Twas Christmas Eve babe,

In the drunk tank…

Ok, not the actual drunk tank, but that's where she smelt like she belonged, Patsy thought as she followed Valerie Dyer up the stairs from the Black Sail's cellar, wringing ale from her shirt.

"Sorry Patsy," Val smirked back at her, not apologetic in the slightest. "Real ale barrels can be a bit of a bitch."

"Teach me to be nosy," Patsy muttered, shaking droplets off her fingers as they emerged in the corridor behind the bar. "Curiosity killed the cat and all that."

"There you are!" exclaimed Trixie from her stool on the far side of the bar, nursing a glass of lemonade and looking surprisingly small in the deserted pub. "I heard a scream and thought you'd run into Jack Frost down there."

Patsy chuckled. "What's he supposed to do to us?" She walked down the bar towards the flap, ready to sit down. "Nip at our noses?"

"Oi!" Patsy turned back to see Val standing with one hand on her hip and a metal bucket in the other. "You've only done half a job Mount."

"Oh come on Val," Patsy whined petulantly. She wished she hadn't started drinking the christmas-themed ale now. "I've already been doused in the stuff!"

"This bit's easy, not get over here."

Patsy huffed and stomped over to the ale pumps where Val wedged the bucket.

"Just keep pulling until the water turns into ale."

"Isn't that Jesus's party trick?" snarked the redhead as she began pulling the pump handle, drawing through the water they'd used to rinse the line. Even though she'd been pulling her own pints since the pub had closed over an hour ago, it still surprised her how much effort it took to draw the liquid through.

Val opened the door of the glass washer and pulled out the steaming tray. "Right time of year for it then, being his birthday and all."

So anyway," Trixie leaned over to where Patsy had been sitting before this whole barrel changing debacle had begun and snagged her box of cigarettes. Why the woman couldn't buy enough to keep herself going Patsy would never know. "Please tell me you've seen the film Jack Frost?"

"Isn't that the one where the kid's dead dad comes back as a snowman?" Val asked, wiping a wine glass with a bar towel and sliding it into the rack above her head.

"Honestly, I despair of you two!" Trixie blew a line of smoke into Val's face, earning her a flick with the towel. "It's the one where the serial killer en route to his execution gets genetically mutated into a snowman and goes after the cop that put him away."

Patsy's eyebrows cinched together in disbelief. "What the actual fuck Trix?"

"You don't half watch some shit films Trixie," Val pointed out, putting the last few pint glasses on the shelf by her knees.

"Oh come on, it's no worse than Patsy's favourite Christmas flick Gremlins," Trixie tapped her cigarette into the ashtray by her elbow. "It's a horror-comedy, even Patsy here could handle it."

"You said the same thing about The Blair Witch Project and I couldn't sleep for a week thanks to you Franklin what the fuck?!" The pump had finally spat out a stream of foam, which had glanced off the water in the bucket and spattered Patsy's shirt again. "Valerie!"

"Nearly there," declared Val, throwing the towel over the bucket just in case. "Two more pulls and you can have your pint."

"If I'd known it would be this much hard work I'd have gone onto the scotch!"

"Ah quit your whining and keep working those muscles, Delia will thank you for it." Val grinned and winked at Patsy, narrowly avoiding the flying towel aimed at her face.

"How is Delia anyway? Have you heard from her since she got home?" enquired Trixie, sucking up the last of her lemonade with a slurp and smiling sweetly at Val, nudging her glass towards her. Unimpressed, Val grabbed the soda gun and pressed the button, glaring at Trixie the whole time.

"Only briefly." Patsy pulled the pump again, only getting a little foam this time. "Sounds like her mother is driving her mad already. Is this done Val?"

"Grab a glass and try it."

Patsy picked up a pint glass from below the pump and pulled once more, filling the glass with a slightly cloudy golden-brown liquid. She sniffed it. It smelt ok. Maybe. She wasn't entirely convinced she wasn't just smelling what was on her shirt so she took a tiny tentative sip. Yup. It was definitely the stuff she'd been drinking most of the evening. She stuck the glass back under the pump and filled it up.

