Authors' note: This is the latest chapter. It's shorter than the last one and if you're not a fan of the Hannah storyline, you might not like this chapter, but we do hope that you read it because something does happen. We hope that you enjoy it!
Frankie Barron was incredibly nervous. She was more nervous than she had been during the World Cup rooting for her team to win. She was more nervous than she had been when she'd been sitting in the room with David Wright making him believe it was his daughter he was speaking to. She was more nervous than she had been while trying to console Hannah after a nightmare, hoping her little daughter would forget about what had happened.
And it was all due to a tiny stick on the bathroom counter that was slowly turning blue.
Will knocked on the door and didn't wait for an answer before barging inside. "Breakfast is on the table, Frankie. If we don't get downstairs, there's not going to be anything left."
"Will," Frankie's voice shook as she pointed to the stick.
"Come on, Frankie," Will said tugging at her arm and ignoring what she was pointing at. "I don't want to eat cold cereal...."
"WILL!" Frankie shook him off. "Look at the bloody stick!"
Will finally turned and looked at the stick on the counter. 'Is that---?"
Frankie nodded, not trusting her voice.
Will stepped forward and picked it up. "It's blue---does that mean...?"
"I'm pregnant," Frankie whispered.
Will smiled. "Frankie, this is fantastic!"
Frankie was still a bit too stunned to react as Will swept her up into his arms. "I can't' believe it," she managed.
"You can't be scared," Will said holding her tightly. "You already know you're a great mum."
"I am a little nervous," she admitted. "This is such a big thing Will."
"So was taking in Hannah," Will reminded her.
Frankie nodded. "Will, we're going to have a baby..." she suddenly laughed. "Oh Merlin..."
Will gave her a kiss. "This is great news, Frankie. I love you so much!"
"I love you too," Frankie buried her face in his shoulder.
He held her for a long time, neither of them speaking.
"I'm feeling so many things right now," Frankie said when they pulled apart.
"Me too," Will admitted.
"I'm really excited too," Frankie said softly. "I mean... I'm shocked. I didn't think it would happen this soon."
"We weren't trying," Will said nodding. "But we did talk about this happening one day, Frankie."
She nodded too and looked at him. "How are we going to tell Hannah?"
"Together," Will said. "And I'm sure she's going to be happy to have a little brother or sister. You see how great she gets along with her cousins."
"I hope so," Frankie hugged him again. "Let's keep this quiet until we tell her, okay?"
"Deal," Will said patting her back. He gave her one last kiss before the two of them headed out of the room and downstairs. Hannah was sitting at the kids table with Emma, Caroline and Katie. The adults were milling around the bigger table. Ashley stood off to the side looking out the window. It was still raining.
Frankie looked over at Will. "Should we do it now?" she whispered.
"The sooner the better," Will whispered back.
"Hannah?" Frankie called out to her. "Can you come into the sitting room with me and your daddy, please?"
Hannah looked worried as she pushed her chair back. "Did I do something bad?"
Will shook his head. "No, we just wanted to have a talk with our favourite girl."
Hannah smiled in relief. "I wish it wasn't raining," she said. "I really wanted to go back to the beach."
"We still have lots of time for that," Frankie said sitting down on the sofa. "Come and sit with me."
"Okay," Hannah willingly did so.
"We have some really good news," Will said kneeling down in front of his wife and daughter. "Your mummy and I found out some really good news today."
"You did?" Hannah asked.
Frankie nodded. "It's something scary, exciting and wonderful all at the same time. And if it hadn't been for you, I'd be freaking out right now..."
Hannah looked quizzically at her. "I don't understand..."
Will took his daughter's hand. "Hannah, pretty soon you're going to be a big sister."
Hannah stared at him. "I am?"
"That's right sweetheart," Frankie replied. "I just found out a few minutes ago that I'm pregnant."
"Like Emma's mummy was with Adam?" Hannah asked.
"Just like that," Will said pulling Hannah into a hug. "Isn't this great?"
Hannah didn't know what to say. "I guess so..." she replied softly.
