Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

and it changes their lives forever. Blame it on the plot bunnies.

Prologue-Running for Our Lives

Sir Thomas and his family run to safety in Scotland.

This has to be the scariest thing I’ve had to do.

I'm doing it, though. For Katie. For our Alexander. For my children and grandchildren that are following us.

We've packed all that could fit into two chests and a few crates of food since that's all we could get on a wagon. Everything else was abandoned in the house. Portraits, books, furniture, and other nicknacks were left as if the owner would return. But nothing could be further from the truth.

We’re on our way to Scotland. It’s safe there for now, or so I’m told. Anything can change at a moment’s notice, which has been the case for the last couple of years. But as of right now, I just want a place where myself and my family can lie low in safety. For right now, that place is Scotland. 

Why are we leaving? I couldn't swear that oath in good conscience, not in full. Katie told me our son needed his father alive to raise him and not dead as a martyr, so that left me with one other option. That option was leaving England, and everything I knew, for a new life.

We've made it to Saint Andrew's after many restless days and nights on the run. Nights where I had to stand guard over my wife while she fed our son. Days where my son John and I took turns standing guard as we fed and watered the horses and took meal and toilet breaks. That's not even taking into account watching out for the robbers, bandits, thugs, kidnappers, and heretics that roamed all along the way.

Katie knocked on the door. A man and a woman just a little older than me opened the door and greeted her with a hug. The man then let us all inside the house and offered us seats at the table.

"Uncle Alex, Aunt Marjorie, I want you to meet my husband Tom, my stepson John, and this is our baby, Alexander," she gestured first towards John and me and then held up the baby.

Uncle Alex shook my and John's hands and offered to hold the baby. It was the first friendly gesture I'd received from someone outside our little troupe in a week. It was also the most welcome.

"Welcome, gentlemen. Marge, take the baby. I'll help the men with their things and show you where you can sleep," the Scotsman told my wife as he handed Alexander to his wife and followed us to the wagon.

Chapter Text

Chapter 1-School is In Session.

Whitehall Academy is founded, and Thomas More deals with a skeptical Cardinal Wolsey.

On Friday, Sir Thomas More heard a knock on the door. He thought it was odd since it was just before the weekend. Who could it be? He wondered as he opened the door. A young lady with brown hair pulled back in a bun, green eyes, and wearing a dark-blue dress stood at the door. She gave a small curtsy.

“You’re Sir Thomas More, right?” she asked.

"Yes. You're Katherine Marshall, I presume?" He asked as he ushered her in and offered the young lady a seat. She told him she was.

“We talked about the school for the children of the courtiers, am I correct?” she asked him as soon as she was seated.

"Yes, let's go. I'll show you where the classes will be held." Sir Thomas gestured for her to follow him.

They went downstairs, and he showed her a small classroom. There was a big window that allowed plenty of light in, so everyone could see. A carpenter made several small writing desks with benches for the students and placed a desk and chair for her in the front. The desks had inkwells and holders for quills. Behind the teacher's desk was a large blackboard so she could write notes for the students. On the far side was a bookcase full of books. She nodded with approval.

“When do classes start?” The humanist asked as the teacher inspected the room.

"I think Monday will be a good day to start. And I want the week to run Monday through Friday. It will give the students Saturday to catch up on their studies and Sundays for worship," Katherine explained.

"Not to mention, let you catch up on correcting their assignments and plan your lessons for the next week," Sir Thomas added.

You read my mind, the young teacher thought. Sir Thomas then assured her he would gladly help her correct the students' work if needed.

“What does the day look like?” He asked her, curious about the curriculum and how the school day would go.

"We will start the morning with prayer. Then we will have a class on religion. After that, Latin, writing, reading, and arithmetic before breaking for dinner. Then we shall restart with science, music, art, and philosophy. We will then finish the day with prayer," she told him, outlining their day.

Sir Thomas raised his eyebrows. He was very impressed with her already. She seemed to have excellent organization and planning skills. She also seemed to be very ambitious.

"Can't wait to see you in action. I'll see you Monday," he bid her goodbye and started to walk away.

* * *

"How do you know her?" Cardinal Wolsey asked Sir Thomas. He was curious how he came across a young lady that was educated enough to teach and was skeptical that women were still capable of the same intellectual abilities as men.

"She's the cousin of one of John's Cambridge friends. Since she couldn't go to university, she was self-educated and continued her education by reading everything she could find."

