"Newborns don't do much but eat and sleep and poop for the first few months. Just like you used to do," he told her, poking her gently in the tummy.

Squirming, Noelle giggled once again, batting at his hand. "I does eat an' sleep an' poop too!" she declared, apparently in defence of her currently sleeping baby sister.

"Yeah, but you do a lot more than that," Jack pointed out. "You know, Amy can't do anything for herself yet, and she's gonna need all our help. Right, Mommy?" he asked, looking to Jasmin for backup.

"Oh, absolutely," Jaz agreed, rousing herself from the half-doze she had fallen into briefly. "And you can help choosing what she's going to wear, and what toys we should put out for her, and all the cuddles she could possibly want!"

Noelle beamed at this succinct list of things she could do to help, nestling closer into the hug between her parents.

"That's right," Jack confirmed. "'Cause Nolly is gonna be the bestest big sister ever!" he said, blue eyes bright with amusement as he gently tweaked his eldest daughter's nose.

"Like Nicky?" she asked disingenuously, blinking her big eyes at her father. Nick was her best friend, after all, and he'd had a little brother ages ago as far as she was concerned.

"Well, yeah ....Except Nicky is a big brother, and you're a big sister," Jack replied, though he assumed Noelle knew that already and was just making a comparison.

"But he's the bestest bruvver an' I'm the bestest sister," Noelle pointed out. "We is the bestest bruvsisterers!"

Behind her, Jaz dissolved into sleepy laughter, tucking her face into the pillow but not quite able to disguise the piggy snort that also emerged because of her own fit of the giggles.

Jack smirked, partially in response to his daughter's logic and partially due to Jasmin's piggy snort.

"I can't argue with that," he replied. He glanced over at Jasmin, frowning thoughtfully a moment, knowing she was the one who needed the most rest. "Maybe we should go downstairs and let Mommy and Amy get some rest?" he whispered, conspiratorially.

Noelle considered this for a moment, reluctant to give up her dual cuddle but aware that Jaz was virtually asleep again behind her. "Can we make sammiches?" she asked hopefully. "Maybe Mommy will be waked up enough to eat 'em."

"Are you hungry?" he asked, well aware it had been a few hours since she'd eaten anything. "We can make sandwiches. And maybe play a game while we wait for Mommy to wake up?" he suggested quietly.

Noelle beamed, happy with this compromise. Wriggling around, she kissed Jaz sloppily on the cheek before scrambling up and on top of Jack, clearly expecting him to carry her downstairs. "Shh, sleepin'."

Jack nodded. "Right, shh," he whispered back, scooping Nolly up into his arms as he slid out of bed and onto his feet, creeping quietly from the room. He might be tired later, but at least Jasmin would get some rest.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Noelle cuddled in, herself still a little sleepy but determined not to show it. After all, she was the one who had interrupted everyone's nap because she couldn't bear to be too far away from her baby sister. "Is Mommy very hurt, Poppa?"

Jack frowned a little at her question, but didn't want to worry her. "No, not very hurt, but having a baby is a lot of work. And Mommy doesn't have much time to get any rest, so we should let her sleep whenever she can. Whenever the baby is sleeping. It won't last for long. You'll see," he assured her as he carried her down the stairs.

"Yes, Poppa." Satisfied with this answer, his four year old daughter was quiet for the rest of the journey down to the kitchen, where they were greeted exuberantly by Milo, the technically adult dog they owned who behaved more like an overgrown puppy than anything.

Jack chuckled at Milo's exuberant greeting, as he carried Noelle into the kitchen and set her on her feet. "Looks like Milo missed us," he said. "Should we give him something to eat, too?" he asked his daughter, though it wouldn't be a sandwich.

With her arms around Milo's neck, giggling happily while the golden dog licked her cheek and neck, tail wagging like crazy, Noelle lifted her eyes to her father. "Can I give him treat, Poppa?"

"Sure," Jack readily agreed, opening the cupboard to peruse the various collection of doggie treats. "Hmm, how about peanut butter?" he asked, to go with the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he planned on making for himself and Noelle.

She nodded happily, stepping back from Milo and attempting her very best stern face. "Sit!"

Despite the fact that Milo was very nearly on eye level with her, the dog planted his backside so fast, it made a thump against the kitchen floor.

"Good boy!" Jack praised the dog, as he pulled the box of dog treats from the cupboard and offered one to the dog as reward for listening. He then handed two more to Noelle, so she could do the same.

Hands now covered in dog spit, Noelle stuck her tongue out, laughing, waving her hands up at Jack. "I'm all spitty!"

