"Are you going to say daddy now?" Harry asked Gabriel as he sat in the kitchen with his son on his lap, the young boy facing him as his father spoke to him "Now you've said mama?"

"Mama" Gabriel grinned and clapped as he recognised the word he knew and the rest of the people around the table chuckled under their breaths at the putout look on Harry's face "Mama"

"No not mama, daddy"

"Mama"

"Give it up Harry" Nikki smirked from where she was waiting for the kettle to boil, Donovan sitting in his highchair playing with his toy caterpillar "It's going to be mama for a long time now"

"Mama" Gabriel pointed to Nikki and she grinned at him, Harry pouting at his son.

"See" Nikki smiled triumphantly and turned to the kettle when it had boiled.

It had been two hours since she and Harry had ventured out from their room, three since Harry had learnt about what had happened and they had informed their friends that Harry knew. There had been more tears between the four females and Nikki had quietly told them not to mention the pregnancy tests. She had known that they had wanted to protest but they promised not to mention anything at all. Like Harry, Anthony had wanted to go and find Mumford and make him pay for what he had done to his friend who was slowly turning into a little sister to him but Nikki had told them all that he was probably long gone and by now, the two men however had told her that if they saw him they wouldn't be responsible for their actions. Nikki had just glared at Harry but he hadn't backed down so she had let the subject drop.

"Mama"

Everyone in the room laughed and Gabriel turned to look at the people at the table with a shocked look on his face before grinning at them and then pointing at the bowl of fruit on the table.

"Banana please"

"I see he doesn't forget to sign" Emily commented, Elsie bouncing on her lap and giggling as her mother tickled her gently.

"I think he's so used to it he won't stop" Harry replied as he reached over and picked up a banana from the bowl, peeling it and breaking off a bit to hand to his son who reached out for it "What do you say?" he asked, pulling the fruit away from his son who realised what that meant.

"Thank you"

"Good boy" Harry smiled and handed the segment to Gabriel who quickly began to eat it.

"So what are you doing for Christmas?" Jennifer asked them all as Nikki sat herself down in between Harry and Emily, placing her mug of coffee on the table. Emily gave her a frown, glancing at the coffee and then at Nikki who pointedly avoided her look.

"Well now mum has decided to pack up and leave for the winter holiday we're staying here" Harry replied angrily and shook his head, glancing at Nikki as he did so "She knew we wanted to spend Christmas with her"

"We've seen her a few times since we moved here" Nikki shrugged, actually glad that Anne was away so they weren't going to have to leave "Look I'm glad she is because I don't think I could go anywhere else right now, well actually I don't want to have to face Georg and William and Isold.." she trailed off and shook her head "I just can't"

"Okay" Harry told her soothingly, nodding and leaning over to kiss her forehead gently "We'll be staying here then"

"We are as well" Anthony nodded and smirked "We told mum that we had other plans here so we didn't have to spend the time with her"

"Really" Emily chuckled and shook her head as Anthony and Abigail nodded and laughed.

"You haven't met her" Anthony pointed out "She's.."

"An interfering witch" the Irish woman next to him interrupted and raised an eyebrow in challenge as her lover looked at her "What? It's true"

"Yes it's true" Anthony agreed and the other's laughed, Harry still rubbing soothing circles on Nikki's back up the back of the baggy jumper she had stolen from him. "So we're here as well"

"Well mum has taken over my Uncle's house for the holiday while he and his wife are away" Jennifer shrugged "She was wondering if you're not doing anything if you want to spend the Christmas there, we'll go the whole hog, Christmas dinner with too much food, trees, presents, decorations. I mean Nikki if you don't feel up to it then.."

"No it's fine, I just don't want to be around people who know me well. Apart from you of course" she smiled, happy that her friend had thought about her like that "I can't explain it"

"It's okay" Jennifer shrugged "None of you have to come but I'm going, she phoned up this morning"

"Your mum wouldn't mind?"

"Of course not, she suggested it anyway and she wants to get to know you after hearing so much about you. But really I just think she wants to coo and dote on the children, she's always asking after Gabriel and Donny" she chuckled and Nikki smiled proudly, remembering Amanda's reaction when she saw the twins for the first time "The house is in Bath and my uncle's a rich bastard..literally..so it's pretty big"

"How would we get there"

"Seven seater car" Jennifer smirked and Abigail chuckled "What?"

