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Chapter Text

Birmingham 1996

Kate Stewart knew there were worse places to be and the hotel was nice enough as conference venues went.

Given the choice she would rather be with the family than subbing for Professor Shaw. Even tidying after Gordy held a greater attraction than curling cucumber sandwiches and the bullish murmur of secretive scientists. She just hoped her son wouldn’t cause too much trouble for her father.

Her pager resolutely refused to give her the get out she was praying for before the bell rang for the assembled throng to take their seats. She slunk into the main hall and shook her head at the layout of circular tables splashed near the stage with little thought to a view of the projector screen.
She found her seat at a table that could generously be described as ‘restricted view’. She recognised several of the other names on the table and knew precisely why. They were all considered ‘fringe’ science by those people who called themselves the establishment. As if they had the first idea, the whole evolution of science involved discovery of new potential. Why keep studying atoms so small that they could only truly be represented by mathematics when meteorites brought alien soils to earth every day. Facts versus potential, that’s how Professor Shaw explained it. But then, Liz was no longer studying extra planetary geology.
Kate shrugged off her jacket and dropped it over the back of her chair. The downdraft flipped over the place setting next to her and she dutifully reached to replace it. The thin white name card stared implacably from her hand. She swore at it.
‘A. Reynolds PhD’ it said.
That was all she needed.

-
Liz Shaw tapped out her pipe against the steel balcony rail as the bell rang and swigged back her drink.
‘One day, you’ll take out a tooth with an ice cube, the speed those go down.’ A warm voiced purred at her shoulder. She turned with a smile and poked her partner in the shoulder with the end of the pipe.
‘Pat, you should know by now that would be impossible.’
‘I thought the impossible was our business?’ Patricia Haggard teased, momentarily ignoring the politics that had brought them both here. Liz sighed and took her arm.
‘Business implies a profit. Maybe even success?’
‘Don’t start. UNIT took in everything we were, and they are listening to us. Or to your protégé at any rate.’
‘Kate is no threat to you Pat. Try to be civil.’
‘Ha! I’m the diplomatic one, remember? ‘Haggard tailed off as she neared the table. Stewart was stood stock still as white as the table cloth ahead of her. She shook her head to avoid thinking about the light through the young blonde’s blouse and pulled Liz reflexively toward her.
‘What is it?’ Liz asked. It wasn’t immediately obvious whom she was speaking too but Kate handed over the name card anyway. Liz handed it to Pat who used a slightly stronger curse and took her own seat.

Professor Shaw handed her junior back the card, read the other cards and tore one of them up, sticking the remains in her pocket. She then moved her own card to sit with Pat and studiously refilled her pipe.
Behind them a crackle of static announced the first speaker and the lights dimmed.

2
45 minutes later Kate realised she been so enraptured in the Guest from the American Physical Society that she had totally failed to notice someone sit next to her. Her first clue had been the glint of the rising lights from a pair of glasses that were in the process of being removed.
She knew who they must belong to and steeled herself for a frosty coffee break. She glanced down at the notepad on her lap and the copious notes she had scrawled. She found her glance being caught by a flash of red, heels on uncrossing legs. Not designer, probably John Lewis, but showy enough to speak of confidence. Her gaze wandered up the long legs, the light cotton skirt and the heavier leather belt before catching site of the woman’s notes.

Kate blinked and wondered if she had attended the same lecture. For every mention of the macroscopic quantum world there was a diversion on the nature of sympathetic resonance as part of a casual nexus of parallel words.
Distracted from her inspection of Professor Shaw’s foe by her work, Kate found herself turning toward the woman, mouth open to ask a question. That’s when she saw Dr Reynolds’ eyes.
The muscles of her face reacted to her in completely involuntary ways and she forced herself to swallow only when she realised how long her mouth had stood open.
In that time Anne had turned back to the table and reached for her freshly arrived drink.

