I'm really spoiling you lot right now with these really efficient updates at the moment aren't I! I'm surprising myself to be honest.

Thank you again, for the really really lovely and spectacular reviews, I'm chuffed that you're all enjoying my story so much, and that the muddled musings in my head are making you all so happy!

For those of you who have been waiting for a bit of Turnadette lovin' - well you're in luck, things are starting to get serious and romantic, there will be cake, there will be kissing and there will be more to come!

Enjoy - please review and this chapter's song is "I gotta feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

I know that we'll have a ball, if we get down and go out and just lose it all, I feel stressed out, I wanna let it go. Let's go way out spaced out and losing all control. Fill up my cup, mazel tov. Look at her dancing, just take it off. Let's paint the town, we'll shut it down, let's burn the roof, and then we'll do it again!

"Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it, let's do it! And do it and do it, let's live it ! And do it and do it and do it, do it, do it! Let's do it, let's do it, let's do it … come on Bernadette, why aren't you singing – Tonight's going to be a good night! I'm going to see Patrick, and this is going to be the start of something brilliant and wonderful!" The cat didn't look convinced but instead jumped up the bed and settled down onto her favourite pillow. Pulling off her towel she wandered around her bedroom alternating between combing her damp hair out and flicking through her underwear drawer to find a matching set, a rare occurrence in her wardrobe, but potentially possible. She wasn't nervous exactly, but all the same, this was the first time she had seen Patrick since the night of the mugging. It'd been a week since the phone call where she'd decided that the no-matter what happened she had to be with him, and now was the crucial night, when the stars aligned and hopefully things may get on track with Patrick.

She was uncorking a bottle of wine when the buzzer rang, the advantage of living on the 14th floor of a tower block was that the time between the bell ringing and your guests arriving at your own front door was long enough for a last minute tidy, or for more nervous residents to try and effect a nonchalant air. Shelagh in turn took a deep breath and, having poured herself a glass of wine, walked over to her laptop, plugged into her stereo and pressed play, her music tastes were somewhat varied so what would play through-out the night was anyone's guess. When the knock at the front door came, she took a deep breath and pulled her jumper down a little lower, exhaling slowly she opened the door.

"Hi Patrick, Tim how are you?"

"Fine thanks – have you got a cat?"

"Umm – yeah, her name's Bernadette. Wait a sec and I'll give you some treats for her – she'll love you for ever!" Walking back into the kitchen, she fished about in a cupboard for a second before finding the box of cat treats, she pulled a few from the packet and handed them over to the boy with a smile. "She's probably asleep on my bed; it's just through there on the left. So – Patrick … it's good to see you. Wine?"

"Thanks yeah, it's good to see you too. How have you been?"

"Oh fine, I'm off the painkillers now, my stiches are all out – I'm as good as new basically, scars permitting." Taking a step closer to her, Patrick ran a finger along her temple and cheek, following her largest scar gently,

"You still look beautiful to me, you always will." he didn't take his hand from the edge of her cheek, pausing he leant in and kissed Shelagh on the cheek where his fingers had been a moment before. Breaking away after a moment he smiled, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, a lot." leaning against Patrick hugged him hard, before looking up and reaching up she kissed him on the lips, he had kissed her once before in a moment of confusion and pain when he thought he had lost Tim that night, but this time was different, instead of shock and panic – there was passion and love as he reciprocated the kiss. His hand slipping to her waist, feeling the warmth of her body beneath the bulk of her jumper.

"I should start cooking." She said after a moment stepping back from his embrace, "Or we'll never eat!"

"And where Tim's concerned not having food's a dangerous situation to be in! What are we having?"

"Sausages alright?"

"Yes thanks, anything with them?"

"Peppers and pasta – winning combination!"

"Anything I can do?"

"Umm … do you want to find the pasta in the cupboard and boil some up."

"Yeah – of course, oh – before I forget two things, first off – I've got a present for you! Here – it's nothing too exciting."

"Oh, Patrick you shouldn't have." Taking the package off him, around the length of a paperback but 2/3 as wide, Shelagh carefully pulled off the paper, to reveal a replacement for the purse that the muggers had stolen; it was red with a bright yellow passion flower design printed across it and a silver buckle that closed it up. "Oh Patrick it's lovely, and thoughtful, thank you!"

"Well Tim helped pick it with me, he was worried that I'd pick something hideous and far too practical!"

"Well then, you both have good taste, thank you again. You said there were two things?"

"Ahh yes, well this one's a little more tricky, do you by any chance remember when you just came round from the accident and Cynthia was there?"

"Vaguely, I think I started talking about Boris Yeltsin -"

"I did wonder why you were dreaming about him."

" – and asked her to feed Bernadette, why do you ask?"

"Umm – well it would appear that you were talking about me as well … or us rather."

"Us?"

