The trip to Germany had been planned over a year ago. It has been Liam's idea to show them the cities and places where he grew up and now they were here. They were staying in a little holiday home on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The city was called Travemünde and he couldn't for the life him pronounce it right, no matter how many times Liam tried to teach him. His daughters were very keen on learning as much German as they could on this trip and they were surprisingly good at this. He was so proud.

Most of their time was spent on the beach, building sand castles or swimming in the ocean. The evenings were spent inside of their holiday home, playing games or watching German movies that Louis and Zayn didn't understand. But their entire time was filled with laughter and happiness and that was the most important part.

During their second week in Travemünde, they took day-long trips to nearby places and explored their surroundings. One day they took a trip to a well-known amusement park and the girls were over the moon. They ate lots of unhealthy food and rode most of the roller-coasters and played on a pirate ship and captured all of their little moments in pictures or videos to keep their memories safe.

The third week of their vacation was spent in Liam's hometown Lübeck. It was famous for its marzipan and the Holsten gate and had dozens of museums and five famous churches with seven towers in total. They visited every single one of them and walked along the rivers and took a boat ride over the canal.

One day was spent in the capital city of the state of Schleswig-Holstein called Kiel. It was even bigger than Lübeck and the eyes of his daughters never seemed to stop growing bigger at every new sight. Their second-last day was spent in Hamburg because it was his sisters' birthday and Luna and Stella happened to be there around the same time they were only one city away.

They were supposed to meet them at a restaurant in the city centre but this was easier said than done if you have never been to that city before. Somehow, they still found the place without being too late. It was a big Italian place and the inside was marvellous. At a table in the back, his sisters Luna and Stella were waiting for them with their partners, who Louis had never met before.

"Louis" they chorused joyfully and jumped up to hug him tightly.

"My angels" Louis pulled them in as close as possible.

After a very long hug, they let go of each other and started greeting the others. While Stella and Luna hugged Maeva and Evelina before squeezing the life out of Zayn and Liam, Louis sat down at the table to introduce himself to Dominik and Rose.

"Hey, I'm Louis, their older brother".

"Hi, it's so nice to meet you. I'm Rose" his sister Stella's girlfriend introduced herself nervously but with a smile on her face.

"And I'm Dominik, Luna'sboyfriend. But you can just call me Nick. I'm sorry if I'm English isn't all that well but I'm German and ...".

"It's okay. She told us and we'll try to take that into account" Louis tried to take the pressure away from him. "Nick".

For a start, they all ordered something to drink before studying the menu. Nick was a great help with the translations and ordered all of their food, in the end. It was the easiest way for everyone. While waiting on their food, they started talking about how their trip has been so far and what his sisters have been up to these past few weeks. Stella and Rose were on a break because Cuatro Hearts were having a week off to relax before the tour would start and Luna had a day off for her birthday before she had to leave for America tomorrow without her boyfriend. Hearing them talk about their respective careers made Louis feel so proud of them.

"Emily and Sophia called earlier and Mum was the first one this morning. She called before we were even awake" Luna told them.

"I think she's pretty used to my times now. Sorry" Louis grinned sheepishly. "Once a habit, always a habit. It's hard to break".

"True" Luna munged on her slice of pizza.

"How's it going with the band?" Zayn hooked curiously.

At that, Maeva and Evelina dropped their food in a heartbeat and started ruthlessly bombarding Stella and Rose with dozens of questions about the band and the girls and their work and new songs and wanted to tickle secrets out of them. For a moment, Louis watched them with a smile but then he decided to get to know Nick better and started a conversation with him and Luna while Liam and Zayn were lost in their own little bubble. They talked about Nick's work and his family and how exactly he had met Luna and how they handled the distance due to her job.

The more Louis talked to him the more he liked him. Nick seemed to be a really great guy and he was clearly in love with Luna for who she was and there wasn't more Louis could want. His next conversation was with Rose about some crazy stories about other artists she had worked with before ending up with Cuatro Hearts and at some point, he could barely breathe through all his laughter.

"What I wanted to ask. Zayn, how's Zelia? I haven't heard from her in weeks" Luna steered the conversations into a new direction.

"She's good but loaded with work lately" Zayn reported vaguely.

"She's your sister, right?" Nick tried to follow the conversation. "As what does she work? I'm getting names mixed up, sorry".

"It's alright. I know this can be a lot at first" Zayn reassured him. "She is a therapist and is making a name for herself right now. I'm very proud of her but I'm also a little bit worried she might be overworking herself. She's barely home".

"It's only because she wants to be independent. Her old office was a bit toxic and you know it. She will slow down eventually" Liam rested a soothing hand on Zayn's upper back, caressing his neck with his fingers to ease the tension in his body.

