Chapter Text
Niall keeps her children close, waiting on the docks for William. Some time had passed and the crew was already checking the tickets for passengers for the return trip to Dublin. Her heart clenched when she realises that the trip back her country was going to be less than half full. Once people left Ireland, they never seemed to want to return.
When William finally reappeared, his shoulder was bandaged and he wore a different shirt. His arm was in a makeshift sling and he appeared to be in minimal pain and optimal spirits. He smiled brightly at the children and only stumbled slightly when Aedan ran to him and wrapped himself around the older boy’s legs.
Laughing, William placed his hand to the back of the boy’s head in a sympathetic and loving gesture. “Don’t worry, little soldier. I’m not leaving you just yet.”
The two head towards Niall and Teagan, Aedan talking animatedly about all the different people he had seen while waiting. “And one guy had a mustache and beard so bushy! I wanted to ask if squirrels lived in it, but mummy said that wouldn’t be nice.”
Niall smiles and reaches out for Aedan’s hand. “Come on, lovebug. Let William have a moment. Looks like he hurt his arm.”
“I’ll be okay. Captain had the physician clean me right up.” William leans over and presses a soft kiss to Teagan’s curls. “Harry has apparently gotten us a car. He wants us to rest for a couple of days and have the children and you checked out by a doctor. We’re going to be staying with his mother in Holmes Chapel.”
“With his mother?” Niall stops walking, looking to the soldier. “He wants me to meet his mother without him present? Doesn’t he think that’s a bit… Unconventional?”
He looks back at her, clearly not seeing the big deal. “What about any of this situation is normal? You’re pregnant with your husband’s child, meeting another man’s family, while being on the run, and your companion is your old fling’s son. Not quite the normal life you probably planned for after the war.”
She sighs, realising that he has a point. “Okay. Onto Holmes Chapel, then?”
William smiles lightly and nods. “To Holmes Chapel.”
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The car ride to Harry’s childhood home didn’t take nearly as long as Niall expected. She figured that the Welsh and English country would be much the same as Ireland’s with long stretches of deserted hills and wandering animals randomly dotted with small towns. It seem like they never fully left the towns though as they drove. Even the vast expanses of farm land were dotted with houses. It seemed a crowded place comparatively.
When the car finally rolled to a stop outside a lovely stone cottage covered with ivy and an entryway surrounded by trellises overflowing with roses, Niall was amazed. Harry never gave the impression of growing up poor, but this home was sprawling compared to the small farmhouse she had grown up in. She admired the garden outside the front door as well as the small tea table tucked away on the porch of the home. She could picture a young Harry sitting outside and taking his afternoon tea surrounded by the flowers.
A woman stood just outside the front door, wringing her hands anxiously.
Collecting what courage she had, Niall exits the car and helps her children out as well, whispering to them to behave. She looked over to see William biting his lip as if to hold in a laugh.
“You must be Niall,” a womanly voice says. It sounds so much like Harry’s that Niall’s knees almost give out as she thinks about seeing the man while looking the way she presently did.
She turns. “Yes. I am so sorry to intrude on your home, but apparently Harry made arrangements for us to stay with you while we rested and recovered.”
“Of course. In fact, I nearly had his head when he said he was going to send you straight to Oxford. I would like to get to know the woman who he has been so infatuated with since the war.” She smiles brightly before pulling Niall into a hug. “My name is Anne and I won’t have you calling me anything else. Any woman who is able to make my Harry see the beauty in this world again deserves my gratitude.”
“Oh,” Niall blushes, unsure of the high praise being administered to her. She doesn’t have a chance to say more though as Anne is quickly chastising William.
“And you,” the older woman turns to focus on the soldier. Her hands curl into fists and quickly find purchase on her waist. “You are in so much trouble! Off galavanting around Ireland and not even a shred of news as to your condition? Your mother had me in a tizzy with her letters about the burning of Mallow and not knowing your condition. Now you show up on my doorstep, bandaged and broken and you expect me to just allow you in?”
