running down her face.

"David it's beautiful." Lauren sniffed after she'd moved to stand before him and touched the right side of his face. "It's turned out much better than I pictured it would. You've done an amazing job. Thank you." She smiled as she stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss. "I even like those." She grinned, pointing to three corner shelves.

"It wasn't my idea." David informed with a grin after turning his head to look where she'd indicated and seeing the three six inch high 'Superman' statues his father had located there.

One showed the character ripping his shirt and jacket open to reveal the 'S' on his chest, the second showed him with his left foot on a silver eagle's head while his cape looked like it was blowing in the breeze, the third showed him in flight over the 'Daily Planet' orb.

"I don't care whose idea it was. It's a nice touch." Lauren laughed. "It's only fair that what you like has a little influence on the room. At least there's no Playstation."

"Not funny Mrs Miller." David growled then grinned. "But since you brought the subject up, I was thinking of setting one up on the drawers.....Joke!" He laughed and shied away as Lauren moved to swat his arm while giggling.

"Now since this baby shower is only supposed to involve females and your father says something's been arranged at Franky and Urs's place for you, don't you think you'd better go and get cleaned up and changed?" She asked while rubbing the palm of her hand over his unshaven face.

"Don't you like a bit rough anymore then?" David teased with a grin and a headshake as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer than she'd been in months, being careful not squash Jefferson between them as he kissed her gently.

"Not at this precise minute, maybe in a few weeks." Lauren teased back in response to the reminder. "I'll feed him in here while you go and sort yourself out then I'll go back downstairs with you. Ok?" She asked as their son started grizzling.

Wondering what Franky and Urs had arranged, David nodded and watched Lauren as she walked towards the rocking chair that stood near the window, made herself comfortable and smiled at him as she fed Jefferson. He left the nursery, listened to the noise coming from downstairs while he closed the door quietly, then made his way to their bedroom and set up the swinging cradle before heading to the bathroom.

Clean, shaven and refreshed, he returned to Lauren just in time to see her making a start on changing Jefferson, nodding when she asked if he wanted to deal with it.

"Ha Ha! Missed me." He laughed when the baby peed just as he pulled the dirty nappy from under his bottom.

"He's got plenty of time to get you yet." Lauren laughed while a smirking David nodded, cleaned up and re-dressed him.

With Jefferson held securely in David's left arm, the couple sneaked back downstairs, opened the closet door and giggled as David's parents stepped out looking somewhat dishevelled and red-faced. Lauren stepped in with a smirk on her face, pulled out a gift bag then moved to stand near the now open front-door.

"We're home!" David shouted as his father slammed the door closed.

All four adults stood giggling while they watched the lounge room doors fly open and the human contents spilled into the hallway. Jefferson was quickly handed over to Lauren's teary-eyed mother while her father stood by her side trying to suppress his tears as he looked at his grandson. He quickly noticed the look on Lauren's face when she saw that Dale wasn't there and informed her that Carissa's mother had been involved in a minor car accident, she wasn't badly hurt just very shaken up and Dale had taken Carissa home so that she could make sure her mother was really all right. They would call round later if they didn't get back too late. Though a little disappointed, Lauren smiled and nodded her understanding then reached into the gift bag and handed a square shaped box to David with a kiss on the cheek.

He lifted the lid, removed the contents and choked slightly when he opened a small glass frame to revealed a silver medallion featuring a child's hand held in a man's with the words 'Daddy's Hand' inscribed above on one side. The other contained a piece of paper inscribed with the words....

'My Daddy's Hand
Daddy, take my hand in yours and you will plainly see,
How very much I need you now to love and care for me.
Then as my little hand grows, I will need you even more.
Everything I do in life, I have never done before.
Teach me to be kind and loving, sharing and forgiving.
Show me through your acts of love the pure joy of living.
The years will pass by quickly and one day I will be grown,
I will pass what you have taught me onto children of my own.
Keep this token with you and remember when we are apart,
The special love between a child and daddy's heart.'

"Thank you." He whispered as Stephanie stepped forward.

"What?" She asked, looking at him while she pinned a blue baby nappy pin corsage to Lauren's dress on the left side of her chest. "Yeah I know. Couldn't get a blue one ok?" She asked with an eye-roll when David nodded to the 'I'm The Big Sister' badge surrounded by a rosette ribbon in hot pink with gold and purple detailing. "Come on mummy. Wait until you.......Oh I forgot." She smiled up at Franky when she felt a gentle squeeze on her shoulder and she was handed a small wicker basket. "Get down here then. I might have grown but I still can't reach that high." She instructed David while everyone laughed. "I hope he doesn't grow as tall as you." She smiled fixing a blue baby sock boutonniere to his shirt after he'd dropped to his knees.

David laughed and shook his head while he watched Stephanie turn her attention to her grandparents. The same boutonnieres as he sported were attached to his and Lauren's father's shirts while blue baby sock coursages were pinned to his beaming mother and mother-in-law's clothing.

"You'd better be going." Lauren informed whilst indicating her watch.

"Guess so." David sighed, gave her a kiss and smiled as he watched Stephanie take her hand and led her towards the lounge, his brow furrowed slightly when he caught sight of Franky as she turned to follow.

"Something wrong David?" She asked with a straight-face when she caught him looking at her stomach.

"Lauren's got this crazy idea in her head that you're pregnant again." He informed in a whispered.

"Hormones." Franky shook her head, still straight-faced. "They can play tricks with the mind." She informed, twirling a finger near her temple before she headed into the lounge and quietly closed the door.

David stood for a few seconds with his arms folded across his chest, then nodded his head. "I knew she was wrong." He nodded again before turning to leave the house with his father and father-in-law.

While he settled himself in the front passenger seat of Lauren's father's car, she was busy admiring the decorations in the lounge.

Blue twinkling fairy lights had been strung around the around the room. Banner's announcing 'It's A Boy' had been stuck to the walls without using sellotape. A table had been set up with more than enough food to feed the twenty or so women that were there, at the centre of which stood a cellophane wrapped two tier 'cake' made from individually rolled up nappies placed around a bottle of alchol-free champagne decorated with a pair of baby shoes and large blue teddy sitting on top.

"So what does Urs have planned for David?" Lauren asked as she settled herself into a comfortable chair that been covered by a blue silk throw and surrounded by blue swags.

"Nothing much." Franky giggled as Emma handed the first gift over. "Just a Daddy shower." She shrugged nonchalantly as she moved to turn away.

"Franky, I......" Lauren began then swallowed hard and insisted her sister sit close by before continuing. "Thank you for organising all of this so quickly. I hope you don't mind, you know how much you mean to me, the sister I never had and all that, but David and I have decided on godparents for Jefferson. Summer and Rueben for David. Dale and Carissa for me." She finished with a sniff and wiped a tear from her eye.

"Of course I don't mind." Franky informed while unwrapping a chocolate lollipop and shoving it gently in Lauren's mouth with a smile on her face. "They'll be married by the time the end of September comes around. Just because the two of you are Frank's godparents doesn't mean Urs and I should expect you to return the favour. Now shut up and open your presents." She finished with a gentle hug.

Lauren nodded and watched Franky move to get something to eat, looking at her carefully as she stood.

"Oh nothing." She shook her head when Franky caught the questioning look she was being given. "I'm just being silly. Hormones." She smiled and twirled a finger near her temple.

The next few hours were filled with opening gifts of clothing, toys, necessities for a new baby, feeding and changing Jefferson and playing games.

Ria won 'Feeding Time', a game consisting of scooping cotton wool balls from a large bowl to a smaller one with a large wooden spoon whilst blinfolded. Emma won 'It's In The Bag' and was allowed to keep the bag as she'd identified nine of the ten baby items she'd felt in the bag. David's mother matched most of the baby pictures to the guests and Stephanie found the most safety pins in a bowl of dry rice while blindfolded.

Each woman held Jefferson for a short while and smiled while photographs were taken. By the time David returned, Stephanie was sitting on one end of the couch with her little brother in her arms, telling him that he had grow quickly because she had a lot to teach him about whupping daddy's butt on Playstation games.

As her friends and family left, Lauren handed them all a small silver box lined with satin and tied with an organza and satin bow containing a crystal dummy, gave them a hug and thanked them as she waved them off.

"Did you have good time?" She asked David once everyone had gone.

"Fantastic." David grinned while holding up the black bag he'd entered with and started to remove the contents from 'Daddy's Diaper Kit Bag'.

Lauren roared with laughter as he removed a pair goggles that would cover his nose, rubber gloves, tongs, clothespin, and other nappy changing essentials. She continued to laugh as he pulled a dark blue t-shirt from another bag and put it on.

"Well they got that right." She informed when he stood and indicated the word 'Superdad', written over a Superman-shaped logo. "Hungry?" She asked as he flopped back down.

"Uh-uh. I couldn't eat another thing." David shook his head vigorously. "I've had enough pizza, spareribs, cheese steaks, wings and burgers to feed a small army. Oh and two light beers." He informed as Rex was allowed into the room.

He watched the dog carefully as he walked towards Stephanie, gave Jefferson a quick sniff then moved to lie near the Moses' basket, giving a long yawn before closing his eyes.

"Looks like you've had a good time too." He stated as he stood and made his way over to the table where all the gifts had been placed after it had been cleared. "I've changed my mind." He informed in a whisper while admiring a silver plated steam train money box.

"About what?" Lauren shrugged.

"Franky." David nodded slowly. "Urs has been grinning like a Cheshire cat all afternoon. Didn't bat an eyelid when Seb got barbeque sauce on his jeans, he just sat there and wiped it off as though it was nothing, which we all found rather suspicious."

"Mmmm." Lauren sighed while her eyes narrowed and she remembered how Franky's jeans had looked a little tighter than usual then thought for a minute. "I'm sure we're right, but I don't think we should say anything. You know, considering what happened last time."

"Yeah. That's pretty much what Seb said. He's going to tell Emma not to mention the subject again on the way home." David sighed and nodded. "Our mouths zipped too?" He asked while making the motion.

Lauren nodded then turned to look at Stephanie with David holding her from behind.

"Urgh! Jefferson you stink!" Stephanie exclaimed with a very wrinkled nose.

________________

"Enough! I don't want to hear any more about what fun you've had today!" Carlos yelled as he leapt from his seat and stormed through to the conservatory, placing himself in the open doorway with his arms folded across his chest, sighing heavily as he watched the sun lowering in the sky. "What's wrong with you?" He muttered to himself.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone on like that." He heard Barbara-Jean sighing from behind his right shoulder. "It must have been so much different when you bought Carina home. Want to talk about it?"

Carlos closed his eyes, took a deep breath and nodded slowly whilst swallowing hard.

"No-one came to see her that day." He informed with a headshake after a few minutes thought. "Not any of Karen's other friends anyway and I think.....I think the guys only came more or less to see that I was all right."

"No. I don't think so." Barbara-Jean shook her head. "I think they came for the both of you. You know, somehow knowing that you needed their support but also knowing they shouldn't make a big fuss about you bringing Carina home. Would you really have wanted something like Lauren's had today, considering what happened?" She asked before turning back towards the main part of the house. "You know how much everyone loves Carina. Shouldn't that be enough?"

Carlos opened his eyes, pushed himself away from the window and slowly walked into the dining-room. He sighed heavily as he opened the doors of the limed-oak case where he'd displayed everything that had been given to Carina a few days after Karen's funeral.

Most of it was silver and would never be used, but each item had been chosen with love and larger items had been inscribed with all her birth details. He smiled then sniffed as he picked up the large picture frame holding the one photograph he had of himself and Karen holding their daughter, one the nurse had taken after Karen had woken the first time. He swallowed hard as he remembered how very brief that cuddle had been. Just long enough to take the picture. He sniffed quietly while he ran his fingers over the birth details inscribed in the spaces. Her time, date and place of birth, her weight, her length were all there. Lauren and David had chosen it together he remembered them saying as he returned it to the shelf. He closed the doors and stood back for a moment while he recalled what had happened on tour.

Though all of them had been extremely busy, they'd taken it in turns to set aside a little time each day to spend with Carina, whether that be playing with her, reading to her, feeding or changing her or simply holding her. She'd spent more time with Ria, that was true, but each couple had shown that they loved his daughter.

"You're right." He nodded when Barbara-Jean stood in front of him handing over a mug of coffee. "It is enough. More than I ever expected. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that. I just get this loco idea in my head sometimes, you know as our families grow they're going to forget about her or push her out of their minds to concentrate on their own children. I don't know how I would cope with that."

"Oh come on Carlos." Barbara-Jean huffed a quick laugh then smiled. "I don't think for one minute Franky, Lauren and Emma would ever let that happen. True, given a few years, they might not spend as much time as they do right now with her, but I honestly think they'll always be there for her and you. So will Urs, David and Seb. I know I would probably never have met Karen and I wouldn't be here with you now, but from what the everyone has told me about her I know she wouldn't be want you to be feeling like this would she?"

"No. She would be giving me the good talking to, just like you are." Carlos replied with nod and a quick laugh. "Thank you." He finished with quick kiss on her lips.

"Have you had her baptised yet?" She asked as he pulled back.

"No." Carlos shook his head. "Karen.....Karen was going to arrange that. That's something else I must do. She was going to ask Christopher to.....for her."

"You know, I like what you've had done with this place." Barbara-Jean nodded her head as she looked around. "And I remember you telling me what a good artist Karen was. How proud you are of her work."

"Si, she was and I am. You have seen what I gave David and Lauren at Christmas, No?"

"So why haven't you got any of it on display if you are so proud?" She nodded then gave the room another scan.

"It....." Carlos began before he snatched his head up and looked around the room, quickly realising there wasn't one piece on show and remembering there was nothing in the other rooms. "It's all in my bedroom. I meant to look through it after we got back. I know what I want to have framed and where I want to put them." He informed with a heavy sigh, his eyes tightly closed and a quickly nodding head. "Dios, How I could I have forgotten so easily?" He asked with another heavy sigh.

"You do have a lot on your mind at minute. Something you could sort out tomorrow perhaps?" Barbara-Jean asked with smile as Carlos's arms found their way around her waist and he nodded while he held her gently.

"You wish to see?"

"Only if you want to show me."

Carlos nodded enthusiastically, released Barbara-Jean, ran through the house up to his bedroom and found the folder where Gloria had returned it after the building work had been completed, at the bottom of Karen's empty wardrobe. He huffed a quick laugh when he saw Mickey moving from his position under the bed to bolt downstairs ahead of him to give Barbara-Jean a greeting before settling himself on the lounge-room windowsill.

He handed the folder over and sat close by Barbara-Jean's side indicating which drawings he wanted to display while she turned the pages.

"Ahem!" He coughed when her eyes lingered for a long time admiring the full-frontal male nude.

"It's erm......remarkably detailed isn't it?" She asked with a barely disguised smirk.

"Is it? I have never noticed." Carlos shrugged and turned his head away making Barbara-Jean laugh in response, knowing that it was one he would probably never display, despite how very good the drawing was. "Do you know what the others are saying about Franky?" He asked while putting everything back in the folder and setting it down on the coffee table for the morning.

"About her being pregnant again you mean?" She asked as Carlos's arms found her waist again and he pulled her close while he nodded. "Yes. Yes I do."

"And?" Carlos asked with a growl as he moved them both so that they lay together comfortably on the couch with their feet up. "What do you think? Yes or no?"

"To tell you the truth, I honestly couldn't say for sure. I mean, I haven't seen either of them since we got back until today, but you said Urs has been really happy today and Franky did look like she'd put a little weight on. I think she is, but you know......after last time."

"Is what I am thinking too." Carlos nodded his agreement. "We say nothing to them. Just like we agreed about Mark's bits and bobs bike."

"Erm.....About that?" Barbara-Jean giggled as she raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him with a smile on her face. "She knows. And before you start it wasn't me that told her."

"Sara?" Carlos asked with a quizically raised eyebrow.

"No." Barbara-Jean replied with a shake of her head. "Alvaro. You remember he and Sara got quite cosy at the party? Sara let it slip when he asked her about Mark's bikes and he told Franky."

"Then we steer well clear of Houston on the next tour." Carlos stated with a smile and a shake of his head.

