Neither Harry nor Nikki understood if Gabriel and Donovan really understood what they were signing but they always seemed to do it at the right time, they always signed 'mummy' to Nikki and had begun to sign 'daddy' to Harry. Harry and Nikki knew from their reading and sign language classes that they still attended that baby's that signed had a greater understanding of context than those who just spoke the words but it still gave them something to think about.
In the week since they had first begun to sign the twins had also started to sign other words as well, such as 'eat', 'milk' and 'bath', some of the most common words that they had seen signed since they were two months old. They often signed these in the right context as well and Nikki had noticed that they used 'eat' and 'milk' at the times that they normally would have been fussing because they were hungry. This both excited and upset Nikki. It excited her because her babies were in a way talking with her and she enjoyed signing back to them and talking to them, but on the other hand it meant that they were growing up and that scared her more than anything because they weren't her tiny little newborns anymore. Harry felt the same way but he kept it better hidden than Nikki did even though he had confessed to her one night when they were laying in bed that he was scared they were growing up too fast.
"Right you two" Nikki told her sons as she sat them on her lap, Anne taking her coat off and draping it over the chair at the table. "You be good for grandma while mummy and daddy are at school having an exam"
"They'll be fine" Anne assured Nikki with a smile "Won't you both?" she signed to the babies who then turned back to Nikki and began to play with the buttons on her thin cardigan. "How long is the exam?"
"Ninety minutes" Nikki replied as Anne took Donovan from her and kissed her grandson on the cheek, the little boy laughing loudly at the attention he was getting from his grandmother. Nikki stood up with Gabriel on her hip, the baby playing with a strand of her naturally curled hair and attempting to put it in his mouth. "Biology"
"Well at least it's one down" Anne told her and Nikki nodded "You've only got them for this week and next week haven't you?"
"Yes, biology and the first maths one this week and the second maths one and chemistry next week. And then it's all over" she sighed and shook her head "Then we have the wait for the results"
"Which will be fine" Anne smiled and nodded and Nikki sighed "Don't doubt yourself, you've done that for the past two years and you've got the highest marks"
"I know but I'm just not confident when it comes to exam results"
"Tell me about it" Harry laughed as he walked into the room shrugging his jacket on "I have to listen to you worry for the past two years about them"
Nikki just rolled her eyes and let her lover take Gabriel from her, Harry kissing their son on the cheek as he told him to behave for Anne.
"Don't you have some sort of leaver's thing soon as well?" Anne asked them and Nikki nodded.
"Hmm, a get together I think at the end of June just so we can all say goodbye. Not that I've got anyone to say goodbye too really, just the teachers probably. I can't actually wait to leave school"
"It hasn't been that bad" Harry told her and Nikki gave him a withering that had him wincing. "Okay it was for you but it got better didn't it?"
"I suppose, slightly. When I met you" Nikki smiled and Harry grinned at her, leaning down to kiss her gently.
"That was the worst exam I have ever seen in my life" Ada muttered hours later as they all traipsed out of the exam hall, everyone around her muttering in agreement.
"I mean what was question four all about?" someone in their class asked whoever was listening.
"God knows" Nikki replied and shook her head, shrugging her cardigan on and smiling at Adam as he walked over "How did you find it?"
"I'd be surprised if I actually pass" he chuckled and Nikki rolled her eyes.
"I'm sure you'll be fine"
"Please tell Nikki that as well" Harry told their friend as he walked over and smiled at Adam "Nikki doesn't have that much confidence when it comes to results"
"And this is the person who gets the highest results" Adam chuckled and Nikki blushed and shook her head, mumbling something under her breath that none of them could hear. "You'll be fine anyway; you two put the rest of us to shame"
"Tell me about it" Ada rolled her eyes good naturedly, unable to stop herself from running her eyes over the young man in front of her before reminding herself that she had a boyfriend. "But we love them both anyway"
"You better" Harry smirked "You're our children's godmother"
"How are the twins?" Adam asked the parents with interest and Harry nodded.
