May 15th, 1985
Brielle was excited that she and Will were finally moving into their new flat. However, moving across London with all of their things plus all of the stuff they were starting to accumulate for the twins was a large task. As a result, they had enlisted some help, especially since Brielle had been told to take it easy and thus was spending most of her time sitting on the couch, unpacking and directing from there. And keeping an eye on Millie and Miranda, who were playing nearby in an attempt to keep them out of the way.
"Okay, where is this box going?" Renata asked. She had immediately volunteered to help out, since she didn't have a job that required her to be anywhere at a certain time, although she did have to bring along her two girls. "It's not labelled, so I have no idea-"
Brielle was looking through a box of kitchen things that had mistakenly made their way to her. "Um, just open it and ask Will if you need help?"
"Okay!" After having a glance inside, Renata looked around to see if her brother-in-law was still around. "Will?"
"Right there!" Will called from the bedroom as he shifted some boxes around. Trevor was due at some point to help shift furniture around which was good considering Will didn't trust magic for everything just yet.
"I think these might be bedroom things, yes?" Renata asked, once Will had appeared. "It's linens and towels and the like and I'm pretty sure these don't belong in the kitchen."
"Uh...yeah, I think we've got a closet in the loo in here for those," he said, picking up the box.
"The blue ones belong in the kitchen though, don't forget!" Brielle told him. "I put them in there so all of the towels would be in the same box."
"Blue ones to the kitchen," Will repeated with a salute as he sat the box down and opened it looking for the blue towels.
"...You look like you're enjoying this far too much," Renata teased her sister, grinning.
"Hey, someone has to delegate tasks," Brielle replied.
"She's taking care of my three favourite people," Will replied, pausing to kiss her cheek.
Brielle smiled up at him. "Two of whom are actually moving around a fair bit today."
"Moving in a good way, right?" Will asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, definitely," she assured him. "I'm quite comfortable, don't worry."
"Good," Will managed a smile before going back to his task. "Blue towels, kitchen," he murmured, digging through the box some more.
"Before you know it all of this will be done and things will get back to normal!" Renata told him. "Just relax!"
"Yeah I know," he said. "We've got plenty of time, but I just want to make sure everything's brilliant before the twins get here, y'know?"
"This is May; they won't be here until August. You'll be fine," Brielle tried to reassure him.
"I know," he replied. "I know," he said, carrying the towels to the kitchen.
Renata checked to make sure Brielle still had Millie and Miranda under control before she headed into the kitchen as well, charming the box to follow her. "...Seriously, are you okay?" she asked Will. "Something feels off."
"I'm okay," Will assured her. "Just a little tired from the move and worried about Brielle," he admitted.
"Because of what the Healers told her about resting up a little?" Renata asked him.
He nodded. "If anything happens to her or the twins, I'll never forgive myself."
"Nothing will happen," Renata insisted, putting a few things away. "Everything's been going as it should so far, hasn't it?"
Will nodded again. "I just want to be careful."
"You're doing everything you should be, and then some," Renata told him, smiling. "She's in good hands."
"You think so?" Will asked, running his hands through his hair.
"Of course! Brielle's happier than I've ever seen her."
"Yeah?" Will asked, starting to feel better about things.
Renata nodded her head in the direction of the sitting room. "Just look at her."
Will smiled, looking at her. "She does look pretty happy," he agreed.
Renata was about to reply when there was a knock on the front door.
"Anybody home?" came Trevor's voice.
"Daddy!" Millie exclaimed, temporarily abandoning her toys to go give him a hug.
"Looks like your other help is here," Renata told Will, laughing.
"I am so glad to see your face," Will told Trevor with a grin.
"I couldn't let you be outnumbered by women all day," Trevor joked, as he set Millie back on her feet and moved to quickly kiss Renata hello. "Beautiful as they are."
"While flattery will get you everywhere, today you're being put to work," Renata told him, grinning. "With furniture."