‘Pompous idiot.’ Liz complained and pushed her notebook onto the table to stare daggers at Dr Reynolds. If Anne noticed, it failed to phase her.
Kate supposed that such a woman must have formed the same hardened crust as Professor Shaw to survive this long in academia. She watched the woman look across the table and catch site of Ms Haggard. Kate held her breath. Anne beamed a dazzlingly warm smile.
‘Oh, I love your hair!’ Dr Reynolds enthused. This was almost exactly the reverse of where Kate had expected the conversation to go.

-
Dr Anne Reynolds couldn’t help but tug at her own carefully straightened hair as she envied the woman in the expensive suit. It was only when she noticed the impatient tapping of a pipe against the tabletop that she realised to whom she must be speaking. She extended her hand across the table, fully aware of the allusion.
‘Dr Anne Reynolds, call me Anne. You must be Professor Shaw and Ms Haggard’
Pat took the proffered hand while Liz clamped the pipe back between her teeth. ‘Correct, this is our colleague, Kate Stewart.’ The hand of friendship turned toward Kate who found herself shaking it and realising she was staring. Anne didn’t seem to mind.
‘I have to say Professor Shaw, I am indebted to your work’
Liz harrumphed; there was no better description for it. ‘To the victor, the spoils.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Anne looked genuinely bemused but any answer she sought was postponed as the lights dimmed for the second lecture of the day.

3
Shaw and Haggard left the room before the lecture was completed and Kate couldn’t really blame them. She was dying for a cigarette and the presentation this time was almost entirely irrelevant to her own work or anything that could be of use at UNIT.
When the lights finally lifted she was surprised to find Dr Reynolds watching her. She felt her cheeks flush and tried not to think about it.
‘You, uh, is your colleague not joining us?’ Kate nodded at the empty seat her boss had destroyed the place setting for.
‘Roy? God, no. He hasn’t been around for a while. I put his name on the paperwork so I don’t have to sit next to an idiot’ she grinned infectiously. ‘It’s working great for me so far.’

A recess was announced before lunch would be served. Kate watched everyone file out of the north door, doubtless toward the bar. Dr Reynolds secured her notes in her bag and searched its innards, taking her time.
‘Lost something?’ Kate volunteered
‘You don’t happen to have a lighter?’ She looked up as Kate fished one from her pocket. There was that smile again. ‘Shame that blouse doesn’t hide a bottle of scotch’ she finished. Kate blushed harder still, as if Anne had ignored the existence of her blouse entirely.

-
Kate walked out onto the balcony with two scotches and proffered one in exchange for her lighter.
Anne, for her part, was watching the heated debate between Professor Shaw and Ms Haggard. Kate lit her cigarette, tossed her hair over her shoulder and revelled in the moment before reality crashed into it.
‘I’ll bite. What am I supposed to have done?’ Anne asked her.
‘I... I don’t know that it’s my place’
‘Please?’ Kate succumbed to the eyes and the smile and the little flicks of stray fringe that broke between them both.
‘Ok. You’re Department 7. You were the reason given to Pat, Ms Haggard, for the closure of the Preternatural Research Bureau.; More results, co funding from the University, Fewer deaths. So the bureau was merged with UNIT.’

-
Patricia Haggard was hard to distract when she had a point to make. The roaring ‘WHAT?’ from the other end of the balcony managed it so effectively that her train of thought had yet to return before Dr Reynolds pushed between them and took Liz’ hand.
‘Professor Shaw, I had no idea. We were told you had been recalled to UNIT. If I had known I’d have insisted you joined us in Edinburgh.’
Liz carefully extricated her hand and used it to remove her pipe. ‘I would have turned you down.’
The admission derailed Anne’s apology but Liz was not yet finished. ‘However, Pat has pointed out that our little table in there represents a search for truth that belongs outside of any petty personal feelings I might have. So, in the spirit of cooperation I’m appointing Ms Stewart as your liaison.’
Kate opened her mouth only to rapidly close it at Professor Shaw’s glare.
‘Oh, well. Perhaps I should bring you up to speed then,’ Anne turned to Kate and smiled that smile that had already proved so distracting. ‘Dinner?’

