A/N: sorry it's taken me a while to update this. Hope you enjoy this chapter :) x

Later that afternoon Iain had completed his last shout of the day. Showered and changed he headed back over to the ED pleased that he'd managed to take the ambulance to run a little errand before he did so.

"Ooh Iain you shouldn't have!" Jack's unmistakeable voice chimed as he entered reception.

"Very funny" he mumbled. "erm I don't suppose you know where Rita is?" He asked the receptionist awkwardly.

"I knew it! So you and her are…?" He raised his eyebrows suggestively towards the paramedic "such a waste…" He tailed off shaking his head.

"Erm… Rita?" Iain asked again.

"Oh she's in her office. In a mood. She said not to disturb her unless it was a matter of life or death. Or chocolate." Jack seemed less interested in the conversation now "you might be alright with those" he said with a nod to what Iain was holding in his hand "but I wouldn't bank on it"

Iain quickly detoured via the coffee kiosk and knocked on Rita's office door moments later, entering after hearing a grunt from within.

"Am I allowed in? I come bearing an intense Cadbury's chocolate hit?" he ventured, waving the Twirl in front of him. Rita's frown softened into almost a smile. She sighed as she looked up at him and Iain braved stepping further into the office

"And erm… you looked like you needed cheering up earlier so I… err… thought these might look nice in here?" From behind his back he produced a bunch of different coloured tulips wrapped in brown paper, holding them out uncertainly.

Rita stood up from her desk, unable to mask the surprise in her face or voice.

"Oh. Wow. Thank you. Err… You didn't have to but thanks, they're lovely Iain" she looked up shyly at him as she took the flowers "Tulips are actually my favourite so…" Iain shrugged and cast his eyes over the pile of folders on Rita's desk.

"You a bit bogged down with all this then?"

"Oh you know, nothing that won't keep til tomorrow. I just thought I'd have a bit more of a productive afternoon but… I dunno… struggling to concentrate today" Iain looked at her sympathetically and stepped closer so he could rest his hand on her arm, rubbing his thumb gently against her skin.

"Want me to make you a brew to go with that chocolate?" She nodded and he headed towards the kettle. Rita smiled softly as she watched him busy himself in the kitchenette.

Minutes later he came back to perch on her desk next to her setting two mugs down behind them.

"Wanna talk about it? I err… Saw you sat on Jeff's bench earlier. Is everything okay?" Rita sighed heavily then cast a sideways glance at Iain. She wasn't sure but it felt like something has changed since they'd talked earlier. Maybe she could talk to him after all.

"Do you still miss him?" She asked quietly.

"Jeff?" Rita nodded slightly "Yeah I do" It was Iain's turn to sigh as he thought of his former colleague. "It's weird though. It always felt like he was nearer by when Dix was here. I dunno, it feels like she took a bit more of him away when she left somehow?" He put his arm round Rita's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You too?"

"Yeah, it just hits me every now and again and when… when it does I…" She gulped as her voice broke "I have to remember all over again that he's not here anymore. Oh Iain I'm sorry…" Rita inhaled shakily as the tears started to roll freely down her cheeks.

"Hey come on, it's okay" Iain pulled her into him and rested his chin on the top of her head "I know exactly what you mean. I still expect him to appear in the staffroom and put me in my place and it's been what? Over eighteen months now? Blimey…" Iain rubbed Rita's back as she continued to sob and sniffle.

"Sorry, I don't really know where that's come from today" she mumbled against his chest "and I miss Dixie. And now it looks like Zoe might be off too and then I felt… I felt like I was putting pressure on you to do the 'date' thing and I don't want you to feel you have to. I was just… I'm just… feeling a bit lonely and sorry for myself I guess?" Iain pushed Rita away from him slightly so they could look at each other.

"Right well I can do something about that last one" he said, cupping her cheek with his hand and gently wiping tears away with his thumb. "This date. That's what came here for actually" Rita looked into his eyes, unsure what was coming next. "Sorry if I've been a bit of an idiot today, you shouldn't have had to lead me by the hand through all of this it's just… it's no excuse really but… well I'm hardly what you'd class as expert boyfriend material"

"Humm you're not really selling yourself very well here Iain if you don't mind me saying" Rita teased gently.

