"Do you mean it? Do you really mean it? You want me?"

"You forgive me?"

"Totally."

"You know, I… I have tried… so hard Kat; to be without you, you know and… I can't… I can't do it. 'Cause all I want… is you, and you know… nothing makes sense to me unless… unless there's a Kat and Alfie."

"You are… you are the love of my life Kat… and you always will be."

"And you're my Man in the Moon."


Roxy. The patience of an airhostess. Airport security. Nothing mattered, and nothing would matter except Kat, Alfie and their family. The newly reunited couple reluctantly broke apart after some time, and the scene drew a very neat line under a love triangle of sorts. Roxy could never compete. How could she, when despite delaying further a flight that he had been ejected from for causing a disturbance; Alfie had just shared a longer, more passionate and more loving kiss with Kat than he had done with his bride at the altar? Their parting had nothing at all to do with the ostentatious cough that had come from the same airhostess that earlier genuinely seemed to believe that Alfie had trouble locating the seat two rows down on the left. Was it not obvious that he had come aboard with some purpose other than jetting off on his happy holidays? Donning a wedding suit with no bride in sight, exactly how slow was she? Instead they had parted because they now needed to complete their reunion, and be joined by their Tommy.

"We don't operate a childminding service!" The airhostess called, seemingly heading for a state of hysteria.

Alfie again looked Kat in the eyes, the pair communicating in a way that neither had been able to with any other partner. Kat nodded, knowing exactly what Alfie was asking, and he gave her a lips a quick peck before making off for the aircraft steps. His approach was eyed with suspicion and Alfie genuinely expected the airhostess, whose name tag he wasn't even bothering to glance at; to tell him that he had been removed from the flight and would not be permitted to board again, whether or not he had calmed down and ticket or not.

"What? Do you need my wife… ex wife… to come back up here or something?" Alfie corrected regrettably, the airhostess not faltering from what he presumed was her best unimpressed face. "He's my son," Alfie added, gesturing to Tommy who had now grabbed his soft toy from the lady and was offering it to him.

Accepting the furry creation from the two-year-old, Alfie bent down to pick up his son, sensing that the airhostess was now admitting defeat. Tommy immediately threw his arms around his father's shoulders, continuing to cling to him as he was carried off of the large structure. He'd thought they were going up.

As Alfie and Tommy reached the ground, Kat's smile grew and more happy tears escaped from her eyes. She had been so stupid; they were everything she ever wanted.

"Mummy!" Tommy called, starting a dash toward her as soon as Alfie had set him down on the ground.

Opening her arms to her son, Kat sank down to his level and waited for him to reach her, Alfie following in his wake. "Hey little man," she spoke lovingly, picking him up and advancing a few paces to meet Alfie in the middle of the runway.

"We go up?" Tommy asked, staring up at the aircraft confusedly.

"We're staying here with Daddy now," Kat told him, hoping that he wouldn't ask her anything else, such as how this had come to be. She could scarcely believe it herself. The day had started off as one of the worst in a long while, and now it was one of the best ever.

As he took on board the information that his mother had divulged, Tommy looked to Alfie, as if seeking further clarification.

"Daddy isn't with Roxy any more. Daddy is with Mummy now and everything will be how it used to be," Alfie told his son, meaning the statement with one major caveat, too complex for Tommy to understand. That and Alfie sincerely hoped that no one would be holding Kat's past mistakes against her by the time he was old enough to do so. If he could forgive her, what gave anyone else the right to cast aspersions?

With Tommy now nodding to convey that he had understood this explanation, Alfie brought both Kat and Tommy into his arms, leaving the airhostess to watch on, far from amused at the events that were unfolding. The airline made do with the availability of Love Actually over the in-flight entertainment; they didn't need front row seats to a pathetic attempt at a sequel. "You're disturbing the flight, we can't take off until you're clear of the flight path."

Kat and Alfie seemed not to have heard this and kissed again, Tommy now clinging to Alfie's free hand, as if fearing that if he dared to let go, his daddy would be gone and it would be as if this had never happened.

"I said you're disturbing the flight. You've already delayed this flight by at least twenty minutes, please go back inside the airport to continue the love fest," the airhostess hollered across at the couple, rolling her eyes. Airport security had evidently heard this also, for they were now making their way back over from the doors to remove the small family.

"All right love, keep your hair on; we're going," Kat chortled, calling back across the open space, having withdrawn from the kiss. She proceeded to take Alfie's hand in hers, whose other hand was clutching Tommy's small palm; as the small family wandered towards the door in the darkness.


"Kat?" Alfie spoke up uncertainly as they reached the door and started to make their way back through the maze that was the airport.

The target of Alfie's utterance wasn't sure what to make of the sudden shaky voice, but what she was fairly certain of was that it couldn't be good. Would he regret it already? Did he really forgive her? The alternatives continued to come, none particularly more appealing than the one that had come before it. "Yeah?" she answered nervously, with some hesitation.

