Authors Notes: Here's the first chapter to my random GrayxOC I started a while ago. It was very encouraging that readers thought the prologue was sweet. I wish I could have such a sweet family like that one day. *sniff* Anyway, here's the first chapter and unlike most of my romancey stories, the story has courting behind it, although some of the backstory to their relationship will be included, so please don't think I was lazy. I just wanted to try writing a family based fiction and see if I can pull it off. Enough rambling, I hope this chapter is enjoyable and any reviews for likes/improvements are greatly appreciated; as always I want to learn from my experiences so please let me know if you wish. One last note, I hope this is cute for you because I think Gray has a very great personality to work with, especially because he's such a lovely husband when you marry him on DS Cute.

With only 5 days until the due date of our unborn baby, Hollie and I were both feeling the nerves. However it was good progress; with Tess and Erin both born 3 weeks early and born from the same womb, just knowing the baby wasn't that desperate to be born was some positive news to keep our nerves in control. But it was only a small deterrent to the aching and racketing that made us both on edge. The best deterrent? Well, our two little girls, of course.

It was my last evening of work that my grandpa was letting me work until the birth of our baby, and we were huddled together like we have been for the past week after dinners in the middle of the living room floor. It was only like this because the girls had finally picked up on the fact that by question Mummy about the baby, that the wait wasn't long at all.

So sitting around Mummy was all they wanted to do before bedtime, and rest their tiny heads against the large bump and waited excitedly for our hyper unborn child to kick. The number of giggles it would cause was always enough for me to smirk. Obviously, it wasn't just Mummy and Daddy who were excited.

Like always I was sat watching from the sidelines, which I didn't mind. Watching was probably best, it was even more plain to see that Hollie did have a bump this time, despite being pregnant with two children instead of just one this time, and having very little to show for it. That much Dr. Hardy had guaranteed us. Still I can't complain.

The evening drew on, and it wasn't long until bedtime, and the girls had each been asking more questions at their clearly exhausted mother, who had her head leaning on my shoulder with her hands knit into mine, Tess and Erin kneeling with their tiny hands clinging to her sleeves.

"Mummy, today with Celia there was a man with silver hair. Do you know him?" Tess innocently asked. I had already been watching Hollie's face for any signs of discomfort, but I hadn't shock on her face like that before.

"Umm, maybe. I do know a lot of people who live here," Hollie answered honestly. "What did he look like?"

"W-well, he was quite tall, and wore a leopard shirt," Erin followed up. Even I knew who they were talking about, and squeezed Hollie's hands tighter as reassuringly as possible.

Phantom Skye. I had never met him personally, but Hollie had mentioned on a number of occasions that before and during the time we dated that she often saw him on her way home from Mineral Town on her occasional visits to shop at the supermarket and pay Pastor Carter brief visits. She'd made it clear that she wasn't comfortable around him. I continued to watch the expression on her face, which had softened slightly; to reassure Tess and Erin.

"I think I know him," she answered again with some nervousness in her voice.

"Auntie Celia didn't seem happy when she saw him…" Tess said.

"…Is he a bad man?" Erin continued.

"Well… he doesn't really spend much time in town, so no one really knows him well. As for being bad…" Hollie stopped. I knew she had to think about her answer. She didn't want to scare them and say he was a thief, but she didn't want to lie and say he wasn't. "He tends to tease people a little, but it's nothing to think much on."

"Ok Mummy." The girls beamed and giggled at their use of speaking in unison. I admit, it's very cute.

With that, Hollie changed to topic to what kinds of books Erin and Tess wanted read to them in bed tonight and they both left the topic untouched for the rest of the evening. It was these kinds of occasions that we were both grateful that Erin and Tess didn't always question every little thing. Of course, as young children are, they took advantage of the chance to make more mess across the floor and scattered a number of books across the floor in an arc around them and pointed at their favourite stories. They were well-treated books, and always brought a smile to my face because they were hand-me-downs that Hollie's parents had sent to us when Hollie was first pregnant, and were the same books that were read to Hollie when she was a baby.

