Christmas Eve at the big house on Maple Grove was always a bustling affair, with Granger family and friends piling in from all over the city, and sometimes beyond, to celebrate the season together under Humphrey's roof. The Old Man gloried in it, each year with more children to enjoy. This year saw him ensconced in pride of place in the main room, put proudly in charge of Jon's twins, who had been set up in a large Moses basket next to him. That left Jon and Vicki free to mingle, greeting friends and family in the swarming crush with warmth as the house slowly filled up.

"Elle Granger, you look like someone stuffed a turkey up your jumper and ran away laughing," Vicki informed her best friend with a smile, moving to hug her. "Happy Christmas, love."

Elle winced just a little as she got hugged, not because of anything her friend had done, but because she'd been feeling strangely achy all day. "I feel like a stuffed turkey," she admitted, hugging her friend back, albeit gingerly. She was due to give birth any day now, and she was anxious to get it over with and welcome their son into the world.

Feeling the tension in her friend, Vicki drew back, one brow raised as she looked Elle over. "How long?" she asked softly, leaning close so the words wouldn't be overheard by anyone else. Some things couldn't really be hidden, and she had been through this not more than two months ago herself.

"All day," Elle admitted, laying a hand at the small of her back and trying to stretch a little, which was mostly impossible. "It's nothing. Just little pains. I don't want to worry anyone." Especially not Dom, who was on pins and needles awaiting the baby's birth, as it was.

"Nothing, my flabby arse," was Vicki's quiet response, blunt as ever. Her own hand descended to Elle's back, fingertips rubbing into the knotted muscles there as she smoothed a hand over her friend's bump. "You're rigid," she murmured, hugging Elle gently. "Sweetheart, you're in labor."

"No, I'm not!" Elle argued, looking a little alarmed, though she was enjoying the back-rub. They were just little aches for now, nothing regular. "It's just pre-labor," she insisted. "I can't have the baby today! It's Christmas!"

"Even if it's just pre-labor, it's progressing fast," Vicki pointed out gently. "Besides, this is your second child. You should expect to be a little early, even if it's just by one day." She sighed thoughtfully, glancing around at the crush. "Would you be deeply offended if I suggest we get Lis to take a look at you?" she asked mildly, plucking the one female name on the family list of medics out of the air.

"Only if we can do it in private. I don't want to make a scene, and I don't want Dom to worry." Not to mention Daisy, though their daughter was more excited than worried. She was in on her mother's little secret, too, and was excited to meet her new baby brother, but she had kept her promise and not told her father.

"What do I look like, Humphrey?" the redhead laughed, shaking her head. "C'mon, let's do the rounds. Lis was in the foyer a couple of minutes ago, we can collect her on the way upstairs." With her arm protectively wrapped about Elle's back, she smiled, more than happy to take her time, secure in the knowledge that her own children were being supervised by the entire collection of adults milling around them.

"Not hardly. Don't tell him I said so, but you're much prettier," Elle replied, smiling a little, even as another "tiny" pain made itself known and she had to hide a wince. "Where's Dom and Daisy?" she asked, as she let Vicki lead her toward the stairs. She didn't want them worrying when they couldn't find her.

"Daisy's helping with the presents," Vicki assured her. "They only just got started, so you've got a good half hour at least before she gets bored of helping the kiddies and comes looking for you. Last I saw, Dom was chatting to Humphrey. Both of them were trying to make James uncomfortable and failing."

Elle chuckled at the thought of that. "Nothing short of a crocodile will make that man uncomfortable." She'd been there the day Ashlyn had met the cantankerous ex-pirate and knew better, though Ash seemed to have tamed him some since then, just as Dom had tamed her.

Grinning, Vicki squeezed her friend gently, her thumb still rubbing in circles over the knotted muscles in her lower back as they carefully navigated the crowded room to get out into the foyer. Out here it wasn't quite so crowded, with a little more room to move, and Lisbeth was easy to locate, waving Brynne away at the hands of Lila and Zahan as she smiled to them.

It was obvious to anyone who'd already given birth that Elle was nearly ready to pop, and the look on her face hinted at the fact that it might happen sooner, rather than later. Lila and Zahan didn't seem to know the difference, but the women were another matter. Even if Lisbeth hadn't yet given birth, she was in the medical profession and would know the look. "Vicki love, you might want to call the midwife. I think my bloody water just broke," Elle whispered.