"Let's go to the seafront," he smiled up at her.

"Now?" Kat managed, overcome with her sense of relief.

"Rude not to. It's fate, don't you think?"

"What is?"

At this, Alfie stepped forward and stopped ahead of the love of his life, halting her in her tracks as he turned to face her. "Us, getting back together at this airport?"

"Not really, we'd have got back together at Stanstead or Heathrow if either of those had the first flight to Ibiza," Kat remarked light-heartedly, although not at all jokingly. Any time, any place; her answer always would have been the same. She'd not jumped at the chance of a reunion at first, but only because she needed to be sure. Who could blame her, after all the times that she had longed to have him back; times that he hadn't been remotely interested? She couldn't settle for the crumbs as Bianca had termed it, and that had been why she'd felt that she had no alternative but to leave. How could she have been sure at first sight that his sudden appearance hadn't been designed to keep Tommy in the country and nothing else, after everything that she had done?

"You know what I mean," countered Alfie. "Southend, it's our place. Are you saying you didn't have any tears on the way to the airport? All those memories?"

"I thought that was the Vic, and yeah, but that was more to do with just having seen you say 'I do' rather than anything else."

"Kat," interjected Alfie, saying nothing further. Some might have said that it had been warningly, but Alfie didn't have it in him to speak as such.

"I would Alfie," Kat reassured her ex-but-not-quite-so-ex-any-more. It felt wrong to refer to him in this manner, but what else could she do? Technically, having signed the register, he was now married to someone else. Had it just been for the divorce, she'd have in some small way forever felt that he was her husband. She couldn't exactly call him her ex; unfortunately, she was Kat Slater again and by virtue of the word, that meant that she couldn't stand them. Some women kept their exes as friends obviously, but not her. Since the day over ten years ago that they had first got it together, it had been all or nothing for Kat and Alfie and nothing in between would last. "It's not just us any more, what about Tommy?" she questioned.

"Bianca will take him, I'm sure," Alfie responded, looking up at Kat hopefully.

"She's still here?"

"Of course she is. How do you think I got the money for a ticket to Ibiza?" he asked, gesturing to his suit. Roxy had annoyed him when she'd badgered him to bring his passport, so much so that he had tucked it into the only pocket of his suit, intending to bring it out for a pathetic joke during the reception; while being forced to listen to Phil's speech, no doubt droning on about how good it was that Alfie was now a Mitchell. But right now he could have kissed her for it… almost.

"You bought a ticket?" asked Kat in disbelief. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her that Alfie's thoughts seemed to have trailed off to someplace else.

"Of course I did. Not even I could convince gateline staff to let me past without a ticket."

"You could convince me to do anything, you always could. And that's why I think… we should go."

Alfie winked appreciatively, as Kat spoke up again and he resumed his position by her side. "You don't think she's gone back to hang out the banners, do you?"

"She better not have. I had to talk some pizza delivery guy into handing over his scooter to get here. Don't fancy that again," he told her.

Kat chuckled. "I'm not sure which story I believe least. That, or the time you told me that you got run over when you were looking for a condom."

"I did! Ask Ian, he's hundred quid and a watch lighter."

"Now I know you're having me on, Ian Beale wouldn't hand over a chip, never mind a hundred quid."


Kat, Alfie and Tommy were drawing closer to the main doors when Kat looked up mischievously. "How do you fancy a bit of a production?" she asked, whispering her plan into Alfie's ear.

"You are a cruel woman Kathleen Moon," he told her, more than happy to play along. Neither of them had had enough fun recently. Alfie bent down to his son's level briefly, wanting to reassure the two- year-old. He'd been confronted with a lot of upheaval in the last twenty-four hours, too much for any child of his age, never mind one who had endured such a troubled start in life.

"Tommy, Daddy will be back in a minute, okay?" The boy nodded, as Alfie kissed both him and Kat on the head before he made his way out to the main door.


"Alfie!" Bianca called across the airport foyer, taking a moment to register that he was wearing a forlorn expression. "Oh no," she muttered.

"I was too late," he told her, sinking down against the wall.

The scene was convincing; Alfie presumed that this was attributable to the fact that the tears were still coming following the emotional reunion with the love of his life. He was also lacking any means with which to wipe away the evidence. Foolish to have ever believed that Roxy could possibly replace Kat though he may have been, even Alfie drew the line at using a wedding suit as a handkerchief. Bianca made her way over to the visibly distressed groom, before attempting to comfort him.

"I'm sorry Alfie," she said sincerely. "Look, come back with me and we can call Kat as soon as she touches down." Bianca continued, as Alfie sniffed, pushing ahead with his best devastated impression. "She'll come back, I know she will. She'll take you back," she enthused, so preoccupied with the fact that she had been right all along that she failed to perceive the change in the local landlord.

