Well, this is the end of this little story! Thank each and everyone of you for the reviews, reblogs, and the support. You guys make this fun!
And a special thank you to Hogwarts-Duo/Chelsie-Carson for sticking with me and being patient and kind and amazing, because this story wouldn't be half the story it is, without her.
Disney World had been an amazing experience, and Ainsley had enjoyed herself immensely. (Everyone had enjoyed themselves, even Charles, who was not a fan of theme parks) The plane ride home had been nice enough. Elsie had finished critiquing another manuscript that would be sent back to the writer to be looked over one last time before it went to print.
That had been two weeks ago, and now they were sitting in the doctor's office waiting for Elsie's ultrasound that would tell them what they were having. Charles was fidgeting, and Elsie rolled her eyes silently and placed a calming hand on his leg.
The nurse called them back, and Elsie was situated on the table comfortably with her belly exposed. The ultrasound tech spread some gel over her midsection and finally all was revealed.
"Well, Mrs. Carson, there is one heartbeat, that is very strong right here….Annnnd, congratulations! There is another! It looks like you will be adding two babies to the family."
Charles grinned at Elsie who laughed through her tears. She loved this part, looking at the signs of life inside her. It was breathtaking.
"Can you tell us what we are having?" Elsie asked in a anxious voice.
"Sure, hold on just one second...Well, here we have a bouncing baby boy, and the other is a lovely baby girl. Congratulations! One of each. I'd say most people would love this kind of luck!"
Elsie smiled, at a loss of words. Charles squeezed her hand with pride. This was the true beginning for them. Yes, he would have been happy with just Ainsley, but two more would just make everything even more real, even more amazing.
Elsie got cleaned up and he took her around to Beryl's restaurant where everyone was waiting to hear the news. Isobel had picked up Ainsley after school and brought her straight there, and she was enjoying a cookie when her parents walked in.
Everyone looked at the pair expectantly. Elsie bit her lip and looked up at Charles, who was grinning ear to ear.
"Mummy! Am I going to have sister?" Ainsley ran up to the pair.
"A sister...and a brother. We are having twins!" Elsie laughed as several people groaned, a couple laughed, and she watched as Violet wiped at her eyes.
The couple watched several of their friends exchange money, the bet they had going having come to fruition. They laughed as Beryl groused about and started mumbling about making food for Elsie that was good for two growing babes.
They sat at the table with Violet, Rosamund, Isobel and Richard. Ainsley had wandered over to Mr. Mason, and was asking him if she could come see the lambs. He had lifted her to his lap and was telling her all about his farm. Elsie could hear her giggle from time to time, and it made her heart swell that Beryl had found a nice man at last.
"So, what names have you two discussed," Rosamund asked pointedly. She knew Elsie had dreaded that topic of conversation.
Elsie looked at Charles to seek permission to disclose, and he smiled good naturedly. "Well, for our little girl, we thought the name Amelia Greer would be nice. As for the boy, we have agreed on Jack Henry," Elsie replied.
"Oh, what lovely names, Els!" Isobel exclaimed.
"Charles came up with Henry, after his father, and obviously Greer is after mum," Elsie said sensibly.
"Jack is a strong name, and it flows well dear." Violet interjected.
"I love the name and I had discussed it when we were trying…" Rosamund said quietly.
Elsie grabbed her hand across the table. They communicated silently, and both of their eyes filled with topic of conversation soon turned to due dates and baby showers and rooms and decor. The group laughed and ate and celebrated the new lives that were soon to join them.
Three months later and Charles and Elsie were fighting about colors of nurseries. Elsie had gone ahead and painted Amelia's room with grey walls and accented it with mint and coral. She had found beautiful antique crib and she had decorated the room with little pictures and cute little quotes. He had been fine with that, but now she wanted to paint Jack's room yellow, and he wasn't having it.
"Why not green? That is a good color for a boy!" Charles cajoled.
Elsie had burst into tears and she had looked up at him and sobbed out that green had been Joe's favorite color. Charles had sighed and told her that it was just a color, and they could pair it with grey and blue.
After that had been settled, both nurseries had been set up and they were both lovely little sanctuaries for each twin.
When Elsie entered her eighth month, Beryl and Rosamund (both had been chosen to be godmother's. Isobel was Ainsley's, so these two had made perfect sense.) threw her a baby shower. The guest list was huge, due to her successful publishing career. She was surprised and she had been overwhelmed with both little girl and boy's outfits.
They had played games, and a few of the guests had even brought gifts for Ainsley.
Ainsley was coping incredibly well with the fact that she was no longer going to be the center of her mama's attention. She was so excited to be a big sister, and she kept proclaiming that Amelia was already her favorite. Elsie would roll her eyes with a chuckle and admonish her softly that she needed to love both of her siblings, equally.
The baby shower had ended and now they had two car loads of stuff to take back to the house. Charles was away at a conference for the weekend, so Isobel had offered to stay with them. They had just put the last of it away when Elsie felt the babies drop. She groaned when she felt a gush of water run down her legs. She called out for Isobel and Rosamund. They both came in, and Isobel snapped into nursing mode, while Rosamund ran to get Elsie's overnight bag.
"Rosie, will you call Charles, and tell him to get the next train down? Then call Aunt Vi and Beryl and will you stay with Ainsley until the twins have arrived?" Elsie managed before a small contraction started.
"Yes, yes. Now let's get you into the car, and Isobel will take care of you!" Rosamund waved as the car disappeared and then she went to make her calls.
