Kate looked at the beautiful woman who was now watching her with such intensity. Caroline had never before shared her feelings so openly, never exposed her inner self so daringly, Kate knew the effort this must have taken and how fargile Caroline would now be feeling, she knew she had to respond, to reassure the older woman that in acting so out of character she had not made a horrible mistake.

Breathing deeply to compose herself, Kate took Caroline's hands in hers and said gently

'My turn'

'Caroline, …I love your intelligence, your drive, and your strength. I love that your life is anchored by a desire always to do the right thing, and to do it to the very best of your considerable abilities. I love your integrity and sense of family. I love the aspects of your character that no one else gets to see, your tenderness, your playfulness, and your vulnerability. I love that you love and trust me enough to show me those hidden parts of yourself. They aren't weaknesses Caroline, you need to stop seeing them as such.'

With a lift of her eyebrows and a suggestive smile Kate went on

'And I also love every inch of your woman's body – do you want me to go into more detail about that?'

'Errr, no, not right now, maybe later?' said Caroline blushing profusely as she too was overwhelmed by the intenstity of emotion Kate's words had generated.

'Mhmm' agreed Kate leaning in for a tender kiss.

Caroline tried not to let herself get distracted

'Kate, you said you were scared that when I knew the person you had become I would no longer be able to love you..… I'm scared too, it was the person I am, the person I have been all my life that drove you away. I can try and change but forty six years of ingrained behaviour isn't going to disappear overnight. I am still me, I probably always will be. I worry whether you will be able to go on loving me if I can't eradicate the 'snotty bitch' within?'

'Oh sweatheart, I fell in love with you, I love you for who you are and what you are, I don't want to change you into some pale shadow of yourself. You really don't realise what an amazing woman you are, a wonderful mother, a fantastic leader, an original thinker, a brilliant organiser, you only have to look at what William and Lawrence have become, at what Sulgrave Heath achieves every day under your leadership to apprecaite your abilities. I love watching you in full headmistress mode and often wonder how many other members of your staff find it as sexy as I do, I really can't be the only one.'

Caroline looked appalled at the thought.

Smiling at her partners discomfort Kate hurried on

'But as much as I like seeing you like that at work, listening to your incredible mind construct argument and counter argument for any given situation I don't want to be led in my private life. I want a partner Caroline, one who cares what I think, one who considers my feelings and includes me in plans and decsions that affect us and our family. I know you weren't able to do this in the past but I am not John.'

'Very true' said Caroline openly appreciating the glorious curves of her girlfriend.

'Behave yourself Dr. Elliot, I am being serious. I want us to truly share our lives Caroline which for me means that you stand beside me as my soul mate, my truest love, and my best friend, that you accept my love and protection as I accept yours.'

For a moment Caroline couldn't speak, she gazed at Kate wondering how she could ever show this wonderful woman how much she loved her, how grateful she was to have been given a second chance.

'I don't know how to say this without sounding soppy but inside this tough headmistress exterior there is a woman who longs to have someone to share her life with. I think you are the only person who has ever really understood that, the only one to recognise that the inner woman exists, everybody else accepted me at face value and kept their distance. For many years that has left me in a very lonely place. '

'Kate I want nothing more than to stand by your side for the rest of my life and, whether you realise it or not, I have accepted your love and protection since that very first day you came to my office offering me a shoulder cry on. Until now I've just never been able to admit it.'

Kate pulled Caroline into her arms, holding her close overcome with a need to make up for all the years of heartache and lonliness that this beautiful woman had endured, guilt ridden that she had so callously added to this burden in the last six months.

'Promise me that you will always tell me how you feel as openly as you have in the last couple of days Caroline, there should be nothing we can't discuss, no secrets.'

'Mmm' murmered the older woman kissing Kate's neck.

Pulling apart Kate again took Caroline's hands in hers

'In the same vein, being that there should be nothing we can't discuss, I noticed that you always talk about the baby as my daughter. I know you said you wanted to care for us both and I know I have really messed up so much in making you a part of my pregnancy but …..do you think you will you ever be able to think of her as our daughter, is that ever going to be possible?'

