The moment she crossed the threshold to the building she was instantly assaulted by several nighty clad nurses. To be honest it was beyond the time that they should have been in bed-they had a big day tomorrow with Chummy coming home and could do with the rest. They didn't care though-instead surging forward to crowd around her.

'So? How was it?'

'Where did he take you?'

'Did you have a nice time?'

'Did he kiss you?'

'Did you only eat? What else did you do?'

'Ladies please! One question at a time! And at least let me fully through the front door before you all pile on me. I'm letting a draft in. Do you want Sister Evangelina storming around here tomorrow because I've given her a chill?' Shelagh laughed as they moved back to allow her to close the door.

'Sorry.' They chuckled. 'It's just so exciting!'

'Shall we go to my room? I get the impression were going to be talking for a while if Trixie gets her way.' She chuckled as Trixie frowned.

'But I want to know now!'

'Are you about to throw a tantrum?' Shelagh giggled at the absurdity of her friends behaviour. It had only been a few days since she had changed her inter-Nonnatus position but already she could see a marked difference in the way the nurses interacted with her. No longer would they bite their tongue around her or act as professional. Still the image of a woman in her mid 20's about to throw a temper tantrum shocked her slightly. 'Either you can wait until we get upstairs and I get ready for bed then I can tell you what you wish to hear or you can wait until tomorrow to question me to death. It's your choice. Sorry-that sounded a bit strict.'

'It's fine. I always like it when my friends act like my mother.'

'Gee thanks. Now let me get changed and tucked up snug in bed.

'Fine.' Trixie huffed. 'But hurry.' She pulled Shelagh down the hall to the nurses quarters. she shoved her playfully through the day.

'I will see you four in about 5 minutes in my room then.' Shelagh grinned. 'Now scoot.'

'You are such a mum.'

KNOCK KNOCK

'Can we come in now?' Cynthia called through the door.

'Yes. Enter. I am now ready for the inevitable interrogation.' Shelagh laughed as she settled under her sheets. It had amused her the first night to note that the nurses, and now her, had sheets that were much softer and kinder on the skin than the ones she had had as a nun. She wondered if that was a nationwide thing or something implemented by a previous Nonnutus nun-it could not have been Sister Julienne's idea as she had not been the chief nun when Shelagh had entered as a postulant.

'Now will you answer our questions?' Trixie asked impatiently as they scurried in and jumped onto Shelagh's bed.

'Ask away. You have 20 questions. Complete honesty time-once in a lifetime opportunity here. One question at a time though.'

'Okay. Where did he take you?'

'An upscale pub/restaurant about half an hour away called The Kings Inn.'

'Was it any good?'

'It was wonderful. We had soup and then I had chicken and Patrick had gammon. Then we had chocolate cake for dessert. The food was delicious, the music was lovely, the wine surpringly okay considering I grew up hearing everyone complaining about it and the company was above sublime.' She grinned.

'What did you do?'

'We ate our food and talked. A lot. After we were finished we took advantage of the live band and dance floor and we danced for a while. Once the music became livelier and beyond our capabilities-neither one of us is about to win any dance competitions believe me- we returned to our seats. After the bill was payed we didn't want the evening to end just yet so we took a moonlit stroll along the river.'

'Aww. That's so romantic.'

'Yes it was rather. It was, overall, perfect.'

'What did you talk about?'

'Our childhoods, our family, the friends we had growing up, Timothy, you lot, Chummy, food, my immediate future. We covered quite a few topics really. It's strange-I've never been an overly talkative person but it's so easy talking to him now that I know he will always listen and I do not have to censor myself or hide my love for him.'

'I know what you mean. It was so much more easy to talk to Samuel once I had taken the first step.' She said referring to the Reverend Apply-Thornton, they had progressed past being pen pals and were now pursuing a long distance relationship, visiting each other as often as possible.

'You should be very proud of the progress you've made whilst here Jane. Can you imagine if you could tell yourself 8 months ago that you would be here-quiet but an active part in conversations, with the attentions of a localish reverend who dotes on you?' Shelagh smiled taking Jane's hand in hers. 'I know I'm certainly very proud of you.'

'Thank you.' Jane blushed deeply but could not fight the growing smile that threatened to reveal itself.

'Gosh-who'd have imagined that out of everyone at Nonnatus the only ones with boyfriends or husbands would be Chummy-a self proclaimed walking disaster, Jane who barely said a word for the first week we knew her and Sister Bernadette!' Jenny laughed as they all chuckled.

'I thought you were interested in Jimmy's friend?' Shelagh grinned. 'What?' She responded to the others' shocked looks. 'Just because I was in a different county doesn't mean I don't hear gossip!'

'Trixie!'

'Not me I'm afraid.'

'The walls have ears you know.' Shelagh cackled as the women looked increasingly confused as they pointed accusingly at each other, only to met by affronted looks or 'not me's.

'Who told you then?'

'A little bird.'

'Shelagh! I though you said it was complete honesty time.'

'I am entitled to some secrets you know. Though I do appear to have spilt quite a few over the past few days to various people.'

