"Alice! Look at you!" Vera embraced her with a beaming smile, one Alice had to return. "You're absolutely glowing."

"I'll take your word for it. I don't think I slept a wink last night because of the baby."

Vera shook her head and frowned at Alice's bump, "That's just rude."

Alice laughed, "The baby slept on the train, but evidently got riled up once I got to Wardlow."

"Well, from what you and Matthew have told me of Miss Fisher, I'm not surprised. Come, come, Mum and I have lunch nearly ready and I suspect you'll want to freshen up before we eat."

Vera led her into the modest house - with a brightly painted door in green and the front walk lined with flowers - and then into the kitchen.

"I thought Matthew was going to come too."

Alice nodded, "He was, but a case came up at the last minute and they're a man down at the station with Parks being seconded back here to Melbourne. So he had to stay in Ballarat."

"Well, we'll just have to have fun without him, right, Mum?"

Elizabeth turned from the stove with a smile and a hug for Alice, "Welcome, Alice, dear. I trust the trip wasn't too bad for you?"

"Not at all, Elizabeth, I think the baby liked the train."

"Ah, rocked the little one to sleep?"

"In a way, yes," she rubbed her belly with a smile.

Elizabeth gently patted Alice's cheek, her other hand resting on the bump as Baby Lawson kicked. "Go and wash up, lunch is just about ready."

The three of them huddled around the small table in the kitchen - much like lunches and dinners at the Blake house, and Alice enjoyed the boisterous conversation between her in-laws as they talked of everything and anything under the sun. Vera told her stories of Matthew's younger days, of her pregnancy with Rose and her daughter's early life - sharing little tidbits of advice when Alice asked for them. Elizabeth showed Alice her progress on a quilt she'd been working on since the pregnancy had been announced.

"It's not much, but… I wanted the two of you to have something that could be used after the baby grows," Elizabeth smiled.

Alice blinked back tears as she gently held the quilt top in her hands, "It's… it's already so beautiful, Elizabeth. We'll cherish it."

Elizabeth pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead and brushed away the tears with a warm, calloused hand. "I'll try to have it done before the baby arrives."

"She will," Vera handed Alice a cup of tea as Elizabeth folded up the quilt top, "all she's done since you announced the pregnancy is work on that."

Alice's mother-in-law shrugged, "I can't knit, what else am I to do?"

"I don't know how to knit either, despite Jean's repeated attempts to teach me," Alice smiled.

"A few knitted things is all a baby really needs, they grow faster than you think. A good blanket will take them up through the first year at least - after that it becomes more a comfort rather than a necessity."

"Good to know, but I still think I'm going to get ambushed again by either Mrs. Collins or Jean one of these days."

Elizabeth laughed and she hugged Alice, "You've very good friends, Alice."

Alice could only agree.

Charlie fought the urge to rub his face in exhaustion. Their case was going nowhere and he never sat well with stalled investigations. He used to be patient when working, he thought with a wry smile, but that was before working with Lucien in Ballarat. He'd been good before, but now he was better at seeing the bigger picture, at connecting the smaller details that could lead them to a culprit - he'd gotten even better since coming to City South and working with Chief Superintendent Robinson and Chief Inspector Hugh Collins the past few months.

He'd worked with Miss Fisher too, of course, and Mrs. Collins - the Honourable Lady Detective was a bigger whirlwind than the Doc. She kept everyone on their toes, but her insights had been valuable to several of their bigger cases. He liked her, and it wasn't every day you met a Collingwood legend in person. Miss Fisher liked him too - his standing invitation to dine at Wardlow was evidence of that.

It wasn't quite like the Blakes, but it was a kind of home Charlie could get used to.

As he neared Robinson's office, he heard him talking with someone inside and Charlie mused Miss Fisher must be visiting as he knocked.

"Enter," Robinson called out.

Charlie opened the door and started to speak - only to stop short at the sight of Dr. Alice Harvey sitting behind Robinson's desk.

"Charlie!" she smiled and put down the papers in her hands. "I didn't know you worked here."

"He's almost finished becoming a detective, Alice," Robinson supplied. "Hugh and I picked him to come work here ourselves."

"An honor, sir," Charlie smiled. "I… I was unaware you knew Dr. Harvey, sir."

