The next few days were filled with looking after the triplets and trying to get them into a routine, Christmas was only four days away but the Robinsons were silently looking forward to the day it would be over and Julie would be returning home. Tensions were at boiling point with Julie's constant sniping at Paul and Gail's approach to parenthood, and how much fuss was being made of them.

"Do we really have to go to Dad's for lunch?" Lucy complained as she sat cradling Robert in her arms.

Paul looked up from folding the washing and looked at his sister "Afraid so Munchkin, I promised him we'd make an effort to be friendly with Julie before Christmas"

"Gail doesn't want to go either" Lucy remarked "I don't see why we have to be nice to her when she's still being horrible to us"

"She's jealous Lucy….she can't stand the thought of anyone getting more attention than her" Paul said as he put the clothes aside to get up.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of crying upstairs.

"Those two aren't as good as this little one" Lucy exclaimed

"They're just taking a little more time to get adjusted to not being in the hospital. The problem is Robert is picking up their mood as well…he's kind of lost his routine at the moment" Paul said

Lucy smiled "Nah he's cute" she said

Paul looked at the baby in Lucy's arms and laughed "We're not playing favourites with these three Luce…don't forget that" he said

"I'm not playing favourites" Lucy said "But this one doesn't make as much noise as those two"

"I'm going upstairs to see what's wrong, in fact why don't you put Robert in the basinet and go and get ready" Paul said

"Do I have to?" Lucy asked

Paul nodded his head "The sooner we go the sooner we can come back"

Paul walked upstairs and into the nursery where the two babies were crying, Gail sat in the rocking chair her eyes closed. Paul knelt down beside her concerned.

"Darling what's wrong?" he asked

Gail opened her eyes and looked at him "These two…whatever I do isn't right, they won't settle, even when I pick them up they continue to scream." She said "Where's Robert?"

"He's in the basinet downstairs" Paul said

"I feel hopeless…I can't connect to them, I just don't know what to do to make them happy" she said

Paul walked over to one of the cots and gently picked up Lucinda, gently he talked to her and she seemed to respond to his voice, slowly she stopped crying. Gail looked at him and shook her head.

"Maybe I should just leave and let you get on with it" she said "You and Lucy are so much better at this than I am"

"Don't you even think about it. Gail you're tired and stressed, the babies are picking up your moods and that's why they're unsettled, just try and relax and I'm sure thing will get better." Paul said "Come on let's get ready, these two seem to have settled down"

An hour later Paul, Gail and Lucy arrived in the kitchen of number 26 where Helen and Jim were sat talking. Jim got up and sneaked a look at the babies who were sleeping in their car seats.

"So how are my favourite grandchildren today?" he asked

Paul laughed "Asleep at last" he replied

"Don't let Julie hear you say that" Gail said "It will be another thing for her to comment about"

Julie walked into the kitchen "Did I hear my name" she asked, as she walked over to the babies, looking at Gail she sighed "Well motherhood doesn't really seem to suit you much, you look worn out, funny I never had that problem with Hannah, mind you she was an excellent baby"

Paul rolled his eyes and looked at Gail, reaching out to hold her hand to squeeze it for reassurance; he knew what was going through her mind.

"Why don't you two take the babies into Helen's room and then come and sit in the sitting room" Jim said to change the subject.

Lucy stayed in the kitchen with Helen, Julie tried to make conversation but Lucy blanked her. Meanwhile as the babies were settled Gail sat on the bed with her head in her hands, Paul sat down beside her and pulled her into an embrace.

"Come on…it will get better I promise you" he said

"It not just the babies, it's Julie, she just doesn't like me for some reason. Paul I don't think she's happy that you gave me your mum's ring" Gail said "Scott and Lucy made me feel like part of this family from the beginning, but Julie, she's constantly reminding me that I'm only family because I'm married to you"

"Don't listen to her…look in a week's time she'll be gone and things will go back to normal" Paul said "Come on let's leave these three to sleep"

Gail stood up and Paul took her hand, turning to face her he said "Hey, before we leave this room can I have a smile"

Gail looked at him and smiled slightly, Paul pulled her into his arms and held her tightly "It will be okay I promise" he said

Paul put his arm around Gail and they walked out of the bedroom together, both glancing back to check that the babies were okay. As they walked back into the sitting room, Jim looked at the couple with concern; they both looked stressed and tired.

"So how are things going?" he asked

"Fine" Paul said "Just don't know how three babies can keep you so busy" laughing light heartedly

"Yeah well the sooner you get them into a routine, the sooner everyone will be able to get some sleep around here" Julie remarked "They woke us up at 3am this morning and Hannah didn't get back to sleep"

"You try looking after three babies at the same time" Paul remarked with a firmer edge to his voice

Helen brought in some coffee and placed it on the coffee table "You two are coming for Christmas day aren't you?" she asked

Paul looked at Lucy and smiled "I think so" he said

They sat drinking and chatting for a while, when Paul noticed Gail's head getting heavy on his shoulder.

"Hey wake up sleepy head" he said, gently kissing her forehead.

Gail opened her eyes and smiled "I'm sorry" she said

Julie laughed "If you can't stand the heat, maybe you should have kept out of the kitchen" she said looking at Gail

"What?" Paul said

"Well come on" Julie said "It's obvious that Gail isn't coping with motherhood"

Gail looked at her "And you're the expert are you?" she said

"All I'm saying is that if you hadn't played with nature you wouldn't be in this position, after all nature obviously didn't intend for you to have children" Julie replied

Paul shot Julie a look of disgust "Julie when you have 3 six week old babies to look after I'll ask for your opinion" he said

Jim looked across at Gail and saw the look of distress on her face.

"Julie you can just stop it now" he said "You're not helping"

The conversation was interrupted by the sound of one of the babies; Gail quickly got up and walked into the bedroom.

"You just can't help yourself can you Jules" Paul stated in a strained voice.

Gail was already picking the baby up as Paul entered the bedroom, she gave a weak smile.

Paul walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulder "Do you want to go home?" he asked

Gail looked at him and kissed him "Paul, I really need to get out of here" she said quietly

"That's fine…" he said

"Darling I need some time on my own" she said as she laid Robert down on the bed to change him.

Paul looked at her concerned "Listen, forget what Julie said, she's not important" he said

He checked on the two other babies, finding them still asleep he suggested they go back into the sitting room. Gail picked up her handbag.

"Don't look so worried" she smiled "I just can't cope with snide comments from you sister at the moment, I need some space"

"I don't want you to go" Paul said "You're upset"

Gail kissed him "I'll be okay" she said as they walked back into the sitting room, after saying goodbye to Jim and Helen, Gail walked out. Paul was torn between going after her and giving her the space she needed. Sitting back down he looked at Julie, his anger consumed him.

