Caroline turned over, reaching out to hold… nothingness. She opened her eyes and was disappointed to find Kate was not there. She turned back over, peering at the clock on the bedside cabinet. 7.15. The door to the en suite was open so Kate was not in there, she must have gone down already, she thought, rising from her bed heading to the bathroom herself.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Kate had come downstairs a full half hour before Caroline had even stirred, her daughter having woken her with a little dig with what felt like an elbow. She didn't mind in the least, in fact she would happily be woken like this each morning…it relieved her. She made herself tea and stood at the large window in the kitchen looking out onto the garden, well what she could see, in the moonlight, sipping from her cup

"Yes little girl, you have got mummy up early haven't you." Kate stroked her belly talking to her daughter, as she often did when they were alone. "Even the birds are still asleep, we only have the man in the Moon for company. No one else is up yet, we couldn't wake your Ma now could we, and she needed her sleep because she had to…" Kate's thoughts went to John, the phone call in the middle of the night … she sighed, then shrugged it off, "Oh it looks cold out there, but I'm sure it's going to be another lovely day just like yesterday…. Yesterday was good wasn't it? We did a lot didn't we… now let me see what did we do first… oh yes, your Ma gave us such a lovely present… she did surprise us didn't she…maybe we could get her something nice in return mhm? And what else did we do…oh we went for a nice walk in the park with your Ma… your big brave Ma" a smile creeping onto her face, "We were very proud of her weren't we little chick, and we love her very much… yes we do….Then we had a lovely lunch and wasn't your Ma funny, telling us all those stories about when the boys were little. She made mummy laugh so hard didn't she," Kates' face broke out into the biggest smile as she remembered… "Then we went shopping so that mummy could make dinner for everyone, that was fun wasn't it, here in your Ma's kitchen….Oh and you got to officially meet your big brother Lawrence, didn't you …. I think you'll like him. He'll be a good big brother, I can tell, because he is so like his Ma and he doesn't even know it…...Now what will we do today …I wonder" she paused for a bit, contemplating "well whatever happens today little dove, we'll have fun, won't we, because we'll all be together, just you and I and your Ma and Lawrence."

Kate fell silent just letting her mind drift, a gentle smile, on a relaxed face, looking forward to the day ahead, tomorrow and the rest…

xxxxxxxxxxxx

As Caroline entered the kitchen she saw Kate standing in front of the picture window, staring out to the garden, nursing a cup in her hands.

Kate glanced back having seen a movement behind her, reflected in the window pane.

"Good morning" Kate smiled, turning to face her girlfriend coming towards her.

"Hello" Caroline lilted, taking Kates face in her hands kissing her gently "Good morning to you too. I woke up, and you weren't there… you alright?" placing her hands on Kates hips

Kate nodded "mhmm fine" smiling "Madam here just woke me up early again, then I couldn't get comfortable so I just got up. I didn't want to disturb you, you've had hardly any sleep."

"I'm Ok" Caroline said "Sorry for all this…." She shrugged her shoulders "bother with John…"

Kate grazed Carolines' cheek with her fingers "It's not your fault, you didn't ask for any of this to happen did you"?

"No, but I thought we were done with all the dramas" Caroline sighed looking at Kates tummy. "For the baby's sake and yours and mine…for everybody's sake".

Kate nodded, taking Carolines hand and leading her over to the island, making her take a seat. "Sit down and I'll get you some tea, then you can fill me in on what happened…how badly was she hurt? Is the baby really ok"?

Caroline sat down gratefully, beginning to explain "Not bad really, a cut to her head, so there was a lot of blood, but I don't think the baby was hurt. I think he…John… made more out of it than was necessary to be honest…. He couldn't tell them what had happened exactly …and the hospital obviously have to take precautions, when a baby is involved… so they were keeping her in for observation…Oh and the doctor gave them both a real dressing down…" Caroline tutted and rolled her eyes "you should have heard her… a real roasting…because Judith was drunk. She didn't leave John out either…'Are you not concerned for baby's health?' she asked him or rather bellowed at him….. I was just glad to get out of there….I was so embarrassed for the pair of them. Anyway…" she shook her head as if trying to rid herself of the memory.

"Let's hope they take some notice of the doctor then, god knows one of them should" Kate said pouring tea into a cup and sliding it over "And John is upstairs" Kate remarked neutrally

Caroline winced "Yes, sorry, thought that might annoy you."

