**Fire & Ice (The Sequel)**

France

Urs startled slightly as Franky pushed him off her and looked at him angrilly.

"You're what?!"

"You heard me. I said I'm quitting Il Divo."

"This is some sort of joke right?" Franky nodded. "Because if it is, I'm not finding it very funny." She informed as the nod became a vigorous shake.

Urs shook his head. "No. It's no joke. I'm serious. I'm quitting Il Divo after the tour."

"Why the bloody hell do you want to do a fool thing like that for?" Franky yelled as she stood with a bedsheet wrapped around her otherwise naked form.

"Because I think it's the right thing to do that's why. Especially after all this trouble we've had." Urs nodded his head sharply and raised the volume of his voice so that he was almost shouting. "I'm certain. I know, we wouldn't have had any of it if I wasn't who I am." He continued while jabbing a finger at his chest.

"Oh really!" Franky yelled back in response, though she sounded like she laughed a little as she spoke. "Is that what you think? You're the one that's been the target of these psychos we've encountered throughout our relationship?" She asked through tightly pursed lips

"Yes I do." Urs nodded while he uncurled his knees from under himself and stood before Franky with a just pillow covering his modesty.

"Well I think Mr Urs Toni Buhler needs drop his ego at the door and think again." Franky hissed. Stepping a little closer to him and making him drop back down hard onto the bed.

"All the problems we've had have had sod all to do with you being who you are Urs." Franky nodded as she stormed away from him. "I remember it all a little differently. Seems I recall those *******s having a problem with me rather than you."

"Rubbish." Urs shook his head quickly and furrowed his brow.

"It's you that's talking crap!"

"No I'm not!!!" Urs raised his voice to its full volume making Franky startle slightly.

She recovered quickly and doubled her efforts to make him see sense.

"Oh for God's sake Urs, think about it. Jamie hated me and would probably have done what she did at some point regardless of whether you were with me or not. You just got caught up in that situation because we were together." Franky nodded and spoke quickly not allowing him to get a word in.

"Her brother was a pig when we were at school and he always will be. He knew about my allergy back then, he probably just forgot about it over the years though. He never could hold a spoonful of information in the microscopic brain of his for more than a few seconds. Orva. Pfft! I saw through her facade almost immediately. And this most recent thing with Drake Turner or whatever his name was. It was me he was after, not you he didn't even know who you were did he?" Franky questioned with a shake of her head.

"No. So what?" Urs shook his head quickly as he glanced at her.

"So how the hell can you say all the crap is down to you being who you are?" Franky shook her head once more and turned to look out of the window where she'd placed herself. "I just don't see where you're coming from."

The pair remained silent as they maintained their position. Franky shook her head and sighed heavily while Urs sat on the edge of the bed staring at the floor. He saw Franky's hand on the outer edge of his vision and raised his head to look at her as she retrieved her underwear and jeans.

"And just what are you planning to do with your life if you quit?"

"When I quit." Urs corrected sharply. "I don't know." He shrugged. "Go back to my previous singing career or work with you at the garage until I find something."

"Whoa! No way. Don't you even go there." Franky shook her head. "Have you said anything to the others about your decision?" She questioned whilst slipping into her clothes.

"No. I wanted to tell you first." Urs snapped.

"I see. Nice way to treat your brothers I must say."

"What? It wouldn't bother them that much. They could replace me easily."

"Oh!" Franky nodded slowly. "Is that what you really think? You really think they'd want to carry on without you."

"We're not that close." Urs shrugged whilst inspecting his fingernails.

"Bull****!! " Franky yelled at the top of her voice. "You know, I really should kick your ass from here to next Christmas or smack you around the head to knock some sense into that head of yours." She sighed.

"Urs, I have never seen a group of men as close as you four are. Not even real brothers. You really can be a selfish sonofabitch when you want to be. Pffffffsh!" She huffed as she threw her hands in the air and walked away from him.

She stopped suddenly, whirled round and moved to face him once more. She nodded her head sharply and jabbed an index finger at his chest as she continued to speak.

"You'd better wake up and smell the coffee Urs. Those three guys love you and they care about you. You really are like family to them. They would be absolutely devastated if you left."

Urs turned his face to the wall above the bed and pffted loudly.

"And while we're about it, why didn't you mention this in the car or on the plane?"

Urs fidgetted nervously on the bed and chewed his bottom lip as he returned to looking at the ground to avoid making eye contact with her.

"Well?"

Urs continued to avoid looking at her. He knew if they made eye contact he would give himself away and her fury would explode.

She couldn't hate him any more than he hated himself right now. He done exactly what she'd warned him never to do. He'd used having fantastic sex with her to make himself feel good about his decision and he now felt sick to his stomach.

It wasn't that he hadn't wanted to make love to her anyway, but there had been a lingering doubt at the back of his mind after he'd reached his decision and he had hoped that their lovemaking would help him feel comfortable about it. It didn't. In fact the lingering doubt was rapidly becoming one of extreme regret but he would fight her tooth and nail before he would admit it and for once he wouldn't back down.

He glanced up to see what she was doing and his eyes almost immediately locked with hers.

"Oh. I get it. Thank you very much for using me like that." Franky hissed and nodded her head slowly as her anger started to boil over.

"What do you mean, using you? I..I..I have never done that." He denied, attempting squash down the sick feeling rising in his stomach.

"Tried before though haven't you? And this time you succeeded. Well congratulations, thank you very much for making me feel so....so cheap and easy to manipulate."

"Don't know what you mean."

"You know exactly what I mean!! You wanted to get me here and have sex with me before you said anything hoping that it would make to you feel comfortable about your decision, didn't you?"

Urs didn't say a word while they looked at each other angrilly for a moment or two. Both of them breathing deep, their chests heaving.

"Didn't you?!" Franky yelled.

"Ye..... Err....No. No. No I wasn't thinking like that." Urs lowered his head as he shook it.

"Liar!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are." Franky huffed. "Just shows how little you think of me and stupid me, I thought you loved me."

"I do love you."

"You can't if you treat me like that Urs."

"I do. I'm sorry Franky. I just.....I just missed you that's all."

"That's no excuse."

"You are my wife Franky. You're supposed to support my decisions." Urs nodded his head sharply, raising his voice again. "Or didn't you mean a word of what you said when you made those vows?" He hissed.

"You bastard! That's low and so unfair of you." Franky snapped in reply, glaring hard at him.

He looked down at her hands and swallowed hard when he saw that her fists were balled up and she was shaking with rage. Tears glistened in her eyes, her lips trembled and she swallowed hard while she faught to keep herself from physically lashing out at him.

"I've supported you a great deal, and I will continue to do so if I agree with your decisions. You know me Urs, if I think you're wrong I'm not scared to tell you so."

"It's the right decision!!" Urs shouted again.

"No it's not!!!!." Franky yelled louder. "God you can be so stubborn. Don't you see? If you leave Il Divo you'll do more than break up the group and break the hearts of your fans, you'll break five other hearts too."

"You mean three." Urs snapped again and turned his head away from her.

"No I don't." Franky sniffed. "I said five, I mean five. The men you call brother. You'll hurt David, Seb, Carlos, me and........." She paused as she headed for the door and slowly opened it. She stepped across the threshold and pulled the door behind her. "......yourself Urs. It would break your heart to leave and you know it." She finished as the door clicked shut.

"No it wouldn't." Urs shook his head and threw himself back on the bed so that he lay looking at the ceiling for several minutes. "Oh who I am trying to fool?" He huffed loudly. "Of course it would."

Urs could feel the tears pricking his eyes and the lump rising to his throat as he turned his head towards the door. In his heart of hearts he knew she was right, he couldn't give up the best thing he'd ever done with his musical career and more importantly he couldn't do that to his brothers.

He quickly put his boxers and trousers back on, ran to the stairs looking for Franky as he went. He smiled when he found her and saw her sitting on the bottom step. He ran down them quickly and placed an arm across her shoulders as he sat down beside her.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He sighed and tried to pull her close.

"Get off me!" Franky snapped as she shrugged his arm off whilst tying the lace of her trainers.

"Franky, what are you doing? I told my friend doesn't like shoes to be worn inside the cottage." Urs followed her movements as she stood up.

"And I heard you." Franky nodded whilst heading towards the front door. She glanced at him as she picked up the weekend bag she had brought with her and threw it over her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Urs shook his head disbelieving what was happening.

"I'm leaving. I'll find a room at a hotel or something until I can get a flight home. I've told you before I won't be used in that way Urs."

"What way?"

"You know what way." Franky snapped. "Using sex to make yourself feel better about the decisions you make. I won't stand for it."

"I didn't do that." Urs shook his head vigorously as she pulled the front door open and stepped towards the threshold.

"Yes you did and you know it." Franky snapped back then sniffed while he jumped up and tried to turn her back into the cottage.

"Where are you going to go? It's miles to the nearest village."

"Pfft! Two miles." Franky huffed. "I walk twice that every day in the gym. Let me pass Urs. I just don't want be anywhere near you at the minute."

"No." Urs shook his head and became a little firmer with her.

He held her a little tighter and succeeded in getting her back into the cottage though she struggled in his grip. He shook his head as he slammed the door and locked it again.

"All right." Urs held his hands up to Franky's glaring face. "I did do what you said and I can understand why you're furious with me, just please don't leave me. I'll sleep in spare room."

Franky huffed loudly. "You should have said something before. You had ample opportunity."

"I know." Urs sniffed and screwed his eyes tight together. "I know. I'm sorry."

"And that apology is supposed to make everything all right, is it?" Franky questioned with a heavy sigh as she dropped her bag to the floor.

"What else do you want me to say?" Urs shook his head and allowed a small sob to escape while he slowly slipped down the door to sit on the tiled floor with his left leg stretched straight and his right one bent slightly with his foot firmly planted on the floor.

"I don't want you say anything." Franky sighed. "You know right now, I think I really should walk out that door and never look back."

"No. Please don't." Urs shook his head and looked up at her through tear filled eyes. "I wouldn't blame you if you did, but please don't. I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just don't go."

"I want you to......." She paused to take a deep breath and moved to squat in front of her husband. "I want you to learn to talk to me before you go making big decisions like what you just told me. Don't I always talk to you about things that will affect us both?"

Urs bowed his head and chewed hard on his bottom lip while he thought for a moment. She was right. Every major decision that had been made since before their marriage, had been made by the two of them together. From the purchase of the house down to how it was decorated and what furniture went into it. She didn't make a move without seeking his opinion first. If he really didn't like something she moved on to something else and kept doing that until they found something they both agreed on. Hell, she'd even asked his advice before deciding whether she should make Gabriel the full-time manager of the garage and here he was shutting her out of his decisions, refusing to even talk about it.

'You *******, Jackass, Idiot. You selfish sonofabitch.' He reprimanded himself as he knocked the back of his head against the door until he heard Franky requesting him to stop doing it.

"Or does what I think count for nothing?" Franky asked through her tears.

"Yes. Of course it does." Urs nodded while quickly reaching for her left hand and holding her fingers lightly in his own while he rubbed his thumb lightly over the back.

"Franky. I am sorry, I can be such an idiot sometimes. I should've discussed things with you before I made up my mind. You're right, about everything. It would be the biggest mistake I could ever make to quit. I would.....I would really hurt the guys as well as myself and you wouldn't I?." He paused to look at a closed eyed, slowly nodding Franky.

"They are my brothers. I don't know how I could have thought differently after what they did while I was blind and the support they gave me during every-thing that's happened to you. It would be such a betrayal. But the worst thing ......" He paused to swallow hard. "The worst thing I've done today is treat you like I did. I..I'm sorry."

"Just promise me you won't do it again Urs 'cos it really hurts my feelings."

A small smile made its way across his lips when he saw the rings on her finger. He slowly raised his eyes to meet Franky's tear-streaked face and quickly realised how much he'd hurt her with the way he'd behaved when he saw her tears continuing to roll. He felt his shoulders begin to shake and closed his eyes as he dropped his chin to his chest. Seeing her crying was one of the few things that brought tears to his eyes.

"I know it does. I promise I won't do it ever again." Urs shook his head vigorously.

He heard Franky sniffing at his side and drew in faultering breath when he felt her right hand touching his face. He raised his head slowly and opened his eyes to see her smiling softly through her tears while she shook her head and sighed at him.

"I guess it's a good job I love you as much as I do and I can forgive you then huh?" Franky asked with an exasperated shrug.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so." Urs nodded and sighed deeply.

His arms seemingly flew around her waist of their own accord as he spoke. He quickly pulled her into his lap, buried his face into neck and held her as tight as he dared while he apologised over and over again. He took several deep breaths when he felt Franky's fingers buried deep into the hair at the back of his head and heard the soothing sounds coming form her mouth.

"Have I ever told you're too good for me?" Urs smiled as they eased back from each other and he gently wiped her face.

"Oh yes, several times, but I'm not." Franky smiled as she shook her head and stood up. "Now Mr Buhler your wife is very hungry, there's no food in the house and she would like to know what you're going to do about it."

"I've heard there's a nice little restaurant not too far away." Urs laughed while rising to his feet. "You don't need to make reservations."

"Sounds good." Franky nodded and smiled broadly while his arms wrapped around her waist and her hands moved to link around his neck. "No more talk about quitting?" She asked as their foreheads touched.

"Nein. No more more dumbass, stupid talk about quitting." Urs smiled as he shook his head then pulled her into a very long, very deep kiss, only breaking it when he heard Franky's stomach rumble loudly.

"You can kick my ass from here to next Christmas if I ever mention quitting again." Urs laughed as they linked hands and turned to run back upstairs to get ready to go to dinner.

Monday morning

Franky woke to feel water dripping onto her forehead and smiled when she opened her eyes to see a pair of almond-shaped hazel ones smiling back at her.

"Been for a run?" Franky questioned after Urs pulled back from the gentle kiss he'd given her.

"How did you guess?"

"Not hard hun." Franky giggled as she wafted her hand in front of her wrinkled nose. "Someone needs a shower."

"I'll take one in a minute." Urs shrugged while he scowled at her. "I went to the bakery in the village. Brought something that looks rather good back for breakfast."

"What?"

"You'll see when you go downstairs."

"No breakfast in bed then?" Franky pouted.

"Not today." Urs shook his head. "I have something else in mind." He smiled as he stood up and headed towards the en-suite bathroom.

"Ok." Franky giggled.

She eased herself out of bed and fished through her bag looking for the clothes she wanted. A pair of plain black jogging bottoms and a t-shirt with a simple heart motif in clear crystals on the left breast made up her outfit for the day. She looked in the mirror to brush her hair and decided to leave it down today. She gathered the ends together over her shoulder, gave them a quick inspection and made a mental note to get it trimmed when she got home.

She heard the shower turn off and turned herself sideways on to the mirror. Her gentle smile broadened into a huge grin as she rested her hand on her tiny bump. She startled slightly as another hand moved from behind to rest on top of hers.

"Smell better?" Urs questioned while placing a couple of soft kisses on her shoulder.

"Oh much." Franky nodded after breathing deep and turning round to face him. "Urs, you're still wet." She giggled when she saw him standing before her with just a towel wrapped around his hips.

"Forgot to take my clothes with me." He shrugged and raised his eyebrows quickly.

"What have you got planned for us today?" Franky asked after he'd released her from a deep but gentle kiss.

"A bike ride." Urs nodded.

"I can't." Franky shook her head. "I can't ride a motorbike....."

"Oh! No. No. No. I meant pedalpower." Urs shook his head whilst rubbing his hair dry.

He grumbled when it started to frizz and looked to Franky when he heard her tutting.

"Here, give it me and sit down." She requested, holding her hand out and indicating the bottom corner of the bed. "I've told you before not to rub so hard, no wonder it frizzes if you do it like that all the time." She shook her head as she moved stand between his legs and began patting his hair dry between her towel covered hands. "Sometimes I could swear you do it on purpose just so that I stand exactly where I am now." She laughed as she looked down at him.

"You got me. Taken you long enough." Urs shrugged and moved his eyes to avoid looking at her while he grinned.

He laughed a little when he heard her giggling then wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead against her stomach while she worked on the back part of his hair.

"Franky. About yesterday? You aren't going to say anything to the others are you?"

"No." She replied quickly. "You are."

"No I'm not." Urs shook his head.

"Yes you are." Franky informed as she took hold of his head in her hands and lifted his face to look at her. "You know they'll be thinking something was bothering you and they'll want to know what it was. I'm not going to let you lie to them."

Urs sighed heavily and returned his forehead to her stomach. "Ok. I hope you're prepared for the fireworks when I do tell them, especially when Carlos hears what I had planned."

"Oh I won't be hearing it. I'll have earplugs in when you tell them." Franky laughed as Urs pouted.

"Did you notice those people looking at you and whispering secretively when we were at the restaurant last night?"

"Yeah I did." Franky nodded. "I don't know about you, but it felt funny to me because it wasn't the usual reaction I get when we're seen together. Normally I get smiles and gentle nods but last night was a little......."

"Creepy." Urs shuddered.

"I wouldn't say creepy." She shook her head "It was almost like they were disturbed by something. Something about my eyes I think, judging by how close a couple of the waiters got.

"Probably jealous." Urs informed playfully. "They are beautiful and a very unusual shade of green."

"Oh hush, you'll make me blush." Franky giggled as she slapped his arm. "No. It was something more than that and I did hear the whisper of the surname 'Chaffee' several times while some of them looked at me."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"Chaffee was my father's mother's father's surname. Eeek that was really complicated." She grimmaced. "My great-grandfather was from the Dordogne region but I don't have a clue which village he came from. From what I remember my grandmother telling me, he very rarely talked about home."

"You don't think the village could be the one we were at last night?" Urs shrugged.

"Would be huge coincidence if it was, but I doubt it." Franky shook her head. "Now you get some clothes on and I'll wait for you downstairs otherwise we'll never go on that bike ride." She smiled as she dropped a quick kiss on his lips and headed for the bedroom door.

She turned her head over shoulder as she reached the door and grinned when she realised she had done it just in time to see Urs standing with his back to her and removing the towel from around his hips. She giggled when he turned his head over his shoulder and smiled, raising his eyebrows in a passable imitation of Carlos.

"Like what you see?" Urs asked after returning his attention to his luggage.

"It'll do." Franky returned with a quick giggle before she coughed lightly a few times, heard Urs growl and watched him shake his head then headed for the stairs.

After making her way to the lower floor, she walked through the lounge and into the kitchen. The sight of a complete stranger perched on one of the bar stools stopped her dead in her tracks.

______________

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Franky questioned in French. "My husband is upstairs. I only have to scream and he'll....."

"I suggest you don't do that Madame." A smooth French voice replied as he raised his head and indicated a block of knives that sat on the countertop while he finished licking his fingers. "You're husband made a good choice." He informed while brushing crumbs off his clothes. "I apologise for eating your breakfast. I was more than a little hungry, haven't eaten since lunchtime yesterday."

Franky tried to calm her breathing as she slowly took a couple of steps back towards the lounge.

"Keep still!" The man demanded sharply. "My instructions are not to hurt you unnecessarily. I warn you I can move faster than you, you would barely make it to the couch before you might find a knife embedded into an arm or a leg to stop you."

Franky gulped audibly as she looked directly into a pair of ice blue eyes. The man was tall, she estimated a couple of inches taller than David. His hair was a dirty blonde, she could tell he hadn't shaved since the previous morning and he was dressed head to toe in a good quality black suit and a white shirt that he wore open at the collar plus one extra button.

She subconsciously laid both hands on her stomach while keeping her eyes focused on the man.

"You are pregnant?" The man questioned.

Franky nodded slowly.

"Then I suggest you do as I ask. I have no wish for any harm to come to you or your child."

"What do you want with me?"

"My employers wish to speak with you. They are somewhat reclusive men only really visiting those they know very well, so paying you a visit is not an option."

"Your employers. Who are they?"

The man closed his eyes and shook his head slowly. It was obvious from the way he looked at her that he wasn't going to tell her who they were and she breathed out a slow breath before she asked her next question.

"But why should they wish to talk to me? I know no-one here."

"I have no clue why, I have only been asked to bring you to the estate. Now if you would....." The man shook his head again then raised his hand to indicate the open back door to the property.

Franky looked out of the door then back to the man when she saw a black stretch limousine waiting with the chauffeur holding the rear door open.

"If I refuse?" Franky questioned while looking back at the man.

"Madame please. I really have no wish to take you by force but will do so if I have to. Now please get into the car."

Franky tried to think of another way to stall hoping that Urs would come down. She startled when she felt two hands grab her firmly by the tops of her arms and she was manhandled out of the door towards the car. She managed to get a small scream out before she was pushed into the limousine. The unknown man sat beside her and glared at her as the door was shut.

"You really shouldn't have done that." The man sighed heavily and shook his head while looking out of the darkened back window.

Franky turned her head over shoulder just in time to see Urs dropping to the ground outside the door. She gasped as she watched another man step over his prone body then drag him up onto his shoulders before carrying him around behind a thick bush that had been planted near the door. She scrambled to kneel on the seat then turned back and yanked on the door handle. It was no use, it was firmly locked.

"You sonofabitch!" Franky fumed. "If anything's happened to him......"

Her head rose as the shadow of another came into her line of vision.

"Madame, I assure you your husband is quite all right." He captor informed as he pushed her back into the seat and nodded toward the car that had just passed them. "Now please stay in your seat, you will be seeing very him soon." He continued as he nodded at the chauffeur to proceed.

Franky sat back but kept herself well away from the man as they were driven from the secluded cottage down to the main road, through the village where she and Urs had had dinner the night before. A few metres the other side of the village, the limousines slowed and turned into a long drive through a pair very large cast iron gates, up to a dark imposing looking house.

The building, a double-fronted bay windowed house with a covered porchway, built in dark stone which gave the look of something out a horror movie. Each window was large which would mean that light would probably flood into the rooms, the curtains that hung at them certainly looked heavy enough to block out the brightest of the suns rays. The front doors were huge, at least twelve feet in height and heavy too judging by the way the middle-aged looking butler struggled to open the right one. They looked old and dark and Franky assumed that they were made from Oak and swung on the largest cast iron brackets she'd ever seen.

She watched as the door on the left hand side of the car in front her was opened and the man that had picked Urs up from the ground at the cottage stepped from the vehicle. He turned, bent his torso back into the car and started jerking backwards. He soon emerged with his arms under a still unconscious Urs's armpits, holding him tight around the chest. Once he had Urs completely out of the car, he swiftly manouvered him over his shoulder and moved to carry him into the house.

Franky heard her car door open and she immediately barged passed the man who had accompanied her. She glared hard at every available face as she chased after the man that had Urs. She caught up with him just as they entered a very large room with high ceilings and old looking furniture.

An old French-style salon suite sat in front of an ornately carved fireplace. Above the fire hung a portrait of a man dressed in a black trousers that finished just below his knees, some sort of long white sock covered his lower legs and black shoes with large silver buckles graced his feet. A black jacket covered a white shirt and he carried a sword on his left side. Fixed around his neck and covering most of his ensemble was a midnight blue cloak that hung down to mid-thigh. He held a three corner hat in his right hand which he held across his right thigh. Franky looked up to his face and squinted as she tried to see the details of his face. It was an impossible task the portrait was so dirty that small details could not be seen.

She watched as Urs was laid on a gaudy yellow chaise longue that stood in front of a large window and pushed his assailant out of the way as she moved to sit beside him.

She soon realised that Urs had obviously been in the middle of dressing when he'd heard her short scream as only his bottom half was clothed and he only had socks on his feet. She looked him over quickly and fumed when she found a large lump forming at the back of his right ear.

"Why?" She hissed at his assailant who fidgetted uncomfortably as he stood at the head of the chaise.

This man was about the same height as Urs but was bigger built than him. His hair was a black as night and a pair of deep brown eyes flicked nervously from side-to-side as Franky looked at him. He was similarly dressed to Franky's companion. He had just opened his mouth to say something when the room's ornately carved doors were opened once more and he stepped back from the chaise.

Three men stepped into the room. Franky stood to face them and watched as they walked towards her.

The first man was obviously the eldest of the group. She calculated that he was about six foot tall, athletically built with dark brown hair and about ten years older than herself, no more. She could just see a few grey hairs streaking through the hair at his temples, which made him look rather distinguised. She couldn't see the colour of his eyes as he was avoiding making eye contact with her at the moment though she did get a sense that he did that more out of shyness than for any other reason. His face became a little redder the closer he got to her. He moved quite gracefully for such a tall man, keeping a rythmical pace as he walked.

The other two men looked very much like the older men though they were obviously considerably younger than him. They were almost as tall but had no grey streaking their hair. Their skin was lightly tannned while the elder man was quite pale in comparison. One of these two had blond streaks in his hair and barely paid any attention to Franky, preferring instead to try and look over her shoulder. The other smiled at her in a friendly fashion and gave the other young man a quick dig in the ribs once he spotted what he was doing.

