Jean watched Matthew as he talked on the phone - it evidently wasn't a good call based on the deep frown on his face. He shifted his weight, leaning heavier on his cane as his grip on the phone turned white-knuckled.
"Yes, sir," Matthew nodded. "I understand… do you know how long this might go on? I only ask, sir, because my wife is close to giving birth."
He was silent for a bit, his shoulders dropping with a quiet sigh after awhile, "...Yes, sir, Dr. Blake and I will be there tomorrow after we've made arrangements here in Ballarat."
With a muttered curse, Matthew dropped the phone back in its cradle and ran a hand over his face.
"Not good, I take it?" Jean asked him quietly as she sorted through council paperwork at the kitchen table.
"No," Matthew sat down across from her. "Lucien and I are needed in Melbourne for a court case and it might take more than a few days… I just… I don't want to leave Alice since she's past her original due date and the baby could be born any day now… bloody brass."
"She'll be fine, Matthew," Jean reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I'll keep a close eye on her and call the second anything changes."
"Thank you, Jean," he sighed. "I just wish the higher ups understood."
"No offense, Matthew, but they're men."
Laughing, Matthew squeezed her hand, "Thank you, you've made me feel a little better about it all."
"I know I can't stop you worrying, but at least know that Alice will be well taken care of here."
The subject of their conversation walked into the kitchen after she sent off Hazel Jones with a hug, "This looks cozy."
Matthew looked up at her voice while Jean grinned, "Hello, Alice."
"Hello, Jean," Alice smiled as she sat next to Matthew. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek, "Hi."
"Hey," Matthew pulled her in for a proper kiss before she could draw back too far. "I just had a call from Melbourne, sweetheart… think you and Jean will be alright without me and Lucien for a few days?"
Alice nodded, "I'm still only having Braxton Hicks, Matthew, and I feel fine. You do what you need to."
"I'll let Jack know which courtroom we'll be in just in case."
"Okay," his wife nodded and kissed him again, "but we'll be fine, I promise. Now, it's time for your exercises, do you want to do them in the dining room or in the bedroom?"
"Dining room has more space at the moment," he teased, "but the bedroom would probably be more comfortable for you."
"This isn't about my comfort," Alice kissed his cheek as she stood, "we'll do them in the dining room and hopefully finish before Lucien's home."
The vague threat of Lucien taking over the exercises to tell Alice to rest and then put Matthew through harder ones had Matthew dutifully following his wife. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate Lucien's help, he just enjoyed getting kisses from Alice as rewards for completing sets.
"I'm just doing cold cut sandwiches for dinner tonight, so take as long as you need," Jean called after them. "Let me know when you're hungry and I'll pull it all out."
"Thank you, Jean!" Alice smiled over her shoulder as she pulled out two chairs for Matthew to use - sitting in one of them as he handed over his watch and gripped the backrests. "Ready?"
Leaning over to kiss her softly with a smile, Matthew straightened and nodded, "Ready."
Silence settled over them as he worked through his exercises - only broken by Alice letting him know when to relax. Taking a bit of a breather between sets, Matthew leaned on the chairs and pressed a kiss to Alice's forehead.
"You know," she told him softly as he drew back, "adding a baby to these exercises might help you improve."
"Devious woman," Matthew frowned even as she giggled. "Of course, once the little one grows bigger they may see these exercises as a game and decide to jump on me during them."
"That's true, we'll have to talk to them about it when they're old enough."
"You think they'd be alright with… with me as their father?"
"What, that you have to use a cane to walk, that you have a limp?"
"Yeah."
"As far as they'll know, all fathers walk with canes and a limp, dearest," Alice covered one of his hands with hers and rubbed his knuckles. "All we can do is answer their questions as they come and hope for the best."
"I always knew you were smarter than me," he kissed her even as she frowned.
"Matthew," she huffed, "you're smart too - you're smart about people in a way I can't get."
Kissing her again, Matthew smiled, "I'm good with people, you're good with science… our kid's going to be so well-rounded."
She grinned and kissed him back, "They will, dearest, they will. Now, ready for the next set of exercises? Then we can ask for dinner."
"I am," he kissed her one last time and readied himself for the last set that evening. His leg ached with each lunge down - his muscles shaking as they always did on the last few sets of the exercises, but not as much as they had over a year ago when Lucien started him on this regimen. Alice's thumb rubbed his knuckles as she softly counted down the time left on the last lunge.
"Time."
Pulling himself back upright, Matthew sighed in relief, "I'm getting too old for this."
"Nonsense," Alice tutted as she pushed herself up out of the chair with a wince.
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "You're sure you'll be alright while Lucien and I are gone?"
"I'm sure, dearest," she reached up and patted his cheek with a smile. "Yes, the original due date has come and gone, but Lucien did say that our calculations could be off and so I'm not to term yet. I am getting more Braxton Hicks, but Jean said actual contractions would start in my back, not my front like these are. I'm sure both you and Lucien can leave for a few days and all will be well."
