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Summer was always busy for the Family First foundation and Sophie was in charge of the Summer Fete. In the 2 and a half years since she married Benedict, she had been promoted and was now a co-director with Violet and Cecilia and the Summer Fete had been the first thing she organised.
It was a day long event at Crake House where the Foundation would invite all the families they had helped over the years, they would have games and stalls that would sell fresh produce from the gardens, food would be provided and it was just their way of giving back to the families and people who had helped the foundation over the years.
Last year had been the first year and it had been a roaring success and this year, Sophie had wanted it to be bigger and better, but she was struggling.
Not with arranging the event but she was 6 months pregnant with their second child and it was the warmest summer in about 10 years and Sophie was completely fed up. Cecilia, Alice and Violet had stepped up to help Sophie organise the event, whilst Benedict was looking after their 18 month old son Charlie.
The lead up to the event Sophie had been as sick as a dog, the exhaustion and morning sickness had lasted into her second trimester and she was feeling pretty miserable. Violet and Cecilia had both said their second pregnancies were awful. Benedict had sulked at hearing this but when the doctor had told them that their second child was to be a son, Sophie knew that much like Charlie, their second son was going to take after their father.
Benedict and Andrew (Cecilia’s second son) were the tallest of all of their siblings, and had been the biggest of the babies born so Sophie was expecting their second son to be no different.
Charlie was the image of the Bridgerton’s, his blonde hair at birth was starting to darken now, his eyes darker than that of Sophie or Benedict were more akin to his Uncle Anthony who the young boy had been obsessed with. Sophie had hoped that perhaps her genes might be strong enough to come through and when she had seen the blonde hair on her son’s head at birth she had been hopeful but as each passing month went passed it grew darker and Sophie was convinced that by the time he turns 2, he would be the image of the Bridgerton’s.
He was a little bundle of energy and had been a honeymoon baby, much to the amusement of Kate and the rest of the family as Sophie and Benedict had been convinced that like Kate it would take a few months before they became pregnant but when Sophie had thrown up in the middle of her first meeting as a co-director… Violet had known and Sophie had been sent to see Benedict’s Uncle Nicholas who is a doctor and it had been confirmed.
Charlie had not been an easy birth, having decided to come into the world bottom first, he had to be delivered by Caesarean section and Benedict had cried all day when he had held his son for the first time. He had been quite small for a Bridgerton baby and had a bit of a health scare, with the doctors thinking he might have had cystic fibrosis but as his lungs cleared, he became a healthy baby boy.
He was a quick learner and was walking and toddling about by the time he was 7 months old. He was on his feet and chasing his cousins around and from that moment, Sophie never got a bit of peace.
Charlie was a little barrel of energy and Sophie was looking forward to bringing him to his first official event.
He had been to a few as a baby but the summer fete last year, he had a bit of a cold so he and Benedict had stayed at home and Benedict and Anthony had all three boys between them but this year, they were attending as a family.
The morning of the event, Sophie was finally not feeling so sick and was looking forward to a day with her family and seeing all the faces of the people she and the foundation had helped over the year.
Whilst she was getting ready, she requested Benedict get Charlie ready for the day as she was struggling to ready herself given the size of her stomach and it would be quicker for them if he was to dress their son.
“Of course darling” Benedict said, pressing a kiss to his wife’s temple as he trotted out of the room to find his son standing in his cot grinning brightly.
“DADA!!” he squealed brightly, Arthur the family Golden Retriever was sat guarding the cot, which had been his new spot in the house since Charlie was born, if he wasn’t here, he was guarding Sophie like Smaug guarding his treasure.
Arthur gave a little bark of welcome to Benedict and a wag of the tail and Benedict chuckled “Hey Arthur” He replied giving the dog a pet on the head before he darted out of the room to go protect Sophie since Benedict was not there.
“DADA ARTIE gone!!” Charlie pouted as he pointed towards the door.
