I held Katya in one arm and Lagertha in the other as Captain Pierce docked the ship, as I watched Liverpool coming into view for the first time. I spotted the great carriage with the Grey emblem upon it, and Hal standing proudly beside it. I had explained to Katya that she and I would be going to stay with Uncle Hal and Aunt Minnie, and she was very pleased to be meeting them for the first time. She could say both names perfectly by the time we arrived in England, and I was so relieved that I had also begun teaching her French and Latin as well, which she took too like a duck to water.

Once Captain Pierce gave the word, I stepped off the ship, relieved to be on dry land again, and my heart entered my throat as Hal hurried forward. "Hal," I breathed, permitting him to embrace me, tears stinging my lashes at the notion that he resembled John so much.

"Are you well, sister?" he asked gently, pulling back, his eyes widening. "Oh, dear God. If I had known you were with child..." He shook his head.

"It is all right, Hal," I told him, giving him a small smile. "This is your niece, Katharina Claire Benedicta Grey. Katya, sweetheart, this is your uncle, Hal."

Hal beamed at the sight of my daughter for the first time. "Good afternoon, Katya. It is a pleasure to meet you at last."

"Hello, Uncle Hal," Katya replied eloquently, holding out her arms.

Hal looked over at me briefly and, once I nodded, he took Katya into his arms. "She is absolutely lovely, Alexandra," he said warmly, smiling indulgently as Katya snuggled deeply into his arms, as if she had known him all her life. "Oh, I see you picked up a companion on the journey."

"This is Lagertha, one of the kittens from the ships' cat," I explained. "I hope it won't be an imposition for me to keep her."

Hal shook his head. "Of course not. I'm glad that you found such a tame, lovely creature." He motioned for the ship mates to bring forth my trunks and tie them onto the back of the large carriage. "Minnie has been preparing your suite of rooms for weeks, and no one has used the nursery at Argus House since Dorothea was a child, so it was given an airing out. Phaedre will have the attached room to yours, while Bessie will have the room attached to the nursery. She is quite anxious for your arrival, sister."

"Will we be staying at inns on our return to London, Hal?" I asked, unknowing how an inn would take to a cat in residence, even if just for one night.

Hal gave me a soft smile. "Of course not," he responded. "My father left me a great many properties throughout England, and they will be prepared for our arrival."

"Oh," I responded, sighing with relief. "May I ask where the first one is?"

"Crewe," Hal said, looking down at Katya, who had fallen asleep in his arms. "It is called Greystone, and we shall stay the night there this evening, before we set off again in the morning, where we will get to Derby, and to Pardloe House," he continued, walking towards the carriage, with me at his heels, still holding onto Lagertha. "We will need to exchange horses midway for that journey, but it shouldn't take too terribly long. The following day, it shall be easier, for we will journey to Nottingham, to Melton Manor, and then the day after to Leicester, to Grey House." We got into the carriage, which was arguably very fine, with Hal continuing to inform me about our forthcoming journey. "On our fifth day, we will reach Coventry, to Grey Manor, and, upon our sixth, Northampton, to Grey Manse. The seventh day shall take us to Luton, to Grey Cottage, and the eighth straight on to London, to Argus House."

I gave Hal a smile, feeling relieved that I had guessed our timeframe correctly. "I do not wish to be an imposition to either you or to Minnie," I said quietly, once Phaedre and Bessie had joined us, and fallen asleep themselves, "but I do wish to have Katya, as well as these children, educated as much as possible..."

Hal held up his hand. "I shall see to it that Katya and your..." He broke off, his eyes wide. "Did you say 'children'?"

I flushed. "Claire examined me before I boarded the ship," I said quietly, soothing Lagertha in my lap. "She informed me that I was carrying twins."

Hal gave a small smile at that, before he knocked on the roof of the carriage, signaling to the driver to leave the docks. "That is a blessing," he declared, nodding his head. "I will see to it that the three of them are educated as finely as possible. They, nor you, shall want for nothing, Alexandra, I swear it. If you find yourself desirous of setting up your own household, John held a few properties. Perhaps, once you have delivered of the twins and recovered from the birth, Minnie and I could take you around to see them."

I swallowed. "Would that... Is that allowed?"