"Awww! Spoilsport. You said you'd talk to the guys about going there." Barbara-Jean pouted playfully. "I'm gonna sulk now." She giggled. "Hey! No fair." She laughed when Carlos's flipped her onto her back to kneel between her legs and started tickling her.

Suddenly realising the position they were in, he stopped and moved to sit at the end of the couch near her feet.

"I'm sorry. Perhaps it's time I walk you home. It's getting late." Carlos sighed as he stood up and looked at the clock above the fireplace. "Though I don't want......With Carina being at Gloria's and Ria on her way to visit her family, this place feels so big and empty now my own family have gone home. I'm sorry, I don't......I thought I could handle being here alone tonight, but I can't." He informed with a very loud sniff and a headshake. "Please stay with me tonight Barbara-Jean?" He pleaded as he whipped his head round to face her. "Nothing will happen, I know neither of us is ready to take that step yet. I just........"

"It's ok." She smiled as she moved to stand in front of him and let him hold her tight with his forehead pressed against hers. "I know it still hurts and how lonely you feel when you have time to brood about it. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough with me to show me how much." She felt the sting of tears in her own eyes and paused to watch Carlos close his own, nod a couple of times and quickly wipe them before she continued.

"I also know these next few weeks are going to be hard for you to get through and I understand you're bound to be up and down, emotions all over the place. Just remember I'm here for you if you want to talk, no matter what. I do trust you and I will stay for tonight, but not in your bed. It wouldn't feel right, I'll use one of the spare rooms. Ok?"

"Si, That's fine." Carlos nodded as he moved to lock up the house.

Deciding to leave the cats in for the night, he took Barbara-Jean by the hand and huffed a quick laugh when he noticed they were being followed upstairs by both animals. He watched Mickey enter the spare room next to his and curl up underneath the single bed, while Minnie entered his. He kissed Barbara-Jean gently and wished her a good night as he pulled back then turned and headed for his own room once the door was closed. He took a look under the bed and smiled when he saw that Minnie had assumed the same position Mickey usually chose, but on his side of the bed.

Happy that there was another human being in the house, he undressed and laid in the bed with his hands under his heads smiling softly.

"Par tanto." He giggled as his thoughts turned to how much Urs had smiled that afternoon and what Barbara-Jean had said about Franky. "Pensando pueden guardar un secreto como eso. Ha!" He laughed, turned over to face the window and quickly fell asleep.

________________________

Three days later - 8th July

"Non. It's ok. I understand. Goodbye. Merde!" Sébastien yelled as he slammed the lounge house phone back into its cradle after enquiring whether his and Emma's offer on the house they'd set their hearts on had been accepted.

"Well?" Emma asked from the kitchen doorway with her arms folded across her chest, her face stern as it had been since a couple of mornings after he'd asked her to not say anything more about Franky being pregnant again.

"The current owners have decided to take it off the market. Apparantly they're staying in England after all."

"Hmmm. I bet." Emma huffed and turned back into the kitchen. "More like they've accepted a higher offer and you don't want to go above that."

"Are you calling me a liar?!"

"If the cap fits."

"What the hell is wrong with you Emma? Have I done something wrong?"

"Why don't you try and figure the answers out yourself?!"

"There are other houses out there you know." Sébastien snapped, throwing the fridge door open and slamming a carton of milk down on the countertop, sending milk flying in all directions.

"I'd set my heart on that one." Emma pouted, dumping coffee grounds into the filter compartment of the coffee maker whilst still glaring hard at him. "I really wanted that one."

"You wanted! What about what I want?"

"I thought you loved that house as much as I did."

"I did. It's not my fault the owners have changed their mind. You sound just like Jam........Argh!" He yelled again, tossing a soggy pile of kitchen towel into the bin before turning to face her.

"You were going to say Jamie weren't you?"

"Who else? She was the only other one who was all want, want, want!"

"You bastard!" Emma hissed as her right hand connected with the left side of his face. "I've never asked you for a single thing."

"Maybe not!" Sébastien growled back while rubbing his stinging face. "But now you're acting like a petulant child and calling me a liar because you can't have you want. Tell you what. Why don't you call the estate agent and ask her, seeing as how I'm such a liar? I'm going for a walk and I might be a long while about it 'cos I've had enough of your pouting." He shouted as he pushed past Emma and started to make his way to the front door.

"Fine! Go and sulk like you always do." Emma yelled as she slammed the kitchen door shut.

"Ne pas s'inquiéter! I will." He huffed, yanking the door closed behind him with a loud bang. "Femmes!"

Ramming his hands into his trouser pockets and with his head lowered and shoulders hunched over, Sébastien began to stride forward, walking much quicker than he normally did and not caring where his feet took him. He ran a hand over his face and quickly realised he hadn't shaved or showered that morning.

"Oui s'inquiète à ce que je ressemble?" He huffed when he remembered they were on a few weeks break before heading back into the recording studio.

He looked around and found that he'd entered the nearby park. He remembered there was a lake nearby with stone benches placed a few metres from the water's edge and headed in that direction. He smiled quickly at the thought of himself and Emma bringing their child to feed the ducks and swans residing there and took a seat in the middle of one of the benches. He huffed out a breath then ran his hands slowly down his face, wondering why Emma had been so mad at him recently.

Had he used the wrong tone when he'd asked her to not say anything more about Franky being pregnant?

"Non. I only said it was really none of our business and if she was Urs and Franky would tell us in their own time. She had smiled and nodded her agreement to say nothing more, so that can't be the problem."

Had he done something wrong? Left his clothes or towels lying around the house again?

"Non. I've been very good about that. She even told Maman how much tidier I am now. Humph!"

He sat back and watched the birds on the water while he tried to think why else she would be upset at him. He'd taken her to see Erin and Glenn, her grandfather and they'd been up to her mother's grave to lay some flowers. They'd sat down and finally managed to come to an agreement on what they wanted for the nursery, it had all been ordered and would be at the house within a few days. They'd visited her father and had talked with him for such a long time that they'd stayed overnight. He'd even driven her to the stadium so that she could catch up with the players and give the injured ones some treatment and exercises.

"Oh. Je ne sais pas." He huffed, throwing his hands up in the air then leaning forward and checking his watch, realising that almost an hour had past. "Ne pas tracasser. Je n'ai rien pour toi." He grumbled at a duck swimming close to the edge of the water, searching with its bill.

"What happened to you and Emma the other night?" He heard a familiar voice questioning as a someone moved to sit beside him. "Spotted you coming in, took me a while to find you though. Man you look pissed." Zane smiled then turned his attention to tossing bread into the lake. "Not going to answer my question then?"

"I don't know what you mean?" Sébastien shrugged in response.

"Sixth of July. Lillian and mine's engagement party. Emma did say you were coming."

"Merde! That's why she's mad at me." Sébastien huffed at the reminder. "I'm sorry Zane. It's my fault. I completely forgot about it. I went shopping on my own that day for some new clothes because Emma was tired. I lost track of time looking at things for the baby and got back very late. She was in bed and sound asleep by the time I got back."

"Well you missed a good night. Fabian got smashed on the punch, we'd asked them not to put alcohol in it but we found out later that someone slipped a whole bottle of Vodka in. Fabian decided to treat us to a striptease and pole dance." Zane shuddered as he laughed. "Like I don't see enough of his body in the showers after a game. It took five of the team to get him down from the bar. The ladies enjoyed the show though."

"No pictures?" Sébastien asked as he stood up and started to walk away.

"Plenty." Zane replied with a nod and giggle. "Enough to embarrass him for a lifetime. Bye Seb."

"Au revoir Zane. I'd better get back home, seems I have some major grovelling to do." Sébastien shrugged then broke into a run through the park, arriving back at their current home breathless as he stepped through the front door to complete silence.

He searched every room looking for Emma, growing more anxious when he couldn't find her and found one the suitcases she'd used for the tour missing from the bedroom. He ran back downstairs, walked back into the kitchen, spotted a note on the table and lunged for it.

Dear Seb

By the time you read this I hope you've figured out why I'm angry with you and that it has nothing to do with Franky and Urs or the house.

Remember I reminded you the other morning about Zane and Lilian's engagement party and you promised you would be back in plenty of time for us to go. That was why I stayed home that day, so that I wouldn't be too tired by nightime. You forgot your mobile I discovered when I tried to call to remind you, don't know whether you did that on purpose or not, and you let me down by arriving home at 10:30pm and didn't even have the courtesy to apologise or ask me what was wrong the following morning.

Maybe I should have let fly and just told you. Perhaps I shouldn't have kept it all inside, but you should know me well enough by now to know when I'm upset with you and you should care enough to ask me what's wrong when I don't let go. The way I do with you. Only you know the problem I have with my blood pressure due to the pregnancy, that I need to stay calm.

Anyway, I'm sorry for my behaviour this morning, I do believe you about the house. You were right there are other houses out there and I was behaving like a petulant child. Though I don't think I deserved to be compared to Jamie, that really, really hurt. Like I said, I have never asked you for anything. I am and have always been very independant.

I've decided to go away for a few days because I think we've spent too much time together recently. I need some me time just like you do once in a while. I know that might sound selfish of me and you might be right, but I think it's what I need right now. What we both need maybe. Call it my way of coping if you want. I'm not going to tell you where I've gone. I'm not taking my mobile either so you won't be able to call me. Just believe me when I say that I will be somewhere safe.

I shouldn't be gone long and I know somewhere I can make a call when I get there. I don't think I'll be gone for more than three days at the most so please don't worry.

Je t'aime always.

Emma'

"Non. Je suis desolé Emma." He sobbed and shook his head after reading the letter three times.

He stood quickly, sending the chair clattering to the ground while he ran upstairs and checked her drawers to see if she'd taken her passport. He huffed a quick breath and nodded when he found it in the lockbox in the bottom of her wardrobe. He sat on the bed and thought for a moment or two before reaching for the phone and calling Brett's number, hoping that he would have an idea where his sister had gone.

"Sorry Seb I don't have a clue." Brett sighed from the other end of the line.

"Thanks anyway." Sébastien nodded while wiping his eyes and pressing the button to hang up the call so that he could phone Erin.

"There's only one place I can think of." Erin moaned down the phone.

"Are you ok Erin?"

"Fine. Just in early labour, nothing to worry about. Glenn's on his way home." She paused to listen to what Sébastien had to say then sighed heavily. "No wonder I haven't been able to get hold of her."

"Oh Good. So where could she have gone? I really have to find her now or she'll be even more mad at me."

"Erm........The Quantock Hills in Somerset. Father owns a cottage up there and we all have a key. Emma and me spent a lot of happy times up there with dad as children. Brett never liked the place, so he usually stayed with mum. She's probably gone by train. I'll just get you the address. Hang on."

While he waited, Sébastien threw a few clothes into an overnight bag with the handset clamped against his ear. They might be needed, it would depend on how far he had to travel, if Emma was where Erin thought she was and if he could apologise enough that she would come back with him. He finished just in time to hear Erin returning, found a pen and paper in Emma's nightstand and scrawled the address down, questioning why she'd given him the postcode but no phone number.

"There's no phone at the cottage. Never has been. It's a place to retreat to for peace and quiet." Erin informed with a quick laugh. "You should find it easily enough if you use the guidance system thingy Dad had put in your car."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that too. Thanks Erin."

"No problem. Just tell that stubborn sister of mine I'm going to kick her butt when I see her again. Bye Seb and good luck."

"I will. Thanks again Erin and good luck to you too. Bye."

Sébastien grabbed his bag, found his mobile and Emma's switched them both off. After retrieving car keys, he flung the bag on the back seat from the driver's side door before he took his seat. He looked at the device Erin had mentioned and tapped hard at the buttons as he entered the details of where he needed to go. He ignored the distinct English voice while he drove the roads he knew well. He listened carefully and followed every instruction when he found himself on a roads he didn't know at all. Keeping his eyes concentrated on the road, he ignored the towns, villages and countryside that flew past him for the next few hours.

"Merde!" He huffed as he eased the car to a stop behind a long line of traffic a few miles from his destination and a knock came at his window.

"Sorry sir." He heard uniformed officer saying once he'd lowered his window a little. "A lorry has crashed and shed it's load of hay up ahead. It's going to be a long wait unless you want to take an alternative route to your destination."

"How long?" Sébastien asked with heavy sigh.

"Two hours, maybe more."

Not wanting to get lost in an unfamiliar area, Sébastien decided to stay put, thanked the officer and wound up his window. After turning the engine off to conserve the little fuel he had left, he looked around for something to listen to while he waited and shook his head when all he found was the CD of French Nursery Ryhmns Emma had purchased while out shopping for Lauren's baby shower.

He tore the cellophane off and smiled as the image of her sitting there with a pair of headphones straddling her belly popped into his head. He'd seen her do it so many times, on tour and back home. Sometimes she played fast music and the baby kicked hard obviously excited by what it could hear. Other times it was slow, relaxing music and the baby calmed. He sighed as the vision slipped away, pushed the CD into the player and listened to the first couple of songs before he started singing along when he heard a tune from many years ago.

'Dodo, l'enfant do,
(Lullaby, child, lullaby)
L'enfant dormira bien vite.
(The child will quickly go to sleep)
Dodo, l'enfant do.
(Lullaby, child, lullaby)
L'enfant dormira bientôt.
(The child will soon be asleep.)

Une poule blanche.
(A white hen)
Est là dans la grange.
(Is there in the barn)
Oui va faire un petit coco.
(It will lay an egg)
Pour l'enfant Oui va fair' dodo.
(For the child who's going to sleep.)

Dodo, l'enfant do,
(Lullaby, child, lullaby)
L'enfant dormira bien vite
(The child will quickly go to sleep)
Dodo, l'enfant do
(Lullaby, child, lullaby)
L'enfant dormira bientôt.
(The child will soon be asleep.)

Tout le monde est sage.
(Everybody's good)
Dans le voisinage.
(In the neighborhood)
Il est l'heure d'aller dormir.
(It's time to go to sleep.)
Le sommeil va bientôt venir.
(Very soon you'll be asleep.)

After almost two and a half hours and listening to the songs almost four times, singing along to those he knew and learning the ones he didn't, Sébastien re-started the car. He sighed heavily again when traffic began to move very slowly until it had cleared the scene of the accident. He glanced at the area and turned the CD player off to listen to the directions and put his foot down a little more.

He pulled up at the cottage almost fifteen minutes later and blew out a long breath when he saw a light shining through the window. He took a deep breath, left the car, ran up to the door and entered without knocking.

"Emmy! I......." He yelled as he entered the lounge only to freeze in his tracks when he saw no-one in there.

_________________

"Whoah! Er ist groß!" Sylvie exclaimed as Urs led 'Ice Dancer' out of his stable. "Wie er hoch ist?"

"You mean how many hands is he Sylvie." Urs corrected with a smile as a look of confusion crossed her face.

Squatting by the horse's left foot, he tucked his thumbs against his palms, placed the index finger edge of his right hand against the ground with left hand on top and began stepping his hands over each other, listening to Sylvie count while he did so.

"Why did you stop?" She asked when Urs reached the bottom of his neck.

"Because that's where you sit to ride, so that's where he's measured to."

"Oh. So he's sixteen hands high?" Sylvie asked, looking around the stableyard for Franky and Frank, smiling when she heard her laughter coming from the office.

"Yes he is and he's impatient to get going." Urs laughed as the gelding threw his head in the air and gave his right hoof a firm stomp. "Patience." He instructed, standing in front of the horse holding the reins in one hand and stroking his face with the other, laughing when his chest was given a quick nudge. "Franky hurry up! Someone's keen to get going and I don't mean me or Sylvie!" He yelled towards the office.

Franky appeared a few seconds later without Frank and threw a thumb over her shoulder, indicating that he was being made a fuss of by all the women in the office.

"Wow! You do look good don't you boy?" She asked as she approached and watched the animal nod his head.

"I know I do, don't need you to tell me." Urs teased in her left ear and he received a slightly harder nudge from 'Ice Dancer' while Franky smirked and shook her head at him.

"Just get going." She laughed, moving Sylvie out of the way so that Urs could mount. "Will you stop doing that. You've been scratching like that since we arrived." She instructed when she spotted him scratching at his stomach for the umpteenth time once he was in the saddle.

