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Saturday morning came around too quickly, it always felt invasive of Bea's routine because she wasn't up before it was dark and the small child heaped in her sheets with her was a reminder that she did in fact have weekends and yes, she was entitled to some form of family life. She smiled to herself and squeezed Ayla tight.

"Ugh! Mommy!" She whined.

"I'm sorry baby you're just so squishy, I could just eat you all up!" She laughed, playfully gobbling at the back of her neck. Ayla squealed and giggled hard.

"Mommy, you're silly! You can't eat me, I'm a real person!"

"But you smell all yummy, can't I just have a little nibble?" " She laughed.

"No!!" She giggled.

Bea closed her eyes and enjoyed the peace of this time with her daughter. It wasn't long until he sauntered in and invaded her thoughts. She groaned mentally. Why couldn't he just stay out for a little time?

She grabbed her cell from the dresser and dialled the number.

"Hey Dr Roberts, it's Dr Owen here, is there any update on Peter Wentz?" She asked, stroking Ayla's hair softly.

"I'm hungry." She informed.

"Ok baby, just let me make this call then I'll take you out to breakfast! Why don't you get undressed and I'll come in and run you a - Hey! Yeah, I'm here......So he woke up? Ok, ok that's good, that's all I wanted to know...." She said,

"Thanks Dr Roberts." She said courteously, she put her cell back down and rolled out of her bed. Putting her head in her hands for brief spell, she took a deep breath. A weight had gone, a weight caused by the anxiety of deep down, doubting he would even wake up.

"I'm stuck!!!" Ayla giggled.

"Mommy - I'm stuck!!" She called again, Bea rushed into the bathroom to find her daughter's arms pinned in the air by her pajama top and her head stuck in the neck hole.

"You didn't undo the buttons!" She laughed. Ayla continued to giggle as Bea frantically addressed the button issue.

"There!" She said, setting the small child free.

"Whoa!" the little girl giggled.

"That was a close one!" She added, Bea chuckled at the complete adorableness of her and ruffled her thick brown hair. She turned on the taps and the bath started to fill up.

"You want Ren or Stimpy this morning?"

"uhhhhh Ren!!" She pointed. Bea poured the bubble bath in to the water.

"Who's Peter Winter?" She asked, Bea stopped, staring at her inquisitively.

"Peter Winter? Uh...." She laughed slightly and smiled at her girl.

"He's a patient Mommy was trying to make better at the hospital."

"Did you fix him?"

"I think so. But he was very poorly." She said, truthfully, to herself.

"Did he...did he get in an accident?" She stammered, those eyes looking at her, she was truly concerned too, and the empathy in this child was fairly remarkable for 5 years old.

"Yeah...yeah he had an accident." Bea said softly, running her hand in the bath water. She looked at Ayla for a moment, her eyes were now sad; she was thinking and holding the Ren Bubblebath in her hands.

"I hope Peter Winter gets better...." She said, looking at her Mom.

"I hope he does too, baby!" Bea smiled.

"Now...how about you hop in this bath and I get you squeaky clean?"



What a morning they had, breakfast at their favorite bakery owned by Bea's good friend Charlotte.

Then, true to her word, Bea took Ayla skating in the huge park. It was followed by ice-cream, more skating, more ice-cream and finished with Bea pulling her exhausted daughter back to the car.

"Oh - Hold up squidge my phone's ringing!" She instructed Ayla as she ran ahead, Bea self patted herself trying to find the small device, locating it in her back pocket she flipped it open.

As she spoke, Ayla leaned forward, suspended by the hood of her jacket and leaned as far away from her Mom as she could. Bea closed her cell and laughed softly, pulling the child back and kneeling down.

"Bad news...." She said softly.

"I gotta go to work for a little while, they had a big accident they need my help."

Bea felt awful, her only day off, but she had stupid weakness that couldn't turn down a plea for help.

"It won't be for long, you can come with me if you want, hang out with Derek?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Ok." Ayla replied, more with an obedience than a desire.



"Hey, buddy. Have you seen any humans go by here?"

Derek turned and looked down at the kid. Bea rolled her eyes.

"Ice Age....My Mom got her it on DVD...." Bea said.

Ayla proceeded to giggle at her own joke and Derek picked her up.

"Oh man, what have you put on, maybe half a ton since I last saw you?" He asked, she roared in laughter.

"I ate 2 ice creams this morning...." She said proudly.

"Two? Well that's just greedy!" He said.

"Thank you so much Derek, I don't wanna be in here long, just page if you need me!" Bea said breathlessly.

She leaned in and kissed Ayla's cheek softly.

"Please behave, don't be too curious!" She whispered, Ayla smiled and hugged her back.

There had been a bus crash, no fatalities but lots and lots of injuries and wounds. Bea just did her job, it was the only chance she had not to think about all the wounds and injuries in her own life.

"Good work Dr Owen...." Michael said. She pulled off her gloves and slung them in the disposable bin. Quickly shooting him a look that reminded him of the jerk ass he was.

She turned to walk away.

"Hey!" He snapped angrily. She held onto the door and slowly turned to him.

"Are we understanding each other?" He asked, she scoffed a little and smiled.

"Perfectly." She said.

"You still work for me...." He said.

"Are you threatening me Michael?"

Michael looked at her. He looked thoroughly at the woman who he had been betraying his wife with, the fire in her.

