Jean woke as the sun streamed through the curtains and smiled. Lucien had taken her through the stars the previous night, the covers were all over the place, just about covering their nakedness. She smiled and stretched, oh how she was loved, and loved. She should get some tea; but first a visit to the bathroom, baby Blake kicked her bladder to make more room, she winced and waited a moment before slipping out of the bed and padding quickly to the side room. Lucien had voiced his thoughts that the baby was quite big and he was worried her slight frame would struggle to deliver naturally. She did think she was bigger than she had been with either Christopher or Jack, either that or she had got her dates wrong, which was entirely possible as she had lost track, thinking it was her age. Still, today was not a day to worry about that, today was Alice and Matthew's wedding day and the day they would sign the papers to formally adopt Paul. Lucien was to be best man and they would both be witnesses. The only other people there would be Charlie and Mattie, they would follow the ceremony at the town hall with a quiet meal at the club and then Matthew was taking his wife and adopted son away for a few days. Where? Nobody knew, not even Alice.

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Alice turned to look at the other person in the bed, her soon to be husband. He'd been secretive of late, and now wouldn't tell her where they were going for a family holiday. Theirs would always be an unconventional marriage, it was already that as a partnership, and she rather liked it. They had determined that they would marry before Jean had the baby and they had left it rather late, the poor woman was now heading towards her eighth month, well that's what she said, allowing for getting her dates wrong.

They would arrived at the Registry Office at the Town Hall together, no hiding away, it would upset Paul and there was no real reason to hide what they were wearing.

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Paul had not liked the flight to Sydney, he didn't like being confined and have to keep quiet. Alice had put a couple of books in her bag to read to him but after a while he became restless. They would finish their journey by train and Alice hoped they could find a compartment where they could be alone and he could move about more, and he could look out of the window.

'Why Woollongong, Matthew?' She sighed as they settled into the compartment and put a couple of toy cars on the floor for Paul to play with. People were still getting on the train but she hoped that anyone coming by would see an active youngster and keep going. 'What's so special there?'

'I thought it would be good to spend time on the coast, we wouldn't have to confine Paul to indoors and we could relax.' Matthew smiled.

It wasn't something Alice had done much of, walking on the beach or just wandering about in the fresh air. She had been raised in a city and spent most of her adult life indoors, unless she was acting police surgeon. She pushed the armrest up between them and nestled against him.

'As long as you don't expect me to make sandcastles,' she teased.

'Of course I do!' Matthew grinned and kissed the top of her head, 'and paddle in the sea.'

Alice harrumphed, but had a smile on her face. He had a way with him that made her smile and try new things, paddling in the sea may be one of those new things. She had only ever swum in a pool she may even surprise him and swim in the sea.

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Matthew had booked them into a small family run hotel near the beach, with a connecting door between theirs and Paul's room. They unpacked, letting Paul help by putting his things in the dresser and his teddy on the bed with his pyjamas. He had his own way of putting things, very precise, very like Alice, Matthew noted.

They had time for a walk on the beach before dinner, which they hoped would tire Paul out. They strolled hand in hand watching the little boy run ahead then stop suddenly to pick up a shell and bring it back to them to show what he had found. Every time it was admired and he put it in his pockets, so by the time they decided to head back to the hotel he had amassed quite a collection.

'What's this, Liss?' He asked, 'and this one?'

'You know, Paul,' she smiled at him, 'shells are not my area, why don't we see if we can find a book tomorrow so you can identify them?'

'Ok.' He was happy with this idea and allowed her to put them on the dresser, with a note asking that they be left when the room was cleaned each day. She made a mental note to see if she could find a box to put them in.

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Matthew smiled to himself as he woke. Alice lay curled on her side, her arm flung up to his shoulder, hiding her face that was buried in his side. The breeze of her breathing tickled but he tried not to laugh. Paul had been told that the same rules applied in a hotel as at home, and he was to knock and wait before he came into them. He had slept deeply and the newlyweds were able to do what newlyweds did. They had explored, tasted and kissed each other, made love, kissed again, sighed, groaned and made love again until, satisfied and exhausted, both had fallen asleep. He drew a lazy line up her naked back and over her shoulder making her shiver and stir.

