Hello again! I hope everyone is still here and enjoying the story. I had a little fun in this one and most of you will get it, I think. I've referenced another one of Michael Kitchen's more interesting characters. We'll see how Christopher takes to him. Anyway, I thank all of you who have stuck with this. It is turning into a much longer story than I'd originally envisioned.

Christopher woke the next morning but remained in bed, watching his wife sleep. His eyes meandered from her blonde tresses to her face, so peaceful in sleep. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed and then followed her form downward. Although hidden under the linens, he could imagine the small little bump that would soon be showing in her abdomen. Twins… he still was having difficulty digesting that one. But as he lay there, contemplating his wife, Christopher realized he really was happy about it. Oh, it wasn't the excited happiness Sam exuded. No, it was quieter, felt more inwardly. But it was there nonetheless and he needed to let Sam see it.

He thought back to when he was her age. Just home from the first war, he was adjusting to the new world they all found themselves in, much as her generation was making adjustments now... her generation, hers and Andrew's; not his. Not willing to let his mind linger there too long, he thought back to himself at her age. He supposed he'd been a bit less reticent then, more able to express what he felt, even when it wasn't entirely appropriate. It was when he'd met Rosalind; she'd been younger too, although not so much younger, a mere nearly ten years younger.

In some ways Sam reminded him of Rosalind, her liveliness and enthusiasm… and innocence. Both women had lived through a world war and yet both retained some measure of innocence. Christopher smiled as he thought about that. It was one of the things he loved about Sam, her innocence even in the face of so much iniquity.

She began to stir, her arms stretching and her legs twitching. She squirmed under the covers and then her eyes opened. After a moment, her gaze turned toward him and she smiled. And in the glow of her smile, Christopher felt young again, or at least younger. "Morning Love," he said softly and was rewarded with a soft mew from her. "Good morning," she whispered back as if she were telling some great secret.

Suddenly her expression changed and she threw back the covers and padded off to the water closet. Returning a few minutes later Sam grumbled under her breath about the pressure on her bladder. "Alright now, love?" he asked as he pulled back the covers inviting her back to bed.

"Your babies seem to enjoy sending me to the water closet" she replied, amusement playing in her face.

Christopher's lips turned southward into one of his patented smiles. "My babies?" he teased back. "Seems I had some help with that, Mrs. Foyle."

He was rewarded with a radiant smile. "I know it is silly but I still love hearing that," she told him.

"Whut? That I had help?" He leaned closer, his eyes twinkling.

"Mrs. Foyle," she said tenderly.

"Mmmm, mme too," he answered just before his lips touched hers. In the course of worshipping his wife that morning, Christopher's hand settled over her tummy, taking stock of the bump that was indeed making its presence known. "Jolly good thing you have the moniker too, Mrs. Foyle. The little Foyles will be making their presence known to the world before long." His lips pulled into a perplexed downward smirk as he contemplated his use of the word jolly. Sam's influence, he mused.

"Really?" She asked as her hand went to explore his findings. "I so dreaded showing when I was pregnant…before. But now, I think I'm quite excited." Of course, Christopher was quite excited by then as well; only his excitement was taking another form, which he demonstrated thoroughly in a manner that turned her attention away from the little Foyles growing in her tummy and toward the rather larger Foyle that was growing next to her, the sole intention being to join the little ones inside. Consequently, no one stirred downstairs until nearly noon which was normally unheard of in the house on Steep Lane.

As Sam eventually dressed, Christopher watched with amusement as she stood in front of the mirror running her hands over her tummy and admiring the small bump that was reflected back at her. His amusement turned to contentment though as he watched the expression of her face change from curiosity to delight.

A few hours later her expression was more one of consternation when she returned from a trip to the shops. "Your rations, my rations, and my ones for being pregnant and I still can't find anything in the bloody shops!" Sam put her one half empty bag down on the kitchen table and collapsed into a chair.

"Nothing?" Foyle asked, mildly surprised.

"A few vegetables, potatoes of course, and Spam. I am so …"

"Is alright, love. Remember, there are two nice sized trout in the ice box," he said as he tried to contain his amusement.

She perked up. "Oh, right. Thank goodness you enjoy fishing."

"Mmmm, glad to be of service" he replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Yes, some might say you've been a bit too willing to be of service," she teased back.

"Oh, who might that be?" Christopher recognized that somewhere in her teasing barb there was some frustration.

"I had a letter from Mother yesterday."

"Yes I saw it in the post," he replied. "Nnot a happy letter?"

"Not unhappy exactly. She just can't seem to understand how I am going to have twins. And I'm afraid she puts all the blame on you."

"Wull, did have a hand in it so to speak…"

Sam looked up at him and smiled. "It wasn't your hand that caused the trouble, was it?" she jabbed.

"Nnooo s'pose it wasn't. Still nnot innocent in getting you with twins. But not something either of us planned. She can't understand that? Surely…"

"She seems insistent that twins run in families and ours doesn't have any twins that anyone can remember. So she thinks it must be something from the Foyle side."