The cardinal/chancellor raised his eyebrows. She seemed very ambitious, but he still wasn't sold on the idea of a woman teaching. He felt that women didn't need to learn to be anything other than wives and mothers.

Sir Thomas insisted on sticking his neck out for Katherine. The reason for this was simple; he differed from Cardinal Wolsey in that he believed women had the same intellectual capabilities as men. The humanist believed that his daughters were living proof.

"I want to see regular evaluations of her and the students. In writing. Do you understand?" The chancellor ordered the lawyer.

"Of course, Your Eminence," Sir Thomas bowed and returned to his office.

The first day went off without a hitch. Katherine did a fantastic job teaching the children by keeping them engaged and ensuring they behaved. Sir Thomas was supposed to evaluate her and the students, so he was in the classroom. He made himself useful by handing out assignments to the students and handing her notes as needed.

* * *

"Have a good night, children. See you in the morning," Katie told the children as they filed out of the classroom, and she organized her papers into her folio. She let out a sigh and gave her colleague a small smile. He returned the smile before wishing her a good night.

Sir Thomas remembered that Wolsey wanted an evaluation, so he took out a piece of paper and got to work. It was only the first day, so he needed to figure out what to write for the first evaluations. He simply decided to note that it was the first day and what the curriculum was. He also said the students seemed to enjoy learning and were well-behaved.

The following day, before class, Sir Thomas gave his evaluation to Cardinal Wolsey. The chancellor read it and nodded in approval. He seemed impressed so far.

"So far, so good. But it's only the first day. I want you to continue the evaluations. I want nothing but the best for these children, do you understand?" Cardinal Wolsey told Sir Thomas.

"Of course, Your Eminence," Sir Thomas replied with a bow as he dashed to the classroom to continue with the evaluations.

Katherine started catching up that her colleague wasn't there to help her. She asked if he was there to give evaluations. He confessed that was the case.

"Let me guess who wants the evaluations. Cardinal Wolsey?" Katherine asked. She suspected as much.

Sir Thomas sighed. "Yes," he confessed. He didn't want to make her think that he didn't believe in her, but he also felt that she should understand that there were still many men who were skeptics.

Katherine was a little annoyed but not surprised. She knew there were men who hadn't shaken the old view of a woman's intellect. But his opinion wasn't the one that she really cared about.

"Your thoughts so far?" She wanted to know what her colleague thought about her. She didn't care about some crusty old cardinal; the opinion of the man she worked with was the one that mattered the most.

"I have a lot of faith in you. You already seemed to have an effect on the children," Sir Thomas assured her. He told her that the children were well-behaved and very attentive.

Something told her that she would need one. She smiled. That statement assured her she had an ally and a friend in him.

"I'll make sure it isn't misplaced," she smiled as she started grading math homework.

Sir Thomas was already beginning to feel protective towards her. He couldn't entirely focus on what it was; he knew she was stirring a feeling he hadn't had since Jane died. It went beyond a willingness to protect his children. It was a determination to protect a woman he loved and cared about.

Little did he know that those feelings would change into something more.

Chapter Text

Chapter 2-The Learning Process Part I

Katherine and Thomas have to deal with Charles Brandon, and the two colleagues get to know one another better.

Trigger Warning: Sexual harassment, lame double entendre, mild violence, and vague references to self-harm. Oh, and a pissed-off Thomas More.

“Can anyone tell me what Aristotle said about meaning?” Katherine asked her students. They were reviewing their previous assignment, which was on Aristotle and his theory on the meaning and purpose of logic. One student, Stephen, raised his hand.

“That written words are symbols of spoken words…,” he began.

“Yes, and?” She pointed to another student, Anne.

“And that spoken words are symbols of thoughts,” she finished.

"Very good!" Katherine praised her students. She was impressed with how well they were learning. Eat your heart out, Cardinal Wolsey, she thought.

"Now, we're moving on to syllogistic. If you will turn to page three of your tract…," the teacher instructed her students as they followed her instructions.

* * *

Thomas and Katherine were in his office correcting some papers when he realized they had run out of ink. He rose from his desk and told her he would go to the supply room to get more. She locked the door after he shut it behind him so she could work peacefully.

Seconds after he got up to leave, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was the parent of one of the students, she unlocked the door to let the person in. Unfortunately, it was the object of her irritation; Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk.

