The next morning Shelagh awoke to hushed voices outside her door. Wrapping her borrowed dressing gown around her she opened the door to find 4 eager faces staring at her.

'Good morning ladies.' She smiled

'Sorry, did we wake you up?'

'It's fine. What's going on?' She yawned as she ran her hand through her hair, she had forgotten how chaotic it could get when she wasn't wearing a head covering whilst asleep.

'We were deciding whether to wake you up or not. Chummy's allowed visitors but we weren't sure if you were up for it. Sister Julienne says if you are you'll have to wear a surgical mask to reduce you getting ill because of your reduced immune system.'

'Of course. I'll just get changed.'

'Would you like to borrow some more clothes? You had quite a long day in them yesterday. Not that I'm intimating that you small or anything.' Trixie giggled.

'If it wouldn't be a problem.'

'Not at all. I reckon we're about the same size and I'm sure I own something you'd like.'

'Thank you.'

'And we'll take you shopping after we visit Chummy. Oh this is going to be such fun.' Trixie squealed.

'That is, if you want us to.' Jane said seeing Shelagh's pensive face.

'Yes. Thank you, I'd like that.'

'Got to make you look all pretty for Dr Turner.'

'Trixie!' Jenny frowned.

'Dr Turner fell in love with me whilst I wore the habit. It doesn't get more unappealing than that. I think I'll be okay.' Shelagh smiled as the others giggled at the absurdity of the statement.

'You look so happy.' Jane said smiling.

'I am. Very much so.' Shelagh assured them beaming. Trixie screeched happily and pulled a startled Shelagh into a tight embrace that she laughingly responded to.

'Good.' The peroxide blonde pulled back. 'Now I'm sure you'll look positively wonderful in my green dress.'


'The others are just outside if you want to see them Chummy. We've all been dreadfully worried.' Jenny said softly as she squeezed her Amazonian friends hand.

'Yes please.'

'Ill just go get them.' Sister Julienne said as she left the room.

'Just a forewarning, Sister Bernadette has come back from the sanatorium, she hasn't gone to Chichester but she's left the Order. She's now called Shelagh and she doesn't wear the habit. Oh Chummy she really is quite beautiful'

'Golly. Yesterday really was eventful wasn't it.' Chummy laughed weakly. She was glad the former nun had returned, well once more. It had been a terrible shock for her to return home to discover the nun she cared so deeply for was so dreadfully unwell. It had saddened her even further to discover that, since she had departed for Africa, Sister Bernadette had become withdrawn and miserable. Chummy couldn't quite put her finger on what it was about the woman that drew her to her but she had always felt a particularly strong affinity with her.

'Yes it was rather busy.'

'Knock knock. Is it okay to come in?' Trixie asked.

'Yes, come in.'

'Hello everyone. I do hope I didn't cause too much of a fuss.' Chummy remarked awkwardly as they all filed in

'There's nobody I'd rather get in a fuss over.' Trixie grinned pulling Chummy into a gentle embrace.

'How're you feeling?'

'Sore, groggy, ecstatic. Peter and little bean have popped out for a little while. I'm sure they will return shortly and you can meet young sir yourself. Hello Shelagh. I hear you're home from the Sanatorium. I must say the surgical mask looks jolly good on you.' Chummy smiled

'Uh thanks.'

'Here they are.' Peter walked in and passed their beloved son to his mother. He was soon wrapped in hugs from all those assembled with barely a confused look to and muttered 'I'll explain later' from Shelagh.

'Ladies, meet Fred Peter Noakes. Freddie, these are your Aunts Jenny, Trixie, Shelagh, Cynthia, Jane, your Uncle Fred and Sisters Julienne, Evangelina and Monica Joan. Aunt Sister seems like quite a cumbersome title but we'll work on that. Plenty of time until you start talking little bean. So, who wants to meet their nephew first?'


'Sorry sisters, ladies, but visiting time is over and mother needs her sleep.' A nurse stuck her head around the door to address the mass.

'Gosh yes, sorry, we've rather invaded you haven't we. We'll be back soon.'

