"You need a winter coat."

Connie stated the obvious as they made their way from the car to the front door of Connie's house. Rita shivered again and wrapped her arms about herself, waiting whilst Connie unlocked the door.

"It's nearly pay day. I'll see if I can get one then."

She answered stiffly, her teeth threatening to chatter loudly, and Connie glanced at her pointedly before letting the door swing open. She gestured with the keys for Rita to go before her, and she followed her in, closing the door firmly and double checking that it had locked, before turning, unbuttoning her coat.

The house was quiet, just the dull murmur of the television from the sitting room, and bubble of the kettle boiling from the kitchen.

They looked at one another. Whatever they had been expecting upon their return, a surprisingly eerie quiet wasn't it. Together they removed their coats and hung them up on the pegs by the front door.

"Do you think she's killed him?"

Rita asked, regretting her attempt at humour even before the words were fully out of her mouth.

Connie gave her a sideways glance, one eyebrow half-raised. She placed her keys down on the side table in the hallway and made her way into the kitchen, Rita following, an odd sense of unease in the very pit of her stomach.

"Hello!"

Charlie greeted them as they entered, he was stood by the kettle, stirring a mug of tea. Connie glanced from him to the dining table where Grace was sat, book in hand, as if this morning had never happened.

"Hello..."

A frown furrowed between her eyes. The mornings events had come back to her with such suddenness. She hadn't been prepared, she'd been so wrapped up with events at the hospital that she had all but forgotten what she would have to come home to.

"Can I make you one?"

Charlie asked, motioning with his mug, looking from Connie to Rita.

"Thank you..."

"Please..."

They spoke in unison. Rita glanced at Grace from the corner of her eye. The little girl was sat ever so still, her face a picture of glacial togetherness. She was mute, and she didn't raise her eyes.

Charlie noticed the subtle glance and cleared his throat, gaining the nurses attention and tilting his head towards the sitting room.

"I'll bring them through, I was just about to go and have a sit down. We've been quite busy today...haven't we, Grace?"

The little girl looked up slowly and blinked.

"Yes."

She said simply, only looking at Charlie, who gave a brief smile as he finished making the tea. He looked again to Rita.

"Shall we go through?"

He asked pointedly, wanting to give Connie and Grace a moment between themselves. Rita glanced to Connie, to the taught line of her mouth and the tension at the corners of her eyes.

Without a word she followed Charlie into the sitting room, leaving Connie on her own with Grace.

Connie drew in a long breath, readying herself, though she had no idea what to say.

"Grace...sweetheart..."

She pulled out the chair to the side of her daughter who sat so primly at the head of the table.

"I know what you're going to say."

Grace said suddenly, looking up at Connie, her eyes large and dark, full to the brim with so much that her mother didn't know.

Connie pursed her lips. She could well imagine that the little girl did know what she was going to say. But she didn't say a word, instead she waited, watching as Grace thrummed the edge of her book with her index finger.

"You're going to say you're sorry about this morning, and you're going to try to make me like her again."

She stopped the movement of her fingers and narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out why her mother remained silent.

Connie cleared her throat. She placed her hands on the table in front of her and interlinked her fingers.

"No."

She said simply.

"I apologise for breaking your music player. I will replace it. As for Rita, no, I won't try to convince you to like her. I've said all I have to say about the matter. You are old enough to decide how you want to behave. I will leave it entirely up to you."

Grace stared at her, unblinking. She didn't react, though she seemed to be thinking. Eventually she frowned and looked down at her book, at the pages that were splayed before her.

"I suppose I could try to like her."

She said eventually, peering up at her mother though her face was still lowered, and she caught the sudden purse of Connie's lips against a smile.

"I'd like that."

Connie said quietly, watching as her daughter raised her face fully, her expression suddenly changed. She no longer looked so serious, and there was the glimmer of something much nicer behind her eyes.

A floorboard creaked behind them and Connie turned to see Charlie hovering in the door way, his expression uncertain until her saw the grin that spread across Grace's face.

"I should probably be getting back..." "No!"

Grace cut him off as he began, his hand paused in mid-gesture.

"Umm..."

"You have to stay for dinner!"

Grace leant across the table, a page of her book folding over beneath her elbow.

"Please can he stay for dinner?"

She asked, and Connie exhaled, not quite knowing what to say.

"Well, I hadn't really thought much about dinner, yet..."

"I don't mind going to pick up something?"

Rita appeared in the doorway behind Charlie and he stepped to one side to make room for her.

"Yes!"

Grace leant back in her seat with such force that the legs jarred with a grate against the wood flooring.

"Please?"

She asked again, not noticing Rita's look of surprise at her enthusiasm.

"If Charlie wants to, he is more than welcome to stay."

Connie looked from Charlie to Rita.

"Are you sure?"

She asked, and Rita pulled up her shoulders.

"I don't mind at all...I'll need to borrow your car?"

She said, feeling suddenly apprehensive about driving Connie's car.

"The keys are in the hall." Connie murmured, and Rita slipped past Charlie to the opposite door, pausing just as she was about to exit.

"Hey, Grace, fancy coming with me to choose something? Your choice?"

She asked, and Grace looked to Connie who smiled gently.

"Yes please!"

She said, and as she scrambled down from her chair, Connie mouthed a silent, 'thank you', to Rita.

-.- There will be a Rita/Grace and a Charlie/Connie scene next, and some super fluff rated fluffy stuff to come very soon!
I had several messages after the "office scene", saying that they liked "dominant Rita." Out of curiosity (and for a particular scene that I have planned...) do people prefer dominant Connie, or dominant Rita?
Saz: They do have great chemistry! I was worried that people would stop reading this now that it looks as though both Connie and Rita are being paired off (with other people) in Casualty! Oh well...I shall keep dreaming through my fingers...