A/N: I'm finally back! June has been a busy month for me, primarily due to a cross-country move and the continuing settling-in process. However, I have enough material ready to be able to post two chapters here, and I will complete the story as time permits. Till then, enjoy! Thanks as ever to PDXWiz, jtbwriter, Harry2, Bishop T and Kyryn…

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§ § § -- December 7, 2003

Christian and Leslie were waiting to board their flight from New York to London, each carrying a small bag; she yawned, then turned to him and peered into the pocket of his shirt while he stared at her in amused surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure we remembered our passports," she said.

"Trust me, my Rose, they're here," Christian assured her, laughing. "If I didn't know better, I'd think being pregnant had affected your brain. I would normally have been the one to repeatedly ask Dr. Lambert if it was really safe for you to travel in your condition, but instead it was you!"

Leslie grinned. "Well, you have to admit, I've never been pregnant before, and you've never dealt with a pregnant woman before—"

"No? What about my sister and my sisters-in-law?" Christian countered.

"Oh, that wasn't the same. They had your brothers and your late brother-in-law to fuss over them. And anyway, after all our attempts and failures, to have a success like this is such a miracle, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize it," said Leslie, glancing ahead of them as the line began to move. "I'm surprised at how well I'm doing. Now that I've finally quit throwing up nearly every day…"

"Now you nap almost as much as my father used to do in the last dozen years of his life," Christian teased her, giving her a quick kiss. "I suppose it's better you're asleep than sick, but believe me, it gets a bit lonely without you to talk to."

Leslie said impishly, "I look at it as storing up for all those sleepless nights we're going to have after the baby's born. Maybe you should think about napping too."

"For different reasons, yes," Christian agreed, highly amused, pausing beside the ticket agent to hand her their boarding passes and passports. "I plan to sleep away as much of this flight as possible."

"Probably very wise, Your Highness," remarked the ticket agent with a grin. "Enjoy your flight, and congratulations on the baby."

"Thank you," Christian and Leslie said together, collected their passports and started down the jetway. Christian wrapped an arm securely around her on the way down and stole another kiss. "I think we set a record," he whispered. "That ticket agent was the only person we met in this entire country who recognized us!"

"Enjoy it now, my love," Leslie advised him, grinning again. "Wait till we land in Sundborg. The press will be all over us."

"Ah, but it's locals," Christian said and shrugged amiably. "I'm not worried about that. Did Mr. Roarke remind you again to call him when we get to the castle?" They would be taking up residence in Christian's old room there; Gerhard and Liselotta no longer had room in their flat for guests, what with two-year-old Matteus and his baby sister Viktoria to deal with. Their trip would last for two weeks, long enough for them to attend the royal Christmas ball that coming Saturday, December 13, and for Christian to spend a few days at his Sundborg office, before they returned to Fantasy Island.

"But of course," Leslie said and laughed. "I think Father has the same fear that you do about pregnancy addling my brain. He reminded me five times to call, from the moment we got to the plane dock Saturday till the last second before we boarded the charter." They were still operating on Fantasy Island time, but reliving Sunday.

Christian chuckled as they caught up with those who had boarded ahead of them. Neither of them would ever forget Roarke's reaction to Leslie's announcement of her pregnancy. He'd slowly risen from his chair behind the desk, his dark eyes alight, his smile very wide. After hugging both Leslie and Christian, he'd said with a very impish chuckle, "I had suspected as much throughout the weekend; I sensed it in you, my child."

"You already knew?" Leslie had exclaimed. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you wouldn't have believed me," Roarke had said, and both he and Christian had burst into laughter at Leslie's outraged look. From there, the news had spread quickly; Mariki had been delighted, and from that point on had begun plying Leslie with all manner of special dishes that she claimed were passed down through generations of women in her family (and nearly all of which Leslie found too revolting to do more than taste), fussing at her to eat far more often than usual, and generally driving not only Leslie but also Christian more than a little crazy. Even Roarke's admonishments to cease and desist had fallen on deaf ears.