"No, its fine" Kate replied not very convincingly "Just….just as long as this is not the prelude to something else…"

"Like what? Caroline queried confused.

"Well, like maybe popping round more often… pissed… or moving back in having fallen out with Judith… again …" Kate suggested

Caroline shook her head "No, no Kate, he won't be doing that, for the past couple of months he's been as good as gold, staying with Judith, only coming round here to see the boys…"

Kate pouted thinking …"The past couple of months?" she questioned

Caroline nodded.

"When I wasn't here. When we weren't together". She stated this time

Caroline nodded again "Yes….what are you getting at, Kate" she said puzzled.

Kate moved round to Carolines' side of the counter, "Answer me this… was it your suggestion for John to come back here last night or him asking to come back?" Kate folded her arms and stood leaning her hip against the counter top, waiting for an answer, her head tilted to the side, chin raised in question.

Caroline frowned thinking, nibbling her lower lip, as was her habit "Now that you mention it… it was John who asked, he said he couldn't face being in the flat himself and could he just come back here …I just thought, well if it meant I'd be home sooner and back in bed with you all the faster, then, yeah he could sleep in the spare room." she shrugged.

"Hmm" Kate said smugly.

"You don't think he's…because you're…" Caroline asked, but she was coming to her own realisation, answering her own question.

"Mhm, Yes I do Caroline. That's exactly what I think. "Kate said slowly nodding her head "John is like a little child, he doesn't want a toy until someone else has it. He wants to have his cake and eat it and have you at his beck and call as if he has some right to you because you were his wife. He still feels like he has a claim on you or something... I don't want you, but I can't stand to see you with someone else'…. I'm sorry to put this so bluntly Caroline, but you can be so naïve sometimes. John is manipulative and sly and I don't trust him. Oh, he may be very subtle in what he does, but I just…" Kate didn't finish she just stood up straighter and looked at her girlfriend sighing.

Caroline stared, Kate could see the cogs whirling in her girlfriends mind, the slightly open mouth, the darting movement of her eyes as she processed everything she had just said. "How did he even find out you were back here… we were together…? He wasn't at the wedding" Caroline asked still processing, not waiting for an answer "And I didn't mention it until we were on our way home last night…he asked who was looking after Lawrence and I said… Kate… Yeah…funny thing is he didn't seem surprised at that." The penny dropping.

"Lawrence?, he may have phoned his dad to tell him about it …the wedding I mean, or John may have phoned him" Kate suggested.

Caroline let out a sigh "I'll have a word with him, when he comes down..." she said shaking her head

Kate said "No, Caroline, you won't"

Caroline looked up in surprise "I won't?"

"No…" Kate stated emphatically, placing her palms flat down on the work surface of the island "WE… will have a talk with John when he comes down Caroline. WE… are in this together, WE… are partners, so the sooner he gets the message the better. He is not going to insinuate himself into our life together or emotionally blackmail you into being involved in what he does.. He still has a right to see his sons… but you …No, I'm not having him take advantage of you again."

Caroline purposefully rose from her chair and gathering Kate into her arms she said in a low throaty voice "My, my, Miss MacKenzie, I rather like it when you get all riled up and protective like this…coming to my defence…but you do know, that he has no hold over me, don't you". Kates velvety brown eyes drawing Caroline in, she was sinking into their depth would gladly have stayed there all day.

Kate, let a little embarrassed laugh escape "Sorry, got a bit heated there, must be the hormones" she said with a sigh holding onto Carolines upper arms "I mean it Caroline, we need to just let him know how the land lies, now. He has to get his life in order, on his own and not come running back to you whenever he feels like it, making life awkward for us, as if there are 3 of us in this relationship, him always hovering in the background."

Caroline nodded. "You're right, Kate, you're always right" hugging Kate to her she said "I should have realised sooner, we'll sort it, the sooner the better…for all of us "

xxxxxx

"Hi… sorry…didn't mean to interrupt anything "John sidled further into the kitchen, clearing his throat…standing awkwardly, half averting his gaze, looking at the ceiling then down at his feet, his hands in his pockets.

Caroline broke off their embrace with a sigh, "John," she said turning round to face her ex-husband her shoulders dropping involuntarily. She couldn't quite let go of Kate altogether, so held her hand as they stood side by side facing him. A resigned look on their faces.

