Everybody was sat at the table eating and chatting. No one had yet noticed the ring on Alice's finger.
"They haven't noticed yet!" Danny whispered in her ear. "Maybe we should do something drastic!"
"Like what?" she whispered perplexed.
"I could cut your hand off!" he said seriously. "They'd notice then!" he said.
"No Danny, they'd just notice you sawing my hand off!" Alice replied with a grin.
"Your probably right, back to the drawing board!" he told her.
"You know what we could do, it's a little crazy but it might work!" she said in a serious tone.
"What?" he asked acting intrigued.
"We could just tell them!" she said.
"Oh yeah! That could work!" he agreed. They giggled. Then he kissed her.
"Oh look at mummy and daddy making kissy faces at each other." Danielle said.
"Don't worry about it Danni, they do it all the time." Olivia said in a dry voice, she was smiling though.
Danny stood up, "Listen everyone, me and Alice have got something to tell you!" Danny said.
"As of this morning we're engaged!" he said happily.
Soon everyone was standing up hugging Danny and Alice, dupe let out a whoop. And shook Danny's hand. Olivia hugged Alice, "I know I was a cow at first but I'm happy for you both!" she said. Alice smiled and nodded, "Thanks." she said.
Alice Liv and Caroline then started discussing dresses and everything else a woman needed for her wedding. Danielle was dancing around the kitchen table talking about being a bridesmaid. Andrew just watched everything with a amused eye, he didn't see what the fuss was about really!
Dupe and Danny shook their heads.
Everyone soon calmed down.
"Danny you and Alice will have to cope without me and Caroline today, I've promised Caroline a day of pampering." Dupe said. "In other words I'll be in pieces when I get back!"
"I'm off to Jo'burg too, my daughter wants me to baby sit for her." Nomsa said.
"I'm still here though!" Olivia said. "To make sure that you two behave yourselves!" she said grinning.
Soon the kitchen started emptying - it was just the twins and Danny and Alice left in there.
"So" Alice said. "How do you two feel about mummy and daddy getting married?" Alice asked.
"I'm ok!" Andrew said.
"And I get to wear a pretty dress!" Danni said.
"Typical woman!" Danny said.
"Nothing will change anyway will it?" Andrew asked.
"Well mummy will be Trevanion now instead of Collins and I'll be sleeping in the same bed as daddy but no everything else will be the same." Alice told him.
"Why will you and daddy sleep in the same bed mummy?" Danielle asked.
"Um Danny do you wanna answer this one?" she asked him.
Danny grinned. "When 2 people love each other very much they share a bed - but only AFTER they're married and when they are really old, like me and mummy." he said to Danielle.
Alice grinned
Danielle thought for a moment. "So when I'm really big will I do that?" she asked.
"Not till your 40!" he said.
Danielle frowned not understanding what he meant.
"Anyways kids, it's your birthday soon and mummy and daddy were wondering if you got anything in particular in mind a party?" Alice asked.
Andrew and Danielle grinned conspiratorially.
Andrew spoke first, unable to contain his excitement.
"We want a baby!" he said seriously. Danielle nodded vigorously in agreement.
Alice looked at Danny and smiled. "Aw babies that's not gonna be possible."
"Why not Jonas got a baby for his birthday!" Danielle said.
"Yeah Alice why not!" Danny said. Alice elbowed him, "Don't egg them on!" she whispered.
"Because babies take a long time to grow 9 months!" Alice said.
Andrew and Danielle looked at each other in confusion.
"Mummy do you grow them in the garden like potato's?" Danielle asked.
Danny laughed.
"No darling!" Alice said chuckling.
"Where do they grow then?" Andrew asked.
"I mummy's tummy." Alice told them.
Danielle shrieked in horror. "Mummy you EAT the baby!" she yelled in horror.
Danny was bent over laughing at the table, when she looked at him the tears were streaming down his face and he could barely breath for laughing.
"Help me!" she asked him.
"No way - you started this one!" he said chuckling.
She glared at him "Mean!" she said grinning.
"No baby mummy doesn't have to eat it." she said.
Danielle and Andrew looked visibly relieved.
"So how does the baby get there then?" both children asked at the same time.
Oh God, Alice thought I'm having a birds and the bees talk with my 4 years olds. I wasn't expecting this yet! She thought. She looked at Danny and he grinned then shrugged at her.
"Your no help!" she hissed.
Danielle looked at her with impatience.
"Erm - Well - when a mummy and a daddy." Alice started.