'Mmph!' she huffed and reached down to pull the sheet over her. He had learned, shortly after they had started being intimate, that waking Alice was not a good idea. She liked to come around in her own time. He just couldn't resist it this morning.

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'Do you want to go and get a book about shells, today, Paul?' Alice asked as she buttered some more toast for him.

'Yes, please.' He somehow managed to get marmalade on the end of his nose, she wiped it off with a napkin, he grinned at her. He had really come out of his shell, especially since he had started school, where he had made some friends and even been invited to play with one of them after school.

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The book store was not too busy but there were no books for children of Paul's age about shells. Sensing his disappointment Alice headed for the natural history section and found one that had all the information he would need, they would just have to read it to him. It had plenty of photographs in it that would keep him amused, anyway.

Outside in the sunshine, Matthew suggested they stop for an ice, there was an ice cream parlour just along from the bookstore, Paul was very excited at the prospect, Alice didn't feed him a lot of sweets, he was allowed them only as a treat, so to have an ice cream for no reason was, to the little boy, heaven!

Matthew took him inside to choose while Alice sat at a table and watched the people pass by. A man in a wheelchair negotiated the shoppers and pulled up next to her.

'Excuse me,' he spoke softly but looking away from her, 'don't I know you?'

Alice looked shocked, she wasn't used to being approached by strangers who declared that they knew her, especially in a town she had never been to.

'Your husband said I'd find you here.' he turned to her and watched her mouth drop open.

'Paul?' She gasped, 'Paul, it can't be.'

'It is, hello Alice, how are you?'

'Er,'

'Well, Alice Harvey, stuck for words...' he grinned, 'sorry. Your husband, Matthew, said you had told him about losing touch. I wish I had been able to get word to you, but I couldn't get out of the hospital, and then I was kept in the house. Shame, you see, to have a crippled son.'

'What happened? I went to your house and your parents told me I was a silly girl and to go away. Nobody would help me find you. I thought you were dead,' tears started to fall, 'Oh Paul.'

'Found her then?' Matthew smiled and passed them both an ice. All his detecting had paid off, 'didn't know what to get you as a wedding present, so I thought, maybe...'

'Thank you, Matthew.' She sniffed and took the handkerchief he offered.

Paul reached over and shook his hand, 'thanks for this, Matthew, I had wondered what had happened to my partner in crime.'

'Little' Paul looked confused, Liss was crying and that didn't seem right. People only cry when they're unhappy. He went round to her and put his hand on her knee,

'Mum?' It was the first time he had called her that, though they had told him that they had chosen him to be their son, but it was up to him whether he called them mum and dad, mother and father or stuck to Liss and Phew. She lifted him up and put her arms round him,

'It's alright, Paul.' She kissed his cheek, 'this is Paul, who we named you after, I haven't seen him for lots of years. These are happy tears, really.'

'Oh.' He licked his ice cream.

'Perhaps, son,' Matthew held out his hand to the child, 'we could go for a walk and leave mum and Paul to tell their news.'

'Ok.' The little boy kissed her cheek and slipped off her knee.

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Alice still couldn't believe what she was hearing. Paul had had a huge row with his parents at the beginning of the holiday and it had developed into a fist fight with his father. He'd gone backwards down the stairs and broken his back, leaving him reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of his life. This meant that physical work, something on the docks, that his father had determined his son should take as a job when he finally left school, was never going to be. So they had relented and he had gone to university to study history and now ran the local museum, having never gone back home after starting university. He'd made a good life for himself, even got married.

'I'm not totally useless below the waist,' he winked. 'Matthew tells me you didn't end up in a factory, either.'

'No, I qualified as a doctor, then a pathologist. I horrified my mother when I took a job in a hospital morgue as pathologist.' She smiled.

'Autopsies?'

'And the rest.' She pushed her empty ice tub out of the way, 'that's how I met Matthew. He's the superintendant at Ballarat police station, and my colleague's oldest friend.'

