A/N: Hello! It's been so long, I know. I'm sorry. Real life has been tough and exhausting.
I can't promise when the next chapter will be up either - at the moment it's only about 3 paragraphs long and I don't know when I'll be able to write more. I'll do my best, but I'm sorry it might be a while!
x
"What's up, Callum?" Katy sighed, answering the phone distractedly.
"I need you to get down the school." He sighed. "Lexi's sick and I'm the only one around to pick her up, but they won't let me."
Pausing in what she was doing, the young woman frowned. "Why?"
"Isaac says they've got some list and I'm not on it, so I can't pick her up."
"Ohh…" Understanding washed over her and she stood up, grabbing her jacket. "I'm on my way."
"Thanks… but I don't get why I can't–"
"It's for Lex's safety." Katy explained, hurrying out of the R&R and towards the school. "When you register the kids, you have to give them a list of approved people who can collect them. Mum, Dad, Rox, Gran, Lola and Jay are on mine and I'm on Lexi's, so I can come and get her, no problem."
"So… does it just have to be family?"
She shook her head, double-checking there were no cars coming before she crossed the road. "Nope, just people you trust to pick up the kids. Tina's on mine, too."
"You heard anything from her yet?"
"I'm almost there… I'll speak to you in a few minutes." Katy ignored his question and ended the conversation and the call bluntly.
She shoved her phone into her pocket and carried on along the road until she could see the gates of the school. As she neared, she saw Isaac and the Teaching Assistant from Lexi's class fussing over the little girl while Callum stood off to the side watching from a distance.
"You faking it again, madam?" Katy called, attracting everyone's attention.
Lexi attempted to smile, her face grey. "I just threw up. I'm not faking it."
"Come one then, babe, let's get you home." Katy said, holding out her arm in Lexi's direction.
The eight-year-old stepped over the puddle of sick and joined her, burying her face in the older blonde's side and snuggling into her. Katy winced a little, remembering that she'd just thrown up, but didn't stop her. Instead she turned to Isaac with a challenging expression, arching an eyebrow at him.
"I'm assuming that's alright… seeing that I'm on that list. You're not going to raise any objections?"
Isaac looked at her for a moment, before rolling his eyes and stamping back into the building. Shooting Callum a quick smirk, Katy motioned her head for him to join her as they headed slowly towards the school gates.
"You should ask Lola to put you on the list." Katy suggested as they strolled. "It would make things easier."
"I get it… if she just wants family to be able to pick up that makes sense. It means that Lexi's safe."
"But you're Dad's boyfriend." The little girl pointed out, frowning at him. "I'm safe with you, right?"
"Course you are." Callum assured her quickly.
"Right…" Katy sensed how awkward he was and changed the subject. "Where are you heading? Your dad's or your mum's?"
"Dad's." Lexi said decisively.
"You alright to watch her then?"
Callum nodded immediately. "No problem. Thanks for…"
"Don't mention it. But honestly, Callum, I'd have a word with Ben or Lola. I can't always drop everything and come and get her when they won't let you pick up."
She sent them a smile and handed Lexi's bag to the man, pausing as she watched them heading across the Square hand-in-hand. She didn't really understand why Lola hadn't already put Callum on her daughter's collection list, but she knew that it wasn't her place to question it. She supposed that she was just glad that the school were taking things seriously.
Deciding to grab a drink on her way back to the R&R, the young woman ducked into the café and smiled at Kathy. She didn't even have to ask for anything before her business partner was turning to make her usual drink. Katy hated the fact that she wasn't supposed to be having caffeine – but there was no way she was subjecting herself to the pointlessness of decaf coffee – so instead Kathy had invested in a range of fruit teas and would surprise the younger woman with a different flavour every time she went in.
"Katy!"
Glancing over her shoulder at the sound of her name, an almost fixed smile twisted her lips. "What's up Whit?"
Thanking Kathy for her tea, sniffing at it gingerly and getting an unmistakable whiff of strawberries, Katy followed her friend towards a table at the back of the café. She settled herself against the wall, taking a sip of her drink – instantly disappointed that it didn't taste as good as it smelt – waiting for Whitney to speak.
"Gray asked me to move in… and not as the Nanny." She admitted finally.
Katy didn't even wait for her to continue before she scowled at her. "Are you out of your tiny fucking mind? You're going to move in with Gray? Gray who almost definitely killed his wife? Gray who was going to blow up his house with his kids in it? Gray who… Gray who I'm pretty sure has done something to Tina."
"Wait a minute!" Her friend glared, holding up her hands. "You ain't got proof of any of that!"
"Not yet."
"Katy, you've gotta drop this… it's not healthy!"
"What's not healthy is you shacking up with any and every guy who looks your way." Her friend snapped viciously. "How many times have we had this conversation, Whit? How many? How many times have I told you to hold back? How many times have you ignored me? How many times have I had to pick you up off the floor after you've hit rock bottom… again?"
"You know what… if you can't be happy for me, don't talk to me." Whitney ordered furiously, standing up so abruptly she almost knocked her chair over. "Stay out of my life. We're done."
"Fine by me." Katy snapped, narrowing her eyes at the brunette and leaning back in her chair. "Don't come crying to me when you realise you're in trouble."
As days passed, Katy refused to talk to anyone about her falling out with Whitney. She also refused to talk to anyone about Tina's disappearance. She'd called DS McKay a couple of times to ask whether she'd heard anything about her missing girlfriend, but either the detective didn't know anything or she just wasn't telling the young woman.
Days blurred into weeks. Katy took Ruby and the twins to school, went to work, picked the girls up and went back to work. She smiled in the right places, answered questions and took the congratulations on her pregnancy with good grace. She did her job and went about her everyday life with as much enthusiasm as she could muster.
But things weren't right. Underneath everything the young woman had the sinking feeling that she was surviving day-by-day, rather than actually living. Nothing really made her properly smile anymore and she regularly found herself drifting off and staring blankly ahead of her instead of taking in what was going on.
She knew that the people around her either thought she was absolutely fine or were incredibly worried about her. She couldn't find it in herself to let them know the truth or reassure them; whatever was needed in each case. Instead, she carried on, trying to ignore the way her parents, aunt and grandmother seemed to be spending their time watching her closely.