#(But the genderbend AU is really going to flip everything upside-down!)

[beatingheart-bride]

"What?"

If Emily had been taken aback by the Burkes' announcement, the Graceys' announcement absolutely baffled her. It sent her reeling, and for a moment, Emily couldn't help but wonder if perhaps she was in the middle of the dream. Perhaps it was still the eve of the twins' birthday, and she was still fast asleep in bed, her head going wild after a long, arduous day of preparations for the party. Surely there was no other logical explanation for not just one life-changing announcement, but two, was there?

But ultimately, something told Emily that she was wide awake, and thus she dismissed the notion that the entire day had been nothing more than her imagination going wild as she slumbered after a hard day's work.

So then, what other explanation could there possibly be for such unbelievable luck?

Could...could this be nothing more than a trick in poor taste, an insensitive Halloween jest that Dorian and Elizabeth were pulling on them? Such a theory was dismissed the second it came to mind: neither of them would ever joke about such a matter. It was far too grave a matter to joke about.

So then, did that mean that it was all true? Was there truly going to be another baby in the mansion?

The entire table erupted into cheers, and Lon and Erika both shot up from their seats, leaving behind all of their gifts in favor of running over to their godparents and catching them in a tight embrace. Once the initial shock had passed, Emily too abandoned her chair and made her way over, grinning from ear to ear as she gave each of her closest friends a warm, tender hug.

"That's wonderful," she exulted, her big, cerulean eyes misting over as she held Elizabeth close. "Congratulations, both of you: we're so happy for you! You're both going to make amazing parents!"

Lon could barely contain his excitement as he hopped up and down, inquiring, "Is it a boy or a girl?"

@beatingheart-bride

And it was very clear that this was the best gift the children could've gotten that day: After blowing out the candles and having a little cake, Lon and Erika tore into their mountain of gifts with gusto, finding all manner of delights, ranging from storybooks to dolls to costumes for dress-up to a pair of lovely watercolor sets, just to name a few. But while these gifts were delightful, and there was no denying the pair's excitement over them, it was clear that their grandparents staying at Gracey Manor was the most wonderful gift of all.

And while the festivities got underway (with Lon eagerly joining his great-uncles and Wilhelm in a little bobbing for apples, and Erika asking June and Josephine if they wanted to make some spooky arts and crafts with her), Dorian saw an opportunity to speak to his best friend, saying, "I have those fabric designs I'd like you to look at, if you don't mind."

"Oh, not at all!" Randall nodded, setting aside his slice of cake as he took the designs and looked them over, only for his brow to knit together: Bottles and rattles? Little storks? Teddy bears, stars, and moons in pastel pinks and blues?

"Dorian, these are patterns for baby clothes," he frowned. "Why do you want-!!!!"

It was at that moment that it hit him like a ton of bricks, his eyes widening and his jaws dropping open as his head whipped back to look at a smiling Elizabeth and a grinning Dorian. Randall spluttered for a moment, trying to get the words out, but all he could manage to do was point to Elizabeth and stutter out, "-You are?"

"Yes," she grinned, as he then pointed to Dorian, sputtering, "Y-You...you mean...?"

"We do," the young master grinned as he squeezed his wife's hand, saying what he and Elizabeth had been itching to tell their best friends all month long:

"We're expecting!"