'I'm so glad you're okay.'

'Freddie's gorgeous.'

'Recover soon. We miss you already.'

'Bye girls, sisters. YAWN jolly good of you all to pop by.' They began to file out after each saying goodbye to their dear friend. 'Wait, Shelagh, can I speak to you moment.'

'Of course. What is it?' Shelagh said, still holding Freddie. As the others had, she found it incredibly hard to relinquish the adorable new addition to their family.

'Are you happy now? The others told me you'd been very sad before your illness. Thank the Lord you recovered from that. Now that you're Shelagh again, are you happy?'

'Yes.' She smiled. 'I'm very happy. I was concerned Nonnatus House would turn their back on me but they've embraced this change. You'll probably hear rumours floating around about why I left so it's best you hear it from me. The primary reason I left the Order is because I have fallen in love with Dr Turner. God wants me to be with him, to care for Timothy and perhaps even raise a child of my own. And I want to. More than anything. I haven't been this happy or as certain of my purpose since I took my vows and dedicated my life to Him.' Shelagh beamed down at the chubby face in her arms and tickled his toes, Chummy smiling happily at her.

'Well I'm jolly chuffed for you.' Chummy beamed. She had always liked Dr Turner, ever since that very first breech she had had to handle wherein he had boosted her confidence and had continued to make her more and more confident in her vocation. Only yesterday, golly...had it really only been yesterday?, that he had called her one of the finest midwives at Nonnatus. She knew the praise was primarily for the benefit of Dolly Smart yet she couldn't help but swell with pride at the talk.

'Thank you. That means a lot. I should go before Matron hits me. Downside of not being a nun anymore, it's more acceptable to manhandle me. Not that that stopped Meg Carter from hitting me. You get better soon. Freddie is gorgeous, you should be proud. I'll see you soon.' Shelagh kissed Freddie's forehead before laying him back next to his mother and leaving.

'Everything okay?' Jenny asked. The nuns had left but the nurses remained to wait for Shelagh.

'Great. She just wanted to know why I left the Order and whether I was happy again. You know I reckon Freddie is going to be taller than us by the time he's 10 Cynthia with Chummy and Peter for parents.'

'Alas the perils of short stature.' Cynthia chuckled.

'Tell me about it. My old friend Jamie used to call me his toaty bucket quine which roughly means tiny pale girl.' Shelagh admitted laughing.

'Lovely. Hey-do you have a brothers or sisters? It's just occurred to me that I have no idea. Gosh there's so much we simply don't know about you.' Trixie said slipping her am through Shelagh's.

'I have a sister. Morag who is 31 .'

'And uh...how old are you?'

'I'm 31 too'

'So Morag is your twin? Identical?'

'Almost. Last time that I saw her we still looked a lot alike but I've certainly changed in the last decade, I don't know if she has too.'

'When was that? Were you allowed to keep in contact with your family whilst in the Order?' Cynthia asked.

'I haven't seen her in person since I took my vows. We're allowed minimal contact. I get Christmas cards and notes from her and I reply. We usually write around the anniversary of my mother's death as well.'

'When was that?'

'26 years ago. I don't really remember her to be honest.'

'So young! How terrible. What about your father?'

'Died when we were 16. Our uncle Andrew looked after us after that.'

'Aww. Any nephews or nieces? Is Morag married?'

'Is this really necessary information?' Shelagh laughed.

'Yes. We've been deprived for far too long.'

'She was still single last I heard. I really must tell her about this. I should visit her!' Shelagh lit up at the thought. Until her move to London she and Morag had been almost inseparable, the two of them sticking together in the face off all the hardships life had thrown at them.

'Oh that'll be lovely for you.' Cynthia smiled 'Sister Julienne and Dr Turner won't be letting you travel that far for quite a while. You only left the Sanatorium yesterday.'

'I know and I think I'm going to be cooped up for far longer than I want. But it's for my own good and done with the best intentions so I'll get through it.' She smiled in defeat.

'You should have heard the lecture Sisters Julienne and Evangelina gave us about not tiring you out whilst shopping.'