"There you go." Val grabbed the bucket and tipped it down the sink. "We'll have you fully trained as a bar maid in time for New Years."

"Haha, nice try Dyer." Patsy rounded the bar and hopped back up on her stool, reclaiming her cigarettes from Trixie. "Trust me, you don't want me behind a bar."

"Why not? You'd be able to drink for free all night and you'd probably make as much in tips as you would for a shift at the hospital, maybe more."

"I have trouble enough not taking the cheeky older fellas on the ward to task when they get a little handsy, any drunken dock workers who try their luck may find themselves with a busted nose. Wouldn't want to lose your darling Auntie Florrie any of her customers would we?"

"You never know Patsy," Trixie swiped the cigarette packet again, Patsy could only roll her eyes. "It could be fun."

"You'd also have to persuade Phyllis to change the roster, and I think the phrase you're looking for there is 'Snowballs chance in hell'."

Thankfully a banging on the front door of the pub prevented this discussion going any further.

Val glanced at the clock over the bar. "That's not the god-squad back already is it?"

Trixie shrugged. "Doubt it, Barbara said Midnight Mass is about an hour."

"Probably one of the regulars trying their luck for one last christmas pint." Val disappeared into the back corridor again, returning with jingling keys and something that she lobbed at Patsy's head as she walked towards the door, turning the world dark. "Change into that Patsy, you smell like one of the regulars at 2am after payday."

Patsy tugged the whatever it was off her face and unfurled the black bar polo-shirt, the Guinness logo proudly embroidered on the left breast. She sniffed it. It was creased, but it was clean.

"How are you feeling about not spending Christmas with Christopher?" Patsy asked Trixie, foregoing undoing any buttons and pulling her ale-sodden shirt straight over her head.

Trixie shrugged. "Absolutely fine, it's only right that he gets to spend the day with Alexandra."

"Didn't you want to share it with them?"

"No, not this year. Don't want to turn into the imposing step-mother too soon. I'll see her for a little bit on Boxing Day morning anyway, then I get my man to myself." Trixie flicked her eyebrows suggestively, grinning.

"I don't want to know," Patsy groaned, pulling the black shirt over her head. She'd just wriggled her arms into the sleeves when the garment seemed to stall, something tugging at her hair. "Oh tits."

"You gotten lost in there?"

Patsy scrabbled at the outside of the shirt, trying to find what she was stuck on. "Arghh! My hair is caught on the spare button!"

"Oh really Patience Mount, I can't take you anywhere." Trixie giggled.

"Trixie please shut up and help me!"

London rain smelt different to Welsh rain, Delia thought as she rapped her knuckles against the frosted glass of the pub door, water hammering down on her hood. God she was soooo tired. She'd expected that coming into London the trains would be quieter, but she'd had to sit on her bag in the corridor on the train at Swansea, and the train from Reading had been like a tin of sardines and it was going into Waterloo instead of Paddington so it took twice as long! Everyone was supposed to be escaping London for Christmas! Not coming into it!

A shadow finally approached the door. She heard the lock turn and two bolts slide across before a crack of light appeared.

"Delia?!" Val beamed at her and opened the door wider.

"Shhh!" Delia hushed her friend. "Is she here?"

"Of course she is!" Val whispered, beckoning her in. "Come on lets get you out of the wet."

Delia sighed with relief as she stepped through the door, dropping her bag and trying to shake some of the water off her head. All that achieved was sticking her fringe more firmly to her forehead.

"I think I'm going to leave a puddle!" Delia huffed, unimpressed that her supposedly water-proof coat seemed to have absorbed a significant amount of the rain she'd walked through since the station.

"Don't worry about it." Val helped Delia to peel the coat off, hanging it on one of the hooks on the wall. "Everything's got until tomorrow evening at least to dry out. Now get in there and surprise your girl."