"I don't know what all that was about" Julie said to Helen "Seems really rude to be honest, leaving like that"

Paul shook his head "You don't know what it's about…you've been making snide remarks since we got here" he said

"I have not, I've simply been trying to help you both" Julie argued

Paul rolled his eyes "If that's what you call helping, I pity any of your family Julie. You shouldn't go stickybeaking where it's not wanted" he said "And how exactly were you helping by saying that nature never intended Gail to have children, how are you helping by saying that Gail is only part of this family because she married me"

"I'm only stating the truth" Julie protested.

"Well let me give you some truths Julie, if it's a choice between Gail and this family, Gail will win every time" he said sitting forward and raising his voice "Julie I have no interest in your opinions, this family has managed without you for the last four years, so keep you thoughts to yourself and stay away from my family. I've had enough of you to last me a lifetime" he said, getting up he walked to the door. Helen followed him outside.

Paul stopped on the driveway of No.26 not knowing what to do next. Helen placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" she asked

He turned to face her and she noticed the tears in his eyes.

"To find Gail, but God knows where she's gone in the state she was in" he said "Gran I'm scared what if she decides she doesn't want to come back" he said

Helen hugged him "She loves you and those babies, of course she'll come back" she said

"Where is she Gran?" Paul said

"Think what's she's been through these past few weeks, where do you think she'd go when she wants to be alone" Helen said

Paul looked at her "The cemetery" he said "I should have guessed, this has been building up for a while, damn Julie and her spiteful comments"

"Don't worry about her now, Gail is more important, we'll look after the triplets" Helen said

"What about Lucy?" Paul said

"Lucy will be fine…just go and find Gail" Helen said

Helen watched as Paul left, she waited until he drove away before she went back inside.

She shook her head in disgust when she saw Julie smirking.

Jim looked at her and said "Is he okay?"

Helen shook her head "Not really, he's concerned Gail might not come back; she was so upset when she left"

"Like I said before if she can't handle the pressure of motherhood she should never have gone with the IVF" Julie said

Jim glared at her "Julie I have just about had enough of you and your smart comments, from the minute you came here you've been making snide remarks about both Paul and Gail and not happy with that you have to upset Lucy as well, I tell you something your mum would be ashamed of you, and just at this precise moment in time I'm not that proud to say you're my daughter" he said

Rosemary shot him a look, silently pleading with him not to say anything he might regret.

"That's not fair…I've only been trying to help" Julie said

"If that's what you call helping I hate to see you being unhelpful…you're jealous, Paul's right this family has survived without you for four years and you can't take that" Jim said angrily.

"That's right stick up for Paul and Lucy after all they've always been the favourites around here, Scott and I never got a look in" Julie moaned

"That's not fair, we treated you all the same, and don't bring Scott into this" Jim said

"Mum preferred Paul and then after Lucy was born you were always busy with her" Julie said

Jim looked at Lucy "I don't know how you can be jealous of your sister" he said

"I don't know why I came back," Julie said "I should have known you wouldn't have been interested in your granddaughter…you sure as hell never made an effort to come and see her"

"Let's face it Julie, you never once came down here after she was born, in fact even when your sister was ill you didn't bother to visit" Jim said

"That's not fair dad, Phil was busy at work and I couldn't leave the children" Julie protested "I thought we could all have a nice Christmas together this year, the whole family back together as it was years ago"

"We could have…except you had to ruin things with your snide remarks, whether you like it or not Gail is part of this family and nothing you say or do will ever change that" Jim said

Julie rolled her eyes "Paul's relationships never last, he's not capable of loving anyone" she said "And Gail isn't the easiest person to get to know"

"That's because you're always horrible to her" Lucy said

Julie spun around and looked at Lucy "You know one of the reasons, she probably not happy is because not only does she have the triplets to contend with but you too." She said "I put up with you because you're family but she doesn't have to, I bet she'll be glad when you move back in here"

"Julie that's enough!" Jim said standing up in anger

"Maybe I should just go home and leave you too it" Julie said

Jim sighed "To be honest after all the trouble you've caused maybe that would be best"

"Thanks a lot dad, I'll start packing and we can leave as soon as Phil gets back with the children" Julie replied, storming off in the direction of the bedroom.

"Lucy…Julie is jealous, ignore her, she can't stand the fact that her little sister is all grown up" Jim said

Meanwhile Paul found Gail at her father's graveside, shaking his head and silently cursing his elder sister he walked up beside her, gently putting his hand on her back, he pulled her closer to him.

"Shh" he said trying to calm her silent tears.

"Paul I don't think I can take anymore" she said

"Hey come on this isn't the Gail I know and love" he said "I love you so much and we can get through this together"

"I don't know if I can, I wanted these children so much but now they're here I feel hopeless, I can't calm them when they cry and I just feel so tired all the time" she said

"Darling in six months time, we'll look back at this time and laugh at how we thought we couldn't' cope" Paul said "Look at what we had to go through to get this far, the early mornings at the clinics, the injections, the disappointments and we've survived. This is what we both wanted, you're the only person I've truly loved enough to have children with, I realise that now, and you're the only person I want to share the ups and downs of life with"

Gail looked at her father's grave and sighed.

"I miss him so much Paul" she said

Paul looked at her "I know you do, more than anyone can imagine, I guess having children makes you see things differently" he smiled "I know I can never replace your dad but I will always be here for you if you let me"

Gail turned to look at him "You mean that don't you" she said

"More than you could ever realise" Paul said "As I said before you went through hell to give us these children…no one has ever done anything like that for me before, I love you so much. You gave me a fright when Lucinda was born, call it a wake up call, because I saw what happened to my mum almost happen to you and it scared me, nothing is more important to me than you, I love you so much"

Paul wiped away the tears from her eyes and cheeks.

"So will you come home and rest, whilst the children stay with dad and gran for another couple of hours Mrs Robinson?"

"Are you cooking tea?" Gail asked "I didn't eat much at lunchtime"

Paul laughed "I noticed" he said "Well at a push maybe I can rustle something up"

"Hmm maybe I need to keep an eye on you in the kitchen" she said

"Nope…I'll run you a bath and then you can relax" he said

Gail took one last look at her father's grave then turned away; Paul put his arm around her and led her to the car park. When they reached the cars he looked at her.

"Do you want me to drive and we can leave your car here, I can come back later with dad to collect it" he said

Gail shook her head "No, I'll be fine"

Paul hesitated not really wanting her to drive "Okay…if you're sure but I'll follow behind you" he said "If you feel tired just stop,"

Gail smiled "Don't worry" she said kissing him gently on the lips "I'm fine…I just needed some time to myself"

Paul kissed her "Drive safely" he said

Throughout the drive home she checked the rear view mirror and saw that Paul was following close behind, smiling to herself she suddenly felt a sense of calm, she and Paul finally had what they always wanted, she knew the first few months would be difficult but she had Paul and these past few weeks he had proved how he would be there for her…loving her, comforting her and protecting her. When she drove into the driveway of No 22, she looked in the rear view mirror to see Paul pull up behind her. As she stood beside her car she looked at Paul who smiled as he parked, closing her car door she waited for him to walk up to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, gently kissing her on the lips and stroking her cheek

"Fine, really" she replied

"So what do you want for dinner?" he asked "Make it simple as you know what my cooking's like"

Gail smiled "Well there's some spaghetti in the fridge that just needs warming up" she said

"You sure?" Paul asked

"Mmm" she said as walked towards the front door, as she got inside she stopped suddenly and turned to face Paul taking his hand.

"What's wrong" Paul asked

Gail looked at him and smiled, planting a kiss on his cheek "Thank you" she said

"Well I don't know what I did to deserve that but I guess I should do it more often" he said

Gail smiled and hugged him "You know why" she said

"Right why don't you go and have a soak, while I go and check on our offspring, then I will make us some dinner" Paul said kissing her "I'll see if Gran and Beverley mind having them for a little longer"

"Okay" Gail said as she wandered upstairs

Paul went into the kitchen to check what was in the fridge for dinner before heading out, calling goodbye to Gail he went over to No 26. As Paul opened the door to No. 26, he saw the suitcases scattered in the middle of the living room and Julie throwing clothes into them.

"What's going on?" he asked

Julie turned and glared at him "And you can stay out of it too"

Paul looked gobsmacked "What wrong with her?" he asked Helen

Helen sighed "Your sister has decided to return home" she replied.

Julie turned on Paul "Yes thanks to you, your wife and my darling sister over there I'm no longer welcome here" she said

Paul looked at her "I don't want an argument Jules, but as far as I can see you only have yourself to blame. Have a safe journey home" he said

Helen looked at the mess in the living room "Paul why don't we go into the kitchen" she said "Let Julie sort all her things in peace"

Paul followed her into the kitchen, Helen turned to him "That was very generous and restrained of you Paul, especially after everything she's said these past few weeks" Helen said

Paul smiled and shrugged his shoulders "I've got more important things to worry about" he said

"How is Gail?" Helen asked

"She seems a little brighter, she's having a bath and I'm going to make her something to eat" Paul replied "By the way can the babies stay here a little longer, I just want Gail to rest for a bit"

"That's fine, Lucy can help with them" Helen said "We can bring them back in a couple of hours, give you two some time alone"

"Thanks Gran, I'll go and check on them and see that you have everything you need" Paul said

Julie stood in the living room as Paul passed to go into the bedroom "Huh" she said "Typical leave your children here while you go out and have fun"

Paul turned and looked at her, shaking his head he sighed and walked into the bedroom without saying a word.

"Julie do you really have to keep having a go at him" Helen said "Haven't you caused enough trouble"

Julie rolled her eyes "It's true…mark my words, you'll be bringing up those children not them!"

Helen sighed and walk towards her bedroom, opening the door she found Paul checking on the babies. He turned and smiled at her.

"They're still asleep, probably stay that way for a while longer, I've checked that there are enough nappies for them and I know that we put some extra feeds in the fridge before, you sure you don't mind" Paul said

"Of course not" Helen replied

Paul sat on the bed "Gran you know we're not going to dump these three on you" he said

Helen smiled "Of course not…you didn't go through what you went through to have these children only to let them be brought up by someone else" she said "Go and look after Gail, we can cope with these three for a few more hours"

"Thanks Gran" he said, kissing her on the cheek, he checked on the babies one last time before leaving the house. Opening the door of number 22, he called out to Gail before heading into the kitchen to prepare something to eat. Five minutes later Gail walked down the stairs, smiling as she heard Paul singing to himself in the kitchen, walking up to him she put her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Paul turned slightly and kissed her cheek.

"You're supposed to be resting" he said as he worked on preparing a salad

"Hmm I need to keep an eye on you" She laughed "Just to make sure you don't burn the house down"

"Hey cheeky I can cook" Paul laughed

"Yeah right" Gail said "So how are the children?"

"They're fine…still sleeping at the moment" Paul said "Gran said that they'll bring them home in a couple of hours"

"How's Lucy?" Gail asked

"She seems okay" Paul said "By the way Jules is going back home" turning to face Gail.

"In some respect that's sad, it's a shame we couldn't have a nice Christmas together" Gail said "How does your dad feel about her going"

"He seems relieved, not sure what's going on with him and Julie…I mean he wasn't that pleased to see her in the first place and they just seem distant" Paul said

"He's probably just feeling tired, with all the arguments these past few weeks and then what happened with Lucy" Gail said "I'm sure by this time next year everything will be forgotten"

Paul smiled "Yeah just think this time next year we'll have three babies crawling around this place, getting into everything" he said

Paul turned and looked at the spaghetti cooking on the stove "Dinner is nearly ready" he said

Gail walked over to the table and laughed "You've even set the table up with candles" she said

Paul walked over to her and put his arms around her, kissing her on the back of the neck "Yeah well I thought you deserved a little spoiling" he said "Besides it's been a while since we had a candlelit meal"

Gail laughed "I never had you figured for a romantic type Robinson" she said

"Hey, watch it" Paul replied, reflectively he stared at the candlelight "I remember the first time I set the table like this for a romantic meal, it was the day you came back from New York. After you phoned I tidied up the house making sure everything was perfect for you, even down to setting the table"

Gail looked at him "I remember…I also remember thinking it was probably Helen's idea" she said

Paul laughed "Nope..I had a very different reunion planned from the one you gave me" he said

Gail smiled sadly "I'm sorry" she said

"Yeah well lack of communication has always been our downfall; too often it's almost ruined things for us" he said taking her hand and kissing it "But not anymore, we can't afford to let that happen"

Gail nodded in agreement "We've got too much to lose" she said "Our family is much too precious to let anything ruin it"

"I know" Paul said "So Mrs Robinson, we're in this together. we're going to give these children the best of everything."

Gail smiled "That's all I want, I'm just worried that I'm not cut out for motherhood" she said

Paul shook his head "Darling don't doubt yourself, this is new for both of us, but at the end of the day we've always worked as a team" He said "Just remember that we're not in competition as to who can be the better parent"

"Of course not…it just feels that they respond better to you than me, I just feel hopeless" Gail said

Paul squeezed her hand "I keep telling you that you're not hopeless, you've been under a good deal of stress lately and Julie hasn't helped" he said "Let's just take one day at a time"

An hour later Paul and Gail were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Hmm if we stay really quiet do you think they'd go away" Paul smirked

Gail laughed "Don't think so somehow" she said

Paul got up and kissed her "It's good to hear you laugh again" he said as he went to open the door.

