Author's Note: thank you everyone for your patience with me as I took my time writing this particular Fanfiction. I wish to thank everyone who had reviewed, favourite, and story-alerted this fic but I wish to thank Iambbq especially for being my most faithful reviewer for this Fanfiction.
December 1818:
Christmas in Hartfield is loud, crowded, and chaotic as always. Not only was there Mr Woodhouse, John Knightly and his family unit, the still rather newly wed Mr and Mrs Knightly, Miss Bates and her mother, and Jane and Frank as it always had been but Mr and Mrs Weston and their now one year old daughter Anne, a heavily pregnant Harriet Martin and her husband, and the Eltons had made an appearance as well but the screaming of the younger Knightlys had put them off for staying for Christmas dinner.
Not that anyone cared much for it after all they had only invited the Eltons to prevent any awkwardness in the future during social events.
Mr Woodhouse watched the noisy merriment with a proud and content look. When he had first offered a chance to keep Jane with her aunt and Frank with his father he did not realise what the consequences would be but he was very glad he had done so for despite the drama that had upset his life earlier it had settled down in only what he could call perfection. He had come to care for both Jane and Frank if they were his own children and they in return treat him with the same love and respect that Emma and Isabella treated him.
He remembered that summer's day when Mr Knightly and John returned home with only Emma in toll. The surprise that it was not Emma that Frank had married but Jane was second only to the relieve in knowing he could keep his daughter for longer. It then quickly turned into surprise again when Emma announced she was to marry Mr Knightly instead but Mr Woodhouse knew there could have been worse things than a wedding at home. Beside it made his precious daughter who he thought he had lost happy if he gave his blessing to the match.
He was pleased at the match between Jane and Frank because it had been a worry that the two would marry complete strangers and he or his dear friends would never see them again. He was surprised when Frank had turned down the dowry he offered the young man for Jane (after all it was his responsibility when he chose to foster the child) and even more so when Frank declared he must come to visit them in York.
They negotiated and agreed every holiday must be spent at Hartfield for Frank and Jane which made Christmas and Easter far more enjoyable these days.
Miss Bates had been stuck between extreme happiness that her niece was married to a good man to extreme sadness that her niece could not confide to her about her affections towards Frank. She settled for extreme happiness when two weeks later a sheepish Frank and Jane returned to Hartfield and Frank offered Miss Bates and Mrs Bates his home.
"You are my family now and it is my duty and wish to care for you," Frank had declared after receiving his welcoming embrace from the rambling woman.
The happiness of the rushed marriage faded quickly with the news that Mrs Churchill had died and Frank was scorned by a fair few for choosing his bride over his ailing aunt. Particularly by Mrs Elton who voiced very loudly how she could not understand why a dutiful nephew would abandon an aunt willing to do anything for him for a woman far below his status. The guilt had begun to eat away at Frank by that point until Mr Weston reassured him he was not to blame.
Mr Woodhouse agreed wholeheartedly, he never liked that Churchill woman much since she had taken it to herself to attempt to interfere how he ran his household through letters when Frank had been a young boy and then she took the lad away from his home for 'schooling' and then terrible dangers like holidays in Weymouth where he could catch a chill from the sea. It is no wonder the woman died so young.
The Easter last had been a double celebration as Jane and Frank stayed for two whole months to be available for Emma and Mr Knightly's wedding (Emma had been eager to marry quickly but Mr Woodhouse asked for a spring wedding so he did not have to worry about Emma catching a chill as well as entering the dangers of a marriage). It felt more like old times instead of new to Mr Woodhouse as the girls shared the bed chamber one last time before Emma's wedding and stayed up late giggling as they used to. Frank and Emma encouraged Jane into some mischief making that caused Mr Knightly to scold them with the agreement of many after all they are responsible adults now and no matter how rude Mrs Elton could be she did not deserve such treatment on a holy holiday of all things!
Then again the vicar's wife did not need to make such comments about Emma's lack of satin in the wedding. Who needs satin when there's a lovely white shawl to keep the bride warm?
Shaking his head Mr Woodhouse focused on the party in the parlour. John was regaling his children with a story to keep them amused, Harriet large with children was sitting close to her quiet husband while discussing happily about baby names and clothes with Mrs Weston and Miss Bates, while Isabella was listening intently to Mr Weston about some gossip of Mr Perry's children ill with too much fruit cake (Mr Woodhouse will not believe such slander! Mr Perry would never endanger his children with cake no matter how much fruit is in it), Mr Knightly was in some discussion with Mrs Bates who seemed to have recovered her voice recently while his arm was around dear Emma who had baby Anne Weston on her lap. Jane was sitting beside Emma with her attention diverted by her infant sister in law and her husband was on the floor trying to amuse his little sister.
