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The Alternative - Chapter 3

This chapter is a little longer than my previous two, but I hope you all enjoy it the same! Once again, under a “Read more” for length! Please leave a comment and tell me what you thought!

Patrick felt Shelagh bury her face into his neck as they lay together a few mornings later and he had his strong arms wrapped around her slight waist beneath the covers, one of her shapely legs tangled with his as her warm breath hit against his skin and she curled herself into his side whilst draping her arm loosely over his stomach and anchoring herself to him. It was rare, now that they had two young children, that the two of them ever managed to find time for early morning lovemaking so on the extremely rare occasion that both Angela and Teddy decided to have a lie-in, Patrick and Shelagh made certain to make the most of it. He pulled her close when he felt her settle in his embrace - holding her securely against his chest - and pressed a light and lingering kiss to her head before whispering barely coherent words of love into her dishevelled honey-blonde hair.

'When was the last time we got to do this?' Shelagh asked with a lazy smile as she brought her head to lay upon his shoulder a few moments later and her gentle ice-blue eyes met with his warm hazel brown ones, her husband returning her tranquil smile with one of his own as he ran one of his strong hands soothingly along the perfect curve of her spine. 'It sounds terrible, I know, but I sometimes feel grateful whenever Angela's not well because she sleeps in for longer than usual. It gives me the chance to just lie in your arms and let you hold and kiss me.' She cupped the side of his neck in her dainty palm then before drawing his face towards hers and capturing his lower lip in a long and slow kiss, tracing the sharpness of his jawline with the pad of her thumb as Patrick drew her further into him by the hip and she released a sigh of contentment against his incredibly soft and warm lips.

'I know exactly how you feel, my love.' He reassured her once they'd parted with a soft smack several moments later and he allowed his forehead to lean against hers as she grazed the tip of her nose delicately against his. 'I've missed having mornings like this with you - mornings where we can just make love and forget that we've got patients and children to care for. It reminds me of when we were on our honeymoon in Torquay, you know. Just you and me together in the mornings and the evenings with no distractions.' The tips of his fingers danced lazily along the outside of her arm as he brushed the softest of kisses against her lips, a gentle chuckle escaping him when he peeled back and saw that her cheeks had taken on a slightly deeper shade of pink as she blessed him with a small yet radiant smile. 'You are the most beautiful woman in all of Poplar, Shelagh Turner.' He caressed her warm cheek with the backs of his fingers, his heart swelling with the deep love that he held for her as she nuzzled against his hand with a perfect sigh of contentment. 'I love you.'

'I love you too, Patrick.' She whispered as she allowed her eyes to flutter open just seconds later and her rosy lips, which were still slightly swollen from his kisses, curled up into a beautiful smile. The two of them began to indulge in a slow and passionate kiss then, Patrick cupping the smooth curve of his wife's cheek in his palm as Shelagh's soft hand came up to cup the side of his neck and their tongues began to dance together with ease, the two of them sighing deeply in unison as they pulled apart at the sound of their son's voice.

'Mumma.' Shelagh couldn't find it in her to be annoyed with her precious baby boy as she pulled away from her husband and propped herself up slightly on her hands, her soft lips curling up into a loving smile as she could just about make out Teddy standing up in his cot on the other side of the room. 'Mumma.' Teddy repeated himself, Shelagh letting out a gentle giggle as she leaned over to retrieve her glasses from her bedside table before slipping them carefully onto her nose in order for her to see her lovely little boy more clearly.

'Good morning, handsome.' She beamed as she gazed over at him before she felt Patrick slip his arm around her waist with a slow kiss to her neck.

'Mmm...you never say that to me when I wake you up for work.' He teased, nuzzling against her. 'You just groan at me; I should feel hurt.'

'Oh, shut up.' She giggled before turning her head towards him in order to press a soft kiss onto his eagerly awaiting lips. 'You know you're handsome, you don't need me to tell you that.' She then brushed his dishevelled hair carefully away from his forehead before stretching up to press her lips to the exposed skin in a lingering kiss, a soft sigh leaving her lips when Teddy called for her again with rather an impatient tone. 'Alright, darling, Mummy's coming.' She reassured him before leaning over the side of the bed to retrieve her dressing gown from the floor, her heart swelling with love for her son as she stood from the bed after knotting the ties of her dressing gown around her waist and Teddy fell back onto his bottom in his cot before clapping gleefully as he beamed up at his Mummy. 'You are growing up far too quickly for Mummy's liking, young man, and I want you to stop it this instant.' She sighed once she had Teddy balanced on her hip and her son's head was cushioned on her shoulder, nothing but love in her eyes as she kissed his cheek.

