We'll Always Have Holby : pt 3
We'll Always Have Holby
Part 1
Part 2
They kissed goodnight on the doorstep, and she headed towards the waiting taxi by herself. She opened the back door and told the driver her address. No sooner had she fastened her seatbelt and watched him slip into first gear, she made a decision.
~~~
"So here's the thing," she said as Charlie opened the door. "If you actually want me to go then that's fine. I'll accept that. But..." She dropped the overnight bag she'd rescued from her car down on the step by her feet. "I guess I just hoped that... Maybe I assumed a bit too much."
He glanced over her shoulder at the still-waiting taxi.
"We were having such a good evening, Charlie, and I thought maybe..." Realising he'd not said anything she caught herself, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I just... I pushed it. I shouldn't. I'm sorry, I'll just..."
She bent down and picked up her bag, but he reached out, grabbing the handles himself. When she looked back at him she saw the look on his face, the smile that lit up his eyes.
"I didn't..." he began. "I thought it'd be rushing things."
"You proposed to me this afternoon," she laughed.
"Yeah, well..."
"Do you want me to go?"
He answered her with a kiss, pulling her back into the house and shutting the door behind them.
~~
She couldn't help but giggle as he kissed her shoulder. Still staring at the ceiling she reached out and found his face, gently stroking it.
"You OK?" he whispered.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"About... How tired I am for one!" she laughed softly. "Barely slept last night."
"Me either."
"I was so scared that it was all going to go wrong." She turned her head to look at him; propped up on one hand and looking at her like she was the only other person in the Universe. "Never would have imagined it would have ended like this."
"Me either."
"Good ending though."
"Oh, it's up there," he replied, leaning forward and kissing the tip of her nose.
"You know you're making it harder for me?" she said. "To leave."
"Then my plan is working," he smiled.
"Charlie..."
"I know, I know. But don't think I'm going to stop trying."
"I think I'd be disappointed if you were excited about waving me off at the airport."
"Was thinking more about locking you up in here."
"Oh really?"
He reached out with his free hand and brushed the hair around her brow. For a long while they said nothing, just lay there next to each other.
"Stay," he whispered. "Until you leave."
"Move in for the next few weeks?"
"If this is all we're going to have… for now any way, then I don't want to waste a moment."
"Sounds good to me," she smiled. "Although not sure what Louis is going to say about this."
"He'll be fine. He likes you, and he said that he supported us."
"Yeah, but supporting us is one thing..."
"And having his father's girlfriend move in is another, I know... What?" he asked as she grinned.
"Girlfriend," she explained. "Bit old for that, aren't I?"
"What would you prefer?"
"...Better half."
"Better ha-? That's quite an ego you've got there, Doctor Coldwell."
"It's not an ego when it's fact, Nurse Fairhead."
"Oh, pulling rank now?"
"You brought it up."
"Yes, and you had to take it one step further," he teased.
"If you get left behind then that's no one's fault."
"And what makes you think you'll be able to leave me behind?" he asked, slipping his arm around her body under the covers. "I have no intention of letting you out of my sight."
"One of us still has work to get to."
He lowered his head for a kiss. "I'll call in sick."
"Will you now?" she teased, placing a finger on his lips and keeping him at a tantalising distance.
"I can't help it if I'm ill and in need of constant medical supervision."
For a second what he'd said hung in the air and then the laugh burst from her mouth. Of all the lines he could have said... Fortunately he seemed to find it equally as funny and the pair of them dissolved into fits of giggles which they tried to quieten down when the realised Louis' room was across the hallway.
~~
Maggie woke early, the new bed stirring her senses. She stretched out under the duvet and her foot found an unfamiliar warmth. Now awake, the memories of the previous night filtered through and she smiled, turning over to face him. He was still asleep, mouth slightly open and yes - he was snoring softly. Any illusions of teen-perfect romance was shattered. Biting her lip as she smiled she realised that Louis had all this ahead of him. All the fun, excitement... Reality never entered the equation, did it?
Glancing at the clock she saw it was just before eight. Usually she was up long before this, but then that was for work. Seemed like another life to her. Taking care so as not to disturb him she got out of bed, rummaging around in her overnight bag for her change of clothes. Pulling on a pair of slacks and a t-shirt, she ventured out towards the kitchen in search of coffee.
