"Mary Kate, will you talk to your sisters?" Jackie called from where she stood at the stove, steam billowing in her face as she prepared dinner for her family. Caroline and Cece, who had just turned 10 months old on March 3rd, only a few days before, were making quite a fuss from their high chairs at the dining room table, screeching and kicking their feet against the plastic.
There wasn't a reply, so Jackie put down her wooden spoon and strode into the dining room. Caroline and Cece let out unified shouts of protest that Jackie hadn't arrived with their food. "That's quite enough, ladies, you must learn to be patient," she scolded with a wag of her finger, giving each twin a kiss on the forehead.
Mary Kate was nowhere in sight, ignoring Jackie's request to entertain her sisters while she finished up dinner. "Mary Catherine!" Jackie called more forcefully. She peeked around the corner to see her eldest daughter, who would be turning three years old that July, frolicking with Rupert in the foyer, paying no attention to her calls.
"Mary, come in here now and play with your sisters while I finish your dinner," Jackie ordered, sure to keep her voice calm, despite her incredibly hectic day of engagements.
Mary Kate looked up, her blue eyes sheepish. "I want to play with Rupert."
"You can play with him after dinner, darling. Daddy will be home soon, you can both go outside and throw a ball for him," Jackie responded, eyeing her daughter closely. She could sense Harry's sense of indignation in their young daughter, who always seemed to do what she wanted. Jackie was able to reason with her almost all of the time, but she often wondered if she would have a wild teenager on her hands in 10 years or so.
Jackie raised her eyebrows, motioning for Mary Kate to follow. To Jackie's relief, Mary resumed her pre-dinner show for the twins, who clapped with delight, while she finished cooking.
Just as Jackie put the food on the table, the front door of their Kensington Palace flat opened.
Harry shuffled in, looking thoroughly exhausted. His hair was sticking out all over the place, his dress shirt rumpled. "Look what the cat drug in," Jackie called with a grin.
Harry greeted each of the girls with a kiss on the cheek before he pulled Jackie into a hug, resting his full weight against her. "Hold me," he said with an exhausted sigh.
"No way," Jackie ducked under his arms, handing Mary Kate a glass of water, which she proudly sipped without a lid. She doubled back to give him a quick peck on the cheek before plopping down in her chair.
"Did you have a long day as well?" Harry questioned, motioning under his eyes. She wiped at her own face, pulling her hand back to find that her mascara and eyeliner had bled in her flurry of activity, causing her to resemble a raccoon she once saw digging in a dumpster behind their 5th Avenue apartment.
Jackie nodded, taking a big bite of pasta. "I had two engagements."
"Save the Children and the nursing facility," Harry confirmed, "How was it?"
"It was good, I sort of felt like I was on tour, rushing about, changing my outfit," Jackie explained. She wiped at a bit of sauce dribbling down Caroline's chin with her thumb, licking it clean before returning to her pasta.
Harry groaned. "God, can't you have some boundaries?"
"It tastes better with a little bit of her slobber added in," Jackie laughed. "Like sugar."
Harry grinned, shaking his head. "Like dirt and everything else she puts in her mouth."
"Rainbows and unicorns and fairy dust," Jackie corrected.
---
"Jackie," Harry whispered. "They're asleep."
Jackie and Harry were laying in their bed, separated by three little softly-snoring bodies. It was a Friday, and the Windsors had established a tradition of watching a movie in the master bedroom every Friday night. They'd watched The Little Mermaid, a household favorite, and the girls fell asleep about halfway through, as they always did.
Jackie and Harry got up in unison, slowly and quietly, carefully scooping up Caroline and Cece. They carried the twins to their shared room, easing them into their cribs without disturbing their slumber. Jackie went back for Mary Kate, tucking her into her bed, pulling her pink sheets up to her chin.
She stood back, admiring Mary Kate's angelic face as she took steady breaths, her long eyelashes resting against her cheeks. Jackie smiled to herself, closing Mary's door behind her.
"Do you wish they slept with us sometimes?" Harry asked as he and Jackie climbed back into their bed, snuggling under the covers, facing each other.
Jackie beamed. "Every single night. I thought you would hate it!"
Harry shook his head vehemently. "I would love it. They're so cuddly and warm."
"They're such little wiggle-worms though, I know how much you need your beauty sleep," Jackie teased.
"It would be worth it," Harry said honestly. "Wild animals all sleep in a big pile together, the whole family. It's natural."
Jackie smiled warmly at her husband, taking his face in her hands. "I love you."
"I love you too," Harry said, giving Jackie a kiss. "But- I need my beauty sleep."
"And I have to be up early for a breakfast with Catherine and the producer of the documentary about your grandmother," Jackie said.
"When do you film?"
"Monday," Jackie answered. She and Catherine were going to be giving their first TV interviews without their husbands, for a most special occasion -- the Queen's 90th birthday. They were to talk about Her Majesty on a fairly personal level, as a great-grandmother. Jackie and Kate were a bit nervous, but excited.
"Make sure you ask any questions you have, so you know exactly what to expect," Harry advised, "that makes it better."
"Elizabeth already has a list compiled," Jackie said with a laugh. "We're still working out what to wear, that's always the biggest concern. Everyone reads so far into it."
"Wear a shirt that says 'Property of Harry,' with an arrow pointing down" Harry suggested.
Jackie nodded. "The perfect ensemble to honor the 90th birthday of the UK's longest-reining monarch."
---
Sorry for the long delay. I'm so busy with school!
If you have any thoughts, comments, or suggestions, please let me know!
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Royals: Part 8
Fanfiction*Eighth book in the Royals Series* After a year of personal heartbreak, Jackie Baker has thrown herself into her role as the Duchess of Windsor. As a senior member of the British Royal Family, she must learn to balance her family with her royal duti...