She couldn't help but giggle when she heard her little boy's tummy growl as he snuggled against her, a gentle smile upon her lips as she began to carry him over to the bed that she shared with her husband and Patrick drew back the covers for her so that she could climb back into bed beside him. 'Somebody seems to have worked up quite the appetite through the night, hasn't he?' She cooed as she sat Teddy safely in her lap before nuzzling several playful kisses into his neck and revelling in the precious giggles that left him. 'Will you cuddle with me whilst I feed him?' She asked her husband with a small smile as she lifted Teddy's pyjama top carefully over his head in order to share skin-to-skin with him as she nursed him, Patrick nodding with a dashing sparkle in his deep brown eyes before she made an opening in her dressing gown that was large enough for Teddy to fit into. A smile of pure love and devotion spread across her lips as she drew Teddy close to her chest and felt him latch onto her breast without a fuss, his tiny hand coming up to cup the round swell of it in its palm as he began to suck slowly upon her nipple. 'I love it when he takes his milk off of me, Patrick.' She admitted as he brought her close to him.

'I know you do, my love.' His voice was muffled in her warm honey-blonde hair as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of her head. 'There aren't words to explain how beautiful you look whenever you're nursing. I don't think I'll ever get over it.' He brushed a soft kiss against her covered shoulder before tightening his arm around her and drawing her closer.

'Maybe we should try for another.' She teased as she patted Teddy's back comfortingly. 'Then, when Teddy's weaned, we'll still be able to have moments like this.'

'You'll hear no complaints from me.' He smirked, kissing the back of her neck. 'You look ravishing when you're pregnant, too.'

'Next year?' She asked softly as she turned her head towards him, hope sparkling in her beautiful blue eyes.

'Next year.' He reassured her, planting a delicate kiss upon her lips. 'Oh, I love you.'

'I love you too, Patrick.' She beamed before snuggling against him. 'I love you too.'

'Oh, Angela, please be a good girl for Mummy and take your medicine.' Shelagh sighed later that morning as she was stood in the sitting room and her precious little girl was sat on the settee with her arms folded across her chest, tears rolling softly down her porcelain cheeks as she gazed up at her. 'I know you don't feel well, sweet pea, but this'll help.'

'I don't like it, Mummy, it's yucky.' Angela whimpered through her tears. 'Can I cuddle with you instead?'

'Mummy will snuggle with you after you take your medicine, darling. What will Daddy say if he comes downstairs and finds out that you haven't taken it? You don't want to make Daddy sad, do you?' Angela shook her head slowly as she played with the buttons on her pyjama top. 'If you be a big girl and take your medicine then Mummy will let you have a few grapes to take the bad taste away, alright? Will you take it if I promise to give you some grapes?' Her little girl's eyes sparkled at that, a small smile spreading across her soft rosebud lips as she nodded. 'That's my angel girl.' Shelagh smiled before unscrewing the cap on the bottle and sitting down beside her daughter on the settee, Angela observing her closely as she poured the syrup onto the teaspoon in her free hand. She then began to guide the teaspoon towards her daughter's mouth, Angela parting her lips reluctantly in order to accept it before she quickly swallowed the first teaspoon of medicine with a grimace. 'Two more, sweetheart, and then you can have some grapes.' Shelagh smiled as she poured more of the syrup out onto the teaspoon, warm tears continuing to dance down Angela's porcelain cheeks as she gazed up at her mother and played with her hands.

It was a few minutes later when Angela finally swallowed the last teaspoon of medicine and heaved slightly before settling, Shelagh sighing lovingly at her as she tucked a strand of her beautiful blonde hair back behind her ear. 'No more, Mummy.' Angela shook her head tearfully as she looked into her mother's eyes, Shelagh leaning in to peck her cheek before she screwed the cap back onto the bottle of medicine.

'No more, sweet pea, I promise. Not until after lunch.' She opened her arms to her daughter then, Angela crawling into her lap before she snuggled into her chest and released a gentle sigh as she buried her face into her neck. 'Would you like some grapes now, sweetie?' Shelagh asked lovingly as she pressed a lingering kiss to the top of Angela's head.

'Later, Mummy.' The four-year-old admitted with a sleepy smile as she clung to her mother and allowed her brown eyes to flutter closed. 'I just want to cuddle with you for now.'

