There's been some pretty strong comment/debate about the Elsie in this story - all I can say is she isn't meant to be the Elsie we know in the show. She's meant to have elements of her but this is a different Elsie in a different time and place.

I hope that it comes across that I'm trying to show that people aren't straightforward and one dimensional - I don't want to say too much because it will ruin the story but please, stick with her. She's lovely, I know!

Time for them to communicate outside of the virtual world I think... and to see Elsie as a mother.

Chapter 9

Over the next week she emails him a few times, just a general 'how are you? How are the renovations going?' to keep the lines of communication open. He doesn't reply but she sends them anyway.

Then on Wednesday he sends her some pictures of her during the trip. Not him. Some of the scenery.

She creates a 'Dubai 2015' folder and saves them in there, flicking through them and imagining where Charles was when he took the photos, imagining what was going on besides what the camera snapped. Again, there is no title or message included, just the attachments.

Clearly he wants to communicate with her, just not verbally, and that's fine, she can cope with that. At least he hasn't retreated entirely. She responds, thank you, they're beautiful, I hope you're well.

She has a parents' evening on Thursday and knows she'll finish late and it will be dark and she'll be tired and hungry and she wishes she were driving home to meet up with him, just for fast food (which he'd hate) and conversation to switch her off from work.

She calls him during her lunch break, tapping on her 'favourites' and finding his number at the top. It rings for a while and she wonders if he's seen her name and is ignoring it. She stares at the firework picture of him again and feels angry with herself for calling but then it clicks and there's coughing and noise.

"Hello," she asks frowning.

"Elsie? Hi, didn't realise it was you."

In the background she can hear banging and drills. "Where are you?" She asks confused.

"I've got builders in," he says, covering one ear to hear her over the din.

"Have you? I'm so pleased."

He shrugs, "Just some changes. Look I can't talk, I've got to supervise or it will all go to pot."

She jumps in quickly before he can hang up, "Have dinner with me, tonight, just something simple, somewhere quick, just to meet up."

He hesitates, "I can't. I can't get away."

She thinks he can but accepts it. "Oh, okay. I'll call in a few days then, see how it's going."

"Yeah, great. Take care."

They hang up, neither satisfied.

There's another email late Friday night when she's lying on the sofa working (on a Friday night!) and slowly making her way through a bottle of wine and she opens it with a mixture of annoyance and hope.

More pictures from their trip, but this time they're all the shots he left out before, the ones of them together. And she spends longer going through them.

She downloads them all and responds, 'Thank you very much for these, they're all gorgeous. We had so much fun! x E.'

She decides enough is enough and turns her laptop off for the night, no more work, and heads into the kitchen to find the takeaway menu for the Chinese down the road when she hears her phone bleep.

Another email. He responded instantly. She swipes her finger across it hesitantly, expectantly, 'You're welcome. CC.'

She stands dumbfounded, frustrated – with herself, with him – in the middle of her kitchen. And throws her phone aside, returning to her earlier task of finding the menu.

Biting her lip she opens it again: email, reply, 'How's the building work going?'

'Slowly. Messily. Expensively.'

She smiles, 'Nice use of adverbs.' And presses send.

It takes longer for him to respond this time, there's no need to really, so she's almost giddy when his message pops up in her inbox again, 'I got a good education.'

She sinks into the sofa, turning the phone over in her hand, is this how teenagers feel, waiting and debating what and how to communicate? Bloody ridiculous. She wants to just have him there, talk this through like adults.

Deciding to be grown up she texts, 'I'm ordering Chinese food – come over…?'

It's ten minutes before he responds and she feels sick with waiting, three words, 'I can't. Sorry. x.'

She wonders if he meant to put a kiss or if it was a slip-up, habit, then she curses herself for being so adolescent and orders her food.

Whilst lying on the sofa waiting for it she decides to respond once more, 'I'm sorry too. Elsie.'

Luckily Anna comes home, turning up way after eleven – with piles of washing and piles of revision.

