Ill Conceived Plans

Family Reunion

He deserved that chance.

But her gut had twisted.

Was she turning Bean into a walking time bomb?

What happened if the baby rushed down the birth canal and bounced out with crazy blonde curls, beautiful blue eyes?

There would be no denying it's parentage then.

Oh god, would she hate the child if it looked like him and cost them their friendship – a constant reminder of what they had and what she'd given up for a child she hadn't even realised she wanted? Oh, shit did she want it?

She felt bubbles in her womb like she was getting her answer and she suddenly guilt washed over her at even questioning her decision.

"Bean!"

She texted back.

"I call it Bean – I'm not going to learn the sex, well I don't want to yet but you know me, I hate surprises!"

"Just don't do what you usually do and open this one early!" came the reply.

Normal Fox and Will banter.

She'd smiled at that. She slowly felt better.

"I'll try not to!"

"Early start tomorrow – nice to talk to you have a nice night."

"Nice to talk to you too – I missed this – night."

"Me too!"

"Will text again – though have a busy few days – meetings and an audition!"

"Talk when we can – break a leg!"

And that was that. The end for the night but the start of the return to normal. Well, the new normal. The normal where she was pregnant with his child and he was cluelessly romancing a beautiful young actress.

And now here she was peeling pumpkins for his mother and trying to avoid being in the same room with the woman who had been her mother more and longer than any other person. Margaret was a smart woman, Margaret was a mother. Sarah wondered if she'd get that six-sense that mothers, real committed mother's, got. If she had the chance Margaret would ask the right question and Sarah would sing like a canary. She knew it and she knew coming here was a bad idea. But Thena was her closest biological relative and Neville would be here too and well she couldn't do that to her little sister – abandon her on her birthday.

"Oh My God look at you!" came a squeal from behind her and there was the girl herself. Thena ran into the room and hugged her big sister furiously before looking down at her stomach.

"Hello Bean I'm aunty Thena," she whispered a huge smile on her face.

"Happy birthday kiddo!!" Sarah laughed. 

"Where's mum?" she asked looking around for Margaret. They'd decided when Athena was born that it would be less confusing for the "baby" if Sarah called her mum too rather than Margaret. Sarah had suggested it and Margaret had tearfully nodded, touched by the gesture.

"She said she had a couple of errands to run, code for I'm just going down to pick up Thena's cake from the bakery!" she laughed.

"Good then stow your gear, grab an apron and come and help Bean and I peel these potatoes!" Sarah laughed as her little sister rolled her eyes dramatically suddenly looking a bit more like Dane than usual, with brown hair and dimples from her dad and her major facial features from Margaret, she didn't look that much like any of her siblings, maybe Jayne, but then she'd get a look and suddenly she'd see Dane or Lizzie or herself. Right now it was Dane.