"Hey dad" he said on opening the door

"Paul…thought you might like these three back…they've all been fed and changed so should sleep for a while" Jim said

Paul stood aside and let Jim, Beverley and Helen walk in

"Where's Lucy?" Paul asked

"She's at home…said she wanted to practice her flute a bit" Jim said

"Is she okay?" Gail asked "I guess she's moving back home now that Julie's gone"

"Possibly" Jim replied "But that will take some of the pressure of you two"

"Paul why don't I help you take these three upstairs and put them to bed" Helen said

"I'll put some coffee on" Gail smiled

Helen and Beverley followed Paul upstairs while Gail put the kettle on and Jim sat down.

"So how are you feeling now?" Jim asked

Gail went and sat down opposite him "I'm fine…guess I want to be the perfect mother" she said

Jim laughed "There's no such thing as the perfect parent, it's a learning curve, some days are easier than others" he said

"I know and I've got Paul by my side" she said "Look Jim I'm sorry about Julie"

"Hey it wasn't your fault, I honestly don't know what's wrong with her, and she seemed intent on causing trouble the minute she got here"

Gail looked at the engagement ring on her finger "I don't understand why she's jealous, I mean what she did to Lucy was horrible and the way she's been making snide remarks towards Paul and I when we haven't done anything wrong…mind you I hate to say it but Paul giving me his mum's engagement ring didn't help…it should have been Julie's"

Jim looked at her and shook his head "Gail…Anne and Julie never really had a good relationship, they used to argue all the time, it's funny but I always thought that mothers and daughters were supposed to be close but not those two, she was much closer to Paul. I know I did the right thing by giving that ring to him because at the end of the day it's what his mother would have wanted and for him to give it to someone who loved him as much as she did. That ring was never going to be Julie's"

"And another thing, no matter what Julie thinks you are as much a part of this family as she is" he said "Besides you've just given me three beautiful grandchildren"

"How were they after we left?" Gail asked

"Fine…" Jim said

"Oh good, so what's wrong with Lucy?" Gail asked

Jim looked at her "Nothing why do you ask?" he said

Gail smiled "Well usually we can't keep her away from Robert, she seems to have grown really attached to him and yet she doesn't come back here when you bring them back" she said

Jim groaned "Julie had another go at her" he said "Shortly after Paul left"

Gail sighed "What happened?"

"Julie told her the reason that you were upset was because you had to look after her for the past few weeks, that although Julie is her sister and has to put up with her you don't" Jim said

Gail looked away "That's not true and Lucy knows that" she said

"I know…but just at the moment she's vulnerable so every little dig that Julie makes her wonder what is true and what isn't" Jim said

"I'll go and talk to her in a while" Gail said

"You don't need to" Jim said

Gail smiled "I want to, besides I'm not going to let Julie ruin my relationship with Lucy, which reminds me I want to talk to Paul about Godparents for the triplets, we both agreed that Lucy was too young which is why we named Lucinda after her but now I'm not so sure" she said

"Legally she's too young" Jim said

"The legal age is 16 I think, she'll be 15 next year, so all we have to do is just age her by a year" Gail said teasingly

Jim laughed "Thanks…just what I want" he said

"She's growing up. She's been great around here lately, helping look after Robert while we've looked after the two little ones" Gail said "He responds to her"

"I noticed that this afternoon, Lucinda and Cameron woke up first wanting feeding and that woke Robert up, Lucy went straight to him and picked him up, I watched them while I was warming the milk up and he just seemed to settle down as she talked to him" Jim said

Gail smiled "Robert isn't as demanding as the other two, Lucinda and Cameron tend to scream the place down until they get what they want but he seems quieter and easier to soothe" she said

"Must take after his dad" Jim said

"Are we talking about the same Paul here?" Gail said

Paul came downstairs, followed by Helen and Beverley.

"So is everything nice and peaceful up there?" Gail asked

"They're all sleeping like angels" Paul laughed

Gail stood up "Paul can you make the coffee, I just want to go over and see Lucy" she said

"Okay but what's wrong with Lucy?" Paul asked

"Just your eldest sister being her normal friendly self" Jim replied

"Hey I won't be long" Gail said as she walked over to Paul and kissed him.

A few minutes later Gail rang the doorbell of no 26 and waited for Lucy to open it,

"Hey can I come in?" she said as Lucy opened the door.

"Sure" Lucy replied "I was practising my flute while there was no one around to annoy"

"I know I heard you as I came up the drive, it's starting to sound really good" Gail said

"Thanks" Lucy said

Gail went and sat down on the sofa "So why didn't you come back to the house with the others?" she asked

Lucy shrugged her shoulders "I told you I wanted to practice my flute" she said

Gail laughed "You are so much like your brother it's unreal, when something worries you both of you hide from it, Paul usually buries himself under a pile of paperwork while you pretend you want to practice your flute" she said "Your dad told me what Julie said to you"

Lucy picked up a cushion from the sofa on the opposite side of the room and sat down "I just thought that as Julie's gone now you might prefer it if I came home" she said "I mean you have the three babies to look after so you don't want me hanging around"

Gail got up and walked over to Lucy, sitting down next to her "Lucy, what have I told you about listening to Julie, she's so wrapped up in her herself she doesn't care who she hurts" Gail said "She's right about one thing, I'm not your sister but you and Scott are the closest I have to a brother and sister, and I love you both, yes I've found looking after the three babies hard work and Julie hasn't helped with her comments, but both Paul and I have loved having you around helping with the babies"

Lucy looked at her "I wish you were my sister" she said

Gail laughed "I think Paul might just disagree with you on that" she said "So what do you want to do, come over and join us at ours or stay here alone?" she asked

"Can I stay with you for a bit longer?" Lucy asked

Gail looked at her "Luce…your dad misses you and I'm sure he'd sooner you be at home" she said

Lucy thought for a moment "Okay can I stay with you until Christmas Eve and go home then?" she asked

Gail smiled "If it's okay with your dad sure, but you can still come and see the babies even when you're home, it's not like we're going anywhere" she said

"You really like Ramsay Street don't you?" Lucy said

"Of course I do, in fact you will probably leave here before Paul and I" she said "Hey let's go back over the road or are you going to stay her and brood"

Lucy looked at her and laughed "I wasn't brooding" she said "I was practising the flute"

"Hmm you were also brooding young lady, I can read the signs believe me I live with an expert, she said

Lucy stood up and put the flute back in its box "I'm glad Julie's gone, this Christmas was going to be a nightmare with her here" she said "She just caused so much trouble and she was horrible to you"

"For some reason she doesn't like seeing your brother happy" Gail said "Anyway let's forget about that it's Christmas in a couple days time"

Later that evening after the Jim, Beverley and Helen had gone home and Lucy had gone to bed, Paul finished washing up the dishes while Gail relaxed on the sofa.