Jack laughed. "Time to wash your hands then!" he said, turning the water in the sink on and testing it to make sure it wasn't too hot before picking his daughter up off the floor and setting her on a stool so she could wash her hands.

"Splash, splash, splash!"

It was no secret that Noelle loved water, and hand washing could easily become a room flooding event with her enthusiasm for it. Today's fun little trick was clapping her hands together under the stream from the tap and cackling with laughter as droplets sprayed over herself, the counter, the window, and Jack.

Jack waited for her to return, sweeping her up and onto her chair before she had a chance to climb up on her own. Once they were both settled again, he picked up his half of a sandwich and took a bite, shrugging a little at her question. "That's just what babies do. It's not that she's not happy. It's just that's the only way she has of telling us she needs something. Like, she's hungry or sleepy or needs her diaper changed. Understand?"

"Why doesn't she just say it?" Noelle asked, her mouth full of her own sandwich, little feet kicking back and forth under the table.

"Because she can't talk yet," Jack explained patiently. "She has to learn how first." He took another bite of his own sandwich before washing it down with some milk.

"Oh. I fort it was just boys that had to do that." This casual piece of innocent sexism delivered, she crammed the rest of the first quarter of her sandwich into her mouth.

Jack couldn't help but smirk, even though it wasn't a very nice thing for her to say about his gender. "No ....You didn't learn how to talk until you were almost two years old," he told her.

"Weelly?" This was a little muffled, through the mouthful, but at least she didn't seem offended by it. In fact, Noelle loved stories about herself that she didn't remember happening, even if she didn't always come out of them looking great.

"Really," he confirmed. "You know what the first word you ever said was?" he asked, knowing she didn't because they'd never told her and she couldn't remember back that far.

Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she watched him, utterly fascinated. "What?"

While most children's first words were "Mama" or "Dada", such was not the case with Noelle. Jack smiled in amusement. "It was Milo, only you couldn't say Milo, so it just came out 'Lo'," he told her.

"I didn't!" Noelle let out a loud cackle, as much amused with herself as she was horrified that her first word had been the dog's name. She'd been there when Luke had first started to speak, and she knew he had said "Mama" first, so this was just scandalous.

"Mmhm," Jack confirmed. "And after that, it was Nicky, but you couldn't say Nicky, so it came out 'Icky'," he told her, unable to hide the smirk from his face. Was he only teasing her or being honest' It was hard to say.

At this, Noelle finally did look offended. "No, I didn't!" she objected. "I said Mama an' Dada, 'cos I loves my Mommy and Poppa!"

Jack laughed. "You got me there! But you really did say Milo first!" he told her, before finishing off his sandwich. It wasn't often he teased her, or anyone else for that matter. He was far too kind-hearted for that.

Honor satisfied, she picked up the second of her four quarters, taking a big bite before grinning up at him. "You makes good sammiches, Poppa."

"And you're a good helper, Nolly," he praised her in return. "What would you like to do after lunch?" he asked, since it would be just the two of them until Jasmin and the baby woke up.

"Can we play a game?" she asked hopefully, tilting her head toward her father as she munched her way through her little sandwiches. "Jus' us, and I beat you, 'cos I is that good!"

Jack laughed. "Who says you will beat me" Maybe I'll beat you," he teased, though the truth was he usually let her win, no matter the game, no matter if he had to cheat to do it.

"I always beat you," she pointed out with a cheeky grin, mashing the last of her sandwiches into her mouth. This, somehow, resulted in a glob of peanut butter decorating her nose.

"There's a first time for everything," he told her, as he reached over to dab the glob of peanut butter from her nose with a napkin. It was more than likely he'd let her win again, but he didn't want her getting too cocky. Someday someone else was going to beat her, and he didn't want to raise a sore loser.

To be fair, Nicky tended to beat her in games a fair amount, and his parents certainly didn't go easy on him when they played. Jack didn't need to worry too much on that account. She beamed up at him. "Promised Milo we play ball later," she reminded him, but then added, "Is Uncle Rick comin' over again soon?"

"I expect he'll be over to meet your little sister sometime soon," Jack replied. "Why do you ask?" he added, wondering if there was a particular reason for her question or if she just missed the uncle who had only recently become part of their lives.

"Is he bringin' Nali?" she asked then, eyes bright. Nali's frankly astonishing family was a source of much fascination for the children at the Cove, after all.

"Doesn't he always?" Jack asked as he grabbed a few wet wipes from the counter to wipe his daughter's hands and face clean of peanut butter and jelly. "So, what game are we playing?"

