The red-head turned tears already falling as she dropped the plate, forgotten, into the water. Patsy didn't even dry her hands as she galloped towards Delia, collapsing into her as Delia pulled her closer and closer, gripping to the red-heads back as she buried her face in her clavicle.

"Delia…" Patsy gasped through sobs. "Oh Delia."

"Sssh Pats. You're alright, you're alright." The welshwoman soothed pressing kisses into her lover's titan tresses as if to punctuate each statement. "We're alright."

"I'm so sorry." Pats murmured. Delia sighed, pushing Patsy slightly away in order to move them down onto the settee.

"What happened cariad?" She asked as Patsy sunk into her, her head resting the crook of the Welsh woman's neck, her hand playing with Delia's.

"Mr Roberts saw us. I don't think he knows who you are but well, I don't suppose there's many people with my height, build or hair colour. He accused me and I know I should have denied it but I couldn't. I was so tired of the facade." Patsy sighed, "I know you think I cope well-"

"Pats."

"But I wasn't dealing, not anymore. Sister Julienne was horrible. I'm just so thankful Shelagh was there."

They sat in silence for a few more moments - hands entwined - before Delia slowly lifted one hand to wipe away the tracks the tears had left on Patsy's face. She smiled as she saw the other woman's eyes close as she leant into her hand. Delia sighed, knowing that more difficult conversation would have to follow, but that could wait she decided, as she dipped her head and pressed her lips lovingly to Patsy's.

"I love you." Delia whispered as she pulled away tucking a stray strand of hair lovingly behind Patsy's ear.

"I'm the same." Came Patsy's strangled but strangely reassuring response. At first Delia had found it infuriating that the older woman couldn't simply say three words but now she understood that this, this was Patsy's way. That wasn't to say Patsy never said those three words because she did, but somehow this felt more intimate, it was theirs and it was familiar. Suddenly, despite everything, Delia had the feeling that everything was going to be alright.

—

"Mrs Turner… or Nurse Turner…"

Shelagh turned to see Tess Roberts beckoning her over. Truth be told, Shelagh had been avoiding the woman, unsure how best to approach her and in another way unwilling to engage in any conversation about the events that had occurred the day before. None of them knew where they stood and with the jury still out on Patsy's future she wasn't entirely sure a conversation with Mrs Roberts wouldn't jeopardise that.

"Yes Mrs Roberts?"

"Where's Nurse Mount?"

"She's off today." Shelagh replied cautiously.

"Off? Or sacked?" Tess responded, seeing the conflict on Shelagh's face she added, "Nurse Mount…" Tess paused, "Nurse Mount has been good to me Mrs Turner. She's delivered two of my nippers and I couldn't have done it without her. No offence to any of the rest of you but she's just the no nonsense kind of girl I need. There's not many folk who can keep in check let me tell you." Shelagh allowed herself to smirk, that was true, "And I can't abide by the fact that my stupid bloody block head of a fella has had her lose her job. I've told him he's to keep his trap shut and let the Nurses get on… without Nurse Mount I wouldn't have been here… she got me to hospital on time with my Millie and saved us both and I believe I owe her a great deal."

"I probably shouldn't divulge such information but I'm afraid Nurse Mount is employed through Nonnatus. It is the Sisters who will decide her fate… I assume they will investigate but where morality is concerned…"

"Morality?" Tess spat, "What morality? All the poor beggar's done is fall in love and as far as I'm concerned she ain't hurting nobody. By all accounts she's helping people. It's not as if she's up and down flaunting it either is it Nurse? I'd get it if she wasn't discreet but… well I suppose what I'm saying is that I don't give a fiddlers if she has a girlfriend, a boyfriend or if she's in love with next door's cat… I just want my midwife back."

Shelagh nodded, taking the older woman's hand and squeezing it. Tess Roberts was the last person she'd expect to be compassionate towards people like Patsy and the way in which the Cockney had spoken so genuinely without reserve had caused a lump to rise in her throat. She briefly wondered if Patsy knew just how valued and loved she was not only by the Nurses but also by her patients.

"So you tell her from me Nurse, that I'm sorry." Tess continued, "And I'll make sure my Jim doesn't say another word. Man's a drunken fool anyway…"

"She'd be very touched to hear you speak so highly of her."

