Thank you all so much for your feedback.

Em-958: Sydney is about five and a half months gone.

dolphingurl1: Good to hear that you have enjoyed all the stories. Papa Bristow- that's pretty funny. I've already finished writing this fic, but I'll see what I can do...

"Francie!"

Francie looked up, after hearing her mother's voice call out early Sunday afternoon. Seconds later Craig walked into her living room.

"Hey," Francie smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you might like to get out of the house," Craig replied.

"Oh, you have no idea." Francie groaned. "Where are you going to take me?"

"Take you?" Eva appeared. "Where are you going? You shouldn't be doing too much, Francie. Think about what your doctor said."

"Mum," Francie rolled her eyes. "I am not an invalid."

"That doesn't mean that you shouldn't look after yourself." Eva shot back. "I don't want you doing too much."

"It's ok Mrs Calfo," Craig jumped in. "I promise, nothing too strenuous. I want Francie back to new as much as yourself."

Eva eyed him for a few seconds, before her expression softened. "Fine, but I'm holding you responsible, Craig. If anything happens to my daughter…"

"Mum!" Francie cried out exasperatedly. "I can take responsibility for myself, you know."

"Yes, well I think that the jury is still out on that one." Eva said, her eyes twinkling and Francie couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll see you later, mum," she said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Yeah, see you Mrs Calfo." Craig added as they headed to the door.

"Bye you two. Oh, and Craig." Eva paused as he turned around. "Call me Eva."

"My mum likes you." Francie commented as she and Craig sat down on a park bench with the sandwiches they'd just brought.

"You don't sound happy about that," Craig said, a smile playing on his lips. "Why do you hate that your mother likes me?"

"Normally I wouldn't," Francie replied. "But having mum living me…"

"Your teenage rebellion is resurfacing?"

"Just a bit," Francie smiled. "I love mum to bits and she will always be somebody I can turn to, but at the moment her motherly concern is completely out of control. I feel like a kid again."

"She just wants you back to your normal healthy self. She's worried about you."

"But I'm getting better." Francie said. "There is nothing to worry about anymore."

"Yes, but it wasn't that long ago that there was a hell of a lot to worry about." Craig's voice lowered. "And it's going to take a while to shake that worry and concern."

Francie looked at him. "Are we still talking about my mother?"

Craig's eyes fell to the ground. "You had me real scared, Fran," he said quietly. "Seeing you in that car, straight after the accident, was awful. But then sitting and watching you unconscious in that bed, knowing there was a chance that you might never wake up, that just ripped me to shreds."

Francie reached over and clasped his hand. "I'm sorry."

Craig looked up at her. "What have you got to be sorry about?"

"For putting you through all that."

Craig squeezed her hand. "I don't want to hear you apologising for that ever again. As if you would actually choose to do something like that."

"Well," Francie tilted her head. "I do tend to be a bit of a drama queen."

Craig let out a small laugh. "One of my favourite things about you."

"I can honestly say that was first time I've ever heard somebody say that."

"Well, I'm just thankful that you're here and completely capable of playing the role of drama queen."

Francie smiled. "Let me hear you say that after my next freak out."

Tuesday evening Sydney was home by herself, opting to get some marking done instead of going to Vaughn's hockey game.

"Next week, I promise," she had told him. "It's time that I start getting Boo adapted to the rink."

Spread out on the floor of the living room, Sydney had been working solidly for about an hour when the phone rang. A little annoyed at the distraction, she hoisted herself up and walked over to the kitchen bench.

"Hello."

"Hi, could I please speak to Sydney Bristow?"

"This is she."

"Sydney hi, this is Dr Carter."

Sydney's heart skipped a beat. Why would her obstetrician be calling her now, at this time? "Dr Carter?"

"Yes, but please don't worry. There is no problem," she said hurriedly. "I apologise for disturbing you at home, but I've been trying to contact all my patients today."

"Oh ok." Sydney relaxed. "What's going on?"

"It's about your next appointment. Something has come up and I am going to be out of town for the next month and will not be here for your consultation." Dr Carter explained. "Now, if you want you can reschedule the appointment to when I'm back, or you can keep the original and one of my interns will be able to see you."