"Who are married!" Danny added.
"Yeah who are married" she echoed. "When they want a baby they …"
She was stumped, she hadn't planned for this. She rather be doing major surgery than this!
Danny stepped in. "Ok kids here's what mummies trying to say, when mummies and daddies want a baby they think about it really hard and then they ring the magic fairy! they ask her if they can have a baby. She then decides if they'll be good mummies and daddies. We got you two because they thought we be a brilliant mummy and daddy. Anyway she decides and then she comes and uses magic to put the baby in mummies tummy but they tell you that the baby will take 9 months to grow. Sorry babies but your birthdays three months away." he said and grinned at Alice.
"Ok daddy!" Danielle said. "Sorry mummy but daddy told us better than you!"
They walked off to their bedroom.
She leaned in close, "That was a load of crap but that you for saving me I love you!"
"Well they got a education in babies!" he said seriously.
Danielle suddenly walked out of her bedroom.
"Where you going Danni baby?" Alice asked.
"Getting the phone book, gonna look for the fairies number!" she said
Alice and Danny looked at each other and burst out laughing.
While the talk was going on inside Anthony was attaching a device to the underside of the truck. He walked inside the house and saw Alice and Danny laughing at the kitchen table. So happy he thought, well that won't last long he thought malevolently he'd made sure of that!
"Where is everyone?" Anthony asked.
"Well Dupe has taken Caroline away for a day of pampering and Nomsa's away too. I can only guess but no doubt Livvie will be doing a day of shopping with her girlfriends and I'm off in the bush in 5 minutes. Actually why don't you and the kids come with me?" Danny asked Alice.
"NO!" Anthony said quickly, "I would like to spend some time with my niece and nephew!" he said calmly
Alice looked at Anthony with mistrust. "Maybe it would be good for us to come with you, Andy wants to spend more time with you!" she said hopefully.
"Aw can you not bear to be parted from me?" he asked. "I come back soon and take him out to check the fences later ok!"
"OK" Alice said slowly.
"I've just got to go down to my hut, I'll be back up to play with the twins in about 20 minutes ok." Anthony said.
He hurried out to the truck and activated the device. Not long now he thought happily.
He then went to his hut and put his bags in the back of the car he had moved. Now all he had to do was wait.
"Danny about what the twins were saying, about another child. How do you feel about that?" Alice asked.
He grinned wickedly. "Well it would be fun to try!" he said
"So how about it then?" she asked.
He kissed her deeply. "Hold that thought for later!" he said seriously.
"Are you sure we can't come with you!" she asked. "I don't like being alone with Anthony!" she said.
"C'mon he's my brother, you'll be fine!" Danny assured her. "Plus I know if he tried anything you would kick his ass!" he said grinning.
"Danny he acts weird around me!" she said worriedly.
"See how he goes today and if your still worried I'll talk to him later. Give him a chance for me - please." he looked at her, his soulful green eyes pleading.
"Ok!" She relented. "But only because I love you."
"I'll be home early and the twins will be in bed early too." he wiggled his eyebrows.
"I look forward to it!" she said.
He popped his head in the kids room and said "I'll see you later babies daddies going out in the bush!"
"Ok Daddy, love you!" he they said.
"Love you too angels."
He looked back at the kitchen. "See you later Alice love you." he said.
"Yeah Danny me too!"
He climbed into his car and drove away.
C'mon kids lets get the moon sand out yeah?" she asked.
"Yay!" they chorused.
They sat playing. Alice checked her watch, what was keeping Anthony she wondered. It had been 15 minutes till Danny had left. All of a sudden there was a huge explosion.
"Oh my god, what the hell was that?" she asked bewildered.
"Stay there kids don't move!" she demanded.
She ran to the front door and looked, there was a plume of black smoke rising steadily.
"I hope Danny's alright!" she thought.
She telephoned the fire brigade. "yeah there's a fire down here! I can't get to it!" she said. "She gave them a approximate area it might be in."
She walked back into the living room. "Everything's ok kids!" she said she tried to smile but it was strained.
Anthony sat in the hut and heard the explosion.
"YES!" he yelled. He lay on his back on the bed and laughed. Now that Danny was out of the way he could take his son and go. Alice was no match for him, and if she tried to stop him he thought for a moment, He imagined himself snapping her neck. He grinned. That had been too easy, the bomb he'd made had been child's play. The army had taught him well, probably a little too well. Well Danny would still be alive if he hadn't messed around with Alice! Now he was going to claim what is rightfully his!