"They're beautiful."

Connie murmured, glancing up at Rita as she arranged the Iris's in a blue and white jug full of water, which she placed on the corner of her desk.

"I didn't know if you were a 'flowers' sort of woman, but I saw them by the ambulance bay..."

Rita let her words trail off. Connie smiled though she said nothing, she merely let a finger slip over the fragile purple petals, admiring them for a moment. Touched by such an open display of affection.

"Are you ok?"

Rita asked, nearing the desk. Connie glanced up at her again and drew in a breath, her chest expanding beneath the dark blue top of Rita's.

"It's been a long day."

She sighed, and she reached out a hand to Rita, taking the nurses hand within her own, and drawing her nearer so that she stood before her, only inches away. She touched her fingertips to her forehead and ran them along the side of her face to her jaw, with a fleeting glance of her thumb to her lips.

"And I've missed you."

She whispered, watching as her words made Rita smile, a beautiful smile that made her eyes sparkle and her cheeks flush.

"Have you?"

Rita asked, biting her lip, and Connie nodded, allowing her fingers to stroke her hair, threading their way between the strands and curling as she loosened the hair from behind her ear.

"You're so beautiful."

She breathed, and she felt the warmth of Rita's skin beneath her fingertips, marvelling at how much warmer the flesh of her neck was just behind her ear.

Rita's eyes widened and she looked back up at the other woman, wondering whether or not it would be acceptable to kiss her right here, in the middle of her office.

As if Connie knew what she was thinking she glanced to Rita's lips, but just as she made to lean towards her there was a clattering crash of a noise just outside her office door, and Charlie opened the door without knocking.

For a moment neither Rita or Connie moved from where they stood, it was only when Charlie paused, his hand on her door handle, his eyes upon them both that Connie let her hand fall quickly from the touch at Rita's cheek, and immediately cursed herself for how obvious her movements were.

"We've got a little girl coming in..."

He began, watching how Rita failed to meet his gaze, and how her lips twitched with amusement.

"ETA ten minutes."

He added, forgetting the details as Connie cleared her throat, folded her arms, and then immediately unfolded them in favour of placing her hands upon her hips.

"We'll be right there."

Connie said at last, clearing her throat.

Charlie nodded and narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of amusement behind them.

"Maybe you should start locking your door..."

He added quietly, and he couldn't help but smile at how Connie's eyes widened and the colour began to rise within her cheeks. Never before had he seen her blush.

"Yes. Thank you..."

Connie glanced to behind Charlie where Max and Lofty seemed to be gathering things up off the floor.

"Well, I'll leave you to it."

Charlie gave a brief nod of his head but Connie waved a hand for him to hold the door.

"We'll follow you out."

She glanced to Rita who, though she held her face low, raised her eyes to Connie, her lips quivering against a laugh.

They slipped through the door that Charlie held open, murmuring their thanks and stepping out onto the ward. Before them Max had his arms full of used packaging that he had collected from the floor, and Lofty was busy fixing the lid of a dustbin, his face flushed, his eyes flicking nervously from Rita to Connie.

"What is that?"

Connie asked, looking pointedly to the trolley that Lofty stood behind. He opened his mouth to speak, but found no words came and immediately he looked to Max for help.

"It's two bins on a trolley."

Max said, raising an eyebrow at Rita.

"I can see that. And when I asked you the question it was a rhetorical one, which does not need a direct answer as you new very well in the first place."

Connie placed her hands on her hips, and Rita couldn't help but feel the rise and flutter of something glorious within her stomach. Standing next to Connie whilst she was firmly wielding her power was something of a thrill...especially when her wrath wasn't aimed directly at her as it used to be.

"Connie Beauchamp...why use one word when twenty seven will do..."

Muttered Max and Connie raised both eyebrows, her eyes flashed, her lips pursed and Rita could almost feel the static electricity from her body.

"What is it..."

"It's two rhetorical bins on a rhetorical trolley."

Max cut her off, and Rita had to turn her head to conceal the smile that played and tugged at the corner of her mouth.

Connie cleared her throat.

"What is it doing outside my office?"

Connie repeated, finishing her sentence, her voice raising slightly and Max gave a dramatic sigh as though he were bored of the conversation.

"Lofty thought it would be a more efficient way of disposing of waste...moving two bins at once."

He paused and glanced to Lofty who was still fiddling with the plastic lid of one of the bins, desperate to avoid eye contact.

"It turns out the wheels on the trolley weren't strong enough and it tipped up..."

"Outside my office."

Rita noted how Connie's fingers dug into her sides as she spoke, and she felt suddenly relieved that she wasn't the one on the receiving end.

"Yes."

Max said simply.

"Well. Will you please remove them before somebody from upstairs sees us standing here, amongst all of this rubbish."

She glanced down to the packets and pieces of plastic that had yet to be collected and put back into the bin.

"They'd have less chance of seeing us if we hide behind the dustbins."

Max joked, almost laughing as he spoke, amused to see how angry he could make Connie in such a short amount of time.

The clinical lead made to speak again but Rita placed a hand on her arm and moved between them, her body only a fraction of an inch in front of Connie's.

"Let's just get this cleaned up shall we? We don't need to have a discussion about it..."

Rita folded her arms across her chest and glanced from Max to Lofty who looked up at her, relieved to have her take over the situation.

Rita watched them for a moment before turning. She stumbled slightly, taken aback by just how close to Connie was, and as she caught herself she realised she could smell Connie's perfume, the scent of it making her stomach wince with pleasure.

"Shall we?"

She gestured to the corridor and Connie drew in a breath through her nose, her gaze still firmly on Lofty, and she only broke it at the very last moment, turning, joining Rita as they made their way to RESUS.

"You know you really shouldn't frighten Lofty so much, he's nervous enough as it is..."

"I wasn't frightening him."

Connie cut her off and Rita glanced up at her, fighting the smile at her lips.

"You're a very terrifying woman."

She said quietly as Connie held open the double door that led into the corridor towards RESUS. She slipped by her, catching her eye as she did so and falling into step with her again.

"I however, find it quite attractive."

She added, lowering her voice, and she watched as Connie glanced about them, double checking that they were alone.

"Do you now?"

Connie asked, purposefully slowing to a halt and touching her fingertips to Rita's arm.

"Mmm."

She narrowed her eyes as she smiled and turned to face Connie, looking up at her. The clinical lead smiled, the corners of her lips down turning and her eyes lowering to glance between them.

"Well, that's something we'll have to remember isn't it?"

She said quietly, and ever so gently she raised a hand to touch Rita's chin, tilting her face up to hers, and placing a brief, soft kiss against her lips.

Everyone asked that I don't skip, and just carry on the way I'm going, which made me smile :) I'm so glad you're all still enjoying it! Thank you for the reviews! Later today we'll see Connie and Rita looking after a patient, and then going home together for an evening that Connie has planned at her house :) xxx