Luna and Stella both raised an eyebrow at Louis at that but he only rolled his eyes, not denying or confirming anything. "Liam's right. Everything will be alright".

"Of course, everything will be good. You have doctors as friends. They can fix everything" Evelina chose that moment to join their conversation, making herself sound younger and like this, more innocent but she was an evil mastermind. Louis knew that.

"Oh, you're friends with doctors now? Willingly?" Luna hooked in suspicion, knowing her brother too well. "I never thought you'd ...".

"It's not like that" Louis interjected stupidly. "I mean, they're our neighbours and they're really nice. Sean is pretty down to earth".

"That's true. Sean is nothing like ...".

"And they have a Spanish friend, who is a chef" Louis talked over his best friend, suddenly feeling anxious. "You'd love him".

"A chef? That sounds interesting. You haven't said anything" Luna obviously knew he was keeping something from her.

"I told you I was out with friends. That included them" Louis wasn't dumb enough to be fooled by his younger sister. "They became a part of our friend group by now, so I won't always name them".

"No reason to get defensive, big bro" Luna smirked evilly.

"So, it's Sean and Niall and who's the third? Eve said doctors, which means more than one, if I'm right, mh?" Stella pretended to be an angel but she was the devil. Great family, he had there.

"Harry" Maeva let her know nonchalantly. "He's a children's doctor and looks after us sometimes when Dad panics".

"So, you trust that guy enough to look after your daughters? And you never mentioned him? Something's not adding up here" Luna got suspicious in an instant. His daughters were up to something.

"It's not ...".

"All of this perfectly adds up, girls" Zayn jumped in now, knowing that this topic was tricky and unpleasant for him. "Harry is a good friend by now and helps out when we need him. There is nothing wrong with that. Sean and Niall offered their help as well".

"True. We just didn't need their help so far" Liam backed them up. "But the girls love all three of them, right?".

"Yes, they're great. I'm happy you have nice friends" Evelina smiled sunnily. "Even though I don't like Josh but well".

"Who's Josh?" Stella put her head to the side in question.

"Harry's mean boyfriend" Maeva told her bluntly.

"Oh?".

"Harry's relationship status is really none of our business, mh? Let's move on and talk about something else" Louis was done with this conversation. He hasn't told anyone about what had gone down between Harry and Josh at the restaurant.

"Can we go to the shops later? We wanna buy something for Nanna as a gift" Evelina directly found something else to talk about and Louis could see in her eyes that she had noticed how little Louis wanted to talk about Harry. She was definitely growing up.

"Sure, Darling. Remember all her magnets on the fridge? Wanna get her a new one for her collection?" Louis caressed her head.

"Yes. Can I choose the magnet?" Evelina started beaming.

"Of course".

"What about me?" Maeva pouted sulkily.

"Do you wanna find a gift for Grandma Zoey? You always find the most special things, Love" Louis offered her non-committally.

"I will find her the best gift ever" Maeva declared confidently.

"It's enough if you find her a nice little memory of this place, okay? You don't need to ...".

"It needs to be perfect" Maeva cut her father off with determination in her voice. "She deserves nothing less than perfect, Dad".

"Okay, whatever you say" Louis surrendered touched.

"And Zoey is your mother's girlfriend or ...?" Nick sounded lost.

"Oh, God. No, she's my mother" Zayn was holding back some laughter. "Our mothers are best friends and live together".

"And our families became one decades ago, so ... yeah" Louis added for a bit more backstory. "Zayn and I met in nursery school and like this, our mothers as well. We clicked and they clicked and we never left each other's side again. Now we are all one family".

"That's beautiful. I'm sorry for assuming that ...".

"It's alright, Nick" Louis reassured him unbothered.

"Yeah, let's face it. Many people think they're a couple and deep down, we all wish they were but we can't force things" Zayn let him know to calm his nerves, speaking only the truth.

"They would be such a cute couple" Liam had to admit.

"Very true" Stella agreed with him.

"But wouldn't that be weird for you two? You dated before and now you want our mothers to date?" Luna scrutinized their intentions. "Besides, let's not forget our sisters are already dating".

"Why would that be strange for us? That was decades ago" Louis looked comically at her, not seeing how this could bother him.

"That could be weird for them" Rose had to agree with Luna.

"I don't see why. No one is related here and love can't really be controlled, in the end" Zayn shrugged unfazed. "And we're only talking about hypothetical love. They're just friends, after all".

"Too bad".