'So he said.' Paul waved at the shop owner, 'don't suppose we could have some tea, John?'

'No problem, Dr Paul.' John grinned, 'he's a regular here.' He told Alice.

'Matthew said you've only just married, but you have a child.' He raised his eyebrows.

'Paul is adopted,' she smiled, 'I've never found anyone I wanted to marry before Matthew, and we probably would have stayed living in sin if it wasn't for Paul.'

'Alice Harvey,' he laughed, 'you little devil.'

'I was never going to do things the same as everybody else. Most men I met along the way wanted me to stay at home and bear them lots of children. I'm not a good cook, children, well if it happens, but I've left it a bit late for that. Paul was abused by a priest and we just sort of ...' how to describe the way her little family had come together. '...we autopsied a little boy and the investigation led us to man who had set up a 'seminary' for boys who had come over from foster care in England. He, and the rest of them just wanted little boys for their unnatural desires. Lucien, my colleague, got to Paul just before the priest was about to do something unthinkable to him. Me and Paul got along because, I suppose, neither of us were looking for a family. I used to go and attend to his bruises if Lucien wasn't available, and then he kept...' She quickly finished the story of how Paul had become Paul and ultimately hers and Matthew's son.

'He's a lucky little boy, and I'm flattered you thought of naming him after me.' Paul smiled and sipped the tea John had brought.

'Actually, it was Matthew,' she admitted, reddening slightly, 'he didn't like being called 'Sid', so he suggested we try 'Paul', after I had told him about how we used to investigate puddles and such like when we were children. Now you know what happened to me, what about you?'

'Well, I got a degree in history and, because I was not going to be able to be an archaeologist, I came here when I saw an advert for a museum curator. It didn't sound much but it has turned into a great post. I do more than dust the exhibits, I'm allowed to arrange new displays on loan from other museums and galleries, give talks to children and even take some things into schools.' He grinned, 'that's how I met my wife. She's a teacher, we married twelve years ago and have a son, Daniel, who's ten. We feel very lucky.'

Alice could see from his face he was indeed happy and she took his hands and told him how glad she was that he had found a place to be fulfilled.

'Come and dine with us,' He squeezed her hand, 'Carol would love to meet you.'

'Oh, Paul,' she sat back, 'we couldn't. Such short notice.'

'Rubbish, tomorrow, six o'clock.' He took a napkin and wrote his address on it. 'Daniel can amuse Paul, Carol's a good cook.'

'Thank you for reminding me about my lack of skills in the kitchen.' She teased. 'Even my husband cooks better than I do.'

'I expect you have other skills.' He raised his eyebrows.

'Paul!'

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'Thank you, Matthew.' Alice climbed into bed and cuddled up to him, 'for finding Paul.'

'I thought you'd feel happier if you knew what had happened to him. I just thought I had certain resources that I could use to find out.' He kissed her temple.

'What would you have done if you'd found out that my first fears were true?'

'I'd have found a way to tell you, to put the demons away.'

'Are you tired?' She wriggled against him.

'Not particularly, why?' He knew perfectly well what she was intimating.

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The rest of the holiday was filled with beach walks, Alice did swim in the sea, Matthew was surprised to see she was a strong swimmer and they encouraged Paul to at least play in the water. They built sandcastles and generally behaved like children during the day.

The meal with Paul and Carol was entertaining, Carol was a good cook, as her husband had said. Daniel was a quiet and thoughtful child who was happy to show Little Paul his own collection of shells and tell him what some of them were. They all got on extremely well and when they left, Matthew extended an invitation to them to spend some time in Ballarat when they had some leave available.

'We'd love to,' Carol smiled, 'I'm so glad to have met you. Paul told me all about your little adventures as children, Alice, he often said he wondered what had happened to you. After what he told me about your family expecting you to work in a factory and have lots of children, I'm glad you found something more interesting, in line with your abilities. I do hate it when parents expect their children to just grow up to work, and not find an occupation that fulfils them. We still need factory workers, dockers, but we do need the scientists as well, and the police, oh, I could go on.'

