#i've seen her thunderstruck cover going around before but not this

[hoochieblues]

Pachelbel's Canon in D Major | Moyun

[newtonsheffield]

Can we please see a future take of Kate and Anthony when Anthony decides to go for his knee replacement in Offside?? I know he does it for Edmund and Kate but I can just imagine how stressful it is for their little family 🥺

Okay, I've danced around this for a long time, lets do this, our boy's going under the knife.

He'd known it was coming since his seventh season in the league, which maybe should've been startling news to get as a 26 year old, but it really wasn't a revolutionary concept; footballer's with bad knees were practically routine, so he'd made his peace with it. Until he'd met Kate, until he'd fallen in love with her and he'd sent her sister a message when Kate had stormed from the room when he'd said what they'd both known was coming.

Hey, kind of an odd question but I just maybe made a flippant comment about need a knee replacement when I retire and she flipped out?

Like, we were- I don't know kind of vibing and I thought she was into it and then she told me to fuck off.

Edwina had been typing for a long time, Anthony staring dumbly down at the chat window and when he'd seen her response his heart had stopped.

Never fucking talk about that around Kate again.

And she hadn't responded after that.

It had been a few weeks, After the drama, after all of it, the tiny puppy sitting on her lap, surely the biggest swing of his entire life, and he couldn't help himself.

"Kate can I ask you something?"

She'd looked up from her puppy, Newton she'd called him with the biggest smile on her face, the same smile she had now, and he hated to ruin it, but it had been gnawing at him,

"Oh we're definitely fucking tonight, you don't have to ask for that."

Anthony had chuckled, kissing her cheek, "That's great to hear, but I had something else in mind."

She didn't say anything, just stared back at him, head tilted curiously,

"so a few months ago, I brought up a knee replacement in a totally dickish way, and you reacted a little...strongly I guess."

Her reaction was immediate. The colour drained from her face, her body leaning back from him, her eyes terrified, "You might- you might not need one."

Her voice was thunderstruck, terrified he realised. Anthony's hand shooting out to cover hers, squeezing tightly, "Babe, we both know that's not true, I just... I don't understand and when you're ready I want to talk about it."

Silence echoed through the room for a very long time her fingers intertwining with his, a shuddering breath, "That's how my Dad died, he had a knee replacement, and he just... he never woke up. It's really rare but it happens, things go wrong, and clots form and people die."

Tears were running down her cheeks, Anthony's own heart aching for her, for his stupidity, and all he could do was hold her.

He'd known this was coming. He'd known it was, it was the reason he'd retired, turned to coaching, to focus on Edmund and Kate and everything they wanted. He'd tried to put it off, hobbling around the room when Kate wasn't watching, Edmund in his arms, strapped to his chest while he coached, but he knew that she knew, knew it wasn't a coincidence when she tugged tugged on his arm, kissing his cheek.

"Let me take some scans of you on my fancy new machines."

And he saw her face when she look at the Xrays, at the ultrasounds. Devastated for just a moment before she turned back to him, her professional mask back in place.

"Cool. very crisp pictures."

"And those very crisp pictures say what?"

"That you have knees." She'd turned way again, staring down at the picture of them on her desk, on their wedding day, when she'd looked so beautiful in blue and gold silk, his name hidden in henna and he'd thought he'd never breathe normally again, the silk of his own clothes tight against his chest.

"Kate, we don't lie to one another."

Silence had echoed through the room for a very long moment, his chest aching.

"I don't- I'd need an MRI to confirm, but if you were anyone else I'd say you need a knee replacement and an ACL repair in the other."

He knew it was coming but it hurt. Not for him, but for her, for the panic he could see in her eyes that she was fighting against.

"Kate-"

"I'm fine." He knew she wasn't, knew this would never be fine until he was through this.

"Okay, but maybe you could hug me, because I'm not fine."

And when she barrelled into him seconds later they both knew it was for her.