Elsie had been admitted swiftly and she was anxious. She wanted Charles to be there. He had gotten the first train he could but was still an hour away. The train ride from Edinburgh was 4 hours and Elsie had been in labour for three and a half hours. She was getting close, and she knew there was a chance that Charles wouldn't make it.
"He will make it, and even if he doesn't, I won't leave your side," Isobel said earnestly.
Elsie nodded and then gritted her teeth as another contraction ripped through her. This labour was already tougher than Ainsley's had been. That had been quick, which was unusual for the first time, but she had been grateful.
All of her contractions seemed to be just a bit sharper. She chalked it up to having to push two babies out into the world instead of one. She groaned as another contraction hit.
The doctor came in and examined her.
"Well, Mrs. Carson, it looks like these two are ready to make their entrance into the world," she proclaimed with a smile.
"Is there anyway we can delay this for fifteen more minutes? Anyway at all?" Elsie asked pitifully, desperately wanting her husband by her side.
"I don't think so, ma'am. Your little ones are anxious to make their way into the world," the doctor replied as they started wheeling her to the delivery room.
Tears slipped down Elsie's face as she closed her eyes. She felt a familiar hand grip hers, and when she opened her eyes back up, she was staring at a very disheveled Charles. Her face split into a brilliant smile before contorting into a grimace as another contraction hit her.
They prepped her in the delivery room and soon she was pushing all the while holding on to Charles's hand. When they heard the first cries fill the delivery room, it only made her push harder for the second baby to come. It took five more pushes for their second little one to join the world. The room was full of loud cries, and Elsie couldn't be happier. Soon a little body was placed in her arms, and she looked up to see Charles enthralled with their other little bairn.
They made eye contact and smiled brightly before she looked down to the bundle in her arms. She had little Amelia, with her perfect button nose, with a lovely little cupid's bow shaped mouth and her eyes were already open and focused on Elsie. She was too caught up in counting fingers and toes to realize that Charles had asked if she wanted to see their strapping son. It almost came as a shock to see another, almost identical, face staring up at her for only a few minutes until they were both whisked away to the nursery while Elsie was settled into her room.
Ainsley arrived thirty minutes later, and Charles lifted her into the bed to cuddle into her mother's side.
"Where are the babies, mummy?"
At that moment a nurse came wheeling in the little mobile beds, and Charles carefully lifted out Amelia and then little Jack out to settle them in Elsie's waiting arms.
"Ainsley, these are your younger siblings, Amelia Greer and Jack Henry. You have to be very careful around them and keep your voice quiet until they get bigger," Elsie explained quietly.
"They're so little!" Ainsley said quietly with a voice of wonder.
Charles picked Ainsley up from her place and gave her tummy a tickle. "Yes, but they will grow, just like you have, and then you will have to teach them how to play and how to cuddle and how to do all the things you like doing."
Two months later, the family was all settled and Elsie had both of the babies in the same crib for the night because Charles was at a late meeting he couldn't avoid. She turned the monitor on, and she walked into her room and slid beneath the covers.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see her husband motioning for her to be quiet and to follow him. When they peeked around into the nursery they saw Ainsley with a little bag packed and her best robe tied around her.
"I just don't think mummy has time for me anymore. You two are always crying and I need her too. I'm going to Granny Violet's house to be loved. Mummy only loves you two, and I hate you."
Elsie's eyes had filled with tears, and she motioned for Charles to go back into the room. She watched the little girl walk towards her room, and then she followed.
"Ainsley, where are you packed to go little lass?"
She watched Ainsley jut her chin out a little before answering. "I'm leaving, because you don't have time to love me any more."
Elsie's heart broke. She had been trying to include Ainsley in the day to day, but with two babies, it had become a rather difficult job, if she was honest with herself. She knelt down in front of Ainsley only to see that the little girl's lip was quivering.
"Oh, my little Ainsley Kathleen. I know mummy seems really busy with Amelia and Jack, but that doesn't mean I love you any less. You will always be mummy's special little lass. The fact is, you were my best girl for a really long time, and really you will always hold a very special place in my heart. I would have never met your papa if it hadn't been for you That means I never would have had the twins. And I know right now it seems like I love them more, but it's because they are babies and they need me more."
Ainsley sniffled, "Mummy, I need you too."
"Oh, lass, of course you do. Come here, little love." Elsie said as she pulled Ainsley into her lap and cuddled her close.
Ainsley cried into her mother's neck and inhaled the familiar scent. She had missed her mummy's cuddles.
"Now my little lass, how about I promise to take an hour each day to cuddle you, and we can just spend time together. Will that stop you from running away?" Elsie asked in a low, loving voice.
Ainsley nodded and tightened her grip when Elsie tried to pull away. "Stay with me mummy."
Elsie picked her up and carried her to the bed, where they both cuddled in for the night. Soon, they were both contentedly sleeping snuggled into one another.
The next morning, Charles lifted Ainsley off of Elsie, and they all relocated into the master bedroom onto the king sized bed. Charles held Amelia, Elsie held Jack (both were sleeping soundly) and Ainsley was snuggled in between.
Charles smiled over at Elsie, "Happy, Mrs. Carson?"
"Completely and unreservedly happy, Mr. Carson," she replied with a bright smile as they looked at their family and forward to their future, together.
Thanks for reading, Let me know what you thought!
I may have another au out soon (if i get around to writing it!)
Much love,
Samantha=)