Syed just stared at the papers in Christian's hand and his mind went blank. Well, not quite blank, it felt more cartoonish with an 'uh-oh' floating around in his brain.

"Amira signed this," Christian said as he saw the signatures on the page. "Did you see her?"

"No, I didn't," Syed responded quickly. Christian probably wouldn't have had much of a problem with him seeing Amira, but then there was always the problem of Qadim, and if he knew that Syed was living with Christian now then maybe he might come back and finish the job he started on Christian all those months ago. Syed knew that possibility worried Christian to bits and it was one of the reasons he'd kept his application for divorce a secret from him.

"Then what? Why are you hiding this from me?" Christian put the divorce papers down and leaned back against the chest of drawers.

"I didn't want you to worry. And I didn't know how Amira would react or how long it would take..."

"And you didn't think I'd want to know about this? Syed, we're partners, we're supposed to be honest. Remember? We talked about this."

"I know, I just... I thought that once it was official we'd have a weight off our shoulders, and we'd be able to get on with our lives with everything done and dusted. I just thought it was my mess to clear up."

"What about her father?" Christian asked anxiously. Syed could see his knuckles whiten where they held onto the side of the furniture.

"I don't know. I've done everything through a solicitor, there's been no contact with anyone and it went surprisingly smoothly."

"I don't want them anywhere near us, Sy." Christian looked up at him, his eyes giving away a raw emotion inside him that showed his fear of what could have happened back in May. Syed had only seen the aftermath but from what he'd heard about how Christian had been taken away in an ambulance, it was a fear he completely understood. He just wished he'd been there for him, as he had been last year when Christian was hurt, and how he was here for him now.

"Neither do I," Syed said sincerely.

"It's supposed to be a new life for us."

"And it will be." Syed picked up the papers from where Christian had put them down beside them. "And these are just a part of that. It's almost official. I'm almost a free man again. Free to marry again."

Christian bit his bottom lip. "Sy..."

"I was thinking about it," Syed interrupted him. "Before the fire."

Christian seemed a little dumbfounded at Syed's revelation and remained where he was, with his eyes dropped to the sheets of paper in Syed's hand. It was true, of course. Syed had been thinking over things for a while now. He knew he wanted to be with Christian, and he knew it was for life. That was why, in the end, the decision had been easier than he expected.

When his father had punched Christian, and when Tam had told him what he'd said, it was a light bulb moment for him. He suddenly knew, despite the argument he'd had with Christian and despite the times Syed had rejected him or denied him or blanked him in the street, that Christian still loved him. And that he loved him enough to declare it in a packed pub. Christian wasn't out partying and hooking up with strangers. He wasn't bed hopping, he wasn't trying to find someone else to spend his life with - he was still stuck on Syed. When Tam had told Syed everything, his stomach had flipped - and it was then that he knew he had to be with Christian again.

It was only when he came over and Christian asked him about his parents that he stopped properly to think for a moment. And that moment had cost him when Christian had pushed him away; but he didn't give up. Christian had a point and he'd known then that it couldn't be like it had been when he'd been with Amira, when he'd been lying not just to everyone around him, but also to himself. He'd searched his holy book looking for answers, for a passage that would tell him loving Christian was wrong, and he couldn't find one. Reading it again had been a revelation for him. His eyes had opened, and when he wanted to interpret the words to what they could mean for him, then it seemed so much clearer to him. Allah made him. Allah loved him as he was.

After being apart from his family before and banished, he'd vowed not to be alone like that again. But with Christian, he wouldn't be. Christian was his family right now more than anyone else. Tam was as well, but with his parents acting like they were then he was still looking at a smaller family than he was used to.

He couldn't help it though; the 'family' value that was ingrained in him meant that he wanted to do what everyone else did. He'd always wanted to get married and have children and that hadn't changed. It might be more difficult, but it hadn't changed. And he wanted to marry Christian.

"I want us to be a family."

"Can we talk about this later?" Christian asked. "I'm tired and this is... a lot... to take in right now."

"Of course." Syed frowned, worried. "Maybe you should go to bed. I'll help you."

"I can manage." Christian shrugged off Syed's helping hand and wandered away from him, gesturing that he was going to get organised in the back room. Syed dragged a hand over his face and realised with a start that he was shaking. He held his hand out in front of himself to see it, and then stretched his fingers and rubbed his hands together.