Delia didn't need telling twice, practically falling through the interior door and into the pub. Where she froze.

Patsy's t-shirt was rucked up around her head and shoulders, arms stuck in the air at awkward angles, her lace-clad breasts on display for the world to see. And…Trixie's hands were up under the shirt, standing far too close to her…Oh god…what was going on? Had she walked in on something she wasn't meant to know about?

"For god's sake Franklin will you hurry up and get this damn thing off me!" she heard Patsy growl low, frustrated, breathless.

Delia's stomach dropped and her head felt fizzy. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be happening, she thought starting to back away from the disquieting scene before her.

A throat cleared loudly behind her. She flinched when Val placed a hand on her shoulder, halting her journey towards the door. "Special delivery for Patience Mount."

Shit.

The pair by the bar turned to her in surprise.

"Delia?!" the blonde squealed.

"What?! Oww!" Patsy cried as her head popped through the neck of the t-shirt, a flustered and disbelieving expression on her face. "Delia what on earth are you doing here?"

The Welshwoman's fight-or-flight instincts were trying to engage and her throat was swelling up. "I'm sorry…I'll just…I'll just go…" She shrugged off Val's hand and turned towards the door.

"Hang on!"

She heard Patsy launch herself across the pub, she must have moved at lightning speed because those wonderful hands were turning her back around before she could even reach out to the door and open it.

Delia didn't want to look at Patsy, didn't want to see that look of guilt on her face. But Patsy was stroking her damp hair away from her eyes, and the soft warm hand on her cheek was encouraging her to turn her face upwards.

What she saw wasn't guilt, or annoyance, or displeasure that she was there in the pub at this moment. Instead she saw wonder, and a touch of concern while those eyes roved over her features, like Patsy wasn't sure she believed that Delia was in fact stood in front of her.

"Why would you want to leave? You only just got here."

Delia wanted to believe in the love she thought she could see in Patsy's eyes, the joy she could hear in her voice, but that little bastard voice in the back of her head that sounded so much like her mother was still wittering away at her. She shook her head, hoping to rattle the damn thing into silence "I don't want to interrupt your evening."

"Are you mad woman you could never interrupt, god Delia I've missed you!"

And Patsy's arms were around her, holding her so tightly, a kiss pressed to her temple and Delia couldn't help but bury her face against Patsy's chest, pressing her fingers hard into Patsy's back, holding her breath because she knew she'd start crying otherwise.

"What's wrong love?" Patsy whispered by her ear.

Her lungs were starting to burn so Delia took a breath as she pulled away just a little. "Nothing, it doesn't matter now."

Patsy just raised her eyebrows at her. "Fibber."

Delia rolled her eyes. "No, really Pats. It can wait, I don't want to put a dampener on your waifs and strays christmas." Everything went dark when a towel landed on her head.

"You'll put more of a dampener on it by sitting here trying not to think about it Miss Busby." Delia lifted the towel and watched Val wander back behind the bar. "In my experience, far better to just get it off your chest."

"She's right Delia," Trixie chimed, hopping gracefully back up onto her stool. "We're all very good listeners here."

" I think that's you told Deels," Patsy smiled at her, pulling the towel off her head and wrapping it around her shoulders.

Delia let herself be lead over to the bar and hauled herself up onto a stool while Patsy retrieved another of the cast-iron monstrosities to perch on next to her. The wave of exhaustion rolled over her again and she tucked herself into Patsy's side, pulling her arm around her shoulders.

"Get this down ya." Val placed a mug in front of her, steam rising off the top.

Delia gratefully brought the mug to her nose, inhaling deeply. Lemon, honey, cloves, and whiskey, just what she needed. She wrapped her cold hands around the ceramic and just enjoyed the aromas for a moment while Patsy gently stroked up and down her arm. It seemed odd, that in an empty pub, in the east end of London, with 3 people who had been strangers to her a year ago, she felt wanted, and accepted, and loved. More so than she had done in the last two days. The thought sent a ripple of sadness through her and a sob escaped her throat as she burrowed further into Patsy, who only tightened her hold on her when the tears started to fall.

