A/N: As most, if not all, of these one-shots will entirely ignore a large part of the plot (Kate's death), I have taken a few other creative licenses as well. Sometimes Flora exists, sometimes she doesn't. In this first one, she does not.

I only recently started watching (why do I always come to ships too late?!), so please PM or comment with any mistakes I might have made. Also, if anyone is interested in writing Caroline/Kate with me, please let me know because I adore writingjoint fics!

It hit Kate as she was readying herself for one of the dreaded staff meetings where everyone argued and spoke over the top of each other but got nothing done. There was a little chatter, but when Caroline walked into the room it silenced immediately. The blonde barely even glanced up from the file she was scanning and yet she could command a group of grown-ups into silence. Not that this was what struck Kate. No, she knew that already. She admired that already. Today, it was the slight swagger with which Caroline walked that she noticed. She had watched her hundreds of times before, loved the way her hips moved, but it was only that moment she knew the word for it. A swagger. She was married to someone who had a swagger.

A squeak from Kate's lips made Caroline's eyes lift from the paper, a frown creasing her forehead when she saw her cover her smile with her hand and shake her head gently. Caroline's eyes stayed on her wife for a moment before she cleared her throat and began the meeting.

As Kate had expected, the staff meeting mostly involved people speaking over one another, trying to get their point across, their issue solved ahead of everyone else's. Today, though, it didn't bother her at all. Today, the first day back after the summer holiday, Kate had come back a different person. Today, for the first time, she had come to school as a wife. A wife to the glorious woman commanding this meeting, quietening the loud ones, encouraging those who were hesitant to speak.

She'd seen this before, of course. Probably thousands of times. But this time it felt different. This time she knew the woman loved her, wanted to be with her forever. This time, she felt a strange, perfect contentness with everything.

"Kate." When Kate glanced over her shoulder, she found Caroline looking over her glasses at her. "Would you mind staying behind for a moment?"

Turning to offer the colleague she'd been talking to an apologetic smile, Kate returned to the seat she'd been in, watching Caroline shuffle the papers in front of her until the last member of staff had left the room and shut the door.

"Would you mind telling me what is so amusing?" Caroline glanced up at her wife, looking over the top of her glasses again, her voice in that neutral tone that Kate was still not quite sure of.

Kate bit her bottom lip to stop herself smiling. "Nothing."

"I see. Nothing made you giggle behind your hand for the last forty minutes?" Caroline tilted her head slightly, and Kate could swear she saw the corner of her mouth twitch.

"Is it…Do you think it would be entirely inappropriate if I was to say I was imagining making love to you while you sit in that chair?"

"Very inappropriate." Caroline finally removed her glasses. "But I fail to see how that was making you giggle."

"I don't giggle."

"Oh, you do, Darling."

The use of the term of endearment made Kate confident that they were definitely not Doctor and Teacher anymore, but partners.

"I don't. It was making me laugh because it's just struck me that I am married to you. the head teacher." Another giggle escaped her lips.

"You do. That didn't strike you, oh, I don't know, 2 months ago when we got married?" Caroline finally shut the file in front of her and then rested her glasses on top.

"I don't. And then it was Kate marrying Caroline, but I've just realised Kate is now married to Dr. Elliot, too." Kate pushed herself to her feet and walked towards her wife, picking up her glasses and instead put them into Caroline's pocket. She was forever forgetting where she put them.

"You do. And it's Dr McKenzie-Dawson these days, actually."

Kate bit her lip again but couldn't stop the smile pulling at her lips as she rested her backside against the table. "Would it be entirely inappropriate for Kate to kiss Caroline right now?"

"I'm sure no one would blink an eyelid if a married couple gave one another a kiss goodbye." Caroline offered, a smile finally gracing her lips.

"Well, I don't think the type of kiss I want to give you would be anything close to a goodbye kiss, so I'd better keep it for later." Kate pushed herself up from the table and turned towards the door. "You'll still be done by 5?"

"Tease."

"Takes one to know one. I know you know what that swagger does to me." Kate offered as she reached the door. "And I don't giggle!"

"You do!" Caroline called out after her. Kate could hear the laugh in her voice and it made her smile grow.

Life was tough, and they'd had their fair share of issues, but in moment's like that, Kate knew it was entirely worth it.