Alice smiled, eyes still closed as she felt an arm gently fall around her, resting upon her rounded bump. She leant back with pleasure, satisfaction filling her as she felt him kiss the back of her neck, his breath washing over her bare skin leaving a tingling sensation. She hadn't had a full night's sleep since well before the Peeter's fiasco, but she'd slept the whole night through and she hadn't felt so refreshed in so long. She spun round to face her husband, smiling as she saw his green eyes shining with love. She sighed with a huge grin before resting her head on his chest. To be back in his arms felt so good, so natural, so at home.

"Good morning Mrs Trevanion." Danny murmured, kissing her hair gently as he pulled her even closer to him, holding her tenderly.

"Good morning." She replied lifting her eyes to meet his, "That was the best sleep I've had in ages, being back in your arms feels so good."

"Likewise." Danny grinned, "Would it be wrong to lie here all day?"

"Hmm... just you, me and bump... it would be totally wrong but let's do it." Alice crooned as she moved her head towards his, meeting his lips and kissing him softly, keeping her head close to his even as they pulled apart.

"You bring out the devil in me." Danny whispered, pecking her softly, "But I totally agree."

Alice giggled as he pulled her back under the covers. They kissed deeply and passionately before both settled into a long, loving embrace. Danny's hand gently rubbed her swelled stomach, smiling as he felt their baby kick his hand. Alice placed her hand on top of his, closing her eyes and resting her head upon his shoulder. Both people began to converse in small whispers simply enjoying holding one another.

(x)

Hours later and neither Danny nor Alice had emerged from their room. Rosie was stood flirting with Max in the kitchen, her arms wrapped around his neck as his hands rested on her lower back lightly. Both were speaking in hushed tones, gently teasing one another. Charlotte was sat with Liv talking and Thabo was making everyone hot chocolate. Nomsa walked in with a new basket of fruit and began placing it in the Christmas bowl. Dup and Caroline were out in town, the only people missing were Ed and Fiona and no one cared much for them.

"Where's Danny?" Ed bellowed rushing into the kitchen ruining the family harmony. Everyone appeared to ignore him, Rosie and Max completely remained in their own world, Charlotte looked at him before turning back to Liv, Thabo had put his headphones in and so was completely oblivious, only Nomsa seemed slightly interested and she simply shrugged. "Where is he?" Ed repeated.

"In his room with Alice, duh." Liv snapped, "Leave him be."

"I would but there's a zebra foal needing him!" Ed argued walking to Danny's room and flinging the door open.

Danny and Alice jumped, Alice's hand was on Danny's bare chest as his arm pulled her closer to him.

"What the hell?" Alice asked angrily, "Who do you think you are?"

"Your husband is needed! Zebra foal, broken leg." Ed growled at her,

"Don't speak to Alice like that." Danny warned, "All you had to do was knock and then simply state the facts calmly to me."

"Just hurry up." Ed spat spinning around and walking out not even bothering to close the door. Danny cursed under his breath and quickly closed the door before changing quickly. Alice too had risen and was now grumbling, quite rightly, about Ed and his antics.

"He is so freaking rude, who does he actually think he is? He doesn't own this place..." Alice grumbled, changing herself, making the decision to shower later, "He's got another thing coming if he thinks he can talk like that to folk!"

"Alice, honey..." Danny soothed, "Don't get stressed about it. I'll deal with it, you rest, spend time with the family, enjoy being pregnant and I'll come up as soon as I can, ok?"

"Ok." Alice mumbled. Danny grinned widely, kissing her gently before rushing off. Alice watched him, he was so sweet but at the same time watching him leave hurt. They had spent so long away from each other and now Ed was dragging him down the animal hospital, away from her. She was being selfish with her thoughts but she deserved to be selfish? Did she not? She'd been away from her husband for weeks... she was pregnant, heavily and it all hurt her. Hurt her like hell. She just wanted one day, a day for her and Danny. She shook her head... enough was enough! They were having a day to themselves.

Alice quickly changed and made her way through to the kitchen, she smiled as she noticed all the Christmas decorations out in force! Nomsa had even got her Christmas fruit bowl out which was stocked high with fruit. Alice smirked, she was seriously still hiding it? Everyone knew she had eyes for Nelson! Alice shook her head, smiling slightly. She set off walking through the house, she smiled as she found all of her family in the lounge.

"Morning Alice." Thabo grinned noticing her, "We're just playing on the Wii."