"I know she will; she already has," Alfie grinned, as Kat appeared at his side with Tommy, her face the picture of elation.

"Kat!" Bianca chimed, dashing forward and sharing in the happiness. Expectant travellers were beginning to stop and stare, but neither Kat, Alfie nor Bianca could care. Tommy on the other hand seemed to have tired of hanging around this place of public convergence and had taken to attempting to relieve his toy of one of its ears, failing to notice the audience that his parents were now attracting. The staring masses would probably still get to their destinations on time, assuming that they weren't bound for Ibiza of course.

"Alright B," she called coolly, pulling one of her closest confidantes into a hug. Half an hour ago, less, she would have referred to her as her only such outlet for matters of the heart and had told her as much just prior to leaving for her flight. But now Alfie had reclaimed his place as Kat's go to person.

Bianca threw her arms around her friend, her words slightly muffled as she managed, "I thought you'd gone."

Drawing back from the warm embrace, Kat looked up to Alfie and the pair smiled fondly to each other, causing Bianca to take a few steps backwards, sensing that she was impinging upon their time. She had been rooting for them all year and the least she could do was to afford them their moment.

"Not me; sorry, couldn't resist messing with ya."

"I'm so happy to see you two back together," beamed Bianca.

Exchanging glances once again, Kat and Alfie paused before Alfie answered on behalf of both of them. "Cheers; so are we," he assured Kat's best friend, while playing with a lock of Kat's hair. He hoped that he could earn back that title also, having said all those cruel things to her in the months following their split.

"Anyway," interjected Kat, interrupting Bianca's focus as she unbeknown to her friend and colleague, warned Alfie without words. He knew that they would have to face head on any issues that they had from here on in, and though it might not be easy for him to trust Kat implicitly again, he had to believe in the fact that she had well and truly learned her lesson. Many of the Square's residents found Kat intimidating, but Bianca was a force to be reckoned with too. It was why they got along so well. "Alfie's twisted my arm into going on a bit of a jolly; Southend was always our place, you know?" explained Kat gently, assuming that Ricky and Bianca had had their equivalent, and that in time, Bianca and Terry would also. "You couldn't take Tommy for the night, could ya?" she finished, smiling sweetly.

Bianca nodded, understanding instantly her friend's need for some time out. They needed time to reacquaint themselves with being back together, before facing the onslaught that they would surely be on the receiving end of when they got home. The 'poor Roxy' routine was as predictable as it was grating on one's sense of patience. She wasn't entirely sure that she was convinced by the our place story; Kat had never liked to discuss her relationship with Alfie in any great detail, it hurt her too much. She could gauge from Kat's reluctance when faced with the subject how deep the feelings ran, and seeing the two together was something else. "Of course I will. He can share Morgan's room. Cars," announced Bianca, as if she could not comprehend the appeal. "Congratulations again, yeah," she offered, as Kat and Alfie began to explain to Tommy what would now be happening, following the latest change of plan.


"What's the plan then?" Kat asked of Alfie as they strolled down the street hand in hand. They hadn't done anything this impulsive for at least five years now, and though she loved the fact that they seemed to be rediscovering this side to their relationship, she couldn't help but think that it would have been a better idea when it wasn't gone six in the evening. "I don't think we're going to have much luck on the toffee apple front tonight."

"How does Mrs Moon fancy fish and chips on the pier?"

Suddenly Kat wasn't looking quite as optimistic as she had done, and seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with being called Mrs Moon. "What's up?" Alfie enquired concernedly, stopping and turning to her and almost causing Kat to walk straight into him by so doing. Did she not want to be Mrs Moon any more?

"I'm hardly Mrs Moon any more, am I?" Kat commented regrettably.

"Did you deed poll back to Slater when I wasn't looking?" joked Alfie, knowing full well that she hadn't.

Kat shook her head at this, while Alfie took her in his arms once again. "Then you're still Mrs Moon. We might not be married any more but as far as I'm concerned you'll always be my wife."

"Chips all round then?" Kat asked, taking them temporarily away from the strained reality of the situation.


Kat and Alfie were tucking into their chips on the pier a short time later, only Kat's attention didn't seem to be all there. Playfully, Alfie threw a chip in her direction, causing her to stare over at him, drawing her attention away from the picturesque waters that spread out beyond.

"Oi!" she called loudly, as if it had been a reflex, dealing out the same. It triggered memories of that playfight with the cakes all those years ago; in fact there were many memories that this circumstance brought to the forefront, the time that they had sloped off to this very place to celebrate their one month anniversary among them. The pair had on this occasion left Spencer in charge of the bar, who had been less than amused by the spontaneity of their excursion. It was taken to such an extent that Spencer had only learned of the outing when he had woken to a note that Alfie had left to let him know, and, further riled by the challenging customers that he had encountered during the day; denounced the visit as an excuse to skive off upon the couple's return. The end of November, the end of January; the hours spent here had seen some of their best moments.