Chapter Text

Osgood pushed her glasses back up her nose and thanked Dr Stewart profusely as the blonde paid for dinner in the bustling pub opposite the University commissary.
‘You don’t have to do that.’ Kate waved the thanks away. ‘We both need to eat and one of us has money, this time.’
Osgood couldn’t look away from the warm smile and had to hold her breath to put the memory of the last time she had seen it out of her thoughts. She concentrated on not dropping her food as she followed her. Whatever Kate was to her right now it had been a long road to Osgood’s latest graduation day.

It had been an in auspicious first meeting back in 1992, babysitting little Gordy with her crush, Beth. Kate had been dressed to the nines that night, trying to save the relationship with Gordy’s father, Jonathan. Osgood had been glad she had brought both inhalers and Beth had just smiled at her little gay. Apparently Kate had that effect on everyone.
It hadn’t worked on Jonathan, obviously. Not in the least because Kate had also been in a relationship with Beth at the time, although to Osgood’s knowledge he never found out about that. Os had been there to catch the pieces of Kate that made it back to the houseboat that evening and the following morning they had a heartfelt chat. Kate had said practically nothing, instead discovering how brilliant her new friend was.
When Kate and Jonathan had finally broken up Osgood had been finding herself taking Beth’s place as a babysitter more regularly while Kate and Beth were out. Then Beth moved to Spain in mysterious circumstances and Osgood found herself replacing Beth in more ways than she could ever have expected. It wasn’t serious. It never could be. She was Kate and Osgood was, well Osgood.
Osgood had seen Kate join the newly acquired PRoBe division of UNIT and still found time to babysit but increasingly Kate was busy and the intimate parts of their relationship began to fade. Not for want of trying on Osgood’s part.
Kate had found a husband, had a daughter and had even asked for Osgood’s help to look after the pair of them on and off. Osgood was therefore in a privileged position to know that this formal relationship was in even more of a state than the one she had first helped her out of.
Part of her blamed it on Kate’s repressed bisexuality but she knew that wasn’t fair. She had met the husband after all and it can’t only be a personal jealousy colouring her low opinion of the man.
Osgood had moved to higher education throughout all this private drama and had promptly left her peers standing.
And that’s where they stood now.
Kate had just been among the prize givers at the graduation. Osgood knew that several King Henry’s alumna had been head hunted by the increasingly science dependant organisation her mentor was rather high in and that several of the university projects had received funding from UNIT.
She also knew that funding was becoming something of an issue, hence the comment at the till.
They sat in a corner of the snug, angled away from the noise of the other celebrants in the room.
‘I’m surprised your parents aren’t joining us.’ Kate commented, diplomatic as ever.
‘I’m not’ was Osgood’s only explanation. But it was all Kate needed.
‘Then they probably won’t approve of this either.’ The blonde smiled and reached into her jacket pocket for an envelope which she presented with a kiss on the cheek before tucking into her dinner.
Osgood peeled the envelope open and stared at the headed notepaper.
Kate left it a full minute before placing a hand on her friends back. ‘Os, everything alright?’
The brunette nodded once, almost afraid to look away from the paper. ‘It’s ok you don’t have to decide right n…’
‘Yes. Yes I’ll do it. I accept.’ Osgood finally breathed out in a rush. Kate grinned broadly and pulled her into a warm hug that Osgood couldn’t bring herself to separate.
Kate’s mobile rang and they reluctantly parted.
‘Saved by the bell’ Kate winked at her and answered with a curt ‘Kate Stewart?’

