The Drama Of Being Happy.
N- I have started a few different fics over the last couple of weeks but my writing, much like that of SW, has just gone everywhere in light of recent events. I'm working on one fic with a Kate ghost, one with Kate in a coma and then I decided that just taking it right back to the moment it all went wrong was the best I could hope for. Not sure how I will move the narrative along, what with no dead Kate, but I will try.
Chapter One
She had been listening for the key in the door for the last ten minutes and set down her pen as she heard her wife returning home. Her wife.
"Did William get off alright?" Caroline asked as Kate poked her head around the door of the study.
Kate nodded. "In plenty of time."
"And what time did you promise Lawrence he could stay out till?" Caroline asked knowingly.
Kate opened her mouth wide but no words arrived. She came into the study and to the back of the chair, placing her hands on the blonde's shoulders and squeezing at the tension gently.
"I said you'd get him at six." She confessed. "partly so I could have you to myself for a few hours."
Caroline groaned, expressing some doubt at this reasoning. "Hmmmm." She murmured as Kate rubbed more firmly at her shoulders.
"I am going to go and make some tea, find my book and then I want you to leave all this and come and rub my feet." Kate informed.
"You know I'm only trying to get things ready for my leave." Caroline defended.
"I know, but Sulgrave Heath is hardly going to fall to it's knees because you take two weeks parental leave."
Caroline stilled Kate's hands with her own. "Is this how it's going to be now, married life?"
Kate kissed the top of Caroline's head. "Yes. You must learn to obey..." She teased.
"They took that line out of the usual vows years ago..." reminded Caroline.
"Did they? You sure? I could have sworn..." Kate teased.
Caroline rose from the chair and met Kate beside it, her arms circling her waist. The baby bump squeezing in between them.
"It was nice to see everybody but I'm glad I have you to myself again." Caroline told her wife, kissing the smug smile that Kate produced.
"Me too, Mrs McKenzie-Dawson." Kate grinned, planting a kiss on Caroline's mouth. "You have five minutes." She promised, turning and heading back into the kitchen.
Xxx
Celia had stayed at the farm following the family meal on Sunday. She had actually been quite impressed with Gary. He seemed nice enough and he certainly had a bob or two. She wasn't sure about his wife. Alan was right when he had said that there was an undercurrent with the pair of them, something you couldn't quite put your finger on.
She hadn't bothered to call Caroline last night or let her know where she was. Ordinarily she would have received some contact from Caroline to ascertain her whereabouts. Even just a text. Caroline had remained silent however and Celia supposed that her daughter was still angry with her. If she were to be pushed into a corner over the whole wedding business she would admit that she regretted not attending. Especially now that she and Alan were working things out anyway. She could see that she had hurt Caroline, she had made that very clear, dragging up nonsense from the past to try and shame her into going. No matter how you stood by your children it would always be the day's you didn't make it, the days you were something other than perfect that they would remember and hold against you for the rest of your life. Caroline would discover that one day with her own.
Celia decided that rather than ring her daughter now she would just go back to Harrogate this afternoon and slip back into life as usual. Caroline would be at work now anyway, there was no point bothering her there. Alan agreed to drive over with her after lunch and they were back long before Caroline returned from school.
"You know what she said to me yesterday?" Celia asked as she sat in her granny flat, tea in hand gazing out at the garden.
"Hmmm?" Alan asked, looking up from the days Guardian.
"You may as well forget that we have any kind of relationship." Celia used her snooty Caroline voice.
"She'll have been angry, hey! and she had every right to be, don't you forget." Alan piped up.
Celia raised an eyebrow at him and he quickly went back to his paper.
"She'll be alright." Celia said aloud to reassure them both.
Xxx
Caroline shut the door on the rest of the world and sighed as she dropped her car keys on to the table. She hung her coat and watched as Lawrence made his way up to his room via the fridge without even pausing to take off his.