“I know my little Prince. He’s gone to protect Mummy”
“Mama get chawie?” He asked his little dark eyes peering up at his daddy with confusion
“Mummy is getting ready for the party so daddy is going to get his little Prince ready and then we shall go make mummy breakfast shall we?” He asked
“PAWTY!!” Charlie squealed excitedly
Benedict chuckled and scooped his son into his arms and rested him on his hip whilst he looked in the little wardrobe.
“Hmmmm what shall we wear today my little Prince?” Benedict said to his son who was paying no attention as he played with his fathers shirt.
“Ohhh I know, let’s get the little Dungarees Grandma Violet Bought you and the little tshirt with the monkeys on Nana Ali bought you?”
“Moooooookies” Charlie giggled brightly and starting trying to make the monkey noise
Benedict chuckled “yes Charlie exactly”
Benedict placed his son on the changing table and began getting his son ready. Changing him from his sleep wear to his daytime clothes all the while making Monkey noises with Charlie and tickling him as they went.
Once he was ready Benedict carried Charlie down the stairs, placed him in his high chair and wrapped him in a towel and a bib so as to keep his clothes clean and began making breakfast for him, Sophie and Charlie. As well as preparing Arthur’s breakfast in his dog bowl.
The smell of bacon filled the air and soon Benedict heard the tell tale sounds of the dog coming down the stairs and the sound of his pregnant wife making her way down the stairs as well.
Arthur appeared in the kitchen before Sophie, a squeal of “ARTIEE” from Charlie who was manhandling a piece of banana, let Benedict know the dog was in, that plus the way the 2 year old Dog skidded into his legs as he wasn’t able to stop intime in the tiled floor of the kitchen
Benedict chuckled “hey son” he said scratching the dogs ears and then turned around to see Sophie looking radiant yet fed up in a summer dress,
“Mama!!!!” Charlie squealed even louder as Sophie smiled at her son
“There is my little Prince”
“Mama! N’arna!!” He grinned showing her his sticky full hands
“White really?” She said to her husband seeing the clothing their son had on
“What? He looks bloody adorable” Benedict grinned
“We’re going to a party where there is food… he won’t be white for long” she replied, kissing her son on the head and wiping his hands free of the banana goop.
“I am sure he will be fine” Benedict said
“If you say so but I’m not taking care of bath time tonight when he’s covered…”
“NO BAF!!” Charlie said shaking his head “no baf dada! Chawie no like baf”
Sophie chuckled “you do like bathtome Charlie”
The rest of the morning went between Charlie deciding he didn’t like anything and just shaking his head furiously and Arthur running back and forth for stray bits of food that Charlie was throwing everywhere until they loaded him into the car with Arthur behind him in his little dog seat and the two finally settled down.
“This is going to be a long day if he’s in this mood” Sophie sighed rubbing her stomach as Benedict helped her in the car
“He’ll see Ned and Milo and he’ll forget everything” Benedict said and Charlie cheered at the sound of his cousin's name.
“See” Benedict said with a chuckle. “He is easily distracted”
“Much like his daddy then” Sophie teased as Benedict just smirked at her as he started the car and headed off to Crake House.
“It is not my fault you are so distracting my darling, I can’t help but be distracted when I am surrounded by such beauty” Benedict said with a smirk.
Sophie rolled her eyes “I have been anything but a beauty these last few weeks and months”
“MAMA BOOOOOOOOTIFUL” Charlie squealed in the background and Benedict laughed.
“You can’t argue with our son” Benedict grinned at her.
Sophie just rolled her eyes “Charlie son, you’ve been listening to your daddy too much”
“Nooo Chawie no wisten to dada” Charlie squealed which was accompanied by a loud woof in agreement from Arthur.
“See, I have no authority in this household” Benedict grinned.
“You’re all idiots” Sophie said affectionately as she rubbed her stomach “I can only hope this one takes after me and not you” she teased.
“Baby buva like Chawie” Charlie grinned in the background.
“I actually think the way this little monster keeps kicking me that he might be worse” Sophie replied and Charlie giggled.
Benedict reached one hand over as they sat at the traffic lights “a little troublemaker?” He chuckled and was greeted with a barrage of little kicks in agreement.
