blissfulescapee

[blissfulescapee]

Little Flower - TDBM

Surrounded by flowers, a little Blake family fun in the garden leads Lucien and Jean to realise just how special their own little flower is.

I had the idea for this little one shot when I was just about to fall asleep and I had to get it written down before I forgot about it, so I hope you all like it!

One-shot starts under the cut!

Sitting on the grass with his shirt sleeves rolled up, the book he had once been reading forgotten about as it lies beside him, Lucien shakes his head as he watches his little girl explore the garden. He has always said that Lynette takes after her mother in every way, shape and form. For starters, she's her double with her untameable brown curls that he always struggles to get into a ponytail and her lovely blue eyes that never fail to get her exactly what she wants. She has also picked up on some of her mannerisms over the past two years, some endearing and some not so much, and he's lost count of the amount of times she has stood in front of him, hands on her hips, and tutted at him when he's made a mess or done something quite idiotic.

He adores those things about her, he really does, but there's one thing he loves more than both those things combined and it has to be the deep, genuine love she and her mother share for nature and the outdoors. For as long as he has known her, Jean has dedicated Saturdays to gardening and Lynette has spent every Saturday out there with her since she could crawl. In the beginning, all she had been able to do was sit and watch and have the odd tantrum whenever her mother refused to let her eat the weeds she pulled. Nowadays, however, she helps her out with most tasks and it always makes him chuckle when she tries to move the wheelbarrow since she can barely see over the top of the thing. She is everything to him, his little girl.

Approaching footsteps pull him from his thoughts a short while later and he looks over his shoulder, giving his wife a smile when he sees her before he waits for her to sit down beside him on the grass and puts an arm around her. When she hands him his lemonade, he presses his lips to her temple through her hair and lingers for a little longer than necessary, taking the opportunity to breathe her in. He can tell she is a little unsure as to where that came from when he pulls back, but she says nothing and he simply sips at his lemonade and holds her tighter when she cuddles up to him. "Has she been doing that all this time?" She asks quietly, resting her head against his shoulder as she sips at her own drink and watches their girl explore.

"Jeannie, your garden fascinates her," He tells her. "All the plants and bright colours. It's like she has her own little jungle."

Jean laughs at that, watching Lynette make her way over to where the primroses were growing before she takes hold of one and leans in to smell it, and the love she has for her deepens when she sees her face break out into a smile. She doubts that she'll ever truly understand how precious she is to her and Lucien, no matter how many times they tell her as she grows up. Before she came along, they were both blessed with daughters that they were forced to miss out on seeing grow up for one reason or another. It had been agony for them both, so to say that they had been thrilled to find out they had a little girl on the night she was born would be an understatement. She gave them both a second chance and they love her so much for it.

"Pretty present, mama, pretty present," She looks up when she realises Lynette is speaking to her and smiles when she holds out a hand with a very crushed primrose caught in it. Normally, it annoys her when she picks flowers because she is forever telling her to leave them be, but she can't find it in her heart to be annoyed with her this time. Not when she has the most beautiful smile on her face and looks so pleased with herself. Besides, this is the first real present she has ever received from her and she can feel warmth pooling in her chest. Setting her lemonade down, she draws her into her lap and circles her in her arms before she thanks her as she accepts the flower and lifts it to her nose to smell it. "Mama like? Mama like present?"

"I absolutely love it, darling, this is the prettiest present I have ever gotten." She replies, running a hand along her back.

"Get another?" Lynette asks, pointing over at the flowerbed.

Jean shakes her head, smirking. "Let's leave the others to grow a bit more, shall we? Besides, this flower is the most special."

"Special?" Lynette frowns with confusion.

"Mhm…" Jean hums. "This one is special because you gave it to me and you're the most special thing to your daddy and I."

Lynette's eyes sparkle and she cuddles up to her mother, curling a hand into her cardigan as her eyes close when she presses her lips to her crown through her curls. "I go and play now, mummy." She smiles when she pulls back to look at her again.

"Okay," Jean nods. "But only for a little while and then it's time to come inside and wash your hands for lunch."

Wordlessly, Lynette leaves her lap and runs down the garden again before she takes the flower in her hand by the stem and blinks back tears as she twirls it around for a second. "I couldn't love her more, Lucien, I really couldn't." She tilts her head back on her husband's shoulder to look up at him when he pulls her closer to him, a solitary tear trickling down her cheek.

"She feels the same way about you," He whispers, brushing the tear from her skin before leaning in to tenderly kiss her lips. "You know; all your flowers are absolutely beautiful, my love, but I think our own little flower is the most beautiful of all…"

[blissfulescapee]

A Mother’s Love

Inspired by the events of series 10 episode 7

Shelagh still can’t quite come to terms with the idea of Tim leaving for medical school and so, on his last night home, she watches over him once more and reminisces on the memories the two of them have made.