"It's all right love, you cry as much as you need to," Patsy whispered.

"I'm sorry, I'm just so tired," Delia whimpered. The mug was removed from her hands and she wrapped her arms firmly around Patsy's ribs.

Another hand squeezed her shoulder. "You've got nothing to be sorry for," Val reassured. "You're safe to let it out with us."

And she did feel safe, and able to allow herself to cry. Patsy peppered kisses lightly over her head before pressing her nose into Delia's still damp hair.

It only took a few minutes for her dejection to subside enough for her to sit up, wiping her face on the towel still around her shoulders. "Urghhh for fucks sake."

Trixie pushed the mug back towards her, her own eyes glistening a little and the corners of her mouth turned down. "What's happened sweetie?"

Delia pulled the hairband out of her hair and started rubbing down the long strands with the towel. She felt embarrassed now, she'd totally overreacted. "Nothing really, it's just Mam being her usual belligerent self."

Val rounded the bar and pulled a stool up for herself. "It's not nothing if it's got you reacting like that Delia."

"Like I said I'm just tired. It was a really long journey back."

"So tell us anyway," Valerie shrugged nonchalantly. "Does you no harm."

The small brunette sighed. She did want to vent, she just felt a bit pathetic doing it, especially on christmas eve. But by the look on Patsy's face she'd worried her too much now for the redhead to just let it go. She sighed. "Everything seemed fine when I got back Saturday night. Tad and I drank beer on the sofa watching tele and Mam pretty much left me alone. Then yesterday morning she was being nice to me. Like too nice. I was a little suspicious but it made a nice change to the last couple of times I've seen her and I didn't want to rock the boat so just let her get on with it. And then Osian turned up for lunch."

"What's an Osian?" asked Trixie, eyebrows furrowed.

Patsy took Delia's hand. "Isn't that the boy you went to school with?"

"Nursery, primary school and secondary school, plus he lives down the next road so he's been around for as long as I can remember. Anyway, Mam's gushing over the poor guy, lauding his praises and everything, and don't get me wrong, he's ever so sweet, and I think he had a bit of a crush on me back in year 8, but I haven't really seen him for the last few years so I didn't know why Mam had invited him over. And then it hit me. She was trying to set us up. And from the hopeful look on his face, Osian knew it and all."

"Urghhhh! Christ almighty." Valerie's hand slapped dramatically over her eyes. Delia could practically feel Patsy grinding her teeth, trying not to comment.

"You have got to be kidding," Trixie asked wide-eyed and incredulous. "What did you do?"

Delia tucked her chin in, a little ashamed of her following actions. "I'll admit I got a little childish. I started dropping in a lot of 'My girlfriend Patsy and I did this', 'My girlfriend Patsy has been there', "My girlfriend Patsy plays guitar too'."

Val sat up straight, eyebrows furrowed. "I didn't know you could play guitar Patsy?"

Delia winced and glanced up at her partner. "Sorry cariad."

"I can't," Patsy declared through her teeth. "But I'll learn if it means getting one up on Enid Busby."

Trixie leaned forward on her seat, hooked on the drama. "How did he take it?"

"Everytime I mentioned Patsy you'd think I'd kicked his puppy or something."

"Serves him right," Patsy hissed, slipping her hand under the back of Delia's jumper possessively.

"It wasn't his fault," Delia chided, pulling Patsy's other hand into her lap and bumping the redhead's chin with her forehead. "I have no doubt it was entirely Mam's meddling. I showed him to the door after we'd eaten and apologised. He was very gracious about it, bless him, and wished you and I all the best."

"Dare I ask what your mother had to say?" Trixie hedged.

Delia sighed and leaned into Patsy. "She gave me quite the chewing out, told me I'd been incredibly rude to poor Osian, that he was a good and steady lad and that I'd do well to end up with someone like him. Apparently I'm an ungrateful brat and that she was just thinking of my future…" Her throat was starting to close up again, so she hid her face against Patsy's neck, trying to take comfort in the smell of the woman she loved. However, her scent seemed to be a little overwhelmed by the smell of ale.