"Dr. Macmillan was her mentor at university, Davis. I got to know Alice through her."

"We have known each other for awhile," Alice nodded. "If I'd known how much Miss Fisher prepared me for working with Lucien, I would have thanked her a long time ago."

Charlie ducked his head to hide the grin and noticed the gold wedding band on her ring finger, "Oh! Congratulations, Doc, I guess the Boss finally asked."

She fiddled with the band and smiled, "He did, we got married… what was it, Jack, two months ago?"

"Little over that I think," Robinson agreed. "It was before you came here, Davis."

He nodded. "I'm sorry I missed it, Doc."

"We figured you were busy with your last bit of training, if you'd been free we definitely would have sent you an invite, Charlie." Alice smiled and looked back down at the papers on Robinson's desk, "I think I've covered what you needed, Jack. If you don't need anything else, I'm going to go back to Wardlow and rest."

"Thank you for your help, Alice, even when on vacation."

"You're welcome," she smiled. "Charlie, it's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Doc."

"I guess you'll be coming over to dinner?"

"He has a place and he's always welcome," Robinson smiled and reached down to help Alice stand. He pressed a kiss to her cheek as she smiled and squeezed his hands.

Charlie couldn't help the way his eyes widened when he saw the swell of her belly beneath her shirt and trousers - luckily he closed his mouth in time when Alice looked up. Suddenly, the quick and quiet wedding and Alice's need to rest in the middle of the afternoon made sense and he bit back the grin threatening to cross his face. They'd be unusual parents, he mused, but good ones.

"You've found out my not-so-secret secret, I see," Alice smiled and rubbed the bump.

"Congratulations again, Doc," Charlie smiled back. "That kid's going to be lucky to have you and the Boss as parents."

"So everyone keeps telling me. I'm still debating that, but… thank you, Charlie. I'll let you get back to work, and I'll see you at dinner. We'll have to catch up."

"Definitely," his smile widened as she squeezed his forearm on the way out of Robinson's office.

"Bit of a shock?" Robinson asked him, smiling when Charlie nodded. "It was for all of us up here too. Now, where are we on the Balfour case?"

"Miss?" Mrs. Collins interrupted the conversation in the front parlor between Miss Fisher, Robinson, Dr. Mac, and Charlie before dinner.

"What is it, Dot?"

"Dr. Lawson is wondering if it'd be alright for her to come down in her pajamas. She said, and I quote, 'I cannot stand going back into those damned confining clothes for one more minute today'."

Charlie caught the smothered grin Robinson tried to hide in his whiskey as Dr. Mac and Miss Fisher laughed.

"Of course, Dot, Al is welcome to be as comfortable as she wants to be. We'll start dinner once she comes down."

"Yes, Miss," Mrs. Collins nodded and went back upstairs. Soon, Dr. Harv- Lawson - joined them downstairs in a pair of light blue satin pajamas that were loose enough to accommodate her growing belly with matching slippers - and a cardigan Charlie recognized as one of Lawson's - as she rubbed the lingering sleep from her eyes.

"Rest well, Al?" Miss Fisher bounded over to her with a hug.

Alice nodded, "I did, though you really didn't have to buy me a brand new pair of pajamas."

"Nonsense, you're a guest and all my guests should be comfortable. I did the same for Dot during her pregnancies."

"Then why couldn't I just use those while I stay here?"

This time, Robinson didn't hide the grin as Miss Fisher let out a frustrated sigh, "Honestly, Al… you've no sense of fashion."

"I have a sense for money, Miss Fisher. You're spoiling me."

"You deserve it, now come, it's time for dinner."

Alice smiled and tilted her face up towards the sun. She was waiting for Jean to arrive at the City South station and take her back to Ballarat - her friend had some errands to run in the city while Alice spent the day with Jack and Charlie. The weekend had been a well deserved break (even if Matthew hadn't been able to come) and Alice was itching to go back home and get back to work after helping out at City South today.

(Lucien was making noise about Alice going part-time as she approached the third trimester - Alice wasn't quite ready to give him total control of the morgue yet, and so argued with him about it at her check ups - frequently.)

"Alice?" A familiar voice made her open her eyes and shield them from the sun. When she saw who it was, Alice nearly laughed - the universe apparently deemed this a reunion weekend with first running into Charlie, and now Frank Carlyle.