All three of them were dressed in dark coloured expsensive looking trousers. The older man wore a traditional white shirt, while the man with blond streaks wore a light lilac one and the last man a deep blue one. All had the collar and one further button open.

Franky held her head high and opened her mouth to speak.

The man moved quickly and pressed the index finger of his right hand against her lips to silence her while he smiled. He moved both hands behind his back and clasped his hands together as he circled around her, all the time looking her up and down.

Franky breathed deep and faught hard to control her temper. She didn't feel very comfortable with this man inspecting her so closely and, under other circumstances, she would have shouted at him, demanding to know where she was and why she'd been brought here. Not knowing who the men were or what they were capable of she decided to keep her mouth shut.

"Your eyes are a very unusual colour. One of your parents had the same perhaps?" The man questioned as he stood in front of her again, his face just millimetres from hers.

Franky folded her arms across her chest and huffed out the deep breath she'd taken. "I want explanations first. What you've have done is tantamount to kidnapping. I want to know who you are."

"Explanations later, when I am satisfied over some simple details." The man glared at her as hard as she glared at him. "Now your eyes. The colour comes from..........?" He smiled gently and raised a quizical eyebrow.

"My father." Franky informed through tightly pursed lips, looking into eyes as green as her own. "And my grandmother before him after her I'm not sure."

The man nodded. "I see. This colour hair I have never seen before. It's beautiful." He informed while he ran his fingers through the loose ends.

"From my mother." Franky snapped as pulled her hair over her left shoulder, away from the man's grasp. "Look. Just what the hell do you want? Why have you had us brought here?"

"Us?" The man questioned then looked over Franky's shoulder to look at the still unconscious Urs. "I told you just her and instructed you not to hurt anyone Jules." He fumed as he turned broad shouldered man.

"I'm sorry sir. He came down just as we were preparing to leave. He struck first, didn't give me a chance to explain and you did say not to leave anything behind that would get the police involved." Jules shrugged and turned a slightly grazed right cheek to his employer.

"Huh. I see. So I did."

Franky coughed loudly to grab the man's attention and glared at him as he brought his face level with hers again.

"I apologise. I was hoping this would turn out much better that it has."

"Your other employee said you wished to speak to me, though I don't know why. I know no-one around here."

"Yes, I have been desparate to do so since last night. Tell me, the surname Chaffee, does it mean anything to you?"

"It was my Great-Grandfather's name. What of it?" Franky shrugged.

"Xavier Chaffee was your Great-Grandfather?" The man questioned with a smile.

"Yes."

"Good!" The man exclaimed. "Good, good, good." He continued cheerfully as the doors opened again and several women dressed in what looked like Victorian servant's attire entered the room ladened with several dome covered silver trays. "Then we have much to talk about err........?"

"Francesca." Franky nodded at the quizical look the man gave her. "Francesca Gi....Buhler."

"Francesca. A beautiful name for a very beautiful lady." He smiled again as he reached for her right hand, raised it to his lips and placed a quick kiss on the back of it.

Franky coughed again and pulled her hand from the man's grasp.

"Oh yes. Introductions. We forgot those didn't we? My name is Gustave Chaffee and these are my sons Rémy..." Gustave informed with a nod to the man with blond streaks. Rémy smiled graciously and gave Franky a quick gentlemanly nod before returning his attention to the figure on the chaise.

"......and the younger Marcel."

Marcel smiled and gave Franky a nod that almost became a courtly bow as his greeting. He spotted what his brother was up to and gave him another sharp dig in the ribs.

Franky eyes widened slightly on hearing the surname but she paid little attention when she heard Urs beginning to stir on the chaise. She moved quickly and perched herself beside him.

"What happened? I feel like I've been hit by a huge truck." Urs groaned as he opened his eyes and raised his hand to the back of his head.

"As good as." Franky smiled at him and indicated the man that stood behind him. "Are you ok honey? You have lovely 'goose egg' forming back there."

"Hmmmm. I'm all right. Just feels like I have a really bad headache." Urs growled as he turned face his assailant and smiled wryly when he saw the graze on a sheepish looking Jules's cheek.

"An ice-pack or something similar if you don't mind?." Franky demanded as she turned back to face Gustave.

"Of course. Of course." He nodded then turned to instruct one of the servants.

She returned quickly with an ice-pack and smiled softly as she handed it over to Franky. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as Urs raised his face to meet hers and thanked her. She blushed slightly when she saw that his top half was naked and said she would see if she could find a spare t-shirt for him. Urs smiled at her again and thanked her once more as she moved to leave the room.

"What's going on Franky? Are you ok? They didn't hurt you did they?" Urs winced as she placed the ice-pack gently on back of his head.

"No they didn't hurt me honey. I don't know what's going on yet." She shrugged in response. "Sounds like it has something to do with my Great-Grandfather from what he said." She whispered while tilting her head towards Gustave. "So much for coincidence huh?" She questioned with a slight laugh while Urs rolled his head on his neck.

"Why did you have us brought here by force instead of sending an invite like any normal person would do? If you had done that I might have come merely out of interest in meeting some distant family members."

"Mmmm. I really must apologise for that." Gustave grimmaced. "I was just so excited when I heard the rumour that was going around the village last night. The eye colour we share is quite distinctive, what you might call a family trait, and when I heard that there was woman around with eyes of the same colour I'm afraid I became a little over enthusiastic and somewhat neglectful with regard to my instructions. I sincerely apologise if they were a little rough with either of you, especially with regard to your condition."

Urs and Franky looked at each other with rather rueful expressions on their faces then shrugged as they smiled at each other.

"Please believe me, you have nothing to fear from me or my sons. I promise, everything will be explained after breakfast." He nodded as he raised his right hand and pointed to where the silver trays had been placed. "Oui, oui, oui after breakfast will be a good time to talk. I always find people follow the conversation better if they are not distracted by rumbling stomachs." He smiled on hearing Franky's stomach begging to be filled.

Urs and Franky looked at each other for a moment or two trying to decide whether to trust Gustave. They stood and tentatively walked to the table. There was everything the French ate for breakfast and more. A large variety of French pastries filled one tray, while another held a plentiful supply of French toast. Poached eggs and bacon filled two more. A large pot of coffee had been placed at the furthest end of the table.

Urs and Franky took some French toast, eggs and bacon then poured themselves a cup of coffee each. They returned to sit on the chaise and watched the three men as they made their way to the table and piled their plates high with large amounts of everything.

________________

"Do you trust him?" Urs whispered while he and Franky watched Gustave, Marcel and Rémy eating.

"I'm not sure yet." Franky shook her head. "He does seem to genuinely regret the way he went about getting me here and he really wasn't happy when he saw what had happened to you." She smiled in reply. "Will you please stop fidgetting."

"I can't help it. I feel very uncomfortable sitting here. Have you noticed the way........" Urs stopped speaking when he noticed Gustave approaching.

"Noticed the way......Oh you mean the way Rémy looks at you?" Franky teased. "I think he's taken quite a shine to you."

"I noticed." Urs growled from the side of his mouth.

"You have had enough to eat?" Gustave questioned with a friendly smile.

"Yes thank you. Quite enough." Urs and Franky replied almost together.

"Good." Gustave nodded and rubbed his hands together.

He walked over to the fireplace and pulled on an ancient looking bellpull. A few moments later the servant women entered the room and began removing the silver trays.

One woman broke off from the group, walked over to Urs and handed him a plain white t-shirt which he accepted gracefully. He smiled as she informed him that it might be a little baggy, her boyfriend wasn't a small man by any stretch of the imagination. She blushed as she looked up at Jules who still stood near the chaise. Urs asked her name and if she had recognised him like he thought she had earlier.

"My name is Gabrielle and oui I did recognise you Monsieur Buhler. I saw your group in concert in Paris last year." Gabrielle smiled and gave a quick curtsey as she stepped away. "Please excuse me I have to attend to my duties."

She glanced at up Jules again and smiled a little broader when he smiled nervously at her. With a quick turn and a whoosh of her long skirts Gabrielle rejoined her co-workers and quickly cleared the table. She took one last look back at Jules as she stepped through the door and giggled as he winked at her.

Gustave had watched the scene as it played out and he chuckled to himself as he approached Jules.

"When are you going to make an honest woman of that girl?" He asked as he clamped a hand on the big man's shoulder.

Jules couldn't reply audibly. He just stood in position, looking at his employer through his eyelashes and smiling broadly.

Gustave laughed out loud then turned to Urs and Franky who still sat on the chaise smiling at what they had just witnessed.

"Come! We go." Gustave instructed Urs and Franky as he turned quickly and started to head towards the door. "You two stay there." He growled at his sons as they stood to follow. "I wish to talk to Francesca and her husband alone." He informed while glaring hard at Rémy who was struggling with his attempt to keep his eyes off Urs until his father shouted his name loudly and asked him to at least try and behave like a gentleman.

"I apologise father." Rémy nodded and turned his attention to a book of poetry he'd spotted lying on a nearby table.

Urs blew out a long breath but quickly noticed that Rémy was holding the book upside down whilst casting flirty glances his way over the top of it.

"Ok. Let's go! Now!" Urs whispered quickly as he stood, took hold of a giggling Franky's hand and pulled her after him as they started to follow Gustave.

Gustave walked with his hands clasped behind his back. He smiled in a friendly manner and he nodded gently as he chatted to Franky and Urs. The smile dropped from his face when he spotted Franky's abductor heading for the kitchen door. He shouted the man's name and ordered him to come and stand before him.

"Tell me Arnaud, did you threaten the lady in any manner whatsoever while you were at the cottage?"

Arnaud immediately gulped and lowered his head. "Yes sir."

"With what?!" Gustave demanded his fury obviously beginning to build judging by how red he was going.

"The kitchen knives sir." Arnaud informed as he face flushed bright red.

"Did I not say no violence!" Gustave fumed again.

"No sir, you said to bring her here by any means necessary but not to harm her unnecessarily. I would only have aimed at an arm or a leg. I told the......."

"How long of you worked for me Arnaud, you know how abhorant I find that sort of thing?" Gustave interupted

"Seven years now sir. Yes I know. I apologise to you and the lady." Arnaud turned his head, gave Franky a quick nod and an apology. He smiled when Franky accepted with a quick nod.

"Hmm. While that may be good enough for the lady, it isn't for me. You will lose one week's wages for your indiscretion and consider yourself lucky that I haven't fired you. You understand?"

"Yes sir. Thank you sir. Madame. Monsieur." Arnaud nodded to his employer then Franky and Urs in turn. He blew out a long breath then turned back towards the kitchen when Gustave dismissed him.

"Why didn't you say something?" Urs whispered to Franky when they started walking again.

"I'm sorry. I was more worried about you." She smiled at his angry face and gave his hand a squeeze.

Urs softened his features then smiled, returned the hand squeeze then pulled her a little closer and dropped a quick kiss on her cheek.

"I suppose you know the story of why your Great-Grandfather left France for England, Francesca?"

"No and please call me Franky." Franky shook her head. "My grandmother always said that side of the family was something her father would never talk about except for his mother ocassionally I think."

"Mmm. I see." Gustave nodded. "Would you like to know? It's quite a tale." He informed as he showed them into the house's very large library.

"Impressive is it not?" Gustave questioned while he watched Urs and Franky's eyes scan the floor to ceiling shelves crammed with books from centuries ago to some more modern reading matter. "There are enough books here to keep one person reading continuously for the next one hundred years at the very least."

Franky nodded with her head tilted to the left while she read a couple of titles.

"But I digress." Gustave sighed as he indicated for Urs and Franky to sit in the two burgundy leather Queen Anne high-backed chairs that stood on one side of a massive old Oak desk while he moved round to sit in his black leather office chair.

He linked his all but his index fingers together as he leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. He then pressed his index fingers together and tapped them against his slightly smiling lips as he began to speak.

"I think your Great-Grandfather was perhaps one of the finest Chaffees to have ever existed." He stated suddenly with a broad smile on his face.

"Oh really?!" Franky nodded then shrugged questioningly at Urs.

"Oui. You see, he was the only one to have the nerve to stand up to his father."

Franky nodded again and indicated for Gustave to continue.

"Our mutual Great-Great-Grandfather, Pierre Chaffee, had certain plans for Xavier, him being the eldest of his two sons. The family was having a few financial problems at the turn of last century. Nothing serious, Pierre was just very greedy and quite the miser it seems. Never paid a bill straightaway." Gustave paused to laugh.

Franky smiled and nodded as though she understood, which of course she did. Her father had been exactly the same. Always waiting until the red reminder arrived before paying the bills. The number of times she could recall her mother lecturing him about his tardiness made her huff a little laugh herself and she quickly explained to Gustave who shook his head and smiled.

"Pierre had arranged, unknown to Xavier, that he should marry a wealthy widow from Paris. She was considerably older than his twenty-five years, almost half as old again if my memory serves me right, and she would bring a nice income from her own estate with her. The story goes that Xavier was sent to stay with a relative in Lourdes while the arrangements and preparations were made. However, Xavier had a good friend in the village who caught wind of what had been arranged and managed to get a message to him just days before he was due to return. Now it turns out that Xavier had fallen deeply in love with a local girl and that they had been meeting in secret for months before Xavier was sent away. Her name was......" He paused and clicked his fingers while he thought for a moment.

"Joséphine?" Franky queried.

"Oui that is it! Joséphine Du Bec. You look very much like her you know." Gustave informed as he opened a drawer on the side of his desk and pulled out an early twentieth century photographic portrait of an elegant looking woman and handed it to Franky.

"Wow! You do look like her." Urs informed as he looked from the picture to Franky.

"Where did you get this from if she was Xavier's sweetheart?" Franky asked with a smile towards Urs. "I've never seen a young photograph of her."

"We found it behind a secret panel in what was Xavier's room when he lived here when we had to have some restoration work done. Deathwatch beetle is pain to deal with." Gustave nodded and smiled. "Please keep it, she is your Great-Grandmother after all." He held his hand up as Franky moved to hand the picture back to him. He shook his head as she thanked him.

"Now where was I?" Gustave quickly mumbled something then start to speak a little clearer.

"The night Xavier received the news from his friend, he left Lourdes made his own way back on horse back rather than wait for the carriage his father was sending. He arrived in the village late one night, picked up Joséphine then rode with her up to the house to confront his father. Apparantly, he stormed into the salon with a breathless Joséphine on his arm and told his father in no uncertain terms that she was the woman he was going to marry, he would have no other."

"So that's where the temper comes from." Urs teased.

He and Gustave laughed as Franky quickly stuck her tongue out at him then laughed in reply.

"Yes well." Gustave coughed. "His father fumed at the news and said he would disinherit him if he did marry Joséphine, which caused Xavier's mother to join in with the argument. She had been against the whole arranged marriage idea from the very start and was absolutely furious at the threat her husband had made. A formidable woman for her time was Great-Great-Grandmother Veronique. She was two days away from her one hundreth birthday when she died."

Gustave paused to lean back and pulled a bellpull that hung just behind his desk. A servant soon appeared and nodded as her employer asked her to bring a carafe of water and three glasses.

"Anyway, Xavier and Joséphine left the house and the village that night and eventually made their way to England where they married and eventually had three children I believe. Two boys and one girl."

"No seven. Emile, Thierry, Elodie and Madeleine all died very young. Only the three youngest survived to adulthood." Franky shook her head. "Georges, Hugo and my grandmother, also Véronique."

"Ah I see. Yes Véronique. And she married Francis Gibson shortly before her twenty-sixth birthday and I'm sure they had one child at the very least, also Francis?"

"My father." Franky nodded with her eyes closed lightly.

"I've been doing a little digging into the family since my father died three weeks ago and that is as far as I've got. Would you mind filling the details later? I've really got the bug now." Gustave shrugged and smiled. "Bore my sons rigid with it."

Franky laughed out loud then nodded and agreed to fill in the blanks once this conversation was finished.

"Is your father still alive? I would love to meet him."

"Sadly no." Franky sniffed and shook her head. "He had no siblings either."

Gustave closed his eyes and nodded. "A shame. And you. Do you have brothers or sisters?"

"No. There's just me from his marriage. I do have a half-sister, different mother though."

"Did you have to mention her?" Urs asked in a whisper with a scowl on his face.

"Sorry." Franky sighed then explained Urs's reaction to Gustave though not in great detail.

Gustave sighed heavily and pouted slightly as the servant returned with the requested water and poured each person a glass.

"Now Pierre, highly embarrassed of course the next day once word got around about what had happened, did as he had threatened. He disinherited Xavier from the estate and left the whole thing to his brother, Rémy, my Great-Grandfather. Now I've checked with my lawyer and he informs me that you could possibly make a claim to a share but it would be very expensive to do and would probably take years to sort out."

"I'm not interested. I don't want it." Franky shook her head and smiled as she swallowed a mouthful of water.

"Really?!" Gustave exclaimed. "The estate is quite sizeable......"

"I don't care Gustave." Franky shook her head again "Xavier wasn't bothered about it. What right have I to claim it in his stead?" She shrugged. "No, please, you keep it. Let Marcel and Rémy inherit it."

"You really are the most remarkable woman I have ever met Frances... Franky." Gustave nodded and smiled. "However, there are a couple of things I feel you must accept." He informed as he stood and moved over to a large safe that stood in the corner of the office.

After tumbling the dial this way and that, he eventually pushed down on the handle and swung the heavy door open. He turned his head and smiled at Franky as he pulled out three large velvet covered presentation boxes then moved back to the desk and set them down in front of her.

"These are yours by right, under the terms of Veronique's will." His smile broadened as he indicated the boxes.

"What are they?" Franky shook her head.

"Your inheritance." Gustave smiled and nodded at the boxes again.

Franky nervously reached forward and lifted the top box into the palm of her left hand. An almost pristine white oval shaped box shook slightly as she opened the lid slowly and let out a long whistle when she saw what it contained.

A beautiful quality Victorian gold bow necklace with a pendant locket, fully set with the finest Garnets. The bow was in the form of a lovers knot with a central cabochon Garnet seven millimetres across. Thirty-eight rose-cut Garnets festooned the radiating arms of the bow and the pendant dropper was also surrounded by twenty-one rose-cut Garnets. All the Garnets were a superb deep rich red wine colour and Franky shook her head in disbelief as she ran her fingers across the jewellery.

"Veronique never wore that one." Gustave informed as Franky picked up a black rectangular box and opened it as slowly as before then snapped it shut and shook her head quickly. She took a quick breath and blew it out again after opening the lid to its full extent.

"Mein Gott! Are those real?" Urs exclaimed as Franky turned the box in his direction.

"They are indeed. I can show you recent appraisal and valuation slips for everthing if you wish to see proof."

"That won't be necessary." Franky's right hand flew to her mouth and she shook her head while more beautiful precious stones cast rainbows of brilliant light around the room.

She held a sparkling and distinctive Art Deco necklace, shimmering with diamonds in her hands. The pendant consisted of two rectangles packed with brilliant-cut white diamonds. These were linked by rows of diamonds, with further rows forming a dangling fringe at the bottom. There were two arcs of diamonds above the pendant, which were slightly curved for comfort when wearing. A sturdy chain, which was adjustable to choker size, in white gold, completed the piece. The pendant hung three inches from the chain and was just over one inch wide. The necklace measured nearly sixteen inches including the white gold clasp.

"Lift the padding from the box. There's something else underneath" Gustave instructed before Franky could set the box down on the desk.

"Oh my good Lord!" Franky exclaimed as she picked up the article and held it between the index and thumb of her right hand.

"That was Véronique's engagement ring." Gustave informed with a broad smile.

Franky gulped as she held a vintage filigree engagement ring constructed in solid eighteen karat white gold. A delicate and highly ornate engagement ring with an oval-faceted diamond mounted within a finely mille grained, floating-frame octahedral setting. A total of eight well-matched, channel-set, graduated square step-cut tourmaline gemstones embraced the glowing center-stone, surmounting an elaborately pierced filigree gallery.

Only one box remained. Another black one, but this time heart shaped. Franky breathed deep and eased the box open.

"These are real too?" She questioned with a stunned look to Gustave.

"Oui, every last one of them." He smiled.

A set consisting of a long thick rope pearl necklace met her gaze. She removed it from the box, held it up in a loop from one finger and quickly calculated that it was long enough to be worn as a choker or in a variety of versatile ways. The earrings were set in a heart shape, with clustered pearls all around, on locking gold wires.

Franky looked at the opened boxes and shook her head as she closed them one by one.

"It's fantastically beautiful jewellery, but I can't accept it......."

"But you must." Gustave interupted "As I said it is yours by right under the terms of Véronique's will."

"I heard you." Franky laughed. "I can't accept it until everything we have discussed here today is proved legally and any tax implications of taking the jewellery back to England have been looked into."

Gustave breathed a sigh of relief and held his right hand at his heart as the words fell from her lips.

"They will tax you?" Gustave questioned wide-eyed.

"Possibly. In fact, I would say more than likely." Franky frowned as she nodded.

"Very well, if that is the way you wish to proceed."

Franky nodded then watched as the jewellery was returned to the safe. Gustave did hand over the appraisal and valuation slips for each piece so that Franky would be able to consult an accountant and find out if there were any tax implications.

After Gustave had ordered further refreshments of fresh coffee and homemade biscuits, he and Franky set to work on updating the notes he had made on the family.

Urs found an old book about Bach that piqued his interest and settled himself down on one of the office's window seats to read. He smiled as he glanced over to Gustave and Franky then focused on his book for the next hour or so until he heard Franky shouting his name.

"Sorry, Did you say something angel?" He asked as he raised his face to meet hers.

"Gustave would like to show us around the house and grounds. I asked if you were coming honey."

"Sure." Urs nodded.

Urs closed the book carefully. He had looked at one of the first pages, noticed it was a first edition and was well over one hundred years old. He moved to return it to the shelf he'd pulled it from and startled slightly when Gustave came to his side and told him not to bother, he wished for him to keep it. He looked at Gustave like he'd gone mad, then smiled and thanked him as he and Franky were lead out of the library, down a short hallway to another set of ornately carved double doors. Gustave paused to speak before opening them.

"This is where I have been working on the family tree so please excuse the mess." He laughed nervously as the doors were swung open.

A wide room met Urs and Franky's eyes and both sets of eyes flew wide. A long mahogany table capable of seating at least sixteen people stood in the middle of the room. To the left of that stood a matching sideboard and above that hung a large mirror whose frame had been carved with a variety of fruit. To the right and looking a little out of place was a pair of modern ladders, opened, ready and waiting for someone to climb them. On the floor lay a selection of fine brushes, a bottle of signwriter's black ink and several rags

Gustave lead Franky and Urs in the direction of the ladders and indicated a long white wall that had black writing scattered over.

"You did this?" Franky questioned as she raised her right hand to trace a finger over the Flemish script of her Great-Grandfather's name and birth details.

Gustave blushed slightly as he smiled and nodded.

"It's beautiful work." Franky shook her head as she followed Gustave out of the room and up a wide staircase she had passed on her way into the house.

She and Urs were shown seven large and very elegant bedrooms before Gustave lead them to the eighth.

"This was Xavier's room when he lived here. It's just an empty shell now, the deathwatch beetle investation did a lot of damage in here before we managed to contain it, but I think you will be able to get a sense of what it must have looked like." He smiled again as he pushed the door open.

Franky moved into the room with Urs by her side. They looked around the massive room and could just imagine what it would look like filled with the furniture of her Great-Grandfather's era.

"It must have looked amazing." Urs whispered as they walked hand-in-hand to look out of the bay window.

"If the other rooms are anything to go by." Franky nodded in agreement.

"Ah. I see our carriage awaits." Gustave smiled as he looked downwards.

Franky and Urs followed his lead then stood open mouthed when they saw a white horse-drawn carriage waiting at the front doors. The three of them made their way downstairs towards the door. Urs suddenly remembered he wasn't wearing anything on his feet and stood just inside the door looking from Franky to his feet and back again while he shrugged.

Someone coughed behind them and they turned to see a smiling Jules holding up Urs's running trainers. Urs put them on then helped Franky into the carriage before making himself comfortable next to her. Both nodded their thanks as a warmed blanket was placed across their legs by Gabrielle as it had turned out to be quite a chilly day.

Gustave sat opposite the couple and instructed the driver to head for the gardens as another blanket was placed across his legs by a goosebumpy Gabrielle.

"Back in the warmth with you girl." He instructed with a broad smile as the carriage began to roll. "I suppose you both think I should have fired him?" Gustave questioned Urs and Franky as they watched a hunched over Arnaud walking sadly along the path that ran along the side of the house.




Urs and Franky shrugged then nodded slightly as they watched Arnaud glance towards the carriage then quickly turn away when he saw them watching him.

"Believe me, under normal circumstances I would have dismissed him on the spot." Gustave sighed as he watched his employee quickly wipe his eyes then sigh heavily. "But he's not in my employ under normal circumstances. You did see the scar on the right side of his face?" He questioned Franky.

"Yeah. It looks like some sort of old burn scar." Franky nodded.

