A/N: Fluff alert.
May 2016
Charles whistled as he stirred the contents in the pan. Steam rose from the stove. Cayenne? No, I shouldn't make it too hot. He felt something brush against his leg. Looking down, he smiled widely at Pepper.
"Hello, darling," he rumbled. The puppy whined and butted her head against his foot. "I just let you out ten minutes ago, what's the matter? Are you lonely? Just a moment." He banged the wooden spoon against the pan and set it down before picking up the wriggling dog.
"There now," he sat down on a chair, soothing her. Scratching her ears, he chuckled as she settled on his lap, her front paws on his belly. "Becky held you half of the afternoon. Your auntie likes to spoil you, too!" Pepper huffed against his shirt.
"Oh, I know you miss her already. Don't worry, we'll visit her again later next week. Mummy will be able to come then." The puppy looked up at him almost pleadingly. He raised his eyebrows. "She went with Phyllis today. They're looking at wedding dresses. It's very important, otherwise she would not have left us on a Saturday." He lifted her in his arms until they were eye-level. "Have I told you how much I love you? How glad I am Mummy picked you?"
He didn't care that it might seem strange that he talked to a dog. Her ears were up, listening intently. "I know she looked for someone that I would like. And she did! But," his nose touched Pepper's. "I don't think she thought about how you resemble her, with your reddish hair. You've got a bit of me as well. Your eyes are rather like mine."
Getting up, he held Pepper in one arm while checking the stove. The puppy lunged forward at the scent, and he only just caught her in time. "Whoa! Daddy doesn't want you to get burned." He laughed. "You do get that from me – you're always hungry!"
The distinct click of the front door opening reached them. Pepper leaped from his arms and raced to the hallway, her nails clacking on the floor.
Elsie pushed the door closed with her hip. She heard the tell-tale signs of the youngest member of the family behind her, and felt the smile bloom on her face. It had been a little over a week, and already neither she nor Charles could imagine life without her.
She scooped up Pepper and hugged her close, dropping her purse onto the carpet. "Hello, my wee girl! Did you have a good day with Da and Aunt Becky? I missed you!" Looking up, she shook her head at her husband. "I'm sure it must look silly, talking to a dog." She kissed her soft fur and put her down gently. Charles stepped forward and kissed her, drawing a line down her face with his finger.
"Not silly at all. I was just talking to her about you." He pulled her closer, his hand behind her neck. She encircled his back with her arms. He tasted like chocolate and peanut butter. She stepped back, her thumb on the corner of his lips.
"Please tell me you didn't give her any candy as well." His eyes widened, and she laughed at his guilt-ridden expression.
"I swear, I did not give our puppy any sweets. I was tempted, but I didn't," he said, turning to the stove. "And I only had two. I was hungry, and I wasn't sure when you'd be home-"
"Charles," she said reproachfully, "you know you could have started making dinner earlier, I would not have minded. I don't want you to go hungry on my account."
"It's nearly done now," he protested. "And I wanted to wait for you and hear all about the wedding plans."
"Fair enough," she said, reaching for the silverware.
Phyllis and Joe had set a date for early September. They were planning on an outdoor ceremony, in the gardens at the nearby university campus. Joe had asked John to be his best man. Phyllis, in a move that surprised no one, asked Thomas to stand up with her.
"She's not sure what to call him, except her best man," Elsie said as she sipped her wine. "She thought about calling him her matron of honor, just to annoy him. Beryl said she could call him that, since he's an old married man himself." She grinned, the skin around her eyes crinkling. "Then the woman had the cheek to call me an old matron, since we've got our furry child at our beck and call-"
"As if she and Bill don't have several furry children themselves on the farm," he chuckled under his breath. "I don't think it matters how Phyllis refers to Thomas, he won't care. But did she find a dress?"
"Yes," she said, looking amused as she cleared their dishes from the table. "I'm not telling you any details. You'll have to wait until Monday when you can ask her yourself. She'll tell you everything, don't worry."
"How dare you, refusing to tell me details!" He playfully grabbed her from behind. She dropped the plates on the counter as he nuzzled her neck. Pepper made her presence known with gusto.
"Arooooooooooooooooo," she howled, before growling and barking at the couple. Elsie and Charles dissolved into laughter.
"There, there," Elsie hiccupped, picking up the irate animal and swaying with her from side to side, with Charles's hands on her shoulders. "We haven't forgotten about you, lass!"
