Hiya, thanks everyone for the lovely reviews to the last chapter; it means a lot that everyone is still reading and enjoying this story – it was never meant to turn into the epic that it has! Jessie xx

Breakfast Meetings

It was gone three when Sandra crept through the front door to the flat. She'd text Rob to let him know they were chasing a lead and suggested that she stay at hers. He'd firstly volunteered to come and join them, then remembered that Mia was out with a friend and he therefore was babysitting then told her that she was to come home after and not to hers as she suggested so that he could be sure she'd eat breakfast as he assumed she was going to be skipping dinner. She shrugged off her coat and watched it drop on the floor. Sighing, she bent down and picked it up, repositioning it on the hook. She pulled her phone out of her bag and plugged it into the waiting charger, switching the device on at the wall before texting Gerry as promised to assure him that she was home. Placing the phone next to Rob's on the table she lifted her legs in turn, unzipping and removing her boots. She glanced in the dim light offered by the lamp that he'd left on for her return at her accessories neatly in their place and smiled: it was late, but she was home. After getting a glass of water from the kitchen and visiting the bathroom she switched off the lamp and crossed the flat to their bedroom.

Rob was fast asleep with the light still on, his book and glasses discarded on the bed beside him. Her smile widened as she carefully marked the page in his current read and put the articles on the cabinet. Grimacing at the hour given by the alarm clock, she stripped to her t-shirt and pants, darkened the room and got into bed. Whether it was the discreet change in illumination in his sophoric state or the subconscious recognition that his better half had rejoined him, Rob woke slightly. She turned to meet his sleepy eyes and kissed him gently on the lips, "Goodnight," she murmured before happily curling into his body and closing her eyes.

~o~

"I think we need to up the ante," Sandra placed her toast crusts back on her breakfast plate. She was absurdly awake after only three hours sleep (Brian would tell her that the typical sleep cycle was three hours anyway) and feeling rather bold. Her successful avoidance in not telling Gerry about the pregnancy despite the overwhelming need to and guilt about it afterwards, made her determined that she was not going to lose the bet.

"Oh yeah?" he grinned, reaching for his coffee. His eyebrows arched in amusement as she gazed enviously at his mug. He knew that as soon as the twelve-week scan was behind them she'd be looking to renegotiate her caffeine allowance. He'd been unable to stop Hermione.

"Yeah," she licked the crumbs from her lips and leant forwards. "Because there's quite a vital factor we've overlooked here."

"Eh?" he looked at Bella who simply giggled at him and put her hand in her breakfast.

"How we tell everyone. So, if either of us fall down in these next two weeks, that person has to organise how we tell everyone else," she leant back in her seat grinning.

"Ok," he set his mug on the counter confidently. "Though once you accidentally tell Gerry you know it'll be round in five minutes, leaving only your mother to tell!"

"Shut up," she kicked him under the table. She hadn't told him about her and Gerry's conversation last night. It felt too private. She also hadn't told him that the reason she'd gotten back so late was only partially to do with the tracking down and interviewing of a key witness followed by the hasty raid of the suspect nightclub; arrest of perpetrator and subsequent questioning. That had all been over by one o'clock. The rest of the time had involved her, the boys, a darkened UCOS office and a bottle of scotch from Nick's celebratory collection (he'd told them he was nipping out for a fresh pair of socks – why she hadn't questioned it…).

"Have you told the boys about the job?" he picked up their plates and crossed to the kitchen, pausing to throw a tea-towel over to her.

She caught the towel and reached for Bella's porridge coated fingers. "Yeah," she sighed, pulling a face.

He paused in pursuing the obvious. Choosing instead to dry the things he would normally leave on the draining board and put away whilst the dinner cooked. It might be the one habit that drove Mia mad; but Sandra and he both agreed that as long as the things were clean that was enough. Perhaps in the new house they could have a dishwasher. But then Mia would only go nuts when the machine was never emptied.

"What are you grinning at?"

Rob turned from his occupation to see Sandra holding Bella; both of them staring at him as if he had gone quite mad – grinning at cupboards.

"Po..pops!" Bella giggled at him.

"I was thinking about dishwashers," he replied honestly.

~o~

Two weeks later, though many awkward excuses had been hastily made including being on a pre-wedding detox; did you know that mayonnaise shouldn't be eaten in spring?; she shouldn't be lifting that because she was… their boss; neither Rob or Sandra had given the game away. Their official twelve-week scan was on Thursday and they'd agreed to tell the boys, Brian and Esther and Grace straight after. Much to Rob's annoyance, she hadn't began to show and much to Sandra's annoyance, he'd been avoiding the UCOS arena and any further opportunity to remind the boys that she was their boss and then beat a clumsy retreat; all of which meant that they had three days left in which to decide how to tell everyone.

"Are you excited?" Mia put the toast rack on the table and sat down next to Bella who looked at her inquisitively. "Not you, well, you can be excited too! If you like. Sandra? The scan?"

"Hmm? Yes. Yes, of course," Sandra replied looking at the toast rack. "How come all your toast comes out just right, but when I use that bloody thing it burns half the round?"

"Ah," Rob emerged from the bathroom rubbing his still wet hair with a towel. "So the toaster can come with us provided that Mia is the one who uses it?"

"So are you booking a lane for Saturday?" Sandra deflected the comments about her cooking and directed the conversation towards Mia's birthday. She was going bowling with some friends from college while Sandra would look after Bella.

"Yep," Mia grinned. "Cardi's booked us in. Are you sure you don't mind having Bella all day?"

"I guess I've got to get used to it sometime," Sandra smiled. "Anyway, she can help with the planning, can't you Bella?"

Bella blew her cheeks out. "Na, no."

Rob laughed and lifted the child from her highchair. "Guess that means I'll have to help instead!"

"Dad, she's just eaten," Mia protested vainly as Rob proceeded to 'fly' Bella around the room.

"I thought you had to go to that seminar?" Sandra asked.

"Nope," Rob replied happily bringing Bella to land in her Nana's lap. "It's been cancelled! Yes it has! So Nana and Bella are going to have to put up with Grandpops instead! Yes they are!"

Mia rolled her eyes and picked up the breakfast things to wash. "I swear if she starts talking in exclamation marks…"

"What's that, love?" Rob asked, winking at Sandra and Bella as he leant on the back of Sandra's chair.

"Have you got a date yet?" Mia asked as casually as she could. Meeting her dad's accusatory eye with a smile.

"First thing on the list," Rob replied.

"Still?" Mia smirked.

"Alright smarty-pants," he parried. "Surely it's impressive enough that we've written the list? Anyway, who's this Cardi? Is she the one with the purple hair?"