"It itches like crazy." Urs complained scratching harder.

"Then let me have a look." Franky pleaded yet again.

"When I get back from my ride. I feel all right otherwise." Urs shrugged and gave her a blinky-wink.

"Ok." Franky conceeded with a tut and huffed out breath. "But if I think it's something serious you're going straight to the doctor." She warned with a stare and a pointing finger.

"Ja Mami." Urs laughed as he squeezed the horse to trot out of the stableyard towards the countryside beyond.

Franky huffed out another breath as she watched Urs go, wishing it was her on the back of the majestic animal rather him, before turning her attention to Sylvie.

"Ready for your first lesson?" She asked with a smile as she took the little girl's hand. "There's no need to worry. Sparkles is a very gentle pony. He's used to beginners." She informed when she felt Sylvie shaking slightly as they approached the stable next to Ice Dancer's. "Say hello and see what he does."

Sylvie popped her head over the lower half of the stable door and smiled when she saw the pony she was going to ride.

"Hello Sparkles." She said with a glance at Franky as he stepped towards her. "Ewwww! That's worse than boys kis....." Sylvie giggled, wiping the spot where Sparkles had kissed her and stepping back to let a laughing Franky open the door.

"Come on let's go and get him tacked up."

"Tacked up?" Sylvie's brow furrowed as she walked by Franky's side towards the tack room. "Oh you mean putting the saddle and briddle on."

"Bri...dle." Franky corrected with a nod and tied Sparkles to a ring in the wall before leading Sylvie into the tackroom.

"Oooh it smells a lot nicer in here." Sylvie sighed after taking a deep breath, smelling nothing but leather. "This one." She asked, pointing to a rack with Sparlkes's name above it.

Franky nodded and watched her stepdaughter lift the equipment and carry back it outside. From the way she moved it was all too obvious that she'd watched Urs very carefully. She followed her out and instructed Sylvie in the art of tacking up a horse. Making sure that the bit was held flat in the palm of her hand, that it was pushed gently into the pony's mouth, that she didn't fasten the cheekpiece too tight by showing her how to leave a two-finger width gap between the leather and the side of his face before moving on to the saddle.

"That's good, it just needs moving forwards a little." She smiled and let Sylvie make the adjustment. "Now you need to throw the girth off the top and reach under his chest to pull it round to the other side."

Sylvie took a slight step backwards and swallowed as she looked at the four metal clad hooves. She looked at Franky again, saw the re-assuring smile, took a deep breath and did what she'd been instructed to and fastened the buckles with Franky's help then stepped back a little to let her check that the saddle wouldn't move.

"She's ready Miranda!" Franky yelled towards the office door.

A tall, blonde-haired woman soon appeared at the door, casually dressed for riding and swallowing what she was eating.

"You'll make me fat if you keep bringing me those." Miranda smiled while giving Franky a playful glare. "You paid me enough to take care of Dancer while you were away. There was no need bring a huge basket of chocolate cookies as a thank you."

"Not enjoying them then?" Franky smirked and shook her head.

"Did I say that?" Miranda giggled. "Ahhh You're your father's daughter all right Franky. He had such a wonderful sense of humour too." She sighed while touching Franky's face with her right hand. "Why haven't you ridden Dancer since you came home? He is your horse after all."

"I know." Franky nodded at the woman she'd known since childhood, the woman that had taught her to ride with such skill. "But Urs is a lot like me in some ways, he needs to be alone sometimes and I understand that. You don't remember me doing the same after my performances?"

"I remember. I used to watch you ride 'Ascaris' until you became nothing more than a pinpoint and often wondered where you spent so many hours. Dancer's a lot like him."

"Mmmm." Franky nodded. "Always wanting to go at full pelt. It's wonder you can keep him stabled."

"Which reminds me. I had him electronically tagged while you were away. Did Urs mention it?" Miranda asked with a quick grimmace and watched Franky nod. "I finally found the paperwork this morning. One minute Sylvie." She smiled before dashing into the office and returning with what Franky needed to register him under her name. "There have been a few horse thefts around here recently, that's why I decided it was about time I had them all done. He's such a beautiful animal and I know you would be heartbroken if he was stolen. Come on Sylvie."

Knowing that Frank was safe in the office with Miranda's three daughters, Franky followed after Sylvie and stood at the fence surrounding the outdoor training area, watching as Miranda showed her how to mount. She chuckled quietly when she didn't make it into the saddle at the first attempt then gave her a clap when she made on the second. She checked the time while stirrups were adjusted and looked to the countryside longingly while she remembered the Valentine's Day ride she and Urs had taken, it all seemed such a long time ago now.

"Sylvie I said squeeze not kick hard." Miranda's slightly stern voice snatched her back from her reverie.

"I'm sorry." Sylvie sniffed and wiped her eyes while she looked in Franky's direction.

"It's all right." Miranda soothed. "Lots of beginners make the same mistake. Let me show you again." She smiled as she stepped to Sylvie's left side and took hold of her foot. "Like that." She said as she pushed Sylvie's heel against Sparkle's ribs. "Now try again."

Sylvie nodded, took a deep breath and squeezed her legs instead of kicking. A huge smile lit up her face as Sparkles stepped forward rather than startling and walked around the ring, nodding his head once in while making Sylvie laugh as he did so. Franky smiled up at her when they stopped in front of her after a few laps and watched Sylvie gulp when Miranda asked if she felt ready to try a trot.

"Just a short one." Franky winked.

Sylvie nodded then listened carefully while Miranda explained what she wanted her to do. She squeezed Sparkles once then again and tried to find a rythmn. Feeling frustrated when she reached the end, she leaned forward and asked if they could try again. Miranda nodded, turned the pony and ran by it's side holding the lead rein securely, as she had throughout the whole lesson.

"Mami look. I'm doing it." Sylvie yelled excitedly when she fell into a rythmn.

"Well done." Franky smiled and clapped as the lesson was brought to a close. "So what do you think? Want some more lessons?" She asked as Sylvie slipped to the ground.

"Ja, bitte. But I have to be a good girl to get them don't I?" Sylvie asked and watched Franky nod.

"Now Sparkles has been a good boy for you." Miranda smiled as she spoke "Come with me and I'll show you what we do after riding."

Franky smiled as she watched Sylvie head back to Sparkles's stable where she knew Miranda would show her how to groom him before turning him out in the field at the back. A huffed laugh escaped as she recalled what the almost pure white animal did whenever he was turned out, a quick spin and buck before galloping off to graze at his favourite spot underneath a weeping willow tree. Her head turned when she heard the clatter of hooves approaching.

She smiled when she saw her horse trotting towards her but it dropped quickly when saw that Urs wasn't rising with the rythmn and how exhausted he looked, almost as if he would fall of the saddle at any second.

"Urs! How hard did you ride?" She asked after following them to the stable door.

"Not.....Barely broke into a canter." Urs gasped as he slipped from the saddle and leaned against 'Ice Dancer' for support. "I suddenly feel like crap Franky. My whole body feels weak, my head's pounding and spinning, I threw up twice and the itching has got much worse."

"Let me look at you honey." Franky asked she began tugging the t-shirt out of his jeans. She chewed on her bottom lip as she pushed it up as high as she could and gasped when she saw that his chest was covered in small blisters. "Urs. Have you ever had chicken pox?"

"Erm......No. I don't think so. Not sure. I was hardly ever ill as a child." Urs shook his head just before he turned it away and threw up again. "You think that's what this is?"

"Yes I do. We'd better get you home and call the doctor to be sure."

"What about you? The babies." He asked remembering that he'd read the virus could do serious harm to babies in the early stages.

"It's all right I'm immune. I had it years ago and had a test to confirm that I have the antibodies in my system before I got pregnant with Frank." Franky smiled as she moved towards the stable door and yelled for Miranda.

She appeared at the door within seconds with Sylvie, listened carefully to what Franky had to say while looking at Urs then turned and ran to the office to explain the situation and to ask one of her daughters to drive the family home.

"I can dri......" Urs tried to protest as he was helped into the back of their car by Miranda and her eldest daughter he knew as Pearl.

"No you can't Papi." Sylvie yelled from the middle seat while she strapped herself in. "I remember how poorly I felt when I had it."

"Frank?" Urs questioned with a woeful look at Franky as she strapped him into the car seat.

Franky pulled gently at the neck of his t-shirt, looked down and saw a couple of blisters and nodded her confirmation.

"Him too. It's ok." She soothed Urs with a touch of his hot face. "You weren't to know you had it." She smiled when he turned away.

She moved to the front passenger seat quickly and called the doctor as Pearl drove them away. Once she'd finished explaining and arranging for the doctor to come to the house, she called Urs's mother. She confirmed he'd never had the disease as a child and wondered where he'd contracted it. With a promise to call if it was what she suspected and if she could figure out how he'd caught it, Franky hung up and kept an eye on Urs as they travelled.

Once inside the house and having given Pearl enough money to get a taxi back to the stables, Franky carried Frank upstairs in her arms while Urs scrambled up the steps behind her and Sylvie went to her room to change out of her riding gear.

"I'm sorry." Urs whined as Franky helped him out of most of his clothes and into bed after laying Frank in his cot, removing his clothes and asking Sylvie to watch over him in the nursery. "Urgh!" He winced and shook his head when he looked at his torso and saw how blistered he was. "Disgusting. I want a cold shower. I feel like I'm on fire and everywhere aches." He informed as he moved to get out of bed, scratching at himself in the process.

"Listen to me." Franky instructed firmly as she pushed him back down. "You have to conserve your energy. If I'm right, this could be worse for you than it will be for Frank. Adults have a tougher time getting over this than children do, so you stay there. You understand me Urs Buhler? And stop scratching."

"It's driving me crazy!" Urs yelled as he watched her leave the bedroom to answer the door and flopped back against the pillows, cursing in Swiss-German because his back was beginning to itch.

He scowled and pouted while the doctor examined him and covered his face with one of Franky's pillows once the diagnosis was confirmed. He screamed with frustration into the pillow after listening to the doctor tell Franky he was to stay in bed until the blisters had burst and crusted over while he prescribed an antihistamine to relieve the itching. That he could have a shower because he needed to be kept clean, though it had to be a warm one not cold and it would be a good idea for someone to be with him. That she should make sure he drank plenty, because he'd thrown up and the fluid he'd lost needed to be replaced. That she was to call all the people they'd had contact with in the last twenty-one days to let them know. He left the room to examine Frank with Franky gave the same diagnosis when he came back and prescribed something for him.

After she'd seen the doctor out, Franky locked the door, turned to the lounge and placed her first call to Michael to ask him if he would mind picking up the prescriptions as he'd had the disease as a child and bore a few scars to prove it. She smiled when he said that he would be right over, then proceeded to call everyone they'd seen recently, shouting at David when he cracked up laughing at what she told him.

Her brow furrowed when she couldn't reach either Emma or Sébastien at home or on their mobiles. She placed a call to Brett, sighed heavily after listening to him explain that they'd had an argument and what Erin had told him had happened after that. He then listened carefully to what Franky had to say and told her he would let Emma know as soon as possible. Her call to Carlos was received with a heavy sigh followed by a few Spanish expletives. Carina had just been diagnosed with the same thing and Barbara-Jean was out getting her medication. They were all right, they'd both had it as young children.

By the time she'd finished telling everyone else they knew, Michael had turned up at the door chuckling a little while Franky handed the prescriptions and some money over with a rather hard swat on his arm. He apologised once she'd explained it would be worse for Urs, gave her a quick hug and went on his way. She closed the door behind his retreating form and called Urs's mother again. Remembering that she knew she was pregnant, Franky agreed to her coming over to look after Frank.

Once armed with the medications, she returned upstairs, gave Frank his first then turned her attention to Urs.

"Stop it! You'll more than likely scar if you do that." She huffed when saw him scratching at his chest again.

"What are you going to do? Tie my hands to the bed to stop me." Urs asked after he'd swallowed the pain-killers and antihistamine's she'd given him.

"Now there's an idea and it wouldn't be the first time would it?." She smirked in response and watched his face turn even redder while perching herself on the bed and taking hold of his hands to stop him scratching. "Your mother said she's had it as did most of your family when you lived in Amsterdam and she's on her way back to take care of Frank while I'll look after you. Ok?"

"Oh ok. She never told me." Urs nodded with a look of surprise. "I suppose the others had a good laugh when you told them?"

"David did." Franky nodded. "Didn't you hear me yelling at him?"

"I might have known." Urs rolled his eyes backwards while he nodded.

"Emma and Seb I couldn't reach. They've had a big argument. She's run off somewhere, but Brett said Erin thinks she knows where she's gone and Seb's gone after her. She's the one I'm most worried about at the minute. Brett said he wasn't sure if she's had it or not. Carlos swore before telling me Carina has it. He and BJ have had it too as have their families. Everyone bar Carina seems to be fine at the minute, but Gabe and Christie are going to keep a close eye on the triplets as are David and Lauren with Jefferson."

"And you're sure you're immune? I couldn't bear to see you like that again if anything happened to......" Urs asked while looking at her with tears threatening to make their escape.

"Honestly honey. I'm fine." Franky smiled then moved towards her wardrobe and retrieved a piece of paper after a little searching. "See there, where is says Varicella Zoster antibodies?" She asked while pointing to a certain line. "Postive means I'm immune. Ok?"

Urs nodded, wiped his eyes and finally relaxed into the pillows as the medications had begun to have their desired effect.

"I'm going to go stir crazy, lying here with nothing to do. I can't stay in bed for seven to ten days. I have work to do. We're supposed to be discussing songs for the new album, next year's tour. Let me get up Franky. I don't make a good patient remember." He pouted.

"Duhhhh." Franky giggled then turned serious again. "No. The album and the tour can wait. You're staying there and getting the rest you need, otherwise I'll do more than tie your hands to the bed." Franky stated firmly as she stood to leave the bedroom. "I'll go and get you something to drink then you try and get some sleep."

"Ok." Urs huffed and pouted as he folded his arms across his chest. "Just..... Just don't forget to take care of yourself. You need to rest as well."

"I know."

Urs returned the smile she gave him and watched the door close. A long whine escaped when he looked at his arms and saw what looked like a new crop of blisters blooming there, he didn't dare lift the bedclothes or his boxers to see if any were forming elsewhere.

"Why me? I'm going to be covered with them at this rate."

The sound of the door opening after a gentle knock grabbed his attention and he watched as Sylvie entered with her portable DVD player tucked under one arm and a pile of DVD's held in her right hand. She smiled as she set it up on his nightstand and left him to make his choice with a quick shrug while he thanked her.

He chose quickly, made himself comfortable so that he could see the screen and giggled quietly, watching Franky skate over the ice with cushions tied to every part of her body while wondering what Emma and Seb had argued about. He yawned loudly as that particular part came to end, closed his eyes and was just dozing off when Franky came back with a plentiful supply of water and bowl in case he threw up again.

"Sleep now honey." She instructed with a gentle smile as she turned the player of with one hand and touched his face with the other. "I love you."

"You too." Urs replied through another yawn before allowing himself to fall to drift off.

Franky returned downstairs and smiled at Sylvie as she made her sit down, telling her to put her feet up and try to relax before moving to the kitchen to wash the breakfast dishes that hadn't been done before they left for the stables.

"It's all right Sylvie." Franky smiled once she'd finished and snuggled up close beside her. "Papi's going to be all right." She sniffed and wiped the little girl's tears away before drying her own eyes.

________________

"Non, elle doit être ici, quelque part!" Sébastien yelled as he dropped into one green high back fireside chairs after searching the entire cottage and finding no trace of Emma anywhere, not even the suitcase she'd taken.

He stood and moved to sit on the small window seat thinking what he should do next while he admired the patchwork of greens and browns of the agricultural land spreading in every direction before him. Imposing sandstone ridges rose above those and here and there he could see small cottages, farm buildings, the occassional tree standing forelornly in a field. Other areas looked like they were densely wooden and rough-looking tracks meandered through them, taking walkers in any direction.

