CHAPTER 5

A/N Ok just a trigger warning for extreme angst in the next few chapters more so I would say from chapter 7 onwards. This chapter starts with a lot of tenderness and then finishes on a high, I know I said it would start to be angsty but I wanted to delay it by another chapter at least. Plus you get to meet a new character mid-way through this chapter who will be very prominent in part 2 of this story. As always I appreciate any reviews good or bad! Go forth and enjoy.

The last few weeks had been full of trips together. Cosima showing Delphine all over London. Delphine trying to get Cosima to go up to Scotland, to see where she had come to from Canada. But every day they had spent together learning new things about each other, spending days down by the Thames just being together. Delphine had never been happier. She had received her start date for work. Cosima had been amazing and she was ready to admit that she was in love. In love with most probably the most perfect girl she had ever met.

Cosima felt the same but she still had the stuff she hadn't admitted to playing in the back of her mind. Her anxiety was becoming more prominent in her day to day things, she managed to hide the smaller attacks well but with Delphine being there all the time the bigger one's were becoming more frequent. It was a few days before Delphine was due to start work that she decided she had to do something before it was too late.

It was after a more serious attack that she and Delphine had sat down to talk.

"Delphine, I have something I need to say. Please don't hate me." Cosima said with her eyes down, fear rippling through her body.

"Cos, I could never hate you. I love you!" Delphine said as she took the other woman's hands in her own.

"Y...You might not say that when I finish." Cosima replied looking up into adoring eyes. "I love you too."

"Nothing you could say could stop me from loving you. I am yours." Delphine said.

"OK, don't say I didn't warn you." Cosima smiled weakly. "Can I ask you something first though but please let me finish before you answer. I have been thinking about this a lot the last few days and it may well be the reason behind the last few attacks I have had.

Would you give up the job you are about to start if I asked you to? I am asking you this because we both know that you do not need to work, you have plenty of money. Hell even I have plenty too. I guess what I am trying to say is. Don't go off to work. Stay here with me. The last few weeks have been amazing and I don't want them to end. I want us together every day. This is something I have been dreaming of for years, and now that I have it I don't want it to end not even for work." Cosima had begun to play with Delphine's fingers whilst she had been talking.

Delphine looked tenderly at Cosima. Didn't say anything and took Cosima's hands to her lips and kissed them both softly.

"Mon amour, I want this too and it will not be any different except my daytimes will be taken away from us, we will still have our nights together. And my days off. My going to work will not change anything about what we have together. You are my everything, but my going out to work is my escape. It is my place to be something I can't be anywhere else. With you, my heart is as full as it can be. I can be the woman you see before you. In work I can do the things that maybe I cannot do at home.

Cosima, as much as I do love you, we both know that being together24 hours a day will do us no good. Having the time apart will make us stronger. I want us to be that couple who in 40 years will be like when people ask us we still see each other in the same way we did in the first weeks of meeting." Delphine smiled as she said her answer with passion.

"So you think we would be better apart?" Cosima asked slightly confused at the answer.

"No not at all. I am saying that everyone needs that time apart from each other. Ours can be whilst I am working. So in answer to you I cannot give up work. Not because I want to work but because I want us to work."

"Delphine, I just want you to be happy."

"I am happy babe. I am happy with you." Delphine leaned in to kiss Cosima gently "I hope I have answered your question. Now what do you have to tell me?"

"Nothing now, you answered it all for me. But I do have something I would like to give you…. That is if I can find the damn thing!" Cosima exclaimed.

"Always the romantic!" Delphine giggled as Cosima emptied out her pockets. Before realising what she was looking for was on her desk. With a wonky smile and a sheepish look she passed Delphine a small gift bag.

"I wanted to get you something special. I know we have only been together 3 and a half weeks but I wanted to get you something for you to have with you all the time, and to let you know that I am always thinking of you."

"Oh Cosima you shouldn't have really." Delphine smiled.

"Go on open it. I can see that you really want to open it." Cosima joked.

Delphine took the bag and placed it on the seat beside her, Cosima went and stood by the window and watched as Delphine took each box out of the bag and placed them smallest first on the table. Taking the first box Delphine noticed that it was about the same size as a ring box but it was not as rigid. She gave it a little shake but didn't hear anything. Slowly she opened it. Inside was a key. Delphine took it out the box and held it up towards Cosima.

"It's a key to my place. It seems stupid that you are here nearly every day and you have to ring the bell to come in. I want you to feel that you can come over anytime even when I am not in." Cosima explained. Delphine blew Cosima a kiss before she went to the next box. Again she slowly opens it revealing a beautiful Parker Pen. It had her name engraved on it. Delphine didn't dare to take it out of the box. It was beautiful.