'Well, whatever the Princess wants the Princess gets, isn't that what Daddy always says?' Shelagh giggled as she felt her heart swell with love for her precious little girl.

Angela nodded slowly against her before tilting her head back against her chest in order to look up at her. 'I love you, Mummy.' She told her with a beautiful smile.

'I love you too, angel girl.' Shelagh reassured her before dipping her head to nuzzle the tip of her nose against hers, Angela giggling sweetly before her Mum kissed her temple.

As the two of them fell into a comfortable silence whilst cuddling a short time later, Shelagh couldn't help but gaze down at the charming little girl who had completely changed her life. Angela had given her hope when all hope had been lost after Doctor Horringer had incorrectly diagnosed her as infertile. Angela had quenched her longing for a child of her own when she and Patrick had brought her home from the adoption agency the day after her birth, and she had only made her love her more with every day that had passed. It was hard for Shelagh to know that her little girl wasn't a baby anymore; that she was just two months away from turning five, and she wished that time would just stop so that Angela would always be the little girl who got into bed with her for snuggles every morning; the little girl who always preferred to be in her lap rather than playing with the other children whenever she and Patrick took she and Teddy out to the playground on one of their rare days off from the surgery. She simply didn't want her baby girl to grow up.

'Teddy is dressed, Mrs. Turner.' Magda's gentle voice was what brought Shelagh back to the present a few moments later and she couldn't help but smile as she noticed that her little girl had drifted off in her embrace, Angela releasing delicate snores as her face was turned into her chest. 'He's being a little angel this morning, aren't you, Master Turner?'

'Thank you, Magda.' Shelagh smiled as she ran her fingers through Angela's warm hair and smiled up at the au pair from where she was sat on the settee. 'How are you feeling?'

'I'm feeling well, Mrs. Turner, but I didn't manage to get much sleep last night. The sickness has started, and it woke me up every two hours or so.' The young woman admitted.

'I'm sorry.' Shelagh sighed. 'Are you certain that you can manage with the children today? I can always take the day off again if you need to rest, Magda.'

'I'll be fine.' Magda reassured her, patting the small of Teddy's back with a warm smile as he was balanced on her hip. 'We all will, won't we, Teddy?'

Teddy babbled in agreement.

'Patrick has telephoned Nonnatus House and has explained everything to Sister Julienne. She wants you and I to go and see her this evening so that we can make plans for your pregnancy and so that she can meet you.' Magda looked slightly nervous. 'There's no need to be anxious, Magda, Sister Julienne is one of the kindest women I know and I swear to you that she isn't going to judge you. Patrick told me that she's said she can't wait to meet you, so you don't need to worry.' Shelagh watched her shoulders fall in relief.

'Now, Angela's taken her medicine this morning but she's due another three teaspoons at 12:30. Timothy won't be home until 6:30 this evening because he's got orchestra, so if this little one does as she's told and takes it easy today then it shouldn't be too chaotic for you.' Shelagh giggled. 'Just put some cartoons on for her when she wakes up and find her a blanket to cover herself with, and she should just lay on the settee. Remember, just telephone the surgery or Nonnatus if you need I or Patrick to come home at any point.'

'Thank you, Mrs. Turner.' Magda smiled. 'When the children are down for their naps may I borrow your nursing books? I really am interested in going into midwifery once I finish working for you.'

'Of course you may.' Shelagh nodded, nothing but kindness in her eyes. 'And if you need any help or advice then all you have to do is ask.'

Magda nodded in response as she bounced Teddy gently when he began to fuss.

'Now,' Shelagh sighed as she carefully removed Angela from her lap before laying her daughter down upon the settee and lifting her head so that it settled upon the arm-rest. 'I should probably go and get ready, because Nurse Crane will end up on the war-path if I'm late.' She and Magda giggled softly together before she pressed the slowest of kisses onto Angela's cheek, a loving smile upon her lips as she did the same to Teddy before squeezing Magda's shoulder tenderly and approaching the staircase that led to her room.

Magda couldn't help but sigh as she drew slow circles into the centre of Teddy's back through his vest and the precious little boy chewed happily upon his fist. Whenever she set eyes on the youngest Turner children she immediately thought about the baby that was slowly growing within her womb. She couldn't wait to cradle her son or daughter close to her; to count each of its tiny fragile fingers and toes and to shower it with all the love that she possessed. Feri had always told her that she'd be nothing but a disappointment to their child should they have ever had one; that she would be a sorry excuse for a mother and wouldn't know the first thing about how to care for their baby properly. That was a fraction of the reason why she had considered abortion. She'd thought that she would end up hurting her child or having it taken away from her, but now she knew that Feri had used those words to abuse her emotionally as well as physically. She'd realized, through caring for Timothy, Angela and Teddy, that she was perfectly capable of being a mother.