He wondered for a second or two what plants gave some areas a mauve or purple hue and quickly realised it must be wild heather. Despite her dislike of the colour, Emma had decided to leave the large bright pink sweep of it in their back garden. He smiled briefly at the current beauty of the place before deciding it must look bleak and unwelcoming in the winter months. He shuddered and turned away to resume his seat by the empty firegrate. His stomach rumbled loudly in protest at not being given anything to digest since the previous evening as he sat down.

He sighed heavily as he recalled Emma sitting in the lounge with her plate resting on the arm of the couch, merely picking at the simple fare he'd prepared for the previous evening's meal. She'd barely had a mouthful of the quiche and the salad looked like it hadn't been touched at all when she'd stood and taken her plate into the kitchen. Not even the lemon meringue tart he'd made had peaked her interest, only a couple of small mouthfuls had been taken before she'd returned it to the fridge and headed upstairs for a bath before going to bed. He blew out a long breath as recalled how quiet the room had been while they ate. Not one word had passed between them and only the gentle tick from the clock on the wall had filled the air. He'd cleaned up the kitchen, locked the house up for the night and had trudged his way upstairs to find her in bed, sighing heavily while facing the window rather than the middle of the bed. She'd even shrugged him off with a sharp 'Don't' when he'd tried to cuddle close to her.

Noises coming from the kitchen grabbed his attention. He stood, quickly made his way in there and spotted a couple of carrier bags on the table but soon turned his attention to the door that led into the tiny hallway when he saw that it was open and heard the creak of the stairs. He ran towards the door and cursed quietly when he forgot to duck a little, forgetting that the doors were only about five and half feet high.

He paused as he reached the bottom of the stairs and wondered for a moment whether he'd got the wrong cottage when he heard the tuneful humming coming from one of the bedrooms. He knew that Emma usually hummed while doing the housework, but he knew it couldn't be her. She'd never been that tuneful. One look at the photographs he hadn't noticed before lining the staircase told him he was in the right place. Pictures of Erin, herself and their father were all over the place. Some quite old, showing the girls in their younger years with braids in their hair and braces on their teeth, while their father beamed with pride between them.

He ran upstairs and threw open the door to one of the bedrooms to find a tall, dark-haired young woman standing in front of a full length mirror admiring herself while she fiddled with her hair and checked out her make-up. Images of Jamie doing much the same thing flashed across his mind before he shook them from his head.

"Oui êtes-vous? Que faites-vous ici? Où est Emma?" He demanded loudly as he stormed into the room, spotting Emma's unopened suitcase on the bed as he did so.

The woman whirled round to face him with a grin on her face as she looked him up and down.

"Well helloooooooooo Sébastien. Though I think I prefer the well groomed look." She growled as she stepped towards him, stopping a only a few inches away. "Now don't be like that." She laughed after he'd pulled his face away from the touch she'd attempted to give him. "I'm only being friendly. I don't have clue what you just said, but I kind of gather you're looking for Emma."

"Oui. Where is she?" Sébastien asked while moving away from her, gulping when he saw how close she'd placed herself.

"Close by. She was quite tired when she arrived, my sister, Philly, saw her getting out of the taxi."

"Philly?" Sébastien wrinkled his nose at the name.

"Oh. Philomena or Miss Goody-Goody Two Shoes as I call her." The woman laughed. "Anyway Philly came round here and took her to our place to make sure she got some rest while she sent me into the village to do some food shopping and asked me to unpack for Emma. She's currently fast asleep on 'my bed'." The woman huffed and rolled her eyes after placing a lot of emphasis on her final two words. "I don't know what she came here for, it's so depressing. Give me the hustle and bustle of the city anyday."

"You know Emma?"

"Have for years." The woman nodded her affirmation and huffed a quick laugh. "Though I doubt she's ever mentioned me to you. We never did get on, even as children. The name's Heather by the way." She informed, holding her right hand out and looking out of the window to the fields beyond.

Remembering his manners, but wanting as little physical contact with Heather as possible, Sébastien took hold of the tips of her fingers, gave her hand a quick shake and nodded without smiling. Something about her made him very uncomfortable. The way she talked, the way she moved, the way she was always checking herself out in the mirror. All of it reminded him of the first time he'd seen Jamie and he shuddered.

"La volonté i obtiennent jamais cette chienne hors de ma tête?" He muttered while he shook his head.

"Sorry." Heather questioned with a smile.

"Nothing. It's not important. I need to talk to Emma, that's what's important. How far is your place?"

"Half a mile or so down the road. You probably passed it on the way up here. The white cottage with the thatched roof? No?" Heather questioned when Sébastien shook his head at the description "I suppose you want me to take you to her." She huffed, seemingly realising her flirting wasn't going to get her anywhere. "I hate all this walking."

'I'm not surprised in those heels.' Sébastien mused while looking at the unsuitable footwear she currently sported. Black, three inch heeled shoes were nowhere near appropriate for walking along country lanes, even he knew better than that.

"My car's outside. It will be quicker if we go in that." Sébastien informed while lifting Emma's suitcase off the bed.

"That's your car parked outside?" Heather grinned. "I thought it belonged to the new couple nextdoor from the way it was parked. Most people I know pull up level the gate, not beyond it."

Sébastien shrugged nonchalantly at the comment then followed Heather out of the cottage, deciding to leave the hallway light in case he and Emma came back to talk, he didn't want to be fumbling around in the dark for lightswitches. Doing that on tour had been enough of a pain in the ass.

"You'll have to turn around." Heather informed once Emma's suitcase was in the back of the car and the two them had settled in their seats. "Boring, boring, boring." She huffed while she looked at their surroundings and Sébastien turned the car around.

"Then why be here if you don't like it?" He questioned without looking at her.

"I had nowhere else to go after my fiancee kicked me out." Heather laughed. "I would still be enjoying myself in Milan if he hadn't caught me screwing his business partner. At least I got to keep the ring and it fetched a pretty penny when I sold it. Should be enough tide me over until I can persuade Philly to sell the cottage. Are you ok?" She asked when Sébastien started coughing.

"Fine." He nodded in reply before shaking his head again and easing the car to a stop.

He let Heather leave the car of her own accord before following after her, making sure he was a pace or two behind her as they walked down the long rose lined path to the front door.

"Philly! I'm back!" Heather yelled as loud as she could as she banged the door open and watched Sébastien duck his head.

"Must you shout like that every........? Oh hello." Philly smiled softly when she spotted him standing there with his hands in his pockets. "I suppose you're here for Emma. She's in the back garden. Just through there." She indicated with a point down the hallway. "Through the kitchen."

"Merci." Sébastien smiled and nodded before squeezing his way between the two similar looking women and heading in the direction Philly had indicated, pausing for the briefest moment when he heard a loud conversation breaking out between the two.

He closed the back door quietly and stayed where he was while he watched Emma gently swaying back and forth on a rustic swingseat with her hands resting on her stomach while she sang 'Baby Mine' from Disney's Dumbo.

'Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what you say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine

From your head to your toes
You're so sweet, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine.'

He sighed when he saw her raising a hand to wipe her face, knowing that she was crying just the way he'd caught doing after watching the movie with Stephanie. Quietly, he moved forward and stood off to one side waiting for her to realise he was there.

"I told you I wanted to be alone for a while." Emma snapped as she stopped swinging and tried to stand.

"I know you did." Sébastien nodded, holding her shoulders to keep her in the seat then sat down beside her. "I'm sorry I forgot about the party Emma and I didn't forget my mobile on purpose. I remember how much you were looking forward to it. I just lost track of time, looking at things for the baby, clothes, all sorts of stuff. You were right to be mad at me and I should have apologised or asked you what was wrong the next morning."

"So you finally figured it out then?" Emma questioned without looking at him.

"Not exactly, Non. I ended up in the park when I went for my walk. Zane found me and asked why we hadn't turned up."

"It was my one last chance Seb." Emma sniffed and turned her head away after nodding. "The last chance I would have to see all the team together. To have a bit of fun with them before I took maternity leave and you just had to go and ruin for me."

"I know it was. I'm sorry. I don't know how, but I will try and make it up to you." Sébastien shrugged and leaned forward trying to get a look at her face. He closed his eyes tightly when he saw wiping her eyes hard, knowing that what he'd done wasn't the sum of it.

He hadn't meant to make that comparison either, his words had just come tumbling out in anger and frustration. He knew what he'd said had really hurt her, so much so that he could see her bottom lip trembling as he reached around and gently turned her face back to his. He swallowed and fought hard to stop his own tears falling before speaking again.

"And I'm sorry for comparing you to Jamie. That was cruel and heartless of me. You're nothing like her Emma, nothing at all." He shook his head while wiping her eyes. "Unlike another woman I met today."

"Oh! Don't tell me. Heather?" Emma huffed and rolled her eyes backwards. "I suppose the two of them have started arguing again as soon as she walked through the door?" She asked with a flick of her head toward the cottage.

"Seemed like it when I came out here. What about?"

"Philly and Heather were left the cottage by their grandmother. Heather wants to sell it, doesn't care who to, but Philly can't afford to buy her share and wants it to go to someone from the area if she decides to sell. They've always argued about something or other. I've learned to ignore them when they start. I suppose she flirted with you, she does with every man she meets."

"She tried, but I love you Emma and I wouldn't ever cheat. She reminded me too much.....you know.....Jam......Sorry, I just wish I could erase her from my mind Emmy, but something happens and it all comes back and it's always the bad stuff I remember. Not that there was anything that was good about our relationship." Sébastien huffed. "Anyway, that's not why I drove all the way up here. I came for you. Please come home with Emmy, tonight."

"No." Emma shook her head. "I'm tired of travelling today. I'll go back to the cottage with you and we......."

"Non. You have to go home with me tonight." Sébastien insisted with a sharp nod of his head.

"Don't you tell me what I have to do Sébastien Izambard. You might be a big star to the rest of the world, but here in the real world you're my husband. We're not in the dark-ages. I don't have to do what you tell me. I don't have to do a God-damned I don't want to." Emma yelled, launching herself from the swing seat and turning toward back to the cottage.

Sébastien stood to follow after her, but tripped over one of the legs of the swingseat as he turned and ended up in heap in a nearby border.

"Merde!" He yelled as he fisted the soil hard. "Emma vous devez venir à la maison! Erin est dans le travail, vous savez que le bébé va être grand et elle pourrait avoir un moment vraiment difficile le livrer naturellement. Vous vous avez promis qu'être là pour elle."

Hearing her sister's name but understanding nothing else of what Sébastien had said, Emma stopped in her tracks and whirled round to face him.

"What was that about Erin?"

"I called her when I got back home and found your letter to see if she knew where you would have gone. She was in early labour when I left. Emma, you promised you would be there for her and Glenn, you know how big they've said the baby is going to be and that she might have a difficult time giving birth naturally." Sébastien roughly translated what he'd said while standing, brushing himself down and moving to stand in front of her taking hold of her hands in his with his head lowered to hers before continuing.

"I'll admit it Emma, I was going to come up here purely for my own selfish reasons, perhaps even to spend a couple of days here, to give us some time to sort this out, but when I remembered what you told me, I realised you would never forgive me if you weren't there for her. You know. If......If you had let me explain this morning about the house, we wouldn't even be standing here like this right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"While I was talking to Nadine, she said they'd just been asked to value another property on edge of town the day before. A five-bedroomed empty property Emma. She said it would suit us to a T. Whatever that means." Sébastien furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"It means she thinks it would be perfect for us." Emma informed with a smile.

"Anyway, the owner lived abroad most of the time. He's died and his widow has decided to go back to their other home in Canada because she absolutely hates England." Sébastien huffed a quick laugh. "Nadine was so disappointed about what happened with the other house, she's given us first refusal on this one before she'll even consider putting the details in the window. She said she would drop them off, because she had to value a place not far from us."

"Oh." Emma sighed. "I'm sorry Seb. You're right I should have let you explain and I shouldn't have made that comment about you not wanting to raise the offer. No wonder you said what you did. I'm sorry. Ok. I'll go home, but I want to call Brett first to find out how Erin's doing."

"I brought your mobile." Sébastien reached as he reached into his trouser pocket and handed it over. "You shouldn't have come without it Emma. I was so worried. What if there had been some sort of emergency, especially with the baby? Where were you going to call me from?"

"The phone box in the village. I know I was stupid not bringing my mobile." Emma nodded as tears filled her eyes again. "I didn't really think about how stupid I'd been until I was on the train. Just too angry I guess. I think a lot of people thought I was mad or something, because I spent most of the journey muttering to myself. They kept well away. I'm so, so sorry for making you worry."

"It's ok. Just don't do it again, si vous plait." He shook his head then pulled her gently into his arms and held her tight while she shook her head and cried against his chest with her arms wrapped around him. "Call Brett." He instructed once they'd separated from a gentle kiss and he'd wiped her face.

"I'll have to use the phone inside." Emma sniffed while showing him her phone after trying to switch it on. "I forgot to put it on the charger last night."

"No reception." Sébastien grunted a laugh and nodded while showing her his own.

"I don't give a damn what you want Heather!! I am not selling this cottage for it to be used as a holiday home by people who can't appreciate the beauty of the area!" Philly yelled loudly as they entered the cottage and heard Heather storming off upstairs. "No offence Emma."

"None taken Philly. Can I borrow the phone, Erin's in labour?"

"Sure. I'm going to........something." Philly threw her hands in the air and headed for the kitchen.

"Uh oh." Emma giggled as she lifted the handset and smiled at the questioning look Sébastien gave her after he'd watched the angry young woman fly past without even glancing at him. "She's probably going to make some more bread or something. It's what she does when she's angry. There's enough in there to feed an army at the minute. Heather must be really pissing her off." She laughed while waiting for Brett to answer.

"Where the bloody hell are you Emma?" He asked rather sharply once they'd said their hellos. "I've been trying to reach you all day but your mobile's been off."

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just so mad at Seb.........Never mind all that now. How's Erin doing?"

"Fine. Progressing very slowly but she's doing well. I'm sorry for shouting Em." Brett huffed. "So where are you?"

"The cottage in the Quantocks."

"Crap! I forgot about that place. Is Seb with you? Are you coming home tonight?"

"Yes he's here and yes I'm coming home tonight." Emma nodded.

"Good. Oh Franky called looking for the two of you. She's a little worried........."

"About what Brett?" Emma interupted with a fretful look to Sébastien.

"Urs and Frank have chickenpox. She asked me if you've ever had it but I couldn't remember."

"I had it years ago. My doctor did a blood test to make sure I'm immune."

"Immune to what?" Sébastien interupted with a tap on Emma's shoulder.

"Chickenpox, remember? Urs and Frank have it. You've had it too haven't you?"

"When I was four." He confirmed with a slight smirk on his face.

"Seb's had it too." Emma confirmed to Brett and heard him release a sigh of relief. "I really want to get going Brett. Can you call Franky and set her mind at ease? My mobile's dead and Seb has no reception up here."

"I suppose so." Brett sighed before he giggled. "You do know Erin's going kick your butt when she sees you?"

"Well that would be a first. So will Franky. Bye Bretty."

"Argh! Bye EmsyWemsy." Brett laughed just before he slammed the phone down.

Emma scowled playfully at the handset before setting it down then took the hand Sébastien offered to help her up from the chair she'd placed herself in and walked hand-in-hand with him into the kitchen to find Philly elbow deep in bread dough and muttering to herself. She accepted the couple's gratitude with a smile, wiped her hands on her apron and sent them on their way with some samples of that morning's baking.

They returned to the cottage to retrieve the shopping, switch of the light and lock the place up and started their journey home, stopping to fill up the tank when they found a petrol station.

"You had anything to eat today?" Emma asked while foraging around in one of the bags and watching Sébasien shaking his head. She smiled while offering a pain au chocolate up to him.

Sébastien wrinkled his nose slightly after glancing at the packaging and seeing that it was mass produced rather than freshly baked. Merely because he was hungry, he pulled into a layby and held her hand while they ate.

"Try and get some sleep." He instructed with a gentle touch on Emma's thigh as he checked the road. "The hospital first?"

"Please. I know you'll be tired, but I really want to make sure Erin's ok before we go home." Emma nodded, kissed the fingers of her right hand and placed them on a nodding Sébastien's unshaven face.

