A/N: I'm late again and still behind. Internet trouble and headaches brought on by the psycho programmers at work doing updates before a holiday...well, anyway...those have contributed to me not writing when I need to/should be and getting behind. Thank you to those still reading this mess of a tale.


December 24th – day eight

"Isobel, we need to talk."

Isobel sighed. How had he found her here? "I have no time, Richard. Besides, there is nothing to talk about."

"I believe there is. I promise I won't propose again. I know you don't love me…that you can't love me. I've resigned myself to that, but couldn't you find it within yourself to sit with me and let me talk? Give me a chance to be your friend again? That's all I'm asking, Isobel. That's all."

"Fine. But not now. I'm late for an appointment. I'll meet you for lunch if that will work with your schedule."

"I'm free today. It's Christmas Eve."

"So it is." Isobel nodded. "One then?"

"I'll meet you at the little pub around the corner from the hospital."

"Alright." Isobel agreed then turned and rushed into the building.

Richard stared after her, his heart aching. He loved her, why couldn't she see? Why couldn't she love him? Had she closed herself off so tightly that what he'd said was true? She couldn't love? He thought that might make him sadder than not having her in his life in some capacity. If he was always to be just her friend, it was far better than her completely ignoring him.

How had he been so wrong? Maybe he should have talked to Elsie. She would have known. She could have possibly kept him from making a fool of himself and breaking his own heart.

"But you were so sure," he muttered to himself as he turned and walked back to where he'd parked. "So sure that you cost yourself a very dear friend."

IC

"Charlie?"

"What is it?" Charles asked as he looked up at his wife, hearing something in her voice.

"Has Richard talked to you?"

"Talked to me?"

"Yes. You know what I mean."

Pushing back from his desk, Charles held out his hand. "Come here, love."

Smiling as she walked around and took his hand, she sighed as he settled her on his lap. "Something's happened, Charlie. Richard is so sad. I haven't seen him this sad since…"

"Since Isobel broke his heart."

Elsie nodded. "I just don't understand, Charlie. She's the one that saw our love and told me I should nudge you along so I didn't lose you. Why can't she see she's in love with Richard?"

"I don't know, love. I knew I was in love with you, never denied it to myself, but I was too afraid to do anything because I wasn't sure about you. Then you started giving me hints and letting me see that you loved me and it gave me courage. Maybe Richard should have done what you did. Gently nudged her along."

"But that only worked with you because you never denied to yourself that you loved me. Isobel is so afraid of being hurt…"

"That she hurt herself far more than loving Richard would have." Charles finished for her.

"Oh Charlie. I feel so badly for them."

"I know you do, love. Have you tried talking to Isobel?"

"She cuts me off every time I start to say Richard."

"Maybe I should have a talk with her."

"Charlie, are you sure?"

"Of course I am." Charles caressed Elsie's cheek. "Elsie, I wouldn't have you or our beautiful children if Isobel hadn't stepped in. If she's truly in love with Richard, and we both have seen it and know it to be true, then I want to try and help her like she helped us. Everyone deserves to be loved, no matter if it's the second time round."

Elsie sighed as she curled her fingers around his neck. "My dear Charlie. I love you," she whispered then tugged his head down, pressing her lips to his.

Charles hummed into the kiss then pulled back and smiled down at her. "And I'm a very lucky man for it." Tucking a wayward tendril of hair away from her face, he traced the shell of her ear with a gentle fingertip. "We'll find a way to help them, love…even if we have to lock them in a room together and not let them out until they talk."

IC

"I've told Violet that I know about you. She's agreed to meet you. Now all I need is where." Isobel smiled at Igor as he sat staring at her. "What? You didn't think I could do it?"

"I didn't think Violet would agree."

Isobel shrugged. "I can be very persuasive. Besides, how could she deny anything when I told her your story…a story I couldn't possibly have known without talking to you."

"But you said something that made her give in. I know my Violet. She would worry about her family."

"She's still worried about the family finding out, but for now, she's willing to meet you." Squeezing his hand, Isobel leaned closer so he could hear her as she lowered her voice, "She still loves you, Igor. When you meet, don't give her a chance to talk herself out of being with you. I want her to be happy and I think you can do that for her."

"If you want her to be happy, why don't you want that for yourself?"

"What?"

"Isobel, I know about you, remember?"

"Yes, well…"

"No. Don't do that. Think, Isobel. Think about why you keep repeating this day. Think about the one person that keeps being brought up in nearly every conversation you've had since this started. There's a reason for that, Isobel. I won't say the name, you'll shut me off if I do. But remember the things you said to Elsie all those years ago when you told her to gently nudge Charles along. Remember the things you said to Violet. Don't they also apply to you?"

"Igor, you don't…"

"Don't I? You've had this man that loves you right here with you all this time, and because you're afraid of being hurt again if something happens to him, you refuse to admit that you love him. And you do love him, Isobel. I've loved Violet all these years and couldn't be with her. I lost her and never thought I would see her again or have the chance to be with her again. Now I have that chance and I'm not going to waste it. You shouldn't, either."

IC

"I'm sorry, Isobel." Richard whispered over a cup of tea, a bit of Scotch added for more than just the warmth it brought. "I was an idiot to think I knew you so well as to think that you felt the same way as I did. I shouldn't have had all that Scotch, it made me lose my head and say things I shouldn't have. I didn't think things through or I would have kept my thoughts and feelings to myself." He sighed then took another sip of his tea. "I knew better. I'd tried love once before and I was wrong then. I'm not sure what made me think this time would be different. Maybe it was because I was fool enough to think that because we were friends that shared practically everything, well…that it would be different this time. Shows how lousy I am at reading people. Good thing I'm not a psychotherapist. I'd be a poor one."

"Richard…" Isobel started, stopping when he looked up at her with his piercing eyes, their color more grey than blue in his sadness.

"What, Isobel? You're going to tell me I'm wrong? I'm not a fool? That it's none of those things but you still don't love me? I told you that I understand that you can't love me. I simply want to know if we can at least speak to each other. Our not speaking to each other is making things uncomfortable for our mutual friends. Can't we at least try to be cordial so that our friends don't have to watch their words when they're around us?"

Isobel wasn't sure she could speak. He'd broken her heart with the defeat she'd seen in his eyes. Had she done this to him? Had her need to protect herself from loving again hurt a man who had been nothing but caring and wonderful to her?

"Yes. You did this. Fix it," her inner voice whispered sounding strangely like Igor.

The question was…how?