Hi. Sorry for the slight delay in posting - been unwell but getting better. Hope you enjoy.

"Hey," Steve said as he opened the front door to an exhausted looking Kate. "How are you?".

"Fucked off," snapped Kate as she entered Steve's flat and let Brian off his lead. "That was the worst journey ever," she continued to unload on Steve as Brian headed straight to the kitchen where his food and water bowls were kept. He helped himself to a bedtime snack before trotting off to Mia's bedroom for the night. This had quickly become the norm whenever they visited Steve.

"C'mere," Steve said as he pulled Kate into his arms. A hug was what she needed desperately. She'd had an extremely busy week at work and then the journey south to London had been one long traffic jam that had lasted nearly five hours. "Feeling better?" he enquired to see if his embrace was working its magic.

"Yeah," Kate mumbled in to his chest. "Sorry for being a bit grumpy," she apologised.

"Totally justified," Steve said as he hugged her tighter. "And dinner has been ordered and will be delivered in about 20 minutes so that will help as well," he added, knowing how a curry could improve Kate's mood.

"20 minutes?" Kate checked and Steve nodded. "I know something we can do in that time to help me relax and unwind," she said as she started to pull Steve's T-shirt from his jeans and lead him in to his bedroom.


"Feeling better?" Steve asked not that much later as he spooned Kate from behind. They'd just made love and after not seeing each other all week it had been rather frantic.

"Much," purred Kate with a very satisfied smile on her face as she relaxed back against Steve's body and enjoyed his sensual strokes in the afterglow of their union. His fingers ghosted over Kate's skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

"I can't wait until we can do this any night of the week," Steve whispered, thinking it was a nice thing to say, but instead he felt Kate stiffen in his arms.

"Gonna be a long wait," she said, clearly frustrated again. "There's nothing on the job vacancies down here when I looked again," she explained. Since their holiday together, Kate had been looking at transferring to the Met Police although to date there hadn't been anything advertised that she was interested in.

"Something will come up," Steve soothed encouragingly, hoping to get Kate relaxed again.

"I know, but when?" she asked as she turned in Steve's arms to face him. "I've been looking for nearly three months," she pointed out.

"Don't give up, Kate," Steve replied. "Something will turn up," he said. "It'll all come together soon. The right job and the right house are out there just waiting for us to find them," Steve promised. Their search for their first home together was going as well as Kate's job hunt. Houses in London were very expensive.

The doorbell rang halting their discussion for the time being. "That'll be dinner," Steve said as he got out of bed and hurriedly put on a pair of jeans before going to answer the door. When he returned to the living room Kate was setting the table. She was wearing the T-shirt that Steve had on earlier and he could see that that was the only piece of clothing she had on. He couldn't help but glance appreciatively at her bare legs on display.

"Later," Kate warned, feeling Steve's eyes on her. She knew they would be having sex again before they went to sleep, and with their arousal having been sated with their earlier energetic coupling, they would take their time. "I don't want the dinner to get cold," she explained as she sat down and started helping herself to the take away.

Steve grinned, happy that Kate seemed to be on the same page as him with their after dinner activities. "Do you think this restaurant will deliver any where?" He asked as he sat down opposite Kate.

"What?" Kate asked.

"Our new house," Steve replied, reminding Kate of what they were talking about earlier. "We need to make sure we have a decent Indian restaurant that'll deliver," he continued, adding another item to their wish list for their new abode. They both were quite partial to Indian take away's.

Kate got up from the table and headed to her handbag. After finding what she was looking for she returned and handed Steve the details of a house she had found. He looked at the brochure. Detached. Four bedrooms. Open plan living with bifold doors leading to a large garden with loads of entertaining space. It was exactly what they were looking for. He glanced at the price and was shocked that it was well under their maximum price. What was the catch he thought as he wondered how they had missed viewing the property until now.

"It's in the Midlands," Steve said as he realised where the house was located.

"It's perfect Steve," Kate argued. "Every thing we want and so reasonable,".

"But it's in the Midlands," Steve repeated.

"So I was thinking," Kate said as she tucked in again, "why don't we look there as a back up plan-".

"I'm not taking Mia away from her grandparents," Steve interrupted.