Val sighed sympathetically. "Please say your tad stepped in?"

"Eventually," Delia nodded. "Sort of. He pointed out that I was in a relationship and that it probably wasn't an appropriate time for match-making."

"That's a little…" Delia could see Val trying to find the right words. "…Underwhelming?"

"It's pathetic is what is is," Trixie spat, disdainfully swiping Patsy's cigarette packet again.

"Tad just wants a quiet life, I can't blame him, he does have to live with her," Delia conceded.

"That's a piss poor excuse for not being more supportive of his daughter." The blonde snapped the lighter to life, taking a harsh drag on the cigarette.

Delia knew Trixie was right, but at the same time he was her tad, she loved him dearly and she knew he loved her back, and that he was supportive in his own way, he'd just been beaten down over the years. No-one was there to stand up for him either.

"Anyway, I think we both decided it was best to just get out from under her feet, so we wrapped up and went for a walk, found ourselves in the pub a couple of hours later, figured it might be safe to wander back when it started getting dark. And I suppose it was, dinner was pretty tense but she didn't say anything else, and I hid upstairs for the rest of the evening, told her I was wrapping presents. That's when I called you." Delia glanced up at Patsy.

Patsy pressed a kiss to Delia's temple. "I wish you'd told me what she was up to, I'd have driven up to get you."

"Don't be ridiculous," Delia smirked. "I just needed to hear your voice, I knew it'd help me sleep."

"Are you saying I have a boring voice Busby?" Patsy glared down at her. Delia just gave her a playful shove in response. The redheads mouth curved into her classic fishhook smile and Delia just had to kiss it before snuggling into her again. It still overwhelmed her sometimes, how much she loved this woman. They'd only been together since the end of January, but she relished the fact that Patsy could still make her stomach flutter with just a glance.

"Oh god I'm going to have to give up my bed for you two aren't I?" Val groaned. "Can't have you shagging on Auntie Florrie's sofa while Trixie, Barbara, Cynthia and Lucille try and sleep on the floor."

"No need for that Val," Delia bit her lip as she looked up at Patsy, who refused to meet her gaze. "We can be quiet."

"Delia!" Patsy instantly flushed red.

"Sorry maybe I should rephrase that." The grin on Val's face was making Delia nervous. "Can't have you two shagging on Auntie Florrie's sofa, again!"

"Oh." Delia clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks turning the same colour as Patsy's. She vaguely remembered that night. There'd been a lot of alcohol involved. It had been fun though.

"Yes Delia," Trixie giggled. "Not as quiet as you think."

Patsy tugged up the collar of her shirt and tucked her head down below the neckline, trying to hide her furiously blushing face.

"Umm, sorry?" Delia sniggered unrepentantly.

She tried to tug the shirt back down over Patsy's head but she was holding it tightly in place. "Nuh-uh!"

"Oh come on Pats." Delia cajoled. Patsy just shook her head.

"So back to the matter at hand, how come you're back in London?" Val asked gently. "Did something else happen today?"

"Oh, right." Delia sighed, both the embarrassment and the delight of the playful moment evaporating quickly. "Well, Auntie Blod arrived this afternoon, like the usual breath of fresh air that she is. We were just chatting away in the kitchen, she was asking about you Pats, we were having a laugh. And Mam just flipped. She started saying that you were no good for me, that I'd never have a proper life being with a woman, that I'd never be truly satisfied…"

Trixie snorted out a cloud of smoke at that.

"Truth is, it isn't anything she hasn't said to me before, she's been like a broken record since Patsy and I got together." Delia felt her shoulders drop.

She spied Patsy slowly emerging from her shirt out of the corner of her eye. "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to hate her!" Delia rubbed her hands over her face and up into her hair. "I love the both of you so much, I hoped that eventually she'd get over it and all I want is for the two of you to get along."