'I understand.' Alice smiled, 'shall we get some soapboxes and stand on street corners telling the people the world is out there to be explored?'

'Now, that's something I could really enjoy doing.'

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They arrived back in Ballarat Alice still reeling from the work Matthew had done to find Paul. They flight home was easier this time, Little Paul slept part of the way having been allowed to play on the beach before they boarded the plane. Now they were back to the usual run of things, as a proper family.

Lucien picked them up from the local airport and smiled.

'You look well.' He remarked, relieving Alice of her sleeping son and placed him gently on the back seat.

'Thank you.' Alice smiled, broadly, 'everything here alright?'

'I just about managed without you.'

She chose to ignore that, knowing he managed perfectly well on his own. 'How's Jean?'

'Fine, if a little tired.' Lucien pulled away from the car park, 'says she's too old for having babies.'

'Jean is not old.' Alice stated, matter-of-factly, 'and as for having babies, you do know what causes it, don't you?' She added wryly.

'No,' he laughed, 'do tell.'

If he hadn't been driving she'd have hit his arm, but he was, so she didn't, she just rolled her eyes and grinned.

He dropped them off, telling them Jean had put some cold meat and a salad in the fridge.

'That's very kind of her,' Matthew unloaded the car, 'but she didn't have to.'

'Well, you know Jean,' Lucien lifted Paul while Alice unlocked the door, 'there's milk, bread and breakfast things too.'

Alice smiled, but chose not to remark that she was perfectly capable of feeding her boys. It would save her rushing out first thing to buy what she needed.

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Jean was sitting with her feet up on the couch, Amelia napping next to her, when Alice swung by the following day to thank her for her kindness. She heaved herself up and called through that she'd be right there. She' definitely got her dates wrong, even Lucien agreed with that.

'Alice,' she grinned as she opened the door, 'how lovely to see you.'

Alice thought Jean looked tired but refrained from saying as much,

'I hope I'm not disturbing you.' Alice stepped in, 'for you,' she held out a bunch of flowers, 'just to say thank you for stocking the fridge for me.'

'They're beautiful,' Jean took the flowers, 'tea?'

'Lovely.' Alice closed the door behind her and followed Jean through to the kitchen when she ran water into the sink for the flowers; she'd get her husband to take a vase from the cupboard later; and filled the kettle.

'How are you, Jean?' Alice took the cups and saucers out for her.

'Oh, you know.' She sighed, 'tired, fat... but not long to go now.'

'True, about a month, yes?'

'That's right, well we think so. Lucien thinks it's a big baby and I might need help.' Jean grimaced. 'I'm hoping that, for once, he's wrong.'

'It would be unusual,' Alice took the pot off her, 'but stranger things have happened.'

Jean sat down and rubbed her side then over the bump.

'I think it's a boy.' She mused, 'a footballer, by the way he kicks.'

'Could be a girl, practicing her dancing.' Her friend suggested.

'I'd like a girl, after two boys,' Jean sipped her tea, 'but at the same time it would be nice for Lucien to have a son.'

'Does it matter?'

'No, as long as it's healthy.' Jean winced.

'Are you alright?'

'Yes.' She tried to smile, 'just uncomfortable.'

'Would you like me to stay, until Lucien gets back?' Alice was concerned. When they had left she had seemed fine but now it looked like she had had enough.

'I'm not very good company.' Jean sighed. 'But it would be nice, if you can.'

'Surgery this afternoon?'

'Yes.'

'Right,' Alice stood and took the cups to the sink, 'you have the day off, I don't have to pick Paul up until four, I'll let the patients in, you can put your feet up.'

'Then Lucien will think I can't cope.' Jean looked alarmed and tears filled her eyes.

'He is probably more than aware you are struggling, but you won't tell him and if he asks you, you probably bite his head off.' She smiled.

Jean didn't want to admit to Alice she was right, Lucien had suggested he get in a temp to fill in for her, or ask Mattie to do it when she wasn't on call. She poo-poohed the idea and told him she was perfectly capable of carrying on, hadn't she run a farm while she carried the boys? She sighed, 'thank you.'

