Thank you for the great feedback on the last chapter guys! In honour of the latest episode, here's another. Enjoy.

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"There's no need to have her in the room with you. She does sleep well in her own room these days, thankfully"

Ruby couldn't stop giving directives from her place on the couch, and Jean tried not to take it personally. On top of being highly strung, this was also the first time she'd left her baby in the care of others for any serious length of time, so Jean was inclined to give her leeway. Not to mention her sickness. It was a recipe for paranoia.

Even so, Jean noted that the spare room was just next to hers in the upstairs corridor, and that if she left the door open she'd hear Amelia crying in the night. Ruby had done well at keeping the night time routine Jean had set for her, and Amelia was sleeping through, so hopefully it wouldn't be needed, but even so, her door would be staying open despite Charlie's presence and the draft it caused. There was no way she would take any chances with a baby in the house.

Christopher made no comment about the fact his mother still slept upstairs in her own room. He honestly didn't want to know more than that. But it did make him proud that these two were obviously taking it slow and doing things the right way, in the proper order. He was surprised at his own protectiveness, but this was his mum, and he only wanted her to be happy, and he respected Lucien Blake more for it no matter whose decision it was.

"Sweetheart" he coaxed, placing a gentle hand on Ruby's lap as he sat next to her on the couch. "This is the safest place she could be. Mum's here, there's a doctor, and even a coppa in the house too. She'll be fine"

Ruby didn't seem mollified but she did quieten after that. Jean turned back to preparing dinner, and tried not to smart that Ruby didn't even offer to help. She reminded herself again that Ruby was unwell, and put the uncharitable thoughts from her mind as best she could as she started chopping veggies for a simple chicken soup.

"Would you mind terribly if I went and had a lie down before dinner?" asked Ruby.

Christopher was already helping her up off the couch, keeping a close eye on the baby on the floor.

"Of course not" replied Lucien kindly. "You've had such a long drive, please, feel free to rest as long as you need. We'll keep little Amelia occupied for you"

He escorted the two as far at the living room door, then gave Christopher a cursory nod and turned back around.

Jean was not surprised when she heard his footstep approaching a moment later. She looked up and saw him walking back towards her with Amelia perched in one of his arms, the other hand holding her chubby little one. All afternoon Amelia had been gravitating to him, crawling along the floor and then pulling at his pant legs. If she was in his arms she was transfixed by his face – already he'd been poked in the eye by a tiny fingernail as she grasped at him. Ruby had apologised, Christopher had given a guarded smile, and Jean had felt her heart soar when Lucien's only reaction was to blink away the scratch, take Amelia's hand, and run exaggerated little kisses long her fingertips as though to eat them. He had smiled widely at the baby's giggles, oblivious to the people watching.

Now he approached her, staying a foot away to ensure Amelia was nowhere near the knife.

"Can we be of any assistance?"

Jean looked up and smiled at him.

"Perhaps you'd like to fill the kettle for me and pop it on for a nice cup of tea" she replied. Her smile grew wider when Lucien gave a mocking salute and then zhoomed across the kitchen floor with a bounce, just to make Amelia laugh again. He got to filling the electric kettle and then turned it on, and they stood in relative silence until he had prepared their two cups of tea.

"Thank you" she said when he placed hers on the kitchen table in front of her chopping board.

"You're very welcome" he replied lowly. He leaned in and kissed her cheek for good measure, and she fought a blush, the way she did every time he showed her a small and everyday moment of affection. It came so easy to him to do it, and she cherished it.

"Ruby seems quite unwell" she said, keeping her voice measured low so it wouldn't carry upstairs at all.

"Quite" he said back, nodding, taking a seat. "Though I must say, well done to Christopher for not subjecting her to unnecessary treatments until he's investigated further. Many people wouldn't have done the same"

"The doctors in Melbourne may still decide electroshock therapy is the best course" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Perhaps. But at least they will have tried"

Jean shuddered at the thought. "It still sounds like such a barbaric way to fix someone"

He only hummed in response. It seemed like he was a world away, and then in a moment his attention was firmly fixed back on Amelia, and Jean finished up her chopping and preparing just as the pot on the stove started boiling. She didn't press him for more speculation, instead content to get the food ready in time for an early dinner.

Jean watched Lucien from her place at the stove, mixing their soup so it wouldn't stick to the bottom of the pot. He was sitting at the head of the table, Amelia in front of him – he was holding her under the arms as she stood on the tabletop, periodically bending her knees to bounce up and down like a spring. The two of them were having a grand old time.

A smile came over Jean, partly endeared but also immensely sad for him; he was so easy with her, a real natural, and darker thoughts came forth unbidden from her mind. He bounced Amelia and made faces and small silly sounds like it was nothing, when so many other men left that kind of interaction to mothers; he blurted raspberries on her cheeks every so often just to make her giggle, which she did. Jean could imagine him then, younger and free of his burdens, holding his only child in much the same way, unaware of the heartache that would soon follow. She imagined him bouncing her around, her eyes a different shade but same shape as his, her little giggles echoing around a happier time. Jean wondered, not for the first time, what their lives might have looked like if even one small thing had been different, and the thought made her sad enough to turn back to the stove to gather herself together.

No point dwelling now, she thought, as she stirred the pot and heard another peel of giggles ring out, followed by a quieter, deeper chuckle. They'd somehow landed here, together, and now her soon-to-be-husband was laying her granddaughter back on the table in order to tickle the bottom of her feet.

"I was going to stew those apples on the table" she said, jerking her head a little towards the apples in the fruit bowl that were a day or two past eating. "That way we'll have something solid for Amelia to snack on"

"That sounds wonderful" he said, smiling at her. "I can pick up some more fruit tomorrow if you like"

"Oh, I can do that-"

"No, I insist, I'll have the car and I much prefer that than you walking around town with that bulky stroller"

She rolled her eyes at him. "You have patients in the afterno-"

"Doesn't matter"

She turned fully away from the stove then, wooden spoon poised in the air like she might smack him with it for being naughty. "You are so stubborn" she said, shaking her head, frowning at him.

His only response was to slowly raise his eyebrows at her. She huffed, point proven, and stirred the pot again to make sure nothing was sticking.

"Oh, very well" she said. "How about we come with you into town then? You're only going to be at the hospital in the morning, we can come with you, spend a lovely time down the street, and then you can come and get us once you're done?"

He gave her a critical eye, but it did seem like a fair compromise. And if needs be, should he be caught up, Jean could bring Amelia back home early and explain to his patients then. He looked at the baby, sucking quite happily on the hem of her pinafore, and smiled.

"Oh, very well" he said. He gave her a look like he wasn't happy with it, but the grin hiding in his expression and the way she looked triumphantly happy gave away that they were both pleased. With a smirk he turned back to the baby in an exaggerated way.

"You will soon learn, young Amelia, that Grandma Jean is always right"

Said grandmother dutifully ignored him, except for one indignant, high-pitched huff.