Dr Anne Reynolds breathed a sigh of relief as the phone picked up. ‘Kate, its Anne.’
‘Anne! All ready for the weekend?’ Kate beamed at the thought of catching up with the brilliant redhead at the conference in Cardiff. By her side Osgood flushed and tried not to seethe with jealousy at the tone of that single sentence.
‘That’s why I’m calling. I can’t make it I’m afraid, something’s come up here.’ Anne stifled the impulse to pour her heart out over the phone about how the department had been forced to let 9 more staff go and how the summer recess was going to amount to her and the janitor on staff.
‘Oh I’m sorry to hear that. I was so looking forward to our catch up.’ Anne could hear her friend’s sincerity and allowed herself a fond smile.
‘Me too, I’m sorry its last minute. Can you get a refund on the hotel room or the restaurant?’
Kate pinched the bridge of her nose and glanced across the table to where Osgood was dissecting her pie with clinical precision. ‘Don’t you worry about that; you let me take of all of it. When you know you have a free weekend you be sure to let me know and I’ll drop everything to bang on your door with a bottle and that catch up I promised.’
Anne properly smiled, no doubt in her mind that Kate might even commandeer a helicopter and claim it was vital importance to have a face to face debrief too.
‘That’s a date!’
‘That too, Doctor Reynolds, that too.’ Kate promised ahead of a goodnight.
She dropped the phone back into her pocket, swapping it for a pen. ‘Are you certain you want to accept?’
It took Osgood a couple of seconds to realise that the conversation had returned to her. She blinked her confusion and accepted the pen. ‘Absolutely, never wanted anything more. Well maybe a junior chemistry set but I was 5.’
Kate smiled as she took back the pen and the signed contract. ‘Good. We’ll pack a case after dinner, you're coming to Cardiff with me.’

Chapter Text

Dr Anne Reynolds crunched through the ground frost in the bleak car park and shuffled through her purse hunting vital details for her next move.
She was headed to her third phone box and fourth cigarette when the heel snapped and dumped her in an undignified mess on the side of the road.
With hindsight it would be unfair to say that this was a low point but for the first time in many years she wondered why she had followed her mother into science in the first place.
Pulling herself together she hobbled into the phone box, tested the line and deposited 20p for her call, muttering a short prayer to Zeus while the line clicked and buzzed in her ear.
‘Stewart?’ the voice on the other end growled. Anne allowed a smile to enter her tone as she replied
‘Kate, its Anne. Have you heard about the conference?’
‘What about it? I’m driving up now.’
‘Professor Mallignan’s keynote speech has been called off. He’s been denounced as a fraud! The entire things collapsed around their ears and the place is full of police.’
‘I could do without that after Deffry Vale’ Kate grumbled bitterly. ‘I’m maybe half an hour from the hotel?’
‘If you’re in the city head for the conference centre and carry on past it up Sackville Street. Turn into Granby Row and there’s a university building with parking. I’ll meet you there.’

-
Anne climbed into the battered Ford Sierra’s passenger seat and dumped her bag in the foot well. Before she could utter a greeting Kate’s lips met hers and the pair of them visibly relaxed.
‘Hello Ms Stewart’
‘Good Evening Dr Reynolds. Which hotel are you staying in? I’ll give you a lift’ Anne allowed herself a short, bitter laugh.
‘Hotel, on my budget? I was planning on sitting in the bar and walking the street. Can’t even do that now’ she dropped her snapped heel into the cup holder on her side.
‘You can come to mine. Here,’ she reached onto the dash and fetched out two cigarettes, ‘looks like we both need one’
-
‘You’re budgets not much better than mine.’ Anne sighed and sat on the end of the single bed while Kate struck up the kettle.
‘Salford’s not bad. This is cheap because they’re building the new BBC place down the road.’
‘Construction workers, joy of joys.’
‘You weren’t serious about walking the streets?’ Kate asked, utterly failing to mask her concern.
‘I hadn’t a plan. It was that or go home. Should have brought the car instead of the trains’
‘Well forget it, you’re staying right here. ‘Kate smiled and handed over the weak tea.
‘After a pub or at least a meal? I can afford that.’ Anne reassured her.
Kate laughed in that unique way of hers and undid her suitcase. A grin spread across her face.
‘Looks like we both have a guardian angel.’ She pronounced, lifting out a pair of trainers and offering them to Anne.
-
Over dinner they caught up events since Christmas and the ever diminishing flow of funding. Since the last election UNIT had severed its ties with the United Nations and like Department 7, felt utterly out on their own.
‘No solid results in years. The only reason we haven’t been shut down is that we have friends on the right committees. Honestly Kate, I’m this close to throwing in the towel.’
Anne sipped her drink carefully, knowing that her boast of dinner didn’t run to a night out if she wanted to get home.