"Yes, Your Grace, what can I do for you?" The young teacher gave him a small curtsy and asked in a slightly annoyed tone before walking back to the desk. This was starting to become a regular occurrence; Charles Brandon came into the office and made a nuisance of himself while her colleague was gone, and Katherine was busy grading assignments or working on her lesson plan. As usual, she had no time for his shenanigans.

"I'm wondering if you had a moment, you could give me a refresher course in anatomy," the Duke of Suffolk asked, having difficulty maintaining a straight face.

Katherine sighed and rolled her eyes. The harder he tried with double entendres, the worse he got. This had to be his lamest attempt yet.

"Not now, Your Grace. I have work to do," she told him without even looking up and continued with her work.

He wasn't done yet. This time, he wasn't intent on taking "no" for an answer. It was on to his Plan B, which could have been more subtle. He took a seat on her desk and turned to face her.

"I'm sure you've heard the saying, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.' I'm sure the same applies to girls. Maybe you could use a break," he suggested with a sly grin, brushing her cheek with his knuckles.

He was making her even more uncomfortable with his advances. Now it went beyond being annoying to the point of upsetting. She bit her bottom lip, and her face began to feel red. She also started to hold her pen with an iron grip to the point her hand began to shake, and her pen broke.

Thomas walked back in to see and hear what was going on, and his protective instinct took over. With the box of ink bottles in one hand, he grabbed Charles by his shirt with the other and threw him against the door jamb. The Duke of Suffolk could only let out a small squeak as he hit the frame with a soft thud.

"I don't care if you're the Duke of Suffolk now or taller than me; if I catch you harassing Lady Katherine again, I will beat you senseless. Do you understand me?" the older man growled at Charles, who stared at him wide-eyed.

The color had now drained from the Duke of Suffolk's face. He had known him since he was a boy and didn't remember if he EVER saw Thomas More this angry. Not wanting to take the chance he would make good on his threat, he simply gulped and nodded.

"Good," the humanist told Charles as he released him. The young man stared at the two educators incredulously as he straightened himself out of the office. Thomas shut the door and locked it again.

The school administrator put the box of ink on his desk and walked over to Katherine to see if she was all right. She seemed upset; her blue eyes turned red, her face was flushed, and he noticed the broken pen on her desk. While curious about how that happened, he didn't think it was necessary.

Thomas stood next to her, rubbing her back in soothing circles and shushing her, telling her to take a deep breath. She complied and seemed to calm down considerably. He then asked her if she was all right, and she nodded yes.

"Did he hurt you?" was Thomas's next question. She shook her head no. Thank God for small favors, Thomas thought.

"I'm sorry. I thought Charles was speaking to Ambassador Chapuys. It's like he has a sixth sense," he apologized to Katherine.

She shook her head as if to say, 'Don't worry about it.' As far as she was concerned, what was done was done, and she just wanted peace. She started to gather her things to go to her quarters. The humanist put his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"How about you come with me to my place? We can have supper and get some work done," Thomas suggested, part as an apology and part because he simply enjoyed her company.

While the idea of having supper with a friend, doing some work, and maybe even having some great conversation sounded like an enjoyable way to spend an evening, Katherine was concerned about the appearance of an unmarried woman going to an unmarried man's home. It didn't matter that they were colleagues and good friends. Someone was going to come to the wrong conclusion and try to start rumors. Rumors that could get the school shut down.

"I don't want to cause any trouble," Katherine hesitated with the folio.

"You won't. I'm a widower, my daughters are married, and my son is at Cambridge. I have the house to myself. Come on, it's not good for you to be holed up in your quarters all the time," Thomas managed to convince his colleague.

With a sigh, she agreed and followed her friend. She just hoped she wouldn't regret her actions. He gave her a reassuring grin that everything would be fine, although he was also doing it for himself.

* * *

Thomas and Katherine both enjoyed themselves during supper. They talked and laughed about work. Thomas also started introducing her to humanism since it was his passion. He decided to make a suggestion about her philosophy course.

"I noticed that you were teaching them about Aristotle. What else were you planning on teaching them?" he asked as he sipped some wine.

“Oh, the usual. Plato, Socrates. Why?” She asked.

"What about Erasmus? I've worked with him. He's an interesting fellow and a humanist. I'll help you make up a curriculum once you've gotten through Aristotle," he offered. Katherine told him that she would love to do that soon.

