A/N: Ok, I think I explained it to all who asked, but here is the big secret reveal for Mirana. It obviously takes place before the big rescue. Please to enjoy.

Life was good in the Hightopp household. Our little boy would be a whole year old in less than a month, our daughter was a brilliant little girl, Tarrant was thriving with his hat making and I was very happy with my job with the Queen. It was everything I dreamed of, but always assumed I could never have.

After dropping Charlotte off with Rowena for her studies, Mirana caught me in the hall.

"Alice! I need to speak with you!" she said in a whisper.

I gave her a questioning glance, but allowed her to pull me into her office. She instantly dismissed the staff in the room and asked me to sit.

"Alice, normally I would wait until dinner, or at least until tea time, but if I don't say something, I'm just going to burst!"

"Mirana, goodness, what has you this worked up. Is it at least good news?"

"Good news? Oh dear me, it's the best! Wonderful news in fact!"

"So, are you going to share it?"

"Oh! Yes, yes, of course. Alice, you're going to be an aunt."

"An aunt?" I'll admit, it confused me for a bit. I just wasn't thinking clearly until all the pieces fell into place. "Mirana! You're having a baby!"

"Yes! Isn't it exciting?"

"It's amazing! When? How? What are you having?"

"Well, I should be due in about 5 months. We're having a girl and as for the how, well, Alice. You and Tarrant have two little ones, so I'm assuming you know the how," she said with such a playful tone to her voice.

"Yes, I know the how. I recall giving you advice on the how, so hush! And a girl! Yay! Have you picked a name yet?"

"Tentatively. So far her name is Lily."

"Lily … I love it! And what does Landrew think?"

"He's over the moon. He's been so attentive to me and always dealing with my mood swings."

"Aren't those the worst?" I sympathized. "I was like a crazy person. I could change faster than Tarrant ever did."

"It has made life more difficult. I find myself running things past Landrew before I make important decisions. I want to make sure a rational mind agrees before I do any governing or anything of the sort."

I smiled. I remembered that all too well.

"Oh, this will be so lovely! Will will have someone to play with and we'll get to have baby talk! And you'll make such a beautiful glowing lady!"

"I'm going to be huge," she sighed.

"No, never! Wasn't it you who told me that Tarrant would find me beautiful either way? Of course, Landrew will feel the same way! And if he doesn't, well, I could always send Charlotte after him."

Mirana smiled. "Yes, I suppose you're right. Now, I must confess that I have put you in a very difficult situation. Landrew and I wanted to tell you and Tarrant together. But, like I said, I would have burst if I hadn't told you now. Can you keep the secret and then act surprised?"

My face fell. I wasn't sure how I could keep the secret. Not that I wanted to tell everyone, but Tarrant was bound to know that something was up with me.

"I'll … well, I'll certainly try. Mirana, I'm so happy for you I could just dance! Surely Tarrant will notice."

"Yes, well, do your best and we shall deal with what happens then. Alice, I just want you to know how happy I am that I have you with which to go through this. I'll need some help."

"I am happy to help. Anything you need, you know where I am."

"Thank you," she said as she hugged me. "Thank you so much, sister."

"Anytime," I replied. "You're so very welcome."

"All right. Get back to whatever it was you were doing. Landrew and I shall see you for tea. I'll need to tell you both before dinner or I'll just … just …"

"Burst?" I teased.

"Yes, yes, burst."

And with that, I left, knowing that I had a few hours to keep the secret. Could I do it?

I went straight to my office, hoping to avoid Tarrant at all costs. But I knew that this was Underland and so Timing could be sneaky.

Just as I got to the door of my office, Tarrant poked his head around the corner.

"Cricket! There you are! I've been looking all over for you! You see, I was hoping you could come into the workshop this morning, now would be perfect. I would love for you to try a new hat on."

I hung my head. This was going to be tricky.

"Well, I'm afraid I got caught up with a few other things and it just took all my attention and concentration and I'm afraid my memory just slipped away and I'm terribly sorry for the mix up, but it was just a simple misunderstanding and –"

"Alice," he interrupted.

"I'm fine. Sorry."

"Love, we never made plans for it. I just wanted to find you and ask you to stop in. What has you so worked up? You never babble like me unless something is on your mind."

"Mind? Nope, nothing on my mind."

He cocked his head and shot me the look that said, "Try again."

"Fine. Here's what it comes down to. Mirana had to tell me something. Something secret. Something that I want to tell you, but I just can't."

"She's having a baby." It was much more of a statement, than a question.

I quickly dragged him into my office and slammed the door.

"What? How do you know?" I said, not realizing that I just confirmed it.

"Nothing else could have you so uncharacteristically off kilter. You're going to be an aunt and you are thrilled. Have I missed anything?"

He really did know me too well.

"No, actually, that's pretty much the whole thing. Am I that transparent?"

"Well, to the rest of the world, probably not. To me … well, I can see right through you. It's something I pride myself on."

"I suppose you should be proud of it. You got Underland's biggest secret out of me without even asking!"