"Je t'aime." She whispered as she eased the seat back into a reclining position and made herself comfortable. "Can you open a window or something, it's such a warm night?"

"Je t'aime aussi Emma." He replied with an audible swallow and quick wipe of his eyes as he listened to the guidance system directing him to turn right and turned the car's air conditioning onto cool. "Je t'aime aussi."

_____________________

11th July

"Still sulking I see?" Urs heard Franky questioning as she strode through the bedroom towards the en-suite bathroom.

"Oh I wonder why that would be?" He grunted in reply without opening his eyes, knowing that he would come face-to-face with his black cashmere mitten covered hands and the pink ribbon she'd used to tie them on that morning while he was asleep, after she'd caught him scratching hard at the blisters on his legs. "Take them off?"

"No!"

"Franky! Take these damned things off and stop treating me like a child!!"

"No! I warned you I would think of something to stop you scratching. I tried cutting your nails, but that didn't work did it? You can sulk, throw all the tantrums and spit your dumrrmy out of your pram as much you like. I'm not taking them off, leastways not just yet." She shouted back over the sound of running water.

"Fine!" Urs huffed, opened his eyes and pushed himself into a seated position. "I'll do it myself then." He grumbled and tried to undo the the knots with his teeth. "Damn it Franky!" He yelled and slapped the bed when he found that he couldn't get a purchase on the thin strip of fabric. "What are you doing in there anyway?"

"Playing tiddlywinks. What the bloody hell does it sound like I'm doing?" Franky snapped back sarcastically.

"Fine. I'll just lie here then, bored rigid, uncomfortable and itching like crazy, feeling dirty while you take your second bath of the day." He huffed and turned his face to the window. "Nice day to go for run or ride." He sighed when saw that there wasn't a cloud in the sky and bright sunshine streamed through the window. "I can't even read a magazine with these damned things on you know? Where the bloody hell did you get them from anyway?"

"Ordered them over the internet. My when you sulk, you go whole hog don't you?" Franky questioned from the en-suite doorway.

"When I'm treated like a child yes I do! I can do it for days at a time too. I can top you any day of the week."

"If you don't want to be treated like a child, then stop behaving like one. Open." Franky instructed firmly after having moved to his side of the bed to give him his medication. "Right, bathtime." She huffed with a nod in the direction of the room after he'd swallowed without so much as a glance in her direction.

"Leave me alone!!" Urs yelled as he whipped his face away from the hand she'd raised to feel his forehead.

"Make up your mind for God's sake. Do you want me to stay or leave you alone?"

"I said leave me alone didn't I?"

"Ok. Fine by me. I can always find something better to fill my time." Franky shrugged then turned away from him as if his behaviour was nothing. "I'll go and see if your mother can sort you out instead."

"Don't you dare! Francesca Buhler! You get back here now!!" Urs shouted angrilly, picking up the glass of water she'd used to help him swallow the pills and launching it towards her, sending shards of glass and a small amount liquid flying in all directions as it hit the wall at the side of the door.

Franky whirled round to face him, her left hand her hip, eyes wide raising her fingers to her right cheek then looked at them. He looked at her wide-eyed, swallowing and shaking with a mixture of frustration, anger, regret and despair.

"Gott! I'm sorry Franky." Urs swallowed hard when he saw blood oozing from the small cut he'd caused. "I didn't mean to hu......I'm just.....Damn it! Damn it!! Damn it!!! I hate this!" He yelled while he fisted the bedding.

She didn't say a word in response as she moved back towards him. She threw the bedclothes back, indicated for him to get up and pointed sharply towards the bathroom.

Urs moved out of the bed and walked by her side to where she'd asked him to go, looking himself up and down shaking his head when he saw most of his body covered in the blisters.

"What the hell is that?" He asked when he looked into the bath and saw something floating on top of the water. "You can think again if you think I'm getting in that. It looks disgusting. Uh-uh. No way." He shook his head and turned to leave the bathroom only to find Franky standing in the doorway, arms folded across her chest and a stern look on her face though tears welled in her eyes.

"Stop being such prissypants. It's only an oatmeal bath. I did a little research last night, it's supposed to help with the itching."

"I don't care what it's supposed to do, I'm not getting in it." Urs shook his head and defiantly sat down on the chair she kept in there, arms folded across his chest.

"Do you want me to call Brett? I think he could manage to force you into it without too much trouble. I mean you wouldn't put up as much fight against him as a crocodile" She threatened with a glare.

"You wouldn't dare!" Urs yelled back, his eyes wide and swallowing hard at the threat of Emma's large brother manhandling him, receiving Franky's threatening look in response.

Her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide and her lips pursed tight while she nodded and looked at him as if to say 'The hell I bloody wouldn't.'

Realising she would dare, Urs lowered his eyes, stood and let her remove his boxers. Tentatively he stepped into the bath and lowered himself down then looked at Franky while she removed the mittens without looking at him. He leaned back and rested his head on the bath pillow, allowing the water to find its way up to his neck then closed his eyes and relaxed. Surprised at how good the treatment actually felt.

"Well? How does it feel?" He heard Franky asking after he'd been soaking for a few moments.

"Good. Very good. Thank you." He replied with a nod and a hard swallow when he heard her sniffing.

"I'll leave you to it while I go an change the bed then." Franky informed while she moved, leaving the door open as she left.

'What are you doing?' His inner voice questioned. 'Behaving like a child while she's doing her very best for you that's what. She's taken very good care of you so far. Doing everything you ask of her. Have you forgotten she's pregnant and your son is ill too? She knows you're miserable and uncomfortable, but she's been right there for you. The only time she's left you alone is when you're sleeping and how do you thank her? By sulking and throwing a tantrum like a three year old baby, that's how. Good job your mother wasn't around to see you throwing the glass at her and what the result was, don't you think?'

"I know." Urs muttered before slipping under the water to let the treatment reach the blisters on his face and scalp and to try and wash the sting of tears away. 'I'm just.....I'm so uncomfortable, even though the pills help with the pain and the itching. I know she's doing her best and I shouldn't have shouted or thrown that glass at her. Mami would have been furious with me if she had seen me. I know she's worried about Frank too, though she says he's not suffering as bad as I am. I miss.....I can't......I just want to hold her....'

He pushed himself back upright and ran his hands down his face before opening his eyes to see Franky back in the bathroom inspecting her cheek.

"I'm sorry for shouting at you and behaving like a big baby. I didn't mean to hurt you. You do know that don't you?" He sighed and turned his face to the wall.

"Of course I do. It's all right. It's only a graze. It's not going to scar." Franky sighed then moved the chair to sit beside the bath. "I am doing my very best for you, you know."

"Yeah, I know you are and I'm grateful for everything. I really am." Urs swallowed and quickly wiped his face. "I shouldn't have thrown that glass at you though. That was pathetic and childish. I erm.....I'm just.......They're everywhere Franky and I mean everywhere, apart the soles of my feet and the palms of my hand. I can't get as comfortable as usual and I miss hold.....I'm sorry. I'm fed-up with being like this already and it's only been three days."

"I know honey." Franky sighed as she reached over and pulled the plug out. "I know how it feels to be laid up when you're used to being active, remember?" She asked with a quick smile and a point to the leg she'd broken when David had accidently ran her down before she rinsed him off.

Urs nodded then stepped out of the bath to allow Franky to gently pat him dry and give him an inspection.

"Feel a little better now?" She asked while she busied herself, taking care not to pat to hard.

"Yes. Thank you."

"It's not so bad back there you know, apart from your butt that is, there's only about ten on your back."

"It feels like it's covered. Everywhere does." Urs complained wearily while she dried the rest of him.

"You're sure you're getting enough rest? Eating properly?" He asked with his chin lowered to his chest when she moved to stand in front of him.

"Yes. Your mother and Sylvie are making sure I do. They're doing all the housework and cooking. Won't let me do a thing if I'm not up here with you. They make me sit down and put my feet up." Franky nodded then raised a hand to his face and watched him close his tear-filled eyes.

"Urs I know your feeling thoroughly miserable, tired, totally frustrated and you're bored stiff because no-one else can visit. I love you and you don't have to put on a brave face in front of me, you know that. I'm only doing everything I've been told to do to help you and prevent complications but you fight me at every turn. I can't do much more than I already am in that regard. You don't want to end up in hospital with a serious infection again do you?"

"No." Urs shook his head miserably and swallowed hard when he saw tears welling in Franky's tired-looking eyes, knowing that he'd woken her several times while trying to make himself comfortable and that it had taken her a long time to get back to sleep. "No I don't."

"So stop fighting me when I try to help you then. Work with me instead of sulking and pouting. Please." Franky pleaded, tucking his hair back behind his ears. "You have your magazines, your iPod, your mobile and the house phone, Sylvie's let you use her portable tv and DVD player, I've brought you everything you want to eat. I've sat and talked with you whenever you want to, I've stayed with you while you shower, dried you and made sure you have a clean bed to get back into. I know how ill you are and I would rather you take it out on me than anyone else, just please stop fighting me. No, you shouldn't have thrown the glass and I don't know what I'm going to say to your mother when she sees this." She shrugged and indicated the cut. "You know what she's like, doesn't miss a thing." She laughed and laid his hand on her stomach.

"No she doesn't." Urs shook his head and gave her the briefest of smiles. "I'm sorry for whining and moaning all the time. I do appreciate everything you're doing. I just...."

"Just what?"

"I just miss holding you at night." Urs mumbled almost inaudibly.

"Say again."

"I said I miss holding you at night. I know you're there right beside me like always, it's just too uncomfortable to do it all night. I didn't think it would be this bad. Appendicitis has nothing on this."

"I think someone needs a hug."

"No. I'm all right really, just over-tired probably." Urs shook his head though a couple of tears made their escape.

"Oh I think you do. Come here you." Franky grunted a laugh, wiped his eyes carefully and pressed herself lightly against him, her arms wrapping lightly around his shoulders, his found their away around his waist while she cupped the back of his head and kissed his forehead, the only place on his face that didn't have any blisters.

"You're going to have to get used to sleeping without me Urs." Franky shook her head. "Remember I won't be coming with you on the whole tour next year, even if we find a really good au pair, it's going to be so much harder with three babies."

"I know. But don't remind me about that please. I don't want to even think about that right now." Urs shook his head against her shoulder and swallowed hard. "Guess I'll just have to pack all your t-shirts after you've worn them, huh?" He asked jokingly.

"Me too I guess." Franky sniffed then huffed a laugh at the memory he'd invoked.

Though it wasn't the tighest embrace they'd ever given each other, it had been one of their longest and it left Urs feeling a little happier as they separated and he'd pulled a clean pair of boxers on. He frowned and pouted a little when Franky insisted on putting the mittens back on, but he allowed her to do it before returning to the bed.

"How are Frank and Carina doing?" He asked after she'd sat behind him to gently comb through his hair and he remembered he hadn't really asked what everyone else was up to since he was diagnosed.

"Fine. Coping well." She nodded. "Seb and Emma are waiting to hear if their offer has been accepted on the house they looked at yesterday. Lauren and David took Jefferson to the doctor and he's been given an injection of some chickenpox antibodies to reduce the risk of him being seriously affected, should he catch it. So have the triplets and Erin's new baby."

"Good. And Erin's ok after delivering such a big baby?"

"She's very sore but she's fine." Franky huffed a laugh as she nodded. "I think any woman would be after delivering an almost twelve pounder without having to have a ceasarian. Emma said she was well enough to give her a good dressing down for running off, not taking her mobile and Bradley makes Jefferson look tiny in comparison. Now that's you sorted, back to sleep with you." She instructed firmly after moving away.

"Can you stay with me for a while?" Urs requested with a pleading look after settling himself down and finding a semi-comfortable position.

"I'll come straight back up once I've put the sheets in the washer and taken the broken glass down." Franky smiled as she nodded.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Urs watched Franky leave with the sheets bundled up against her chest and the glass wrapped in one of his old motorbike magazines in her right hand. He swallowed hard when he heard her and his mother exchanging a few words in the hallway. He saw the stern look and headshake she gave him when she paused at the doorway with a soundly sleeping Frank cradled in her arms.

"Never were a very good patient were you?" She questioned with a wry smile while indicating her cheek.

"No Mami." Urs shook his head quickly then lowered it shamefully.

"Do anything like that again and you'll be having me to deal with instead of Franky. You know I won't stand for any of your nonsense don't you Urs?"

"Ja Mami." He nodded and gulped at the thought of the tounge-lashing he would receive from her if he did. The two women exchanged smiles as Franky returned to the room and his mother continued her journey to the nursery.

"I didn't tell her you know?" Franky shrugged as she laid down beside him, though she didn't cuddle as close as usual. "She heard the glass smash and somehow knew what had happened. How come she knows when I'm fibbing?"

"It's ok. I don't know how she does it." Urs shrugged. "I can't even figure out when she knows when I'm fibbing."

"Oh that's easy." Franky giggled as he took hold of her hands and held them tight. "Your eyes always look to the left when you fib. At least that's how I know. Now sleep."

"You too angel." Urs instructed just before closing his eyes. "I love you."

He opened his eyes a few minutes later when he heard the familiar sound of Franky's breathing and smiled. Knowing that she was asleep, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered another apology before allowing himself to join her.

_________________

Three weeks later - 2nd August

"Urs stop it, you randy devil." Franky giggled while his arms found their way around her from behind and she felt his hot breath her ear.

"What? I can't help it. It just feels so good to be able to hold this close again and.........Ich bin hornig." He growled, placing teasing kisses along her shoulders.

"Like I don't know that already. I do have nerve endings in my butt you know?" She replied as he turned her round to face him and pinned her against the shower wall with her arms above her head.

"Ich wünsche dich wieder."

"Und wenn ich sage nein?"

"I'll sulk."

"Urs! That'll be the third time since midnight." Franky giggled and shook her head. "Honestly! You've been like a rampant jack rabbit since the doctor gave you the all clear a week ago. If it's not been in here or in bed, it's been in the music room, the garage, the car, the kitchen and the gym. There just seems to be no stopping you. Du bist unersättlich."

"I know. Ich gleiche verlorene zeit aus. And you've been just as bad so don't even go there." Urs grinned, moving his hands over every inch of her body, taking his time to re-discover every little detail of her and receiving the usual reactions. "Ich bin ein sehr schlechter junge? Ja?" He questioned with a flirty look, cupping her goose-bump riddled bottom and lifting her, feeling her arms find their way around his neck and her ankles lock around his waist, covering her mouth firmly with his own before she could reply.

Kissing her hard and deep, pushing his tongue gently into her mouth and his painfully engorged sex into hers, the two of them engaging in a battle of wills that they knew neither would win while they kissed and made love slowly under the pounding hot stream. Their whispered words of love and moans of ecstacy barely covered by the noise the water made as it thundered and splashed around them. Both of them gasping for breath with chests heaving and lips swollen as they slowly reached the peak of satisfaction together.

"Very, very bad, but oh so very good." Franky growled and nodded slowly as she lowered her feet to the floor and turned back to what she'd been doing before he'd sneaked in behind her. "You did take it easy on your run didn't you?" She asked while Urs cleaned her back with a natural sponge and a new lemon-scented body scrub.

"Yes. Stop fussing." He replied and gave her rump a gentle smack. "I did listen to what the doctor said you know. I've been thinking while I was out."

"About what?"

"What erm......What's that expression you English use? Oh yeah. What a right royal pain in the ass I was when I was ill. How the hell did you put up with me Franky?"

"Because I love you, that's how." Franky informed with a smile over her shoulder. "What frustrated me the most is not being able to figure out where you picked it up, but then again I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure. You were around so many people and they probably didn't even know they had it. I'm just glad you haven't got any more scars that the three you do have."

"Mmmm." Urs huffed then turned his head to the left, trying to get a look at the pits on his butt cheek. "Nothing I can do about them, is there?"

"No honey. Other than have them cut out, even then you'll still have a scar."

"Oh well. No-one but you is going to see them, I'll leave it." He smiled as Franky turned round to face him and took her hands into his while he looked her right in the eyes and continued to speak.