Alice sent Jean to lie down on the couch with Amelia and sorted out lunch, a sandwich was usual, Amelia would be fine with cooked pieces of vegetable and bits of fruit, perhaps a biscuit and milk. She could manage that, and Lucien could probably help. She looked at the rota on the kitchen calendar and noted that Mattie was scheduled to be home from lunchtime onwards, so perhaps she could be persuaded to see to surgery. Alice was fine looking after Paul but she had no experience with babies, so she was more concerned about Amelia, particularly nappies. Paul had only needed them for a couple of nights and he was able to lie still on command, Amelia was likely to wriggle.

She heard the door open and Mattie's voice float down the hall. She greeted her with her finger on her lips to indicate someone was resting.

'Alice?' Mattie whispered, 'what's going on?'

'Jean is resting, she's exhausted,' Alice drew her into the kitchen. 'From what I can see she's either having Braxton Hicks or she's in early labour.'

'That makes it an early birth or she got her dates wrong.' Mattie looked through to the living room. She could see Jean move occasionally and hear her groan.

'Hospital or home birth?' Alice asked. Mattie went to pick Amelia up to stop her disturbing her mother.

'Jean? Kitchen between the washing up and preparing a pot of tea.' Mattie smiled, 'I don't know. I know the boys were born in hospital but I think she was 'persuaded'. Christopher didn't want to have them born at home.'

'Right,' Alice thought for a while, 'I think it might be a good idea if she was examined, now. Or we could wait for Lucien to come home.'

'He'll be home for surgery, two-ish,' Mattie jiggled the baby in her arms, 'so perhaps, if I change Amelia and settle her in her cot, I can assist.'

'Good.' Alice smiled, 'shall I prepare the surgery?'

'Yes.'

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'Jean,' Mattie touched her shoulder, 'Jean, wake up please.'

'Hm..?' Jean turned her head, 'what? Mattie?'

'Alice and I are a little concerned,' Mattie helped her sit up, 'let's have a look at you, eh?'

'I'm ok.' Jean leant on her shoulder.

'I know, but let's make sure.' Mattie helped her up and into the surgery.

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Alice was in the middle of examining Jean intimately when Lucien strode in, early for once, wondering where everyone was, given that Alice's car was in the drive. He heard voices coming from the surgery and rightly surmised that something was afoot!

'...dilated.' Alice was saying, 'a slow labour by the looks, Nurse O'Brien.'

'Ladies?' He stopped in the doorway. 'Jean? What..?' He was at her head in seconds.

'It would appear your child is in a hurry to enter this world.' She smiled weakly, 'must have got my dates wrong.'

'Oh darling, why didn't you say something?' He held her close and kissed her.

'I wasn't sure.' She winced. 'I thought it was just because I'm so tired.'

'So you finally admit it.' He shook his head, 'oh Jean, what am I going to do with you?'

'Dunno,' she started to cry.

'Let's get you to hospital, eh?'

'Not here?'

'No love.' He smiled at her, 'you know I'm not sure you can do this by yourself this time.'

'Amelia...' She suddenly realised the baby was nowhere in sight.

'I'll look after her,' Mattie touched her arm.

She watched them go, noticing when Jean paused for a contraction, too tired to really make much of it. Alice was going to drive.

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Standing at the steps to the hospital Jean gripped Lucien's hand and silently told herself to get a grip, literally and metaphysically. 'You've done this before, Jean, ' the words rang in her head, 'now get on with it. You don't want him to cut you.' That done she inhaled deeply and lifted her head, a determined set to her chin. Lucien saw out of the corner of his eye the fierce independence of his wife and smiled.

She brushed aside the offer of the wheelchair, relying on gravity to get things moving a little faster. It had worked before. It was hard work, lying on your back with your feet in the damned stirrups battling pain and the forces of gravity. So she walked, holding onto her husband's arm, with her head held high.

True it took longer than she hoped, and she had to put her foot down in order to be allowed to stand and sway holding onto Lucien, but she was more comfortable that way. The obstetrician came in and started to throw his weight about, even though Lucien said he trusted his wife to know what she was doing.

