bit of a time jump over this chapter! we start about a month after the last chapter and end the chapter about two weeks before Baby Lawson arrives! This whole chapter is mainly just an excuse for more fluff lol, please enjoy! - Dee
"Enjoying the sunshine, Alice?" Lucien's voice - playful and teasing - called out across the garden and she opened her eyes with a smile.
"Trying to catch a breeze," she replied dryly even as she continued to fan herself lightly. "Just my luck that I'd be pregnant during summer."
Her friend chuckled and walked over to where she reclined on the wicker chaise lounge in the dappled shade, "May I join you?"
"If you can fit."
Lucien scoffed and sat by her knees, "I know you hate this question, Alice, but I have to ask. How are you feeling?"
"Better now that I cut back at work, though I don't know what I'm going to do after this week once I'm off completely for a few months."
"Have you recovered from the trip to Melbourne?"
"You mean the whirlwind of getting nearly everything for the baby? Yes, I think so," she grinned. "I'm very glad - and I know Matthew and I's wallet is happy - that we were able to get much of the bigger, expensive items from Dot."
"What did she have?"
"A pram - that just needs a decent cleaning and oiling, Jean's going to make a new mattress for it - and a cot for when the baby's bigger. She also had a bedside bassinet for the first couple of months."
"That'll come in handy for the late night feedings."
Alice nodded with a smile, "Yes, she didn't have a rocker, though, and I don't know where we're going to find one that I like and will fit in the bedroom."
"We can check the attic here, maybe Mum and Dad kept some things from when I was a baby."
"Only if you're alright with it."
"Of course! If it'll help keep the baby calm once it's born, I'll give it to you."
"Did… did the frequent feedings ever disturb you when your daughter was born?"
"Li had a set of lungs on her when she was little," Lucien grinned fondly at the thought of his daughter. "But the loss of sleep was worth it for Li. She became more quiet as she got older, but Mei Lin always said Li got more cooperative if she heard my voice."
"I think Baby Lawson likes hearing Matthew - they always get riled up whenever he talks to them. Do you miss her, your daughter?" Alice asked as Baby Lawson kicked.
Lucien's grin faded into a small smile, but it stayed as he reached out to rest a hand on Alice's belly, "Everyday… I am making arrangements to go and visit her though."
"Really?"
He nodded, "After the holidays, and hopefully once you're back at work."
"I can come back early if need be."
"We'll see," Lucien tried to look at her sternly, but his eyes shone with mirth.
"Do Li and Mei Lin know you're coming?"
"Of course. I haven't said anything to Li, but Mei Lin and I are worried about life in China… I'm working on hopefully getting them and Li's daughter to come to Australia, but we're not sure if Li will want to leave."
"China is her home, that's understandable. I'm sure you'll figure it out, Lucien, you nearly always do."
"Nearly!"
Alice laughed at the shocked look on Lucien's face - he was always fun to tease. "I'm sure everything will work out in the end, Lucien."
"I hope so, now, fancy a trip up to the attic to see if Mum had anything in storage?"
She gestured to her belly, "Will I fit?"
"Hm… maybe you can stand at the foot of the attic stairs."
"Why not get some help?"
"Oh, it'll be fine, come on," Lucien stood and pulled a (slightly) protesting Alice to her feet. He led her back into the house and up the stairs towards the attic; She looked up at the narrow stairs with apprehension.
"I'm not sure I'll fit, and it's stuffy up here, Lucien."
"Let me pop up and see what's there, I'll bring it closer to the opening for you to see so then you'll only have to come up a little bit and won't have to do any heavy lifting."
"Well, damn, there go my afternoon plans."
Lucien's laughter was muffled as he climbed up into the attic. There was a great deal of thumping, scraping, and muffled cursing as Lucien explored upstairs - Alice giggled with each frustrated curse from Lucien as she idly fanned herself while she waited.
"Alice?" Jean's voice called up the stairs and her friend soon appeared down the hallway as she wiped her hands on her apron. "What on Earth is going on up here?"
"Lucien's looking for baby things in the attic."
A particularly loud bang made them both jump and Jean hurried up the attic stairs, "Lucien?"
