Brand New Year

"10...9...8...7..."

The crowd on tv counted down the final few seconds until Big Ben rung in the new year. Rory, Stephen, Callum, Boo, Thorpe, Freddie, Jazza and Jerome all sat in the living room at Goodwin's Court.

"6...5...4...3..."

They had opened a bottle of champagne earlier and Stephen had a glass as did Boo, Freddie and Jazza. Callum, Thorpe and Jerome were driving so they had lemonade as did the pregnant Rory. Boo and Callum huddled closer as the seconds dwindled and so did Jazza and Jerome. Rory sat lounged across Stephens knee, glass in one hand and the other arm around his neck. Her head was nestled against his shoulder. Freddie sat alongside them on the couch while Thorpe sat on the nearby armchair.

"2...1...Happy new year!"

They all cheered as Big Ben struck midnight and everyone in the room shared a news years kiss. Thorpe came across the room and gave Freddie a kiss on the cheek and she gave him one back. Callum kissed Boo passionately. Jazza kissed Jerome slowly. Rory put her glass down on the table and placed her hand on Stephens cheek. She kissed him tenderly. She smiled at him. "Happy new year."

"Happy new year." He planted a small kiss on his fingers and placed his hand on her stomach. "To both of you."

She smiled and nestled into him again. "So, what are you hoping for? A boy or a girl?"

The arm he had wrapped around her waist rubbed her back. "As long as they're healthy and happy, I'm really not bothered if it's a boy or a girl."

She grinned. "Good answer. Actually, I was wanting to talk to you about that."

He pulled his head back slightly to look at her. "Oh?"

"I was thinking, in a few months, when we can find out the sex of the baby, that I don't want to know. You can know if you like, naturally, but I want to wait and be surprised."

He smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I want to be surprised too."

She kissed him again. She looked around the room and saw everyone celebrating the new year. Jazza was smiling at them. She smiled back before closing her eyes. "What do you think they'll be like? Smart like their father?"

"And beautiful like their mother."

She suddenly furrowed her eyebrows and sat up slightly. "Do you think he or she will have the gene for the sight?"

He looked at her and considered a moment. "Likely. Since both of us have it, it's highly likely to be passed down but that doesn't mean they'll have the sight. We didn't get it until a near death experience."

"I met a ghost once, Lord Williamson, you met him too, he said he was born with the sight. No near death experience required."

"I suppose it can sometimes happen like that."

"Do you think...?"

Stephen exhaled slowly as he thought. "Perhaps, since both parents have the gene, this baby may be born with the sight but we won't know that until it's older."

"I want them to have a normal life. Well, as normal as possible."

He smiled at her softly. "Normal is relative. This baby will be loved and cared for. That's normal and that's all that's really needed."

She looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Besides, with the Deveauxs as family, there wasn't really much chance of a normal life."

He laughed heartily and kissed her. "Your family are wonderful. Wonderful is better than normal."