Stafford Terrace

"How I'm moved... how you move me..." Monica mumbled along to the first track on Kate Bush's The Kick Inside as it played on the living room record player.

She was in a good mood as she organised a few loose papers in one of her sketchbooks. Today was the day that she and Freddie were going to find out if they were having a girl or a boy.

He was leaning against the doorway impatiently, waiting to leave, "Hurry on up!"

Monica had the record player turned up too loud; she didn't notice him there, scarf in and jacket at the ready.

"Are you finished yet?!" He said loudly over the music.

She looked over, "huh?"

He sighed irritably, "The taxi is across the road! Are you ready?!"

She ran across to the room and lifted the needle off the record.

She smirked and turned back around when the room was silent. His mouth twitched as he folded his arms.

"Now I am."

"You heard me the whole time," he huffed and rolled his eyes. "Trying to annoy me."

"Oh but you annoy me all the time!" She rushed past him and went to get her coat. "I don't know how I even put up with it."

He just scoffed, unable to think of a good comeback, and followed her out the door.

She turned around quickly and pecked his lips, "oh, you love me really."

He kissed back, smiling a little. He couldn't give into that impish smile of hers.

"Of course I do, dearie" he purred.

He opened the door for her as she was barely able to button her slender coat over her growing stomach.

"I think we're going to have to find you something a bit bigger and looser," he helped her in. "Those buttons are straining."

"I don't have the money to buy the designer couture you have in mind." She made herself comfortable.

"Not that, just something basic! Just a simple, tailored and understated camel coat will be fine," he strapped himself in. "Or something pastel, like a baby blue or pink, with that dark hair and those light eyes of yours."

"The newspapers are going to think we are giving clues to the baby's gender," she sighed. "It'll raise hell!"

"Well alright then, how about lime?" He suggested.

"Actually, I think I'd prefer camel, now that you mention it." She shuddered slightly.

"You're hopeless to dress, you know that?" He shook his head.

She giggled, "and you think I'm the stubborn one?"

"Just let me know if you see anything you like in a passing window then" he kissed her cheek.

"I don't know, I don't have clothes on my mind to be honest. We do have a baby to worry about first." She squeezed his hand.

But that was minutes before they found out that it wasn't a baby...

Lister Fertility Clinic

"Relax yourself, Miss Brannigan. This will feel cold," the ultrasound technician warned as he squeezed the gel on her exposed abdomen. "So, your first child?"

She smiled nervously as his gloved hand smeared it on, "yes."

Freddie just nodded silently, squeezing Monica's hand.

Everything in the room was making him feel uncomfortable. Not only was he anxious about the baby's health but the environment wasn't nice for such an important moment when he'd first look at his child.

The technician smeared the wand around, examining the overhead screen, "And... there we go. See the head?"

"Look!" She tugged Freddie's sleeve excitedly, looking back up at the blurred monochrome image.

He stared back in awe, making out the side of the baby's head and the small hand.

Now it was really sinking in.

"Good news, I can hear a heartbeat." The technician said.

They couple sighed in relief, but the technician's face suddenly contorted into confusion.

"Is... Is everything alright?" Monica asked.

"Don't panic," he replied hesitantly, swivelling the wand around more. "But this may shock you."

"What's wrong?" Freddie pressed, standing up a little.

"There's another heartbeat there!" The technician let out. "Look at the screen! Can you see another pair of feet?"

Monica gasped, "oh... my goodness..."

The blood washed out of Freddie's face.

"Well, I can confirm that you're having twins! What a surprise" the technician said.

"Oh my god... it must be because twins run in my family!" Monica gushed in delight.

Freddie was frozen, wide eyes glued to the screen. 

He didn't know what to think or whether or not he should be filled with happiness or dread. Double the amount of nappies, amplified crying filling the house in the middle of the night, toys strewn all over his nice carpet in the corridor and in every room-

"At this stage I might be able to find out their genders too, would you like to know?" The technician asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"Please!" Monica said, then looked to Fred.

He numbly drew his attention back to the monitor, "Oh... absolutely!"

"Right...." the technician murmured, concentrating on the screen. "Well, the baby in front is a... a girl... and the other one around this side of your womb... yes, a boy!"

"Freddie, we are having a son and a daughter!"

"Oh my god... my god..." he mumbled repeatedly. "Look at them..."

"We're going to have to get a bigger place." She giggled.

"Come here" he instinctively leant down to hug her.

She held back onto him, then looked back at the monitor.

"Will we be able to take a picture home with us?" She asked.

The technician nodded, "we will print you out a copy of each foetus now. All seems well in your exam and today's session is done."

"Good... I can't seem to want to take my eyes away from them." She mused as the technician stood up and went to his desk.

"Neither can I," Freddie brought his hand to her lips. "But we're going to need to hire a nanny."

She looked over, "what makes you consider that?"

"Oh come on, you can't do it on your own, especially when I'm away on tour." He explained. "Didn't I say I'd help you, and them?"

"But will you be there for them-"

"Of course I will, as much as I can and for as long as I can, I love them. I will pay to fly you all out to wherever I happen to be when you want!" He rubbed her head. "They need a fatherly figure, but they also need to have a good, settled upbringing and know where their home is."

"Oh Fred," she looked up pleadingly. "Promise me."

He smiled, "It's my job after all, isn't it? I will do my best for them."

Her hand traced the stubble on his upper lip and his chin as their noses were at touching distance. He rubbed her cheek and sighed deeply.

"They're going to be so beautiful," she whispered. "Just like their daddy."

"God forbid they end up with the Bulsara back-teeth!" He chuckled. "They will even be a nightmare when it comes to teething! Just ask my mum; she says my sister was less difficult than I during the process. Just look at our smiles."

"Don't you dare shame that smile of yours!" She kissed his lips as his cheeks only reddened.

"As long as one of them gets their mother's fine face." He kissed back, his voice much more hushed and intimate.

"I need you both to fill out a few forms," the technician interrupted, a tissue in his hands. "But first we should dry the stickiness off your skin."

Freddie helped Monica sit back up gently, "well, that's it. We've had our first look at them."

"And you can look at them as much as you like now." The technician handed Monica two square pieces of paper.

Freddie looked over her shoulder, looking at the, with their gender labels at the space below. Even though they looked just like a low quality image of a baby, still not distinguishable as theirs, he still felt a longing for them.

He continued looking that the pictures in his hand as they made their way back from the clinic.

She giggled, "you better look where you're going, you're going to-"

Suddenly he tripped on an uneven paving stone, the height of his platforms causing him to fall over forward onto the pavement.

"SHIT!" He let out as he stumbled, the scans flying out of his hand.

"Are you alright?" Monica tended to him, lifting his arm up and adjusting his scarf.

"Go get them!" He pointed at the pieces of paper dancing in the gentle breeze.

She rushed after them as he stood up and brushed off his knees. She chased them as they blew further away.

"Don't let them get away!" He shouted, staggering after her.

"I'M TRYING!" She called back.

The wind carried them off the pavement and in amongst the heavy traffic, and within a trice Monica was off of it too.

"Watch out!" Freddie failed to grab her arm when he caught up with her.

"Shit! It's not just her out on the road, it's them too!" He thought as he helplessly watched her dashing across the busy road.

She dived after the scans as they were dangerously close to the gutter on the street side, ignoring the fast car ahead of her violently honking its horn...

To be continued...