'I'm the medic here.' The consultant snapped.

'When you've pushed a football out of your nether regions then you can tell me what to do!' Jean snapped back, 'I've done this before and you have no bloody idea!'

Lucien's eyebrows shot up, Jean never swore, and certainly not in public. He tried not to laugh at the expression on the face of his colleague and suggested that perhaps, he might like to wait outside until he was called again. He stroked Jean's back and felt her cough as her waters broke, surprised she was not embarrassed. Mei Lin had whined and cried all through giving birth to Li, not Jean, even though he knew she was dead on her feet.

'Jean,' he whispered, glad the two midwives were waiting for instructions, in awe at the connection between the two, 'I should examine you now, see how far you are.'

'One moment, please,' she grunted and paused, 'right, I'm ready to push now.'

They helped her onto the bed, with Lucien sitting beside her, holding her hands and her gaze as she bore down to help the baby into the world. The midwife was ready to advise and instruct, telling her how well she was doing, which Jean ignored, she knew fine well how she was doing.

'One more push, the head is here,' the midwife encouraged.

'Next one, Mrs Blake, a good hard push.'

Jean put her chin on her chest and looked deep into Lucien's eyes, drowning in his love and grunted then gasped as the cry of her daughter split the air.

'Fine set of lungs.' The midwife smiled, 'well done, she's a bonny baby.'

Jean flopped back onto the cushions, still holding Lucien's hands.

'A girl,' Lucien leant forward and kissed her, 'thank you.'

'I thought you'd want a boy.' Jean whispered, not at all embarrassed at his attentions.

'No, I have no preference,' He kissed her hands, 'just as long as it was healthy and you were alright, I really don't mind at all.'

'Seven and a half pounds, Mrs Blake.' Her daughter was handed to her, 'has she a name.'

They looked at each other, they hadn't given it any thought.

'We'll think of something.' Jean grinned.

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Mattie arrived after Lucien had called to say that Jean had given birth, safely, to a daughter. She brought Jean's case that she had packed only in the past few days and some flowers. Charlie was with her, carrying Amelia.

'Thank you, Mattie.' Jean smiled and held out her arms for her older daughter. Noticing the child was not dressed in her pyjamas, and had the remnants of some porridge in one ear she worked out she must have been in labour all night. Lucien confirmed it was indeed the day after.

'Was it a difficult time, Jean?' Mattie hadn't slept much, worried for her friend, she was quite sure it would be a caesarean.

'Well, not something I plan on repeating, but, as births go, it wasn't too bad.' Jean grinned. 'Three times is quite enough.'

Lucien laughed, 'Really, I was looking forward to hearing you tell a consultant that he had no idea what he was talking about, again.'

'You didn't?' Mattie gaped.

'I'm afraid so,' Jean blushed, 'I do believe it was something along the lines of 'no bloody idea', I'd better apologise.'

'Why?' Lucien agreed with her, 'I have no idea what you went through, I just know it hurt, and your description of 'pushing a football from one's nether regions' was priceless.'

'Well...' she pouted, 'he was so pompous.'

'Have you given her a name?' Mattie was now holding the newborn.

'We've just been discussing it and we have settled on Eleanor Jean.' Lucien announced.

'I didn't want the 'Jean', but he insisted.' The new mother grumbled, 'but she will be known as Nell.'

'For Nell Clasby?' Mattie hazarded a guess.

'Yes,' Jean smiled sadly, she still missed her, 'she always supported us when the gossip got going, much like Agnes does now.'

'I think it's lovely,' Charlie offered, 'names should have some memory attached. 'I'm named after my grandfather, who I never knew.'

Nell decided it was time she had some attention from her mother, in the shape of food so they left her to put the baby to her breast and said they'd call back later.

'Get some sleep, Lucien.' Jean called after them, 'you've had no more than me.'

He returned to the bed, and kissed her, 'I will.'

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So there we are, yet another baby Blake to add to the collection. Thank you for the lovely reviews and for continuing to read, even though season 5 is being seen by some.