Caroline opened her mouth to reply but before she could say anything Kate continued

'As a mother you are a hard act to follow but I love you so and want to share this most precious life with you, I only ever wanted to share her with you. I want our daughter to have two loving parents, not a Mum and her Mum's partner. I want her to know the sense of family you hold so dear, to have two fantastic older brothers who she adores and who look out for her –always.

'Oh Kate, do you really need to ask?' said a slightly stunned looking Caroline 'I have loved that little girl for a very long time. I do think of her as our daughter, I was just scared of saying it out loud, scared of presuming too much because I wasn't sure that you thought of me as her parent. I certainly didn't have the right to ask that of you given how I tried to disuade you from having her.'

'This isn't a matter of rights, and for both of us what is in the past needs to stay in the past. We have to stop beating ourselves up over things that can't be changed. We both made mistakes, we both hurt each other. We now have a second chance, let's close the door on what was and focus on what will be. We've said we want to spend the rest of our lives together but that won't be possible, not if we have to continually walk on egg shells to avoid unresolved issues in our past. We will quarrel Caroline, I'm stubborn, you're opinionated, it's ineviatble but I think our love is strong enough to weather the occasional storm?'

'In my life quarelling has only ever been a symptom of a deep unhappines, between my parents, between John and me. Quarelling scares me Kate, don't be surprised if I do a bit of egg shell walking, at least until I can wake up in the morning believing that you really are still going to be there. Thank you for being so forgiving, for giving me a second chance. I really thought I'd lost you and…..our daughter'

Kate stroked the older woman's cheek gently

'I'm here to stay Caroline. You weren't the only one that was miserable when we were apart. True the difference was that the choice was mine but I hope you do now understand why I felt I actually had no choice. Also that by the time I came to realise how wrong I had been the full horror of what I had done to you became very apparent to me. You aren't the only one that is grateful to be forgiven but we can't go on continually looking back, we must move forward. Agreed?'

'Yes but….'

'But what?'

'Only if you seal our agreement with a kiss, and I mean a proper bargain sealing type kiss.'

'You Elliot are incorrigable or is it insatiable?'

Pulling the older woman to her feet Kate closed the gap between them. Gentle kisses building in passion, hands working their way inside clothes to find bare skin. Their desire for each other igniting anew.

'Kate, Kate, sorry, please…..' gasped Caroline pulling away gently.

Looking quizically at the older woman Kate waited patiently.

'Kate I want you so, I would give anythimg to be able to spend the rest of the day here with you but there are things I must resolve first. I need to settle things with my mother once and for all and I haven't really had chance to speak with Lawrence properly since he watched us dance on Christmas Eve, I know he was horrified and at the very least I owe him some of my time. God, Kate I'm so sorry, my complicated life never seems to let me go.'

'I'm not stupid Caroline, I know you have responsibilities just as I do, we need to learn to share them and not feel guilty that they keep us apart from time to time.'

Caroline had started to pace

'Will you come back with me and spend the night. I don't mean you have to be there when I speak to my mother or to Lawrence but if you would come with me I would love it because I just want to spend as much time with you and possible. I may also need your support after I've spoken to my mum, I think what I plan to tell her won't be well received. I should also warn you that you may not be as impressed with my parenting skills when you have heard Lawrence and I going at each other, plus there is so much we still need to discuss, not like today but just the practical stuff for our future. Oh God, I've suddenly realised I'm pushing too hard again , I'm so sorry Kate, I really am hopeless at somethings …..so will you.'

Kate laughed out loud

'I had forgotten how wonderful you are when you are in full flow; you don't even seem to pause for breath. Caroline by the time you had got to the end of that ramble I had almost lost track of your original question. But, yes I will come back to Conway Drive with you and spend the night.'

Becoming serious suddenly Kate continued with a firmer edge to her voice

'We can discuss what we plan to say to your mother as we drive over.'