She was determined to prove Feri wrong.

'Magda?' Angela's beautiful voice prompted the young woman to tear her gaze away from the innocent face of baby Teddy as he slept soundly in her arms later that day, a loving smile spreading across her lips as the precious four-year-old that she'd grown to be extremely fond of over the last few weeks made her way around to the front of the settee. 'I was just wondering if I - if I could have a cuddle?' Angela asked as she played with the front of her pyjama top. 'Mummy always gives me cuddles when I'm not feeling very well.'

'Of course you can have a cuddle, sweetheart.' Magda sighed with a perfect smile before she shushed the infant in her arms as he grizzled gently in his sleep. 'Why don't you get comfortable whilst I go and lay Teddy down in his cot? Then we can snuggle together until your Mummy and Daddy get home at half-past, can't we?' Angela nodded with a small smile before climbing up onto the settee as Magda stood in order to carry Teddy over to the small cot that her employers kept downstairs for when their little boy took his naps. She cradled the back of his head securely as she lowered him down into his cot, shushing him gently once again as he whimpered at being moved before she caressed his warm cheek with the backs of her fingers and smiled lovingly down at him as he settled back into slumber. 'Sleep well, my darling.' She whispered before moving away from his cot, a gentle smile upon her soft lips as she began to make her way back over to the settee. 'How are you feeling, precious?' She asked as she brought Angela into her lap after sitting.

'Poorly.' The four-year-old sniffed as she nuzzled into her chest and gripped the soft material of her dress in her small hand. 'I want Mummy to come home so that she can sing her special Scottish songs to me. I don't know what she's saying when she sings them, but she says that's because she's singing in gayl - gayli-' Angela struggled with the word.

'Gaelic, darling.' Magda smiled as she stroked her fingers through Angela's fair blonde hair. 'It's a language that some people who live in Scotland speak and your Mummy - back when she lived there - probably would have spoke it too.' Angela allowed her head to come and settle upon the au pair's shoulder before a precious smile spread across her lips.

'I love it when Mummy sings to me.' She admitted. 'She usually sings to me when I'm ill or if I have a nightmare. She does sing to me when we snuggle together too, though.'

'My Daddy used to be the one to sing to me.' Magda told her. 'He would sit me on his knee when I was your age and he would sing to me every night before bedtime.'

'Do you miss your Daddy? I miss my Daddy when he has to go to work at night.' Angela snuggled further into her.

'I miss my Daddy every day, precious. He died a long time ago, but I still remember him and I still have the teddy bear that he gave to me.' Magda smiled, kissing her forehead.

'My Daddy gave me a teddy bear for my birthday!' Angela giggled. 'He's called Cuthbert the Second because Timmy used to have a teddy called Cuthbert.'

'Does Cuthbert give you cuddles when you're scared at night?' The young woman asked, feeling her heart swell with love for Angela as she nodded slowly. 'So did mine.'

'Cuthbert the Second is my second best friend.' Angela yawned before allowing her eyes to flutter closed as she nuzzled into Magda's neck once more.

'Oh? And who's your first?' The au pair asked softly, leaning back against the settee as she knew that Angela was slowly drifting off against her.

'You.' Angela whispered. 'You're my very best friend, Magda, and I love you.'

Magda could have wept at the sincerity in the young girl's voice as she held her close whilst she drifted off to sleep, a gentle sigh escaping her as she turned her head to press a warm kiss onto the smooth skin of Angela's hairline. 'I love you too, Angela.' She whispered, feeling the young girl's breath against her skin as she snored. 'More than you know.'

'Do you have any idea of whether you would like a home-birth or a hospital one?' Sister Julienne asked kindly later that evening as Magda and Shelagh were sat before her on the other side of her desk, a warm smile upon her lips as she watched Shelagh brushing her thumb reassuringly across Magda's knuckles as their hands rested neatly within her lap.

'Mrs. Turner has told me that I'm welcome to have the baby at her home if I would like to, so I think I would like it to be there if that's not too much trouble.' Magda admitted.

'It's no trouble at all, Magda, whatever makes you most comfortable.' The Sister reassured her. 'Now, do you know how far along you are?'

'Two months.' Magda admitted. 'Roughly.'

