Hello, my loves! Thank you for the overwhelming response to the last chapter! I am so glad you like this story!

Thanks to my absolutely positively amazing beta Hogwarts-Duo!

Elsie had been released after four days in the hospital. Charles had picked her up, and Ainsley and her Aunt Violet had been waiting at home for her.

She walked in slowly and Ainsley looked up from Violet's lap. She smiled brightly but made no move to run to her mother.

"No hugs, then?" Elsie asked her daughter.

Ainsley wrinkled her nose and calmly climbed down and walked over to hug her Mummy's legs tightly. "I missed you, Mummy! I drew you lots of pictures and Granny Violet helped me put them into an album! I'll go get it!"

"Thank you for watching her, Aunt Vi. She loves you very much," Elsie said while sitting beside her dear aunt.

"Well, if she were anymore like you, she would be your are you, really?" Violet asked seriously as she watch Charles head into the kitchen to put a kettle on.

"Tired. Sore. Disappointed." Elsie paused to wipe a stray tear. "I was so happy to be pregnant, and that bastard took it away again. What has happened with that?"

"He's been charged with attempted murder, premeditated due to the fact he had his gun with him. He will see the inside of the prison. They have also issued a restraining order against him for your Charles, and our girl," Violet explained.

"I wish mum was here, " Elsie said with a catch in her voice.

Violet put an arm around her niece. Her older sister, Greer, had died of breast cancer at the young age of 45. Elsie had been 18, her sister Becky (lovely girl who had stopped aging mentally at ten) had been 22. Since then, Violet had taken up the mantle of mother for the girls left behind by her sister. Becky was in a home for girls that had the same condition and Elsie visited the girl often. Elsie had married Joe Burns at the age of 22 after starting at the publishing firm, and Violet had hated him. Rosamund and she had warned Elsie, but the stubborn girl wouldn't listen. She had babysat Ainsley for the first year Elsie had been separated from Joe. She remembered when Elsie called her to tell her about her neighbor and the date that was coming up. It was the first time since Ainsley had been born, that she had heard such anticipation in Elsie's voice.

So when Charles Carson had shown up on her doorstep to ask her permission to marry Elsie, she had been well prepared to say yes. But he had spoken to her with such reverence, asked a lot of questions, about Elsie's real mum, and about Becky, that she had had absolutely no choice in the matter but to say yes.

Charles came back into the room with a tray and two cups. Elsie looked up at him questioningly.

"I have to run into the university for a department meeting. Hopefully it won't be long," he said with an apologetic look on his face.

He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead, and she smiled as he pulled away. "I'll pick us up dinner! Chinese or pizza?"

"Let's do pizza. Ainsley likes it better," Elsie replied sensibly.

Violet poured their tea and Ainsley came back in and crawled in between the two women. Elsie smiled as the little girl showed her countless pictures of everyone good in their life.

Violet declared it was time for a nap and Ainsley sulked back to her room with her mummy following to tuck her in.

When Elsie came back in Violet (she wasn't a touchy feely person, except with Ainsley) patted the cushion beside her. Elsie sat down carefully and Violet cupped her cheek.

"Your mother would have been so proud of you. She would have loved that little girl in there so very much. She probably would have thought Charles was a bit stuffy for her little girl, until she had really gotten to know him...then she would have loved him. She loved you more than life. Greer made me swear to take care of you. I only hope that I have done a good enough job of it," Violet said softly.

Elsie bit her lip. "Oh, Aunt Vi. You have been wonderful. Even when I married that terrible man, you were there. Thank you, for being there for Becky, Ainsley, and me. You have been truly wonderful. I'm not sure I can ever repay you for what you have done for us."

"Tosh, you are like one of my own. You know Rosamund thinks of you as an older sister. You two were as thick as thieves. Greer and I used to dread your sleepovers!" Violet laughed.

Elsie let out a yawn and Violet scooted down the couch some. She patted her lap and Elsie understood the gesture. (Her mother would do that and then play with her hair until she fell asleep.) Elsie lay down slowly, closed her eyes and pretended that it was her mother stroking her hair softly. Soon the memories turned into dreams and she fell into a nice slumber.

-/-/-

Elsie woke with a start only to find herself covered with a blanket and one of the couch pillows under her head. She could hear Violet and Charles in the kitchen, and Ainsley was playing with her dolls on the floor facing away from her. She sat up carefully and padded into kitchen to receive warm looks from her husband and her aunt.

"Sit down, love. I've got the kettle on," Charles said.

"Elsie, I've spoken with Charles, and we think you should take some more time off," Violet declared.

"I think that is a conversation Charles and I should have, Aunt Violet," Elsie said quietly.

"Els, just listen for a minute, would you? I know you want to get back. I know you want to finish this big project, but I think you can trust Sybil to take care of it. I know you have some important meetings but, even you said that they could be pushed back a month," Charles pointed out.

"I am the head of the company. I need to be there. We have three book launches coming up. I have to be there. You two do not get to make this decision," Elsie said with a slightly raised voice.

"Elsie, be reasonable! You can spend time with Ainsley, and you can go back after our scheduled vacation in two weeks," Charles said, trying to coerce her into his way of thinking.

"No. I'm going back in on Tuesday….only because Monday I have a doctors appointment. Now, we are not going to continue this argument right now," she paused to catch her breath. "Ainsley! Come on, the pizza is going cold."

She got down the paper plates, and Violet announced she was going to head home. Elsie wished her a frosty goodnight and didn't walk her to the door.

The night had been tensely quiet. Charles and Elsie weren't speaking or looking at each other, and Ainsley was quite tired. Elsie tucked her in and got her own self into the shower and dressed for bed. Charles was on his side when she came out of the bathroom. She got into the bed and adjusted her pillows and she heard his weary sigh.

"What? Would you like to keep me locked up forever, Charles? I can tell you right now that that is not going to happen," she said.

"Elsie, you just got out of the hospital. You were shot for goodness sake! You lost our child! You don't need to be in that bloody office all day," Charles reasoned.

"I think I know myself well enough to know if I can go back to work or not. Do not presume to tell me what I can and cannot do, Charles. There was a reason we left out obey in our vows," She fumed.

"You are being unreasonable. You need to rest. You need to be here for our girl to see that you truly are okay," he argued.

"I'm taking her with me, like I've always done. She'll go into work with me. That's the normal routine. Now, I'm going to bed, we have church in the morning," Elsie said icily.

Charles laid there staring at the ceiling in the dark. He heard her sigh, and then felt her carefully roll over, snuggling into his chest.

"I'm sorry. But you have to let me get on with my life, our life. Then we can start putting the pieces back together and we can...we can start trying again," she said quietly but with some hesitation.

Charles kissed her forehead. "I'd like to get back to normal, Els. I want to start trying again as soon as it's safe to do so. I just want you to be safe and happy."

"I am, Charles. Safe and happy, with you," Elsie replied with a yawn.

He felt her breathing even out and knew she was asleep. He also knew that the healing process may take longer than he thought, but he was in this for the long haul and vowed to do whatever possible to ensure she was safe and loved at all times.

Let me know what you think!
Much Love,
Samantha=)