Another time perhaps 21.
A/N- Shortish update, now the kids are back at school I should be able to get at least one more update by the end of the week.
Caroline woke but found that she couldn't really move, Kate was sleeping deeply, her head resting on Caroline's shoulder, one arm wrapped snugly around her middle. Caroline had slipped out of bed to put on some clothes last night before they had fallen asleep, she wasn't quite brave enough to spend the whole night naked in Kate's room, or anyone's for that matter, even when she was at home alone she worried about if she awoke in the night to find the place on fire or an intruder in the house, she would want to be clothed in each of those scenarios.
As the events of last night flooded Caroline's memory, she felt her chest filling up with something, something like happiness, something like love, it felt solid and a little overpowering, pinning her in place for as long as it took for the vision of Kate to render her malleable again. She brushed her lips lightly against Kate's temple.
"Kate." She whispered, moving her shoulder a little to nudge Kate out of her nook. "Kate? We need to get up, darling."
Caroline was becoming more aware of the ever increasing noise coming from the rest of the household. Someone thumping down the staircase and a door slamming, the sound of the shower, and voices, as the rest of the house began their morning routines.
"Shhhhhh, If we stay here long enough they'll all leave." Kate assured, her eyes screwed shut and her grip on Caroline tightening.
"How can you be so sure?" Caroline asked with the quirk of a brow.
"It's Sunday. Church." Kate yawned softly.
"Shouldn't you be going with them?" Caroline asked.
Kate shook her head. "Nope. When we turned 16 it became optional, before that we got dragged along every week. Leon still goes religiously, " Kate joked. "but as soon as Vicky hits 16 she will be exercising her right to stay in bed, I imagine."
"But you still go sometimes?" Caroline questioned.
"Yeh, Christmas eve, Easter maybe, now and again if I need to get into Mum or Dad's good books." Kate admitted. "It's more tradition than anything else, I suppose."
Caroline nodded thoughtfully. She had never been that into God, her family hadn't been church goers, at least, not that she could remember and the last time she was in church had probably been as a baby for her own christening which her Grandmother had insisted upon. Despite all that she had still wondered, if there was a God, if those people were right, what would he make of her, of what she was doing?
"Anyway, this morning I am certainly not going to waste my time at Church. We only have a few hours before we have to head home." Kate reminded.
Caroline felt a sadness creep between them at the thought and Kate pulled the duvet high up over their heads, keeping them under cover as she kissed Caroline's mouth, once, twice and then a long kiss that held them together for as long as they could manage before they ran out of air. Caroline's feet were poking out of the bottom of the covers and turning cold, she pulled them inside and her shifting only provoked Kate into climbing up on top of her and trapping her in place, her legs tangling in Caroline's.
Caroline stilled, she thought the noise was dying down, whether from the nearness of Kate or from the family's departure, she couldn't really tell.
"I could give you a lift back today if you like?" She offered, looking up at Kate hovering above her.
"That would be good." Kate shrugged, wishing they didn't have to talk about it yet. She closed her eyes. "I wish we had another night." She said, slightly pushing her body against Caroline's.
"Me too." Caroline admitted in a small voice, but one that was there, that was heard.
"We could continue what we stated last night..." Kate said, almost questioning.
"We could."Caroline agreed, her hand tripping down over Kate's bare back and seeing her girlfriend shiver at this touch and the memory of another. "I want to." The blonde admitted.
"Really?" Kate asked hopefully, a lopsided smile.
"Except we have to get back." Always the voice of reason. "And I don't think I can...here...while your family is in church...it wouldn't feel right."
"It's love Caroline, God is all about love!" Kate almost laughed but at the insistent, raised brow of her girlfriend she sighed and the arms she had been propping herself up on, finally collapsed in defeat.
"It'll be harder though..." Caroline confessed as conciliation, holding Kate close. "It's getting harder...to leave you."
"Good." Kate told her, almost happy again.
XXX
Kate turned the knob on the car radio, searching again for a station she approved of, suddenly "I don't want a lover" by Texas filled the car and she smiled at her success, settling back into her seat. Caroline reached for the opposite knob and turned the volume down a little, much to Kate's amusement.
It was a bright Autumn day, despite being chilly the sun highlighted the yellow and gold trees they drove through, hanging above them like a curtain of crunchy cornflakes, Kate tracked the journey of just one as it was pulled free of it's branch and spun and fluttered to the ground.
"So, you didn't tell me what happened with your parents?" Kate asked now., her attention back in the car.
Caroline quickly looked from the road to Kate, who was turned in the passenger seat, slightly towards Caroline, ready to listen.
"He's gone, he's left her. For good I think." Caroline admitted.
"For another woman?" Kate checked.
"Yes." A short nod.
"Men only leave women for another woman, especially men like your Dad." Kate said wisely. "If she gets sick of him, he'll be back."
"Maybe. I don't know...he seemed...happy and she looked...normal, not like a tart or anything." Caroline said.