"Oh Delia," Patsy pulled her snuggly into her. "I'm willing to give her a chance if she'll do the same for me, but if she's going to be this obnoxious then she can jolly well do one."

"What she's doing is tantamount to abuse Delia," Trixie pointed out.

Delia rubbed her eyes again, it was taking it's toll, reliving all this. "That wasn't the end of it."

Patsy stiffened next to her.

"Auntie Blod was trying to argue her down, telling her to stop being such a busy-body. But then Mam started saying that you probably weren't even that into me anyway, that you'd be making sordid use of the time I was gone, having your way with all the other degenerate women left in London that no-one wanted home for Christmas."

Pasty stood up abruptly and strode away, back turned to Delia as she rubbed her temples. Delia felt her breath catch in her throat.

Val shook her head, her jaw tight. "That's fucked up man."

Patsy span back around, her arms folded defensively over her chest, her face a picture of ire with glistening eyes. "Is that why you panicked when you first arrived?"

Delia dropped her eyes from Patsy, feeling so very ashamed for ever thinking Patsy was capable of such a thing.

"Woah woah," Trixie interjected. "Did you think I was feeling up your girl?!"

"It did look a little suspect out of context Trix," pointed out Val, before her eyebrows furrowed. "Actually, what was the context?"

"Patsy's hair snagged on the spare button on the seam! She couldn't get it loose!" Trixie exclaimed, her pitch rising indignantly.

"I believe you Franklin," smirked Val. "Thousands wouldn't."

"I have a boyfriend!" Trixie protested. "A long-term boyfriend!"

"And?" Val needled.

Delia slipped off her stool, leaving the other two to their bickering, and hesitantly took a few steps towards Patsy. "Pats?"

Patsy shook her head angrily. "She doesn't know me. I wouldn't do that! I wouldn't do that to you! You know that don't you?"

Delia threw her arms around Patsy, hoping to transmit all the love she possibly could through her touch. "Of course I know that. I trust you Patsy, I do! I'm sorry I reacted like that she just…I don't know…"

"She got into your head." Patsy's arms came up around her, holding her tight, tucking Delia's head under her chin. Delia released an unsteady sigh of relief. "I understand. I just hate that she could do that to you."

Delia nuzzled into Patsy's neck, placing a gentle kiss against her throat as Patsy squeezed her even tighter.

"Of course now she's going to think I'm even more of a bad guy."

Delia pulled away enough to look Patsy in the eye, shaking her head. "As you already said, she can jolly well do one."

"Deels," Patsy sighed. "I don't want to be the thing that comes between you and your mam. Just because I don't have a mother doesn't mean I want you to lose yours."

Patsy's earnestness touched Delia deeper than she ever thought possible. She pulled Patsy down for a kiss, only releasing the redhead when she felt her start to relax. "You aren't coming between us Pats, she is. Besides, Auntie Blod was taking her to task when I stormed off. She drove me to the train station after I stuffed everything back into my bag. Said she'd come and check up on us in the New Year."

"I'll have to thank her then, for looking out for you. What did your mam say when she realised you were leaving?"

"I didn't give her a chance to say anything. I want to say that I was trying to teach her a lesson, show her she couldn't treat me like that and that she didn't have a monopoly on me anymore, but I wasn't rational enough for that. I just wanted to get away from her."

Patsy pressed a kiss to the bridge of Delia's nose and rested their foreheads together. "You're safe here. You don't have to talk to her if you don't want to."

Delia hummed, at peace with Patsy so near. "I know."

"I hate the reason for you being here, but I'm very glad that you are," Patsy smiled down at her and Delia felt her heart swell. "Best christmas present ever."

A giggle escaped Delia's chest. "I'm glad, because your actual present is still at my flat."

"So is yours," Patsy grinned.

"Oi Delia!"

The pair turned to Val standing behind the bar, preparing a fresh round of drinks.

"Been thinking, 'bout the way your mam reacted."