"Oh Cosima it is beautiful, but honestly you didn't have to do this!" Delphine said softly.

"Well what else have I got to spend my money on? And you are worth spending it on." Cosima shrugged.

Delphine picked up the third and final box. She carefully opened the top and gasped at what she saw. There were three things in the box. Firstly she noticed the new mobile phone. During one of their many conversations whilst they sat by the Thames Delphine had grown frustrated trying to take pictures of them both, her camera not working then her Bluetooth not connecting to Cosima's phone.

"It is the latest model. Your phone was no longer being made." Cosima explained. "I know it is a bit bigger than yours, but all you need to do is transfer your sim and you are ready to go."

Delphine then spotted the little jewellery box. Her hands began to shake. She really didn't know what to expect, everything she opened just blew her mind. Setting the larger box down Delphine just sat and stared at the box. She then looked round at Cosima who she had half expected to be down on one knee. Cosima had a nervous smile forming.

"Go on then open it…" Cosima urged her on.

Delphine nodded and clicked open the box. She gasped when she saw the small silver band. It was an intricate Celtic design. With four knots around.

"I got you this as a promise ring, the knots represent the four promises I will make to you today. This is to wear on the ring finger of your right hand. It signifies that you are taken and you are promised to me. So the first promise I make to you is that I will never hurt you. The second promise is to love you passionately every day. The third promise is that one day I will marry you. And finally I promise to be truthful to you. Now I am not going to force you to wear the ring hell I'm not even sure that I got the right size, but the final present can tie in with the ring."

Delphine was speechless and pick up the final gift. Again she gasped when she saw the necklace and again it had the four knots like the ring.

"So you don't feel pressured or anything." Cosima laughed.

"Cosima, I really don't know what to say! I mean I will wear them both of course, but really you shouldn't have! Especially the new phone! "Delphine said. Not stopping her from smiling the broadest smile ever.

"Well it was either these gifts or a car and I thought you might appreciate these a bit more." The smaller woman laughed as she moved closer to Delphine. "Also tonight we have restaurant reservations so I would be privileged if you would accompany me wearing your new jewellery. It would be amazing if you were wearing just your jewellery but we will save that for when we return home." Cosima winked as she pulled Delphine to her feet and kissed her tenderly.

"You really are the best girlfriend ever." Delphine said as she melted into the kiss.

The day before training starts:

Delphine was a ball of nerves; it didn't help with Cosima constantly saying that she would be fine. Give Delphine anything science related and she would be fine. Take her away from her comfort zone and she was a mess. That was why she had come back to her own place to gather herself and have some alone time. Yes she hated being away from Cosima but she knew that if she didn't leave then they would end up arguing like cat and mouse. That was the one thing she didn't want. She knew Cosima was just trying to help but when she felt like this nothing would help at all.

Her phone beeped to say that she had received an email; she opened it up and read.

Hello Delphine,

Just to let you know that training will start at 10:30am sharp. You just come straight up to the DYAD offices on arrival and we will get you set up with an Identification badge. Remember to bring all the details we had sent out to you in your employment package.

Once again let me thank you for choosing to work with DYAD.

Kind Regards

Rachel Duncan.

Delphine closed the email and scrolled through her contacts, found the one she wanted and tapped the screen to start the call.

"Hey"

"Hey Paul, I just thought I should ring you and let you know I start my new job tomorrow."

"Delphine that is fantastic. I know you were bummed when they told you that you were going to be made redundant."

"I know, but I also have some other good news for you. I have met someone?"

"What oh wow Delphine you kept that quiet? Again I am so happy for you. Is it serious?"

"I think it is. We just clicked from the moment I saw her. Her name is Cosima she is a year or two younger than me but you would think she is older beyond her years." Delphine gushed to her best friend.

"Delphine that is fantastic. I always told you that when you didn't look for something it would find you. So when am I going to meet this woman who has stolen my best friend away from me?"

"I was actually ringing to see if in a few weeks we could come up to Skye and see you. I will be having 4 or 5 days off before I start work proper so it would be good to see you."

"Delphine you know you never have to ask when you want to come up, just come up whenever you want. Remember it is your house I am staying in."

"No Paul it is your house. I gave it to you remember for everything you did after mamma and papa died."

"Let's agree to disagree huh?! So you just message me before you leave alright. Promise me one thing though!? Make you and Cosima Skype me sometime in the next couple of weeks."

"Of course we will. Thank you Paul."

"No worries Del, anyway I have to go because Beth is on her way round and you know how jealous she gets when she knows 'as we are speaking instead of me getting ready to see her. Love you bye."