Leslie's friends had cheered at hearing the news; they'd all been aware that Leslie had hoped to have a baby for a long time. Lauren in particular had been thrilled; her baby was due somewhere in February, and she had hopes that the Knights' baby and the Enstads' would become schoolmates and friends. And, to their total shock, Maureen had admitted with some disgruntlement that she too was pregnant and due roughly the same time as Leslie. They'd all stared at her, and Leslie had said, "I thought you and Grady had decided that Brianna was going to be your one and only child."

"So did we," Maureen had said, "but accidents happen." Then she'd snickered and assured them that it was a happy accident. Katsumi had reported that fourteen-year-old Haruko had eagerly offered babysitting services. And when Anna-Kristina and Mateo had heard, they'd been thrilled; Anna-Kristina admitted that she was going to feel much more like an aunt to this baby, even though in fact the child would be her cousin.

Christian and Leslie stashed their bags under the seats in front of them and settled into their own; then he turned to her and regarded her while she frowned down at her seat belt. "Don't pull that too tightly," he said.

Surprised, she looked up and then giggled. "Christian, my love, the baby's not big enough yet to feel constrained by this," she told him, kissing him. "It'll be awhile yet before that happens. Don't worry so much, okay? I'm really fine."

"Or you will be until you have some strange food craving," Christian said with some apprehension. "What happens then?"

"Either the flight attendants can accommodate it, or they can't," said Leslie, "and if they can't, we could always look around in Heathrow and see if we can do something about it then. Really, my darling, it's okay, I promise."

Christian released a soft huff of wry amusement at himself and reached out to smooth her hair. "My darling Rose, I've always worried about you, you know that. Now I'll merely worry all the more. Funny how you seem to know so much for one who's never been pregnant before, hmm?"

"Incorrigible rogue," she said, and he grinned. "Maybe you ought to read a book or something…keep yourself occupied."

"Ach, my darling, you wound me!" he groaned theatrically, and she giggled again. "Is that your way of saying 'shut up and butt out'? Well enough, I can take a hint." Laughing together, they shared one more kiss and settled down for the takeoff.

Leslie was sound asleep when they landed at Heathrow and Christian, sleepy himself, had to shake her with some energy to wake her up. Both a little groggy, they disembarked and were shuttled to the gate where their flight to Sundborg waited. To their astonishment, not only was their plane waiting for them, so was Princess Margareta, who as they found out had been in London for one of her charity causes. Margareta hugged her aunt and uncle, then stepped back and regarded them. "Anna-Kristina claims there's a big secret you two have," she said. "I'd like to hear it."

"You can't stand to wait out a ninety-minute flight so that we can tell the entire family at the same time?" Christian asked with a raised eyebrow.

Margareta rolled her eyes. "Oh, if you insist on waiting, then fine. I simply thought it would be convenient for you to tell me."

"I'm sure you did," Christian said good-naturedly. "Not to worry. The family will find out as soon as we reach the castle. And what of you, how have you been?"

"Busy," the princess said cheerfully as the first boarding call for their flight went out and they got in line to take their first-class seats. "I really enjoy getting out and meeting people and raising awareness for my favorite causes. I think this is what I'm going to focus my life on. I'll be like the first Queen Elizabeth—never married, in charge of her own life, and able to focus on others."

Leslie grinned. "The family bachelorette, I guess!" Margareta laughed and nodded, and they boarded together, though she had a seat a couple of rows back from them so that they couldn't really talk on the flight. It didn't matter much; Leslie fell asleep again, and when they landed in Sundborg, Christian had to wake her up once more.

"You're even worse than my father was," he remarked, shaking his head at her as they started up the jetway. "The frightening part of it is that you're only six weeks along. I hate to think how you'll be as you progress through this pregnancy."

Margareta caught up with them. "What was that?"