Another thirty minutes later, their early dinner came to an end and they parted ways with many hugs and promised to meet again very soon. It took them another hour to find the perfect gift for Jasmine and Zoey but in the end, the girls were satisfied with their picks. Hand in hand, they made their way back to the train station to drive back to their hotel in Lübeck. Tired and exhausted, the girls fell into bed as soon as they reached the hotel. But Louis and his two friends weren't able to rest yet, so they stayed up and talked.

"They know I'm here and didn't reach out" Liam puffed out some air as they sat on the balcony, referring to his parents.

"I'm sorry, Li. I wish I could do something ... anything to make you feel better" Zayn rested his hand on Liam's thigh.

"You're here. That's enough" Liam placed his hand on Zayn's hand, squeezing it. "I'm so grateful to have both of you in my life".

"And you won't get rid of us, Lima" Louis flicked his chin.

"No matter what" Zayn murmured hesitantly.

"I love you, guys".

"And we love you, Lima".

"We really do. So much".

"God, enough or I'm gonna cry" Liam sniffed to make a point. "Let's talk about Rose and Nick instead".

"They seemed alright to me. Rose was lovely and Nick was so adorably confused sometimes. I could barely handle it" Zayn recalled affectionately. "They seemed genuine to me".

"I thought the same. They all looked really happy and that's all I want for them" Louis agreed with him. His sisters really had great partners. There was no need for him to worry about them anymore.

"And they want you to be happy, Tommy" Zayn reminded him.

"I have you two, my girls and right now, this amazing view over a sleeping city. What more could I want?" Louis motioned towards the view, being genuinely honest with them. "I am happy".

Harry's POV

"How's Josh, Darling?" his mother asked him over a piece of cake after they had talked about his work for ages.

"Good. He wanted to accompany me but he couldn't get this weekend off but maybe next time. He really wants to meet you and see where I grew up and ...".

"I don't think he was very keen on meeting me" his sister Abigail pointed out in an odd voice that he couldn't place.

"You got that wrong. He was really excited that you and Logan came by but he was also very stressed with all of these people and keeping up with everything. Besides, you can be quite scary and intimidating" Harry defended his boyfriend.

"I'm so not intimidating" Abby snorted amusedly. "But okay, I take it. Maybe next time he'll be a bit more ... affable".

"Stop being mean" Harry scowled at his sister.

"If he stops being ...".

"Children, please. Don't fight over this" Bella intervened now. "I'm sure Josh is lovely. Otherwise he wouldn't be your boyfriend, mh? You only deserve someone really lovely and kind".

"That's definitely not him" Abby muttered under her breath.

"Thanks, Mum" Harry smiled at his mother thankfully. "He can be really nice but lately, he has been a bit tetchy. I can admit that but I also see why. He feels ignored and overlooked by me at times because I spend so much time with Louis and the girls and that's not fair to him. He's worried and that makes him ...".

"Louis is one of your new friends, right? The one with the two kids or am I wrong?" his mother interrupted him curiously.

"Yes, that's him" Harry felt a smile creeping onto his face. "He is amazing and his daughters are so cute and lovely. I love spending time with them and helping Louis out when he needs me. I'm still shocked he even accepted my help because I feel like that was a huge step for him. He's so protective of his girls because they lost so much and it's admirable. He's a wonderful father and a great person to just sit back and admire what he's like".

Bella and Abby exchanged a look before Bella spoke up. "That sounds like he is really amazing. I'm happy for you".

"I was looking forward to meeting him at your barbecue party but he left around the time I arrived, so we missed each other" Abby told her mother in a strange voice. "But I met Josh instead".

"Louis had to leave. The party wasn't really a place for the girls and he took them home" Harry explained why he left that day.

"Sure, that's why he left" Abby snorted unconvinced.

"What are you trying to say? You don't even know him. That's what he told Niall and Sean and he isn't a liar" Harry was fed up with her behaviour. "Not on purpose".

"Do I even wanna know what you mean by that?" Abby cocked an eyebrow up. "I don't think so, better not. I don't wanna hear more nonsense".

"It's not nonsense. You don't even ...".

"I was there, wasn't I?" Abby didn't let him speak. "I saw your party and the people who attended said party. I know why he left".

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry frowned bewildered.

"Since when do you spend your free time with all of those snobs? This isn't you and I was shocked to see ...".

"I worked with these people, Abby" Harry cut her off harshly.

"Exactly. Worked. It's in the past. You left the hospital for a reason, remember? Why would you let these people back in your life after you wanted to get away from the toxicity and social pressure? I do know why but I want you to say it" Abby wasn't backing down.

"It was only a party, Abby. Don't create drama where there isn't one" Harry rolled his eyes at his sister. "I have enough on my hands with Josh and Louis. They got off on the wrong foot and don't get along and there was an incident with both of them ...".

