It was 7.20 am in the morning and Sarah should be exhausted but as she sat on the lounge to feed her son she was still buzzing. She hadn't slept in 24 hours, well not really – a power nap here or there but nothing much. It was like her body was eager to not ever miss a moment of Lysander's life; she hoped that this wasn't something that would continue indefinitely. She hoped she'd get some sleep in the next 18 years!

Sarah had gone to bed at 10 pm last night after coming home close to 8.30pm. She and Dane had arrived to the smell of roast cooking in the oven and a clean tidy and baby ready house. Their friends and family had been busy, really busy. There were nappies and clothes for Lysander, a baby basket next to her bed, a change table, a baby bath and Dane's clothes were in her wardrobe. It was like her nice comfortable home for one had been magically doused in pixie dust and suddenly she'd been invaded by two males. Two males who were threatening to take over her house and her life.

She wasn't sure how she felt about that, sleeping on it might help at some point but that wasn't happening yet. It had been a pleasant surprise and while the whole crew had been here to welcome them, none of them stayed long (also pleasant after a day of major upheaval) They'd only stayed long enough to meet Lysander and hug the new parents (and in the case of Boyd and Dmitri assure them that this is where the little one belonged). Apparently, they'd already had their portion of the roast and were eager to leave the new family in peace – for a day or two anyway.

All except Margaret.

Finally feeling better – and stir crazy from being at Jane's so long, Dane's mother had moved in for a day or two to help with the baby. She'd moved into the spare room so any hope that Sarah had of keeping Dane out of her bed had dissipated pretty quickly.

Her little house suddenly felt full, she had a three person invasion force now and was in danger of feeling overwhelmed. She was use to being on her own, had been that way since she was young and now..........

Not that she really minded having Margaret there. If she was honest she was terrified of being left alone with the little one and so, she suspected, was Dane. They'd been thrust into this parenthood thing with little preparation and for two people that thought preparation was the key to everything, flying by the seat of their pants was daunting – very very daunting. And unfortunately a "how-to" book doesn't pop out of your vagina after the baby and for Sarah, it was easier to learn while doing than by reading. So having a veteran campaigner like Margaret was, therefore, a godsend. Even though Sarah could see herself chucking her "mother-in-law" out fairly quickly once she'd gained some confidence.

For an orphan like Sarah, it was kind of nice to have a mother to turn to even if it wasn't her own. Not for the first time that day, as she ate her dinner and watched Margaret cuddle and sing to her little son, she wondered what her parents would have made of Lysander. She knew her father Edward loved Dane but surprisingly her mother had never got to meet him – surprising because it felt like Dane had always been in her life, always, always. It was a bitter sweet moment and as she watched Margaret with Lysander, she tried not to cry, not to feel like she was missing out on something. sensing something, Dane had stopped eating and squeezed her hand and told her that her parents were watching over them all. He got it. She'd been shocked, but then he knew her, how she worked and thought. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise and yet it was.

Once she had eaten she fed the hungry horde of one, changed his nappy and was ready for bed. She had no doubt he'd be up and hungry or ready to look at the world at 2 am in the morning – that was his witching hour in the womb and she didn't see it changing now.

Dane had stayed down to talk to his mother for a short time and to settle her into bed. He was no stranger to Sarah's house, he'd stayed here a lot earlier in the year when they were acting like randy teenagers but even before that he'd often come over for a movie night or a wine or two and some nice vintage cheese and end up in the spare room or curled up on the lounge and even occasionally spooning Sarah in her bed – depending on how much of that wine they'd consumed. So it felt like home, cosy, homely and where he belonged, even more than his own place sometimes. And it was more home now – now that his family was here, everyone he cared about most in the world all under one roof and two of them, the most important two, in one room, the room where he'd be tonight. Though he suspected he was only being saved the spare room by his mother. Not that she got it – no his mum was already asking when they were getting married. Thank god she had the good sense not to say it in front of Sarah. That would have been the kiss of death. He was kind of hoping that by the time his mother left Sarah would have forgotten he was supposed to sleep in the other room and would just let him stay – well that was the plan.

By the time he had his mother settled and had showered Dane found them both sleeping, Lysander in the new baby basket on Sarah's side of the bed. The light in the room was on dimmer so he could see enough to watch his son sleep and to see Sarah – turned towards him also out to it, the most beautiful smile on her face. He'd never seen her smile in her sleep before, she looked content, he sure hoped she was. Together there in the dimmed light they made a beautiful serene picture and he felt like the luckiest man in the world. That was the thought going through his head when he crawled in next to Sarah and spooned up against her, a protective arm around her but it wasn't quite the thought four hours later when a mewling sound and the feel of the bed dipping woke him up.

He stirred and sat up.

