Previously: Paula sent Dave to the store to pick up some more items, her tone making it clear that it was an order not a request, and with the same voice she asked Celine for help in the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, Paula set her on a task of chopping up some vegetables as she washed up some dishes. "So, are you and Father Jude going to be using those two rooms or just the one?"
A Flaw in the Plan
Chapter 11
The question made Celine flush deeply to her roots, Paula snickered at her reaction clearly not needing her to speak to answer her question.
"I thought you guys were supposed to be celibate?" There was no judgement in Paula's voice, which was quite reassuring. She did not yet have the excuse of marriage to justify her and Jude's relationship.
"It's the end of the world, can you really blame us?"
"No, everyone deserves some happiness. For some time I was worried that I would not get to spend much time with Jamie, he was too busy gallivanting around looking for his wife to think about me." She teared up a bit but did not let it interfere with what she was saying. "But he came back, I don't know what I would have done if I had to face the end by myself."
Clearly, Paula's scare had only recently been remedied by Jamie's return. Her admission caused her strength to nearly crumble, and Celine was quick to put her arms around the other woman and try to calm her.
"You may not be Jamie's biological mother, but he clearly loves you. He wouldn't leave you alone at the end for anything. Family is important to him and to you. I can't think that anything would be more important than family at the end." The words did calm her down.
"Thank you, you're right. I'm being silly."
"No, you're not." She found a box of tissues and handed it to Paula.
"But what about you? You spend your time gallivanting around the world, do you not want to be with your family right now?" Paula asked with a frown, as she wiped away her tears.
"I don't have any family." Celine explained. "I only have Jude."
"Well then, that makes us family too. Family is more than just blood." The two women hugged again, and Celine was struck by just how good a mother Paula was, she prayed that she would ever be able to compare when she had her own baby.
After dinner, she and Jude had stayed for a few more hours before leaving for their hotel. Celine went briefly into her own room to mess up the sheets and make it look as though she had actually used the bed before taking her small suitcase to Jude's room. He was already undressed and sitting on the bed, checking something on his laptop.
"Layla says she will go and see Jamie as soon as we've returned to Rome." He told her as she entered the room. "She's worried that if she arrives while we are still here it will be obvious that we've met before." Slipping out of her nun uniform and into her nightdress, she climbed onto the bed and curled up at his side.
"She's going to have some difficulty getting Paula back on her side again, especially once she reveals that Frankie is Jamie's daughter." Jude shook his head in disapproval.
"She told me that the reason she's been hiding is because of Jamie's twin. She sounded terrified of him." The idea seemed to disturb him, it must be upsetting to think you had fathered a son capable of inspiring those kind of feelings in the woman they were supposed to love.
"Whatever the issue is, they need to sort it out amongst themselves." She told him. "Don't blame yourself, this mess sounds as though it is down to Layla and Ariel."
"I haven't had the chance to thank you for today." He said, slipping his arm around her waist so they fit together better. "Your support has been incredible. I imagine it hasn't been easy listening to me talk about Mary all day."
"It hasn't been that difficult." She hesitated. "I did notice how different she and I are though, I'm not spontaneous or independent, like she was." He was quiet for a moment before he responded.
"I was a very different person when I was with Mary. I was a mess, and she was too. When she told me she was pregnant I knew that neither of us would make good parents, and I still stand by that today. Mary gave up Jamie to be adopted, and I can't help but think she should have given up Ariel as well. Things might have been very different if she had. I'm not the same person as I was back then, but from what I've heard it sounds like Mary had not changed much. She and I would not get on as well as you and I do now." He kissed the top of her head. Celine tilted her head up and kissed him properly.
"Paula knows about us." She told him. "But I don't think she will tell Jaime, she knows it's not the right time."
"He will find out eventually though." Jude mused, neither sounding pleased nor displeased about it.
"Is that such a terrible thing?"
"Of course not. It's just that a month ago I wouldn't have even considered the fact that I would be meeting my son, never mind having to break the news that I had entered into a relationship with my nun research assistant."
"It does sound pretty ridiculous when you put it that way." She admitted with a smile.
"I do have something serious to talk about with you." He said after a small pause. At Celine's nod he continued. "It's an awkward subject to bring up, but I realised that when we've been together we've not used any protection-" She placed her hand over his before he could continue.
"That's not something we need to worry about." She lowered her eyes. "I can't have children." She couldn't quite decide if it was a lie or not, she was supposed to be infertile but despite that she had managed to become pregnant. She and Jude had not discussed it in the past, probably because it simply hadn't crossed his mind then. The lie would be worth it in the end.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know."
"It's fine, I've had more than enough time to get used to the idea."
She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. It had been a long exhausting day, not helped by the time difference between Italy and England. Jude slipped out of bed to turn the light off, before returning to her side. Slipping under the covers, she pressed herself close to him. The room was now pitch black, so even with her eyes open she struggled to see the man in front of her. Her hand bumped against his shoulder, using that as a reference point her lips found his neck where she pressed a soft kiss. His sudden intake of breath rewarded her efforts, and she lightly peppered kisses upwards until she reached the corner of his mouth.
"Don't start something you can't finish, Celine." He warned, one hand playing with the straps on her dress. Despite his words she felt his smile when she pressed her lips to his mouth.
Early the next morning, after overcoming certain distractions, they headed back to Jamie's house. He and Jude spent the whole day getting to know each other better. Each telling the other about their lives and the challenges they had faced. Any reservations Celine might have originally had about manipulating her research on Frankie completely faded when she saw them looking much closer than they had been in the original timeline. Sooner than they thought possible, it was late again and they had to say goodbye.
After packing up their possessions, and leaving their hotel they were surprised to find Jamie waiting outside in Dave's van.
"I thought I would drive you to the airport, if that's okay?"
"Perfect, thank you." Jude said as he and Celine entered the van.
The drive was short, and she waited patiently for the two men to say their final goodbyes. She smiled as she heard them discuss visiting one another, but she smile faded when she was reminded that they would never get the chance. But with her intervention, she hoped that they would at least get the chance to see each other again.
AN: So I'm drunk, not really read the story properly but got back from a night of drinking and found a new review in my e-mail asking for an update so here it is! I did write it while sober, I just haven't proofread it, sorry I'm so late. I promised this ages ago. But was busy with uni. Uni is mean, so much work to dooooo. Anyway hope the readers that are interested in this story like the chapter. Next chapter Jude and Celine go to Malta (assuming I skim read the correct chapter). I could be wrong, I should not be trusted. Going to post this and then sleep. Night night.