Evelyn could have heard a pin drop when Danny and Sandra dropped a bombshell at dinner that night.

The Walker's had joined the Winkle's, Barbara and Martha at Rafe and Evelyn's one evening not long after the pilots had come home. Every face at the dinner table was trained on the pair that had just announced that they were again going to be parents.

"We thought Ann and Shelby would be it." Sandra said with a blush.

Everyone that sat around the table tried to hide a smile. "Well, these things happen Sandra." Barbara remarked without her usual sauciness. "Aren't you happy about this?"

"Of course I am." She answered and it seemed to Evelyn that her friend was surprised that Barbara would ask. "Ann came sooner than we had planned and after she was born we began to worry that she was going to be an only child. Then before Shelby was a year old, we found out we were going to have another baby."

Danny grinned. "I told her that this time I'd like to have a boy."

They all laughed before Martha spoke up and looked at Sandra. "You did explain to your husband that it's up to him."

Sandra smiled back. "He understands. So if we have another girl it's his doing."

"Now if my wife would agree to have another one we'd be all set." Rafe teased Evelyn.

"Only if you have it Captain." She smiled at him. "I already have three, which doesn't include you and it's enough for me."

He laughed and smiled back. "I know honey."

Amy looked down at her own rounded form before she looked across the table at Sandra. "When are you due?"

Sandra glanced at her husband and flushed, which got a smile out of Danny. "We were talking about that and we figure that it will probably be around January."

Martha laughed. "Wouldn't it be something if you had a New Year's baby?"

"It would be a hell of a way to bring in the new year that's for sure." Danny smiled.

Sandra admonished him gently. "Language, Danny."

Evelyn wasn't sure what she meant until she saw the young faces at the table and saw his own face flush. "Sorry honey, I forgot myself."

There was another round of hidden smiles before Evelyn got up and started to clear the table. Rafe got up to help her and they carried some of the dirty plates into the kitchen and before they had a chance to turn around, Danny and Sandra had followed them in with more plates and glasses.

After she had taken the plates from them and put them in the sink, Evelyn turned around and gave Sandra a hug while Rafe shook Danny's hand. "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Fine so far." Sandra answered. "I was lucky because I didn't have much morning sickness with the girls and I'm hoping it will be the same this time."

"So how long have you known about this?" Rafe asked his best friend.

"Sandra told me she suspected somethin' after she met the girls at the beach when we were away last time."

Evelyn took Sandra's hand. "That's why you're stomach was so upset after we'd come back to the house."

Sandra nodded before Danny continued. "It didn't get any better and that got her to the doctor."

"I thought it might have been the flu." She reasoned. "I nearly fainted when he told me I was going to have a baby."

"And that's why you kept to yourself before the boys came home." Evelyn pieced it all together.

"I didn't want it to slip out until I'd had the chance to tell Danny. He had to be the first to know and that was hard too because I wanted so much to tell my parents."

"Have you told my folks?" Rafe asked him.

"We're goin' to call them when we get home. Sandra already called hers and I wanted you and Evelyn to know before I called Tom and Sarah."

"Thanks Danny, I 'preciate that."

Barbara appeared in the doorway and smiled. "The natives are getting restless out there, something about lousy service and no coffee."

Evelyn laughed. "Tell the natives that coffee will be ready in ten minutes."

"And if they think we give them such lousy service, they can go home." Rafe added with a grin.

"Are you sure you want me to tell them that?"

"Yes." He said just as Evelyn said, "No."

"I'll tell them Ev." She shook her head before she went back into the dining room.

"Rafe McCawley." Evelyn tried not to smile.

"I'll clear the rest of the table." He told her and headed back out the dining room.

"I'll help you Rafe." Danny said before he followed.

Evelyn and Sandra looked at each other and tried not to laugh. "Honestly Sandra, if we didn't keep those boys in line they'd be a couple of cocky pilots."

Sandra smiled. "Yours maybe."

Evelyn took her by the hands. "So tell me honestly, how do you feel?"

"Physically I feel fine. But this is different from when I had the girls because we weren't at war and suddenly I understand how it must have been for you when you had Danny and Sarah."

Evelyn nodded. "It's kind of ironic isn't it? When I had Joseph, the last war was over and he got to see Rafe the way the other kids hadn't. It's just the opposite with you."

"You told me once that the way you got through it was to concentrate on the kids and try not to think about what could happen. I didn't have to do that with Ann and Shelby." Sandra sighed and Evelyn could feel her hands tremble.

"We're all going to be in this together Sandra. Amy's baby will be here around November and the kids will be back from Tennessee before the end of summer." She sighed. "I never thought before how it was for you to have the girls and none of us here to help you and that's something I regret."

Sandra shook her head. "Don't do that Ev. We had planned on waiting a little while before we started our family because we had waited so long to get married. But Ann changed all that."

"You gave us a real scare with her." Evelyn gripped her hands.

"I'd never seen Danny in such a state." Sandra remembered.

"It got us back here a lot sooner than we'd planned on, but you both came through it."

"That's why we were so worried that Ann might be it for us."

Evelyn couldn't help but laugh before she dropped Sandra's hands to hug her. "And now you're going to have your third."

"Tell me again that it's going to be all right." Sandra sighed.

She stepped away and smiled. "It's going to be fine because now you have me to help you."

"Thanks Ev."

"I'm only returning the favor." She answered before she turned and walked back to the counter to start the coffee.