"Mmmm, wull… can't recall my parents mentioning any twins. And since I'm the only son of an only son, can't really claim much in the way of children at all."

"What abut your mother's side?"

"Sshe had a brother who died young. I believe her grandmother had several brothers and a sister. Other than that, seems all the family I ever heard about came in ones and twos and some years apart." Christopher paused a moment. "I have heard about twins running in families; heard it happens every other generation or so. Bbut I've heard of twins in families with no history of it too."

"Well, Mother is just going to have to get used to the idea, just as we are."

"Uused to it, Sam. Just not sure I'm ready for it."

She looked at him startled. "You're still worried?"

"Wull, bit perhaps. But really was just thinking about everything being double. Ttwo feedings at night two babies crying, two little ones on my knee… Not bad thoughts, just… bit overpowering at times?"

Yes for me too. But I am ever so excited. Please tell me you're happy about it too."

"Oh darling Sam, I'd be a fool to be anything but happy, long as you're here with me. We'll manage. Besides , not like you to take things in half measures, now is it?" Christopher thought that the expression that came over her could eclipse the sun.

It was nearly three weeks later when the morning post contained a letter that caught Christopher's attention. He read it through once, disbelief gnawing at him. But as he read it through the second time, he realized it was legitimate. A smile crept into his features as settled back in his chair and the weight of his monetary concerns lifted. A job, work… income; an answer to a prayer.

Then remembering how hurt Sam had been by his reticence a few weeks ago, he sprang from his chair to go in search of her. She would be relieved as well.

"Sam? He called from the door to the garden. She had been busy the last two weeks trying to reclaim a portion of it to use as a vegetable patch and clearly her efforts were successful, as he could see small sprouts of various varieties in the dirt. As she looked up from her work, he was reminded of her work with the land girls several years prior. They'd planted potatoes. Christopher knew Sam had ambitions toward more green vegetables now. "Sam," he said again as he approached her, grinning like a Cheshire cat, not only because of his news but because of the smears of dirt across her face. "You look like a little urchin," he teased as he pulled his handkerchief from his pocket to wipe away the smudges.

"Sorry," she chirped, her own smile matching his. "You were looking for me?"

"Erm, yes; I have news, good news," he said as he held up the letter. She reached for it but upon seeing her hands thought better of it and smiled at him again. "Perhaps you should just tell me about it."

"I've been offered a job."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful. I'm so very pleased for you. I know it has been worrying you and now it needn't." Her smile dissolved into a bit of a frown. "But what sort of job is it? Not in London, I hope?"

"No, not at all. Here in Hasting, or all of Sussex really. The letter is from a barrister, Steven Vey. He handles a variety of cases and has a reputation in civil settlements. He knows of me because he defended several of the criminals I arrested over the years. "

"So what would be your role then? He doesn't need you to prove his clients guilty?"

"Nno, needs an investigator. Needs someone to gather all the facts of a case., review them, check for weaknesses in the other side's case

"But won't that put you on the wrong side? I mean, you'll help him defend the criminals, keep them out of prison."

"Wull, the police don't always have it right. Besides, as I said, he's known for his civil cases, getting good settlements for people who have been treated wrongfully by others but their situations fall outside criminal justice. Mmight be helping justice in a different manner."

"Oh I see. Well then, that is marvelous news. And you can work right here in Hastings. Oh, and I can drive for you, so you can think" she said with a gleam in her eyes. "It'll be just like…"

"Sam, no." Christopher felt like a cad trying to curb her enthusiasm. "Might not be outright criminals I'll be dealing with, but some are still very unsavory. Don't want you near them. Besides, it could only be for a few months. You'll be quite busy with the twins after that." Watching her face fall sent a shot of pain through Christopher's chest. After a moment's thought, he said softly, " Could help me go over it at night though. Lend a woman's ear to it all?"

While her response wasn't entirely happy, he did see a spark there. "Oh yes, I could, couldn't I. It's just… I was thinking of that day when I was in hospital; that day you told me you couldn't go anywhere without me. Seems that's not so anymore."

"I was in love with you then, you know. But I thought all you'd ever be was my driver, Sam. But now, you are so much more. I may be able to drive myself but… can't breathe without you, love. You are that vital to me. I'll give you many things to doubt about me, I'm certain; but please never doubt that. "

"I don't. Not really. But I do worry about this job, whether it is right for you."

"Wull, if it isn't, I can always resign. I'm sure there will plenty of things I could do here, washing nappies perhaps?"

Sam chuckled. "You'll be doing those things regardless, I'm afraid. With two babies to care for, I'll need you help."

"And you shall have it, love; because I know that whatever job I might have during the day, the greater work is being done here."

I'm a very lucky woman, you know."

Oh?"

"Not many wives have husbands who would think such a thing."

"Ah, perhaps. But I know what a treasure I have in you, Sam. And one should take care of his treasure."