He didn’t want to look at her. Ed didn’t want to face her. She was trying to make him feel better about all this, telling him he’d do anything for his kids. He hadn’t done the wrong thing in keeping his job; he was the kind of father she’d always wanted for her kids. It was all wrong. Why would anyone want a father whose career put them in danger? They could be killed because of Ed. He knew now that even if he quit his job it might not be over. He wasn’t going to give in. He wasn’t going to leave it all to his colleagues. They’d be targeted next.

A warm hand took his chin and brought his face up. Ed looked into the eyes of his wife, trying to calm his breathing. The problem was now he’d started to let it out he couldn’t stop it. It felt pathetic, weak, vulnerable. Yet he couldn’t help it. He could lose his entire family because he’d allowed himself to be a target. Because he didn’t just kill MacDuff when he’d had the chance. She was telling him it wasn’t his fault, Ed didn’t believe her. He shook his head, and his eyes looked away.

Then Quincy said she still loved him and Ed’s teary eyes shot back to hers. That certainly hadn’t been expected. “I...know.” Another wave of grief swept over the auror and he grit his teeth, trying to stop the flow of tears. A sharp intake of breath shot into his lungs and he looked down at his ex-wife. “Ye ‘ent supposed to do this to people ye love, babe. They’re supposed to be safe.” Ed pulled away from Quincy and let himself fall into the chair beside the bed, still holding his baby girl carefully. “I’m supposed to be able to guarantee yer safety. Ye shouldn’t have to leave your home to hide because yer stupid ex-husband’s gone and put yer life in jeopardy.  This is my fault, luv’.” The man muttered, closing his eyes as he tried to calm down. “I didn’t kill that bastard when I had the chance.” Killing someone was a horrible thing to have to do. He’d done it before. He’d never spoken about it to his wife. But he damn well wished he’d done it again.

“I didn’t protect you.” The blonde auror seemed to be calming as he looked down at the newest addition to his family. A comparatively large finger softly stroked the angelic cheek as he took a deep breath.

“Ye need to get dressed. We ‘ave to leave.”

Quincy didn't know what else she could do. She'd tried to reassure him that no matter what happened, he wouldn't - couldn't - be blamed for what had or would happen. None of it was his fault. She'd reaffirmed her love for him, and she'd assured him that he would be the most important person in his kids' lives. He wasn't having any of it. It seemed that the more she tried to reassure him, the less sure he was. It was a no-win situation. Quincy was sure that he wouldn't rest easy until she and the children were tucked safely away in some far off nook or cranny of the world, hidden from prying eyes and dangerous wands.

Eddie could write the book on 'what not to do to people you love', but this would not be in it. Fighting against the bad people was, in her opinion, one of the most heroic things he could be doing for his family. She knew Eddie better than he knew himself, and he would never have been content with just watching all the evil happen around him. He would have to be involved, auror or no auror. She watched, pained, as he sank into the chair and tried to control the grief that was consuming him.

Eddie admitted that he hadn't killed the monster when he'd had the chance, but she didn't blame him for that either. They had always had the unwritten, unspoken rule that she wouldn't ask questions about his job. He was able to offer information, but she never asked. She didn't know whether he had ever killed anyone before - and frankly she didn't want to know - but if she had to guess, she would say yes. She presumed (and hoped) it wasn't something that came easy to Eddie. It had to be hard, knowing that he had another wizard's life in his hands, and he could choose to take that life away with the flick of a wand, just as easy as it was to flip a galleon. That had to be hard to deal with.

She didn't blame him for not wanting to do it again.

Suddenly the tone of the conversation changed as he stated that she needed to dress and leave immediately. She blinked dumbly. "Now?" The surprise must have been evident in her voice - she had thought maybe she had some time to recuperate in hospital before they made tracks. Apparently this operation was more important and bigger than she had first imagined. Her eyes went to the pile of clean clothes waiting to be worn and she winced as she thought about how raw she still was, how much she ached, and how she would kill for some sleep. Her shoulders fell slightly as she nodded and shuffled over to grab the pile of clothes.

"Will you dress her please?" she asked, motioning to a small pile of neutral-coloured baby clothes. A nappy, a white vest and a lemon-yellow babygrow with a picture of a flobberworm on the front. Eddie had bought that. She went to the bathroom. "I trust you haven't forgotten how to dress a baby?" She flashed the brightest smile she could muster as she closed the bathroom door and got dressed ready for their outing.

Quincy sounded surprised he wanted to leave so quickly. Ed didn’t look up from his baby girl’s tiny face as he responded to his ex-wife.
“He gave me a week. I trust that wizard as far as Charlie can throw him.” Ed had agreed to wait for Quincy to give birth. Well, unless they reached a week. Then she would have had to give birth in the middle of no-where where he was sending her and the kids. It would have been that or for them to all, most probably, be murdered. Now she had given birth and they had this beautiful angel who lay in his arms, they had to get away. Ed had to keep them alive while he did his job as best as he could.

“We’re leavin’ as soon as yer ready, we’re getting the kids and goin’.” He wasn’t going to feel happy when they were gone but he would feel at least close to satisfied that they would be safe. They had to be safe. If Ed lost his family because he hadn’t done his job properly he would never live with himself. He may as well be taken with them.

"Will you dress her please?"

Pratt looked down at his clean, warm little daughter wrapped up in the white blanket. She looked at peace, innocent, untainted. He couldn’t believe he’d had a hand in creating such a beautiful baby girl. He was certainly going to have a hand in keeping her safe.

Then Quincy made a comment which only served to bring out the usual, joking Edward Pratt. “Of course I bloody do, woman.” He started, using one hand to withdraw his wand from the easily accessible holster on his hips and the other arm to secure his daughter. “I’ve put you to bed enough times when yer passed out from booze.” The auror gave his ex-wife a wink before she vanished into the bathroom before summoning the baby clothes and getting his newest daughter into the ravishing babysuit.

Finally, he was able to see through the grief that had consumed him, and for one moment he even cracked a joke - at least, she hoped it was a joke. He had never had to put her to bed when she'd passed out from booze - she'd always managed to get herself to bed just in time!

After closing the door to the bathroom, she leaned against the door for a moment, trying to collect herself before she went back out with a brave expression plastered on her face. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. Divorced, mother of four and on the run. It was like something out of a novel, or a witch-weekly short-story.

Getting dressed took longer than it normally did. She was in pain and was quite reluctant to leave the warmth of the hospital. She had always liked hospitals, which was why she had sought out a career in one. There was something about them that emanated safety - an impenetrable bubble that cocooned people inside it until they were ready to face the world again.

She sighed when she was ready to leave, her hand on the doorhandle. One last look at her sorry face in the mirror, and she turned the handle. She was glad to find that Eddie hadn't done something completely daft like put the baby grow on the wrong way round. "Here, she'll need this on - it looks cold outside." She smiled almost apologetically as she took a tiny coat from the bag she had, a little navy blue warm coat with a hood, and manoeuvred it around Eddie's hands and onto the little girl. It was like dressing a doll.

Quincy stepped away and admired her as her father held her. "She looks perfect." A sad look crossed her face, and she swallowed as she held her hand out to Eddie. "I'm ready." Her voice said the complete opposite.