"Frank," she smiled when he leaned in for a hug.

"Oh!" Frank drew back when Baby Lawson kicked. "My, you've been busy, Doctor."

Alice narrowed her eyes at him - even as she fought the amused smile from showing.

"Very funny," she said instead. "What are you doing these days, Superintendent?"

"Instructor now, actually. I got a demotion after the higher ups called me back here, but they offered a spot at the Academy to teach."

"That sounds like a wonderful opportunity for you, Frank, congratulations."

"And to you to, Alice," he smiled. "A new hairstyle, a little one on the way, and marriage."

Frank nodded to the band on her finger as she rubbed her bump.

"Thank you."

"Who's the lucky bloke?" he teased. "I must have softened you up for him."

"A handful of dates does not constitute 'softening me up', Frank," Alice rolled her eyes as he laughed and Jack walked out of the station.

"Oh good, I caught you before Mrs. Blake arrived, Alice." He lifted up a wrapped package. "Mrs. Collins told me to give these to you."

Alice took the package - it was soft. Frowning, she gingerly opened the end and took a peek; she smiled when she saw the bundle of carefully knitted objects.

"I knew either her or Jean would make something."

Jack nodded with a smile, "Who's this?"

"Frank Carlyle," Frank shook Jack's hand. "I used to be the Superintendent in Ballarat, but I teach at the Academy now."

"Ah, Jack Robinson."

Frank's eyebrows nearly reached his hairline and he looked to Alice. "Oh? My respect for Alice just rose even further."

"Very funny," she retorted as she caught sight of Jack's slight grin.

"Ah, just teasing, Alice."

She rolled her eyes again as someone else called out Frank's name. A woman approached them with a bright smile - one that Frank returned as she linked arms with him.

"I thought you said we were going to meet at the Academy, and yet I find out you're here."

Frank cleared his throat and Alice hid a smile behind her hand when he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ah… yes, I did say that. I'm sorry, I was just dropping by to see Davis before our meet-up, Peggy."

"Mm-hm," Peggy narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you friends?"

"Oh! Um, Superintendent Jack Robinson and Dr. uh…"

"Lawson," Alice supplied.

"Really?" Frank's eyebrows rose.

"Is it really that unbelievable?"

"Never pegged you as the type to change your last name, Doctor. And I'll admit I couldn't have predicted him."

"Yes, because you're the expert on my tastes in men," Alice rolled her eyes as Peggy laughed. "Even the hospital calls me Lawson now."

"Really."

She rolled her eyes again and turned to the woman, "Frank used to be the Chief Superintendent of Ballarat Police, I work in the morgue at the hospital there."

Peggy smiled and stuck out her hand, "Oh! He mentioned he was friends with a pathologist. I'm Margaret Walton, but I go by Peggy."

"Alice Lawson, though Frank knew me as Alice Harvey."

"No," Peggy's smile slipped off her face. "Your maiden name is Harvey?"

Alice nodded, "Why?"

"That's… that's my maiden name too."

Alice tilted her head to the side and took a closer look at Peggy Walton. Her eyes widened when she saw eerie similarities between them - the shape of their eyes, their noses and mouths; Alice had taken after her father - red hair, blue eyes - but Peggy had light auburn curls and hazel eyes, much like Alice's mother.

Exactly like Alice's mother, and it clicked into place.

"Peg?"

She clutched the package from Dot tightly in her hands as Peggy stepped forward.

"I… I don't believe it," Alice blinked back tears. "Peg?"

"It can't be," the woman whispered. Her hands reached up and cradled Alice's face as she let out a disbelieving laugh. "Allie?"

Alice nodded, biting her lower lip as she felt the tears fall; Peggy wiped them away and Alice marveled at her baby sister. Margaret "Peg" Walton nee Harvey had grown into a beautiful woman and now she was here in front of Alice after decades apart.

"It's really you," Peggy breathed. "After all this time, all these years."

"It's me, Peg, I… it's me."

Her sister stepped forward and hugged her tightly - baby bump and all - and Alice cried into her shoulder. (Out of relief, out of joy, Alice didn't know, but her sister was here, her sister was alive.)