Frankie smiled. "I can't believe I'm going to be a mother..."
Hannah felt those words as a kick in her stomach. Neither one of her parents seemed to notice as she pulled away and sat in the corner of the sofa.
What would happen to her now? Would Will and Frankie still love her as much even though they were going to have their own baby now?
"We should call our parents," Will said to Frankie. "Tell them the good news..."
Frankie nodded. "And I want to tell Allie and Maddie separately while we're here."
Will smiled. "I'll just go and get the phone..."
"I think I might make a visit to the loo," Frankie said feeling a little queasy. "We'll be right back, Hannah."
Hannah nodded wordlessly. She sat on the edge of the sofa wishing that her mother was here.
She pulled a blanket off the back of the sofa and curled up in it. Her real father had been right-- it was only a matter of time before they stopped loving her.
She'd been having such a great time and now it was all coming to an end. They'd probably send her back to the orphanage. Mr. Ron and Luna probably wouldn't want to take her back because they already had more kids in her place.
Hannah didn't want to stick around down here and hear Will and Frankie tell everyone she was going to be sent back. She ran upstairs and dove under the blankets on her bed, wishing she could hide there forever.
Meanwhile, Frankie had cornered her sister and best friend and taken them into the front hall.
"What's going on, Frankie?" Maddie asked. "You look a little pale..."
Frankie took a deep breath. "I just found out I'm pregnant," she said in a rush.
Allison cupped her hand over her mouth. "Frankie!" she exclaimed in a muffled voice. "That's fantastic!"
"I'm really nervous," Frankie confessed as Allison threw her arms around her. "But I'm excited too."
"I'm so happy for you," Maddie said grinning at her. "How's Will taking the news?"
"He's completely ecstatic," Frankie laughed.
"And Hannah?" Allison asked.
"She's happy too, of course," Frankie said. She looked at Allison. "I'm going to need lots of advice. You promise to help me, right?"
"Of course I'll help you," Allison replied. "Every step of the way, Frankie."
"Thanks, Allie," Frankie said. "I was just about to call mum and dad to let them know. And we're going to call Will's parents and Chiaki..."
"Everyone's going to be so happy for you," Maddie said. "This is so, so exciting Frankie!"
"Maybe you'll have twins like Chiaki," Allison teased.
"Oh Merlin," Frankie shook her head. "One will be enough for me."
Unfortunately, Hannah had chosen that moment to peek outside and she heard just the tail end of what Frankie had said.
Maddie laughed. "As opposed to the six I want?"
"Six?" Frankie asked with a grimace. "Six is way too much. One is more than enough for me. I don't need any more."
Allison didn't notice as Hannah stifled a little sob and ran back upstairs. "Well you'll have two... your newborn and your beautiful little four year old."
"That's what I'm happiest about," Frankie admitted. "Giving Hannah a little brother or sister."
"She'll do a great job of being a big sister," Maddie replied.
"She will," Frankie said. "Just like you were to me, Allie. And how you are to RJ, Maddie."
"I'm so happy for you," Allison hugged her sister again.
"Thanks," Frankie said. "I'll catch up with you two later. I'm going to go and find Will."
"You have to tell me how loudly Mum screams," Allison called after her.
"You'll probably hear her," Frankie said shaking her head as she headed back to her bedroom.
"We just found out!" Will was exclaiming into the phone. "Frankie just took the test about a half hour ago."
"Will!" Frankie chastised him. "I thought we were going to tell them together!"
"I'm sorry baby I couldn't wait," Will said sheepishly.
Frankie took the phone from him. "Abigail?"
"Frankie, darling I'm so happy for you," Abbie was already sobbing.
Frankie laughed. "You get another grandchild."
"You and Will are going to be wonderful parents," Abbie told her. "You already are to Hannah."
"Speaking of that," Theodore said. "Where's my granddaughter? I'd like to congratulate her on being a big sister."
"She's around here somewhere," Frankie replied. "Hannah!" she called.
Hannah didn't come, but Frankie figured she was off playing with her cousins.