Hal reached over and squeezed my arm. "You are still Lady John until you give birth to a son, in which case, he shall be the new Lord Grey," he explained. "John will have revised..." He cleared his throat. "You will inherit everything, and hold it in trust until your son comes of age."

"We cannot know that one of the twins is a son until I give birth," I said softly.

Hal nodded his head. "And do we know when that might be?"

"Four months, at the end of winter, just before the spring," I answered. I watched as the docks disappeared behind us, asking softly, "Do you employ a physician?"

"I will see to it that you have the best of the best," Hal assured me, "and that you will be quite comfortable when your time comes. Minnie will be with you, of course."

I gave a small smile at that, feeling relieved, as Minnie had had four children and certainly would prove a comfort to me when I gave birth. "Of course," I said quietly.

Once in London, I settled in to life as the widow of the younger brother of the Earl of Melton, and was treated accordingly. The staff at Argus House were exceptionally kind to me, but not out of pity, but out of love and loyalty for John. Phaedre was well-liked by everyone, and she made fast friends with Polly, Minnie's head maid. Bessie was still on staff until we weaned Katya just after Christmastime, whereupon she was given an exceptional reference and went on her way. I would miss her, but also knew that I would want to feed my twins myself, which Minnie was in full support of, thankfully.

"I craved pears and quail while I was expecting Dottie, my last child," she informed me, as January bled into February. "Such an odd combination, I know..."

I shook my head at her. "Nothing could ever seem odd to me about that, Minnie," I replied, a bit saddened that I had missed Dottie, for she had journeyed to Pennsylvania herself, and joined herself in marriage to none other than Denny, Rachel's older brother. "In fact, I believe that Jane Seymour, King Henry the Eighth's third queen, craved quail during her pregnancy with King Edward the Sixth."

Minnie took my hand in hers. "You always know just what to say, my sister dear," she responded in kind. "How have you found correspondence with Janet Murray, Jamie's elder sister?"

"She is positively lovely, of course," I replied. "She would like me to visit Lallybroch one day soon, but it would have to be after the twins are born."

"Of course," Minnie said, patting my hand. "I do hope you don't mind Hal playing with Katya when he does. He misses when the children were, well, children, and we haven't any grandchildren to speak of yet."

I gave Minnie a soft smile. "Of course not. She knows to hang on for dear life when he decides to become a horse for her."

Minnie laughed aloud. "I completely understand why you put your foot down when he offered to procure her a pony for Christmas."

"She hadn't even achieved her first birthday when he suggested it," I replied, laughing along with her as Lagertha strode into the parlor, and made herself comfortable upon the chaise between us, now that my stomach was much too swollen to accommodate her in my lap. "Perhaps by her third birthday, we can reevaluate, but she can certainly ride slowly with Hal in the courtyard by the time she has reached her second birthday."

"Precisely what I told him when our children were born," Minnie reported. "You are doing exceptionally well, Alexandra, I hope you know that."

My eyes suddenly prickled with tears.

"Oh, darling, I'm sorry," Minnie said, maneuvering herself around Lagertha and taking me into her arms, rocking me as one might do for a small child.

"I miss him, Minnie," I whispered, clutching her as tightly as I could. "I loved him so much, and I cannot bear to think of him not being here, with me..."

Minnie held me as close as she could. "We all miss him, darling," she soothed me. "I know you loved him, and he loved you. I knew it from the moment I saw the two of you together for the first time. You changed him, darling, for the better. Not that there was ever anything wrong with him in the first place, but he was so much happier with you. Anyone with eyes could have seen that, darling."

"How shall I go on without him?" I whispered, trembling in her arms. "I love Katya, and these babies, so much, but John... It breaks my heart that he will never meet them, and I will forever curse myself for never telling him about them..."

"You couldn't have known," Minnie told me softly, hesitating for a moment. "I realize that many ladies and gentlemen of the ton will suggest that you find love again—"

"Never," I responded vehemently. "John himself suggested it, were he not to return. I assured him that I would never marry again, Minnie, and I intend to keep my word to him."

Minnie nodded. "Of course, darling, whatever you wish. Hal and I are fully prepared to keep you with us for as long as you like. He positively adores Katya, as you well know, and fully intends to ensure that she will be given the best of everything."

I sighed. "While I am appreciative of that Minnie, truly I am, you must understand and appreciate how difficult it is for me to so readily accept," I whispered. "John vowed to me to raise her as his own..."