"I'm alright, my darling," he called down over the scraping as he dragged something towards the opening. "Alice, come up and see if you like this."
Alice followed Jean - taking her offered hand to help pull herself up enough to pop her head into the hot, stuffy attic. Lucien leaned against a rocking chair with a grin, "It needs a good cleaning, maybe an added cushion for your back, and an oiling for the leather seat cushion, but what do you think?"
Alice took in the dark mahogany wood Victorian style rocking chair with a rich, dark brown leather cushion that shone dully in the low light, "This was your mother's?"
"I think so," he nodded. "I vaguely remembered moments of sitting in my mother's lap in this chair."
"I think it'll be perfect, Lucien, and much better quality than something we'd find in a store."
"Want me to see if there's anything else up here? A bath, a dresser for the baby clothes?"
"You can use my old dresser," Jean piped up. "We can move it down from my old room to yours and Matthew's, unless you're going to choose a different room for the nursery?"
"I think Matthew and I might be able to clear out a drawer or two of our own dresser for the baby, at least until we find a house and get out of your hair. I know you're making us feel welcome here, but I don't want to take up more space than we need to; and we can bathe the baby in the sink, right, Jean?"
"For awhile," Jean nodded with a smile. "At least until baby is big enough for the regular bath. Did Jack and Phryne say when they'd be sending down the baby things?"
"Ah… I believe they said in a few weeks once I'm off work. Jack said they'd call ahead of time, but I don't know how they're going to be delivering it."
"We'll figure it out once they get here. Lucien, do you need help getting that down from the attic?"
He waved them both off, "I've got it, I just need Alice to show me where it'll go."
Alice took that as her cue to slowly walk back down the stairs and then descend to the cooler ground floor as Jean followed her.
"Feeling alright?" her friend asked with a gentle touch to her elbow as they heard Lucien maneuver the chair around.
"It's hot, Jean," she sighed. "Why is it so bloody hot?"
"It's summer," Jean giggled and got her a glass of water from the sink, "and you're also pregnant."
"It's torture."
"Once you tell Lucien where the rocker goes, we'll move out into the garden again, how's that?"
"I'd kill for some ice cream," Alice muttered as they heard Lucien on the stairs.
"Maybe tomorrow," Jean gently shooed Alice towards her bedroom.
They'd have to make some changes, Alice mused as she pondered where to put the rocking chair. It'd be a tight squeeze, but she was sure everything would fit for Baby Lawson. It helped that for a few months the cot could stay in storage until the baby was big enough for it.
"Do you think that corner would work?" she asked the Blakes. "It's by the window and I was thinking of putting cot next to it once the baby grows."
"I think that should work, Alice," Lucien nodded and he hoisted the chair over to the corner she was thinking about. "It's a bit dusty, but why don't you give the chair a whirl? That'll help us figure out what it needs."
Settling on the chair, Alice shifted around a bit until she was comfortable and tested it out. The rocking motion was soothing - Baby Lawson thought so too as they settled down a bit under her hands.
"I like it, it's comfortable and not as big as some of those other chairs were when we went out looking, but I do think I'll need a cushion for the back. Would Matthew be able to use it too? I'm worried about his leg."
"He's been doing his exercises consistently," Lucien reached down to help her up from the chair and gently brushed off some of the dust on her back. "He should be fine getting in and out of the chair, but we'll have him try it too when he gets home. Maybe we can put something by it that he can get support off of to help."
"Maybe," Alice nodded as Jean set to work cleaning off the chair. "Oh, Jean, let me help."
"Nonsense," Jean flapped the dusting cloth at her, "you go back out to the garden and relax. You can help me out with other chores around the house once you're no longer working and the nesting urge arrives."
Exchanging a wry look with Lucien, Alice acquiesced to Jean's order - she'd used that now familiar no-nonsense tone and Alice knew better than to try and argue.
"Come on, Alice, I'll fetch you some lemonade and you can help me figure out some things with the case."
"Lucien, she's supposed to be resting!" Jean called after them and Alice giggled.
"She will be! I'll make sure she stays on the chaise lounge in the garden!" He called back.
"That's not what I meant and you know it!"