After clearing supper, Katherine pulled out her folio with the student's assignments. She took out the papers and organized them into stacks by subject and whether or not they needed to be graded. As she did that, Thomas entered his study to grab some pens and ink.

“Thank you for standing up for me. I was this close to slamming his privy parts into the door.” Katherine told her colleague as she started to correct a science paper, at which he chuckled; it reminded him of something one of his daughters would say.

"I'm sorry if you think I'm prying, but I can't help but wonder, why aren't you married?" Thomas asked with genuine curiosity. The remark about slamming privates into doors aside, she seemed to be marriage material; she was attractive, intelligent, got on with almost everyone (except for Charles), and loved children. If it weren't for the fact that they worked together and that he didn't know her that long, Thomas considered snagging her for himself.

Katherine gave her friend a sad look before letting out a sigh. "I was. He died of the sweat. We never had any children because we weren't married that long."

“I’m so sorry. How did you know him?” He replied sympathetically.

“We were childhood friends. We went to the same parish and everything and married when we were eighteen. He passed away a few months later to the sweat," she explained sadly.

"I'm sure you will find someone. You have a lot to offer a man," he told her, placing his hand on top of hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. She smiled and thanked him.

Since she declined to stay the night, he escorted her back to her quarters at Whitehall after evening prayer. Once they got there, he decided to hug her goodbye. As she reciprocated, she noticed something that unnerved her a bit.

“You wear a hairshirt, don’t you?” Katherine asked with a quizzical expression. Thomas nodded his head yes.

"Please don't. I don't like the people I care about beating themselves up for being human, so to speak," she begged her friend as she held his hands.

If only she knew what else I did to myself, he thought. He nodded in understanding. He wished her a good night and then returned to his house on the boat.

As soon as he got home, Thomas tossed his hairshirt into the fireplace while changing into his nightshirt. The whip, well, he had something else planned for that. He sat on the floor in front of the fireplace and began to think about what he was feeling now. His head began to spin as he thought about every gesture today; rubbing her back after the incident with Charles Brandon; touching her hand when she seemed sad about talking about her late husband; hugging her goodbye when he took her back to her quarters at Whitehall.

Why did he ask her to stay the night? Was he just concerned about it being late, or did he want to sleep with her? Of course, she would have slept in a guest room, but would he have been able to control his impulse and stay in his bed, or would he crawl into bed with her? How would that make him better than Brandon? These questions would keep him up all night if he let them.

"Enough, Thomas. Get some sleep," the humanist told himself as he slowly got up and dusted the dirt off his nightclothes. After saying a short prayer, he crawled into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

* * *
As soon as Katherine returned to her quarters, she changed into her nightgown and went to bed after a short prayer. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it, pretending it was Thomas. A smile crossed her lips while she closed her eyes.

"Good night, Thomas," she whispered as she drifted asleep. For the first time in a long time, she felt safe. Little did her friend know he was giving her that sense of safety.

Fun fact: Erasmus was a humanist scholar and philosopher who greatly influenced Thomas More. I had to throw him in there for that very reason.

Chapter Text

Chapter 3-Lessons Learned Part I

Thomas grapples with his feelings for Katherine, and the aftermath of the incident with Charles Brandon, which sparks a disagreement between the two friends.

Before he left for mass that Sunday, Thomas took his whip and tossed it in the river. Katherine was right; he needed to quit beating himself up for being human. It was time to embrace the idea that he was a human with human feelings.

At mass, Katherine took a seat beside him and said hello. Thomas said hello back and placed his arm over the back of the pew. His heart skipped a beat as he felt her back pressed against his forearm. He kept telling himself to embrace the feeling.

"You know, we can be less formal. Call me Katie," Katherine told her friend as she turned to him.

"Why?" Thomas asked her.

“That’s what my husband called me,” she explained.

“Call me Tom. That’s what my wife called me,” the humanist said quietly.

* * *

A page came to their office on Monday as Katherine prepared for class. The young man had a flushed face as if he had been running a long distance. He also had wide eyes as if frightened about the news he had to deliver.

“Sir Thomas, His Majesty wants you to see him in his study,” he told Thomas breathlessly.

The humanist told his friend he would see her later with a pat on the shoulder and followed the young man through the corridors. Thomas had a feeling as to why Henry wanted to talk to him. He just hoped that neither he nor his friend were in trouble.

“You wanted to speak to me?” Thomas asked Henry while the page closed the door.