Sophie just sighed “like Kate I am destined to be overrun by boys”
“The next one will be a girl” Benedict winked at her
“Next one?” Sophie asked skeptically “what makes you think I’m having more than two?”
“Cause you can’t resist my charms” Benedict replied,
Sophie was saved replying by a fit of giggles from their son “dada silly”
Sophie just grinned in agreement with her son and any further replies were cut off as they pulled into Crake House and a frantic Violet came rushing towards the car and the moment Sophie managed to manovier herself out she was told of a disaster with the ice cream stall and that she had to come help fix it.
Sophie turned to her husband with a soft smile “I’ll catch up with you boys in a bit?”
“Bye mama!!!!” Charlie waved as Sophie kissed her husband and son and petted her dog on the head.
“Shall we go find uncle Anthony and Kitty Charlie?” Benedict asked as he put his son in the carrier on his back and took the dog by his head and headed off.
It didn’t take long to find Anthony and Kate and Benedict let Arthur go run off with Newton chasing whatever in the garden. Benedict knew the dogs wouldn’t go too far especially when the children were there and there was food on the go and he placed Charlie on the floor after he had nearly been deafened by his son's excited squeals at seeing his aunt, uncle and cousins.
Charlie ran straight off with Arthur changing direction and following his little charge around as Benedict sighed “I thought they had to wait til they were two before they hit the terrible twos ”
Kate laughed “he’s a bridgerton, they don’t ever wait and given Charlie was walking when he was 7 months old he’s a bit more advanced than some others so of course they came early…”
“Where is Soph? Surely she’s not unwell?” Anthony asked looking around
“Nah mum collared her as there was an ice cream van shaped emergency” Benedict said “I just wish they hadn’t taken her straight off. The baby is kicking her like hell at the moment and I just wanted her to take it easy today”
Kate frowned “I’m sure your mum wouldn’t have asked her if it wasn’t important but I’ll go rescue her soon”
“Thank you” Benedict asked and he sat down next to his brother and watched as his son and dog ran around after his nephews and let himself get pulled into Conversation with Anthony. His siblings were around so someone would have their eyes on the three boys and two dogs.
~*~
Charlie was thrilled to be running around with all the people around him, his faithful companion and guard dog right behind him as he chased his cousins around.
There was nothing he liked more than running and meeting people. His granny Violet always said he could charm anything, he had no idea what that meant but he liked smiling at people and saying hello to people and it didn’t take long for him to see and find new people.
Neddy and Milo had started fighting over something and He had smelled pancakes and pancakes were his absolute favourite thing and usually made by his mummy and so he had to find them as he was sure it would mean finding his mama.
Sneaking away from the space he was in, Charlie toddled his way over towards a woman at a stall, she looked a bit like his Nanna Ali but with a lot less grey hair. “Hewo” Charlie beamed at her, his little toothy grin and bright smile made the lady jump at the unexpected arrival of a small child and his dog
“Why hello little man! Who are you?” The kind faced lady asked “and where is your mummy and daddy”
“My name is chawie and this is my Doggo Artie! My dada is there and my mama is with granny vilet!” He said brightly. “What’s your name?” He asked as he tried to pull himself into one of the chairs.
“Oh here let me help you” the woman said, lifting him up, she’d seen the direction he had pointed and saw that two Bridgerton men and Kate and immediately realised that this was Sophie’s son.
“My name is Ann” she said brightly “would you like a pancake Charlie?” She asked
“Peas!!!!” Charlie beamed “wiv cweam and stwawberries peas!”
The woman chuckled and handed Charlie a little pancake and immediately he began feeding himself the pancake, getting the strawberry in his eyebrow and cream and on nose and half of it all over the dog who was sitting diligently by his little masters feet catching all crumbs,
Once CharLie had finished his pancake he beamed at the woman “fank ooooo! I needs to find mama now!” He said brightly
Ann made her way around and she had spotted Sophie making her way over and pointed “I think that’s your mama over there” she said
“Mama!!” Charlie beamed excitedly and he began to run off but he got but four steps when he spotted his Aunt Eloise and Frannie talking and Eloise’s waffle unattended and it was covered in more cream and strawberries.
