Kate woke up cranky. It was starting to happen more. The books said it wasn't uncommon at this stage of the pregnancy. But it unnerved her. "I want to drive," she said as they straightened up the kitchen after breakfast. "I never get to drive when we're together."

"True." said Caroline cautiously. "No. You're right. It's not fair." There was an awkward silence in which Caroline's, "please god don't let me blow this" face surfaced and Kate thought, on reflection, that she, herself, was displaying the emotional maturity of a 12 year old. "But, darling," Caroline asked, "is it ok if you drive the Jeep?"

Another pause, as Kate seemed to consider. "Do you mind? She asked." Caroline must mind. The Jeep was her third child.

"No." said Caroline, firmly. "Well," she wavered. "You know me. I'd rather drive, but it's not fair not to share if you like to drive. So if I have to be a passenger then I'd rather be one in the Jeep than yours." A pause as Kate considers.

Caroline is nervous now. "Not that yours isn't a fine car. But the Jeep would be more comfortable for a longer drive, wouldn't it?"

Kate smiled at the uncertainty in Caroline's voice. She leans over and kisses her on the forehead. "It would. You're right. I'm just being difficult."

Caroline pulled her into a hug. "Well you're not being easy. I know when you're being easy. It's more like this." She kissed her. After a moment, "and this." She kissed her again, more deeply.

Kate leaned back and with a teasing smile said, "you promised me a genius with tats and studs, Dr. Elliot. This is not helping you deliver on that promise." At Caroline's mock tragic face she laughed. "But, perhaps I can make you a promise that will be worth waiting for." She laughed at Caroline's sudden switch to eager eyes and batting eyelashes.

"Well come on then." Caroline said, pulling the keys from her purse and handing them over, suddenly all business. Let's find you a genius."

In the car on the A61 heading south, even in the midst of conversation, even in the middle of a sentence, Caroline did not hesitate to point out cars ahead that had put on turn signals, and potential slow downs in the traffic pattern and the odd driver driving oddly. There were also cars entering the traffic from slip roads. Sometimes cars exited as well. On occasion, Caroline would reach her hand out to brace herself against the passenger side dashboard against a theoretically possible impact whose probability was somewhat less than .01%. When the probability was lower, she would simply grasp the grab-handle and cling to it determinedly. After 20 minutes, Kate found a layby and pulled over.

"Is everything ok?" Caroline asked, worry evident on her face. "Is it the baby? Is something wrong? Kate? Kate?" Kate took a deep breath and counted to 10. Then she did it again.

"Caroline," she began.

"Tell me what to do." Caroline interrupted hurriedly. "I'll take care of it if you just tell me what I need to do."

Kate stared her back into silence. Cars flew past them on the road.

"What?" asked Caroline, slowly realizing that she was the source of the problem.

"Caroline," Kate repeated in a slow measured tone that Caroline recognized as the harbinger of difficult news, "Caroline, our baby needs two parents. And, I have learned at great price, that I really can't live without you. So killing you isn't an option."

"Kate." Caroline protested, unsure how she could have been so annoying so quickly.

"Caroline, do you realize that you've been backseat driving from the moment I pulled out of your driveway."

"No." she objected. "Kate, that's not fair."

"It is beyond fair, Caroline," said Kate, overriding her. It is completely accurate. Do you always backseat drive?"

"To be honest, Kate, I never backseat drive." She laughed, a bit hollowly. "I never let anyone else drive." Kate laughed, sharply. Caroline explained. "William's just got his license, Laurence is too young and I could never be sure John would be sober enough to drive. Mum's always been happy to let me. This is probably the first time I've been a passenger since I went up to Oxford."

"Who taught William?" asked Kate, suddenly curious.

"I hired someone. I figured pay a driving trainer now or a therapist later," Caroline said with a sad laugh.

Kate thought this over for a bit. "Perhaps, I'm being too judgmental," she conceded. Caroline breathed an audible sigh of relief. Kate laughed. "But sweetheart, it's enraging, you know."

"What?" Caroline asked.

"I've been driving myself as long as you have. And when you drive I never give you a running commentary. You're like a bloody director's track on a DVD." She mimicked a voice over, "Note the potential hazard five miles ahead. It's possible that Kate doesn't see it so Caroline's really being helpful and kind by telling her something completely obvious."

Caroline winced. "That bad?" she asked.

"Worse. The bracing yourself for disaster between verbal interjections is, if possible, more infuriating than verbal interjections."

"I'm sorry." Caroline said. "But, it's only that..."

"Caroline," Kate interrupted, "you're not going to defend this are you?"

"Well," Caroline began.

"Because, if I were to indulge the cranky hormones, I might conclude you were trying to bully me with this kind of incredibly irritating behavior so that I'd just give up and let you drive."

"Bully you!" Caroline repeated in an outraged voice.

"Fortunately," Kate continued impassively, "I still have sufficient control of myself, despite your provocation and my hormonally altered state, that I would never conclude that."

"I would never bully you." Caroline repeated in protest.

"Well that's good," said Kate, "because my response would be pretty harsh." She put the car in gear and the signal on as eased back onto the road.

"How harsh?" asked Caroline nervously.

"It would involve you and a taxi." Kate began.

"Never mind." said Caroline. "I get the picture, I don't need the details. Sorry." They drove on a few miles in silence. Kate realized after a bit that Caroline was staring at her own feet.

"Caroline," she asked, "what are you thinking about?" Caroline looked up at her and smiled a little guiltily.

"Blahniks. The new pointy-toed denim pumps."

Kate laughed. "Shoes? Really?"

Caroline sighed. "Yes, Kate, really. There are at present only two things in my life that keep me calm. The first is you and the second is shoes. The 'keep Caroline calm' you has apparently been hijacked by the 'my turn to drive' you. So I'm just trying to make the best of a difficult situation." She grinned, shyly. "I thought we could hit a few shoe stores after you meet your genius."

"You'd probably want to try on a few pair." Kate mused.

"Yep." Agreed Caroline, back to staring at her feet.

"You'd probably want my opinion." Kate continued.

"Yep." Caroline agreed, smiling now.

"I'd have to watch you walk up and down the length of the store, trying them out if I wanted to give you a thoughtful assessment."

"Yep." Caroline smiled. "And there'd be a lot of options. Who knows, maybe you'll like the new Jimmy Choos better."

"Good job you wore a skirt today, then." Kate observed in an even voice.

There was a pause and then they both laughed.

"This cranky hormone thing could turn out to be a win-win for me." Kate mused aloud.