Vicki did try not to laugh at the exquisite timing, knowing that being quite so merry about Elle's predicament would not go down well. "There probably isn't much time for her to get here," she told her friend as they came up beside Lis. "But Rebecca is here, and I'm sure Lis can handle things until I find her. Can't you?"

Lis blinked, turning her dark eyes to the pair who had appeared from the crowd by her side. She considered the two for a long moment, setting her untouched glass down on the nearest table to curl an arm about Elle's back herself with a smile. "Of course we can," she said cheerfully. "Come with me, Elisabeta. You find the papa," she told Vicki firmly.

"And the healer," Vicki agreed, kissing Elle's temple. "Won't be long. You wait, we'll be with you before you've got your knickers off."

Elle was taking deep breaths and trying to remain calm, despite the fact that water was now dripping down her legs beneath her Christmas dress. She just hoped no one noticed before they got her upstairs. "I hate to rush you ladies, but if we don't leave soon, there's going to be a bloody puddle," she urged them impatiently.

"Not if you start walking," Lis told her, catching the eye of the nearest female relative. Bethany took one look at the gentle way the pregnant Elle was being moved about, and handed her little sister into her husband's arms with a kiss and a promise to be back in a sec. Wet floors and small people did not mix very well, after all.

With one last, "shoo", Vicki waved Elle into Lis' capable hands and turned to hunt through the guests for Dominic and Rebecca. With any luck, she'd be able to pass on the message without starting a minor stampede up the stairs by everyone who had ever wanted to be present at a birth.

"How am I supposed to walk when ..." Elle started, freezing in place while a particularly strong pain made itself known. This was much different than the little pangs she was having earlier, but she hadn't expected it to come on so suddenly or soon.

"I believe Eduardo would suggest sheer bloody-mindedness," Lis offered mildly. No, she'd never been through this herself, but she'd had a fairly extensive amount of training over the years, and unlike Vicki, she knew exactly where the pressure points on Elle's back were to help relieve the worst of that pain. "Just breathe," she murmured encouragingly. "Take your time, it will pass."

"Elle!" There was the panicked sound of Dom's voice accompanying his footsteps approaching at speed.

There was that eye roll again as she heard her husband approaching at breakneck speed. "Slow down, or you're going to hurt yourself!" she warned as she carefully lowered herself to the bed. She really did know Dom a little too well.

"What?" With the door open, all the women in the room had a perfect view as Dom skidded into view. His leather soles had no traction on the carpet, and for a moment, he slid right past the door, stumbling back into sight only to trip over his own feet and sprawl on the floor at Vicki's feet. "Is it happening" I can't drive, I've had a drink!"

"No one is driving," Elle said, with a sigh. "Will someone please tell me husband what is going on so I can concentrate on having this bloody baby"!" she exclaimed, with only a hint of irritation in her voice. Under normal circumstances, she might be amused, but there was nothing amusing about pushing what amounted to a six to eight pound bowling ball from your body.

Pushing the door closed, Vicki hauled Dom up by his collar, elaborating on the improvised plan for his benefit as Rebecca gently touched Elle's hand, sweeping away the excess pain until only the contractions remained. "This should be interesting," the healer commented. "I've never done a birth with a traditional medic around before."

Lis snorted with laughter, slipping her hands into gloves as she set one knee on the end of the bed. "Are you ready, Elle?" she asked in warning. This examination was rather ....intimate, after all.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Elle replied, taking a deep breath as she spread her legs. She wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed. In fact, all she really wanted was to pop this baby out as soon as humanly possible. "Dominic," she called, turning her head to search for her husband and extending a hand in invitation. While she appreciated all the help, she wanted her husband close now more than ever, not only to be part of this miraculous event, but to know that everything was going to be okay.

Still a little wild around the eyes, Dom was a bit more in control of himself by the time Elle called to him, managing to get himself onto the bed beside her, one arm about her back and the other hand clasped in hers. "I'm here, love," he promised her, fully aware that at least two women in the room would box his ears if he started panicking again. "You can do this." All right, so it wasn't ideal, and it did bring back memories of Gwen's disastrous attempt at delivering a baby years before, but he wasn't stupid enough to panic too much. Not unless someone told him there was something to panic about.

