"I'm exhausted," Scout announced, smothering a yawn with her fist as she snuggled into George's side.

They were in the back of the warm car, headed back to Surrey after a day of shopping, eating, and meeting with publicists, producers, writers, and myriad other people whose jobs and names Scout had already forgotten.

"Are you too tired to talk?" George asked, enjoying the feeling of having her and the baby leaning on him in the dark, quiet car.

"No, I guess not," she responded. "I mean, not to tired to listen, probably. Why? What do we need to talk about?"

"Well, it could wait, but I need to talk to you before Christmas," George said. "And it's kind of serious."

Scout started to sit up, but George pulled her back down to rest against him, saying, "No, you're fine where you are, love, just relax, please." He dropped a kiss on her hair. "And you're right, all you have to do is listen, mainly. It won't take long, it's just something you should know, okay?"

Scout nodded, wondering if he was going to say something about what crazy Kelly had brought up in the ladies' room earlier. She had been fired, of course, or "sacked", as they said in England, and sent off to her "people" somewhere in the north of England, with very strict instructions never to be in the vicinity of George or Scout again, or the police would be called immediately. Paperwork had been put in place with George's attorneys to that effect already. George was furious, as were Kelly's employers, and she'd been made to leave the building before George would even let Scout leave the conference room where they waited.

But when he began talking, it was about his childhood. "So you know I'm quite a bit younger than my brother and sister, right?" he asked. "Steven's thirty-four, and Joanie's thirty-two, and I'm twenty-six. Quite a gap."

No words seemed to be required, so Scout just nodded, stroking his hand, which was, of course, on her tummy.

"Well, I was a surprise," he said, and Scout could hear the smile in his voice. "Don't get me wrong, a welcome surprise. I mean, I think I was. They tell me they were quite happy, at any rate." He chuckled. "So anyway, there they were, a happy family of four, and along we came."

Scout started to sit up again, but remembered his words and lay back down, merely repeating, "We?"

"Yeah. I was a twin." And he sighed. "My parents were overjoyed, you know? We were fraternal, two boys. And even though I get called 'good-looking' and 'handsome' all the time," and Scout could hear the self-deprecation in his voice, "Oliver was actually the better looking of the two of us." George was silent for a while, and Scout wondered if he was finished talking.

"I've seen photographs, and I actually remember him a bit, you know? He was the most beautiful child." George's voice grew soft and misty with memory. "He had the most gorgeous, curly, dark hair. And he was so full of life, always cheerful, always laughing." And again, he was silent for so long that Scout thought he might be finished.

"George, what happened to him?" she asked.

"He, um, drowned," George said. "We were at a public pool, and Ollie and I were wearing little floatie things to help us swim, but his got snagged and ripped or something, and no one noticed until it was too late. My parents were distracted, you know, trying to keep track of four of us. We were only three." George's voice was even softer than before.

"My father spoke to parliament and got the laws changed, the grade of polymer and plastic they used to make the floaties," George continued.

And now Scout did sit up, she put her arms around poor George and held him, pulling his head under her chin and kissing his temple, telling him how sorry she was.

"I'm okay, I'm fine," he reassured her. "Everyone's okay now, honest, I mean, I'm sure mum still has her bad days, and I'm always extra careful on our birthday, you know?" He pulled away so he could look seriously at Scout. "And I didn't just pull this out of my arse now so I could bring you down at Christmas.

"Mum has a necklace, a sort of family heirloom, though that's rather a grandiose name for it. Her great-granddad was in the king's navy or something, I don't remember exactly, used to travel the world, and he brought home a necklace that she wants to separate into its different strands and give to you and Joanie and Marcie. But it's got four parts, and she wants to give the fourth to you, you see? She wants you to have Ollie's section of it, and she wanted me to explain why to you before she did it."

Scout was touched. "Really? Is she sure, though? Maybe she should give that part to Joanie, to her actual daughter, George. Or she should keep it herself?"

George shook his head. "I talked to her yesterday, and this is what she wants to do, for Christmas this year. She wanted to wait until she had daughters who were mums, something about the stones in the necklaces being pearls or something, I don't remember that part," he admitted with a lovely smile.

"George, how can she consider me a daughter, though?" Scout asked. "She's known me for a day, she's known about me for a day."