"That's exactly what it is." Gustave nodded sadly. "Almost twenty-five years he's had it. Such a shame that he still blames himself for the accident and for what happened to his family." Gustave closed his eyes and shook his head slowly.

"His family?" Franky questioned.

"Yes. His parents and two little sisters all died in house fire. Arnaud was almost seven at the time. He will probably not appreciate me telling you this, but I want you to understand what he went through so I would appreciate your discretion about what I am about to tell you. I would like your word that you will not let on to him that you know."

"Absolutely." Franky nodded.

"Agreed." Urs confirmed with a nod and smile as he eased Franky a little closer to him.

"Very well, I'll begin." Gustave breathed deep before he started to speak.

"Arnaud's father, Gage, was a brute of a man who worked for my father as a farm labourer. He was always hitting one of his children or his wife for some reason or another, no matter how minor the infraction. I can recall seeing Arnaud with a black eye on several ocassions as a child, but he never accused his father of giving him them when my father asked him who had hit him. He always said that he'd got into a fight with someone or he came up with some other excuse. One night Gage went home roaring drunk as was usual for him come the weekend. His wife, Eloise, had prepared a romantic dinner for the two of them as it was their tenth wedding anniversary. He walked into the house to find it lit only by large altar candles and stumbled through the house in a drunken stupor. Gage walked into the dining room to find Eloise waiting for him and laughed at the effort she'd made."

Gustave paused to take a breath, looked back towards Arnaud and sighed as he turned back to continue telling Urs and Franky the story.

"That was when he informed her that he had been having an affair since just after she announced she was pregnant with their youngest daughter. Of course Eloise became very upset at the news and started beating him on the chest calling him all sorts of names. Things were said, threats were made then the argument became physical and Gage pushed Eloise onto the candlelit dining table. Her dress went up in flames almost immediately, but luckily Arnaud had heard the two of them arguing, had left his bed to come downstairs and he managed to douse the flames before she was too seriously hurt. Gage then turned on him and smacked him around the dining-room, knocking candles over as he went and starting the fire that would eventually consume the whole house."

"My God." Franky sniffed and shook her head as Gustave paused again.

"Gage eventually passed out from the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed that night. Eloise somehow managed to rally herself when she saw the flames and ran upstairs in an attempt to rescue her daughters. Suffice to say she never made it back down. They found her body at the top of the stairs with the bodies of little Fleur and baby Jolie in her arms after the fire had been put out. Fleur was five, Jolie just three months. Arnaud in the meantime had managed to escape outside but made several attempts to get back in trying to rescue his parents and sisters. His face got burned when he got too close to the kitchen window and my father's secretary found him sitting on the garden wall wide-eyed, speechless and crying while he watched the house burn to the ground."

Gustave paused once more and watched Franky sniff and hold her right hand over her mouth while she and Urs shook their heads in disbelief.

"Having no living relatives to turn to, my father took Arnaud into our home and raised him. He promised that he would always be able to call this place home. He left the estate to study horticulture when he was eighteen only to return when I sent word that my father had been diagnosed with pre-senile dementia eight years ago and control of the estate had been handed to me. Some of what you will see in the garden has only been made possible because of Arnaud's green fingers."

Gustave smiled broadly and shook his own head before continuing to speak.

"He does struggle at this time of year, the anniversary of the fire being only ten days away. Normally he's a gentle and quite placid man. Perhaps I asked too much of him this morning."

"Gentle and placid? Pfft!" Urs snorted in exclamation. "How can you say that after he threatened Franky like he did?"

"I know you find that hard to believe." Gustave nodded. "But I'm sure he sincerely regrets the threats he made to you Franky and I'm glad you could find it in your heart to accept his apology. That will be part of the reason he's decided to take one of his walks around the estate, it's what he does when he knows he's done wrong and I'm upset with him. He used lash out with his fists when he got like that, but, not wanting to turn out like his father, he's learned to deal with his problems in other ways. My only hope now is that one day he will accept the help he's been offered to get past the guilt he feels about what happened to his family."

Gustave nodded, breathed deep then returned to looking out of the carriage. A huge smile suddenly spread across his face then he reached over to touch Franky on the knee and indicated for her to take a look.

"Maybe Evony willl succeed in persuading him to take the help where I have failed." Gustave nodded. "She's perfect for him I think."

Both she and Urs did as they'd been asked and a gentle smile spread across Franky's face at what she was witnessing.

A slim, black-haired young woman had moved herself to stand in front of Arnaud. She raised her hand to his chin, gently lifted his face to meet hers and shook her head when she saw how very sad he looked.

Almost as soon as she touched him, Arnaud rested his forehead against Evony's. He closed his eyes, quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and held her gently while she held his face between her hands. His head nodded vigorously while she spoke to him and it was obvious to the occupants of the carriage that she was saying something that seemed to comfort him.

"Remind you of anything?" Franky questioned with a gentle smiled as she turned to look at Urs who thought for a moment then nodded his head and wiped her face when he saw the tears rolling slowly over her cheeks. He eased himself closer, held her left hand tightly in his right and sighed softly as the carriage moved through a large pair of cast iron gates.

"Some bike ride this is turning out to be huh?" He questioned with a laugh as he looked down into her eyes.

"The best one I think I've ever been on." Franky nodded just before he dropped a lightening fast kiss on her lips.

________________

The size of what Gustave referred to as the garden stunned Franky and Urs as soon as the carriage rolled through the gates. He told them it was twelve acres or thereabouts in size.

To the right of the entrance, wicker screening had been erected along the top of a large bank to conceal the old derelict stables and coach-house from view. A block of modern stables had recently been completed on the other side of the house. This bank had been planted mainly with Mediterranean shrubs taking full advantage of the south-facing aspect and favourable drainage. Gustave couldn't recall the names of the plants and it had started to rain so getting out of the carriage to take a look at the labels was out of the question,.
though Franky did recognise a plant that she and Urs had recently planted in their garden as Hyssop.

A large square border had been made on the right of the entrance and this had been planted with, amongst other hardy and half-hardy annuals, tall fragrant Stocks, bright, showy Zinnia's and Geraniums giving the whole area a bright, colourful display.

Just beyond this border was what Gustave called the Winter Garden. Being able to enjoy this area of the garden even in harsh weather was the reason it had been sited in this position. It had been planted with a wide range of plants that gave a good show between November and March. Great care had been taken to make sure that these plants would provide summer interest too and plants with attractive bark or winter foilage plants that flowered in summer had been selected for this area. A narrow path leading to a rustic arch seat provided a focal point.

Almost directly opposite this garden was the orchard that contained a wide selection of eating and a couple of cooking apple trees including the traditional British Bramley. All of the trees were showing signs that spring was well on the way, but large drifts of Snowdrops, Crocus, Narcissus and Snakeshead Fritillary still carpetted the area under the trees at the moment.

A little further down the wide path that wound its way around the garden was an area that was currently empty.

"Arnaud is in the middle of enlarging and re-shaping the pond." Gustave informed while nodding towards what looked like a very large mud flat. "He hopes to have it finished before or just after the end of spring."

As the carriage turned left they came to the Walled Garden which was being used in the traditional manner. A large variety of fruit, vegetables, herbs and flower borders had been arranged around a small central pond and cross paths. This meant that the house was virtually self-sustaining. The only foods that had to be brought in were frest meat, fish and dairy products. A recently restored windmill at the edge of the village provided the flour for baking.

"I bet it looks wonderful when everything is green or blooming?" Franky questioned with small yawn.

"Oui. That's when this garden is at its best. Are you bored?" Gustave questioned with a slight look of disappointment.

"No, far from it. I'm just beginning to feel a little tired." Franky informed with a shake of her head while her right moved to her stomach.

"We're almost finished." Gustave nodded. "We're approaching Arnaud's pride and joy. It's taken him and just two assistants three years to restore this to its former glory. He found the original plans in the safe in the office and studied them minutely before asking me if he could do this. I realise it is still raining, but please just take a quick look." He continued as the carriage drew to a halt and he stepped down .

Urs nodded and helped Franky down as they followed after him. All three walked through a wooden gate in an old brick wall and both Franky and Urs stood wide-eyed and open-mouthed when they saw the large formal gardens that ran from the back of the house on their left to at least three hundred and fifty feet to their right.

Franky gasped when Gustave told her that the large, ornate water fountain that stood at the furthest end of the garden was the original one that been installed when the house was built. It had been found in pieces at the back of the old coach house by Arnaud and he had spent hours of his free time restoring it.

"He also found a really old motorcycle back there, also in pieces." Gustave waved his hand dismissively. "A Harley Davidson I believe he said it was."

"Do you still have it?" Franky questioned excitedly.

She shrugged as Urs looked at her then smiled when he rolled his eyes into the back of his head.

"You're worse than I am." He whispered as he pulled her close and kissed her temple.

"It's in the cellar." Gustave shrugged, pointing towards the house. "Why?"

"I would like to take a look, see if it's restorable." Franky bounced up and down excitedly.

Gustave nodded as they walked back to the carriage, once everyone was comfortable again he instructed the coachman to take them back to the house at a trot.

"I know that look. What are you thinking?" Urs asked as he watched Franky's eyes flicking from side to side while he helped her down from the carriage and walked back into the house at her side.

"I'm thinking and hoping that maybe it's a World War One model." She shrugged and smiled in reply.

They were lead by Gustave through the kitchen, down a narrow flight of stairs to the back of a very large cellar. A large tarpaulin was pulled back and Franky spun round on the spot in excitement as soon as she saw the frame.

"Well?" Urs laughed as he watched her.

"It's a 1917 World War One model. Woohoo! Yes! I've always wanted to try and restore an early one." Franky nodded. "Looks like all the parts are here too." She informed as she rifled through a large box where all the pieces had been put. "How much do you want for it Gustave?" She asked as she raised her beaming face to meet that of her laughing cousin.

"Nothing. Consider it yours." Gustave shook his head at offers of money for what he considered to be just a pile of rusting metal, rubber and leather. "It's only going to sit there for God knows how long until it rots completely. I'll arranged to have it shipped to you. Should take about a week to arrive."

"Going to let me help?" Urs asked as he moved to her side and started sorting through the box of parts.

"Of course honey." Franky replied as they gave each other a quick hug.

They both laughed when they heard Gustave mumbling something like not understanding their fascination with the infernal machines. He threw his hands in the air as they headed back upstairs to find that a fresh chicken salad and a lemon tart had been prepared for lunch. Urs and Franky accepted Gustave's invitation to eat with him again and agreed to pay another visit someday, hopefully later in the year when the gardens would be looking their best.

Franky started to doze off once she'd eaten her lunch and Urs had to lift her into his arms and carry her to the limousine. She said a very sleepy goodbye to Gustave, Marcel and Rémy then snuggled against Urs for the journey home. She was fast asleep by the time the car turned out of the driveway.

When they arrived at the cottage Urs tried not to disturb her too much as he lifted her from the vehicle, carried her inside and up to the bedroom. Once he'd laid her in her favourite position in the middle of the bed, he moved quickly around the cottage and made sure everything was secure before returning upstairs.

He stopped as he reached the doorway of the room they were using. He smiled softly as he watched her pull a pillow from his side of the bed into her arms and had to bite his bottom lip to stop himself from laughing as she burrowed the side of her face into it. Her left hand lay tucked just under the pillow while her right hand rested on her tiny bulge.

He moved quietly across to the bed, sat down slowly so that he didn't disturb her and watched her for a moment or two before he moved the pillow out of her arms, slowly laid himself down beside her and gently stroked her face lightly with the back of his hand, then twirled a lock of her hair in his fingers and continued to watch her sleep until he joined her.

They woke sometime later that evening wrapped in each others arms to the peace and quiet they had been hoping for.

__________________

Two days later

"Hey there might be something in this peace and quiet thing after all Seb. You two look great." David laughed as he gave Sébastien a quick dig in the ribs while they walked into Urs and Franky's kitchen.

"Oui." The Frenchman nodded in agreement. "You certainly look happier than you did the other evening. More relaxed."

"It must have been really quiet where you went." Carlos nodded and raised a quizical eyebrow as he spoke.

"Not as quiet as you would think." Urs shrugged and rolled his eyes into the back of his head, busying himself with re-filling the coffee-maker.

He smiled then laughed when he spotted Franky poking her smiling face around the open fridge door.

"Urs! What could possibly happen to you in a sleepy little village in the middle of the Dordogne?" Sébastien queried as he furrowed his brow and shook his head.

"Oh you'd be surprised." Franky giggled, her head buried in the fridge again.

She jumped slightly when Urs came up behind her and placed his left hand on her waist while his right reached passed her to find the chocolate biscuits he knew she was looking for. He nodded and laughed again when she playfully told him off for re-organising the fridge to his way again.

"Like what?" David questioned.

"Like the fact that Franky and I were......" Urs began.

He stopped speaking when he heard Franky coughing a quick 'Ahem' at him and turned to look at her then mouthed 'Do I have to?' Seeing the stern look on Franky's face and watching her cross her arms over her chest gave him his answer and he sighed heavily when he heard Carlos questioning him.

"You and Franky were what?"

"I'll tell you in minute." Urs nodded then breathed deep as he started pouring out coffee. "I erm...I have something else to tell you first guys."

He sighed as Franky picked up a tray that had three cups, a large pot of coffee and a large bottle of flavoured spring water on it and gave her a pleading look as she looked at him. She closed her eyes and shook her head as she turned away from him, made her way out of the kitchen and headed back towards the lounge.

Urs turned back to face the others and felt his stomach lurch when he saw the looks of apprehension in each man's eyes. He looked from blue to green to honey brown and back again at least twice trying to pluck up the courage to speak.

"Come on Urs, spit it out. It can't be that bad whatever it is." David shook his head at him.

Urs glanced at Carlos and saw a questioning look on his face. He breathed deep, huffed it out quickly then took another deep breath just before speaking.

"You all remember how I was the other night, the night I went to bed early?" He spoke in a low solemn tone that the others had never heard before.

"Yeah, you were no fun that night." Sébastien nodded.

"What was it you called him David?" Carlos questioned with a glance in his direction.

"Mr Gloomy." David nodded, his eyes narrowing as he watched Urs's pensive face

"Yeah. Ok. I know I wasn't very good company that night. I wasn't very good company that night because......"

He paused to look at their faces again and swallowed hard when he saw how intensely they looked back at him. He could see that he was causing them grief by taking his time with what he wanted to say. He took another deep breath and began to speak a little quicker.

"I wasn't very good company that night because I'd made my mind up that I was going to quit the group after next year's tour."

"What?!" David yelled.

"Que!" Sébastien questioned wide-eyed and open-mouthed while Carlos simply glared at him, shook his head and growled something under his breath.

"Yo lo supe, yo lo supe." Carlos nodded. "Why? Why were you going to quit?" He questioned angrilly.

Urs huffed a quick laugh and shook his head then rubbed his hands hard over his face.

"Because I thought that everything that had happened to Franky was my fault. Somehow I got this crazy notion into my head that if I wasn't famous none of it would have happened to her. I didn't say anything to you about my decision because I wanted to tell her first."

"You *******!" David fumed and shook his head. "How the hell did you get that idea into your head?"

"Stupid idea. Franky reacted how?" Sébastien questioned quietly though Urs noticed that his chest was heaving with suppressed anger.

"It was a stupid idea and I don't know how it got into my head. Franky was absolutely livid with me." Urs nodded. "We argued for ages about it and she almost walked out on me." Urs gasped for a breath at the memory. "I also said......" He paused again and banged his clenched fist at his forehead. "I also said that you three wouldn't be bothered if I left and that I would be replaced in no time."

"For fu......God's sake Urs. Did you really think for one second we could or would ever do that?" David and Carlos questioned almost at the same time while Sébastien just shook his head and glared at him.

Urs closed his eyes and lowered his head as he shook it quickly.

"No." He swallowed hard when he heard the crack in his voice. "No I know you wouldn't do that. I don't know how I could have been so stupid, so selfish. I was just so sure, so convinced that everything was my fault, I couldn't think straight, couldn't see how wrong I was. It was Franky that made me see what a selfish, stubborn jackass I was being. I'm sorry guys, I should never have thought like that."

"No you shouldn't have." Sébastien huffed angrilly. "Don't do it again." He requested while giving Urs a quick hug.

"What?! And get my ass kicked to next Christmas by Franky if I do? I don't think so." Urs shook his head and smiled.

"No, because if you do." Carlos threatened with playful smile on his face as he brought it close to Urs's. "If you do, Franky will have three assistants to help with the job of giving you the ass kicking." He laughed then embraced him quickly.

"And this can do some serious damage." David smiled, holding up his right foot before yanking him into a tight bear hug.

Urs laughed as he nodded then took the lead as the group headed towards the lounge. He startled slightly when he felt a hand squeeze each shoulder and a very large one patting him on the back. They stepped into the lounge together and Urs smiled as Franky raised her face and mouthed a questioning 'Ok?' to him. He nodded as he sat himself down beside her, placed a very firm kiss on her lips pulled back slightly to tell her he loved her then whispered something into her ear before he kissed her firmly again. He made himself comfortable and held a Franky's hand while they told the story of what had happened to them in a sleepy little village in France.

_______________

"Here, let me take that." Lauren insisted as she took the tray from a heaving Franky's hands and moved to set it down on the coffee table.

"How's she been?" Franky nodded to Stephanie who sat quietly reading a book that she had brought with her.

"Quiet." Lauren sighed. "For her anyway." She smiled. "I get the feeling there's something wrong, but she won't talk to me and she hasn't been near David since Monday morning. I don't know why. It's like she's trying to shut everyone out. I'll get the funeral out of the way tomorrow then push her a little harder than I have been doing, see if she'll open up."

"Is that why David looked a little upset when you arrived?" Franky whispered while she nodded.

Lauren closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. He loves her like she's his own and he certainly treats her that way, but since Monday afternoon she's just been so cold towards him. He's tried to talk to her, she just doesn't want to know him and I know that's what's tearing him apart though he's trying hard not to let it show."

"Just give her time. She'll come around again." Franky smiled while Lauren rubbed her face with her hands before busying herself with the coffee.

"What's going off in the kitchen?" Karen questioned with a nod towards the door while accepting the coffee Lauren handed to her.

"Erm......Urs has something he needs to tell the guys."

"Oh No. He can't" Emma shook her head as she saw the pensive look on Franky's face. "Please tell us he's not going to do what Carlos thinks he's going to do?"

"He can't quit." Karen shook her head. "Franky, you have to go back in there and talk to him, make him see sense."

"Whoah! Whoah! Hold on a minute." Franky held her up her hands, palms facing her friends. "First of all he was thinking of quitting, but he got his mind changed pretty sharpish." She laughed as she shrugged. "Second, how do you all know when the guys don't have a clue?"

"Carlos suspected there was something wrong." Karen nodded. "He had an idea that Urs had decided to quit because he'd gone so very quiet, even quieter than usual. Like he did after his split with Erika. But he thought it was a really stupid idea, asked me not to say anything to David or Seb and told me to put it out of my mind. That was easier said than done and I ended up telling Lauren and Emma because they could tell something was bothering me, but I made them swear not to let on to David and Seb. I didn't want to upset either of them or cause an argument only to find out Carlos was wrong."

"I see." Franky nodded.

"Why did he want to quit anyway?" Lauren queried whilst looking toward Stephanie who giggled as she continued to read.

"He wasn't going to quit because he wanted to, he was going to leave because he thought him being famous was what brought me the attention I got from the likes of Jamie. It took me ages to make him see he was wrong that most of that crap would have happened at some point, whether I was with him or not." Franky informed with a long drawnout sigh. "I had to make him see how much he means to David, Seb and Carlos too. The stupid fool thought they would just replace him and carry on."

"Pfft! What? I hope you set him straight about that idea." Lauren's mouth dropped open while she shook her head.

"Yeah." Franky nodded slowly. "So what's been happening while I've been away."

"Lauren's had a nice little inheritance from Nick." Karen smiled.

"Really?"

"The villa in Portugal." Lauren shrugged at Franky's questioning look. "A nice maintenance allowance for it too."

"No way?!" Franky shook her head in disbelief then nodded when Lauren nodded her own head and beamed a huge smile in reply. "That's fantastic news, though I'd hardly call it a little inheritance. Now. Have you and David settled on a place to get married yet?"

"Yeah. You remember that huge house we looked at on the internet the night I got the news about Nick?" Lauren paused to give Franky some thinking time because they had looked at so many places that night. She smiled when she remembered then continued to speak.

"Well David and I went to have look around it yesterday. It's a fabulous place and you can get married anywhere within the grounds or in the house itself. There's a wide stone bridge that we could use or we could have the ceremony in a clearing in the woods or, and this is our favourite place, there's the area near this huge waterfall. You can just hear it in the background when you stand at the river's edge. It's an absolutely stunning spot and......and we've booked it for six weeks this Saturday." Lauren informed excitedly.

"So I guess you'll be asking one of David's sisters to be your maid of honour." Franky sighed.

"Nope. I'm still having you, dafty." Lauren informed with a quick shoulder shove at Franky. "I want you as my matron of honour and I still want you as a bridesmaid Karen."

"I'll be as big as house by then." Karen protested, laying a hand on her bulge

"Please you two, you're like sisters to me. I wouldn't feel right getting married without you two there behind me." Lauren pleaded looking from one woman to the other.

"All right." Franky nodded.

"I suppose it will be ok." Karen nodded.

The four women chatted quietly between themselves ocassionally pausing to the listen for any shouting coming from the kitchen.

Lauren sucked air through tightly pursed lips when she heard a very loud 'What?' from David. A loud shout of 'Que' from Sébastien made Emma grimmace and bite her bottom lip. All four women froze while they waited for Carlos to shout. When they heard nothing after a couple of minutes of waiting, they all looked at each other and shrugged.

A few moments later the door opened and Urs lead the others through door with Carlos on his right, Sébastien on his left and David just behind and slightly to his right.

Franky smiled and asked Urs if everything was 'Ok' as he approached. She sighed as he sat down beside her and gave her a demonstrative kiss.

"I love you." He whispered as he pulled back slightly.

Then he leaned forward and whispered that he hoped their friends weren't going to stay too late tonight. He needed a bath before bed he informed with a suggestive smile and quick flick of his eyebrows before giving her another firm kiss. Franky felt herself redden slightly because she knew exactly what he meant. She smiled at him as he made himself comfortable next to her and held her left hand as they began to tell their friends what happened in France.

It took them almost an hour to tell the story and everyone looked stunned by what they heard as they all sat in silence for a few moments.

"I just don't understand the jewellery part." Emma shook her head. "How did that work?"

"Véronique's will stated that her trustees, and any successors, were duty bound to attempt to find any legitimate female descendant of Xavier's. Any child born out of wedlock would not benefit. If none were found within one hundred years of the date of her death the jewellery could be given to any living male descendants, if there were none, then descendants of his brother, Rémy, inherit." Franky informed. "Apparently all I have to do is get all the appropriate certificates to Gustave's lawyer, sort out any tax implications and the jewels are mine. I sent the documents this afternoon and I just hope any tax I have to pay isn't going to be prohibitive."

"The sons haven't objected?" Karen queried.

"No. Marcel has half of his mother's vast jewellery collection already and Rémy has the other half but I don't think it will see the light of day ever again." Franky teased with a glance to Urs who scowled playfully at her in return.

"Why?" Carlos questioned then he noticed the looks Franky and Urs were giving each other and immediately realised what Franky meant. "Oh, he's like Michael and he err.....?" He laughed as he nodded towards a grumbling Urs.

"Exactly." Franky nodded and tried to surpress a yawn which everyone took as a polite signal that they really should go home.

It was approaching eleven at night and Stephanie was already fast asleep on Lauren's lap. David sighed heavily as he lifted her into his own arms and cradled her gently to allow Lauren to stand up. He screwed his eyes tight together and whispered a quick 'Yeah' when Lauren squeezed his arm gently and asked if he was all right. He shook his head as she looked at Stephanie and quietly apologised then smiled softly and cupped the back of the little girl's while he carried her out to the car.

Once the last car had left their drive Urs and Franky locked up their home and made their way up to the bathroom where they filled the deep free standing cast iron bath with plenty of hot water and added some vanilla scented bubble bath that they'd brought back from France.

"Can you remember the last time we did this?" Urs asked as he dropped his boxers to the floor, stepped into the tub and made himself comfortable behind Franky.

"Well since it was the night I think our son was conceived how can I forget." Franky shook her head while leaning back against his chest with her head resting on his right shoulder.

"You mean our daughter. Was it really that long ago?!" Urs exclaimed with another suggestive smile while he ran a large soaped-up natural sponge lightly over Franky's chest and nipped lightly on her ear tracking a path across her shoulder and back again.

"Ice?" Franky shuddered as she felt his hot breath in her ear.

"Y-Y-Yes Fire." He stuttered and adjusted his position to give himself a little more room while Franky reached back and ran her hands lightly along his legs from the joint of his hips to just above his knee and back again several times.

"You still haven't told me what you were talking to Gustave about the other day."

