Anna put a hand to her lower back, groaning as she stood. John was at her side immediately, hands all over her and a look of worried terror in his eyes. She sighed, patting his hand.

"It's just back pain. She's not due for another four months."

"But still. You're in pain and-"

"And I was chasing the twins around the garden earlier and I've been weeding. Neither are great on the back." She removed her phone from her pocket and frowned at the screen. "Did you remember that we've got an appointment today?"

"Afternoon booking." John pushed her toward the house. "I've got it all taken care of so you can take a nap."

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

"I don't want anything to-"

"John," Anna turned, grabbing his hands and waiting until he stopped fidgeting to speak. "It's alright. I'm alright, the baby's alright, and the twins'll be alright. In fact they'll be right little terrors when they wake up from their nap so I think we should get something ready for them to eat."

"But I can take care of that."

Anna narrowed her eyes at John and then stepped closer to him, moving his hands around her so she could wrap hers around his waist. "Why don't you take care of me?"

"That's what I'm trying to do."

"That's not what I meant."

"I don't…" John paused, his mouth dropping open as his eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"I'm not getting sick anymore and since I've got about twice the blood running through my system right now there's nothing I want more than for my husband to strip me naked and have sex with me."

"Out here?" John turned his head over his shoulder to examine the garden and did not duck in time to miss the swat Anna landed on his shoulder. "I'm only teasing."

"No you're not but that's fine." Anna sighed, rubbing over his arm and nodding toward the distant tree. "Think the new one we planted'll grow?"

"Mr. Moseley said it was the best breed for it." John kissed her head, "And I think another tree belongs there."

"With three little rose bushes." Anna managed a little smile, "They'll grow just fine with his help."

"Mr. Moseley's incredibly proud of his roses and he wants weekly updates." John shuddered, "It's like babysitting the child of an overprotective parent."

"Do much of that when Mary was younger?"

"I wasn't around when Mary was younger so, no, I didn't babysit the Crawley girls." John steered Anna inside, "But I do wonder how we explain to our guests about the little shrine we've made on the hill."

"It's harder to explain the shrine of pictures over our mantle."

"That's easy." John guided Anna into the sitting room and pointed to the two family pictures over the fireplace. "This was our family before and this is our family now."

The first picture was of John and Anna, with Emmy on her father's shoulders, at the Chester Zoo. The colors were slightly faded but the glass gleamed like it had sat face-down to avoid dust. Next to it was a picture with Anna with her protruding abdomen and John wrangling two little boys with dark skin at the same zoo.

Anna touched the picture frames, grinning to herself as she dusted them a bit. "I wish we could get a picture of Gwen and the others up here."

"Do you have any of Gwen?"

"No," Anna shook her head. "Most of my things got lost in the move. Once the State took on my case I had what I could pack into a suitcase and a duffle. I lost everything else since he never kept any of it."

"I'm sorry." John wrapped around her from behind, setting his chin on the top of her head. "Maybe we could get an artist to do it."

"What?" Anna turned in his grip. "How'd you mean?"

"There's got to be someone with skill out there who could draw us up something." John turned, pointing to the bare wall over their sofa. "Right there. It'd be a landscape, with that white tree in the background, and it'd had Gwen and Emmy and the three little ones all playing as they waited for us."

Anna pulled John to her and squeezed him so tightly the child in her stomach kicked a bit. They separated, John rubbing his hand over the spot and then kissing Anna. "It'll be lovely. She'll be lovely."

"I know I shouldn't be picky but I was so glad when they said it was a little girl." Anna joined John's hand, slipping her fingers through his to trace over the shape. "I want another bright-eyed, beautiful, blonde girl we can hold and love and adore until she's not a little girl anymore."

"And then we'll love her all the more." John placed his lips near Anna's again, the grin stretching over his face. "Were you serious about the offer to have me divest you of all of your clothes?"

"I never joke about that." Anna grinned back and pushed John towards the stairs. "But we'll have to hurry or they'll be up and then we've lost our chance."

They managed the stairs and hurried into their bedroom, John leaving the door just cracked enough that they could hear anything from the hallway that separated their room from the three others on their floor. The moment he turned back to Anna her hands were on him. In a struggle against fabric and time they managed to get his shirt to the floor and dropped his jeans near the dress Anna shimmed off herself.