It was indeed the most perfect Christmas scene as they were all wrapped up warmly and the fire had been given extra fuel in case of the wind forces the French doors to open and chill the many guests.
"I suppose you will be wanting your own little one soon," Mrs Weston teased the troublesome threesome, "I warn you they are not as fun when they are your own."
"I do not mind any trouble any child of mine causes," Frank said admiring how tiny his sister was although she had grown so much in the last year and a half. "I doubt they will cause more trouble than I ever did."
"I doubt that," Emma laughed, "the child shall be half Jane and she was the more cunning one out of us. She was never in trouble and therefore you will never catch your child in their mischief making."
"Emma dearest, Jane was never in trouble because she was the sensible one and behaved like any good girl would," Mr Knightly chided his wife gently.
Emma and Jane swapped amused glances while Frank roared with laughter. "You keep believing that dear," Emma said as she kissed her husband's cheek. "Though I will confess I fear for the next generation they shall be more troublesome than we ever were. John has told me many tales of your own mischief making so has Father and Miss Bates."
Mr Knightly glared at his brother and friends for betraying him so to his wife. The whole room laughed however at the weak attempt of being indignant and intimidating at the same time. The children could not stop giggling either for they could never believe Uncle George was ever naughty nor Aunt Emma who was so very kind and would sometimes let them stay up late. Then again they did see their Uncle George being scolded by their father a long time ago for not telling him he was visiting, Uncle George sulked for ages until Aunt Emma ran away and he went to tell her off.
When Isabella cheerfully announced this to the room everyone laughed once more though she could not understand why. Grown ups are weird like that she decides and her siblings apart from baby Emma (who was sitting on Mama's lap) agreed with her.
"Speaking of children our own," Jane said softly.
"Yes?" Mrs Weston inquired eagerly.
Jane and Emma exchanged the softest smiles as both of their hands made a strange subtle movement to their stomachs. Frank saw this and gasped, "You mean...?" he asked looking at both Emma and Jane.
They nodded and Frank let out a whoop of excitement. The many guests were not unused to the strange silent talk of the three friends and therefore waited in amusement for an explanation.
"Are you going to enlighten us Emma or shall we keep guessing into the night?" Mr Knightly asked with his eyes glittering with humour.
"I decided to wait until Christmas to tell you," Emma said happily, "I thought it would be such a wonderful present for you but I was bursting to tell someone and wrote to Jane, only to find out that she too was with child! They will be born merely days apart!" Mr Knightly could not make a reply, he was so shocked at the revelation as they had not been married for even a year yet and he thought his age might prevent any instant conception besides Jane and Frank had been married longer than they had and they had not conceived until recently. Everyone else voice their congratulations to both brides as he struggled to find the right words for his joy at the idea of having a child with Emma. Emma watched him with amusement and mischief glittering in her beautiful blue eyes. "Jane and I are hoping to have a child of the opposite gender of the other so we can matchmake them together. Would it not be wonderful for our children to be married to our dearest friends' children?" she said cheerfully.
"Emma you will only matchmake our child over my dead body!" Mr Knightly cried out much to everyone's amusement.
"Then you must make yourself immortal," Emma said kissing him once more, "or you will find your son or daughter in law to be Jane and Frank's child."
"I only hope our children will be even closer and good friends than we are," Frank said as he continued to stare at Jane in awe and with love.
Mr Knightly knew exactly how he felt as he was certain he was watching Emma with the exact same stare. "I cannot see how they could be Frank," he said, "you three were always bound together in some sort of mysterious way that no one could understand."
"They certainly seemed to plot in some supernatural silence," Mrs Weston agreed as she thought of all the mischief she failed to prevent as her time as governess.
There were some titters from the crowd and Mr Woodhouse began to fret silently (for he could not bring himself to ruin the joyful expressions on Emma, Jane, Frank, an Mr Knightly's faces) about the dangers of childbirth, it was a miracle that the five children had not damaged Isabella but could the same miracle happen to Emma and Jane?
John noticing the look decided to distract his children and the room if they chose to listen with another tale.
"Have I ever told you about the Christmas where Aunt Emma, Aunt Jane, and Uncle Frank had snuck downstairs and opened all their presents in the night?" he asked loudly.
"John!" Emma and Jane cried out looking rather horrified and embarrassed.
Frank merely laughed while Isabella scolded her husband, "Do not give our children any ideas John Knightly or so help me god-"
Mr Woodhouse sighed blissfully as the room was filled with noise and merriment once more. He was certain he had made the right choice all those years ago for he had not only provided two families a chance to remain together but given his youngest child the two most dearest friends as well.
And perhaps his future grandchildren as well.
Although he does hope that they will not be as mischievous as their parents were!