Kate considered this. "So your Mum is on her own?"
Caroline nodded, not wishing to look at Kate, not wishing to truly think about all that that implied. "It's strange. I didn't expect it to make me so sad, it's not as if they were ever happy."
"No, but they were there. Reliable, Safe. Home. No one is pleased when that falls apart." Kate remarked sympathetically.
Caroline nodded at the truth in this, both hands firmly on the steering wheel as she overtook another car, pleased she had the driving to distract her.
"So, what are you going to do now?" Kate asked.
"About my parents? Just be there to help Mum, I suppose. I'll have to try and get back for a couple of weeks over Christmas. I might ring my Auntie Muriel to come and stay a little while with her before that, not that she'll thank me...probably kill me." Caroline mused.
"And about your Dad?" Kate asked.
"I don't know. He wrote down his new address for me, as I was leaving. I don't know if he meant in case of emergency or ...come and see me when you're next home...or what? I never really had a relationship with him that was independent of Mum. I'm not sure how it would go?" Caroline spoke uncertainly.
"What do you want to do? Do you want to see him? Make a new relationship with him? And maybe this new woman?" Kate put to her.
Caroline frowned. "I don't think Mum would approve of that, do you? It would break her heart."
"What about you?" Kate asked patiently.
Caroline shrugged. "He's my Dad."
"She'll be okay...your mum. I know it doesn't seem like it at the moment but...she seemed tough to me...and she has you...she'll be fine."
Kate lent in, over the gap between the seats and kissed Caroline on the cheek, before going back to fiddling with the radio controls, trying to avoid the advertisements on the local station and find some more music.
Xx
Kate had never felt more regret at reaching York and her halls of residence. As Caroline had driven them closer, Kate had grown quiet under the weight of her heart, giving Caroline the last few directions in a low stilted voice.
"I don't suppose you'll come in?" Kate asked, as they sat in the silence of the car once the engine was shut off. "Say good bye properly?"
"I'd better not." Caroline answered. "I should get the car back, don't want to to upset Emma, especially if I want the car again...and anyway, it'll just make it worse, If I come up I won't want to leave." Caroline let her hand wander over to take Kate's, lying on her seat.
"That's okay with me..." Kate protested. "I do want you to come and stay here at some point you know? Its not always easy for me to come to you...and I want you to meet my friends, see where we go out...where I spend all my time."
Caroline tensed and looked out through the windscreen, chewing at her lip thoughtfully.
"Lizzy was asking about you..." Kate began. "Well about who the mystery guy was that I spend all my time talking to on the phone or flitting home to see."
"What did you tell her?" Caroline asked, trying not to sound alarmed.
"Nothing, yet...but I think she'd probably be okay with it...she's pretty easy going, and she's never going to let it drop...I told her I'm off the market...she'll want details."
"Isn't she the one you said has a big mouth?" Caroline asked, suddenly remembering something Kate had told her.
"You do listen to me!" Kate deflected, then with a shrug. "She could keep a secret if I asked her to, if I told her it was important."
Caroline turned to her girlfriend and clasped her hand more tightly. "I know you want to tell people Kate, I do too, sometimes I wanna shout it from the rooftops, but you really can't know how people will react and anyway why is it anyone else's business what our relationship entails. It's private, its' between you and I."
Kate sighed, she let Caroline hold her limp hand, she didn't return the pressure.
"I wouldn't want anyone to say anything hurtful to you, or treat you differently because of me." Caroline went on.
"I'm a big girl Caroline. I can look after myself." Kate argued.
"Don't be like this when I have to go." Caroline begged, patching things up, sticking a plaster on it and hoping for the best. "Will you come and stay with me? Weekend after next? I'll send you the ticket, maybe I could pick you up half way.?...I'll see if Ems using the car."
"Do you have to ask?" Kate asked rhetorically, unclipping her seatbelt and shaking her head at her own inability to stay tough when it came to a certain blonde.
Caroline grinned and pulled their fully clasped hands to her heart for a moment. "Thank you." She said. "And thank you for last night, it was amazing, I'll hardly be able to wait until then, to see you like that again, to have you."
Kate blushed, Caroline had a way of saying so much when actually saying very little. "Me too. It's going to be a long two weeks."
"You'll ring me tonight?" Caroline asked, looking away whilst she still could.
"About 8?" Kate checked.
Caroline nodded and after a quick scan of the carpark, plated a kiss on the back of Kate's hand before letting go.
"I'll see you, then." She said.
Kate nodded. "Bye." She reached her hand to the door handle.
"Bye." Caroline said softly, watching.
"Thanks for the lift." Kate said, standing outside the car now and looking back in.
"Course." Caroline said. Holding up her hand to wave as Kate stepped away from the car and turned to the building.
Caroline watched her walk away and stop and look back as she reached the door and used her fob to open the main entrance. Caroline waved again and then started the car, she had better get away.
Xxxx
Thank you for the kind reviews people they really keep me going xxxxxx