Kate nodded sympathetically and opened her mouth before sharply closing it again.
‘What is it? And before you try to deny it remember just how long I’ve a] been studying people and b] known you. It’s eight years next month since our first,’ she paused and smiled her emphasis, ‘meal.’
‘Oh god it is!’ Kate blushed. ‘I was going to tell you to do it, chuck the department and come work with me.’
‘But? I can tell there is one’ Anne put down her glass and took Kate’s hand. The younger woman smiled at her touch then extricated herself, reaching into her pocket for an envelope.
Anne flicked through the contents. ‘He can’t be serious? I mean this isn’t from a lawyer, it’s not an actual divorce paper?’
‘No, it’s a threat. That’s all it really is. He wants another child and I’m…’ she looked up into Anne’s eyes, a myriad vortex of thoughts reflected in them before settling on an end to the sentence.
‘I’m too busy with things at work.’
If Anne noticed the blush creep across Kate’s features she failed to comment. Kate pushed aside thoughts of the indispensible Osgood and penchant for even knowing Kate would need spare shoes.
‘So what are you going to do? Quit work? I’d ask you to come work for me but that might make things worse.’
‘I’m going to get pregnant, I guess. Before it’s too late.’ Kate said with a conviction neither of them believed.

Chapter Text

Anne Reynolds glanced around her for the third time in as many minutes. The seating plan clearly stated that Doctor Kate Stewart was supposed to be sat next to her. It had been four months since they had last talked and Anne was very much on edge.

Their conversations of late had been disappointingly professional. Department 7 was down to three staff and a host of volunteers but that it still existed at all was something Anne increasingly suspected was down to Kate’s contacts in Whitehall.
What they had was certainly not a usual relationship, meeting in fleeting bursts over the last decade. But she was rapidly coming to the conclusion that the lack of Kate in her life was making her anxious.

She picked up her guide to the lectures for the 5th time and once again failed to read a single word.
A body bounced into the space reserved for Kate and Anne turned with a smile that almost instantly collapsed. The body belonged to a curvy if shy thing in corduroy trousers and a velvet jacket that must have been sweltering in the humid theatre. Its owner undid the rucksack in its lap, removing a remarkably tiny laptop computer to take its place.

Anne took a deep breath, watching the woman boot up her computer and work with enviable speed setting up something. She tried not to think about the way her hands moved and what they might feel like on her skin. That, obviously, brought her back to the woman who should be in that seat.
She cleared her throat.
‘Uh, excuse me. You aren’t Dr Stewart.’ Anne pointed to the name card. ‘I know her.’

The pretty girl turned her face to Anne and smiled warmly as she offered her hand.
‘Osgood. I work with K... Doctor Stewart. There’s been a tiny change of plan.’
Anne shook the hand, simultaneously charmed and crestfallen. Kate had sent a co worker.

Was she avoiding her because of the divorce? Did she blame her? A thousand unfinished sentences over the phone came back to her. Millions of agonising pauses during AIM conversations where ‘this user is typing’ ran for minutes only to send a three letter word.
That must be it, psychology training be damned.
Kate Stewart blamed her for all of it.

She had always joked that she was the other woman, sharing intimate moments in unremarkable convention hotels. Sharing that one special touch between them, the one that made her so very weak.
The lights in the hall dimmed and an announcement came over the tannoy.