"Morning," Louis greeted her as she put the kettle on.
Maggie all but jumped out of her skin, placing a hand over her heart which was now racing.
"Sorry," he said.
"It's fine. Didn't think you'd be up this early."
"It not early."
"It's Saturday."
"Exactly. There's not many weekends left of the holidays and I intend to make the most of it." He reached around her for a glass before heading to the fridge.
"Have fun last night then?" Maggie asked as the kettle finished boiling. She added hot water to her coffee and turned around to see Louis holding out the milk. "Thanks," she said.
"I could ask you how your night was," he smirked.
"Nice try," she said, finishing with the milk and handing it back to him. "What's her name?"
"Dad put you up to this?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Louis, really. I'm interested."
"I'll tell you her name if you stick around. I might need to ask you for advice."
"Then you can send me an email."
"Not the same though," he said with real affection.
"Louis..." she said softly.
"Things'll be good now you and Dad have finally got your act together," he said, prompting a laugh from Maggie. "I mean it."
"It means a lot to your dad that you're OK with this."
"Oh, I didn't say I was alright with the sleepovers," he mocked, "and I will be having words with him when he gets up. If he thinks he can just bring any old girl into this house..."
"Less of the old girl, thank you," she said, hitting him gently.
"...then he's got another thing coming." Louis stopped, getting serious all of the sudden. "He's really happy when he's around you. Happier than I've seen him since... Well, since Mum died."
She didn't know what to say in regards to that and so just nodded.
"Please don't go," he implored. "Please."
"Louis..."
"OK, mate," Charlie's voice interjected.
"You talk her 'round then," Louis said, grabbing his glass of orange juice and heading back off to his room.
"I'm sorry," Charlie said when they were alone.
"For what? He's just being honest. You don't want me to go either, do you?"
"Not really," he admitted, "but I know you want to go. I know you need to go. So as much as it kills me…... I will support you in this."
"Thank you," she said, kissing him gently. "Means a lot."
"But I still intend to take every opportunity to talk you out of it," he grinned, putting his arms around her and backing her up to the counter.
"I bet you are."
"Are you sure you want to leave all this? I can think of lots of reasons to stay."
"Name five."
"Me, Louis... The department. We'll struggle without you."
"You'll cope. As will the department. Survived without me before, will do again. Not good enough. Two points."
"Joanne. And Lana. They need you."
"You get one point for that; Joanne's doing fine by herself and she needs to learn to be a mother without me breathing down her neck."
"You'll miss them though."
"Yeah, I will, but missing someone isn't a good enough reason on its own to stay. Even if it's you," she said, snaking her arms around his neck. "So you're up to three. Two more and you might have a chance."
"This is not fair," he laughed. "You're putting me on the spot."
"Asking you to list five reasons? How is that putting you on the spot?"
"Asking me to work under pressure?"
"Shouldn't be anything you're not used to then," she quipped.
"Oh you are evil," he said, letting go of her and moving to the kettle. Finding it still warm he grabbed a mug and quickly made his own coffee.
"So that's it? Just giving up?"
"No... regrouping. You can't expect me to come up with things off the top of my head first thing in the morning."
"Don't see why not."
"Ruth," he said suddenly.
"What about her?"
"You've been fantastic for her since... Well, throughout everything. You've supported her, given her somewhere to stay..."
Maggie thought about it for a second. "She's fine now."
"Because of you."
"She doesn't need her hand holding."
"This isn't about hand holding. This is about being needed."
"Fine," she said, holding up her hands - one of which still grasped the handle of her coffee mug - in surrender. "That's four. What's number five?"
"Me," he declared.
"You were number one."
"And?"
"And that's cheating."
"I think you're just underestimating how much I need you. How much I'm going to miss you."
She smiled sadly at him and put her mug down on the counter. "I don't think I am," she said.
"There are other places to work."
"I know."
"If you didn't want to come back to Holby, fine. I understand that. But to leave altogether..."
"It feels like the right thing to do."
"You being here feels like the right thing."
"Charlie..."
"Think about it? Please?"
"You just told me that you would support my decision."
"I will. But still. Please?"
She said nothing and was saved from having to by a yell from upstairs.
"Are either of you doing breakfast?" Louis called out.
Maggie and Charlie just looked at each other and laughed.
tbc...