"Do you really not know why they don't get along?" Abby looked at him as if he were absolutely stupid.

"Louis is a very protective friend and that rubbed Josh the wrong way. He was suspicious of me spending my time with them and not with him and that painted the wrong picture but I set things straight and he also assured me he is alright with Louis' presence in my life as long as ...".

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Abby gaped at him weirdly.

"Yes? I'm telling you Josh promised me to try and get along with Louis. I just hope Louis will do the same" Harry told her fed up.

"Unbelievable".

"I'm sure Louis will do anything to make you happy, Darling" Bella squeezed his thigh. "It sounds like that's his priority".

"I'm sure it is" Abby mumbled quietly.

"Hopefully they can sort out their differences. I really don't wanna lose one of them over their feud" Harry thought out loud.

"God, your obliviousness is not good for me in my condition" Abby groaned almost annoyed but he ignored her tone for now.

"What condition? Are you alright? Is it your kidney again or ...?".

"No, H. Everything's fine" Abby reassured him calmly. "More than fine actually. I have to tell you something".

"What is it, Darling?" Bella asked softly.

"I'm pregnant" Abby revealed the good news to them.

"What?!" Harry squeaked shocked. "Abby! That's amazing".

"Oh, my baby" Bella started crying and pulled her into a hug.

"Congratulations, Abby" Harry joined their tearful hug.

"Thank you, H. I could barely wait to tell you but I wanted to wait till I was past the twelve-week point" Abby snivelled a bit.

"Understandable. I would have freaked out and we know it but I'm so happy for you" Harry rubbed her back. "But um ... are you really alright? Is it safe for you and the baby? Is there anything ...".

"H, I checked in with my doctors and they said everything is fine" Abby let go of her mother to calm Harry's worries. "Neither I nor the baby is in danger, okay? We got this under control".

"Okay, that's good to hear but you'll keep an eye on everything, yeah? Don't take any risks" Harry had to make sure she was safe and wouldn't risk her life.

"I promise, H".

"My baby is really pregnant. Oh, God".

Giving his mother and his sister a moment to themselves, he excused himself to go to the toilet but in reality, he only wanted to text Louis the good news. He was the first one Harry wanted to know about this and he hoped Louis would share his excitement.

He almost dropped his phone when it started ringing, Louis' name popping up on the screen. "Lou, hey".

"Haz, is she really pregnant? That's absolutely amazing. I'm so happy for all of you" Louis' excited voice warmed his heart.

"Thank you, Lou. She just told us a few minutes ago. I can't believe it. I ... I didn't think she would ever get pregnant, to be honest. That's why this is such a shock but a good one" Harry was trying to sort out his thoughts and emotions but it was in vain.

"You're gonna be an uncle, Haz. This is so exciting. You must be over the moon" Louis sounded genuinely happy for him.

"I am. I still can't believe it" Harry breathed out shakily.

"It will take some time to get used to that but ... Enjoy this time as much as you can, Haz" Louis' voice was so far away. "God, you're gonna have a niece or nephew next year. Fuck, that's amazing".

"Language, Lou" Harry chuckled teasingly. "I ... How are the girls? Are they enjoying Germany?".

"They love it here. I'm afraid they wanna come back. Liam did not promise too much" Louis told him warmly.

"I love to hear that. I'm happy you're having a good time" Harry smiled at the thought of them exploring German cities together.

"What about you? Did you do anything fun while I was gone? I know you're presumably with your family right now" Louis hooked interested, always so attentive and observant.

"I am. I drove down to visit my mother for the weekend and Josh wanted to tag along but he couldn't make it. But we spend the last weekend in London, so that makes up for it" Harry let him know.

"Wait, Josh? You were with him in London? Recently? I thought you two b ...".

"Did you fall into the toilet, H?" Abby's voice drowned out Louis' words, making him cringe at her tone. "Or are you hiding from us?".

"Sorry, Lou. But I have to go. My sister is being a pain in the ass. We talk when you're back. Bye," Harry ended the call quickly.

Rubbing a hand over his face, Harry walked back into the living room to his family. "Sorry, I was on the phone".

"Oh, did you call your boyfriend to tell him the good news? That's adorable, Honey" Bella patted the spot next to her on the couch.

"Um ... No. Actually, I ... I texted Louis about this and he called me immediately and ... yeah" Harry cleared his throat, feeling a bit uncomfortable now. "Anyway, did I miss anything?".

"Unbelievable".

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This is my shortest chapter and just a filler to pass some time. I didn't want to write out the entire six weeks of the summer holidays. 

But Josh isn't out of the picture. Why?