"Yes, about that night … and why we had argued … and now it would appear that the maternity ward and a considerable portion of the neo-nates unit and maternity department know that there's something going on between us."

"Oh God … this is a bit awkward."

"Mmm – although crushingly the main objection seems to be that I'm far too dull to being having an illicit relationship. What do you want to do?"

"About you being dull or about us?"

"Oh either or!"

"Well, you're not dull – so that's that one sorted, and as for the other … what do you think? I mean as far as I'm concerned this isn't a fling … or with any luck it isn't, people'll have to know at some point, if we're in this for the long run."

"I am – actually, before I make any commitment, can I just check about the Boris Yeltsin thing? I mean have you got a bit of a think for communist Russians? Should I grow a Karl Marxesq beard?"

"Ha – no, I have no idea why I would be dreaming of the poor Mr Yeltsin, I'm going to assume that I was on some powerful drugs at the time!"

"Thank you for a lovely evening, and some really lovely food! That cake was … spectacular!"

"Well, Tim – how about you two take some of the extra home, there's plenty left and it'll only get wasted on the girls on the ward."

"Can we Dad?"

"Yeah – if Shelagh's sure she doesn't mind?"

"No – you go for it Tim. There's come clingfilm in the drawer next to the sink." Watching Tim dash off into the kitchen, she turned back to Patrick with a smile, she stepped closer until she could smell his aftershave, looking up she bit her lip thoughtfully. "So – this is goodnight then!"

"Goodnight, nurse McDonald … I'll be seeing you."

"I'll be seeing you, soon I hope."

"Well Tomorrow actually, you're back in aren't you?"

"Yes, ready to be fussed over by everyone!" She took a step closer again, her chest just touching his, she reached out slowly and took his hand in her own, lacing her fingers through his she leant upwards and kissed him, he reached around her waist and pulled her in towards him tighter. Shifting her jumper ½ an inch with his finger he reached for a small patch of exposed skin on her spine, feeling her cold smooth skin he pulled her closer as she reached up and held the back of his head with her free hand, his lips tasted of the sweet chocolate and the sharp tang of wine that told of their evening. It was the bump of the kitchen drawer in the background which brought them round and they both jumped, stepping apart they moved away from one another just as Tim returned from the kitchen holding a clingfilmed package of chocolate cake in his hand.

"Thanks Shelagh, for tonght and for the cake and for letting me play with Bernadette, she's really nice! And so was the cake!"

"You're very welcome Tim, any time – and thank you for the purse, it'll be really useful – and you have excellent taste."

"Right – we'd best be off, come on Tim, you've got school in the morning. Good night Shealgh … I'll see you in work!"

"See you." Closing the door behind her, Shelagh slowly walked back to the kitchen diner with a massive smile on her face, she surveyed the mess on the table of plates, glasses and the pots and pans in the sink, with a sigh she thought about doing the washing up, before deciding that tonight had been too good a night to ruin now so collecting up Bernadette in her arms she walked through to her bedroom and collapsed onto the bed. "This - Miss B, has been a very good night, don't you think!"

Settled down in the car, Patrick turned to his son and watched him fasten his seatbelt in the rear view mirror. Satisfied that he was safely secured her gave a small cough and turned the ignition,

"So … that was nice wasn't it Tim …" he said, his foot hovering over the accelerator, he wanted the conversation started before he started to drive. "Wasn't it?"

"Yeah it was great, I mean Shelagh's great. She's really nice."

"She is isn't she … mmm … yeah …"

"Dad … are you alright?"

"Yeah – why?"

"Well, you're not exactly doing much driving are you."

"Oh right … yeah, sorry …" Carefully he started to reverse out of his parking space and back onto the road, doing a three point turn her stayed watching Tim occasionally looking back onto the road to see where he was going. "I only ask because I wanted to talk to you about something … umm … I mean how would you feel if I – I mean we – we were to see a bit more of Shelagh from time to time?"

"How do you mean Dad?"

"I mean if I were see Shelagh outside of work from time to time – well I mean quite often really, and so you saw her a bit more often too, how would you feel about that?"

"Dad – can you just spit it out, you're talking forever!"

"Don't be cheeky!"

"Dad – do you mean that you and Shelagh are going out?"

"Oh right OK, ummm – yeah, yeah we are. We're going to be a bit more umm public soon, but I wanted to check with you first."

"Do you like kiss and stuff?"

"Umm yeah a bit …"

"Urgh – that's gross Dad!"

"Sorry. You did ask."

"I know – but I never thought you say yes, you're well old!"

"Oh thanks Tim, I mean I know I'm not quite at the peak of my youth but I'm not quite ready for my pipe and slippers just yet!"

"I don't know how you got her Dad, she's really young and pretty."

"I had noticed."

"And you're old and wear jumpers. But you're luck Dad, lucky that she doesn't mind, because she's really nice."

"So – you're OK with it then?"

"Yeah – I'm OK with it."