"I dunno." She shrugged sweetly, apparently completely uncaring what they played, just do long as they did actually play. She didn't often get Jack all to herself.

"Hmm, Candyland?" he suggested. "Chutes and Ladders" Operation?" he continued, suggesting a few more. It hardly mattered to him what game they played so long as she had fun.

"Shoops an' Ladders!" she elected for, waving her now clean hands in the air happily. It had a pleasing element of chance, but even so, Jack and Jaz were becoming notorious for conniving to let the children win when they played.

"Shoops and Ladders is it," he readily agreed, grinning at the joy his suggestion had elicited in the little girl. It wasn't hard keeping Nolly entertained most days, and it was off season at the shop, so he had plenty of time to spend with her, while Jasmin and the baby rested.

Slithering down off her chair, the little girl toddled off to the play cupboard to locate the appropriate box, giggling as Milo padded alongside her in the hope of a snack or having a ball thrown for him to bring back. "Where I put it, Poppa?"

"Do you want to play here or in the living room?" he asked, leaving it up to her to decide, though he thought keeping the board as far from Milo as possible was probably the best bet.

At least she caught the hint that the floor was out of bounds. "Can I put it on the coffee tablet?" she asked, at a volume that would probably have woken her little sister up had not the doors been closed upstairs.

Jack tried not to laugh as Nolly's piece just as quickly got put back to eleven. "Oh, well! Maybe you'll get a ladder again!" he said, realizing he'd just encouraged her to cheat, but it hardly mattered now that she'd slid back down again. "My turn," he told her, rolling the dice, which happened to be a six and put him on square 50.

Nolly eyed the dice suspiciously. "Does you do a magic on the dice?" she asked her father, blowing on it before rolling for herself again. This time, she got a five, and actually whimpered, close to tears, as her piece landed on yet another chute and dropped her down square 6.

"It's okay, Nolly. It's just a game," Jack tried to reassure her. "It's not about who wins. It's about having fun," he added in an attempt to teach her something without it being too harsh a lesson. He picked up the dice and shook it in his hand, but before he could toss it on the table, Milo wandered over and dropped a ball right on the game board, knocking the pieces from where they were.

"But it's not fun to keep goin' back'ards," she pointed out with a bit of a wail. Thankfully, that was curtailed by Milo deciding he'd had enough of waiting, turning the threatening tears into laughter.

"Milo!" Jack exclaimed, echoing Nolly's laughter as he gave the dog an affectionate shove. "Well, so much for that. Looks like Milo wants some attention." It was almost a relief, as he didn't really want to break his daughter's heart over a silly game.

"We play ball now, Milo?" Nolly asked the cheerful dog, giggling as Milo took the opportunity to lick Jack's face as thoroughly as he could get away with. "Gotta put the game 'way first!"

Jack laughed and tried shoving the dog away again, even as he scritched the dog's fur. "Okay, okay! I love you, too!" he said, grinning over at Nolly. "He thinks he's still a puppy."

"But he older than me," the little girl pointed out, scooping the pieces and dice back into the box. One thing Jack and Jaz had instilled in their daughter was tidiness.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know that," Jack said, reaching for the ball so Nolly could pick up the game. Maybe it was good Nolly had been losing. She had to learn somehow that you couldn't always win, but Jack didn't think it was a lesson she needed to learn just yet.

"Does that mean I'm not a puppy no more, Poppa?" she asked, cramming the game back into the box before rising to totter over to the cupboard and put it away.

"You aren't a puppy, Noll," Jack said, getting to his feet to move the coffee table out of the way, making more room to play with Milo. "You're a little girl. Milo is a dog," he explained, though he assumed she knew this already.

"So I wasn't ever a puppy?" As Jack moved the coffee table out of the way, she tossed the ball toward the front door, giggling as Milo bounded after it excitedly.

"Nope, Milo just thinks you are," Jack replied, settling himself on the floor, legs crossed, while Milo chased after the ball. "Don't throw it too hard. We don't want to break anything."

"M'kay, Poppa." Not that Noelle could throw the ball too hard, to be fair. With a lack of rugs and carpets, watching Milo slither all over the hardwood in pursuit of the ball was almost as good as watching him trying to eat sand.

"Silly dog," Jack said, chuckling at Milo's antics, as he and Noelle rolled and tossed the ball around for Milo's amusement. At least, she was laughing again. She had come too dangerously close to tears for his liking.

"Knock, knock!" a female voice called from outside the door.

"Who dere?" The answer was automatic from Noelle, and from Milo. The dog leapt up, barking excitedly, and bounced over to the front door. Apparently he knew who was there, and was happy to see them.