"Hi Caroline, Kate…" John said with the attempt of a smile "Jesus" he exclaimed doing a double take, "You're pregnant!" He yelled as he focused his attention on Kate, his mouth open in astonishment

"John!" Caroline retorted indignantly, anger flashing in her eyes. She looked at Kate, scared of how she would react to Johns, frankly stupid, exclamation.

Kate closed her eyes bowing her head sighing deeply, before muttering under her breath 'unbelievable'. She raised her head opening her eyes and looked directly at John, "Yes, John I am pregnant, 10 out of 10 for observation." She replied dryly.

Caroline stifled a laugh, No longer worried at Kates reaction, well she was worried, but not for Kate.

John looked at Kates' baby bump then her face then at her bump again, trying to comprehend, slowly coming to realisation.

"You didn't say Caroline, you didn't tell me that she was …was…you know…." He motioned with his hand in Kates direction all the while addressing Caroline as if Kate was a mere fixture "You didn't tell me you had planned all this" he blustered

'Oh John, back off, you've picked the wrong time to start anything with Kate, she'll eat you alive!' Caroline thought but didn't say it. She was about to answer, when she was stopped by Kate giving her hand a little squeeze, an imperceptible backwards pull.

"Why would Caroline tell you John, it really is none of your business is it? Unless you have forgotten you are no longer married to Caroline or even part of her life, I'm her partner now, so why would she share any information about these things with you? You gave up the right to know anything about who she sees, what she does, what plans she makes, the day you walked out and left her and your sons behind."

John's face was a picture. Kates' calm, controlled voice was deceptive, it was the underlying 'put down' in its meaning, cutting in the message it delivered, but melodic to the ear, It confused the senses …it confused John even more.

"So let's just put aside the fact that I'm pregnant, for the time being, and let's discuss the more pressing matter of your pregnant girlfriend who is, right this very minute, lying in the hospital, having drunkenly, I assume, taken a nose dive down the stairs. Don't you think you should be more concerned with that aspect of your life? Mhmm"? Kate finished looking at John waiting for an answer…John stared, he was still trying to take in what Kate had just said to him…'mousy little Kate, who wouldn't say boo to a goose….did she just insult me?! What did she say about Judith?'

"Caroline I…" John looked pleadingly at his ex-wife…panic in his eyes, he didn't know how to deal with this

Caroline was trying to stop herself from laughing …'that wouldn't be helpful', she told herself

Pulling herself together she spoke calmly "John, I think Kate's right, I think what you should really be doing now is giving the hospital a ring to find out how Judith is this morning and then we can run you home to your flat to get your car. She will probably be allowed home today anyway….so…."

Taken aback by the united front the two women had put up, John was defeated, no support from Caroline his only option was to back off, "Right, yes … I suppose… I will just ….maybe I should…eh…" he nodded and looked at his feet. "I'll just pop next door and give them a ring" he nodded once more, a rictus smile twitching his lips, turning on his heels.

"Well, I think the message was received, but I'm not sure it was understood" Caroline said to Kate.

"You're not feeling sorry for him are you? We weren't too harsh were we?" Kate asked.

"Nope," Caroline answered "It's time."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The four of them were getting into Carolines car having had breakfast together, John very subdued, Lawrence oblivious to the awkwardness in the air.

Caroline made a point of holding the passenger door open for Kate to get in, whilst Lawrence and John made their way to get in the back. The pecking order established, Caroline got into the drivers seat.

"Right John, we'll drop you off first then we can get on with our day. All right?" Caroline chirped.

"Fine. Thanks" John said dully, giving her one of his usual fake smiles.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Getting out of the car 30 minutes later, Lawrence called "Bye Dad, let us know how Judith is".

John gave him a cheery wave "Bye, Lawrence, yes I will". Popping his head back into the car he said "Thanks Caroline, for the lift. Kate" he nodded in Kate's direction by way of an acknowledgement.

Kate was just relieved to be rid of him. The dismissive way he always treated her, trying to undermine and disrupt hers and Carolines' relationship, by just being there, a reminder of the past. He had no hold on Caroline, she knew it. It was just the sense of 'familiar' that made it easy for Caroline to put up with him, like an old chair. Well it was time to get rid of the old and bring in the new in their lives from now on Kate thought.

Caroline couldn't help but watch him as he walked away, dishevelled, round shouldered, needing a shave, lighting up a cigarette as he went.

'What did I ever see in him' she thought 'He really does need to pull himself together…. But that is not my problem anymore…' she thought driving off to spend the day with her beautiful girlfriend and her treasured son.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx