The next day…
"Hello my little princess" Archie said coming into Shelley's room. "What you doing?" he asked sitting down beside her. She was holding a baby doll in her arms and had been speaking to it. "I'm playing dollies" She replied showing Archie the doll she held in her arms. "Do you want to hold him? He's called Jamie" Shelley said shoving the doll into Archie's arms. Duncan walked past the door and noticed the two on the floor. He stopped by the door and observed the on goings in the room. Archie tensed up at the mention of the name 'Jamie', yet he played along with his daughter taking the baby from her and acting like he was holding it. Duncan made a confused face as he could see his father was having troubles, Duncan knew his father was excellent at playing games, yet this one he seemed to be struggling with.
"Daddy…" Shelley asked looking up. Archie could tell a question was about to come as always. "What princess?" he asked waiting for the question.
"Is mummy going to have another baby?" she asked eyes longing. Archie gave a little laugh at the idea "No I should think so now, but uncle Duncan and auntie Jess are having a baby"
"Oh…do you think that if I asked them nicely they would call the baby Jamie? Because I really like that name" Shelley said taking the baby doll back off Archie. Archie stayed silent, Duncan watched his father…what was up with him? Why did the mention of babies make him act funny? Duncan suddenly had a thought… 'Was there something they weren't telling them?' … "Dad?" Shelley said after a while.
"Oh sorry Shell… no I think they have a name in mind already" Archie replied quickly.
"ARCHIE!" Lexie suddenly cried.
"Lex?" Archie quickly got up, as Duncan dashed out the way. "What's wrong?" Archie shouted as he entered the computer room. "Nothing's wrong Arch! It's Jess…she's had the baby!" Lexie filled with joy as she clicked on the e-mail to show Archie the news.
Archie, Lexie, Duncan and Shelley,
Just would like to share the great news with you that Jess gave birth to a healthy baby boy weighing 8.5 pounds earlier tonight! Everyone is ok and very excited, Duncan especially. Anyways it's been a long night so everyone's off to bed now. Hope you are all well, speak soon
Paul x
"That's great news" Archie smiled happily. Shelley and Duncan ran in the computer room behind Archie. "What's the matter?" Duncan said out of breath, pretending he had been downstairs. "Jess has had her baby" Lexie smiled. Shelley gave a big smile,
"We were just talking about babies weren't we daddy?"
"Yep, see it's your good luck" Archie said taking Shelley by the shoulders in front of him.
"I still wish they could call him Jamie" Shelley said giggling. Lexie looked up at Archie and looked concerned. Again Duncan noticed this familiar expression on both his parents' faces at the mention of now it seemed to be the name 'Jamie'. Duncan now seemed to believe there might be something they weren't telling them… did they have another child? Was his name Jamie? What happened to him?
Duncan knew that his parents had belongings stored up in the attic. When he was younger he had often seen his mother go up there, sometimes she would go up there when she was sad, but Duncan never understood until now, that maybe that had a connection with his past. He decided that he would go up there, but not now, or when his parents were in the house, also seeing as he was still grounded he would have to find something to do in the house.
The next day…
"Dunc? Duncan?" Lexie said softly waking her son. Duncan rubbed his eyes as he woke, "Mum?" he said quietly.
"We're going out for a bit ok, just thought I would tell you, now remember you have to stay in the house, we are trusting you to leave you by yourself ok?" she said sitting on his bed as she spoke to him. "Yeah ok then…I'll properly just sleep" Duncan secretly lied, seeking his opportunity. "Ok then, see you later" Lexie said kissing Duncan on the head and leaving him be.
Duncan waited a few minutes to check that his parents had left the house. He slipped on his slippers and walked out of his room. He starred up at the ceiling where the entrance to the attic was. He thought for a couple of minutes before going out back for the ladder. Carefully he lied it up and started to take the climb up the ladder. Struggling a bit with the hatch, eventually he got it open. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he fumbled around for the light switch. The room filled with light as he found it. Duncan looked around the unfamiliar room, he realised he had never really been up here before. There were boxes everywhere. He took the box nearest him and started to pull things out. He was a bit disappointed at the fact there weren't many interesting things in the contents of the box, just a few old things from Glenbogle but none that related to any important family past. He searched through a few boxes, then nearly giving up he noticed a few boxes stashed away towards the back of the room. His curiosity made him more nearer, pulling the boxes out of the corner, his face lit up with joy as he realised he had found a box of photo albums. "Ah ha" he said happily to himself. As he opened the first one, he noticed immediately that it was pictures of his father as a child, it was obvious, and he laughed at the fact that he looked so much like his father. Then as he turned the page he recognised his grandmother and saw a picture of his grandfather, who he never knew.
As he reached for another photo album a picture slipped out on to his lap, it was of his father and another boy slightly older than him. Duncan didn't give it another look; he thought it must be Paul, as he did not know anything about the fact that Paul was only Archie's half brother. So placing it backs on the pile, he didn't give it another thought. As he searched through more photo albums of his father as a boy, he noticed his auntie Lizzie was in some of them, he didn't even think about the fact that after a while, Archie and Lizzie were the only ones who appeared in pictures. Then he reached the more recent ones of his father and mother. He looked at the pictures carefully, his mother hadn't changed, even know she still looked young, although she was in her 40's, you could still think she was in her early 30's. Suddenly he jumped up "Yes!" he cheered suddenly changing the page, as a picture of his father holding a child appeared. "Oh" suddenly his smile dropped as he noticed underneath it had written 'Archie and Martha' it was his older cousin Martha. Duncan sighed in a disappointed find of nothing. Then as he got up his attention was drawn to another box…