The door opened a little, a pair of smiling faces peeking through the crack.

"It's only us," the female voice replied, followed by a child's giggle. "Can we come in?"

"Ro-ro!"

Abandoning the ball and the dog, Noelle scurried forward to greet one of her favorite cousins, bouncing happily on her toes as above them; the familiar sound of a newborn just waking up made itself known.

"Uh oh! Did we pick a bad time?" Miranda asked as she pushed the door open to let Rowan scurry inside to greet Noelle. The girls were close to the same age and Miranda was happy to encourage their friendship.

Jack chuckled, as he glanced briefly toward the ceiling and the source of the crying. "No, there's no bad time, so long as we're not sleeping," he assured her.

To be fair, the crying did muffle quickly, suggesting that Jaz had been quick to respond this time.

"Poppa, can I show Ro-ro my princess dress up and stuff?" Noelle asked Jack hopefully, swinging her hand joined with Rowan's back and forth between the two girls.

"After you say hi to Aunty Miranda," Jack replied, though he wasn't too sure if Miranda was truly an aunt or a cousin. He was constantly mixing up which Granger was related to which, but Miranda didn't seem to mind.

"Hi, Nolly!" Miranda said. "It's okay. You and Ro go and play," she told the girls as she made her way to the kitchen, as if she lived there. "I hope you don't mind. I brought over a little care package from the Grove," she said, carrying said package with her.

"'lo, Aunty M'anda! Thank you!"

Seizing Rowan's hand, Noelle scurried off, both girls erupting into giggles at the top of the stairs and disappearing into Nolly's bedroom just as Jaz emerged from her own with Amy tucked affectionately on one shoulder.

"We forgot to put more diapers in the changing station upstairs," she said through a yawn as she stepped into the kitchen. "Hey, Miri."

"Hullo, Mama," Miranda said, smiling warmly at Jasmin, forgetting the so-called care package at the sight of the newborn on her cousin's shoulder. "Oh, isn't she adorable!" she said, moving over to take a peek at the baby.

"Maybe you shouldn't think of it as help," Miranda suggested. "Maybe you should just think of it as family taking care of family. You're as much a Granger as anyone else. Why should it be any different for you?"

Sighing softly, Jaz poured the boiled water into the teapot. "Because Mom and Dad never really let me be a Granger," she said quietly. "It's hard to shake off those old habits and ways of thinking, Miri. I am getting better at it, but I'm always going to be a little deprecating about this stuff."

Miranda frowned and might have given Jasmin a hug if she wasn't busy making tea. "I wonder if Beth feels the same way," she murmured. Though she was a Granger, she had raised her daughter away from Rhy'Din and away from the family's support she might have received if they'd stayed at Maple Grove.

"Well, Beth's a special case, isn't she?" Jaz pointed out gently. "You found her Dad again. Together you brought her and her family to the Grove. You taught her how to be a Granger, albeit later in life than most of them learn. She doesn't seem shy about accepting family taking care of her."

"Then, why do you?" Miranda asked, turning the tables back around on Jasmin. Just because her parents had raised her that way didn't mean she couldn't change. Beth had; in a way, so had Miranda.

Jaz hated talking about this; she was firmly of the opinion that it made her sound self-pitying, which could not be further from the truth. But Miranda had asked, so Miranda got the honest answer. "Because no one missed me when I was gone," she said softly, setting cups down on the counter. "Being here, or being elsewhere, it didn't make any difference. I never felt like I belonged on the Grove."

Miranda frowned again, reaching out to touch Jasmin's arm. "Oh, sweetheart. Of course, people missed you. Humphrey missed you. I missed you. Jon and Lena missed you." She sighed, knowing she'd had too many problems of her own then to be of much help to Jasmin. "I'm sorry, Jasmin. I never meant to make you feel that way. I'm sure no one else did either," she said, finding herself apologizing not only for herself but for the entire family.

Jaz laughed gently, turning to squeeze Miranda's hand. "Miri, it's no one's fault," she said, and she meant it, too. "I wasn't a part of life at the Grove after I turned sixteen. I didn't have any right to expect anything from the family. I've found where I belong now, and it's here, with my husband and children, and yes, with family. I'm getting better at this, I promise."

"I hope so," Miranda replied. "Because there are a lot of people who'd miss you if you ever decided to leave us, starting with me," she told the younger women, with a soft smile. "Now, let's talk about happier things, shall we?"

