Belle

Shopping, no matter what or who it was for was fun. Shopping with an exceedingly large budget was even better. Baby shopping with a ridiculously large budget was nigh on a spiritual experience. Cameron looked bemused as the girls went gaga at the very first boutique, a copy of Mary Margaret's carefully researched and itemized list clutched in their hands.

The shy dark haired girl was an unexpected addition to their shopping trip, Cameron had taken them to Boston so they could really go nuts, and Belle and Ruby invited the poor girl, hoping that shopping therapy of any kind would aide in their friend's recovery from her recently broken heart.

Not that Belle hadn't kept her word and avenged her friend and gotten a bit back on Sean, the photo manips they'd posted on the internet of Sean and David in compromising potions and some of David that had been taken just right so that he seemed to be eye-balling his fellow footballers.

Sean and his father were still waiting for Cam's retaliation, but besides a warning on domestic abuse from the Sheriff, and a sex ed class Sean had to go to Boston to attend twice a month in Boston for a year, courtesy of Doc, nothing major had happened to them.

She grinned; Ashley's step-mom was regretting her treatment of her step-daughter quite a lot though. Gold and some of his lawyer acquaintances had had a field day when Ashley's father's real will the one that was kept in his lock box at the bank was discovered to read quite differently than the one Mrs. Boyd had produced, such as the part where in the event of his death, everything, including the fully paid for house belonged to Ashley.

Which meant Ashley's new personal lawyer, not Cam, that would be favoritism, itemized everything and except for a bit of jewelry she and her girls had brought to the marriage, all of it belonged to Ashley and for the next several years, her step-mother would be making court ordered payments to the girl to pay back everything they'd spent that couldn't be restored.

Thus Ashley was a very comfortably off young lady these days, she'd had most set aside in a savings account with her step-mother putting her monthly payment into Ashley's checking account.

All the excitement and scandal had caused quite the uproar so Cameron had suggested that they all head to Boston for baby shopping so as to really enjoy it without too much staring.

So shop one was for newborn clothes basics, Ruby had already gotten a crib and pram from the recesses of one of Gold's storage areas and both had been cleaned and polished but had held off on anything other than a few packs of basic white onesies, until she knew the gender of the baby. Now with two babies to shop for, they had finally after a couple more quick visits, been aimed right at Doc was certain they were both boys.

So blue and green were the colors of today. Ruby had vetoed red, pointing out that red was her color and if she dressed one of them in it, people might think she liked that one better. She'd also nixed the matching outfit's idea, when they were older they could dress that way if they wanted, Ruby wanted to be able to tell her children apart, thank-you very much.

With their gender known, the tentative names of Peter and William had been assigned and Ruby had told Belle that she was still contemplating middles names. Belle checked Mary Margaret's helpful little list, Peter would be in green while William was to be dressed in blue and Belle's assignment was everyday warm weather outfits, Ruby had 'first clothes and what to wear home clothes', Ashley had jackets winter clothes, Cam had been assigned important function clothes, and Mary Margaret had been given the duty of hats, socks, and shoes.

Belle sighed happily as she cooed over an Eeyore newborn set, it had three onesies in a pack, perfect she thought, adding the first item to her buggy, blue for William and bingo, there, a set in green with Owl on them. A spring in her step Belle set about her shopping with renewed vigor.

Ruby

Ruby groaned a bit, rubbing her lower back and repressing a whine. She'd hit that point in her pregnancy where she was kind of ready for the babies to be born already.

She sat down on one of the many chairs that dotted the store, guessing they were for this express purpose as it conformed to her large achy body perfectly. One of the babies kicked and she couldn't help the stupid smile that spread over her face.

All the discomfort that went along with pregnancy was more than worth it. Another kick, this time to her kidney's made her wince, well, most of the discomfort…

Feeling as rested as she was going to be she got back up, she'd already found the perfect thing for both her boys for their first outfits and their 'go home for the first time' outfits and was simply wandering, occasionally grabbing something, she kept a mental note where she got it from, in case one of the others had already picked it up.