William is trying hard to keep his laughter contained. “Of course! You’d never turn away your growing boy.”
Anne shakes her head. “You have a point there.” She smiles at the soldier before turning her eyes to the two children clinging to their mother’s skirts. “And now I see we have another growing boy and a precious little girl to entertain.”
“This is Aedan and Teagan. I apologise in advance for any trouble they cause. They’ve been not allowed to explore in a long time.” Niall introduces her children, pushing Aedan forward so that he could be seen around the gathers of her skirt.
Waving off the concerns, Anne kneels down till she’s eye level with the small boy. “Well, hello. My name is Anne, I’m Harry’s mother. Your mummy tells me your name is Aedan. Is that true?”
The boy nods shyly.
“Well, Aedan, I think I have just the room for you. It used to be Harry’s old room until he was seven. Are you older than seven?”
Again, the boy just shakes his head.
“Perfect. I think you’ll rather enjoy this room then. Harry likes to call it the nursery, but I don’t think it looks much like a nursery. Besides, nurseries are for babies aren’t they? You don’t seem to be a baby anymore. You’re the man of your house.” She smiles when his shy expression changes to one of curiosity and mischief. “Come along. I’m sure you’ll love it.”
The boy hesitantly reaches out for the woman’s hand and softly grabs it.
Anne smiles and waves Niall on to follow them.
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“As you look at Wendy, you may see her hair becoming white, and her figure little again, for all this happened long ago. Jane is now a common grown-up, with a daughter called Margaret; and every spring cleaning time, except when he forgets, Peter comes for Margaret and takes her to Neverland, where she tells him stories about himself, to which he listens eagerly. When Margaret grows up she will have a daughter, who is to be Peter’s mother in turn; and thus it will go on, so long as children are gay and innocent and heartless.” Niall finishes the book she was reading to her children and looks over at them.
Aedan had been tucked in awhile ago, the nightlight above his bed burning bright in case he awoke while she herself was asleep. Teagan is asleep across the room, her nightlight ablaze as well. Niall feels like an actual mother for the first time in awhile.
Her children are safe and clean and well fed and finally sleeping in a bed. She knows the journey has been hard on them and each have handled it in the best way they can. She sets the old copy of Peter and Wendy aside and stands from the rocking chair Anne had shown her in the corner. She can see why Harry would call this the nursery (almost wondered if Anne had purposefully set the comfort level in the room to match the fictional Darling nursery), but she’s forever grateful that Anne had never gotten rid of the room.
She moves to each bed and kisses her children’s forehead before exiting the room. Not feeling tired quite yet, she makes her way through the house towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea.
“They asleep?” Anne’s voice greets her as she enters
“Yes. I haven’t seen them asleep this early since before we went on the run. I can’t thank you enough for taking us in. I know you keep saying that you wanted to, but it seems so strange to accept help now. It’s only been a few weeks, but I feel like I’ve aged indefinitely since my husband’s passing.” Niall’s voice is soft as she sets about starting enough water for both of them to have a cup. “I don’t think I’ve even had time to have a proper cry about it. I don’t think I could though until I’m in London with Harry. He’s been the destination since I’ve been on my own and now…”
Anne covers the woman’s hand with her own in a sign of sympathy. “When Harry’s step father passed, I was the same way. I went into a headspace where my children and their protection became my top priority. Obviously, my situation was not as dire as yours, but I still worried. I look at Harry and my daughter now and know that if I had broken down the way all of my friends were telling me too, we would have never survived.”
The kettle starts to whistle, but Niall doesn’t move. She’s struck by Anne’s words. “I’m so sorry. Harry never mentioned… I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I think you needed to hear that. You need to know that other woman have dealt with their loss and survived. You are not alone and, if your friendship with Harry goes in the direction I’m predicting, I will be close always.” She looks pointedly down at the woman’s ever present bump. “Now make your tea and then off to bed. You need plenty of rest for your little one’s sake. The physician will also be here tomorrow so that will always be fun. If you are not awake when he arrives, I’ll have him examine the children first.”