"Yes," Jaz agreed, stirring the tea before setting the cups down at the table with milk and sugar to taste. "Like how did Rowan get so big so fast' Is she having a growth spurt or something?"

Miranda took a seat at the table and reached for her mug to stir a little milk and sugar into her tea. "Time flies, darling. The best advice I can give you is enjoy your little ones while you can. They don't stay little very long."

"I'm noticing that," Jaz agreed with a low chuckle, easing herself down into a seat to sip her tea black and unsweetened. "You know, I forgot how painful getting over squeezing out an adorable bowling ball can be."

Miranda took a sip of her tea, brows arching upwards at her cousin's remark. "Did you ask for a healer?" she inquired. "You don't have to suffer through all that anymore, Jasmin."

"A healer?" Jaz looked confused. "What can a healer do about this" It's not an injury or a sickness." She wasn't dismissing the idea out of hand; more bemused that it was even possible.

"Healers heal, Jasmin. Yes, you can and will heal on your own, but why not speed up the process" You'll be more comfortable, I promise you." Miranda took another sip of her tea. "Just say the word, and I'll make the call."

"Word!" It was out without Jaz needing to make that decision consciously at all. The sooner she was back to her usual self, the better. She grinned at Miranda. "I honestly never thought a healer could do that."

"Well, now you know," Miranda said, giving Jasmin's hand an affectionate pat. There were a lot of things Miranda knew that others didn't, but some things were better unsaid. She pulled her phone out of her purse and tapped out a text message. "When would be good for you? The sooner, the better, I'd say."

"As soon as possible," Jaz agreed. "I'm not going anywhere for a few days, not with a brand new newborn in the middle of winter." She smiled faintly, her adoration for the newest member of her family plain to see.

"How about tomorrow?" Miranda asked, as she tapped another message into the phone, presumably to the healer. Tomorrow couldn't be soon enough, as far as Miranda was concerned. She'd only ever had one child, but still remembered how long it had taken to heal.

"That would be perfect," Jaz agreed with a nod. "I know Nolly's been chafing a little because I can't be up and doing with her as much as I was a week ago. It's hard explaining to a four year old that I feel worse now than I did when Amy was inside me!"

"Nolly will be fine. She has Jack," Miranda reminded her. "And just because you're going to be healed doesn't mean you won't still need rest." She didn't think she had to remind Jasmin how babies tended to keep their mothers up half the night.

"I know, but it'll be more of a level playing field for me and Jack," Jaz pointed out. "He's had to take on more the last few days, and that's just unfair. We should we equal partners in being exhausted by our girls."

"I'm sure Jack doesn't mind. Don't forget ....You're the one who carried her for nine months and gave birth. Jack at least owes you that much," Miranda pointed out.

"We have Nolly as well," Jaz countered in amusement. "She's a handful, even without a baby sister she keeps trying to get into bed with."

"Nolly's a good girl," Miranda said, though she was sure if anyone knew that, it was Jasmin.

Jaz smiled. "Oh, sweetheart, whenever you are gone, I will always miss you," she promised. "But I think this sounds like a fun idea, and I'd hate you miss out on it just because you want to look after me."

Nolly bit her lip. "Can I go, then?"

Jaz grinned. "Absolutely."

"And you can call if you get worried," Miranda promised, though she doubted Nolly would worry too much once she got to Maple Grove and got busy playing with Rowan.

"You can call and say g'night and good morning, if you want," Rowan suggested.

"Yay!" Nolly threw her hands in the air excitedly, grabbing for Rowan's hand to drag her cousin back through the living room toward the stairs.

"Don't forget to pack Stumpy!" Jaz called after her.

Miranda giggled as the girls darted away. "Well, that was easy," she said, taking another sip of her tea. "I assume Stumpy is a stuffed friend of some sort?" she inquired.

"Stumpy is a three-legged stuffed purple elephant," Jaz confirmed for her. "And she refuses to even try and fall asleep without it."

"What happened to Stumpy's other leg?" Miranda asked curiously. She assumed they hadn't bought the stuffed animal that way, but she wasn't too sure. She sensed there might be a story there somewhere.

"Milo ate it." was the simple answer, and in response, the cheerful Golden Retriever padded into the room to plunk himself down next to Miranda. He yawned, and proceeded to give her his very best impression of an unloved, uncuddled angel.

"I see," Miranda said, smirking at said angel as he plunked himself down beside her, looking innocent and in need of attention. "That's right. We're talking about you," she told him, as she reached down to ruffle the fur between his floppy ears.

