Had a busy week, sorry! Went out every day and hung out with some people. Anyway, here's another chapter!

Replies to reviews:

elder441 [chapter 29]: Thank you :)

Guest (1) [chapter 29]: Francis really should ;) I am working on one with Mary and Rose. We have way too many Mary and James, our little Rose needs some loving.

Guest (2) [chapter 29]: Rose senses which parent likes which daughter. She's not one for jealousy, but she does seek approval from her father and notice things about him than Anne does. Anne does whatever she wants mostly because she's the apple of Francis's eye, but around Mary, she's calmer and more behaved. Rose seems to like Francis more than Mary, but she looks up to her mother and we will get a scene from this with Rose and Mary.

Guest (3) [chapter 29]: ;)

Guest (4) [chapter 29]: Here it is! :)

Francis pulled Mary close to his chest, pressing a kiss onto her exposed back. He grinned when she let out a giggle, squirming under his touch as his hand found her hip and tickled it.

"Francis...! I'm trying to sleep!" Mary cried out, snorts mixing with her laughter. "I know you're nice and rested after your cold, but I still have to sleep."

"It's not me who went midnight swimming in the lake," he retorted, kissing her neck. "Please, Mary..."

Mary playfully rolled her eyes and turned around to face him. She then shifted so she laid on top of him, making sure she wasn't pressing against him hard with her bump.

"Are you really that desperate for human contact?" She teased him, kissing him softly. "I do admit, I missed you by my side."

"You seemed to be getting on well by yourself," he said, smiling.

"Well, our child helped keep me company," she replied. "About me swimming the lake..."

"It must be a thing women do when they're with child," Francis said. "It's strange, but I was deeply aroused."

Mary raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Yes," Francis whispered, looking up into her eyes.

"Of course you would be," Mary said, laughing. "But we do need to sleep now. We can continue this at another time."

Francis groaned as she rolled back onto her side. She was right, she needed the sleep and he wasn't very willing to have an emotional pregnant wife all day long for lack of sleep.

"Goodnight, Mary."

"Goodnight, Francis," Mary mumbled, falling asleep.

...

"Mary?"

Mary moaned, her eyes slowly opening. "What is it?"

Francis gently rubbed her shoulder to waken her. "We have some guests."

"Guests?"

"Yes," Francis said. "One of them has an itinerary for your week."

"Good Lord," Mary muttered, closing her eyes. "Give me time to get ready."

When she was finished, she headed downstairs and walked towards the conversation in the drawing-room. Cautiously, she entered and her eyes widened at the sight of Greer and Aloysius Castleroy.

"G-Greer?"

Greer turned away from Lola and Kenna, giving Mary a wide smile. "Mary, it's been too long."

Mary's eyes watered and at that moment, she wasn't a queen, she was a girl who had all of her friends by her side. She rushed to Greer and hugged her tightly, both women's tears wetting each other's cheeks.

"My God, it's really you," Mary breathed out, brushing Greer's hair from her eyes. The hair was darker, brunette now and she seemed more aged than the rest of them. Mary guessed that it was a life living in secrecy.

"T-The children, they've grown so much," Greer said. "We can't stay long, but seeing as it's your birthday soon..." Greer turned to face her husband. "We decided that it was worth the risk for me to see you one last time."

"O-One last time?" Lola asked, getting up with Kenna in confusion.

Greer nodded. "It's not safe for us, in Scotland any longer. We are catching the first ship to Sweden."

"I can protect you-"

"Mary, we appreciate that," Greer said. "But it's too dangerous. We can't have you or Francis targeted for protecting us."

Mary's face fell and she shakily nodded. "Fine. Francis said you had a week planned out for me?"

"I do. And it starts where it all began."

...

The lavender field by the small town nearby.

Mary picked up a piece of lavender and sniffed it, rubbing the tips between her fingers before rubbing it on her neck. She turned around and gave Greer a bright smile, watching as her friend collected some and put them in her bag.

"Lavender and apple compote," Greer explained. "Remember having them as girls?"

"I do," Mary said, laying down on her back with her hands on her bump. "Join me?"

Greer nodded and laid down with Lola and Kenna following. They laid there in a circle, staring at the clouds above, now and then pointing one out that looked a particular shape or animal.

Time seemed to slow down and rewind and Mary definitely felt like a little girl again. Tears sprung to her eyes and she looked over at Greer.

"Is it really the end?"

Greer frowned. "I hope not. We will write as much as possible and we'll always be friends."

Mary's lips wavered. "Our flying squad is truly gone."

Kenna groaned. "Don't like us to Catherine's whorish friends."

"Excuse me?" Her friends called out knowingly.

"I will have you know, I am fully committed to my husband thank you very much," Kenna said, giggling. "But yes, our friendship may be dwindling, but it will never be over."

"When we did this last," Lola began quietly. "We had no children. No husbands. Mere titles, except Mary's and maybe not for Greer... We had no strings attached. Mostly."

