"It's fine!" Timothy protested as Shelagh wiped her handkerchief across the black mark on the end of his nose.
Raising one eyebrow at him and smiling, she straightened his tie and started to tug his jacket into something approaching submission.
"You have to look smart for the nuns", she reminded him as he tried to wriggle away. "I promise afterwards you can take it all off and go back to being covered in mud if you want to."
"Can't I be covered in mud now?" he asked her, looking pleadingly at his father (who was trying and failing to stifle a grin).
"You know you can't, Timothy" he reminded his son, watching as Shelagh gave up her battle with the jacket. But no sooner had he finally allowed himself to wink at his son than Shelagh turned around to face him.
"You're surely not going to say that I'm covered in mud." He tried.
Shelagh straightened his shirt collar and tucked a wayward hair behind his ear.
"You'd be amazed" she replied dryly. Patrick studied her face, and saw a hint of something like panic hidden in her eyes. Subtly checking to see where Timothy had got to (he was circling the scooter, studying the engine carefully), he removed her hands from his hair gently and held them.
"Are you alright?" he asked softly.
Shelagh took a deep breath in.
"It just feels strange, is all – the three of us going to Nonnatus together. I'm sure I'm worrying about nothing."
He nodded and squeezed her hand. "Of course, it must be strange. But we've been there before together-" (he briefly paused to remember the beauty of their wedding day),"and anyway, even while you were a nun, Sister Julienne was always trying to get me to come for dinner. I seem to remember you trying yourself once or twice."
Shelagh nodded and squeezed his hand as she turned to see where Timothy had got to.
"Oh, honestly!" she burst out seeing him perched on the scooter, pretending to take the corners at Monaco. This time though, even Shelagh couldn't help grinning as Timothy sheepishly lowered himself off and walked over.
"Maybe after lunch, you can ask Sister Evangelina to give you a demonstration," she whispered. "I hear she likes going very fast indeed." Timothy beamed at this, and submitted himself to a quick clean.
There were currently three Nuns, five Nurses, one Police Constable and a very happy baby waiting for lunch at Nonnatus House (Fred having gone to visit Dolly's house and see her husband again). "This looks like the set up to a very bad joke" Trixie whispered to Jenny as they sat themselves down at the table, and they barely managed to contain their laughter. Sister Julienne arched an eyebrow at them, and Jenny forced herself to be quiet (the resulting tortured expression gaining more than a few strange looks from the others). After a minute or two the doorbell rang, and Sister Julienne stood up quickly to let them in. She opened the door to see the three Turners standing on the doorstep, all dressed in their Sunday best.
"It's so good to see you", Sister Julienne greeted them warmly, shaking Doctor Turner's hand (and noting that his suit was seemed a little straighter than normal). Shelagh placed the large canvas bag she was carrying on the ground before shyly giving Sister Julienne a quick hug. Timothy, meanwhile, was doing his best to hide the oil mark on his trousers that Shelagh had failed to spot. Sister Julienne fixed him in her gaze and stuck out her hand, repressing a smile as he shook it in an identical manner to his father. "Come in, come in," she invited, and watched as Dr Turner helped Shelagh over the step. Her heart melted slightly at that small detail. Shelagh, as they both well knew, had lived here for ten years before she left. She had navigated that step carrying heavy boxes, fragile glass equipment, and even – once or twice – a baby. Yet knowing this, Dr Turner still helped her over because his manners wouldn't allow him to do anything else. If anyone could have taken away her Bernadette, Julienne reflected, she was glad it was him.
Dr Turner and Timothy seated themselves at the table as Shelagh decanted the contents of her bag onto a nearby cabinet. There was one large tin, and something wrapped in brown paper.
"I do hope that is a delight of the baked variety?" questioned Sister Monica Joan hopefully.
Shelagh smiled. "Your favourite, Coconut Cream, Sister."
This statement elicited a happy sign from the Sister in question. "Could fruits of Paradise be sweeter?"
Sister Evangelina huffed at this. "We won't find out if you keep yapping! Put it in the pantry, Sister – Nurse Turner, and we'll have it later. Bless you for bringing it, we hardly ever get any – someone gets there first."
The meal passed surprisingly well. The beef was well done, and the Yorkshire puddings, despite early appearances, had agreed to rise and looked glorious in the centre of the table. There was enough of everything - although, being Nuns, there was not a great deal surplus to requirements. Waste was a sin in Sister Evangelina's eyes, and excess in Sister Julienne's. Rationing had been in place for fourteen years in total, and even though it had ended five years previously neither had shaken the habit of careful budgeting and forward planning. The Coconut Cream cake was therefore extremely warmly received, and Shelagh beamed with pride as everyone pronounced it delicious.
It was as Sister Monica Joan finished her second slice that Dr Turner remembered the other gift they'd brought. He whispered in Shelagh's ear and she nodded at him, and then looked over the table at Chummy and her constable. They were currently staring at their son as he slept, both of them in the state of wonder that had been the norm since he was born.
"Chummy?" Shelagh said, quietly.
"Yes?" Chummy replied, breaking her gaze away from Freddie and smiling at Shelagh.
"I – we - have something for you. Well, something for Freddie anyway."
"Oh, that's jolly nice of you. Of all of you. You didn't have to do that!"
"Well, he's three months old now, and seeing as we didn't give you anything when he was born" – they all shuddered inwardly at the memory of that terrible evening –"we'd like to give you something now instead."
Shelagh passed the brown package to Timothy, who proudly gave it to Chummy. "I helped!" he interjected as she began to untie the string holding it together.
The woollen lion sat revealed on Chummy's lap, and Shelagh was relieved to see that both she and Constable Noakes seemed deeply touched.
"Oh, I could do a little weep of joy!" Chummy burst out, holding the lion up as everyone "ooh"-ed and "ahh"-ed. "Which part did you help with?" Sister Julienne asked Timothy, seeing his pride in the animal.
"The head wouldn't sit right, so I helped mum make a felt collar for him." Timothy said, beginning another slice of cake.
Sister Julienne, Sister Evangelina and four of the Nurses (Chummy was still admiring the lion) all started and turned to look at Timothy. He remained blissfully unaware eating his cake, and Shelagh just stared at him with unmistakable maternal love in her eyes. It was Dr Turner who met Sister Julienne's gaze and nodded, ever so slightly. The question in her eyes faded to be replaced with pride. There was a moment of blissful peace, only broken by Sister Evangelina blowing her nose loudly and apologising for her "dust allergy".
The Nurses waved the happy trio off after another round of cake, and as they turned to go inside Sister Evangelina turned to Sister Julienne.
"Did you hear him call her mother? I never thought."
Sister Julienne smiled at her benignly.
"Timothy seems very happy, which is not something I could have said a year ago. And Dr Turner...well. He obviously dotes on Shelagh."
"I never thought I'd see that man happy again, but it's like he's twenty years younger. I don't think I ever saw him like this even when Moira was alive."
"I know Sister, I know." Julienne said as they turned to go back inside.
At the table the Nurses were still gossiping.
"Did you hear him call her mum?" said Trixie. "And her face! I thought I would die from how cute they were together."
"It must have been strange," reflected Cynthia "for her to come back here and have lunch with all of us, with the Nuns. I mean, not that long ago she was wearing the habit herself."
"It all seems so clear now, looking back" said Trixie.
There was a cry from the corner, and the three looked up to see Chummy and Peter giving Freddie the knitted lion. He shook it around for a few seconds, then hugged it to himself and promptly fell asleep again.
As ever, I hope you enjoyed it - please read and review!