I hadn't planned it like this, but apparently this is the last chapter. Enjoy, and thanks everyone for your wonderful reviews.

Three weeks later.

"Please tell me she's reached five pounds," Ruth said desperately as Doctor Robbins was weighing Rose. Harry gripped her hand tightly as she tried to calm down. Ben had reached the magic weight last week but he had been kept in hospital because they didn't want the twins separated more than necessary. Rose was currently kicking her legs furiously so that the measurement on the scales kept going up and down with her movement. The doctor gripped Rose's legs to make her stop and Rose's hazel eyes went wide with surprise, making Ruth smile.

"Congratulations," the doctor said. "You can take your babies home."

"Really?" Ruth asked as she picked Rose up.

"Yep," she said. "And I hope I don't see you again."

"I'll be glad to leave this hospital," she said. The last few weeks had been awful, both herself and Harry dashing to and from the hospital and trying to spend time with Luke as well as the twins. "Do you hear that sweetheart? We can go home."

Harry smiled at mother and daughter as Ben gurgled in his own arms. "I just need you to sign these discharge forms," the doctor said. Ruth shifted Rose so her right hand was free and quickly signed, as Harry did too. Doctor Robbins smiled at them. "Enjoy your loud family."

"We will," Harry said, kissing Ruth's head. Both adults smiled as they left the hospital, taking their newborns home for the first time.

.

"Gotcha!" Ben said as he tagged Luke and then quickly ran around the large garden, away from his elder brother. Both were laughing to themselves, blonde hair flying in the breeze as Rose appeared at the other end of the lawn, giggling at the boys. She had always been quite a bit smaller than her twin, but she was most definitely not the quietest member of the family. She had brown ringlets that bounced and made her look even more adorable and had inherited her fathers eyes exactly. Apart from that she was her mother in miniature. Rose mimicked her twin and started running away from Luke with a shout. She was too slow and the eldest Pearce grabbed her around the middle, and they fell to the floor in a squealing mess.

"Careful!" Ruth called. All three of her children ignored her and she frowned good naturedly at them. "Poor Rose is going to be tired out for her birthday tomorrow," she said to her husband.

"Yes," he agreed, his foot running over hers slowly under the garden table as they drank their tea. She smiled at him, feeling her heart race even after all this time. They had discovered over the previous years that Rose rather enjoyed having a different day as her birthday, much to her parents relief. The boys were close enough in age that it was almost like having a best friend with them at all times. Neither minded having the same birthday, as they usually borrowed each others toys anyway. "Have you got Rose's cake sorted for tomorrow?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Ruth said. "I picked it up earlier. Very pink and sparkly, you'll hate it I'm sure." Harry chuckled at that and put his mug down, then reaching to pick up her foot. Ruth moaned quietly as he gently rubbed it, knowing how much her left foot hurt from time to time.

A year and a half ago she had been kidnapped by a group of Irishmen, wanting revenge on Harry for something he did in the early eighties, involved in the IRA. Of course, he had got her back after a few hours of complete panic and terror, but not before they'd broken her foot in three different places. At that time, they had both decided enough was enough and left the service without looking back. Ruth had found their dream house near the coast and they had moved in as soon as they could after the renovations were done. But her foot still caused her pain after standing on it for a while as it had never healed completely. It had taken a long time for Harry to be able to look at her injury without feeling guilty. He pushed his thumbs into the arch of her foot and she sighed.

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she breathed. "It feels really good. Don't stop." He smirked and carried on as all three of their children approached them, still laughing happily.

"Is Catherine coming over?" Luke asked.

"She's working today," Harry said. "She'll be here on Saturday."

"Not on my birthday either?" Rose asked.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," Ruth replied. The honest truth was that Catherine was indeed free tomorrow, but she didn't want to show any of her children favouritism, so she had asked if Catherine could visit later in the week. "But she will bring birthday presents with her, I'm sure."

"And me!" Ben said.

"Yes, you too," Ruth said patiently. "But don't be greedy."

"Muuuum," Ben said in a sarcastic voice. She smiled at her middle child and ruffled his hair, making him laugh. "Cake?"

"I'll get it," Harry said, letting go of Ruth's foot and heading into the kitchen. They had already sung happy birthday and blown out the candles (twice) but the kids had wanted to play before actually eating it. Harry emerged quickly with several plates and put them down on the table, all the children racing to their slice. Rose sat on her mum's lap and picked at the blue icing on the cake.

"Do you not like that?" Ruth asked.

"Its blue," she said simply. "Blue is for boys, pink is for girls. I don't want blue icing."

"Well, a little birdy has told me that your cake tomorrow, might just have pink icing on it," Ruth said as she removed the offending icing quickly and gave the sponge cake back to her youngest. Rose smiled and then devoured the cake incredibly quickly. By the time she looked up both boys had finished too.

"Bikes?" Luke asked Ben. He nodded and Rose clambered down from Ruth's lap and tried to follow them.

"Wash your hands first," Ruth called, making the three of them retreat into the house quickly. She turned back to Harry who was smiling at her and picked her foot back up again, making her sigh. "I love you."

Making sure the kids weren't watching, he lifted her foot and kissed it. "I love you too. We've made quite a life for ourselves haven't we?"

"Yes I think we have," Ruth replied with a smile which showed her happiness in the brightness of the summers day.

THE END