Part 1
Part 2
They kissed goodnight on the doorstep, and she headed towards the waiting taxi by herself. She opened the back door and told the driver her address. No sooner had she fastened her seatbelt and watched him slip into first gear, she made a decision.
~~~
"So here's the thing," she said as Charlie opened the door. "If you actually want me to go then that's fine. I'll accept that. But..." She dropped the overnight bag she'd rescued from her car down on the step by her feet. "I guess I just hoped that... Maybe I assumed a bit too much."
He glanced over her shoulder at the still-waiting taxi.
"We were having such a good evening, Charlie, and I thought maybe..." Realising he'd not said anything she caught herself, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I just... I pushed it. I shouldn't. I'm sorry, I'll just..."
She bent down and picked up her bag, but he reached out, grabbing the handles himself. When she looked back at him she saw the look on his face, the smile that lit up his eyes.
"I didn't..." he began. "I thought it'd be rushing things."
"You proposed to me this afternoon," she laughed.
"Yeah, well..."
"Do you want me to go?"
He answered her with a kiss, pulling her back into the house and shutting the door behind them.
~~
She couldn't help but giggle as he kissed her shoulder. Still staring at the ceiling she reached out and found his face, gently stroking it.
"You OK?" he whispered.
"Just thinking."
"About?"
"About... How tired I am for one!" she laughed softly. "Barely slept last night."
"Me either."
"I was so scared that it was all going to go wrong." She turned her head to look at him; propped up on one hand and looking at her like she was the only other person in the Universe. "Never would have imagined it would have ended like this."
"Me either."
"Good ending though."
"Oh, it's up there," he replied, leaning forward and kissing the tip of her nose.
"You know you're making it harder for me?" she said. "To leave."
"Then my plan is working," he smiled.
"Charlie..."
"I know, I know. But don't think I'm going to stop trying."
"I think I'd be disappointed if you were excited about waving me off at the airport."
"Was thinking more about locking you up in here."
"Oh really?"
He reached out with his free hand and brushed the hair around her brow. For a long while they said nothing, just lay there next to each other.
"Stay," he whispered. "Until you leave."
"Move in for the next few weeks?"
"If this is all we're going to have… for now any way, then I don't want to waste a moment."
"Sounds good to me," she smiled. "Although not sure what Louis is going to say about this."
"He'll be fine. He likes you, and he said that he supported us."
"Yeah, but supporting us is one thing..."
"And having his father's girlfriend move in is another, I know... What?" he asked as she grinned.
"Girlfriend," she explained. "Bit old for that, aren't I?"
"What would you prefer?"
"...Better half."
"Better ha-? That's quite an ego you've got there, Doctor Coldwell."
"It's not an ego when it's fact, Nurse Fairhead."
"Oh, pulling rank now?"
"You brought it up."
"Yes, and you had to take it one step further," he teased.
"If you get left behind then that's no one's fault."
"And what makes you think you'll be able to leave me behind?" he asked, slipping his arm around her body under the covers. "I have no intention of letting you out of my sight."
"One of us still has work to get to."
He lowered his head for a kiss. "I'll call in sick."
"Will you now?" she teased, placing a finger on his lips and keeping him at a tantalising distance.
"I can't help it if I'm ill and in need of constant medical supervision."
For a second what he'd said hung in the air and then the laugh burst from her mouth. Of all the lines he could have said... Fortunately he seemed to find it equally as funny and the pair of them dissolved into fits of giggles which they tried to quieten down when the realised Louis' room was across the hallway.
~~
Maggie woke early, the new bed stirring her senses. She stretched out under the duvet and her foot found an unfamiliar warmth. Now awake, the memories of the previous night filtered through and she smiled, turning over to face him. He was still asleep, mouth slightly open and yes - he was snoring softly. Any illusions of teen-perfect romance was shattered. Biting her lip as she smiled she realised that Louis had all this ahead of him. All the fun, excitement... Reality never entered the equation, did it?
Glancing at the clock she saw it was just before eight. Usually she was up long before this, but then that was for work. Seemed like another life to her. Taking care so as not to disturb him she got out of bed, rummaging around in her overnight bag for her change of clothes. Pulling on a pair of slacks and a t-shirt, she ventured out towards the kitchen in search of coffee.