Softly kissing her, Matthew rested his forehead against hers with a faint sigh, "I just… Melbourne has terrible timing."
"They do," Alice chuckled. "First, taking you away for a month after we married, and now telling you to come up for a court case at the end of my pregnancy. I'm in good hands here, Matthew. I have Jean and Nurse Wolfe is on call to either go to the hospital or come here depending on what happens. I'll be fine, and you'll be back in no time to help me when Baby Lawson does arrive."
He kissed her again and nodded, "Alright, alright. I don't like leaving you this soon to Baby Lawson arriving, but it's just another hurdle we've gotta cross."
"Exactly," Alice smiled. "Ready for dinner?"
"Mm-hm, and then I'd like to make it an early night."
"Sounds lovely."
Sharing another kiss, they walked back into the kitchen just as Lucien entered through the front door. Their friend joined them at the table and dinner was just as usual between the Blakes and the Lawsons; both pairs broke off fairly early after the sandwiches were polished off - to pack for the trip to Melbourne and to spend time with their partners before the trip in the morning.
"How's the leg?" Alice asked as she neatly packed his suitcase (Matthew handing her what he was going to take).
"Sore, but a good kind of sore," he kissed the side of her head as he passed over extra uniform shirts. "How's the baby?"
"Still causing a ruckus, but at least they're not right up on my ribs anymore."
"They must be getting anxious to get out."
She hummed with a smile as she closed his suitcase; he took it off the bed and placed it by the door as Alice sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh.
"We'll be parents soon," she whispered when he joined her on the bed.
Matthew nodded, "Any day now… how are you feeling?"
"Anxious… nervous… and a little bit excited. I can't wait to see if we get a boy or a girl, what the baby will be like, but I don't feel ready and honestly I'm a little scared," Alice laced her fingers with his. "We're going to have this little life fully dependent on us, for us to raise and it's daunting and I'm worried we'll get it wrong."
"Unfortunately, sweetheart, we don't have a way to look into the future and there's no manual for raising a kid right."
Alice giggled and Matthew smiled before he continued, "But I think we'll do alright. We've got help and two pretty decent brains between us. All this kid is asking for is a roof over their head, food, clothes, and love and guidance for as long as they need it. I know neither of us had idyllic childhoods, but at least we know how not to treat the baby."
"True, very true… and our kid is going to have such a loving support group besides just us."
"So many aunties and uncles and cousins."
She laughed and softly kissed him, "Come on, you should get some sleep before you and Lucien leave tomorrow morning."
He nodded and kissed her again before both of them silently changed into their pajamas and settled under the covers of their bed - Matthew curling behind Alice, his arm wrapping around her very pronounced bump. By this time in her pregnancy, Alice usually didn't like him this close - between the summer weather and his "furnace-like" body heat, it left her uncomfortably hot and unable to sleep. Tonight, however, she let him press up against her as they drifted off to sleep - her arm draping over his as he kissed the back of her shoulder.
"Sleep, Matthew," Alice whispered, running the tips of her fingers up and down his arm as he pressed more kisses to her skin - each one more faint than the last. "Sleep, dearest."
He sighed and pulled her a little closer as their unborn child settled down a bit for the night. Alice's touch lulled him into a hazy half-sleep state and he pressed one last kiss to her shoulder before he relaxed and dropped off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
"Are you supposed to be lifting that?" Matthew teased softly as Alice walked towards him with his suitcase.
"Very funny," she narrowed her eyes at him even as he leaned in for a kiss. "We'll be fine, Matthew."
"I know, I know… I just-"
"Worry," she finished with a smile. Lucien came over and took Matthew's suitcase off Alice's hands to place it in the taxi boot. "You let Jack know which courtroom you'll be in, and Phryne is ready and willing to break a few speeding laws to get you and Lucien back here if anything happens."
He rested his hand on her bump, smiling as their child kicked beneath his palm. "Alright, sweetheart, I'll focus on the case since you've thought of everything and you're in good hands."
"Exactly, go do what you have to do and knock 'em dead."
Matthew laughed and pulled her in for a kiss, "Try and rest more, sweetheart, I'll be back before you know it."
"I will," Alice promised and he kissed her again. "You two stay safe."
"We will," Matthew kissed her forehead and held her close. Pressing one last kiss to her forehead, followed by one to her lips, Matthew rubbed a hand up and down her back, "I love you, Alice."
"I love you too, Matthew," she smiled and kissed him before he and Lucien walked to the taxi. Jean came up next to her and both of them waved until they couldn't see the taxi.
"How about we have some tea?" Jean suggested softly.
"Sounds perfect," Alice smiled. "I don't know what I'll do when you're working these next few days."
"I told them I'd be working from home while Matthew and Lucien were going to be in Melbourne; so you can help me with things around the house."
She stopped short and felt her eyebrows rise towards her hairline, "You can do that?"
"The other council members do," Jean shrugged. "The mayor's a bit of an arse, but the rest are fairly reasonable most of the time."
"Thank you, Jean… you being here makes me feel better."
