The sandwiches lay forgotten as Vanessa reached for Charity's shirt to pull her in closer. Charity gently placed her thumbs against Vanessa's cheeks as her hands curled around the vet's jawline, afraid that Vanessa might pull away. Instead, Vanessa moved her hands to Charity's back as she deepened the kiss and by the time they parted for air Charity had lost track of everything else.

Vanessa stroked a tear from the corner of Charity's eye as she gazed dazedly at the other woman, "please don't cry."

"I'm just..." Charity hastened to wipe away a tear from the other eye as she spoke, "it's fine. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Just a few too many emotions going on right now, all good though."

Vanessa smiled understandingly, "I'm not going to change my mind, Charity."

"Okay. Good, 'cause I've missed you, us... this. I can do so much better this time."

"Hey, enough of that. It wasn't all your fault, we were dealing with a lot and... can we just put all of that in the past? We just need to believe in us, take it slow. Perhaps we put too much pressure on it before, moved too fast..."

"Vanessa I want to marry you, I want us to pick up where we left off, I don't need to take things slowly. I'm not the same Charity I was before."

"And maybe I'm not the same Vanessa," she stroked Charity's arm, looking a little sad, "we might need time to figure out how we fit together now, and there are the kids to consider."

"I really don't think they'll mind."

Vanessa wanted to tell Charity that she loved her. She knew it was ridiculous after everything that had happened, that she shouldn't still be feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. Then Charity kissed her again and she was reminded that some things hadn't changed. Her heart was racing, and it wasn't the only part of her body reacting to the other woman.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, "we should tell Noah and Sarah the truth, but not Johnny and Moses, not just yet."

"What if they're on a playdate together and I want to kiss you?"

Vanessa shook her head, "I don't want them thinking we're all moving back in together. We need to take things slowly."

"You already said that. How slowly are we talking here, babe?"

"Dates, time alone," then at Charity's sudden grin she quickly added, "to talk."

"Serious stuff. Well I guess we skipped a few of those steps before, could be fun to try them now just don't forget I'm not as young as I used to be so no wild outdoor adventures..."

Vanessa laughed, "what are you talking about? We're both still young and that was one walk in the forest trying to get pinecones for the kids school project."

"We were wandering around lost for hours."

"You started complaining less than ten minutes in and we were following a footpath."

"Well it was cold and I could think of a few better things we could have been doing."

"You're incorrigible."

"Only when it comes to you. Come here," Charity stood up from the table and curled her finger inviting Vanessa to move closer.

Vanessa sighed, but complied, hoping that she wasn't making a mistake. Charity pushed their plates away and backed Vanessa up against the table.

"We're not having sex in the kitchen!" Vanessa told her, putting out a hand to keep Charity back.

"Relax babe, I just wanted a better kissing angle."

Vanessa only half-believed her, but dropped her hand and let Charity help her to sit on the table so they were at a more equal height.

"Better?" Vanessa asked when Charity gave her a chance to breathe again.

Charity smiled, moving her hands further down Vanessa's back, "you tell me."

"I'm not changing my mind about taking things slow."

"I know, you always were the stubborn one."

"Hey," Vanessa lightly swatted her shoulder, "you were plenty stubborn yourself as I seem to recall."

"Babe you could out-stubborn anyone in the country."

"Insulting me already?"

"I love your stubbornness," Charity told her, kissing the tip of Vanessa's nose when the other woman moved, "get it - stubborn and Ness, it's like the word was made for you."

Vanessa frowned, "are you trying to use reverse psychology to make me change my mind?"

"Is it working?"

"No."

Charity laughed, to show she wasn't upset, "there's my tiny blonde rocket-woman. Did I mention how much I love it when you're feisty?"

"I haven't heard that in a while."

"What? Tiny blonde rocket woman?"

Vanessa nodded, "yeah. I kind of missed it."

Charity leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I plan on calling you my tiny blonde rocket woman even when we're old and grey."

"Charity..."

