"Where's mum Robbie? You get her." Robert was standing up grasping tightly onto Danny's hands while Alice stood at the other side of the bedroom arms outstretched. Robert ran forward to her still using Danny for support. He giggled delighted as his mum picked him up and spun him around. Danny smiled on proudly. Alice sat Robert on his feet again and Danny knelt down just a few steps away.

"You go to dad." Slowly Alice let go of him so that he was standing on his own. She was still there ready to catch him.

Danny held his hands out. Robert looked up at him and tentatively took 3 steps before stumbling slightly. Danny caught him and picked him up. Alice eyes filled, she felt really emotional. Her wee boy's first steps. Danny was praising Robert who laughed at his daddy. Delighted, they carried him through to the living room and Robert repeated it again walking this time from Danny to Alice. Nomsa kissed his cheek and Robbie as usual was glad to be centre of all the attention.

Robert lapped up all the attention and performed for everyone till it was way past his usual bedtime. He fell asleep in Danny's arms halfway through a bottle. Alice lifted him up to put him to bed. Danny followed her. "Wee guy's worn out," he whispered. She smiled lying him down and tucking in his blanket. The pair looked down on their son. "His first steps Alice."

"I know, it's just amazing."

"And that's him nearly one. Time just flies."

"Tell me about it, I can still remember the day we brought him out here when he was still just a tiny baby."

Danny smiled placing an arm round her as they turned on his night light and left the room. They walked out and sat on the veranda together.

He pulled Alice closer to him. He was still euphoric from seeing Robert move on to the next stage. His first steps! Amazing, there was nothing more rewarding for Danny than seeing his children achieve, from Robert right up to Rosie. Charlotte was definitely going to be fine another thing that had lifted the weight off his shoulders slightly. Maybe she still had a way to go mentally but when they'd been at the hospital earlier she'd been alert and looking really happy, couldn't wait to get home she'd said.

Alice closed her eyes leaning into Danny, savouring the moment. She still hadn't told him about the morning sickness and other symptoms. She'd been rolling everything over and over again in her head. She was sure she was pregnant. She felt over emotional, clingy when she'd been pregnant with Robert she had needed Danny constantly. Plus she was 2 weeks late, the definite sign. She'd been so distracted with seeing to Charlotte she hadn't realised. God now she really thought about it she could be as much as 5 weeks. She had to tell him.

He felt Alice tense beside him. "Alice?"

"Danny..." She turned to face him properly taking both of his hands. "You know I love you."

"I love you too." he replied softly.

"I need to tell you something." She took a deep breath trying to form the sentence.

"You can tell me anything." he squeezed her hands.

"I think...I'm-"

The radio crackled. "Leopard's Den come in." Alice exhaled.

"Sorry love, give me 2 seconds." He pulled the radio out, "yes Ed?"

"Danny! Mr Johnston's cow here, not doing good."

Danny rolled his eyes looking at Alice who was fidgeting nervously, "Can't you manage."

"I wouldn't have radioed.."

"But-"

"Danny!"

"OK fine, be there as quick as I can." He put the radio away. Alice smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. He took her face in his hands and kissed her quickly. "I'll be back as soon as I can, promise."

He rushed down the steps into the jeep. Alice groaned, cursing Ed Lynch.

She walked into their room and opened her top drawer pulling out the pregnancy test. She'd wanted Danny to be here for this but it looked like she was going to have to go it alone...again.

Back from the bathroom Alice paced up and down. The stick lay on the dressing table, time was surely up but she couldn't bring herself to look. She'd been so sure earlier but now was starting to doubt it herself. And it was so soon after Robert, what if Danny didn't want any more kids? She wasn't even sure about how she felt about another child.

"Come on Alice." she whispered to herself. She crossed the room and picked it up.

At the same moment Danny entered the room. She turned in surprise.

"The cow was-" his jaw dropped as he saw what she held. They stood for a moment, a tense silence between them. Danny tried to force words out stuttering, "What...I...but...are you?"

Alice's eyes filled in fear she nodded.

"my god," he said his voice barely audible. Alice couldn't judge his mood at all. Then his face lit up and he crossed the room, picked her up spinning her round. She laughed with him in relief more than anything. "This is amazing!" he said.

"You're really pleased?" she said as he set her back down.

"Pleased? More like ecstatic!" She laughed, "Oh Alice, I can't believe it. And I know we hadn't planned on another kid but I love you and we love our kids." He laughed, hugging her close to him. He looked down at her remembering how she'd felt when she'd been pregnant with Robert. "How do you feel?"

"Shocked mainly but you're right it's amazing." She grinned as he hugged her tightly again. "Danny do you mind if we wait until we tell everyone."

"Of course not. This is brilliant news but we all need to be there for Charlotte at this moment in time." Alice smiled, he was amazing.

They kissed romantically both happy to be on the same page and both thrilled about the new life they'd created.

"Bed Mrs Trevanion?"

"Yeah, we'll got get Charlotte in the morning."

Later on when Alice lay sleeping in his arms, both their hands clasped over her stomach, Danny thanked whoever was there to thank for his life, his family, his Alice.

Read and review. I really am going back to Charlotte next chapter :) I read DanH2010's new chapter for A New Beginning... after I'd wrote this so it is really a complete coincidence that I covered Robert's first steps too :P Thank you so much for all the reviews so far too, they are brill and motivate me to keep going with this story! Love you all!