"An intern?"

"Highly capable, I assure you. I would not refer any of my patients to somebody I myself would not see."

"Well, then I guess I'll keep the original appointment." Sydney said.

"Ok then. Now, the appointment will be at the hospital instead of my surgery. If anything else comes up, I will be sure to let you know, Sydney."

"Thanks," Sydney replied. "Bye."

"Ah!" Vaughn gratefully dumped a pile of books on his desk Friday afternoon. "Another week over."

Keely looked at him, smirking. "Did you just have the gigglers or the ferals?"

"The gigglers." Vaughn replied. "I don't get it. No matter what I teach that form, they always find something to titter about."

"Oh please." Keely laughed. "For somebody so observant, you can be a real dunce. Those girls aren't giggling at what you're teaching, they're—"

"Don't start on that," Vaughn rolled his eyes.

"They're fawning over you!"

"Keely, I am a grown, married man who is about to become a father. What is there to fawn about?"

Keely just stared at Vaughn. "Oblivious," she shook her head, muttering more to herself than him. "Anyway, are you and Sydney busy tonight?"

Vaughn nodded. "Yeah, we're going to maman's for dinner," he replied. "Why?"

"Braden and I were having a few people over. I thought you and Syd would like to come."

"We would have liked to," Vaughn said. "But I can't cancel on maman. It's been awhile since we've been over there."

Keely smiled. "Is she already in grandma mode?" she asked. "Because I remember what my mum was like during my first pregnancy."

"She's a bit excited," Vaughn replied.

"A bit?" Keely said with her eyebrows raised.

Vaughn laughed. "Ok, maybe a slight under exaggeration."

"Ah, hello you two." Juliette greeted both Sydney and Vaughn with a warm hug. "Come in, come in. Oh, and Sydney."

Sydney looked at her. "Yeah?"

"You're father is here."

"My dad?" Sydney repeated. "I didn't know he was coming."

"I ran into him at the supermarket this morning and invited along." Juliette smiled. "The more, the merrier."

As she walked on ahead, Sydney turned to Vaughn. "Merrier?" she whispered. "I can't see my father adding to the merriment of the evening, can you?"

"You never know, Syd," Vaughn whispered back. "You couldn't see your father making a trifle. Remember last Christmas?"

Sydney paused. "I guess you have a point."

"I was out shopping the other day." Juliette was saying over dinner. "And I tell you it took all my will power not to empty my bank account on baby clothes."

Vaughn grinned at Sydney, giving her a small wink.

"They had the most adorable little outfits," Juliette continued. "But I thought to myself 'no'. Sydney is going to want to pick this stuff out herself. So I stopped myself." Juliette smiled at Sydney. "So you're just going to have to let me take you shopping."

"What about me? Do I get to come along?" Vaughn piped up.

"No." Juliette said bluntly, eliciting laughter from Sydney and a smile from Jack. "Another time, but this trip is just for me and Sydney."

Jack looked at Vaughn. "I believe you have just been told, Michael."

Vaughn let out a small laugh. "I reckon so."

"But you know," Juliette said slyly. "It would be a lot easier to pick stuff out if only we knew if it was a little fille or garçon."

"Maman, I thought we reached an understanding on this?" Vaughn said. "We are not finding out the sex of the baby."

Juliette just smiled. "Oh well, you can't blame me for trying."

"Yeah," Vaughn laughed. "And I can see you trying it up to January."

"I'm excited," Juliette protested. "I only have one child- a grandchild is going to be a very rare occurrence." She turned to Jack. "Right?"

Jack blinked. "Right what?"

"Right that we are excited."

"Oh yes." Jack cleared his throat. "Of course."

Sydney stifled a smile. While her father sounded as if he was discussing the weather he knew that he was just as thrilled about this baby as Juliette.

"Oh, Jack," Juliette broke into her thoughts and Sydney looked as she gave her father a slight push. "We are not discussing the chance of rain here! So come on, Papa Bristow, show us a little enthusiasm."

Biting her lip, Sydney caught Vaughn's eyes. He too was struggling to keep a straight face.

Some things would never change.