Minnie gave me a soft smile. "And so, of course, the duty of it should fall to him," she answered me placatingly. "However, in his absence, Hal believes it is his own duty now." She peered more closely at me, as if searching for something. "I bore a great many secrets throughout my early life, Alexandra, wherein I played spy for my father, as those around us were less prone to suspect a mere girl." She hesitated. "What have you kept from John, Alexandra? I swear on my life, I will not judge you, whatever it may be."

I raised my eyes to hers. "You are saying I can trust you," I said softly.

Minnie took my hand in hers. "As your sister, I swear by that vow," she assured me. "You seem to carry such a burden on your shoulders, much more than that of a widow with a child, and two more on the way. It is almost as if you are unsure of yourself, of the future, which, of course, can be understood, but it is more than that, Alexandra, I know it."

I trembled in her embrace. "Many people throughout history have been accused of witchcraft for what I am about to tell you," I whispered.

Minnie cocked her head to one side. "Are you a Seer?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No."

Minnie patted my hands. "I can tell by the conviction in your voice that you are telling me the truth," she assured me. "You are not a witch, then?"

I shook my head again. "No, I'm not."

"All right," Minnie said, running her thumb against the back of my hands, in a gesture so comforting, I nearly continued weeping on the spot. "You can truly tell me anything, Alexanda, and I shall not judge you. I did not judge you for becoming pregnant out of wedlock, did I? I was so far into my own first pregnancy by the time Hal found me, and made me his wife, I am in no place to judge..."

"Yes, but Hal is good and kind, and Christoph was not," I said, shaking my head.

Minnie smiled softly at that. "Yes, I suppose he was not," she agreed.

I shut my eyes tightly, shaking like a leaf as I imagined every scenario of confiding in my sister-in-law—of her having me locked away and stealing my babies; her telling Hal about it and using me as an advantage to declare a victory for Great Britain in the Revolutionary War; of her having me executed as soon as my babies were born... I knew that I had to tell her, to rip the plaster off, so to speak, as she had been so open with me, although her openness and mine were two completely different animals—

"Alexandra," she said, her voice so kind, so patient, that I opened my eyes to meet hers. "Please tell me."

"I'm from the future."

Minnie eyebrows raised ever so slightly. "Well," she said at last, "that is certainly not what I thought you would say, but I cannot say I'm completely surprised."

I felt my jaw drop unbecomingly at that. "What?" I sputtered. "What do you mean?"

"John wrote to me on the night you attended Master and Madam Fraser's dinner," she told me softly, "before we knew that William was to be captured. He told me of your Rebel leanings, and how you appeared so confident about them. He couldn't seem to fully understand why that would be, and then he mentioned some letters you had written him, with dates pertaining to future dates—in 1780, 1781, and 1783. He hadn't read them," she quickly assured me, "and sent them along with the lock box, as well as its key, with the letter, in a parcel for me."

I shifted a bit uncomfortably, unknowing why John had been so meticulous, unless he knew he was to die, and was already planning for the future. "I see."

"I have not opened them either," she told me, and I knew that she was telling the truth. "I will only open them when the dates in question, which John provided me with, come to pass, and with your permission to do so."

I swallowed, the very thought of Minnie holding onto my secret causing me to tremble all over again in her arms. Yes, I trusted her, although I had hardly known her at the time John had sent her the letters, and while that was hardly the case now, I still did not know how to think on it for the moment. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you know who wins the war?"

"Yes."

Minnie nodded. "Are you from very far in the future?"

"I traveled back from the year 1944," I told her, and Minnie's eyes widened considerably; she sat beside Hal, later that evening, when I informed her that it would likely be better if he joined us for this conversation as well. "There was another war going on when I traveled back, the Second World War," I continued, and Hal lowered his eyes in a moment of despair. "There are a few stone circles throughout the world—the known ones are Craigh na Dun in Scotland; Abandawe in Jamaica, where the only difference is that the portal exists in a pool of water, not the stones themselves; Ocracoke Island in North Carolina; and Bangor in Pennsylvania, where I traveled from in the twentieth century to 1778."

"How does it work?" Hal wanted to know.