"I just thought as an alternative we could perhaps think about it," Kate said. "It's been months and we haven't found anything we like down here. London is extortionate for house prices and anything we can afford is so small,".

"We'll find something," Steve replied adamantly.

"In the mean time I'm travelling back and forth every weekend," Kate pointed out. "Do you know how many miles I've done since we got together? She asked frustrated. "I'm exhausted,".

"Hey," Steve said as he took one of Kate's hands and pulled her out of her seat and in to his lap. "We'll find something I promise," he said as he rubbed Kate's back.

"Sorry," apologised Kate. "It's just getting me down. Job vacancies aren't much better. There's some in the Midlands in Counter Terrorism,". Steve stopped rubbing her back.

"How do you know?".

"I just had a look the other day after I found that house," Kate admitted.

"Kate-".

"Sorry," she apologised. "I just got carried away and started thinking it might be so much easier if you and Mia moved to the Midlands rather than me moving to London,".

"That's ok," Steve replied. "Besides it's hardly surprising there's vacancies," Steve said.

"Why's that?" Kate asked.

"Well the Midlands isn't exactly the Met is it?" Steve replied.

"Excuse me?" Kate said, taking offence at Steve's reply.

"Well it isn't is it, Kate," Steve repeated. "Every one has heard of the Met,".

"So the Midlands is a bit beneath you is it?" Kate said as she got up off Steve's lap.

"I didn't say that," Steve answered.

"It's what you meant though, isn't it?" Kate challenged. "You won't work there and you won't live there. I'm surprised that a girl from the Midlands is good enough to be your girlfriend!".

"What?!" exclaimed Steve. "I never…. I love you," he proclaimed, wondering how this conversation had got so out of hand.

"I think I better go," Kate said as she marched off in the direction of Steve's bedroom.

"Come on, Kate," said Steve trailing behind her. "It's late. You can't travel all the way back to yours tonight," he urged, watching as Kate quickly removed his shirt before snatching her own clothes up off the floor and hurriedly putting them on.

"You've totally offended me with your disparaging remarks about my home. I happen to love it. London isn't all that, you know," she continued as she paced back and forth. "I don't like it much,".

"Then don't move," Steve said.

"What?" Kate asked, completely halting her movements.,

"I always wondered if distance would cause trouble in this relationship," Steve said. "I guess I was right,".

"I don't understand what you are saying," Kate replied.

"You don't want to move to London. I don't want to move to the Midlands, so it's probably best we call things off now," Steve said.

"What?!" Questioned Kate. "Are you serious?".

"Yeah," said Steve sadly. "Better to end it now than when we get even more involved and have a mortgage together," he continued before walking off.

Kate looked around the bedroom not entirely sure what had just happened. The unmade bed caught her eye where only thirty minutes ago they had been having sex. Now Steve had just ended things. She needed to get out of Steve's flat quickly.

Tip toeing in to Mia's bedroom, she saw Brian lift his head up at the intrusion. "Come on Bri," Kate whispered to her dog as she lifted him off the bed. "We're going home," she informed her pet who looked a little confused at his mistress.

Mia stirred but didn't wake completely. Tears fell from Kate's eyes as she gently rubbed Mia's hair in a last goodbye. The little girl occupied a very special place in her heart and she was so sad to be leaving. God only knew what Mia would think of her when Steve told her she wouldn't see Kate or Brian again. She would probably hate Kate after knowing another female had deserted her like her birth mother had done.

"I'll be going then," Kate said tearfully as she approached the living room. Steve was sat watching the TV and didn't acknowledge her remark so Kate left quickly before more tears fell.

She hurried to her car and put Brian in the front seat beside her before she really let loose on her tears. Big fat ones accompanied by howls of anguish. Brian looked at his mistress before trying to offer some comfort the only way he knew how- licking Kate's tears. "Oh Bri," Kate said as she buried her face in her pets fur until no more tears fell.

Pulling herself together she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand before her nose received the same treatment. She looked in the rear view mirror and grimaced. She looked a right mess. Red swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks, so tried to make herself a bit more presentable.

Kate looked around. Steve hadn't changed his mind and come out to beg her not to go. His neighbours hadn't caught hold of the fact that they'd argued either by the looks of it. Putting the key in the ignition, Kate put the car in gear and drove off in to the night.