"I only speak the truth Nurse. Now, I've been craving a lemon puff all day… don't suppose you got any?"

—

Nurse Phyllis Crane had been around the block more than her fair share of times. She was old enough and in her mind, fortunate enough, to have met all types of people on her travels. She wasn't surprised or disgusted by the news regarding Nurse Mount. Truth be told, she'd had her suspicions when she'd been utterly devastated by Delia's return to Wales after the accident, but what Nurse Mount did in her private life was, to the older woman's mind just that, private.

She'd found the past few days difficult. Homosexuality was not something one talked about. It happened, of course it did, but any knowledge of such matters by a liberal such as she went unacknowledged. It served as protection on both fronts but Nurse Crane wasn't sure for how much longer she could keep her silence. She had some idea of Sister Julienne's position but that didn't excuse the way in which she had treated the young Nurses and her current attitude had left the older midwife feeling somewhat disconcerted. Nonnatus House currently offered no peace and so Phyllis had thrown herself into her work in order to find it and to plan what she ought to do about her own future.

Decision made, she marched up the steps of Nonnatus House, first she would clean her equipment and then she would speak to Sister Julienne. Enough was enough. As she stormed through the house briskly she heard a commotion coming from the kitchen. Ears pricked she recognised the voices of Sister Winifred and Barbara and the source of the shouting, Sister Monica Joan. Phyllis sighed, it looked like her first job would be to sort out the older Nun instead.

—

Patrick yawned as he ran a hand through his fringe as he scanned the pages in front of him. He'd stuffed the sheets in the back of his drawer a few months back - his plans for expansion had been put on hold by the the whole Distaval scandal - now however, he wondered what ideas he and Shelagh had come up with and whether any of them could suddenly be helpful. His musings were broken when he was almost sure he caught a waft of deep fried matter…

"Fish and chips?" Shelagh grinned as she stepped through the door, "I figured we deserved a treat and with everything going on I completely forgot to pack our lunch."

"Things were rather different the last time we had fish and chips in the surgery."

"Quite. I wouldn't usually allow you to eat in here, your afternoon patients will be able to smell nothing but fish all afternoon, but I'll allow it to slide." Patrick smirked at his wife as she set his portion down. "What is that?"

"The plans we made for expansion…" Patrick admitted as he ate a chip lazily, "I wondered if now would be a good time to start."

"Patrick, I'm not sure… with everything going on…"

"That's why." Patrick stated cutting her off and forcing a page in her direction. She lifted it, reading it carefully only pausing to eat a chip every now and then, "I want to help her in the best way I can."

"Patrick… this… we weren't sure about this… it changes everything." Shelagh managed.

"Times are changing Shelagh. Our society is becoming more and more secular and women are changing the way they give birth… with the greatest of respect, I want my own midwifes who will run by my own rules."

"Patrick." Shelagh chastised. "I was once one of those Nuns."

"I know you were sweetheart and it's not that I want to totally pull away from Nonnatus. I don't. I just want to have midwifes and nurses who are on our wave length. I want Nurses who believe in the same schools of thought and are forward thinking. Recent times have shown us that the Sisters of Nonnatus aren't."

"Patrick, I think if you go through with this it will be the final straw for Sister Julienne." Shelagh conceded, "You have to be sure."

"I am sure. In this plan we state that we'd take on three midwifes or two midwifes and a nurse with one of those acting as Sister-In-Charge… almost like a Matron… someone who could efficiently run the place in our abscence. I would want that person to be Nurse Mount."

"She'd be perfect." Shelagh agreed warming to the idea. "But you do know that there's going to be an investigation? Even with Mrs Roberts' insistence that she doesn't want to pursue the matter, Sister Julienne will have filed for one. It's unlikely Patsy will get through that…"

"I don't think Sister Julienne has made that call." Patrick commented, "Because if she had, I'd have had the board on the phone and there'd have been an investigator here this morning. I think she's reluctant."

"Reluctant? Patrick have you heard our accounts of what happened?"

"Yes. I've also heard you say her reaction seemed out of character." He responded carefully, "Maybe her outward reaction doesn't match her true views. She's governed by vows and by the Church."