"Where have you been?" Peggy asked as she drew back. "And… when did this happen?" she nodded down at the baby bump.

"I got… placed in a foster home outside of Sydney not long after… well, after we were separated. I came here to Melbourne for school and traveled for work after that for a long time. I moved to Ballarat a few years ago."

"Where you met Frank."

Alice nodded, "And where I met my husband… the baby came first."

"Alice Harvey," Peggy teased with a smile as Alice felt her cheeks warm. "Is he good to you? If not, I know some things as a nurse."

She nodded and grinned, "He's very good to me, Peg. What about Frank? I'm very good with a scalpel if he's not."

Her sister (it had been years since Alice was able to say that - her sister) laughed as Frank flushed. "Put the scalpel away, Alice, he's the perfect gentlemen to me - and my kids."

"Kids?"

Peggy nodded, "I have four of them - a boy, twin girls, and a surprise little girl."

"I'm… I'm an aunt?"

"You are, my youngest reminds me of you every day." Her sister smiled as a car pulled up to the curb. Lucien's familiar two-tone Holden parked next to them - Jean got out and walked up to their group.

"Jack!" She smiled and then paused. "Frank? Alice?"

"Jean," Alice grinned and felt her cheeks grow warm at Jean's raised eyebrows. Her friend reached out and gently wiped away her tears as Alice cleared her throat. "Jean, this is my sister, Peg Walton."

Jean's eyebrows rose further, "Sister?"

"I go by Peggy, Allie was the only one to call me Peg."

"Allie, hm?" Jean smiled as Alice blushed even further. "We've only ever known her as Alice."

"Not entirely true, Miss Fisher calls me Al."

"Ah, yes, that's right," Jean teased. "A pleasure to meet you Peggy, I'm Jean Blake, one of Alice's friends."

"Pleasure," Peg smiled. "I'm sure you're fairly confused."

"I'm used to being confused - most of the time, my husband brings confusion into the house and now he's gone and roped Alice into it. Though… a long lost loved one turning up unexpected isn't an entirely new situation for me."

Alice reached out and squeezed Jean's hand as Peggy and Frank laughed, "I wasn't expecting to find her, Jean. Not ever."

Her friend smiled, "But you did, Alice. And it's wonderful."

"It is."

"If you want, we can always stay another night? Let the two of you catch up?"

Alice gnawed on her lower lip, her mind whirling over the options in front of her, until Peggy wrapped a gentle hand around her elbow.

"If you have a schedule to keep, Allie, don't worry about catching up with me right this minute. I'll… we'll exchange numbers and addresses and figure it out from there, hm?"

She smiled and pulled Peggy in for a hug, "But I've only just found you again."

"And now we've got time to spare."

"Come to Ballarat," Alice pulled back from the hug. "Come and visit as soon as possible, Peg. Frank can come too, so can your children. Please come before Lucien tries to confine me to a hospital bed."

That got a rich laugh from Frank as Peggy nodded. "I'd love to. The older girls might not be able to make it with university, but Arthur and my youngest might. Here, let me write down my number and address and we'll figure out all the details once you're home and off your feet."

"There's the Begonia Festival next week," Jean supplied. "There's no better time to come to Ballarat in my opinion."

"You know, Mrs. Blake, that might work," Peggy smiled as she and Alice exchanged numbers and addresses. "Frank?"

"Sounds good to me, I think I missed the festival when I was down in Ballarat."

"We were all a little busy with… other things," Jean patted his arm.

"I'll tell you later," Frank whispered to Peggy.

"You'd better." Peggy kissed his cheek. "We'll let you go home, Alice, I remember how much my feet ached while I was pregnant - it'll be good for you to rest."

"Don't you start too," Alice shook her head with a faint smile - her sister laughing as they hugged each other once again while Jean and Frank loaded Alice's luggage into the boot of the Holden; Jack said his goodbyes as well - pressing a kiss to Alice's forehead before he pulled her in for a warm embrace. Waving to her sister until she couldn't see her anymore, Alice settled back against the car seat with a teary smile.

"Let's get you home, draw you a bath and a nice cup of tea, Alice. How's that sound?" Jean squeezed her shoulder.

"Perfect, Jean."