"Oh." Urs paused to cough. "I was....I was...." He allowed a small whine to escape as Franky hands moved a little further around his back than they had been doing. "I was.....Franky we have got to get a bath with the taps on the side."

"You don't like bathing this way?" Franky questioned with slight teasing tone in her voice.

"I love bathing this way. We just never seem to get down to what taking a bath is all about." He growled as he gently manouvered her so that they could lay face-to-face in the tub, with him underneath her, smiling softly while he ran his fingers slowly up and down the path of her spine.

"Nice way to avoid answering the question." Franky nodded as she pulled back from the kiss she'd given him. "Now tell me what you were talking to Gustave about." She asked, playing with the wet hair on his chest. Her lips pursing lightly, feeling how quickly he became aroused under her airy touch against her thigh.

"Uh-uh No." Urs shook his head and whined again. "I'll be in so much trouble with you if I do."

Franky pulled back and looked at him quizically. "Wh....You didn't? Urs Buhler, tell me you haven't told Gustave you'll pay any tax on those jewels."

"Ok, I'll tell you that if that's what you want to hear. But I'd be lying." Urs informed as he took a very deep breath, held it and quickly disappeared under the water.

Somehow he managed to giggle and stay under the water while he watched her shaking her head and heard her muffled shouting that he had to come up for air at some point. That was until he felt her feet moving down near the plug hole and he heard the sound of water running under the bath. He knew instantly that she had pulled the plug and noticed that the water level was falling rapidly.

"You're not angry with me?" Urs breathed deep, looking into Franky's eyes.

He knew for sure she wasn't angry at him because her eyes hadn't darkened and they weren't sparking like they normally did when she was mad at him. He noticed that she was fighting to prevent a smile crossing her lips.

"I think I should be." Franky huffed a laugh. "But I get the feeling you spotted the disappointed look on Gustave's face when he put the jewels back in the safe. I certainly saw a similar look on yours." She informed with a kiss on his lips. "I suppose I'll let you off, but just this once." She tutted as she nodded. "Thank you. It was a wonderful thing to do."

"I did it because I love you and because Gustave so wanted you to have them. The tax won't be that much anyway." Urs shook his head and dropped several soft kisses on her lips.

"How much?" Franky asked as she kissed the tip of his nose before slowly moving up to kiss cheeks, his eyes and along his forehead.

Urs shook his head slowly and fidgetted underneath her. "Not telling."

"How much?" Franky questioned again, trailing her fingers lightly over his chest slowly working her way down towards his abdomen.

"Not telling." Urs reiterated, continuing to shake his head.

He watched Franky features darken seductively and felt her breath deep as her hand trailed a little further south.

"Franky!!" His eyes widened as soon he felt her touch him. 'Lord this is such sweet torture.' He thought to himself as he curled his bottom lip into this mouth, closed his eyes tight and bit down hard, feeling her hand wrap around his very stiff manhood, gliding slowly up and down. 'I'm not going to be a-a-a-able to hold out if she.....if she keeps this up.'

"How much?" Franky asked in a deep throated whisper, nibbling lightly on his right earlobe.

Urs shook his head again, determined that this was one battle she wasn't going to win.

"How much?" She asked again, her lips touching his in a feather light kiss.

Urs pursed his lips together and shook his head vigorously, he could feel his breathing becoming more ragged with each passing second.

"A few thousand. One or two." He mouth informed without checking with his brain. "Gott I hate you." He laughed as he looked up into Franky's smirking face.

"Of course you do honey. It shows." Franky snorted a laugh and glanced down at his groin. "Now tell me how you found that out or do I have to tease you just a little more?"

"No." Urs whined once more when he felt her fingers lightly stroking the front of his thigh. "I'll tell."

He laughed while Franky giggled above him. "I had a word with our accountant while you were asleep on the jet. He rang me back just before we landed and I called Gustave to tell him to send them. They could be here by the weekend." He smiled and shrugged then laughed as Franky kissed him forcefully.

"It's getting cold in here. Can we fill up again and finish our bath now?" He asked with another suggestive smile as she pulled back.

The bath was filled once more, this time with some baby oil added. Thankful that the bath was wide as well as deep, Urs remained in a seated position while Franky straddled him, her legs wrapping around his waist, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his head while they kissed, softly to begin with eventually becoming harder and deeper.

Urs, feeling himself hard again, paused the kissing, moved his hands to Franky's hips and gently eased his length inside her. The two of them quickly finding a perfect rythmn, Urs resting his back against the end of the bath taking Franky with. His eyes widening a little when she moved her legs between his, keeping him inside as she did so. His hips moving in a slow, rolling motion, his hands squeezing her bottom. Franky's hands carressing his thighs, stroking lightly once more while they kissed, long and deep.

Their breathing slowly becoming more and more ragged. Urs holding back his own release until he'd Franky grip hard around him, her screams echoing around the room. Taking deap breaths and kissing before they slipped under the water together, both of them breathless and surprised at how long they seemed to have been under once they emerged.

Looking around the bathroom to see that lots of large puddles covered the floor and splashes covered the wall near the sink as they stepped out and began to dry each other off with warm towels.

"Still want a bath with side taps?" Franky teased as Urs lifted her into his arms, carried her through to the bedroom, laid her on the bed and held her close.

Urs grinned and shook his head vigorously. "Uh-uh, Crazy idea. I like our bath exactly the way it is "

"Me to......Mmph." Franky mumbled as Urs's mouth covered hers in long, lingering kiss.

________________

Thursday
"We're almost there." David smiled softly as he pushed Lauren off his shoulder and upright into her seat.

"Oooooh. I don't usually fall asleep on the train." Lauren informed, stretching herself out in her first class seat. "Where's Steph?" She asked when she spotted that the window seat opposite her was empty.

"Bathroom." David nodded. He looked at his watch and furrowed his brow. 'She's been gone a while now, maybe I should go and look for her.' He thought to himself, leaning into the aisle to see if he could see anything of her.

He'd just stood up when he spotted her making her way slowly back to her seat. He knew he shouldn't expect too many hugs from her at the moment but he hadn't had one since just before she left the house with Lauren on Monday morning. She hadn't even given him her usual one when she'd come home from school and had lost interest in playing on the Playstation with him. She hadn't made much eye contact with him since that afternoon either. She'd flat out refused to talk to him when he'd asked her if there was something she wanted to talk about She now sat with the left side of her sad little face pressed firmly against the glass of the carriage's window barely noticing the world that flashed passed her eyes.

He sighed heavily and sat back down next to Lauren who was preoccupied with watching her daughter's face. She sighed heavily then reached over and gently squeezed the top of her arm.

"Stephanie, I know it's a sad day for you, but is there something else bothering you? If you really don't want to go to Daddy's funeral I can arrange for someone to look after you."

"I do want to go." Stephanie snapped back without turning her face to look at her mother. "You're not going to stop me."

"Stephanie!" Lauren exclaimed, a shocked expression on her face. "Look at me and tell me what's wrong sweetheart?"

"I don't......I don't want you and him...." Stephanie paused to flick her head at David. "...to get married."

Lauren and David looked at each other, both with shocked expressions on their faces.

"Hey now, that wasn't very nice Steph. What's wrong? I thought you were looking forward to the wedding?" Lauren questioned with a shake of her head.

"I was, but I changeded my mind. I don't want you to marry him. I don't want you to marry anybody." Stephanie huffed as she turned to face her mother and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Why ever not?" David questioned her gently.

Stephanie turned her face to look at him and he gasped when he saw her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"'Cos you not going to want me around when you've gotten married and yous had kids of your own." She sniffed and turned back to look out of the window.

"What on earth gave you that idea?" David queried with a snorted laugh.

"Katy Baker said." Stephanie nodded. "She said you will send me to live with someone else once you get married and have your own baby, 'cos that's what her mummy and step-daddy have did to her. They sent her to live with her aunty and she don't like her 'cos she makes her do lots of chores."

"I see." David nodded then sniffed quickly while he watched Stephanie's tears start to roll over her rosy little cheeks. "Steph, I promise you that won't happen." He informed as he reached over, touched her arm then turned to look at a crying Lauren, quickly wrapped his right arm around her and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Your mommy couldn't ever do that to you again and any babies we do have are going to need a big sister to help babysit for them." David winked at Lauren.

"But Katy Baker says....." Stephanie hung her head and started to sob.

"Katy Baker is wrong sweetheart. Just because that's happened to her doesn't mean we're going to do it to you. Like David said, I couldn't leave you with anyone else again and when we do have our own babies, I'm going to need a big girl like you to help me. It's hard work being a mummy." Lauren shook her head while releasing herself from David's grip and leaning over to lift Stephanie into her lap.

"Finally." David breathed out a sigh of relief, returned his arm to Lauren's shoulders and listened to the conversation between Stephanie and Lauren.

"I wasn't going to talk to you about this now but perhaps I should." She paused to wipe Stephanie's face then her own. "Stephanie, do you know what adoption means?"

"Ah-ha." Stephanie sniffed and nodded. "It's when a baby isn't wanted by its real mummy and daddy. It gets given to another mummy and daddy, one that can't have babies of their own. My bestest friend, Nina's dopted, she telled me."

"I see." Lauren nodded. "Well that's normally how it works, but sometimes it works out like it did with me and your daddy. You understand?"

"I think so." Stephanie nodded. "You both wanted to keep me but when daddy got poorly he had to let you keep me 'cos he didn't want me to see him ill. He had Trudy to love him like you have Da... him. So now daddy's died I only have a mummy."

"That's right." Lauren nodded again. "Now, David and I have been talking a lot since daddy died and, if it's all right with you, David would like to legally adopt you once we're married."

David swallowed hard, watching the stunned child's face while she took in the information Lauren had just provided her with.

"Really?" Stephanie glanced at David as she questioned him. "You want to be my new daddy?"

"Yeah. I sure do." David replied softly and nodding lightly.

"Does that mean I'll have to call him Daddy?" Stephanie questioned Lauren as she made full eye contact with David for the first time since Monday morning.

"Not if you don't want to." David smiled and shook his head, then quickly wiped his eyes.

He took a few deep breaths and let them out slowly while she pondered for a moment.

"Would my name would change, I've just learned how to writed it?" Stephanie huffed slightly.

"Ah, not necessarily. You could add David's name on to the end of yours." Lauren smiled while pulling a piece of paper and a pen from her handbag. "Like this." She smiled as she wrote Stephanie's name and tagged 'Miller' onto the end.

"Stephanie Taylor-Miller." Stephanie nodded. "I like that." She smiled as she looked at David again then launched herself from Lauren's lap and threw her arms around David's neck and buried her face into his left shoulder while she apologised.

"It's ok." David sniffed and smiled at Lauren through tear-filled eyes while his right hand gave her left a gentle squeeze and his left arm wrapped around a gently crying Stephanie.

"What you crying for?" Stephanie questioned as she sat on David's knee and spotted a few tears making their escape. "Katy Baker says........" She stopped and shook her head quickly. "You know what?" She questioned David.

"What?" He sniffed loudly in response.

"I don't care what Katy Baker says anymore. She's just mean and stupid." Stephanie narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose, shaking her head vigorously as the train pulled into the station.

David laughed as he stood up with Stephanie's arms wrapped around his neck while Lauren took hold of his right hand and smiled as they stepped off the train, walked through the station and stepped into the car that Trudy had sent to pick them up.

For her young age, Stephanie coped tremendously well with the funeral and only really sobbed out loud as the coffin disappeared through the little door while the long black curtains closed around the platform. She managed to walk out of the chapel between David and Lauren, holding their hands tightly while they read the cards on the multitude of flowers that had been sent. A short walk lead them back to the car and they were driven back to the house where Stephanie immediately ran to her father's office and curled herself up on his large office chair and quickly scanned the desk for the remote control to her father's music system. She searched through the library, found the song she wanted, pressed the play button and rocked herself from side-to-side with a gentle smile on her face while she listened to R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts".

"Stephanie sweetheart, can I come in?" Trudy questioned from the doorway as the song came to an end.

"Sure." Stephanie sniffed loudly as she nodded.

She almost wiped her nose on the sleeve of her black dress until she spotted the box of tissues on the desk.

"Listening to one of your daddy's favourite songs huh?" Trudy smiled at the nodding little girl who looked lost in the huge seat. "Where are your mummy and David?"

"In the garden." Stephanie smiled and pointed out of the window. "I told them I wanted to come in here and be on my own for a little while."

"Oh, I see." Trudy nodded. "Stephanie, I was wondering if there was something of your daddy's that you would like to take home with you."

"The ring." Stephanie nodded almost immediately.

"The one you bought him for Father's Day two years ago?"

Stephanie smiled and nodded.

"Ok. Let's go and find it." Trudy smiled as she offered a hand for her to hold.

Stephanie jumped down from the chair, took the hand Trudy offered and walked up to her father's bedroom then watched while Trudy opened the safe and pulled out his jewellery box.

There wasn't much beyond the large amount of cufflinks, the everyday and dress watches, a man's thin gold neck chain and a gold hoop ear-ring that Nick hadn't worn since he was in his early twenties.

"Here it is." Trudy smiled while holding up a small black box.

Stephanie nodded and smiled when she saw the eighteen carat white gold crisscross diamond set signet ring.

"What are you going to do with it? Would you like to wear it around your neck on this?" Trudy asked while holding up the neck chain.

"No." Stephanie smiled and waved her hand asking for Trudy to come close enough for her to whisper.

Trudy listened while Stephanie explained what she intended to with the ring.

"That's a lovely idea sweetheart." Trudy nodded while cupping the worried looking little girl's face. "I'm sure your daddy would be very happy for you to do that." She stood again and returned the box to the safe and locked it. "And I would like you to have this to keep for yourself." She smiled again as she turned back to Stephanie and held up the chain again.

Stephanie nodded and lifted her hair so that Trudy could fasten the chain around her neck, they gave each other a long comforting hug then left the bedroom and went back downstairs to find Lauren. Stephanie pulled her away from an inquiring David, quickly showed her mother the ring and told her what she planned to do with it and asked her to look after it for her until then as she dropped the box into Lauren's handbag.

"If we plan on getting home before midnight we erm......we really need to be leaving now." David shrugged as he came to Lauren's side and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Guess so." Lauren nodded then instructed Stephanie to go and say goodbye to Trudy.

Trudy smiled and crouched down to give her step-daughter a hug then walked over to Lauren and David to say goodbye.

"Thank you for coming. Erm.......Would you mind if I continued to send Stephanie gifts for her birthday and at Christmas?" She asked with a slightly worried smile.

Her smile broadened when Lauren said it would be fine while they walked to the car that would take them to the train station. They made it just in time and sat in their seats just as the train started to move. Lauren rested her head against David's right shoulder and smiled up at him while Stephanie made herself comfortable on his lap and quickly fell asleep.

David huffed a little laugh as he watched Stephanie fall asleep with the loop of the neck chain clutched tightly in her left hand. He returned the smile Lauren gave him, wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, dropped a kiss on her forehead then settled down to get some sleep.

The clock on the chimneybreast of David's house had just ticked over to half past eleven by the time they arrived home and walked upstairs to bed.

"Both for you." Sébastien huffed as he dropped two long narrow envelopes down on the kitchen table in front of Emma.

"What's wrong now?" Emma questioned without looking at the letters.

"Nothing." Sébastien grumbled in French while he shook his head and flicked his copy of 'Le Figaro' open.

He poked his head round the side of the paper to see Emma looking at the letters trying to decide which one to open first.

"Are you going to sit there all day looking at them? They won't open themselves." He snapped again as he reached to snatch the letters.

"Hey!" Emma moved quicker and moved them from his reach. "What the hell is up with you again this morning? You've been like a bear with a sore head for the past two days now. Have I done something wrong?"

"Well since you ask, why are you still using your maiden name?" He asked with an audible sniff while nodding toward the letters Emma clutched tightly in her hand. "Or is my name not good enough?"

"We've been through this Seb, you know if I use your name at work it's going to attract unwanted attention. You agreed that I should keep to my maiden name at work remember? I do use it at all other times."

"Yeah. Well. I can change my mind can't I?" Sébastien huffed and raised the paper back in front of his face.

"Are we still going to look for furniture for the guest room?"

"I'm not bothered if we are or not!"

"Seb. What's wrong? Why are you being so snappy with me?"

"There's nothing wrong." He snapped again and folded his newspaper in an untidy fashion, laid it on the table and stood to storm out of the kitchen.

He made his way down the garden and stood on the entertainment area with his chin on his chest while he pulled at the cover of the barbeque and tried to focus on just breathing. He couldn't face looking at Emma right now, he knew she would immediately see the battle that raged within him reflected in his eyes. He startled slightly when he felt Emma stand beside him.

"Seb, what's really wrong?" Emma asked while she rubbed his back lightly. "You're not like this just because I'm not using your name at work. Please talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

"Can't." Sebastien shook his head quickly, dropped his hands to his sides, grabbed hold of Emma's left hand and held it tight while he raised his eyes to the sky.

"Seb?"

"Erm......Erm......Je ne peux pas, Emmy. Je ne peux pas." Sébastien sobbed and turned his head away from her.

"Seb please." Emma begged. "You look totally exhausted and I'm starting to get worried here because you've hardly touched your meals the past two days. Take some long, deep breaths and calm down will you please." She instructed as she squeezed his hand.

Sébastien did as she requested but still couldn't bring himself to face her when he started to speak. "We.....We're never going to be able to have children Emma, not ever." He informed with a quick shake of his head, his bottom lip trembling violently as he spoke.

"Why ever not? Everything works perfectly." Emma shook her own head in reply.

He finally turned to face her and heard a loud gasp escape from her mouth when she saw the state of his tear-streaked face. He lowered his chin to his chest and breathed deep once more before continuing to speak.

"Beca......Because I found a lump on......you know, down......down there while I was in the shower the other morning." He managed to inform through his sobs while he waved his hand haphazardly in front of his groin. "I don't think I got a single hour's sleep last night or the night before because......Je suis tellement peur de ce qu'il est.......I....I'm so scared of what it is Emma."

He closed his eyes and screwed them tight together when he felt Emma pulling him gently into her arms and rocking him gently from side-to-side while she tried to sooth him. She groaned a little when his arms flew around her waist and he squeezed a little too tight.

"You should have said something straightaway." Emma shook her head at him. "Is that why you didn't want to make love to me the last two nights?"

"I know. I'm sorry." Sébastien informed with his forehead pressed against Emma's left shoulder. "I did want to. I just......I just......."

"Shhhhhh. It's ok Seb, it's ok." Emma soothed. "Now what makes you think we're not going to be able to have children?"

Sébastien managed to compose himself then raised his head to bring himself face-to-face with Emma.

"I checked out what they would do to get rid of it, on the internet. They take everything away Emma and put a fake one in its place." Sébastien shook his head vigorously and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the mere thought. "Oh mon Dieu Emmy. What am I....What are we going to do?"

"The first thing you're going to do is calm down." Emma insisted as she looked at him softly and tried to wipe his tears away.

"I never thought.....never thought I would get ca......" Sébastien paused to swallow hard as the word stuck in his throat. He took a deep breath and tried to force the word out. "....can...ca. See I can't even say the God damned word."

"Hey now. Shhhhh. Jumping the gun a little aren't you cher? You don't know for sure that's what it is." She informed, still wiping his face "It might not even be a tumour you know." She sighed as she looked at his questioning face. "It could be something else entirely, a cyst perhaps, and they're pretty easy to deal with. And even if it does turn out to be a malignant lump, you do have two you know and it's perfectly possible for you to get me pregnant with just one."

"You're sure about that?" Sébastien questioned as he calmed a little more and his breathing began to ease to its normal rythmn.

Emma closed her eyes and nodded.

"Ok. I'm sorry Emma. I...I should have checked the information better, shouldn't I?" He sniffed.

"It's ok. It's just you and your typical knee-jerk reaction. You always assume the worst don't you?"

"Oui, guess I do." Sébastien nodded as he linked his fingers through Emma's and held their clenched hands against his chest while he looked at her gently smiling face. He managed to smile and kissed the back of her hands when he saw the love she had for him reflected in her eyes.

"Come on you." Emma smiled, shook her head and pulled on his arms gently. "Let's go and make an appointment with your doctor and get this settled one way or the other."

"Ok." Sébastien nodded as he started to walk back to the house hand-in-hand with her. "Erm......What were your letters about? I noticed the return addresses on the back." He informed as she turned her face to look at him quizically.

"I passed the test, aced it in fact and I've been offered the job at the football stadium." Emma shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm going to be working with professional footballers by the end of the month."

"That's great news chérie. Well done. You deserve it." Sébastien managed to smile as he stopped walking, pulled her into his arms and gave her a firm but gentle kiss.

He pressed his forehead to hers as he released her and apologised for being so snappy and making her worry. He smiled when she squeezed his hand in reply and led him back inside. Still holding her hand tightly he called his doctor and arranged an appointment for later that afternoon.

Unable to think about anything else while he was in the house and realising he needed something to distract him, Sébastien grabbed hold of Emma's hand, pulled her gently to the car and drove her to what he knew was her favourite furniture store. They spent the next three and a half hours disagreeing on everything they looked at. If Emma loved the suite he hated it and vice versa. There seemed to be nothing they could agree on and tempers were beginning to fray when they walked up to the second floor and turned right.

The bedroom suite that greeted them made them both stop dead in their tracks. They quickly decided that the white solid wood suite consisting of a King-sized bed, two nightstands, a seven drawered dresser with a large mirror and a five drawer chest would look perfect in the room they had just painted the colour of almond shells.

By the time they had placed their order and delivery arrangements had been made it was time for them to head to the doctors office. Sébastien's driving was a little erratic and he heard several loud honks as he sat at traffic lights when they were on green. Eventually they arrived at the surgery and he had a very short time to wait before seeing the doctor.

He could almost feel how red his face went as he told his doctor what the problem was and replied that he wasn't in any pain when he was asked. He knew he went even redder when he had to drop his trousers and underwear so that he could be examined and he closed his eyes and hummed quietly while the examination was carried out.

After re-dressing himself, Sébastien sat down on the opposite side of the doctor's desk and held Emma's hand as they waited for him to speak. He listened intently as he was told that Emma was right, the lump was nothing more than a cyst and it really didn't need any treatment because it wasn't causing any problems, but he could arrange to have it removed if that was what Sébastien wanted.

Sébastien listened carefully to his options, quickly decided that, though it wasn't necessary, he would feel more comfortable if it was removed and arrangements were made for him to have a minor operation under local anaesthetic early the next day.

As they left the building Sébastien let out a huge sigh of relief, tugged Emma into his arms and kissed her with such energy that she stood almost breathless as he pulled away.

"Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Karamel Sutra?" He questioned with a suggestive grin as he pulled out of the car park.

"You really have to ask?" Emma giggled in reply.

Sébastien had to fight hard to stop himself flooring the accelerator on the drive home. He and Emma crashed through the front door with their lips seemingly fused together. Sebastien broke the kiss first and left Emma standing in their lounge, looking somewhat giddy while he headed for the kitchen, looking down at the bulge in his trousers as he opened the freezer door.

"Actually I've changed my mind." Emma's voice came from behind him.

He whirled round to face her, his eyes flying wide and his erection strengthening when he saw that she stood in the doorway wearing nothing more than her underwear.

".....I don't want the ice-cream. Just you." Emma smiled, unhooking the front-fastening, strapless bra and dropping it to the floor.

"Mon Dieu!" Sebastien whispered, watching her nipples harden in the cool room and kicking the freezer closed before he stepped towards her. "Can you remember where we made love the morning after our wedding?" She asked, quickly opening the buttons of his shirt, pressing her lips against each new exposed area of flesh as she did so.

"Oh oui." Sebastien nodded, his eyes closed as images of that morning ran through his mind. "Sur le sol, devant la cheminée dans le salon. Il en est ainsi de bonnes."

Emma raised her face to meet his, not caring that much that she understood little of what Sebastien had said, taking hold of his hand and leading back into the lounge where she'd lit the real flame fire. Both of them dropping to the floor, laying facing each other in front of it once she'd rid him of his trousers.

Sebastien's hands sliding slowly up the whole length of Emma's body, making goosebumps rise all over her. Her fingers finding the scar on his leg, running slowly across it while they French kissed. The fingers of his left hand pinching her right nipple, a low moan escaping from the back of Emma's throat when he moved his mouth there and nipped it between his teeth.

"So good." Emma sighed as she was pushed onto her back, Sebastien quickly following her.

"It's about to get even better." He grinned then trailed the softest of kisses down her throat, across her chest and abdomen,

His hand moving down and under the silk she still wore, feeling her more than ready for him, his fingers gliding teasingly through her folds before they found her opening. Her back arching high when his thumb found her clitoris, feeling her orgasm so tight around his fingers that he gasped himself.

Moving his hand away and quickly removing her knickers and his own underwear, finally releasing the pressure. Seeing Emma look at what sprang out between legs before her eyes moved slowly up his body, taking her time to admire every inch of him, her arms held up and open wide.

