A/N- It's the final countdown! 8 more stories to go. If you have anything you would like me to include, please post it in a review or PM. Anyone who has already done so, rest assured that it is coming!
"I'll drive you to the station." Kate yawned when Caroline's alarm went off at 5am on a saturday morning.
"Yeah, like that's happening." Caroline replied, her words dripping with a gentle sarcasm.
Kate smiled and stretched, rubbing her feet against Caroline's legs, trying to wrap around them somehow to prevent her getting up. "I will. Just 5 more minutes sleep."
"Okay. 5 more minutes sleep and then you'll be up and ready for the day." Caroline nodded. She stoked Kate's hair for precisely 30 seconds before smiling when her wife gave a soft snore. Kissing her cheek, Caroline breathed her in and then stood up. Already packed and her outfit for the day already set out, all she needed to do was dress, put her make up on, check on the children and then go. Sneaking another look at Kate, she tiptoed from the room.
"I'm up!"
"KATE!" Caroline tried to blink away the mascara that had gone in her eye at her wife's sudden yell from behind her. She turned quickly, annoyed, but it evaporated immediately on sight. Kate was wearing pyjama pants still, one of Caroline's cardigans, a beanie from god knows where, and what looked like snow boots. "...I'll be two more minutes." She held out her coffee mug, which was gratefully accepted.
"Bye." Caroline muttered half an hour later into the soft lips of her love.
"Bye." Kate replied, her teeth hitting Caroline's as they both smiled.
"I really need to go, Kate. I'll miss the train." Caroline offered, before initiating the kissing again.
Kate gave a soft moan but finally pulled away, pressing herself to the door to get as far away as possible. "Go. Go now, while I can hold myself back!"
"You should have been a drama teacher." Caroline laughed as she climbed from the car.
"I'm holding on, Caroline! Quickly!"
"Shut up, people are looking." Caroline whispered with a laugh as she leaned back in to iss Kate aagain one last time before she turned and walked towards the train platform, her suitcase rolling behind her as her hips sashayed in her heels. She was half way there before she turned back with a dramatic flare and called, "Farewell, goodbye! hold on just a little longer, my love!"
Kate chuckled to herself all the way home.
Caroline smiled to herself until she realised people were indeed looking at her, and then she spent the rest of the trip alternating between mortification and amusement.
"Mum's going to be so upset." Lawrence smiled at a laughing Flora that afternoon.
"Why?" Kate asked with a frown.
"Her first night away from Flora. And you for that matter. And neither of you are blubbering messes. She will be heartbroken that you're not both pining after her."
Kate smiled. "Oh, you're winding me up."
"Wait and see! She used to call popsicle all the time and ask if we missed her."
When Kate's phone rang that afternoon, she glanced at Lawrence and then picked up the phone, taking it into the garden. "Caroline?"
"Hi."
Kate was sure she heard a sniffle. "How is the conference?"
"It's okay. Fine. Interesting, I suppose."
Kate knew this Caroline well. Walls up. But she knew her Caroline well now, too. Protecting herself from something. Lawrence was definitely right, but not for the reason he had assumed. "..Flora has been almost inconsolable since you left. And I'm probably making it worse because I miss you, too."
A definite sniffle now, and an admitted "I've been crying by myself in the bathroom for the last 20 minutes because I miss you both so much."
Kate glanced into the kitchen where Flora was once again being entertained and loving it. "Flora hasn't even had her nap because she's used to you being the one to settle her on the weekends."
"Maybe I could read to her? I brought one of her books. Just in case." Caroline brightened. Kate wondered how long it had been since her boys or even John had told Caroline they missed her when she had gone away.
"I think she will definitely love that. Hold on, I'll put you on speaker."
As soon as Caroline's voice came down the line, Flora burst into tears and reached for the phone. Kate was relieved it did seem like she missed her after all. Her giggles started soon after though, this time with Caroline giggling along.
"Kate?" Lawrence asked quietly. "Why are you crying?"
"I miss her!" Kate cried pitifully into one of Caroline's cardigans that had been over the back of a chair.
"Oh, god." Lawrence rolled his eyes.
"Yes! We are going to see mama very soon! Here she comes!" Kate pointed to the train Caroline must be on. A day later, and it had got no better. Once Kate realised she did miss Caroline and Caroline missed her she had barely slept. She had kept the blonde up with a phone call until gone 2am that mostly consisted of Kate spouting love poetry she had adored at 16 years old, and Caroline alternately crying and laughing at the state they found themselves in.
Flora watched with interest, clapping her hands excitedly, more from her mothers tone than because she had any idea what was going on. Then she spotted Caroline.
Kate saw Caroline, too. She wore jeans, flats, her hair down and not an inch of makeup on. She looked magnificent.
Flora was the first to burst into tears, reaching out her arms.
Caroline's face was delighted as she reached out to take her daughter. "Oh, I missed you!"
"We missed you, too." Kate replied tearfully. "Me most of all."
Caroline quickly enveloped Kate into the hug as well, almost successfully stopping her own tears. Almost. "It's been 36 hours, Kate! Why are we crying?!"
"Don't know."
"We are being silly."
"We are being in love."
"..that doesn't make sense."
Kate let out a laugh and kissed her wife's cheek. "Shut up and come home. Where you're never allowed to leave again."
"Not ever?"
"Nope."
"Not even for work?"
"Well, maybe for work, but only on days I say you can."
"I'd better let Beverley know I won't be in on Monday, then."
"Or tuesday. I'm going to need at least 36 hours in your company to make up for it."
"I'd better have Wednesday off, too, just in case."