"Hey do want a drink?" Paul said

Gail smiled "Yeah, hot chocolate would be good" she replied

Gail laughed as she heard Paul whistling to himself in the kitchen, as he came into the living room he smiled "What's so funny" he asked

"You" she replied "It's been a long time since I heard you whistling like that"

Paul placed the mugs on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa next to Gail, placing his arm around her "And why shouldn't I?" he said "Everything is perfect, we've got rid of the wicked witch of the west, we have three beautiful children and I have a beautiful wife who I love very much"

Gail smiled and snuggled into him "I love you too, so much" she said "By the way that wicked witch of the west happens to be your sister"

Paul laughed "I'm just glad she's gone, she was making everyone miserable" he said "Lucy seems more settled now too"

"In a way I'm glad Jim didn't force her to go home, it has to be on her terms at the moment" Gail said

"At least she's be at home on Christmas Eve which is where she should be" Paul said "As much as I love having her around I know that she would really be with dad"

"I know what you mean which reminds me I was talking to Jim earlier this evening about godparents for the triplets" Gail said "And I really think we should have Lucy"

Paul looked at her "Darling she's too young you know that"

"Is she?" Gail said "I mean look how great she is Robert, he responds to her"

Paul laughed "Robert responds to anyone who talks to him or gives him attention" he said "Sometimes I wish the other two were as easy to soothe as he is"

"I guess they will calm down eventually" Gail replied "But I'm serious Paul, look Lucy is 15 next year we only have to age her by a year"

"Did you say that to dad, I can just see his reaction now" Paul replied "I bet he loved that idea, she's already growing up too fast"

Gail smiled "You can't keep her your little sister forever darling" she said

"Okay if that's what you really want then perhaps we need to look at it further" Paul said "So who else do you want as Godparents"

"Scott obviously, then Charlene and Rosemary" Gail replied "Maybe Des as well, we could stick to five"

"Okay" Paul said "but Rosemary's in America most of the time"

"I know but look how she's helped us out so much this past month, she's allowed you to take a complete break from the office and spend some time with me" Gail said "I just think it would be a nice thing to do, if she doesn't want to then at least we've asked her"

Paul laughed "You've got it all planned" he said "I was actually thinking about what will happen when Rosemary goes back to the States, I know she has to go back for a meeting next month but she said she'll come straight back but there's going to be a time when she's going to want to go home"

Gail looked at him but remained silent. Paul hugged her closer to him.

"I don't want to go back to the way things were before, I'd sooner sell the whole business than risk a rift between us again" he said

Gail looked at him and smiled "It won't happen because we won't let it" she said "I don't want you to even think about selling after all you or rather we built that place up to what it is today"

"That's true enough…I figured that if I go into the office on Mondays and Fridays just to make sure everything is fine for the beginning and the end of the week then work from here for the rest of the week" he said "Of course if I'm needed I can be contacted by phone"

"Sounds wonderful in theory darling, but are you sure you'll be able to work from here with three little ones making a noise" Gail replied

"I don't see why not….and the good thing is that you'll be here and I always work better when you're around. I really missed you not being in the office" Paul said

Gail kissed him "Well we can only give it a go and see what happens" she said "Hopefully Rosemary will stay for a while yet, she seems settled at the hotel"

Paul laughed "I think she's enjoying being here, she's spending time with Gran which she hasn't been able to do in years" he said, looking at Gail a flicker of concern showed in his face "Are you sure you're alright?"

Gail smiled and kissed him "I'm fine…I'm sorry about this afternoon, I just let things get on top of me" she said

Paul stared down into his mug "I was worried…I was so scared you wouldn't come back, you were just so upset when you let that I feared you may decide to leave me and the children" he said

Gail hugged him "No matter how bad things felt, I would never leave you. I love you and our children" she said "You don't think I'd go through everything I did with the programme to walk out on you"

Paul smiled "Of course not but you were so upset about Julie…I don't know I just thought you might decide that leaving would be the best option"

Gail shook her head "I almost made that mistake once before I'm not planning on doing it again" she said "Besides I don't care what Julie thinks, everyone else thinks I'm part of this family"

Paul laughed "You're the mother of my children, how can you not belong to my family" he said "Speaking of children I think it's time we headed off to bed, you need to get some rest before those three monsters decide to wake us up"

Gail laughed "Those three monsters are our children, but you're right I'm kind of tired" she said

Paul stood up and taking Gail's hands pulled her to her feet, placing his arm around her they walked upstairs, stopping outside the nursery they peeked inside. Gail quietly walked over to Lucinda's cot and looked down on her sleeping daughter.

"She's amazing" Gail said, as she gently stroked the tiny baby's face

Paul gazed over to the other two cots and smiled "They all are" he said "We're so lucky"

Gail turned and looked at him, smiling she kissed him "We sure are, we went into the programme knowing that the success rate was, and that we could be on the programme for years and still end up childless, we went through the failures and this is our reward" she said "Three perfect healthy children"

Paul hugged her "This is what's important, without you, life would have no real meaning. There's nothing in this world I want more than you and our children" he said

Gail kissed him "Great minds think alike…all I want it us together forever watching our children grow up" she said

Paul took her hand and led her out of the nursery "Come on" he smiled "Let's leave these three sleep a little longer"

On the morning of Christmas Eve Paul and Lucy put the Christmas tree up whilst Gail finished the last of the wrapping. That afternoon Paul and Gail were upstairs putting the babies down after feeding them when the doorbell rang. Lucy shouted from the living room that she would answer it.

"Dad" Lucy said on opening the door "I thought I was coming home later"

"Don't worry…I just wondered what Paul and Gail were up to" Jim replied

"Getting the babies off to sleep at the moment, they've just been fed" Lucy said "They'll be down in a minute"

"Well I was wondering whether they'd like Beverley and I to babysit for them this afternoon to give them some time on their own" Jim said "I also thought while they were out we could prepared a barbeque for when they came back. I'm not sure what they're doing tomorrow as they might want to spend the day alone with the babies."

"That sounds like a good idea" Lucy said "But I'm not sure Gail will leave the babies"

Jim laughed "They're asleep, I'm sure by the time they wake up those two will be back" he said

"Can I help?" Lucy asked

Jim smiled "Sure, why don't you go over and see your Gran, she's in the kitchen preparing some food" he said

They were interrupted by Paul and Gail coming downstairs, Lucy said goodbye and left the house.