A few minutes later she found Kate curled into the sofa with a baby book in her arm.
"Mmmm, is it that time already? Must have nodded off." She explained, sitting up and rubbing her eyes open.
"Hello My darling wife!" Caroline grinned. "How was your day?" She moved to make them some tea.
"I spoke to you at lunchtime. Not a great deal has happened since then." Kate said, fussing with her sleep flattened hair.
Half an hour later as they shared a pot of tea and Kate began making plans for dinner, the sound of the handle on the patio door floated across the room. Kate instinctively looked around to see her new mother-in-law trying the handle again and pushing at the door without success. Kate slipped off her stool to go and open the door.
"No." Caroline halted her. "I'll go."
Kate slipped back onto the stool and watched as Caroline turned the key and opened the door just a few inches.
"Yes?" Caroline asked.
"I'm back." Celia said. "I stayed at the farm last night, in case you were wondering. Met Gary...Alan's...little surprise...you know."
Caroline still barred the entrance to the kitchen and Celia wrapped her cardigan more closely around herself with a frown.
"I don't need to know when you do and don't decide to stay out. It's your business." Caroline remarked ignoring the second piece of information.
"Well aren't you going to let me in?" Celia asked indignantly.
"No." Caroline stated. "From now on, if you wish to see the boys they can come over to you, you can text or ring them, whichever you prefer. I'm sure Lawrence will be glad to come over and sit with you, the pair of you are thick as thieves these days." Caroline said calmly but not not without a sting in the tail.
"Caroline!" Her Mother let out. "Don't be ridiculous. I know you're not happy about yesterday, I apologised for that. But you can't be seriously going to carry this on, drag it out..."
"I did warn you Mother. I want nothing more to do with you. This is not of my making." Caroline closed the door and turned the key, pulling the handle again to check that the door was closed. As Celia stood, arms crossed, mouth open, her daughter began to draw the long curtains. Celia stamped a foot and made her way back to her flat.
Kate had watched her wife quietly as this scene had played out, her gasp as Caroline shut her mother out had gone unnoticed but now she moved to Caroline's side. Anyone who didn't know her better would have seen a calm, determined woman taking a practical course of action but as Kate reached her, she felt the trembling of her body, pulling Caroline close she waited for the tears to fall. Very few actually materialised and Caroline pulled her head up from it's place on Kate's shoulder.
"Are you sure about this?" Kate asked softly.
Caroline nodded, before her forehead fell lightly against Kate's. "I am. I don't want her in here. I don't want her around our family. I don't want her treating you or our child as if...you don't matter. I won't have it."
Kate understood. Ironically it had been similar to her feelings when she had first fallen pregnant and stayed away from Caroline. If Caroline wasn't able to stand up for their relationship, how would she be able to be proud of a child, of a family? And now here she was. People could change.
"You don't have to do this for us." Kate told her, even though she cherished the intention.
"I'm doing it for me too." Caroline told her honestly, a slight shrug, her arms hung around Kate's shoulders.
Kate nodded and closed her eyes as she felt Caroline's lips touch hers.
"Please. Keep the door locked. I don't want her in here through the day either." Caroline looked sternly at Kate, who cringed uncomfortably and looked away from her wife.
"What about me popping over there?" Kate asked.
Caroline shrugged. "I'd really rather you didn't, but it's up to you of course." She allowed.
Kate wrapped her arms around Caroline's waist and put her head against her chest, her large tummy meaning she had to arch over a little awkwardly to get as close to Caroline as she wanted.
"If it's what you want, I'll stick by it." Kate vowed.
Caroline let out a heavy breath and kissed the side of Kate's head, just beneath her ear. "You see, maybe you're getting the hang of this obeying malarkey as well." She whispered sweetly.
Kate pulled back and narrowed eyes at Caroline. She knew what she was doing. She was done discussing. Crack a joke, move on. But Kate knew there would be much more to come.
Xxx