"From what I've learned, it is something you're born with, as in, one or both of your parents needs to have the ability," I answered softly. "My mother is the likely source, though she never utilized it, but my aunt, her twin sister, Eliza, is from the future as well, as well as my twin brother, Tobias, whom she rescued. She married a Scot and later settled in Virginia, as you know now, while Tobias was unaware of his true origins until she informed us both of them fully, just before my wedding to John."

"You were brought up an only child," Minnie guessed.

I nodded at her. "I was, yes. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is known as Poland in my time, and Germany, the Old Holy Roman Empire, occupied it during the Second World War. It was a brutal, devastating thing, with Germany's leader, Adolf Hitler, assuming power, wherein his political party, known as the Nazi Party, attempted to eradicate the Jewish population entirely by constructing death camps, known as concentration camps, or extermination camps."

Hal looked horrified. "You saw this happen?"

I sighed, my entire body going limp as I recalled the atrocities I witnessed. "Yes. My mother and father were part of the SS, who were constables, or watchmen, who were trusted individuals, selected by Hitler or other high-ranking members of the Nazi Party. They worked in a place called Treblinka, the second most deadly extermination camp, the first most being Auschwitz, where they would see to it that forced labor was carried out, as well as executions."

Minnie looked gobsmacked. "Executions?"

"Via something called a gas chamber, a popular execution of the day, utilized in the United States of America, which forms after the Treaty of Paris is signed in 1783, which is the subject of the final letter I wrote to John."

Hal leaned forward. "Executions still happen throughout the world, then?"

I nodded in confirmation. "They do, yes."

"So, America declares victory over Great Britain, then," Minnie said, an air of finality in her tone, almost as if she is relieved that, one day, the world will end.

I gave her a soft smile. "They do," I confirmed.

Hal looked intrigued. "Surely, the United States isn't merely Thirteen Colonies still by the time you came here through the stones..."

I shook my head at him. "No, indeed, it is a very prosperous nation, I'll have you know. In my time, there are forty-eight states, which stretch all the way to Oregon Country in the north, while the Spanish Possessions are added in as well. I have never been to any other states, other than Pennsylvania, as I was born in England, educated there, and then my parents sent for me while working in Poland. I traveled through Europe when I made my escape, leaving via Denmark, which is what you know as the Danish State. I took a ship from there and landed in Philadelphia, and something called me to Bangor, where the aforementioned stone circle is."

"Does England still have a monarchy?" Hal wanted to know.

"Yes, but France does not," I told him, and both Hal and Minnie looked shocked. "They will execute King Louis and Marie Antoinette in 1793. An empire will be formed there in the nineteenth century by Napoleon Bonaparte, and last, for a time, although a Second Republic is ultimately formed and remains so until the late-1940s, when I traveled back in time."

"What about our monarchy?" Minnie asked.

"Great Britain, which is known as the United Kingdom in 1944, will be inherited by the current Prince of Wales, George IV, although he will become Prince Regent in 1811, as George III's health becomes more and more frail as time goes on."

Hal appeared saddened by that. "What is wrong with him?"

"We simply don't know," I said softly. "Physicians of today believe he is afflicted with madness and resort to, quite frankly, abominable treatment of him, including the burning of pokers. While mental illness is more understood by the 1940s, there is quite a ways to go when it comes to treating it in a humane manner."

Minnie shook her head. "Poor, poor king..."

"But the Prince of Wales has no children," Hal pointed out.

"Ah, well, he is forced into marriage to a cousin of his, Caroline, and they are able to produce a child together, Princess Charlotte, who marries the future King of Belgium, which you know as the Austrian Netherlands. They are happy throughout their short marriage, but Princess Charlotte unfortunate does not receive adequate medical treatment, and her only child is a stillborn boy. It is too much for her, and she dies from the ordeal."

"A succession crisis, then?" Minnie guesses.