"You've got it all worked out haven't you?"

"Mum owns a seven seater to drive around all the old people she works with" Jennifer explained "We won't all fit in it at the same time with the children and I told mum this but she doesn't mind making two trips"

"That's not fair on her" Nikki shook her head and Emily nodded in agreement, Jennifer shrugging at her words.

"Mum said she would make two trips if you all wanted to come, but just imagine the huge roast dinner, too much food, the cosy.."

"Okay" Emily interrupted quickly and Jennifer grinned "I think you should be going into politics not psychology"

"Ah well I'm very persuasive. So are you coming?" Jennifer asked eagerly, the twenty two year old looking more like a child as she pleaded with them. The two couples exchanged looks and then looked back at her.

"We'll come" Anthony nodded and Jennifer grinned happily and looked at Harry and Nikki hopefully.

"We'll come as well"

"Yes" Jennifer cheered and they all laughed at her enthusiasm "It'll just be us there and mum so there won't be any..other people, men I mean who.." she glanced at Nikki who just smiled slightly at her friend.

"It's okay" she shrugged "You don't have to censor everything you say just for me, I'm not about to break down. Well, not right now anyway"

"If you ever feel the need we're always here Nikki" Abigail told her and everyone else agreed, Harry smiling at his lover as she blushed and nodded.

"See, I told you they would be"

"I know" Nikki sighed and then addressed the rest of them "I might be okay now but sometimes I think I'll just want to sit down and cry and mope. I'll need your help to get over it"

"Of course we'll help you" Emily replied and placed one hand on Nikki's arm "Whenever you need it, with anything" she added pointedly and Nikki knew what she was talking about.

"I know, thank you"

"Where are the tests?" Nikki asked Emily later on as the older woman let her into her room.

"Jennifer took them when we'd put you to bed" Emily replied, closing the door behind her as she did so so no-one could listen in.

"Thank you, for everything not just for moving the tests"

"What are you going to do? Why didn't you tell Harry"

"I couldn't have coped with telling him, let alone Harry coping" Nikki shook her head "And anyway no test is accurate, it's only been five weeks"

"That is true" Emily replied slowly "Perhaps we were a bit ahead of ourselves, when I missed my period with Elsie I did test and they came back negative, the next month I did another three and low and behold they were positive"

"I think I've been worrying about missing my period so much it's stressed me out, you know the human body is complicated like that, plus all the stress with exams"

"I was late this month as well" Emily shrugged "Because of stress"

Nikki then smirked as she remembered something Harry had told her a few weeks beforehand, in all the commotion of exams it had been pushed to the back of her mind.

"And you weren't worried?"

"No, why would I have been it's not like I can be pregnant" Emily shrugged and Nikki grinned "What?"

"So what about Bradley then?"

"My friend Bradley"

"The Bradley who Harry saw you kissing a few weeks ago" Nikki smirked and Emily's cheeks flamed with colour "See"

"When was that?"

"So it's happened more than once?" Nikki asked eagerly, this subject taking her mind away from her own problems. "How long for?"

"Six weeks" Emily smiled happily and Nikki grinned at her, crossing her legs on Emily's bed and waiting for the story.

"Well come on then"

"Fine, he asked me out for a drink six weeks ago. It was during the day so it wasn't anything..you know" she waved her hand and Nikki nodded "He then asked if he could take me on a date and I said yes so he took me and Elsie for a fancy lunch"

"And Elsie?"

"Hmm" Emily smiled happily as she sat down on the bed next to Nikki "He knows how wary I am of a relationship after what happened last time so we're taking it slow, very slow. He dotes on Elsie though and she loves him"

"And why haven't you brought him back here then?"

"Because I know what you're all like" Emily laughed and Nikki giggled "But I was going to introduce you all after Christmas break when he comes back home, he's been asking to meet you all for some time. Are you okay with meeting him?"

"Of course, I refuse to let my life go on hold because of what happened. He would have won if I do"

"How you are staying so calm I don't know"

"Like I said earlier I think I'll have good days and bad days for a while but at least I'm not alone anymore" Nikki smiled and nudged Emily gently in the side "I have you mad lot to help me through everything"

Nikki poked her head around the kitchen door and smiled when she saw her three female friends in there at the table doing their work, it was warmer in the kitchen than the living room where they had a table to work at because of the cooker which was on and cooking something that Nikki couldn't see.

