Waking to his daughters cry was music to John's ears. He quietly extracted himself from Abby's grasp to go and get her. He padded through to the nursery where his daughter lay red faced in her crib. "Hey angel, what's the problem?" He asked, but as he lifted her he discovered the problem. "Ah, a little diaper explosion, I see."
Holly calmed as soon as she was in her fathers arms. She was still calm as he lay her on the mat and tried to get the clothes from her without getting her even more messy. John couldn't get over the change in her. They had celebrated her sixth month birthday the day previous and realised how far she had come in such a short period of time. Doctor Neilson, Doctor Phillips and Elizabeth were all so pleased with the progress she had made.
After Holly was safely in a clean diaper, John lifted her to his bare chest to find some clean clothes for her. He began to giggle as she tried to root around his chest. "I'm afraid you won't get anything from me angel."
"Feeding time again." Abby's voice from the doorway startled John a bit. She had been standing fro a while just watching Daddy and daughter bond. She loved watching them together, she also loved being part of their time together. There was nothing better than the three of them snuggled up together.
"Yeah." John said as he watched her sit in the antique rocking chair his father had sent them. She unbuttoned the top four button's of the shirt she was wearing as John handed her their diaper clad daughter.
"Can you believe she is six months old already?" Abby asked as her daughter latched on straight away and began suckling.
"Six months old and already been through so much." John said wistfully as he crouched down in front of them. He rested one hand on Abby's leg while the other stroked Holly's head.
"So have we. Just think where we were at this point last year." Abby said thinking back over the year.
"I had just left for Africa again, being the stupid fool that I am." He answered, removing his hand from Holly's head and taking Abby's free hand into his own.
"I had just found out I was pregnant with this little angel and in two minds of what to do." Abby briefly let go of John's hand to run her finger down Holly's cheek. She placed her hand on John's cheek. He leaned into her touch. "Now, I don't' know what I'd do without her." She paused. "Without you."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Although nothing had been made official, John had moved into Abby's not long after they had brought Holly home from the hospital. Falling asleep in one anothers arms felt right. It felt as if they had been doing it all their lives.
Holly finished feeding but looked in no mood to go back to sleep. "How about a little dancing?" John suggested as Abby redid the buttons on her shirt, or should she say the shirt John had discarded on the floor the night before. Abby snapped Holly into a clean baby-gro as John turned the stereo on and played the song he thought best described their relationship. Music played softly as they joined one another on the floor and began to sway.
"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Leads me to your door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way
Many times I've been alone, many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know, the many ways I've tried
But still they lead me back to the...
Long, winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah yeah yeah
As the music faded John glanced down to his two girls wrapped tightly in his arms. Holly had fallen fast asleep, helped by the music and the soft circles her mother was drawing sub-consciously on her back. "Abby, she's asleep."
"I know, I just don't want to put her down right now." Abby told him, looking up. "Can we just sit and all snuggle together?"
John didn't need any persuasion to do that. He led Abby to the sofa and they sat together wrapped in one anothers arms. "Abby, I have something I want to ask you. I know that we haven't been back together for very long but right now this feels right." Abby looked up to him with slight confusion crossing her face. "You know that I love you and I would do anything for you. I want to make you and Holly the happiest girls in the world. You already make me the happiest man. So Abby, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife and making this family whole?"
Abby looked into his eyes. She couldn't believe he had proposed but she knew what her answer was going to be. "John, this is the second time you have asked me to marry you and the first time I made a mistake by not answering you. I don't want to make that same mistake again. John I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone so yes I will be your wife."
John couldn't help but smile. "I did have a more romantic setting organised to propose to you but this moment just seemed perfect."
"It is." Abby answered as she reached up to kiss him.
Later that afternoon John and Abby stood side by side with Susan and Chuck as their son Andrew Mark Martin was baptised. Abby was bursting to tell Susan her news but they wanted to wait until after the service. Andrew was a complete gem throughout the service. He was born a month before after a very easy delivery and no complications at all. John, Abby and Holly had been their first visitors and that was when Susan had asked them.
They went out for dinner after the service. Sam, Luka and Alex were there as well. The three women had become very close friends. Friends that Abby hoped would be around forever. After they were finished with dinner, John stood to make a small speech. "Andrew Mark Martin, this is to welcome you into the world. You know nothing of what lies ahead of you but know that the world that you grow up in will be filled with love and happiness. To Andrew." John lifted his glass. He looked down to where Abby sat beside him with Holly in her lap. "Another announcement. This morning at roughly 4.30am I asked Abby to marry me and she graciously said yes."
A whoop of excitement was heard all around the table. Everyone was so happy for the couple who had go so far in their relationship to end up back where they belonged. Abby stood and put her arm around John's waist. He bent down to kiss her. "I love you." He told her.
"And I love you too. Even if it did take us the long and winding road to get here." She smiled, knowing she was where she wanted to be.
A.N - Well that's the end. It has taken me a while to get here but I did. I want to thank everyone for their encouraging reviews and their willing me to carry on as I was ready to give up a while back. So thank you and I hope you enjoyed it. - Lu x.