"Quite right, with many of the kings sons hurrying to produce an heir," I tell them. "Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St. Andrews, as well as Earl of Munster, marries a German princess called Adelaide, and, while they have several pregnancies, only one survived a bit longer than the rest, a daughter called Princess Elizabeth, but she died at two months. It was another brother, Prince Edward, who will be made the Duke of Kent and Strathearn in 1799, who was also married to a German princess, a widow called Victoria, who won the 'baby race', as it will be called later. With her, during the duration of their short marriage, they had a daughter, Alexandrina Victoria, who would, after her uncle, William, serve as the longest reigning monarch this country has ever seen, as Queen Victoria. Victoria would marry her cousin, Albert, and they would have nine surviving children. Their first son ultimately inherits as King Edward the Seventh, then his second-son, George the Fifth, inherited from his. What followed was a crisis when his son, Edward the Eighth, opts to abdicate the throne to marry a twice divorced American socialite by the name of Wallis Simpson, with the pair being granted the courtesy titles of Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Power is then given to his younger brother, who is made King George the Sixth, who was still reigning when I traveled back in time. The likely heir is the elder of his two daughters, Princess Elizabeth."

Minnie appeared amazed. "Two queens in our future, then," she said softly, clearly pleased, although it was unlikely that she would be around to witness either of their reigns.

"So, these stones," Hal said, leaning forward, clearly interested, "can they be anywhere?"

I shook my head. "That, I am unaware of. I believe it is entirely possible, though, and local legends likely play a part in their locations. What I do know, other than the ability to travel being a familial trait, is that you need a gemstone of some kind to pass through them, and that, if you are thinking hard enough about your desire when you pass through them, you can manipulate where it is you travel. Of course, sometimes if you are thinking about a broad topic, the stones will reject you, and you will be unable to travel at that point in time."

Hal shook his head. "Fascinating," he breathed, hesitating for another moment. "You said that you came here while the Second World War was happening. That must mean that there was a First World War as well."

"Yes, about thirty years before the second," I told him. "There were also several other wars in between the Revolutionary War and the First World War—there will be the French Revolution in due time, where King Louis and Marie Antoinette will be beheaded within months of one another, before the First Republic is declared. The Napoleonic Wars, the War of 1812, and the Mexican-American War are talked about notoriously in military circles."

Minnie sighed, looking altogether devastated. "It will never end, will it? War."

I shook my head. "No, I don't think it will."

"Other than France's long-lasting monarchy being eradicated, were there any others that were brought down by war?" Hal wanted to know.

"The First World War will see major power of Europe fall, with the Russian noble family being executed, despite its emperor abdicating the throne," I responded, hating the topic, but also feeling a bit relieved that I was capable of answering Hal's question. "It is a positively devastating thing to imagine, as the empress, their daughters, and their son being executed alongside the emperor. There are rumors still abounding throughout Europe that the youngest daughter, Grand Duchess Anastasia, survived, and several pretenders have come forward claiming to be her, most notably a woman called Anna Anderson, but many claim that she is a complete fraud."

Hal blinked. "Dear God, it has been an established monarchy for centuries."

"Germany will also be brought down by the November Revolution of 1918, one year after I was born," I went on. "It was, from 1918 until 1933, known as The Weimar Republic, and was previously ruled by a grandson of Queen Victoria, called Emperor Wilhelm. Victoria and Albert's firstborn child, also named Victoria, was the mother of the emperor, and, due to complications stemming from his birth, one of his arms was, unfortunately, unable to be used properly, so many of his official portraits pictured him using the other arm. After 1933, it was called Germany, or Deutschland."

Minnie appeared awestruck. "History was, clearly, a passion of yours," she said softly.

"It was," I agreed, turning to Hal. "I know entirely well that you could easily use me as a source of information for your comrades to attempt to ensure a victory for Great Britain, but—"

Hal held up his hand. "That could involve complications, what with siting a source for the information itself," he replied. "I want none of the Grey family to be branded lunatics, which, unfortunately, we could be, if this information got out. I do believe you, Alexandra, but..."

I gave him a small smile. "But not everyone will, due to them not knowing me," I said, nodding my head at that. "I... I know of other travelers, who attempted to change a battle, but they were unsuccessful. Time, I believe, is set in stone, to a certain degree, and it is something which we cannot change."

"I would hate for you to be a casualty of any war," Hal said, lowering his eyes to my belly. "You hold the key to our final link to my brother, Alexandra, and I will not see any harm coming to you, or to your children. I do not do this only for my brother, but for you as well. Minnie and I have come to care for you as our sister," he continued, taking his wife by the hand, "and we will protect you, for as long as we are able to do so."

"Do you want to see if Katya, and the twins, can travel?" Minnie asked softly.