"I know, it's-oh, hello, would you like a hug, too?" Trevor looked down and saw Miranda holding out her arms to him.
"Dada, up!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her toes.
"Just give me another minute and then I'm all yours," Trevor said with a laugh as he scooped up his younger daughter.
"Take your time," Will said. "We've got nursery and bedroom stuff to deal with. Your choice first."
"You're doing the bedroom stuff first!" Brielle told them. "I want to be able to sleep here tonight!"
"Listen to the boss lady," Renata said, grinning.
"And Brielle is our taskmaster," Will told Trevor with a grin.
"Then bedroom first it is," Trevor agreed.
"Ren, can you handle the rest of the linens?" Will asked.
"I believe I can, yes!" she told him.
"We need to shift some pieces around and put the bed frame together," Will told Trevor, gesturing for him to follow.
Trevor put Miranda down and told her to play nice with her sister before he followed Will. "Alright, I can handle that. The charms and such aren't entirely difficult."
"My charms aren't -uh. Very reliable," Will replied.
"I'll show you a few things, if you like," Trevor offered.
"Brielle tries to show me all the time. I'm just shite with charms," Will said.
"They're not everyone's strength," Trevor admitted. "Nevertheless, it can't hurt... But what's up next?"
"After the bedroom, we have the nursery to set up," Will said. "Unless Brielle gives us something else."
"Oh, I'm sure she'll find something," Trevor told him, grinning.
"I'm surprised she hasn't made out a list just yet," Will replied, shifting a few boxes out of the way. "She wants the bed over here with the headboard against this wall."
"Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist," Trevor pointed out.
"That's true," Will agreed. "She's probably working on it right now."
"Well, if she's anything like what Ren was like when we moved last..." Trevor just shook his head, laughing.
"Oh Christ," Will replied. "They're both maybe working on it together."
"That is a very likely possibility," Trevor told him as they got the headboard in place. "Then again, you two are moving into a flat and not a house so you'll have less to worry about in the end."
"That's true. Sometimes I wonder if maybe we should have tried to find a house, but that would have meant leaving London all together," he said, carrying over other pieces of the bedframe.
"Yeah, finding a house here that's affordable is either impossible or just a case of being really, really lucky," Trevor said. "But you've got three bedrooms here, so you'll be set for a while. And really, a flat is far less maintenance!"
"Hopefully we'll be set for a really long time," Will said, tapping a sideboard into place.
"I hope so too, for your sake," Trevor told him. "This is a nice part of the city."
"Yeah," Will agreed. "I think we were both surprised to find it."
"Let me guess, you took it the second you stumbled upon it?"
Will nodded. "Once we saw the flat, we knew it'd be a mistake to walk away," he said, moving to the other side to work on that sideboard.
"Can't say I blame you," Trevor said. "And Ren told me that you were really hoping to have something by the end of June?"
Will nodded again. "Yeah. We were afraid any later and Brielle would be too miserable to even face it."
"I think she sounds okay," Trevor said, grinning as they heard laughter from the other room.
"Yeah," Will smiled. "She definitely is okay. Help me with the footboard?" He asked, gesturing to the other side.
Trevor moved into place. "I'll show you the charm that'll add a little extra bit of stability to this, as well."
"Thanks," Will said. "Anything so it doesn't collapse," he joked.
Trevor grinned at that. "It'll be useful for some other things as well."
"I'll take any help I can get," Will grinned.
"I bet! You're going to have a lot on your plate in a few months... Anything to ease things a bit, yeah?"
"Yeah. Little nervous about having two to deal with at once you know?"
"Mate, I was dead terrified at the prospect of one. You are handling this far better than I ever would," Trevor said.
"Not too well," he replied. "Ren's already caught onto my terror."
"Of course she has..."
"She cornered me in the kitchen earlier," Will smiled, levitating the mattress and box springs onto the bed frame.
"She tends to do that," Trevor said wryly. "And see? You have the hang of these charms in no time!"