"Non." Sebastien shook his head and huffed a quick laugh on seeing a look of disappointment spread across her face. "Not that way." He smiled, moved to a kneeling position between her legs, where he quickly hooked her legs over his hips and slowly eased himself inside until he was all the way in.

Moving back and forth slowly, his hands moving over Emma's body again, goosebumps rising once more. Her head rolling from side-to-side, her breathing rapidly growing ragged until she pleaded with him to take her.

More than happy to oblige, Sebastien moved his hands to hold her hips and quickly picked up the pace, feeling her grip around him with every stroke. A long, low growl followed by a soft scream of his name as she came.

"You didn't." Emma's head shook, attempting to get her breath back as she propped herself up on her elbows and looked at him again.

"Non. You know what I want. You're so good at it." Sebastien smiled and looked down to his still stiff penis.

Emma nodded, adjusted her position so that she knelt in front of Sebastien and spent a few moments kissing him, her hand gripping his manhood lightly, moving slowly up and down, feeling him twitch and fighting to keep himself from coming.

Knowing that he was so very close, she kissed her way down his body, listening to him release the breath he'd been holding as she took him into her mouth. Her tongue skimming around the head, her hand still moving up and down.

"Emmy.....s'il vous plait. Stop teasing me." Sebastien groaned, still holding back his fingers buried deep within her hair feeling her teeth rake lightly against the velvety skin, violent shudders coursing through his body.

Emma moaned and adjusted her mouth to suck him again, her head keeping pace with her hands until she felt him beginning to thrust again. She opened her mouth a little wider and closed her eyes, waiting to feel his release flowing down her throat. She did have long to wait and heard Sebastien groan her name long and loud as his hips moved forward one last time, finally delivering he'd kept from her for the last two days.

Emma licked her lips as she opened her eyes and saw Sebastien, sitting back on his folded legs, his head hanging, his chest rising and falling quickly as he regained his breath.

A few moments later, he raised his face to meet hers, smiled softly then quickly moved the both of them to lay in front of the fire again. After retrieving a blanket from one of the chairs, he covered their lower halves over and held her close as they drifted off to sleep.

_________________

"You want to eat what?!" Carlos questioned loudly and very wide-eyed.

"I think I said it clear enough." Karen shrugged. "Cheesecake with black olives on top."

"Ok. Sounds disgusting, but if that's what you want." Carlos scratched his head while backing away from Karen into the kitchen. "I'll go if see we've got those."

"Top shelf in the fridge." Karen shouted from her semi-recumbant position on the couch in the lounge.

Carlos decided to keep her waiting for moment or two, hoping that today's craving would pass.

He found Karen's pregnancy information book lying on the countertop and decided to have a quick look through it paying particular attention to a piece headed 'Diet & Cravings'. His eyes widened at some of the things pregnant women had reported they craved. There was everything from pickles wrapped in cheese, which didn't sound too bad, through salsa spooned straight out of the jar where others reported a desire to eat coal.

"Pregnant woman are muy, muy loco." He exclaimed to himself while he shook his head and continued read.

He opened the fridge door, blew out a long breath and gave his head quick flick to the right when he saw that the jar of salsa they had bought the previous day was still full, for now at least. The Lord alone knew what Karen would crave next. Yesterday it had been banana and ready salted crisp sandwiches she had requested.

He put the book down removed the large homemade cheesecake Karen had made the night before and the jar of olives from the fridge and set them down on the countertop. After opening the cupboard to get a plate, he paused while he held a small side plate in his hand then looked to the larger dinner plates, removed one of them and set both down on the counter. He removed a suitable knife from the block and cut two pieces of cheesecake, one for himself and a larger one for Karen then laid the knife in the sink. He picked up the jar of olives and moved to open them then shook his head.

"If she wants them on top of the cheesecake she can put them there herself. Yeuch!" He shuddered and grimmaced at the thought and placed the jar on Karen's plate with a large spoon.

He picked both plates up, found two forks and smiled as he walked from the kitchen to the lounge and handed Karen what she wanted.

"What's this?" She questioned as looked at the offering.

"What you asked for." Carlos shrugged.

"Where's the rest of it?" Karen asked seriously, spooning olives out of the jar and watching Carlos pull his face into a disgusted grimmace as she relished the first mouthful.

"The rest of it?" Carlos shook his head and looked at her blankly.

"The cheesecake. Where's the rest of it?"

"In the fridge." Carlos shrugged again while jabbing a fork towards the plate.

"Can you go and fetch it?"

"Que?!" He exclaimed loudly choking slightly and spluttering cheesecake down his t-shirt. "Are you serious? That peice you have there is almost twice the size of........" He began then rolled his head on his neck as he stood and started to move toward the kitchen again when he saw the insistant look on her face.

"Gotcha!" Karen giggled as he reached the door. "Your face." She laughed a little louder as he turned round to face her with a playful glare on his own.

"That was not funny." He informed as he leaned of the back of the couch and placed a quick kiss on her forehead. "Pins and needles again?" He questioned as he watched Karen shake her right hand then flex it.

"Uh-huh. The right one's worse than the left." Karen nodded. "Do my wrists look swollen to you?" She asked, holding her arms up in front of her.

"Quite a lot." Carlos nodded in agreement. "Do they hurt? They look painful." He asked with a smile of concern while resuming his seat next to her and holding her hand lightly in his own.

"A little. Might be Carpel Tunnel Syndrome." Karen nodded. "I'll have a word with my doctor about it after the scan." She nodded as she raised her head to look at the time. "Talking of which we have to go." She smiled as she stood and linked hands with Carlos as they left the house and walked towards the car.

The drive to the hospital took less that twenty minutes and they arrived for the scan amid much excitement.

"What's going on?" Karen asked a heavily pregnant woman as she sat down beside her.

"They have a new 3D ultrasound scanner. It's up and running for the first time today."

"3D?" Carlos queried as he handed Karen a bottle of water.

"Fantastic detail." Karen nodded. "Even facial features if we're lucky."

Before they knew it Karen was being called to the scan room and cold gel was being moved over her stomach. They both watched as the sonographer took a few measurements and laughed a little as she bit her lip while trying to get a good picture of the baby's face.

"Yes!" She yelled loudly as she captured a clear image "Want to say hello to the little one?" She smiled, holding the top of the screen.

Karen and Carlos nodded eagerly then looked at the screen in stunned silence as it was turned round to face them. They could see an almost perfectly formed face staring back at them with a tiny hand curled up against its right cheek.

"Wow! That's amazing." Karen smiled while Carlos continued to stare at the screen wide-eyed and open mouthed.

"How about knowing the sex?"

Karen and Carlos looked at each other and smiled then nodded their agreement to knowing what they were expecting. The probe was moved around a little more, quickly revealing the baby's gender.

Karen and the sonographer giggled quietly as they watched a huge smile spread slowly across Carlos's face. A handful pictures were printed, one was placed in Karen's notes then the remainder were handed over to her.

After adjusting her clothing Karen was taken through to see her doctor who looked at her notes, the measurements that had been taken, examined her thoroughly and gave her a due date of the 12th September. He then examined her wrists, confirmed she did have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and ordered some splints that she would have to wear for at least two weeks. He also advised her to avoid any activities that might worsen the symptoms.

With everything well in hand, the couple left the hospital and made their way home where Karen carefully and patiently instructed Carlos in the art of making a Spanish omlette. She smiled as she tasted it and kissed him gently before she told him that, for his first effort, it didn't taste too bad.

Karen cleared up the mess he'd made, put the dirty things in the dishwasher then made her way back to the lounge. She stopped in the doorway and smiled when she saw Carlos sitting on the couch with the scan photograph in one hand and the phone in the other. She listened while he spoke to his mother and told her most of what he'd seen that day.

"She's crying." Carlos informed with a quick sniff and shrug as he indicated the handset.

"You haven't told her what we're having have you? We did agree not to tell anyone."

"No. I do not be knowing how I'm going to be keeping my mouth shut, but I will say the nada on that subject." Carlos replied, his voice a whisper and his hand clamped over the mouthpiece while he listened to his mother composing herself.

He rattled off a few more words in Spanish then hung up, walked over to Karen, gently pulled into his arms and held her tight.

"Te quiero." He informed with slight crack in his voice just before giving her a kiss that left her weak at the knees.

"I love you too." Karen informed as she linked her arms around his neck and returned the kiss.

She smiled as she took hold his hand and lead him towards the bedroom where they spent the rest of the evening cuddled up on the bed, debating over names for their little one. Karen finishing of the cheescake and the olives a few moments before they decided to settled down to go to sleep.

"Muy loco, pero te quiero." Carlos informed with a quick laugh as he clicked of the bed side light, held Karen close, his left hand atop hers, resting comfortably on her stomach as they drifted off.

_______________

RE: Fire & Ice - The Sequel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Urs kicked his running shoes off at the back door before entering the kitchen and removing a large bottle of spring water from the fridge. He removed the lid, raised the bottle to his gasping mouth and took several long, hard pulls on the cold liquid before he heard an unfamiliar noise coming from the direction of the lounge. He paused to listen for a few seconds and was almost sure he heard:.

'Yo I'll tell you what I want, what I really really want,
So tell me what you want, what you really really want,'

"Nah!" He shook his head, raised the bottle to his mouth once more but continued to listen. "Ooookaaaay. Either I'm hearing things or Franky's lost it."

Still drinking from the bottle he walked across the kitchen and through the doors into the lounge. He startled as his ears were assaulted by...

'I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna really
really really wanna zigazig ha.'

"What ARE you doing?" He asked through his giggles when he spotted Franky sitting cross-legged on the floor about three feet away from the tv.

"Watching a DVD." Franky informed without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Of what?" Urs asked as he sat down beside.

"Harmony's first competion. Her parents sent it over to see if I could spot where she needs work. We're at the freedance....... Phew! My God Urs! Where have you been? You stink."

"Oh thanks!! I don't smell that bad." He pouted, sniffing at his t-shirt and watching the little girl whose extra ice-skating lessons Franky paid for. "Phew! Ok, maybe I do." His brow furrowed while he re-traced the new route he'd taken for his run, then remembered about the free-range pig farm. "I passed...."

"Don't wanna know the details. " Franky smiled as she shook her head at him. "Just please go and take a shower."

"Kiss me first." Urs asked with a smile as he leaned towards her.

"Dream on!" Franky yelled as she raised her hands to his chest and held him off.

"You know that's all you seem to be doing just lately, telling me to take a shower." He pouted as he stood and started to make his way to the bathroom.

"Well if you will run through areas like the one you so obviously have this morning, I will be always asking you to take a shower, won't I honey?" Franky smiled sarcastically. "You can avoid it though, there is the running machine in the gym."

"Boring!" Urs shouted from the third stair up the long flight of twenty-five that lead to the second floor of their home.

He listened for a second or two and laughed when he heard her giggling then turned and ran up the remaining stairs. After turning the shower on and removing his clothes, he stepped under the water and quickly set to work on freshening himself up. He looked down at the left side of his chest and sighed heavily when saw the large bruise that Franky had inflicted on him the night before during a particularly bad nightmare.

He'd discovered out that she ocassionally had nightmares a few days after they started sleeping together, but she would normally just wake up, sweating breathing hard and staring wide-eyed while she calmed down. She could never remember what the nightmares were about and last night had been the first time she'd ever lashed out and hit him.

She hadn't seen the bruise yet because he'd woken and gone for his run before she had even begun to stir and he hadn't said anything about it to her yet either. It looked a lot worse than it actually was and was quite painful, but the painkillers he'd taken before his run had taken care of his discomfort.

"Urs I wonder if.....if....." Franky's stopped speaking and her eyes flew wide when she saw the bruise.

"****!" Urs hissed quickly as their eyes met through the glass of the shower screen.

"Did I do that?" She questioned, dropping down on to the toilet.

Urs grabbed a towel but didn't bother drying himself but quickly wrapped it around his hips while leaving the shower. He ran his hands through his wet hair to push it all backwards then laid his hands on Franky's thighs as he squatted in front of her. He winced slightly and closed his eyes lightly as she touched him.

"Did I do that?" She questioned again.

Urs raised his face to meet hers and immediately saw the pain and distress she was feeling reflected in her eyes. He blinked slowly and covered the hand that lingered over the bruise with his right and squeezed gently before he spoke.

"No." He shook his head. "I just had a little accident while....."

"Please don't lie to me Urs." Franky interupted quickly and shook her head. "Tell me the truth."

Urs searched her face wondering how she knew he was lying. Was it that obvious? He cupped her face in his hands and sighed heavily as he watched her green eyes seemingly getting brighter in colour, the way he had noticed they always did when she was extremely upset. He knew the longer he kept her waiting, the more he was hurting her and he couldn't bear to see her like that.

"Ok." Urs closed his eyes and bowed his head as he drew in a deep breath. "You did it Franky. Last night. In bed." He informed then swallowed hard. "You didn't mean to, you were......"

"Don't" Franky shook her head vigorously as tears started to stream down her face. "I...I'm sorry. Tell me what happened."

Urs nodded and used his free hand to try and wipe her tears away.

"You were having one of your nightmares. I woke up to find you straddling me and trying to punch the living crap out of me. The weird thing was you looked like you were wide awake and I shouted your name several time, but it just didn't seem to register. Nothing did. I managed to grab hold of your left arm but you got a couple of really hard punches in before I managed to get hold of your right."

Urs paused to take a breath. He tutted and shook his head as he watched Franky's tears continue to stream down her face. As soon as he wiped one away it was immediately replaced. If she had made a noise as she breathed, he would have said she was sobbing.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I should stop." Urs sniffed and blinked rapidly against the tears that pricked his own eyes.

"No. I want to know." Franky sniffed and swallowed hard before closing her eyes. "Please Urs."

"All right." He nodded and moved his hands to hold Franky's tightly in his own. "I didn't want to hurt you and somehow I managed to get out of bed and away from you. I stood over near the bedroom door and watched you. You.....You just kept pounding on the pillows with everything you had while you screamed 'Leave me alone' at the top of your voice. Then, as suddenly as you'd started, you stopped, settled back down like nothing had happened and slept peacefully in my arms for the rest of the night."

"I'm sorry." Franky sniffed and shook her head.

"Come here." Urs insisted as he stood and gently pulled her up into his arms. "It's ok. I know you didn't mean to do it. You didn't know what you were doing. It's really not as bad as it looks." He informed while he stroked the back of her head and rocked her from side-to-side.

He held her tight and soothed her while she cried for a few moments then loosened his grip as she pushed herself away from him.

Franky dried her eyes, took a few deep breaths then closed her eyes before she spoke again.

"You're sure about what I shouted?" She asked, her breath faultering as she breathed and her eyes darkening once more.

"Positive." Urs nodded. "Why? Does it mean something to you?"

"Yeah." Franky sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "Get dressed and come downstairs to the kitchen, I'll tell you. I just need to check something."

Urs dried himself quickly, rubbing himself vigorously with the towel rather than patting himself gently, then slipped into clean boxers and jeans. He pulled his second favourite t-shirt over his head while he ran down the stairs and made his way into the kitchen. He walked in to find Franky seated at the kitchen table with the middle finger of her right hand running up and down just above the nape of her neck.

"Sit down." Franky attempted a smile and indicated the seat next to her. "Have you ever noticed this scar I have back here?" She questioned while raising her eyes to Urs's.

"No." He shook his head then watched as Franky turned in her seat and pulled her hair away from the scar.

Urs stood so that he could get a closer look and gasped when he saw a scar that measured about two inches long.

"I would never have known that was there if you hadn't showed me." Urs shook his head as he sat back down. "What happened? How did you do it?"

"I didn't do it." Franky closed her eyes and shook her head as she turned back round to face him. "Someone else did. Six years ago. Six years ago last night, I realised after checking the calendar." She paused to breathe deep then launched into her story.

"That day wasn't a good day from the beginning. It poured with rain most of the day, my father was really ill with flu and my mother was occupied with taking care of him. I'd had a busy day at the garage and it was pretty late by the time I locked up and started to walk home. I hadn't passed my bike test at the time and home wasn't that far away so I decided to walk it rather than get soaking wet waiting for the bus. I was almost home when this figure jumped in front of me. He was dressed head-to-toe in dark clothes and the streetlight wasn't working so I couldn't see his face or anything. He grabbed me, dragged me into the front garden of an empty house and pushed me to the ground. That's when this happened." She shrugged and ran her finger across the scar again.

She smiled as Urs reached across the table and linked the fingers of his right hand with those of her left before she said anymore

"I hit my head on the edge of the doorstep as I fell. This guy dropped himself on top of me and had me pinned down or so he thought. I knew what he was going to because I could feel.......feel his arousal against me. He wasn't very strong and he'd underestimated how strong I was. While he was tugging at my clothes, I managed to free my right arm and punched him hard on the chest God knows how many times while I screamed at him to leave me alone." She paused to sniff and allowed Urs to wipe away the tears that ran down her face before she continued.

"Somehow I managed to get him off me and I escaped. I ran the rest of the way home to find my parents already in bed and fast asleep. I took a quick shower, went to bed myself and never said a word to anyone about what had happened. Dad was feeling well enough to open up the next day, but I wasn't. I just told my mother I had migraine because I had an awful headache, though it was probably concussion. I had the nightmare almost every night for a month before things started to settle down. Now, for some reason, I only have it on the anniversary. It's like my brain subconsciously knows what the date is and there's nothing I can do to stop it."

Urs flew out of his chair as she finished speaking, pulled her into his arms again and held her tight while she cried again and he recalled what Anthony Strawson had once said to him and what he'd seen him to do her while she was unconscious.

"I don't remember you having it last year." Urs shook his head as they sat back down with their hands layered on top of each other.

"You were on tour and I wasn't with you. Remember that night you called and I was really tired." Franky reminded and attempted a smile.

"Yeah, of course I do." Urs tutted as he nodded. "You never told anyone about it?"

"No." Franky sighed and shook her head. "There wouldn't have been much point reporting it to the police. I seriously doubt they wouldn't have found anything anyway and I couldn't describe the man. I just told my parents that I'd slipped on wet leaves and the nightmares were due to me watching a very scary horror movie. It was the one and only big lie I told them. I knew they didn't believe me, but I never changed the story."

"I think it was Anthony." Urs informed after taking a deep breath, then reminding Franky of what Anthony had said to him when they'd both been held captive.

"More than likely." Franky nodded then shook her head. "I just can't be certain it was him."

The couple talked for a few moments and agreed that Franky should say something to her doctor on her next visit, perhaps talking to a counsellor would help.

"Now, you go and get some clothes on." Urs smiled when he noticed that she still wore her pyjamas. "I've something special planned for us today." He informed after he'd kissed her gently. "Don't even bother asking." He laughed before she could say anything.

Franky did as he requested then stepped into the car he had recently bought. They chatted back and forth about various subjects while Urs drove and even managed to get into a small argument about how the nursery should be painted.

Urs suggested soft, pastel colours while Franky said that if he'd read the same book she had he would have noticed that babies can't see that spectrum and bright colours would be better. They agreed not to discuss it any further that day as Urs pulled the car into the driveway of a very large house.

Franky smiled on seeing a sign that informed that it was a health spa and Urs informed her that he had arranged for her to have a pregnancy massage while he was to have a full body massage and anything else they fancied while they were there.

Franky spent a whole hour under the ministrations of a very experienced maternity massuese and it was easy for Urs to see how relaxed she was as they left. By the time they returned home she was fast asleep in the passenger seat and he had to carry her into the house and up to bed where they both slept until quite late the following morning.

______________

Six weeks later - David and Lauren's wedding day - 18th April

Sébastien had his operation and recovered quickly. He had to laugh at the grimmaces Urs, Carlos and David pulled and the hissing noises they made while he told them all about it in minute detail.

Stephanie celebrated her sixth birthday and was over the moon when she woke up to find the clubhouse she had wanted, fully assembled and ready for use in the back garden of David's house. She hadn't wanted a traditional party, instead she opted to invite five of her closest friends from school for a Disney movie marathon and sleepover night.

"I still can't believe he's done this." Lauren sniffed as she sat on a cream coloured padded chair while the finishing touches were added to her hair and make-up. "Hiring two floors of this place just for us to get ready for the wedding. He's crazy." She sighed as a sparkling freshwater pearl and swarovski crystal tiara was nestled into her pinned up hair.

"About you, yes he is." David's mother informed with a smile as big as her son's while she cupped Lauren's face in her hands. "I'm just so happy that you stuck with him after......well you know." She shook her head as she waved her hand around nonchalantly. "Now, do you still want to wear these?" She questioned as she held up the choker and ear-rings she had borrowed Lauren previously, the smile becoming even bigger when she nodded.

Lauren smiled as the jewels were fixed in place then stood and moved over to where her dress hung. This time she'd chosen a white dress with a silver lace overlay. A pure silk underskirt topped with one made of lace and decorated with pearls showed just below the hem of the top layer of the dress.

"Mummy, David and the others are leaving." Stephanie shouted from her kneeling position on the white chaise longue that stood in front of the one of the mansion's full length windows.

Lauren leaned over her daughter and smiled as she watched six men climb into the carriage that was capable of carrying nine passengers. She shook her head as she recalled the minor argument they'd had. She had insisted that if she had to have a new dress he would have to wear a different suit. She nodded when she saw him dressed in the silver jacketed Prince Edward suit with its black trousers and navy blue cravat. His father, Carlos, Urs, Sébastien and Dale followed behind in suits of the same design but their jackets and cravats were cream in colour.

Lauren turned her head as the door opened and she watched as Franky walked into the room dressed in a 'sea mist' coloured criss-cross chiffon bodiced dress with spaghetti straps, v-neckline at the front and back and a pleated chiffon skirt. Karen, Emma and David's two sisters followed behind dressed in the same dress but in a light teal blue. All five women would be carrying arm bouquets made of white roses, white cymbidium orchids and white freesia.

"I suppose I'd better get my dress on then?" Lauren shrugged, undoing the cream silk robe she wore. She smiled as her mother removed the dress from its hanger and helped her into it.

"Wow! I think I like this dress better than the last one." David's mother exclaimed with the right side of her face cupped in her hand while Franky and Lauren's mother set to work on fastening the row of thirty silk covered buttons that held the dress in place. "I can't wait to see his face." She shook her head as the photographer was ushered in and a few group shots were taken.

"Will I do?" Lauren questioned her father as he stood in front of her wide-eyed and open-mouthed.

"You look.......stunning." He nodded and sniffed in reply. "We'd better get going." He sighed as he offered his crooked left arm.

Lauren nodded, linked arms with her father and took a deep breath as Franky handed her the hand-tied bridal bouquet of white oriental lillies.

A seemingly never-ending walk down the wide staircase lead the bridal party to the main entrance where two dark blue open landau's each pulled by a pair of white horses stood waiting. David's sisters and mother, Karen, Emma and Stephanie were assisted into the first. Franky, Lauren's parents and the bride herself stepped into the second.

"Stop worrying, everything's going to be fine." Franky soothed when she noticed Lauren looking upwards. "There's not a cloud in the sky and it's an unseasonably warm day. Just sit back, try to relax and enjoy the day." She giggled quietly.

Lauren smiled and put herself through one of the relaxation techniques she'd learned years ago. By the time the coaches pulled up near the waterfall her palms had stopped sweating and her heart no longer thudded in her chest. She sat where she was for a few moments and watched her mother and David's walk together down the stone walkway that the led to the edge of the river to find their seats. She smiled when she spotted David craning his neck trying to get a better view of what was happening. A few more photographs were taken as she left the landau and linked arms with her father again. She closed her eyes and nodded when he asked if she was ready.

The sound of Vivaldi's 'Guitar Concerto in D major' filled the air and Lauren slowly stepped forward. The gentle smile she saw on David's face slowly became one of astonishment the nearer she got to him. This time he was speechless as her father handed her over to him, his lips moved but not a sound came from them and only a quick dig in the ribs from a smirking Carlos to tell him that that the ceremony was about to begin got his attention.

Lauren and David both looked at each other and squeezed each other's hands a little as they reached the part about anyone having any objections to their marriage. They both breathed a long sigh of relief as nothing but the sound of the waterfall in the distance greeted their ears.

Lauren smiled and listened intently as David took a deep breath and spoke the vows they had agreed upon.

"I, David Earl Miller, take you Lauren Victoria Taylor to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live. In the presence of God and these our friends I take you to be my wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto you a loving and faithful husband so long as we both shall live."

He swallowed hard and nodded gently as he slipped the ring onto her slender finger then listened while she repeated the same vows to him and eased the ring onto his finger.

They turned to the right and retreated to sign the register closely followed by a quietly giggling Carlos and Franky as the song they'd heard just days before the wedding started to play. A song called 'The Prayer' originally performed by Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.