"They're fine; they signed their first words last week"
"Really? Isn't that young?"
"Not really, babies start signing at around six months if they've been around it since they were born" Nikki explained and Adam nodded, shrugging as he did so.
"Well you learn something new every day" he chuckled and Nikki giggled and nodded. Adam then turned when he heard a shout and saw his group of friends standing near the door "Got to go, good luck with the exams"
"And you" Nikki nodded as Adam smiled and then jogged off "And you" Nikki said quickly, turning and walking over to Ada who was very obviously eyeing up Adam as he walked away. "You have a boyfriend"
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate other guys" Ada murmured and Nikki giggled as she looped her arm through Ada's, the two young women walking off laughing and leaving Harry, William and Georg to exchange eye rolls and to trail off behind them.
"You are happy with Adrian aren't you?" Nikki asked Ada as the two young women sat at a table in the cafe, the three men at the counter deciding what to have to eat and drink.
"I don't know" Ada sighed and shook her head, leaning on the table "I'm just...bored"
"Bored?"
"Hmm" Ada nodded and saw Nikki's confused face "Well it's obvious that you and Harry don't get bored of each other but it's like I can't actually be bothered to go out with him anymore, I dread actually seeing him because I know that I don't want to be there"
"Why don't you leave him then? It's not fair on him, either of you"
"I will" Ada sighed "I just don't want to hurt him"
"I think you'll hurt him even more by staying with him and your heart not being in it" Nikki told her and Ada nodded.
"I know" Ada groaned and ran her hands through her lose hair "I just keep wondering what would have happened if I'd kept the..you know"
Nikki nodded slightly and Ada continued.
"I keep wondering if I would have got bored then, knowing that I was carrying his child then I realise that I would have but would only have stayed with him for the child's sake"
"I think you should tell him that you don't think you should see each other anymore" Nikki told Ada who nodded "If he accepts that then you should be able to keep him as a friend"
"I want that, he's a really good friend. I think we're better off as friends actually"
"Here we go"
Ada and Nikki's conversation was cut short by Harry coming over with two mugs in his hands, William following with two and leaving Georg with one.
"Thanks" Nikki smiled as Harry put her tea in front of her and then sat down next to her, his lover snuggling up to him as he draped one arm over her shoulder. William sat down next to Ada and gave her a mug of coffee, Nikki the only one with tea as she still breast fed the twins sometimes.
"Well that sounded like a serious conversation" Georg chuckled and Nikki shook her head, covering for Ada.
"We were just talking about the exam"
"Do we have to?" William moaned and the rest of them chuckled "It was bad enough the first time around, I swear we didn't learn half of what was on that paper"
"I'm sure we've all done fine" Ada told them all and then motioned to Harry and Nikki "Especially Mr and Mrs Genius over there"
The couple laughed loudly and Nikki blushed, shaking her head as their three friends chuckled along with them, Ada giving Nikki a grateful look for keeping their conversation a secret. Nikki just nodded slightly and turned to her lover who pressed a kiss onto her forehead.
"I think we should take the boys somewhere tomorrow" Harry told Nikki as they lay in bed that evening, cuddling in the bed and talking about random things that came to mind.
"Where?"
"Duxford?" Harry asked eagerly and Nikki laughed loudly, her eyes shining with amusement as she did so.
"I'd like that" she nodded and Harry beamed at her "Just don't go turning our sons in airheads like you"
Harry pouted at her and Nikki giggled, stealing a quick kiss that soon turned into more passionate kisses that had Nikki aching for her lover. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her closer to him, moaning slightly in disappointment as Harry broke the kiss.
"If we're going to Duxford we have to be up early tomorrow" he told her with a small smile "Which means sleep now"
"Harry we have six month old twins" Nikki reminded him as she rolled her eyes "When was the last time we had a full night's sleep? A few more hours won't be missed" she whispered the last part in his ear as she wrapped one leg around his waist and chuckled as she felt Harry relent to her wishes.