"Let's hope I get the hang of it before my kids do," Will replied.
"I'm sure you'll be fine," Trevor told him. "As long as you're at least one step ahead of them, you're good," he added, laughing a little.
"I better hope I'm one step ahead of them," Will commented. "All right. Let's shift the dresser and mirror into place and then we can figure out what Brielle wants us to do next."
"Sounds like a plan to me," Trevor said.
"Maybe get Ren to put sheets on the bed and that way Millie and Miranda can have another place to play or nap?"
"A nap?" Trevor asked, grinning again as he positioned the mirror. "You have met my daughters, right? I'm not entirely sure that word's in their vocabulary-"
"I heard from Jason that they nap like angels," Will replied.
"I'm going to have to ask him for his secret then because they never want to take a nap for me."
"Well of course not," Will replied. "Not for you."
"They just want to play all the time- Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
He grinned. "Of course not."
"And you may have noticed that Millie doesn't like taking no for an answer," Trevor added as they started in on the dresser.
"From anyone," Will replied.
"I'll be surprised if she doesn't give us orders when we head back out-" Trevor joked.
"Taking after her mum and aunt."
"Lucky me! And lucky you if she is any sort of influence on her cousins!"
"Which she probably will be," Will said, looking amused.
"I'd say there's a good chance in that, yeah," Trevor agreed. "Considering that you know that Ren will be over here as much as she can get away with."
"I know," Will replied. "Which will be really helpful when Brielle goes back to work."
"You are definitely not going to be doing this alone."
"There's no way," Will agreed, shifting the mirror into place.
"Yeah, it's really good to have the support."
"Yeah..." Will replied, stepping back and looking at the setup. "How does that look?"
"I think that it looks like you have a bedroom again," Trevor told him, grinning. "And not a moment too soon," he added, as Brielle called out to them.
"Let's see what she's got for us, yeah?" Will asked, heading back to the living room.
"I figured we could all use a break," Brielle told them a moment later. "So Ren set up some snacks and drinks for all of us!"
"We get a break?" Will teased her with a grin.
"Temporarily," Brielle insisted. "I don't want you to tire too early, you know," she teased back.
Will sank down next to Brielle on the couch. "If Renata doesn't mind putting sheets on the bed for us while Trevor and I work on the nursery, then we'll be all set to sleep here tonight."
"Of course I don't mind," Renata said immediately.
"So you get your wish," Will smiled at Brielle.
"I think it's kind of pointless to say that I'm very, very happy by that thought?" she asked, laughing a little.
"We never would have guessed," Trevor said, grinning as he helped himself to some of the food.
Will grabbed a drink for himself. "So long as it’s what you want."
"You know it is," Brielle told him, making some space on her other side for Millie, who decided she wanted to sit on the couch as well.
"Anything specific that you want us to tackle next?" Will asked her.
"...Putting the cribs together?"
"You feel up to that?" Will asked Trevor with a grin.
Trevor rolled up his sleeves. "Bring it on," he said, laughing. "I've done this twice before."
"But that first time you weren't so good at it," Renata reminded him, grinning.
"Hey, I eventually figured it out," Trevor insisted.
"Glad I have a professional with me then," Will replied.
"Oh, don't give him that much credit," Renata told him, giggling.
"He'll be better than me," Will told her.
"You'll be fine," Brielle assured him.
"Trevor added some extra charms to the bed," Will said. "Definitely think we're in good shape there."
"And hopefully the rest of the room will pass your inspection," Trevor added, smiling again. "Rumour has it you're kind of picky-"
"Oh, I am not!" Brielle insisted. "That's just Ren telling stories again!"
"You are a little picky," Will teased her.
Brielle made a face at him. "I'm not that bad... am I?"
"The blue towels in the kitchen?"
"Well, the dishes and the curtains both have blue in them and I just want it all to match, and- okay, maybe I am that bad," Brielle realised, laughing.