"You seemed miles away."

"I was just thinking," explained Kat, a little apologetic. Her actions of the previous year had likely left her husband with the impression that he bored her; a nagging feeling that wouldn't be easily eradicated; the last thing she wished was for him to have those kinds of thoughts plaguing his mind again. He wasn't her husband any longer either, but in her heart, he always would be. She remembered the time over Christmas before last where she had thought that he wouldn't marry her again. Would he want to now?

"Oh yeah, what about?" Alfie probed, cuddling the love of his life closer to him as he did so.

"How stupid I was, how close I came to not having all this again," Kat trailed off, as Alfie kissed her head gently and reassuringly. "You know I even asked B to get Terry to set me up with some of his single mates yesterday," she confessed, the tears starting to fall once again. It was clear from her shaking voice that she had been papering over the cracks, pretending that she was fine about his upcoming nuptials. He'd guessed as much when she'd banished him from her house the previous evening.

"Kat," Alfie started, unsure as to how exactly to put this. He knew what he wanted to say but he didn't want her to feel in any way patronised by it. "I meant what I said back there, it's gone," he began, referring to the mistakes that she had made, not wanting to name them for fear that it would convince her otherwise. "Let's draw a line; today is the first day of the rest of our lives."

As Kat heard this, she was taken back to a previous use of this combination of words, an occasion where they had been just that: words. This time, Kat hoped beyond hope that he meant it. "Okay," she nodded, smiling.

"I can't believe Bianca gave you the money for a ticket," added Kat, after a few moments of silence. "She's not made of money."

"I think she's our new; what was it you called Jean when you had that fight with Roxy?"

"Chief cheerleader," recalled Kat.

"That's it, we'll always have one. Nana, Jean and now Bianca."


After spending another hour on the beach relishing each other's company, the newly reunited couple had accepted that the time had come for a dose of reality. They weren't yet headed for Walford to face the music as it were, but the fact that they didn't have so much as a car to sleep in rendered it a necessity for them to acknowledge the existence of another person. With their hands clasped tightly together, they set off on their quest to locate accommodation for the evening.

"Urgh, I'm starting to think that 'Sorry, no vacancies' is code for 'It's dark out, we can't be bothered' around here," Kat opined, as the two encountered the fourth such sign.

The somewhat outlandish comment had Alfie come to a halt in the middle of the pavement, parting the two for a moment as Kat continued on for a few feet. The Alfie shaped obstruction was not to the amusement of several passers by, who it seemed hadn't grasped the sense of completeness that one could derive from otherwise unremarkable time spent with that one person. "I've missed that," Alfie told Kat, catching her up.

"What, me making silly comments?"

"You saying it like it is, and you full stop," he gazed adoringly at her. "You will keep doing it, won't you? I mean… tell me if I'm being annoying, not giving you enough attention, or if I'm being an inconsiderate prat," he urged, desperate to avoid a repeat of what they had overcome. As much as he couldn't bear to be without her, he couldn't take it again.

"I will," Kat agreed, standing up on her tip toes and giving him a short peck on the lips. "Like I said to Ronnie after she came out, it was as if we couldn't find the way to start talking to each other again before. We can now."


The hotel situation was no closer to being resolved by nine o' clock, and Kat and Alfie were running short of roads to walk down and establishments to try.

"I can't believe the stupid old bag at that last place!" Kat continued to vent; Alfie had heard nothing else since they had left the premises. "'You should be ashamed of yourself, leaving your bride'; it was like we were dealing with Dot Branning!" she decided. "Tell them we've been to a funeral at the next place."

Alfie chuckled again; he hadn't laughed so much all year as he had tonight. It was partly due to her words, but in part also because of the B&B that they had now stopped outside. "I've a feeling we might still be banned from this particular place, funeral or no funeral," he announced, looking to Kat knowingly.

"You loved it when I threw that ice bucket over the manager. I know it massaged your ego."

"Excuse me for not being too impressed by his attempts to look down my wife's top." Alfie replied, before the pair embraced. Anything material could be taken away from them, but they would still have each other.

"You know I think we might be sleeping on the beach tonight Mrs Moon."

Kat nodded, although was rather less optimistic about this eventuality than Alfie as she sighed, frustrated.

"Come on, we had worse than this in America. It's all the hundred year olds filling up the hotels, isn't it? We'll get our time," Alfie attempted to assure the love of his life, before turning back in the direction of the beach and holding out his hand to her.

Although she'd taken his hand in an instant and always would, Kat still had her reservations. She was none too excited at the prospect of them being done for public indecency, but as she thought it over some more, she realised that there might not be a problem. She had Alfie back and the timing of any progression in their relationship would be down to him.