Her friend smiled and pulled her into a side hug before they headed into the kitchen for much needed tea.
Jean looked up at the soft knock on her bedroom door to see Alice standing in the opening.
"Alice! What can I do for you?"
Her friend shifted from foot to foot, "I… I can't sleep."
Smiling fondly, Jean patted the empty space in bed next to her, "I can't either, come and join me."
"Do you snore?"
She laughed as Alice walked over and sat on the bed with a wry grin, "I don't know honestly, if I do then Lucien usually drowns me out. Do you?"
Alice shrugged as Jean propped up a few pillows behind her to lean against, "I don't know, I'm just used to Matthew next to me."
"Well I'm not quite your husband, Alice, but at least neither of us will be alone."
"Thank you, Jean," Alice smiled and squeezed Jean's hand. "Your bed is much more comfortable than mine, I don't know how I'll get out of it for trips in the night."
Jean threw her head back with a laugh, "Just wake me and I'll help you. Matthew also warned me of possible late night cravings, so don't hesitate to ask for anything."
"You might regret that when I'm shaking you awake at three in the morning for food."
Jean leaned over and kissed Alice's forehead, "Try to sleep, I'm almost done reviewing notes for the next council meeting, so the light will be on for a bit, but not for very long."
"That's alright, I can sleep with some light - Matthew's the one who has to have it as dark as possible."
"Danny and Charlie were the same, I think it's a policeman thing."
Alice hummed a faint laugh as she shifted on the bed - it took her a bit to find a comfortable spot, but Jean just let her figure it out while she read over her notes and occasionally humming the odd song to herself out of habit. Having Alice in bed next to her was very different from Lucien; for one, Alice didn't snore - she snuffled a bit, but no snoring - and the bed was small enough that Jean could feel her body heat radiating off of her as she switched off the lamp and settled down for the night. She was also close enough to touch the baby bump (Alice ended up asleep on her side facing Jean, one arm tucked under her head and pillow with the other curled around the bump as far as she could reach); Jean had been pregnant three times, but the wonder of a new growing life inside her (or her loved ones) never wore off.
Smoothing a hand over Alice's bump (Jean being one of the few allowed to touch it without asking permission beforehand), Jean smiled in the darkened bedroom. Baby Lawson was still active under her hand - just as eager to get out and see the world as Alice was probably eager to not be pregnant anymore. It wouldn't be long now, Jean mused, with any luck Alice would go into labor once their men got home from Melbourne.
Sending up a silent prayer for an easy birth for Alice and Baby Lawson, Jean drew back her hand and closed her eyes - ready to rise at a moment's notice if Alice needed anything during the night.
Midsummer's Eve (also the second day of Lucien and Matthew in Melbourne) dawned bright and warm. Jean puttered around the kitchen, readying breakfast as Alice rattled around the parlor - cleaning whatever her hands landed on, including Christmas decorations. It had surprised Jean to see the pathologist so at ease with household chores, but for all of Alice's lack of skill in the kitchen she more than made up for when it came to dusting, cleaning, and tidying. As meticulous at home as she was in the morgue, Alice gave Jean a run for her money in the house.
The doorbell rang just as Jean finished cooking, but she continued on after Alice's call of "I'll get it!"
She could hear warm conversation by the front door that drew closer and soon their visitor was revealed as one Rose Anderson.
"Ah! Rose, good morning," Jean smiled.
"Good morning, Jean, I thought I'd come by and visit my aunt and you today."
Alice harrumphed a bit at the title Rose bestowed her, but it was no more than mere bluster as she smiled when Rose leaned over and kissed her cheek at the kitchen table. "Thank you for the visit, Rose, both Jean and I appreciate it."
"And lucky for you, I've just enough breakfast for three people. Just pull down an extra plate and cup and you can join us at the table."
"Thank you, Jean," Rose did as she was told and the three of them chatted as they ate.
Alice collected their plates once they were all done and waved away any help. Rose started to protest, but a look from Jean (paired with a fond smile) had her following Jean into the hallway to help her gather bedding and clothes for a round of laundry.
"She's nesting," Jean explained quietly as they walked towards the studio. "It's easier to just let her do what she needs to and keep her calm."
"Do you think the baby is coming soon?"
"Any day, any moment, if the baby isn't here by Christmas she'll have to be induced at the hospital. I'm hoping everything will happen naturally though."
"I hate this waiting," Rose sighed.
Laughing, Jean nodded, "I know Alice is hating it too on top of Matthew and Lucien being in Melbourne, but we'll get through it soon enough."
"I hope so, I'm excited to meet my new cousin."
Alice's panicked call of Jean's name and the sound of a teacup shattering interrupted their conversation; Rose and Jean hurried into the kitchen to see Alice holding onto the edge of the sink with a white-knuckled grip - the shattered remains of a teacup on the floor next to a pool of liquid at Alice's feet.
"Alice?" Jean rushed to her side.
"Jean," Alice grabbed Jean's offered hand tightly, "Jean, I think… I think the baby's coming, and it's coming now."