"She doesn't like it when I show you affection," Charles said. He softly caressed Pepper, smoothing his fingers over her head and back. "No matter how much I might have wanted her to snuggle in bed with us, I insisted that she have her own place to sleep. Otherwise, we'd never get alone time!"
"We can't have that," Elsie murmured. She'd nearly had a breakdown the first night Pepper was home when their poor baby whined from the kitchen. But she knew, at the beginning at least, there had to be some ground rules. Secretly, she didn't think either of them would be able to stick to it in the long term. We'll see who gives in first.
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A buzzing sound blared in her ear. She couldn't place it. Then her mind snapped into the present. Her phone was ringing, an insistent sound. In the dim light of the bedroom, she squinted at the time. 5:28 am.
"Hello?" she mumbled, her voice heavy with sleep.
"I'm sorry for waking you this early." Anna. Oh God, the baby.
"What is it? Are you in labor? Do I need to come and get Poppy?" Elsie flung back the covers, regretting the decision immediately when the cool morning air hit her skin. Goosebumps popped up, and she scrambled to cover herself again. I really need to stop falling asleep without clothes on.
"No, Poppy's fine. We're all fine," Anna's voice sounded slightly scratchy, but Elsie couldn't remember her ever sounding so awake that early. "As for labor, well, that all went very quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I have a young man here who wants to meet you."
Elsie gasped aloud and grabbed for Charles, shaking his shoulder. "Oh my God! It's over!? And you're all right?" Tears filled her eyes as her thoughts chased each other in an incoherent whirlwind. They're fine. Labor went quickly. A young man. She and John have a son. Poppy has a brother. They're fine.
"Yes, I'm fine," Anna sounded as though she was close to tears. "Better than fine. I feel much better than when Poppy was born, but then he came so fast I hardly had time to think."
Charles rolled over, rubbing his face, his hair standing straight up. "What's wrong?" he whispered. "Is it Anna, do-" Elsie shushed him, listening.
"-John only just had time to call Jimmy and Thomas after calling his mum. They got to our house around half-past three, and Mum got there about fifteen minutes after we had left. We got to the hospital close to four, and he was born half an hour after we arrived. I thought I was going to deliver in the reception area! Twenty-two inches long, nine pounds, thirteen ounces. He's gigantic."
"Oh my," Elsie said, pressing her hand to her mouth. "I'm glad it was fast for you. But you're sure you're all right?"
"Absolutely, but I'll be better once Poppy gets here. Mum and the boys are bringing her after she wakes up. Oh," Elsie could hear someone talking in the background, followed by a loud, lusty cry. She leaned against Charles, who still looked half-asleep. "I'm sorry, but I have to let you go. Will you come this morning? I think Poppy should be up by eight."
"We'll be there later," Elsie said. She hung up and placed the phone back on the side table. Charles stroked her back.
"Is everything all right?" She turned, kissing him, feeling his heartbeat beneath her hand.
"Wonderful. Everything is wonderful," she whispered dreamily, resting her head under his chin. "Anna had the baby. It's a boy. They're all doing well." She swiftly filled him in on everything she knew.
He hugged her, kissing the top of her head. "That is wonderful! I suppose we'll be going to the hospital this morning? You won't be able to stay away," he ran his fingers into her hair.
"If you don't mind?"
"No, why would I? I hope Thomas is there when we arrive," he said, a gleeful hint in his voice. "I can rub it in on winning the pool, he was convinced Anna was having another girl."
"Don't remind me," she huffed, drawing circles on his shoulder, lightly scraping her nails across his skin. "I bet that the bairn would be another girl as well."
"What's his name? You didn't tell me."
"Oh!" she gasped, sitting up straight. "I didn't think to ask!"
He sank back onto his pillow laughing until she stopped him with a full-tongued kiss.
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Margaret Bates gestured down the hall as she and her granddaughter walked hand-in-hand. "Look who's here!"
A huge grin split Poppy's face. She ran towards Charles and Elsie, waving a piece of paper in her hand. "Nana Elsie! Papa Carson! Hi! Look at my picture!"
"It's very pretty," Charles commented. Elsie hugged the little girl as he shared an amused glance with Margaret.
"How are you, Mr. Carson? Congratulations on your wedding, you look very happy. I think marriage agrees with you." The white-haired lady's eyes twinkled.
"Thank you, Mrs. Bates. We're very happy." He gave Poppy a kiss on the cheek. Elsie hugged Margaret warmly.
