Peacekeepers

Chapter 71: Moving Parts

August 3rd, 1893

(11 days until the wedding)

"Sebastian, look at the bags under your eyes, are you sure you're up to help out today?" Anne chuckled at her twin as he stood in the doorway of her house.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." He waved off her concern with a smile. "I just... haven't gotten much sleep the last few nights."

"We've heard." Garreth said in amusement behind Anne, passing by the doorway with a box of vials.

Sebastian let out a flustered sound as Anne giggled in amusement, glancing to Garreth over her shoulder before looking back to Sebastian. "Well, I won't argue against more help. We're nearly done anyway." She said happily, letting Sebastian into the house to walk with him toward the nursery.

"You've got quite a wobble going on there, Anne." Sebastian grinned in amusement at her gait as she walked.

"You'd walk funny too if you had a giant baby inside you." Anne teased back with a laugh. "This kid eats everything, too. I eat a whole meal and an hour later I'm hungry again."

"I can make you some stew later on if you want, nice and filling... or maybe some corned beef?"

Anne chuckled again and looked back to him with a wry smile. "I'll take whatever food you're willing to make, Sebastian. I really appreciate the help you three have given us during all this."

"Of course! I have to make sure my future niece or nephew is nice and comfortable." Sebastian said happily as they entered the nursery. It was a room painted in a soft pale green, with a crib already set up on one side of the room, a rocking chair nearby for Anne to sit in.

"I think we just need to set up the changing table and we're done." Anne said happily, looking around the room in satisfaction.

"It's come a long way from a storage room, for sure." Sebastian said, walking over to the pile of parts the changing table was in, taking his wand out to start assembling it. "Are you nervous at all? You're due in late September, right?"

Anne nodded happily. "Somewhat nervous... but mostly very done with being pregnant. I don't hate it or anything, but I'm so tired of feeling so huge." She sighed, sitting in the rocking chair with a hand over her large stomach. "I'm also anxious about how I'll look in a dress at the wedding." She sighed.

Sebastian made a scoff. "Don't you worry about that, if anyone is going to judge you for how you look while pregnant they can answer to Garreth and I."

Anne chuckled at that and smiled softly. "Are you nervous about the wedding? It's under two weeks now."

"Mostly excited." Sebastian smiled as he looked at a piece of the changing table curiously to figure out where it should go. "I'm looking forward to having them be Sallows, and finally being rid of whatever baggage came with their families. Though..." he glanced over to Anne thoughtfully. "Doing the invitations was a bit rough. Diane and Ominis didn't have any family to invite at all besides Will, and I only have you. It... was a bit of a sad moment realizing that."

"Once you're hitched you'll have plenty of family with your in laws." Garreth chuckled from the next room, coming to stand in the doorway with a wry smile. "You know you're always invited to our holidays and everything."

Sebastian looked over to him and smiled. "Thanks Garreth."

"Of course. The kids we have will be Weasleys but Anne was a Sallow, too." Garreth shrugged. "They're part of both families."

Sebastian let out a thoughtful sound at that, looking down at the parts he was working with thoughtfully. By that line of thinking any child between he, Ominis and Diane would be a Sallow by name but potentially a Walsh and Gaunt by blood. Hopefully that wouldn't mean anything to anyone. He doubted it, though. Any Walsh would know what happened to Kyle and then the others they killed rescuing Diane, and any Gaunt would be deterred by Diane's mother having muggle blood.