"We can tell her later," Ted told her. "She's probably having fun and breaking the news to everyone else for you."
"Probably," Frankie said. "Look, we'll stop by and visit when we get back from Brighton."
"I can't wait," Abbie said, sobbing again.
Frankie clicked off the phone. "I think she was happy..."
Will laughed and kissed his wife. "As happy as I am."
"I still need to visit the doctor's," Frankie reminded him. "To see how far along I am and make sure everything's okay..."
"Of course," Will nodded. "I'm sure we can find someone here in Brighton, or we can pop back to London for the day."
"Let's call my parents," Frankie said reaching for the phone again. "Will---can you go and get Hannah? I'm sure Mum and Dad will want to talk to her."
"I'll go find her," Will replied.
Hannah was in her bedroom packing up her belongings. She had no idea where she was going to go or what she was going to do but she knew she couldn't stay here.
She felt tears sting her eyes again as she looked at the purple suitcase. She remembered how happy she had been when Frankie had taken her to pick it out.
"Hannah?" Will's voice called out to her. She heard him knock gently on the door.
Hannah hurriedly stuffed the suitcase under her bed and climbed back under the covers. Hopefully he would think she'd fallen asleep.
Will opened the door. "Hannah?"
Hannah closed her eyes, pulling the blankets tight around her.
"Are you asleep, baby?" Will asked gently.
She didn't answer, only breathed in and out as steadily as she could.
Will smiled down at her before leaving the room.
As soon as Hannah heard the door shut she shoved back the blankets and dragged her suitcase out again.
She would never get to play with Emma and her friends again. She'd never go back to her preschool. The family she'd come to love would no longer want her. It wasn't fair, she thought sadly.
"You're lucky they kept you as long as they did," a cold, familiar voice said from behind her.
"Daddy," Hannah whispered.
"I told you they wouldn't always love you," that same voice taunted. "That they'd get sick of you."
"T-they did love me," Hannah said in a small voice.
"No they didn't," the voice laughed horribly. "You'd better get out of here before they kick you out like I always wanted to do."
Hannah's lower lip trembled as she closed her suitcase. She grabbed her teddy bear in one hand and then lugged her suitcase down off the bed. She made sure no one was in the hall before she tiptoed out of her room.
She dragged her bag down as quietly as she could before fumbling with the front door lock.
She looked over her shoulder. She knew Frankie nor Will could hear her, but she wanted to say something. "Goodbye, Frankie."
And without anyone witnessing her at all, she shut the door behind her.
A few minutes later, a happy Frankie and Will came downstairs.
"I hope there's still some food left," Frankie was saying. "I'm starving."
"Now that you're eating for two," Will couldn't contain himself and swung her around again.
Frankie giggled. "Will!"
He grinned and kissed her again.
"Frack?" Emma called out. "Where's Han?"
"She's sleeping, Em." Will told her.
"Em go get Hannah," Emma said heading off toward the stairs.
"I don't think so, little mermaid," Will picked her up. "If Hannah's sleepy, let her kip all right?"
Emma squirmed. "But Em wants to play with Han."
"You can play later, sweetheart." Frankie said. "Right now we have something we want to tell everyone."
"Kay," Emma said.
Will carried Emma into the kitchen and set her down at the table. He hoped Allison and Maddie hadn't said anything just yet.
"We saved you some pancakes," Maddie told them when they came into the kitchen.
"Thanks," Frankie grinned at her. "Did you hear my mum scream?"
"I think they heard her in the States," Maddie giggled. "Allie and I haven't said anything."
"Thanks," Frankie squeezed her hand.
Will stood up and held up his hand. "If we could have everyone's attention...there's something we'd like to tell you."
Everyone stopped eating and looked over at them.
"You've gone broke because Frankie spent all your money?" Ethan deadpanned, causing Maddie to smack his shoulder.
"No," Frankie said rolling her eyes at him. "The thing is...Will and I...we're going to have a baby!"
"You're pregnant?" Saffron asked in delight. "Really? Congratulations!"