But for all their hurry and their worry, the moment they could touch one another again they slowed. Anna used her height to kiss over his chest while John walked her back toward the bed. Given her altered shape it made their more traditional positions a little more awkward and delicate but they finally managed to get on top of the sheets with John on his side, facing Anna.

She wanted nothing more than to kiss him. To trace over every contour and dip in his skin until she could recreate him from memory. With each sweep of her hand John deepened the kiss or changed the angle or matched with a teasing motion over her. It almost became a competition until they both managed to reach where they needed the other.

Slowing down again, not wanting to rush even with their limited time, Anna wrapped her hand around him and turned her wrist to lazy strokes that thickened and hardened John with grunts and gasps of approval. Sounds she returned when his lips decided to leave their own markings over her skin and adore the skin of her breasts. Anna shifted closer to him, taking a hand to his ass to hold him in place before gripping the back of his neck and forcing his mouth to hers again.

That did not distract John as she thought it would because the next moment she was on her back and he leaned over her. He avoided her lips entirely and shifted his focus down her body. Each patch of skin he could find, John covered in kisses and caresses until there was nothing left for Anna to do but relax and settle into the mattress.

Her body positively hummed and John's gentle nudge at her legs opened them completely for his shoulders to settle between them. Anna dug her fingers into his hair when he set his experienced and skilled mouth to work at her core. Between his tongue and his fingers there was nothing for Anna to do but hold on and whisper unnecessary commands until it took every ounce of energy she had left not to cry out in pleasure and wake their napping children.

John sat back, giving a final lick as he did, and Anna flailed to reach him. Instead of covering her body as she thought, John positioned himself to her side. Anna shifted onto her side to allow John to spoon behind her. One of his hands worked under her and ran fingers over her stomach while the other returned to her still-sparking nerves.

His leg separated hers but Anna barely noticed. She adjusted herself into John's grip when his hand left her extended abdomen and caressed her larger breasts again. But his other hand did not remain idle and it forced Anna into an odd twist to try and keep herself chasing the pleasure, literally at John's hands, between her overly sensitive breasts and her sopping slit. In a few moments she came again.

But there was no time to exult in her husband working her twice over. He nudged toward her and Anna spread her leg farther back over his hip to open herself to him. John sank forward and, in a few rocking motions, sat fully inside her.

They rested together, holding as close as they could to one another, and only moved when neither could stop the way their bodies twitched. Anna clutched at the back of John's neck, forcing his mouth to hers, and the arm still covering her torso. She moved as much as she could, given the confines of their position and the child kicking under her ribcage, but John had to take most of the slack.

Within a few minutes he came, biting into her shoulder to silence himself. Anna sighed, almost laughing to herself, and then gasped at the sensation of John's fingers dragging over her again. His body still stuttered, working the final motions from his system before he could withdraw, and his hand fluttered desperately to send her over the edge with him one last time.

And Anna fell again. Not quite so explosively or with as many fireworks exploding behind her eyes but with a calm ease. They settled, John shifting from behind her so Anna could lay on her back, and put his arm around so he could caress over her stomach. She put her hand over his, their eyes meeting but saying nothing.

A sound in the hallway startled them both and Anna hurried to grab her clothes but John stumbled to the door first, closing it with a snap. He grinned at Anna before moving to their en suite bathroom to grab a flannel. Anna lay back as John rubbed her down and then himself, tossing the rag away to grab his clothes.

"What is it?"

"Our children are up."

"Then I'll-" Anna went to rise but John put a hand to her shoulder and pushed her back.

"I can handle them."

"But you've got the check in this afternoon."

"It'll be fine." John kissed her forehead and then her lips. "Please, for me, take a nap."

"Fine." Anna pulled a pillow under her head and lay still for John to cover her with a blanket. "But if I hear crying then-"

"Then you'll come and solve the problem like you always do." John moved loose hairs from Anna's face. "Sleep for now. We know you'll not get enough of it in a few months."

"Too bad you can't store it in reserve." Anna mumbled into her pillow, smiling when she heard John's laugh.

A few hours later the smell of cooking woke her and Anna forced herself from the bed. She maneuvered back into her knickers and bra, debating wearing the same dress before finally putting it back on. For the half second she caught herself in the mirror the first thought was she looked like a potato sack while the second had her touching her stomach with both hands. A foot pressed against it her hand and Anna pressed back. She could handle looking like a potato sack.