"But-"

"This could be a way out for her." Patrick added. Shelagh looked confused and so he continued, "If I'm right and Sister Julienne is struggling, this would allow Patsy to leave without the need for any investigation. She could simply hand in her notice. It would clear both of them."

Shelagh nodded, not entirely convinced but hopeful that his plan could work. "I assume you're putting that to Sister Julienne? And what of the other two positions - what's your plan for those?"

"Nurse Busby can finish her training with us." Patrick continued. "And then we could ask Nurse Franklin."

"That's poaching." Shelagh argued, "We can't take so many staff from Nonnatus."

"But we aren't - not if the staff already want to leave!" Patrick argued, "And let's face it. The three I've mentioned do want to leave."

"I think we need to speak to Patsy about this."

"Of course… does that mean you're warming up to the idea?" Patrick smirked taking a chunk of fish…

"Only if you let me have your peas."

—

Trixie was sat in Sister Julienne's the office. She was currently sitting on her anger, trying her best to remain polite as the Sister lectured her on the reputation of Nonnatus House. She was about to bite back and tell Sister Julienne exactly what she thought of her when the door to the office opened and a frantic looking Nurse Gilbert burst in.

"Nurse Gilbert! Have you every heard of knocking?"

"Yes Sister, sorry Sister but oh Sister you need to come! It's Sister Monica Joan…"

Sister Julienne swallowed, feeling she'd been saved from Trixie's response to her lecture by the interruption. She could feel Trixie behind her as she followed Barbara to the kitchen.

"Nurse Crane is trying to calm her down but she won't have any of it…"

The scene when she entered the kitchen was not a pleasant one but it was one that was becoming all too familiar. Sister Monica Joan was evidently distressed, wimple slightly off, cross on the table and hands shaking as she muttered, pacing up and down as she cried large tears. Nurse Crane was trying to calm her, speaking firmly but quietly to the Nun but it was of no use and Sister Winifred could only watch with horror.

"What seems to be the problem?" Sister Julienne asked as she entered, stopping Sister Monica Joan in her tracks by taking her hands. She was surprised when the elder woman snatched her hands away, eyes flashing fire as a long finger pointed at her.

"You send her away, with a slew of harsh words and yet you spend your night on your knees begging forgiveness."

"Sister-"

"The war within you has taken hold and you allow yourself to be governed by expectation instead of love and now there is no one here to help me."

"We can help you Sister if you just tell us what is the matter…" Sister Julienne inwardly cringed as she heard the emotion etching into her voice. She couldn't deny that Sister Monica Joan's words were affecting her or that they were inaccurate.

"I want Nurse Mount returned for it is she and only she who knows what I require. It is our secret."

"Maybe we could share your secret?" Barbara tried excitedly.

"No, for you do not have the required height nor the decorum for such a secret. Nurse Mount made me keep it somewhere hidden out of sight with a promise to always be here to reach and get it for me. Now you have sent her away and I can not reach."

"What is it you want to reach Sister?" Trixie tried, taking the Nun's hand. The elder woman seemed to calm at her touch.

"She did it for you… She may be brisk and her guard is strong but she loves with all her heart and has more compassion than others around us." Sister Monica Joan's smile turned to a frown as she glared at Sister Julienne who looked away. Trixie, realising that the Nun's presence was not helping looked to everyone in the room.

"Can you all leave us? I believe Sister Monica Joan and I will be just fine." She smiled calmly, happy to see the Nun calming slightly as everyone filed out. "Now, if Patsy wants to hide something from me I'm assuming it's alcoholic isn't it Sister?"

"She cares very much about you and your recovery."

Nurse Crane smiled as she left - confident in Trixie's abilities to calm Sister Monica Joan. She noticed Sister Julienne paused in the corridor, hands clutching her cross. She frowned, now was the perfect time for that chat.

"Sister Julienne might I have a word?"

What she wasn't expecting was for tears to be streaming down the Nun's face as she turned to her.

A/N - As always thank so much for your reviews!

Hope you've enjoyed this slightly long chapter!

Now to go back to being excited for tonight! I can't believe it's finally here! x