"What are you so happy about?" Jennifer asked as she looked up to see the happy smile on Nikki's face.

"I'm not pregnant"

"What..the tests.."

"I just came on" Nikki told them all excitedly in a low voice in case Harry happened to walk in "I have never been so pleased to be on my period, it's light but.." she shook her head and her friends smiled happily for her.

"Well if you're happy then we're happy" Abigail smiled and Nikki nodded.

"I am" she sighed and glanced at the door "If I knew one hundred percent that it was just Harry's it would have been horrible but.." she shrugged "It's fine, I can get on with my life now. Now what are you cooking?"

"Pizza, it's late we know but we're starving" Jennifer shrugged and Nikki nodded as she sat down next to Emily "Have we all worked out who's going first in mum's car? By the way dad is going to be there as well"

"I thought they split up"

Jennifer rolled her eyes and nodded.

"They just 'took a break' apparently and they're back together again now so mum's going to take the first drive and dad's coming to pick up whoever's coming second. Oh and Nikki he's nice, he's got the same awful sense of humour you have and loves to read so two should get on, actually I think you'll get on with him the most out of everyone here"

"Guys you don't have to vet every single new man I may see" Nikki shook her head, she wasn't annoyed at them and was actually thankful they were doing it because it showed they cared but they had to understand what she was thinking "I know some women who have been..well you know, they're wary of men but as long as I'm not left alone with them while I get to know them I'll be fine. I think I'll just need to get to know them a little bit before I can be left alone with them"

"We're just looking out for you"

"I know" Nikki smiled "and I'm thankful for that"

"We thought Harry and Nikki should go with the twins first so they can get settled down" Abigail told Jennifer when she realised Nikki wanted to end the conversation and the younger blonde nodded "Emmy and I will stay here so neither of us are alone and you can go with whoever you want"

"There's also the suitcases and bags to think about as well as the presents, they take up space" Emily pointed out without looking up from her work "When is your mum coming again?"

"Monday, four days. Maybe I should go with Harry and Nikki first and then come back with dad for you two so it's not awkward sitting in a car for that long time with someone you don't know" Jennifer suggested and then shook her head "But then Harry and Nikki would be left alone with my mum"

"Yes and while you're gone we're going to steal the family's best silverware" Nikki joked and Emily chuckled into her work, Abigail smirking as Jennifer completely missed the joke.

"No I mean left alone in a random house with someone you hardly know, I couldn't care less if you stole anything, my uncle's a bastard"

"And yet you're fully willing to take over his house for Christmas"

"You haven't seen the house yet" Jennifer smirked "Bastard he may be but I'm not stupid to turn down the house for a few weeks"

"What's it like"

"Well let's just say, three stories, acres and acres of land, bedrooms with on suites, two huge living rooms, a kitchen large enough to put a double bed in and sleep in it, a fitness room, a mini library, studies..everything you expect a rich bastard to have. And we are going to take full advantage of it all while we're there, he won't know any different he's gallivanting around America for a few months with his wife who is only a year older than me"

There was a silence after she had spoken.

"There's an indoor pool as well" she added to break the silence and her three friends exchanged glances "Come on you have to take advantage of it with me"

"In someone's house who we don't know?"

"Trust me, me and mum are taking advantage, you lot will be as well" Jennifer pointed her pen at each of them in turn "Two days in and you'll be thinking it's your own house"

"What's his job anyway?"

"He doesn't have one, he inherited the money from his first wife's dad who took a shining to him for some reason. God knows why and we are taking full advantage of that"

"Is he your mum's or dad's brother?"

"Mum's, older brother. They don't really get along either but he had no-one else to look after the house for the two or three months he's away so mum is taking advantage"

"Well unless I finish this essay soon I won't be going because I know there will be no work getting done while we're away" Abigail chuckled and shook her head.

"Oh and Nikki did I mention my dad's brother is deaf so Donny won't be left out at all by mum and dad?"

Nikki gave her an un-amused look over the table.

"I take it that's a no"