"Just one more kiss, Ness."

Vanessa kissed her, feeling a little light-headed. Then Charity helped her down from the table and sat in a chair.

"I guess we should eat some of these sandwiches," Charity told her, trying to act as if she hadn't just been kissing the woman she loved.

"Yes. Lunch," Vanessa was a little surprised the change in Charity, but relieved that she hadn't pushed for more.

They managed a light conversation while they ate, with Vanessa giving her an update on Tracy's new job. When she left, after making plans for their first date, Charity only kissed her once. Vanessa was surprised, but glad she was taking the request to go slowly seriously.


Two months later...

Vanessa stormed into the Woolpack and headed straight for Charity.

Locals moved out of her way from instinct, and turned their heads to watch the scene play out. The pub had just re-opened recently and been lacking in Dingle-drama.

"What did you say to Johnny?" Vanessa rounded the bar and stepped in front of her girlfriend.

Charity looked a little stunned, she had been hoping for a kiss when she saw Vanessa arrive and had just finished serving a customer at top speed to free up her hands. Instead of kissing her though, Vanessa was standing with her hands on her hips glaring at her.

"Uh, what did I say to Johnny?"

Chas came over, eyeing Vanessa warily, "maybe this is a conversation you want to have out the back?"

Vanessa stormed off before Charity could answer. She shrugged at Chas' questioning look and followed her.

"Johnny is back at mine, crying his heart out because I don't want him to call you 'mommy Charity' again," Vanessa told Charity as soon as she had closed the door, to give them some privacy.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry babe I completely forgot."

"Well thanks to you..."

"Look, he was asking me about moving back in together now you and I are dating again. I told him we wanted to make sure the time was right and then he asked if I was still his other mother so I said yes. It was just automatic, and then I told him that I would speak to you first, if he wanted to start calling me that again. Only I forgot. It was the day Moses fell off that tractor in the park, remember? I'm so, so sorry."

Vanessa took a deep breath and felt her anger abating, "no, I'm sorry. I just... Johnny was so upset, I didn't get the full story from him."

"And I get it, really, if you're not ready to hear him calling me that yet."

"You signed the adoption papers, you helped me raise him when I had cancer... Taking him away after we split up..."

"I totally get that, and my spiral afterwards wouldn't have been a good environment for him."

"So I heard."

"Yeah, well I was heartbroken, wasn't I?"

"Charity..." Vanessa took a step towards her.

"But that's all in the past now, yeah? So moving forward, can Johnny call me mommy again?"

Vanessa smiled, "yes."

Charity moved towards her, wrapping her arms around Vanessa's waist, "and can we start thinking about all moving in together yet?"

"We haven't even spent the night together yet."

"Not for lack of trying on my part," Charity reminded her. "Cellar's free, if you're interested."

"Charity, you're supposed to be working."

"Hey, if Chas hasn't yelled at me it must be okay."

Vanessa kissed her. Holding back from taking their relationship further had been difficult, but she knew she needed it to be this way. There had been times they'd come close, but there was usually someone around to interrupt them before things went too far.

"How about I ask Rhona to look after Johnny tonight and you can come around when you've finished work?"

"Don't tell me the cellar has lost it's magical lure?"

Vanessa laughed, "I'd rather go somewhere we won't be interrupted, it does have that drawback you know."

"Fine," Charity rolled her eyes. "Don't know why I bothered replacing the sofa after the fire."

"I didn't say never," Vanessa told her, "but this will be the first night together..."

"So I get to stay the night?"

"If you're on time I'll even cook you dinner."

"You always know how to spoil a girl," Charity kissed her again.

Chas chose that moment to call through, asking if Charity was still in the building. They both laughed and Vanessa opened the door.

"If Johnny-bobs is still upset and doesn't want to go to Rhona's I'll understand," Charity told her. "We can all have dinner together and just watch a movie or something."

Vanessa kissed her one last time, loving that Charity still cared so much about Johnny, "thanks."