"Thanks, Saffy," Frankie said beaming at her.
"I'll baby sit," Saffron gave her a hug. "Anytime."
"Thanks," Frankie said feeling tears in her eyes. "I know you all can't believe it. I can hardly believe it myself."
"I think it's wonderful," Hermione said warmly, giving the young woman a hug.
"Thanks, Aunt Hermione," Frankie said softly.
"Does Hannah know?" Caroline asked.
"She sure does Princess," Will nodded.
"She's upstairs in her room sleeping," Frankie said.
"No she's not," Lizzy said. "I just put Casey down in there and Hannah wasn't in there."
"What?" Frankie looked at her husband. "Will?"
"I'll go and see if she's in the loo," Will said. "Be right back."
"She's probably just woken up," Maddie assured her friend.
"I don't blame her for sleeping," Saffron said with a yawn. "Weather like this always makes me sleepy."
Alexa nodded. "Same here. I was thinking I'd conk out for awhile on the sofa."
"That sounds like a nice idea actually," Frankie said.
A few minutes later, Will came back downstairs with a stricken look on his face.
"Frankie?"
She looked up at her husband and instantly began to panic. "She wasn't there?"
Will shook his head. "Her suitcase and clothes are gone too."
Frankie stared at him in disbelief. "You mean she ran away?" she shoved back her chair.
"It's pouring outside," Maddie said standing up as well.
"I've got to go find her," Frankie made for the door.
Will shook his head. "You stay here. I'll go."
"No way," Frankie said.
"It's raining," Maddie said putting an arm around her. "You don't want to go out there in your condition."
"I'm pregnant, not sick." Frankie pulled away. "And my daughter is out there."
"We'll all help look for her," Harry told his goddaughter.
"Thank you," Frankie pulled her trainers on and grabbed a jumper from the closet.
"We'll check the neighbourhood houses," Saffron said. "Come on, Gabe. Lexie."
"Right," Gabriel nodded. The three teenagers headed out the door with umbrellas.
Frankie's mind was already in overload thinking of every worst case scenario. Hannah was only four years old.
"Come on," Will took her arm. "We'll start off just down the beach."
Frankie nodded. "She has to be okay."
"Take your mobile," Maddie said. "We'll ring you if she shows up here or if we find her."
Frankie and Will set out down the beach sharing an umbrella. "We're horrible parents."
"We should have seen this coming," Frankie shook her head. "I thought she was excited- but we should have waited and heard her out. We should have paid more attention to her reaction."
"We'll find her, Frankie," Will reassured her. "She couldn't have gone far."
"I hope not," Frankie squeezed his hand.
The pier was a little further down the beach and Frankie spotted a small figure in a purple jacket. "Will? Is that---?"
Will broke away and began to run. "Hannah!"
The little girl didn't hear him and she settled down just underneath the pier. Her skin and clothes were soaked from the rain and she felt cold and sleepy.
Frankie also ran forward, trying not to stumble in the uneven sand. "Hannah!" she called for her daughter.
Hannah sank down onto the sand and pulled her knees to her chest, trying to get warm.
"Hannah!" Will called out again as he got closer.
Hannah tensed up as she heard someone calling her name. They couldn't possibly have found her!
"Sweetheart," Will said from behind her. "You had us so worried!"
Hannah didn't turn around, only buried her face in her knees.
Frankie caught up to them. "Hannah?"
"G-go a-away," Hannah said, her teeth chattering.
"Hannah Emily," Will scooped her up. "What on earth are you doing? What were you thinking by running off like this?"
"Let me go!" Hannah exclaimed trying to get down.
"Hannah," Frankie tried to calm her down. "Sweetheart, you're going to get sick out here."
"You don't care about me anymore," Hannah said tears streaming down her face.
"What?" Frankie asked, holding the umbrella over them. "Hannah how could you say that? Your father and I love you very much."
"Not anymore," Hannah said sadly.
"We can talk about this back at the house," Will said tightening his grip on Hannah. "Come on."