"I didn't expect you honey," she says when she hears the key turning in the lock and goes to the hall to greet her, finding her dragging in bags.

"Last minute decision thought I'd come and see you, not seen you since your holiday."

Elsie hugs her, closing her eyes and forcing herself not cry on her daughter's shoulder. "So good to see you," she says instead. She squeezes her waist, "You're so skinny. Are you eating?"

Anna rolls her eyes, "Mum, I'm 25 now."

"I don't easily forget that," she tucks a stray piece of hair behind her daughter's ear. "There's leftover Chinese though, if you're hungry."

"I think I'll just sleep actually, been pulling all-nighters this week and I'm knackered." She shrugs her jacket off and Elsie watches her hang it up and take a duffel bag and plod off down the hall to her room (she wonders for how much longer it will be regarded as 'her room').

"You want me to make you some cocoa?"

"No, its fine, see you in the morning."

"Night sweetheart. I love you."

"Love you too mum." Anna says closing her bedroom door.

She stands in the hallway surrounded by carrier bags of washing feeling redundant.

There's been no more emails but that doesn't stop her checking her phone several times during the night.

Anna sleeps through until lunch on Saturday and Elsie empties her bags and washes her clothes and makes French toast and fresh coffee. It feels good to have her there, to have some company, she doesn't want to admit she's lonely, that she hasn't seen him for weeks and she feels wretched.

"So, show me the pictures." Anna says, sitting in Elsie's kitchen wearing her Prada sunglasses despite the fact it's cloudy out. "I need to see the real version of this," she laughs picking up the stuffed crocodile.

"That was truly awe-inspiring, I've never seen such a giant creature. And in a mall, of all places."

"Pictures…" Anna prompts again.

"I erm, have them on my laptop." She fetches it from the lounge and switches it on, watching Anna eat the toast as the computer loads.

"Here you go, don't feel you have to flick through them all, there's quite a few in the album."

She turns away as Anna looks, sipping her coffee and standing by the kitchen window staring at the traffic below, thinking of the tranquillity of two weeks ago. Anna's responses are a mixture of giggles and 'aww' and 'he's so tall' and 'mum, you look pretty.'

"They're great mum," she says when she's finished, "and these are great too," she says waggling the glasses. "I feel very spoilt."

Elsie shrugged, "I decided I'd be saving a fortune on books as you finally finish university this year!"

"Well, and because you're probably in a good position to get great discount on books now. He looks really nice. Are you seeing him later?" She notes Elsie's expression, "Mum, what's happened?"

"We argued."

"When? You never said."

"Before we left, you remember I texted you…"

Realisation dawns and Anna swallows the piece of toast she's chewing, "Oh, mum, tell me you didn't freak out!"

"Why do you say that? As if you expected it."

"Because I did, you've been seeing him for ages now and yet you hardly speak of him or bring him to anything. Logic states that if you didn't like him you wouldn't still be seeing him, or have spent New Year with him, or gone on holiday with him. So I figured it was because of Dad, rather than you not liking Charles."

Her head snaps round to look at her daughter, "Why him?"

"Look, he's my dad and I love him, but he can be a real arse with you at times."

"Don't be like that about him."

"I'm just being honest, I'm not a child anymore mum and I see how he is, and how you are…"

"And how am I, weak I suppose?"

"No, but you seem to act like you owe him something. And yet you've been so much better without him – renting this place, your hair, the clothes, and dating. Just fuck him off!"

"Anna!"

"I mean it, get him out of your system now. Keep dating."

"I haven't dated though have I? I've been seeing one man."

"Is that what bothers you, that there might be better out there?"

"No, that's never crossed my mind. Never once. Look in my family when you marry you stay married."

"Mum, you're not a failure because you got divorced. You were unhappy. We both know he was screwing around behind your back for years, we knew it."

"I'm not having this conversation with you."

"Guess what mum, we are. I know you lost your confidence, I know that. But Dad has you round his finger, he isn't the only man that can care for you and you have to realise that."

"I know. I'm not stupid."

"So…? Mum I don't want to argue with you but for fuck's sake."