"I know I've said it a lot over the past week, but I don't think I'll ever say it enough. Thank you for looking after me so well. I know you did what you did because you love me. I see how much every time you look at me, it's always there just like it has been from the very beginning. I know you never, ever expect any sort of reward either, but you took so much crap from me, especially the incident with the glass, yet you never complained. I erm.....I honestly expected you to kick my butt for that and I would have deserved it too. You.....You were so patient, so understanding and so caring that I erm......I kind of thought I had to show you how very, very grateful I am. Just wait there a minute. Please." He asked while leaving the shower to head for the bedroom.

He soon returned with something in his right hand. He stepped back into the shower, gently pulled Franky from under the stream and wrapped a towel around her then took hold of her right hand in his left and placed the small box he'd been holding in her palm.

"There's not another pair like them in the whole world. Would you believe I designed them myself? With a little help from the jeweller, Mami and Sylvie anyway." Urs informed with a quick shrug as he watched Franky open the box to reveal a pair of earrings set with diamonds in a leaf design of lustrous pink and white fourteen carat gold and verdant green emeralds on black rhodium on either side.

"Urs they're absolutely stunning. It means so much to know that you designed them especially for me. You're right though I didn't look after you like I did for any sort of reward, especially not one like this. Knowing you really care and love me enough to apologise as soon as you've done something wrong is reward enough for me, but thank you anyway. Erm......I know it's a few weeks away yet, but I don't think I'll wear them until our wedding anniversary, if that's all right with you. We are going to our favourite place again aren't we?"

"And it'll be your birthday too. Yes we are going to 'Ramone's' to celebrate, but the not the one here in England. I'm taking you away for a long weekend if I can arrange everything I want to. Leave Friday come back Tuesday." Urs smiled and nodded, pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her firmly before she had chance to tell him off.

"Hey now! Don't you start that again." Franky warned playfully with tears in her eyes, taking a step back when she felt his want of her pressing against her thigh.

"I can't help it." Urs grinned mischeviously. "I see, had enough of me already have you?" He sniffed and stuck bottom lip out as she left the shower. "Ouch!" He exclaimed when he felt something flick hard against his backside. "You'll pay for that." He warned when he turned to see Franky standing in the shower's opening, naked, the towel twirling in her hands while she giggled. "I'm warning you." He half laughed, half growled as she moved to flick it again. "That's it, come here you." He yelled as he felt another quick sting . He leapt from the shower without grabbing a towel chased her into the bedroom and caught hold of her just before she reached the bottom end of the bed. "Now what are you going to do?" He asked while holding both her wrists gently behind her back, grazing the tips of his fingers against her bottom, pressing his body close and giving her the same flirty grin as he had in the shower.

"Get dressed." She replied with a nod over his shoulder indicating the clock on her nightstand. "The guys will be here in fifteen minutes and I want us to tell Sylvie before they arrive. And, if I know them like I think do, there's going to be enough teasing going on about the chicken pox without adding our lateness to it." She finished with a forceful kiss on his lips.

"You're right." Urs whined and slowly released her with an exasperated sigh then watched her move towards her wardrobes, looking at her bulge as he did so. "I know. The doctor's told me enough times that they'll be fine. Guess I overloaded on what could have happened." He shrugged when Franky caught the concerned expression on his face.

"Yeah." Franky nodded and let out a soft sigh. "Now get dried off and get dressed, don't want you catching a cold. Chickenpox would be a breeze compared to 'man flu'."

"I did have flu." Urs grumbled at the reminder of how they'd both suffered just after their return from their Christmas trip to Switzerland while he returned to the bathroom.

"You had a cold Urs, nothing more. I defy anyone to go for a run with full-blown flu. It just ain't happening Buhler and you know it."

"Whatever." Urs shrugged as he entered the bathroom, wrapped a towel around his hips and prepared everything he needed for shaving.

He looked at his face in the mirror and felt a lump rise in his throat as he suddenly remembered how angrilly he'd shouted at Franky after she'd refused to shave him. One or two days growth, he didn't mind, but a whole ten day's worth especially with the blisters had been almost unbearable. He'd yelled at her again, even when she'd tried to placate him by telling him that his doctor had told her not to let him shave until his skin had cleared. He was only allowed to wash with warm water. He'd cursed her profusely in every language he knew after she'd removed everything to prevent him doing it himself from the bathroom cabinet. He'd pouted, sulked, stropped and he'd almost thrown something at her again, though it had been the only other time he'd done so. She'd ignored him and taken it all in her stride without saying a thing in response. His mother hadn't heard a thing because she'd been in the laundry room and both machines had been running

"I was just remembering the things I said when........I'm sorry Franky I forgot about it until I......." He sighed and touched his current facial growth when he saw Franky's reflection standing behind his own.

"Leave it where it belongs." She instructed with a gentle smile, a squeeze of his left hand and a kiss on his cheek.

Urs kept hold of her hand and turned to look at her when she suddenly stopped walking away.

"In the past. Right?" He questioned with a smile and watched her close her eyes and nod before he allowed her hand slip from his grip and quickly wiped his eyes. "Ok."

He shaved quickly, but with great care and attention to detail, dried himself and dressed once he'd made it back into the bedroom. He looked at Franky while slipping into his jeans and wondered if anyone would remember the maternity trousers from when she'd been pregnant with Frank. She slipped a new floaty top over her head while he eased himself into one of his favourite Harley t-shirts and shook his head when she looked at him questioningly.

"You can't tell." He reassured her as they left the bedroom together.

"She must be up already." Franky shrugged after going to Sylvie's room to wake her up and finding the bed empty.

"Smells like it." Urs replied with a sniff towards the stairs. "Ouch! Franky get him off." He laughed when Frank's chubby little hand grabbed a fist full of his hair and he pulled hard, making him wince.

Franky eased Frank's grip, took him into her arms and gave him a stern look while shaking her head and wagging a finger close to his face.

"Bad." Frank pouted and watched his mother nod while they walked towards the stairs.

Once downstairs and in the kitchen, both Franky and Urs smiled when they saw that Sylvie had prepared breakfast for the four of them and had also set the table. They took their seats and congratulated her on doing a lovely job with poached eggs on toast.

"Sylvie wait a minute." Franky asked as she moved to head upstairs to get dressed. "Sit down please."

"What's going on Papi?" She asked with a quick swallow when she saw the serious look on Urs's face. "You're not going send me back to Switzer........"

"No. No Sylvie. We won't ever do that." Urs replied with a headshake and a gentle touch of her face before asking her if she could remember what they'd talked about a few weeks ago.

He watched her nod, looked to Franky with a smile on his face and told Sylvie she was going to be a big sister again in about six months, but to twins, not just one. He and Franky giggled as they watched Sylvie dance around the kitchen excitedly, before she gave them each a hug and ran upstairs.

While Franky cleared the table and cleaned up Frank, Urs went to answer the loud knock at the door. When Franky joined him with Frank on her hip, she immediately cracked up laughing when she saw David, Lauren, Stephanie, Sébastien, Emma, Carlos and BJ standing there with surgical face masks covering the lower half of their faces. Urs simply looked at her, his tongue firmly planted in his cheek while he shook his head and tried not to laugh as the masks were removed.

"I know." Emma nodded when Franky gave her a warning look after welcoming hug. "You'll kick my ass to the moon if I ever do anything like that again."

"Yes I will." Franky nodded. "You all packed and ready to go?"

"I can't wait for tomorrow to come." Sébastien grinned as he looked at Emma then Urs. "Merde! Not one scar on his face."

"Bet he was a pain in the ass to take care of?" David asked with a grin and a nod at Urs.

"Like you wouldn't believe." Franky laughed and rolled her eyes backwards

"He still looks a little flushed to me or have you two been up to the naughties again?" Carlos asked with a suggestive look and a loud laugh when Urs blushed bright red.

"Just get into the lounge." Urs huffed while smirking, waving his hand in the direction of the room and listening to Sylvie clatter down the stairs. "Shhhhh." He instructed with a finger tap against his lips.

With everyone settled in their seats and babies on laps or on the floor with the older girls, Urs held Franky around the waist from behind and coughed loudly to silence everyone.

"Before the four of us get down to work on the new album, Franky and I have an announcement to make." He smiled broadly, though it immediately dropped when he received nothing by nonchalant looks in response. "Erm.......Franky's pregnant again." He shrugged and looked at Franky questioningly when everyone started laughing.

"Sorry bud." David shrugged while he continued to laugh. "We all kind of guessed. Hence the reactions."

"And we all thought you weren't saying anything because of.......well you know." Lauren smiled softly and watched Franky confirm what she'd said with closed eyes and a single nod.

"Did you really think we wouldn't suspect you were trying to hide something?" Carlos asked while giving Barbara-Jean's hand an unseen comforting squeeze. "You should know you don't keep secrets easily Urs. We all know when you're fibbing."

"Oui. Your eyes always fly to the left when you do." Sébastien informed through his giggles.

"Well maybe we didn't quite manage to keep it as secret as we thought we had, but......" Urs paused to look at Franky and the two of them immediately cracked up laughing. "We did manage to keep something as a surprise. Franky had her first scan a few weeks ago and it showed we're expecting twins at the beginning of February."

Stunned silence filled the room for a few seconds, until everyone launched themselves from their seats to give congratulatory hugs and kisses. After a few minutes, the guys headed for the music room to work on songs for the new album while the ladies headed for the kitchen for refreshments.

"So you won't be going on tour next year?" Barbara-Jean questioned with a quick smile.

"Not for all of it. No." Franky sighed heavily. "Oh come on girls, please don't cry." She sniffed when she saw tears welling in their eyes. "I'll more than likely be doing America, Canada and perhaps even Europe again. I'm not sure about that right now. I'll miss you all too, you know that." She stated as she pulled them all into a tight hug. "Anyway, that's months away yet. We've got plenty of time to see each other. We'll probably grow sick of the sight of each other by then." She smiled as they separated and heard a laugh come from each woman.

The sound of Carlos's raised voice coming from the music room grabbed everyone's attention and four heads snapped around to look at the door as it opened slightly before it was pushed closed again with a gentle click.

"Time for us to make our escape don't you think?" Lauren questioned with a headshake and a smile.

"Yeah. It's a lovely day outside. Let's take the children to the park or something." Franky shrugged.

"We could always go and look at our new house. I have the keys and it isn't far." Emma beamed as she eased herself upright. "It looked like it was going to rain when we came in."

"Yeah! Sure it did." Barbara-Jean laughed. "You just can't wait to show it off."

"Oh Pooh! You got me." Emma giggled.

"I think we should." Lauren nodded as she giggled. "She's not going to shut up until we've seen it. She did nothing but rattle on about it on the drive over here."

"I wasn't that bad." Emma pouted playfully and listened all the women crack up.

"Ok. The park then the house. They're going to be in there most of the day, probably won't even notice we're not around." Franky suggested through her giggles.

"They didn't last time." Lauren shrugged and rolled her eyes backwards.

While the other women busied themselves with getting the children ready and retrieving buggies, Franky wrote a note to Urs telling them they'd decided to go out and informing him they would either be at the park or at Emma and Sebastien's new place and they had all taken their mobiles. She left the note on the coffee table and huffed a quick laugh when she heard Carlos shouting again.

"Madre Dios! How many more times? F sharp Seb! F sharp!"

Was all she heard before she pulled the front door closed.

'Not much change there.' She mused to herself with a huge smile as she walked down the driveway with her three sisters and the children.

______________________

13th September

"I'll wait a while." Carlos sighed heavily as he looked up to the dark clouds above him after pulling his car to a gentle stop in the church's car park.

He closed his eyes and listened to the rain pouring down outside while he thought about everything that had happened over the past few weeks.

Almost as soon as they'd stepped through the music room door, David, Sébastien and himself had noticed there seemed to be a little something bothering Urs. After a little gentle persuasion he'd told them that he still felt bad about the way he treated Franky while he was ill, mainly over the glass throwing incident. Even though she'd forgiven him, he still felt very guilty about it and though they hadn't planned on recording the song they'd performed at the end of the last concert, he really wanted to do it. They'd all agreed and Sébastien had come up with the suggestion of taking her away for a few days, perhaps for her birthday. Urs had agreed after being reminded there was more than one 'Ramone's' in the world by David, they'd ran through a few songs for the next hour or so before deciding to take a break. They'd left the music room to discover the girls had gone out and Urs had dragged Sébastien to the office because he would need his help to carry out what he'd come up with. Carlos huffed a quick laugh as recalled watching the two of them sitting hunched over Urs's laptop with Urs entering details carefully with one finger while Sébastien shook his head and looked at him woefully.

That job done, Urs had apologised for not agreeing to see them on his birthday. Though he'd been feeling much better by then, all the blisters had crusted over and he'd been allowed to finally get out of bed, he'd still been very tired, crabby and wouldn't have been very good company. He'd thanked them all for the cards and gifts and told them he'd spent the day sitting on the decking watching Sylvie and Frank playing happily together in the back garden. It had been such a hot day he'd help set up a paddling pool for them before taking a walk around the house, trying to decide if there was room to have a permanent pool built. He'd discussed it with Franky over his favourite meal later that night and they decided that the best idea would be to extend the conservatory to include a pool. Plans had been drawn up and they were currently awaiting approval.

Franky had thrown a small intimate first birthday party for Frank on the eighteenth of August. Only those Little Frank knew well had been invited and, especially because Urs's entire family had attended, there had been a lot of people to feed. She'd catered for all the adults's and the older childrens's tastes by having food items from their native countries as well as English. With Frank and Carina being the only babies on solid food, she hadn't prepared much just breadsticks, tiny sanwiches cut into amusing shapes, cubes of mild cheese and mini fromage frais for them. She had, however, made a big deal about his cake. One in the shape of the number 1 and made by Lauren at her own insistance.

A small laugh escaped as he remembered everyone listening to the two of them argue back and forth in Franky's kitchen about that. Franky saying it would be asking too much she would get it done at a local bakery, Lauren telling her shut up, she was doing it and she wouldn't take no for answer. Lauren had eventually won the argument, made the cake and decorated it with blue icing, cartoon animals, an elephant holding a bunch of balloons in his trunk spelling out Frank's name.

Lauren was coping very well with Jefferson, there were no signs of post-natal depression. Whenever he was at home, David did his share and had hardly touched his Playstation since he'd been born. If he wasn't there, either Stephanie, Brett or her parents would lend a hand, making sure that Lauren got the rest she needed by helping with the housework and other daily chores.

His own family had arrived the day before Carina's party and Alvaro had thanked him once again for the Summerslam tickets, he and his three best friends had had a fantastic time watching Mark win the championship belt again, before heading backstage to meet most of the other stars, to get their autographs, have his photograph taken with them and Alvaro had even been allowed to sit on one of Mark's precious motorbikes with the heavy belt around his waist. He had bought several t-shirts, mostly with Mark's character on them, but had left them at home because he hadn't wanted to offend his uncle by wearing them.

Though he wanted to be alone today with Carina and his memories of Karen, he had offered to pick Gloria up and bring her to the church. He'd been very surprised when she'd declined his offer by telling him that a very good friend from years ago had offered to bring her and she'd already accepted, because she really didn't want him to drive all the way to the other side of town to head back to the church. Barbara-Jean had said she completely understood that he needed the day to himself, but if he changed his mind at any point all he had to do was call and she would be right over. Everyone else, including his family, had made their own arrangements to pay a visit to Karen's grave.

Gloria had made a similar cake to Frank's for Carina's party the day before. The same shape, but decorated with pink icing and Winnie the Pooh holding the balloons spelling her name instead of an elephant. His mother, Ria and Barbara-Jean had spent most of the warm, sunny day in the kitchen, preparing much the same food as Franky had, catering for the adults and older children in almost same way, while he occupied his time with Carina opening her presents as guests arrived, tending to her needs or watching his nephew and neices play with her.

He gulped audibly as he ran through the things she'd been given. Books by the score, toys appropriate for her age and beyond, bath toys, a walking aid, because she'd recently found her feet, had all been given a thorough mouth inspection before being discarded for the packaging to be given a good going over too.

A soft smile graced his face as he recalled listening to her squeal with delight while she rocked back and forth on the rocking horse he'd brought for her while he stood close by in case she fell and his father took masses of photographs. Everyone had had a wonderful time and they'd all told him Karen would have been so proud of him as they left.