"It's nice to see you again! I didn't think we would be here today, she wasn't due for another week!"
"Sometimes that's the way of things," Margaret patted her arm. "Why don't you and your husband go in? Thomas and Jimmy are in there as well. I don't want to crowd Anna and John, Poppy and I visited for a good long while."
Anna was laughing when they entered. Elsie was relieved to see her color high, her long hair tumbling over her shoulder, her hand entwined with John's. Jimmy sat in a chair, holding the baby. Thomas was perched on the end of the bed.
"Anna," Elsie said, her eyes soft. She embraced the younger woman, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Thank God you're all right."
"I'm glad you and Mr. Carson could come so soon," Anna replied. "I would have called you to get Poppy, but-well, circumstances happen."
"I'm not offended," Elsie smiled. She squeezed John's arm. "Congratulations! What do you think, first a daughter, then a son?"
"Poppy is like her mother, naturally. If he takes after his mother, which I'm sure he will," he smiled, "then he'll have a charmed life."
"Especially if he's as charming as his father," Anna winked.
Charles shook hands with John and Anna, congratulating them. He was interrupted by Jimmy, who had been talking to Thomas in an undertone.
"Mr. Carson? Would you like to hold him? I don't think I should keep him to myself all day, as much as I'd like to." Jimmy looked at the sleeping infant with awe. Charles held a wordless conversation with Elsie. He swallowed, suddenly feeling nervous.
"Of-of course. Let me just sit down." Elsie watched him settle into the chair with trepidation, a loving smile on her lips. He cradled the sleeping baby in his big hands, and her heart melted. She stood behind him, tracing a finger lightly over smooth skin.
"He's so small," Charles whispered, turning his head slightly to his wife. "Was Poppy this small? I don't remember her being this tiny."
"He's bigger than his sister was," she murmured. "But just as sweet." She looked up at John and Anna. "I completely forgot to ask earlier – what's his name?" The younger couple exchanged a glance before John spoke up.
"Like his sister, we're going to call him by his middle name. Sebastian."
Charles raised his eyebrows. "I suppose it would be confusing to have two Johns in your house. It's a different name. He'll stand out with that one."
"His full name is Charles Sebastian Bates." John said softly. Elsie's hands flew to her mouth. Charles's heart skipped several beats. He looked up, struggling both for words to say as well as to keep from crying. He let out a long breath.
"I…I am honored," he whispered, his attention back on the warm infant in his arms. Elsie took an offered tissue from Thomas.
"Would you be willing to be his godfather? We'd love you to be," Anna said. Charles ducked his head, feeling a tear running down his face. He turned his head, not wanting it to fall on Sebastian. He and Elsie laughed quietly as she wiped it away. His heart overflowed with love – for the baby, for Poppy, for John and Anna. For Poppy's godmother, his wife, the woman who took Sebastian gently from his arms, to cuddle him herself. He tucked a strand of her hair back as she sat on the bed next to Thomas. He stood up, remembering he hadn't answered Anna yet.
"Of course, I'd be delighted. Thank you," he replied, smiling at her. She clutched John's hand and wiped away her own tears. Sebastian fretted in Elsie's arms, and Thomas touched his tiny hand.
"Hey there little man, it's not that bad. He may look strict, but he's an old softie." He grinned at Charles, who felt himself smiling back.
"Listen to your Uncle Thomas. He may get some things wrong, but in this case, he's right." He put a hand on Elsie's back as she hummed. The baby quieted. Jimmy slid one arm around Thomas's shoulders and put the other around Anna.
"Well, we're just missing Robert, then all the partners can have a good cry together," John joked. Everyone laughed.
"Has Mary been here?" Elsie asked.
Anna shook her head. "Not yet, she's coming in a little while. We're going to ask her to be Sebastian's godmother." She sipped some water from John. Elsie looked at Charles.
"How very fitting, you and she being godparents together," she said quietly. She gazed back at the baby. "He's very lucky." Charles could hear the sincerity in her voice. His throat closed again.
"Both he and Poppy are lucky to have you and Charles," John said. "For all intents and purposes, you both are their grandparents, along with my mother."
"As well as to Sybbie," Anna reminded them. "And mentors to a lot of us. You may not have noticed, but you've got a big family!"
Charles leaned over and kissed Elsie on the cheek. "What a family," he murmured. She turned slightly, a tear gleaming in her eye.
"And we wouldn't trade them for anything," she whispered.