I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe
La luce che tu hai
I pray well find your light
Nel cuore rest
And hold it in our hearts.
A ricordarci che
When stars go out each night,
Eterna stella sei

The light you have
I pray well find your light
Will be in the heart
And hold it in our hearts.
To remember us that
When stars go out each night,
You are eternal star nella mia preghiera
Let this be our prayer
Quanta fede
When shadows fill our day
How much faith there is
Let this be our prayer

In my prayer
When shadows fill our day lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe sognamo un mondo senza pi violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, di fratern
We dream a world without violence
A world of justice and faith.
Everyone gives the hand to his neighbours
Symbol of peace, of fraternity la forza che ci
We ask that life be kind
Il desiderio che
And watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro
Another soul to love
The force his gives us
We ask that life be kind
Is wish that
And watch us from above
Everyone finds love
We hope each soul will find
Around and inside
Another soul to love let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer, just like every child need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so well be safe la fede che
Hai acceso in noi,
Sento che ci salv
Its' the faith
You light in us
I feel it will save us.

They reappeared holding each other's hands tightly and blushing furiously as they were greeted as Mr and Mrs Miller for the first time. Beethoven's 'Ode to Joy' played as they made their way back to the landau followed by Carlos and Franky, Urs accompanied Karen and Summer while Sébastien had Emma on his left arm and Katelyn on his right. Lauren's father escorted David's mother back up the aisle while his father crooked his arm for her mother.

A lavish reception in the mansion's grand ballroom went on long into the small hours of the following day and Stephanie was found curled up fast asleep under one of the tables when Lauren's parents decided it was time for them to leave.

"So how are we getting to the hotel?" Lauren questioned as they watched their last guest leave.

"We're not staying at a hotel tonight." David smiled broadly and shook his head. "We're staying here." He informed as he scooped her into his arms and carried her all the way to the second floor, into a larger suite than she had occupied the previous morning.

Lauren removed her shoes and took the tiara out of her hair while she looked around the navy blue and cream room in awe while David kicked of his shoes and removed his socks and cravat.

"Always full of surprises aren't you?" Lauren giggled as David spun her into his arms and set work undoing the buttons at the back of her dress while she teased his shirt from the waistband of his trousers and expertly flipped open the buttons before she pushed it to the floor.

"Seems I'm not the only one." He smiled, taking a step back and watching her dress finally slipped down her body to pool at her feet to reveal the handmade, lace embossed corset and lace topped hold-up stockings she wore underneath and feeling his trousers tighten considerable more than they had when he'd lifted her into his arms.

He placed his hands at her waist and lifted her with ease over the mountain of silk and lace then led her over to the King-sized mahogany four poster bed where he sat her, facing him, on his knees and nipped at her jawline gently while he unhooked the corset. He allowed the article to drop to the floor then quickly flipped Lauren onto her back and slowly inched her out of what little remained of her undergarments while kissing her steadfastly.

He groaned quietly when he felt Lauren's deft hands working at the fastenings of his trousers, then lifted himself away from her for a few seconds. While he pushed them and his boxers to the ground and kicked them off, she moved a little further onto the bed, placing herself in the middle where he quickly joined her.

"I'm sorry things didn't work out right the......" David began with a shake his head, pushing some hair off Lauren's face and looking into her happy eyes. He stopped when he felt Lauren's right index finger pressing firmly against his lips.

"Shut up." Lauren shook her head. "Shut up and love me Mr Miller."

"Ok. Mrs Miller." David nodded and covered her mouth with his own.

He kissed her passionately, their tongues taking time to search each other's mouth's. His hands moving lightly over her body until he found her breasts, cupping them, squeezing gently, his thumb gently teasing her nipples to hard peaks.

Breaking the kissing to kiss down her throat blazing a trail down to her chest. His tongue running lightly over the buds before he took one into his mouth, sucking and tugging gently, making her shudder and moan his name as he moved to tease the other one. The fingers over his right hand moving down slowly until he reached her sex, stroking slowly between her folds, finding her already wanting him inside her but deciding to slowly drive her crazy while they kissed again.

Hearing Lauren take deep breath and hold it as her orgasm reached its peak, her muscles gripping his fingers so tight, David had to bite his bottom lip hard to stop himself joining.

"I love you Lauren Victoria Miller." He whispered quietly in her right ear while he sucked on it's lobe, his hands now on her hips, taking her with him as he rolled onto his back.

"I love you too David Earl Miller." Lauren returned, gasping as she felt him slip himself slowly inside her, still holding her hips for a few seconds until they found a perfect rythmn.

Wondering what was going on when he stopped to sit up and seeing him smile as he unfolded her legs from under her to wrap them around him.

"Oh God!" She exclaimed, feeling her butt cheek pressing against his balls, knowing that he gone a little deeper as their rythmn picked up again.

David hold her close, his mouth locked with hers again, his fingers trailing up and down her spine, their breathing uneven, short moans escaping from each of their throats until Lauren screamed his long and loud as she came for a second time. David doing much the same a few seconds later, giving her everything he hadn't been able to since yesterday.

The two of them flopping back on the bed, chest to chest, David still buried inside his wife, kissing gently. Only finding their way under the covers once he'd softened and slipped out.

Holding each other tight, Lauren's head tucked under David's chin, they finally settled down to sleep for the first time as man and wife, just as the sun's first rays beamed through the window to warm their already flushed faces.

_______________

Almost two weeks later

"Which colour?" Urs asked, holding a large piece of leather in each hand.

"That one." Franky indicated his right hand without looking up from the side of the bike where she was trying to get a part into position.

"Ok. Bright, flourescent pink it is." Urs laughed in response.

"Bright flourescent pink! Where did you.......?" Franky's forehead furrowed as she raised her head to face him. "Oh very funny." She nodded when she saw that Urs actually held a piece of black leather in that hand, the other piece being red.

"What's wrong with you today angel?" Urs queried, squatting by her side, took hold of the part she was trying to fit in place, turned it around and pushed it into position. "You've been distracted since you did the accounts for the garage last night."

"I know, sorry." Franky sighed, pushing herself up off the floor and walking over to her workbench. "I thought it was me at first." She shook her head while opening a large box. "But I've checked the figures over five times and the books for the garage haven't balanced for a few weeks."

"But they always balance." Urs shook his head and moved to stand next to her.

Franky smiled as he jumped up to sit down on the workbench and tried to sneak a look in the box.

"I know, but for the last four weeks they haven't and I'm beginning to wonder if someone's been stealing from me."

"How much?"

"This week?" Franky questioned with a glance in Urs's direction. "Seventy pounds. I know it doesn't sound a lot but....."

"That's not the point." Urs interupted. "It mounts up and you pay those guys more than the going rate. It's not right Franky."

"I know. Gabe's coming round soon just to double-check everything before we go making accusations. He says has an idea where the money's going but he didn't say what that was."

"How much are you down all together?"

Urs watched her facial expressions as she calculated in her head. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but laugh out loud when her left eye closed and her head wobbled on her neck while she chewed on her bottom lip.

"One hundred and ninety five pounds." Franky informed with her hands on her hips. "What's so funny?"

"You are when you do that." Urs chuckled as he mimicked her actions and pulled her so that she stood between his dangling legs.

Franky laughed out loud then pressed her forehead to his as he pulled her closer so that her stomach pressed lightly against his.

"You know, I'm glad we decided to take this year off." Urs smiled as he moved his hands from her waist to cup the cheeks of her bottom. "Much as I love touring and everything that goes with it, it left me so tired and even confused some days. Fall asleep in one country and wake up on totally different continent." He grimmaced then shook his head. "It's a wonder I could remember who I was."

"Mmmm. I know." Franky nodded and started to run her fingers through his hair. "I can still remember how long you slept the first day ho...Did you feel that?"

"Sure did." Urs nodded as he looked down at Franky's abdomen and watched it twitch again as their baby kicked hard. "That still amazes me." He smiled and moved one hand to her stomach while her arms rested gently on his shoulders. They spent a few moments just looking at each other before Urs pulled her into a deep, lingering kiss. "I love you Francesca Grace Buhler, never forget that." He requested with a slow blink and quick nod.

"I won't." Franky sniffed and shook her head. "Now, are you going to finish covering that seat while I put the petrol tank on?" She questioned as she nodded towards the box.

Urs released her and watched as she finally opened the box and pulled out the restored tank. He curled the right side of his lip up when he saw the dark military green it had been painted.

"Nice work." Franky smiled after she'd given it a good inspection. "Remember it's restoration piece and it was military machine to begin with." She giggled on seeing the look of disgust on Urs's face.

Urs nodded and quickly set to work on covering the seat with red leather, knowing that it had originally been that colour. Once they'd fixed the tank and the seat in position, they filled the tank with a small amount of petrol, stood back and admired their handiwork. Franky pouted, knowing that she wouldn't be able to ride the restored Harley for some months and reluctantly handed the key over to Urs who accepted it with a huge smile on his face.

"Just remember it's not going to be as comfortable to ride as what you're used to and take it easy with the engine." Franky reminded as Urs kicked the bike to life on the first attempt.

Franky watched as Urs rode the bike from the garage and down the long drive that led to their home. He turned at the end, stopped and had a brief word with her expected visitor then rode back up well behind Gabriel's black Triumph Bonneville. Her brow furrowed when she saw that Gabriel had brought someone with him and watched as both figures dismounted the bike and removed their helmets.

"Got it going then." Gabriel shook his head as Urs rode into the garage.

"Did you ever doubt that I could?" Franky shrugged in reply.

"Weeeelll." Gabriel teased back. "Just a.....you know." He laughed while holding the index finger and thumb of his right hand about half an inch apart.

"Well that will teach you then." Urs lauged as he stood at Franky's side and shook Gabriel's hand.

"Ok enough. Why do you have Blair with you?" Franky questioned Gabriel with nod to the nervous young man who still stood near Gabriels' bike.

"He's your thief Franky. I caught him red-handed this morning." Gabriel informed with a heavy sigh.

"How much?"

"Twenty-five." Garbriel sighed again.

Franky shook her head and watched as Gabriel walked over to the scrawny young man to bring him to stand in front of her. She sighed almost as heavily while Gabriel held him in place then spoke firmly to him.

"I'm hoping you have a good explanation for your actions Blair. You are one of my best employees, I don't understand why you would feel the need to steal, not after five years employment with my father then me."

Blair lowered his head and stood wringing his hands together.

"Do you think I don't pay you enough?"

"No, Franky. It's not that." Blair shook his head. "You pay me very well, but I......I......I was really stupid when Lucy and I first got together. I bought all this stuff on credit to impress her and now I can't afford to pay everything back. She's pregnant and I'm getting letters every day threatening to send the bailiffs in. She doesn't know a thing. I've been hiding the letters at work, in my locker. Taking the money was easy, every time someone paid for a job with cash I would just keep a little for myself. The odd fiver here or there."

"I see." Franky nodded then sighed heavily. "Didn't you think I would realise that the money was missing.

"I knew." Blair nodded. "I thought maybe one of the newer guys would get the blame. Stupid huh?"

Franky ummed loudly and nodded. "Blair, you know you could have asked for help. It wouldn't be the first time I've leant money to an employee." Her head shook as she glanced at Gabriel. "So what do you think I should do with you?"

"Sack me I suppose and have me arrested." Blair shrugged with his hands firmly planted in the pockets of his jeans.

"I suppose I should, but I'm not going to." Franky shook her head and smiled as Blair's head snatched up. "You can keep your job as long as you agree to abide by certain conditions. I suppose you could call it being on probation. You will only work on the bikes, you will not be allowed to use the till under any circumstances and you will go to see a debt consellor to sort out your problems. Agreed?" She questioned.

"Agreed." Blair sniffed and quickly wiped his eyes. "Thank you Franky."

"I'll want to see proof mind." Franky informed, pointing a warning finger.

"Yeah. Ok." Blair nodded and managed a small smile. "What about what I took from you?"

Franky ummed and tapped her right thumb against her lips while she thought for a moment.

"Don't look at me." Gabriel shrugged as she looked to him for an idea.

"Me neither." Urs shook his head when she turned to him.

"So long as no more money goes missing from the till, I'll write it off." Franky smiled.

"Are you serious?!" Blair exclaimed loudly, his eyes flying wide as he spoke.

"Yes she is." Urs nodded after looking at Franky and quickly realising that she meant every word.

Blair thanked Franky again and said that he would make arrangements to see a debt counsellor as soon as he got home. Gabriel smiled and winked at her before placing his helmet on his head and roaring the Triumph out of the garage.

"You were too soft on him." Urs informed with smile and a huffed laugh that meant he was joking as he pulled Franky to stand in front of him again.

"Maybe I was." Franky shrugged as she pushed her hands into the back pockets of Urs's work jeans. "If he hadn't told me that Lucy was pregnant, I probably would have fired him. I blame all that mushy music I've listened to just lately. It's affected me somehow." She giggled, dropping a quick kiss on his lips.

Urs thought for a moment then remembered the how the four of them had spent a whole day working on some songs in the music room with her sitting at the far end, listening to them arranging what they wanted to record after they'd watched her dancing to Beyonce's 'Crazy In Love', performing the same dance she did in the video. Himself saying that he thought she'd done it much better.

"Hey! We do romantic, not mushy." Urs yelled, glaring playfully at her.

"Oh pardon me. Did I say mushy?" Franky batted her eyelashes while she held her hands at her chest. "I'm so sorry." She giggled and continued batting her eyelashes.

"You will be by the time I've finished with you. Come here you." Urs laughed in reply as he pulled her close and kissed her firmly. "Now say it. Say romantic."

"Mushy." Franky giggled.

"Romantic." Urs laughed as he kissed her again.

"Mushy." She teased again.

"Romantic." Urs growled, his forehead pressed against hers and his eyes narrowed.

"Mushy." Franky sighed dreamily.

"Roman.....You're doing it on purpose aren't you?" He questioned as he pulled back from another kiss.

"Don't know what you mean." Franky denied her eyes darkening and her cheeks flushing while she reached over Urs's left shoulder and pushed the button that would close and lock the garage door. "Not here, surely?" She questioned as she felt the indication of his want of her nudging against her thigh.

"Why not? It's just about the only place in the house we haven't christened yet." He informed with a wicked smile on his lips as he turned her around and lifted her onto the workbench and quickly pulled her t-shirt over her head, his eyes darkening and focusing on her naked chest while he removed his own.

Pressing his lips against hers, gently forcing his tongue into her mouth and groaning with pleasure when he felt her sucking on it while his hands occupied themselves with undoing the overall sleeves she'd tied around her waist. Hers slowly, teasingly undoing his fastenings.

Trailing soft kisses around her jawline, down her throat, over her chest and abdomen while she caressed him through the material of his boxers. Lifting her slightly and taking a step back to pull the overall and her knickers off together. Leaving her sitting there obviously wanting him while he removed his own clothes. Reclaiming her mouth once he'd lowered her onto her back and they were joined together.

Moving his hips slowly while his mouth nipped, sucked and tugged at her nipples. Running his tongue over them slowly, the two of them groaning at the pleasure it brought, pregnancy had made them so very sensitive.

Feeling her hands glide over him from his shoulders, down his back until they reached his butt where she stroked and squeezed. His pace suddenly quickening when she squeezed hard enough to dig her nails into the flesh. Delighting in the mild pain she inflicted, driving himself harder and faster, holding back his own release until he'd heard the familiar scream of his name and felt her shatter around him. Hearing it once more, this time mingled with his roar of hers and feeling her grip him tight as he drove himself into her one last time and spilled everything he had inside her.

Supporting himself on his arms, feeling the now familiar sting of tears and kissing her gently to stop them falling. Wondering why he always felt like crying after making love with Franky and looking deep into her eyes a long time after he'd softened and slipped out. Seeing nothing but her complete love for him while she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Now say it." Urs commanded breathlessly. "Say romantic."

"Romantic." Franky returned in a deep, husky voice before she stood.

Urs growled playfully and shook his head at her teasing. The two of them gathered up their clothes, ran into the house giggling and naked through the kitchen and up to the ensuite to take a shower together before preparing dinner and settling down, snuggled up against each other on the couch to watch whatever grabbed their mutual interest on the television.

_______________

"Are you happy with the facilities?" Emma's new boss queried while he kept his attention focused on the sixteen men who ran around the football pitch.

"They're fantastic Mr Rockington......Brice." Emma replied, doing much the same but paying particular attention to the man in last place. "Certainly better than what I had at the hospital."

"Good. You see some problem with Fabian?"

"He's limping slightly on his left leg. Looks like there's a hamstring problem."

"He strained it two weeks ago. Still giving him problems by the look of it." Brice nodded then indicated for the trainer to call the team in.

"I'll take a look at him once you've introduced me." Emma nodded and continued to watch the tall, dark haired man limping behind the rest of his teamates.

Emma took a few deep breaths and gathered herself together as she prepared herself to be introduced to the local football team.

"Boys, for once in your lives behave like gentleman and say hello to our new physio-therapist, Emma Harper." Brice commanded as he stood by Emma's side with his hands held behind his back.

Emma smiled wryly and shook her head as she received the litany of wolf whistles and suggestive looks she had been expecting. She shook hands and nodded as Brice introduced each man by name as they moved down the line. She laughed out loud as one handsome fair haired, blue eyed player asked if she was married.

"There he goes again." Fabian laughed at the man he was standing next to. "Bang! Direct and to the point, that's our Jarvis." He grunted as he playfully ruffled the younger man's hair.

"What?" Jarvis shrugged. "Better to get straight to the point rather than pussyfoot around the issue like you do Fab." He teased Fabian in reply.

"All right you two that's enough." Brice shook his head, laughing at Fabin and Jarvis. "Fabian, Emma wishes to see you about your leg." He paused as more wolf whistles issued forth. "The rest of you get back to training."

Fabian nodded and moved away from the group to walk alongside Emma as they made their way to the physio-therapy room. She unlocked the door and asked him to remove his tracksuit bottoms so that she get a good look at his leg.

"They're not a bad lot in the main." Fabian informed with a smile while Emma rubbed her cold hands together to warm them up a little. "Just be careful around Zane."

"Why would I want to be doing that?" Emma replied, running an experienced hand up the back of Fabien's left thigh.

"Has a temper does our Zane. Hates being injured."

"I see. Don't worry, I can take good care of myself and I don't take any nonsense. If he starts, I'll dump him on his ass." Emma winked confidently then nodded. "How did this happen."

"Went to kick the ball and ended up kicking frozen ground instead." Fabian shrugged as he laughed.

"Well that was clever." Emma nodded, pulling a tape-measure out of her tracksuit pocket and measuring the widest part of his thigh. She moved over to a wall where she'd already organised some of her equipment.

"I want you to wear this all the time except when you go to bed." She informed as she slipped a tubular support up his leg.

"That feels different to the last one I had on. Is it supposed to feel warm?" Fabian's brow furrowed as he questioned her.

"Yes it is." Emma confirmed with a smile and a nod. "It's a thermal support. How does it feel?" She questioned after he'd stood up and taken few steps.

"Brilliant. Can barely feel it now." Fabian smiled and nodded, slipping his tracksuit bottoms back on. "So erm......Are you married Emma?"

"Yes I am." Emma closed her eyes and nodded with a gentle smile on her face, indicating the rings that none of the men seemed to have spotted.

"He's a very lucky man whoever he is." Fabian nodded and sighed heavily. "He erm......I'm sorry......I promised myself I wouldn't let it affect me at work." He sniffed, fiddling with the silver band that encircled his left ring finger.

"You're married too?" Emma questioned while perching herself on the edge of her desk as she waited for the computer to come to life.

"I was." Fabian nodded sadly. "I'm really sorry.......I should be getting back to training not burdening you with my problems on your first day." He shook his head and quickly left the room.

Emma watched him leave then moved around to sit at the computer. After updating Fabian's medical records, she connected to the internet to see what she could find out about him. Several sites appeared on screen, but some screamed at her. She clicked on the top one and started to read the story of how his wife of three years had been knocked down by a speeding motorist while on a night out in London with him and his recently married brother.

Tears welled in her eyes as she read that Gini Godwin was taken to hospital following the accident but was pronounced dead on arrival. An examination by the coroner the following day revealed that she had been approximately two months pregnant, though she hadn't mentioned anything to her husband.

"Sad story huh?" Emma heard Brice questioning over her shoulder.

"Yeah. When did it happen?" Emma nodded.

"The third of January this year." Brice informed through a heavy sigh.

"Oh." Emma nodded as she allowed her tears to run down her face. "The same day I married my husband." She sniffed and attempted a smile on catching Brice's quizical look.

"I see. She was a great girl too." Brice nodded and closed his eyes but kept a gentle smile on his face as he continued to speak. "Kept Fabian on the straight and narrow. Never made demands on his time or took him for granted, attended every game he played in and made sure he followed the doctor's instructions to the letter whenever he was injured." He stopped speaking and opened his eyes. "You didn't smell alcohol on his breath when you examined him did you?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "What was his........?"

"Whiskey." Brice interupted.

"Has he talked to anyone about what happened? A counsellor perhaps?" Emma questioned.

"No. Other than telling the police what happened, he refuses to talk about it. We've had him to almost every counsellor and psychiatrist we could find, but he just sits there with his arms folded across his chest and refuses to make eye contact with anyone. Prefers to bottle it all up and let it rage inside."

"Reminds me of someone I know." Emma informed with a wry smile. "Tell you what, leave it with me. I think I know someone who might be able to help."

"Pfft! Good luck." Brice huffed as he left the room.

Emma smiled and removed her mobile from the pocket of her tracksuit while she checked the time. If she was lucky she would catch him just before he arrived at work. She found his number and waited patiently for him to answer.

"Good morning Madame Izambard, what can I do for you this fine morning?"

"Hello Adam." She smiled when she heard the voice at the other end. "I have a challenge for you."

"Do tell. In the strictist confidence of course."

Emma told Adam the full story and sighed when she heard him sniff then made arrangements for him to come to the stadium on his next day off which would be in a week's time. She hung up just as someone knocked on her door. She stood and moved quickly to open the door. Her mouth curved into a huge smile when a glass vase containing a wonderful display of Roses, Irises, Lillies, Aster and other flowers was pushed into her hands. She found the card quickly and blushed as she read.

'Enjoy the new job, but not too much. I bought the Pfish Food.

All my love.
Seb. XXXX'

After setting the display down on her desk and taking a quick sniff of the flowers she left her treatment room and headed back to pitchside in case there was an injury during training.

_______________


"Merde!" Sébastien yelled when he heard the persistant pounding on his front door.

He cursed profusely in French as he turned the shower off and quickly slipped back into his jeans, not bothering to put his boxers back on. He ran down the stairs and threw the front door open just in time to see Emma's brother raising his hand ready to knock again.

"Is Emma in Seb?" Brett asked quickly.

"Non." Sébastien shook his as he watched the large man cross the threshold without being invited to do so. "She started her new job this morning.

"Of course she did. I forgot" Brett tutted while he paced back and forth in the lounge. "Erm......I erm. I really need to get hold of her quickly." He sniffed and blinked quickly.

"What's wrong Brett?" Sébastien questioned while looking at Brett's tear filled eyes and seeing his distressed state.

It was pretty obvious there was something very wrong as his brother-in-law had come out in his house slippers, his t-shirt was on inside out and back to front and he wore the same dirty jeans he'd had on the day before when he'd helped his grandfather with some gardening.

"Mum." Brett nodded. "Erm......She was mugged on her way to work this morning. In the little alleyway she uses as a cut-through."

"Merde!" Sébastien shook his head. "How bad is she?"

"Pretty bad. Beaten and bruised and they think she may have a fractured skull. Erin and Glenn are with her, but I really want to get Emma there too."

"Ok. Just let me get some clothes on and we'll go and get her."

Brett nodded and continued to pace while Sébastien ran upstairs, pulled any old t-shirt from his wardrobe and hunted for a pair of shoes while he slipped it on. He found the shoes he was looking for and fumbled with the laces slightly once he'd put them on. After grabbing his mobile and car keys off the nightstand, he ran back down to Brett and the left the house almost at a full run as they made their way to Sébastien's car.

"Why didn't you call Emma on her mobile?" Sébastien queried as he pulled onto the main road.

"I only have her number on my mobile and I erm.......I dropped it last night and smashed it." Brett sniffed.

Sébastien nodded, handed over his mobile and listened as Brett tried to contact his sister while he struggled to keep to the speed limit as he drove. He cursed again as Brett informed that it was engaged.

Luckily the morning's rush hour traffic had dissipated allowing him to get to the other side of town very quickly. He didn't bother with finding a parking space, but just pulled the car to a screeching halt at the front of the stadium and ran into the reception area with Brett close at his heels.

"My wife" Sébastien informed quickly. "I need someone to fetch her right now. It's urgent." He informed the stunned young man who sat behind the reception desk.

"And your wife is?" The man queried.

"Emma Izambard." He informed, forgetting that she was using her maiden name at work.

"No. Don't have an Emma Izambard working here."

"Harper. Emma Harper." Brett corrected with a glance at a cursing Sébastien.

The man nodded, picked up a microphone and asked for Emma Harper to report to the reception area over the stadium's tannoy system.