Greer nodded. "Twenty years does that."

"I feel so stupid," Kenna said, covering her face. "My childish dreams of marrying a man with a title and wealth and land..."

"You do have that," Mary told her.

"Eventually," Kenna replied. "But I shouldn't have wanted that. I should have been content with having a man who treated me well. Who loved me and cared for me and made me want for nothing... Bash may not have been what I was looking for in the beginning, but he is what I will always want forevermore."

Mary grinned. "Look at that, Kenna's fallen in love!"

"Oh, do be quiet. What about you, Your Majesty of two and hopefully three countries?"

Mary chuckled softly. "I am scared of that. Relations are increasing between Scotland and England. I have started to make moves to speak with Elizabeth. She had no heir and I am on my fourth one. I hope the fact that we are cousins will make her have mercy on herself."

"Queens are defiant," Lola told her. "It's a hard decision, but we are all here for you."

"Even from afar," Greer said lightly. "But I can't believe it's your fourth child. I have missed so much."

She took a shaky breath, wiping tears from her cheeks as she turned to Mary as well. She offered her a hand and Mary took it, holding Kenna's hand as well.

"Lola?" Kenna called out softly, reaching a hand to her.

Lola took it and also took Greer's other hand. "A wish?"

"Why not?" Mary said. "For old time's sake."

They closed their eyes and silently made a wish. They didn't even know what to wish for, except a life that will always be happy and fruitful.

"I love you all," Mary whispered.

"We love you too," Kenna mumbled. "The last time we were together like this, I was leaving."

Greer nodded, smiling wryly. "And I had no idea whether I was going to be a madam or a convict's wife for life."

"And I had no idea if I was going to find love and be the mother John needed," Lola said.

Mary blinked, her tears falling. "And I had no idea if I could be the mother my unborn child needed. She's six now, Good Lord! She's alive and well and so are we... Well, we who survived. I miss Aylee."

"We all miss her," Greer said gently. "Whatever happens, we must promise that we will never forget each other."

"That's easy," Kenna replied. "You all are practically my sisters. I can never forget you nor will I stop telling my children about the mischief their aunts and I got up to, as little girls..." She trailed off. "Well, I will leave out the parts inappropriate for young ears, of course."

They burst into laughter, Mary saying, "Like their mother's promiscuity?"

"Do you think my son would like to hear that his parents had many lovers before they got together and well, after...?" Kenna squeaked out. "Or the fact that they were forced to be wed in the first place?"

"I wish we could erase some parts of our lives," Mary said, sighing wistfully.

Lola nodded. "I love John, but I hate how he came to be... I wish I could have stopped myself from being with Francis."

Mary tensed up, but then she relaxed. She had nothing to worry about. "It's in the past."

"It shouldn't even exist in the first place," Lola mumbled.

Greer cleared her throat. "I wish I could have stopped Aloysius from unknowingly getting us into a life of hiding in the shadows. I would love to stay wherever you all are and raise our children together."

"Preach," Mary muttered.

"I wish that I fought harder for my marriage," Kenna whispered sadly. "Perhaps it wouldn't have led to us separating again and having a miscarriage of the other man's child to get back together. And Delphine... don't get me started. All her talk about having Bash's children and their future together, urgh-"

"Ahem."

Kenna blushed. "Well, look who has his children now? And it's my bed he comes to, not hers."

Mary burst into laughter, wrapping her arms around her waist as Lola and Greer joined in, making Kenna blush even more.

"I don't think you'll ever not be jealous," Lola stated. "If one woman looks at Bash in any way, you'll be over there to drag her head through the mud!"

"Can you blame me?" Kenna muttered, embarrassed. "Oh, I also wish I pursued him and not Henry in the beginning. There are so many things about Bash that I can't live without and-"

"We'll save your sex life for another time," Greer said, giggling. "It was worse enough hearing about Henry! Now we have to sit through a whole production on his son?"

"Fine..."

Mary closed her eyes. "I wish that I didn't listen to the stupid prophecy in the beginning. Francis and I would be happy from day one and apparently, Kenna would be taking Bash's attention elsewhere..." She giggled with Kenna. "And then when we got to my rape... Condé would have never been in the picture and I would let Francis in."

"Well, that is all in the past and we are happy, aren't we?" Greer asked. "I am with a man I love, raising our children. Mary, you and Francis are expecting your fourth bundle of happiness. Kenna, you and Bash's sex life is still going strong..." She snorted as they all giggled. "And Lola, you have John. We're happy."

"But if we could turn back time..." Lola trailed off. "I would do things differently."

"But we can't," Mary said. "And that is fine. I have no regrets."

"Lucky for some," Kenna muttered lightly.

"Oh! That's a carrot!" Greer cried out, pointing to the cloud.

And they laid there for hours on end, even after the sky darkened and the stars came out to play. Yes, they were little girls, with no dreams but dreams of happiness and content.