At the foot of the bed, Vicki was watching with interest as Lis examined Elle; she'd never seen it from this angle before.

"I would say you are between eight and nine centimeters dilated," the nurse told them confidently, drawing back and removing her gloves before anyone got a good look at the natural and wholly usual matter that clung to one of them. "Anywhere between half an hour and two hours, at a guess."

Elle visibly relaxed now that Dom was at her side and Lis' fingers were no longer probing her insides. She gripped Dom's hand tightly, in part to reassure him and in part to seek comfort from his closeness. "Has anyone told Daisy?" she asked, looking from Dom to Vicki inquisitively. She didn't want Daisy to go looking for them and be unable to find them.

"I told Brynne to keep an eye on her, and to tell her what?s up if she starts looking for you guys," Vicki assured her warmly. There was no point in unnecessarily worrying Daisy, after all. "Ed's ransacking Wisteria for your necessaries as we speak, and that door right there connects to the next suite, where Daisy'll be set up for tonight. And I am about to go and put together the newborn survival kit, since we have a little time to play with here. Sound good?"

Elle nodded her head, her eyes shining suspiciously as she reached for her best friend's hand. "Thank you," she said, grateful Vicki had been there to take charge when she needed her. "Will you tell Piper for me?" she asked, wanting her other bestie to know what was going on, too.

"I have a feeling Beth's already done that," Vicki chuckled. "Lyneth had a slip'n'slide moment shortly after you got upstairs." She grinned. "You're going to have a small crowd of people who'll want to see you - make a list of who gets access before Humph does."

"Oh gods," Dom groaned, rolling his eyes. "Knowing him, it would be everyone or no one."

"Bloody hell, it's like Jesus in the manger!" Elle blurted, looking aghast at her own faux pas. "I did not just say that! Oh, I am so going to hell," she moaned, though she wasn't entirely sure she believed in that sort of thing.

"Too late, I'm in the line ahead of you," Lis reminded her cheerfully. "I got there first."

"If anyone tries to burn frankincense in here, I will throw them out," Rebecca warned in a comical tone, sending Vicki off to put together the newborn kit with a laugh.

"Shall we tell them to take a number," Elle asked with a sigh. She wasn't sure how much she was going to feel like greeting guests after giving birth, but she couldn't deny feeling excited about the prospect of welcoming their son into the world. She wondered if she should tell him now or wait until the baby was born. "Dom, love ..." she started, giving his hand another squeeze. "There's something you should know ..."

"I'll stand at the door with a big stick if I have to, just to stop them from bothering you, love," Dom promised her, glad to have something to offer besides a strong arm and a hand she couldn't crush no matter how much she tried. He frowned curiously as she squeezed that hand. "What is it, Belle?" he asked. "You're feeling all right, aren't you?"

"As all right as one can who's about to poop out a ..." she trailed off, gritting her teeth again and clutching Dom's hand tightly as an even stronger contraction took hold of her, a groan issuing from her throat.

"Oh ....oh! Okay, um ..." It took a moment, but Dom did manage to remember the prenatal classes eventually. "Breathe with it, Elle, don't hold your breath. That's right, isn't it' Not to squeeze anything yet?"

Lis glanced at Rebecca, not even trying to hide her smile. "It's absolutely right," she assured the concerned father. "Not yet, but soon."

To her credit - or maybe his - Elle did as she was told, taking a deep breath in and then exhaling it slowly out as the contraction relaxed. She had yet to tell him what she'd been about to tell him when the contraction distracted her.

"There, you're doing wonderfully, Belle," Dom praised her, kissing her temple as he felt her relax out of the contraction. "Really brilliantly. It's all good."

She sighed in relief, her grip on his hand loosening as the contraction passed, knowing it wouldn't be long before it returned and that things would only get more intense from here. "You'd better start thinking about boys' names, love," she warned him, knowing they only had a few hours at most before their son was born.

"Boys?" He looked startled, leaning back for a moment to catch her gaze, the surprise clear in his eyes. "How do you know it ....how long have you known?" he asked, as much in wonder as in surprise. He glanced at her bump in amazement. "We're having a boy' Daisy's getting a little brother?"