After helping with the cleaning up and putting Carina to bed himself, he'd stayed up until the small hours admiring all the artwork he'd had framed and hung around the house. He'd also taken a few moments to to write down the day's events and to make arrangements to carry out Karen's plans for Carina's baptism after finding a notebook full of her notes, though it wouldn't be for a few weeks the church was fully-booked until the end of November.

Sébastien and Emma had moved house the day after Franky and Urs's announcement and they were occupying their free time debating how to decorate it to their own tastes. A few days after moving and completely unknown to Emma, Sébastien had organised a small gathering at the stadium with the football team and their partners to make up for them missing Zane and Lillian's engagement party. She'd had a lot of fun, recevied gifts from each player for the baby and had ribbed Fabian mercilessly after Zane had showed her the photographs of his performance. She'd had a quick cuddle with all of them before tearfully leaving her stand-in to take charge of any injuries while she prepared herself to have the baby. They'd decided together that David's suggestion of a house-warming party could wait until after the baby arrived. There was a lot of decorating and re-moddelling work they wanted to have done before then. Once it was complete everyone would be invited to welcome the baby to its new home and to warm the house at the same time.

With nothing else to remember, other than how he and the others had argued about how they were going to share the songs on the new album and what to call it, he allowed his mind to wonder back in time.

He smiled and felt the sting of tears as he recalled how stunned he'd been when he had first seen Karen, the way Franky had teased him before handing her phone numbers over, how nervous he'd been before their first date. The fun they'd always had whenever they went out dancing, how she'd kept an eye on him after the robbery, the fuss she'd made about the bruising, the times they'd spent cooking in the kitchen, the way they made love to each other, the wonderful time they'd spent in Austria, the tears she'd cried after accepting his proposal, how beautiful she'd looked on their wedding day, how she'd giggled a little after telling him she was pregnant. How hard she'd laughed after the first scan because he hadn't been able to get the stunned look off his face for quite a long time. How she'd teased him every time she'd picked her artpad and pencils up to spend many hours drawing, always without allowing him to see what she done until it was finished. How she'd sat in the audience during the tour, flirting right back at him whenever he teased her by casting some very suggestive looks her way.

He knew the events in Colorado wouldn't have happened if she hadn't died, but he also knew she would have loved every single moment if they had. She would have roared with laughter, along with her sisters, while watching the snowball fight, the line-dancing, the skiing and how Franky had paid David back for expressing his opinions. She would have cried watching Franky skate, she always did, all the women did. Though she probably wouldn't ever have met Barbara-Jean, he was positive the two of them would have been firm friends. Karen had been so much like her mother, her acceptance would have been instant too.

He wondered for a few moments what she would think about recent events had she still been alive.

She would have been there for him and Franky after the miscarriage, just like Lauren and Emma had been he knew that much for sure. Emma would have been given one hell of a berating for running off and not taking her mobile, of that he had no doubt and so would Sebastien, for not talking to her about what was wrong. David wouldn't have received Emma and Franky's fury alone for his behaviour towards Lauren, he would have got Karen's too. She would have wanted to rip Sina's head off for her treatment of Sylvie alone, never mind the way she tried to destroy Urs and Franky's relationship and he knew she would have taken very good care of him after what happened with the attempted kidnapping.

Feeling warmth on his face, he opened his eyes to see that it had stopped raining, that the sky was now clear blue and the sun was shining. He gave his face a quick but hard wipe, slipped a pair of sunglasses on, retrieved the large bunch of pink carnations and white chrysanthemums accented with delicate pink and peach roses before leaving the car. He took a quick look around as he locked it, didn't recognise any of the other people or cars there and quietly found his way to the graveside.

He stood with one hand lightly touching the simple white gravestone, carved with a single rose at the top, while he read through the gold words inscribed on it. The words he'd chosen himself.

'In Loving Memory Of A Loving Wife, Mother and Friend, Karen Elizabeth Marin who fell asleep aged 32 years. Gone from our home but not from our hearts. Her life a beautiful memory, her absence a silent grief.'

He sniffed quietly and swallowed hard before kneeling and arranging the flowers while allowing the good times they'd shared to come to the fore again. Speaking in a barely audible whisper, he told her that there would always be a piece of his heart that belonged solely to her, that he was very happy with Barbara-Jean, that Carina was growing quickly and seemed to do something new each day. How he'd been a little worried about her speech development and how emotional he'd felt when she'd finally said Dada one morning a few days ago. He sniffed quietly and ended with a promise that he would bring her with him when he thought she was old enough to understand and she would know what a wonderful woman her mother was one day. He stood in silent prayer with his head lowered for a few minutes and, once satisfied that he'd spent enough time there, he turned away, gave his eyes a quick wipe then headed back towards his car.

As he rounded the corner of the church, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Gloria on the arm of a familiar looking man. A man he'd met some months ago.

"You two have met before?" Gloria questioned after giving him a hug and introducing the two men.

"In Denver." Carlos nodded and gave her a quick smile. "Nice to see you again Alan."

"Huh! Oh sorry, you too Carlos in err.....in spite of the circumstances." Alan Haley replied with a gentle smile and a quick nod while holding Gloria around the shoulders.

Feeling somewhat confused by what he'd caught in couples' eyes, Carlos watched them walk away then turned and followed after them. He watched as Gloria lovingly displayed the flowers she'd brought while Alan stood a few steps away from her, only stepping forward to take her in his arms and hold her tight while she cried against his chest. He suddenly remembered what Franky had told him about the man and wondered if Gloria had been the woman he'd let down so badly all those years ago. It certainly looked like it to him judging by the way Alan pressed the side of his face against the side of her head and closed his eyes. Deciding that it was really none of his business he quickly headed to the car park to find three familiar cars and the one his father had hired parked there.

"Tengo todo razón." He replied with quick head nod when his mother asked if he was all right and touched his face.

"Solamente los buenos tiempos?" He heard Franky questioning after exchaning brief hugs with everyone.

"Si, solamente los buenos tiempos. Gracias tú." He nodded quickly whilst swallowing hard and returning her gentle hand squeeze before turning to watch everyone make their way to the back of the church.

Fighting hard to keep his whirling emotions in check, he started to drive home a little quicker than the speed limit allowed until he remembered how Karen used to gently warn him about his speed. He eased off the accelerator and drove the rest of the way at the correct limit. After securing the car in the garage, he made his way into the house just in time to see Ria preparing to take Carina upstairs for her afternoon nap.

"Not today." Carlos shook his head while holding his arms out.

Ria nodded quickly, handed Carina over with a gentle smile and tended to her other duties while Carlos headed for the conservatory with his sleepy daughter.

Quietly, he settled himself on the chaise with Carina held securely against his chest. He stroked her hair and finally allowed the tears he'd been holding back since waking that morning to fall while he hummed 'Rock-a-bye Baby' to her and watched both Mickey and Minnie looking out of the conservatory windows as though they'd seen something outside, though there was nothing he could see but the plants and the swing his parents had brought for Carina's birthday.

After a couple of hours sleep, he spent the evening talking about Karen with his family while playing with and feeding Carina. He bathed her and put her to bed himself then gave everyone a hug and thanked them for coming before they headed off to bed. With the house silent, he spent a few moments admiring Karen's artwork again then picked up the phone and called Barbara-Jean's number.

He smiled when she answered and confirmed that he was all right when she asked.

"Are you calling because you want me to come over?"

"No. No deseo que vengas alrededor. Llamé para decir te agradezco por entender que necesité estar solo con mi hija y mis memorias hoy. Gracias Barbara-Jean." He replied slowly, knowing that she was picking Spanish up very quickly thanks to himself and Franky teaching her.

"No problem. Sueño bien, Carlos."

"I will now. Good night Barbara-Jean." Carlos nodded with his eyes closed.

"Good night Carlos."

Phones were hung up at the same time and Carlos locked the house up before heading upstairs. He paused at the top and looked up to the drawing hanging on the wall.

"Mama and Barbara-Jean were right. Good artwork should always be displayed no matter what the subject." He nodded with his arms folded across his chest. "Just because it's a full frontal male nude does not mean I should not be proud to display it. It is a wonderful drawing and in its rightful place now. I'll just have to learn not to look at it every time I come upstairs. Me! Jealous of a drawing! Bah! Absurdo!" He huffed then laughed to himself before turning off the landing light at the switch near his bedroom door and heading in.

While he undressed, he looked at the digital picture frame Sébastien and Emma had given him for Christmas and realised he kept it on a picture of himself holding Carina since he'd come home. He picked it up, flicked through the photographs and decided to leave it on the only one he had of himself, Carina and Karen together for the night.

He slipped under the covers, quickly fell asleep and didn't even hear his mother opening the door quietly to check on him.

"Soy tan orgulloso de ti mi hijo. Karen estaría también. El primer año es siempre duro y has hecho maravillosamente. Sueño bien mi hijo" She whispered, wiping her eyes before heading back to bed.

____________________

11th November

"Are you ever going to come out of there?" Emma questioned, looking down at her stomach and laughing while she jabbed a finger at it. "You are five days overdue you know? Daddy's getting cranky and Mummy is fed up with being pregnant. Get a move on will you."

She stood in the kitchen of their new home admiring the wonderful new kitchen she and Sébastien had chosen together. Mahogany coloured units fitted with downlights and black granite worktops surrounded her. A stainless steel, state of the art cooker and extractor hood was on her left with the Belfast sink close by. The fridge and diswasher had been cleverly disguised with doors that matched the units. In the middle stood a large island suitable for the preparation of food and socialising around. There was a wine rack capable of holding fifteen bottles, but there were only three in there at the minute. Grey slate tiles covered the floor and cream wall tiles lightened the walls.

She smiled and chuckled to herself as she remember how eager Sébastien had been to get in there and cook once the fitters had told them it was finished. He'd completely forgotten all the equipment had still been packed in boxes in the dining room and had pouted a little when they'd had to order a takeaway meal instead. She'd giggled and watched him look around the area while standing in the doorway eating his pizza. They'd both woken early the following morning, he'd unpacked everything and made sure it was clean before putting things away under her supervision while she sat in comfortable chair.

"Let's take a tour." She suggested to her stomach, looking at the door that gave access to the dining-room.

She smiled even broader as she crossed the threshold into the white room with its restored oak floorboards. They'd seen them when they'd viewed the house, but they hadn't been cleaned properly in years. She'd arranged to have them sanded back to the bare wood and had them varnished with three coats of clear matt varnish rather than a gloss one to reduce the risk of sliding. The walls had been painted in French Cream and the same coloured voiles had been hung at the window. The decorators had discovered a boarded up fireplace when they'd stripped the old wallpaper off. The boards had been removed to reveal an original Victorian place that matched the one in the lounge. All it had needed was a new hearth and surround and those had been fitted with a huge mirror hanging above.

A French oak refectory table, capable of seating eight adults in comfort, formed the centrepiece of formal yet relaxed room. The Art Nouveau candalarbra they'd found in the cellar had been restored and now hung above the table. The plant Zane had given them stood atop a small white linen cupboard in one corner while the dinner-service her father had given them as a wedding present was now proudly displayed in a larger but matching cabinet over near the double doors to the lounge.

She headed in that direction and sighed softly at the cosiness of the place. They'd brought the soft yellow leather suite from the old house and she laughed again as she remembered how the removers had struggled to get it out. Bringing the three seater couch and the two loveseats into this house had been much easier thanks to the double doors that gave access to the room from the large hallway. These had been place around a coffee table, similar in design to the dining-table.

The walls below the dado rail in the lounge had been painted a slightly darker shade of yellow than the suite, the walls above a very light blue. The oak floorboards had also been given the same treatment as the ones in the dining room, though a huge area rug that picked up the colours in the room covered most of them. Their entertainment system filled one corner at the side of the fire, the other held shelves where they'd displayed their favourite items. Karen's drawing of them on their wedding took pride of place with things they'd picked up or been given during the tour neatly arranged around. Another mirror hung above the fireplace and her desk had been placed in a light and airy corner near the hallway door. Though it looked good, they were still awaiting delivery of the matching display case they'd selected for the room.

"I really must chase that up." Emma mused out loud as she moved into the hallway.

They'd liked the area as soon as they'd stepped through the front door and decided not to touch it. Cream coloured ceramic tiles had been laid on the floor, the woodwork had been painted white including the ballustrading on the curved staircase. The very light green marble effect wallpaper was in good order and complimented the few small items of dark furniture they'd put in their perfectly. There wasn't much, just a half moon hallway table and light green covered chair to sit on when removing or putting shoes on. A room for the storage of coats and shoes had been contructed under the stairs, though it was currently being used to store the items of baby equipment they'd brought but wouldn't be needing quite yet.

After making her way carefully upstairs, she paused to listen to what was going on in the nursery and furrowed her brow when she heard nothing coming from within.

"Oh Seb. You made me jump." She giggled when his arms snaked around her, his hands resting gently on her bump. "Have you finished in there?" She asked with a nod towards the nursery door.

"Oui." He nodded and smiled. "But you're not seeing it until I've cleaned myself up."

"Ok." Emma pouted playfully after turning round to face him, giggling when she saw dried glue on his face and in his hair.

"Nothing yet?" He asked with a disappointed headshake.

"Non. Despite the castor oil and orange juice I drank this morning."

"There are no other ways to erm......try and set things in motion?"

"A few." Emma smiled teasingly. "But I'm not telling you what they are until I've seen the room."

"Oh, we're playing the tit-for-tat game are we? Vous êtes mauvais Emma Izambard."

"Je sais que je suis." Emma smirked while she nodded slowly. "Go and get a bath or shower and be quick about it."

"Oui madame. Celui Oui vous disiez la Madame." Sébastien retorted with a giggle, tugging his forelock in the old English manner while backing away from her.

"Vous êtes mauvais aussi Sébastien Izambard."

Knowing that he would be a while, Emma turned her attention to what would be the guest rooms until more children came along and smiled when she saw the suite from the old house in there, though there was much more room to move around now. She knew Marie would love this room as much as the old one when she arrived in a few hours. The suite complemented the French blue walls and the limed oak floor perfectly. The other two rooms were currently empty but would soon be set up for visitors. The decorators still had work to do in there, due to the fact the walls had been in a terrible state under the layers of wallpaper they'd removed. Portions of both rooms had required re-plastering by the time they'd finished. They wouldn't be back until Monday and would be working under Marie's supervision if she'd gone into labour by then.

Remembering that she hadn't made their bed yet, Emma turned and headed for the room only stop on the threshold to discover that it had already been done. She curled her toes in the lush pile of the carpet while admiring the semi-circular room. Cedar wardrobes had somehow been fitted in there. A comfy reclining chair had been placed near the scenic windows and vertical lace blinds hung at those. She sat on the bed, looking at the Moses basket while she listened to Sébastien singing a French nursery rhymn at the top of his voice in the aqua painted bathroom for a few moments then stood and headed to the recently re-modelled room. She laughed as she watched him dancing around in the large glass shower cubicle, completely oblivious to her presence until he'd rinsed himself off and wrapped a towel around his hips.

"Not jealous of Urs and Franky anymore?" She questioned with a nod to the whirlpool bath as he stepped out.

"I think it will be more the other way around once they see that." He retorted, dropping a kiss on her lips as he passed her on the way to get dressed in clean clothes.

While he busied himself with that she picked up the pair of socks he'd left on the floor and dropped them down the nearby laundry shoot. Then watched him do the same with the towel he'd used.

"Merde!" He huffed as he looked down the shoot. "I left the key in my pocket." He informed while pointing down and giggling. "Two minutes tops." He threw over his shoulder as he ran out of the bathroom.

Deciding to save a little bit of time, Emma followed after him and placed herself at the rail opposite the nursery while she waited for him to come back up from the cellar where the washing machine and dryer were located. After a little loud cursing he emerged with the key held triumphantly in his hand while running up the stairs.

"Ready?" He asked after placing the key in the lock and turning it. "Just remember I did need more than a little help with the border, because it was so wide." He asked while he placed his hands over her eyes and guided her over the threshold. "Welcome to the world's biggest toybox."