Completely distracted Charlie changed direction and turned to Arthur with a serious look and placed his little finger to his mouth and went “shhhhhhh” and he began sneaking, or trying to sneak like he saw his daddy do to his mummy.
He took tiny little steps and Arthur dropped and pretty much crawled across the floor towards the bench where Eloise and Francesca were facing the other way.
He moved slowly and found no one paying any attention to him and he beamed with success as he grabbed the fork, and began with his hands and the fork to eat the waffle, his clean dungarees being covered in the strawberry jam that was inside the waffle and Arthur sitting his tail wagging as he grabbed all the loose bits.
This was heaven for an almost two year old and he was very happy with his waffle and his dog.
~*~
Sophie was exhausted after dealing with the ice cream van disaster and even then it was a disaster it was just the idiot trying to pull a fast one and when he had seen a rather pregnant woman walking his way, he had quickly resolved the problem that he was having with his generator and agreed to charge the prices as had been agreed beforehand.
Sophie had shaken her head and vowed that if she heard one complaint that he wouldn’t be anywhere near a Bridgerton or Rokesby event ever again.
It was just a shame Crake was such a big place, the walk when you’re 6 months pregnant seemed to take twice as long and she kept bumping into Rokesby’s on the way around.
Thomas and his brother Andrew had offered to carry her and when she offered to kick them in the balls they’d even so much as touched her they ran away
Thomas’ wife slapped him and Cecilia, having heard sent Andrew’s boyfriend over to rescue him before Sophie killed them.
Sophie smiled gratefully at her boss or partner as she was now and waddled off in desperate need of a hug from her three boys.
As she got closer to the spot Benedict had messaged her to say they were in she was sure she had heard a cry of Mama but it was quite a distance from her husband, but as neither a child nor her dog appeared she brushed it off and waved at Eloise and Fran who were talking to their boyfriend’s and made her way to her husband.
“Where is Charlie and Arthur?” She asked as she got close to Benedict and saw Newton, Edmund and Miles come barrelling back in towards their mother
“Mummy!!! Can we get pancakes??” Edmund asked brightly
“Erm, he was with the boys” Benedict said springing to his feet quickly
“Are you telling me you weren't watching our son?!” Sophie said fury in her eyes.
“He was having pancakes Aunti fee!” Edmund said “its why I want some!”
Sophie looked confused “he was what?”
She turned and saw Anne Gibbons, one of the women who had helped with the foster process who had asked to run a little pancake stall and quickly made her way over “hello Sophie dear, hello Ben”
“Hi Ann have you seen Charlie? Edmund said he was here having pancakes?”
“Oh yes he was he’s such an adorable little thing, he was supposed to come and find you, I pointed you out and saw him making his way over with the dog behind him” the woman explained
“CHARLIE?!?” Benedict bellowed
“Arthur?” Sophie whistled
There wasn’t a reply from their son but Sophie heard the Woof then a screech of shock from Eloise
“Oh my! Ben? Sophie? Charlie is here!” Francesca called, amusement in her voice,
Benedict took off at a run with Sophie moving as quickly as she could after him. “Charles!!!!” Benedict called out;
Charlie had gotten a fright when Arthur barked and dropped the waffle all over him and hearing his fathers angry voice he immediately burst into tears.
“How dare you run off?!” He said sternly to his son
“Papa?” He said looking up at his father
“I told you to stay close! Not to wander off!!!” Benedict snapped “and look at you! You’re pink!?!”
Charlie blinked and looked around and spotted Sophie and just bawled and ran to her and threw his arms around her legs “mama!!!!”
“Oh Charlie look at the state of you” Sophie sighed as she looked at the dog “look at you both. Daddy didn’t do a very good job of keeping an eye on you did he?”
“Soph…” he started
“No. You don’t get to shout at him when you were busy with your brother! He wasn’t far if he was with Ann but you should have kept a closer eye on him! There are family around but that’s not an excuse!”
“Sophie…” Benedict sighed “I know I dropped the ball”
“You know?!” Sophie said, shaking her head at him “Ben, I can't do everything! He’s two he stayed close to family! You are supposed to be responsible for him!!” She snapped at her husband.