"Matthew's going to be there when we get back too; provided nothing has happened since I left, I know he was planning on an early afternoon."

"Even more perfect, then."

Jean smiled and squeezed her shoulder once more before training her attention firmly on the road. "Sleep if you want, Alice, I'll wake you when we get home."

She did as suggested, letting the movement of the car lull her to sleep - tuning Jean's faint humming and singing in and out as Baby Lawson thumped against her hand while they drove back to Ballarat.

Matthew was there waiting by the front door when Jean gently shook her awake; she blinked owlishly as her husband helped her from the car.

"Welcome home, sweetheart," he pulled her in for a kiss. "Visit go alright?"

Alice nodded against his shoulder, "Vera and Mum missed you, so did everyone at Wardlow. I ran into Charlie."

"Really?"

"Yes, he's working at City South with Jack and Hugh," Alice let Matthew lead her into the house - Jean following behind with their luggage and the package from Dot. "He's almost done with training, so he'll be Detective Senior Sergeant Davis soon."

"Good for him," Matthew pressed a kiss to the side of her head as he took Alice's suitcase off Jean's hands while Alice continued to their bedroom. "Thank you for driving her, Jean."

"Oh of course," Jean smiled. "I'll put my luggage away and start on tea; if you could start a bath for Alice, I'm sure she'd love that."

"How's she doing?" he asked quietly.

"Good, she had a bit of a shock earlier today before I got to City South, but a good surprise."

"She'll tell me eventually, Jean, but thank you for the heads up."

"Of course," she squeezed his shoulder and walked down the hallway to the studio.

Matthew brought Alice's suitcase to their room just as she was toeing out of her shoes - rubbing at her lower back.

"Sore back?"

"Sore everything," Alice huffed. She held out a hand to him and Matthew took it with a kiss to the back of her fingers. "I'm too old for this."

"Nonsense," Matthew kissed her forehead. "Jean's fixing tea, I'll run you a bath, and then you can rest until dinner if you want to - whatever you want, sweetheart."

"Can I persuade you to rub an old lady's feet?"

"You're not old," he grinned as she laughed, "but yes, I can rub your feet - after you eat and take your bath, Mrs. Lawson."

"Fine, you drive a hard bargain, Mr. Harvey."

Alice didn't tell him about Peggy until after tea and the bath; she drowsily recounted the reunion with Ballarat's former Superintendent and then her sister while they sat on the bed - both rubbing the soreness out of each others' feet (Alice's touch growing softer with each trailing sentence as she started to nod off).

"I hope they can come for the festival," she yawned as he shifted his feet out of her hold - his fingers easing the sore muscles of her calves and up on her back.

"I hope they can too, sweetheart," Matthew helped Alice turn on her side and pulled the covers over her. "I look forward to meeting them - including Frank Carlyle."

She smiled, "He said congratulations, by the way, on our marriage and Baby Lawson. He's good for Peggy, I think."

"Good," Matthew smoothed a hand over her bump, smiling when Baby Lawson kicked.

"Won't you join me?" Alice laid her hand on top of his.

"You're very enticing, sweetheart, but I'm going to help Jean with dinner before Lucien comes back and wreaks havoc on the dishes."

She laughed as he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "Jean does go through a lot of plates."

"I think she's started looking for second hand dishes just for his experiments. Do you need anything else before I go?"

Shaking her head, Alice pulled him down for a kiss, "No, dearest, I'll be good and rest like I'm supposed to."

"That's my girl," Matthew kissed her again as she giggled. "Sleep well, I'll come wake you before dinner."

He pressed a final kiss to her forehead as she started to drift off - her busy visit to Melbourne and the travel back to Ballarat finally catching up to her. Dreams of her past - of a younger Peggy as they played in the streets outside their childhood home during the brief happy times they had together. Images of her baby sister's braided pigtails (tied off with green ribbons - given to her by Alice) melded into the grown woman Peggy had become in their time apart. As Baby Lawson kicked and moved under Alice's hand, she dreamed of a hazy future - looming more and more each day - where a little girl with Matthew's eyes laughed and played in Jean's garden.

The girl's laughter mixed with Peggy's, leaving her with a smile on her face by the time Matthew came to wake her up for dinner. It stayed as she kissed him and followed him to the kitchen where dinner awaited.