"Lie down," he whispered, moving over her as she lay on her bed, on top of her covers. He slipped her jumper up over her head, his mouth pressing soft kisses against her stomach, "Your skin is like silk," he told her, undoing the top button of her jeans, before pulling them down her slender thighs,
"Jesus Christ," he uttered, slipping her bra from her and discarding it with her other clothes on the floor,

"I hope there's a reason for you using the good lord's name in vain?" She smiled, gasping as his mouth surrounded her nipple,

"You look…" He laughed lightly, "Breath-taking… and even more so than I'd imagined,"

She rolled her eyes and ran her hand through his dark hair, "I'll never be able to repay you for everything you've done for us,"

The screen of her phone lit up and she sighed, leaning over and answering it, inwardly impressed when Michael didn't ask her to ignore it. His lips pressed soft kisses against her stomach, making her gasp,

"Hello," she uttered, trying to ignore the man pressing his lips against her skin,

"Grace wants you Connie… she can't sleep…" The sound of Sam's voice made her sigh inwardly, the man seemed to have an innate knack of preventing her from doing what she so desperately needed,

"Okay," she nodded, "Okay… I'm on my way, tell her I'll be with her soon… is she otherwise okay?"

"Just sick," Sam replied down the phone, "And tired,"

"I'm on my way."

She inhaled deeply, before slipping her hand through Michael's hair, "Just when I thought we could finally do this…"

He pulled away from her, before standing up and holding out his hand, watching as she took it. She stepped closer to him, surprised as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, "I can wait," he told her, his lips against her hair, "I think waiting is good for me,"

She laughed lightly, resting her chin on his chest, before kissing him firmly, "I suggest you run…" She told him, "I can't give you the attention you deserve for the foreseeable future… you have plenty of women who can…" She ignored the tears that pricked at her eyes, "You deserve more than this… You at least deserve someone who can have sex with you without being interrupted,"

He raised his eyebrow, "Are you finished?"

She nodded quietly, watching how he brushed her hair gently back from her face, "I don't want to run… I don't want other women… " He smiled, "I can wait… don't push me away now, I need this as much as you do,"

She rested her head against his chest, "Why does everything have to be so hard?" she whispered and she felt him tighten his grip on her, "As I've told you before… I've got you," he whispered, his mouth brushing against her forehead, "I won't go into why now… but I don't want to give you up."

"Will you drive me to the hospital… we can curl up in the oncall room once I've got Grace settled… although if you want to go home that's fine too…"

He handed her his jumper and her jeans, "Get dressed, let's go."

As they stopped at the traffic lights, she placed her hand on his on the gear stick, "Thank you," she told him quietly, "For everything you've done for us,"

He winked at her, "You don't have to thank me…"

She nodded, "Oh… I do."

"Mum," Grace smiled, her tired smile lightening up her tired little face.

"Hello sweetheart," Connie replied, pulling her daughter into a tight hug, making her smile,

"You're squashing me, you always squash me when you hug me," she smiled, rolling onto her side as Connie sat next to her,

"Where's Michael?"

"How did you know I was with Michael…"

"He's never far away," her daughter replied, in a tone so similar to her own,

Michael appeared through the door, smiling into the semi-dark room, "Hi mini-Beauchamp… rumour has it you couldn't sleep." He sat on the chair next to Connie, ruffling her daughter's hair gently, "Do you want me to leave you two to it?" He asked gently,

Grace shook her head, "No… mum looks after me… and you look after her… that's how it works isn't it? I like that you look after her,"

Connie placed a hand on her daughters arm, "We're here now baby, close your eyes and get some sleep,"

Grace smiled, "I don't like dad's girlfriend, but don't tell him that…"

Connie and Michael smiled, "I know Gracie, but your dad is planning on spending the rest of his life with her, so we need to pretend to like her,"

Grace giggled, "So you don't like her too?"

"No… but don't you dare tell your dad that,"

Grace nodded, "It's a secret… Michael don't you tell dad either?"

"Wouldn't dare," he replied, a smile on his face, before he got up and closed the blinds, "I tell you what… if you get some sleep, I'll take you both to my favourite place in Holby tomorrow."

"Will you stay with me?" Grace asked quietly, "I don't like it in here on my own?"

Connie pressed her lips to her daughters head, "I'll stay until you fall asleep, then I'll just be across the hall in the oncall room… if you wake up, tell a nurse to come and get me okay…"

"Okay," Grace nodded,

"Just three more days,"

"Three more days," her daughter replied, closing her eyes as Connie ran her fingers through her hair. Michael slipped his arm around her shoulders, glad as she leaned heavily into his chest, her fingers slipping underneath his shirt. He wanted to tell her he loved her, he wanted to tell her she was the most amazing woman he'd ever known, but he couldn't… not here. So instead he pressed his lips against her forehead and lifted her from the room as she dozed in his arms.