Elle was completely confident where Dom was concerned. She knew he'd handled enough babies in his day to know what to do, once the nerves wore off. She smiled softly at the sight of him with their child. What woman wouldn't find that view enchanting" She laughed at the suggestion of formula, though. "Don't be silly. He needs to learn how to latch on. I'll be fine. I have all of you to take care of me. You can be in charge of diapers," she added, patting Dom's cheek.

"Lucky me," he groaned, rolling his eyes with a grin. "You seem to have responded well to that healing. Give it a couple of days, and you won't even have a little bump to prove you were pregnant. Just a baby boy, a beautiful girl, and a sleep-walking husband."

"What more could a girl ask for?" she teased back, eyes bright with happiness, albeit a little exhausted. There had been a time when Elle had longed to be rich. She had once believed that diamonds really were a girl's best friend, but she had learned that the best things in life weren't those that could be bought, but that of family and friends, and here at Maple Grove, she had plenty of both.

He chuckled softly, inching closer to hold them both in his arms for a long moment. "He's beautiful, Elle," he told her quietly. "You're beautiful. I don't know what to say ....you've given me so much, and all you got in return was an absent-minded professor."

"Oh, Dom ..." She said, with an almost sad frown, cupping his cheek with gentle fingers. "You really don't get it, do you?" she asked, with a sigh. "It's you who have given me so much, darling. A home, family, friends. Those are things I never had before. Not even when I was a child. When I got older, I swore I'd never let my own children struggle, the way that I struggled. But then I met you, and everything changed. You changed my life, Dom. You love me, despite all my faults. You accepted my daughter and love her as your own. And you've given me this little very special little man, part of you and part of me. If you ask how I measure wealth, it is not by how much money I have in my bank account, but by how full my life is, with love and with laughter. You have given me all that, Dominic. It is I who am ever grateful for you. I got the better part of that bargain, by far," she added with a grin.

He listened, but he didn't really believe her version, preferring his own belief that this truly astonishing woman and her mischief of a daughter had somehow chosen to slum it with him entirely of their own accord. He kissed her tenderly, gently jostling the newly named Donovan as the baby boy mewled a little in his arm. "I love you," Dom told his wife with deep affection. "I think you've got it arse backwards, but I still love you."

"No, I don't," she assured him with that same soft smile, basking in his kisses and affection, which she never grew tired of. "But I'm too tired to argue about it. I love you, too, Dominic. You have a son now, and nothing tragic happened. What do you think of that?" she asked him, with a proud, if weary smile.

"I think I'm an idiot who should have known better than to drink today," he informed her with a merry smile, glancing up at the sound of a gentle knock on the door. "I think the big sister has arrived."

"You are an idiot, but an adorable one," she confirmed, laughing. But he was her idiot, and that made all the difference. "I love you, Dom. Truly I do," she told him at last, nuzzling into him, just as a knock sounded at the door. She sighed, hoping it was Daisy and not the start of a near-constant stream of drunken well-wishers.

Thankfully, Vicki was already making moves to stem the tide of well wishers - there was a card making the rounds of the party downstairs, and she'd moved Humphrey's armchair to the foot of the stairs. The Old Man had orders not to let anyone past without her permission; he could be trusted to enforce those orders, too.

"Mummy! Daddy! Aunt Vicki said the baby was ....oh!"

Daisy burst into the room, stopping dead in her tracks when she spied the tiny bundle in her father's arms. She crept a little bit closer, almost afraid she might hurt him just by getting close. "He's very little, isn't he?"

"Yes, darling," Elle confirmed, smiling. "It would have been rather hard to push him out if he'd been any bigger."

Dom grinned as Daisy pushed her way into the room, reluctantly removing his arm from Elle's shoulders to beckon her over onto the bed. "Come and meet your little brother, sweetling."

Daisy moved tentatively but curiously forward to inspect her new baby brother. All of these months up to the birth, she'd been excited, but now that he was here, she was worried her parents might love him more than her. He was a lot smaller and more adorable, after all. "What's his name?" she asked as she came closer to peer down at the baby her father was holding in his arms.

"Here." With a little juggling, Dom reached over, pulling Daisy up off her feet to wriggle down between himself and her mother. He met Elle's gaze over her head with a smile. "His name's Donovan," he told Daisy. "What do you think" Put your arms out, and you can hold him."