Holly calmed as soon as she was in her fathers arms. She was still calm as he lay her on the mat and tried to get the clothes from her without getting her even more messy. John couldn't get over the change in her. They had celebrated her sixth month birthday the day previous and realised how far she had come in such a short period of time. Doctor Neilson, Doctor Phillips and Elizabeth were all so pleased with the progress she had made.
After Holly was safely in a clean diaper, John lifted her to his bare chest to find some clean clothes for her. He began to giggle as she tried to root around his chest. "I'm afraid you won't get anything from me angel."
"Feeding time again." Abby's voice from the doorway startled John a bit. She had been standing fro a while just watching Daddy and daughter bond. She loved watching them together, she also loved being part of their time together. There was nothing better than the three of them snuggled up together.
"Yeah." John said as he watched her sit in the antique rocking chair his father had sent them. She unbuttoned the top four button's of the shirt she was wearing as John handed her their diaper clad daughter.
"Can you believe she is six months old already?" Abby asked as her daughter latched on straight away and began suckling.
"Six months old and already been through so much." John said wistfully as he crouched down in front of them. He rested one hand on Abby's leg while the other stroked Holly's head.
"So have we. Just think where we were at this point last year." Abby said thinking back over the year.
"I had just left for Africa again, being the stupid fool that I am." He answered, removing his hand from Holly's head and taking Abby's free hand into his own.
"I had just found out I was pregnant with this little angel and in two minds of what to do." Abby briefly let go of John's hand to run her finger down Holly's cheek. She placed her hand on John's cheek. He leaned into her touch. "Now, I don't' know what I'd do without her." She paused. "Without you."
He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Although nothing had been made official, John had moved into Abby's not long after they had brought Holly home from the hospital. Falling asleep in one anothers arms felt right. It felt as if they had been doing it all their lives.
Holly finished feeding but looked in no mood to go back to sleep. "How about a little dancing?" John suggested as Abby redid the buttons on her shirt, or should she say the shirt John had discarded on the floor the night before. Abby snapped Holly into a clean baby-gro as John turned the stereo on and played the song he thought best described their relationship. Music played softly as they joined one another on the floor and began to sway.
"The long and winding road
That leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Leads me to your door
The wild and windy night
That the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears
Crying for the day
Why leave me standing here
Let me know the way
Many times I've been alone, many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know, the many ways I've tried
But still they lead me back to the...
Long, winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Still they lead me back
To the long winding road
You left me standing here
A long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here
Lead me to your door
Yeah yeah yeah
As the music faded John glanced down to his two girls wrapped tightly in his arms. Holly had fallen fast asleep, helped by the music and the soft circles her mother was drawing sub-consciously on her back. "Abby, she's asleep."
"I know, I just don't want to put her down right now." Abby told him, looking up. "Can we just sit and all snuggle together?"
John didn't need any persuasion to do that. He led Abby to the sofa and they sat together wrapped in one anothers arms. "Abby, I have something I want to ask you. I know that we haven't been back together for very long but right now this feels right." Abby looked up to him with slight confusion crossing her face. "You know that I love you and I would do anything for you. I want to make you and Holly the happiest girls in the world. You already make me the happiest man. So Abby, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife and making this family whole?"
Abby looked into his eyes. She couldn't believe he had proposed but she knew what her answer was going to be. "John, this is the second time you have asked me to marry you and the first time I made a mistake by not answering you. I don't want to make that same mistake again. John I love you more than I thought I could ever love anyone so yes I will be your wife."
John couldn't help but smile. "I did have a more romantic setting organised to propose to you but this moment just seemed perfect."
"It is." Abby answered as she reached up to kiss him.
Later that afternoon John and Abby stood side by side with Susan and Chuck as their son Andrew Mark Martin was baptised. Abby was bursting to tell Susan her news but they wanted to wait until after the service. Andrew was a complete gem throughout the service. He was born a month before after a very easy delivery and no complications at all. John, Abby and Holly had been their first visitors and that was when Susan had asked them.
They went out for dinner after the service. Sam, Luka and Alex were there as well. The three women had become very close friends. Friends that Abby hoped would be around forever. After they were finished with dinner, John stood to make a small speech. "Andrew Mark Martin, this is to welcome you into the world. You know nothing of what lies ahead of you but know that the world that you grow up in will be filled with love and happiness. To Andrew." John lifted his glass. He looked down to where Abby sat beside him with Holly in her lap. "Another announcement. This morning at roughly 4.30am I asked Abby to marry me and she graciously said yes."
A whoop of excitement was heard all around the table. Everyone was so happy for the couple who had go so far in their relationship to end up back where they belonged. Abby stood and put her arm around John's waist. He bent down to kiss her. "I love you." He told her.
"And I love you too. Even if it did take us the long and winding road to get here." She smiled, knowing she was where she wanted to be.
A.N - Well that's the end. It has taken me a while to get here but I did. I want to thank everyone for their encouraging reviews and their willing me to carry on as I was ready to give up a while back. So thank you and I hope you enjoyed it. - Lu x.