A/N. I first must thank you all for your views and reviews on "CAT-ATTACK" I'm very excited to continue that story as soon as possible.

As well, thank you all for your continued patience for each updates on my current stories. My updates however on each story will be further apart as it's coming around semester finals time for me.

Your views and reviews are as always greatly appreciated.

The usual disclaimers applied…

Enjoy…

Kind Regards…

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TC 21 - Coming Out

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"Oh... Hey up... Madame a Zonga's back..."

Celia said sarcastically, stepping from the TV room after glimpsing Caroline dancing down the passageway humming and with more than a cheerful stride in her step.

"Now what's gotten you in such a good mood Lady Muck?"

Celia queried inquisitively, observing Caroline as she dropped her bag to the floor and swung the refrigerator door open gracefully, not looking for anything particularly, but she reckoned once she saw it she would make up her mind, hum still in tack.

Her unannounced attitude reminded Celia of her little Caroline, when she would return from university all jovial, and short haired and looking like a stick, before their fall out.

She could tell there was change in the wind again.

No answer from her daughter, and her continued humming wouldn't suffice.

Celia persisted.

"What's got you smiling broader than the grand canyon?"

Patiently waiting, as she did when she learnt about Caroline's sexuality, she had bombarded the young teen with questions and lectures then of what was expected and not expected of her and that she should put shut of it as of that day.

Young Caroline had bottled up since then, until now obviously, though with a different mannerism.

Still no answer...

"How are the boys?"

A quick diversion... Caroline queried instantly, ignoring her mother's motives towards discovering her change of mood.

"The boys are fine. Angus came round and they almost burnt the place down, mucking 'bout after they got drunk an tied each other up, but just the usual tango in Harrogate, nothing out the ordinary."

Celia said comically, half annoyed at Caroline's continued redirection of her questions.

"Oh Mum, that just brilliant!"

Caroline responded distractingly, closing the refrigerator door, deciding to pour herself a glass of wine instead. The addictive substance would just about compliment the perky mood she was in, wine after all did make everything better.

She deliberated between pinot grigio and Moscato, as she retrieved the glass from it's holder.

"Pinot grigio, it is."

She concluded to herself, still swinging everything cheerfully. Celia watched the woman as she placed the glass on the island. Smirk broad across her face. She looked quizzically, hoping her stare would be more effective. Caroline could feel her fixed gaze but ignored her mother while she poured her wine and returned the bottle. Wiped the island quickly then taking the full glass of wine in hand, reclaimed her travel bag from the floor.

"If you must know… Which you should… Kate and I are back together."

Caroline said leaning forward and kissing her Mum, taking extra caution not to spill her wine a she braced forward.

"Last night… Was marvelous."

Celia immediately, held one hand in the air halting the mysterious woman's disclosure of last night's details. Caroline reflexively leaned back from the sudden motions from her mother, instinctively predicting the spill of her wine and avoiding the contact.

Disaster prevention... Successful...

"Mum... Have I embarrassed you?"

"Well… I don't need to know… I'm glad you're happy again, cause I was beginning to wonder what would become of you."

Celia looked her daughter up and down.

"I was beginning to think the wind would blow you away, You're just bone these days, I can see more frown lines on your face than when you were married to that twat of a husband..."

Celia gestured towards holding Caroline's face to point out the lines in mention as she spoke.

"Oh you know what's his name?"

Sarcastically spoken. Refusing to voice the man's name from her mouth.

"Ok point taken Mother."

Caroline said in a motherly tone retrieving her face, pivoting and resuming her previous steps, going up the stairs as Celia still stood in awe of her chirpy, almost unrecognizable daughter again.

"Oh."

Caroline pivoted, flickered her eyes momentarily, dropping her head slightly to bring her mother into view.

"And you'll have the best playing 'The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' at your wedding this weekend."

"Well that'll be a relieve… Alan and I had long gone concluded digging Handel from the grave, as we were sure no one else could play the very complex 'sinfonia'."

Celia said in her best put Italian accent tilting her body to the air.

"Well you can call off the exhumation."

Caroline said effectually... Proud of her talented girlfriend...

"And just so you know as well."

She inhaled lifting her head as proud as a peacock getting ready to extend her tail.

"I'm going to ask Kate to move in with me."

Celia's face immediately changed from a smile to an obvious frown.

"Are you sure that's a good idea love?"

Celia said without thinking, she paused and repositioned her frown and changed her tone, observing a defensive Caroline, lowering her shoulders into her body, like a cheetah in the wild positioning to attack a helpless gazelle. She would wait impatiently however for her prey to expound before launching her attack.

"I mean, so soon after you've gotten back together, surely there must be things that needs sorting out love?"

"Mum."

She maintained her joyful tone as she proceeded to resonate the words that needed to finally be spoken.

"I Love Kate and I've already wasted so much time the past two months being separated from her, because of my own stupidity."

She twisted her face in disgust of the actions that had led to their misunderstanding.