George rubbed his nose against Scout's. "That's all it takes to fall hopelessly in love with you, don't you know that?"

"Oh, Jesus, George," Scout murmured, "Do we have time for a quick fuck? Because you just made me so wet, oh fuck--" she closed her eyes.

George took a quick look around. "At least twenty minutes away, plenty of time, I'd say," he said with a grin. He reached behind her, sliding the zipper down in one, fluid motion, nudging her arms up so he could lift it off her.

Ahh.

Her skin glowed nearly white in the dark car, and she straddled him now only in her bra, undies, and thigh high tights, which George thought were just about the sexiest things he'd ever seen. In fact, with all of his extensive experience with women's underclothes, Scout was the first woman he'd ever known who wore them without the accoutrement of the garter belt. And seeing her smooth baby bump just about wrecked his wits altogether.

She quickly unbuttoned his shirt, spreading it so she could feel his chest, and undid his pants so he could pull them down. His length leapt out of his briefs, hitting his abdomen, and she reached for him, pumping him as he groaned and kissed her.

His fingers moved to her center, and he could feel that she was already nearly dripping for him, swollen and warm. She exhaled into his mouth, pushing his head back against the seat with the force of her kiss. He pushed into her, over and over, feeling her heat around his fingers.

"Oh god, George, I'm going to come already," she moaned as she rocked against his fingers, pushing herself onto him, feeling his fingertips as he curled them inside her. Her breath caught in her throat three different times as she came again and again, digging her fingers into his shoulders, lowering her head as her thighs tensed, as her hips jerked.

So fucking sexy. George nearly forgot to breathe, just watching her.

He pulled his fingers out of her, and lifted her onto himself, again with that lightheadedness that came whenever he entered her. It made him see stars sometimes, made him feel like he was passing out for a few, a mercifully few brief seconds. She moved, rolling her hips into him again and again, and he realized that she'd removed her bra, because he could feel her nipples, like hot bullets, pushing on his chest with each motion.

Jesus.

It was over far too soon. Scout was holding his head with one arm as he gasped and thrust into her, over and over, lifting her off the seat, and bracing herself against the roof of the car with the other, and he knew that he was going to want her again later. Thank god for pregnancy hormones, because Scout was up for it as often as he was.

They quickly got their clothes back on, and hopefully got the car aired out and not smelling like what they'd been doing by the time they got back to Surrey. They got their packages out of the car and carried into the house, where they relaxed with George's parents before heading off to bed.

"George told me about Oliver," Scout said quietly as they sat in the lounge. "I didn't know, and I'm so very sorry.

"And it's very kind of you to include me in the distribution of your necklace, if you're completely sure it's what you want to do," she added, putting her hand over Brenda's.

"Oh, my dear, I've waited so long to do this," Brenda responded, patting Scout's hand. "I'm very sure." She looked over at George and smiled. "I sometimes despaired that he'd ever produce a grandchild, he seemed so intent on remaining a child himself for as long as possible, to be honest."

George looked affronted.

"I've been enjoying my life," he said, trying to sound dignified.

"Well, I'm glad you've realized you can enjoy life and be a parent, too," his father said, tipping Scout a wink.

"Yes, that is so true," George said, scooping Scout into the curve of his arm and giving her a wet and messy kiss on the cheek.

"Jesus, George, what are you drinking?" she asked with a laugh, wiping at her cheek.

"Oh!" Scout touched her tummy. "Would you like to feel the baby? It's very active right now."

"Could we?" Brenda looked expectantly at her. "I didn't want to ask--"

Scout rose and went to sit between them, placing their hands on her belly. George came and knelt in front of her, joining in the fun.

"There, you feel that?" he asked, grinning. "And if you look, you can see, too, sometimes."

He pointed. "Just there, see? Looks like something rolling under her skin!"

They all looked back and forth at each other, delighted.

"Amazing, just amazing," Dennis said, shaking his head.

Brenda wiped a tear, and kissed Scout on the cheek.

"Thank you, dear, for everything," she said.

"No, honestly, I need to thank you," Scout responded in a rare moment of emotionality. She rose and grabbed George by the hand. "Come on, George, I'm tired. Let's go to bed."