"I don't want to go back with you," Hannah tried to push away as Frankie picked up her suitcase.
"Why not?" Will asked her. "You belong with us, Hannah."
Hannah only shook her head and wouldn't look at either of them.
They trudged back up the beach toward the house in relative silence. Frankie followed close behind and made a quick call to Maddie to let her know they'd found Hannah.
"Let's get you warmed up," Will said to his daughter as they arrived back at the house.
"NO!" Hannah exclaimed. "Let me go!"
"Hannah stop," Will told her firmly. "You're not going anywhere!"
"You don't want me anymore and I don't want to go back to the orphanage!" Hannah retorted.
"Why would you say we don't want you anymore?" Frankie asked in a gentler tone as she twisted her hair to wring it out.
"Y-you said you were finally going to be a m-mother," Hannah said in a small voice. "Because of the baby..."
"I became a mother the day you became our daughter," Frankie sat down next to Hannah and handed her a towel.
"But you don't need me anymore," Hannah said looking at Frankie's still flat stomach.
"Of course we need you," Will wrapped a blanket around Hannah's thin, shivering body. "You're our best girl, Hannah."
A tear fell down Hannah's cheek. "But I heard Mum--Frankie---say that one was enough. One was all she needed."
Frankie was at a loss for words for a moment until she recalled her words to Allison and Maddie in the hall. "Sweetheart... I meant one baby at a time. Not one child."
Hannah looked down at her lap.
"Sweetheart, we adopted you. You are our daughter," Will said gently. "And that's not going to change. Never."
Hannah still didn't look up. "But you'll have a real baby of your own. You don't need me."
"Hannah Emily," Frankie said. "Please look at me."
Hannah's eyes were brimming with tears as she raised them up.
"Your father and I love you more than anything in this world," Frankie said softly. "I don't care if I have one baby or two or three...that's not going to change how I feel about you. You are our daughter."
"Really?" Hannah asked in a tiny voice.
"Absolutely," Frankie said opening her arms. "Come here."
Even though she was still sopping wet, Hannah threw herself into Frankie's arms and sobbed.
"Will, why don't you go and get Hannah's pyjamas from upstairs and that blanket on our bed?" Frankie asked him.
"Sure," Will replied, getting to his feet and rushing upstairs with Hannah's suitcase.
"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Frankie said holding Hannah. "I promise."
"I didn't think you loved me anymore when you said you only wanted one baby," Hannah's face was still buried in Frankie's shoulder.
"Can I tell you something, Hannah?" Frankie asked.
Hannah nodded mutely.
"I never wanted to be a mother," Frankie told her. "I didn't think I had it in me, to tell you the truth. A few months back, Will and I thought we might be pregnant, but it turned out we weren't. I was relieved because I didn't think I was ready for such a big step. He was sad because he really wanted a family."
"What changed your mind?" Hannah asked.
"I came over to Luna's house to help her with decorating ideas and met this sweet little girl who changed everything," Frankie replied.
"Me?" Hannah whispered.
Frankie nodded. "All I wanted to do was protect you and make you feel safe."
"I'm sorry," Hannah cast her eyes down.
"It's all right now," Frankie said. "But you cannot run away like that Hannah."
Will came back into the room with the blanket and a fresh pair of pyjamas for Hannah.
"Let's get you changed," Frankie took them. "You can't stay in those wet clothes."
"You either, Frankie," Will said.
"I'm fine," Frankie told him. "I'm really not that wet."
Hannah slid out of her shoes and with Frankie's help changed out of her wet clothes into the dry pyjamas. Frankie cast a drying spell on her daughter's hair with her wand.
Will came back into the room when they were done. "Hannah... we know you were upset today, but it's not an excuse for running away like that. You had everyone worried and someone could have hurt you out there."
Hannah nodded. "I'm sorry, Daddy."
"I know you are baby," Will sat down. "But we're going to have to give you a time out for this."
"But not right now," Frankie said lying back on the couch, holding Hannah to her. "Tomorrow, no beach."
"Okay," Hannah clung to Frankie.