Taking the stairs to the kitchen she caught sight of John, with one son on his shoulders and the other standing on tiptoe on the stool next to him, detailing how to make a sauce. Anna leaned on the door frame, watching them and giggling when the sauce splattered a bit to catch all three of them in the face. They turned to see her and Anna bent her knees to catch the first one as he flung himself off the stool and ran to her.

"Daddy's teaching us about sauce." He squealed and Anna picked him up before opening an arm to take her other son as he stretched himself from John's shoulders to her.

"Is he now?" Anna smiled as John wiped at his face and then wiped her sons' faces before they could bury them in her shirt. "And how much of that includes Daddy getting it all over his shirt?"

The boys giggled again as Anna moved them to their chairs. John brought the pasta bowl over and then the sauces, ladling out for the boys and then handing a bowl to Anna. He pecked her quickly on the cheek, "How was your nap?"

"Restful and exhausting at the same time." Anna took her chair, catching one of the boy's forks before it could hit the floor and handing it back to him. "It's why I don't like naps. They're deceptive."

"But we have to take naps!" Anna put her hand over the cup about to be banged again and looked her little boy in the face.

"Because you're still growing, Charles."

"Are you still growing?"

She ruffled his stiff hair, her fingers catching in the curls. "No, but your little sister is and she needs me to be strong so she'll be strong."

"Like the Hulk." The other boy brought his arms up, giving a toothy grin he tried to turn into a glower.

"Just like that Joseph." John put the fork in Joseph's hand. "Now you've got to eat the pasta of you won't be strong like the Hulk."

"He wants to be Captain America." Charles argued and Anna shrugged.

"You can be whichever one you want as long as you both eat your dinner."

Dinner turned out to be an arduous, exhausting, messy, and wonderful affair. Anna worked both boys into a bath as John managed the chaos of the kitchen, both of them splashing her each other enough to convince Anna she had her bath for the day. But once she had them toweled dry, cleaned their teeth with the least amount of toothpaste she could convince them they needed, and tucked them into bed for a story John was back.

He worked himself between the two beds, stretching his long legs out as the two boys climbed over him to see the pictures. Anna sat in the rocking chair next to Joseph's bed, working herself back and forth to the gentle tune of John's reading until both their little boys' heads had dropped and heavy breathing filled the room. She reached forward to handle Joseph, tucking him under his superhero sheets while John pivoted to get Charles under his.

Working around one another like ballet dancers they kissed the heads of their boys and put away the book to tiptoe into the hall. John shut the door almost all the way and both waited until they were sure neither of the boys faked their sleep. When they breathed a sigh of relief, John helped Anna back downstairs and let her have a chair in the sitting room.

"You're run off your feet."

"So are you." Anna tried to argue but John shook his head.

"It's just tea. I can get that."

"So can I."

"Please?"

Anna huffed, "Fine. But you spoil me and if you're not careful I'll start believing this is what I'll get all the time."

"Don't be silly." John winked at her, "Once she's born it'll be all about her and I'll forget you even exist."

"Say that again and you can forget existing." Anna laughed with him and then leaned back in her chair.

As John left the room something caught her eye. She adjusted in her chair and then pushed herself to stand. Crossing the small room she put her hand out on the frame of a painting that now graced the wall above their sofa. A painting that had not been there earlier that afternoon.

"I commissioned it when we found out we were pregnant." Anna turned to see John entering the room, no mugs and all thought of tea forgotten. "I told you about it because I didn't want it to be a total surprise."

"But this…" Anna pointed to the picture of the white tree with a tall redheaded woman swinging in a circle with Emmy and three other children shown from behind. "This… This is our family. You had someone draw our family in that place."

"I didn't want them forgotten." John's hands dug deep into his pockets, his shoulders hunched up. "I thought… I thought it'd be a nice gesture but if-"

Anna stopped him with her lips on his and her hands tugging on his cheeks. She released when she realized it might be painful for him but knowing he would never say. Studying his eyes, Anna moved her mouth like a fish trying to breathe as she searched for words.

"This is, perhaps, the third nicest thing you've ever done for me."

