A/N: Maggie and Grace are 9 and 6 respectively at the time of this story

Two days later Hugh stepped into the lounge with Grace on his hip and Maggie clinging to his arm and realized that their lives had changed forever. Elaine had come in from the kitchen and was looking at him with an expression he hadn't seen in over 6 years.

"Elaine did…?"

She nodded, crossed to him, "Yes, he called an hour ago"

"And…?" She nodded again and Hugh kissed her more deeply than he usually would with their daughters still hanging off him. "I love you," He murmured when they drew back.

"Love you Daddy!"

Hugh tore his eyes from Elaine and smiled down at Grace, "I love you too Gracie, you and Maggie both." He pressed a kiss to her head and then placed her on her feet, leaning over to kiss Maggie's head as well, "Now go and wash your hands it's almost time for tea."

After the girls had raced out of the room and Hugh turned back to his wife, drawing her gently into his arms, "When should we tell them?"

Elaine sniffed into his shoulder and he drew back slightly, brows furrowed in concern but she was smiling through her tears, "Just hormones, I'd rather forgotten about this part."

Hugh kissed her forehead tenderly and then drew her close again, "Did White say how far along you are?"

"Only a guess, I'll see the midwife tomorrow and she should be able to tell me"

Hugh nodded, "Right, do you want to wait until we know that before we tell the girls?"

"Tell us what?"

They turned and saw Grace looking at them curiously from the doorway. Hugh sighed, "Gracie, what have Mummy and I told you about eavesdropping?"

"Eavesdroppers hear no good of themselves" Grace recited dutifully, "So what are you going to tell us?"

Hugh and Elaine exchanged an amused glance and Hugh gestured her over, "What that means is that it's not polite to listen to other people's conversations because they may be talking about things you aren't supposed to hear."

Grace considered this for a minute, "Like presents at Christmas?"

Hugh chuckled, "Yes, something like that. Now go and put the napkins on the table please." Grace nodded and raced off again as Hugh turned back to Elaine "You want to wait then love?"

Elaine nodded, "Yes, I think it might be best" she stepped back into his arms, "I feel fine, but we both know there are more risks this time…"

Hugh nodded and pulled her closer, his blood running cold at the very thought, "I know love, we can wait as long as you like to tell people; although Christopher will probably guess as soon as he sees me tomorrow, he's far too observant."

Elaine smiled and leaned up to kiss him, "He's also known you for 20 years Hugh, I think that might have something to do with it"

Hugh grinned, "I suppose. I'll call White tomorrow and see about getting your new ration book. Now we'd better see where our daughters have gotten too" Elaine nodded, shaking her head fondly but not objecting to the protective way that Hugh kept an arm around her as they made their way to the kitchen.

The next day when Foyle knocked on Reid's office door he found his friend in the middle of filling out some paperwork, "This a bad time?"

Reid looked up a smile spreading unbidden across his face, "Not at all, what can I do for you?"

Foyle stepped into the room closing the door behind him and then raised an eyebrow, a smile pulling at the corner of his lips, "You heard then?"

Reid laughed, "I told Elaine you'd know as soon as you saw me, and yes still not sure exactly when but we're going to be parents again Christopher."

His grin had widened at his own words and Foyle couldn't help smiling back as he approached the desk hand outstretched, "Congratulations Hugh"

"Thank you Christopher" Reid said as he rose to accept his friend's handshake, "We haven't told the girls yet, Elaine wanted to wait until she knew how far a long she is."

"Right, want me to hold off on telling Andrew then?"

Reid shook his head, "No, Elaine and I talked about it last night and we want him to know as soon as possible." The reason why telling him might be a matter of urgency hung painfully in the air between them and Reid hurried on, gesturing towards the paperwork he'd been working on, "Besides as soon as Elaine gets her new ration book the entire neighbourhood will know."

Foyle nodded, "True, I'll write to Andrew this evening then." Reid nodded and their conversation turned towards work again.

That evening, once the girls were in bed, Hugh and Elaine sat together on the settee enjoying a cup of tea and talking quietly about their days. Hugh took a sip of tea and smiled down at his wife, "Christopher guessed right off"

Elaine smiled, "Well given that you haven't stopped smiling since you heard I'm not really surprised Hugh."

Hugh laughed easily, pressing a kiss to the side of her head. "Well he knows we aren't telling people yet but he said he'd write to Andrew this evening."

Elaine's eyes clouded with worry even as she smiled, "I'm glad" she hesitated lacing their fingers together, "What do you think of asking Andrew to stand for Godfather?"

Hugh blinked, "I hadn't really thought about asking anyone, I mean we have months before we need to decide"

"Yes, but…"

She broke off and Hugh squeezed her hand gently, "But what darling? You've clearly thought about it"

Elaine nodded and turned slightly so she could look him in the eye; "I have and I…oh Hugh I hate to even say it, but if we want it to be Andrew don't you think we should ask him now? In case…"

She trailed off but her Hugh still heard her unspoken words; ask Andrew now in case they couldn't ask him later. He shivered at the thought and drew her into his arms, holding her tightly as the seconds ticked by. "I see your point love" he said finally, his voice rough.