"I'll get him – you have to work in the morning so another four hours beauty sleep won't hurt," she joked pulling on a robe and picking the baby out of the basket. He should sleep, he knew he should but in the half light reflecting through the window, she was even more beautiful than before, talking gently to "Bean" now Lysander as she settled in the big comfy winged chair that he loved, over stuffed and burgundy velvet it was rich and gorgeous and felt too nice on naked skin with an equally naked woman in your lap. Now it emphasised her beautiful Mediterranean complexion, her wild hair and if it had been lighter her amazing green eyes. He wondered if Lysander would have her complexion and eyes, he hoped so, there was little doubt he'd have riotously wavy hair just which colour – blonde or that rich chestnut brown of his mother. At the moment all that was ahead of them, all Lysander cared about was eating and all his mother cared about was him, making sure he was fed. Dane saw the pale milkiness of her breast, veined blue and bigger now he swore – bigger than yesterday, his son snuffling and grabbing with little fingers as he drank until he fell off the breast in a well-fed stupor. His mother picked him up gently, her top still open and her breasts still exposed singing gently to the little man before putting him back in his basket and Dane fell in love all over again.

He kissed them both gently on the head at 6 am when he got up, trying carefully not to wake either of them only to discover that Sarah was lying there watching their son sleep, totally mesmerized.

"I can't believe we made him!" she said quietly her eyes still wide in awe.

"He's perfect," Dane said smiling, a dopey besotted look on his face "you both are," he said kissing her again, this time on the lips.

"Soppy git!" she giggled softly.

"Guilty as charged," he whispered telling her he loved them both before disappearing to wait for Mark downstairs.

Sarah lay there staring, the baby was lying on his back both arms flung haphazardly over his head just the way his daddy slept sometimes, legs stretched out. He wouldn't be in this baby basket long! But he looked so peaceful, so beautiful and she lay there watching his little tummy rise and fall and wondering how she got so lucky, how the hell she could have made something so perfect. As If on cue, Lysander started to cry and she laughed.

And hungry, always hungry.

She changed him – oh god okay there's the evil black nappies. And carried him down stairs where she turned on the TV to watch the BBC morning show.

"Let's watch daddy shall we Sander?"

He'd finished feeding and was being burped and grandma was making tea and toast for mummy by the time daddy finally showed up on screen.

Dane looked all lit up but the dark circles under his eyes, still visible despite what was probably a tonne of make-up, gave away that it had been more than 24 hours since he had a decent sleep probably longer thanks to jetlag and movie set madness.

"He looks handsome!" Margaret said putting Sarah's tea and toast down on the coffee table and retrieving her grandson to continue the burping.

"He looks tired," Sarah savoring her tea.

"He's a father now; he's going to look like that."

"Until he goes away to film," Sarah sighed.

"That's not for months though is it?" Margaret asked as she patted her grandson's back.

"Four," Sarah sighed.

"Not that you're counting," Margaret said smiling knowingly as they both settled down to watch. Dane and David Tennant were on camera but Anna the interviewer was doing all the talking introducing them and explaining that they were supposed to have Sarah on but that there'd been a bit of excitement yesterday and her school friend had gone into labour.

"I think childbirth's a good excuse not to be here," David joked.

"She's got her hands busy with Lysander," Dane laughed and the interviewer picked up on it. Sarah's heart dropped into her stomach as Anna said something about it being fitting that the baby would have a Shakespearian name, David explained it was from Midsummer night's dream and then Dane did it. She didn't even think it was deliberate but it was out before of his mouth before he even thought. "Actually it's Lysander William Hilditch so it's very much in honour of the bard."

And Sarah spat her tea across the coffee table in shock.

Anna tried to laugh it off, either believing he'd made a mistake or giving him an out or emphasizing what he'd said.

"You mean Huntington," she smiled and suddenly Dane looked like a deer in the headlights. Sarah could almost see the thought process behind his eyes, he denies and he's denying their son and everything he'd been saying for the past 24 hours, he confirms it and he brings his fans and the media down on his head.

David starts to jump in laughing it off with an "it's too early for us theatre types to be thinking straight" but Sarah watches in horror and shock and an emotion she's not admitting to herself as Dane shakes his head.

"No it's Hilditch, Lysander William Hilditch and my son will be part of the production in the ages of man segment," he says.

Sarah's eyes bug and she's pretty glad she wasn't holding the baby because he'd have hit the floor; instead, it's her toast that drops along with Anna's jaw. David, however, takes it in his stride and talks about how the production involves everyone from small children to the elderly and is aimed at bringing Shakespeare to all ages and making it relevant. He does such a good job that a speechless Anna can't recover and ask any follow up questions and all she can do is throw to a commercial and thank them for coming while Dane sits there a little shell shocked (but nothing compared to the faces of Sarah and of poor Mark the PR who is standing just off camera looking decidedly peekish).

Dane says no more.

He doesn't have to – the shite is already going to hit the fan.