"At the castle," Christian said firmly, and she made a face that elicited a grin from him. "Believe me, the news will be worth the wait. Come on."

The rest of the family met them in the great entry of the castle and brought all three travelers back to the dining room, where a meal was about to get under way. After the many greetings and hugs had been exchanged, they all sat down and waited while servants brought out covered dishes and place settings. It soon became clear that seafood was being served, and Leslie swallowed thickly and gave Christian a desperate look. Surprised, he leaned to her and murmured, "I thought you were over that."

"I'm over the throwing up," she clarified. "But not the queasiness around certain foods, unfortunately."

He sighed and then grinned tolerantly. "Is there something you'd prefer to have that you think you can keep down?"

She shrugged. "I'd settle for some fruit."

"What's the secret?" Margareta demanded from across the table and a few seats down, as Gabriella came in and took the seat normally occupied by the reigning monarch. The young queen peered at her aunt and uncle and then at her sister, and the rest of the family focused on Christian and Leslie.

"What secret?" Anna-Laura wanted to know.

"Anna-Kristina e-mailed me from Fantasy Island and said that Uncle Christian and Aunt Leslie have something very big to tell the family. But neither of them would tell me; Uncle Christian insisted on waiting till we were here. Now we are, and I want to know just what's going on." Margareta sat back and folded her arms over her chest. "Come on!"

"I see," said Anna-Laura, studying Leslie. "Leslie, you look a little ill."

Christian looked at Leslie, and she smiled gamely back, nodding at him. He chuckled softly and rested a hand on her back, then took in Carl Johan and Amalia, Anna-Laura, Margareta, Gabriella, Rudolf, Cecilia and Axel with little Princess Elisabeth, and Roald. "Well," he said, "Leslie isn't really ill so much as she is pregnant."

Total silence fell in the room and they all gaped at the two; then everyone exclaimed at once and converged on Christian and Leslie with delighted cries and hugs. Leslie giggled and hugged them all back, radiant; when the family had settled down enough to resume their seats, her pregnancy dominated the dinner conversation for most of the meal. Eventually Cecilia asked curiously, "Do you want to have a boy or a girl?"

"I don't care," said Christian. "Just the fact that I'm to be a father at last…that all by itself overwhelms me. We'll worry about that later on. Tell me, Briella, what are the plans for the Christmas ball? I thought I'd make my usual business trip here around that, so that Leslie could attend one."

"It's to be on Saturday evening, as I mentioned," said Gabriella. "I almost wasn't sure I wanted to hold it, but Aunt Anna-Laura talked me into it. She thought I should start trying to meet new men." Her divorce from Elias had been made final a few months before, but she was still somewhat depressed over it and was having some trouble recovering.

"It's a good idea, and you know it," Anna-Laura assured her. "I know you're still upset about Elias, but it's time for you to move on. The ball will be a perfect venue for you to see and be seen. And as for you—" She turned to Roald. "No sneaking out early, as your Uncle Christian always used to do."

Roald rolled his eyes. "I expect he and Aunt Leslie will sneak out anyway, especially if she finds herself feeling sick during the party. You know I don't like staying so long at those things. There are so many boring people."

"Stay with it, just once," Anna-Laura suggested tartly. "Well, then, Christian, so are you and Leslie using your old room?"

They were, and they retreated here after the meal, now both tired. Gabriella came around shortly after they had both changed into nightwear and asked, "Will you come and sit with the family in the TV room? We've been discussing Mamma."

"How is she, then?" Christian asked.

"The same," said Gabriella with a small shrug. "It's quite strange how she's been in her own world ever since Pappa died. Only Margareta and I visit anymore because she never recognizes anyone, even the two of us. I think she's living in the days when Grandpappa had the throne and everything seemed so grand. You remember all the parties she was always attending with Pappa."

Christian nodded and said wryly, "All too well. So you don't suppose it would be worth it for Leslie and me to go and see her?"