He made a happy noise, resting his chin on her knee as he enjoyed his scritches. Jaz snorted with laughter. "I cannot believe he was smaller than this teapot five years ago," she said cheerfully. "He's a hideous brute of a boy with no respect for anyone else's possessions." This was said in a purely loving tone; there was no way Jaz actually meant it maliciously at all.

"But you love him all the same," Miranda said, knowing what it was like to love a pet like they were one of the family. "I know Rufus barely tolerates him, but Andy is like one of my children." She frowned momentarily before adding, "He's getting old though. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to have him."

"Speaking of your husband, where did you leave him today?" Jaz asked, carefully side-stepping the sad topic. "The two of you are usually attached at the groin when you're not at the theater."

Miranda laughed, her mood shifting for the better at Jasmin's teasing. "Not quite," she pointed out, an amused grin on her face. "He's at the library doing research - or is supposed to be anyway." She rolled her eyes a little at that. "I swear that man spends more time at the library than he does anywhere else."

"Oh, I'm sure he prefers being somewhere else, but alas, you have a job that requires you to wear underpants," Jaz said with a cheeky little wink. She might be tired, but that ribald sense of humor was always lurking just under the surface.

"Who says I'm wearing underpants?" Miranda asked with a completely straight face for about thirty seconds before she dissolved into a fit of laughter. As for Miranda, she was only too happy to encourage that sense of humor, so long as the children weren't listening.

Jaz cackled right along with her, always delighted when people joined in with her slightly off-color sense of humor. Gods alone knew what Jack thought of the noises in the kitchen, but he would likely come to investigate if he got too curious.

Or he'd fallen asleep, along with the baby, both of whom were a little too quiet. "So, when do I get my hands on the little one?" Miranda asked with a cheeky grin. She wasn't planning on leaving until she got a cuddle with the littlest Granger.

Jaz snorted, brushing her hair back out of her face. "When you pry her out of Jack's hands, of course," she answered easily. Not that Jack would likely mind too much; everyone knew Miranda was a sucker for teeny babies.

"They're being a little too quiet in there, don't you think?" Miranda asked, peering over her shoulder in the direction of the living room, where Jack had gone to feed Amy, leaving the women to chat.

Jaz followed her gaze to the living room, listening hard for a moment. She could hear Amy, gurgling quietly to herself, but Jack was totally silent. "He's asleep," she guessed with a grin.

"With the baby?" Miranda asked, brows arching upwards, looking alarmed. Wasn't Jasmin afraid he'd drop her or something?

Jaz smiled at her alarm, moving to stand up. "Come and see," she suggested. This happened fairly often with Nolly, after all; she wasn't worried about Amy being dropped. Even while unconscious, Jack was a very safe pair of hands.

Miranda arched a brow, trusting Jaz and more importantly, trusting Jack. After all, how many times had she or Rufus fallen asleep while cuddling Ro' And yet, she couldn't help that fleeting instinctual feeling of mother's panic. But there Jack was, fast asleep on the couch, with baby Amy nestled happily and safely in his arms.

"Oh, thank God," Miranda muttered to herself with a sigh of relief.

Amy was awake, but thankfully, still far too young to be doing more than burbling to herself and chewing on her own hands, apparently absolutely delighted with her warm cuddle.

Jaz grinned at Miranda. "Trust me, as soon as she so much as squirms, he'll wake up. He's astonishing like that."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" Miranda asked, a hopeful smile on her face as her gaze drifted to the little one on Jasmin's shoulder. She'd only had one child by birth, the other adopted when she was still an infant. It was no secret that Miranda adored babies, the younger the better.

"There's nothing to forgive, Miri," Jaz assured her, gently easing Amy into Miranda's arms with an affectionate smile. "Knock yourself out."

"Thank you," Miranda said, though whether it was because of Jasmin's assertion that Miranda needed no forgiveness or because she was setting the baby in her arms was uncertain. "Well, now, let's see what we have here," she cooed, as she cradled the little one in her arms and looked her over.

By all rights, Amy should have been at least sleepy after her feed, but she seemed bright and awake, blinking up at Miranda with unfocused blue eyes, waking her tiny hands about as she got comfortable.

Jaz grinned, moving to finish drying the plates and cutlery and put them away. "She's a gurgler."

"She's wide awake," Miranda observed with a hint of amused surprise in her voice. "You are wearing your parents out, little one, but you are wide awake," she cooed to the infant. "Let's hope she sleeps later."

"She's actually not that bad a sleeper," Jaz offered, wiping the dishes dry carefully. "Averaging about five hours at a time. So much better than Nolly was - that little mischief was three hours and up for three months."