She spotted Mary Margaret's dark head over near the baby shoes and made her way there. The almost painfully shy girl was staring at the shoes with a look of fierce concentration. She already had a nice selection of hats in a variety of blues and greens in her basket, along with several packs of socks. Ruby glanced at the shoe rack and understood the girls' intent study. For tiny people who couldn't walk there were a lot of options for footwear.

Ruby studied the girl for a moment, she really was adorable and with her and Belle as friends the girl was beginning to bloom. If that moron David hadn't set her back several steps it would be better but they'd make a confident person of her yet.

The girl in question looked dup from her perusal of the shoes, obviously startled to see someone there. She flung her hand to her heart, gasping out "Ruby! I didn't see you! I think you just took a few years off me!" The girl said. Ruby grinned unrepentantly. Hey now, you know the rules! "Constant Vigilance!" She cried and Mary Margaret giggled, they'd all been re-reading the Harry Potter books and shouts of 'Constant Vigilance' had been echoing about since.

Mr. Gold

He was shopping for baby clothes. Gold had never seen himself as the sort of person who shopped for baby clothes or get misty eyed while doing so, but this wasn't just any baby, these clothes would be worn by his sons. The thought still brought an onslaught of emotion with it and his lips curved upwards yet again. He was going to be a father!

Having made his final selections for this store, he headed over to were Ruby and Mary Margaret had settled, both having had shorter lists than the other two girls.

Ruby looked up at him, her smile changing ever so slightly when she saw him, going from general happiness to loving in an eye blink. He still couldn't get over that. When had all this become love? When had these girls come to be his world?

He was startled for a moment when he turned to great Mary Margaret to find her staring at him, almost studying him. Odd girl, she flushed when she realized he'd caught her and he shrugged it off, going to sit beside Ruby on the little couch she'd claimed, letting her lean back a bit against his side.

Ashley

She couldn't believe how many choices there were for baby clothes. Just looking for winter and fall wear and she felt overwhelmed. Mary Margaret's list was clenched tightly in her hand; it was her compass in this vast forest of babydom.

She already had a few outfits, adorable little coverall sets with truck and trains and two different Clifford outfits.

Her eyes kept straying to the pin stuff though and her hand would go down to her own belly, already she was pretty confident it was a girl. She shook her head, he time would come! Now was for Ruby's babies. That settled se went off in search of nice snuggly little jackets.

Mary Margaret

After a few more shops and more bags than Mary Margaret could possibly imagine, they stopped for lunch. Mr. Gold waived off her offer to pay for her own meal, telling her it was no trouble. He was so different than how she thought he'd be. They all were. Ruby was way more friendly than she'd seemed before, when all Mary Margaret could see was bloody lips and skimpy clothes and who knew that the ever so poised Belle was just waiting to emerge from Lacey? Ashley was honestly a harder one to read at first. She'd been a 'good girl' like Mary Margaret, but she'd been a popular good girl, she knew how to wear make-up and clothes that didn't make her look like a nun.

Mary Margaret sighed, plus, they'd all found a man who made them try to be better versions of themselves, he tried to be a better version of himself too. She'd heard some of the talk recently, that few people who had always paid their rent or loans back on time found that what they owed back was lessening, one lady even claimed that Gold had given her a two-week extension! She'd been studying him earlier, trying to see the man the other three saw in him. True, once you looked at him he was quite attractive, his face wasn't classically handsome so much as engaging, his voice well, she'd been around a lot the last few weeks and she readily admitted that his voice was lovely. The Scottish brogue that he'd thicken when teasing the other girls sometimes was quite an experience.

She huffed, why couldn't she have been friends with them when they'd gone to seduce him? Then she'd be part of this closely knit little family and wouldn't have had to suffer the agony of David's heartless rejection. She bet Mr. Gold was a good kisser to, she'd never kissed anybody or seen the draw, but all three of her friends were always kissing him or accepting kisses in return.

Mr. Gold caught her eye just as she thought that and she ran back over it…She drove Ruby nuts for the rest of the day by refusing to tell the other girl why she'd gone beet red before running to the bathroom.

Don't ask where Mary Margaret came from. She was just suddenly there. Though some blame may be laid on the fanfic "Charmed Life".