Jean and Lucien refused to let Alice do any heavy lifting when the furniture from Melbourne was delivered; instead they regulated her to the couch while he, Jack, and Hugh shuffled things around in the bedroom - occasionally calling her in to give her approval on placement. Dot and Jean were cleaning things as they went - for the most part Alice stayed on the couch with her old mentor as they chatted.
"Getting everything ready, my girl?" Mac asked as Jean brought them tea.
Alice nodded, "I think we've got what we need until the baby's born, which isn't long now."
"Sounds about right, your doctor has warned you of Braxton Hicks that might start popping up more in the month leading to baby's arrival?"
Alice nodded again and nibbled on Jean's shortbread, "He did, and so did Jean."
"But I have also told her that she can come to us if she needs to," her friend soothed. "Since it's all new to her."
"Good," Mac smiled. "Do you want me to come up from Melbourne when your due date is closer, Alice?"
"No, Mac, you've got plenty to do down in Melbourne. I'll have Lucien with me, and Nurse Wolfe has said she'll come in if she's not on shift at the hospital."
"And if it's a home birth?"
"Then I've got Jean and Matthew plus Lucien and Nurse Wolfe. I'm… nervous, but I know I'm in good hands here."
Her mentor's smile widened and she leaned forward to kiss Alice's forehead, "I'll just come up and see the babe after it arrives."
"Maybe for Christmas."
"That sounds perfect," Jean agreed.
"How are you doing with no work?"
She huffed a sigh that made Jean and Mac exchange grins before Jean left the parlor to help out in the bedroom again. "I'm somewhat bored, but Jean keeps me entertained when she's not out on council business. I'm napping more since the baby wakes me up in the middle of the night."
"Ah, the late night loo trips."
"Lucien also checks on me during his surgery hours if they're slow, we'll discuss cases or just what I've read lately. I'm up to weekly appointments with him."
"Which is easy considering you live in the same house."
"It is, it really is," Alice smiled.
"Alice! I think we're done in here, would you like to give your stamp of approval?" Jean called from down the hall and Alice hauled herself to her feet with a groan.
"Easy does it," Mac steadied her, "still not quite used to the change in your center of gravity, hm?"
"I swear, every time I look down it gets bigger."
Mac laughed and hooked Alice's arm through her as they approached the bedroom. Walking in, Alice stopped short - her mouth dropping open slightly in shock as she looked at the freshly cleaned and resituated bedroom. The rocking chair was in the corner with a small, sturdy cabinet next to it that would double as a changing station for the baby and something Matthew could use to help himself up from the chair with the baby. Jean opened the cabinet and underneath Alice saw it filled with burping cloths and nappies - ready to be used once Baby Lawson joined them.
The cot they'd put in the garage for storage, the bedside bassinet had been cleaned and polished, Jean laid a new cushion down and folded Dot's knitted blanket at one end. She'd made another cushion for the rocking chair and the newly polished pram waited by the door.
"It's…" Alice whispered, "It's perfect. Thank you so much."
Lucien kissed her cheek and Jean hugged her from behind, "We're happy to help, Alice."
The Collins also gave her cheek kisses and quick embraces. Alice held tight to Jack as he came over to kiss her forehead - this was what having a father was supposed to be like, she mused as Jack wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for helping, Jack."
"My pleasure, Alice," he kissed her forehead again. "I… you're the closest thing I've got to a daughter besides Jane and… I couldn't have asked for a better one."
She said nothing and just held him tighter as Mac came up next to them and rubbed her back. As she stood in her bedroom, surrounded by loved ones, Alice felt a few tears drop; they were happy tears - tears at the thought that Alice never dared to dream that she'd ever be loved so much like this in her life.
Her own child would grow up in this love and Alice's heart warmed at the thought of it.
Matthew woke with a jolt and he blearily looked around to find the source when Alice's hand shook his shoulder again.
"Alice?"
"I know it's late," his wife whispered, "but I'm hungry."
He sighed and turned on the bedside lamp - squinting in the sudden light at the clock.
Four in the morning.
"It can't wait, can it," he sighed and looked over his shoulder at Alice's slightly sheepish face. "Alright, alright, let's go to the kitchen and you can tell me what you want."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek with a brilliant smile. "Thank you, my dear Matthew. I'm sorry to wake you so early in the morning."