"You have to take turns," Miranda suggested, though it was likely Jasmin already knew that. Like all elders, she was only trying to help, not realizing she was stating the obvious. "And you, little lady, have to be good for your parents and let them get some rest," she scolded the little one gently, while tickling her chin, though she knew there was no point.

Amy wriggled contentedly, burbling  random sounds up at Miranda. Jaz chuckled. "Actually, it's keeping up with Nolly that's tiring us out!"

"Well, you won't have to worry about that tonight," Miranda said, with a soft smile for her cousin. "If there's anything I can do ....anything the family can do to help, just say the word," she said, speaking for the entire Granger family.

"We will," Jaz promised, putting the last of the plates away. "Honestly, though, really do pass on our thanks for everything. Not having to cook is going to make things so much easier for a few days."

"We do what we can," Miranda told her cousin, happy to have been of help, even if she was a busy body, at times. "She is adorable, Jasmin. Such a little angel," she said, giggling she caught a whiff of a familiar odor. "A very stinky little angel. I think she needs her diaper changed."

Jaz's grin could have been considered evil. "Well, the station is right there," she said, gesturing toward the changing table set up by the wall. "I know you know what to do. Have fun!"

"How very kind of you," Miranda said, sticking her tongue out at her cousin, before  making her way over to the changing table. "I do remember how to change a diaper, you know," she said, sniffing as if she was insulted, though she wasn't.

"Oh, I know you do," Jaz answered. She knew Miranda was a safe pair of hands for her baby girl, after all. She did take the opportunity to unload the dishwasher, glad to have the freedom to do it without being pestered for once.

"Let's see what you look like, shall we?" Miranda said to the wee one, though she was not expecting a response, except for perhaps some irritation at being so rudely undressed. She carefully started peeling away the layers of the baby's clothes until she got to t-shirt and diaper, wrinkling her nose as the odor got stronger. "Peeyoo! You sure do stink for such a cute, little thing!"

"She's a stink bomb, that is true," Jaz agreed, the reason for her amusement getting more obvious as Amy's little present was unwrapped across the kitchen from her. The newborn herself only wriggled a little as she was uncovered; the house was warm enough for the removal of layers not to bother her too much.

"You would be, too, if you wore a diaper," Miranda remarked. "Wouldn't she, Amykins?" she asked, tickling the baby's belly with her fingers with she peeled away the diaper with her other hand. "Ewww," she chuckled at the "present" the infant had left for her there.

"At least it's just milk poop right now," Jaz pointed out with a laugh. "Just you wait until she's starting to wean - it'll get interesting then!"

"You can change her diapers then," Miranda remarked. "Of course, if you lived closer, I might be able to change them more often for you," she added with a shrug of her shoulders. Let it not be said that the woman gave up the fight easily.

"Nice try." Jaz threw her a grin, still putting the last of the cutlery away, but having an empty dishwasher was amazingly relieving after having it full to the brim for three days.

"You can't blame a girl for trying," Miranda remarked as she folded the diaper and dumped it in the diaper pail before taking up a few wipes to clean the mess off the baby's bottom. "So, shall I call the healer tonight and arrange for her to come by tomorrow?"

"That would be amazing if you could," Jaz agreed hopefully. "It would be so good not to feel as though something's going to fall out every time I go to the toilet."

"Not so amazing really, but consider it done. I'll text you later and let you know what time to expect her. And don't worry - she's very good and very discreet," Miranda assured her cousin, as she deftly re-diapered and re-dressed the little one. "There, all better," she said, taking the little up back up into her arms.

With the barest grumble, Amy settled back into her cuddle, apparently a little weirded out by having to warm her backside up again, but not upset by it. She then attached her mouth to Miranda's neck, licking her skin as babies are wont to do.

Miranda giggled, moving over to Jasmin. "I think your daughter is hungry. It's either that or she's a baby vampire," she told her. "Can you take her for a minute? I need to wash my hands."

"She just ate, she probably thinks you smell divine," Jaz teased her, reaching out to take Amy from her cousin. "Stop trying to eat the family, little miss. Not everyone produces milk wherever you suck."

"You're so good to me," she teased fondly, tucking a light blanket over Amy's tummy. She pressed a soft kiss to the newborn's forehead before joining him at the fridge. "Hmm ....maybe we could have one of these sides rather than mashing potatoes, though."

"We can do that," Jack said, as he reached for a package of chicken tucked into the back of the fridge, along with a carton of mushrooms, preferring the fresh variety, rather than canned or frozen. "Why don't you relax while I do the cooking"'

"Are you looking after me again, Jack Granger?" she asked with warm amusement, tucking her arms about his waist from behind to kiss his cheek.