"Your language."

"Screw that!"

They're both silent. Anna pushes the laptop aside and Elsie stands at the other side of the kitchen watching her, she's shaking, and her head feels muddled with half-remembered scraps of conversation – Joe, Anna, Charles, her parents.

"I don't know what to do. I tried calling and we've emailed but… I hurt him Anna. And I don't know how to take that back."

"It's your fault then?"

"Entirely."

"So apologise, if you really want to continue seeing him. Do you?"

"Yes, of course, we did have such a wonderful time together until then."

"Then do what all women do."

"What?"

"Put on a low cut dress and flirt."

Elsie rolled her eyes, "I'm not that kind of girl. And I think it's going to take a lot more than a bit of cleavage."

"Then find a way to show him."

She knew it was a mistake to let Anna talk her into going into town, it was under the pretence of needing clothes – which Elsie ended up paying for – and they wandered and had coffee but of course it got to late afternoon and she finally asked, "So, where is Charles' shop?"

"We're not going there!" Elsie warned.

"Yes, we are."

"Why? I'll be embarrassed, he'll be embarrassed, I haven't seen him in two weeks. We can't just turn up."

"Of course we can, I need a book."

"Then let's go to Waterstones."

"Sacrilege, surely he'd hate you for that."

"I think he hates me already. Please don't make me go, he's not the kind of man who reacts well to sudden change or unexpected events…"

Anna turned her phone screen to her mother, "There, we're less than ten minutes walk away."

"I really hate technology at times."

As it happened the shop was 'Closed for refurbishment' which made her very happy – he was doing the work, and quickly too.

"What a let down," Anna said.

"But he's renovating, like we discussed." Elsie smiled then grimaced when she saw her daughter press her face up to the glass. "Anna, stop that!"

The door opened and a builder popped his head, "Can we help you love?"

Elsie shook her head but Anna spoke, "Is Charles around?"

The builder shouted back over his shoulder, "Pretty young lass looking for our Carson."

Elsie blushed, God he'd hate that. Her stomach tightened as she hears his voice from inside, "The ad hasn't even gone in the paper yet." And then he's outside and staring at her, and he's lost his voice.

She folds her hands behind her back, he has dust in is hair but he's still brown, hers faded almost immediately, and those kind eyes seem to be smiling at her.

"Hi," he says softly.

"Hi." She says back, unsure what else to do.

They stare at each other for a moment then he smiles, gesturing behind him, "Work has started."

"So I see. Going well?"

He frowns, "Messy. How are you?" He says gently, stepping closer to her. "How have you been?"

"Okay," because what else can she say? "How have you been?"

"Okay, busy, messy. As I said. Living in a building site is not recommended…" Then he pauses, noticing a young girl hovering around behind Elsie.

"This is the pretty young lass," she states, reaching for Anna's arm and pulling her closer.

"Oh my goodness," he remembers their brief meeting from months ago. "Anna." He holds his hand out to her. "So nice to see you again, how are the exams going?"

"Well, they haven't quite started yet, three weeks to go. I'm having my last Saturday off."

"And spending it with me," Elsie smiles hooking her arm through her daughter's.

"I can think of no one better." He says instinctively.

Anna bites her lip, a trait she's inherited from her mother. They're cute, too cute. "We're going to have some pizza, why don't you join us?"

He stutters, flustered by the request – he likes organisation, forward planning, "I don't want to intrude, I'd be in the way."

"No, you wouldn't." Anna says. "We're only going to Pizza Express."

He tugs on his shirt nervously, "You'll think me terribly old fashioned but I don't know what that is."

Elsie smiles and without thinking touches his arm, "Don't worry, it's a chain."

"I'm guessing they serve pizza fast."

"Mum said you like Italian food."

"I do," he can't help but feel both warm and surprised that she's told her that. "Hence this." He chuckles, patting his stomach.

"There's nothing wrong with you," she says kindly, "Though he likes Noci's for his Italian food."

"Well," he swallows, "the builders don't finish til 5:00…"

"It's ten to," Anna says quickly.