“Sorry Sophie I didn’t realise he had snuck over and got our waffle…” Eloise said looking down at the once white shirt and dungarees now caked in strawberries and cream.
“El it’s not your fault seriously he’s obsessed with them at the moment…” Sophie said “which Benedict should have known to keep his eyes on him!”
“I wanted waffle” Charlie cried with a hiccup. “I sees Elli and Fan and….” His little face scrunched up as he cried harder
“Oh my little Prince” Sophie said, scooping him up into her arms and he immediately buried his face into his mama’s chest and wailed.
“Sowie mama” he sniffled
“I know my little Prince. You wouldn’t have walked off if it wasn’t auntie Ellie and fan would you?”
“No mama! I sees you! Then waffle…”
Sophie sighed “that explains the sticky…”
“Icky” Charlie said holding his hands out
“Oh yes, very sticky.” Sophie said “it’s even in your hair… well daddy is going to have fun with the bath tonight”
“Oh Soph come on you know…” Benedict started hit the look of fury in his wife’s eyes stopped him dead in his track “fine I suppose a bath is the least I can do… he is actually pink now…”
“And Arthur’s ” Sophie added and Benedict groaned
“Be reasonable!” He pleaded
“So you want your 6 month pregnant wife to bath the dog who is covered in cream and jam and syrup because you failed to keep watch on your son? Is that about right?” She asked incredulous
Benedict groaned “not when you put it like that…”
“How else would you like me to phrase it or should we ask your mother?” She snipped
“God please don’t. I mean she can’t talk as she’s lost one of us as a kid at least once…” Benedict grumbled, remembering the time he was 6 and was left behind at the supermarket because he had wandered off
“That does not give you permission to lose our son!” She snapped
“I know Soph and I’m sorry. I did think he was nearby. I swear. I saw El and Fran talk to Ned and Milo, I’m sorry, please don’t be mad at me” he begged.
He hated nothing more than angry Sophie but angry pregnant Sophie was a different beast altogether.
“Hmmm what do we think Charlie?” She asked her son who was still crying.
“Sowie dada” he sniffled at his daddy, he didn’t like his daddy shouting at him. Daddy never shouted and he didn’t like it when mama and daddy shouted at each other
“I know son, you just scared us okay. You can’t run off even for pancake okay. You have to have mama or daddy or one of your aunties or uncles with you okay”
“No Artie?” Charlie pouted
“You can have Artie with you but you have to have an adult okay?” Benedict said wiping his sons cheek
“Yes dada” he sniffled
Sophie sighed “come on little monster let’s see if Aunt kitty has some clothes and we can get you cleaned up. Thankfully mama packed some spare clothes” she said shaking her head at Benedict
“White… what were you thinking…”
“Hey he looked cute!” Benedict said following his wife
“Cooooooootie Chawie!” Charlie crooned
“But I admit it was a bad call” he said wrapping an arm around his wife
“It was and it doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you for letting him out of your sight” she said as they got close to Kate and Anthony who were sitting with pancakes.
“Pancakes!” Charlie cried happily
“I know soph, I promise I’ll make it right,” he said as he took Charlie from Sophie as she took the wipes from Kate to clean herself and her son up as best as she could and handed Benedict the change of clothes.
“What a right little mess you’ve made Charlie” Benedict said as he changed his son.
Charlie giggled and once changed he dived into more pancakes.
Sophie watched her son, husband and dog for the afternoon, still a bit annoyed but after Charlie projectile vomited the pancakes, waffle and cream all over her husband she did feel a little less annoyed and thought it was karma.
When the dog proceeded to throw up on her husband 20 minutes later she was no longer annoyed and thought perhaps that was punishment enough… so she ended up bathing Charlie who had crashed from his sugar high and didn’t fight his bath at all and left Benedict to deal with the dog.
Arthur however soaked the entire bathroom and Benedict in an effort to evade his bath and as Benedict crawled into bed that night exhausted and fed up Sophie finally forgave her husband.