"Love you too Paul. Bye." Delphine called into the phone as her friend hung up.

Next, Delphine text Cosima. Cosima had been at the hospital for her annual health check.

Hey Babe, give me a call when you get this OK. I love you xx

Delphine kept it simple because she didn't want Cosima's phone to keep going off each time the next part of the message had gone through.

Delphine went to her office and started to pack her tote bag to take with her to the office the next day. She found out her passport, her bank details and a copy of her health records from her Doctor. She put them in the bag then she took out the pen that Cosima had brought her. This was the first time that she had taken it out from the box since she had got it. She turned it over in her hand and notices the groves as she did so. Delphine looked closer at it.

I love you xCx

Had been inscribed onto the main body of the pen. Tears formed in her eyes. It just amazed her how Cosima could sense that sometimes just seeing the words in the direst of times could have the right effect on her.

"Je t'aime." Delphine whispered as she brought the pen to her lips and kissed the writing. She then put the pen into her handbag. She didn't want to leave it anywhere it could get damaged or worse still stolen.

Her phone started to ring and she smiled when she saw the picture of Cosima high on the screen.

"Hi Babe, how did it go?"

"All is good in the world. It must be all the rigorous exercise I am doing…" Cosima teased.

"Seriously though Babe is everything OK?" Delphine asked.

"Yes everything is fine. They did a CAT scan to see if there is any further deterioration in my brain but yeah everything is good. So how has your day been? I hope you have been thinking about what I would love to be doing to you right now if you were here." Cosima husked.

"Cosima I do not have to think about that, I just have to look at the marks you left on me last night to know exactly what you would like to do to me. But Ma Cherie you could always tell me again right now what you would like to do." Delphine whispered.

"Oh really you would like that would you?"

"Oui, I would like very much. "Delphine's French beginning to come out as she knew Cosima loved it.

"So you would like to know that I would be stripping you naked right now, kissing each piece of exposed skin….."

Delphine let out the smallest whimper when Cosima stopped speaking. "Don't stop Cosima. Where are you?"

Cosima smiled despite herself. She knew she had Delphine right where she wanted her.

"Go to your window!" She ordered the French woman.

Delphine did as she was told and made her way to the window. She opened the blinds and saw Cosima standing in front of the house.

"Why don't you come in then?" Delphine said softly.

"Well I would but I seem to remember that it was me who gave you a key to their house not the other way round." Cosima couldn't help but giggle. Delphine loved that sound. She made her way to the front door and opened it wide for Cosima to walk in. Standing far enough inside she started to take off her clothes slowly. Cosima's smile grew in appreciation of the sight in front of her.

"I believe someone said that they wanted to kiss every inch of exposed skin?" Delphine smiled at Cosima. Cosima didn't need to be told twice and quickly shut the door behind her as she took Delphine in her arms and laid soft kisses over the other woman's body. Delphine letting little sighs escape her as each kiss lit a fire inside her. Cosima pulled herself away and led Delphine upstairs, which was when the fun really started.

A few hours later the woman lay in each other's arms, their breathing beginning to regulate and the sweat making them glisten in the moonlight pouring through the window.

"You know I really don't want you to go to work. I want every day to be like this." Cosima whispered.

"Cos, I would love for us to be able to spend every day like this but I am sure that you would get bored of it sooner or later. I know you gave me the promise ring but I have something to give to you too." Delphine leant over Cosima into the bedside table.

"Cosima I give you this as a simple token of my love to you. It's nothing as fancy as a promise ring or a new phone, but it is something from my heart. I want you to know that every minute I am away from you I will be thinking about you. And with this I hope you will be thinking about me too." Delphine handed Cosima the envelope.

Cosima looked at the envelope with a strange look in her eyes. Looking at Delphine she was unsure of what to do. It was almost like she had never been given something from any of her ex's before.

"Go on Cosima open it!" Delphine said nervously.

Cosima finally got the nerve to open the envelope and let the card tumble out onto her lap. She then opened that and 2 tickets fell out. They were to her favourite group playing at the O2 arena in a few nights.

"Oh wow Delphine how did you know?"

"Well in all honesty you have not shut up about them playing for the last week. I was lucky to get those in fact. I know how much you like to drool over Hayley Williams when you don't think I am watching you!" Delphine teased.

Cosima jumped up from her laying position and pinned Delphine to the bed.

"You are so the best girlfriend ever you know that, and I am going to spend the next few hours showing you just how much I love you."

Delphine let out a contented little sigh. She knew that she would be in no fit state for work the next day but hey it was only training she could probably do it with her eyes shut. Delphine just let Cosima take over her senses and her mind.