Jim and Sarah had enjoyed a quiet lunch in the park under a big tree and were now relaxing as Karol slept in the pram beside them.

"I don't remember the last time we had a picnic," Jim mused as he tidied up the remains of their lunch.

"5 months ago, maybe," Sarah answered. She remembered Karol had been with them and she had been tiny then, and Jim had been sober that day.

"We should do it again," he said happily.

She nodded. "I had a nice time."

Jim took her hand and intertwined their fingers.

They stared at each other and said nothing for a while.

Jim's mind was blank aside from thinking about how much he loved her. He looked at her beautiful face and he thought about kissing her soft full lips. Before he could make a move he noticed her expression get sadder and she quickly pulled her hand away from his. He wondered if he'd thought something that had upset her, why didn't she want him thinking nice things about her and about kissing her?

Sarah avoided his eyes and busied herself putting trash into a bag.

He saw her trying to push back tears. "What did I do, darlin'?" he asked softly as he put a hand on her arm.

She looked at him and shook her head. She knew if she tried to tell him she'd cry. She went back to moving the trash around.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He didn't know why he was apologising for but he was sorry for upsetting her.

She stopped and took a breath before looking at him. "It wasn't you," she whispered. She looked across the park at a woman who had passed them a moment ago.

"She thought something?" he asked as he noticed the woman.

Sarah nodded.

He stroked her arm to console her. "Well, I think she looks like a drug-abusing hooker and is a fine one to think crap about someone else," he joked.

Sarah smiled at his attempt to cheer her up.

"Do you want to go back?" he asked her.

She looked back to him, then at Karol to check she was settled, then back at Jim. "No," she said softly.

"Good," he said. "I don't suppose there is any more food?" he asked, he'd been hungry all day despite eating his and half of Sarah's pancakes.

"I have an apple if you want it?" she had packed it for her afternoon snack but she could feel his hunger and she'd rather he ate it.

"You don't want it?" he asked.

She shook her head as she reached for her bag. She rummaged around for the apple, as she did a small piece of paper fell out.

Jim grabbed it to stop the wind taking it and noticed the logo of their doctor's practice on the top.

Sarah quickly took the paper from him and put it back in her bag. She passed him the apple and moved her bag away.

Jim looked at her in shock and wondered why she had that and more importantly why she didn't want him to see it. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Why did you visit the doctor?" he asked concerned.

She pushed a stray tendril behind her ear and tried to dodge the question, "I'm fine. It's nothing."

He gave her a look which told her he wasn't going to drop the subject.

She gave up and told him, "I needed to get the morning after pill."

He looked at her in confusion for a moment.

"I don't think either one of us wants me to get pregnant again," she said sadly then pushed the conversation away. "Eat your apple, they're pretty good this time of year."

He knew she was right about the pregnancy thing but he was saddened that she tried to hide it from him. He took a bite out of the apple; it was good.

Sarah heard Karol stir in her pram and let out a few cries, she raised herself up onto knees to peek into her and let Karol know she was close by. "Shhhh," she told her as she placed a hand onto Karol's blanket covered body. "Mommy's here," she promised.

Jim did feel a knot in his stomach as he watched her mother their child. He felt so guilty for the things he'd said and thought about her as a mother; she really did seem to care about their child.

Sarah ignored Jim's thoughts. She knew she was crap at being a mother but she couldn't go back and undo things. She could only make the best of a bad situation. She looked at the little girl in her pram and smiled, "be a good girl and go back to sleep." When she was confident Karol was settled she sat back down beside Jim who had just finished the apple.

He wanted to make conversation about Karol, to tell Sarah that she was doing good, but instead he just asked, "got any more apples?"

"At home," she smiled. Sarah looked over at a group of people staring at her and Jim and frowned.

Jim noticed her attention drift from him and her expression change. He looked over his shoulder and saw the people. He looked back to Sarah and took her hand. "Ignore them," he told her.

She looked at him and tried to force a smile through her sadness. "Easier said than done," she replied.

Jim shifted his body weight closer to her and put his arm around her. He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear, "Focus on my thoughts about what I'm going to do to you tonight."

She looked at Jim and blushed. He always could picture the most graphic things about her; even from the very first moment he saw her. "I'm not sure that still fits," she said.

He looked down at her larger breasts and smiled, "I see."

She giggled. She brought her hand to his face and kissed him softly. "I'm looking forward to tonight," she said.

"Me, too," he replied as he kissed her again.

So we've had a bunch of fluffy chapters... but there are troubles brewing beneath the surface and things are going to kick off 'tonight'...