As Lindsay said, this may well be the first ever crowd-sourced fanfic. This started as a long-winded twitter rant about Grandparent!Blakes, and lead to a multi-chapter family fic in which Amelia Jean Beazley acts as facilitator to cute moments between our favourite people. So first I need to thank my collaborators: disturbingclarity, poormanstinafey and mgreathouse, who entertain my ramblings and co-wrote most of these little story points with me. Thanks guys! This one's for you! And second, quick shoutout to Lindsay for the title.
There are a few chapters to come, and more in the works, so let me know what you think and leave me and the girls some love Enjoy!
The Ballarat Babysitters Club
"We're seeing specialists in Melbourne. We'll be there for a couple of weeks while they run tests and monitor her condition, and I was wondering if-"
"Say no more" said Jean on the phone, cutting off Christopher mid-explanation. "I completely understand."
She didn't really, because she had thankfully dodged the baby blues after her two boys. But Jean knew Ruby was still not coping even six months later, to the point of barely being able to get out of bed. The doctors in Adelaide had suggested the usual – electroshock therapy and ward admittance until she improved. Horrified, Christopher had sought help back in Melbourne, from a doctor he heard about through military friends who specialised in shell shock and related nervous conditions. He thought maybe, with some proper psychiatric care, she might not need the more aggressive therapies.
"You'll stop here first" said Jean, no question in her tone. "Have a hot meal and good sleep, then we'll get little Amelia set up and you'll leave her here with us. We're more than equipped to take care of her, and you need to focus on getting Ruby well. Melbourne is only an hour and a half away" – it was a little more than that to get to the hospital in Carlton, but not much more – "so any time you need to see her you just say the word and we can arrange for you to see her"
She heard him sigh. It was a good plan, but he wasn't completely sold.
"Mum… I really don't like foisting her on you-"
"What foisting? I'm offering. And I insist"
Down the phone line, Christopher's silence was answer enough. Jean let herself have the moment of self-satisfaction.
"We are… more than grateful. Really"
Part of her felt guilty. After all, she left Adelaide such in a rush for Matthew and never returned, and although Ruby had seemed well enough at the time perhaps she hadn't been. If this was a form of penance as well as an easy solution, well… so be it.
"It is our pleasure. You just let me know what day to expect you"
And that, as they say, was that.
As soon as she hung up the phone, Jean took a deep breath and steeled herself for the next conversation, walking briskly from the kitchen phone around into the hallway, and then beyond to Lucien's consult room.
He was sitting at his desk filling in patient paperwork. He looked up when she knocked on the doorway, announcing her presence.
"Lucien. I'm afraid I've gone and made a decision without you" she said.
He stilled his hand from its poised writing position, his eyebrows going up a fraction. "Oh?"
He didn't seem especially worried. She wouldn't have done anything rash, and he trusted her explicitly.
"Ruby is still not well." she started, walking into the room and, eventually, around the desk to stand next to him. "Christopher is bringing her to Melbourne to see the specialists there"
Lucien frowned in sympathy. "Oh that is no good, I'm sorry to hear it"
"Yes. Well. We'll see they go" said Jean, fidgeting. "Only-"
"What are they doing with little Amelia?" he asked. The thought occurred to him suddenly and interrupted whatever she was about to say. He knew only too well how chaotic the Melbourne hospitals could be, and if extensive testing was to be done it could be a long and tedious process for the couple, let alone with a baby in tow.
"That's… the decision I need to speak to you about"
Her sheepishness and the look on her face gave her away, and in a moment the penny dropped.
"Ah" he said, his head rising in realisation. "I see"
"I offered to take her here" she confirmed. "Now, of course, you won't be expected to-"
"Jean, say no more" he said, holding up his hand with a soft smile. "It will be a delight to play host to your granddaughter" he finished. He looked so genuinely happy about it she immediately relaxed.
"Thank you. She can sleep in my room" she hastened to add, dispelling any fears he may have about doing the hard yards of baby caring. But he didn't seem to be listening, his gaze looking around his office with a small frown.
"Thank goodness the door handles to my consulting rooms are so high up, I suppose" he muttered almost to himself.
Jean grinned. "She's only six months old, Lucien, she's barely even crawling yet"
"Still" he said, and she got the impression he was already mentally tallying the ways to make the house baby-safe. "Can't be too cautious"
She leaned down and kissed him then, lightly but with feeling. "Thank you" she said, and he only smiled in return.
It was going to be an interesting few weeks, he was sure, but part of him was really looking forward to it.