Elaine sniffed, "I don't want to think the worse, I can't stand to think of it at all but if the papers are accurate…"

Hugh nodded; they had both seen how the RAF Lists had lengthened as the raids picked up again in the last few weeks. "I know darling"

"I thought…" Elaine's voice broke and Hugh rubbed her back soothingly, "Andrew adores the girls so much, I thought maybe knowing he'd be Godfather might…"

"Might give him something else to cling to until this ghastly war is done?" Hugh finished softly.

"Yes" Elaine looked up tears still slipping slowly down her cheeks, "Do you think Christopher will mind; if we don't ask him?"

Hugh shook his head, gently wiping her tears away with his thumb, "I don't think so love. You know how he is, he'd never expect such a thing."

Elaine shook her head fondly, "He truly has no idea how brilliant he is does he?"

"None whatsoever. I think asking Andrew is a wonderful idea but why don't we wait to see how he takes the news first?"

Elaine rested her head on his shoulder, "At least he can't be more shocked than we were"

Hugh laughed, "Very true" He looked down at her, brow furrowing in concern, "You're not upset about it are you darling?"

"No!" Elaine shook her head firmly, "You know I always wanted more children; it's just that I'd told myself it would never happen and I thought I was fine with it and now…"

Tears were slipping down her cheeks again and Hugh drew her close, rubbing her back and murmuring softly, not unduly alarmed by her tears. He knew they were lucky, Elaine hadn't suffered from too much morning sickness, now or with the girls, but while tears were fairly rare the rest of the time when Elaine was pregnant she cried easily and often.

He wished it weren't the case because he couldn't stand to see her upset but he'd rather that then have her being sick or fainting, tears at least he could help with.

Once she had quieted Hugh pressed a tender kiss to her temple, "Time for bed I think love" Elaine nodded tiredly and Hugh got to his feet, reaching back to pull her carefully to her feet, "Lets get you upstairs."

The next day Foyle reported that he had written to Andrew but advised against Hugh holding his breath waiting for a reply, "For someone with such an affinity for the English language he's always been a dreadful correspondent."

Hugh laughed, "Except to the girls, he wrote to them nearly every week when he was up at Oxford. Granted it was usually just one side of the page but they were delighted."

Foyle smiled softly, heart swelling with a painful combination of pride, love and worry. Something must have shown on his face because Reid gave him a concerned look and went to fetch them some tea.

In the end it was a moot point because 3 days later the telephone rang just as Foyle was weighing another cup of tea against a few swallows of scotch.

"Foyle here"

"Dad, sorry the connections pretty bad, can you hear me?"

Foyle's lips pulled down into a smile, "Andrew, yes I can hear you fairly well. Everything alright?"

"You tell me Dad, I got your letter"

Foyle frowned, trying to remember exactly what he had written, nothing concerning came to mind. "Nothing unsettling in that was there?"

Andrew made an exasperated noise, "I'm talking about the Reids Dad; is Mrs. Reid really expecting?"

"Yup Hugh's walking around beaming at everyone, even delinquent constables who don't turn in their reports on time."

"But I thought they couldn't…I mean shouldn't…"

Foyle bit back a smile, he could 'hear' Andrew's blush despite the static on the line, "It wasn't planned Andrew, sometimes these things just happen."

"But Mrs. Reid will be fine right? She and the baby both?"

Foyle could hear the fear in his son's voice and he knew he was thinking about Rosalind, just as he always did when anyone's mother's health was in question. It had taken Foyle nearly an hour to calm him down when his friend Thomas' mother had come down with a bad chest cold when Andrew was 16.

"No guarantees of course but I know Dr. White will do everything he can to make sure they are. Medicine is a wonderful thing Andrew and Elaine is a lot stronger than you'd think."

"I know I just couldn't bear it if…"

"I know son, but try not to fuss; I think Hugh's doing enough of that for everyone."

Andrew chuckled, "Are the girls excited?"

"Don't think they know yet, sure they will be though. How are you getting on?"

"Oh you know how it is Dad, Jerry's raising merry hell up there but we do our best. You alright?" They talked for a few more minutes and then Andrew broke off with a yawn, "Sorry, busy day, well days I suppose"

Foyle frowned worriedly, "Better let you get some sleep then"

Andrew snorted, "Not likely the way the night raids have picked up but you're right I ought to go. Please tell Mr. and Mrs. Reid congratulations from me, I'll try and write them soon."

Suddenly there was a commotion on Andrew's side of the line, "Scramble, sorry Dad." And just like that the line went dead and Foyle was left standing in the hall with the receiver in one hand and a lump of fear in his stomach, acutely aware of the ack-ack guns going off further up the coast.

He left out that part of the story when he passed on Andrew's congratulations to Hugh the next day and if his friend noticed that he looked more tired and drawn than usual he didn't mention it, just clapped him on the shoulder and fetched them some tea.