"Third?"

"You're right, probably the fourth."

"Fourth?" John frowned, "I thought this was the pinnacle of achievement."

"Oh no." Anna dragged John to the sofa, sitting him down on it as she straddled his legs. "Not even close."

"Then what," John's hands moved up her legs to run his thumbs at her hips under her dress, "Was the first?"

"The first was the day you married me." Anna kissed John's cheeks, keeping the contact to a fraction of a second.

"And the second?"

"When you gave me Emmy." Anna ran her lips toward his jaw, running her teeth along him to nip and nibble as he groaned under her ministrations.

"Shouldn't I be thanking you for giving me Emmy?"

"It was a mutual thing." Anna ground down on him and grinned when John bit his lip. "Do you want to know number three?"

"I think I deserve to now." John's fingers brushed over her knickers.

"This." Anna took his other hand and placed it on her stomach where it separated them. "For this little girl."

"I see." John dipped forward, mouthing at the parts of Anna's breasts that were exposed. "I think I can accept that this painting would have to be number four after all of those."

"But John," Anna put her hands under his jaw, lifting it so he could look at her. "I do love it."

"Then it'll stay." He kissed the tip of her nose. "May I continue trying to use it to seduce you Mrs. Bates?"

"I think I'd be a fool to say no." Anna giggled into their kiss and then used it to hide her moan.

Unlike earlier, this was no slow seduction. Instead it was swift, with scrambling fingers and racing heartbeats as their chests tried to press together but Anna's abdomen stopped them. They worked around it, Anna opening John's belt and trousers while he worked her into an almost frenzy with his fingers. They could not stop kissing one another, sloppy and uncoordinated though it was, and when they did pause it was only to line up with one another so Anna could sink down.

Rocking and grinding, they slowed their pace to dig fingers into shoulders and hips. Their kisses continued in a suppressed energy that kept all of the frenetic urgency of their motions without losing sight of the goal. And they worked one another to the edge so they came together.

Sighing together, Anna lay her head on John's shoulder. He scooted on the sofa to tip himself back enough to keep them both comfortable and closed his eyes. Part of Anna wanted to warn him not to fall asleep here, that they would complain about old bones and sore backs in the morning, but she closed her eyes as well and dozed in the comfortable haze.

They ran toward her. Four children, with their arms outstretched, pelted across the white field. Anna only had a moment to note the white tree before they buried her. She held them all, kissing whatever hair or cheek or forehead she could reach until every one of them tried to escape her touch.

A hand reached down and helped her to stand, organizing the children into a line. "That's not how we greet someone here." The woman tsked against her teeth and then shrugged at Anna. "What can you do?"

"They are my children." Anna pulled Gwen into a hug, holding her tightly. "I've missed you."

"It's not been a moment." Gwen hugged her back and then separated, waving to someone else. "He wanted to make an entrance."

Anna grinned and did a bit of running on her own, wrapping herself around the solid bulk of her husband as he joined the group. "I've missed you."

"I'm sure you had wonderful company without me." He kissed her forehead. "There's at least four others who took marvelous care of you."

"Yes, they did, but they're still not you." Anna kissed him, ignoring the sounds from the children and Gwen. "How've you been?"

"Occupied with these and other things." John nodded at the children, picking two of them up while Anna handled the third and held Emmy's hand. "We've got a lot to show you here."

"Do you now?" Anna tugged Emmy's hand. "What've you been doing while you've waited for me?"

"Everything." She grinned and dragged Anna behind her.

They formed a little group, the two adults with the teenaged girl and the four children, as they marched down the hill and away from the white tree. Anna snuck a peek back, noting the tree seeming to stand a little smaller than before. John nudged her shoulder and she turned to him.

"What is it?"

"The hill's changed."

"Changed how?"

"It seems smaller." Anna shrugged, "The tree does too but… the hills just seem smaller."

"Maybe they're just not as daunting anymore." John kissed her cheek. "Come on, there's a lot to see and not much time before the others join us."

"Not much time?" Anna teased back, "I thought there wasn't time here."

"Old habits die hard." John marched forward, "We've got to prepare for when the rest of our children join us The rest of the family'll be along before you know it."

"Yes." Anna squeezed Emmy's hand in hers. "Yes they will."

Together they walked into the bright light.