Daisy's eyes widened as her father offered to put the newborn into her arms. "Me" I can hold him?" she asked, with a mix of terror and excitement. "He's so tiny, Mummy. I'm afraid I will break him," she admitted reluctantly.

"Don't be silly, darling," Elle reassured her. "We're right here."

"Babies are hard to break," Dom assured her. "Look at Lyneth and Dylan. If anyone was going to break her baby brother accidentally, it would be that little ball of mischief, wouldn't it?" He flashed Daisy a grin, gently manhandling Donovan into her arms. "Don't be afraid to rest him on your lap, sweets. Babies can feel very heavy after a while."

Safely wedged between her mother and father, even if she did happen to drop her baby brother, he would only end up having a soft landing in either her lap or on the mattress. Now that she had him in her arms, Daisy's eyes grew even wider. It wasn't the first time she'd ever seen a baby up close, of course. There had been plenty of babies born at Maple Grove since she and Elle had arrived there, including Jon and Vicki's most recently born twins, but this baby was special because this baby was theirs.

"Do they always sleep so much?" she asked, as she watched her baby brother resting contentedly enough for now.

Chuckling, Dom wrapped his long arm about both his girls. "For the first couple of weeks, yes," he told Daisy fondly. "He has a lot of growing to do, and even more to learn. He'll start to be awake more after that. But he already knows your voice, sweetling. He knows his big sister."

"He does?" she asked, looking from her parents to that of her little brother. "Do you, Donnie?" she whispered, leaning closer to her baby brother's face. And there it was - the nickname that was probably going to get stuck for life, unless her parents nipped it in the bud right now.

As for the baby, he only wrinkled his nose and squirmed a little, before opening his eyes to peer up at the face that went with that familiar-sounding voice.

No, he was stuck with it. It could have been worse, after all. Dom couldn't wipe the proud grin off his face as he watched Daisy bond with her little brother for the first time, raising his eyes to share that expression with Elle. He was ridiculously, stupendously proud of both of them, and words just couldn't express what an idiotic smile could.

"He seems like a perfectly happy little chap to me," Piper told her, gently booping Donnie's tiny nose. The baby boy's eyes snapped open and crossed as he flailed for her hand and missed. "Lynnie nursed almost immediately, but Dylan didn't want feeding for a good hour or so after he was born. All babies are different, love. You know as well as I do that he'll let you know when he's hungry."

"I suppose. Daisy wasn't nearly as content when she was born. That child wanted constant attention," Elle explained. "Would you take him so I can get cleaned up and changed" Then we'll change him into something else and see if he's ready to eat."

"Of course," the dark-haired woman nodded, offering her arms to take the little bundle of newborn. With two children under her belt, as it were, she was enviably comfortable - more so even than Vicki, who still had moments of utter terror when holding newborn babies. But then, Piper's sole purpose in life had been to be a mother for a long time before Des had come along and nudged her into living a little for herself as well.

It wasn't long before Elle was feeling halfway human again and changed into her own robe and dressing gown, clean sheets on the bed, and the newborn doing his best to latch onto her breast. It wasn't perfect and it didn't happen right off, but instinct took over and he finally managed it without too much trouble or coaxing from his mother. Elle looked the picture of maternal contentment with her son at her breast and her friend at her side. "Dom wanted to bottle feed him, but I'm too selfish to give this up."

"You can express when your milk comes in," Piper suggested with a faint smile. "It's worth it. He'll be able to do some of the night feeds. Not to mention the fact that you'll be able to eat a meal without feeling as though you're only putting it in your mouth so it can be sucked out your boob."

"I know," Elle replied, frowning a little. "Daisy wouldn't take to the breast, and I always felt it was my fault somehow. I wanted to try again with this one. He seemed to know what to do," she said, in a little awe of the process and the feeling that went along with it.

"It's not your fault," Piper promised firmly. "You should talk to Vicki about it sometime. She's tried with all her little monsters, with varying degrees of success. When Emily wouldn't latch, she was convinced she'd failed as a mother and should have her daughter taken away from her."

"They're all different, I suppose. The important thing is that they are well loved and cared for. Daisy didn't seem to suffer from being bottle fed. She was a content baby, for the most part," Elle explained.