"I know and I don't want to scare you off. I just mean I've tried some silly relationships in the past but me and you, we're friends aren't we? Both single, enjoy each other's company and well, you know, the other stuff…" He smirked as he nudged her shoulder with his "I'm just being a moron having a problem with the word 'girlfriend' and 'date' and stuff I'm sorry"

"If it makes you feel better I'm not really an expert either am I? And I mean the bar was hardly set very high by my last relationship, my… umm… my marriage." Rita bit the inside of her lip and looked down at the floor "but I don't want to push you into making this something more than you want it to be. I just started to think we could be more than well…"

"Amazing sex?" Iain continued as Rita flashed him a wry smile and nodded "well it has been pretty amazing. Honestly Reet I can't even look at you without you doing funny things to me. Nobody's ever made me feel like this before..."

"What because I talk dirty to you?" Rita said only half teasing.

"Well i'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy that" Iain smiled "no I mean because it's you and i've always fancied you and now we get to go to bed together and i've been so distracted by that I haven't thought about what it could mean and I guess part of me thought you wouldn't be interested in me like that but well… i've had a bit of a wake up call today and if you're up for it i'd really like to start to try and make it up to you?"

"Okay…" Said Rita slowly, a confused smile growing on her face "Keep talkin'" Iain reached into his top pocket and handed her the folded piece of paper. Rita's eyes lit up as she read it

"So like a proper posh night out, me and you?"

"I think it's about time don't you?" He smiled and leant to kiss Rita's cheek frowning as she pulled away from him and stood up.

"Oh well that very much depends" she whispered, keeping a straight face as she positioned herself between Iain's legs "on whether the amazing sex is still on offer afterwards"

Iain wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her into him, their faces close

"I'll have to see what I can do..." He muttered softly before cupping the back of her head with both hands and pulling her so their lips met. In the same way as the first time they kissed they hungrily explored each other's mouths, hands raking through hair, bodies pressed against each other until eventually they had to break for air. Both of them flushed and breathing heavily.

"Well if that's just a taster for later I think we're gonna be okay" Rita smirked mischievously "now we'd better be careful, we don't want to give Charlie a shock!" She moved away and giggled as Iain shifted to adjust his trousers.

"See look what you do to me!" Iain flashed her a grin as he extracted a sheaf of papers from underneath him "oops sorry I've been sat on some of your work. Sorting the holiday rota are you?" He said glancing down at the top sheet.

"Yeah" Rita grimaced. "Holiday requests for school holidays proving a pain as per" she shrugged.

"Wait a minute is this right Reet? Have you even taken any holiday in the last 12 months? We're not robots you know. Even you need a break once in a while"

Rita fiddled with her uniform sheepishly.

"I just forget, I never get round to taking it and well recently there's been a bit of a bonus to hanging around here" she grinned at him shyly. "I'll book a day off soon I promise"

"Or… Back to what was getting you down earlier… How about…"

"How about what?"

"Sorry no it doesn't matter. I was getting a bit carried away. It's just I was going to book a few days to go and see Dix in Cornwall. I just had the idea we could make a week of it. Shove a tent in the boot if we fancied mixing it up a bit but too much too soon right?" He scratched his chin nervously as he looked up at her. This had been panning out so well up until now he was desperate not to blow it.

"Seriously? I honestly can't think of a better way to spend a week off. I would love that. Let's just do it"

"Really? It's not too 'boyfriend and girlfriend'?"

"Iain… What are we?" she chastised softly.

"We're boyfriend and girlfriend" it was his turn to look sheepish.

"In which case heading off to Cornwall for a week, to get drunk with one of our best mates, and christen a few B&Bs, our new tent and if you're lucky, some beaches is…?" She looked up at him smiling. Iain pulled her in close and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before replying:

"It's bloody perfect"