"Oh?" Delia stepped back up onto her stool, Patsy moving her own stool right up behind her, wrapping her arms around Delia and tugging her back to sit between her legs.

"Yeah." Val slid a new pint and another mug of hot toddy towards them. "Methinks, the lady doth protest too much."

"What do you mean by that?' Patsy leaned over Delia's shoulder to claim her pint, landing a swift kiss on Delia's cheek as she sat back.

"She sounds to me like a woman scorned." Val's eyebrows lifted suggestively.

Delia was getting increasingly confused. "Eh?"

Trixie gasped, scandalised. "Oh Valerie. You're not suggesting…?"

Val tilted her head smirking.

"Oh my. Delia, is there any possibility that your mother could be a secret lady-lover?"

"What?!" The Welshwoman spluttered on a mouthful of the warm whiskey.

"Oh fuck off." Patsy laughed behind her, smacking Delia on the back as she choked on the spirit.

Delia's mind was racing. "Don't be ridiculous," she coughed. "She's been with my tad since they were 19!"

"Are you certain about that?" Val queried, resting on her elbows.

"Yes!" But then a face flashed up in Delia's memory. Auntie Donna?

Val's smirk broadened into a grin. "You've thought of someone haven't you." It was a statement, not a question.

"Oh jeez. No. No not a chance." Delia shook her head laughing but her mind was racing. Donna and her mam had become friends while her tad was at university in Swansea. She remembered meeting the woman a few times when she was very young, and she remembered them having a blazing row after which her and her mam never visited Donna again. But they were never…they couldn't be…surely not, not her mam…

Patsy shivered behind her.

"What's wrong with you?" Val sniggered.

"Just the thought of Enid Busby being Family. Yikes."

Trixie laughed. "Never mind her being Family, you too keep going the way you're going and she'll be actual family before too long, how will you cope with that?"

Patsy shivered again and made a gagging sound. "I'm sorry Delia, but this is the end of us." She received an elbow to the ribs for her troubles, while Val and Trixie laughed.

"You're not funny Pats," Delia deadpanned before kissing her soundly.

A cacophonous knocking on the door distracted the lot of them

"That'll be the god-squad." Val grabbed the keys and walked down the bar.

Delia turned in Patsy's arms. "So I'm dumped am I?"

Patsy pulled her closer, rubbing her nose against Delia's. "Yeah, sorry."

Delia grinned, joy bubbling up inside her at this playfulness she didn't get to see in Patsy as often as she'd like. Their lips were only a millimetre apart. "You're such a dick," she whispered, chuckling and closed the gap between their mouths, relishing the sensation of Patsy's lips against hers, her fingers tangling in her hair.

"Oh get a room," groaned Trixie behind her, and Delia laughed against Patsy's lips.

"Delia! What are you doing here?"

Reluctantly Delia released Patsy and hugged a rather soggy Barbara instead.

"Long story, and one I'm too tired to recount now I'm afraid."

Cynthia meekly appeared at Barbara's shoulder. "Well, whatever the reason, welcome to your first Nonnatus Waifs and Strays Christmas," she smiled, embracing Delia also.

Lucille trotted forward, apparently excited. "Yes, it's so good to see you! We were all so sad when we heard you had to go home for christmas." She grabbed Delia's hand and dragged her off the stool, leading her towards the open hearth fire on the other side of the pub. "What you're all doing sitting over here in the cold I do not know. I've got some drying out to do!"

Patsy watched, amused, from her stool at the bar, as her friends whole-heartedly welcomed her girlfriend into their traditions. She followed the crowd to the pair of sofa's by the fire, settling herself in the corner of one and pulling Delia into her lap. The Welshwoman grinned at her, giving her another intoxicating kiss before curling up against her, tucking her head under Patsy's chin. Patsy's left hand rested on Delia's thigh while the other idly stroked her hair. Despite the noise around them, it wasn't long before she felt Delia grow heavy in her arms, her breathing turning deep and rhythmic as she slipped into slumber.