On his last night home, Shelagh tiptoes down the landing to her son’s bedroom after kissing the girls goodnight and opens the door. Tim is already sound asleep with the Lancet still in hand and she shakes her head, thinking about all the times she told him to stop reading and get some rest as a child. She misses that cheeky, mischievous, bright-eyed little boy so much. She misses him throwing his arms around her the minute he comes in from school and climbing onto the couch to cuddle with her in the evenings. She misses the simple things, really, but she has to admit that she truly loves the young man he’s become. He’s intelligent but he’s so compassionate, gentle, warm and understanding.

He’ll make a fine doctor, there’s no doubt in her mind about that.

She eventually moves away from the door, drawing her dressing gown further around her body, and wanders over to the bed before easing the Lancet from his hand and placing it on his nightstand, leaving it open on the correct page. He stirs for a second and she holds her breath as she looks at him, silently willing him not to wake, and she breathes a relieved sigh when he falls back into slumber and she’s able to sit down on the bed. Pulling the covers further over him, she blinks back tears. She had been such a worrier back when she had first become his mother, especially since he’d still been recovering from polio at the time, so she remembers checking in on him like this many times a night.

She had replaced his quilt if he'd kicked it from the bed, laid a hand on his chest to make sure he was still breathing, felt his forehead to make sure his temperature was normal and she had sat and watched him sleep for hours on end. Patrick had been forced to put his foot down in the end, telling her that she would make herself sick if she went on allowing her anxiety to keep her from sleeping, and it had helped a lot. She never stopped fretting over him though. It’s been eight years and he still fills her brain whenever they’re apart and she can’t be there to look out for him. He doesn’t need her anymore because he’s a man now and can hold his own, she knows that, but she truly doesn’t care.

No matter how old he gets – to her, he’ll always be the beautiful little boy that stole her heart with his charm.

She looks over her shoulder at the sound of a floorboard creaking and smiles at seeing Patrick stood in the doorway. “Something told me you might be in here when I went to check on you and the girls and you weren’t there,” He says as he makes his way into the bedroom, a teasing lilt to his voice that makes her laugh before he smooths a hand over her hair and leans down to kiss her on the forehead. Pulling back from her again, he frowns a little. “You seem sad.”

“I suppose I am, despite how unbelievably proud and thrilled for him I am at the same time,” She shrugs, letting her attention return to their son as he sleeps on. “I never thought time would pass as quickly as it has done. It feels like I blinked and he went from being this sweet eleven-year-old boy to one of the tallest, most intelligent young men I’ve ever met. Thinking about him leaving for medical school makes me wish we could go back to when you and I were newlyweds, purely so we could have him all to ourselves again and try harder to make the most of the time we have with him. I don’t know, I can’t…I can’t help feeling that I never made as much time for him as I should have done.”

Patrick tuts. “Shelagh, there isn’t a person living who could look at you and think you didn’t make enough time for him. For him or Angela. Everything you did back then, you did with them in mind and all you cared about was their happiness and ensuring that they had the best of everything. Let me tell you, the two of them did have the best of everything. I have no idea where Tim and I would be at this moment in time should you have never married me, but I something I know for certain is that neither of us would be anywhere near as happy as we are right now. I cannot imagine my life without you, Angela, May and Teddy in it and I know I speak on his behalf as well as mine.”

She doesn’t even try to hide her tears when she looks up at him again. “Edinburgh is so far away. I don’t want him to leave, Patrick…”

“I know you don’t,” He holds a hand out to her and helps her up from the bed when she takes it, his hands running over her back in an attempt to sooth her as she wraps her arms gently around him and tucks her head into his neck. “I don’t want him to leave either, but he has to and something you and I have to remember is that this isn’t forever. You could think of this like the pupil midwives if that helps. Take pupil-midwife Corrigan, for instance, she’s at Nonnatus House for the time being, but that doesn’t mean those arrangements are going to be permanent. She’ll be staying there until she qualifies as a midwife and then she can go wherever she likes. It’ll be the exact same for Tim.”

She nods, taking an arm from around him to wipe the fallen tears from her cheeks. “I’m being a fool, aren’t I?”

“No,” He whispers into her hair. “You’re being a mother and a mother’s love is the strongest love there is.”

“He needs his sleep before his big day tomorrow,” She reminds him a couple of moments later as she turns her head to look at their son once more. “We should really get to bed too. You know the little ones will be up with the sun.”

He hums. “Maybe we should consider putting a lock on our bedroom door. Keep them all from diving on us.”

“We’ll do nothing of the sort,” She argues, smirking. “They won’t be this small forever, so you can put up with it.”

“Happy to,” He reassures her with a kiss to her temple. “For them, I’ll put up with anything and that is a promise…”

[blissfulescapee]

Caught Up in You - 1

A collection of one-shots, in no specific order, inspired by a prompt list I saw on here a while ago for 50 types of kisses! Turnadette have so many gorgeous moments on the show, so this should be fun! Happy reading, everyone!

One-shot starts beneath the cut. 

Prompt One: A nervous kiss after a first date.