I sighed. "Eventually, I believe I will, so that they can have the choice to go forward in time, if they so wish it," I answered.

"And you?" Hal asked.

"I..." I hesitated. "Perhaps, if it were necessary for me to go. If I suddenly was in need of more advanced medical care, or, perhaps, one of the children was, I would go. I think it would be best if we sought out a potential stone circle here in England, rather than going to Scotland, if such a thing is possible."

Hal nodded his head. "Do you have any idea where it might be?"

"Stonehenge, I think, is far too obvious," I said, and Minnie nodded at that.

"John inherited a property from our uncle, our father's younger brother, Geoffrey," Hal said softly, as if the information had just come to him. "It is just outside the village of Stanton Drew, located in Somerset, and there were always stories being told about the stone circle near there, whenever John or I would go to ensure that the estate was still in prime condition. Of course, we neither of us listened to the stories, until now."

"Perhaps that is an option," I reasoned, lowering my eyes to my belly, swollen quite a bit this far into my pregnancy. "Of course, I will always pray that my children are healthy."

It was not altogether surprising when, upon the last day of the second full week of March, when my pains began. It had been a bitter pill to swallow that, not only would Claire be unable to deliver my twins, but that John would not be there either. I had had to constantly remind myself of this from the moment we'd gotten word of his death, but it was still devastating to consider, as if a wound had been ripped open from within me all over again, the flesh torn, the blood seeping down from within my psyche, and covering everything in its sadness.

Minnie was by my side, in lieu of Claire, or, perhaps, Lydia; I had let my mind wander for a moment to my brother's wife, who had been delivered of a healthy girl not too long after Katya's own birth, and was named Alexandra in my honor. I had heard from letters that she and Tobias had had a second daughter just last winter, called Ruth, and both girls were faring well in Chester, alongside my brother and his wife. Both of them had been reluctant to see me go to England to live with Hal and Minnie, but had understood that it was John's wish that I do so, should anything happen to him. I did, of course, hope to return, one day, though it would be a terribly difficult journey without my husband, the only man I had ever loved.

"She needs to be clear-minded," the midwife was telling Minnie, her voice rough with a Cockney accent as I felt myself struggling. "Did you not say she had a difficult birth the first time, with her daughter?"

"Yes," Minnie responded reluctantly; I could still feel her hand in mine, which tethered me to the world, although my senses desperately tried to pull me under. "She was unconscious for the birth itself, and lost quite a bit of blood..."

The midwife tsked impatiently. "You need to keep her awake, then," she said to Minnie. "I will not have Her Ladyship dying on me, Your Grace."

Minnie squeezed my hand, and gently patted at my face. "Alexandra?" she whispered, although her tone was fraught with nerves. "Please, come back, sister," she begged me.

I felt my eyes fluttering slightly; my vision adjusted after several moments, and I stared up into the kind face of my sister-in-law. "Minnie," I whispered.

"It's all right, darling," she assured me.

"Keep her awake," the midwife instructed from below, before she looked in between my legs and nodded her head. "Plenty of blood, but that can't be helped..." She pulled backwards and put a bit of pressure onto my belly.

I cried out at that, the pain like a knife through me.

"She won't have remembered the extent of the pain of her first childbirth, if what you say is true, Your Grace," the midwife informed Minnie, almost as if I hadn't just screamed. "Come on, Your Ladyship," she said, finally speaking to me. "You can do this; your body was made for it."

I breathed in as deeply as I possibly could, remembering that such practices were considered to be beneficial when it came to childbirth; Claire herself had said so. I squeezed my eyes shut when the midwife screamed at me that it was time to push, and did so, while it felt like something quite large was passing through me, struggling to get out. I was vaguely aware of a thumping sound somewhere close by, the midwife's voice, and Minnie letting go of my hand, walking away from me.

"Minnie!" I shouted at her as she walked towards the door. "Minnie, don't go!"

Minnie appeared torn, looking between me and the door, which led from my lying in chamber and into the corridor of Argus House. "I'll tell whoever it is to go away," she said, before she opened the door and stepped through it. "Harold Patricius Gerard Bleeker Grey, what could possibly have been so important—!" she shouted as the door slammed behind her.

"That's wonderful, Your Ladyship," the midwife was saying, and dove between my legs again, seemingly pulling upon something. "Push! Good, another! Push!"