Alice looked up, laughing as she noticed Max and Charlotte going for it on Just Dance. Alice moved round to sit next to Liv. Liv smiled and squeezed Alice's hand.

"It's great to have you back." Liv whispered to her.

"It's great to be back." Alice murmured back. Liv grinned and almost like a small girl she leant into Alice, giving her a soft hug. Alice held her tightly, kissing her hair gently before both pulled back. Liv grinned as Alice wrapped an arm around her, before both turned back to the amusing dancing sprouting from the game.

(x)

Danny threw off his greens angrily, throwing them away as he stomped around the hospital. As he'd been operating his frustration and anger at Ed had grown. His earlier bad manners to Alice had remained on his mind and his resentment for Ed had come back.

"You can go back to your wife now." Ed told Danny with a smile. Danny began to shake, his fists clenching, "You did well there you know..." Ed continued, "Such a firecracker, so passionate and feisty and pretty too... still, she's a bit too up front for me, wouldn't have that myself..."

Danny saw red at Ed's words and uncalled for assessment of Alice, his fists unclenched and in one fast, sweeping movement he had Ed by the collar. Ed swallowed, paling immediately. He hadn't expected this of Danny, not at all, he hadn't expected a few words against his wife to rifle him so much. It was man talk wasn't it?

"Don't you ever, ever speak about Alice in that way again." Danny growled viciously. "She is my wife and one hundred and ten times the woman that Fiona is. Oh and for the record, if you ever speak to her in the way you did this morning again, you'll be getting more than just your collar pulled." Danny warned, pushing him away angrily before stomping off out of the surgery and up to the house in search of his wife.

It didn't take him long to find her, she was in the living room with the rest of the family, watching and laughing as they played on the Wii. He stopped at the door and simply looked in. His anger eradicating as he watched his family.

Alice turned, feeling her husband around her, and smiled as she noticed him at the door. It was then she realised everything was not as it seemed and so, removing her arm from around Liv moved over to him. Everyone watched her as she moved to him.

"Danny... what is it?" Alice asked him softly, lifting one hand up to his cheek. Danny simply shook his head, "Danny..." Alice persisted.

"I nearly hit him Alice..." Danny admitted, which in turn caused everyone to stop and turn, "He kept pushing and pushing and... I grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. I can't actually take it anymore Alice."

"What made you lose it?" Alice asked, "Because I know you Danny and you are not a violent man. I'm not having him when he's here now on good will acting like that."

Rosie and Max stood hand in hand watching with interest as Charlotte, Liv, Thabo and Nomsa sat staring. Dup and Caroline at that moment walked through the door however their cheeriness soon stopped as they noticed the married couple before them talking seriously.

"Danny... tell me." Alice pestered,

"I wasn't happy about how he spoke to you this morning... and how he spoke about you. I won't have anyone be so rude to you Alice. I've made a decision anyway... he's out of here in three days." Danny commented, "If he says anything about you, to you, anything, tell me cos nothing would give me greater pleasure than..."

"Beating him up?" Alice finished, "Oh Danny..." Alice whispered, "That means the world and it's your over-protectiveness, heroic side that I love about you, but seriously Danny... you don't need to hit him, no matter how much he may deserve it. Be the man you are."

"But I just can't let him speak about you in that way! No one is talking about you like that! No one speaks about any of my family like that! I love you far too much." Danny protested, "But, you're right."

"But of course, I'm your wife." Alice beamed as he laughed sheepishly, "Come on, we'll go for a walk, calm you down."

"Before you go!" Liv interrupted, "Can we just say..."

Danny and Alice turned to face her and Rosie who was next to her,

"You two are so cute!" Liv and Rosie exclaimed together.

Both Danny and Alice blushed as they made their way outside. Alice stopped him at the bottom of the veranda steps, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He sighed and buried his head in her shoulder as she placed hers in his.

"Day off." Alice whispered in his ear, "Tomorrow."

"You bet." Danny murmured back, "Me, you and bump."

"What do you wanna do?" Alice asked him.

"Baby shopping... and a bit of Christmas shopping too... lunch with just us." Danny murmured back causing Alice's hear to melt. How could she be so lucky as to have such a sensitive, loving man as her husband, he actually wanted to go baby shopping... clothes, prams and all the likes.

"It's a date." Alice mumbled, kissing him once to seal the promise.

A/N - *choking on fluff*