Will draped the blanket over the two of them.
"If anything had happened to you, I don't know what I would have done," Frankie said kissing the top of Hannah's head.
"I really am sorry... Mummy," Hannah still held onto her. "I love you and Daddy so much. I didn't want you to tell me to leave."
"We'd never tell you to leave," Will said. "We love you too much."
Hannah nodded. "Can I sleep here with you Mummy?"
"Of course," Frankie replied. "Do you want me to sing to you?"
Hannah nodded and closed her eyes.
Frankie started to softly sing a lullaby to her daughter. She met Will's gaze.
He pulled down a pillow from the other sofa and made himself comfortable next to his wife and daughter. He wasn't about to go anywhere.
"I love you," Frankie whispered to Hannah. "My sweet, sweet girl."
Hannah was already asleep and breathing in and out steadily.
"What a morning..." Will whispered to his wife. "Not exactly how I expected it to go..."
Frankie nodded. "I never wanted her to feel like this, Will. I thought she'd be happy."
"I thought so too," Will replied.
"She's never, ever going to feel second best," Frankie vowed. "She's never going to feel like we don't love her as much as the baby."
Will shook his head. "Absolutely not."
"I was so frightened that something terrible had happened to her," Frankie said.
"Me too," Will took her hand. "Thank Merlin we found her before she was able to get too far."
"Thankfully," Frankie said closing her eyes.
"You sleep, baby." Will leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Daddy," Hannah whispered in her sleep.
Will smiled and brushed Hannah's hair off her forehead. "Love you too."
It wasn't long before Will, too, fell asleep.
"Crisis averted," Maddie told her husband after peeking in on them.
Ethan nodded. "Poor Hannah."
Maddie sighed. "I'm glad they found her before it was too late. I think they have a lot of talking to do when they all wake up."
"That they will," Ethan agreed.
"I can't believe she's pregnant," Maddie sat down at the table. "Frankie's going to have a baby."
"I think hell has just frozen over," Ethan said trying to make light of the situation.
Maddie sort of smiled. "I'm happy for her..." she said. "I guess I'm a bit jealous too."
"You want to have a baby now?" Ethan asked her. "Mads, I thought we'd... "
"I know," she said quickly. "I know we both agreed to wait but I just... I don't know Ethan..."
"You want to be a mum," Ethan said.
"I really do," she confessed.
Ethan looked at his wife. "We could start trying, if that's what you really want."
"Only if it's what you want too," Maddie reached for his hands. "It's a team effort here."
"I want a family with you," Ethan said.
"But do you want it now?" she pursued.
"If you do," Ethan said reaching for her hand.
"There's no guarantees that it would happen right away," Maddie moved closer to him. "But if we start trying--"
"I love trying," Ethan said with a grin.
Maddie laughed. "I had a feeling you'd say that."
"You know me too well," Ethan said giving her a kiss. "So...when do you want to get started?"
Maddie wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know... I did bring that lacy pink thing you like so much... the one... when I wear it... looks like--"
"You didn't tell me that you'd brought that," Ethan said suddenly feeling very hot.
"Surprise..." she murmured huskily. "Shall I go put it on and wait for you?"
"Absolutely," Ethan said without hesitation.
"Well then," Maddie leaned in and kissed him. "I'll see you in about three minutes. Don't be late."
"Not a chance," Ethan said happily.
She giggled and left the kitchen, running up the stairs two steps at a time.
Ethan smiled. He loved that pink slip thing Maddie had. He couldn't wait to take it off of her.
"Ethan?"
He turned and saw his mother. "Mum?"
"What are you up to?" Hermione asked.
"Um..." Ethan turned red. He certainly didn't want to tell his mother he was about to go have sex.
"Sit down," Hermione said. "I'll make us a nice cup of tea."
"Er..." Ethan bit his lower lip and looked towards the stairs. "I guess..."
"It's been ages since you and I had a proper chat, Hermione said putting the kettle on.
A proper chat... Ethan sat down heavily in the chair. Sometimes a proper chat with his mother could take hours.