"Hi dad" Paul said "Where's Lucy going?"

"She's just gone to see your Gran" Jim replied "How are things around here?"

"Fine" Gail said "The babies have been fed and should be asleep for the next couple of hours"

"That's what I came over for, just wondered if you two would like to get out the house and spend some time together while Beverley and I babysit for you" Jim said

Paul looked at Gail "That's really nice of you but there's no need" he said

"Come on you two, give yourselves a break, go and get some fresh air and spend a little time together without worrying about the babies" Jim said

"I don't know" Gail replied "What if they wake up and start crying when we're not here. They're still so tiny"

Jim smiled "Gail, I've brought up four children, Beverley's a doctor. I'm sure we can manage three babies" he said

Paul looked at Gail and smiled "What do you say darling, do you fancy spending some quality time with your husband while dad looks after the babies" he said "I promise we won't be that long and those three are going to sleep for most of the afternoon"

"Okay" Gail replied smiling

Half an hour later, Paul and Gail were strolling through the park, stopping nearby the children's playground. Gail laughed as the thought hit her that whenever they decided to get out of the house they always ended up at the park.

"What's so funny?" Paul asked,

"Just thinking, that whenever we decide to get out of the house and spend some time together we usually end up here" she replied "I guess it's because it's so peaceful here"

Paul pulled her closer to him "It was here that we made the decision to go on the IVF programme if I remember correctly" he said

"I remember" Gail said "We've come a long way since then"

"Yes, just think we've come a long way since last Christmas" Paul said "I mean this time last year we were just thinking about buying the Daniels Corporation and getting into debt"

Gail smiled "Darling we still are in debt, but we've stopped pulling in opposite directions" she said

Paul looked at her "Rosemary says the hotel has done really well this Christmas, and the Waterhole's takings are up. She's also looking into investing in some of the projects that the Robinson Corporation has so things aren't that bleak" he said "It's funny whatever life throws at us we seem to come back stronger than ever and united"

"It's no longer just us anymore, there's also the children to consider in all our decisions" Gail said "I guess from the moment they were born our lives changed"

"That's what we wanted" Paul said "The most important is to make sure the Robinson Corporation succeeds and we get rid of the debt, the first thing I want to do is pay the mortgage on the house, it might take a little time but I'm sure it can be done"

Gail smiled "We'll face it together" she said

Getting back into the car, they headed to Lassiters for a coffee; a comfortable silence took hold of them during the drive, when Paul stopped the car he got out and opened the door for Gail, glancing towards the office. Taking Gail's hand he led her towards the office, she looked at him slightly confused.

"I thought we were going to the coffee shop" she said

"We are" Paul said "Just thought we'd make a quick detour"

"To the office" Gail laughed "I don't believe you Robinson" as he opened the door.

Gail took one of the seats in the reception area "So what are we doing here?" she asked

"Reminiscing" Paul replied "Don't you remember this is where you walked back into my life?"

Gail laughed "I remember…wasn't overly impressed at the time, I have to admit" she replied

"Do you remember the first words you said to me?" Paul said

"Something about if I had known it was you who put that advert in the paper I wouldn't have bothered" she said "To be honest I couldn't see us working together again, there was too much animosity between us"

"The strange thing was that in spite of how things had been between us in the past we settled into a comfortable friendship" Paul said "Gran kept on at me to employ you but I kept teasing her telling her you were too tough, too ambitious"

Gail laughed "Thanks" she said

"In my heart I think I knew I wanted to employ you" Paul said "You were the best candidate for the post"

"I remember you told me to take the job because we would do great things together" Gail said

"I got that one right didn't I" Paul laughed

"Yeah and as I recall we had a good number of arguments too" Gail said "Those early months there were times when I could have strangled you"

"Like the time I told Mr Udigawa we were getting married" Paul said

Gail laughed "Don't even go there, then Jeremy turned up and once again turned my world upside down" she said

"I knew you were making a bad mistake going back to him, but you wouldn't listen, you thought I was scared of you dropping out of the business deal" Paul said "The truth was I cared about you and didn't want to see him hurt you again"

Gail smiled "I know that now" she said "You were right too, he was only using me to get dad to work on that stupid car"

"Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if it had been just us in the beginning without Jeremy or Terri?" Paul asked

"Interesting thought" Gail said "Might have saved us both a lot of heartache, but I'm not sure it would have worked…I mean we didn't get on during the airline days"

"I guess that was my fault" Paul said "I wasn't used to taking orders from a woman"

Gail laughed "You're no good at taking orders from anyone!" she said

"I'm not that bad! Paul laughed "Hey do want to grab that coffee"

Gail smiled "Yep, how about next door, it's such a nice day"

Hand in hand they walked over to the coffee shop, Paul went inside to order while Gail took a seat outside, it was fairly quiet and they were the only two at an outside table. Once he had ordered Paul went back outside and sat down.

"It's so peaceful here" Gail said "I've always loved these surroundings"

"What are you thinking?" she asked

"Just back to two years ago…the day we ended our so called 'Marriage of Convenience'" he replied "All the emotions of that day"

Gail smiled "So much for protecting ourselves from ever falling in love and getting hurt again" she said

"Well it was a good idea in theory….just didn't think either of us thought that we could possibly fall in love with each other" Paul said

"I just remember the feeling of hopelessness, the fact that I didn't want to go to New York but I knew I couldn't stay, not after revealing the truth about our marriage, I just felt ashamed…it wasn't something I was proud of…then Scott drove me here and told me I needed to say goodbye" Gail said "I remember you coming out of the Waterhole Office and slightly pleading with you to say something…anything to make me stay but you went back into the office without a word. I felt rejected and frustrated because on one hand I had Scott telling me that you told him you loved me and then you reject me"

Paul gently took her hand "I didn't reject you…I just didn't think there was any point telling you how I felt, you were leaving" He said "I remember Scott having a go at me for not saying anything and storming out of the pub and then seeing you on the bridge"

Gail laughed "And the rest is history!" she said

Yes thank goodness" Paul said "That was a good Christmas though, just you and me in New Zealand without work or the family"

"We'll definitely have to go back one day" Gail smiled "Take the kids with us and you could visit Amy"

Paul suddenly thought "Amy" he said "I forgot to tell you with everything that's been happening lately but I had a letter from Nina"

"Is everything okay?" Gail asked

"Amy's fine, she's growing up fast. Nina just wrote to tell me that her new husband is adopting Amy" Paul said watching for Gail's reaction

"Just like that without your consent…he can't do that" Gail said

Paul frowned "Apparently so…well my name isn't on the birth certificate so in theory I have no rights" he said

"How do you feel about that?" Gail asked

"I'm not happy but I don't see what I can do apart from drag Amy through the courts and fight for my rights as her father, which is something I don't particularly want to do" Paul said