‘Ladies and gentleman, there has been a slight alteration to the schedule. Please welcome to the stage the Chief Scientific Officer of the Unified Intelligence Taskforce…’
The name was spoken, applause was polite but all Anne could see was the coyly smiling blonde at the podium.
She thanked everyone for attending, that rich voice commanding and insistent all while pouring like honey into the ears of the attendees.
Throughout the next hour Anne was certain that CSO Kate Stewart had spoken only to her and the excitably breathless young scientist sat with her.

2
Anne stewed in her seat for the rest of the morning. Kate was still smiling from her place on the stage. It was a beneficent gaze that seemed to approve of everyone who took a turn at the microphone. Even though she wasn’t the keynote speaker there was this tacit acknowledgement that she was in charge.
Anne adored her. It was no longer idle paranoia or just some ‘thing’ that happened whenever they got together. It was a full blown crush with benefits.
When Kate stood to announce the lunch recess Anne realised she had been holding her breath. The gentle hiss of an inhaler by her side suggested much of the same of Kate’s colleague.

“Damn,” thought Anne “I’ve fallen in love with the most unobtainable woman on the planet.”
She made to stand but Osgood reached out a hand for her wrist. A warm soft hand that did funny things to her already flipped stomach.
‘Wait, uh, please’ the woman removed her hand and adjusted her glasses. By the time Anne had looked back to the stage Kate was nowhere to be seen.
Her doubts from earlier crowded her mind in the same way the attendees were pushing their way from the hall. Maybe Kate really was avoiding her after all. Now she was CSO she wasn’t going to have time for the Ghostbusters of Western General.

She was still panicking about this when a hand touched her shoulder as a prelude to drawing her into a hug.
‘Surprise!’ Kate Stewart chuckled into Anne’s ear.
‘Congratulations, Director Stewart’ Anne replied.
‘Just chief, Director would need to be in charge of the whole lot of it.’
‘So that’s next weekend then?’ Anne smiled. ‘I see we have a lot to talk to talk about.’
‘And there should plenty of time. How many more lectures are you staying for?’ Kate asked in precisely the way that made Anne suspect she already knew the answer.
‘I’m sure I can skip a couple if you wanted a longer lunch.’ Anne teased.
‘Osgood?’ Kate asked, bringing the other woman into the conversation. Anne sat back in her chair but Osgood was concentrating on the laptop.
‘You only need to be present for closing remarks today and the first morning lecture tomorrow. I can record the rest for you and duplicate copies for Dr Reynolds. Oh, here.’ The young woman searched her jacket pockets and handed over a room key.
‘Room service is passable but avoid the fish, just in case. I’ll call you 20 minutes before you need to be on stage.’
‘Better make it 30, just in case’ Kate winked back and took Anne’s hand. ‘Trust me, better room than Manchester.’

Chapter Text

Anne Reynolds was woken from the crumpled mess on her sofa by an insistent banging on her front door.
It had better not be that bloody neighbour complaining that she’d fallen asleep with ‘Tubular Bells’ on repeat again. She dragged herself across the lounge and out into the hall with a weary groan and call that she was ‘Bloody well coming, damnit!’

She left the chain on as the door eased open to reveal a hollow eyed blonde mess.
‘Kate?’ Anne was unchaining the door even as the other woman mustered a nod. Anne looked about but all she could see out of place was the company black range rover opposite. ‘What’s happened, you’re a month early for conference and that’s in Eastbourne this year.’ She tried to keep her voice light but knew she was failing the instant Kate Stewart practically collapsed in her arms, wracked with sobs.

It took time but eventually Anne was able to sit Kate next to her on the sofa with a neat scotch and a tender caress.
‘He’s gone.’ was Kate’s only explanation. Anne stiffened in the dread that Kate had fled across the country in the hope that she would be able to make use of Anne’s lifetime work in the paranormal just to talk to her father one last time.
Not trusting herself to reply, Anne instead removed the tumbler of scotch from Kate’s grip and pulled her into a comforting hug. If nothing else, she was moved that, at this darkest of moments, Kate Stewart had turned to her.