"And I have to change, I'm dusty."

Anna prods her mum in the back, and Elsie blurts out, "We have to go to the Pharmacy anyway, before it closes, we can come back for you."

She holds his gaze, hoping he can see she wants to at least try and make things better.

"Alright, I'll just change. But let's not go to this fast place, let me try and ring Umberto and see if he can find us an early slot there instead."

"That would be lovely," Elsie agrees.

"He's a real gent," Anna says as they walk away. "What are we going to the pharmacy for?"

"Nothing. I made that up when you prodded me." She whispered.

"Well, we can get condoms, I reckon you've got more than a chance still with him."

"Anna! I am NOT discussing such things with you. And as if I need them at my age."

"Protection is important mother, not just for unwanted pregnancies."

"Stop it."

45 minutes later and they're seated at L'Albero Delle Noci, a lovely window table and Charles has ordered wine and Elsie feels bad for not being dressed up, her hair is loose and has curled in that awkward, natural way it has because she hadn't even made an effort for just going to town with her daughter and she's wearing flat sandals and a loose blue jersey top over trousers. Anna looks fantastic in anything so it doesn't matter that she's in jeans and a jacket. And of course when they got back to Charles he'd put on a neatly pressed shirt and perfectly shined shoes.

She feels out of place and exposed in front of him – more so than she did when they were doing what they did in that villa bedroom.

"So much to choose from," Anna says trying her best to create a jovial mood. "Will either of you mind if I order garlic prawns to start, or even if I have a starter?"

"Seeing as you won't be the one paying I shouldn't think it matters what you order," Elsie said, not looking up from her menu.

"That's why I have you dear mother."

Charles smiles at their easy banter, "And what will you have Els?"

Anna's head shoots up, a grin on her face.

He corrects himself quickly, coughing to cover his slip up, "…Elsie?"

"I think I might have just olives to start, or bread, I can't decide."

"Do you want to share?" He asks.

She moves her leg, catching his beneath the table, and looks up quickly, "Yes, let's."

"And this special pasta that's on the board, I can't pronounce it..."

Charles squints at the board, "I forgot my glasses," he says and she offers him hers. He peers through them and easily pronounces the dish.

"Wow, I'm impressed, nice accent." Anna says.

"I spent a year in Italy when I finished university. Travelling around with a friend." He hands her glasses back. "Thanks."

"You see that sounds like what I should be doing mum, rather than applying for jobs."

"But I wouldn't like that," Elsie slips her glasses on again to look at the wine selection. "Who would I have to eat Chinese food with on the sofa whilst watching a movie? And who would fund such a trip? After just funding a Masters degree?"

"I worked," Charles chipped in.

"I could work, in a little coffee shop or something, maybe I could try and get in a gallery over there. A small one, as experience."

Elsie looks over the top of her glasses to Charles, "You're filling her head with things."

"Sorry," he says, genuinely worried he's caused a problem. Somehow it seems intensely important to him that Elsie's daughter likes him, not that he's at all certain where they stand or what the status of their relationship is. He'd hate to be back as friends, though he'd hate to lose her completely even more, so maybe that's what he'll have to settle for.

But then she touches him, brushes his arm, as she did outside of the shop, or his leg under the table, and looks at him and surely it can't only be he who feels the connection. Lonely nights since they've returned and he's thought of their nights in Dubai, that passion, that intensity, the things they did, the way she made him feel…

"So sir, two pretty ladies with you tonight."

Charles stands to shake the waiter's hand, clearly he knows him well.

"I'm not sure if you remember Elsie," she reaches up to shake the waiter's hand, "And this is her daughter Anna."

"Hi," Anna waves from her spot by the window.

They let Charles order and then Anna asks, "So, you've brought mum here before then?"

Charles swallows his wine, glancing at Elsie, "We had our first date here, I guess you'd call it a date."