"How could he not be loved and cared for?" Piper pointed out with a smile. "He has a beautiful little family who have been waiting impatiently for him for months!" She'd set up the Moses basket next to the bed on Elle's side, and spent a busy few minutes in the adjoining room, making it ready for Daisy when she decided to drop into bed later. "You did really well, Elle," she added in her gentle way. "It's all downhill from here."

"I don't know about that," Elle replied, with a thoughtful frown as she regarded her newborn son. "Not with two a.m. feedings and diaper changes and fussy times and shots ..." She broke off. "You don't think he'll be collicky, do you?" she asked worriedly, though the newborn looked content enough at the moment.

The look Piper gave her was deeply amused. "While I'm predicting that, would you like me to make a guess about his sexuality, too?" she asked with a smile. "Whether he's collicky or not, you will rise to the challenge. And don't forget, you're not alone. You have Dom, and Daisy will be more than happy to help out, I'm sure. And we're all here, too, you know."

"Yes, I know. Everyone keeps reminding me of that, but this is something I need to do myself," Elle replied quietly, as she eased her infant son away from her breast and onto her shoulder for burping. "It's been so long since I had Daisy, I thought I might have forgotten what to do with a baby," she confessed.

"Elle ....there's nothing wrong with asking for help if you need it," Piper told her gently. "It doesn't mean you're a bad mother, or that you can't raise your own children. It means that you know yourself well enough to understand that you need a break, just like everyone does. Do you look down on any other parent for arranging a night off for themselves" I know you don't. So why assume that you have to out do the rest of us" You'll drive yourself insane if you try, and your children will suffer for it." That might have been the most Piper had ever said all in one go, but she'd been where Elle was. She had been a single mother, married anew, and borne a son into that new family; she understood the wish to prove that she could do it all, and how destructive it could be.

"I know," Elle admitted, though that worried frown was still on her face. This was a face that she hadn't let Dom see. As far as he knew, she was completely confident and content. "I did it once before, and I know I can do it again. I don't know why it worries me so." She wasn't sure exactly what it was that was worrying her, except for the fear of failure.

"Because you're a mum, and we all worry," Piper assured her with a smile, reaching over to gently tuck a strand of hair away from Elle's face. "It's part of being a mum. Just don't be afraid to share it with Dom, okay' I made the mistake of not sharing mine with Des for the first few months, and he thought he was worrying all alone. It's easier to share those worries, believe me."

"He's going to think I'm crazy," Elle replied, nearly on the verge of tears. Was it hormones or exhaustion or just plain worry' "He's counting on me to know what I'm doing, and I do, for the most part, but what if something goes wrong?" But she already knew the answer to that - like Piper had said, there were plenty of people to ask for help, if it came to that.

"Elle." Piper's gentle voice had grown softer as she eased closer, moving to lift little Donovan out of her friend's arms and set him down in the basket, tucking the blanket about him before she curled her arms about Elle and hugged her close. "Now is not the time to be worrying about this," she reminded her softly, stroking her friend's hair as she held her. "You're exhausted, and despite the healing, you still need to recover. All those hormones don't just go away because someone magical touched you and made the pain disappear. So shush now, and focus on what?s important. Your beautiful son, your loving husband, your excited daughter. Your family. None of that is going to change, not even if you have a meltdown."

"I know," Elle replied softly, grateful for Piper's friendship and support; grateful for the love of a friend. After a moment, she drew away with a sigh and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm happy, Piper. I am. How can I not be happy when I'm so blessed" I'm just tired, I guess. I just want to be a good mother and a good wife. That's all I want anymore."

"You already are," her dark-haired friend reminded her fondly. She leaned close, kissing Elle's forehead. "Don't try and stay awake, all right' You need to sleep, and Dom will be here in just a few minutes. Donovan will let you know when he wants you, too. And Daisy may well end up in the bed with you - she's incredibly pleased with her baby brother. She's telling everyone she can find down there about him."

"Is she?" Elle asked with an almost relieved smile. She'd worried her daughter might be jealous of her baby brother and all the attention he was about to get, but maybe she was worrying for nothing. Of course, it was too unrealistic to think the two siblings would always get along, but if Daisy accepted him in these crucial first days after his birth, it boded well for the future.