Gail took hold of his hand "Darling I know how you felt when you found out that she was yours, if you want to fight for her then do it" she said "You know I'll support you"

"Thanks" Paul smiled "But…I don't know, part of me thinks that maybe it would be best to let Amy be adopted by someone who will give her what I can't…a real father. Let's be honest to be a father to her means spending time with her, going down every other weekend to New Zealand and visiting, but that means taking time away from you and our children and it's not something I want to do. Let's be honest if Nina had had her way I wouldn't have known Amy existed." Paul said

"What happens if Amy discovers the truth one day?" Gail said "Remember how I was when I found that I had been adopted"

"I'm going to tell Nina that I will allow the adoption to go ahead as long as she explains to Amy when she's old enough to understand, also the trust fund that I set up will still be hers" he said

Gail looked at him "I'm sorry Paul, I know how much she meant to you" she said "And I think it was unfair of Nina to keep it from you, finding out the way you did was horrible"

"I don't know if it would have made any difference" Paul said "Our relationship was over and even if she had told me I don't think marriage would have been on the cards. Darling one day Amy will know the truth and if she decides to come here and see me then that would be great but my main concern is our children, those three are precious, I watched them being born, I've fed them, walked the room with them trying to get them to sleep and they're part of us…it gives us an even stronger connection."

Gail smiled "You know I'm always on your side whatever…I love you" she said

"I love you too..." Paul said "It's funny really…you feared that my attachment to Amy could affect how I felt about our children but the opposite is true. Please tell me you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing"

Gail smiled "Of course I do" she said

"Good" Paul said kissing her "Now how about we finish our coffee and head home, I'm sure that the triplets will have worn out dad and Bev by now."

Paul and Gail walked into number 22 to find Lucy on the floor playing with the two boys.

"Hey Munchkin where is everyone?" Paul asked

"You're back, well dad's in the back garden getting your barbeque fixed up and Gran and Beverley are upstairs feeding Elle" Lucy replied

Paul looked at Gail "Elle?" he said

Lucy looked at him and shook her head "Well you two gave her such a long name that she'll probably want to shorten it and 'Elle' suits her" she said, looking at the couple she asked "You don't mind do you?"

Gail laughed "No…you're right she'd probably shorten it herself anyway, so have these two been fed and changed?" she said

"Yep" Lucy said "I'm just keeping them entertained…how can you tell which is which"

"Easy" Paul said "One of them has a mole on his left arm the other one doesn't"

"Which one?" Lucy asked

"Aha that's for us to know and you to find out" Paul laughed

Gail smiled "Why don't you check out Robert more closely next time" she said

"What's with the barbeque Luce?" Paul asked

"It was dad's idea, he didn't know whether you wanted to spend Christmas alone or with us so he thought it would be nice to have a family barbeque today, we thought over here because you can put the babies to bed when they need to go" Lucy said "Gran's been cooking all morning"

"I see" Paul said, "Just for a moment I thought we'd walked into the wrong house; well I'd better go and see if dad needs any help"

Gail sat down on the floor next to Lucy "Has everything been okay? She asked

"Of course…they've woke up about half an hour ago" Lucy said "Did you have a good time?"

Gail smiled as she picked up Cameron "We had a nice walk in the park and then coffee at the coffee shop" she said "I better go up and check on my daughter" kissing Cameron she placed him back on the mat next to Robert.

"I'll keep an eye on these two" Lucy said

Gail walked upstairs and into the nursery where Helen and Beverley were with Lucinda.

"Hi" Gail smiled "How's this little one?" she said

"She's fine now, was a bit sick after feeding but she seems to be okay" Beverley said

Gail walked over to the baby and gently stroked her face "She guzzles her food too quick" Gail said "I thought Robert was bad but she's even worse at times"

Helen smiled at the baby in her arms "It's funny I can see a lot of you in her but I can also see Anne in her too" she said

Gail looked down at her tiny daughter "Well Paul can see Lucy in her, I guess she's a mixture" she said "But the boys definitely take after Paul…I can see him in them"

Helen laughed "They may be identical but their characters are different, I can tell that even at this age" she said "I think Robert has Paul's temperament, he seems calmer very much how Paul was. I think due to how young they were Paul was the perfect baby for Jim and Anne."

"Well I'd better go and see if Jim needs any help with the barbeque" Beverley said as she started to walk out the door, leaving Helen and Gail alone.

"So how are things?" Helen asked as she handed the baby to Gail. Both women sat down in the rocking chairs.

"Fine" Gail smiled "In fact I don't think things can get any better, these three are beginning to settle a little bit and Paul has been amazing" she said "He's been so supportive these past few weeks"

Helen smiled "His mother would have been proud of him, in fact she would have been proud of you both especially the way you looked after Lucy and coped with the babies as well"

Gail looked at her "Well I think Lucy's enjoyed staying here and helping with the babies, but I wish she had never overheard that conversation between Paul and Julie, she didn't' need to know the reason why her mother died" Gail said

"I honestly don't know what's wrong with Julie; she's changed so much since she left home. This jealous streak doesn't win her any favours with anyone." Helen said "I don't really think Jim will ever forgive her for what she said to Lucy or to you and Paul"

"I just don't understand why she took an instant dislike to me" Gail said

"It wasn't you, I don't think she liked the fact that she's been gone for so long and no one has really missed her" Helen said "To be honest I'm glad she's gone, she was causing so many problems and I was worried about you and Paul, you had so much pressure on you with her criticisms and then looking after the babies and coping with Lucy. I know at one point Paul was worried that you'd just decide to leave him with the babies"

Gail shook her head "I almost made that mistake before the triplets were born" she said "That day, when I walked back into the house I saw him crying over the three teddy bears that dad left for the triplets, he didn't even hear me walk in and at that point I knew that I could never leave him, that some how we'd get through the bad times. We promised each other that we would never again let lack of communications ruin things between us. He's given me the one thing I never thought I would have, a family of my own."

The conversation was interrupted by Paul walking into the nursery. "Hey what's keeping you two, the barbeque is almost ready" he said

Gail smiled "We were just talking, how's the boys?" she said

"Lucy's still keeping them entertained" Paul said "What have you two been talking about then?"

Helen laughed "Nothing much" she said

"Well I don't know about you two but I'm hungry so you better get a move on" Paul said

Gail stood up "I just hope our sons don't take after you, one impatient person in this family is enough" she laughed as she kissed him.

Paul looked at the baby in her arms "How's this little one doing? Beverley said she was sick after feeding" he said

Helen laughed "She takes after you, guzzling her food too quickly you were just the same at her age" she said

Gail laughed "You know I can never think of you as this small" she said to Paul "Even though I've seen all your baby pictures"

Later that evening after the rest of the family went home. Paul sat on the sofa cuddling his Lucinda, Gail came downstairs and sat next to him.