"Nothing could possibly happen now to make me question or change my mind and feel any different... I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

It was sealed. The words had finally been spoken. She had never said the words aloud before, but they flowed so naturally, she reckoned her mother should be the first to know all things considered.

Celia stood in astonishment, she had never been fully supportive of the relationship and she was relieved when they had broken up to be honest, at least the rumors had subsided slightly.

Being a lesbian without a partner didn't give room for as much gossip and embarrassment for her. At least then she could have told Muriel that Caroline was single at her wedding without it being a complete lie, but just an evasion of the prologue of her daughter's new found lifestyle without having to expound.

She would say 'new' as she wouldn't dear disclose that she had known all these years, that was utter embarrassment, and would give her sister too much to gossip about, ruining her day as usual.

But how could she avoid it now? With Caroline boastfully parading around with her plus one, a woman, under her arms? Surely even the blind would be able to see clearly what was going on between the women.

"Good God."

Celia thought as Caroline resumed her steps up the stairs. At least when she came home from university she had the decency to leave her lifestyle behind.

"Mum?"

William asked stepping out the TV room.

"Hi kids."

She shouted in a singing tone down the stairs, without waiting for an acknowledgement, Caroline turned and opened her bedroom door, then closed it, leaving her untuned hums fading in the passage way.

Her dream of Kathlin Dawson could recommence immediately and it would, she would ask Kate to move in and then they could resume their previous plans.

Lawrence joined the two in the passage after hearing the commotions. Again both boys were left standing looking at Celia for answers of their mother's sudden change in attitude.

…

Kate pulled up to her drive way, three hours later, the one an a half hour drive had doubled at the distracting speed she was going. She needed to clear her head, she had not planned any of what had happen.

She had hoped to not have even spoken to Caroline, but she had to come over to congratulate her.

"Why?"

Then the run in with Caroline in the elevator, being unwillingly brought back to her hotel room, no matter how much she had secretly wanted it. Caroline's confession, and every unmentioned motioned that had followed that night.

She would admit she had forgotten everything that had happened over the past two months. It felt like there had been no distance, no wounds, no separation or rejection once their bodies had rejoined.

Caroline had taken total control of her body last night and devoured her endlessly.

Soft and passionate at first... The acts of 'the love of apology'...

Kate was speechless when the blonde kept going at her ferociously, not leaving an inch of her unattended.

Ravishing her entire body animalistically... The acts of 'the love of starvation'...

It had been a lengthy fast for them both, Kate knew Caroline was a bit tipsy but that wasn't a hinderance with the execution of the blondes articulate moves.

Kate felt like her body had been withered til last night. Til Caroline had watered her plant and made her flowers spring so close to winter, both seasons colliding sending shivers through her naked body. Shivers in places she never remembered existed, depths only the blonde knew how to sink to.

It was a night of passion, whispers and utter satisfaction.

One she wished would never end. But her reality began the second her feet hit the floor this morning, the weight of the world and her decisions over the past few months weighed heavily on her like it hadn't before.

She would have to confess to Caroline what she had done.

"But how?"

She was hoping to leave, without her even finding out, she after all wasn't obligated to the woman anymore. She wanted to disappear without having to face Caroline, now she had gone and done this. Make herself vulnerable again to the woman who had hurt her so badly.

She constantly replayed the night, stepping from the car, popping the trunk and retrieving her bags. The same bags Caroline had walked her to her car with. Placing them inside and opening the car door for her. Everything in the past 24hrs had just seemed so perfect, as if nothing had happened.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come to yours with you now?"

Caroline had asked again with disappointment in her voice trying to convince the woman that there was nothing more important than her right now.

"No... No..."

She needed to think quickly again. Another diversion was needed.

"You need to get home to the boys, and I have a lot of cancelation calls to make and rescheduling to do."

Kate closed the trunk and began her slow stroll towards her front door. She could still feel the warmth of Caroline's breath on her ears as she whispered between soft kisses at her car door earlier.

"Will I see you later? I need to see you later, I don't want you more than seconds away after today."

Caroline said playfully running her hands along her back and brushing her lips teasingly along her neck momentarily before leaning out of the embrace and looking into the shivering woman's eyes awaiting an answer.

Shivers... For more reasons than one on Kate's body. Kate exhaled, grateful for the extra hours she was able to buy herself as she nodded her head convincingly.

The immediate open of her front door jolted her reminiscence as the figure emerged in the doorway halting her on the narrow steps.

"Let me get those for you..."

A smiling face now, claimed the bags from Kate's hands. The same bags Caroline had hijacked last night in the elevator and only released early this morning into the trunk.

"I thought you were going to drive back last night?"

The question she registered was indicated rhetorically. She looked into the small cozy cottage beyond the face before her. The cottage she once use to love calling home.

And there it was, she couldn't evade her reality anymore, the truth she now needed to face was before her as the figure pivoted with her bags, talking over their shoulder disappearing beyond the passage. Kate walked slowly mirroring the steps at a hauling pace.

...