"No," said Gabriella, "she'll never know you're there." She cleared her throat and hung her head, looking far less like the queen she was than an uncertain twenty-nine-year-old divorcee looking for a little advice or reassurance. "I feel as if my entire world is falling apart around me. Pappa dead, Mamma in her own universe, Elias gone…and you and Anna-Kristina living on the other side of the world. It's not the same in here anymore."

"Everything changes, Briella," Christian reminded her gently. "Is the castle a less happy place because some of us no longer live in it?"

"It seems so," said Gabriella softly. "I find myself wishing Gerhard and Liselotta would sell their flat and move back here with Matteus and Viktoria. You started such a strange trend, Uncle Christian, going on your own and having your own business."

Christian sighed a little and slid his arm around Leslie when she drew up beside him. "Prince or no prince, my life is my own," he said. "I'm happy where I am. I spent far too many years trying to remind my father of that, and then your father. Yes, perhaps the family is scattered, but we are still and always family, no matter what. Briella, you and Magga both are stronger than your sister. She still sometimes comes to me for advice, even with Mateo to lean on. I'm beginning to burn out. You're an adult, and moreover, you're the ruler of the country. You're the one who leaped at the chance when Anna-Kristina decided to abdicate the succession. Are you having regrets?"

"No," Gabriella said forcefully. "I intend to reign as long as Great-Grandfather Lukas and Grandpappa and Pappa did, combined. When Matteus is old enough I'll take him in hand and prepare him for the succession myself. I'll see to it that he's a good and just and competent king. No, I only wish that…that we could share more in your lives. I know how private you prefer to keep your life, Uncle Christian. But it seems such a shame that your baby won't be a prince or princess."

"I can't pass down a title I no longer have," Christian pointed out.

"Of course not," said Gabriella. "But I've been thinking about changing that law. It's not one of the unassailable ones, you know—there are only a few of those. Lilla Jordsö is the only country in the world that strips a royal of the title if they leave the country. It doesn't seem very fair to me to do that. Parliament is still arguing about revoking Anna-Kristina's title, and it's been such a big issue that I'm seriously considering stepping in and amending things to end this foolishness once and for all. So, if I could get you your title back, would you take it?"

Christian gaped at her, then looked at Leslie, who smiled. "It's entirely up to you, my love," she said. "But you might keep in mind that you've been a commoner only a couple of years and still haven't totally adjusted to it. Just because you're a prince, that doesn't mean you can't still keep your life private."

"Do people still call him 'Prince Christian' and so on?" Gabriella asked her.

Leslie nodded and said, "All the time. Father's cook has never called him anything but 'Prince Christian', and most of our guests who happen to meet him still address him as 'Your Highness'. And he still has that royal soul—he'll never be able to shake it. Maybe he's officially a commoner, but as several people have pointed out, once a prince, always a prince. My only qualm about it is that I'd be a princess again, and I don't know if I could handle that. I really don't think I'd ever get used to being called 'Your Highness'."

They all laughed and Christian squeezed Leslie. "Well, you keep thinking about it, Briella," he said. "It's your decision, of course, as queen. I just wonder why the parliament is having such a hard time with it. Perhaps there's something in the law itself about revoking a title more than once in a given period."

Gabriella said, "That crossed my mind too. Anyway, it's not an attempt to make you come back here…"

Christian grinned. "That might well have been my next question. Oh, don't worry, we'll see to it that you and the others know your new cousin and that he or she knows all of you. And give yourself a chance to meet men at the ball. I daresay you'd have more success finding someone there than I ever did."

"Maybe this time you'll stay till the end of the party," Gabriella said mischievously.

"Not if your aunt falls asleep in the middle of it all," Christian retorted with a wicked look at Leslie. "She's napping worse than your grandfather did in his declining years."

"Rogue," said Leslie and grinned. "Well, if we're going to sit with the family, let's go."