"Well that's the two boys asleep, what about this one?" Gail said

"I brought her down here as she seems unsettled, didn't want her disturbing the boys" Paul replied

Gail laughed "She's a fast learner I'll give her that. Only six weeks old and she's already got you twisted around her little finger" she said

"Not true" Paul said protesting "Just wanted to make sure she was okay, especially with her being sick after her feed this afternoon"

Gail stroked the baby's cheek "She's fine…she's just enjoying getting her daddy's attention" she said "Why don't I make some coffee while you take her back upstairs"

"Okay" Paul said, getting up from the sofa. Gail gently kissed the baby's head before Paul took her upstairs. She smiled as she watched him walk upstairs gently talking to the baby. Walking quietly into the nursery, Paul looked into the two cribs holding his sons, seeing that both babies were fast asleep he walked over to the empty crib and gently placed his daughter inside it. Gently stroking her face, he waited for her to settle and smiled as he saw her thumb go into her mouth. He stood watching her for a few minutes before going back downstairs.

Gail stood in the kitchen pouring the coffee, looking up she smiled "So how is she?"

"Asleep…it's funny she's just like Lucy used to be, once she makes up her mind to go to sleep the first thing she does is place her thumb in her mouth" Paul said

"Helen said you used to be the same" Gail replied "She also said that you were an amazingly good baby…that I find hard to believe"

Paul laughed "Well let's hope these three take after me then" he said "You don't mind our daughter's slight name change?"

Gail smiled, walking over to the sofa she placed the mugs on the table before sitting down "Not really…in fact it suits her" she said

"I agree..I was wondering how we'd shorten the name without her being called 'Lucy', not that there's anything wrong with that name" Paul said as he sat down.

Gail rested her head on his shoulder "It's so strange her not being here, I've got so used to her being around" she said

"Ah don't speak too soon, she'll be around here at 6am tomorrow if dad's lets her just to check that Robert isn't missing her too much" Paul laughed "Mind you she's well known for her early mornings on Christmas Day. I think the earliest she's got up is about 12.30am"

"Yeah and you never did anything like that I presume" Gail said

"No of course not, I was the model child" Paul replied

Gail laughed "Yeah right…hey today was great, the barbeque was a nice idea" she said

"Yes it sure was..so how do you want to spend tomorrow?" Paul asked "Have you wrapped my Christmas present yet?"

"Aha what makes you think I've got you one" Gail said "Do you really think you deserve one?"

"Hmm well yes I guess there's no answer to that, so tell me how you want to spend tomorrow?" he said

"I don't mind…I know your dad and Helen would love to see the children tomorrow" Gail said

"We could go there after lunch and just spend the morning together maybe take the babies out in their prams"

"Fine by me" Paul replied "Are you okay?"

Gail looked at him, seeing the concern in his eyes she smiled "I think so…it seems so strange without dad, I can't imagine how Gloria is feeling tonight" she replied

"We could go and see her tomorrow morning if you want, take the children…I'm sure she'd like to see them" Paul said

Gail smiled "That would be nice…not sure what she's got planned though" she said

Paul pulled her closer to him "You know I meant what I said to you?" he said

Gail looked at him waiting for him to continue.

"That I know I can't take your dad's place but I promise I will always be here for you when you need me" he said "Nothing is more important to me than you"

Gail smiled "Thanks…darling you know…these past few weeks you've more than made up for all the pain of the last year" she said

Paul sighed "There shouldn't have been any pain" he said

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of crying coming from upstairs.

"Lucinda" Gail said

Paul just looked at her and laughed

"What?" Gail asked as she got up from the sofa.

"I can see it now, when she's good, she's Elle but when she's bad she's Lucinda" Paul said

"I thought you said she was asleep" Gail replied

"She was, by the way how can you tell which baby is crying?" Paul said "For all you know it could be one of the boys"

Gail laughed "Call it mother's instinct, I better go and see what she wants" she said as she walked towards the stairs.

Paul sat back on the sofa, smiling to himself thinking that his life couldn't' get much better even with three crying babies. Getting up from the sofa he decided to go and check on the Nursery. As he got to the door of the room he saw Gail with the baby on the changing table.

"Is she okay?" he said standing in the doorway

Gail turned to look at him "Yeah she's just been sick though, I'm just changing her but I'm going to have to change the crib as well" she said

"Hey I'll do that" Paul said

Gail smiled "Thanks, there's some fresh linen in the cupboard" she said

Paul looked into the other two cribs "At least these two are still sound asleep"

"Don't speak too soon" Gail replied

"Do you want me to get Beverley?" Paul asked

"Darling it's 11pm, Beverley checked her over this afternoon and couldn't find anything wrong, let's see how she is this evening and tomorrow morning" Gail said

After changing the crib, they decided to take Lucinda back downstairs and try and get her to sleep. Gail made some coffee as Paul gently rocked the baby in his arms.

"I was right about you" she said "You're going to make a wonderful father"

Paul laughed "No we're going to make brilliant parents after all we've always been a good team"

Half an hour later, they heard more crying from upstairs, Paul checked his watch. "I guess its feed time again" he said, gently he laid the baby back in the basinet and went back upstairs to get the two boys while Gail warmed the bottles.

Sitting back on the sofa, Gail and Paul fed the two boys, Paul kept his eye on the basinet in case his daughter stirred.

"Cameron always manages to fall asleep during the night time feeds" Gail laughed as she looked at the sleeping baby. Gently she put him on her shoulder and rubbed his back.

"I also think he's filled his nappy" Paul laughed "He stinks"

Charming" Gail said "You can change him"

"They're both going to need changing" Paul said

An hour later, they put the two boys back into the crib, going back downstairs, Gail went to tidy the kitchen while Paul checked on their daughter. Seeing that she was quiet he went and helped Gail.

"We could leave this tidying up until tomorrow" he said

Gail took his hand and turned his wrist over looking at his watch "It is tomorrow..it won't take long and then hopefully we can go and get some sleep" she said

Paul picked up the tea towel and started drying up "What are we going to do with Lucinda?" he asked

"To be honest I'm not sure that I want her sleeping in the nursery tonight, I want her with us…do you mind if we take the carrier cot upstairs and she can sleep in our room" Gail said

"Of course not…" Paul said "Come on let's get some rest"

"Sounds good to me" Gail said as Paul picked up the carrier cot and Gail picked the baby out of the basinet.

At the foot of the stairs. Paul turned to Gail and kissed her "Happy Christmas" he said

Gail smiled "I think it will be" she said "We've got everything we want."