2
They had fallen asleep on the sofa that night, still dressed and emotionally drained.
Anne had made breakfast and sought out a change of clothes from the things Kate tended to leave with her during her visits. Then she had physically placed her lover into the shower and left her too it.

This is why it was Anne who answered Kate’s mobile, shocked to discover that its screen contained a high definition video of Osgood calling.
‘Anne, oh thank god! I thought she was going to do something stupid.’
‘She drove straight here from 5 Elms, I’d say that counts as something stupid.’
‘No. No it’s the perfect thing for her right now. I’m doing what I can but this is more than I’m ready for. She needs you right now. I’ll be with by the end of the day. Try not to let her do anything ridiculous.’

Anne smiled at the younger woman, noting the same hollow grief that Kate had sported the night before around her eyes. She knew she would be hugging her once she arrived too. ‘When has anyone stopped Kate from doing anything? Not even her…’ She stopped herself from finishing the sentence as she realised how insensitive it must be to both her friend’s grief.
‘No,’ Osgood agreed. ‘Not even him. See you soon’ she hung up and Anne just stared at the blank screen.

‘Was that my phone?’ Kate mumbled from the lounge door. She had managed to put on the blouse Anne had recovered but that was about all.
‘Osgood. She’ll be here later. We can have dinner. But right now you are coming with me.’ Anne rose and took Kate’s hands, drawing her through into the bedroom and leaving all traces of yesterday behind them.

Chapter Text

After all these years the Conference is finally making use of a real lecture hall. In the darker times of human knowledge the room played host to the dissection of cadavers. The only thing being dissected on this occasion would be words.
Kate was early. Osgood was already beetling around the venue, talking to anyone. She envied the woman’s enthusiasm and wondered if Jac would have been a better choice of companion this time.
She called up the layout on her phone and quietly made her way backstage, down a once sterile corridor and out through a fire door that had been propped open with a bucket.

Red curls were dimmer than she remembered but she knew the precise distribution of freckles on the shoulder that peeked from under them.
‘Dr Reynolds.’ Kate called with only the slightest hesitation. The older woman spun towards her name, the eyes as bright as ever, the smile as broad and caring.
Kate knew full well that impression of her being the same as she had been 20 years before was but a fleeting splash of her memory identifying relevant features for comparison. She didn’t care.
The hair was greyer, the laughter lines more pronounced but this was the same Anne she had been meeting all of that time.

‘Honestly, Anne. You are so predictable, a quick smoke before the off?’
‘Aha, I have you there’ she waved her e-cig and frowned ‘Kate, what have you done to your hair?’ she asked in a mock chiding tone. She reached toward the messy bob and used the action to pull her into a slow boiling kiss.
Kate allowed it only because she knew they were alone.

‘How’s work?’ Kate asked as they walked back toward the theatre.
‘I have a new junior. Not been with me long but already indispensible, you?’
‘That’s why I won’t change mine; she always seems to know what I need.’ Kate nodded with a cheeky little smile that hinted at more than work. Anne laughed.
‘Bad girl’ she teased, with a wink. ‘Does that mean you’ve finally found a new Liaison for us poor mortals in Department 7?’
‘That almost sounds as though you want to get to rid of me.’ Kate returned with equal humour.
‘After all this time you do know all the right places to press my buttons’ Anne nodded ‘Could be a bad thing in the wrong hands.’
Kate lifted her palms. ‘Do these look like the wrong hands to you?’
‘I can’t tell here in a corridor, Dinner tonight?’
Kate smirked at the heavy implication ‘I do have my junior with me’
‘More the merrier’ Anne flirted ‘mine, 7.30 for 8. I hope you brought your key this time?’ she waited for the evidence to be retrieved from her lover’s coat before one last kiss. ’Now push off while I go explain myself to all of you’

Kate watched her take the rostrum in the centre of the theatre and await the crowd of fellow academics to take their seats. It was a far cry from the corner of a hall they’d started in.