Anthony had know that Kate was a veritable force to be reckoned with from the very second they met. But he'd never seen her like this, tutting and sighing as other doctors, the best in the city, gave their opinions, ignoring their frustrated groans when she asked to see their plans before standing abruptly.

"Thank you, we'll be in touch."

And they never were.

"You are not seeing that fucking quack!" Kate had sighed, tossing yet another business card away, sighing.

"Kate, all of these doctors are amazing, they come so highly recommended I just-"

"Please Anthony." She'd said, her eyes brimming with tears, their six month old son clutched in her arms, "Please will you just meet my friend from school, he works up in Scotland, but he's the only person I trust, and I know it's the middle of the season, but I don't care, I don't fucking care. Please just meet with Michael."

And had it really ever been a question of him not wanting to do anything for her.

Michael Stirling had been the very opposite, of who he'd expected. Some gawky guy with a pocket protector and a severe side part from the way Kate had described him, like a brother, so much so that Anthony had had to squint at his name badge to make sure the right man had just sauntered into the office and swept his wife and baby into a hug.

"Katie Kat!" He'd boomed in a scottish brogue, His handsome face smiling brightly "You are the very last person from university I thought would end up as a a footballer's wife. I always thought it would be-"

"Cressida Cowper." They hummed together.

"Mickey, this is my husband-"

"Anthony Bridgerton!" he shook Anthony's hand enthusiastically, "Mate! Fuck it's a bit of an honour actually, um- my cousin John's kid is a huge fan do you think you could-?"

Anthony had nodded, taking note of how Kate had relaxed immediately, She trusted him, he realised, and that was enough for him. "Mate if you fix these fucking knees so I can run around after my boy I'll sign whatever you fucking want."

But still, the day of the surgery, Kate was a wreck. Tears brimming in her eyes every time she looked at him. The way she'd clung to him last night as their hips ground together, foreheads against one another

I love you so much Kate, So fucking much.

He sat with Edmund perched on his lap in the corner, Kate nervously flitting around them, Edwina watching cautiously from the corner.

Anthony knew this wasn't the end, it couldn't be, he had so much more that he wanted, so much of his life left to live, it just... This wouldn't be the end.

"Katie," He said as they wheeled him down the hall, Edmund still gurgling happily on his lap. "There's no fucking Way you're getting rid of me this easily. I am going to be clinging to you like a Koala for the rest of your life babe."

"I know." She said, but her voice sounded hollow.

Anthony cupped her cheek, forcing her to look down into his eyes, to feel the weight of his words. "I love you so much and nothing is going to stop me, I'll fight St Peter if I have to."

Kate chuckled, finally, finally, just before their lips met in a searing kiss, "That's sweet baby, but you're not going to Heaven. For that car you had when me met alone you're in the fire."

"Daddy loves you, Neddy." He said gently, handing him back to kate with a kiss on the top of his head.

"Don't worry, Kat, I'll look after your sugar daddy!" Michael called, wheeling Anthony away,

And the last thing he thought of has his eyelids fluttered closed was Kate.

Of course, he might not have died, but there was an entirely different set of consequences to his surgery when a month later Kate swept into their bedroom, Anthony laying with nine month old Edmund on his stomach grinning happily at his son.

"There's Mummy, Neddy! Doesn't she look beautiful today!"

"Anthony, do you remember when you had your surgery, and you were looking at me with those big sad eyes? And I thought you'd die, and we had that really good, really emotional fuck?"

"Kate!" Anthony clapped his hands over Edmund's ears in surprise.

Kate rolled her eyes, "Babies can't remember anything from this time."

"Maybe normal babies, but our son his the most handsome, brilliant, talented boy in the whole world." Anthony said, sitting up with a grin, Edmund's tiny hand catching a fist full of his hair.

Kate was leaning against the doorframe, her eyebrow raised, armed crossed, "Well I'm glad you're so enamoured with him, because there'll be another one in about eight months."

this got so long