She gets up and pats Niall’s shoulder softly before wandering off to her own room.
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“No! I don’t want to take that nasty medicine!”
Niall is awoken by the sound of her son’s voice. She blinks awake, taking in the slant of the sun and realises that she must have slept through breakfast. She’s confused as to who would be trying to give her son medicine when she remembers that the doctor was supposed to be coming today to make sure she and the children were healthy. Sighing, she gets up and quickly tries to make herself presentable to try and calm her son.
When she finally gets to the nursery, she sees William there forcing Aedan to take the medicine the doctor offered up. “We all have to do things that we don’t like, Aedan. Do you think I like wearing my arm up like this?”
“But you’re hurt! I’m not hurt!” Aedan pouts.
“You don’t think you’re hurt,” William says softly. “The doctor just wants to make sure though. Trust me, a foul tasting medicine for a moment or two is better than staying sick and having to take even more medicine.”
Niall steps into the room, one hand resting on her baby bump. “William’s right, love. I want you safe and healthy.”
The doctor smiles and catches Niall up on the examinations of the children. “Aedan was just fine, but I administered some medicine just to be sure. Teagan, however, seems to have developed a fever. I’ve given her medicine as well and I advise she rest. Given her age, there’s no way of knowing if her body will be able to fight everything off.”
Niall frowns at looks at her daughter sitting in William’s lap. She already felt as though she hadn’t paid nearly enough attention to her daughter during their travels, but to know that her daughter had been sick and she had done nothing? She had to be the world's worst mother. “Do you know what it is? Was it something she ate? She ate a lot of root vegetables.”
“Honestly, it’s a waiting game. A lot of children her age get sick quite often, but she’s been exposed to a wide range of elements and such that most children aren’t. My advice would be just to let her rest and keep an eye on her. Have Anne ring me immediately if she gets any worse.”
He clears his throat, looking pointedly at her. “Now, I have strict orders from the man of this house to ensure that you and your unborn child are healthy as well. I think it best we move to your bedroom so that your children can rest.”
She nods and shows him to her room. She quickly loosens the confining dress she had donned moments ago and sits gingerly on the bed. “I’m not sure what this will entail, but please do whatever you need to to ensure they are healthy.”
He nods and quickly sets to work. The doctor checks her over- weight, height, blood pressure, anything he can think of to ensure her health. He frowns momentarily as he finishes his check of her health. “You seem healthy enough. I am a bit concerned about your overall weight. In my experience, you should be heavier than you are if you’re already this far along in your pregnancy. Seeing as you are healthy though, I can safely conclude that your child is also healthy. I recommend plenty of rest since you probably haven’t been doing much of that recently and I even suggest four meals a day. You need to ensure you are getting proper food intake to keep your child healthy.”
She nods. She couldn’t tell you the last time time she actually ate more than a bit of bread and broth for a meal, but she knows that her main focus now had to be that of her child. “I’ll be sure to say something to Anne. We’ll be heading to London soon enough, but until then I can eat as much as I can.”
“I think,” a voice from the doorway interrupts, “maybe you should stay here.”
Niall finds herself staring at the doorway in disbelief. There, in his uniform, stood Harry. His mischievous smirk tucked away on his face. “Harry…?”
The man ducks his head to fight his growing smile. “Thank you, doctor. We’ll be sure to call for you again if Teagan gets worse. I appreciate you coming to check up on my family.”
“Of course. Anytime, Harry. My wife us quite fond of you, you know that. If you should ever decide the military isn’t for you, she’ll gladly have a position at the bakery for you.” With that, the doctor tips his hat and makes his exit.
It’s quiet for all of two minutes before a sob escapes Niall.