Both men watched the door marked 'Staff Only' and ocassionally looked at each other while they waited for her to appear. She stepped through the door with a smile on her face, but that soon disappeared when she saw the two men and the distressed looks on their faces.

Emma listened carefully to what Brett told her while Sébastien told the receptionist what had happened and that Emma would not be back at work today. She walked in stunned silence to the car between the two men and only allowed her tears to fall once she'd fastened her seatbelt.

She stared blankly at the floor of Sébastien's car as he drove back through the traffic lights barely noticing that he hit every one just as it turned to red and paid no attention when he swore out loud.

Almost half an hour later he dropped Emma and Brett at the entrance to the Accident and Emergency department then went to park the car. He ran from the car, into the hospital and asked where Emma was. He took a few deep breaths as he was escorted through to where Emma's mother was being treated by her colleagues.

"How can this happen now?" Emma sobbed as she stepped into Sébastien's arms. "After all these years, why did it have to happen on her last day of work?"

"I don't know." Sébastien sniffed while he held her tight and looked at the woman who was supposed to retire later that day.

He closed his eyes and shook his head when he realised that she had obviously taken a severe beating. Both of her eyes were blackened and almost swollen shut. Her nose was bloody, she had a large gash over her left eye and it was apparent that whoever had attacked her had ripped her ear-rings from her ears. The right side of her lip was split and swollen. Wires led from her chest area to a heartbeat monitor that beeped a quiet rythmn.

A groan from the bed made Emma move back to her mother's side.

"Mum." Emma smiled and quickly wiped her eyes as her mother's eyes flickered open a little.

"Emma. My little girl." She whispered and raised a hand to stroke her daughter's face. "All my babies. I love you all." She smiled as she turned her head slowly and saw Brett and Erin on the other side of the bed.

The heartbeat monitor started to beep slower and Emma watched in horror as her mother's eyes closed. A rythmical alarm sounded as her heartbeat dropped to a dangerous level and everyone was ordered out of the room as doctors and nurses set to work in trying to resuscitate her.

Forty minutes later a solemn faced doctor stepped into the room where they had all been taken and, with tears streaming down his face, informed Emma, Erin and Brett that their mother had just been pronounced dead.

Glenn and Sébastien looked at each other then watched the three siblings holding each other tightly while they cried.

Sébastien nodded sadly and wiped Emma's face gently when they broke apart and she asked him to take her home. He held her close as they walked to the car and drove home in silence. Once they arrived at the house, he allowed her to settle where she wanted to then sat on the couch beside her and held her tight, rocked her gently and allowed his own tears to fall quietly while she sobbed in his arms.

Nothing would be seen or heard of the sad couple until late the following day.

"Shhhh. Silencio." Carlos smiled as he set the box he'd carried from the car down on the coffee table and lifted one of the flaps.

He closed the box quickly and moved it to the floor in one swift motion when he heard Karen's voice at the lounge doorway.

"Where have you been?" She asked sternly. "Almost an hour you've been gone. I need your help with something."

"It was muy busy in the couriers." Carlos replied with shrug then issued another quick shush at the box.

"So what's in the box?" Karen asked as she moved into the room, sat by his side and looked down near his left foot

"Box? Oh the box. Nothing much." He smiled and shook his head. "Just something I found when I returned to the car." He sighed as he lifted the box onto the coffee table again and opened the lid. "I heard the noise they were making just before I reached the car." He informed as he reached into the box and lifted two silver and black tabby kittens into his lap.

"Someone had dumped them?" Karen questioned with a shake of her head.

"They were in the box." Carlos nodded, stroking the kittens and smiling as he looked at her. "I remember you saying you've missed having a cat around since you came back from Australia."

"They are adorable." Karen nodded and attempted a smile. "But we can't keep them."

"Why not? What harm can they do?" He pouted.

"Toxoplasmosis. They carry toxoplamosis and it could affect the baby." Karen sighed then huffed a quick laugh as she watched him place the kittens carefully back in the box. "Don't worry, they can't do you any harm." She informed as she watched him close the flap slowly. "You'd really really like to keep them wouldn't you?" She smiled when she saw the sad look on his face.

"Si." Carlos nodded. "But our child's health is more important than what I would like."

"Hold on while I make a phone call." She smiled at his still pouting face.

Karen called her midwife, told her what had happened and asked for her advice. She uh-huhed a few times while she nodded then turned round to face Carlos with smile on her face.

"Ok. They can stay." She nodded. "Under certain conditions though." She warned as she folded her arms across her chest. "You clean the litter tray out, they stay off the counter tops when they're older, we don't feed them raw meat and we are strict when it comes to hygiene."

"Agreed." Carlos nodded with a huge smile on his face. "But what about the toxo...... whatever?" Carlos questioned with a confused expression on his face.

"Annette said I'll more than likely be immune to it because I've had cats in the past and if we follow what we've just agreed upon there shouldn't be any problem."

Carlos turned back to the box and removed the kittens once more.

"What sex are they?" Karen questioned then laughed as Carlos replied with a deep shrug.

Karen picked one of the kittens up and smiled as it meowed at her. Experience told her that it was about eight weeks old, just the right age to be away from its mother. She turned it around and took a quick look at its back end.

"A boy." She informed Carlos as she handed him over then picked the other kitten. "A girl. Ok. That means a trip to the vet when they're four months old."

"For what?"

"The operation." Karen laughed as she placed a lot of emphasis on both words.

"Her, not him." Carlos shook his head and pointed to the female.

"Both." Karen insisted. "Or we don't keep either of them."

"Lo siento, what the boss says goes." Carlos sighed as he picked the male up and smiled.

"What about names?" Karen queried.

"Mickey and Minnie." Carlos suggested with beaming smile and another shrug.

"And I thought David was supposed to be the big kid in the group." Karen teased as she nodded while Carlos quickly stuck his tongue out at her.

Karen stifled a laugh as she watched him subconsciously cross his legs then leaned over the back of the couch and told him they had some shopping to do for the kittens. The kittens were returned to the box after it had been laid on its side so that they could get out and do a little exploring while Carlos and Karen were out.

One and half hours later they walked out of the local pet superstore with enough cat supplies, equipment and toys to last for months.

_______________


"Your not having second thoughts are you?" Lauren questioned when she heard David sigh heavily.

"What? Oh! The adoption? No. No I'm not." David smiled and shook his head in reply. "It's just all the red tape that's involved. I can understand they want the reports on me, you and Steph but why we have to give the council three month's notice before I can even apply to adopt her is beyond me. It could be Christmas before everything is sorted."

"You know what I find weird?" Lauren questioned with a huffed laugh.

"What?" David shrugged.

"The fact that I have to adopt my own daughter."

"You're not serious?"

"I am." Lauren laughed and shrugged. "Here, take a look." She instructed as she pointed to a section in one of the leaflets they'd been given.

"You do not need to go through an assessment with an adoption agency when adopting a relative or stepchild who normally lives in the UK. However, the law does require that both you and your husband/wife need to adopt the child, even though one of you is already the child's parent." David read, then blew out a long breath through pursed lips. "Pfft! Ridiculous." He huffed as he looked down at the bored child. "Hungry Steph?" He questioned with a look at his watch.

"Yeah." Stephanie nodded and returned the smile. "Mummy, can I have my ears pierced?" She asked while moving to hide herself behind David's legs.

"If you want to." Lauren shrugged nonchalantly in reply.

"Really! Wow! Daddy always used to say no when I asked." Stephanie informed with a happy smile and wide eyes. "He said I had to wait until I was a big girl."

"You are a big girl." Lauren smiled as she picked her daughter up and looked into her happy eyes.

"There's a place just across the road that does it. Shall we go and have a look?" David questioned, pointing to a smart new jewellers.

Stephanie nodded, wriggled down from Lauren's arms and held David's and Lauren's hands while she walked between them. Once inside the shop she selected a pair of Aquamarine birthstone studs to have her ears pierced with. She sat on Lauren's knee while the assistant pierced her ears and barely winced as it was done. She played close attention while Lauren was told how to take care of her ears then fished around in her coat pocket for some of the money she'd received for her birthday and paid for what she'd had done. She huffed as they moved to leave the shop because she'd spotted a watch that would teach her the time.

"I'll just have to save." She shrugged as she shoved the remains of her birthday money back into her pocket.

"You go and get something to eat over there." David whispered to Lauren while he pointed to their favourite pizza place as they stood outside the shop. "I won't be long." He winked as he shoved some money into Lauren's hand and nodded back to the doorway.

"Ok." Lauren smiled and nodded when she saw him indicating his own watch and immediately realised what he meant.

Once back inside the shop, David purchased the watch Stephanie had been looking at, making sure he got the right colour. He also purchased a three carat diamond fourteen karat white gold tennis bracelet that he'd spotted Lauren taking a quick look at.

He made his way over to where he'd told Lauren to take Stephanie and smiled broadly as he handed the watch over. He laughed and pretended to choke as she gave him one of her tight hugs and a kiss on the cheek as a thank you.

"I got this for you while I was there." He added nonchalantly as he handed over a long narrow box to Lauren. "It's nothing special."

"Perhaps not, but it was a nice thought." Lauren informed without opening the box and giving him a quick kiss on his cheek. "Nothing special!" She spluttered when she finally lifted the lid. "David!" She growled as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him firmly on the lips. "I think I'm going to love being Mrs Miller." She giggled before kissing him again.

"I'm not here. I'm not here." Stephanie informed as she covered her face with her hands and shook her head.

____________________


"So what did you want my help with?" Carlos questioned with a smile as he wrapped his arms around Karen's waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder while they watched the Mickey and Minnie play fighting.

"I want you to go into the attic for me and get my old art folder and stuff down. I feel like taking it up again, now I have more free time."

"The one you didn't want me to look in when you moved in?"

Karen giggled and nodded then turned round to face him.

"I was thinking of turning a small area of the conservatory into a studio. The lighting's so good in there." She shrugged and led him through the French doors into the large addition to what was now their home. "Just here." She smiled as she indicated the area she was talking about.

Carlos nodded in agreement then moved back through the house, headed upstairs and into the attic where he removed what Karen wanted and handed them down to her.

"Ah No!" He exclaimed as Karen moved to take a large sketch pad he'd stepped down with from his arms. "I want to see or everything goes back up." He smiled and indicated the pile at the top of the stairs.

"That's bribery Marin." Karen glared at him playfully.

She grunted a laugh through her nose and shook her head as he continued to smile and included a quick flick of his eyebrows.

"Don't think I've given in to you enough today huh?" She questioned with a flick of her eyebrows in reply.

"No." Carlos shook his head and held the pad tight to his chest.

Karen laughed for a short while as she recalled the events of the day. The way he'd looked at her like a pleading child when he showed her the kittens, the pout he'd worn on his face when she'd told him they couldn't keep them and how he'd beamed the same smile he wore now when she'd changed her mind. The fun he'd had in the pet store selecting things for the kittens and the smile and shrug he'd given her when they'd paid for everything.

She tried to imagine what he would be like when their baby arrived then closed her eyes and shook her head at the images. If he behaved anything like he did with his sister's children, then he would probably spoil it rotten. She would have to think of a way to stop him doing that.

"Ok." She nodded then followed him back down to the lounge and sat on the couch beside him.

Carlos placed the A3 pad down on the coffee table and lifted the cover to see sketches of various body parts in different poses. One particular sketch caught his attention and he looked a little closer at the pair of crying eyes.

"Those are your eyes." He informed, pointing at the pad but looking at Karen. "I'd know them anywhere."

"Did that after a really bad relationship break up." Karen nodded.

"It's very good work." Carlos nodded his head and turned through a few more pages of still life, children and babies, animals and a few female nudes in various poses. Several were full frontal and he took a long time appreciating those until Karen gave him a quick dig in the ribs.

"This is fantastico." He stated, staring at the next picture. "That's Franky and her mother I recognise from the picture at the ice stadium. Is that her father?" He queried, pointing to a coloured sketch featuring three faces.

"Yeah. I drew that from memory when I found out he'd died." Karen nodded and picked up the pad. "I'm thinking of turning it into a painting for her birthday this year." She sniffed and set the pad back down again.

"I think she would like that." Carlos nodded in agreement and returned to turning pages. "Karen......" He spluttered suddenly.

"What?" She shrugged and looked at him blankly while he pointed to pad. "It's a nude male. So what? I didn't hear you complaining about the female ones."

"It is the full frontal nude male." Carlos growled in protest as Karen craned her neck to get a better look at the muscular young man who lay totally relaxed and obviously comfortable with his position on a chaise longue with his eyes closed as if asleep.

"Hmmm. I did pretty good there." She smiled and nodded to herself. "Are you jealous or something?"

"No! It's just........" Carlos shook his head, mumbling something in Spanish that Karen didn't catch as his voice trailed off.

"That's all right then. I might do another one if I can find a model." She informed, glancing at her husband as she stood to head for the kitchen.

"No way. I won't do it." Carlos shook his head when he spotted the furtive glance she gave him, somehow knowing what she was inferring. "I refuse to pose nude."

"Who said I would need you to?" Karen shouted from the the kitchen. "I have a very good memory remember."

"Kaaaaaren!" Carlos bellowed as he flew from the couch into the kitchen to find his wife giggling while she started to prepare dinner. "You're doing the winding up of me again aren't you?" He asked as he turned her round to face him and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Am I?" Karen replied with a smile, a quick flick of her eyebrows and quick kiss on his lips while Carlos gulped loudly, his eyes flying wider than she'd ever seen them go.

__________

Ten days later.

"Are you ok Seb? You've been very quiet today." Franky questioned as she stood at the kitchen sink and started washing the afternoon's dirty pots and pans, having asked everyone over for lunch.

"I'm fine." Sébastien replied, picking up a tea towel and standing by her side to dry whatever she washed. "Why don't you have a dishwasher Franky?"

"I don't want one. Urs is always trying to persuade me to have one, especially for times like this but I find doing them by hand rather theraputic. It gives me a chance to think about things that are bothering me and to take my frustrations out of something inanimate when I'm angry or upset."

Sébastien nodded just once, gave her the briefest smile she'd ever seen then sighed heavily.

"So what's going on between you and Emma?" Franky asked when she saw the sad look return to his face, drying her hands, the washing-up finished.

"Nothing." Sebastien informed with a quick sigh and head shake.

"Don't give me that, she's been snappy with you all day. It looks like she doesn't want you around her."

"She doesn't." Sébastien shook his head again, this time much slower. "She's pushing me away Franky." He continued, quickly wiping his eyes and turning his face away from her.

"How so?" She questioned as she took his arm and guided him to sit down at the kitchen table before taking a seat opposite him.

"She's hardly let me touch her since the night her mother died. I've seen and heard her crying, but she won't let me comfort her, she always turns to Brett or Erin. And when I offered to help her sort out the funeral and everything she just turned round and told me to keep out of it. I know she's hurting about what happened but it was what she said this morning that hurt me." Sébastien shook his head then covered the top half of his face with his right hand and tried to stop his tears from falling. "I don't know what to do to anym........Merde! Desole. I wish they could find whoever hurt Virginia, maybe then she would be......I don't know......happier. I would call Adam but he has enough to deal with a the minute, trying to find a care home for his mother. It wouldn't be fair to put our troubles on him."

"Something happen with Emma today?" Franky asked, nodding her head slowly, knowing that Adam could no longer cope with the way his senile mother would hit him or his wife, saying that she didn't know them, leaving some serious bruising behind and accusing them of poisoning her.

"I found her crying in the kitchen before we left and tried to comfort her again. She let me for a short while before she pushed me away. I said it was ok that I knew how she felt. That's when.......That's when she turned round and asked me how I could possibly know how she felt, my mother's still alive. I haven't got the first clue, she snapped at me before she stormed out of the house."

"Ouch!" Franky hissed then shook he head in disbelief. "That wasn't very nice."

"She's right though. I don't have a clue." Sébastien shook his head and sniffed loudly.

"There was no need for her to be like that with you Seb. You do feel it too, you got very close to Virginia. She was almost like a second mother to you wasn't she?" Franky smiled as she reached forward and touched his forearm.

"Oui. She was."

"She shouldn't be lashing out like that at you. It's not your fault they haven't found out who did it yet either. Are the police still working on the case?"

"Maybe it will get better now the hardest part is out of the way." Sébastien nodded as he lowered his hand and attempted to give Franky a smile.

"Oh the funeral. Pfft! That's the easy part." Franky shook her head and quickly wiped her own eyes.

"Easy?!"

"Yes. In comparison to what has to be done afterwards anyway." Franky nodded. "They erm........They have the house to clear out yet I suppose?"

Sébastien nodded quickly then let out another long sigh as Franky raised her head to look out of the kitchen window where she spotted Emma heading slowly toward the top of her garden. She instructed Sébastien to stay where he was then followed after Emma.

"Leave me alone Franky." Emma sniffed once she spotted her walking by her side.

"When you've answered a question for me."

"What?" Emma huffed.

"Do you really love Seb?" Franky shrugged nonchalantly.

"Of course I do. Why would you ask such a stupid question.?" Emma huffed again.

"Because it hasn't looked like you do all day." Franky shrugged again. "You've been really nasty with him every time he's come near you. And what he's just told me is not like you. Look, I know you're hurting Emma, but pushing Seb away like you are is not going to help."

"You have no idea how I feel." Emma snapped in reply forgetting what she'd been told about how Franky lost both of her parents within days of each other.

"Angry at the world, at everyone around you. Don't care how anyone else feels, you just want to wallow in your own self pity and lock yourself away." Franky tried.

"Something like that. Yeah." Emma nodded as tears began to roll down her cheeks again. "I'm sorry Franky I forgot about your......"

"Doesn't matter." Franky smiled and shook her head, moving herself to stand in front of her newest friend. "What matters is that you have a man that loves you Emma, a man who wants to see you through this dreadful time despite the fact that he's hurting too. He loved your mother too Emma, you know that. You're hurting him even more by pushing him away like you are." She informed as tears glistened in her own eyes and she pushed a stray lock of hair back off Emma's face. "Do you think it's going to get easier from here on in?"

"How much harder can it get?" Emma shrugged.

"Ohhhh you'll be surprised how much harder it's going to get." Franky nodded. "You'll find out. When you start clearing the house out, that's when you'll really need someone to lean on."

"I....I....I don't understand. How is emptying a wardrobe and few drawers going to have such an affect on me?"

"Because it'll feel like your invading your mother's privacy to begin with. Like you shouldn't be touching her things, because you'll remember her telling you not to." Franky began. "You'll find the most ridiculous things buried at the bottom of drawers or stored in boxes at the bottom of wardrobes. Stuff like things you made for her or the cheap jewellery you bought her for mother's day and those pathetic looking Christmas decorations they made you make when you were at school. Believe me, you'll find them all loving stored away somewhere even though you think she threw them away years ago. And for each little thing you find, you'll cry harder and harder and that's when you'll want someone to wrap their arms around you to comfort you. What will you do then if there's no-one there because you've pushed him away and he's gone?" She asked with a sniff, a gentle smile and a shake of her head.

Emma sighed heavily then rubbed her face hard with her hands.

"You're right." She nodded and turned to look at Sébastien who stood watching the scene from the back door with sad eyes. "I've been absolutely awful to him and he's still here for me. I owe him a huge apology don't I?" She asked Franky without taking her eyes off Sébastien.

"I think he would be just as happy if you just let him be there for you right now." Franky smiled as she gave Emma a gentle push at the bottom of her back.

She stood and watched as Emma ran back down the garden, threw her arms around Sébastien's neck and looked at him while she apologised. She smiled as Sébastien's arms flew around Emma's waist, he closed his eyes and shook his head, holding Emma tight to him while she cried.

Franky turned and made her own way to the top of the garden where she found Urs seemingly inspecting what was growing there.

"I heard all of that." He informed without looking at her then coughed loudly. "I erm.....I wish we could have met sooner Franky, before your parents died I mean. It must have been really hard for you to go through all that on your own." He sighed heavily and finally turned to face her.

"Yeah. Yes it was, but only because I pushed Lauren and Gabriel away when they offered their help." Franky sniffed then smiled when Urs took hold of her hands and held them in his own lightly against his chest while he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Well, maybe I wasn't supposed to be there for you back then, but I am now and I always will be. I promise I won't ever let you down. Ok?" He informed with a smile and a gentle nod as he wiped away the few tears that made their escape from Franky's eyes.

Franky nodded then closed her eyes and rested her head against Urs's chest. A gentle smile spread across her lips as they wrapped their arms around each other and took a few moments just to hold each other tight.

_______________

Sébastien laughed quietly to himself as he watched the four beautiful young women paying a very red faced Brett some very close attention then recalled what had brought them all to this region of France five days after Franky had spoken to Emma.

Franky had been right, clearing the house had been the hardest thing the three siblings had ever had to do. They had found the boxes full of childhood memories and other things their mother had kept and they had all cried just as she said they would. He was just glad he could be there for Emma as Glenn was for Erin. Brett had no girlfriend to comfort him but had appreciated the brotherly hugs Glenn and Sébastien had given him before he left the house and took a slow walk around the block to compose himself.

Once they'd finished, everyone had headed back to what was now Sébastien and Emma's home for refreshments and to go through the small pile of papers they had found. Insurance policies for the house and on her life, a building society passbook that contained a fair amount of money, a couple of share certificates for some well known companies and her Will were among the documents.

After tackling those and not being surprised by the fact that the house had been left to the hospital to be used as accomodation for families when their child was in the hospital, they turned to the boxes, started pulling things out and set them down on the table.

"Oh good lord! I remember those." Erin had laughed as Emma held up a pair of cheap gold stud earrings. "She wore those for......" She paused and tapped her hand on the table, trying to remember

"......the hospital Christmas party when I was fourteen." Brett had nodded with a huge smile on his face. "She had green earlobes for days afterwards."

"That's right. We bought them for her birthday that year." Emma had joined her brother and sister in laughing at the memory and it took them a while to regain their composure.

More laughter followed as toys, homemade cards and gifts, photographs and drawings were pulled out, each one bringing another happy memory to the fore. Even the two teeth Brett had had to have pulled out at the age of ten were found still in their little fluid bottles.

Hours later their giggling ceased and the tone of the conversation turned serious again when Brett pulled a packet of airline tickets from his back pocket and asked when he should do with them now.

"Oh I completely forgot about those." Emma sighed then reminded Sébastien about the trip to France her mother had planned for herself and her children.

She had planned a trip to the war memorial at Pozieres so that she could pay her respects to her grandfather who had been killed in action during world war one just days before her father was born in 1918. Emma had informed her new employers of the trip at her interview and had been quite amazed when they said it shouldn't pose any problem as the team had no matches that weekend and she would have a long weekend off anyway. That's where they should have been heading on the day after they cleared the house.

"I still want to go, but not without you two." Brett had sighed heavily and shrugged.

"I'm not going without Glenn." Erin had shook her head and grabbed her husband's hand.

"And I would want Seb to go with me." Emma had shrugged her response and wrapped her arms around him. "Accomodation will be a problem too. Mum only booked two singles and one twin room."

"It just won't work will it?" Brett had huffed and slumped back in his chair. "Five people and four single beds."

That's when an idea had hit Sébastien. He had remembered about his mother's cousin, Alain, who lived just a few miles from Pozieres. Alain had moved into a very large farmhouse with his six daughters after his wife had died and he was always asking his mother when Sébastien would be dropping by again.

He'd left the room to make a quick phone call to his mother to get Alain's number and made a promise to go and see her first, then he'd paced up and down in the lounge while he spoke to Alain and asked if he had the room for five guests. After confirming that he did, Alain had tried to engage him in a long conversation about what he'd been doing recently and he'd had to say that he would tell him everything over the weekend. Then he'd retrieved the plane tickets from Brett, cancelled those and re-arranged five first-class seats on a flight for the next morning.

Once he had everything sorted, he'd walked back into the lounge, told everyone what he'd done and stood nervously while he waited for the their reactions. Emma had immediately launched herself at him, almost knocking him to the floor as she did so. He knew he'd blushed as she gave him a long firm kiss. Erin had looked at Glenn with a broad smile on her face before crossing the room in a couple of strides to give him a tight hug while Brett had patted him firmly on the back, making him take a couple of unwanted steps forward towards the large display of flowers that Emma had received as a 'thank you' from Fabian, as his way of showing his thanks for sending Adam around.

Erin, Glenn and Brett had immediately left to go to their homes to pack for a long weekend. They had all nodded and giggled when Emma told them to take their time while she nodded towards him which had made him blush yet again as he quickly moved to stand behind her. They had returned just as he and Emma stepped out of the shower.

An hour or so later, the police had called round to inform them that they'd caught the man responsible for their mother's death. A twenty-four old local drug addict by the name of Daniel Leigh had been charged with the offence after DNA cross-matching and other evidence had made him confess his crime. All five of them had let out a huge sigh of relief on hearing the news and Emma had immediately called her father, hearing him crying at the other end of the line while they comforted each other.