'Fair enough. But getting away from the point! Shelagh's first date! On with the questions!'

'So you talked about us?' Jane smiled.

'Of course. You and the nuns and how you've all taken my personal 180. How wonderful you all are. How terrified of Sister Evangelina he should probably be for his own safety.' Shelagh grinned at them

'Did he kiss you?'

'I saw the curtains twitch whilst we were saying goodbye. You know perfectly well he kissed me tonight.' The nurses had the good grace to look guilty. 'It's okay, I don't blame you. I'd have done the same given the situation. The former nun you live with and the local doctor-it's quite an intriguing situation I imagine.'

'Was that your first kiss?' Trixie asked, wide eyed as she asked the question she'd been dying to ask ever since Sister Bernadette had implied she had not yet had her first kiss, all those months ago when the Reverend Appleby-Thornton had temporarily joined them. At the time she had thought it possible but the more she thought upon it, and the more she studied Sister Bernadette, she had concluded that the nun was probably quite pretty under habit. She could only imagine what a teenager version of the nun had looked like. In a sudden burst of smugness Trixie realised she was correct-Shelagh was VERY pretty without the habit. Really quite beautiful. She had to admire Dr Turner for noticing it.

'The one on the steps? No. Tonight? Yes.' Shelagh grinned as the memories flooded through her mind. She felt a blush begin to rise in her cheeks at the memory of the not so chaste kisses they had exchanged by the river.

'It was?! Oh how sweet! Well? Tell us about it then.' Trixie demanded, bouncing up and down on the bed excitedly.

'It was ...completely perfect. Better than I could ever have imagined.' She sighed happily.

'How often have you imagined it?'

'Enough times for it to be inappropriate behaviour for a nun.'

'That could be anywhere between 1 and many hundreds.'

'Indeed.'

'How did it happen?' Cynthia asked, cutting off the upcoming protestation from Trixie.

'We'd been dancing for about 10 minutes when he suddenly pulled me flush up against him and told me he loved me for the first time. Well, the first time in person.'

'Awwww.'

'Then he leant down and kissed me. To be honest I think he thought I was about to break at first it was so delicate. It was quite sweet actually. That uh…was the first of many kisses we shared tonight.' Shelagh admitted blushing.

'He sounds quite the gentleman.' Cynthia beamed.

'He was. He is. I'm very lucky.'

'Is he a good kisser? I can't believe I just asked that about Doctor Turner.' Jenny gaped.

'I don't have anything to compare it to but I would definitely have to say yes. I did rather enjoy it so he must have been doing something right. You'd better get used to the idea of Doctor Turner kissing me because it is going to happen a lot if I have any say in it.'

'Shelagh! I...I can't believe you just said that.'

'Honestly neither can I. Gah I'm so in love with him I can hardly believe it.' Shelagh grinned burrowing face first into her pillow. 'Stop laughing at me.'

'Sorry. You're adorable. And this is still very surreal.'

'Believe me it's weirder for me.'

'But you had months of feelings leading up to this. We've had 2 days after it came out of the blue.'

'I spent 10 years as Sister Bernadette not even being able to fully be as much friends with you as I wanted or act upon how close I am to Sister Julienne, I certainly could never even think about romance. Now, all of a sudden I'm Shelagh Mannion again and I can laugh and joke with you, openly and and publicly accept Sister Julienne as my Mother and I spent a good 20 minutes kissing the local GP tonight in the moonlight. And several more in other places.'

'Wow. I always knew you and Sister Julienne had a special connection but I never realised you considered her your mother.' Cynthia said softly as the others gaped.

'I have done for many years.' Shelagh admitted drawing her knees up to her chest. 'I was really quite young when I first came here as a postulant and I was suddenly living a very different life and very far from home and my friends. I suddenly couldn't see Mori anymore and we were practically inseparable at that point. That was the hardest part for me. I would not have survived my early years without Mum. I love her very much.'

'She loves you too you know. She looked so heartbroken when she told us about your diagnosis and when she informed us that you may well be leaving the order, and by extension, though she didn't actually say it, leaving her.'

'I know she does. We had quite the heart to heart yesterday. We did some reminiscing, some hugging, a lot of hugging in fact. Nonnatus truly is my family in more than just words. I love each and every one of you dearly. I have been blessed with you.'

'Aw Shelagh we love you too.' Cynthia wrapped her arm around Shelagh's shoulder as the blonde leant into her.

'It really is isn't it. A family. Our Nonnatus family. We're like sisters, always have been really-even as a nun you were closer to a sister than the the other Sisters who are like mothers or aunts.'

'What's Fred then?'

'Cousin? Same with Peter-I know he's married to our sister but it's not the same as a brother.' Jenny suggested.

'Maybe. We should let you sleep else the Sisters will kill us tomorrow. Your mother in particular.'

'Night ladies. And thank you for helping me get ready, I would have been utterly lost.'

'Our pleasure. Goodnight Shelagh Mannion.'

'Goodnight family.' Shelagh giggled as they filed out. Flopping back onto her pillow she let out a laugh of joy as the past few hours activity.