This chapter is a crossover with another of my stories and features one of my headcanons. I apologize ahead and don't hate me, but it is 1975...

Shelagh approached Tim at the breakfast table.

"Tim, you're always out with Julie, we never see you."

"Mum that's not true."

"Would you please bring Julie for dinner? We'd like to see her... and you."

Tim rolled his eyes, because he could and his mum often made him feel seventeen instead of twenty-seven.

"Tim, if that fringe wasn't so long, I'd have actually seen your cheeky behavior," Shelagh said.

Patrick added, "How can you see in front of you. We'll go to the barber together at lunch."

"Can I come too?" Teddy begged.

"You could use some trimming too," Patrick agreed.

Would his father insist he get haircuts when he became a husband? Julie wouldn't mind coming for dinner, but they'd been spending their time together at Julie's flat. Poor Kate had been going to bed early which allowed them time alone.

Those were the times that Tim understood Arthur and Kate's situation more than he'd like to admit. He longed to be physically closer to Jules, but he refused to make the same mistake that his friend had. Perhaps less time alone might not be a bad idea.

Tim decided to spend the morning in the surgery with his father. Tim smiled because it reminded him of the time he spent there when it was just the two of them. Having time with his father was nice. At home, Angela and Teddy demanded his attention. They often spoke like colleagues except when Dad chose to lecture him.

Tim spoke his mind without thinking. "I wish we could just be married. We're old enough."

"Son, I understand, but a man needs to be able to take care of his wife and you can't. These last two years will be hard, because you feel ready to practise, but you aren't quite yet."

"I've been in school an eternity."

"I know it feels that way, but you'll reach your goal. Soon your sister is going to start her training."

"Sometimes I wished I didn't meet Julie until I was ready to practise."

With Julie's future still uncertain, Tim was feeling restless.

Patrick laughed, "You're lucky you met her when you did, before she met someone else to fancy."

Even his father knew, he was lucky to catch a girl like Jules.

So he and Julie spent more time in Poplar and Tim had to settle for a snog when he saw her home. Meanwhile Teddy would maneuver himself to sit next to her at the table. Often Tim would play the piano or the guitar for her.

On Saturday afternoon, they found themselves with just Angela and Teddy. Surprisingly they weren't bickering, but Tim was teaching Angela some chords on the guitar and Julie was hearing about Teddy's busy day in detail. He had taken a trip with cubs which made Tim smile as he heard bits and pieces.

After the music lesson, Angela put on her new forty-five. Angela directed each of the four to sing various parts.

Angela started.

Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality...

Then Tim.

Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead...

Then Julie.

Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody I've got to go...

They all couldn't help, but sing, Scaramouch. Finally Teddy had his turn.

But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity...

They all finished the song together.

...Nothing really matters nothing really matters to me
Anyway the wind blows

Angela put it on again and Tim whispered, "We'll tire of it now.

####

Julie laughed when Dr. Turner came in and commented on the song. She understood that the song was quite bizarre. He was used to fox trot music not psychedelic rock that was the rage.

She busied herself in the kitchen. She had offered to make dinner, but Tim had made her regret her offer.

"I'll make my specialty," she teased him.

"What's your specialty?" Tim whispered nipping at her ear ever so briefly in the process.

Discussing a menu shouldn't send tingles through her straight to her center. Before meeting Tim, she only thought about that part of her body during her cycle, now it was constantly nagging her like an itch that couldn't be scratched.

Wrapping her arms around him, she slid her body against his as she stretched on her tiptoes to whisper back in his ear.

She said, "Shepherd's pie."

He pulled back and looked down at her. Her stomach clenched, he ate cottage pie so she assumed that he'd like shepherd's. Oddly enough it occurred to her that Mrs. Turner had never made one.

"Do you hate it?" she asked.

"No," he answered hesitantly. "In fact, it used to be my favorite. My Granny made the best ever. Even with her recipe, Mum couldn't compete. We haven't had one since before she passed."

"Sorry. I didn't… you never…"

Julie felt the tears welling.

"Shush, it's okay." Tim put his arms around her and pulled her close. "It'll be perfect, because it will be yours… a new family tradition."

Angela came in and asked, "What's wrong?"

Tim answered, "Nothing. Jules is making us Shepherd's pie."

"Like Granny's?" She asked excited.

"Like Julie's," Tim said in a rather commanding way.

"I thought she was your mother's mother," Julie said, meaning his real mum.

"Yes, my first mum's, but Granny had three grandchildren, not one. Ange and I stayed with her for more than a month whilst our parents were in South Africa."

She liked the way, he said first mum, but South Africa surprised her. She was still learning new things about her amazing fiance and his family.

"Did you say your mum has her recipe? Can I see it?" she asked.

She watched as Tim knew exactly where to find it. The slip of paper was crisp and the handwriting was very neat. She suddenly wished she had met her. Studying the recipe she noticed a few difference from how she made hers. She was willing to make the adjustments for Tim. She'd do most anything for Tim.

The whole family, the six of them she thought proudly, sat to dinner. She held her breath and looked on as Tim and Dr. Turner tasted her efforts. Dr. Turner hadn't hidden his delight when he heard what was in the oven.

Patrick spoke first and said, "Tim, I think Granny would approve of your choice for a wife."

"Bloody, sorry Mum, but Jules, I think this is better than Granny's. If I wasn't already, I'd marry you for your cooking skills alone."

"Julie, you're skills are superior to mine," Shelagh said.

Julie felt very pleased and finally tasted it for herself.

Teddy said, "Granny made the best cake. Do you bake cakes?"

Julie laughed as Tim's eyes look more ravenous than she'd ever seen. She knew he loved cake. They hadn't planned their wedding, but any casual talk about the wedding breakfast, Tim's only feedback was "cake!"