"If you had dinner and brought her flowers then in my book it's a date." Anna said smiling – and Elsie thought back to the beautiful bouquet he brought her that night when he picked her up. He insisted on picking her up. On paying a taxi to bring him out of town and then back in just to be gentlemanly, to do it right. With Charles very often things were about the style, the show, and she'd grown used to it, she'd grown used to ways that others may grow annoyed with.

"So, your course," he said to Anna, "Art History, tell me what it entails."

She listens to them chat, is content to sip her wine and then nibble at the bread and olives when they arrive. Charles is polite and friendly and asks the right questions and shows the right interest. And Anna is happy to chatter on about what she does and what she's hoping to do.

"I guess a passion for history runs in the family then." He smiles, looking at Elsie – she seems quiet to him and he's worried.

"Certainly didn't get the smart genes from my Dad." Anna giggles as she gets up, "won't be a moment, going to wash my hands."

Charles refills their wine and they both watch the shadows play across the liquid's surface as the candlelight flickers. The restaurant is getting busier now and night has fallen, the setting more intimate.

"Thank you," he says, "For bringing Anna, it's nice to meet her properly."

She lifts her wine glass to take a sip; needing the support it offers."I always wanted her to meet you." She says softly, aware they're just dancing around a rather delicate subject.

"You're quiet, have I offended you, coming for dinner, changing your plans and bringing you here?"

She swallows her wine a little too quickly, shaking her head, "Not at all, not in the slightest. I like it here, and I… I wanted to see you." She lowered her voice, suddenly finding smoothing the tablecloth very interesting. "Thank you for the emails."

He was embarrassed, each one had made him feel like a child playing a game but he couldn't seem to cut dead all communication with her – that would be too hard.

"I enjoyed the music," she looked up at him, trying to read his expression. "I bought the album."

He smiled, "So did I, Thomas is a huge fan and apparently the guy's only done three albums so I bought them all."

She's glad of his sudden enthusiasm. She spreads her hand across the table towards him, her fingers tingling in anticipation, "I really have mi…"

"Did I miss much?" Anna asks as she pushes past her mum to sit down.

"Not really," Charles states, leaning back in his chair. "We were just discussing the changes I'm having done to the shop, the builder quoted me six weeks but I fear it's going to take at least double that."

"How come?"

"Because Anna, as your mother will attest to, I'm quite a fussy old so-and-so and I like things being done a certain way."

"You're not that fussy," Elsie interrupts, realising she's already finished her glass of wine again - that's two already. She needs to eat to soak it up.

"Your mother's being nice, I am, it's a miracle she put up with it all these months. I like things to be just so."

"Fair enough, when it's your shop. And hey don't worry about having personality traits, mum has her own."

"Do I?"

"You ever seen her try to take tablets?"

"Oh, don't start with that."

"She has this thing about taking tablets…"

"I do not."

"A fear of choking on them or something, even the tiniest aspirin."

Elsie is shaking her head in denial and despair but Charles is laughing at Anna's impression of her trying to swallow.

"All hell breaks loose when she's ill and the Doctor gives her pills to take."

"Enough now, I'm suitably embarrassed."

"Really? I think I have more…" She's still giggling as their main courses arrive and Charles takes the moment to look at Elsie, he's sure he felt her foot touch his leg again beneath the table.

When the bill arrives Elsie grabs it before Charles can, she's not stupid, he's running a business and it's closed – at least she has a regular income.

"Don't even try, it's my turn."

She takes her purse and goes to pay and Charles stares after her, realising after a few minutes that Anna is staring at him, her chin propped up on her hands as she leans on the table.

"Give her time."

"Sorry?"

"Mum, just give her time. I don't know exactly what went on but she told me she hurt you and believe me when I say she's sorry. She's just scared, just take it slow."

"I thought I was, eight months of slow and then…" He shakes his head, "I'm not sure your mother is really interested in me Anna."

"Oh she is, believe me, she is."

He looks to the table, to his folded hands. "I can't be her band-aid, I tried to be, but…" He shrugged, "I need more. Which is the strangest thing in the world because I've never needed anybody."

"She is more. She can be. You must have seen that?"

