Disclaimer: I don't own Tale of Two Cities

It had been three weeks since Little Lucie was born. Sydney had been over enjoying time with his family. In his mind and in his heart they were his family; Charles, Lucie and the little one. Charles was out of town that day and he was keeping an eye on his family. He'd known everything needed to know. Today had been an amazingly great day for him. He went upstairs to the nursery to check on the baby. She was in her mother's arms. That was not surprising to Sydney. Lucie had been attached to her baby ever since the second she had been born.

"Well now this is a beautiful sight," he said sincerely

"She was fussing," Lucie explained, "I know I-"

Sydney sat down next to Lucie.

"You don't have to explain it to me," he said, "I think that's perfectly fine. It's what any mother would do"

He was relived Charles was out that day. Lucie had gotten in a little bit of trouble when she had forgotten to put the brake on Little Lucie's carriage and it rolled down the hill with Little Lucie in it. Thankfully it was a tiny hill and no harm had been done but Charles felt he needed to make a point. He had made it clear she wasn't allowed to hold the baby for the next 24 hours and there was still 18 hours to go.

"Are you going to tell him," Lucie asked.

"Tell him what," Sydney said with a mysterious smile.

Charles wasn't a tyrant. He was a man who loved his family and he had been fearful that his child would have been killed. He was calm and empathetic explaining that it would have been a disaster had it been a larger hill and had the carriage not been caught by a passerby. This was literally the first and only time he had used strong discipline in his family. Normally he would just use words to communicate what is wrong and right but he felt that a situation like that required something stronger.

"What you see now," she said, "I know I-"

"I don't see anything I shouldn't be seeing," he said with a wink,

"I appreciate that," Lucie said, "You're a good friend."

"Well I love you," Sydney said, "You've been my inspiration and my best friend since I met you practically."

Lucie smiled lightly.

"The feeling's mutual," Lucie said

"I want you to know," Sydney said, "I would do anything for you. Before I met you I was nobody. I was a hopeless case. I have done things I wasn't proud of. After I met you I learned to feel. When someone I cared about was upset it upset me too. I thought I had nothing to live for but then you and your family gave me a family and a life and a world. I got the idea that maybe I wasn't hopeless. Maybe there was a chance for me. I think if I had been more confident in the past my circumstances would have been different. There is one thing I am confident of and that is my love for you... and my love for him and my love for this child and for all the subsequent children you will or might have. She may be the first of many. I know this. I would lay down my life to keep a life you love beside you and even there I would be watching you from heaven or the other place whatever the case may be. If you were in the wrong place; not that you ever WOULD be but if you were I would trade places with you in a heartbeat"

The baby woke up.

"May I," Sydney asked holding out his arms.

"Of course," Lucie said handing him the baby, "and thank you for everything"

It was perfect timing to for Charles had just gotten home

"Was everything-"

"Perfect," Sydney said smiling at his friend and at the baby in his arms