"Yes, Thomas," Henry told him as he offered his friend a seat. "Charles came complaining to me the other day about you threatening to beat him for bothering the teacher. Is that true?"

Thomas sat and took a deep breath. "Yes. I caught him in the act. He was sitting on her desk and coming on to her. He remarked that 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' and that the same thing applied to girls and touched her cheek.
Her face was flushed, and her eyes were red. It looked like she was on the verge of tears."

When asked about previous incidents, Thomas explained that Charles would make a double-entendre, for example, something to do with "anatomy lessons" or how they could make "beautiful music together." He added that the Duke of Suffolk would take off when he saw him.

Henry rolled his eyes. He said, "Well, tell her not to worry. Uncle Harry will look after her," with a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Thomas thanked his former student with a bow and started to leave. Just as he did, Henry told him to wait a moment. He realized there was something else he needed, just in case another incident like this occurred.

"I just need one thing from you. Two, actually." Thomas asked what it was he needed.

"I'd like two affidavits—one from you and one from her. I'll have Master Cromwell witness them. Consider it an insurance policy if Charles does something like this again."

* * *

The first chance he got to talk to Katherine was at dinner break. He grabbed some food and sat across from his friend. He wasn't looking forward to telling her what happened.

“What did he want to talk to you about?” Katherine asked Thomas as they sat down together.

“Oh, just as predicted, Charles went crying to Harry. He wanted to know our side of the story. Needless to say, he wasn’t pleased,” he told her before saying grace to himself.

When asked why Henry wasn't pleased, he said he didn't care for Charles' behavior. Thomas also said she didn't need to worry because "Uncle Harry" would look out for her. Thomas finally added that Henry needed two affidavits.

"What's an affidavit?" Katherine asked her friend. She had seen the term in her eclectic self-education but needed to remember what it meant.

"It's a sworn statement signed by at least one witness. Master Cromwell is going to witness it. We will tell what happened in writing, and Harry will put them away if the Duke of Suffolk does something like this again."

"So, let me get this straight. Now I have to tell the king what I did. And Master Cromwell will read it before giving it his blessing and giving it to His Majesty, who will save it for a rainy day?"

While he and Thomas Cromwell didn't see eye-to-eye on religion, to say the least, the humanist still had a good deal of respect for him as an administrator. He also knew he was highly professional and would be discreet. Cromwell wouldn't peruse the documents and would witness them after the friends signed them.

"Well, not exactly. Yes, Cromwell will witness it; however, I highly doubt he would read it. But yes, Harry will hold on to them. I can assure you they will be kept safe," Thomas tried to assure his friend.

Katherine couldn't believe her ears. It was bad enough living through it once; now she had to relive it by writing it down, not to mention that a third party would see the details. The teacher rose from the table and disposed of her dinner. She had suddenly lost her appetite.

Thomas watched as his friend walked out of the dining hall. He wanted to run out and apologize immediately but didn't want to make a scene. Besides, she would probably tell him to go away and leave her alone, possibly forever.

Katherine barely spoke to her friend for the rest of the day. She managed to do her usually exemplary job of teaching the students that afternoon. It was the best way to keep her mind off the dreaded task of drawing up that damned document.

Thomas did some paperwork in his office while he waited for the school day to finish. He wasn't looking forward to filling out that affidavit, either. Thomas felt terrible that she had to relive that incident by writing down the details. But he didn't want any other woman to go through what she did. He hoped that holding these statements over Charles's head would keep him in line.

After the students were dismissed, Katherine went to the office and shut the door behind her. She took out a few pieces of parchment and some ink. The two friends made up the affidavits that told of the Duke of Suffolk’s antics and set them aside, waiting for Thomas Cromwell so he could witness them.

Finally, Thomas walked to the secretary's office and knocked on the door. Cromwell, who was finalizing a report, opened the door and poked his head out. He asked the humanist what he needed.

"Master Cromwell, may I borrow you for a second?" Thomas asked him. Cromwell agreed and followed the administrator to his office.

Cromwell, who was the Lord Privy Seal, witnessed the documents. He had an idea as to what they were about, but he didn’t bother asking. He gave Katherine a sympathetic look after he completed his task.

"I'll say it again; if the two of you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he said, wishing them a good night. He placed the papers in an envelope to be delivered to the king in the morning.