"It's ok." Emma huffed a quick laugh as his hands were moved and his arms found their way around her again. "Just give me a minute." She asked as she stepped further into the pale green painted room.

She smiled softly as she took in the finer details of the border that ran around the bottom of the wall. A cream coloured tox box design decorated with a crescent moon and a five point stars crammed with cuddly toys met her eyes. A teddy, a giraffe, a dog, a pig, a moose and a blue rabbit. A closer inspection at one point revealed the tiniest air bubble that would probably disappear once the paper was completely dry. Other than that it had perfectly hung and now she knew why Sébastien had taken so long about that particular part of the job. He'd wanted to make it perfect for her and he had.

Tears filled her eyes as she began looking at the oak furniture. Thankfully, he hadn't needed to assemble anything but the crib and she'd heard him cursing while doing it. Bar that it had been delivered fully assembled and he placed everything just the way she wanted. The trims on the curtains and bedding were a smaller version of the border and on a small shelf above the changing station he'd placed a gift from Zane and Lillian. They'd both giggled a little after unwrapping a silver-plated Jelly Baby shaped money box.

"What's that over there?" Emma asked, pointing to something covered by a cloth over in the corner near the window.

"You remember that daybed, chaise, nursing chair.........whatever you want to call it thing that Maman wanted you to have?" Sébastien asked while moving her towards what she'd seen. "I erm.....I had it fixed up and brought over." He smiled as he whipped the cloth off with a flourish.

"Seb it's beautiful. Just like the room." Emma nodded after seeing that the white wicker daybed she seen in Marie's home in a rather delapidated state, now stood in the nursery with a fresh coat of cream paint, covered in light green fabric with plenty of comfy cushions on top. "I know you've been incredibly busy in the recording studio the past couple of weeks. That you've been a little bit cranky because the four of you can't agree on the title and you didn't think you could do all of this yourself, but you have and it's wonderful. Better than I ever dreamed would be. Thank you." She sniffed and finally allowed her tears to fall as she gave him a very firm kiss.

Sébastien swallowed hard and pulled her into a gentle hug, holding her and rocking her slightly until she'd stopped crying.

"Now about these other methods?" He asked with a cheeky smile as they separated a little.

"Don't think we'll be needing to go there." Emma shook her head.

"Huh?"

"Erm........You did pack your swimming trucks in my bag didn't you?" She asked with a pained expression as she rubbed her back.

"Oui and the bag is near.......Now? It's finely happening?" Sébastien asked with a huge grin.

"I think so." Emma nodded with a smile to match his. "I don't want to go to hospital just yet though. Like we agreed I'll call them so that they can get the pool ready and potter around downstairs until the contractions get stronger."

"Ok." A teary-eyed Sébastien nodded as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and helped her downstairs where she would spend the next three hours walking around and making phone calls while he massaged her back through every contraction.

The only time he left her alone was to answer his mother's knock with a huge smile on his face and tears-glistening in his eyes as he gave her welcome hug.

_________________

"Urs!"

"Sorry, did you say something angel?" Urs asked without taking his eyes off the road ahead.

"I asked if you could pull in at the next rest stop. I need the bathroom and you need to calm down." Franky smiled and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm fine, the babies are fine and the accident wasn't your fault."

"I know it wasn't, it was that impatient idiot behind us as we got off the train." Urs huffed. "But there was no need for him to be so rude. Mr Fancypants in his white drop top Rolls Royce. Pfft! He's done more damage to my car than his own. Two long scratch marks and a dent." He grumbled as he pulled into a rest stop and found a parking space. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't let it happen but people like him always get under my skin. I just wanted this weekend to perfect for you." He shrugged after running around to the passenger side and helping Franky out before locking it.

"Us." Franky corrected with a gentle shoulder shove as they linked hands walked towards the building. "It might be my birthday tomorrow, but it is also our wedding anniversary. I'll tan your hide if you say this all for me once more."

"Oh as in whup in my butt you mean?" Urs questioned through a giggle while holding the door open for her to enter then following after her. "Getting kinky in your old age?" He teased in ear, making her shudder as she pushed the ladies bathroom door open.

"I'll never be as old as you."

"I'm hungry. Do you want to go to get something to eat while we're here?" Urs asked with a nod up the sign above his head.

"Please. I'll be as quick as I can. I just hope these cubicles are bigger than one's back home." Franky nodded with her hands resting on her six month bulge.

Urs smiled and nodded as the door closed behind her then leant back against the wall, thankful that so far he hadn't been recognised, though that would probably change once they were seated in the restaurant and he'd taken his sunglasses and baseball cap off. Though they could wait to eat until they got to the hotel, he was very hungry because he and Franky had only had a light breakfast before dropping Sylvie and Frank off at Lauren and David's place for the weekend.

He huffed a quick laugh as he remembered the disagreement he and Franky had had about the two of them looking after the kids while they were away. It had taken him almost an hour to convince her that Lauren and David had insisted, he hadn't asked them to do it. A small laugh escaped as he remembered David almost snatching their son from his arms while telling Franky to shut up and enjoy her weekend before flying a laughing Frank down the hallway while Lauren held Jefferson, shook her head and giggled. After quick hugs and kisses goodbye, Sylvie had followed after David and the sound of loud girly laughter had found its way to the front door. Franky had shaken her head at Lauren while giving her a tight hug before resuming her seat in the car and, long before he'd driven the vehicle onto the Eurotunnel train, she'd fallen asleep.

She'd woken just as the train was pulling into Calais and, as he carefully drove off, the driver of the car behind had tried to squeeze past and done the damage to the door on her side. He'd asked Franky if she was all right as both cars were pulled over, the Rolls in front of his. Assured that she was fine he'd left her sitting in the car and the man had become very angry, had tried to blame him for the accident whilst cursing profusely in Dutch. Once back in the car he'd translated everything Franky had heard and watched her shake her head while he pulled off.

"Earth to Urs." He heard Franky giggle, waving her hand in front of his face.

"Craving anything today?" Urs asked once they'd found a seat in cubicle in a quiet area of the restaurant and watched Franky nodding while looking at the menu. 'Ok. Canneloni with garlic bread followed by a strawberry yoghurt, doesn't sound too bad. It can't get any worse than ice lollies dipped in mustard surely?' He mused to himself, trying to shake the image of what he'd seen her do a few days ago, while ordering the same main course to be followed with a chocolate mousse for desert. "Can't wait for the pool to be finished can you?" He asked, placing his cap and glasses on the seat beside him and taking a quick look around, while they waited to be served.

"It's not me that can't wait. It's Sylvie." Franky smiled and shook her head. "At least she's enjoying the ice-skating and riding lessons. Doing well too. Miranda says she was born to ride. The only problem I have with her is getting her to cool down properly after her ice-skating lessons. I think she's learned her lesson though, had a terrible cramp on the way home yesterday. She's definitely her father's daughter." She finished with a smirk and flirty smile before turning her head to look around the restaurant.

"That's not funny." Urs laughed quietly and wagged a warning finger at the memory. "And she's settled in well at school. Has she....." He paused to look at whoever had tapped his shoulder so hard and immediately saw the look of recognition in the young woman's blue eyes. "Scheiße!"

"Oh it is you isn't it?" She asked with an English accent while she grinned and bounced excitedly before turning her attention to Franky. "Scoot over will you hun, give a girl some room. Or even better leave us alone for a while, I can't pass up this chance to talk to the Swi...." She stopped as he left arm was grabbed, turned her head and glared at the man that held her.

"That's rather rude don't you think Evelynne? Hello Franky. Father was just talking about you the other day, he was wondering when you were going to email him again."

"Hello Marcel." Franky smiled and cast a quick glance to Evelynne as she rose to greet her distant cousin in the traditional French manner. "Tell him I'll be in touch as soon as I get home."

"Ahem!" Evelynne coughed glaring at Franky's stomach before her eyes softened and she swallowed hard.

"Listen to me you." Marcel snapped as he grabbed the tops of her arms and turned her round to face. "Have you forgotten your manners? You are almost twenty years old and it is time you learned to behave like the young lady you've been raised to be. You promised your mother you would behave for me. I would have thought that you'd learned how to behave better than this at that finishing school, God knows she pays enough for it. Do not cause a scene Evelynne otherwise you know what will happen when I get you home." He warned.

"You're right, it was rude and I'd be in big trouble with mother. I'm sorry Marcel. I'm sorry." She apologised with a nervous look to a frowning but slightly nodding Urs then Franky. "I guess I just got a little over excited, being this close after failing to get anywhere near the stage at the Paris concert."

"I apologise for her behaviour. Urs, Franky I'd like to introduce my girlfriend's daughter, Evelynne Carver. Her mother is Roberta Carver."

"The fashion designer?" Franky asked with a smile and watched Marcel nod with a huge grin on his face while a slightly scowling Urs autographed the piece of paper Evelynne had shoved under his nose as she'd moved to squeeze in next to Franky.

"Sorry about that." Urs apologised with his head lowered and turned to the wall after watching Marcel and a beaming Evelynne leave. "If we do anything like this again we'll take the jet." He huffed.

"It's ok. I saw her coming." Franky smiled up at their waitress and watched her blush as she set Urs's plate down. "Marcel did try to stop her but one of the waitresses got in the way. Now eat your lunch and stop pouting."

Urs turned his head to look at her, raising it at the same time and saw the confident, gentle smile she wore as she tucked into her meal. He shook his head a little, knowing that she never let incidents like the one that had just occured phase her. She never stropped or pouted when a fan demanded a little of his time. An image of Jamie doing just that popped into his mind and he shook his head quickly to rid himself of it, wondering if they would ever be free of her.

"Has Sylvie told you what piece she's performing at Christmas? She won't tell me" He asked with a smile at Franky before looking at her meal and seeing that she'd set the garlic bread to one side, near the yoghurt, his brow furrowing while he pondered what she was going to do with it. 'I hate to think.' He mused to himself.

"Won't tell me either. She won't even practice at home" Franky shook her head, moved her empty dinner-plate to one side and proceeded to open the yoghurt. "Oooh yum." She exclaimed after dipping the bread into the yoghurt and taking a large bite. "God, That's pure heaven. Want some?" She asked with a giggle, offering what she'd just tasted to a grimmacing Urs.

"I think I'll pass, thanks all the same. Gross."

Urs lowered his head again, though he watched every move Franky made through his eye-lashes while he ate his dessert. He giggled as the memory of the look he'd seen on her face when Karen had dumped a large spoonful of olives into her ice-cream came to the fore and thought he had just looked at her in the same way. A wrinkled nose and a disgusted grin before sticking his tongue out.

With their meal finished and paid for, Urs took hold of Franky's hand again, waited patiently while she used the bathroom again and smiled as they walked back to the car. Once she was settled comfortably, he opened the glovebox, pulled something out and quickly blindfolded her.

"Don't you dare take it off." He laughed as he batted her hands away.

"I do know where we're going. What's the point of this?"

"Wrong Mrs Buhler. True, you know you're going to Paris, but I don't recall ever mentioning which hotel." Urs giggled as he started the car. "Touch it one more time and I'll tie your hands to the seat."

"Fine. Now who's getting kinky in their old age?" Franky huffed and pouted playfully with her arms folded across her chest. "Hey! That's enough in there you two." She commanded with a hand on her stomach.

Before dropping the car into gear, Urs reached over and placed his left hand to where he'd last seen one of the babies kick. He swallowed hard but quietly when he felt several kicks against his palm. He sat in that position for a moment, thinking about what the last scan had revealed, how the two of them had spent hours thinking up names for the twins and how he hoped they could be born naturally, neither of them really wanted a ceasarian, but if things didn't change over the next few weeks then they would have to be born that way.

Knowing that her doctor was keeping a very close eye on her, she wasn't currently bleeding because of the low lying placenta and they'd been told they could make love gently, he moved his hand away after Franky had given it a comforting squeeze, dropped the car into gear, quickly rejoined the road and drove perfectly until he reached their destination.

Whilst their cases were being removed from the boot, he helped Franky out of the car, made her stand with her back to the hotel and removed the blindfold while kissing her gently.

"Turn around." He commanded with a whisper in her ear.

Franky did as he requested and gasped when the legendary Hotel Meurice met her eyes once.

"You remembered?" She asked as tears filled her eyes.

"How we all enjoyed a meal here during the tour and how you said you would like to spend just one night here you mean? Yes I remembered." Urs smiled as she nodded. "But we're not just here for one night, we're here until Tuesday morning. We have the best suite in the place and I've organised a few surprises along the way. So let's go."

"What surprises?" Franky demanded as she was led towards the doors.

"If I told you they wouldn't be surprises now would they?" Urs giggled and tapped the end of her nose, before checking in and watching her look around the lobby in awe again. "Argh! We only left a few hours ago, surely nothing's gone wrong already." He huffed when he heard his mobile's message tone. He read quickly then tapped Franky on the shoulder before showing her Sébastien's short message.

'Emma in labour.'

"Finally." Franky giggled and rolled her eyes backwards as they headed for the lift.

"I just hope he remembered not to pack the white trunks." Urs smirked. "Do you remember where they ended up when he got out of the pool at Brisbane?"

"I've never seen him go so red." Franky nodded while she giggled behind her hand. "That towel was on in a flash......I mean in a snap. Poor Seb you did tease him so bad about almost losing them."

The couple continued to giggle until they stood in their suite and the porter had gone. Knowing she needed to rest and feeling a little tired himself, Urs let Franky take a quick look around the oppulent rooms before taking her hand and leading her to the bedroom. Turning her to face him, Urs lightly ran his hands up and down the tops of her arms before taking her face into his hands, searching her features, seeing the love she'd always had for him and a little pain mingled with it, he sighed then smiled softly as he began to speak.

"Franky listen. This weekend is about you and me, no-one else. I don't want to sound domineering, selfish or anything like that, because we're equals you and I. I know how you always think of everyone else before yourself, but, like I've told you so many times before, you need to once in a while. You need a little you time, therefore I don't want to hear about anyone else over this weekend. I know you'll be thinking about Emma now she's finally having the baby, but I've asked Seb to text me with any news and I've told everyone else not to call unless it's a dire emergency. I'm not even going to that fantastic gym they have downstairs while we're here. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"Of course I do Urs." Franky smiled as she nodded. "In other words, no phone calls, texting, no emailing or instant messaging and no talking about any problems the others or our friends may have. As far as we're concerned, there's just you and me on the planet from now until Tuesday morning. Right?"

"Ja." Urs nodded quickly and gave her quick kiss on the lips before moving away. "Think there's room to dance in here?" He asked after doing something in a small cupboard, moving a chair and rolling back a rug to give them more room.

"Plenty." Franky nodded as she stepped into his open arms and linked her hands behind his neck.

"Remember this?" He asked.

Il Divo's version of 'Thank You For Loving Me' suddenly filled the air and Franky nodded with tears in her eyes, Urs's hands found their way onto her bottom after he'd slipped a small remote control into his back trouser pocket. He held her as close as he could and exchanged slow, tender kisses while they rocked and turned in small circles, much like they had on their wedding day.

"It's going on the album. We've been thinking about calling in 'Dedica'. That means 'Dedication' in Italian." Urs informed with a loving smile, wiping her eyes during the instramental bridge. "What do you think?"

"I like it." Franky nodded again with her eyes closed and her head resting on Urs shoulder. "Je t'aime Urs. Je ne serais rien sans toi."

"Je t'aime aussi Francesca. Mon ange, mon amour, ma vie. Avec mon coeur......mon coeur et âme entiers. Je suis incomplet sans vous." He returned with his eyes closed and his cheek resting lightly against her head.

All too quickly, the song came to an end but Urs and Franky kept on turning for a long time until they realised it had finished. They smiled a little at the memory then decided to get some sleep. Urs found her special pillow, emptied his pockets, removed his shoes and t-shirt while Franky made herself comfortable then snuggled up close behind her with one hand resting on her stomach the other gently caressing her shoulders.

"Sorry." He grinned slightly when she inched her bottom away from his groin with a quick smile over her shoulder.

He coughed, buried his face into Franky's hair, closed his eyes when he picked up the scent of her favourite perfume again and tried to think of something else until sleep overpowered them both.

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