A / N – OK, I really struggled with this chapter and to think of how I wanted to move the story on. I am sorry if it is bit rubbish, any reviews greatly received, any help greatly received.

Five PM could not have come quicker for Dixie as she walked briskly across the car park towards their car with Jeff in tow.

'Blimey, what day!' he remarked as Dixie unlocked the car and got into the driver's side.

'Yeah, three RTC's, 2 head injuries, a stabbing and 4 hoax calls' She rattled off without looking at him as she started to drive them home.

Jeff couldn't help but notice that Dixie wasn't herself especially after the staffroom incident. He was expecting a telling off but he hadn't got it. He was expecting to be in trouble, but he wasn't – well, he did not think he was.

Instead Dixie just carried on with her work as if nothing had happened. Jeff had to admit to feeling slightly awkward about the whole situation. He loved Dixie, there was no doubt in his mind about that, but did he love her in any other sense?

As Dixie was driving, he took it upon himself to play about with the radio to find something to listen to, for the first time in god knows how many years of being with Dixie, he couldn't think of what to say, but he couldn't stand the silence. He eventually found some old classic radio show and let it play out as he looked out of the window trying to rationalise his own feelings. The kiss they had shared was strange; even he had to admit that. He thought it strange that she accepted it and pulled him in closer, there was a small part of him that had expected her to push him away instantly, but she didn't. Jeff knew Dixie was a lesbian and that she wouldn't change her sexuality for anything, he did not want her to change, he wanted her to be happy. There was something eating away at him, something that was making him see his best friend in a new light, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Could he see their relationship taking an unexpected turn?

Jeff was quickly brought back to Earth as they pulled up on their drive. Dixie had got out and was pulling the bin back up to the gate. Jeff watched his wife struggle with the wheelie bin before he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out to give her a hand before unlocking the front door.

Lil Abs came running up to them as they stood in the hallway taking off shoes and coats.

'I will take him out the back' Dixie said as she led the dog to the kitchen.

'I will put the kettle on then' Jeff responded following her in.

Jeff busied himself in the kitchen making a cup of tea, Lil Abs' food and finding something for dinner in the fridge. Dixie stood at the back door taking her eyes of the dog turning to watching Jeff intently as he moved swiftly from one place in the kitchen to the next. She watched him make the tea, throw the mail onto the kitchen table and dig about for Lil Abs' bowl. She then watched him sit on the floor in front of the freezer looking through the packets for something to cook them.

She wanted to talk to him about the kiss, she wanted to try and rationalise her own feelings towards him, but something was stopping her. For the first time in her adult life she was confused with whom she was and what she was turning into. Did she feel any differently about her friend? Could she see their relationship taking a different turn? Did she want their relationship to take a different turn? Dixie would have never questioned her sexuality, she was always firm in that belief, however, something today had made her begin to question it and it made her feel uneasy.

Lil Abs came up to her and nuzzled his head into her leg reminding her he was there, 'Ok mate, let's go back in then' she said as she opened the back door. Lil Abs went straight for the food bowl Jeff had placed on the floor by the sink. Dixie watched him as he munched through the dog food thinking to herself 'not a care in the world that dog has'.

She moved to the other side of the Kitchen and sat down at the table where Jeff had placed the two mugs of tea. He was still trying to find something to eat in the freezer, in the end; he gave up in disgust before looking up at his wife.

'What do you fancy for dinner Princess?'

'Dunno. Take it you couldn't find anything to take your fancy?'

'Nah, not really, we have fish fingers and chips in the freezer, I could cook them. Or, there is a left over quiche in the fridge?'

'We might as well finish the quiche. We could go shopping tomorrow, we are on a late shift, so we have time.'

Jeff nodded and smiled at her before he rose to his feet pulling the quiche and some salad out of the fridge. Dixie again found herself watching him intently as he made their dinner. He was good in the kitchen, even she had to admit that, she wondered just how he had become so domesticated. Smiling to herself, she turned to face the pile of mail Jeff had flung on the table scanning through to see what there was.

It still amazed her how she was willing to take his surname when they got married. As they were in an open marriage, she thought she would still be Kathleen Dixon, but something made her change her name to Collier. She always thought she would have mail addressed to 'Mrs and Mrs X, not Mr and Mrs Collier. She realised just how much she and Jeff shared; bank accounts were joint, the mortgage was joint, the car was joint, they did practically everything together. Did it all mean more to her than she was prepared to accept? Or Admit? Who knows?

The rest of the evening was uneventful; they watched some TV before Dixie went off to have a bath while Jeff took Lil Abs for a walk. They were both unaware of how much they were thinking of each other, the kiss and their feelings. Both were pretty stubborn thinking it best to not talk about it with the other incase one got offended or upset. In their own minds, they decided to wait until the other brought it up, but for now would try and get their own heads around how they were feeling.

Jeff sat on the sofa flicking through the channels again to find something mind numbing to watch, he had too much going on in his head to concentrate on anything else. He settled on a repeat of a Comedy Road show flinging the remote onto the coffee table.

'What did that remote do to you?' Dixie asked as she handed him a mug of tea.

'Nothing, I didn't mean to fling it down like that, sorry Princess'.

'I wasn't having a go Jeffrey.' Dixie replied as she placed her mug on the coaster sitting in the arm chair facing the TV.

'Oh, have I done something to upset you?'

'What are you on about Jeffrey?'

'You usually come and sit next to me while we watch TV, and sometimes, you even cuddle up!' He remarked raising a slight smile towards her.

Dixie shot him a glare but knew what he meant. She did often sit right up next to him of an evening, and would 'cuddle up' as he put it. Was she turning into a wife? Is that who she wanted to become?

'Get over yourself Jeffrey, like I would ever cuddle up to you'

Jeff looked hurt at this comment but chose not to pursue it anymore. Instead he smiled again at her before turning back to the TV deep down being more hurt than he would ever let on.