While neither was pleased about the affair, Katherine was distraught. She felt like she was reliving that incident. She remembered how she first felt annoyed by the Duke of Suffolk, then upset by his advances, and then slightly frightened by Thomas's reaction. While the teacher understood her friend was protecting her and that Thomas would never direct such actions toward women, it was still unnerving to see those events unfold.

"Do you want to–" Thomas started to ask. He wasn't inviting her to supper, although she was always welcome; he just wanted to talk to her about it.

"No, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Master More," Katherine told her friend as she walked to her quarters. She was tired and wanted to be alone. Besides, she had work to do.

He wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry he was for what happened, but she didn’t want anything to do with him. Instead, Thomas walked out and took the ferry back to his house, mulling over what happened and if he could fix the damage to their friendship. His best hope was a little time to calm down would help.

* * *

Thomas went to his study to sulk as soon as he got home. He sat in his chair before the fireplace and held his rosary. He wove it between his fingers while he thought about what he was feeling; this time, it was fear. It went beyond the heresy that threatened the Catholic Church. It was something closer to home.

Thomas was beginning to fear something else; it wasn't just losing his pet project at the school. It was very important to him, to be sure. While only in its first year, Whitehall Academy proved very successful. He wanted that success to continue, especially with Katherine teaching those bright children. It was for a more personal reason.

He realized he loved her. Thomas feared that one of two things was the case; the feeling wasn't mutual, or he would lose her love for him. Both ideas scared the living daylights out of him.

* * *

Katherine flopped her folio onto her table and sat down as soon as she entered her quarters. After lighting a candle, she sorted the papers and graded the assignments. It took a little longer, but she managed to finish her task.

She realized she was a little hard on Thomas while grading her papers. She tried to see it from his point of view; he was a lawyer by trade and thinking like one in that scenario. She read in her eclectic self-education that having evidence was vital for a lawyer to make his case, and sometimes that came in the form of sworn statements of witnesses.

It didn't make her feel any less upset about making that affidavit. She still felt like she was reliving that moment. It was one that she hoped to put behind her.

As soon as she finished, she slid the papers back to her folio and blew out her candle. Katherine sat in the dark, thinking about how she felt about the situation. She wasn't about to quit her position. She loved teaching, and she appreciated that Thomas had faith in her. However, she believed they would need to have a good long discussion.

Chapter Text

Chapter 4-Time to Talk
Thomas and Katherine talk about the incident, and Thomas admits his feelings for her.

“Who can tell me what the four humors are?” Katherine asked her students before calling on a boy named James.

“Blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile,” he responded.

"Very good. We will go into further detail about the humors, starting with blood. If you will turn to the next page in your tracts….,"

* * *

Thomas's first chance to talk to Katherine that day was dinner break. He grabbed a bowl of soup and made a beeline for the table she was seated at. She was also eating soup. She looked up and acknowledged her colleague with a nod.

“Katie, about what happened yesterday-” Thomas started to apologize after saying grace to himself.

“Tom, don’t worry about it,” she assured her friend, holding up a hand. " It was hard to relive it is all. I want to put it behind me," Katherine explained, nibbling on a bit of bread she used to sop up the remainder of her soup. She knew he was sorry about what happened. He didn't have to apologize. But they did need to talk.

“How about we talk about it more later? Say, over supper?” Thomas suggested in an apologetic tone.

Katherine nodded in agreement, suggesting that they do some work as well.

“Sounds like a date,” Thomas replied with a smile.

* * *

As usual, the papers were sorted on the kitchen table to give themselves space to work. After they finished, Katherine finally decided something else was to be resolved. She slid the papers into her folio and set it to the side. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, nervous about what would transpire.

“All right, I’m ready to talk,” she told her friend.

"I'm ready to listen," Thomas replied, folding his hands on the table. He was just as nervous; he also had something important to tell her.

“I understand why you had to do it. I’m still not happy about it. I felt like I was reliving the whole thing.” referring to the affidavits.

“Was it because of Brandon?” Thomas asked Katherine, leaning back in his chair and stroking his chin. He sensed she was upset about rehashing the incident, so he wanted to talk to her about it that night.

“Part of it was. The other part was you,” she admitted.

“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, a little puzzled.

"I was a little scared when I saw you pin him against the doorframe. Don't get me wrong, I know you were trying to protect me, but I had never seen that side of you. It was a little unnerving," Katherine explained.

“To be honest, I was scared too,” Thomas admitted, much to Katherine’s surprise.

