As the lights came into view down below Danny knew he was almost home. Not Leopard's Den home but home. Home to his beautiful wife.
They'd been apart for almost 6 weeks now not to mention the 4 weeks before that. It felt like an eternity since they had been together as husband and wife, Danny and Alice. No trouble, no worries, just them. Well that was about to change Danny thought to himself. Alice was due next week though she had said on the phone she was huge and felt like she could go anyday due day or not due day. This had scared the life out of him. The thought of missing the birth of their child was to hard for him to even contemplate and so as soon as he'd put the phone down he had booked himself a flight.
Since he'd returned to Africa with Caroline, Liv and Charlotte it had been chaos. First, the disaster of a house, then the disastrous grant pitch and now he was stuck in an uneasy partnership with Ed Lynch his old boss. Admittedly Danny had come round to him a bit. He was a bit pompous, arrogant and lacked as much tact as Dup, but he was a good vet and a better businessman than himself and Danny respected him for that. Rosie coming back had been a great help. He was so proud of her she was really something. University had really changed her for the best she was on her way to becoming an amazing vet, almost as good as Danny!
The seat belt sign flashed on as the plane started to descend. Danny felt excitement build from the pit of his stomach. Despite his protests about her taking it easy Alice had told him she'd be there at the airport to meet him and now he was secretly glad.
The plane touched down. Danny stood in line at customs before collecting his case then making his way out to where friends and realatives waited eagerly. The flight had been busy so he sat his case down and scanned for Alice.
Then he saw her.
He saw her the same time she spotted him. They both had matching grins as Danny ran to her before taking her in his arms. The tears were streaming down her face as Danny smiled at her his eyes glistening with his own emotion.
"Look at the size of you!" he said rubbing her enormous belly.
"I know, he obviously takes after his daddy"
"He?" he questioned.
"I have a feeling" she smiled at him. Danny shook his head.
"I KNOW its a girl!" She shook her head before kissing him gently. "Come on."
They walked hand in hand out of the airport chatting animatedly the whole way. They had a lot of catching up to do.
"So how's Rosie?" Alice asked as they climbed in to the car Danny had rented for them.
"Oh Alice, you should see her. She's amazing. I barely recognise her anymore, she's so confident and she's well on her way to becoming a fantastic vet." Alice smiled as Danny gushed proudly about his oldest daughter.
"Must have got it from her dad!" Danny smiled over at her.
"She's better! Don't tell her i said that though!" Alice laughed before reaching over to give his hand a quick squeeze which Danny returned.
"Charlotte?"
"Absolutely fine, missing you of course but she's been a star"
Alice nodded, she'd promised Charlotte as soon as her new brother or sister was born Caroline would bring her over to the UK. Alice knew she'd be in the hospital for a bit and Charlotte had already missed so much school but as usual her daughter had accepted this without a fuss. She'd matured so much.
"What about Lynch? How's that going?" Alice asked. Danny exhaled. "That bad?"
Danny shook his head, "Ed's fine well better but... oh i dunno." Alice stayed quiet knowing Danny would eventually spill. "It's Caroline, I feel stuck in the middle with her and Ed AND Dup. I mean, I know where she's coming from at times but things are different now at Leopard's Den and she's just going to have to accept it... we all do" Danny finished with a sigh.
Alice looked at her husband and for the first time noticed how tired he looked, it was as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. "Oh Danny," she rested her hand on his shoulder "I'm sorry."
"Alice sweetheart," they pulled to a stop outside their hotel, "you have nothing to be sorry for!" Alice gave him a small smile but still wasn't happy. Danny had everything bottled up and it was eating away at him she could see it. Despite his happy exterior Alice knew he still wasn't quite right.
Danny dumped his suitcase on the bed and flopped down beside it. Alice sat beside him and gently ran her hand through his grey hair, his eyes closed at her touch. "Your hair's getting long"
"I know, haven't had time for a haircut!"
"I like your hair long!"
Danny opened his eyes and smiled up at her, "I know you do." She leaned over and kissed him passionately. She'd missed him so much.
"Right, Mr Trevanion, bed!" she gave him another quick kiss before going into the bathroom to get ready.
When Alice came out, Danny was already in bed. She climbed in beside him for the first time in weeks, she felt tears form as he pulled her close placing his hands over where their child grew. "Danny," she said her voice choked with emotion.
"Alice? What's wrong?" He looked at her concerned by her tears.
"I just really missed you," she half laughed, half cried. She blamed hormones.
Danny also laughed, "I missed you too Alice, everyday was a struggle without you but I'm here now ok?" She nodded as Danny wiped her tears away.
"I'm sorry, I'm an emotional wreck these days. I blame you" She said playfully as Danny once again wrapped his arms round her. He grinned gladly prepared to take the blame.
"Just a few more days"
"mmmhm, oh! We still haven't decided on a name!" She felt Danny nod.
"Well for a girl, which, I think she is" he said cockily "I like Emma."
"Emma Trevanion," Alice whispered to herself, "yeah that sounds right only we're having a boy!" she laughed, "Female intuition darling!"
"We'll see!" he replied grinning as Alice turned to face him. "I haven't really thought about boy names"
"What about Daniel Juniour?"
Danny had already started shaking his head before Alice had even finished. "No, Alice"
"Why not?"
"Cos you know I hate being called Daniel"
"Well what about Daniel as a middle name, I want our son to be named after you in some way"
"fine!" Danny relented, Alice grinned kissing him once on the lips before finding her spot on his chest and closing her eyes.
"Danny" she whispered, "I love you so much"
"I love you too" he replied softly stroking her hair, he smiled as he felt Alice fall asleep. Yeah he was home.
[x]
4 days later.
"You're doing great Alice" Danny held his wife's hand as she brought their child into the world.
"Danny, I can't" She'd been in labour for over an hour now and Alice was exhausted.
"Right, Mrs Trevanion one more push and you get to meet your baby"
"Did you hear that, Alice, one more ok?" Alice nodded and did her best at a smile for him.
Alice pushed squeezing Danny's hand tightly as she did so. A high pitched cry filled the room.
"Congratulations, Mr and Mrs Trevanion, you have a son" The nurse handed Alice the bundle of blankets. Tears streamed down Alice's cheeks as she looked at the face of their wee boy. She looked up at Danny who's eyes also glistened with emotion.
"He's perfect" he said to her and pressed a kiss to the side of her head, and he was. He looked like both of them. He had an impressive head of dark hair obviously from Alice but the Trevanion stubborn jaw line was there. "Thank you so much Alice"
Alice leant into him as they sat on the bed together staring at his sleeping face. "He needs a name, Danny"
"well, what about Ethan Daniel?" he said.
"Ethan Daniel Trevanion" She smiled, "I love it, Do you want to meet your daddy Ethan?"
Danny was speechless as he held his son in his arms. He remembered the first time he'd held Rosie and this was just as amazing but different. A son was completely different, he could already picture all the things they would do together. Teaching him to play cricket, taking him to the football, giving him tips for the girls. He pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "Hey Ethan." the proud pair gasped as he opened his eyes. "He's your double" they said simultaneously, then laughed at each other.
As Alice fed Ethan Danny looked on proudly. He was the luckiest man alive.