Harry quickly hurries into the room and closes the door behind him. He makes his way to the woman, taking her face in his hands and makes her look at him. “You’re safe. God, Niall. I was so fucking scared I’d lost you. When my patrols found Sean’s body I… I wanted to personally come to Ireland and find you. I needed to know that you were safe. Then William said you were in Mallow and before I could respond to his letter, Mallow was destroyed. I felt my heart breaking again. Now you’re here though and I never want to let you out of my sight. Jesus, Niall, I can’t let you make a life in London without me.”
Niall tries her best to get her tears under control, but hearing Harry say those things- the things she had been desperately hoping for- starts a fresh wave of hysterics. “You were always the destination. Even when Sean and I started together, he said we had to get to London- to you. He knew you could keep me and the children safe. I don’t think he ever thought he would make it to England, but, Harry…” She looks up at him. She thinks he knows, but she needs to know that he knows. Taking his hand, she places it gently on the swell of her stomach. “Harry, it’s yours. Sean and I… We hadn’t been intimate since that night we spent together. We never settled enough to truly get that back. We left and made our way west and almost immediately headed back on the run.”
“Mine,” Harry says breathlessly. He can’t believe he could have lost this without ever knowing about any of this. “I’m going to be a-”
“Father. I know it’s a lot to tell you, but I thought you should know everything before you make a decision on wanting me close. We aren’t married or even lovers so you have no obligation to-”
Niall is cut off by Harry’s lips covering her own. She’s stunned at first and nearly pushes him away, but remembers that he won’t hurt her. She lets herself be loved for the first time in weeks- possibly months.
When they finally break apart, Harry kneels before her and places gentle kisses to her bump. “I’ve wanted to ask you this for a long time and I was going to ask when I found you after the war, but obviously there was someone else then. Niall,” he looks up her, smiling softly, “Niall, please marry me. I’ve wanted nothing more than that since the war and now I think is the perfect time. I love you- always have and always will. You need someone to look after you and the children and I can provide that for you. You could stay here with my mother or come with me to London. As long as you marry me, I will be the happiest man alive.”
“Yes.” There’s no hesitation in Niall’s voice. She’s wanted Harry for just as long. She’ll never regret her marriage to Sean or loving him, but her heart has always longed for Harry. “Yes, absolutely.”
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Harry paces nervously outside his wife’s door. He had wanted to take Niall to the hospital, but being the stubborn woman she was, she refused. Her argument was that she had already given birth twice in her home and they were perfectly healthy, but when she went to the hospital they never survived. In the end, Harry didn’t have much of a say when she was suddenly in labour at three in the morning.
“She’ll be alright. Your mother is in there with her,” William placed a comforting hand to the man’s shoulder.
“Would much prefer your mother being with her.” Harry mumbles.
Before William can respond, the door opens and Anne’s smiling face greets them. “Harry? Come meet your daughter.”
The air in Harry’s lungs leaves him at those words. He still can’t believe he’s a father.
Niall is sitting up slightly in bed, face looking freshly washed and hair brushed. She’s holding a small bundle of white in her arms. She looks up to Harry and the smile on her face grows exponentially. “Daddy’s here.”
Harry’s pace quickens at those words and he carefully sits next to his wife and newborn daughter on the bed. He’s greeted with a kiss from Niall and the most gorgeous green eyes staring up at him from the bundle of white. “Niall… Her eyes…”
“Just like yours.” Niall says softly. She’s so happy that her daughter is finally here. She had been telling Aedan and Teadan about becoming a brother and sister and the two seemed rather excited. “She needs a name.”
“I hadn’t even thought about a name.” Harry seems panicked for a moment before meeting Niall’s eyes. She seems ready to laugh at him because she knows that he’s been looking forward to this moment since he returned to Holmes Chapel. “Lydia… Lydia Louise Styles.”
“It’s perfect.”
Anne opens the door once more. She has Teagan balanced on one hip and Aedan holding her hand, but a huge smile takes over her face. “I thought maybe this should be a family moment.”
Soon enough, the five are all squished together on Harry and Niall’s bed.
Niall is so happy to have everyone she loves in one room- Aedan even brought Sean’s tartan blanket to wrap himself in when he got a little cold. Her family is finally complete.