Now they were all seated outside Alain's farmhouse drinking his best red wine and watching the sun set after having paid a visit to their great-grandfather's grave earlier that day.

The main house was huge once you'd made it passed the small entrance with the old wooden staircase that led to the eight bedrooms on the second floor.

An old wooden door gave access to living room furnished with an old but comfortable leather suite consisting of a three seater sofa, a love seat, two chairs and an ottaman almost filled the room. The only other pieces of furniture in the coffee coloured room was the rustic coffee table that the suite was arranged around that. In one corner, looking totally out of place, stood a brand new forty-eight inch wide screen television complete with an entertainment system.

Another wooden door in the other corner of the room revealed a dining room furnished with a long, rustic hickory and oak dining table capable of seating sixteen people when its extension leaves were put in place. At the farthest end a matching three door china hutch stood and had been filled to almost over-flowing with some old looking china.

One more door led to a surprisingly modern kitchen furnished with lots of white wooden base units topped with blue granite work surfaces, which were littered with fresh vegetables and baskets of fruit. The wall units were a light sage colour and were filled with the equipment necessary for the successful running of a busy home. The back door on the right of the kitchen sink gave access to a large farmyard surrounded by the usual buildings that had obviously had their doors recently replaced and painted a light shade of blue.

One of the large barns had been renovated and converted into a four bedroomed guest house. Alain had recently started renting this out and it was making him a tidy little profit, especially as his home was located so close to the war memorial.

This building consisted of a cosy lounge furnished with a standard cream coloured three piece suite and a standard size television with a built in DVD player. A medium sized kitchen furnished with white units and a white table and chairs capable of seating six people completed the lower floor.

The second floor was accessed by a narrow wooden staircase that Brett had a little difficulty in climbing due to his size, turning sideways and climbing in that fashion helped and provided a source of fun for the rest of the party as they followed behind. Two of the bedrooms were doubles and both had cast iron beds. The room Erin and Glenn took had been painted a soft lemon and had a white bed covered in pale yellow bedding. Sébastien and Emma took the peach coloured room with its gold coloured bed. Glenn found a mint green room with a white wooden single bed at the farthest end of the hallway that suited him. A bathroom tiled in black and cream divided him from the other couples and he only replied with a knowing look and a smirk when Glenn asked why he had chosen that particular room.

Erin and Glenn now sat atop a heavy wooden gate that allowed access to a field of wheat, holding each other's hands while Erin rested her head on Glenn's shoulder.

Brett was seated on an old stone bench with two dark-haired, green-eyed women on either side of him, while the other two similar looking women sat, crossed-legged on the grass in front of him.

The eldest of Alain's daughter's, Aurore, twirled her fingers in her hair while she spoke to Brett in broken English. Bernadette, the second eldest batted her eyelids at him while seemingly hanging on his every word. Célina, third in line just smiled at him and Danielle sported a big cheesy grin that Sébastien thought would have put David's smile to shame.

Brett remained his usual polite self but it was obvious to even a casual observer that he had no interest in any of the women before him. His attention was focused on the kitchen doorway where the youngest of Alain's brood was busily sweeping the kitchen step while she chatted to her slightly older sister, Emanuelle.

"I really think we should invite Guinevere......I mean Gigi, over for a visit." Emma suggested when she noticed the looks and smiles that were passing between her brother and the young woman.

"Already done it. She has an interview at the university near us in a few weeks and I said she should stay with us for a few days." Sébastien nodded with a huge grin on his face.. "Though I doubt we'll be seeing much of her." He shrugged then sighed happily as he wrapped an arm around Emma's shoulders to pull her even closer than she already was.

"You little matchmaker you." Emma laughed, shaking her head after seeing the grin and knowing that her brother hadn't had girlfriend since his return from Australia.

"Oh, like you weren't thinking exactly the same thing?"

"Ok, you got me." Emma giggled, her head nodding quickly.

"Emmy. We've been married for over six months now and I......" Sebastien paused to reach into the right hand pocket of his casual jacket. "I want you to have this and so does my mother." He informed, handing over a very old and battered brown cube shaped box. "It was my grandmother's eternity ring." He smiled as she opened the box.

"Oh Seb, it's beautiful. Is this why you disappeared for a while when we visited your mother?" Emma sniffed as she removed an antique ring set with alternating blue and white diamonds that complimented her engagement and wedding rings perfectly.

Sébastien nodded slowly while he took the ring from her and slipped it onto her finger.

"It's absolutely gorgeous and so are you Monsiuer Izambard." She informed as she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

"David Miller, don't you dare!" Lauren giggled, pointing a warning finger at him. "You're too big and you know it." She shook her head as he pouted and lowered himself down from the edge of the trampoline where Stephanie was bouncing happily behind the safety net.

"Remind me. Which one's the child?" Karen teased as she sat down on the white wicker sofa Lauren and David had selected for their patio furniture.

"You tell me." Lauren giggled in reply. "I don't think he'll ever grow up completely."

"Want him to?" Karen questioned with another laugh, pulling out her sketch book and quickly finding an empty page.

"Not really." Lauren's head shook again and she turned her attention to the pad in Karen's lap. "Oh you've started drawing again. Can I see?"

"Sure." Karen nodded and handed over the pad. "Can you remember that full frontal nude male I drew years ago?" She asked with another giggle.

Lauren thought for a minute before replying. "The one on the chaise?"

"That's the one."

"Yes it was gorgeous. So erm...erm...detailed!" Lauren grunted as she lifted the cover on the pad and smiled when she saw a few quick sketches of the rapidly growing Minnie and Mickey.

"I err......I let Carlos see it and I said I wouldn't mind doing another one."

"With who as your model?" Lauren questioned innocently. "You wouldn't?!!" She yelled, spotting a wicked little grin creep across Karen's face.

"Nooo." Karen shook her head. "But don't you tell him that, I just love seeing him on edge. You should see his face every time I reach for my pad and a pencil. It's hysterical."

"Awww you're cruel." Lauren laughed. "Where is he anyway?"

"Raiding the local shop for oranges." Karen shrugged then grunted a laugh with Lauren about her current craving. "Why aren't Franky and Urs here?"

"They've taken the restored Harley and the Triumph to a classic bike show." Lauren groaned then returned her attention to the art pad.

"My God! Karen! These are gorgeous." She shook head, looking at lots of drawings of each member of the group in relaxed poses with natural smiles or other expressions on their faces.

"Turn three pages." Karen instructed with a soft smile on her face.

Lauren did what was requested of her and her left hand immediately flew to her mouth when she saw a drawing of a playfully smiling David holding Stephanie in his arms. She had her arms linked around his neck and her tiny nosed pressed against his while she looked into his eyes and returned the smile.

Karen reached across, took the pad back from Lauren's hands and carefully ripped out the picture.

"I want you to have it." She smiled as she handed it over.

Tears filled Lauren's eyes as she reached around Karen and buried her face in her neck while she thanked her. After composing herself she listened intently to what Karen said she had planned for Franky's birthday and that for Christmas she was hoping to have the time to do a drawing of everyone together, but that would very much depend on how well the baby behaved.

"Madame's oranges." Carlos growled with a playful glare as he leaned over the back of the couch Karen sat on and set a large bag of the fruit down on her right side.

"You heard the whole conversation didn't you?" Karen questioned with a smirk as he moved to sit beside her.

"I heard enough of it." He admitted with a nod of his head and playful warning to stop teasing him with the drawing pad.

Karen nodded her compliance, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek then reached into the bag of oranges and pulled out a large example of the fruit.

"What took you so long?" She asked as she started to peel the skin away.

"I took a little detour." Carlos smiled and gave her a teasing glance.

"To where?"

"Another shop." He shrugged.

"What for?" Karen queried, swallowing sweet, juicy orange for the second time.

"Nothing much." Carlos shook his head and inspected the nails of his left hand as he glanced at her again.

"What did you buy?"

"Something for you."

"Oh. What?"

"Perhaps I should take it back." Carlos sighed and shook his head as he lowered it.

"You wouldn't?" Karen pouted and sniffed.

"After the way you have teased me recently......." Carlos paused to think and glance at her again. "Si, I think I would." He nodded as he moved to stand.

Karen reached for his arm and pulled him back down into his seat.

"Soy miel apesadumbrada." Karen whispered in his ear making him smile and shudder at the same time.

Carlos nodded and laughed out loud while he reached into a small bag that he'd managed to secrete down by his feet. He smiled as he handed Karen a large cube shaped black box and watched her reactions as she started to open it. Both her mouth and her eyes slowly opened once she'd pushed the lid to its full extent.

A slim fourteen karat gold bracelet watch with a pierced out Celtic motif met her eyes and she had to knock several tears from them as she removed it from the box and placed it around her wrist while Carlos informed that he hadn't been sure that he'd made the right decision. He'd had to decide between the one she wore now or a fourteen karat gold bracelet watch with thirty diamonds on the bezel and a mother of pearl face.

Karen shook her head and told him that he'd made the perfect choice as he fastened it around her wrist, the other timepiece sounded much too fancy for everyday wear. She gave him a very long, very firm kiss on the lips to thank him just as David and a breathless Stephanie approached for refreshments.

"Don't mind us." David teased as he leaned over Lauren and gave her a quick kiss then pulled her to her feet, sat down in her place then pulled her onto his lap.

He reached toward the table, picked up the glass pitcher that had been filled with apple juice before he went to keep an eye on Stephanie and frowned when he found it empty. He looked around Lauren to see Stephanie grinning at him with a large glass of apple juice in her hands. He smiled when Lauren patted his face, lifted herself from him and said she would go and get some more.

"What's this?" He questioned as he picked up the picture that Lauren had carefully rolled up and laid on the table. "Wow! Karen, this fantastic." He exclaimed after he'd unrolled it and took a look.

He smiled as Lauren stood in front of him with one of the house phones in her hand, but the smile quickly dropped from his face when he saw the concerned look on hers.

"It's your mother." Lauren informed, handing over the handset. "She sounds upset."

David almost snatched the handset from her hand and spoke to his mother, he didn't say much just the odd 'yes', an 'I understand' and a final 'I'll be there as soon as I can'.

"Erm......I have to get to New York as fast as I can." He informed as he stood abruptly and started heading back into the house.

"What's wrong David?" He heard three voices questioning as everyone made their way into the lounge.

"My erm.......My little sister has had some sort of accident at her apartment." He informed through tear-filled eyes while he searced for the number he needed to book an aeroplane seat. He attempted a smile as Lauren took the phone book and phone from his hand and searched for him.

"Her flatmate found her lying unconscious on the floor after she'd come back from an audition. They think she fell off a ladder while doing some decorating or something. They're not completely sure how badly hurt she is yet, but there's a chance she might not recover from the coma she's in at the moment. I have to......." He stopped speaking and dropped down hard onto the couch and turned to Lauren. "I want you to come with me Lauren, but I don't want Stephanie to have to see her like that if she's as bad as my mother says she is. I don't know what to do."

"Can't your parents take Stephanie?" Karen questioned Lauren who shook her head and said that they were on holiday in Belgium with Dale and his girlfriend.

"We could look after her." Carlos smiled as he lifted the crying little girl into his arms and rocked her gently in an attempt to comfort her while she buried her face against his shoulder.

"But I promised her I wouldn't leave her with anyone again." Lauren sniffed and shook her head, holding the phone against her ear growling for someone to pick up and watched Karen gently explain to Stephanie what was happening.

Finally someone answered at the other end and Lauren asked for a seat on the next available flight to New York. She paused for a moment or two and listened as a keyboard was tapped at the other end of the line. The young woman she was speaking to told her that there were two seats left on a flight leaving in two and a half hours and Lauren sniffed as she passed the information on to David who told her to book one of them. Her head snapped round when she heard Stephanie speaking.

"Both of them Mummy." Stephanie smiled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"Steph, I....."

"Both of them. You go with David, Mummy." Stephanie insisted with a sharp nod. "I'll be all right with Uncle Carlos and Aunt Karen."

Lauren nodded as she handed the phone over to David so that he could pay for the tickets then walked over to Carlos and took Stephanie from him. Lauren asked her if she really understood what was going on and smiled when Stephanie said that she did but Lauren had to make sure David packed his laptop so that they would be able to talk to each other.

Once the tickets were booked, David and Lauren headed upstairs to pack for their journey while Karen and Carlos helped Stephanie sort some clothes for herself. As they locked up the house and headed for Carlos's car, David made a call to an old friend who lived in New York, quickly explained what had happened and sighed when he said he would be more than happy to accomodate himself and Lauren.

Before they really knew what hit them, Lauren and David were sitting side by side and holding hands on a flight to New York's JFK airport.

"David, please try and get some sleep." Lauren instructed as she hooked a finger under his chin and gently turned his distracted face to look at her.

David nodded then settled back in his seat, covered his face with his right hand, took several long deep breaths to slow his breathing down and slowly fell into a restless repose with Lauren's hand still held tightly in his own.

__________________

"It really pisses you off doesn't it?" Urs asked asked when he heard Franky sigh and watched her roll her eyes backwards while they strolled sedately around the bike show.

"Huh? Oh you mean when they drape a barely clad, surgically enhanced Barbie wannbe over a bike like that?" Franky tutted, nodding towards a well maintained 1950s red and silver Harley. "Yes it does. It's not necassary. The bikes look good without all that. It only serves to detract from the bikes in my opinion." She nodded then glared hard at the top heavy model who was giving Urs some very suggestive looks.

"Come on I'm hungry, let's go and get something to eat." Urs insisted, shaking his head at the model, wrapping his arm around Franky's waist and gently pulling her away from the stand.

"I hope you're going to shave when we get home." Franky stated, scratching at her left cheek after Urs had given her quick kiss there.

"I was thinking of keeping it for a while. No-one recognises me with it." Urs chuckled quietly, running a hand over the two days' worth of facial hair he sported.

"Your choice." Franky shrugged. "Just don't bother trying to kiss me again if you do decide to keep it." She informed, continuing to scratch. "What? Look what it's doing to my face, never mind the other parts of my body." She smiled wickedly while she indicated the rash that was blooming on her face.

"Ok. I'll shave as soon as we get home." Urs nodded as he raised a hand to stroke her cheek.

He'd forgotten how sensitive her skin had become just recently. The slightest touch seemed to send shudders through her entire body. He smirked to himself as he recalled how he'd teased her that morning while she was still asleep. Her rapidly expanding stomach prevented them sleeping face-to-face as they liked to and they'd taken to sleeping in a spooned position. That morning he'd woken well before Franky and he'd ran his fingers lightly in lazy patterns over her naked back and laughed quietly to himself while he watched her twitch and shudder.

"What?" He shrugged as he glanced at Franky and saw the playful glare she had on her face.

He knew in that one look that she knew what he was thinking about and what had happened once she'd woken up. He coughed and held her a little tighter as they finally reached a refreshment stand and joined the back of the queue. They both had to stifle their giggles as two women passed them and looked at Urs as if they recognised him then shook their heads as they turned away.

From their position they could see the podium where the restored Harley and the Triumph were displayed and Franky watched carefully as a tall man dressed in black jeans, a white t-shirt and black baseball cap strode confidently up to the Triumph and swung himself into the seat.

"The bloody nerve!" Franky fumed, breaking away from Urs and starting to make her way through the crowd that had gathered near her display. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" She demanded once she reached it. "You're not supposed to go near the bikes unless you're invited to do so by the owner!" She informed through tightly pursed lips with her hands firmly planted on her hips.

The man didn't seem to be taking any notice of her and she became even angrier as she watched him continue to inspect the bike without raising his face to meet hers.

"What's it got to do with you lady? I'll apologise to the owner when he shows up." He asked once he'd finished.

"Then you'd better start apologising." Franky snapped back quickly.

"Why? Where is he?" The man questioned as he rose quickly and started scanning the area through the large, dark sunglasses that covered his eyes completely.

Something about the man seemed familiar to Franky but she couldn't quite place what it was. His accent was definitely American and she could tell he was quite muscular under the white t-shirt. She watched as the crowd beckoned the man to get down off the podium because security had been called.

"Uh-uh. Not until I've asked this Franky Buhler how much he wants for this Triumph." The man informed with his arms folded across his chest, still straddling the bike.

"The Triumph isn't for sale." Urs informed angrilly, looking from Franky to the man and back again.

"Ah! You must be Franky." The man smiled, finally removing himself from the bike and striding over to Urs. "I can call you Franky can't I? I've been looking for one of these for ages. Just name your price and I'll pay it." The man informed without giving Urs chance to answer his first question.

"First of all....." Urs began. "I'm not Franky, my wife is." He informed as he wrapped an arm around Franky's waist and pulled her close. "Secondly, the Triumph isn't for sale at any price." He reiterated on her behalf while she stood growling profanities in English, French and Spanish under her breath.

The man finally removed his glasses and slowly smiled at Franky before speaking again.

"Your bike?" He questioned with a very embarrassed slow nod.

"My bi..........ke." Franky nodded slowly, her mouth and eyes widening in recognition. "Yes, it's my bike Mr Cage and that's exactly how she's going to remain." She informed as her confidence started to return.

"Then I apologise for my rude behaviour. There's nothing I can do to change your mind?" The American asked with a broad smile as he shook his head.

"Sorry no Mr Cage." Franky shook her head and returned the smile.

"Oh Nick, please or Nicholas at least. Mr Cage makes me sound ancient."

"Ok. Nick." Franky nodded, still smiling. "But I can give you the number of someone I know who deals in classics like the Triumph. Last I heard he'd got two like mine in stock, they both need a little work though."

Franky received another smile, an enthusiastic nod and thank you in response and she continued to smile in reply while she wrote a name and number down on a piece of paper she was handed.

"If you ever change your mind." Nick smiled hopefully, nodding at Franky's bike.

Franky shook her head and laughed out loud as she watched the Hollywood star walk away.

"Mein Gott, she's star struck." Urs exclaimed when he heard Franky sigh dreamily.

"Jealous?" Franky questioned using her playful tone.

"So are you." Urs teased with a nod towards the woman she'd referred to as 'Barbie'.

"Oh puuuuhleeeeeease. Pfft!! At least what I have is what Mother Nature gave me. I don't look like I've had two huge Canteloupe melons inserted into my chest, though that's what it feels like at the moment. God help her if she got up too quick. Mind you, she'd probably bounce straight back up. Nope, you're the jealous one."

"I'm not." Urs laughingly retorted, nodding his head wondering why any woman would take breast implants that far.

'Barbie's' being so big that the poppers at her halter necked, red leather top looked like it would explode if she moved in the wrong way or breathed in too deep.

"Liar."

"I'll keep the beard." Urs teased again, giggling as Franky started to head back toward the refreshment stand.

"Guess you'll be sleeping alone in future then." Franky teased back in response. "And I might actually get some instead of being kept awake with your snoring."

Unable to thing of another response at that precise moment, Urs rolled his head on his neck then laughed as he chased after Franky. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and placed several soft kisses on her neck while they waited to be served. Urs whispered 'How about a ride on the Triumph when we get home?' in her ear then watched her face as she blushed bright red and playfully slapped his right arm.

"You are one horny devil Urs Buhler." She whispered in reply, watching him nod quickly with a silly grin on his face.

They spent the next five hours wandering around the show admiring classic bikes by Yamaha, Kawaski, Honda other Harleys and Triumphs and various other manufacturer's. Franky laughed as she watched Urs disappear into the Harley Davidson merchandise store to reappear moments later with four new t-shirts. He smiled as he reached into the bag and pulled out a small box which he handed over to Franky.

She threw her arms around his neck and placed a quick kiss on his lips once she'd seen the limited edition model of a Harley Davidson Softail he'd bought to add to her collection.

The show ended shortly after and Urs made Franky sit in the car while he loaded her bikes into the trailer she'd hired to get them to the site. A short drive of thirty-seven miles got them home still quite early in the evening. Once the bikes were secured in the garage, Urs and Franky settled down on their couch to watch a DVD. Urs couldn't help but cough, shake his head and look at a smiling Franky with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek when she selected 'Con Air'. The titles had just started to roll when the phone rang and Urs hesitated in answering for a few seconds.

He answered on the fourth ring and listened carefully to what Carlos told him about Katelyn. He passed the news on to Franky and told her that David had said there was no need for them to go to New York, that he didn't know how long he would be out there but that he would keep them updated on her condition.

Once the film had finished, Urs pulled Franky gently upstairs and into the bathroom where he insisted that she had to remove the offending facial growth while he sat on the chair she kept near the sink and wrapped his arms around her and cupped her bottom.

"Wet or dry?" Franky questioned with a smirk, holding his electric shaver in her left hand and a four blade manual razor in her right.

"You know which one." Urs replied, running his hands lightly up and down her thighs, his voice becoming huskier as he spoke.

"Ah ah! I can't concentrate if you're going to do that. I might nick you, then I would be trouble with certain people wouldn't I?" She informed as she wriggled in his arms.

Urs huffed and returned his hands to their previous postion while he recalled the first time she had done this for him. When he been blind he'd been a little unsure about shaving himself and had allowed Franky to do it. He'd been very surprised how stimulating he'd found it and she'd told him he'd gone very red once she'd finished. He closed his eyes and smiled softly as he recalled what had happened all the other times she'd done it.

He hummed quietly while he listened to her fill the sink with warm water then sighed as she wet his beard before covering it with his favourite shaving gel and slowly working up a genorous lather. He breathed deep and let it out slowly as he felt her make the first long purposeful stroke. A firm but gentle stroke that ran from just below his sideburn slowly down his face to end a fraction above his collar bone.

She worked carefully across his face until the edge of razor skimmed his lips, then she shaved the other side of his face in the same manner, rinsing the razor in the water after every stroke. He tightened his top lip by curling it over his teeth and opened his eyes to see her biting her lower lip in deep concentration while she removed the hair from there. She smiled as she finished that area then waited for him lift his chin so that she could gain access to his chin and throat.

Before he knew it she was wiping the remanants of the shaving gel from his face with a damp cloth and was gently patting him dry with a towel. She reached up and retrieved the tube of aftershave balm that he liked to use then slowly worked a generous amount into his face leaving him soft and smooth to the touch. She took a step back to admire her handiwork, huffed a quiet laugh and rolled her eyes skyward as she looked down at his groin.

As soon she returned the towel to the rack, Urs stood and tugged her into his arms and gave her a kiss that left her breathless as they pulled apart. He smiled suggestively and nodded towards the bathtub only to see Franky shake her head, move away from him and head towards the bedroom.

Confused, Urs followed her after a second or two, crossing the threshold just in time to see her sitting on the bed, removing her jeans, an white-coloured tube laying nearby.

"I thought you were supposed to put that on in the morning." He questioned, watching Franky remove the lid from what he assumed was the cream she'd purchased to prevent stretch mark.

Something that was working quite well so far, she only had a couple, one each side of her belly, near her hips and he had to get really close to see them. They weren't as red as some of those he'd seen in her books.

"This one's for tired legs and feet. I have been on my feet most of the day."

Urs nodded, moved to kneel in front of her after giving her kiss and taking the tube from her hands. He removed his t-shirt, tossed that over his shoulder then squeezed a generous amount of the cream into his and instructed Franky to lye down. He waited until she was comfortable, then gently massaged the cream into her skin, listening to soft sighs and low moans she made as he worked downwards from her thigh until he reached the tips of her toes.

Smiling once he'd finished, he stood and went to wash remanants of the cream from his hands, leaving Franky lying on the bed in her underwear, feeling totally relaxed. He removed his jeans, then returned to the bedroom to find her sitting at the edge of the bed again, her underwear removed, smiling softly when she lowered her eyes from his face to the obvious bulge in his boxers.

Without saying a word, he moved back between her legs, took her face into his hands and kissed her gently while she worked get rid of the underwear. Those gone, he pushed back into a reclining position. Using his arms to keep his weight off her stomach he bent himself over her and slowly kissed every inch of her body, making her back arch high when his tongue grazed her nipples, her fingers curling deep and tight in his hair, their breathing slow and purposeful.

Knowing that Franky was ready for him and thankful that the bed was high, Urs stood upright once more, ran his hands up Franky's legs until he cupped her and lifted her little before he entered her. Thrusting slowly, he moved one hand lightly over her swollen abdomen, watching her eyes close and her lips purse slightly before she licked them.

Feeling her tightening around him, he moved his hand back to her bottom and thrusted a little faster, keeping his movements gentle until he'd heard Franky whine his name through a long sigh, following her over seconds later with soft sigh and whisper of her name, spilling everything he had deep inside her for the second time that day.

Still semi-hard and on shaky legs, he moved around to his side of the bed, quickly settled himself. He waited for Franky to make herself comfortable with her back against his stomach then wrapped his arms around her. He closed his eyes, placed several kisses on shoulder and neck until he heard the now familiar way she breathed when sleeping.

He stopped the kissing, moved his uppermost hand to her abdomen and smiled when he felt the baby kick against his palm. He sighed in contentment then quickly joined Franky in a peaceful repose.