At the top of the boarding house steps, before pressing the doorbell, Shelagh turns and takes Patrick's coat from around her shoulders before she thanks him as she hands it back. She had gotten a little cold on the way home from the restaurant and so he, being the gentleman he is, had removed his coat and draped it around her shoulders without thinking twice about it. Whether it had been intentional or he had been aiming for her cheek and missed, she has no idea, but he had kissed her on the neck as she had drawn his coat closed around herself and she shivers involuntarily at the memory of his lips on her skin. "I had a wonderful time tonight," She finally finds her voice and gives him a smile. "I never knew you were such a dancer."

"Likewise," He smirks. "I would have thought living the religious life would leave little time for dancing lessons."

She laughs at that, ducking her head for a moment. "Do I have to remind you, again, that I wasn't always part of the Order? Believe it or not, I was once a fourteen-year-old girl who climbed out of her bedroom window at six o'clock every Saturday night to attend dances at the village hall. I had boys lined up left, right and centre, all of them desperate to dance with me."

"Oh, rub it in, Miss Mannion, rub it in." He shakes his head while crossing his arms across his chest.

"Are you trying to tell me that you're envious of a bunch of teenagers, doctor?" She inquires as she steps a bit closer to him.

"Honestly, I hate thinking about you in anyone's arms other than my own," He reaches for her instinctively and pulls her to him, the smile she gives him as she rests her hands on his chest only deepening his love for her. "I should probably tell you, before any more decisions are made, that you're getting involved with an incredibly selfish man and I shan't be sharing you with anyone. For this to work, you have to promise that you'll dance with me and only me for the rest of your natural life."

She sucks air through her teeth. "You drive a hard bargain, I admit, but I suppose I can accept those terms."

"You're certain? It won't be too much of a sacrifice for you?" He has to fight to keep himself from chuckling.

"I don't think so," She shakes her head. "But if you ever step on my toes then the deal is off, do you understand?"

"I think so." He nods, the two of them looking at each other in silence for a second before they both burst into laughter.

"Oh, I should probably go in," She sighs disappointedly. "Even though I'd much rather stay out here with you all evening."

He moves a hand from her waist to her lower back and pulls her closer to his chest. "Can you wait a minute longer?"

"I think so, yes, but what for?" She asks.

"Because I have wanted to kiss you all night and I don't think I can wait a minute longer," He whispers as he uses the hand that isn't holding her close to tuck a curl behind her ear, her eyes closing of their own accord as he lets his fingers graze her cheek while he does so. She slowly opens them again when his hand returns to her waist. "Shelagh, may I kiss you? Please?"

"You…you don't need my permission." She tells him as her gaze moves between his and his lips for a second.

Wordlessly, he closes the remaining distance between them and brushes his thumb against her back through her dress as he looks her in the eye in silence for a moment. Whether or not this is the first time she's ever been kissed, he has no idea, but she is clearly nervous and so he takes his time. He leans in and simply ghosts his lips over hers the first time, no pressure at all, and when he pulls back her lips are slightly parted and a blush has risen in her cheeks. He shares a smile with her when she opens her eyes and lifts his hand to her neck, tucking it beneath her hair and stroking his thumb against the soft strands while he studies her features. She is radiant. "You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?" He murmurs quietly to her.

She rolls her eyes good-naturedly as a smirk crosses her lips. "Patrick, stop talking and kiss me."

"You're quite a bold girl, aren't you?"

"When I need to be."

Her initial nervousness evidently long gone, he uses the hand on her neck to tilt her head back a little and captures her lips with his in a tender kiss. He keeps it as chaste as possible, not wanting to push his luck and take it any further than this, and the hand on her back returns to her waist, drawing her further into him as his lips move over hers and he feels her wrap her arms around him. Her hands roam over his back through his shirt as she rises onto her tiptoes to fix the height issue and the world seems to fade away as she loses herself to his embrace. She could stay in his arms like this for the rest of time, she has no doubt whatsoever, but life is never that kind to her and so it comes as no surprise to her when the urge to breathe arises.

Reluctantly, she breaks the kiss but keeps her eyes closed and her arms around him as he rests his forehead against her own. Their breathing is uneven, their cheeks are flushed and their clothing is somewhat creased but neither one of them cares as they stand together and wait for their hearts to stop racing. He eventually leans back and she feels him kiss her forehead, his lips warm against her skin as he lingers for a minute longer than he probably should before he pulls back again and her eyes open. "I couldn't think of a better way to end the evening," She rests her chin on his chest as she looks up at him, her eyes twinkling behind her spectacles. "I really should go in now though, it's getting late and you need to get home to Timothy."

"I do," He nods before he takes his arms from around her and lets her turn around so that she can ring the bell. He puts his arm around her, running his hand up and down her arm to keep her warm while they wait for the landlady to come to the door, and when she does he shares a smile with her before Shelagh steps forward to start making her way inside the house. "Shelagh," He calls her name quietly while she crosses the threshold and she glances over her shoulder at him. "I love you."

His words give her butterflies and her cheeks burn as she fails to hide her smile and gives him the only response she can.

"I love you too, Patrick…"