"Morning," Louis greeted her as she put the kettle on.
Maggie all but jumped out of her skin, placing a hand over her heart which was now racing.
"Sorry," he said.
"It's fine. Didn't think you'd be up this early."
"It not early."
"It's Saturday."
"Exactly. There's not many weekends left of the holidays and I intend to make the most of it." He reached around her for a glass before heading to the fridge.
"Have fun last night then?" Maggie asked as the kettle finished boiling. She added hot water to her coffee and turned around to see Louis holding out the milk. "Thanks," she said.
"I could ask you how your night was," he smirked.
"Nice try," she said, finishing with the milk and handing it back to him. "What's her name?"
"Dad put you up to this?"
"No."
"Really?"
"Louis, really. I'm interested."
"I'll tell you her name if you stick around. I might need to ask you for advice."
"Then you can send me an email."
"Not the same though," he said with real affection.
"Louis..." she said softly.
"Things'll be good now you and Dad have finally got your act together," he said, prompting a laugh from Maggie. "I mean it."
"It means a lot to your dad that you're OK with this."
"Oh, I didn't say I was alright with the sleepovers," he mocked, "and I will be having words with him when he gets up. If he thinks he can just bring any old girl into this house..."
"Less of the old girl, thank you," she said, hitting him gently.
"...then he's got another thing coming." Louis stopped, getting serious all of the sudden. "He's really happy when he's around you. Happier than I've seen him since... Well, since Mum died."
She didn't know what to say in regards to that and so just nodded.
"Please don't go," he implored. "Please."
"Louis..."
"OK, mate," Charlie's voice interjected.
"You talk her 'round then," Louis said, grabbing his glass of orange juice and heading back off to his room.
"I'm sorry," Charlie said when they were alone.
"For what? He's just being honest. You don't want me to go either, do you?"
"Not really," he admitted, "but I know you want to go. I know you need to go. So as much as it kills me…... I will support you in this."
"Thank you," she said, kissing him gently. "Means a lot."
"But I still intend to take every opportunity to talk you out of it," he grinned, putting his arms around her and backing her up to the counter.
"I bet you are."
"Are you sure you want to leave all this? I can think of lots of reasons to stay."
"Name five."
"Me, Louis... The department. We'll struggle without you."
"You'll cope. As will the department. Survived without me before, will do again. Not good enough. Two points."
"Joanne. And Lana. They need you."
"You get one point for that; Joanne's doing fine by herself and she needs to learn to be a mother without me breathing down her neck."
"You'll miss them though."
"Yeah, I will, but missing someone isn't a good enough reason on its own to stay. Even if it's you," she said, snaking her arms around his neck. "So you're up to three. Two more and you might have a chance."
"This is not fair," he laughed. "You're putting me on the spot."
"Asking you to list five reasons? How is that putting you on the spot?"
"Asking me to work under pressure?"
"Shouldn't be anything you're not used to then," she quipped.
"Oh you are evil," he said, letting go of her and moving to the kettle. Finding it still warm he grabbed a mug and quickly made his own coffee.
"So that's it? Just giving up?"
"No... regrouping. You can't expect me to come up with things off the top of my head first thing in the morning."
"Don't see why not."
"Ruth," he said suddenly.
"What about her?"
"You've been fantastic for her since... Well, throughout everything. You've supported her, given her somewhere to stay..."
Maggie thought about it for a second. "She's fine now."
"Because of you."
"She doesn't need her hand holding."
"This isn't about hand holding. This is about being needed."
"Fine," she said, holding up her hands - one of which still grasped the handle of her coffee mug - in surrender. "That's four. What's number five?"
"Me," he declared.
"You were number one."
"And?"
"And that's cheating."
"I think you're just underestimating how much I need you. How much I'm going to miss you."
She smiled sadly at him and put her mug down on the counter. "I don't think I am," she said.
"There are other places to work."
"I know."
"If you didn't want to come back to Holby, fine. I understand that. But to leave altogether..."
"It feels like the right thing to do."
"You being here feels like the right thing."
"Charlie..."
"Think about it? Please?"
"You just told me that you would support my decision."
"I will. But still. Please?"
She said nothing and was saved from having to by a yell from upstairs.
"Are either of you doing breakfast?" Louis called out.
Maggie and Charlie just looked at each other and laughed.
tbc...