The group of friends chatted and joked and laughed together for nearly an hour while the three midnight mass attendees slowly dried out after their rainy jog back to the pub. Patsy felt nothing but contentment. She was surrounded by her friends, the people who accepted and supported her without question, the woman she was fairly certain she'd someday marry asleep in her lap. Christmas had been a difficult time of year for her for a long time, but right now, right here, with these people. It felt like home.

The yawning around the fire was getting more frequent and more intense as everyone started to wilt.

"Right you 'orrible lot," Val stood and started collecting their glasses. "Bedtime, or Santa won't be coming for any of you."

"Noooo!" Barbara and Lucille cried woefully and sprinted across the pub and through the door that lead upstairs.

Patsy chuckled, pleased that in this environment everyone felt safe to be a little childlike when they wanted to.

"I'm serious about the bed if you two want it," Val hovered over her, her hands easily clutching a glass on every digit.

Patsy smirked. "I think she's too tired to get up to anything somehow."

Val laughed as she went to deposit the glasses behind the bar. Trixie and Cynthia yawned and stretched, following the path Barbara and Lucille had taken at a more leisurely pace, Trixie's arm affectionately slung across Cynthia's shoulders.

Patsy turned to admire the sleeping woman in her arms. Delia looked so peaceful in her sleep, cherubic almost. She debated just carrying her upstairs, but she wasn't confident about navigating the sharp corner at the top. She ran a finger down Delia's nose, kissing the tip of it. Delia lifted her eyebrows, but rather than wake she snuggled closer in to Patsy.

"Wakey wakey love," she whispered, kissing Delia's forehead.

One eye lazily opened to glare up at her. "What time is it?"

"It's just gone two sweetheart." Patsy brushed stray strands of fringe away from Delia's eyes. She loved this moment when Delia was just waking up, she was so soft and warm, and tended to be a bit of limpet. Patsy would happily snuggle with her like this all day if she could. "Do you want me to sling you over my shoulder and carry you upstairs?"

"Don't you dare." Delia clumsily wriggled her way off of Patsy's lap, reaching down to grab her hand and hauled Patsy to standing.

The battle for the bathroom got a little raucous, ending up with several of them brushing their teeth over the kitchen sink, and those with less modesty, like Delia, just changing into their pyjamas in the living room.

Eventually they were all ready to hunker down into their sleeping bags and blankets, Delia slipping under the duvet to lie in front of Patsy on the sofa.

Valerie stood in the doorway, like the mum at a sleepover, making sure everyone was settled into their beds. When she was satisfied that all was well she bid them goodnight, switched off the light and closed the door.

"Goodnight Cynthia," whispered Barbara from her mound of blankets by the christmas tree.

"Goodnight Barbara. Goodnight Lucille," called Cynthia from down the end of the sofa.

"Goodnight Cynthia. Goodnight Trixie."

"This isn't the bloody Waltons! Go to sleep the lot of you!"

The chorus of quiet sniggers subsided quickly.

Delia rolled over in Patsy's arms. "Happy christmas Pats."

"Happy christmas Deels," Patsy smiled back, raising a hand to Delia's cheek and drawing her into a sweet kiss. Delia wrapped her arms around Patsy's waist, arching against her as they continued to kiss lazily.

"Knock it off you two!"

Patsy huffed. "Trixie you're such a spoil-sport!"

"I don't want a traumatised Cynthia on my hands tonight thank you very much!"

That provoked a chuckle from every pillow in the room and one disgruntled "Oi!".

Patsy gave Delia one last brief peck on the lips. "I love you Delia Busby."

"And I love you Patience Mount." She could just see Delia's eyes twinkling in the small amount of light coming in from the streetlamps. Oh she really was a hopeless case when it came to this woman.

Delia rolled back over and wriggled backwards against Patsy, pulling her arms tight around her and knitting their fingers together. She released a happy sigh when Patsy placed a gentle kiss on the back of her neck.

Yup. This was the best christmas ever.