"Well, you didn't tell me. I guessed! And rather well, I might add."

He gave me that trademark grin of his and any anger that I towards him for guessing so quickly was gone.

"So anyway," I began. "What did you need before you so rudely came in here, drawing secrets from me?"

"The hat?"

"Oh that's right! New hat for me. Well, I suppose I'm free now. Where's Will?"

"Nanny Isabelle took him. She's been itching for something to do with him, so she's taking him for a walk outside."

"Fair enough. We really don't use them like we should. They probably get bored. I can sympathize."

"When we need them, we use them. It's fine, I think."

We began to walk back to his workshop and I explained to him that he absolutely must keep the secret and act surprised when they told us."

He opened the door for me and rushed over to get the new hat. "Poppet, I'm an excellent actor. You saw my performance in Salazen Grum. I can handle this. Now, what do you think of this hat?" he asked, placing a beautiful green creation on my head.

"Tarrant! It's beautiful!"

"It's gotten even better now that it's on your head."

I smiled and blushed. How did I ever get to deserve such a wonderful man?

We sat and chatted and he showed me some other hats he was working on. Each of them a masterpiece, even if he didn't want to admit it.

Finally, it was time for tea with Mirana and Landrew. I was a wreck. How were we going to pull this off?

"Alice! Tarrant! How lovely to see you both!" Mirana said, her voice giving away some of her nerves.

"It's lovely to be here," I said.

Tarrant made his way over to Landrew and Mirana pulled me close. "He knows, doesn't he?"

I sighed. "Yes, but I swear to you, I didn't tell! He literally guessed it right out of me."

"You two are amazing. It's like you share a brain some days. Well, he's always been a good actor, I'll do the big reveal as soon as we are all together."

"Good," I said with relief.

We walked over to the table and sat down. Tarrant poured the tea and we began to drink.

Landrew looked at me and smiled. "So, I'm sure by now you know the big news."

Mirana dropped the cup she had just begun to pick up. It fell to the saucer with a clang.

"News? What, what news?" I stuttered.

"Come now, none of you can expect me to believe that my beautiful wife didn't run to her sister with the news. Or, perhaps that said sister didn't tell her husband?"

"To be fair," Tarrant said, smoothly sipping his tea. "I guessed."

"I'm so sorry, Landrew!" Mirana said, tears already in her eyes. Mood swing.

"Sunshine, it's perfectly fine," he said, taking her hand. "I completely expected it. How would you not run to her the second you could. And my apologies, Tarrant. I should have figured you have your wife so well figured out that you would know just by looking at her."

Tarrant smiled, almost embarrassed to admit to his part in all of this.

"So, now that we are all in the know, let us drink to Mirana's newest gown!"

Now my tea cup clattered.

"Gown?" Mirana, Tarrant and I all said at the same time.

Landrew was laughing so hard he was holding his stomach. "Oh! Oh dear, your faces are priceless!"

Mirana smacked his shoulder. "Landrew! I can't believe you!"

Tarrant began laughing as well. "I can't believe we all fell for it! Good one, sir!" he said, reaching across the table to shake Landrew's hand.

"So, you're not angry with me?" Mirana asked.

"No, dearest, I'm certainly not angry. I'm happy that you're so happy. And of course, that Alice and Tarrant are happy as well," he said, smiling at us.

"We're thrilled!" I replied. "I can't wait to meet your little one. She's going to be beautiful! Who do you think she'll look like?"

"Well, it has always been a royal tradition that the girls tend to look like their mothers and boys like their fathers. But seeing how as of late royal traditions have been ignored, broken or blatantly stomped on the floor, who knows?" Mirana explained.

"No matter what, she shall be a beautiful girl. A toast to the new baby!" Tarrant said, happily lifting his cup.

"To the new baby!" we all said, lifting our cups as well.

The rest of tea was spent primarily divided. Tarrant was advising (warning) Landrew on what was to come and I was preparing Mirana as best I could (without scaring her). Once we were finished, Mirana decided she needed a nap. We hugged them both and went off.

"Well, that was exciting," Tarrant said, walking me back to my office.

"Yes, I'm so happy for them both!" I replied, with a wistful look on my face, I'm sure.

Tarrant looked at me and sighed. "Does it make you do any thinking about others?"

I wanted to choose my words carefully, in case he was thinking of more. "No. To be perfectly honest, I love our little family the way it is. In London, it seemed like women were expected to do nothing but have children. I don't want a huge family. I love what we have. Is that all right with you?"

"Poppet, it's perfect. I don't want to be a family so big that we lose track of each other."

I smiled appreciatively. Thank heavens we were (once again) on the same page.

"Well, speaking of our family. Let's go get Will and Charlotte. All this talk makes me want to have some family time," I said.

"I couldn't agree more, beloved," he replied, offering his arm.

I looped my arm through his and we went to get our children. I was absolutely right: Life was good in the Hightopp household.

Sorry for the long wait, everyone. Real life is kicking my butt lately!