He wasn't sure what to make of Christian's reaction but he didn't think it was good. Something seemed off, or missing - and he still couldn't put his finger on it. He needed to talk to Christian about it, properly. He knew Christian loved him, he knew they'd always be together... what he didn't know was why Christian had twice shied away from the idea of a wedding.

The next morning, Christian was in the shower when the buzzer went.

They'd gone to bed slightly awkwardly the night before but after a good night's sleep they seemed to be back on track, though Syed knew neither of them had fully forgotten the conversation from last night.

But they'd been having a bit of a lazy morning. They'd slept in - though hadn't done much sleeping. Right now Syed was hoping that they hadn't reverted to their old ways; seeking solace in the physical aspect of their relationship in order to cover up their argument from the night before.

Syed was going to go with Christian into the shower but it was all a bit of a 'faff' trying to keep the stitches dry without the added complication of them being in there together, and distracted. With a pout, Christian had let Syed leave to go make them a proper brunch and Syed had been relieved to a degree as he wanted some time to think about what to say to Christian next.

He licked some sauce from his fingers and ran back to check the pots as Jane entered and took off her coat.

"Syed... have you been talking to anyone in the square recently?"

"I guess so, but no major discussions. Why?"

He turned to look at her and could sense a tension and perhaps some guilt as she blushed slightly.

"Remember what you told me in the car a few days ago? On the way back from the hospital?"

Syed decided to be careful in his approach. "You mean... when you badgered out of me why I was in a mood..."

"Yes, that conversation." She nodded her head but was refusing to meet Syed's eyes, and that made him highly suspicious.

"What about it?" He hedged.

"Well," Jane scratched the back of her head, "I'm not sure there's an easy way to say this but... everyone is going around saying you and my brother are engaged."

Syed strode back out of the kitchen area quickly. "What?" He demanded.

"I don't know how it happened... Chinese whispers?" She shrugged.

"What did you say to people?" Syed growled, trying to keep his voice down as he heard the shower switching off.

"I think the girls took it all the wrong way. I may have said that you asked."

"You told people?" Syed rubbed his head. "Does Christian know?"

"I don't know. As far as I'm aware Christian only knows that I know that you asked him." She paused as she ran the sentence back through her head. "So unless someone else has said something to him then I doubt it. He's been in here most of the time, hasn't he?"

Syed nodded. Christian had stayed put for the most part and only been outside if Syed had been with him.

"He hasn't said anything to me." Syed kept his chin propped on his hand. "We can't tell him."

"And how are you going to keep it from him? Anyone could say something in conversation." Jane stayed close to Syed as they talked in harsh whispers.

"We'll just have to set people right and then maybe he'll never find out. Maybe we can keep it from getting to him..."

"Good luck with that." Jane glanced at the door to the back room and then turned and walked away to lean on the table.

"Hey, sis." Christian wandered out wearing just a towel around his waist. "Didn't expect you round until lunchtime."

"Uh, it's after Twelve, Christian. Some of us have been up and working since eight."

Christian just put a hand to his chest and feigned hurt feelings. "Ouch, I'm injured, you know."

"Speaking of that," Jane approached Christian and lightly touched his side and then, with her other hand cupped his chin. "How are you, really?"

"I'm fine." Christian took his sister's hand while Syed looked on from the sidelines. "I'll be back to my normal self in a little bit, and in the meantime, I've got Sy's mother-hen routine... and yours... to keep me on the straight and narrow."

"Well, I'd better get going or Ian will have my head off for leaving the cafe for too long, but you let me know if you need anything. Anything. Straight away." Jane may as well have been talking to Bobby, by the way her tone of voice made it clear she would take no arguments.

"Promise," Christian responded, and Jane grabbed her coat and got going, promising to stop by again later. Though the look she shot Syed before going out the door was one Syed really hoped Christian hadn't caught. The weight of another secret hung in the atmosphere, whether Christian realised or not, and Syed had butterflies in his stomach as he now had to decide whether or not to tell Christian. After last night he really felt he should, but then again, after last night he really didn't want to bring up any talk about marriage for a little while longer.

Instead he opted to ask Christian how he wanted his eggs cooked, and disappeared back into the kitchen.