I felt a scream filling my lungs and escaping between my lips as a final wave of pain surged through me, and then fell back as it momentarily eased. In my delirium, I looked over at the midwife, who joyously held up a baby for me to see, one of my twins, who let out an almighty scream in the silent room. "It's a boy?" I whispered in wonderment, my voice trembling, as I got a good look at him.

"Yes, and he is lively," the midwife proclaimed, hushing him and handing him off to her assistant, who proceeded to bathe him across the room. "Come on, then, let's see about this other child of yours," she said, peering in between my legs again.

I kept up with my breathing, and, within a few minutes, the pains began again, letting me know that the second baby was truly on their way. I had considered many names over the past several months for my babies, with John, or variations of it, being the topmost choice for a boy. Girl names I hadn't considered, as I was convinced that my baby was a boy, although Claire had thrown a wrench into things when it was revealed I was having twins. I knew that my babies would be loved and protected, as well as provided for, but I couldn't fathom why Minnie had left me at such a crucial time—!

"Push, Your Ladyship, push!" the midwife ordered.

I let out another series of screams, feeling worried when I felt blood rushing out of me, as well as that same feeling I'd gotten when I'd delivered my son just mere minutes ago. Finally, I let out a larger one, and then there was that feeling of relief once something came forth. I peered as close as I could, and saw that the midwife was holding up my second baby. "What... What?" I whispered, my voice raw.

"You have a daughter, Your Ladyship," the midwife informed me.

I tried my best to get my heartrate under control, while I watched the midwife and her assistant bathe my daughter, and then both babies were swaddled accordingly, before they were brought over to me. I felt the difference between them from the moment they were placed into my arms, a surge of worry flowing through me. "Why is she smaller than her brother?"

"That happens sometimes with twins," the midwife said, deliberately not looking at me, while she set to work at assisting me delivering my second placenta, and I quickly wondered if I had been so exhausted that I hadn't been aware of her assisting in my delivery of the first. "Nothing to worry about."

I felt as if I was being lied to, but decided to take the opportunity to look down at my son and daughter for the first time. I was overwhelmed at my son's beauty—he had a fine dusting of brown hair upon his head, and looked very similar to Tobias, while my daughter had my face but John's darker hair. Both babies had upturned noses, full lips, and high cheekbones, while my son had his father's eyes and my daughter had mine. My eyes filled with tears as the realization hit me, yet again, that their father would never—

"All right, then," the midwife said, getting to her feet. "Very good, Your Ladyship. We will be on our way now. Agnes, the curtains," she ordered, and the mid-afternoon light of spring bathed my room in a sudden onslaught of color.

I watched as the midwife and Agnes left the room, while I rocked my babies, somehow managing to get my nightgown down just enough to feed them, which momentarily silenced their squabbling. I giggled slightly at their antics, shaking my head. "Oh, just wait until your sister sees the pair of you," I mused, "Johannes James Gerard Grey, and Henrietta Elizabeth Lydia Grey," I said softly, the names coming to me, as if I'd known them all along.

The door was thrown open a moment later, and Minnie stood upon the threshold. "Now, I don't wish you to become overwhelmed, Alexandra..."

I blinked. "That is a rather ominous statement, Minnie," I answered, confused. "Perhaps you should start at the beginning."

Minnie worried her lower lip. "Well, perhaps the ending would clarify a few things," she said at last, and stepped out of the way.

I felt the gasp surge out from within me as John stepped into my bedroom, his eyes widening at the sight before him. "John..." I whispered, the sudden onslaught of emotions caught within that one word.

"Alexandra," he responded, while both of us were unaware of Minnie clandestinely shutting the door behind her.

"What...?" I whispered, as he tentatively stepped closer. "How...?"

"It is rather a long story," John said, coming to stand beside the bed, almost as if he was unsure of his welcome. "But, I believe, the pair of us have quite a bit to discuss," he continued, looking down at our twins for the first time.

"Yes," I agreed, my voice trembling, as the tears flowed freely now, a part of me wishing that I had the strength to get out of bed and throw myself into his arms, childbirth be damned.

John perched upon the edge of the bed. "I suppose, with any great tale, starting at the beginning is always for the best," he said at last.

I nodded my head, realizing that the two of us had quite a bit to discuss.