"Happens to the best of us!" Renata said cheerfully.
"It's okay," Will assured her.
"And it could always be worse," Renata added.
"I have no doubt," Will replied with a grin.
"Let me know if I start to get out of hand?" Brielle asked.
"No way," Will said, shaking his head with a grin. "I'd like to keep sleeping in that bed in there."
"That's right, stay on her good side," Renata said, laughing.
"I'm not as thick as I used to be," Will replied.
"That's what marriage does to you," Trevor said, trying to stifle a grin.
"I've noticed," Will laughed.
"Hey, watch it, or you might be staying on the couch when we get home," Renata said to her husband, though she was smiling as well.
"Daddy can't sleep on the couch!" Millie piped up with.
"See? Even Millie agrees," Trevor said, looking smug.
"That's because Mr. Duck is sleeping there! And his friends!"
"Can't take Mr. Duck's bed," Will told Renata with a laugh.
"Millie, I thought we talked about where you keep your toys," Renata said gently.
"I know, but she keeps moving them!" Millie insisted, pointing to her sister.
Renata doubted that, but she didn't say anything. "So you need to move them back!"
"But the couch is comfy, Mummy!"
"...Are we eventually going to have conversations like this?" Brielle asked Will.
"I think we'll have twice the conversations," Will smiled, touching her stomach lightly.
"Merlin help us!"
"We're going to need it!"
"Then again, our kids are going to be absolute angels who will never leave their toys in places they shouldn't," Brielle said with a bit of a laugh.
"What are the chances of that?" Will asked, looking to Trevor and Renata.
"...Highly unlikely, but I had to try!" Brielle replied, still laughing.
"So long as they're not little hellions," Will grinned.
"Oh, I doubt we'll have to worry about that!"
"Millie will keep them all in line," Will said. "Right, Millie?"
Millie nodded at him. "'Cause I'm the boss!"
"I know!" Will told her. "You're in charge!"
"Can I help you and Daddy?" she suddenly asked him.
"You want to help us?" Will asked, looking surprised.
"Please?"
"Ask your daddy," Will told her with a smile.
"Daddy, please?" Millie immediately turned to Trevor.
"I don't know..." Trevor pretended to consider it.
Millie pouted at him. "I'll be good!"
"Promise?" Will asked.
Millie nodded.
"Will you listen to everything Daddy and Uncle Will ask you to do, or not to do?" Trevor asked her. "Because there will be some things you can't help us with even if you want to, okay?"
"I promise I'll be good!"
Trevor glanced over to Will, grinning. "If you don't mind an assistant, I'm game."
"What do you say, Boss?" Will asked, looking to Brielle with a grin.
"I say go for it!" she replied. "If it's not working out, you can always send here back with me."
"Looks like we've got a deal, Millie!"
"Yay!" she cheered, and pushed herself off the couch. "Let's go!"
Will laughed. "I guess that means our break time is over."
Trevor finished what was left of his drink. "Break times are determined by your kids, just a heads up," he said with a grin.
"What have we gotten ourselves into?" Will asked Brielle, stealing a quick kiss.
"I can't wait to find out for sure," she replied, laughing.
Will grinned at her before looking to Millie. "Do you know which room is the nursery?"
"Yeah!" she replied. "Mummy showed it to me. It's the yellow room."
"It is," Will nodded. "You want to lead the way?"
"Yeah!" Millie exclaimed again, and started to skip out the room and down the hallway.
"Have fun! And be careful!" Renata called after her.
"Shall we?" Will asked Trevor.
Trevor rolled up his sleeves. "Let's do this," he replied, grinning again.
"Right behind you," Will said, rolling up his sleeves as well.
"We'll hold down the fort out here," Brielle said.
"Call out if you need anything," Will told her, looking serious for a moment,
"I will, don't worry," Brielle assured him.
"And I'll take good care of her," Renata added, grinning.
"I'm sure you will. Thanks," Will said before heading for the nursery.