Matthew leaned in and kissed her, "If it keeps you happy, I can do without a few hours of sleep."
"Just don't take it out on Hobart and the others later."
He chuckled and kissed her again before both of them got up and shuffled towards the kitchen. Alice walked ahead of him - her walk more of a waddle these days with how big the baby had gotten, and Matthew had to smile.
"You're staring," she sighed as she settled down at the kitchen table.
"You're beautiful," he squeezed her shoulder and kissed the top of her head. "How are you feeling?"
"Ready to not be pregnant anymore," Alice leaned her head back and smiled when he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Whether or not I'm ready to meet our baby is still up in the air."
"We'll figure it out, sweetheart," he kissed her forehead again. "Now, what are you craving?"
"Can I have a pickle sandwich?"
"Like a regular sandwich with pickles on it or a sandwich made out of pickles?"
"Regular sandwich with pickles."
"Anything else on it?"
He pulled out the loaf of bread and the pickles Jean kept well-stocked by now as his wife figured out what else she craved.
"Mayonnaise and cheese, I think."
"That actually sounds good, sweetheart, I might just make one for myself."
"Just make one and we'll split it, the baby makes it hard to eat a lot in one sitting and I don't want to spoil your breakfast later." Her light laughter warmed him and he smiled over his shoulder at her as he quickly made a pickle sandwich for the both of them and cut it in half.
"May I have some milk?" she asked as he put the sandwich in front of her.
"Of course, I'll see if there's any left over from yesterday - it's still early for the milkman to deliver."
Luckily for Alice there was enough for her to have a small glass with her sandwich (Matthew opted for water) and for a few minutes silence filled the kitchen as both of them ate. As Alice finished her half of the sandwich she let out a happy hum and Matthew hid his smile behind the last of his half as she picked up every last crumb.
"Feel better?" he asked as she drank the last of her milk.
She nodded, "Much, thank you, Matthew."
"If you're happy then so am I."
She leaned in and kissed his cheek, "What would I do without you?"
"Go bother Jean for late night and early morning cravings."
He laughed when Alice scoffed and lightly pushed at his shoulder. She leaned back in her chair with a wince and rubbed the baby bump.
"Baby Lawson kicking again or Braxton Hicks?"
"Braxton Hicks. Jean said they'd pick up more."
"How many weeks do you suppose we've got until this little one joins us?" Matthew put his hand on top of hers.
"Mmm, three or four weeks at the most? Christmas is in about… four weeks and neither Lucien or Mac see me going beyond that. The original due date is around mid-December, so we'll just have to see."
"So not long now."
"Nope," Alice shook her head as Matthew finished off his half of the sandwich. "We should get back to bed, you've work in the morning."
"Yes, we'd better skedaddle out of here before Jean finds us."
"We're no better than teenagers sneaking in after curfew," she giggled as Matthew took their dishes to the sink and quietly rinsed them off - actually cleaning them could wait until later on today. "Except we're expectant parents making a mess of our friend's kitchen."
"Hey," he helped her up from the chair and nuzzled his nose against hers, "I do not make a mess in the kitchen."
Alice just smiled and kissed him, "Sleep, dearest, we both need it."
"There you go, now you're getting it, Alice," Jean praised as Alice finished off the row of stitches.
Jean should apply for sainthood with the amount of patience she had, Alice thought as her friend watched the pathologist start the next row of her knitting. She was finally getting a knack for knitting and it only took them five different attempts and most of her pregnancy to get it.
"It's still not as neat as I'd like it to be," she grumbled as she frowned at the needles in her hands - still awkward and slow.
"You'll get there, it just takes practice. I started very young and have a few decades of experience on you, but if you stick with it I can see you catching up very quickly."
Alice hummed as she concentrated on her stitches, "I never saw myself doing this, you know."
"Knitting or impending motherhood?"
"Both."
"Life has a funny way of going sometimes, and usually in ways we least expect it," Jean bumped her shoulder gently against Alice's with a smile. "I, for one, am looking forward to meeting this little one of yours."
"I hope baby takes after Matthew, honestly."
Jean stopped her knitting and put it to the side, "Whatever for, Alice?"