He smiles, her daughter is as persistent as she is, "Yes, I've seen that. There were days out there where she was just…" he spies Elsie returning.

Anna speaks quickly, "Look, all I'm saying is don't give up. If you love her, wait."

They could take a taxi but Charles insists on driving them home, he deliberately stuck to one glass of wine with dinner and is still chattering to Anna when they pull up at Elsie's flat.

Anna makes her goodbyes quickly and then leaves them alone, standing on the street in the cool weather.

"Thank you for driving us home, and for dinner, it was lovely."

"Thank you for paying, you didn't have to."

"I wanted to."

They stand awkwardly, Charles has the feeling he's shuffling from foot to foot waiting for the right moment, the right thing to say.

"It's been so good to see you, Els…"

She reaches to hold his arm, "It's been so good to see you too, I really have missed you Charles."

She senses him draw back at her statement.

"Do you…want to do this again?" She asks hopefully.

He breathes deeply, "I don't know Elsie, I'm not sure that we… There's still unresolved things."

"Then let's resolve them, talk them through."

He pulls his arm from hers, "I'm not sure I can do it again."

Her shoulders sag, her heart sinks. "Oh…"

He feels awful. He feels like his stomach is being wrenched out through his throat. "That doesn't mean I don't want to see you, I want you to see the shop, to see the progress - they're your ideas."

She nods. He wants to be friends. He has every right to make that decision – every right – but God it hurts to know he has.

"I will, I'll try and pop in to have a look soon."

"I'll let you know when there's something to see."

She feels like she should hug him or shake his hand or something. But they seem to be back where they were last August, before that first date, making polite conversation – customer and shop owner. Strangers.

"Goodnight Charles."

"Goodnight."

An hour later she's in bed listening to the news, the build up to the election, and Anna is playing music next door as she takes a bath. She swirls the port in her glass, Charles bought her the bottle for Christmas as a joke after the whole 'cheese' incident and she's developed quite a taste for it.

Her phone bleeps and she sighs, she doesn't want to communicate with anyone right now.

A text, 'Thank you for dinner. CC.'

'You're welcome. x'

The music goes off next door and she turns the volume down on the television as Anna comes in, crawling onto her mum's bed and snuggling beside her.

"That's my dressing gown you've got on."

"It was in the bathroom, forgot mine."

She may be 25, just, but Elsie had always shown her daughter that you're never too old for cuddles, so she rested her head against her mother's chest and enjoyed the feel of her playing with her hair.

"Are you worried?" Elsie asked.

"A little. Trying not to be. I try not to think how important the exams are." she mumbled, her voice covered slightly by the bed quilt.

"Call, whenever you feel overwhelmed, call and we'll talk it through. You're not too old to need that." She kissed her head, her damp hair.

"I could say the same to you." She felt her mother's chest expand as she breathed in and then out again. "You think tonight helped?"

"I don't know. I asked if he'd like to see me again but I think he may just want to be friends."

"That's crap."

Elsie smiled at her choice of words, "It is a bit crap."

"You were married at my age."

"And just pregnant with you."

"I can't imagine doing that."

"No, neither can I now. You want to watch a movie? Get in here with me and I'll make us some cocoa. We don't have to get up early tomorrow."

Anna nods, lifting her head up and climbing into her mum's bed, "I'll find a film."

"Alright."

Elsie gets up and goes to the kitchen, waiting for the milk to warm she turns on the laptop and once again flips through the pictures he's sent. There's one of them together by the pool, and she stares at it for the longest time, flicking her fingers over the screen to zoom in. She focuses on his kind eyes, but then more at herself, at her expression, her face, her eyes... she looks happy. And she was. So very happy.

Sorry it's so much Elsie at the moment, there's a lot I need to explore with her, but don't fear Charles will get his moment. Thank you for getting so involved with this, some of you emotionally involved, and for engaging with the ideas. It's a really interesting exploration actually, reading all your comments and I didn't expect that when I started it. It was meant to just be a cute holiday fic - ha!

I'll try and update later today because we're getting to the crucial stage now!