Prompt 32: "Make Me"

Summary: Shelagh and Patrick have a fight. Set mid-season four post-Shelagh regaining her nurse's uniform.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

"What is it you need, Sister?"

Patrick smiled knowingly. He couldn't hear Sister Julienne's side of the phone conversation, but he knew that tone in Shelagh and he knew she was about to whole heartedly agree to whatever was asked of her. Truthfully, he thought Shelagh could take on a little less, but she was happiest when she was busy and he knew she felt most fulfilled when she was helping others.

"Of course, Sister Julienne. I can start this afternoon….no really, I'm actually looking forward to it...of course...goodbye."

Shelagh hung up the phone and turned to Patrick who was looking up at her expectantly from the table.

"That was Sister Julienne." she explained excitedly.

"So I gathered." Patrick replied, amused. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine." she paused. "She asked if I could go back on rota - temporarily of course - since they're still missing Sister Evangelina and Nurse Franklin's been seconded to the London." she looked up at Patrick eagerly and was confused and slightly disappointed to see he didn't share her excitement. "Patrick, what is it? I told you I missed nursing and midwifery, this is the perfect opportunity to practice."

"You have plenty of opportunity now at the surgery now that you're working as a nurse." he argued lamely.

"Yes." she forced herself to stay calm, it wasn't like Patrick be argumentative with her. "But I didn't realize until I was doing more nursing at the surgery that I missed district nursing and midwifery as well."

"I don't think it's a good idea." he replied, still unwilling to meet her eyes, so she knew there was more going on.

"Well, I think it is." she rebutted.

"What about Angela? Who's going to watch her?" he argued.

"It's only temporary, Patrick, I'm more than capable of getting a sitter and if worse comes to worse, Ms. Penny adores Angela and would be happy to watch her." Shelagh was starting to lose her temper, but she stamped it down as much as she could. "Besides, I've already told Sister Julienne I would do it."

"Well you shouldn't have before you asked me." The minute the words were out of his mouth, he knew he'd royally messed up. For all the symbolism of the 'obey' portion of her vows, they both knew she was free to do as she chose. He knew she still struggled with how to balance her desire to be with her children and be a stay-at-home mom and her desire to work, but most of all, he knew that whatever balance she came to in the end, it would be with his equal consulting, not his superior approval.

"Excuse me?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "I wasn't aware I needed your permission, Dr. Turner."

Patrick felt his stomach drop. She only called him Dr. Turner at work, when she was teasing him in bed, or when she was furious and he was pretty sure which mood she was in now.

"Shelagh, you know I didn't mean it that way." he tried to explain. "I just think it'll be too much for you with the children and the surgery."

"Oh yes, and you're the expert at knowing when work is too much, are you?" she snapped. She knew it was a low blow in the back of her mind, but they were both angry now and unfortunately the downside of knowing each other as well as they did was that when they wanted to, it didn't take much to hit their marks.

"That's not fair." he spoke lowly. "We're both stubborn, it's our job to look out for the other." he tried to argue.

"Do you think I'm incapable?" she asked incredulously.

"Of course not, you're still the best midwife in Poplar!" he nearly shouted.

"Then what-?"

"I don't want you out there on your own at all hours of the night!" he spat. "You shouldn't be putting yourself at risk. You should be home with me, and Angela, and Timothy. I will not have you riding a rickety bicycle all over the city."

"Make me stay then, Patrick Turner!" she cried. She knew it was just a fight of stubbornness between them now, but her pride ran deeper than she wanted to admit and she wouldn't concede. "I was a Nonnatun for ten years. I didn't need protection then, and I certainly don't need it now."

"Shelagh-" he sighed in exasperation. She turned, the fire dying behind her eyes only to be replaced with brimming tears.

"Do you know why I first fell in love with you?" she asked, voice trembling. "It was because you never saw yourself as better than the nurses or the Sisters. You treated us all like equals and you encouraged me when I first got to Poplar instead of lecturing me."

"Shelagh, I'm sorry, it all came out wrong, I just-"

"I can't hear it right now, Patrick. I'm sorry." she apologized firmly. "I'll see you later tonight."

Against every fiber of her body that wanted to stay and fix things with her husband, Shelagh marched determinedly out the door.

Luckily for both of them, Sister Julienne had foreseen Patrick (and Shelagh herself, if she was being honest) not wanting Shelagh on the night rounds. After seeing to Nurse Franklin's usual patients, Shelagh rode her bicycle back to Kennilworth. It felt so surreal to park it outside the flat - as though her lives were fully merging. She would've walked back, but Sister Julienne pointed out that she would need the bicycle again the following day and she wasn't wrong. Now, Shelagh just had to face Patrick.

She opened the door quietly and was surprised to find Patrick and Angela playing in the sitting room. She knew they would have to finish their conversation, but she expected it to be later that night. Why wasn't he at the surgery?

"I called in for a locum." he explained at her perplexed look. "I know Ms. Penny could've taken her or I could've found a sitter, but it didn't seem fair."

"I don't understand." she replied, making her way to sit on the floor with them. Angela looked up at her happily and reached out for her mum. Shelagh eagerly took her baby girl into her lap.

"You sacrificed so much to make the life we have and you've never asked me for anything in return." he started.

"That's not true, Patrick." she replied sadly, remembering her borderline obsessive behavior with the adoption society.

"You've never asked me for anything I didn't already want to give you." he clarified. "Your work is just as much a part of you as mine is of me and I don't want to take that away from you."

"Why didn't you want me to go back on rota?" she asked, genuinely curious now that they'd calmed down.

"It wasn't about me or the children, if that's what you were thinking. I don't know. Truth be told, I never liked the idea of you running about Poplar on your bicycle. It wasn't that I didn't think you capable, I just worried about you." he explained.

"Only me?" she asked skeptically.

"No, not only you." he chuckled. "But I'll admit I was slightly more invested in you than the others. I suppose beforehand, it was never my place to say anything to stop you. I suppose it still isn't, but now that we're married and I can say everything I always wanted to,"

"You wanted to keep me safe." she finished.

"I know you can keep yourself safe, Shelagh. You're the most formidable woman I've ever met, including Sister Evangelina." they laughed until he turned somber once more. "It's just that losing you would...well, I can't even imagine it."

She scooted herself and Angela over to him and leaned against his shoulder.

"You're not going to lose me, Patrick." she promised.

"I know that objectively." he assured. "I just struggle with it sometimes."

They sat snuggled in silence for a few, beautiful moments with the only sounds in the air being Angela's tiny babbles.

"Do you really think I'm more formidable than Sister Evangelina?" she asked.

"Oh, without a doubt, darling. I should've known better than to go up against you." he joked, but she shook her head.

"No, Patrick, you have the right to question me. I shouldn't have reacted so harshly."

"Can we admit that we're both just a pair of stubborn fools?" he asked with a smile.

"Only if you admit that I was right about the Waterston case from last week." she challenged.

"Never." she laughed happily as he kissed her on the forehead.

Some arguments would never be solved and she was okay with that.

32 down, 18 to go! Finally got around 's nonsense. :D Hope you enjoy!