I couldn't imagine my baby as a baby, but Hollie's parents, being the embarrassing kind, had taken advantage to show me photos of her toddler years. Hollie hasn't forgiven me since. What a cute baby she was, well is.

By the time bedtime rolled around, Tess and Erin were up the stairs quicker than I was able to get Hollie back on her feet. They loved bath time, probably because soaking Mummy and Daddy in soapy water was a joint effort they could get credit in.

"You ok, love?" I asked, as Hollie took a little longer to steady herself onto her feet.

"Yea, just tired," she answered. I wasn't going to question why she wasn't telling the full truth. In the meantime, Tess was shouting from upstairs that we were being too slow, so that was our cue to go upstairs and face another night of soapiness and high pitched giggles.

--

With Erin and Tess in bed and having a story read to them, there wasn't much left to do but finish any outstanding chores, which meant cleaning up the scattered books and toys that were spread all over the floor. An obvious health hazard that I wasn't going to leave undone. This left Hollie with a mug of tea I had made waiting for her on the dining room table, when she had finished closing the curtains in their bedroom, and leaving their door open ajar enough for them to have some light in the room.

When all was done it was our only chance in a day to sit together and just relax, but Hollie obviously wasn't going to relax tonight, and I could tell what was on her mind.

"Hollie, talk to me, love," I whispered as I kissed her forehead. She had been biting her lip hard for the past five minutes and I couldn't let her tear herself apart any longer.

"I-it's been so long since he's been around… I mean, I haven't seen him since we married," she sighed, leaning into me as I wrapped arms around her shoulders. "Why would he come back so suddenly…?"

"I don't know…" I answered, but it wasn't going to take much to guess. "Everything's going to be fine. Deep breathes, sweet."

Hollie did I asked and breathed as calmly as possible, but quickly her pace quickened and I was starting to think maybe we weren't going to have to wait long at all.

"Hollie…? Love?" I questioned.

"It's fine, I'm just stressing… It's not the baby," she answered with a smirk. She knows me too well.

Hollie continued her deep breathing for a few more minutes, closing and opening her eyes. I could just watch and hold her hands. It was painful to watch sometimes; I could suggest but barely do anything to make things easier.

"Gray, don't think like that."

"Pardon?"

"Don't pardon me. Without you I'd be a mess."

"Wait how did you "

"You've got that look on you're face again."

"Ah…"

"Gray?"

"Yes, my love?"

"I love you."

"…I'm crazy about you."

I smirked; it was just like when we were dating. All of those lovely memories when every Thursday once a week, when I'd go to Forget-Me-Not Valley just to see Hollie. Just to see her smile. I never would have thought back then we'd have three kids, or at least the third on the way.

For a little while, Hollie just sat and sipped at her tea, watching the clock or staring at our photos on the mantle above our fireplace, and I just massage the back of her head through her long silky hair. She'd never allowed herself to cut it to avoid it being pulled by the girls when they were so small, they would fit in my arms without any effort. 'Another one of those memories I'll hold onto.' I thought.

I didn't understand at first when Hollie sharply looked at the front door; she had squealed quicker than I heard the knock. Squeezing her hand I got out of my seat and opened the door, our dog, Heather bolting out from where she had been sleeping underneath one of the seats at the table. In the doorway, Dr. Hardy stood with his usual suitcase of instruments. It had become normal now that he'd pay evening visits after Tess and Erin were in bed to make regular check-ups.

"Good evening, Gray," he greeted, and I greeted him back gesturing him to come in, while Hollie sat at the table, a relieved and heavy sigh escaping as soon as Hardy's voice had got in the house.

"I'm going to bring Heather back in. Hollie, I'll only be a minute," I quickly said slipping outside into the dark. Where ever that dog had ran off to.