Michael came close to her and gently touched her hand.

"I just want you back..." He whispered, her skin buzzed at his breath on the side of her neck.

"Your family needs you back." She replied boldly.

"Go home to your wife Michael, be a husband.....be a father. Be a great doctor. Do not screw this up. I'm giving you the chance to sort it out!"

"I'd give it up for you!" he replied desperately. She looked at him sympathetically.

"That's wild talk, think about what you're saying!" Bea said shaking her head slowly.

"I'd leave her. I'd leave them all for you!" He said daringly.

"No. Michael. Stop this." She frowned.

"I want you Bea-"

"-Well I don't want you!" She retorted. Adamant to end the conversation, she pushed the door open and hurried to get her daughter, she had to leave the vicinity of the Pandora's Box she'd long opened.

"Mommy!" Ayla smiled and held out her arms, Bea took her into a hug.

"Thanks Derek!" She smiled.

"No problem, she's a good kid!" He said sorting out the medical boards.

"We ate candy!" Ayla whispered through her cupped hands. Bea gasped and helped her daughter off the work surface.

"Excuse me - Is Dr Liddard available?" The woman asked, Bea looked suddenly, hearing Michael's name.

"Er, he's around, I can page him? Can I ask what it's regarding?" Derek asked,

"Yes, I'm his wife!" She said bluntly. Bea stared at her wide eyed. The woman saw and looked at her too.

The woman just looked away slowly and back to Derek as he paged Michael. Bea continued to stare. The wife of the man she'd been having an affair with was stood right before her, and this woman had not a clue of what had been going on. The guilt was explosive. Bea gripped Ayla close to her and left quickly. Turning only for a second to recapture the guilt, just to make sure it didn't go. It would be the guilt that would keep her from Michael. It would remind her she had moral integrity and that she would fight to keep it and not be so willing to throw her moral sense away at the drop of one of his smiles.

Abusing the privilege of her status, she made her way to the department they had moved Pete to. She held Ayla's hand tight, nerves pricking her conscience. Her eyes swept over the board at the entrance to the department and she made her way down.

"What are we doing Mommy?" Ayla asked as she looked up at her Mom. They had stopped outside the room, it was empty apart from him in the bed. He was sleeping but she knew it was disturbed sleep, the strain in his face was evidence of someone fighting to get better.

Bea picked her little girl up and they both looked through the window.

"He's sleeping!" She whispered, Bea smiled and Ayla's legs gripped tighter around her waist.

"Is it Peter Winter?" She whispered, Bea nodded, tears pricking her eyes.

"Yeah..." She said,

"He hurt his tummy!" She said, her young eyes taking in the dressing on his abdomen .

"He did, but he's all better now." She explained.
"He must be pretty tired!" Ayla laughed.

"He's very tired......he need lots and lots of sleep!" Bea whispered, kissing her Daughter's cheek softly.

They stood for a long while, just watching, Ayla appreciating the silence, she rested on her Mom's chest as they stood. Bea couldn't ignore the eyes on her anymore, turning, she was met with Patrick. He was holding a hot drink in his hand. Immediately he smiled, easing the shock of his stalker like presence.

"Hello." He said simply. Ayla looked up and stared cautiously at this new stranger.

"Hello Patrick." Bea replied warmly. His eyes went to Ayla and he smiled knowingly.

"Hello Ayla." Patrick smiled, Ayla smiled a little.

"Ayla, this is Patrick, a good friend of Mommy's." she explained.

"Hi Patrick." She said politely, he grinned and then looked at Bea.

"She's beautiful!" He said.

"I know." Bea smiled proudly.

"I like your hat!" Ayla chirped.

"Thank you!" Patrick said, touching it and pulling it slightly.

"Can I wear it?" She asked, he laughed slightly.

"Sure...." He said and took it off, immediately ruffling his hair. He placed it on her head and it just covered her whole head and face.

"It's big!" She laughed.

"That's cos you have a small head baby." Bea laughed and tilted the hat backwards,

"There....now you look super cool!" She stated. Ayla let a fully fledged smile escape and Patrick was taken back slightly. It was exactly how Beatrice described it, it was Peter's.

"Hey, why don't you get down now, I'll just be a second." She said, detaching her from her hip.

There was a quick brief silence between them both as they thought about what to say.

"She's just like him!" he smiled.

"I know. It's a small torture every day." She said, Patrick's smile went quickly.

They both looked at Pete again, Bea pushed her hair from her face and sighed.

"You know you have to tell him......when you tell him is your choice.....but telling him isn't a choice." He said wisely.

She nodded in agreement.

"I think this will be the best thing that could happen for him......"

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of something." He said.

"What about Sarah.....and Samuel..." She asked him, Patrick shrugged slightly.

"Pete won't go back with her....you and I know how Pete responds to betrayal." He advised.

"It's a pity he didn't apply his own dislike to it then...." She said coolly. Patrick smiled a little.

"That's between you and Pete......this is between Pete.....and his daughter." He said. Bea smiled slightly and smirked at Patrick.

"What?" He smiled.

"You're very grounded Patrick."

He looked a little abashed.

"Mommy I gotta pee!" Ayla announced. They both laughed.

"That's my cue to leave...." She said, Patrick put an arm around her.

"Hoping that tone of voice means you'll be back?" he asked, she put an arm around him and they hugged gently.

"I hope so too..."