She avoided Jean's gaze as she put her own knitting to the side, "I… my parents did a lot more damage to me than they ever did help and I can't help but worry that it wasn't just the way they treated me that made me this way, but that I was born with it. Sure, I'm not a violent person, but what if I turn into one once the baby gets here? What if Matthew and I start pulling apart because of the baby? If the baby's more like him, I'd breathe easier."
"Oh, Alice…" her friend slid an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. "You are one of the most compassionate people I know. You can be abrupt, yes, and awkward around people, but you're also warm and caring. You've a wicked sense of humor, a mind sharper than Lucien's - with a humility to match - and I've never seen you or Matthew this happy as long as I've known both of you. I hope your child has most of these admirable traits, but maybe also Matthew's patience."
Alice laughed and leaned into Jean's hug, "Jean, you're a godsend."
"I'm as human as you are, that and I'd love to see Matthew chasing after two redheads who are magnets for trouble."
"Jean."
Her friend pressed another kiss to Alice's temple as she chuckled. "You'll do fine, Alice; you'll find your own way as a mother and so will Matthew as a father."
"Thank you," Alice whispered. "Can I ask you something, Jean?"
"Of course."
"Would… Matthew and I have talked about it and while there's not really going to be a religious ceremony, would you be Baby Lawson's godmother? Matthew's going to ask Lucien to be godfather."
She looked up and saw Jean blink back a few tears even as she smiled and hugged Alice.
"I'd be honored, Alice."
Grinning, Alice hugged Jean back before a sharp pain to her ribs caused her to pull back with loud swearing.
"My ears are burning," Jean teased even as her hands swept over the bump to find the source of the pain.
"It hurts, what the hell is it?"
"Breathe, Alice, and tell me where it hurts."
She did as she was told and Jean lifted up the hem of her dress as she coached Alice through the pain - her hands gently poking and prodding around her ribs until she let out a faint "Aha!"
"What is it?"
"Baby Lawson's having a bit of fun, let me see your hands."
Alice struggled to breathe through the pain as she let Jean place her hands on top of the bump near the ribs. Pressing Alice's hands down, Jean let her feel the small foot pressing up against the bottom of her ribcage.
"Feel that?"
"Bloody hell, Jean."
Her friend laughed softly, "Hook your thumbs over the foot and push down."
"Won't it hurt the baby?"
"No, no, Baby Lawson will be fine, you just have to inform baby that your ribs are no place for their foot."
Alice did as she was told, pressing down against Baby Lawson's foot until her unborn child relented and the pain in her ribs instantly subsided. Leaning back against the couch with a sigh, Alice put a hand over her eyes.
"You did well, Alice," Jean rubbed her shoulder and pulled her dress back down. "Unfortunately, that might happen again with the baby taking up more room."
"So, it's not enough that I feel like the baby's bruising me from the inside out, feeling unnaturally hot, waking at all hours to pee, and I'm now waddling everywhere, but I also have to deal with feet in my ribs?"
"The joys and pains of pregnancy I'm afraid."
Alice let out a faint whine and felt her mouth twist down into a pout (much to the amusement of Jean, judging by her friend's muffled giggles). "I'm over this, Jean. I want to be done."
"Only a few more weeks."
Letting out a deep sigh (as deep a sigh as she could do with a baby rolling around under her lungs), Alice sat up slowly, "Jean, can we go for ice cream, please?"
This time her friend openly laughed and helped her to stand, "Yes, we can go for ice cream. I'll drive us into town and afterwards maybe we can stop by the station and see how everyone's doing."
"Sounds perfect."
Alice sat up with a slight grunt and leaned over to turn on the bedside lamp just as Baby Lawson kicked her side again.
"I hope you're not this active when you're out of there," she grumbled and smoothed her hands over the bump. Now that they were bigger, Alice could actually see the baby move under her hands and she spent many a moment just watching Baby Lawson move - utterly fascinated with her unborn child.
Lifting the hem of her nightgown, Alice smiled when she saw the baby moving around as Matthew snored lightly beside her. Baby Lawson chased her tapping fingers around and Alice giggled. The baby pressed their foot out and she gasped when she saw the perfect outline of the teeny tiny foot.