'That's splendid.' Sister Julienne smiled. 'Because you're new here and because you didn't find out about the baby until yesterday, I'd be grateful if you'd come to Clinic tomorrow afternoon so that we can do some tests and examine you properly. No part of your appointment will hurt; it's simply about checking your blood pressure and having a sample of urine so that we can monitor you and make certain that there's no sign of Toxaemia. The rest is mainly questions about dates and other such things so we can establish a due-date in a few weeks' time.' Shelagh squeezed Magda's hand reassuringly as she gazed over at her. 'Shelagh can stay with you for as long as you like, you won't be on your own.'

'Will I be treated differently to married mothers?' Magda asked gently. 'In Hungary unmarried women are treated with less respect than those who have husbands.'

'Every mother is treated with the same amount of compassion and respect, Magda.' Shelagh reassured her. 'We won't disrespect someone simply because they're unmarried.'

The young woman nodded with a small smile.

'So, will Nurse Dyer be seeing you at Clinic tomorrow?' The Sister asked kindly.

'Yes.' Magda reassured her, her free hand resting instinctively upon her lower abdomen. 'I'll be there.'

'So she's agreed to go to Clinic tomorrow?' Patrick asked from where he was propped up against the pillow of the bed that he shared with his wife a few hours later, their perfect little girl sound asleep against his chest as her breathing was slightly wheezy and he continued to stroke the tips of his fingers soothingly through her beautiful fair blonde hair.

'She has, thank goodness.' Shelagh nodded as she lowered Teddy down into his cot before leaning down to press her lips to his temple in a slow and soft kiss. 'She is, however, a bit worried that the other mothers are going to look down on her because she's unmarried. She's worried that they're going to judge her and that she won't make any friends.'

'And what did you say?' He asked as he drew his daughter further into his warmth with a kiss to her head.

'I told her that I'll be beside her from the moment we go into Clinic to the moment we come out and that none of the midwives there are going to tolerate any kind of anti-social behaviour.' She admitted as she lowered herself down into the chair at her vanity and began to carefully put her rollers in. 'She told me that she felt a little calmer when we were walking home and when we got back she headed straight to bed, not that I blame her. Apparently Teddy was crying this morning and then she had Angela asking to snuggle for the rest of the day.' Patrick chuckled softly as he cast his gaze down to the poorly little girl beside him, nothing but deep love for her in his eyes as a quiet sigh escaped his lips.

'I think we'll have our little girl back before the end of next week.' He admitted as he stroked the backs of his fingers down the side of Angela's face. 'She's perked up tonight.'

'I hate seeing a single one of our children ill, Patrick.' Shelagh sighed as she stood from her chair after putting the final roller into her hair, nothing but love in her eyes as she made her way over to the bed with her hair covered with a hairnet, Patrick smiling gently up at her as he pulled back the covers in order for her to slide into bed beside him. 'It's so hard to see her so emotional and so weak because of this chest infection, but I know that the medicine you've given her is going to do her good if she stops refusing to take it.' She stroked Angela's hair slowly back beneath her ear before her four-year-old hummed in her sleep and rolled away from her father, Shelagh wrapping her arm around her.

'You snuggling with her has been helping too.' He told her. 'She rests when she's in your arms and that's the best thing for her at the moment.'

'I love cuddling with her.' She whispered into their daughter's hair as Angela snuggled against her and buried her face into the thin material of her nightgown. 'She's so perfect.'

'Just like her beautiful Mummy.' Patrick traced the sharpness of his wife's jaw with the tips of his fingers, a loving smile upon his lips.

'Once a charmer always a charmer.' She rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

'My charm managed to get you out of that habit and into my arms, so I wouldn't complain about it if I were you.' He teased, tucking a strand of her hair back beneath her ear.

'I love you so much, Patrick.' She sighed as she gazed over at him.

'I love you too, Shelagh.' He reassured her before leaning over their sleeping little girl in order to press a kiss onto her rosy lips. 'Now get some sleep, Shelagh.'

Shelagh nodded obediently before settling down with her little girl and burying her face in her hair, holding Angela as close as possible. 'Goodnight, Patrick.'

'Goodnight, my beautiful girls.' Patrick whispered as he stretched to turn out the lamp on his bedside table before shifting closer to his wife and daughter and draping his strong arm over the two of them, brushing his thumb against the curve of Shelagh's waist through the quilt. 'Pleasant dreams.'

Author’s Note: Thank you all for reading Chapter 3 and I hope you will all continue to support this story because there is still so much to come! Please leave a comment to let me know what you all thought, thank you! x

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