'We'll try not to let Trixie get too overeager.' Jane smiled, though her mouth parted in shock at her tenacity. There was a shocked silence as the others also gaped at her before Trixie broke in crossly-

'I may get excited about shopping and clothes but I'm not about to make a very dear friend ill over it.' She cried indignantly before smiling at Shelagh who had flushed at the description.

'Let's go shopping ladies. Wait, do even have any money Shelagh?'

'Yes, I handed over some money when I entered the Order which was returned to me. I have about £100.' Shelagh admitted.

'Wow. Not bad.'


'Are you sure about this? It's not too tight or revealing?' Shelagh frowned brushing a hand across the material swathed around her midriff.

'You're still more covered up than Trixie and Jenny. And you have such beautiful legs. If you don't feel comfortable though you don't have to wear it.'

'No, it's okay. This all feels weird but I'm going to have to get used to the fact that I no longer wear the habit. I have to start doing things that make me uncomfortable else I'd never get anything done. I want to move on with my life. I trust you not to get me into trouble Cynthia.'

'But not us?' Trixie pouted dramatically.

'Of course. It's just, I know your taste and mischievous side. If I depended solely on you I may end up in the shortest dress possible.' She teased grinning at the blonde. 'On a related note, now that I'm not a nun I can tell you, everyone knows about you girls drinking in your rooms.' She smirked, eyes glinting with mirth.

'Oh! But we were so careful!'

'No you weren't. I heard you yell 'hide the gin' several times after I'd knocked on your doors, once or twice you even left the door open. One time I was watching you and you didn't even realise, you shut the door in my face.'

'Whoops. I'm terribly sorry about the door in the face Shelagh. We always wanted to invite you to join in, and I always got the feeling you wanted to but, well, you were a nun.'

'No need to worry about the door. It was Cynthia not you.' Shelagh grinned. 'But you're right.' she sighed 'Sometimes I'd just stare at the group of you and think 'what if?' Occasionally I'd even go to my room and let my hair down and take my glasses off. Remind myself that I'm still human, not just a habit.'

'It must be hard being a young nun. Sisters Evangelina and Julienne are used to it and, no offence to them, they don't look their best anymore. But you're gorgeous and young and remember much clearer a life aside from the order and you're gorgeous.'

'You said that twice.' Shelagh blushed.

'I'm still in shock over just how beautiful you are. Please always wear your hair down.'

'That would be wholly impractical.'

'Okay outside of the delivery room and clinic always wear your hair down.'

'I'll see what I can do.'

' So what does our esteemed doctor think of your hair?'

'Trixie!'

'He's rather fond of it I think. He was speechless for a minute when I let it down, I'm not sure if he was having difficulty trying to come up with a compliment. Heavens what if he was? What if he hates my hair? Sorry Trix but I may have to wear it up from now on.' Shelagh said panicked.

'In positive he loves it down. He has to. I'm sure he was just speechless because you looked so lovely.' Cynthia reassured the distraught looking blonde.

'I hope so. I know vanity is a sin and all but...'

'Its natural to want to look good for the man you love. There's absolutely no reason to feel guilty.'

'Indeed. He led you and Dr Turner to each other, I'm sure He'll allow you to help Him.' Cynthia smiled reassuringly. 'And you look beautiful either way.'

'Thank you.'

'We should celebrate. Chummy is okay, Freddie's alive and well and Shelagh is happy, healthy and, well, she's Shelagh.'

'Lets go out. Introduce Shelagh to the fun she's been missing out on.' Trixie squealed

I'd love to, honestly I would but I'll be knackered by 8pm. I think Sister Julienne would tie me to my bed if I even tried.'

'I imagine that's be pretty amusing to watch. You're right of course.'

'Let's go for high tea and celebrate instead.' Jane suggested

'Marvellous idea.' Jenny grinned

'Ooh yes. I've been dying to visit that little tea shop Gillian Thomas was telling me about.' Trixie squealed.

'If that's what you want Shelagh.'

'That sounds nice.'