"Alice?" Matthew sat up and rubbed at his eyes as sleep slurred his words. "Whatsamatter?"
"The baby."
"Labor?" he was suddenly wide awake and Alice stopped him from getting out of bed with a soft laugh.
"No, no labor, but look!"
Tapping her belly again, Alice grinned when the baby stuck their foot out; Matthew shifted on the bed next to her and her smile grew fond when he leaned down and kissed the baby's foot.
"Look at you!" Matthew whispered and rubbed the very pronounced bump. "You're beautiful, Baby Lawson, just like your mum."
"You're going soft," she teased as she ran her fingers through Matthew's hair. "Baby Lawson is going to have you wrapped around their little finger."
"I'm only soft with you and the baby, sweetheart, everyone else can shove off," he kissed her bump again and then leaned up to kiss her soundly.
Alice cupped his face in her hands and sighed into his kisses. "I love you," she whispered against his lips.
"I love you too, sweetheart," he smiled. "I love you so much and I'm excited to meet our kid, I hope they get your red hair."
She laughed and kissed him again, "Only if they get your eyes, dearest, I think you eyes were the first thing I noticed about you when they glared at me across the autopsy table."
"Like you don't have an intense gaze yourself," He teased and kissed her. "Those stormy blue eyes of yours that can cut a man down without a word."
"Silly man, maybe Baby Lawson will get your charm."
"Oof," Matthew winced, "your looks with my charm? They're gonna be trouble."
Running her hands through his hair again, Alice giggled, "I'm sure we'll figure it out, but they are going to be very smart between the two of us."
"We'll have our work cut out for us, that's for sure."
"It'll be an adventure and there's no one else I want to go on it with, only you."
"Me too, sweetheart," he kissed her softly and then again when she pulled him back in. "Me too."
His hands smoothed over Baby Lawson's bump and Alice arched into his touch as much as she could - feeling Matthew's smile against her lips and she let out a faint whine when he drew back.
"Easy, Alice, I'm just making it more comfortable for all of us."
The pout on her face melted into a smile when Matthew gently maneuvered her down on her side and curled behind her. He lifted the hem of her nightgown further up and Alice let out a content sigh. She could feel his hardness press up against her and her smile widened.
"No going back to sleep, hm?"
"Not for awhile, no," Matthew kissed her neck as she reached behind her to undo his pajama bottoms. Matthew pushed them down once she'd undone the drawstring as she pulled her nightgown over her head.
Alice gasped when he slipped his hand between her legs - her skin growing hot under the touch of his mouth and fingers. She reached behind her and threaded her fingers through his hair as he entered her from behind. Neither of them lasted very long, but both settled back under the sheets of their bed - satisfied and tired.
Baby Lawson, however, was not as tired as their parents and Alice let out a frustrated sigh.
"Want me to talk to them?" Her husband asked as he pressed open mouthed kisses to the back of her shoulder.
"I'll try anything," Alice shifted in his arms and turned towards him.
Pressing a kiss to her lips, Matthew trailed his lips down her neck and chest - ending up at her bump where he smoothed his hands over it. He kissed wherever the baby kicked, "Baby Lawson, I'm sorry we riled you up with all of that, but your mum's just so pretty I can't help it."
Alice laughed quietly to herself as she ran her fingers through Matthew's hair, "I don't think they care about that, dearest."
"Shh," he kissed her bump. "It's important that they know how pretty their mum is. It won't be long now until we meet you, Baby Lawson, but you keep growing and try not to give Mum a hard time leading up to your arrival."
A sound kick from the baby made both of them giggle and Matthew pulled himself up to kiss Alice, "I think that's a firm no from the baby about going easy on you, sweetheart."
"It's alright," she kissed him back. "If they stopped kicking and moving I'd be concerned. It's just one of the many things I have to suffer with during pregnancy and I'm hoping everything will be worth it in the end."
"I think it will," Matthew held her close and kissed her forehead. "It'll be worth it."
Alice hummed and smiled as Matthew trailed his hand up and down her arm as Baby Lawson continued tapping out a rhythm against her sides - eventually both of them drifted back to sleep, only waking when Jean knocked on the door to tell them breakfast was ready.