"What do you have to be scared of?" She didn't understand what someone like him would have to fear. He was in good with the king, and he was a lawyer, so he had plenty to fall back upon. He had it made in her book.

“That I would lose you; how you acted after we wrote the affidavits made me afraid that I would lose two important things: the school and you. Not just as a colleague, but a friend, and maybe more."

“Tom, what are you trying to say?” She had a feeling about what he was getting at, but she wanted him to spit it out.

“It’s because I love you,” he muttered. He still wasn’t ready to admit it to her face yet.

Katherine hated it when people muttered. Her late husband had an annoying habit of that, and she would ask him to "speak like a normal person" when he did. She felt that they could do so audibly if someone had something to say.

“Could you speak up, please?” Katherine asked her friend.

"I love you!" Thomas said with enough emphasis to make him stand, "I haven't felt like this since I was married. When I sat with you at mass the other day, my heart skipped a beat. My heart sank when you walked away from me in the dining hall. I used to have a whip, and I threw it into the river on the way to mass because of what you told me about embracing the idea that I was a human with human feelings," he confessed to her.

Katherine’s jaw nearly hit the floor. A whip? My God, What did he do to himself? She thought.

After Thomas was done, Katherine realized she also had a few things to confess. She crossed herself, praying that she wasn't going to regret it.

"Thanks to you, I feel safe for the first time since I married Edward. That's why I was upset about the affidavits. I felt it was a secret safe with us like the other times he bothered me. I was worried that I couldn't trust you anymore. You're the only one that has faith in me here," she confessed to him.

"Well, that's not true. Harry does. So does Master Cromwell. And you managed to earn Cardinal Wolsey's respect," Thomas pointed out.

"But you're the one that matters to me. You're the one that stood up for me. You're the one that's made me feel safe and happy again," Katherine told him, emphasizing the "you’s” and how he made her feel.

Thomas raised an eyebrow, wondering if she was also trying to say something. If that was the case, it was time for her to speak up. He was hoping the feeling was mutual.

“Are you trying to say what I think you are?” Thomas asked Katherine, hoping he might hear something he hadn't in years.

"Yeah, I guess I am. I would be a hypocrite if I didn't come out and say it myself; I love you, too," Katherine eventually told him with a sigh.

Thomas smiled and offered his friend a hug. She rose and accepted, and a calm feeling washed over them. He was relieved and happy at the same time. He was afraid that he had blown it. Finally, he let go, took her hand, and led her to the couch. He wanted to talk to her a bit more but in a more comfortable setting.

They sat beside each other, and Thomas put his arm over the back of the couch. Katherine sighed and leaned back. The tension in the air, which had once been so thick it could be cut with a knife, decreased significantly.

“Well, now that’s out, where do we go from here?” Katherine asked.

“The only place we can; onwards and upwards. If we end up married and having children, then we have John’s accidental gift as a matchmaker to thank,” Thomas told her,

After evening prayers, Thomas noted the late hour. He asked her if she would like to stay the night. While he felt he was pushing his luck by having her as an overnight guest, he didn't care at the moment; they would be sleeping in separate rooms, so nothing would happen.

"All right. But I'm sleeping in a different room. I don't want us to get into trouble," Katherine told him. She wouldn't have minded sleeping with him, but she knew she was pushing it already. He agreed as he led her upstairs to a spare room.

He opened the door to the room and got a small fire going before fetching a shirt for her to wear to bed. Thomas went to his room to change into his nightshirt. He returned to say bedtime prayer with her, but not before offering her a hug.

She's not lying, he thought as she leaned into him, hugging him as closely as possible and rubbing his back. He tucked her head under his chin, breathing her in and doing the same thing.

It felt…nice for both of them. Neither wanted to let go but knew they had to so they could say their bedtime prayers. So they did, reluctantly, and knelt in front of the bed together, saying a brief prayer.

Thomas wanted to go to bed with her but didn't trust himself. Not yet, at least. He gave her a quick hug and kissed her forehead, telling her good night before going to bed in his room.

Later that night, he walked into the other room to check on her, as he did with his children when they were young. As he still did with John when he visited. The humanist gently squeezed her hands and kissed her forehead.

“May God keep you through the night and always,” Thomas whispered in her ear before retiring to bed himself.

Thomas drew a sigh of relief as he went to his bed. He managed to avoid the urge to join his friend in her bed. But this was just the first time she spent the night.

He wasn't sure if he could control himself the next time, and he knew there would be a next time.