"That's my job," he replied, a grin mirroring her amusement as he turned his head to just barely meet her gaze. "Do you love me?" he asked in a quiet voice, though he already knew the answer to that question.

"Desperately," she promised, nuzzling to his cheek. "Do you love me?" She drew her head back to meet his gaze, also knowing the answer but always liking to hear it.

"With all my heart," he assured her, as he set the chicken and mushrooms on the counter and turned to face her. "You make me happy, Jasmin," he told her in the soft tone of voice he always used when he was being sincere.

She smiled, resting her forehead to his. "I don't know where I would be without you," she murmured in answer. "You make me happy, but more than that. I feel safe with you, Jack. I always have."

He smiled, pleased and even proud he made her feel that way. He had a caring heart and a gentle nature, but it seemed no one had ever really recognized that in him until he'd met Jasmin. Or maybe it had been Lena first, who had then introduced him to Jasmin.

"When I first saw you, I thought there was no way this gorgeous creature was ever going to notice me, but I'm glad you did. I'm glad you gave me a chance, Jasmin. If it wasn't for you ..." He trailed off a moment, leaving the rest unsaid.

"We don't need to think about the ifs," she said affectionately. "We've got each other. We've got a beautiful home. We have two wonderful daughters. And you're about to become a honorary uncle to royalty. I'd say we did good together."

No, in truth, he didn't really want to think about the ifs. If Lena hadn't come back for Tommy; if they hadn't taken Jack with them; if she hadn't introduced him to Jasmin. Lena had come back in time through the portal to change Tommy's fate and in doing so, had changed Jack's, too. He'd be forever grateful to her for that.

"I've got everything I need right here," he told her, pulling her close for a slow, tender kiss.

It was in the middle of that kiss that he realized what she'd just told him. "Wait, what?" he asked, pulling away and blinking his eyes in shock.

Jaz snorted with laughter at his reaction. "Did you not read Dru's letter?" she asked in amusement. "She's due in a few weeks, I think. She wanted to let you know."

"Due in a few weeks?" Jack exclaimed, jaw dropping open. Had it been that long since they'd had a visit from their little royal. "Why didn't she just call?" he asked, though he assumed she and Josh were busy now that they were properly settled in Tirisano.

"She explains it all in the letter, Jack," Jaz assured him gently. "It's a little different for royalty. I'm sure she wanted to tell you sooner, but she has a lot of constraints on her."

Jack frowned, his feelings hurt a little, but he knew Dru had a lot of responsibilities to deal with in Tirisano and she didn't have time to coddle Jack. "I must have missed it somehow," he admitted. How he'd missed a letter from Dru he wasn't sure, but he must have somehow.

She stroked his cheek affectionately. "We've been a little distracted," she reminded him. "I'm certain she didn't mean to hurt your feelings, baby."

"I'm sure she didn't," Jack said, a little embarrassed by his mistake. "I'll have to call her later," he said, so long as they both had the time for it. It was no secret that Jack thought of Dru as the little sister he'd never had, but like him, she had her own life to live. Besides, they had news of their own to share.

She hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek. "She'll be delighted to hear from you, I'm sure," she said confidently. "And besides, you have to tell her all about Amy."

"Yeah," Jack admitted, somewhat mollified by Jasmin's reassurance. "How does time fly so fast, Jaz?" he asked, not expecting any real answer to that.

"Because life is good, baby," she told him gently. "Time flies when you're not stressed or worried. It can be hard to keep up sometimes."

"Maybe when Amy gets a little older, we could visit there sometime," Jack suggested, though he didn't know what the rules were concerning visits with royalty. He supposed Lena would know though, as Dru was her little sister.

"That sounds like a brilliant idea," Jaz agreed. "We'll work something out, baby." She kissed his cheek, nuzzling close for a long moment. "I am kinda hungry, though."

Jack smiled at the reminder - and the kiss - getting the hint. "This shouldn't take long," he promised, brushing a kiss to her lips before pulling away so that he could gather the items he'd need to fix dinner.

For a moment there, he'd almost faltered, the old feelings of loneliness creeping back up, but it had only taken a little reassurance from Jasmin for him to realize he really did have everything he needed. Not only did he have a loving wife and two beautiful daughters, but he had an even wider circle of friends and family who cared for him, too. He had lost very little in coming to Rhy'Din and gained everything a man could ever need.

So what if there were a few bumps along the way' With a foundation this strong, a man could handle anything that came his way.